Translator: RaidenTL
Scratch.
An X mark drawn with a red colored pencil.
I, who had been holding my breath in suspense, let out a sigh that could have swallowed the earth the moment I confirmed the last problem was wrong.
"Haaah…"
I'd gotten four out of five correct—just one short.
In contrast to my despair, Tetsuya's face was bright.
The guy had gotten exactly seven questions right.
"Good job, Tetsuya-kun."
At Miyuki's praise, Tetsuya scratched his head, feigning embarrassment.
To think my point of comparison had to be that moron. I felt like shit.
Now I finally understood why Miyuki had set my goal at half.
The disappointment was immense, and a fierce competitive spirit began to bubble up inside me.
As I sat there, my head practically on the round table, Miyuki's lavish praise continued.
"Matsuda-kun… I was honestly surprised. I thought you'd get two at most, but I never dreamed you'd solve four. Your methods were accurate, too."
I snapped my head up.
Miyuki covered her mouth and smiled as she went on.
"It really shows how hard you studied. That's impressive, isn't it, Matsuda-kun?"
Her tone was like she was praising a small child, but it still felt amazing.
This is why people have to work hard, whether it's studying or anything else.
Someone will eventually recognize your effort, right?
"Well, I tend to go all-in when I get hooked on something."
"Can't you go five seconds without getting cocky? I said you did well, but you still have a long way to go. This is the most basic of the basics."
Harsh.
Still, at least she wasn't comparing me to Tetsuya.
Deciding to think positively, I was about to consider the next event when—
Bzzzzt-!
My phone vibrated, and I glanced at the screen.
[Shimoyama-senpai]
Shimoyama…? Who the hell was this guy?
I wracked my brain, and the memory soon surfaced.
Shimoyama Akiro.
He was the top dog of the second-years in the Supuri circle I belonged to.
A guy just like my old self.
That one sentence was all the explanation needed for Shimoyama.
But why was he calling me?
"Who is it?"
I gestured for the curious Miyuki to wait a moment and answered the call.
"Yes, senpai."
—You know the hideout, right?
He was talking about the basement of a building in a corner of the Kabukicho entertainment district, which the Supuri circle used.
"I know it."
—Get over here. Now.
The call ended abruptly.
His voice sounded pissed off. I wondered if I was about to get a few fists thrown my way.
But this could also be seen as a good opportunity.
A preview of the major incident that would happen as soon as the vacation ended.
Miyuki had a change of heart over the weekend, so I should go right away and create an event that I could lead.
Honestly, I was scared shitless, but for the sake of the future, I had no choice.
My expression hardened as I spoke to the other two.
"You two should probably study on your own today."
"Huh…? Why?"
"Something came up. Finish up and head out when you're done. The door locks automatically, so don't worry."
Sensing the gravity of the situation from my low, subdued voice, Miyuki replied.
"Ah, okay… Call us as soon as you're done."
"You got it."
The Supuri circle's hideout didn't have the flashy, modern atmosphere of a yakuza den from a recent movie.
It was shabby and musty, like the headquarters of villains in an old crime film.
When I descended into it, I found the first-year delinquents of Yebonie Academy lined up at attention.
About ten of them were arrayed on each side.
I made eye contact with Takashi, who was in the middle, and tried to discreetly take my place at the very end.
But Shimoyama, sitting on the central sofa, stopped me.
"Ken! Get your ass over here, you bastard. Why is the first-year captain heading over there?"
Captain. The way he talked sounded so childish.
Still, I should take comfort in the fact that he didn't call me oyabun.
Shimoyama was a menacing-looking skinny guy with two gold front teeth.
I heard he'd smashed his teeth on a rock during a fight… It somehow suited him.
I walked up to him and gave a single, sharp nod.
"Hello."
Shimoyama's eyes twitched at my insolent greeting.
He glared at me for a moment.
His voice on the phone had been a little scary, but seeing him in person, he looked so weak he was almost laughable.
As I continued my staring contest with Shimoyama, he shot up from the sofa and got right in my face.
His breath was rank. Get away from me…
Just as I was thinking that, Shimoyama's lips curled into a wide grin.
You know the type. The psychos who set the mood with a deadpan expression, only to suddenly break into a smile…
Normally, it would have sent shivers down my spine, but I felt nothing.
I wondered if my own mettle had risen to match Matsuda Ken's after possessing him.
"You little punk… you've grown up, huh?"
"Thank you."
Shimoyama grabbed the back of my neck and patted it a few times.
"Whatever. You know Inagi Academy, right?"
Inagi Academy…
It was an academy located quite a far from Yebonie, the school I attended.
If I remembered correctly, the delinquents there didn't have a good relationship with the Supuri circle.
"I know it."
"This Friday, take the guys over there and beat up a few of their kids. Make sure you go in your uniforms."
Aha, so he wanted to provoke a school-versus-school brawl.
What should I do?
Should I participate in the fight, pretending I still had some loyalty to the circle?
Or should I start showing that I'm trying to get out?
I chose the latter.
This wasn't about bringing a criminal to justice through violence; it was just a fight over some inter-school squabble.
If I was caught throwing even a single punch, Miyuki's affection for me would plummet.
