Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chifuyu didn't want this. No, cut it out, he didn't expect this. But now, here he was, packing all his belongings into a few suitcases, while Takemichi sat on the chair in his room.

“Are you sure about that, partner?” Takemichi asked, as Chifuyu put all the books on her bookshelf into a box. “Will you be able to run the vice-command while living in another city? No! Not that I doubt you!” He quickly defended himself. “I’m just… worried.”

No. Chifuyu wasn’t sure if he could do it. “I am.” He stated, sitting on his bed. “If you could make it work by going back and forth in time, why can’t I? I just need to get on my motorcycle and I’ll be here. Don’t worry, partner!” He smiled.

Takemichi let out a smile, but Chifuyu knew he was actually hesitant about it. His smile didn't reach his eyes, and his hands fidgeted anxiously in his lap. 

They both remained silent for a few moments, before Chifuyu went back to putting everything into boxes or his clothes into suitcases. 

“It’s Makochi, isn’t it? The name of the town.” Takemichi said, even though he already knew.

“Yeah. They also have a lot of gang conflicts from what I’ve been able to research. The school I go to, in this case the only one that accepted applications after the deadline, is called Furin and from what I’ve seen it’s run by a group of delinquents too. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “My plan is to just attend school, but the rest of the time I try to come to Tokyo whenever I can.”

Takemichi visibly swallowed. “They can’t find out about Toman, right? You know, considering they’re from another gang and all.”

Chifuyu laughed. “It’s not my plan, partner! But if it all goes wrong, I’ve got you!”

“What?! Me? No! Not me!” He stood up abruptly pointing at himself. “You have the first division! Not me!”

“Yeah, partner, you’re not the strongest for that.”

“What?! Oh no Chifuyu! Not you either!” Takemichi whined. 

Chifuyu smiled at his friend's protests, picking up his cat right away. When they both sat down again—this time on Chifuyu's bed—his smile quickly disappeared when he saw everything already packed. It was real, he and his mother really were moving to another city. Sure, it was all because of her work, but he had always had a life in Tokyo.

Now, however, he was about to go to a completely unfamiliar city where everything would probably be very difficult and could go very wrong. The only thing that seemed good about it was the fact that he was moving right at the beginning of the school year, so he wouldn't have to enter a school after classes started.

“I’ll manage, Takemichi. It seems really hard right now, but maybe everything will be okay. Who knows, right?” He said, breaking the silence in the room.

Takemichi smiled. “Who knows… But after all, you’ve already talked to everyone, right?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, don’t worry. Mikey understands that I might not always be there. The others have just shown some level of concern, really. Draken said that if anything goes wrong, I’m to involve Toman right away.” He leaned against the wall. “I’m just glad Kisaki and Hanma aren’t at Toman anymore. The Christmas conflict was enough.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But look, Draken is absolutely right, the first person you should tell if something goes wrong is me. Now that the Black Dragons are part of the first division, we’re the division with the most numbers and, I don’t know, attack power, you know? None of them are going to let you down.”

Chifuyu stifled a laugh. “You’re so serious when you say that. It almost feels like I’m going to die!”

Takemichi laughed, but protested shortly after.

However, Chifuyu did know he was right. After the Christmas conflict, the first division was the one that grew the most, as it included the former members of the Black Dragons. In the weeks leading up to the fight, everyone was on edge, with Hakkai confirming that he would kill his brother and also with the deal between Mitsuya and Taiju. In the end, they won, yes, with Mikey's help, but they weren't exactly victorious: Mitsuya had a concussion, Takemichi and Chifuyu left with some broken bones or small fractures and Takemichi had a bandaged wrist until a month ago because of it. On the bright side, Taiju would never lay a hand on Yuzuha again, since he moved out of the house he shared with Hakkai and her.

The afternoon passed quickly, with Chifuyu's company as he finished packing up. The characteristic February sun that was shining through Chifuyu's window had already set when Takemichi left, telling him that he was just a phone call away. 

The next day, he woke up and after grabbing everything he owned, including Peke J, his cat, he went straight to the car to help his mother. His mother was more anxious than anything, her new job would guarantee more stability for both of them and the conditions of her contract were better than her previous job.

Makochi wasn't that far from Tokyo, at most an hour and a half away with traffic — which was pretty good, considering he planned to ride his motorcycle from Makochi to Tokyo a few times. 

“Whose house was your motorcycle again?” His mother asked, not taking her eyes off the road. In general, she didn’t care that he had a motorcycle, she only worried about his safety if he didn’t wear a helmet or was reckless. Unfortunately, she knew she wasn’t the perfect mother, especially since she was rarely present in his life, always busy with work, but Chifuyu never minded.

“At Takemichi’s. Tomorrow I’ll take the train to Tokyo and pass by there to pick up the motorcycle, then I’ll come back with the motorcycle by road.” He said, petting Peke J.

“It’s dangerous.” She said, taking her attention away from the road to look into his eyes.

Chifuyu swallowed hard. “I know.”

“But are you going anyway?”

"Yes."

“Be careful then, Chifuyu. I won’t be home tomorrow morning, I have to start work first thing in the morning.”

“I know, Mom. Thanks for caring. Really.”

She smiled. “You’re my son, dear. I’ll always care.”

————

Makochi didn't exactly give off a strange impression, but it was still strange. 

The first thing Chifuyu did when he and his mother finished unloading the car and getting things more or less in order was to take a drive around town. 

The city was covered in graffiti and small groups of teenagers were watching the residents. As he walked, he passed a sign saying that this was Furin territory and anyone who did anything to harm the territory or its residents would be punished. 

It was strange, but Chifuyu knew that, for example, if Tokyo was smaller and if Toman's territory was smaller, a similar sign would be placed.

As he walked, he began to notice noises that he certainly recognized. They were sounds of fighting, and they were absurdly close to where he was. Chifuyu instinctively quickened his pace, following the sound, and soon came across a scene that made him stop and think that he had really returned to Tokyo.

There was a boy with two different hair colors fighting at least twenty guys. As he stood there trying to absorb the scene, he noticed that one of the members (because it could only be a gang) grabbed a girl and practically held her hostage with a knife to her throat. The girl let out a surprised scream, her expression oscillating between panic and despair, as the knife got closer and closer to her neck.

He felt his blood boil.

Chifuyu could accept many things, but them hurting women or civilians wasn't one of them. The boy seemed to be having trouble dealing with everyone else, so he probably hadn't noticed the girl yet. Being surrounded by so many members at once, if it continued like this that boy was going to fall.

“Hey!” Chifuyu shouted, catching the attention of half the group and, victoriously, the one holding the girl. “Why don’t you fight someone your own size, you piece of shit?!” He shouted and charged.

Idiot 1 (the one with the knife to the girl's throat) abruptly let go of the girl, making her stumble and fall on the asphalt, then he came towards her with the knife. Chifuyu grabbed his arm and twisted it behind the idiot who let out a strangled scream, ripping the knife from his hand. Deftly, Chifuyu kicked the knife away and punched the boy. 

When Chifuyu looked again, the girl was behind the boy with the two-colored hair, who was probably trying to protect her while fighting in a confined space. That would have been almost suicidal, if Chifuyu hadn't realized how skilled he was. 

Soon, with a lot of adrenaline in his bloodstream, Chifuyu attacked some of the guys surrounding the other boy. Sure, he didn't have Draken's strength or Mikey's accuracy, but Chifuyu knew his way around a fight.

Involved with at least five guys, Chifuyu barely noticed that the bicolored-haired boy had been stabbed in the ankle until she heard him let out a scream. Chifuyu's attention returned to the scene, where the boy had a bloody ankle and was protecting the girl.

The boy staggered back, biting his lip in apprehension, trying not to fall. The girl shrank further and further behind him.

The idiot who had stabbed him was lying on the ground, having picked up the knife that Chifuyu had kicked away earlier. But another of the group was already ready to attack, holding a metal pipe. Chifuyu watched the scene unfold in near slow motion: the boy struggling to balance himself, the girl behind him, her eyes wide, and the assailant raising the weapon above his head.

Chifuyu knew very well what that kind of blow could cause. 

Unfortunately, his divided attention cost him dearly. He felt a violent blow hit his side, knocking him off balance. Before he could react, another brutal impact came at his face, and suddenly, everything spun.

The ground came too quickly.

The last thing he felt was the taste of blood in his mouth before his face hit the asphalt hard.

The world around him was much slower. He could hear the echo of shouts and footsteps rapidly approaching. His vision was too blurry. For a moment, he just stood there, steadying his breathing and blinking rapidly.

When he finally found the strength to stand up and his vision seemed at least normal, there were already four other guys fighting that gang. The metal pipe was discarded in a corner, bent as if someone had tried to break it in half.

In the center of the fight, a spiky-haired boy was giving a speech that Chifuyu was almost certain was the same as what was written on the sign in the middle of the city. Chifuyu frowned, but didn't interfere—her senses were still too compromised from the previous impact.

In the blink of an eye, it was all over and all those guys had fled. The residents were already on the avenue, celebrating and giving thanks.

Chifuyu took a deep breath, observing everything. He put his hands in his pants pocket and tried to act as if he wasn't there. Walking with his head down, he hoped no one would notice him trying to leave.

“Hey!” Chifuyu heard someone shout authoritatively behind him. He abruptly turned to see who it was, only to see the bicolored-haired boy—his ankle already bandaged—following him. “Who are you?! I didn’t ask for your help!”

“Huh? What do you mean? You idiot, I wasn’t even thinking about helping you!” Chifuyu retorted in disbelief. “I just saw the girl with a knife to her throat and you expected me to stand still?!”

The boy paused for a moment, analyzing his words. Suddenly, an expression of ambition took over his face. “Who are you?” He asked out of nowhere.

Chifuyu frowned in surprise. The boy didn’t even thank him for his help. Ah, whatever, he thought. “Matsuno Chifuyu.” Chifuyu replied and walked away.

“I’m Sakura Haruka.” He heard the boy say behind him. “I hope you’re not as weak as you seem.”

What?! Who was this brat to think he was weak? Outraged, Chifuyu put his hands in his pockets and walked away. Each crazy person with their crazy ideas. Unfortunately, this city was nothing like he expected and was apparently full of crazy people with their own crazy ideas.

