//------------------------------//
// Anthology: Aggressive and Shy Pt. 1 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//


Trotkyo, Neighpon. 1986


It was a bright morning. The city of Trotkyo was booming with citizens as they went about their daily lives. The Neighponese people were hard working in their nation, taking on taxing jobs that would run them ragged. The streets were crowded in the city what with their dense population, while those that lived out in the much more rural areas had more space.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the life that a high school girl like Aiko Yamada had. She was among the millions of people that lived in the city, scrambling through the waves of humans to get to her destination.

Aiko was a sixteen year old girl, sporting a school uniform. Her uniform was black, with a long sleeved shirt with a white detailed collar. Her green knee length skirt blew in the wind as her shin length socks kept her lower half of her legs warm. The girl carried a case over her shoulder as she bore a bored expression. He brown eyes stared off with a scowl as her long yet spiky hair flowed in the wind. Aiko sighed.

"This sucks," said Aiko to herself.

Aiko found herself boarding a train at the station. She found herself standing among other citizens, dressed in formal attire. Men and women clung to the bars overhead or sat on the metallic benches. Aiko found herself surrounded by other school girls, wearing the same uniform as her. Even some boys were present, though they hung out with each other. Aiko felt herself feeling like the odd one out as the rest of the teens conversed with each other in their own little cliques. This was something that the girl learned to associate with being normal for her.

Soon, the train stopped at another station. The teenagers and a few adults began to exit the train. Aiko followed the students, lagging behind. Her brows were furrowed as she walked up a hill with the others. More students began to join their group, migrating through the area and up the hill.

"I hate this hill," said Aiko in annoyance. She had been forced to walk up this hill since the entire 1st year of high school. It was her second year, and she already felt like losing her mind.

Soon, the students made their way to the school gates. Aiko sighed heavily as she heard the bell ringing, echoing out through the air.

"Another day, but the same routine. Is this what adult life will be?" asked Aiko with a grimace.

Aiko found her day normally filled with the same boring routine. Bow to the teacher in respect for home room, take roll call, cracking open the books for whatever subject that the class is doing. Hell, even sitting in the uncomfortable metallic desks that filled the stuffy rooms. At least in home room, Aiko had a seat in the back near the window. Whenever she was bored and just wanted to take the time to not stare at her text book, she would glance off to the morning sky. She could see the trees rustle as the wind blew from the pacific. The birds would soar above as the sunlight shone down on the land. She could see the distant buildings of the city from her seat too.

Such ugly buildings, made up of concrete and steel and littered with advertisements at times. There was a lack of life in these buildings, unlike the structures that her ancestors erected. Aiko looked down at her history book, finding an image of a castle. It towered on a hill, with its base made up of stones. It was decorated with elaborate sloped rooftops. There was nothing like that in the city. There was nothing but cold, lifeless structures that were meant to be easily assembled and taken down in a short amount of time. Aiko's eyes were down cast as she propped her head up onto her desk, vaguely listening to the lecture of her homeroom teacher.







It was lunch time. Aiko stretched her arms with a sigh. Students that brought their own lunches sat at their desks, eating. Some even put their desks together to converse as they had lunch together.

Aiko got up from her desk and began to make her way out of the class. She navigated through the hallway, passing some students as they carried lunches that they had purchased. The girl eventually made her way to the cafeteria, where lunch was served. Normally she would bring her own lunch, but Aiko had lost motivation to do so. Now she's been at the mercy of the lines and the loud, crowded cafeteria.

The girl soon had gotten her tray, full of food that would be enough to fill her up for the day. She sat at a table alone in silence as she began to eat. She felt stares on her from afar.

"Eating alone again," said a girl from another table.

"Why would anyone eat with her? Yamada's mean as a snake," said a boy.

"Yeah, but she's pretty hot. I'm gonna sit with her," said a boy as he got up and carried his tray.

"Idiot," said another boy as he shook his head.

"I give it one minute," said a girl as she held up her bread.

"I'll take that action," said another girl with a smirk, holding up a wrapped up sweet pastry.

The teenagers watched as the boy greeted the silent girl. He took a seat across from her, striking up a conversation. Aiko however bore a stoic look as she ate. The teens couldn't hear what the boy was saying, but they noticed that Aiko had said something. Judging by the movement of her lips, it was brief. Suddenly, the boy stood up with his tray and awkwardly began to walk away.

"What happened?" asked one of the other boys.

"She told me to 'fuck off'," said the boy.

"Told you," said the boy with a deadpanned look.

"I win! Hand over that pastry!" said the bread girl with a smirk. The pastry girl groaned as she handed over the pastry.

"That's the last time I make a bet with you," said the girl.







School had ended. The bell had just finished ringing. The sun was setting over the land, creating a yellow-orange tint to the sky above. Students flooded the halls, leaving for the day. They looked forward to returning to the comfort of their homes. Even Aiko was looking forward to going home.

Aiko sighed as she walked towards her locker near the entrance of the school building. she began to replace her school indoor shoes in exchange for her casual tennis shoes. While most students tended to wear a pair of shoes to match their uniforms, Aiko preferred not to. She wanted comfort when she walked. And those damn shoes were anything but comfortable.

Aiko began to make her way out of the school. She passed students that stood idly by or were walking home as well. She passed a group of girls that were conversing with each other.

