7:00 AM. The bedroom door was kicked wide open. Miyake Akito was greeted by a deafening shout: "Wake up, you sleepyhead!" "I'm already waiting for you!" "Come on, little brother! Today's the day you leave this nest for that 'inner place' or whatever, hehe." "Why are you laughing like a maniac?" Akito felt a chill crawl down his spine. This was the first time he'd seen his brother act so "polite." Was he actually trying to tone down his delinquent vibes for once?
Fifteen minutes later, Akito was ready. While waiting, Shigeru—the self-proclaimed hero—headed down to the basement. He roared out of the garage on a 150cc motorbike he'd "borrowed" from a wealthy old man earlier. "Let's move!" Shigeru yelled.
Initially, Shigeru intended to drop Akito at the bus stop, but he decided that didn't fit his "schedule." Instead, he gunned it straight toward the school. The moto blurred past 300 km/h, leading the police on a high-speed chase the entire way. As usual, they couldn't even catch his exhaust fumes.
Finally, they arrived at the school gates. Shigeru had his suspicions that the school was a scam; after all, its advertisement claimed: "100% Job Placement Guaranteed!" Sounds like a total lie, doesn't it? In this day and age, scams like that are everywhere, yet this place actually existed. For a high school dropout like Shigeru, finding a good school for his younger brother was everything, though he still couldn't fathom how Akito got in. Shigeru was the one who filled out the application, and aside from asking "Is this a scam?", he had mostly just drawn smiley faces and a bunch of chibi symbols...
Honestly, his entire application was nonsense. Yet, for some reason, Akito was accepted. Maybe I should meet the recruiter and thank them, he thought. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he launched the moto into the schoolyard, performing a chaotic sequence of wheelies, spins, and tire-burning donuts. Well, if the world ends tomorrow, I'll take the blame, he shrugged. Seeing the crowd of students pointing, whispering, and filming with their phones, he kicked the bike into gear and turned to his brother—mostly to hide his own embarrassment: "We're here. Get off."
If Akito hadn't vomited right then and there, it would have been a miracle. He swore to every god above: he was never riding on his brother's motorcycle again.
Shigeru's grand entrance caused a massive stir. Even after the security situation was "settled," he still had to find the principal. Along the way, he noticed female students constantly turning their faces away as he passed. He couldn't figure out why.
He knocked on a door. It swung open to reveal a girl with purple hair styled into two "bun" knots. Shigeru didn't quite know how to describe her—she was short (at least to him) and undeniably cute. She recoiled slightly at his "high-class delinquent" aura. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to do anything. I just want to see the principal," Shigeru said. The girl nodded, shook off her shock, and scurried away.
"Sit down," said an old man who appeared to be the principal. "Yes, sir," Shigeru replied, taking a seat. "I saw the video of you on that motorcycle. Your technique is... very impressive." "Haha, you're overestimating me." "I've never seen anyone with such skill. Allow me to offer you some tea." This old guy is really rambling on, Shigeru thought. He knew he was the one at fault; the man could have easily called the cops, but he didn't. Was he hiding some sort of ulterior motive?
Shigeru began to feel restless. He wanted one last look at Akito; his brother was still as shy around new people as ever. Besides, he was starving. Seeing Shigeru's fidgeting, the principal smiled gently. "You may go. I've checked everything. Just... don't ride your motorcycle into the school grounds next time." "Yes, of course," Shigeru smiled politely, then bolted for the door, hurrying toward Akito's classroom. "Which one was it? Class D...?"
He reached the room and pulled the door open in a hurry—only to realize he was standing there clutching a broken piece of wood. The door had been ripped clean off its hinges. The classroom went dead silent before erupting into whispers and shouts. Shigeru scanned the room and spotted Akito. "Akito!" he called out, his face beaming with joy. In contrast, Akito acted as if he were deaf. He turned his head away, his face flushing a deep, humiliated red.
"Hey! Don't you even acknowledge your own brother?" "Oh my god, are you crazy?! Do you have any idea how much that door costs?" "It was an accident! Fine, I'll pay for it!" Akito rubbed his temples in agony. "Oh, lord..."
"Did you see that? That guy is so handsome!" "Right? Look at those muscles..." The girls whispered excitedly, ignoring the envious glares of the boys nearby.
Within a few strides, he caught up to Akito. "Hey, Onii-sama, I told you that you didn't need to come with me," Akito sighed. "Actually, I was just letting you know I'll be waiting for you at the cafeteria. Okay, bye!" "Huh?" Before Akito could protest, his brother had vanished.
Being significantly stronger than the average human, Shigeru's metabolism was off the charts. He rushed toward the cafeteria with single-minded focus. However, as he wove through the crowd, he felt a strange sensation—like he was being watched. He sped up, weaving like a snake through the students to lose whoever it was. No one follows me with good intentions, he thought.
By the time he reached the cafeteria, the feeling of being followed had vanished. Shigeru felt satisfied; his professional instincts were still sharp. However, if he had looked closer, he would have seen a girl with long black hair and a face as cold as ice watching him from the shadows.
After waiting for almost 30 minutes, Shigeru felt like he was going to die of hunger. The student count had dwindled, leaving him alone at a table finishing off some tacos. Suddenly, realizing something, he stood straight up and bellowed: "AKITO!" The shout was so loud it echoed through the entire campus. However, he didn't actually go to look for him. He's probably in class. It wouldn't be good to disturb him. Besides...
The door is still broken, and I haven't fixed it yet. "Whatever, I'll be back later," Shigeru muttered, sitting back down to finish his meal.
Meanwhile, Chabashira Sae entered her classroom. She reached out to open the door, but her hand grasped thin air. She froze, staring in disbelief at the door lying ripped open on the floor. Her eyelid twitched. What kind of monster could have done this?
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Shigeru had to report to the principal's office once again. This time, he was subjected to much stricter discipline and forced to write a formal apology statement. Despite this, he couldn't shake the feeling that the principal's attitude toward him was incredibly strange. "Could he have caught on to something?" Shigeru wondered.
Shigeru didn't bother saying anything more to the old man; after all, he had nothing to offer besides a few social pleasantries. Once he finished writing, he gave a quick goodbye and made his escape. Just as he stepped out the door, he bumped straight into a woman. She was of average height, wearing a red top with light brown hair, and reeked of alcohol.
Shigeru quickly apologized, but to his surprise, he was met with a giggle and a flirtatious remark: "It's fine~ since you're handsome, I'll let it slide." The woman, whom he suspected was a teacher, began scanning his face and physique intensely. Uncomfortable under her gaze, he muttered another quick apology and bolted.
Shigeru made a hasty retreat. He had a gut feeling that the seemingly harmless woman hid a dark side beneath the surface; it was best not to get involved with her. After quickly putting some distance between them, he headed down to the schoolyard and found his motorcycle parked in a corner. He pulled it out and prepared to leave. His mission to drop Akito off was complete; there was no reason to linger at this school and cause any more trouble.
Principal Sakayanagi couldn't shake the feeling that the young man looked somewhat familiar. However, the boy seemed to have noticed his scrutiny, leaving the principal with no choice but to watch him walk away. Even if he had forced him to stay, he wouldn't have been able to pry any more information out of him. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair. He then opened a cardboard box nearby and found an old, faded photograph. It featured students from Haide High, a school notorious for being a sanctuary for delinquents and the absolute worst in Japan. His eyes drifted to the bottom-left corner, settling on a young student wearing sunglasses. The youth had a muscular build, wore a white trench coat, and was kneeling on one knee for the photo. It had been a very long time...