Chapter Text

Chifuyu may have woken up quite early for his standard, but his mother had already gone to work when he did. However, he also didn't wake up as early as he expected to catch the train.

While changing into just his uniform pants and a normal white shirt, Chifuyu was thankful that classes started in the afternoon, otherwise he wouldn't be able to stop by Takemichi's house to pick up his motorcycle.

Preparing his backpack, he already put his uniform shirt inside it, along with some other school supplies. He was already anticipating being late, since he would probably be stuck between talking to Takemichi or whoever was at his house — which was usually used as a meeting point between Mikey and Draken.

Chifuyu ended up taking the third train in the morning, which would make him even later. His initial plan was to take the second train to arrive even earlier, since he would also have to walk to Takemichi's house. Unfortunately, he was never good with schedules and had to wait for about forty minutes for the third train. Forty minutes in which he had plenty of time to be annoyed with himself .

Damn. He wasn't going to make it to his classes on time. And it was his first day! He really had a knack for getting everything wrong.

Was the train fast? Kind of. But Chifuyu's anxiety was through the roof, his leg thumping the whole time and he was moving his fingers as if he were going to advance the minutes on the clock.

As soon as the electronic voice announced their arrival in Tokyo, Chifuyu jumped off the train and ran out of the station at full speed. He had to get to Takemichi's house as quickly as possible.

The streets he passed were a blur in his vision. He ran across avenues and around corners as if he were being chased. The people he avoided must have thought he was crazy.

 What impression would he make if he arrived late to a school run by delinquents? He had no idea.

When he finally arrived at Takemichi's house, his chest was burning from the lack of air and the incessant running. He took a moment to steady his breathing, taking shallow breaths as he hunched over his legs. It felt like his body was going to give out from how much he had run.

Still breathing shallowly, he rang the doorbell. Luckily, Takemichi opened it right away.

“Chifuyu! Good morning!” He greeted, opening the door for Chifuyu to enter. Chifuyu was quick to go straight to the couch in his friend’s living room — leaving his school bag lying on the doorframe —, throwing himself down while still not breathing properly. “You look like shit, partner. Are you okay?”

“Clearly…” he coughed. “Clearly not, you idiot!”

“Hey! Unnecessary, you know?!”

Chifuyu got up from the couch, straightened up while still breathing weakly, and laughed strangledly, amidst coughing and evident shortness of breath. “Sorry, sorry. It's just that by my calculations I'm already late for my class.”

“What?! What do you mean? Doesn’t it only start at one o’clock in the afternoon?”

“Yes, but look at this: I woke up at seven thirty, caught the eight ten train. For some absurd reason, this whole damn thing took three hours, and now it’s eleven!” He made an exaggerated gesture pointing to the clock on the wall. “Eleven forty, because your house is at the end of the world.”

Takemichi snorted. “No way! I live in the heart of Tokyo, okay?”

“Yeah, and I’m a millionaire.” Chifuyu rolled his eyes. “Anyway. I’ll just sit here for a few more minutes, get some water, and you’ll inevitably hold me back by talking about the first division or giving me unnecessary encouragement. Then I’ll get on my bike, drive an hour and a half to Makochi, and get to school twenty minutes late. In other words, I’m screwed.”

Takemichi could only stare at him in shock. He blinked a few times, mouth agape. “How did you do that math so quickly?!”

Chifuyu laughed and went to Takemichi’s kitchen to get a glass of water. “I had three hours for this. And unlike you, I have brain cells.”

Takemichi laughed but didn’t say anything. When Chifuyu got the water, his friend was leaning against the kitchen door with his backpack in his hands. “Are you nervous?” he asked.

“No. But the guys are kind of intense there. One of them tried to take a girl hostage or something during a fight yesterday!” He exclaimed, pouring himself some more water.

“What?! Have you already picked a fight?!”

“No, mate. Not me! But I was walking along, and there was this kid fighting about thirty guys, and out of nowhere one of them grabbed a girl and put a knife to her throat! I only stepped in so she wouldn’t get hurt!”

His friend let out a strangled laugh. “Well, at least it wasn’t me. If it had been me, the knife would have been at my throat.”

The water was barely swallowed before Chifuyu managed to laugh. “I almost got your entire kitchen wet, idiot! Don’t make me laugh like that!” 

“Oh, but I will! Now, grab your backpack,” Takemichi threw his backpack in her direction, “otherwise you’ll be even later!”

“Only you could know me like that!”

Takemichi laughed. “And who else would it be? Just Kisaki, maybe.”

Indignation flashed across his face as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Oh no! Not him!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Takemichi raised his arms in surrender. “Now hurry up. Tell me everything later.”

Chifuyu opened the door and gave a look of mock indignation. “You look like my mother like this!” Then, she slammed the door and walked out of her friend’s house, staring at his motorcycle.

Shit! I'm going to be late! 

He hurriedly got on his bike and rode off. Clearly breaking more traffic laws than he could count.

————

When he arrived at school—after an hour and a half, already late—everything was quiet. He parked his bike a few streets away, in front of a coffee shop, and walked the rest of the way. There was no one in the courtyard or hallways that anyone could see.

And the school was full of graffiti. 

Frustrated, he went to the school gate, where the list of first-year students was. According to the list, he was in class 1-1. He just hoped that none of his classmates were crazy.

The school hallways were also covered in graffiti. It was strange. Not even the schools in Tokyo that were almost run by delinquents were like this. But then again, from what Chifuyu had heard, before Furin, the security in this city was so bad that after they took over, no one dared to argue.

When he finally realized that he still didn't have his uniform shirt on, he was immediately frustrated. He stopped in the middle of the hallway and let out a defeated sigh. Sure, he was always so careful with the important things, but it seemed like something was always missing (blame his lack of attention). Opening his backpack in a hurry, he pulled on his shirt with one hand, trying to get dressed as he walked, with the other hand trying to hold the backpack, but the scene wasn't exactly elegant. In the end, he probably ended up looking like a student in trouble, but at least his shirt was in place. He hoped that at least he was projecting a credible image.

When he opened the door to the room, absolutely everyone stared at him. Everyone, without exception. 

The only strange thing? They were all standing around two boys, scowling at each other as they hesitantly shook hands. One of those boys was the one with the two-colored hair from the day before—Sakura Haruka. The other… he looked so much like Baji that it hurt. The realization of his appearance came like a punch to the gut.

Hesitantly, with all the attention, Chifuyu entered the room, closing the door behind him. No one had taken their eyes off him.

“Uhmm… hi?” He offered. Suddenly, everyone looked like they were going to attack him.

Before anyone could speak, Sakura pointed in his direction. “It’s you!”

Chifuyu remained standing where she was. “Eh…”

A red-haired boy with strange earrings and an eyepatch approached, keeping a friendly smile on his face. “You must be Matsuno Chifuyu. I’m Suou Hayato!”

“Nice to meet you…” he looked at Sakura and the Baji-like boy, who were still in the center of the room with everyone else around them. “Did I interrupt something?”

A blond boy who looked like he was about to cry in fear made a placating gesture with both hands. “No, no, no! You didn’t interrupt anything!”

Chifuyu continued to stare at the scene. “Okay, then…” He decided to leave the classroom door, crossed both boys still in the middle of the room and threw his backpack on a table. A deadly silence still followed him. “You can continue with whatever you were doing…” he said and leaned on the table, hesitantly.

Before anyone could do anything, the door to the room was thrown open. “Hey guys! Let’s go outside!”

Sakura made an indignant expression. “Huh?! But I just arrived!”

————

Chifuyu ended up falling behind the group, still feeling out of place as she walked. When he reached the courtyard, his entire class was already there and one of the boys who had helped in yesterday's fight—the one with spiky hair—was talking to Sakura with an angry expression while taking some medicine.

Chifuyu decided to stay away, still not understanding half of the situation that was happening. Wasn't there going to be classes today?

The spiky-haired man suddenly raised his voice. “Form groups of four or five people! Each group must have at least one second or third year student with it! These students will lead the group, the others must obey their orders and warnings if necessary! Go, form groups quickly!”

Suddenly, Chifuyu found himself pulled into the group of the red-haired boy. Sakura and the Baji-like boy were there as well, in addition to the blond boy, and their senior was the spiky-haired boy.

“Wait! Where are we going and why?” Sakura asked, indignant.

The other boy smiled. “Patrol the city.”

“And why the hell am I with him?!” Sakura grumbled indignantly, pointing at the long-haired boy.

“Umemiya ordered me to keep an eye on you guys.” The upperclassman replied. Then, he looked at Suou, the blond boy, and Chifuyu. His gaze narrowed as he passed Chifuyu. “Are you the group?” He asked.

Suou nodded. “Yes.”

The spiky-haired one sighed. “Alright then. Let’s go. I’m Hiragi Touma. You guys?” He asked, already leading them out of the school grounds.

“Hayato Suou.” 

“Sakura Haruka.”

“Nirei Akihiko” the blonde boy.

“Sugishita Kyotaro”, the lookalike of Baji.

“Matsuno Chifuyu.” He introduced himself.

The group continued on their way without much conversation. Only Sakura was indignant about being with Sugishita, Suou compared Hiragi to a kindergarten teacher and Hiragi also talked about Bofurin's duty to the city's safety. 

When they arrived at an alley behind a store covered in graffiti, Hiragi quickly came with buckets and paintbrushes so they could paint over the graffiti. Sakura picked up one of the buckets and looked at it as if it were a garbage bag. “Seriously? We’re here to clean up graffiti?!”

Suddenly, Nirei turned to him. “You’re a new student, aren’t you, Matsuno?”

“Yes…” he agreed. 

Hiragi began to pay more attention to the conversation, but didn’t say anything. Suou, however, seemed very interested. “Why did you come to Furin?”

Chifuyu laughed. So that was it. They wanted to know his motives, goals, and probably his associations. “My mother got a really good job offer here in Makochi, and Furin was the only school that accepted my application after the deadline.” He said, continuing to paint the wall.

“You don’t mind being ruled by delinquents? Many people do…” Nirei spoke hesitantly.

“Not really.” He replied, still focused on the task at hand. “The area I lived in Tokyo had a lot of them too. I never cared. Just don’t give them a reason to mess with you.”

“Eh… makes sense.”

