Ayanokoji Kiyotaka

All humans are weak. I’ve always kept that fact fastened to my heart, because I too am weak. But, at the very least, I am better than the rest.

Those who think otherwise won't receive discipline, allowing them to delusion themselves is an act of the strong in itself.

“So then...”

I’ll act through my ideology, rather than my desire.

With Koenji launching himself towards me, I form my fist.

If he truly seeks for me to display my full potential, I will show him who I truly am.

The side I concealed away.

The side kept in the shadow.

I’ll show him my true-...

“Huh?”

POW

Before I know it, my face is clobbered by the fist of a strong arm.

Who was that? Whose fist did that belong to?

Ah, that's right, it's Koenji...

He's stronger than I thought.

I fall to the ground whilst holding my face, unable to contain this pain.

“Oh, falling after such a weak punch, Ayanokoji-boy? I thought you were better than this!”

He advances once again; I quickly get on my feet.

Where is he?

He flashes before my eyes; I can't even track him. I try to follow my eyes against his figure, however, all I accomplish is receiving yet another blow.

POW

He lands another punch, this time, to my abdomen.

It is as if he had punched a balloon which has now popped.

I struggle to breath.

I feel like throwing up.

It hurts that much.

“Tsk...” I get a grip of myself, “That hurt, Koenji... I guess I underestimated you after all.”

He is far better than the men I encountered before. His weaknesses are hard to discover, if he even has any. His speed is impossible to comprehend with my eye.

I can't compare to him...

He is much stronger...

“Get up, boy! I’m not done yet!”

But, I refuse to surrender until I win the battle.

I stand up once again, this time, Koenji allows me to get on my feet.

“Come at me, Ayanokoji-boy. Let me test your abilities!”

A provocation?

“Well, don't expect much.”

I walk towards him. My stomach and face still stinging after the last blows, but I try my hardest to ignore it.

All I have to do is land a single crucial hit. A hit that can make him fall in one go.

It is easier said than done, however.

“Then, here I go.”

I dig my feet onto the ground, and thereafter lunge at him.

His body is in sight.

So where should I aim?

No matter how hard I look, he's open everywhere.

But no matter how hard I look, hitting him anywhere would do nothing.

He's just that strong.

What should I do?

Should I kick?

Should I bait him?

Should I punch him?

“I can't think...”

I halt; stopping in my tracks.

“What’s wrong, Ayanokoji-boy?”

I stare at him, “You really are amazing...”

To think he made, even me, unable to find an answer is unbelievable.

This person is just like me. Both excelling in brains and bodies.

But there can be only one winner.

Koenji stomps his way to me.

“If I were to be brutally honest, I expected to be entertained, Ayanokoji-boy. I expected more from this nonsense.”

He stands, towering over me. All I can do is watch him as he tuts.

“I haven't surrendered, the fight still goes on, how can you possibly be unsatisfied with anything?” I ask, seeking to provoke him some more.

“Don't be stupid, boy! I expected at least a scratch on my face, but this!? This is beyond ridiculous, this is betrayal. Betrayal of my expectations!”

“I see...”

“I've had enough... I’ll end this fight so I can get home to some cute girls.”

“...”

Wait...

“Huh?”

Did he say... he’ll end it?

I throw my arms up in attempt cover my face, however, he aims for my stomach.

POW

A blow to my stomach.

Impossible to conceal the pain, I fall to the ground.

Repeated blows to my face and arms.

All I hear is a punching bag endlessly receiving brute-like punches.

“Get up, petty boy!”

Another swing of his leg to my face. I must have cracked a few bones now; the pain is unbearable.

“Get up, I said!”

Bruises defining me, that I am weak. The pain defining me, that I’m not strong.

It's the reality of humans.

There will always be someone better than you.

“Did you come here to die, boy!?”

His attacks multiply. This time, aiming for my neck. This time, increasing his strength. This time, increasing my suffering.

How long can I hold out?

Until I actually die?

I came here thinking I would win.

But I guess things were too hard for me, after all.

“Fight back! Fight back!”

I can't see through my eyes. I can't smell through my nose. I can't hear through my ears.

I can feel the pain, gnawing at my body, slowly yet excruciatingly. Like a snake discharging venom into my blood.

It hurts. I can't move. I can only submerge into cruelty.

Do I... regret doing this?

“Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic!”

Blood splatters everywhere. From my head, my nose, my mouth. Bruises forming a layer of my skin.

Is this the taste of utter humiliation?

Beaten to a pulp, a hopeless heart that can do nothing but suffer.

Is this... the taste of defeat?

“I... don't lose...”

He continues to batter my body; I can't hold out.

I may have lost the fight.

But... I'm not done yet.

I think about her one more time.

“Is this... enough?”

Have I done everything I can?

Have I endured for long enough?

Have I held out... long enough?

I can end it... right?

I check my watch.

The watch she gave to me.

And I widen my eyes.

Finally...

At long last...

“It's time.”

I speak.

“Huh!?” he shouts.

The pendulum continues to swing.

Side to side.

As time goes on.

Ending everything walking along its path.

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I hear the door to the rooftop open.

“Koenji Rokusuke, for violating the school rules, you have been suspended indefinitely.”

The straight, cold-hearted voice of a male speaks.

The last time I heard this voice, he had already played into the hands of Koenji.

Ms Chabashira and the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu walks forward.

I look at them, then close my eyes.

I whisper, “You're late...”

“Oh, what's this?” Koenji also looks over, “You cheated, Ayanokoji-boy? Or, more like, you snitched?”

“Precisely so.”

He looks at me in the eye. I look at him back, though my vision is blurry.

“You know what that means?” he asks.

I know.

That's why I-

“Say goodbye to your precious girl, Ayanokoji-boy!”

