Noda
A boy with short, shaggy, purple hair walked home after school. He did not like his hometown. The gangs had too much freedom and the police hardly did anything to deal with them. So, he set out on a goal. He would be the one to protect the town if nobody else can. He stopped as he saw a female student struggling against three boys around his own age. She had the female uniform from his high school. She had magenta hair that reached down to her shoulders along with bright, green eyes.
"Hey!" he yelled.
He ran at them and grabbed one of their arms before it reached the student.
"What the- hey! What the hell is your problem?!" yelled the thug.
"You're the one with the problem if you're going around and taking money from defenseless people!" accused the purple haired boy.
"Wait, isn't he that crazy kid? What was his name again? Nova…Noka…Noda!" said the thug behind him.
"What do you mean?" asked the third thug.
"Heh. Looks like even you guys know about me."
Noda let the thug's arm go.
"Anyways, don't rob anymore kids."
"Or else what?"
"Or else I'll beat the crap out of you."
"You're going to be the crap out of me? Ha! Yeah, right!"
The thug punched Noda straight in the face. Noda smiled.
"You call that a punch?"
He let out a roar and punched the guy back. The other two thugs joined in and it turned into a brawl. The girl slowly walked away and occasionally glanced back at the boy that saved her. Noda ducked a kick and jumped over a sweep. He blocked a punch and countered with one of his own. A punch hit him in the stomach and he let out a short breath. He saw another punch coming for his eyes. He evaded it and kicked one of the thugs. After a bit more fighting, they stopped. They all gasped for air to try and relieve a bit of their injuries.
"You…you really are crazy…" said one of the thugs.
"Yeah…well…I've been told that before," replied Noda.
He wiped off the blood coming out of his nose.
"Let's get out of here. I don't this guy will stop until he's dead."
The three thugs limped away. Noda glared at them until they were out of sight.
"Heh. That'll teach them. You alri-."
The girl was already gone.
"Tch. Not even a word of appreciation."
He slowly walked home, wincing at the pain of the bruises on each step. If nobody is going to help out others, then he had to be the one that would fix this neighborhood. That was his goal. He wanted to be a hero.
A school bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. Noda sighed as he dropde a piece of paper onto his desk after looking at the score. His score was blunt and red. Eighteen out of one-hundred. School was never a thing for him.
"Ugh…why am I no good at this?"
He kicked back in his chair and looked up at the roof. He closed his eyes and got ready to doze off through lunch. He never really had anything to eat because he was living alone after his mother was killed in a car accident and his dad left the house during his early high school years. He did not want to be in high school, but…
"Sure as hell better than being on the streets."
"U-um…"
It was a soft voice from a girl.
"What?" he asked bluntly.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did the other day."
He opened one eye to look at her. It was the girl with the magenta hair that he helped out the other day.
"Don't worry about it."
"H-here."
She handed him a red, packed school lunch box. He had a puzzled look on his face.
"You didn't have to do this, you know."
"Yeah, but…I heard that you never go to the cafeteria or even eat."
"Huh? Where did you hear that?"
"When I was asking around if they knew someone with scruffy, purple hair with an aggressive attitude, they told me to come here during lunch time because you never eat in school."
"Did you really have to add the aggressive attitude part?"
"S-sorry! I did not know how else to describe you."
He was agitated, but he did not want to show it because this girl went through the effort of cooking a lunch and finding him. The least he can do is thank her. He opened up the school box and looked at the food. One side of the box had fried octopus, rice balls, and a rice cracker. The other side had fried eggs and steamed vegetables. He almost shed a tear because this was the best food he had in a while. It had been nothing but shrimp flavored cup ramen every morning and night.
"Sorry that it is not that good. I'm still learning how to cook and…"
Noda started devouring the lunch. He choked on eating too fast. He pounded his chest. The girl saw his gesture and handed a water bottle to Noda.
"Here!"
Noda grabbed it and chugged the water. He let out a deep breath of relief.
"You really shouldn't eat too fast."
"I can't help it. This is pretty good."
The girl blushed a little.
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I really think so. I'll eat the rest later."
"Eh? I'm sure you have better things at home for dinner."
"A lunch like this is better than cup ramen anytime."
"You mean…you don't have anything to eat at home?"
"I live by myself. By the way, what's your name? Mine's Noda."
"Um…my name is Nami."
"Nice to meet you, but you should leave now."
"What? Why?"
"A girl like you shouldn't be seen around someone like me. There will only be bad rumors about you."
"What do you mean?"
Noda turned his attention to a group of girls in the corner of the classroom. He met their eyes with his own, and they all turned away, hoping that Noda did not notice them looking at him. Too late for that.
