"Do it once again, this time your hits should be more accurate." I settled on my knees panting hard.
"Come on get up kiddo is this all you have got?" He looked down at me.
Shaomi was knowingly pressing the wrong buttons on me making me more furious. I pushed myself from the ground and stood back.
Without any warning, I gave him a 540-degree turning tornado kick right on his face making him stumble backward.
"Master there's more I can do." It was the first time I ever hit Shaomi. Shaomi seemed to be amused by my sudden attack but buried it under his poker face. And at the next moment, he strangled me on the ground, taking me off guard.
"Rule number five never let your guard down." And he punched me right on my face bursting my lip. "You will pay back for touching my face." I hissed.
"A fighter never has any attachment or emotion to anyone, anything .....not even your body part. Because it is never yours." He said grabbing two swords and throwing one of them at me.
"Hope that I will get over this then master," I said striking ni-dan waza that was striking two targets consecutively.
"I expect the same. "He said with a satisfied look on his face. "Now enough with training. You must know how to use blades, daggers, and guns."
I was not able to sleep, it has been almost a week and I slept just for 2 fucking hours in two days. Am I a vampire or what? Even if I was tired my eyes were not ready to shut. This can't be happening once again. I could feel my head thumping because of the lack of sleep. But as much as I wished to sleep, I couldn't. I think once again I have to get an appointment with a physiatrist. But Shaomi told me that he will work upon me. I don't doubt his abilities. Although his ways were traditional they were effective. Hope I will recover soon. I needed to stop overthinking so I got up from my bed and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. I sighed after taking a sip. I felt so tired both physically and mentally.
I wanted to sleep, a sleep that never ends. But I think life had some other plans for me. I sat in my place for so long until the alarm clock rang in my room. Wow, why did I even set an alarm, if I didn't sleep the whole night? I rubbed my puffy eyes and went straight to my room to change.
The class was tiring itself, today. I buried my head in my palm and sighed. Why won't the pain go away? I drank my second cup of coffee and looked at the medicine in my hand. Why can't these pills get the pain away just like my anxiety?
I walked downtown, walking by myself where I looked at a couple with their daughter. They were laughing and walking hand in hand. They seemed happy, carefree, and strong. Strong for what will come their way. Carefree of all the trouble and happy because they were together. Did I want that kind of family? I don't know. I too have got a family, they were always loving and protective parents but I was different I guess because I was messed up both internally and externally. I stepped forward but was abruptly pulled back to a firm chest. And once all the air left my lungs when I met those cold brown eyes.
"Were you trying to get yourself killed?" He asked coldly. I looked back in confusion and my eyes widened in realization. I was going to walk in the middle of the road and could get hit by some car.
"I-I. I didn't notice." I replied and pulled away from him. His touch burned me. "What are you doing here anyway," I asked. I looked at his attire and this time he was in casual black jeans and a body tight shirt, also he was wearing a cap. I could just shout that Rowen Hades was here and people would have swarmed around him.
"Then get your eyes checked because they aren't functioning properly." He said monotonously. I had so much in my mind to say to him but I kept my mouth shut. I've always been a quiet person. It was rare that I spoke what I had in my mind. So I just did what I always do, I simply stared at him.
"Get going to your house kid. Sleep, you look tired." He said after a moment.
"I'm twenty and soon will turn twenty-one," I snapped but immediately regretted it because my head was aching because of my loud voice. "You are no older yourself. And I am a grown woman." This, I said as carefully as I could because my head was hurting like a bitch.
"Then behave like one. Learn how to cross the road." He snapped. I hissed at his loud voice and held my head.
"Shhh! Just speak slowly." I said weakly. I was going to lose my balance but I held on to his arm and once again Rowen flinched so slightly that I was confused about that was it a flinch or just a pulse.
"You are in pain." He said as he looked down at me. I looked up into his eyes and there was so much tremor and thunder in there. He swatted my hands away from his and stepped back. "Go to your home." He said one last time and lowered his cap. And once again I was all alone staring at his retreating back.
I unlocked my apartment door and stumbled inside. I went straight to my bathroom and washed my face. I looked back at my weary face in the mirror. And slowly a drop of blood fell on the white basin. I looked up at the ceiling trying to stop my bleeding nose.
"Shit." I cursed and took out the first aid box.
"Azura, you alright?" Called Arura from the other side of the door.
"I think I am?" I replied in an unsure tone.
"Okay, I don't think you are. I'm going to come inside okay?" And before I could protest, she came inside and her eyes widened. "Holy Shit! Azura what happened?" She ran towards me and helped me to the wash basin. She helped me wash my nose and took the cotton holding it to my nose.
"Thanks."
"You could have called me." She snapped. "Why can't you fucking ask for help when you need it?" My head was pounding at her loud voice.
"Get out." I gritted out.
"You don't get to order me around. You are not a kid Azura, look around you when the people are trying to help you." She snapped again.
"Get the fuck out of my room," I growled and winced holding my head. She looked at me stunned but didn't move. I snatched the cotton out of my nose and threw it in the bin. If she was not going to move then I was. I walked to the kitchen because I needed silence and space.
I stood near the kitchen counter with a cup of black coffee in my hand. I felt a pair of hands going around my waist and Arura hugged me from behind. I hung my face down and sighed.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled. There was utter silence as I didn't reply to her so she continued. "I got scared that I was going to lose you. It's just that you have endured so much in your life and I'm scared that you will lose yourself.. that.. that I will lose you." She choked out.
"It's okay. And I'm sorry too." I mumbled gripping the cup tighter in my hands. "How did you know about Shaomi?" I asked out of the blue.
"Someone in the class told me about him. And I knew you needed something or other to distract yourself." She replied. "Why are you asking?"
"Nothing, he just sometimes seems.. off."
"Did he do something to you?" She asked turning me around to face her. I shook my head.
"No. He is an excellent teacher." I assured her.
"Good," she sagged in relief. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I was just tired," I said. Arura sat beside me on the kitchen stool later as we talked. "I met Rowen today," I said. Arura stopped in her mid-rants and gaped at me.
"Rowen as in Rowen fucking Hades?" She asked. Before I could answer she ranted again. "Of course not, that's so silly of me. Why would he meet, nobody like you? I mean he has people flooding around him. No, no he cannot meet-"
"Well thank you for that compliment, Arura," I said cutting her off. "But yes I met Rowen as in Rowen fucking Hades. And he blended himself quite well in the crowd, so nobody recognized him."
"Okay tell me everything!" She exclaimed. I filled her up with everything and she looked at me with her mouth hung open.
"You can close your mouth now, I'm done," I said tapping her chin. She shook her head recovering from her surprise.
"Holy Shit!" She breathed. "How dare he talk to you like that." She snapped. I held her shoulder calming her down.
"Okay, rapid-fire questions." She said. I rolled my eyes as I knew what was going to come.
"Shoot," I said.
"Was he alone?"
"Yes."
"Was he wearing his usual suit?"
"No."
"Was he looking hot?"
"I guess."
"Have you touched him?"
"Yes."
"Have you kissed him?"
"No."
"Are you obsessed with him?"
"Eww, no."
"What do you think about him?"
"Nothing, and enough. He is nothing but trouble Arura so no, I would never even breath around him."
"Okay, I get it. Can you at least try dating someone?" She asked hopefully. I glared at her and she looked that me with pity. I hated that look.
"Okay, we should go to bed," I said sternly and went to my room.
"Good night." She said sadly and then went away.