He takes a small device from his pocket, and screams from the depths of his lungs.

“Men! Kill Horikita Suzune right now! I command you!”

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There was no response.

“What are you doing!? Aren't you serving my family!? Then do as I say!”

There was still silence.

I place my hand onto his shoulder.

“It's futile.”

“Huh?”

“Your men have been dealt with.”

“What are you saying?!”

“What am I saying? I’m saying that your men have been dealt with. Sudo and Suzune have brought them down.”

“What...?”

Notifying them of their names and weaknesses, I sent Suzune to a narrow alleyway, where I discovered that no security cameras are watching that specific area.

That is also where Sudo had been waiting, in the darkness of that alleyway.

There and then, did they dispose of Koenji's men.

I had faith in them, that they will win.

And now, Koenji is in a great peril.

He stares at me blankly, whilst Ms Chabashira pins him down.

“Oh, Koenji. That device in your hand, have you, perhaps, been communicating with people outside the campus?”

He finally snaps back.

“What? I don't even know what you're talking about. This is just a-"

“‘Aren't you serving my family’ is what you said. We've ensured that no workers on this campus is linked to any of the students, so men that are serving you would be determined impossible, unless, you've been making moves of your own. I could be mistaken, however, so do you mind explaining the choice behind your words?”

He smiles, whilst replying with silence.

“Oh Koenji, I take that the silence implies I was spot on. Do you know what that means?”

He laughs.

“Haha! Then, what does that mean, teacher of mine?”

She smirks.

“Expulsion.”

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It all happened as I planned. To manipulate Koenji into thinking I've cheated, thus forcing him to take out the device that he used to communicate to the outside.

Making myself hurt was a way of making him believe of his suspension, after observing the results of his actions. The fact that I was on the ground and he was on his feet.

And paying me back, by ordering his men to kill Suzune, had backfired.

Because now, he will get expelled. Exposing the fact he had been communicating with outsiders had worked out.

Can this really be called a win, though?

“Ayanokoji-boy, you are not as good as I thought you would be. Snitching to the teachers as a last resort against my might. But little did you know, I don't care about getting expelled. This school means nothing to, me, who has his future laid out for him.”

“Well isn't that unfortunate.”

I couldn't care less. I achieved what I sought, and now I can rest.

“Haha! You still think you've won? Pathetic! As I thought, no one can be truly competent with me! Not even you, Ayanokoji, you're not even close.”

That is a shame.

Me? Losing?

The fight was mine from the beginning.

A weakness I had picked out was how predictable his next move would be. He always looked at the sight of impact before actually impacting it, which would, if I tried, allow me to easily counter.

This fight would've been mine to win for, if I tried. However, winning the fight was not my desire. Expelling him was my priority.

“Ayanokoji.” Though on crutches, the hand of a student reaches out to me, “Are you alright?”

“Manabu... feels like a long time since we met.”

“Come on, get up. The school will take you to hosp-"

“I’ll stay here, thank you.”

He sharpens his gaze toward me, “If that's what you want...”

Evening

A colourless statue, gazing at the colourless sky. That's how I would feel if I were my past-self.

It is dusk; the sun falls low. I remain on the rooftop, lying down whilst gazing at the sky.

My body feels numb.

My wounds are apparent.

But the view of the sky is amazing.

“Actually, why didn't I realize before? That the sky is beautiful?”

What changed me to realize this?

What had occurred that brought me to experience the beauty of the sky?

That's right...

“You lied...”

A person stands next to my body.

“I recognize that voice.”

“Yes, it's your lover.”

“Ah, Suzune, huh? What are you doing here?”

“Brother said you would be here, so I came.” She crouches down, “I should've known... that you were a liar.”

That's right, I’m a liar. First, I tricked her into thinking I loved her. Then I tricked her into thinking I wouldn't do anything reckless.

However, lies makes up human personality.

“Suzune, I feel pain.”

“Well what did you expect, idiot? You got yourself beaten to a pulp, and didn't try to fight back at all...”

“But it was all part of the plan.”

“I couldn't care less about your plan. Because of that plan, you're hurt.”

“It was the only way I could exclude Koenji.”

“Even so...”

She fell silent for a few seconds.

“You're not going to stab me?”

“You're already hurt, I’d rather not pour salt on the wound.”

“I see.”

“But I will make you write out ‘I love you’ 1000 times.”

“I'm pretty sure it was-“

“1000 times.”

“Affirmative, Madam.”

“Call me by my first name.”

“Affirmative, Suzune.”

The whistling wind continues to blow.

Youth is ever so complicated.

Yet too beautiful to cherish.

I said that Suzune was a spice for my youth.

A spice that will make my meal just a little better.

However, she is no longer the spice.

She is a part of my youth.

“You’re dozing off... again.”

“We're not on a date though...”

“Who said you can doze off outside a date? Don't doze off around me in general, Kiyotaka.”

“Affirmative, Suzune.”

“I’ll give you your punishment now.”

She leans in. I close my eyes to prepare myself for whatever the punishment is.

“Huh?”

A soft feeling of warmth embraces my lips.

The kiss of a sweet maiden.

“I said I’ll save it for later, didn't I?” she smiles.

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“Happy birthday, Kiyotaka.”

Main account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Diefeel

Finally, FINALLY. I wrote this chapter that I dwelled on for days...

Did you guys like it? I thought it was a nice chapter myself, but I was scared to think people wouldn't like it. Maybe a bit underwhelmed or something. I did take a while to make this chapter, so I hope the quality met the hardwork.

Now, I may take a break. Or, I will carry on with short chapters. Or... I will stop here.

I dont know whether or not I should carry on with this...

Do you want me to carry on?

Thanks for reading!