Spiked punch chapter 5: Trouble starts
She closed and locked the door behind her as she stepped out of the Mikagami residence. It was a well known fact that the last living descendant of the Mikagami lineage was male, so who was she? Fuuko Kirisawa: former teammate of Mikagami Tokiya during the Dark Martial Arts Competition, also known as Ura Batou Satsujin; wielder of the madougu Fuujin and recently responsible for inflicting severe damage upon said teammate. Of course it was intentional, yet at the same time it was the result of a major misunderstanding. Three days have passed since the unfortunate incident, Mikagami is now confined to bed rest and Fuuko in charge of retrieving assignments form school for him and atoning for her grim error by running the household for the time being, much to his displeasure. The acute pain caused by guilt has now reduced itself to a dull throbbing awareness at the back of her mind but has by no means left her in peace.
Slipping the key that did not belong to her into the side pocket of her dark pink school skirt, she bent down to reach for her brown sling bag before slinging it over her shoulder. She gave a grunt of annoyance as the bag strap cut into her shoulder. Damn Tokiya…why does his damn thesis have to be so damn long?!…Grudgingly she trudged to school with the added weight weighing down on her delicate shoulder. This is definitely going to leave a mark…
The sun was shining brightly high in the sky spreading its warm rays over the urban landscape. It was not dreadfully hot but pleasantly warm instead, as it chased away the frigid temperatures of the night. It was still considerably early, about six o'clock in the morning. Prior to the misunderstanding between Mikagami and herself, she barely made it to school on time, always bursting through the school gates exactly a second before the bell rang following which entering the classroom just after the teacher stepped in. The past few days however have been a real chore rising by five in the morning to make breakfast for and to check on Mikagami. Today was no different. He had strength to walk around the house nowadays but it was still better for him to stay put. She did not want to risk him reopening any of the wounds that had just closed, so she brought him breakfast in bed. He was still sound asleep with the sheets twisted tightly around his slim waist and his loose night shirt hanging half open to expose a pale chest bound in bandages. His rubber band had come loose during the night leaving his silken silver mane to fan out of the pillow that cradled his head. She remembered that he looked like a picture of innocence, absolutely breathtaking, which resulted in her nearly dropping the tray, but he was also frowning and mumbling in his sleep. She had put the tray of food on the bedside table claimed his work to be submitted that day from the study table and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She felt she had no right to intrude on his privacy like that, waltzing into his room as an when she needed to, seeing things that were not meant for her eyes. Which is also why she made her trips to his room short and seldom, giving him as much space as she knew he would like to have. Her presence in his home already brought him great discomfort, she should not make herself any less welcomed.
She slide open the door to her classroom and found that she was the earliest to arrive, an occurrence so rare she could scarce recall the last time it happened. Plodding over to her designated seat, she heaved her school bag onto the table allowing it to land with a resounding thud that echoed throughout the empty classroom. Feeling the slight need to relieve herself, she made her way to the ladies. When she returned she noticed that another one of her classmates had arrived. Ayanami Misato, a demure bespectacled girl with soft baby blue shoulder length hair,
"O-ohayo, Fuuko-chan!" she stammered looking cheerful with a slight blush spreading across her cheek.
"Oha, Misato-chan! I didn't know you came to school so early…?"
"Well that's because you are not usually early yourself, if you don't mind me saying that is…" she uttered timidly.
"Sou ka? Well that's true isn't it!" Fuuko let out a cheery laugh, before reaching for her bag to retrieve Mikagami's thesis.
"Ano…what's that? I didn't know we had that much homework…"
"Oh! You mean this? It's not mine, it's Mikagami's thesis…" but she was cut off before she could finish her answer.
"Eh?! This is Mikagami-sempai's work? What's it doing with you?" a rather flushed Misato asked Fuuko
"Well, as you know Mikagami's been missing in action for a few days now," at this Misato nodded her head fervently, "and I've been in charge of collecting and handing up homework on his behalf for some time now." "Why do you ask? You have a crush on him or something? By the way, your face is beet-red, is there something wrong?" Fuuko questioned deliberately, with one eyebrow and one corner of her mouth raised in a knowing smirk.
