《My Childhood Friend Loathed Me, So I Decided To Stop Living In The Shadows And Hide》 Volume 1 - CH 1 Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. I, Toshiki Sawada, have been physically weak ever since I can remember. Just exercising a bit is enough to exhaust me, and I also catch colds all the time, so I tend to miss school a lot. Fortunately, however, I¡¯ve been following a ¡°health regimen¡± along with my grandpa since childhood, so I don¡¯t catch colds that often anymore. Yet I¡¯m still as thin as a match compared to everyone around me. I follow my grandpa¡¯s teachings and treat people with kindness and compassion. He¡¯s the only family member I have left, and I love him dearly. And although I¡¯m shy and reclusive, I have a very important friend. ¡°Hey, Toshi-kun, let¡¯s go to school!¡± ¡°Eri-chan, w¨Cwait!¡± ¡°Oh, I saw the anime you showed me yesterday. It was reaaaaally interesting!¡± ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s a masterpiece!¡± ¡°If you were as cheerful as the protagonist, you¡¯d have some friends, hehe~¡± ¡°S¨CShut up! I have friends too, like you¡­ And, um¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Well, I¡¯m right here beside you, so that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Y¨CYeah¡­¡± Eri Mashima is my childhood friend. We¡¯ve known each other for basically a decade. She¡¯s always lived next door after all. One day when I was just a child, I was bullied by the neighborhood kids in the park. Suddenly, she came to my rescue, screaming, ¡°What the hell are you guys doing!¡± That¡¯s when I first met her, and soon we were always spending time together. Her constant smile was endearing. Grandpa doesn¡¯t like her very much, while in contrast, I¡­ I love her. Eri is the first girl I¡¯ve ever felt this way for. And today, as usual, we walked to school together. Approaching the gates, her friends greeted her and began chatting. No one talked to me, though. ¡°Oh, Hikari, morning~!¡± ¡°Morning, Eri! You¡¯re with Sawada-kun again today, huh? Are you guys seriously not dating?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be weird. Toshi is my dear childhood friend!¡± ¡°A¨CAhaha¡­ You¡¯re really dense, you know that?¡± She muttered that last part to herself. ¡°Eh? What was that, Hikari?¡± ¡°Nothing! I¡¯ll go ahead then, see you in class!¡± Their chat just reminded me of my shortcomings¡­ I can¡¯t even make eye contact with girls other than Eri. I turn into a nervous, stuttering mess. I just don¡¯t know what to say¡­ I mean, my favorite things are anime, manga, and retro games. After Eri leaves the classroom, I always spend time alone¡­ And I know what they call me behind my back. ¡°Eri¡¯s goldfish feces,¡± and ¡°Disgusting weirdo.¡± Back at the end of elementary school, I realized Eri and I were different. Every grade we moved up, she became prettier and prettier, and soon I understood the reason for my discomfort. Eri was loved by all, having countless friends. She was also kind and cheerful, someone that fit the term ¡°normie.¡± We lived in completely different worlds, and what I saw was different from what she saw. I noticed that chasm between us, so I tried to distance myself from her, but she¡ª ¡°Hey, Toshi! You¡¯ve been so cold lately I know the reason, but I don¡¯t mind what they think about me! You¡¯re my dear friend, so why don¡¯t we walk home while having some ice cream, like always?¡± ¡ªShe¡¯s always been kind to me. I was happy as long as she was happy. However, there was another reason I just had to live quietly. Even though I love her, I can¡¯t tell her how I feel. It¡¯s because my father is¡­ ¡°¡ªAnd, I¡¯ll tell you what Toshi, Hiratsuka-senpai is very funny!¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah. I heard that many times.¡± ¡°Yesterday, he gave me my favorite brand of perfume!¡± ¡°Yeah, got it. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Ehehe~ We¡¯re going on a date this weekend!¡± ¡°O¨COh, really?¡± ¡°¡­ Fufu~ Are you jealous of me, Toshi?¡± ¡°N¨CNo, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± ¡°Haah¡­ I wish you were jealous¡­ Hmph.¡± Her words shocked me, and they almost made me misunderstand¡­ Because there¡¯s no way she¡¯d like me back. Moreover, if someone you cherish likes someone else, you just have to support them. Eri was popular, and that fact clicked in my head when I entered junior high school. For that reason, every time she fell in love¡ª ¡°Hey, Toshi, I think¡­ I might like Hayato in the next class.¡± ¡°Toshi! I¡¯m going out with Kenta-kun!¡± ¡°Listen, Toshi, he¡¯s terrible! He was two-timing me all along!¡± ¡°Aww~! What should I do~! Tachibana-kun confessed to me!¡± ¡°Ehehe~ Only you can listen to my worries like this. Thanks a lot!¡± My heart ached in misery, and I felt like dying. I knew Eri enjoyed watching my miserable suffering, and I¡¯m sure she knew I loved her. Leaving her at the school building, I step into the classroom and sit alone at my desk. No one even attempted to chat with me. But today, something went a bit differently. I was reading alone when I noticed the chatter around me grow. Looking up to see what was going on, I saw a guy standing in front of me. ¡°Are you Toshiki Sawada? Can I talk to you for a bit?¡± He was Hiratsuka, a senior¡­ He¡¯s the one Eri¡¯s been talking to a lot recently. ¡°O¨COkay, u¨Cum¡­¡± I was about to get up from my seat, but Hiratsuka restrained me with his hand. He was strangely elegant in doing so, and I noticed the girls in the classroom gawking at him. Hiratsuka is handsome. And he¡¯s not just another pretty face either, since he¡¯s also famous for his mixed martial arts prowess. He and I lived in entirely different worlds, him being a celebrity around this school, and me being me. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just say it here since it¡¯ll be too bothersome otherwise. So, what are you to Eri? Oh, sorry, it¡¯s just that Eri and I have something good going on, but she¡¯s always talking about you, so¡­ I just wanted to know what kinda person you are.¡± ¡°Eh, Ah, O¨COkay¡­ I¨CI¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I heard a big sigh coming from him. ¡°Haah¡­ Why is she friends with this guy? No, I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s actually your childhood friend, not just a friend.¡± He had a very unpleasant expression on his face, which I didn¡¯t know why. I¡¯ve heard he was a very nice guy¡ª ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re the son of a criminal, so stay away from Eri. You¡¯ll just cause trouble for her.¡± My mind went blank. Meanwhile, his words spread across the classroom like wildfire. I couldn¡¯t stop my body from shaking, and I couldn¡¯t move one inch from where I stood. Why? Why? Why? Why? ¡ª I repeat this question inside my own head. This secret had to be hidden. No one should¡¯ve known! ¡°What, the son of a criminal?¡± ¡°Eh, what did he do?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s true, then this is pretty bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s true he doesn¡¯t have any parents¡­¡± ¡°I mean, he looks pretty gloomy, like he¡¯s a criminal¡­¡± I quickly opened my mouth¡ª ¡°N¨CNo, you¡¯re wrong! M¨CMy dad acted in self-defense!¡± This was a bad idea. The murmuring just worsened after my words. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± ¡°S¨CSelf-defense? Did he do something bad?¡± ¡°Oi, we should stay away from him¡­ You never know what he might do to you.¡± I stared at Hiratsuka, not knowing what to do. ¡°H¨CHey, why did you say that? Y¨CYou¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Wait a second, you didn¡¯t tell Eri about this? You¡¯re the son of a criminal, yet you¡¯ve been hiding it from her for ten years?! Haah¡­ Think about her for a moment, will you? ¡­ Stay away from my Eri, and never approach her ever again.¡± He turned his back and tried to leave the classroom, but I wanted to deny my father this label of ¡°criminal.¡± ¡°W¨CWait a second!! ¡ªEh?¡± Before I could even touch his shoulder, he fell down to the ground, and soon someone around us screamed. Hiratsuka held his knees, pretending to be in pain, yet I saw the corner of his lips raise in a slight smile. ¡°Toshi¡­ kun? What are you doing?¡± Eri stood at the entrance of the classroom. Volume 1 - CH 2 My head doesn¡¯t work well and I can barely form thoughts. I think Hiratsuka said something to a classmate, and I feel like people around me are berating me. He then left the classroom supported by Eri. However, I¡¯ll never forget how she looked at me back then, and I¡¯ll never forget her voice: ¡°Why¡­ Why did you hide it from me? I can¡¯t believe it¡­ And to also hit your senior¡­?¡± Her eyes burned with hostility, and disgust dripped from her expression like venom. I¡¯d never seen her make such a face before. I¡¯ve always done everything so I could see her smile, but it all came crashing down in an instant. Indifference morphed into malice, and the stares around me started to change. I didn¡¯t mind the indifferent glances, but I did have some friends. ¡°H¨CHayakawa¡­¡± ¡°Ha? Why did you¡­ Sh*t.¡± He was my only male friend, Hayakawa. Eri and him were classmates, and we had very similar interests¡­ Maybe he believed the rumors, too. I recalled our interaction yesterday¡ª ¡°Yo, Toshiki~ When are ya going to confess to Mashima-san? I mean, you two are already a thing, right? Huh? Not yet? Well, guess we¡¯ll need to have a strategy meeting after school! Let¡¯s go to an internet cafe!¡± He¡¯d said all that with a warm smile. Simple, quiet like me, yet so kind and friendly¡­ That¡¯s how he was. And that same guy scowled at me. I guess the word that I¡¯m the son of a criminal reached him¡­ All I could do was walk away in silence, yet no matter where I went, I could not escape their gaze. As I toddled down the hallway, a small girl gave me a big gaze. ¡°Senpai, I¡¯ve heard some strange rumors about you¡­ Are they true?¡± She was Moe Nakajima, a girl one grade below me, and a member of the Women¡¯s Manga Research Club. A long time ago, she¡¯d dropped her notebook and we searched for it together. Since then, we¡¯d often run into each other in the hallways, and she¡¯d complain to me every single time. I was honestly impressed by the way she enjoyed talking and complaining about anime. But as I thought about my past with her, Eri¡¯s image popped into my mind¡­ Let¡¯s not think about her¡­ However, I¡¯m sure this girl¡¯s heard the rumors and despises me too. ¡°Hey, what kind of rumors?¡± ¡°Um¡­ That you¡¯re the son of a criminal, and despite being meek you¡¯re a delinquent. Also that you mug people, and you¡¯re violent, and¡­ T¨CThat you went for Mashima-senpai¡¯s weakness¡­¡± Oh, I see¡­ Rumors have already reached you, too. Haha, that does make me seem like a very bad guy. I think I might understand how my dad feels a little bit. ¡°S¨CStop laughing and answer the question!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with me anymore¡­ And, I¡¯m the son of a criminal, so¡­ you¡¯re not wrong.¡± When Nakajima heard my words, she looked astonished, though only for a moment. But that brief moment said it all. Although she¡¯s always been kinda mean to me, I never felt bad, she was a very kind girl at her core. That¡¯s why she shouldn¡¯t get involved with me anymore. Nakajima was saying something, but her words didn¡¯t get into my head. I turned my back on her and walked to the staff room so I could tell the teachers I¡¯d leave early today. It was an unusual time to leave school. I couldn¡¯t see any other students around. After taking in a breath of fresh air and calming down a bit, I opened my messaging app so I could apologize to Eri. ¡­ But apologize for what? For pushing down the man she loved? For hiding my dad¡¯s circumstances from you? I¡¯m not even sure anymore, so I only sent her one word: ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­ Unread, huh¡­¡± And at this moment I truly understood our positions. We live in entirely different dimensions: I¡¯m the son of a criminal, and you¡¯re a bright girl. There¡¯s nothing wrong with you for turning against me, Eri. If only I¡¯d been brave enough to explain myself from the beginning, but I was just too scared¡­ Scared that you¡¯d leave me if you knew about my father. I¡¯ve loved you for ten whole years, but I couldn¡¯t tell you that. Memories of love showered my mind like rain. ¡°Hey, Toshi, is there anyone you like?¡± ¡°Eh, um, n¨Cno there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, if I can¡¯t marry anyone, should we get together?¡± ¡°W¨CWhat are you talking about? Who¡¯s the guy?¡± ¡°Toshi, your face is turning red~ But I¡¯m not kidding, okay?¡± ¡°E¨CEh, but¡ª¡± ¡°Oh! Let¡¯s go to Destinyland together sometime!¡± ¡°W¨CWell, sure¡­ Let¡¯s go home now, then? Uwaah¡ª! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hm? We¡¯re just holding hands. Come on, come on, let¡¯s go home!¡± Huh? Why is it that¡­ I can¡¯t stop crying? Why are tears rolling down my face? Is it because I can¡¯t see her anymore? Is it because my dad is a criminal? Or is it because I¡¯m all alone at school? I don¡¯t know, but I shouldn¡¯t cry. Grandpa will be worried, and his friends will all laugh at me. I couldn¡¯t sleep a wink last night. Although I pretended to be fine in front of my grandfather, all kinds of emotions came rushing in as soon as I was alone. The next morning, I was a bit sleep-deprived, so I just left home at the usual time. Habit is a terrible thing. But I regretted it the moment I opened the front door. Eri had just come out of her front door at the same time. Her eyes unexpectedly met mine. ¡­ This was my last chance. I had to directly apologize for hiding my circumstances from her. ¡°E¨CEri-chan¡­¡± But her face was scary. She looked at me like she was looking at a piece of trash thrown by the wayside. But still, I had to open my mouth and¡ª She spoke before I could even begin: ¡°¡­ You know what, don¡¯t ever talk to me again. I love you a lot, Toshi, but your father¡­ You know what I mean, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eri just said that and left, and soon something cold ran through my heart. She just sliced my whole body with an invisible knife. I knew. I knew I could never go back. That bad feeling simmered in the back of my mind, yet I didn¡¯t want her to look at me so coldly. Not even if she said she loved me. And even if she didn¡¯t think of me as a man, I was at least trying to be gentle, which is what she¡¯d always liked. I don¡¯t know what to do, but I shouldn¡¯t cry. I have to go to school soon, after all¡­ But I couldn¡¯t move my legs. Fear of going there overtook me. I¡¯m afraid of the way everyone looks at me. Then, out of nowhere, I felt a big warm touch on my shoulder. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t have to go.¡± Turning around, I see my grandpa there. He was as big as a bear and stared up at the sky, his large palm resting on my shoulder. I have to put on a happy face so that I don¡¯t worry him. I have to smile. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t. I just couldn¡¯t. ¡°¡­ You can cry now, but let this be the last time you cry¡­ When you¡¯re done, eat a hearty meal and go to bed.¡± ¡°O, okay¡­ H¨CHic¡­¡± It was then I heard a crack as if something inside me had broken. And I too broke down right there, crying every single drop of tear I had welled up inside me. But through every moment of my suffering, I felt a warm touch on my shoulder. Volume 1 - CH 3 After much crying, I ate my dinner and fell into a deep slumber¡­ However, I woke up to some noise in the house. Walking to the living room, I find my grandfather and his friends gathered there. ¡°Oh, Toshi! You¡¯ve grown up! You¡¯re even bigger than my Reika!¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯s a man! I mean, dad, you¡¯re drinking way too much¡­ Oh, um, Toshiki, long time no see¡­ How are you? ¡± ¡°Yo, Toshi, how are you? I heard you¡¯re not well, so I came here.¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯ve turned into a nice guy, just like your dad! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re plenty popular at school!¡± ¡°He¡¯s thin but nicely built¡­ Hmm, not bad. Wanna join my unit?¡± The only language spoken here was English. Occasionally, though, a bit of Russian was mixed in. Everyone here can speak Japanese, but I feel more comfortable speaking my native language, so I just respond in English. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­ There¡¯s just a lot going on, so I¡¯m a bit depressed. Though I feel better now after a good sleep¡­ Hm? Reika, what¡¯s wrong? Your face is red.¡± ¡°Z¨CZip it! Why didn¡¯t you call us?! Bet you were playing around with the girl next door!¡± ¡°S¨CSorry, thought you were busy with your studies abroad¡­¡± Reika then took a step closer to me, dressed in her T-shirt and half-pants combo. Very tomboyish, and also very eye-catching. She was my childhood friend. We used to play together every day until up until I turned six, but due to family reasons, I had to move away from Japan. We still see each other once a year, though. And whenever we talk, it just takes me back to when we were kids. She hasn¡¯t changed one bit, always energetic and a bit mean to me. ¡­ But a dear friend nonetheless. ¡°Wait a sec, grandpa¡­ Did you guys let her drink?¡± ¡°¡­ When I was 15 I was already drinking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even try! When was that?! H¨CHey, Reika, calm down! Drink some water!¡± ¡°¡­ Hey, hey, dude~ For real, I haven¡¯t heard from you in a while, I missed you a lot¡­ I was soooo relieved when I saw your face¡­ I mean, you¡¯ve always been so gloomy¡­ Hic¡ª!¡± Reika just leaned over me and fell asleep. Her father, Mr. Sakashita, was taking pictures of her while laughing hysterically as if this was some sort of top-notch joke. ¡°Toshi, what did they say about your dad at school? Damn, kids these days are so quick to look up everything¡­ He was a dear friend of ours¡­¡± Mr. Sakashita patted Reika¡¯s head with a gentle expression on his face, and the other friends nodded at what he said. ¡°He saved my life, too. I haven¡¯t been able to repay him, but now he¡¯s gone¡­¡± ¡°Me too. We wouldn¡¯t be here without him¡­¡± ¡°He was a great guy¡­ He could put up with tough times with a smile on his face¡­ Damn, now I¡¯m getting a bit sad¡­¡± Grandpa then put his big hand on my shoulder. ¡°¡­ Toshiki.¡± ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m fine now grandpa¡­ Dad¡¯s not a criminal, and I know it¡­ We all know, right?¡± My grandpa¡¯s grasp strengthened, then he took out a bottle and took one hell of a swig. He was like a bear. Rugged face, scars all over his body¡­ I love this Grandpa I have. I see¡­ I have such important people in my life¡­ I should just forget everything that happened with Eri¡­ Mr. Sakashita then told me something with a serious look on his face. ¡°About your girlfriend, Mashima¡­ Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I loved her, but I¡¯ve decided to forget all about it, and let it go.¡± But if it was that easy to give up, I would¡¯ve done so in this past decade. My chest aches, but this time I¡¯m really giving up. I should just forget everything. She¡¯s already rejected me, so I should just throw away all the memories I have with her. I need to think rationally as I¡¯ve always done in the past. And with that, I felt even the slightest bit lighter. ¡°¡­ If you say so, I won¡¯t add anything else. Well then, drink some sake too! Japanese sake is amazing!¡± ¡°¡­ Daddy, hey, don¡¯t pick on Toshi! You muscle-brained idiots!¡± I decided to soothe Reika, who just woke up. And as I was having a great time with my friends, the murky feelings that lingered inside me soon vanished. ¡°Hey, Toshi, are you sure you¡¯re okay¡­? You¡¯ve always liked her, right?¡± Reika asked me. She, the drunk adults, and I were talking outside. It was windy, so I felt very refreshed. I¡¯m okay now. Our gathering kind of reminded me of my time when dad was alive, back when I was a kid¡­ He was just so cool. My dad was my hero, but when I was six, he was just gone¡­ Then, I met Eri. ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten about it. She rejected me.¡± Although I say that, emotions you¡¯ve harbored for 10 years don¡¯t just go away in a day or two. But there are some things it¡¯s better to forget. I guess this is what it means to grow up¡­ ¡°Got it¡­ Then you should skip school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t you have school tomorrow, too, Reika?¡± ¡°I¨CI¡¯m on special leave! Besides, it¡¯s better to have some fun and forget all about these bad things¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll give you a makeover!¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that¡­ Haha, somehow talking to you makes me feel like I¡¯m a kid again.¡± ¡°Yeah! And you were such a brat, even though you were so short¡­ When you were a kid, that is. Now you¡¯re taller and more mature¡­¡± ¡°¡­ But I¡¯m dark, plain, and I have no friends at school. I¡¯m all alone¡­¡± ¡°But to me, you¡¯re the same old you.¡± ¡°¡­ Because you don¡¯t have to act carefully with me?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°So, Reika, what are you gonna do with me?¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m going to¡­ Hmm¡­¡± What can you possibly do? I¡¯ve had a falling out with¡­ Eri, everyone at school hates me, and I¡¯m all alone. ¡°Thanks for sticking with me, Grandpa, Reika¡­ It¡¯s because of you that I¡¯ve found some solace.¡± ¡°¡­ Dummy, d¨Cdon¡¯t embarrass me like that¡­¡± She turned away with a pout. I found it a bit cute, so I patted her head. ¡°¡­ I¨CI¡¯m not a kid anymore! G¨CGood grief¡­ Well, I¡¯ll forgive you if you pay me a drink on our date tomorrow.¡± ¡°D¨CDate?! R¨CReally?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s no¡ªY¡¯know what, I don¡¯t care! If you wanna forget about Eri-chan, you need to stop hiding yourself!¡± ¡°Stop¡­ hiding¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re super smart! You even got into that school! Also, you¡¯re thin, but you¡¯re very dense! How hard did you work out to get that, huh?!¡± I didn¡¯t mean to hide these things from myself. It¡¯s just that my whole life revolved around Eri. I got test scores to match hers, adjusting every little thing so I could equal her. ¡­ Huh, I wonder what this is. My heart feels so wide-open, I¡¯ve never felt this way before. I feel so free. It¡¯s not like Eri was tying me up, but: ¡°We¡¯ll join the same school!¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re not good at sports either, are you Toshi?¡± ¡°Wow, you and I have such similar tastes!¡± ¡°Toshi, you¡¯re amazing. Your taste in food is so perfect!¡± ¡°Fufu~ We¡¯re kinda like each other, aren¡¯t we?¡± Goosebumps ran through my body. I felt like I¡¯d done something terrible without knowing it. ¡°Good grief, you look like you just found that out!¡± ¡°Y¨CYeah¡­ It was bad¡ªHm?¡± I noticed Reika was looking somewhere, so I turned around and saw a boy and a girl walking intimately together. Immediately, I knew who they were. Hiratsuka-senpai and Eri held hands, happily strolling about. Reaching her house, they parted with a light hug right in front of her door. ¡°Toshiki¡­¡± Reika gave me a concerned look. I felt a bit nauseous, but I was better than I thought I¡¯d be. It was probably because I had Reika by my side. And besides, I was a rational person to begin with. Eri dumped me and told me to never talk to her again. No emotions. No affection. Why should I care? ¡­ I see. I was this kind of guy. It¡¯s been so long, I couldn¡¯t remember. But then, Eri noticed us. For some reason, she wrinkled her brow, glared at Reika, and spat out some silent words as she went into her house. However, both Reika and I could tell by the movement of her lips. The words she whispered were: ¡°You thieving cat!¡± And silence fell between us both, lingering for a moment. ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go inside, too.¡± ¡°Y¨CYeah, mhm¡­ Oh, let¡¯s make plans for tomorrow!¡± Eri¡¯s expression concerned me a tiny bit, but I quickly stopped caring. We then finally walked into the house. Volume 1 - CH 4 Yesterday I was taken by Reika, and we walked around the city all day long. I got a haircut, bought some clothes, watched a movie, and soon all of those dark feelings dissipated. I need to stop hesitating so much. And we¡¯re the only ones who need to know what really happened with my dad. I¡¯ll just ignore what everyone else has to say about it. Likewise, I should forget about Eri. Yeah, I will feel those prickly stares at school, but I can just ignore these sorts of things. After all, Grandpa¡¯s health tips are not only for strengthening the body, but also the mind. When I stepped into the classroom, an indescribable sort of gaze stabbed me from all sides. I looked at my desk and saw some vile graffiti. ¡¯Son of a criminal¡¯, ¡®F*ck off, Scum¡¯, and even ¡®S*xual harasser.