Chapter 12

The school has ended today. Lavi waited outside Allen's dormitory while the albino changed from his school uniform to his jogging attire. Before exiting his room, Allen gripped the door knob and reflected of what have happened in the past few days. Two people have been injured because of him.

I will work hard even with blood and sweat. I don't want to see anyone getting hurt because of me anymore. No more. And when I get stronger, I will protect myself and my friends. Allen whispered to himself.

He closed the door behind him and locked the door. An arm hung over his neck as he looked up to see his cheerful senior's face.

"Ready, sprout?" Lavi exclaimed.

Allen's eyebrows furrowed, "Don't call me that. It's Allen!"

Lavi chuckled and pulled the shorter boy along the corridor. "Let's go. We start training without Kanda first. You don't mind, no?"

Allen snorted, "Never will."

The taller boy grinned at the dislike of the silver head towards Kanda. They both exited the boys' dormitory as they walked towards the stadium. It was occupied with many sports club members. Allen began to wonder where Lavi was bringing him when they both started to walk behind the stands.

"Careful. The branches of the bushes here are sharp," Lavi warned before entering the tall bushes behind the stands. Allen nodded and watched his step, tailing behind Lavi as they bashed through it. As soon as his view was out of the branches and leaves, a old basketball court appeared before him.

"Where are we?" Allen finally questioned.

"A basketball court, silly." Lavi answered.

"I know that, Lavi-senpai. I can see, even just with my right eye." Allen pouted.

Lavi let out a laugh, "You are adorable when you gets angry. Come over here."

Allen walked behind Lavi towards an old tree. Lavi then handed him a kitchen knife.

"Kitchen knife? What you want me to do with this?" Allen asked as he held the knife, looking at its sharpness.

Lavi pressed his hand onto the bark of the tree, somehow admiring it for no reason and then gazed at his junior. "Cut this tree with that. You have time until sunset."

"WHAT?" Allen shouted, "Are you mad? How can I do that? If you want me to do it, give me an axe, not a knife that only cut vegetables!"

Lavi bent down to meet Allen in the same eye level, "Do it if you want to get stronger. I will be there reading. Just don't try to cut yourself. I don't have first aid with me."

After giving the last cheerful grin he could give, Lavi moved away to the bench nearby and took out a book to read. The silver head stared blankly at the tree, thinking of ways to cut it. He started hitting the knife at the edge of the thick trunk, making cuts about only an inch deep. The movement was more tiring than expected as sweat dampened his hair and body.

This is difficult, almost impossible. But I can't give up. No! I must not give up! Allen shouted in his mind as he made the cut more deeper into the trunk's core. Hours have past and the cut have not reached even the centre of the trunk. His arms trembled after too much force he put in. His knees began to shake due to exhaustion. The grip on the knife was weakening. He glanced at his senior who still engrossed in his reading.

Allen wiped off the sweat on his eyelids when he realised his knees began to give in to the desperation for rest. He felt dizzy. No, not now! I … must … continue …

Falling backwards, Allen could not make a sound out of the exhaustion yet he was able to feel Lavi's arms on his back, breaking his fall. Slowly, the redhead placed him sitting on the grass patch.

"You're alright?" Lavi asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to…" Allen tried to stand up again but Lavi stopped him.

"You should take a rest," Lavi advised him but the expression on Allen's face was disagreeing.

"I couldn't possibly take a rest during a fight!" Allen blurted out in anger, shameful of his weakness. A task Lavi asked him to do was a failure as he witnessed the sky turned orange. "I'm too weak. I can't protect them. I can't protect myself!"

"Now, now, Allen. Calm down," Lavi gestured with his hands as he put aside his book. "It's not really about strength in order for you to defeat your enemy."

Allen gave a clueless look. "What?"

