Two Sides to Every Coin (OPM Garou x OC)

Chapter 8: Payback

'Who the fuck beats up a blind person?' Garou questioned, ripping into his cooked fish. The two were camping outside, the weather turning warm. Kaana was finishing cooking her fish when he asked this, 'A snobby rich girl, name Aia. She felt it would be fun to mess with me, take my lunch money, beat me up with her friends. If not been for my sister, I'd suffer worse than that.'
Garou snarled at this, but remembered what he had said to her when he first started teaching her, 'So, you couldn't fight back.'
'No,' Kaana gazed into the flame.
Garou felt guilt twist in his gut, 'Um, sorry for calling you weak.'
'Don't be. You weren't lying, though. I was weak,' Kaana removed her fish from the fire and heaved a heavy sigh, 'I'm not anymore, and I want to get stronger.'
'Why do you want to get stronger?' Garou inquired.
Kaana then looked at him, 'To protect myself. I'm done with people fighting my battles. I'll make the earth quake for myself.'
There was a pause, Garou staring but thinking hard before asking, 'What would you do, if you saw that bitch, again?'
Kaana set her jaw, then bit out, 'I'd pay her back for everything.'
Garou pursed his lips, letting her have her moment.
It wasn't like she'd ever face her school bully again, right?
~
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The two Martial Artists spent those next few days until the Super Fight tournament, training.
Bomb had closed the dojo for those last few days to help Kaana prepare for the tournament.
"Hah!" Kaana blocked a strong strike from Bomb, causing the dust to billow and dissipate under their feet from the force.
Bomb gave a smirk as he pulled away and stood idly, "Good! You've improved exponentially, Kaana."
Kaana smiled, let out a breath, "Thank you, Master Bomb."
"Now, how is your mental training coming along?" he asked, now getting more serious. Kaana stopped and thought for a moment.
"Um, I'm not quite balanced as I had hoped to be, by now," Kaana admitted.
Bomb quirked a brow, "How so?"
"Well, the more I think about it, the more conflicting I find it, that I might be fighting Garou again," Kaana's gaze downcast, "It had been a few years since we've fought one another. Back when he was training me."
"I see," Bomb hummed, stroking his long, thin, beard, "Are you afraid of fighting him, now?"
"What?" Kaana looked at him, now.
Bomb explained, "There is a gap in knowledge between you two, in regards to fighting skill. You are afraid of losing to him."
Kaana pursed her lips, now seeing this realisation, herself, "I never really thought of it, that way. We used to fight on the same level, back then. By now, he must've gotten stronger, I can sense power from him that seemed to have lied dormant for a while."
"You must remember, Garou had gone through a partial transformation when he was younger. He may not be awakened monster, anymore, but that strength is still apart of him," Bomb explained, noticing long before she had, "However, now that his views have changed, that strength is no longer a danger to people, as far as I can see. It is being put to better use in his martial arts."
"Regardless, it doesn't seem that he's physically changed, aside from his strength," Kaana said. Bomb didn't say anything, but remembering that animalistic intent to kill in Garou's eyes when Bomb had to restrain him. Garou's temper is the only issue the young man had, and it seemed it only made itself known when Kaana was involved. Thinking about it now, Garou seemed nearly territorial of Kaana, protective when Jirou had provoked him. Almost like he was an animal protecting what was his.
Bomb took a step closer to Kaana, "Kaana, are you aware as to why I expelled Jirou?"
"He brought shame to the dojo," Kaana answered vaguely, since she was not entirely sure as to why the expulsion happened. After the brawl, Garou had told Bomb why he attacked Jirou and when confronted, Jirou showed his true colors and was expelled.
Bomb sighed, "There is something that I neglected to tell you, regarding why Garou and Jirou fought. According to Garou and the students, Jirou had made a provocative comment regarding you, simply because you are a woman in an all men dojo. Garou took it upon himself to defend you when he decided to attack him. Jirou, apparently, has a deep hatred for you that I had not seen, until that day."
"Garou...was defending me?" Kaana felt her cheeks turning red, feeling a warmth blossom in heart, "He...didn't tell me this. No wonder he was so angry with Jirou when I asked what happened."
"There may be issues with this, if you two wind up fighting each other in the tournament," Bomb pointed out, "You two are old friends. Good friends. This might present a problem, as it's clear that you two care about one another. You might not want to hurt each other intentionally."
Kaana blinked at her Master, "But, we're Martial Artists. Holding back in fear of hurting each other would be insulting, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, but with the way Garou defends you, he might not see it that way," Bomb said, "It's clear he wishes to protect you, as well as your wellbeing, which might inhibit his skills when fighting you, now."
Kaana clenched her fist, anger flaring, 'So...Garou still see me as weak? Just some girl that still needs to be protected?! Like hell, if I'm going to allow him to go easy on me!'
Kaana's brow knitted together, determination in her eyes, "If he does, then I'll give him Hell."
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Garou was away to train. Mentally train.
He sat, cross legged under a waterfall, travelling up in the mountains. The harsh rush of water hitting him and cascading down his shirtless torso. His eyes were closed, hand folded together as he tried to address his inner demons.
Lately, his mind had been becoming cloudy. He couldn't think straight, especially when Kaana came to mind.
'Kaana...why does your presence make me feel so weak? My head spins, my body grows hot...a voice in my head keeps urging me to do things. Things that I never thought I'd do. Fuck, why now?' Then, there was her scent, driving him wild. This...inner beast wild. This had never happened before with Kaana. After so many years together, he didn't know or understand why he was reacting this way with her, now.
What was happening to him? Does it have to do with not coming to terms with her rejection?
He knew he couldn't deny that he still had feelings for her, but he knew he had to accept it. For awhile, he almost did, but something was drawing him in. An animal like instinct was screaming and clawing at him whenever he was close to her. It was like his 'monster' inside was trying to make him give in to selfish desire and throw caution to the wind.
Garou wasn't going to allow that, though. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Kaana because of his selfishness. Bang had taught him that selfish desire can lead to an empty void, forever filled with regret. Garou would never be able to forgive himself if he hurt her. Before the tournament, he had to come to terms with this, so he can fight the way he wanted. To be near Kaana and not succumb to weakness.
~
Three days, later. The tournament was tomorrow and Garou had managed to quiet the urges inside him. For now, it was dormant and he felt confident again. The tournament was in City C, so Bang had gotten a car to take them both the next day, as Bang was also a judge for the Super Fight.
The ride was quiet, Garou felt his thoughts running a hundred miles a minute. It was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. He hadn't had a good fight for some time, but he was also nervous to see how well Kaana had progressed under Bomb. Bang noticed that Garou seemed a little restless in his seat, and he smirked, "I haven't seen you this anxious since you started sparring in the dojo," he commented.
Garou noticed that he was shaking his leg as he was gazing out the window when Bang had snapped him from his thoughts.
Garou brushed this comment off with a small scoff, "I ain't anxious."
"If you say so," Bang chuckled, seeing through the man's glowering facade.