Chasing Hope

“Hope, come on now, let me talk to you,” I call, chasing after her. My long skirt made it difficult to run at full speed lest I trip and fall, but that was hardly an issue. Despite Hope’s best efforts to evade me, I was much faster than her and could track her around corners by looking out for her hair, which turned the corner a few seconds behind her. “You can’t outrun me,” I call, turning another corner. She tried losing me down the stairs, but I remained hot on her trail. I looked down at an empty stairwell, and without hesitation, flew down with controlled footsteps. I held up my skirt to calf height, letting me catch myself at the very last moment. As I grasped the handles to swing myself, I prepared to perform the same motion again, but was unprepared for what I saw. At the bottom, Hope’s red hair dashed around a corner, leaving an otherwise empty stairwell, so I prepared to perform the same maneuver. But just behind Hope’s hair hid someone else. I didn’t see his face; I didn’t have time to look either as I stopped descending and began falling. My grip on the handrail failed, and I fell uncontrollably down the steps. All I can manage to do is shove off to the side to avoid crashing into him, so I do. On the last foothold I have, I push hard to the left, hoping to avoid him and hit the wall, but that doesn't happen. Instead, I’m greeted by a sturdy embrace that almost feels familiar. Around my waist and arm, I feel long, strong fingers grasping and spinning me. The person at the bottom caught me; not only that, but he used the centrifugal force of my fall to spin me around clockwise and nearly launch me down the hall after Hope. It all happens so fast that I don't so much catch myself as I crash into Hope instead.

“Oww. Why’d you tackle me?” Hope moaned, face down on the floor.

“I wasn’t trying to,” I said, rising to my knees. “That person swung me around onto you.”

“Who?” she asked, looking behind, but they were gone. I stood and looked up the stairwell, but they were gone like a ninja, save the plume of smoke. A very unhappy-looking face replaced them.

“Well, well, well, finally decided to stop, did you?” Homberg-sensei called from the top of the stairs. “I saw the two of you running and was just about to call after you when you fell like that. You’re lucky I’m occupied elsewhere. Otherwise, you two would be getting an earful.” She wagged a very disapproving finger at Hope and me, causing us to look down. “For now, just think of this as a foreshadowing life lesson, and don’t run in the halls anymore. Now, what was it you wanted to talk about, Shadow-” she says, turning from us and heading up the stairs. I stood next to Hope for a minute, processing the events of the last minute. We wouldn’t have much time before being interrupted again.

“Oh, my angel again falls from the heavens. How bitter is such a reunion to begin, yet more shall become of it, I think.” We look to see a boy with a cast on his arm walking towards us with swagger in his long strides. He looks familiar, but I can't quite place him.

“Why am I having such a hard time remembering people of late?” I ponder as he closes the distance.

“You are unharmed, I hope, or shall I return the favor for your life-saving interventions yesterday?”

“Yesterday?” I question, then a sudden revelation. “You're the kendo boy who got his arm sliced yesterday,” I say, snapping my fingers.

“The very same,” he says, holding his arms out as if expecting roaring applause, but quickly drops them when he receives none. As he stands, his pose allows me to get a decent look at him for the first time. I’d been too focused on the blood flowing from his arm to worry about appearances yesterday, but now I could make out more features. His hazel eyes shone prominently, contrasting with his dark brown hair, which was raised like a crowd of adoring fans. His wrists and hands were adorned with a watch, wristbands, and more rings than I’d ever seen on a person, all shining as if trying to compete with each other. His uniform was also flashy. His tie was a complex series of black and white patterns that would’ve drawn the eyes had they not competed with every other part of his appearance.

“And while we have met before, I would not call yesterday a good and proper introduction.” He boys flamboyantly, flinging his uncast arm to the side and crossing his legs without bending his knees. “Takahashi, Tashiro. President and top swordsman of the Kendo Club. A modern-day warrior poet, a Samurai for the new century, but feel free to call me Tashiro, Tashiro-Senpai, or even darling if you prefer.” He looks up to meet my gaze and flashes a cheeky smile. “And you are? Or shall I continue to refer to you as my angel with the chocolate eyes?” For once, I’m glad to have fabric covering my whole face because otherwise, he’d see my mouth open and agast.