Sakura stared at him for a few moments. “Why did you get into the fight yesterday?” He asked aggressively, pointing accusingly in her direction.

Chifuyu swallowed hard, now he had the entire group’s attention. Their senior, Hiragi, raised his eyebrows in surprise—recognizing Chifuyu from the previous day’s fight. “I heard the fight, and when I got there, there was some idiot with a knife to that girl’s throat. And I told you yesterday! Do you really think I would just watch this and let it happen?”

Sakura looked convinced and went back to work. Again, he didn't thank him.

Hiragi looked at him suspiciously and sighed. “Don’t tell anyone that Kotoha”—oh, so that was her name—“was in that mess!” He warned. “It’ll be bad for all of you if you find out!”

Chifuyu just nodded.

At the end of it all, the owner of the shop next door gave each of them a taiyaki as a way of saying thank you.

Chifuyu rambled on for a bit, before his attention went to what Hiragi was saying. “But… talking to others, being needed, stuff like that… is pretty fun too, you know?”

Of course, Chifuyu knew that Hiragi was talking to Sakura, but that didn't stop him from agreeing. Part of Toman's goal wasn't just to be delinquents who vandalize and ride motorcycles around. Quite the opposite, Mikey and everyone else always say that their goal is to create a new era of delinquents. One that they help, and protect.

Bofurin resembled Toman in some ways, from what he could tell.

“I know it’s a pretty extreme situation…” Chifuyu began to speak and walked over to Sakura, who was walking next to Hiragi. “But, in the area where I lived, a girl was abused and knocked unconscious by a gang. It turns out that this girl was the girlfriend of a friend of one of the captains of Tokyo Manji, and in addition to Toman taking the blame in front of the girl’s parents, they also planned a kind of war against the gang that did it.” He said, capturing everyone’s attention. “I wasn’t involved in any of this, but from what I’ve heard, the rival gang Toman learned a good lesson, because Tokyo Manji has always told everyone that their desire — their leader’s desire, in this case — is to create a new era of delinquents. That’s kind of what happens here, Sakura. Instead of causing trouble, Furin wants to create bonds and protect.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Chifuyu noticed that Nirei was writing down every word he said in a small notebook. Sugishita was watching him with such intensity that it could have burned a hole in his back.

Sakura whispered ‘Toman’ almost as if he was testing how the words sounded, also probably remember some rumours about the gang.

Hiragi stretched. “Your friend over there is right.” He said, pointing at Chifuyu. “Umemiya wants to protect and help.” He shrugged. “That’s what the sign says, anyone who doesn’t follow the rules will be punished.”

Sakura looked at the ground, absorbing every word as he ate his taiyaki. He didn't respond, but the glint in his eyes indicated that he understood everything.

Suddenly, they all stopped in front of a train bridge. There was a lot of graffiti as well (this was becoming a frequent sight for Chifuyu), but the one that caught her attention the most was that of a dog.

“What an ugly dog.” Sakura said seriously.

“Hey, Sakura!” Nirei exclaimed, visibly afraid. “You can’t say that! You never know what kind of people are around! This is the territory of another group’s entrance. Our rules don’t apply there.” He paused, almost dramatically. “The absolute belief in ‘strength’… this is the territory of the Shishitouren!”

As if it were an omen, a very loud scream came from inside the tunnel, catching everyone's attention. “Stop, you damn thing!”

Hiragi’s gaze became very sharp, but at the same time extremely surprised. A boy of about twelve years old was running over, his face all bruised. “An elementary school student’s uniform?! What are you doing there?! Come here!” Hiragi shouted.

There were three guys in orange jackets running after the boy, they were cursing under their breath. 

“Ahh!” Nirei exclaimed. “That uniform is from Shishitouren!”

The boy, looking back to see his pursuers, ended up tripping on the ground. Before Chifuyu's mind could even process it, Sugishita and Sakura had already run away and one of the Shishitouren guys was already on the ground, as both of the Furin guys kicked him in the face.

“You bastard, why did you get in my way?!” Sakura asked angrily. 

Nirei was shaking all over, leaning on Suou. “What…! You jumped right into their territory…”

Sakura looked disinterested as she turned to face Nirei. “What are you talking about? If he’s one of us… then they’re the ones who started this!”

As the knocked-out boy's teammates mocked him, Chifuyu quickly went after the boy who was being chased. He offered the boy his hand, who struggled to his feet, then put the boy's arm around his shoulder, helping him stand and walk. Chifuyu retreated with the boy, sensing that nothing good would come of this.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the tunnel, marked by the distinct noise of getas hitting the asphalt. The two Shishitouren guys had fearful expressions before quickly bowing, letting a slovenly-looking guy wearing sunglasses pass in between, he held a glass bottle in one hand, while keeping the other in his pocket.

Chifuyu didn't even need to ask to know that this guy was dangerous. He simply gave off that feeling.

“Damn it!” Hiragi cursed when he realized, his expression turning into pure rage. “Of all people, it had to be him. The vice-leader of the Shishitouren, Togame Jo.”

Togame, in question, was visibly sneering at all of them. “What’s going on? Why is Furin in our territory?” He asked, lowering his glasses, as if they were preventing him from observing Chifuyu and the others.

Damn, Togame looked like Hanma.

The vice-leader in question walked over to the Shishitouren member lying on the ground. “Eh, Saruwatari, what happened?”

Before Sakura could do anything reckless—or so Chifuyu thought—Hiragi walked toward the center of the commotion. “Your men were chasing one of ours.” He explained to Togame.

Togame gave a stupid, clearly calculated smile. “If it isn’t Hiragi! How are you?” He exclaimed in false joy. “By any chance… Was this the work of those two?” He asked, pointing at Sakura and Kyotaro.

Before anyone could respond, Saruwatari—the member who had passed out—let out a few ragged sighs before abruptly standing up. “What the hell are you bastards doing?! There are rules regarding our territories! This is Shishitouren territory! Don’t just wander around ours…!” His words were cut off, and Chifuyu couldn’t believe what she saw.

The sharp crack of glass shattering against the boy's skull echoed through the alley. Blood splattered onto the floor, hot and red, as Saruwatari fell to his knees, stunned.

Chifuyu blinked rapidly to make sure that was what he was seeing.

The vice-leader took the opportunity to grab him by the hair. “Our territory?” he asked. “But you lost it, didn’t you?” He punched the other boy. “Which means you’re weak.” Another punch. “And as you know, weak guys…”

“Stop!” Hiragi shouted, taking a step forward. Chifuyu noticed that all of his teammates were standing there in complete shock. “Isn’t he part of your team?”

Togame tilted his head in mock confusion. “Who?” he asked, grabbing Saruwatari—who was bleeding more than should have been possible—by the shirt. “No, that guy, for sure… If you lose, it means you’re weak. And weaklings aren’t needed in the Shishitouren!” he said, ripping the shirt off Saruwatari’s gang, who fell face-first onto the asphalt.

Chifuyu noticed that Suou was saying something to Nirei, but she ignored it in favor of the boy in his arms. The boy was shaking badly, his leg was weak and his eyes were wide with fear. “Hey…” Chifuyu began, to get the boy’s attention. “It’ll be okay, they won’t get to you.”

The boy swallowed hard, but didn’t protest. “Thank you.”

Sakura’s voice interrupted everyone. “How sad. The absolute belief in ‘strength’? Sounds like crap to me.” Sakura maintained a relaxed posture as he said this. “Beating up the weak is a sign of strength? Just when I thought I had found someone interesting. You know, I’m disappointed.”

Togame approached Sakura, but his words were spoken with only Sakura in mind to hear them, as Chifuyu only heard traces of his whispered voice. That was until Togame threw the jacket he had taken from the other member on his back and turned around. “I'll remember your face. Well, see you later!”

The three Shishitouren members walked away, leaving Saruwatari lying on the ground.

By the time the three of them were out of sight, Nirei had practically jumped on top of Sakura and was shouting something in his ear. Was Hiragi perhaps scolding them? Chifuyu didn't know, his attention returning to the boy on his shoulder, who began to tremble even more after Nirei had shouted. 

“What’s your name?” Chifuyu asked in a whisper, to distract him.

“Sasaki.” He said, still trembling. 

Chifuyu was trying to think of another question. What would Mitsuya say? Even what would Baji ask? But his attention was interrupted by Hiragi. “Hey you guys!” Hiragi exclaimed. “Actually, you third-years there!”

“My name is…” Sasaki swallowed. “My name is Sasaki.”

“Sasaki, you come back with us. Matsuno, go help him walk. We’ll have to report this to Umemiya.”

Chifuyu nodded and adjusted Sasaki in his arms. “Can you walk? Are you comfortable?”

Sasaki nodded. “Yes… thank you very much.”

——-

Was Umemiya not at all what Chifuyu imagined? No, in reality, Umemiya looked like Mikey and that didn't match the profile of a leader he imagined of someone who commanded a gang like Furin.

(But anyway, what could he say? Mikey was also a special case.)

Yet here Chifuyu was, sitting around a wooden table on the school’s rooftop—still trying to calm Sasaki down—while Umemiya talked about the differences between tomato leaves. His admiring gaze at the plants made him seem like just another ordinary guy.

Her classmates were probably arguing amongst themselves. Chifuyu didn't know, but the threatening way Kyotaro was looking at Sakura indicated it.

Suddenly, Chifuyu felt Sasaki trying to get up beside him. Chifuyu knew his nerves were probably on edge—being face to face with the leader of the gang that runs the city should do that. “Hey!” Chifuyu exclaimed. “Don’t even think about getting up with that sprained ankle of yours!”

“Ah!” Sasaki got back into his seat, but now they had Umemiya’s attention. “Excuse me, then!” Sasaki shouted. “I witnessed a theft taking place and chased after the suspect, but before I knew it, I was in Shishitouren territory.” Sasaki trembled under the table. “So… then they came running after me and then those two saved me.” He looked expectantly at Sugishita and Sakura. “I… I’ve always admired you guys from Furin, so I ended up acting too confident. But in the end, I was the cause of all this trouble with Shishitouren.” Sasaki said, his head hanging low. A few tears streamed down his eyes. “I’m so sorry!”

At that moment, Chifuyu realized that she definitely didn't know how to calm anyone down—except Takemichi, but that was another story.

