There are 3 type of people in the world. Those that bring darkness and destruction, they are the ones that make the world as ugly as it is. The endless optimists, the ones that think they can change the world and make it better, in reality they make it worse by giving false hope to those that can't afford it. Lastly there are people like Yumeko Mori, the neutrals, those that understand the darkness of the world, they don't do anything to make the world worse, but they don't try and save it either. At least that's how Yumeko viewed the people of the world.
It was a usual day at Hanako Senior High School, a relatively new school established in Japan on the outskirts of Kyoto. Hanako didn't stand out by any means, having a classic Japanese style school building with four storeys and placed in a serene area to establish a proper learning atmosphere. The only disturbance being in class 2-3, but this in itself was not out of the ordinary in Hanako.
"Miss Nishi, as soon as you have completed your work. Please find Mr. Mori and inform him if he misses any more of my classes he will need to attend summer school. No matter his grades. Tardiness and laziness will not be excused in this institute." Mr. Nishi says once again almost as a daily routine. Gesturing to the right back end of the class, in the general direction of Junko Nishi, Yumeko's childhood friend since they were both in primary school and Mr. Nishi's daughter.
"Just because I'm his best and only friend doesn't mean I always know where he is", Junko thought as she stood up from her desk while the rest of the class tried their best to hide their giggling. As if it wasn't bad enough that she was already an oddity compared to the others, she had to be friends with the most famous weirdo of Hanako. She was clearly Japanese when one looked at her skin and facial features, but that's where her Japanese inherited genes stopped. She had blond hair, cut short in a fashionable bob, emerald eyes full of life and she was a little above average in height. With her added height and athletic build, it was easy to see why she was one of the schools' best track athletes.
This was mostly thanks to her Father, who was from Europe. He adopted her Mother's family name after they got married, explaining their surname still being Japanese, and got a job as a history teacher. His specialty was Western Greek History, but he gave class on all types of history mostly Japanese History. He had short grey hair, piercing blue eyes and was tall and muscular. One could easily see his muscular build even thru the suits he would usually wear.
As she left the classroom she immediately headed for the roof, the truth being she knew exactly where he would be. On the roof there was an elevated slab of concrete that stood out, placed there for unknown reasons. For Yumeko it was the perfect spot, high enough, so he can sit comfortably and big enough to sleep on without any awkward limbs hanging of. Hearing the door open to the roof, he had no need to look back to know who it was.
He sat up slouching slightly forward and looking in Junko's direction as he heard her voice.
"Yumi, I knew I'd find you here sleeping the day away." Junko had a slight playfulness to her almost angelic voice. She stood staring at him with her hands on her hips in a menacing posture, but with a smile and a glint in her eyes.
"Anything I can help you with, Junko?" Yumi's response was sarcastic, but one might miss the sarcasm as his tone and facial expression was quite neutral,
"You know exactly why I'm here, Yumi. You know my Dad doesn't like you skipping his classes." As Junko spoke, Yumi simply shrugged and leaned back looking up at the sky.
"A laid-back guy like you should be smiling more, and it wouldn't hurt your looks either, you know." Junko's own smile faded as she said this looking at Yumi losing himself in the clouds. It's been several years since she last seen him smile, his smile kind of got lost after his father died.
Ever since he had a cold look about him. He had long shaggy dark brown hair, brown eyes that were lost that it almost seems empty, and he was of average height. In all he looked pretty average, giving his cold demeanour a brooding appearance. His mannerisms and personality seemed to match his look, but Junko knew deep down there was someone full of life and hope of a better world. She knew this person was simply lost and that Yumi just had to find that part of him again.
"Well I did my job, Dad can't blame me if you won't listen. Oh... by the way I have track after school, so you don't need to wait for me, you can head straight home." Junko informed him as they would usually walk home together after school. Yumi made a mental note of this, but didn't move or respond, simply staring into the unending sky. Junko feeling utterly defeated simply said, "I'll be going then. You should really consider coming to class, you have your future to think about." as she headed back. Yumi simply gave a wave in the air as Junko vanished into the school.
