Volume 12, Chapter 3: The Problematic Group of First-Years Part 2

The next day, at the end of lunch break, the situation took a sharp turn.

Everyone was waiting patiently in the classroom for our afternoon lessons to begin after having finished up with their meals.

H-hey, some first-years seem to be headed over here!

The one who called this out was my classmate, Miyamoto.

The special exam would only be possible with the cooperation of the first and second-year students.

That was why, given the circumstances, I didnt think we needed to be so surprised by this, but apparently the rest of the class didnt feel the same.

They must have an awful lot of courage to come to their upperclassmans classroom.

As I pondered about it, Ysuke spoke up to explain it to me.

Imagine if we went to visit the third-year students. Wed probably be much more careful about it, right?

Thats true

Itd be a different story if we were on close terms with a lot of the upperclassmen, but that wasnt the case for the first-years.

For most students, it would probably feel like they were marching into enemy territory.

So in that sense, a few people showing up like this may very well be something worth being surprised about.

Ysuke went out to the hallway to take a look, so I tagged along with him.

Horikita and Sud followed close behind us as well.

The first person that I noticed was a young man with a large build.

There were several reasons he stood out. The first being that he was about the same height as Sud.

But even more than that, the confident, brazen way he walked down the dead-center of the second-year hallway was profoundly impressive.

The second-year students shrunk back and avoided him as he walked by instead of the other way around. A female student walking just a little behind him.

Having noticed that this wasnt some simple act done for the sake of looking for a partner, Horikita went out and stood in front of the male student, blocking his path. Sud followed suit shortly after.

For some reason, as the confrontation with the two first-year students began, the first person they looked at was me, even though I had been watching from a distance.

Not long after that, they looked away, shifting their focus over to Horikita.

I thought back on the information I memorized on the OAA app yesterday.

From the look of it, Horikita would be coming in contact with that class earlier than expected.

Whos this chick?

Please wait just a moment Ah, found it.

The girl fiddled around on her phone for a moment before showing the boy her screen.

Class 2-D, Horikita Suzune. Academic Ability A-, eh?

The girl spoke much more politely compared to the boy, so the two of them came across as an odd pairing.

The boy then turned and looked at Sud, who was standing next to Horikita.

Once again, the girl fiddled around with her phone and showed him the screen, just like she had done with Horikita.

Sud Ken? Hah!

After seeing Suds ratings, the young man scoffed demeaningly.

I am known as Nanase, a student from Class 1-D. And this here is my classmate H

Hsen.

ILLUSTRATION = https://imgur.com/a/MkLhih3

The duo introduced themselves by last name only. To supplement, the bulky male students full name was Hsen Kazuomi, while the girls was Nanase Tsubasa.

Both of them were genuine Class 1-D students, just like she said they were.

Students from the very class we hadnt been able to meet yesterday. Although their sudden appearance here was definitely unexpected, for Horikita, it was both a blessing and a curse. The reason being that it wasnt exactly a good idea to start negotiations with them right now, given the presence of students from the other classes.

For a couple of new students, the two of you have gone and done something pretty drastic. I admire your courage.

Hah? You admire what now? Damn full of yourself arent ya bitch?

You reckon shes the one full of herself? Fuck off with that cheeky attitude, first-year punk.

Hsen flared up at Horikita, prompting Sud to flare up as well and cut into the conversation.

Even though they were about the same height, Hsens build was a size larger, so Sud looked small in comparison.

An E+ in Academic Ability? Seems youre just as retarded as ya look.

Wanna say that again!?

Sud got angrier, but Hsen just ignored him and continued talking.

Well, fuck it. Seems like theres only a buncha Class D twerps here anyway. Works for me.

And what is that supposed to mean?

You guys are the shit at the bottom of the barrel. You wouldnt even be able to find partners without beggin our class for it. So Ill lend you incompetent retards a hand, aight? You get what Im sayin?

Hsen responded to Horikitas question and posed her one of his own, almost as if he was testing her.

So, youre essentially saying you want to partner up with us? And yet youre asking with an arrogant attitude like this?

No shit I am. You should be the ones begging us to partner with you. I did you idiots a favor by dragging myself over here.

