Ranma's Child

by Blissful Archangel

Ryuku Saotome's life is plagued with abandonment and dark rumors. Throughout his childhood, he lacked inspiration and had eventually gave up on the family arts. That all changed when he met a young girl on a cold winter's day. From there, his life was flung into disorderly chaos - crazy martial artists, ancient magic, and Amazonian tribes crash into the redhead's life.

47. Ch 37: Big Brother, Where Art Thou: P2

Chapter 37: Big Brother, Where Art Thou? Part 2

Takumi had woken up before the sun had a chance to rise. First, he freshened up and got dressed. Next, he stopped by the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast and then threw his lunch together. Once he was out of the house, Takumi set out for a particular destination in mind: the construction site.

Nothing had changed much since Takumi's last visit. The destruction he had left the previous night remained. But there were areas that Takumi hadn't touched. Those spots would be the perfect place to start today's training session. Irritation and anger fueled Takumi as he went through his practice drills. His mind wandered to his so-called fight with Ryuku. He executed The Breaking Point and created additional craters into the ground. If he continued on: the foundation for the site wouldn't be stable to use for any structure. That didn't bother Takumi. After all, it wasn't his problem.

If Takumi ever saw that moron again, he swore he'd give him something to cry about.

The morning training lasted for almost thirty-five minutes. The sky had brightened into a bright blue and the sun had risen up to claim its rightful position among the clouds. Joyous chirps from birds signaled the official start to the day. All of the cheery sights surrounding him further soured Takumi's mood.

Takumi gathered his things and left the construction site. Once he got to school, he'd change out of his training clothes and into his uniform. The rigorous training session had awakened his appetite. He should have enough time to stop by the cafeteria. A bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice and two steamed meat buns sounded like a decent morning meal. If he felt daring enough, he might even have half of a pork bun. He smirked at the thought.

Another early riser was out and about. Joggers were one of the few expected early risers. One approached Takumi at a leisure pace. Takumi spared a bored glance toward them. The jogger was a young male dressed in athletic wear. The black cap hid the jogger's face. It wasn't until he lifted his head up and nudged his hat back that Takumi saw the other's face in full view.

A toothy grin played over the jogger's lips. "Hey there!" the moron's greeting was as obnoxious as his enthusiastic waving. "Ain't it a beautiful mornin'?"

One of Takumi's fangs dug into his lower lip. He charged forward and closed the small distance between himself and the redhead. This time, the moron would be the one on the ground. Takumi aimed for Ryuku's stomach.

Once his hit landed, Takumi had his plan of attack already mapped out in his head. When Ryuku staggered from the harsh blow then Takumi would strike his face. That would be the hit to make up for the one he missed yesterday. From there, Ryuku would recoil and clutch at his midsection. Ryuku's actions would bring him to a lower height which Takumi could use to his advantage. Takumi would grab onto Ryuku's shoulders and ram his knee into his gut. He might hit him repeatedly until the moron could hardly hold himself up. After that, he'd land his finishing blow. No point in dragging things out with a weakling.

But Takumi hadn't considered the possibility that Ryuku could avoid the hit.

Ryuku spread his feet apart, slipped into a stance, and socked Takumi square in the face.

Moisture pricked Takumi's eyes as he touched his throbbing nose.

Ryuku dropped down and executed a swift sweeping kick.

Takumi was knocked off of his feet and landed onto the ground. Once again, he found himself staring up at the sky. "Huh?"

Everything had happened so fast.

With a joyful laugh, Ryuku jumped over Takumi. "See ya 'round, brat!"

Takumi stared after Ryuku as he jogged away. No way. No way in hell, I could've lost to him again. Distraught, he pushed himself up onto all fours. "He cheated. He had to have cheated!" he slammed his fists down. Cracks formed underneath him from the harsh impact. "That damn cheater! He won't keep getting away with that!"

X

Within the last twenty-four hours, Ryou had thoroughly accessed his thoughts and actions. When he arrived at Furinkan, he finally reached a conclusion: he was not in the wrong. Ryuku had more than plenty of chances to be honest with him. Yet he still chose to keep his secrets to himself. For the second day and onward, Ryuku was no longer his best friend.

The morning went by without any issues. His peers continued to treat him somewhat better than usual. Lotion spent a few minutes before class to speak with him. Once Ryuku arrived, Lotion bolted over to the redhead. She clung to his side as they went over to their desks. On a positive note, Ryou used his irritation as a driving force to pay close attention to Hair Gel's lecture.

When the lunch break arrived, Ryou made a beeline for the hallway with his things. Unfortunately, Ryuku had caught up to him in seconds and refused to leave him alone. Ryou struggled to come up with ways to cut him loose. If he didn't come up with a plan, they'd be stuck in an endless game of cat and mouse for the entire break. There were a handful of things, that Ryou was aware of, that could chase Ryuku away. Even then, the chance of any of those things working was unlikely.

An idea popped into Ryou's head. There was one thing or person that was a guaranteed Ryuku repellent. It was awful to use her for something like this but Ryou had no other choice. Ryou stared at a spot over Ryuku's shoulder and called out. "Makanai!" he didn't miss how Ryuku had tensed up from the mentioned surname. "What are you doing over there? Are you looking for us?"

The expression on Ryuku's face clearly read: "what the hell are you doing?" He opened his mouth but closed it as he shook his head. Ryuku pressed his lips together before he glanced behind him.

Ryou used that moment as his cue to escape. In reality, Ayano hadn't been present at all. Using her as a distraction was terrible but Ryou had to do something. He apologized internally to the girl as he darted down the hallway. So far, it looked like Ryuku had yet to catch up to him. Ryou counted that as a small victory. While he had escaped from Ryuku, the lost boy hadn't considered that he might run into someone else.

He came to a stop to avoid a potential collision with Lotion.

The amazon stood in the middle of the hallway as if she had expected Ryou to turn up. Lotion tilted her head back and gazed up at Ryou from underneath her eyelashes. A frown set on her lips while she kept her arms folded over her chest.

"Lotion," If he met her eyes, Ryou knew that he'd break in an instant and apologize for whatever he had done to upset her. "What are you, uh, what brings you here?" he cleared his throat and pulled his jacket collar away from his neck. "Weren't you still in the classroom?"

"Ryou Hibiki, I'm surprised at you!" Lotion marched up to Ryou and poked at his chest. "I wanted us to spend our lunch break together yesterday but when I looked for you and Ryu, you both already ditched me. I already talked to Ryu about that but I never thought you'd do the same thing," she pouted and started to trace small circles onto Ryou's uniform jacket. "And now today, you were going to do the same exact thing! Boys can be so cruel. Crushing a fair maiden's heart," she sighed.

A feeble excuse came from the lost boy. At least, Ryou assumed it was an excuse. He had difficulty understanding what he had stammered out.

Lotion's pout lifted up into a cheerful smile.

Ryou's heart soared from such a beautiful sight before him.

"But that's okay," Lotion chirped. "Now that I found you, we just have to find Ryu. Then, we can all have lunch together," her hands balled up into fists which she brought up to her shoulders. She hopped up and down to express her excitement. "It'll be so much fun!"

Warmth had engulfed Ryou as he released a shaky breath. He wiped at his forehead to remove any beading sweat. "I-I," he tried to get past a lump that had formed in his throat. "I'm sorry, Lotion. I didn't mean to upset you but I can't have lunch with you today either."

Lotion's smile drooped. "Why not?"

"Because I have an appointment," Ryou blurted out. He turned away from Lotion and swept his jacket sleeve over his flushed face. "I've started tutoring someone and she's waiting for me right now. I, uh, we agreed to meet up during lunch."

"Oh, I see," Lotion murmured.

The disappointment that seeped into those three words filled Ryou with dread. "Uh, yeah, so," he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "I better get going."

"Wait a second, Ryou, I have an idea!" Lotion did another impression of a bunny as she hopped in place. Her smile had returned in full force.

Ryou clutched as his chest. Having this much attention from the amazon wasn't good for his health.

"Why don't I walk you to your appointment?" Lotion suggested. "I haven't had the chance to spend much time with you," she placed her hands onto Ryou's arm. "Do you mind if I tag along with you, Ryou?"

"No, not at all!" Ryou grimaced from his over eagerness. "I mean, I wouldn't mind," he chuckled nervously. "Are you sure you want to come with me?"

"Of course, I want to!" Lotion told him. "Where do you need to go?"

They made it to the right location within minutes. Ryou thanked Lotion for her help and promised to make up for the missed lunches. He stepped into the classroom but hadn't expected Lotion to come along with him. Ryou had assumed the amazon would've already bounded off elsewhere. But she strolled inside in wonderment, as if they stumbled upon a theme park rather than a classroom. Ryou couldn't figure out what Lotion saw that was so exciting. Second year classrooms were almost identical to the first years.

