Disclaimer: I do not own School Rumble or any other properties mentioned in this story.
What you should know: This story begins during the events depicted on School Rumble Z 09. It is a Monkey Faction fic (Harem for those not used to the term). There would be some crossovers during the story but they are mainly cameos. It is not a sequel of my previous School Rumble Story (School Rumble: Final Rumble). Finally I would like to apologize if this story hurts your sensibilities.
School Rumble: Time Rumble
# 02
The Monkey and The Little Sister
The day had started normally for the 13 year old Junior High student Tsukamoto Yakumo.
As it was usual since they began to live alone the early morning found Yakumo making breakfast for her older sister, who awoke late and had to leave in a hurry almost forgetting the lunch box that Yakumo had made for her.
During her classes at second year in Junior High everything was normal, with the usual pace of the teachers giving their lessons and the usual varied response from her classmates. From the bored to the eager.
And, as usual, the thoughts of her male classmates and teachers were seen by her once in a while due to her power. But at least she had learned long ago to live with it.
At the end of the school day she left for home alone since her sister had gone ahead with some classmates of her final year in junior high, no doubt to eat some cake or a parfait at a local cafe.
Yes a typical and normal day so far…
But, as many know, those are the days in which you have to be most careful.
While walking home and thinking what she would make for dinner a sudden feeling washed over her. A feeling of… displacement.
It took her just a moment to gather her bearings but even so she still felt somewhat strange.
After recovering from the brief experience she looked around and noticed, with a big surprise, that her power had increased!
While it was common that her power grew, it was usually during spring time and it never was at this proportion. It was like it had just acquired the growth of several years in just a moment.
But there was more.
While before she could only read the mind of the males that liked her (practically everybody as she found out while growing up) and her sister, now she was reading the minds of a few women that were just passing by!
The fact that their thoughts about her were similar to the men was not lost on Yakumo.
While she was still trying to digest what had just occurred to her she happened to notice something in a nearby street corner.
It was a bookstore with the latest manga on display.
While she had never consider herself a manga fan (at least not at the level of her sister), reading only the occasional historic manga once in a while when she had some free time, now she felt the need to buy the one in display.
So, putting momentarily aside the recent issues with her power and the strange way that her emotions were acting at the time, she purchased it.
She found herself devouring the manga. Noticing several details on the story, the drawings and the different styles of the mangakas… It fascinated her as nothing before. But she didn't know why.
So absorbed she was on her reading that she didn't notice when she entered a narrow side-way and 3 burly men surrounded her…
"Hello there little lady."
Until one of them spoke.
Yakumo didn't need her power to know what those guys wanted, their face expressions told them clear enough, but it would be useful to read their minds in order to find an escape route and run away.
Yes, it was not the first time that she found herself in that situation. Thankfully her mind reading powers allowed her to avoid anything serious really happening so far.
She was in the middle of planning a strategy when…
"GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF HER!"
A young man appeared with fury in his eyes and venom in his voice.
Yakumo gave him a good look. The spiky hair, the thought guy face and posture. He was obviously a delinquent… and a very dangerous one if that murderous aura that she could feel was of any indication.
Amazingly enough she couldn't read his mind. Something that was becoming more and more uncommon on the males that she met as she grew up.
But even more surprising is that Yakumo found herself rooted to the place were she was standing. Unable to look away from him.
"And what is it to you brat?"
"This is no place for noisy kids. Go away!"
"Yes, adults are talking here so Shoo! Shoo!"
She could see the men mock the boy while in their minds they were already planning how to get rid of him.
She thought of shouting a warning. He seemed like he was only trying to help her after all and she had to provide him with support.
But even before opening her mouth she heard him say…
"That girl… that girl… THAT GIRL IS EVERYTHING TO ME!"
What did he said? Who was that boy? Did she knew him?... And why was that her heart practically stopped when she heard him say that last part?
So awestruck she was at his words and actions that she forgot escaping or helping and ended up just watching her savior deal with the men quickly.
