A/N: It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm so sorry I fell off the face of the earth. I got really busy the latter half of the year, and before that, I just sort of lost inspiration for Kodocha. BUT, as always, when I reread the manga in December, I found my motivation to write again! So, here we go!

A quick Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2023 treats you all so, so well!

Please enjoy Part 3!

Chapter 45: School Festival Part 3

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Any sense of accomplishment Akito felt after Sana and Fuka reconciled was thrown out the window. Since they returned from the classroom that he locked them in, they had started to tease him, relentlessly.

It was one thing when it was just Sana, or even Tsuyoshi and his sister. Those he could handle. A swift look to his sister or just a simple phrase to Tsuyoshi would get them to shut their mouths.

But the force that was Sana and Fuka didn't scare away from his cold demeanor or his icy words. These days, whenever he bit at them, they bit back. And not gently. It was something he missed about his solitude. Whenever he wanted to scare people away, or be alone, all it took was one measly glare.

Now, he was lucky to get them to back away without a laugh.

The girls were talking behind him, as if they had never fought in the first place. He held back an eye roll countless times already, hearing them gossip and catch each other up on their 2 month pause. At one point, one of them must have heard his frustrated sigh because he was dealt with a swift hammer to the head.

Currently, they were on their way back to the theater, where the play would start here soon. Fuka and her class were on an hour break, so she came along before the festivities of the afternoon started.

"Sana-chan! Did you grab the shoes Mami brought for you the other day already?" Aya asked behind him.

"Oh shoot! No! I left them in my locker! Do you guy's care if we swing by real quick?" Sana's voice escalated and she started making her way towards the shoe lockers at the front of the school.

"Don't really have a choice, do we?" He grumbled and there was a swift swing of a hammer behind his head.

"No complaining!" Sana looked back to him with her tongue sticking out to him and he rolled his eyes.

With her hair in the wind, she sped off in front of them. Akito followed her backside as it shrunk, her disappearing at the corner of the hall. They would catch up to her eventually.

"It was a shitty thing you did, you know that right?"

And along with Fuka's voice, there was a pinch at his arm. Akito looked down in brief annoyance.

The brunette put her hair into a ponytail at some point, wisps of her hair hanging around the bottom. She had changed out of her sushi uniform and into her school P.E. uniform like they had.

"A thank you would have been enough." Akito grumbled again.

"Some nerve you have getting involved." The blond didn't look at her, but by the tone in her voice, Akito knew that Fuka didn't intend her words to be malicious.

"You guys kept saying it was my fault. So, I fixed it."

Fuka clicked her tongue.

"I forgave her forever ago. I was just too prideful to say anything." She admitted and Akito could relate. He was often too proud to admit to his own wrong doings too.

He didn't reply and Akito suspected Fuka knew why. They grew closer in the last two months than in the almost two years they had previously known one another. Akito liked to think, in their similarity, Fuka was able to understand him in some ways that words weren't needed.

"Ya know… I heard she rejected Akimoto-kun."

He pursed his lips.

"And what of it?" He said curtly.

"Soooo, what are you going to do?"

Akito stopped immediately, his eyes flickering to Fuka. She was looking at him with a mischievous smirk, hands behind her back, and eyes full of mayhem. Narrowing his eyes at her, he flared his nose and scoffed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

If he didn't acknowledge it, she would drop it… he hoped.

"Akito… I'm not stupid."

Unfortunately.

"It's kind of obvious, you know right?"

His entire body ran cold.

Obvious? It was obvious?

It wasn't something he could even admit to himself, nevertheless out loud.

He couldn't fathom that people would ever put two and two together, right?

"Well… it's obvious to everyone but her, but that's normal for her. Sana is as dense as a freakin' rock."

Akito knew Sana wasn't… aware of his feelings.

But apparently, everyone else freaking was.

"I know silence is your normal, but even right now, it's kind of weird for you to not be saying anything. You in there or what?" Fuka pestered and Akito hesitantly looked down at her.

"I wasn't aware it was… obvious."

