CHAPTER FIVE

*YOUR POV*

Beep-beep-beep-beep-bee--

I slammed my hand down on my noisy alarm. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily. I staggered into my bathroom to prepare myself for the day. Twenty minutes later I was locking the door and heading toward school.

I wonder if Odagiri would come today?

It’s been a week since I talked to him and he hasn’t shown his face yet. I sighed.

I slid the isolated room’s door open and sat down in my seat.

“Morning ________-san!” Tsuchiya greeted me brightly.

“Ah, Good morning!” I bowed to him.

Takeda and Hyuuga joined us.

“Now that I think about it, we never formally introduced ourselves to you, right?” Hyuuga wiggled his eyebrow.

“I’m Takeda Keita.”

“I’m Hyuuga Kosuke.”

“I’m Tsuchiya Hikaru.”

“Domo yoroshiku!” I bowed again.

“Ah, no need to be so formal! We’re all classmates, right?” Takeda grinned.

“Ne,” I bowed again without thinking.

“What’d I just say?” Takeda pouted.

“Sorry!” I caught myself in the middle of a bow.

Tsuchiya smiled at me. “What made you come to a class like this?”

“Long story,” I shrugged.

“Anyways, welcome to Kirogin’s class 3-D!” Hyuuga shouted.

I laughed and they started play fighting among themselves.

“________-san, how old are you?” Takeda asked me.

“I’m turning eighteen this year.”

Takeda thought for a minute. “So you’re seventeen right now?”

“Yup.”

Just then the leader strolled in.

“Ay, Yabuki!” Tsuchiya waved.

“Hey,” he answered quietly as he drew closer to us. He joined his friends and turned to eye me carefully.

“That’s ________-san, our new student,” Takeda said cheerfully.

“I know,” came his calm and quiet answer. He continued to look at me and I faced him head on, staring back at him.

Hyuuga cleared his throat. “Yabuki, can ________-san hang out with us after school today?”

“Eh?” I was surprised.

He nodded. “I don’t think she’d like to hang out with us, but hey. Whatever,” he said as if he didn’t care at all about what I did.

“You in?” Takeda turned to me eagerly.

“Why not? But not today, sorry guys. I'm still getting used to my new place. Maybe another day!” I smiled, glad that I was making friends.

Yankumi crashed into the room, making everyone start with surprise.

“Sorry I’m late!” She panted, trying to catch her breath. She caught my eye and smiled, a secret hidden within.

I waved back at her.

However, before she could start the class, the door to the room slammed open. Sawatari marched in, followed by his shrimp assistant principle or whatever he was.

“YOU GUYS WERE AT IT AGAIN!”

I raised my eyes at the guys who looked just as confused as I was.

“Now, now, Head Teacher, calm down. I’m sure there is an explanation for this,” Yankumi attempted to soothe the angered man.

“YOU GUYS ARE THE BLACK SHEEP OF KUROGIN!” He stabbed a shaky finger in my direction at the guys.

I raised my hand. “What happened?”

Sawatari puffed out a breath of irritation. “They beat up some Ara High students last night!”

I choked on my spit and started laughing.

The class looked at me in surprise.

“________-san, do you think this is funny?” Sawatari glared at me.

“Knowing Ara High, they probably asked for it.” I yawned, totally at ease.

Tsuchiya cracked up and high fived me.

My phone buzzed and I checked my texts. After reading the text, I gritted my teeth.

Crap. Kuma texted me saying that Odagiri tried to quit his job and his employers dragged him off somewhere. It didn’t look good.

“________-san… are you turning into one of them?” Sawatari’s voice held a hint of a threat under his words.

“Into one of who?” I asked casually.

“Into a brat with no future,” he spat at the class.

I sent my table crashing to the floor and grabbed my bag. My sudden rough movement stunned everyone and the room was silent while I walked to the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sawatari glowered while Yankumi tried to hold me back.

I shrugged her off and scoffed at Sawatari. “You haven’t changed at all.”

My anger rose as I remember how he treated Kuma and the gang. He never listened to them, he never trusted them, and he never once treated them like human beings.

“What?”

“You don’t remember me?” I smirked.

The Head Teacher looked confused. “What?”

