Sakamoto days : The Heinous Flower

Chapter 5

Chapter After leaving the academy island surfing with a plank of wood, I walked to the small shop near my dojo.

The bell above the door chimed as I entered. The familiar scent of old wood and fresh snacks filled the air. I grabbed a bottle of water and a pack of rice crackers, placing them on the counter.

The shopkeeper, an elderly man with a kind smile, looked up. "Rough day?"

"Something like that," I muttered, handing him some coins.

He chuckled at my response.

Not wanting to start a conversation, I grabbed my things and headed back toward the dojo. As I approached, I noticed a group of kids gathered near the entrance, their laughter echoing through the street.

"Haha, did you see that bald girl?" one of them said, grinning.

"Yeah, she's so ugly!" another added, laughing harder.

I took a step closer. "Oi, what're you doing hanging around my crib shitty brats?" I called out.

They turned to look at me, their laughter faltering.

"Find a dirty magazine or something? Whatever you found is mine, so go buy your own, dickheads," I added, crossing my arms.

"Ah! It's the demon!" one of them shouted, eyes wide with fear.

"Run away, or he'll eat you!" another yelled before they all bolted, their laughter fading as they disappeared down the street.

I sighed, watching the kids scatter like scared rats. "Monkeys," I muttered, turning back toward the dojo—only to see a man standing near the sliding door.

He had a goatee and a soft smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Looks like you've got quite the reputation," he said, his tone laced with amusement.

I scratched my head, suppressing an eye roll. "Yeah, well… what do you want, uncle?"

He took a step closer, his smile never wavering. "I saw your ad online," he said with a calm smile. "I'm interested in buying this dojo."

My eyes widened in surprise. This quickly? I thought I'd have to wait years for a buyer. Well it's good thing that I will gain some money from it

"Ahem… and sorry about barging in uninvited," he continued, scratching the back of his head. "It's just… those kids wouldn't stop making fun of my daughter, so I had to let her inside. I hope that's okay."

I waved my hand dismissively. "No, no, it's fine," I replied, trying to brush off the awkwardness. "I don't mind."

"Oh, that's great. My name's Keizo, and my daughter's Kira," the man said, turning his head back toward the dojo. "You impolite goose, come here and greet the owner," he called out.

"Eeep!" Kira squeaked, realizing she'd been caught . Flustered, she quickly slipped inside the dojo, hoping to avoid further attention.

I grabbed his shoulder, offering a reassuring squeeze. "It's fine, there's no need." After a brief pause, I added, "I can show you around if you want."

"Ah, that would be great. Thanks, kid," Keizo said with a warm smile.

I raised an eyebrow. "Kasumi. You call me that, not 'kid.'"

______

"So, this is where I used to sleep," I said, pointing at the old mattress laid out in the corner. A smirk tugged at my lips as I added, "Don't look under the pillow—I forgot to take my private stuff from there, if you know what I mean... haha."

"Is that it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "It looked bigger in the ad." He glanced to a faint red stain on the floor. "And what are these red marks? Did someone die here or something?"

'Oh shit, he's onto me.'

I forced a grin. "Well, there's a small shack in the back. It just needs a little polishing... nothing too serious," I said, casually ignoring his last question.

Keizo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... are you a martial artist, Mr. Kasumi?" he asked, his eyes scanning me with curiosity.

"Yes, I know a thing or two," I answered, keeping it vague.

Keizo's eyes lit up with interest. "Ah, I thought so. You have that unique presence. My daughter used to train a bit too, but she lost interest after being diagnosed with cancer."

From behind the sliding door, I noticed a pair of curious eyes peeking through—a glimpse of Kira, still spying on us.

Keizo's smile widened as he stroked his chin again. "So how about this… let's spar. If you win, I'll buy the dojo no matter the cost. However, if you lose, you'll tell me about those stains."

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "You sure? I don't go easy."

"Hahaha..Neither do I." His calm demeanor didn't falter

"Wait, wait, wait, Dad!" Kira slid the door open quickly, her voice filled with urgency. "You can't—"

She froze mid-sentence as I noticed the hat perched awkwardly on her head, barely covering her eyes. Her face flushed as she quickly tried to adjust it.

Keizo turned to her with a soft chuckle. "It's fine, Kira. Just a little sparring. Nothing too serious, right?" His tone was reassuring but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes." So whoever stay in the ground for 5 seconds wins "

" five seconds huh?" I raised an eyebrow, sizing him up. "Fine by me."

Kira stood silently by the door, still adjusting her hat, but her worried gaze flickered between her father and me. It was clear she didn't think this was a great idea.

Keizo gave her a wink before turning back to me, his calm demeanor never slipping. "Let's see what you've got then, Mr. Kasumi."

__________

After we both slipped into our judo outfits, the atmosphere shifted. The tension in the air grew thick as we stood facing each other, ready.

Keizo adjusted his stance, his eyes locked onto mine, but there was still that calm smile on his face.

