Saito Reiko

Sakata Akio's POV

Why is she here? Saito Reiko made an entrance to the office. She has a small-built body that's carrying a luggage. She has a long brown wavy hair with green enticing eyes and was wearing our Aegean blue school uniform.

It was designed with a long sleeved jacket with a white collared polo as the inner paired with a red ribbon while the guys have their necktie. The girls have a large checkered black and white mini skirt and high knee socks to pair with the top while the guys have a black slacks.

She drops her luggage on the floor and humbly bowed to my father.

Reiko: I am Saito Reiko. Pleasure to be of service, Sakata-sama.

My father walked towards Saito-san and smiled grimly.

Hiroto: My, my, my. What a great timing. My son, Akio-kun, is here Saito-san. Your sparring partner.

Akio: What is she doing here father? Why does she have to come here to your office?

My father sternly glanced at me. He let Saito-san sit on the couch before facing me.

Hiroto: I needed her to come here because she is going to be with you all the time. She will be the one to watch over you so that you will never have the chance to disobey me within the school grounds.

He said confidently while fixing his tie.

Akio: Are you saying she will be your watchdog? Saito-san? Are you okay with that?

Saito-san looked at me with an emotionless face.

Reiko: It will not be a problem to me. I just need to beat you and send you to the execution room if you disobey.

My father guffawed in awe as to how Saito-san responded to me.

This girl! It is our first meeting and she is this arrogant. What a great sparring partner I have for the whole semester!

Hiroto: That's what I like about you, Reiko. Hey, son. You better watch out. She may be smaller than you but she's way stronger than you. You really need to take your Taekwondo lessons seriously. She's one of the smartest and strongest last National games. I gladly took her as a scholar.

Reiko still with no emotions, just bowed her head at my father. I don't want to continue this conversation. I really feel listless about my conversation with my father. It would be pointless to continue on arguing with him knowing that he is quite of a stubborn one. Ignoring him on bragging about Saito-san, I just bowed to my father. I just want to go out first and get some fresh air with Rei-kun.

Akio: We'll continue this next time, father. I'll go now.

I turned my back and walked towards the door.

Hiroto: Akio. I am not yet finished.

Anger crept in his voice as he was talking.

I turned to him and I bowed again and went out. I lost my energy to talk to him.

And by the way, even though I am Japanese, I learned Taekwondo (a Korean martial art) from my father's nephew, who is also my cousin, Nam Jin Woo. Jin Woo Hyung is also my best friend who is seven years older than me. His nationality is Korean-Japanese and grew up in Korea.

Rei-kun stood up as I came out from the office.

Rei: Are you okay? Your face is red and your veins are popping out.

Ignoring his concern, I replied without explaining,

Akio: I am tired, Rei-kun. Let's go to our class now. Watanabe-san, can you lead us to our classroom? I don't have the energy to get lost in this school.

Raijin: No problem, Young Master.

The hallway is empty. Maybe because the class is about to start.

Akio: Say, Watanabe-san?

Raijin: Yes, Young Master?

Akio: Why are you serving my father?

Raijin: We, government scholars, should be of service of Sakata-sama. In exchange of the free education we get here, our time is devoted for the school and government. We do everything we are asked to do.

Akio: Are you happy?

Watanabe-san was surprised. He didn't expect me to ask that question. He blinked a couple of times in a span of a second before he responded.

Raijin: What choice do we have, Young Master?

He said it with a feeble smile.

Raijin: Young Master.

Akio: Yes?

Raijin: Be careful on who to trust in this school. Not everyone is like me here. Some are happily joining this school to kill or torture for fun. Both heirs and scholars.

Watanabe-san suddenly stopped walking. Rei and I also stopped.

Raijin: We're here, Young Master and Rei. Wish you the best of luck.

Watanabe-san bowed.

Akio and Rei: Thank you.

I sighed as Watanabe-san walks away.

Rei: Are you ready?

Akio: I'm glad to have you as a friend.

Rei-kun face palmed.

Rei: You trust people so easily.

Akio: I just trust people I want to trust. That's all. And I want to trust you because you are my first friend here. We are even on our first-name basis just on the first day we met.

I said as I smirked shamelessly.

Rei: I am glad to be your first.

Rei-kun replied shyly. HIs face turned bright red. My eyes widened.

Akio: Why does it sound like I'm your first boyfriend or something?

We burst loudly into laughter and finally entered our classroom.

Even though our school was kind of western-like designed, our classrooms still had a hint of a Japanese style. The classroom doors are sliding doors but still matched the western design of the hallway. The classroom was filled with arm-chairs enough for every student and a platform on the front part of the classroom with the blackboard and the teacher's table and chair. On the back of the room stood our elegant looking lockers with all our names assigned already. Before the school began, we already submitted our extra clothes, martial art uniforms, and other stuff we want to put in our locker.