¡¯ Is this a children¡¯s prank? Doesn¡¯t matter, I just need to change my desk. And soon, I noticed something. When you sit all alone, you end up seeing a lot of things. The class seems equal on the surface, but if you look close enough, you can make out a hierarchy. No one explicitly decided it, but it¡¯s still there, and everyone instinctively knew it. I was already at a low position before all the rumors, so now I must be at the very bottom of the well, where people are usually bullied. The top class bullies the middle class, which in turn makes a fuss and gloats at the bottom class so they can have the chance to move up. Those in the lower strata live quietly and inconspicuously. Occasionally, they shed the teasing that comes from the middle class and tries not to rebel. And even they look down on those at the bottom. Girls, however, are usually more sensitive to this hierarchy. If you step a millimeter out of line, you will fall quickly. Eri was loved by everyone because of her beauty and friendliness. Many students misunderstood kindness for love, so I¡¯ve always been careful not to fall for that. That¡¯s why it¡¯s okay, and she hates my guts now, to boot¡­ I¡¯d say Eri was part of the highest rank in the hierarchy, while I was at the very bottom. Therefore, it was a mistake for her and me to be together in the first place. First love is always fruitless¡­ ¡­Hm? I don¡¯t know why, but for some reason, I thought of Reika, and the time we spent as kids. To be completely honest, my childhood memories have faded since my dad died. Come to think of it, Reika is my childhood friend, too. We spent every day together until I was six¡ª As these thoughts flooded my mind, the teacher walked in. Behind him was¡­ Eh? ¡°Shush and take your seats! Quiet! Ah, as some of you may know, there is a new student joining us today¡­ Could you please introduce yourself?¡± A buzz arose in the class. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m transferring to this school due to my parents¡¯ circumstances. My name is Reika Sakashita, and I look forward to working with you!¡± My friend stood there in her school uniform, and the buzzing just kept getting worse. ¡°Oh my God! She¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°Too damn cute¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a bit tight, but she¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯s prettier than Mashima-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna switch to the Sakashita team¡­¡± ¡°Is she half-Japanese? An angel? Or¡­¡± The teacher taps on the blackboard to make the students go silent. ¡°Ah. Sawada, Sakashita asked you to give her a tour of the school, so show her around during lunch break. Oh, and you should sit behind him too, Sakashita.¡± I heard suspicious mutterings coming from my classmates, but she just walked toward me while paying no attention to the commotion. ¡°Yaho~ I¡¯m here for you! Hehe, now we can always be together!¡± ¡°Oi, come on, really? Well, fine¡­ I¡¯ll show you around later.¡± We high-fived and laughed heartily, which only added to my classmates¡¯ confusion. It¡¯s okay for me to have friends. ¡°Oh, so you get along with Sawada¡­¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re really good friends.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this bad, Sakashita-san? Isn¡¯t he deceiving you?¡± ¡°Oi, oi, what does this mean?!¡± ¡°Disgusting¡­¡± ¡°Is he doing another crime?¡± I could see the crease between her brows grow, so I took her by the arm and sat her down before she could say anything. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, this is Japan. And I¡¯ve decided I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°O¨COkay¡­ If you say so¡­¡± For some reason, she shyly touched the hem of her uniform¡­ Oh, skirts were rare for her, seeing that she only wore pants whenever we met. ¡°The uniform looks great on you by the way. In any case, congratulations on moving in¡­ Uh, is congratulations enough?¡± ¡°Y¨CYeah, thanks¡­ It¡¯s sooooooo uncomfortable down here though!¡± And this is how Reika came to my classroom. While I don¡¯t know the reason why she did, I welcomed her from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Haah¡­ This is so annoying. Seriously.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it though, you¡¯re a new student and you stand out. Even guys from other classes are coming here to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not some freak show.¡± ¡°Chill, tomorrow things will settle down, so let¡¯s just go eat.¡± ¡°Mkay. Do you always eat alone?¡± ¡°Oh, I used to eat with my friends, but things happened. So yeah, I guess I¡¯m alone now. Want me to be your guide, then?¡± ¡°Guide? I don¡¯t need no guide. I have the terrain all drilled right into my noggin¡¯.¡± ¡°Okay then. Well, how about we eat together in the classroom?¡± She did not wanna leave me. Classmates tried to talk to her whenever I wasn¡¯t there, so when I walked into the hallway earlier, she was already surrounded by a lot of students, some even from other classes¡­ ¡°Hmm, yeah, classroom seems to be the quietest place¡­¡± So we spread our lunches on the table and started eating. Meanwhile, I can hear my classmates talking behind my back. Both Reika and I had pretty good ears, so we knew what they were saying. ¡°I mean, what the hell was that?¡± ¡°Seriously, doesn¡¯t she know he¡¯s a criminal?¡± ¡°Someone has to tell her¡­¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be friends with that.¡± ¡°You have to choose your friends properly, y¡¯know~¡± ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t that guy acting like a jerk? he¡¯s talking too much!¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying so hard with his hair, it¡¯s disgusting.¡± Come to think of it, I always revert back to my old tone when I¡¯m with Reika¡­ Well, that¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t seem weak that way. Eri always told me she liked kind guys, so I always used kind and tame words¡ªForget about her. I noticed Reika was putting all her strength into the spoon, and it was almost snapping. ¡°Reika, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m partly to blame for not making myself clear in the first place.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­ But I mean, seriously?! Isn¡¯t that too shady? Are these girls really 17-year-olds?¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s how it is here in Japan. Here, eat quickly¡­ Hm?¡± My former friend, Hayakawa, scurried into the classroom. He, like me, was perceived as a gloomy person. He never joined other classes, since it would be the worst thing for an introvert like him. His eyes met mine, and he approached while scratching his head. Reika tried to hold up her spoon, but I stopped her gently and waited until he started to speak. ¡°Toshiki, I¡­ got mad at you yesterday. To be honest, I don¡¯t care about this ¡®son of a criminal¡¯ stuff. You thought I believed the rumors back then, didn¡¯t you? That was the thing that pissed me off¡­ But I¡¯m really sorry, I acted poorly as well¡­ Could we just make up?¡± I almost dropped my chopsticks. So Hayakawa brushed off the rumors as unimportant, and he was just mad at my attitude? I kinda wanna laugh. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry too man¡­ You know, I really thought no one believed in me.¡± ¡°Huh? You idiot! you¡¯re my friend, right? Unlike my alcoholic, gambler, poor father¡­ Damn it¡­ Hm? By the way, who¡¯s the girl over there?¡± ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t know about her? She¡¯s Reika Sakashita, my childhood friend.¡± ¡°Hmm, not that cute¡­ Yup, as expected, thicc women are the best~¡± Hayakawa looked at Sachiko Goda, my classmate, with lewd eyes. Meanwhile, I saw Reika¡¯s eyebrows twitching, so I lip-synced to her. ¡°This guy likes, um¡­ Thick, fluffy, gorilla-like girls. Sorry about that¡­¡± ¡°O¨COkay. He¡¯s your friend, so I¡¯ll forgive him¡­ I guess?¡± Then his gaze turned toward the entrance of the classroom. Moe Nakajima, the girl from the Women¡¯s Manga Research Club, stood at the door. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here! As I expected, it¡¯s hard to just get into a senior¡¯s classroom¡­ Ayy, I got in without a hitch though!¡± Nakajima walked, looking straight at me. She was angry and looked like she was almost crying. ¡°Dummy, dummy, dummy, dummy, dummy! Why didn¡¯t you listen to me back then in the hallway? Hic~!¡± She repeatedly hit my shoulder with soft hands. It was a very nostalgic exchange, to be honest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nakajima-san¡­ I thought you hated me as well¡­ Looks like I was wrong.¡± ¡°W¨CWhen did I ever say I hated you? ¡­ Good grief, I¡¯ll forgive you if you get me some ice cream.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. We¡¯ll eat it together next time.¡± However, Reika interrupted us. ¡°Fu¨Cfun~ You¡¯re a cute junior, aren¡¯tcha? ¡­ Toshiki, are you actually popular? Well, get me ice cream too. I haven¡¯t hung out with you properly in forever.¡± Nakajima pouted at Reika. ¡°Heh?! A¨CA beautiful girl? Whaaa?¡± ¡°Um, Nakajima-san, right? If you¡¯re Toshiki¡¯s friend, you¡¯re my friend too. I look forward to working with you from now on.¡± My junior looked at Reika, then at me, then back at her, then back at me, finally nodding shyly. Thank goodness¡­ I¡¯ve had a lot of bad days, but it looks like I¡¯m going to have a peaceful school year. ¡­ I shouldn¡¯t forget, however, that I was set up by Hiratsuka as the son of a criminal. If any of my friends happen to have a bad experience because of me in the future, I¡¯ll¡­ ¡ªAnd right then, I made a vow to myself. I wouldn¡¯t cower anymore. Volume 1 - CH 5 ¡°Yo Toshiki, check this video out. Isn¡¯t it pretty dangerous?¡± During after-school hours, Hayakawa came to our class. Reika and I were chatting with him while chilling in the classroom, waiting for Nakajima, my junior, who had cleaning duty to take care of. My friend, a martial-arts nerd, showed us a video. On his phone¡¯s screen, we saw our senior Hiratsuka fighting a buff foreigner. ¡°This is a members-only video, so you need to subscribe to see it. And this is not an official tournament either, it¡¯s called Underground Fighting. Rumor has it that they do some betting behind the scenes and it¡¯s very popular. Oh, and they don¡¯t always fight in the ring, sometimes brawling in the streets.¡± As we kept watching the video, we saw Hiratsuka getting a choke-hold on that swole foreigner, holding his neck tenaciously. Just from this video alone, you could tell he was quite a skilled fighter. Reika, however, just watched with an uninterested look. ¡°He¡¯s grabbing his hair, isn¡¯t that a foul? Hmm, he¡¯s also a little short in muscle¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What are you saying? He got an insta-kill against a foreign fighter! He¡¯s totally dangerous! There are rumors that he was a delinquent in the past¡­ Also, the popular fighters on that ring are super popular, almost like celebrities! So, whaddya think, Toshiki?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really interested. Also, I¡¯m not fond of violence¡­¡± Eri hated violence after all. Yet, all the men she fell in love with were always delinquents, bad guys, or just plain violent. ¡­ Was she lying to me all this time? ¡°We¡¯re going out to get some ice cream. Uh, Hayakawa, right? You can come, too.¡± ¡°Ha? You¡¯re just his childhood friend, so don¡¯t think you¡¯re above me! I¡¯ve known him for a bit over a year, but we¡¯re bros! He likes me more than you!¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ve always been super excited to see him every year! Oh, and we also used to bathe together when we were ki¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in the sauna with him as well! We even compared sizes!¡± They suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence, turning their gazes toward the entrance to the classroom. Eri was there, along with her friend, Hikari. She had a very troubled look on her face, and upon seeing me there, she ran up to me. ¡°Ehehe, Toshi-kun¡­ Um, sorry for being cold to you the day before¡­ I just had a lot going on and I couldn¡¯t process it all in my mind¡­ Oh, as an apology, let me buy you some ice cream today!¡± Her smile was cute, as it¡¯s always been¡­ I¡¯ve always loved that smile of hers¡­ But isn¡¯t it a little strange? You told me you didn¡¯t wanna see me anymore, didn¡¯t you? You told me not to talk to you ever again, didn¡¯t you? So why are you acting as if nothing¡¯s ever happened? I don¡¯t even wanna make up or anything. I¡¯ve just finally decided that I¡¯m moving on after you threw ten years¡¯ worth of my feelings away. And what¡¯s up with your casual tone, Eri? A flurry of questions swirled in my head, and my previously sweet affection turned into foul disgust, bitterly lingering in my gut. Meanwhile, Reika wrinkled her brows and stuck her tongue out, but Eri just ignored her presence altogether. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t go, Eri-chan. I already have plans with them.¡± But no matter the effort, a 10-year-old spell is not broken easily. I loathed myself for trying to play the role of a gentle guy, yet I still tried to turn her down kindly. Yet she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. ¡°Eh~ I really wanna go home with you today, Toshi-kun¡­ It has to be today¡­ Hey, hey, why don¡¯t we go home holding hands, just like in the old days?¡± She tried to touch my shoulder softly, and that always made me so happy¡­ What is happening to me? I feel so scared and sick. I know she doesn¡¯t like me anymore. I¡¯m sure of it. The face she showed me two days ago was still stuck in my head, after all. And Eri¡­ are you in a hurry? You don¡¯t usually speak this fast¡­ I tried to shrug it off, but her cheeks were a bit swollen. I loved her for 10 years. No matter how selfish Airi was, I was okay with it. No matter how many boyfriends she had, my feelings for her never changed. But I¡¯ve given up. I care, but it¡¯s not my place to be. I was about to refuse her again when a violent noise boomed inside the classroom, a desk had been flipped. ¡°Oi, Eri¡­ Why are you in this classroom, huh? I told you to wait in your usual spot, didn¡¯t I?¡± Hiratsuka-senpai kicked a desk, both his hands in his pockets. Everyone in the classroom was surprised, but nobody moved¡­ This was a far cry from the cunning impression he¡¯d given me the other day. ¡°Your childhood friend again, huh? You¡¯re going out with me, aren¡¯t you? Then don¡¯t talk to any other guys. I¡¯ve prepared VIP seats for you today. It cost a pretty penny, so just follow me like a good girl.¡± He approached Eri. This sort of intimidation is not something you do against a girl. What the hell is up with this guy? Reika then mouthed words to me. ¡°Tatsuya Hiratsuka. He¡¯s Underground Fight¡¯s second-best fighter. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is his focus, but he also packs a punch. He¡¯s also a known scumbag who eats up the girls he likes in the VIP section of the club.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to do. Why was Eri so blind when it came to men? It didn¡¯t happen just once or twice, it happened every time. ¡°Eri~¡± He called out to her in a low voice, and she froze up, completely blue. Then, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled. ¡°I¨CIt hurts!¡± Hiratsuka didn¡¯t care about anyone in the room. Her screams pierced my heart¡­ Yeah, no matter how much she hates me, no matter how many horrible things she said to me¡ª Violence is unacceptable. My body moved on its own. Reika looked bitter, but I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°¡­ Yo, Sawada, get your hands off while I¡¯m being nice.¡± I grabbed his hand, which was thick as a log¡ª It wasn¡¯t for Eri. My feelings are messed up, and I can¡¯t really understand myself. I¡¯m just a gloomy person, and people will think I¡¯m crazy if I do this. ¡­ To hell with it. I¡¯m done. I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m dull, or if Eri hates me. I don¡¯t give a sh*t about any of that. All of this started with his criminal accusation of my father. Anger boiled up inside me, bubbling from the bottom of my stomach. I haven¡¯t felt like this in a long time, and selfish words just spat out of my mouth. ¡°¡ªHe¡¯s not a criminal, it was self-defense. Take it back.¡± He scorned at me, removing his hands from Eri¡¯s hair, and grabbing me by the chest. ¡°Hah? Are you picking a fight with me? I don¡¯t give a sh*t about your dad, f*cking loser. Stay out of this¡ª¡± When he tried to tighten his grip on me, I relaxed my whole body. Using his surprise, I flowed behind him like water and smacked him on the head, just to add insult to injury. A loud smack echoed in the classroom. I heard Hayakawa¡¯s stunned voice come out of the sidelines. ¡°H¨CHuh? No way?! Hiratsuka is the same height as me, but he weighs 80 kilos! He¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all, Toshiki¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hiratsuka¡¯s body trembled, and his back turned to me. It looked like he held up boiling rage. It worked, and his hatred was focused solely on me. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time. Take. It. Back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± He turned around and spat these words, then pulled out his phone and called someone. ¡°¡ªI¡¯m gonna go wild, so clean up after me.¡± After Hiratsuka finished, he threw his phone away and stood in front of me, blocking all my exits. Tension filled the classroom, and soon I heard footsteps coming from the hallway. It was probably his contact. ¡°Die¡ª¡± He threw three quick punches in a combo, albeit not as fast as my grandpa¡¯s fists. Then, his body disappeared from my field of view. He feinted, dropping into a tackle. However, I drive a knee kick into his face without even thinking about it. The snapping of bones soon follows. Again, Hayakawa¡¯s voice shook from the sidelines. ¡°Ha?! You serious?! You can barely see Hiratsuka¡¯s punches! Even pro-boxers can¡¯t avoid them! Also, the timing of his kick was so spot-on¡­¡± Hiratsuka collapsed on the floor, looking at me with a stunned expression. The atmosphere shifted when he saw his own blood dripping. ¡°¡­ Are you kidding me? ¡­ Don¡¯t f*ck with professionals¡­¡± ¡°Take your f*cking words back.¡± In a moment, he jumped up and swung his body forward, swiftly closing in the distance. Our previous gap was completely gone. I don¡¯t give a damn anymore, it doesn¡¯t matter. This guy poked his nose in my family¡¯s business. It has nothing to do with Eri, she¡¯s just an extra. ¡°Toshiki! Don¡¯t get caught, you¡¯ll die if you get thrown on the floor! Kick ¡®em again!¡± Faster than Hayakawa¡¯s voice, Hiratsuka reached me and grabbed my shoulders, trying to push me down using his feet. But at that exact moment, I threw two quick and weak jabs, one on his chest, one on his face¡ªThis was called a Kenko-ho. This technique could even strike through protective gear. It was a heck of a lot heavier than it looked, so a normal person would have their bones broken by it. Hearing the sound of the impact piercing through his back, I immediately twisted his arm and kicked him in the face. ¡°S¨CStop it! You¡¯ve won already!¡± Hiratsuka¡¯s contact called out, but, you see, he¡¯s not knocked out yet. If I let my guard down, I¡¯ll die. ¡°Take what you said about my father back!¡± ¡ªAnd his shoulder was dislocated by the impact of a merciless kick. Yet he continued to breathe roughly, desperately holding his chest. His nose was still dripping blood, and his eyes were darting around as if he had a convulsion. It¡¯s amazing he¡¯s still conscious. I wait for his apology, but he doesn¡¯t say anything back. ¡°Eh? Toshiki, he can¡¯t talk right now, you know? And was that¡­ Aikido? No, what was that technique? What just happened¡­ I mean, you beat up an underground fighter¡­ I mean, there¡¯s recordings of their fighting skill and all¡­¡± ¡°Classic Toshiki. Though¡­ You were a bit slow, dude.¡± Even though she said that, Reika happily held her hand out to me, and we high-fived. Somehow, a strange nostalgia washes over me¡ª Volume 1 - CH 6 Hiratsuka¡¯s face was torn between anger and fear. I knew just what I was getting myself into. Violence, no matter the cause, always breeds violence. By the same token, the stronger you are, the deeper you are into the mire. These were the reasons I didn¡¯t want to resort to such a thing. While these thoughts flurried my mind, Hiratsuka was carried out of the classroom by one of his peers. There was no need to stop him now, we¡¯d get our apology later. Frankly, I¡¯m not confident in bare-knuckle fighting. I was happy with my skill level, but I wasn¡¯t even close to my grandpa¡¯s class. With him, blades just wouldn¡¯t cut it. You¡¯d be better off with a gun. ¡°¡­ Nice work, Toshiki, um¡­ I¡¯m going ahead to pick up my junior, so please call me later.¡± ¡°H¨CHey, Sakashita! Don¡¯t pull my bag! Oi, what are you doing?!¡± And with Reika pulling Hayakawa along, they both left the classroom. There was no one there but me and Eri¡­ Even her friend, Hikari, had left. ¡­ Awkward. I guess Reika went ahead so I could have a talk with Eri, while Hayakawa was just clueless about the whole situation. Then, Eri took one step closer. She was too close, in fact. ¡°Ehehe~ You¡¯re the coolest, after all, Toshi¡­¡± No. This isn¡¯t time to talk about something like that, is it? If you hadn¡¯t come to the classroom in the first place, none of this would¡¯ve happened¡­ Well, at least nothing bad really went down, so it¡¯s fine¡­ ¡°Eri-chan, get away from me. You wouldn¡¯t want me to misunderstand, right?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with you, Toshi. I didn¡¯t think Hiratsuka-senpai would change the moment we started dating¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t respond, or rather, I didn¡¯t know how to. There have been so many fuzzy things happening to me lately, that I¡¯m lost. However, one thing I knew for certain. That night I cried all my sorrows out, I gave up on any feelings I held for Eri. It was excruciating to burn 10 years of feelings to cinders, but I¡¯m never looking back. Still, I couldn¡¯t really say goodbye to her, so I¡¯ll make it clean here. ¡°You know, Eri-chan¡ª¡± ¡°Um, actually¡­ All the boyfriends I¡¯ve ever had were just to edge you on, Toshi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No words could come out of my mouth, and my mind was a mess. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it, no matter how many times I tried. Even after coming to my senses since yesterday¡¯s outing with Reika, I could barely even comprehend. Yet she continued on regardless. ¡°¡­ You didn¡¯t confess your love to me after such a long time. I knew you did, though, so I thought that if I went out with somebody, you¡¯d get jealous and steal me away, you know?¡± Liar. I count my heartbeats. That¡¯s always calmed me down¡­ What the hell is this girl talking about? Do you have any idea how much it hurt to abandon all my feelings for you? So I¡¯m expected to ¡°steal¡± you away from your boyfriend? Even after the countless times you boasted your happiness to me? And even after what you told me about my father? ¡°You know, Eri-chan¡­ You said you didn¡¯t like me because my dad is a criminal.¡± Her face went bitter for a moment, but the next she was all smiles again. ¡°E¨CEh~? That was a joke, a joke! Your father is your father, and you are you! Either way, I¡¯ve been waiting so long for this moment!¡± And soon memories of our past together crash on my mind, like waves on the ocean. It was right after entering junior high. She was confessed to by Tashiro, a senior one year older than her. ¡°Toshi, I, um¡­ I might get my first boyfriend! Ehehe~ You¡¯ll support me, right?¡± ¡°Ah, y¨Cyeah¡­¡± My biggest fear had come true. Because of what happened to my dad, I thought it would be better not to go out with her, so I feared she might one day get a boyfriend. To begin with, she was leagued above me. She couldn¡¯t see me as a man. the boys she¡¯s always liked were handsome and wild. Every day she¡¯d tell me about it, after all. Every. Single. Day. My heart was cut every time, bitterness gradually growing inside me. However, I thought that if she was happy, it was all that mattered. Before her date with her first boyfriend, Eri told me, ¡°Hey, Toshi, I wanna practice for my first date, so can you please go out with me? Oh, and can you help me choose a present for him with me?¡± I was in scorching pain, burning slowly inside the flames, but there was nothing I could do about it. No boyfriend of hers ever lasted long. They always ended up fighting, for some reason¡­ And that reason was¡ª ¡°I got angry because you said something bad about Toshi! I¡¯m not going to let you berate my childhood friend!¡± ¡°Toshi is many times kinder! It¡¯s impossible to continue!¡± ¡°If it was Toshi¡­¡± ¡ªthat she¡¯d only talk about me in front of them, her boyfriends. I just wanted her to be happy, from the bottom of my heart. But after all that, I couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe¡­ maybe she liked me? ¡ªNo. She would never. I hated myself for being shallow. I hated myself for being gloomy. Oh, and I still remember it vividly¡­ It was on New Year, and I was seeing her Reika for the first time in a year. As we talked about numerous topics, I eventually spilled my long-lasting love for Eri. ¡°O¨COh, Toshiki has someone he likes already¡­ W¨CWhat kind of person is she?¡± ¡°Eri-chan is cute, and kind, and she always looks out for me.¡± ¡°Y¨CYeah¡­ Right, such a rude woman¡­¡± She mumbled that last part. ¡°Reika?¡± ¡°U¨CUh, nothing! So, w¨Cwhen are you going to confess?