Peaceful Days, Part 1

Howdy!!! I've got another piece of fanart of Yuuto, courtesy of @Discipline from my Discord server! Feast your eyes and enjoy the chapter!

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Yuuto mumbled senselessly as he walked into the school, greeted by the familiar disgusted looks and venomous stares. Whispers of disdain trailed behind him. His words about Shiyon had spread like wildfire.

But what spread even faster were the rumors surrounding the mixer and onsen incidents that happened at the same time. The two missing girls who had gone with Gon and Konro to the mixer, as well as Sakura's condition—though people were told she was fine, she chose to stay home.

Gon and Konro had both given the same testimony: the girls were snatched away without their knowledge. Oddly enough, the police hadn't pressed further, raising more than a few eyebrows around the school and city. It had become a major incident.

Speculation ran wild...

...some believed the incidents were attacks aimed directly at INK Public School. Many of the students certainly felt that way, and they began coming to school armed with concealed knives and other weapons—something Shiyon understood, though he frowned upon it.

Even on the first day of the week, the students longed for the old INK. More importantly, they yearned for the old-fashioned way Shiyon used to run things—with an iron fist. At least back then, they felt safer, certain that his strict control would protect them from these kinds of attacks.

Another thing Shiyon frowned upon.

The looming anxiety of potential danger remained, but no further incidents occurred—at least, not yet. Indeed, despite the growing tension and unease, the next few days passed relatively peacefully.

Well, except when he was around.

Yuuto took a deep breath. 'Mmmm, smell that?' he thought to himself as the looks of disgust from the other students washed over him. 'The fruits of my labor. No, my GENIUS labor. This is exactly how people should look at me.'

Adjusting his glasses, a smirk curled on his lips as he deftly dodged a wad of spit from a passing girl. Those who noticed her boldness snickered.

"Haha, savage," one of her friends praised her.

"Just wait till one of the boys drops you dead, and we'll mess your corpse up even after you're dead," the girl sneered at Yuuto.

Yuuto met her gaze and grinned with satisfaction. "Didn't realize necrophilia was so popular these days. Sadly for you, I'm not going down that easy," he shot back, flipping her off as he walked away.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" she screamed, lunging toward him, but her friends quickly held her back. They glared, teeth clenched, as Yuuto strolled away, his smile even wider. The spitting girl's popularity skyrocketed with her display of boldness and righteousness.

'Careful, at this rate she'll replace you,' Yuuto thought with a roll of his eyes, making his way to his classroom.

'Should I grab a fire hose? My seat's probably going to look like a third-world country... all because I disrespected the school's little darlings,' he thought with a sigh, his eyes landing on his desk behind Shun and Riko.

To his surprise, it was spotless.

'Oh? Maybe there's a bomb under it,' he mused as he approached. 'Guess I'll find out soon enough.' Yuuto scanned the classroom, searching for a certain someone among the crowd.

'Found you, Gorilla,' Yuuto thought, narrowing his eyes at Gon, whose head was slumped, hands clasped together, seemingly deep in thought. His ever-present sidekick, Konro, was notably absent.

Gon's eyes eventually lifted, meeting Yuuto's lingering stare. "What do you want, Sakurai?" he muttered quietly.

'I was expecting a "WHAT IN YOUR DICK do you want, bitch!?" along with a clenched fist or something. Is he having a retrospective moment...?' Yuuto wondered as his gaze sharpened. 'Or... is it a guilty conscience...?' A coldness flickered briefly in his eyes.

'I suppose I'll find out after class. He might know my secret strength, but the other sheep don't. Best if it stays that way,' Yuuto mused with a sigh, looking away.

"Nothing. I'm just heartbroken that you left me waiting all this time after asking me out," he replied softly, turning back to his seat.

"This guy is just asking for trouble..." Riko sighed, as other students began whispering around her.

"He really does wanna get beat up!" one student said. "Hell yeah! Gon's gonna mess him up right in front of us!" another whispered, excitement brewing in the room.

"Ah... sorry about that," Gon murmured, lowering his gaze, seemingly lost in thought again.

'Wait, what the hell?' Yuuto's eyes narrowed as a bubble of disbelief popped in his head. 'Did I really hear what I just heard?'

