The louder the school became, the quieter Akira felt inside.
By the time he stepped into the main hallway that morning, Yokosaki High was buzzing like a hive kicked from all sides. Conversations dropped the moment he passed. Whispered rumors scurried behind him like shadows trying to keep up.
"That's the new guy who dropped Daigo's crew."
"He didn't even blink."
"The girl with him's just as crazy—don't make eye contact."
Akira kept walking, hood drawn halfway up. His bruises were fading, but the stares weren't.
People didn't fear him.
They feared the story.
And stories in Yokosaki got retold louder each day.
He reached the stairs just as Kenji's obnoxious voice echoed from below.
"There he is! The rumor magnet himself."
Akira exhaled through his nose. "Shut up."
Nikki hopped down the last two steps, falling into stride beside them. "Relax, Akira. Fame looks good on you."
"It's not fame," he muttered.
Vincent waited on the second-floor landing, one headphone in, eyes lowered. He looked like he didn't care about anything—until you noticed how his gaze flickered at every whisper, every shift in the hallway. Always watching, always measuring.
Their group wasn't a group yet, but the halls were treating them like one anyway.
The Rooftop, Early Afternoon
The air atop the school was warm, the sun turning the fence gold. Kenji lay stretched on the concrete like he owned it, hands behind his head. Nikki scrolled through her phone, chewing gum. Vincent stood with arms folded, leaning into the shadow of the stairwell.
Akira stared out at the city, distant.
"We really did it," Nikki said. "Whole school won't shut up."
Kenji grinned. "Let 'em talk. I like it."
"Attention gets you enemies," Akira replied.
"Enemies keep you sharp," Kenji countered.
Akira didn't answer. Not because Kenji was wrong—because he wasn't.
The wind brushed past them, carrying the echo of voices from the courtyard below. Every rumor tightened the air around them a little more. Every whisper pulled them all closer to something none of them were ready to name.
Ripples
By lunchtime, the school felt like it was holding its breath.
Kenji bought a drink from the vending machine and snorted. "You notice?" he asked.
"Notice what?" Nikki said.
"People don't bump us anymore."
He wasn't wrong. Students made space around them—not naturally, but fearfully. Eyes darted away. Conversations paused mid-sentence.
Vincent glanced down at the courtyard from the second floor. "They're not scared of us," he said. "They're scared of the idea of us."
Nikki raised a brow. "So what's the idea now?"
Vincent didn't answer.
Akira didn't either.
But something was shifting. None of them knew what—just that it was coming.
Back Alley Tension
After school, Vincent cut through a narrow alley behind the gym. He didn't expect trouble—not today. Not after everything cooled down.
But three boys stepped out from behind the dumpsters.
"Saw you on the rooftop," one sneered. "Think you're better than us now?"
Vincent didn't even blink. "No. I am better."
The first boy swung. Vincent moved like he'd been doing this since birth—quick steps, short blows, no wasted motion.
Still, two-on-one wasn't simple. A bottle shattered near his shoulder. Someone grabbed his jacket.
He could handle it… but not cleanly.
A new voice sliced through the alley:
"You always walk home through alleys," Akira said, stepping in, "or you just like bad odds?"
He moved without waiting for a reply—an elbow to the jaw, a sweep, a shove. Efficient. Silent.
Together, they dropped the attackers in seconds.
Vincent panted lightly. "Didn't ask for help."
"Good," Akira said. "I wasn't asking permission."
For the first time, Vincent cracked a faint, reluctant smile.
Maybe, just maybe—this wasn't a bad person to have beside him.
Echoes in the Hall
The next morning, Yokosaki High was louder than ever.
Akira arrived early, walking toward class when the whispers sharpened into clear fear. Students pressed themselves against lockers to avoid even brushing his shoulder.
Out the window, movement caught his eye.
Five delinquents stood in the courtyard—Daigo's leftovers. Meaner than before, carrying a grudge like a badge.
But that wasn't what made Akira stop.
Vincent was standing with them.
Hands in pockets. Expression unreadable.
Nikki and Kenji walked up behind him.
Kenji froze. "Yo—he's with them?"
"No," Akira said quietly. "He's deciding."
Down in the courtyard, Vincent shifted his weight. His eyes moved from the delinquents… to the upstairs window… to Akira.
A flicker passed over his face.
Not fear.
Not loyalty.
Something in between.
Then he smirked.
And stepped forward.
The courtyard was about to explode.
Akira exhaled.
"Here we go."