"Get up and get away from here you bastards! And let everybody know that this is girl is under my protection! If anybody dares to harm a single hair of her head they will have to deal with me! Harima Kenji!"
Harima Kenji? For the live of her Yakumo could not remember anybody with that name. But, somehow, it sounded familiar… very familiar.
"Ha-Ha-Harima Kenji?" However the men seem to recognize him. Whoever he was had made the men pale in fear.
"SCRAM!"
At Harima's scream the men ran away.
Yakumo found herself alone with the boy still unable to move.
What will he do now?
"Sorry about that young lady but these low lives do not understand any other language that is not violence and rudeness. Are you okay?"
She saw the young man face. It looked so familiar that it hurt but couldn't remember where she had seen it.
In any case she still had to thank her savior.
"Ye-yes… Th-thanks for helping me."
"It's nothi… Imouto-San?"
What? Did he just call her Imouto-san? How did he know that she was a little sister? And Yakumo couldn't help to notice that she still couldn't read his thoughts. What a curious individual.
"Excuse me." She asked shyly. "Have we met before?"
"But of course that we do! you are… I mean NO! We don't know each other! I have never seen you before." The boy was obviously nervous. And still not a single word could be read by Yakumo's powers even with her recent sudden upgrade. "You just look like a person that I know that I used to call 'Imouto-san' But it is definitely not you! It's somebody completely different!"
"Completely different?" He sounded like he was hiding something.
"Completely totally different!" Said the boy visibly more relaxed. "I do not know how I could have confused you with her. You 2 have nothing in common!"
"Really?"
"Of course! How could you know me? You look like a very nice and educated child from a good family…" Yakumo blushed at that. "… and I am a violent street punk, so there is no way that we could know each other, understood?"
For some strange reason Yakumo didn't liked when he put himself down like that. But even so she had to agree that she couldn't remember the guy.
"I guess so…"
"Good! Now go home, your older sister must be worried sick!"
"How did you know that I have an older sister?"
"Damn it!... Errr… I mean…" Harima was in panic again. "… What I wanted to say is that it was just a lucky guess…" Harima's face was visibly illuminated. "Yes! That's it! You just give an aura of 'younger-sisterhood' that I happened to notice!"
"Younger-sisterhood aura?"
"That's right! Younger-sisterhood aura! All the little sisters have it. Even my little brother, Shuuji has one and he is a guy!"
"Do you really think so?" Truth to be told, Yakumo found the idea… unlikely, but she didn't felt like contradicting Harima's 'theory.'
"Of course that I do!" Said a confident Harima. "Since there is no way that I could know that your sister is Tsukamoto Tenma!"
Yakumo opened her eyes in surprise.
"You know my sister?"
"Of course that I do!... I mean NO!... I mean… Oh hell!"
At this point Harima dropped at his knees and began to cry.
"What's wrong with me? I can't even keep a single damn secret! Damn it! Damn it!"
After watching the wreck that Harima had made of himself Yakumo couldn't help but to think that this young man was really a nice person.
He had came to help her, even thought he didn't had any romantic feelings for her (as her power had confirmed) and keeping his identity a secret for some reason very dear to him.
And there was this strange… warm feeling inside her just by being close to him.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to." Said Yakumo while crouching in order to see him in the eyes.
"Really? You won't think that I am weirdo, a stalker or anything like that?"
"No… I won't." Yakumo was telling the truth. By some strange reason that she could not explain she could not imagine him being a bad person.
"You are truly a saint Imouto-san!" Said Harima while standing up and putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't… don't say that…" Yakumo was blushing a storm now. What was wrong with her? He had only put a hand on her shoulder. But it felt so… nice.
"Something wrong here?" Asked a young man who was just entering the side street. "I heard some fight noises, saw some delinquents running away and…"
The young man stopped in his tracks when he saw the tough looking guy putting a hand on the young girl's shoulder in what seemed to be a friendly, not threatening way… and it was making her redder than a tomato.
"Excuseme.." Even so, he had to ask. "Are you alright miss?"
"And what does it matter to you?" Said Harima with a growl.