This time, Fuka raised her brow, and then laughed.

"Oh boy. You have no idea, do you?"

Akito was thankful in all his years of perfecting the craft of his stoicism because internally, he was freaking the fuck out.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but you're… different around her."

He inwardly growled, annoyed by her lack of context because what the fuck did that even mean? Fuka looked up to him with a smile he wasn't entirely sure how to interpret as they continued walking along the school hallway.

Despite the chatter and commotion around them, Akito couldn't focus on anyone or anything but the conversation between them.

"… Different how?"

Fuka shrugged her shoulders as she intertwined her fingers behind her back, a mirth of a smile on her lips.

"Softer. Kinder. More tolerable."

Soft and kind were not words he would ever use to describe himself. Actually, he would say he was opposite of that. Because Hayama Akito was not soft, and he certainly was not kind.

Tongue tied, the blond was beside himself. Akito was acutely aware of how much of him had changed between now and who he was 7 months ago when he first met Kurata Sana.

But she had a way; a way to just slither yourself into the deepest, darkest parts of yourself and just yank you out into the light, no questions asked. She didn't know. She didn't ring the bell. Kurata Sana broke down the whole, damn door.

And she made no apologies doing it either.

But what made her so – so, special… what really broke down his barriers and give into her was the ability she had to touch his soul.

She reached into him – the miserable, disgusting, self-loathing part of him – and embraced him for who he was. Sana heard the ugly truth, saw his monsters and demons, and stayed.

It touched him.

It meant something to him that someone could see all that and still choose to remain by his side.

"You got it bad, don't you?" Fuka giggled next to him, and Akito immediately shook away his thoughts. But the knowing glint in her eyes made his ears burn as that was now three people (well, apparently more than that), who knew his secret.

"Just shut up, will you?" He muttered, shoving his hands deep in his pockets, desperately wanting to change the topic of this conversation.

"Embarrassed are ya? Well, that's a change! The great Hayama Akito, embarrassed!? Who would have thought!" Her giggle had turned into full blown laughter, heat burning the back of his neck.

"I'm not embarrassed!"

But it didn't matter how much he defended himself because Fuka was taking too much thrill in teasing him. But as they rounded the corner to the front of the school where the lockers were, and Sana would be waiting for them, he immediately went to look for her.

She was standing in front of her locker, straight as a board, when Fuka called out to her.

Akito arched a brow slightly as Kurata jumped to the sound of her name. In her hands, was a piece of paper. As Fuka ran closer to her, she immediately rolled the paper into a ball and threw it into her locker. Her face was slightly pale, eyes wide with shock. As Fuka got closer, she slammed her locker shut.

Her face shifted back to her normal, happy, go getting self.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion immediately.

"Hey! Did ya get your shoes?"

With a look of surprise, Sana rubbed the back of her head as she laughed.

"Oh! No! I completely forgot!" Chuckling nervously, she opened her locker with some hesitancy.

"Seriously? Gosh. Sometimes, I wonder what goes in that head of yours, Kurata." Fuka shrugged her shoulders. Sana laughed it off as she reached into her locker.

"Well, you know me! I don't always have something in there!" She laughed again, still nervous. Akito came up behind Fuka and glared slightly at her.

The former actress looked up to him and narrowed her eyes at him when she noticed him.

"And what're you lookin' at me like that for, huh?!" Hands at her hips, she stared hard at him. Fuka looked between the two and raised a brow.

"You were just looking at something, weren't you?"

Sana's jaw steeled. Fuka looked back at her with curiosity.

"Oh? That?" She gestured towards the balled-up paper in her locker and shrugged. Closing it shut, she grinned arrogantly.

"It was just some love note confession thing-y." Fanning herself, she leaned up against her locker and made a lovey dovey face.

"I can't help all my admirers, you know! They just all want a piece of all this!" She winked and Fuka groaned in disgust.

"Ugh! You've only come out for a few weeks and the fans are already back at it?!"

The former actress pouted. "When you say it like that, you make it sound like I've come out that I'm gay."

