Aka-no-Joo

Chapter 12

There wasn't much going on after that incident at the school island. Scepter 4 was free to roam around, but I didn't feel like doing anything. It's been two months since he's died. Inari was watching me closely, and make sure I was taken care of before she steps out with her boyfriend. Fushimi hasn't been texting me lately, and honestly, I don't blame him. I'm pretty sure he's busy doing...something. I know he is probably worried about me, but he shouldn't be. He has more important things to do instead of just worrying about me. 

I stare at the unopened cans of fruit juice and bottles of cola, and just sigh. I don't eat much, nor do I drink much. I just stay in my apartment and watch old videos of Mikoto and me when we were little kids.  I would chase after him with a glob of cake when we would come home from a family get together. There was cake on my dress, and I wanted to get him back. 

"Oi! Mikoto...Tsubaki!" My mother's voice rings from behind the camera. " Come back inside, it's time to get ready for school. You have to take your baths!"

I disregarded my revenge and ran after mom, jumping up and down in excitement. Mikoto would follow after me with a warm smile on his face. "Tsubaki needs it more than I do."

"Nuh-uh!" I chimed. "You smell like shit!"

I laugh at the six year old ballsy me, who probably got smacked on the back of her head for swearing. The next video was me when I was ten, and I was at a birthday party with Mikoto and Inari. we were playing around until a guy with a funny pompadour hairstyle and a tacky leather jacket had bumped into me and Hana purposely. His friends were laughing at us, and I had gotten dirt on my dress while Hana was crying over a cut on her arm from a rock. Mikoto was pissed and making his way over to us, but I just stood back up dusted off my dress, walked over to the boy -- - Wham! Wham! Wham! The boy was running to his mom and Mikoto was laughing.  I wouldn't scold my daughter if she threw a punch as good as that, to be honest.  I wouldn't even yell at my son the way mom did. 

"Tsubaki!" Mom yelled. "Why did you hurt that boy?"

"Because he hurt Hana!" I say, "No one hurts my friends."

"And who taught you how to hit people like that?"

I say with a big cheerful smile. "Onii-chan!"

I remember the scolding Mikoto got because not only did he teach me how to punch, but mom found out that he was getting into fights outside of school. He was grounded for a week when dad got home. The following video looked really recent: I can see Totsuka and Izumo arguing with each other about the camera working. Anna was peeking over Totsuka's shoulder.

"Hurry up and get the camera working," Izumo was ordering. " Her match is the next one!"

"It's almost.." Totsuka began, before holding the camera back and smiling. "There!" He turns the camera to Izumo who was holding a sign with my name on it. Good luck, Tsubaki!  "Oi! Say something, she might see this in the future."

"Hey Tsubu-chan! " He waves while holding up his sign. My vision was getting blurry. Just when I thought that they never showed up to my matches, there they were. How could I miss those signs? Then again there were other people with big signs with my name on it, so that could probably be it. Totsuka turns the camera back to him and his smile was bigger now. 

"Hi Tsubu-chan! We're here to support you so do the very best that you can!"  He beamed, before turning the camera over to Mikoto. He was wearing his black button-down shirt and matching pants, and his bracelets I gave him for his birthday. He was munching on some popcorn before looking over at the camera. I couldn't stop crying. 

"Oi Mikoto," Izumo calls out. " Any encouraging words for your baby sister?"

Mikoto looks away from the camera and then back again. " Give 'em hell, little sis."