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School Rumble (Broom and I)

Mei frowned when Aiden mentioned that he was a good cook. Truth be told she hadn't even thought about it until now, but without Komoku it would be back to eating fast food, which would be unhealthy for the baby. "I'd appreciate that." She said as she forced a sad smile. "Anyway, I'm going to sit down for a while...I have nothing else to do while Komoku is in surgery."
 
"...Did I say something wrong?" Aiden asked curiously, brow furrowed. "I...simply don't want to be a burden for your generosity, that's all." Had he insulted her by assuming she couldn't cook or clean?
 
"No, you didn't. It's just that Komoku usually does all the cooking for me, but he obviously can't do that right now. So it's convenient for us, that's all." She couldn't imagine anything tasting as good as Komoku's cooking, but food was food. She already missed him and she regretted having that awful fight before all this happened. What if he never woke up? She would never be able to apologize for all the dumb things she said. It made her feel sick to her stomach thinking about that...
 
"...I see," Aiden murmured, his expression shifting. "My intention is not to replace Komoku's place in the household, Mei. But my time spent with Eva gave me more practical skills that I would like to use, please," he said, head tilted respectfully. "I mean no disrespect toward his habits, I will not take this place." His seriousness was practically glowing around him with every pore. It was hard to imagine that he was actually Eva's brother, even his posture was different.
 
"I know, Aiden. I know you aren't trying to take his place. It's just...sinking in more, that I might not get to talk to him for a while." It was more than that, since the doctors didn't know if he could even walk after he healed. She didn't know how she was going to sleep tonight...or eat. Her anxiety was already getting the best of her thinking about the worst outcome of all this.
 
He nodded after a long moment, considering it. "...It's not my place to say, but I doubt Komoku would leave like this," he murmured easily. "I knew that much when I fought him, he likes things to end on his terms, chances are if he knew he was actually in a coma, he'd be trying to rip his eyes open to get away."
 
"I know." Mei said with a small smile. "If he was awake he probably wouldn't even want to be here. He'd insist that he was fine and all he would need to do is sleep it off. He's so stubborn." That was right...Komoku was too stubborn to let something like this keep him down. He would be fine, she just had to believe that. "I'm going to sit down now, Aiden. Maybe you should check on Eva soon."
 
"Yeah," Aiden said, with a long...drawn out sigh of a brother exhausted with his sister. "Yeah, I know. I'm going to let Jana butter her up some more before I attempt that. Feel better, alright? Maybe I'll have some good news for you soon, Mei." Fat chance, but it was still his mother and he was determined to try.
 
"Hopefully." Mei said with a nod, but she knew...it was probably a lost cost if what he said about his mother was true. Which, being that he was her son, it had to be. "Thanks, Aiden. If you need the directions to my place, just let me know. I'll see you later."

Maybe. She wasn't planning on leaving the hospital any time soon, even though she still needed to see the end of the tournament through. Especially with Yoko still competing...
 
It wasn't really the kind of time for anyone to be celebrating a tournament, but for everyone else? They were drinking it in like the best kind of beer. Mifune wasn't really too surprised, to be honest. Maybe he just knew the kind of people that Turuga had, not always ill-intentioned, but always bloodthirsty. Someone like Komoku getting beaten into a blood pulp was the kind of bloodsport that Turuga liked at it's core, no matter who got hurt. So, despite the recent emotional roller coaster of Komoku's hospitalization, the show must go on. Which is why they were back to a full crowd of hungry fans, eager to see more violence.

Which was, coincidentally, one of the reasons that he never wanted Sophie to see this place at all. But that was the way of things, he didn't want her to see this, but maybe it was good that she did. Maybe it'd make her understand that the world wasn't all sunshine and happiness like her songs promoted, maybe it'd make her feel like she mattered a little more. He honestly didn't know, in fact...he really just wanted the whole thing to be over...for a number of reasons.

"Mifune! Mifune! We love you!" He heard in the crowd, followed by a cascade of screaming and waving as he grimaced faintly, shifting his sunglasses up out of habit, which did absolutely nothing to dispel their wild cries. Adam chuckled faintly, and the passive glance her got from the bodyguard made him grin awkwardly at him in apology.

He hated this stupid place...
 
Kokoro didn't hesitate to give the girls an angry stare, but Sophie didn't seem to even notice them. She was still shaken up by the last match, seeing Komoku defeated so easily. She couldn't help but worry about Mifune, since that girl was crazy strong. She had disqualified herself, but what if that other girl who hurt Jana's girlfriend was that strong?

"It'll be okay." Kokoro told Sophie as she placed her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Sophie. Sometimes things get out of hand, but they always turn out okay."

"Ah, yeah.." Sophie said with a half smile. "I'm fine, just hoping that Komoku is okay."
 
"He will be," Mifune promised, hand on her head. "And I will be too," he assured easily. "So stop worrying so much, Sophie. When have I not been fine, ever?"

"We could ask some of your new fangirls," Adam joked with a lopsided grin. "They might agree."

