Akira pressed his palm against his soaked white shirt and grimaced as pain filled his brain. His heart was beating in his ears. He was gasping for breath. The pitch-black forest around him was fading and snapping to focus. But most important of all, he was losing blood, losing it real fast. Akira dug his hand into the wound, but the dark warm liquid continued to drench the bottom half of his shirt.
"Shit. Shit. Shit." He looked behind past the tree trunk he had been using to hide from that weird thing that had attacked him and the cat.
The cat! He looked down at the poor creature lying on his lap. It was one of the weirdest cats Akira had ever seen in his life--its fur as black as the sky above him--ears shaped like the wings of a butterfly--its big fluffy tail wrapped in three bronze rings.
Akira checked for its heartbeat. He didn't get one and sighed. "Guess this was it for yo--"
The woods shook as an enormous thump reverberated across the dark woods, blowing away the mist and the cold air that clung to the forested ground. Akira could tell that the source of that thump was standing right behind him.
Guess this is it for me too, he thought and started wondering how and why he got himself in this mess. Until a few hours back, he was an ordinary boy going through a rough but ordinary life. So how did he got from there to fighting a three-legged monster, taller than the trees around him?
To answer that, we will have to go back a little and replay his complete day.
For Akira, that day had started normal like any other day, nothing too weird. He got up at six, washed his face, brushed, made himself breakfast, and started preparing for school. He was a senior high schooler studying at Fukuoka High School.
The old clock in the living room read 7:32 AM. The school didn't start until 8:45, and the institution was just a thirty-minute walk away from Akira's home. Plenty of time to do plenty of stuff. Akira surfed his social media feed, cleaned his late grandma's photograph that hung in the living room, and checked his hair on the door-side mirror.
The black dye had begun to fade, revealing his natural maroon hair. Damn it, Akira thought. He will have to color them again, or he will have to go through the trouble with the school faculty.
Akira reached school well before the bell. His class was on the second floor. Two of his classmates were already there. They sat huddled near the corner, grinning impishly over something.
"What are you guys up to?" Akira asked, walking over to them.
"Hehe... I finally bought it," Yakeru, the taller of the two, said. He held his phone that showed a 3D female videogame character, scantily dressed, her armor covered in lots of fiery red special effects. "Limited edition Dead-Star skin."
"You actually bought it, huh?" Akira said, right eyebrow twitching.
Yakeru nodded his head, smiling smugly.
"How much did you steal from your house, Yakeru?" Akira asked.
"Huh. Of course, not a single penny! I know it's expensive, I know it--"
"It's a waste of money." Akira chimed in.
"--Yeah, a total waste of money... But I got it on sale. Eighty percent off!"
"Eighty, for real? But it's still a waste of money... But really... Eighty percent off?"
"Yeah," Yakeru said. "But it was only a one-day offer." He glanced at his phone. "Oh... only five minutes remaining before it ends."
Akira's hand plunged into his pocket and brought out his phone. He unlocked it, and his fingers started doing their thing.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Yakeru asked.
"Nothing," Akira said with a blank look on his face.
"You are buying that skin, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. I'm texting my girlfriend."
"Shut up. You are totally buying that skin. Also, you don't have a girlfriend, and you will probably never have one."
"Eh, that's one way of killing the vibe," Akira said, keeping his phone away. "And here I was, thinking I would be having a good day today."
"Good day?" Yakeru scoffed. "I think you have forgotten that today, you will be sitting behind the new girl."
Akira took a back-step. "Wait? Today was the day?"
"Yes, and the class is about to start soon. So, good luck."
***
Akira slumped back into his seat and stared at the empty desk in front of him with rising trepidation. He didn't have anything against the new girl. She was a total loner like he had been a few months back. But unlike him, she was pretty feisty. Her attitude had ruffled the feathers of plenty of kids. Simply speaking, she attracted nothing but trouble.
The morning bell rang, and their homeroom teacher walked in. The class stood up and greeted the teacher.
Standing straight, Akira glanced down at the empty desk. Guess she is not coming today, he thought; I hope she is doing okay. NO. Wait. Now is not the time for that. I should be happy that she is not coming.
"I'm sorry for being late."
He looked at the door. There she stood, the new girl with short, shoulder-length hair, athletic body.
"Oh, miss Rin," the homeroom teacher said, mentioning the class to settle down in their seat. "Why are you late?"
"I got tangled in my mattress," Rin said.
What kind of reason is that? Akira said to himself; No way our teacher is buying that.
"Ah, I see," his teacher said. "Please come in."
He bought it! Akira screamed in his head.
Rin sat down in front of him, and their lecture began. For the next fifteen-minute nothing much happened. Then, out of nowhere, a ball of paper flew into his view and crash-landed into the back of Rin's head.
Akira heard someone giggle. Rin didn't react. Soon, more balls came charging in--some struck the wall, a few plunged to the floor, a few hit Rin and some also hit Akira. This was getting annoying, but he decided to push through it. He had been a loner for most of his life. The only family-plus-friend he had was his grandma, who was now no longer in this world.
He looked to his right at the girl who was letting out muffled giggles.
"Monoka," Akira muttered.
Monoka was one of the most popular girls in their school. She was a beautiful girl with a not so beautiful personality. Right now, she was rolling a ball of paper.
Akira wanted her to stop, but it was too late. She had already thrown the ball, and it was traveling full speed towards Rin. Akira's hand reached out on its own and caught it. "Huh, why did I do that?" he muttered and glanced at Monoka was glaring at him.
Akira looked away. Monoka was totally glaring at him. Why did he do that? His plan had been to stay low and spend his high school surrounded by people who weren't out there for his blood.
Something stuck his head. He looked in time and saw another paper ball tumble to the ground. "Really?" he whispered.
Monoka glowered at him. Akira didn't look away.
"Monoka, Akira," the teacher said. "If you are done with admiring each other, can you please admire this board and my beautiful handwriting on it?"
Akira's head snapped toward the board. "I'm sorry, sir."
***
The first lecture ended, and the thing Akira had feared the most happened. Monoka and her girl-friends ganged upon him.
"You have become quite chivalrous, I must say," Monoka said. "protecting a girl--"
"I was not protecting her," Akira said. "You were being too annoying."
"Huuuh..."
"No. I take it back. More like childish. I mean, who throws paper balls at our age? If you want to get her attention then find some better way to do it..." What am I doing!? Akira screamed in his head.
Monoka's face was turning red. Akira was not sure if she was angry or if she was blushing. "Why would I want to get her attention? Apologize. Apologize right now."
"Apologize for what?" Akira asked.
"Haru. HARU." Monoka kept screaming her boyfriend's name.
Haru, a tall, beefy body with strands of long messy hair rushed in. "What is it, sweetheart?"
"Punch this guy," Monoka said.
"Uh," Haru looked confused. "I can't possibly do that inside the class. I've already received my last warning--"
"Then I'm breaking up with you," Monoka said.
"No. wait. wait." Haru glared at Akira. His angry face looked so fake that it made Akira snort. "You, kid, meet me outside after school."
Akira looked at him, befuddled. "Eh..." He obviously doesn't mean it, he thought.
More like hoped.