A/N: Yoohoo! Oh my god guys I am soooooooo sorry for the very late update! Being a film student is very time-consuming and physically challenging! Hello to the new followers and thank you for making this story one of your favourites. I am humbled by your appreciation of my work. :) So here we are at chapter 6! Enjoy! As you are reading this, I am diligently squeezing time writing the next chapters... Teehee. Oh and don't forget to R & R!
Chapter 6: Losing
"Are we going to keep watching and not do anything? I'm getting bored."
"I think we have gathered enough information on her. But I still need to make sure that she is prepared and is good enough for him. She definitely likes Oga so we can use that to our advantage."
"Sigh. I've just told you I'm bored," said the young man with brunette, sleek combed back hair as he moved forward for a kiss.
"Now is not the time fool!" the mysterious cloaked figure pushes the young man away, "You won't know who is watching."
"You're wearing a cloak! I don't think anyone would recognize you," the young man said as he leant against a wide tree trunk, dejected, "I miss the times when it was just the two of us, you know. I don't get why you're hell bent on doing this."
"I didn't call you out for you to start criticizing on what I'm doing. I would do anything for my best friend."
"Do you not love me anymore? I'm there only for you, you know that right?" the worried partner said as he caressed her face.
"If you are going to play that game then leave," said the cloaked figure as she turned away from her lover.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 2, 2, 3, 4, toss, 6, 7, 8. Stop, stop!" instructed the very troubled Vice-captain as she waved her hands, "Oi Oga and Toujou! Stop fooling around and toss your flyers at the same height as everyone else! We are not competing with each other."
She had to do it instead of Kunieda who could not bear to get angry at Oga even though he is tossing her almost through the roof. Madame Aoi must be exhilarated whenever we are having practice with Oga around. Even though she is last in the running towards being Oga's girlfriend, she is still hopeful. Is this what they call love?
"Sorry Osaka! I couldn't control my strength when I am all excited!" Toujou replied as he put Hilda down from his former grip.
"Omori! O-MO-RI. Can't you at least remember my name?" Omori sighed, "Okay let's begin from the start. Ready? 1,2,3,4,5….."
The Ishiyama team had put in their best efforts for the upcoming national competition. Even though their choreography was slightly unorthodox, it was perfectly suited for the highest rated delinquents of the region. It was hard at first, but Omori and Kunieda managed to get a group of random individuals to actually work as a team.
Oga was distracted throughout the whole practice session. Someone had placed a letter consisting of jumbled up words on his desk during break time.
"What? This better not be from that shithole who pretended to kidnap Hilda the other day," Oga commented as he held the letter that was possibly torn from a page of a notebook.
Turning the paper upside down, left to right, did not help him in deciphering the letter at all. Oga had given up and planned to wait for their training to cease before asking for help from his friends. Just that, one friend had been giving him the cold shoulder since the events with Yolda so that left him with only Furuichi. Speaking of Yolda, where is she? Eh, most probably she knows that I need some time away from her. All right! Oga's thoughts were interrupted by Kunieda's sudden squeal as the tip of her nose had touched a piling of the roof.
After their rigorous training, a few of the members asked Hilda about Yolda's whereabouts. Hilda was annoyed at them for concluding that she and Yolda would become the best of friends; or siblings rather, after the latter's identity was revealed. Hilda had so many questions for Yolda regarding her life away from Hilda and their parents but the person in question was nowhere to be found.
"Oga, are you sure this is not a trick by some loser who doesn't have a life?" Furuichi questioned as he studied the item before him which looked like scrap paper with letters.
GjfsivBeoicfksidpreparedsjvnbidtolcndhFugiblosekgmbnAhuoOOgakfnghbbiTatsumivoLoeia. Ilkdovbwarnedofibmduyouvmbod.
lofubIs'nt!fllfthispaudnfhdfun?flbogjan!oxmx.
XOXO
The Great Lord
P.S.