For the first time, Yuuto and the rest of the class shared a unified thought, all staring at Gon in shock.

"What the fuck!!? Why isn't he beating him up...!? Or at least throwing a chair at him, or screaming?!" a student exclaimed, while Riko narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Maybe he's not feeling well..." someone suggested.

"Wait, did you forget? He probably feels guilty about not being able to protect—" another student began, but cut off when Gon let out an audible growl, his body twitching noticeably. The words died in the student's throat as a tense silence fell over the classroom.

"O-Or he's just that loyal to Shiyon-san! Shiyon-san must've told him not to cause trouble, even for a shithead like Pillow who trashed him!" another student quickly chimed in, trying to ease the tension.

"Oh, that makes sense! Shiyon-san's such an angel!" they all agreed in unison as Yuuto settled into his seat.

'...You too?' Yuuto thought, casting a glance at Shun, who was slumped even more than Gon.

"Sakurai," Riko called out as she turned around, "You good? I heard what happened from Shun..." Her eyes were serious, locking onto him.

'DID SHE NOW...?' Yuuto glared sharply at Shun's back.

"Might want to be more specific, cuck-ween," he retorted, adjusting his glasses.

"Ugh, forget I asked." Riko rolled her eyes and turned back around.

'So she doesn't know...? What exactly did he tell her...?' Yuuto mused.

"We were lucky..." Shun suddenly muttered from his slump. "That Shiyon-san was there, right, Sakurai?" He stared down at his arms.

'Oh..? He told her something different, then,' Yuuto's eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Just because he pulled off a few heroics doesn't make him an angel. I stand by it, cuck," Yuuto declared proudly as he began organizing his belongings on the desk.

"Shoulda left you for dead, Pillow," a female student blurted from the side.

"100%," another agreed, their faces twisted in disgust as they looked at Yuuto.

"He's living proof angels exist, 'cause he saved YOU—" they chimed in before Yuuto waved them off with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, all I hear is 'Waagh, I'm on my period! Somebody, please shut my mouth an—'" Yuuto mimicked in a mocking tone, feeling a sudden wetness on his cheek.

But Yuuto was already armed with a wet wipe, catching the spit mid-action and cleaning his cheek before anyone could blink.

'What the hell...!? Did he expect that!?' the girl who spat thought, bewildered and disgusted. Yuuto's smirk only deepened as he calmly folded the wet wipe and placed it into his backpack with deliberate slowness, locking eyes with the girls who shivered in disgust.

'He's scum... Lowest of the low would be a compliment!' they all thought collectively as Yuuto nonchalantly returned to his seat.

'I'm...' The spitting girl clenched her fists in frustration. 'I'M DEFINITELY BEATING HIM UP MYSELF LATER!' she growled internally, eyes fixed on the pocket where Yuuto stashed the wet wipe 'souvenir.'

'Damn, I'm on a roll today...' Yuuto thought, sighing in satisfaction.

"What're you slumped about, cuck? Did you get this scared?" Yuuto raised an eyebrow, folding his arms, his smirk firmly in place.

That's when Riko's anger peaked. She looked at Yuuto with a sly smile. "I mean, weren't you all? That was pretty stressful, from what I and everyone else heard. And you're not one to talk, considering you soiled yourself and fainted when it happened," she said loud enough for everyone to hear.

'GAH!' Yuuto's eyes froze in shock. 'Right... RIGHT!!! I... I JUST TOLD THE CUCK TO LEAVE MY STRENGTH OUT OF IT... BUT WE DIDN'T MATCH OUR STORIES, I NEVER TOLD HIM WHAT TO SAY ABOUT ME!!' Yuuto thought...

...in pure joy.

'DID HE PLUMMET MY IMAGE EVEN MORE!!? NICE!! I'LL GIVE YOU AN EVEN BIGGER DISCOUNT NEXT TIME.'

"Just that?" Yuuto replied nonchalantly. "I also shat myself. Make sure to mention that one too. Oh, and don't forget, I clawed at Harvester for saving me a minute later than he should've," he said, causing Riko to freeze with a pout and a growl, looking away as the other girls stared at him in even deeper disgust.