"Oh! Yamada-chan!" called one of the girls. Aiko stopped and turned to find the girl waving to her with a beaming smile. Aiko couldn't help but feel her mood sour. She recognized the girl as being one of the social butterflies in her year. She even had the misfortune of being in a couple of classes with her. Her high pitched, childish voice was grating to Aiko's ears as well as her overtly friendly personality. It was sickening and fishy. Aiko couldn't help but feel paranoid when being around these kind of people.

"We're going to this cafe on the way home! Wanna come?" asked the girl. Aiko grimaced. She noticed the rest of the girls standing by silently, forcing smiles or looking uncomfortable.

"No," said Aiko as she merely walked off. She bore a stoic look as she carried her bag over her shoulder.

"Ugh. Why did you bother asking her? You know how she is," said one of the girls in the clique.

"Besides, have you seen her hair? Ew. It's like she hasn't washed it in weeks," said another girl.

"Yeah, it looks like she has a porcupine on her head!" said another girl. The clique all began to laugh in amusement, while Aiko walked away. The brunette reached for a strand of hair and began to rub her finger and thumb against it. A grimace was on her face.

Aiko continued on through the city in silence. She bore half opened eyes as she walked through the crowds of people. That was the kind of thing she came to expect. Girls that were much prettier than her and more feminine such as that clique tended to mock her spiky hair. She even earned the nick name of 'Porcupine-chan' back in elementary school. Aiko's brows furrowed as she passed an alley. Even some of those kids were in the same school as her today.

Aiko froze in place as she noticed the girls from earlier. They were standing by a street corner conversing. Aiko narrowed her eyes on them as she hid behind a wall. She watched as that annoying brat laughed her head off. Her voice caused Aiko to grind her teeth as she hardened her expression. She noticed a foul stench. Aiko turned and found a metallic trash can to be sitting next to her. A devious smile grew on the girl's face.

"So I found these totally cute shoes!" said the beaming girl of the clique. She was suddenly struck in the head by a brown substance. The substance trailed down her cheek and onto her shoulders. She stood frozen with her eye twitching. Her friends merely stared with slack jawed expressions.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," said one of the girls.

There were shrill screams from the street corner. Aiko laughed to herself as she held her sides, hiding behind the wall. Her uniform was stained from her dirty hand as she held her aching sides. She shook her head as she heard the girls whining over the brown surprise that she had tossed.

"It's chocolate cake, you dumb, stuck up bi-" Aiko wiped her eyes with a sigh.

"Hey, Porcupine-chan!" called a feminine voice. Aiko grunted as she stiffened. She turned to the alley, finding a small group of girls dressed in long skirts to be either crouching or leaning against the walls. These girls weren't like the ones that Aiko recognized as being those passive aggressive bitches. These girls were delinquents. They rarely went to class and tended to hang out in their little gangs. These girls looked aggressive, having mean looks on their makeup-less faces and bore unkempt hair. Even their uniforms were all unbuttoned, revealing cleavage and their bellies. This reflected their carefree nature. One of the girls held a cigarette in hand, taking a drag and blowing out smoke. She carried a kendo stick at her side and bore finger-less gloves. The girl tossed the cigarette aside as she stood off of the wall, looking at Aiko.

"What did I tell you about showing your face around here?" asked the girl. Aiko sighed as she popped her knuckles.

"You gonna talk or are we gonna throw down?" asked Aiko.

A minute passed. Aiko panted as she bore bruises on her face. Her uniform was unkempt and her neck and arms bore scratches. She had her fists raised as she glared at the delinquents before her. The girls looked just as bad as her. Their hair messier, and their uniforms torn. Their faces were bruised up. The ring leader of this group growled as she pointed her kendo sword at Aiko.

"You're gonna fucking get it, Yamada!" said the girl.

"Hey, I don't see why you keep fucking with me!" said Aiko.

"Because you were fucking with my man, you bitch!" said the girl. Aiko scoffed.

"Kobayashi, he was coming onto me! It's not my fault your boyfriend's a manwhore!" said Aiko.

"Shut up! I told you not to come down this street anymore so I don't have to look at your ugly face! Now I'm gonna-" Kobayashi raised her kendo sword and got into a fighting stance.

"Hey! What's going on here?!" demanded an authoritative voice. The girls turned and found a police officer standing outside of the alley.

"Shit! The cops!" said a girl. The delinquents quickly dispersed and began to run away. Aiko was about to run to but stopped as the cop blew his whistle.

"Stop where you are!" said the officer.

"Damn it. Mom's gonna kill me," said Aiko as she turned and raised her hands over her head with a scowl.







Aiko sat on a chair with a scowl on her face. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she crossed one leg over the other, much like a typical teen girl with attitude. She was sitting in a small police station, locally known as a koban. They were basically small scale police stations that were scattered throughout neighborhoods with a small amount staff at each one. And Aiko was unfortunate enough to be sitting in one.

"Miss, you have to cooperate. Who were the other girls in that alley with you?" questioned the officer as he sat at a desk.

"I'm no snitch, officer," said Aiko as she looked away. The officer's brow twitched in annoyance.

"Kids these days. I swear, there seems to be something going on that's leading to bad behavior," said the officer as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bad behavior? I was attacked! I was just defending myself!" said Aiko with a glare.

"If that's the case, then tell me who those girls were. The police can handle it from there," said the man. Aiko scoffed.

"Forget it. I gave those broads a beating. It's not worth my time going after them," said Aiko. The officer sighed heavily.

"Well then I'll have to inform your school about this incident. If you won't cooperate then we'll just have to figure this out ourselves," said the officer.

