A/N: Hello everyone. This is the next chapter of small steps. This one might be a bit boring, but it plays a big role in the future.
Special thanks to Yukina Takanashi for allowing me to use her OC.
In the next early morning, Konoka was walking alone down the streets, heading to Renpu Academy. The sky was still a bit dark; some people would still be at their homes. The reason why she walked early in the morning was to avoid contact from the surrounding people.
She did not want people to see her abnormally white skin. Her family at home already knew that she always went early in the morning. Her mother advised her daughter not to leave too early in the morning, but she couldn't stand all the whispers that people often said whenever they'd look at her.
Once she reached an intersection towards the academy, she quietly peeked from the corner of a wall. Konoka saw the janitor of the academy unlock the gate, before leaving to her post. As the janitor left, she sneakily walked inside with a quick pace. When she arrived at the entrance, she unlocked the padlock that locked her shoe locker. She put on her uwabaki, before putting her shoes in the shoe locker.
Moving through the empty hallway, she passed several empty classrooms before climbing a flight of stairs and then making her way to the door that led to the rooftop. Konoka entered the rooftop, before walking to the middle of the clearing. She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath, savoring the fresh air of the new dawn.
Exhaling the air out of her lungs, she opened her eyes before walking towards the wire fence facing towards the city of Kamakura which was slowly illuminated by the rising sun. The scene was so beautiful… She formed a small smile on her lips, as some sunlight reflected on her left stormy grey eye.
'Now back to the reason why I'm here…'
Walking back to the middle of the rooftop, Konoka unsheathed Karazusa from her waist. She watched her okatana in fascination, as it exuded a beautiful sparkle when the sun shone upon her blade.
"Please help me achieve my dream, Karazusa…" she whispered softly to the okatana,a as she began to swing it repeatedly in the air.
There was still an hour left until class started, so she decided to take the remaining time to train. The academy's rooftop was quiet and wide enough for her to perform a hidden practice here. Even though the academy had a training hall for the Tojis, Konoka still chose to practice alone and in secret because she doesn't dare to practice there.
During lunch time, Hiiragi Kagari took out two bento boxes from her bag. She was greeted by her classmate, Fujiwara Minato, as she was about to leave the classroom.
"Hey Kagari, wanna have lunch together?..." Minato asked her friend.
"I would like to, but…" Kagari answered, as she gestured at the bento on her right hand.
"I see…" Minato smiled.
"Would you like to come along? I'm sure my sister will be happy to see you…" Kagari invited her.
"Sounds good to me…" Minato answered, agreeing to Kagari's invitation.
The two of them descended through stairs from the fourth floor to the second floor, where the first classes were. Once they arrived on the second floor, a number of whispers began to be heard as they passed through gossiping students while staring at Kagari.
"Hey…isn't that…" a girl quietly whispered.
"Isn't she also one of the strongest Tojis in the academy…" another girl spoke with her friend.
"Really?..." a girl said in disbelief after she heard her friend's words.
Kagari didn't care about those words; she kept walking upright as she continued forward. Minato walked while looking at the gossipers with a sharp gaze, making them immediately stop their conversation and avoid eye contact.
"Kagari, don't listen to them. They're-" Minato tried to cheer up her friend.
"I know," Kagari cut her off before continuing, "I don't worry about it." She smiled at her friend.
"I see…that's the spirit," Minato smiled, as she patted her friend's shoulder.
After a few more steps, they finally arrived in front of Konoka's class.
"We're here," Kagari spoke.
"Well then, let's ask her out!" Minato said as she swiped open the door in a quick motion, making a loud sound.
"Minato, wait-"
"YAHO~ KONOKA-CHAN! LET'S HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER!" Minato shouted happily, while raising her hand waving at Konoka's desk.
Instantly, all of the students in that class immediately directed their gaze towards the two third-years. Kagari, who was behind Minato, just closed her eyes while smiling sheepishly.
"Are? Where is Noka-chan?" Minato questioned, as she looked around to find Konoka.
"It seems she's not here..." Kagari answered her friend, when she looked around the class.
Kagari entered the classroom, before moving towards Konoka's desk, followed by Minato from behind.
"!..." Kagari was surprised when she saw her sister's table.
"What's wrong, Kagari?..." Minato asked when she saw Kagari's surprised face.
However, she guessed the answer easily when she also saw what was on the table. On it, there were hateful harsh words. It was clear the intent of the words was to mock the person who used this desk.
