The rhythmic echo of his footsteps resonated as Minoru traversed the stone path in the southern expanse of the academy. Abruptly halting, he discerned an unusual sound, reminiscent of a smack. Waste no time, he hurried towards it, curiosity piqued by the unknown.
Before him lay a peculiar scene—a girl with long pink hair and a tracksuit on the top of her uniform, repeatedly smacking her head against the ground. Concern etched across his face, Minoru wondered, "Is she okay?"
"Drown out the memories! Be gone! Be gone, my filthy memories!" The girl's mental plea echoed, revealing her struggle against haunting thoughts of a friendless past and an unfulfilled dream of joining a band.
"Hiek! Now the narrator thinks I'm pitiful," she exclaimed, wiping away tears.
The author couldn't believe his ears.
"Let's sing my new song then..."
Perhaps I was hallucinating; after all, it seemed implausible that someone could hear the observer.
Observing her, Minoru recognized her—Gotoh Hitori, a first-year student on scholarship at Shuchi'in High. Despite a seemingly mundane background, Minoru surmised that her enrollment might be a nerve-wracking experience.
"I practiced six hours every day to play in front of people... and the result?"
"Middle school ended, and I never played a single note for them! Never performed at a cultural festival. Never formed a band. Never made a single friend in three whole years! Now, in this massive school that terrifies me... I must form a band or die trying!"
Minoru realized that Hitori was grappling with self-confidence issues. Perhaps, at this moment, a simple applause for the impromptu song she had created was all she needed. He genuinely meant it, recognizing her skill in playing the guitar and crafting lyrics in a short amount of time.
As Hitori finished the song with a smug expression, she heard applause from behind, causing her brain to momentarily freeze. "Bravo..." Minoru's calm voice broke the silence.
Glancing back, Hitori saw him nodding approvingly. Had he witnessed everything from the beginning? Those eerie red eyes, staring at her from the beginning, sent shivers down her spine. Panicking, she let out a loud scream.
"HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Minoru, was the worst person she could encounter.
Amidst the chaos, Hitori.exe malfunctioned, and she melted into a sulking statue. It took a moment for her to realize that Minoru was a teacher patrolling the area. Memories surfaced of her past interactions with teachers, but Minoru struck her as the worst, a type she found terrifying.
"Ah-ah… my deep apologies, sensei!"
"For what? Anyway, you've got some skill there. I think you'll have a band soon."
"N-N-N-N-No! My sk-skill is still lacking. It's n-nothing great…"
"That's wrong. Others will think the same as me, so don't underestimate yourself."
Hitori paused, contemplating his words.
'Can you praise me more? Ehehehehehehehehehehehehehe. So this is what being praised feels like…'
Her family aside, this was her first compliment, and Minoru wondered if she had misjudged something.
"Anyway, don't hurt your head like that again. And I think your parents are worried about you, Gotoh Hitori, so head to the auditorium now. Do you remember the way back?"
Eh? Hitori didn't recall mentioning her name. Could he be a fan? With a YouTube channel for guitar covers, maybe Minoru was her stalker. Another misunderstanding, but she found herself oddly content. and by the way, Minoru had already memorized all the students' names and backgrounds.
"Ah, yes. I remember the way b-back since I'm familiar with this place," Hitori responded awkwardly.
Minoru, puzzled, walked away, leaving her in the forest she seemed strangely familiar with.
---
On an ordinary day, the security guard lazily manned his post with his eyes half-open. Suddenly, a sound caught his attention from the left, and upon investigation, he discovered a donut and a pack of peanuts.
Curiosity piqued, he wondered if there was something special about this day. Fortunately, a note accompanied the unexpected gifts. It read, "Thank you for the hard work." A smile crept across his face as he pondered whether an angel had delivered the treats or if it was an attempt by mischievous students to escape.
"Let's move," whispered Anya with a hushed tone.
With that, Bond began to stroll through a small gate that had opened near the security post, the two agents hiding on the left side of his fat belly. Somehow, no one could prevent this canon event as Ruby and Anya rode Bond's back along the city sidewalk. The excitement, thrill, and the gust of wind on Anya's face fueled her determination to help Minoru.
"WOOHOOO!"
"Anya! Where are we going now?"
Anya's joyous expression turned serious as the other agent reminded her, "Bond, let's go to Princess's secret base." (Apartment)
"Borf!"
Ruby paused for a moment, asking, "What Princess?" Even Ruby, aware that she didn't always need to take Anya seriously, she assumed it was just a random name.
---
The eerie storage building, resembling a haunted factory, fell silent as Minoru unexpectedly entered the place, commanding the attention of the delinquents.
"As the head of school affairs, I'll confiscate your motorcycle keys and inform your parents to retrieve them from me," he declared with simplicity, aware that they cared little for rules.