Kazuko was seated at the same desk. Her hair was up in a French braid. Due to her large over-the-ear headphones, she had yet to notice Ryou or Lotion. She bobbed her head along to music she could only hear and mouthed along to lyrics.

Lotion approached Kazuko first. "Hello there!" she greeted. "Are you the one Ryou is tutoring?"

Kazuko lifted one of her headphones away from her ear. "Uh, yeah," she placed her feet onto the floor, glanced over at Ryou, and then faced Lotion. "Hibiki's tutorin' me," she nodded. "And you are?"

"My name is Lotion," the amazon extended her hand out toward Kazuko. "It's nice to meet you!"

Kazuko lowered her headphones from her head and accepted the handshake. "You're the Lotion everyone keeps talkin' about. I was wonderin' if everyone was goin' crazy over some kinda new beauty product or somethin'," she chuckled. "Anyhoo, I'm Kazuko Nakamura. Nice to meetcha."

Lotion ended the handshake and brought her hands behind her. "I hope everyone's been saying good things about me."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Kazuko settled back into her chair. She wrapped her headphone's cord around her index finger. "Gosunkugi's always gettin' people fired up. If he isn't then he must've finally figured out how to tape his mouth shut."

Lotion giggled. "Would that be such a terrible thing for Gosunkugi?"

"Gosunkugi not bein' able to talk?" Kazuko snorted. "That'd probably be his worst nightmare."

Another giggle left the amazon. "Well, I should get going. I don't want to keep you from your lesson. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nakamura," Lotion walked over to the door. "I'll see you back in class, Ryou. Bye bye you two!" on her way out, she waved goodbye to Ryou.

Ryou returned Lotion's wave while his mouth twisted into a dopey grin. He tried to school his face back into a neutral expression before he took his seat. "Sorry about that Nakamura," he brought out the supplies he'd need for the lesson. "I didn't mean to make you wait for me again." he heaved a sigh.

"It's not a problem, Hibiki. I wasn't waitin' very long," Kazuko shut off her music on her CD player. She took off her headphones and put them away. "You and Lotion seem pretty close."

Ryou adjusted a crooked textbook on Kazuko's desk. "We've been friends for a long time."

"Like childhood friends?"

"For the most part," Ryou picked up a book and flipped open to a dog-eared page. "Now why don't we get started?"

Kazuko pursed her lips. She looked as though she had something else to say but remained silent. A blush colored her cheeks as she flipped to a blank page in her notebook and wrote a few things down.

When the lesson reached fifteen minutes, Ryou thought it'd be a good time for a quick break. If he took a moment to relax, it'd give him a chance to quell some of his curiosity about a certain purple haired girl. "So," he aimed to sound nonchalant. "What kind of things are people saying about Lotion?"

The second year was in the middle of writing. When her pencil stopped, Kazuko glanced up from her notebook and blinked at Ryou. "Nothin' bad. Just that she's smart and pretty. I guess she's pretty popular around here but she was already kinda well-known because of The Cat Café. I mean, everyone loves that noodle place so it'd be hard for anyone not to know her," Kazuko twirled her pencil around. "Lately, I think everyone's gettin' riled up about that thing with her and Saotome."

Ryou clenched his hands together onto his lap. "A thing with her and Saotome, huh?" he muttered. "That's... interesting."

"I guess they're supposed to be a couple or whatever," Kazuko's pencil flew away from her hands and clattered onto her desk. "I don't know too much about it though. Hearin' about other people's lives is sorta borin'. I mean, it's not any of my business in the first place."

"You're right, Nakamura," Ryou unclenched his hands. He gave Kazuko a polite smile. "Gossiping isn't a productive way to spend your time."

Who cares if there were rumors circulating over Ryuku and Lotion? Anyone could tell that there wasn't an ounce of truth to them. No point in getting worked up. But one nagging thought lingered in Ryou's mind. Had Ryuku denied any of these claims? It wasn't like Ryuku wanted Lotion to be his girlfriend. So, why would he go along with them? But it wasn't like Ryuku could keep track of every rumor about him. New ones fabricated about him every other day. Ryou hadn't caught up to the time he'd miss from school. One would think they could depend on their best friend to tell them everything. Since Ryuku was never going to in his life ever again, none of that mattered anymore.

"You know, Hibiki," Kazuko crossed a line out in her notebook. "I've been tryin' to be more... honest and stuff."

Ryou blinked at Kazuko. "You have?" Someone actually took my advice? He straightened up and struggled to fight back a pleased grin. "That's great, Nakamura! I'm glad to hear that. How'd it go for you?"

A bashful grin spread over Kazuko's lips as she touched the side of her neck. "I felt a little better being able to speak my mind," she answered. "It's always been kinda hard to stand my ground with my friend."

Ryou nodded at Kazuko. He waited for her to continue whenever she felt comfortable.

Kazuko clasped her hands together and twiddled her thumbs. "He's one of my oldest friends," she said. "Once he has his mind set on somethin', it's hard to get him to do anythin' else. He's super stubborn."

He? Wasn't Naori supposed to be Kazuko's best friend? Whose this other person she's talking about all of a sudden? "How did the conversation go with him?" for now, Ryou set aside his confusion.

"It could've gone a lot better," Kazuko shook her head with a laugh. "He pretty much brushed off everythin' I told him and treated me like I was some kinda pest... but I'm used to it. Either way, I'm still glad I said somethin'. S'better than not sayin' anythin' at all. Everyone else usually goes along with whatever he tells 'em."

"Maybe your friend needs some time to think things over?"

"Nah, his skull's too thick for that," she tapped her knuckles against her temple. "It's either his way or no other way. That's how it's always been. Makes me wonder why I still hang out with the guy," Kazuko played with the ribbon on her braid. "Don't get me wrong. He's a real good friend of mine but he gets himself into all sorts of trouble. That's how he wound up goin' to a different school. I thought he would've wisened up by now. He's older than me. Aren't you supposed to get a little wiser as you age?"

Kazuko's 'friend' sounded like someone Ryou had no intention of meeting. A troublemaker like that were the types that ended up at Hisen.

"But I also spoke to Naori, too!" Kazuko added. "The talk with her went way better. But she's easier to talk to with things like that so it didn't end up going as badly as I thought it'd be. She even told me some things on her mind."

Ryou smiled. "I'm glad it worked out with someone."

"It worked out great. Thanks for the advice, Hibiki," Kazuko said. "I didn't even realize that I needed to hear somethin' like that until you brought it up the other day."

"You're welcome, Nakamura." Now, if only Ryuku could be a little more honest with me.

The short break had extended longer than planned. Ryou hadn't realized where the time had gone until he startled from the ring of a bell. The lunch break hadn't been spent on studying but rather on casual affairs.

With his head down, Ryou lowered his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Nakamura. That was wrong of me to get caught up in other things. We should've been studying."

"I don't mind. I, um, appreciated being able to have a little heart-to-heart with you," Kazuko said. "We can make up for the lesson next time."

Despite Kazuko's assurances, shame already began to consume Ryou. His duties as a tutor were already falling through. He was here to help Kazuko prosper in her academic career. Ryou chewed over his lower lip. How could he expect to be an honor student if he kept up such despicable behavior? Acting like this made him no better than that useless doppelganger.

Ryou couldn't end this lesson on a sour note. He took out a thin notebook and held it out to Kazuko. "Here, Nakamura. It's a personal study guide. I made it for you last night."

Kazuko accepted it from Ryou. "Gee, you really didn't have to do somethin' like that for me," her cheeks flushed a dark red. "I dunno what to say."

"It wasn't a problem, Nakamura," Ryou told her. "I was happy to do it. Having extra resources can be a big help whenever you're studying by yourself. I did my best to tailor everything to fit your style of learning."

The second year looked over the notebook. She clutched at it almost protectively. "That was awfully nice of you to do, Hibiki. I never... no one's ever done anythin' like that for me before," she murmured. "I'll be sure to cherish - I mean, I'll use it really well for my studies! Thank you so much for this."

"You're welcome. I hope you find it useful," he said. "And you can always text me or call me with any questions you might have. I'm always happy to help you."

Kazuko's eyes widened. "Y-You are?" she sputtered.

"Of course," Ryou nodded. "I want you to succeed, Nakamura."

"Then, I'll call, uh, text, oh, I'll contact you!" Kazuko stumbled over with her words. "T-Thanks, Hibiki! You're so awesome!"

Ryou couldn't help but smile from Kazuko's enthusiasm. At least someone thinks I'm useful.

X

"Are you ready to go, Ayano?" Togo stood in front of her desk. A relaxed smile played over his lips and a sparkle twinkled in his hazel eyes.