Hsen challenged her, brushing aside her viewpoint and asserting his own.

So hurry the fuck up, get your heads on the fuckin floor and beg.

As she held Sud back from letting his temper get to him, Horikita spoke up once again.

You seem to be misunderstanding something. Our positions are equal.

She spoke with even more conviction than before, paying no mind to the physical disparity between Hsen and herself.

Equal? Could you let that retarded friend of yours be the only one spewing bullshit?

Youre in Class D just like we are. Youre no different from us.

You just dont get it. If we felt like it, we could do all sorts of things to trash like you. You dont want shit getting outta hand, right? If so, then know your place and start waggin your tail for me.

Apparently, this Hsen guy had already noticed the special advantage the first-years had against us.

And just what are these things

you could do to us?

Horikita shouldve been well aware of what the answer was, but she still dared to question him, wanting Hsen to be the one to say it.

You get it, dontcha? Weve got the means to intentionally tank our scores on the exams.

Upon hearing his words, Horikita bit down on her lip a little.

Huh? The hell are you sayin, you first-year bastard! Cuttin corners on the examll get you thrown outta school!

Stop it, Sud-kun. Losing your temper all of a sudden like this is a bad habit of yours.

But

I could understand why Hsens excessively aggressive way of speaking made Sud want to lose his temper.

However, what Hsen was saying wasnt untrue.

Sure, the rules say youll get expelled if you get caught throwing the exam. But the penalty that comes with not findin a partner by exam day is different. Thats only a problem for you second-years, yeah?

If you ran out of time, a random partner would be chosen for you.

Furthermore, youd receive a 5% penalty on your total overall score.

Since the second-year students had to face the danger of expulsion, theyd feel the effects of this penalty more than the first-years.

I-is that really true!?

Unable to believe it, Sud sent Horikita a look that demanded confirmation.

But the only thing Horikita could answer with was a nod.

Wouldnt you be strangling yourselves by doing that? Are you really alright with sustaining losses immediately after enrollment?

If they incurred a penalty, their chance of scoring above 500 points would naturally go down.

It wont be as much of a pain in the ass for us as it will for you second-years though. Right?

Hsen sought confirmation from Nanase, who was standing just behind him.

Yes. It is said that we wouldnt receive private points for 3 months, but at most, that would only be 240,000 points. I dont believe it would be a fatal problem.

You get it now, Horikita-senpai?

Hsen stood before Horikita, an upperclassman, as if he was the one with higher standing.

Having seen that, Sud couldnt hold himself back anymore.

However, he still had enough willpower to prevent himself from throwing a punch, choosing instead to take up an imposing, aggressive stance in front of Horikita.

You lookin to fight?

Hsen challenged Sud without even a trace of hesitation in his voice.

Youre a cocky one, aintcha!?

Dont lose your composure, Sud-kun. Youre well aware of how it is at this school, right?

It wasnt surprising that the first-years didnt know about this, but the hallways here were constantly under school surveillance.

As the surveillance cameras were always running, if something were to happen, the school would dig up the footage to use as evidence.

I know

Having been repeatedly admonished by Horikita, Sud stood down despite his irritation.

His short fuse was definitely one of his faults, but at the very least he was willing to listen to Horikita.

Sud turned and looked away from Hsen, but as he did, Hsen raised his hand and shoved him in the chest.

Woah!?

At that moment, Sud lost his balance and fell backward onto the floor, catching himself with his hands.

Are you just some tall-ass bitch? I barely touched ya!

Even the second-years who had been watching the situation unfold couldnt hide their shock at Hsens excessively reckless behavior.

Considering how immensely audacious it was, it wouldnt be surprising if this was considered an act of violence.

If he understood the difficulty and risk that came with exercising violence at this school, he never wouldve done this.

This new batch of first-years was apparently more familiar with the schools inner-workings than those of previous years.

If they really did know more about the school like Ryen claimed yesterday, then I had no choice but to say that Hsens conduct here had been straight-up reckless.

Do they not actually know as much about the school as I thought they did?

No, that didnt seem to be the case here. If that were the case

You son of a bitch!