The delinquents exchanged glances as Minoru dropped a blunt truth bomb. Why were they so arrogant? Well, each of them had ties to the Yakuza, the green underbelly of the criminal world.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahah!" Their laughter echoed, but Minoru, looking unfazed, had chosen the worst spot—the one lacking academy surveillance—to discipline them.
"Listen, um… Sensei. Wait, I know you." A guy with short, dyed-blonde hair and an average yet trained physique approached him confidently, as if channeling John Cena. "You're that famous teacher, right? And you're the new school affairs guy. That's impressive. But, sensei, the previous School Affairs didn't touch us because he knew who we were," he said calmly.
"Student, you're a second-year named Yamamoto Masa." The student smiled at Minoru's recognition. "I'm glad, sensei, you know about me. Then—"
"You're a student, which means a nobody. This is annoying, but I remember all the names of troublesome students, especially you brats." Minoru locked his sharp gaze on him, making him gulp. "...hand it over now." His tone left no room for negotiation; this was their last chance.
What was this Yakuza all about? Typically, a regular teacher wouldn't be involved with them. Messing with the Yakuza could lead to disappearances or worse. Shuchi'in's teachers knew this well, causing them to naturally avoid the School Affairs seat.
"I don't like this at all. How about we finish this quickly before she arrives?" a different sound.
Minoru glanced back and saw two bald students approaching as if they intended to act. He was right. Masa threw a straight punch at Minoru when he only loosened his guard a little.
"Wha—GAHH!"
Minoru deflected Masa's punch and used his fist to hit his bald friend where it hurts the most. In that brief moment, the other bald student aimed a kick at Minoru's head. Undeterred, Minoru blocked the kick with his right arm and simultaneously pulled Masa's hoodie sleeve.
"What the!? Ah, argh! Stop stop!"
The student ended up in an awkward position, wondering how Minoru managed to tie the hoodie sleeve to his foot. Calmly, Minoru pushed him into the other two, making them collide with a resounding crash.
Bang! "Cough! Cough!" They all crashed onto the dusty floor, dirtied and coughing.
Minoru sighed with his left hand in his pants pocket, ensuring he didn't harm them severely. However, they couldn't avoid inhaling the dirt.
"An act of violence against a teacher can get you three expelled from school." Minoru looked at the three keys in his right hand, snatched while dealing with their futile attempt.
"Cough! Ugh! Dammit! My eyes!" Masa rubbed his eyes due to the dirt, glancing up at his other underlings who watched him like idiots. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR FUCKERS!"
"OHHH!" The rest of them are charged with battle roars.
Are they crazy idiots? Just look at them. Minoru easily overpowered the strongest from your colony with his Jackie Chan move-like. But then, they all stopped when they heard the loud sound of custom exhaust, and that familiar sound was their actual boss.
Minoru looked at the newcomer with a white motocross bike with interest.
"What the heck are you guys doing!?" The owner screamed inside the helmet as she turned off her bike, and then unscrewed the helmet. "Bastards! I once told you all to fuck off! Don't use my hiding place, aghhh!"
The delinquents stopped their fight, lined up, and bowed to the girl.
"GOOD MORNING, BOSS! WE SECURED THE PLA—"
"SHUT UP IDIOTS! DIDN'T I SAY TO YOU SHIT HEADS! I don't want any of you getting near me in school! FUCK— huh?"
The angry, annoyed face turned a bit calmer when she looked at Minoru approaching her calmly as a lake.
"Who are you—wait," She took her phone and opened her social media, "Shit! You're that teacher. Ahhh man…" She massaged her forehead at the bad timing. "To think that Sensei would move this fast. So you're here because we brought bikes to school?" She asked with a lazy tone, then crossed her arms.
The girl sure has some tomboy charisma and dignity as a leader. Still, Minoru already knows who she is.
"That's right, I expected nothing less from the former treasurer Ryuju Momo. Hand over the key, now."
Momo sighed as she shook her head, clearly unlucky. "Uh-huh, got it. Here's mine."
Minoru accepted it like that, then Momo shouted, "Give your keys or I'll kill you all, bitches!"
"YESSS, BOSS!" They all shouted back, sweating from her threat.
Minoru was a little surprised at how they obeyed her without doubt, which contrasted with the boys from Ichijo. Well, Ryuju Momo still accepted her clan's wish that she must become the successor while also living her normal life, unlike Ichijo Raku. So this is her… Minoru had this thought when he finally met the successor of the Ryuju Clan from one of the four clans of the Yakuza.
"Sensei… is the fatso really... dead?"
Minoru snapped back, "That fatso you mean is Swan-sensei?"
She nodded, as Minoru responded as a teacher, "Yes… unfortunately. But it's still bad to insult your former teacher with that nickname."
