Sato nodded in agreement, "It looks like he trains just as hard as Sendo. Though Shiyon-san mentioned his Kendo knowledge isn't deep. It'll be interesting to see how he manages."
"He does look quite sure of himself. This should be interesting," Hiyori added, her eyes fixed on the unfolding scene.
Around them, a chorus of excited shrieks filled the air, "KYAAAA <3 He's sooo hot!!"
"Man, he must work out... And he's only in his third year!"
"How is it even possible to look that perfect... Not too bulky, not too lean... He's just right!"
The students' voices blended into a tumult of jealousy, envy, desire, and admiration as Yuuno and Sendo faced off.
Sendo, his gaze intense, began, "Aniki, ya know I respect ya an' everything, but don't disrespect Kendo in front of me. It gets me really mad. You know dat. Put on the outfit."
Yuuno's demeanor hardened. "I'm not fond of your attitude, kid. Change it, now. Otherwise, I, as your senior, might just lose my temper."
"Do you really want to push it?" he added, his grip on the Kendo sword tightening.
The crowd murmured in confusion, trying to decipher their exchange.
"Have they started fighting already?"
Yuuto watched closely, intrigued by the verbal sparring.
'A confrontation already?' he pondered.
Sendo then glanced at the outfit on the ground, slightly under Yuuno's foot.
"I won't fight ya. I'm out," Sendo declared calmly, sheathing his sword and leaving the crowd in a mix of disappointment and shock.
He moved towards the discarded outfit, "Move yer foot, Aniki. I need to pick that up," he said, reaching down for it.
Yuuno's response was to press his foot down harder on the garment, refusing to let Sendo retrieve it. Suddenly, he brought his sword to Sendo's neck.
"Whoa... What's going on?! Yuuno's got his sword at Sendo-kun's throat!"
"It doesn't seem like he's actually hurting him. They're brothers after all, maybe it's just their weird way of talking..."
"Come on, Sendo! You've got this! Don't let it end before it even starts!"
"Go for it, SENDO!"
The crowd's energy surged, their shouts filling the air. Yuuno smirked, soaking in the atmosphere.
"Listen, Sendo," he said, eyeing the crowd. "They're all baying for action. They'll turn on you if you back down now. You think they care if it's Kendo or a brawl? Just look at them."
Sendo, however, remained firm, the wooden blade at his neck not stirring him.
"I'm here for Kendo. What others want doesn't bother me. Move yer foot."
"No," Yuuno countered, "As your older brother, I'm telling you to fight. Don't cause a spectacle. Are you really going to defy and disrespect me PUBLICLY on my first day here? Your older brother?"
"Move yer foot," Sendo persisted, his tone more steady and restless.
Yuuno, noticing Sendo's patience running thin, smirked a wicked grin.
"Make me," he challenged, further stomping the garment and smearing it on the ground.
"Quite the charmer, this thug," Yuuto called, his hands folded as he looked at the two.
Sato snapped to Yuuto, "H-hey! Sakurai-senpai! Keep your voice down! If you say it loudly like that, people might—"
"Ara~ <3 My cute Yuu-chun is a thug?" Shiyon called, appearing behind Yuuto while standing.
"S-SHIYON-SAN!?" Sato and his club called, as they noticed his figure.
"SHIYON-SAN! S-SAKURAI-SENPAI DIDN'T MEAN THAT! He just blurted it for no—"
"What, are you delirious in addition to being an organ harvester?" Yuuto called casually as he turned around, causing everyone to drop their jaws and lose the color from their faces. "He looks like that buzz-cut douchebag out of a generic high-school fighting manga. What kind of piss-poor job did you do raising that ingrate that he came out so different from Sendo?"
"Aha~..." Shiyon let out a surprised sigh.
"SAKURAI, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Hiyori called in distress.
"I'm sorry for my senpai, Shiyon-san..!! He's wrong in the head!" Chiyoko called as she bowed on her seat.
"S-sakurai-senpai... That's just uncalled for!! I am truly sorry on my club member's behalf!!" Sato hurried to apologize.
"What?" He looked at them all casually, "It's true. He strips like he owns the place, and then spits at Sendo's face like it's nobody's business. What else can he be but a dipshit ingrate?"
"Ehe...~" Shiyon approached Yuuto, firmly placing his hand on his shoulder.
Their faces paled even more. The image of Shiyon fighting again resurfaced in their brains. An intense fight was about to go down after all these years...
'They're misunderstanding what's happening here. Literal sexual harassment is happening right in front of your eyes.' Yuuto thought in resignation as he felt Shiyon's squeeze on his trapezius muscles.
"Whoa, so hard~ <3" Shiyon mumbled to himself.
'With those muscles...! He could take on an army...! Ohhh~~ Imagine if he trained in some martial arts or used weapons... Ahhh~... How strong would he be?! He'd be like a bulldozer... He could take out an entire building of Yakuza all by himself... And they're so condensed, you wouldn't be able to tell as long as he wears those long-sleeved outfits. They're optimized for movement and power... How dare you, Sakurai-chun. How dare you hide this magnificent body from the world. What did you do to achieve this beautiful level..!?'
"Hey. Get your fucking hand off me, pervert," Yuuto called as he turned around.
"Aha~ Sorry, sorry," Shiyon replied with an innocently smile as he removed his palm and stepped back.
"W-what the..." Hiyori exclaimed in amazement and bewilderment.
"What just happened...? You're not angry, Shiyon-san?" Sato called in confusion.
Shiyon shook his head, "I came here to check on Sakurai-chun, actually. I heard some bad rumors about guys targeting him just because he was a little enthusiastic in the way he spoke about me to everyone... Haah... Talk about fervent children running amok just because someone used no-no words..~" He sighed, frustration evident in his voice.
