| Legend of the Kokoro Episode 5-Straight From Da Bronx |
| Monday morning had finally arrived. Ryo and Rita were patiently waiting for Cye, Clara, and Kento at their street corner. Rita was sitting down on the small patch of grass while Ryo was looking down the street where their three friends lived. "Here they come!" he told Rita, who got back up on her feet. "Good morning, Ryo and Rita," Clara greeted as she, Cye, and Kento joined them. "Good morning to you, too," Rita replied as the five young teens headed down the main road toward the street corner where they planned on meeting Sage, Sandra, and Rowen. When they were a few yards away from the street corner, Kento exclaimed, "I can't believe this! It must be a miracle or something." Waiting at the street corner was Sage and Sandra, but what caught Kento, Ryo, and Cye by surprise was that Rowen was with them. "This is quite an unexpected surprise, Rowen," Cye exclaimed. "You're usually still fast asleep around this time." "How did you manage to wake him up this time, Sage?" Ryo asked curiously. "Well, it helps a lot when you have two people yelling, 'Rowen, wake up!' " Sage admitted. "Yeah, I'm still trying to get that ringing out of my head," Rowen muttered, holding his head as they continued down the main road toward Han`a High. "Thanks a lot, Sandra," he murmured sarcastically to Sandra. "Don't blame me, now. It was Sage's idea, not mine," Sandra told him. "Hey, guys! Guess what?" Kento asked. "I have a new neighbor. They just moved in yesterday." "Oh, really?" Sage asked. "Any idea who?" "I don't know," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "It was pretty late at night, so I couldn't tell." "Come on, you two," Rowen interrupted. "We have more important things to discuss, like those evil Ronin Warriors." "It's frightening how much they look like the genuine article," Clara admitted. "I was almost fooled by Cye's evil twin, but I stopped myself because I felt that something was wrong." "You know, my 'twin' called himself Torrent," Cye mentioned to the others. "But why would they name themselves after our armor?" Ryo asked. "Maybe they feel they're far more superior than the lot of you," Sandra suggested. "I've come up with a plausible theory of how our evil twins came to be," Rowen announced. "It could be possible that the evil Ronin Warriors are clones of us!" "I don't know, Rowen," Ryo muttered uncertainly. "That seems pretty far out." "And wouldn't a clone look exactly like the real thing?" Sage asked. "Well, the cloning process is not exactly perfect," Rowen explained. "It hasn't been tested on human DNA, only on animals thus far. Contamination of a DNA sample could result in a clone with slightly different features than the original specimen." "That would explain why their eyes are different," Sandra muttered out loud. "It was weird: their eyes matched the color of their armor, and the freakiest thing was that they had no pupils." Rowen kept walking along, thinking quietly to himself. "Rowen!" Cye shouted to get his attention. "What?" Rowen asked. "And to think you guys were complaining about me spacing out yesterday," Cye pointed out, laughing. "Well, anyway, I wanted to ask you something. If these evil Ronins are clones, then how were they created?" "Well, the cloning process requires a sample of DNA," Rowen explained. "DNA is like your genetic blueprint. It basically makes you who you are. Your genetic code could be separated from anything: a blood sample, an eyelash, dead skin cells, or a strand of hair even. Dulcea had the opportunity to collect something from us. Who knows how long we were out cold in her throne room?" Rowen paused for a moment before he continued. "What perplexes me the most is how the clones were created so quickly, and also why they're evil. As far as I know, speeding up the aging process in those animal-cloning experiments was a bit shaky. And since Dulcea obviously found a way to do that, how did she make them evil?" "Well, you said something earlier 'bout DNA contamination," Sandra mentioned. "Maybe she programmed them to be the way they are." Rowen looked at Sandra and smiled. "I think you're onto something, Sandra," he replied. Just then, the school came into view. "Well, here we are for another fun-filled day at Han`a High," Kento retorted sarcastically, causing everyone to laugh. The group entered the school's main entrance and went their separate ways. Sage and Kento headed down the hallway and entered their homeroom. "Hi, Sage!" a half dozen girls chorused as they crowded around Sage. They dragged him off to the back of the classroom, as usual, and Kento took his seat up in front, as usual. "Man, this bites!" he muttered as he held his head up with his hands and watched the other students take their seats. Just then, a young Oriental woman entered the room. Her black hair was up in a bun, and she was wearing a floral print dress with matching sweater. "Good morning, Miss Fiji," all of the students responded as the teacher took her seat. "Good morning, everyone," Ms. Fiji replied as she looked up at the students. "I have a few announcements to make, but I must do the attendance first." She pulled out her attendance sheet and looked down the list. "Looks like everyone's here," she muttered out loud. "Wait a minute!" She looked up and asked, "Is there a Miss Kimberly Ashe here today?" No one responded to the name. "Once again, is Kimberly Ashe here?" Still, no one responded. Just then, a sixteen-year-old girl approached the open door and leaned against the doorframe. Her reddish-brown hair hung about in several thin braids and accented her light brown skin. She was wearing an orange-and-white flannel shirt over a white T-shirt, baggy jeans, black combat boots, and sunglasses. "Are you Kimberly Ashe?" Ms. Fiji asked. "That'd be me," the girl replied with a heavy New York accent. "You'll have to remove your sunglasses," Ms. Fiji told her sternly. "They're not permitted on school grounds." Kimberly mumbled something as she removed her glasses, revealing hazel brown eyes. "Thank you. You can take a seat now," Ms. Fiji told her, indicating an empty desk next to Kento. Kimberly sat down and adjusted the yellow bandanna around her forehead. "Now, for today's announcements," Ms. Fiji continued, picking up a piece of paper from her desk. " 'We have a couple of sports tryouts this week: soccer on Wednesday and field hockey on Friday.' " Just then, the bell rang, ending homeroom. "That's all for today. See you tomorrow," Ms. Fiji replied as everyone gathered their things and left... During the five-minute break before third period, Sage waited for Kento, who was digging through his locker for something. "Come on, hurry it up, Kento," Sage complained impatiently, "or we're gonna be late." Suddenly, a small avalanche of books and other items fell out of Kento's locker. "Aww, man!" he grumbled as he struggled to pick up everything. Sage helped him out by picking up a couple of books. As Kento shoved everything back in his locker, Sage noticed something next to his foot: a