"Oh, hey, Tachibana-senpai! What's up? Here to see Kazuma-kun, I take it?"
"Hehe. Of course, Suzuki-chan."
"I'll call him over."
"Thanks!"
My female classmate lively conversed with my girlfriend over my classroom door before turning my way with an impish smile lining her lips, "Kazuma-kun! Your wifey's here to get you."
I pried my head off my desk, glancing her way with a gaze of dry amusement. She was a slightly shorter than Hina but just as well looked after too with a slim figure to flaunt. She wore Hina's uniform in the same well dressed, smart manner as my cute wifey, which happened to be the girls' summer uniform without the blazer and short-sleeved. She decorated her light brown shoulder-length hair in pig tails with a cornrowed fringe hanging off the left side of her cheek.
"Thanks, Keiko-chan," I said in appreciation, pushing myself from my desk and stretching my jaw widely with a yawn, shouldering my bag afterward.
She smiled with a kind warmth and skipped back to her group of friends, who also acknowledged me with mischievous waves and giggles.
I shook my head and chuckled lightly at it all, 'Kids.' I mused, sauntering over to Hina.
I barely got out of the door before she snuggly flung her arms around me, resting her slender arms around the nape of my neck, then fondling the ends of my shoulder-length raven hair. A kiss, long and deep, soft lips lovingly pressed against mine for a few moments that contentedly lifted me away on cloud nine. A warm gaze opened once she pulled away, a smile gracing those lips once on mine.
"How was your day?" She asked, running an arm down my body and looping it around mine.
"Good," I grinned, "Yours?"
"Also good!" Hina bubbled.
I laughed in fond amusement as we began chaperoning each other to our choice of lunch; the rooftop, sauntering arm-in-arm through the door at the top of the stairs on the fourth floor I held open before climbing above the exit via the wall ladders provided by the school.
We separated briefly so Hina could remove her red picnic blanket, spreading it before us like a sheet over a bed. She conjoined her arms around the back of my head, mooching me lovingly once more with all the passion of a newlywed.
"You're in a loving mood," I needled when we pulled apart.
"Aren't I always?" She beamed.
"Touche," I grinned, leaning back in and kissing her, inhaling into her mouth. I parted, a faint sense of warmth embellishing my impish smile seeing her subtlety puckering her lips with a small blush dusting her cheeks, "And that, in no way, is a bad thing."
She blinked open her eyes happily, taking my lips again as we slipped off our shoes and gently threw ourselves onto her sheet excitedly, pecking each other's giggling lips.
"Let's go on a date before my cram school," Hina recommended, wiggling my nose with hers.
I snuggled back, then sighed in a deflated fashion, "I would if I could," I said, putting a puzzled look on her dazzling face. "But I'm gonna have to take a raincheck."
"Oh?" A puzzled look formed on her pretty face, "How come?"
I pushed myself up on an elbow, some mild distress marring my brow, "That dipshit Takemitchy and his merry band of tryhard wannabes are about to bite off more than they can chew," I said, "They're gonna roll on up to Shibuya and challenge their second years. They're obviously way in over their heads, so I'm gonna tail 'em after school and bail 'em out the shithole they're ultimately gonna find 'emselves in."
It took every fibre of my being to resist rolling my eyes. Imagine, I was turning down quality Hina-time to babysit Jack's group. Rah. What has happened to me? Stupid sense of duty insisting I owed the guy for Hina.
Oh, Hina, how you spoil me; gazing at me with a look of understanding warmth, "You've always been so nice, Kazu-kun." She giggled, affection colouring her voice like maple syrup, "Despite how tough you try to act."
I leaned back down, cuddling her closely and pecking her lips several times. God really didn't make girls like Hina everyday, so kind, understanding and supportive. Baffles me why anyone would willingly leave a girl like this, one that wouldn't question or argue about your lifestyle, wouldn't go out partying late at night and would be home looking after the kids.
Takemitchy was an absolute fucking retard. That was absolutely no justified reason he could ever give to justify breaking up with Hina. What, did he think he could get better than her? Did he get bored with her? Fuck no. Men don't like leaving their comfort zones. We like eating the same things at the same time, watching the same things at the same time, and settling into a comfortable routine.
The same logic could be applied to relationships. No guy was ever willingly going to break up with the ideal housewife like Hina to potentially get with a bitch far worse like Akane Tendo from the series Ranma ½. It didn't make sense and that hack Ken Wakui knew it himself, hence why he never ever tried to detail young Takemitchy's reasons for breaking up with Hina on Christmas Eve, because it didn't have to happen.
He could've left his hometown with her. One could make the argument that Kiyomisa emasculated him and made him feel unworthy of her, but that still begged question of why he still ended up leaving her and returning to his deadass life after resolving his trauma with knife boy when the plot helped him prevent Draken's first death. Yeah, I said first.