'Ugly!'
'Disgusting Halfing'
'One Eyed Demon!'
Those were only some of the harsh words that were written. Minato tried to wipe some of those words with her palm but to no avail as it was written with permanent marker.
'To think of my sister using this desk…'
Kagari clutched the bento in her hand as she finally realized how cruel the treatment was that her sister received from her classmates.
"Wait a minute, hey, Kagari?..." Minato called her as she inspected the desk.
"What's wrong?"
"When Konoka goes to the academy, she also carries a bag right?" Minato asked.
"Yes, she does…" Kagari answered, before questioning, "What's wrong, Minato?"
"I don't see any bag, nor her belongings here…" Minato claimed as she had finished inspecting Konoka's desk.
"Minato and Kagari-senpai?"
Their attention suddenly shifted towards the familiar voice that called their names. Standing at the classroom entrance, with a worried look, was Yukina Takatsu.
"Yukina," Minato called.
The purple haired girl then moved to them to join in the conversation.
"Yukina, have you seen Konoka?" Kagari asked her.
She shook her head before answering, "The last time I saw her, she immediately left the class along with her belongings right when the bell just rang..."
"I see…" Kagari mumbled.
"Kagari and Minato senpai, what are you doing here?"
"Konoka didn't bring her lunch today, so we're about to bring her bento to her…" Minato answered, as she gestured at the bento in Kagari's hand.
Actually Kagari wanted to ask Yukina more about the writing on her sister's desk, but she put that thought aside now. She knew now was not the right time to ask. Kagari released a small sigh.
"Minato, I think you should go back to class, sorry I can't have lunch with you ..." Kagari told her as she was about to leave.
"Where are you going?..." Minato wondered.
"I'm about to find my sister…" Kagari answered.
"I'm coming with you."
"It's okay, I don't want you to skip your lunch," Kagari tried to refuse since she didn't want Minato to bother herself more than this.
"It's alright Kagari, besides isn't it faster if the two of us search for her together?" Minato assured her as she placed her hand on top of Kagari's shoulder.
Kagari let out a small smile, before answering, "Very well then…"
"Let's go then-"
"Ano-"
Just as they were about to leave, Yukina's voice stopped their steps.
"Can I also help?" she asked them with worry in her eyes. "Noka-chan might be in trouble so I think I also want to find her."
"Then that makes the three of us…" Minato smiled as she agreed to Yukina's offer.
Meanwhile, in the academy's warehouse, which was located about some distance away in the forest, a lone girl could be found sitting on the ground. She leaned against the wall behind the warehouse, not even caring if it would soil her skirt. She just wanted to be alone and away from people's eyesight.
A few hours ago, after she stopped her training on the rooftop, her bully classmates picked on her again. However this time, she saw one of them hiding a pair of scissors in their pocket. Luckily, just as they started approaching her, the bell for the first period rang, making them cancel their actions.
She could guess what they would do to her with the scissors they hid. And that was the reason why she immediately left her classroom when the lunch bell rang, to escape from the bullies before they had a chance to harm her. She also brought her belongings because she was afraid of what they would do with it if she left it in the class.
"You have us, Konoka. All nine of us. You'll never be alone, okay?" Konoka smiled bitterly as she thought about what her sister said yesterday.
Sighing, she looked up at the sky imagining that if she visited Kagari in her class, surely she'd have enjoyed some lunch with them by now. But then, there was still something holding her back.
Since many people already knew, Konoka was a half-aradama. There were many girls who made lies and evil issues about her-making herself become more isolated from the others.
And here she was isolating herself. She didn't want anybody who got close to her to become another subject of people's slander, especially 'them'. It would ruin her sister's reputation along with the nine strongest Toji of Renpu.
"I wonder what Kaga-nee chan is doing right now..."
Taking three small stones nearby, Konoka placed them in the palm of her right hand before concentrating her power to make their form shimmer with blue energy. They began floating in a circle in the air. She wondered why her mother forbade her to use her power? Even to protect herself?
"You don't even deserve an okatana, let alone be a Toji!"
Remembering those cutting words, she kept asking in her mind, thinking about what that person said. Does she really not deserve Karazusa? Can a half-aradama like her also become a Toji? Can she also stand by their side? She thought that in her mind, without noticing the stones begin to float faster.
"Aradama can only be destroyed."
