…

Some days had passed since the incident with the mysterious Scarface. The police hadn’t made any announcement, there was no mentioned of the canisters either. Ryuko wondered if Eikichi was just making that up. No, he wouldn’t lie to her.

Now that was a strange thought, trusting a guy like that. An orphan with quite a storied past, letting him back into society was a debate the council wrecked their brain over. In the end, Eikichi Kira was released to an orphanage, after all he had done. ‘The boy was young’, they said, but it was a cynical move. His past was twisted to be a marketing campaign of a city with happy childhood. It didn’t help that the boy has quite a penchant for violence.

But Ryuko also saw that he was a guy who took an hour just to prepare his hair. Someone who was freakishly confident and brutally honest.

And now, it was time for their promised date.

“Ahhhhhh” Ryuko was regretting making that bet. She had devoted her life till now to the sword, having no significant relationship to speak of. Now her first date ever was going to be with that guy.

“Yo, did you wait long”

Talk of the devil, he was there right behind her.

“Where did you come from!” Ryuko panicked.

“I walked here”

The girl realised in her confusion her face was turning inside the mall. Talk about an embarrassment. The date certainly started out with a bang. What happened next was, surprisingly, a normal trip.

The two went through the shopping area but none of them wanted anything. Eikichi already had enough hair products for life and Ryuko’s sense of fashion was only a bit above a brick.

The movie seemed promising, a horror flick. A man was possessed by a vengeful samurai and slasher happened. But in the end, the two just sit there motionless as the plot progressed. Eikichi was of course not scared in the least, even the violent didn’t have that oophm. Ryuko, meanwhile couldn’t get over the way that ‘samurai’ hold his sword.

What was next on the list? Some food, what else.

The two walked silently to the place.

“That was a horrible movie” Eikichi broke the silence.

“Is it? I don’t even know” Ryuko commented “I don’t really watch movie”

‘Is this what people do for a date?’ The girl wondered. Ryuko didn’t even know what to feel bad about, the fact that she didn’t enjoy it at all or the face that she couldn’t enjoy a normal date. Was she this out of touch? Looking down, Ryuko could see her normal choice for clothing, only a step above wearing her school uniform.

The girl couldn’t help but feel like she had ruined this supposed date.

“Hey, let’s go somewhere else” Eikichi said, grabbed the girl hand and took her some where else. This wasn’t part of the plan. The pair ran down the busy street without a care for anything else around them.

Their destination was a… batting center.

“Why do you want to come here?” Ryuko asked, having never even stepped foot in one.

“Well, I thought you would be good at them” Eikichi answered nonchalantly “I mean you swing a wooden sword around all day after all”

“THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!” The girl covered her mouth, everyone was looking at them.

It was embarrassing but Eikichi didn’t care, there was a wide grin on his face. The two entered the center and went into a batting cage. All the wide that grin was still on the boy’s face.

“Is it that amusing?” Ryuko asked, still embarrassed.

“Hmm? Kind of, it’s fun to see you just be yourself” He was still smiling.

“An embarrassment?”

“Nah, a kendo nut. You are just so passionate about it, it’s adorable” Eikichi said, looking up with a sombre look on his face “It’s also jealousy, I also want something to be passionate about”

What the. So the Beast of Shōnan could be like this. Talk about learning something new every day. Ryuko picked up the bat, swinging it around for a bit. The weight distribution, the handle and pretty much everything was different from a training sword. But the girl could see herself getting used to this.

First swing was a complete miss. The next one as well.

“I can’t do this, your turn”

Ryuko passed the bat to Eikichi. The boy stood slouching, holding it with only one hand. It was a hit and the ball only missed the target slightly.

“You sure can do everything” The girl commented.

To her surprise, there was a reply to that passing remark “No” Eikichi said with a downer of a tone “I couldn’t give you a good date. I looked up references and everything, but… I have no idea”

This wasn’t the Eikichi Kira that she knew. He seemed like… a normal human being. It was easy to forget, especially after the Scarface’s incident. Taking out a hoard of thugs all armed, swinging through window. But most foreign was the thought of Eikichi Kira, trying to do something.

Ryuko smiled and stood up, filled with energy “It’s my turn! I will nail this for sure”

They took turn taking on the bat and poured their energy into just beating balls around. Eikichi evens started to be more serious, using both of his hands.

Ryuko was enjoying herself. The girl couldn’t remember the last time she had this much fun, especially with someone else. Not so long ago, her days consisted of only school and kendo training all by herself, no woman as allowed in father’s dojo. But then came this outrageous guy, no one knew how to deal with them.

All but Ryuko, who he somehow listened to.

