Chapter 2 B & B (Beating and Battle)

School

Afternoon

"Would you mind showing me around? I don't know anyone here. I was wondering if you could be my friend."

Everything felt just so surreal. Shirahama Kenichi could hardly believe that he finally had a friend. The petite raven haired boy grinned happily to himself. His thoughts drifted to his beautiful new friend and classmate, Furijin Miu. He remembered her attractive coy smile, the way her golden hair sparkled in the morning sun and the humour in her ocean-blue hued orbs.

It was after school and Kenichi was walking along the corridors towards his clubroom. None of the groups of students walking past him pay any notice to him even though he was smiling to himself. With a wide goofy smile plastered on his face, he took a turn and walked into the dreaded Karate club room.

He was much too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice the group of well-built and burly guys in the Karate's traditional white gi drawing close to him. With a threatening gleam in their eyes, they immediately sprung gracefully onto their feet and approached him menacingly like a pack of hungry wolves cornering an ignorant deer.

The merrily oblivious prey even walked straight to them, wearing his trademark ridiculous smile, closing the distance between them.

Some of the bulky guys were rubbing their large fists meaningfully, waiting with great anticipation for the game to begin.

Kenichi, despite being inches away from them, continued to be oblivious to his surroundings. He was now in the shadow the group casted upon him. The other Karate students stood still, with large smiles on their faces, and waited patiently for him. Most weak animals in the real world like the deer would never find itself in such a precarious situation as it would scurry away once it had detected its predators. Well, Kenichi was going to be the first in History to do so.

His whistling stopped when Kenichi found himself blocked by the Karate members. "Hi everybody," greeted Kenichi politely, smiling warmly. Wow, everyone looked so glad to see me, he thought as he searched the faces of the crowd- they were flashing their teeth at him. If he was not so riveted in his own world, the petite first-year probably might detect the tension in the air.

The room fell eerily silent like the calm before a storm.

"Hi, Shirahama. The seniors have decided among ourselves that we were going to train you. Didn't you want to learn Karate?" One of the bigger guys smirked, his eyes gleaming with feral excitement. The speaker was the assistant leader of the club. His black hair was cropped in army style- short at the sides and the back and he looked like a solider with his brawny build. Kenichi had barely reached to his broad and muscular shoulders and he was at least twice his size.

"Really?" demanded Kenichi, his eyes sparkling with exhilaration. "That would be great! What are we going to learn first?" He could not believe his ears that he was actually going to learn Karate.

Finally, I am going to learn some Karate. Today must be my lucky day!

"Let's do a bit of sparring first," answered the larger guy, smiling. His malevolent grin nearly split his punched-in face when he saw the excitement on Kenichi's face replace by dread. The scent of fear emanating from his prey stirred his blood and got him thrilled. "What are you waiting for?" asked the assistant leader as he grabbed Kenichi by his arm and threw him effortlessly to the centre of the large club room.

The seniors broke out in vindictive but excited laughter.

The first-year crashed onto the floor painfully like a sack of potatoes. His bones jarred from the impact of the simple toss, sending pain jolting through his body. Kenichi groaned and curled instinctively, trying to will away the pain. Before he could recover from the unexpected attack, he felt someone dragging him bodily up by the collar of his Gi. Kenichi winced at the pain.

"Over already? You are so weak! How are you going to learn karate that way?" mocked the assistant leader in a singsong voice, staring at him.

The room erupted in booming and disdaining laughter, as if they were tickled by the assistant leader's false voice.

Kenichi warily lifted his head to look at his scorner. The assistant leader was sniggering, amused with his own actions. His punched in face was revoltingly contorted by the perverted and sadistic need to assert his power over the weak.

He felt something snapped within him. It made him want to throw up. It made his blood boil with righteous anger. Those onyx hued orbs narrowed with determination. I'm not going to go down so easily!

"Is that all you are capable of?"spat the petite boy, shrugging the bully's hands off his Gi. His back was straight and he was staring unswervingly at the assistant leader. Unmistakably, he was actually challenging the Goliath.

The assistant leader lifted his empty hands and blinked continuously.

The laughter died immediately when they noticed that table was flipped.

The senior's eyebrow arched with anger. Dangerously, he swaggered purposefully towards the diminutive boy, his nasty intent written clearly on his face.

It set the warning alarm in his head off but Kenichi mustered every inch of his courage and held his ground. He knew that he had nothing to fend himself from the inevitable attack but he needed for once to hold firm to his principles.

