Requested by 1Freak-Show
I had always been told that my anger was going to get me into trouble, growing frustrated at the repeated statement like nothing else was true.
My fists pummeled the sand-filled punching bag relentlessly, my muscles never tiring from the assault as my mind repeated the new scenario that presented itself in class. Himiko, the only girl in my class that I admired for her quiet strength and wishing to grow closer to her, was gone.
A solid 'thunk' as my left fist sunk into the punching bag, my eyes beginning to water from some kind of pain separate from the hit.
Himiko. The very same girl who gave me her spare pencil and gifted it to me when I tried to return it. The wonderful teenager who had a tender heart for those around her. The strong young woman who spoke loudly against bullying, even threatening to hit the bullies herself when they wouldn't back down.
My wrist crumpled as my fists began to soften, tears flooding my eyes and obscuring my vision.
Himiko...the very same girl who stood up against those oppressing others was stolen by the oppressors in her own life.
When my fists held no more strength, I switched to my knees and elbows, fully intent on beating the life out of the punching bag.
Himiko...had 'moved' to a different town because her 'parents' treated her like absolute shit, skipping town to live with her grandparents.
...it's not fair.
I barely heard the rip of fabric.
It's not fair....
My knee sunk into the solid tarp lining of the punching bag, barely indenting the packed sand.
It's not fair.
An elbow twisted the lining as I swung my full body weight into the blow.
"It's not fair!"
"(Y/n)?"
My tunnel-vision focus snapped mid-knee, freezing up completely in the darkness of my room. The only source of light came from the hallway through my now open door, a shadow blocking most of the illumination.
"...you were shouting."
"Sorry...big brother," I slowly stood back up as my splayed fingers caught the viciously swinging bag, stilling the motion in a few heartbeats, "Just..."
The door slowly slid closed, the room once more swallowed by the evening darkness, "Oh, you ripped it."
One of my older brothers stepped into view, his sunglasses pushed up over his fringe as his dark eyes looked over the extensive damage done to the punching bag.
"...it can be replaced, Karamatsu."
"Yes, it can," He hummed with a smile, turning his focus towards me, "Much better buying a ¥3000 bag cover than a casket. What's got you this riled up?"
My face scrunched into a distrusting expression, unsure if I wanted to say the real reason or if I wanted to maintain my tough persona.
I flinched at the brief touch of Karamatsu's fingers against my clenched fist, recoiling harshly and taking a few steps away from his imposing posture to gain more ground mentally.
"It's just me here."
"I..." My tongue tripped over my words, "There's this girl that was in my class that I really liked. She was really strong...someone that I wanted to help whenever I could--"
Karamatsu's expression lightened, a smile creeping across his lips.
"--but she had to leave, forced to run because her parents are pieces of shit."
His face completely fell into realization, his hands resting on my shoulders, "Oh, (y/n)...do you think that's the reason?"
"I know it's the reason!" The verbal vitriol spat from my lips as I wrenched myself out of his grasp, leveling a glare at him, "I saw the signs of it happening but didn't do anything about it! Do you hear me? Nothing!"
"Hey--"
"Don't you fucking 'hey' me, Karamatsu!" I took another step back, moving out of his arm's reach, "I thought that it would be enough to offer her some form of escape while she went to school, bending backwards to ensure that she was happy! Instead, I...couldn't do anything."
Silence flooded the room between us while I caught my breath. I couldn't read Karamatsu's expression, my older brother standing tall with his face encapsulated by darkness.
"That feeling...I know it very well."
Before I could question him, he wheeled around and sent out a vicious heel kick into the punching bag, a tearing sound echoing through the room as the sand-filled lining flew across the length of my room. A heavy silence followed the meaty 'thud' as it slammed into the opposing wall.
"I'm terrified that our brothers will suffer from my inaction," Karamatsu rolled his shoulders, lifting the leg he had used for the kick a few inches from the ground and shaking out his foot, "Scared that no matter how hard I fight, it'll all be for nothing."
