In the alley, Takeshi and Kenji (The bullies) stood infront of Hiroto, who was on his knees.
"Hiroto," Takeshi said, his voice sharp, "just because it's spring break, you thought you could skip paying the protection fee? Do you even know how much effort it takes to keep you safe?"
'Protection, my ass. I need protection from you bastards,' Hiroto thought, pulling a face.
Kenji's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Now you're making faces, huh? Think you can walk away today without paying the monthly fee?" He grabbed Hiroto's collar and gave it a rough pull, forcing him to look up.
"Hello… excuse me."
The sudden voice made all three turn. A black-haired boy stood at the mouth of the alley, casual as if he'd just stumbled across friends chatting.
"Hiroto! What a nice surprise, running into you here, my friend," Sho said, strolling closer with an easy smile.
"Is that guy your friend?" Takeshi asked.
"No!" Hiroto blurted, having no idea who the boy even was.
Kenji smirked, still holding Hiroto's collar. "Hey, pretty boy, we've got some business with Hiroto. Why don't you come back later?"
"Business?" Sho tilted his head, his smile never fading. "Yeah… I've got business with you too. How about you give back the money I lent you?"
Both bullies looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
"This guy's funny," Kenji said, standing and slowly walking toward Sho.
"Pretty boy, you don't seem to know the saying 'mind your own business,'" Kenji said, placing his hand on Sho's left shoulder.
"That's exactly what I'm doing," Sho replied, his smile never fading. "I'm minding my own business… and I came to collect my money."
Irritated, Kenji tried to squeeze Sho's shoulder, voice low and threatening. "Bastard, get the fuck out of here before I send you to the hospital too."
Sho's calm smile only fueled Kenji's anger. He swung a punch toward Sho's face, but Sho stopped it effortlessly. Kenji tried to overpower him, but he couldn't even budge him.
"Ahhh!" Kenji cried out in pain as he sank to his knees, clutching his hand as Sho had squeezed his fist, rendering him helpless.
Takashi, seeing Kenji crying out in pain, rushed to help him. A minute later, both were sprawled on the floor after taking a few punches and slaps though Sho had held back, otherwise they might have been seriously hurt.
Sho now sat on top of them, calm and in control.
"Sir, who are you? Why are you doing this? We never even messed with you!" Takashi pleaded.
"Never messed with me? You beat me up and even took my money," Sho retorted.
"Nonsense! We've never even met you—how could we take your money?" Kenji said, confused and angry, but he couldn't do anything after being thrashed like a dog just minutes ago.
"Seriously? How can you not recognize me? I'm Sho Yamato."
"Sho Yamato? That pig is you? Don't joke!" Takashi said. Then it dawned on him. "Wait a minute… by any chance, that pig bastard hired you to beat us?" Takeshi muttered, thinking he'd solved the mystery.
"Ouch!"
"Who are you calling a pig?" Sho said, slapping him hard.
"Look, mister, your joke's going too far. I know you're not Sho Yamato, but I'll still return the money. Meet us at 6 o'clock at the construction site two blocks from our school, and we'll bring the money there," Takeshi said, cautious and angry.
"Oh, good boy. You got most things right—except I am Sho Yamato. I just… lost all my weight," Sho said, standing and freeing them.
Meanwhile, Takashi thought bitterly, Like hell anyone's going to believe that nonsense about a pig turning to prince.
While both bullies ran off, Hiroto was still on his knees, sitting as if he were meditating like Buddha.
"Hiroto, what are you doing?" Sho asked.
"Who are you? Are you some new money collector from our school… or maybe another one nearby? I don't care who you are, but if you're gonna ask me for money for 'saving' me, I've got nothing. So I'll just sit here quietly—beat me up however you want," Hiroto said, dead serious.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm Sho," Sho replied.
Hiroto squinted at him. For a moment, an image of a fat pig overlapped in his mind as he tried to match the two. "Don't fool me. I know this scam—you save someone, then extort money from them."
"Shut the hell up and let's go to my house," Sho said, grabbing Hiroto by the collar and dragging him along. There was no room for conversation; Hiroto clearly wasn't going to believe him.
