Chapter 154 Alessandra’s Past
Chapter 154 Alessandra's Past
Alessandra had been misunderstood since childhood. Being half Japanese and half Italian always drew attention—sometimes positive, sometimes negative, and often confusing—but she carried herself with pride, strength, and a naturally cheerful confidence.
Her life changed in a big way when she turned twelve.
“Dad, did we really have to move? I liked our old home…”
Alessandra pouted as the car rolled to a stop in Kawamura City. Moving to a neighboring city felt like a huge hassle. She had to leave her friends behind—and even her baseball team.
From the front seat, her mother, Alessia Mamoru, turned around and offered a gentle smile.
“I know it’s hard, tesoro,” she said softly. “But your father’s job needs him here, and it’s for the best. He’ll be able to provide better things for us.”
Their father, Gosei Mamoru—broad-shouldered, upbeat, and impossibly warm—reached back to ruffle both her hair and Keisuke’s.
“Kaa-chan is right, kids. It’s a fresh start. You’ll see.” He smiled.
“So! What do you two want to eat tonight?”
“Pizza!” six-year-old Kei shouted immediately, his hands shooting into the air.
Gosei laughed.
“I swear, you get more Italian every year. Pizza again? Always pizza?”
But the smile on his face said he didn’t mind one bit.
And just like that, the family climbed out of the car—heading together toward the nearest pizza place to celebrate the beginning of their new life.
Alessandra started at her new middle school. Much like at her old one, she made friends quickly—though some classmates found her a little intimidating.
She was taller than all the girls her age—and even most of the boys—with a more developed build and pronounced curves that made her stand out.
Her classmates often invited her to karaoke and other girly hangouts, but she never quite felt like she fit in, so she tended to keep a bit of distance.
Alessandra didn’t really enjoy typical girly activities anyway. Instead, she preferred what people often labeled boyish hobbies—many of which she shared with her younger brother: anime marathons, action movies, pro wrestling, and video games.
One Friday night, the two of them sprawled out in front of their new TV. After finishing an episode of Dragon Fighters, a brand-new anime called Survival Boy began to play.
Instantly, both siblings were hooked.
Alessandra glanced at Kei—his eyes glued to the screen—only to realize hers were just as wide and focused.
The next morning, at exactly 7:00 a.m. Alessandra slept peacefully in her room.
That peace didn’t last long.
Her little brother shook her shoulders frantically.
“Ne, onee-chan, wake up!”
Groaning, Alessandra let herself be dragged out of bed. Before she knew it, the two of them were outside in the cool morning air. Kei tugged at her hand, practically pulling her toward the park near their new home.
The anime they’d watched the night before was still vivid in their minds: the story of a small boy lost in the wilderness, surviving with only his wits and stubborn courage.
“It’s too early, Kei… We could’ve come an hour later and slept more,” Alessandra yawned, rubbing one eye.
“Look, onee-chan! There’s a big tree—we can climb it, search for a river, and maybe find animals, just like in the anime!” Kei’s eyes sparkled with wild excitement.
As they reached the park, they spotted two boys up ahead. One was older and taller, while the younger one was about Kei’s age, almost like they were mirror images.
The younger boy tugged on his brother’s sleeve and echoed nearly the same words:
“And we can climb that tree and find a river and—”
The two little boys locked eyes, froze for half a second, then burst into matching grins.
“Hey, did you watch Survival Boy yesterday?” Kei blurted.
“Yeah! It was awesome!” the other boy shouted back.
While the younger boys chattered nonstop, Alessandra’s attention shifted to the older one standing nearby.
She lifted a hand in a small, friendly wave.
He was shorter than Alessandra, thin, with sharp eyes that made him look either angry… or just tired. But when he smiled back, it was surprisingly warm.
The boy stiffened, swallowed hard, then blurted something out in English.
“H-Hello?”
Alessandra couldn’t help but laugh.
“I don’t speak English,” she said with a playful grin, noticing how embarrassed he suddenly looked. People often tried speaking English to her and Kei because of their foreign appearance—she was used to it by now.
After a brief pause, the older boy tried again—this time in Japanese.
“Hi. My name is Iryoku Taiyou. I’m ten years old, and this is my little brother, Kota Taiyou. Sorry for the misunderstanding—I’m still kind of tired. My brother dragged me out here early because of the show.”
Alessandra chuckled. “Yeah, same here. I can tell—you look exhausted.”
“Well… my eyes are just like that,” Iryoku said awkwardly. “Some people think I’m always angry or glaring.”
Alessandra smiled warmly. “I’m Alessandra Mamoru. I’m twelve. You can call me Ale. And this is my brother, Keisuke.”
They both laughed softly, sharing a brief, easy moment over their brothers’ chaotic enthusiasm.
“Iryoku,” Alessandra said aloud, tilting her head slightly, “that’s a really cool name.”
Before long, Kei and Kota came charging back.
“Onii-chan, let’s all play Survival!” Kota yelled.
“Onee-chan, let’s play too! You guys can be the animals attacking us!” Kei added, practically bouncing.
Alessandra looked at Iryoku, curious how he’d respond. He simply smiled—and then the whole group was off, sprinting around the big tree. They climbed, crawled, tackled, laughed, and pretended to fight invisible dangers. Eventually, they all flopped onto the grass in a tangled, exhausted heap, watching clouds drift slowly across the sky.
