It was clear as day to him that Botan was not, in fact, ‘fine’ as she described herself.

Kurama had made an honest effort in trying to make conversation as they ate lunch in the greenhouse. As they talked, it had become clear that her disinterest and low energy did not come from the environment she was in. Maybe, he thought, she had grown tired of trying to adjust to her role as a student, and the dishonesty was beginning to get to her. Mental exhaustion can weaken the body and render one very unwilling to act with their usual enthusiasm. That was what he wanted to believe at first. Everyone, even himself, had a slow morning and the occasional lack of interest throughout the day.

She was late for History, and even sat out when it came time to clean up and leave for the day, prompting him to try once again to get her back to her normal self. On the way home, he had tried newer topics, ones that directly appealed to having fun, but to no avail. Met with nothing more than silence and shrugs, he had been discouraged enough to stop bringing anything up, but not enough to get his mind off it. 

This wasn’t the same Botan as yesterday, that much was clear, yet searching her body and energy brought him nothing. A lack of physical energy, the silence, the antisocial tendencies—they all related to something troubling. [color=f7976a][i]‘Depression?’[/i][/color] Kurama wondered as he continued to home. Botan followed closely behind, but only because he was moving slower for her. [color=f7976a][i]‘No, not truly that… she’s dealt with much worse than attending a day of classes. She’s too strong to be this way because of that. But if not that… then…’[/i][/color] His eyes widened as a new possibility began to cross his mind. [color=f7976a][i]‘The presence from the previous night. It vanished as the imps did; both groups were independent in energy, and I hadn’t seen anything of it at the time. Nonetheless there was something else there, something far more menacing.’[/i][/color] 

He was used to his mind working overtime. As much as he wanted to call it just a possibility, Kurama was almost entirely certain that the artificial mood swing and depression, the ones that affected Anabe and Meiko prior to their suicides, was what Botan had come home with. He couldn’t feel it through her spirit energy, only see it by knowing her well enough to recognize the change. Confronting her about it now would do little for them both, and might even force her into outright denial of his claims. For the time being, Kurama would settle on observing her and making certain she did nothing outrageous or self-harmful. 

The pair had returned home. Just before dinner, Kurama had already completed his share of schoolwork, and was unable to rouse Botan from the privacy of her room to join him in studying or looking over her answers. He had peeked inside the room to see her merely lying in bed, staring at the wall. [color=f7976a][i]‘Good,’[/i][/color] he thought, [color=f7976a][i]‘better than climbing out the window or finding something sharp.’[/i][/color]

Shiori had finished dinner and that was enough to get Botan to leave her room to join them. Kurama looked over the results of his mother’s efforts. [color=f7976a][b]“It looks as good as it smells.”[/b][/color] He complimented her before seating himself. He had taken to the offering of rice and eagerly moved to the tempura when asked about the day. [color=f7976a][b]“Nothing special, I’m afraid. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”[/b][/color]

Normally, this was when Botan would pipe up and talk about school, reciting what she had learned and voicing her frustrations to Shiori. Tonight, nothing of the sort. A shrug, followed by more and more silence. Naturally his mother couldn’t ignore this strangeness any longer. When she asked Botan about the lie that was the state of Botan’s parent’s divorce, Kurama had stopped his eating and set his bowl down, turning to her with a creeping fear inching its way up his spine. This was the one time where he hoped she would merely shrug, offer little in response, and allow him to settle the conversation.

Regretfully, it had been different. 

With an attitude that was less than subtle, Botan’s irritability coursed through her tone as she voiced her lack of interest in talking. Shiori was silenced, Kurama willingly joining her in it, and they let Botan continue, which would prove itself to be a mistake. She had come after Shiori’s good heart and trusting nature, stepping into the territory of how dangerous it was to take someone off the street no matter how desperate they were. She had even gone as far as to suggest that the two of them could kill her. But that wasn’t enough of a verbal lashing it seemed. Botan intended to go too far, and teetered dangerously close to speaking of things she had no right to.

His nearest hand shot towards her lips, fingertips pressing firmly against them in a move to silence her. Successful as he was, the speed at which he had done so, combined with the hard stare he was giving her without knowing it, had made the situation even more alarming to Shiori than it was before.

[color=bc8dbf][b]“Shuichi?”[/b][/color] Shiori asked with concern.

[color=f7976a][i]‘That was too close. If I had been lax, she might have finished,’[/i][/color] Kurama thought while easing his stare. The pressure against Botan’s lips had remained, as did the involuntary rise of his spirit energy that permeated the room. Noticing Shiori shiver from the corner of his eye had told him that his aura grew too dangerous, and so he suppressed it. [color=f7976a][b]“Mother,”[/b][/color] he began, looking toward her as he cleared his throat. [color=f7976a][b]“I want to apologize for not being honest with you. Botan’s situation with her parents hasn’t improved, and any hope she had of them reconciling has long since passed. She confessed to me earlier this morning, but didn’t want to bear you worrying about her any more than you were.”[/b][/color] He returned his focus to Botan. [color=f7976a][b]“Please forgive her. She can’t apologize and truly mean it right now, but I assure you that this isn’t a side of Botan you would ever see unless her situation was truly desperate.”[/b][/color]

Shiori’s eyes shimmered with concern as she looked upon Botan’s face. It hurt to know that she was in pain. It couldn’t be helped. [color=bc8dbf][b]“I-I see. Botan, I am truly sorry about what you’re going through. I wish there was more that I could do to see you through this awful time. And if it makes you happy, I’ll stop asking you anything you don’t wish me to. I only want to make sure you’ll be okay.”[/b][/color]

Botan had removed all doubt of her affliction by the unknown assailant behind his school’s suicides. Shiori empathized with her regardless of her attitude, but that was just like his mother. He, on the other hand, was not so easily able to forgive someone who had disrespected her, much less nearly outed his secret. But this wasn’t Botan; Botan had not a single shred of true darkness and contempt in her heart, so he could not hold this against her. These feelings she felt now were fake, urged on by an unseen master, and the clock had begun to tick even faster to expose him and end whatever game he was playing.

[color=f7976a][b]“Yes,”[/b][/color] Kurama muttered, easing the pressure on Botan’s lips and slowly letting his hand fall. [color=f7976a][b]“I feel the same way as my mother. I apologize for intruding in your personal space, but I wanted to keep you from saying something you would regret.”[/b][/color]