She didn't like those words so much. The thought began to make the anger in her head rise. What was her right to say such a thing? Although there were some Aradama who tried to attack and injure humans, of course all had their reasons. And most of them were because humans tried to take noro from them by killing them. There were also many Aradama who tried to avoid humans, especially those who have small shapes and shapes, such as Aradama squirrels or cats. The stones in the palm of her right palm continued to float faster and the blue energy radiated in the three stones became brighter.
"The Origami family should have both of you aradama exorcized."
That's when Konoka jolted. Out of her control, the stones that floated above her palm launched with a bullet-like speed to some objects in front of her, making loud sounds from the impact, along with a few holes in the objects that hit with it. Again, she just let her rage consume her…
She began to sweat and breathe heavily, getting on her knees then laid her hands on the ground before vomiting.
She didn't want anything bad to happen to her or to her mother, especially her mother. But even so, Tsukuyomihime still didn't want her to use her power to hurt humans, even to protect the two of them.
Getting back to her former sitting posture with her back leaning against the wall, she stayed there for a few moments before beginning to cry. She hugge her knees before burying her sobs into her thighs.
"I'm so sorry, Mother…"
Meanwhile Kagari, along with the others, were still doing their best to find Konoka. They tried to find her on the academy's rooftop. There were some students around eating their bento with their friends.
"She's not here either, huh…" Minato sighed before she sat on the nearby bench.
followed by Yukina as she sat along beside her. Kagari walked past them before she held the wire fence behind them. She sighed sadly, before thinking why she couldn't find her sister?.
It reminded her of how this happened before.
That time, it was dusk and Konoka still had not returned home yet. Kagari tried to find her sister but with great difficulty. In the end, she found konoka at the public playground when she heard her sobbing inside of a dome.
"Why can't I find her?" Kagari asked herself.
"Hey Kagari, do you have any clue about where she might be?" Minato wondered.
"The only thing I knew is she brought her okatana and went so early in the morning."
"She could have been in the training hall at that time. Have you tried to meet her?"
"I've tried, but she isn't there."
They both sighed in submission. How could one girl be so hard to find?.
"Kagari, lunch time is almost over. I think we should call off this search."
Kagari went silent for a moment as Minato suggested she stop the search. If she agreed to Minato's suggestion, would her sister be alright on her own out there? Kagari turned to Minato before nodding her head to her.
"Don't worry, Konoka is a strong girl. I think she's gonna be alright," Minato assured her before leaving ahead.
"Yeah…"
A small relief washed over Kagari's heart, once she heard Minato's words.
"Hey Yukina."
Just as Yukina was about to follow after Minato, she stopped when Kagari called her name.
"Yes, Senpai?.." Yukina asked.
Something seemed to stir inside Kagari's eyes as her mind settled onto something. Her next voice was clear and firm.
"Do you know something about the person who wrote 'those words' on my sister's desk?"
Yukina took a sharp breath.
"So Kagari-senpai already knew…" she answered softly with sorrow in her eyes.
Kagari furrowed her eyebrows at Yukina, who averted her eyes towards the floor.
"What do you mean?..."
Silence greeted them and Yukina still had her eyes on the floor. A gust of wind blew their hair. The air changed at that very moment and Yukina took a deep breath.
"Senpai, actually I know who the person is…"
Once school finished, the teacher dismissed the class and wished her students a good afternoon before leaving the class. Konoka stood up and quickly gathered her things. She headed to the door only to be tripped, when someone shoved her as she walked by. The bully and her group laughed at her as they walked out the class.
She groaned in pain before rubbing her head, running out the room quickly so no one would gang up on her. Yukina watched the event from her desk with sadness in her eyes. Her face turned to one of concern, but she knew that now wasn't the best time to confront her.
Konoka fled quickly to find a quiet place, to a place where she could be alone. No one could be on the roof at this hour when the academy period was over, so her idea was now heading to the roof again.
"Whoah!"
"Watch it, pipsqueak!"
Running past several students with her head faced down, they gave her various kinds of expressions, but she didn't care. She just ran past them not minding or moreover like not caring about whatever they had in their minds about her. She just ran away from their eyes.
Just a bit more...almost there...only to climb the last stairs and she would be at the roof. Alone by herself.
She opened the roof door with a great force, and then immediately pulled out Karazusa from her waist, before slicing wildly into the air. Releasing her frustration at every slash she did, at what happened to her, the cruelty of how people treated her, and at those who only thought she and her mother were just creatures that only exist to be exterminated.
