"THERE'S NO BULLYING IN MY TERRITORY!!"
Riko charged forward, his body moving like a boulder that got tired of staying still.
The four attackers froze. Two of them rushed in to block him.
Bad choice.
They didn't realize they were trying to stop a human whose frame felt like reinforced concrete. The first collision alone sent both of them flying straight into the wall.
The remaining two turned and ran in opposite directions. But the moment they spun around—
Rio was already there, waiting.
"Leaving already? Why the rush?" he asked calmly.
Panic exploded across their faces.
"What!? How are you here!? You were behind that muscle freak!!"
Their screams were cut off by two sharp kicks. Both bodies lifted off the ground together.
"That's it?" Riko sounded disappointed. For a body built from stubborn steel willpower, those guys felt like soggy paper.
Rio checked the uniform of one of them and called Riko over.
"Look. They're not from Naraya."
Riko leaned in and nodded. "Yeah… you're right."
Rio slapped one of the attackers awake and stood over him with a pressure that could make a sane heart malfunction.
"Which school are you from?"
To the guy on the ground, Rio looked like a giant shadow that didn't need to explain its strength. Just standing there was enough.
What kind of monster did we mess with…?
His head shook, cold sweat making him dizzy.
"W-we're from Suralaya School, middle Kencana ! Please forgive us! We won't do it again!"
Rio let them go like trash he didn't want to touch twice.
Only then did Riko notice the victim had passed out. A small build, about Rio's size, but the bruises showed he had fought back.
"He tried to fight them alone," Riko said.
"Then we're taking him," Rio decided.
But not to the infirmary.
They headed to the Newspaper Club room.
The door opened. Only Kris was inside, typing like a man being chased by a deadline. He looked up, startled.
"What are you guys doing?"
Rio glanced around. "Where's the president?"
Kris kept typing. "Arya's at a club leaders meeting. And… you heard the news? Your fight with David? Your win made the whole school explode. Everyone's talking about you."
His fingers never stopped dancing, either writing news or venting secretly through journalism.
Then he noticed Riko's shoulder.
"Hey… what's that on you?"
Riko patted the unconscious student. "Naraya student. Got bullied by outsiders. He passed out, so we brought him here."
Kris tilted his head. "Why bring him here? This is the Newspaper Club, not emergency care."
Rio and Riko looked at each other.
Then answered at the same time.
"Maybe he wants to join!!"
Kris rolled his eyes. "What if he doesn't?"
Riko shrugged. "Then I'll punch him until he does."
Rio smacked Riko's head like correcting an overly honest pet.
Kris covered his face. The room fell into silence, except for his keyboard, the only sane thing present.
"Just wait until he wakes up," Kris said flatly.
Riko laid the student in the corner.
The three of them sat around the table. Rio and Riko quickly got bored. Only typing filled the air.
"What are you even writing?" Rio asked.
"Still yesterday's article," Kris said without looking away. "As long as your drama with David is hot, I have to keep spreading it."
BANG.
The door flew open.
Arya walked in, fresh from his meeting. "I've got good news for you guys!"
The three of them stared blankly. Sometimes boredom beats good news.
"Ughh…"
The rescued student groaned and started waking up.
Riko dashed over like a salesman sensing opportunity.
"Welcome! Want to join the Newspaper Club?"
Rio grabbed his collar. "Not like that."
Rio stepped forward, Riko smiling brightly behind him.
"Hey. What's your name? And would you like to join our Newspaper Club?"
The guy jolted in fear.
"Who are you!? Why did I wake up here!? Did you kidnap me!?"
Arya walked over, confused. "Who's this? Is he joining?"
Rio sighed. "No, senpai. We found him unconscious after getting bullied. So we brought him here."
Rio and Riko then explained everything, from the alley fight to Riko carrying the guy like a rice sack.
The Newspaper Club had officially become something else entirely.