¡± Then I told her how I¡¯d never confess because of my father, only to be met with¡ª ¡°Idiot! That doesn¡¯t matter! If she really liked you, she wouldn¡¯t care! I would never care¡­ I¨CIt¡¯s fine! You¡¯re super cool, so¡­ Just don¡¯t regret it afterward¡­¡± Reika said that and pushed me back. I remember I almost cried when her words hit me. But they made me decide that I¡¯d tell Eri how I feel. However¡ª ¡°E¨CEri-chan, uh, y¡¯know, I¡¯ve been thinking about yo¡ª¡± ¡°Toshi? Ah, hey, listen! I found out something about Marco, the soccer player I¡¯ve been thinking about lately¡­ Oh, and it¡¯s a bit unbelievable, but he said his father was accused of molesting.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Really?¡± ¡°¡­ Haah, I¡¯m glad I found it out before we started dating¡­ He¡¯s saying it was a false accusation, but the rumors are already too much. Parents just can¡¯t be criminals. I¡¯m not gonna go out with him since I¡¯d get caught up in some weird rumor. Oh, but Michael, a member of the dance club, asked me out on a date¡ª¡± I don¡¯t recall my answer back then, though. To be honest, her lightness regarding love frightened me. And my 10-year-old love, albeit unrequited, was heavy, and it didn¡¯t help. It was then I understood that I should never say I love her¡­ My dad caused an incident in self-defense, after all. Back then, I couldn¡¯t give up my love for her. My heart burned, and it just couldn¡¯t stop. While hiding these feelings in the deepest crevices of my heart, I made efforts to make things work with the girl I loved. However, my heart was being chipped away, bit by bit. I didn¡¯t care about anything but Eri. Even if her love was for someone else, her flirty remarks still thrilled my longing heart, so I always reminded myself not to get the wrong idea. But you know what, Eri? I¡¯m awake, and I have people I care about. Although I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever love again, I¡¯ll never look back. Then, yesterday¡¯s date with Reika popped into my mind. It was very different from my outings with Eri, and I felt indescribably free. I thought of that tomboy as my best friend, from the deepest wells of my heart. I don¡¯t wanna see Reika¡¯s worried face ever again. And Eri gazed at me with a soft smile. It was the smile that I loved, but not a smile directed at someone she loved. That soft grin was another¡¯s. Yet I wanted it so badly. I was so in love with her, that my heart shook to its very core. Even if I managed to go out with someone else, her face would surely pop into my mind again. ¡°Eri-chan, I¡­¡± ¡°Ehehe~ I¡¯ve dated a lot of guys, and I know there are no boys kinder or prettier than you¡­ You listen to everything I say, and we have the same interests. Also, I didn¡¯t know you were that strong, so¡­ Please, protect me¡­ From this day forward.¡± I remembered Reika¡¯s words. ¡°Just don¡¯t regret it afterward,¡± right? So I¡¯d have no more regrets. That¡¯s why, ten years¡¯ worth of my every thought, of my every feeling, poured out. ¡°¡ªThank you, Eri-chan, for these ten years¡­ But it¡¯s too late. This is goodbye. I will never speak to you again¡­¡± Her body jerked to my words, which were completely different from what she expected. I know, Eri. I know you¡¯ve been two-timing Hiratsuka and Tachibana, our seniors, in parallel¡­ Yet she continued on like a spoiled child. ¡°N¨CNo! You¡¯re my childhood friend, Toshi-kun! After I spent time with other guys, I found out you were the most wonderful person! So why are you being mean to me? You loved me, didn¡¯t you!?¡± It was at this exact second that I erased ten years¡¯ worth of love from my heart. ¡°Yeah¡­ But I don¡¯t love you anymore.¡± And Eri cried. Every time tears rolled down her cheeks for being dumped, rejected, or for any other reason, I was always by her side, comforting her. But I¡¯m no longer there to give you solace, Eri. I left her crying figure alone in the classroom and walked out. After stepping out the door, I briefly tell Hikari, who was listening to our conversation from outside, these next words. ¡°Take care of the rest.¡± ¡°O¨COkay¡­ Y¨CYou sure it was a good idea? You guys were super close¡­¡± ¡°There is no such thing as an unchanging relationship¡­ See you later.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± And I walked alone at school. When I think about it, I¡¯ve always been alone throughout my life, yet she was there for me nonetheless¡­ Hey? I¡¯m not sad, but it¡¯s kind of rising up from my chest, sticking to my throat. I don¡¯t have to worry about her anymore¡­ Don¡¯t cry. People will worry about you. I have to wipe these tears so I can meet up with everyone¡­ But as I turned down the hallway, something soft enveloped me. ¡°Good work, Toshiki.¡± ¡°R¨CReika¡­ I¨CI¡­¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to say anything¡­ Hayakawa and the others went to the ice cream shop first, so we can take our time¡­¡± ¡°O¨COkay¡­¡± My childhood friend, Reika, wrapped me up in her arms until I stopped crying. I let out every single emotion that welled up inside as tears rolled down my face. This was the best chapter so far, in my humble opinion. Such character development! I honestly loved this to bits, and seeing him so vulnerable after suffering so long with unrequited love was moving. Hope you guys keep enjoying this series onward! It¡¯s complete with 27 chapters, so let¡¯s just enjoy the ride! Volume 2 - CH 1 Posted on May 26, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s my toothpaste!? W¨CWait, we¡¯re gonna be late!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you one soon, just wait! I¡¯ll comb your hair. Sheesh, your uniform is a mess¡­¡± ¡°T¨CThat¡¯s ¡®cause I overslept, y¡¯know¡­¡± Yesterday, we all stuffed ourselves with ice cream and played at the arcade, at least until we parted ways. That time we spent together meant a lot to me, since before, I always went back home with Eri. That¡¯s why Hayakawa and I almost never played together. And Reika went home with me for some reason. When I asked her why¡ª ¡°Ha? Grandpa didn¡¯t tell you? I¡¯m gonna live at your house. It¡¯s closer to school.¡± I haven¡¯t heard any mention of that. Not a word¡­ Well, it¡¯s Reika, so I don¡¯t mind at all. Yesterday we even stayed up late just talking to each other, so we both didn¡¯t get enough sleep. So yeah, that explains this rowdy morning. We were late for school, but that wasn¡¯t the main thing on my mind. I felt strange since I¡¯ve always gone to and from school with Eri. Reika, though only on her second day here, garnered a lot of stares from the students around us. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel very good to be gossiped about¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re cute, Reika, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Z¨CZip it! I¡¯m not talking about me, I¡¯m talking about you!¡± I did listen, and I knew many students were not only talking about her but also about me. ¡°That¡¯s Sawada, right? Seriously, Hiratsuka-senpai lost?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a shady guy.¡± ¡°Hiratsuka was just weak, wasn¡¯t he? Such a joke how he went down with such a lame punch.¡± ¡°¡­ Hmm, he¡¯s surprisingly lame.¡± ¡°Eh~ Fumi-chan has bad taste.¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably doing bad things on the lay-low anyway. I¡¯m sure he was trying to blackmail Mashima-san so she could go out with him.¡± Rumors are so weird. You don¡¯t know whether they¡¯re true or not, but everyone speaks as if they are. Though I have friends who believe me, so it doesn¡¯t matter. We headed for our classroom as fast as we could. ¡°Toshiki! You¡¯re late! Come here, quick!¡± Hayakawa called out to us from mid-corridor. Beckoning toward us, he seemed strangely impatient. ¡°What happened? Did you forget your textbook?¡± ¡°That ain¡¯t it! Y¡¯know the fight yesterday? I don¡¯t know why, but there¡¯s a video of it circulating around¡­ I did record a video, but I didn¡¯t upload it anywhere, just took it as evidence in case anything went down.¡± ¡°Let me see,¡± Reika approached Hayakawa. ¡°F¨CFool! Don¡¯t come near me woman! You can see it from there.¡± ¡°Ha? Don¡¯t discriminate. What are you so shy about? Are you in elementary school or something?¡± ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t fight. I¡¯ll hold the phone so we can watch it together,¡± I butt in. What we saw on his phone¡¯s screen was yesterday¡¯s fight. Moreover, it was neatly edited, so his aggression toward Eri was cut off. There were even subtitles and comments. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with these comments?¡± ¡°This video was uploaded to the Underground Fighting website. It¡¯s like on YouTube, where they can just write whatever comments they want¡­ Sheesh, man, you¡¯re becoming a celebrity at school, aren¡¯t you?!¡± A few comments were: ¡°Hiratsuka is so bad lmao!¡± ¡°He really lost to an amateur kekw!¡± ¡°Idiot, that guy ain¡¯t no rookie!¡± ¡°Is he a new rising star?¡± ¡°Hell yeah, HAND PUNCH!¡± ¡°A school with fights, huh¡­ What a trash school.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the way the new guy moved creepy?¡± ¡°That was Kenko-ho.¡± ¡°Oh! Good morning general!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the General!¡± ¡°Please explain!¡± ¡°T¨CThey don¡¯t even have permission¡­ Hmm, no use thinking about it. Let¡¯s just let the past go for now.¡± ¡°Oi, the past happened yesterday! Good grief, just don¡¯t regret it later. I hope it won¡¯t come back to bite you¡­ Y¡¯know, let¡¯s just get inside the classroom.¡± Hayakawa said that and stepped inside with a smile. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking, but I¡¯m glad he seemed happy. Reika and I walked inside after him. When I took my seat, I was pierced by gazes left and right. The atmosphere was almost indescribable, so full of so many different emotions. Reika and I were not bothered by it, though, so we continued talking normally. ¡°Hey, Toshiki, you free this weekend? Y¨CYou see, I got two movie tickets from my dad¡­ W¨CWould you like to go with me?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the movies in ages. Of course, I¡¯ll go with you! Oh, should I invite Hayakawa or Nakajima-san, too?¡± She let out a small sigh. ¡°Haah¡­ I don¡¯t blame you¡­ It¡¯s been a decade after all.¡± ¡°Reika? D¨CDid I say something wrong? S¨CSorry.¡± ¡°Hm? It¡¯s fine. Just bad for my heart. You¡¯re right, though, it¡¯s more fun if we all play together! I¡¯ll ask them out later¡­ Haah¡­ For fifteen years, I¡¯ve¡­¡± Fifteen years? Is she talking about when she met me? Oh, it¡¯s been that long¡­ When I was little, Reika got angry with me because I mistook her for a boy. We did play outside a lot, though. I miss those days¡­ Yeah, I do feel most at home when I¡¯m with her. ¡­ I won¡¯t reminisce on my old memories with Eri anymore. I¡¯ll never get involved with her again. But still, Reika has grown up substantially compared to when we were kids. She was still short, but she¡¯s become more feminine. And she¡¯s a very pretty girl. She¡¯s always been¡­ I feel a bit embarrassed when I think about that, though. ¡°What are you looking at? Y¨CYou¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± ¡°S¨CSorry, it¡¯s just¡­ Y¨CYou¡¯ve grown a lot since way back when.¡± ¡°Ha? Are you trying to say I¡¯m fat? I don¡¯t have any flab! Come on, you can touch me.¡± ¡°R¨CReika, stop embarrassing me! You haven¡¯t gained weight at all! ¡ªLook, here comes the teacher!¡± I couldn¡¯t escape the teacher¡¯s lecture on me, though. ¡°Oi, get me some juice, you useless f*cking runt.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been taking some martial arts classes, and my punches are getting su~per strong. Hayakawa~ Can I try them on ya?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t punch¡¯em in the face. Aim for the stomach. ¡ªSo, about this blind date¡­¡± I, Rio Hayakawa, loathe school. Rather, I hate the sh*tty students. Boy, girl, doesn¡¯t matter. I hate all of them. My family is poor. Dad used to be a junkie and an alcoholic, but ever since mom collapsed, he¡¯s just been working himself to death. I work part-time whenever I¡¯m not at school. If I don¡¯t, we won¡¯t have enough money for my mother¡¯s hospital bills. Due to that, we also don¡¯t have enough money for my sister¡¯s tuition. My dad regrets being a bum. He says that if he¡¯d saved every penny he spent on pachinko, that luck-based game, family finances would¡¯ve been very easier. but what¡¯s done is done. I¡¯m just happy he¡¯s changed. We¡¯re struggling a lot with money, and we¡¯re just trying to make ends meet. I also don¡¯t want my sister to worry about money. I want her to wear the clothes she likes, and to live a normal school life, the way it¡¯s meant to be. When I told my dad I was going to quit school so I could just work, he responded with, ¡°You¡¯ve gotta finish high school, or else you¡¯ll regret it as I did.¡± ¡­ Coming from him, it really hits. So I¡¯m going to finish school and get a proper job. That¡¯s why this bullying means nothing to me. It doesn¡¯t hurt to be hit by some sh*tty guy. The pain I felt when I mother collapsed was way more heart-wrenching. ¡°Yo, this guy ain¡¯t got no money. Sh*t, he¡¯s really useless.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re really disgusting. Why don¡¯t ya just get into a convenience store and shoplift some sh*t?¡± ¡°Woah, he¡¯s really shaking.¡± This is what school is like. I get beaten up and no one pays attention. Every day is like this, and no one will help me¡­ No, it¡¯s wrong to rely on others in the first place. I know I¡¯m weak. No matter how much I work out, I can¡¯t get any stronger. All I have is the willpower to not listen to these guys. If I just take it, they¡¯ll get tired of me and quit. Then, I¡¯ll win. I don¡¯t care about these d*ckheads. I can endure as much physical pain as I want. My body only shakes because I¡¯m pissed off at myself for not being able to do anything about it. ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t been to school in a while, and you¡¯re doing something boring. Hey~ come play with me.¡± The bullying ended abruptly that day. It was because Satoshi Hirano, who¡¯d been truant from our class, came to school. He was selfish, violent, and a psychopath. Or was it sociopath? Either way, he sunk his fist into my bully¡¯s stomach. One hit was all it took to make him cower in fear. ¡°Aw~ We¡¯re just playing, right? Let¡¯s keep going! ¡­ Hm? What the hell, wanna play too?¡± He kicked me right in the gut. I hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast, so I had nothing to throw up. I just endured the pain. ¡°Good morning~! I¡¯m late ¡®cause Eri caught me. Sayuri, how are ya? ¡ªAh! It¡¯s Hirano-kun! Hirano-kun, Hirano-kun! It¡¯s been a month, how are ya?¡± ¡°F*ck you. Don¡¯t come here.¡± ¡°Okay~ Hehe!¡± He was a full-blown psycho, but with that bad-boy vibe and good looks, he was the face of Underground Fighting, and also an up-and-coming prodigious outlaw boxer. Most of the girls in the class liked Hirano. Even though he was tattooed on the whole body, he was more popular than Hiratsuka, a nice-looking guy. Ironically, when he¡¯s around, all the boys in class become his toys. There was no bullying behind the scenes or manipulation, just violence. That was a time of respite for me, to be honest. I cringed while staring at a group of girls approaching him, and I covered myself lying face-down on the table. One of them, however, called my attention¡ª Eri Mashima¡¯s Friend, Hikari Kawano¡­ She confessed her love to me a year ago. I was so excited by my first confession, I desperately planned out a date. I didn¡¯t even question it when she told me not to talk to her in class. It would be embarrassing, she said. Hikari also told me not to tell anyone we were dating. Furthermore, I was busy with my part-time job, so our schedules seldom matched up, and we only met once a month. I couldn¡¯t even buy her a drink since I didn¡¯t have any money, but I managed to scrape out some accessories to give her with what little I had. I gifted her handicrafts and dried flowers that I made myself. ¡ªAll my gifts were thrown away in the class trashcan. A whole year, and I was the only one who thought we were something. I didn¡¯t even tell my best friend, Toshiki, because it was a secret she wanted to keep. ¡°We aren¡¯t dating, silly! I was trying to see how long I could fool you. Sorry, but I don¡¯t really like you or anything, ehehe~¡± All my classmates knew she was tricking me. I did think it was strange that, although she was dating me, she was snuggling up to Hirano, but somewhere deep down, I pretended not to see. With her words, the classroom erupted in laughter. That destroyed me more than any violence ever could. Then, I became afraid of pretty girls. I didn¡¯t want any of them to get near me. It would all be fine as long as Toshiki was there with me. So I covered my face even more, thinking about my financial situation and wages. Okay, this is interesting! His friend had more to him than met the eye, so I¡¯m excited to see where this goes. Volume 2 - CH 2 Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°I forgot to return Hayakawa¡¯s phone¡­ Reika, I¡¯m going to his class for a bit.¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯m coming with you. It¡¯s too annoying to be alone in the classroom.¡± That¡¯s because my classmates try to talk to her when I¡¯m not around. I can¡¯t stay with her every second, such as during PE or when she goes to the restroom. The girls usually ask her to join their group, and boys generally ask for her phone number. She always responds coldly, though, which worried me a fair bit. ¡°¡­ Gotcha. But that guy doesn¡¯t like me going into his classroom outta nowhere.¡± ¡°Oh, but isn¡¯t it inconvenient to be without your phone? We¡¯re his friends, so we should just give it to him.¡± Behind his phone was a Polaroid of his family. We both didn¡¯t talk much about our families, but this made it seem like his was very close. I¡¯ve never seen him mention that to anyone else either, but he¡¯s always cheerful to talk about martial arts and his own sister. Maybe he¡¯s not a loner like me. ¡°It¡¯s class two, let¡¯s go!¡± Reika and I headed there. It made me nervous to go inside another classroom, even more so when the only one I know there is Hayakawa. Come to think of it, Eri¡­ I mean, Mashima¡¯s friend, Hikari, is in this class, but I¡¯ve hardly ever talked to her. Stepping inside, we saw Hayakawa reading a book alone. Meanwhile, I made eye contact with Hikari, who chatted with her friend by the entrance. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter, Sawada-kun? Ah, maybe you have something to do with Hayakawa-kun? Want me to get him for you? Ehehe~¡± Mashima and Hikari have been friends since middle school. They were in different classes now, but they always regarded each other as ¡®besties¡¯. They were both very social, being at the top of the invisible social hierarchy that reigned over the school. I¡¯m sure this classroom was filled with popular people. However, I sensed something unpleasant coming from her. What is this? I¡¯ve never felt this before¡­ No, I just never tried to see it. She reminded me of Mashima, and a shiver ran down my spine. When I said my final goodbye to her and cried in front of Reika, my eyes were finally pried open. I began to see what I couldn¡¯t before. I noticed that when she mentioned Hayakawa¡¯s name, she had a slightly mean look on her face. Her laugh was too similar to Mashima¡¯s, too. There¡¯s no need for her to call him here. I should just go in. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll just go myself.¡± My words made her shrug, and she looked somewhat disappointed. Does she have a thing for Hayakawa? But I heard from Mashima that Hikari only went after good-looking guys. If you wanted to have a shot with her, you had to be at least as good-looking as Hiratsuka. Both Hayakawa and I couldn¡¯t even try. ¡°Reika, I¡¯m going in.¡± ¡°Okay, I wanted to see his class either way.¡± He was still reading a textbook, sitting by himself. I tried to walk up to him, but an unknown girl suddenly spoke to me. ¡°U¨CUm, you¡¯re the ¡®Unknown Rookie¡¯ from that video, right?¡± She squealed. ¡°I became your fan after watching that fight!¡± ¡°Woah, he¡¯s real! He¡¯s the one who beat up Hiratsuka-senpai!¡± ¡°Ey, you¡¯re pretty good. That last kick was impressive.¡± ¡°Hm, you¡¯re face is all stiff! You¡¯re so nervous, that¡¯s cute!¡± ¡°Hey, did you guys know that Sawada is my friend?¡± Hikari popped in. ¡°Seriously? Hikari, that¡¯s su~per awesome!¡± My eyes dart around the room. I¡¯m too nervous to talk to girls I don¡¯t already know. Besides, I¡¯m not her friend, and I don¡¯t get a good vibe from these girls either. I¡¯d rather just go to Hayakawa¡¯s seat. Seeing I was in trouble, Reika pulled me by the hand and plowed through that wall of girls. ¡°Okay, okay, he has something to do with Hayakawa. Passing through~¡± The girls were like, ¡°Huh? Who do you think you are?¡±, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my body!¡±, ¡°What are you doing, transfer student?¡±, ¡°You¡¯re getting carried away¡±, but they all moved out of the way. Reika¡¯s face was too scary, after all. One glance was enough to make them break eye contact with her. I wonder what¡¯s the thing girls feel that boys don¡¯t. Either way, all I know is that we shouldn¡¯t mess with it. Then, Hayakawa closed his book with a sigh, his eyes finally meeting mine. ¡°Huh? W¨CWhat are you doing in this classroom?! T¨CToshiki¡­¡± ¡°You forgot your phone. Here, you should be more careful with it.¡± ¡°T¨CThanks. H¨CHey, we should talk in the hallway! It¡¯s too noisy here, don¡¯t you think?¡± Then, Reika interrupted. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re studying hard. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°S¨CShut it! It¡¯s the only time I can study! ¡­ I¡¯m going to the hallway.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Are you easily angered or something?¡± ¡°Ha? That¡¯s¡ªAh.¡± His face suddenly turned blue. A group of guys suddenly approached us. They were delinquents, outside even the invisible school hierarchy. Some hung out with the popular kids, others hung out with the losers. Their habitats vary. These ones in particular were slightly more fashionable and conscious of their own appearances. They were probably popular. ¡°Yo, Hayakawa, did you really think you wouldn¡¯t be bullied if you invited your buddy over? I mean, this guy is just a foul-mouthed, gloomy criminal, ain¡¯t he? Don¡¯t make me laugh, dude. Just ¡®cause Hirano came back, doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re over with ya. He got the flu, and he ain¡¯t coming back soon.¡± ¡°Anyway, your friend over there will love to try out my new punch.¡± ¡°Oi, wait a sec¡­. Isn¡¯t that girl super cute? Is she seriously his friend?¡± Hayakawa gritted his teeth, enduring it, and I finally understood what was going on. Behind all the bright smiles and happy jokes, was an effort to hide his suffering. He never whined, and always had a grin on his face. ¡°Yo, cutie, it¡¯s a waste to be Hayakawa¡¯s friend. Wanna hang out with us? Let¡¯s go to karaoke after school! I¡¯ll even invite him too¡ª¡± I¡¯ve been with Mashima for a very, very long time. Maybe because of that, my sensibility was rotten and I didn¡¯t notice it. I can¡¯t believe my friend was in this situation and I only realized it now. He had a gut-wrenching look on his face, and a murky swirl of emotions rose up from the bottom of my stomach. Unable to hold it in any longer, I take a step forward¡ª But Hayakawa interrupted me. ¡°Toshiki, I¡¯ll be fine. I give in to these scum. So, please¡­ Hold back, okay? I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble because of me¡­¡± He gives us the best smile he could muster. I know this isn¡¯t our classroom, so if we do something, he¡¯ll only be harassed later. To be honest, I¡¯m afraid of just going in and messing with delinquents. Just a few days ago, I was just another gloomy, boring, and blind guy. But even then¡­ Even then¡ª ¡°¡ªI can¡¯t just ignore a friend in need.¡± Reika sighed oddly close to me. ¡°Toshiki, you¡¯ve gone back to your old ways a bit, haven¡¯t you? Not bad. That¡¯s a good thing about you¡­ Also, I hope these scum delinquents drop dead.¡± ¡°S¨CScum? You¡¯re just a pretty face, don¡¯t try to one-up me! ¡ªCome here!¡± One of them tried to grab her hand, and before I could even move, she threw a clean kick on the guy¡¯s chin, and he fell limp on the floor. The ruffians couldn¡¯t grasp what just happened, and they looked at her in dismay. ¡°What, you guys gonna hit back? I mean, don¡¯t you guys have some kind of bullying video on your phones or something? If you do, I¡¯ll deck you out in one hit.¡± ¡°Reika, I¡¯ll take care of the rest. I don¡¯t wanna see a girl get hit in front of me.¡± ¡°¡­ Girl¡­ Hehe~ Okay, I¡¯ll step back.¡± ¡°Aw, God d*mn it! I was gonna do something if the bullying got worse, y¡¯know? Sh*t, what if these guys come after me in the dark! I¡¯m all alone in this classroom, guys!¡± Hayakawa said so while pulling out a video on his phone. It was footage of him being assaulted. The delinquents turned pale when they realized it, and I was very surprised. If I was bullied, I¡¯d just whimper and retreat into my shell. I wouldn¡¯t have thought of fighting back as he did. All I did was whine about Mashima, so I wouldn¡¯t have the balls to stand up to the bullying. ¡°Hayakawa, you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you on about? You¡¯re the strong one here!