Reality's Hardship: chapter one

Chapter four:

Seishun Gakuen

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Previously

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow and held his head up in the air, still not getting the obvious consequences.

At times like these, he really needed to open up his eyes more and be more wary of his younger sister’s threats or maybe someday, he’ll come to regret not doing so earlier.

“Or what, huh? You’ll sell the pictures of me you had taken in the past, right? Didn’t you know that was…?” he ceased speaking once he managed to figure out her alternative plan, something which was one of her ultimate weapons, something that she used and did pretty much daily, something called: Blackmail.

He caught another glimpse of the familiar dark glint in his sister’s eyes, and gulped. He sighed dejectedly before raising an arm across his chest “I, yes me, the fabulous and well you know the rest me, take back what I said…”

Midorikawa nodded her head and a small smile in triumph appeared on her face, before she threw the photos over her shoulder and resumed walking ahead of her brother.

A sweat drop rolled down the back of Tsubasa’s head ‘If she chucks things over her shoulder… then how does she keep bringing them back out of nowhere? A mystery indeed.”

---

They stopped outside the entrance of a building, which had a sign next to it that read ‘Seishun Gakuen’, and looked on with determined expressions.

Tsubasa smirked ‘Now I’ll be able to show these people the awesome beauty of my youth and soon enough, they will all bow down to my feet!’

Midorikawa glanced at her watch then at her brother. She thought she saw an evil look pass through her his face but brushed the thought off. She entered through the entrance with Tsubasa trailing behind her, scheming something under his breath.

They stopped and the first thing they saw were two students under a sakura tree. The boy had reddish-brown and brown eyes and the older looking girl had seaweed green hair with very unusual orange eyes.

“Ha! Admit it! I’m obviously better looking than youuu! All the girls ask me for dates, so that proves it!” yelled the boy, yanking on his senpai’s hair.

The girl snorted and pushed the boy’s hand back, “Yeah you’re right, I’ll admit it…when hell freezes over-!” She pointed to and old man walking with his sturdy wooden cane, “- Even he’s better looking than you!”

Tsubasa grimaced and shuddered in horror, “And that is so not beautiful!” he whispered to Midorikawa, who nodded in agreement.

They continued on their way, ignoring the curious stares they were attracting.

Tsubasa sighed in boredom, ‘I can’t stand it! How can I maintain my youthful beauty if I have nothing to do?! This calls for an emergency exit!’

He gently nudged Midorikawa at the ribs and said quietly, but just loud enough for her to hear, “I’m going to get our schedules and teach these people the meaning of youth. I’ll meet you outside the office, but meanwhile, you run off and do something beautiful.”

Before Midorikawa could reply, Tsubasa had already zoomed past her and towards his destination. Her shoulders slumped in defeat; not knowing what to do for the next twelve minutes.

She looked around and spotted another sakura tree but this time, without any company. Soon enough, she was sitting under it’s shade reading a book about Winnie-The-Pooh, with her two bags next to her.

One day when he was out walking, he came to an open place in the middle of the forest, and in the middle of this place was a large oak-tree, and, from the top of the tree, there came a loud buzzing-noise.

Winnie-the-Pooh sat down at the foot of the tree, put his head between his paws, and began to think.

First of all he said to himself: That buzzing-noise means something. You don’t get a buzzing- noise like that, just buzzing and buzzing, without it meaning something. If there’s a buzzing- noise, somebody’s making a buzzing noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you’re a bee.

Then he thought another long time, and said: ‘And the only reason for being a bee, which I know of, is making honey.’

And then he got up, and said: ‘And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it.’ So he began to climb the tree…

When she reached chapter three, only five minutes had passed and she was already being disturbed.

A person’s shadow was cast above her, blocking the sun, so she couldn’t read. Twitching, she wondered who dared to distract her from resuming her way to the good part.

She looked up to come face to face with an older boy wearing rectangular spectacles, which hid their eyes from view.

“Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but notice that you looked bored-” A vein pulsed on her forehead ‘I was just getting to the good part…’, “- So I was insisting that you should try some of my self-made Inui’s special energy-boost juice.” He pushed his glinting glasses, which had somehow slid down a bit.

Midorikawa curiously eyed the bubbling magenta-coloured juice Inui was holding out, in front of her, as if expecting her to have a taste.

