5 The Past and The Present

"Yoshikawa, hey... Yoshikawa?"

I can hear someone calling me but why my last name? If it is not Yasu or Fumi then it's probably the worst-case scenario, our teacher.

"Wha? SHIT I SLEPT DURING THE TEST!"

I panicked as I was just half way done with the test. I can hear everyone's laughing but the most annoying one was Yasu's.

"Are you alright, it is the first time I've seen someone sleep during the test."

Our teacher checked up on me to see if I am doing fine or else he'll just let me go to the nurse's office and give me a make-up test later.

"Ah, I am okay sorry I was so focused on cramming things last night that I wasn't able to sleep properly."

"Yoshikawa, it's good to know you're studying well but it is bad if you'd flunk the test and all your efforts then go to waste. Well, it's going to be hard for you to fail the test since you got good scores on our quizzes and homework."

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

I replied.

"I'll give you extra time to finish it."

Our teacher gave me a chance.

"Thank you!"

Time has passed and I have finished up, the only thing left is to go home and continue practicing my drawing with dip pens. Maybe I'll just tell Fumi and Yasu I'm heading home first.

"I'm heading home first so don't wait for me, I'm going to continue practicing with dip pens."

"So you were really practicing drawing for the whole night?" Yasu looked at me in a questioning way.

"Yeah, 'till past midnight at the studio. I had gone and studied after my mom called me to go home, that's why I haven't gotten enough sleep."

"Seriously, don't push yourself too hard."

Yasu's concern was kind, as expected of a true best friend.

"If I don't get used to it then there is no point, manga doesn't have limits. The quality of manga keeps improving so there is no room for me to slack off."

"Limits, what do you mean?"

Yasu questioned again.

"The story and drawings must keep getting better and continuously get better, it's not like a test as there is no one answer."

I explained

"I see, good luck. I'll continue writing some storyboards."

I've never thought that time was so short until now, neither have I been serious about one thing.

"I'm heading home and going to if you want to here's a key for you and Fumi"

"Alright, oh speaking of Fumi she was called from the student council's office."

Yasu reported.

"Did she cause trouble again?"

I ask,

"I don't know, I just saw her outside with the president and that's all."

Yasu replied.

As I was about to leave the school grounds I heard a girl's voice shouting my name from a distance. The voice is someone familiar, and it's closing in, getting louder and louder as the person came closer. It stopped nearby and all I could hear was someone's heavy breathing after such a long run, as I turned to look in their direction the person I saw was unexpected.

"K-K-Kozue?!"

"Oh, Kozue Aoyama!"

"Wait a minute, why are you here and why are you wearing our uniform?"

I asks,

"Ugh, you always treat me like a stranger! I'm a student here too, you know... I wasn't aware you guys came here until I saw you two days ago, I would have greeted you earlier but club activities got in the way."

Kozue explained.

Yes, this girl is Kozue Aoyama. She's wacky, short in stature, and a tomboyish attitude. She's good at sports and drawing as well. I can say she's my rival in arts back in elementary school.

"So what club are you in, Kozue?"

"Classics Club,"

Kozue replied.

"Eh, so you're interested in old stuff now huh?"

Yasu implored.

"At least I don't have a rival in illustrations now."

This was a relief for me.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"Nothing."

I replied.

"So is it true you're establishing a mangaka club?"

Kozue asks,

"Yes, how did you know?"

I was a bit surprised that she knew about it.

"I just heard from some of the students, it also seems the student council is against it."

Kozue explained.

"WHAT?!"

Yasu furiously replied.

"Yasu, calm down. You just said Fumi is with the student council right now?"

"Yes, what are you planning?"

Yasu ask,

"Saving our friend."

I answered.

"Wait, Yasu, Kenji, you don't want to mess with those guys! Students here told me that they're scary enough to make you quit school."

"Oh really, I haven't faced such a worthy opponent since middle school. Let's go, Yasu, I want to see if they live up to their name."

I stated.

"Hey, Kozue, you haven't seen much of Kenji yet. So if you want to see us partners in action you may come with us."

Yasu implored.

"Eeeek! Hey, are you two serious!"

Kozue is confused.

I canceled my initial plan of going home to practice using dip pens. If one of my friends is being aggravated then I'll have to deal with it first. I'm heading towards the student council's office to question their actions.

"Excuse us! I'm Kenji Yoshikawa, vice-president of the mangaka club!"

"Oh what a pleasant surprise, I am Yukina Hanamichi student council president."

"I am going to be straightforward, why and what makes you think that we should not establish a mangaka club?"

I directly voiced out my thoughts.

