This story basically follows the Toradora anime/novel/game with the exception of my OC: Arito Kai.
Kai attempts to start the new semester on a peaceful note but that all changes when he accidentally bumps into the most dangerous person in school: Aisaka Taiga, also known as the Palmtop Tiger. Despite her diminutive appearance, Taiga has a very hostile attitude and leaves a "bloody trail" wherever she goes but Kai is a skilled martial artist and refuses to put up with any of her crap, thus begins the clash of the Wolf (Okami) and the Tiger. After forcing her way into his life, she ends up bringing along other rambunctious people who he also tries to avoid but he ends up failing miserably. One of these people happen to be Kawashima Ami...
Kai is known for being a bit of a trickster, whether it comes to smooth talking his way out of trouble or occasionally playing pranks on people, but he meets his match when Ami a.k.a the Queen of Mischief, takes an interest in him. There's a certain chemistry between the two but the constant jokes they play on each other only end up complicating things for them.
Possible Kai X Ami, other pairings still undecided at this point...
There are some parts that have been used/paraphrased from the novel translated by BAKATSUKI/ InkyText and of course the Toradora series belongs to Yuyuko Takemiya.
Looking up at the blue sky, the bright sunlight caused Arito Kai to squint his eyes. The cherry blossoms wilted at this time of year and gently fell to the ground; it was quite a pleasant day for Ohashi's Opening Ceremony. After the event, he checked the new class roster and found his name listed under 2-C so he strode forward in his shiny black shoes to his new classroom for the year. Inside the class there was a group of boys huddled together on one side of the room and the sight of Kai walking in caused some commotion.
"Whoa! We're in the same class as Arito?! You gotta be kidding me!"
"That guy is some sort of delinquent, right?"
"Arito is more than a delinquent! He's a deadly martial artist. They say when he was in middle school he knocked out a teacher for questioning him about not turning in his homework."
"Yeah, I heard that after he attained his 17th gold medal in the mainstream tournaments, he developed a blood lust. So he joined an illegal underground fight club where they brawl to the death. He's won 3 fights so far."
"Well now that you mentioned it, he does look intimidating."
"Of course he does, they don't call him Okami (Wolf) for nothing! Oh by the way, he hates being called that by people who aren't in his clan so you better steer clear of him. One wrong move and your life could be over."
On the other side of the room were a group of girls who were also surprised by Kai's presence.
"I hope I get to sit next to Arito-kun this year."
"Someone told me he is part of the Yakuza. Is that true?"
"Yakuza or not, you have to admit he's really handsome. So who's going to go talk to him?"
"Talk to him?! I can barely look at him without going red in the face. Those blueish-green eyes just make me melt."
"What kind of things can a girl chat about with a guy like him? He kind of seems cold and unapproachable. Why don't you go?!"
"Um… Nope, not me. Hey! Don't push!"
Kai stood in the doorway and briefly glanced at the two groups, he could surmise that they were talking about him.
Say whatever you want, I don't really care.
Throughout his life he had become accustomed to people stereotyping him based on his cold demeanor and his interest in martial arts. A person whose hobbies included such senseless violence had to be up to no good, right? Actually, Kai was the furthest thing from a delinquent, his personality could be considered blunt at times but overall he was a respectable guy. He could've easily gotten rid of those inaccurate first impressions of him by simply being friendlier to his classmates but he just wasn't that type of person. He was more of a lone wolf and he refused to put on some act in order to get people to like him. Besides, people who made snap judgments like that weren't worth his time anyway.
Kai entered the classroom in the most unfazed way possible, ignoring the glances of his classmates, and sat at a desk with his back towards them while staring out the window with his sharp eyes. To his bystanders, he looked like a vicious wolf on the lookout for weak prey.
"Morning, Arito!"
Upon hearing his name, Kai quickly turned around.
Kai: Oh hey, Kitamura.
Kai replied to his good friend Kitamura Yūsaku, who happened to be assigned to his class again this year.
Kitamura: It's a great day, isn't it?!
Kai: Yeah, the weather is awesome. Too bad it's being wasted on the first day of school though.
Kitamura (amused): You and your jokes.
