In class, I leaned back and quietly asked Li Hao—the guy sitting behind me—"Where's a good place to go in Japan for summer break?"
Li Hao was eighteen, from Fujian. His parents had been in Japan for years; what they did, I never asked—but everyone knew they were loaded.
The moment I mentioned traveling, his eyes lit up. "Summer break? For cool weather, it's gotta be Hokkaido! Wanna bring me along? I'll even round up a few classmates—we'll look out for each other. And hey," he winked with a sly grin, "you know how many girls in our class are into you, right? Don't tell me you haven't noticed… eh? Eh?"
"Hokkaido?" I pressed. "Is it really that cool in summer? What else is there?"
Seeing I wasn't biting on his innuendo, he clasped his hands under his chin, drifting into a dreamy haze. "And the hot springs! Ohhh~ Just thinking about it… hahaha!"
The second he started fantasizing, I turned back around and pretended to read my textbook.
But curiosity got the better of me. I twisted back again. "What if we go to Mount Fuji instead?"
Li Hao's face instantly fell. "Oh, that? Just head southwest, take a train for two hours—boom, you're there." Then his expression shifted to shock. "Wait… you're actually planning to visit Mount Fuji?"
"What's wrong with that?" I asked.
"Oh, no, no—it's fine! Scenic, sure…" He waved a hand dismissively, then suddenly perked up. "Hey! We could go camping! Hah! Why didn't I think of that earlier?"
I sighed inwardly.
Then I dropped the real topic: "You know Okamoto Yoshi, right? He ambushed us yesterday."
"Huh? Those brainless bōsōzoku punks?" Li Hao chuckled. "You didn't get your ass kicked, did you?"
"Nope. Jixiang's family bodyguards showed up and handled it."
Li Hao nodded slowly, his tone turning serious. "Muzhou, listen—when dealing with guys like that, it's better not to drag adults into it. And believe me," he added with a smirk, "I could take down two or three of you at once. Guys like Okamoto? Me, Liu Qi, and Zhao Zhixin don't even bother with trash like him. If you ever need backup, just say the word."
Liu Qi and Zhao Zhixin were Li Hao's childhood friends—same hometown, same move to Japan, their families tight-knit. They moved as a unit.
Something about his tone pissed me off. Two or three of me? I'd trained in Sanda for two years—I could handle four average guys without breaking a sweat. This scrawny rich kid was talking big.
I forced a laugh. "Oh yeah, totally! Brother Hao, you're a legend! Haha!"
"Don't believe me?" He grinned and beckoned. "Arm wrestle. I'll even give you a one-and-a-half-hand handicap."
Fine. Let's see how tough he really was.
We set up right there in class. I called Asada Mai to referee.
"No, no!" Li Hao cut in quickly. "Let Jixiang do it."
I frowned—why her?
But Jixiang immediately perked up. "I'll do it! I'll be the ref!"
She stepped over, took both our hands in hers to position them. The moment her fingers touched Li Hao's, his eyes glazed over like he'd ascended to heaven. Damn it, I thought, this little pervert's fantasizing about my sister!
"Ready… one, two, three—GO!" Jixiang shouted.
Li Hao looked completely distracted—still lost in whatever fantasy Jixiang's touch had triggered. I, on the other hand, poured every ounce of strength into my arm.
But nothing happened.
His arm didn't budge.
I stared in disbelief. I'm 182 cm, 75 kg—solid build. Li Hao? Maybe 176 cm, 70 kg, wiry but not muscular. How was he holding me like a statue?
Just as I strained harder, Liu Qi and Zhao Zhixin popped their heads over my shoulders.
"Hey, Xiao Zhou-ge," Liu Qi teased, "just use your other hand. You can't beat him one-handed—trust us."
Using my other hand would be humiliating. But if I didn't, I'd lose anyway—and losing after refusing help would be even worse.
"Muzhou-nii, use your other hand!" Jixiang urged.
Gritting my teeth, I brought my left hand in and pushed with everything I had.
Li Hao finally snapped out of his daze. Seeing my double-handed effort, he focused, exhaled sharply—"Haaah!"—and shoved.
My arm flipped outward and down.
But then—unexpectedly—I felt his resistance vanish. Momentum carried me forward, and I accidentally pinned his hand to the desk.
Jixiang cheered, "Hao-zi! You try winning now!"
Li Hao burst out laughing. "Alright, alright! I lost! You got me!"
I sat back, confused. That didn't feel right. There was no way I should've won. Had he let me?
Liu Qi and Zhao Zhixin clapped me on the back. "Don't feel bad, Muzhou," Liu Qi said. "Seriously, almost no one beats Hao-ge one-on-one. You did fine."
I'd always thought I was strong. Now I felt… small.
"Did you train before?" I asked Li Hao.
He just shrugged casually—clearly yes—but didn't answer. Instead, his gaze drifted to the classroom door. His expression hardened.
"Hey," he said quietly. "Wanna go find Okamoto after school?"
I followed his stare—and froze.
Okamoto Yoshi and three of his cronies were standing just outside the doorway, peering in like vultures.
I glanced at Liu Qi and Zhao Zhixin. Both looked utterly unfazed.
Li Hao gave Liu Qi a subtle nod.
Liu Qi shot up, sauntered to the door, leaned against the frame, and exchanged a few words with Okamoto.
Okamoto's face twisted in rage. He pointed at us, laughed mockingly, and walked off with his crew.
Liu Qi dashed back, eyes gleaming. "After school. Behind the school, in the alley. Looks like they're bringing about ten guys."
Now, Liu Qi was short—maybe 168 cm—with a sharp, squirrel-like face. I seriously doubted his fighting chops. Zhao Zhixin, though? Built like a fridge—stocky, solid, the kind of guy who could absorb punches all day. About my height, definitely durable.
Still, I eyed Liu Qi skeptically.
He caught my look and grinned. "Don't underestimate me, bro! Haha!"
"How many of us are going?" I asked Li Hao.
He scanned the classroom. Of the thirty students, nearly twenty were girls. The rest were quiet, studious types—definitely not fighters.
He sighed dramatically. "Guess it's just the four of us."
My stomach dropped. Four?! Against ten delinquents? Even with my Sanda training, that sounded suicidal. If it were Jiangchuan and the bodyguards, I'd feel safe—but these guys?
"Just… the four of us?" I stammered. "Bro, are you serious right now?"
Li Hao slapped my shoulder, grinning. "Relax, little brother. Big bro's got you. You won't even get a scratch. Haha."