“Sasaki,” Umemiya began, crouching down to be at eye level with him. “Thank you! Sure, you ended up being a trigger-hater, but you were just trying to protect the people of the city. So there’s no need for you to apologize. Just leave the rest to us!”

Chifuyu was caught off guard by this response. Here, he could see the differences between Umemiya and Mikey. While Umemiya thanked him for the service — even if it resulted in a bad fruit —, Mikey would have just left that part aside and said that, in this case, Sasaki could count on Toman. Umemiya was someone who validated efforts. As for Mikey, as Chifuyu knew, he had even threatened to kill Takemichi if he didn't bring Baji back to Toman at the time Baji defected to Valhalla.

Chifuyu trailed off for a moment. He wasn’t ready to stop living with the Toman members on a daily basis. They were part of the family that Chifuyu had created. Now here he was, in a new city, unable to tell anyone about being the vice commander of Tokyo Manji’s first division. If anyone here found out, Chifuyu had no idea what the reaction would be—but allying with Toman, in the eyes of most of the other gangs, was something unthinkable. 

Chifuyu wasn't ready to leave part of his life behind. Sure, he would still go back to Tokyo, but he himself knows that it's not the same as living in Tokyo. Toman kept alive a memory of happier times before Baji's death; before he found out that in some timeline he died from a gunshot to the head because of Kisaki; before he got into a fight inside a church on Christmas Eve.

Toman held so many memories alive that he wasn't willing to let go of that it seemed strange to think about allying himself with another gang—something he had already done just by wearing the Furin uniform.

Of course, Mikey knew that he would end up unintentionally allying with Furin just by being enrolled in this school. Mikey himself had even given permission. The thing is, it felt like he was betraying his family. He was betraying Toman. He was betraying Baji’s and the memories they created together.

“Matsuno!” Umemiya’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. His classmates, Sasaki, Hiragi, and Umemiya, were staring at him in anticipation. “Sakura.” He called out as well, even though Sakura was right in front of Umemiya. When did this happen? When did Sakura stand up? “I heard about what happened yesterday. And today, you, Sakura, saved Sasaki. Thank you for protecting my family.” He said with a smile. “I’m glad I have a trustworthy little brother.” Umemiya ran a hand through Sakura’s hair. “You too, Matsuno, thank you.”

“What?! When did I become your little brother?!” Sakura grumbled, removing Umemiya’s hand from her head.

“Everyone in this town is my family!” Umemiya replied happily.

(“Toman is family, Chifuyu.”)

The loud sound of the phone’s default ringtone interrupted everyone’s interactions. Hiragi quickly fished his own phone out of his pocket and answered it. “Kaji, what’s wrong?” A pause. “Hey, Kaji! What happened?!”

A voice transmitted over the loudspeaker interrupted everyone. “Excuse me! Hello! Hello! Hey! Is anyone there?” Everyone quickly got up from the table and headed towards the terrace railing to see what was happening. In the center of the courtyard, a figure dressed in orange with dirty blond hair was waving at them. He was holding the unconscious Furin student by the collar. “This is the leader of the Shishitouren, Tomiyama Chouji! Ume-chan, let’s have a fighting competition!”

Nirei exclaimed something about the Shishitouren leader being there, but was soon interrupted by Sakura following Hiragi and Umemiya — the latter of whom had picked up his gakuran and had already started down the stairs. Chifuyu was not slow in following the three.

When they reached the courtyard, Umemiya was already face to face with Tomiyama. Tomiyama was exclaiming something about jealousy and wanting a fight, but Umemiya was unfazed—he just remained standing in his place, watching the Shishitouren leader.

The next scene that came after that was what scared Chifuyu. Tomiyama threw a kick that, in speed, could almost match Mikey's. And he had never seen anyone do that.

For a moment, the scene was superimposed with Mikey kicking Taiju in the head and making him fall to the ground right away during the Christmas conflict. However, none of that happened. 

Without losing his composure, Umemiya grabbed Tomiyama’s ankle when he got too close to the Bofurin leader’s face. “Still as impatient as ever.” Umemiya said.

Tomiyama jumped back, freeing himself from Umemiya's grip and told Umemiya to attack. The conversation continued, for Chifuyu it was almost like seeing an interaction between Draken (Umemiya) and Mikey (Tomiyama) if they were rivals. Just disregarding that Mikey wouldn't act so childishly. 

The sound of getas hitting the courtyard floor followed by several more footsteps was what made both leaders stop talking. Chifuyu was hardly interested in the conversation that followed, but one of the faces in the crowd made him back away.

Tadaomi Hamada.

Former vice-captain of Tokyo Manji's third division.

One of Kisaki's allies. 

The scar on his nose made it all too visible. He had seen Hamada a lot when he was in Toman. But he had also seen Hamada fight during Bloody Halloween. To Valhalla.

Chifuyu swallowed hard. He hadn't even noticed the others choosing opponents, defying Umemiya's orders. He hadn't even realized he was behind the group, as everyone had walked to the middle of the courtyard to stand beside Umemiya.

He hadn’t seen Tadaomi Hamada in a long time, but here he was. In front of him. As both were in two different gangs than their previous and probably as enemies again.

The noise around him grew muffled. Shouts, taunts, challenges—they all dissolved into the back of his mind. The only thing he heard was Hamada’s voice. “I’ll join too.” Hamada said, walking forward until he was standing side by side with the members Chifuyu thought must have challenged their peers. 

Tomiyama tilted his head. “Hamada?” He didn’t even ask, but doubt could be heard in his voice.

“I’ll fight Matsuno.” Hamada stated, pointing in Chifuyu’s direction.

Calmly, trying to maintain a confident bravado, Chifuyu walked over to where her classmates were, standing next to Suou. Chifuyu didn't say anything, but there was no need—just by him walking over there, it meant he had accepted this fight.

Suou and Nirei stared him in doubt, but Sakura had a savage smile in his face— almost as he was happy to know he would see Chifuyu fighting again. Umemiya looked at him worriedly, while Hiragi looked confused. Did they both know Hamada? Maybe they knew his past and wanted to know how Chifuyu knew him. Chifuyu swallowed hard, if any of these things were true, his involvement in Toman might come to light sooner than intended.

“Alright, so the members are decided! With the teams formed, let’s have some fun and cause trouble!” Tomiyama exclaimed, a very happy smile on his face.

Chifuyu, however, was not happy at all.

Chapter Text

After all this confusion, they headed to a coffee shop called Pothos. Umemiya and Hiragi stayed behind to explain everything to the other Furin students, but they said they would arrive later.

Chifuyu was the last to enter the establishment, but the first thing he saw was the girl who had been taken hostage the day before—Kotoha.

“You!” Chifuyu pointed. “Are you okay? That guy was kind of rude to you yesterday…”

The girl with short brown hair paused for a moment before realization dawned on her expression. "Yes, I am! And thank you so much for your help! I didn't see you yesterday after the fight, so I didn't get to thank you. I'm Tatchibana Kotoha." 

Chifuyu smiled. "Matsuno Chifuyu." He introduced himself.

 The door closed behind him, and he took his time to survey the cafeteria; it was a small but pleasant space. He could already smell the food Kotoha was preparing behind the counter. Suou, Nirei, Sakura, and Sasaki—who had his ankle stabilized—took up a table by a window, while Sugishita sat at the counter.

Chifuyu was quick to follow behind Sakura and the others, if he was going to spend the year here, he might as well have friends.

As expected, the conversation soon turned to the next day's fight. Nirei was complaining, tearfully, about how nothing could go wrong tomorrow, while Sakura just stared at him boredly, though the slightly worried glances he gave Chifuyu were noticeable. It was strange to see that kind of concern in someone like Sakura. Suou laughed and occasionally chimed in with an observation. Kotoha tried to calm him down and served everyone a portion of omurice.

Honestly, Chifuyu preferred to remain silent throughout the entire interaction. He didn't know anyone here yet. Not well enough to know what was acceptable and what wasn't. And he also barely knew the city, so it's not like he had anything to add. 

Umemiya and Hiragi only arrived after a while. Chifuyu soon discovered that Umemiya saw Kotoha as a sister, as they had grown up together in the same orphanage—and this explained why Hiragi didn't want anyone to know she was involved in the previous day's fight. 

As Kotoha prepared their food, she looked at Umemiya. "Do you know anyone in town who has a motorcycle? Like, someone new?" she asked.

Umemiya tilted his head. “No, why?”

Kotoha laughed. “There’s a motorcycle parked out front and all my customers complained! Is this a place to park motorcycles? I’ll have to put up a no-parking sign next time!” She grumbled indignantly, waving her arms in exasperation.

That's when Chifuyu realized. The motorcycle was his. The one he'd picked up at Takemichi's house today.

So much had happened in a single day that if Kotoha hadn't mentioned it, he would have forgotten about his motorcycle. He hadn't even noticed it in front of the cafe when they entered.

Chifuyu raised her hand shyly. “Ah… well… the bike is mine.”

The look of surprise and indignation on everyone's faces was priceless. "What?!" Nirei shouted, practically jumping up from the table. "You… you have a motorcycle?! You're part of a motorcycle gang?! Why do you have a motorcycle?!"

Kotoha's expression of surprise quickly turned to anger, and then she laughed. "This isn't a parking lot! I've only heard complaints today because of you!" she said, half laughing, half angry.

Chifuyu laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I picked it up in Tokyo and couldn't leave it at home when I got here."

Gradually, everyone laughed, but Hiragi started to look at her suspiciously. "You didn't answer Nirei's questions."

Oh, that's right. They were territorial and protective. Owning a motorcycle wasn't necessarily unusual, but it was firmly associated with gangs. "Yes, I have a motorcycle. I'm not part of a motorcycle gang, but I was in a gang in elementary school—it disbanded, don't worry—and that's why I still have the motorcycle."

Chifuyu didn't like blatantly lying, not to people like these—the highest ranking members of a gang's hierarchy. But it wasn't like he could do anything else; telling them he was from Toman could be much worse.

Hiragi didn't necessarily seem satisfied with the answer, but he didn't insist either. It was also good that his and Umemiya's omurice were ready.

Everyone continued chatting for a bit, but there was considerable hesitation in the room. They were all anxious, unsure of what to expect from the fight. Suddenly, Chifuyu felt his cell phone begin to vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, he saw that it was Takemichi calling him. 

