Gray woke up the next morning feeling heavier than usual. Not from lack of sleep — though he'd tossed and turned thinking about Mina's words — but from the weird pressure that seemed to hang in the air lately.
Everywhere he went, whispers trailed behind him.
"That's him…""The boss of Ridgeview…""They say he could beat up five guys at once without even breathing hard…"
Gray's face twitched. Five guys? Without breathing? What am I, some kung-fu master on caffeine pills?
By the time he shuffled into class, his shoulders were already hunched like a hunted animal.
Riku, of course, was waiting at his desk, cheerful as ever. "Boss! Your aura is even more terrifying today."
Gray dropped his bag onto Riku's desk. "My aura is stress. Pure stress."
The First Challenge
At lunch, things escalated.
A crowd had formed at the far end of the courtyard, students circling like sharks. Gray thought he could sneak past them — until the crowd parted, and a tall boy from another school stepped forward.
He wore a black jacket with Eastside High stitched on the sleeve. His hair was buzzed close, his build sharp and wiry. His name, whispered in the crowd, carried weight: Rei "Knuckle" Sato, one of Crusher's lieutenants.
"Gray of Ridgeview," Rei called out, his voice booming. "Word of your victories has reached Eastside. My boss wants to know if you're worth the talk."
Gray blinked. "…Worth the talk? Buddy, I'm barely worth cafeteria food."
Rei cracked his knuckles — hence his nickname. "Then prove it. Right here. Right now."
The crowd roared, hungry for blood.
Gray's Resistance
Gray waved his hands wildly. "Hold up! Hold up! Can't we… I don't know… play rock-paper-scissors instead? Or maybe settle this with an arm wrestle? Or karaoke? I do a mean off-key 'Living on a Prayer.'"
The students laughed, but Rei didn't budge. "No games. You fight. Or your reputation dies here."
Gray groaned, turning to Riku. "Why do these things always happen to me? I just want a quiet lunch!"
Riku's grin was unhelpfully wide. "Because destiny has chosen you, Boss. Don't worry, I'll tell your story when you're gone."
"Thanks. That's so comforting."
The Accidental Fight
Rei lunged forward, throwing a lightning-fast punch.
Gray panicked. "Waitwaitwaitwaitwait—!"
He ducked instinctively, stumbling backward. Rei's fist whooshed past his ear and smashed into a metal railing. The clang rang out like a gunshot.
Students gasped.
Gray tripped over a bench and grabbed the nearest object to steady himself — a broom propped against the wall. He swung it wildly just to stay balanced.
Thunk!
The wooden handle smacked into Rei's shin. The older boy yelped, his balance thrown. In his stagger, he stepped on the spilled contents of someone's lunch tray. His foot skidded, and before he could recover—
BAM!
He fell flat on his back. The courtyard erupted into stunned silence.
Gray froze, still holding the broom. "…Uh. Did I win?"
The Crowd's Roar
"Gray's unstoppable!""He took down an Eastside lieutenant with a broom! Who does that?!""He's a monster! A legend!"
The noise rose like a tidal wave. Gray's heart sank deeper with every cheer.
Rei groaned on the ground, clutching his shin, but couldn't stand back up. His pride was already shattered — being defeated not with fists, but by pure clumsiness.
Riku threw an arm around Gray's shoulders. "Boss, you just sent a message to Eastside: Ridgeview doesn't bow to anyone."
Gray buried his face in his hands. "I didn't send a message! I sent a broom to his shin!"
The Ripples
By evening, the story had already spread across multiple schools.
At Eastside High, Crusher listened to the retelling with a dark scowl. His reputation couldn't allow this.
"So," he muttered, "a Ridgeview weakling just humiliated one of my men." He slammed his fist on the table. "If this Gray wants war, we'll bring it to his doorstep."
Meanwhile, at Ridgeview, Mina cornered Gray again after school.
"You fought someone from Eastside, didn't you?" she asked sharply.
Gray threw his arms up. "It wasn't a fight! It was a broom accident! A broom!"
Mina's eyes softened, but only slightly. "Accident or not, people won't see it that way. You're drawing in enemies who won't stop at mistakes."
For once, Gray had no comeback.
The Family Dinner
At home that night, Liam bounced excitedly. "Big bro! I heard you beat up an Eastside gangster with a broom! Can you teach me?!"
Gray slammed his forehead against the table. "I didn't beat him up! I just… weaponized bad balance!"
His father coughed into his rice bowl. "Weaponized balance, huh. At this rate, son, you're going to end up leading half the district."
His mother shook her head, smiling faintly. "As long as you're careful, Gray. But please—don't bring gang wars into my kitchen."
Gray groaned. "I didn't ask for this life. I just wanted curry and naps."
Chapter End: The Spark
The next day, whispers doubled. Rumors spread of Ridgeview's new "broom-wielding boss" who toppled Eastside's rising star without breaking a sweat.
And while Gray slumped at his desk, begging silently for the world to forget him, Kai Kurogane sat nearby, watching with sharp eyes.
Kai smirked faintly to himself. "So this is the guy shaking the district, huh? Interesting…"
The spark had been lit.And soon, it would spread like wildfire.