The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 128~♫

 The Skull Gang leader turned around, seeing another person he had on his revenge list.

With tightened fists and a lowered center of gravity, Kagetsu locked his eyes with his. Clenched teeth twisted their muscles, but then the man gave him a welcoming smile.

"Oh, it's you." The man scratched on his cheek. "What a coincidence."

"What do you want here?"

The boxer and a man Kagetsu had beaten put hands in front of him. "I'm not here for the trouble. I only want to make amends."

"Amends?" Kagetsu lifted his eyebrows.

"I know our first meeting didn't go well. In all honestly, I'm ashamed of myself. I was in a pinch and in need of quick money. That's when this girl contacted me." He flashed Ueno a crooked smile.

"She offered me a paycheck for harassing this girl she hated. I didn't like it at first, but if it was only a bit, I thought it was okay. And I needed that money for my ill mom." He rubbed his eye as if a tear almost rolled down.

Kagetsu relaxed a bit as it seemed the man was an honest one. "How you being here resolves anything?"

"I only... wanted to speak with her." He gave her another quick glance. "To make her fess up and to apologize to that poor girl. I had never meant to hurt her."

"Sure. That knife was blunt."

The boxed gave them a nervous laugh. "I guess my boy got carried away a bit. You know, we want to give it our all in a fight." He shrugged his shoulders. "You are a friend with that girl, right? Will you help me punish this bad girl in her name?"

Kagetsu looked into Ueno's eyes. He also spotted a laying cat, but he couldn't tell if it was still breathing. Something inside his head whispered he knew this cat. The boy took a deep sigh, letting his fists open.

"Does that punishment have anything to do with your open zipper?" He pointed at that place.

The man blinked, lowering his head to check on his pants. "My zipper?"

It was closed.

The boxer's eyes snapped upward just in time to witness Kagetsu's fist closing in.

Kagetsu overcame the distance with fearsome speed, digging his punch into the boxer's face.

"Jerk!" he shouted as his body rolled across the dirt.

Grass blades flew into the air as dust rose higher. The boxer held his bleeding nose, cursing through his clenched teeth.

"I'll gut you like a fish!" the man bellowed, getting on his feet.

Kagetsu didn't wait for him to gain the upper hand, so he lurched forward, digging his elbow into his stomach. But he was stopped with trained muscles. The boxed dug his entwined fists into Kagetsu's back, sending him on the ground.