He closed his eyes at the last moment when he heard the familiar 'swish' of the fabric as his aggressor pulled his arm back in a punch.

Soundlessly, his hard fist contacted firmly onto his right cheek, causing Kenichi to spew out his saliva, as his head swung precariously to the left. Then, he felt hard shin on his stomach, throwing him backwards.

Searing pain jolted through his nervous system but he held back the wince, refusing to give them any pleasure at seeing him whimper in pain.

Without a warning, the senior rained punches and kicks to the various pressure points on his body, overloading his nervous system with acute agony.

He was like a large sand bag, swaying unsteadily as he silently took every one of his ruthless blows.

The assistant leader seemed to lose his patience, after a while. He nimbly stepped between the first year's legs and swept his leg in a circular motion around Kenichi's weak legs in one efficient and smooth action, causing the first year to tumble ungracefully and plunge face first.

Kenichi had a brief glimpse of the cold and uninviting hard floor. As he fell forward, he felt the senior's hard knee on his abdomen. The impact nearly forced him to throw up his lunch. His body jerked upwards from the result of that callous kick and the senior slammed his fist squarely on his face.

He was flung backward by the force, spitting out blood as he descended, head first. He spread out his arms like a bungee jumper and closed his eyes as he felt his body falling gracefully, sinking into despair.

Unlike a bungee jumper, there was no tug to pull him out of pit of darkness.

Then he crashed onto the floor with a loud 'blam' like a felled tree, bounced back up slightly from the impact and became still.

Desolation had its deadly claws on his spirit, tearing and ripping his will into pieces as he felt the continued brutal blows on his form. The nauseating and sharp scent of blood filled the air. The mocking laughter in the room grew louder, almost to the point of splitting his ear drums. He could hear his blood drumming in his ears. His vision blurred and he grew dazed. Kenichi was slowly losing his consciousness. He absently noted that he had to strain his ears to hear them as they grew softer by the second.

"Weak legs..."

"What a disappointment..."

"Utterly useless..."

"Loser..."

"He's a waste of my time. A punching bag would give me more satisfaction than this."

With one last sharp kick, he was sentient no more.

It was a few hours away when Kenichi finally regained his consciousness. Once again, Kenichi had to be familiarised himself with the awkward and raw feelings of desolation and sense of failure, something he thought he had already grown comfortable with after so many years of bullying.

He gingerly opened his eyes.

The club room was completely empty and dark. He absently checked his wristwatch and realised that it was time to get home.

I was out for hours, he thought with great anguish. Mildly disgusted, he cleaned the blood from his split lips with the back of his hand and tried to sit up. Pain shot from every part of his body. It made him desire to curl up until the sensations pass. He winced and lay still. His body spread out on the wooden floor.

This sucks.

The black haired boy closed his eyes, taking a short respite. Mustering all his strength, he finally sat up, his chest heaving from exertion, his brow wet with perspiration. He was so used to this already.

No! I had enough!

Silent tears made their way down his cheeks. Kenichi glared at the wooden floor. He knew he had to do something about his situation. He couldn't be trampled down all his life as if he was nothing. He couldn't let those riff-raffs continue with their evil ways. Filled with righteous anger, he punched the floor and winced as the action made his bruised body scream in distress.

When the roaring acute pain subsided to a managed throbbing ache, he made up his mind to return home. Mustering all his will, Kenichi stood up, ignoring his screaming body.

He let out a groan when he finally got on his feet.

His eyes absently swept the dark room, noticing how dirty it was. The other club members were expecting to clean the room as usual. Even though it was empty, Kenichi swore he could hear the faint echoes of the mocking laughter reverberating throughout the room.

With great determination, Kenichi staggered towards the exit,

Miu-san must have gone home first.

The diminutive first-year was hobbling along the familiar road through the neighbourhood that led to his home. The setting sun painted the sky a wondrous mixture of golden, red and orange above the serene urban landscape, taking his breath away.

Nature had a way of allowing him to forget his present condition to pay her the homage she richly deserved. Kenichi took a turn around the corner and walked into a gang terrorising the occupants of the neighbourhood and disrupting the frail harmony.

A group of bulky and huge thugs had cornered one single girl in school uniform. She was staring straight at the towering guy with red Mohawk, undaunted by the fearsome thugs that were glaring menacingly at her.

He felt shivers going down his spine but he inched in closer.