Twinkie snack cake. As he picked it up, Kento snatched it from him. "Thanks, Sage. I've been looking for that." "A Twinkie, Kento?" Sage asked sarcastically as they walked down the hall. "You can't wait till lunch? Oh, yeah. Forgot who I was talking to." Kento looked at him angrily as he unwrapped the Twinkie and took a bite. "You know, you're not allowed to eat food in the hallways," Sage reminded his husky friend. "I never been caught before," Kento replied in a muffled voice. Sage snickered as he swallowed the food. Just then, Sage saw something in the corner of his eye and turned around. There was Kim, walking down the hall toward them with some books in her arms. She stopped a few yards away from where they stood and worked on her locker combination. Kento turned around to see what Sage was looking at and groaned. "Come on, Casanova! Give it up for once and let some other guy have a chance at getting a girlfriend," he complained. Sage snickered and replied, "And let my reputation get soiled? I don't think so." "Your reputation already got soiled when Sandra told you off," Kento reminded him. "Besides, she doesn't seem like your type." "Why? Because she's black?" Sage asked. "I've learned to look past the color lines for a long time, Kento. If my parents didn't do the same, I wouldn't be here. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Kento watched as Sage casually walked to Kim, who was putting some books in her locker, and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and looked up for a moment, then returned her attention to her locker. "Whassup," she muttered out loud to Sage. "Oh, not much," Sage replied. "No, 'whassup' is slang. I wasn't asking you 'what's up?' I was saying 'hello!' " "Oh, right. Sorry about that," Sage told Kim. "You're Kimberly, right?" "Like I been telling everyone all day," Kim replied in an annoyed tone, "it's Kim, all right?" "Sorry, Kim," Sage apologized, correcting himself. As Kim shut her locker after pulling out a small plastic bag, Sage leaned against the locker next to hers, so he could look into her eyes. That's when Sage first noticed the silver nose ring. "Listen, Kim," he started, "if you're not doing anything after school, maybe I can take you to the city and show you around." "Should I be flattered?" Kim asked, looking straight at him. "Well, a lot of girls in your position would just jump at the opportunity," Sage admitted, grinning at her. "Oh, is that so?" Kim replied smugly, pretending to be interested. Before Sage could say anything, he got an unexpected surprise. Kim slammed him face first into the lockers and pinned both of his arms behind his back with one hand. Sage struggled to break loose, but was unsuccessful. "Listen to me," Kim whispered in his ear. "I don't play 'round like that. You best be leaving me alone, or I'll make your life a living nightmare. Ya got me?" She let go of Sage's arms, picked up her bag from the floor, and smacked Sage upside the head before leaving. She walked past Kento, who was red in the face and was obviously trying to hold in his laughter. Sage got up from the floor and after checking his nose to see if it was bleeding, he walked toward Kento. Kento tried his hardest, but he could no longer contain himself. By the time Sage reached him, he was already halfway bent over, laughing very abruptly. Fortunately, for Sage, there was no one in the halls to hear Kento's laughing. "Are you done yet?" Sage asked sarcastically. Kento nodded his head yes, but as they walked down the hallway, he continually snickered. "Kento, you better not tell anybody about this," Sage warned him. "I don't think it would matter anyway," Kento pointed out. "You know news like this spreads around this school like wildfire." "I know. That's what I'm worried about," Sage muttered out loud enough for Kento to hear. Just then, the bell rang. "Aww, man!" they exclaimed as they ran down the empty hall... It was third period in the gym. Sage and Kento were sitting on their knees on a large mat, along with a dozen other boys. They were all wearing traditional martial arts uniforms: the long white pants and the white jacket. Sage and Kento were the only ones with black belts; everyone else had brown belts. Everyone looked up as their instructor entered the gym. His long black hair was securely tied into a braid, and he wore the traditional black uniform of a martial arts instructor. "Good morning, Sensei Chin," the class greeted as he took his seat in front of them. "Greetings to you all, my students," Sensei Chin greeted. "Before we start, I have an announcement to make. We have a new student joining our class." "Well, where is he?" one of the students asked. "She is getting changed in the girls' locker room," Sensei Chin replied. This response caused a chain reaction of cheering and clapping. "It's about time, don't you think?" Kento whispered to Sage, who nodded in approval. Just then, Kim entered the gym, wearing a white martial arts uniform and a black belt. When the students saw her, the applause died down and Sage muttered, "Oh, no! Not her!" Kim approached Sensei Chin and bowed to him respectively. "Welcome to our class, Kim-San," Sensei Chin greeted as Kim stood up. "If possible, could you tie your hair back?" "Sure, no problem," Kim admitted as she removed her bandanna and used it to tie her braids back into a ponytail. "Okay, now it's time to divide you into groups of three," Sensei Chin announced as everyone stood up. "Kim-San," he addressed Kim, "you'll be with Date and Fuan." He pointed at Sage and Kento, who had already separated from the rest of the class. Kim smirked as she headed toward the two black belts, while Sensei Chin continued to divide up the class into groups. "Well, well, nice to see you again," Kim retorted sinisterly to Sage. "Just cause we in this class together don't mean I'll go easy on you." Kento snickered when he heard this. "And who are you?" Kim asked, looking at him. "Oh, my name's Kento Rei Fuan," he admitted, extending his hand. "Yeah, whassup," Kim greeted as she shook his hand. "Now, I would like everyone to do their stretches," Sensei Chin announced. As they sat down on the mat and started their stretches, Kim asked, "So, Kento, you and what's-his-name hang out?" "Yeah, we're good friends," he admitted, "and his name's Sage." "I can't believe that someone like you be hanging out with this loser," Kim replied, causing him to snicker. "Be careful about what you say about the 'Flirting King,' " Kento warned her. " 'Flirting King?' " Kim repeated. She looked at Sage and remarked sarcastically, "Who do you think you are, Don Juan or something?" Sage didn't bother to answer as they stood up. "I'll get the paddles," he told Kento as he headed toward Sensei Chin, who had a box full of large paddles. "So, what are we doing next?" Kim asked Kento. "Don't you know? I thought you had classes in martial arts," Kento replied, a bit surprised. "Well, you see, I did take classes, but they don't teach 'em at school," she told him. "What we're gonna do are standard