The Princess and The Devil - Karma Akabane x OC

F O U R T E E N : FLASHBACK TIME II

  3RD PERSON POV

The first few weeks of school, Hime found out that her homeroom teacher's name is Hinata Kamakura. She was appointed to sit at the very front in front of the teacher's table. She was more focused in doing well in school and growing up. She has to grow up quickly if she wants to be of use of her parents. She also takes it upon herself to learn to go home alone. By the time a whole month is finished, Hime was able to go back and fro from school every day by foot.

Her self-isolation makes her feel a tad bit lonely and it made her have no friends to enjoy break time with, no friends to play with during PE and no friends to talk with. But that doesn't mean she remains oblivious to her classmates' presence in the class. She knows very well that the girl that sits on her right side is Aoi and the girl who sits at her left is Akane. The boy that sits behind her is the class representative, Daichi. She knows all her classmates' names and she knows the rumours and gossips that swim among the first grade of Kunie Elementary School.

One day, on her way home, she saw a group of boys wearing the same school uniform as her cornering a certain ball of fluff. They were mercilessly kicking and poking a stray grey cat with a stick. They laughed as it mewled in pain and tries to get away from the sadistic boys. They were cornering the poor kitty and eventually the beatings got too much for it that it curled up into a ball and its mewls became more restrained and pained. Hime couldn't stand low when she sees this and so, she quietly walks towards them and tugs on the sleeve of a boy with shaggy brown hair. By their size, she knows for a fact that they might be 3 or even 4 grades older than her. Panic and fear runs down her spine when he turns around. Her grip on the sleeve of the boy immediately drops as she takes a few steps away. She was beginning to regret her choices but when she sees how wounded the cat was, she regains her courage.. A little.

"What do you want, kid?" The boy asks harshly as he harshly pulls away from Hime's small trembling hands. "That uniform.. You're from our school?" He asks and Hime bites her lower lip.

"Leave her be, Akashi. If she's from our school, we might get in trouble." Another boy with blonde hair said as he pokes the poor cat.

"Stop.. Please." She whispers.

"You said something, kid?" The blonde asked.

"I said.. Stop. It's just a cat. It's going to die if you keep.. Hurting it" Hime said. She was stuttering. She was scared but she still wants to save the poor kitty.

"What are you going to do?" Akashi asks as he kicks the cat. "Is it yours?" He angrily spats.

"No.." She meekly responds as he tightens her grip on the straps of her bag pack.

"If it's not yours, then why are you interfering?!" Akashi shouts at Hime. The blonde and the rest of the boys laugh when she sees Hime tremble. "Throw this cat away." Akashi holds it up and was about to throw it to the blonde when Hime grabs his shirt.

"No! Please, it'll die!" Hime cries.

"Hey, let go! What's up with you?!" Akashi growls. "Oi, Makoto help me!" He shouts and the blonde rushes over to pry Hime off. Makoto push Hime down forcefully and she landed on her bottom.

"Hey, Makoto, if we make sure she keeps her mouth shut about this, we won't get in trouble, right?" Akashi hands the cat over to Makoto.

"I guess." Makoto shrugs as he gives the bloody cat to another member of their group.

"That's enough for me." Akashi smiles as he cracks his fist. Hime stayed low on the ground because she was afraid. "What's he going to do?" She thought, biting her trembling lip. She refuses to cry but she's just so scared. He raised his fist up to Hime with hopes that he could at least 'teach' the first grader to never meddle with their business ever again. Akashi's face was pulled into a hideous smile when Hime looks up to him with big, teary greyish blue eyes. Her fear increased two folds when she sees the red dangerous glint in his eyes. He was about to strike at her when he hear a laugh – a laugh that they all know so well. Hime watch the glint vanish as it came and it's replaced by fear. It's the laughter from Satan itself. He immediately froze when he sees the source of the laughter.