"So funny," Mifune said flatly, back to his grimace. Man, what a pain in the ass...why did he even agree to this in the first place?
 
"Rabid animals." Kokoro hissed as she folded her arms. Sophie found that strange, that she seemed to be more upset at Mifune's new fans than he actually himself was. Maybe she was a little overprotective of him?

"I think it's cute that you have fans, Mifune. You don't get this much attention anywhere else. It's nice to finally see you on the receiving end of fans." Sophie laughed a bit, trying to cheer herself up. He was right, she had never seen him actually in trouble before. He would be fine.
 
"I do not need fans," Mifune grumbled. "My job is to keep you away from yours, Sophie. The hell do I need fans for? Someone to cheer me on when I pin some pervert to the pavement? Isn't that your job?" Since that meant he was doing his job right?

"Oh," Adam said, clicking his tongue. "So that's what that is, huh?"

He was enjoying this, wasn't he?
 
"You don't have to pin perverts to the ground for me to cheer for you, Mifune." Sophie said with a sly grin. Why did he always have to be so grumpy?

"Anyways," Kokoro interrupted before pointing at the large LCD screen. "It looks like Kitten will be having the first match, with Yoko. I suppose you lucked out, Mifune...you're automatically going to the finals."

"He would have won anyway." Sophie nodded confidently, although she was secretly relieved...
 
Mifune was glad for the subject change, to be honest. He wasn't quite sure how to compartmentalize that properly without assuming some very...non-professional things as he scanned the LCD screen and then down to the arena, which was somehow in a decent state despite the mess that the last few fights had been.

"I don't know how big of a lucky break that is," Mifune grumbled. "For someone named Kitten, she's got some real claws."
 
"It's her opponent I'd worry about." Kokoro stated plainly as she folded her arms. "Kitten won't use unnecessary force to end a fight, unlike that woman. I have never seen anyone defeat Kitten, but then again I've never seen anyone quite like her, either. I can't put my finger on it, but something about the way they both fight is similar."
 
"I noticed," Mifune mumbled, arms crossing in a remarkably similar manner, Adam noted. Guess it was a mild understatement how many mannerisms they shared... "I don't really know, though, Kitten seems to fight purely on reflex, I don't even know if she has any formal training, but it's not like she needs it." Man, he did not want to fight either of them. Couldn't he just give Kitten the win? It'd still be what Mei wanted in the first place, right?
 
"She doesn't have any training." Kokoro muttered, her eyebrows furrowing at the thought. She had gotten a little more refined, but before she decided to think for herself, Shi was the one that had given her the skill she needed to always be victorious in her fights. Kokoro probably knew more about Kitten than anyone else, or at least the old Kitten...it was clear that Yoko had training, so now it was worrying to her that Kitten would simply fall short to her skill.

***

Kitten was happy that finally, she had a true enemy to face. This fight would help Mei keep her status as DC's leader, and she could finally make up what she had done to her before they became friends. She turned to Sejae and took both of his hands in hers. "I'm going to go now. Can you give me a kiss for good luck?" She asked with a smile. Sejae had been off ever since Komoku was hospitalized, but she understood why. Despite the surgery having no complications, Komoku didn't show any signs of regaining consciousness soon.
 
"Dangerous in it's own way," Mifune sighed. "As Komoku has clearly shown in a number of ways already."
--
"Since when did you need luck?" Sejae said easily all the same, but leaned down, lacing his fingers with hers to give her a hungry kiss. Maybe he needed it more than her, but her smile always made him a little less tense. In the grand scheme of things, there was really no sense being so upset...Komoku was out and that was just...the painful reality. It felt weird just imagining him not being around, even if they didn't always hang out like they used to, they still had never lost their connection. Now it was like their leader was gone.
 
"I think the difference between them is that Kitten knows she's unskilled. She'll be careful before she tries to attack, just to gauge her opponent." Kokoro stated as she crossed her legs. This was going to be a very interesting fight.

****
No matter how many times Sejae kissed her, she would never get used to it. It still made her so flustered, so hot...all she wanted to do was kiss him more. However, she had something she needed to do first. "I just wanted the kiss." She told him with a smile before turning away.

"Kitten, don't hold back on the punta!" Catalina called out to her as she headed to the arena. Kitten took a deep breath, and nodded in acknowledgment as she walked away from her friends. She couldn't hold back against this opponent, Catalina was right. There was something different about her that told her she would lose if she tried to go easy on her.

Yoko was already there waiting for her, a big grin on her face. Finally, this was the match she had been waiting for. A worthy opponent, but more than that...she could finally get a chance to speak to her long lost friend. Even if she didn't remember her...
 
"Hm," Mifune murmured, arms resting on the railing to regard the two of them. Something seemed weird...he couldn't quite place what it was, however. Maybe he was just being paranoid about nothing. "Dunno about that, Koko, but I guess we'll see." Why was she so excited about this fight, anyway?
 