"Fine by me. As long as I'm not snitching," said Aiko.

"You wouldn't happen to be affiliated with a gang, would you?" asked the officer with a suspicious look. Aiko groaned.

"Look, I can't help how my hair looks, alright?!" said Aiko in exasperation.

"Fine. I'll still have to inform your parents about this. I'll escort you personally to your home," said the officer as he stood up.

"Aw man," Aiko sighed in dismay.







"Unbelievable!" A middle aged woman said in exasperation. Aiko sat slouched on the couch to the living room of her home. She stared at the TV with a stoic look. She turned and found her mother to be looking down at her with her hands on her hips.

"What?" asked Aiko in annoyance.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady! I can't believe my daughter was escorted by the police! Over what? Some kind of gang affiliation?!" asked the woman incredulously.

"Mama, I'm not affiliated with a gang! You know Kobayashi's had it out for me for a couple of weeks now!" said Aiko defensively.

"And why is that?" questioned the woman.

"Because she thinks I was trying to steal her boyfriend! Ma, we've been over this!" said Aiko.

"It's not like you open up anyway," said an older girl as she walked into the kitchen nearby, placing plates onto the table. Aiko glared at the girl in annoyance.

"Shut up, Rei," said Aiko.

"That's no way to talk to your older sister," said Rei in disapproval. Aiko rolled her eyes as she looked to the TV.

"Yeah, well when big sister gets shit for something she didn't do, then she can talk to me," said Aiko as she changed the channel.

"Do not use that language in this house!" said Mrs. Yamada.

"It's just a word," said Aiko.

"It's vulgar and disrespectful!" said Mrs. Yamada. Aiko sighed heavily.

"Have you done your homework?" asked Mrs. Yamada.

"I'll get on it," said Aiko, absent minded as she changed the channel. Her mother furrowed her brows in response. She took a calming breath.

"Aiko, I've been meaning to talk to you about your grades," said Mrs. Yamada.

"Here we go," said Aiko. Her mother ignored her tone.

"I've noticed that you've been getting average grades lately," said Mrs. Yamada.

"Yeah, and I'm still passing," said Aiko.

"With average grades," said the mother, her tone shifting to annoyance.

"And I'm passing," said Aiko, shrugging.

"Why are they average? Are you struggling? Are you getting enough sleep or to eat?" asked Mrs. Yamada.

"She's just lazy," interjected Rei. Her mother sent her a silencing glare.

"I'm doing the minimum. It saves me the stress," said Aiko nonchalantly.

"Stress? You're a high school student! You don't know what real stress is!" said Mrs. Yamada with a laugh.

"No and I'm not looking forward to it," said Aiko. She was growing more annoyed. It seemed that every day that her mother had something to nag about. It was nights like this that she wanted to not come home if it meant she didn't have to suffer another second to her mom's lectures. There was a sudden unlock at the front door. Rei turned and looked back.

"Dad's home," said Rei. A middle aged man entered the room with a tired sigh.

"Hello," said Mr. Yamada. His wife planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Welcome home, honey," said Mrs. Yamada.

"How are my girls?" asked Mr. Yamada as Rei walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"Hi papa. Aiko's just in the middle of a scolding," whispered Rei. Her father sighed. His eyes widened as he noticed his youngest daughter to be bruised and scratched up.

"What happened?" asked Mr. Yamada.

"Kobayashi and her band of bitches," answered Aiko flatly.

"Language!" said Mrs. Yamada.

"She wouldn't cooperate with the police to tell them who beat her up. Mom was just talking about her average grades," said Rei.

"Aiko..." Mr. Yamada shook his head.

"It's not a big deal, dad. I can handle her just fine," said Aiko.

"It is a big deal! You can't brush something off like this as if it was a common fight in school!" said Mr. Yamada.

"She's just venting because her man's a cheater. She'll get over it," said Aiko dismissively.

"What's wrong with her grades?" asked Mr. Yamada, looking to his wife. Aiko looked at him in offense.

"I'm right here, you know," said Aiko.

"They're average, and she's not putting the effort into them," said Mrs. Yamada as she crossed her arms. Aiko's father looked to her with furrowed brows. Aiko stiffened under his stern gaze.

"Did you do your homework?" asked Mr. Yamada.

"N-No..." said Aiko, shrinking in her seat.

"Then you better hop to it," said the father as he crossed his arms. Aiko quickly hopped off of the couch and began to leave the living room.

"Y-Yes sir!" said Aiko as she ran off. She entered her room and quickly slammed the door.

"Geez! You have to teach me how to do that!" said Mrs. Yamada as she crossed her arms with a pout.







Aiko was sitting on her bed in silence. A scowl was on her face as she read through her text book. The girl was internally fuming. A knock came at her bedroom door. Aiko didn't respond. The knocking came again, prompting the girl to sigh.

"Come in..." said Aiko. The door opened, revealing her father as he peeked inside.

"Are you doing your homework?" asked Mr. Yamada.

"Yes," answered Aiko. Her father stepped into the room, carrying a plate of food and a cup of water.

"You didn't eat, did you? I brought you dinner," said Mr. Yamada.

"I wasn't hungry..." said Aiko. Her father looked to the text book that she was looking into.

"Is there something you don't understand? I can help you if you need any," said Mr. Yamada.

"It's just exhausting. It's just the same thing every day," said Aiko in annoyance. Her father placed the food and cup on Aiko's desk by the door. He made his way to her and took a seat on her bed.