Hell, future Takemitchy breaking up with Hinata made zero sense. You really telling me he was such a bitch that he let her dad persuade him into ending his relationship with his daughter? Well, he is a bitch, but come on. Hina was never in any danger from the tryhard life he lived. None whatsoever. Usually, delinquents only target their enemies' love ones for revenge after getting their asses whooped. Takemitchy was too much of a bitch to bruise someone's ego (minus Kiyomisa, but in all fairness, I was pretty sure he had to go into hiding after his attempted assassination of Draken. Or he might have been arrested after the cops eventually showed up).
No one was going after Hina in retribution so really, Jack breaking up with Hina felt entirely unneeded. Like Wakui was going through his checklist of cliches and decided on a contrived breakup of the main couple. Ugh.
They got back together at the end of the arc because of course they did. Hina's just an ultra-loyal girl like that and deserved to be cherished for life.
"You're too good to me," I said.
"I know," She murmured sweetly, snuggling against my nose. "Just promise me you'll pick me up after cram school," She recommended, pressing her forehead to mine.
"Can do, babes," I grinned softly.
Hina rose, pushing herself up to her knees and pillowing my head on her soft lap, "Well, I better enjoy you until school's over, huh?" She smiled peppily, taking out two bento lunchboxes from her bag, "Hungry?"
"Yes, madam." I chuckled.
Hina truly was the best.
xXx
(Later That Day)
xXx
Rest of the day flew by in a blur and I was all laced up to trail Takemitchy's group to Shibuya, after walking Hina to the train station, of course. I put away my indoor shoes, beaming back at my girlfriend.
"Ready?" She asked.
"Course," I confirmed, shouldering my backpack. Hina removed a hand from her back, snuggly looping it around my other arm. She smiled at me with her trademark honey-coaxed sweetness as I led the way outside.
"Oh?" A contented air of warmth surrounded her, "Looks like someone came to pick us up." She said in amusement.
"Gee. I wonder who," I quipped dryly.
"No, boy! Not sit down! Shake!"
Of course, it was Terror who had once again escaped the premises of our apartment despite me specifically telling him not to, but I couldn't lie, seeing him purposely doing the exact opposite of everything Jack's group asked of him won him his amnesty as far as I was concerned. I may've felt guilt-ridden of robbing the tryhard delinquent of the only girl he'd likely ever meet in life, but I didn't mean I now liked him.
Nah. He had still "bitch status" in my book.
I laughed, eventually deciding to end the group's suffering, "Hey!" I called, diverting my dog's attention through bouts of amused laughter, ushering him over, "That's enough dicking around! Get over here."
Terror was already on all fours by the time he heard my voice, spiritedly sprinting over to us with leash in mouth, "Arf!" He barked, waggling his tail.
I welcomed him into my arms when he climbed onto my shoulders even though I probably should've scolded him for leaving the apartment, but whatever, "Yosh, yosh. Did you have fun clowning on those guys, g?"
"Arf, arf!" He barked once more, wetting my face.
"Terror-chan likes playing with people, huh?" Hina grinned, fondly tickling him behind his ears.
I sat Terror down, picking up his leash he somehow managed to put on himself, turning to the boys ahead, "Sorry, boys. Hope he didn't bother you… too much!" I hollered pseudo-apologetically.
"It's all good, man!" The tallest Jack with the slicked back hair answered.
"We liked playing with him!" Pink-haired Jack with the glasses followed up. I couldn't give a shit about their names, to tell the truth.
"More like he was playing you," I muttered, seeing them off with a two-fingered salute, "Catch ya later, gentlemen!"
"See ya!" They bid us farewell, sauntering off under my salute and Hina's wave.
I didn't let Hina's hand fall, plucking it from the air in a loving grip, "Alrighty, then. Let's move off."
"Lets!" Hina latched onto my arm like it was her favourite toy, pressing her warm cheek against my bicep. I smiled softly, sweeping the bangs of her beautiful hair out of her eyes with a gentle motion of my palm. To think this was the same shy, everyday shounen girlfriend of the series. She had really gone above and beyond, Super Saiyan 2-style, to reach her goal of being with me. The result was a significantly more confidence Tachibana Hinata, and I truly loved her with all my soul.
"Arf!" Terror yelped, springing forward and leading the way.
We made our way to our school's local train station, navigating our way through the hordes of onrushing pedestrians and fellow school kids alike to reach our terminal at the bottom of the station. I bounced along with an adorable tune Hina hummed whilst we waited for our train near her cram school and Shibuya. It whizzed by sooner than I anticipated, but, of course, time always seemed to fly past whenever I was with Hina.
It was like we were in our own little world where nothing else, not even time, existed, except us.
We scooted our way onto a semi-packed cart fortunately. Rush-hour didn't begin until 5 anyway. We stood opposite to the doors closest to our terminal, so Terror could comfortably sit on his haunches without risk of people stepping on his tail accidentally. I noted Takemichi's gang chilling much further down the line, craning my head above Hina's to glimpse at them.
"This is pretty exciting, huh?" Hina remarked, anticipation in her lowered voice. Japanese people were way too considerate to talk in crowded trains. They didn't even answer their phones other than to quickly tell the caller that they were on train and they would ring them back later, "It's like you're a detective stumbling on a big case." She beamed up at me.
