The winter break or rather, spring break had just ended when Kyousuke's manga fans were hit with the year's most shocking announcement:
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"Because Saitama scared Santa Claus's reindeer away on Christmas, he's now gone into space to look for Santa."
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Yes, having run out of One Punch Man plotlines he remembered, Kyousuke decisively declared the series on indefinite hiatus.
The news immediately sparked wails and outrage across the internet.
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"We're Japanese, but c'mon—it's Christmas! Bring Saitama-sensei back already!"
"This is your New Year's gift to the fans?"
"You bastard! I'm never supporting you again!"
"Did you get addicted to mahjong over New Year's?! I'm warning you that road leads to ruin!"
"Snap out of it! You're way too young to start retiring!"
"Who knows EGOIST-sensei's address? I'm going over to have a nice little chat."
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Despite the uproar, Kyousuke—who had topped 'This Manga is Amazing!' for two years in a row—remained firm in his decision to pause the series.
And while One Punch Man fans cried out in despair, Attack on Titan readers were overjoyed.
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"Now Attack on Titan can finally update more often, right?"
"Remember when One Punch Man first launched?"
"EGOIST-sensei was on fire—twelve chapters were enough to publish a volume!"
"Exactly! If you're not drawing OPM, then put all your focus into AoT! Give me a hundred pages a week!"
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But when fans eagerly bought the latest issue of Weekly Shounen High, they found a harsh truth: not only had the Attack on Titan update not increased—it had shrunk.
Outrage erupted.
The collective internet mind, with its three-second memory span, instantly forgot that this was the same author who once modeled Saitama after himself.
Now they rallied to stage an intervention at EGOIST's home, demanding 20-hour drawing days.
No breaks. No mercy.
What they didn't know was that now, financially secure and having learned from the brutal One Punch Man grind, Kyousuke had resolved to slow things down and make less content per chapter, but more time between them.
During the final semester of his second year in middle school, Kyousuke bought his apartment.
Including taxes, it cost just under 11 million yen.
Paid in full.
At this point, just the revenue from one published manga volume could buy one and a half of these apartments and that is even after splitting the profits with Eriri.
"But why bother buying this place?" Kisaki Tetta asked, eyeing the compact apartment.
"You're not even planning to live here during high school, right?"
To celebrate, Kyousuke had invited his close guy friends—Tetta, Makki Hojou, and the usual crew—over for dinner.
"I get it, I get it!" said Eikichi Onizuka, his mouth full of meat. "It's 'cause of all the memories here, right?"
"Oi, you idiot! Don't spit food on me!" Danma Ryuji shouted, dodging flying flecks of meat.
Yeah. This place held a lot of memories.
Kyousuke's eyes drifted toward the new cabinet by the bed, neatly arranged with cute accessories, purses, and other unmistakably feminine items.
The once-bare balcony now held a hyacinth, blooming in vivid blue despite the winter chill. Maybe it was the extra fertilizer—or maybe she just liked Tokyo that much.
A pink T-shirt with strawberries printed on it now hung in the closet.
A black mug labeled with the kanji for "Three" still dripped water in the drying rack.
Kyousuke remembered the mountain winds of Miyamizu Mitsuha's hometown, always carrying the scent of forests.
He and "Yuki" would sit under the eaves and enjoy the breeze, eyes closed.
If he moved, that airhead Mitsuha would totally lose her bearings.
Kyousuke traced the little chopping board decorated with a cartoon pig munching on a carrot. His expression softened with affection.
For once, Onizuka was right.
This place was packed with memories of him and Mitsuha—every inch of it bore her presence.
"So, Kyousuke, decided which high school you're going to yet?" Makki Hojou asked, gulping down a mug of barley tea.
"Yeah. I'm going to Toyogazaki Academy in Toshima," Kyousuke replied, slicing fruit in the kitchen.
"Huh? That one?" Onizuka was baffled.
By traditional standards, schools like Higashi—nicknamed "Tokyo U Factories" for their high university admission rates—ranked far higher.
