42 A Father’s Dilemma and A New Friend

SERI happily waved goodbye to his son when he took his way going to his school. Little did his son know that he wanted to follow him at his school.

When they first got there and Sora finally started going to his school, his son wasn't that enthusiastic about it. More bored, angry, and rebellious.

But now, after just a few weeks, he saw changes in Sora. He was more lively and eager to leave the house now.

"Did he finally adopt in this life? If he did, it will be hard to extract him from this place." Seri talked to himself as he started to follow his son. "and it'll be harder if he gets attached to that little deity."

Seri didn't know why he got afraid for his son's being. He came to that prefecture with full trust to the Sun Goddess. And that was his loyalty to celestial beings talking. But if he would look at this as a father, sacrificing his son's fate and future, he just cannot turn a blind eye not knowing what would happen to Sora.

Seri sighed as he was starting to get torn between his duty to his ancestry to his duty as a father. Being mortal for so long makes him more human.

Aside from that, he remembered the last thing his father said:

"Believe that everything she did is for the good."

And Seri knows what he meant. He followed Amaterasu's will, that his linage would carry the first ruler of the lands when all the celestial beings ascended to the Takamagahara.

But is that enough for him to sacrifice his son for everyone's benefit?

With that in mind, Seri continued to follow his son. Maybe, it will be better if he would not sit still and reclaimed his title as the Deity of Balance

******

THE WHOLE classroom makes that deafening silence every time Maeko enters the classroom. It was as if they were talking about her. And she doesn't care.

All her life, she had had that treatment. Why? Well, it's all because she was different.

Having a foreigner of a mother, where she got all her unusual traits. Red hair with green eyes. A perfect topic for freakiness.

Her eyes fell on one person when she entered the classroom. The boy one seat away in front of her.

Hosusora Inoe.

Like her, they have an odd appearance, different from their classmates and both a transferee. They were an outcast especially when Sora helped her when she was about to get bullied.

{That, he was just stupid. I can take them down if he didn't pop out of nowhere.}

Maeko then looked outside of the window, as she was sitting by it, thinking about what happened that day, she thought that it will the start that finally, she'd be able to talk to someone. But she hoped for nothing.

She cannot help but roll her eyes out of annoyance.

She was annoyed that after what happened, she cannot take her eyes off of Sora. Every time he moves, her eyes would follow.

{Come on, Maeko. You just wanted to get to know him. You know, birds with the same feather.}

Maeko groaned inwardly. As it wasn't in her nature to make the first move on 'having a friend'. Frustrated as she may, she still didn't do anything and just went back on following him.

Lately, she noticed that Sora would always make haste on going home. She tried to follow him but after the corner going to the backside of their school fence, Sora would nowhere to be seen.

Curious. She will try to stay behind. The backside part of the school was visible from where she is. And so as the forest that was a two-way road away.

The day went lazily for Maeko. Eyes still following Sora. Brow furrowed. Frowned in annoyance at his stupidity and clumsiness.

[This Sora is a sissy.} Maeko cannot help but comment on Sora. But she cannot deny that he may look stupid at times, Sora cannot shut a blind eye to injustice.

Just like now. He got himself into trouble again when he defended a lower grade from his bullies.

"It's you guys again," Sora mediate. "You didn't really learn your lesson from what you did to Maeko, huh. Now you change your subject to someone. Why don't you pick someone your own size?"

Maeko's jaw dropped. How can Sora tell them that when he was much taller than those bullies? The irony.

"Y-you. Why do you always meddle with our business?"

Clearly, the kid which looked like the leader of the group was intimidated by Sora's height.

"Because you are wrong. Why do you bully him with his lunch? When you have your own money and food?" Sora clicked his tongue and moved as if he wanted to punch the kid. "Go. Don't bother this kid anymore. If you do, I'll tell this to the teacher."

The kid scoffed and didn't budge. "You think I don't have anyone to fight you, huh? Kenta!"

Maeko silently gasped when she heard the name. Kenta was one big kid in size and in height. {This kid deserves to be the leader and not the puny one.}

"Fight him. All of you fight him."

{Really? That many versus one?} Maeko sighed as she watched what was happening in the canteen. These grade six are really troublesome.

It was then she decided to stand up and walked where the commotion is happening. She just cannot look and sit there when she knew that it'll be a bloody mess. And Sora would be the crying end. She stood beside Sora and looked at him.

His face was full of confusion. "What are you doing?" His voice was a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

"Helping you." She casually says as she readied herself.

"Me?" Sora lightly laughed. "No. no. I know you cannot fight. You just got bullied by these kids."

Maeko didn't answer and just shrugged. She also smiled before she disagreed, "Who said I was being bullied?"

And before Sora could speak again, the kid Kento tried to swing a punch at Sora, but Maeko was faster as she was already in front of Sora.

She deflected by pushing his hands to her right and anchor his arms to his shoulder over his back. Lock her right hand to her left, wedging his right arm, neck with her left and right arms. With that in lock, she gave all of her weight to get him off balance before tripping his right legs and make him fall on his back.

And there was silence.

And Maeko also waved goodbye to her prim and proper façade.

****END OF CHAPTER****

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