Run, Tan-Tan, Run

"Shit. Why did I have to be stuck with you?"

Sakai Akinari removed his hood and glared with a fierce frown at the minuscule Tan-Tan.

"It's not my fault! And what makes you think I'm happy to be paired with some Shonen Jump fanboy?!" She puffed out her chest, trying her best to appear bigger than she truly was.

It was now evidently clear, these two were not going to get along. Shonen meets shoujo. 

"Let's get one thing straight. I don't need you getting in my way. Stay close behind me, but not too close. I don't care if you get eliminated, but I need my share of this 10,000 yen so I can buy something nice for someone special. Got it?"

Akinari softened his expression into a benign scolding. 

Tan-Tan could see the besotted look on his face and knew it had to be for Yamaguchi Minami. Her own face showed signs of guilt for being so harsh toward the lovestruck boy a few moments ago. Compared to her own desires for her share of the money, the romantic gesture awaiting Akinari seemed much more mature. She nodded and gripped her pistol with newfound resolve.

"Let's make it happen."

"Right. Now let's strategize. Let's face the facts, you're tiny. Normally I wouldn't have any interest in that, but using your agility and stature to our advantage could change the tide in an instant when it comes to war. If you're willing, try creating some distractions for me and I promise I won't let you be eliminated. Deal?"

Akinari extended his fist toward her. She hesitated, but ultimately gave in, bumping it with her own.

"Deal."

Nishi let out a long sigh and took a seat on the cushioned grass beside Yamaguchi Minami. He rubbed the back of his neck and offered an apologetic simper in Minami's direction.

"Whoops."

"That's all you have to say? Whoops?! For crying out loud, Nishi, you promised we would win this year! How am I going to afford Akinari's gift without my share?!"

Minami aggressively dug her knuckles into the side of Nishi's ribcage. 

"Ouch! Don't pin the blame on just me! You got eliminated before I did, didn't you?"

He slapped her hand away from his torso. 

Minami's expression contorted into a soft pout, unbefitting her usual energetic happy face. Nishi knew he messed up. No matter how he tried to hide his sympathetic guise behind fake annoyance, he could sense Minami's despair. With another exaggerated sigh, he gently patted her shoulder. His eyes offered a familiar reassurance, that despite all circumstances, she should trust in Sakai Akinari to win. This habit of silent, fatherly comfort was something Nishi had been known for doing, and yet, despite not verbally expressing it, those around him were grateful for it. Minami puffed her cheeks and narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance.

"Is this Tan-Tan girl skilled with a gun?"

Nishi gulped. He gave Minami a nervous laugh.

 "Well, at least she'll be a hard target to hit. She's quite small."

As the two sat and watched from the side of the courtyard, Minami suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. Nishi's eyes widened at the scene before him. Tan-Tan was being used as a decoy while Akinari eliminated players from the shadows. The poor girl was the subject of a brutal persuasion, acting as a moving target while our 'Leader' executed from the sidelines. 

"What the hell?! Aki, are you crazy?!"

Nishi shouted directly at him, ultimately giving away his position to the enemies. But that mistake was short lived as Sakai Akinari skillfully painted their face shields like an artist in front of a blank canvas. With a cocky grin, he pried the hood of his ghillie suit off his head with his index finger and thumb.

"Pretty smart strategy, right? She's like a Whack-a-Mole."

Unable to watch, Nishi brought his palm to his eyes, peeking through his fingers at the scurrying mole before him. She was indeed the spitting image of a Whack-a-Mole, luring in opponents with her taunts, only to subject them to the killing blow without so much as even pulling her trigger.

"Yeah! Whoo! Go, Tan-Tan-chan!"

Minami squealed from the sidelines as she pumped her fist in the air. 

As the small girl danced around the grassy field, every second felt as if it might be her last. Nishi didn't believe in things like miracles, but the way the paintballs seemed to glide around her as if she were in 'The Matrix' was reason enough for him to believe just for today. He found himself right alongside Minami, cheering loudly for their new club member.

"Go, Tan-Tan!"

This incompatible pair complemented each other on the battlefield. Sakai Akinari sneakily appeared from behind her while she made a fool of herself in the midst of hailing bullets. They were unstoppable. Unpredictable.

"Wah! Sakai-senpai, watch out!"