Kitten took her fighting stance, her eyes narrowing slightly at Yoko as she waited for her advance, but after a few moments it became apparent that she wasn't going to attack first. So she did, deciding to go for a feint just to see how she'd react. Her answer? She didn't react, and Kitten at the last second decided to switch from feinting to actually attacking, ducking low and ramming her elbow towards Yoko's stomach. Yoko caught it, and squeezed so that Kitten would have a hard time pulling away.

"Ren, it's been a long time. You've gotten stronger." She stated as her smile grew less cold, less antagonizing. In fact it did a complete one eighty. Yoko was now staring at her like she had all the love in the world for her. The problem was, she didn't know this woman at all. So she still yanked her arm back and jumped back, only so she could find another opening. Yoko advanced, and despite the fact that she was only walking, she was already in front of her before Kitten could react.

Yoko grabbed her with all her strength and embraced her, and Kitten, now mashed against Yoko's chest, gasped in surprised. What was she doing?!

***
"Is that...a wrestling move or something?" Sophie asked, clearly confused with the entire situation. She wasn't the only one, honestly. Here Kokoro was, on the edge of her seat expecting the worst from this unknown opponent that practically destroyed Eva...and she was just giving hugs?! What was the meaning of this?
 
"...No, no it isn't," Mifune murmured, brows furrowed as Adam tilted his head curiously, leaning against the railing to watch. That was...a hug. An actual, honest to god hug. Something that had zero context considering how she shattered Eva's hand. This was the same girl, wasn't it? The very same one who hit Eva like a freight train? Now it was hugs?

"I'm lost," Adam murmured. "Anyone got any idea?"
 
Kitten used all her strength to push away from Yoko, but she wasn't letting go. She hissed in frustration as she shoved and pushed and tried her damndest to pry of Yoko's arms...but for the first time she was actually overpowered. Or perhaps she was simply at a disadvantage from their positioning, she didn't know! "Let me go!" Kitten snarled angrily.

"No, listen to me. Ren, I don't want to fight you. I only came here to talk to you. You can lash out at me all you'd like, but I'm stronger than you and I won't let go." Yoko whispered to her.

"My name is Kitten, why do you keep calling me Ren? I don't know you!" She hissed back, digging her nails into the sleeves of Yoko's jacket. She was drawing blood, but Yoko didn't even twitch.

"Because you're not Kitten, you're Renata Jaeger. You used to be my best friend." Yoko answered before her face darkened. "And then you were stolen away from me, by these Turuga thugs. Renata, please remember me. I want to take you home, back to your real friends and family." Her grip loosened so they could both look each other in the eyes. "Please recognize me. Doesn't the name Yoko Lương sound familiar to you?"

Kitten blinked when she realized what was going on, what Yoko was trying to tell her. She knew...who she was? She knew her family? She only shook her head in response. "I..I don't remember that name. I'm sorry. I don't even recognize the name you call me." She answered as her hands fell to her sides. This was...strange and seemingly too good to be true. She had been looking for clues as to who she was, what her past was...and out of no where it just dropped into her lap? "I don't understand, why didn't you just find me and tell me this. Why enter the tournament just for this?"

"Because you're always with those Korean dogs, I wanted to talk to you alone." Yoko muttered as she moved her hands to grasp hers. "I want you to come home with me, they would never let you go if I had approached you while they were around."

"Home?" Kitten was far too confused to be angered at Yoko's insult. All of this was so surreal, she didn't even notice the crowd getting anxious to see a fight, yelling at them to get on with it, to stop talking.

"Volaysia." Yoko answered, ignoring the crowd of barbarians around her. She didn't come here for them, she came here to fulfill an agenda and Kitten was the last piece of the puzzle. She needed her to come. "You're mom and dad, they miss you. They think you're dead. You have to come home with me."

"I have to think about this," Kitten mumbled as she stepped away from Yoko, shaking her head. "I can't...I can't just leave all my friends here. They're my family too. I have to at least think about it." Kitten muttered. Yoko grimaced in disappointment, but she couldn't exactly do anything to change her mind, at least not here.

"Alright, think about it. I'll be in Turuga for a little while longer." Yoko said as she stuck her hand in her pocket and handed her a slip of paper. "My number. Good luck in the finals." She winked at her and then casually turned her back, walking towards the edge of the ring and hopping off. She threw the match, if only to get Kitten to trust her. As much as she did want to fight her, she needed her to come back. Willingly would be convenient, but inconvenience wouldn't be an issue.

***
"Well..that was anticlimactic." Sophie said with a disappointed sigh. She supposed it was better than the previous two matches, at least. "Guess you get to fight Kitten after all, Mifune." Sophie smiled at him.

"She must know Kitten." Kokoro muttered as Kitten was announced the winner. "If she threw the match for her, she must know her." Not to mention, that hug was far too intimate for her to be just a stranger. Still, Kokoro found it highly disturbing that Kitten had to be released, rather than being able to free herself. Yoko may not have been a threat any longer in the tournament, but she was a threat in general.
 
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