Chapter IV

November 13th

Today was cool, and Ushio felt goosebumps travel up her flesh as she walked to school. Autumn was gradually merging into winter. The leaves danced in the wind as she watched. She shivered slightly.

"Ushio!"

Ushio started and spun on her heels to see Hajime. He stopped beside her and breathed deeply.

"Cold, isn't it?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," Ushio said as they started up the cherry blossom hill. "You know, this is where my parents first met."

Ushio noticed his hair.

"Hajime, your hair is so long now!"

"No, I don't know," Hajime said jokingly. They both laughed. "And I know, right? You like it? You know, I still haven't met your parents, Ushio. We've known each other for three months now. What's up?"

Ushio looked straight ahead.

"Sorry. It's not that I don't want to. My dad works late most days and my mom…"

Hajime leaned forward as they walked.

"Don't worry about it. Introduce me after school today. They sound interesting."

"Okay!" she said, a little too cheerily.

As they approached the school gate, Ushio noticed some students wearing a different uniform than hers and Hajime's. Ushio leaned into Hajime.

"Who are they?" Ushio asked. She didn't particularly like the looks of these guys. Hajime scowled.

"Mirasaka Prep. These goons are nothing but trouble."

"I wonder why they're hanging around our school?" Ushio said, more to herself than Hajime. They had now stopped walking. Hajime's scowled deepened and his eyes narrowed. Ushio noticed something about his look that slightly frightened her. Hatred. Fury. Disgust. Hajime clenched his fist.

"Probably waiting to jump some helpless student and steal their money," he growled, ice hanging onto every word. He put a hand on Ushio's shoulder. She looked up at him. "Come on. Best to avoid these buffoons."

Ushio nodded and made to follow Hajime. The Mirasaka Prep goons noticed.

"Yo, sweet cheeks! Why ya leavin'?" one of them hollered. Ushio stopped, surprised. Hajime paused midstep. The other boys advanced.

"How 'bout you come over here and give us some sugar?"

Ushio blushed deeply and moved closer to Hajime, who was seething.

"Don't… don't talk to her like that!" he whispered dangerously. The larger of the Mirasaka boys narrowed his eyes.

"What did you just say to me, punk?" he said.

Ushio was feeling uneasy now. The other two Mirasaka boys were still staring at her like ravenous wolves. Hajime was shaking with rage as he whipped around and jabbed a finger in the delinquent's direction.

"I said don't talk to her like that, you piece of crap!" he shouted in rage. His eyes gleamed dangerously as the wind whipped his shoulder-length hair around.

"Get him boys," the other said.

Instantly, a fight ensued. One came the right, the other the left. Hajime round-housed the one on the left and followed up with a high kick to the face. He jabbed the stumbling student, blocking a right hook from the boy behind him. As the shorter of the two fell, he backhanded the other, and kneed him in the gut. Unfortunately, he was not paying attention to the one on the ground, and he took the opportunity to pull Hajime's legs out from under him. A dirty move, but it stopped his flurry of attacks.

Immediately, the one he was attacking kicked him in the rib, knocking the wind out of him. Coughing, he rolled out of the way of a stomp and jumped up, getting into a defensive posture. He spit out blood.

"H-Hajime, stop!" Ushio squealed, frightened by this incredible and dangerous turn of events. The school bell tolled. She made a move to stop him, but was held back by the leader of the Mirasaka Prep gang. She looked up at him.

"No. This is his fight. He is defending your honor. There comes a time in every boy's life where he must fight. This is his."

Ushio looked at Hajime. He was fast, and strong, but not perfect. His defense was weak. He would throw a punch, and leave himself wide open from the back. He had a look of utter rage in his eyes as he side kicked the taller of the two. He dodged a grab by spinning behind the shorter punk, and grabbed him, clutching his face and pinning his arms. He swept his foot under his and tripped him up, following through with an elbow to the spine. Ushio heard a sickening crunch. She winced.

The fight was over.

Hajime looked up. He had a black eye and his lip was swollen, along with a nasty bruise on his left cheek. Otherwise, he was fine.

"Eight years of hardcore MMA," he hissed later as Ushio cleaned his wounds. She was tending to the black eye he had received. They were in the drama club room with Sunohara and Onimashi. They were surprised to see Hajime come in all battered up. Sunohara grinned.

"Bet it was a heck of a show, huh, Ushio?" he said. This earned him a whack on the head, courtesy of Onimashi.

"What was that for?!"

"Stupid comments."

Ushio wrung out the wrag and gently applied it to Hajime's cheek, tapping it on his bruise. He hissed in pain and instinctively jerked away, eyes watering.

"Dummy! It's going to hurt!" Ushio scolded, as she brought his head closer to her. Hajime chuckled wryly, causing Ushio to smile warmly. He let her apply the wrag.

"But… thanks for earlier," she said. Hajime nodded.

Ushio put a bandage on Hajime's cheek and cleaned up.

"There. All done," she said.

As she sat there, watching the three boys talk, she starting thinking. She thought about meeting them. She thought about how kind they were. She thought about how open Hajime was with her. She thought about why she couldn't bring herself to introduce him to her parents. Was it the stigma of a junior and a freshman together?

And she wondered if she was in love.

A/N: Alright, so quite some time has passed since school started. Some seriousness is now setting in. Please, leave your thoughts on Hajime! I really need some feedback on his character.