Flashbacks 1
back in his hometown, where he had taken down a dozen gang members before anyone could even react.
The first thug swung a bat down at him. Hōsen caught it mid-swing with one hand, the wooden bat stopping as if it had hit a wall. Before the thug could blink, Hōsen drove his knee into his gut—sending him crashing into two others like bowling pins.
The rest charged, but it didn't matter. Hōsen weaved through them with unnatural speed, fists and elbows slamming into faces, ribs, and jaws. Each strike precise,overwhelming,
Within seconds, the alley was littered with groaning bodies.
Flashback 2: The Hundred-Man Biker Gang
The roar of engines shook the ground. A hundred bikers surrounded Hōsen, headlights burning like an army of predators.
Hōsen launched forward, faster than their eyes could track. He grabbed a biker by the collar mid-charge, ripped him off his bike, and hurled him into three others. The sound of shattering metal and bone echoed.
Another tried to blindside him with a chain, but Hōsen caught it mid-swing and yanked, pulling the biker clean off his ride. He spun the chain once, smashing it into the ground with bone-snapping force.
Engines screamed, fists swung, but it didn't matter. Wherever Hōsen's fists landed, bodies crumpled. Wherever his kicks connected, bikes toppled like toys. By the end, the street was silent, littered with wrecked motorcycles and unconscious gangsters.
––——
Back to the Present
––
Ryuuen turned back just in time to see Ibuki being choked out by Housen. Her hands clawed at his wrist, her legs twisting and striking at his body with sharp precision, but it was like trying to break a steel. Housen arm didn't move an inch.
"Hah. Go on, wriggle all you like," Housen sneered. "Or better yet—why don't the rest of you watching come at me too?"
It wasn't that he was fearless. The expression on his face said something else entirely—an unshakable confidence that came from knowing his own overwhelming strength.
But this wasn't a situation where I could step in. If a fight broke out here, the school would immediately find out, and faculty
intervention was guaranteed.T
he only one who could move without caring about that was——Ryuuen——.
Ryuuen stepped forward,wasn't charging to fight; he was moving to save lbuki.
In a blur, his leg whipped up with startling speed, faster than any normal human eye could track. A kick traveling at the speed of sound shot straight for Housen's head.
but unbelievably, Housen caught it. His
massive hand snapped up just in time,
stopping the strike mere inches from
his face. The wind pressure shock
through the hallway floor, a sharp thud
echoing as their strengths collided.
Ryuuen is shock to see that Hosen able catch he leg point blank range, he break free for his arm and jump several step away.
However, even then, Housen's hand didn't loosen. His grip around Ibuki's neck remained as tight as ever. Despite having limited room to move, he smoothly evaded Ryuuen's sharp kicks, his body swaying like a heavy pendulum.
"Asshole!" Ishizaki yelled.
"Yeah, yeah! Man, I'm really glad I came to this school," Housen laughed.
A real, no-holds-barred fight was seconds away from breaking out.
At that moment, Nanase, who had been watching the scene unfold in silence, finally spoke up.
"Please stop, Housen-kun."
Her calm but firm voice cut through the tension.
Housen, still holding Ibuki in one hand, glanced over his shoulder, glaring at his classmate. His stance remained ready to fight both Ryuuen and Ishizaki at once—but her voice made him pause.
"What'd you just say?" he asked, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Rather than listening to her, he looked more annoyed that she had the nerve to interrupt him.
"The upperclassmen have been wary of the surveillance cameras around here for quite some time. Judging from the situation, I've concluded there's nothing to be gained by getting violent here," said Nanase.
"Tch. Yeah, I know. I already knew that," Housen muttered with a crooked grin. "I was just messin' around with them."
But if that were true, then his actions up to this point were hard to understand. Every move he'd made since showing up seemed designed to provoke.
Even after her warning, Housen looked like he was about to dive right back into the fight. That was when Nanase's tone sharpened.
"If you do understand, then that's even more reason to stop. If you insist on wasting everyone's time here, I have something I could bring up—something that everyone here might be very interested to hear."
Her words carried weight, though she didn't reveal what she meant.