"I think this isn't just about your homework," said Mr. Yamada. Aiko sighed.

"Dad, what's the point? We all know that I'm going to end up working at a job I hate for useless paper, that we call money, until the day I die," said Aiko as she put her book aside. She looked to her father incredulously.

"School is desensitizing me to adulthood. What the hell kind of life is that? Just working ourselves to death with people we might end up hating. Is that really what life is?" asked Aiko.

"Aiko, we all have to work in this world. Even if we don't like it. And I know for a fact that I don't like being around certain people at work. That's why I'm always looking forward to come home," said Mr. Yamada.

"It all just feels pointless. I mean, we just grow up and die?" asked Aiko.

"You skipped a lot in between, kid," said Mr. Yamada with a chuckle.

"Dad, I'm serious! Don't you ever just feel like there's something missing?" asked Aiko.

"Sure, when I was your age. It's a phase, Aiko. Once you realize what's important, you'll feel better," said Mr. Yamada as he took his daughter's hand and held it firmly. Aiko looked down with a frown.

"Honey, I think you should make friends," said Mr. Yamada. Aiko scoffed as she pulled her hand away and slouched against her bed.

"Very funny," said Aiko.

"Aiko, I know that you're lonely. You have hobbies, don't you? Maybe you can relate to some of the other kids in school. I think it would help improve your mood if you had someone to talk to. You know, about things that you can't bring yourself to talk to me, your mother, or even your sister about," said Mr. Yamda.

"Yeah, because I'm such a pain, right?" said Aiko as she furrowed her brows.

"Aiko, I didn't mean that," said Mr. Yamada. Aiko didn't respond and merely kept her eyes away. Her father sighed heavily.

"Just know that the reason why your mother and I are so hard on you is because we know that you can be better. We want you to be. Not for us, but for yourself," said Mr. Yamada as he brushed his fingers over his daughter's hair. He leaned in and planted a kiss on her head.

"I love you, Aiko. Have a good night," said Mr. Yamada as he walked out of the room. Aiko looked to the door as it closed. Her face holding a deep frown. She didn't know why she was in this funk. It seemed it was because she didn't mesh well with the other girls, and the boys just seemed noisy and almost as annoying. She just felt like something was missing. What her father said made no sense. He claimed that this feeling of emptiness would be filled if she knew what was important, but she didn't even know what that meant.

"What's important?" asked Aiko to herself. She got up from her bed, finding the plate of food on the desk. She looked to her text book, finding it resting on her bed. The girl took the book and made her way to the desk, setting it down as she took a seat. She began to eat her meal as she read through her book.







It was the next morning. Aiko's ears were filled with a blaring alarm clock. She winced as she sluggishly rose herself up. She found an empty plate sitting beside her as she sat at her desk. Her book lied open on a page. Aiko yawned as she stretched. She turned to the alarm clock with drowsy eyes. As her vision cleared up, Aiko gasped in alarm.

"Oh shit!" said Aiko as she shot out of her seat. She rushed into the bathroom while tossing her clothes along the hallway floor. Aiko quickly turned on the shower and rinsed herself off, using as much soap as possible and scrubbed her body roughly. At the same time, she was shampooing her hair.

Meanwhile in the living room of the Yamada residence, the mother and father and Rei sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. Rei hummed as she looked at her watch.

"Looks like she's running late," said Rei.

"I'm telling you, that girl is not getting enough sleep," said Mrs. Yamada.

Soon, Aiko came rushing into the living room, her head wrapped with a towel and her school uniform unkempt. She cursed under her breath as she lunged for the sofa and began to slip on her socks and place on her shoes.

"I'm surprised. I thought you wouldn't care this much to get to school on time," said Rei as she ate a piece of sausage.

"If I'm tardy, my homeroom teacher is going to lecture me again!" said Aiko.

"Well, at least she's motivated," said Mr. Yamada. Aiko rushed over to the kitchen table and snatched a piece of toast and began to run off with her bag.

"We're acting out old Shoujo manga tropes now?" asked Rei in amusement. Aiko skidded to a halt. She quickly ran back to the table and grabbed a slice of sausage off of Rei's plate.

"Hey! That's mine!" said Rei as she shot up in annoyance.

"Can't talk! Gotta go!" said Aiko as she rolled the sausage into the toast and shoved the thing halfway into her mouth.

Aiko grunted as she ran away from her house. She passed the property line and began to run down the sidewalk, with the sausage toast in her mouth.

"This is probably a choking hazard!" said Aiko as she sprinted through the neighborhood, making her way to urban area, away from her suburban home area. She would've liked nothing more than to miss half of home room, possibly one of the most boring classes in her year. But she would rather be dead then to sit and listen to her teacher to scold her over tardiness. It was bad enough that Aiko was an average student, by choice mind you.

"I'm late! I'm late! Oh God, this is like one of those stupid manga tropes!" said Aiko in dismay. As she rounded a corner, she failed to notice a teen boy running her way. Aiko was going at full speed that she couldn't stop herself.

'And it just keeps getting more obvious,' thought Aiko, her eyes wide. The two slammed into each other at full speed. The two cried out in pain, falling back onto their rears. Aiko groaned as she was in a dazed state, holding her forehead. Her breakfast lied on the ground by her lap.