Ayano finished putting the last of her belongings away. "Togo, I'm sorry. I meant to tell you earlier," as she spoke, Togo's smile already began to fall. The shift in her boyfriend's expression caused a tide of guilt to twist in Ayano's stomach. "Ichiro needs some extra lessons. He has an essay due at the end of the week. He's not super confident with his analytical skills and he wanted me to look over his notes," despite herself, Ayano smiled and couldn't help but gush. "It's the first time he's ever written notes for an assigned book. Isn't that wonderful?"

"That's... amazing," Togo jammed his hands into his pockets and slipped his thumbs into his belt loops. "Let me guess," he said. "Sugiyama told you all of this during lunch today?"

"He did," Ayano confirmed with a nod.

At lunch, Ichiro hadn't shared many photos of Yipsilon. Instead, he had expressed his concern about his schoolwork. Ayano was all ears to hear Ichiro's problems. She didn't hesitate to offer additional assistance to Ichiro.

Heaving a deep sigh, Togo pressed his palms onto the top of Ayano's desk. "Aren't you spending a little too much time with Sugiyama?" he asked. "I thought you were supposed to tutor him twice a week. At most three lessons tops. Now, you've been tutoring him every single school day," he gazed into his girlfriend's eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to monopolize your time."

"That's not it, Togo," Ayano said, puzzled by her boyfriend's words. "Ichiro's trying his best. His grades have gotten so much better. On his last test, he got a C+! That's such a big improvement for him." Ayano's confusion increased from Togo's reaction or lack thereof. Ichiro's achievements didn't appear to impress Togo. But Ayano supposed Togo wouldn't understand, he had always excelled academically. He was also in the upper percentile among the first years. Togo hadn't gone through the struggles Ichiro had experienced as a student. "If Ichiro needs some extra help, I don't mind giving it to him if it'll help him succeed."

"There's extra help and then there's being excessive."

"I don't think it's being excessive."

The corners of Togo's mouth pinched together. "What about you, Ayano?"

"What... about me?" Ayano asked.

"Don't get me wrong. It's great that Sugiyama's doing so much better," Togo said. "But how is you devoting your time to him 24/7 fair to you? You might be his tutor but I thought this wasn't a full time gig. Shouldn't you have some time for yourself?"

"I do have time for myself."

"Do you, really?" Togo arched his eyebrow. "Whenever it's the end of school, you have to practically rush home to make it in time for your lessons. Shouldn't your schedule be a little more accommodating? You're the tutor. Why don't you have more say in things? Everything can't be about Sugiyama and his needs."

"I don't mind," Ayano straightened up to try to glance past Togo and check the time on the wall clock. She calculated what remaining time she had left. If she left in the next five minutes, she could make it home without being late for Ichiro's lesson. She'd have to walk briskly without taking any breaks. When Togo shifted and blocked the clock, Ayano gave him a soft smile. "That's how things ended up working out for Ichiro."

Togo ran his fingers through his spiky hair. "This all sounds so unbalanced," he said. "You can't drop everything you're doing for Sugiyama. If you keep doing things like this that's how people'll take advantage of you."

Ayano lowered her gaze onto her lap. "Am I being taken advantage of?" she murmured. No, that can't be right. Ichiro wouldn't do something like that.

"You're a nice girl, Ayano. Probably the sweetest girl I know," Togo said. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing but that's something people will see and take advantage of."

From underneath her bangs, Ayano looked back at Togo. "I understand what you're saying but no one's taking advantage of me, Togo. Ichiro certainly isn't," she stood to her feet and picked up her bag. Her smile turned into an apologetic one. "I'm sorry that we can't walk home today. I promise to make it up to you, Togo, but I need to get going now."

Togo shook his head. "You don't have to promise me anything," he shuffled his feet. "Could I at least walk you out to the gates?"

Ayano's face brightened as her smile widened. "I'd like it if you did that."

They walked out of the classroom together hand-in-hand. The couple talked about schoolwork and other things on their minds. A movie had recently came out that Togo wanted to see. To Ayano's surprise, he suggested that they see it together. Ayano had assumed Togo would see it with his friends. Elated, Ayano agreed with Togo's suggestion for a future weekend date. Once they reached the school gates, Ayano squeezed Togo's hand and let go. The couple went their separate ways.

Ayano picked up the pace and her phone buzzed in her bag. She'd check her phone when she had gotten further than a block away from Furinkan. A feeling of déjà vu washed over her when she saw an entrance to an alleyway. Yet again, two suspicious figures huddled together between two overflowing trash cans. People clutched at their valuables and rushed past them. Some had even departed to the other side of the street before sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them. A few hadn't even dared to go by and had turned around.

With a small smile, Ayano went over to the cloaked figures.

The shorter of the pair noticed Ayano first. "Topo!" Topo beamed. "How do you do?"

"Greetings, Makanai," Hidetora said. "We've come to pick you up again. I assume Ichiro told you to expect our arrival?"

Ayano dug into her bag for her phone. The buzzing earlier came from a text from Ichiro. The message was straight to the point: lets met up at my hose agin. hidetora an topoo wil pick u up. "Well, he told me about it now," Ayano chuckled and showed them her phone screen. "I appreciate you both coming to get me again," she smiled.

"Then, let us go," Hidetora turned on his heels and walked down the street.

As Hidetora led the way, Ayano and Topo followed behind him.

Ayano tucked her phone away back into her bag. "Why don't you both wait for me at the school gates? Wouldn't that make things easier?"

Hidetora's straw bobbed as he chewed. "If we did that, we'd look suspicious," he replied. "That's why we made sure to keep a one block distance from Furinkan. To avoid drawing any unwanted attention," he caught someone's eye, an old man with groceries, as he walked by. Hidetora raised his hand up in a polite greeting. "Isn't it a good day, sir?"

The passerby's eyes widened. "Please spare me, young man!" his grocery bags flew up before he scurried down the street.

Hidetora cupped his chin as he looked over the spilled groceries on the street. "Seems like a strange place to leave one's groceries."

"Topo!" Topo chimed in.

Ayano blinked from the odd exchange. "I don't think you'd look any less suspicious if you waited close by," she informed Hidetora. "But if that's what you're worried about, you could try looking less... threatening? Then, you wouldn't have to worry about anyone looking at you strangely."

"I suppose you have a point," Hidetora stopped to whirl around to face Ayano. "How do you propose we look less threatening, Makanai?"

Topo and Hidetora looked at Ayano, eager to hear her input.

"Well, maybe you could both. You could consider," Ayano fidgeted from their stares. "Why don't you try leaving your cloaks at home for a day? They do give off a little bit of an alarming look especially in their current condition."

Hidetora tugged at his tattered cloak. "But it matches with my hat," he touched over his fisherman's hat. Today, he had added a small green leaf to the side of it. "And my bokken," he put his cloak aside and wrapped his fingers around the handle of his wooden sword. "As well as my straw," his straw bobbed as he lowered his head. "It's part of my ensemble. I can't do that."

Ayano regarded her other companion. "What about Topo?"

Hidetora's gaze bore down onto Ayano. "If Topo removes his cloak," he pressed his lips together. "He will... perish."

"Perish?" Ayano stammered. With wide eyes, she looked at Topo in concern. "What do you mean by that?"

"Topo has a rare condition," Hidetora said. "He cannot have his body exposed to the rays from the sun," he pointed up at the sky. "If such a thing were to happen, our good friend would be reduced to a sad pile of dust."

Ayano's mind pictured a scene for her. Topo's cloak removed and his vulnerable body getting hit full blast by sunlight. In a flash, Topo became a blackened dust pile. Curls of smoke wafted from the remains of his disintegrated body. So horrifying!

Ayano squeaked out. "Dust?" she searched Hidetora's face for any sign that he was being fictitious.

Hidetora's solemn expression did not waver. "Yes," he nodded. "If the sun doesn't get to him first then he would be at the wind's mercy. Such a frail body would be easily swept away from the harsh wind. You see, Topo's cloak is extremely heavy. Not only does it help him stay grounded but it is also sun proof and waterproof," he reached his hand out to Topo but dropped his arm back down to his side. With a shake of his head, he lowered his hat and his straw moved to the corner of his mouth. "If he wishes to continue living in such a cruel world, he must always wear a cloak."

The Topo dust in her mind was blown away from a gust of wind. "I... had no idea," Ayano murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"You had no way of knowing," Hidetora said. "Unfortunately, due to both of our conditions, neither of us are able to remove our cloaks," the older boy lowered his shoulders and released a deep sigh. "Perhaps there are other ways to appear less intimidating. Do you have any other ideas, Makanai?"

