Yeah… That's a limousine, alright… Fitting for Karin, I suppose. It screams "Look at me everyone! Look how special and important I am!" I would never drive around in something so over-the-top, but I guess I don't have a choice today. Mr. Shibasaki was nice enough to offer me a ride home, and it'd be disrespectful to refuse, especially after roughing up the girl he serves, the stuck-up brat herself. The steward smiles at me and opens the door to the way-too-luxurious car. Still feeing out of place, I carefully step inside…
"Ah, there you are! I was afraid you'd deserted me, dear Sakura!"
Gah! She's already awake?! This ride home is about to be terribly awkward. Either that or the two of us will end up arguing with each other the whole way there. Is it too late to change my mind? I'd rather walk home in the rain than endure this!... *sigh* Even though I don't like her, I'll try to play nice, but the moment she starts insulting me? Oooh, I'll make her wish she hadn't!
"H-Hey, Karin… You, uh… You feeling okay?"
With Mr. Shibasaki at the wheel, we're the only passengers in this massive car. There's Karin, sitting alone on the fancy, leather seats. I can tell she's struggling to look professional. After the smackdown I gave her, there's no way she could. She's barely had any time to rest, and it shows. Shaky hands, long breaths, a dazed look… Even now, she reaches for perfection.
"Are you referring to the injuries I sustained in our bout? No, they are still quite fresh, if you must know. I am in a moderate amount of pain at the moment, but spare me no concern please. I wouldn't dare show weakness in front of a commoner, much less my newly acquainted rival."
"…Rival? You're talking about me?"
"Honestly now? Who else but you, Sakura? A girl of your age who can utilize her ki? That is uncharted territory even for myself. More importantly, I just suffered a bitter defeat at your hands. Did you believe I would merely accept this outcome and move along? Of course not. You're more intelligent than that."
"Okay, so we're rivals now… What does that mean for us? Do you wanna meet up and fight again sometime? We could make it a regular thing, if you want."
"No, no! Nothing so simple. I have a much grander plan in store for us. Would you like to hear it? I promise that you will be overcome with excitement when I reveal it all to you!"
Errrrgh… I don't like that face she's making… Despite all the pain I caused her (which she's still suffering through, by the way!), she looks like a kid that just unwrapped a PlayStation on her birthday. What kind of sadistic 'plan' is bouncing around in that arrogant mind of hers?
"…I… I'm listening…"
"You, Sakura Kasugano, will move in with me!"
…Wha… Whaaaaat?... Of all the things she could've said, I would never have predicted that… Karin's just staring expectantly at me, beaming with eyebrows raised, waiting for me to respond, but… How am I supposed to respond to that?
"Hmm hmm! You must be shocked! I can see it writ all over your face. Though, it is an understandable reaction to be sure. To be blessed with such an honor on a whim like this? You have no idea how to express your delight, do you?"
"…"
"Still tongue-tied, hmm? That's fine, you need not say a thing. When we arrive at your residence, Shibasaki and I will do all the talking. With our combined powers of persuasion, and your silent consent, convincing your parents to part ways with you will take no time at all. Why, they will surely shed tears of joy knowing that your life is now intertwined with that of Karin Kanzuki!"
"…Is this… supposed to be a joke?... I can't see how it'd be anything else…"
"Oh-ho-ho! You simply cannot wrap your head around this proposition! This is no jest, I assure you. I will spell it out plainly so that it might sink in - Sakura, I wish for you to join the Kanzuki Zaibatsu. My estate will become your new home. You will have all your needs taken care of, and you will want for nothing. All I ask in return is that you continue the path of the warrior, becoming stronger, and, in turn, assisting me in also acquiring greater strength. We will be rivals, yes, but also the closest of friends! In fact, it may be more accurate to say that we are now sisters!"