¡± ¡°N¨CNo, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Hey, shut up guys! Pay attention!¡± Reika did not let her guard down even though the delinquents visibly lost their will to fight. That was because a man walked in from behind them. I could tell he was unusually skilled, considering his footwork as he walked. Incidentally, he was also very good-looking. Hayakawa muttered shakily, ¡°H¨CHirano-kun¡­¡± Walking up to us, Hirano wrinkled his brow and stepped over the face of the decked-out delinquent. I then got in front of Reika. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt my precious friends. Hirano opened his mouth, face burning red, and talked to Reika. ¡°H¨CHey, c¨Ccould you t¨Ctell me your n¨Cname? I¨CIt was love at first sight! ¡ªOh, I¨CI¡¯m Satoshi Hirano, 17 years o¨Cold. I like boxing, making money, and my sister. My ideal girl is one that can¡­ kick a*s¡­ Um, I¨CI¡¯d like to exchange diaries with you¡­¡± The classroom went dead quiet¡­ Reika¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°H¨CHuh?! M¨CMe?! I don¡¯t know what you mean by that! ¡ªI¡¯m going home! T¨CToshiki, clean up this mess!¡± ¡°R¨CReika? O¨COkay, see you around¡­ W¨CWhat should I do, Hayakawa?¡± ¡°What the actual hell¡­ Yo, Toshiki, I wanna transfer to your class¡­¡± So Hirano¡¯s burning-red face wasn¡¯t out of anger? Was he blushing with embarrassment? Meanwhile, I could hear screams from the other girls in the classroom. ¡°W¨CWhy is Hirano-kun¡­?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you like men?!¡± ¡°Why did that b*tch¡­ Ugh! Disgusting!¡± ¡°Aw, Hirano-kun is embarrassed. So cute!¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s annoying, but he¡¯s so handsome¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll forgive his rowdiness since I got to see a rare cute expression¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m gonna learn kickboxing.¡± Suddenly, Hirano grabbed Hayakawa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re friends with that girl, huh¡­ Okay, now you¡¯re my friend too. I ain¡¯t properly talked to a girl before, man¡­¡± ¡°Huh?! I¨CI don¡¯t know either! You¡¯re in Underground Fighting, aren¡¯t you? Seriously, give me a break¡­ Besides, aren¡¯t you always getting tangled up with this class¡¯ girls!? They are so fake!¡± ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t remember talking to any of ¡®em though? ¡­ Girls in this class are so annoying, I don¡¯t even remember them.¡± ¡°Huh? You were very close to Hikari Kawano though, right? ¡± ¡°Who? I don¡¯t care about her. Yo, let¡¯s get on with the strategy meeting.¡± ¡°T¨CToshiki, save me! Wait, I¡¯m talking to him as if I were his friend¡­ I¡¯m done with.¡± ¡°Oi, you¡¯re my friend, so you can talk to me however you want.¡± The two of them looked like they would be fine, I could tell from the atmosphere around them. I said goodbye to Hayakawa and decided to leave the classroom. I have to catch up with Reika, after all. ¡­ But, thinking about it, when this Hirano guy said ¡°it was love at first sight¡± to Reika, that boggled my heart¡­ I wonder what this is¡­ I shake my head, trying to forget about it. Still, I can¡¯t help but recall something¡­ Mashima¡¯s friend, Hikari, was kicking the air with an intimidating look on her face. Her burning gaze was directed at Reika, who¡¯d just left the classroom. I think that she, just like Mashima, is a brew of human malice¡­ But it was not natural like Mashima¡¯s, it was more voluntary and vile. Volume 2 - CH 3 Posted on May 30, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°H¨CHe¡¯s not here, is he? I¡¯m a bit scared¡­¡± ¡°I heard Hayakawa is going home with him today.¡± ¡°G¨CGotcha¡­ Sheesh, he scared the hell outta me. Haah¡­ What did he even mean by ¡®love at first sight¡¯, huh?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s because y¨Cyou¡¯re cute, Reika¡­ And he¡¯s handsome.¡± ¡°Y¨CYou¡¯re definitely way cooler, Toshiki!¡± ¡°O¨COh, thanks¡­¡± We both decided to go home after hanging out with Nakajima, the junior from the manga club. The reason we went there was to stagger time so that Hirano would go home before us. Walking down the hallway from my junior¡¯s club room, I received a constant stream of updates from Hayakawa. Some messages were, ¡°This guy¡¯s crazy¡±, ¡°He doesn¡¯t listen!¡±, and ¡°¡­ He¡¯s strangely close to me.¡± He also told me that when Hirano found out Reika hates frivolous violence, he promised he¡¯d stop going berserk. ¡°Satoshi Hirano¡­ He¡¯s an up-and-coming underground fighter; a prodigious boxer who rose up to the first place of the ¡®one-star¡¯ rank, all in just a month. He originally came from a competitive background, but his constant foul plays stopped him from continuing¡­ Oh, and I believe he had a violent incident before the tournament.¡± ¡°¡­ Reika, y¡¯know, I thought so when you were talking about Hiratsuka-senpai, but don¡¯t you know a bit too much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡®cause there¡¯s a lot of weirdos at this school. You just have to check out the worst one, right? On that matter, even the student council president here is a Jeet Kune Do1 user. Ah, seven stars is the highest possible ranking in UF, and the president is the highest-ranking student around.¡± ¡­ What the hell. Is this school special or something? What a school I got into, huh. ¡°Haah¡­ I just don¡¯t wanna get involved. All I want is a peaceful school life with you and Hayakawa.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re so attractive, people just won¡¯t leave you alone. ¡ªOh, that¡¯s right! What should we do about this week¡¯s movie? Nakajima-san said she had something to do, and Hayakawa is being held hostage by Hirano-kun¡­¡± Her voice gradually fades, and I hear my voice whispering inside my head. ¡ªAsk her out, just the two of you. If you¡¯re a man, be brave! You only have two tickets at the moment, don¡¯t you? And I know you remember how disappointed she looked at your answer last time. So the voice whispered. However, after spending all this time with Mashima, I knew I shouldn¡¯t mistake people¡¯s kindness for something else¡­ But Reika is an important childhood friend, and I don¡¯t wanna see her look sad. I feel the sweat stick to my back as thoughts kept flurrying in my mind. We did go out together once before, and the fact she called it a date surprised me¡­ It was a lot of fun. I hadn¡¯t really thought about it before, but she¡¯s very cute. Especially wearing this frilly uniform, which only heightened her cuteness twofold. Never had I thought of her this way, but it seems I¡¯m getting out of the old customs. ¡°R¨CReika, u¨Cum¡­ y¡¯know, the m¨Cmovie, erm, the two of us¡­¡± ¡°O¨COh, Toshiki¡­ Y¨CYeah, j¨Cjust the two of us¡­¡± Then someone¡¯s voice interrupted us. ¡°Oi, Sawada, don¡¯t ignore me. Stop being so flirty, it¡¯s making me sick¡­¡± Looking to the side, Hiratsuka glared at us with cold eyes, leaning against the wall of the corridor. ¡°Ah¡ª I¡¯m trying to clear up misunderstandings about Eri. She was such a b*tch¡­ Oh, sorry, she¡¯s your childhood friend.¡± ¡°N¨CNo, I don¡¯t mind. We¡¯re not friends anymore.¡± ¡°Oh? Seems you aren¡¯t brainwashed anymore.¡± ¡°A¨CAhaha¡­¡± The three of us ended up talking over tea in the school cafeteria. Hiratsuka seemed surprisingly normal, though he had a large bandage glued on his nose, along with his arm hung out by a large piece of cloth. ¡°You drag girls into the club VIP room, don¡¯t you? What is a guy like you doing here?¡± Reika started. ¡°¡­ Sure, I do have a bad rep, and I¡¯m aware I¡¯m a warmonger scumbag, but these rumors about me ¡®eating women up¡¯, those are all lies¡­ The girls just went after me, and began spreading lies to save face.¡± ¡°Huh? You even tried to take Mashima-san with you!¡± ¡°Haah¡­ I didn¡¯t wanna come out like this since it¡¯d be a bother, but I¡¯m not interested in women at all. They can¡¯t get it up for me.¡± ¡°H¨CHuh?! What are you talking about?! T¨CToshiki, help me!¡± ¡°R¨CReika, let¡¯s keep it quiet for a minute. It¡¯s a serious condition you can¡¯t scoff at¡­ So, Hiratsuka-senpai, if you¡¯re not interested in girls, why did you try to take Mashima-san there?¡± He sighed and began to speak. ¡°It was my first love as a woman¡­¡± ¡­ I was curious about the ¡®as a woman¡¯ part, but I just kept listening without thinking too deeply about it. After a while of listening, we learned that Hiratsuka and Mashima met while dancing at the club¡­ I just can¡¯t believe she went clubbing¡­ It started when Mashima asked Hiratsuka for a cigarette. Again, I couldn¡¯t believe the things she did¡­ At first, he thought Mashima was a player like he was, but then sometimes she mentioned her precious dog had fallen ill. Hiratsuka, whose own dog was in the same situation, felt empathy. I interrupt him, revealing the fact that Mashima never had a dog in her life. In return, he just gave me an indescribably bitter look¡­ ¡°A¨CAnyway, from there we became closer and closer, and I fell in love with her as a woman, a first for me.¡± So, while Mashima was reluctant to seal the deal and go out with him, Hiratsuka tried to seduce her by using every trick he knew. Thanks to that, seems he¡¯s lost his reputation in Underground Fighting. ¡­ I¡¯m not really interested in that last part, so it doesn¡¯t really matter. Hiratsuka continued, telling us his psyche gradually worsened. ¡°And when we finally started going out, all she did was talk about you. Then I found out she was two-timing me with Tachibana2, and that she was also flirting with the student council president¡­ So I got mad and decided to lecture her in the VIP room. That¡¯s when she made fun of my beloved dog¡­¡± Mashima¡­ You haven¡¯t changed at all, have you? Tachibana is a teacher here. He¡¯s an old man, but he¡¯s austere and cool, so he¡¯s popular with the girls. ¡°¡­ I¨CI¡¯m sorry about her. She¡¯s caused a lot of trouble,¡± I apologized. ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s not your place to apologize, and besides, I¡¯m the one who needs to do so¡­ That¡¯s why, I¡¯m sorry Sawada. I had no right to say all those things about your father¡­ And I take it back. He¡¯s not a criminal, it was self-defense, right?¡± ¡°Ah, Hiratsuka-senpai¡­¡± ¡°Sh*t, don¡¯t look at me like that. You beat me up, and for that¡­ I¡¯m thankful. When I got hit, I felt this burning flame inside, and I was so excited I could barely believe it¡­ Hey, Sawada¡­ Will you fight me again?¡± Hiratsuka? Oi, why are you staring at me and blushing?! Reika then pulled me by the hand and stood up. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at him with those weird eyes! Toshiki, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°U¨CUh, wait a minute, just one time¡­¡± Interrupting this exchange, I ask a question that¡¯s been on my mind for a while. ¡°Did you slap her on the cheek? I remember it was swollen.¡± He answered apologetically, ¡°I pulled your friend¡¯s hair. I couldn¡¯t control myself, I¡¯m sorry¡­ But I never hit her, not once.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± I could tell by the look in his eyes he wasn¡¯t lying. But all this made me think, Mashima, what kind of girl are you really¡­? 1 ¡ª Jeet Kune Do is a martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the philosophy and experiences of Bruce Lee. 2 ¡ª I made a mistake in Chapter 6. Tachibana isn¡¯t their senior, but rather a teacher. Yeah, it makes it worse¡­ Yikes. Nice chapter, never saw this coming, not from a mile away. I have no clue where this is going, but I¡¯m excited to see it. Volume 2 - CH 4 Posted on June 1, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. Today is a holiday, but I get up early in the morning, like always, as part of my exercise routine with grandpa. When I was a child, I was extremely weak, but I¡¯ve come to like these activities. Sometimes, his friends also join us. They teach me many things, so it ends up being very productive. After we finished the workout, I start cooking rice for lunch. Grandpa can make it, too, but his is very rough and frankly not tasty at all. Sometime later, Reika woke up and walked into the living room. ¡°R¨CReika! T¨CThis is grandpa¡¯s house! You should get dressed properly!¡± ¡°Nnh¡­? Oh, I forgot¡­ Yeah, Toshiki, help me change my clothes¡­ Mmm¡­¡± She¡¯s not a morning person, so she rarely is well-dressed in the morning. It¡¯s been that way ever since she was a child. I quickly grab some loungewear and put it on Reika. She¡¯s wearing shorts under her, erm, shirt, but¡­ I try not to look as much as possible. Then, I lead her to the washroom. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s wash your face¡­ Okay, now I¡¯ll wipe it with a towel.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ nhn~ mmm~¡± I gently wipe Reika¡¯s face, and soon she gradually began to wake up to her surroundings. Stretching, she snuggled her face into my shoulder. We were as close as when we were kids¡­ It¡¯s a bit embarrassing now since we¡¯ve grown a bit, but I don¡¯t hate it at all¡­ ¡°Nnnhrg~ ¡ªToshiki, good morning!¡± ¡°Good morning, Reika.¡± Then, we left the washroom and ate breakfast together with Grandpa. Days like these were special to me, moments of respite with the people I love. That alone makes me happy. All I want is to grow old and live this happiness until the day I die. ¡°Hey hey, Toshiki, Grandpa kinda looks like Raoh1, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°From Fist of the North Star? ¡­ Oh, he looks a lot like him.¡± ¡°¡­ Is this Raoh handsome? Let me see,¡± Grandpa got curious. She then showed him a manga. He looked satisfied upon seeing Raoh. The scene unfolding before me was kinda funny. Grandpa loves Reika, Mr. Sakashita¡¯s daughter, very much¡­ And I do too. I played with her every single day until I turned six, though I only remember bits and pieces. The shock from losing my father made my memories fuzzy. ¡°Hm? Toshiki, you¡¯re not gonna eat that omelet? I¡¯ll take it then!¡± She leaned over to me, trying to yoink my omelet. Inevitably, our bodies touch. I¡¯ve never minded it before, but recently any sort of contact with her made me feel embarrassed. ¡°R¨CReika, I¡¯ll give it to you, just wait a sec¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, then feed it to me like you did when we were kids.¡± Despite being fidgety, I managed to grab the omelet with my chopsticks and feed it to her. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m looking forward to my great-grandchildren.¡± Reika¡¯s face turned flaming red at his words. My previous embarrassment worsened, and I shrunk back into a shell¡­ Sometimes, Grandpa is not home due to work. That can happen even on the weekends. ¡°I¡¯m going to work. If you¡¯re gonna go to town, be careful,¡± he said, leaving the house with a huge backpack on his back. Reika and I were going to see a movie today, so after seeing him off, we went into our rooms and started changing. I have zero fashion sense, so I put on the clothes she picked for me the other day and moved to the washroom. Waxing my hair is something I never really do, so my hairdo came from the bro at the salon Reika and I went together a few days back. After finishing getting ready, I called out to her. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m ready~! How¡¯s it going over there~?¡± ¡°Oi, you¡¯re fast~! Wait a sec~!¡± I decided to sip some tea while waiting for her in the living room, sitting on the couch¡­ Oh, now that I think about it, I¡¯ve been receiving a ton of messages from Hayakawa. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet Hirano after my part-time job.¡± ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m supposed to tag along with his training¡­¡± ¡°Sh*t, I¡¯m gonna throw up¡­ Why the hell am I boxing?!¡± I gently close my phone¡­ Yup, I¡¯ll hear more from him later in the week. While I kept waiting for Reika, I reply to a message from Nakajima, the junior girl from the manga club¡­ Come to think of it, she¡¯s always asking about Hayakawa, isn¡¯t she? Even back when I was friends with Mashima, it was often only Hayakawa and I. That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t have many opportunities to talk to her at school¡­ She was always off somewhere. Believe it or not, even I, an insensitive person, can tell that Nakajima is interested in Hayakawa. Everyone falls in love, after all. I¡¯ve loved Mashima¡­ Though, in hindsight, I don¡¯t know if it was real love or what. Shutting my thoughts, a slamming sound echoed by the stairs of my house. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m late! ¡ªO¨COh, hey, what a line, sounds like you¡¯re meeting someone for a date¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I just got here¡­ Eh, Reika¡­ This atmosphere is totally, um¡­¡± After my eyes landed on her, I dropped my phone with a plop. Whenever we went out together, she always wore a t-shirt and pants combo, which made her look more tomboyish¡­ However, she wore a dress and a fluffy jacket. I have no idea what it was called. I¡¯m not even sure if it¡¯s a one-piece dress or something like that. Regardless, all I can tell you is that¡­ She was drop-dead gorgeous. ¡°Ehehe, surprised~? I worked hard to get dressed up for today. Hey, hey, c¡¯mon, say something.¡± I was too dazzled by Reika to even look at her, and my flustered attitude pleased her. ¡°Enough teasing you, we¡¯ve got time, so let¡¯s go!¡± She reached out her hand to me, and grabbing it I stood up. ¡°Reika, you¡¯re stunning,¡± these were short words, but they came from the heart nonetheless. She fidgeted at my sudden compliment. ¡°H¨CHey, Toshiki! I¨CI can¡¯t believe you¡¯re flattering me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not flattery, you are stunning.¡± ¡°I¨CI see, thanks. You look cool too, Toshiki¡­¡± ¡°T¨CThanks¡­ Well then, let¡¯s go.¡± Nervous, I tenderly squeeze her hand and lead her along. I¡¯m the one doing the escorting today. We walked out of the front door, and once again our fingers intertwined as we headed back to the city. I stole a glance at her from beside me, and she looked extremely happy. Just one glance is enough to warm my entire heart. She gives me peace. And it was then I had a thought. Maybe I was hurting myself without even knowing it all this time. As we walked, I felt a sharp glare at us from the neighbor¡¯s window, but we both didn¡¯t care. Mashima was no longer a concern. All I needed from Reika was a smile, and that was enough to fill my heart ¡ªSuddenly, an image suddenly flashed in my mind. When I was just a child, Reika and I held hands and happily walked through a flower field. I loved her smile then. I felt a strange feeling well up inside, rising up from the bottom of my heart. It wasn¡¯t that feeling of love I felt for Mashima, nor was it familial affection¡­ I had no clue as to what it was. Despite that, I let the emotions flow without pushing them away¡ª Volume 2 - CH 5 Posted on June 3, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°Dude, I told you I ain¡¯t got no money! I¡¯m super poor¡­ I¡¯ll just get the water.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Then, water is fine. I¡¯ll have two caf¨¦ au lait, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± For some reason, I, Rio Hayakawa, had to grab a bite with Hirano. Damn, and I have part-time in the afternoon, too¡­ Though, why did he ask for two drinks? ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t need your pity. I¡¯m not so far gone I can¡¯t afford a drink.¡± ¡°Ha? I¡¯m gonna drink both. You¡¯re the one who misunderstood me, Hayakawa.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡± I really don¡¯t know what this guy is thinking. This morning he just barged into my house, right after following me home after school mind you, and yoinked me out. My sister made a fuss after seeing him since he looked just like her favorite idol. ¡°Are you Hayakawa¡¯s sister¡­? I¡¯m Hirano, his friend. I¡¯mma just borrow him real quick.¡± His tone was kind for some reason, and he even told me ¡°Take good care of your sister¡±¡­ What the hell, the first time I saw him, I thought he was just another jerk. I decided to just drink the water and keep him company for a bit. ¡°So, I think Reika likes my friend, Toshiki. You should just give up.¡± Even though these words were coming out of my mouth, I was also talking to myself. A year ago I crushed on Hikari Kawano, and I was elated when she confessed to me. But I experienced despair upon the reveal it was all a prank. I even thought I¡¯d never love again¡­ But when I met Sakashita, that tomboyish girl, my heart was just pierced through. I could never tell him about it though¡­ I know that he, of all people, needs Sakashita to mend his broken heart, even more so after ten years of suffering from his crush on Mashima. And despite what I felt then, I don¡¯t trust love at first sight¡­ That¡¯s what Hikari taught me. Still, Toshiki probably likes her back, even though he doesn¡¯t realize it. Regardless, it¡¯s not my place to be. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you say that a million times, but this is love at first sight. I never liked anyone other than my sister¡­ Wow, love at first sight sure is real.¡± ¡°Are you a siscon?! Haah, if I looked as good as you, I¡¯d be able to go out with anyone.¡± ¡°Huh? You wanna go out with someone you don¡¯t like? You stupid or somethin¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, y¨Cyou¡¯re right¡­¡± Hirano was a bit different from the punks who bullied me. I got hit by him a lot, but just for spite I asked him, ¡°Why do you hit your classmates?¡±, to which he replied, ¡°I¡¯m just playing.¡± Guess he really thinks he¡¯s only playing around. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t get into fights, but just be a bit quieter in the classroom.¡± ¡°I never cared about that before¡­ My sis said she liked strong men.¡± ¡°Huh, what about that sister of yours¡­ How old is she now?¡± ¡°¡­ Fifteen¡­ She would be fifteen today.¡± ¡°Would be?¡± His way of putting it was odd, and his expression was of deep sadness. Perhaps I touched something I shouldn¡¯t have. Hirano then began muttering as he sipped his caf¨¦ au lait. ¡°Toshiki Sawada¡­ Hey, if I beat that guy, can I go out with her?¡± ¡°Why the hell would you do that?! It¡¯s impossible! She¡¯d hate you even more!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a no then, huh. I thought Sakashita liked strong men, and Sawada isn¡¯t as strong as me¡­ Though he ain¡¯t weak either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever fight with him. He¡¯s my best friend, and if it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t even be at this school.¡± ¡°Gotcha, gotcha, I ain¡¯t gonna fight¡­ Hm? Are those guys from our class?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Out of the corner of his eye, Hirano caught the sight of the three boys who bullied me, and¡­ Hikari, having drinks together. ¡°For real¡­?¡± No amount of proof can erase the trauma of being bullied. Just looking at them makes my heart shrink to a pea. To be honest, it¡¯s daunting¡­ The right thing to do is to somehow stay out of sight and hush. Hikari is Mashima¡¯s best friend, who¡¯s treated like a princess by the whole school. As her friend, Hikari is recognized as part of the popular group. But I know something no one else knows. When we were ¡°dating¡±, I used to go home with Hikari about once a month. The topic then would always be complaints about Mashima. They pretended to be good friends, but Hikari had one hell of a grudge against Mashima. She was deprived of guys she loved many times during middle school. The boyfriend she was dating at the time fell for Mashima, whose cronies made fun of that situation¡­ ¡°I want to make her fall someday,¡± she¡¯d vented. Despite loving Hirano, Hikari had many men on the side. Some were even lower-level underground fighters. Regardless, Hirano was her true love ¡ªAt least that¡¯s what Mashima suddenly told me one day. It was then I really realized something: Women are scary. And frankly, I don¡¯t wanna see those guys until the day I¡¯m six feet under. My prayers were answered, and they left after getting take-out. I sighed in relief. ¡°Ah! Hayakawa-senpai! It¡¯s so rare to see you having tea. Hm? You¡¯re not with Sawada-senpai?¡± ¡°Whoa! You surprised me¡­ Be careful, Nakajima.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Aren¡¯t you happy to see such a beautiful girl in front of you?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s Nakajima, right?¡± ¡°Hmph! ¡ªYou dunce!¡± Hirano then suddenly touched my hand. Hey, dude, that¡¯s disgusting! ¡°Is she your friend too? If that¡¯s so, she must be Sakashita¡¯s friend, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the way it is. Hirano, this is Toshiki¡¯s junior, her name is Moe Nakajima. Nakajima, this is Satoshi Hirano. We became friends by chance.¡± ¡°Oh, I¨CI¡¯m Moe Nakajima¡­ Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°What, you went silent because you¡¯re in front of some himbo now?