"Here, let me show you." Lavi again gave him the carefree grin and picked up the knife. He moved to another tree next to the damaged tree. The trunk have the same thickness. The redhead gripped the kitchen knife with both hands and hit the edge of the trunk. Allen gasped when he saw how deep Lavi could cut it with just one hit. It was as deep as one fifth of the trunk.

"H-How did you do that?" Allen muttered.

Lavi raised the knife's sharpness at Allen and explained, "I was happy that you know this is a kitchen knife but I thought you know how to use it. It seems you don't."

"Just tell me already!" Allen asked with an irked face.

Lavi chuckled, "You used this to chop vegetables which are soft and easily split when they're cut. You used the same method when you cut the trunk. That is wrong. You should use the method when you want to cut meat. You hit and slice at the same time."

Lavi turned to hit again, demonstrating what he meant. Allen watched closely and saw the slicing of the knife, making the cut more deeper. The albino smiled naturally as he was amazed.

Lavi added, "So when you hit your enemy with a sword, you can cause a painful scar at one blow! And one more point."

The redhead continued to hit the trunk with the knife but this time at different edges as though he was hitting it in circles. As soon as he could see the core of the trunk, he kicked it and it fell onto the ground. Allen just jawdropped at how fast Lavi could cut a tree. It was unbelievable.

"The tree, just like your opponent, has many openings. Take advantage of it and hit it where it hurts. When he became weak, you give him a physical blow and he will fall just like this tree. Understand, sprout?"

"YES!" Allen exclaimed, "But stop calling me that!"

Lavi laughed, enjoying every bit of annoying his junior. Allen climbed up to his standing posture. He approached the taller boy and grabbed the knife from his hands.

"Let me do it," Allen walked to another tree.

"But it is already sunset. Don't you want to have dinner?" Lavi asked.

Allen turned to face Lavi and smiled, "I will not have an appetite if I can't cut even one tree."

Allen... He is very determined. That's what I really like about this boy. I know he is strong. He just need to be awaken. Lavi nodded, "Tell me when your stomach gets hungry then."

"Alright!"

Four trees were cut within an hour once Allen have mastered the technique. Lavi was surprised at how quick Allen could learn the skill. He barely read his book as he found the perseverance Allen have was more interesting. Clouds were getting darker minute by minute, and the lamplights were lit. Lavi told him they should call it a day but Allen insisted to continue. From afar, Lavi could see the reddened fingers after hitting the knife on the solid trunk several times.

The redhead approached him and pulled the knife away but Allen refused to return it back.

"Let go, Allen!" Lavi shouted.

"No, just one more!" Allen cried when suddenly a loud growl escaped his stomach. The awkward moment of silence came after the sudden sound as Allen felt his cheeks turn red. Lavi giggled and pulled the knife harder from the boy's grasp.

"I say, let's call it a day, okay?" Lavi put the knife away, "And you should eat. At the first thought, it sounded like there were bears in these woods."

The both of them broke into laughter and started walking out of the court.

The next morning of school, Lavi and Allen was walking down the hallways as Kanda strolled behind them. The crowd just gathered at the sides, admiring the red head from afar. Watching him laughing and giggling with Allen made many girls jealous of his junior. Kanda gave the blunt face as usual. They were a few more steps near Allen's classroom.

"Lavi darling!" Karin from nowhere appeared and threw her arms around Lavi as he dropped his schoolbag. Lavi was indeed surprised yet he allowed the blonde embraced him.

Lavi darling? Allen pondered. Allen looked at Kanda, hoping he have any idea about it but what he received was Kanda's routine glare.

"K-Karin?" Lavi muffled her name on her shoulder. "What happened?"

Karin slowly released the hug and smiled widely at the redhead. "Just happy to see you, boyfriend!"

Lavi stared blankly at Karin, when he then recalled what he announced the day before about making Karin as his girlfriend. It was to avoid any crowd around him. He grinned back and cheered, "I'm happy to see you too, girlfriend!"

"B-Boyfriend? Girlfriend?" Allen stuttered, and he turned to look behind Karin. Lenalee stood there, who was obviously surprised too. "Lenalee, do you know about it?"

