CHAPTER 20: Cage Of Protection
Miss Ryouko Saegusa's modern literature lecture finally came to an end, and the sharp mechanical chime of the school bell echoed through the corridors.
With the period officially over, the Physical Education class was about to begin.
The two class monitors, Tsuyoshi Taro and Yoko Fujimoto, immediately moved to the front of the classroom, standing side-by-side to assert control over the students.
Tsuyoshi adjusted his black leather gloves, his strict, rust-colored eyes scanning the room as he spoke in a commanding voice,
"Everyone, listen carefully. Form a single line all together and walk with us in a proper sequence."
However, the arrogant, wealthy students of this elite academy despised following rules.
A haughty boy stood up from the middle rows, openly mocking Tsuyoshi in front of everyone,
"It hasn't even been a month since you became the monitor,
And you're already telling us to get in line?
Why on earth should we listen to you?
You are just a class monitor, so don't try to act like our parents ! "
A low murmur broke out across the room. Tsuyoshi Taro's face turned deadly serious.
Without wasting a single second, he stepped forward with silent, intimidating strides, confronting the boy directly at his desk,
"Say that again."
Driven by his massive ego in front of his peers, the boy snapped back aggressively,
"Are you crazy?
Can't you understand at once?
I won't listen to you !
Do whatever you want to do!"
Before the boy could even finish his sentence, Tsuyoshi displayed his flawless, lightning-fast reflexes.
In a blur of movement, he grabbed the boy's outstretched arm, twisted it effortlessly behind his back, and violently slammed his head flat against the wooden desk !
The boy's face was pinned ruthlessly against the surface, his movements absolutely paralyzed by the tight grapple.
The sudden, heavy thud of the boy's head hitting the desk sent an immediate shockwave of absolute silence through the entire room.
Renjiro's breath totally hitched; his heart raced frantically as his deep-seated trauma resurfaced, realizing with absolute dread just ,
How horrifying aura and violent the enforcement of order could be in this academy.
Yoko Fujimoto adjusted her posture, her purple eyes maintaining a utterly aloof, emotionless, and indifferent expression, finding the brutal punishment entirely well-deserved for violating protocol.
Honoka Aizawa didn't even flinch; her sharp indigo eyes beneath her perfect blond Hime cut held nothing but deep disgust for the pathetic, undisciplined boy groveling on the wood, reinforcing her firm belief that weakness was an unforgivable sin.
Miyu Inoue gasped, her innocent aqua eyes widening in pure shock and sadness;
She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, as her pure, kind-hearted nature deeply hated seeing anyone get hurt.
Junn Tachibana merely leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, a dark, smug, and amused smirk playing on her lips as her baby pink eyes thoroughly enjoyed the raw display of absolute dominance over the weak.
Meanwhile, Himari Suzuki flinched in pure terror, tightly clutching her personal diary against her prominent, voluptuous chest as her dark blue eyes widened into a worried, trembling gaze.
Sayaka Shirogane leaned forward slightly, her striking emerald green eyes shining with mischief as a playful, "Teasing" smirk crossed her face, clearly entertained by the sudden chaotic drama.
Zixuan Lee remained impeccably calm and composed; resting his chin on his hand, his ruby eyes stared blankly, calculating and analyzing Tsuyoshi's grappling technique with the icy mind of a flawless strategist.
Satoshi Ichigaya didn't even bother to open his eyes, maintaining his usual mysterious, detached smile as if this brutal display was nothing more than a dull, predictable game.
Yoshiro Kurosawa swallowed hard, a tiny bead of nervous sweat forming on his bald head as his self-proclaimed "Boss" ego felt a sudden, sharp threat from the monitor's strength.
While Daiki and Taiki exchanged utterly "Shocked" glances, silently thanking their stars they hadn't spoken out of turn.
A couple of seats away , the 6.7 feet giant, Junpei Kurodan, sat like an immovable statue; his deep teal-green eyes watched the violence with absolute, chilling "Calm," completely unfazed and emotionless.
The only one who actually thrived on the tension was Yuto Sakurai; sitting in the far corner, his yellow eyes ignited with pure excitement as a manic, wild smile crept onto his face, loving the sudden outbreak of unpredictable danger.
Tsuyoshi held him down firmly, asking in a freezing, low tone,
"What were you just saying about not walking in a line?"