I cracked my knuckles, feeling the familiar weight of anticipation. "Again, Don't expect me to go easy on you," I said, maintaining my focus.

He nodded, his eyes gleaming with the same intensity. "Haha dont worry i wouldn't go easy on you either."

The room was silent, save for the sound of our breathing. Then, without warning, we lunged at each other.

I grabbed his hands, trying to throw him, but in a flash

CRACK !!!

I found myself slammed to the ground. The impact was so forceful that the wooden floor beneath me splintered, the crack echoing through the dojo.

I gasped for air, momentarily stunned. Keizo's calm face hovered above me, his posture still steady and unyielding.

What? How the hell did he slam me like that? I thought, quickly pushing myself up, my eyes scanning him, trying to understand what had just happened.

As I stood, Keizo's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "How are you still standing?!" he asked, his voice tinged with genuine disbelief.

I didn't answer, the only thing that was in my mind was one question ' how ?! He barely touched my cloths '. The air felt heavier, charged with the anticipation of what was to come. I got into my stance as I stood, this time raising my right hand instead of my left.

Keizo's voice cut through the tension. "What are you doing?" he asked, a hint of amusement mixed with challenge. "Are you looking down on me?"

"Not at all," I replied calmly, eyes locked on his. "I just don't have a preference for either grip."

Keizo chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Is that so?"

Without warning, he moved—faster than I expected. His body shifted with fluid precision, closing the distance between us in an instant. I barely had time to react.

BANG!

The sound of the wood exploding as my head crashed into it. This time, the force rattled me to the core, the cold floor biting into my face. I could feel the sting reverberate through my body

I pushed myself up, ignoring the sting of the impact, the blood trickling down from my forehead. I wiped it away with the back of my hand, keeping my focus locked on Keizo ' He's not that fast it's just ...I want to know HOW ? He barely even touched me ...wait ! '

Keizo stood there, his usual calm replaced by a flicker of confusion. His eyes narrowed as he watched me get up like nothing has happened, brow furrowed, trying to figure out what was going on. His hands relaxed slightly at his sides, the certainty in his posture now wavering for the first time.

"How… are you still standing?" he muttered, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.

I didn't answer immediately, just raised my stance again, prepared for whatever he'd throw at me next.

Keizo's confusion deepened as he took a small step back, eyes narrowing. "This... this isn't normal... you are not normal"

Seeing him spacing out, I cracked my neck "Phew... that was a good swing" I said, smirking through the blood trickling down my face. "If it was a normal judo fight, I would've lost in the first three seconds. Haha."

Keizo's brow furrowed, his gaze sharpening. "Skills that can be impacted by a set of rules is hardly any skill at all."

Then, in a split second, he was in front of me, his fingers hooking into my clothes. With fluid precision, he swung me again, my face crashing into the floor with a force that shook the boards beneath us. "This simply means I still have a long way to go," he finished calmly.

The impact left me momentarily dazed, but I gritted my teeth and pushed myself back up. My body ached, but giving in wasn't an option ' this is nothing compared to what that bastard did '. I locked eyes with him, my focus renewed, and rushed at him, aiming for his left hand.

"DAD, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kira's voice rang out from the side.

Keizo moved to throw me over his shoulder again, seeing that he's now using a typical judo move I drove my hand into his right elbow mid throw

*CRACK*

dislocating it with a sharp, precise strike.

Keizo froze, eyes wide in disbelief. Slowly, he lowered his arm, cradling the dislocated joint though his face remained unreadable. He glanced at me, confusion and something else flickering in his gaze... was it happiness? Pleasure? I don't know ..it was something perverted like that

"Pfft, haha." I wiped the blood from my face, my grin widening. "Long way to go? Then where the hell does that leave me, huh?"

I finally understood it. He'd perfected the art of throwing to the point where he could throw me using nothing but the friction of my clothes ...just like he did in the first attack

"Dad, please stop!" Kira ran toward her father, tears streaming down her face as she clutched his uninjured arm. "Let's just leave… we can always find another dojo." Her voice cracked, trembling with worry.

Kira clung to her father's side, her sobs slowing as she looked up at him with wide, teary eyes. Keizo's demeanor returned to its usual calm, and he patted her head gently. "It's alright, Kira," he said softly, offering a reassuring smile despite the pain in his shoulder. "I'm fine."

He then turned his gaze to me, his eyes filled with a strange mix of respect and recognition. "Let's end this as a draw," he said, his voice steady but carrying a slight edge of admiration and a bit of sadness. "It was nice meeting you."

With that, he gave me a short nod, and together with Kira, he walked toward the door

"Wait," I called out, my voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through me.

He didn't say anything, just waited for me to speak.

" teach me that technique and this place is yours ... I will even help you rebuild that shack back there "

Keizo's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing me. His gaze flickered to Kira for a brief moment before settling back on me

"For Free !?" he asked, his voice low but not without a trace of amusement.

" Yeah for free" I smirked at him while sweating buckets ' oh shit I shouldn't have said that now how am gonna pay my debts ?! '