December 1, 2008 — morning
Simple Housing Complex, Katsushika area.
Inside a dark bedroom, wrapped in a thick blanket, a body lay there, clearly unwilling to wake up in the morning.
Srheekkk…
The sound of fabric shifting softly.
"Mhhh… sshtt… I hate waking up early…"
Jōgan pulled the blanket higher, covering his lazy face.
Cringg… cringg…
The alarm clock on the bedside table rang loudly.
"Damn it… why do I have to go to school every morning!!"
Jōgan jolted awake, his sleepy face mixed with irritation.
Brhuuk!
A pillow flew through the air and slammed into the alarm clock.
The bedroom door suddenly swung open, almost forced halfway.
A tall, broad-built middle-aged man stood in the doorway.
"Hey, lazy brat, wake up! Don't even think about making excuses to skip school!"
Hugo flashed a bright smile—an overly energetic morning smile—then walked away, leaving Jōgan's door wide open.
Jōgan grumbled while roughly scratching his head.
Srek… srek… sounded faintly.
"Close the door again, old man…!"
Jōgan climbed off the bed, grabbed the pillow, and slammed it hard against the door. Blam!
A few seconds later, a voice came from behind the door—heavy and threatening, unmistakably a father's voice.
"If you're not out of your room and sitting at the dining table within fifteen minutes,"
Hugo paused briefly, then continued in a tone far too cheerful for a threat,
"I'll make your room doorless!"
His voice grew more distant toward the kitchen, accompanied by a light whistle that clashed with his words.
The bedroom door opened from the inside with a soft click.
Jōgan stepped out wearing his high school uniform. His height—175 cm—stood in clear contrast to his age, which had not yet reached sixteen.
"Mmhh… if only every day were Sunday," he muttered, before sitting down casually and starting his breakfast.
"Oh yeah? That'll only ever exist in your stupid dreams. Idiot."
Hugo replied without turning around, busy flipping fried rice with a cigarette tucked between his lips.
"Hey—old man," Jōgan pointed with his spoon, his face sour. "Do you want fried rice with cigarette ash topping? Toss the cigarette first, or we'll get poisoned!"
Hugo glanced up lazily, then blew smoke toward the kitchen ceiling.
"Huh. How many times do I have to tell you? It's an herbal cigarette. It'd take a ton of nicotine to poison a rebellious brat like you."
He went back to stirring the fried rice and scooped it into three lunch boxes.
"Tch. Just seeing your face every morning at my bedroom door already feels like ten tons of nicotine," Jōgan shot back, his mouth full of food.
The door across the dining area slowly opened.
Kree…
Two small girls appeared, wearing elementary school uniforms.
"Big brother, why is your voice always so loud in the morning?" asked Riko, her innocent face struggling to climb onto a chair that was a bit too high.
"I'm already used to it," Rika chimed in with a spoiled tone. "Alarm clocks, Dad and Big Brother Jōgan arguing—every morning is always the same."
Jōgan let out an awkward laugh, scratching his head where it didn't itch.
Srek… srek…
"Ah—that's because of this old man," Jōgan said quickly, pointing his spoon at Hugo. "He's the one who always tortures me to wake up early, right, Rika, Riko?"
Hugo slammed the dining table hard.
Plam!
"Hey, you ungrateful brat! Stop calling me 'old man'! You'd never get out of bed if I didn't drag you out every morning!"
A Few moment later..
Tin… tin…
The sounds of heavy morning traffic echoed after Jōgan dropped off his two sisters. He then joined his friends to head to school together.
"Oi… Jōgan, why do you look as sour as usual?"
Zulo greeted him, waving his hand in the air.
"Hey, Zulo. That question sounds strange," Jōgan replied, stopping in front of him with a puzzled look.
"Ahh… never mind. We need to walk faster. The gate's about to close. I don't want us getting punished by Uncle Hiji—ugh… that's terrifying!"
Kaito said, his face pale with panic.
"Relax, Kaito. If Uncle Hiji dares to close the gate before we get there, I'll smash the school gate with one kick! Okay?"
