My entire body was sore. I'm found by a teacher who gets doctors to take me to my room. I immediately go to the bedroom and sleep.
3 Days later
My alarm rings.
Haruka: "Fuck's sake..." I turn and shut off my alarm then I sit up. "I really don't wanna go to school tomorrow..." My body was still a little sore. I rub my head and sigh before getting up.
The year bounty is given his own private room. It's a fairly large room with a full kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and full view of the island. There's even a living room.
Haruka: I said under my breath, "This school loves showing off..."
While putting on my clothes, my phone vibrates. I look at my phone. It was Sumiko.
~Hey... Haru was it? Sorry- I'm not the best with names. Wanna hang out today? I'm sure I can make it worth your time.~
Haruka: I looked annoyed. "Why does she type like that... Well I guess I better get ready... Maybe she might show her true colors..."
I text back asking for when and where before throwing my phone on my bed and continuing to get dressed. I approach the door but before I leave I pause.
Haruka: "Maybe I'll need this..." I use my powers to form a crossbow. and hide it in my bag.
. . .
The market district of the island is massive. Tons of tall stores offices with a massive mall which I could only assume is based off of the Kichijoji Sunroad. Many students frequent it every day. Some for groceries and some for normal items.
Haruka: "Alright. Where did she say to meet." I had arrived in sunglasses, and a hat. I look at my phone. Sumiko said that she'd be a little late but to meet her at the local fast food place.
I walk to the fast food restaurant, keeping my head down.
Haruka: Why would she wanna go here? There are so many better places. I lean on the wall of the restaurant and wait.
The door opens next to me. I turn.
Sumiko: "Oh! Haru!" I shush her. "Oops- sorry. What are you waiting out here for?"
I stared at her for a second. She had a black button up shirt with a purple bow tie and black jeans.
Haruka: "You- You told me to... wait... here... for you."
Sumiko: "You could've gone inside... Come on in. I got a seat."
We walk into the restaurant and Sumiko leads me to a booth. Three people were seated already.
Muscular Friend: "Who's this?" His voice was very deep but loud.
I looked at one of the friends. I quickly recognized her.
Haruka: "Hiragi?-" My voice was cut off by Sumiko.
Sumiko: "This is Haru-" I look at Sumiko. She looks at me for a second before looking back at the group, seemingly trying to remember my full name. "Ha-Haru...ka..."
The groups eyes widened. I facepalmed. One of the friends, a girl with long curly brown hair, jumped up, slamming the desk a little.
Brown-hair girl: "Fukushima?!" She looked around making sure nobody was looking at them then started whispering. "The year bounty?"
Haruka: "I don't know what's so hard to understand about it."
Sumiko: "I just realized I should probably introduce my friends to you, huh... Anyway the muscular one is Aaron, the one with pink hair is Hiragi, and the one with curly hair is Cristyn.
Hiragi glared at me. I look away and Sumiko look at us.
Sumiko: "Do you two know each other already?" Her tone changes.
Hiragi: "I was tasked with bringing him to the opening ceremory stage. Why are you trying to be friends with him?"
Aaron: "Don't start..."
She looked away a little bit.
Sumiko: "Because I think he could be a good friend. He is gonna be surround be enemies after all- he needs someone to lean on."
Haruka: "If you guys are done I think I'm gonna go." They all looked at me. "I kinda want to work out instead of listen to nonsense."
Aaron: "Don't be like that Haruka... We are chill right?"
Hiragi: She sighed. "Yeah. We are fine." She looks at me.
Haruka: "Yeah we are cool but I'm... just gonna get out of here." Id start taking a few steps back, bumping into a booth before walking out.
Sumiko follows me. She grabs my arm to try to slow me down. I keep walking for a few seconds then turn to face her.
Sumiko: "Sorry about them... Haru. They kinda tagged along cause they found out I was gonna hang out with you. Wanna... go on our own?"
Haruka: "What are you trying to do." I look away. Her purple eyes were beautiful- her entire face was. It was hard to look at her without blushing from this close.
Sumiko: She let go of my arm. "A girl can't hang out with a guy without it being weird?"
Haruka: "Don't put words into my mouth. I'm just not a people person. I don't trust them."
Sumiko: "Does you coming here mean you trusted me?"
Haruka: "I came here to test that but its hard when there's a group."
Sumiko: "Alright." she grabbed my hand and ran.
Haruka: "What the hell-" I almost tripped as she started running.
Sumiko: "Then I'll get you to trust me!" She turned to face me. Her face looked a little annoyed "What's a place you like here?"
Haruka: "I've never eaten at anywhere here. It's just been microwaved food. I haven't tried as many foods as you probably have."
She stops and turns, giving me a blank stare before bringing me to a clothing store. It was fairly large. My attention is drawn to the flashy restaurant next to it. The smells coming from it were great.
Sumiko: She laughed. "You wanna try italian food? I guess we can shop after." I looked around. Sumiko was texting someone but I couldn't tell who it was due to the glare of the light. She looks up again. "Alright! Let's go." She starts walking inside the clothing store.
The clothes inside the store were of all different brands but none seemed on the cheaper side.