"Err…well of course I like him…but so does everybody else!" she defended herself feebly. Before trying to turn the tables on Fuuko by questioning her back,
"Surely Fuuko-chan must have somebody who holds the reigns to your heart as well!" now it was Fuuko's turn to blush. Indeed, someone does 'hold the reigns to her heart' , as Misato so quaintly put it. She instantly felt like some star-crossed lover in a romantic Shakespearean play. Her other half is part of the enemy, part of Uruha, a certain stormy-eyed ninja who holds the darker counterpart modougu to her own, the Raijin, God of Thunder. Of course she could not tell Misato any of this so she merely nodded her head shyly. Misato's eyes grew as wide as saucers when she witnessed a beautiful rose-red hue colour Fuuko's cheeks.
" Oh my, I'm right! Who is it? Ohhh! Wait! Let me guess! Let me guess!" Misato cried enthusiastically.
"Do I know him? I mean is he from this school?
Fuuko shook her head slowly.
"Right. That's what you say. Nevermind let's move to details, is he tall?"
"Well I suppose so…"
"Does he have long beautiful hair?"
"That was very specific but yes, he has long beautiful hair." Fuuko giggled school-girlishly while over pronouncing the adjective 'beautiful'
"Is he mysterious? Is that what attracts you to him?" Misato asked smilingly, seeming to have calmed down a little.
"Extremely, and yes that is what attracts me to him…it's this insatiable thirst to know more about him, all about him…" Fuuko trailed off her blush deepening into a deeper red. Darn…I should watch my words more carefully…shouldn't reveal too much…
"Wow! I didn't know you were this emotionally involved, but I still want to know more. Last question, okay?" she reassured when Fuuko began to look panicked, " Erm…I know! Does he have one of those great broad-shouldered-slim-waist physiques?" Misato's eyes misted over and she looked dreamily into the distance apparently trying hard to picture Fuuko's mystery man, swooning slightly.
"Well you could say so. I know for a fact that he goes for constant gruelling training, so even though I've never really seen his physique close-up, I'm pretty sure he has one of those." Blushing slightly from the rather embarrassing question. Quickly without giving Misato time to forget her promise that that was to be the last question, Fuuko interjected,
"Well students are beginning to file in so I think we should stop this discussion to save ourselves some face, besides I need to hand this up before the bell rings." She said gesturing to the thesis.
Still blushing heatedly over the discussion she just shared with Misato, Fuuko skipped out of the classroom with her head bowed so nobody else would see her blush. Pity she did not choose to walk instead, or she would have heard the soft click of a tape recorder being stopped and a cruel smile spread across Misato's child-like face giving it a sudden contrived maturity. Under her breath she commended herself, " I should have joined the drama club instead of being the editor for the school magazine." Chuckling slightly, " This plus a few photos I took over the last week will be worth a lot to some people, pity it's not for sale cause I have a score to settle, Fuuko, you sly little bitch…"
~Flashback~
My first day at the neighbourhood high school as a transfer student, still a rookie, still unversed in the way of the school, unfamiliar with the Do's and the Don'ts. Oh! The ignorance of a greenhorn, afterall they do say that ignorance is bliss, but being ignorant is dangerous, they almost never remember to tell you the last part. They believe heuristic development is best for young budding potentials. Yah right! What a load of bull!