'Ohh, I'm going to enjoy this,' the girl who spat earlier thought, already delighting herself with fantasies of beating Yuuto up as the teacher entered the classroom.

After the first lessons, Riko offered, "Shun, wanna eat outside?"

"I'm good," Shun replied. "Eat by yourself today," he added wearily, causing Riko to frown.

"...I'll just save this for later. I'm going to the bathroom, though," she said, giving Yuuto one final glance that screamed:

'TALK.'

'TO.'

'HIM.'

Before leaving the classroom.

Yuuto sighed. 'At this rate, I might have to start charging you, cuck-couple.'

"So?" Yuuto said aloud, opening his neatly prepared bento behind Shun. "Are you angry because you couldn't unfuck the situation by yourself? Well, don't be. You're just so weak and pathetic it wouldn't have mattered even if you rushed in to help," Yuuto taunted, causing Shun to flinch.

"It... It's not that," Shun said reluctantly. "It's... well... it is about that, in a way. I know I'm not strong enough—"

"Weak as hell," Yuuto cut him off, making Shun flinch again.

"...Weak. Yeah, I know that," Shun admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Then just accept it and move on. Or get stronger. Be the main character you're supposed to be," Yuuto said casually after swallowing a bite of his bento.

"I wanted to get stronger, so I asked Shiyon-san if he could train me," Shun said, emphasizing Shiyon's name.

"Oh?" Yuuto paused, his gaze rising. "So is the training tough? If that manipulative bastard cares about his students and juniors as much as he's tricked you into believing, he needs to train you to keep the lie going."

"N-no... It's... not that..." Shun murmured, his voice trailing off.

"Hmm?" Yuuto hummed in curiosity as Shun began explaining how it went down.

=========================================

Back at the resort, just before Shun's parents arrived to pick up him and Shiyon—right after Chiyoko's mother had taken Sato, Hiyori, Yuuto, and her daughter home following the onsen incident...

"Your parents sure are taking their time, Shun-chun," Shiyon commented, noticing Shun's unusually quiet demeanor.

"My dad just called. There's heavy traffic," Shun muttered, his voice laced with defeat.

Shiyon raised an eyebrow, sensing the lack of enthusiasm. "It's alright, Shun-chun. It's all behind us—"

"Shiyon-san," Shun interrupted, his voice suddenly louder and more desperate.

"...?" Shiyon hummed, intrigued.

"Can you... can you help me get stronger?" Shun asked earnestly, his eyes vibrant and pleading, weighed down by the events that transpired earlier that night.

"Shun-chun..." Shiyon murmured, seeing the fire in Shun's eyes.

"I... I just want to be able to protect the ones I care about. I want to leap into danger like you. And if not that... I just want to make her and myself feel safe. I want to stop being afraid and stand up for myself a little more!" Shun's eyes gleamed with hope, desperation, and a hunger to change.

"My..." Shiyon gasped lightly, "Shun-chun, I love your resolve. You really believe that, don't you? And this is what you want, huh?" he asked, watching Shun's unwavering expression.

Shun nodded immediately. "Yes, Shiyon-san! Please... even if it's just a little at a time, train me!" He clenched his fists tighter, his gaze locked on Shiyon.

"I see. I can feel your resolve," Shiyon said with a sigh, almost smiling with pride.

...Almost.

"But the chances of me training you, even for a second, are smaller than a snowball surviving on the sun's surface," Shiyon said with a bright smile, staring straight at Shun.

"Ah?" Shun's face froze.

"tl;dr—never going to happen <3!" Shiyon added, his smile still warm and radiant.< p>

"W-what...?" Shun stammered, his tone trembling. "But why!? I know it might be brutal, but I'll endure it if it means protecting—"

Shun's words were cut off as Shiyon gently pressed a finger to his lips.

"Shh... It's not even about that," Shiyon whispered, smiling softly as he pressed his forehead against Shun's, their lips just a breath apart. He stared deep—deep into Shun's eyes, a teasing warmth in his gaze.

"Didn't you also beg my precious Sen-chun to join his Kendo club not too long ago? And then you crushed his hopes and ditched him to join some rundown boxing gym?" Shiyon's words pierced through the air like a dagger.