Housen froze, his expression hardening for just a second. Then, with an annoyed click of his tongue, he shoved Ibuki away, letting her drop to the floor coughing and clutching her throat.
"Hah. Not bad, Nanase. But don't forget—if you can't live up to my expectations, I won't show you any mercy. Even if you're a girl. Got it?"
"When that time comes, I'll accept the consequences," Nanase replied calmly, without the slightest trace of fear.
Her composure was unsettling. It was as if being threatened by someone like Housen meant absolutely nothing to her.
Even so, this Housen wasn't someone to take lightly. Among my peers, there were plenty who could boast of their strength—Ryuuen, Sudou, Albert. But for a first-year, Housen had just proven he was more than capable of standing on their level. If he ever fought seriously, I couldn't predict how far things would spiral. No wonder Ryuuen had stopped Ishizaki from charging in recklessly—one slip-up, and they'd be crushed.
This was one hell of a first-year.
"All right, I'll stop. My business here's done. Let's go, Nanase," Housen finally said.
"That's a wise decision," she replied.
Yet, before leaving, Housen turned back to Ryuuen with a taunting smirk.
"If you get down on your knees for me, I don't mind teaming up with you. Whaddya say, Ryuuen-paisen?"
"Sorry, but I only work with humans. Can't say I've got any interest in teaming up with a wild gorilla," Ryuuen shot back.
"Too bad," Housen chuckled.
But just when it seemed things were winding down, his attention shifted. Standing nearby was another first-year who had been silently observing the entire confrontation.
"Hey, you just gonna sit there hiding and watching, punk?" Housen sneered.
"Do you know the proverb 'A wise man keeps away from danger'?" the boy replied smoothly, meeting Housen's glare without flinching. "Casual conversation is harmless. But if you stir up trouble here, it won't be beneficial for anyone—least of all you. Don't you think it's wiser to withdraw for now, Housen-kun?"
There was no fear in his voice—only calm, logical reasoning.
And then, as if on cue, a sharp voice cut in.
"What do you think you're doing, Housen?"
Everyone turned to see a man in a suit who had appeared without warning, his presence silencing the chaos at once. Many of the second-years who had been lingering fled instantly, slipping back into their classrooms.
"Housen," the man continued, "I understand you're restless. But I think you've made yourself more than clear today."
"The upperclassmen have all been concerned about the fact that there are surveillance cameras around here fora while now. Judging from the situation, I've determined there's nothing to be gained by getting violent here," said Nanase.
"Yeah, I know. I know already, I was just messin' around with 'em," said Housen, before adding that he knew all along that we second-years were tied down because of the surveillance cameras.
If that was the case, everything Housen had just done after showing up here really was quite puzzling. He ignored Nanase's warning, looking as though he was about to
resume fighting, so she spoke up once more, in a firmer tone than before.
"If you do understand, then thats all the more reason you should stop. If you're going to try to waste more time here, then I have an idea of my own. I'm considering bringing that up and telling everyone here about it," said Nanase.
After Housen heard her mention that, whatever abstract idea it was supposed to represent, he stopped moving once again. Then, with a look of total boredom on his face, he let go of Ibuki and dropped her to the floor, where she coughed and hacked.
"Hey, not bad, Nanase. But just know that if you don't live up to my expectations, I won't show you any mercy. Even if you'rea girl. Got it?" said Housen.
"When that time comes, I'll take whatever comes my way," said Nanase.
Even though Housen had just threatened her, Nanase didn't sound upset. She seemed so calm that it was like it didn't matter one bit to her that she was currently standing on the second-years' floor.
Even so, this Housen guy was certainly no pushover. There was no shortage of people in my grade level who could boast of their fighting prowess. Among the guys, that included Ryuuen, Sudou, and Albert. Even
though Housen was a first-year, just this brief glimpse of him in action told me he was quite capable himself. He probably wouldn't be the kind of opponent I could subdue all that easily, if I were to face off against him. And because I had only gotten a glimpse of him in action, I couldn't predict how things would go if he really went all out. Ryuuen had probably tried to stop lshizaki from casually throwing down against Housen because he determined that engaging in a simple fistfight would put them at a disadvantage.