My gaze fell to the floor after staring at the slumped bag, closing my mouth while relaxing my fists.
"There is something that you are able to do, (y/n)," His words held some kindness, drawing my attention as he moved towards me with his arms out, taking me into his hold in a gentle hug, "Be brave. Take everything thrown at you with a smile. Don't let your enemy see that you're faltering, but remember to cry when you feel small."
"I'm...not weak," I froze at his words, frowning at the actions he spoke of.
"Even the strongest man has a sad day."
"I'm not weak!" I shoved Karamatsu away from me, anger fueling my words, "Everyone else can be weak, but not me!"
"Being human isn't weakness," The tone Karamatsu used warned me to not press him further, irritation growing in my gut as I backed away from him.
"Then I'd rather not be human!" I slammed my bedroom door behind me as I stormed out, pushing past my dad as he walked towards the kitchen.
My name died in a distant shout as I shut the front door.
----
I grunted as I bore the brunt of the assault, holding up my arms over my face for as long as I could before one of my classmates snuck in a gut punch, forcing me to bowl over in pain. Clenching my jaw in frustration, I took a few more kicks before the gang was waved off by the ringleader -- the very same student that Himiko had stood up to for trying to force another student to be a gopher.
"Hey, faggot," He laughed out, "You're really going to let us hit you for fifteen minutes?"
From the ground, I couldn't see the guy they were originally harassing for money. Hopefully he fled.
My thoughts were interrupted as a knee collided with my gut, sucking in a breath as soon as I could breath before coughing out spittle and blood.
A small respite from the beating. A few uninterrupted breaths as the pain began to fade from my body.
A mistake.
Something solid -- much more solid than a fist or foot -- slapped across my back, the sharp sting through my clothing indicating that one of the bastards grabbed a wooden plank from somewhere. Another wooden plank slammed its corner into my right leg while the other kept hitting my back like a hammer.
"Don't try to be a hero, (y/n)," The ringleader -- Mokoya, if I recalled correctly -- sounded a little further away, as if he was passively watching the 'fight', "Last time someone tried, they left."
"Don't...you fucking slander her name!" Adrenaline surged through my veins as I struggled to stand under the barrage, taking another punch to the shoulder before I grabbed one of the wooden planks midswing. The wielder yelped as he tried to yank it from my grip, drawing my ire as I clenched my free hand and slammed it into his nose. Taking the now-free weapon, I twisted in the opposite direction and blocked the other plank homing in on my head.
"Oh, please," Mokoya taunted, "It's not like you did anything about it. She was my girlfriend, not yours."
"You didn't deserve her...!" A heavy object thwacked the back of my head, jarring me as the plank fell from my hand before I fell back to the ground. A groan slipped from my throat as I tried to protect my head from the sudden barrage of hits, feeling both plank and shoe.
I couldn't afford to be weak now...
"Well, it's been fun, (y/n), but your fifteen minutes of fame is up," Mokoya sighed as I heard footsteps approach my position, barely having any strength to look up at the ringleader. His dyed blond hair was slicked back with gel, the green contacts contrasting poorly with his naturally dark eyes, "Until tomorrow before school."
A step -- one sounding overly familiar, "I'll give you 'fun'."
Karamatsu interrupted, his fist colliding with Mokoya's face as the younger boy turned towards the shout. His other fist followed up immediately with an open hand, cupping the boy's throat and shoving him away from the group.
Another student tried to jump on Karamatsu's back, the action quickly dissuaded by his free hand grabbing the student's shirt neckline and throwing him onto another approaching bully. Shaking out his hands to loosen his muscles, Karamatsu took a few steps into the group as the students retreated back a few paces while trying to tend to Mokoya's bruised pride.
I could only stare -- one eye open in confusion with the other bruised shut -- at my older brother who had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, worried that he'd get injured at my expense and fearful that he recognized me in a weakened state.
The quick glance he gave me filled me with dread, his expression already one of recognition.
"Listen, fucker," Mokoya coughed, his voice sounding a little strained through whatever injury his nose sustained, "Step away or I'll call the police on you. You hit a minor!"