exercises," Kento explained. "You practice your kicks and punches on those paddles. Each of us gets five minutes, then we swipe paddles and the next person practices, and so on." "Got it," Kim replied as Sage approached them, carrying a paddle in each hand. "You may begin now," Sensei Chin announced. Sage stood ready, holding the paddles firmly in his hands. "As I always say, 'Ladies first,' " Kento admitted, gesturing for Kim to start. "Gee, Kento," Sage retorted sarcastically, "I thought you always said, 'When's lunch?' " Kento gave him a dirty look as Kim bowed respectively to Sage and stood ready. She started off with a few punches, followed by a roundhouse kick. Kento watched in amazement as Kim continued with her punch-and-kick pattern. She knocked one of the paddles out of Sage's hand with a punch, and to his surprise, she performed a roundhouse kick that nailed him right in the stomach. The force of the impact sent Sage straight to the mat. Kento stood there with his mouth open as Kim helped Sage up. "Sorry 'bout that," Kim apologized. "Got carried away." "No kidding," Sage groaned, holding his side. When they looked up, Sensei Chin was standing in front of them. "Are you all right, Sage-San?" he asked. "I'm okay," Sage answered. "I'm really sorry 'bout this, Sensei." "Calm down, Kim-San." Sensei Chin returned his attention to Sage. "Why don't you sit down and rest?" Sage nodded, walked down to a cleared section of mat, and sat down. "I must say," Sensei Chin told Kim, "your moves are quite impressive. You have been trained well." "What makes you think that?" Kim asked. "Sage Date is our top student," Sensei Chin explained. "You took him down by surprise. He didn't see it coming. Keep up the good work." He walked back to the front of the class and announced, "All right, everyone. Let's continue." Kim picked up the paddles and sparred with Kento... Kim was walking down the hall to her locker. She had a few minutes before the bell would ring for the start of sixth period. She worked on the combination, got her locker open, and pulled out her lunch bag. Just then, Kim felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to face Noriko and five of her friends. "Hey, whassup," she greeted. "Let's skip the introductions and get to the point," Noriko replied coldly. "My friends and I have heard an ugly rumor that you slammed Sage Date's face into a locker." Kim snickered and admitted, "Whoa, news here sure spreads fast!" The girls, including Noriko, were shocked when they heard this. "So then, it's true?" Noriko asked in disbelief. "Yeah, so what?" Kim replied. "I don't like guys who flirt like it's an Olympic event." "Yeah, right," Noriko proclaimed boldly. "Sage would never flirt with someone like you." "And what do ya mean by that?" Kim asked loudly. Noriko was intimidated for a moment, but she didn't back down. "I'm not gonna let you get away with what you did to Sage," Noriko told her. Kim put her lunch bag on the ground and stared down at Noriko. "Are you threatening me?" she asked abruptly. She snickered as she looked at Noriko. "What's so funny?" she asked as Kim rolled up her sleeve. "Oh, nothing," Kim replied. "I was trying to figure how a scrawny little thing like yourself could even stand a chance against this." She flexed her bicep to prove her point. Noriko was obviously frightened, along with her friends. "Listen, it's a school day, and I'm busy after school, so what do you say we put this behind us and pretend this never happened, okay?" Kim was silent for a moment, as though she was thinking about Noriko's proposition. "Aww, hell," she finally agreed. "What do you say we shake on it?" Kim extended her hand to Noriko. She hesitated for a moment, but Noriko eventually shook Kim's hand. Just to scare her even more, Kim squeezed Noriko's hand hard. "Oww!" Noriko shouted as she pulled her hand away. She looked at her friends and told them, "Come on, girls." As they left, Kim pulled her sleeve back down, grabbed her lunch bag, and left... Lunch has already started in the cafeteria. Kento was sitting at a table, waiting for his friends to arrive. "Hey, Kento!" Cye greeted as he, Ryo, and Rowen approached the table and sat down. "Where's Sage?" Ryo asked Kento. He replied by pointing at the hot lunch line. Sage was near the end of the line, chatting with a couple of girls. "Wow! He takes a licking and keeps on ticking," Kento murmured under his breath. "What was that, Kento?" Rowen asked. "Nothing," Kento stuttered quickly. His friends looked at him curiously. "What?" Kento asked innocently. "Something happened to Sage today," Cye muttered out loud, "and you're not telling us." "Nothing happened to Casanova today, I swear," Kento denied. Kento decided to try and change the subject. "Hey, did any of you meet the new girl?" he asked. They all shook their heads no, and Ryo asked, "What new girl?" "Kim Ashe," Kento explained. "She was in my homeroom, and also in my martial arts class." "What a surprise! I thought there were only guys in your class," Rowen replied. "Well, not anymore," Kento retorted. "Are you sure you never seen Kim? She would stand out from the other girls here." "And why would she stand out?" Cye asked curiously. "She's black," Kento replied. "Or, at least I think she's black." "What do you mean by that?" Ryo asked. "Either she's black or she's not." "Well, I'm not exactly sure..." Kento muttered slowly and thoughtfully. "How can you not be sure?" Rowen asked. "Well, I've seen pictures of Africans in my history book," Kento explained. "Kim, she's not as dark as them and her hair isn't black and frizzy." "Well, maybe her skin cells don't produce enough melanin," Rowen theorized. "What did you say?" Kento asked, obviously confused. "Melanin," Rowen repeated. "It's a pigment in your skin. Generally, Africans are born with a lot of melanin in their skin. That's why they're so dark. The amount of melanin varies from person to person. For example, you and Ryo have more melanin than Cye, Sage, and me. The two of you are darker than the rest of us." "Oh!" Kento replied, nodding his head. Just then, he saw Kim enter the cafeteria. "Look, there she is!" Kento exclaimed. He waved his arms in the air to get her attention. "Hey, Kim!" he shouted. Kim turned her head and headed for the table. "Hey, Kento, what up!" she greeted as she slapped hands with Kento. "I'm alright," Kento replied as they sat down. "Kim, these are my friends: Ryo Sanada, Cye Mouri, and Rowen Hashiba." "Yeah, whassup," Kim said to them. "Nice to meet you, Kim," Cye greeted. Kim turned to Kento and asked, "Is Don Juan around?" "Sage is still in the lunch line," Kento replied, "but he'll be out in a few minutes. Why?" "I got some important business to discuss with him," Kim replied. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of important business?" Rowen asked. "Well, it's gotta do with some gal I ran into just a few minutes ago," Kim explained. "She was all up in my face." "Let me guess: long black hair and steel gray eyes, right?" Rowen asked. "Ya know her?" Kim asked. "Her name's Noriko. She's the leader of Sage's past girlfriends," Cye explained. "She feels she earned that title 'cause so far, her relationship with Sage lasted the longest. Go ahead, continue." "Anyway, she went all psycho on me 'cause she heard about me slamming Sage into the lockers. Boy, I tell ya, news spreads fast here." Ryo, Cye, and Rowen were in shock. "What's up with y'all?" Kim asked. "Let me guess. I'm the first one ever to turn down the 'Flirting King,' right?" "No, you're the second," Ryo managed to sputter out. "It's just, we know Sage hits on girls, but you're the only one to hit him back, literally!" Kim chuckled to herself as she opened her lunch bag. "Damn!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong, Kim?" Kento asked. "I forgot to pack something to drink," Kim told him, "but just chill. I'll just get something from the soda machine." She got up from her seat and made her way to the other side of the cafeteria, where the soda machine was located. Sage had finally escaped from the lunch line and sat down with her friends, never noticing Kim. "Hey, guys. How's it going?" he greeted as he sat down. "Just fine," Cye stuttered quickly as Ryo and Rowen tried to muffle their snickering. "What's so funny, guys?" Sage asked. As they continued to snicker, Sage stared accusingly at Kento. "You told them, didn't you?" he asked. "No way! I swear, I didn't tell them a thing!" Kento denied. "Then, how did they find out, Kento?" Sage asked accusingly. Kim arrived back at the table with a can of soda in her hand. As she sat back down, Sage groaned and asked; "You told them?" "If you talking 'bout that thing where I slammed your face in a locker, yeah," Kim replied. Sage buried his face in his hands as his friends laughed about it. "Listen up, Don Juan," Kim started. "This girl of yours, Noriko, she was like all up in my face a few minutes ago. Obviously, word spread about...you know, and she wasn't happy 'bout it." Sage took in a deep breath before he told Kim, "Look, the only advice I can give you is to just leave it alone. Noriko's like that to every girl." "So, she's like a straight-out racist to every girl she meets?" Kim asked, catching Sage by surprise. "Hold on. Noriko, a racist? You sure you weren't hearing things?" Sage asked. "Not the way I heard it," Kim admitted. "Look, she wanted to know why I did what I did. When I told it was 'cause you was hitting on me, Noriko said, and these were her exact words, 'Sage would never flirt with someone like you.' She didn't say it straight out, but I know she meant that you would never flirt with a black girl." Everyone sitting at the table was completely silent. "Look, Kim, I apologize for what Noriko said to you," Sage told her. "Seriously, Sage," Cye suggested, "you ought to have a talk with Noriko about this." "Ya know, I should've expected this kind of behavior," Kim interrupted. "I'm like the only one at this school with dark skin. No offense, you two," she told Kento and Ryo, "but I know you weren't born with that tan." Everyone at the table was silent for a few moments, until Cye decided to break the ice. "So, Kim, where are you from?" "I'm from the Big Apple: New York City," Kim replied. "Originally from da Bronx suburbs. Weren't exactly perfect, but hey, home is home." Just then, the bell rang, ending lunch period... The end of school had finally arrived. Kento was waiting outside, along with Ryo, Cye, Sage, Rita, Sandra, and Clara. They were all gathered under the shade of the oak tree, except for Kento, who was keeping a lookout for Rowen. He didn't see Rowen yet, but he did spot a certain girl. "Hey, Kim!" he shouted. "Over here!" As soon as Kim spotted him ,she headed over to the oak tree. "Hey, boy, whassup!" she greeted, lightly punching him on the shoulder. "Why did you punch him?" Cye asked curiously. "It's a ghetto form of greeting your posse, your friends," Kim explained. "Kim, this is Rita Niitsu, Sandra O'Brien, and Clara Garson," Kento said, introducing her to the girls. "Girls, this is Kim Ashe." "Nice to meet you, Kim," Clara greeted, extending her hand to Kim. "Yeah, same here," Kim admitted as she shook Clara's hand. "So, Kim, you're the gal everyone's talking 'bout," Sandra exclaimed. "I must say, it's an honor to meet ya." "Really? What for?" Kim asked, slightly confused. "I heard that you smacked his face into a locker," Sandra explained, jerking her thumb at Sage. "Personally, I think he deserved that." Sage covered his face in embarrassment. "So, what y'all standing 'round here for?" Kim asked. "We're waiting for Rowen," Ryo explained. "Y'all going down that road?" she asked, pointing at the main road leading away from Han`a High. "Yeah, we all do," Ryo answered. "Looks like I'll be joining y'all," Kim admitted. "Really?" Kento asked. "I thought you were like, you know, the lone wolf type." "Hell, no!" Kim exclaimed. "If you're a lone wolf in New York, you're a dead man walking. It's true 'bout that 'safety in numbers' thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here. Besides, it's my first time walking home from here, and I don't wanna get lost out in Nowheres-ville." Just then, Rowen left the school and joined them. "About time, Rowen!" Kento shouted. "We've been waiting forever for you!" "Well, I'm here now, so let's leave," Rowen told him. The group of nine left the shelter of the oak tree and headed down the main road leading away from Han`a High School. "Yo, Sage?" Kim asked. "Yes?" "I guess I should like apologize for knocking you up twice in one day," Kim explained. "Hold on a minute! There was a second time?" Cye asked out of shock. "Yeah, there was," Sage quickly murmured. He turned back toward Kim. "You don't need to apologize, Kim. I'll admit, I was out of line." "Yeah, I do, Sage," Kim told him. "Straight-up, I thought you was the player-type." "The player-type?" Ryo asked. "What does that mean?" "Well, you see, a player is usually some dude," Kim explained, "but a girl could be a player, too. Anyway, a player would come up to a girl and go, 'Hey, baby! Whassup!' They'd be flirting with you and acting all nice and stuff when, truth is, they wanna get with you horizontally. Ya know what I'm saying?" Kim looked at Sage and admitted, "Ya know, after checking you out, I know now that you ain't no player. You are nowhere near being a player." "How do you know so much 'bout 'the player-type,' Kim?" Sandra asked. "I admit, some of my homeys are straight-up players," Kim admitted. She noticed the way everyone was looking at her. "If y'all wondering, I never hooked up with one of 'em. Even if you think you know a player, you don't exactly know where he's been." Rowen interrupted by announcing, "Here's our stop, guys." "See you later," Ryo said as Rowen, Sage, and Sandra headed down their street. As Ryo, Cye, Kento, Clara, Rita, and Kim continued down the main road, Rita asked, "I'm curious. What was it like for you, Kim, living in New York City?" Kim didn't answer right away. "It was all right, despite living in the suburbs," she finally said. "I remember