Shun's breath hitched. His face went pale as sweat trickled down his forehead, memories flooding back, making him avert his gaze.

======= CHAPTER 9 =======

Sendo raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the seriousness in Shun's voice.

Shun bowed deeply, arms pressed tightly against his sides. "Even though I'm a third-year... CAN I JOIN YOUR KENDO CLUB!?"

=========================

Shiyon's voice retained its cheery tone... but to an onlooker, it would be painfully obvious how much he was straining to keep it that way.

"He was so excited for you to join, he even created a second group and rearranged the schedule just for you. And then... on the very first day, you turned him down. That night, he called me, crying over the phone. He made me swear not to make a big deal out of it... But... haha, you dared to make my precious Sen-chun cry~."

======= CHAPTER 36 =======

"Hey, cuckoo, I thought you were bulking up for your girlfriend. What's a guy like you doing in the Culture Club? Shouldn't you be swinging a sword in the Kendo club instead?"

"Sakurai... life's not some sports manga. I can't just walk around with a sword all day. I'd look like a die-hard Sendo groupie. Boxing seemed more practical, so I joined a nearby gym instead."

==========================

Shun was sweating bullets, feeling a fear greater than when he faced the kidnappers as he stared into Shiyon's squinting eyes—eyes that were almost purposely shut, as if hiding something far more menacing... perhaps rage... or, most likely, bloodlust.

"So," Shiyon continued, his tone dangerously light, "instead of asking me for favors so... ahaha, shamelessly, I'd prefer if you started thinking about how to give. Like how you're going to make it up to Sen-chun for ditching him so coldly..." His voice softened, but the menace lingered. "And even when you manage to make him happy again, earning my favor might still prove..." He placed a gentle, almost sinister hand on Shun's shoulder, patting it softly, "a tiiiiiny bit more difficult. I'm very emotional when it comes to my brothers, after all. Okay? <3"< p>

"So... ask something like that again. You want to be brave, right? So, please, ask me again. That would be very brave... Some might even say... foolish," Shiyon challenged, his voice dropping to a growl.

A heavy silence hung between them, Shun's heart sinking at the weight of his words.

"Uh... Ah... I... ask about what...?" Shun stammered, freezing under Shiyon's glare.

"Good boy~~~~ <3" Shiyon's tone lightened, his smile widening, unsettling. Yet, to Shun's surprise, a wave of relief washed over him, and he let out soft sigh...< p>

...Only for Shiyon to speak again.

"Thank you for confirming that this resolve you spoke about was so half-assed and fragile~," he said, watching as Shun's eyes widened, the realization sinking in.

"S-SHIYON-SAN, I—" Shun began, but his words were swiftly cut off by Shiyon's sharp, cutting response.

"All it took was just... a little push to break it. Really..." Shiyon continued, his expression darkening for a brief moment.

"How pathetic of you," he added, his voice turning suddenly cold and firm, far more cutting than anything he'd said before.

"Ah... I..." Shun stammered, his voice caught in his throat.

His face drained of color just as a car honked behind them, snapping Shiyon's attention to the sound.

"Ah, your parents are here! Let's head home together, okay, Shun-chun <3?" Shiyon said sweetly, the sinister warmth returning to his voice as he stepped away.< p>

Shun mindlessly followed, sliding into the car next to him without uttering a word, too shocked and bewildered to speak for the entire ride home.

=========================================

'Hmm...' Yuuto mused, his gaze settling on Shun's almost sorrowful expression. 'Risky... but not too different from how I would've handled it. Harvester showed him his weak points in the most brutal way possible. It's risky because that'll either break him completely further down the road, making his resolve even weaker, or... it'll push him to grow.'

'Oh well...' Yuuto thought as he recalled Shun mustering the courage to stand up to Male2. 'There's hope. A little, but it's there.'

He sighed, remembering the first time he fought Shiyon, the words exchanged still fresh in his mind.

'Tough love, huh?'

'Well, that aside, I don't care about all that.' Yuuto shrugged mentally. 'I have my own agenda. And this is pretty funny. Once he's at rock bottom, guess who he'll crawl back to with a 75% discount... plus 5% for that story he told about me.'