"I hit the asshole beating up my brother," Karamatsu growled out, not budging from his aggressive stance, "Go ahead and call your parents while you're at it. They need to pick up their toddler standing in front of me."
"...forget it."
I lifted my head off the ground enough to see the group recollect themselves and wander away from our location, trying to sigh but coughing instead. As my hands pressed against the ground to push myself up, another pair of hands lowered down and lightly gripped my armpits.
"Leave me...!" I snarled, reeling back from Karamatsu's reach and falling down onto the ground in frustration, "I had it handled."
"No, you didn't," My older brother looked down at me disapprovingly, his hands resting on his hips before reaching towards me again. I pushed his hands away, a frown creasing my features while maneuvering into a sitting position, "There's no one around for you to be strong for, (y/n). Let me help you."
My eyes narrowed into a glare, "Turn around."
"Come on, little brother. You don't need to be strong in front of me," He sounded defeated, his brow pinched in worry.
"Turn. Around."
Karamatsu closed his eyes with a sigh as he did as demanded.
I waited a moment to ensure that he was going to stay facing away, placing a hand on my knee while withholding the groan of pain. Standing up was more difficult than I originally thought, finally standing tall on both feet after a few agonizing minutes.
"Ready?" Karamatsu's voice was quiet in the walkway, his head partially turned towards me from over his shoulder. I couldn't see his eyes.
"Shut up," I huffed between clenched teeth. He didn't move until I did, my first step tentative before my knee gave way to gravity. I braced myself to hit the pavement, feeling something soft underneath my chest and chin while a cloth of some kind gently rested on my bruised back
"Really...I won't tell anyone."
Karamatsu had caught me with his back, quickly shifting me to rest fully in the piggyback position while tucking his hands underneath my hamstring muscles before I could protest. The new position allowed my body to rest from the beating, slowly closing my eyes as I pressed my nose against the round of Karamatsu's shoulders. I could feel his heart beat through the thin shirt, remembering how he had saved me from my very first fistfight in middle school.
"Do...you remember a few years back?" My voice was partially muffled by the position I was in, but I knew he heard me clearly.
"Ten on one, right?"
"Yeah," I tried to chuckle, "Someone called Jyushimatsu some kind of name..."
"You had a mean opening hit, if I recall correctly."
"Made the kid cry like a girl for an hour or so."
"Do you remember how many you took out before we had to intervene?"
I groaned as I buried my face more into his shoulder, fighting down the embarrassed blush, "One..."
Karamatsu hummed in agreement, taking confident steps towards home, "And do you remember what happened after?"
"...no..." It was more of a plea than a confession.
"You were so proud of what you did that you bragged about it to Mom and Dad, who reprimanded you for acting in a cowardly way," I felt Karamatsu's cheek barely press against my ear in reassurance, "But then we went out to oden afterwards."
"...are you suggesting that we go out for oden tonight?" I closed my eyes against the fading sunset, the light streaming through the taller buildings on the city's horizon.
"I'm always up for Chibita's oden," Another voice chimed in, "As long as someone else is paying."
A growl rumbled in my throat as I lifted my head to see the oldest sextuplet standing in front of Karamatsu and I.
In fact, all of my brothers were standing in a line like they had been expecting us.
Todomatsu giggled as he lifted his phone, the loud camera shutter sounding out a snapshot, "So cute! Our little (y/n)'s first school scrap!"
"Shut up!" I tried to jump off Karamatsu's back, desperately wanting to get out of the weakened position I found myself in. His hands refused to budge.
"If I let you go, you're just gonna fall again. Did you want to give them more ammo?" Karamatsu's voice was quiet, a knowing smile resting on his lips.
"...fuck. I hate all of you."
I dug my face against his shoulder again to hide the happy look on my face, fully understanding that me being stubborn and tough wasn't going to do me any good currently.
I'd wait until I recovered from this fight...then I'd kick the crap out of Todomatsu and delete that picture.