On both sides of the highway, stood two groups of supporters—one for the blue Toyota, the other for the black motorcycle.
But the atmosphere between them couldn't have been more different.
On the left, a bunch of biker gang members in flamboyant outfits were foaming at the mouth with excitement.
On the right, high school students in uniforms wore complicated expressions.
How should one put it? As expected of boss.
"Haha! Even your own teammates have lost all faith in you, kid!" Amid the cheers, Shintarou burst out laughing triumphantly.
"No need for you to worry," Kyousuke replied from beneath his helmet, his low voice steady.
"My friends probably just know better than to celebrate before the win."
He leaned forward slightly, his posture sharp with focus.
Shintarou was about to fire back when suddenly a sweet voice rang out:
"Good luck, Hojou! If things go south, just jump out—I promise I'll catch you!"
Kyousuke turned his head and saw Celty, hopping up and down slightly as she waved and shouted.
That bouncy figure of hers was enough to make a certain someone in the crowd shift uncomfortably in their seat.
'Ah I always knew she was a bit too innocent, but I didn't expect even Gorou to figure out my plan before she did.'
'If she ever gets her head back, I bet her eyes would be the purest things in the world.'
Forcing a small smile, Kyousuke waved back in response.
"Alright, I'm starting the countdown!"
The woman in the red jacket standing at the front, acting as today's race queen.
—Furuzawa Sae shouted out before beginning her countdown under the sound of tires screeching.
As the red scarf dropped, Shintarou gave a feral grin and floored the gas, his car shooting forward like a bullet.
"Hell yeah! Go, Shintarou!"
"That's the spirit!"
Apparently, people who street race at night all share the same trait: the moment they hear an engine roar, their brains turn to mush.
"So fast!"
Even Kyousuke joined in with the nearby crowd's cheering.
Honestly, the atmosphere was electrifying.
As long as you weren't the one in the car, you couldn't help but want the driver to go faster and faster.
Just watching made your adrenaline spike.
No wonder so many lunatics were willing to stand dangerously close to the road and wait for the thrill.
Though... maybe that guy's wife left him because he was too fast?
"Of course he's fast! Even in Gunma, Shintarou is a top ten racer!" A bald man said proudly in response to Kyousuke's comment.
"I see," Kyousuke nodded.
"'I see' my ass! Why are you still here?!"
Suda—the first guy who shouted out pointed at Kyousuke and yelled in disbelief.
The rest of the crowd also suddenly realized what was going on and widened their eyes.
Not that anyone could blame them—after all, once the race queen waves her scarf, the racers are supposed to speed off.
The crowd's job is just to scream at the taillights and wait for updates from the spotters stationed at every turn.
Who would've thought one of the racers was still standing here, watching the race like a bystander?
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Go chase him down! Even if you lose, lose with some dignity!"
Even Furuzawa Sae, the temporary race queen, looked dumbfounded as she stared at the black motorcycle still parked in place.
That cool little brother from before now seemed more like a spectator admiring the view.
She walked over with concern.
"Um... kid? The race has already started. You do know the rules, right?"
"Oh, I know them perfectly. You explained them really clearly,"
Kyousuke said as he lifted his visor and flashed a wide grin, showing eight perfectly white teeth.
"…So handsome..." Sae clasped her cheeks with both hands and let out a dreamy sigh.
"Well, if that's the case, let's just say you already went down the mountain and came back."
"Sae, what are you saying?! Snap out of it! It's a one-way race—first one down wins!"
Suda screamed, voicing what everyone else was thinking.
"Changing the rules mid-race isn't unheard of. Besides—look at him! He's so hot! The audience would definitely be happier if they got to see him ride longer!" Sae argued stubbornly.
"But his bike hasn't even started yet! We're not blind!" Another guy yelled in frustration.
"That's just because your eyes suck! I saw him go!"
Sae shouted back without holding back, her exaggerated expression making her look even more pissed than Shintarou's fanboys.
"Haha, miss, no need to argue for my sake. I really just haven't started yet."
Kyousuke waved his hand, chuckling.
"Oh, I see. Makes sense. Racing against someone like Shintarou must feel like such a pain. I totally get it."
Sae's annoyed expression instantly melted into gentle sympathy, her voice so soft it was almost lost in the wind.
"Oi, Sae, come on! Even if he's hot, he's still the enemy!" A woman in yellow hotpants with long, pale legs yelled.
"Shut up, you're ruining the vibe, Hoshizuki! I was just about to invite this cutie out for drinks later!" Sae waved her hand with bravado.
