Asano's P.O.V.
I sat perfectly straight in my chair, waiting patiently for the professor to finish handing out the graded tests.
A slight smirk played at my lips, I knew I had aced it. I always aced them. It wasn't even fun anymore, to be honest. It was impossible for me to fail. But the fact this test was harder then any of the previous ones, and that I was the only one who had scored well on it did still make me smile. It felt good to be on top.
While everyone else's tests had been handed upside down, Professor Masa beamed and handed mine to me face up.
A+.
"Excellent work as always, Asano." He fixed his glasses and smiled at me, which I returned.
"Thank you, Professor." I said.
Once his back was turned, my cheery expression dropped into a dark glare.
I was fucking bored.
Once upon a time, I had some real competition. His name was Karma and he brought excitement into my everyday life. We always competed against each other, in sports, academics, fighting, even petty things like who was fast enough to get the last pop in the soda machine. But he was a psychopath, and his bad behavior eventually caught up to him and he was sent to E class, a place off campus for people like him. That's karma for you.
Tch. Idiot. He would rather get into trouble than stay here and fight with me. Now I'm all alone. That bastard.
The bell rang, dismissing the students for the day.
I rose, stuffing my paper into my bag.
"Hey, Asano," a hand clapped my shoulder roughly. "You ready for tonight?"
I pushed the hand off me and straightened up. "What have I told you about touching me, Ren?"
He laughed and backed off. "Sorry, you're so touchy. But you're still coming right?"
I sighed, my breath brushing my orange hair out of my violet eyes. "I don't know."
Every Friday night me and the "Big Five", as we're so called, get a table at Oishī Nūdoru (Yum Noodle), to hang out.
I say 'hang out' lightly. I try to eat and mind my business on my phone, but the others are loud and boastful. I wouldn't call myself friends of theirs, but we're all in the same circle. And ever since Karma left (that bastard) I would rather be in a circle than by myself.
"Aw come on, you gotta come!" He exclaimed. "Me and the others would be so lost without you, you know that!"
I headed towards the exit, and students parted like the Red Sea, staring in awe at me and Ren. While he excelled in English, I excelled in everything. Top marks, straight A's, first place, whatever you want to call it, I always achieved it.
"Yes, I do know that." I stated in a way that made him shrink a little.
"Well, think it over and text us if you're gunna show." He said, adjusting his back pack and hurrying off.
I watched him go in contempt. I wasn't a fan of Friday night's. It meant a whole weekend with my father.
I could imagine the tense, silent dinner scenes now, each of us sitting at the end of a long table, nothing but the sound of clinking silverware to break the suffocating quiet.
I had just stepped outside into the bright sunshine, when a high pitched voice squealed from my right.
I turned just in time to be attacked by a mass of black hair and dimples.
"Asano-kun!" Kiri giggled, kissing my cheek and pulling back. "Hey!"
"Hey, Kiri," I said calmly, detaching her from me.
"How was your day?" She offered me a small bow, which I slightly blushed at, then blushed harder at the fact that I was blushing.
"Fine. Kiri, I told you, you don't have to bow at me." I said, straightening out my crisp, white shirt. I wish she wouldn't hug me like that though, especially in public. People tend to stare.
She gave a soft smile and clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry, I just feel like I should. You're Gakushuu Asano! The principals son! You deserve respect."
Kiri isn't my girlfriend, but everyone thinks she is. Sometimes I think she thinks she is. But we're just friends. I need a break from my circle every now and then, and Kiri's IQ is a nice way to give me that break. Not that she's stupid, she gets really good marks in history, but shes nothing compared to me. But then again, everyone is nothing compared to me. Except for Karma. (That bastard.)
I usually walk her home after school, but when I turned to head down the path that was a shortcut to her house, she didn't follow.
I stopped. "Kiri?"
She was holding something behind her back, and was suddenly shy. "I...I know it's a little early, but I got you something for Valentine's."
She held out a beautifully wrapped package of Honmei-choco, all perfectly presented in pink wrapping paper and sealed with a large red bow. Obviously she spent a long time making this.
"Oh, thank you." I smiled politely and accepted it, giving her a small bow back. "It looks beautiful, I can't wait to try it."
She beamed, any thoughts or doubts of me rejecting it flew out of her mind and she was happy again. "Great! Well, I'm going shopping with my friends today so you don't need to walk me home. See you tomorrow!"
I watched her run off to her group of friends, and they all screamed in delight with her when she told them I had accepted her gift.
I rolled my eyes and headed down to the road that led to home.
It got quiet the further away I walked from the school. I was lost in thought, dreading the weekend, thinking of how to tell the guys I wasn't coming tonight, thinking about how to tell Kiri I didn't like her like that, but was torn because keeping her around was good for my image...
I opened the chocolates and broke off a piece.
It smelled good, and when I popped it into my mouth it tasted even better.
A well worn path veered away from the road and I followed it into a small grouping of trees.
I often took this side road home, it was more peaceful since I was the only one who used it and it was away from the noisy road.
Birds chirped overhead, and the leaves rustled in the gentle breeze.
I held onto the chocolates with one hand and carefully pulled out my phone with the other.
To Ren: Sorry, I'm not coming tonight. Homework.
I unwrapped another piece of chocolate and stuck it in my mouth.
I knew he wouldn't be happy but I didn't care, I was sick of that place anyways. Sick of my 'friends'. Sick of being Gakushuu Asano.
Crack.
I whipped around, but the path behind me was clear.
I scanned the perimeter, turning slowly to take in everything, but all I saw were trees and an occasional bush or large rock.
My phone vibrated and lit up.
From Ren: You can do that later! Come on, you already missed last week too!
