** Note: All characters are aged up by 2 years. Takemichi is in 1st year HS. Mickey/Draken in 2nd year HS. When 'older kids' are mentioned they are referring to teens in their 3rd and final year of high school.
** Image is what I imagine Kairi to look like.
**I have dyslexia so sometimes when I am writing the words I write they will be switched up in the process or some other errors will appear. I am so sorry for that. And even if I try to reread my story before I publish I will miss things too. If anyone finds something misspelt please let me know and I will fix it ^-^ thank you to those who have already done so!
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May 9th, 2005
"Whoa, who is that hottie? A new student?"
I could hear the whispers all around me in the halls of Mizo High School. I was aware of the stares I was receiving from the students that were still gathered to chat with their friends before classes would begin.
"Damn. I wouldn't mind a little taste."
Gross.
It was no wonder that the previous owner of this body hid herself behind layers of clothing if the guys were this disgusting in the school. But I wasn't scared like she was. Or fragile. I didn't need to hide away like I didn't even exist.
Though, I feel kind of bad for her.
The previous owner of this body, Hanagaki Kairi, was like me in my previous life in so many ways. We had the same looks, the same name. It was like she was my identical twin. But she and I were nothing alike when it came to our living situation. Her father was always away on business while her mother was also busy with her work. Leaving her younger brother, Hanagaki Takemichi, to turn into a delinquent without proper supervision. Kairi was troubled with multiple mental health issues. She had been bullied almost all her life to the point that her own self-loathing and isolation broke her. Which is how I came to be the new owner of this body of hers.
I was a national martial arts champion with loving parents that encouraged me in my dream to become an international champion someday. I wasn't like most girls my age at the time. I loved to fight and I was good at it. I often spent hours upon hours training my body.
I am still not really sure what happened to me. I missed a few days of school pretending I was sick at home to try to figure things out. I knew that this wasn't a dream. I also tried to google myself on social media. I was the Japanese National Martial Arts Champion. I'd often get interviewed. I wanted to know what had happened to my own body. Had I died?
I never found anything about me. Nothing at all. It was as if the Hanagaki Kairi I had been never even existed. After thinking it over and getting over my shock, I came to the conclusion that I must have somehow come to an alternate earth.
I know. The idea is ridiculous. But if you had gone to sleep one night and woken up to see the reflection of a scrawny looking girl with untamed hair instead of your own well-trained body and clean cut hair you'd be thinking the same thing. It was the only thing that could make sense.
May 5th was the day that Kairi committed suicide and I took possession of her body. Since then, I decided that instead of staying home that I would make an effort to live her forgotten life for her. There was no way for me to go back to living mine. It was the only thing I could do. So, I fixed my hair and clothes. I made an effort in my appearance and in those short days I also began to train as I normally would.
Let me tell you, I have never in my life got as winded as I did while training with her body. She was severely out of shape.
Four days and I haven't exactly gotten all that far in training this new body.
I sighed.
I remember all the training I did have but it is really useless if my body can't keep up. I will have to really work hard.
I ignored the rest of the whispers and made it to my class, quickly taking my seat.
Well, at least I remember things from the previous Kairi. Her memories are muddled into my own. I wonder why that is but it helps to live as her.
I really couldn't imagine not remembering anything of her life. Imagine trying to find school and anything. Yikes.
"No way. She's sitting in Hanagaki's seat."
"Wait. Do you think...? Is that Hanagaki?"
"Oh ho! Is that what she looks like under all the clothes and hair? So, hot!"
Annoying.
"You won't fool me, Hana-chan. Even with your new haircut in a nice little ponytail," the girl that would often torment Previous Kairi spoke as she walked over to my desk with her two followers. She wore an evil smile on her glossed lips, "You are still the same trash you have always been."
I placed my chin in the palm of my hand as I leaned down on my elbow as I turned to look at her with a bored expression, "Hm? The only trash that I see here is you."
"What?" she looked dumbfounded that I talked back to her before she got angry. "What the hell did you just say to me?"
"What? Did not say it clear enough for your dumb brain? Did all the bleach fry your brain?" I smirked as she continued to get even angrier.
"You bitch-"
"I have a question for you," I cut her off, "Is there anything about you that is real? Or are you all just fake?"