"I knew it."
He looked at another corner of the room where there was a group of boys glaring at them. They quickly turned around when they saw Noda's eyes. Nami was confused and worried.
"Why were they looking at us?"
"I have some kind of reputation. A violent reputation."
"I see…"
"You should head back to your homeroom. Lunch is almost over. I'll return this box to you tomorrow if you come back here."
"Oh, no. It's fine. You can keep the box. I have a lot more."
"Oh. Well, thanks again."
"Mhm. Goodbye, Noda-kun."
Noda waved as Nami headed for the door. She bowed one more time, then left.
"She really shouldn't get involved with me…"
"Oh. Hello Noda-kun."
The bell rang, signally the end of the day. Students walked out of school to get home. Some stayed behind for clubs, but Noda had no place in any of those clubs. He tried, but his aggression would often cause conflicts within the clubs, and as a result, he would be kicked out either on the first meeting, or the next. Noda just walked home everyday and did not bother to look back at his school when the final bell rang. However…
"Nami? What are you doing?"
Noda was annoyed with the person in front of him. He wished that she did not have to be more involved in his problems.
"I…kind of…have a favor to ask you…"
"Say it."
"Can you walk me home today?
"Huh? Didn't you walk home all of the other days before meeting me?"
"I had friends to walk with, but they have club activities today. So…"
Noda could not patrol his neighborhood if he was her. Then again, what if she was mugged again and it got even worse because he was not there? Will he be a hero for her or his home? Will he…
"Um…Noda-kun. It's fine. You don't have to if you're busy…"
Noda thought for too long. Nami had a disappointed look on her face, despite having a small smile.
"Oh…no. It's not that."
"Ah ha…it was stupid. Forget I asked you. Goodbye and have a safe trip home."
She began walking off.
"Wait! I'll walk you home."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't have anything to do."
A big smile appeared on her face.
"Okay."
He blushed and turned away to not let her see.
"Let's just go already," he said.
Both of them began walking away.
"So, did you have to get home because you have family waiting?" asked Nami.
"I don't have anyone waiting for me at my house," answered Noda.
"Oh…you as well."
"You don't have anyone? I expected you to have your parents at least."
"No…all I have left are my aunt and uncle, but they work in a city far away. They send the money to pay for a house they rented for me. What about you?"
"My mom died in a car accident and my old man ran away from the pressure. All I have left are some pity money from my grandmother and the small house I was left with."
"Sorry…"
Nami's eyes lowered, as if she heard something she was not supposed to.
"Oh, it's fine. It's been long enough for me that I don't care anymore. All I can do now is carry on."
"Yeah…sorry for asking."
"No, it's fine. Besides, I was the one that started it."
They walked on for five minutes without another word.
"Th-this is pretty awkward," thought Noda.
"So uh…where do you live?" asked Noda.
"Oh! Uh…just a little more down this road," answered Nami.
"Weird…my house is also down this road."
"Really? That is very convenient then."
"Yeah, I guess so."
They reached Nami's house. It was a one story white house with finely crafted windows and doors. It seemed like it would fit Nami's gentle and subtle nature. However, the same could not be said for the house next door. The house next door was in rough shape. The roof tiles were beginning to crack and fall off. The road leading up to the front door was littered with high grass and multiple species of weed. Nami gave off a small nervous laugh while Noda's right eye twitched.
"We live right next to each other?!" exclaimed Noda.
"Who would have thought, right?" asked Nami nervously.
They walked up to Nami's door.
"Well…thank you for walking me home, but I guess it's pointless to say that since you also brought yourself home."
"It was nothing. I guess I can just return your box to you tomorrow morning."
"No, no. Like I said, it's fine. I have plenty. Well, goodnight, Noda-kun."
"Goodnight, Nami."
Nami unlocked the door and went in. Noda walked off of the property and headed to his house next door.
"I guess it's time for another night shift…"
Noda yawned as the lunch bell rang. His stomach growled from a morning without breakfast. He decided to stay in the classroom like usual. He closed his eyes and leaned on his left arm, preparing for a nap.
"Noda-kun~"
Noda opened his right eye at the familiar voice. A neatly wrapped boxed was dropped on his desk. It was a yellow lunchbox with large, black spots randomly placed around it.
"I told you to not come back here," groaned Noda.
"Yeah, but it is not as if it is against a law or something like that," answered Nami.
Noda sighed.
"Oh right…"
He reached into his backpack and pulled out the red lunchbox from yesterday.
"Here."
"Oh…thank you."
Nami took a closer look at Noda's face, especially his eyes. They were heavy and deeply blackened.
