The afternoon arrived, and the sun turned a warm orange, casting its reflection on the clear blue sky and painting it with various shades of yellow. It was a perfect day for Shouichi's first outdoor practice. Toru had meticulously planned a regimen for the Rugby Club to develop their skills across several areas, including stamina, endurance, team coordination, strategy, and weight training. This well-thought-out plan showcased the brilliance of Ito Toru, a true rugby prodigy.
Shouichi was inside the male changing room, trying to change his uniform into a tracksuit. However, he was disturbed by the presence of the girl with long jet-black hair.
"Why couldn't you wait outside, Ayane?! This is a male changing room, girls ain't allowed here!"
"Ho, ho? Is that so?" Ayane looked up briefly before getting back to her novel. Shouichi had no choice but to turn his back toward the girl.
"Duh? I've got nowhere to go, I'd rather read here. And if I wait for you outside, people will gossip that I'm waiting for a boy or worse." Ayane gave an illogical reason. "If someone sees us, it'd be even worse." Shouichi disagreed in his mind. He sighed in disbelief, thinking it couldn't be helped.
"Promise I won't peek, I've got something much more interesting than your naked, thin body. Now hurry up and change already!" Ayane ordered him with a flat tone.
"Fine! Don't you dare look, you perverted lady!" Shouichi argued, turning his back on her. He started stripping his shirt and then his pants until the black boxer was the only piece of cloth on his body, his face got a deep shade of red.
"... I feel…. a stare…" Shouichi caught something in his peripheral vision and reflexively turned to look at Ayane.
"Huh?!" Ayane was staring at him with a book covering half of her face. Shouichi never felt so violated by a girl before. "AAAAAH!" He screamed on impulse.
"It's her plan after all. Who could've thought Ayane was such a pervert!" Shouichi cried in his mind.
"Shhhh! Stop making noises like a girl. Geez!" Ayane retorted, averting her gaze away.
"My goodness…" Shouichi swore in desperation, turned his back on her again, and quickly put on his gym shirt. While he was pulling the shirt down, the female hands appeared, wrapping around his waist, and fondling his abdominal muscles.
"Ohhh! It's actually real abs. I thought those girls were joking!"
"Yike! Stop touching me! You indecent woman!" Shouichi barked while swiftly shoving his legs into the pants.
"Hahaha, I just wanna prove it with my own eyes. As the enlightened one said 'Don't believe because someone tells you.' " Ayane playfully quoted. Her eyes appeared abysmal as though a real sociopath.
"Don't try to play it off with some philosophy!" Shouichi returned his remark with frustration and shame in his voice.
"How come those girls know you more than me? Aren't we bestfriends?" She continued with a big terrifying smile.
"...Weirdo," Shouichi called her out after he finished dressing.
"Fufufu, I'd never say I'm not," Ayane giggled, and dismissed him like nothing happened.
In the end, the two turned up to the trackfield later than intended. Shinji was casually talking to the tall Hinoda and the short Naggi. When he noticed the new arrival, he waved his hands at them energetically.
"Hey, we're waiting for you. The juniors already started running with Cap Toru though." Naggi informed, then pointed at the track where Toru was leading in front of the packs while underclassmen followed him from afar.
"The kids couldn't really keep up with Cap' Toru's speed and stamina," Hinoda remarked with a weak smile.
"Wait?! Is that Emi-chan on the way~way back? Why is she running? I thought she was just a club manager." Ayane asked of her favourite junior with a surprised expression.
"Well… Not around here. See, Cap' Toru has a different idea of managing the manager. Hahaha," Hinoda quipped with his odd sense of satire, his height towering over Ayane.
"Let's go guys. We each got 5 km to clear today." One of the guys suggested with enthusiasm.
"Yeah!" "Let's roll!" "Fighting!" The four men shouted collectively before running in the tracks. Ayane waved at them before heading to the audience stage. She decided to sit a few metres apart from the others. Ayane began to be absorbed into her imaginary world by reading her book.
"Lady Ayane, thanks for cheering us today!" Toru suddenly shouted from the track field followed by, "LADY AYANE, THANKS FOR CHEERING US TODAY!" Those were the roaring repeats from juniors. They seemed to be brimmed with energy after Ayane returned with a simple smile like it was one of her magical abilities.
"Isn't that Morimura-senpai?"
"Why is she here today?"
"Didn't I just hear, she is here for the rugby team?"
"Rugby club sucks, man! No one wanted to join 'em."
"Hey, I might wanna switch up to rugby right now, bro."
The babbling noises from soccer and baseball club members reverberated through the running field.