We met at the abandoned building! Hahaha
"The Great Lord? Building? Wasn't it the night when you came to me and told me that Hilda-chan was kidnapped? What is up with this guy?"
Oga remained silent, deep in thought. He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. Without another moment's hesitation, Oga started running towards the direction of the derelict, abandoned building that led him to his first encounter with the lord of assholes. Hilda was also missing from school right after the cheerleading practice. That wretch wouldn't be stupid enough to get kidnapped this time, right? The clouds were gathering in the sky, signaling that it was about to rain.
Upon reaching the entrance, Oga was welcomed with a spotlight shone on a table in the middle of the ground floor of the building. On it was a recorder with a note that said "Press me." Oga pressed a button, not wanting to waste any time.
"….Recording deleted. Beep."
"GAHHHHHHH!" our ogre exclaimed as he pulled at his black tufts.
Was Oga so incompetent that he did not know how to operate such an easy gadget? He finally acknowledged that he was a baka right there and then. However, he was a determined baka; and losing was not in his dictionary. Oga took a second look at the instructions and found another set of instructions in a very miniscule font size. Letting out a roar, Oga withheld from tearing the paper into pieces. Taking a deep breath, Oga brought the paper to his face and read the message carefully and painstakingly.
Hahahah! How did that felt? Wasn't that fun? I'm too awesome in this! Maybe I should make a career out of this… Oga, you just need to cancel out letters and signs which do not contribute to a word in my previous message. Then… Voila! There you go, my first message! By the way, I am sure that by the time you finish reading this, something fun is happening! HAHAHAH I am sorry that I can't tell you what it is. Let's meet again soon!
Cheers bro,
The Great Lord.
Oga cursed under his breath and started off towards Ishiyama High School where Furuichi would be waiting. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The skies were turning a darker shade of gray and the situation that Oga had been put in was not helping at all.
"Oga! Where did you run to?"
…
"I've been waiting to tell you what the message says. You should really get a phone man."
Furuichi continued pacing across the foyer of the school while mumbling some words. Oga's auburn eyes followed Worrychi's movements.
"Baka! Stop moving!" Oga shouts as he pounded Furuichi to a halt.
"What did you do that for?" Furuichi said as he rubbed the top of his head and handed over the scrap paper to Oga.
GjfsivBeoicfksidpreparedsjvnbidtolcndhFugiblosekgmbnAhuoOOgakfnghbbiTatsumivoLoeia.
Ilkdovbwarnedofibmduyouvmbod.
LofubIs'nt!fllf thispaudnfhdfun?flbogjan!oxmx.
XOXO
The Great Lord
Oga scoffed at the message. He was the ruling king of Ishiyama High (not that he cared much about it). How could he ever lose to a guy who spent too much time talking rather than taking action? A rumbling of thunder shook the whole school.
"Oga Tatsumi, please report to the general office right now," the speaker in the classroom boomed.
Tch. Oga was tired of running around everywhere which brought to nothing. The hallways were slippery due to the lack of windows that were destroyed by brawlers all over the school and Oga nearly slipped a couple of times. It was also getting chilly as the breeze blew his way. Oga rubbed his arms for warmth. This better be something good; or the principal will have a taste of my "Shit, I'm Cold Punch". As Oga went nearer to the principal office, there were muffled voices heard on the other side and one voice in particular sounded familiar…..
"Nee-san, what are you doing here?"
"Tatsumi! Mom… and Dad…" Misaki said in between sobs, "They were involved in an accident….. I've come to take you there."
—
Oga's mind went blank. He just stared helplessly at Misaki. Misaki went up to Oga and hugged him tightly and let go.
HIGH KICK.
"Wake up! You can't be stoning while our parents are in a critical condition! Let's go now!" Misaki said as she dragged the semi-conscious Oga towards the foyer where her vehicle was parked. Misaki passed Oga a helmet to put on as she got on her motorbike. Oga's eyebrow twitched.
