Emotional Damage

“Ehhh, that is Haibara-san?!”

Akio stared in awe at the pictures on Kitsune’s phone. They were of an elementary school version of Misaki, in prim and proper dresses that made it clear that she was well off. She also towered above the rest of the children, looking like she was an elder sister rather than a fellow classmate.

“People find all sorts of excuses to ignore you, especially when you stick out so much. In her case, not only was she hard to approach, but she had all the goods to make her seem like another existence altogether. Now, eat your fried pickle.”

Akio winced as he took a bite of the disgusting fast food. It helped chase the bitter taste of how little he knew about her. For some reason, he had always pictured her as a problem child. But things had to start from somewhere.

“How did she end up being a yankee?”

“Word is that she just got tired of it all – the avoidance, the stepping on glass around her. If they were going to act like that around her for no reason, then she would give them one. She started going out of her way to pick fights with older kids, joined up with rough people who wanted to use her, and instead, stomped them into the ground to prove that she was built different.”

“Thanks, it feels like I can actually go through with this date now that I have a frame of reference. I just wish you didn’t have such trash taste. Who the hell thinks that a pickle-centric meal is a marketable thing? Just ugh!”

Akio looked down at his breaded chicken sandwich, which would have been appetizing had there not been giant slices of pickle on it. Even the breading had a tinge of sourness to it. It certainly didn’t make him want to ‘love that chicken’ or whatever the store jingle was. He took a sip of his pickle lemonade, the urge to gag being held down by pure curiosity of the information he was gaining from the local school journalist.

He had a feeling that there was something off about Misaki, and he couldn’t understand why until now.

The way she held herself was alluring, far more than what he would expect of a normal yankee. She was powerful, yet graceful. She had a knack for words that pushed his buttons. However, there were moments where she came off super awkward and behaved with little common sense. Her presence was dominating yet confusing, and Akio had no idea how to react when it came to her.

But somehow, all that sucked him in and wouldn’t let go. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

v

Misaki turned away suddenly as if to flee. Akio quickly grabbed her by the wrist to stop her, but he ended up lifted off his feet and crashing to the ground. He expected that much from her monstrous strength, but he would rather be shameless than let her get away. He wrapped himself around one leg and let himself be dragged.

After skidding for about ten meters along the ground, Misaki finally gave up and stopped.

“I don’t care about myself back then. Why should you?” she said with blunt venom, purposefully intending to drive him away.

“Because I believe in dealing with things, even if they’re a pain. If I don’t figure out that much about you, then that means I don’t care. I doubt you want to stick around someone that only likes one side of you.”

She turned to him with eyes of concern, judging what he meant by that. It was the face of a predator deciding how to handle her prey.

A sudden flash of metal caused Akio to instinctively take a step back. Fortunately, his instincts proved right as Misaki had a knife partially hidden in her hand.

“You see me as a pain? What a thing to say to your date.”

Misaki had dropped her playful air, her gaze looking at him like random trash on the streets. Akio couldn’t help but kick himself for saying the wrong thing again at the wrong time.

Advancing toward him, it looked every bit like she was getting ready to gut him. Akio strafed to the side to avoid the deadly thrust. By now, their actions were grabbing the attention of nearby park-goers.

“What’s that, a fight? In the middle of a date?”

“That chump must’ve really screwed up. Getting such a babe mad at him.”

Akio’s ears picked up on the ramblings, which stung quite a bit. To them, it looked like Misaki was merely trying to smack him in anger. They couldn’t see the blade that was carefully held between her fingers from afar.

So distracted by the insults, he suddenly crashed into a group of guys, who turned to him with annoyance.

“Whadda hell, asshole!” The nearest guy held up a fist, ready to pound some sense into him.

“Hey look, bro. Some chick is tailing him. Looks like they’re heading for the splits.”

“Well, well. Seeing as this douche isn’t showing you a good time, maybe it’s up to us to pick up the slack.”

Akio looked all around him. He was circled by five beefy men who looked part of some sports team, probably in college. There was a certain solidarity between them that was undeniable.

“Say missy, what should we do with this guy?”

Akio stared at Misaki, whose face darkened. His heart sank as she looked away from him.

“He came onto me too strong, and I don’t like it. Feel free to teach him a lesson.”

The guys chuckled. Some cracked their knuckles. One lifted him by the shirt, looking him square in the eyes.

“Buzz off, loser. We’ll take your girl and have fun with her in your place.”

Akio head shot forward and slammed into the guy’s face. He broke free from his grip, surprised at himself. Anger moved his body all on its own. It was crazy to go up against five strong men, but he couldn’t listen to them eyeing Misaki like that anymore.

“You’re just going to run?! That’s not the Misaki I know!”

A punch clocked him right in the face. Akio shrunk back to soften the blow. He saw one of the guys charge forward to tackle him. He dove to the side, tripping his attacker and causing him to land face-first into the pavement.

Akio barely escaped, only to see a foot coming right for his head. A quick guard meant that he took a boot to the forearm instead of the face, but it still hurt like hell. That gave another guy the chance to plant a knee into Akio’s stomach. He fell backwards, about to spring back up but stopped by the same foot pinning him to the ground. It was the guy that he headbutted.

“You little shit! You’re pretty dumb to go against all of us. I’ll make sure you get double what you did to me!”

