By the time Monday rolled around, Ridgeview High felt… different.
Students whispered in the hallways, eyes darting toward Gray as though he carried some kind of aura. Some looked at him with admiration, others with annoyance, and a few with open hostility. But one thing was certain: nobody was ignoring him anymore.
Gray trudged into school half-asleep, yawning wide. "Ughhh… why's everyone staring at me? Did I grow a horn overnight?"
Beside him, Riku's absence was painfully noticeable. His desk sat empty, chair tucked neatly in. Nobody knew where he had gone, and though Gray shrugged it off, part of him felt uneasy.
Mina, meanwhile, leaned against her locker as Gray passed by, watching him carefully. She wasn't sure why she cared so much, but every time she saw him stumble his way through another confrontation, her curiosity grew.
What are you hiding, Gray? she thought, brushing her hair behind her ear. Are you really as clueless as you act… or is there something else?
The First "Meeting"
At lunch, Gray expected to flop down at his usual table with RIku, his chubby and cheerful partner-in-trouble.
But instead of finding an empty seat… he found a crowd.
Ten boys and girls from different grades had already filled the area, looking directly at him. Some had bruised faces, some had cocky smirks, and others looked shy but determined.
Gray froze mid-step. "…Uh. Did I walk into the wrong cafeteria dimension?"
One of the older students stood up and bowed stiffly. "Gray. We want to join you."
The cafeteria fell silent. Even Riku dropped his fried chicken mid-bite.
Gray blinked. "…Join me in what? Math club? If you think I'm passing Algebra, you're sorely mistaken."
The group looked dead serious. "Your gang."
"My—what—HOLD ON." Gray almost choked on his own words. "I don't HAVE a gang!"
Riku leaned over, whispering through his grin. "You kinda do, Gray. Remember last week? After you knocked Razor flat? People saw you as their savior, man."
Gray's eyes went wide. "No, no, no. That was a FLUKE. A beautiful, accidental, very painful fluke!"
But it was too late. The students had already taken his silence as acceptance. They cheered, thumping their fists against the table.
Riku's Hidden Talent
Despite his chubby frame and goofy grin, Riku had a strange gift: he was good with people.
"Alright, alright, calm down!" Riku said, surprisingly commanding. "If you wanna be with us, you gotta follow a few rules. No hurting innocents, no starting fights for fun, and no betraying each other. Got it?"
The crowd nodded, murmuring agreement.
Gray pulled Riku aside, panicking. "Dude! Why are you encouraging this?? We're just two idiots trying to survive high school!"
Riku patted his shoulder with greasy fingers. "Yeah, but think about it… with numbers, we won't have to fight alone anymore. You might've been the spark, Gray, but this thing's already bigger than you. If we don't shape it, someone else will."
Gray groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Why does my life feel like one long prank from the universe…"
Mina Watching from Afar
At another table, Mina sat with her friends, pretending to pick at her food while her eyes lingered on the scene.
"He's… building something," one of her friends whispered. "That idiot Gray. Who would've thought?"
Mina bit her lip. She didn't understand it either. He was lazy, cowardly, always joking at the worst times. Yet… people followed him. Not because he was strong, but because he had this strange pull.
He doesn't even realize what he's doing… but maybe that's why it's working.
The "Gang" Grows
By the end of the week, the number had doubled. Then tripled. Students from different classes, grades, even kids from sports clubs began gathering around Gray.
Gray tried hiding in the library, only to find people waiting for him there. He tried skipping school, but Riku dragged him back, saying, "Your gang's looking for you, boss!"
"Don't call me boss!" Gray groaned.
But everywhere he turned, there they were — bruised kids tired of being bullied, quiet ones looking for protection, and even some thrill-seekers who just wanted to be part of something.
Before he knew it, Gray wasn't just some lazy nobody anymore. He was at the center of Ridgeview's fastest-growing gang.
Gray's Panic vs. Riku's Vision
That night, Gray collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"This is insane. I don't even know how to throw a proper punch. How am I supposed to lead… seventy people??"
Riku, sitting on the floor with chips in hand, grinned. "Don't worry. You don't have to be the strongest. You just gotta be the guy who keeps everyone together. That's what people already see in you, Gray. You're… real. Not some scary monster like Crusher, not some manipulative creep like the Whisperer. Just Gray."
Gray groaned. "Great pep talk, Riku. Still feel like dying though."
Meanwhile at Eastside…
Across town, whispers of Ridgeview's sudden rise reached Eastside's ears.
Crusher laughed when he heard it. "So Ridgeview's found themselves a clown king. Let's see how long he lasts when we put real pressure on him."
The Whisperer, in his usual calm voice, simply said: "Then it's time for our first test."
End of Chapter 16: Calm Before the Storm
Gray thought his biggest problem was avoiding homework and getting enough sleep.But behind the scenes, his new "gang" had already become Ridgeview's shield — and Eastside was sharpening their knives.
The storm was almost here.