"Ah Haru you were amazing out there like always, I'm just so jealous of you." Samantha gushed as she pulled her long fiery red hair out of its pony tail and shaking her head out, "You make karate class seem so easy."
"Now you're just exaggerating. It's just that I've been practicing for years now." Haru insisted waving her hand dismissively embarrassed at how much the other girls in her class fawned over her martial arts skills it in fact made her extremely uncomfortable because it reminded her of how un-girly she was. When Haru was a little girl she wanted nothing more than to be a boy like her six older brothers, wrestling and playing in the mud. But now that she was older all she wanted to be was girly but she found that she simply couldn't do it. She felt extremely uncomfortable in skirts and could never picture herself in girly clothes. She tried, whenever Samantha managed to convince her to go shopping Haru honestly tried, but either looking at the clothes she could never picture herself in them or when she tried them on she felt uncomfortable and in her opinion looked horrible in them.
Her legs were too muscular for skirts, her shoulders seemed too broad and frilly clothes just looked wrong on her. As much as the girls in her class were jealous of her for her martial arts skills she was jealous of them for being able to be girls-she never admitted it but had always wanted a boyfriend. However, guys just didn't seem interested in her all they wanted was to be friends.
"No really, you're so amazing. Seventeen and already you have a second degree black belt! I mean how many people can brag about that!" Samantha gushed eagerly pouncing on her friend's arm and squeezing it tightly.
Haru laughed uncomfortably, "It's just because I've had my junior black belt since I was eleven that they waved the three year waiting period after I got my first degree black belt at sixteen. And I mean I had to wait a year anyways and they extended my grading by two hours anyways." She said trying to change the subject from herself absolutely embarrassed.
"I want to be just like you, I mean what you showed me in class was absolutely fantastic!" Samantha continued oblivious to her friend's embarrassment, unlike Haru who carried a large bulky and extremely heavy duffle bag Samantha simply had a small miniature back pack for her gui that had several girly charms hanging off of it.
"I'm sure that with time that you'll become just like me. I mean you just started about a month ago, these things take time. And you're coming along quite well." Haru stated, not that you'd want to be me Samantha because that means you have to stop wearing those dresses that you like she thought to herself glumly.
Samantha squealed the epitome of girliness in Haru's opinion, with absolutely adorable fire red hair ad matching bright emerald green eyes and long lashes. Samantha always wore frilly girly clothes, and always giggling not to mention she actually knew how to put on makeup something that Haru didn't know how to do though she could fix most problems a car will ever encounter thanks to her twenty six year old brother Timothy who was a mechanic and knew how to care for swords because of her brother Braun who was running a kendo dojo.
"It's all thanks to you teaching me!" Samantha insisted releasing Haru who sighed and rubbed at her arm that was sore. How is that I can take a punch from my brothers but Samantha's grip hurts horribly… she's even in a purple summer dress with flowers on it Haru remarked to herself in her head.
"Y-yeah." Haru laughed uncomfortably scratching at the back of her head, she had recently cut her hair to donate it-that and her brothers kept teasing her about having long hair. But nonetheless donating fifteen inches of hair to make wigs for children with cancer made her feel good.
"Hey Haru, I've got a question." Samantha started Haru hmmed for her to continue, "I've been having problems with my gui top, it keeps opening in class-I mean I wear a tank top and everything but still it seems like such a girl problem-and you're like the only girl I can ask." The problem that most female martial artists shall encounter… the fact that the uniforms are 'unisex' in other words made for a man's body. I'm surprised that it took Samantha so long to ask me about this… Her mind thought glumly.
"Oh that's easy, you just add a few stitches to the top of your gui and it'll keep it closed for you." Haru answered, "I can sew it for you!" she offered, it was the one girly thing that she could manage was sewing and that was only because her brothers were constantly ruining her clothes.
"Thanks, you're like the sister and the brother I've never had!" Samantha exclaimed, she was an only child which made Haru extremely jealous, especially because her parents treated her like their little princess.
"Um yeah." Haru answered shifting her heavy dojo bag on her shoulder, "This is your place right Samantha?" Haru asked coming to a stop in front of her friend's house, Haru on the inside frowned and face palmed-it was true she acted brotherly around her girlfriends. She warded off troublesome boys, she was always called on for her brute strength, she even walked them home from school to make sure they got home safe.
