The Cafeteria Brawl[1]

As they ate, Shiinchiro filled the silence with stories of his misadventures on his first day at Naruse West High. Ren found himself reluctantly entertained, appreciating the distraction.

"Oh, so you're from out of town? That's why I haven't seen you around. It's not often someone moves to a town like this. "

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a weirdo."

"No, no, that's not it! I wasn't talking about you."

"This town was really unsafe until a few years back from constant fights and turf wars between various teams and gangs."

"Normal people don't even come anywhere near here."

"So, why'd you come here anyway?" Shiinchiro asked between bites. "Most of the students here come from the middle school down the block."

Ren hesitated for a moment, contemplating how much to reveal to a stranger. "Family reasons," he said vaguely, not ready to dive into the complexities of his quest for answers about his brother.

"Ah, gotcha," Shiinchiro said, sensing the reluctance and not pressing further.

"Well, if you need any help around here, just let me know. I might not be the most reliable guy, but I know this town pretty well. I've been here my whole life."

"Thanks," Ren said, genuinely appreciating the offer.

Ren spent the next few minutes pondering whether to say what he had in mind. "So you've been here your whole life, you say?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Nothing much. I was just curious about who the Sakuratei are. I've been hearing a lot about them since I came to town yesterday."

Shiinchiro's eyes lit up with flames. "They are like the coolest guys in town. They wear these cool uniforms and help keep the town safe."

"Oh, they sound like some cheesy heroes from a shonen manga."

"No, they are not." Shiinchiro's demeanor changed, his smile gone. "Members of Sakuratei help to protect the locals. They defend the weak and crush the wicked."

"They really are heroes of justice. Everyone comes to admire our upperclassmen and they all want to help protect the town as well. They're all super cool and of course, I'm going to be one of them, so don't you ever say that about them!"

"Hey, chill man. It's not something to get so worked up on..."

"Sorry for that, I get really passionate about them."

"Yeah, can clearly see that."

"Well, they are having their annual ceremony tomorrow for those looking to join. You should come too, you look like you could throw a punch or two."

"Nah… I'm not one who's good working with people. I prefer working alone," Ren turned Shiinchiro's offer down.

Silence fell, and it took Ren some time before he spoke up again.

"Also, what do you know about their leader, Fujimoto Hasegawa?"

"You mean… THE TEMPEST!!! I know all about him."

Shiinchiro's eyes became stars in excitement.

"Although he's just a year older than us, he's already the Captain. He's so cool." Shiinchiro drooled.

"What's that you got there?"

Ren beckoned as he saw Shiinchiro search through his bag.

"Just the coolest book ever."

He brought out a journal with the title:

[Shiin's Encyclopedia of The Coolest Guys.]

"It's got everything I could get on the strongest delinquents in Yugen City here."

Tempest… Kuro… Shadow… The Worst…

"What are you, some creep?!" Ren was bewildered by the amount of info he had in there about the various famous delinquents.

The book was filled with detailed profiles, including height, weight, hair color, favorite type of girl, and even preferences for boobs or ass. It was a bizarre mix of admiration and borderline obsession.

"So how does a nobody with no ties whatsoever to this town know about the Tempest?"

Ren packed up his bento and stood up, but before he could leave, he made his intention known. "I plan on being number one here," he added, his voice steady and determined. "To do that, I'm going to have to beat Hasegawa."

A hush fell over the cafeteria, and Shiinchiro choked on his food, spitting it out in shock. "You plan on what!?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Don't let anyone hear you say that."

Before Ren could respond, a huge bang echoed behind their table. The sound of food spilling and students shouting filled the air, as if someone was running on the tables.

Ren's instincts kicked in. He leapt out of his seat just as a punch came crashing down, splintering the wooden chair he had been sitting in. He turned to see a tall, hulking figure standing there, fist still embedded in the broken remains of the chair.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the attacker snarled, pulling his fist free and glaring at Ren.

Ren straightened, his heart pounding but his resolve unwavering. "I don't back down from anyone," he replied, his voice calm and controlled. The cafeteria was now a sea of murmurs and whispers. Students watched with bated breath curious to see how the confrontation would unfold.

Shiinchiro scrambled to his feet, trying to defuse the situation. "Hey, let's not do this here. You'll get us all in trouble."

The attacker ignored Shiinchiro, his focus solely on Ren. "You're a fool if you think you can take on Hasegawa. He'll crush you."

"We'll see about that," Ren said, meeting the attacker's gaze with unwavering determination.

"Ren… you can't fight with him. There is no doubt about it, he's the most dangerous guy in our grade, no, our whole school! That's Ishida Yuto; the Mad Dog," Shiinchiro acknowledged, his tone a mix of concern and admiration.

"Oh, a mad dog?" Ren said, a devilish grin spreading across his face. "I like mad dogs, you know?!" He quickly got into a battle pose, ready for whatever came next.

Yuto took one step forward and then, boom, he was gone. Ren lost sight of him for a second and he reappeared just before him.

The mad dog smirked, seemingly pleased by Ren's surprised reaction. "You're going to regret this," he growled, his muscles tensing as he threw a punch right at Ren.