why. WHY is he yelling at her? it seems as if these days it was ALL anyone could do. why could she just not get anything right? taeko HUNCHES in on herself as he yells these things, knees pulling up to her chest. red hues peer up at the boy she recognizes to be kiyotaka, wide as she trembles at the anger.
she HATES the raising of voices now ESPECIALLY. it was always followed by her father LASHING out at her, striking her or forcing her into further torment. the gamblers she was forced to be around had their own ways of acting in ANGER – all of it scarring to a little girl. all of it making her too HARD at such a young age.
these thoughts bring a ROLLING haze of red across her vision – her own dangerous anger flickering through her body fiercely all of a sudden. the change is IMMEDIATE. no longer does she tremble, tears threatening to pour out. suddenly her eyes have a predatory nature far SUPERIOR to her age. she stands quickly, rage contorting her features as she points a finger at him.
“ YOU do not get to tell me what to DO, got it? he was an ASSHOLE and i let him off easily! what kind of KID follows a girl to the park to call her a FREAK because she minds her own DAMN business? if you say telling a TEACHER is some form of JUSTICE, you have another thing coming. they could care LESS about us – we are ALL just whiny brats to adults, don’t you know? “
the vulgarity pours off her lips EASILY, though at the end of her words she pants for breath, as if this bout of anger has taken it all from her. that STRANGE power has left her again, but her eyes remain defiant as she looks up at him, dark circles under her eyes, unnaturally pale but still STRONG.
“ this world is FILLED with bullies, and i CAN’T just take that. so if you have a problem with it, LEAVE. instead of yelling at me and being a bully yourself. “
Kɪʏᴏᴛᴀᴋᴀ sᴛᴜᴍʙʟᴇᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ, sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪᴛʏ ᴏғ Tᴀᴇᴋᴏ's ᴡᴏʀᴅs. Hᴇ ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʀᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴘʟʏ- sᴜʀᴇ, ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʜᴇ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴏғғ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ ɴɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʀᴀʀᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs sᴛʀᴏɴɢʟʏ. Aɴᴅ ɪғ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴜsᴜᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ sᴡɪғᴛ ᴘᴜɴᴄʜ ᴛᴏ Kɪʏᴏᴛᴀᴋᴀ's ᴊᴀᴡ.
Iɴsᴛɪɴᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ, ʜᴇ sʜɪᴇʟᴅᴇᴅ ʜɪs ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏɴᴇ ᴀʀᴍ, ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜᴜᴅᴅɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ. Hᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ Tᴀᴇᴋᴏ ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʜɪᴛ ʜɪᴍ, ᴏʀ ᴇʟsᴇ sʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ɪᴛ ʙʏ ɴᴏᴡ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ sᴛɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ʟᴇsᴛ ʜᴇ sᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴏғғ. Hᴇ ɢᴜʟᴘᴇᴅ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴏsɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍsᴇʟғ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴡᴇʀɪɴɢ ʜɪs ᴀʀᴍ.
“ I-I'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʙᴜʟʟʏ, ” Kɪʏᴏᴛᴀᴋᴀ ᴍᴜᴍʙʟᴇs, sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ ᴀ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʟᴇss sᴜʀᴇ ᴏғ ʜɪᴍsᴇʟғ, “ I ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜɪᴛ ʜɪᴍ. Tʜᴀᴛ- ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ᴛʜ sᴛɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ᴏᴋᴀʏ. Iᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴇᴛʜᴄᴀʟᴀᴛᴇᴛʜ ᴛʜɪɴɢᴛʜ. ” Hᴇ's ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ɢʀɪᴘ ᴏɴ ʜɪs ʟɪsᴘ, ʙᴏᴅʏ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴛᴇɴsᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴡ ʜᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇs ʜᴇ ɪsɴ'ᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ.
“ I'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ- ᴊ-ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ! Tʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ʙᴜʟʟʏ! ”
