A Brother's Sacrifice

"Woah!! What happened to your face?"

"I got ambushed."

Bruises covering his face, and a bandage surrounding his head almost like he is wearing some kind of bandana. Kinoshita stood in front of me, staring at me indifferently. We were at the junction where me and Kinoshita would often part ways and join path when going to school in the morning.

"Huh? By whom?

"By 2 students from Chiba High School."

Chiba High School? Hmm, I don't remember having any relation with someone from that institution. Have I forgotten about anything major or something like that? Hmmm.....

"...Kaburagi?"

I started walking while contemplating this issue. My thumb and my index finger were kind of supporting my chin, making me look cool as I was in the thinking mode.....Ok maybe not cool, but I was just an average looking guy who was absentmindedly walking on the street.

"Umm...T-Ten...ma?"

"Hmm? What's up Kinoshita. Why did you suddenly call me by my first name?"

I was a bit surprised by that attempt to get me out of thinking mode.

"A-Are you angry?"

"No, not angry. Just surprised. It's been like about 2 months since you used to call me 'Kaburagi'. What is the reason for this sudden change in addressing me?"

I was kinda intrigued so I waited for his response.

"We are friends.....right?..."

Heeeeh... Is that what I think it is? The insecurity in his mind between me and him, making him doubt about this bond that we have created. He just wants to confirm and solidify this bond. Without wasting any time, I put my hand around his neck and jokingly said,

"Of course we are friends Ken!"

Seeing me smile so generously, he also could not contain one of the most sincere smile that I have seen on his battered face.

"Thank you, T-Ten...ma."

"Why thank you? You know, we don't use these terms now that are a bit closer than before. 'Friends' might be an understatement to what we could describe this relation right now. So from now on, no sorrys and no thank yous. Get it?"

"Yeah, I get it."

He scratched his cheek lightly, seemingly to hide his embarrassment from me.

"Oh come on, you blushing? I told you I'm not into gays, although I'm not discriminating."

".....T-Tenma, that's a wrong assumption that you are having about me right now."

I hit his back and continued to jest at him.

"I'm always behind you Ken, just make sure nobody knows of it, except your boyfriend.....pffft!!"

"Oh God, please let the dirty thoughts of my friends be destroyed and give him a chance to rise as a Saint."

"What is that? A mantra to exorcise me or something. Too late, I'm too powerful right now. Muahahaha!!"

"I see, even your core has been corrupted. You have become a lost cause to humanity it seems. The only one who can save you is time. Wither away in this cruel world with your dirty thoughts and self."

".....Why do I see an afterimage of Aki in you?..."

Seriously though, am I going crazy? He is starting to get similar to that violent musclehead. Is it just me?

After some charades we were playing out ourselves, we saw the Aomori High School building in sight.

"Well aren't you 2 a bit too energetic this morning?"

Aki interrupted us and joined in on our walk.

"Good morning Aki." I greeted her with a thin smile.

"Good morning, A...A-Aki...." Kinoshita, I mean Ken, also greeted Aki, but more shyly than mine.

Aki noticed something strange about Ken, maybe about the same thing that I detected from him. But for some reason, she did not ask a question about the way he is addressing her, instead, the conversation flowed in another way than I expected.

"You know, my first name is not 'A...A-Aki', but 'Aki'."

Ken looked surprised but soon after, he brought a smile to his somewhat relieved face and reassured Aki.

"O-Okay. I will keep that in mind, A-Aki."

"What did I say?"

"Sorry, it's going to take some time to adapt."

"I understand."

Both of them laughed lightly as we resumed our walking.

"By the way Ken, why are there bruises and bandage on your face?"

Aki raised the same enquiry as mine when I first met him. And he replied in the same manner as before.

"Why would they do that?" Aki continued to interrogate Ken on this pretty serious matter while closing in on Ken's face to get a better look.

"I actually don't know. I have absolutely no idea why would they do this. There is no link between me and those guys from that school that I know of."

"Is that so? Then..."