That first day's experience was carved like a permanent scar in my mind. It had all happened so fast, like most things do, first I was standing in the aisle puzzling over which locker was mine and trying so hard to overcome my nerves and remember what the code to that particular locker was. When suddenly, the multitudes that made up the student body parted like the Red Sea, being the diminutive first year student I was, it was a little hard to see what exactly was going on. However, I always had an inquisitive mind, and it was this same mind that drove me, against my better judgement, to elbow my way to the front. There I saw an oddly handsome female stride down the hallway. She had a spiked aura about her that screamed the message, "Touch me and you die". This was also echoed in the fashionably untidy way she wore her uniform. With her un-ironed white shirt tucked out and her dirt brown coat-jacket worn to a snug fit, she still looked good. Her locks of deep unruly purple were gathered together in a loosely tied ponytail. Her hands, she had hidden deep within the two side pockets of her school skirt of the same brown. Being a transfer student, I did not know much back then but I was smart enough to know that it would be wise to stay out of her way. But I guess wisdom always abandons me at the most inopportune times. At that moment, I recall being captivated by her gorgeous green eyes such that I was leaning maybe a little too far out, but definitely not enough to get myself into trouble. I know I was pushed, maybe it was an accident maybe some idiot thought it would be fun to watch some poor fool get beaten up. Whichever it was, that was what I got, beaten up. After the shove from behind, I fell crashing face first into her back. She immediately whirled on me, her green eyes gleaming with an insane amusement. I recollect being so scared I was shaking from head to foot. I had begged forgiveness from my prone position on the floor, but she would not listen. She was smirking at me. Before I knew it, she had hauled me up by my collar with one hand and in one fluid motion landed a punch on my cheek. I still recall the pain that exploded in my left cheek when her fist connected with my cheekbone. The force of her attack had thrown me backwards slamming my body against the wall. I stood there leaning against the wall unmoving when three darts flew past the corner of my blurred vision pinning my hair to the wall. I sucked in a breath in shock. Thank god I did not move. She let out a derisive laugh before moving on. The crowd dispersed later on and I was left to untangle myself by myself. Humiliated and hurt, I know I should be after the bastard who pushed me but I feel the one who has wronged me the most is still her, Kirisawa Fuuko.
~End Flashback~
I snort and thought to myself…once a bitch, always a bitch…then I realised that as I reminisced over that relatively painful memory I had been clutching the tape recorder dangerously tightly, at once I released my grip. I can't damage you now, I still have need for you…Fuuko will pay, by the end of today she would pay.
The rest of the morning passed uneventfully with the exception of one curious fact. She had not seen Misato since their discussion that morning. In fact, Misato did not even seem to have even made it to school, it was like she was never there at all. Her bags and books were missing by the time Fuuko returned to class. It was the last period before morning break and to Fuuko, time seemed to crawl on by. She was sitting in her seat counting down the minutes before the bell rang and she was free to see her friends at their usual meeting place, the back of the canteen. However, to pass time now, she let her mind wander back to the days of UBS. Especially the day when she witnessed Raiha's fight against Noroi. His moves were fluid and smooth. He struck with accuracy and intent in bold powerful moves faster than the eye could follow sometimes. Just like his element…thunder. He was also very unpredictable. She felt terribly cheated that it was only at the last minute that she found out where his true loyalties lay. All the while he had been teaching her how to improve her martial arts, how to calm herself, he even saved her from certain death once. The fact that he was actually Kurei's right hand man came as a real blow to her, but still she could not bring herself to think of him as an enemy, their enemy therefore her enemy. If she had known earlier, perhaps she would have been able to put an end to this infatuation she had with him, but then again, she might not have been able to resist his charms even if she knew his background sooner. Besides, did he not repeat several times that they were fated? But fated in what way? I wonder…
She was snapped out of her thoughts by the scraping of chairs against the floor. The long-awaited bell had rung without her even realising. No matter, she could still get to the canteen before the others. Knowing Recca, he would wait for his Hime, Yanagi, and knowing Yanagi, she would take her time getting ready. As for Domon, well Domon was always late regardless of the occasion. The other exception would have been Mikagami if he were here. He always arrived on the dot, the exact opposite of Domon, so damn perfect it was infuriating sometimes.
