Chapter 4: Same club?

I had a keen interest in Taekwondo. I have been learning it since past 4 years. My school gave us the option to join different clubs so I chose the Taekwondo club. We had club practices thrice a week. We had practice for at least two hours.

All of us were practising for almost an hour and suddenly someone crashed the door and our sensei yelled, "It's your third time now! If you're late again I'll throw you out of the club." "Sorry sensei, it won't happen again. I was busy with the union meeting," the person at the door said and to my surprise she was none other than Aiko! "Oh no! Why is she here? I was warned to stay away from her already," I panicked inside. I asked my friend, "I haven't seen her earlier in his club, has she just joined?" My friend replied "Since she's the president of her class and also a member of the school union so she has been granted permission to attend whenever she's free. She hardly comes." I couldn't stop myself from glancing at her constantly. Her high kicks were on point. Is she really mean? I could see her smiling and goofing with her friends. In fact she stood out amongst all the other girls. I could sense that she had too many "friends". Some might be real and some must be there for her position. Looking closely, her eyes were dazzling, and she really had long black lashes. She was also taller than me. She had almost the perfect body, just enough to make any guy fall head over heels for her. She must be in a relationship. Wait! What am I doing? Why am I thinking so much about her? Is it because she caught my attention the first day or is it because I was told to stay away from her? The feeling was strange. I just wanted to befriend her. Suddenly, sensei announced that next week we'll have a small competition amongst ourselves to keep a track on our performance.

Later, the other day as we were about to go for our practices, Chiyo, one of my friend pulled me outside and suggested that we should bunk the practice. I was afraid but I couldn't resist her persuasion and we ended up hiding in one of our school's old storeroom. She said that our club has already many students and sensei won't notice our absence. My friend was really calm but I was panicking and to my fear the door opened with a loud thud and there was Aiko standing. She shouted, "What are you freaks doing here? Sensei knows that you guys are missing and he has send me to fetch you. You two are so dead!" My friend begged Aiko to help her and I just stood there numb. She glared at me and went back with us. Infront of sensei me and my friend stood with her heads down when Aiko said, "Sensei, I found Chiyo in the infirmary. She wasn't feeling well, but I don't know about this new girl. I found her hiding in the storeroom." What the hell is wrong with her? I thought. I tried to explain myself but Sensei was already enraged and he punished me to do 200 head kicks. He didn't say anything to Chiyo. She apologised to me afterwards but one thing was clear that Aiko hated me.