Actually Kai wasn't making a joke. He sincerely felt that going to school was akin to being locked in prison especially on a beautiful day like this but he just shrugged off Kitamura's comment. All of a sudden, something had caught Kitamura's attention. Some of his classmates were looking at him confused and whispering to each other-
"Kitamura is a model student. What's he doing talking to Arito?"
"It doesn't make any sense unless … Arito is threatening Kitamura to do his homework for the rest of the year."
"Yeah that must be it."
Kitamura sighed and looked at Kai despondently.
Kitamura: It's just like last year, huh? There are some misunderstandings about you in this class too... -(perks up)- But I'm sure it will be sorted out quickly! Besides, I get you. Not to mention, there's a lot of people here from our class last year and they also know how you really are so it's only a matter of time before the rest understand.
Kai: It's not a big deal. I don't really care what they say but since it's been brought up, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask… Would you be interested in doing my homework for the rest of year?
Kitamura (smirks): Arito, I won't ever do your homework no matter how many times you'd threaten to beat me up.
Kitamura laughed at the joke while Kai deviously smiled. Suddenly-
"Hey Kitamura-kun! We're in the same class this year!"
The boys turned around and saw a red haired girl approaching them.
Kitamura: Huh? Kushieda, you're also in Class 2-C?
Kushieda: Eh!? You just found out now? How mean.
She mocked him with a radiant smile. Her sweet voice danced and twirled.
Kushieda: You should at least check the whole class roster on the first day of school!
Kitamura: I'm sorry.
Kitamura chuckled in return and continued the friendly chatter.
Kitamura: What a great coincidence though. This means we'll have more time to sort out our softball club meetings!
Kushieda: That's right!
She turned her eyes from Kitamura towards Kai.
Kushieda: Oh, you're Arito-kun, right!? I've seen you hanging out with Kitamura-kun a few times. I don't know if you remember me but we met before.
Kai did indeed remember this girl. Since she was in the softball club with Kitamura, she would often come and chat with him whenever he and Kai were hanging out. Kai would just stand off to the side until they finished their conversation, however, he couldn't help but notice how full of life and energy she was through her various cheerful expressions, exaggerated movements, innocent smiles and chipper voice. Before Kai's eyes was a smile that shone as brightly as the sun. Despite his intimidating reputation, she still managed to keep her usual happiness in his presence. That was something Kai welcomed, however, while observing her, he noticed that she would always end up doing or saying something extremely bizarre, it had led him to label her as "The Eccentric Girl". For example, if Kai had seen her walking down the hall, he would automatically think to himself : 'Oh there goes that eccentric girl that Kitamura talks to' and so forth. He had called her that so many times in his head that he had actually forgotten her real name. So he had to dig deep into his memory banks to pull something out.
Kai: You're Kushieda… Minori, right?
His voice came out kind of cold; it almost sounded like he was disinterested. However, Minori's smile widened and her face lit up even brighter than before.
Minori: Wow! You remembered my full name, I'm so glad!-Oh?
Someone within the classroom was calling out to her.
Minori: Looks like there's a bunch of other people I need to talk to. See you guys later! Let us passionately enjoy this school year in high spirits!
Without waiting for a reply she dashed off and started heartily laughing. Kai just watched her and shook his head thinking: She's still an odd one but in a good way I suppose. Then the image of Minori running over to them replayed in his head and he returned his attention back to Kitamura.
Kai: You sure are a ladies man, aren't you?
Kitamura: Huh? What do you mean?
The eyes behind Kitamura's glasses widened. He wasn't being humble, instead he was surprised. Looks like he doesn't realize it himself. So Kai decided to hold back what he was about to say to this rather dense person but-
Kitamura: C'mon, Arito! What're you talking about?!
Kai: I'm just saying that talking to girls comes…naturally for you.
Kitamura: Well, what about you?! You always seem pretty relaxed when you talk to girls.
Kai: That's not my point. I'm saying you're popular among them. You're like a magnet, they're just so eager to be near you.
Kitamura (flustered): Stop joking around! That's not even possible for me. You already know very well what they like to call me!