"I know, right?" I whispered back, tucking Hina against me with my free arm as she relaxed on me, a serene expression covering her pretty face.
Hina's stop came too soon for my liking, two stops after we boarded the train, "Well, this is my stop." She declared with an palpable air of resignation about her. I escorted her to the door, hands slowly disconnecting until only our fingertips were brushing against one another.
"Be careful, Hina." I advised with a farewell kiss against her pouty lips.
"You know I will," She smiled, returning the affection, "I'll be waiting." My hand felt cold when hers completely vacated mine.
"I'll be there," I said with gentle assurance, pecking my hand to wave a kiss at her, "Adios, babe."
"Bye-bye!" She stepped onto the platform and the doors closed, putting an insufferable distance between us. We kept waving at each other until the train took off, leaving Hina behind.
I found an elderly lady shaking her head with a frown embellishing her wrinkly countenance at me when I sauntered back to my spot, very likely annoyed at our display of public affection. I grinned sheepishly and bowed my head in a show of humble apology. That seemed to placate her mood somehow.
Our stop (counting the dog) came a further three stations later.
"Finally," I murmured, standing up straight from where I was leaning against the closed doors, picking up Terror's leash. I carefully noted Takemichi amble "coolly" through the train's open doors and onto Shibuya's terminal platform, contrary to his future counterpart's clumsy stumble off it; irreputable proof to suggest there was no such time-leap, because he had no reason to.
Unless he committed suicide, though that could be a possibility given how his life turned to shit after this day.
"C'mon boy," I led Terror off the train, staying well back from the gang as though I was Yagami tailing a suspicious target with Amasawa's trusty detective mutt in Lost Judgement. I followed the guys to KFC and the sight of them going in triggered a memory of a life gone by.
"Eh, I recall them mans stopping at some unknown fast food joint in the anime. Didn't think it would be KFC, but, I'm not complaining," I smiled down at my dog, "Hungry, boy?"
"Arf, arf!"
"Of course, you are! Stay here for a second, I'll go grab ya some chicken!" I tied Terror's leash around the KFC sign, patting him on his cheeks.
Terror sat down on his haunches, watching me stroll in beyond the doors of the world-renowned establishment. It was busy with two long queues, but I didn't expect anything less. This was KFC in Japan's most frequented and well-known town in Shibuya. It was always going to be packed. I stood in line, moving forward slowly everytime someone left the cashier with their order in hand.
It took a good fifteen minutes until I was finally at the front of the queue and walking forward to be greeted by the bubbly pink-haired cashier, "Welcome!~"
I really needed to shell out on a MP3 player for times like these. I had money saved up from a paper boy job I had been doing for two years now. I moved like Homer Simpson in my old life, living off the socials and doing nothing. I had a second life to be better and that was what I was trying to do. I owed it to Hina.
"Yeah, I take a four-piece colonel meal with a large fries and another piece of chicken." I said, "And a bottle of water."
"Woo! Someone's hungry," She teased with good-natured warmth, tallying up my order on the till in the process, "Well, you are a growing boy!"
I chuckled, sweeping the bridge of my nostrils with my index finger and pulling out of my Arsenal wallet. Even in this life, I HAD to support my boys in North London and as someone who was rapidly falling out of love with modern 2022 football, getting to go back thirty years and experience real world-class players like Henry AGAIN was a dream.
"Most of it's for the dog," I explained, handing her a one thousand yen note and a five hundred yen coin.
"My, what a lucky boy he is to have such a generous owner!" She chirped and I chucked some more. "Your total is 1400 yen. Here's your change!"
"Thanks," I said, pocketing my 100 yen coin. Terror's food came in short order, no pun intended, "Sweet. Have a nice day." I said, collecting my bag of delicious, mouth-watering greasy goodness and my bottle of health.
"You too!"
I smiled and turned away from the cashier, scanning the interior, "Now, where's mandem?" She goggled at me in amazement given that I had spoken in perfect English. Japanese were not supposed to be fluent in the language of my old country, "Probably upstairs." I noted, jogging off. I rounded the stairs by the doors, motoring my way up the steps, "Bingo."
I found the group lounging by the window, pitying Takemichi's single portion of a small fries, just like they did in the anime, "Yo, gentlemen!" I hollered, drawing their attention as I ambled over, "What's going on?"
"Hey, Kazuma-san," The black-haired yute acknowledged, looking left and right for Hina, "You here alone? Where's your girl?"
"She's at cram school," I explained, eliciting a nod of understanding from the guy, "Gotta pick her up later on. Right now, I'm just chilling, doing whatever."
"I hear ya," Four eyes with the pink hair grinned.
I nodded, eyes wandering down to Takemichi's plate, "Bro, that all you having?"
"Yeah." He smiled sheepishly, "I need the rest for the train home."
"Alright," I said, propping open my bag and removing my large fries before placing it on his plate, snatching up his in return. "I'll trade ya mine then."