"Oi Aniki! You just said that Okaasan and Otousan were involved in an accident. Do you want to get into one too, baka?"
"Then how the hell are we going to get there my smartass brother?"
"Run! We did that when we were kids. Or has your stamina gotten bad? Hahahaha— Oi! Wait for me!" Oga said as he tried to catch up with his sister who cheated with a headstart.
Even though they were both drenched in rain and sweat; the pair of siblings looked more relieved running towards the hospital which was a few blocks away from the school. Nearing the hospital, Misaki got worried about how they were going to find the money to finance their parent's medical bills. She became breathless when the thought of their parents unable to return to their conditions before the accident popped up in her head as a possibility. Misaki stopped in her tracks and huffed and tried to contain the despair and tears that were slowly erupting from deep within her. Her hands were resting on her knees as she bent forward to support herself. Oga stopped next to her.
"They will be ok. Don't worry Nee-san. Don't underestimate them. We are their kids after all," Oga reassured his sister as he outstretched a friendly hand towards her.
Misaki looked up and smiled at her tenacious brother. Our Tatsumi has grown up. She took his hand and they continued their journey to the hospital with much more vigour than before. The pair of siblings entered the hospital which had its usual sterile atmosphere.
"Where are our parents?"
"Good afternoon. Please calm down and tell me your surname."
"Oga. They were involved in an accident earlier and the person who called me said that they are admitted to this hospital."
"Oga….Oga…..Oga….. Ah, there is only one family with surname Oga admitted to the emergency ward. They are in room 336. Just walk straight and at the end of the hallway turn right. They are in the third room. By the way, would you like some towels to dry your selves up?"
"That would be nice, thank you."
Oga just stared at his sister throughout the whole process. Never had he seen Misaki so polite and level-headed. She looked like a Red Tails leader there.
"Okaasan! Otousan!" Misaki cried as she ran towards her unconscious parents.
A petite-looking nurse with pink hair was attending to their parents.
"Eh, what is a small kid doing here? Oi, kid! This is not the time to play dress up. Go to another corner to play. And what's with that pissed look?"
The nurse clenched her fists at her side. She stomped towards the undaunted Oga.
"I am adult! An Adult! Why can't all of you get it?" the pink haired girl exclaims as she raised herself on her toes to confront the towering Oga.
Oga paused before waving his hands and saying, "Okay, okay. You are an adult. Now go call a real nurse or doctor so that we can ask about our parents' condition."
The petite form took on a vicious role as she gave Oga an uppercut before springing on him and pulling his hair and biting him. Oga yelped in surprise. He ran around in circles trying to shake off the stubborn, young girl. Misaki cackled upon seeing her brother being undermined by someone so much smaller than he was.
"Lamia! Is this how an intern should behave? Let go of the young man right now!"
Lamia begrudgingly obeyed, stood beside the doctor with her arms folded in front of her chest and pouted. When she thinks that the doctor was not looking, Lamia would make faces at Oga who got more and more irritated by the minute.
"Why is this little bitch still here? She annoys the shit out of me. Ask her to leave."
"Lamia! You should be more considerate to someone whose parents have just gotten involved in an accident. Apologise right now."
"I… ugh… am… so… sorr… sorry…"
"I can't hear you," Oga taunted.
"I'm sorry," Lamia repeated with clenched teeth as she bowed.
"I am sorry about her behavior. She is one of the best interns here and since your parents were involved in a peculiar case; I decided to let her take care of them and monitor their condition. Don't worry, your parents are in good hands," the doctor said earnestly.
"I don't mind her. She's fun. Tatsumi is the one who is so uptight. Thank you Lamia! Let's go have a drink later as a reward for making fun of my loser brother and lightening up the mood."
I give up. Aniki will always be Aniki.
"Your parents were involved in what looked like a major accident but somehow have escaped mostly unscathed. We would like to ask for your permission to keep them here for further observation. You know, to check for internal bleeding and other medical conditions that cannot be detected on the surface."
