These older kids were two heads taller than me. They were towering in every sense of the word. But, since I'm younger than them and a girl, that doesn't really mean much.
"Bruh, how many brothers do you have? Isn't this country supposed to have a low birth rate?" I counted four older boys. There's no way you're all siblings, right? They're just people you know, right? I can't deny that Asian people look alike, though, so I'd believe her if she said they were her actual older brothers.
"Why are you scared now? You better be!" Saori held her head high.
"So you're the girl bullying our little sis."
One of her brothers (presumably) spoke up. I had to replay what he said in my mind for clarification.
"Me? Bullying her?" This better not be what I think it is.
"There's no point trying to weasel out of this. Saori and her friends told us everything. Now, it's time for payback," said one of them as they cracked their knuckles.
Wow. Honestly? I'm impressed that they squealed that quickly. I was just getting started, you know?
Wait, wait, wait! I'm the victim here! I'm the one giving them payback!
I crossed my arms. "There seems to be a big misunderstanding here. I'm not bullying her. Just ask the teachers."
"Don't listen to her! She lies all the time!"
"Yeah, we don't trust you, liar. You even have the teachers on your side!"
A boy shoved me from the side. It happened so suddenly that I was already on my knees before I knew it. The old me wouldn't have budged, but the old me isn't here.
Fuck, he's strong.
I realized that I wasn't invincible anymore. This was absolutely absurd. After all, they were just kids.
Just kids. Right. Calm down.
Breathe in, breathe out, and chill. There's no need to use Protogenoi-K on them. I'm above that.
They won't listen to anything I say, and I have no doubts about it now. Whatever fairy tale Saori told them must have been real convincing.
This is rather complicated.
Standing up, I spoke. "No, you guys got it all wrong. The person bullying Saori is that girl over there."
I pointed behind them.
"What? Someone else?"
All five of them turned.
And the moment they did, I bolted in the other direction.
Oldest trick in the book.
"Hey! Get back here! CHASE HEEEER!!!"
Saori shrieked the moment she realized what had happened. I laughed as I ran. For some reason, she fell for it too.
After being activated by her shrill voice like a bunch of sleeper agents, her brothers sprang into action.
They're fast as hell!
Saori's four older brothers were hot on my tail. Their footsteps were heavier, getting closer.
This has got to be one of the most embarrassing things ever! Running from kids younger than me, who would have thought!
I turned a corner, reviewing the layout of the school building in my head. I still needed to get to the shoe lockers...!
"You can't run away from us...!"
"Damn, what kind of steroids are you guys taking?!"
Running has been part of my daily routine for my Saitama training, but their speed is on another level! They were almost onto me, and my schoolbag wasn't making things easier either!
It's a good thing my brain is massive.
I can use the stairs!
Turning another corner revealed a staircase at the perfect time. With adrenaline pumping in my veins, I jumped onto the handrails and slid down.
"What?!"
"Hurry up and get her!"
The amateurs didn't know how to replicate it and chased me on foot. I descended the stairs much faster than they, gaining a considerable lead. Their inability to slide down the rails was honestly surprising. I just thought I could do it better than them.
I slid my way to ground level, already panting heavily. There's no way I can keep running all the way back home. For one, I needed to catch a train, and if they chased me into one, there's nowhere to run in a carriage.
The worst-case scenario is them discovering where I live. No way I can let that happen.
"Eira Sasaki! We'll catch you!!!"
"Damn, now or never!"
In a split-second decision, I found the perfect hiding spot beneath the stairwell.
Seconds later, they reached the spot where I was standing. I held my breath with a deep inhale, and my heartbeat rang loudly in my ears.
"Where did she go?!"
"I think she went this way! Follow me!"
The sound of rapid footsteps receded to another part of the building.
"Phew."
My face felt hot from exertion. They, however, weren't even out of breath. Sheesh.
"I'm definitely skipping school tomorrow... I need to think about how to deal with these uninvited additions to the party... phew..."
I was already outnumbered by Nakamura and his group—fair, but outnumbered. Now, it's legitimately unwinnable.
I remained hidden in the stairwell, still hearing Saori's brothers running about. For now, I'll let them tire themselves and slip away once the opportunity arises.
"Are you hiding here?!"
Suddenly, one of them decided to check under the stairwell.
He was staring straight at me.
My body went completely still as I stopped breathing entirely.
He glanced around with a slight frown. Then, he clicked his tongue and left.
...Holy shit! That was close!
The moment I hid, I also began using Protogenoi-K to continuously eliminate the light around the bottom of the stairwell, making it dark as hell, especially in the corner where I hid.