"Huh?" Takemichi gawked like the rest of his friends, "Are you sure, Kazuma-kun?"
"Sure. Don't worry about it," I assured, digging out a fork from my bag and using it to remove a chicken breast, slotting it alongside the large fries I propped onto Takemichi's plate. Their collective jaws dropped, "I literally don't even indulge in this shit anyway. Most of this is for the dog outside." I explained, shaking the bag for emphasis, "I can spare one for the less fortunate."
"Oh, right. You're trying to be a boxer, right?" The gang's leader Atsushi surmised cleanly.
"Guess it wouldn't be good for a boxer to eat unhealthy," Yamagishi further deduced.
"Exactly," I clarified, "Man's gotta look after his body." I took a chip, "This is about as big a portion as I can eat when it comes to fast food and all that." I propped it in my mouth.
"Alright. Thanks, man!" Takemichi grinned brightly, "I accept."
"Don't mention it, bro," I assured, turning and walking off, "In a bit, boys."
"Later!" They hollered in unison.
I gave way to an older gentleman travelling up the stairs, carrying a tray with a huge pile of food presumably for him and his family, "Thank you."
"No probs." I smiled kindly, continuing on my way. I grabbed a tray on my way out because Terror was a civilized, home dog. He didn't eat off the streets or the floor, "Yo, boy!"
One whiff of the good stuff I brought out was all it took to ignite his excitement. He jumped, standing on two legs and waggling his tail happily, "Arf!"
"I hear ya," I petted him, crouching down afterward and propping the tray down, dumping his lunch of 3 crispy chicken breasts and a leg upon its red surface. He didn't need any invitation, dropping to his paws, lowering his head and digging in like his wolf ancestor. I chuckled, scratching his ear gently, "Good boy."
At some point between Terror devouring his feast in euphoria, I picked up a paper bowl and poured half of the contents of the bottle in it. He contentedly gulped his portion up after waxing off his meal and I cleaned up the remains, dashing away the bones of the breast and tucking away the leg bone for Terror to chew on later when we got home.
I was leaning casually against the wall finishing off the rest of the water when Takemichi's group strolled on out of KFC. "Huh, whaddya know, he wasn't kidding. He really did buy all that for the dog," Yamagishi remarked, insinuating the fuckers didn't believe me or were at least incredulous of my intentions. Fair enough, I guess.
"No kidding," The paled-blonde yute gawked.
"What can I say? He has a big appetite," I quipped.
"Yeah, we can see that," Takemichi replied, grinning sheepishly.
I smirked, bidding the boys farewell again. I knew exactly where they were heading if memory served right, so I didn't need to track them from behind like prime Batman. With their bellies stomach full, they were cruising toward the residential area and park of Shibuya where they would receive a brutal beating at the hands of Kiyomisa and co.
I waited 5 to 10 minutes, putting away Terror's dinner tray and throwing the paper bowl away because man weren't a dickhead like that, then moved, "Look sharp, boy." Terror barked, springing to his feet with buoyancy defying his middle age. And that made two of us. They say dogs took after their owners and they'd be right.
I had been itching for the day I could beat the ever-loving shit out of Kiyomisa. I couldn't stand that prick in the series and bust a cheer when Takemichi choked him out, though I just wished he had been humbled him without the obvious plot-armour.
Seriously, why the FUCK would they ever agree to an honourable 1v1? Did they just FORGET they brought a knife to a fist-fight to shank Draken? Absolute bullshit of the highest order. What really would've happened in a real setting is them rushing Takemichi and the bleeding Draken right there and then and beating them to death.
That's not even mentioning Draken being moved with a stab wound, which should've made it worse.
The bitch gang mysteriously waiting around even after Takemichi ass-pulled his way to victory over Kiyomisa for the girls, Hina and Emma, to run off and call for the enforcements. What the fuck were they waiting for? Nothing! The plot blatantly held them at bay to facilitate the next course of action. Again, they would've rushed the two immediately after Takemichi's win over Kiyomisa, not waited five minutes for the girls to run off and call for enforcements.
Takemichi's absurd agility during that brawl with knife boy was yet another head scratcher. Like, when did he ever get quick footwork like that to expertly dance around Kiyomisa's punches like prime Floyd Mayweather?
Christ almighty, that fight really bordered on disbelief. One would need to borrow Luffy's Devil Fruit ability in order to stretch their suspension of disbelief to the immeasurable levels to believe that nonsense.
And it still might not be enough.
Or, you know, just turn off your brain.
"Bro!" I hollered at a couple of lads when I made it to the neighbour block. They looked shaken up, with the beginning of a bruise forming on one of them. Courtesy of Takemichi, if I had to guess. Apparently, he was the type to charge in swinging first and asking questions second. Heh. I could believe that to be fair, "You guys seen some 2nd years around here?" I asked as I ambled up to them.
"Yeah, we did."
"They roughed us up, demanded we tell them where our 2nd years are."
