The New Ajin

2-5

A blast from the past. 

She never did get along with the other students in her classes. Maybe it was her fault, since she never talked. Talking was just so awkward for her. Nice people were usually always sympathetic towards her because of the whole foster situation and mean people were, well, mean. She just decided that she would avoid the whole situation by not talking. 

It was easy to not talk. She would arrive to class seconds before the bell rang, sit in class, and then eat lunch in the library where it was expected to be quiet. After that she would sit in class again, and once the final bell rang, she would walk back to the apartment or house, where ever she was staying at the moment. 

This was apparently not normal behavior for a seven year old. 

She would get picked on regularly for being "shy" and for being a foster kid, but she would just brush it off. It wasn't until she was walking  to the house after a day of class when a group of girls stopped her. 

"Look how wrinkled her uniform is," one of them said. 

"Her hair is ugly," another said. 

Eri had hugged her school books closer to her chest, and continued walking. 

The five girls were walking faster to catch up with her. 

"Why don't you come play with us," one said, but Eri could tell it wasn't the kind of "play" that was done on the playground. 

The girls surrounded her. 

"I bet nobody loves you."

"Nobody loves you."

"Nobody loves you."

"Nobody loves you."

There is a point where you can almost literally feel yourself snap. 

She had imagined herself beating up her bullies for quite some time but it wasn't until now that she actually did something about it. 

In less than five minutes, all five of the bullies were crying on the sidewalk. Eri stood above all of them huffing and puffing as she tried controlling her breathing. She walked over to where she had dropped her books and picked them up.

It was as if a demon took control of her body. She did not know she could move that fast, punch so hard. Even when they tried to overcome her, it was no match against all the pint up anger inside her.  

She must have gone crazy at that moment because she could have sworn that she saw a black figure watching her in the distance. She shrugged this off and continued walking to the house.

Jump ten years. 

"You're going to have to try harder to keep up with me," Eri was in the ring, bent over. Her hands were resting on her knees and salty sweet dripped down her forehead.

Naoki was laying on the floor of the ring, knees bent, hands under his head. 

"Shut...up..." he said through gulfs of air. 

She chuckled and walked over to him, offering him her hand. 

He smiled at her and took her hand. She helped him up. 

He pulled her into a tight hug. 

"Naoki!" she tried pushing him away, "your'e sweaty!"