This was one hell of a new student we were dealing with.
"All right, I'll stop. My business is all taken care of. Let's go, Nanase," said Housen.
"That is a wise choice," replied Nanase.
Housen, seemingly satisfied with everything clse except for the lack of a fight, shot one last look at Ryuuen.
"If you get down on your knees for me, I don't mind pairin' up with Whaddya say, Ryuuen-paisen?"
"Sorry, dude, but I only work with human beings. Can't say I got any plans of teamin' up with a wild gorilla."
"Oh, well, that's too bad," said Housen.
However, this whole ordeal wasn't over yet. Aside from Housen and Nanase, there was one other first-year present who had been observing the entire situation. Perhaps Housen was upset with this other student, because he turned his attention to him at the end.
"Hey, you just gonna hide and watch, punk?" sneered Housen.
" Do you know the proverb 'a wide man keeps awvay from danger?" replied the student, fending off Housen's glare with an cloquent response.
"Making friendly conversation is fine, but it wouldn't be beneficial for you to cause a ruckus here, Housen-kun. At any rate, I think you ought to withdraw for the time being. Am I wrong?"
At the same time, the boy gave Housen what could be interpreted as friendly advice, an adult showed, too.
"What are you doing, Housen?" he asked,
This lone man, clad in a suit, seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, as if to put a stop to all this tumultuous situation. Many of the second-year who had been standing by and watching the situation unfold had fled,
returning to their own classrooms.
"Housen, I understand you're restless. But I'm also quite sure the school rules have been drilled so thoroughly into your head by now that it feels ready to explode," said the adult.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Housen.
"If you do understand, then hurry up and disperse. No fighting in the hallways."
" That was hardly even a real fight, though," snorted Housen.
With a scornful chuckle, he thrust his hands into his pockets, and then turned around, making an unexpectedly casy decision to retreat. He then ordered Nanase to retreat as well.
" Well, see you later, Horikita."
Housen purposefully dropped Horikita's name before he left... Well, of Class 2-D
"We apologize for the disturbance," said Nanase, with a bow of her head.
With that apology, the situation seemed to have been more or less successfully contained. But, when Nanase lifted her head back up, she looked me right in the eyes right as she was leaving. It was the same look she'd given me when she first arrived on this floor. A probing look, almost as if she
wanted to know something.
However, as soon as I noticed her looking at me, she immediately averted her eyes, and chased after Housen.
"I must apologize to you all. I'm terribly sorry. My students have caused you quite a bit of trouble," the teacher apologized to Horikita as she stood by watching everything that happened.
"No, it's all right..." she replied.
"Since we're here, please allow me to briefly introduce myself. I am Shiba Katsunori and I will be overseeing Class 1-D. I've only just accepted a position here at this school. I look forward to getting to know you all," said
the teacher.
After giving us that brief self-introduction, Shiba-sensei left, following at Housen. Then, almost as if they were taking turns, the level-headed boy from earlier came up and bowed his head to us.
"It would seem that my classmate Housen-kun has caused a great deal of trouble for you, our seniors. On behalf of the first-year students, I'd like to offer my humble apologies," said the boy.
Unlike Housen, he seemed to be quite a well-spoken student.
"We first-year students still don't understand these special exams very well. I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you, but we would humbly appreciate any help. Thank you," said the student.
After he had finished giving us his apologies and general salutations, the student, who was apparently named Yagami, looked as though he was about to leave himself. But then he seemed to notice something a group of four girls from Class D who'd just returned from lunch. Matsushita, Kushida,
Satou, and Mii-chan.
Yagami looked at one member of the group, Kushida, with surprise on his face.
"It seems there's been quite a fuss. What happened, Horikita-san?" Though Kushida was clearly aware of Yagami's presence in turn, she asked Horikita about what was going on, sounding quite curious.
"Nothing that you all need to worry about" said Horikita.
"Oh, really?"
After Horikita told them that it was nothing, Kushida and the other three girls started to head back towards the classroom.
"Um, pardon me, but...you wouldn't happen to be Kushida-senpai, by any chance, would you?" asked Yagami.
