Chapter 38: Graduation and The Invitation

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The students look over  

Students: "Hey isn't that? Akemi? Wasn't he first in place during the class examination? Forget that didn't he fight against Kana and almost win? Wasn't he a complete loser last year?" they all look up "I should apologize..."

Akemi walks toward the school building 

Akemi's Thoughts: "I'm getting a lot of weird looks"

Voice: "Suuuuuup~" 

A arm falls around Akemi's neck

Akemi looks to his left and sees Kana smiling "What are you doing?"

Kana: " huh? I'm saying hi"

Student 1: "Hey do you see that?"

Student 2: "She's so close to Akemi and isn't trying to maul him to death?"

Student 3: " Her arm is around him too, they look so close"

Akemi sighs "I have a feeling that weird rumors are going to start"

Akemi and Kana walks into the building

Kana walks in front of Akemi "well, I have to get to class"

Akemi: "You? Class?"

Kana stretches while walking away "Yeah, I didn't have enough to sleep last night so"

Akemi: "Of course" he starts walking toward the classroom and puts his right hand on the door

Voice 1: "Stop stop!"

Voice 2: "Are you trying to fight again?"

Voice 3: "You're still hurt, you shouldn't!"

Akemi turns around and sees Doi standing in front of his with bandages around his head, neck and arms

Doi stares at Akemi "Akemi..."

Students gather around Akemi and Doi "What's going on? Is Doi trying to pick a fight?"

Akemi: "Are you-"

Doi leans back 

Akemi balls up his right fist

Doi bows

Doi: "I'M SORRY!!!!"

The students jaw drop

Akemi: "...Huh?"

Doi: "I am sorry Akemi! For everything until now, I know I made your life a living hell and I know I'm not worthy of your forgiveness but-"

Akemi: "Ok"

A brief silence

Doi: "What?"

Akemi: "...Ok"  

Another brief silence

Doi stands straight up "That's it!?"

Akemi: "Hm? I already took out all of my anger on you though"

Doi eyes widen as he thinks back to the class examination "r-right" he looks at the ground

Akemi turns back around and opens the door then walks into the classroom

The students inside the classroom turn and looks at Akemi

Students: "There he is, is it me or does he look scarier now? I wish I didn't pick with him now, he's probably going to get revenge on us now"

Akemi walks down a isle of desks

Yuuto looking down at the desk and a shadow falls over him "Huh?" he looks to his left and sees Akemi then flinches "A-Akemi!" 

Akemi looks down at Yuuto "Your fight with Ayaka..."

Yuuto Thoughts: "R-right, I lost...I ruined a perfectly good moment to show off"

Akemi: "You were pretty good"

Yuuto eyes widen "T-thank you"

Akemi walks past Yuuto and towards his seat

Yuuto: "I got a compliment"

Akemi looks at his desk and notices it's clean and sparkling "...Huh?" he turns around and sees the students around him looking away whistling "Whatever" he pulls out his chair and sits down

Girl 1 nudges a girl to the right of her "go ahead"

Girl 2: "W-what at you talking about?"

Girl 1: "Don't pretend you don't know, you said you were going to apologize to him when we got back to school remember"

Girl 2: "Ok ok" she gets up and slowly walks to Akemi then turns around to look at girl 1

Girl 1: "go, go"

Girl 2: "N-n-nothing to be afraid of, i-it's just Akemi"

Akemi leans back in his chair

Girl 2 gets closer to Akemi

Akemi looks down and notices girl 2 in front of him

Girl 2 starts sweating heavily

Girl 2: "U-u-u-u-um A-A-Akemi"

Akemi Thoughts: "Is she sick or something?"

Girl 2: "I-I'm sorry"

Akemi stares at her then a memory comes to his mind

Memory

Haru: "Akemi, just remember when you get back to school there will be a lot of people coming up to you trying to make amends with you"

Akemi: "Amends? Why?"

Ken laughs "because you beat the crap out of that Doi guy that was bullying you, and fought on equal footing with Kana"

Akemi shoos his left hand "I don't care about any of that, we're only going to be there for another year anyway"

Ken: "that's more than enough time to take revenge on everyone there, so to save their own skin they'll probably try to apologize and make sure they can live their school lives in peace"

Akemi waves his right hand side to side "then I'll just accept them"

Fumiko: "Wait" she gets in Akemi's face "I have an idea!" 

