The revolution ignited. Its exact beginning was lost to time, but by the morning of the next school day, it had reached a fever pitch. Yasushi and his circle of friends huddled around his desk, their eyes fixed on the growing crowd of male classmates and students from various year groups gathering in the hallway outside their classroom.
"What do we want!?" they chanted.
"Girlfriends!" came the unified roar.
"When do we want it!?"
"Now!"
"Or later, it's not that big of a—"
"Shut up!"
The commotion swelled, far larger than anyone had anticipated. When a teacher intervened, the crowd pressed in, pushing them out of the hallway. The arrival of school officers only intensified the scene. The officers faced the same resistance, with one even tumbling down the stairs and injuring himself. He was rushed to the nearest hospital.
"This is stupid," Xinyi muttered, her face darkened with disapproval as she surveyed the pandemonium before them.
"Stupid or not, they've already injured someone. But we'll have to wait and see how the school officials handle it. I mean, they're ruining the entire school day with this…" Yasushi pointed out.
In the hallway, the group began marching in unison, their chant growing louder with each step. More teachers appeared, but their attempts to break through the sea of students proved futile. Not every boy was involved, but a vast majority were, leaving the surrounding girls visibly shaken by the spectacle.
"I'm relieved we're not part of this mess," Furuya remarked, his head nodding in agreement.
"You'd probably be caught up in it if you weren't dating Catherine," Yasushi shot back, causing Furuya to laugh nervously and avert his gaze as Catherine cast a skeptical look his way.
"Do you think this will be stopped?" Jingliu asked, her eyes fixed on the growing throng as a few more first-year students joined in, swelling the numbers and amplifying the disruption.
"Yeah, but they're probably trying to manage this situation without causing any more injuries to the students, otherwise, they'd be facing a slew of lawsuits. That's why this whole thing is dragging on longer than it should," Yasushi explained.
Furuya chuckled, his voice drawing attention as he said, "Why not just hire you for the job? You could go in there, fists swinging, and take out the ringleaders."
Yasushi's lips twitched in a faint, rueful smile. "Am I just the guy who settles things with his fists?" he asked, his tone edged with a touch of humor.
The silence that followed his question made it clear how his friends sometimes saw him. He sighed in resignation, acknowledging the unspoken truth.
"No, but you do have an absurd amount of physical strength. It's well-known around the school from last year that if someone tried to fight you, they'd likely end up in the hospital," Laura remarked, her voice steady as she addressed the situation.
Yasushi shook his head again in disbelief, and they all turned their attention back to the scene unfolding outside. To their astonishment, one of the "legendary" police guards from years past was making his way toward the crowd. This was a man who had retired two years ago during Yasushi's first year at school.
The man in question had a storied past, marked by heroics in his youth and a reputation that commanded respect. His reputation was so imposing that no one would dare cross him. Despite his intimidating presence, he was known for his kindness and integrity.
"Oh crap, it's Mr. Tyson…" Furuya said, his voice dropping to a nervous whisper as he watched the imposing figure approach the group of unruly boys.
"Who's that?" Xinyi asked, her head tilted in curiosity. After a brief explanation of Tyson's background and his reputation, she shook her head, her expression reflecting a grim understanding. "Looks like things are about to get messy…"
Tyson made his way through the sea of students with purposeful strides. As he bumped into one student, the person looked up at him with a mix of fear and respect, quickly stepping aside. The students parted for him, clearly intimidated by his presence. Standing at six feet five inches tall, Tyson was a muscular, bald man with a commanding presence. Yet, beneath his imposing exterior, Yasushi and Furuya knew him as a man with one of the kindest hearts they had ever encountered.
"Who started this?" Tyson's voice echoed, cutting through the sudden silence in the hallway.
The corridor fell into an uneasy quiet, with every student's eyes locked on the imposing figure of the man. Tyson, a tall, muscular Black man with a commanding presence, spoke perfect Japanese, adding to the weight of his authority.
"I said, who started this?" Tyson demanded again, his voice more commanding and forceful.
As if compelled by an invisible force, the boys collectively pointed to a senior student who was holding a flag that read "I want a girlfriend." Tyson walked over to him and peered down with an authoritative glare.
"End this, now," Tyson ordered. The senior boy, visibly trembling, quickly ripped the flag to shreds, nodding vigorously. "Good. Get back to your classrooms," Tyson instructed. The boys, their resistance quelled, hurriedly returned to their classrooms without any further argument.
"Wow…" Xinyi remarked, clearly impressed by Tyson's decisive action.
"Told you he'd get it done quickly. He's just like that," Furuya said, a note of pride in his voice as he reflected on Tyson's intervention.
Tyson turned to leave but glanced over at Yasushi's classroom, catching sight of a few familiar faces among the students. He gave a nod of recognition before disappearing from view.
"I wish he had stayed a bit longer," Yasushi remarked, surprising a few of his friends with the comment. "But he's getting up there in age, even though he still looks like he's in his thirties."
