The Origin Of Joichiro Hyakuzawa: Part 1

*Joichiro Hyakuzawa's POV*

//August 3, 2035//Friday//

"Big Bro, wake up."

The warmth that is surrounding my body because of the heat from the sun in the morning. The birds that were chirping that can start someone's day into a beautiful morning. I can feel it, I can hear it. A new day has begun

"Big bro."

I slowly opened my eyes and saw a young girl with bright scarlet red hair, and red eyes that can pierce through someone because of their ferocity. Her voice was calming yet I can feel that she is slightly getting annoyed every time she is calling me out.

I wanted to listen to what she was saying, but my body was telling me to lie down a little longer.

My body was sore because of what I did yesterday, but because of this soft fluffy mattress that I was on, I wanted to sleep just a little bit longer.

Just a little bit longer-.

"BIG BRO WAKE UP!!!"

*SMACK*

"That hurts!"

She kicked me right on my back and made me push away from the mattress that I was sleeping on.

My senses came back, and my field of vision became clearer. I got up on the floor and sat down like a baby who was still dozing off after a good sleep.

I looked at the girl who was standing right in front of me. She was wearing her school uniform and a hair tie that she used to make her hair done pretty neatly.

"What's the big deal, Rui?" I asked her with an irritated sleepy face.

Her name is Rui Hyakuzawa.

And this person that I was describing earlier is my little sister.

"It's already 6:00 am in the morning so wake up." Rui said while showing a frown and annoyed face towards me.

"6:00? It's still too early. Why are you waking me up, and rushing me to get out of my bed this early? Besides, why are you already wearing your uniform? Your classes start at 9:00 am."

*SMACK*

Rui crouched down and flicked my forehead really hard with her fingers.

"I still have Kendo practice before class, and I want you to wash the dishes. I already made breakfast for the two of us so get the fuck up, and do your part."

"Come on, you don't need to swear to your brother like that."

"Arghh, just get up already. It's not like swearing makes me a bad person so get the fuck up, and let's eat our breakfast together."

"Alright, alright."

Rui stood up and walked straight towards the kitchen. I scratched my head and stood up as well.

Rui has been in charge of making our food for breakfast, and dinner on weekdays, then lunch as well on weekends. I was in charge of cleaning the apartment that we are living in, and I am also the one who is in charge of our expenses. Sometimes I am also teaching Rui this kind of stuff even though she was only in her last year in middle school this school year.

Yes, that's right, I'm only in my second year of high school, and Rui was still in middle school but the two of us are living by ourselves, and we are acting like adults at our age.

You may be wondering where our parents were and why are we living independently.

It's because both of us were victims in the Ruination of Kanagawa, and the two of us were the only survivors in our family.

//June 20, 2029//Wednesday//

Six years ago, our parents died right in front of us when Rui, and I were hiding in the rubbles of the destroyed buildings.

Our family was living in Yokohama at that time. I was only 10 years old, and Rui was only 7 years old. What we witnessed was something horrifying that was engraved right inside our minds.

Our parents hid the two of us and called the attention of the soldiers who were pursuing my family.

We do not know why those people want to kill us, but Rui, and I kept on crying because of the horrifying experience that we had on that day.

When we hid, and the soldiers caught up to our parents, our mother, and father raised their hands in front of the soldiers who were pointing their guns at them. But, they were merciless and killed our parents without hesitation.

*Bang* *Bang*

The sound of the guns, and the smell of gunpowder. Rui and I witnessed our parents getting shot heartlessly. Their bodies had fallen down, and we witnessed their blood flowing all over the ground.

We couldn't do anything at all.

The two of us were shaking at that time, and I couldn't stop crying. Rui was screaming because it pains her to see the two people she loves the most die at the hands of these wicked people.

I didn't have a choice and covered Rui's mouth while hugging her tightly. We couldn't do anything at all. The only thing we can do is wail, and accept the ugly truth that our parents were killed without knowing the reason at all.

Fortunately, after a few hours had passed, a group of people who were fighting against those people found us in the rubble.

They were good people, and at that moment I knew that we were saved.

But what came next was the hardest part.

//June 23, 2029//Saturday//

It has been three days since we were saved by those people, and Rui and I were temporarily living as refugees for the survivors from the Kanagawa prefecture.

But ever since that day when we witnessed our parents die right in front of us, Rui didn't utter a single word.

She didn't have the energy to eat, and she was only having a meal provided to us once a day.

She was crying in the corner of the tent we were staying in the whole day and kept on hurting herself because of the frustration of not having the power to do anything at all.

Rui was just a child at that time, but she loved our parents the most, and that is why she was really devastated.

The two of us couldn't do anything at that time, and I do not know what to say to my little sister.

But before my parents sacrificed themselves for us, they told me something. A promise that I should hold on to, and a promise that I should never break. A request from my parents that I couldn't reject.

"Joichiro, if me, and your mother die, only you, and Rui are the only ones who can rely on each other all the time. Since you are her big brother, I want you to protect her at all costs. You have that kind of strength, Joichiro. Don't use that for violence. Use that power to protect your sister, and don't use it for evil. Your mother and I will believe in you. Whatever happens in life, the two of you should move forward. That's the only way that the two of you will get stronger. Promise me that, my son."