"You look…exhausted. Could not sleep last night?" asked Nami.
Noda was still exhausted from last night. There was not much to do, but he still stayed up two hours later than usual.
"I'm fine. Besides, shouldn't you eat? If you keep bringing me lunches, you won't get any for yourself."
Nami shook her head and pulled out a pink striped lunchbox.
"I am always prepared!" said Nami with an accomplished look on her face.
Noda was about to tell her to stop, but if she was willing to get up extra early just to make an extra lunch…
"Eh…" groaned Noda.
He looked down at the lunchbox. A lot of work went into this. He opened it. It was the same lunch as yesterday. Still better than eating cup ramen everyday. He proceeded to devour the food. Nami smiled and proceeded to eat her lunch as well.
"Thanks for the food, Nami."
"It was a pleasure. It was thanks for walking me home yesterday."
"I don't think it counts if we live next to each other…" thought Noda.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"Oh! Well, goodbye Noda-kun."
"Uh…yeah. See ya."
She rushed out the classroom. Noda could not see it, but he can just sense the amount of people that were watching and talking about them.
"At least I had lunch."
"Ready for another walk home, Noda-kun?"
Noda sighed. Nami had the same smile as always.
"Yeah, let's go."
They started walking home.
"Noda-kun, how come you are not in any afterschool activities?"
"I guess you can say that I just don't get along with the people in our school."
"But…you get along with me right?"
He did not know how to answer that.
"It is fine if you do not answer. I am just glad that I am able to talk and walk with you."
Noda blushed a little. Nobody has even said that; let alone a girl.
"I-I see…"
"What do you usually-"
"Stop right there," demanded a voice from behind.
Both of them turned around. It was a group of teenage boys. Some had beanies and plain t-shirts. Others had on ripped jackets and jeans.
"This looks like trouble…" thought Noda.
"Um…hello?" asked Nami.
"Noda," said the guy in front of the group.
He said it in a way that would make his name sound disgusting. Noda's eyes narrowed and started to become more alert.
"You roughed up three of my guys the other day. We were wondering when you would show up."
"Oh right. Those assholes couldn't even handle me. Are you sure you're really in charge of a gang and not a group of pussies?"
"What?!" "I'm going to kill him!" "What did he just say?!" "Let's break his legs!"
The group was getting rowdy from that comment. The leader put his arm up to silence the group.
"So, you have a mouth. Let's see if it can still function after we bash your skull in."
"Noda-kun…"
Noda looked at Nami. She was frightened of the situation. In the end, he could only say one thing:
"Run."
"What?!"
"Run Nami!"
Noda blindly charged at the group.
Noda groaned at the bruises and cuts he got from the fight. He had a blood dripping out of his nose that he wiped away occasionally. His arms and legs were sore all over due to multiple blows. There was a cut on his forehead and there was still a trail of blood sliding off the side of his face. The only reason why he was able to limp away was because a police car drove by. They were able to stop the fight and Noda made it out during the commotion. He reached the street that his house was on. Finally, he can rest up from his injuries and exhaustion.
"At least I don't have to worry about them for a while."
As he approached his house, there was someone sitting in front of his door. Noda smiled as he saw who it was.
"Phew. Nami's safe," thought Noda.
Nami looked up at the approaching footsteps. She had a worried look on her face and her worries grew as she saw the damage on Noda.
"Yo…" said Noda as he weakly put up an arm to greet her.
"Y-you're badly hurt!" exclaimed Nami.
"I'll be fine. Just let me rest up a bit in my house."
Noda tried to push her out of the way to enter his house, but he was barely able to convince her that he could push her. Nami grabbed his hand.
"No! You're coming with me this instant!"
"Wha-"
She pulled him along to her house.
"I told you. I'm fine."
He was in no condition to stand much longer and just wanted to sit down. Besides, he does not think he would be able to convince her with these injuries.
"Alright, alright. Just…slow down a bit. It's a little hard for me to walk."
Nami slowed her pace and let Noda catch his breath. They already arrived in front of her house.
"Tonight, you're staying with me until you heal up. Got it?!" demanded Nami.
"What's with the change of character?!" exclaimed Noda.
"Hmph. I have to be like this or else you will never listen."
She pulled out a key and opened her front door. The inside smelled so nice to Noda. Either that or he was getting light headed. She pulled him in.
"Well…"
She finally let go of his hand and started to blush.
"W-welcome to my home. It's not much but it is cozy."
