Current Day
The ringing bell of the start of the school day pierced Yuriko's ears as she sat down, staring at the desk. It was the following week of when Jayce found out she was Wakizashi – or more so, she told him what she was – and he hadn't said a word to anyone. At least, not that she knew of, and she could read minds. Even Mystic, who she passed in the halls sometimes, didn't seem to know.
"Alright, students," The teacher called everyone to attention as they sat down. "Today marks the beginning of the Cultural Festival. In the following week, you will craft your classroom into a functioning entertainment for students and teachers and parents alike. Student president, please come up with your assistant and gather ideas for what you will do."
The teacher moved aside as two students got up, of which she didn't care to know the name of. The president set up her notebook on the pedestal, while the assistant cleaned off the board and picked up the chalk. When the president cleared her throat, the students looked anxious to raise their hands and shoot out ideas.
"You may now raise your hands and give out suggestions," The president spoke.
With that, hands shot into the air. Options were shouted out like "Theatre!" and "Snack Booth!" and "Casino!" but none of them appealed to Yuriko. She saw Jayce giving her eyebrows, and she looked over at him. Reading his sly smirk and his mind, her eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. Then, he raised his gloved hand, and she grit her teeth as he was called on.
"Yes, Miller?" The president asked.
"Cafe," He suggested. "Maid cafe."
The students went silent. The president, who happened to be female, was blushing immensely. "Miller, I don't think I can allow-"
"Please put it on the board, miss!" The entirety of the room shouted, mostly males.
The girl let out a squeak, then nodded in embarrassment to the boy behind her. He put the option on the board, and most of the place cheered, while Yuriko put her head in her hands with a groan. The suggestions went on, and when it was time to vote, Yuriko didn't raise her hand for a single one. Meanwhile, Jayce raised his hand for and only for his suggestion, along with about the rest of the boys in the room.
"It seems we have a tie," the president said. "Between Dance and… Maid Cafe."
"Well, there's only one way to fix it," The assistant mused. "Can anyone here do a backflip?"
Nobody raised their hand. Jayce leaned over to Yuriko. "Can't you do a backflip?"
"No," She hissed. "Just because I can fight people doesn't mean I am automatically a gymnast."
The president shrugged, and the assistant sighed. "Just kidding. My vote will break the tie, since the president is not allowed to vote."
He turned around and put a circle on the board, right around the suggestion for a Maid Cafe. The room burst into excitement, and the teacher tried to calm them, but it was pointless since the bell rang for lunch. Everyone was in a hustle, talking about the soon to be cafe they would have in their classroom. Yuriko sent a death glare to Jayce, who only shrugged and smiled.
"Guess you gotta wear a maid outfit," He said nonchalantly.
"I should have suggested a cross-dress maid cafe," She seethed at him.
"That would have been fun," Jayce pondered for a moment. "But there are more boys than girls, so you still would have lost."
"I am literally going to kill you," Yuriko growled.
"Relax, you'll look fine," He soothed her.
"I am not getting in a maid costume," She argued quietly, pulling out her lunch and getting ready to head to the roof.
"C'mon, you owe me," Jayce whined.
"Owe you for what?" Yuriko stood up.
"For keeping your secret," He teased.
She glared at him. "That is a one time I.O.U., and you are really going to use it for a maid cafe event?"
There was a moment where he pretended to think, then smiled and nodded. "Yep!"
Yuriko shook her head. "You are ridiculous."
With that, she was about to head out to the roof, when she stopped after laying her eyes on the door. There stood four individuals, one with his arm in a cast, glaring at her. No, not just her – Jayce. She silently tapped his shoulder and he looked up at her, then followed the trail of her gaze to the door. His face paled, and he stood up quickly. So far, these boys had left him alone since that day the previous week, but they were back.
"These fuckers," He mumbled under his breath.
Yuriko put a hand on his chest as he stepped forward angrily, a look of defiance and confidence on her face. He stared at her, apparently understanding what she was about to do. A slight argument came out, before she simply silenced him with a hiss between her teeth. Glaring at the boys, she started towards them.
When she stopped in front of them, one glared down at her. "What do you want?"
"For you to leave Jayce Miller alone," She spoke strongly.
"Yeah, cutie," He leaned down. "That's not gonna happen."
"I suggest it does," Yuriko said plainly, not budging a single inch.
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" He started to speak louder, almost yelling as he slammed his arm over top of her into the wall. "You can't protect him forever, girlie. You think you can just kick the crap out of us? Do you know who my father is? He can have you ki-"
"My grandfather is Xiu Romanov," She said over his tantrum.
Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes going wide. He quickly retracted his hand, stepping back several paces while the others did the same. Then, they froze, as if deer in headlights. Yuriko continued to glare at them fearlessly, stepping forward two paces before coming to a stop in front of them again. They knew exactly who she meant.
Xiu Romanov was a crime lord that had moved from China to Japan. The reason her last name was Russian was because they were descendants of one of the few survivors of the House of Romanov, a reigning imperial house that lasted three hundred years. A survivor escaped to China and birthed Xiu Romanov, who became a crime lord before retiring to Japan with his daughter and granddaughter.
"If you want to keep off of his radar," Yuriko said darkly. "I suggest you stay away from Jayce Miller."
They continued to stare silently, before one nodded. Then, in a group, they backed up into the hallway before turning around and scrambling away. Yuriko turned to face Jayce, only to find the entire classroom had fallen into whispers and was staring at her. She paid them no mind as she walked up to the boy once more.
"They will not bother you again," Yuriko informed him.
"Your grandfather is Xiu Romanov?" Jayce breathed. "I thought it was just a coincidence… but he seemed so nice, how could he be a Chinese crime-"
"Do not question it," She waved him off. "Just be glad I got rid of them."
"Yeah," He sighed. "Thanks…" Pausing, he narrowed his eyebrows. "You're still wearing the maid dress."
Yuriko rolled her eyes. "Whatever."