Get outplayed, son!
I'm just glad it worked.
Slowly, I emerged from my hiding spot, meticulously checking my surroundings. There was a lot of noise on the second floor, so they must have thought I had gone upstairs at some point.
No one was camping the shoe lockers. I swapped out my shoes and bolted.
Street, train station, more streets, home.
Only when I locked the front door of my house did I relax.
"Haha... school... Gotta love it..." I dropped my bag to the floor, taking a moment to catch my breath.
Today has been another fun, exciting school day. In fact, it's been too fun and too exciting for an old soul like me.
You know what? I'll skip school for a few days.
Best plan ever.
...
..
.
(Early morning, 15 hours later.)
.
..
...
Ehem. If I do this correctly, everything shall fall according to keikaku.
School was about to start in half an hour. I should have eaten, dressed, and left home around this time, but instead, I exercised until I was super sweaty and got back in bed.
My father had already left for work, and only my mom, who will also go to work soon, remained in the house.
Now, if everything goes right, she should notice that my bag and shoes are still near the front door. And like any sane mother would do...
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
Here she comes! Ready, set... action!
My bedroom door opened. Mayumi didn't seem very happy with me.
"Eira! Why aren't you ready for school yet?! You'll be late!"
I coughed twice and, with a raspy voice, responded. "Mom, I don't feel so good..." I made sure to hide half my face under the blanket. Otherwise, the massive grin on my face would give me away.
"Eira? What's wrong, honey?"
Her scolding tone did a complete 180. Mayumi immediately sat by my bedside and checked my temperature.
"Do you have a cold? You're so sweaty! How are you feeling?"
"My whole body hurts... I think I'm sick... I can't go to school..."
"Are you having period cramps?! Is it starting?!"
If I had balls, they would have dropped with that one statement. And I don't mean it metaphorically or rhetorically or poetically or theoretically or any other fancy way. My balls would have Dropped.
Because what the hell?! What. The. Hell. Did she really just say that?
Me? Me??? P-Periods?!
"NO WAY!!!"
Taken aback by my sudden outburst, Mayumi recoiled like she just grazed a boiling pot. "O-Oh, okay."
Crap, I got too heated. She just threw such a curveball that it orbited around the planet and smacked me in the face. And I don't mean it metaphorically or rhetorically or poetically... you know what I mean.
"I mean, uhh, no waaay... cough." I reinstated the throaty quality of my poor, unwell trachea. My back was drenched in sweat from nervousness now, not just exertion. To get through this ordeal, one must channel their inner Tom Hanks! "It's not like that at all... it's more like the flu... definitely not period cramps or anything like that..."
Please don't question it, please don't question it, please don't question it! Just buy it, pleeeeaaaasssseeee!
Mayumi eventually nodded. "Ah... muscle aches, fatigue, sweating... that's the flu, alright."
Yes!
"Should I call the school? And maybe the clinic, just to be safe. You might need a test."
"NO WAY!!!"
"?!"
"I meant there's no need for that... cough cough... mommy dearest...!"
If she called the clinic, I was screwed. All it'd take is one look from a doctor, and they'd know I was full of crap. I hadn't faked sick since high school (in my old, manly body)—and back then, I didn't have a mom who could detect lies with motherly precision.
"No need to trouble the doc, Mom! All I need is a little rest at home! I just had a little too much fun playing dodgeball, that's all! You don't need to worry about taking care of me either! I can stay home!"
She eyed me with vivid skepticism.
"You're sure? Because if this flu is serious, I don't want it getting worse. Should I make you some rice porridge or ginger tea?"
"Water's fine, Mom... cough. I don't want to throw up... Besides, I love water..."
"Oh, honey... You poor thing..."
Her expression mellowed out, and she gently patted my head through the blanket. "Rest, okay? I'll leave a note for your teacher."
"Yes... cough, I'll be okay... don't worry..."
Mayumi stood up. When she reached the doorway, she looked back, reluctant to leave me behind. I just waved at her, then pointed at my wrist. Tick tock, mom. Don't be late for work now!
The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed around the house. The sound of sheets rustling was next.
Then the sound of someone taking a bath before dressing. Then the sound of someone cooking then eating breakfast. Then the sound of the front door opening and closing. Then the sound of footsteps walking away.
Somehow, I did it.
Haha! My first time skipping school. One small step for man, one giant leap into academic failure. That's if I were a normal kid, of course.
The walk to the train station was short, and the train ride was even shorter. The carriage was packed since it was rush hour, but I luckily found myself a seat and watched the scenery go by.
