Bullying with kindness

After Orochi’s heart-to-heart with her father, she went to school as if nothing had happened (avoiding a murderous Kyoko in the process). Lunch break had started, but the hydra girl couldn’t bring herself to leave the classroom or eat.

Dwelling too deeply on her father’s words, she couldn’t think of anything else.

“Sometimes the right path may not be the one we once thought was right. The world is not black and white, nor gray. It is a kaleidoscope with a multitude of colors,” Orochi repeated the words her father had said in the morning.

Orochi leaned her face against her extended left hand, using the table as support for her arm. Her eyes stared at the bluish sky outside the windows. “It was like this too, wasn’t it?” she whispered, her words drowned by the loud chatter and uproar of the lunch break.

Her mind drew a comparison to how it was at the start. The same blue sky outside, the same classroom, but changed. Victor and Genma had transferred to another class, replaced by Sally and Takara.

The once-expectant class ready to see a new world was now jaded or had lost its spark. ‘Maybe I’m just projecting.’ She closed her eyes, her middle tail purring against her back while the two others hissed at each other.

“You guys are back at it again.” Although Orochi never paid attention to her tails beyond them going out of their way to cause destruction and a little tomfoolery, she couldn’t deny she was glad for them to be back to their usual antics.

How they were dead inside left a void inside her mind. To feel those three full of life again was a complicated feeling for Orochi; she always thought it was a hassle to keep them controlled for every single thing.

Until they lost their will too. With her free hand, she patted the left head. Its hissing stopped while the right one retreated, clearly remembering who was the boss in this quartet.

“We all changed since the beginning of the year, didn’t we?” She spoke to no one and expected no one to answer her words. “The class hasn’t frozen in the past; I shouldn’t either.”

She didn’t know exactly what her father meant, but she would figure it out. “A kaleidoscope changes depending on where you look, something like that, right?” There can be more than one path, or all paths are valid if you see it from different perspectives.

“You are a good father, but why do you make things so complicated?” Orochi whined, her right hand covering her mouth to hide a smile.

‘You doofus with an appreciation for long-winded wordplays.’ The hero trainer continued to stare at the blue sky, feeling at peace. ‘Rosethorn was right; there will be people for me. I can’t hope to do everything alone.’

“Hey, Orochi? Is there something wrong with the sky? I was searching for you everywhere.” Orochi’s shoulders tensed, her tails dropping the tomfoolery to stare at Yui, who was on her back already.

“I… needed to gather my thoughts. It is nothing important.” Orochi smiled a strained, coy smile, while her hydra heads registered Yui's doubtful frown. She was not buying this.

“It isn’t like you to ignore us. You weren’t even going to the arcades and were acting like a zombie the last few days. Orochi, what is happening?” With surprising strength, Yui took hold of Orochi’s chair and spun it, bringing the hydra girl to stare her in the eyes.

Purple stared into the red. “I was confused. Things have not been easy since, you know… that incident.” Purple eyes were the first to break contact. Underlying shame in Orochi’s eyes. The shame of ignoring her friends and breaking down.

Of not being there for them, and instead crying in self-pity and doubt. “I— ouch!” Yui hit Orochi's head with a karate chop, veins jumping on her cheek and forehead.

“Why did you hit me?” Orochi whined with a high-pitched girly voice, taken by surprise by Yui’s “attack.”

“I know what you are going to say. We are friends, you… doofus. If you are going to blame yourself, you have time to speak with us for help. We are your friends; have you not realized that?”

Without warning, Yui took Orochi by the neck of her shirt, bringing her up. Her ruby red eyes gazed inside amethyst ones. Inside Yui’s ruby eyes, a build-up of anger, impatience, and worry made into a big bonfire.

“I’m getting tired of seeing my friends getting hurt and not saying shit about it. You guys can be responsible and mature all you want; I’m done with this! The next time I see you, Chris, or any of our friends repressing stuff and wanting to do things alone, I will grab you guys by the scruff and drag you to the arcade and get the help of everyone.”

Orochi couldn’t help but be speechless, as Yui dragged her closer, not giving space for the hydra girl to look away or change her view to something other than Yui’s face. Yui frowned, but the determination of her words painted her grimace in a new light.

She was grimacing but with unwavering determination and anger. Her eyes burned with rage, rage at the world, what happened to her friend, and how dumb they can act despite their smarts and “maturity.”

Yui never considered herself to be the sharpest knife in the shed, but she could see where the likes of Orochi and Chris come from; they are smart and have the skill, and the strength to back them up. But by doing this, they feel like only they can help themselves and don’t want to drag others into their messes.

Yui never had many friends growing up, and her past doesn’t help it, but she learned something in this school at least: friends stick together. “Do I need to repeat myself? If you need help, I’m here. Chris is here; everyone is here. Even Rosethorn.”

Orochi blinked a few times as words failed her. “Yes ma’am. I won’t do it again.”

“Good.”

Yui dropped Orochi on the chair. “Honestly, sometimes I feel like I have to babysit you and Chris. How can you smartasses be so dumb sometimes?” With a sigh, Yui ruffled her hair in annoyance.

“I… you are right.” Orochi's cheeks blushed as the hydra girl resisted the urge to look away in shame, again. While Orochi agreed with everything Yui said, there is a difference between receiving a lecture and realizing your problems yourself.

“Just know we are friends. Let’s go grab something to eat; our lunch break is nearing the end and I haven’t eaten anythin’—”

A siren sound rang across the school. Luckily for Yui, it drowned the wave of curses coming out of her mouth.