Karina decides to not attend classes for a while. She can hide her wounds and bruises with cosmetics but the makeup won't calm the pain inside her chest. Aiko, Sano-san, and her mother-thoughts of them swirl inside her mind and hurt her from within.
So she stays inside Goro-san's convenience store, passing time until the storm of emotions quiets down inside her battered heart.
A bottle of cold Pocari Sweat is placed on the table in front of her by the old convenience store owner. "Here, drink up, lass. I can see your injuries beneath all that product."
Karina's hands automatically reach her face and try to hide her wounds.
"What's the point of hiding them?" Goro-san sits beside her. "Everybody knows you're being beaten by your own mother and by the bullies in your school. Even your teachers know! I know."
"I don't... know what to do." Her voice is small but honest. She cannot lie to Goro-san. In the short time she's been working at his store, he's been like a real grandfather to her. He's always been there for her, never judging her and giving her whatever he could offer—shelter, food, medicine, cosmetics, advice, and most of all company whenever she needs it the most.
"I told you, lass, you should just stay with me and my family," he offers, but Karina just shakes her head.
"No, Goro-san. I do not want to trouble you any further. I've only been a burden to you since I've worked here." Goro-san's family is big and they barely fit inside a small apartment room. She couldn't possibly think of trying to fit herself with them.
There is a glum look on the old man's face. "What do you intend to do then?"
Karina is about to respond when they hear the sound of glass breaking.
A wooden chair is thrown into the store, shattering the glass walls. Its shards litter the store and one wounds Goro-san's face. He shouts in pain. "What on earth—"
"Hoy, where's that pipsqueak Mikey?" A group of five high school-looking boys enters the store through the broken glass wall. They have bats and wooden sticks with them, like the group of delinquents who had injured Mitsuya-san and Sano-san before. While walking toward Goro-san and Karina, they strike everything that comes into their view. The broken shelves and products lay waste on the floor.
One of them, a tall white-haired brute who seems to be the leader of the group, says to the gray-haired girl, "You're the bastard's girl, aren't you?"
"H-huh? N-no. Y-you're wrong." Fear grips Karina like a snake.
The scary boy comes even closer until one of his hands reaches the collar of the trembling girl's shirt. This boy seems more dangerous than her mother or an angry Aiko. He lifts her from her seat with sheer strength. "Where the fuck is that bastard Mikey?"
"I-I don't know—"
"Lying bitch!" He tosses her to the side of the store, hitting the magazine stand. Some of the papers fall onto the girl. But he isn't done with her yet. His big hand now clutches Karina's hair, forcing her to look at him. "Where the fuck is your boyfriend hiding?"
In the corner of her eye, the girl could see the other delinquents stealing everything their hands could carry and Goro-san silently approaching the boy, hurting her. She needs to find time to let Goro-san come nearer to them. "I told you already! I don't know! M-maybe he's at school. Who knows right? Or maybe he's at the park with his friends." She bluffs but takes care not to mention the places Sano-san might actually be.
The boy's eyes are reduced to slits. "You think I'm an idiot, don't you?"
"N-no, I don't—"
"Not you." Then he looks at his back to face the approaching Goro-san. He almost lands him a fatal blow, thank goodness Karina finds enough time to tug his muscular arm away from the convenience store owner with all her strength.
"No!" she cries. "Please, don't!" She's so stupid. Counting on Goro-san to rescue her when he's the more fragile between them two. With her intense fear, she forgot that he is just a sickly old man and that if they beat him, he could die. She's so afraid for him. He's one of the very few people who actually care for her. "Please," she pleaded.
But the tall boy doesn't heed her call. He shakes her grip from his arm and tries to punch the old man. His fist doesn't land on Goro-san but on Karina. The girl staggers.
There is no way she'd let them hurt him.
But she's weak. How can she protect him?
The delinquent charges towards them again, now kicking her ribs. It hurts. She hopes they're not broken. Kneeling in pain, she remembers Sano-san. If only he was here... No. Of course, he's not here. He cannot help her. Nobody could help her.