I rolled my eyes and continued walking. Clearly he didn't understand. Sometimes I think the only person who gets me is, and I hate to say this, Akabane (that bastard). At least he knew what it felt like to be different than everyone else. But now he's got all his friends in that stupid E class and only cares about them. I even think he and that Nagisa chick, (or dude, I can't tell, but Karma doesn't strike me as the type to like the same gender), are a thing.
Snap!
This time, I stopped and stood still.
I listened carefully but only heard the wind swaying the branches overhead.
Then I heard the growling.
I blinked, frozen. What could be growling in these woods? It was too small for much wildlife besides birds and squirrels and the occasional rabbit. And it was too close to the road, any sensible animal wouldn't set up home in this place.
The growling turned to shuffling and snorting. I could tell it was a big creature, which made my heart start to pound since I still couldn't see it, and it sounded like it was getting closer.
I whipped my head around, trying to pick up any shadows of a beast. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Nothing. All sounds had stopped. The wind, the cars, the birds, the growling and huffing.
I stood in the middle of the path, feeling exposed and angry that an unknown subject had put me on edge.
"I am Gakushuu Asano, son of Gakuho Asano, and I will not tolerate- aaahhhhh!"
Something large and heavy suddenly rammed into my back, and I gasped in shock and pain.
My phone went flying in one direction, and the chocolates in another.
I barely managed to catch myself in time before hitting the ground painfully, and quickly shuffled onto my back so I could see the creature.
Something massive, larger than an ox, and entirely black, yet semi transparent looked over me, pawing at the ground and snorting black smoke. Wisps of it rose off the creatures back, as if it were made of a gas.
I stared, not believing what I was seeing. What was this?!
"Hey! Idiot!" A voice called from high above.
I glanced up at the trees, where a figure sat on an extending branch, holding onto a vine.
"I am Gakushuu Asano, son of Gakuho Asano," Karma laughed. "Did you think it understands English?"
"Akabane?" I stared. "What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He stood up and gripped the vine with both hands. "I'm saving you, idiot."
And with that, he leapt off the tree and soared down at a perfect arc. He stuck his legs out at the last minute and his feet connected with the beasts side, effectively knocking it over.
He dropped to the floor right in front of me, brushing his bright red hair out of his sunset eyes as he smiled at me.
I glared back. "I don't need saving. I can handle this...this...thing on my own."
He just bent down and picked something off the ground.
My phone.
"Hey, give that back." I reached for it, but he held it out of my reach.
"Hold on a minute, Shuu," he smirked, scrolling through my messages. "I just wanna see who the famous Asano, son of Gakuho Asano, is texting!"
The creature suddenly managed to right itself back on all fours, and growled in anger at us.
Karma turned serious and pushed me to the side, off the path. "Stay here."
"Like hell." I snorted, but he was already charging at the beast.
I watched in dumbfounded fascination as he somehow bounded off a tree and landed on the creatures back, punching its head.
The creature roared and threatened to buck Karma off, and nearly succeeding as it thrashed around.
I glanced around quickly, knowing Karma was going to get thrown off sooner or later, and spied a large stick sticking out of the ground.
One end was sharp, hopefully sharp enough to do the trick.
The beast gave one final, powerful buck, and Karma went flying.
He hit a tree and groaned, holding his head and sinking to the ground.
The beast lowered it's head and pawed at the ground, seeing it's chance to charge.
It snorted more black smoke, and bolted towards Karma.
I dove in between them at the last second, catching the beasts head with my spear. It buried deep into it's brain, and I was surprised to see it was a solid being.
Time seemed to freeze as the creature stopped breathing. Then all of a sudden, it poofed into nothingness. Black particles faded into nothing in the sunshine, and life was back to normal. As if there was never a beast to begin with.
A shuffling sound as Karma picked himself up.
He walked over to stand beside me, and we stared at the hoof marks in the ground, the only sign there had been a fight here.
"How did you know that would work?" He mumbled, rubbing his head.
I stabbed the spear into the ground, leaning against it. "I didn't. How did you know that thing was here?"
"I didn't."
I glanced at him, and after a moment he faced me too.
He smirked. "You're so dumb." He threw his head back and laughed.
My cheeks heated up. "Excuse me? I killed it! All you did was get flung off!"
"I am Gakushuu Asano, son of Gakuho Asano!" He mimicked me again, laughing harder. "As if it would understand!"
I picked up the spear and poked his chest, glaring. "Shut up. I thought it was some punk kids, like your E class friends."
"They're not punks." He sobered up fast. He gave me a look. "What are you doing out here anyways? Don't you have a student council meeting to attend to?"
"Don't you have a test to skip?" I countered. "I always take this way home."
"Well you're lucky I was strolling along this way," Karma said arrogantly. "You would be dead if it weren't for me."
"Bold of you to say, since I'm the one that killed it. All you did was anger it." I snapped. I glanced around. Now where did my phone go again?
Karma held it up in his hand, head tilted and mouth smirking. "Looking for something?"
I lunged and managed to grab it back before he could pull it away. "How did you get this back?"
"I think a more important question is where did that thing come from?" He asked, looking behind us.
"And what the hell was it?" I added.
We were silent for a moment, both of us deep in thought.
Then Karma stretched and hooked his hands together behind his head. "Well, I better get going. Try not to be a damsel in distress again on the rest of the way home, okay?"
I pushed him. "I was doing fine without you! I didn't need you!"
"Sure," he winked. "Bye, Shuu."
Seething, I watched him walk away, hands in his pockets.
That bastard.
"I'm glad you got sent to E class!" I shouted at his retreating form. "You belong there!"
If he heard me, he gave no sign of it, and a few seconds later he was out of sight.
I sighed. "And I certainly don't miss hanging out with you, either. Baka."