"Thank you for walking me home Haru, you make me feel so safe when you do that." Samantha insisted and dashed off to her front door waving over her shoulder as she went.
"Bye Sammy!" Haru shouted shifting her heavy duffle bag on her shoulder, she frowned thinking about the contents I'm such a fail at being a girl. Most girls carry around their cell phone and lipstick in cute little purses. I carry around my sparring gear and kobudo weapons in a heavy duffle bag she thought to herself.
She sighed heavily and continued down the street drinking heavily out of her water bottle continuing down the street, unlike Samantha she hadn't changed out of her gui after class. Haru wanted nothing more than to shower when she got home and get changed.
She finally got to her street when she felt someone approach her from behind her, she twisted and kicked out behind her, her brother Seth laughed and jumped back out of range, "And there goes Haru launching one of her famous thrust kicks out!" Seth announced as if he were announcing at a sports game.
"Seth! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me! I'm seriously going to hurt you one of these days without meaning to!" Haru shrieked at her blonde half -brother who laughed at her, whereas she was half Japanese and half American, her brother was full American. But despite having different mothers they still managed to look closely related.
"Guess who got first place!" her brother called, holding up his motor cross helmet in triumph. It was then that she realised he was still dressed in his motor cross gear that was coated in dirt and that his blonde hair was plastered to his head.
"What no way!" Haru yelled and pounced on her brother embracing him tightly, he grabbed her and they spun around yelling and cheering excitedly. Seth was the youngest out of her brothers being less than a year behind of her, the two were by far the closest out of all the siblings, "I told you that you'd win!"
"I know, we're having burgers tonight to celebrate!" Seth called out excitedly.
"Oh my gosh I love you even more now for getting us meat for dinner!" Haru yelled out happily and teasingly, it had long since been a running family joke to joke about meals with meat because meat sometimes got pricey for a family of eight who were all hearty eaters.
"Hey idiots can you step yelling and tackling each other in the middle of the street?!" Timothy yelled at them from their door step, the siblings released one another.
"I'm so totally beating you to the doorstep!" Haru shouted out competitively grinning wickedly at her brother. The two ran for the door sprinting at full speed, when they got to the porch Seth suddenly shoulder checked her and the two went flying onto the front lawn wrestling with one another.
Timothy sighed in frustration and pulled them off of one another, "I said knock it off you two!" He'd always had the least patience among her brothers, the most stern and strict as well, though everyone loved him for his sense of responsibility and keeping the house in order.
"Yes sir." Seth and Haru said in unison hanging their heads shamed.
Seth ruffled his sister's hair, "Look at my little sister-if it weren't for the fact that she had boobs I'd swear she was a boy!" he remarked.
Haru flushed bright scarlet red at the comment, "Seth that was inappropriate and you know it!" she yelled at her brother embarrassed, he meanwhile was snickering madly at the remark. Timothy glared at his younger half-brother who stopped giggling and swallowed in terror at his stern older brother who had been in charge of discipline since they were children.
Braun swung the front door open coughing, "Not to be interrupting but I left my swords back at the dojo, Haru do you mind running back and getting them for me? I'd go but Dad and I have started the barbeque and I can't leave it, making dinner for eight hearty eaters after all." He withdrew the key to the dojo and tossed it to his little sister who dropped her water bottle to snatch the keys out of the air.
Haru shook her head out, "Fine, but take my bag will you!" she shouted throwing her heavy duffle bag at her brother's face, caught off guard it hit him hard and his three siblings snickered in response. She turned and began sprinting down the street, "Save some of that meat for me guys. I'll be back in no time!" she put her head down and sprinted back to her brother's dojo, it was kendo a relatively new martial art for Haru. She was better with her hands or wooden weapons not swords.
She had only started a year ago after getting her black belt in karate as a way of celebration, "Hiya how you doing?" she called out to the Parkinsons who were a sweet family in her neighbourhood currently out and tending to their front lawn. They straightened up and waved at her in a friendly manner, the Everson's were known all around town. Partially because Haru's father was the town sheriff and the town was on the small side but also because all of the Everson children were known for being extremely outgoing, friendly and helpful. At the next street intersection Haru stopped her mad dash to help Mrs. Bartson an elderly resident in the town who was still recovering from her hip surgery cross the street.