"Bad habit. Now I couldn't use my bike to school, ah, shit…"
Momo crossed her arms again as she gritted her teeth. She clearly has a harsh mouth but still behaves better.
'Hmmm... so this is what Shirogane told me about. A tough competition... no way he will win.'
Then she also noticed that Minoru has a good physique, meaning he's training. She glanced at Masa, and that explained why he became dusty. She looked back at Minoru.
"Huh? Oh…"
She walked towards him and then saw him locking it with a long chain.
"Ryuju, bring your bike here." He tossed her key back as she was somehow annoyed.
'Uh, he's serious. He really knows how they think huh?'
Momo thought that the boys might use a spare key and then run away with the bike. But still, she liked his personality that didn't give a damn about anything. Wait, why does she think like that?
'Hah… screw it. I'm not a simp like those girls. Yeah, there's no way…'
She got on her bike and then switched on the engine, annoyed.
Meanwhile, Minoru's phone beeped, which means some crap just happened.
"…is he crazy?"
He cursed as he looked at the screen and then locked the chains with a padlock without waiting for Momo. The Principal was doing something really bad to the point that he wondered why Henry gave this kind of test to him while also risking people inside the academy! More importantly, he didn't know if he could do the job without being violent.
He also worried that outsiders like Teresa's guard might intervene in the event as they might use bullets. Which means the event will be over even before it starts. There's no way he'll let that happen. Yeah, he needs to move his ass asap!
A blaring sound from the custom exhaust can be heard, "Hey, what's going on? You'll lock mine too, right? Then—" Momo narrowed her brows, then widened her eyes like what's going on?
"The bike… I'll borrow your bike," he said with a poker face.
Momo was dazed for a moment, "…HUH!?"
What kind of development is this? He's here to snatch their bikes, and now he wants to use one?
---
(Hoshino Ai's POV)
Just stepped into the new Strawberry Production digs in Shinjuku. Gotta say it's a whole different vibe compared to the old place. The old place belonged to Ichigo, a space he also used for work and living, and it always left me feeling sorry for Miyako-san.
Now, everything had changed, as Minoru-kun aptly put it, "...ah actually, Ichigo is still the boss. While I'm taking over the agency, I'm just paying for everything, sprucing things up, and making it even cooler."
It seemed Minoru-kun had a penchant for solving problems with money, like attempting to buy his own daughter's photo from me—a rather absurd.
The Pet Day was a blast! Finally, I had the chance to see my kids in their school environment. Despite Ruby's perpetual smile, a mother's instinct or perhaps my overconfidence made me sense her worries. Hahaha! What a narcissistic woman I am.
About my boyfriend... Wait, scratch that! My husband! Anyhow, why does he squander so much, matching his earnings? Ahh! He's truly a man of secrets!
I earned 600k Yen this year, thanks to my other job besides being an idol. However, it would dwindle to around 300k when I focus solely on being an idol again. But fear not, I'll work diligently on this song and strive to reach a million yen a year. Hahaha!
Entering the locker room with a sigh, I glanced around, finding it empty. I did arrive earlier than the others, after all.
"Finally, I can talk freely. But I'm kinda surprised that he's really, really, really mysterious, huh? I remember our first date with that old car, no fancy clothes, just a meal from the drive-through—"
As I tried to recall the events of four years ago, I realized I knew nothing about Minoru-kun. I didn't know him at all. Perhaps it was because I was too focused on myself. Even now, I'm simply enjoying my time with my family. I learned that our rings were from his parents, yet our situation made us appear close yet distant in some strange way. For us, I've decided to share everything about me, Hoshino Ai, ensuring there are no lies or secrets between us.
But, I can't shake the feeling that there's someone who knows him better than I do, a woman who might be superior to me. Does he love me because of his unplanned kids? He claims we're now married, yet I doubt he'd reveal the secrets hidden behind his closed doors. Who is he, really? Is it too soon to wonder, or am I just scared of being left behind once more?
"Ai! Huff... huff... I got a call from Ruby's teacher! Something..."
Suddenly, Miyako-san burst into the room, her face etched with horror, breathless and frantic. It wasn't a lie when I felt my heart racing, fearing that something terrible might have happened.
---
A/N:
I decided to write one chapter before disappearing somewhere. And as always, writing for a hobby which is free. Oh, and maybe I forgot to mention that I actually upload on Scribble Hub and Wattpad, besides Webnovel. And stop stealing other content, bruh, kinda annoyed when I found a platform based in Russian, I've shitty moment where I can't read my own fanfic after some chapters because I need to pay... hahahaha hilarious idiotic moment. Also, Momo Ryuju is my favorite character besides Ai Hayasaka. Ciao!