when we started out, we could only afford a one-bedroom apartment. Pops was finishing up law school, and Ma was working, so we didn't have a lot to begin with. The hood was bad, really bad. There was like four or five gangs there, and like every other night, you'd hear all this shooting and screaming. It was like 'Nightmare on Elm Street' or something. When Pops finished school, he got a job with this big international law firm. As Ma said, we was 'moving on up like the Jeffersons.' We moved to a better neighborhood and into a bigger apartment. Ma quit her job and stayed home taking care of me and my brother and sisters." "That sounds like a big family," Cye remarked. "Six ain't a big deal," Kim retorted, "and I don't mean six kids. There's Pops, Ma, me, my brother, and my twin sisters." "So, how did you end up moving all the way here to Japan?" Clara asked. "Well, a couple of weeks ago, my pops got this huge promotion from his job," Kim explained. "Like I said before, thios law firm he worked for is international. They wanted him to be a representative for the firm here. And ya know what that means: in order for him to take the job, the whole family had to move out here." "Do you miss your home? I mean, your old home, in New York?" Cye asked. "Yeah, of course I miss it! Why wouldn't I?" Kim shouted. She took a deep breath and said, "Sorry 'bout that, Cye. You was just asking. I'm definately gonna miss raping with my homeys." "Rapping? Is that slang for something?" Rita asked. "Not in this case," Kim told her. "Sometimes, when my homeys and I would get together, we would freeverse. That's a type of rapping that you make up as you're going along." "Hey, can we hear some?" Kento asked. "Well, I don't feel like making up something right now," Kim replied, "but I can do one that I did a few months ago. It's still up in my head." "Cool! Let's hear it," Kento said. "All right, but I'll warn ya. It's only like ten lines." She started to bob her head a bit, like she was listening to a steady rhythm in her head, before she started: "Who gots the flo', who got the flo' Grab the microphone and let your funky lyrics go Here I go on the microphone, about to wreck it You thought a female M.C. couldn't do it, but now check it If the blues is what you choose, I'll kick it Count Basie style But if bebop is what you rock, I'll kick the Monk or some Miles Won't grab no Phillies, my style is willing if you let me Or if I choose to 'cause women's lib said I don't have to So think again before you test a sister, 'cause with my girls behind me We got lots of power, mister." When Kim finished, there was complete silence that followed. "Well, don't just stand there gawking," she retorted. "What did y'all think?" "Well, I personally didn't catch all of the words," Clara admitted, "but it sounded good." "Seriously, you made that up?" Kento asked. "Yeah, so?" Kim asked. "That was so awesome!" he blurted out. "I don't think anyone arouond here could do that!" "For real?" Kim asked. Just then, they arrived at another street corner. "Looks like this is my stop," Kim muttered out loud, looking at the street sign. "Really? So do we," Kento admitted, indicating himself, Cye, and Clara. "See you tomorrow, everyone," Ryo said as he and Rita left. "Yeah, peace out," Kim told them as she, Kento, Cye, and Clara headed down the street. "Hey, Kim?" Kento asked. "Yeah?" "Is your new home a two-floor, white house with dark green trim?" "Yeah, so?" Kim asked. "Looks like we're neighbors," Kento admitted. "That house is right next-door to mine." "For real? Cool!" Kim admitted. As Kim's house came into view, Kento starting sniffing the air. "What are you doing?" Cye asked, trying to suppress his laughter. "Something smells good," Kento replied, giving Cye a dirty look. "Ma must be making sweet potato pie," Kim admitted as she took in a deep breath. "Sweet potato pie?" Kento repeated. "That sounds weird: putting potatoes in a pie." "Might sound weird, but it tastes great!" Kim proclaimed. "You think I could get a slice?" Kento asked. Kim thought about it for a moment. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to ask," she finally said. As the foursome approached the house, two eleven-year-old girls and an eight-year-old boy were seen sitting on the porch steps. The children were as dark as Kim, but their hair was black and frizzy. The girls were wearing matching red-and-black checkered dresses with black tennis shoes, and the boy was wearing jeans and a green T-shirt. On eof the girls looked up and spotted Kim. She elbowed her sister and exclaimed, "Look! She's here!" The little boy went inside and yelled, "Mama, Kim's home!" The two girls ran up the road and embraced their older sister. "Hey, get off me, ya little rugrats!" Kim shouted as the girls giggled and let her go. "Ya know, Mama's gonna be mad at you if she found out you ran down the road like that," she pointed out. "Please, don't tell her, Kim, please!" the girls pleaded simultaneously. "Don't worry," Kim told them. "She won't hear anything form me." The girls smiled at her and ran back to the porch. "Who are they?" Kento asked. "Those were my twin sisters," Kim explained. "The one on the left is Jasmine, and the other one's Janice." "How are you able to tell them apart?" Cye asked as they walked over to her house. "Well, there are little things, like birth marks, beauty marks, dimples...stuff like that." "And who was that little boy who ran into the house?" Clara asked. "That was Derrick," Kim told her. "He's kinda shy 'round people. That's why he bolted into the house." When Kim, Kento, Cye, and Clara reached the porch, the front door opened. A young black woman in her early thirties stepped out onto the porch, with Derrick hiding behind her. She was wearing a short-sleeved white blouse, a long black skirt, and black tennis shoes. "Hey, Kim," she greeted with a southern drawl. "How was your first day of school?" "It was all right, Ma," Kim replied. "These are some guys I met at school: Kento, Cye, and Clara." "Pleasure to meet y'all," Mrs. Ashe greeted. "Would ya like to come inside and have some sweet potato pie? It's straight outta the oven." "Thansk for the invitation, Mrs. Ashe," Cye said, "but we should be on our way." "Well, how's about I send y'all home with a slice?" "Sure! That'd be great!" Kento exclaimed with a big grin on his face. "Now, y'all just wait here a minute, and I'll be right back." Mrs. Ashe went back in the house, followed by Derrick and the twins. Kim sat down on the porch steps while everyone else stood up. "Your mother's a very nice woman," Cye commented. "Thanks," Kim replied. "It's all part of her Southern hospitality." "Where is she from?" Kento asked. "Kentucky. She was raised on a farm." Kim was looking around and spotted a gold-colored van in the driveway of the neighboring house. "That your house, Kento?" she asked, jerking her thumb at the house. "Yeah," Kento replied. "Whose van is that?" "It's mine," he admitted. "I know it doesn't look that good from the outside, but it runs like a tank." As they were