She was right. It looked really nice from the outside, but on the inside there was not much. There was a lonely chair and desk in the back of the living room. A small clock with the look of a brown owl hung above a small television that sat on a white stand in front of the living room. The kitchen was plain, but complete with everything that is needed to prepare food. The bedroom had a single, small bed with a rolled up futon in the corner. However, there was one thing that would catch anyone's attention as soon as they enter this house.
"What is that?!" shouted Noda.
Even in his exhausted state, he could not help but point out the giant, stone samurai statue in the corner. In its hands was a giant, black halberd.
"Oh, that is a family decoration passed down from generation to generation. Since my parents were the one that had it, it was passed down onto me," answered Nami.
"How could anyone even move that thing…?"
"My uncles are strong people."
She tried to flex, but with skinny arms, it does not add much to a muscular image. She gave off a slight, nervous smile.
"I see…"
She grabbed the chair and pulled it up to Noda.
"Here. Take a seat. You must be exhausted."
"Thanks…"
Noda fell clumsily into the chair. His body nearly gave out to the desire of resting.
"Just stay there. Let me get some stuff to treat your cuts."
She walked off into her bathroom. He looked around, but was only interested in one thing.
"Hey big guy. I wonder if you were a hero at one point," thought Noda as he looked at the statue.
She returned with rubbing alcohol, toilet paper, a wet cloth, and a couple of Band-Aids.
"This will sting a little."
"I know. I'm used to it."
"Used to it?"
She dips some toilet paper in the alcohol and rubs the cut on his head. He barely even felt the sting after treating himself often.
"You mean you've done this many times before then?"
"Yeah. It's the reason why I have the reputation at school."
"I see…"
She wiped away the dried blood from his nose and face with the cloth. She also wiped away the remaining alcohol with the toilet paper and placed a Band-Aid on his cut. His cut was no longer throbbing in pain. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks, but I can handle myself from here on."
He got up and took a step. Then, his leg refused to move anymore. It was as if his leg gave up on him due to the bruises and exhaustion. He can feel the rush of heat coming off of his blood as it gathered in his leg to try and move it. It was still immovable.
"I can tell you are barely able to move just from the amount of effort in trying to lift a leg. Your heavy, raspy breathing is not helping either."
She was right. He did not even notice how hard he was breathing due to his body trying to use the energy that was not there.
"Eh…I'll be…"
The world turned into a blur around him. Time moved so fast for him as his movements were sluggish and awkward.
"On second thought…"
That was it. His body tried its best to stay awake, but Noda's stubbornness did not allow it to rest. It can only do what a body needs to do when it is desperate for a long rest.
"Noda!"
He fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Whiteness. All Noda saw was white. He took in what just happened as he stared at the blankness of the ceiling. He was sore all over, but at least his limbs obeyed him.
"You're finally awake," said Nami.
"I…passed out," said Noda in realization.
Nami nodded.
"It's already been an entire day. I had a doctor come over to look at you just in case something was wrong, but he said you were just exhausted. I'm glad that you're fine."
"A whole day? Damn…I must have really messed myself up."
"Yep. School is already over for today. Okay, back to cooking!"
"Eh?"
"It's time for dinner. You must be starving from not eating for an entire day."
"Don't worry. I'm not that hungry."
His stomach growled at that instant, as if it was responding to Nami's comment and rebelling against Noda's stubbornness. He blushed out of embarrassment.
"Well, your stomach doesn't lie."
"Shut up…"
"You wait here. I'll go prepare dinner."
"Alright then."
She stood and walked out of the room. A single thought ran through his mind.
"When was the last time someone cooked for me in bed…?"
His head fell back onto the pillow.
"I can't complain. She's good at cooking."
A small scream came from the kitchen. His brain went into alert mode and he leapt to his feet. He ran out of the room and looked right. The closed front door was there. He immediately turned left. Nami caused an oil fire in a frying pan. The fire itself was not that big and could easily be put out by pouring it in the sink. However, Nami seemed traumatized by the fire. Her lips quivered and she was on the verge of tears. Her hands clutched her chest as stared at the fire.
"Nami!" shouted Noda.
That woke up Nami as she let out a small gasp. Noda ran over to the pan and grabbed it. It burned his skin on contact.
"Gah! That really hurts!" screamed Noda in pain.
He shoved it into the nearby sink and gently poured water over it to make sure the oil does not fly out. The fire quickly subsided. He drenched his hands completely in cold water to hopefully relieve the burning sensation.
"Noda…"
"Ah…are you okay Nami?"
The pain was still there in his hands, but he was able to bear with it. She slightly nodded.
"What happened?"
"Sorry…I was really careless. I was thinking about something and I accidently let the food burn for too long."
She looked at his hands. They were stained red with the burn from the pan handle. He noticed her eyes and quickly hid them in his pockets.
