And so, a few days (or maybe even weeks, I couldn't really tell) pass after I started my training under Honda, the yokozuna from the "east" side who also happens to hail from my town. At first, I was caught off-guard when I had assumed he knew *only* sumo; the first time we sparred I recognized a few of his moves were taken from aikido and tai-chi. Hell, imagine my surprise when I fell on my ass on that big dirt ring in his dojo.
Well, for a while, Honda-san did train me. I was kinda lucky I didn't get fat like him, though. Heh heh. Anyway, it was kinda like everyday that I trained under him; I insisted we had 5-hour daily sessions for about 3 1/2 weeks. I was a bit happy when he told me he also learned from me a little since I "practice" shotokan karate anyway.
I kinda miss training with the big guy...but then I'm still in high school, you know! "Studies first before fighting"...or so they say. Heh heh. Good thing I only almost flunked that little surprise English quiz that Largo-sensei had given us earlier...
You know what...Largo-sensei's kinda cute...for a gaijin English teacher. Heck, almost everyone in my class calls him "Great Teacher Largo" for some weird reason. Kinda weird sometimes that he'd have these...episodes of speaking in a language I wouldn't recognize had I not been so "savvy" with my home computer.
Sp34k l33t, 4|\|y0n3?
-----
We had some really fine weather that day: it was nice, sunny, and warm...me and my classmates were having our bento lunches under a cherry blossom tree (appropriately enough), everything seemed quite okay so far.
It just so happened that a few of my classmates had to call in sick for the day, so right now it's only the three of us: the lively one with ice-blue locks tied into two braids, Ping-chan; and our resident loner and gothic raver chick, Miho Tohya, with her purple hair spliced with black ribbons, as usual.
.....no, make that *two* people. Ping-chan had to call it a day; her "owner", a cute gaijin guy named "Piro" (I said he was cute because if you look at him at a certain angle, he does look like a girl.), told Miho-chan and me that "her batteries need some recharging". Hmm...so that's why she looked like she wasn't feeling good this morning.
In case you're all wondering what the hell I'm getting at, let me tell you that Ping-chan is sort of an "android", an EDS if you will, to put it bluntly. Hmm, anyway...I guess her owner must have forgotten to program something into her or plug her into some random PS2 game that would make her attracted to guys...but then it's as if we'd lose a friend if we'd let him do that, Ping's just cool the way she is! Heh heh heh.
Anyway, though Ping-chan wasn't here, Miho and I just giggled away the afternoon, talking about stuff that we girls usually talk about. Luckily these two know about computersabout as much as Hinata-chan and Natsu-chan do, so I'm confident enough to talk to them "what we all already know".
Of course, there's the occasional subject matter...guys. One thing that puzzles me is that out absent little android friend seems to be...oblivious to the sight of "cute" guys. "She just wants to be friends with them, it wasn't programmed in Ping or most Playstation 2 accessories like her to have any romantic tendencies for the male species," Miho had casually told me, matter-of-factly.
"I do wish I had those neat-looking earrings like Ping-chan does..." I pouted as I thought of Ping's weird mechanical extensions protruding from her earlobes.
Miho-chan just smiled at me and said, "Hmm, you seem to forget they're actually called 'earblades' and not 'earrings', Sakura-chan. 'Earblades' are utilities that Playstation 2 accessories like Ping-chan has. They do...interesting stuff like [insert earblade functions here]."
"Oh...right! Eh heh heh...but still, they're pretty cute!" I just grinned back at her with a big sweatdrop at the back of my head.
A few minutes later while we were chatting, I thought I'd seen just the wridest sight: Miho gulping and having this kind of big sweatdrop on her head as well. Miho-chan wasn't usually scared of anything...except maybe this weird-looking dude in a business suit: he had dark skin and neatly-combed red hair, and he looks like he's been working out... a lot.
