"So, we have permission to do this, right?" Jingliu asked, turning to Sakura as they set up with a stack of fliers and a modest booth near one of the campus entrances.
"Yes. We're not officially recognized as a society, but we stick to the rules and keep everything respectful, so they don't mind us holding events here," Sakura replied, tucking a few fliers into a stack. "The only thing we miss out on by not being official is some funding from the college and a layer of protection from certain rules and laws. Since we're not affiliated, any legal issues fall completely on us."
Around them, other students handed out fliers to those passing by, briefly speaking about the homelessness problem in the city, hoping to draw in support. Some students stopped to ask questions, while others took the fliers quietly, glancing at them as they continued on. The event carried on smoothly, blending in without attracting unnecessary attention.
Yasushi was deep in conversation with a few college students, describing their group's plans for the holidays and what they aimed to accomplish.
"If you're around during Christmas, swing by Snowelon's Icy Shroom Forest," Yasushi said, handing each of them a flier. "We'll be there with food and drinks. Plus, the park will have every item at half price."
One of the students, after a moment of thought, nodded and said, "I'll come. My family doesn't have much, and we don't get any support from back home. Seeing this, it makes me want to help out. If it's as good as it sounds, I might even join your society." He took a flier from Yasushi, giving him a nod of acknowledgment.
"Glad to hear it. I'll look forward to seeing you there," Yasushi replied as they shook hands.
The other three students, still watching the interaction, each took a flier as well. They seemed mostly neutral on the matter but wanted to stand behind their friend's decision. After exchanging a few more words, they headed off, and Yasushi turned to approach another group, eager to continue sharing their plans.
+-+
A few minutes later, as members of the organization mingled with students, voices started rising in the distance, catching everyone's attention. Heads turned to the commotion. A small group had gathered, and one man stood at the center of it, yelling with a rage that was hard to miss.
His friends hovered around him, watching with unease, but none seemed sure of what to do about his outburst. Sakura and several others quickly moved toward the scene, weaving through the crowd to catch what he was shouting about.
"Why the hell should we support those junkies?!" he yelled, eyes flashing as he glared around. "They dug their own graves. If they had any damn sense, they wouldn't be in this mess to begin with! I got offered all that crap — drugs, booze, whatever else you can think of. And you know what I did? I told them to get lost because I've got integrity!" His face flushed, veins standing out as he fumed, the words pouring out in anger.
He raised his voice even further, closing the distance until he was almost in their member's face, who instinctively took a step back, visibly shaken.
"Zero fucking will! You think you're special because you've had it rough?" he shouted, each word hitting like a punch. "I was messed with as a kid too, but you don't see me whining about it! If you don't have the guts to stand up and deal with it, beat the crap out of whatever's holding you down if that's what it takes. No guts, no spine — you get exactly what's coming to you!" His words flew out in rage, each sentence accompanied by flecks of spit.
As he looked ready to go on, Sakura moved between him and their member, cutting him off, her presence a clear barrier.
"Sir, shouting like this helps no one," she said, keeping her tone level but her eyes narrowed. "If you really want to make a point, speak calmly. Losing control won't make anyone take you seriously." She held her ground, her frustration evident though she understood, to some degree, the frustration behind his words — but his approach had crossed a line.
The man paused, his eyes narrowing at Sakura, fists clenched, looking as if he might strike her. But then, he stepped back, a twisted smile on his face. "Oh…I'll see you on Christmas, you bastards," he sneered before turning away, his friends trailing behind him, looking around uncomfortably.
Silence blanketed the area, thick and unbroken, with no one sure how to ease the tension. Right then, as if on cue, Furuya came rushing in and grabbed Yasushi by the collar.
"Dude...someone broke into the condom dispenser in the guys' bathroom, and they're everywhere — we gotta grab as many as we can!" Furuya announced, eyes wide. He stopped short, noticing the strange hush in the crowd. "Uh...did I miss something?" he asked, glancing around at the bewildered faces.
His comment finally snapped the tension, a few students cracking up, some chuckling, and the stiffness in the air eased. Conversations gradually picked up, people returning to their tasks. Sakura and the others led their shaken member aside, though they knew they'd need to address the hostile incident sooner or later.
"Well, thanks for the heads-up, but we're all set. Jingliu and I stocked up enough to last us a year," Yasushi replied. "You might wanna hurry back if you don't want to miss out — a few guys are already heading that way."
Furuya's eyes went wide, and he released Yasushi, darting off without a second thought.
Sakura exhaled, glancing at Yasushi. "Your friend's timing is something else."
Yasushi nodded. "Yeah, he's got a knack for it. He's broken the tension more than once," he said, glancing around at the crowd that had begun to relax again. "I'll have to thank him later for that one," he added as they returned to their tasks, trying to smooth out the awkwardness left by the man's outburst.
But word about the man's threats spread through the rest of the day. Rumors about him planning to crash the Christmas event surfaced, sparking concern among their group. Sakura and the rest took it seriously, realizing they'd have to prepare for any trouble that might come.
+-+
As the day drew to a close, their gathering wrapped up as well. Together, they stowed away their gear and tidied the area back to its original state, though it didn't take long since they hadn't left much to clean.
The remainder of the evening held little else of note, though they did notice the man from earlier standing off in the distance, watching them with a hard stare. His anger seemed misplaced, especially since their efforts had been focused on helping those without shelter.
Yasushi had sent Nandini to investigate, but she still hadn't returned, not that he seemed particularly bothered by her absence. Once they'd finally carted everything back to their building near the campus, they found her already waiting there.
"Oh, you were here? Why didn't you come out to help?" Sakura asked as she and the others set down their supplies.
