A/N: This is going to go according to the lyrics of the song 'Waiting in the Weeds' by The Eagles. It will start in the next chapter, not this one.

Prologue: Waiting in the Weeds

I trudged through town, scanning my surroundings wearily. Most of the buildings had peeling paint and cracked walls, with ivy growing in larger cracks where rainwater collected. There were no concrete roads, only pavements of dirt that formed over years of trekking along the same path. Almost all paths led to the Arena, which was just a bunch of rubble from buildings that eventually gave way. We moved the rubble in a circle-like structure to serve as a spectator's stand, for easier viewing of group activities. Most people here were my age, children of barely eight years old, yet we have learnt to fend for ourselves since we were able to stand on our own feet.

That was going to change, though. Some adults are here to make our lives better, or so they say. We, who have survived on our own for as long as we can remember, don't need the help of outsiders trying to be our parents. Who are they to butt into our lives and take charge of it, when they weren't here when we needed them most?

I pulled my hoodie over my head, over my blonde hair. Parents. What are they? I've always imagined them having hair like mine, the wind blowing it back to reveal its full glory. Their blue eyes would keep a lookout for me. More importantly, they would always be with me. I wouldn't be so alone, or feel so alone, in a place where dark hair and brown eyes made me stick out like a sore thumb.

"HEY! Dumb blond!" Oh no, not again. I didn't have to look at the person who said, no, shouted, that to know who it was and that I was in trouble. Afraid to face the boy who picked on me on a regular basis, and was going to pick on me if I didn't make a quick getaway, I bolted.

No wonder I'm good at running. I run away from this guy all the time.

Turning into what appeared to be a dead end was a wise choice to shake off someone as dumb as Minami Itsuki. I found this place by accident not too long ago, and it was the perfect hideout from everything ― bullies, school, life. There was a little hole that allowed me to crawl through, but just barely.

The overwhelmingly stench of fungi was much better than facing reality. The tunnel wasn't too long, and opened up to a place in the forest. Shakily, I got up and looked around. There was a little clearing in the woods where I headed to for some respite. The green canopy of trees veiled the clearing from sight, except for a bit of sunlight dappling the ground. The scent of rain lingered on the leaves, and I relished it for a moment, taking the time to catch my breath.

Itsuki should have given up on finding me now.

"HEEEEEYYYYYY, YOU'RE HERE!" Damn it. How did he find this place?

I turned around and ran. I didn't know where I was headed, I just knew that I had to run.

I ran out of the clearing -

- and into Minami Itsuki himself.

Hands folded across his chest, eyes drawn into a disapproving frown, Itsuki shouted, "OI! Where do you think you're going, blondie?"

"Anywhere away from you," I snapped. Though I couldn't see his face, I knew that my words would only ruffle his feathers. "Why do you keep picking on me? You know I don't like my blonde hair and you just have to pick on me for that, why?" Itsuki opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "No, I know what you're gonna say. You're gonna say that you're the great Itsuki-sama, and that you can so anything you want. Well, I'm gonna do whatever I want too, so-" My voice cracked. I felt a lump rising in my throat, as if the words were clogging up in my neck because it was too hard to just throw them out to someone who I knew would never care about me.

Clenching my fists, I turned away from Itsuki, hoping he wouldn't see the single tear cascading down my cheek. The more I tried to hold it in, the more the tears flowed. I never showed this side of me to anyone, not even my sister. This guy is probably going to tell the whole world, and that thought did not help calm my heart, it just aggravated my sadness and opened old wounds I had long forgotten about.

I didn't know then, but that guy had a great intuition. I did know, however, that he was extremely awkward when it came to these situations.

I didn't know how much time passed, but I did know that he was watching me intently, his eyes not leaving my back.

I didn't know what to do, but he did.

"Are you done?" Somehow, Itsuki's words carried my worries away, and as his voice echoed in the woods and disappeared faintly, so did my sadness. Wiping my tears, I nodded furiously. What else could I do? I'm just useless at this, even the heartless bully takes pity on me.

Itsuki sighed and walked in front of me. "Other people bully you because you're blonde. I do it because you call me Itsuki."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. So it wasn't because of my blonde hair?

He continued. "If you call me Ikki like the rest of them, I'll stop."

Itsuki ― no, Ikki ― looked me in the eye and held his hand out. "Minami Itsuki, but call me Ikki." He grinned, his toothy smile triggering one of my own. Hesitantly, I took his hand.

"M-Mikura Kazuma."

A/N: Give me a virtual kick if I don't upload the next chapter in a week.