Shouichi managed to hear those too while he was running past them, "Damn! Captain Toru planned them all along! He's definitely not just some muscle brain for sure." He thought while catching his breath.
After they cleared a 5-kilometre jog, the team stopped to cool down and perform stretching. It turned out Emi couldn't finish her round with the rest as she was carrying too much weight on her.
"They are as big as melons, they must have been real heavy, heheh," Shouichi intrusively concluded in his mind.
"That's a good start, kids. Rugby is not all about stamina. Even so, we need to run and sprint over a long distance in the game. Do you know how long is the rugby pitch? Anyone?" Toru asked with his arms crossed during his lectures. Not a single sweat was spotted on his forehead.
"..." There was no reply from the underclassmen as they were busy catching their breaths including Shouichi. On the opposite, Naggi, Hinoda, and Shinji seemed calm and unbothered at all.
"...100 meters!" Toru enlightened them and continued to lecture for the next 15 minutes before dismissing the club session.
A week later, Shouichi had been managing his after-school time between clubbing and Yoko's cafe. It's quite an easy, chill life. There were some love letters in both Shinji's shoe locker and his. They were filled with unprecedented views and thoughts of the duo. One fangirl even sounded like a cult member, using a word like "worshipping". It's both funny and terrifying at the same time.
More underclassmen started joining the rugby club, reducing Ayane's involvement. She no longer attended practices and instead spent her evenings at Yoko's Sweet Shop, as she always had.
"Hey, Shouichi. We are done for today right?" Shinji asked after Toru dismissed the club activity for the day. Shinji used his long neck to hang a white towel while occasionally wiping off his sweat. The heat was almost unbearable.
"Yeah. What are you thinking, Shinji?"
"It's BOBA time!" Shinji exclaimed with joy, wearing a big grin.
"Right! We haven't gone there for a while. I wonder how Tomako-chan is doing." Shouichi responded while nodding in approval.
"That's my man! You already know what I'm talking about." Shinji raised his hand and Shinji clapped into a high-five.
The duo walked down the main street in white and blue tracksuits, heading toward the Hoshimashi district. It was Shinji's idea that he didn't want to bother his driver and decided to walk there. They soon realised it was not a good idea, the landscape was not entirely flat but had small hills to climb up and down.
"I'm tired already… There are too many hills around here." Shinji whined at his own suggestion as he swayed left and right from fatigue.
"Yeah... me too. You wanna rest a bit?" Shouichi asked kindly and tried to catch his breath himself.
"No, I don't wanna miss it, I need my green tea with 'em big, big pearls!" Shinji continued to press on while complaining all the way.
"Ah! I remember there's a shortcut that not a lot of people know about! It has a big long stairway though." Shinji's light purple eyes lit up with hope, and then he urged Shouichi to follow, "C'on! Let's go this way!"
***
About two hours earlier, the shy Tomako Momo hurriedly packed her stationery into her bag. Her petite frame, paired with her brown bob haircut, gave her a modest and unassuming appearance.
"Momo-chan! Do you want to go karaoke with us today?" One of her friends asked her.
"Oh… T~that's quite sudden, I, um, I've actually got a plan to…" Momo stammered her words, trying to excuse herself and tap her round glasses into place.
"Come on! You always go home early. Let's hang out sometime!" Her friend insisted on her with peer pressure. Momo seemed visibly uncomfortable because she didn't have the heart to refuse it outright.
"Don't bother her, she's busy this evening… " Her other friend interrupted while Momo was pondering anxiously.
"Maybe another time, Momo-chan."
"Sorry, guys. Ple~Please, let me know beforehand next time! I'll definitely join you!" Momo apologised and bowed slightly. Shortly after, the petite girl rushed out of the exit with her short legs.
Momo walked through a long stairway with red outlines. Her house was just 15 minutes away by taking this shortcut.
Unexpectedly, five tech school students were loitering near the stairway. At first glance, they resembled typical delinquents, their presence reeking of cigarettes. It seemed as though they were deliberately blocking her path.
"Let the nerd pass, bro." The leader of the packs with a buzz cut barked his order to his grunts loudly. His loud command spooked her at the same time.
"This way, please lady." One of his grunts stepped out of the way and gestured for her to walk through. But they created just a small gap between them for her to pass through.
The girl appeared extremely uncomfortable to squeeze past them but she did it anyway.
"Man, I'm soooo horny! I haven't had some in a while." A grunt with crooked teeth vented loudly. Fear for her safety, Momo quickly picked up her pace, keeping her profile as low as possible.