"…your hands got burned."
"Eh…don't worry about it. It's not too bad."
Her eyes blurred up as tears begin to form.
"H-hey…don't cry. It could have been way worse."
"Yeah…"
"I guess we won't have dinner tonight."
"Well…I still have cup ramen if you want that."
"More than enough for me."
He smiled to reassure that everything is fine. She smiled lightly then focused her eyes to the floor, too ashamed of not being able to make dinner.
Noda slurped up his ramen. Nami barely touched her cup. They both sat next to each other up against the wall facing the television. Noda did not feel right turning on a television he did not own and Nami was still feeling down from earlier.
"Ah…just like home. Hmm? Your ramen is getting cold," said Noda.
"I'm not that hungry…" mumbled Nami.
This was odd to Noda. A small fire is nothing to be this depressed about. This silence is just a little unbearable for him, especially when the ramen was cooking.
"Uh…"
Noda thought about asking if something was wrong, but he decided not to.
"I'm sure there are things she rather not say," thought Noda.
"No, never mind," he said out loud.
The awkward silence continued for a couple of minutes.
"Would it be rude to leave a girl alone when she looks this depressed? Would it be rude not to break the silence? Would it be better or worse to ask about what happened back there?"
Thoughts flew around in Noda's head as his body attempted to sweat out the panic.
"Maybe I'm just making things worse by staying here. What will make this situation less awkward? Should I say something funny to cheer her up? No no no no no no! That'll just be stupid! C'mon Noda! Think dammit, think! You can come up with-"
"Um…"
Nami's soft voice silenced his panicking brain.
"I'm sorry for making it so awkward. I should not be acting like this."
"Ah…don't worry about it. I'm used to silence since I'm always alone at home. At least here, I can talk with someone and not think I'm going crazy."
She lets out a small giggle, but the silence continued as Nami stares at the floor. Noda has had enough of this silence.
"Hey Nami…what happened back there?"
She bit her lower lip. She brought her knees in and hugged them. However, she remained silent.
"Sorry…that was probably a bad thing to ask. I'll leave now if you want."
Noda started to get up, but Nami tugged on his shirt.
"Nami?"
"I'm…afraid of fire."
That statement confused him.
"What? How do you cook so much then?"
"I love cooking, but I have to keep the fire at a low level so it does not scare me. I always wake up at four AM in order to make lunch on time. When you woke up, I was so excited to make dinner that I accidently left the fire on 'high.' Then, the food caught on fire and I just…couldn't do anything…"
Noda patted her head. She looked up at him.
"Nobody has ever been excited to see me. It's always 'look, it's that idiot again' or 'here he comes again.' It's kind of refreshing to see someone make food when I show up. So, don't beat yourself up over this kind of thing."
"But…your hands…"
"Don't worry about it. They don't even hurt anymore. If they did, I wouldn't be here patting you, right?"
She smiled. He finally broke through.
"Anyways, I really think I should be going now. Because…"
He sniffed himself.
"…I smell like trash. Anyways, see you at school tomorrow."
He retracted his hand and proceeded to walk out the door.
"Um…Noda-kun?"
He turned his head to look at her.
"Hmm?"
"Do you…do you mind staying here for one more night?"
A red color lit up his face. Nami gave off a small blush. A girl just asked him to stay for the night. This was a new experience for Noda.
"What do I say? What do I say?!" thought Noda.
"It's fine if you don't want to. It was silly of me to ask that," said Nami as she gave off a nervous smile.
"She must lonely here if she's asking me to stay. Not to mention that she was excited enough to overcook her food…"
"Noda-kun?"
She tilted her head sideways at Noda's silence.
"Uh…sure. I'll take a shower at my place first and grab my things."
She beamed off a warm smile.
"Okay!"
He swore his heart just skipped a beat at that smile.
"Y-yeah…so…be right back."
She nods. He opened the door and exited. He looked at his house.
"It's only for one night I guess," said Noda out loud.
Little did he know that he will find himself staying longer than just one night.
A month passed by since Noda first stayed over at Nami's house. Of course, that meant that Noda could not go on his nightly patrols anymore. This bothered him because he swore to be the town's hero, but it is hard to sneak out of the house when the owner woke up earlier than the sun. Besides, he never did tell her what he does at night.
"Meh…the town is just going to need to take care of itself for a bit," thought Noda as he waited for Nami to get ready.
"I'm almost done!" shouted Nami from her room.
"Alright. I'll be waiting at the door!" answered Noda.
She ran in as he began opening the door.
"Ready?" asked Noda.
"Mhm!" replied Nami.