Haruka: "Am I gonna have to pay for this?" I rub my neck a little and crack it.
Sumiko: "No. I'll do all that. Why would I bring you here just to make you buy me things. That's a thing couples do." She puts a bikini in front of her body. "Would this look good on me?" I look down.
Haruka: I sigh deeply. "Yeah it looks good." Sumiko tilts my head up, making me look at her. "Y-Yeah it's fine." She lets go of me.
Sumiko: "It seems there are more expensive clothes further that way. Would you like to go?"
She started talking different. I could notice it right away. Her tone shifted from airheaded silly mystery to rich sheltered girl.
Haruka: "Why... Why are you talking like that." I look at her, annoyed but.
Sumiko: "Oh- I'm just acting more fancy cause we are in a store for rich people." She laughed. "You gotta be less paranoid. Haru... lets go to the rich people area."
Her laugh seemed to light up the store. Although, I could sense people staring at me now. It felt like daggers.
Haruka: I grab her arm and start speed-walking to the expensive area. I turn to her, lowering my head a little. "We are being watched."
She looks around, nervous.
Sumiko: "I-I'm sure people are only staring at us because we are speed-walking-"
Haruka: "They were staring at us before that. Here." I go into a changing room, pulling Sumiko in. I sit in the corner with her sitting in between my legs.
Sumiko: "Haru-" I cover her mouth. She was blushing and didn't move. Someone runs by the curtain.
The sound gets quieter but they go towards another person. I take the crossbow out of my bag and aim it at the curtain. I hear the sound of someone getting closer.
Haruka: I let go of her and form a shield. "Sumiko you should go to the other stall." I listen more. "Heels and boots. Two people."
Sumiko didn't move as she was a little flustered from what happened.
I can vaguely hear them talking. It was very quiet.
???: "He's with someone so be careful."
???: "Got it!"
Haruka: "Hey." I snap in her face. "You awake? People are coming."
Sumiko: "Oh- fuck. Ok. Um. What do we gotta do."
Haruka: "What weapon are you good with."
Sumiko: "I'm good with mostly anything- maybe knives are my go-to?"
I'd form two knives and some arrows for myself. I hand her the knives before aiming my crossbow over the curtain.
???: "Looking for us?"
I turn around and fire the crossbow, the arrow hits the ceiling. Nobody was around me.
Sumiko: "What the hell Haru- are you alright?"
Haruka: "I just heard one of them behind me." I reload my crossbow.
Sumiko: "Haru... nobody was here."
Haruka: "Now I know you are fucking with me." I jump out of the curtain and fire again, crouching down as well. The arrow gets caught by someone. It was a girl with red hair and a long ponytail. She had many scars on her face.
???: "I'd appreciate if you didn't wreck my suit. I paid a lot of money for this." She takes off her suit and puts it on the curtain, then she rolls up her sleeves. "Is it safe to assume you are the one I'm looking for?"
She had a bit of an accent. It seemed sort of canadian. Her arms were also scaled. They looked lizard-like.
Haruka: I'd raise up my shield, covering most of my body. "You wanna kill me?"
???: "Well, what else would I be here for? Oh it seems I haven't introduced myself. I'm Amari Horino. Pleasure to be here." She starts stretching.
Haruka: "You aren't gonna come at me?"
Amari: "Oh well I'm not that reckless but I guess I'll give it a shot." She runs at me, jumps in the air, spins, then tries to kick my neck mid spin.
I raise my shield. Her kick hits the shield and an explosion occurs on contact. I'm sent flying back, rolling on the floor. She comes dashing at me once again.
Haruka: "Holy shit-"
Amari ripped out some of her arm scales and threw them at me. I roll out of the changing room area and into the main store, dropping my crossbow. I see someone else run towards Sumiko through the smoke.
Haruka: "Sumi-" I'd be interrupted by Amari dashing out of the smoke. She uppercuts me then grabs me by the neck, slamming me into a coat rack.
Amari: "You don't seem that strong eh kid?" She stretches her legs. She was incredibly flexible. "I graduate this year so... I kinda want some starting money for when I'm out in the real world."
She gets out a rope. The smoke alarms go off now. Water poured down, taking out the fires made.
Haruka: "I'm not gonna be..." I get up. "... a tool for your own gain." I sigh and crack my neck.
Amari: "Oh please honey you are just a stepping stone. Don't flatter yourself my making you think you have a purpose other than supporting me." She glares at me then starts running at me, throwing punches.
I block some of the hits but I can't get a hit in. She grabs my arm then slams me into the ground before kicking my back, sending me into the wall with the explosion.
Amari: She takes out a pistol. "I can only kill the year one with pencils right?" She fires it at me, the bullet piercing my shoulder.
Haruka: "Fuck!" I take out the bullet and look at it. It was a sharpened pencil. I then roll behind a pillar. "Did you just shoot a pencil out of that?" She fires again, it breaking part of the pillar.
Amari: "Specifically made with me in mind." She throws another scale, exploding the pillar. I had already moved to a different pillar though. "I mean, technically it's allowed, isn't it?" She gets behind a pillar too.
Haruka: "I gotta get to Sumiko." I form a similar gun and bullets.
END OF CHAPTER