She put her emotions into every swing she did, making every slice deadly. And that was until she heard those voices in her head again.
"You don't even deserve an okatana, let alone be a Toji!"
"Shut up!" she said as she did another slice in the air.
"Aradama can only be destroyed."
"SHUT up!"
"The Origami family should have both of you aradama exorcized."
"SHUT UP!" she yelled loudly as she made a powerful swift in the air.
However, the next event was unexpected. The next slash she just did released a wave of slicing winds in the air, damaging some floor and wire fence in front of her.
"Damn…" she cursed lightly, looking at what she just did.
She fell on her knees and looked at her reflection on Karazusa's blade. She thought about the bully girl again. From the way she said those words...how she said it if it was true. It made Konoka's soul refuse to ignore her just like that, but she couldn't do anything to change it. And that was because of her mother's request...
Slowly, she lifted her body until she was on her feet, before raising Karazusa with both her hands on the hilt. Trying to imagine a figure that would become her enemy, what appeared in her mind was that bully girl. Konoka spent her time training herself while imagining slashing the bully girl.
Walking side by side towards the academy gate, Kagari and Minato intended to wait for Konoka at the gate. Unexpectedly, they met a familiar face over there.
"Hey Yukina!" Minato called out to her, making her turn her attention to the duo. "You're still not home yet?"
"Ah senpai!" Yukina moved closer before greeting them, "I'm about to wait for Noka-chan at the gate."
"She's not out yet?" Kagari asked.
Yukina shook her head before answering "I don't know senpai. The last time I saw her, she just ran out of the class."
"I see," Kagari answered, sighing softly.
Minato put her chin on her right palm before thinking about something. "Hey Kagari, during the lunch break didn't you say Konoka brought her okatana and left early in the morning, right?"
"Yeah, I did…why?" Kagari wondered.
'I see, she must be there,' Minato thought in her mind before walking back to the academy.
"Hey Minato, where are you going?" Kagari asked her.
"You guys stay here, I'm about to try to visit some place else," she half-yelled before quickening her pace
Quickening her pace while climbing more stairs, Minato went to the place, where she thought Konoka was. Exhaling small tired breaths, finally she reached the entrance to the rooftop.
Slowly, she used her right hand to push the door open, creating a rusty sound. The sound caused the person on the other side to stop whatever she was doing as she focused on the person who just appeared.
"Minato-senpai?" the dark green haired girl called out her name, as the said person was entering the rooftop.
"Noka," Minato called her name as she smiled seeing the half-ling.
To be honest, she was very happy right now, her guessing was not wrong. After trying to find the girl, who was searched for with such difficulty, finally Minato managed to find her.
"What are you doing here, senpai?" Konoka asked, looking at the ground.
Konoka didn't dare to look Minato in her eyes, not because she was afraid or even hated her, but because she felt unworthy to look at her figure.
"We've been looking for you, Noka…" said Minato, with relief in her face.
Turning her eyes upwards, Konoka's eyes widened in shock, not believing that there were people who cared to find her. Kagari might've definitely been looking for her, but did she do it because of her own free will?
"'We'? What do you mean, senpai?"
"Yukina, Kagari, and I have been looking for you all this time, since the lunch break!" Minato half-shouted at her.
"I see…"
She looked down to the ground again; a sad smile formed up upon her face. Knowing there were people who still cared about her, it made her feel a slight happiness in her heart. But still…
"Hey senpai, why did you even bother to look for me?" Konoka's voice was small, like it didn't sound lively.
"Huh? What are you saying, Noka?" For a few seconds, Minato was confused and stood there dumbfounded.
But just hearing from her voice, Minato could guess that something was troubling Konoka.
"I mean…I'm a half-aradama. Why did you even bother to search for me, senpai?"
As Konoka kept looking down, while waiting for Minato's next answer to come, a sudden touch on her head made her freeze…a pat?
She looked up to see Minato's face. Her brown eyes were filled with care and affection as she gave Konoka a soft smile.
"Senpai?" she softly asked.
"Do I need a reason? To search for you?" Minato answered softly, before she started rubbing the younger girl's hair.
"What do you mean?" Konoka was confused by that answer, but she knew the care that she was being given was pure.
"Didn't Kagari tell you yesterday? You have the nine of us, Noka…," Minato answered, reminding her. "All nine of us…" Minato gently put her hand on her cheek.