They sniffed, looking bitter and frustrated. I felt for them a little bit. I might have been them if I wasn't reborn with my memories intact.
"Damn, sorry about that, bro," I bowed in apology, "I'll have a word with 'em when I see 'em next time. They go to my school." I assured, flicking my hand up in bidding and sauntering past them.
"Ah, wait!" They scrambled to snatch the sleeve of my blazer, flinching under the intense look of my normal moody expression, "Don't worry about it."
"We told our 3rd years about them."
"Yeah, they'll deal with them. You'll see."
"All the more reason to step in then," I remarked, walking away with Terror, "Can't 'xactly let my senpais get their faces smashed in, no matter much they deserve it." They were likely blinking in bewilderment at my declaration considering I didn't look particularly muscular under my clothed physique.
"C'mon, you little shits! I thought ya were lookin' for a fight!" I made it right on cue to the ass whooping of the century.
Kiyomisa and his boys went to town on my seniors, painting the sandy ground red with their blood.
"Oi!" I roared, momentarily halting their onslaught of the group, "Cut that shit out!"
"Huh?" Kiyomisa turned darkly toward me, a hand harshly gripping the shirt of the battered Takemichi, "And what the fuck are you gonna do about it if we don't, kid?
"You gonna sic your dog on us?" The guy with the perpetual crazed look on his face jeered. (I didn't know his name nor did I care to be honest)
"Arf, arf!" Terror let his presence to be known, barking up a hostile storm.
I smirked, "Nah. He won't be needed to deal with your bitch asses."
"Kazuma-kun…" Takemichi whimpered, releasing a grunt from Kiyomisa harshly dropped him to the ground. I felt for the boys a little bit. These "third year middle schoolers" looked like big men in their early 20s, at the earliest. Why Tokyo Revengers HAD to be set when the guys were in middle school is beyond me. Sure, attending High School wasn't mandatory in Japan, but that was even better.
There's no inherent rule stating you must be in school to be a delinquent.
"Oh." Kiyomisa exhaled, amused. The tip of his cigarette burned as he inhaled, "You got balls, kid." He jerked his head aside, "More than those pansies anyway." The crew looked down in shame.
"Either that or he's just braindead," A snicker.
"Those are my senpais and sparring partners you're beating on," I scowled.
A round of laughter broke out among the older boys, "Those are your senpais!" One said, holding his gut. Another added, flicking a loose tear from his eye, "Not too late to run on home to mama, little first year."
I kept a straight face through it all, dismissing Terror, "Boy, stand guard next to the boys. Leave this to me." I ordered. Terror yelped, running around Kiyomisa's gang to stand guard in front of Takemichi's, much to the bemusement of Kiyomisa.
"Well, I'll be damned. Kid's serious," He remarked.
The older delinquents advanced in on me.
"Just don't go regretting it when you became our sixth golfer," Crazy mocked.
I snickered, "The only ones regretting anything by the end of this is you mans," I assured, raising my hands and stepping in my boxer's stance. I wasted no time hammering Kiyomisa squarely in the jaw, making him reel. The others rushed me instantly, but I step out of the firing line with speedy footwork.
"Holy shit." They looked bewildered. One of them even had to cushion Kiyomisa just to prevent him from falling over from my powerful strike.
"…Okay," The leader murmured deeply. A shake followed two in an attempt to ward off the cobwebs in his dazed vision, "Kid's got some bite in him." They lifted up their generic, untrained guards, sneering viciously at me.
"A little?" I quipped.
"HI-YAH!" They rushed me at once but I pirouetted out of their line of sight and went to town on the crazy looking guy, battering his cheeks with quick roundhouse rights and lefts and slamming him off his feet with an uppercut, smashing his airborne body into his fellow douchebags with a forward, lightning thrust; such was the power imbued behind my blow.
They flew, scattering across the dirt ground like bowling pins. Strike.
"Damn it!" Kiyomisa huffed when he landed, pulling himself to his backside.
"Done already, bitch?" I taunted.
"Heh." He climbed to his feet. "Fat chance."
"Good," My eyes steeled in contempt, "Because I ain't finished with you."
Kiyomisa ushered his boys to their feet, issuing another rush attempt. I strafed precisely back like Kiryu using a quickstep and charged, leaping back toward them with a right muscled arm extended forward, splitting Kiyomisa's forehead wide open and again knocking them down like I was bowling and was currently on a strike steak.
"Holy shit!" Takemichi's friends gawked.
I didn't waited for them to get up this time, dragging my guy with the deranged look up to his feet. I revelled seeing the expression of sheer fright take over his normal hysterical look from the series, then belted him with the Todoroki Rush; a fiery right hook slammed against cheek, followed by a left of equal potency, striking his chin with an uppercut before bulleting an unrelentless bombardment delivered onto his face with all the momentum of a freight train.
I shuddered in excitement to see the bloody mess his face had most assuredly become once I was done with him, but I wasn't. After ending the combo, I slammed him up in the air with a Shoryuken-styled blow, juggling him off of the ground with an endless barrage of left and right hooks. He screamed as I worked his sides over, my fists a mere blur hammering against him so fast visible air pressure wafted off of his form.