Despite having almost regained his composure earlier, Sud realized what Hsen had done to him, and was seconds away from exploding with all of the fury he had kept bottled up inside.

However, before that could happen, a young man who had been watching the situation from a distance jumped in between them.

The hell are you doin!?

It was Class 2-Cs Ishizaki Daichi. While he was normally categorized as a delinquent who was quick to lose his temper, he was also a guy with a lot of heart. It seemed like he wasnt able to hold himself back any longer upon seeing how cruelly Sud, one of his peers, was being treated.

These second-year guys just keep poppin up like cockroaches.

Hsen let show an amused expression, while the girl who introduced herself as Nanase very tactfully brought him back under control.

Didnt you come here to have a discussion, Hsen-kun? If you came here because you wanted to get violent, Ill be taking my leave.

Violent? I just touched him same as I would petting a cat. My bad, Sud.

He addressed the second-year student in front of him without using honorifics, almost as if he was spitting on him.

Oi! Being an asshole has its limits, got it!?

Ishizaki reached out his arm, looking to grab Hsen by the collar of his shirt.

The moment he saw the arm moving toward him, the corners of Hsens mouth just barely crept up into a smile.

Give it up unless you wanna die, Ishizaki.

Ishizakis arm stopped mid-air, only moments away from taking hold of Hsens shirt.

The warning had come from none other than Ryen, who had apparently been watching the situation from the sidelines as well.

Wh-why are you stopping me!?

Ishizaki was visibly confused by the fact that Ryen had stopped him.

To think youd step in. What are you doing?

Ibuki, a student from the same class, also spoke up, surprised by Ryens sudden involvement.

Ryen didnt hate these kinds of confrontations, far from it. He usually welcomed them with open arms.

If the moment called for it, he wouldnt hesitate to throw down, regardless of whether surveillance cameras were present or not.

Which was exactly why the fact that he had stopped the fight from happening was so unexpected.

Ryen sent Ishizaki back, and then proceeded to approach Hsen himself.

So youre my opponent now? You look piss weak compared to that retard Sud over there.

Given that Ryens physique didnt seem all that large or impressive, Hsen spoke his mind.

Ive heard a lot about you. A guy named Hsen was a bit of a local celebrity back where Im from. I certainly never thought youd have such a retarded lookin face, though.

Ryen insulted Hsen with the exact same word that Hsen had used to repeatedly insult Sud. It was truly the typical Ryen behavior. Normally, Ryen was our classs enemy, but seeing him take a stand in a confrontation like this was reassuring. In fact, Sud had even managed to successfully get a hold of himself thanks to the change in atmosphere.

Y-you know this guy, Ryen-san?

You just say Ryen?

Hsens facial expression changed upon hearing Ryens name, his slight smile turning into a wide, toothy grin.

Oi oi, seriously? This must be fate or somethin. Ive heard so many rumors about you that it pissed me off, Ryen.

Looks like youve got enough brain cells to at least remember someones name.

The two of them had apparently known each other for quite some time now. It seemed like Hsen was from somewhere relatively close to Ryens hometown.

In any case, judging from the interactions between Ryen, and his classmates Ishizaki and Ibuki, it seemed safe to say that he had made a complete revival. Although he had stepped down for a short while, he had taken command of Class 2-C all over again.

However, for the Ryen to have such a scrawny-lookin body What a letdown.

And I guess youre as much of a muscle-head as I imagined.

Ive went to lookin to pay you a visit a buncha times to beat the shit out of you, but we never met. You were being a lil bitch and hiding from me back then, werent you? You ran away and left all the work to your underlings, or am I wrong?

Kuku, fate was on your side, Hsen. If you had crossed paths with me back then, you wouldnt be nearly as full of yourself as you are now. Seems youve gotten lucky since you dont know what its like to experience defeat yet.

I was sure you were just runnin away with your tail between your legs. But if youre sayin thats not the case, how bout we set the record straight right here, right now.

Hsen clenched his large hand into a fist, displaying his confidence.

If Hsen really knew Ryen from back during his middle school days, his impression shouldnt be that different from our own impressions of him. Perhaps he didnt see Ryen as someone you wouldnt want to make an enemy of?