“So it wasn’t just shock and blood loss yesterday,” I think, astonished. “This is just how he naturally acts.” I must take a while to respond because he speaks again.

“If you prefer not to speak, then so be it. Far be it for me to demand anything unnecessary of you,” he says, straightening his posture and walking forward. “And words are most unnecessary between us, wouldn’t you agree, my angel?”

“Uhhhh.” is all I can manage to say, but that doesn't seem to faze him.

“Or is it that I’ve mastered the art of speech such that it may flatter even the divine? Such is also a great boon,” he says, reaching out and taking my hand. “One I shall use to the utmost, rest assured.” He bends over and puckers his lips. I’m in complete shock.

“Is he really going to kiss me? Right here? Without even knowing my name? This can’t be happening! Was Mom right? Were my eyes too much to be shown in pub-” My thoughts and his actions are cut short when Yui appears. I hadn’t noticed her coming down the stairs until she struck. Grabbing Takahashi-senpai's hand, pulling it from mine, and then flipping him onto the floor. I look at Yui, perhaps more shocked than Takahashi-senpai, as she proceeds to grab my and Hope’s hands. She pulls us back up the stairs, leaving Takahashi-senpai still on the ground.

“Alas, the demon from across the sea thwarts and flips me once again. Oh, how I shall smite it once-” I hear before coming out of earshot. Once we’re up the stairs and sufficiently far away, Yui releases our hands, and our pace slows. Hope looks tired after running up and down the stairs, and I can’t say the surprise has left me any less.

“Who the hell does he think he is?” Yui says, matching our pace and falling in between Hope and me. “Thinks he can just kiss you like that? He was probably going to do the same to you, too, Hope.”

“Uhh, I- I don't think he would,” Hope says meekly.

“Men!” Yui continues to rage, completly ignoring Hope. “Disgusting, all of them. Only thinking of themselves, not caring for anyone else.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just mad he called you an elementary schooler yesterday?”

“Wha- no!” Yui insists, her face going red from embarrassment or anger; I’m not sure which. “How’d you even know that?”

“Just before we met you yesterday, I heard you scream, ‘I’m not in elementary school,’ followed by people commenting how ‘she flipped Takahashi-senpai.’ So I put two and two together.” Yui's face begins turning a fainting shade of pink at Hope’s words. Some might think she was embarrassed, but knowing them for long enough told me she was confused by what Hope said; then she became angry at being confused, and finally, she became enraged at Hope for confusing her.

“There you go, talking nonsense again. You need to stop doing that, or else people are going to think you’re some kind of detective.”

“It’s basic deductive reasoning,” Hope muttered, but Yui didn’t listen, preferring to continue her rant.

“He just strikes me as the kind who’ll go for more vulnerable, less confident girls. I’m just trying to look out for you because you look like an easy target, isn’t that right, Yukki?” she asks, turning to me, but I don't respond. I’m still in a daze from what’s just happened. “I said, Isn't that right, Yukki?” She repeats, jostling me.

“Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, definitely,” I say, looking back at them, only vaguely aware of what I’m agreeing to. “Whatever you say, Yui.” By this point, I’d managed to walk a few paces ahead of them back to the classroom and decided to open the door while still looking back. “You know I’ve never found your judgment to be wrong when it comes to-,” I begin. I’m cut off when I open the classroom door and hit a rubber wall. A solid yet supple mass greets me, stopping me in my tracks and pushing me backward.

“Yukki,” Yui calls as I begin to fall back, but a hand reaches out for me, and long, strong fingers clasp around my wrist, pulling me upwards.

“We've got to stop meeting like this,” he says, pulling me back to my feet.