And Takemichi would only call him if it was urgent.

Chifuyu stood up urgently, stumbling to his feet. "I… I have to go. See you tomorrow." He left the cafe without waiting for answers, answering the phone. "Takemichi! What's up, partner?" he asked, already climbing onto his motorcycle, putting in the key, and starting it.

"Chifuyu! I'm glad you answered. There's a new gang in Yokohama. I'm not sure what's going on, but I need to talk to you. Can you come to Tokyo tomorrow?" 

Balancing his phone and riding his motorcycle wasn't easy, but Chifuyu made it happen. "Not tomorrow. A lot happened today, so I'll explain later. Maybe the day after tomorrow. What do you plan to do?"

Takemichi didn't answer immediately. "I want to go to Yokohama. I'll check out those guys."

“What?! Takemichi, you're crazy! You can't go there alone!”

“That’s why I called you, partner. I want you to come with me.”

Chifuyu laughed indignantly. "Are you crazy? There's no way I'm going with you! Just the two of us in enemy territory? No way! Where did you get that bullshit idea?" 

"'Shonen Junai Gumi,' 'Bukkomi no Taku,' do you know what they taught us?" Takemichi asked on the other end of the line. Chifuyu briefly recognized the title from two famous mangas featuring delinquents. "They all took place in Kanangawa, and, Chifuyu, for me to become the greatest delinquent in Toman, we just need to defeat the delinquents of Yokohama!"

Without reacting, Chifuyu was silent for a few moments. Takemichi looked like a fanatic. "Are you eating shit?"

“Chifuyu, we have to go to Yokohama.”

"Look, I have nothing to do in Chinatown other than go eat pork ribs, which are way too expensive for my budget. So, bye."

"But…" Takemichi looked like he was going to object. "Okay, so, can you come here the day after tomorrow? Whether you like it or not, I'm going to Yokohama the day after tomorrow."

"What?! Takemichi, are you listening to yourself?! You can't just show up there and say you're one of Toman's captains. Who knows what this new gang might do to you!"

“Partner, that’s why I’m asking you to come with me!”

Chifuyu took a moment to consider his decisions as he parked his motorcycle in front of his house. He didn't have much to do; the most he could do was try to soften the blow to Takemichi's side. "Okay! You win. I'll stop by your house the day after tomorrow afternoon."

Chifuyu could almost see Takemichi's smile clearly forming as he nodded. "I knew you'd agree! Thanks, partner! Good night!"

"Goodnight." 

—-

None of the group had arranged to meet the next day, at least not as far as Chifuyu knew. And he knew little, since he didn't have any of their numbers and had left in a hurry the night before. 

So, not knowing exactly where to go, Chifuyu decided to just wait at the entrance to the bar street—that is, the beginning of the Shishitouren territory, where they had encountered Sasaki the day before. 

Chifuyu, for his part, didn't want to ride his motorcycle. Sure, it would be faster, but not necessarily better. So he took his time walking there.

It turns out everyone was already arriving too, but by a different route. However, they were all together. Yes, it's obvious they were supposed to arrive together. 

Suou waved as soon as he saw him. "Good afternoon, Matsuno!" he greeted, drawing attention to Chifuyu, who quickly walked over to stand near everyone.

“Good afternoon. Sorry about yesterday, an emergency came up and I had to leave.”

Umemiya smiled. "It's no problem. You seemed a little worried yesterday."

"Nothing to worry about!" Chifuyu assured. Then she looked back at the tunnel. "It's already on time, isn't it?"

“Yes,” Hiragi confirmed with a frown. “They should be expecting us already.”

When everyone crossed the tunnel, Tomiyama was indeed waiting for them. He was with Togame, Hamada, and a few others Chifuyu didn't necessarily know, but two of them he was certain were the boys from the previous day who had been chasing Sasaki. 

“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you!” Tomiyama exclaimed, much too cheerfully for Chifuyu’s liking.

“Yes, sorry for intruding.” Umemiya replied, putting both hands in his pocket.

Tomiyama led them through alleys, and, as Sakura pointed out, there were several bars in them. Suou said this area was known for that, and Nirei added something about it being very noisy at night. Why was Nirei here? Didn't he look like someone who could fight? Well, Chifuyu couldn't say anything; it's not like he'd paid attention to the fight schedule the night before.

“Why the hell are you here?!” Sakura asked, when she realized Nirei was with them.

"Ah!" Nirei squeaked. "I'm responsible to a certain extent! Besides, I'm a member of Furin, and if I can't protect others like you, I should at least protect myself." He explained. "And that's why I want to learn from you!" He stated with determination.

Nirei reminded him of Takemichi.

Sakura began to argue with Suou, who provoked him after Nirei's response. Sugishita, like Chifuyu, remained silent, just staring at the trio.

"Shut up!" Hiragi shouted, his expression screaming nervousness. "Shit, you weren't even nervous?" He grumbled to Umemiya.

Hiragi's shout did little to stop the three from arguing. It only intensified. Hiragi muttered something to Umemiya afterward, but Tomiyama soon appeared around a corner, waving. "Hey! This way!" he said, already running toward the spot. "Right here!" he exclaimed happily.

Togame's geta clattered as he strode briskly. "Once again, welcome to the Shishitouren headquarters," he said, without a hint of joy, waving toward an abandoned building bearing the dog symbol.

A shiver ran down Chifuyu's spine. It looked so much like Valhalla's headquarters. And this was a place he would never forget. He just hoped it wasn't like that inside.

Tomiyama opened the door and let everyone in. "The fighters have arrived!" he announced. 

Inside, it felt like Valhalla, and Chifuyu immediately regretted agreeing. The Shishitouren members screamed and cheered, glaring at them. 

Chifuyu couldn't think of anything other than the image of Baji beating him in front of all the Valhalla members. Maybe that's why he missed the moment they sat down. When did he sit down? He didn't know. All he could hear were the Valhalla members yelling at Baji to hit him harder. All he could hear was Kazutora saying that if Baji wanted to prove his loyalty, he would do it to Chifuyu. 

But Baji was never a traitor.

At what point did Sugishita step onto the stage? Did he even realize there was a stage?

"Matsuno!" He heard distantly. Who was calling him? His hands were shaking. He definitely shouldn't have agreed to this. "Chifuyu!" The same voice shouted, louder.

It was Sakura.

Chifuyu stared at Sakura, who was sitting next to him. He didn't have the strength to say anything, but there was no need.

"Are you going to shit yourself in there?! Why did you agree to fight, then? Lift your fucking head and pretend you're not shaken, at least!" 

And Sakura was right. He shouldn't be afraid. He had agreed to this fight. Shishitouren was similar, but it wasn't Valhalla. The fact that Valhalla no longer existed was a relief.

Chifuyu swallowed. "Sorry. That place brought back some memories." 

With that response, Sakura seemed even more indignant than he already was. "Forget those memories! This isn't the time for that."

He nodded and even considered not answering, but he did. “Thank you.”

Sakura instantly blushed. “Don’t thank me, you idiot! I just don’t want you to prove yourself to be the weakling you already are!”

On his other side, Suou leaned over to look at Sakura. "Look, you're worrying again!" he teased. Sakura would have been quick to respond if she hadn't been yelling at Sugishita that he shouldn't lose to his opponent, but even so, Sakura blushed and looked away. Suou turned to look at Chifuyu. "Are you okay? I got the impression the call you got yesterday shook you up."

Chifuyu forced a smile. "My friend had a family emergency, and he rarely calls me—unless it's extremely important—so I was worried. But like I said, it's nothing to worry about."

Suou nodded, but his scrutinizing gaze never left Chifuyu. "Your hands are shaking," he observed. Damn it! Why the hell were his hands shaking? His memories shouldn't affect him this much. 

Nirei, who was standing next to Suou, leaned over to look at Chifuyu. He had clearly been listening to the entire conversation. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, concerned.

"Oh, no. It's nothing." Chifuyu replied, forcing his hands to stop shaking. "I think Sugishita's fight is about to start," he said, changing the subject.

And sure enough, the fight had just begun.

But Sakura continued to glare at Chifuyu from time to time.

——

Sugishita and Suou's fights passed in a blur. Sugishita was relentless with his opponent, and Suou took the time to—evidently—taunt his.

Now it was Chifuyu's turn. He didn't know what to expect

Suou looked at him with a smile. "You can do it, Matsuno," he affirmed.

“Yes!” Nirei agreed. “Good luck.”

Sakura let out a snort. "Don't shit yourself up front."

Chifuyu smiled. He thought this was what Toman would be like if they organized matches like this. Umemiya had already said it was okay if they lost, but now it was more a matter of leaving Furin's undefeated record.

And Chifuyu definitely wanted to take down Hamada.

(Hamada was a traitor. Former vice-captain of the Tokyo Manji third division. Fought in Moebius. Allied with Kisaki. Fought against Toman in the conflict against Valhalla. 

Now it was much more a matter of pride.)

He stepped onto the stage, aware of the eyes on his back. Umemiya and Hiragi nodded at him out of the corner of their eyes. Umemiya had a welcoming smile on his face. Meanwhile, the Shishitouren members shouted empty threats.

Hamada was already positioned in the center of the stage. “Matsuno,” he said calmly. 

“Hamada.”

It was more of a formality in front of others. They already knew each other. Chifuyu had seen him fight, and vice versa. 

Hamada gave a sarcastic smile, watching Chifuyu back away to the far wall. "Are you scared, Matsuno? I don't know why you took this fight, really. You couldn't even land a punch on Baji."

Chifuyu bit his lip. His fists clenched in anger. It wasn't that he hadn't been able to hit Baji because he was weak—he couldn't actually hit Baji. "If you knew us, you'd know that's not true," he said, glaring at Hamada.

His opponent smiled. “We’re not here to chat, you know. They’re out for blood.” Hamada gestured to the audience.

Hamada took a stance, fists raised. Chifuyu spread his legs. 

Hamada was the type who attacked only with force and fists. He was the type who didn't wait for his opponent to kick him in the head or duck under his heel.

But Chifuyu knew better. After all, Baji had taught him much—if not almost all—of what he knew.

Chifuyu moved first. He ran, using all the distance and momentum he could. Hamada stared at him in shock, before following his steps with his gaze.