"It... It just... the boxing gym's poster looked so glowing and cool... And... someone said Sendo-kun's group looked like a cult... So I wanted to avoid—"

"AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!" Yuuto burst out laughing, pointing at Shun, his palm slamming repeatedly against his thigh.

"S-STOP, THAT'S NOT—" Shun tried to interject, but Yuuto's laughter drowned him out.

"AHHHhhahahaha slams desk ahaha... Ahhh... You serious!?" Yuuto continued cackling, as Shun's face reddened, flushing with embarrassment. His body trembled as he looked down, completely mortified.

"SO BASICALLY, YOU'RE SAD BECAUSE YOU'RE A DUMBFUCK IDIOT CUCK WHO CAN'T KEEP HIS WORD, TALKS ABOUT RESOLVE AND SAMURAI SHIT YOU STOLE FROM MANGAS WITHOUT FOLLOWING THROUGH!? BAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THIS IS GOLD! OOOOH MAN!!! AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Yuuto wheezed between fits of laughter, while the surrounding students whispered among themselves, mostly dissing Yuuto's over-the-top reaction.

"S-STOP LAUGHING...!!!" Shun's voice quivered, unable to withstand the onslaught of ridicule.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Yuuto only laughed harder. "YOU REALLY ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER, AREN'T YOU? SPOUTING THAT HEROIC SHIT ON A WHIM THEN GETTING BRAINWASHED BY CORPORATE MARKETING! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Yuuto nearly coughed from laughing so hard, as Shun abruptly rose with a loud thud, stomping his way out of the classroom.

Gon's gaze followed Shun's figure until he exited the room. He almost seemed ready to get up and follow him but paused when he noticed Riko waiting just outside.

"Riko, let's go eat somewhere...!" Shun muttered, his face flushed with embarrassment and frustration as he stomped out of the classroom, fists clenched at his sides, doing his best to hide his expression.

Riko cast a quick glance at Yuuto, who was still cackling to himself. Thanks, she thought, her lips curving into a small smile as she turned back to Shun.

'Either way...' Yuuto thought as he calmed down, his laughter fading, eyes glancing over to Gon. 'That Gorilla... What's he up to? He looked like he was gonna follow the cuck, but then stopped once he saw the cuckold-maker queen waiting for him. He kept sneaking glances at them throughout the lesson... Hmm...' Yuuto mused, scrutinizing Gon's behavior.

'Oh well...' he sighed, grabbing his backpack and heading toward the exit. 'Since he never leaves the classroom, I'll interrogate him once the day's over.'

'...Finally. That pillow bastard left the classroom,' Spit girl thought, huddled with her friends at the far end of the room, waiting for her moment. 'Time to follow him and beat him up. Can't let a freak like that roam free...' She winced in disgust at the memory of Yuuto smirking while collecting her spit with a wet wipe and tucking it into his backpack.

"Yo, Miyuki looks ready to kill someone..." one of the girls whispered, watching as she stomped after Yuuto.

"She may be a girl, but she's as strong as Gon-san and Konro-san. She used to run the girls' side before Shiyon-san quit," another chimed in.

"And she's a blackbelt in taekwondo. Her dad owns a dojo. That pillow fucker is dead," they all murmured, smiling in anticipation, while Gon remained in his usual solitary, silent contemplation.

Miyuki, her hair dyed blonde, several piercings in her ears, with pale smooth skin and a choker around her neck, followed Yuuto with determined stomps.

'I'm gonna kick his ass...!! It's so annoying that none of the boys have done it yet...! Shiyon-san, I'm sorry, but this crosses the line!' she thought, maintaining a few meters distance behind Yuuto.

Then, the alarms rang.

'Shit...! Already!?' she cursed inwardly, glancing at the now-empty hallways. 'Damn, I'll be late for class... but wait... why isn't he going back to class either?' Her eyes narrowed. 'This is perfect...! He'll be alone, and I can tear him apart without an audience! Missing one class for this is worth it.' She resolved to follow him.

'I'll wait until we're somewhere quiet...!' she thought as she watched Yuuto suddenly stop in the hallway, his backpack slung over his shoulder. She ducked behind a corner, her heart pounding as he glanced around suspiciously.