After that, I swear to myself that I will protect Rui at all costs, and that is why I must be the one who needs to lift her spirits up even after what happened to the two of us.

After all, that is what siblings should do when we don't have anyone else to rely on.

"Rui…"

When I approached my little sister, her eyes were puffy, and she was really pale. She was weak because of not getting enough food, and sleep. But even if this incident that happened to us was a tragic experience that changed our lives…

"Let's go outside."

We still need to move forward, and live on.

//September 2, 2029//Sunday//

Two months have passed, and the Ruination of Kanagawa has ended. Akihiko Nakajima who was the mastermind behind all of it killed himself in front of the people who were fighting against them, and his soldiers suddenly vanished.

The refugees were given homes for them to live in, provided by the government, and Japan was in peace once again.

As for the two of us, both Rui, and I were given a small apartment here in Kyoto to live in.

At first, it was really hard to adapt to our situation since we are still young, and we don't know how to live by ourselves. Luckily, someone from the government has been helping us for a year to adjust to our new lives.

It's quite difficult, but as time passed by, Rui, and I were living independently together here in Kyoto.

//August 3, 2035//Friday//

Now, I'm already 16 years old, and Rui is now 13. We were used to our lives, and we can say that we are satisfied with what is happening to us right now.

We are thankful to our parents when they told us to move forward whatever the things that will happen to us. It made us stronger, and we matured quickly.

I entered the room where Rui was sitting in front of the table where the food she prepared was for our breakfast.

"Rui, are those rice balls?"

"Yeah, now sit down, and eat your breakfast.

I sat in front of Rui and grabbed two of the rice balls that she made. I took a bite out of it, and I was quite surprised by the taste.

"This is delicious, Rui."

"T-Thanks."

I caught my little sister blushing when she bowed her head down. I smiled at her and took another bite of the rice ball that she made.

Ever since Rui turned 10 years old, she asked me to teach her how to cook, and over the past three years, her cooking improved quickly. As her brother, I am really proud of her.

"How's basketball practice?" Rui asked.

"Hmm… I guess it's fine. How about your Kendo practice?"

"Ah! About that, Big bro! Let me tell you about my opponent from yesterday! Seriously that guy!"

I gaily listened to Rui's rants about her stories from the opponent she fought yesterday. She was talking to me with vigor, and I can see how much she was really enjoying doing kendo every day at her school.

The two of us go to different schools, but I heard from Rui that when she graduates from middle school, she is planning to enroll at the same high school where I am going.

Both Rui, and I are scholars from our schools. The two of us greatly excel in physical activities, and we thought that it might be an advantage for us to go to a decent school to study for free when getting an athletic scholarship rather than spending our money to enroll at a school.

Rui was agile, and she has really fast reflexes. She took interest in Kendo when we moved here to Kyoto, and she became good with it quickly. No, good is not a word that I shouldn't use. She is amazing with it.

Rui is already a Shodan, the lowest rank in Kendo which should be impossible for her to get since the minimum age requirement for that rank is 14 years old and Rui is still 13. But the examiners considered Rui's performance and made her a Shodan already.

But what is great about her is that she even defeated her instructor in a duel who is already a Godan, four ranks higher than Rui, and she easily beat him in that duel.

I really don't know much about Kendo, but when I saw one of her matches this school year, all I can say is that she is a monster.

As for me, I am a scholar in basketball. I can say that I'm really good at it, and playing basketball is really fun.

"Big Bro, you have another match against a different school on Monday, right?" Rui said while she was munching on the rice ball that she made.

"Yep."

"I bet you are going to score a hundred points again, and dominate the game just like when I watched you play before."

"No, don't say it like that."

What Rui said was quite embarrassing…

But to be honest, The two of us were gifted with extraordinary physical abilities, and that is why we can perform those feats that no ordinary human can do.

After we have finished eating our breakfast, Rui stood up, took her shinai, and bag then looked at the mirror to check on herself.

"Well then, I'm going, Big Bro."

"Take care."

When I looked at Rui who was standing in front of the door, she glared at me like there is still something that my little sister needs to make sure of before she goes outside.

"Make sure to clean the plates before you go. Also, make sure that the place is not a mess when I return here later" Rui said while she was glaring at me.

"Sigh… Alright, alright."

Rui went outside to go to school, and I was left alone here in our apartment.

I stood up, got the plates we used to eat, and quickly washed the dishes.

"There, all done."

I took a bath and wore my clothes for school. I looked at the time, and it was already 7:30 am. I still have a lot of time before class starts, and I think I should go now since there is nothing to do in our apartment.

Before going out, I checked the inside of our apartment twice to see if everything is all good. Well, the main reason why I am checking every corner is that I don't want to make Rui angry when she comes home first later.

After everything was all good, I picked up my bag, left the apartment, and went to school.

******** TO BE CONTINUED **************** TO BE CONTINUED ********