Jingliu led Yasushi to a secluded corner of the school, hidden from view by an overgrowth of foliage. Among the shadows, Yasushi's eyes caught sight of a blanket shrouding mysterious objects. Jingliu, unfazed, approached the concealed items. With a swift motion, she lifted the covers, revealing a collection of medium-sized boxes, a peculiar sight in such a place.
"Boxes?" Yasushi's confusion echoed in his question as he tried to make sense of their presence.
Jingliu nodded in silence, grasping two boxes and opening one. From within emerged a gleaming necklace, which she delicately placed around her neck.
"What my parents are undertaking will alter the fabric of our world," Jingliu spoke enigmatically, her words carrying a weight of impending revelation. "My father's company has long been involved in endeavors that will soon be unveiled to humanity."
As she extended her hand, the necklace pulsed with an otherworldly glow, producing into a wooden sword that materialized in Jingliu's grasp, leaving Yasushi stunned by the unexpected display of power.
"Are you a gamer?" Jingliu's question pierced through the air, drawing Yasushi's attention even as he struggled to recover from his astonishment. He nodded tentatively, prompting her to unveil a tantalizing secret.
"My father's company is pioneering the creation of 'Inventory Rings' for real-world use," she disclosed, her tone tinged with excitement. "This," she revealed, opening Yasushi's box to reveal a peculiar sweatband-like device, "is one of their prototypes from last year."
Sliding the band onto his right wrist, she explained its functionality. "It operates similarly to mine. While it lacks the intricate interfaces found in games, it can store up to five items. All you need to do is envision what you want to add or remove. Though it's currently empty, you could easily store your bag or other essentials within it."
Following Jingliu's guidance, Yasushi positioned his bag before him and concentrated on it merging with the band. In an instant, the bag vanished into the device, leaving Yasushi awestruck. With another mental command, he summoned it back into his hands, a feat that left him uttering incredulous words.
"This is beyond belief... amazing, it's like we're in the future," Yasushi murmured in disbelief, his gaze shifting between the band and Jingliu, who observed his reaction with a knowing smile. "Do you understand its workings? And what about our parents' collaborative project?"
Jingliu shook her head, her expression thoughtful. "Not entirely, but I suspect it may involve the generation of limitless energy, accessible at a minimal cost. This could revolutionize global connectivity, potentially offering worldwide internet at gigabyte speeds for mere dollars a month, a vast improvement from the current megabyte speeds at much higher prices."
"In terms of its mechanics... I'm not entirely sure," Jingliu admitted, tucking away the bat she had used as an example. "My father has referenced quantum physics and related concepts during our discussions in the past. These devices will become integral in our daily lives, simplifying the transportation of bulky items."
Yasushi's excitement grew as he contemplated the implications. "Events like garbage collection and moving will become remarkably effortless," he observed, a sense of anticipation bubbling within him.
Jingliu chuckled softly. "I knew you'd bring those up. These prototypes are just the beginning; they will evolve into even more advanced versions. Similar to the speculated energy solutions, these will be accessible to the masses at reasonable prices. Like smartphones, additional features may come at a higher cost, but the basic models will likely be quite affordable," she explained before taking Yasushi's hand. "Let's go, Furuya will need our help."
"Right," Yasushi responded, deftly stowing his bag within the band once more as they swiftly departed the secluded spot, heading towards Furuya's location.
+-+
Furuya's voice, tinged with surprise, cut through the air as Jingliu and Yasushi approached him. "What brings you two here?" he inquired, his attempt at teasing about a potential date swiftly halted by Jingliu's icy stare.
"We just completed our school punishment," Yasushi quickly responded, though both he and Jingliu knew it was a fabricated explanation.
"Oh, the punishment thing. You guys are still at it? I thought you'd have wrapped it up in the first week," Furuya remarked as they started walking away together.
"Nah, personal stuff got in the way, but we wrapped it up today. Ran into you by chance," Yasushi explained casually, his senses alert to the presence of the troublemakers tailing them, a feeling shared by Jingliu.
"How about grabbing a bite?" Yasushi suggested, aware of their followers. Furuya hesitated, citing a lack of funds.
"Don't worry, I'll cover it. You know I usually do unless you've hit a jackpot somewhere," Yasushi reassured him, eliciting a laugh from Furuya.
"Deal, but I'm ordering a feast," Furuya declared, his excitement palpable as he leaped in anticipation. Glancing at Yasushi, he added, "The guy didn't have the guts to confront me after school, typical coward."
A flicker of concern danced across Yasushi's lips as Furuya's words felt like a jinx, their conversation abruptly halted by the appearance of a group blocking their path.
"Coward? Look who's talking, you little prick," a familiar voice spat at them, the speaker adorned with brass knuckles, flanked by a gang of roughly twenty others their age.
Furuya pivoted, meeting the gaze of the student from earlier, who now stood as a menacing figure with a directive. "I warned you. I'm here for you, cunt," the student proclaimed, gesturing towards them. "I'm taking care of the cunt, deal with the other guy, and capture the girl," he instructed his cohorts, punctuating the orders with his name, "Daiki's the name, in case you forgot."
"Daiki the little bitch," Furuya retorted, a snort escaping him. Despite his fear, anger fueled his bravado, lending him a false sense of courage in the face of impending confrontation.
"Could you not provoke them?" Yasushi retorted to Furuya, who chuckled in response.
"I might end up with a bruised behind, but I won't back down without a fight," Furuya declared, cracking his knuckles as he locked eyes with Daiki.