'...What's he doing...?' Miyuki thought, peeking from around the corner. Yuuto pulled the wetwipe from his backpack—the one he'd used to catch her spit—and casually tossed it in the trash, his expression indifferent.

'He threw it away...?' she thought, her eyes narrowing in confusion. 'Wait... So why did he even collect it...? Just to piss me off!? That... that bastard!'

Her suspicions grew as she watched him head toward the stairwell leading to the second-year classrooms. 'Where's he going now...? Something smells suspicious...!!' she thought, trailing him down the stairs.

Yuuto walked straight to Sakura's class, peeking in through the window, his eyes scanning the room...

...but she wasn't there.

He sighed, took his backpack, and started climbing back up the stairs.

'Was he looking for someone?' Miyuki backed up, careful to stay out of his sight as he ascended.

'Wait a minute... if he heads back to class now, I won't be able to hide the fact I left too... He'll think I was stalking him... EWW!!' she thought, rushing to the third-floor bathrooms and emerging just as Yuuto passed by.

"Ah, pillow fucker," she called out. "You're lucky we're near the classroom."

"What, you gonna bleed on me next?" Yuuto smirked.

"You fucker...!!!" she fumed, glaring at him. Then a sudden curiosity hit her.

"...What did you do with my wetwipe, pillow? I might let you live depending on your answer," she demanded, making him stop in his tracks.

"MY wetwipe. You spit on it," he emphasized, causing a vein to pop on her forehead.

"JUST ANSWER ME!" she barked.

"What could I do with it?" Yuuto turned around, eyebrow raised arrogantly, his arms spread wide. "I sold it," he said casually.

Her eyebrows shot up.

"...To a second-year who paid alooooooot of money for that kind of thing. It's mine, so it's not illegal," he said with a sigh and a triumphant smirk.

Miyuki's tense shoulders relaxed slightly as she remembered seeing him throw the napkin in the trash.

'Does this bastard, maybe...' she thought, 'Want to make everyone hate him on purpose?'

She shook her head. 'Nah, no way. He still collected my spit. That's disgusting! That's just how he is... Definitely!' she thought, some of her earlier rage returning, though not as intense.

"Ah, I see. Whatever... creep," she muttered, turning to head back to class.

'Hah...? Come on, YOU TOO!!? SOMEBODY, SNAP AT MEEEE!!!' Yuuto raged internally. 'I have a reputation to keep... Ah, never mind. I have more pressing matters.' He sighed as he followed behind her.

Miyuki's friends questioned why she didn't follow through with her plan. She quickly made up a story, saying Yuuto was too close to the classroom and she didn't want to get caught. But she promised she'd get her retribution eventually. Throughout the day, many things crossed her mind, yet one question kept returning: Who was Yuuto looking for in that second-year classroom?

Shun, despite shaking off some of his downtrodden feelings, still felt upset by Shiyon's words. Gon kept glancing in his and Riko's direction, something both of them—and other students—noticed.

Everything seemed normal for Sato and his club, as well as Sendo, Yuuno, and theirs. Well, except that Yuuno had forced Sendo to skip training due to his recent discharge from the hospital.

Chiyoko wanted to see Yuuto again but was too shy to approach him in front of the other third-years. Instead, she stayed in her classroom, studying diligently but with regret as the day passed. There were no club activities, as Sato had given everyone the day off due to the recent incidents, with permission from the student council.

Before long, the school emptied. Everyone had left their classrooms...

...Everyone except Shun and Gon. Shun stayed behind, determined to confront Gon about the way he'd been watching him and Riko all day. Gon, unaware of Shun's concerns, remained in the classroom. Riko had wanted to stay and face Gon together, but eventually left out of respect for Shun's request—so he could handle it on his own.

Yuuto lingered just outside the classroom, peeking in from the empty hallway.

'Hmm... I did wonder what that Gorilla's deal was with the cuck and his cuck-queen the whole day. Is he about to beat him up, or something?' Yuuto thought, leaning closer to observe from outside. 'What's the matter? Got a taste for evil and couldn't help but do some more...?'

