I’m My Own High School Rival: Nakamura’s Arc: Heritage

  The weekend was ending, and I had done nothing fun for the millionth time because, according to Sakura, I attracted too much attention. I was limited to where I could go. Often, I would walk around the neighborhood, greeting the same people, seeing the same faces.

  I ran my hand through my hair, peering out of the living room’s open window. I miss the freedom I had as Knox, however limited, because the most I’d worry about was being stabbed or something.

  I pced my head against the windowpane, peering out into the outside world and my reflection. The gss felt cold, like the sb in a morgue, but my warm breath kept fogging everything up.

  “Sakura, I’m bored,” I said, knowing she was in the room, waiting for her response.

  The hum of the ceiling fan grew irritably loud.

  “Sakura—”

  “What the hell, Antwon?!” Sakura said in a groggy voice. She had fallen asleep on the couch, and I had woken her.

  “If you're bored, do my homework or go for a walk.” She stretched out on the couch, moaning in joint-limbering pleasure.

  “Can we go to Tokyo today?” I had never been outside of whatever residential area I lived in because Sakura had always created a safety network for me, preventing me from experiencing the real Kokiri.

  “No, Antwon, because Tokyo falls into Silent Orchard territory.” The ck of interest and mild irritation in her voice suggested the likely outcome of my request.

  “What about Fukuoka?”

  “Daughters of Ash’s terff.”

  I walked a few steps toward Sakura, passed the TV no one watched, and sat on the portion of the couch she wasn’t lying on.

  “So what if it’s their stumping ground. Why can’t we just go?”

  She opened her eyes to see my reaction. Her sleepy face changed, but only slightly.

  “Do you want to become their joy toy? One look at you, and normal people follow you home. Now imagine if one of the Daughters of breaking ws got even a whiff.”

  She sat up, sitting correctly.

  “I don’t want to risk a run-in with them. Besides, I don’t want you to get hurt; do you want me to get hurt?”

  I shook my head no.

  “Good, because I wouldn’t stop coming for them until I was dead.”

  I sighed because I wasn’t asking for her to die… again. I only wanted something to do besides exist in these four walls.

  “Kyoto?”

  Sakura growled. “Why are you so desperate to be seen?!” She said with bitterness in her voice.

  “Kyoto is in Veil territory; we live in the veil, and I don’t care about being seen—I want to do more than wilting away like some dried-up flower.”

  Sakura turned to me and started petting me on the head, like I was a small child, disregarding my frustration.

  “But you’re not dried-up yet, my flower; if you were, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

  I blinked, and then blinked again in disbelief.

  "Sakura, did you just tell me that you’d be okay with me going out if I were an old man?”

  I waited for a response, but she stared at the coffee table like it would bail her out of jail.

  “I mean… yeah. If you were old or ugly, they would take you but return you at the end of the day. So—”

  I hit her with one of the throw pillows on the couch because it was hurtful. I hit her again for being a jerk, and a third time because it might have been true.

  I hate this stupid face as much as I hate when she’s right.

  “Stop it, Antwon!” Sakura shouted before pulling the pillow away from me.

  I gred at her, clenched my fist, and gritted my teeth. I wanted to hit her—I knew I couldn’t win, and I wasn’t sure how she would react to physical aggression. However, I wanted to do it anyway.

  Women and children were off limits; that’s the code I live by… I still live by.

  I took a deep breath because I hadn’t done this in a while, and didn’t know how it would come out.

  “Sakura, I deeply admire how you manage to wrap brutal truth in such casual grace. It’s a rare gift—to cause that much damage without even trying.”

  She blinked.

  “Um, you’re… welcome?”

  I stood up and started stomping toward the door, unsure of what I was going to do next.

  “Hey… hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?”

  I stopped, hand mid-reach of the knob, and turned, facing Sakura, who was still on the couch, gring from over its top.

  “Why, dear sister. I’ve made a life-changing decision.”

  She stared, waiting for crity.

  “I’ve decided to become a joy toy, so some strange woman would keep me after ciming me.”

  “Antwon,” Sakura growled.

  “After all, who would want some old, worn-down gaijin?”

  “So, you're going to march around in your fucking pajamas until someone picks you up off the street?”

  I blinked softly while chewing my bottom lip.

  “I was going to leave all my worldly possessions at the door. Clothing and all.”

  Within seconds, she hopped over the couch, like it were a prison gate, standing in the way of her freedom.

  “Touch that door, Antwon; I dare you!”

  I inched my hand closer to the knob, knowing she was watching, knowing she would stop me.

  “Antwon, stop it right now. You know Mom and Dad wouldn’t want you out there.”

  And there it is again: that feeling I hate so much.

  I looked at the knob and all it symbolized in that moment. I know I wouldn’t make it far, even without Sakura stopping me. Did women in my world carry this fear, this guardedness from society? I just wanted to live my damn life, but life isn’t worth living if I can’t be free to go where I want.

  To hell with it all!

  I touched the doorknob, and lightning-fast feet were all I heard before slender arms wrapped around me, hoisting me off my feet.

  Sakura carried me effortlessly to the couch and plopped down with me in her arms.

  “Do you feel better, Sakura?”

  She y down on the couch, still holding me, and whispered, “I think you need a nap.”

  Defeated, I turned my body, which she loosened her arms enough for me to do, and rested Sakura’s head on my chest.

  She attempted to move her head away. According to her, interacting with a man’s chest was like touching a woman’s from my world. I didn’t see the appeal.

  I pulled her back in, causing her to fall into my arms, lying beside me, and her breath grew heavy.

  “I don’t understand. I go to my friend’s house, and you don’t act like this.”

  She looked up as I looked down. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had control.

  “Y-yeah, but how much attention do you attract going to her house. Besides, I… don’t see her trying anything funny.”

  How would she know? For a moment, I considered forcing Nakamura into a retionship, spending the night at her house, sleeping in her bed. But I stopped because I would be no better than Ryo if I did.

  I rested my head on the couch, clicking my tongue, swallowing the bitter taste of defeat.

  I’ll sleep, jerk. But not because you told me to. Because interacting with Antwon’s shards was the closest thing I had to freedom.

  AnnouncementThis song is associated with The Daughters of Ashes (DOA): https://suno.com/s/DytLiUJ6AFP1SBoJ