Murayama sat motionless on the floor of Aika's old dorm room, his back resting against the cold, bare wall. The room felt emptier than it should. Not just because of the sparse decor, but because the energy that once filled it—the energy that was Aika—was absent. It was strange, almost haunting. She had left her mark here, yet now it felt as though she had been erased.
The few things that remained were like echoes of her presence. A couple of anime and J-pop posters still clung to the walls, faded at the edges from time. Her desk was cluttered with small mementos: pictures of her life in Sannoh, snapshots of her with Cobra, Yamato, Noboru, and the rest of the crew. Mixed in were some more recent pictures from Oya—Shibaman and Tsuji making faces, Todoroki with his usual scowl, and even a few of her with Murayama himself, mid-laugh or mid-battle, always vibrant, always full of life.
It was hard to look at those pictures now. Every photo was a reminder of the girl who had been a part of his world for so long, the girl he was now forcing away. The room was quiet, but Murayama's mind wasn't. Thoughts raced through him, guilt gnawing at the edges of his resolve. He had made his decision. Aika couldn't come back to Oya. He wouldn't let her. Not anymore. Not after what happened.
His gaze fell to her desk once more, eyes settling on a particular photo—one of the two of them from a couple of months ago. She was laughing, mid-joke, while Murayama stood beside her with a soft smile on his face. He picked up the picture frame, tracing the outline of her face with his thumb, his heart heavy with emotions he had tried to suppress for so long.
But sitting here, surrounded by pieces of her life, it felt like a betrayal.
he traced the outline of the butterfly locket in his hand. He had been holding on to it for weeks now, ever since that day when she fought him and the part-timers, proving she belonged at Oya.
The room felt colder as he kept holding on to the locket, the small metal cool to the touch. He ran his thumb over the back of it, tracing the initials he had carved there when they were teenagers. His breath hitched as memories came flooding back, memories of the third time they had met.
It had been a day like any other. Murayama had been roaming the streets, his mind on nothing in particular, when he saw her again—Aika. She was different this time, older but just as fierce, her red hair loose and wild. And she was in the middle of a fight, naturally.
A group of thugs had been bullying a kid, and Aika, without hesitation, had jumped in to defend him. She was relentless, her fists flying as she took them on, one by one, barely giving them a chance to fight back. She didn't care that she was outnumbered, didn't care that she was smaller or younger than them. All she cared about was the fight, and the kid she was protecting.
Murayama leaned against a wall, watching with a mixture of amusement and admiration. She was something else. When the last thug hit the pavement, Aika helped the kid up, ruffling his hair like it was all in a day's work. That's when her eyes locked on him.
"You just gonna stand there, or are you gonna fight me next?" she challenged, her lips curling into that familiar, defiant grin.
Murayama chuckled. "You want to fight me?"
"Why not?" Aika crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "I've gotta see if you're any good."
He couldn't help but admire her spirit. Without another word, she disappeared into a nearby convenience store, only to reappear moments later with snacks and drinks. She tossed him a juice box, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"You can't fight on an empty stomach," she said, sitting down on a bench and ripping open a bag of chips. "It's only fair."
Murayama smirked, sitting down beside her. "You always treat your opponents this well?"
She shrugged, munching on a chip. "Only the ones I'm curious about."
They ate in silence for a while, the tension between them thick but not unpleasant. Aika kept glancing at him, sizing him up, clearly itching for a fight. Murayama could feel her excitement radiating off her, like a live wire ready to snap.
When they finished eating, Aika hopped to her feet, stretching her arms over her head. "Alright, let's see what you've got."
Murayama chuckled, standing up and rolling his shoulders. "You sure you're ready for this?"
She grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I was born ready."
The fight started fast, both of them diving in without hesitation. Aika was quicker than he expected, her punches sharp and precise, but he had the experience. They clashed, over and over, fists meeting with a force that echoed through the empty streets. She didn't back down, even as he began to wear her down, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. But there was something about her—something different from all the other fights he'd been in.
She was enjoying it.
It was during the fight that it happened. There was a moment—a brief, fleeting second—where Aika laughed. Not a taunt, not a mocking laugh, but a genuine burst of joy. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, her lips pulled into the widest grin he'd ever seen.
And in that moment, something shifted inside Murayama.
He didn't realize it at first, but as they continued to fight, his focus wavered. He wasn't just fighting her anymore. He was admiring her—her strength, her determination, her spirit. It hit him like a punch to the gut. He could fall for this girl.
The fight ended with Murayama barely coming out on top. They both collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, bruised but laughing.
"Not bad," Aika said, still grinning despite the exhaustion.
Murayama picked up the locket that she took off for the fight, the one he had given her, Without a word, he took out a small knife and carefully carved his initials into the back, then handed it to her.
"Keep this," he said, his voice softer than usual. "But this is the last time we see each other until we both get stronger."
Aika looked at him, confused but intrigued. "Stronger?"
He nodded, standing up and offering her a hand. "Yeah. Next time we meet, we both need to be stronger."
She took his hand, her eyes filled with the same determination he had come to admire. "Deal."
Back in her dorm room, Murayama let the locket slip from his fingers, the small metal piece landing softly on her desk. He exhaled a shaky breath, the weight of the memories pressing down on him.
She hadn't worn it in a while because he had been holding on to it, as if keeping it close would somehow keep her close too. But now, after everything that had happened, he wasn't sure he could give it back. Not when he had failed to protect her.
The thought of her bruised and battered body still haunted him. The look of her lying unconscious in his arms was burned into his mind, and he couldn't let it go. He didn't deserve to.
That's why he made the decision to keep her away. Even if it hurt. Even if it meant losing her. He couldn't risk it. He couldn't watch her get hurt again.
Seki and Furuya didn't understand. They couldn't. But Murayama wasn't going to budge. This was his choice. His responsibility. Aika wasn't coming back to Oya. Not if he had anything to say about it.
He stood up slowly, glancing around her room one last time before heading toward the door. His hand hesitated on the knob, his heart heavy with the weight of everything he hadn't said to her, everything he had kept buried inside.
But there was no going back now. Not for him, and not for her.
As he left the room, the locket glinted in the dim light, a silent reminder of a promise that was never meant to be broken.
YOU ARE READING
Fuyu Monogatari
Fanfiction. Abandoned as a child Aika was taken in by Cobra's family but basically raised by Kohaku of Mugen since he was the one who found her. She has a passion for martial arts and even though she could have graduated top of her class she didn't want to gi...