"Eh?..." Yakumo snapped as if from a trance. "I-I am fine… Ha-Harima-san helped me getting out of a difficult situation…" Said Yakumo using the name that the young man had identified himself with.
"Well, if you don't need my help anymore then go back home Imouto-san. Don't make your sister worry."
"I will, and thanks again… Harima-san…" Said Yakumo with a bow.
"Don't mention it." Said Harima a little bit ashamed.
"I'll be going then." Yakumo left the street while still looking back a couple of times to Harima who was dutifully watching her retreating figure.
"And you?…" Asked Harima to the recently arrived young man, using his threatening aura at full effect once Yakumo was out of sight.
"I was just curious…" Answered a slightly intimidated boy. "… You really worry about her, don't you?"
"That's damn right! And if anybody ever dares putting a hand on her or her older sister then they would had to deal with me, Harima Kenji! And that goes for you too. Understood?"
"O-of course…" Said the retreating boy "I was just in my way to give tutoring lessons to a friend of the family… her house is in the opposite direction so you don't have to worry!" While it was true that he was tutoring a certain girl named Sou Mikoto he lied about the direction that he had to take. It would do no good making the gruff delinquent think that he was after the girl that he had just helped.
"Good, then go sensei, don't make your pupil wait."
"I'll be going then." Said the young man while taking the long way to the Sou family's house.
Even thought he had just scared the crap out of him, Kouso Masahiro had to admit that the young delinquent had some sort of good side to him in order to state that he would protect those girls that passionately.
And he couldn't avoid noticing the way that the young girl was blushing whenever the rude boy put a hand on her shoulder or just directed his attention to her.
Definitely the name Harima Kenji was one that Masahiro would make sure of not forgetting.
That night Harima was walking aimlessly on the streets of Yagami.
While it is true that the afternoon had been a complete disaster he was sure that it was only a minor seatback since he still had his chance with Tenma-chan.
The problem is that he still did not know what things would be 'different' as the old god said.
Could it be that one of those different things was having Imouto-san attacked by those 3? He hoped not, if he wouldn't have been around then who knows what could have happened!
But… if it wasn't a different action? What if the story had been that way originally? That would certainly explain why Imouto-san didn't date any boys and only liked girls. He could not blame her if that was the case.
Wait a moment… What if the attack to Imouto-san was what brought Tenma-chan here in the first place?
"Of course! That makes sense!" Screamed Harima. Filled with rightful anger his dear Tenma-chan would come back to his place in order to impart justice to those hoodlums that attacked her younger sister!
How noble was his dear Tenma-chan! Even if there was no chance for victory she would do her best in order to protect her family! She would be the perfect wife!
Of course it never crossed Harima's mind that Yakumo was more than able to defend herself or that Tenma was the more likely of the two to wander in a side street without any concerns for her safety.
But, granted, he would be right in the sense that Tenma would try to help her sister under any circumstances. Although how effective she could be is up to debate.
In any case when Harima thought of his dear Tenma-chan administrating justice (moe styled in Harima-love-vision of course) a thought crossed his mind.
"What if Tenma-chan hears from her sister that a mysterious stranger helped her? Then, of course, She would feel obliged to pay her respects to her younger sister's savior… Me! Oh my dear Tenma-chan come to me and let our love blossom!"
While dancing in the middle of the street, to the absolute horror of any one passing by (but who could blame them of being scared of a tough looking delinquent twirling around with a goofy smile), he stopped suddenly and screamed…
"DAMN! I DIDN'T TELL IMOUTO-SAN WHERE SHE COULD FIND ME!"
While still standing in the middle of the street he began to do something that scared the people even more than his dancing.
He began to think…
"If Tenma-chan wants to thank me the most likely place to go looking for me is in that side street. Very well, if that is the case then I'll just wait there"
And with that he began to run at full speed towards the same side street.
"Here I come! Wait for me Tenma-chan!"
When getting close she could hear some voices again.
"So young miss, what will you do now? There is no where to run away now…"
"Tenma-chan is being attacked? Not under my watch! HERE I COME TEN…"
BOOM
Harima had not even finished that sentence when some men flew out due to an explosion… from the narrow side street.
