The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful (Peko x Fuyuhiko) [COMPLETED]

Part 1, Chapter 2 (6 years old)

Peko's POV
I jumped out of the car in a hurry. Fuyuhiko's house was humongously humongous! I ran up to the door and stopped short when I realized Fuyuhiko's father had the key. I looked down the drive way and saw his father, glaring at me. Behind him, Fuyuhiko mimicked his father's gait. That kind of made me smile. Mr. Kuzuryuu's eyes glared holes into me as he unlocked the door. I stepped inside the house and pulled my bag along beside me.

"Fuyuhiko, show young Peko to her room." Mr. Kuzuryuu took on a business like tone. Given his business, that scared me a little.

"Come on, Peko." Fuyuhiko dashed up the stairs quickly for his small size. I followed him down the hallway to a door. Fuyuhiko opened it and I followed him inside. "T-the bathroom is across the hall. I guess I'll leave you here to get settled."

"Okay! Thanks so much, Hiko! Is it okay if I call you that? That would be great. I really look forward to being your friend! I haven't ever really had a friend before! It's gonna be so fun!"

"But daddy says you're not supposed to be my friend. You're my protector."

"Well, who says I can't be both? What your father doesn't know can't hurt him. We'll just be secret friends. Yeah, secret friends. I like the sound of that. Like we're in an exciting novel about a big adventurer in a small world."

Hiko smiled. "Secret friends it is." We shook hands. His handshake was surprisingly practiced and adult for a kid our age.  "I guess I'll leave you to unpack I have to.. uh... go do.... uh..."

Hiko struggled for an excuse. "Hiko, you can stay and help unpack if you want. We are friends, after all. You don't have to though. I don't want to force you or anyth-"

"I'll stay. We're friends. And besides, I'll always help you." Hiko and I pulled out my clothes and put them in the drawers. It didn't take long. I don't have a lot of things.

The room was twice as big as my old room, but that doesn't say much. It had a twin sized bed pushed up against one wall. The covered were navy blue. I like blue, even though it's a boy color. It had a nightstand that was painted white with an alarm clock and a lamp on it. The rest of the room was rather plain, with grey carpeting and white walls. With a sigh, I pulled the last possession of mine out of my bag, a picture of my father in a mahogany frame. I set it on the nightstand. I miss him already.

Hiko set a hand on my shoulder and I realized I'd been staring at the picture. "Now that we're done unpacking, you should probably go down. I think my father has some...uh... ground rules to share with you."

"Oh right!" I said. "Come on, Hiko, let's go see what he has to say. I'm sure it will be great."

"Sure." Hiko looked skeptical.

We went down the big stairs and into the kitchen. Mr Kuzuryuu seemed to be waiting for me.

"Peko. Took you long enough. There are a few things we need to discuss. First, you are not to bother me or clients while we are working. You are to keep your voice down. Next, your job is to be a protector to Fuyuhiko. You are not his friend and will address him as master or young master. And always hold that blathering tongue of yours. It's a problem well hit have to correct, I'm afraid. Do you comprehend each and every of these words?" He finished like a lawyer questioning me at the stand.

"Yes sir." I said. I bit my tongue to stop.

Mr. Kuzuryuu kept talking. "You begin school at Towa Prep tomorrow. You will wake up each morning at precisely 5:30 am and work in your training room until 7:00 am. My son will show you the training room in due time. You will leave for school at 7:30 and return home at 3:00 every day. You will do your homework, then train until dinner. From then until bed at 8:00 you will have free time. You are dismissed."

I left the kitchen and saw Hiko around the corner. We went up the stairs together.  "Why didn't you come with me?" I asked.

"We're not supposed to be friends." Hiko said "if I had gone, it just would have caused trouble. Besides, secret friends, right? Come on Peko, I'll show you the training room."

The training room was full of dummies, swords, and charts. There were books on fighting and all sorts of workout machines I didn't even know existed.

Time jump! It's morning now!

I hauled myself out of bed as the alarm clock went off.  with a jolt, I remembered where I was and ran down to the training room. Is empty and dark, and my mind was foggy. I decided to hack away at one of the bags for now. I did push ups, sit ups, read about parrying and attacking, until it was finally 7:00.

Hiko and I walked a short distance to the school. It seemed as though I had always been there. The teachers never questioned my presence, and there was always an open spot next to Hiko.

"Hey babyface." Hiko turned and I followed his gaze to a kid with crazy hair styled into an uh... corn cob? On his head. "Come and get it." Corn cob held Hiko's book above his head. Hiko jumped and groped but he wasn't tall enough to reach the book.

"Why don't you just leave Hiko alone and pick on someone your own size!" I yelled at Corn Cob.

"Oh, got yourself a girlfriend, baby face?" Corn cob laughed.

Hiko went beet red. "She's not my g-"

I pulled the bamboo sword out of my bag and without thinking slammed it into corn cob's hand. He dropped the book and left. "Who was that?" I asked.

"His name is Mondo Owada." Hiko got all pouty. "And he's a big bully."

"I saw." I said. "Well don't worry, cause I'm gonna protect you from bullies like Owada forever and ever."

"I don't know how, but I want to protect you too, Peko." Hiko smiled.

"I don't need protecting! Someday, I'm gonna be a great big tough warrior!" I said. "And there won't be anymore bullies like Owada."

"Peko..." Hiko said, "Everyone needs protection from something."

I know these are pretty short but I hope you enjoy. Thanks to anyone who actually reads this!