Hi again please enjoy Chapter 4!
Chapter 4 – An Eternal Time For a Broken Clock
Inuzuka awakened to the same pasty white ceiling tainted by the eerie darkness produced by the closed blackout curtains. The bed itself felt uncomfortable, the layout of the pillows and blanket felt off so did the desk, nothing felt right. However, the only thing going through Inuzuka's mind at that moment was the image of Maru being draped all over by Hasuki, the pain from this sight alone surmounted the banging he felt in his head in conjunction with the searing he felt in his eyes.
He dragged himself out of bed, swinging his legs around and using the momentum to force himself awake. He slowly managed to dress himself, although in a disordered fashion. As he finally achieved to look passable, he went to leave without a second thought but something pulled him towards the wood-bordered mirror. He saw something nearly disfigured looking back at him, his hair was long and drooping over his face; bloodshot eyes accompanied by noticeable bags and he almost seemed to be out of energy.
"God I'm really gonna hafta show everyone I'm not that weak", Inuzuka murmured to himself almost trying to motivate himself towards the door.
Slowly inching himself to the door he felt that familiar saltiness run down his cheek. He could not do. He couldn't leave. The prospect of facing Hasuki broke him. Slowly collapsing to the floor Inuzuka lay there sobbing, hoping for a respite from the torture that was remembering what he saw the night prior. Before he knew it the pain had gone as he had drifted off into a slumber.
"BANG BANG BANG". A hurl of blows against his door rudely interrupted his sleep; startled by the sound Inuzuka shot to his feet, quickly grasping his reflection in the mirror he was reminded by the state he was in. "BANG BANG BANG", the incessant banging at the door finally warranted a response by the heartbroken boy. Hurtling the door open Inuzuka was met by a familiar face yet the one face Inuzuka wanted to see the least. Hasuki stood there almost seething.
"What time do you think this is Inuzuka?!", Hasuki almost shouted at Inuzuka, "Well never mind, come on now, classes have started".
The command fell on the deaf ears of Inuzuka he couldn't fathom the fact that the woman who the night before broke his heart had the audacity to order him around. He tried to force words out of his agape mouth but couldn't even produce a murmur. He finally dropped head and met Hasuki's eyes.
'Her glimmer isn't there, she…she doesn't look…'
His train of thought was interrupted by another command from Hasuki.
"C'mon Bro we need to get to class". Hasuki ordered to Inuzuka. "Inuzuka… look please let me explain what happened last night". Inuzuka felt a sharp panging in his chest. "Its really not what you think-".
"Like hell its not", Inuzuka whispered quietly enough so that was indecipherable for anyone but himself but loud enough so Hasuki was silenced. With that remark he almost pushed past the much smaller figure of Hasuki leaving her there stunned into silence in that familiar darkened hallway.
As he continued on walking aimlessly his mind would wander from time to time to moments in which he'd naively think he may have stood a chance with Hasuki. Each time rationalising that he really didn't have any chance to be happy with her. The panging in his chest elevated when Hasuki's smile would be brough to the forefront of his mind.
Eventually after reaching the outer front courtyard of the dorm his mind had moved onto the topic of Maru. The emotions brought on by picturing this 'devil' eventually overflowed at the sight of the White Cat leader Juliet Persia.
Juliet, despite her frail doll-like figure and appearance, was a formidable fighter equalled only by Inuzuka. She also commanded the attention of any of her subordinates by speaking alone.
She peacefully sat there on a bench in the 'shared' open area between the two dorms eating her pre-prepared bento . Regardless of her docile disposition Inuzuka charged down his opponent with enough momentum to compare him to a bull to a red shoal. Persia's intelligence and agility allowed her to barely avoid the brutish attack by the Black Doggie's leader.
"Just as you'd expect from the far inferior Black Doggie leader". She tauntingly remarked unsuccessfully attempting to provoke a reaction from Inuzuka. "Where's your 'crew', I don't see Hasuki anywhere".
Inuzuka's mind flashed back to the previous bought of fighting he'd had with the White Cat leader with Hasuki fighting adjacent to himself. This memory in itself brought out a whole new level of rage from within Inuzuka. He began to sprint towards his opponent, the force at which he'd pushed his body meant the wind itself around him felt like blades digging into his skin. Eventually closing the distance to his 'adversary' he attempted to hurl a thousand blows in hopes one connected, the uncoordinated barrage was easy to defend against for Juliet.