_....._
As school ended and the club activities began, Yumi simply slung his bag over his shoulder and started heading home. As he was passing the field and track heading towards the main gate, he was stopped by a boy named Riku Tanaka and his gang. It isn't much of a stretch to realize Riku and his gang are the school troublemakers, as Riku was large and muscular and just had that look of a gang member. They were also his classmates of class 2-3, the third class of the 2nd years, known as the class of troublemakers and those that barely passed their exams.
"Mori, you think your better than us don't ya?! Thanks to you the entire class got extra work. Now we have to wright an essay on Greek History for next week." Riku said his face contorted in anger. Yumi simply stared back at him with a plane face. This angered Riku even more, he grabbed Yumi by the collar lifting him that Yumi barely stood on his toes. Yumi simply responded by saying, "Your time would be better spent on that essay than complaining to me about it."
Riku was sent over the edge, he hit Yumi straight on the jaw. Causing Yumi to stumble back slightly, he then simply just stood up straight with that same blank expression he always has. Riku charged at his, while Yumi made no effort to defend himself. Before Riku could do any more damage, Junko stepped between them, in her track outfit clearly having come from her warm up run. Junko was practically the only person Riku was truly afraid of.
"That's enough Riku, you got your hit in now let him be." it was all Junko could think of to defuse the situation. Riku simply huffed in disappointment as he walked away as his gang trailed after him. Junko looked back at Yumi as he picked up his bag that fell during the altercation.
"Why don't you stand up for yourself, with all the training you have Riku is no match for you. Your skills are way beyond mine. How can you just stand there and let him bully you like that?" Junko stares at Yumi angry, her eyes starting to form tears of sadness.
Yumi doesn't even look at Junko as he stands up from picking up his bag and start walking towards the gate again. As he passes Junko he answers her, "What's the point?! I would simply be adding to the ugliness of this world. There's no point in fighting against the darkness, all I can do is simply try not to add to it."
Junko couldn't do or say anything, but simply look on as Yumi walked out the gate on his way home.
_....._
Yumi simply looked at the ground the entire time as he headed home. No particular thought passing thru his mind as he walked, only a seemingly endless emptiness. It's all he could do not to think about what happened and keep the thoughts of his Father at bay. His father the previous owner of the Mori dojo, had taught him many things, his father's mastery was Aikido. He was taught Aikido from a young age, until he was old enough to choose his own discipline, this was a family tradition.
To train in martial arts of one's own choosing. Members of the Mori family trained in the style of their Fathers until the age of 10, where they would choose their own style and spend their lives mastering that style. The family dojo was a dojo of whatever style the current master was practicing. After his Father's passing the ownership of the dojo pasted to Yumi, and become his home where he lived with Junko and her Father, as both his and Junko's mother passed away when they were still young.
After his Father's death, as their families where close, Junko's father became Yumi's legal guardian. As Yumi refused to move out the family dojo, Junko and her father moved in to the dojo with Yumi. The pupils of the dojo disbanded, many joining other dojos and others giving up on the martial arts. As there was no longer as dojo master, and Yumi refusing to take up the mantel. Junko is the only pupil still left at the dojo, accepting Yumi as the dojo master even if he himself refuses.
To Yumi his Father was one of the endless optimists, his Father taught him to stand up against the darkness. 'To Fight not to harm but to save', was the belief his father taught, but Yumi believed it was this belief that took his Father away from him. That fighting only caused more darkness and that fighting against darkness only caused death. Darkness was powerful and to fight darkness you needed power, but there's no power that can face of against darkness. This is how Yumi came to the conclusion, that fighting darkness was not only pointless but created more darkness. That he would not spread darkness, but also not fight against it.
As Yumi fought to keep his mind blank while staring at the ground, he didn't realize that he missed the turn he was supposed to take. He soon realized as he got to a slight slope, as his way home had no slope. As he looked up to get the bearings of his surroundings, he realised he wasn't too far of, that he simply had to turn around and take the 3rd right. As he turned around he caught a glimpse of something strange in an ally of to the left.
