Bragging Rights
Jab. Punch. Kick. Spin. Repeat. Haruka had just recently gotten into kickboxing, but was already considered by most to be proficient. Mako-chan had introduced her to it, when the martial arts were not fast enough for her. Mako-chan had chastised her about that. She shrugged before beginning to beat the bag again. She had never been a patient one.
“Be careful, you are making people stare.”
Haruka executed a perfect roundhouse kick to the bag; making is creak on its support, before turning to meet the gaze of her unwelcome visitor, also clad in kickboxing attire.
“Who are you to lecture me about subtlety, Seiya-san? You all became pop stars, for Kami’s sake!”
Haruka smirked as Seiya’s jaw clenched just the tiniest bit.
“We do it for our Princess.”
Haruka was not willing to back down, for though she understood, she was not willing to let that corrupt her judgment.
“Ah, yes. Your Princess. And until you can find yours you try to steal ours away.”
A fist punched into the bag next to Haruka’s head. To her credit, she did not even blink.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“I believe I do. I see you stare at her, you’re hardly the first. But let me give you a warning, senshi to senshi: she will not fall for you.”
“You have no right to claim her! She’s not yours!”
“You’right, Odango’s not mine. Not in the way you’re speaking, at least. She is Mamoru-san’s, just as he is hers. Your petty seduction cannot overcome true love.”
“I’ll fight for her!” At this, Haruka laughed outright, mocking in her eyes.
“And what do you think he has done? He has died for her, more than once! Then you waltz in, acting as if you are the better option, all because he is not here!” She paused, shocked that she was letting all her feelings for this man out into the open. “Tell you what, since Mamoru-san is not here, you can fight me. If I win, you stop calling her “Odango”, that’s Mamoru-san’s name for her, and back off. If you win, I’ll let you make a fool of yourself trying to win a promised woman. Fair?”
“Fair.” The challenge was met by turning and walking over to the practice mats.
The dance began. Jabs, uppercuts, kicks, and knees were used to extreme advantage. There was no clear winner, the first two rounds draws. Then the talk began.
“He doesn’t deserve her”. The first blow struck.
“And you do?” The retaliation.
“If I had her, I would not abandon her when she needed me!”
The crack of a nose broken shatters the silence following the last, Seiya crumples to the floor, bleeding nose in hand.
“You fool! Blood is the sign of clumsiness!” The remark is met with a shrug and a quiet, yet damning statement.
“Mamoru-san did not abandon Usagi. You have no right to judge him.”
Seiya wiped his already healing face with a towel, freeing it of blood. The next round began, but not without a final cross.
“I can judge whoever I wish. All I know is that a Prince should not abandon his Princess.”
Cross. Jab. Kick. Uppercut. Repeat. Different combo.
“Abandon? Just like you abandoned your Princess?” The blow was ruthless, to the gut.
The roundhouse kick took her off guard, managing to catch her in the side of the head. It was Haurka’s turn to become acquainted with the mat.
The final round. Each side was out for blood, but no defenses were dropped this time. No openings given.
Another draw had to be called, each one nursing the injuries of both pride and body.
“I will not stop calling her Odango.”
“Very well, but if you try and force your “love” upon her, I will break you. And your so called friends, the Inners, will be the ones holding you down as I do it.”
The draw had been acknowledged, but neither side was satisfied.No bragging rights to be had here.
“Be careful, you are making people stare.”
Haruka executed a perfect roundhouse kick to the bag; making is creak on its support, before turning to meet the gaze of her unwelcome visitor, also clad in kickboxing attire.
“Who are you to lecture me about subtlety, Seiya-san? You all became pop stars, for Kami’s sake!”
Haruka smirked as Seiya’s jaw clenched just the tiniest bit.
“We do it for our Princess.”
Haruka was not willing to back down, for though she understood, she was not willing to let that corrupt her judgment.
“Ah, yes. Your Princess. And until you can find yours you try to steal ours away.”
A fist punched into the bag next to Haruka’s head. To her credit, she did not even blink.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“I believe I do. I see you stare at her, you’re hardly the first. But let me give you a warning, senshi to senshi: she will not fall for you.”
“You have no right to claim her! She’s not yours!”
“You’right, Odango’s not mine. Not in the way you’re speaking, at least. She is Mamoru-san’s, just as he is hers. Your petty seduction cannot overcome true love.”
“I’ll fight for her!” At this, Haruka laughed outright, mocking in her eyes.
“And what do you think he has done? He has died for her, more than once! Then you waltz in, acting as if you are the better option, all because he is not here!” She paused, shocked that she was letting all her feelings for this man out into the open. “Tell you what, since Mamoru-san is not here, you can fight me. If I win, you stop calling her “Odango”, that’s Mamoru-san’s name for her, and back off. If you win, I’ll let you make a fool of yourself trying to win a promised woman. Fair?”
“Fair.” The challenge was met by turning and walking over to the practice mats.
The dance began. Jabs, uppercuts, kicks, and knees were used to extreme advantage. There was no clear winner, the first two rounds draws. Then the talk began.
“He doesn’t deserve her”. The first blow struck.
“And you do?” The retaliation.
“If I had her, I would not abandon her when she needed me!”
The crack of a nose broken shatters the silence following the last, Seiya crumples to the floor, bleeding nose in hand.
“You fool! Blood is the sign of clumsiness!” The remark is met with a shrug and a quiet, yet damning statement.
“Mamoru-san did not abandon Usagi. You have no right to judge him.”
Seiya wiped his already healing face with a towel, freeing it of blood. The next round began, but not without a final cross.
“I can judge whoever I wish. All I know is that a Prince should not abandon his Princess.”
Cross. Jab. Kick. Uppercut. Repeat. Different combo.
“Abandon? Just like you abandoned your Princess?” The blow was ruthless, to the gut.
The roundhouse kick took her off guard, managing to catch her in the side of the head. It was Haurka’s turn to become acquainted with the mat.
The final round. Each side was out for blood, but no defenses were dropped this time. No openings given.
Another draw had to be called, each one nursing the injuries of both pride and body.
“I will not stop calling her Odango.”
“Very well, but if you try and force your “love” upon her, I will break you. And your so called friends, the Inners, will be the ones holding you down as I do it.”
The draw had been acknowledged, but neither side was satisfied.No bragging rights to be had here.