'How come I cant even land a blow on Juliet? I hafta do it to prove to everyone I'm fine… I'm fine without her… without Hasuki'…
The thoughts blowing through his mind eventually had a toll on his physiological state, his emotions couldn't be controlled anymore as he ended his barrage upon the supposed enemy, he felt his lower body lose strength, his eyes began to pool with tears and his heart tugged painfully. His body had all but collapsed on top of the smaller Juliet. He eventually regained his sense of where he was and swiftly put his arms to the floor to prevent himself from all but crushing the porcelain princess. He remained inches from the woman's face tears running down his cheeks. Even his skirmishing partner knew that Inuzuka was in now fit way to fight and slowly eased his body to the floor by the side of him.
Inuzuka laid there unresponsive to the world, weeping almost screaming at his loss. A touch to his forehead awoke him from this trance.
Since even early childhood Juliet Persia was raised with a festering hatred for the Touwanese Students of Dahlia Academy. A rivalry was only natural to form between herself and the 'strongest' Black Doggie Romio Inuzuka. For almost as far back as her memories would go Inuzuka was there tainting them either through pranking her for a birthday surprise, intruding on her area whilst she played or even going as far as duelling with her as a young child. Throughout these memories there was another constant; the presence of Hasuki Komai, she had always been by Inuzuka's side, even she could recognize the fleeting flames of love between the two whist they aimed to toy with her. However, throughout her memories of Inuzuka she couldn't find a reason to hate him, whether it was his smile or his gentleness he used upon his subordinates Juliet found herself quite fond of her 'rival'. Now here he was almost in a foetal position as helpless as a baby crying his eyes out. Her motherly instincts had taken the better of her and before she knew it, she had begun to give respite to Inuzuka's weary soul.
"Its common courtesy to at least provide an adequate fight for someone of my calibre don't you think?", Juliet put forth attempting to gain a reaction from the usually so headstrong Black Doggie leader. "I take it something has happened between you and Hasuki?", prodding further she finally elicited a reaction albeit a simple grunt and nod of a head.
Inuzuka himself couldn't believe the position he found himself in finding solace in the enemy's touch and words.
'Maybe she isn't as bad as I thought'.
Juliet continued, "I assume you've fell out?".
"Something like that… but why would you care? You've already won". Inuzuka snapped whilst slowly extending his body and then returning to a sitting position. His tears had calmed although the stinging in his heart remained as harsh as ever.
"Well if my 'rival' is down in the dumps he won't be worth fighting", Juliet retorted with a gentle smile. "Look, whatever its about she is clearly special to you so you should hurry up and apologize to her already!", the white cat leader almost ordered.
Inuzuka finally overcame his previous misgivings about talking to his rival and turned to look at her in her face and after gathering his thoughts replied, "It's not that simple".
Gently smiling as she wiped away his tears, Juliet persevered in getting her message through, "Well I beg to differ. I saw Hasuki running through here earlier on the brink of tears almost inconsolable".
Knowing he was likely the reason for Hasuki's outburst panged at his heart further adding to the guilt that had overcome him. Inuzuka knew he had to do something, anything to stop Hasuki's tears, that level of guilt he had been feeling must be inconsequential compared to Hasuki's.
Juliet remarked, noticing the look of an epiphany of Inuzuka's face, "She was in a really bad way now like I said go and apologise to her already, I'm sure she's waiting for her knight in shining armour to appear".
Turning sharply, stunning Juliet, Inuzuka shot up and a look of perseverance appeared on his previously tender face, "I need to find her right now, I…I need her".
"Yes…yes its all good telling me this but tell that to her already", Juliet remarked almost shooing Inuzuka towards the Black Doggie dorm.
Turning back to thank Juliet, Inuzuka remembered that she was supposed to be his sparring rival and jokingly got into a fighting stance, "Until next time Juliet". She simply smiled in response. As he relaxed, he grabbed his neck, "But seriously though… Thank you".
As the back of Inuzuka seemed to eclipse over the horizon Juliet had finally relaxed and sat back down onto her bench just in time for two White Cats to walk past.
"Hey Juliet! You look flushed is everything alright?". One of the two female student asked inquisitively.
Realising the warm sensation across her cheeks she realised that she was indeed flushed in the face, smiling to herself she replied with a simple nod and continued to eat her pre-prepared bento.
'Maybe in another life he'd feel that way for me'.
Hey thank you again for reading chapter 4! It was a long one huh? I really enjoyed introducing Juliet to this story although she won't really play a major role.