She hesitantly grasped the glass cup and slowly started to bring it to her mouth.

---

It was a wonderful morning in Japan, Tokyo; but not so good at Seishun Gakuen.

“AAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!” Screamed a freshman, before passing out on the cement floor.

---

At the office

“AAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!”

The lady at the office screamed and tripped; the former stack of papers fluttered everywhere on the ground.

Shiro twitched from his spot in line and grumbled “Today was supposed to be a beautiful one… well, at least people here still know how to scream youthfully.”

Although he was quite sure nobody heard him, the freshman boy behind him did; as soon as Shiro had said “-at least people here still know to scream youthfully”, a big bead of sweat rolled down the back of his head, ‘Is this senpai for real?”

---

The Seigaku boy’s team watched in horror, as Inui’s juice made history and claimed another innocent victim out of the blue. They shuddered at the thought of having to taste the most dreaded juice in the universe…in the club.

Inui held up his juice for the whole world to see and cackled madly while white flashing lightning struck in the background, ‘When the right time comes, my juice shall conquer the world and I shall conquer with it!’

He spun around swiftly, making those near him take a step back, “Now…who’s next?” he grinned creepily.

But nobody had the time to answer because their captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu, entered the court, making the club hurry back to their morning practice.

Tezuka checked his watch, “You’re all dismissed, class starts in twelve minutes, so you better hurry up and get dressed” he said over the quiet talking and sounds of running feet.

The club members stopped what they were doing and politely bowed to him, “Hai, arigatou buchou!” they chorused and started rushing to the locker room to change back into their school uniforms.

After everybody had changed, only the regulars (excluding Tezuka) remained in the area near the courts. All was calm and peaceful, the birds chirped enthusiastically and the sun was bright and sunny, with not a cloud in sight-

“AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!”

They froze, and a particular redhead named Eiji jumped on his doubles partner in fright, “Oishiiiii~! What was that, Nya?!” he yelled

Oishi winced at the volume of his friend’s voice and tried his best to reassure him “P-Probably something we shouldn’t worry about or just a scary story that was being told-!”

“AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!”

Eiji twitched “This calls for an investigation!” He leapt off Oishi and stood facing his teammates, “Now…who’s with me?!” he yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

Fuji stepped forward, “Saa, so what are we waiting for? After all, we might discover something …entertaining” his smile turning sadistic, but not that anyone noticed.

“Hoi! I knew you’d understand Fuji! But the rest of you…” Eiji’s voice started to turn unusually gloomy for effect.

Kawamura waved his hands as he smiled apologetically, “U-um, I have some homework to catch up on so-” though his personality changed completely when Fuji secretly handed him a spare racquet, “HORA! HORA! LET’S GO AND GET EM-!”, he turned to face Oishi, Momoshiro and Kaidoh, “OR ARE YOU TOO BIG OF A SISSY-?!” his face inched closer to theirs, while theirs inched back “- HUH?! HUH!? HUH?!?! DO YOU GET WHAT I MEAN?!”

A vein popped on Momoshiro’s forehead and he pushed Kawamura’s head back. Bowing his head, he said, “I’m sorry senpai…” his head lifted revealing an enraged expression “But NOBODY CALLS ME A SISSY!”

He stomped over to where Fuji and Eiji (who were still smiling and had that gloomy aura and matching voice) were standing and stood proudly, beside them.

Kaidoh twitched and glanced at Oishi, “Fssshhhh gomen senpai” before he hunched while walking to where Momoshiro was. Not long after, the two were in an argument again.

“Tch, well if it isn’t mamushi”

Kaidoh glared at Momoshiro and hissed sharply “Fssshhhh, I didn’t even notice you…SISSY!”

“W-WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!” Momoshiro seethed in anger.

“Hn. So now you’re a deaf SISSY, are you?”

Steam blew out of Momoshiro’s red ears, “Shut up you stupid viper!”

Kaidoh scoffed “Speak for yourself. You’re the one who’s too stupid to deny you’re a deaf SISSY!”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU’RE THE ONE IN DENIAL HERE!!!”

Oishi gaped in disbelief at what was happening. He knew they were always caught and punished for these things in the past, so what made this ‘investigation’ any different?

