Chapter 39: The 'Apology' War

I am not talking to them.

Not Daiki.

Not Hiroto.

Fuji... Fuji is okay.

He sent me a text this morning.

FujiKenJerk: "Nose is fine. Thank you for the first-aid. I will buy you a new ice pack."

He's such a dork.

But the other two.

They are dead to me.

"Angel! My Angel! Please! It was a dramatic miscalculation!"

Hiroto is at my classroom door.

He is on his kneES.

In front of everyone.

The class is pretending not to watch.

They are failing.

"Isuzu-san," our teacher sighs. "Please handle your ... 'fan club' outside."

I walk out. I drag Hiroto up by his stupid, floppy ear.

"OW! OW! Tsundere-violence! I love it! BUT OW!"

I drag him onto the roof.

"I am so sorry, Angel!" he wails, rubbing his ear. "I went too far! I broke the 'fourth wall'! I made the 'deuteragonist' hit the 'tritagonist'! It was bad writing!"

"You made your 'friend' HIT your OTHER 'friend'!" I snap. "And you ran away!"

"I did not run! I made a 'strategic exit'!" he protests. "And Fuji is fine! I checked! I sent him a 'Get Well Soon' fruit basket!"

"A fruit basket?"

"The Platinum Star one! With the square melons! It cost a fortune!"

I groan.

"Just leave me alone, Hiroto."

"No! Not until you forgive me!" he says. "And not until you forgive HIM!"

He points.

Daiki Hanata is standing at the other end of the roof.

He looks terrible.

His hoodie is rumpled. He has bags under his eyes.

He looks ... ashamed.

"Twilight," he says. His voice is quiet.

"I messed up."

"Yes," I agree. "You did."

"I didn't mean to hit him. I was aiming for 'Sparkles' here."

"HEY!" Hiroto yells. "I am a star!"

"I know," I say. "You let him provoke you. You lost control. You hit a bystander. It's the definition of 'bullying'."

Daiki flinches.

That word.

It hits him hard.

"I... I'm not a bully," he says, quietly.

"You acted like one," I say.

He can't argue.

"I said I was sorry to Fuji," he mutters.

"Did you?"

"Yeah! I texted him! I offered him a '1v1'! My treat! He left me on 'read'!"

I sigh.

These idiots.

"Look," I say. "I don't care about your stupid rivalry. I don't want to be a 'prize'. I don't want to be your 'Angel' or your 'Rival'. I just want ... peace."

I look at both of them.

"So, please. For the love of God. Go away."

I turn to leave.

My peace lasts for three hours.

...

It's dark.

I'm walking home from a late study session.

(I had to avoid Toujo.)

It's a shortcut.

The one my mom told me not to take.

I'm 'Bloody Twilight'. I am not afraid.

But maybe I should be.

"Well, well... what do we have here?"

Three guys.

Not high school guys.

Adults.

They smell like cheap beer.

They step out of an alley.

This...

This is 'that' feeling.

The one from my past.

My heart hammers.

But my face is ice.

"Get out of my way," I say.

"Ooh, feisty!" Guy #1 laughs. "I like feisty. What's in the bag, little girl?"

"None of your business."

"She's tough!" Guy #2 snickers.

Guy #3 just stares. At me.

He grabs my arm.

"Let's have some fun, little girl."

NO.

I drop my bag.

I twist.

Kendo stance.

I am ready to break his wrist.

"Let. Go."

"Or what?" he sneers.

"Or THIS!"

A blur.

A black hoodie.

Daiki Hanata.

He slams his fist into Guy #3's face.

CRUNCH.

It's not a gamer's punch.

It's a real punch.

"SHE SAID... LET GO!" Daiki roars.