Seijirou stubbed out the cigarette, set the bento aside, and stretched out on the couch.
The room immediately came alive with noise.
"Man, you all should've seen Class 1-C this morning," Sakai said, licking salt off his fingers. "This popular dude tried to talk back to me when I told him to move. Kid looked like he was about to piss himself when he saw boss walking behind me."
Renji laughed, leaning against the pool table. "Serves him right. Everyone knows this hallway's ours already. Doesn't matter if you're popular or a nerd, you need to learn your place!"
Shou groaned from his seat, rubbing his eyes. "Can you all lower your voice? It hurts my head. I'm way too tired for this."
"You're always tired," Suzune shot back, grinning. "What were you doing last night, huh? Pulling another all-nighter watching weird videos?"
Shou glared at her without heat. "Homework. Unlike some people, I actually try to keep my grades from tanking."
Renji snorted. "Yeah, right. Except boss, you get the highest scores out of all of us even when you don't study."
Seijirou stayed quiet, just watching them, a faint smirk on his lips.
They were rowdy, but there was no malice in it. Which was surprising. Looking at them like this, they seem to be far from that group who made it their lifelong mission to completely ruin the heroines.
Sakai was happily munching his chips, crumbs falling on the couch.
Suzune slapped his hand and scolded him to not make a mess, only to get a mischievous grin in return.
Renji grabbed a cue stick and idly chalked it, even though no one was playing.
"So, boss," he said, shooting Seijirou a look. "Any girls catch your eye lately? You've been too quiet. Starting to worry you're going soft."
Suzune immediately perked up, a teasing smile on her face. "Ooh, yeah. I heard Class 2-A's got some new cutie transfers this year. Maybe we should 'welcome' them properly."
Sakai laughed so hard he choked on his chips. "Yeah, boss, you always had the best taste. Who's next on the list?"
Seijirou narrowed his eyes slightly, the smirk never leaving his face.
This was exactly what the old Seijirou would do. Pick a girl, go after her until she broke.
But instead of answering, he let out a low chuckle. "You guys really got nothing better to talk about?"
That earned a round of groans.
"Come on, boss," Renji said, grinning. "Don't tell me you've gone celibate on us. That's just sad."
Suzune poked him in the arm with her chopsticks. "Ignore them. If you want to take it slow, take it slow."
"'Take it slow,'" Sakai repeated with a smirk. "That's a first coming from you, Suzune."
Her smile turned dangerous. "You got something to say, porky?"
Sakai immediately raised his hands. "N-Nope. Nothing at all."
Shou, who had been lying down with his arm over his eyes, muttered, "…If you're gonna start flirting, can you do it somewhere else? Some of us are trying to nap."
Suzune threw a cushion at him. He didn't even flinch, just let it hit his face and slide off.
Seijirou found himself chuckling for real this time.
This felt… normal.
This was the part of the game you barely saw — the slice-of-life moments between the dark events, the downtime where they were just teenagers hanging out.
It was strange, but it also made him feel like he actually belonged here.
Maybe, he thought, he could get used to this.
Renji tossed the pool cue on the table with a loud clack.
"Hey, I got an idea," he said, grinning like a wolf. "You guys know that other hangout spot behind the gym? The one with the busted lockers and the broken vending machine?"
Sakai perked up, still chewing chips. "Yeah? What about it?"
Renji leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "I went by there yesterday. Guess who I saw? Those punks from Yurei Highschool. Acting like they own the place."
That got everyone's attention. Even Shou moved his arm away from his eyes and sat up a little.
Suzune raised an eyebrow. "Yurei High? The delinquents who got into that fight with the baseball club few weeks ago?"
"Exactly." Renji's grin widened. "Bunch of nobodies thinking they can take our turf. I say we go there, kick them out, and claim the spot for ourselves."
Sakai's face lit up. "Hell yeah. Haven't had a good fight all week."
Suzune, on the other hand, sighed and leaned back against the couch. "You guys are idiots. We literally just had midterms. Do you want detention on top of everything?"
Renji waved her concern away. "Relax. We skip one class, no one's gonna notice. Besides, with the boss with us, no teacher's gonna try and stop it."
All eyes turned to Seijirou.
He stayed quiet for a moment, watching them argue.
"Skipping class, huh?" Shou said, his voice lazy but his expression alert now. "Sounds like a pain. I was planning to nap through next period."
"You can nap there after we take it over," Sakai said, smirking.
Suzune groaned and looked at Seijirou. "Seriously, don't encourage them. We can just hang out here and chill."
Renji grinned and jabbed his thumb toward the door. "Come on, boss. We go in, scare them off, and it's done. No one will mess with us again."
Seijirou leaned back in the couch, arms crossed, letting them go back and forth.
In the game, that hangout spot behind the gym was already occupied by Seijirou and them and became one of their strongholds.
The protagonist, Taro, was once threatened to go there and was forced to witness as her childhood friend was raped by Seijirou and his goons.
Early in the game, if you managed to prevent Seijirou from occupying the spot, the Yurei Highschool would be the one to capture and rape the heroine.
That situation is pretty much dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.
But, he was Seijirou now. Occupying that spot means Yurei won't be able to harm any heroines.
"Fine," he said at last, standing up.
The room went quiet for a beat, then Sakai let out a whoop and Renji grinned so wide it looked like his face might split.
