Through Saya and Kohta's conversation, she glared at herself then and with a brief side-glance at him asked, "What would you do if you got cut off from other people because they were too afraid of "Them" getting in."
With almost desirous hum to his instant response, Kohta said, "I'd become a shut-in."
She held her chin and, with a curious gleam to her gaze, then said, "What if the rest of the world did that too?"
She groaned to herself and continued:
"People would survive, sure, but if they're just broken up into little communities, they'll need to get by somehow. We can't just live off scraps, hopes and dreams," She said.
"Tsubakihara-kun's words back in the Faculty room tell us everything that could happen in the best-case scenario, which is nothing more than hopeless for most people. In a more realistic situation, the way most 'societies' work will change for the worse. Especially if you are not of any particular practical use and...."
Here, she was interrupted by Kohta's slightly helpless and dejected mentions, "You're really smart, huh, Sonokawa-san."
"Huh?" She muttered as she jabbed her thumb back towards Shidou towards the back of the bus, seemingly preaching, "That asshole has already picked up on this too. Anyone can figure this out."
"I just can't tell if he picked up on it himself or if it was the idea of some unfortunate soul and he just happened to stumble upon it," She said, crossing her arms under her bosom. "But do you understand? He's become like that in only half a day."
"Do you want me to kick him out?" Kohta growled faintly as he picked up the nail gun by his side.
She shook her head, her thumb once again raising to her lips.
"More importantly, we need to think of how we're going to survive," she muttered. I just wish I had someone I could trust. If only Komuro were here, I'd ask him what he thought."
Kohta's visage was overcast with disinterest and faint annoyance as he grumbled, "You like Komuro, don't you, Sonokawa-san?"
She jolted out of her thought, lurching away as a furious blush rose on her visage.
"Don't be stupid!" She said, thinking passionately protest as her eyes widened.
"...."
"Hmm," Dion's intrigued hum came as her head creaked to find him standing right behind her with Shizuka and Saeko by his sides, "I suspected you might from the way you looked at him back in the Faculty room. Looks like it's true."
An amused smirk decorated his countenance as he rubbed his chin and gave her a look over.
"Shut up! I don't!" She griped as her blush deepened.
"She looks like a tomato..." Shizuka giggled.
"Seems like she does," Saeko muttered with faint amusement, yet she soon stifled her smirk as she folded her arms and her gaze flitted away.
"I'm willing to help you out, you know?" Dion faintly chuckled as he leaned over her chair, "If you refer to me as the Great Shishou Sil-sama, that is."
"I don't need that kind of thing, idiot!" She grumped as she pushed him away from her chair; her blush was still as feverish.
Dion chuckled, raising his hands in retreat.
"Whatever you say," He muttered.
Meanwhile, Kohta simply seemed annoyed and disinterested.
Saya stood up, coughing and clearing her throat.
"That's enough of that," She diverted.
Meanwhile, in the back of the bus, Shidou stood tall, his arms wid,e and a gaudy grin embellished his visage. The air between the two sections of the bus was palpably different, here pulsed with an almost salacious passion. A primal vigour, and the spirit and verve pealing from Shido's voice fed its potency.
"We mustn't forget that we are all the same in that we all escaped from Fujimi Academy. Miyamoto-san and Komuro-kun weren't worthy to be with us like this!!"
His arms gave animated gestures as he slowly motioned himself through the walkway. The countenances of all the just over dozen students that he was with glossed over with hypnotic attention and unsettling reverence.
"We must stay strong and hold together to survive!" He said feverishly. "We can triumph over this hardship if we have each other!"
Back to the front of the mini-bus, everyone of Saeko, Shizuka, Ssaya, Kohta and Dion was visibly repulsed to at least some degree.
"Look at that form, that technique, that craving," Dion murmured, "It's rare to find a man that can suck their dick so fervently,"
Kohta and Shizuka faintly chuckled while Saeko and Saya's expressions fell into a contemplative seriousness.
"This is getting bad," Saya faintly growled.
"Indeed. It's as if he's soliciting for some new religion." Saeko added deeply.
Saya grimaced even more as she continued:
"It's not 'as if'. That's exactly what he's doing," She said, "We're witnessing the birth of Father Shidou's new cult. Just look at those idiots listening to him,"
Saeko shook her head, and her hand held her chin.
"I'm afraid, despite our efforts to get it, we have to leave the bus considering the situations in here and out there," She said with a faint sigh. "We should try to cross Onbetsu Bridge and get to the East Police Station... I made a promise to meet Komuro-kun."
Saya came up with a faint blush to her cheeks as she adjusted her glasses,s and an interested yet wary gleam reflected in her gaze.
"I made that promise, too, you know? And don't you think you're worrying too much about? Aren't you worried about your family?"
Saeko simply gave a faint smile, glancing at her.
"I'm afraid, the only priorities I have now are my promise with Komuro-kun and staying alive," Saeko explained calmly, "My only family is my father, and he's training overseas. A lesson I take to heart from him is to value my word as much as my own life."
"Hmmm," Saya glanced away almost suspiciously.
"Oh, umm," Kohta stood from his seat and asked, "Speaking of which, Sonokawa-san, where is your house?"