Aiko grunted as she shook off her disorientation. She found a boy to be sitting on the ground, rubbing his chin with a wince. He bore grayish-brown hair, which was smooth and short. He was a bit average in his appearance, looking a bit scrawny as well. The boy gasped as he noticed Aiko in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry! Here, let me-" The boy stood up and held out his hand to Aiko. The girl glared at him as she smacked his hand away.

"Watch where you're going, asshole! I'm pretty sure I have head trauma!" said Aiko in annoyance. She stood up, brushing off her dirty skirt, groaning in frustration as the boy timidly stood as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry. It was an accident," said the boy in a small tone.

"Yeah, well your accident cost me breakfast and time! God, just get out of my way!" said Aiko as she shoved passed the boy, who stumbled back.

"I..." The boy called out to the fuming teen, but sighed as he slumped his shoulders.







Aiko groaned as she lied face first on her desk. Her stomach ached with hunger. She was irritable because of her empty stomach and the uneventful morning that she had. Plus she was scolded in front of the whole class again by her home room teacher.

"Damn that boy. This is all his fault," said Aiko. She moaned as she raised herself up, slumping in her seat. Just the more that she thought of that waste of space, the more she grew pissed.

"Ms. Yamada," called the teacher from the front of desk.

"What?!" Aiko snapped in a harsh tone. Students recoiled and shrunk back at her hostile response.

"Um... nevermind. Mr. Sakura! Would you please read on for the class?" asked the teacher sheepishly. Aiko huffed as she crossed her arms as she sat back. She tapped her fingers against her arm. A scowl formed on her face and she bounced her knee. The pent up rage drove these ticks out to be exposed. Those that were near the girl moved their desks away, not wanting her wrath to be unleashed on them.

Later that day, Aiko was sitting alone at the side of the school building. She bit down on a sandwich that she had purchased for lunch. Even when taking in sustenance, Aiko was still in a foul mood. She couldn't stop thinking about the guy that messed up her morning. If there was anything Aiko had trouble with, it was being unable to let something go. Even if it was something minor such as the incident from the morning.

"I should've just stayed home," said Aiko. She then noticed footsteps approaching. She turned and found Kobayashi to be approaching. The girl's bruises were faded but still noticeable Aiko narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want?" questioned Aiko.

"I wanted to talk to you," said Kobayashi. Aiko scoffed.

"Hmph. I bet. Where's your little lackeys?" asked Aiko as she scanned the area.

"It's just me," said Kobayashi, taking a seat next to Aiko. She held up can of tea to her.

"What's this?" asked Aiko.

"Take it. It's for last night. That was my bad," said Kobayashi. Aiko looked on suspiciously at the girl.

"Look, you want it or not?" asked Kobayashi impatiently. Aiko sighed as she took the can.

"What's this about?" asked Aiko.

"Ah you were right. That guy was a pig. I caught him sucking face with one of those bitches with too much make up on earlier," said Kobayashi.

"Told ya. I even got caught up with the cops because of last night," said Aiko.

"I guess you said something, huh?" asked Kobayashi.

"Nah. I'm not a stool pigeon. Besides, I figure you'd break my legs if I said something," said Aiko as she leaned against the wall. Kobayashi looked at her in surprise.

"Really?" asked Kobayashi.

"Yeah. It wasn't worth it. It was just some stupid misunderstanding," said Aiko with a sigh, rubbing her faded bruised face.

"Well I gotta say, you put up one hell of a fight," said Kobayashi.

"You aren't exactly the first delinquent I got into it with," said Aiko as she opened up the can of tea. She heard Kobayashi snort in response.

"Who are you calling a delinquent?" asked Kobayashi in amusement.

"What do you mean?" asked Aiko with a raised brow.

"How can you say that when you're no angel yourself? I've seen you messing with those stuck up cunts from our school. I know you did so for a fact yesterday as well," said Kobayashi with a snicker.

"Oh, come on. That doesn't make me a delinquent. It's just... good ol' fashion retribution. I just took them a peg down," said Aiko as she sipped her tea.

"Respect, Yamada. No hard feelings?" asked Kobayashi, holding out her fist. Aiko looked to her fist and then back to the delinquent.

"Water's under the bridge," said Aiko, bumping her fist against Kobayashi's. The deliquent grunted as she stood up.

"Yo, if you ever wanna roll with us, you know where to look," said Kobayashi. Aiko watched as she took off walking.

"Hmph. I knew she'd get over it," said Aiko to herself, though it was surprising that Kobayashi was mature enough to apologize. She then recalled the conversation that she had with her father about making friends. Aiko looked back to Kobayashi as she disappeared around the corner.

"That probably wouldn't be a good idea," said Aiko to herself







It was the end of the day. An end to a day that seemed like it was set on repeat.

Aiko was leaving school, down the same hill, and to the same street to wait at the same train station. While it may be a different train that the girl is boarding every now and then, it was not enough stimulate the girl's stagnant, boring life.

Aiko found herself leaving the train once it reached the destination she desired. Her feet carried her away from the station, where smaller buildings resided compared to the dense metropolis called, Trotkyo.

"Just once, I'd like something interesting to happen in my life," said Aiko in exasperation. She then felt herself shoved into. The girl yelped as she stumbled forward but regained her footing. She gasped as she found a familiar boy on the ground, wincing in pain.

"You again?!" said Aiko with a glare. The boy gasped as he shot up in alarm. He scampered back to his feet and began to run off.

"Hey!" Aiko shouted. She grunted as she was bumped into again. She found three other teen boys to be running passed her.

