YUUTA VS AKAGE

Same day, P.E was the only class Akage looked up to after mathematics. It was the only time she could let loose and analyse her classmate’s physical strength.

“Today boys will play basketball and girls will play volleyball.” Mr. Matsuda, popularly known as coach, announced. Tanaka, the class president, went to the couch whispering to the coach, who nodded in response.

“Okay delinquents! Change of plan! For my amusement, this is now a basketball girl versus boy match. Now split!” The coach instructed, and they split into their respective groups.

Class 2E had forty students. Nineteen girls and twenty-one boys, if Akage was counted as a girl. Due to unavoidable misfortunes, they were thirty-seven.

Sumire, the class vice president, raised her hand and stepped forward. “Denki Himawari has health issues sir, and Eiji Sena, Kisho Makoto and Daiki Hoshi were involved in a terrible misfortune that has them excused from school. So, we decided to split into two with Akage on our team.” Sumire summarised the class situation, puzzling all the boys, except Yuuta.

“If you punks are still arguing about my manhood. I’m a feminist or I might be wrong, and you’re scared to lose.” Akage mocked, agitating the boys who were determined to win her team.

Miss Ryoko and Hisa passed by, stopping in front of the school gym to watch Akage play.

Akage gave the girls the lead with eight points to zero as she hands the ball to a girl, positioning her hand as she shot the ball into the hoop giving them a two-pointer. Since it was a school game, cutting the game into two halves with fifteen minutes.

The girls were impressed with Akage’s strategy, which fixed a few weaknesses to even the scores as the first half ended with a point of twenty-two to fifteen points, girls vs boys. Akage drank a bottle of water as she rested before staring at Yuuta, who stood with a serious expression, one that was a rare sight to see in him.

“I challenge you with the second half of basketball, Akage. When I win, you’ll apologise to Ena. Be nice to her and take her out.” Yuuta said as Akage smiled.

“What if I win?” Akage asked as Yuuta clenched his fists and sighed.

“I will be your slave for the rest of my life.”

“You’re my best friend. You can’t be a slave. If I win...” She stepped closer to Yuuta. “You get Ena to fall in love with you.”

“I don’t intend to lose Yuuta Izumi.” Akage said as she stepped back.

“As well as I, Akage Akazawa.” Yuuta responded with a determined smile on his face.

The second half of the game was heated. The match centred on Akage and Yuuta constantly snatching the ball even from their teammates to determine the victor. This game would determine how strong or weak their brotherhood was.

The score within five minutes had escalated to fifty-four to fifty-one, with Akage leading. Yuuta took advantage of Akage’s shocking moment of weakness and shot a three-pointer, keeping them in a tie before the buzzer.

The class celebrated, but it still left Yuuta and Akage in a tie before things took a drastic turn… Akage passed out.

Miss Ryoko smiled as she walked in the heat of the commotion, taking charge immediately when the coach tried to carry the dizzy but now conscious Akage.

“I’ll take good care of Akage, Coach. Focus on class 2E, we can’t have them breaking more rules over a minor incident.” Miss Ryoko advised as the coach nodded.

Akage mouthed soundless sentences to Yuuta, who widened his eyes before he watched a treacherous and cunning woman take away his best friend as he stood there, unable to do anything.

Miss Ryoko took Akage far from the path directed to the school clinic and chose the teacher’s dormitory because she possessed a spare key to a room. She dropped Akage on the floor gently, locked the door and spread open the curtains before she sat on a chair opposite where Akage laid.

“What kind of drug is this?” Akage asked as she breathed in pain.

“I know you’re just like your useless mother whose body is resistant to drugs, so I had a friend of mine create this drug for this day. Of course, I had help slipping it into your body; Miss Hisa Akiyama, who would do anything for her senpai.” She replied as she broke out in sinister laughter.

Akage’s eyes slit into disgust as her body trembled while battling the drugs in her system.

“I’ve always hated your mother; she wasn’t pretty like me, but she took everything away from me and the man I loved.” Ryoko said as she lit a cigarette and smoked, puffing slowly, and polluting the serene air.

“She married him, my ex, and they had you. You and your father are the same; cold, attractive, and brutally honest.” Akage’s glares intensified as Ryoko stood up from her seat.

Her heels echoed quietly to where Akage laid before she grabbed her tie and stared into Akage’s eyes. There was no fear, no anger, void and deep. It left a smile on Ryoko’s face.

“You look so much like Chihiro, but I hate your eyes because they belong to Kioko!” Ryoko shouted as she released Akage’s tie from her grasp.

“Your mother should have died those years ago. I wonder, would you like her corpse when she’s back in Japan?” Ryoko asked as she chuckled in excitement.

“Ow!” Kioko cried as the glass mug in her hand broke off and fell to the ground. Chihiro steps into the kitchen where he heard her cry and stood stunned at Kioko’s bloody hands picking up the broken pieces of a mug.

“This isn’t a good sign, Chihiro; I’m sure you can feel it.” Kioko said with an expression of panic. “Akage might be in danger.”

“Everything is fine. She’ll be in school now and if there’s anything wrong, we’ll be informed immediately.” Chihiro reassured her, much to Kioko’s relief.

She’s okay. I hope.

Miss Ryoko is on the ground with blood dripping from the large gashes on her face. Akage stood, her eyes wide with anger as she gripped the broken mirror stained with both her blood and Ryoko’s blood.

“I admit my father was wrong for ruining your family’s lives when they were innocent. However, he didn’t punish you enough.” Akage said in a chilly voice as she sat on the table roughly.

“No one chooses who they fall in love with, and nothing gives you any right to kill for someone who will never love you. You are a fool,” Akage stated as Ryoko, whose eyes were wet with tears, stared at her. “If you dare attempt to harm my mother again, I’ll kill you.”

Akage threatened as her pupil enlarged, the atmosphere in the room transforming from a beast to an unworthy prey. Akage smiled as she crawled to the ground and faced Ryoko.

“You can’t make me happy and not get a gift.” Akage said happily.

Help me! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! Ryoko’s thoughts scattered with her lips, terrified to make any noise as Akage crawled closer with the broken shard. Hot tears waved through her eyes as the reflection of the broken mirror and a demonic smirk passed on Akage’s face.

“Let’s start the lesson.” Akage whispered.

Ryoko’s scream echoed through the halls and alerted Yuuta and Yumi to the room Akage was. They ran quickly, hoping to prevent whatever was transpiring in the room.

“Tell no one or we might play again, Valentine.” Akage warned before she threw the glass away.

The door broke down as Yuuta and Yumi entered, terrified at the sight of blood. Yumi covered her mouth when she saw Ryoko, whose body Akage marked with large and deep cuts, her long blonde hair cut.

Ryoko trembled in horror, shivering as she stared at Akage, who sat at the wall like a doll.

Akage raised her head towards Yuuta as her smile weakened. “The lesson is over.”

Yumi approached Ryoko, but Yuuta stopped her.

“When Akage is like this, she’s dangerous because she can’t reason. I’ll knock her out since she’s weak.” Yuuta informed his sister, and they both stared at each other.

Yuuta treaded cautiously toward Akage and searched for any weapon on her. He knelt beside her and Akage passed out on his shoulder. “I’ve got you.”

“She’s still breathing.” Yumi said before they heard voices.

Mr. Matsuda and the school nurse, Miss Akane, stepped in with a look of horror on their face. They quickly acted as adults while the siblings cared for Akage, heading to the school clinic.