Mikey! (Manjiro Sano x OC) [Tokyo Revengers]

XIII. Different

"Here." Mitsuya-san hands her a Toman uniform.

Trembling, Karina holds the beautiful piece of clothing very carefully with her thin fingers. Is this true? Is she really an official member of one of the most famous delinquent groups in Kanto? How can she ever thank Sano-san enough? What a crybaby she is. She feels her tears forming in her eyes. By joining Toman, she is not only granted protection from Mammon and Aiko but she is also given a new family. Some of its members might not like her now, but she'll do her best to prove herself. She'll be worthy of her new home.

"It's wonderful, Mitsuya-san. Thank you." She smiles at the boy who smiles back at her.

"Honestly, I didn't expect what Mikey did. Surprised the hell out of us. A female member in the group? That's new. Well, if Mammon is doing it, why not we do it, too, right? Welcome aboard then, and don't get yourself too hurt. A gang member's life is no joke."

Karina nods in agreement. "Yes, I know."

"Are you done there?" Emma peers from behind her, and then touches the new uniform. "Excellently made. As expected from Mitsuya."

"How much is this?" Karina begins searching her bag for her wallet but Emma stops her.

"It's been paid for, Karina-chan."

"Huh?"

"Mikey insisted." Emma nudges her side. "Looks like you've grown special to my brother. I bet from now on he'll be cherishing you as much as he can. That's the kind of person he is."

Grown special to Sano-san? He'll be cherishing her? Karina shakes her head too hard it's a miracle her neck doesn't break. "He's just being kind." Besides, hasn't she been told by the boy that he doesn't like her?

"Oh." Mitsuya-san chirps. "He's not kind to just anyone." He looks at his wristwatch and then asks them, "Won't you two be late for school?"

The beautiful Emma turns to Karina. "Actually, I don't feel like going to school today. Let's skip classes and go shopping instead, Karina-chan."

Karina thought it was a good idea. It would be fun to ditch school and go to the malls instead, but her conscience wouldn't let her do it. "I'm sorry, Emma," she apologizes, "but I've already missed too many classes. I don't want to fail and repeat a year." Graduating on time is crucial to her. Because graduating means having a stable job and getting away from her abusive mother. The sooner she graduates, the better.

Emma frowns a bit. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. We can message each other during lunch."

"Okay. Then let's head to our schools. Maybe I should attend my classes too."

They exit Mitsuya-san's school building and start walking toward their campuses. Students from different schools flock to the streets with workers on the way to their jobs and others just loitering around. To her surprise, Aiko and her friends are still absent. Looks like they are serious about joining Mammon.

Karina focuses on the teacher delivering a lecture. Mrs. Matsumoto is a petite woman with graying hair and a friendly smile. Many students like her. She isn't too strict but she makes sure her pupils learn much from her.

"I'm going to give you a very important assignment," the elderly says, "this will greatly impact your final grade. Think of any topic and prepare an essay about it. Of course, in English. And then recite it in class with the correct pronunciation. I believe you can do it. You may choose topics that are easy to write and sentences that are easy to memorize. The important part is you deliver a well-written and well-delivered speech."

As much as she loves Mrs. Matsumoto, Karina despises English. She could never understand its grammar nor pronounce its words correctly. Does this mean she is destined to fail the assignment?