The boy instantly writhed in severe pain, his bravado utterly shattering.
He shrieked in pure agony,
"Let go ! , It hurts !
My hand is going to break, man !
Please let go !
I won't ever do this again, forgive me this time!"
Tsuyoshi released his grip with a sudden jerk, and the oppressive boy scrambled backward, rubbing his wrist.
Tsuyoshi stated in a strict, unyielding voice,
"Don't ever do that again. I despise rule-breakers."
As he spoke, his sharp, heavy gaze drifted intentionally toward the back row, locking onto Yuto Sakurai.
Yuto Sakurai merely caught his gaze, flashed a wild, mocking smile, and stood up from his desk.
Leaving the line entirely behind, he began casually strolling straight toward the exit.
Before he could cross the threshold, Yuko Fujimoto stepped firmly into his path, blocking him with an aloof, strict posture,
"Where do you think you are going ?
Get back in your line."
Yuto narrowed his yellow eyes, an unhinged, dangerous smirk spreading across his face,
"You want me to stand in a line ?
I have absolutely no interest in being lumped together with a herd of sheep."
Hearing this blatant disrespect, Tsuyoshi instantly stepped in and firmly grabbed Yuto's hand.
Tsuyoshi's face was purely serious, but Yuto merely stared back into his cold eyes, baring his teeth like a rabid animal.
Yuto growled menacingly,
"You might be the monitor of this class,
But I am the monitor of this entire school.
Let's see who stops me from leaving."
He glared directly at Tsuyoshi, delivering a fierce warning,
"Try to mess with me again, and the consequences will be extremely expensive for you ! "
With a powerful thrust,
Yuto violently shoved Tsuyoshi's hand away and walked out of the classroom in pure, unchecked arrogance.
Yuko turned to Tsuyoshi with an irritated, disapproving expression,
"Why did you let that idiot go?"
Tsuyoshi replied in a icy , composed tone,
"Let that disrespectful brat go.
He is only acting so arrogant because of Hiroto's backing.
When the right time comes,
I will personally teach him that nobody is above the school rules.
Besides, there is no use trying to reason with someone who is already totally ruined anyway."
Following this intense standoff, all the students began filing out line by line through the corridors, heading toward the outdoor grounds and the school gym building.
As the line began to form, Miyu Inoue slowly stepped out from her desk, her innocent aqua eyes immediately locking onto Renjiro's tense frame.
Squeezing her long rose-white pink braid against her chest, her naturally cheerful countenance dropped into a look of profound, sorrowful sympathy as she witnessed his trembling state.
Her kind heart ached to see him subjected to such a heavy, suffocating atmosphere on his very first day, sending him a silent wave of warmth before she was forced to move forward with the moving queue.
Honoka Aizawa stood up from her seat with an incredibly rigid, formal posture, casting a sharp, "Disgusted" look toward Renjiro as if she couldn't tolerate the presence of an undisciplined failure in her sight before stepping into the line.
Right beside her, Junn Tachibana crossed her arms tightly, flashing a dominant, "Smug" crooked smile that clearly showed her utter disdain for the weak, before walking past with a cold, intimidating stride.
As the crowd moved, Himari Suzuki turned her head to look back at Renjiro, her cheeks still blushing furiously from her earlier shyness.
She clutched her diary tightly before finally stepping out into the hallway.
Alongside the exiting crowd, Zixuan Lee also rose from his window seat and walked out with a calm, demeanor.
As Sayaka Shirogane glided past his desk, she paused for a microsecond, flashing her striking emerald green eyes at Renjiro with that signature, unhinged "Teasing" smirk, intentionally playing with his anxiety before humming her way out.
Even the absolute titan of the back row, Junpei Kurodan, unfolded his massive 6.7 feet muscular frame from his seat.
He moved past the desks like an unyielding wall, his teal-green eyes remaining fully "Calm" and blank without a single trace of mockery or anger.
Yet, his sheer, overwhelming presence made Renjiro's breath freeze instantly.
After her, Satoshi Ichigaya finally stood up from his seat.
He walked directly over to Renjiro and looked down at him with his signature silent, closed-eyed smile.
"Huh, your name is Renjiro, right?"
Satoshi asked softly.
Renjiro stammered nervously, caught off guard,
"Ye-yes...
my name is Renjiro."
Satoshi smiled gently,
"My name is Satoshi Ichigaya.
