Chapter 43

'' You are fighting No. 17.'' Mr. Touma said grinning before they finally arrived in a changing room. Danuja wasn't really sure if it was the same one from last time, she just hoped that the bathroom has a door so she could put all her bindings in place.

'' Sound lucky enough doesn't it?'' he asked closing the door and with it all the noise from outside

'' Didn't know you are into gambling. Does your wife even know what you do?'' Danuja asked back smiling when he tried to hit her back

'' Brat.'' Mr. Touma huffed still grinning '' Go get changed till I see how things look like.'' he said letting Danuja do her thing

---

Once the door closed, Danuja get up and check it one more time before going into the small bathroom, closing herself there.

'' Haa.'' she sighed, rolling her neck before stripping of her clothes.

She took of her shoes and replaced them with tight wrappings around her foot and ankle. Her worn out t-shirt was replaced with a sport bra three times smaller than her size and a pair of wrappings, -just because her breast where small didn't mean she couldn't make sure - before she put on the small, dark chest protection Mr. Touma give her.

The damn thing was so thin that it made Danuja question those people definition of protection. 

And if her paranoia grow with time than it wasn't even her fault.

Her loose pants and belt where replaced with shorts and the customary crouch protection. 

'' Yeah.'' Danuja said snorting before adjusting the plastic '' Doesn't get better with time.'' she said before checking her face and hair in the mirror about the washbasin.

Two pair of golden eyes looked back at her, making a quick check of her features. There were a couple pimples on her temples and her eyebrows were beginning to look just the slightest bit unpleasant. Beside that there was no sign of her looking like a girl or a boy.

Danuja rubbed her arms before getting out, noting that her legs and arms were still having the same blonde, small hair.

Small mercies she thought stepping out of the bathroom before taking a seat and beginning to wrap her hands.

---

Danuja was getting impatient. She finished her warm up some time ago and right now she was fighting her own shadow while her body become more and more tense.

'' Fuck sake.'' she said in the empty room '' Stop that.'' she scolded herself not even knowing why she was getting so tense. Everything will be fine, she will do anything and everything to win and if not then she wasn't getting out of that ring without painting the ground in red.

The sound of a ringtone startled her before her head wiped towards her duffel bag, blinking startled while getting out her phone.

'' Oh?'' she said when seeing messages pop up on her start screen. Danuja could have been suspicious of seeing Kana name on her screen, the girl messages popping up if Kana herself wouldn't have insisted on knowing her own number before school ended.

Danuja herself didn't think much of it till now.

'Danuja-san? You didn't get into a fight again didn't you?' Kana send making Danuja huff amused before looking down at her attire, the wrapping on her hands making it a little difficult to write

'What's making you think that? There's not a scratch on me.' Danuja send checking the time, frowning at the late hour 'Couldn't sleep?'

It was already close to midnight and even though it was summer she didn't except Kana to be a nightly owl. Especially when she was always so happy looking and awake in the morning before class. 

Danuja missed it already.

' Something like that. I was sure you were awake though.' Kana send giving Danuja a flashback with her smiling face and sparkly amethyst eyes

She frowned looking at the screen already knowing that it wasn't enough for her. Maybe she should do something about that home address.

' Nights are not for sleeping.' Danuja send smirking imagining Kana reddened cheeks 

' Danuja-san! That's so unhealthily.' Kana send scolding her over the phone, even. Gods, Danuja was hopeless she missed even that scolding about her health and eating habits.

She didn't realize that minutes have passed with her losing herself in her memories with the same girl she was talking with. 

Danuja wasn't made for texting.

' Danuja-san? You wouldn't fight without telling me right?' Kana send but before Danuja could even press her first letters the door opened, Mr. Touma buttling in grinning

'' There's another fight before yours then you are up right after.'' he said taking the ice bucket from the corner, his kit with sterile cloths, small blades and water bottle. Then he looked down at Danuja hands gripping her phone tightly before he laughed '' Talk with you girlfriend and get out brat. I'm right outside.'' he said getting out without Danuja saying a word

Danuja sighed deeply not even realized that she hold her breath till that moment. She gritted her teeth before looking down at the phone typing quickly and answer.

---

'' Who are we seeing?'' Danuja asked walking beside Mr. Touma, sidestepping a drunk man in the crowd

'' Karate versus Brazilian Jiujitsu.'' he said grinning and even nodding at some people '' Who do you think would win?'' he asked when they arrive in a spot where the ring could be seen clearly. It was obviously a place where the crowd didn't really step, a place used by fighters and their coaches.

In the ring where a young black man, looking in his early twenty or somewhere in the middle was fighting what looked like a middle aged man, slightly overweight looking like the most stoic person Danuja ever saw.

'' Brazilian Jiujitsu.'' Danuja said when the younger man did an unknow move at the older man, hitting him straight in his throat. She frowned when Mr. Touma snorted before patting her back roughly

'' Look carefully brat.'' he said grinning before lifting a finger up '' This it's their fifth round.'' he said over the ecstatic crowd

It took much longer than Danuja would recognize till she saw what he was talking about and at the end she blinked startled, at sight of a paralyzed, fallen young man.