"What do you think of Haruko-sister!?"
"Sakuragi-kun! Don't!!"
Haruko came running over, out of breath, and quickly stopped Sakuragi's questioning, clutching the doorframe as she panted.
"Haruko-sister!? Why are you here?"
Sakuragi turned around, shocked.
"Hahaha… Sakuragi-kun, didn't you promise to keep it a secret for me…"
"!!"
Haruko froze mid-sentence. She noticed the streak of blood on Rukawa's forehead.
"Blood…"
Her best friend's warning echoed in her mind:
"Even I've heard of those guys—Sakuragi Hanamichi from Wako Junior High School, Mito Yohei, and the other three. They're basically superhumans who've defeated all the thugs in the surrounding schools!"
Haruko looked at Sakuragi with anger and disappointment in her eyes.
"That's too much, Sakuragi-kun!!"
"…Huh?"
Sakuragi stood frozen.
"I thought you were different from what people said! But I didn't expect you to be this violent!"
Tears filled Haruko's eyes as she shouted.
Sakuragi pointed at himself and then glanced at Rukawa in disbelief.
"No, it's not like that, Haruko-chan... You misunderstood..."
"Still making excuses!? I really misjudged you!!"
Haruko wiped her tears with her sleeve and took a deep breath.
"I hate Sakuragi-kun the most!!"
It hit like a cannon blast—Sakuragi's fragile romantic hopes were obliterated.
"Wooo…"
Tears gushed from Sakuragi's eyes. He turned and ran toward the rooftop railing.
"Oh no! He's going to do something crazy! Stop him!!"
Oliver, Mito, and the others rushed to grab Sakuragi before he could do anything rash.
"Calm down, Hanamichi!!"
"No! She hates me for real!! Why?! Why does this world have no gods or Buddhas?!"
"It's okay, Hanamichi! This is just a misunderstanding! I'll go explain it to her! Just calm down!"
"Let me go!!"
Oliver grunted as he pulled against Sakuragi's brute strength, who was like a raging bull. Even with five people holding him back, they barely managed to restrain him.
Meanwhile, Haruko wiped her tears and walked over to Kaede Rukawa.
"Rukawa-san… You're bleeding, are you okay?"
"Who are you? Get out of my way."
Ignoring Haruko, Rukawa began walking away.
"Ah, wait—use this handkerchief—"
Pah!
Rukawa slapped the handkerchief from her hand.
"Don't concern yourself with me."
Haruko stood frozen, tears brimming again. Her nose felt sore, her heart aching.
Sakuragi saw the whole thing.
"Kaede Rukawa!!"
Fueled by fury, he shoved everyone aside and charged at Rukawa, landing a powerful punch that knocked him back.
"How dare you treat Haruko-sister like that!!"
Grabbing Rukawa by the collar, he slammed his head into his, sending a spray of blood flying.
"Ah!! No!! Sakuragi-kun, stop!!"
Haruko screamed in terror.
"That hurts… you jerk!"
Bang!
Rukawa countered with a punch that sent Sakuragi stumbling. He wiped his nose and was surprised to see blood.
He was bleeding?! This kid hit hard!
Seeing his own blood only made Sakuragi angrier. He exploded like a bull seeing red.
"No! Stop him, someone!!"
"Get out of the way!!"
Mito and the others tried to hold Sakuragi back, but he headbutted them all away and charged again.
Rukawa prepared himself, fists clenched.
"No!!"
Haruko screamed, powerless to stop them.
Suddenly, a figure flashed between them like a gust of wind.
"Oliver!!"
Everyone gasped.
"Get out of there!! You'll get hurt!!"
They all knew how terrifying both Sakuragi and Rukawa were in a fight. Being in the middle was like stepping onto train tracks.
But Oliver stood firm, stretching his arms out wide.
"Bull Charge—activate!"
Skill Description: At the cost of stamina, it greatly enhances the host's strength and grants a temporary "unstoppable" status. The higher the base strength, the stronger the boost.
Electricity seemed to surge through Oliver's muscles. He slammed his palms into both fighters' chests and pushed hard.
Despite his lean frame, an explosive force sent Sakuragi flying backward and knocked Rukawa to the ground.
"What!?"
Everyone, including Haruko, stared in stunned silence. Her friend's words rang in her ears:
"And there's that friendly-looking Oliver! My classmate said he took down five thugs in seconds with mysterious Celestial Empire kung fu!"
So it's true… Oliver really is that strong?!
"Alright, calm down, both of you."
Oliver dusted off his hands.
"Haruko-sister, you misunderstood. Rukawa's injury wasn't caused by Sakuragi."
He glanced at Rukawa.
"…Though the one just now was."
"But he still hit Rukawa-san!!"
Haruko pouted in protest.
"Well… that has a complicated explanation. I'll explain everything to you later."
Oliver said this casually, shaking his arms.
In truth, it hurt like hell.
The Bull Charge skill gave him overwhelming force—but the excess force beyond his physical limits rebounded as pain. His left arm was completely numb.
Sakuragi's brute strength was frightening. If he and Rukawa had fought seriously, Rukawa would've ended up in the hospital.
And Haruko and Sakuragi's relationship might've been damaged beyond repair.
"Thank you… Oliver."
Haruko's voice trembled with emotion. Oliver picked up the handkerchief and gently handed it back to her.
"It's okay. Boys fight and make up. Wipe your tears."
"BEAN SPROUT!!"
An enraged Sakuragi leapt up and stomped toward him.
"Why'd you stop me?! I was gonna teach that jerk a lesson for disrespecting Haruko!!"
"Wait, Hanamichi. Something's not right."
Oliver raised a finger, signaling everyone to stay quiet. He heard footsteps—lots of them—coming up the stairs.
And they didn't sound friendly.
To be continued…
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