"We wouldn't love you any less even if you were." Fuka snickered and Sana huffed, crossing her arms with her shoes hanging from the tips of her fingers.

"Maybe I'd have better luck finding a relationship with a girl than a guy. After all, I am a catch ya know?!"

"You had your chance, dummy! Akimoto Hiro was on his knees for you!"

Sana went red and it was then Akito's mood soured.

"That –! I mean –! It wasn't like that with him!" She groaned on, hanging off of Fuka's shoulders. "That wasn't what I meant!"

The girls began to walk, and Akito watched Sana as she interacted with Fuka as nothing ever happened between them. Them picking up their friendship like they hadn't just ignored one another for 2 months.

And even though the conversation and moment were behind them, the blond couldn't help but look back towards Sana's locker. And the piece of rolled up paper that sit in there. And the look of distress that crossed her eyes, and the tense shoulders she bore before she put on her ever so perfect, fake smile.

Something was wrong.

The blond couldn't help the uncertainty he was feeling, and watching her now, it didn't shake the uneasiness settling at the pit of his stomach.

Akito had a bad feeling and it all revolved around Kurata Sana.

.

Sana grinned, laughing, playing along with Fuka as they walked towards the theater. They joked with each other, like nothing had ever happened between them. And she was so entirely thankful for that. Because she really didn't know how she was supposed to handle the awkward phase of trying to be friends again.

And she should be thrilled about it!

She should be so happy that her and Fuka had another chance at getting their friendship right.

But the note in her locker left a dark cloud hanging over her head along with a ball of anxiety in her chest.

Not wanting to ruin the day, she choose to crumble the paper and throw it to the back of her locker, trying to forget she even saw it. Of course, she allowed herself to get so caught up in the note she failed to notice her friends coming up behind her.

And Hayama Akito just happened to notice almost immediately that something wasn't right.

She hoped with her quick thinking and acting, she was able to keep Akito from getting suspicious.

When they arrived outside the theater, they were reunited with Tsuyoshi, Aya and some of her other classmates. Fuka broke away to start a conversation with Aya and Akito was preoccupied with Tsuyoshi.

Sana took her moment alone to look down at her watch.

It's 12 right now.

She thought to herself as she bit her lip.

The note that laid in her locker, it was placing a burden on her shoulders that she certainly did not ask for. She couldn't help but glare at the floor, almost scoffing outwardly.

They really had to wait till today, of all days!?

Why couldn't they just have waited till tomorrow?! Or the day after?

She was angry. Actually, she was pissed the hell off.

Who the hell did they think they were, anyway?! Coming after her like that? Threatening her!? Sana did nothing to deserve their spitefulness, their pettiness, their misplaced anger. And she knew where all this was stemming from.

Because if they had known the truth, none of this would be happening right now.

Sana was definitely not one to back down from a fight and she wouldn't be letting them get the last laugh, or word. Because if there was something she couldn't stand, it was people mischaracterizing her. And spewing words that just weren't true.

No.

Sana wasn't going to let them say what they wanted anymore.

"What's with the face?"

The former actress sighed deeply, shifting her eyes to her blond-haired best friend. He had a brow arched; hands shoved deep in his pockets. His golden-brown eyes were searching for an answer to his question.

In normal circumstance, she would have told him.

But Akito already saved her once before. He put himself out there, put his reputation on the line, and provided her both the space and comfort she needed.

This was something she was going to handle on her own.

So, Sana did what she always did best.

Play pretend.

"What face? Whatcha talkin' about?"

His brows furrowed and she knew that face. Sana flinched as a darkness brewed in his eyes.

"I'm not an idiot, Kurata. Something's wrong."

Damn him.

Why was he so damn perceptive anyway?!

"Nothing's wrong, Hayama." She replied, a bit more force in her voice than she had intended. And she almost slapped herself for doing so because now he was staring at her with a deepened glare.

"Why are you being defensive? Does it have to do with that paper you threw in your locker?"

Sana glared tightly at him. There was a knot in her throat as she bit back her annoyance. But that didn't stop her from crossing her arms over her chest and the frown on her lips.

