The Face Off

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-Togawa High-

As soon as Laurie entered the school gate, she turned left and passed the inspection of the student council.

She wore the school uniform for the first time. Perhaps that explains why Rina Yamaguchi's minions have not noticed her, yet.

The students rushed through the front door to the geta bako to exchange their outdoor shoes for indoor shoes called uwagutsu.

She should have done the same, but she was trying to avoid those girls who wouldn't stop talking trash in front of her, as though she couldn't understand them when they perfectly knew she could!

Since she studied Japanese for more than two years and passed the highest level of the Japanese proficiency test, she was accepted to attend Togawa High - one of the few international schools in Tokyo - for her school requirements to have immersion in other cultures.

After seeing how her classmates treated her because she was different from them, she regretted choosing to study in Japan. In her class of thirty students, there were just two of them in the class that chose a school in Asia.

It was Rachelle Tui who chose to attend school in Singapore because her family was originally from there. Her grandmother wanted to see her.

Laurie chose Japan because she loves Japanese culture. She fell in love with Haiku because of her nanny's Japanese neighbor who would recite Haiku in his garden every afternoon. All the kids in the neighborhood would talk about the Samurai man.

She will never forget the first time she climbed a mango tree on the property where her nanny had rented a room to learn about the Samurai man the kids talked about.

She does not understand a word of the poem the man was reciting, but she understands the longing. She ended up climbing the mango tree every weekend to listen to the old man until one day she fell from the mango tree and ended up at the Samurai man's yard.

In her panic, she got up and recited all the words she heard during her weekend stalking. The Japanese man was impressed and invited her for tea.

The man happened to speak English and became her Sensei in studying the Japanese language and culture. She wanted to learn Japanese to be able to read the Haikus written in their original form.

Her love for Haiku pushed her to study one of the most difficult languages she chose to learn because of Kanji. She hated those. But, because she was so crazy over Haiku she persevered. Now, her love for Haiku brought to hiding under the fire exit in the Northeast building where her classroom was located.

She would wait under the fire exit until most of the third-year students had gone from geta bako before changing her outdoor shoes into her uwagutsu.

Once she thought the coast was clear, she entered the main lobby where the geta bako was located when someone grabbed her elbow and dragged her to the end of the corridor.

She was pushed against the wall but she kept her head down. They do not like it when she stared at them in the eye whenever they rough her up.

"Hey, look here." a voice talking in English was calling her attention. Without lifting her face, she knew who was talking.

The only girl in her group who spoke English was Rina Yamaguchi. And just like she predicted, when she looked up from watching her feet, she saw that girl's smug face.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, grinning.

Laurie smirked at how Yamaguchi's cohorts giggled like the question their leader asked was a funny joke when they didn't understand any of the words.

"Pathetic loser," she mumbled under her breath but loud enough for Rina to hear.

Yamaguchi's angelic face scrunched up into an ugly look. Her usual friendly face turned into a look that was unrecognizable from her usual expression.

She slowly stepped forward with her arms folded across her chest, while her minions closely followed behind.

Standing right in front of her, she raised her hand with her palm open as if to strike her face. When she was sure that Yamaguchi was going to hit her, she put down her hand and once again, crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh look, another loser appeared."

Yamaguchi's followers broke out in fits of laughter when they couldn't comprehend what she said, since she was still speaking in English. Nevertheless, her followers laughed as if their job was to laugh at whatever Yamaguchi would say. Doesn't matter if they understand what she said, just that they should laugh.

Laurie found the situation so hilarious that she couldn't help but snicker. The girl Yamaguchi called another loser also sniggered at the same time, which made Yamaguchi very angry.

"Listen, Yakamura — "

"My name is Nakamura. You must have forgotten it easily since you have a small brain."

Laurie, who was now a spectator, enjoyed how the small girl that looks like an elementary student answered back to Yamaguchi, but her delight was short-lived when Yamaguchi's palm struck like lightning.

A sound of the solid open palm slap hitting a skin was heard in the quiet corridor.

The small girl's eyes watered, cradling her cheek that was hit by Yamaguchi in her palms.

"Don't you dare answer me, when you don't have a mother!" her face contorted with anger when it was her who hit the other girl in the first place.

Laurie didn't know if it was because English was not Yamaguchi's first language but what she said to the small girl doesn't make sense.

"What's wrong with having no mother? It's better than having no manners!"

"Listen, Crisostomo. I'm not talking with you."

"I'm also not talking with you," she said, copying what Yamaguchi said in her last statement.

The three stared at each other, their eyes taunting each other to act first.

It was the school bell that made the decision for them. It rang for their first class.

Yamaguchi huffed with her cheeks puffed and left, followed by her cohorts.

When all of Yamaguchi's followers were out of sight, she nodded her head to the cheek of the small girl that is now swollen.

"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have involved yourself with me."

"But I didn't involve myself with you, Yamaguchi hates me too."

"Oh sorry to hear that, My name is Laurie Crisostomo. What's yours?"

"Mei Nakamura."