5/3/01
Disclaimer: the characters such as Kenji, Uriko, etc. all belong to Hudson Soft.
Dedication: God, my parents, my 'brothers', Hudson for creating Bloody Roar I-III, and my readers, especially Xion, PokeDigi, LazzyQ, Alica, Deoku, Vguyver, Flyby, StarryPeach, Xavier, and Niteflite.
Bloody Roar II: Passage Into The Previous Years Series
Next installment following Bloody Roar I: The Destruction Of Impeccability Series
Bloody Roar II: Partnered By Purgatory
By Tiger5913
A number of years later…
POV - Kenji
11:48AM
June 1st, 2015
Dear Journal
That sounds too weird. I know that I don't have to endure this… journal thing for very long though, since this is only a last-month-of-school type assignment. My English teacher promised the class that she wouldn't thoroughly read our journals when we turn them in. She says that after she vaguely checks them, she'll hand us our journals back and hope that we'll continue writing "of your own free will". I suppose that she is hoping very excessively because this journal is thick, and full of blank pages. Geez. Not exactly subtle.
I feel rather stupid doing this since I already know these things about myself, but… My name is Kenji Ohgami. I'm fourteen years old and in ninth grade. Yes, a little freshman, one of the puny underclassmen. If I were ever assigned an autobiography in this English class, it would be pretty short and empty. I don't know much about my past. Almost nothing, actually, before nine years old. And even still, things are fuzzy. The bell just rang so I guess I'll explain later.
POV - Uriko
2:20PM
June 1st, 2015
Dear Diary/Journal,
Hi! I just got this journal assignment in English last period; I'm in Biology now, the last hour of the school day, hurray! It seems kinda silly that we got assigned something like this so late in the year, but oh well, I guess the teachers just really wanna motivate us then, heehee.
Well, onto the intro! I know who I am of course, but Ms. Arenson wouldn't unless I put my name down somewhere. I'm Uriko Nonomura (no one spells my last name right on the first try, argh) and I'm a fourteen year old teenage girl! I go to La Kenya High and is a ninth-grader right now, but I'll be a sophomore in a couple of weeks when school lets out!
Ooh, my science teacher Ms. Gerna just told us about this new project that us students are going to do… She's assigning us partners too; boy I hope that I'll get my best friend Erika! Oh drat, the pairs are all gonna be boy-girl… and Erika just got stuck with Ryan! Man, poor girl has gotta put up with Mr. I-can't-be-serious-for-more-than-negative-three-seconds. Sheesh, I just saw him pull out a chair for Erika (I know that sounds nice but,) that had a whoopy cushion on it! Honestly, how immature can you get?
Whoa… Ms. Gerna just called my name and my partner… Kenji Ohgami!! We haven't really crossed paths since last week when I asked him for a ride home… Oh yeah, oops, I haven't told about him yet. I'll continue later though; I gotta go talk with him now, bye!
POV - Kenji
4:27PM
June 1st, 2015
Of all the times that my past to be brought up, today was chosen. Why? Why do these things happen when I least expect it, thrown into my face like a nasty surprise disguised in shadows… Couldn't I have at least gotten a sign or a warning beforehand?
All right, for that ridiculous final project in science, the phobia topic, my partner turned out to be Uriko Nonomura. I wasn't expecting that either. I have mixed about her; I remember the first time we conversed after the night that we had fought in the alley. That was months ago… but it's very vivid in my memory. Rather surprising too, since I seem to not be able to remember much…
She had asked me for a ride home after school let out a few days after we'd fought, and I kind of stammered my way through that. I suppose I was shy or something of the sort… Basically I think that if I don't act coolly toward her, I'll stutter or do something equally stupid like that.
She was enthusiastic from the start, hyper and full of energy. Smiling a lot also; it's so contagious that it might be… cute. I smiled once before, that day I gave her ride to her house from school. I've remained nonchalant since then. I'm not sure how Uriko will be able to cope with me on this project, and probably vice versa…
My attitude makes me wonder, was I always like this, cold, solemn, even in my earlier childhood years? …I wish I knew more about my past. I know almost nothing. I feel pathetic. No, I am pathetic.
My recent past however, the one that I detest… was brought back to recognition this afternoon. I had left school quite abruptly, after brushing Uriko off pretty coldly. She came over to my desk to ask what my phobia was, so that she could start researching on it, and I just wrote a stupid thing on a half sheet of paper and left her in class with it. Just like that. Without an explanation. Rude, I know… So as I was biking away from campus, I guess my conscience realized that too because I found myself changing directions to go to my partner's house and apologize.
Second surprise of the day and not a pleasant one in the least - I was ambushed. The perpetrator was a guy dressed in black, out of nowhere he appeared from behind a car and struck me over the head. I got knocked off my bike from that and fell to the street. The guy started demanding things and yelling menacingly at me. It was just a bunch of garbage about going to "where you belong, with Master Busuzima".