"Just like Komuro, on the other side of Onbetsu Bridge," Saya shrugged.
He nodded almost shyly and said, "Uh, my family isn't around, so I'll just stay with you, Sonokawa-san."
"Where are they?" Shizuka asked with a curious smile.
His voice came quivering with a faint nervousness as he blushed a little, looking at Shizuka.
"My dad's in the jewellery business, so he's in Holland right now, and my Mom's a fashion designer, so she's always in Paris."
"What are you, some kind of manga character!?" Saya jolted.
Shizuka giggled to herself then and said, "No, if he were a manga character, his dad would be the Captain of a cruise ship.,"
Kohta rubbed the back of his head and with a flattered smile said, "That was my Grandpa. My Grandma was a violinist."
"It-it's too perfect," Saya held her head, grumbling in defeat.
Even her family wasn't so spectacular.
"What about you, Tsubakihara-kun?" Shizuka then asked, "Where is your family?"
Dion had been silent this while, simply listening without much change to his impassive yet attentive expression.
"..."
"I live on the other side of the bridge as well. A little farther away from the most neighbourhoods though," He gave a half smile, and with his tone even said. "My parents passed away a long time ago. It's just my guardian and I now; she's a rather successful entrepreneur. What about you, Marikawa-sensei?"
"Eh, um," She had been paused by the faint awkwardness of being the one to ask him to reveal that he was an orphaned child, going on to say through a blush and brief stutter, "My... parents are late as well, and my relatives all live far away,"
Despite the similarities in their family situations, ultimately, they were different. Especially considering the state of the world right now. His guardian was the only family he had left after going through losing both his parents, and now the world - the home they inhabited - was eating itself alive. While she had lost her parents when she was a little older than he, when she was in her early twenties, and hardly had any sort of considerable emotional attachment to her distant relatives. Such thoughts flitted through her mind as she heard his answer.
Yet she...
"I'm sorry..." She muttered.
He gave a little wider smile.
"It's okay," He said softly, "It's nothing to apologise for."
Just then, remembrance dawned on her.
"Ah," She murmured as she eyed them all, "I came to ask you all if I could come along with you. In whatever you were planning to do."
Saya perked her glass back up and asked curiously, "Really?"
Shizuka hummed back with a smile, however, it soon fell into reluctance as she glanced back towards Shidou's budding cult.
She continued:
"And I probably shouldn't say so, but I don't really like Shidou-sensei." She glanced back between them and said with a gentle brightness in her smile. "I like our little team, though. I'd be much happier to have us all stay together."
Everyone gave a faint smirk or snicker at her words. And Dion turned on his heel, heading for the door as he said:
"I'm going ahead then,"
Shizuka then turned after him, walking to pick up Dion's backpack of medical supplies and the first aid box from her passenger seat, opening the bus door for him therein, as he hopped out.
"What's wrong, everyone? I thought we all agreed to cooperate."
Shidou's voice summoned their attention; he had turned back to look at them curiously and amiably.
Saya grinned, turning away from him as she said, "We'll have to pass on that, Shidou-sensei. This isn't some field trip, so we have no obligation to stay with you; we've got our own goals in mind!"
"I see..." He murmured with slithering interest.
His gaze sharpened against them, and he hummed to himself.
Then firmly added:
"Japan is a free country, so you may do as you like, Sonokawa-san, however..."
He ever so faintly slicked his lips, slathering his next words with unsettling mirth.
"If we lost the school nurse now, I'm not sure how we'd get by," He hardened. "Marikawa-sensei, I would never forgive myself for not having you here to protect our precious students if I let you leave."
Shizuka, who had just been a step from beginning to descend the stairs, jolted and froze.
Her gaze flickered through the pleading visages of all the students behind Shido, and her heart strangled for a moment before she locked eyes with Shidou. Her mouth loosened open as if she would say something , yet nothing beyond the empty breath of a murmur came out.
"Marikawa-sensei,"
Her attention was drawn to Dion's voice where he stood outside; his arm had outstretched, offering itself to aid her descent.
"Come," He said through a gentle firmness, "You've decided to follow what your heart wants. I won't let him rob you of that freedom,"
The firm amethyst of his gaze calmed her uneasy, golden attention.
To be there to aid someone's health when she was needed, that too was an aspect of her hheart'sdesires. Yet, to remain here, with Shidou - the thought freighted foul shivers down her spine - was not something she wanted in the slightest.
However, if it were for the sake of potentially helping save someone's life...
She glanced back at the students and after a brief moment, as a thought zipped through her mind, she pursed her lips and resolutely met Dion's gaze. The delicate softness of her thin, long fingers held themselves in the rough of his hand; she found it rather reassuring in that moment as she hopped out of the bus.
"Thank you, Tsubakihara-kun," She said delicately.
Dion smiled faintly, giving a brief chuckle.
"Call me Sil," He said, "I'm not good with formalities."
"Then, please call me Shizuka," She muttered resolutely, "I'm not a teacher anymore."
"As you wish," He muttered with a light nod.
Therein, as she stood before him, a lively tinge of a rose decorated her visage as she looked up at him. She smiled faintly to herself, giggling a bit as she looked backato the bus, waiting for the others.