"I-I…" Lenalee shrugged her shoulders in confusion. Her purple orbs immediately gazed at the closeness of Lavi and Karin. They just hugged publicly. Isn't it official already? This fast? I… I don't know what to do now. Should I just leave? Yes, I should go in class right this instance.

The redhead caught view of Lenalee behind Karin and grinned at her. "Hey Lena—"

Before he could call her, she already rushed into the classroom. No one noticed the change of expression on Lenalee's face except Allen. The albino hurriedly followed behind her after waving goodbye at Lavi.

Allen said, "See you later at lunch, Lavi-senpai!"

"Yeah, sure…" Lavi muttered, still looking at Lenalee sit on her chair behind her desk. She looked gloomy. His heart was telling him to go to her and asked her what was wrong when Karin gripped his shoulder.

"Earth to Lavi, you're there?" Karin raised her voice at his ear, "Spacing out?"

"Huh, oh what?" Lavi looked at Karin back.

"We're going to be late for class."

"But Lenalee, she looks upset," Lavi still insisted to approach her when Karin stopped him.

Not now. I must build more pressure between them. Then, this plan of making her jealous will work. "She… She didn't get enough sleep, that's all," the blond girl chuckled as she told the story, " Anyway, what's too worry? Allen is there for her. Look at that. They're starting talking already. Are they natural to be together? See, she's smiling."

Lavi runs his fingers into his hair and let out a short chuckle, "I guess so. Well, let's go for class then, darling!"

"Sure," Karin exclaimed, hoping to hug Lavi on his arms but the red head have already walked away from her. Jeez, call me darling and left me behind.

She turned to meet Kanda who was there all the time. "Ah… Kanda."

He looked away and said, "I don't want to know what you're planning. Just don't involve me. It's so annoying."

"As blunt as always," Karin muttered under her breath as she followed the both of them to class.

The homeroom teacher of 1-A entered in the classroom as the students stood and greeted her. As soon as they sat down, lessons continued as usual. While the teacher was explaining about the revision subjects, images of Karin and Lavi hugging each other and their exchange of calling boyfriend and girlfriend continued to bother her.

Lavi does like Karin. He just acknowledged her as his girlfriend, right? What am I thinking? Wasn't I the one who allowed their relationship? I was the one who brought them together in a date.

She gracefully raised her hand and pressed on her chest. What about my feelings for him? I like him too but I should have known, my feelings would never be returned by him. I should now learn how to accept the fact that Lavi likes her. I should be happy for them. I should… if I could… I don't know if I can… I…

Tears were collected in her eyes when something flew from the window and landed on her desk. She wiped her tears and looked around her as her classmates did not notice. It was a rock wrapped with paper. She undid the wrapping and saw words written on it.

She read in her heart. "Good morning, Lenalee. Didn't get to say that to you just now. Better get more sleep before becoming a panda."

A chuckle escaped her mouth, and she continued to read. "If you have any problems, find me okay. I'm always here whenever you need me. Okay, pay attention now before you get caught. Lavi."

Lavi. Lenalee grinned so widely like it was her first time seeing rainbows in front of her. She folded the piece of paper and kept in her case. She took a notebook, tore a piece of paper and scribbled a few words. At the second her teacher turned to face the chalkboard, Lenalee wrapped the paper on the same rock and threw it out of the window.

"Ouch," Lavi uttered, when he felt a rock fall on his head while he was reading a book, leaning against the wall. He picked the rock up, and smiled to see a different paper wrapped on it. He closed his book and opened the paper.

Good morning to you too, Lavi. I'm fine really. Thanks for asking. I could need another naptime story. Have fun in class, anyway if you are in one right now. Lenalee.

"Lenalee, I will have a good naptime story for you. Just wait," Lavi smiled.

To be continued...

Thanks for reading. I hope you like it! Peace! :)