Going against his better nature, he headed towards the ally to take a better look. As he turned the corner he saw what it was that caught his attention, a beautiful girl. She had long dark brown hair elegantly laced in a single braid, he could barely make out her light grey eyes, shockingly beautiful even at a distance, she was average height, but it complimented her elegant figure. Her clothes were torn, and it seemed as if she was running away from something.
It didn't take long before Yumi saw the group of thugs that were chasing the girl, murder in their eyes. He stepped forward to rush in and help her, but he stopped himself. As the thought popped into his mind, "What's the point?! What will I achieve in save her, there are 3 of them and one of me. There's no power that can stand up to the darkness, it will only end in death."
The girl fell as she ran, it was at this moment their eyes met. Yumi saw painfilled and pleading eyes staring back at him.
His eyes opened wide in shock at the actions he was taking, without thinking, after seeing those eyes, he ran forward. The only thought in his mind, "I have to save her!". As the girl fell she looked back at her assailants and she saw the nearest thug merely a step away from her. Just as he was about to reach her with a knife he was holding, Yumi was there ready to use every ounce of his training.
The girl was about to accept her fate, as the nearest thug came at her with his knife. Then she just saw a blur of a person appearing in front of her, she soon realised it was the boy she saw at the end of the alleyway. She was confused as this boy was quite far away, she was baffled at how fast he moved. What baffled her more was that this boy would risk his own life to save a stranger. She faded into unconsciousness as a battle unfolded before her.
Yumi easily deflected the momentum of the 1st thug and brought him to the ground just as the next thug came into reach. Using the first thug as a weapon he pushed them both back stumbling. The 3-thug stood back from Yumi and the girl as they collected themselves preparing for the next attack. The kept attempting to attack and then retreating when unsuccessful, it was clear to Yumi that they were measuring his strength.
Yumi knew that they will soon be attacking him full force and he wants certain if he would be able to take on all 3. They were clearly strong, but Yumi could get a proper reading on them, witch to him was pretty d ass he could usually easily assess a person's ability and strength. Having already decided to save this girl there was no backing of now, he would have to face whatever was coming.
Just as they were about to truly attack the thugs stopped in their tracks, staring at something behind Yumi. Yumi hesitantly looked behind him, not wanting to take his eyes of the enemies in front of him. Standing there in her casual wear, jean shorts, pink tank top, dark blue hoodie and black sneakers, was Junko her school and gym bags having fallen to the ground. As Yumi turned back to face the thugs, all he saw was their backsides running away. Yumi figured the situation got too complicated for the thugs with a third person present.
Junko ran to Yumi, as she kept asking if he was okay, as several minor injuries was visible on his body. Yumi simply collapsed to the group sighing in relief, "Good thing you showed up when you did. If it wasn't for you Junko I would have been done for."
"Yumi what happened and who's the girl?" Junko asked as she looked over Yumi and then the girl lying unconscious next to them.
"I kinda took a wrong turn on the way home and stumbled on those thugs attacking her. Then decided to help out."
Junko had a faint smile as she saw a glimpse of the Yumi she knew, the one determined to save the world from darkness. "You idiot! You won't even stand up for yourself, but you'll risk your life for a girl. If I knew that is all it took, I would have put myself in danger long ago."
Yumi just looked up at Junko in confusion, "What are you talking about?".
"Nothing, don't mind me. Umm... what are we gonna do about her?"
Yumi looked at the girl lying unconscious as he thought it over before answering. "It would probably be best if we took her to the dojo, its the closest, from there we can decide what to do."
Yumi thought that once they were at the dojo, they could use the first aid kit there and Junko's Dad could take her to the hospital with the car if needed. Between the nearest hospital and the dojo, the dojo was definitely the closest and best option.
"Junko, would you mind carrying the bags? It'll make it easier for me to carry her."
Junko answered with a nod as she picked up Yumi's bag and then went to pick up her own. Yumi gently picked up the girl and placed her on his back, in a piggyback style. Slowly the small group headed towards the dojo, Yumi unaware of how his life will change.