¡± ¡°Ha?! I value personality over face! ¡­ More importantly, don¡¯t be late for your part-time job today. I¡¯m still getting used to the job, so, yeah¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re on shift today too? We¡¯re always together, somehow. Okay, I¡¯ll give you some pointers today as well.¡± ¡°¡­ Mkay, thanks.¡± She answered quite honestly. Despite always teasing me, she¡¯s never serious about it. Nakajima is also very cute, and her smile is honest¡­ Yeah, she likes Toshiki, so I shouldn¡¯t make a mistake and misunderstand it. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get going.¡± ¡°Ah~ Sorry it¡¯s me and not Toshiki!¡± ¡°Dunce! Haah¡­ You¡¯re so dense,¡± she muttered at the end. ¡°Hm? You said something?¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing. See you later!¡± Nakajima then waved her hand and left the store. Huh? She didn¡¯t order anything at all. Hirano then looked at me with squinted eyes and sighed. ¡°¡­ Maybe I made a mistake in asking you for love advice¡­ How the hell did she fall for you?¡± ¡°What? No no no no no! She likes Toshiki, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot¡­ Y¡¯know what, the person herself should say it. I know what I¡¯m talking about since I¡¯m in love.¡± Hirano spouted uselessly cool lines, and I just nodded along. At that moment, a ping came from his phone, and he looked at the notification with an uncomfortable look. Putting his phone down, he looked at me. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go.¡± ¡°What? Where are you going? I mean, I have to work this afternoon, so how about you?¡± ¡°I see¡­ You¡¯re poor and you need the money.¡± ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s not for my family, it¡¯s my living expenses!¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re funny, you know that? You¡¯re poor, you love your sister, and you¡¯re terribly blunt¡­ We¡¯re the same, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Ha? Same as who? B¨CBesides, I don¡¯t l¨Clike my sister¡­ She¡¯s just i¨Cimportant ¡®cause she¡¯s f¨Cfamily¡­¡± He laughed at my flustered fidgeting. ¡°There¡¯s still time, right? ¡­ Hmm, you work out, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡­ Sure, I do muscle training at home so the bullying doesn¡¯t hurt as much. I didn¡¯t gain muscle at all, though. He just smiled at me and stood up. Holy damn, I¡¯m a guy and even I have to admit he¡¯s handsome. Damn it, God, why do I look like myself! ¡°If you¡¯re being bullied, fight back. I¡¯ll teach you how to fight, so c¡¯mon, play with me, bro.¡± He was different from how he usually acted in class. Although he seemed childlike and happy, I saw a little tinge of sadness within him. Volume 2 - CH 6 Posted on June 4, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. I, Satoshi Hirano, haven¡¯t had a friend since junior high school. Back then, my sister was healthy and I had a best friend called Shoki. We were both in the boxing club, and we practiced hard. The time we three spent together was the most glorious period of my life. Hayakawa trained with me earlier, and I couldn¡¯t help but think he looked just like my old friend, Shoki. Though, it wasn¡¯t about their appearance, but rather about the weak aura they exuded. I tried to find any other resemblance in Hayakawa¡¯s face, but all I noticed is that Shoki was just more handsome. ¡°Kaede, your big bro¡¯s doing his best, so do your best too¡­ Shoki, I found an idiot just like you. Let¡¯s play together when you two wake up.¡± Hayakawa¡¯s part-time job was just about to start, so after we parted ways, I went to the hospital to visit these two. In one of the rooms, both my sister and Shoki slept peacefully¡­ They had such beautiful sleeping faces. Kaede, my sister, and Shoki loved each other a lot. Meanwhile, I was born as some sort of psychopath who didn¡¯t know the first thing about love. I couldn¡¯t even grasp human pain, favoritism, or even anger. But because they were who they were, I gradually came to learn about others¡¯ emotions. We had a lot of fun, we laughed, we even fought, but in the end, we made up. Together, we three were happy¡ª Until my sister got into a traffic accident. It was she was going home with Shoki. I wasn¡¯t there when they needed me most. That day, I¡¯d left something in the club room, so I ran back to get it. If I hadn¡¯t gone back then, if I hadn¡¯t met Shoki, if I hadn¡¯t been born¡­ Regret for not being present consumed me from the inside out. Shoki and I weren¡¯t always friends. He was bullied in class, and even seeing it happen didn¡¯t move me. After all, I had little emotion. Though, I was somewhat interested when I saw him join the boxing club and work hard at something. I think it was a whim at first, but when I got to know him better, unknown feelings started to grow inside me. And soon, he became my first friend. ¡°Yo, Satoshi! Let¡¯s play again today!¡± That¡¯s how he always called out to me. Every day he¡¯d shout ¡°Let¡¯s play!¡±, even when I was right there beside him. Before I knew it, I had picked up that loud habit too. He and my sister kept sleeping in this hospital room, together. For the first time in my life, I knew what tears were. In that moment I finally understood this emotion called ¡°Sadness¡±. I had no idea it was such a gut-wrenching emotion. Even so, I don¡¯t wanna give this feeling up, for it¡¯s the result of both Shoki and my sister¡¯s hard work. Surgery might bring them back to consciousness, though the hospital bills alone put the family¡¯s finances under pressure. We were rather poor, so we didn¡¯t have great healthcare. I desperately worked part-time and continued boxing. All I needed was a few more years and I¡¯d become a champion. Meanwhile, I was hurting for money, and these newborn feelings tried to break me apart from the inside. But then, I found out who the perpetrator of the accident was. It was right before a boxing match, but I didn¡¯t care. The assailant was an unlicensed sc*mbag. I punched him without the intent to kill, but he turned the tables on me. Never had I thought that I, said to be a genius boxer, would lose. Upon beating me, he just dropped his business card and walked away. It contained contact info of the Underground Fighting management. So, I fight for money. I fight to pay for their hospital bills and surgeries. I don¡¯t care about my body. I don¡¯t care about my life. All I care about is the people I love, so, please¡ª Shoki and my sister slept with serene expressions. I often forget the passage of time when I come here. I¡¯ve even seen Hayakawa walking around the hospital a couple of times, for whatever reason. I asked the nurse about him, and she said his parents were ill. ¡­ You¡¯re just like Shoki, aren¡¯t you? Even the bullying part of it. Looking back at the two¡¯s sleeping faces, I recall the message I received from the management¡ª ¡°If you beat up Toshiki Sawada, you¡¯ll be promoted to the three-star rank.¡± ¡ªand I laugh to myself. My sis used to praise me all the time. ¡°You¡¯re the coolest guy in the world, so get yourself a nice girlfriend!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not gonna get one anytime soon. Hm? You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to love someone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. When you do fall for someone, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be as wonderful as you.¡± And just like she said, when I saw Sakashita, that tomboyish girl, I felt love for the first time in my life. I was so nervous I could barely form coherent thoughts. I¡¯m scared I won¡¯t feel this kind of emotion ever again, as long as it¡¯s not her. It was that intense, I tell you. Isn¡¯t it weird we¡¯ve never talked about this, Shoki? Did you love Kaede this much, too? ¡ªSorry, I shouldn¡¯t be the one happy while you guys are asleep. Sakashita doesn¡¯t have to date me. All I ask is that she¡¯d talk to me without hatred. Every thought of mine she was in squeezed my heart. ¡­ But I don¡¯t deserve this. I shouldn¡¯t be soaking up every drop of happiness that pours on me without you two here, with me. So I¡¯ll make money. I have to make money. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sorry Hayakawa¡­ I¡¯m gonna have to fight your friend. I trudged along the hospital corridor, detaching myself from this newfound feeling of happiness, just the way I used to be. The only thing in my mind was Shoki and Kaede, nothing else. ¡°Yo, Toshiki Sawada, I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Put these on,¡± I tossed him a pair of gloves. I¡¯d waited until nightfall for him to show up. Hayakawa told me about his schedule a few days ago. Next to him, Sakashita stood donning a gorgeous dress. Just by looking at her, I could almost feel my heart burst into a million pieces. ¡ªBut I¡¯m only a fighter now. I need to kill my emotions and turn these heartbreaking feelings off. If I win, I¡¯ll be promoted to the three-star rank. Doing that will make my views, and consequently, my income, jump up. So, back to the old me, it is. I knew Sawada¡¯s moves from the video of his fight with Hiratsuka. He¡¯s more of a grappler than a striker, and his technique to escape Hiratsuka¡¯s hold was amazing to look at. His striking was heavy and slow, so he¡¯s no match for a boxer. We were in the middle of the streets, lit only by the city lights around us. Pre-called operations were placed all over the area, so they were ready to record this fight from multiple angles. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Hiratsuka sit on a bench at a fountain nearby, looking like some sort of big shot¡­ Damn closet geek, stop calling yourself ¡°General¡± in the comment section. Anyway, I gazed straight ahead. Sawada wasn¡¯t the least bit upset when I showed up outta nowhere. He sensed my fighting spirit, and words weren¡¯t needed. Silently, he put on the gloves. Meanwhile, Sakashita tugged on his back. Haha, stop showing off, won¡¯t you? But then, someone came running up to him out of nowhere. It was Hayakawa, still wearing his part-time uniform. ¡­ Why is he here and not working? ¡°Toshiki! D¨CDon¡¯t fight, okay? Please! I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for this! Hey, Hirano, give me some excuse, any¡ª!¡± He screamed, but I throw a signal at management. They soon grabbed him and held him on the ground¡­ It will all end well. You¡¯ll just be disillusioned with me. ¡°¡­ Well then, let¡¯s play.¡± ¡°Oi, Hirano¡ª! Listen, Hirano¡ª! S¨CSawada, please stop him¡ª!¡± Hayakawa¡¯s cries were the signal. The jab is a boxer¡¯s fastest weapon, and the ¡°step¡± was one of the strongest techniques. Combining these two is something that most pros strive to accomplish. Moreover, mine wasn¡¯t your regular jab. Sawada, with his little experience, will only be able to eat my fists. My jab connects with his face, and I finish it in an instant so that he doesn¡¯t suffer¡ª No, he moved away from me. He was in an obvious boxing stance, and he slightly quaked his body. Is that some kinda weird technique or another martial art altogether? If it was boxing, I wouldn¡¯t lose. So I step in and close the distance in an instant. I started my combo with a jab¡ª ¡°Guh¡ª!¡± But a strong punch pierces through my face, almost like a spear, and goosebumps travel through my whole body. That was not a jab, and it was too dangerous to take it again. Soon, we threw several punches at a quick rate. We both weaved in and out, feinting constantly while mixing and matching different combos. I managed to connect a strong hit right on his chest, but he didn¡¯t even stagger. What is this guy? That was one of my strongest punches yet, wasn¡¯t it?! ¡°Sawada! Hirano is no ordinary boxer, he¡¯s an all-rounder, a genius that can do everything! ¡ªHirano! Sawada doesn¡¯t have any windups, he¡¯s too fast! He¡¯s also a heavyweight that weighs more than you!¡± Haha, what are you on about? I¡¯m beating up your friend, so why are you even cheering for me? Even mid-fight, I¡¯m surrounded by these strange emotions. The image of Shoki sleeping in his hospital room flashes through my mind in an instant. All my life, I thought I was unhappy¡­ I thought I made them unhappy. ¡ªHe switched his boxing style, playing with the technique. Though, just when I had that thought, he suddenly disappeared from my view. BAAM¡ª! Sawada jumped at my side, and connected a powerful punch right on my liver. I even heard my bones cracking. He didn¡¯t even wait, throwing a second hook right on my temple, as though he was a flowing katana. My guard was blown off, and I was knocked unconscious for a split second. He connected another punch, which woke me up. I tried to counter him, but he weaved with flowing movement that almost resembled an infinite sign, putting his arms in front of his face while moving and hitting back. Damn, I¡¯ve never seen a Dempsey Roll1 in person before. Even the adrenaline couldn¡¯t neutralize the pain. It almost felt like was hitting me with cast iron, and it hurt like absolute hell. However, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The last time I was this close to losing, was when I fought against Shoki¡­ I haven¡¯t had a proper boxing match in a long time, have I? Ever since that day, all I did was fight people I knew nothing about. I wanted to box¡­ I wanted to box with Shoki¡­ Then, flashes of my time with sis and my old friend flurried my mind. I¡¯m gonna spend time with them again. We will be together! Pushing through the agony, I unleashed all strength I could muster into a high-speed jab, and Sawada stepped back. Pain coursed through every fiber of my being, and it seemed I could fall down at any second. ¡ªNot yet! I can still fight, I can still box! I lowered my unmoving arm and concentrated every drop of strength on the other. ¡°Satoshi, your straight is the strongest, isn¡¯t it?¡± Oh yeah, that¡¯s right, my straight is the strongest. No one can beat me. And above all, if I don¡¯t win, they won¡¯t come back!!!!! Sawada waited for me to gather all the strength I could. ¡°Come on¡­ Let¡¯s finish this.¡± His body moved, but I released my straight before he could throw his attack. It was perfect. The straight Shoki and I relentlessly practiced. An absolutely inevitable blow. My fist connected with his face, but he didn¡¯t budge an inch. Then, he threw his counter, a straight, right at me. Suddenly, heaven and earth switched places and I didn¡¯t know what just happened. When I came to, I was laying on the ground. I tried, but couldn¡¯t move my legs to get back up. Not even my hands could support me, for I was completely out of strength. Not yet, I¡­ I can still box¡­ I can¡­ Suddenly, I heard a voice crying, almost breaking. Then, I felt my body being held up in someone¡¯s arms. ¡°Y¨CYou d*mbass! Stop fighting! Don¡¯t get up again¡­¡± Hayakawa cried raggedly above me, his arms supporting me. Hah¡­ Why isn¡¯t it Sakashita instead of you? ¡ªBut these words just wouldn¡¯t come out of my mouth. ¡°Oi, don¡¯t pass out laughing!!!¡± I lost, but it felt good¡­ Though, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m gonna do about the money. While thinking these things, my mind began to slip. All I could feel was my consciousness slowly fading into darkness. 1 ¡ª Here¡¯s an example of a Dempsey Roll, from Hajime no Ippo. Volume 2 - CH 7.1 Posted on June 6, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. I¡¯ve always thought fighting was something vain. I mean, you only hit and hurt each other, right? No matter who wins, it¡¯ll still have a bad outcome. Despite that, after fighting with Hiratsuka, I felt an odd connection with him, but not in a weird way. It was just a strange, wordless feeling. My heart was also lit on fire after my fight with Hirano. It had been too long since I¡¯d been hit by someone other than my grandpa¡­ Every punch I took made me feel thrilled, like a pump of adrenaline coursed through me. Grandpa used to say, ¡°If you throw hands with someone, you can communicate only with your fists.¡± Though I¡¯m still not sure what was going on inside Hirano¡¯s head exactly. What impressed me though, is that he slept peacefully in Hayakawa¡¯s arms. A few days have passed since then, and Reika and I went to school without any problems. ¡°Toshiki¡¯s video is getting a ton of buzz. No one could beat Hirano at boxing. Rather, why did you use boxing? If you had used your usual move-set, you¡¯d win in an instant, right?¡± ¡°Well, I did a boxing stance and Hirano-kun looked happy. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you say so. It was nice either way.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It was nice.¡± After our fight a few days ago, a group of men I¡¯d never seen before took Hirano and drove off with him. Apparently, management from Underground Fighting took him to the hospital. I knew he was waiting there for me since management sent me a message. Though, I have no idea how they got my mail address in the first place. Hayakawa also sent me a message telling me Hirano was acting strange. We didn¡¯t talk much, but I knew he wasn¡¯t trying to pick a fight because of Reika. ¡°You used to fight all the time, Toshiki,¡± Reika said. ¡°Huh? Really? I don¡¯t remember that at all¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I just hope you¡¯ll remember it someday.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a memory of a fight, I¡¯d rather not.¡± ¡°Hm? But y¡¯know, you protected me then. I have some fond memories of you. Fufu~ I¡¯ll give you a reward when you do remember!¡± She stepped closer, grazing her body against me. Her sweet perfume tickled my nose, soothing every crevice of my heart¡­ I wish these days could go on forev¡ª ¡ªSuddenly, a powerful memory pierces my head like a spear. Flashes of me putting a toy ring on a crying Reika, as we both kissed and vowed we¡¯d always love each other. ¡°Hey, Toshiki, you okay? Your face is red¡­ Wanna go to the infirmary?¡± It was a scene from my memory, yet I could barely make out any details apart from those. I can¡¯t remember properly, and my mind is fuzzy. Why are my memories from childhood so scrambled? ¡­ How did I fall in love with Mashima so unconditionally? I¡¯ve always felt I¡¯d been in love with her for as long as I can remember. She was my first love, right? What are these feelings? Reika¡¯s always played with me when we were kids. We are childhood friends after all, and yet my memories are jumbled and fuzzy, almost like cutouts from an old movie. We were friends, almost like cousins who see each other once a year. I trusted her with all of my heart, and¡­ ¡°Reika-chan, don¡¯t leave me again¡­¡± Fear of losing Reika overwhelmed me, and I had no clue why. But to these engulfing emotions, she sighed and gently touched me. That was enough to dispel this unknown worry. ¡°A long time ago, you¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing. You called me Reika-chan, huh? I¡¯ve missed this¡­ Okay, you¡¯re gonna make up for all the time we lost on our date!¡± Her tender touch gradually calmed me down. A date, huh? I squeezed Reika¡¯s hand in mine, garnering a surprised yelp from her. ¡°Huh?! Wait, Toshiki, there¡¯s a lot of students around!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Hey, Reika, I wanna go to that cat cafe you like. Will you, um¡­ go on a date with me after school today?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Y¨CYes. Of course, I¡¯ll go! I¡¯m so happy you asked me out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡®cause you¡¯re important to me¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Important?!¡± I had no words to name this feeling. It¡¯s as if I could just finally throw away the ten years of unrequited love and move on toward a new love. But this feeling, it¡­ It seems to have always been there inside me. I couldn¡¯t remember well, but when I was a kid, I loved Reika. And now, I¡¯m in love with her all over again¡­ This emotion is not a fake one, that I¡¯m certain. ¡°Hey, Toshiki, say something!¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the cat cafe. Oh, I won¡¯t invite Hayakawa and the others.¡± ¡°Toshiki¡ª! W¨CWhat the hell is this? E¨CEh?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to wrap my arms around Reika, embracing her in the heat of my own body. Rather, I wanted to hug her. ¡°T¨CToshiki¡­?¡± She yelped and called my name. So this is true love¡­ It made my heart bitter, yet there were tinges of sweet and sour. It was painful, yet a pain I could feel forever. Just being together made me so, so happy. It never made my heart ache and feel gloomy. This love was completely different from what I¡¯ve experienced over the last ten years of my life. ¡°Reika, thank you¡­¡± These last words were imbued with many different meanings. Volume 2 - CH 7.2 Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°Yo, they¡¯re hugging each other. Can I throw some hands?¡± ¡°Idiot! You lost to him just the other day!¡± I, Rio Hayakawa, saw Toshiki and Sakashita sharing a warm embrace in the early morning. What the hell are these two doing with so many students around¡­ Actually, it¡¯s refreshing to see Mashima, his ex-friend, glaring at the two from afar with bloodshot eyes. In any case, if she tries something, I¡¯ll help out. She had a lot of cronies around, popular guys and girls from other classes. They were very scary, and some notoriously shady. Mashima has 500k followers on social media websites, so making an enemy out of her would be extremely bad. All in all, she was a ¡°super¡± high-school girl with connections, and a cute appearance to boot. Though, even then, why did everyone fall for her? In any case, Hirano and I went to school together every day. Even though he was hurt in his fight a few days ago, his bruises weren¡¯t ¡°anything to die for¡±. Toshiki attacked him in a way that ¡°only made him lose consciousness¡±, is what Hirano himself told me. I don¡¯t get it though, don¡¯t you have a cracked rib, dude? ¡°I just let my guard down. I won¡¯t lose next time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to try again¡­ Oh, you¡¯re gonna shoot a video today, right? I¡¯m getting kinda nervous¡­¡± Even after everything that¡¯s happened, he hasn¡¯t stopped fighting underground. That¡¯s because he still needs the money. And besides, even though he¡¯d lost to Toshiki, he still got the money from that fight, apparently. ¡°I see¡­ The order was only to ¡®fight¡¯ him, not to win,¡± I heard Hirano mutter that a while back. Whatever the case may be, the fact he didn¡¯t lose that commission eased his mind. I took his advice and came up with a way to make money outside my part-time job, which was¡ª ¡°Hey, are you sure you wanna do this kind of project?¡± ¡°UF¡¯s website is all about violence, ain¡¯t it? It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Besides, the response has been great.¡± The idea was to upload videos of myself, a weak bullied kid, in the process of getting stronger. It was the popular underdog story, one you could find anywhere, but even so, our first two videos received tremendous praise. I didn¡¯t receive their money yet, but it easily exceeded my monthly pay for the part-time job. Though most of the popularity came from Hirano¡¯s handsomeness. The live comments went rolling in: ¡°Kyah~! A shirtless man!¡± ¡°Hirano-kun, you¡¯re too precious!¡± ¡°More Hirano!¡± ¡°Too athletic for you?¡± ¡°Looks like that kid¡¯s been bullied.¡± ¡°Oh, Hirano and his lackey.¡± ¡°This is Hirano¡¯s channel tho¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I wanna support Hayakawa!¡± ¡°I know how that guy feels¡­¡± ¡°Bullying¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°Hirano will train you well!¡± ¡°Huh? General¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Please explain what went on in the vid, General!¡± It was a video of me training with Hirano, him squeezing my meridians as I lay there, topless. While he did that, I talked about me being bullied. I was scared to tell my story in the cesspool that is the internet, but I did it for the money. Honestly, I¡¯d do just about anything to pay for my mom¡¯s hospital bills, and also to get good food for my sister. Oh, and I won¡¯t tell my dad. If I do, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll go back to being a slacker. To be frank, I was glad to feel like I was being watched over, despite all the Hirano comments. ¡°Oi, you ready dude?¡± ¡°U¨CUh, y¨Cyeah, ready when you are.¡± Today¡¯s the day we¡¯ll shoot our third video, in which we¡¯ll confront my bullies. I¡¯ve never fought before, so I thought that, no matter how much I trained, I wouldn¡¯t get stronger. But I¡¯ll be fine, I hope. Compared to Hirano¡¯s strength, these guys are nothing to be scared of. Then, Hirano gently pushed me, as if he was lovingly patting my back. ¡ªYo, dude, the way you touch me is too damn sus! ¡°I¡¯m not gonna help you, Hayakawa. If you get beat up, just stand up and keep going.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?! W¨CWait, you¡¯re recording? ¡ªDamn it, I¡¯ll go now!¡± Some of the live comments were, ¡°Go for it!¡±, ¡°Beat¡¯em up!¡±, ¡°Crush them!¡±, ¡°Turn the camera back to Hirano!¡±, ¡°We got your back, dude!