They walked out and began their walk to school. Noda yawned as he walked.
"Noda-kun? Did you not get enough sleep again?" asked Nami.
"It's never enough sleep…" answered Noda.
"It's a bad habit to develop laziness. Eight hours of sleep is more than enough. Now hurry up!"
"Yes ma'am…"
He trudged behind Nami. She giggled at his response.
"I sound like a mother there, didn't I?" asked Nami.
"That must mean you're getting wrinkles then," answered Noda.
"I am not!"
He ran up in front of her. He pointed his finger at her forehead.
"Then, what's this?"
"Eh? Are you serious?"
He flicked her forehead.
"Ow."
"Nope. I guess it was nothing."
"Noda-kun…you're so mean…"
She started tearing up. Noda's turned red.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you that much!"
He closed his eyes and bowed as an apology. She smiled and flicked his forehead.
"Eh?"
"Got you~"
His face glowed red from the realization of being tricked.
"Nami…I think you're the mean one here…"
"Oh? Who was the one rude enough trick someone into thinking they had wrinkles and then flicking their forehead?"
He was defeated again.
"Uh…"
She ran ahead.
"Hurry, Noda-kun! You don't want to get stuck at the door again, right?"
She smiled brightly and made Noda speechless. This was a different feeling from his mother's smile from when he was a child. The world slowed around him as he marveled at her smile. This girl accepted him, fed him, gave him a new home, enjoyed his company, and gave him a new point of view on life. That was when the realization hit him.
"I didn't want to protect the town because I wanted to be a hero…"
She waved at him to get him to move. He smiled back at her and started walking to catch up with her.
"I wanted to protect the town to preserve that…"
"Let's go Noda-kun."
"Yeah. Let's go."
"I wanted to preserve that special smile…and, I want to protect this girl."
They walked their way to school, but someone watched them from afar. It was one of the boys from the other day. He got all he needed to bring down the annoying so-called hero named Noda.
"Yo, Noda!"
A voice interrupted Noda and Nami on their way home. Noda turned his head to look at the source of the voice. It was the same group from a week ago. Noda let out a small sigh.
"Noda-kun?" asked Nami.
"Let's just go. There's no point in staying behind for these guys," answered Noda.
"C'mon Noda! Just stay for a bit. We can talk about your dead mother if you want…"
Noda clenched his fist, but quickly relaxed his hands.
"They're trying to get me to fight them. It's not going to work. Let's just go."
They continued walking. The one in front gritted his teeth.
"Alright then. How about we talk about your girlfriend?"
Nami let out a short breath of panic. Noda stopped when he noticed it.
"Nami?"
"I-it's nothing. Like you said, let's keep going."
"Ten years ago…there was a large fire in a certain someone's house!"
That statement stopped Nami completely. Her eyes widened and let out a deep breath. Noda realized the connection between her fear of fire and that statement. His eyes flared and he gave off a small growl at the harassment from the group.
"Nami. Let's leave. Now. Don't listen to them."
"Let's see…from what was reported, there was only one survivor of the incident."
"No…not this…" whispered Nami.
Noda noticed the trauma being written all over her face. She was sweating, her eyes were wide open but unfocused, her lips quivered and her body shook from reliving that bad memory.
"Nami? Nami!"
Noda grabbed her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.
"Noda…make it stop…"
Tears rolled down her face. At this moment, she wanted someone to get her out of here. Get her away from the bad memories.
"There's a reason why the survivor moved here. She was trying to escape that memory," taunted the leader.
"No…" whimpered Nami.
Noda had enough. He clenched his fist which caused every knuckle to crack loudly. He turned and glared at the group. They enjoyed Nami's suffering. This was all because they wanted to get to Noda.
"They have my attention now…" growled Noda.
"But, like you Noda, she can't escape. And now, she's stuck with some idiot trying to play hero."
He stormed towards the group without a care about what happened to him. All he cared about what shutting them up from hurting Nami any further.
"Ha! I guess you two do belong with each other in the end. Both of you had parents that wanted to get away so badly that they killed themselves!"
That broke all reason within him. He let out a roar as he charged at the leader. The leader put up his arms to block Noda's punch, but it was useless. Noda unleashed all of his strength into a bone shattering punch. It was not a punch to hurt, but rather a punch with the intention of ripping the jaws off of this person's face. Bones cracked as Noda collided with the leader's arm, allowing the punch to obliterate the leader's jaw. The leader flew the floor a couple of feet away.
"Now shut the hell up," stated Noda as he glared at the leader on the floor.
The group quickly looked at their leader and turned their attention onto Noda. They let out their own battle cries as they rushed at him.