It was true that the girls called Kitamura 'Maruo', after the typical nice guy character from the old television show Chibi Maruko-chan. Perhaps there is also some physical resemblance explaining how he got the nickname. On top of this, he has many more similar traits: glasses with very high prescription, a straightforward personality, excellent grades, he doesn't follow the trend of being flirtatious, and holds quite traditional values. He is the sort of guy capable of creating a cheerful atmosphere in the classroom. Speaking of which, he is the class representative, the vice president of the Student Council, and the new president of the softball team. Upon closer inspection one would discover that he is surprisingly attractive. Combined with his consistent personality inside and out, as well as the ability to make fun of himself, there is absolutely nothing unlikable about him. So although he claimed to be constantly teased by girls, it wasn't because they hated him.
Kitamura: I'm just no good with girls. I probably won't ever find a girlfriend for the rest of my life.
Kai couldn't help but sigh. No matter what he said, this fellow would probably never understand.
Kai: Ok, you win. -(jokingly)- You've finally convinced me that you're going to grow old alone. Maybe you'll even have to get some cats to keep you company. Happy now?
Kitamura just shrugged, it was obvious that he wasn't any happier, but Kai was only relenting because he was getting tired of this pointless conversation.
Kai: Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head to the vending machines before the homeroom teacher arrives.
So he stood up from his desk and jogged off. Just as he was about to go through the door, he felt something.
Kai: Hm?
Kai thought he had bumped into something, however, there was nothing in front of his eyes. That's strange. He was about to investigate this odd phenomenon but his attention was stolen by his gossiping classmates once again.
"Yikes! As expected from Arito-kun, he made the first move!"
"It's the first day of school and the match has started already?! I should've known they wouldn't be able to coexist for long."
"Man, when I saw the class roster, I knew this was going to be a terrible class."
All Kai could see were his classmates whispering amongst themselves. Are they talking about me? But why?
"Here it comes! The Clash of the Titans! The Wolf VS the Palmtop Tiger"!
"I have a feeling that this will be the final showdown. Someone's definitely going to die."
From Kai's perspective, everyone was talking strangely. Clash of the Titans? Final showdown? And just what the hell is a "Palmtop Tiger"? What are they talking about? Have they all gone completely crazy? He tilted his head trying to make sense of what was going on and then-
"Are you not even going to apologize after bumping into someone?"
He heard a very cold voice emanating from somewhere. The strange and calm tone of the voice sounded as though it was suppressing something that was about to explode. Kai then realized that he didn't need to look forward ahead of him; he needed to look down.
Kai (confused): Huh?
So it did come from below. Right below his eyes, in a place much lower than Kai's chest, was a girl's head. She was extremely pretty and her long brown hair fluttered and covered her petite body. She looked so much like a doll that he had to blink his eyes a few times to make sure she was a real person. Then he started to put everything together.
With her small physique and beautiful features, she really does look like a doll. Wait, a doll is small enough to fit into the palm of someone's hand...Oh.
Kai (curiously): Palmtop Tiger?
That mysterious terminology suddenly appeared in Kai's thoughts, causing him to say it out loud without thinking. He overheard someone whispering that nearby: The Wolf VS the Palmtop Tiger…Then that means...
Is that what this little doll is called? I can certainly understand the "Palmtop" part but how is she like a tiger?
Palmtop Tiger: You must be really stupid to repeat that ridiculous name.
This was not an occasion where one could think for a long time as the girl suddenly jerked her chin up and sent a death gaze that was so daunting that it startled even Kai; it made him feel like he was in one of his fighting tournaments. Perhaps it was instinctive but his body was preparing to go into his combat stance. However, he immediately stopped himself because it seemed so silly to him. What could this "little doll" possibly do to me?
It took three seconds for him to find out. Everything went silent, though perhaps it was only Kai's imagination. For an instant, it felt like a vacuum created by a shock wave just after an explosion. By the time he realized it, he had already fallen backwards onto the ground. That was it. Within a few seconds, Kai had been struck down. His mind went blank and he stared at her in awe. Then after a moment or two: Did she really just punch me?