About a couple of seconds after I flat-out refused, he started stalking toward me with his meaty hand in a fist. The next thing I knew, I heard a battle cry and watched the creep sailing over my head and landing behind me with a thud. Pink and yellow caught my eyes as well when another figure followed that mindless follower of Busuzima's. My rescuer spoke and her voice was familiar.
It was Uriko. I could tell even though I was only looking at her back.
POV - Uriko
10:10AM
June 2nd, 2015
Dear Diary/Journal,
Hey! I'm in Silent Sustained Reading Hour right now but I forgot to bring a book today so I decided to write instead of sitting and staring blankly at the wall like some people… (Ryan.)
Well you'll never guess what happened yesterday! OK, I know this might be mean, but when I went over to talk to Kenji, he was kind of being a jerk… My science teacher Ms. Gerna told us to get with our partners and find out their phobia so we can start researching soon. I told him what my phobia is, losing my family, and I think he kinda thought it was cliquey though, sigh… He's gotta open up more, I swear!
So anyway, it took me a few minutes to get him to tell me what his phobia was. I just didn't expect it be to Kenji writing it on a half piece of paper and just throwing it on the table and leaving me behind with it. His phobia turned out to be being captured and brainwashed by Busuzima again. So I guess that makes my topic brainwashing and/or kidnapping? I'll ask this afternoon to make sure…
Hey, more news about yesterday: I helped him out in something! Not that he probably would care though… but I'm glad to have helped him. Well, I was walking home yesterday after school, and I was almost to my house when I heard some yelling around the corner. I sneaked over there and peeked my head around to see what was going on, because it didn't sound like anything good.
You'll never guess what I saw - this jerk in black was threatening someone that was sitting on the ground! He started walking toward the person and the thought of him hurting that person just got me really mad. I threw down my backpack and I didn't waste anymore time, just started running at that mean weirdo. He never saw it coming; I jumped into the air and nailed him in the back with both of my feet.
The guy went flying and I landed a couple yards behind him. He got up and gave me this resentful look, like I had done something wrong, then turned and bolted away. I let out a sigh, more of relief than victory pride and that's when someone behind me spoke up.
The voice was masculine, familiar, and had a bitter tone as he said, "I could've taken care of him myself…"
I'd immediately turned around and was shocked at who I saw on the ground: Kenji! Skillful fighter, killer techs like that Smoke bomb move, agility that I can compare against, really cute stealthy ninja Kenji! I won't even go into how he's like in beast form… his claws hurt like knives…
I guess after seeing him being the victim, I shouldn't have expected any signs of gratitude or anything like that. I really didn't, but I also didn't expect him to be such a smart aleck though… The first thing I saw when Kenji stood back up was these two really wicked-looking cuts on his forehead. By instinct, I reached foreword to touch them, I'm not sure why though… and he immediately brushed past me as soon I had barely touched one of them.
"What happened?" I asked him.
"…" He didn't exactly offer me a constructive answer…
"Aren't you gonna say something?"
"Something." Argh, he can be so hard to work with sometimes.
Well, even with the way he was acting, I couldn't let Kenji go off with those nasty cuts on his forehead, open, vulnerable, and bleeding. So I dug a handkerchief of mine out of my backpack and folded it up into a rectangular strip, then wrapped it around his forehead, covering the wound.
After that I smiled at him and started walking toward home again, but before taking more than a couple of steps, Kenji spoke up and asked if I wanted a ride. That's so strange; I thought the way he acted toward me was because he didn't like me. Well, maybe he doesn't and just offered me a ride out of obligation or something… I hate obligation though.
I got over my surprise and accepted it, of course. Ever since that one night Kenji and I fought in an alley, back when I was running around to save Mother, I've been wanting to befriend him. Probably easier said than done, since he doesn't seem like he wants to be friends with me. And… I'll admit something. I think that I kind of like him, hehe… But of course, I can't ever tell him that. The thought of how Kenji could respond makes me feel uneasy. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out…
POV - Kenji
3:07PM
June 2nd, 2015
Ha, Yugo thought that I'd joined a gang or something when he came home and saw the handkerchief around my head. I guess he thought it was a bandana at first. Anyway, when he asked me what had happened, I just told him that I had fell down during physical education class and cut myself that way. He dismissed it after that, and didn't even ask me about the handkerchief. Speaking of, I wasn't sure how to wash it but I didn't want to ask Yugo so I just soaked it in the bathroom sink. What a pity, a white handkerchief ruined by the stains of blood…
Funny I should mention that… I'll never really be able to know or remember how many peoples' blood has stained my own sinful hands… …No, I can't think about that now. I promised my brother and that other man Alan Gado that I would stop letting suicidal thoughts submerge in my mind, after what I tried to do not so long ago… They both said that it would be a waste to end my life so early, at only age fourteen when I would supposedly "still have so much to experience later on". I'll try not to let my guilt get the best of me, but I really can't promise anything for certain.