"Did the Inagi guys do something wrong?"
"Huh? What was that?"
Shimoyama cupped a hand to his ear as if he hadn't heard me.
I scratched my chin with my index finger, putting on a troubled expression.
"It seems a little… wrong to mess with guys who've been quiet for a while."
Smack—!
A crisp sound echoed as my head whipped to the side.
It stung. He was stronger than he looked.
Could you hit me again until it starts to swell?
Having been slapped out of nowhere, I turned my head back to its original position and cracked my neck.
At that, Shimoyama rolled up the sleeves of his Yebonie uniform dress shirt.
"You son of a bitch, who do you think you're… Hey, when have we ever fought after considering their side of the story? Huh, you fucker?"
"Even so…"
Thwack—!
A fist this time. Excellent.
Just like before, I straightened my head.
Shimoyama, who clearly took offense to my attitude, reached out and grabbed a handful of my hair.
Then he started relentlessly pounding my face with his fist.
Thwack—! Thud!
With every hit, my nose started bleeding, my cheekbones throbbed, and the areas under my eyes and my jaw went numb.
Still, I focused all my energy on suppressing Matsuda Ken's rebellious spirit from awakening, which made it somewhat bearable.
If this guy had been a little bigger, it would have hurt like hell.
After hitting me about ten times, Shimoyama stopped, looking at me with disbelief as I hadn't even let out a scream.
He then turned to Takashi, my closest friend, and asked.
"Hey, did this bastard eat something weird?"
"Sir…? Uh, no, sir. I'll talk to him."
"Forget it. You take care of the Inagi business. Got it?"
"Ossu!"
A greeting used only in the Japanese martial arts world.
I never expected to hear it here, in real life, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. I burst out laughing.
"Pfft!"
It just occurred to me, but Takashi was like… one of those scene-stealing comic relief characters from a romantic comedy with great reactions.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, snickering, and looked around.
"..."
The already frozen atmosphere in the basement grew even colder.
Seeing Shimoyama's eyes blazing with fury, I clenched my jaw.
Fine, I'll take another beating. But just a moderate one this time.
"You fucking idiot… What the hell were you thinking, laughing in that situation?"
Takashi chided me as he supported me while we walked.
I spat out the blood that kept filling my mouth and said.
"C'mon… it was funny…"
"What was?"
"Ossu…"
"Did this bastard really eat something weird? I almost got my ass kicked because of you. You've seen me do that a hundred times, haven't you?"
"You didn't do it that often…"
"True, but… ugh… fuck… I don't know. Just go home and get some rest. You look like hell."
I thought he was just another delinquent, but he's got a sense of loyalty.
I'll give you that.
I answered with a silent nod and arrived home with Takashi.
Seeing my trembling hands as I took out my key, Takashi asked with concern.
"You look like you're about to collapse… Should I help you inside?"
"I'm fine… Just go…"
"So stubborn… You sure? I'm really leaving?"
"Go… Thanks for everything…"
"For real?"
"Agh, damn it… Just go, you punk…! Oof…!"
I tried to kick Takashi's ass, but a sudden pain shot through my ribs, and I doubled over.
Takashi cackled at me.
"Idiot… I'm leaving. Call me if anything happens."
"Yeah…"
I weakly opened the door and went straight to the bathroom.
Somehow managing to strip off my clothes, I filled the cypress wood bathtub with cold water.
Then I got in and squeezed my eyes shut.
The ice-cold water made every muscle in my body contract.
There wasn't a single part of me that didn't ache. It was the result of getting hit more than I'd expected.
I should've just kept my mouth shut instead of laughing… Of all the things to hear at a time like that…
Grumbling to myself, I soaked in the cold bath for a while. After a quick shower, I collapsed in the living room and looked around.
The legs of the round table were folded, and it was propped up in a corner.
The tray and bowl that held the melon were also washed and put away.
Miyuki and Tetsuya must have cleaned up. How tidy of them.
I checked my phone and saw a message from Miyuki.
[Is your thing sorted out yet?]
Judging by the time it was sent, she must have messaged me while I was getting beaten up.
I laboriously moved my fingers to type a reply.
[It's sorted.]
A moment later, my phone vibrated.
[You didn't look so good… What happened? Can you talk?]
Ahh… Miyuki. Were you waiting for my reply?
I can feel the genuine concern in her words. It's like the pain is fading.
You're going to put a bandage on me with those delicate hands of yours tomorrow, right? I'm counting on it.
[Sorry, but I'm exhausted right now. I'll tell you tomorrow.]
[Okay. I get it. Go to sleep as soon as you get home.]
[I'm home now. You guys even did the dishes. Thanks.]
[Of course. It's the least we could do. Get some sleep, and see you tomorrow.]
[Yeah.]
After ending the conversation with Miyuki, I spread my arms and legs out wide and lay there like a starfish.
I really got the shit beaten out of me today.
And yet, I felt refreshed.
I'm curious to see how Miyuki will react tomorrow.
Will she scold me at first, thinking I got into a fight?
Or will she make a huge fuss, asking what on earth happened?
I don't know.
But one thing is certain.
If I explain the situation honestly and well, her affection for me will only go up, not down.
So, let's stop thinking and just sleep.