Fuji turned to look at Oishi, “Hmm? Aren’t you going to come Oishi?” His sadistic smile returned when he (intentionally) caught Eiji’s attention.

Eiji broke out of his gloomy state and pouted, like he usually did, “Ehhh?? Oishi’s not coming? But you’ll miss out on all the fun! Nya pleaaaasssee Oishi!” he begged.

Oishi still looked uncertain but when Eiji did his best puppy-dog face with an added “Nya~?”

- he sighed, “Fine, but if we go too far, we’re all going to pull back, understand?”

“Yeah, yeah, now come onnnnn~!” Eiji excitedly grabbed Kawamura, who accidentally gripped onto Fuji’s wrist, who out of sadism, grabbed Momoshiro.

‘If I’m going down, then you’re going down with me MAMUSHI!!!’ Momoshiro thought, grabbing on to an unsuspecting Kaidoh by the collar of his shirt.

Kaidoh’s eyes widened in surprise, and out of reflex, he grabbed the other person who was closest to him, which happened to be Oishi.

Then all at once, the line of supposedly ‘friends’ dashed off, leaving a cloud of smoke at their trail.

---

-CRASH-

“CURSE YOU MAMUSHI!!!! ARE YOU SO BLIND THAT YOU CAN’T EVEN SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?!?!” yelled Momoshiro as Kaidoh violently ran into him.

“YOU”RE THE ONE WHO SUDDENLY STOPPED YAROU!!!!”

Eiji sent his two kouhais a glare, which shut them up, “SHHHH!!! We’re spyyying, and when we’re spying, we’re not supposed to be found out, nyaa!”

Fuji sweatdropped, Eiji didn’t have to define ‘spying’, they already learnt that word since their earlier years.

They gasped as another person screamed and fell to the floor. This time only Eiji gasped dramatically at the sight of a smirking Inui, holding his cup of doom.

‘Hmmm, should have known it’d been Inui’ they thought.

They watched as Inui approached a girl who was sitting under the tree. They couldn’t see her face but when they looked closer, they noticed she had the uniform for girls who attend Seigaku on.

---

Midorikawa lowered the glass gown and looked around her surroundings when she heard a loud crash of what seemed people bumping into each other, followed by irritated shouts and quiet talking.

Shrugging to herself, she brought to glass cup back to her mouth and started to tilt it forward so the liquid would flow downwards.

---

The regulars held their breath as they prepared for the next scene – but what came next was unexpected.

The mystery girl drank Inui’s juice swiftly and handed it back to Inui with a nod of thanks and appreciation.

Eiji looked on with horror written across his face and nearly blacked out when realization dawned on him, ‘It’s another Fuji, nya! Who know what they will do together, like-like double blackmail! It’s the end…RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!…nya’

The next thing Eiji’s teammates knew, he had dashed off somewhere shouting out that the end of the world has come, not noticing he was still holding onto Kawamura

Momoshiro and Kaidoh looked at his small, retreating form with confusion and asked “What’s with them?” in unison.

They turned to each other and glared, electricity sparking between in a silent battle.

Oishi was trying to get the two to settle down, and make some peace, while Fuji was torn between watching Inui and the girl with interest and Kaidoh and Momoshiro quarreling, with amusement.

---

Inui slowly took the cup from the girl’s hold and replayed the previous scenario in his head with fascination.

Midorikawa watched him take out a notebook and a pen from nowhere and flip it to a random page. His pen touched the page before it was retracted.

The strange boy looked down at her again, his glasses glinting in the sun, “Aah, how rude of me – my name is Inui Sadaharu, third year.”

Midorikawa was about to introduce herself as well when Inui cut her off, “Name: Iida Midorikawa has an older sibling called Iida Tsubasa, age: eleven, year: one, class: 1-2, blood type: B.”

She twitched ‘Does he do this to everyone?’

Inui closed his notebook and it, with the pen, magically disappeared. He nodded, “It was nice meeting you Iida-san.”

Midorikawa did the same “Likewise.”

Inui turned his back and went back to picking other victims for his juice. The next second a loud scream was heard.

Midorikawa raised an eyebrow, ‘Do people here have the desire for screaming?’ she wondered, gathering up her belongings and heading inside the school building.