Alessandra was just about to ask if they wanted to play video games at her house when Iryoku glanced over at her, smiling.
“Why don’t you come to our place to play Smasher Maidens? If you bring your controllers, we can all play at the same time.”
The younger boys shot upright instantly.
“Yes! That’s gonna be awesome—let’s go!”
Alessandra grinned. “Okay, but if I win, all of you have to call me Onee-chan.” She let out a smug little laugh.
Alessandra and Kei both rushed to their home, grabbing the controllers.
“Hey, what’s happening? Aren’t you going to eat? Breakfast is ready,” their mom urged.
“But we’re going to play with our new friends!” Kei said, bouncing with energy, the controller already in his hands. Alessandra nodded behind him.
Soon enough, Alessandra and Kei Hurried into Iryoku and Kota’s house.
“Let’s go! I’m gonna show you who’s the best smasher,” Ale smirked.
All four players locked in their characters, and the fight began.
They played—and before long, Alessandra won. Barely, but a win was a win.
Iryoku looked up at her and smiled.
“Ale onee-chan.”
She leaned back, satisfied, basking in the tiny triumph.
And just like that, their friendship began. The four of them fell into a rhythm—meeting at the park day after day, playing until the sun dipped low, weaving childhood memories together without even realizing it.
One afternoon, Alessandra pulled Iryoku aside.
“Hey… did your mom say anything about Survival Boy?” she asked, looking uneasy.
“Why?” Iryoku tilted his head.
Alessandra sighed. “Yesterday Mom walked in during that bloody scene. She almost banned us from watching it.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Kei started crying, so she gave in. But now she sits with us every time it’s on, just to make sure it isn’t ‘too much.’”
Iryoku folded his arms, thinking aloud.
“In our house, Mom doesn’t worry too much about what we watch… as long as we behave and get good grades. But yeah… if she saw that scene, she might scold us too.”
Alessandra blinked. “Ohhh, you must be really smart, huh. I can’t pull that off. I barely scrape by.”
She drifted into thought—until their little brothers suddenly ran over, yelling in perfect synchronization.
“Hey, onii-chan! Hey, onee-chan! That thing the Survival Boy said yesterday was super cool… uh… how did it go? ‘Everything can be used… a man in hell…?’”
Kota tried to imitate it too, but butchered it just the same. Alessandra snapped her fingers, trying to recall the line.
“It was something like… ‘Everything can be used…’ yeah, something like that.”
Without missing a beat, Iryoku corrected them, his voice steady and confident:
“A good man must be resourceful—even in hell.”
Both little boys gasped like they had just unlocked a forbidden power. They raised their fists high.
“Yes! We wanna be like that!”
Alessandra and Iryoku exchanged a glance and laughed quietly at their dramatics.
“But what does it really mean, onii-chan?” Kota asked, eyes huge.
Iryoku paused, then explained, “It means that even when bad things happen—when you’re beaten down or stuck somewhere scary—you still have to survive and keep going. Something like that.”
Alessandra blinked, genuinely surprised.
I didn’t know it could mean that… that actually sounds pretty cool.
Then she flinched, her expression twisting like someone jabbed her in the gut.
Ugh… not this crap again.
“You okay?” Iryoku asked.
“I’m fine. I’ll be right back. Please watch Kei for me,” she said quickly, walking away from the park.
She clicked her tongue in irritation. “Seriously… why do we girls have to deal with periods?”
She ducked into the restroom.
“Crap, I hate this.”
A few minutes later, she stepped back outside, looking up at the fading sky as Iryoku’s words echoed in her mind.
Survive in hell, huh…
But when she returned to the park, her steps froze.
A group of older boys stood over Kei, Kota—and Iryoku.
Her eyes widened. Then narrowed.
Her walk turned into a run.
Iryoku planted himself in front of the younger boys, small but defiant, acting as a human shield as he glared up at kids twice his size.
Then one of them punched him.
A full, hard, ugly punch straight to his stomach.
“Argh!” Iryoku folded and crashed to his knees.
Something inside Alessandra snapped.
She sprinted forward, fury blazing, and slammed her foot into the nearest bully’s ribs.
“AGH!”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” she roared.
She spun and punched the next boy in the gut—he folded. She pivoted sharply and side-kicked the third, knocking him flat to the dirt. Within seconds, all three were down, one even whimpering in shock.
“Mess with my little brothers again and I’ll break your legs!” she snarled, towering over them.
Terror flashed across their faces. They scrambled up and bolted.
Alessandra rushed to Kei, dropping to her knees. “Kei, hey, stop crying,” she said, her voice softening. “You’re brave, remember? You don’t have to cry. Just… try to stand up for yourself next time, okay?”
Then she turned to Iryoku. Kota was clinging to him, trembling.
“Are you okay?” she asked gently.
“I’m fine… thanks,” Iryoku muttered, hand pressed to his side. He wouldn’t meet her eyes—almost like he didn’t want anyone to see his expression.
Alessandra’s jaw clenched.
If I ever see those punks again…
But she forced a grin for the kids’ sake and clapped her hands.
“Alright! Enough doom and gloom—back to the game! This time I’m the one surviving, and you three are the monsters!”
Kei and Kota immediately cheered, excitement wiping away the fear. Iryoku managed a small, tired smile and followed them.
But Alessandra didn’t see it—the tiny flicker of worry hiding behind his eyes.