Jōgan grinned mischievously, wrapping an arm around Kaito's shoulder while giving a thumbs-up.
"Jōgan, not everyone has steel legs and a carefree personality like you. Kaito's a disciplined student—unlike your reckless behavior," Zulo replied casually, clearly familiar with Jōgan's troublemaking nature.
"C-come on, Uncle Hiji is just security, not the principal. Besides, what can the school even do when faced with a body like this—built like a professional fighter?"
Jōgan flexed his arm confidently.
"Uh… um… Jōgan, we still remember when the principal called Uncle Hugo after you crashed into the girls' restroom wall and made it collapse,"
Kaito added, stuttering slightly.
"Ikss…!!"
Jōgan's mind flashed back to the incident.
"Ahhh… you little brat, get over here! Why, my affection for you just doubled. Ahahahah…!"
Hugo's memory resurfaced—welcoming him and locking his arm around Jōgan's neck in the principal's office.
The front of the school was bustling.
Students passed through the gate, forming small groups before dispersing toward their classrooms.
Deng… dong…
The school bell rang, signaling that classes were about to begin.
Tap… tap… tap…
The sound of running footsteps echoed—three male students standing out near the gate.
Grenggg…
The gate began to slide shut as Uncle Hiji started closing it. His face was stiff, not giving even the slightest mercy to latecomers.
Suddenly, a very familiar voice to Hiji rang out energetically from a distance.
"Oy, Uncle Hiji! Don't be too strict, or I'll knock that gate down again!"
Jōgan shouted casually while jogging over, waving with a mischievous grin.
Behind him, Zulo and Kaito struggled to catch up, breathing heavily.
Greet…
A vein bulged on Hiji's forehead when he saw the face of the school's most troublesome student.
"Why do you always arrive at the very last minute, huh?! Drag your asses over here, before I crush your stupid faces with this gate!"
Hiji voice was deep and heavy with restrained emotion.
"Oy… oy… Uncle Hiji, don't get so angry. You'll age faster—though you're already old. Ahahaha…!"
Casually, Jōgan wrapped an arm around Hiji and patted his shoulder with a goofy face, buying time for Zulo and Kaito to slip through the gate.
"Yes, I'm already old," Hiji replied flatly, shooting a sharp glare at Jōgan.
"But my emotions become abnormal for a man my age—because you're the only source of them here!"
"Hakss... Hakss… Haks…"
Kaito quickly stepped forward.
"Good morning, Uncle Hiji. We're very sorry for being late. Th-this… I brought a cold drink from the convenience store. Please accept it."
Kaito bowed politely, his face full of guilt, handing over the drink as an apology.
Midday, during P.E.
Inside the basketball gym filled with rivalry, cheers echoed back and forth.
Dug… dug… dug…
The rhythmic sound of a basketball bouncing mixed with the squeak of shoes sliding across the floor.
Ciiit… ciiit… ciiit…
The basketball studio doors slowly opened.
In walked the school's most troublesome male student—popular, and talented in nearly every sport.
The female supporters reacted instantly. Cameras were raised, and their voices filled the room.
"Kyaaa… Jōgan! Jōgan…!"
"Jōgan—kyaa! Look over here!"
"Ahh… he's getting more handsome!"
Cheers and praise overlapped, all trying to grab Jōgan's attention.
Meanwhile, among the spectator seats, Zulo observed the game. Beside him, Kaito busily took notes.
Srreek… srreek…
The sound of a pen scratching across paper rang clearly.
"Mhh… the girls' voices are getting louder and more varied. Jōgan really draws their attention," Kaito muttered, acting like a professional sports journalist recording every moment of a star athlete.
"Stop playing journalist," Zulo replied casually, glancing at Kaito's notes.
"Or are you his personal assistant now?"
"A-ah, Zulo… Jōgan really is an amazing student and deserves to be recorded," Kaito replied, adjusting his glasses without taking his eyes off the court.
"At least this is something I can do as thanks. He accepted me—a bookworm like this—as his friend, and freed me from the students who used to bully me."
Swish!!
Jōgan's supporters' cheers echoed once more inside the gym.