Hero Simulator

Chapter Twenty-One: Old Wounds

The sun was slowly trading places with the moon as the cool air rippled through the trees, causing Budo's headband to whip with the wind. He was sitting on a bench outside the karaoke bar with his eyes scanning the many faces that wandered by. Their images meant nothing to him, for he could only see one face among the many. Her features were implanted in his thoughts like a permanent photograph as well as the scars she left behind. He wasn't reflecting on his broken feelings; he was reflecting on his new ones. The love he felt now was stronger than any love he had felt before.

Ayano pushed pass the glass doors and spotted the lone boy sitting in the distance, a sorrowful look gleaming in his eyes. She wasted no time and approached her friend with a troubled mind.

"What do I say? Is there anything to say? I've never done something like this before, let alone listen to someone and give advice…what if I say the wrong things?"

Her thoughts continued to argue over a decision as she stopped in front of her club leader. Budo lifted his eyes and was shocked to see her of all people search for him.

"Ayano? What are you doing here?" He asked and was forced to scoot over once she plopped down on the bench beside him. Her fingers began to pick at her skirt again, revealing her indecisiveness.

"I figured you wanted to talk." She stated while keeping her eyes fixated in front of her. Budo stared at her for a moment with a smile forming on his face. Sighing, he leaned back against the bench and ran his fingers along the wooden surface.

"Talk? Hmm let's see..." He raised his eyes towards the fading sun and gazed at the gentle pink shades blending with the blues.

Ayano glanced over at him for a quick second and instantly followed his eyes up towards the painted sky. It reminded her of the time they both shared a look at the sky on top of the school roof not too long ago.

"Listen, I'm grateful for your concerns but what happened in my past doesn't need to add a weight in your life." He stated, his eyes never leaving the sunset. Ayano turned to him with furrowed brows.

"Concerned? Who said I was concerned?" She muttered dryly, causing the boy to sit up in puzzlement.

"Huh? I thought you were out here to pick at my mind?"

"Nope. I came out here to get some fresh air. No one said you had to tell me anything."

He blinked at her. "Really?"

She sighed and turned to him with a smile. "Whether you tell me anything is up to you, but know that I would be happy to listen. You decide whether I'm here for fresh air or here for my friend."

Suddenly, Budo felt a rush of warmth strike at his cheeks, his heart racing from her words. He had never seen Ayano act like that before and her simple kindness made his head spin.

"I guess it would be nice to get it off my chest…" He took a deep breath and gripped his fingers around the edge of the bench. "That song we sang…it brought back a ton of memories."

"About Chisaki-senpai?"

Budo's eyes widened as he slowly nodded. "Y-yeah…did Taro tell you?"

"Yes."

"Was that all he told you?"

"Well," She shifted in her seat and rested her hands on her lap, "He also mentioned that you loved her."

"Nice," He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"May I ask what happened between you and her?"

Budo blinked and turned to face her though her eyes were still glued to the fading sky. A faint grin sprouted on his lips as he leaned back against the bench.

"That story doesn't have a happy ending."

"Not all stories do." She stated, her gaze reflecting a hint of sorrow.

"But it did have a happy beginning." He grinned, blissful memories tumbling in his mind. "She helped me become who I am today."

"How'd you guys meet?"

"I first met her when I came to Akademi. Let's just say I was way different back then."

"Different? How so?" Ayano asked and darted her eyes over to Budo. He chuckled at first but then his face slowly grew solemn.

"I was weak…just a small flimsy freshman with no confidence in himself. In fact, I despised myself." He held out his hands and sighed. "I was the target of every joke, beating, prank…you name it. And even though every day grew worse and worse for me, I let them continue."

Ayano remained silent, not knowing what to say or how to react. Budo Masuta did not live a perfect life. He had to carry the weights of his scars while masking his pain under a smile.

"Everything was falling apart for me and I feared what was yet to come. I decided to brace myself for the headaches I'd have to endure throughout high school…but can you guess what happened on the first day?"

Ayano shook her and Budo smiled.

"That was when I met Chisaki-senpai. She was a second year and a Journey-man level member in the martial arts club. She came right up to me and asked if I wanted to join her club. At first I was deterrent and tried to shake away her offer. I told her I wasn't interested and headed for my first class. But the very next day she approached me again and asked me once more. I was surprised by her determination but rejected her a second time. Joining a stupid club was the last thing on my mind. I was even more shocked to see her the third day."