"Don't let that mutant freak get away!" yelled one of the boys. One of the boys sprinted after the scrawny boy from the morning. He tackled him to the ground, allowing the rest to catch up.

"What in the-" Aiko jumped in surprise the three boys forced the fourth up.

"Thought you could get away, huh? We'll show you for staring!" said one of the boys as the other two held up their target. Aiko flinched as she watched as the scrawny boy was beaten. He grunted in pain as he attempted to break free, but he was held back. He was punched in his chest and face.

"Not so tough, are ya?!" The boys threw the other kid to the ground. He strained as he lied on the pavement. The boys began to kick and stomp him while he was down. Aiko hardened expression.

As the boys were distracted, Aiko sprinted to the closest one. She grunted as she shoved one of the boys off.

"Hey, get off of him! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" yelled Aiko with a glare. The boys stopped and turned their attention on her.

"Beat it! We're just giving this freak a lesson!" said one of the boys, as the scrawny boy sluggishly attempted to crawl away. He was then stomped on his back, causing him to cry out in pain. Aiko gasped. She growled at the boy.

"I said, GET OFF!" shouted Aiko. She suddenly jabbed the boy in the nose, who cried out as he fell back onto his rear. The boys looked at her incredulously, while the girl raised and swung her leg, kicking the second boy in the side, causing him to stagger. Aiko was then slammed into by the third boy. He grabbed her by her shoulders, attempting to restrain her. But Aiko kneed him in the gut, causing him to hunch over in pain.

Aiko grunted as she grabbed the boy by his wrist and shirt. She swiftly spun and yanked on his arm and shirt. With her own strength, his disorientation and weight, Aiko threw the boy over her shoulder and onto the ground. She kept a grip on his wrist and stomped on his gut, grinding her heel against him.

"You bitch!" yelled one of the other boys, whose nose bled. Aiko raised her fists as she prepared to strike. However, another one of the boys suddenly came up from behind.

"Gotcha!" said the boy as he wrapped his arms around Aiko. The girl grunted as she was restrained.

Aiko quickly raised her legs and kicked the boy in front of her. He cried out from the blow to the chest, falling back. Aiko planted her feet back to the ground, attempting to free herself from the guy's grip from behind. She cried out in pain as she felt her body being crushed.

"You're tough, for a chick," said the boy with a chuckle. Through her pain, Aiko smirked.

"Oh, you flatter me!" said Aiko. She then stomped on the boy's foot, causing him to shout in pain. As his grip loosened, Aiko broke away from him. She turned and jabbed her fists multiple times against his chest. She sent another strike to his head, but the boy raised his arm, blocking her attack. She was then backhanded by the boy. The girl staggered back as her cheek swelled. She was about to retaliate but screamed in pain as she felt her hair yanked. She was pulled back by another boy, who threw her against a wall. Aiko winced but quickly kicked her leg forward, striking the boy in the family jewels. The boy cried out as he collapsed to the ground. Aiko gasped as the two remaining boys grabbed her. She grunted as she pulled one arm free. She was about to send a punch but was instead met with a punch herself. Aiko collapsed from the blow, panting as she grew disoriented. She found herself grabbed by her ankles and hauled by one of the boys.

"Protecting one of those freaks? We'll show you," said the other boy as he drew out a small knife. Aiko's heart raced as she was dragged. She found that the third was still immobilized, as well as the kid they were attacking in the first place. No one was around in this street to help them. They were on their own.

Aiko pulled one of her legs back, causing the boy that dragged her to stumble forward. Aiko took the opportunity to kick him in the face. Once his grip loosened, Aiko planted her hands on the ground and locked her legs around his own legs. The girl twisted herself, causing the boy to fall to the ground. Aiko shot up to her feet, only to find the other boy to be lunging for her with his knife. Aiko yelped as her sleeve was torn, and her arm cut. Aiko cupped her wound as she backed away. The boy stalked towards her as his knife glistened in the sunset light.

The boy charged towards Aiko, slashing at her wildly. Aiko panted as she ran backwards, dodging each slash that was made towards her. The girl caught his wrist as he lunged closer to her. She tightened her grip and twisted his wrist. The boy cried out in agony as he dropped the knife. Aiko swept his legs with her own leg, dropping him belly first onto the asphalt. The girl stomped on his back and held his arm in place. She found the rest of the boys to be painfully getting up, glaring at her.

"Stay back! Otherwise, I'll break his arm! Then I'll do worse to you!" Said Aiko.

"Do what she says!" cried the boy that was pinned down. Aiko leaned close to him with a harsh glare.

"Listen up. I have a crew that has my back. Delinquents that are nastier than me," said Aiko in a low tone.

"I'm willing to keep this incident to myself, so long as you never show your faces around here again. Got it?" asked Aiko. The boy nodded frantically. Aiko grabbed by his hair and yanked him up to his feet. She shoved him away with a glare. The three boys took off running from the area. Aiko sighed in relief as her adrenaline settled. The girl whimpered as the pain of her body began to fully register. She dropped to her knees and began to breathe heavily.

"You... you saved me," said a voice. Aiko turned and found the boy that was attacked to be sitting up, covered in bruises.

"Yeah. Maybe if you weren't so weak, I wouldn't have to," said Aiko as she shakily stood. She yelped in pain and dropped to one knee. The boy got up and knelt beside her.

"You're in real bad shape. Come with me," said the boy as he held his hand out. Aiko narrowed her eyes.

