"Tch. What is the Japanese government thinking? Why choose immigrant workers from India? Workers from Southeast Asian countries are far better in terms of morality."
The evening sky began to glow orange over Shinjuku, but Ren's mood was far from as warm as the sunset.
He walked briskly along the sidewalk, his eyes scanning the surroundings with disgust and irritation.
The sights he saw only reinforced his negative assumptions about the Indian immigrant workers crowding the area.
A group of Indian men loitered by the sidewalk railing, talking loudly and laughing without regard for the noise they caused.
"Look at them, no manners." Ren muttered.
His gaze then fell on a narrow alley between two buildings. An Indian man was nonchalantly urinating against the wall, as if it were perfectly normal.
Ren shook his head in disgust.
Worst of all, another Indian man suddenly performed a backflip in front of a group of Japanese women walking by.
"Don't they have any shame? I'm embarrassed just watching. Maybe backflips win women's hearts in India, but this is Japan!"
The women, clearly uncomfortable, hurried away with displeased expressions.
Ren wasn't the only one annoyed. From the faces of the locals passing by, he could see similar sentiments—ranging from mild discomfort to outright disdain.
"With their bizarre behavior, it's no wonder anti-immigrant sentiments are echoing loudly on social media."
In fact, on his way, Ren had passed a group of protesters. Their banners expressed concerns that Japan was no longer Japan due to the government's plan to bring in 500,000 Indian workers over the next five years.
"Should I tell my girls to carry stun guns or pepper spray? Japan's no longer safe with so many Indian men around."
His worry wasn't baseless. Ren recalled a news article about a Spanish travel vlogger who was gang-raped in Dumka, India. She had traveled to many countries without issue, but upon arriving in India, she experienced a horrific ordeal she'd never forget.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Near the meeting point by the fountain, Ren spotted Miku in the distance. She stood with a hunched posture, her face pale and filled with fear. Three burly, tall Indian men had surrounded her, blocking every escape route.
"Sundar, look! This Japanese lady is so pretty!" one of them exclaimed in broken, heavily accented Japanese.
"Let me show her true Indian manliness!" another replied. Before Miku could react, the man named Sundar began doing backflips in front of her, trying to impress her.
"Look! Strong! Handsome! You like, right?"
"Ugh…"
Though Miku was no longer as shy or socially awkward as she had been in high school, she felt paralyzed by fear. Her chest pounded, her hands clammy with cold sweat.
"P-Please… I need to go." Miku tried to step back, but the third man deliberately blocked her path.
"No rush, pretty lady." he said with a wide grin that made Miku uneasy. "Our friend's showing off his skills. Watch, you'll be charmed!"
Miku glanced around in panic, her eyes searching for help from passersby.
Some Japanese onlookers gave her sympathetic looks, but none stepped forward. Seeing the three men's muscular builds, they lowered their heads, walked faster, or pretended not to notice.
Individualism and fear of physical confrontation made them choose indifference.
"Please… I'm waiting for someone." Miku said, her voice nearly a sob. She felt small and helpless.
"Wait for us, sweet lady!" Sundar said, stopping his backflips and approaching confidently. "We'll show you a good time. You've never been with real men like us, have you?"
Miku shook her head rapidly, tears welling in her eyes. She felt trapped, her hope fading.
"Please, let me go…"
Her teary eyes suddenly lit up as she spotted a familiar figure approaching.
"Ren!"
Ren swiftly positioned himself between Miku and the three men.
"Sorry for making you wait, Miku-san."
Ignoring the three men, he smoothly took Miku's cold hand.
"Let's go."
One of the Indian men stepped forward, blocking their path.
"Hey, buddy! We saw this lady first. Ever heard of 'first come, first served'?"
"Are Japanese people not taught manners? You're too young to be flirting with women. Go back to your mom and drink your milk."
Seeing Ren in his high school uniform, the man tried to intimidate him with his larger frame.
"This is Japan, not India. If you don't want to be deported, behave yourselves. Do you think with your crotches because your brains are just for show?" Ren mocked, his eyes scanning the man from head to toe.
"…"
The three men froze, stunned by the direct rebuke. Then, anger flared in their eyes.
"Kid, I'm gonna teach you to respect your elders!" the largest man growled, swiftly grabbing for Ren's arm.
But Ren was faster.
With unexpected skill for a high schooler, he caught the man's wrist, twisted it, and used his opponent's momentum to slam him onto the sidewalk.
*BAM!*
The man groaned in pain, unable to move.
Seeing their friend fall, the other two charged simultaneously, one throwing a punch, the other aiming a kick.
Ren deftly dodged the punch, his hand blocking the kick with force while trapping the man's leg. With a quick pull and push, he made the second man lose balance and crash onto his fallen comrade.
*WHOOSH!*
Before the third man could react, Ren's swift kick landed in his stomach, sending him staggering back before collapsing.
In mere seconds, all three were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Ren stood tall among them, casually brushing off his hands.
"Don't use age as an excuse to demand respect from the younger generation. Not everyone grows wiser with age. Even fools get old."
From the surroundings, a few passersby who had stayed silent now dared to offer small claps and cheers.
Clearly, there was no sympathy for the three disruptive men.
Ren ignored them and turned to Miku, who was still stunned.
"The movie's about to start. Let's go, Miku-san."
"Mm." Miku nodded, still clinging tightly to Ren's hand.
As they walked toward the cinema, Miku finally found her voice.
"That was so scary. Thank you, Ren. You looked really cool back there."
Ren gave a small smile, feeling Miku's grip tighten slightly.
"No need to worry. I won't let anyone hurt you, Miku-san."
Miku leaned her shoulder closer to Ren.
"I'm so lucky you arrived just in time. I really didn't know what to do."
"Next time, if anyone bothers you like that, call me right away. Okay?"
"Okay." Miku replied obediently, her fear gradually replaced by a sense of safety beside Ren.