He moved his jaw around to assess the damage and was relieved to find he wasn't hurt that much. Even though he had been caught off guard he was amazed at how much power and sheer force had come from that petite figure, and what an excellent fighting stance she had. Weirdly enough, the fighter in him was admiring the fighter in her. Kai didn't feel embarrassed by this defeat because he had greatly underestimated her. He looked up to see the girl standing in the same spot with her arms crossed over her chest.
All she did was cruelly glare at him with those two large eyes of hers, nothing more. This was the first time Kai understood what it meant to have fierce eyes. It included the necessary essence one carries, as well as a ferociousness to match; or to be more exact an "intent to kill." He felt a subtle contempt in her eyes that would not be swayed even if she were stabbed in the heart. Suddenly the Palmtop Tiger opened her cherry lips and shot out words like bullets that carried a certain child-like quality to them.
Palmtop Tiger: A wolf...? How lame.
Due to the fall Kai's gakuran jacket had flung open. Under his jacket he wore a sleeveless blue shirt that had a wolf (Okami) on the right side of his chest. His mother had it specially monogrammed for him along with some other shirts of his. His aggressor seemed to have noticed the image. Her incredibly small hands roughly swept aside her fluttering hair and her eyes stared coldly at Kai. She's beautiful but she's malicious.
She had a pale white face, unbelievably long brunette hair, tiny limbs and shoulders and her shiny pupils were surrounded by long eyelashes. She was as enticing as a piece of candy containing deadly toxins, as adorable as a flower that could kill just by scent alone. Yet when she stared at him, Kai could feel an animal leaping out at him because her eyes were like those of a raving, hungry beast; she was covered in an aura of complete ferocity. The look on her face said she wouldn't think twice about tearing anyone apart in seconds. She was short, small and cute, but she carried herself like a tiger that was proud of what its claws and fangs could do. Ah I get it now! Without realizing it, Kai began to nod affirmatively. So that's why she's called the Palmtop Tiger! I wonder who gave her that name, it fits her so well.
The Palmtop Tiger turned and walked away like nothing had happened. She entered Kai's classroom which signified that they were going to be classmates for the rest of the year.
I'm impressed. I'm not too thrilled about being sucker punched but I got to see something interesting that's for sure. I'm not going to continue this petty spat though; I'm above that. A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm, Tsunetomo said that. Besides, what kind of person punches someone just for bumping into them? What an overreaction. She must not be mentally stable to go around acting like that.I'm going to stay away from this girl, she's wild.
Kai slowly got up and re-buttoned his jacket. While ignoring the stares of his schoolmates, he walked back to his class for the beginning of homeroom.
During homeroom, he avoided participating in any class committees and he was assigned the second seat from the front near the window aisle. It was a great spot where he could sit back and relax. Fortunately, Kitamura ended up with the seat on his left and that was a plus because they got along just fine. To his right, a female classmate was situated but she could barely bring herself to look at Kai, this was completely fine with him too, it just meant he wouldn't have to deal with any bothersome neighbors. The homeroom teacher was the same as last year's (Koigakubo Yuri, 29 years old, an unquestionably single lady) and Kai had no problems with her. Eventually homeroom was brought to an end and the students had a few more minutes to relax before 1st period started. A dryness suddenly hit the back of Kai's throat reminding him that he was robbed of the chance of going to the vending machines to quench his thirst before homeroom started, and this caused him to resentfully look behind to his right where his attacker was. She was seated a couple seats away from his, near the back and she sneezed abruptly. To his surprise, someone had come over and handed her a tissue.
Minori: Are you okay, Taiga?
Taiga: Don't worry, Minorin. I'm fine.
It was none other than Kushieda Minori. She directly called the Palmtop Tiger "Taiga", and even smiled and gently caressed her hair, while the Palmtop Tiger also intimately called her "Minorin".
Minori: But you completely missed the Opening Ceremony. Did you oversleep again?
Taiga: No, not this time. I went to see a doctor. He said my sneezing is caused by house dust.
Minori: Oh a modern day cold. That's pretty rough.
Taiga: Anyway, I'm glad that I'm in the same class as you this year.
Minori: Yeah! Me too!
Taiga sneezed again, and Minori watched her with a concerned look. Meanwhile Kai muttered to himself:
Kai: Those two are actually friends?! How can that be? One is so cheerful and the other is so wicked. It doesn't make any sense.