Great. Of all the weirdos in the world to suddenly appear in front of us, it's this weird salaryman who could almost be my grandpa but looks like he's lost in the 60's or something. What's worse is that he's eating a bento lunch sitting *beside* me! Ugh, gross *me* out, will you? I tugged on Miho-chan's sleeve as I thought of what my mum always told me, "don't talk to stra--"
"j0," was "introductory remark" to us three. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head as realization slowly sunk in; he speaks l33t too? "Is this South Tamagawa High School? I seem to be terribly lost, and I have this little appointment to make with someone, and I'm *very* late as it is..."
Hmm...wait a damned minute. I *know* this guy! I saw him in the previous SF tourney I've been in last time, but then I never really paid much attention to this guy since I was busy terrorizing the *children's division*. Sheesh.
I also remember that was the one time I actually got *this* close to Ryu-sama...sigh. What a waste. Now I'll have to start looking for him all over again...
Miho, on the other hand, just shook her head and patted my shoulder. From the look in her eyes I can tell hshe's quite...amused about something. "What the heck are you looking at me like *that* for?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Well well, having lunch with salarymen now, Sakura? I should have known you were that type of girl...and here I thought you liked the kind of guy who--"
"GYAH! What the heck are you talking about?!"
"Just what's obvious, Sakura-chan."
"Ah...ahem. Excuse me, girls?"
"Uh...oh, hi!" I turned to the old guy with the most polite face I could ever beam at anyone and tried to grin. "Yup, this is our school, South Tamagawa High. Are you a salesman or something, Mister? What's your name?"
"Hmm...you're quite a friendly young girl. My name is...Tanaka, Masayuki Tanaka..." he smiled slightly at us and kinda saluted at us. "And yes, I *am* a salesman. I sell all kinds of stuff...as they say, 'You name it, we have it.'" He then laughed.
It was then that I started to feel...something strange about this musclebound weirdo. Strangely enough, as I looked at Miho-chan...she seemed to sense something weird with this Tanaka guy too. Hmm...maybe it's because he's got that "fighter's aura" that typical martial artists usually have and that I can sense it?
But then...Miho looked like she could sense that "aura" too. This is getting to be a bit interesting...
"So what do you sell, Mister?" I politely asked him.
"I don't think it's the right time for that...say, didn't I see you in the children's division in the last SF tourney?"
"Hey, that's what *I* was gonna say! Hmm...so how did it go between you and that old Chinese kung fu guy...his name was Gen, right? Just that I remember that he's the last one you have to fight before that big Thai guy named uhh...hmm..."
"That was Sagat, dear. Well, as for Gen..." he paused for a few seconds, then breathed out a sigh and continued, "You see, it was like--"
"Ah, ahem," a very uninterested Miho interrupted us, "You two seem to know each other very well, Sakura-chan. I...think I'll be going now. You never know what crazy quizzes Largo-sensei might--uh."
"Just a second, Miho-chan!" I pulled at Miho's sleeve in hopes that she'll stay even for a little while longer...at least until this weird-looking guy leaves. "Oh, by the way...this is my friend Miho Tohya. She's in the same class as me." Miho, as if on cue, just bowed politely to this Tanaka guy with that familiar "Nice to meet you, sir." phrase.
"Hmm..." I still eyed this redheaded creep weirdly. "Mister, didn't you say you were lost?"
"Yes, I am, little girl. That's why--"
"But then, why did you even bother to ask us girls whether or not you were in or near our school? If you say you're lost, then maybe you should have asked some random police guy outside the school or something, you know?"
"Hmm...I guess you're right. Well then..." he mumbled for a while as he searched inside his suit pockets for something: a cheesy-looking calling card for the both of us. "If you girls want to contact me, don't hesitate to give a call, all right?"
"Sure, sir!"
"Yes...'Tanaka-san'."
"I guess I'll be seeing you girls, eh? Ja ne." The stranger Tanaka just waved at us politely as he left carrying his briefcase. Somehow, he seemed like a fine guy. But then, he dresses and looks weird, and he looks like this big musclebound oaf anyway.
