Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Guardian Children ❯ A Dangerously Insane Duo! Operation Take Back! ( Chapter 7 )

Here we go again. The beginning of this chapter may or may be significantly weaker than the previous ones. I had a serious homework blow out right before starting work on this, but I have an essay due Friday. Thus, I’m left with less time to write than usual, so that’s why I’m not postponing the chapter. So, let’s begin. By the way, the first couple of paragraphs (in italics) are done in first person.

-Kouji Tamino

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Legend of the Guardian Children

Book 1: The Light of Destiny

Chapter 7: A Dangerously Insane Duo! Operation Take Back!

It was a normal day like any other, back in the first year of high school. My two friends and I were walking home from school. We just minding our own business, talking about the coolest and cutest boys at school and where to hold our next slumber party. Just when we were passing dangerously close to an ally way, we were quickly snatched up and slammed against the brick wall. A gang of thugs had captured us, and they didn’t look like they wanted to play any nice games…

As we feared for our chastity, and our lives, the brutes only laughed at us, taunting our misfortune and quite possibly thinking of all the sick things they could do to us. Right when we thought all hope was lost, a lovely guardian angel arrived. With the grace of a swan, she quickly dispatched of the evil men holding us captive. We could barely see what was happening due to all the chaos that erupted but when it was over, all 4 of the gang members were knocked out. Apparently, our savior used her size difference to slip between the larger gang members, causing them all to punch each other out in the narrow alleyway in their attempts to strike her. Serves them right, trying to hit a girl.

After checking to see if we were okay, the girl introduced herself as Tsukino Hoshino of class 1-A of Kaneda Tokio High. We hadn’t met her until now because we were students of Class 1-C. It was at that point that I, Ayumi Kanakawa, and my two friends Aoba Yumizuwa and Umi Mikihara, became utterly infatuated by the girl. We were the founding members of the “Hoshino-sama Appreciation Club”. She is so very cool, Hoshino-sama. She is also smart and beautiful and every club member wants to be like her. Heh, some even want to be with her… Then again, I wouldn’t know anything about things like that… Seriously, I wouldn’t! Don’t look at me like that!

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Ayumi Kanakawa, now in room 2-C along with the other members of the “Hoshino-sama Appreciation Club” in her class, watched with a blissful expression on their face as they watched Tsukino perform the pole vault. The founder swooned as her idol stylishly leapt over the pole, her supple, fair, and creamy skin radiant with a delicate sheen of perspiration. Biting her lip, she blushed delicately. Such thoughts were unbecoming of any member of the club, much less the president and founder herself. Any thoughts of lust or even love were strictly forbidden. Hoshino-sama belonged to all of them, and not just any one person, which is why she girl suddenly began to scream as a certain Kiriko Shimohara handed the object of the club’s veneration a towel and began to laugh and smile with her. “Graaah, stay away from Hoshino-sama, you tramp! Stop trying to steal her away from us!” She froze as the teacher shouted her name angrily. Blushing as non-members began chortling at her outburst, she sunk into her seat, wishing to melt, evaporate, and never return.

Her embarrassment carried over into the next day, where her friends and fellow club members calmed her. “It’s all right, Ayu. It’s not your fault that that selfish girl keeps trying to filch Hoshino-sama all for herself….” Aoba was the second-in-command, and was almost as obsessive as her best friend and club superior. She couldn’t stand watching Tsukino get close with anyone. Part of her original appeal was apparently the fact that she was so cold, distant, and friendless. It made her seem like something unobtainable.

In fact, anyone that made even one attempt at friendliness towards Tsukino outside of cheering or a compliment would be kicked out of the club, no questions asked. The club despised any outsiders that dared try to befriend her and made it their business to make sure that their actions stopped. In fact, the club president was planning a new plot to break up this friendship that was developing at a dangerous rate. It was a rapidly growing weed that needed to be killed and soon.

Umi sighed miserably, unhappy with this new development. When she had agreed to help found the ‘Hoshino-sama Appreciation Club’, she had had no idea that things would get so out of hand. It was just supposed to be a fun little get together of people that admired Tsukino Hoshino, but now it had gone way too far. Tsukino always looked so sad and lonely. She seemed like she didn’t want any friends, but she knew better. Nonetheless, regardless of how she felt, there was no way that she could stand against two of her best friends since primary school.