Chill out. Im not gonna exchange blows with a gorilla when theres nothing in it for me.

Despite having been offered a fight, Ryen ignored his provocation and refused.

Of course, it was because there was no way he could fight in a place like this, but

Ishizaki and the others probably thought Ryen would accept the offer, even if they had to change places to do so.

Is this guy really all that scary? Hes bigger than Sud and all, but

Who knows.

It didnt seem like Ryen had any intention of giving an answer right now. He just let show a slight smile before giving his next directions to his classmates.

Lets call it a day.

Are you really gonna just let a first-year look down on you like this?

Ibuki was well aware that Ryen was the type of person whod exchange blows with anyone, no matter who it was, so she couldnt help but ask him this.

Hah! We can settle this any time we want. It doesnt have to be now.

Ryen responded to Ibuki with a completely calm, collected attitude.

While it wouldve been best for it to end with that, Hsen walked forward, closing the distance between himself and Ryen.

Is that chick also one of your underlings?

He posed this question to Ryen, having been watching as they talked with each other just moments earlier.

Well, somethin like that.

Huh? Who? Who died and made you the boss of me?

What, you even have chicks doin your dirty work?

I could say the same to you. Youre the one who brought along that pretty lil doll of yours, arent you?

In a similar fashion, Hsen had the girl named Nanase standing right next to him.

She aint my underling. Well, I dont really give a fuck either way. Lets take this outside, Ryen.

I told you I aint doin that.

No matter how many times Hsen provoked him, Ryen still wouldnt get caught up in it.

And, as if to symbolize that, he turned his back on Hsen, illustrating his intention to withdraw.

That so? Well then

Ryen wasnt biting, and Hsen didnt seem to find that very funny. All of a sudden, he casually extended his arm out toward Ibuki. She tried to brush his arm away as he did so, but

Just before she could knock his arm away, Hsens movements accelerated, and he latched his hand around her neck and raised her up in the air.

!?

Ibuki frantically tried to rip his arm away as the fight or flight response flooded her brain.

However, Hsen smiled fearlessly, his arm unyielding as if it had been cast from steel.

Ryen turned back around, taking notice of what was happening to Ibuki.

She did whatever she could with her hands and legs to try and get away, but Hsen didnt budge in the slightest.

Haha! Just you try and escape, girl. That, or I dont mind if all of you pussy-ass onlookers come at me as well.

Instead of fearlessness, his expression exuded an aura of absolute self-confidence.

That being said, getting involved in the situation certainly wasnt an easy choice to make either. If you were to cause a commotion in a place like this, the school would naturally end up catching wind of it. Given that the school would inevitably get involved, nobody did anything. Nobody, that is, except for Ryen, who stepped forward despite the surprise. He put himself right up in Hsens face, not so much to strike a blow on Hsen as it was to save Ibuki. Ryen kicked at Hsen repeatedly, but Hsen just casually shrugged it off even though his movement was restricted with one of his hands around Ibukis neck.

You bastard!

At that point, Ishizaki, who Ryen had previously told to stop, joined in as well.

It was turning into the type of commotion that made it hard to imagine that we were in the hallway of a school.

Yes yes! It was worth comin all the way out to this school after all!

A full-blown fight could start at any second.

However, Nanase, who had been watching in silence the entire time, opened her mouth to speak.

Please stop, Hsen-kun.

Hsen was making a show out of going up against two opponents despite being handicapped by his hold on Ibuki, but when his classmate Nanase called out to him, the show stopped.

What did you just say?

Rather than just obediently following her request, he made full display of his irritation over the fact that she interfered.

The upperclassmen have been worried about the surveillance cameras for a while now. Based on the circumstances, Ive determined that theres nothing to be gained by lashing out here.

No shit. I know that already. Thats why I'm fuckin around with em, aight?

He admitted he was aware that our actions were limited due to the surveillance cameras.

In which case, the series of actions Hsen had taken here was still incomprehensible.

Hsen proceeded to ignore Nanases request and refocused his attention on the fight unfolding before him. At that point, however, Nanase became even more forceful with her words.

