"Ugh! That fucker's blood isn't coming out of my shirt. Goddammit!" You scrape your thumbnail along a red stain on the white cuff of your undershirt.
You'd spent lunchtime wandering around the hallways with Junpei, who pointed out the locations of your remaining classes for you. It wasn't until there was only ten minutes remaining that you noticed there was blood on your uniform. Junpei led you to the nearest restroom to clean yourself up. You didn't need nosy adults asking about any suspicious stains on your shirt.
"Are you using hot or cold water?" Junpei asks.
"Hot, why?"
"That's going to lock in the blood. You have to use cold. Also spit on it. Spit dissolves blood," He instructs.
"How do you know all that?"
Domestic tips like that weren't something you were keen on. You spit on your sleeve and run it under the cold water, still smearing away at the stain with your thumb.
"I do my own laundry when stuff like this happens to me. Lime juice also helps." He joins you beside the sink, leaning in to get a better look at your split lip.
"At least your face looks better than mine even though you got hit twice."
His tone sounds more impressed than sympathetic.
"I wish... I could fight like you do," He sighs wistfully.
Now that's a great idea! Your eyes light up. "Hey, sure! I can teach you what I know. I mean, enough easy things so you can defend yourself. You'll love it!"
"Whoa, I don't know about actually fighting. I'm not strong at all like you are." He looks terrified at the idea of training with you. Now why would that be?
"Oh, come on! You watched the whole time didn't you? I bet you did." Your friend slowly nods.
"Yeah, I bet it excited you too, didn't it? Seeing that asshole get a little payback make you happy?" Your hand clasps his shoulder, squeezing with purpose. Again he nods. "Now...Imagine how good it feels to deliver that, Junpei. That can be yours, too. You won't have to be afraid anymore."
"But, I thought you wanted to..." He starts then trails off.
"What? To fight all of your battles for you? What are you going to learn from that? Unless..."
Stepping in closer, you use the hold on his shoulder to press him against the back of the restroom door, leaving barely any space in between.
"Unless you want to be a helpless little pet of mine? I certainly have no objections, I just want to know your choice. You couldn't ask for a better master, and you'd make a perfect pet! You're really sweet, and your expressions when you're scared are just too precious! Maybe you'd even like a little collar to wear so everyone would know you're my property?" Your fantasies are already running wild, picturing adorable Junpei with a pink collar around his skinny little neck.
Right on cue, there's his wide-eyed mask of fear that you're growing to love.
"Y-you can't be serious! Th-that would be so humiliating!"
Even his flabbergasted stutter is charming in a pathetic way.
"No? So then... You'd rather train with me as my sparring partner?"
"Are those my only choices!?" He's growing more and more frantic by the moment.
"Pet... or partner?" You ask again, tracing over the bruise on his cheek with a fingertip. Junpei trembles, emitting the smallest of whimpers when your thumb presses into his plush lower lip. It's the same digit you had been using to grind your spit into Rikuo's blood stain. The contact should disgust him, and make him wrench his face away... but it doesn't.
"Think about it. You don't have to give me your answer right away." You give him a harmless pat on his head, tussling his hair gently. "See you after school? Meet me in the alley. I'm walking you home."
.
.
.
The second half of Junpei's day crawls by with aching slowness. Though he expected to see you in more of his classes, your schedules only aligned with the first two of the day. While waiting for the final bell to ring in last period, he silently repeats your words to himself, "Pet or partner?"
He isn't thrilled by the idea of either choice. If he decides to train with you, that would mean learning to take a punch or worse from you. Which is a terrifying prospect since he's seen you in action. On the other hand, the temptation of being able to learn self defense, and perhaps solving his own bullying problem is hard to deny.
Junpei looks down at his hands, thin and pale, and stained from the graphite of his drawing pencil. They're soft from years of staying inside whenever possible, and could never hurt anyone. He thinks about your hands. The toughness of your knuckles from countless repetitive impacts must make your strikes feel unbelievably painful. He's envious of that. After today, rumors about your fights are going to spread, and he's going to be involved anyway since he witnessed them both. He needs to decide quickly what he's going to do.
BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNGG!
The final bell makes him jump in his seat despite knowing it was coming. The girl sitting behind him notices and snickers.
"You fucking pussy."