talking, a nice black sports car pulled into the driveway. The driver's door opened, and a forty-year-old white man dressed in a three-piece business suit stepped out. His reddish-brown hair was neatly combed back and he was clean-cut. Kim looked up at the man and exclaimed, "Pops?" She got up and approached her father. "What the hell you doing here?" "Surprised? I got out of work early," he replied in a deep voice as he hugged his daughter. He noticed Kento, Cye, and Clara standing on the porch with confused looks on their faces. "Your first day, and you already made some new friends," Mr. Ashe exclaimed. "Why don't you introduce me to them, Kim?" "Right, Pops," Kim replied. "That's Kento, Cye, and Clara. Guys, this is my dad, the attorney." "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ashe," Cye greeted after he got rid of his startled expression. "Nice to meet you all as well," Mr. Ashe admitted. "Hmm...Smells like you mother made sweet potato pie." "Yup, she did," Kim replied. "Well, I better get a slice before you all eat it up." He went inside and Kim looked at her new friends suspiciously. "What's up with y'all?" she blurted out. "We didn't know you were biracial," Kento admitted. "Well, I am. Got a problem with it?" Kim said a bit defensively. "No!" Kento denied. Just then, Mrs. Ashe stepped onto the porch, carrying three paper plates with three pieces of pie wrapped with plastic wrap. "Here you go," she announced cheerfully as she handed the plates to Kento, Cye, and Clara. "Hope y'all like it." "Thanks, Mrs. Ashe," Kento admitted. She smiled and asked, "As soon as you're done talking to your friends, could you come to the kitchen, Kim?" "Yeah, sure, Ma," she replied as her mother went back inside. There was an awkward silence that followed. Cye broke the silence by saying, "Kim, I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier. We're all sorry. Right, Kento? Clara?" "Yeah, sorry about that, Kim," Kento apologized. "We didn't mean to offend you in any way," Clara replied. Kim hesitated for a moment before replying. "It's all right," she finally said. "Y'all probably never been 'round someone like me before." "Yeah, that's true," Kento admitted."Well, we ought to be going," Cye admitted as he, Clara, and Kento got off of the porch. "Later," Kim said as she watched them head down the street before going inside... Meanwhile, Dulcea was in her throne room, watching the image of Kim standing on her porch and heading back into the house. She was so focused on the mirror, she didn't notice her burliest warrior quietly slip into the room. "Is that her?" Dulcea was startled a bit. She turned around to face Hardrock, with anger clearly burning in her amethyst eyes. "Don't sneak up on me ever again!" Dulcea shouted coldly. She abruptly turned around and quickly waved her hand over the mirror. As the images disappeared, Dulcea walked past Hardrock and and sat back down at her throne. "Yes, that is the kokoro of earth," she finally answered. "In spite of her...appearance, she is surprisingly strong, despite the fact that she is still human." "Strong? Her?" Hardrock exclaimed. He laughed abruptly at the thought of it, but he was soon silenced by Dulcea's piercing glare. "This isn't a laughing matter, Hardrock," she told him. "I've been keeping an eye on her all day. Her warrior skills are impressive, so she'll be more difficult." "Nothing I can't handle, Lady Dulcea," Hardrock boasted. Dulcea narrowed her eyes and stared at him. "Go, now," she finally said. "Lure her to the Mt. Dojo National Park. You better not fail me." Hardrock quickly bowed and left the throne room, entering a dark hallway. He suddenly stopped in his tracks. He sensed someone standing behind him. Hardrock's hand closed into a fist and he quickly turned around and slugged the stranger in the face. He stood over Torrent, who was slowly rubbing his jaw. A small stream of blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth. He looked back at Hardrock with anger blazing in his eyes. "What did you do that for?" he yelled angrily as he struggled to stand up. "I got a better question: What were you doing, sneaking around me like that?" Hardrock asked. "Well, at least now, you know not to do something that stupid around me again." Torrent was no longer angry; he was now furious. "You're gonna pay for insulting me like that!" he shouted in an enraged tone. "Why? What are you gonna do about it?" Hardrock provoked him intentionally. "I'm not afraid of you, or anybody else!" "Are you so sure about that?" Hardrock scowled as Wildfire and Halo emerged from the shadows. "Stay out of this, Wildfire," he muttered loud enough for him to hear. "This is none of your business." "Maybe I should make it my business," Wildfire replied. "You're not the boss around here," Hardrock reminded him. "You can try, but you can't intimidate me." "Don't be so sure of yourself, Hardrock," Halo retorted. Hardrock got into his face and muttered, "Back off, or you'll hit the floor faster than Torrent." "Better watch it, Hardrock," Wildfire warned him. "Your boastful ways could lead to your downfall." Hardrock looked at him and snickered. "If you don't mind me asking, what's so funny?" Wildfire asked. "If you three want to worry about something, you should worry about yourselves," Hardrock replied smugly. "And why should we?" Torrent asked. "Lady Dulcea is angry with you, and you all know why." "If she only planned on having us around for destroying the kokoro before they reached their true potential," Halo retorted, "don't you think she would've gotten rid of us already? May I remind you, she is more powerful than all of us combined, so don't act all high and mighty." His orange eyes narrowed and stared coldly at Halo's green eyes. "If you will all excuse me," he finally said, "I have an order to follow. Later, losers." Before Wildfire, Halo, or Torrent could say anything, Hardrock teleported away... It was now around late afternoon. Kim was riding on the road on her skateboard. She pushed on the road with her foot to gain more speed. Suddenly, she heard a car horn from behind her. Kim groaned as she came over to the side of the road and got off of her skateboard. Turning around, she recognized the gold-colored van. Kim picked up her skateboard and approached the passenger door. The window rolled down, revealing Kento as the driver. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes. "Hey, Kento," Kim exclaimed. "Whassup!" "Same to you, Kim," Kento replied. "Where are you going?" "To the park. Why?" "Well, I'm going to be passing by there, so you want a lift?" Kento asked as he opened the door for Kim. Kim was a bit suspicious at first, but she got over it. "All right," she finally said as she got in the front seat and closed the door. Kim laid her skateboard on her lap as Kento continued driving. "So, Kim," Kento started to ask, "why are you heading to the park?" "Well, I heard there's a killer ramp there," Kim explained as she repeatedly tapped on the skateboard with hre fingertips. "Gotta work on some of my moves, ya know?" She glanced around the van quickly, and looked at Kento before she continued. "Ya know," Kim told him, "for looking as bad as it does from the outside, this old thing runs pretty smoothly." "Thanks," Kento said. "It was practically a steal at that rent-a-car place." Kim had a bit of a confused look on her face. "That's weird," she mumbled to herself as she turned her head and looked out of the passenger window. Kento looked at her and asked, "What's weird?" "Well, it's just, I thought you said earlier today that you own this van," Kim explained, still looking out of the window. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp blow to her head and passed out. The driver snickered sinisterly as he removed his sunglasses, revealing himself as Hardrock. This is too easy, he thought to himself as he glanced at his unconscious passenger. "Hope you enjoy your nap, kokoro," Hardfrock told her, " 'cause you'll be sleeping for a very long time." He laughed evilly as he continued driving... Meanwhile, Kento was sitting at the kitchen table, mumbling to himself as he looked over a worksheet in front of him. "Aww, man!" he muttered to himself. "And I thought Spanish was supposed to be easy!" Kento pulled out a book from his book bag and opened it up. "Good thing I got this Spanish-English dictionary, or I would flunk Spanish big time!" He found what he was looking for and started to jot down some words on his worksheet. Just then, the phone rang. "All right!" Kento exclaimed as he got up. "I needed a break from this anyway." He put the dictionary on the table and picked up the kitchen phone. "Hello?" he spoke into the mouthpiece. "Hey, Kento," an all-too-familiar voice replied over the phone. "Hey, Cye!" Kento exclaimed. "What's going on?" "Not much," Cye answered. "Are your parents home yet?" "No," Kento replied slowly. "They're still at the restaurant. You know they din't leave until six. What's wrong?" "I'm calling you on Ronin Warrior business," Cye explained. "I just wanted to make sure there was no one there to overhear our conversation. Listen, have you received any sort of reaction from that ring?" Kento pulled out the chain and quickly glanced at the ring before putting it back. "No, nothing yet," he told Cye. "Why are you asking?" "You see, I have a bit of a suspicion as to who the kokoro of earth may be," Cye explained. "Well, spill it! Who do you think it is?" Kento blurted out. "Isn't it obvious, Kento?" a slightly frustrated Cye replied. Kento thought about it for a moment before it sunk in. "No! You don't think it's...Kim, do you?" "Yes, that's my guess." "But, why do you think that?" Kento asked. He heard Cye groan out of frustration. "You haven't noticed the pattern? Well, let me explain. You know how we were all separated from when Talpa first attacked us? We were found in a certain order according to the Ancient's poem. Mia found Ryo first, then they found Sage. Ryo found me next, Sage found you afterwards, and and we finally found Rowen. It seems that the kokoro are being discovered in the exact same pattern. First Rita, then Sandra, and then Clara...The next kokoro we find is gonna be connected to your armor, Kento, and I feel deep inside that it's Kim." All of a sudden, Kento felt a massive weight hanging from his neck. His head dropped down and he groaned from the unexpected additional weight. "Kento! What's wrong?" Cye shouted. "I think--my ring--has just reacted," Kento murmured through clenched teeth. "Quick! Pull it out from underneath your shirt!" "Well, okay," Kento said uncertainly as he struggled to pull the ring out, "but I don't see why..." He stopped talking as he noticed the ring of Justice glowing orange in his hand. Suddenly, a beam of orange light came out from the ring. The beam projected a flat oval in front of Kento. Through the oval, he saw various images, all in various shades of orange. The first image was of a gold van similar to his. Hardrock, in his full armor, was pulling an unconscious Kim out of the passenger seat. The next image showed Kim punching Hardrock in his unprotected face. The last image was of a furious Hardrock preparing to do his Iron Rock Crusher. The flat oval disappeared, and the ring of Justice stopped glowing. Kento was so in shock over what he saw that he dropped the phone. "Kento! Are you still there? KENTO!" Cye's voice squeaked loudly from the dangling phone. Kento snapped out of it and fumbled a bit with the phone. "Man, Cye, you were right about Kim! Sorry, but I gotta go now!" He hung up the phone, pulled his keys out of his pocket, and ran out of the house... Meanwhile, a gold-colored van pulled up into Mt. Dojo National Park. Hardrock, now in his sub-armor, stopped the van and stepped out of the driver's seat. By the time he reached the passenger door, Hardrock was in his full armor. He opened the front door, picked up Kim, and flung her over his shoulder. As Hardrock headed deeper into the park, Kim slowly opened her eyes. "What the hell..." she murmured to herself. She felt down in her gut that she was in some sort of danger. Kim tried punching her abductor's shoulder, but ended up bruising her knuckles on Hardrock's shoulder plate. "Damn it!" she yelled out in pain. As she rubbed her fist with her other hand and blew on the bruises, Hardrock snickered. "So, you're awake." He turned his head around to look at her. "That was a stupid move you pulled," he sneered. At that moment, Kim noticed her window of opportunity: Hardrock had nothing protecting his face. She clenched her good hand into a tight fist and aimed at his face with all of her strength. Kim obviously nailed him in the right spot. "Ahh!" Hardrock yelled out in pain as he covered his face with one hand. This move caused him to loosen his grip on Kim. She fell to the ground, got up, and ran away from Hardrock, who was still covering his face. She climbed up a rocky ledge and looked back at him. Hardrock was obviously furious. Fire burned in his cold orange eyes, which were staring straight at Kim. "You're gonna pay for that!" he yelled angrily. "Oh, yeah?" Kim shouted boldly. "Bring it on!" Hardrock chuckled as he removed his naginata from behind him. "You'll regret saying that. IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" He twirled around his naginata and brought it down to the ground, sending tremendous jagged slabs of rock flying striaght at Kim. "Oh, shit!" she exclaimed as she quickly dropped down to the ground to avoid the flying boulders. A couple grazed her slightly on the back, but Kim pretty much escaped unharmed. "You won't be able to escape this time!" Hardrock yelled as he prepared to attack her again. Before he could finish the attack, a large rock hit him square between the shoulders. Hardrock turned around and saw Kento, in his sub-armor, standing next to his rented van. "Let me guess," Kento said. "You call yourself Hardrock, right?" Kento jumped high over Hardrock's head and landed right in front of the ledge where Kim stood. "Are you okay?" he asked her quickly. "I'm still here," Kim retorted. "Mind telling me what's going on here?" "Now is not a good time, Kim!" Kento replied as he carefully watched Hardrock. "You better get out of here. Things might get a little messy." "But, what about..." Kim started. "I'll cover you, okay?" Kento blurted out in frustration. "Now, go!" Kim hesitated for a moment before she continued to climb up the ledge. Ketno returned his attention to his evil twin. "You're going down!" he declared. "Armor of Hardrock! DAO GI!" After the transformation was complete, Kento withdrew his own naginata and stood ready for battle. Hardrock stared at his adversary and snickered. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Kento of Hardrock," he sneererd crudely. Enraged, Kento charged straight at him. He swung his naginata at Hardrock, but he blocked the blow with his own weapon. "Nice try," Hardrock admitted sinisterly. In a blink of an eye, he knocked Kento to the ground with a quick blow to the chin. "But, not good enough," he finished as he headed toward Kento. While the battle between Kento and Hardrock continued, Kim was walking away from the ledge she climbed earlier. Her hands were buried in her pockets, and she was taking out her frustration by kicking small stones along the path she was taking. "Man, Kento is so dense," Kim muttered angrily to herself. "Dude don't stand a chance against him. What the hell was he thinking?" She was about to kick another stone when she spotted something shiny resting on top of it. It was the ring of Justice. "What the...?" Kim exclaimed slowly as she bent down to take a closer look at the ring. She thought the light was from the sun's reflection, but the ring was emitting its own light. Kim carefully picked up the ring and looked at it in the palm of her hand. As she held the ring in her hand, a narrow beam of orange light emerged from the ring and connected with her forehead. Slowly, the kanji of Justice appeared on Kim's forehead. As she stood there, Shuno appeared at her side. "Kimberly Ashe," he announced, "I am Shuno, ruler of the kokoro. You, my dear, are the kokoro of earth reborn, destined to help the Ronin Warriors defend the mortal world from evil. Kento is one of the Ronin Warriors. He wears the armor of Hardrock. Do not let your anger cloud your vision. You must focus on the real threat." After Kim shook it off, she looked around, but Shuno was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, the ground shook slightly from the raging battle. Kim looked at the ring, closed her hand over it, and headed back to the ledge... Meanwhile, Kento was obviously gettting exhausted from fighting Hardrock. He was breathing heavily, and drops of sweat ran down his face. Hardrock, on the other hand, was showing no signs of fatigue. "What's wrong, Kento of Hardrock?" he asked mockingly. "Running out of steam?" He punched Kento in the stomach forcefully, sending him flying through the air. As he landed on his back, Kento groaned loudly in pain. "That's funny," Hardrock sneered as he approached Kento. "I'm just warming up!" He grabbed the fallen warrior of strength and lifted him up by his neck, choking him in the process. "Did that hurt?" Hardrock asked sarcastically. "Well, don't worry. Your suffering will end shortly." "Let him go!" he heard a familiar voice shout from behind him. Hardrock turned his head and saw Kim standing on the edge of the ledge. "I'll take care of you later," he muttered to Kento as he released him, letting him slump down to the ground. Hardrock looked back up at Kim and shouted, "It's payback time!" "Like to see ya try it!" Kim shouted back. "Well, if that's what you want...IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" Like before, Kim managed to avoid the massive slabs of rock flying at her. She landed on the ground a few yards away from Hardrock. The ring of Justice on her right hand glowed a bit before she stood up. Kim stared at Hardrock and said, "Now it's my turn to shake things up!" "Ooo, I'm so scared," Hardrock taunted mockingly. "Maybe ya should be," Kim replied as she made a fist with her right hand. "EARTHQUAKE!" She aimed her fist at the ground, but it stopped less than an inch away from the hard-packed earth. Her hand opened up, and the earth shook violently. Hardrock lost his foot and fell to the ground, but Kim was unaffected. Suddenly, the earth opened up underneath Hardrock. He started to fall into the seemingly bottomless pit, bu the managed to grab the edge with one hand. Hardrock glared angrily at Kim, who was looking right at him. "Don't think this is the last time we meet, kokoro," he sneered threateningly. "I'll be back!" Hardrock lost his grip and fell into the crevice before the fault line closed up on him. The earth stopped moving soon afterward. Kim stood there for a moment, on her guard, until she saw her friend lying face-first on the ground. "Kento!" she exclaimed as she ran over to him and tried to turn him over on his back. "Man, dude, you're heavy!" Kim remarked as she tried to turn Kento over again. "I heard that!" Kento mumbled just loud enough for Kento to overhear. She backed up a little and helped Kento get up into a sitting position. "Man, my head hurts," he muttered as he held his head in his hand. "Your head shouldn't be the only thing hurting," Kim remarked. "That other dude had you by the throat!" She pointed out the now visible red handprint on Kento's neck. "Don't worry about it," Kento told her. "It won't stay there for long." "Yeah, right," Kim retorted. "I had friends who been strangled by bare hands before, and those bruises don't go away so...easily?" She watched in shock as the red handprint on Kento's neck steadily faded away. Kento noticed the strange way Kim was looking at him. "Kim, what's wrong?" he asked. "How the hell did that happen?" Kim exclaimed. "The thing--it disappeared!" "Well, when I wear my armor, I heal faster than I normally would," Kento explained as he stood up. "Okay," Kim replied a bit hesitantly as she stood up. "Now, back to my question: You mind telling me what the heck's going on here?" "Long story," Kento replied as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He was suddenly bathed in a brilliant white light. Kim had to shield their eyes from the blinding white light. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see Kento in his clothes. In his hand was a small crystal orb. Kim noticed a small symbol inside the orb, a Japanese character. "What is that?" she asked, pointing at the orb. "That's my kanji," Kento explained as he held the orb up. "It means 'Gi,' or 'Justice.' " He put the orb in his pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. "Ready to get outta here?" Kento asked. "Hey, I've been ready," Kim retorted as they headed to Kento's van. Kento got into the driver's seat, and Kim got into the passenger seat. As Kento started up the van, Kim added, "Ya know, you should like start from the beginning." "Well, believe it or not, this whole thing started a thousand years ago," Kento started as he pulled out of the park...TO BE CONTINUED |