My mind was on something else though. "Hehe... skipping school..." I'm still happy about the thought of missing out on lessons.
A screech resounded, and the train came to a stop. Once the doors opened, my feet took me into an enterprise I had become familiar with.
"Es-chan, you came early this week. How many tokens today?"
"Ten. No, give me twenty, please."
"Twenty? Ain't that a first."
If you haven't guessed it already, I'm gonna play in the arcade. In this place, I am king—unparalleled and unrivaled under the heavens.
"The owner won't be happy about this," said the employee manning the token station, although he sounded amused more than anything. He began counting the tokens after I handed him the money.
"Unhappy?" I said, surprised. "What'd I even do other than spend my pocket money here? The owner should be happy to see me."
"Not if you grab the expensive prizes every time you come here."
"There's a saying for situations like that. Don't hate the player; hate the game."
"Never heard that one before!" he snorted. "Who'd you hear that from, your parents? Anyway, here are your tokens. Go crazy."
"I will."
The castle gates (arcade doors) were wide and welcoming, and all the machines cheered with my return (Insert Token Music).
There were fewer people now than the first time I came here. There were no lines, and the games I could play immediately were aplenty.
These were the conditions that I've been looking for—no waiting and minimal distractions. This is precisely what I needed to set new highscores.
"Dude, check it out. She's back."
"Color me surprised. Our morning just got better. What is she doing here so early?"
These days, it's common for the people in the arcade to talk about me whenever I'm around. I don't mind since they don't insult me, unlike some of the shitty kids from school.
To my fellow arcade-enjoyers, my hand waved with royal poise. They waved back awkwardly. See, they're nice.
I was about to play Pac-Man when my ears perked up after hearing a few choice words.
"She must have heard about the new arcade game installed yesterday and came running."
"Oh... oh no... that means... nooo!!! My high score!!! I just set one earlier!!!"
"Bahaha! You can't brag about it now!"
My ears perked up. A new game? Installed just yesterday? Where?!
There it was, hidden behind a basketball shooting machine with a moving hoop.
Mortal Kombat?!
I wiped the drool off my mouth. I played that game in my youth as Elias #2. Only faint memories remained, but the feels were still there, tugging at my heartstrings. It was like finding a long-lost toy.
Two people were already playing on it, so I couldn't join in just yet. Still, I can't believe I'll be able to play an arcade Mortal Kombat game like in my childhood. Very nice.
The two dudes already playing had a lot of tokens. They were burning through them quickly, so I played a few games here and there, keeping an eye out for the slightest intent to leave for whatever reason.
While I was swishing basketballs into the hoop in that big basketball shooting machine, the two left.
The world was dyed a dull monochrome.
My royal ass sat on my new throne at record speed. I had to do it, alright?! I had to be sure it would be mine, and now, it is! Hehehe!
Seven tokens. I had seven tokens left, and what did I do?
I slotted all of them in. I now had seven attempts to beat the game. Mortal Kombat also had seven different playable characters to choose from.
Come here, old pal Scorpion.
Now, let's see if I can beat the high score that guy mentioned earlier.
*****
[E.S.]
[E.S.][E.S.][E.S.]
[E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.]
[E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.]
[E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.]
[E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.][E.S.]
Eira Sasaki, the little girl with vibrant white hair and red eyes. To the arcade patrons, she was known as Es, courtesy of her initials.
She was a local celebrity.
How could anyone not recognize the one who permanently occupied the leaderboards of every arcade game?
Yes, the entire leaderboard. Whether the game displayed the top five scores, top ten, or top-whatever, they were all filled with her name and scores.
Beside her initials was a wall of impossible scores too high to approach. It was completely overkill. If everything but Eira's highest scores were kept in the leaderboards, the gap between first and second place would be larger than the gap between second and last (wherever possible).
It's no surprise she was so well-known.
The onlookers spectated her every game, crowding around whatever machine she was on. There was much to learn from the strategies she employed and the movesets she developed, but most times, people watched in fascination at her skill.
After getting a feel for the game, Eira proceeded to beat the everliving shit out of the NPCs in Mortal Kombat. Then again, but with a different character. Then again.
[FLAWLESS VICTORY] [DOUBLE FLAWLESS]
[FLAWLESS VICTORY] [DOUBLE FLAWLESS]
[FLAWLESS VICTORY] [DOUBLE FLAWLESS]
Eira didn't notice that a crowd had gathered around her.
Correction: There was always a crowd around whenever she played. She just didn't notice most of the time. It didn't help that they were usually stunned to silence, either.