He clenches his teeth and says nothing, shouldering his backpack and stalking out of the room amidst his fellow classmates. He's so tired of the reputation he's had for the past few years. Maybe any change would be a good one.
He jogs to the alley.
He doesn't see you immediately, so he calls for you softly.
Little does he know that you made an excuse to leave your last class early to find a hiding place. You watch him from a narrow opening, holding your breath as he comes closer... and closer...
"BOO!"
You burst from the dumpster, sending an already stressed Junpei stumbling back into a pair of neighboring trashcans which were overflowing.
He blinks up at you, with growing resentment. "What's the big idea?"
"Did I scare you? Haha! You did good! I wanted to see if you were a screamer, and it looks like you aren't. That's a good quality for a fighter. You have to keep your mouth closed even when you're caught off guard, or else you'll risk losing your teeth if you're hit."
Junpei stands back up, tsking at the garbage juice staining his pants. "Aw, come on!"
Hopping out of the dumpster, you smirk at him. "Did that make you mad?"
"Yes! You crazy dick!"
Oh, wow. He has a spark in him when he's upset. He escalated right to trash talking. Interesting.
"Hit me," You instruct him.
"Wha-?"
"Hit me if you're so mad."
The boy's fists ball up tightly. Is that what you want? Fine! He's certain he can't really hurt you anyway. This must just be you testing him.
Junpei takes a leap forward, rearing his arm back.
POP!
"OW! You fucking dingus! That was my ear!"
Clutching the side of your head where your eardrum is still ringing, you're thrown off balance by the blow.
"I'm sorry! Shit! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I've never punched anyone before, and- and..." He trails off unable to continue over the sound of your laughter.
"Hahahaha! You had it in you though, didn't you? You hit me even though you knew you probably wouldn't do much." Shoulders still shaking from amusement, you wipe your eyes. Damn, he might be as crazy as you.
"Now... It's my turn." You reach for him, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him closer.
"Ah! Wait! No, I didn't-"
"If you hit someone, expect to get hit back. That's the law." You recite.
Your free hand comes up...
Then pats harmlessly on Junpei's cheek with feather softness.
"Ha..haa," He gasps shakily.
"There, see? Now we're even."
"Still could have done without this mess though," Junpei grumbles. "Asshole."
You smile enormously. This is exactly what you wanted. He got annoyed with you, so he can get angry and channel that into his fist. He's got what it takes to learn to fight afterall.
"So... What did you decide?" You ask, though you feel you already know what he's going to say.
Junpei looks down at his fist again, in shock that he had used it like that.
"I... I want you to train me. I want to fight like you!"
Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
This is shaping up to be an interesting school year already.
.
.
.
Junpei's apartment is closer to school than yours, and both of you live in the exact same direction conveniently. You walk next to each other, and as you pass the little shops on either side of the street, your friend points out the places he knows well.
There's an arcade, a movie theater, a few bakeries and street vendors sprinkled along the strip. Nothing you haven't seen before in a dozen other cities. Metropolitan life bores you. There's no excitement in the predictability of mundane capitalism.
"Do you live with your mom?" You ask. He hadn't mentioned his dad earlier.
"That's right. Just an apartment, nothing fancy. We're not even allowed any pets there. It's kind of a bummer."
"Aw, that would be. We have a cat at my house. My old man's."
"Is that... your dad?" Junpei asks.
"Nah, he's not my dad. Just someone who insists that I try to make something of myself." You kick at a collapsed soda can on the sidewalk. It clatters down the gutter.
"So... like your stepdad?" He tries again, still hung up on the label.
"We aren't related," You clarify.
"Oh, but if anyone from the school asks, we are, ok? As far as they know I sprang from his sack."
"Got it," He mumbles, still clearly not understanding. "So... what about-"
"Oi! Kiddo! Why aren't you at home training?" A voice from across the street calls out.
Turning to see who it is, you recognize your old man standing at the crosswalk. Speak of the devil. He must've stopped by this side of town for groceries.
Junpei freezes as a dark-haired man of enormous stature carrying a bulging shopping bag on one arm approaches the two of you.
"I started my new school today. I wrote you a note and left it on the fridge." You explain.
He eyes Junpei with suspicion. The corner of his mouth twitches, drawing the boy's attention to a jagged scar.
"Who's this?"
Junpei feels as if he may faint.