Then Chifuyu leaped. His foot immediately connected with Hamada's head. The impact of Chifuyu's kick against Hamada's head was solid, but not enough to knock him down—Chifuyu knew it didn't come close to the force Mikey put into his kicks. Hamada staggered to the side in surprise, but quickly regained his balance. His gaze narrowed, and a wry smile formed on his lips. "So this is how it's going to be?" Hamada scoffed. "You think you can beat me with that trick?"

Chifuyu was already on the ground after landing, barely having time to react before Hamada lunged forward. He dodged to the left at the last second, feeling the wind of the punch pass too close to his face. But Hamada didn't stop there.

In a flash, he spun around and threw a brutal elbow to the side of Chifuyu's head. The impact exploded in his skull. His vision blurred, and he stumbled backward, the metallic taste of blood spreading through his mouth.

"Shit…" Chifuyu gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain, but Hamada didn't give him time. He grabbed his shirt tightly and pulled him forward, bringing his knee up against his abdomen.

The air rushed from Chifuyu's lungs. Pain shot through his torso, nearly causing his legs to buckle. But before Hamada could repeat the blow, Chifuyu reacted. He had to react.

Chifuyu pressed his feet against the ground and used Hamada's own momentum to rise into the air, wrapping one leg around his neck. Then, with a swift movement, he twisted his body and pulled Hamada along with him.

Hamada was thrown to the side, falling backward onto the stage floor with a deafening thud.

Chifuyu rolled to the side, away from Hamada before he could react, and quickly got to his feet. He could still feel the pain throbbing in his ribs, and his breathing was heavy. But he knew he couldn't stop now. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and he could feel its sticky texture on his chin.

Hamada shot up with a snarl, his furious eyes fixed on Chifuyu. His jaw was clenched, and a trickle of blood trickled down the side of his forehead. "You'll pay for this, Matsuno," he spat.

He charged again, but this time, Chifuyu was ready.

Hamada threw a punch, and Chifuyu narrowly dodged it. He quickly countered with a quick punch to Hamada's ribs, but his opponent merely absorbed the blow and retaliated with a hook. Chifuyu imagined this was how Mitsuya felt when he faced Taiju—powerless.

Hamada's fist connected hard with Chifuyu's face. His head snapped to the side, and he staggered back, his ears ringing. 

Hamada smiled. “Is that all you have?”

But Chifuyu didn't fall, it just took a little longer to regain his balance. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his fists again. "Not even close."

Chifuyu shot forward, feigning a straight punch, but dodging at the last second, ducking and sliding past Hamada. Hamada tried to spin to follow, but Chifuyu was already behind him.

Leaping forward, Chifuyu landed a kick to the side of Hamada's head. The impact made him stumble. Without giving him time to recover, Chifuyu slid across the ground and kicked Hamada's supporting leg, knocking him down hard.

Chifuyu held his breath. Hamada's head hit the ground before his own body. And Chifuyu knew what that kind of impact could do to him.

Hamada didn't get up. His eyes were half-closed as he tried to get up, his muscles visibly protesting. A soft groan escaped his mouth. 

“You… won.” Hamada sighed, speaking in a broken whisper. 

Chifuyu swallowed hard. his eyes widened in surprise. He… he definitely wasn't expecting to win. 

Before his muscles could give way and his legs could weaken further—causing him to fall right there—Chifuyu stepped off the stage and threw himself into the chair next to Suou. 

His vision blurred, barely registering the others congratulating him on the fight before everything went black. The last thing he saw was the colors of Sakura's eyes staring at him, worried.

—-

Chifuyu woke with a weight on him. His vision was still blurry, and his head throbbed as if it had been hit by a truck. The muffled sound of voices around him mixed with the steady throb of his own heartbeat.

He blinked a few times, trying to focus his vision on something.

Was someone on top of him? No… was someone holding him? His body protested as he tried to move. Every muscle seemed to scream against any effort. "What… what happened?"

Nirei seemed taken aback, but his voice held relief. “You’re awake! Hey, who’s got water?” He turned his head away. 

Within seconds, something cold touched his lips, and a trickle of water ran down his dry throat. He swallowed with difficulty, feeling the liquid soothe the burning sensation in his mouth.

Chifuyu struggled to his feet. All his limbs protested. His arm was giving way from the force he'd used to lift his body; if it weren't for Nirei supporting him, he would have fallen. "Slow down," Nirei said, holding him up.

The sight that greeted him, however, left him confused enough not to thank Nirei.

Hiragi, Suou, Sugishita, Sakura, and Umemiya—the latter two were bruised, bleeding, and had bloody shirt collars—plus Tomiyama and Togame were all around takeout food? What was going on?

"Matsuno!" Umemiya smiled when he saw him awake, but concern was evident in his tone. "How are you feeling?" he asked, still smiling, a stark contrast to the state of his face and the blood on his shirt.

Nirei held him by the shoulders, supporting him, helping him maintain his posture. "I'm fine... I think. What's going on?" Chifuyu asked, confused.

Suou was quicker to respond. “Just worry about eating for now. We’ll explain later.” He offered Chifuyu a pair of chopsticks.

From what Chifuyu could see, everyone had already finished eating… Oh, so they were just waiting for him to recover. Chifuyu took some of the food they'd left for him, oblivious to the chatter around him. His stomach growled in response before he even put the food in his mouth.

"Ah, that reminds me…" Chifuyu heard Tomiyama begin to say. "You and Hamada knew each other, didn't you, Matsuno?" The Shishitouren leader asked, not threateningly, just… curiously.

Chifuyu swallowed the food he'd just put in his mouth. Now that he noticed, his face was bandaged where it had been injured, and there were some on his hand as well. "Yes. I had a friend who knew him," he replied, leaving no room for further questions.

Sugishita, however, ended up not caring that Chifuyu had answered briefly rather than go into further detail. "Had?" he asked, arching his eyebrows.

“Yes.” Chifuyu nodded. “I had.”

Chifuyu continued to eat in silence, ignoring everyone's worried looks.

——

Chifuyu couldn't quite stay awake as they walked back to Makochi. His head was shrouded in a strange haze of thoughts and memories. From what little he could pay attention to, the only reason he wasn't tripping over here every time he walked was because Suou was helping him along.

When they arrived at Pothos Cafe, the first thing Chifuyu did was throw himself into a chair and lie down on the table. His head was pounding, and he could barely hold a thought in his mind for long.

His forehead touched the cool wood of the table, but even that wasn't enough to dispel the fog in his mind. The conversations around him sounded too distant for him to hear.

The coffee Kotoha served everyone did little to alleviate his condition. In fact, it had the opposite effect—making him more drowsy than should have been possible.

He blinked slowly and…

Chifuyu didn't realize it until he was woken up by someone touching him, but he had fallen asleep sometime between Umemiya's speech to Sakura. 

What was he even doing here?

His phone began ringing and vibrating incessantly in his pocket, but he couldn't even bring himself to answer it. Why did his head feel so heavy? The phone rang three more times. Or was it four? He couldn't even concentrate on that.

Chifuyu could feel the weight of the phone being removed from his pocket, but he could barely open his eyes to see who it was. 

"Should I answer?" Nirei's voice asked, likely directed at the others. "This person keeps calling… a Takemichi guy. He's listed as an emergency contact."

Ah, so it was Takemichi… “Yes…” Chifuyu found the strength to whisper.

A moment of hesitation—or at least, Chifuyu thought it was hesitation—passed before Nirei answered and put the call on speaker. Everyone was almost certainly paying attention. "Partner! No! Chifuyu!" Takemichi's voice responded, distressed. "Why aren't you replying to messages?"

"Hello, I'm Suou Hayato, Matsuno's colleague. Matsuno isn't in the best condition to answer this call right now, but he's given us permission to do so. So, we think he's probably listening. Is there anything you'd like to talk to him about?" Suou took over, keeping his voice calm.

Chifuyu could already imagine gears turning in Takemichi's head as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"Ah... his mom told me she was worried. We tried texting, but he hasn't responded in over three hours." The hesitation was obvious in Takemichi's voice. "So... I thought I'd call. I'm one of his emergency contacts." Chifuyu tried to process the information. So his mother must have come home from work and noticed his absence. She found his motorcycle parked and no one to report it. Takemichi continued, now directly to him: "Chifuyu! How are you? What happened?"

Chifuyu could almost see a smile forming on Suou's face as he replied, "He'll be fine. Tell Matsuno's mother that we'll be right there with him."

“Ah… yes, no problem,” Takemichi replied, his voice carrying uncertainty and hesitation. He didn’t sound exactly convinced, but he didn’t insist either. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. See you.” Chifuyu only heard the call being disconnected. 

He still couldn't think very well when they asked him his address, but he found the strength to answer after a while after the question was asked.

Chifuyu could feel his arms being wrapped around the shoulders of one… or was it two? A few people, as they helped him return to his house without too much trouble. The cool night air enveloped them, but that didn't lift the fog in Chifuyu's head.

His mother seemed to be impatiently waiting for him at home. She must have been worried. Was she worried? What did he even look like? Chifuyu wondered. What would his mother think of him going out to fight?

She wouldn't think anything. Well, he hoped.

But in the end, his mother always knew he was a delinquent. She just never pressed the issue.

Chapter Text

Chifuyu woke up in his bed the next day feeling refreshed—his muscles still tense and sore. As soon as he got up, he noticed a note in his mother's handwriting: "Your friends brought you here yesterday—I was worried! You have something to explain to me tonight, as if Toman wasn't enough!"

Chifuyu smiled. That's why he dreamed someone had carried him until they practically left him in his mother's arms. It wasn't a dream, but the reality of the previous day. 

The rest of the morning—which wasn't long, as he woke up late—was spent texting his mother that he was awake and alive and dealing with Takemichi.

“Takemichi, good morning!”

The surprise in Takemichi's voice was so strong that he didn't even acknowledge her greeting. "Chifuyu! Do you have any idea how worried I was? Partner, how are you? What happened? Who's Suou Hayato? Why didn't you answer your phone yesterday?"