"Only because of you! Get out of-" Aiko hissed as her bleeding arm stung. She was in too much pain to get home on her own. She didn't like her chances.

"Fuck, fine. Help me up," said Aiko in annoyance.

Aiko found herself being held up by the boy she had taken a beating for. Just looking at his face pissed her off. The foul mood she had was returning to her just by being this close to him. The two made their way over to an area, where a large sign was depicted.

"Whoa, wait. We're going in there?" asked Aiko, stopping.

"We have to. My home is here and it has what you need for treatment," said the boy. The sign was yellow, holding bold text that only the blind would miss. This was common for Mutant Zones. These were segregated areas set up by the government where Transmutants were to live and often work. It was almost like their own separate town, but still under Neighpon's rules. It was rare to see Transmutants to leave since they kept with their own, but a human never ventured here. The ones said to have often weren't heard from again.

"I rather you dump me back where we were," said Aiko apprehensively.

"Trust me, you'll be fine," said the boy as he led the girl into the area.

"I don't even know you!" said Aiko in annoyance. The two made their way down the street, heading for a neighborhood. Several apartment buildings were in the area. The two made their way up an elevator and onto the second floor. The boy led Aiko to a door, where he fished out a key. As he unlocked the door, he opened it. There was a dark hallway ahead.

"One second." The boy turned on the light, allowing Aiko to see. She was led to a small living room, where a single table lied, along with a small TV set and some pillows that lied on the ground. Aiko saw the small kitchen that basically was just its own corner in the room. Judging by this apartment's appearance, this kid's family likely didn't have the best finances.

"Rest here. I'll get the medical kit," said the boy, rushing out of the living room and back to the hall, entering one of the doors that were present. Aiko sighed as she found the time. She should've been home by now. Fortunately her home wasn't too far from here, but she knew her family would give her hell for being late. Aiko found the boy returning, placing the med kit on the ground.

"Let me see your arm," said the boy as he drew out bandages and antiseptic rubbing alcohol.

"I can do it myself," said Aiko as she reached for the wet cloth that the boy held. But the boy held it away.

"Please, it's the least that I can do," said the boy with a soft expression. Aiko sighed as she rolled her sleeve up.

"Whatever," said Aiko. The boy began rub the wet cloth against her bleeding arm. Aiko's wound slightly stung from the wet cloth. The boy then began to take a small pad and poured the alcohol onto it. He tgen placed the pad on the wound.

"Agh!" Aiko flinched in pain. Her wound burned from the alcohol that was introduced to her wound.

"How about a warning?!" Aiko yelled, causing the boy to flinch and shrunk back.

"Sorry..." said the boy as he dabbed Aiko's wound. The girl shook her head.

"Honestly. At least try to act like you aren't a wimp," said Aiko. A look of embarrassment was on her face as the boy cleaned up her arm. It would be much easier if she just did this herself. The boy had just finished wrapping up her arm.

"Alright, let me see your knee," said the boy. Aiko quickly held her skirt down with a glare.

"Hell no!" said Aiko.

"But it's going to get infected," said the boy.

"I don't care! You aren't touching it!" Said Aiko. The boy deeply frowned as he looked to the ground. He awkwardly fumbled with the rubbing alcohol bottle. Aiko's expression softened as she saw his mood change. She sighed as she adjusted her sitting position. She brought her leg forward with a wince.

"If you go above the knee, I'll kill you," said Aiko with a glare. The boy nodded.

Aiko suppressed a gasp as the boy took her leg and brought it over his lap. She felt her spine tingle as his hands navigated over her bare skin. Aiko looked away as her face flushed. The girl hissed in pain as the boy cleaned up her scrape. Aiko looked around the room to distract herself from the stinging and embarrassment..

"Do you live on your own?" asked Aiko.

"No. My mother is at work," said the boy as he began to place a bandage over Aiko's knee.

"There we go! Are you bleeding anywhere else? Need ice for your bruises?" asked the boy. Aiko brought her leg back to herself and shakily stood up. She winced as her knee stung from the weight she was putting on her leg.

"No, I'm good. I think I'll head home," said Aiko as she limped over to the hall. She winced every time she took a step. The boy walked after her.

"A-Are you sure? You can rest a while longer if you'd like," said the boy, a worried look on his face.

"No, I really should get going. Thanks..." said Aiko as she opened the door and left. The boy sighed to himself as he heard Aiko's footsteps moving away from the door.







It was the next morning. Aiko was walking in her school uniform, away from her neighborhood in silence. Her bruises had grown sore overnight, much to her dismay.

As Aiko turned to a street corner, she stopped as she saw a familiar face. She bore a brief look of annoyance as she saw the boy that she saved last night. He was waving to her with a warm smile.

"I just can't seem to get away from this guy," said Aiko to herself. She began to make her way over to the street corner.

"Are you a stalker or something?" asked Aiko. The boy recoiled in response.

"No! I-I was just..."

"Cause if you are, I can always finish what those guys started," said Aiko as she popped her knuckles. The boy stiffened, gulping nervously. Aiko gave a brief shout as she sent her fist towards the boy's face. The boy yelped as he raised his arms to shield his face. But the strike never came. The boy found Aiko to be snickering at him as her fist had stopped midway.

"God, you're a wimp. I'm just messing you," said Aiko as she lowered her arm, bearing a teasing smile. The boy blushed as he gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oh. Haha. Good, because I'd rather you didn't do that," said the boy. Aiko crossed her arms as she looked up at the boy, who towered over her at the height of at least 6 feet.