He definitely had several broken bones by the time I was relieved, launching him against one of the vendor machines Takemichi's frozen cousin had come from, cuddling a ton of beverages in his arms. Poor guy probably never thought he would live to see the day his tormentors would be given their just desserts.
"What the hell, man?" One of the leftovers cowered on his ass, flinching in horror seeing Kiyomisa's right-hand guy (I'd assume so anyway) flung across the map with so much force he shattered the glass of the vendor machine. They tried crawling away pathetically, "How the hell is he so strong?"
"Is he really a first year?"
I stepped forward. They flinched harder.
"STAY BACK!"
I did not, springing one on like an animal and driving my fist into his mouth. Numerous teeth flew by the wayside and a girlish scream of horror erupted.
"Ahh!" He whimpered, scampering on his knees, head firmly lowered, "Spare me please!"
Mercy wasn't in my vocabulary when it came to these motherfuckers. They had no mercy for Takemichi and his friends, making them their chore boys and forcing them to partake in vicious street fights for their own sick, twisted amusement until Atsushi stabbed Kiyomisa in the original, unaltered timeline. I sure as hell wasn't gonna spare them any mercy either.
My eyes widened in an deranged look of cold fury whilst I grabbed the neck of the cowering wannabe, "No please!" I silenced his pleas, crashing my fist against his mug again and again, shattering his teeth like so much fine China, breaking his jaw, destroying his nose and savagely ripping out a chunk of his hair by the time I was done. His two remaining friends could only watch on in horror as I went in on their boy.
"No way, man… This guy's unreal."
"It's like we're fighting Sano-san himself."
Getting Mikey comparisons was both flattening and encouraging.
Hopefully it meant I could calm him if or when he goes ape shit as he was prone to do in the series.
"Arf, arf, arf!"
"Watch out! He's got a weapon!"
I didn't need the translation. Three barks from Terror meant some dumbass thought it was wise to grab something lethal and wield it with murderous intent.
"Fuck you!" In this case, Kiyomisa had sneaked off while I wrecked his crew and found himself a chunky brick the size of a NFL football.
I shook my head with a snicker, watching Terror leap to my rescue with a wolf-like howl, easily intercepting Kiyomisa's charge and latching onto his brick-held arm with sharp teeth. "What? Ow, shit!" He yowled in agony, "Get this dog off me, bitch!"
"This coming from the pussy ganging up on smaller mans and needs a weapon to fight another half his size?" I quipped, chuckling darkly at the sight of my beloved Akita breed drawing blood, "Irony much, little bitch?"
"S-Shut u-." Terror savagely dragged him aside, only releasing him when he felt satisfied he had injected enough pain to keep immobilized.
"Arf!" He barked at me, telling me to go in for the finisher.
"Good job, boy," I praised, flinging myself at the wannabe hard man and leaping off my feet. I glimpsed the panic in his gaze as I brought a powerful roundhouse haymaker crashing onto his forehead with unrivalled force, slamming him into the concrete ground outside the park's sandy surface with a busted forehead.
"No fucking way!"
"He actually fucked up, Kiyomisa!"
"Let's get out of here, dude."
The last two tried running for the hills with their tails between their legs, but, as I mentioned previously, I was sparing these fuckers no leniency. "Fuck no, you don't." I skid into the back of one of them, taking out his leg. I turned on the other one who begging frantically, but I gripped him in a headlock and pummelled his sorry mug until he was nothing but a beaten, swollen mess.
Observing Him – Diary of Hinata
Kazuma-kun really wasn't as bad as he made himself out to be.
I realized that, that day back in 1998 when he first saved Terror-chan.
I followed him after school that day. He was scary, but he also kind. It was weird. He gave me scary looks in school but he always affectionally called me "Hina-chan". It was weird. Sana-chan agreed to, so I made up my mind to follow him after school. I wanted to see for myself if he was really as scary as he made himself out to be.
It was a little scary watching how easily he beat up those bigger kids, but not after I saw Terror-chan, who he was fighting for. He even smiled for the first time. Sakamoto Kazuma, the scariest kid in school, smiling so kindly. It was the best smile I had ever seen. My heart was all stirred up. I didn't even understand it back then, but I think I might have fallen for him a little.
Even when he tried being scary when I made myself known after he let down his barriers, my blossoming feelings didn't let me see him for anything else than what he was, a cute, tough boy with a heart of gold.
"…Kazuma-kun." I whispered his name so softly, cupping my hands over my heart. It never beat so quickly.
I ran home that day, singing and humming on cloud nine. Mama noticed how happy I looked when I reached home because she pointed out my upbeat mood.
"My, you look happy, Hinata-chan."
I kicked off my shoes, lining them up on our shoe rack. I raced up the elevated step by our front door, hugging Mama's legs, "Guess what, Mama?!" I said, looking up at her with my most expressive, vibrant gaze ever, "I found out today the scary boy at school really isn't so scary!"