"W-Wow… Karin, I'm really, really flattered by… all of this. I thought that because I beat you in our fight, you'd hate me…"
"I… confess that this was quite the bitter loss for me. Though I aways strive for perfection, I am no stranger to being outmatched in combat. In fact, I pride myself on my ability to rebound from defeat, taking what transpired, learning from it, and having the last laugh in the end. It took time for me to adopt that mindset in this instance, but now that I have, I see the result of our duel for the wonderful opportunity that it is! You will make an incredible addition to the Kanzuki family! And remember – You will benefit greatly from this union as well! Not only will you have me as a tenacious rival, but you will also have me as the greatest of teachers! I will pass the Kanzuki-Style martial arts down to you, just as my father did for me."
Her proposition just keeps going… I need to stop her wild fantasy now before it gets even more out of hand… even if I'm afraid of how she might take the bad news.
"Karin… I feel terrible for saying this… but I can't go along with this plan of yours."
"You… can't go along with it? Ah, you suspect that your parents will intervene? Don't fret over that, Sakura. As I said earlier, I-"
"No. I'm saying that I don't want any of this… I love my family. I don't want to leave them… I'll happily be your friend, Karin, but I only just met you for the first time today. I'm not interested in living with you. It doesn't matter how nice your estate is, how tasty the food is, or how much money you try to give me… None of that can replace my family."
"…I cannot believe you are sincere in this. Declining a life-changing offer of that magnitude? It's madness… Were I to let you remain with your family, would you at least agree to learning the Kanzuki-Style martial arts? I promise these techniques are superior to any others."
"I don't think so, Karin. I'm drawn to Ansatsuken… There's a man I'm chasing after, actually. He's the reason I started fighting to begin with. I want to learn this style, maybe even come close to mastering it, and then show him how far I've come… It's my dream that he'll teach me himself one day. Right now, I'm not willing to change my course, not even for a versatile fighting style like yours… I hope you can accept my answer."
She glares at me silently, her mouth pursed shut. She looks… betrayed… Like I stole her handmade lunch and dunked it in the trash with zero remorse… Ugh, and after we were so close to making up!
"C'mon, say something! Just tell me you understand, and that we can still be rivals! I do want to be your friend, Karin. I'd be really happy to grow stronger alongside you, but I can't do it on terms like that."
"…Oh, I understand, Sakura Kasugano. I very clearly understand what this relationship between us is and what it cannot ever be. I hope that you are satisfied with your decision, even if I am not."
"…Karin…"
She doesn't say another word after that. The rest of my limo ride is silent, except for a whirlwind of thoughts plaguing me. Is there something else I should have said? Was rejecting her the right move? I mean, yeah, it definitely was, but… why does everything feel so wrong, then? *sigh* I wish I could just shut my brain off for a while…
I try to say my goodbyes to Karin, but she's not having it. She keeps her focus on a fashion magazine and acts as if I'm not even there. I wonder if she'll change her tune after some time away, though I'm not about to hold my breath. Whatever… That's a problem for another day, another me. I walk through the front door, ready to head to my room and crash for a while. I need to sort through all these… complicated feelings and stuff…
Grahhh! Why are people so frustrating?! At first, I hated her. I thought she was too arrogant for me to ever get along with. Then, after I beat her and am expecting the temper tantrum of the century, she actually takes her loss with dignity! Then I'm thinking "How great! Now we can be friends and help each other!" And she goes and makes the craziest offer ever made in the history of the planet! Leave my family to live with her at the Kanzuki Estate? Has she gone crazy?! I barely even know her!... And now I feel guilty for shooting her down…
My thought spiral is interrupted as I enter the living room. Mom and Dad? They're quietly seated on the couch, but their eyes are locked on me and are full of concern. I get the impression that they've been having a heavy conversation… if so, then about what? Hopefully it's not something horrible! Did a relative pass away? Did Dad get fired? Do we need to look for a cheaper place to live? Geez, maybe I should have taken Karin's deal after all… I didn't think about the support I could give my parents with her help.
"Welcome home, Sweetheart. Why don't you sit with us? Your father and I need to talk with you about… what you've been up to."