And so, the girl was assigned with all the tasks about Eikichi. Her schedule invaded by this blond yankee that everyone was deathly afraid of. Even the teachers would ask for her help. Without Ryuko’s words, Eikichi wouldn’t even go on that trip to Tokyo.

Speak of the devil, her phone rang, there was a text. Checking, it was from a teacher about Eikichi. Ryuko opened the text, but what awaited her wasn’t something ordinary.

“Are you alright” Eikichi asked, wondering why she was standing still for so long.

The girl turned around, her expression was one of confusion “You… are dropping out of school?” And of course, since he was their best student, the teachers decided to ask Ryuko to convince him to rescind that choice. Talk about a downer…

“Yes, I am leaving town” Eikichi said nonchalantly.

“Eh” Ryuko looked at him, shocked. The girl was surprised that those words hit her that hard. It wasn’t like she had feeling for him, but somehow, this blond yankee had become a part of her life. And now, he was going away, just like that “But why?”

“That scarred guy wasn’t the only one, I know, they tried to recruit me” Eikichi gripped the bat and hit a thunderous ball “I will find them, I will tear down whatever they want to do”

“But why, just let the police handle them!”

“Nah, I want to do it myself” A ball flew toward them and passed by as Eikichi stood still “Back at Tokyo, I felt something I had never felt before… I want to find something that I want to do”

The normal response here would be ‘That’s crazy’ but those words couldn’t escape from Ryuko’s lips. The person in front of her was Eikichi Kira, he could and he would do it. The girl smiled gently.

“Let’s make a bet, if I win I will do everything to stop you”

“And what if I win?” Eikichi asked.

“You already know” Ryuko replied, looking down.

“No I don’t”

“…” The girl stood there in silence, biting her lips, she finally spoke “If you win, I won’t stop you”

“What’s the bet then” Eikichi asked, he was still serious… today had been a strange day.

“Well, you have to be… Ryuko! Act like me and I will judge you!”

The girl looked straight at the blond yankee, his expression was still quietly intense. Ryuko laughed and continued.

“Just kidding, for our remaining time, let’s take turn batting and see who have the higher score!”

“Are you sure?” Eikichi finally broke, a smile appeared.

“Aren’t I the only one to ever defeat you?” Ryuko took the bat from the boy hand “Prepare yourself, I am not going to miss!”

Only the sound of batting remained. It was fun, if only they knew what await them outside.

___

Ryuko and Eikichi exited the building, they hadn’t said anything to each other. It was the end, the meal was silently cancelled. But still, this had been quite a day, filled with surprises. There was one more awaiting them both.

A youth was waiting for the two. His clothing unkempt, his eyes bloodshot, his expression was one of an intense obsession. The youth was holding something long covered in cloth. Despite the horrible condition he was in, Ryuko could recognise this person anywhere.

“Brother!” She grasped.

“KIRA!” He completely ignored her, as if his sister wasn’t here at all “I heard you are going away… I won’t let you!”

“Huh, will you miss me or something” Eikichi said coldly, his expression blank.

The youth didn’t listen, he had enough of listening. All the humiliations, he will pay them all back in full. The cloth was discarded and underneath was a katana, one passed down the Mizuhara family.

“I am here to repay the debt, in full!”

Eikichi turned away, ignoring the rambling of a mad person. Ryuko ran to her brother, trying to talk him out of his obsession. “Stop it, brother!” She grabbed onto the sword.

‘It hurt’ Ryuko recoiled back as brother slapped her… she couldn’t believe it.

“Get your hand of it, know your place!” His eyes weren’t of the brother she once knew, but something deep inside him, something the girl tried not to see “I know, you getting chummy with him. Father should have never let you near the dojo, a woman learning sword, ridiculous. No, I was at fault too, for tolerating you loitering about”

“Brother, please stop” Ryuko muttered “You are not yourself, please…”

“How dare you open your mouth!” The youth flared up, veins popping out. But then, he came to a realisation of his own, one most cruel “I see, it was because of him. You spied on us for him, so that bastard could humiliate me! It was YOUR fault!”

Ryuko was kicked out of the way. The deranged youth looked up to see that Eikichi had turned back to face him, but that cold gaze was no longer there.

No, it was hellfire burning inside the Beast’s eyes. His anger unparalleled. But madness, it had ways to cloud one eyes, even to doom.

“Draw that thing and I will chop your hands off with them” Eikichi grunted.

The youth yelled from the top of his lung, drew the weapon and ran toward his enemy. But something was wrong, a person was suddenly between them, in front of the blade.

“No!” Eikichi lunged forward but he was too late to stop Ryuko Mizuhara.