"This is Junpei Yoshino. He's my new best friend." You declare proudly. Then, remembering your manners, you introduce your "father."
"Junpei, meet my fake dad, Toji Fushiguro."
Toji shoots you an annoyed look.
"I wish you wouldn't call me that."
He prefers for you to call him sensei, but you enjoy irritating him.
Glancing back at the skinny little thing who reeks of garbage, Toji asks,
"Did my boy here cause you some trouble today?"
"Oh! N-no, he d-didn't!"
"He wants me to train him." You pipe in.
Now Toji's fearsome features soften and he grins. "Is that so? You wanna fight, little man?"
Your friend looks like he's ready to wet himself.
"Toji, you're scaring him! Cut it out, you big ape." Jumping up onto his back, you wrap your arms around the front of his neck, pulling him away from Junpei in a mock choke-hold.
"Starting early tonight aren't you? You fucking stink, too. Get off!" He snarls, reaching over his head to grab the scruff of your uniform. Easily, he flips you over his shoulder with one hand. You land with a hard "Oof!" flat on your back. It really is a good thing your sensei taught you how to take a fall, or that would have rattled your brain. It still winds you though.
"Ooooooooowwwww," You complain.
"Haha! That's what you get for trying to be a show off, little shit." He throws his head back, laughing while other people on the street stare in shock at the grown man who just threw a teenager.
"You're a dick!" You scream from the ground.
Your sensei turns back to Junpei.
"You live 'round here, kid?"
"Uh, y-yeah. Over there." He points to a nearby apartment complex that's just visable around the corner.
"Alright. We'll walk you the rest of the way there."
He shoulders his grocery bag and reaches down to grab you by your ankle, dragging you behind him. Humiliation is part of Toji's training style. You know better than to resist. If you stay limp and let him drag you like a potato sack, he may let you walk home from Junpei's.
"Yoshino... Yoshino," Toji is murmuring to himself outloud as he lugs you behind him like a lumberjack with a felled tree.
"Why does that name ring a bell? What's your dad do, kid?"
Junpei swallows nervously before responding. "Um, actually... he passed away. Car accident."
"Ah, shit. I'm sorry."
"It was a long time ago. About ten years. I only remember him a little." The boy elaborates.
"How 'bout your mother?"
"She's a surgical nurse. Pediatrics."
"That's impressive," Toji comments.
"Can't be an easy job working on kids. They hurt themselves in the dumbest ways."
He glances over his shoulder at you pointedly. Your head bangs against a bump in the sidewalk, but you grit your teeth and say nothing regarding your penance.
"This building, right?" Toji asks as he comes to a stop finally.
"Yes, sir. Th-thank you." Your friend bows politely.
"Have a good night, Junpei!" You call from the ground, still remaining limp.
"Wanna walk to school together tomorrow?
"Um... Sure. That sounds nice. I'll wait for you here." He waves his goodbye and walks up the steps of the entrance where he lingers. "Have a good night."
"You too!" You call back, only to have Toji shake you vigorously.
"Potato sacks don't talk," he reminds you. "You're getting dragged home, too."
"Aww, come on! This is a new uniform!" You protest, trying to kick your way out of his grip.
"Then why do you smell like you've been playing in trash all day, you damn stray?" He demands, shaking you by your foot in midair before once again dragging you down the block. Toji Fushiguro knows what a piece of work you are, and tolerates you patiently.
Junpei smiles to himself, watching the spectacle with amusement. It's amazing to see there's someone who can ragdoll you like that. Though he's terrified of imagining the wreckage Fushiguro could be capable of. The man was built like a tank.
Still grinning, he trudges the hallways of the complex, taking the elevator up to where he and his mother lived. She calls to him when she hears the door close.
"How was school, honey?"
The boy pauses to remove his shoes, then responds, "It was... really nice."
"That's great, sweetie." Junpei's mother looks up from her reading. "Oh! What's on your face, June-bug?"
He subconsciously covers the offending mark from this morning's beating. He forgot he was supposed to hide it from her somehow.
"Uhh..."
"Here, let me see-"
As soon as she comes closer to him, her nose wrinkles with disgust.
"Oh, my God. What... what is that smell, Junpei?!"
Oh, right. He had tripped into those garbage bins.
"Sorry, mom! I fell on my way home. I'll go shower, 'kay?"
Briskly, he slips past her while she's left reeling from the stench.