Mortal Kombat was a two-player game, but no one wanted to sit on the empty stool to her right.
Then, someone cut through the crowd.
"Ehem."
Eira kept playing, unaware of the man standing behind her.
"Ehem!"
Finally, she took notice. She ended the match in a few seconds and looked behind her.
Eira recognized the man. "Hey there, owner! How's it going?"
The owner's face was scrunched into a frown. "What are you doing here so early? Don't you have school?"
A wave of whispers emitted from the crowd. The owner raised a valid question—what was Eira doing here on a weekday?
The king of the arcade was in trouble, and they couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
After all, what was a king to a God?
Eira swallowed hard, her throat tightening as she forced a tense smile. Crap, I didn't think someone would actually be nosy enough to ask that! How can I get out of this?
"School... oh yeah, that's right. No, I don't have school today."
"Uh-huh."
The owner's raised brow showed that he was more or less unconvinced.
"Eira."
How he said her name—stern, tired, and demanding—made Eira pause. She unconsciously tapped the arcade cabinet beside her.
"School's got... termites," she mumbled loudly.
The crowd chuckled. The owner did not.
"Okay, okay! I'm skipping school," Eira admitted with little pressure.
The owner's eyes became harsher.
"Not only did you have the gall to skip school, you also lied to me. Am I wrong?"
"...no."
"Do your parents know you're here?"
"...no."
"It was a rhetorical question, Eira. Do you know what 'rhetorical' means? You would know if you behaved and attended school as you should have. Instead, you're here.
Eira held her tongue. Retorting now would make things worse. Clearly, the owner was fuming, and going with the flow was better than going against it.
"I'm banning you for three months."
"What?! Hold on just a second! Three months?!"
But clearly, Eira didn't expect him to be that furious.
"Yes, you heard that right. You're banned, and that is final."
With that shocking declaration, the owner spun around and strode off. Like the Red Sea, the small crowd made way for the absolute ruler of the arcade.
Meanwhile.
[GAME OVER]
Eira was at a loss for words.
The screen blinked GAME OVER, mocking her failure. The words didn't hurt as much as the stunned silence around her did.
No one was whispering about her flawless combos or godlike finger speed for once. They were whispering something else entirely.
""Damn, sucks to be her.""
Then, the crowd of avid spectators dispersed like smoke in a storm, leaving Eira to stew. Well, except for one.
"Can you get off now? I've been waiting for a while."
"...sure."
Defeated, Eira left the arcade, dragging her feet across the carpet. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and our main character felt like an aluminum can in a recycling facility.
Crushed.
She was halfway down the block when the aftershocks hit. They were so strong that she had to sit down on a bench.
"…Three months," she whispered to herself.
That was more days than the amount of times Eira had been to school. A strange feeling of deja vu came over her.
TWELVE WEEKS! she screamed in her head. EIGHTY-FOUR DAYS, MINIMUM!
People walked past the distressed child who somehow kept her outward appearance intact but not her mind.
Where else could I go? What else am I supposed to do now? Go home and actually study? Return to school in shame? Bruh.
I just wanted to not deal with those assholes in school. Can't I catch a break? Stupid... right when Mortal Kombat gets added in there...
She buried her head in her knees. Of course, whenever something bad happens, there is always that one pillar of frustration she can always vent on.
FUCK YOU, CREATOR! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!
All events, unfortunate or not, can always be condensed into that one simple belief. Whether it was a stubbed toe or terrible weather, it is always The Creator's fault, at least in her mind.
But, it was during Eira's moping that an unexpected encounter would happen.
"Saori, cheer up already! So what if you got suspended? It's not your fault."
"I'm telling you, the arcade around here is the best in the city! We'll have fun in no time!"
"Ugh, I don't care! I want to hang out with Nakamura! Why did his parents have to ground him?!"
"Technically, our old man grounded you too, but he can't stop you from leaving while he's at work, right? Cheer up, little sis. There's no use dwelling and getting sad over some boy—let's have fun!"
A noisy group of five passed by Eira, paused, then backtracked. Slowly, they looked over their shoulders, their eyes meeting a wide pair of red ones.
"White hair... Yo, is this...?"
Saori covered her crotch and screamed.
"IT'S HER! CATCH HER!!!"
Eira immediately fled, the loss from the three-month ban already gone from her mind. It was replaced by a feeling far more primal.
"WHAT THE FUCK?! I KNOW I'M NOT THIS UNLUCKY! FUCK YOU! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! I FUCKING HATE YOU SO MUCH!!!"
Another chase went underway.