This chapter was redone, and updated on 2/16/2020

Also I would like to welcome you to the first chapter of Kurama's Rose

I tried to catch any grammar errors or misspellings to the best of my abilities. Thanks a lot!

The beginning

My dark pink skirt whipped around my legs and goosebumps pebbled along my legs due to the wind. Despite the blazing sun above and the overall heat of the day it was surprisingly chilly due to the excessive wind. Not that it was a bad thing as it gave a nice contrast to the sweltering heat that was Japan's summer. Beside me a rather boisterous couple walked by. It was of no fault of their own but I couldn't help but roll my eyes and had to fight a sneer of annoyance from forming.

And it wasn't just them. The more I walked down the familiar street and saw those familiar faces I grew more agitated. They just all seemed so happy. It wasn't fair.

But then again it wasn't their fault. It wasn't there fault that my parents, though loving in their own way, thought that it was ok to not be home on a regular basis. It wasn't their fault that their jobs kept them busy for most of the year. it wasn't their fault that I had to take care of my younger brothers alone. No, it wasn't their fault, but seeing their happy smiles irritated me. But really, my home problems were only the half of it. What I hated the most was school. I dreaded getting up on the weekdays and having to show my face. Who would want to go some place where they were the chosen one to be bullied? Sure it wasn't everyone who participated, but that didn't mean that they were particularly nice to me either. It didn't help that I didn't have any real friends in the school. When I was in middle school I had quite a few friends, but after middle school we all went to different high schools.

I new the reason why they targeted me. I was a weirdo with white hair and red eyes. Not the most normal things, especially when my whole family had dark hair and eyes. I had to show documentation that my hair color was normal and even after that they sometimes give me problems, saying I should just dye it black. Furthermore, some of the students - well one in particular - thought I was lying about the whole thing and was just trying to get attention. And not wanting to get on that student's bad side most of the others just ignored it. The only upside was that my grades weren't too atrocious.

What high school? Well Meiou High school.

While it didn't take a genius to get into the school, the bar for studies was set pretty high. In middle school I was actually pretty good at studying, and though I wasn't in the top 10 I did pretty well for myself. However after coming here I just haven't had the motivation, or the drive. All I could ever think about was finishing the day as quickly as possible and going home. It was a little sad, considering this was my first year and that my grades didn't start off this bad. Also, just a personal taste, but I hated the uniform. I mean, pink? Why? And it's not even a nice shade of it.

If there was anything that made coming to school worthwhile was being able to breath the same air as the resident heart throb of the entire school. His name was Suichi Minamino, and if there was ever a poster boy for the word 'perfect' he would be it. Hell, he even made our gaudy uniform look good. My seat was in the back and his in the front so we never really had the chance to talk or be partners for group work, but just being able to see him was able to help me get through the day. When I saw his smile all I could do was hope that my heart didn't roll out of my mouth. Whenever he spoke in class whether to read a passage or answer a question every female body in the class was captivated.

Me included.

There was just something about him that drew people's eyes. I admit that I had a crush on him, but who didn't? He was also one of the few people who actually spoke to me like I wasn't dirt. Not that we had many chances, since whenever I seemed to just breath in his direction I was bullied even worse.

Luckily, at this moment the bane of my existence was also staring at him so I had a free pass and happily did even as the first bell rang and the teacher started class. I don't know what it was about Suichi Minamino, but sometimes when I would look at him I couldn't look away. There was something about him that intrigued me more than other people. I mean it was strange, even I knew that. I hardly had any interactions with him but here I was still pining after him like some lovesick idiot.

"Ms. Kuramizu!" I jumped slightly and quickly wiped the drool threatening to stain the homework that the teacher had been asking for.

"I would appreciate it if you paid as much attention to class as you do Mr. Minamino."

The other students snickered and I could only hang my head in embarrassment while handing over the homework. Well this was turning into a wonderful day.

I managed to pull myself together after that incident and get through the class with minimal hiccups. Or so I though. Once the class ended the math teacher who also doubled as our homeroom teacher, Dr. Hashima, had pulled me aside to an empty classroom. The look on his face told me all I needed to know about the topic of this conversation, and I was instantly on guard.

"Listen...I know it must be hard with the position you're in. But your grades...If you continue like this you could fall below the acceptable standard of our school."

I couldn't meet his eyes after hearing that. Being my homeroom teacher he knew a lot about my family situation, and probably gave me more advice than my parents in the last few years, so surely he knew there wasn't anything I could do. At least, that's the excuse I tell myself. I knew that I needed to start performing before I was below school standards and forced to drop out. How would I face my brothers or my parents with the came back home and found out.

"I can give you some extra work, and help any way I can. But...I think it would be best if you started taking supplementary classes after school along with the extra classes on Saturd-"

"No!" I quickly cut him off, "I have to take care of my brothers. I don't have the time for that."

"Your brothers are 8 years old. They'll be fine getting home together, and there are volunteer community members at intersections to watch the kids get home. Surely you can spare an hour of extra study here."

"I can't do that..."

Dr. Hashima sighed and crossed his arms, "You aren't even in any clubs, and I've noticed that you tend to stay alone. We're only a few months into the first year and it's a shame that the situation has devolved so quickly like this. You had much more motivation in the beginning."