"Nobu! Stop saying weird shit! Can't you see you're scaring her?" A good-looking man with a silver chain sneered at him. Later, they all laughed loudly, disturbing everyone living nearby.
"Sorry, sorry! I'm not interested in a flat board like you." Nobu spoke up, showing his crooked teeth.
"Get outta here! I wanted 'em big tits. Hahaha," Nobu scuffed, causing Momo to tremblingly flee in terror.
"Phew! That's really scary..." Momo thought to herself after she got out of the situation safe and sound. Luckily, they weren't interested in her.
Momo rushed back to her place and soon transformed into a maid uniform, she had a duty to open her store in the evening. However, she was already late due to an unexpected encounter earlier.
"Sigh… It can't be helped… That means I need to take 'that shortcut' again. But will they still be there? Let's find out." She thought as she adjusted the bow to finalise her maid transformation.
Momo glanced at her reflection in a full-length mirror nearby and was struck by the transformation she had created. The blonde wig with soft, curly tips made her stand out in a crowd, while her heeled shoes added height, elegantly elongating her legs. A push-up bra enhanced her curves, lending her figure a more alluring silhouette. To finish the look, she had added a small, strategically placed fake mole, a subtle touch of charisma that transformed her otherwise unremarkable appearance.
After a brief moment, she cautiously peeked around the corner at the hidden stairway. The delinquents had moved on. Letting out a relieved sigh, Momo began her descent down the stairs, heading toward her shop.
"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! May I ask for your service, maid lady?" It was a coarse and familiar voice from a guy called 'Nobu'. He appeared at the bottom of the stairs with two goons. His lips curl up to a big smirk, showing off his crooked teeth. Momo was completely shocked but reflexively retraced her steps and her instinct told her to run off when she still got the chance.
"Nobu, stop scaring the lady, the boss told you too many times already!" The good-looking, thin man with a silver chain appeared on top of the stairs along with a big brute, the pack leader with a buzz cut. They headed down the stairs closing the distance between them. There was no way to escape for Momo to run as both ways were blocked.
"Please! I need to go somewhere!" Momo mustered up her courage to beg, although her heart was beating fast from pure fear.
"The only place you can go dressed like that is my house. Hahaha!" Nobu cackled maniacally, inching closer with a predatory gleam in his eyes. Momo stood paralyzed in fear, her mind racing for an escape, but her body refused to move.
"It seems like my prayers have been answered today. Big 'W' for Nobu!" he mocked, flashing his crooked teeth in a grotesque grin.
"Shut your damn mouth!" The boss barked, his voice booming and sharp. He stepped forward, placing a hand on Momo's trembling shoulder. She flinched at the contact, her body quivered like a frightened kitten.
"Come with me…" the boss said, his tone unexpectedly gentle, though his breath reeked of stale cigarettes. Momo hesitated, caught between fear and the flicker of hope that he might protect her.
"You boys can do whatever you want after I'm done with her! Tsubara, you're next," he added, turning to his right-hand man, a smirking figure with sharp features named 'Tsubara'.
Momo's face drained of all colour. Her tears welled up, and her chest tightened as she fought the urge to break down.
"Ahhh, damn it! I wanted to go first—or at least second," Nobu growled, grinding his ugly teeth in frustration. His bloodshot eyes glinted with a sickening mix of lust and rage. "Fine, I'll take third. And if anyone complains, I'll smash their skull in!"
Suddenly, Momo felt a hand creeping onto her chest. A strangled gasp escaped her lips.
"Ple~Please let me go..." Momo softly objected, her tears trickling down her face.
"What are you just saying? Babe. You can say it out loud now that we are dating." The boss man mockingly role-played as if they were a real couple.
"Babe, I'll let go of my hand if you kiss me, on my mouth," The boss said with a deep and serious tone. Momo attempted to break away from his grasp but failed miserably. Her strength was unmatched by the big boss.
"Hahahahahahaha! That's a good one. Let me remember that one." Nobu burst out laughing while jumping up and down hysterically. This man was completely sick in the head.
"No kiss? Save it for your boyfriend, hmm? Come on! Forget 'bout him! I'm your new boyfriend now!" The pack leader rationalised, forcing a kiss on her. But Momo raised her hands to cover her mouth with a petrified look on her face. He was annoyed by her persistence and stopped his abuse.
"Let's roll then! I know a good place for us. Boys, follow me!" The leader put his big muscular hand around her small shoulders and forced her to walk with them. The packs surrounded her from all sides, blocking all the possible escape routes.
"This must be the end for me..." Momo mournfully thought as all hope was lost.