“I was at Shirokin a couple years ago with Shin and them.” I took a few more steps, and then turned back. I gave the surprised Yankumi my phone and told her to read the text. Her eyes grew large. “I’ll find him,” I reassured her. “And Head Teacher, I really hate it when adults like you look down on students. Especially when they’re my classmates.” I paused.

And walked out the door, breaking into a run the moment I was out of sight. 

I needed to find Odagiri right now. Before those club owners beat him to death. I raced along the street, heading for the club.

*YABUKI’s POV*

I walked in to the classroom, yawning.

I was seriously sleepy.

“Ay, Yabuki!” I heard Tsuchiya call my name and turned to see him waving.

I paused, taken back by the sight of my friends talking to the new girl.

I continued walking toward them, wondering about it.

“Hey, this is ________-san, our new student,” Takeda cheerfully introduced her.

“I know,” I answered. I studied her.

She was different from most girls I knew. While other girls our age were busy shopping and gossiping, she didn’t fall into that category. In fact, she felt mysterious and… slightly dangerous.

Hyuuga coughed. “Can she hang out with us after school today?” He asked hopefully.

“Eh?” ________-san looked surprised. I guess the guys didn’t run this idea by her first.

“I don’t think she’d like to hang out with us, but hey. Whatever.” I shrugged.

“You in?” Takeda turned to her, his eyes hopeful.

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Why not? But not today though. I'm still getting used to my new apartment. Maybe another day!”

Just then our idiotic teacher rushed into the room, apologizing for being late. She quickly arranged the room, preparing to teach the lesson. Nevertheless, before she could begin, the door slammed open.

That old monkey Sawatari came through the door with his short minion following him.

“YOU GUYS WERE AT IT AGAIN!” He screamed at us.

What did we do? 

Oh wait, that’s right… we beat up some Ara High kids yesterday after they tried to rob us.

“It’s probably not that bad,” Yamaguchi sensei was trying to calm him down.

Yamaguchi… such an old fashioned name. No wonder she wanted us to call her Yankumi. Pfft, as if I would.

“YOU ARE THE BLACK SHEEP OF KUROGIN!” He jammed his finger at us.

“What’d they do?” ________ asked.

“They beat up some Ara High kids last night!”

Out of nowhere, ________ choked and started laughing like crazy.

I looked around the room and the whole class was stunned. Apparently they had thought that she was one of those boring goody-goody girls.

I knew it. She definitely was different. I leaned back in my chair, watching her next move.

“You think this is funny?” The monkey raised his voice another notch, infuriated at her reaction.

She yawned. “Knowing Ara High, they probably asked for it.”

I grinned as I heard her defend us. Tsuchiya burst out laughing and high fived her.

Her phone buzzed and her facial expression changed while reading the text.

Her smile was gone and was replaced by a look of urgency.

“Are you turning into one of them?” Sawatari asked, a threat hidden within his words.

________ glanced at him, no longer in the mood for jokes.

“What do you mean, one of them?” She asked, trying to hid her rising anger.

Is she angry that he’s looking down on us?

“Into a brat with no future,” he spat at us.

I started getting pissed. However, before I could do anything, _______ slammed her desk to the floor and stood up.

The class fell completely silent as we watched her with our eyes opened wide in disbelief.

She grabbed her bag and started leaving the classroom. Just as she passed by the teachers, Yankumi grabbed her arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sawatari glowered at her. She shrugged Yamaguchi off as she turned to face the monkey.

“You haven’t changed at all,” she smirked.

What the… she knew this old man?

“What?” Sawatari was confused.

“You don’t remember me?”

He shook his head.

“I was at Shirokin a couple years ago with Shin and them.” The monkey’s eyes widened at her answer. She started walking through the door and suddenly turned and handed her phone to our homeroom teacher. After reading the text, Yankumi’s eyes widened in shock.

“I’ll find him,” ________ reassured her.

She paused when she passed by the Head Teacher.

Then she left the room.

“Dang,” Takeda whispered.

“Seriously, right?” Hyuuga whispered back.

“She’s different,” Tsuchiya said in awe.

They turned toward me for a comment.

I shrugged.

“She’s… interesting,” I said slowly.