Kio's goons hurriedly picked him up and bolted out of the classroom, their faces twisted with anger and disbelief.
The tension hung in the air like static. Then—clap!
A sharp sound echoed through the room. Everyone turned to look, parting like waves as a tall, broad-shouldered guy stepped into the circle.
"I see you beat up Kio," he said, his tone low and cool. "You might want to watch your back."
I scratched my head, confused. "Uh… why's that?"
He crossed his arms. "Because his brother runs this school. Third-year. Kawano Ryuuji. When he finds out what you did, he's coming for you."
My expression hardened. "So why are you telling me this?"
"I heard you can fight. I'm giving you an opportunity to join our gang—The White Fang."
Gasps rippled through the class. Even without knowing what White Fang was, I could tell it was a big deal. The way everyone reacted told me everything.
"So, what do you say? You wanna join—"
"Nah, I'm good," I cut him off flatly.
Can't blow my cover, I thought, keeping my face neutral.
He blinked, thrown off by how easily I refused. "You sure, kid? This is a one-time offer."
"Yeah, I'm sure. If this Ryuuji guy's got a problem, I'll take it up with him directly. But thanks for the offer." I turned away, walking calmly back to my desk.
"Good luck, kid," he said from behind me.
Before I could reply, the front door swung open with a slam.
"Everyone, to your seats!" the teacher barked, marching in with a stack of papers. "Class begins now."
I dropped into my seat, still half-smirking.
"Psst."
I turned my head slightly. It was Oshi.
"Thanks for helping me earlier," he whispered. "Even though you probably didn't mean to… I still appreciate it."
I smiled. "Yeah, no problem, dude."
Before I knew it, class was over. The bell rang, and everyone scattered.
As I packed my stuff, I thought, I need to follow Oshi… maybe I can find out who's behind all this.
I slipped my phone from my pocket.
Like the genius I am, I'd already planted a tiny tracking chip in Oshi's bag earlier. With that, I could see his location anytime.
Some time later.
I was walking down the street dressed like a normal citizen—plain hoodie, jeans, sunglasses, and a black cap pulled low. A perfect disguise.
I opened my phone and followed the blinking dot to a nearby café.
Through the window, I spotted him immediately. Oshi, still in his school uniform, sitting across from a girl with short brown hair and glasses. She looked kind of nerdy, but in a cute way.
I walked inside and sat at the table right behind them.
A waitress appeared. "What would you like to order?"
My heart skipped. Crap. If I speak normally, Oshi will recognize my voice.
I coughed awkwardly, lowering my tone. "Erhm… can I get a cappuccino?"
She scribbled it down. "Anything else?"
I shook my head. "No, thank you."
"Your order will be right out," she said and left.
I leaned back, listening in on their conversation.
"So, how's school been, Ayumi?" Oshi asked casually, sipping his coffee.
"It's been great. How about you?" she replied with a smile.
He smirked. "Same here. Couldn't be better."
I nearly rolled my eyes. Cut the act, man. It's been rough and you know it.
"Hey, Ayumi, I wanted to ask you something," Oshi said.
"Yeah? What's up?"
He took a breath. "Would you like to go out—"
"Oh…" she interrupted, her eyes seemed to have this fake glow in them. "My boyfriend's here…"
"…Boyfriend?" Oshi repeated, his voice dropping.
She waved toward the door. "Kudo."
A tall handsome guy entered, scanning the café until his eyes landed on her. He smiled warmly and walked over.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hey," she replied, standing up to hug him.
But the moment Kudo's gaze shifted to Oshi, his smile vanished.
"Who's this?" he asked coldly.
"That's just… a friend," she said quickly.
Then—SLAP!
The sound cracked through the café, freezing everyone in place. Kudo had slapped Ayumi across the face. A red mark bloomed on her cheek.
He leaned in close, voice low. "Stop lying. Who is he?"
Oshi stood up instantly. "Hey, Ayumi, are you okay?"
Kudo shoved him back into his seat without even looking.
"I knew you couldn't leave me for someone as weak as him," Kudo sneered, brushing a hand through her hair.
From my seat, I took a sip of my cappuccino, watching the drama unfold like a movie.
That's crazy, I thought. Come on, Oshi. You can't let your girl get disrespected like that.
"I think we should go home, shouldn't we?" Kudo said, forcing a smile.
"I don't think we should—" Ayumi tried to speak, but he tightened his grip on her arm.
Her wince said it all.
Kudo leaned in again, whispering with a cruel grin, "We'll have a blast back at my place, won't we?"
"Yeah…" she murmured weakly, holding back tears.