'So… he's gonna beat me up at his house', Hiroto thought, closing his eyes and accepting his fate.
A few minutes later, Sho and Hiroto arrived at the house.
"Don't tell me… you hijacked Sho's house," Hiroto muttered, staring wide-eyed at the place in front of him.
"Shut up and get in, idiot," Sho said, dragging him toward the door. He pressed the bell, then quietly slipped his hand into his inventory and pulled out a shopping bag.
The door opened, and Ayaka stood there.
"Hiroto? You're here too," she said, surprised but smiling.
"Mom, here's the shopping bag," Sho said as he handed it over.
"Thanks. Come in, boys. Sho, take Hiroto to your room—I'll bring some snacks," Ayaka said before disappearing toward the kitchen.
Hiroto froze in the hallway, eyes darting between Sho and Ayaka. What the hell…? She's talking to him like normal. This doesn't make sense at all.
Sho gave him a light shove. "Move."
They went upstairs, and once they were inside Sho's room, Hiroto finally broke down, muttering to himself. "This is scientifically impossible… how can a pig just turn into a human? No, no… this must be a dream. Maybe Kenji beat me half to death, and now I'm in a coma. Yeah… that's it. This is all just a dream."
Thud!
"Ouch, ouch!" Hiroto yelped, clutching his head.
"Still dreaming?" Sho asked, tossing a book aside. "Wake up already."
It took some time for Hiroto to finally accept that the boy sitting across from him really was Sho.
Even though Sho wasn't the real Sho anymore, his memories had completely merged with the new him. That's why—when he had stepped in to save Hiroto from those bullies—it hadn't been just an act. The feelings, the instinct to protect, had come from deep inside.
The two of them sat quietly, eating the snacks Ayaka had brought. Hiroto kept glancing at Sho, his thoughts tangled, until he finally spoke.
"Listen… don't go asking Takashi and Kenji for your money," Hiroto said in a low voice. "It's a trap. They're planning to ambush you."
"I already know that," Sho replied bluntly, brushing off his concern. He leaned back, a faint grin on his face. "Not only am I getting my money back—I'll make them cough up the rest too."
Hiroto's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "No way. Don't mess with them, Sho. Seriously. Just… let it go."
......
At exactly six o'clock, Sho stood in front of the half-finished construction site. Beside him, Hiroto was nervous as hell. He had begged Sho not to come, but seeing that Sho wouldn't budge, he had reluctantly tagged along—if nothing else, to get beaten up together.
"Let's go inside," Sho said casually, strolling forward like it was no big deal.
"Yes… I'm ready," Hiroto muttered, already accepting his fate. He had even saved the ambulance number on his phone, thumb hovering over the dial.
As they stepped into the open lot, Takashi and Kenji were waiting, both of them smiling with ugly confidence.
"So you really came, huh?" Kenji sneered, clapping his hands. At the signal, students began pouring out from the shadows—armed with bats, chains, and iron rods.
The sight made Hiroto's knees give out. He dropped onto the ground, shutting his eyes tight. "I can take it… this is nothing… " he told himself, bracing for getting the shit beaten out of him.
One of the boys didn't wait for orders. He swung a wooden bat, striking Sho's back. Another followed. Then another. The hits rained down in rapid succession.
But instead of groaning in pain, Sho tilted his head, expression almost bored. "Hey—could you do it a little lower?" he asked, pointing at his waist. "That spot got left out."
It wasn't pain he felt. For Sho, each strike was strangely pleasant, like someone pressing down on tight muscles. Almost like a massage.
The boy grew irritated by Sho's casual remark. With a snarl, he unleashed a furious barrage of strikes, hammering Sho's back over and over until his arms trembled. At last, out of breath, he staggered back, leaning on his bat just to stay upright.
The others looked on, bewildered. None of it made sense—Sho hadn't flinched once. Whispers rippled through the crowd, their earlier confidence starting to crack.
Kenji's voice cut through the hesitation. "What are you standing around for? You think this is a movie? Attack him—together!"
Dozens of students surged forward, chains rattling and rods raised.
