Sleeping Monster

As the last bell rang and the school sounds started dying down, you could feel this sense of freedom in the air. For most students, Friday afternoons meant they could finally get away from the classrooms and books. Furuya, who was always full of energy, pushed Yasushi to hurry up and leave with him, and his eyes sparkled with the possibility of weekend fun.

"Hey, Yasushi, what if we went to the arcade? Or wait, that new thing just came out! Or maybe we should eat first," Furuya said quickly, clearly very excited.

Yasushi, who was very organized and calm, finished packing his bag before he answered. He glanced over at Jingliu's desk, which was empty now, as their new classmate had already disappeared into the crowd of students leaving.

"Do you even have money?" Yasushi asked, his tone showing that he was being realistic.

Furuya's excitement dropped for just a second as he took a step back, a bit of annoyance showing in his voice. "Ah, damn it, man. I've been putting money aside for that PS5, and now I don't have much allowance left. This sucks!"

Yasushi threw his bag over his shoulder easily, his words showing that he was a little tired of this. "You're expecting me to pay again, aren't you?" he said, sounding a little annoyed. "You do remember you owe me…"

"I know, I know! Ten thousand yen, right? I haven't forgotten," Furuya broke in, holding his hands up as they left the classroom.

"Ten thousand? Wasn't it fifteen thousand last time?" Yasushi corrected him, as the difference in numbers was a common argument between them.

"It's already that much!?" Furuya shouted in shock, which was made stronger as they quickly left the school building.

The sun that was going down made long shadows, coloring everything orange and gold as they walked. But, under this calm outside, Yasushi felt a small worry, like he was being watched by more than just people passing by.

Not knowing where these invisible watchers were coming from, Yasushi's gut feelings, made stronger by things he'd been through that were out of the ordinary, made him very aware. Feeling that his friend was uneasy, Yasushi decided to stay silent, pretending everything was okay while he was being quietly watched.

"Let's just go to the arcade for now; it's cheaper. Once I get paid from my part-time work, we can go see a movie," Yasushi suggested, walking a little faster.

"Yeah, and this time, I'll definitely win against you at…"

Their talk sped up, with Furuya's excitement taking over, not noticing the small changes happening behind them. But, Yasushi, who was very aware of the unseen things around them, stayed nervous, with his senses focused on the quiet changes around them.

+-+

As time passed in the busy arcade, Yasushi and Furuya got caught up in playing a lot of games, surrounded by different people all in the same place. Outside, night fell, and it started snowing softly, covering the ground. Looking through the entrance, Furuya sighed sadly.

"Damn... the snow's really coming down, isn't it? We're officially in that never-ending eight-month winter period," Furuya said, sounding a little defeated.

"Yeah, but then we get four months of burning heat, like we've been dropped in a desert. Japan's weather is something else," Yasushi thought, finding the changing seasons a strange thing about their home country.

Even as they had fun at the arcade, Yasushi still felt like they were being watched from the outside. But, inside the bright arcade, the watchers couldn't be seen, and they were waiting for the right moment.

"Well, I should get home before my mom starts looking for me," Yasushi said quickly, sounding like he needed to leave as he walked out of the arcade, leaving behind the world of bright lights and excited players.

Yasushi's breath made a foggy cloud in the cold air as he came out of the arcade, starting on his usual walk home. During these very cold months, the streets were strangely silent, a quiet that even the start of winter couldn't wake up.

Not many people wanted to go out into the snowy streets, preferring to stay warm and hidden inside.

But, in this quiet, the sound of kids laughing could be heard faintly, their happy playing in the snow a big difference from how reserved the grown-ups were. Some teenagers also found comfort in the winter, accepting the cold as a familiar thing.

For Yasushi, the snow had a strange attraction, making him think of a past life as an Englishman, a connection that stayed with him even in his Japanese life.

As his feet made soft crunching sounds in the snow, Yasushi felt the strong feeling of unseen eyes on him, along with the quiet sound of footsteps following him.

He was surrounded by a knowing silence, an unspoken understanding of the watchers who stayed hidden in the shadows. Yasushi had an idea about who they were, or at least what they wanted, but he decided to act like he didn't know, hiding his awareness like it was a secret he was carefully protecting.

