A Brother's Sacrifice

Isn't there any other way than this?"

Kinoshita looked at me with a pained expression on his face.

"No, I'm afraid. I know it's a bit rough but it's the most effective plan that I thought of. So bear with it."

"Yes..."

"Are you alright? Because what we are gonna do, there will be no turning back."

His gloomy head was facing down, and after a moment, a calm yet determined look was aimed at me and Aki.

"Let's do it. I'm ready."

Since I already told Kinoshita the plan, it was now time to start our plan.

.....

It was break. Ryusaki was leaving the classroom to eat with his friends at the cafeteria. And Miyake was, as always, sitting alone and eating her lunch.

Only a few people would talk to her and Ryusaki was amongst them. I guessed that she loosened up a bit around him when talking to him. That's when she started to fall in love. And I could say the same for Ryusaki.

We took our positions. I sat on my usual seat while Kinoshita was at the very back of the class, you could say that he was behind me.

"Miyake, can you come here? I need to talk to you a little bit."

Kinoshita, while holding his lunchbox, called out to Miyake and tried to make her come to him. Kinoshita was kind of showing his lunchbox to her with small movements. Miyake, who thinks that he wants to eat with her, was somehow really happy, for some reason.

She stopped eating and closed her lunch box's lid. She took it with her and walked in the direction of Kinoshita.

So far, everything is going so smoothly and accordingly. She was slowly coming closer to where I was seated since it was the fastest way to get to Kinoshita.

Miyake wasn't even taking a look at me. That made me felt reassured a bit. My foot was left lying in the middle of Miyake's way. She still hasn't noticed it. Everything was in place.

Now, hell was awaiting Miyake.

"Kyaaaa!"

The next thing I felt was a bump at the end of my foot. Miyake was falling to the floor. But something stopped her from falling, or should I say someone?

Miyake was leaning onto someone. She was trying to stand up and was trying to thank the person who prevented her fall.

"Thank you for helping me."

As she looked up to the person on who she was leaning on, she had a look of someone who she didn't want to see. It was Aki who was standing in front of Miyake.

"I-I'm sorry for bumping into you."

At first, Miyake apologized to Aki but, Aki slapped her face without mercy. The sound of the slap was so loud that everyone in the class was attracted to the situation.

Since this incident was involving one of the most dangerous person in this school, nicknamed 'Thug Hunter' Aki, everyone was scared now and didn't want to meddle in this matter.

Miyake was shocked about the slap and intense pain was delivered on her cheeks. Her cheeks were bright red which described the strength of Aki's hand.

"...Why...Fujimoto?"

"Look at what you did to my hoodie and realize what you have done."

Miyake looked down to her hoodie and upon seeing it, she was having a sense of guilt. Her food, which was in her lunchbox, was all over Aki's hoodie.

'It's all according to my plan.'

Miyake didn't know what to do which left her in a state of panic. She tried to apologize again to ease the atmosphere's tension between Aki and herself.

"I'm s-s...so...s-sorry about this Fujimoto!! I-It was an a-accident."

She was stuttering due to fear. No one was trying to intervene in this situation, not even Kinoshita. He was just watching this disturbing scene.

In an instant, Aki grabbed Miyake's hair and pulled it towards her. Miyake was holding her head with a face full of anguish while tears started to be seen in her beautiful eyes.

"You did this deliberately, didn't you? Was it for revenge? Either way, you are really in a bad situation for making me this angry."

"No, I didn't! I tripped over something and...this happened!"

"Don't make pitiful excuses."

Aki's right hand was forming into that of a punch. Everyone realized what was going to happen. Aki drove it into her stomach, letting go of her hair in the process.

Miyake was holding her stomach with both her hands and fell down to her knees. Coughing sounds were heard. I gave Aki a thumbs up that nobody noticed since they were so concentrated on Aki and Miyake.

I got up from my seat and stood in between the 2 girls.

"That's enough Aki. She got what she deserved."

Aki glanced at Miyake with a scornful look, making Miyake retreat back in fear.

"If you are really sorry about this, meet me on the rooftop after school. If you don't then..."

Miyake didn't say anything. The only thing which broke the silence in this tensed situation was the sound of the bell ringing for the end of lunch break.

Everyone was slowly getting to their seats accordingly. Aki shrugged this matter off by going out of the class to wash the mess on her hoodie.

She had no choice but to only wear her school uniform. It probably needs to go in the washing machine for it to be clean. Still, I feel sorry for the food that was wasted. The food looked delicious.

Miyake was trembling while standing up. Her classmates were feeling pity towards Miyake, and fear mixed with hatred towards Aki. Now Aki looks like a real antagonist in Miyake's and Ryusaki's love story.

'I think Aki may have gone a little too far.'

....

After school, Aki, Kinoshita and I were waiting for our guest. And she obediently heeded to Aki's request. Okay, maybe not a request but a threat. Since she was a nice girl she would surely come to apologize to Aki.

Even if she wouldn't have come, Aki herself would drag her out onto the rooftop. But we didn't need to do that because Miyake was truly sorry about what happened.

"You coming here makes it clear that you do really feel sorry. Or is it just an act?"

"L-Like I said, it wasn't deliberate!"

"Tone down your annoying voice. I'm right here so you don't need to shout."

Miyake was rendered quiet. She was a bit impatient because she wanted to know the reason why Aki called her on the rooftop.

"What... do you want from me?"

"Nothing much, just keep your mouth shut about this matter."

"...About what happened in the break?"

"Yup. Nothing else. Just this."

Miyake was silent for a few seconds before her face changed.

"Oh, and if I don't?"

That confident reply to Aki, Miyake did that. She saw this as an opportunity to take the initiative at attacking us. Maybe she felt that it's enough for her to get bullied by Aki for a second time.

'Hehe, she took the bait.'

She was brave and was standing still, with unwavering confidence, before Aki. No one was able to look at Aki in the eyes like this. She is probably the first one. Well, she will regret her actions.

"If you don't, then that's not a problem. We're gonna do it the other way. Instead, we will deal with Ryusaki Aiza."

Miyake's short-lived confidence shattered by hearing the name Ryusaki Aiza getting involved in this dangerous matter. Aki continued to talk while Miyake was silent and worrying about Ryusaki.

"Ryusaki is the captain of the soccer club, isn't he? His legs are very important to him. What if his legs were broken and he couldn't play for the upcoming tournament."

Aki's threat was clear and perilous. And she said that with a joking manner but I'm not deceived by her eyes which are serious about it.

"Why are you so quiet? Weren't you trying to oppose me?"

Aki slowly approached Miyake. She didn't even dare to think about moving from her place. Aki came to a stop before Miyake. Their stand-off had a lot of disparities.

Miyake moved her line of sight towards Kinoshita. Seeing a gleam of hope, Miyake was trying to cry out for help. But what she didn't know, is that Kinoshita is no longer the Kinoshita she knew.