Before she knew it, break had come to pass. It was eventful but yet boring, musing yet mundane. She always enjoyed their company but they also always seemed to be doing the same thing. Either way, it was time to head on back to class. The four of them split at the junction of Yanagi's class. Once she was on her own, Fuuko felt a prickly sensation on the back of her neck. Like as though she was being watched. She brushed it off immediately. With the UBS over who would want to target her? Besides it was in the middle of a school day, they did not have a chance to attack, right? Still try as she could, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. As she rounded the corner, she came to the famous section of the school called the school gossip corner. It was a narrow path with a notice board of pinup put up by the schools publishing committee on one wall and on the other side was a cosy little room which aired interesting clips of school and advertised the upcoming events in the school's calendar. Most of the time this strip of path just in front of her classroom would be deserted. But today it was packed, making it very difficult to move at all. With traffic at a standstill, she decided to investigate just what all the hustle and bustle was about. Slowly but surely she made her way over to the notice board, all the time never took her eyes off it and never stopped wondering what all this could be about. When she finally positioned herself near the front of the notice board, she tip-toed to got a better look above the heads of the taller people in front of her.
She nearly screamed in horror. There on the notice board were very misleading photos of herself and Mikagami, in which both of whom were caught in very compromising positions. There was one where she had tried to kiss Mikagami in her drunken state at the recent party, where Mikagami had his arm slipped round her waist to support her and she was leaning in fully on him with her mouth very close to his. Another was the two of them at Mikagami's front door both hanging on to each other in an intimate embrace while leaning on the front door of his house looking very much like a couple. Especially with the shadows and the lighting hiding and showing what should not be seen and what should. Yet another two showed Fuuko going to and leaving Mikagami's house on another day in her school uniform, implying that she had stayed the night there with the corresponding dates printed at the bottom of the photographs.
Then she heard comments from behind her that made her skin crawl.
"Well! Now we know why Mikagami-sempai has been playing truant! Must be because he's too exhausted from the previous night's affairs!"
"Man! He must be getting it good! I wish I had some of that babe!"
"Oh Blow! I should have gotten first dibs at Mikagami-sempai not some low-life slut like her!"
" Do you think they really did it? Or did she just make him feel good? Damn I wish I had a chick like that who made me feel gooooood…"
They were all laughing and taunting her and there was nothing she could do to defend herself. The photos did not lie, but they were not truths either. She felt so helpless! They are Laughing! They are still laughing, at her! She clamped her hands over her ears and shook her head violently as if that would block out the sounds and drown the mockery. Tears trickled from her eyes, her jaw thrown open in a silent scream. She bowed her head low so nobody would see her tear-stained face.
~Meanwhile~(Yanagi's classroom)
"Hime! Do you have anywhere to go after school today? I was thinking about checking out the new funfair set up recently. It's just two blocks from your place. Wanna go?" Recca asked enthusiastically.
" Sure! That's a great idea Recca-kun! Then we can invite Mikagami-sempai and Domon can come too!" Yanagi replied with equal enthusiasm. This was when Domon chose to cut in,
" Yeah! Then we can invite Fuuko! It'll be just like a double date and a chaperone!" Domon began fantasising about the possibility of going out with Fuuko on a real date
" Wow! 'Chaperone' that's a big word for you Domon!" Recca jested hoping to get Domon riled up, and he did not even have to wait long.
" Why you little…" A fight was about to ensue when they were interrupted rather rudely.
"Hey you there! Is that Fuuko girl that slut with purple hair and tacky bracelet?"
All three whirled around in shock to look towards the source of the haughty voice that spoke so insultingly of Fuuko. Recca had his teeth clenched in anger, he would not hear of anybody speaking of his childhood friend in such an ill-mannered way. Through clenched teeth he asked, trying hard to keep his temper in check,
"What. Did. You. Say?" at this Yanagi who had frown crinkling her brow asked in a confused tone,
"Why would you describe her as such?" while saying this she laid a calming hand on Recca's arm hoping that her gentle touch would calm him down a little. Domon was just too indignant on Fuuko's behalf to speak.
The same haughty voice chose to reply with its person wearing a smug smile on her face,
"Why? Didn't you know? Don't you ever visit the Gossip Corner? Well let me enlighten you poor, poor uninformed children. Your dear Fuuko-chan has been caught red-handed doing some very, very suggestive things to our poor Mikagami-sempai. Things like touching him and even, would you are believe it? Sleeping with him! She's a slut!"