"What the…"
WHOOSH
A shadow quickly passed next to him.
"What was that?" Asked a confused Harima.
"Don't let her go away!" Said the quickly recovering men.
'Her? So I was right, they are after Tenma-chan!' Thought Harima without even considering another possibility. 'Oh my poor and cute Tenma-chan! Your beauty can sometimes truly be a curse!'
"You'll have to go trough me first." Said Harima positioning himself in his favorite fighting stand.
"Who the hell are you?" Asked one guy.
"My name is Harima Kenji… And you can consider me that girl's guardian!"
"So you work with her? Very well then we'll deal with you too!"
The fight was long and tiresome but they were too many and were well armed while Harima was still not used to the lack of speed and power that his younger body had.
'Damn it all to hell! I'm done! But if I die at least I'm glad that was defending my true love.'
"Any last words?"
"Just that everything that I did, I DID IT FOR LOVE!"
"Then die you foo…ugh!"
The man fell forward, a tranquilizer dart on his neck.
"Damn it! We forgot about her… argh!" another one down courtesy of a similar dart.
"Regroup!" Screamed the one who looked like the leader. "This guy is only a decoy! She is still out ther… Ow!" The man fell forward due to a blow from…
"WHO DID YOU CALL A DECOY?" Screamed Harima while riding a second wind thankful of having somebody on his side.
With the help of the sniper Harima could deal with all the men although he was a little worse for wear at the end of it all.
"I think that girl wasn't Tenma-chan. It figures since she is a nice girl and wouldn't be wandering the streets this late at night. Oh well, I better leave before somebody else comes here looking for trouble."
While leaving Harima was unaware of two figures in a nearby rooftop.
"Interesting man." Said the figure with the sniper rifle.
"I agree." Said the imposing second figure. "He has good fighting skills. Still a little rough around the edges but you can tell that he is a natural."
"So, what do you think?"
"I think, agent T, that we have finally found your partner. Any objections?"
"None." Said Takano Akira while putting her sniper rifle away. "None at all."
That very same night in the Tsukamoto Household…
"How was your day Yakumo." Asked Tsukamoto Tenma to her younger sister while watching tv on the living room after dinner.
Yakumo thought about telling her older sister about the events that she experienced that afternoon…
"Everything was fine nee-san."
But decided against it.
Yakumo didn't want to make her sister worry needlessly. Besides that young man, Harima-san, wanted to keep his actions in secret and she decided to respect his wishes.
She still couldn't remember why he was so familiar thought. Maybe there, in a possible forgotten memory, was the answer to why he knew her sister and her.
"Did you see the Christmas decorations on you way back?" Asked Tenma interrupting her younger sister thoughts.
"I did nee-san…" Answered Yakumo while washing the dishes. She found interesting how the stores got prepared for Christmas earlier each year. They were just in October and half of the business in the city had their holiday decorations out already.
"They looked so pretty!" Said an exited Tenma. "Hey! Do you want to see the fireworks this year too?"
Yakumo smiled. It had become somewhat of a tradition to watch the holiday fireworks since that Christmas were an unknown boy had helped her and her sister to have a 'family Christmas'… An action that made Yakumo realize what a cold person she was becoming and helped her to change and become the person that she is today. A boy which Yakumo didn't even got to know his name, but would be forever grateful.
If she closed her eyes and made a little effort she still could bring the memory back.
And there he was… with the clothes that were way too big for him, the fake mustache, the spiky hair… she could even remember that he didn't call her Yakumo, he called her…
CRASH
"Yakumo? What happened? I heard a noise." Said Tenma after running from the living room to the kitchen.
Once there she found Yakumo standing perfectly still, at her feet were the pieces of the dish that she was just drying while her face showed a expression of complete surprise.
"Yakumo? Are you all right?" Asked an increasingly worried Tenma.
Yakumo did not change her posture. She did not even turn to see her sister. She only said in a far away voice…
"He called me… Imouto-san…"
# 2 ... Fin