Toyogazaki, by comparison, was basically a no-name school.
"There are... a lot of reasons," Kyousuke said with a knowing smile.
No wonder Onizuka couldn't get a girlfriend—he didn't get it.
Even Danma Ryuji had someone he was flirting with now, looking close to making things official.
"You idiot, it's because we're at Higashi that we can't get girlfriends!" Danma barked, smacking his best friend on the head.
While the boisterous duo bickered, Makki and Tsuzuki Ryou lounged quietly on the sofa, visibly tired.
"Onizuka, Danma, Kanahara—how'd your recommendation admissions go?" Kyousuke asked, sitting cross-legged on the rug.
"All good! We're in! We're gonna cruise through college together, baby!" Onizuka cheered.
They'd all gotten into Kanagawa University.
Onizuka's parents were so thrilled they ran off to the local shrine at dawn to give thanks.
"All the paperwork's done—we just have to wait for the semester to start," Danma added, bowing politely before immediately turning to yell at Onizuka again.
"Not like I want to go to college with this idiot. He's killing my vibe!"
Kanahara Takao, vice-captain of the kendo club, spoke up more calmly:
"Thanks to my results in the national high school kendo tournament, I passed the qualifications without much trouble."
"The written tests were okay too—credit to the boss and Makki for the help."
"Since they had to balance enrollment numbers, we all applied for the Human Sciences department."
This was why club activities were taken so seriously in Japan.
Many universities offered "public recommendation admissions," allowing entry to students with special skills—whether in sports, languages, or volunteer work.
And so, Onizuka had officially taken his first step toward becoming a teacher.
Kyousuke raised his glass to toast them all celebrating the fact that Japan was about to gain a genuinely decent teacher.
"How about you guys, Makki? The National Center Test is coming up soon, right?" Kyousuke glanced at the two slouched figures on the couch.
"Yeah, we're grinding at cram school every day. This is just a short breather—after this, it's back to the books," Makki Hojou said, waving his hand wearily.
The Center Test happens in mid-January.
Once it's done, students estimate their scores and consult with prep schools to see if they qualify to take their target university's individual entrance exams.
If you get an "A" rating, it means you're good to go. That gives you about a month to prep for the final hurdle.
"But with your grades, Makki, and Ryou's too, you guys should be fine, right?"
"Maybe… but still. Ah, forget it. A genius like you wouldn't get how nerve-wracking it is for us mere mortals," Makki grumbled, catching himself before launching into a rant.
After all, this was Kyousuke, the untouchable prodigy.
"Alright, we're heading out. See you during the break." He downed the last of his barley tea, grabbed his coat, and stood up.
Earlier, the guys had all chipped in to get Kyousuke a dishwasher—because the lazy "Boss" sure wasn't washing dishes by hand.
"See you guys," Kyousuke said from the entryway, watching them file out.
That night, Kyousuke came up with the perfect way to thank the seniors who had looked out for him these past two years: a spring break trip to Okinawa.
Not just any trip—this one marked a true graduation, both from high school and from their former lives as delinquents.
The "First Generation Rampaging Angel" uniform was finally getting its retirement.
Makki, the fastest man in Tokyo, king of speed, rider of the crimson Guren ZII, and his midnight comrades were about to begin a new chapter.
Kyousuke cleaned up quickly, then collapsed onto the couch and flipped on the TV, landing on NHK almost by habit.
NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, was notorious for charging every household that owned a TV capable of receiving their signal—even if no one actually watched it.
Thanks to Article 64, Section 1 of Japan's Broadcast Law, if you owned a receiver, you were legally obligated to pay NHK.
In court, they always won.
This led to some hilarious fallout, including the formation of an actual political party: "The Party to Protect the People from NHK."
Their mission? To give people the right not to pay for a channel they never watched.
The party's founder?
A former NHK employee fired over alleged financial misconduct—after he'd exposed real NHK accounting issues to a weekly tabloid.
Honestly, these drama was kind of surreal sometimes.