"Ugh! Take two, honey. I'm gonna go grab dinner outside somewhere. The room funked up quickly."
"Sorry!"
He made a promise to thank you for making an excuse for him to avoid her questioning. He marches straight for the shower, and peels off his school uniform.
He steps into the warm water, and thinks of the stupid smile on your face as you popped out of that disgusting dumpster just for a prank to make him hit you. . . Then he remembers the lightness of your hands when you'd playfully slapped him afterwards. And touched his shoulder... and his hair.
He breathes a shuddering sigh. It's overwhelming to know that someone wanted to touch him. Even someone as intense as you are. It's exhilarating.
"My new best friend," he repeats your words happily.
.
.
.
You're lugged up the front steps of your apartment building threshold, the back of your head thwacking on each step.
"Ow... Ow... Ow... Ow!"
Toji clicks his tongue as if remembering something. "I haven't checked the mail today..."
He descends back down the steps.
"Ow... Ow... Ow... Ow!"
"Ah, wait a minute. Yes, I did."
He turns around again.
"Ow... Ow!- OKAY! THAT'S ENOUGH, TOJI, YOU BASTARD!"
He chortles again at how funny he is.
"You're such a fucking pain, you know that?" He comments.
He finally releases you, but when you attempt to stand up, your leg is tingling and numb from the lack of circulation, causing you to topple immediately.
"Goddammit," You swear.
"So what did you get into on your first day of school, mutt?" Toji reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a gold cigarette case. He joins you sprawled out on the stoop, and lights one. He passes you one too, which you take.
"Nothing crazy," You reply, palming his lighter to ignite yours. "Two guys on the way there. It would have been three, but one ran away. Had one more fight before lunch."
He waits for you to go on, but when you don't, his suspicions grow. "What are you leaving out?"
"What? Nothing! I don't lie."
"Bullshit," he exhales a cloud of smoke.
"You may not lie directly, but you'd omit the full story if something went wrong. And you brag alot more when things go as planned.. You care about your reputation, and what I think of you."
"Ffft! I don't give a damn what you think of me, you douche canoe. I just don't wanna get punished."
"Aha! So you did something warranting punishment?" He points an accusing finger in your face, beaming with enthusiastic sadism. "How badly did you fuck up? Is it worth a climb up Mt Kurama? Or 100 suicides?"
You gulp nervously, choking on your words and smoke as you struggle to maintain your cool. The fucking asshole had tricked you!
"Hahahaha! Your ass is getting up with the chickens tomorrow. I hope you're ready. You're hiking the first mountain outside city limits." He flicks your forehead.
Your protest is more of a howl.
"What!? I have school!" Though honestly that didn't sound much better to you.
"Eh, good point. 100 suicides. Though you can knock that down to 75 if you tell me all of what happened."
Ugh! As if you'd tell him you'd nearly been shoved from the rooftop. He'd get seriously angry at you for that.
"100 it is," You reply breezily.
Dick.
"Air out as long as you like before coming up, I'm going to start dinner. I got liver."
Super dick.
.
.
.
Once Junpei got ready for school the following morning, he sat on the steps waiting for you. You were running late. He would be too if he didn't leave soon. Maybe you're sick? Or got yourself into another fight with someone on the way here. He kicks himself mentally for not asking for your phone number to get in contact with you, or for asking where you lived. Especially since you're his partner for the art project due tomorrow. What is he supposed to do if you bail on him?
Well, it's leave now or risk tardiness, so he dejectedly stands up and starts making his way to school. Hopefully he'd be able to work on your portrait from memory in second period, though he doesn't trust his ability.
After several blocks, the sound of feet pounding the pavement behind him reaches his ears. Then your faint voice follows soon after.
"Yooo-shi-nooooo!"
You're wheezing and doubling over as you run, ready to heave up your breakfast. Fucking Toji and his chastising methods had you awake at 5 am.
What he called "suicides" were either 10 minute spurts of short distance sprints around the apartment property grounds until it an hour had passed, or if weather didn't permit, 2 hours with of indoor sit-ups and push-ups. All before breakfast to prevent you from losing it of course. Though the sprint after your punishment laps is nearly enough to finish you off today.
"You... left... without... meee," You whine between your heavy panting. Your feelings are slightly hurt. You'd only been a little late.