"You got it all wrong. The old lady bumped right into me and fell." He grinned maliciously as he stared challengingly at the blonde girl before him.

His eyes widened with shock when Kenichi recognised the girl immediately. Her long plaited golden hair, figure and her school uniform gave her away. It was Miu, his friend. What was she doing?

"I saw you shove her. Apologise to her now." She demanded calmly, folding her arms in front of her chest impatiently. The old granny was tugging one of her sleeves in an attempt to persuade her not to insist but the blonde girl was too intent on coercing them to apologise.

Wow, she is so amazing. He thought as he stared at her. Kenichi could not tear his eyes off her. He was completely entranced by her valour and her sense of uprightness. Miu was absolutely firm and did not show signs of fear even though she was severely outnumbered.

Kenichi took a quick glance around the street, hoping that someone would help her. The street was unusually empty and the passer-by from other streets was pretending as if nothing was taking place. The neighbourhood was always troubled by thugs so many had grown to be empathic to their activities to save their own skins. It frustrated him, seeing their lack of compassion.

He had to do something!

He drew out his cellphone, quickly dialling the number for the police.

The granny hastily left the street upon Miu's urgent request. The large group of men surrounded her, rolling their head around their shoulder and stretching menacingly.

He couldn't just sit here and do nothing. She was his friend!

He was torn between his morals and his desire to flee from more trouble. He was badly injured by his schoolmates and there was little he could do.

His mind was made up in an instant when he saw them cage her in. Without any hesitation, he dashed straight to her aid.

"Leave her alone!" Kenichi shouted loudly, running. His shouts caught the attention of the gang and their leader and they were watching him with bewilderment. The path to the leader was surprisingly clear. As he dashed towards the leader, Kenichi accidently tripped over the curb of the road and punched the towering gangster squarely on his face.

OH SHIT!

The leader staggered slightly back in disbelief. Wide-eyed, he hesitantly reached up and found blood on his upper lip. His trembling finger slowly traced the trail of blood and found that his nose was bleeding slightly. He lifted his head and glared at the surprised runt with outrage. With deep fury, he roared "K-kill him!"

Perspiration formed on his brow as he watched the thugs surround him. His pulse raced with fear as he stared at them, trying to find a way to escape. However, he was trapped. He backed away slowly, training his eyes on them.

"Eep!"

Kenichi accidently fell to his feet when he tripped over the curb again.

The shadows of those burly and fearsome men were cast upon him, enshrouding him in darkness. He held his breath and prayed quietly.

Then, as if the gods answered his urgent prayer, the most amazing thing unfolded before him as he sat there.

Light seeped through the crowd suddenly. The air was filled with loud sounds of groaning and wincing. The large men were collapsing on the ground like fallen trees. Their bodies littered around the dreary streets, adding a bit of colour.

He lifted his head disbelievingly and saw Miu fighting them off singlehandedly. Effortlessly and efficiently, she took all of them down quickly. His heart fluttered at the sight of her – Miu was so fatally beautiful. She danced swiftly and gracefully away from their clumsy and slow attacks and delivered powerful yet elegant blows that knocked them flat.

She was the star ballerina, twirling tastefully to a dangerous and stirring melody of violence and justice. She leapt into the air in a grand jete, with her legs fully outstretched in a split, then pirouetted around her burly and ungainly partners in a treacherous pas de deux. Miu was now in an arabesque, her body supported on one leg, with the other extended fully towards another of the burly partners. Those two moves took out five of those brawny partners and send them crashing to their feet.

Kenichi was simply entranced by the sight.

Miu is so just and beautiful.

The momentum continued to grow, building towards its finale. The performance ended almost quickly as it began. Finally, Miu was left standing alone in the midst of the scattered bodies, one arm raised above her head and another curling downwards in a dignified finishing pose in the grand générale coda.

Kenichi would have given her a standing ovation if he was not too entranced.

"Thank…Kenichi- san, are you alright? What happened to you?" An anxious voice began as Miu dashed immediately to his side. The faint sweet strawberry scent filled his nostrils. He lifted his head to meet her gaze and saw worry reflected in her stormy cobalt hued eyes.

His cheeks grew red with embarrassment. Hastily, he stammered an answer. "It's nothing, Miu-san. I-I fell?" He tried to smile so that she would not be so worried but realised that he could not because his lips had split from the beating he got.

He must have looked totally terrible and wimpy.

