Sokudo: Villains Always Win (ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ)

Chapter seven│do my best

Without a word, Taichi walked around the two and headed towards the platform, surprising both of them. "Where are you going?" Minji asked, turning around to watch step onto the platform and turn around to face them. He then gave a small shrug of his shoulders, "to my room."

Minji opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She let out a small sigh and shook her head, then turned her head to look at Chieko, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "So, are you still leaving?" She asked, fully turning around to face her.

Chieko opened her mouth to respond, but then it closed. There was someone in her school, someone like her. Someone her age, stuck in the same situation, possibly a little different ─ but mostly the same. Sure, Minji, Satou and Taichi were like her, but...

They were too different.

"I..." She didn't need to run off so fast, school had already finished for the day. If she wanted to find that mysterious student, she'd have to wait until tomorrow. Not much time has passed since she arrived at the warehouse, and she hasn't gotten much done. It's still way too early to head back home.

"I... guess not." She answered, her head slowly lowering. "Can we try training again?" She asked, lifting her head to look at Minji. Last time she got distracted by her thoughts, it wasn't a proper training session. So she wanted to try again.

Being answered with a smile, that's all she needed. Taichi had already hid away in his room, being a 'hermit crab' as Minji said, saying how he'd most likely stay in his room until Chieko left. Which should have been a good thing, since it meant no more arguments between the two if they couldn't see each other. But oddly enough, Chieko didn't want him to be a room hermit ─ she wanted to see him.

She wanted to see him fight, and win.

When they arrived on the second floor, it was no surprise that Taichi was nowhere in sight. Minji was raring to go, making comments on how she won't go easy on Chieko this time. She always said that, and she always felt like she was lying.

Instead of starting off just like that, starting the fight, Chieko glanced over at one of the rooms; the one she suspected Taichi to be hiding in. It didn't take long for Minji to notice her gaze, her eager grin slowly fading from her lips as she followed her eyes, leading to the room.

"His room's over there, by the way," Minji said, pointing towards a different room. Chieko averted her gaze to the room, then glanced back at Minji with an unsure look, asking her if this was such a good idea. Minji just nodded her head in response, and Chieko looked back towards the room and let out a small sigh.

Chieko walked towards the room, when she stopped in front of it, she hesitantly reached out her hand. She took a deep breath, as if to calm herself. Then she knocked on the door, and she almost immediately got a response. "What do you want?" Taichi responded in a stuck-up tone.

She holds out her hand, staring there with her mouth left agape. She wasn't sure how to respond, "Hey, do you want to watch me practice?" Most likely she'd be shut down immediately. So she lowered her hand and turned around to walk back over to Minji, who stood there watching.

But she stopped, realizing she had said those words out loud when she heard the door unlock. Turning around, she saw Taichi slowly creep out of his room. Lifting his head, he looked at her in the eyes, and his narrowed eyes slightly softened and his lent over posture straightened up.

"Okay, make it quick, I was just about to take a nap..."

She doesn't know why, but upon hearing those words, a feeling of happiness filled a bit of her heart. A small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, she nodded her head. "Don't worry, you'll get your beauty rest!" His fierce narrowed eyes returned, but she ignored his glare as she spun around to face Minji.