CANDID. shiba yuzuha

two. MADNESS AND MAYHEM

NAKAMOTO YURINA'S LIFE WAS built on the premise of being the best athlete she could be. Expectations weighed on her shoulders like heavy weights, crushing her under the pressure of always being the best. With the drive to win and be the best, Yurina fought her way through throngs of people vying for her place as champion. Every kick she made was a manifestation of the anger that coiled uncomfortably in her gut, pushing at her organs as they tried to make their way to the surface. Fear struck into the hearts of her enemies once her feet touched the mat for they knew that there was no winning against the King.

Earning her title of 'King' was one of her favorite memories.

She was 13 years old, fresh faced and tired from her international flight. The cold Canadian air nipped at her nose, flushing her cheeks an angry red. Her teeth chattered, eyes narrowed at the people who sat in the stands with their warm coats and colorful scarves. Her uniform wasn't the best insulator and the only reason she wasn't a popsicle yet was the heat pack that sat in her hands.

She was in the 13-17 circuit as usual but this time, her age was actually right. Her parents immediately signed her up for the first competition after she came home on her thirteenth birthday.

Mikey and Baji loved giving her gag gifts. On her 10th birthday, they gave her a stupid banana plush that looked like their friend Kazutora. It was cute and Yurina brought it with her to every tournament, no matter what country she went to. It always sat on the sidelines, the smiling plush giving her motivation to do better.

The circuit started and everything from there was blur.

Yurina fought her way through, landing her position in the finals against the 17 year old Canadian who towered over her with a height of a whopping 6'3. Yurina was a tall girl but she was just 5'3. Tall for a girl, short for a guy. She was taller than Manjiro by two centimeters so that was a plus.

She was never daunted by the height of her competitors. She knew that she could take this dude down with a kick. But the look on the guy's face, leering at her like she was a piece of meat just irritated Yurina a lot.

As soon as the bell rang, she ran towards the teen and executed a spinning hook kick. She smirked in triumph when his body dropped onto the floor, the smug look on his face wiped away with just one kick.

"Damn, is that all it takes? Why is everyone so fucking weak nowadays?" She muttered under her breath. Her eyes caught sight of the banana plush that smiled at her. She grabbed the plush and hugged it tightly. "I did it again! I'm gonna throw my trophy onto your head when I get home."

The media didn't waste time in giving her a nickname for her ability to always beat everyone around her with a single kick, leaving them kneeling before her like subordinates to a king.

At age 13, Yurina was dubbed 'The King of the Circuit'.

"Ha! I'm taller than you now, Manjiro! You short-ass shrimp!" Yurina cackled.

The blonde glared at her with all his might, throwing a pillow at her. The mint green pillow hit Yurina's face with a thud. Laughter erupted from the other teens at the expense of their female friend's pain.

Blood dripped from Yurina's nose, an ugly scowl on her face. "Come back here!"

They ran around the house, throwing whatever they get their hands on at each other with Baji and Emma cheered from the sidelines. Mirth shone through Yurina's eyes and despite the blood that stained her cheek, she was happy.

Yurina opened her eyes to the sight of Emma hovering over her. "You slept through Science, Rina. I took notes for you."

She sent the girl a grateful smile. "Thank you, Em. I'll buy you anything you want when we go shopping."