Chapter 2: Challenger!
Sitting on a small white platform, I stared at the world of Oz from below. Locks of my hair dropped on my shoulder as most of it remained hidden in my hood. Letting out a deep sigh, I stood up. Just as I was on my feet, an avatar came flying from the sky crashing on to my platform.
[Challenger!]
A bright red screen yelled. Casting away the annoying color, I stared at the cloud of dust.
[Beat her!]
[You can do it!]
Many other avatars cheered on the avatar. Not removing my hood, I looked up at challenger and let out a breath.
"I don't fit in anywhere…"
"Aoi," A warm voice called out. Being lifted up from the ground, I was put on his shoulders, "Look, first bud of the sakura tree," He told me pointed up to the branches. Looking up through the bare branches, my eyes caught the single bud resting on the branch. "Spring is close," My father whispered.
"It's going to be warm again?" I asked him.
"Yeah." He looked back at me, "There's going to be a lot of sakuras in full bloom," smiling warmly, I rested my chin on top of his head looking up at the sakura tree.
"Spring…"
"I can't wait for spring to come." He looked up to me, "Right, Aoi."
Aoi
...Aoi
...Aoi
"AOI!"
"Aoi! Wake up!" I heard my mother yell, "Aoi!"
"Another five minutes…" I mumbled as I twisted and turned in my covers. I was disturbed by someone suddenly jumping on to me with a giggle. Opening my eyes, I met a pair of blue eyes that glowed with the smile.
"Onee-chan! It's morning! Okite!" Hinata yelled as she bounced on top of me. "Hina is awake now! Onee-chan, wake up!"
I mumbled a bit before sitting up, "I'm up," I said rubbing my eyes.
"Ohayo!" Hinata greeted. I ruffled her head,
"Ohayo, Hinata."
"Ohayo!"
"I already said Ohayo,"
"Okite!" Hinata laughed.
"I'm awake." I got up, letting Hinata slide off of me. Walking over to my closet, I pulled out my uniform and got changed quickly. Hinata patiently sat on my bed,
"Bed make!"
"Hai, hai,"
"One hai!"
"Hai, hai." I ruffled her head and made my bed quickly. Walking to the dining room, Mamiru and Uncle Shinji eating breakfast, "Ohayou gozaimasu," I greeted,
"Ohayo!" Hinata greeted.
"Ohayo, Hina-chan, Aoi-chan," Mamiru greeted. My uncle just gave a grunt in response. Sitting down in my seat, I put my hands together,
"Itadakimasu,"
"Itekimasu," I said walking out.
"Iteirashai!" Hinata waved at me and smile. Smiling lightly, I waved back.
Walking to school, I entered my empty classroom and saw my seat was moved next to someone's. Letting out a deep sigh, I took my seat and moved to the far back. Opening the window closest to me, I dropped in to my seat and I looked out the window. As a gentle summer wind blew, my locks of brown hair danced and wavered, "What a nice wind," I thought.
"You really like it there, don't you?" I jumped and looked up at the dark hair, tanned boy standing at the door way. He walked over with his school bag slinged over his shoulder "Hey."
"You…Ikezawa…?"
"Yeah," I stared at him.
"You're in my class?" he gave me a dumbfounded look before sighing.
"Yeah, last year too," He told me walking to his seat in front of me. I rested my head on my desk again and sighed, "I heard you're coming over to Ueda with my family this summer,"
"Eh? From who?"
"Your sister," I sighed again.
"Hinata…" I looked up, "Yeah," I replied. The conversation ended with complete silence. Ikezawa let out a sigh and looked back at me.
"Is it fun sitting back there?" He spoke again. I looked up at him, I shrugged.
"It's easy to concentrate and no one has a problem with it," I replied.
"That didn't answer my question."
"It doesn't matter, I don't really have anything to say about it,"
The air became silent again, I looked back out the window.
As the class began to fill with students, I sat alone in my own island staring blankly out the window. My mind was elsewhere today… probably because of that dream…
Looking up at the clear summer sky, I leaned on my hands as I sat on the school roof. A cool breeze blew as a single cloud covered the sun for a short moment. My brown bangs wavered and slowly came to the halt as the wind died down. Closing my eyes, I let out a small sigh.
"Aoi!"
Looking back to the man gesturing me over to him. Dropping my ball, I immediately ran to his side. Getting down to my height, he patted my head, "Aoi, let me teach you martial arts," he told me.
"Eh-? Really?!" my face bloomed, "You're really going to teach me?"
"Yeah," he replied getting up, "Okay, to become a martial artist, you have to have a sound mind and soul," he began taking his stance, "Every move you make must be from the soul. Every battle, you have to grasp your surroundings and read the movements before you make a move," He thrust a few punched in to the air, "Listen, then strike. You have to keep your other senses awake," looking back to the confused five years old, he smiled, "Got it?"
"Eh-uh-" I nodded, "Yeah!"
"Okay, let's get started."
"Hai, Shishou!"
Taking in a deep breath, I stood up taking my stance.
"A sound soul, a sound mind," I threw my fist forward in to the air, "Listen, then strike." Inhaling deeply, my fist clenched tighter, "Do not forget the basics," I told myself.
Walking quietly down the hall as school ended, I let out a deep sigh walking out to the sun. My arms by my side as I kept my stare to the ground. After another minute, I stopped and looked back at Ikezawa.