"Oh, that's lovely, sweetie," She replied, affectionately patting me on my head, "Didn't I tell you, you can never judge a book by its cover?"
I nodded, "He beat up a bunch of bigger kids to save a stray puppy," I had stars in my eyes retelling Kazuma-kun's heroics, "It was amazing!"
"My, he does sound strong," Mama remarked, pondering something, "That sounds a little bit like Sakamoto-san's grandson, according to her."
"That's him! That's him, Mama!" I jumped like a bunny, "His name's Sakamoto Kazuma-kun!"
"What a small world we live in," She giggled in amusement, "He's really strong, is he? My, Sakamoto-san was just saying how high her hopes are for him."
"Right!" I snuggled against her leg, "Hey, you think Kazuma-kun likes cookies?"
"He might do," She smiled, "Why do you ask? Are you planning to bake him some?" I gave a small nod, hiding my blushing cheeks. Mama giggled softly, "How adorable. Okay! Ask Kazuma-kun what flavour he likes tomorrow and I'll buy the ingredients. Then I'll help you make him some when you come home from school, okay?"
I beamed.
"Mm-hmm!"
I could hardly contain myself that night when I went to bed at 9pm, kicking my feet underneath the covers like the little girl I was. It took me a whole hour of counting sheep and saying "he likes me, he likes me not" in my head to doze off completely, then I almost overslept when I woke up.
I think I would've if it weren't for Mama waking me up. How embarrassing.
"Mama, Bye-Bye. Naoto, Bye-bye!"
"Have a good day, dear."
"Bun-bye, neechan!"
I waved farewell to mama and Naoto as I hurriedly slipped into my outdoor shoes, giving them one last wave before shutting the front door, "I'm so excited!" I exclaimed, jostling my backpack. I've never felt so excited before just holding a conversation, but I was dying to talk to Kazuma-kun.
I spiritedly skipped all the way to the train station, though as I neared my school, my nerves began to set in.
What if Kazuma-kun didn't like me?
What if Kazuma-kun didn't want to talk to me?
He had never been the most sociable boy even if I thought he wasn't as mean I once thought he was. He mostly kept to himself, working on his body. Other kids had tried to bully him because of this, but he had quickly beat them up with a few punches and sent them on their way.
I swallowed a thick lump down my throat and waited by the shoe lockers, keeping my anxious gaze pinned to the floor and fiddling with my skirt.
"Hina-chan?"
I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard my nickname called, I had been so tense, "…Oh, it's only you, Sana-chan." I breathed in relief, pressing my palm against my steadying heartbeat.
Sana pouted, "What do you mean it's only me?"
"Sorry," I grinned apologetically, bowing.
That was enough to pacify her. Her cheeks deflated. "Hey, are you waiting for someone? I've never seen you so on edge."
"I'm waiting for Kazuma-kun."
"Uh-huh…" She droned, staring off into the distance with a stunned smile on her face. My declaration of waiting for Kazuma-kun was more surprising than I thought because Sana's reaction was delayed by a whole five seconds, "Wait, what!?" She grasped my shoulders, shaking me frantically, "Hina-chan, what're you saying?! You can't be waiting for Kazuma-kun?! He's so scary! He'll! He'll-!"
"It's okay! It's okay!" I insisted, feeling doozy from the motion of being shook. I gently pried my worried friend's hands off of my shoulders, beaming a comforting smile at her, "Kazuma-kun's actually really nice."
"Kazuma-kun? Nice?" She asked, incredulous, drawing a nod from me. She waved a hand over my face like I had been hypnotised, "Uh, hello, earth to Hina-chan. This is Sakamoto Kazuma-kun we're talking about! The meanest kid in school. How is he nice?"
"No, really," I assured, "He's really nice. He even saved a stray puppy from a group of older kids."
A blink, "Really?"
"Uh-huh?"
"I guess that does sound nice," She partly agreed, mostly for argument's sake. Well, at least she was trying to see my point. I knew it would be a hard sell considering Kazuma-kun's bad reputation among our school, "But I dunno! I mean, this is Sakamoto Kazuma we're talking about. It's so hard to imagine him being nice."
"You'll see," I assured, spotting the aforementioned devil himself sauntering through the gate in his usual yellow Pikachu silhouette blue shirt. The silhouette was yellow and the main shirt itself was blue. "Oh, there he is now." I joggled over to him.
"Hina-chan!" I ignored Sana-chan's harsh whisper-scream.
I grew nervous again THE closer I got to Kazuma, my feet slowing to a crawl in front of him. He rose a curious eyebrow at me on his grumpy face, "Um." I gathered my courage, resisting the urge to fan my suddenly super-hot face. "G-Good morning, Kazuma-kun. H-How are you today?" Gosh, I was so nervous I could die. It was always HARD talking to Kazuma-kun before, but this was different. There was a tightness in my chest that didn't come from fear, but my own shyness.
