Last Stride [Prince of Stride]

Chapter 10: Defeat and Renewal

IF I OFFEND ANYONE, THIS IS JUST FOR FANFICTION PURPOSES. I THINK IT'S REALLY NICE, SINCE I LIKE THE JAPANESE WORD FOR IT. I REALLY DO.

If anyone was surprised at the sport Stride, then the public wouldn't have been too surprised about a girl parkouring her way through the city. She was going pretty fast, where there were some close calls when she almost landed onto someone. But they were awed over her skills.

"Need a few more feet... Or was it meters? Never mind, as soon I see someone..." Ayano ran into the crowds of people, reaching the building. The competition wasn't that far, it was only a few blocks from her location. But in term of speed, Ayano reached there in less than twenty minutes.

"I'm Ayano."  Ayano showed the officials her school I.D as the officials let her in. If they were part of the school, they were allowed to visit the participants. But that's if you're a member of the club. Everyone in the building assumes Ayano is part of Stride. Because of her purple hair, it was easily to be recognized. And she was known to be part of the Three.

She turned corners and corners, before reaching a room that seems secluded from the rest.  Ayano opened the door.

"Ah! Did the reporters arrive- Oh... It's just you."

"Oh shut up, short guy." Ayano glared at him, who literately stood against her. The last time she saw him, he was shorter than her. But now, he's towering over her. Heck, he was only a few inches taller than you.

"I'm not short!"

"Ah, don't worry. Ayano, what did you need? Obviously you wouldn't come here with normal means." Reiji commentated back, as Ayano gave the azaleas. Reiji motioned with his hands for everyone to leave. If Ayano hated anything about Saisei (she hated a lot of things), it was about the amount of control Reiji had with his peers.

"Reiji, your middle name is Himawari, right?" Ayano looked at Reiji, who in turned look at the vase near the door. There was a sunflower.

That memory that Ayano forgotten.

That sunflower is going to die, why are you watering it?" The black hair four year old girl looked at the male who was watering it.

"Because it's a part of me."

"Himamawari?" Ayano came near the boy, kneeling near the flower. She looked at the petals, before looking at the boy.

"Yes, I'm Suwa Himawari  Reiji. You?" Ayano smiled before plucking a flower near the sunflower. It was pink in contrast to the yellow, a perfect match.

"Kirin. Kimizuki Kirin Ayano."  Ayano and Reiji looked at each other before laughing.  The rainbow was overhead them, as Ayano and Reiji worked together to help the dying flower. With Ayano's knowledge, the sunflower stood proudly the next month.

"Hey, Ayano, what is Kirin?" Reiji asked her one day, as they talked about the different flowers. Although she didn't know the flower meaning, she could distinguish a few flowers.

"Kirin is Azaleas. They're poisonous." Ayano cruelly mentioned.

"Wah, sugoi. You're not poison at all though."

"You don't know everything about me, Reiji."

"Hmph, I will prove to you!" Reiji stood up from the grass, as Ayano looked at him curiously.

"Prove what? That you know everything about me?"

"No, that you're nice!"  Reiji pouted at her.

"Yeah, bet you can't." A childish fight happened afterward, as they kept slamming each other with words. At least they weren't swearing, though Ayano and Reiji almost did before holding it back.

"How the hell did I forget that. How the hell did I forget that. The popular idol group, with Suwa Reiji as the leader, having the lamest middle name-"

"Oh shut up! I think of it as a great middle name!"

"Ruka had a better middle name, you know."

"It wasn't my fault that my middle name had to be a flower and his to be a dragon!" Reiji yelled, as Ayano giggled.

"Your middle name is a flower too!"

"At least it's a normal middle name. For a girl."

"Get out!" Reiji was blushing as Ayano laughed her way out. She closed the door, before turning the corridors. She went near a door, seeing the Stride Team was wearing new outfits. Different from the ones they wore back then.

"Sugoi! That looks awesome!" Everyone looked at Ayano who was looking at everyone's uniform.

"Even though you guys were absolutely destroyed." Ayano smiled creepily, as everyone shuddered.

"But don't worry! You guys will win next time for sure! And I'll be there to help." Heath's eyes widened.

"So you're going to join-"

"Why not? I don't want to see Reiji kick your guys asses again."

"Ah, Aya, I have a uniform for you." Heath's sister gave Ayano the new uniform, as Ayano looked at it. She awed over it.

"It seems, the new age of Honan Stride is shining white." Heath's sister commented. Ayano was going to be a big jump for the team, especially in areas that are flat. With <Clear Mind>, they can achieve greater feats. Even growing abilities of their own.

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"Can I ask why we're all together....?" Ayano asked everyone, who was sweat dropping. Fujiwara, Yagami, and Sakurai were all together with her, walking each other home. It seems that they all lived almost near in the same location, so Heath decided that they would walk home together.

"It seems more fun this way." Sakurai said. Yagami and Fujiwara just smiled slightly.

"Oi, I don't want all of you to be stalking me. Especially you, Fujiwara. With your leg fetish."

"I don't have a leg fetish."

"Do you really want to prove that?" Ayano provoked, as Fujiwara merely sighed.

"Now now, now isn't the time to be provoking one another.." Yagami scratched his head while he said that.

Since Ayano was the closest, they went to her house first.

"Okay, bye~!"

"Wait, Ayano. I want to see your friends." The rest were standing out there as Ayano's mother appeared. Ayano didn't look like her mother. Ayano's mother had a regular Japanese look. But she did look beautiful. No wonder Ayano was able to model so well.

"Why don't you guys come in? We're going to have dinner."

"Ah, it's okay." Sakurai said, before the rain starts pouring down. Ayano cursed.

Her mother always had perfect timing to her words.