If you know what youre doing, then thats all the more reason to stop. If you continue to waste time with this pointless quarreling, Ill take matters into my own hands. You have me considering whether or not to tell everyone about that, right here, right now.

Upon hearing her mention the abstract term that, Hsen stopped for a second time.

Then, with a dull, tedious look on his face, he released his grip, dropping Ibuki down to the floor, coughing violently as she did.

Aight then, Nanase. But, just know that if you betray my expectations, I wont show any mercy, even to a girl like you.

Ill gladly take you up on that when the time comes.

No matter how much Hsen intimidated her, Nanase still spoke confidently.

She seemed so calm and composed that the fact that she was in front of the second-year classrooms didnt even seem to matter to her.

Nevertheless, this Hsen guy was no ordinary person. Amongst all of the second-year students, there were a fair number who were proud of their fighting abilities. There were guys like Ryen, Sud, and Albert. However, despite being a first-year student, I could tell from just a glimpse that Hsen was the real deal. Even if I were to confront him, I probably wouldnt be able to keep him in check. Since I had only seen a glimpse of what he was capable of, I couldnt even predict what would happen if he went all-out. The reason why Ryen tried to stop Ishizaki from acting carelessly was probably because he judged that engaging in a simple fist-fight would put them at a disadvantage. An outrageous first-year had arrived.

Ill stop. We did what we came for. Lets get outta here, Nanase.

Yes. Thats a wise choice.

Seemingly satisfied with everything except the fight, Hsen turned and looked at Ryen one last time.

If you prostrate yourself to me, I suppose I could let you pair up with me, Ryen-paisen.

Sorry, but I only work together with humans. I have no intention of being with a wild gorilla.

What a shame.

However, this unexpected turn of events didnt end with that.

Because, besides Hsen and Nanase, there was one other first-year student who had been watching as the situation unfolded the entire time.

This student had probably gotten on Hsens nerves, as he turned his attention to them at the end.

You just gonna slink around and watch, Fucker?

A wise man keeps away from danger. Perhaps youve never heard the proverb?

With that, the first-year boy eloquently fended off the scowling Hsens question.

A friendly conversation is one thing, but its not a very good idea for you to cause any more trouble here, Hsen-kun. I think you should be the one to withdraw first. Do you disagree?

As the boy spoke those words of advice, an adult finally arrived in the hallway.

What are you doing here, Hsen?

A lone man donned in a suit had come in order to break up the turmoil of the students.

And, when the man spoke, many of the second-year students who had been watching from the sidelines fled to their classrooms.

Hsen, I understand that you feel restless, but Im sure youve been hounded on the schools rules to the point where your ears hurt.

Yeah yeah, I get it.

If you really get it, then go on and disperse. You shouldnt fight in the hallways.

This shit wasnt even a fight.

With a scornful laugh, Hsen put his hands into his pockets and turned away.

He had backed down unexpectedly easily, giving off an order for Nanase to retreat as well.

Ill see ya later, Horikita.

Housen expressly dropped Horikitas name before he left no, rather, it was more like he was saying this to Class 2-D as a whole.

Im sorry for the disturbance.

With that, Nanase bowed her head in a final apology, successfully drawing an end to the situation.

And then, when she raised her head, she looked at me once more before she left. It was the same look as the one she gave me when she first arrived here. That is, an inquisitive look that seemed as though she was probing for something.

But, as soon as I noticed she was looking at me, she immediately looked away and ran after Hsen.

I must apologize to all of you. The students of my class have caused you trouble.

The teacher apologized to Horikita, who had been watching the situation unfold from nearby.

No

While Im at it, please allow me to introduce myself. Im the one whos been put in charge of Class 1-D, Shiba Katsunori. Although Ive only just arrived at this school, Im looking forward to getting to know you moving forward.

After a brief self-introduction, Shiba-sensei turned around to follow after Hsen and Nanase.

Then, as if to change places with Shiba-sensei, the eloquent first-year student who fended off Hsen came and bowed to the second-years.

It seems that my peer, Hsen-kun, has gone and troubled the upperclassmen. I shall present you with yet another apology on the behalf of the first-year student body.