Jingliu's eyes widened in disbelief. "He's not in his thirties? I would have guessed he was, but… how old is he?"
"He's actually in his early sixties now," Furuya explained, his tone tinged with a hint of envy and admiration. "But his physique is still in peak condition. I wish I could have that kind of shape when I'm older."
"Sounds like you've got a bit of a crush on him," Reina teased, causing their friend group to burst into laughter. Furuya's face turned red with embarrassment.
With the situation now somewhat under control, the school day resumed its normal course. There was a noticeable reduction in disturbances, though several students, particularly the ringleader, faced severe consequences for their role in the disruption.
+-+
"It didn't stop," Laura said with a facepalm, clearly frustrated.
The school day had ended, and their friend group had gathered at a nearby café to hang out. However, their plans were interrupted by a sizable crowd of the same boys from their school. These boys were now parading up and down the street, brandishing signs that read, "We want girlfriends!" Their loud and disruptive march drew unwanted attention.
"This is cringe, my dude," Furuya muttered, his face flushed with embarrassment as he tried to hide it.
"Do you think the school will do something about this?" Reina asked, her confusion clear. "I mean, it's outside school hours now, right?"
People around them were recording the scene from a distance, some snickering. To anyone with common sense, the spectacle was a disruption and obnoxiously loud, making it a nuisance to everyone nearby. The boys' antics were not just a disturbance; they were also painfully embarrassing, as few people would find it acceptable to act in such a manner.
"Most likely," Jingliu said with a hint of resignation. "In our uniforms, we're still representing the school. Once people find out which school we belong to, someone will probably report it to the administration. From there, it's up to the school to decide how to handle it. That's how it was at my school in China. I'm not sure how it works here in Japan."
"I think it's probably the same here," Yasushi said with calm certainty. "We'll have to wait and see how the school handles it, whether that's today or tomorrow."
At that moment, the principal, the vice principal, and Tyson appeared, their faces marked by a strong mix of anger and frustration. They approached the group of students with deliberate steps. The earlier stunt had not only injured a teacher and disrupted classes but was now causing trouble outside the school. Their dissatisfaction was clear.
To the boys' dismay, their parents also arrived, their expressions showing a mix of anger and disappointment. Some of the parents looked visibly embarrassed by their children's actions, intensifying the boys' growing sense of dread and regret.
Alicia, her gaze locked on Yasushi, asked with a mix of curiosity and concern, "Do you have some sort of powers? It's like they showed up right after you made that comment."
Yasushi let out a nervous chuckle and replied, "God, I hope not… If I did, that'd be pretty freaky."
The principal, the vice principal, and the irate parents started to berate the group loudly. They made it clear that the students were causing a disturbance and sullying the school's reputation, all while still wearing their uniforms. The scolding was harsh and unrelenting.
Tyson stood a few paces behind, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, clearly doing his best to project an intimidating presence. His stance only drew more attention from passersby, many of whom pulled out their phones to record the scene. This footage would almost certainly end up on social media. Whether the school would be portrayed in a positive or negative light was still uncertain.
"I think they'll keep at it," Furuya said, scratching his head. "But probably in a more subtle way from now on. And why are they so desperate to get girlfriends?"
"Youth, hormones — and you were just like them. Don't act like you wouldn't have joined in if Catherine weren't your girlfriend," Xinyi shot back. This retort made Furuya grumble in response.
Eventually, the police arrived a few minutes later and quickly took charge of the situation. They arrived just before the students were escorted away and took a moment to scold them, joining in on the earlier reprimands from the principal, vice principal, and irate parents. Once the scolding was over, the crowd began to disperse.
"They're looking at us," Bhaqui remarked, glancing around at the people nearby.
The group of friends noticed that those around them were starting to recognize them as students from the same school. Yasushi, having made contact with one of the café's management, suggested, "Let's get out of here. They probably don't want any bad publicity right now."
His friends agreed with little hesitation. They left the café while discussing the events that had just unfolded. Though they were chatting about it, none of them seemed overly distressed. Instead, they were more amused than anything else by the spectacle they had just witnessed.
+-+
Later that evening, Yasushi was lounging in his room with Jingliu when his phone started vibrating incessantly. Initially, he intended to ignore it, but the persistent buzzing soon grew too annoying to overlook. With a sigh of frustration, he picked up the phone and saw a flood of messages from Furuya.
Jingliu noticed Yasushi's growing irritation and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure," Yasushi replied, his voice tinged with curiosity. He unlocked his phone and started reading the messages from Furuya.
"Dude, I need help!" one message blared. "I don't know what's going on, or maybe I do, but Catherine is really pissed off at me! Please, I need your help!" The following messages were variations of frantic pleas, each repeating the same desperate call for assistance.
Yasushi and Jingliu exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting both curiosity and concern. They wondered why Catherine, usually so composed, was now suddenly angry and distant with Furuya.