"Stop right there!"
A police officer interrupted the impeding conflict.
"You guys are the ones mugging the students around here! I'm taking all of you in!"
Panicked, the members ran in every direction. One bumped into Noda's shoulder, which knocked Noda back into his sense. His knuckles were stained by the blood from the fallen leader. Noda turned back to Nami. She was still on the floor.
"Crap!"
He rushed over to Nami. He shook her shoulders. She was still lost within herself.
"Dammit. Nami, hang on!"
He lifted her up into his arms and started walking home.
"I'm no hero. I'm causing more pain to others than helping. Dammit! Damn it all!" shouted Noda as he carried Nami away.
Seconds ticked away on the clock above Nami's television. It has been a couple of hours since the outburst. His knuckles were sore from the collision, but it did not matter because he worried more about Nami. Both of them stared at the white floor in front of them, lost in their separate thoughts. Noda finally understood why Nami was here alone.
"She lost her parents in a large fire. No wonder she's afraid of fire. Her relatives must have offered a house back at her hometown, but she refused to stay near that place due to the trauma."
He tapped his head onto the wall behind him.
"I knew I should've just ignored her. That way, she could keep on living without having to remember that scene."
Noda eternally blamed himself for Nami's state of depression. Suddenly, something fell onto his shoulder. He immediately took a mandatory blink and looked down. Nami rested her head onto his shoulder.
"Nami?"
"Noda-kun…don't blame yourself," requested Nami.
The ability to read him like a book still fascinated Noda.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"You're taking short breaths, banging your head on the wall, and now, stuttering to talk. You can't really fool me."
"Oh…am I really that really that easy to read?"
"No…it's just something I picked up while you were here. This sort of behavior is different from normal."
Noda took a big sigh.
"Noda-kun…please don't regret meeting me."
That statement interrupted his breathing.
"No matter what happens, I'm glad that I met you Noda-kun. I will never regret meeting you. You are strong, loyal, protective, and caring. That was all I needed. When bad things happened, you were there for me. I don't know what would happen if I didn't meet you. I might be here eating alone still, being lost in that memory. That group would have mugged me or do even worse things. However, you were there that day. You didn't have to save me, but you still went out of your way to make sure I was safe. I was both frightened and amazed by the crazy boy that fought off a group by himself. It was at that moment when I realized that there were heroes out there. Ones that did things that were right and wanted to protect others. So please, don't regret meeting me."
Noda continued staring at the ground.
"I'm glad that you existed Noda-kun. And…well…I…"
He could not let her finish those words.
"Sorry, Nami. I don't think I should stay here anymore," answered Noda.
"What?"
He got up and Nami quickly followed.
"I think the best thing is to let you live out your life peacefully without a having someone like me attracting danger and trouble. I should return back to my house."
"But-"
"That group won't stop until they die out or I stop living. Please Nami. I can't let you get in danger anymore."
She stared with a confused expression on her face.
"Noda-kun?"
"Don't worry. We will always be friends. I'll just live at my house from now on so they won't come after you."
"Wait!"
He headed for the door.
"What about you though? What will happen if they get to you?"
He smiled at turned at her.
"I think you already know that answer, Nami."
She did know. If it meant protecting someone or something, he was willing to die for it. He accepted this ideal a long time ago, and now, it means more than it ever has.
"See you at school tomorrow, Nami."
"Mhm…"
She nodded slowly and heavily. He opened the door and headed over to his house. He reached his front door and looked at Nami's house.
"If anyone has a chance of escaping our past, then it should be Nami…" thought Noda as he entered the broken down house.
Several hours passed since the departure of Noda from Nami's home. The night was cold and dark. The same group marched towards the street of Nami's and Noda's house.
"Wiff one wa id? (Which one was it?)" asked the leader with a broken jaw.
"It was the white house. I saw him entering and leaving it several times. I'm sure it's his house," answered one of the boys.
"I am siff and tiref off fis yafass…(I am sick and tired of this jackass…)"
"Uh…what did he say?" asked another member.
"I think he said something about a jackass," answered a third member.
They stopped in front of Nami's house.
"This is it boss. Noda's house," answered the first member.
"Perfed. (Perfect.)"
He revealed the Molotov cocktail in his hand.
"Gif me de lighder. (Give me the lighter.)"
"Are you sure you want to do this boss?" asked another member.
"I'm coing do yail anyyays. Dis yuy needs do die. (I'm going to jail anyways. This guy needs to die.)"
"Okay then…"
The member handed him a lighter. He briskly started a small fire and lit the Molotov cocktail.
"Donide, deh yero yill die. (Tonight, the hero will die.)"