"I told you. That was just a confession note."

"Then why are you so on edge?"

Normally, she would be happy – jumping for joy actually! – that Akito was so concerned for her.

But part of this made her uncomfortable. Because how often did people ever really ask her if she was okay? Other than her mother, and Ayame or Aya intermittently, when did anyone ever think to see how she was doing?

It made opening up that much more difficult.

Because who ever wanted to listen to her sob story?

"I'm not on edge, okay? I'm just…" And her voice trailed off, thinking of anything that could get Akito off her back. Because dammit, if he was anything, it was persistent!

"You're just what?" He pressed harder, his eyes bearing down at her, and she glared more fiercely.

"Just nervous, okay? You're so good at masking what you feel, but I'm not always. So, sorry that I can't just pretend I'm okay. Sorry it bothers you so much!"

Yelling at him didn't make her feel better. Not in the least. And the guilt ate at her as she watched his face switch from angry and annoyed to pure shock. Because truly, he hadn't done nothing to deserve her fury.

"Hey, you two okay?" Tsuyoshi came in between and Sana tore her eyes away from Akito, giving her favorite glass eyed friend a strained smile.

"Oh. Yeah! Sorry about that. I just lost my cool there." She laughed awkwardly, trying to deter more eyes from her and Akito. "I'm just a bit jittery. Sorry."

Tsuyoshi looked to Akito and then back to her.

No. Don't look at him. Please, don't look at him.

"Well, that's normal to be jittery!" The confusion slowly erased from his face, and he smiled awkwardly. Sana sighed inwardly.

"ANYWAY! I am going to run inside and make sure I have everything for my costume. I'll see you boys in a bit!" Without looking at Akito, she ran inside. Ignoring the voices shouting for her, she shouted something about "bathroom!" and burst into the girl's restroom.

She closed the stall shut and leaned her forehead on the door.

Attempting to calm her breathing, she let the coolness of the stall door cool her down. Overstimulated and overwhelmed, Sana gave herself a minute to recollect herself. Opening her eyes, she stared down at the floor and cursed to herself.

"Dammit." She whispered, still feeling angry and pissed off about the situation she found herself in.

This was unfair.

She didn't deserve this.

She couldn't just have one day where things actually didn't blow up in her face?

Looking at the watch on her wrist, she noted the time being close to 1230. Her heart raced, the confrontation looming ahead of her weighing heavy on her.

"You got this, Kurata. You've faced worse. This is nothing." She repeated to herself as she took some deep breaths.

She wouldn't allow herself to fold to the bullies of the world. Her mother taught her better than that. Her mother taught her to respect herself and always to know her self-worth. She wouldn't allow for a group of girls to dictate her friendships, her relationships, and certainly not her life.

With eyes determined, Sana straightened herself and squared her shoulders. Confidence dripped as she held her chin high. Knowing that nothing could tear her down if she didn't allow it, Sana walked out of the stall with her head high and confidence at the brim.

.

Kurata Sana,

You think so highly of yourself, don't you? Thinking you're so popular and that you somehow can do what you please? Including deluding Akimoto Hiro into thinking he's in love with you. We see you for who you really are.

Nothing but a self-absorbed, attention seeking whore.

Let's finish this, shall we?

Meet us at the Sakura trees by the pond on the east side of school at 1pm.

R.C.

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Ensuring she was in the clear, Sana marched through the first and second year's hall. No one thought anything different as they assumed she was just another visitor for the day. Some first and second years waved hello as they recognized her. Sana made sure to avoid Ayame's part of the hall, not trying to arise any questions.

She already felt bad about lying to her friends.

Sana didn't need to add Ayame to her conscious.

The auburn-haired teen quietly slipped out of the theater, telling Aya, Mami, and Hisae her mom and Shimura had arrived to the school – which she hadn't but would get here before the play started. She lied, telling them she ws going to show them their classroom and then take them to the theater.

"Make sure you don't take too long! You have an hour but really, Sana-chan, you should be here by 130. You're the star of the show!" Mami chastised.