Sho, however, remained calm. A move that shouldn't exist in reality… but maybe here, it's possible, he thought, closing his eyes for the briefest moment before opening them again, sharp and steady.
The instant they lunged to grab him, something shifted. With one fluid motion, Sho's body twisted—arms crossing before him, his stance loose yet unshakable. In the next heartbeat, bodies flew in every direction, hurled to the ground as if by an unseen force.
"Aikido—Lookism style," Sho muttered.
Groans echoed through the site as boys lay sprawled and clutching their sides, staring up in shock. None of them could comprehend what had just happened—or how they'd been tossed around so effortlessly.
Sho tilted his head back, gazing at the night sky with a satisfied smile. He had just pulled off a move he'd only ever seen in a manhwa—and now, he'd made it real. The goated move.
Yet even while admiring the clouds, his guard never dropped. When one of the boys lunged from the side, Sho sidestepped easily, caught his wrist mid-swing, and tossed him aside like a ragdoll.
Minutes passed, and the battleground turned into a martial arts playground. One by one, the bullies were used as test dummies as Sho tried everything from capoeira's flowing kicks to sharp taekwondo strikes. He even unleashed a spinning kick—one that Kenji took head-on. The impact wasn't even at full power since sho held back, but it was enough to send Kenji flying before he crashed into a sandhill, knocking him out cold.
All around, groans filled the air. The once-arrogant gang now lay scattered across the ground, beaten and bewildered.
From a distance, Hiroto could only stare, his mouth hanging open. His childhood friend—the same Sho who once got shaken down for pocket money—was now tearing through the bullies like a main character like in manga and animes.
His heart pounded as his brain scrambled for answers.
'No way… this can't be real. He's fighting like he trained for years, Since when does Sho even know how to throw a punch?'
He rubbed his eyes, hoping it was some illusion, but the scene didn't change. Kenji was still lying flat in the sandhill, knocked out cold. The other bullies were rolling on the ground, clutching their bruises. And Sho—Sho was standing tall, calm, like this was nothing more than a warm-up.
Hiroto's breathing hitched.
'First, he suddenly lost all that weight… then he somehow turned handsome overnight… and now he's out here soloing a gang like a main character?!'
His jaw tightened as a crazy thought struck him.
'Wait… don't tell me… my best friend actually got some kind of superpower.'
Sho walked toward Takashi, who was lying on the ground, pretending to be unconscious.
"I know you can hear me, so listen carefully," Sho said coldly. "I need all my money back. This time, you'll give it to Hiroto—just hand it over, and he'll bring it to me. And not only mine, you're also going to return everyone else's money you stole. Hiroto will give me every report about it. If you don't…" Sho leaned closer, his voice sharp, "I'll gladly use you as my practice dummy again—punches, kicks, whatever I feel like."
As Sho walked away, Takashi let out a shaky sigh of relief. For now, he was safe.
"Let's go," Sho said, glancing at Hiroto.
The two of them left the construction site, walking side by side in silence. After a while, Hiroto finally spoke up.
"…Sho, you got a superpower, didn't you?"
"Yes," Sho answered without hesitation.
Hiroto blinked. "Wait, shouldn't you say something like, 'What are you talking about? That's impossible!' instead of just admitting it? Why are you being so blunt?"
Sho smirked slightly. "Why would I hide it? I have a superpower. And I've got something for you too—something that'll make you stronger. But of course, if you just sit in your room all day, it won't make any difference."
Reaching into his inventory, Sho pulled out a small vial holding seven glowing blue pills( Steroid pills).
After all, he was Sho's best friend. Of course he'd look out for him.
"Take one pill a day. No more than that," he warned, handing them to Hiroto. "If you take too many, you'll get injured."
Hiroto stared at the pills, their faint light reflecting in his eyes. He didn't question Sho, didn't even doubt his words. Quietly, he slipped the vial into his pocket. He understood that superpowers came with secrets, and Sho's source was one he didn't need to know.
Sho broke the silence again. "By the way, make sure you collect all the money they took from us."
Hiroto nodded. They walked together for a while longer before finally parting ways.
♪ "See you again~" ♪♪♪
...............