“What?” I listen to his words. “I’ve heard that voice before. I know I have, but where? Someone who caught me when I fell… Could he be?” I’m so close when he interrupts.

“This is the second time today, and then there’s yesterday in the dojo as well,” he says. “I was in full kendo gear then, so you may not recognize me.”

“You’re the lone swordsman?” I was a bit shocked. Without the kendo gear, I could take in his features for the first time. His dark blue eyes drew me in with their piercing gaze. They were framed well by his light brown hair, tied in the back with bangs covering his forehead. His frame was more slender than I’d thought, but perhaps the armor had given me that impression. Still, I could tell from feeling his arms that whatever mass he possessed was pure muscle; he’d lifted me without any effort as if I were a rag doll. His uniform was well-kept, and his tie was perfectly symmetrical and pure white. Only a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands denoted any deviation from the standard uniform.

“Lone swordsman?” he asks gently, smiling. “I’ve been called many things, but ‘Lone Swordsman’ is definitely one of the cooler names.”

“Oh, sorry, I just never caught your name,” I say, trying to avoid sounding rude.

“Well, let’s fix that,” he says, taking out a small bottle of hand sanitizer from his pocket and rubbing his hands as he speaks. “Hattori, Ichigo, a 3rd-year student.” The scent of the hand sanitizer is so strong that it almost makes my eyes burn. I look down and see his hand becoming so red that I wonder if he’s having an allergic reaction to the sanitizer. However, I realized the redness was probably why he had the sanitizer and straightened my posture in order to match his as I prepared for my introduction.

“Nice to meet you; I’m GoKegawa Yukki, a first year, and this is Grant, Hope, and Niǎo, Yui, also first years.” Both girls bow behind me, Hope more deeply than Yui.

“Yes, I’m already familiar with your names,” he says, to our collective surprise.

“How’s that?” Yui demands, taking a half step to almost be in front of me.

“I saw Niǎo-san at the martial arts tryouts yesterday,” he explains. “And Homberg-sensei told me about an English ginger and niqab-wearing American in her class, so I’m already acquainted with your names.”

“She told you about us?” I ask.

“Yes, Sensei has an… affinity, infatuation, whatever you’d like to call it for… ‘kindred spirits,’ I think she calls them. Those that tend to stick out in a crowd and make an impression like she does.”

“Are you calling my friends weirdos or something?” Yui demands, puffing her chest out.

“No, Yui, don’t go start fighting over this again,” I think, remembering her beating up bullies who made fun of Hope and me.

“Nothing of the sort,” he says, holding up a hand. “Those are sensei’s words, not mine, and I’m sure she means them in the kindest, most endearing way possible.” Yui gives Hattori-senpi a sidelong glance.

“And what exactly is a second-year student doing in our classroom during lunch?” she asks.

“Just dropping off some documents for Sensei,” he says, leaning and pointing to a stack of papers on the podium.

“You seem awfully familiar with our homeroom teacher for someone who isn’t in her class,” Yui says, not convinced.

“Well, I was in her class last year,” Hattori-Senpai says, ignoring her disrespect. “And she is the faculty advisor for my club, so we see each other often.”

“Oh, I didn't know Sensei was the faculty advisor for the kendo club,” I interjected, trying to keep Yui from being hostile.

“She isn’t, I’m not in the kendo club.”

“Huh,” we all say in unison. “But you took on the club president and two other members by yourself.”

“Indeed, I did, but there’s simply nothing left for me to learn there.”

“Seems like a was-” Yui begins, but I cut her off.

“So, what club are you in?”

“I’m in the Religious Studies club,” he says.

“I didn’t know we had one of those,” Hope says, perking up. “What do you do there?”

“A variety of activities focused on the study and understanding of world religions and the role they've played in history. To this end, we primarily drove into holy texts and manuscripts.”

“Manuscripts?!” Hope repeats. Her eyes dazzle, and the hair at her sides all but perked up like cat ears. “How do I join?”