¡± This has become my daily life now. Toshiki¡¯s an important friend to me, but Hirano is too. Even though he¡¯s a bit crazy, he¡¯s kind and family-oriented. ¡ªNo way I¡¯m telling him that, though! While ruminating over the fighting tips Hirano¡¯s taught me, I ran toward the f*ckers that bullied me, and¡ª ¡°H¨CHey, what is this¡­¡± Hikari Kawano was impatient. She had a lot of friends in the ¡°upper caste¡± of school, and among them was a special girl, Eri Mashima. The two had been friends ever since junior high, and Hikari knew no one could disregard her own position as Mashima¡¯s friend. That¡¯s why no one in class could defy her. If someone disobeyed her, the boys, who were the ¡°keepers¡± of the class, wouldn¡¯t stand still. Albeit inferior to Mashima, Hikari was a cunning girl who understood the level of her own attractiveness. And this foxy girl stared at her smartphone, shaking. She had a large number of followers on social media, though not as many as Mashima. Her own count was 50k, and it was enough to satisfy her own desire to be validated. However, the boys who always had her back, her guards so to speak, were gone. They were the same guys who bullied Hayakawa. And, against all odds, the thing she was watching on her phone was a live broadcast of Hayakawa confronting his bullies. ¡°I¨CI can¡¯t believe this¡­ W¨CWait, why are you guys almost losing?!¡± Hayakawa¡¯s image in the video was, to put it mildly, one of a beast. He screamed, roared, and relentlessly pummeled her ¡°knights¡±. He even grabbed their hands, threw them on the ground, and punched, and punched, and punched, and punched. He did not stop until all of the bullies gave up. They groveled at Hayakawa¡¯s feet, spitting a stream of apologies, even claiming they were only bullying him under someone¡¯s order: Hikari Kawano. And to top it off, the comments in the live stream were crazy. ¡°Woah, a dictator, huh?¡± ¡°For real, she¡¯s the mastermind behind all this.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it lame that they¡¯ve followed a random girl¡¯s orders to bully someone?¡± ¡°Hikari Kawano, I see you¡¯re name has been revealed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure this is all edited footage.¡± ¡°This is live.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a site for underground fights.¡± ¡°Woah, a comment fight¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°¡­ Oi, isn¡¯t Eri-chan spitting some crazy sh*t on Twitter?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®Eri-chan¡¯?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a very popular high schooler on social media.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m shocked, Hayakawa is a victim of a fake confession, done against him by Hikari.¡± ¡°I¨CIs she a freshman?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s so trashy nowadays¡­¡± ¡°Sorry Hayakawa, I underestimated you. I¡¯ll donate some money for ya.¡± ¡°Hikari sent such a disgusting image to Eri-chan¡­ Disgusting.¡± But as these comments rolled in, Hikari herself couldn¡¯t help but exclaim: ¡°Why did these guys mention my name! those idiots! ¡­ huh, but what did Eri do? Why am I losing control?!¡± When one is at their lowest, their true nature comes out without them knowing. Hikari¡¯s classmates were surprised to see her demeanor change so drastically. And the ones who watched the video started to look at her in disgust. While all that happened, Hikari checked Eri¡¯s tweet. As she read it, her hand started quivering uncontrollably, her phone even fell out of her hand. ¡°W¨CWhy the f*ck is Eri betraying me?!¡± In her tweet, Eri defended Hayakawa and detailed every misdeed Hikari ever made. Videos and photos Hikari had sent her, as well as screenshots of some of her messages, were also in her thread. ¡°I wanted to stop my friend, but I just couldn¡¯t¡­ I was so scared when she told me about the bullying, yet I couldn¡¯t speak up. So, if I don¡¯t come clean here, I¡¯ll let all my friends down. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m the worst for not being able to stop her¡­¡± ¡ªAt first glance, it may seem like an action completely unbefitting of a friend, since she was putting down a dossier exposing her old friend, but Eri¡¯s followers didn¡¯t see it that way. For them, it was an admirable action to be brave enough to make such accusations. Also, she was cute, so every action was justified. As a result of all the messages, Hikari Kawano suffered a humongous amount of damage. ¡°E¨CE¨CERIIIIIIII¡ª! THAT¡¯S WHY I HATE YOU, YOU F*CKING B*TCH!¡± ¡°Hikari-chan, you shouldn¡¯t talk like that to your best friend.¡± Eri Mashima was standing right next to Hikari, and behind her stood a muscular upperclassman. As soon as she entered her sight, Hikari tried to slap her on the cheek, but Mashima¡¯s cronies stopped her. ¡°You slapped me the other day, Hikari. And y¡¯know, I ha~te violent people.¡± The reason Eri abandoned Hikari was that she exacted violence upon her. Apart from that main reason, she simply thought it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for her to remain friends with Hikari, considering the surging influence of Hayakawa¡¯s channel, along with the predicted downfall of Hikari Kawano. ¡°T¨CThat was because you were going after Hirano-kun¡­ B¨Cbut I apologized, and y¨Cyou forgave me!¡± ¡°Oh, and I know you talk smack about me behind my back. You hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°T¨CThat¡¯s not true¡­ B¨Cbut, hey, E¨CEri-chan, c¨Ccould you take your tweets back?¡± And Eri smiled, but it wasn¡¯t her normal politeness. It was a smile befitting of a predator that just caught its prey. Upon seeing that, Hikari Kawano instinctively gets down on her knees, and she knew this was the only thing she could do. But it was too late. ¡°Bye-bye, Hikari. Oh, and don¡¯t show your face in front of me ever again~¡± With that, all the misdeeds Hikari Kawano had ever made, along with her own cronies, were already put on the internet. The sparks turned into embers, which turned into strong flames. Soon, such flames would become a full-on unstoppable fire, but Hayakawa¡¯s words in a new video helped to fan such animosity. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna see anyone suffer, even if she¡¯s bad. So I¡¯m going to forget about the past and move on. ¡ªPlease, forget about Kawano.¡± She was in the class hub ever since the incident, and soon, her heart reached its limit. The only person in the classroom who spoke to her after the incident was Hayakawa himself. He suggested she makes an apology video and warned people who tried to exact bullying upon her. After everything he¡¯s been through, and albeit hating her guts, he was kind. And Hikari, who was at her breaking point after being the target of the entire school¡¯s animosity, came to know Hayakawa¡¯s shining kindness. ¡°W¨CWhy are you so nice to me¡­ I¨CI¡¯ve done terrible things to you¡­¡± So, being in such a fragile state, it was inevitable she¡¯d fall in love with Hayakawa. Her past, every single horrible thing she ever did, loomed over her and tormented her every second. Plagued by regret, guilt, love, and sheer fear of Eri, Hikari went to school another day. And for the first time in her life, in a self-inflicted manner, she understood that true love was the most bitter of feelings. Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your opinions below! Also, if you enjoyed my translation and would like to feed my caffeine addiction, click on the button below and graciously give me my fix¡ªI mean, a cup of coffee. Volume 3 - CH 1 Posted on June 15, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. The clicky clacks of a keyboard echoed throughout the cafeteria. For some reason, I, Toshiki Sawada, sat face-to-face with Hiratsuka. Meanwhile, Reika, sitting by my side, wasn¡¯t letting her guard down for even a moment. ¡°Yeah, this is all I have to say about Toshiki-kun¡¯s blog post¡­ Sorry for taking your time,¡± Hiratsuka threw me a seductive smile, trying to hold my hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Reika was having none of that, holding his wrist as soon as his hand was about to touch mine. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch him! Toshiki will be tainted!¡± ¡°I¨CIt hurts¡­ Hysterical woman,¡± he snapped back. ¡°Don¡¯t start a fight, Hiratsuka-senpai,¡± I intervene. ¡°N¨Cno, Toshiki-kun, this is, um¡­¡± He started calling me ¡°Toshiki-kun¡±, and to be honest, I¡¯d rather not think too much about it¡­ In any case, he¡¯s an underground fighter that apparently loves computers to bits. The reason I was being interviewed by him today is that he wanted to know more about my techniques. I can¡¯t understand Hiratsuka these days. He often wears a mask to hide his face and helps Hayakawa with his channel. I¡¯ve even seen a video of him teaching my friend Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu¡­ What are you aiming at, Hayakawa¡­? Well, no matter the reason, I¡¯m glad my friend seems to be having fun. By the way, Hikari Kawano matured a bit and publicly apologized on Hayakawa¡¯s channel. The comments under that video, formerly a live stream, were incredible. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°¡­ Even if you apologize now¡­¡± ¡°Wait, could she be¡­ in love with Hayakawa?¡± ¡°She¡¯s blushing.¡± ¡°Yo, her voice is hoarse.¡± ¡°Her gaze seems different, as if her temper¡¯s changed.¡± ¡°Wait, for real?!¡± ¡°Hayakawa, don¡¯t believe in the chat!¡± ¡°So, a fake love turned real?¡± ¡°She softened up¡­¡± Since Hayakawa is incredibly dense, the thought of being liked didn¡¯t even cross his mind. Meanwhile, Hikari¡¯s apology passes through brilliantly. ¡°Oh, yeah, congrats on your promotion to the three-star rank, Hiratsuka-senpai.¡± ¡°Aw, you saying that is enough for me¡­ Well, it¡¯s thanks to your grandfather as well.¡± He wanted to know how I learned martial arts. I just introduced him to my grandpa since teaching him myself would be a hassle. All I know was passed on to me by my dad and by my grandpa. I still remember Hiratsuka freezing up the moment he saw gramps. Then, out of nowhere, he started to take off all his clothes and bow down, his forehead touching the ground. ¡°Ha, ha, ha, p¨Cplease have a one-on-one with me, grandfather!¡± He did something completely unexpected, so I tried to stop him. But it was useless ¡°Idiot! Don¡¯t you know muscles don¡¯t lie?! This man will be the real deal, my muscles tell me so! If you want a fight, you¡¯ll get one bub!¡± And with that, he took us to his underground dojo¡­ Wait, what¡¯s up with the ¡°bub¡±? Ahem, since then, he came to visit my house and get routinely beaten up by my grandpa. I also noticed he brought Hirano and Hayakawa to the underground dojo as well. ¡°Huh? What is up with the grandpa¡­? Oi, if we fight it¡¯ll be ba¡ª¡± Before he could even complete his sentence, he was beaten up like Hirano. Actually, all of them were getting constantly beat up. While all of them were being minced down to a pulp, I was plating with Reika while eating some rice crackers. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off to see the old man. I¡¯ll try to last more than ten seconds today, at least,¡± Hiratsuka said. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t get too hurt,¡± I answered. He looked happy with my answer and left with a chipper tone. Reika, on the other hand, sighed. ¡°Haah, He doesn¡¯t go clubbing anymore, rarely gets into fights, and he¡¯s no longer a delinquent¡­ That¡¯s what Toshiki does to ya, apparently.¡± ¡°No no no, I didn¡¯t do anything though?!¡± ¡°Love changes anyone.¡± ¡°¡­ A¨CAhaha¡­¡± All I could do was laugh dryly. Hiratsuka has turned around completely, and that¡¯s garnered the attention of the girls lately. He¡¯s always been more interesting to the laxer girls, like gals1 and stuff, before the incident due to the bad-boy vibes he gave off. Now, with all his changes, he was getting attention from some of the more serious girls. With all that said, both Hirano and Hayakawa had become increasingly popular thanks to the videos. Since Hayakawa started working out in earnest, he¡¯d lost some of his anxiety and got a makeover by Hirano. He¡¯s now very handsome and popular, yet he¡¯s still not aware of it at all. He even quit his part-time job to devote to content creation. Once he was short in staff, and before he knew it, even Moe Nakajima, the junior from the women¡¯s manga club, helped him with making videos¡­ You have more rivals now, girl, so good luck there. The interview I had with Hiratsuka drained me quite a bit. ¡°Reika, wanna grab some coffee? Since we¡¯re already here, we could just take it easy.¡± ¡°Sure, it was a bit tiring, wasn¡¯t it? Oh, I¡¯ll get it, leave it to me.¡± She got up from her seat and headed to the balcony. I watched her go, eyes unconsciously following her¡­ Reika was extremely cute, no denying that. Though, she must¡¯ve noticed my gaze since she turned around, and with a small wave of her hand, blew away any exhaustion that plagued me, melting my heart in the process. ¡­ I think we¡¯re making progress, her and I, though we¡¯re taking it one step at a time. Reika thinks of me only as a childhood friend, I think. But I couldn¡¯t help but notice that, sometimes, she showed me some different expressions, and it often felt that the distance between us two was gradually changing. It couldn¡¯t have been a misunderstanding on my part. After the upcoming exams, we were going to the Summer Salt Island on the outskirts of Tokyo. It¡¯s a zoo, aquatic park, and an amusement park to boot. All in one single complex. Only four people would go, including us two, Hayakawa and Nakajima. Hirano and Hiratsuka also wanted to come, but they had something they just couldn¡¯t miss. Rather, they had a fight in which the two would face off against each other. They were both completely healed. When I fought each one of them, I made sure to break and dislocate things cleanly, so as to not hinder the healing process. My punches were also special in that they didn¡¯t leave lasting marks on their bodies. And their fight is the talk of the UF community at the moment. Their bout is not like what I partook in, it was an official fight in the ring after all. Hayakawa and I were looking forward to it, and we¡¯d all watch it together at the inn when the time comes¡­ Yeah, we¡¯ll have a sleepover this time, a first for me. Despite Reika and I living in the same house, we¡¯d never done that before. ¡­ I¡¯ve also never traveled with friends before. During junior high, I experienced forest trips and classes, but at that time, the only person I could call a friend was Mashima. Though I was left alone since she was with her boyfriend at the time. I even sat alone on the train rides, at the inn, and at the attractions themselves¡­ In hindsight, I really was lonely, wasn¡¯t I¡­? That¡¯s why I¡¯m really looking forward to this trip. While these thoughts ran through my mind, Reika finally came back from the balcony. ¡°Sorry for the wait~ Here you go, coffee.¡± ¡°Thanks. Hey, about our trip this weekend¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, hehe, I was so excited I bought a bunch of guidebooks¡­¡± ¡°Me too, I¡¯m so excited!¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m happy anywhere as long as I¡¯m with you, Toshiki.¡± Those words caught me off guard. Every sweet phrase that she threw ate into my heart, and it was so tremendously powerful, that I barely managed to answer coherently. ¡°M¨CMe too, I¨CI¡¯m glad to be anywhere with you, Reika.¡± What a mediocre response on my part. If it was Hirano, he would¡¯ve said it in a more snappy and fun way. After that, we both enjoyed some nice coffee together, and even though it was kinda cheap, it tasted like heaven since Reika was by my side. 1 ¡ª Gal or Gyaru is a Japanese fashion subculture. The term gyaru is a Japanese transliteration of the English slang word gal. Volume 3 - CH 2 Posted on June 18, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°¡ªSo that¡¯s what happened¡­ Sawada? You listening?¡± Reika isn¡¯t present today, since she had an errand to do with her father. Her absence from school leaves a gaping hole in my heart. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m listening,¡± I answered. ¡°You and Hiratsuka-senpai hugged each other while naked,¡± I looked at Hirano. ¡°No no no! It was a sparring match! The only pervert there was Hiratsuka-senpai! Guh¡­ You¡¯re so distracted without Sakashita around.¡± ¡°N¨Cno, it¡¯s not like that¡­ I¨CI¡¯m normal without Reika.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie, it¡¯s obvious¡­ Well, whatever.¡± Hayakawa¡¯s presence alone attracted the attention of my classmates. Since he became a successful streamer, his popularity skyrocketed, and honestly, it was nice to see my friend thrive like that. I¡¯m glad we¡¯re still friends. ¡°Well, I gotta go, but let¡¯s walk home together!¡± ¡°Yeah, see ya later man.¡± When he walked off the classroom, I felt the previous gazes shift in tone. The gazes were completely different when I was the target. While he changed himself for the better, I haven¡¯t done squat to change. There was the rumor that my father was a criminal, which was spread by Hiratsuka. I remember him going around the school to clear up the misunderstandings and claiming the blame for all the shade I had on me. It was thanks to his actions that most students believed it was all a hoax. Keyword: Most. Some were different, thinking I really was the son of some criminal. Actually, every classmate I had, apart from Reika, still believed in that story. When I asked Hiratsuka who was the one that told him about my dad, he replied, ¡°The student council president, Lee. I didn¡¯t go looking for anything, he just told me about it.¡± It was strange. Almost everyone believed in Hiratsuka¡¯s side of the story, but this class in particular hated my guts. I felt such animosity only grow with Reika¡¯s absence. I thought I didn¡¯t have to worry about what others said. Reika was by my side, after all¡­ But I do feel bad about any rumors floating around about her because of me. ¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think Mashima is pulling any strings. Despite all that happened between us recently, she was someone I grew up and spent a lot of time with. I knew she wasn¡¯t someone who was inherently bad, spreading malice just for the sake of it. But even now, I could hear the murmurs of my classmates being thrown around from behind. ¡°Violent guy¡­¡± ¡°I heard Reika is a delinquent too.¡± ¡°He took Hiratsuka under his wing.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the son of a scumbag.¡± ¡°This time Hayakawa is his lackey, huh¡­¡± ¡°Why is he in a good mood?¡± I¡¯m no longer the pushover I was with Mashima. I¡¯ve erased my tormented self, and I can now think coldly like I used to. ¡­ But I didn¡¯t do anything. All I did was fight with Hiratsuka and Hirano, while not trying to improve this class¡¯ perception of me. Compared to Hayakawa, I haven¡¯t grown at all. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll follow his example and take a deep look at myself. But when I tried to meditate and look back at my past¡ª ¡°Oi, Sawada, the president wants to see you¡­ Answer me, disgusting f*ck,¡± His voice was dripping with malice. And at that moment, a conflict arose in my mind. Should I be strong, or stay quiet like before? ¡ªI choose not to care about his words. ¡°Thank you, Yamada.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me, or they¡¯ll think I¡¯m a criminal too.¡± I¡¯m good at letting things go. As soon as I breathe, my mind calms down and all the bad feelings go away. With that in mind, I decided to meet the president, who was probably waiting for me in the hallway. Goriki Sekiguchi, a.k.a Lee is the student council president. He was known for his abnormally long sideburns and long slit eyes. Be it summer, be it winter, he always wore a leather jacket over his shoulders, and the only shirt he ever wore was a tank top. Uh, it¡¯s cold, but I guess he isn¡¯t feeling anything since he has a lot of muscles. All in all, he¡¯s a man of few words and a massive sense of justice. Frankly, he wasn¡¯t the type I liked to deal with. ¡°Toshiki Sawada, we heard you were involved in a violent incident. It was reported that you beat Hiratsuka, who could not resist until he passed out.¡± Even I was surprised at that. His case was related to underground fights, and Hiratsuka himself was the one who picked a fight with me in the first place¡­ Though it was true I basically violated him. Well, that was already resolved between us. ¡°Wait a second, that issue is between me and¡ª¡± ¡°Him? I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll simply judge what happened¡­ Follow me to the student council office,¡± The president didn¡¯t listen to anyone, and had a deep connection with Mr. Tachibana, the school principal. So no matter what excuses I have, it¡¯ll still be my fault? Why is school such a difficult place to be? Being falsely accused makes me sick to my stomach¡­ I had to deal with many horrible feelings before. Every time Mashima found a man for herself, I felt a piece of my heart being ripped out of my chest. Despite that, it was my own feelings on the matter. All I had to do was bear them, and it¡¯d be fine. The hostile stares from my classmates, the students in the hallway who looked at me with curiosity, this hard-headed president¡­ Ah, I finally get it¡­ I should just stop caring about anything. With my mind finally made up, I pried off the president¡¯s hand before he could grab me. ¡°If you wanna talk about it, just do it here. What kinda punishment do you want to exact on me?¡± ¡°I see¡­ Minus 10 points. You¡¯re a bad student for standing up to your seniors. Well, I don¡¯t care about your feelings, just come to the council office.¡± It doesn¡¯t feel right. Instead of condemning me, they just wanna take me to the student council office. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Lee-senpai! ¡ªAnd Toshi, who¡¯s with you apparently! Fufu~ Look, I¡¯m wearing a different hairband today, lookie¡ª!¡± It was Mashima who intervened, and I noticed Lee turning away with his cheeks burning red. ¡°Y¨Cyou¡¯re dainty today, as always¡­ Too dazzling for me to look at,¡± The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. In the most casual way possible, she started touching Lee. Their closeness was too intense. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re cool too, Lee-senpai! It¡¯s a yes from me! ¡­ Are you two fighting or something? I hate violence¡­¡± With those words, she tried to come closer and hug me, but I evaded her attempt. ¡°Eeh~? You¡¯re cold, Toshi¡­ You used to be so warm¡­ Hey, we¡¯re childhood friends, aren¡¯t we? I won¡¯t do anything weird anymore, so let¡¯s go back to being friends like we used to.¡± I took a glance at Lee, who gritted his teeth and almost shed tears at this sight. Despite that, I turned to Mashima and softly answered. ¡°No, Mashima-san. We¡¯re not friends anymore. A lot has happened, and it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t talk anymore¡­¡± ¡°Y¨CYou¡­! Wasting Eri-san¡¯s goodwill¡­! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± ¡°Hey, Lee-senpai! Calm down! ¡ªToshi, let¡¯s have lunch together today, we have lots to talk about!¡± Lee then suddenly grabbed my hand. ¡°Sawada! We¡¯re going to the office right now! My heart is breaking, and I have a LOT of questions to ask you!¡± I¡¯d rather deal with him than with Mashima. ¡°G¨CGot it. I can walk on my own, so let go of my hand please.¡± Thus, I had to accompany him to the council office. Uh, class is about to start, so will it be okay? ¡°Okay, see you soon~! Take care, fufu~¡± Her smile was strangely scary¡­ So that¡¯s how she looks like with her fake smile on, huh. Volume 3 - CH 3 Posted on June 19, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. ¡°Now, no one can spy or listen to us here. This is my castle. Put yourself on the couch over there.¡± As soon as Lee entered the office, he tossed his jacket over his shoulder, and the atmosphere softened quite a bit. After that, he plopped down on the sofa. There¡¯s only one¡­ H¨Che wants me to sit beside him? ¡°N¨Cno, I¡¯ll just stand up. So, what happened between Hiratsuka-senpai and I is¡ª¡± He restrained me with a gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t say a thing. I¡¯ve seen enough of your fist fights. I¡¯ve no intention of saying anything from the school¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Eh? Then why are we here¡­?¡± He sighed audibly to my words. ¡°Truth is, I have something to ask¡­ Did you get a grudge from someone from the underground?¡± ¡°No, nothing I can think of.¡± ¡°¡­ Got it, but you¡¯re apparently being eyed by their upper management. They ordered me to tell Hiratsuka about your father, and I couldn¡¯t go against it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The fact they have their eyes on you is a problem, but you still have a bigger one¡­ That is, you¡¯re at odds with Eri Mashima.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a weird noise. Not in a hundred years would I think her name would be involved in all of this. ¡°You¡¯re being isolated in your class, right? That¡¯s Eri Mashima¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°Her fault¡­?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not her direct fault, to be exact. The ones doing it are her worshipers, and they¡¯re on their own. Eri Mashima is acting as ¡®usual¡¯, and there¡¯s no malicious intent coming from her. O¨COh, by the way, what you saw me do earlier was an act! I¨CI really don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny¡­ Though, I get what you mean by her acting as ¡®usual¡¯. It¡¯s like a kid brutally killing an insect, yet bearing no sort of ill will towards it while doing so.