Friend and Bully

It was extremely hot. I was on the ground. The girl who had pushed me looked familiar. I stared at her for a minute. I had seen her many times with Natsuki. Was she her friend? 

      "You shouldn't be here, your trash", she said scornfully. I stood up. A couple of students surrounded me. Nobody asked me if I was okay or not.

      "Lady, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know you and I don't like fighting. Please let me through", The way the girl was preventing me from going inside the gymnasium I understood that Natsuki was inside. I tried to force my way but the girl wouldn't let me through. 

    "Natsu-kun, are you inside?", I said in a loud voice. Nobody answered. I was an idiot to think she would even answer me. 

      "Don't cause a scene here. Just get the fuck out of here", said the persistent girl. As far as I am concerned, the girl was making a scene and not me. A few minutes later a teacher arrived on the scene. 

      "What is happening over here?", He shouted. He was a tall man with slick black hair in a shabby suit. 

         "Mizuki! You again", scolded the teacher. "And who's this?" he said, looking at me. He stared at me for quite some time. 

      "Haruki?", said the teacher. I didn't remember him. How did he know me? I was an ex-student but I never imagined anyone other than Fuyuko-sensei would know me. I nodded. 

       "I knew it. I was your homeroom teacher, Ando-sensei. You don't remember. Well, I will never forget your face. That face.", he said. It sounded like a mock but I let that slide. 

       "Sensei, aren't you forgetting why you came here?", interrupted Mizuki. Mr. Ando let her off since school was over. 

         "Haruki, let's go have a chat with me", he said casually. "I'll let you off the hook for trespassing…are you in?", Ando-sensei murmured. I had to follow Ando-sensei, I didn't want to be allocated for something I didn't do. I did not remember this man at all. My memories were distorted so I was not surprised to forget some people. 

        "Umm… I'm sorry, Sir. But… were you my homeroom teacher?", last I asked when I reached the bullies' secret place. The secret place remained the same since I had been gone. The school was the same old building and it seemed like nothing had changed. Just the people. 

         "Yeah. I joined last year", he said, looking straight into my eyes. I had been fooled. I left high school two years ago. How come..he? 

      "Seriously, boy. Did you forget my face? That's depressing", Ando-sensei said under his breath. He held my cheeks and I frowned. I tried remembering his face but nothing came to mind. 

       "Asahi Kurosawa... He was the leader during your time according to rumors but the real leader was me from behind the shadows. I was three years senior to them and didn't get to be with them much but I remember one of his slaves. The one he liked to bother the most. Haruki-san", 

         "Tsuchiya Ando '', I blurted out. 

     "Aha", he smirked. "BINGO!". I was about to cry. I stared at him in disbelief. How did someone like him become a teacher? How unfair was this world?

           Tsuchiya Ando held my neck and pushed my head into a wall with so much force I was sure some parts had been damaged. Next, he held my collar with his left hand and landed several punches with his right. What was wrong with him? Why was he doing this to me after all these years?

       "Why are you doing this?", I asked painfully. He ignored me and pushed me against a wall. I was helpless. No. I didn't want to fight back. I was ready to be beaten to death. I had no attachments whatsoever. I thought about my mom and dad, and Natsuki. And my little sibling.

 I wanted to see my baby sibling.

 I can't die yet.

 I tried landing a punch on his face but I couldn't. He was a far better fighter than I would ever be. He was punching me right and left. I found an opening and I landed a punch on his gut. Tsuchiya Ando was enraged. He became more aggressive and his attacks seemed to have leveled up. I could no longer defend myself.

         All of a sudden, I saw familiar track pants and shoes. It was Natsuki. With one high kick, Ando was down. I kicked his shoulder with all my might. 

         "Let's go quick, before he wakes up", I held her hand, taking her away. "Why was Sensei hurting you?" She said running even faster. I tried to catch up to her but I couldn't.

       I replied with another question instead, "Why did you save me?". She didn't answer. We didn't look back. We ran. We didn't look at each other as well. 

         Seeing Natsuki's face after three weeks put my mind at ease. When we got far away from school. I stopped. I held onto Natsuki's hand and hugged her out of the blue. Her warmth and sweaty yet sweet scent comforted me. She pushed me away. I had expected that to happen.

         "Forgive me, Nakamura Natsuki-kun. I was foolish and selfish and rude…", She wasn't paying attention.

         "I didn't save you. I just don't like Ando-sensei. He targets my friend for no reason. I wanted to kick him…to punch him…I–I wanted to do that– not to save you", Natsuki's eyes welled up. She couldn't speak.

          Natsuki's face had become pale, with eye bags. She looked thinner than the last time I saw her. She looked like she hadn't taken care of herself. It was depressing to see her in such a state. 

          "Sensei…he's a bad person, right?" She asked, "He seemed to know you". Who was I to deem people 'Good' or 'Bad'? I nodded my head. 

              "Goodbye", she said and ran away. I wanted more of her. Her recognized scent and her warmth. I wanted it all. I ran after her. I lost her at some point in time but I didn't give up. I reached a neighborhood that was present there in the back of my mind. 

        I saw her. She was speaking to someone. I recognized him. I ran towards her. She shouldn't be speaking to him of all people. It looked like they knew each other well. 

         "Akira… Get the fuck out of there", I screamed at the top of my lungs. Natsuki looked at me. She frowned. The surroundings didn't matter to me. The sun was setting. The red and orange hue on Akira's face made him look even scarier. 

         I was about to land a punch on Akira but Natsuki stopped me. 

         "Have you gone insane?", said Natsuki holding my fist. Why was she protecting him? Do they know each other? 

     "Nii-san, get inside the house. I'll deal with him", declared Natsuki. 

      "Nii-san?", I blurted out. Akira and Natsuki looked at each other. 

           "How do you know Haru, Natsu-chan?", Asked Akira.