“It’s an exclusive club,” Senpi explained. “Invite only.” Hope’s face deflates like a popped balloon, and she lowers her head. “Though, as I said, Homberg-Sensei is fond of unique characters, so perhaps she’ll suggest one of you.” Hope’s head raises again. Hattori-Senpai also seems to notice this as his eyes seem to brighten slightly. “Well, in any case, I don’t want to overstay my welcome. You all have a nice day now.” We move out of his way, and he leaves the hallway out of sight.

We head in, with Hope and me taking our seats, and Yui stands in between. There was already a group of students having lunch there, and I overheard them talking about a serial killer taking children to an abandoned mountaintop. When the warning bell rings, I begin to prepare for the next Japanese period. As I reach into my desk for my textbook, I feel a loose piece of paper.

“Huh?”I wonder why I don’t keep loose papers floating on my desk. I pulled it out and saw that it was blank on both sides. “That’s weird,” I think, ready to discard the page, but Yui stops me.

“What’s that?” she asks just as I’m about to discard it.

“Just some blank page I found in my desk, kinda weird 'cause I don't keep this kind of stuff just floating around.”

“What do you mean blank? There’s text on it,” she says, cocking her head. I flip the page over again, making sure I hadn’t missed anything on the opposite side, but it’s still blank.

“Uh…No, there isn’t,” I say, flipping the page over and over, looking for this text she's describing.

“Sin clouds your vision, and so you cannot see it,” Khanethael says, interjecting. I almost jumped at his sudden words. He’d been silent for so long I'd forgotten he was there.

“Yes, Yukki, I am indeed still present even when making no effort to let you perceive me. Now, back to your orders.”

“Orders?” I whisper so the other students can’t hear me.

“Yes,” he says. “This paper lists an address and a time of arrival. Be there at 23:00 tonight for your first ‘mission.’ Tell no one, don't bring any electronics, don't be late. Sealed by your Abbot.”

“The Abbot? So he’d been here? In our school? At my desk?”

“Do not be so surprised; Hope and Yui received a copy as well.” I turned to look at Hope and Yui, and sure enough, they both held blank pages in their hands as well. Though Yui was pointing at the sheet as if reading text, Hope just stared blankly at it, the corners of her mouth trembling along with her fingertips.

“Hey, Hope, are you-” I begin to say when the bell rings and the teacher walks in. I don’t dare to speak in class, but as I sneak glances at her, I notice she seems to be in a daze. Khanethael also appears to be keeping an eye on her, and before the school days are over, I hear him make a declaration.

“Rest assured, we have received orders, and we shall fulfill them to the best of our abilities as guardians.” His gaze shifts down and intensifies. “Both we and the girls shall be there punctually. Even if we have to drag them by the hair.” I feel his gaze intensify, but I can’t shape the feeling that it’s more directed at Hope than myself.

Once school lets out, Khanethael hurries me to prepare for the night's events; makes sure I eat plenty at dinner, say a few prayers, do homework to avoid distractions, and so much more before rushing out the door to the address listed on the page. He leads me to an abandoned hotel complex, where I’m the first to arrive. It’s not surprising since he has me there just after 22:30. I sit and wait for the others to arrive. Yui arrives just before 23:00, full of excitement.

“I can’t wait to fight more sprites,” she cheers, pumping her arms in the air. “Maybe we’ll even run into a demon or the devil himself. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

“No, it wouldn’t!” A voice screams from behind. I turn and see Hope inching towards us. Her clothes and bits of her hair sticking out at odd angles pointed towards us while her heels dragged on the ground.

“What exactly are you doing?”Khanethael asks. His form contorts, and I sense an aura of disturbance in him. “It was a metaphor,” he exclaims. “I did not mean for you to drag her here by the hair, literally.”

“Wait, is that what’s happening? Her guardian is dragging her?” A Moment later, Hope stops moving, and her hair and clothes drop. She steps back as if being released from a firm grip. She immediately tries to run away, but is jerked back by the hair after only a few steps.