"Look at this guy, he's got some guts," Daiki remarked before he and his gang surged toward Yasushi's group.
In a swift and coordinated move, Jingliu and Yasushi sprang into action, countering the advancing attackers. Jingliu summoned her necklace's power, materializing her wooden sword, catching Daiki's cronies off guard.
Jingliu targeted several assailants, striking precise blows to their knees, ankles, throats, and heads. Her strikes were calculated to inflict pain without causing lasting harm. Some crumpled to the ground in agony, two succumbed to unconsciousness, while the remainder struggled to breathe after the blows to their throats.
"I am—!" one of his cronies tried to speak, their words cut short by Yasushi's swift punch that connected with their face, rendering them unconscious in an instant.
Yasushi let out a sigh, his gaze sweeping across the room filled with adversaries. "This isn't a scene from some flashy anime where declarations are necessary," he remarked coolly, his demeanor reflecting a mix of calmness and controlled aggression.
Observing his opponents with a practiced eye, Yasushi noted the varying degrees of combat experience among them. Some displayed the telltale signs of having engaged in physical altercations before, evident in their stance and the way they moved. Others seemed less seasoned, their movements betraying a lack of expertise but not devoid of a willingness to fight.
As another crony attempted to land a blow, Yasushi effortlessly evaded, his focus momentarily shifting to his friend Furuya. Furuya, caught in a battle of egos with Daiki, struggled to land a punch against his smirking opponent. Daiki, with his mocking laughter ringing in the air, deftly dodged each of Furuya's attempts, prolonging the one-sided confrontation.
Yasushi's expression soured as he deftly evaded a barrage of punches, his patience wearing thin amidst the chaotic spectacle unfolding before him. Deciding to put an end to the charade, he unleashed a series of precise blows that sent his opponents crashing to the ground, their unconscious forms a testament to his skill.
Turning his attention to Jingliu, Yasushi noted with a nod of approval that she had efficiently dispatched her opponents as well. Only Furuya remained, now on the receiving end of Daiki's merciless onslaught.
Furuya, his movements a blend of desperation and defiance, managed to dodge a few of Daiki's strikes. However, the relentless barrage of punches soon began to take its toll, painting his skin in hues of red and blue.
A vicious kick to the stomach sent Furuya sprawling to the ground, his pained groans echoing in the air. Despite the agony writ large on his face, Furuya's eyes burned with an unyielding resolve.
"Haha, pathetic," Daiki taunted, his grin a cruel mockery. "Maybe a lesson in humility is in order. I'll consider breaking a few of your fingers to teach Mr. Baseballer here some manners," he declared, his words dripping with malice as he loomed over Furuya.
Daiki's foot hurtled toward Furuya's pitching hand, the very instrument that had launched countless strikes on the baseball field. But before the blow could land, Yasushi intervened with a thunderous punch that connected with Daiki's jaw, propelling him backward in a dizzying arc before he crashed to the ground, much to Furuya's astonishment.
Extending a hand to his shaken friend, Yasushi hoisted Furuya to his feet, his voice firm yet laced with a hint of paternal concern. "Six points for effort, but you squandered too much energy in futile attempts," he critiqued. "Learn to fight strategically, even if it's solely for self-defense."
"Got it, dad," Furuya quipped with a wry smile, wincing as he gingerly probed his bruised body. "Damn, that stings..."
"Adrenaline can only carry you so far," Jingliu chimed in, her stance poised beside Yasushi, wooden sword in hand. "True mastery in combat is cultivated through years of discipline and experience. Even natural talent requires rigorous training to harness."
Daiki rose, his hand cradling his throbbing jaw, a defiant grin etched on his face despite the evident pain. His broken nose, a souvenir from Yasushi's devastating blow, went unnoticed amidst his brazen demeanor.
"Seems like you lot can handle yourselves," Daiki remarked, his tone a mix of mockery and bravado. "Ever wonder why I got expelled from my last school?" he taunted, relishing the attention he garnered. The trio remained stoically silent, refusing to engage in his egotistical banter.
"I left a trail of bruised bodies and indulged in some... extracurricular activities," Daiki boasted with a lewd smirk, his eyes lingering suggestively on Jingliu. "Once I'm done with you two, I'll—"
His threat was abruptly cut short as a sudden force catapulted him skyward, leaving him momentarily bewildered before gravity yanked him down. In a thunderous crash, he shattered a shop's glass windows across the street, his body a chaotic mess of shock and pain.
The distance between Yasushi and Daiki, calculated to be around seventeen meters, hinted at Yasushi's latent, almost superhuman strength — a testament to his formidable prowess hidden beneath a veneer of calmness.
Yasushi's composure wavered, his calm façade cracking under the weight of Daiki's vile words. It wasn't just the taunting aimed at Jingliu or the threat against his friend that ignited his fury; it was the blatant disregard for decency that stirred a dormant rage within him.
Rarely did Yasushi unleash the full extent of his strength, knowing all too well the destructive potential it held. Memories of a past stained with violence resurfaced, a grim reminder of the consequences of unchecked fury. He had vowed to control his temper, yet moments like these tested his resolve, exposing the raw edges of his humanity.
Furuya's stammered disbelief mirrored Yasushi's own tumultuous emotions. "What the hell, man?" Furuya muttered, his voice tinged with shock as chaos erupted around them, bystanders rushing to aid the bloodied and unconscious Daiki.
Yasushi remained silent, a stoic figure amidst the pandemonium, his gaze fixed on the aftermath of his unleashed restraint. It was a stark reminder of the delicate balance between control and chaos, a lesson he grappled with each passing day.