"I see you're a transferee, do you know about the story of this mangaka club and our school? Are you aware that it has a bad history with the school?"

Yukina explained.

"I've already heard it, the past should remain just that.. the past. We are in the present and bringing forth the future. We will rewrite the history of the magaka club."

I explained

"You're so bold to say that but still I will not allow you to, because one, the school director might be involved in this and the history will be awakened, then it will disturb the environment and the students."

Yukina replied with a tone of disgust.

"Who do you--"

I was interrupted

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO MY UNCLE! THINKING OF HIM AS THE SAME AS THOSE PAST SCHOOL DIRECTORS!"

I was going to defend our side but I see Fumi has had enough of this bitch.

"Of course all of them are the same."

Yukina continues,

"MY UNCLE IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR FATHER!"

Fumi furiously replied.

"HAAAA! MY FATHER WAS IN HIS SUCCESSFUL CAREER UNTIL YOUR UNCLE INTERFERED WITH HIS BUSINESS."

"I SEE YOUR FATHER WAS A SCHOOL DIRECTOR WHO JUST WANTED HIS NAME TO BE PART OF FAME! HE USED THE SCHOOL FOR BEING THE BEST ART SCHOOL IN THE PREFECTURE TO GAIN POPULARITY AND BE SUCCESSFUL!"

Fumi retaliated, she was beyond angry.

"HOW DARE YOU"

Yukina raised her hands as if to slap Fumi but Yasu stepped over and blocked it.

"President, if you can't take the truth about your father then you are not worthy of being the student council president. If you are also going to hurt our friend because of your frustration then you will have to face her friends first, and since it was clear that you are not suitable for this position, we have recorded everything and now have clear evidence of your act of aggressiveness."

Yasu implored.

"I will take this to the current school director and have you expelled from the school grounds."

I stated.

After everything was settled I just went home so exhausted, all I did was sleep the rest of the night. I didn't expect Fumi to be that aggressive but who would not if someone bad mouthed your family member? I guess I'd be the same.

As I arrived at school everyone was looking at me, I feel like I'm standing out for some reason. I met Fumi and Yasu waiting for me at the shoe locker area. Everyone is just staring at us whispering something.

"So when did we become the school delinquents?"

I jokingly ask.

"After the fight with the student council president and exposing her, I guess."

Yasu replied.

"Serves her right, honestly."

I replied while fixing myself in the shoe locker area.

"Uhm, Yasu, Kenji, Thank you for helping me back there! I don't know what I would've done if she'd hit me. I would probably have destroyed her face."

Fumi proudly implored.

"Kenji, maybe I shouldn't have blocked it and let Fumi destroy her face."

"That's right, why did you block it?"

I jokingly slapped Yasu on the back.

"AAAAH! You two are always making fun of me!"

Fumi pouts

"No, we're not, we are serious, we should have let you destroy her face."

Yasu replied.

"Anyways it is over, we defeated the witch of this school."

I declared.

"I'm hungry, let's stop over at the cafeteria for snacks, I also want to discuss our next plans."

I ended my side.

"You didn't have breakfast?"

Fumi asks,

"I did but that walking made me hungry again."

I answered.

"I'll be heading to the classroom first to check on something."

Yasu excused.

"Alright."

So Fumi and I went to the cafeteria. It is not an excuse for me but I want to talk to her and check if she's doing fine after what happened. It was hard for her since she was there first before us and I don't know what they were talking about before we got there.

"Fumi, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm good thank you, and sorry if I worried you."

"Wow, you read my thoughts, yes I am worried about you so if you want to talk about it just ask me."

"Nothing bothers me, all I want is to thank you for saving me there and helping me get rid of her."

"Was she always mean toward you? How did she know about you and your uncle?"

"She was my senpai back in middle school and our families always were rivals."

"That is bad indeed but what she did was terrible."

"Anyways, we should be discussing our one-shot story, so how is it going?"

"I'm busy practicing with the dip pens so I am still focusing on the character designs."

"I see, have you got them with you?"

"Yes, here" I took out the rough character designs that I had worked on a few nights ago and showed them to her.

"WHOA! You really do have a great talent, you're already drawing manga!"

"It's not good yet"

"What about it?"

"The lines are too hard and the thickness is crazy, it is not a manga at all."

"Really?"

"I'll show you in the clubroom later."

"Okay, looking forward to it!"

"You should also be practicing using it since you're going to do our backgrounds."

"Yes, I will."

In the end, we became the troublemakers we hadn't expected to be and I had realized that I have nothing to worry about, Fumi is so strong and Yasu is always supportive. Together we'll be able to get things done.