Unlike Others (1)

Wednesday

"Ok kids. Today, we're practicing one-on-one. Take a look at the board, find your listed partner, then hurry up, grab a mat, and start practicing." Mr. Norio points at the big white board behind him plastered with names and arrows. Takeshi walks up to the board with the others and looks for his name.
"Well, lookie here. Fresh meat's paired with the top fighter, and the hottest girl here." Some guy laughs.
"How embarrassing, and lucky!!" Another guy laughs as all of the other students walk over to the mats except for Takeshi who was still looking for his name on the board.
"Hey idiot. You're with me!!" Someone calls from one of the mats. Takeshi turns and looks for the person who just yelled.
"Over here Carne Morta." A girl his age with long black hair, turquoise eyes, skinny black jeans, and a skinny black shirt who stood about Takeshi's height looks at him with an annoyed expression.
"Hurry up. We don't have all day." She sighs in annoyance as he starts to walk up to her.
"Sorry...." He looks her up and down with confusion.
"Ren. And I'd appreciate some new kid not checking me out." She quickly throws a punch at him.
"Ok well, I wasn't checking you out, so chill." He dodges
quickly but doesn't dodge the kick she sends to his stomach. "How's that feel? You're not that good ya know?" She sighs triumphantly.
"Pretty good actually, makes me pretty energized." He grabs her legs, making her fall onto her back. He quickly takes the opening and pins her to the mat, followed by a few gasps then a quiet room.
"Wow. Totally not expected that you would actually use my own energy against me." She chuckles and flips Takeshi off of her so she can pin him to the mat.
"I did do a demonstration on that the first day ya know?" He chuckles in response as she stands up. He gets to his feet as everyone around them start quietly talking amongst themselves. She huffs and walks off to the changing room as Mr. Norio walks over to Takeshi and Maiman.
"Wow Carne Morta. You troubled the top of the class student." He laughs as he stands next to Takeshi.
"Not intentionally.... Well, I guess it kinda was intentional." Takeshi looks down at Maiman who had walked up to him after Ren walked off.
"Just keep it up. You still have much to learn. Now, go eat lunch." Mr. Norio pats Takeshi's back as the bell rings.
"That's what you think sir." Takeshi mutters then nods and walks off to the lunch courtyard, lucky that Mr. Norio hadn't heard him.
"He nearly beat Ren!!" A red haired girl gossips to her table.
"Ren Ayame?! No way!!" A girl with curly blonde hair gasps. "Yes way!! He had her pinned on the mat!!" The red-head nods her head.
"Seriously?!" Another girl gasps.
"Yeah!!" The redhead sits down at the table.
"Well how did he almost beat Ren?" The blonde jumps back into the gossip.
"She flipped him over and pinned him instead!!" A girl with short pink hair lightly laughs.
"Seriously? That's nearly a first!!" The blonde half gasps half laughs.
"She didn't finish him off in any way!! Just left him lying on the mat!!" The redhead looks around the table.
"She hasn't done that since...." The blonde starts to say.
"What're you guys talking about?" Ren passes by the "gossip" table but stops when she hears her name.
"Uh. Um. Nothing!!" The blonde haired girl's voice cracks when she tries to respond to Ren's random appearance.
"If you're lying..." Ren starts to growl.
"Leave them alone. They're just having their fun with gossiping." Takeshi walks over to them, Maiman staying back at his table and guarding his stuff.
"Who're you to talk Carne Morta?!" Ren turns to Takeshi angrily.
"If you're angry about me nearly beating you, at least don't take it out on them." Takeshi motions to the table of girls.
"Shut up ok? I'm not angry because of a stupid little thing like you!!" Ren growls at him. Takeshi lets out a sigh, walks closer to her, pulls her face close, and kisses her gently on the lips. "Now you can hate me instead of being angry." He leans back with a sigh and walks off to his table alone, leaving Ren with a furious look on her face. The rest of the courtyard erupts in gossip and conversations as Ren storms off.
"I can't believe you got sent home again." Arhiyan sits at the kitchen table working on some papers as Takeshi walks in the front door of his house.
"Apparently nearly beating the top person in my class gives me the day off." He shrugs and drops his bag by the front door.
"Do you mind if I stop by the Church and hang out with May?" He grabs a sandwich out of the fridge then looks at Arhiyan. "Not at all, anything to keep you out of that room of yours." She laughs in response.
"Ok cool, thanks." He turns and somewhat rushes out of the front door. Takeshi and Maiman walk down the mostly empty streets of the city till they reach the church-like building. As soon as he opens the door, Ember walks into him.
"Oh. You're here. I was just about to send someone to call you and get you out of school. We need you two to go run a border check, make sure everything is secure and double check that there's no sign of intruders or monsters." She looks
at Takeshi with an annoyed and partially tired smile.
"Will do ma'am." He lets out a slightly disappointed sigh.
"Now go. Hurry it up." She shoos him away. He walks off with a nod and him and Maiman head out of town. They walk out of town and into a large forest then head up the side of the mountains. As they reach the top of the mountains, they stare out over the large forests and plains outside of the mountain surrounded city. They make their way around the city on the mountains then head back down to the city as they finish.
"Carne Morta? What're you doing walking around in the forest?" A voice stops Takeshi in his tracks as he steps into town. He turns and faces Mr. Norio.
"Oh. Just felt like going for a walk. That's all." Takeshi smiles at him.
"Ok, well, be careful." Mr. Norio looks Takeshi up and down then walks off.
"Will do." Takeshi smiles as his teacher walks off. As soon as Mr. Norio is out of sight, Takeshi quickly makes his way to the Church.