Ayano pressed her knuckles over her lower lip. "I might be able to think of something. How about -"

"Topo!" Topo announced. He appeared to be pointing at something. The sleeve of his cloak covered his entire arm and dangled over his hand like a wet noodle. "Topo!" he said again. "Over there! Look!"

Not far from where the trio were, a group of high schoolers had lined up before a wall. Graffiti plastered upon the surface of the walls. The black ensemble of their uniforms could only belong to Hisen. Strange. They were a little far from their school. What could they be doing here and so close to Furinkan too? The graffiti on the walls appeared to be some sort of peculiar looking pointy object. Something red dripped from the end of it. Was it a turkey baster?

Ayano tried to get a closer look but a broad chest obstructed her vision. Startled, she stared up at Hidetora who returned her gaze. "Imagawa?" she tilted her head to the side. "Aren't those Hisen students over there?"

"We should get going, Makanai," Hidetora said. "Ichiro is waiting for our arrival."

"You're right. We should get going," Ayano walked around Hidetora but he intercepted her path. Her attempts to get past the older boy received the same results. "What are you doing, Imagawa? That's the way to Ichiro's house, isn't it?"

"Let's go a different way," Hidetora gently turned Ayano around by her shoulders.

"We'll be even later if we go a different way," Ayano said.

"Ichiro will understand," Hidetora replied. "We'll take a detour."

"Topo!" Topo said.

Hidetora glanced over at his companion. "That's a good idea, Topo," he nodded at Ayano. "There is a fascinating shop around here, Makanai. You might enjoy it."

Ayano's eyebrows furrowed from Hidetora's and Topo's behavior. Things had changed ever since Topo had pointed out the Hisen students. She checked over her shoulder but Hidetora was quick to block her once again. Why does it feel like they're hiding something? Shaking her head, Ayano took her phone out from her bag. "I should let Ichiro know we'll be running late."

"That is a good idea," Hidetora agreed. "Why don't you lead the way, Topo?"

The detour led them to a complete opposite direction from the Sugiyama mansion. Neither of her walking companions seemed worried. Ayano swapped messages with Ichiro to apologize for their unexpected tardiness. After what felt like ages, they finally arrived at their destination.

"This is the place," Hidetora said.

"Topo!" Topo added.

Ayano looked away from her phone and took in the sight before her. The small building in front of her was one that Ayano knew by heart. It had been some time since she had last visited but she could never forget what her father's pawn shop looked like. A smile made its way over Ayano's lips when she spotted a squid keychain hanging in the window.

"That's my father's shop!" Ayano told them.

Hidetora looked at the building. "That's a pawn shop," he pointed out.

"It is. My father owns it," Ayano smiled. "Is this your favorite shop, Topo?"

"Topo!" Topo looked like he might've nodded.

"Well, that was the detour," Hidetora clapped his hands together. "Shall we go?"

"That's it?" Ayano's eyebrows knitted together. "Aren't we going to go inside?"

"Ichiro is waiting for our arrival," Hidetora reminded Ayano. "We shouldn't keep him waiting... even longer."

Ayano squeezed her schoolbag's handle. She couldn't deny that she had wanted to step inside. It would've been a nice surprise for her father even if they would've only stayed for a few minutes. "You're right," Ayano relented. "We should get going. Ichiro's been waiting for us for awhile. He's probably getting impatient."

"That does sound like Ichiro," Hidetora agreed. "He only has so much patience."

"Topo! No patience!" Topo said.

The door to the shop swung open and out came Ayano's father. In the older man's arms, he held onto a beat-up cardboard box labeled 'Useless Shit.' When his eyes landed upon the trio, his unlit cigarette fell from his mouth. "Ayano?" his eyes flickered between Hidetora and Topo and then settled back onto his daughter. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Don't tell me you're here with those two."

"Father," Ayano greeted warmly. Her father had spoke of her companions with a sense of familiarity. "You've already met Ichiro's friends?"

Tetsuo's features twisted into one of disgust. "Sugiyama's friends?" he said. "A kid like that actually has friends?"

"Don't say that, father!" Ayano chided Tetsuo. "This is Hidetora Imagawa and Topo."

Tetsuo gestured Ayano over with a jerk of his head. "Ayano, come here for a sec," he waited until she broke away from the other two. "You should stay away from those types of people. They're nothing but a bunch of no good troublemakers," Tetsuo grinded his heel over his cigarette. "All they do is show up at the shop, especially that one," he glared at Hidetora. "And when you think they'll actually buy something and finally leave, they never do. I can't tell you how many times I've caught that freak pick up something and then set it back down. He'll ask me questions about a stupid fishing net but he never buys it."

"Maybe Imagawa needs to give it some serious thought before he makes a big purchase?" Ayano suggested.

"It's been over a month and I'm still stuck with a stupid fishing net," Tetsuo mumbled. "It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't keep asking me the same damn questions."

"Does Topo ever buy anything?"

"That limping trash bag over there? That's a person?" Tetsuo snorted and shifted the box in his arms.

"Father, be nice!"

"No, he doesn't either. He lags around the giant lug. All they ever do is pick up random crap for some other weirdo who doesn't even have the nerve to show up at the shop himself," Tetsuo shook his head. "You know anything about that Sacred Chamelot garbage, Ayano?"

"It's Scarlet Champion, sir," Hidetora corrected him. He went over to Tetsuo and bowed. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Mr. Makanai. Until the next time we see each other."

"Hopefully, that isn't anytime soon," Tetsuo muttered. He eyed Hidetora and Topo with disdain. "You both better behave yourselves around my daughter."

"We are always on our best behavior," Hidetora assured the older man. "Now if you'll excuse us, we must be going."

"I'll see you at home, father," Ayano followed after Hidetora and Topo.

Tetsuo scratched over his jaw. "Why are you all the way out here anyway?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be tutoring Sugiyama at the house right now?"

"Not to worry, sir," Hidetora replied with a thin smile. "We're departing for Ichiro's house right now."

"Hold it!" Tetsuo called out to their retreating forms. "Why are you going to their house, Ayano? No one ever said anything about going over to their place!"

"I'll see you at home, father!" Ayano repeated.

X

Anyone with eyes couldn't miss her. Misaki stood at her usual spot and waited for her useless cousin to show up.

Takumi felt his blood begin to boil from the thought of that brainless redhead. He replayed the same scenario in his head but couldn't understand how Ryuku had beaten him twice. There was no point in wasting time stewing in annoyance. Hands jammed into his pockets, Takumi skulked down the front steps of Chuushinten. The sooner he left, the less chance he'd have of running into the moron again. Seeing him twice in one day would be too much for him to handle. Unfortunately, Takumi's timing was perfect and he had no choice but to watch as Ryuku jogged up to Misaki. This time, Ryuku was in his uniform and without a stupid hat.

Misaki giggled behind her hand, amused by whatever Ryuku was blabbing about. How sweet. The cousins were so fortunate to be able to share a tender moment. The pair strolled over to the gates as they held hands.

The temptation to separate them was overwhelming. Takumi could challenge Ryuku to another fight. Things couldn't end up in Ryuku's favor a third time. Takumi glared daggers at the back of Ryuku's head. It would be all too easy to attack him from behind but that was a coward's method. Takumi was anything but a spineless fool. Then again, he wasn't above throwing something.

It appeared that someone else shared the same sentiment.

Something whizzed in the air at a harsh speed.

The moron was none the wiser of what fate awaited him while the object flew closer to the back of his head.

Takumi caught the projectile midair and landed where Misaki had been standing earlier. The cousins hadn't noticed what had happened. They left Chuushinten without a care in the world. Misaki's obliviousness was excusable. The girl wasn't a martial artist. But for someone who had beaten him twice, Ryuku should've been more aware of his surroundings. What a pathetic excuse for a fighter much less a respectable martial artist.

In his hand, Takumi had caught a gymnastics club. He glanced around him to pinpoint where the object had come from. The perpetrator had to be somewhere close to the building. Takumi tossed the club and caught it while he went over to a tree which was the closest to the school entrance. When he reached the trunk, Takumi peered up at the branches where a crouched figure had hidden.

Takumi threw the club up in the air. "I'm only going to tell you this once," he caught it and snapped it in half. "Leave Misaki alone."

"How dare you break my club!" the figure snapped. "Equipment like that costs far more than that unsightly garb you call a uniform," she shifted her position on the branch she was on. "And I was not aiming for that stupid girl. I was aiming for the filth that continues to pollute the streets of Nerima."

Filth? Is she talking about the moron? Takumi hurled the broken club pieces at the figure who dodged at the last second. "Back off." Whoever this dumb bitch was could stay away. If she wanted to fight Ryuku, she had to get to the back of the line.

"Hold on a moment!" the figure pointed an intact club at Takumi. "I recognize you. You're that cur who caught my ribbon!"