She spoke with such disgust and sarcasm whenever she mentioned Fuuko's name of supposed actions. She then threw her head back and gave a hearty laugh before a sudden
SMACK!
She held her cheek in shock. The weak, back-boneless brown-haired girl had slapped her. Just what is going on?!
"Don't you dare speak of Fuuko-chan like that ever again. She will never be like one of you." Yanagi spoke with a steady unfaltering tone and stared directly into the offending female's eyes. Next in a very commanding voice she spoke to Recca and Domon,
"Quick, we must hurry to the Gossip Corner immediately. Fuuko-chan has to pass that area in order to get back to class. We must make sure she's okay and we must resolve this ridiculous issue quickly!"
With a nod from both boys, the threesome left the classroom and hurriedly made their way to the Gossip Corner.
~At the Gossip Corner~
She could not take it anymore. The lewd comments flying all around her, about her. The lies, and her inability to do anything about them. She could not withstand it anymore. She let out a deafening scream that ringed throughout the entire block and silenced the hallway in an instant. She then elbowed her way past he crowd to the nearest exit. She left immediately. She did not even take her belongings from the classroom, she just left, running as fast as her devastation would allow her to run. She did not even hear the shouts of her friends. She just ran, ran where her legs would take her.
They were just rounding the corner when they heard an ear-piercing scream, that sounded like Fuuko's. They immediately rounded the corner to see Fuuko bolting for the nearest exit. Yanagi and Domon called after her but the crowd's refusal to budge hindered their reaching her and once she was clear of the crowd herself, she moved like the wind making it impossible for them to catch her, after all she was just like her element, wind, her Madougu, Fuujin.
Recca first turned to look at the notice board. Those who were in his line of vision immediately moved out of the way. They all knew better than to anger Hanabishi Recca, the top fighter in their school. Even though Fuuko was second only to Recca, because she was a female, they disregarded her fighting capabilities. He frowned and gave a feral growl, not liking what he saw. Without looking at Domon, he said in a dangerously soft tone,
"Domon take that rubbish down now."
" With pleasure!" was the immediate reply.
Cracking his knuckles first, he punched the glass of the notice board not caring if he got cut. It shattered without the slightest resistance spraying the onlookers with little shards that were too blunt to inflict damage. With the glass gone, he put his had into the notice board and ripped out the incriminating photos and ripped them into shreds.
Satisfied with Domon's handling of the situation, Recca turned attention to the other display. It was merely a recording equipment attached to a set of headphones. Recca looked directly at the poor soul standing next to the contraption and commanded him to unplug the headphones and push play. Withouth having to wait too long, they heard a regurgitated version of the conversation Fuuko had with Misato that morning which Fuuko had told them about during break. Disgusted with the recorded conversation, he threw two mini explosives at it which exploded on impact reducing the recorder to no more than dust and leaving a crater in the wall. Feeling the need to prevent such things from happening in the future, he left the people there with a warning,
"If I ever catch any of you targeting, Yanagi, Domon, Fuuko, Koganei and even Mikagami, I will make sure you regret you ever picked a fight with us. Is that clear?" he received ill-coordinated nods for those present.
The three of them than trooped into Fuuko's classroom to gather up her belongings and look for her to make sure she was all right. Suddenly school did not seem so important anymore, just their friendship.
~Fuuko…~
She had been running for some time now, putting absolutely no thought behind where she was headed, she felt a tad better. Just the blankness of mind that comes after exhaustion takes over. But that vanished when she looked up from the pavement.
She was right outside the Mikagami residence, again.
Author's rambling:
Hi people! My exams are over and I feel free as a bird! Whoopieeee! Well hope you pple like the chapter. However this time I feel I have to make one thing clear…I would really really really appreciate it if you guys give me constructive criticisms instead of just reviews. I mean I really wanna improve my writing style and I won't be able to do that unless you guys tell me where I've gone wrong! Tell me what you feel is wrong…you don't even have to give me specifics…just general stuff like his character ooc or smth like that and I'll promise I'll keep those in mind when I write the next chappie…Thanx!( I am going to go as far as to accept flames as well this time round…thank you for reading!!!)