Well, at least this is entertaining. Putting a bully in her place is kind of fun.
"Just you wait," she threatened, "I'll tell my boyfriend about you. He will mess you up for talking to me like that."
She left in a huff with her two followers following right behind her.
I felt everyone in the room staring at me.
"I can't believe she spoke to Sakura-chan like that."
I drowned out the rest of the voices, turning my head to look out the window.
Is she really going to get her boyfriend involved in something so pitiful?
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May 12th, 2005
Are you serious right now?
Four guys surrounded me, two behind me and two in front of me, preventing me from continuing my walk back home after school was let out. Sakura was smiling with satisfaction as she pointed at me.
"She's the one that slapped me. She really hurt me, baby," she said to one of the guys behind me. Where she squeezed his arms against her chest.
Delinquents, huh?
They had the same way of dressing as the other delinquents I had seen around. I didn't think any of these guys were what girls would fall for as the 'bad boy' type. They were more like the guys in stories that were disgusting. I really did not see what Sakura saw in her so-called boyfriend. But then again, she is Sakura.
"Move," I told the two in front of me.
"Ha? You think we are going to move just because you tell us? Who do you think you are, bitch?" one of them spat at me.
"Get out of the way."
"You are going to pay for hurting my girl," Sakura's thug of a boyfriend threatened me.
I bet she hurt herself and lied to him so that he would do this for her. I hate girls like her. Manipulative.
I sighed. Deciding I didn't want to waste anymore of my time away from my training, I had to leave. I began to walk past the two thugs in front of me.
Further away from me, I could see people walking towards us. They also looked like delinquents.
More of them? No, wait.
I watched as the two of them seemed to be having a relaxed conversation with each other.
Whatever. I'll take my chances.
I continued to walk past the thugs, straight towards the ones that were walking towards us a few meters away.
"Hey, bitch," I felt a hand grab my wrist and pulled me back, "We aren't finished here."
"Let go," I told him.
Part of me hoped he wouldn't. I knew I wasn't in my best shape but I'd been bored. I loved fighting and it had been too long for me since I last had a good fight.
I watched the two in front of me stop, their attention was on us now. They looked confused in the way that they didn't know what was going on. The smaller one that I had seen eating something and smiling was no longer smiling. Judging by his body language, he seemed ready to intervene.
I shook my head at him. His angry eyes widened a little in confusion.
I directed my attention to the guy that was still gripping tightly around my wrist, "Didn't I tell you to let go?"
"What? How dare you speak to me like that, bitch! Don't you know who we are?"
"Nope. Frankly, I don't care who you are. No matter who you are, it doesn't give you the right to touch me when I said to let me go," I told him.
"Oh? And you think hitting my girl is okay?" Sakura's boyfriend yelled at me, "You don't have the right to touch what is mine. And for that you will pay. Now come with us or we will get more violent."
Sakura seemed to be pretty pleased with herself.
"Ha? Are you serious? One, I didn't hit your girl. Two, you guys are the ones," I said, shifting my body, "That are going to pay!"
As quickly as my body would allow, I pulled on the arm of the thug to pull him over. I brought my knee up as it collided in his gut.
I heard him gasp.
I karate chopped him upside the head while he was doubled over in pain. I watched as he face-planted on the cement.
"What the hell?" one of the guys said, dumbstruck by what just happened. "What just happened?"
"Don't just stand there idiots! Get her!"
I side stepped as one guy reached out his arm to grab me. I grabbed his arm, shifting my body and swinging his body over my shoulder.
Saliva coming out of his mouth as he hit the ground hard.
I used speed and his large body to my advantage. Things I learned with years of experience.
Damn. My body aches everywhere and I am already exhausted.
"Holy shit! Who the hell is this chick?" the third guy was stepping back from me.
"Do something, baby. This bitch-"
"Shut up, Sakura. I ain't about to back down to a girl. I got my pride."
"No way. I'm out of here. She isn't normal," the third guy ran away, leaving the two guys that were still with the wind knocked out of them laid out on the ground, Sakura, and her boyfriend.
"You really don't know who you are dealing with, bitch." He smirked at me, "I'm in a gang and the boys will have a lot of fun making a girl like you submit."