"Sakura-chan..." Miho looked at me curiously. "You're a martial artist, right?"
"Hmm? Well...not quite, but yeah, I guess you could say I am. Why do you ask?"
"Don't you have this...'third sense' that you'd have whenever there's danger or whenever your opponent's not tyo be underestimated or whatever?"
I just laughed. "What, you think I'm an esper or something? Miho-chan, I couldn't really gauge a person's ability through his appearance *yet*, but some good martial artists have that ability or premonition or whatever they might call it. Is this something about judging a person's strength through his ki?"
"Something like that, Sakura-chan. I might not be a martial artist like yourself, but...I feel something different from that guy 'Tanaka' or whatever his name is."
"...so the 3v1l 0n3 has l33t s3ns3s too, eh?"
I almost jumped for the moon as Largo-sensei's imposing figure loomed over us like an ominous shadow. Miho-chan just simply turned around at him as if he was nothing and looked at him in a bored way, the way she usually does when she's looking at him.
"Uh, hi sensei! What brings you here?" I tried my best to address our English teacher in, well, English. Of course.
"Largo-sensei...you still label me, your student with that overused name? How...annoying."
"Do not try to mock me, 3v1l 0n3!" Largo-sensei pointed an accusing finger quite rudely at Miho-chan, but he looked as if he was trying to mellow down a bit and finally put down his hand and sighed. "Kasugano, why are you hanging out with this...wench anyway?"
"W...w-w-we...nch?" Damn it, I wish I was good at English as Miho was.
"Excuse me, teach, but isn't that name a little too harsh? What '3v1l' have I done to Sakura-chan here?
"She is right!" I told him to the best of my knowledge in the English language and tried to reason with him. "She is not evil, Miho-chan just dresses weird sometimes! She is just a good friend to us!"
"Heh." Largo-sensei just crossed his arms. "I'll have to deal with *you* later, Tohya...and Kasugano, just a reminder..." His words seemed to trail off as he looked at the sky as if he was thinking deeply about something. "Don't talk to strangers, all right? That weird-looking guy you talked to...I just feel he's bad news. Stay *away* from him, you hear? Back to your classroom, now."
"Hai, Largo-sensei..." I got up and headed for our classroom, but Miho-chan said she'll follow me later, so I agreed anyway.
A few seconds later I went to the girls' room for a short while, then later tried to find where Miho-chan has gone to. I *really* wanted to ask her what quizzes might come up later when recess is over...
As if on cue, I saw her and Largo-sensei down a certain hallway with students slacking around left and right. Well, this was strange, I told myself, isn't Largo-sensei supposed *not* to be talking with Miho-chan since he thinks she's "the 3v1l 0n3"? And right now, they're talking to each other? This could prove to be *very* interesting, I thought as I sneaked behind them, hoping I won't be noticed, and listened carefully to their conversation.
Too bad it was in English, though.
"Well, this is nice...heh, I didn't know j00 had m4d l33t s3ns3s too...Tohya."
"You underestimate me, sensei."
"That guy you three girls got to talk to earlier...he's no good. My l33t s3ns3s never tingle wrong..."
"I don't know...but I doubt he'll make a mess of our school."
"j00 think so?"
"I think he's just bluffing back there with his innocent salesman act that he's trying to make us all fall for. In any case...someone will have to take care of him if at any case something bad happens."
"I almost wonder sometimes if this has something to do with the SF Tourney in a few months."
"That's a pretty farfetched idea, sensei...but it *could* happen. Well, maybe not."
"...get back to you classroom. 3v1l 0n3. I...I have some work to do."
I just stood up and headed for our classroom as well, hoping that I'll be there before Miho-chan does. How come I didn't guess that at first? I *knew* this had something to do with SF...but...Tanaka-san looked just like...
...just like a regular guy.
I then remembered what Honda-san told me, "Appearances can be deceiving." Well, if it were so, that Tanaka dude sure fooled me!