"...Ah, now that I think about it, maybe the rules did change to round-trip format. Hey, hottie, how about we go celebrate together?"
Hoshizuki stepped over the guardrail with ease, sauntering over to Kyousuke with a sultry wink.
"This your first time in Gunma? I know a killer spot—drinks are amazing."
"Heh~ I knew there were good people in Gunma after all," Kyousuke said, taking off his helmet.
"Idiot! You had no intention of racing at all!"
A guy with a steel pipe suddenly jumped over the guardrail, storming toward Kyousuke in a rage.
As a crowd began to gather around Kyousuke to celebrate, on the other side of the road, Celty was still trying to figure out what was happening.
"Um... Kisaki? Are you sure Hojou really went all the way down and came back?" She asked, hesitant.
From her perspective, Hojou hadn't moved an inch.
But hey, she was a Dullahan—maybe instant teleportation wasn't such a stretch?
"…"
Kisaki stared wide-eyed at the woman beside him.
This was the same urban legend of Ikebukuro fame from years ago, the one who always seemed calm and reliable… and she believed that crap?
Could it really be true—did boss's smile actually have hypnotic powers?
But if that was the case, why only use it on women?
Why not hypnotize all the losers and make them off themselves?
Forget ruling Japan—boss could rule the world.
"Of course not! Those two just got brainwashed by how damn hot boss is!" Gorou yelled, finally losing it.
And in that moment, he finally understood the strategist's words:
Plastic surgery… really was the first step to happiness.
If, during New Year's, it had been boss standing at the shrine instead of himself—
Then maybe she wouldn't have disappeared without a word.
Maybe she wouldn't have ended it with just a letter.
Maybe she would've invited boss to share that first celebratory drink of the year.
Damn it!
Looks like it's time to start saving up for surgery!
Celty had no idea that her innocent display of cuteness just now had driven Gorou to make a life-changing decision—to get plastic surgery.
If she had known, her kind nature would surely have made her try to talk him out of it.
After all, Kyousuke's charm didn't lie in his face alone.
If it did, she wouldn't be falling for that smile over and over again.
It was a kind of magic—an alchemy of inner charisma and outer appearance.
"So… does this mean Hojou lost?" Celty asked anxiously.
Kisaki gave the woman beside him a sideways glance.
This foolish urban legend… even now, she couldn't see the truth about boss's diabolical nature.
Even after pulling a stunt like this, he still had women loyally worrying about him. boss's level really was beyond comprehension.
"Boss didn't lose. He could never lose," Kisaki said firmly.
"Phew—that's good to hear~" Celty sighed in relief and, smiling, began walking forward to join in the celebration with Kyousuke.
Hey, at least ask me why boss didn't lose! This blind trust… you're no different from those two girls who betrayed their own side for him!
Well, except you're way prettier and your figure's amazing.
Kisaki clenched his fists.
A terrifying thought crossed his mind—what if boss had known everything that would happen tonight from the very beginning?
What if that's why he brought Gorou here in the first place?
After all, one of the best ways to help a man get over a breakup… is to show him how the woman he longed for becomes pathetically submissive in front of another man.
Whether it stirs up a feeling of, "Now this is what a real man looks like," or makes him think, "Ugh, I actually liked that kind of woman?"—either way, it jolts a man back to life.
Of course, there are still a few who'd wait to pick up the pieces after the crowd-favorite gets bored and throws her away.
Technically, that's moving on too.
From Kisaki's point of view, Gorou already seemed to know which path to take.
There wasn't even a trace of despair on him anymore—just fiery determination.
Realizing this made Kisaki's respect for boss skyrocket.
Not only was he picking up girls, he was mentoring his underlings while doing it.
The subtlety of it all was terrifying.
Wait a second… if that's the case, then boss hanging around all those beautiful girls at school every day—could it be… he's been pushing me to get into a relationship too?!
Kisaki's eyes widened.
Looking over at boss, who was casually chatting with the enemy's girls while ignoring all the angry men, Kisaki's theory only seemed more and more likely.
'It's been three years since I decided to stop being a cringy chuuni after boss's "guidance."'
'In that time, boss's harem of schoolgirls had expanded at an exponential rate, while I… I still have nothing.'
'Seeing me like this… boss must be so disappointed.'
'Boss!!'
Kisaki choked up, breath catching in his throat.
To think… even while seducing women, boss was still pushing me forward.
And I had the nerve to think he was just chasing skirts…
It's all my fault. I failed to recognize boss's unique style of mentorship!
