In contrast to the leader, the followers behind him were wearing brightly colored short-sleeved shirts, unlike his more formal white shirt. Their exposed tattoos were also varied, but they all shared the common trait of being smaller than the leader's, roughly palm-sized.
The students who were blocking the way to watch the excitement and gossip were violently pushed aside by them. The remaining people blocking their path also scattered, avoiding unnecessary trouble. Those who were pushed and injured, dared not speak out. Not only were they outnumbered, but the chilling gleam of the knives tucked into their belts was enough to make them endure the humiliation in silence.
Saki looked at their direction of travel and estimated the general location, realizing she was directly in their path. She prepared to move out of the way, as many girls blocking the road earlier had been rudely shoved aside, with no regard for whether they were male or female—true equality in a sense.
"Don't worry, student. I know quite a few people in the neighborhood. When they get here, the moment I mention my name, it'll surely scare them, and they'll give us some face."
Masaru Ōshika noticed Saki's anxiety and saw a good opportunity to show off and flirt. Seeing the girl about to move, he quickly patted his chest forcefully, speaking with a face full of confidence.
Saki looked at Masaru Ōshika's sincere demeanor and was infected by his confidence. She stopped moving and chose to trust him.
Although Saki was still somewhat apprehensive, this was the second friend she had made, and the first after putting on makeup. If she backed down now, she might lose this friend, which is why she stayed.
As the group got closer, their sheer number and intimidating presence made Masaru Ōshika unconsciously swallow. He started to have second thoughts, unsure if the people he knew in the neighborhood were actually useful. Could they really give him some face?
However, with them right in front of him, Masaru Ōshika could only take a chance. If he succeeded, the girl beside him would be easy to win over. The thought of her full figure hidden beneath the plain school uniform made him excited, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.
"Ahem... ahem, hello, Big Brothers. I'm Masaru Ōshika. My big brother runs the biggest barbecue shop down on East Street..."
As the group was about to reach them, Masaru Ōshika quickly rushed in front of them, bowing and scraping as he introduced himself. Then, he brought up the "big brother" he knew. Masaru Ōshika only hoped they had heard of him, and even just a little bit of respect would be enough.
Lust clouds judgment.
Masaru Ōshika, in his desperation to pick up the girl, had forgotten some basic facts. In reality, bound by law, Japanese gangs were relatively restrained and had legitimate front businesses. However, their actual income was still acquired through violence, just more covertly.
Furthermore, there might be several gangs in the same area, often having small-scale conflicts due to friction over interests. Minor conflicts could lead to broken limbs, and serious ones to being dumped in Tokyo Bay. Not to mention the chaotic and senseless underground world, where people are coerced into depravity over trivial matters.
'Slap!'
"Baka! Who gave you permission to block the road!?"
Just as Masaru Ōshika finished speaking, before the fawning smile completely vanished from his face, a stinging pain erupted on his cheek. He reached up to clutch his swollen face, his expression one of disbelief.
"My... my... my big brother's name is—"
'Slap!'
"You mean that little punk Kameda, right? He still owes our gang two months' rent and you dare bring him up in front of me!?"
Masaru Ōshika thought the man hadn't heard clearly and quickly tried to report his big brother's name. Unexpectedly, his other cheek was also slapped, and then he heard the leader say in dissatisfaction.
"Hahaha."
Following that, bursts of laughter erupted behind the leader.
Masaru Ōshika was dumbfounded. He recalled that day when Kameda boasted about how tough he was, claiming that during a gang fight, his own boss was ambushed, and he, alone, rushed into the enemy camp like Zhao Yun in ancient China, not only rescuing the boss but also sending the enemies running for their lives. Afterward, his boss desperately wanted to become sworn brothers with him, but he himself couldn't stand that precarious life and chose to retire, which is how he opened the barbecue shop. Kameda also claimed that on the day he retired, the entire gang was in tears, especially his boss, who was so reluctant that he almost knelt down begging him to stay.
Masaru Ōshika now felt like slapping himself again, recalling his worshipful expression back then. Hearing how tough Kameda sounded, he quickly tried to latch onto him. Seeing Kameda's conflicted look, Masaru Ōshika gave him all the money he had earned, and even offered a woman he had trained to do anything. Only then did he manage to become sworn brothers with Kameda. Now he found out he had been lied to. Kameda was just a barbecue shop owner, dammit!
"Kid, you wanted to show off in front of the girl, right?"
Before Masaru Ōshika could recover from the pain of being deceived, the rough voice sounded in his ear again.
"Heh heh~ Could you please..."
Masaru Ōshika subconsciously nodded, then gave a flattering smile to the tough-faced man. Now, he no longer expected the man to give him any face; he just hoped not to be retaliated against because of that despicable Kameda.
'Bang!'
"Could you please what, you bastard! I hate people who show off and pick up girls the most! How dare you pull this shit in front of me!"
Masaru Ōshika's sentence was again cut short as he was violently kicked in the abdomen, sending him flying back a couple of meters. Then, he heard the leader say with hatred.
This time, his subordinates behind him did not laugh. They had heard that before the boss joined the gang, his wife was stolen by a pretty boy using the "hero saves the damsel" trick, which is why the boss hated people who showed off and flirted.
Lying on the ground, Masaru Ōshika had no idea that such a coincidence existed in the world. If he could do it over, he would definitely not have done this.
The sharp pain in his abdomen made Masaru Ōshika want to groan, but fearing further beating, he chose to play dead, hoping the man would treat him like a bad smell and let him go.
"Go get him! But don't you dare kill him; we don't need the trouble."
But the voice that followed crushed Masaru Ōshika's plan.
"Tough luck, kid. Who told you to be so unlucky~ and try to show off right into our boss's bad mood."
"Aah!!!"
Three or four subordinates swaggered out from the crowd and stood in front of Masaru Ōshika. After a few complaints, they started to teach Masaru Ōshika a lesson with their feet. Tragic wails erupted from Masaru Ōshika's mouth.
"Pfft, what a loser!"
"Hayato-kun, did you find the guy who hit you?"
The leader looked at the wailing Masaru Ōshika, spat in disgust, and then casually asked the person behind him.