Kai thought about what he just said.I guess that's what people think when they see me and Kitamura talking to each other. But I'm not wicked and they definitely have no proof that I am. But that girl actually acts like a loose cannon. She's waltzing around here like that and they're all scared of ME? What a joke.
Suddenly Kitamura interrupted Kai from his thoughts.
Kitamura: Hey Arito, I saw what happened earlier, are you ok?
Kai: For a guy who just got sucker punched, I'm alright. What an evil girl, huh?
Kitamura: Well...Aisaka is not that bad once you get familiar with her.
Kai: Oh is that her actual name: Aisaka Taiga? Hmm interesting. You know her, Kitamura?
Kitamura: Um...well...yeah in a way ...I've ...talked to her before...
Kai looked at Kitamura suspiciously, he could have sworn that Kitamura was slightly blushing and became somewhat awkward while talking about the "Palmtop Tiger". Kai was going to bring it up but he knew Kitamura would probably play it off so he ignored it for now.
Kai: Strange, I never noticed her until now.
Kitamura: Well, to be fair Arito, you don't really pay much attention to other people.
Kai: Yeah, I guess.
Kitamura: But at least something good came out of this.
Kai: What do you mean?
Kitamura directed his finger to the back of the class.
Kitamura: Look.
Kitamura was pointing to 4 students who were talking together in an excited manner. There were two girls: Maya & Nanako. And two boys: Noto & Haruta.
Maya: Can you believe what happened with Aisaka-san and Arito-kun?! It was amazing!
Haruta: The Palmtop Tiger is really strong! She's the real thing when it comes to ferociousness. Good thing it was Arito, he certainly knows how to take a punch.
Nanako: That's the thing that puzzles me about all of this. I've heard so many negative things about Arito-kun, but how can that kind of guy accept being hit like that? He didn't retaliate and he didn't even look angry.
Noto: Well, one time I heard that he's not really a delinquent.
Nanako: Really?
Haruta: I know for a fact that Arito definitely isn't a delinquent because last year I was in the same class as him. He's a cool guy; he likes to joke around just like anyone else. He's one of those martial artists who incorporates his training into his life and uses it as a moral code like the samurai used to. He doesn't go around trying to pick fights with people and he's not a violent person. He just likes the strategy involved in fighting; he said it's like playing chess.
Maya: Oh so Arito-kun isn't a bad guy after all.
Kitamura patted Kai on the back and smiled.
Kitamura: It looks like that misunderstanding is clearing up quickly.
Kai (not interested) : C'mon Kitamura, I keep telling you it doesn't make a difference to me either way.
Regardless of what Kai said, Kitamura still perceived this as a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, someone was watching the two boys from afar.
Minori: Taiga? What's wrong?
Minori had noticed her friend staring strangely off into the distance, slightly captivated by something / or someone. But Taiga immediately reverted her eyes when she heard Minori's voice.
Taiga (flustered): No-Nothing.
Later on that day, Kai realized that his delinquent status wasn't the only thing spread by whispered voices in the school. The Palmtop Tiger apparently had a more feared and widely held reputation than he did. By walking through the hallways, he was able to pick up quite a bit of information about this girl named Aisaka Taiga. When she first entered this school, a lot of people were captivated by her beauty and many guys lined up to confess to her. Of course their dreams were all ruthlessly shattered as they were intimidated, bitten, and torn to shreds... Some metaphorically and others literally. There were quite a few that never did recover after they were mercilessly belittled by her. It seemed wherever Taiga went she left a bloody trail of heart-crushed guys behind her.
From the various whispers, Kai had also heard that her father is either a fixer in the underworld or is a crime boss himself. There was another story that said she is a karate expert but she was expelled from her dojo after attacking her master. In other words, there was just a lot of bad press concerning Aisaka Taiga. Kai knew from experience how inaccurate rumors were but he wouldn't be surprised if one of these turned out to be true regarding this girl. The aura she carried made any of them seem possible. Regardless of whether the gossip was true or not, there was no doubt that she was the most dangerous being in this school. Kai already had an aversion to interacting with other people but the Palmtop Tiger had definitely made it to the top of his list.