Haruki groaned as he slowly sat up. His body protested with sharp pains, his ribs screaming in agony. Every muscle felt like it had been torn apart.
The sun was already lower in the sky. How long had he been out?
He heard murmuring nearby.
"You think he's awake?"
"Shhh, don't be so loud."
Haruki turned his head slightly. A small group of students stood nearby, stealing glances at him like he was some kind of wild animal. Normally, he would have ignored them—he had spent years pretending the crowd didn't exist.
But today, their expressions were different.
It wasn't amusement. It wasn't pity.
It was… curiosity.
One of them hesitated before finally stepping forward. "Hey, uh… you were pretty cool back there."
Haruki blinked.
Did he hear that right?
Another student scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah… I mean, no one's ever stood up to Kaito like that before. And you won."
Haruki let out a dry chuckle. "I collapsed too."
The first student grinned. "Yeah, but after him. That still counts, right?"
Haruki didn't know what to say.
For the first time in his life—
People were looking at him differently.
Not as a loser.
Not as a punching bag.
But as someone who fought back.
—
Later that evening, Haruki limped his way home. His grandmother would definitely scold him once she saw his bruises. He wasn't looking forward to that.
But right now, there was only one thing on his mind.
Kaito.
Even though Haruki had won, he knew the truth.
Kaito was stronger.
If Kaito hadn't gotten reckless—if Haruki hadn't analyzed his habits—he never would have stood a chance.
"I need to get better."
Haruki stopped in front of his apartment complex and pulled out his phone.
The screen still had the video open—the one that had helped him win.
It wasn't just any video.
It was a street fighting tutorial.
And at the top of the screen was the name of the channel:
"The Art of Fighting – Learn to Fight, Anytime, Anywhere."
Haruki stared at it for a long moment.
Then he clicked on the next video.
If he wanted to survive… if he wanted to win next time…
He needed to learn everything he could.
—
To be continued.