12 Roses

6 | Love of a Sister

"Where did Okkotsu go?" Panda questioned as you made your way to the bleachers.

You turned to Toge, who translated for you, and you shrugged. "I saw him run in another direction while we walked down the hall. Not sure why, but he was gone before I could even see where he went."

When you got to the bleachers, you noticed Maki freeze, and you cocked your head to the side.

"Someone's fighting," she told you.

Toge took your hand and the four of you ran after the noise, which was on the side of the school opposite from where you walked along to get to the bleachers.

You spotted a group kicking at something on the ground and Maki grabbed the back of one of their uniforms and yanked them backwards, revealing Yuta lying on the ground.

Maki let out an irritated sigh and threw the one she was gripping against the wall, wasting no time before landing a strike on another's face.

It was easy for you to conclude that once a person causes one nosebleed, you should step back, but you also concluded earlier on in your life that not everyone is as smart as you are.

Another tried to grab Maki from behind and she jabbed her heel into their foot before spinning around and punching him in the face.

The only girl in the group stepped back and Maki scoffed, cracking her knuckles. A drop of the sun fell into her eyes and it burned with her glare.

The other one lunged forward and she grabbed his shoulders, bashing her knee into his chest.

The other one stood and tried to hit her from behind but she spun around with her foot out and he crashed into the wall.

You moved forward and helped Yuta to his feet.

"Maki!" Panda called.

Maki sent one last glare to those that could see her before walking off with the rest of you, sure that no one was stupid enough to try and tell a teacher what happened.

"I didn't know you could fight so well, Maki," you said as Toge took Yuta off your shoulder and helped him stagger towards the bleachers.

Panda laughed. "That's how Maki makes most of her friends."

"Shut up!"

You turned to Yuta, who stared at the ground, his jaw quivering.

"We don't have to take him to the nurse's office," you told Toge. "I can handle it."

"You sure?"

"I handled my wounds all the time when I was younger. This is nothing."

Yuta was guided to the bleachers and you sat on the bleacher above him, gently taking hold of his face as you assessed it.

You felt Toge's stare on you and you shifted uncomfortably, unsure if this was yet another thing that most people outside of your town didn't do. Of course, you knew that most people don't take hold of each other's faces on the same day of meeting, but this seemed like an exception.

You made grabby hands at your backpack and Toge pulled it to your side, allowing you to look inside and pull out a cream you used to use when you injured yourself at home.

"So, what did those guys want, anyway?" Maki questioned.

Yuta shrugged. "Not sure... they saw me walk out of the classroom with you and assumed we were friends. They didn't believe me when I said we weren't."

"So it's those people whose parents told them to become friends with Maki so they can gain connections or something." Panda sighed, shaking his head like a disappointed father. "They just never learn."