After helping the elderly woman Haru returned to her dash to her brother's dojo panting and sweat covered, she approached the door sliding the key in and stepping in putting the security code to shut the alarm off.
Haru flicked the lights on and her eyes scanned the room settling on the front of the dojo positioned to the east as it should be with the kamisa set up to respect all the past instructors. She could hear her classmates teasing her right now, it was playful teasing but for as long as she could remember Haru could remember her classmates telling her that her family-or at least her should move back to Japan because they were all martial arts focused and took it so seriously. She slipped her shoes off sliding them toes facing out against the doorway. Her father was American born but when he was twenty immigrated to Japan and worked there for a decade, it was where he met her mother and all of her older brothers were born. She never actually got to set foot in Japan as her parents had moved back to America when she was born.
She bowed before stepping into the dojo retrieving her brother's precious swords, they were more expensive than the dojo itself-he had saved for them for years. Unable to resist the urge Haru bit down on her lip before slowing unsheathing her brother's katana. It was close to two hundred years old-apparently used by a member in the eighth division in the Shinsengumi. But despite its age was extremely well cared for and looked after.
Her small hands wrapped around the handle, she could only imagine what this sword had seen how it's original wielder tended to it. She felt like a joke holding it in her hands, she felt that no matter how hard she trained that she could never match their skill. But despite this Haru felt the urge to train and try and make the original wielder proud-make their spirit at rest knowing their art carried on.
She took an offensive stance in the center of the wooden floor and her imagination conjured the enemies that she would face. She waited for them to strike first, she would never engage the attack-Haru would only ever defend. She defended herself releasing a yell as she fought back for her life against imaginary foes. She swung the sword around in expert and controlled arcs and slashes.
After two minutes of shadow sparing she knew she had to stop and return home, if her dash had not exhausted her-her mock fight had. She was drenched in sweat-if not for her hair clips her hair would've been in her face. She wiped the blade clean before slipping it back into its sheath. She trotted to the end of the dojo floor turning to face in and bowing. She stepped off of the dojo floor and shoved her feet back into her well-worn running shoes.
She needed new ones, these runners were worn out since they were her only pair of shoes and she wore them everywhere but she spent the last of her allowance on her favourite Shonnen manga series, a historical- though Haru admitted horribly historically inaccurate retelling of her long time heroes the Shinsengumi. She reset the alarm and locked the door behind her testing it to make sure it was closed behind her. She jogged down the street on her way back home, she'd prefer to be on the other side of the street jogging next to the river but she knew if she did that she'd get side-tracked and take longer so she forced herself to stay on the opposite side of the river.
Her jog took an unfortunately timed break when she just missed a crossing light at a three way intersection, she stood patiently waiting at the cross walk for the light to change when suddenly one of her neighbours sprinted past.
It was Francis Leuhern a small scrawny boy in town known for being bullied but mostly because he picked fights, he sprinted into the street not even paying attention, "Come back here Francis!" shouted out the group of town bullies behind him, Haru turned ready to engage the bullies they knew her well and usually ran at the sight of her, only for her to hear the screech of brakes. She turned her attention back to the street, a delivery truck was speeding right towards Francis who was frozen in the street dead terrified.
Haru sprinted forwards for the boy, she shoved him forwards roughly and he went flying towards the curb. She wanted to sigh in relief but before she could her face was illuminated in the headlights of the incoming truck. She heard the crash and saw the sky as she felt herself go flying through the air. She was knocked straight off of her feet, she felt the crack resound through her, the collision shattering her bones easily like glass. She could see the front of the truck that had just crashed into her.
Is that what's going to be left of me? A dented bumper coated in blood? Her mind thought as she flew from the impact, the air was knocked from her lungs and she felt herself go numb. She flew over the street and slammed hard into the side walk rolling down the embankment on its side and falling down into the river.
She splashed into the water bubbles flying up all around her, she involuntarily breathed in the water, it rushed into her lungs and she choked on it her vision going blurry and darkening.