"Morning, Hina-chan." He greeted in a casual manner. He always looked angry, but he never once spoke coldly to me. His default scowl was just misleading like that. "I'm good, thanks. You?"
My heart calmed momentarily, "I'm good, too. Thank you." I held my straps, shuffling my feet like I wanted to open then a portal from the Wizard of Oz. Kazuma-kun's eyebrow inched further upwards, "S-So, um. Listen!" I blushed hotly.
"Take your time." He said patiently.
I offered him a smile he returned slightly, making my day. Kazuma-kun's face warming even for a little bit was the best sight of the century, "What's your favourite flavour?"
"Of what?"
"Cookies."
"Cookies, huh?" He glanced upwards and I held my breath, "I like any flavour so long as they don't have peanuts in them, but I'm partial to double chocolate chip."
"Double chocolate chip, then!" I brightened, leaving him confused, "Thank you, Kazuma-kun! Bye-Bye!"
"Uh, you're welcome?" I left him confused as I raced back to Sana-chan.
"See, Sana-chan?! He's not so mean!" I gushed excitedly.
She was just as puzzled as Kazuma-kun.
"Uh, I guess so."
Later that day
"Kazuma-kun! Bye-Bye!" I waved happily at the current object of my affections.
"See ya, Hina-chan." I drew a wave and soft grin in return. Mama always said it paid to be enthusiastic. I guess she was right too.
I sprinted all the way home, getting right to work on baking cookies for Kazuma-kun with Mama's help. I made a separate batch for my little brother and he said he really liked them and that made me confident Kazuma-kun would savour the flavour the same way.
I knew it would've been hard to fall sleep after last night because I was even more excited this time around, so I made sure to exhaust myself with a bit of exercise. Phew! How does Kazuma-kun manage all those sit-ups I sometimes see him doing in the playground? I was tuckered out after 20. Mama always told me boys were naturally stronger than girls, but I was sure Kazuma-kun was stronger than the average boy.
He did beat up 3 middle schoolers, as a 6-year-old, after all.
I was up bright and early the next morning, going through my daily routine of eating cereal and changing into my uniform. (I had a bath last night before bed) All the while I ran through scenarios of me giving Kazuma-kun my homemade cookies. I felt like I ate a whole bowl of butterflies, I grew so antsy.
"Mama, Bye-bye. Naoto, Bye-Bye." I said, squeezing into my shoes and standing back up right off the elevated step of our home.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Mama teased. I blinked, searching myself. Mama took pity on me and removed the small purple bag I had poured Kazuma-kun's cookies into. I flushed, "My, you don't want to forget this, do you?" She leaned forward.
"Thanks, Mama." I replied, taking it.
"You're so silly, neechan." Naoto remarked.
I bonked myself on the head playfully, bidding mama and Naoto farewell again and walking outside. The door beside me closed simultaneously, too. I turned my head to the similar sound and froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Kazuma-kun…" I murmured.
"Oh, hey, Hina-chan." He greeted, shouldering his Pikachu bag. A dry grin pulled at his lips, "You live here, huh?" I nodded mutely. It was all I could do at the minute. I was in total disbelief Kazuma-kun had just walked out of our neighbour's apartment. "Small world, huh?" He chuckled, his voice leaving goosebumps across my skin.
"Um." I hesitated.
"Yh?"
"Will you be staying here?" I asked cautiously, "I mean, like, living here?"
Kazuma-kun's smile, so gentle and kind, black pools staring at me with a warmth I would only ever feel from mama and papa, swelled my heart with emotion I couldn't understand just then. I was in awe.
"Yup," He confirmed, "Just moved in with Grandma a couple of days ago."
I would later learn of the tragedy that brought Kazuma-kun here, but right then, I was so happy, my brown eyes shining in euphoria, "That's great!" I gushed, beaming, "That means we can walk to school and go home together!" I realized I was getting ahead of myself, retreating into my shell, "I mean." I looked down, whispering, "If you want to."
Kazuma-kun giggled, "I don't see why not, sure."
My smile widened like the milky way, "Yes!" I remembered what I was holding when I lifted my hands up, "Oh, I almost forgot." I meekly offered it to Kazuma-kun and he glanced at it with a confused frown, "This is for you, Kazuma-kun."
"What is it?" He asked, taking it and looking it over.
"Cookies," I answered, shuffling and rubbing my arm. "You said you liked double chocolate chip cookies, so, um!" I didn't see the realization burst over Kazuma-kun's face like fireworks because I quickly my closed eyes, my nerves getting the better of me, "I made you some." I covered my face, peeking through my fingers, my voice small, "I hope you like them."
"You didn't have to do that." Kazuma-kun smiled softly and everything just felt right with the world, as though I had just gotten out of a hot, relaxing bath. I felt soothed. "Thanks." He grinned, awarding me that sincere grin I already loved.
I smiled, cheeks tinted with pink. "You're welcome."
I'm happy I followed Kazuma-kun to the park that day.
I might never have known just how nice he is and always was if I hadn't.