Chifuyu laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. The story is complicated, but in short? Well, the day I came back here from your house, for some reason the Bofurin gang decided we were going to patrol the city, and then there was a kid being chased by some guys from a rival gang as he tried to leave their territory. Two of my classmates attacked this guy from the rival gang, until their leader arrived and said he remembered the face of one of my classmates. In the end, we went back to school and talked to the Bofurin leader—he reminds me so much of Mikey it's almost funny—and explained everything, but the rival gang leader arrived at school and demanded a fight."

Takemichi remained silent, waiting for Chifuyu to continue. "I wasn't going to fight. I didn't even intend to. But then, all I know is that out of nowhere, I saw Tadaomi Hamada's face in the crowd, and he challenged me…"

"Calm down, calm down, calm down!" Takemichi interrupted. "Tadaomi Hamda, the former vice-captain of the third division? The guy who went to Valhalla?"

"Yeah, partner, that's him. Anyway, to cut a long story short, yesterday I was completely exhausted after my fight with him, even though I won. I think I even passed out, but I'm not sure. Suou, whoever answered the phone yesterday, helped me get home. I think it was him, at least..."

Takemichi let out a shaky sigh on the other end of the line. "Are you feeling better today? Do you want me to notify someone at Toman about Hamada?"

"You don't need to talk to anyone at Toman, I don't think he'll be a problem anymore." Chifuyu laughed. "But speaking of 'today'... is there any way we can go to Yokohama tomorrow? I doubt I can do anything in my current state. My whole body is sore." 

"Yes, yes! Don't worry. If you can't make it tomorrow either, that's okay. We'll find another day this week. Oh, and Chifuyu?"

"Yes?"

“Thank you for supporting me to go to Yokohama.”

“Support you?! Do you even remember our conversation? You forced me!”

“Same thing!”

“Same fucking thing, Takemichi!”

“I didn’t hear you, no! Bye, partner, get well soon!”

“Hey! Takemichi!” Chifuyu yelled into the phone, but Takemichi had already hung up. “Ah… that idiot!”

——

Chifuyu was one of the earliest people to arrive at school today. He wasn't in the mood to chat with anyone, and he also had no reason to be late like the other day—in this case, his trip to Tokyo.

He arrived and claimed a table against the wall at the back of the room. There were already a few people there chatting about yesterday's fight, but he doubted they knew Chifuyu was there and had won. Until then, he'd been able to keep a low profile while Sakura had gotten all the attention—and he was sure part of that stemmed from Sakura's apparent struggle with Sugishita on the first day.

The room gradually filled up, but Chifuyu preferred to stay on her cell phone in silence. 

One of the guys in his class was doing exercises by the window and seemed extremely focused on it. No one had tried to talk to him, either.

Suou, Nirei, and Sakura arrived together, causing a commotion. Most of the class gathered around the three, asking about the previous day's events.

"Hey, Matsuno!" He heard Sakura's voice. "Get your ass over here, you were there yesterday too."

Chifuyu tilted his head. Why? Anyway, he walked over to where they were standing. Now some of the students were whispering his name, asking each other if they knew who he had fought.

"Ah, Matsuno, good morning!" Suou greeted. "I see you're better. You gave us a scare yesterday by passing out like that. Sakura insisted on helping me take you home."

The moment Suou's last sentence left his mouth, Sakura blushed. "I didn’t insisted, damn it! Nirei couldn't help you, so I did this!"

“So it was for Nirei?” Suou teased sarcastically. 

“Just shut the fuck up!” Sakura replied, crossing his arms.

"Good morning." Chifuyu stifled a laugh, watching the interaction. "Sorry about that, I guess I'm a little out of shape. Thanks for taking me home yesterday. On the other hand, my body is so sore I feel like I can't even walk properly."

“Don’t thank me, you wimp!” Sakura was still blushing, but she stared him in the eye, daring Chifuyu to say anything.

The guy who'd been training in the doorway joined them. He introduced himself—or rather, Nirei introduced him—as Tsugeura Taiga. Apparently, he already knew Suou, but no one asked or pressed the issue.

Tsugeura turned to Sakura and Chifuyu, who were now standing side by side. "I have a question." He pointed at them both, but not before making some strange arm movements. Sakura raised his fists. "What's your aesthetic?"

“What?” Chifuyu asked, confused. It had to be another crazy person in this crazy city.

“Huh?! Aesthetics? What do you mean?” Sakura looked even more confused.

“Call it obsession! I thought about asking yesterday, but I hadn’t finished my training yet.” Tsugeura explained, but continued to speak nonsensically.

One of the students who had been paying attention turned to Tsugeura. "Why are you asking that?"

"What the hell are you saying?" Tsugeura looked, above all, utterly shocked. "Aesthetics show one's way of life! How could I not ask?"

Was Chifuyu still shocked? Confused? Amazed by this guy's admiration for aesthetics? He didn't really know what he was feeling, but his raised eyebrows and lack of reaction or response spoke volumes.

Nirei raised his hand, as if it all made sense. "I get it! It's not just about mathematical data, it's more like a person's way of thinking! Like which shoe they put on first."

“What?! How do you know that?!” Tsugeura asked, his jaw dropping.

Chifuyu stared at them both. The exchange of conversation about aesthetics and that notebook Nirei carried around with his was, to say the least, strange.

"Oh, yes! We want to hear Sakura and the others' stories, don't we? So why don't we take advantage of this afternoon to eat somewhere and talk about him?" Tsugeura made a sweeping gesture with his hands, inviting everyone in the room. Everyone was quick to decline the invitation, offering extremely lame excuses. By any chance, Chifuyu thought, would he never have classes again?

“What?! Who do you think you are to talk about me like I’m not here, huh?!” Sakura shouted, irritated.

“Sakura, you can’t be so nervous. No one will like you if you’re like that.” Suou teased, pulling him away. 

At some point, Sugishita arrived and the room became even more messy than it already was — with everyone shouting in every corner.

Nirei stood next to Chifuyu. "They're pretty intense, aren't they?"

Chifuyu laughed. “Yes, yes. You know, I had no idea what to expect when I moved here.”

Realization dawned on Nirei as he stared at him. "True, I forgot you just moved in, just like Sakura. Yeah, Bofurin isn't all she's cracked up to be." He said, sweeping his gaze over all his classmates. "How did you feel after yesterday's fight? I saw you put the bandages back on…"

"Wow, I was devastated! Honestly, I have no idea what happened after I woke up to you giving me water. All I know is that out of nowhere, I was home, my mom was putting a wet cloth on my head, and suddenly, I woke up this morning. Extremely sore, by the way." Chifuyu laughed, trying to lighten the situation. "I think I had a concussion. I was better this morning, though. Thanks for helping me yesterday."

"It was nothing, really." Nirei smiled. "I was really worried about you. And that friend of yours, Takemichi? When we told him about you, he looked so worried, it made me even more worried!" Nirei looked anxious, recalling the events of the previous day.

"Takemichi is just like that!" Chifuyu laughed involuntarily, but it eased Nirei's worried expression. "He's the kind of person who can break his entire body, but if you get even the slightest scratch, he'll be crying over you. Don't worry, Nirei."

Nirei smiled. “I’ll keep worrying, yes! No one gave you permission to faint yesterday!”

“Who said? Just because I fought that brute Hamada I already had permission!”

“It’s… fair.”

Chifuyu laughed, but a few silent moments passed between them. The kind of silence that was comfortable, not unsettling, anxious. The room was still chaotic, but the silence between them remained. Chifuyu was the one to break it: "You remind me a bit of him. I mean, Takemichi. You're just as kind."

“Eeehh, was that supposed to be a good thing?”

“Of course! Takemichi is an idiot, but it's no wonder he's one of my emergency contacts.”

Nirei considered this. “I’ll keep that in mind, then!”

“Yeah, I thought so.” Chifuyu rolled his eyes, but let out a laugh.

(He didn’t dare to think of how he was beginning to like this people).

——

As expected, they didn't really have any class.

(What the hell was going on here? Even in Tokyo Chifuyu had classes).

So, Tsugeura took them to a restaurant he frequented and explained the menu to them. Apparently, they made their dishes with healthier, protein-rich ingredients, which is why Tsugeura came here often.

“What do you say we fight?” With a menacing look, Tsugeura suddenly asked. 

Why are these people so obsessed with fighting? Chifuyu thought. As if his friends in Tokyo weren't enough.

"I heard you want to reach the top," he continued. "And someone with the courage to say that in front of everyone is determined. So, what do you think about telling me why you punched him?"

Sakura gave a sideways smile. "Interesting!"

As if a life-saving bell before the two decided to actually fight, two people entered the establishment. 

"Wow! What a cool place!" The boy who entered had pink hair, and Chifuyu was almost certain he was one of his classmates. He feigned disinterest before fixing his gaze on Sakura's group. "Oh… What a coincidence to find you guys here!"

“Kiryu!” Tsugeura greeted. “Why don’t you join us?”

Kiryu seemed to analyze the situation and turned to the girl beside him. "Well, shall we sit back there?" He pointed to a different table than the one they were sitting at.

The girl looked extremely nervous. “L…let’s go.”

They sat at the table behind the one Chifuyu and her classmates were sitting at and soon Nirei began to rattle off some statistics while Tsugeura filled in the information. 

“They say he fought and won, while still in elementary school, a group of third graders,” Nirei said.

Sakura soon asked for more information—and his face was very red, though Chifuyu couldn't figure out why.

"Are you interested, Sakura?" Tsugeura perked up. "Then let's talk to him! Kiryu, why don't you come over here? This young lady can join us too! Sakura is interested in you."

There was an awkward exchange of glances between the two, which Chifuyu thinks was more or less what happened when Mikey and Takemichi first met—according to Takemichi's view—before Kiryu said something. 

"So you're Sakura. Sorry, I knew your face but not your name. You were the one who fought Sugi-chan, weren't you?"

“Yes!” Tsugeura was quicker to agree. “I bet you want to know more about him too, don’t you?”

Kiryu actually seemed to consider the offer. "I'm busy right now, so maybe at school."

By the time Sakura blushed, Chifuyu was already bursting out laughing. Not even Naoto had ever said something like that to Takemichi—and Naoto had the ability to do it.

Tsugeura suddenly stood up and walked toward Kiryu's desk. "Stop being annoying! You still haven't told me about your aesthetic, Kiryu! So why don't we talk about it together?" He slammed both hands on Kiryu's desk. The girl squeaked in fear and cowered.