It's nice to meet you, Renjiro."
"Nice... nice to meet you too," Renjiro replied, his anxiety making him break into a light sweat.
Suddenly, Satoshi lowered his head slightly and opened his eyes just a crack from his closed-eye format.
For exactly three seconds, his bright orange eyes stared intensely into Renjiro's soul as he spoke in a dead-serious tone,
"It looks like you don't talk much to anyone."
Before Renjiro could even process the sudden chill, Satoshi snapped his eyes shut again, reverting instantly back to his creepy, cold smile.
"Actually, I am also a new student here at Hoshigawa,"
Satoshi added casually.
"I just arrived three days ago,
So I don't know much about this school yet.
Would you like to come with me to attend the Physical Education class?"
Looking at his face, Renjiro felt an unsettling vibe, as if this smiling boy was actually a hidden, silent killer.
Hesitating out of sheer discomfort, Renjiro quickly declined,
"No, no... actually,
I don't have my gym dress (Taikufuku) with me today,
So I can't attend the practical class."
Satoshi's smile widened slightly,
"Oh, so what ?
You can still come just to look at the school gym, right ?
The gym here is built to a much higher standard than any regular school.
You'll be completely shocked when you see it."
Because Renjiro was deeply insecure about his big size and was entirely new to the environment, he desperately wanted to avoid the packed, staring crowds in the hallways.
Looking out at the crowded corridor, he hichkichate (hesitated) and mumbled,
"Yeah... I will come.
But the crowd outside is too huge right now,
And walking in a massive crowd feels a bit strange to me.
You go ahead, I'll come down as soon as the corridors clear up a bit."
Satoshi gave a low, knowing chuckle,
"Hmm, I see.
It seems you really don't like crowded spaces.
Alright, I'll head out first.
Make sure to come down to the gym quickly."
Meanwhile, Yoshiro Kurosawa and his two foolish friends, instead of joining the line, had lingered behind the crowd.
They were waiting just outside the classroom door, loitering near the side wall of the upper stairs.
Below them, Satoshi was walking down the lower staircase, casually gliding past while maintaining his unsettling, creepy smile.
Yoshiro glared down at him from the upper stairs, muttering bitterly to his lackeys,
"Damn it, ever since I took admission to this school,
I have absolutely despised that guy."
He grumbled internally, nursing his irritation, before the three of them turned and pushed the classroom door open.
Inside, the classroom was empty.
Renjiro was just beginning to lift his heavy body out of his chair to leave.
But the moment he tried to rise, Daiki and Taiki rushed in, instantly standing right in front of him and utterly blocking his path.
Daiki, puffing out his chest with loud, chaotic arrogance, barked loudly,
"Now listen here,
You fat boy !
Our boss is calling you, understand?!"
Finding himself suddenly cornered between the two identical delinquents, Renjiro felt a wave of intense panic rising from within.
He asked in a soft, trembling voice,
"Who is your boss...?"
Taiki burst into a mocking sneer, deliberately raising his voice to ridicule him,
"The bald guy, the one Miss Ryouko called bald in front of everyone!"
Instantly, both brothers burst into roaring, uncontrolled laughter, fully treating their leader's embarrassment as a joke.
BAM! BAM!
Out of nowhere, two heavy, solid punches descended violently, crashing straight onto both of their skulls.
The impact was so severe that both brothers immediately clutched their heads, crying out in sheer pain,
"Ow! Ahhh!"
Yoshiro Kurosawa stood directly behind them, his face entirely flushed red with fury.
Shifting into a dramatic, comedy-type fight behavior, he growled fiercely at the twins,
"You idiots, making fun of me !
I won't let you off for mocking me !
I can hear everything ! "
Daiki and Taiki frantically began to tremble and plead,
"Boss! Boss!
We won't ever mock you again!"
Yoshiro clapped his hands together with a sharp, echoing snap .
He strode forward, standing directly in front of Renjiro while puffing his chest out wide.
He declared with absolute grandeur,
"Let's get down to business.
Listen here, fat boy, Renjiro-menjiro or whatever your name is !
I am the boss of this school, the only king of this area! Understand?
Everyone bows before me.
When I walk into this school, everyone gets terrified."
Behind his broad back, Daiki and Taiki leaned in toward each other, giggling quietly as they whispered,
"Terrified, right..."