The guy reared back, a trickle of blood running down his nose. Akio doubted his hasty blow had done much damage, but a full swing from above was going to mess him up. He winced in anticipation of that, but suddenly, the guy was flung right off him with a swift kick from Misaki.

“I can’t bear to watch you getting that hurt, Akio-kun. I’m stepping in.”

“You’re the one that started this craziness!”

“I know.” Misaki shot him a wide grin, fueled by a mischievousness in her tone. “I love crazy.”

“You bitch! The hell you up to?!”

One guy came to rough her up, but she ducked his grab and slammed a fist into his solar plexus. He didn’t even have a chance to double over as he was sent spinning into some bushes. Another guy tried to yank her by the hair, but she spun her head and whipped it into his face instead. The momentary stun left him open for a kick to the groin. But rather than wincing from the ungodly blow, he blacked out from the sheer force of it sending him over Misaki’s head and behind her.

The last two guys charged forward, making her sigh at how pointless it all seemed. She palmed both by the head and slapped them together, making a double idiot sandwich.

Akio was still on the ground, trying to process how Misaki made short work of them. She bent over and extended a hand for him to grab.

“I didn’t expect you to piss them off like that. That was just a bit dangerous.”

“Says the person that started the fire and razed the whole thing to cover it up.”

“It’s more fun that way.”

“Ha, fun. I’ll remember that the next time I’m burnt to crisp in the process.” He took her hand and stood up. He touched the side of his face where a bruise was quickly forming.

Misaki reached over and pecked him on that very spot, whispering.

“I’ll be sure to give you the best care possible.”

“Please don’t tell me that you’re hurting me on purpose, just to nurse me. I don’t know if I can survive that kind of calculated intentions.”

Misaki giggled, unwilling to answer that. She hugged him instead.

“You’re right. I don’t particularly like how I was in the past. That’s why I don’t like thinking about those things. I don’t want you to see that side of me. So please, just look at me now. I promise I’ll just enjoy the moment with you, no matter what it is you want to do.”

They separated, just enough for Misaki to reach up and cup his face with both hands. A wild expression appeared on her face like a realization dawned on her.

“After I stopped holding myself back, I feel so free that I can’t be stuck up and proper like that anymore. So just forget she existed in the first place.”

Crap, she wasn’t holding back. She was just questioning how much to let loose!

Akio slapped himself on the forehead. At least, he snuck a few photos in from his phone of her candid expressions. She was cutest when she forgot all inhibitions and just went with the flow.

Several groans echoed around them, triggering Akio’s danger sense. The guys from before had picked themselves up and were ready for round two. Clearly, they couldn’t believe that a single girl had thrashed them so badly. Lining up, it looked like they were going for a united front.

A sharp whistle cut through the air, and suddenly, a giant floppy-eared costume hobbled its way between the two sides. It instantly cut the tension in the air.

“Oh, it’s Wan Wan Kamui-kun. The amusement park mascot.”

It was hard to miss the dog-like character that moved through the park, waving its floppy ears at people. Children ran up to it, asking for pictures and posing with it as a protector of fun stuff.

Oh no! Don’t tell me that it can’t see the situation it walked right into!

Akio was about to step up to pull it away from the crossfire, but someone from the group acted first.

“Get your ugly mug out of the way! We’re gonna teach that bitch not to mess with us!”

A downward chop came right for Kamui-kun, but to everyone’s surprise, its floppy ears crossed and blocked the guy’s arm before he could gain much momentum. Kamui hopped forward and did a hip bump that knocked the guy on his butt.

Already on edge, the group didn’t think too hard about letting their anger out on an innocent bystander. But in response to the next two chumps, Kamui did a spin and spread out its ears, sweeping them up before tossing them to the curb.

Akio froze, watching all of this with a dumb expression. He had to rub his eyes as the mascot was effortlessly going to town on the guys.

“Oh, ho. So the ears are where the arms are, and the little window on the hat is the viewing port… The heavy suit doesn’t hamper its attacks. I must partake as well-”

“No, you don’t.” Akio grabbed Misaki by the wrist. “I happen to like this amusement park. Please don’t get me banned.”

Kamui-kun turned toward them, in a ready position, as if daring them to just try something. Akio thought he even saw the tip of its ear beckoning them like some martial arts master.

“It’s even challenging me. How delightful! I can’t argue with a direct invitation.” Misaki started to pull Akio forward, uprooting him from any resistance.

He had to figure out how to diffuse the situation fast. And he had to head it off before Misaki threw the first punch. Akio groaned and went with the first thing his gut decided.

“Hey! Hey! I’m here to do the Kamui dance!”

Akio dashed forward, bringing his arms out like drooping dog ears. He spun them around while stepping side to side, putting his best imitation of what he recalled the kids do around the park.

Misaki gawked at him for a moment as he tried to get her to join in, without any success. Instead, she held her stomach and laughed at the ridiculousness.

Akio knew he looked like an idiot doing it, but it had stopped the Misaki train from crashing into the station. He looked up with teary eyes to see Kamui-kun doing the same motions beside him.

At least, someone knew his pain.

Before long, a group of kids ran up to them, all doing the same dance. It felt less and less like emotional damage directed to himself as the crowd grew bigger. At some point, the music for the dance had even started playing on the intercom.

He waddled over to Misaki and tugged her along for a quick escape. Her laughter fit right in with a place where everyone was supposed to have fun. He could check off that diversion as a minor success.