An alarm clock blared as Yuko jumped up. She pulled out her phone and looked at the date.
“It’s the weekend,” Yuko said. “Good, I have more time for studying.”
She grabbed a textbook and read it as she walked down the stairs. Yuko grabbed some rice before taking it out into the backyard to the shrine of Heracles. She burned it and prayed without emotion.
“Heracles, grant me revenge. If not, then to hell with you. That’s a quote from a movie, by the way. It’s cool. I’ll show you it if you ever come here.”
She went back inside and sat down at a table, still reading her book. A boy walked over and sat down across from her.
He glared, “Yuko-nee, have you been reading my manga?”
“No,” she buried her face in her book. “Why would I waste my time, Daisuke?”
“That’s just like you,” the boy groaned. “Well, don’t touch my manga. I don’t touch your things, do I?”
“You stole one of my textbooks and tried to sell it on the black market,” Yuko replied.
Daisuke objected, “Selling it online isn’t the black market, and I already said I was sorry!”
“I’m bored of this conversation,” she said with indifference. “Do you want to exercise after breakfast?”
“Sure thing, Yuko-nee.”
Hideyoshi rolled out of bed. He stood up and stretched.
“I’m so happy it’s the weekend. I don’t have to go to school or…”
A masculine voice called out from outside his room, “Hideyoshi, have you done your homework?”
“Yes, dad.”
As he said that, Hideyoshi rushed to where he put his homework to make sure it was all done.
He breathed a sigh of relief and thought, “Thank god…well, the gods I suppose, that it’s all done. It looks correct too.”
Another voice, a feminine one, came in, “And have you been doing your studying?”
“Yes, for the hundredth time,” Hideyoshi sighed. “You read my grades, so you know they’re still good.”
“But they can never be too good.”
To Hideyoshi, that meant they could never be good enough.
“I’ll do some studying,” he pulled out a textbook. “And then I’ll go out and exercise.”
Hideyoshi opened his book and read it with a fury worthy of Thor. He examined every last line, committing it to memory. When he was done, Hideyoshi grabbed his computer, put it in a backpack, and rushed out of the room.
Yuko and Daisuke jogged through the streets. The former kept them to uncrowded areas and looked around all the time.
“Hey, Yuko-nee, is something wrong?” Daisuke asked.
She answered without emotion, “I’m worried someone is watching us and I’m trying to lose them.”
He wondered, “Like a pervert or something?”
“Or something,” Yuko said.
“Then shouldn’t we go to a crowded area?” Daisuke suggested. “We could lose them there.”
“No, she could hide in the crowed.”
“Can’t we just call the police?”
Yuko shook her head, “I tried that already.”
“You did?” shock flowed through him. “Hang on, is this the person who tried to kill you a while back?”
“Yes,” she replied in a detached voice.
Daisuke grabbed her hand and rushed forward, “Why are you always so calm, Yuko-nee?”
“Because I don’t know if she’s watching me or not,” Yuko told him.
He stopped in his tracks and slammed into a pole, “Owwww.”
“Are you alright?”
“Of course I’m not alright,” Daisuke said. “You almost gave me a heart attack! I thought you were in danger!”
Yuko’s tone hadn’t changed, “I’ve been in danger since I first arrived at school, maybe even before then.”
He sighed, “Oh, for…let’s just keep jogging.”
Oda Hideyoshi ran through a forest, swinging a shinai at a leaf. It knocked it back, and he ducked under a branch. His bamboo blade lashed out. Another target flew back. The boy thrust his blade between bushes before flattening it to the ground.
Hideyoshi swung his sword up and shouted, “Tsubame gaeshi!”
It missed his target.
“You know,” he sighed. “Practicing a feint would be much easier if I had targets that reacted to it. Well, it’s time for my break.”
Moving away from the training field and into town, Hideyoshi found his favorite coffee shop and sat down with his laptop. He pulled up a mythology-themed strategy game. Just as Hideyoshi was about to start playing, he felt a sharp tap at his back.
Without turning around, Hideyoshi said, “I didn’t expect to meet you here, Yuko.”
“How did you know it was me?” she asked.
He answered, “No one else would poke my back like that.”
“Hang on, Yuko-nee,” Daisuke looked at Hideyoshi. “Just who is this guy?”
In a bland voice she introduced him, “This is Oda Hideyoshi. He’s my useless friend.”
“What? You don’t have friends!” he was shocked.
Hideyoshi smiled, “Wow, Yuko, you don’t have friends? I’d say you were a loser, but I’d rather call you an idiot.”
“Hey! Don’t talk about my sister that way!” Daisuke objected.
“It’s alright,” Yuko assured him.
He said, “No, it isn’t alright! Even if you’re older than me, I still have to protect you!”
“Don’t worry about that, Daisuke,” she said. “Hideyoshi-kun’s too useless to be a threat.”
“If he’s useless, why is he your friend?” Yuko’s brother narrowed his eyes. “You’re the best student in school. I can’t approve of anyone other than the second best being your friend.”
She gave a very slight smile, “Don’t worry, Daisuke. He was the best before I came along. So, he’s the second best now.”
“That just makes him an even bigger threat! I bet he’s getting close to you so he can get his revenge.”
Yuko said, “I should do some studying. Do you mind, Hideyoshi-kun?”
“Not at all,” he replied.
She took her textbook and plopped it on top of his head. Hideyoshi didn’t react at all as Yuko started studying.
“W-What the fuck?” Daisuke was confused.
“Try to get along with Hideyoshi-kun,” Yuko requested.
“Umm, okay.”
He sat across from the two of them and looked Hideyoshi in the eyes.
Daisuke asked, “What do you like best about my sister?”
“Her rotten personality,” Hideyoshi answered.
“Hey!” he snapped. “Just because Yuko-nee has a rotten personality doesn’t mean you can say it!”
Yuko said, “Don’t worry about it, Daisuke. It’s fine.”
“Hang on…don’t tell me…you actually like being insulted? Are you a masochist?” shock flowed through him.
“No, I like having fun,” she stated.
Daisuke wondered, “You find this fun? Hang on, you’re obsessed with studying! Where did you get the time to make a friend?”
“I’ve been trying to figure that out,” Hideyoshi told him. “Still, I won’t insult her when you’re around if it bothers you.”
Yuko replied devoid of feeling, “I’d bonk you on the head for that, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You two are supposedly friends, but just what kind of relationship do you have outside of that?” Daisuke asked.
“No clue,” his sister answered.
Hideyoshi looked at the boy, “Hey, do you mind getting us something to eat? I would, but your sister is using my head as a table. I’ll pay for the food.”
“No, I will,” Yuko said. “I owe you rent for your head.”
“Good grief,” Daisuke sighed. “This is going to be a long day.”
Ved'ma Story 