The second day of school began much like the first: with chaos. By the time first period ended, the group was already plotting their next wave of shenanigans. Little did the rest of the school know, they were about to witness one of the most ridiculous mornings in high school history.
"Alright, team," Crimson said, slamming his hand on the lunch table like he was about to announce a military operation. "Today, we take it up a notch."
"What do you mean by 'up a notch'?" Kai asked, already regretting his involvement. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Yesterday, you almost got us all detention."
"Yeah, but we didn't," Crimson said with a grin, leaning closer. "And that's why today's gonna be even better. We're going all out: pranks, chaos, maybe even a little destruction."
Kazuki rubbed his temples. "Can we at least avoid getting expelled?"
"No promises," Leon said, cracking his knuckles. He already had a mischievous gleam in his eye.
The first victim was an unsuspecting sophomore in the hallway between second and third periods. Crimson crouched near a corner with a devious grin, ready to stick his leg out at just the right moment. Kai stood nearby, feigning innocence as he kept watch.
"Here comes one," Kai whispered.
"Perfect," Crimson muttered, waiting for the right moment. As soon as the poor sophomore walked by, Crimson extended his leg in one fluid motion. The student tripped, flailing wildly as their backpack flew off their shoulders. They hit the ground with an audible "THUD!"
Kazuki, standing a few feet away, winced. "Dude, that looked painful."
"Relax," Crimson said, waving him off. "It's all in good fun. Plus, they're fine. Look, they're getting back up already!"
The sophomore groaned as they picked themselves up and shot a glare in Crimson's direction. Crimson, unbothered, gave them a cheeky thumbs-up.
Later, during the break before lunch, the group found themselves in an empty hallway near the gym. MJ was carrying an actual metal pipe he'd found—where he got it, no one knew, and no one wanted to ask.
"MJ, put that down," Kai said, eyeing him like he'd lost his mind.
"What? It's not illegal to hold a pipe," MJ said defensively. He twirled it around like a baton. "I'm just… carrying it."
"Carrying it to do what? Commit assault?" Kazuki asked, stepping out of the way as MJ swung it in his direction.
Before MJ could answer, Leon snatched the pipe out of his hands. "If anyone's gonna use this, it's me," Leon said, grinning. Without warning, he whacked Crimson on the shoulder with it—lightly, but enough to get a reaction.
"OW!" Crimson yelped, clutching his arm. "What the hell, man?"
"It's called payback for yesterday," Leon said smugly.
"Oh, it's on now," Crimson growled, lunging at him. The two started wrestling in the middle of the hallway, the metal pipe clattering to the floor. Kai and Kazuki exchanged a look, neither one willing to get involved.
"Should we stop them?" Kazuki asked.
Kai shrugged. "Nah, let them tire themselves out."
By lunchtime, things had somehow escalated. Crimson, still bruised from his scuffle with Leon, had decided it was time to pull the ultimate prank: setting off the fire alarm.
"Crimson, no," Kai said firmly, blocking him from the alarm switch. "This is too far, even for you."
"But think about it," Crimson argued, gesturing wildly. "Everyone would freak out! It'd be hilarious!"
"And we'd all get suspended," MJ pointed out. "Do you know how expensive those alarms are to reset?"
"Pfft, details," Crimson said dismissively. He tried to sidestep Kai, but Kazuki stepped in as well, creating a human barricade.
"Alright, fine," Crimson said, throwing up his hands. "I'll find something else to do."
"That's what we're afraid of," Leon muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Kazuki had taken it upon himself to conduct his own mischief. He was crouched near the stairs, pretending to tie his shoe while subtly trying to peek under the skirts of passing girls.
"Kazuki, what the hell are you doing?" Kai hissed, yanking him up by the collar.
Kazuki's face turned bright red. "I-I wasn't doing anything!"
"Yeah, sure," Kai said, narrowing his eyes. "You're lucky no one noticed, or we'd be bailing you out of detention right now."
"I wasn't going to do anything weird!" Kazuki protested, but the rest of the group wasn't buying it. They dragged him away from the stairs, much to his embarrassment.
By the time the final bell rang, the group was exhausted but victorious. They'd managed to cause mayhem without getting caught—a rare achievement, given their track record.
"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Crimson asked as they walked out of the building.
"How about we try something that doesn't involve physical harm or potential lawsuits?" Leon suggested.
"Boring," Crimson said, smirking. "I say we aim even bigger."
Kai sighed, shaking his head. "You're all insane. But fine, count me in."
As they disappeared into the sunset, it was clear that High School Shenanigans had only just begun.