"You didn't find that annoying?" Ayano butted in but Budo simply laughed.

"Definitely! I wanted to lay down the law and tell her there was no way I'd join her club! I was about to walk away once again but her words stopped me in my tracks."

"What did she say?" Ayano was now closer to Budo as curiosity swirled in her eyes. He smiled at her and cleared his throat.

"She asked me if I believed in fateful encounters, if people met each other for a reason. I didn't know what to say and stared at her like she was nuts. She didn't mind my reaction, in fact, it caused her to laugh. I felt so awkward standing there with her as she continued to giggle at me, but that was when my mind had an epiphany. What if she was right? After she was done laughing, she looked me in the eyes and asked why I didn't want to join the club. 'Why not?' she said. Why not try?"

"Did you finally say yes?"

"Not at first, my mind was still torn between taking the chance or returning to my worthless life. I just couldn't believe what was happening. Why was this beautiful girl constantly asking me to join her club? Why me? Well…because she could see through my mask. She wanted me to join the club because she wanted to 'save' me, because she believed that we met for a reason."

"Wow…" Ayano muttered.

The sky was growing darker as more people passed by the karaoke bar and towards their desired locations. The yandere no longer thought of Osana alone with Taro and was now drawn into Budo's story. She sat there with her legs gently swaying beneath the bench and her complete focus on his words. Was this what Info-chan meant? Was she doing this to get closer to Budo for her plans or because she wanted to?

"Once I accepted her offer, my life began to change. I was surrounded by club members who cared about me and defended me from my enemies. I even noticed a growth within myself. I was becoming stronger and confident thanks to the motivation my friends had given me. I no longer wanted to train for my sake but for everyone's sake; to become a man people could look up to and rely on. I was once weak and alone, and I vowed to protect the weak and alone. Chisaki-senpai saw something in me that she thought was worth fighting for."

"She sounded like an amazing person," Ayano smiled, "How can that story have a bad ending?"

Budo leaned forward and propped his head against his palm, his eyes staring off into nothing.

"Everything changed after one practice. A year had passed and I had finally hit the Journey-man level. Chisaki-senpai became our new leader, which was no surprise to us. She definitely deserved the title. During one meeting, she wanted to teach sparring to the apprentices. Being her closest friend, she asked if I would help her with the demonstration. I didn't know what it was or what was wrong with me, but as we started to spar, something clicked. We had done this so many times before but in that moment I had felt something entirely different. It was when I first realized I had a crush on her."

Ayano raised her eyes and felt something odd come over her. She decided to brush it aside and allow Budo to continue with his story.

"What did you do?" She asked, her hands gripping the edge of the seat.

"I kept it hidden for some time and tried to forget about it, but of course nothing worked. How could I not fall for the one who changed my life for the best? I found myself worrying about the littlest of things and how I could impress her. I tripled my effort in martial arts and climbed my way to her level. I even started freaking out over the things I wore, how I acted and how I talked around her. For some reason, I was determined to not just tell her my feelings, but prove my worth to her."

"Show her your worth? Why would you need to do that?"

"Because she meant everything to me! She was the girl who opened up my life to a new beginning. I was way below her level, so I thought that if I could master martial arts, then she could see all of my strength. I was a weakling when she met me. I wanted to be her hero."

"But Budo–"

"So when the year was coming to an end, I challenged her for the position of leader."

"What?"

"And I beat her."

"Oh wow…"

"And she was proud of me," He smiled, his voice growing shakier as he continued. "And she told me I deserved it. I was so happy when she told me that…so happy that I needed to tell her the truth. I had beaten her, I had impressed her, and now I wanted to be with her."

Ayano decided to stay silent once she recognized the pain in Budo's voice. His hands were trembling as he spoke and she could almost see glints of tears sparkle in his eyes.

"The martial arts club planned to celebrate the end of the school year at a karaoke bar. At the time the club wasn't very big so we were allowed to bring along a few friends if we wanted to. I had talked to Taro about my feelings for Chisaki-senpai and he agreed to root for me during the party. After a few songs and colas, I had requested to sing a duet with Chisaki-senpai."

"Love Story?" Ayano gasped as Budo slowly nodded. She had no idea that her song was the one he and Chisaki once sang together.