"Ribbon?" Takumi repeated. Had he seen this figure from somewhere before? A light bulb went off in his head as he glanced over the cloaked figure. This wasn't the first time this dumb broad had bothered Misaki and Ryuku. Thanks to Ryuku's useless ass, Misaki almost ended up getting injured. Takumi had no choice but to interfere. "That's right, you were flinging that stupid ribbon around like a chimpanzee," he snorted. "Don't tell me you're holding a grudge."

"You have a lot of nerve speaking to me in this way. As if I were some lowly commoner," in a dramatic gesture, the figure lowered her hood. The young girl's dark raven hair was in a high ponytail. Her lips formed a tight scowl. A pair of narrowed purple eyes glared down at Takumi. "Do you not know who you are speaking to?"

Takumi raised his eyebrow. "Am I supposed to?"

"You should feel great shame for addressing me in such a crude manner!" the girl stated. "I am the captain of the unbeatable St. Hebereke's gymnastics team. The true heiress to the Saotome name," she rose up on the branch and struck a proud pose. "I am Katana Saotome. You best remember my name!"

I guess if the moron did have a sister, this delusional idiot would fit the bill. "I don't care who you are," Takumi said. "Don't come here again or you'll regret it. Go shove the rest of that bullshit up your ass, your majesty."

"Did you just threaten me?" Katana's upper lip twisted into a sneer. "How dare you!"

Takumi considered striking the tree to force the girl out but it wouldn't be worth it. Whoever this Katana girl was far too brain dead to listen to anything but the sound of her own voice. The logical thing to do was walk away which he did without looking back once. She shouted after him but Takumi paid little to no attention. At least she knew her place and didn't go after him.

As he left the campus, Takumi noticed graffiti on Chuushinten's border walls. Takumi scrunched his nose up from the strong stench of paint. Lines of spray paint dripped from the "artwork" adorning the walls. What was the point of defacing public property if no one could understand the "art"? He cupped his chin as he studied the images before him. Pointy objects of varying sizes with a sizable red puddle underneath them. Were they turkey basters? Whatever it was didn't matter. Chuushinten's administrative staff would have it all gone before the next school day.

Shaking his head, Takumi walked away from the display and carried on with his day. He had wasted enough time with that gymnast girl. It was around the time for him to head back home. Takumi's ears picked up at the sounds of voices coming from somewhere closeby. As he followed along the wall, the voices became louder and clearer. He was on the right track. He peered around the corner of the border walls and saw a group harassing students.

The hoodlums wore high school uniforms. They looked above and beyond the appropriate age range for a typical high schooler. One of them had a lime green mohawk. The sun's rays bounced off of a sparkling bald head. The tallest of the group had a lanky frame. Something about those three felt vaguely familiar but Takumi pushed the thought aside. Since their backs were to him, no one had any idea that another person was present. The trio were rambling about joining some sort of organization or club. What kind of organization sent out recruiters who looked like they climbed out of a dumpster? Why would they want to rope in a bunch of middle schoolers?

Takumi's movements were automatic as he pummeled the recruiters to the ground. He hadn't done this as an act of kindness but to blow off some steam. The altercation was not rewarding whatsoever. He couldn't count it as a win but beating up a bunch of losers did lessen his annoyance. Takumi cracked his knuckles and turned to acknowledge the saps he had saved. Anyone with half a brain would've already fled while he was taking care of those useless goons. But those dummies had stayed put. He should be able to have them leave with a threat.

"You all must be -" he couldn't voice out the rest of his sentence.

The first thing he saw were: sports jerseys, shorts, knee-high socks, and athletic shoes.

An alarm set off in Takumi's head. His eyes widened as he backtracked from the students. He hadn't saved the entire soccer team but the small group before him was already one too many. Why were they away from the grass fields? Takumi knew that it was well past the time for the club's afterschool practice. A few of the members had sizable wagons which had boxes of sports drinks and water bottles.

Sonoda's face lit up from a grin. "Wow, Hibiki! That was awesome!" he beamed. "The way you came in and beat those bullies down," he glanced over the unconscious high schoolers sprawled out. Sonoda toed at the bald one who groaned out in pain. He laughed and faced Takumi with sparkling eyes. "You were like a super hero!"

"Thanks, Hibiki!" another chimed in.

"You were so cool!" someone else added.

Endless praise came from one member after another.

Takumi struggled to not cover his ears. This was not a heroic act! "I didn't do that to be nice," as they approached him, Takumi's eyes flickered about frantically as if he was a caged animal. He kept the fiends at arms length. "Keep back."

"We gotta tell everyone else about this!" one of the members suggested.

"No!" Takumi shook his head side to side. "We don't have to do anything. Forget it ever happened. I already did."

Sonoda evaded Takumi's guard and held onto his shoulder. "No way! We have to tell Captain Fujima and co-captain Sendoh," he told everyone. Rambunctious cheers of agreement surrounded them. "I bet Coach Takenori'll wanna hear about this, too! They all love hearing about this kind of stuff."

Before Takumi could voice anymore of his protests, they dragged him back to school.

"We'll celebrate by getting some ice cream!" one added.

"Of course we will!" Sonoda still held onto Takumi's shoulder. "But we'll have to do that after we finish practice."

"Practice?" Takumi made a face. "I'm not going to practice."

"You don't have to join," Sonoda assured the other boy. "You can sit on the bench and cheer us on like everyone else does!"

Takumi gave Sonoda an angry glare. "How is that any better?"

Sonoda hadn't faltered from his stare. "You can also help the club manager with all the stuff we had to get from the store," he grinned. "Manager Takenori might even let you keep track of stock. Only a few of us are allowed to do that!"

Takumi shrugged off Sonoda's grip. "If I knew I had the chance to do that, I would've shown up to practice sooner!" he spat out dryly.

"That's the spirit, Hibiki!" Sonoda laughed. "Come on, guys, let's give Hibiki another cheer for his heroic deed!"

"Let's not," Takumi muttered.

The team erupted into another set of deafening cheers.

X

He was one hundred percent positive that he was not lost. Now on the way home, Ryou double checked his GPS. The device had yet to make any modifications to the directions listed on the screen. Despite the confirmation, Ryou couldn't shake off a nagging feeling. He considered taking his maps out. It wouldn't hurt to triple check everything.

As he followed directions, the estimated time on his GPS shrank down to fifteen minutes. At the rate he was going, he could make it home in no time. He might even be able to help Ukyo with making dinner. Takumi should already be home. Wouldn't it be amazing if he managed to convince Takumi to help out? Today could be the day that all of the Hibiki family members were present for a nice meal. Ryou couldn't remember the last time such a thing happened.

"You're a cheater!"

That voice! Ryou jerked his head up. "Takumi?" he wondered aloud.

Ryou wasn't anywhere near Chuushinten. He checked his watch. By this hour, Takumi should be at the house. But whoever had spoken sounded unmistakably like his brother. A recommended shortcut from his GPS had led Ryou to a neighborhood. Why would his brother be in a place like this?

I'm probably hearing things. Ryou reasoned. He walked along the sidewalk and noticed a clearing up ahead which was where he found Takumi. But his brother wasn't alone. He was with his former best friend.

Ryou hid behind a wall. He peeked out to confirm that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. But Takumi wasn't in an argument with Ryuku. Anyone who knew Ryuku should know that he would never wear such a flashy outfit. Then, there was the stupid hat. How did that fraud convince anyone he was Ryuku? The double made zero effort to hide his identity.

Now, Gashu had the nerve to drag Takumi into his rotten schemes as well. How evil could one person be?

Ryou ripped off a part of the wall like a piece of paper. He's such a jerk!

"Gee, brat, if I didn't know any better," Gashu crossed his arms behind his head. He glanced to the side and puckered his lips out in an exaggerated manner while he spoke. "I'd say you're actin' like a sore loser. Callin' me a cheater and all that. That's not very nice, y'know."

"I'm not a sore loser. You are a cheater!" Takumi pointed at the double. "How else could you have beaten me twice if you weren't cheating somehow? There's no other way it'd be possible. You suck at fighting."

Gashu lowered his arms, struck a pose with his arms bent and out, and flexed. "Didja ever think the reason could be that I'm better than you? Stronger than you?" Gashu's posture relaxed. He dropped his head back and barked out a laugh. "This ain't rocket science. There's always gonna be someone better than you, brat. You don't hafta get all uppity 'bout it just 'cause it's me. Really, you should be honored," the double gave Takumi a wide grin. "Someone as sucky as me kicked your ass not once but twice! Talk 'bout a quick turn around." he winked.

Takumi's right eye twitched. "You," he balled his hands into tight fists. "You," he exhaled through clenched, bared teeth. His nostrils flared out and fire flashed in his eyes. "You -"

"What're you tryin' to say?" Gashu leaned forward and cupped his hand around his ear. "We doin' guessin' games now? Finish your sentence!"