Unlike Hsen, he seemed to be a student who was well versed in the art of communication.

We first-years still dont really understand this whole special exam thing. I apologize for the inconvenience, but wed appreciate it if you all could take care of us.

After finishing up with his apology-slash-introduction, the student began to turn his head, implying that he was about to leave as well.

But then, he suddenly noticed something, or rather, someone.

A small group of girls from Class 2-D had just gotten back from eating lunch together.

It consisted of four people: Matsushita, Kushida, Sat, and Mii-chan.

He stared at one of them, Kushida, with a surprised expression on his face.

Everyone seems kinda shaken. What happened, Horikita-san?

Despite taking notice of the students presence, Kushida reached out to Horikita, curious to find out about what had taken place here.

Nothing you guys need to worry about.

Is that so?

At Horikitas dismissal, Kushida shrugged, ready to return to the classroom together with her friends.

Uhm Are you Kushida-senpai, by any chance?

Eh?

Having heard someone speak up to her, Kushida turned back around. I found myself wondering if the fact that the student knew Kushidas name meant that they were acquaintances from the past, but

Erm?

Kushida looked at him with visible confusion in her eyes. The atmosphere between them seemed to leave no room for familiarity.

Dont you recognize me? I suppose its understandable if you dont but, its me, Yagami Takuya.

After hearing his name, Kushida thought it over for a little bit before it dawned on her.

Yamagi Ah! That Yagami-kun!?

Indeed, that Yagami. Its been a while, hasnt it!

So you came to this school too, Yagami-kun! What an amazing coincidence!

I certainly never thought Id see Kushida-senpai again here!

You two know each other?

Sat asked curiously, to which Kushida nodded.

Yep. Although, weve hardly ever interacted with each other. Yagami Takuya-kun. He gave me the impression that he was incredibly smart. We never said very much to each other outside of greetings because we were in different school years, though.

Do you know anything about this?

I whispered to Horikita to check what she knew and she responded immediately.

Well, not really.

You dont seem to remember much of anything about your old classmates, do you?

Youre not wrong. Back then, I didnt have the time to pay attention to people I didnt have any interest in.

Apparently, she really didnt remember or rather, she didnt even pay attention to it in the first place.

Given that she didnt even bother to pay attention to her own classmates, there was no way that shed remember an underclassman.

Well, even though Kushida didnt remember him at first, a boy probably wouldnt be able to forget about Kushida once theyve seen her.

After all, that was just how eye-catching her appearance truly was.

Im really quite lucky to attend the same school as Kushida-senpai, who I admired so much, again.

Thats too much

Kushida responded with humility. However, if she really did go to the same middle school as Yagami, a few concerns came to mind.

Does this Yagami guy know about you-know-what?

I whispered to Horikita once again. My use of the term you-know-what was, of course, referring to Kushidas past.

Back during her time in middle school, Kushida had brought about the destruction of her own class.

Furthermore, she saw Horikita, someone who had gone to middle school together with her and knew the truth about what had happened, as her enemy. This is because Kushida felt that it was dangerous for somebody to know what she was capable of, and wanted to get rid of Horikita as a result.

Since he had also gone to the same middle school, it wouldnt be strange if Yagami knew the story as well, but

I wouldnt be surprised if he did, but theres no guarantee either way.

In which case, Yagamis presence here wasnt very reassuring as far as Kushida was concerned.

Since there were people who came from the same middle school in our grade, it made sense that people from the same school could be in the other grades as well.

I know this is sudden, but if its you, Kushida-senpai, then Id have no complaints. Would you be willing to partner up with me?

Although he had only just met her again, Yagami made his offer, holding out his hand with a smile on his face.

ILLUSTRATION = https://imgur.com/a/SKZ63bK

Was he trying to emphasize that he didnt know anything about her past? Or was it that it didnt matter even if he did?

Would you really be fine with someone like me? You should pair up with someone whos better at studying, Yagami-kun.

Yagami Takuyas Academic Ability rating was an A, that is, nothing short of impeccable, so Kushidas modesty was understandable.