Sure, what they were doing could be considered wrong, but they had always treated her kindly, unlike some people. Everyone treated her like an outcast just because she was shy, quiet, and awkward… except for them, of course. They once told her that there was nothing wrong with being they way she was, as long as she didn’t let it control her. Ironically, that seemed to be the case right now, as she was unable to speak up against them and their plans.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let what happened yesterday get me down!” Ayumi declared, pounding her desk. In fact, she had no time to let anything get her down. She had a new plan that would require some outside assistance. She had noticed how neglected Kiriko’s best friend Atsuko had been recently, and she was currently thinking of ways to use this to her advantage. A devious smile spread across her face as a wicked idea came to mind. She was going to manipulate this friend of the usurper into helping them get Hoshino-sama out of the hands of that girl! Yes, it would be a grand plan! Hoshino-sama would soon be theirs again! Standing up, she cleared her throat noisily. “Excuse me, ladies.” Scooting her seat in, she made her way out the door and walked down the hallway to make a little visit to room 2-A.

When she arrived, however, the class was in utter hysteria. Students were all screaming at the top of their lungs, some had fainted, and others were laughing their heads off. She swooned as she saw her Hoshino-sama, a fierce look on her face, but then squealed and looked away as she growled terrifyingly and grabbed Akito in a treacherous looking headlock. Squeezing the air out of the poor boy, she screeched in his ear. “Tonomaru-san! You idiot! Catch that damn thing and put it back in its container before it kills somebody!”

Akito wheezed and choked, the life being wringed out of him. Managing to wriggle his way out of her grasp, he began screaming back his own retort. “Get off my back, Hoshino!” Chuckling cockily, he waved his head side to side in a mocking fashion. “Ever here of the phrase ‘Red touches yellow, you’re an okay fellow?’ We’re fine!”

“Imbecile!” Tsukino shouted, kicking her classmate in the face. Not letting him fall to the floor, she snatched him up by the collar dragged the dazed young man to his feet. “The phrase goes ‘Red touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow!’ I swear that if anyone gets bit, I will grab that snake and make it bite you!” How in the world could Akito do something so stupid? Sure, he was a bit slow sometimes, and a pig, and a slob, but he had never done anything so reckless and idiotic before… Well, he did attempt to kill her in battle, but that had long passed. Actually, now that she thought about it, it didn’t surprise her at all. A piercing scream interrupted her thoughts, her head jerking to the side in terror as she recognized the pitch. “Shimohara-sama!” She shouted absentmindedly, forgetting the promise she made to herself to not let anyone at school here her say that.

Fortunately for her, everyone’s attention was drawn to Kiriko after her blood chillingly startling scream. All eyes were on the girl that had been garnering a lot of attention lately. Another portion of the class passed out at the sight of the coral snake coiled around her leg. The girl herself was stiff and rigid, not wanting to upset the limbless reptile and get bitten. Sweat slid down her forehead, terror coursing through her entire body. She did not want to die this way! Everyone watched the silent yet menacing scene play out, holding their breaths. After a few moments of suspense, wondering what would happen next, the remaining conscious classmates all screamed out loud as the snake thought it a fine opportunity to chomp down on the girl. The entire room was utterly still, Kiriko gaping in horror.

Within seconds, Tsukino grabbed the snake, tossed it out the open window, snatched up Kiriko and rushed her to the nurse. There wouldn’t be a way to get the venom out, but at least she’d get some form of medical attention while waiting for the ambulance. Entering the room, she plopped the girl unceremoniously on one of the beds, frightening the nurse. “Oh my… What seems to be the problem?” The woman asked. After having the whole situation explained to her, the nurse screamed anxiously. “Oh goodness, we have to get her to a hospital as soon as possible!”

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Back in the classroom, the students were all fretting and worrying about Kiriko. Some people, not having learned their lesson from the other day, began to cruelly mutter that she’d be announced dead on tomorrow’s morning announcements. They each received a death glare from Atsuko, but they paid her no mind. Frowning, she could only mentally pray for her friend’s safety. Sitting still for a few moments, she gasped as a note was passed to her. “Huh? What’s this?”

As Ayumi left the classroom, rather shaken up by the events she had just witnessed, she held her head. “Ugh, what is wrong with these people? To think that poor Hoshino-sama has to be around them every single day. It must be horrible for her!” Not wanting to draw too much attention to herself, she written wrote up a note and addressed it to Atsuko before passing it off to someone and quickly leaving. Now all she had to do was wait until after school.