"Don't get distracted eating all the sweets, okay?" Hisae teased.

"We're going to start getting ready, but like Mami-chan said, please don't get too long! We need you hear!"

"Don't you guys worry! I'll be back soon!"

And she was out the door.

Sana saw Akito out of the corner of her eye, sitting on the edge of the stage. Quickly looking away, she pretended not to feel his eyes staring at her as she left the gym.

Her heart stirred as she thought about him, and his concern from earlier. Akito didn't deserve her attitude, and certainly not the outlash she gave him. He didn't chase after her when she walked away and didn't text her either.

That was okay, though.

She would apologize when this spat with Chisaki Ryu was over.

.

It didn't take long for Sana to get to the east side of the school.

The infamous Sakura trees were in the middle of blossoming. Their beautiful, almost translucent, pink petals loitered the floor. Sana always enjoyed sitting under the tree, enjoying the pure serenity and peace it brought.

Now, the impression she had was quickly being sullied by the three girls that were standing under the cluster of trees.

Away from the school, away from the crowd of people, Sana felt like she was walking to the gallows. Ryu and her two friends weren't too far from her, and she knew they hadn't seen her yet. The nerves and anxiety tried to crawl up her throat, but she quickly pushed it down.

She would not show hesitation.

Because Kurata Sana was not afraid.

"Chisaki-san."

Chisaki Ryu's face turned to her, her face contouring into an immediate scowl.

Sana was sure to return the gesture.

"You actually came…" There was a surprise in her voice, and Sana scoffed.

She then smiled arrogantly.

"Goes to show you really don't know much about me." Shrugging her shoulders, the former actress saw Chisaki's glare deepen.

"Ugh, just shut up!" One of her friends said.

"Seriously! You are so full of yourself!"

But Sana let the words bounce right off.

They would be sorely disappointed if they knew that words hardly hurt her. Her 6 years as an actress taught her that words were a lethal weapon if you let them be. Once you stopped letting the force of them hurt you, they were just whispers lost to the wind.

"Did you call me out here just so you can say silly little insults to me? Because I have a play to get too, you know." Sana crossed her arms, and the girls next to Chisaki went red in the face.

"You stupid bi –!"

"How do you just stand there and act like you've done nothing wrong?"

Chisaki Ryu spoke, her voice hoarse, but lower than she imagined it would be. Sana was taken aback by the pain in her voice. It was breaking, like she was barely holding herself together.

It reminded her so much of Fuka after she and Takaishi had broken up.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Chisaki-san."

"You said there was nothing between you, but I saw you both. I saw you disappear with him."

"You got the wrong idea!" Sana retorted, knowing exactly what moment Chisaki saw them. "I was rejecting him! Hiro-kun confessed but I rejected him!"

Tears hung at the brim of Chisaki's eyes and Sana steeled her jaw.

"I don't get it." Chisaki whispered and even her friends looked at her in surprise. "I've loved him for years. He knew that. He knew I would do anything for him. If he would just let me, I could show him how much I love him."

"Instead, he loves someone like you?"

Sana knew she wasn't in the wrong. She knew that Chisaki Ryu was a bully and treated people poorly. She was not the type of person that Akimoto Hiro would give his heart too.

So then why was she empathizing with her?

Maybe because Sana knew what it was to love someone who was out of reach.

"And you think you treating people like crap is going to make Hiro-kun like you?" Sana clenched her fist as she shouted at the fourth year. "You think that chasing away all the girls that gathered their courage to confess was going to make him return your feelings? Trying to chase away Ayame-chan, someone he holds so dear to him?"

"Hiro-kun is not someone you can own, Chisaki-san. He's his own person! I'm sorry that you feel so strongly for him, and that he doesn't feel the same. I know the feeling. It hurts. It feels like someone stomped on your heart and squeezed the air out of you. I get it." Sana stepped towards Chisaki, hoping, praying she could reach her.

"But you acting like this, being this mean girl, it doesn't make Hiro-kun like you. It catches his attention in the worst way!" Another step.