"Ryuku Saotome," Takumi gritted out. "Prepare to die!" he released a battle cry and charged forward.

Gashu's upperbody dropped back to avoid Takumi's punch. After he dodged, he brought his arms to his sides and stepped forward. He executed his own strike. A swift hook which landed in the middle of Takumi's abdomen.

Spittle flew from Takumi's mouth as he clutched at his stomach. He appeared to have recovered from the blow as he formed a new stance. "Lucky shot," he hissed through his teeth.

The double shifted to a defensive position. "Guess I've been pretty lucky lately!" he cackled.

"Everyone's luck has to run out some time!"

Takumi darted forward and unleashed a chain of punches. With his left arm, he aimed a punch at Gashu's face while his opposite arm went for the double's chest and then his stomach. Every so often, Takumi would add a kick to his punches. His attacks were constant but they weren't doing much to lower Gashu's defense.

Gashu's movements were too quick for Ryou to follow. The double couldn't keep his guard up forever. He made no indication of what his next moves were going to be. What was that fraud thinking?

His brother re-doubled his efforts. He moved faster and hit harder. His wave of attacks changed and he strayed from sticking to a pattern. Doing things like that would put him at a disadvantage. As Takumi swung his fist downward toward Gashu's face, it was then that the double made his move. Gashu took hold of Takumi's wrist. Takumi jerked his captured arm back but the double's grip was firm.

Takumi's stance crumbled as he flailed his arm about. "What the hell are you doing?" he shrieked. "Let go of me!"

Gashu struck Takumi in the face, chest, and then yanked him forward. As Takumi fell forward, the double kneed him in the gut. "I did what you asked!" He released Takumi and lowered his raised leg down. "I let go of you."

Takumi lost his footing and fell onto his ass. Strings of curses and obscenities left his mouth as he dropped onto his side.

Seeing his brother curled up into a ball on the ground was the last straw. Ryou crushed the piece of wall into itty bitty pieces. "What the hell are you doing to my little brother?" he roared and stomped over to Gashu. "Stay away from him!"

"Why, hello to you, too!" Gashu chirped and put his hands out. "Take it easy there, Ryota. Wouldn't want ya to hurt anymore innocent walls!" he made a big production of glancing around by turning his head side to side. "Where the heck didja come from anyway? Sneak out of your pigpen again?" the double snickered, amused by his own joke.

Ryou failed to find any humor in the situation. "Listen here, you -"

Takumi shouldered past Ryou. Takumi's intentions were clear as he thrust his right arm out toward the double. Ryou could only watch in horror as his brother landed The Breaking Point onto Gashu's right arm. Takumi's index finger landed onto Gashu's bicep.

"Takumi!" Ryou sputtered out. "What did you do?"

As much as Ryou disliked the jerk, he didn't wish anything like that upon Gashu or anyone else for that matter.

A smug smirk played over Takumi's lips as he stared at the double. "You know what I did, Ryou," he took his hand back and stepped back.

Seconds passed by agonizingly slow as the brothers waited for a reaction.

Ryou could already hear the bloodcurdling screams. The fingers on his right hand twitched. Wincing, he held onto his arm as if he had been the one struck. The pain that had coursed throughout his limb was the worst thing he had ever experienced. Things could've turned out far worse for the double. The regular technique could cause a great deal of agony. But if Takumi had used The Multiple Breaking Point who knew what could've happened.

Gashu lifted his arm up.

Ryou released a breath, unaware he was holding it in the first place. Here it comes.

Then, the double waved his limb around. "Jeez, whaddya do that for? That tickled!" he stretched his arm in small, tight circles. "What was that, brat? Some kinda attack?" he snapped his fingers while a grin lit up his face. "Ah ha! The Breaking Point, right?"

"Wha?" Takumi stared down at his own hand. He gaped at Gashu. "That... didn't work?" he sputtered out in a small voice. "Why didn't that work? It should've worked!"

"You're kidding me!" Ryou exclaimed. "You're telling me that didn't hurt you? Are you even human?"

"I felt a tingle but like in a funny sorta way? Was that supposed to hurt?" Gashu tilted his head. "D'you wanna poke me again?" he let out an amused chuckle. "Man, it's been awhile since I've been on the other end of that attack. Brings back some fond memories. 'Course, I wasn't bein' poked or nothin'. More like, I had to dodge a bunch of broken stuff," a grin stretched out over his lips. "Y'know, not to brag or anythin' but you're not the only one with 'magic fingers!'"

Gashu waggled his fingers in front of Takumi. He circled around the middle schooler so that he was behind him and lowered himself down to a crouch. From there, he jabbed at the back of Takumi's knees. He jumped out of his squat and did the same jabbing motions to Takumi's back where he struck a few spots over his spine.

Takumi's knees buckled and he dropped onto his knees. He thrashed about as his upper body fell forward. It looked as though Takumi couldn't keep himself upright and he landed face down onto the ground.

Right away, Ryou went over to brother. "Takumi, what's wrong?" he stared down at him but Takumi made no moves of getting up. Scowling, Ryou whirled around and snapped at Gashu. "What'd you do to my brother?" he grabbed hold of Gashu's shirt and hoisted him up.

"Wouldja relax, you dumb gorilla?" Gashu bopped the top of Ryou's head.

Startled from the harsh hit, Ryou's grip loosened and Gashu slipped away. The double landed back onto his feet and smoothed out his shirt.

"How can I relax?" Ryou snarled. "You crippled my brother!"

Gashu planted his hands onto his own hips. "The effects are temporary," he told him. "I only struck a few of his pressure points to temporarily incapacitate him. It shouldn't take long for things to wear off," he rolled his eyes from the distrustful glare Ryou gave him. "I repeat: it's temporary."

Ryou narrowed his eyes at the double. "Why are you speaking as if you have an actual grasp of the Japanese language?"

Gashu squinted his eyes at him. "You sayin' I'm stupid or somethin'?"

Takumi squirmed in place but seemed to be struggling to get his body to move.

"Takumi, do you need some help?" Ryou bent down to shift Takumi onto his side.

"I don't need your help!" Takumi lifted his head up as best as he could to glare at Ryou. "You!" he tried to shift his glare onto the double. "No more of this bullshit. We're going to have an actual fight. Two weeks from now! On Saturday."

A big grin overtook Gashu's face. Seeing such an expression on his former best friend's face was disgusting. "No way! A challenge for me?" he placed his hands onto his chest and gleefully answered. "I accept your terms!"

"What do you mean you accept?" Ryou demanded and rose back up to his feet.

"Whaddya think it means? Me and your little bro are gonna have ourselves a match!" Gashu beamed and grinned from ear to ear. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one or whatever? Guess not?" he laughed and shook his head. "Anyway, I better get goin'. I've got places to go, people that wanna see me, and all of that fun stuff! See ya later." With a departing wave, Gashu jogged away from the brothers.

Ryou crouched back down next to Takumi. "What were you thinking, Takumi? A challenge?" he heaved a sigh. "Seriously?"

"Mind your own damn business," Takumi spat out. "You weren't even supposed to be here. Why do you always have to ruin everything?" he grunted as he wiggled around. "If you weren't here, I would've been able to - no, I know I would've beaten him. You threw me off."

His brother's current state was sad to see. Ryou placed his hand onto Takumi's shoulder. "Can you still not get up?"

"If I could get up, don't you think I would've done that by now?" Takumi bit out. "Don't ask me anymore stupid questions."

After a few minutes of waiting, Takumi hadn't moved an inch. Ryou had no choice but to intervene. He lifted Takumi from the pavement while he crouched down in front of him. Then, he hefted his brother onto his back. Ryou did his best to make Takumi comfortable despite the circumstances. He stood up and glanced around to find Takumi's schoolbag. Once he retrieved it, he went back to where he had left his own belongings.

"What are you doing?" Takumi hissed.

"Giving you a piggyback ride," Ryou answered. "I know you aren't going to like this but it's the best way for us to get home."

"Assuming we can even get home," Takumi snorted a harsh, bitter laugh. "You think I trust you to get us home?"

Ryou huffed out a soft chuckle. "I've been having a lucky streak lately," he was glad Takumi couldn't see his face. He hid a grimace. "We'll be home in no time. I've got a few maps with me, my GPS, a couple of compasses, and even a star-chart!" he walked along the path that he was sure would lead them out of the neighborhood.

It wasn't long before Takumi spoke up. "You're already going the wrong way," he grumbled. "We'll never get out of here if you go this way. Go to the right."

"Got it," Ryou nodded.

"I said go to the right."

"Right," Ryou re-oriented himself.

"You better not get us lost," Takumi warned him.