¡± ¡°Exactly, and the fact you separated from her made Mashima worse. Moreover, her father is one of the highest executives of that underground fighting organization¡­ Frankly, he¡¯s so important over there that if he so asked, I would have to fight you.¡± Does her father have that position? ¡­ I¡¯ve never seen him, and I heard her mother died when she was little. But none of this matters. I¡¯m awake, and I don¡¯t care that her father is some sort of big shot, I just don¡¯t want anything to do with her anymore I noticed Lee¡¯s face contorting as if his next words were hard to say. ¡°So I need you to do me a favor¡­ I would like to have you and Eri Mashima back together¡­ I¡¯m not asking you to date her, just that you become her friend again.¡± These words absolutely mortified me. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d try to force us back together like this, and even less so that it¡¯d be done via Lee, whom I met for the first time today. If it was Hayakawa telling me these words, I¡¯d at least understand where he¡¯s coming from. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve burned ten years¡¯ worth of feelings and cut ties with her. All this time I¡¯ve been in constant pain, and finally, for the first time in a decade, things have been looking better for me.¡± ¡°I understand that, but¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± I¡¯ve been by her side for a whole decade, slowly suffocating my heart and supporting her without reserve. I placed her above everything else in my life, accepting every little thing she did and loving her every second of the way, despite it all. Lee bowed to me, the same guy who was so famous for his own pride¡­ Seeing him do that made me feel bad. ¡°Please, Sawada. If this continues, even I can¡¯t predict what she¡¯ll do with the other fighters. All my favorites may start to go crazy from whatever she tries to do in her madness, and it won¡¯t be only you who¡¯ll be in danger. ¡ªYour friends might pay the price¡­¡± The first thing that came to mind was Reika¡¯s face, followed by Hayakawa and the others¡­ Are they in danger? Honestly, I felt Mashima¡¯s gaze pierce me from time to time. It was a nasty glare. ¡°You¡¯re being selfish¡­¡± I said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a muscle-brained idiot who can only do Jeet Kune Do. This is all I could come up with.¡± ¡°¡­ Can I punch your face?¡± I retort. ¡°If that makes you feel better.¡± Mashima¡¯s icky glare¡­ What if it was aimed at Reika instead of me? Thinking that, a vague sense of uneasiness spread through my chest, and I couldn¡¯t say anything to Lee¡¯s words. I don¡¯t remember how I got back to class, it was all a haze. After my conversation with Lee, I called Reika since I was worried about her. ¡°Hm? is something wrong, Toshiki? Aren¡¯t you in class right now?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a bit worried.¡± ¡°Ahaha, well, I¡¯m with my dad now! Everyone¡¯s doing fine over here!¡± ¡°I see¡­ You didn¡¯t see anyone strange or anything over there, did you?¡± ¡°Strange? Hmm, actually there was a guy tailing me all morning, but he suddenly disappeared halfway through. He wasn¡¯t good at following me, as if he wasn¡¯t used to it. I thought he might be related to my dad or something, but¡ª¡± After that, I just had small talk with her and hung up the phone. Reika¡¯s surroundings were special, with her dad and all, but¡­ She was a normal girl. What if something bad happened to her? Sitting at my desk, I could feel the constant glares piercing me from all around. I guess this is all Mashima¡¯s influence¡­ After a bit, I got up and told the teacher I wasn¡¯t feeling well, leaving early for the day. Then, on foot, I walked to where Reika currently was. Yesterday I was able to welcome Reika back without any incidents. Last night I even told her about every thought that had been plaguing me, and what I planned to do. I haven¡¯t slept much, and it was soon time to go to school. I finished my morning preparations and was about to leave the house. It wasn¡¯t a normal morning. ¡°Um, here¡¯s a gift. I thought I¡¯d give it to you on the last date, but Hirano-kun got in the way¡­¡± I handed Reika a bear keychain right outside the entrance. She accepted that gift happily, but her face soon turned gloomy. ¡°Thanks¡­ I¡¯ll take good care of it¡­¡± Seeing her happy made me happy, and seeing her sad makes me sad¡­ How wonderful it is to have someone I care so much for. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°O¨COkay¡­ See ya later!¡± With that, I opened the front door and stepped outside. ¡ªOnly to meet Mashima. ¡°Toshi! We can finally go to school together! Ehehe, we¡¯ll be together from today on!¡± I left the house without saying a word. I didn¡¯t want to look back, nor did I want to see Reika¡¯s face yet. Forcing a stiff smile on my face, Mashima and I walked away. ¡°¡ªSo Tachibana-sensei bought me a cake. Oh, Toshi, are you jealous? Don¡¯t worry, I like him too, but you¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Maybe coming back with Mashima was the right thing to do, as Lee told me in that office. Glancing beside me, I saw her walk next to me, happily talking about some other guy she liked other than me. What a distorted relationship we have¡­ Suddenly, a thought runs through my mind. I never knew anything about her family, only that she lived alone in a big house. I only saw her nanny once in a while. I¡¯m really ignorant of a lot of things, huh. I kept walking to school while listening to Mashima¡¯s absurd stories, and soon I notice the type of gazes around me shift dramatically. It was then that I finally saw it was her influence all along. Still, my classmates¡¯ glares didn¡¯t change much. When I approached the school gate, I saw Lee standing there. He looked at me and bowed his head¡­ I can hit you, right? Prepare your a*s. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re going on a trip soon, aren¡¯t you? Mmm, I¡¯ll go with you! You¡¯re Reika-chan¡¯s favorite, but I know you¡¯ll definitely come back to me!¡± ¡°Reika-chan? Why are you talking about her as if you were friends?¡± ¡°Hm? Are you mad, Toshi? Hehe, what¡¯s yours is also mine, so I have to be a bit kinder to Reika-chan, too!¡± Glancing, I could see Reika, Hayakawa, and the other walking right behind us, and I could also notice by their voices that they were extremely confused. ¡°¡­ Hey, Eri-chan.¡± ¡°Toshi! You finally called me ¡®Eri-chan¡¯ like you used to!¡± She¡¯s not normal. I don¡¯t know what happened to her in the past, but we¡¯re childhood friends who spent a long time with one another. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed her away under any circumstances, nor said that I didn¡¯t care anymore. That¡¯s because we were broken. What we should¡¯ve done is talk more deeply about stuff, and I should¡¯ve been clearer about the things I didn¡¯t like her doing. I shouldn¡¯t have been the only one to heal and move on. So I gently place my hand on her shoulder¡ª ¡°Uwaa~! Toshi, you¡¯re embarrassing me! Hehe, I see, I see! You need me Toshi¡ª¡± As Lee had told me, if I went back to my old relationship with Eri, I¡¯d go back to my old peaceful life. However, our relationship was distorted and mangled. I¡¯m not her friend anymore¡­ I made a decision. I had to face her. Letting go of the tension in my body, I finally conveyed everything I felt to her. ¡°I won¡¯t push you away again¡­ You¡¯re my childhood friend, Eri-chan, but you know¡­ I found someone I like. ¡ªI love Reika.¡± ¡°Eh, b¨Cbut, you l¨Clove me, don¡¯t you? I¨CI don¡¯t mind if you have a favorite! R¨CRight?!¡± All of this is still weird¡­ Her response made me feel more sadness than hatred. What kind of life did you lead until now, Eri? This is definitely not right! But she then shouted to the surrounding students, seeking agreement with what she said. They all stopped in their tracks. Seeing her face swelling up, tears starting to roll down her face, messed my emotions up. For some reason, I felt like crying along with her. But my mind was already made up. ¡°Eri-chan¡­ There are different kinds of love. I love Reika, and you love me¡­ as a childhood friend, don¡¯t you? ¡­ I get it because I¡¯ve been in your position.¡± ¡°But, but¡ª! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! Why are you being so mean to me? I care about you Toshi, and I love everyone!¡± I grabbed her shoulders tightly, raising my voice against her for the first time in my life. ¡°No, you don¡¯t Eri! We were both crazy¡­ Hey, Eri-chan, I know we can¡¯t have the same relationship we had, but¡­ Do you wanna go back to normal with me?¡± ¡°N¨CNormal? I¨CI¡¯m not normal? But they all affirm me, you know. Toshi, am I crazy? Huh? Why am I scared? No, no no no no no, stop, STOP! I don¡¯t want it to hurt! Make it stop! I¡­ I don¡¯t like you anymore, Toshi¡­¡± At that moment, people gathered around her. Some were from other classes, and others were from her own. Many of my classmates were also there. ¡°Mashima-san, are you okay? Did he say something you didn¡¯t like?¡± ¡°Eri-chan, leave him alone and come with me.¡± ¡°Oi, don¡¯t let that criminal get anywhere near her!¡± ¡°Are you bullying her? You piece of sh*t!¡± Yamada, one of the guys in my class, grabbed me by the chest. Reika and the others tried to run up and help me, but I shook my head at them. Soon, Lee came running up to me. ¡°Oi, everyone scram! If anyone starts fighting, I won¡¯t forgive you! ¡­ Sawada, what the hell is going on? Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to go back to your original relationship? If you don¡¯t, the power scale between the internal factions in the underground will¡­ No, Eri Mashima will go berserk.¡± He whispered that last part to me so the other students couldn¡¯t hear me, then grabbed my shirt tightly¡­ Lee was truly selfish, and he doesn¡¯t think about others. ¡°Hey, Lee-senpai. I¡¯m pretty sure I have one punch on your tab, right? You consented to it, so¡­ Steel your stomach and take it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± We¡¯re extremely close to each other, so much so there¡¯s only a few inches of space between us. That was more than enough. Using every muscle in my body, every joint, every drop of strength I could muster, I punched him in the gut. It was widely known as the one-inch punch, performed by Bruce Lee himself. He was blown away, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets. He had no time to even scream. That was me giving a half-serious blow. Then the buzz around me soon turned into bewilderment. ¡ªLee, due to his strong grip, ripped away my shirt as he was being blown off. Before anyone could say a thing, I started shouting at the people surrounding Eri. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know SH*T! Even I, who was by her side for ten whole years, know nothing about her! So outsiders, get the F*CK out of my VIEW!!!!!¡± The bodies of Eri¡¯s followers were shaking uncontrollably, their mouths gasping for air. No one could utter a word at my sight. No wonder, they don¡¯t know the horror of true violence. For the past decade, I haven¡¯t had a proper talk with Eri, even though I knew something was wrong with her. I had to face her because we were childhood friends. But then Lee, barely conscious, started talking¡ª ¡°Underground fighting? Danger? Eri¡¯s parents being executives? I DON¡¯T GIVE A FLYING F*CK! I¡¯m just her USELESS childhood friend! So, from now on, I¡¯ll make her a normal girl again. ¡ªAnd y¡¯know what¡­? I¡¯m f*cking pissed. Oh, and you guys tried to kidnap Reika, right? So¡ª¡± My voice lowered an octave, almost turning into a growl. They tried to hurt the person most important to me. I can¡¯t let that happen. Looking around, I saw all of the students trembling, immobilized by the sheer fear of my intimidation. ¡°¡ªSo, I¡¯ll get you the fight you want.¡± I approached Eri-chan, who was kneeling down on the floor with her head in her hands, and hugged her. She was just like a scared child¡­ If you have a fight, just makeup. Well, it¡¯s not that simple, but it¡¯s a normal thing in every relationship. Yet we didn¡¯t even know how to do that¡­ ¡°Hey Eri-chan, let¡¯s be proper friends from now on.¡± ¡°Eh, Ah, Toshi-kun¡­ I, I was t¨Ctold to love you, T¨CToshi¡­ A¨CAh, you¡¯re my childhood friend¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go to the infirmary.¡± ¡°M¨CMkay¡­¡± Reika and my other friends approach us. Then Reika herself supported Eri, who was dazed and confused. After that whole ordeal, we went to the infirmary¡­ TL: Wasn¡¯t expecting this outcome, but I¡¯m definitely loving it. No person on this whole planet is 100% good or bad, and life is just a huge canvas painted in gray. It¡¯d be two-dimensional to just put any character into the ¡°villain¡± bag and call it a day. Frankly, this novel isn¡¯t perfect. Its execution is sometimes messy, but it¡¯s an enjoyable read nonetheless. The author at least tried, to the maximum of his abilities, to do more with the characters than a lot of other novel authors out there. This novel is almost done, with ten chapters to go, and all I can say is that I¡¯m excited to see where this goes next. With all that said, see you on the next one! Volume 3 - CH 4 Posted on June 23, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. I had never denied Eri, and she¡¯d never denied me. That was until the whole thing with Hiratsuka happened, and I finally woke up after she reject me for the first time. I pushed her away. For the first time, I disobeyed Eri. Perhaps that was the first time she ever felt a sense of discomfort creeping up on her¡­ It was jealousy, something I¡¯d never seen come from her before. We were at the infirmary, and she was lying on one of the beds with her upper body up. ¡°Um, Reika-chan, right¡­? I¡¯m sorry. I told my dad¡¯s friend about you yesterday¡­ I said I didn¡¯t like any girls flocking around Toshi, and that you should just disappear¡­¡± Obviously, it was not the normal behavior of a high school girl. It was due to my suspicions that I went to see Reika yesterday, but I didn¡¯t enter the house she was staying at. Instead, I waited outside to observe any suspicious movements. But as soon as Reika left the front door to do something, a car came out of nowhere and sped up in her direction. Meanwhile, I ran toward her, and as soon as the car stopped and a group of men stepped out, I was already between them and Reika. ¡ªReika was almost kidnapped, and yet she touched Eri¡¯s shoulder with a peaceful face. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t wanna get kidnapped ever, and I wasn¡¯t, so I¡¯m fine now. Besides, you¡¯re his childhood friend, aren¡¯t you? You can¡¯t just say and do things like that!¡± ¡°So it was a horrible thing after all¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Only Reika, Eri, and I were in this infirmary room. Hayakawa and the others had already left. ¡°Okay. At least you apologized, Mashi¡ª¡± ¡°Reika, it¡¯s useless. Eri doesn¡¯t have a shred of malicious or good intent attached to her, and she doesn¡¯t feel bad either. She¡¯s just apologizing for the way things went¡­ And she doesn¡¯t understand that she tried to do something atrocious.¡± ¡°E¨CEh, really?¡± To answer my words, Eri nodded her head without a hint of trickery. ¡°I guess¡­ I don¡¯t really understand it, but I figured what I did was ¡®bad¡¯ because of your reactions.¡± Reika was stunned at her words, as well as her actions. Eri naturally spread hurtful actions, and I¡¯m sure there were many victims of this nature of hers. ¡°Eri-chan, you can heal slowly from today onward¡­ Also, your dad¡¯s friend did something grave, so don¡¯t contact him ever again.¡± I warn her. ¡°If you say so, I won¡¯t.¡± She complied. ¡°Toshi¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s okay? I¡¯ve seen all kinds of people, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one so¡­ insane.¡± But Eri interrupted her story, speaking as if she was in her own little world. ¡°Um, please call me ¡®Eri-chan¡¯. You¡¯re Toshi¡¯s friend, after all¡­ But hey, did I ever ¡®love¡¯ Toshi? Or even Hiratsuka-senpai and every other boy? Actually, what is ¡®love¡¯ in the first place? All I know is that my only friend was Toshi.¡± Her speech was like that of a child, and she seemed as if she had just broken off a trance that plagued her for ages. She was calm, peaceful even. ¡°Eri-chan, you don¡¯t know why you liked me, right?¡± I ask her. ¡°Um, I feel like someone kept telling me to like you¡­ My memory¡¯s a bit fuzzy, but when I was in elementary school, it hurt me not to like you even though I liked Hashiba-kun.¡± It hurt¡­? When I heard those words, I felt my heart ache. ¡°And I tried my best to fall in love with you, Toshi, but I don¡¯t even know what ¡®love¡¯ is anymore¡­¡± ¡°Eri-chan, you don¡¯t have to keep going. Let¡¯s have a little break.¡± I interrupted her. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine now. I can get up properly now. But if I don¡¯t go to class soon, I¡¯ll be scolded later. Besides, I feel like I¡¯ve woken up ever since you rejected me, Toshi!¡± ¡°Toshiki, let¡¯s go back to class for a while, okay?¡± Reika added. ¡°We can all continue talking during lunch break. Can you stand up, Eri-chan?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Ehehe~ You¡¯re so sweet Reika-chan, just like Toshi.¡± ¡°Okay okay, if you¡¯re that healthy, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, I feel at home when Toshi¡¯s by my side. ¡ªOh, I see! You¡¯re my ¡®friend¡¯!¡± Eri seemed to be in good physical condition for the time being, so we decided to leave the infirmary and take her to her classroom. ¡°See you later then, guys! Phew, I¡¯m looking forward to having lunch with Toshi and Reika-chan! Oh, I can live a normal life now, right? I don¡¯t have to do anything weird anymore! ¡ªI know, I can settle lots of things now!¡± ¡°Settle? Eh, Eri-chan? Wait a second, what on earth¡ª!¡± She grabbed her phone and walked into her classroom¡­ ¡°Toshiki, wasn¡¯t the atmosphere in that classroom dangerous?¡± ¡°¡­ You felt it too, Reika?¡± Her classroom was strangely agitated. They were talking excitedly with each other, fiddling with their phones. When Eri entered the room, there was little reaction from anybody¡­ Even though she was so loved by everyone. ¡°¡­ So I didn¡¯t know you at all, Eri, even though we were together since we were kids,¡± I muttered. ¡°Well, can¡¯t be helped. You¡¯ve made up, so why don¡¯t you two just get to know each other from now on?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Ah!¡± ¡°Hm? Is something wrong?¡± I just remembered something crazy. I think I confessed my love to Reika back when that whole confrontation happened this morning. ¡°R¨CReika¡­? A¨CAh, y¡¯know, I think I said something about you¡­ recently.¡± ¡°Eh? A¨CAh, um, I didn¡¯t hear it at all! S¨CSo, well, maybe I¡¯d like to know w¨Cwhat it was, um, at another time¡­ I¡¯d love to! Uh, y¡¯know¡­¡± ¡°Y¨CYeah, right¡­ I¨CI¡¯ll try again next time¡­¡± Both she and I had extremely good hearing¡­ Yup, she didn¡¯t hear it, I¡¯m sure! After all, I wanna confess in a more romantic place, not in that cesspool of confusion. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s run back to class! It¡¯s almost time!¡± Reika started running. ¡°O¨COkay, wait for me!¡± I ran after her, deciding to keep these precious feelings to myself for now. ¡°You got that? Seriously, this thing ain¡¯t gonna work at all!¡± Hirano said. I, Rio Hayakawa, Hirano, and Hiratsuka were having a strategy meeting in the hallway. Hirano was talking about the footage he got from the confrontation we had today. ¡°¡­ Toshiki¡¯s body was extraordinary. What kind of past does he have for him to be covered in scars like that? Also, the density of his muscles was out of this world. I felt an overwhelming presence just by looking at him, which reminded me of his grandfather.¡± Hiratsuka said. Hiratsuka took Hirano¡¯s phone from him and stared at Toshiki¡¯s half-naked image, even zooming in and out constantly¡­ His expression was a bit creepy. ¡°So we couldn¡¯t win in the first place. Our whole foundation was different from his¡­ Also, there were some knife wounds as well as some gunshots engraved on his body, right? It was really bad, I don¡¯t think I can upload the video¡­¡± Apart from all that, it was impossible to blow away Lee with a single punch. He was strange, but he was still one of the best in the whole organization. Even if Hiratsuka and Hirano fought against him 2v1, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°Ah, here they are. Oi, come over here!¡± I saw Hikari Kana scurrying through the hallway looking for us. I waved at her, and she ran up to me while complaining. ¡°Hey, why are you guys huddled in a corner like this? ¡­ I¨CI¡¯m not lonely, don¡¯t say a word!¡± ¡°Okay okay. So, I have a question for you Kawano.¡± ¡°What is it? ¡­ I¨CI¡¯ll listen to anything you say.¡± Wow, your words don¡¯t match up with your attitude. How can you be so straightforward with that scary look on your face?! W¨CWell, whatever. ¡°Uh, you¡¯re Mashima-san¡¯s classmate, right? And she was your best friend too¡­ So what kind of person was she? Be honest.¡± ¡°O¨COh, you mean Eri-chan¡­? Well, to be honest, we weren¡¯t that close. We just talked in class and ate lunch together. We also talked about boys a lot, stuff like who we liked or who we thought liked us¡­¡± ¡°But she liked Toshiki, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. I had no clue what she was thinking, and she¡¯s been with a lot of guys, though she broke up with them extremely quickly. Sometimes it was because they held her hand out of nowhere, or because they made fun of Toshiki, or reasons similar to those.¡± ¡°Hey, wait a sec¡­ Hirano, stop pointing that camera at me! Why are you filming me and Kawano together?!¡± They were both a bit far from us, filming our conversation from start to finish. ¡°What? It¡¯s because it¡¯s funny. These days you can get more views if you add a pinch of romance. Oh, can I call Nakajima, that junior from the manga club, too?¡± ¡°Stop that! You¡¯ll make them fight again!¡± Kawano and Nakajima were like cats and dogs. I frequently see Nakajima puffing her cheeks like a hamster, threatening Kawano with all her smol energy¡­ I hate myself for thinking she was a bit cute doing that. Though Hiratsuka had a strange expression on his face. ¡°Oi, isn¡¯t this Mashima-san¡¯s classroom? One of my informants sent me the URL to a video, but it¡¯s got an eerie vibe to it¡­¡± Hirano stopped filming and looked at Hiratsuka¡¯s phone. We all stopped the banter to watch the video along with them. We saw Mashima sitting alone in her classroom. No one wanted to talk to her, and whenever she reached out, they ignored her. I knew that firsthand. It was called the ¡®ghost game¡¯, and it was a form of bullying where the whole class treated you like a ghost¡­ It was a simple and horrid game. ¡°Wait, for real? I know what happened this morning, but there¡¯s no way they all would turn against her. Not in a thousand years would she lose her followers over something like that! I mean, Eri-chan didn¡¯t do anything to any of them! She just had a quarrel with Sawada!¡± But in contrast to Hikari¡¯s words, we saw a lonely image of Mashima on the screen. She had a dreary expression. After a while, a girl approached Mashima Then, she started hurling insults at her, and with that snowball, it turned into an avalanche where the girls started to surround Mashima while repeatedly throwing verbal abuse at her. All Mashima did was pout with a listless gaze, and I had no idea what was going on in her head. As she sat there, a strange guy entered the classroom, and Hirano muttered something from beside me. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t that one of the best fighters? Oh, isn¡¯t he also the guy who was excited that he was dating Mashima?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s famous for his bad character. Unlike me, he¡¯s a real womanizer. His name is Tashiro. He¡¯s obsessive and a pain in the a*s.¡± I immediately sent a message to Toshiki just in case. But as soon as I hit send, the man suddenly slapped Mashima on the cheek. It was a vicious blow. And yet the girls in that class were cheering for the dude. ¡°What the hell?! Let¡¯s go stop them!