What a great time for Miu-san to see him, he thought sarcastically as he controlled a wince.

Her blonde eyebrows arched even more with worry and confusion.

Kenichi tried once more to pick himself up. He nearly let out a victory yell when he found himself on his feet, albeit a bit unsteady. When he stumbled, Kenichi felt her grabbing his arm and supporting him.

"Kenichi-san, you are quite badly hurt. Let me help you. I know a place that can fix you up" said Miu, throwing his arm around her shoulder to support him.

He flushed at the contact of her hips to his body. Even though he was seriously injured, his mind couldn't help straying off to the helpful girl beside him. He had to admit that walking this way was easier for him.

"Thank you Kenichi-san. That was the nicest thing anyone has done for me," said Miu finally, smiling. He could see sincerity glowing in her large round ocean-blue eyes. Her face was mildly flushed from coyness.

Kenichi could only laugh in embarrassment. He would have scratched his head if his muscles were not aching.

He didn't do anything, why was she thanking him? He thought in puzzlement as he gazed at the beauty helping him.

Miu's point of view

I can't believe I let him see that!

She was supposed to be inconspicuous in this new school. One part of being not outstanding was to pretend to be like a normal high school girl. A normal high school girl would not have the skill or the strength to take out a gang of mobsters alone. She gusted a sigh.

However, she couldn't let them injured him when he tried to defend her. That thought flooded her with immeasurable warm.

"Why are you still near school? Did you join a club?"asked Kenichi curiously, training his eyes on her.

"Yes, Gymnastics. Gymnastics had just ended." She answered, staring unusually intently at her feet. She did not know if she ought to be upset that he witnessed everything.

Gymnastics was normal for girls rather than judo or karate.

"Are you in any club?" asked Miu inquisitively.

"Karate." It incited another sheepish chortle from him, an endearing sound that she was getting accustomed to. She was not all surprised at the revelation. After all, he was reading a book on it when she first met him on the way to school.

"I know I don't look like it." He added in awkwardness. "I only decided to take it up recently."

"Why did you want to learn it?" She asked probingly. Her unusually blue eyes were gazing intensely at him, reading the expressions on his face. It puzzled her that someone wanted to do it as a hobby. In her world, Martial art was a way of life. Martial art was as essential and normal as breathing to her and her family. As such, she wanted to know why others would be motivated to pick it up.

The twinkling eyes hardened slightly in determination.

"So that I wouldn't be bullied anymore. I want to be strong enough to punish the bullies and let them feel how it like is to be hurt so that they would not hurt others again. "He answered passionately. His onyx coloured eyes shone with that declaration.

Miu grinned, lowering her head shyly.

He's quite kind hearted.

"By the way, Miu-san, you were great. I didn't know you could fight like that." He grinned brilliantly as if it was normal for her to behave this way.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She did not understand why Kenichi didn't even feel it was out of place for girls to knock down a group of guys at least twice her size easily. She could not comprehend the reason Kenichi was praising her for it instead of rejecting her.

It was the first time someone actually commended her for who she really was. She blushed slightly; glad that someone had accepted her for whom she really was.

"How I wish I could become as strong as you."

That offhanded statement caused her to smile. She knew exactly how he could be as strong as her.

The two teenagers soon stopped in front of a large and intimidating wooden entrance. It looked really old and scary for some strange reasons, Kenichi swallowed visibly.

What on earth was this place?

The walls surrounding the place were huge and thick. Those impassable aged walls looked in dire need of repairing. The place had a huge and threatening entrance. Two daunting large wooden doors was its main entrance. It also had a smaller wooden door at its side. It looked exactly like those old houses from pre- meji period.

The hair at the back of his hair stood at the sight of it, as if warning him of the impending danger that lurked behind its desolated walls.

It looked dangerous.

He read the majestic sign board on the top of the regal looking entrance.

"Ryouzanpaku." He read aloud.

A mixture of strange feelings came over him. For some odd reason, he felt like as if he was on the point of no return.

Kenichi shivered even though it was a rather warm night.

He turned to his side and looked at Miu, hoping to understand why she had brought him here.

"There is a bone setting clinic and an acupuncture clinic here. Akisama can fix you up in no time. If you want to become strong, you can learn martial arts from here. "She smiled warmly.

"By the way, this is also where I live."

A/N: Thank you for reading. Is it okay? Please review because I want to know how it can be improved. Thanks in advance!