Yoshiro whipped his neck around, snapping fiercely,
"Are you two whispering about me again ? ! "
The twins instantly panicked, over-acting to hide their guilt,
"No, no boss! Not at all!"
Yoshiro growled back in a venomous, furious tone,
"If you two mock me again,
I will shave you both completely bald, you bastards!"
The terrifying threat immediately triggered a horrific mental image inside Daiki and Taiki's minds.
They vividly pictured themselves with their stylish turquoise and fuchsia hair fully gone, looking exactly like two reflective, smooth bald heads.
They yelled out in sheer terror,
"No, no boss!
We don't want to be bald!
Forgive us!"
Yoshiro burst into a booming, mocking laugh,
"I won't forgive you,
I will wipe your hair completely clean,
hahahaha!"
Witnessing this volatile interaction, Renjiro's face turned deathly pale out of intense anxiety.
Seeing his pale expression, Daiki and Taiki immediately went quiet.
Trying to mask his inner dread, Renjiro maintained a quiet, completely calm appearance as he asked,
"But... what does that have to do with me?"
Yoshiro flashed a twisted, nasty smile,
"No, no... if you don't want to get beaten up in this school, then join our gang."
He leaned closer, switching into a dramatic comedy tone,
"You have no idea how many dangerous devils are packed into this school, and I am the ultimate boss of all those devils, understand my point?"
Hearing this, Daiki and Taiki panicked at the thought of having a fat boy in their crew.
They immediately grabbed Yoshiro, pulling him a few inches to their side, and whispered urgently,
"Boss !
What kind of foolish things are you saying ?
If we keep this fat guy on our team,
We will become the laughingstock of the entire school !
Everyone will make fun of us in front of the whole academy."
Yoshiro's short temper erupted yet again.
Without hesitation, he slammed both of their heads hard with another sudden slap,
"Are you two idiots' brains in your knees ? !
I am not taking this fat guy into our team...
I am going to charge him a protection fee in exchange for this protection !
I won't protect him for free.
I will charge him 250 yen, and along with that, we will gorge down his lunch box ourselves!"
The twins' eyes lit up as they realized the brilliant scheme.
They grinned widely,
"Wow boss, you are so smart!"
Taiki proudly boasted,
"Taiki has spoken actual sense for the first time today."
Yoshiro glared at him,
"What did you just say?"
Taiki quickly changed his tune, sweating nervously,
"Nothing boss !
I was just saying that you are always smart, but today you utterly broke the record of smartness!"
Daiki chimed in eagerly,
"Yes boss, Taiki is right !
Yes boss, you are a genius !"
The two brothers flashed a highly creepy, matching smile to each other.
Yoshiro turned back to face Renjiro.
To display his dominance, he performed a thoroughly gross gesture, shoving a finger deep inside his nostril and twisting it around casually.
Looking down at the heavy boy, he said disgustingly,
"If you don't want to get beaten up, you will give me a protection fee every single day."
He slowly pulled his finger out, extended his hand forward, and delivered his ultimate demand,
"And that protection fee will be...
Your daily food and money !"
Renjiro sat totally frozen in his seat, his mind sinking into deep despair, What a joke.
* Nothing has changed.
These people won't spare me.
I knew it... they are going to extort a protection fee from me,
taking my money and food to enjoy themselves.*
Underneath his traumatic memories, the blood of his sumo ancestors briefly boiled with a silent, intense rage.
Yoshiro kept his finger near his nose, grinning sharply as he noted Renjiro's compliance,
"Look, if you don't want anyone to lay a hand on you in this school,
You must accept our conditions.
Other than us, nothing in this academy can save you."
He pulled his finger completely free.
With a mocking, demeaning swipe, he leaned in and drove a firm mock-punch against Renjiro's shoulder uniform, deliberately wiping the gross residue directly onto the fabric.
Shifting his voice into a chilling, dead-serious tone, he added,
"I'll give you time to think about it."
Without waiting for a response, the trio turned around and walked out of the classroom together, their footsteps echoing down the hallway until the entire room fell dead quiet.
Left fully alone in the isolated space, Renjiro slowly lowered his neck. His heavy frame trembled slightly under the defiled uniform.
As his chin dropped, the thick strands of his bright red hair fell forward, casting a deep, pitch-black shadow over his eyes and cloaking his face in a dark, ominous aura of suppressed rage.
[CHAPTER 20 ENDS]