Bitterness

The Next day. Akari

As the bell rang out for the end of first period, Akari rested her head on the graffitied table feeling a whirl of dizziness and fatigue.

Her forehead burned hotly against her soft fingertips, her unkempt hair disorderly as she huffed. Glaring coldly at the warm blue sky, cicadas chirping away as chairs squeaked against the wooden floor.

Feeling bits of scrunched up paper being thrown at her head, slowly hankering at her patience. The new teacher a bright and handsome young man, clearly popular with the female students, wrote math problems on the interactive white board. Occasionally glancing over his shoulder at her, eyeing her fair slender legs and small feet.

Although, she was beautiful and had a nice figure in contrast to other teenagers her age,unconsciously attracting the attention from the opposite sex. She was known as the stupid ghost. With her long, ebony unkempt hair that occasionally covered her small face and her ridiculously low scores in tests.

An orphan, who lived by herself in a shoddy part of the district. Someone who had no friends, especially with her blank face and muteness. As well as the circulation of rumours about her that stumbled around occasionally.

Supposedly she was autistic and initially didn't bother to attend school-well as long as she didn't disturb anyone, she could pretty much do what she wanted. The teachers didn't seem to care enough and that was that.

Pursing her lip she internally groaned, her body aching as she suddenly stood up in the middle of class. Classmates stopping to look at the last row, the student representative frowned as she passed out the math books squinting at her crumpled uniform. Disdainfully watching as she dragged an oversized black hoodie behind her.

Ignoring everything as they didn't exist, she suddenly sneezed revealing a sickly pale face behind thick strands of hair. Her face that was abnormally flushed. A delicate hand grabbed hold of the handle of the back door as the teacher pulled out the righteous card,calling her back.

"Hanazaki... where are you going?,Class has started." He said sternly, making her roll her eyes.

Reluctantly showing off the laminated hall pass for kids with special needs, before staggering out.

Making the teacher speechless as the door slammed in his face, before he could even approach her.

Shrugging off the big blazer that swamped her willowy waist, she threw on her hoodie and bought a carton of chocolate milk from a vending machine with her phone.

Pausing at the opened elevator, on the eerily quiet corridor which was usually reserved for the teachers. She snuck in and head to the first floor, where the infirmary was.

***

Luca

Sage green eyes looked at the dusty grounds of Ueno High with disinterest. A burgundy turtleneck under his black Versace suit, leaning against the car door with unwillingness.

"Why am I here again?" A tanned, veiny hand clenched his glossy IPhone. Growling down the phone.

"Because you promised your beloved sister that you'd invest in her school as much as she wanted and I told you to." A gruff voice replied in thick Italian.

"Ciao mio figlio (*Bye my son), go back to the hotel once your done."

Grunting he tousled his chocolate brown locks and slammed the door shut, his bodyguard waiting silently for him in the car.

Putting on a business smile as he yawned, going forward to approach the grey haired Japanese man- the principal. Who stood stiffly beside the hired translator his sister had employed for him.

He just wanted to get it all over and done with and enjoy his large bed, with a glass of wine. After arriving the day before, he couldn't get used to the humidity nor the intense case of jet lag.

Everything was so intense and technologically advanced, although he found it interesting. Parts of the country he found beautiful, but he found all of the anime and trendy crap that was being pushed towards tourists off putting. It was all garish and distasteful, like what the hell is a Robot Cafe?

Looking there way, his phone rang repeatedly even after declining.

"Didn't I tell you not to come?" The veins in his forehead bulging.

"Brother you're 22... Why do sound more and more like an old man? You should relax for once!" He said with a fake laugh.

"What have you done?" He asked softly. Turning his head away, hiding his frightening gaze that could leave you with cold shivers running down your spine. Thinking to rather die than face his fury.

"Este." He warned calmly, making the person on the phone even more afraid to speak.

"Well you and dad went to Japan and I've always wanted to go, so I researched the place and the underground scene is supposed to be really amazing there and.."

"And?" A little impatient.

"I lost two million yen in a poker game and used one of your rings as collateral."

"What ring?" A little puzzled.

"A gold band with a red ruby."

"Where are you?" He demanded gritting his teeth.

"That's grandmothers ring, mother wore that before she died...What was the total winning amount?"

"10 million yen."

"Este you better stop fucking around and tell-" Hearing the beeps of his idiot brother Este hanging up on him, he cursed himself for having such a stupid brother.

Commanding his bodyguard Mathew to contact Enrique (a friend and bodyguard of his brothers) discretely and try and find out where his brother is, so that he can beat the shit out of him before telling his father.

***

(Previous day)

"When she was four the kids spoke about what kind of parents they would've wanted if they had them. Do you know what Akari said?" A soft spoken man said, surprisingly calm despite the blade of a Katana resting against his neck.

"She said she wouldn't want a stupid father, that even if they did something wrong they wouldn't have the ability to get caught." He explained meaningful.

"She was three then. I suppose at that time she started getting isolated from her peers. I don't know what kind of preconception you have of me, to influence Akari's decisions so much." Looking at the man opposite him with distaste.

"Continue." He said watching him coldly, flecks of red in his auburn hair making him appear a little demonic.

"There was another case when the girls were talking about how babies were born. Akari who was five said it was because her mother got knocked up." Frowning at the immaturity of his men, who burst out laughing. "She said she had seen it in the erotic novel, The Tyrant CEO and Me, one of the staff members were reading."

"If it wasn't for the fact her mother is buried here, do you think she would honestly be living here?" He taunted him. "I'm sure her grandfather would love to know that his precious daughter left behind a child."

"Daichi she's MINE and Aoi's daughter, What right do you have to take her away from me? Her father!" He shouted as he sat on the leather sofa opposite him, clenched hands trembling with anger.

A cold laugh slipped from his mouth as he sneered, "Do you know on the online records of Akari's birth certificate there's no fathers name? If I didn't have the paper copy I would've never been more suspicious."

"I couldn't help myself so I asked her, she was eight. Do you know who your parents are? She replied, Aoi Hanazaki and Takashi Asano."

"Then I asked her how she knew..." Eyeing at the closed Apple computer on the coffee table of his office. "Hacking."

A sarcastic smile on his lips as the light reflected on his glasses.

"Why wasn't she in school?" His breathing a little hitched.

"Because she was under psychiatric evaluation and was seen as a danger to others until she was 10 years old." Loosening the tie from around his neck, "Especially with her undetermined IQ."

"But that's your speciality right? You even got a degree and everything." He reminded cruelly. "I'm sure you can figure out everything by yourself, yes?"

*

*

*

Unable to say a word as he leant against the soft leather of the Mercedes, he stared dazedly at her school files with bitterness and made a mental oath to visit her school tomorrow.

In the hopes of being able to repair what had been lost, as well as seeking revenge on the bastards that did it to him.

Looking darkly at the sealed MacBook with a solemn expression, he was driven to the Asano Mansion.

'Akari daddy's coming.'