Huh? 'What I've been up to?' Oh no! They don't mean… But before I can fall deeper into my panic, Dad clears his throat and puts me out of my misery.
"Let's not dance around the issue, okay, Sakura? Look, we know about what you're actually doing after school… Your 'Street Fighting'."
Dang it! How'd they find out?! Ugh, it's just one trouble after another today! Still, I can fix this. I've got plenty of leeway to create a believable story. Just stay calm, and don't freak out! Showing how nervous you are is almost as bad as blurting out the truth.
"Fighting? Guys, I told you, I'm staying after to tutor. Why do you think I'm lying about that?" Pretty good response on my end, wasn't it? Unfortunately, Dad isn't about to let up…
"Tutoring? You must be teaching these kids how to throw a punch, because you come home looking like you've been through the ringer. Look at yourself, Sakura. You're bruised all over."
Ahhh! Dad's always been way better than me at this! My verbal combat skills still need a lot of work… I'm not finished yet, though! There's still a way out of this!
"The bruises? They're just from training. I'm always staying busy with my exercising - you guys know that." Okay, not my best deflection… Mom jumps on my slip-up like a hungry predator.
"Sweetie, you shouldn't have bruises, though! You're just jogging and lifting boxes. What kind of training are you doing that would hurt you like this?"
I… honestly don't have a response for that… Dad then finishes the interrogation with a decisive attack…
"Not that we needed more proof, but we had our suspicions confirmed thanks to one of your new acquaintances at school. Shibasaki, I believe his name was."
"W-What?"
"He called us just a few minutes ago. Told us about your big fight today with the Kanzuki girl."
Drat! Mr. Shibasaki, you've doomed me! No coming back from this one…
"Okay… I'll stop resisting… Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Mom… I felt bad lying to you guys for so long, but… I was afraid! I wanted to follow my passion, and I was sure neither of you would let me if you found out. No matter which path I chose, I wouldn't feel good about it."
My parents look to each other and do that… y'know, telepathy thing? Where they speak to each other without talking out loud? I've gotten used to them having these tiny, silent conversations, but I've never felt more excluded than I do now. I need to know what they're thinking!... Mom speaks up this time…
"Now that everything's out in the open, I believe we can discuss this properly. Sweetie, do you really want to keep pursuing this? This 'Street Fighting'? You're positive that you can handle it?"
"Can I handle it? I don't think I have an answer to that question yet. At some point, I might take a beating so bad that I decide to stop fighting for good. I don't think that will happen, but it's possible, I guess… Do I want to keep pursuing it, though? Absolutely! There's nothing I want to spend my time and effort on more than this! I wake up excited to face the next day because I can't wait to train, get stronger, learn new strategies, practice new attacks, and meet new fighters. If you guys tell me to stop fighting, I promise to listen… but if you leave it up to me?... This is my dream. I can't bring myself to do anything but chase after it."
All is quiet after I finish pouring my heart out. My parents are smiling now. That has to be a good sign… right? Dad breaks the silence…
"Well, Sakura… We have good news for you, then. We'll let you chase after this dream of yours as long as you promise to act responsibly, alright? We can discuss the specifics later."
"Y-You're kidding!... Oh, thank youuu! I used to think you two were the most embarrassing parents on earth, but I was sooo wrong! You're the best ones!"
"Haha! Mom and I will remember that!... And one more thing – Your butler friend, Shibasaki… He mentioned an upcoming event that you had your sights set on. The 'World Warrior Tournament'?"
"Oh… Y-Yeah… It's a street fighting tournament, but I'm guessing you already figured that out. I was hoping to qualify for it, but… even if I did, I'd be doing a lot of traveling. You probably aren't okay with that, huh?"
"Nope. We'll let you go. In fact, Shibasaki let us know that he and his master, the Kanzuki girl… They both sent letters of recommendation to the tourney organizers. The girl especially wants you to be there. I was told that, should you sign up, you're guaranteed a spot in the competition. The Kanzuki name carries quite a bit of influence, apparently."
Karin did what?!