"MOMO-CHAN!"
"TOMAKO-CHAN!"
The voices echoed down the stairwell, sharp and filled with urgency. Two figures emerged at the top of the stairs.
One was tall, with messy silver hair that caught the dim light, giving him an almost ethereal presence. The other was a strikingly handsome boy, his cinnamon-brown eyes blazing with determination, his hair styled neatly in a two-block cut.
There was no mistaking them — Aoyama Shinji and Seito Shouichi had arrived!
"Punks! Don't stick your head into other affairs!" Nobu barked fiercely like a rabid dog.
"The girl here is actually the boss's girlfriend," the good-looking one said calmly, his tone polite but firm. "They just had a little lover's quarrel, but she'll be coming home with us now. Please, leave."
"Haaaa? What kind of nonsense is that? You stupid lowlives!" Shinji retorted in an angry shout.
"Momo-chan. Come on, tell them that we're together. We don't want any misunderstanding, do we?" The pack leader said, staring into Momo's eyes.
"…PLEASE HELP ME, SHINJI-KUN! SHOUICHI-KUN!" Momo screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice trembling with desperation despite the terror gripping her.
Shinji and Shouichi exchanged a knowing nod, silently agreeing to their plan of attack. The dazzling duo sprang into action, dashing down the stairway in perfect sync. Before the delinquents could even react, they had already closed the distance. Momo-chan instinctively ducked, keeping her head low.
"URGH!!!" Shinji performed a high kick at the pack leader first, the brute's arms guarded up reactively to protect his vital part. However, the powerful impact swayed his entire body, causing him to lose his balance. His lackeys were still frozen in shock, still processing the incident in their minds.
"Momo-chan. Are you alright?" Shinji asked while putting his fists up readily.
"Yeah, I'm fine now," Momo replied with a slightly trembling voice. The girl wiped her damp face with her finger and ran toward them.
"Get behind me, Tomako-chan!" Shouichi blocked Momo with his body.
"THE HECK Y'ALL DOING? KILL THEM! Bastards done broke my arms!" The leader snapped with fury and commanded his grunts to enter the fray. The leader looked at his broken limbs as they were bent awkwardly.
"SCREW YOU! DIE ALREADY!" Nobu dashed up through the steps and lunged toward Shouichi with his fists. Nobu swung a right hook, aiming for the face. Shouichi read the trajectory and dodged accordingly, and then swiftly returned a left hook straight into Nobu's ugly face. Nobu's face was moulded by the shape of Shouichi's fist as they collided.
The other two followed up blindly with japs and kicks to which Shouichi circled back to escape their range of attacks.
"ARRRHH! MOTHER FU.." Nobu let out a wail in pain and agony over his bloody face. His jaw was hanging, dislocated and one of the teeth was barely hanging onto his gum.
"Back down, handsome!" Shinji threatened Tsubara, his lavender-purple eyes glinted with a killing intent like one of those apex predators.
"Hahaha… Don't worry. I'm not the fighting type." The good-looking Tsubara raised his hands up, signalling his defeat. Tsubara and Nobu carried his boss by his wings and escorted him out of the scene.
"BOYS! WE ARE LEAVING!" Tsubara signalled to the two who were still swinging their fists madly at Shouichi, they immediately backed down. Realising the other side was defeated, Shouichi put his guard down.
"YAH!!!" Suddenly, one of the delinquents lunged forward, landing a sucker punch to Shouichi's stomach before quickly darting back.
The impact sent Shouichi to his knees, his torso bent in agony, "Arrh! Damn it!"
"BASTARDS!" Shinji shouted angrily at escaping delinquents with tails between their legs.
"Shouichi, are you alright?" "Seito-kun!!!" Shinji and Momo rushed toward the injured friend. Shinji then lent his hands to help Shouichi stand on his feet.
"A knight without wound is the one who never goes to war. Let me help you!" Shinji put out his smartass remark while carrying Shouichi up on his shoulder.
"Haha! What kind of quote is that? Ugh, they got me.." Shouichi tried to laugh it off but he felt a numb sensation, followed by a pulsing pain all over his abdomen.
"I'm~I'm so sorry, Seito-kun. It's my fault!" Momo-chan said, guilt in his expression, her pretty face stained with tears.
"Don't be sorry… Just call me Shouichi… or something…" Shouichi trailed off before his consciousness faded to black.
"I think, um, he fainted..." "Wah! Wh~what do I do, Shinji-kun…?!"
Shouichi could faintly hear their voices in the background, but soon, everything faded to silence as he slipped into the darkness.