But then, somehow...I hope I won't have to get to fight that Tanaka dude someday. I just feel like he could wipe the floor with my ass if it does come down to that...but I'll be prepared by then. I know I am.
Well, for a while, Honda-san did train me. I was kinda lucky I didn't get fat like him, though. Heh heh. Anyway, it was kinda like everyday that I trained under him; I insisted we had 5-hour daily sessions for about 3 1/2 weeks. I was a bit happy when he told me he also learned from me a little since I "practice" shotokan karate anyway.
I kinda miss training with the big guy...but then I'm still in high school, you know! "Studies first before fighting"...or so they say. Heh heh. Good thing I only almost flunked that little surprise English quiz that Largo-sensei had given us earlier...
You know what...Largo-sensei's kinda cute...for a gaijin English teacher. Heck, almost everyone in my class calls him "Great Teacher Largo" for some weird reason. Kinda weird sometimes that he'd have these...episodes of speaking in a language I wouldn't recognize had I not been so "savvy" with my home computer.
Sp34k l33t, 4|\|y0n3?
-----
We had some really fine weather that day: it was nice, sunny, and warm...me and my classmates were having our bento lunches under a cherry blossom tree (appropriately enough), everything seemed quite okay so far.
It just so happened that a few of my classmates had to call in sick for the day, so right now it's only the three of us: the lively one with ice-blue locks tied into two braids, Ping-chan; and our resident loner and gothic raver chick, Miho Tohya, with her purple hair spliced with black ribbons, as usual.
.....no, make that *two* people. Ping-chan had to call it a day; her "owner", a cute gaijin guy named "Piro" (I said he was cute because if you look at him at a certain angle, he does look like a girl.), told Miho-chan and me that "her batteries need some recharging". Hmm...so that's why she looked like she wasn't feeling good this morning.
In case you're all wondering what the hell I'm getting at, let me tell you that Ping-chan is sort of an "android", an EDS if you will, to put it bluntly. Hmm, anyway...I guess her owner must have forgotten to program something into her or plug her into some random PS2 game that would make her attracted to guys...but then it's as if we'd lose a friend if we'd let him do that, Ping's just cool the way she is! Heh heh heh.
Anyway, though Ping-chan wasn't here, Miho and I just giggled away the afternoon, talking about stuff that we girls usually talk about. Luckily these two know about computersabout as much as Hinata-chan and Natsu-chan do, so I'm confident enough to talk to them "what we all already know".
Of course, there's the occasional subject matter...guys. One thing that puzzles me is that out absent little android friend seems to be...oblivious to the sight of "cute" guys. "She just wants to be friends with them, it wasn't programmed in Ping or most Playstation 2 accessories like her to have any romantic tendencies for the male species," Miho had casually told me, matter-of-factly.
"I do wish I had those neat-looking earrings like Ping-chan does..." I pouted as I thought of Ping's weird mechanical extensions protruding from her earlobes.
Miho-chan just smiled at me and said, "Hmm, you seem to forget they're actually called 'earblades' and not 'earrings', Sakura-chan. 'Earblades' are utilities that Playstation 2 accessories like Ping-chan has. They do...interesting stuff like [insert earblade functions here]."
"Oh...right! Eh heh heh...but still, they're pretty cute!" I just grinned back at her with a big sweatdrop at the back of my head.
A few minutes later while we were chatting, I thought I'd seen just the wridest sight: Miho gulping and having this kind of big sweatdrop on her head as well. Miho-chan wasn't usually scared of anything...except maybe this weird-looking dude in a business suit: he had dark skin and neatly-combed red hair, and he looks like he's been working out... a lot.
Great. Of all the weirdos in the world to suddenly appear in front of us, it's this weird salaryman who could almost be my grandpa but looks like he's lost in the 60's or something. What's worse is that he's eating a bento lunch sitting *beside* me! Ugh, gross *me* out, will you? I tugged on Miho-chan's sleeve as I thought of what my mum always told me, "don't talk to stra--"
"j0," was "introductory remark" to us three. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head as realization slowly sunk in; he speaks l33t too? "Is this South Tamagawa High School? I seem to be terribly lost, and I have this little appointment to make with someone, and I'm *very* late as it is..."