Tan-Tan tumbled to her butt, tripping the distracted 'Leader' out into the wide open for a split second. But as he quoted minutes before, "The tide of war could change in an instant." or something like that.

*Ruffle*

*Tumble*

*SPLAT*

The screech of radio frequency interrupted the moment of chaos. Akinari, in his leafy suit, stood up, raised his hands to signal his elimination, and said those two dangerous words.

"I'm hit!"

Silence washed over the Shishigami High School manga club members for a few, long seconds. The harsh crunching of leaves beneath his feet was the only audible sound as Akinari reluctantly left the recreational field and moved to the sidelines. Plopping down next to the stunned Nishi and Minami, he didn't speak a single word.

Minami was the first to break the silence. With all her might, she emptied her lungs toward the frozen girl sitting behind a pile of trash bags.

"TAN-TAN-CHAN!!! GO FOR IT!!!"

Awakening from her fear, Tan-Tan instinctively rushed out of her hiding spot toward the enemy stronghold. Pistol gripped firmly, she started spraying. Paintballs flew like fireworks toward everything and nothing. Her audible war-cry was overshadowed by the next person to join the cheer squad.

"Tan-Tan! There's only one enemy left! Go, go, go!"

Nishi jumped from his seat to offer his unbridled support.

Launching her petite body over the pile of strewn scrap metal, Tan-Tan landed atop a much larger woman, forcing her to the ground, back first. The soft thud of their weight against the grass was simultaneously met with orange plastic striking the face shield of her victim. Straddling the unsuspecting enemy's torso, Tan-Tan delivered her best attempt at a Hollywood one-liner on the voluptuous woman below her.

The piercing shrill of a metallic whistle filled the ears of the contestants nearby. Holding their breath, Nishi, Minami and even Akinari waited with wide eyes.

"Victory to the Shishigami High School manga club!"

Turning around, Tan-Tan tossed her face shield to the side, her pink cheeks against her bright smile were immediately smothered by the unforgiving arms of Yamaguchi Minami. Pulling the small girl into a violent hug, the two shared a moment of celebratory sportsmanship. 

"Tan-Tan-chan! You did it! That was so badass!"

Minami spun her around like a father bonding with his child.

Tan-Tan giggled uncontrollably as she flew through the air in Minami's athletic grip. They had won. All the fears she had been carrying dissipated into carefree laughter. She could successfully obtain Azurbön volume 9, Akinari could buy Minami her special present, and best of all, she had managed to impress Kuromoto Nishi. 


The walk to the train station was peaceful. Tan-Tan skillfully slipped 2,500 yen into each of the club members hands as the hustle and bustle around them faded into nothing more than white noise.

"Are you sure it's ok for me to take 2,500? I mean, I only just joined the club a few hours ago. My mistakes almost cost us the entire game."

Tan-Tan bowed her head as she held her share of the prize money towards the second year students.

"What are you talking about, idiot. You're the one who got the final kill. If anything, we should be giving up our share."

 Akinari slumped his hands in his pockets, giving her a handsome smile of reassurance.

"Yeah, for real! You were so awesome out there, Tan-Tan-chan!"

Minami shoved Tan-Tan-Tan's share of the spoils back into her hands.

"I have to admit, you did look pretty cool pinning that woman to the ground. Like, Keanu in that one movie. You definitely earned your share. Here in the club, we're anything but formal, you shouldn't be so stiff with us."

Nishi loosely waved a peace sign by his hip.

The blinding sunset behind the three senior members of the manga club cast a red glow across her face as she finally met their gaze. She lifted herself up and gave a cute smile.
"Everyone, thank you!"


Prancing down the street, she couldn't have looked more childlike. On her way to the bookstore, Tan-Tan hummed a tune to herself. The adrenaline of not only participating in her first paintball tournament, but being the reason her team won, coursed through her like a powerful drug. Placing her precious Azurbön volume 9 on the checkout counter, the unsuspecting cashier was met with the blinding light of youth.

Running into her house, she kicked her shoes off and headed straight for her bedroom. Jumping onto her bed, she bounced a few times on the soft mattress beneath her. She eagerly opened the first page of her beloved comfort series, eager to absorb her hard earned romantic dopamine.

"Huh?"

Tan-Tan rubbed her eyes.

She let out a high pitched yawn, her head nodding foward as she propped her chin in her palm.

"Mmm. Just... one chapter."

Her soft snores filled the room. She was asleep.