"Hm?"" replied Kushida, turning around to look at who`d addressed her.
If he knew Kushida's name, could he be an acquaintance of hers? Or so I thought, but.
"Um, you are?" said Kushida.
She gave him a puzzled look. There was no sign that she was familiar with him.
"It's me. Do you not recognize me? Well, I suppose that's only natural that you wouldn't. It's Yagami Takuya," he replied.
Kushida thought on it for a while after hearing his name, but then seemed to suddenly remember. Yagami... Ah! Wait! You're that Yagami-kun?!"
"Yes, I am most certainly that Yagami. It's been quite a long time,hasn't it?"
"Wow, so you came to this school too, Yagami-kun. What an incredible coincidence!"
"I never imagined I'd meet you again here, Kushida-senpai."
"You know each other?" asked Satou, curiously.
Kushida nodded. "Yes. But we hardly ever actually talked before. Anyway, his name is Yagami Takuya-kun. He always seemed incredibly smart. but since we were in different grades, we never said much more than hello to each other."
"So, do you know him too?" I asked, whispering in Horikita's ear to get confirmation.
"Nope, I don't know him at all," she replied immediately.
"Well, you don't seem very good at remembering the faces of your
classmates, though."
"I won't deny that. I didn't exactly have time to pay attention to people I wasn't interested in," said Horikita.
Apparently, Horikita didn't recognize...no, it was more like he didn't register in her mind at all. I supposed if you were the kind of person who treated your classmates that way, there was no way you'd remember students younger than you. Well, even if Kushida didn't remember this boy, he 'd probably never been able to forget her. It just went to show how captivating she was.
"I can't believe how lucky I am. To be able to go to the same school as the revered Kushida-senpai..." said Yagami.
"Oh, no, that's a bit much, I'm nothing special..." she replicd humbly.
However, if Yagami really had attended the same junior high as Kushida, then a few concerns came to mind.
"Does this Yagami kid know about you know what?" I whispered to Horikita.
I was referring to Kushida's past, of course. In junior high, Kushida had caused her own class to turn on itself and fall apart. As a result, she considered Horikita who'd attended the same school back then and knew the truth about what happeneda bitter enemy. Kushida wanted to get rid of
Horikita, considering it too dangerous for someone to know what she'd done
to her class.
If Yagami had attended the same junior high, it wouldn't be a surprise if he knew about what happened, too, but...
"It wouldn't be strange if he did. That being said, there 's no guarantee that he does," said Horikita.
In that case, Yagami being here certainly wasn't very comforting for Kushida. Since there were students in our grade level who'd attended the same schools before, I supposed it wasn't out of the question for students former juniors to enroll, either.
"I realize this is quite sudden, but I must say I would have neither complaints nor concerns if I were able to team up with someone like you, Kushida-senpai. Would you be willing to partner with me?" asked Yagami.
Even though he and Kushida had only just been reunited, he asked to become partners, extending his hand with a friendly smile on his face. Was this all to show that he knew nothing about her past? Or that even if he did know, it didn't matter?
"Are you really sure you want to partner with me, though? Yagami-kun, wouldn't it be better to work with someone closer to your level academically?" Kushida asked, tilting her head slightly.
Yagami Takuya's academic ability was ranked A—an outstanding score that few could match. No wonder Kushida sounded so humble.
Horikita, standing beside me, discreetly checked the OAA app. She glanced at his profile before sliding her phone back into her pocket, her sharp eyes confirming what was already obvious—Yagami was no ordinary first-year.
"I don't really know my way around yet," Yagami admitted, smiling politely. "That's why I'd prefer to partner with someone I can trust."
The OAA revealed numerical scores, but it couldn't measure character. To Yagami, securing a reliable acquaintance might have seemed more valuable than pairing with an unfamiliar high scorer.
"Um, could you give me some time to think about it?" Kushida replied, cautiously. Perhaps she was simply being careful—or perhaps there was something about Yagami that made her hesitant.
"Of course," Yagami answered easily. "I won't commit to anyone else until you've made your decision, Kushida-senpai. Please take all the time you need."