After settling things with the hospital staff; Misaki asked Oga to return home and rest. Oga obliged immediately and said that it was a hassle to take care of the old man.
"He farts too much! One day, Okaasan complained about holes right where his a—"
That earned him a headlock which made him agree to take turns in taking care of their parents on alternate days.
On the way home Oga stopped by the river, closed his eyes and listened to the rushing water. Suddenly he felt a presence and a familiar scent intruded his nostrils.
"How are they?"
"Huh?"
"Your parents, idiot."
"They're fine. Wait, how did you know?" Oga inquired as he opened his eyes and turned to face his visitor.
"Who else but Creepichi? That pervert tried to cry into my bosom."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Aren't you angry at me? I heard from Annoyichi that I indirectly caused all this," Hilda said, ignoring Oga's previous question.
"I thought you were angry at me. I don't even know what I did wrong. Yolda kissed me first."
"You don't have to tell me about your personal life, Oga. I don't want to know."
"You really don't?" Oga probed as he pushed Hilda to the ground.
"What the hell do you think you're doing numbskull? Let me go, Garbage bin." Hilda protested against the weight of our powerful Oga.
Hilda's heartbeat was escalating and her cheeks were exuding a pinkish hue; though in the semi-darkness Oga could not see it. He could however feel her pulsating heart through her wrists and confirmed that Hilda was telling a lie. She is most probably jealous that I have another female friend who looks just like her. Hahaha. I can't help that I am popular. Oga smirked to himself. The smirk was short-lived as Hilda somehow managed to turn the tables and was now on top of Oga. Oga let go of her and they stayed there for a few seconds; staring into each other's eyes. Hilda broke eye contact, got up nonchalantly and stepped on Oga's stomach for added measure before sitting next to him.
"Take this."
"I don't need this. Keep it. "
"Furuichi said that you and and your sister are not working. Besides, since I caused this indirectly, then I should take some responsibility."
"I don't need it. We'll figure something out."
Oga laid down on the grass and placed his hands behind the back of his head and they fixed their gazes on the starless sky for a few minutes.
"Do you know this guy who calls himself the Great Lord?"
"Nope."
"He wears a purple cape and a mask."
"Douche! How am I supposed to recognize someone who uses a mask?" And who the hell wears a cape on a normal day?"
"Then how am I going to settle this score?"
"I saw the note. You lost this time around, right?"
"Bitch, the only thing I've lost is his location. The battle isn't over yet."
"Good. Then find a way to get into contact with him because I want to know who this guy is too. You will assist me in torturing him so that I can find out his motive behind all these hidden attacks."
"I'm not assisting anyone and I'm not your servant, bitch. When I find him, I'm going to make sure he begs me for his life. Anyway why don't you pay private investigators to do the job like those filthy rich bastards on tv?"
"I can't just misappropriate company funds idiot. And I have no control over it till I turn 21. The big guy who went looking for me—"
"Alalalalon? Aladdileon? Adandelion? Ah Al—"
"Alaindelon. He is the one in charge. He is overseas right now settling some company affairs."
"What kind of business do you own?"
"I don't know. All my life, I was asked to only practice my music scores and everything else. There was always talk about shipping here and there when my parents were home. But apart from that I have no idea."
"Oh," Oga paused before continuing, "Why don't you try googling yourself?"
The statement took Hilda by surprise. She had never thought of that.
"Well… Maybe I should."
Hilda took out her black phone decorated with a crystalised black skull on the back and googled her name. She found nothing except for a newspaper article dated about five years ago among other nonsensical things. Maybe her family business was not well established yet since her parents died young and moreover she was not that interested in business. It was good that Alaindelon had taken over till she was of age. She could enjoy her freedom till then.
Wait.
There was an article with her name on it. Hilda's eyes widened as she read the headline.
"Teenage Girl..."
"Oh, and there was this crazy pink-haired kid at the hospital. She went ape-shit on me..."
Hilda could not believe what she had read.