¡± In the video, I saw Mashima mutter something, though I couldn¡¯t hear her. That outrageous scene made my blood boil, and I felt my body shake. Even though I wasn¡¯t Toshiki, seeing something so heinous enraged me. As soon as we started running, we saw that Mashima was about to be hit again¡ª TL: There¡¯s definitely something sketchy going on behind Toshiki and Eri. Someone tried to manipulate both of them so they loved each other, which is alluded to by Toshiki questioning why he even loved her in the first place and Eri¡¯s dialogues in this chapter. Volume 3 - CH 5 Eri Mashima was loved by everyone. She was cheerful and sociable, dressed nicely, had a lot of connections, and was extremely beautiful. Despite all that, she had an empty heart. By going to and from school with Toshiki, just talking about their favorite anime and manga, she realized those simple exchanges were her source of happiness. She viewed dating and friendship as two of the same, not realizing that the former had a deeper connotation within, and the seriousness it entailed. It never occurred to her she was hurting Toshiki¡¯s heart with her constant dating around. ¡ªHer intentions were neither malicious nor good. Even if an ex-boyfriend she dumped goes and tries to attack her, her relatives would just get rid of him. And even girls who lost their boyfriends to Eri couldn¡¯t say a word against her. As such, there were many unfortunate accidents and incidents around Eri Mashima. Although was being blamed and shunned by everyone in her classroom, she was indifferent to those she wasn¡¯t interested in. Her classmates were but living action figures to her, and that was the extent of her perception. When she came in contact with Reika in the infirmary, her empty heart grew to the size of a grain of rice. Considering her background, it was a miracle that growth even happened in the first place. Toshiki was the catalyst for such change, and Eri knew that instinctively. ¡°Oi, you said you didn¡¯t like me, didn¡¯t you?! Say something Eri-chan!!!¡± ¡°We would¡¯ve been so much happier without you!¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯m the laughingstock of everybody because of you, Eri-chan.¡± ¡°I was bullied because of you!¡± Guilt was something she understood on a conceptual level but never experienced. That was because her heart was devoid of anything but her father¡¯s teachings and Toshiki. And it was thanks to him that she understood she did something a ¡°bit¡± bad. As she was being slapped on the cheek by Tashiro, a male student at the school, thoughts ran through her head. Violence kills the human heart, especially if it¡¯s suffered at an early age. Her abnormal relationship with her father completely wrecked her, and all that remained in her heart was Toshiki. To add insult to injury, she was completely abandoned by her dad. As soon as she left the infirmary, she got a message on her phone. ¡°Eri, don¡¯t take the Mashima surname anymore. You¡¯ve been disowned, and you¡¯re not my daughter anymore. Bye-bye.¡± At that moment, she lost everything. Her family, her house, her classmates, her source of income, her nanny, her power, her connections. Everything. Eri Mashima, daughter of one of her dad¡¯s mistresses, had a seat on the executive board of Underground Fighting for those exact reasons. Contrary to the emptiness of her heart, she had a brilliant mind. Every single idea she had for the organization had overwhelming popularity, but her brilliance wasn¡¯t taken well by the adults around her. While her classmates¡¯ countless insults cut her like knives, these thoughts ran through her mind. Her heart wasn¡¯t empty. Why did I abandon myself here? Why couldn¡¯t I do it before? Why am I being attacked? Eri had received strenuous education from her father, something she did not wish for. She was unbalanced, with an intelligent mind and an empty heart. However, that same confused girl woke up because of Toshiki, and she finally came up with an answer. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Toshi.¡± Eri finally realized her very existence was harmful to Toshiki. While she didn¡¯t grasp the reason why she finally understood he resented her. No matter what she did, her very breathing made him suffer, and she was unable to escape the weight of ten years worth of pain. If she died in front of Toshiki, he¡¯d drown in anguish. Even if they were to date, her father would strike her at the peak of her happiness. That¡¯s why she guessed the reason she was currently under attack was to afflict Toshiki himself. No matter what I do, I¡¯m doomed to never be happy ¡ª As those words ran through her head, she finally understood the emotion of sadness. At the same time, memories of all the kindness and love she received from Toshiki rushed to the surface like a geyser. ¡°I saw that anime, Eri-chan! It was su~per interesting!¡± ¡°Hey, did you forget your homework again, Eri-chan? I¡¯ll show you mine later!¡± ¡°Yeah, no prob. We¡¯ll go home together tomorrow!¡± ¡°Oh, oh! This is for you, Eri-chan. You said you loved cats!¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll be by your side, Eri-chan, no matter who you fall in love with¡­¡± As these images rushed in, tears ran down her face. She finally understood what it meant to be a human being. Her mistake was now clear to her, and she finally grasped how much she hurt Toshiki with all she did. ¡ªThis is the answer Eri found for herself. And then her consciousness came back to what happened in the classroom. She did something wrong, and she understood that. However, despite all her wrongs, violence was still overkill. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry for what I did¡­ But please, don¡¯t hit me anymore, or Toshi will be sad¡­¡± Tashiro, an underground fighter, and the girls that surrounded her were incensed by her sorry words, which only added fuel to the fire. They knew Eri had lost her power since there was a video exposing the whole situation on the top page of the website. Her apology was ultimately useless. They just wanted to crush a popular person with their own self-righteousness. Having none of it, Tashiro was about to slap her again, but then Eri moved gently. ¡°Stop with the violence¡­ I know I¡¯ve done terrible things to everyone here, but if you hit me harder, Toshi will only suffer more because of me¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt him more than I already have.¡± Violence shackled Eri for her entire life. Her father, her dead mother, her stepmother, her nanny¡ªevery single person she knew was violent against her. From the very moment she was born, her life was full of misery. The fact only her heart broke from all that was a miracle. And now, tears rolled down her cheeks. Those were real tears, unlike this morning when she broke down for no real reason. Every single time she cried, she was pretending. Not once in her life was she actually sad, for her heart was already broken. But now, for the very first time, she grieved. Eri felt deep regret for being born and causing so much suffering for Toshiki. ¡ªEri avoided Tashiro¡¯s slap with minimal movement. Since violence was something she grew up with, not learning how to defend herself would be fatal. Her next moves were all done by sheer observation. ¡°Stop avoiding me! You b*tch!¡± He staggered back and tried to slap her again, but this time he was the one who took it and screamed. Eri grabbed a ballpoint pen that was laying on her desk and impaled his palm with it. Despite her growth, Eri was still broken. Being stabbed was an everyday occurrence to her. Physical pain was numbing, yet the only lasting ache was the one in her heart. ¡°¡­ Class will be starting soon, so everyone, get back to your seats. If you need to talk, I¡¯ll hear you later!¡± Eri said these words without a shred of hesitation. Her classmates were taken in by her atmosphere. But at that exact moment, Toshiki entered the classroom. He was the first one to arrive, and as soon as he stepped into the classroom. he sensed the weird vibe of the place. Shrugging off everyone else, he approached Mashima. ¡°Eri, are you okay? What happened¡­?¡± And her heart ached. She worried that if he found out she was violent, it¡¯d make him sad. Wiping the tears, she put on a smile. ¡°Yeah, we were just playing together! Look, Toshi, you promised to meet me at lunch, right? Hehe, I wanna eat at the cafeteria today!¡± She said that while trying to push him out of the classroom. It was then she thought about Toshiki¡¯s words. He said her love for him was only as a friend. You¡¯re still dense as ever, aren¡¯t you? Hehe, but I finally woke up¡­ Yeah, I love you after all, Toshi. Her feelings for Sawada were genuine. The only thing holding her broken heart together was her love for him, and she didn¡¯t want to make him suffer ever again. Eri had no intention of expressing her love with guilt and regret. Although she pretended to be calm, Eri¡¯s mind was a raging storm. Her beloved Toshiki suffered because of everything she did, and uncontrollable feelings consumed her body from the inside out like acid. So much pain flowed inside that even she, who endured countless suffering throughout her life, couldn¡¯t endure it. It was unbearable. Volume 3 - CH 6 Posted on June 29, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. Eri pushed me back into the hallway. Her eyes¡­ she was probably crying. I had no idea of what happened during recess in her classroom. A guy I don¡¯t know was taken out of there by someone, and I could smell the iron scent of blood. It seemed like the storm had already passed, and the students quieted down and sat in their respective seats. She seemed calm, but I could feel she was holding something back. I¡¯ve never seen Eri look like that before. ¡°Toshiki, you okay?¡± ¡°Oh, Reika¡­ Yeah, I just don¡¯t know how to put it into words.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can talk about it together over lunch.¡± ¡°M¡¯kay¡­¡± When I returned to my classroom, Reika greeted me with a worried look on her face. I didn¡¯t want her to see my clouded expression without an explanation, so I thought about how I should express my thoughts in words¡­ Well, if she said so, I can talk about it later. Still, Eri was a bit weird earlier¡­ She almost looked like a human, if that makes any sense. As my mind kept racing, time passed. Reika patted my back and looked concerned at my introspectiveness. ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay? Want me to take you to the infirmary?¡± It was supposed to be class by now, and yet all I could hear were the constant buzzing of my classmates. They were making fun of the way she was patting my back, making me look like a sulking child. But honestly, their voices didn¡¯t even reach my ears. ¡°The teacher isn¡¯t back yet. Oh, Tachibana-sensei is here.¡± Reika nodded her head at my observation. It¡¯s supposed to be math right now, so it was absolutely weird the history teacher would walk in. ¡°¡­ Excuse me, Mr. Hamabe left early due to feeling sick. I¡¯m sorry, but this period is now for self-study. If you want to train math, please use these printouts. If you want to study any other subject, it¡¯s fine. I will be here in front, so feel free to ask me if you have any questions¡ª¡± Saying that he unfolded a small chair, sat on it, and began reading a book in the corner. I could feel happiness erupt from my classmates since math was no more. After that, some quietly studied, while others happily chatted away. The teacher did not pay attention to any of the noise. Reika and I decided to solve the printouts. Even though we were studying by ourselves, since we were in class, it was the best place to do so. A few minutes pass and I could hear giggling from my classmates. They were laughing at the eraser pieces and paper balls they were throwing at me. Ever since that Hiratsuka incident a while back, it happened basically every day. I thought I could just ignore it, but that provocation bothered my heart. Yamada, one of the guys in the back, stood up and said, ¡°Sorry teach, I dropped my eraser.¡± To his words, the teacher only gave him a quiet look. Yamada took that as approval. He then walked up to me and put his arms around my neck. ¡°Just because you made up with Eri-chan, doesn¡¯t mean your position in this class has changed. You were so chirpy this morning, y¡¯know? Don¡¯t get all cocky because you took Lee-senpai by surprise.¡± I restrained Reika with my hand, mouthing ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± to her. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be nicer to you than before. You¡¯re lonely because you¡¯re a f*cking weirdo, aren¡¯t you? Ha-ha, say something, freak! Oi, say something.¡± He shoved my head provokingly. I¡¯ve always thought I shouldn¡¯t worry about all the things they did to me. However, I realize now that was a mistake¡­ I could see Reika angry at what was happening to me, my experience directly making her sad. Also, if Eri sees me like this, she¡¯ll think it¡¯s her fault and break again. ¡°Ha~ I¡¯ll be your friend, just bring Eri-chan to play with us. She had her fall from grace, didn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll just steal her away from you in a moment of heartbreak, after all, she¡¯s a b*tch who sleeps with everyone, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°What the f*ck?! You piece of¡ª¡± ¡°Reika¡­ It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°B¨CBut¡­¡± Yamada kept going. ¡°Your friend right here is cute,¡± he glanced at Reika. ¡°But she¡¯s too feisty. That¡¯s a real gorilla, ain¡¯t it? I¡¯m 100% certain she¡¯s a wh*re behind the scenes anyway¡­ Oi, why are you standing up? We¡¯re in class, y¡¯know?¡± I have a lot on my mind, and I¡¯m not good at reading people¡¯s emotions. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know if Eri really did love me or not, and told her that her feelings for me are just platonic. Moreover, Reika is very kind to me, which almost made me misunderstand our relationship. ¡­ The two are dear friends of mine. It¡¯s taking every fiber of my being not to explode. Thinking about it rationally, Yamada must be insane or at least some sick person. It was sociopathic for him to just come up and insult us head-on like that. ¡°Tachibana-sensei, may I take Yamada to the infirmary?¡± The teacher then slammed his book shut and looked at me. ¡°Why? Is there something wrong with him?¡± ¡°Yeah, his temper, his head, and with his face.¡± ¡°Oh, well, then it¡¯s fine. Ah, I need to talk with you too, Sawada, so I¡¯ll go with you. Is that a problem?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± I answer. Just in time. I had something I wanted to tell him too. After that, I said some words to the teacher. Then, the classroom sprung to life and my classmates began to spit out horrible words to defend Yamada. They called me a gloomy psycho, a coward that bullied him, the one who provoked everyone. They also went on to say I¡¯d get violent again, and that I¡¯d stab him because I¡¯m the son of a criminal. I wasn¡¯t teasing you, y¡¯know? Just telling the truth. A lot of my classmates didn¡¯t laugh, and I was sure everyone lived while hiding behind a mask¡­ I was doing the same, too. It¡¯s okay as long as I don¡¯t get bullied ¡ª they all thought, running away. After that, Yamada¡¯s body quivered and he grabbed me by the collar in a fit of rage. ¡°Y¨CYou made fun of me, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me! Huh? What¡¯s that look in your eyes? Are you gonna hit me? My parents are on the school board! You¡¯re a martial artist, aren¡¯t you? C¡¯mon, hit me, hurt me! You see that teacher over there? Come and hit me! C¡¯mon you p*ssy!*¡± ¡°¡ªShut your mouth for a second, will ya? I knew you were sick in the head. You¡¯re crazy to be so abusive toward everyone in this class. Hey, you guys think so too, right? What the hell did I do? Nothing! I just wanna live my life in peace, so why are you trying to attack me?¡± No one listened to my words, and they kept throwing curses at me¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s no good. We can never see eye to eye, even if we talk. Then, I took one step closer to Yamada, and his body jolted. ¡°I see¡­ Well, I¡¯ve learned to correct an insane person from my grandpa, so I¡¯ll try it first on you, Yamada¡­ You constantly made fun of Eri and I, though I can¡¯t forget everyone else here¡­ I¡¯ll get to you all later, so hang on for a sec.¡± ¡°Ugh, shut up¡ª¡± I gently grabbed his hair, yet maintained a firm grip. It was the way my grandpa taught me to start it. If you do this, they¡¯ll try to get out on their own, and Yamada was doing exactly that. The more you try to get out, the more my firm grip will end up ripping some hair out. Then, I lightly applied a pressure point on his back, and he calmed down. That point had a sedative effect, and that was taught to me by my grandpa. After that, the teacher approached and had a few words to say. ¡°Sawada, wait a second! ¡­ Walk quietly in the hallways, or you¡¯ll disturb the other classes.¡± ¡°¡ªHuh?!¡± After he said that, the teacher helped me put a towel into Yamada¡¯s mouth so he could shut up, and I started carrying him. At that moment, a thought ran through my mind, and I wanted to block his vision, too. Before I could say anything, the teacher grabbed his tie and wrapped it around Yamada¡¯s head, covering his eyes. I¡¯m sure this guy¡¯s head will improve after we have a thorough conversation in the infirmary. Meanwhile, his body quivered uncontrollably. ¡°HNGRH¡ª?!¡± ¡°Ah, was that too tight? I¡¯ll loosen up a bit¡­ Hm? Yamada? This isn¡¯t a bathroom¡­ Ugh, I have no choice. I¡¯ll just bring you to the infirmary and you can change there. You¡¯re not a middle schooler anymore, so you need to ask for permission before you do something like this, y¡¯know?¡± His lower body was a bit wet. Well, physiological needs can¡¯t be helped, after all. I thought the classroom would get noisy again, but for some reason, it was dead quiet. It was as if that whole commotion that went on a bit earlier was a lie. After all that, I waved to Reika with my free hand and left the classroom. TL: What the f*ck¡­? Volume 3 - CH 7 Posted on July 5, 2022by ynlucca Translated and Edited by: ynlucca. Common Honorifics: -san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal. -kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people. -chan: A common suffix among people you¡¯re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it¡¯s cutesy and childlike. -senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one¡¯s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club. Ugh, my head hurts¡­ For me, Yamada, hair is life. I¡¯m concerned about its thinning and I take care of it with hair-growth products on a daily basis. I also use a hair drier and wax to give it a fuller look¡­ That¡¯s why I was horrified to have my precious hair pulled. It was just a joke. I¡¯ve seen his fighting videos, and I was convinced that no matter how strong he was, he¡¯d never get violent. I was also pissed at him for always hanging around cute girls. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing Yamada here, Mr. Tachibana,¡± Sawada said. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t notice what was going on all this time.¡± These two are crazy. When I was just giving Sawada a scare, he approached me. When I came to my senses, my hair was pulled, I was completely immobile, and all I could see was pitch-black. The last thing I saw were Sawada¡¯s eyes, so bloodthirsty¡­ He looked like he could easily kill someone with that expression. At that exact moment, every fiber of my being screamed that I shouldn¡¯t go against that guy. And the icing on the cake is that I have a phobia of the dark. While they carried my immobile, blinded, and scared body, I would constantly bump onto countless things like walls, steps, and even the floor. I couldn¡¯t stop shaking from that looming fear of darkness I had. Every bump came out of nowhere, and the pain was heightened. And even though I was suffering like that all the time, these two kept talking as if it was some other Tuesday. These two are insane. After a bit, I heard the rattle of an opening door. The time I spent in the dark was hellish, and although I couldn¡¯t see, I was sure I was at the infirmary. I thought I¡¯d be released after being dragged for so long, so as soon as I was, I¡¯d kneel down in front of Sawada. Here I had none of my classmates around, not to mention the teacher¡¯s presence watching over us. I¡¯d apologize and beg for forgiveness. At this point, my pride was gone. However, my hair remained grabbed no matter how long ago I was dragged into the infirmary¡­ What was happening? ¡°Sawada, by the way, what are you going to do now? Even though it was unofficial, you beat up three underground fighters. As the fight manager of this school, this is a serious issue.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m the one asking here. What did you want to do when you approached Eri-chan?¡± ¡ªOi, oi! You should let me out of here soon! Why are you two just talking to each other?! ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about Mashima-san¡­ She¡¯s my friend¡¯s daughter, so she¡¯s like a real daughter to me. I was trying to keep a balance so she wouldn¡¯t break down any more than she already did¡­ Now that she¡¯s isolated, I¡¯m just following orders from the top.¡± ¡ªOuch! Why are you putting so much force into grabbing my hair, Sawada?! You¡¯ll tear off my precious strands! ¡°Eri-chan is ¡®isolated¡¯¡­? Tell me all you know, teacher. Who are her parents, and why the f*ck do you guys hate me so much!? Hm¡­? Wait a second, did you just say you¡¯re her father¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll do whatever my dear daughter (tentative) tells me to do.¡± And there was a loud clang. ¡ª! What the hell is going on?! I¨CI¡¯m not a part of this! Hey, it hurts¡ª! ¡°So, you tried to kidnap Reika¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ As I said before, Mashima-san is like a daughter to me. She¡¯s the apple of my eye, and I love her dearly¡­ Without you, she won¡¯t be hurt anymore. I will do my best to persuade upper management so they can make her better¡­ In the house I prepared for her, with the costumes I bought for her, with the homemade food I cooked for her, and with the baths we¡¯ll take together¡ªI¡¯ll do all of that because I love her more than you do, Sawada.¡± ¡°¡­ Shut the f*ck up already.¡± A series of thuds then ensued, all while my hair was pulled repeatedly. As soon as the shaking stopped, Mr. Tachibana then started to speak. ¡°Goodness gracious, despite how I look I¡¯m a jealous man¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to tell you how much of an eyesore your presence has been¡­ Well, here we are at the beginning of one of the greatest events in Underground Fighting history¡­ So please, be a sacrifice for my future with Mashima-san.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t this very bad? I¡¯ve heard rumors Mr. Tachibana was a p*do who liked underaged girls¡­ Ugh, I don¡¯t give a sh*t, I just want to get out of here as soon as possible. While I thought that, the numbness in my hand got progressively better and I managed to shift my blindfold a little. ¡ªWhat the?! The first thing I saw was Sawada bleeding, glaring at the teacher with one of the most gruesome, predatory eyes I¡¯ve ever seen. Around him stood a group of men I didn¡¯t know¡­ What the hell is this?! Just when I thought that I heard the sound of my hair snapping and tearing. I didn¡¯t feel pain anymore, just overwhelming fear. I was crawling on the floor, caught in between two monsters. And from that day on, I, Yamada, vowed to never hurt anyone ever again. What did I see, you ask me? Well, a fight between two otherworldly creatures. No, it wasn¡¯t a fight¡­ First of all, I couldn¡¯t even see their fists even though I like and constantly watch martial arts programs. That¡¯s why I could tell it was nothing like that. Ever heard of military martial arts? I¡¯ve only seen it in movies. The fight between these two beasts was just like watching one of them. After the two destroyed the infirmary, they rolled out into the wide hallway. Mr. Tachibana was built like a bear under his suit, and he overpowered Sawada. I saw my classmate covered in blood, and I thought he was definitely gonna die. Being slammed face-first into the wall was no joke. Mr. Tachibana then took out something that looked like a baton from his pocket, only to be met with Sawada¡¯s laugh. I didn¡¯t understand what it meant. I mean, he was about to die, yet he laughed¡­ Do you know the expression ¡°killing intent¡± that¡¯s constantly being thrown around in manga? Now I feel like I truly understand that. Mr. Tachibana was seriously trying to kill Sawada. After laughing, my classmate took out a ballpoint pen from his pocket¡­ It truly was ust your ordinary pen. However, the moment he grabbed it, Sawada¡¯s mood flipped. I¡¯d seen him fight before, both with Hiratsuka and Hirano. However, now I truly realize he was holding back all this time¡­ I was wrong. I wanted to beat my past self for bullying Sawada, who was the real monster all along. ¡°Fuuh¡­ I haven¡¯t used a weapon since my sparring with grandpa. Oh, are you alive, Mr. Tachibana? You¡¯re sturdy so you¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯m sure. You haven¡¯t yet paid for the crime of trying to kidnap Reika, y¡¯know? ¡ªYamada? What are you doing here? Oh, now I remember, I was going to straighten you up. Hmm, I¡¯ll finish you first. Reika will worry if I don¡¯t hurry¡­ I don¡¯t want that hard-earned lunchbox to get cold after all.¡± He approached me while saying all of that. I panicked with sheer desperation and punched myself repeatedly. I had no idea what he was going to do with me, so I had to pass out before I could find out. I could feel snot running down my nose, and I couldn¡¯t stop crying. My pants got wet, and sweat poured out of every hole in my body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yamada. After you, I¡¯ll correct all our classmates.¡± I¡¯ve never prayed to God before, so this was the first time I desperately clung to any chance I could take. I¡¯ll never bully you again, and I don¡¯t care if I go bald¡­ Just please, please, let me go¡­