Chapter 1: Yamaku Sounds Pretty Good
 
Staying in the hospital these last three months has been pretty shitty. Considering that I never really had any friends, I'm pretty used to being alone. The only thing that really gets to me is the fact that I wasted all of my break in a hospital bed. Aside from the occasional cute nurse, the TV, and a steady supply of manga... this break can definitely be labeled shitty. I really can't wait to just get back to school. At least there I'll be able to talk to some people who act like they're my friends. With three months to myself, I had a whole lot of time to think about how the hell I got in here.
 
The doctors diagnosed me with something that I can't even pronounce. Arythablehbleh? Artycoparty? I look down to a single piece of paper that my doctor set on the side of my bed. "Arrhythmia..." I say slowly to myself, trying to memorize the way it's spelled. Sure as hell I won't be able to pronounce it, but maybe some random smart person who asks me what happened can. Oh yeah, that's right. I'm a cripple now. Placard and everything, if I could drive. I give a slight yawn as I scratch the scar on my chest. The scar is a constant reminder that I am now considered a lesser being to society. Or at least that's how random dumbasses will feel. Sure as hell that's what I thought when they first told me. Oh well, at least the scar looks pretty badass. Thinking back to it, I got pretty pissed when the doctor confirmed that I was a cripple. Hell, just the thought of somebody calling me one now gets my blood boiling.
 
I don't exactly remember when they told me about my disease. I remember that I had one visiter; Iwanako. Sweet little thing decided that it was her fault that I was in here. She did write the letter... But now way in hell could I stay mad at someone like her. Way too cute. Let's see, what else happened that day... Oh yeah! My parents were telling me that this is what I get for being such a delinquent. As harsh as the words are, I kind of agree. I'm a no good punk and I have come to accept that. But despite their disapproval of my actions, they know that I love them, and vice versa. Hmm... oh yeah. I kind of remember the conversation me and my doctor had.
 
"So... I'm sorry to tell you this Hisao, but you have a heart condition." my doctor told me in a pretty low voice.
 
"Oh... well shit." I cursed under my breath as I crossed my arms and looked to the side. I always took bad news pretty well, although this was simply because I couldn't really grasp onto how bad a situation it was.
 
"Oh, well... yes. Your condition is called Arrhythmia. Essentially your heart is a bit weaker than others. You'll need to watch yourself a lot more carefully from now on." he informed me the bare bones of my disease. I found it pretty ironic though. I always prided myself on how strong my 'heart' was, now my physical heart is the weakest part of me.
 
"Oh tha- WAIT!" I shouted out in distress, my eyes wide with worry. "Does that mean I can't jerk it anymore?!" I cried out in horror. The doctor's face turned a shade of crimson before he coughed a bit and shook his head, putting my number one worry at ease. "Well, what about fighting?" I asked, this question also catching the attention of my parents.
 
"Oh well, no. Over exerting yourself, as well as taking hard blows to the chest can cause you to have a 'heart flutter'" he explained, putting emphasis on the word heart flutter.
 
That's about all that I really remember from the conversation. That and my parents were really happy that I won't be able to fight anymore. Or at least, shouldn't fight anymore. Sure as hell that I'm gonna have another talk with those punk ass kids when I get back to school. And since I'll be a third year, I'll be able to rule the school. My eyes give off a slightly disturbing spark which instantly disappears as I hear a knocking coming from just outside my door. I quickly shake my head and sit up on my bed, flinging my legs over the side to get a little more comfortable.
 
My doctor walks in through the door with my parents. Why are they here? Oh well, doesn't really matter. My doctor looks like he's about to tell me some really bad news, while my parents can't seem to hide how happy they are. This is pretty weird. There's an awkward silence in the room before my doctor clears his throat and begins to go over his charts. "How are you doing today, Hisao?"
 
"Doing pretty good! Just excited that school starts soon. And I'll finally be out of this dump..." I say slowly, looking to the side before noticing that my doctor is slightly put off by my little comment. My doctor knows fully well about my attitude, I don't see why he hasn't gotten used to stuff like this by now. But for his sake, I'll apologize. "Sorry." I say quickly, my doctor looking at me with a bit of a surprised look on his face. "I've just been cramped here for three months. I'm pretty sure a boy like me needs to go out and have a social life, y'know? So I'm just a bit antsy about school. Gonna have a lot of stories to tell... a lot of underclassmen to put into their place too!" I exclaim excitedly, flexing my arm as a signal of my strength and excitement.
 
My doctor just stares at me for a little while before opening his mouth to say something, quickly shutting it and then shaking his head. "Ugh. Your excitement makes this kind of hard." he says before scratching the back of his head. "You're a tough kid."
 
"The toughest." I quickly add, gaining a slight chuckle from my doctor before he shakes his head once more. "Listen you're... you're not going back to your old school."
 
What? What the hell does this asshole mean that I'm not going back to my old school?! "W-what are you talking about?" I say a bit hesitantly, earning a slight sigh from my doctor.
 
"I'm sorry, but your parents and I have been talking about it. And we think that it will be better for you to go to a specialized school." he says with a slight nod. My eyes go wide as I try to think of something to say, but nothing really comes out. My doctor only nods and continues to go on, telling me more about the school. "You will be transferring to Yamaku Academy, it specializes in dealing with disabled students. It has a 24-hour nursing staff and it’s only a few minutes from a highly regarded general hospital. The majority of students live on campus. Think of it as a boarding school of sorts. It’s designed to give students a degree of independence, while keeping help nearby." He finishes his quick explanation of the school, but I still can't help but feel angry at how simple he said it, and how he and my parents had gone behind my back in making this decision for me. But for some strange reason, I can't bring myself to actually care about having to transfer. I guess it's because I'm not close to anybody at my school. There's Iwanako, but we only talk every other blue moon. What the hell is there for me here anyway aside from my parents? Nothing, that's for sure.
 
Ever since Middle School when I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, I separated myself from the rest of them. I turned into something that was definitely astray from the model student that my parents wanted me to be. Hell, definitely farther from that average student that I wanted to be. But things happen, I guess. I can't really say that I dislike my life now, no, I discovered the one thing that I really love. The heat of battle. Oh god just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster. Sadly, though... that's being taken away from me. So all my decisions so far have lead up to this. A kid turned bad and then getting a heart disease as punishment, seems fitting. But the people and friends that I have gathered along this road so far? I look towards my empty stand next to me, completely void of flowers, balloons, and even a single god damn card. That definitely tells me where this has gotten me. But if I'm so accepting of this new change, what the hell is that sour feeling in my stomach for then?
 
"Hisao, are you okay?" my mom suddenly asks me, bringing me back to reality. I slowly nod my head and my mom runs over to give me a hug. "I know this is going to be hard honey!" she cries out, squeezing me a little tighter as I lightly wrap my arms around her in an automatic response. "But this is for the best, okay? And it'll be your third year as a new student. That means you have a whole year to make new friends and everything!" she tries to comfort me, not even knowing that she just confirmed that sour feeling. The only real reason that I care is because I know for a fact that there's going to be no difference between here and there. I won't be able to change myself so easily to make friends, and so the harsh reality sets in. No matter where I go or what I do, I guess I'm just going to be alone. As I come to this sudden realization I finally give in and hug my mom tighter, trying to hold on to what little comfort that I have left before I'm forced to be truly alone.