"...Shun," Gon said softly, his eyes downcast as he finally spoke.

"Gon. I noticed you've been looking at us. What's going on? Did something happen, or—"

"Just shut up. Just shut the fuck up and listen, you limpdick!" Gon growled, cutting Shun off and leaving him momentarily stunned into silence.

"There's something I need to say. I'm only gonna say it once, so listen up! You got me, you fuckin' bitch!?" Gon growled, clenching his teeth, fists balled tightly at his sides.

Shun braced himself for a fight, but something felt off. He sensed distress radiating from the hulking student, which slightly eased the tension in his own shoulders.

'Ahh, so it's a confession...? Just not to me,' Yuuto mused as he pulled out his phone, shamelessly pressing record. 'I might need this.'

"I'm... For what I did to you and Riko... You know, back in Junior High... I... I'm... sorry," Gon muttered, looking down. Shun's eyes widened in surprise.

"W-wait a minute, Gon-san! You've already apologiz—" Shun raised his hands, trying to stop him.

"DUMBASS!!" Gon barked, cutting him off. "I only apologized back then 'cause Aniki told me to! I never gave a damn about you or your girlfriend, who's like 10,000,000,000,000% out of your league!! I didn't mean a single word of it!!!" he shouted.

"Uh... Ouch?" Shun replied with a nervous chuckle.

"But..." Gon added, his voice softening, "I get it now." He looked down, his tone more subdued.

"I get what it's like... to have someone you care about taken from you... and how powerless you feel. That's probably the kind of pain I caused you. So... sorry. For real this time," Gon said, recalling Seichiro's words about the girls at the mixer incident, about how it was best to let go.

"I know what it's like to want to be stronger. To protect the ones you care about but being too damn weak to do anything!" he nearly growled before his tone softened again. "That's all," he finished, his words hanging in the air as Yuuto watched the golden sunlight outline their silhouettes.

"Gon, I..." Shun began softly, but Gon quickly cut him off.

"DUMBFUCK, BITCH ASS!! DON'T GET ANY WEIRD IDEAS!!! I'M JUST DOING WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!! WE AIN'T FRIENDS!!! I AIN'T EVER GONNA BE FRIENDS WITH A BITCH LIKE YOU!!!" Gon shouted before storming out of the classroom.

'Haaah... a tsundere Gorilla,' Yuuto sighed, retreating to a nearby corner. He briefly imagined a Gorilla with makeup awkwardly saying, "It's not as if I care a-banana-bout you, banana-baka!"

After choking back his disgust, he thought, 'In the end, I didn't really do anything today...' glancing up at the ceiling.

"Can you send me the recording, Sakurai-chun~? I love wholesome moments like these," Shiyon's voice chimed in as he appeared beside Yuuto, smiling warmly.

'This bastard showed up out of nowhere, so I had to let him stay while I recorded,' Yuuto thought in resignation.

"...I can't have you twisting the narrative," Yuuto shot back.

"Awww!!! PLEAASE!!! It really does warm my heart~~~" Shiyon pouted dramatically.

'Well... there's nothing useful I can get out of this confession anyway.' Yuuto sighed, and after a moment's hesitation, exchanged numbers with Shiyon and sent him the footage. (Though Yuuto already knew his number.)

"Me too, please," Riko said casually.

"Yeah, just give me a minute, cuckold-maker." Yuuto replied flatly, "Also, why didn't you let your man handle this in a manly way on his own and leave him be? Didn't he ask you to get out of school before he confronted the Gorilla, or something?" Yuuto teased, holding back a chuckle as the idea of "manliness" and Shun didn't quite fit together in his mind.

"...Manly or not, I'll never leave him," Riko said firmly, yet with the ease of stating a simple fact.

Yuuto couldn't help but smile at her words.

"My!" Shiyon gasped dramatically, "Is that a smile, Sakurai-chun!?"

"Yes, I was thinking about blood coming from your nose and couldn't help but grin," Yuuto replied, his face quickly returning to its usual blankness.

Meanwhile, Miyuki, who had been secretly following Yuuto from behind a corner, decided to slip away unnoticed, her face reflecting a quiet sigh as she left the school.