Present

Akemi looks at the girl as she's sweating heavily

Akemi Thoughts: "I don't know if this will work but"

Girl 2 twiddles with her fingers

Akemi smiles brightly "don't worry about it"

Girl 2 eyes widen then she flinches and blushes then a arrow goes through her heart (metaphorically of course)

The other girls in class looks at Akemi while blushing

Girls: "Wow!"

The girls run to Akemi "Me too!"

The boys look at Akemi

Boy 1: "He's forgiving us!"

Boy 2: "We should hurry and go too?" 

The boys run to Akemi 

Akemi's Voice: "Although it was annoying getting so much attention and having to forgive so many people in the class and later on, the rest of the year flew by quickly and peacefully"

1 Year Later

Shinjiro standing behind a podium while looking down at the student

Shinjiro clears his throat "firstly, I would like to congratulate all of the students for making it here today, that tells me you guys have worked hard this year and have a bright future ahead on you" he straightens the microphone "being a hunter is more than hunting monsters in rifts, getting powerful equipment or having wealth, it's about protecting the people that can't protect themselves and I hope that you all will do your best protecting the citizens of not only japan but the world. On behave of Minha Academy I would like to thank you all for spending these years with us now, go out and be the best hunter you can be"

The students clap their hand

Akemi stretches his arms above his head "It is about time, now I can become a hunter for real without having to sneak into rifts" 

Boy's Voice: "Lian Xu"

Akemi: "What...?" he turns around to sees a boy with short black hair, two earrings in his left ear, blue eyes, and wearing black cloths

A memory flash in Akemi's mind

Past

Lian Xu as a kid laying on the ground, curled in a ball while getting kicked by a boy and girl with black hair while another girl with black hair stands on the side looking"

Boy: "Why are you so weak"

Girl 1: "No wonder dad hates you so much!"

The boy laughs loudly "your mom probably died to get away from you, if I had to be around you all the time, I would have did the same thing"

Tears heavily run down Lian Xu's face

The boy looks at the girl standing on the side "You come join in too"

Girl two shakes her head no

Boy: "Suit yourself"

The memory fades away

Present

Akemi looks at the boy "Feng Xu..."

Feng walks toward Akemi "That's an awfully cold way to call your brother's name" he smiles 

A girl with black long hair, red eyes and black cloths walks behind Feng Xu

Girl: "Feng, we didn't come here to bully him. Hurry up and give it to him, I'm feeling dirty just by looking at him"

Feng looks behind him "You don't want to enjoy our little reunion, Yan?"

Yan: "Enjoy? Who would enjoy being this close to Lian Xu?"

A girl with black hair curly hair in a pony tail, red eyes, wearing black clothes and a red bow around her neck

Yan looks to her left at the girl "Right Li?"

Li doesn't respond and stares at Akemi

Akemi looks at the three of the angerly 

Akemi: "You...Bastards, why are you here?"

Yan: "Bastards?" she walks to the side of Feng

Feng: "Oh? Looks like your appearance wasn't the only thing that changed this past year...you've even grown a mouth to talk back with" he stands in Akemi's face "seems I'll have to beat some sense into you just like the old days" blue energy forms around him

Yan: "Don't forget about me" red energy gathers around her"

Black energy forms around Akemi and his shadow expands

Akemi Thoughts: "I'm going to kill these bastards, right here...Right Now!"

Intermission:

Intermission Over

Akemi's energy clashes with Yan's and Feng's

A hand grabs Akemi's left shoulder 

Akemi looks to his left and sees Shinjiro

Shinjiro smiling with his eyes closed "What are you kids doing?"

Feng: "Nothing much, just discipling out brother"

Shinjiro: "Well, you're still on school grounds" he opens his eyes and looks at Feng and Yan coldly "would you mind not causing a disturbance while you're here"

Feng and Yan sweats a little then their energy disappears 

Shinjiro looks at Akemi "Is that fine with you as well Akemi?"

Akemi energy disappears "tch"

Shinjiro: "Good"

Feng: "We didn't come here to pick a fight Lian Xu" he reaches in his pocket with his left hand and gives Akemi an envelop with a red seal on it

Akemi takes the envelop "What is this?"

Feng: "It is time for the Xu's family gathering and you've been invited"

Akemi: "Excuse me?"

TO BE CONTINUED