Disclaimer: I do not own GA.

The Rounds

Round I. At Its Least

Sweet Temptress

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Japan was at its least.

With a new president, it was now a full dictatorial country.

The NEA, or the New Era Army, are private soldiers collected by the president to keep the country in perfect discipline. And when they mean discipline, they mean blood.

I, Mikan Sakura, am the eldest of four. I was the protector. And with the NEA having their rounds every time, it was possible that any of us would become a personal slave, a personal object of pleasure or just about anything. Anything inhumane.

And I dreaded it.

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It was not the drops of water that looked like teardrops that scared me. It was the fact that the New Era Army soldiers were going to do their regular rounds today.

Every month, the president's army inspects houses to assure that there is no rebellion happening and no anything. But they're not all nice. Sometimes, they steal. And sometimes they abuse women. Or rape them. Or just make them an object of pleasure. Sometimes they even make others watch.

I breathed in as I realized it was almost sunrise, but it was still dark. It was because of the rain. Funny how it fits the mood. It was time to get ready. Noon will not be a good experience for all of us. Careful that I didn't wake my younger sisters up, I took a shower and prepared breakfast.

Our country was under a new president. A president whom we didn't know wasn't a president at all. He was a dictator. A dreadful one. After three years of service to our country, he collected millions of private armies that we now call the NEA – New Era Army. And that's not the only millions he collected. And he was in full control of the whole country, with army and money and all.

Our country was never the same.

I sighed as Emily, one of my three sisters, came in the kitchen with teary eyes. She was only fifteen and they already dragged her to this. It was foolish. It was crazy. It was barbaric.

'Do you think they'll do it to me?' She asked as she played with her food, poking it, not even wanting to eat it.

'No, of course not. I will never allow it, Em.' I said in attempt to comfort her.

'But Mikan, the possibility is a hundred percent compared to the impossibility. I don't know, Mikan. I… I'm scared.' I saw the tears she was trying to hold back set free and were falling on her cheeks. This just made me mad. And it was wrongly directed to her before I could even stop myself.

'Can you stop crying? We all know that every woman in this household can possibly be taken, slaved! Killed! Do you understand me? Everyone in this remaining wretched family is in trouble!' I banged my fist on the table, my fury hardly subsiding. I saw tears dripping in her eyes and she was shaking quite violently already. I calmed myself down and said in a calmer tone, 'But we have to be strong.'

Everything became silent after that.

Rose and Silvia, my twin sisters later joined us as we tried to eat our breakfast. Nobody was hungry. And nobody certainly touched their food. Silence was present at the table. Nobody even talked. All of us seemed lost in thought as we just sat there – motionless.

'Dad's death anniversary will be tomorrow.' I tried to make small talk but all they did was nod and proceed to their own world.

My dad died trying to protect my mother from being taken by the army to make her a... well, my dad tried to stop the army. But then, they didn't want anyone to get in their way so they killed him. On the spot. Shot him dead the moment he tried to grab my mother. And successfully, we've toned our house down into an abandoned one to be unnoticed by the armies. But you never know when one of them will suddenly barge in the door. You're never sure. So when one of them do, we already had an escape plan in order.

Time passed by and it was almost noon. My sisters and I were in the darkest corner of our house, not bothering to move. A single candle was our only light. Every single move would be critical. The rounds would end at six o'clock. So we have six hours to go.

Three hours passed and our hearts beat normally. Three more hours to go and we were spared for another month. My sisters were calm enough to actually fall asleep. I guess we were going to be spared after all.

Click.

But then again, you never really know.

Instantly, our heads looked at the door in front of us. It was turning. It only meant one thing, someone was on the house. Our escape plan was immediately executed. We all ran for the kitchen door which led to a dog house large enough to make all four of us fit in. The entrance of the dog house was covered by woods nailed into it. All we had to do was crawl under an opening which was only for us to fit in. As I almost reached the door, I realized something. The candle was still lit. A dead give-away that this house was not abandoned at all. I urged my sisters to go as I tried to go back to blow the candle.

'Mikan! It's dangerous! Come here!' My sister, Em, semi-whispered in an alerted tone.

'I'll be right back. Don't return for me. I will be there. Just wait!' They nodded their heads and went to the dog house. I ran. I was about to return and run to the kitchen door when I heard the turning of the door. It was a full turn. I was on my way. I walked quickly. I was on my way. I really was.

But I stopped at my tracks the moment the door really opened. My heart hammered as I turned around.

'Miss… Sakura?' I looked at the main door only to see the most handsome young man I've ever seen in my entire life.\

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The Rounds; to be continued.

Nothing really changed, huh? :)) I only edited, no worries. Nothing really major and stuff. :)

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