Hiyori and Sato remained silent as they glanced at Yuuto's slightly bruised face.
"Honestly? You got off easier than you deserve, Sakurai," Hiyori remarked.
"Got a problem, bridge-troll?" Sakurai countered.
"Now, now~ Hiyorin, let's not dwell on the past," Shiyon interjected gently.
"But he insulted your brother! Your family! How can you not be upset? He blatantly disrespected you and those you care most about!" Hiyori exclaimed, her frustration evident.
"Hikki, maybe we should discuss this later—" Sato began, only for Hiyori to cut him off once more.
"He's the worst," Hiyori declared, her gaze shifting to Yuuto. "I thought people were exaggerating about you, Sakurai. But first, you insult Sakkun after he welcomed you into our club, then you disrespect all of us, and now THIS?! Are you trying to make everyone dislike you? Well, it's working!" Her expression hardened as she glared at Yuuto.
Yuuto met her gaze, blankly staring at her.
'...She's just some shitty kid in a godforsaken high-school. But I keep seeing nee-chan in that ugly bridge troll. I guess it has been a while since I saw nee-chan.'
"Hiyorin~" Shiyon's voice was soft yet carried an underlying chill, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
"...Sorry. To you, for having to listen to this, Shiyocchi. But I'm not apologizing to him," she stated defiantly, while Chiyoko tugged at her shirt, seemingly trying to pacify her, and Sato simply watched.
Shiyon sighed, "I'm not asking for an apology. What Sakurai-chun did was regrettable, uncalled for, and doesn't merit kindness from others. I don't expect you to blindly accept everyone and their views."
"..."
"...."
"...."
"...And?"
"That's it~" Shiyon responded, smiling.
"E-eh?"
"Haha, sorry about that. I'm not exactly cut out to be a lecturer. But since you asked if I was frustrated by what Sakurai-chun said, let me give you my take on it," Shiyon began, pausing to gaze thoughtfully into the distance.
"Words are just words. It's been a long time, and yet, it's crucial for me to impress upon these younger ones that resorting to violence over mere words isn't a sign of strength. This lesson applies to myself as well. Had I continued to react to past grievances, this school wouldn't be standing today. Sen-chun was the one who taught me the importance of moving beyond that," he explained. Yuuto raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Shiyon's perspective.
"Sure..." her voice faded, filled with uncertainty.
At this, Sato let out a sigh of relief, laughing softly, while Chiyoko gazed up at Shiyon, her eyes shining with a mix of respect and admiration.
"Regarding Yuuno-chun and how he turned out so different from Sen-chun... You could say Sen-chun was already a sweetie <3 before I took on the role of his Aniki. I only take around 15% ~ 30% credit for how he turned out today. Most of who he is, well, thanks to he was and his persistence. Hehe, you could say it's thanks to his efforts that I am who I am today. He was just stronger than I was," Shiyon said proudly. "As for Yuu-chun... He came from a more troubled place, a rougher environment, even more so than Sen-chun's, so he's just... Rougher. I actually met Sen-chun much after Yuu-chun."
"Oh? Is that so, Shiyon-san? Then, where was Yuuno-senpai when you were at school here?" Chiyoko asked in wonder.
"Hmm... That's—"
The atmosphere among the students grew tense with anticipation, their whispers turning into a chorus of impatience. "Are they going to fight or what?" The question rippled through the crowd, capturing the attention of everyone around, including Shiyon.
Heads turned, eyes locked on the two figures at the center of the gathering storm. "Why's nothing happening?" someone muttered, the frustration mounting. "Come on, Sendo, Yuuno, give us something to watch!"
Amidst the rising clamor, Sendo's voice cut through, firm and unwavering.
"Move. Aniki, let me grab da garment an' go. Why yer being hard?"
"The way you're saying that is wrong on a lot of levels. Besides, it is you who is being hard here, Sendo. Just fight me already. I want to see how strong you turned out." His stance remained unyielding, the sword still a silent threat against Sendo's neck.
"...Move. I'll show ya later." The words left Sendo's lips slowly, his patience thinning like ice under the sun.
In the midst of this standoff, Shiyon's voice emerged, tinged with a hint of regret.
"Sorry, Saku-chun." His apology floated to Yuuto, who turned, one eyebrow arching in silent query.
Shiyon exhaled a sigh, his expression one of mild disappointment.
"I promised something interesting, but it seems we're at an impasse..." He glanced at the two once more, a mix of frustration and resignation in his gaze. "Seems old habits really are hard to break... Well, I suppose it's up to me to intervene." With those final words, Shiyon excused himself,
"I do want to make sure, though..."
Everyone's focus shifted back to Shiyon.
"Even though I trust Sen-chun's judgment, I need to hear it myself, especially with you so worked up, Hyorin..."
A chill ran through everyone, Yuuto observing Shiyon with a strategic eye.
"Has Saku-chun... hurt any of you?" His voice was soft, yet it carried the weight of a lion's roar.
His gaze fixed on Yuuto, his face giving nothing away.
'The atmosphere's shifted... This feels much heavier than our fight...' Yuuto noted internally.
Hiyori quickly answered, "No... he hasn't... Sure, he's a jerk and ungrateful, but he hasn't laid a hand on anyone. I would have taken him down myself if he had," she explained hurriedly.
"Ah, I see~ That's reassuring <3 Take care then." His casual demeanor and smile reappeared as he turned to leave, leaving a stunned silence behind. Yuuto watched him go, poised and ready.
'...I'm up for whatever you've got, harvester.'