Horikita, who was messing with her cell phone right beside me, was looking to confirm his rating for herself in the OAA app.

I dont know my left from right at this school yet, so Id like to partner with somebody I can trust.

Even though the app could tell you about somebodys academics, it wouldnt tell you a thing about their personality.

That being the case, Yagami had probably decided that itd be better to choose somebody that he knew would produce reliable results.

Erm, well, let me think about it for a little bit, I guess?

It wasnt clear whether it was because she was wary of Yagami, or there was some other reason, but Kushida decided to put his offer on hold for the time being.

Why of course. Ill hold off on partnering up with anyone and patiently await your reply, Kushida-senpai.

With an A rating in Academic Ability, there was no need for him to find himself a partner immediately.

Therefore, Yagami calmly agreed to her request.

Damn, how lucky. I wouldnt have hesitated to pair up with ya if it were me

Given his E+ rating, Sud seemed jealous of Kushidas ability to pick and choose who shed be pairing up with.

Then you should try harder moving forward.

Ill definitely get me some way better scores!

He was longing to improve himself, dissatisfied with staying where he was now.

I distanced myself from Horikita and the others for a moment.

It was because I saw Haruka beckoning me to come over to where she was standing.

She was together with the rest of the members of the Ayanokji Group: Akito, Keisei, and Sakura.

H-he was super scary, huh?

The very first thing I heard after joining up with them was Airis impression of Hsen.

It sure feels like theres a buncha troublemakers like Sud-kun and Ryen-kun in this new batch of first-years, huh?

Having watched the whole ordeal play out from a distance, Haruka spoke, her words filled with exasperation.

Standing right beside her was Akito, who was motionlessly staring down at the end of the hallway where Hsen had disappeared.

Miyachi? Whats wrong?

One hell of a guy just enrolled here. This school might get pretty stormy moving forward. That guy Hsen is so strong that Sud and Ryen cant even compare to him.

What? You know him too, Miyachi?

Ive never seen him in person or anything, but Ryen and Hsen are both quite famous back where Im from.

Akito apparently used to live somewhat close to the middle schools that Ryen and Hsen attended.

Put simply, the gang leader at my school was pretty confident in his fighting skills, but one day somethin happened and the guy just up and disappeared all of a sudden. Not long after that, I started hearing stories about how some first-year middle schooler named Hsen had beaten him to a pulp in a one-on-one and sent him to the hospital despite being two years younger than him.

G-gang leader? This is like something straight outta one of those delinquent mangas! Its like, kinda spooky.

The place Im from is famous for how its always attracting all sorts of delinquents.

Huh

Akito had been using a lot of words Haruka hadnt heard very often, so she looked a bit bewildered.

And just like that, Hsen went around, tightening his grip on each of the middle schools in the area, one after another.

Isnt Ryen-kun famous too? It seemed like this was the first time those two met, though.

I get the sense they just never happened to run into each other is all.

Say, were you a delinquent too, Miyachi?

I Ive stopped doing that sorta stuff. Im a proper student these days.

So you were a delinquent after all.

I had a bad temper until my second year of middle school. Ever since then I channeled all of it into archery.

So, in other words, youre saying you were a delinquent, right?

Akito scratched his head uncomfortably as Haruka constantly hounded him with strange questions.

Is that a bad thing?

Not rea~lly. Instead, its like, kinda super cool, isnt it?

Its not cool at all.

It seemed like the reason why Akito was so well-informed when it came to fighting was because he had been on both sides of the issue before. It was true that we had seen things from him that suggested it before, from his nerves of steel to the agility of his movements.

Since youre a former delinquent, what if you went and showed Hsen whats what?

Stop joking around. Im one to choose my opponent before I fight with someone, and theres no way that Id choose to fight Hsen.

Akito raised a white flag before a fight even took place. His words and conduct were such that, rather than admitting his own weakness, he emphasized and acknowledged Hsens strength.

Ibuki had a good enough sense for combat as well, but she couldnt do a single thing to stop Hsen earlier.

The difference in their physiques was overwhelming. Moreover, she had been no match for him in terms of speed either.

(Part 2 End)