Akashi and Kamishiro Ruri walked side by side toward the Basketball Club.
They hadn't gone far when a sharp, mocking laugh suddenly rang out from around the corner ahead.
"Hey! Red-haired kid—pretty arrogant, aren't you?"
"And with such a cute girlfriend too. That really pisses me off."
"How about this—let us teach you a lesson, then you hand her over. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Hahahaha—
Several boys in Ryonan High School uniforms stepped out, blocking the path. Their expressions were full of mockery and malice, eyes glittering with provocation.
They were the infamous delinquents of Ryonan High—local tyrants who relied on numbers and reputation to bully others. Picking on new students was practically routine.
Today, Akashi and Kamishiro Ruri had become their targets.
Nearby students stopped walking.
Some frowned in concern.
Some whispered nervously.
Others simply watched with thinly veiled excitement.
"This is bad…"
"They're done for."
"Should someone stop them?"
"Are you crazy? Those guys aren't worth provoking…"
No one stepped forward.
Faced with these delinquents, most students could only watch in silence.
Kamishiro Ruri stood calmly beside Akashi.
Her brows knit slightly—but there was no fear in her eyes.
As the third young lady of the Kamishiro Family, she had grown up surrounded by power, influence, and far darker situations than this. These so-called bullies didn't even register as a threat.
"Didn't you hear us?" one delinquent sneered, stepping forward and reaching for Akashi's collar.
Kamishiro Ruri was about to speak—
When suddenly—
A bone-chilling coldness swept through the area.
The air seemed to freeze.
Sunlight dimmed, as if the world itself had drawn a breath.
The delinquents' laughter died instantly.
Their bodies stiffened, as though pressed down by an invisible weight. Breathing became difficult.
All eyes turned toward Akashi.
He hadn't moved.
Yet the calm warmth that had surrounded him earlier was gone.
His heterochromatic eyes were now cold—sharp as blades, emotionless, dissecting.
It felt as though he was looking straight through their souls.
The delinquents' hearts clenched.
Instinct screamed at them to retreat.
"You…" Akashi raised his head slowly, his voice calm but absolute.
"Are being far too arrogant."
There was no anger in his tone.
No shouting.
Just authority.
An authority so natural it made resistance feel meaningless.
It wasn't the threat of violence—
It was the instinctive fear one feels when standing before something overwhelmingly superior.
The delinquent closest to him began trembling uncontrollably.
Step by step, he backed away—
And then—
Thud.
He collapsed onto the ground.
No one understood why.
Only that defying this presence felt impossible.
"Get lost," Akashi said quietly.
"I won't repeat myself."
The words cut like ice.
Gulp—
The remaining delinquents swallowed hard, legs weak, faces pale.
They hurriedly stepped aside, clearing a path without another word—like insects fleeing from a god's gaze.
Some even lost their footing, collapsing where they stood.
Akashi didn't spare them another glance.
He walked forward calmly, his pace unhurried, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Kamishiro Ruri followed behind him.
Her eyes never left his back.
That composed, unshakable figure—
As if born to stand at the center of everything.
Her heartbeat quickened.
A faint blush surfaced on her cheeks, like cherry blossoms blooming in spring.
Thankfully, Akashi didn't look back.
Only after they disappeared did the delinquents finally recover, gasping for breath as though they'd narrowly escaped disaster.
"That… that was terrifying."
"What the hell was that kid?"
"I couldn't even move…"
"Let's not mess with him again."
"Agreed."
Their voices trembled, fear still lingering deep in their bones.
Ahead, the chilling aura around Akashi quietly faded.
His eyes returned to their usual calm, as if that overwhelming presence had never existed.
"Akashi."
A familiar voice suddenly called out.
Lighthearted. Relaxed. Carrying a hint of amusement.
Akashi and Kamishiro Ruri stopped and looked ahead.
A boy leaned casually near the corner, waving.
Messy broom-like hair.
A lazy grin.
An easygoing aura that felt instantly familiar.
Sendoh Akira.
The long-awaited reunion had finally begun.