Given his A-rank, he wasn't in a hurry. He could afford to wait.
"Man, must be nice…" Sudou muttered enviously. "If it were me, I'd have jumped at the chance without even thinking."
"That just means you need to study harder," Horikita shot back, her tone flat but not cruel.
"Y-Yeah… I'll definitely improve my scores," Sudou said, scratching the back of his neck. His frustration wasn't born out of resentmen the wanted to grow stronger, to close the gap.
I quietly excused myself from Horikita and the others when I noticed Haruka waving me over from the side. The rest of the Ayanokōji Group—Akito, Keisei, and Airi—were standing nearby.
"H-He was super scary, wasn't he?" Airi said
The first thing I heard after joining them was Airi's first impression of Hosen.
"Sure seems there's a bunch of troublemakers like Sudou-kun and Ryuuen-kun in this year's batch of new students, huh?" Haruka sounded somewhat exasperated after having watched the entire commotion play out.
Standing beside her was Akito. He remained motionless, staring fixedly at the spot in the hall where Housen once stood.
"What's the matter, Miyacchi?" asked Haruka.
"A seriously scary dude has come to our school. Let's just say things are probably gonna get rocky from here on out. That dude's... Well, he's so tough that even Sudou or Ryuuen can't take him on," said Akito.
"Wait, hold up. Don't tell me you know this guy too, Miyachi. Do you?" asked Haruka.
"I never, like, met him in person or anythin'. But Ryuuen and Housen are both pretty big celebrities back where I'm from," said Akito.
It seemed Akito had lived somewhere close to the junior high schools that Ryuuen and Housen had attended.
"Anyway, there used to be this gang leader at my school... The short version of the story is that this guy was a really tough-looking badass who was supposed to be really good in a fight. But one day, he just suddenly
vanished. It causcd a huge uproar. Then, right after he disappeared, I heard he'd wound up in the hospital after getting the crap beaten out of him in a one-on-one fight with some dude named Housen, who was ona rampage. This Housen had apparently just started at our junior high. He was a whole two years younger than the other guy.
"G-gang leader? Dang, that's like somethin' straight out of a manga about bad dudes... That's a little scary," said Haruka.
"The place I used to live in has been pretty infamous for attracting all sorts of riff raff fora long time now," said Akito.
Oh, wow..." Haruka looked a little bit perplexed to hear this string of unfamiliar words from Akito.
"And just like that, Housen went around all the junior high schools in the area, one after another, tightening his grip on all of 'em," said Akito.
"Ryuuen-kun's pretty infamous too, isn't he? But it seems like they've never met before," said Haruka.
"I get the feeling that's 'cause they just never happened to run into each other," said Akito.
"By the way, did you used to be a bad dude yourself, Miyachi?" asked Haruka.
".. I quit doing that kinda stuff. These days I'm tryin' to be a proper student."
"So, you were a delinquent."
"..I had a bad temper all the way up into my second-year of junior high. Since then, I've focused everything into archery," said Akito.
But that means you really used to be a bad kid, though, right?" asked Haruka,
Akito scratched his head in annoyance as Haruka, strangely enough,
continued to press the matter.
"So? What's wrong with that?" he shot back.
"No, actually, like...I think it's kinda fine? If anything, I think that means you've got a pretty cool past. Don't ya think?" said Haruka.
It ain't cool at all," said Akito.
I was guessing the reason he knew so much about fighting was because he used to be that sort of person. You could certainly tell by looking at him that he had nerves of steel and quick reflexes.
"I mean, since you were a former bad kid yourself, couldn't you just ary?" asked Haruka.give Housen a taste of his own medicine if necessary
"Quit jokin' around. Even ifI do fight somebody, I choose my opponents carefully. And I especially wouldn't wanna fight Housen, for sure," said Akito.
Akito was raising the white flag before the fight even happened.
He was saying that less as an admission of his own weakness, though, and more
due to recognizing Housen's strength. Ibuki also had a certain degree of proficiency when it came to hand-to-hand combat, and she hadn't been able into land a single hit. There was just an overwhelming difference in their physical, and she wasn't a match in speed either.