"We'll be fine!" Ryou assured him. He shifted Takumi on his back to fetch his GPS. His stomach dropped when the screen refused to light up as he flipped on the power switch. A dead battery? Letting out a strained laugh, Ryou put the GPS away and said. "Like I said, I have a star-chart. Trust your big brother."

X

The walk back home almost drove Takumi insane. Somehow, they had turned up at places Takumi didn't even know existed in Nerima. A lousy magic shop being one of them. Things took a turn for the worse whenever Ryou tried to talk to him. Ryou continued to talk about things going in his own life, in spite of Takumi's silence. He'd yammer on and on and on. The only time Takumi broke his silence was to grunt out correct directions right before Ryou would ignore them. Eventually, with Takumi's help, it took the brothers an extra hour before they returned home.

By now, enough time had passed for the moron's pressure point attack to show signs of wearing off. Takumi could move his arms and legs though his movements were limited. He eased away from Ryou's back. He nudged at his brother's shoulders and then at his nape. "You can put me down now."

"Let me get the door first," Ryou unlocked the front door and swung it open. Inside the house, the interior was shrouded darkness. "That's weird. Mom and dad should be home."

"Would you put me down already?" Takumi demanded. "I never even needed your help in the first place."

Ryou cast a doubtful look at him. "Are you sure you can walk? It's pretty dark."

"Put me down. I'm not going to say it again."

With a sigh, Ryou stepped into the main room and set Takumi down.

Takumi brushed past Ryou the moment his feet touched the ground.

"Wait a sec, Takumi," Ryou said. "Let me turn the lights on first. You might trip over something."

Takumi ignored Ryou and walked through the dark room. He wanted to test his body's mobility. His joints felt stiff as if he had been incapacitated for several days instead of a few hours. Walking took an extra amount of effort but he could walk on his own. So long as he was careful, he wouldn't be re-acquainted with the floor anytime soon.

The main room's lights flickered before they turned on.

Two large backpacks were set out onto the floor along with some extra baggage. If Ryou had turned the lights on a few seconds later then Takumi would've tripped and landed onto the stuff.

"What's all that for? Are mom and dad planning on going somewhere?" Ryou went over and sorted through a few things on the floor. "They brought out the camping gear, too. That only happens when it's something serious."

"So what?" Takumi dismissed Ryou's concerns.

Takumi circled around the gear, mindful of where and how he placed his feet. His ankle caught onto a handle of a protruding umbrella. He tried to catch himself but his body failed to respond. All he could do was fall forward and accept the inevitable: to fall upon the gear as though he were a sack of potatoes.

Ryou rushed over and caught Takumi in the nick of time. "That was a close one," he stayed close and put his arm around Takumi's shoulders to stabilize him. "Looks like you still haven't completely recovered yet."

"Do you have to point out the obvious?" Takumi grumbled. "Get your hands off of me."

"That pressure point attack did take a lot out of you," Ryou said.

"Ryou, is that you?"

Takumi bit on the inside of his cheek. Why hadn't his mother called out for him?

A quick set of footsteps padded down the hall before Ukyo walked out into the main room. Her outfit consisted of heavy clothing one wore when going on a long traveling trip. "You are home! I was gettin' so worried, Ryou!" a relieved smile played over her lips as she looked over her oldest son. But her relief lessened and twisted into confusion as her gaze flickered between Ryou and Takumi. "Did somethin' happen? You two never come home together," Ukyo adjusted the beanie on her head. "Is everythin' all right?"

Takumi leaned away from Ryou as he wore a tight-lipped scowl. His mother still hadn't acknowledged that he was home yet. This marked the second night in a row where she hadn't waited for him despite the late hour. "Everything's fine, mother," was his terse reply. "Ryou and I happened to run into each other on the way back home. It's nothing special to talk about."

Ukyo propped her hand onto her hip. "Why are you both standin' like that?"

"Standing like what?" Ryou asked through a nervous chuckle.

"Standin' all close and buddy-buddy. Are you waitin' for a photo-op or somethin'?" Ukyo joked. Her laughter drowned out Ryou's strained one. "I can go get the camera if you want. Actually, I think I have one in here," she bent down onto a knee and dragged one of the backpacks over.

"There's no particular reason," Takumi muttered. "Don't get the camera."

"But it'll be a cute picture," Ukyo unzipped one of the backpack's many compartments. "It's rare I get to see you guys gettin' along! I wanna capture this moment. Humor your ma for a sec."

"Ukyo, are you ready to - oh, I thought I heard some voices!" Ryoga's greeting ended as soon as he joined the others. A fanged grin lit up his face. "Ryou, you're back home! I'm so relieved! Your mom and I were about to head out to look for you."

Takumi glared at an offending loose thread on his father's jacket. Had his parents not even considered to go looking for him? Ryou wasn't the only one who came home late.

"That's why you and mom brought out all of this stuff? Isn't that a little bit overkill?" Another fake laugh left Ryou's mouth as he scratched at his head. "I was going to come right home."

"We didn't want to take any chances. The day kept getting darker and darker and you still weren't home yet. I couldn't keep thinking about you wandering through a deep forest or exploring an underground cave or falling off an endless cliff," Ryoga chuckled with a shake of his head. "The surgery might've been a big success but you can never be too careful."

"Your dad insisted that we get everythin' out. We pulled out aaalll the stops! He always has to expect the worse." Ukyo flashed a teasing grin at Ryoga.

"It's called being prepared!" Ryoga defended. "Since we can't trust the Saotomes anymore to bring you home, the Hibikis have to step up to look after their own!"

"We can trust the Saotomes," Ukyo said. "You just figured Ryou got stranded in, I dunno, Yokohama or somethin'."

"I didn't say Yokohama! I said -" Ryoga protested.

"You're all making this into a bigger deal than it needs to be," Ryou said. "My GPS might've died but -"

"Your GPS died? Oh my god!" Ryoga cried out. "Then, it was a good idea that I suggested -"

"Takumi was there to help me out!" Ryou finished in a rush. "No need to get a search party for me."

"Didn't your brother say he ran into you on the way home?" Ukyo arched her eyebrow while Takumi turned away. She held a camera in her hands. "Know what? That doesn't matter. Ryou's home now and seein' all my boys together is gonna make a perfect picture," she brought the camera up and gestured for them to move toward each other. "C'mon, you all needa get nice and close."

Takumi stiffened as Ryoga and Ryou invaded his personal space. When his mother told them to smile, Takumi's scowl deepened while Ukyo captured picture after picture. A quick photograph turned into an impromptu photo session. Ukyo wanted to be apart of such a momentous occasion.

"I can't wait to get these developed!" Ukyo waved the camera around in excitement. "Why don't you two go ahead and put your things away? Are you boys hungry?" she didn't wait to hear anyone's answers as she walked in the direction of the kitchen. "I'll go ahead and re-heat dinner. Your dad wanted another helping anyway," she chuckled. "We might as well all eat together. Ryoga, get over here and help your wife."

Ryoga squeezed Takumi's and Ryou's shoulders before he tailed after his wife. "I'll see you boys at the table."

Takumi spared one last glance at the backpacks and other junk laid out. "Tell mom and dad I'm not hungry," he removed Ryou's arm from his shoulders and went over to the hallway.

"I'm sure mom made something good," Ryou said. "I bet it'll be one of your favorites!"

"I don't care," Takumi gritted his teeth as he stumbled and grabbed onto the wall to stay upright.

Ryou returned to Takumi's side, held him steady, as they went down the hall. When they reached Takumi's room, he expected Ryou to show himself to the door. But his meddlesome brother put Takumi's bag down and leaned back onto his desk. Ryou's own schoolbag was down by his feet.

Takumi stood next to his bed. He could do that much without his body giving up on him.

Ryou picked up one of Takumi's textbooks. "Takumi, you should be careful with The Breaking Point," he began to flip through the pages. "I don't think it's a good idea to use that technique especially after everything that's happened."

Takumi lowered his shoulders and sent a glare toward the door. Maybe Ryou would get the message that his presence wasn't wanted.

"Your bandages haven't been removed for that long," Ryou said. "Don't you think you should be taking it easy? Dr. Wasabi would want you to."

Ryou's unwelcomed lecture sounded all too similar to one of Dr. Wasabi's many speeches. Takumi should've known he'd be getting the same type of lectures at home.

"If I take it easy, I'll be no better than a weakling like you," Takumi said. "You're the one who got a serious injury. Not me."

"That was from you by the way," Ryou reminded him. "I've forgiven you. So, it's just coming from a place of concern. I don't want you or anyone else to get hurt again from that technique."

"Do you think that moron is capable of hurting me?" Takumi released an incredulous laugh. "No one got hurt. You saw what happened when I used The Breaking Point on him. Nothing happened."