"I felt like that song was the final hint I could give her before my confession. I was so focused on my feelings that I failed to see hers. When the following Friday came, I asked her if she wanted to go on a walk with me. We approached the cherry tree with different intentions on our minds and that's when everything changed." He buried his face in his palms for a moment and then glanced back up at the sky. "I told her that I loved her." He whispered.

"Budo." Ayano thought, her heart breaking at the sight of his tears. Though a few fell down his cheek, he remained calm and strong.

"In the nicest way she could, she apologized and told me that she didn't feel the same. She loved me too, but in a sisterly way. I was crushed. I was so sure of my feelings and thought she felt the same way about me, but I was wrong. I never felt so defeated. So what if I became leader? So what if I became strong? None of that mattered when you lost the one that gave you the determination to do all those things. After my confession, I could sense the awkward tension between us. It wasn't because she felt that way but because I was causing it. She ended up attending college in America, and I never saw her since."

He sighed and quickly tried to wipe away at the stray tears running down his cheek. Ayano reflected on his final words and on his story as a whole. She couldn't believe what she had heard and she couldn't believe in his trust towards her. The martial arts club president told her the story of his past and of his failed love. She even saw the strong leader cry, something she thought she would never see.

His trust in her enforced Info-chan's earlier comments about how he was growing closer to Ayano. He had spilled his story to her and she didn't know if she wanted to take advantage of him in his time of need. He was heartbroken and in pain, allowing her the opportunity to slip into his life and wrap him around her finger. But she remained quiet and watched him slowly regain his strength and confidence.

"Budo," She began and tightened her grip on the bench's ledge, "You said you believed that people meet each other for a reason?"

He glanced up at her and nodded. "I do."

"Then maybe that was meant to happen."

He blinked at her and raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of anger. "What do you mean?"

She sighed and watched as the moon's light slowly began to shine in the sky. "I'm not really good at giving advice but…I think we're meant to experience these things to prepare ourselves for what the future holds."

"I don't quite follow…" He asked, surprised to see a smile sprout on her face.

"Just because you lost a love doesn't mean you'll never love again. Things get better overtime…and someday you'll meet someone incredible." She softly stated, her heart reflecting over her own life and her fateful encounter with Taro. She had lived a life of loneliness and isolation and was awakened to a new beginning after she met her Senpai.

Budo was shocked by the depth in her words and felt a fuzzy feeling dance within his heart. He knew that his encounters may make or break him and that there would always be more encounters to look forward to. He looked back on his life before Chisaki-senpai and his life now. Chisaki-senpai wasn't a failed encounter; he was meant to meet her at that time in his life so she could help him get back on his feet and become a better person. She was a very special friend to him and that was all she was ever meant to be.

Her influence led him to a new beginning and down a new road with Ayano in his life. Maybe Chisaki-senpai was his way of meeting Ayano and becoming a friend to her…and hopefully something more because his love for her could not compare to the love in his past. He wanted to save Ayano, to befriend Ayano, and to love Ayano.

"Thank you," He whispered and stood up from the bench with a smile.

"For what?" She asked confused and was shocked to see him reach for her hand and help her off her seat.

"For listening."

The two of them returned to their room in the karaoke bar and explained to the others where they were. They were surprised to walk in on Osana going all out with a song, and laughed when she tried to cover-up her behavior. Both Budo and Ayano walked away with something gained. Ayano felt a different connection with Budo and although she was still torn in her ways, she could definitely label him as something more than an obstacle…but as a friend.

Budo headed home with a large smile planted on his face and an amazing feeling fluttering in his heart. Ayano's words had reawakened his confidence and made him even more sure of his love for her. He believed in his former leader's words and in the words of his new crush. He was meant to meet both of them for a reason because they both impacted his life in powerful ways, but little did he know of the whole truth. He had run into someone before Chisaki-senpai, a girl that gave him hope as a child. Though her words were simple, they became his only beacon of hope. He may have forgotten her now, but their encounter was meant to happen.

He didn't know he had met her again.

Whaaaa another cliffhanger?! Don't you worry my friends, there's always next chapter ;)

I hope this explains some of Budo's past and his relationship with his former club leader. I had a lot of fun writing this because just like most of you I am also an Ayando fangirl! Next chapter will probably be my last chapter until my break is over...so until next time!