While some were agonizing over poor Kiriko’s fate, others were taking out their frustrations on Akito. Without the class rep there to keep him in line, they didn’t dare try to start anything physical. Instead, they opted to give him the cold shoulder. Every time he attempted to reassure someone that the snake wasn’t deadly and that Kiriko would be fine, they turned away. Tired of being treated like crap, but not willing to physically harm anyone lest Hoshino beat his ass again, he left the room to search for his snake before class began.

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Kiriko sat tensely as the doctor checked her out. So far nothing seemed amiss. She felt fine, and the doctor had said that her vital signs were normal… So far, that is. Symptoms of a coral snake bite often took a while to show up. Then again, there wasn’t much swelling around the area at all, implying the lack of venom. She really didn’t know what to think at this point. She had never been in a situation like this before. If anything, Tsukino looked more frazzled than she did. If the situation wasn’t so deadly serious, she probably would have laughed. As the doctor seemed to complete his check-up of her, she gulped. “So, doctor? Am I going to die?”

Chuckling warmly, the doctor shook his head. “No, of course not. Whatever bit you was probably a discolored milk snake, which is completely harmless.” Patting her on the head, he smiled. “Don’t you worry. Once the shock of being bitten wears off, you’ll be fine.”

Exhaling loudly, Tsukino held her chest. “Thank goodness. Thank you doctor”, she replied, a relieved expression on her face. She was glad that that nightmare was over. Placing a had on her friend’s shoulder, she smiled happily. “Let’s go, Kiriko…”

As they walked along the sidewalk outside the hospital, Kiriko tilted her head and frowned in a puzzled way. There was one thing that bothered her. “Iincho-san, why did you come to the hospital with me? The class must be a mess with you gone.” She grimaced as she imagined what crazy things were happening as she spoke.

“Because…” Tsukino began, reluctant to say what she wanted to out loud. If she uttered out the words she had on her mind now, it would completely change Kiriko’s view of her. Was she willing to break the cold reputation she had harbored for almost a decade, if even for just one person? “…You’re more important than my job as class rep, Shimohara-sama.”

Kiriko’s cheeks became rosy as those words sunk in. Tsukino considered her an important person? Tsukino had in the past vocally expressed great pride in being class rep. It was the one of the most valuable things to her. To be held in such high regard by some like her was a great honor, to say the least. “Th-thank you, Iincho-san…”

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After school had ended, Atsuko stood behind the gym. In a note she had received, the sender told her to meet them there. She had no idea who it could be or what they wanted, but she really hoped that whatever they had to say was worth her time. She hadn’t been in the greatest of moods lately, what with Kiriko spending more time with the class rep than her. “What’s up with that, anyway? Kiriko used to be afraid of her, and Hoshino-san used to hate her! It doesn’t make sense and it isn’t fair!”

“It isn’t fair, is it?” Ayumi replied, camouflaged in a bush. Watching as the other girl hopped up and screamed in fear, she walked out of the shrubbery. Chuckling as she was asked how long she had been waiting there, she simply said that it was not important. “What is important, however, is the absolutely atrocious way you’ve been treated by your supposed best friend! Are you going to take that lying down?!”

“Well there’s not much I can do…” Atsuko whimpered, wiping the rushing tears from her eyes as she realized that this girl who talked weird was right. But if Kiriko wanted to hang out with other people, who was she to get in the way of that? Still, it just wasn’t right. It wasn’t right at all. For some reason, she found herself growing angrier. She began to hate Tsukino for suddenly starting to like Kiriko, and she resented Kiriko for abandoning her for someone that used to despise and look down upon her. “…What is it you want me to do?” she asked softly, feeling hurt and betrayed.

Ayumi suppressed a smile, planting a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. This might work out better than she originally expected. Very soon, Hoshino-sama would be free again, and that annoying fool Kiriko Shimohara would take a serious fall. As for her older brother? Well, he had already been taken care of earlier…

To Be Continued…

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“Kyoji, it’s been a while.”

“Domon, you bastard! How dare you show your face after what you did…”

“Aww, is that anyway to talk to an old friend? It makes me angry when you talk like that…”

“Please, don’t fight you two… Not again.”

“Next time on ‘Legend of the Guardian Children’, Ayumi’s Plan, Kyoji and Saeko’s Past… See how I got Kiriko’s big brother out of the way!”