The Gladiator's Soul chapter 5

Previous chapter: The Gladiator's Soul chapter 4
 

That night I fell on my bed exhausted. The fight and so much laughter made me feel really tired. I felt well, it could be said I was happy. Over the years I have been able to realize that day might have been the happiest in my life. But I also felt a proportional fear. Nobody could assure those bullies (or anyone other) would not come back for her; maybe for revenge, or for the sheer vice of bullying. And I recalled her sad face when bending down. She thought I could not see her from my position and loosened up.

From then on I made a critical decision: I should not depend on my Hime anymore. She was brave, far more valiant than me. But all too valuable to be lost. If I wanted to be strong enough to protect her I should change my role. I could no longer be a spoiled child; I should become her support and protector. So that every day I could see that smile on her face. It stood clear to me: I did not do it for her; I did it for myself.

I remained as coward as at the beginning, but needed that smile as the plants do the sun.

A week went by and it looked like the situation had calmed. Nobody was waiting for us at the school entrance, we were just rejected as usual.

There were just a few days left until the summer holiday. Probably that was one of the reasons. But in spite of the goodness of the favourable situation Hime did not have a good expression. She had been half day sighing with her hand on her folder. I had to find out what was making her so uncomfortable. Could it be perhaps a love letter from some admirer? It could be that; some boy would invite her to be spend some days together in holidays. Following he would say something like ‘look how that plane flies’ and she being so distracted would look there innocently. Then when she turned back her face he… <<aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgghhhhhhhhh, I  can’t stand it! I have to discover what is the source of her concern!>>

“What happens, are you going to miss the school? Is that why you have that sad face? If it’s that don’t worry, I can be your private tutor. I will teach you to cook bugs and…”

“Puajjj! How can you be so dirty!” Somehow her face recovered its light for that ephemeral instant. I had to work out a chance to take a look at the horror folder. But how? She had not told me anything, so obviously she did not want me to find out.

<<It could really be an admirer…>> That fact was irritating me even more.

At last I found the solution. “Hime, would you like a bubble bath at my home? As thanks for healing me last time.”

“Ok, great! And I will be able to wear a yukata¹ and do the magistrate’s play²?”

“It’s ok, only for today.”  Apparently the proposal worked better than expected and now her  expression was clear of concerns. Her smile and rosy cheeks were something beautiful.

We kept on talking in the way to my house.

I left her with a maid to help Hime with the clothes. Her resignation face was a picture of unspoken words; it seems she already knew the weird things Hime liked doing when she came to my house.

They went to the yacuzzi, meanwhile I did not waste a second. I quickly searched the folder, and there it was. A letter of lov…?? Of acceptance for an special accelerated course of the school! I knew Hime was good at studying, but this… Then I carried on reading… price 200 euro a month. How could it be so expensive? Was her family going to be able to pay  it, even half of it…? <<Ah, of course, this is what made her worry so much. I should do something about it.>>

I took in advantage the fact that it was going to be her Name Day soon.

<<This is my chance,  I can give her a good surprise>>.

At the moment  I just put everything away in the folder and left it as it was at the beginning. It was not a bad moment, I could make the call now.

I picked the phone up and dialled my father’s number.

“………… ……………………….. …………………” “Hello?”

“Hello dad”

“Son? Look mom, it’s our son! How strange he remembers to call us!”

“I have to ask you a favour…”

“Ah, of course that was to be expected… Anyway, tell me.”

“So… time ago I met this good friend and… well, she is my best friend.”

“Aha. Your girlfriend, isn’t she?”

“She is not my girlfriend, but more than that” I said surprising myself and blushing.

“It turns out she has been selected for the accelerated programme of the school, but her family is extremely poor and doesn’t have economic access to it…”

“So you want us to pay for it, given that we are well off…”

“Yes I do. You can ask me any favour in exchange.”

“So you are that determined… well then, we will take the maids from you and you will only have the butler from now on. Do you consider the payment fair?”

“It’s alright, I guess I can adapt.”

“Take into account he won’t be able to do everything and you will have to help with cleaning and house chores. Besides, you will have to maintain your room groomed on your own.”

Such a change seemed tough for a rich boy like me, but I was already determined to do it. “I know, I will adapt to it. Don’t worry about me.”

“… You really love that girl, right?”

“Indeed, she is the most important thing for me, the only I really care about.”

Such sentence should sound harsh for any parent, but far from showing unease he said: “I don’t know what kind of strange power that girl has, but I think she is doing you good.”

“Yes, that’s how she is. She is concerned about me and looks after me more than anyone else.”

“Dad…”

“Yes?”

“…Thank you.”

There was a brief hush on the other end of the line. My father was touched that the boy that had never had interest in anything could say those words. Finally we bade farewell.

“Magistrateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” There was Hime with her yukata.

The story continues here: The Gladiator's Soul chapter 6
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Notes:

1. Yukata: Traditional Japanese garment, like a kimono, more or less. It includes a sort of girdle called ‘obi’ which is rolled around the yukata tightening it on the woman’s body.

2. Magistrate’s play: Japanese comical tradition occasionally shown in anime; an old man called ‘magistrate’ pulls the girdle or ‘obi’ of a young lady’s yukata, pretending to be harassing her or something alike. She spins like top as the obi unrolls, while she says something like “no please, no please!” and the magistrate usually looks happy as he says something like “It is wonderful, it is wonderful!”