Hmm...wait a damned minute. I *know* this guy! I saw him in the previous SF tourney I've been in last time, but then I never really paid much attention to this guy since I was busy terrorizing the *children's division*. Sheesh.
I also remember that was the one time I actually got *this* close to Ryu-sama...sigh. What a waste. Now I'll have to start looking for him all over again...
Miho, on the other hand, just shook her head and patted my shoulder. From the look in her eyes I can tell hshe's quite...amused about something. "What the heck are you looking at me like *that* for?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Well well, having lunch with salarymen now, Sakura? I should have known you were that type of girl...and here I thought you liked the kind of guy who--"
"GYAH! What the heck are you talking about?!"
"Just what's obvious, Sakura-chan."
"Ah...ahem. Excuse me, girls?"
"Uh...oh, hi!" I turned to the old guy with the most polite face I could ever beam at anyone and tried to grin. "Yup, this is our school, South Tamagawa High. Are you a salesman or something, Mister? What's your name?"
"Hmm...you're quite a friendly young girl. My name is...Tanaka, Masayuki Tanaka..." he smiled slightly at us and kinda saluted at us. "And yes, I *am* a salesman. I sell all kinds of stuff...as they say, 'You name it, we have it.'" He then laughed.
It was then that I started to feel...something strange about this musclebound weirdo. Strangely enough, as I looked at Miho-chan...she seemed to sense something weird with this Tanaka guy too. Hmm...maybe it's because he's got that "fighter's aura" that typical martial artists usually have and that I can sense it?
But then...Miho looked like she could sense that "aura" too. This is getting to be a bit interesting...
"So what do you sell, Mister?" I politely asked him.
"I don't think it's the right time for that...say, didn't I see you in the children's division in the last SF tourney?"
"Hey, that's what *I* was gonna say! Hmm...so how did it go between you and that old Chinese kung fu guy...his name was Gen, right? Just that I remember that he's the last one you have to fight before that big Thai guy named uhh...hmm..."
"That was Sagat, dear. Well, as for Gen..." he paused for a few seconds, then breathed out a sigh and continued, "You see, it was like--"
"Ah, ahem," a very uninterested Miho interrupted us, "You two seem to know each other very well, Sakura-chan. I...think I'll be going now. You never know what crazy quizzes Largo-sensei might--uh."
"Just a second, Miho-chan!" I pulled at Miho's sleeve in hopes that she'll stay even for a little while longer...at least until this weird-looking guy leaves. "Oh, by the way...this is my friend Miho Tohya. She's in the same class as me." Miho, as if on cue, just bowed politely to this Tanaka guy with that familiar "Nice to meet you, sir." phrase.
"Hmm..." I still eyed this redheaded creep weirdly. "Mister, didn't you say you were lost?"
"Yes, I am, little girl. That's why--"
"But then, why did you even bother to ask us girls whether or not you were in or near our school? If you say you're lost, then maybe you should have asked some random police guy outside the school or something, you know?"
"Hmm...I guess you're right. Well then..." he mumbled for a while as he searched inside his suit pockets for something: a cheesy-looking calling card for the both of us. "If you girls want to contact me, don't hesitate to give a call, all right?"
"Sure, sir!"
"Yes...'Tanaka-san'."
"I guess I'll be seeing you girls, eh? Ja ne." The stranger Tanaka just waved at us politely as he left carrying his briefcase. Somehow, he seemed like a fine guy. But then, he dresses and looks weird, and he looks like this big musclebound oaf anyway.
"Sakura-chan..." Miho looked at me curiously. "You're a martial artist, right?"
"Hmm? Well...not quite, but yeah, I guess you could say I am. Why do you ask?"
