The bus rumbled as it rolled toward the city, every bump making the worn seats creak.
Haruko Momobami sat in the back, one arm resting on his bag. His legs were too long for the cramped space, knees pressing into the seat ahead. Out the window, the open countryside stretched for miles.
His stomach growled again.
It had been years since the exile.
The memory came like sudden lightning — a wide hall filled with ten high-level heirs from powerful families. Boys and girls in tailored uniforms, all looking down on him with smug faces.
The cards on the table were wrong. They cheated.
He'd stood up, chair scraping the floor. His shirt shifted as the muscles on his back flexed — wide, dense, and packed from years of manual labor. Later, people whispered about a "demon's back."
In less than a minute, ten of them were crawling or lying flat. Tables smashed, chairs scattered. Shouts filled the air. Faces pale. The sound of labored breathing through broken noses. At the hospital, they'd all needed oxygen masks, IV drips, and plaster casts.
Even now, Haruko remembered the way their eyes shook. And in the future… if they ever saw that back again, they'd tremble all the same.
A voice snapped him out of the memory.
"Haruko! Over here!"
The bus had stopped. Outside stood a tall man in a grey suit near a black sedan. His back straight, his stare sharp.
"Grandpa Zenny," Haruko said, stepping down.
"You've grown," Zenny observed. "And bulked up even more."
"Been training in the fields. Makes you hungrier than you think."
Zenny sighed lightly. "Still only thinking about food. Come. We'll eat before talking."
The diner was small but clean. Haruko ordered pork ramen, beef rice, grilled chicken skewers, and dumplings.
Zenny waited until the bowls arrived. "Your father wrote to me. This isn't just about school. It keeps you far from the main city and certain people."
"You mean the Momobami clan," Haruko said, eyes fixed on his food.
"Your father is cousin to the clan head. That link didn't help after you nearly crippled ten heirs."
"They cheated," Haruko muttered. "I didn't start it."
"Control matters more than justice to them," Zenny said flatly.
Haruko finished one bowl, already reaching for the next. "Mom likes the countryside. We had land. Servants. Enough to live fine. She didn't care about the exile."
Zenny's voice turned dry. "Your mother's feelings are one thing. Your future is another."
After the meal, they walked through quieter streets.
"Your mother asked me to make sure you study seriously," Zenny said.
"She told me," Haruko replied. "Said she wants me to be sharp, not just strong."
"She also told me your father says you eat more than your own farm can handle."
Haruko shrugged. "Guess that's true."
They reached a two-story house with a well-kept garden. The front door opened.
"Haruko!" Selina, his grandmother, pulled him into a hug. "Still hungry as ever?"
"Always."
Selina gave Zenny a look. "Feed him. Don't be stingy."
"He already ate enough for three," Zenny said.
Selina smirked. "Then prepare for more. Come, I'll show you your room."
Upstairs, Haruko dropped his bag and caught sight of himself in the mirror.
A strong jaw, dark messy hair, wide shoulders. Sometimes… it reminded him of something he couldn't quite place from an older life. Certain faces. Certain power. Sometimes calm, sometimes wild.
His stomach growled again, breaking the thought. "Hungry. Always hungry," he muttered.
At dinner that night, Selina asked, "Do you know anything about Ishiyama High?"
"Not much," Haruko said.
"It's unlike any other school," Zenny answered. "Fights are constant. Teachers tolerate too much. You will be tested."
"I'm not looking for fights."
"They will still find you," Zenny said simply.
Two days later, Zenny walked him to the school for orientation. On the way, they passed an alley where three older students were kicking another boy who was already down.
"Want to stop that?" Haruko asked.
"No," Zenny replied. "Here, that's daily life. Don't get involved unless necessary."
Ishiyama High's gates were covered in scratches and graffiti. Inside the yard, students loitered in groups, laughing, swearing, shoving each other.
Some noticed him immediately.
"Who's giant-boy?"
"New kid."
"Bet he folds."
Haruko ignored them.
On the way to the cafeteria, a tall boy with spiked hair blocked his path.
"You're new," the boy said with a grin. "Name's Oga Tatsumi."
"So?" Haruko asked.
"You look like someone worth my time."
"After I eat," Haruko said simply, stepping past him.
Oga chuckled. "Fine. After you eat."
In the cafeteria, Haruko ordered enough food for three people and sat down. He ate slowly, listening to the constant sounds of chaos — trays slamming, chairs tipping, voices shouting.
He didn't mind. This was easier to read than clan politics.
Still, one thought stayed in the back of his mind.
If anyone here tried cheating him like those ten heirs… Ishiyama might not be standing afterward.