He threw the Molotov cocktail at Nami's front wall, which caught fire almost immediately. They scurried away as the building began catch on fire.
Noda tossed and turned in his uncomfortable bed. Barely asleep, but it was still sleep nonetheless. He just needed to lay low at his own place until the members are in jail. Then, he can go back to living with Nami. He dreamt of Nami's words.
"I'm glad that you existed Noda-kun. And…well…I…"
He was afraid of her finishing that. He refused to think that he was good enough for a girl like Nami. She was athletic, smart, kind, and caring. She accepted him and cared for him when nobody else did. She never belittled or pitied him. Not to mention, he loved seeing that wonderful smile of hers. Noda's body detected an abnormality in the air. His nose reacted to an uncommon odor. He sniffed a couple more times and slowly opened his eyes.
"Is that…smoke?" asked Noda half dazed.
The corner of his right eye caught a small flicker of an orange light. Smoke and bright orange. His mind raced to deny the situation that these things lead to. He slowly turned his head to the right and looked out the window. His heart and spirit sank as he saw the burning building that he was just in earlier.
"Nami!" shouted Noda to wake himself up.
He leapt out of bed and ran to his front door. He bashed through it and sprinted across the yard to reach the house. He tried opening the door. The handle burned his hand.
"Ah! Fuck!"
He took a couple of steps back and rammed into the door with his right shoulder. The door budged, but did not open. He took several more steps back and charged at it with a greater force. This time, it completely destroyed the hinges the door was on. A red and orange scene confronted him as he entered the house. The heat was unbearable and the smoke filled his lungs, forcing him to cough.
"Na…*cough*…Nami!" shouts Noda at the top of his lungs.
No answer. He ran into her room. She was there, huddled in a corner with her hands over her head in fear. The fire was too much for her to handle.
"Nami!"
He ran over to her and grabbed her arm.
"No-noda-kun…" cried Nami.
"C'mon! We have to get out of here!"
He dragged her out of the room with the front door in sight. However, a large wood beam from the ceiling has lodged diagonally in front of the door. There was no way he can lift it up with his bare hands as it was on fire as well. He looked around. Nami coughed furiously. He spotted the halberd from the statue. He went for it. The metal itself was not as hot as anything else. He pulled it out with all of his might.
"C'mon Nami. I'm going to use this to keep the door open! You have to go through!"
She nodded while coughing. He pushed the halberd up to hoister the large beam of wood with a large enough gap for Nami to crawl through.
"Go! Now!"
She began crawling through. However, the halberd began cracking. Noda noticed this and saw only one option. He held the halberd at the crack until Nami was all the way through to the outside. Nami expected him to follow. However, Noda knew there was no way out for him. This halberd can no longer hold up the beam. This halberd was only meant to allow one person to get through. The ceiling cracked above Noda. He held onto the halberd, not ready to accept his own death.
"Damn. I wasn't able to say it to her…" thought Noda.
The ceiling cracked further. Nami stared in horror at the impending doom. Noda looked at Nami's face one last time.
"I regret not being able to say it. I still wanted to do so many things with this girl…"
The ceiling fell onto him.
"The girl named…Nami…"
The world erased itself, and all that remained was darkness.
Noda stands alone on a bridge in the afterlife high school. He stares at a pic of the girl named Yuri Nakamura, who resembles a girl he once knew. The name still rings in his head every time he looks at Yuri. He lets out a small laugh.
"I'm an idiot. Nami isn't here. She's moved on with her life."
He continues looking at the picture of Yuri.
"Yeah. She might look like Nami, but she's nothing like her. Yuri is strong, courageous, and a leader, but she's not Nami."
He looks at the high school. The place where he was accepted and even depended on.
"Nami…I found some good friends here. They're all crazy and stupid, but I guess that's how we got along."
A single tear rolls down his face.
"Even though I wanted to see you again, I'm glad that you're not here. If I did see you here, I would only be happy for a small amount of time before I realize that you died young and full of regrets. Not seeing you here made happier than seeing you again. It means that you were able to live a fulfilling life."
He smiles.
"Yeah…I was able to protect you that day…and I was able to protect everyone here."
He looks up at the empty sky.
"In the end…I became a hero…for you and these guys…"
The blue sky seems so expansive to him.
"Hey Nami…wait for me in the next life. That way, I will find you, protect you and…live with you until we grow old together…"
A single photo of Yuri Nakamura falls onto the river below. It drifts away as its owner disappears.
Author's note: Sorry about taking forever to update this. A lot of stuff has happened in my life recently such as college and work. Hopefully, I can get these out at least once a month.