"Sorry! I thought maybe you weren't coming," He mumbles awkwardly, embarrassed at how easily he'd assumed you would ditch him. He should've known better.
"Are you kidding? I couldn't wait to-"
Oh, no.
You hold up a finger and lean over the nearest bush, vomiting loudly.
Bye-bye melon bread.
Still gagging and trying to get the rest all up, you feel your friend gently patting your back.
"Are you alright?" He asks with alarm.
"Fine... I'm fine... I shouldn't have run all the way here."
Junpei continues rubbing your back unsure of what else to do for you. When you feel emptied, you groan and lean against him for support, muttering your thanks.
"Let's just take it nice and slow to school from here," He suggests. You nod.
"Real slow." You emphasize.
"Umm, well here... What about this?" He takes your arm and drapes it over his shoulder to assist you. He's seen people do it in movies, but he feels foolish.
"Thanks. Again." You smile weakly, trudging your steps alongside him.
It isn't long before Junpei's self consciousness kicks in. He's never held anyone's hand publically, so having you practically glued to his side like this is giving him several butterflies. Oh, God! Is he blushing? He hopes he isn't. There's no way he'd be able to hide that at this distance.
Various shopkeepers and employees bustle about the strip to open their various businesses on time. They barely give the two of you slightly concerned glances before continuing with their duties. As you approach the alley where you met the day before, you catch Junpei looking around, as if searching for someone.
"You all good?" You ask, but you're already grinning. He's such a fast learner.
"Making sure no one's hiding back here. Looks like it's all clear."
"That's good. Vigilance is survival." You commend him.
You also note that he's probably on high alert because you are slightly incapacitated, which makes you even more proud. Your lesson in making him aware of his surroundings yesterday is paying off already.
You both make it to your first class after stopping by the restroom. Puking in the morning is a rotten way to start off the day. It would be downhill from there.
There is a pop quiz to start your first class. Imagine giving the new student a test after only one day! The nerve of this bastard teacher!
Your anger makes it hard to concentrate. On top of that, there are some things here you've never seen before. What... what the fuck is that symbol?
Your eyes drift across to Junpei, who looked incredibly bored by the whole ordeal. He lazily scraws his work as he calculates his answers. This isn't stressing him out in the least.
Meanwhile you can't help noticing that four students have already gotten up to turn in their work. Oh, god, this is such a nightmare.
At least write your name at the top. You can do that. Oh, fuck! You're supposed to write your last name as Fushiguro now. In a panic you mistakingly put a name you no longer go by. In ink! You scratch it out and write Fushiguro above the scribble. Christ, now it looks like you don't know your own name. There are real tears of frustration welling up.
Junpei gets up to turn in his test.
Fuck. You seethe with envy. There are several school subjects you're able to bullshit your way through by behaving in class and saying the right things to the instructors to make them think you were understanding the material. You could survive test anxiety through guessing randomly, or if you got desperate, peaking off someone else's work.
Math just isn't one of those subjects though.
"Ok, students, that's all the time you have. Please turn in your test."
Oh, fuck. Your paper is almost entirely blank. Your teacher is going to know you're stupid. Your pen is tight in your grip when Mr. Yamashita approaches your desk.
"Ah, you can hand that to me now. Thank you!" Though he actually snatches it up rudely from your hands.
The rest of your classmates have left, but Junpei lingers at his desk waiting for you. He offers a sympathetic look. You scowl at him. You hate pity.
With an irritated growl, you cram your chair beneath your desk. Your friend calls to you to get your attention.
"Sorry, I should've told you that he loves to test us."
"It wouldn't have mattered if I saw that coming or not. I didn't have a prayer," You mumble. "There were characters that I've never ever seen before. I didn't know what I was supposed to do."
"Really? Well I could help you with that. I'm not at the top of the class or anything, but I always do well on tests."
"Lucky you." It sounds harsher than you mean for it to be. "Sorry."
"Hey, what if I tutor you? Like the way you're tutoring me with drawing. I'd be happy to."
"I may need to take you up on that."
"Hey, what are friends for?" He gives you a sweet smile. "To horrible Mrs. Hama's art class now?"
"Ugh. I suppose."
You're looking forward to sitting and quietly drawing now that the hell of mathematics is over. Anything to get rid of those awful memories.
Unfortunately there would be no time for art.
Not with the pot you stirred yesterday.