As Yasushi walked into the wide open space of a certain area, shadows seemed to come together into human shapes around him. People appeared, not dressed in the usual clothes of scary people but covered up, with their faces partly hidden, wearing regular clothes. Yasushi stopped, smiling a little as he looked at them with a mix of knowing them and expecting something to happen.

'This is like something out of a thing or an anime,' he thought to himself, realizing how unreal the situation was. Speaking to the strange people, he said with a calm confidence and a bit of humor. "So, Jishiha sent you. Let's not waste any time then."

With a careful move, Yasushi loosened his tie, a symbolic thing that seemed to confuse the men around him. His breath, warm and foggy, made the scene even more mysterious, and his eyes narrowed like a snake's as he looked at one of the covered people.

"It's been a while since I've had a real fight," he said, his voice sounding a little excited under his calm exterior. "Make this good for me."

+-+

In another part of the city, Jingliu was also surrounded by the same strange people, their identities hidden behind masks and regular clothes. Not worried at all, she stood calmly, arms crossed and eyes closed, thinking quietly.

"I didn't think Jishiha's servants would be here so soon," Jingliu said calmly, her voice sounding steady in the tense air. As she opened her eyes, she looked right at Jishiha, who was burning with anger.

"Shut your mouth, whore. It's time for payback, get her and make her pay!" Jishiha said angrily, his anger barely contained.

"Such rude words from a coward," Jingliu replied, her tone controlled but strong. Before Jishiha's people could move forward, something suddenly interrupted the situation. Shadows created unexpected helpers, who quickly took down Jishiha's followers with control and skill.

A woman dressed as a maid walked up to Jingliu, showing her loyalty and service. "Lady Jingliu," she said respectfully, giving her a wooden sword with a humble bow.

Jingliu's smile, calm but also strong, lit up her face as she took the wooden sword from the maid. With smooth, almost magical moves, she spun the sword, brushing away the snow that had gathered around her. Every move showed how graceful she was and hinted at something mystical, like she was dancing to a thing no one else could hear.

Her eyes stayed closed during this action, focused on a deeper awareness, and when she finally stopped, opening her eyes again, she stared right at Jishiha with a steady intensity. He stood still, his confidence dropping in the face of Jingliu's quiet power.

Walking towards him, Jingliu's voice carried the weight of an old family line and strength that would not give in. "You can show off your money, Jishiha, but my family's beginnings in China go way back. We're not just another rich family; we have a history that's worth more than money."

Jishiha, feeling like things were not going his way, stepped back, a hint of fear in his eyes. He tried to run, but before he could get away, Jingliu brought the wooden sword down on his back with a fast and strong hit. Jishiha fell to the ground, and Jingliu, putting her foot on his back, pushed down, showing how much power she had at that moment.

"Know your place, idiot," she said seriously, hitting him with the wooden sword in a controlled way. Each hit landed with a reason, leaving marks that showed she was scolding him without being too violent. Jingliu's control showed how much power she had, using it carefully and with purpose.

A final kick to the ribs emphasized her message, and her eyes narrowed as she gave her attacker a warning. "If you keep bothering me, I will not hesitate to destroy everything you care about, both here in Japan and in China," she threatened, her words sounding very serious.

Turning away from Jishiha, who was now quiet, Jingliu walked up to the maid with a noble air. But, her victory didn't last long as someone in the same outfit as Jingliu's men rushed towards her, out of breath.

"Lady Jingliu...!" he said, gasping for air, and he seemed very urgent.

"Calm down. What's the matter?" Jingliu asked, getting everyone's attention.

"It's your classmate, Yasushi!" he shouted, and his words made the group disbelieve him as he started to tell his message.

+-+

They hurried to where Yasushi was, finding a scene that left them all speechless. Even Jingliu, who was usually calm, stood there shocked and out of breath.

Around Yasushi were thirty men, lying on the ground in different states of mess — beaten up, bruised, and bleeding. Yasushi himself stood in the middle of this chaos, his hands covered in blood, with a single line of it running down his cheek.

As they realized he was there, Yasushi turned to face them, a blank look covering his eyes for a second before he went back to normal. He greeted them with a friendly smile, sounding calm. "Ah, Jingliu, did they come after you too?"

His relaxed attitude made Jingliu shiver, and she couldn't speak for a moment. She just nodded, unable to find the words to say what she thought about the unexpected shift of events.

This was not what she had expected to happen.