Only silence remained after his stopped talking, and it buzzed around my head like an annoying fly. I wasn't going to change my opinion on this. He didn't understand how important it was for my and my brothers to be together. That and I didn't want to have any extra reasons to come to school. Maybe I should just let myself drop out. The warning bell cut through my thoughts and Dr. Hashima walked me to class while promising that we would continue this conversation later.

Though I was late, I avoided getting in trouble thanks to my escort. It was biology class, and I took my normal seat with the two other girls in my group. Though on my way I tripped over someone's leg and in my stumbled to not fall banged my knee in the corner of the table.

"Oops, sorry."

The surrounding students snickered while I glared at the owner of the offending appendage. She was the bane of my existence. Suki Iwase was the most popular girl in our school and she was as mean and manipulative as she was popular. It also didn't help that she was the daughter of the current principal, and because of that she treated this place like her personal castle.

I was really not in the mood for this right now and I didn't want to cause a scene. "It's. Fine."

I quickly made my way to my seat under Suki's sneering gaze and the teachers impatient one as I was holding up the class. Eventually class resumed and we were tasked with dissecting a frog. Me and my group mates got to work, diligently moving to remove it's organs and label everything. The other two girls were a bit hesitant to touch anything, and though I was as well, I volunteered just so we could get started and left the task of labeling to them.

So far things were going well. My group mates, though they didn't talk to me outside of our group activities, were nice enough and properly helped to keep us moving at a steady pace. Suddenly a shadow had blocked the light, keeping me from seeing clearly. Initially I assumed it was one of my group mates to I asked them to move aside but when the shadow persisted I glanced up and my heart sunk.

Why? Because standing before me was Suki Iwase.

I did not need this right now. I looked around the room and to my dismay both the teacher and Suichi were missing. Usually as long as Suichi was around the behaved herself to not make him think bad of her. When I attempted to ignore her and go back to my work she slammed her hand on the table startling, not only me, but most of the other students in class.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson yet."

'Please just go away.'

"How many times do I have to tell you to not even look in Minamino's direction." She reached out and grabbed my hair, "A freak like you doesn't even deserve to breathe in the same air as the rest of us."

I roughly yanked my hair from her grip, ignoring the pain behind the action. Though I didn't answer her my desperate glance at the door gave away my wish.

"Tch, oi, I'm talking to you. Answer me, freak."

I winced under her verbal abuse, looking at the disemboweled frog too embarrassed to look anywhere else. "I...I just want to finish this class...please leave me alone."

"Hn," She smirked evily, "Why even try? An idiot will always stay an idiot so just drop out like the idiot you are."

I clenched my fist, "I'm...not an idiot..."

"Hm? What's that? The idiot freak trying to talk?" She was obnoxiously loud ensuring that anyone who hadn't been paying any attention was now watching.

"I..I'm not an idiot." I said louder, still unable to look at her but also at my limit for her abuse. Why couldn't I catch a break? I just wanted to be left alone. Go though my day without any problems.

Suki clicked her tongue and leaned over my desk even more. Her sudden silence made me feel anxious, but I was too afraid to move. Just what was the teacher doing?! What about Minamino? If either one of them walked in right now she would leave me alone.

Suddenly her arm swiftly swiped across the table knocked all of me and my group mate's work onto the floor. I could only stare in disbelieve as her mocking giggle bounced around in my head.

"Oops. Sorry."

At that moment a fog swirled around my head as every memory from the beginning of the year till now rushed behind my eyes. Every day I had to deal with her bullying, some days worse than others. I had to deal with pretending to not hear the neighborhood gossip about me and my parents. Having to deal with my no show parents for the last few years. It was enough. I was tired of it all. Any fear that I had in that moment was replaced with anger and with one primary source of my misgivings in front of me, it was all currently being directed at her.

My heart pounded in my hears and adrenaline rushed through my veins. I don't even remember how it happened but when I came to I realized that I was on top of Suki, having tackled her to the ground and now trying hit any body part I could. The sound around me was distorted but I could clearly hear myself screaming and acutely feeling the burning in my eyes from crying.

Somehow Suki had rolled onto her stomach and I had her hair in my hands intending to smash her face into the ground. I was just so angry and that feeling spurred me on. Just as I was about to a pair of strong arms wrapped around me prying me away from Suki. My initial instinct was to struggle against the person but the overwhelming sent of roses invaded my lungs and all at once I found my body relaxing. Slowly the fog was clearing at the world around me was coming back.

First thing I noticed was the teacher yelling at me for fighting and ordering me to go to the principal's office. At this point, though, I was running on auto pilot. Without another word I grabbed my things and marched off to the principals' office. Soon Suki, Mrs. Tsubaki and a few other students joined. Of course the other students and Suki twisted the story to make it seem like I just snapped without any reason and I didn't care enough to fight it. Would he even listen to me over his own daughter anyway? Besides out of the two of us she was more hurt so it didn't look good for me.

Because of that I was given 5 days suspension effective immediately. Little did they know it felt more like a reward than a punishment.

The only bad thing about it was after 5 days I would have to come back.

And there it is! I really like this one a lot better than the first one. I'm slowly but surely going back and re-vamping the older chapters. If you are new to the story welcome! If not, then welcome again! haha