Kyousuke had his own workaround: no matter how busy life got, he made sure to watch at least 10 minutes of NHK each day.
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March 10 – University of Tokyo Admissions Day
Dragging their suitcases behind them, Kyousuke and the others accompanied Makki Hojou and Tsuzuki Ryou to the famed Akamon Gate of Tokyo University.
Along the ginkgo-lined promenade near Yasuda Auditorium, huge paper boards displayed the ID numbers of successful applicants.
Though the results had already been posted online, even the typically laid-back Makki wanted to see his number printed on the official list with his own eyes.
"Alright, over here—say cheese!"
Eikichi Onizuka called out, camera in hand.
Makki and Ryou turned and grinned broadly, then asked a passing female student to take a group photo of them all.
And it wasn't just the Higashi High crew going to Okinawa.
People from Kaikyuu High, the infamous Greya brothers from Roppongi despite being a year away from graduation were also joining.
Even Shimomura Masao, the son of Editor-in-Chief Shimomura from the magazine, was tagging along.
Kyousuke figured it was time to return the many favors he'd received.
As for Sakura and the girls? Nope.
If they came along, he'd have to rent out a private beach. This trip was for the boys.
They took the subway to Haneda Airport, then caught a direct flight to Okinawa's Naha Airport.
Just over two hours later, they had landed.
"Whoa! So this is Okinawa!" Onizuka yelled, already in full Hawaiian tourist mode before even leaving Tokyo.
"Idiot, we're in Naha," Danma Ryuji snapped.
He was in matching shorts and a floral shirt. Their stereotypical outfits earned them a few "these idiots aren't from around here" looks from the locals.
March wasn't exactly peak season for Okinawa tourism—the average temperature was just around 20°C (68°F).
Even at noon, the sea was a bit chilly. But that didn't bother these guys one bit.
They took the monorail to their hotel, the Okinawa Beach Resort, where trip-planner Kisaki Tetta had already made all the reservations.
As usual, Kyousuke booked everyone their own rooms.
The moment they dropped off their luggage, the gang dashed straight to the beach behind the hotel.
Snorkeling, splashing in the water, sunbathing…
What surprised Kyousuke most was that Makki Hojou was apparently a total surfing pro.
With the group full of strong swimmers and a lifeguard on duty, Kyousuke even worked up the courage to give surfing a shot himself.
"Makki, you're amazing. Surfing, jet skis… is there anything you can't do?"
Night had fallen.
A bonfire crackled on the beach, and the group grilled dinner under the stars.
Onizuka and the others were busy battling it out over who could cook best, while Kyousuke and Makki sat off to the side, talking quietly.
"Heh… I guess it's because my family had high expectations for me," Makki said, sipping from a coconut.
"So that's why you turned to riding with a biker gang?"
"Yeah," he said, exhaling deeply as he looked out over the flickering reflections on the ocean.
"No matter how much pressure I felt, no matter how much I had to study… the moment I hit the road at night with my friends, all those worries just blew away in the wind."
He stood and bowed low toward Kyousuke.
"Thank you, Kyousuke. This has been the most unforgettable trip of my life. Thank you, 'Boss,' for giving the Rampaging Angels a second chance."
Sensing the moment, the rest of the guys dropped what they were doing and came running.
"Thanks for everything, Second Generation Leader!" they shouted, bowing 90 degrees.
"Haha, you guys… This is your graduation trip, after all."
'No—it's me who should be thanking you,' Kyousuke thought, smiling wide at his dependable comrades.
He raised his coconut high.
"Long live the Rampaging Angels!"
"LONG LIVE THE RAMPAGING ANGELS!!" everyone roared back.
"Hey Kyousuke, remember the first time we met?" Makki said with a mischievous grin, dragging a huge travel bag out of nowhere.
"Don't tell me that's full of shinai…" Kyousuke groaned.
"Bingo! Let's go, one last showdown! I'll show you how far we've come in a year!" Makki unzipped the bag, revealing a bunch of brand-new bamboo swords—who knows when he'd even bought them.