Nandini stared back and said, "I only just wrapped up the investigation and came straight here. Following Yasushi's instructions, I found out the reason behind that man's…reaction. What you think of it after I explain is up to you. Please take a seat."
They did as told, and Nandini powered on a projector, dimming the lights. Images flashed onto the wall, along with a brief video of the man, now identified as Terrance Kimigawa — a student of mixed Japanese and American heritage.
"Based on what I discovered," Nandini began, addressing the room, "Terrance moved here when he was around eight. He and his mother hit tough times and ended up without a place to live. The man he'd thought of as his father abandoned them and went on to start a new family." Her gaze fixed on each of them as she spoke.
"In short, everyone around him bullied him, and his mother turned on him, too. His anger stems from the homeless who tormented him, the organizations that ignored him, and the corrupt council members who look the other way," Nandini explained, flicking through the images.
At last, they reached a video file, and it opened on the screen. The footage showed a brutal scene of Terrance in school, surrounded by others who harassed and humiliated him. He didn't resist, just took each blow. But the clip cut to another, this time showing Terrance, fists swinging, beating down at least four of his tormentors, each blow landing with intent, his face blank as he hit them again and again.
A few gasps rose from those watching, but the video wasn't finished. In the final seconds, Terrance's voice broke through the noise, swearing he'd kill every homeless person in the city, along with the corrupt shelters and the people who ran them.
"Should we…report this? I mean, this guy's completely unhinged, and that's saying a lot coming from me!" Jessica's voice broke the silence, her eyes fixed on the screen, unsettled by what she'd just witnessed.
"How long ago was this?" Jingliu asked, gaze locked onto the frozen image on the monitor.
"That particular video dates back about a year, from what I could dig up," Nandini replied.
"We should report it," Sakura said, rising to her feet. "Nandini, come with me. We'll bring this evidence to the college and see what they'll do from there. The rest of you — head home. We'll handle this." She paused, her tone darkening. "If he can pull off something like that, who knows what he might be planning for Christmas."
No one voiced any objections. Sakura also instructed them to stay silent about the matter until they had some answers, promising to update everyone in the group chat once things were sorted. With that, they all filed out, leaving Sakura alone with Yasushi's group.
Sakura turned toward Yasushi, her voice dropping just enough to drive her point home. "You guys need to watch out, too. Especially you, Yasushi. You've been louder about all this than anyone else, and who knows what that maniac might pull. Don't walk home alone, don't split off until we know this is over. He knows you're around. He glared right at you earlier."
Yasushi nodded, his tone casual but resolute. "I get it. Not like I can't handle myself if he tries anything, but yeah, I'll stick around people. You should text the others, though — make sure no one's walking around on their own."
Just as the words left his mouth, a shriek tore through the air from outside, loud enough to jolt them both. They exchanged a glance, then burst out the door. Terrance was there, the same guy from earlier, and he was on a rampage, fists flying as he tore into two of their friends — a man and a woman — without a hint of mercy.
The crowd stood frozen, faces blank with shock, too rattled to move or even call for help. Before anyone could snap out of it, Nandini and Yunxue had already thrown themselves forward — Nandini shoved Terrance back while Yunxue pulled the two group members out of his reach.
Terrance's eyes burned, red and unfocused, his mouth twisted and foaming as he zeroed in on Nandini. With a twisted, animalistic yell, he launched himself at her, wild and unrestrained.
"Is this city cursed or something?" Xinyi muttered, eyebrows knitted together, baffled at the sight. "Do people just turn into beasts when they go insane here?"
"Oh? So it's not just me who noticed?" Yasushi replied, letting out a chuckle that stopped short when Xinyi sent him a glare.
Terrance swung, fists coming down like sledgehammers, but Nandini sidestepped or redirected every blow without breaking her stance. His strikes only grew fiercer as he tried to catch her off guard, but her movements kept him at bay, frustration building as he poured more and more force behind each punch, speeding up as he pushed harder.
Nandini kept dodging and deflecting Terrance's wild swings, her movements smooth and controlled. At one point, she shot a quick look over her shoulder toward Yasushi, whose eyes narrowed, catching her unspoken message.
"Just restrain him, but don't hurt him," Yasushi said, his tone calm but firm.
Nandini gave a short nod, preparing to follow his direction, but before she could move in, Terrance suddenly twisted free and charged straight at Yasushi, his focus fully locked. Yasushi stood his ground, arms crossed, watching Terrance approach without flinching.
But Terrance didn't make it far. Layena and Yunxue stepped up from either side, blocking his path and, in one fluid move, knocked him off balance, bringing him crashing down to the ground. Together, they pinned him, holding him fast as he thrashed beneath their hold, his fury undiminished.
"Let me go! We need to wipe out all the homeless! Kill every last one!" he screamed, voice raw and jagged as he writhed under Layena and Yunxue's combined strength.
"You need serious help, man. Go find it," Yasushi said, his voice carrying a cold edge. As he spoke, campus security finally arrived, joined by local police, surrounding the scene with grim efficiency.
After that, security took statements from everyone involved, then led Terrance away in cuffs. Thankfully, this didn't spark any huge scandal. The incident slipped out of the public eye, brushed aside, and Terrance remained in jail without anyone coming forward to bail him out.
As for the two members he attacked, they were sent to the hospital for a checkup. Though their injuries weren't serious, the doctor and Sakura advised both to take some time off to recover.
Despite the incident, the group's plans stayed on course. Although a sense of caution remained, knowing Terrance wasn't the only one harboring such views, the "Not-so-Homeless-org" kept moving forward with preparations for the Christmas event.