"Why are you following me?" I asked in a normal tone.
"I live in your neighborhood,"
"Oh." Then I stopped and looked at the time.
I took a turn away from my house.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Who knows," I replied.
Walking down the road, I stared at the sky. As my arms moved by my sides, I took a deep breath.
"Watch it!" I stopped and saw a group of men glaring and snarling down at an elderly man. My eyes sharpened to daggers and my fist tightened as one of them raised an arm holding a metal pipe.
Quickly stepping forward, I grabbed the pipe with a single hand. Receiving dark glares, I returned a sharp one back.
"Watcha' doin', brat?" The man hissed. My grip on the pipe tightened.
"Ojii-san, please run."
"Eh- but-"
"Hurry,"
The man did as he was told and quickly limped away. As the man was out of my sight, I pulled the pipe out of the man's hand and whirled a solid kick into his face. Falling on to his back as he held his bleeding nose, I sighed.
"How shameful of you to pick on your elders," I spatted, putting my foot down. The rest of the men gave me glared.
"You brat!" Another male came at me with his fist curled up. Stepping forward, I kneed him in his stomach.
"Too slow," I turned to the two males who held pipes with a grin.
NO POV
Nadeshiko looked out the window seeing the sun starting to set. Letting out a small sigh, I pulled out her phone, "Geez, where is Aoi?"
"Onee-chan is late!" Hinata exclaimed. She ran down the hall to the dojo. "Ojii-tan, Mamiru-onii-tan! Onee-chan is late!" Hinata told them.
"She's still not back?" Mamiru asked. Hinata nodded.
"Yeah, she's late!"
"Did something happen?" Mamiru questioned.
Nadeshiko looked at her phone, "Mo~!" She shouted. Suddenly, her phone rang, "Aoi?" She answered not looking at the id.
"Okaa-san," A soft voice replied.
"Atsushi, What's wrong?"
"Is Aoi-chan home?" He asked.
"Eh? She didn't come to visit you?"
"No," Nadeshiko looked at the time and thought about it.
"How strange, did she go to visit him?"
"She would have called,"
"Th-"
The halls echoed with the sound of the front door opening.
"I'm home." Aoi's voice echoed.
"Ah, she's home,"
"Okay, that's good." Atsushi sighed, "I'm going to hand up."
"Okay, make sure to rest. Don't stay up too late,"
"I know, bye, good night."
"Good night."
Then the line cut. Putting her phone away, she walked to the front to scold her daughter,
"Aoi, where were you all this time? You should of-"
Nadeshiko's mouth dropped with a gasp escaping her, her eyes widen to see her daughter in front of her. Aoi stood at the entrance supporting her left arm as blood trickled down her face. She was covered in cuts and bruises with dust staining her school uniform. Aoi gave a weak smile to her mother.
"Sorry, I ran in to a bit of trouble."
Nadeshiko's eyes widen and she screamed loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Aoi's POV
"AOI?!" My mother grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me back and forth, "What happened? How did you get this injured?! Who did this to you?!"
"Ah- Okaa-san, calm down, I'm fine-"
"You're obviously not!"
"What's going on-" Mamiru came down the hall and his eyes widen, "Aoi-chan!?"
"Ah- hey, Mamiru-nii-san…" I said nervously.
"W-what happened,"
"Nothing-"
"Lies!" My mother yelled.
"Mama! Onee-cha-" Hinata came down but stopped seeing me.
"H-Hina-" Suddenly, she breaks out in to tears and cries, "Ah-! Why do you start crying?!"
"What happened, Aoi!?"
"Eh-"
"We have to stop the bleeding!"
My family broke out in complete panic and all I could hear was my mother screaming in to my ears.
"Geez, what happened?" Mamiru asked as he dabbed ointment on my arm. We sat in one of the parlors as he tended my wounds.
"I helped an old man," I replied.
"Ha?"
"I stopped a gang from beating up an elderly man," I told him.
"Then how did you get this injured?" he asked as he finished patching me up.
"Three of them had pipes… and…" My eyes became stern as I thought about the fight.
"Oya, what a nostalgic scene," Our attention turned to Wei, who leaned against the shoji doors, "You remind me of the 13th in his younger age," he commented. I looked away and sighed.
"Che," Hinata popped her head out behind the door, "Oh, Hinata." She stared at me for a second before she ran to me and jumped in to my lap. "Oh- what's wrong?" She looked up at me and blew on my injured arm.
"Itai, itai no, tondeke!" She chanted waving her arm over mine. She smiled at me, "Does it hurt now?" I smiled and patted her head.
"No, thanks." I told her brushing her dark hair out of her face. Hinata smiled and laughed. "It's not a big deal,"
"Yes it is!" She talked back.
Sitting in my bedroom, I clicked the mouse on my laptop.
Sitting on the white platform again, I looked up at clock in the sky. Getting up, I jumped down from my platform and entered a small door. Walking around the dark halls, I looked around.
As usual, the red screen popped up screaming,
[Challenger!]
I looked up ahead, and saw the tall white rabbit wearing a red vest with jeans. He looked down and me and took his stance. Staring at him, I lightly smirked. Revealing my eyes under my hood, I took my stance. As the crowd of avatars grew, we waited for silence before we took a step towards each other.
