To Infinity and Beyond - Reki Kyan - 1215 fanfiction

Episode 17

"Erika!" I waved, grinning as I ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"It's been so long. How have you been with Reki?" She asked in reply, already knowing most of my extra activities outside of school and my crush on Reki because of how much I texted her about it over the break.

"It's going good! Reki's finally out of bandages too."

"That's wonderful!" She cheered, moving to continue our walk from the bus station to school, I followed her steps and listened intently as she told me about her summer break.

She had quiet a few boys come up to her and ask for her number, which wasn't very surprising. Erika was gorgeous, the perfect example of a foreign beauty in japan. Bright long blonde hair, and dark, shimmering blue eyes much like Langa's. Her skin was the pale beauty standard many had in Japan, and she had long legs and a sweet personality.

Erika was perfect. But even if Miya calling me ugly hurt sometimes, I'd never let myself hate Erika for having what I don't. I want Reki to fall for me as I am.

"So, what's your next step in the plan with Reki?" Erika asked when she finished sharing her own story, "You had a whole list of things!" She giggled.

I smiled lightly, "Yeah, right now, I just know I need to support him. He's been kinda in the dumps ever since his injury. I want to cheer him up every time I can! If I make him happy, he'll like me even more!"

"I see. That sounds like a good plan, good luck!"

-

It feels like forever, since I was able to do this peacefully. Headphones in, music blaring, riding fast down the hills of Crazy Rock. The wind through my hair, blowing my jacket back. My board was steady, and I bent into the turn, rising up again as I picked up a little more speed. I was never one for crazy tricks and jumps, but just riding like this - like I was flying - it was perfect.

I opened my eyes slowly after a second of dark silence, and smiled as I saw Reki standing by Miya and Shadow. Skidding to a stop, I jumped off my board and stumbled as I bent down to grab it. Catching my footing, I jogged up to meet them,

"Reki!"

"Hey, Yuri!" He laughed lightly, "You look totally winded."

"Really?" I laughed with him, "It feels so good to go fast."

"You do have really good balance. Why don't you ever race?" Miya asked, sipping his juice box.

I placed my hands in my pockets, shrugging, "I've never cared much for competition. Besides, the possibility of having to do something creepy or gross if I lose is enough to make me stay away."

"Is that so." Miya gave me a look, and I gave him one back, and we just gave each other looks for a solid minute.

I swear he was trying to communicate that 'if Reki asked, you would race him because you're a suck' or something like that, and it made me want to punch him even more.

"Eyy! Leave it to Snow!"

I turned with the others to the ramp, where Langa was taking up all the space - and all the attention. Leave it to someone like him to even get his own nickname after only a few months and a half of a beef with Adam.

"Isn't that awesome?" Reki mused.

"Why are you so proud, Reki?" Miya asked,

"Let me tell you, people aren't taking notice of you. It's all about your buddy." Shadow added.

I frowned, jeez - insensitive much?!

"I know that!" Reki barked, "And what do you mean my 'buddy'."

Miya sputtered over his laugh, "'Buddy'! That cracks me up!"

"To top it off, people call you "the one that's not Langa"!" Shadow scoffed, bursting out laughing again with Miya.

I pursed my lips, glaring at the two, "Just ignore them, Reki." I began, turning to look at him, he ignored me and claimed he was going to get a drink.

A drink? Again? Come on - you say that every time you feel uncomfortable and want to get away so you can be sad!

I went to walk after him, but paused when I heard people talking. Shadow was right, everyone was talking about it. Everyone was talking about who that red head was, and how he was probably just tagging along with Langa because Langa was popular, and so on and so forth. People are always like that, so it's not surprising. But this time it felt different.

Even in that moment, when I suddenly remembered that person that made me feel that same horrified discomfort as Adam did those weeks ago, all I could think about was how upset I was at the fact people were looking down on the one I liked the most.

-

When I was young, before social services came in to take me into foster care because of my uncles drinking problems, I was enrolled as a student in a martial arts dojo. I started with Muay Thai, and then took a long break when my teachers realized I was malnourished and I got separated from my uncle and adopted by a new family. I was never upset really, my uncle never did anything bad to me, he just neglected me and drank - unless we were practicing fighting techniques. Apparently he was a retired injured champion, or something.

Then, when I showed my mother and father what I could do, they told me they'd enroll me in a Tae Kwon Do class near the neighborhood, mainly because it had strict rules and was more attuned to just an extra sport, and not a crazy fighting experience. I had always been active, so I got restless when I couldn't fight.

Since the classes were only two nights a week at that age, I got bored, so I got into skating on the side. But when I wasn't skating, I was at the dojo training. When I got into middle school, it was four nights a week and enrolling into competitions. I was pumped, my parents encouraged me, my brother took me to the gym on the weekends for extra training.

But, close to the end of the competition, I started seeing things. I saw parents yelling at their kids for not being good enough. I saw kids punching lockers when they lost, like all their pride had been eaten. And as I progressed, someone horrifying made an entrance. I'd seen all kinds of competitors, but this one was different. This one loved the parts of fighting normal people didn't like. They liked putting other people through pain, they liked getting rid of the weak to reveal the strong, and even though I didn't get hurt... I still lost.

I remember how they were grinning when they kicked my face in, and just walked away when they won, like I was such a bore, like they didn't even break a sweat fighting me. I felt like I'd lost my breath, like I'd lost my drive. I kept thinking of all those other kids who were suffering now all because of this competition culture.

What happened to just doing this for fun? Why does it have to be like this?

I couldn't find an answer, so I quit going to competitions and went back to going only two nights a week to the dojo. I couldn't quit even if I wanted to. But when I met Reki, I wanted to skate more instead, so I would skip out on going. It's been months now, at this point I only go every few weeks. I wonder if Reki felt the same thing I felt that day, after losing. It didn't even matter if I was injured, I just felt weak. I felt scared, and confused.

I wonder if Langa feels it too?

I sighed, kicking the grass as I walked to school the next morning. How can I help Reki now? That night at the inn seemed perfect, he seemed okay, especially after talking to my brother after me. But when he walked around me and didn't even meet my eyes at S last night, it made me uncertain.

I just... I just have to try harder. I can't give up on him!