Belonging | 𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐱 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐨

𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭

Third-person POV

It was Monday morning. The rain was so hard it slammed against the window, but the outside was so dark it may as well have been night. Towa heard the thunder clap and sighed as she huddled under the covers.

She didn't want to go to school. Ever since she beat up a boy in her class who had embarrassed a girl by pulling up her skirt a few years ago, the boys in her class would not leave her alone. Even worse, the local gangs have begun picking fights with her.

She couldn't fathom why they wouldn't leave her alone. As for her extraordinary strength, she had no idea where it came from either. Some of the other females in her class were athletic, but none of them could match her speed, how high she jumped, or how much weight she can carry.

While she defended her peers who were being bullied, no one stepped up to defend her when she was bullied. Nobody ever invited her to anything, not even sleepovers or birthdays. Even though she never attempted to show off and sometimes toned down her abilities, no one wanted her on their teams since they couldn't compete with her. Basically, she was an outcast wherever she goes even when she already made a promise to Papa Sota.

.

"It's very important that you don't show your powers to anyone outside of the family," he had said with a reassuring tone. "I don't want you to get hurt, Towa."

.

When Towa made a promise, she meant it and she never broke pinky promises.

But keeping that word was not easy.

✲'*。.❄¨¯'*✲。❄。*。¨¯'*✲

Towa reluctantly got up and got ready for the day, then went to the kitchen for breakfast. As she stood in front of the dining table, Papa Sota greeted. Then her younger sibling Mei pounced on her with a big bear hug.

"Good morning, Towa nee-san!"

"Morning, Mei! Someone is quite happy this morning." Towa picked up her sister and swung her in a round before setting her down again.

"Of course! Tomorrow's your kendo tournament! I can't wait to see Towa nee-san come out on top!" Towa laughed nervously as the girl's eyes sparkled with delight.

That's right. She could feel the pressure mounting as her kendo tournament gaining close. Ever since she was eight years old, she had been taking kendo lessons. It was the one and only place she felt completely at ease and able to express her true self. It seems as though kendo had always been a part of herself.

The family sat down for a breakfast together and engaged in lively conversation until it was time for Towa to go for school and Sota to report to work.

"Towa, will you promise not to get in any fights today?" Papa Sota asked.

Towa gulped down the final drops of milk. "I swear I won't start any. Is that acceptable?"

Wearyly, Papa Sota let out a sigh. "Just remember to be careful of your way back. There's been a serial killing going on lately."

Towa turned to face Papa Sota. "Serial killing?"

"Yes, I hope you can return home as soon as you can after your kendo lesson before it gets dark." After being reminded once more by Papa Sota, she put on her matching blue rain boots and closed the door.