"So what are you doing here?" Asked Aiko.

"I just... I wanted to see if you were doing alright," said the boy.

"As you can see, I'm fine," said Aiko with a shrug.

"So you are," said the boy with a forced smile. "I gotta say, you were cool. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Ah. I used to practice martial arts, growing up. I'm actually surprised I lasted as long as I did. I'm pretty rusty," said Aiko as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Good thing my family wasn't home when I got there. Otherwise they'd give me more shit," said Aiko. She could just hear her mother nagging her.

"Yeah. Sorry again..." said the boy as he bowed his head. Aiko sighed in annoyance.

"Look, stop apologizing. It's over and done with," said Aiko.

"So-" the boy was about to apologize again. However, he saw that Aiko was glaring at him.

"I uh... I mean, I have something for you," said the boy as he held up a bento box, wrapped in cloth. Aiko looked at him oddly.

"What's that?'" asked Aiko, pointing to the box.

"You didn't have a filling breakfast yesterday because of me, right? This is to make up for it. I made it myself," said the boy. Aiko sighed.

"Look, I told you to stop apologizing," deadpanned Aiko.

"I'm not. This is just a gesture of kindness," said the boy with a shrug. Aiko groaned.

"Listen, buddy. I-" Aiko stopped. She mentally replayed what the boy had said to her. He had made her breakfast himself. That on it's own was odd, since they didn't even know each other. But she recalled his home. If her hunch is right, his family could be financially struggling. For all she knew, they may not even have much food for themselves. This made her more reluctant to take it.

'Wait, if I refuse, it might go to waste. This idiot might be crushed and would have wasted food that could've been for himself,' thought Aiko. She couldn't turn him down now. Also, whatever was packed in that bento smelled pretty good. Aiko's stomach began to growl.

"I... I'll take it. But don't do me anymore favors, got it?" said Aiko.

"Deal." The boy smiled brightly as he handed Aiko the bento.

"Well, bye," said Aiko awkwardly as she walked past the boy.

"Wait! What's your name?" asked the boy. Aiko looked back to him.

"Oh. It's Yamada Aiko," answered Aiko.

"Hi. I'm Riku Oda," said the boy with a shy smile.

"Nice to meet you. Later," said Aiko as she turned to walk to school.

"Wait, one more thing!" said Oda. Aiko sighed as she slumped her head in dismay. She turned her head back with a grimace.

"Yes?" asked Aiko. Oda was staring at the ground as he scratched his head.

"Do you... Do you wanna hang out after school? I know this great ramen place," said Oda in a small tone. Aiko turned forward, mildly annoyed. She was already wasting time as is. If she didn't hurry, she'd miss her train.

"I'll think about it," said Aiko as she walked off.

"I'll be waiting here at around 4! Just let me know then!" said Oda. Aiko merely waved her hand back at him, but kept her eyes forward.

On her way to school, Aiko felt her thoughts preoccupied. Specifically, by that boy. Riku Oda. She wondered how in the heck did she ended up in such a situation. She's gone from wanting to pummel him to protecting him from a couple of assholes in less than a day. It was here that she recalled another detail. Oda was a Transmutant.

The quote on quote, 'unclean race', as the elders would call them. It must have been her first time encountering one, since she didn't even know until he was attacked. It was funny, considering when people would talk about these mutations, they made it seem like they were literal monsters lurking around. But Riku was such a wimp. Aiko didn't think the boy would even hurt a fly.







It was nearing the end of the day. School was almost over. Aiko, for whatever reason, couldn't stop thinking about Riku. It was bizarre to her. There was no rhyme or reason to it.

Aiko sighed as she slumped in her seat. She glanced to her slightly opened bag. The bento box that was given to her was long since empty. It was pretty good. While the meal was of small portion, it at least filled Aiko's stomach to get her through the morning. She again skipped breakfast just so her family didn't see her new bruises.

As the school bell rung, every class was dismissed. Aiko road the wave of departing students, changing her shoes in the locker room by the entrance and walking outside. Again she walked down the same old hill to get to the train station. But Aiko wasn't lamenting the daily routine this time. Instead she just kept thinking about Riku. It was actually starting to annoy her.

"Why can't i get that punk out of my head?!" groaned Aiko as she entered the train to home. Her thoughts weren't on the less than pleasant morning she had previously. Nor was it her getting hurt from protecting the weakling. Rather, her mind kept wandering back to the bento that he gave her. She wondered why she was so fixated on that detail. Then it clicked.

Riku giving Aiko the bento box was the kindest thing that someone has ever done for her. Everyone else either mocked her behind her back or avoided her because of her aggressive personality. And all she ever did was lash out in response.

As her train stopped, Aiko began to exit. She remembered something that her father said. 'I know that you're lonely'. He was right. Aiko was lonely. For as long as she could remember, she was always alone. She wasn't pretty or the least cute like other girls. Aiko also wasn't an outgoing person, never much a social butterfly. She was stoic, she kept to herself and had a chip on her shoulder. Why would anyone want to associate with her?

As Aiko stopped walking, she found that she was on a familiar street. By the street corner, she found Oda to be standing there alone. He looked to be anxiously scanning the area. He really did wait for her, after all. This was the only person in the world that was willing to hang with her from the get go. Aiko sighed, but couldn't help but crack a small smile