“LET ME GO!” she screams, almost on the verge of tears. “I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS, AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!” She struggles and strains against her hair, but her angel seems to have a sturdy grip and won’t let her go.

“Let her go!” I hear Yui yell. I turn and look, but she’s also restrained. She desperately pulls on her arm like a child, refusing to follow her mother. As they do so, I hear Khanethael sigh.

“Oh, not you, too,” he says, looking towards Yui. “I swear Jonah was less trouble than this…” I hear his whisper. I stand there watching Yui and Hpe both struggle. I feel an overwhelming sense of worry.

“How do I de-escalate this situation?” I wonder. I’m so focused on what’s in front of me that I don't notice the presence sneaking up behind me.

“Well, this is off to a wonderful start, wouldn’t you say?” A voice says behind me, causing me to jump. I turn and see a figure dressed in black from head to toe—the same as yesterday—the Abbot.

“You!” I hear Yui say, turning away from Hope. “You let Hope go. You can’t force her to do this if she doesn't want to.”

“Actually, quite the contrary,” he says confidently. “I can and indeed will.”

“Why? I bet I can defeat the enemy by myself, just like last night,” she challenges.

“Oh really?” he says, raising a hand. Yui steps forward as if suddenly released from her restraints and rubs her wrists. “How about a challenge?” he asks, producing a sand hourglass. “I shall grant you this long; come at me with everything you have, and if you can land even one blow, I’ll allow the others to go home. Otherwise, all three of you will complete the mission together; sound fair?”

“You’re on!” Yui says, readying her stance. The Abbot tosses me the hourglass and places both of his arms behind his back, respectfully gripping his elbows.

“That glass lasts for about two minutes, but that should be more than enough time for someone who did so well at her martial arts tryouts yesterday.”

“How do you know about that?!” Yui demanded, her face scrunching up into a scowl. “How do you know so much about us?”

“Everything I know about you three I know by the grace of God,” The Abbot says, not shifting his posture. Yui stares down The Abbot, clenching her fists, practically drooling like a dog told to wait for a treat. The Abbot stands composed and steadfast, never removing his hands from behind his back. After a moment, he turns to me and speaks. “We’ll begin on your mark,” he says to me. “You’ll also be acting as a referee, so I’ll make sure to go easy on her.”

“You’ll go easy on me?!” Yui shouts. “Forget two minutes; I'll twist you into a pretzel in thirty seconds!”

“Just start the hourglass when you’re ready,” The Abbot says, ignoring Yui’s taunts.

“Uhh, okay,” I say, reading my arm. “Ready, go,” I say, placing the hourglass sand side up. By the time the first grains of sand reached the bottom, Yui had already closed the distance. She strikes out with her palm right at The Abbot’s head. He only dodges to the side, gracefully as a flower in the wind. Yui’s undeterred and lets loose another strike, which The Abbot dodges again. With each missed strike, Yui seems to grow more and more frustrated at her lack of connection. After a moment, I realized that The Abbot’s arms hadn’t moved. They’re still gripping his elbows just as firmly as before; not only that, but his feet are still in the same spot as well. He’s effortlessly dodging all her attacks by just bobbing and weaving. Eventually, Yui gets enraged at her lack of progress with her fists and tries a kick. The first one is a broad sweep at his chest, but he just leans back to dodge. She tries to follow it up with a sweeping kick, but he finally moves his feet to jump backward into a flip.

“Finally made me move my feet; only took you half your time,” he taunts, finding his new footing.

“Shut up,” Yui says, giving chase. As she moves forward, she lets loose a series of kicks, punches, palm strikes, elbow jabs, and other kinds of martial arts moves that I couldn't even name. All the while, The Abbot keeps his arms firmly behind his back.

