The gym went dead silent.
"Gang activity, " Principal Hanagaki said, and the two words seemed to suck all the air out of the room. "Specifically, the ones that call themselves the Sakuratei. "
Ren's heart kicked into overdrive.
Sakuratei.
That was Hasegawa's gang.
"This institution will NOT tolerate any form of violence, intimidation, or criminal behavior of any kind whatsoever. " the principal continued, his voice rising. "Those who participate in such activities, those who follow individuals like second-year student Fujimoto Hasegawa, they represent everything this school stands against.. "
The name seemed to echo loudly through the gymnasium.
Fujimoto Hasegawa.
There it was.
The confirmation Ren had been looking for.
His evidence that Hasegawa was real, that he was a student here, and apparently now that he was the leader of Sakuratei.
Ren's hands clenched instinctively in his lap.
Around him the students were begining to react, their whispers spreading fast like wildfire. Some of them looked shocked. Others looked excited about the news and a few of them even looked scared.
The students with the armbands.. the Sakuratei members sat stone-faced, but Ren could see the tension in their shoulders building up. Their jaws clenched and their hands balled into fists.
"Hasegawa and his ilk—" the principal continued.
CRACKLE. The microphone cut out with a harsh burst of static.
Principal Hanagaki paused his speech momentarily, tapping the mic. Nothing. He tried adjusting it, his face reddening with frustration.
Dead silence filled the gym but this time, it was one of confused silence. One of awkward silence.
"Technical difficulties, " one of the teachers called out, standing from the table. "Just a moment, please."
Murmurs erupted. Students shifting in their seats, whispering, some laughing nervously.
Sudo leaned close to Ren. "Did he just call out Hasegawa by name? Is he insane?"
"Why?" Ren asked, keeping his voice low.
"Because Hasegawa basically runs this school, " Sudo hispered back, eyes wide. "Everyone knows you don't challenge Sakuratei directly. The last principal who tried..." He said, making a throat-cutting gesture.
Ren's stomach tightened. "What happened to him?" Ren asked.
"Resigned. Suddenly. Middle of the school year. No explanation I heard. "
Before Ren could respond, the microphone crackled back to life.
"I apologise for the interruption. " Principal Hanagaki said, his confident composure somewhat restored back his initial bravado. "Let us proceed with the speech. "
Principal Hanagaki cleared his throat, gripping the podium with both hands. "As I was saying," he continued, voice tight with barely controlled anger, "this school will no longer turn a blind eye to gang violence. To those students who believe they are above the rules.. "
His eyes swept across the crowd, and Ren swore they lingered on specific faces. Students with white armbands, with red armbands. Students who sat too still and watched too carefully.
".. you are not and you will be held accountable. Your actions have consequences. And those consequences begin today. "
The temperature in the gym seemed to drop.
Ren glanced at Fubuki. She looked worried, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Sudo had stopped whispering, his usual cheerful expression replaced with something more serious.
"Effective immediately, " the principal said, "any student found participating in gang-related activities will face expulsion. No warnings. No second chances. "
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Furthermore," he continued, voice rising, "I am calling for the immediate dissolution of all gang organizations operating within or around Sakura High. This includes but is not limited to Sakuratei."
More gasps much louder this time.
Ren's eyes found the Sakuratei members again. They still sat motionless, but their expressions had changed. No longer blank. Now they looked... dangerous.
"This is insane," someone whispered behind Ren. "He's going to start a war. "
Principal Hanagaki seemed oblivious or he just didn't care.
"I understand this decision may be unpopular," he said, though his tone suggested he didn't care about that either. "But I will not stand by while this institution as it descends back into chaos. We are a school. A place of learning. Not a battleground for delinquents."
The Principal paused, letting his words sink in.
"That is all for now. Students, please proceed to your homerooms. Teachers, I expect your full cooperation in enforcing these new policies as soon as possible. "
The elderly man stepped away from the podium, his posture still rigid, walking off the stage without another word spoken.
For a moment, nobody moved an inch.
And then once he was gone and out of sight, the entire gym erupted.