"Don't you have this...'third sense' that you'd have whenever there's danger or whenever your opponent's not tyo be underestimated or whatever?"
I just laughed. "What, you think I'm an esper or something? Miho-chan, I couldn't really gauge a person's ability through his appearance *yet*, but some good martial artists have that ability or premonition or whatever they might call it. Is this something about judging a person's strength through his ki?"
"Something like that, Sakura-chan. I might not be a martial artist like yourself, but...I feel something different from that guy 'Tanaka' or whatever his name is."
"...so the 3v1l 0n3 has l33t s3ns3s too, eh?"
I almost jumped for the moon as Largo-sensei's imposing figure loomed over us like an ominous shadow. Miho-chan just simply turned around at him as if he was nothing and looked at him in a bored way, the way she usually does when she's looking at him.
"Uh, hi sensei! What brings you here?" I tried my best to address our English teacher in, well, English. Of course.
"Largo-sensei...you still label me, your student with that overused name? How...annoying."
"Do not try to mock me, 3v1l 0n3!" Largo-sensei pointed an accusing finger quite rudely at Miho-chan, but he looked as if he was trying to mellow down a bit and finally put down his hand and sighed. "Kasugano, why are you hanging out with this...wench anyway?"
"W...w-w-we...nch?" Damn it, I wish I was good at English as Miho was.
"Excuse me, teach, but isn't that name a little too harsh? What '3v1l' have I done to Sakura-chan here?
"She is right!" I told him to the best of my knowledge in the English language and tried to reason with him. "She is not evil, Miho-chan just dresses weird sometimes! She is just a good friend to us!"
"Heh." Largo-sensei just crossed his arms. "I'll have to deal with *you* later, Tohya...and Kasugano, just a reminder..." His words seemed to trail off as he looked at the sky as if he was thinking deeply about something. "Don't talk to strangers, all right? That weird-looking guy you talked to...I just feel he's bad news. Stay *away* from him, you hear? Back to your classroom, now."
"Hai, Largo-sensei..." I got up and headed for our classroom, but Miho-chan said she'll follow me later, so I agreed anyway.
A few seconds later I went to the girls' room for a short while, then later tried to find where Miho-chan has gone to. I *really* wanted to ask her what quizzes might come up later when recess is over...
As if on cue, I saw her and Largo-sensei down a certain hallway with students slacking around left and right. Well, this was strange, I told myself, isn't Largo-sensei supposed *not* to be talking with Miho-chan since he thinks she's "the 3v1l 0n3"? And right now, they're talking to each other? This could prove to be *very* interesting, I thought as I sneaked behind them, hoping I won't be noticed, and listened carefully to their conversation.
Too bad it was in English, though.
"Well, this is nice...heh, I didn't know j00 had m4d l33t s3ns3s too...Tohya."
"You underestimate me, sensei."
"That guy you three girls got to talk to earlier...he's no good. My l33t s3ns3s never tingle wrong..."
"I don't know...but I doubt he'll make a mess of our school."
"j00 think so?"
"I think he's just bluffing back there with his innocent salesman act that he's trying to make us all fall for. In any case...someone will have to take care of him if at any case something bad happens."
"I almost wonder sometimes if this has something to do with the SF Tourney in a few months."
"That's a pretty farfetched idea, sensei...but it *could* happen. Well, maybe not."
"...get back to you classroom. 3v1l 0n3. I...I have some work to do."
I just stood up and headed for our classroom as well, hoping that I'll be there before Miho-chan does. How come I didn't guess that at first? I *knew* this had something to do with SF...but...Tanaka-san looked just like...
...just like a regular guy.
I then remembered what Honda-san told me, "Appearances can be deceiving." Well, if it were so, that Tanaka dude sure fooled me!
But then, somehow...I hope I won't have to get to fight that Tanaka dude someday. I just feel like he could wipe the floor with my ass if it does come down to that...but I'll be prepared by then. I know I am.