"Ohhh, we're ganging up on the boss again? Man, this brings back memories!" Eikichi Onizuka laughed, stripping off his shirt as he grabbed a bamboo sword.
In no time, under the puzzled stares of the hotel lifeguards, the group that had just been acting like brothers split into two opposing sides.
On the left: Makki Hojou, Eikichi Onizuka, Danma Ryuji, Tsuzuki Ryou, Kanahara Takao, Satoshi Katagiri, the Haitani brothers, and junior high members like Kisaki Tetta and Hata Gorou—the core of the delinquent gang, the Rampaging Angels.
On the right: the second-generation leader of the Rampaging Angels—Kyousuke.
"Alright then, here I come."
Without waiting for his underlings to make the first move, Kyousuke pushed off the sand and launched himself forward with explosive speed, charging straight into the crowd.
He didn't hold back.
Blocking Makki Hojou's powerful downward swing with his bamboo sword, he immediately lifted his leg and sent Makki flying with a kick.
There were no fancy kendo rules here—these were delinquents.
Seeing Onizuka charging in with his tongue out like a madman, Kyousuke spun around and smacked him right in the forehead with the hilt of his sword.
Great Cleave, Divine Blade, Tengu Sweep, Fang Thrust—sword techniques from every school and style flowed from Kyousuke's hands.
He even roared during the fight, sending shockwaves across the water and stunning his comrades long enough for him to dart in and kick them all down, one by one.
Makki Hojou had wanted to show Kyousuke how strong they'd all become but he didn't realize how long two years could be for someone like Kyousuke.
Back in his first year, Kyousuke had already started trying to shed his infamous nickname, "The Handless Demon." He studied techniques from other kendo styles, hoping to reinvent himself.
He looked into flashy schools like Shinken-ryu, New Shadow Style, Katori Shinto Ryu—you name it.
The weirder the name, the more he loved it, hoping a badass-sounding technique might help overwrite his cringey moniker.
That's also why he had zero interest in following the expectations of Yamamura-sensei from the Suimon City Kendo Dojo and learning the sacred secret techniques of the Hokushin Itto-ryu in Tokyo.
Some "Kiri-otoshi" or whatever? Hell no.
In under three minutes, the once-enthusiastic crew was sprawled across the beach like fallen dominoes.
Fortunately, Kyousuke's control over his strength was god-tier—everyone just groaned a bit, rubbed their bruises, and got back up to join the fun again.
"Damn, no matter how hard I train, the boss can always wipe the floor with me!" Onizuka groaned dramatically.
"It's not just a feeling," Makki said seriously. "If Hojou entered the national kendo championships right now, he'd crush everyone."
"Really…?" Kisaki Tetta muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully—despite having taken a solid smack to the forehead in the first round.
"Don't even think about it, Kisaki! I'm not joining any of those tournaments!" Kyousuke cut him off immediately.
Later, since Kyousuke refused to help with the barbecue, Onizuka ended up wasting a bunch of ingredients.
In the end, he had to call in one of the hotel chefs to salvage dinner.
Once the chef had gone, Onizuka grinned wickedly and pulled out a large bottle from the bag he always carried.
He poured drinks for all the graduating guys.
"Oolong tea! It's definitely oolong tea!" he insisted, but the look on his face said otherwise.
"You just volunteered to swim three kilometers, didn't you, Onizuka?" Kyousuke said coldly.
Nice try.
Even without a superhuman sense of smell, the intense aroma wafting from that bottle made it obvious it wasn't tea.
Who knew where Onizuka had gotten his hands on such high-proof liquor?
Still, since this was their farewell party, Kyousuke allowed him to pour just a small shot.
He only took the tiniest sip when they toasted.
Onizuka, though, went all-in and got completely wasted.
At the end of the night, he was so drunk he couldn't walk, clinging to Kyousuke's leg while bawling and yelling:
"When I become a teacher, I swear I'll hook you up with a 17-year-old high school girl! When we all hit 40, we'll marry high school girls and come vacation in Okinawa together!"