Kiryu's voice dropped to a low, menacing whisper as he leaned closer to Tsugeura, speaking almost in his ear. And though Chifuyu thought he would react worse, Tsugeura politely apologized before letting Kiryu and the girl leave the restaurant.

“That could have been better.” Chifuyu laughed.

“Without a doubt.” Suou agreed.

A cacophony of sounds and loud shouts could be heard outside almost as soon as Kiryu left with the girl. It sounded like people were gathering and shouting in muffled echoes.

“Huh? What’s going on out there?” Nirei asked timidly.

They didn't have to wonder for long. Everyone hurriedly got up to leave. Chifuyu felt his muscles protest the moment he stood and had to limp to the door. Suou looked at him appraisingly but said nothing.

The pain in his legs burned with every step, but he decided to ignore it. He only realized he hadn't been paying attention until he suddenly saw Sakura move quickly beside him.

He kicked a boy in the chest who was advancing threateningly towards Kiryu.

Chifuyu blinked, his brain still trying to catch up.

(What the hell was going on?)

"For God's sake, are you seriously showing off in this crowd?" Sakura asked mockingly, straightening her uniform shirt. "How pathetic."

The other people in the crowd began to curse and speak foul language at them—mostly directed at Sakura. 

“Oh, I really can’t stand filthy idiots like you.” With a frown on his face, Sakura stated.

Unexpectedly, Tsugeura let out the most sincere laugh Chifuyu had ever heard. “That’s right, Sakura! Well said!”

“Yeah, that was cool.” Kiryu nodded.

The three of them stood almost protectively in front of Nirei, Suou, the girl, and Chifuyu himself. Nirei whimpered as it sank in that they were going to fight this entire crowd. "We… we should back off a bit."

Suou smiled. “Don’t worry. Those three can take care of it.”

Yes, of course, Chifuyu knew they could handle it, but that didn't stop him from wanting to help them. Chifuyu knew how to fight, and a little pain wasn't going to stop him and make him leave three of his classmates against at least twenty people. So, he raised his fists and walked forward.

"Oh, no, no, no," Suou said menacingly, stepping between Chifuyu and the other three. He lowered Chifuyu's wrists. "You're not going to fight at all. You're limping all over, and you think you can handle a fight?"

“What?! But do you really think I’m going to leave these three alone?”

"I don't think so. I know you will. You can't even handle a kick," Suou stated. Maybe it was true, but who said he couldn't just ignore the pain? He'd done it before. "You won't ignore the pain. I know you won't."

"What…?"

"Look, take care of Nirei and her." Suou nodded toward the girl, his earring swaying fluidly. "If anyone comes here for you, I'm the first line of defense and you're the second, okay?"

Unfortunately, this time, Chifuyu had to give in. Suou was right; he wasn't in any condition to fight. "Okay…"

Suou smiled. 

——

At some point after the whole fight—which was impressive and over incredibly quickly—they talked about Sakura's qualities as a leader (Chifuyu didn't agree with half of it, but who was he here, right? He didn't know these people) and exchanged phone numbers, which Chifuyu chose to only give to Nirei, not wanting his phone to explode with messages from the others.

“I’m glad I met you before class leader day.” Kiryu stated as they walked.

“What? Class leader?” Sakura frowned in confusion.

Ah, Chifuyu understood. "It must be like a class representative," he said, trying to explain. "The person probably reports to the upperclassmen and knows everything that happens at school, whether it's related to them or not."

Nirei smiled. "That's right, Chifuyu!" He seemed to think for a moment before opening his mouth again to speak. "You should apply."

"Huh? Why do you think that?" Chifuyu was genuinely confused. Until then, he'd barely spoken to his classmates or shown any fighting ability—aside from his fight with Hamada—unlike Sakura, who had already demonstrated this on the very first day. He, on the other hand, was able to arrive late on the first day.

Everyone else was paying attention now, but their expressions betrayed their thoughts a bit. They were probably thinking Sakura was better. And honestly? They weren't necessarily wrong; Chifuyu hadn't done much so far. There was also the fact that Chifuyu didn't want to take on all this responsibility; Toman was already a headache enough. Besides, if they found out he was from Toman while he was class leader, he'd be screwed.

"You're very calm, above all," Nirei began, explaining. "But you're also a very good fighter! And you also relate well to people."

“You fight well? Who did you fight yesterday?” Tsugeura perked up.

"Truthfully, I did notice that your step is uneven. Are you hurt from your fight yesterday?" Kiryu spoke, almost at the same time as Tsugeura.

“It was against Tadaomi Hamada. He was like twice my height and three times my size.”

“It seems he was once part of a large gang in Tokyo,” Nirei said, sounding almost like he was talking about some kind of conspiracy—his voice was whispered and his posture tense. 

Tsugeura smiled broadly and enthusiastically wrapped his arm around Chifuyu's shoulder. Chifuyu's body shook involuntarily with the movement, instantly shivering, muscle spasms coursing through him. Tsugeura hesitated, pulling his arm away in surprise. "You must be quite strong, then!"

“Ah…” Chifuyu began.

"Yes, Tsugeura is right. I've heard a lot about Hamada. You're strong too." Kiryu interrupted.

“Eh, I guess so?”

“Of course!” Tsugeura smiled.

Sakura scowled at him. "Standing there and belittling yourself will only make you weaker."

“Your strength is quite considerable.” Suou gave a small smile.

“You sure are quite strong!” Nirei agreed excitedly. “What’s your favorite fighting style?”

“Kind of free, actually. I learned it from a friend of mine who… learned it from a friend of his, so it’s confusing,” Chifuyu replied, thinking of Baji. Thinking about Baji never brought him a good feeling. Sure, he missed him, but just thinking about him carried such nostalgia and grief that Chifuyu sometimes considered forgetting about him would be better. 

Was it a pain that would go away at some point? Chifuyu didn't think so. 

But maybe here, far from Toman, it would be easier. 

No, Chifuyu wouldn't forget about Baji. He'd just keep his mind off things for a bit. 

Grief is strange. But people always says friends are there for you.

Maybe, just maybe, the people of Makochi were here to help him.

Chifuyu hoped he was right.

——

As soon as Chifuyu arrived home, the smell of home-cooked food already hit him. 

“I’m home, Mom.”

He kicked off his shoes and left his backpack on the doorstep, heading toward the kitchen, where he knew he would find his mother. She was standing in front of the stove, staring at a pot.

“Good evening, Chifuyu! I see you’re feeling a little better.”

Realization washed over him. Today had been almost as long as the others, and honestly, he'd forgotten the state he'd been in yesterday or the note she'd left on his bedside table this morning.

Chifuyu leaned against a nearby piece of furniture. "Yes. You…" he hesitated, but if he hadn't started it, he knew she would have gotten even more nervous. "You wanted to talk to me about yesterday, didn't you?" 

His mother turned to him and gave him a pained smile. "Yes, Chifuyu. But first, there's a glass of water behind you and some painkillers next to you. I figured you wouldn't have taken anything today before I left. You're still in pain, aren't you?"

Chifuyu managed a snort. She knew him all too well. "My body's been sore all day," he said before taking the medicine and swallowing it with water.

"So…" she began, but didn't turn to look at Chifuyu. "Do you want to start, or are you going to let me ask? Sure, I know you didn't want to leave Tokyo Manji, but it wasn't them. The boy who brought you said he was your classmate." 

Yes, it's true. Now that he thought about it, his mother probably didn't realize that Furin was a school for delinquents. She probably assumed most of the delinquents came from there, but that the school itself had nothing to do with it. Chifuyu wasn't sure what the school principal had told her mother, but she hadn't thought to confirm the information with Chifuyu, so he doubted she'd been told the whole truth.

"It's going to be a bit confusing to explain, but Furin is a school made up of delinquents. They call themselves Bofurin, which is the gang that protects and keeps the city in order. You know that sign we passed when we first arrived in town? It's theirs."

His mother turned and looked at him, surprise written all over her face, her eyebrows raised. Then a mixture of skepticism and confusion flashed across her eyes. "What about yesterday?"

"On my first day, we went out to patrol the city with a veteran. The area around the train tunnel marks the beginning of another gang's territory, and when we got there, this other gang was chasing a middle school kid. I wasn't going to do anything, but suddenly two of my classmates had already beaten one of these guys. Look, a lot happened in between, but to summarize: then the leader of this gang went to Furin and demanded a fight, and again, I wasn't going to fight, not until I saw one of the former Toman captains there in the crowd and he challenged me."

Her mother had been silent the entire time, so when Chifuyu stopped speaking, a silence stretched. "That still doesn't explain the bruises and how you got here."

"Okay…" he sighed, defeated. "So, yesterday, we went to this gang's base, where the fights were going to take place. Everyone was victorious, but this former Toman captain was much bigger than me. And stronger. I think I ended up with a concussion, because I practically passed out when the fight ended. In the end, when Takemichi called me, we were at a coffee shop nearby, and one of my classmates who brought me here was the one who answered." Chifuyu finished, skeptical of how his mother would react. 

His mother turned off the heat and covered the pots on the stove before turning to him. "Look, I know it's no longer possible for me to try to dissuade you from this life. I couldn't even do it with Toman, and we moved cities. So, imagine this new school of yours?" She paused as she sipped a glass of water. "But, Chifuyu, I'm still your mother. And I still worry. If you're going to be out there, on the street, who knows where, at least answer my messages or ask a friend to do it. I don't care! I just need to know you're okay!"

And his mother, Chifuyu knew, was always right. He lowered his gaze, looking at his feet in shame. The weight of guilt hit him like a kick to the stomach.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was yesterday? I texted and called you for three hours before you answered! And you didn't even answer me!" His mother was now truly nervous, her voice rising, and she began pacing around the kitchen. "And when your friend brought you here? You were passed out, covered in bruises and cuts on your face, almost feverish!" She walked over to stand in front of Chifuyu, placing her hands comfortingly on his shoulder. Chifuyu looked up only to see his mother holding back tears. "Chifuyu… please, just tell me you'll be okay, honey. Just answer my texts. Just… just let me know."

Chifuyu swallowed hard. It wasn't often that his mother cried in front of him. "I… I'll try."

She closed her eyes for a second, blinking away the tears, before pulling him into a hug. 

"Thank you."