Aki side glanced me angrily and I pretty much know what she means.

"I know. I know. I'm trying to remember who did I piss off. And don't worry Ken, I'll compensate for your injuries later."

I tried to retrieve some Infos that could have a connection to Ken's assailant. I honestly still did not find anything in that empty head of mine. Seeing me with no answers to their questions, they carried on walking to school.

I thought that I even heard Aki clicked her tongue due to her irritation towards me, but I could not do a thing right now. I sort of cognise what Aki is feeling. Probably seeing Ken in this state, she is angry at his aggressor and at me for being a potential cause for this.

Ken, the victim himself is pretty apathetic about this issue but Aki is not. Sympathy can be good at a certain level but if it goes beyond that, I need to do some readjustments to their relation.

We arrived at the entrance of the school and went near the shoe lockers.

"Ah, I forgot to say something to you, T-Tenma. I want to spar with you today." Ken broked the silence that surrounded us three.

"Sparing? Aah... That ambush earlier must have triggered you to tell me this, right?"

"Yes, you are spot on. I have only been practising to remember some moves and building my body. But I do not have any real-life combat experience." He put on his indoor shoes while stating his reason.

"We can do that another day, rest a bit and take care of your injuries. Although I was pretty convinced that you would have told Aki about sparing, why did you choose me?"

"Well, I like Karate..."

Aki, who already wore her indoor shoes, intervened on us,

"I'm not meant to discourage you but if you want to practice some Karate, don't learn it from this guy."

They both shot a sharp stare towards me and went back to chat with each other as we approached our designated classroom, which is class 1-4.

"I know that it is going to be a bad reason when it concerns Tenma but can I ask why anyway?"

"....."

"What? I'm just asking."

"But the way you are ask-".

I got cut off by Aki and they continued their discussion which was revolved around me, but they ignored me. It's like they are talking shit behind my back when they are literally beside me.

"His way of fighting is...how do I say it?...'Despicable' might be right."

"That sounds a bit...cowardly and.....ugly in a sense..."

He said that as he turned his head in my direction. Now I am getting to the point of irritation, where I can't be bothered by those two's insult. I casually opened the door to the class and try to forget what they said about me.

....

A minute after the school bell rang, I opened the class' door and exited the classroom. It was time to go home and rest for today. Accompanied by Aki and Ken, we went on the same path we took in the morning. To the shoe locker to change shoes, and to the school gates to leave.

Strangely enough, there were a group of students, mostly males, who were standing by the gates. The odd thing about them is that they were not students from our school, but from another one. Moreover, they were from Chiba High School.

Ken looked at them indifferently while me and Aki's suspicions raised. Could this be related to that incident to Ken?

"H-Hey!! It's him!! That one!"

One of the boys started pointing at our small group of 3. This group of Chiba High School students, I could discern 11 boys, were having a staredown with us three.

We stopped and glared at them unwaveringly. We did not falter from their emanated pressure. Instead, me and Aki did not budge an inch from our position. A cacophony of insults started to ascent in volume. The students of our schools, who did not join any club and were going home, looked at the commotion for a brief moment, before distancing themselves from those guys.

"Beat those guys to pulps!!!"

"Make them suffer!!"

"Let's f.u.c.k their faces up!!!!"

All sorts of abuse were thrown at us, more specifically, at Ken. I am sure that they are related to Ken being in this state. Now I know who I can vent my anger on.

"Aki...Calm. Down. Let me do this."

I could see her clenching her fists, meaning that she wanted to lunge forward and attack them. But I stopped her, making her look at me with a slightly furious face.

I slimly turned my head backwards into the direction of Ken. Smiling unintentionally as I saw him looking at me with a surprised face, I raised a question towards him.

"Do you want to see how 'despicable' my fighting is?"

He did not reply but instead, he nodded hesitantly. A breath of relief left my mouth and I repositioned my line of sight towards that group of people, preparing to teach them a lesson of my own.

I walked closer to them with my canine teeth a bit out, from the excitement that has started to well up in me.