She stared into Konoka's eyes for a moment, before eventually pulling the girl closer into a hug. 'Ah…' Konoka did not expect that hug. It was so warm.
She felt she had finally found what she needed all this time, whenever her heart was in this current state; this kind of comfort was what she needed. It made her feel at ease and relieved from the negative feelings that'd been shackling her heart.
All this time the person, who always embraced her like this, was her mother-if not her mother, then her sister. It always made her calm. But this time…being hugged by Minato, it makes her feel something else… Something hot welled up inside her chest. She did not know what this feeling was.
Konoka unconsciously strengthened their hug…and Minato gave a gentle pressure in her embrace, while patting her back. They remained like that for quite a while until Konoka was fully relaxed. She let go of the hug before looking into Minato's eyes. Realizing what she had just done, Konoka blushed, emotionally confused at the same time.
After Minato made Konoka feel much better, the both of them sat together on the nearby bench over the rooftop. Minato was typing a message, using her phone. There was silence for a while, just the sound of the phone typing a message.
Konoka was thinking about something. She wanted to know more about the hot feeling that had just appeared in her chest when she was embraced by Minato. In the midst of her thoughts, she slowly peered out of the corner of her left eye at Minato's right shoulder. She wondered, would her senpai mind if she leaned on her shoulder?
Putting aside her thoughts, she tried to ask something about her dream. "Hey senpai, do you think I can be a strong Toji like you?"
After sending the message from her phone to the addressed contact, Minato shifted her attention towards her. "Of course, Noka, of course," Minato answered, with assuredness.
"It will take some steps to achieve that dream, but I think you could definitely make it," Minato continued.
"Some steps?" Konoka wondered what it meant.
Minato explained, "It's like how you always train yourself hard, so that in the end you managed to get Karasuza in your hands." She paused before continuing, "But you see, Konoka…"
Minato looked at the setting sun from her seat, thinking about how big and beautiful the light emitted from it.
"Big dreams always begin with small steps," Minato spoke before stroking Konoka's hair again. "This small step may seem trivial, but this will produce great results in the future."
Konoka's eyes widened in amazement and fascination over those words. Those words triggered something inside her will to make changes for herself. She wanted to change, she wanted to change everything, including how the world saw herself as a half-aradama.
"Small steps, huh…"
A new hope was born within her heart.
She rose up from her seat before standing in front of Minato. "Senpai, I will do my best and everything to be strong like you!" she exclaimed, with both fists in front of her chest. Zeal and confidence lay upon those grey eyes as the sunlight shone on them.
Minato smiled proudly, before standing up and stroking her hair. "That's my kouhai!"
Eagerly, Konoka wanted to try one of her small steps as soon as possible. An idea appeared in her mind before she said it to Minato. "Hey senpai, could you spar-"
"There you are, Konoka!" The idea to spar with her senpai was stopped when a familiar voice was heard from the rooftop entrance.
"K-Kaga-nee?" Standing at the entrance, it was Yukina and Kagari with worry in their faces. It seemed the message Minato sent to them had been received.
"I've been looking for you since lunch break!" Kagari half-yelled, as she walked closer towards her sister, her eyes filled with anger and relief. She wanted to be angry with her sister. For going to the academy without her, for hiding from her.
"I'm sorry…" Konoka apologized, not daring to look at her sister.
Exhaling a heavy sigh, Kagari gestured to the door. "Come on, Konoka. Mother must be waiting for you at home." Kagari gave her a warm smile and extended her hand.
"Yes!" Konoka answered with enthusiasm and pleasure in her face.
Before leaving, Konoka shifted her attention towards Yukina and Minato. "Minato-senpai, Yukina-chan, thank you for helping my sister today!" she said thankfully and happily before bowing her head towards them.
"It's fine, Noka-chan"
"Don't mind it, Noka," Minato said, winking.
Kagari and Konoka walked first through the roof entrance, followed by Minato and Yukina from behind.
"Hey Konoka…" Kagari softly called her name as they reached the gate. The said girl looked at her sister in response.
"Promise me that you will not isolate yourself anymore," Kagari asked her.
"Yes, Nee-chan…" Konoka answered with a soft smile.
The older sister stroked her sister's head as the four of them walked to their homes respectively. Today, Konoka got some valuable lessons.
A/N: All right, that's the end of Chapter Two. The next chapter, we will have our first aradama activity in Sagami Bay, and Konoka does her first okatana fight practice with an unexpected opponent.