"I want to believe that you care deeply for Hiro-kun. I mean, you've loved him for this long right? I don't believe a horrible person could love someone this long so fiercely."

Another step closer.

"Believe me when I tell you, I don't like Hiro-kun." Sana reaffirmed.

"He is a great friend, and I appreciate his friendship. But we are not in a relationship. I promise you that. Believe me."

She was standing not too far from Chisaki Ryu now, only a few feet from her. Her friends were staring intently between herself and the fourth year. Sana could feel her heart thumping against her chest, her heart beating loudly in her ear.

Chisaki was staring at the floor, not having looked up once during her monologue.

"No."

Chisaki finally looked up and Sana immediately froze at the vicious glare on her face.

There wasn't enough time to react when Chisaki's hand reached out and grabbed the front of her t-shirt. Sana felt her gravity leave her as the fourth year pulled her in, their faces only a foot away.

"I don't believe you." Sana steeled her jaw as Chisaki's grip tightened.

"You are so full of shit. I've watched you. I've seen you. I see the way you are with him!" Chisaki, with all her might, pushed Sana to the ground, hard.

On the ground, Sana winced as her tailbone hit the dirt floor. Looking up, the color drained from her face as Chisaki grabbed a thick, fallen tree branch.

"You don't know anything about my feelings! Stop acting like you know what it's like be in love! The only love you know is from a disgusting pedophile!"

Sana growled.

"Don't you dare talk about Rei-kun in that way!" She seethed and she could see Chisaki being caught off guard.

The fourth year could say what she wanted about her. But no way in hell was she going to let her say anything about Rei.

"Think about what you're about to do!" Sana dragged her fingers through the dirt under her. "If you do something to me, it's not going to make Hiro-kun like you! In fact, it might make him hate you!"

Chisaki's hand trembled around the branch.

"All this energy and hate you're directing at me… why don't you use your dedication and so-called love to make him actually like you!"

She tried. She really tried.

But Sana couldn't do anything when she was surrounded and outnumbered 3 to 1.

It was the first strike to her left leg that Sana knew she was in trouble.

The pain was paralyzing. She hissed out loud, reaching immediately for the middle of her leg. A burning ache scorched up her left leg, up her thigh to her hip. Chisaki gave it another strike and Sana was seeing stars as an excruciating sting followed that ache.

"Ow!" She screeched, and screwed her eyes shut as the girls continued their assault.

Multiple strikes landed on her body, hits landing on her arms, back, and eventually her face.

"Not the face! I have a play to get too! Just wait until we finish the play!" Sana attempted to hide herself as the girls continued to hit her, but there was nothing she could do.

She was outnumbered and had no weapon to defend herself.

Wait. I have MY VOICE!

Knowing the chances of someone actually hearing her with all the commotion of the festival was very thin, Sana knew she had to at least try!

And after all, being loud was something she was very good at.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"Just shut up!"

Sana went wide eyed as she saw another swing coming from above Chisaki's head and by the looks of it, it was going to hurt. Closing her eyes, Sana braced herself for impact.

Only for it to never come.

The former actress heard a loud SMACK first, but then a collective gasp was followed shortly after. When Sana didn't feel the pain of the branch on her, she slowly peeled her eyes open.

Just in time to find Hayama Akito standing in front of her, his left arm blocking Chisaki Ryu from striking her once more.

A/N: Starting off the year strong, am I right?

Oh, Sana. You just find yourself in all kinds of trouble. And yes, if you've caught on, this is homage to the scene of getting beat up while shooting Mansion on the Water in the woods! Obviously, just using different characters (No Naozumi, no Rei). Buuuuut, you can always count on Akito to be there for her. ;)

I liked writing this chapter because we got to see Sana in a new way... not cheery, not sad, not broken, but angry. I haven't written a chapter where Sana is just furious. So this was fun to write in a way that I get to explore her character in a different way.

Anyway, please let me know what you think! Reviews, comments, thoughts, etc. are always welcomed!

As always! Till next time!
- Dark Waffle