Using romance to teach life lessons—who else in the entire world could pull that off but boss?!
Watching Celty skip toward boss like a little girl running to her crush, Kisaki thought:
Long before the organization even considered conquering Ikebukuro, boss had already tamed its most powerful urban legend—through love.
Not "picking up girls." No, that word was too shallow.
Romance.
boss was conquering the world through romance.
As the names of Sawamura-san, Kasumigaoka-san, Miyamizu-san, and others flashed through Kisaki's mind, a complete strategic map formed before his mental eyes—one that combined business, politics, and seduction.
Too powerful!
Kisaki Tetta's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets.
"Shintarou's taillights are already out of sight!"
"What?! Call him back, now!"
"We're trying, but his phone's off!"
"Oh, right. He always shuts it off during races. Says it messes with his focus."
"That habit is exactly why his wife always complained about him!"
Finally, the men gathered around Kyousuke remembered—there was still a blue Toyota out there, speeding down the mountain.
"Hahaha! I bet that punk can't even see my taillights anymore!"
Up on the fifth hairpin turn, Shintarou burst into laughter, confident he had just pulled off the cleanest drift of his life.
That gorgeous woman—she must've seen how perfect my move was!
Once she realizes how amazing I am, she'll definitely ditch that pretty boy and fall into my arms!
Grinning from ear to ear, Shintarou tightened his grip on the steering wheel and let out a strange cry of excitement before diving into a series of drifts.
The screech of tires on asphalt, the squeal of brakes, the roar of the engine… together, they formed a midnight symphony unique to Mount Haruna, echoing through the cold mountain air.
"Hojou, that was awesome!"
Celty skipped over excitedly, and before she even came to a full stop, she leaned in, lifted her left foot playfully, and raised her right hand to high-five Kyousuke.
She looked so overjoyed, it was as if she had won.
Kyousuke let out a cheerful "Yaha~!" and clapped hands with her, clearly enjoying the moment.
He wasn't entirely sure what they were celebrating—but hey, if it was about a beautiful woman and himself, that was reason enough.
"You lost! What are you two even celebrating?!" Suda shouted in frustration.
The only reason they hadn't started fighting yet was because they were waiting for Shintarou to come back.
"We didn't lose!" Furuzawa Sae snapped back immediately.
"I'm calling my dad! I'll report this illegal street racing right now!" Hoshizuki, who was dressed in ultra-short shorts, complained with a pout.
She swore she wasn't acting out of jealousy or spite toward her former teammates.
No, it was because of that woman—the one in the black leather outfit with the insanely seductive body.
Not only did she suddenly show up and shatter the Haruna Mountain record, but she totally wrecked Hoshizuki's chance at flirting with the handsome guy!
She had almost gotten his name out of him, and then this woman appeared and hogged his attention.
Ugh! So unfair!
"Hahaha, no need to get all worked up. How about we all head to Tokyo later? My treat!"
Kyousuke raised his hand to calm everyone down.
He hadn't forgotten—one of his guys had just had his heart broken. He needed to keep that in mind.
"Really!?" The two girls who had switched sides mid-fight instantly perked up.
"Ahem?" Celty suddenly grabbed Kyousuke by the collar and yanked him toward her.
"Didn't you promise we were going for a ride after this!?"
Even though she had no head and he couldn't see her expression, Kyousuke—an expert in body language—could definitely sense her displeasure.
The chocolate scent that usually came off her had shifted… to strawberry.
"Relax, relax, I didn't forget," he whispered soothingly.
"You better not forget! I really missed you while we weren't meeting, you know?"
Celty warned him, clearly still sulking a little.
"Mhm~"
Kyousuke nodded with a big, easy smile.
'SCREEEEECH—!'
A harsh braking sound cut through the night.
Everyone turned to see a familiar blue Toyota suddenly screech to a stop right in front of them.
Shintarou practically kicked the car door open and stomped toward them, face red and arms flailing.
"You bastard! Were you messing with me this whole time?!"
Just as he was heading down the mountain, he had glanced back, thinking he'd see how far behind that kid was.
If the gap was huge, he'd stop, wait a bit, and then mock him while pretending to be a gracious rival.
But when he looked—nothing. Total darkness. Not even headlights.
At first, he thought maybe the guy had gone off a cliff.
Then it hit him.
The kid hadn't even started the race.
And that meant—Shintarou had just spent the entire time racing down the mountain at full throttle… against thin air.
Realizing that made his brain short-circuit with rage.