"That's not what I meant," Ryou closed the textbook with a small frown. "You should cancel the fight with..." his lips pressed together and his frown deepened into an out-of-place scowl. "Ryuku."

Why would his brother say his best friend's name with such a strange expression?

This wasn't the first sign of Ryou's odd behavior. His actions toward Ryuku was unexpected and bordered on hostile. His brother had treated the redhead as if he was a different person. Whatever the problem was between them, Takumi didn't care to know what it was. That was Ryou's problem that he had the pleasure of dealing with it on his own.

"Since when have I ever listened to anything you tell me to do?" Takumi asked. "Stop acting like a big brother. You never cared about me before," with careful footsteps, he walked over to his bed.

Ryou set the textbook back down. "What are you talking about? I've always -"

Takumi almost missed the bed but, yet again, his brother was there to the rescue.

"Are you okay?"

"Stop touching me!" Takumi shoved Ryou away and took a seat on the edge of his bed. "As if you even really care. You're a fraud."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Ryou's face fell. Who was he trying to fool by acting as if he was actually upset? "Of course, I care. Why wouldn't I care about my own little brother?"

"Knock knock! We're comin' in!" Ukyo's voice rang out. She strolled inside with a skip in her step and a wide grin. Her jacket and beanie were gone and replaced with an apron and a white headband. "Dinner's ready, boys!" when she noticed her sons, her cheerfulness dampened and her smile fell to a frown. "Is everythin' okay in here? Seems tense."

After Ukyo's grand entrance, Ryoga invited himself inside Takumi's room. "I have the table set up!" he announced. Like Ukyo, the corners of Ryoga's grin drooped as he appeared to pick up on the atmosphere in the room. "Did something happen to Takumi?"

Takumi scrunched his nose and faced away from everyone else. The fabricated concern from his parents wasn't fooling anyone. "Nothing happened that I can't handle on my own."

"What do you mean by that?" Ukyo asked, her frown deepened.

"Takumi's fine," Ryou assured her. "We were about to head over to the kitchen for dinner."

Uncertainty lingered on Ukyo's face but she nodded. "That's good to hear. You boys better hustle before everythin' gets cold. I can't keep re-heatin' food, y'know."

"It's one of your favorites, Ryou," Ryoga told Ryou. "Beef Offal Stew!"

"You're gonna love it, Ryou! I even put in that extra seasoning you like," Ukyo added with a cheesy wink.

"That sounds delicious, mom! I can't wait to try some!" Ryou grinned.

Takumi gripped at fistfuls of his bedsheets. His knuckles turned an ashen white as he stared down at his feet. "I'm not going to eat," the joyful atmosphere around his family had appeared to shatter from Takumi's announcement. "Everyone can go ahead and eat without me," his laugh was hollow. "I mean, it's not like anyone will notice if I'm there or not, anyway."

Ukyo's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talkin' about, hon? We'd notice if you -"

Suddenly, Ryou grimaced and touched over his right arm.

His brother's pained expression and gesture was all it took for their parents to switch gears.

"What's wrong, sug?" Ukyo touched over Ryou's shoulder. "Is your arm feeling okay?"

"Does it hurt anywhere? Can you try moving your arm around?" Ryoga's questions came next. "Or wait, maybe you shouldn't move anything."

Ryou put on a strained smile. "I'm okay. It's not a big -"

A loud rip echoed in the room as Takumi yanked off parts of the sheets. He would've completely destroyed it if his limbs had been working properly. "Both of you always do this!" he exclaimed. Like a boiling pot, the lid had burst and the contents inside had bubbled over before spilling out all at once.

With wide eyes, Ryoga sputtered out. "Takumi, what are... what do you mean by that?"

Ukyo's hand remained on Ryou's shoulder. She opened her mouth but closed it a second later.

Takumi threw down the pieces of bedsheets and pressed his knuckles against his knees. "What do you think I mean? No one can be that stupid. You've always put Ryou before me," he stated. "All that's ever mattered is Ryou. Why did you bother having another kid when all you've ever done was neglect me?" another hollow laugh left Takumi's lips. He shook his head as childhood memories flooded through his mind. "Leaving me home alone constantly. Those babysitters... strangers looking after me. All because you kept getting lost," Takumi looked at his father with a sneer. "And you made it worse," he spat out at his brother. "Mother always had to look after you two buffoons and drag you back home. I was stuck here for days, weeks, sometimes months because no one could get back home."

The corners of Takumi's mouth pinched together tightly. "Spending all that time together without me," he muttered. "That's all this family knows how to do." he struggled to collect himself but anger continued to swirl inside him. Takumi breathed in and out several times. "But that's fine. I never cared about this family, anyway. Everyone always keeps holding me back. The Hibikis are a family of losers, after all," he exhaled a quiet chuckle. "But I'll rise above that. I'm better than everyone else."

A silence fell over the room. Ukyo, Ryoga, and Ryou looked at one another.

Ryou was the first one to approach him. He put his hand onto Takumi's shoulder. "You're wrong, Takumi. Mom and dad didn't mean to do any of those things. I'm sorry that you felt lonely and I should've been a better brother to you but I -"

"You're wrong, Ryou," Takumi retorted and removed Ryou's hand. "And I wasn't lonely. Don't put words in my mouth."

"Okay, I could've worded that a lot better," Ryou amended. "But I -"

"I don't want to hear what you have to say," Takumi cut in. "Get out. Everyone can leave."

Ukyo knelt down in front of Takumi and placed her hands over Takumi's. "Sug, I had no idea that you felt this way," she gently rubbed at his knuckles. "Why didn't you ever say anythin'?"

Takumi rolled his eyes but, for now, he allowed his mother's hands to remain. "Because it doesn't matter."

"That's not true," Ryoga stood behind Ukyo. "It does matter. You'll always be a part of our family, Takumi," he touched over his neck and lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry that I never noticed that you felt this way. I should've done better."

Takumi shrugged. "It's too late for that, father."

"That's not true," Ryoga murmured. "We can still change things."

Ukyo clapped her hands in front of Takumi's face. "Okay, everyone!"

Startled, Takumi jerked away from his mother who grinned up at him.

"I've got a nice dinner on the table waitin' for us. I think we're gettin' too crabby from empty stomachs, especially you," Takumi's eyes widened as Ukyo rubbed at his stomach. "Right now, I think it's more important that we fill our bellies up with delicious food! So, let's get goin' everyone!" with another resounding clap, Ukyo bounced up to her feet and hooked her arm with Ryoga's. "And I expect to see everyone there! Ya got that?" she made eye contact with Takumi before she walked out of the room with her husband in tow. "We'll talk about this later as a family."

Takumi gave an expectant look to his brother. "The door's right there."

"Takumi, I -" Ryou started.

"I'm not going to cancel the fight, Ryou," Takumi interjected. "I've made up my mind about it and you can't change it."

"You don't understand, Takumi," Ryou pinched his eyes shut and sighed. "Ryuku's -"

"Going to lose," Takumi finished for him. "Glad we got that situated. Now get out already."

After a few moments, Ryou released another defeated sigh with a downward gaze. "You're making a big mistake," he tugged at the knot on his bandana and went over to the door. "I'll see you at dinner," were his final departing words.

But the last thing Takumi was going to do was go to that dinner. How could he carry on as if nothing had happened, especially after that embarrassing outburst? Only an idiot could pretend everything was fine while they prattled on and stuffed their faces.

After ten minutes passed, the lingering affects of the pressure points faded away. To test things out, Takumi did a few warm up stretches for his arms and legs. He flexed his fingers and wiggled his toes around. It looked like everything was back to normal. Having dinner with family was nothing but a waste of time. Takumi had spent far too much of his time on useless matters. Right now, he had much better and bigger things to put his focus on. LIke his upcoming match with Ryuku. That fight needed Takumi's full undivided attention. The moron wouldn't get another chance to use a lame pressure point attack on him again.

Takumi yanked open his closet and pulled out a large backpack. He crammed as much as he could inside it. His schoolbag, textbooks, clothing, flashlights, and other essentials he might need. Even without his earlier outburst, Takumi had already made up his mind.

He couldn't stay home anymore.

The only logical thing to do was run away. A training trip.

Nothing of value was at this house, anyway.

Takumi yanked open the window and tossed his backpack out first. He watched it fall below and heard it land with a loud thump. Takumi grabbed hold of the window frame and put his right leg out first. He readied himself to slip out into the night.

"Takumi?"

He stiffened and glanced over his shoulder.

Ukyo stared back at him. The disapproving scowl made her eyebrows pinch together. "What do you think you're doin'?"

"I'm not coming to dinner," Takumi told her. "And I'm not coming back home either." with a mock salute, Takumi gave Ukyo a smug smirk and then jumped out the window.