But she has to do something.
Used to the pain of being beaten up, she stands up again and places herself between the boy and Goro-san.
What would Sano-san do during this time? She remembers him-his power, his moves, his strength.
She'll be honest: since meeting him, she has been inspired by the blond's fighting prowess. She's dreamed of being like him.
And, maybe she could...
Something inside her stirs—a buzz or a light that consumes her from within.
The tall boy prepares to launch his next attack. Though still trembling, Karina calms her frightened and panicking self. She closes her eyes and replays the vision of Sano-san fighting against his enemies. Then she looks at her opponent, calculating that she should hit his face. Her feet apart with one leg slightly behind, she shifts her weight to her stronger leg and kicks the boy with all her might.
Only, it didn't reach the boy's face, just his groin.
The delinquent howls in deep pain. The other boys hear him and approach them. The white-haired boy clutches his crotch, stumbling down in almost like a fetus position on the floor.
Karina suddenly feels pride swell inside her. She did it. She knocked him down—not really, but still.
The sound of approaching sirens fills the store. The cops are coming. There are also several spectators outside the store, watching and waiting for what will happen next but not helping.
The delinquents scurry their way out, with stolen products from the convenience store.
Goro-san shouts curses at them as they head out. Luckily, he doesn't have any injury except the one that he acquired when the glass wall shattered and that is a really minor one. Karina, on the other hand, has a new set of wounds and bruises which Goro-san tries to clean and disinfect. He tells her to stay at home until she is better. She agrees with him.
On the way home, Karina stops by a CD rental store.
In the few days of her staying at home, she watched Once Upon a Time in China, Drunken Master, Fist of Legend, Police Story, and other martial arts films she could find.
She could fight.
She could feel it in her gut.
She could be strong.
She shares this with Emma when she was visited by her one afternoon.
"That's great!" The beautiful blonde exclaims. "Do you want Mikey to help you?"
The memory of Sano-san saying he doesn't like her flashes in Karina's mind. "No! It's okay. I can learn by myself."
Emma reaches for a piece of cut apples and eats it. She has brought fruits with her during her visit, and they are now sitting on the floor of Karina's bedroom, a wooden circular table in front of them with a plate of cut apples.
"Are you sure?" The blonde is skeptical. "I haven't heard of anybody getting good at martial arts just by watching movies."
"Maybe, I could...?"
"But it would be a lot easier if you let Mikey guide you."
Karina casts her eyes down. "I can't."
Emma places her hands on top of Karina's. "Has something happened between you and Mikey? You seem to squirm a little whenever he's the topic of our conversation."
"N-no—" she looks at Emma. Oh, how she cannot lie with her looking at her like that. "Maybe...?"
"Fine. I won't force you to talk. But would you like to be taught by Draken instead?"
The tall intimidating blond friend of Sano-san?
He seems scary. Although she should admit that he sometimes seems gentle, especially when Emma is around.
It wouldn't be bad to learn from him.
"Okay," she finally agreed.
Emma squeals with joy. "Wait for him here tomorrow."
The next day, Karina hears the doorbell and expects to find Draken-san standing in front of her gate. But he isn't. There, outside, is the frowning Sano-san. She quickly closes the gate.
"Hoy!" One hand stops the gate from completely shutting. "What are you doing, Maya?" His tone is angry.
Karina's heart hammers inside her chest. Emma, what are you thinking?
The memory of what happened during Draken-san's party is still fresh in her mind. Until now she can't believe she actually cried in front of him. How embarrassing. And he had told her he didn't like her. Is that the same as saying that he hates her?
She hears him speak. "Do you want me to teach you or not?"
But she needs him.
She should push aside all the negative feelings and concentrate on how she could be her better self.
Can she?
Slowly, she opens the gate. She can feel her cheeks getting warm. She lifts her gaze and her eyes meet the dark orbs of Sano-san. She quickly looks away.
Should she tell him she's sorry? Sorry for acting the way she did during Draken-san's party. Maybe she should, but rather than that, she finds herself saying, "Yes. Please help me help myself."