A gang? Is he trying to intimidate me? Or is he being for real? Is he really going to get his gang after me over this? If I had my old body I would tell him to bring it on but honestly. I don't know how much longer I can go before my knees collapse underneath me.
"Ha! Scared now aren't cha?" he smirked at me as if he won.
Never show weakness to the enemy.
I crossed my arms over my chest, "Then call them up."
His smirk was wiped off his face, "What?"
"Go ahead," I taunted him, "Call your big bad gang up. Try to make me submit."
He said nothing.
"Oh?" I smiled, mocking him, "So, you lied huh?"
"No! I-"
"Then call them," I looked him straight in the eye, unwavering. I wasn't going to show him the uncertainty I was feeling.
"Tsk," he let out, "Hey, idiots. How long do you plan on laying down there? Let's go already."
"But baby-"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up," he snapped at Sakura, "I got humiliated because of you. I ain't about to risk everything because of some crazy bitch." He turned to the two other guys that were finally getting back to their feet. "Let's get out of here."
I watched them walk away. Making sure they weren't going to change their minds and try anything again.
"That was amazing."
I jumped, surprised hearing a voice speak from right beside me.
Oh, it's the guy from earlier. He seemed short from afar but he is actually taller than me by like 3 inches. I had totally forgotten all about those two. I guessed they had watched the whole thing.
He wore a grin on his lips as he spoke, "I don't think I have ever seen a girl fight like that before. It was cool."
I blinked, "Uh, thank you."
"Nice job on calling his bluff too. I don't think there's any gangs around here that would do what he was implying of doing to you. If there were well..." he let his words hang before changing the subject, "What's your name by the way? I'm Sano Manjiro but you can just call me Mikey. And this tall guy here is-"
"Draken."
My eyes shifted to the taller blond. The sides of his head were shaved and you could clearly see the tattoo of a dragon.
I went back to the one that had asked me the question, "Hanagaki Kairi."
He smiled, "Kairi, then. Let's be friends."
"No."
He looked stunned that I refused him.
"What? You know. I could make it so no guys bother you again if you become my friend. I could protect you."
Is this guy serious?
"Oh, in that case," I started seeing him begin to smile again, "It's still a no."
"Huh? Why not? Didn't you hear me?"
"I did," I said. I shifted, leaning my body weight on my right leg, "If I agreed I would just be a fake friend to you because I'd be using you to protect me. And that's not really a good way to start a good friendship. Friendship only really works when there's mutual respect and trust. I'd have to know you and see if I like you enough to call you my friend."
He began to laugh, "I like you, Kairi. You are really different. You really surprised me with those moves of yours. You are really strong."
He was already calling me by my first name like he thought I was already his close friend or something. Well, whatever.
"No, not really. I just used the element of surprise, speed and their own size to my advantage, that's all. I'm not strong at all."
Not right now, anyway. But I will work hard for it. I will regain my former strength again.
"It was still impressive to watch," I turned to the taller boy as he spoke, looking down at me, "Mikey doesn't talk to people he doesn't think are interesting, much less going to call them his friend."
Something told me he wasn't lying to me.
"By the way, why did you stop us from intervening? You shook your head at Mikey when he was about to stop those guys. It would have been easy for him."
"There's a few reasons. Which one do you want? The selfish one or less selfish one?"
"Why not both?" Mikey said, putting his hands in his pant pockets and leaning back as he looked at me with an expectant grin.
"Well, part of it was that I didn't want to get anyone involved in my own thing," I told them, I looked away feeling a little self-conscious about what I was about to say next, "But mostly because I kind of just wanted to fight."
Back in my old life, I remembered when I was younger and people would judge me for being a girl that loved to fight. Until I became the National Champion, everyone laughed at my dream. I proved them all wrong.
"Yeah, me too. I like fighting," Mikey said to me.
It was not the response I had expected.
"Yeah. What's wrong with a good fight every now and again?" Draken agreed with his own smile of acceptance.
I couldn't help but smile back at both of them.
Is this what they call a sense of kinship?
For the first time, I felt like I wasn't an outcast with an unattainable dream.
"That being said," Mikey started coming closer to me, leaning down and smiling, "Low level delinquents like the ones from earlier seem fine with your skills but there are a lot stronger ones out there. Be careful who you pick a fight with, 'kay?"
"Well, then," I grinned, "I'll just have to get stronger."