School let out a little while ago, and in science class, Uriko didn't ask for her handkerchief back. Maybe she forgot about it. Well, if she had asked, I wouldn't be able to return it to her today because it's still sitting in the bathroom sink at home. Yugo and I had to take turns brushing our teeth and washing our faces in the kitchen this morning.
I've been researching on stories about people who have had their families torn away from them, in some cases, for the stupidest reasons. But how they felt when it was happened was pain far worse than receiving physical injuries. The people also felt fear. Fear that it would happen to their friends, or others that are close to them, that their friends would be taken away somehow too. And if some do get their families back, the fear never leaves because it can happen again, when they least expect it.
I read what I had so far of my report to Uriko today while we were in Biology, and when I finished, she gave me a smile and complimented on it but she looked uneasy. …I wonder if it's because she feels the way the people do in the other situations. Assured but still scared. Relieved, but angry. I can sympathize; I'd feel the same way if some creep like Shenlong came by and nabbed my brother. I don't know all the details about Uriko's little escapade, but I did hear bits and pieces while Alice was talking about it with Yugo a couple days ago.
I won't go into detail, but it seems like Uriko went through a lot during the period when her mother was kidnapped, and she did things mostly independently. She did have help, but the majority of it she took care of by herself. I rather wish that I could have done that, be in a situation where I'm needed instead of requiring help from others. I'm not a kid, and I need to prove that to myself and to the people around me that I can take care of things.
…I guess like the way Uriko proved herself. I want to do a version of what she did…
POV - Uriko
5:47PM
June 3rd, 2015
Dear Diary/Journal,
Hey! You'll never guess what I did today; I gave myself an additional project! More work, ahhh!! Hehe, this new project was voluntary though. Oh yeah, I haven't even told about it yet, oops! Well, I'm not sure if this is surprising or not but the project has something to do with Kenji! …Actually, it revolves around him! I couldn't help it though, honestly he is so stubborn sometimes, I think even more stubborn than I am, and that's saying a lot!
OK, today, Kenji had called in the morning - we exchanged phone numbers yesterday - and asked if he could come over so we could work on our project together and read the reports at the end of the session. I said it was fine with me, although… when Kenji read me his report yesterday, I was really surprised because it was almost like he was describing how I felt during that time Mother was kidnapped. So that was kinda frightening too… But he doesn't know anything, I don't think. At least, not everything because I guess Alice probably told Yugo a thing or two since she moved in with him today.
"I'll come by in the afternoon," Kenji said to me when we were on the phone. "I need to get out of the house before Yugo gets me to move more boxes around."
I laughed. "Well, I'll say this on my sister's behalf, Kenji: sorry."
"…It's no problem," he replied, sounding a little relaxed and casual - for Kenji, anyway. "I was only kidding, Uriko."
Isn't that something - him kidding around! I guess underneath that serious attitude and furtive shell of his, there's a sense of humor in there!
Well, back to the project… He did come over to my house this afternoon, and in short, I found out that he doesn't like certain emotions such as love! I can't believe it; I never knew Kenji was that nonchalant! So you know what I did? I told him that I would get him to be interested in someone. Needless to say, Kenji didn't show much enthusiasm in my proposal but at least he agreed to let me do it. I hope he'll at least cooperate, sigh…
I'll never tell him this, but I kind of wish that I could be one of his candidates, heh… I did admit earlier that I liked him after all… but I think that after bugging him so much he's probably getting kinda sick of me. I hope that he'll still want to be my friend after all this though…
POV - Kenji
9:08PM
June 3rd, 2015
What is with everyone and love?? I don't want to be a part of it at all; I'd rather stay in my own little quiet, safe world where I won't have to worry about heartbreak and anticipate all that other garbage. Whoever knew that when I opened my mouth about that song of Uriko's this afternoon that I'd find myself in a new dilemma. I can't say that I'm mad at Uriko though - more curious than angry.
All right, get this: she says that she can make me feel love. Can you believe that? Me, feel love. Cold, shy, nonchalant Kenji. I guess all I can say to her inwardly is "Good luck". But… another thing I'm curious about is, can she be my candidate? I mean… well, if I ever told her that, I'm sure she would laugh in my face. But, it's just that, she's the girl that I'd feel most comfortable being paired with for that additional "project" of hers…
Hm, I wonder how Uriko would feel about it if she knew…
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: Here it is, Bloody Roar II journal entries! I hadn't originally planned to have entries in Uriko's point of view, but hey, I figured why not, as long as I can find an excuse, like her and Kenji being assigned it in English class, hehe. =P This story goes up to my songfic Bloody Roar II: When You Love, just to clear up any confusion. The next installment will be up sometime next week; readers, hope you enjoyed this and please leave a review/feedback if you have the time!