“And you said I’d be a pretzel in thirty seconds,” he said, leaping back onto a low-hanging tree branch. Though the limb is relatively thin around it, it doesn't bend even a centimeter under his weight. “Well, you have about that much time left, so I suppose it could still happen.” Yui’s face grows even angrier at his taunts.

“Shut up!” she yells, jumping to strike the tree branch. She first connects and sends the limb upwards along with The Abbot, who seems undeterred by her strike.

“Hey, now when I said landing a blow, I meant on me, not the tree,” he says, landing a foot on her head, using her as a launchpad, and landing just behind me. Yui nearly falls on her face, only barely catching herself on her knees and hands. Turning back, her face is full of rage, and I almost feel like she’s trying to stare a hole in him with a laser. “Death glares don't count either,” he says with ever so slight chuckle, leaping to the edge of the brick sidewalk and a patch of dirt and grass.

“Why you!” Yui screams, and she launches herself off the ground. She’s even faster than when she started, and I’m afraid she’ll actually kill him this time.

“Yukki, look at the glass,” Khanethael says, springing me from my focus. I look down just in time to see the last grain of sand fall onto the bottom bulb.

“Time’s up!” I think, excited.

“Time’s up!” I called, hoping to stop Yui, but she didn't respond. She continues charging The Abbot at full speed after my call. Closing the distance with a leap, I fear the worst, but The Abbot simply removes his arms from behind his back. In a smooth, graceful motion, he grabs Yui's outstretched arm and twirls her around. Bending her arm behind her back, followed by grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to the ground on the patch of dirt behind him.

“The ref called ‘time’s up,’ which means you stop,” he says, releasing his grip and leaping back into the tree as soon as he does so. Yui rises from the grass, her face covered in dirt, but she is physically unharmed. She looks around furiously for The Abbot.

“Stop it,” Hope cries, coming to Yui’s side and kneeling beside her.

“I hope that was a clear enough demonstration,” The Abbot calls from his elevated position. “So, with that out of our way, let’s get to the mission.”

“We aren’t doing anything-” Yui begins, but Hope stops her.

“Just tell us what it is.” Her voice is harsh and full of conviction. I’m not sure if seeing Yui beaten had steered her resolve or if she just wanted to get it over with. Either way, it seemed she was committed. Still from the tree, The Abbot’s aura seemed to brighten as if he was smiling, but I couldn’t see his face to tell.

“It’s really quite simple,” he said, bending into a squat. “All I want you three to do is tell me what verse I gave you.”

“Verse? What verse?” Hope demanded.

“The one I gave to the ref,” he says, pointing at me.

“You didn’t give me a-,” I begin, but I feel Khanethael rip something from my back. He flips it around and hands me a piece of paper.

“What? When di-”

“He stuck it on when he landed behind you,” he said, cutting off my thoughts.

“Yes, that verse, well, verses, I should say.”

“You dragged us all the way out here to name a Bible verse?” I ask.

“Well, that and I want to teach you valuable lessons on preparation and faith.” He falls from the tree and begins slowly pacing around the hotel entrance. “As you may have guessed, the answer is located somewhere in this condemned hotel building. However, strictly speaking, you don’t have to enter; feel free to use any resource on hand.” He reaches into his belt and pulls out a small book. “Why, if any of you brought your own Bible, I’d even allow you to search through it. The only stipulation is that you must give me an answer by midnight.”

“So you’re saying we can just take that from you and get the answer that way?” Yui asks, rising to her feet, clearly itching for another fight.

“Well, you’re certainly welcome to try,” The Abbot says, placing a hand down on the sword at his side. “But this particular Bible is a significant relic, so I’d protect it above my own life.” He nudges the sword guard with his thumb, opening the sheath ever so slightly. “And considering how our little sparring match just went, I don't think that’d work out too well for you.” He centers his body in front of us and lets his sword drop back into the sheath. Though I can’t see his eyes, I can feel his gaze move from one of us to the next. As he does so, an idea forms in my head, an idea so stupid that it just might work.