People in the room are already grouped. They already had their new circle of friends. I searched if Saito-san is around. I don't want a watchdog near me. I don't want her to be my classmate. I suddenly felt a finger poking my back. I turned around and saw the little watchdog I was looking for. She really is emotionless.

She stared at me blankly and said,

Reiko: Excuse me, Young Master, or else, I'm going to break your back.

I just rolled my eyes but Rei-kun just dragged me to the available seats at the back. Saito-san, who was supposed to be on the front seat transferred at the back to sit beside me.

Akio: Can you please go back to your original seat? You're too small to be at the back anyway.

Reiko: No. I should sit where I can see the idiot Young Master.

Akio: Did you say idiot? You just dissed your "young master."

A very tall guy suddenly sat in front of Reiko. I held back my laughter. Reiko tilted her body from left to right to check if she can still be able to see the blackboard. She stood up and said,

Reiko: I will check you from time to time during classes and breaks. Don't you dare.

Akio: Yeah yeah. Whatever. Go back to the front, little watchdog.

She glared at me with her brows crossed and walked back to her original seat.

Rei: You finally made her show an emotion.

Akio: She is a human, afterall.

The homeroom teacher entered the classroom. After introducing ourselves to class, the next teacher came in and classes began. After four subjects, lunch break is finally here. I stretched my arms upward.

Akio: Finally! I get to eat! Rei-kun, did you bring your lunch?

Rei: Nope. I'll just grab some at the cafeteria. You?

Akio: I don't have mine, too. I'm coming with you.

Rei-kun and I stood up and headed to the cafeteria. After we got our lunch, we carried a tray to a vacant table. I was surprised when someone sat beside me. And guess who? The little watchdog. I looked at her with a pokerface.

Akio: Can you give me some space?

She slightly moved away from me.

Akio: I am not going to do anything, okay? I can't have privacy with you around. Give Rei-kun and I some space. We can't talk freely.

Reiko: You're not gonna talk about something fishy?

Akio: No! No! No! Okay? Jeez.

Rei can't help himself but to chuckle.

Reiko: Okay.

She moved to the table beside us. She started eating her lunch while staring at me. She looks so creepy. Jeez.

Rei: She's like your girlfriend.

I winced at him. He laughed. We began eating our lunch.

Akio: Rei-kun, don't you feel uncomfortable? Her eyes are glued on us.

Rei: Just don't mind her. We won't worry if somebody tries to harm us we have a bodyguard.

He chuckled. I just rolled my eyes.

Akio: Fine.

Rei-kun and I just talked while eating. We enjoyed ourselves despite of the fear I had lingering around me while being here in this school. We returned to classes. The classes seem normal, not until the last subject which will be the

Martial Arts subject instead of PE classes. Here we are in the school's training grounds. I am now with the little watchdog. I forgot that the watchdog is my partner.

We changed our clothes into anything that makes us comfortable to fight. I wore my Taekwondo Dobok because Taekwondo was the only martial art I learned. Since it's our first day, we're gonna do the basics of blocking kicks and punches. It's more like getting to know your partner. How he/she moves, whether they're fast or slow, and so on. As the practice began, we had our warm-ups led by our teacher. After, the study sparring is about to begin. We formed four lines and were divided into two groups with our assigned partners. The teacher instructed us to face to our partner and to be ready. Saito-san's line are the first to attack and my line will be only defending ourselves. Saito-san and I had our fighting stances ready. My stance was not too wide nor too narrow. My fists are clenched, ready to block any of her moves.

As the fight started, Reiko raised her right knee. I slid a step backwards.

Tch.

She just faked.

Relax Akio. Relax. Don't be stiff.

I tried to calm myself by skipping while doing the fighting stance.

Inhale and exhale Akio. Focus.

Saito-san raised her right leg again and kicked me on the body. She's got power. I failed to block my body.

Ugh.

She tries to get closer with a right punch but I slid diagonally to the left and swung my left arm and pushed her elbows with my hand preventing her to hit me. She then automatically diverted her body facing towards me and kicked with her left leg on my face.

She's fast.

Good thing my right hand automatically blocked her kick. Thanks to my muscle memory. I practiced this with my Hyung (older brother in Korean), Jin Woo Hyung. She pulled back her left leg and turned counterclockwise, releasing another kick on my face. I blocked it again with my left arm. This girl has stamina. She pulled back her leg to her body and releasing another kick on my body with the heel of her foot. It really hit the solar plexus of my body.

It hurts. I crouched and groaned in pain.

This is what I get for not taking my Taekwondo trainings seriously.

Reiko: Don't let your guard down, idiot young master.

She then raised her leg so high and landed her heel on my head and everything went black.

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End of Chapter 3