"Thought you'd never say it," Renji said, grabbing a bat from the corner.
Shou sighed but stood up as well, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Guess I don't get my nap today."
Suzune pinched the bridge of her nose but smiled despite herself. "You guys are unbelievable."
"You coming or not?" Seijirou asked, glancing at her.
She gave him a long look, then smirked. "Of course I am. Someone has to make sure you idiots don't end up in jail."
Sakai laughed. "That's the spirit."
Seijirou grabbed a bat of his own and rested it on his shoulder.
As they left the room together, he couldn't help but feel something stir in his chest.
Nervousness, perhaps? Or excitement?
*
*
*
The five of them went to the back of the school, where it is easier to jump over the wall and leave.
Renji was grinning like a maniac, bat slung over his shoulder.
Sakai was stretching his neck, cracking his knuckles like he was warming up for a match.
Shou yawned but followed along, his hands still deep in his pockets.
Suzune crossed her arms, pretending she was annoyed, but her smile betrayed her excitement.
Right when they are about to leave, a voice cut through the air.
"Going somewhere?"
The five froze.
They turned, and there she was.
Kobayashi Rindou stood like a wall in their way, back straight, her sharp blue eyes scanning them like a hawk. Her long black hair swayed in the breeze, the armband signifying her identity as the Student Council President gleamed under the sunlight.
In her hand, she holds a wooden shinai.
Seijirou clicked his tongue under his breath.
Of all people.
Rindou was one of the heroines who could never be ignored in the game. If you use her properly, you can make her interfere with every one of Seijirou's schemes, shutting down events, catching him in the act, and even getting him expelled in some endings.
"Oi, Prez," Renji said, scratching the back of his head, looking a little uneasy. "We were just, uh, taking a walk."
"Taking a walk over the school wall?" Rindou said, her tone sharp, cutting through his excuse. "Lunch break is about to end. I shouldn't have to remind you that ditching class is against school rules."
Sakai clicked his tongue. "Tch, who cares about rules. We're just going out for some air."
Rindou's gaze hardened. "If you want air, open a window. If you step one foot outside this campus during class hours, you'll be punished."
Shou sighed. "Man, this is annoying. Can we just go?"
"Try it," Rindou said flatly.
Her presence was like a drawn blade, quiet but deadly.
Suzune raised an eyebrow. "Prez, seriously? You're going to fight five guys over skipping class?"
"If that's what it takes," Rindou said, stepping closer. Her tone never changed, calm and cold as steel.
The lackeys shifted uncomfortably. Even Renji, who was itching for a fight, didn't seem too eager to throw hands with the Student Council President.
Seijirou let out a long, tired sigh.
In the game, Rindou's combat stats were off the charts. She was the tutorial for "don't pick fights you can't win."
In the game, she was able to take down several adult gangsters on her own.
And in one route, with the help of Himejima Haruka, whose combat power was also off the charts, they are able to temporarily hold their own against Seijirou for a few minutes.
Unfortunately, they were ultimately defeated and many routes and were reduced to mere playthings.
Seijirou stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked her straight in the eye. "Prez, we're just going to handle some punks from Yurei High. That's all."
"Violence doesn't solve anything," Rindou replied immediately, her tone sharp.
Seijirou chuckled lowly. "You say that, but you're ready to fight us if we don't listen to you. You sure you're not just looking for an excuse to swing that shinai of yours?"
Her eyes narrowed at that.
Renji snorted at the jab, Sakai grinned, and even Suzune chuckled softly.
"This isn't a joke, Kageyama," Rindou said, using his full name, her voice carrying authority. "Go back to class."
Seijirou tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening. "Or what?"
There was a tense silence.
The lackeys glanced at each other. They had seen their boss fight plenty of times, but this was the Prez.
The untouchable Rindou.
Even Suzune looked a little concerned now.
Rindou slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a shinai. She didn't raise it, just held it casually, her stance perfect, her blue eyes locked on him.
"I will drag you back myself," she said.
Seijirou exhaled through his nose, his heart oddly calm.
In the game, he would have laughed, mocked her, fought her, and probably already turned her into a plaything.
But now…
He gave her a look, serious this time.
"…Try it," he said finally, voice calm but carrying weight.
The air turned heavy.
Rindou's grip on her shinai tightened as she stepped forward, her gaze sharpening like a drawn blade. "Then you leave me no choice."
The lackeys stepped back instinctively, giving space.
Suzune whistled low. "This might get ugly."
Seijirou rolled his shoulders, loosening them up. His blood started to hum.
He wanted to see if he can fight as well as the original Seijirou do. After all, if he couldn't move as he wanted and he decided to pick a fight with the Yurei High, it could be dangerous.
"Fine, Prez," he said, stepping forward, his hands in his pockets until the last second. "Show me if you can really back up that attitude."
Rindou moved first, swift as lightning. Her shinai cut through the air with a sharp whistle, aiming straight for his head.
Seijirou sidestepped smoothly, the strike grazing the air where his face had been a split second ago.
He caught her wrist with precision, twisted, and forced her back with a sharp push.
"You're fast," he said casually. "But you're too linear."
Rindou gritted her teeth and adjusted her stance, shifting to a lower guard. This time she came at him with a flurry of strikes, each one faster and sharper, aimed at his arms, his torso, his legs.
Seijirou weaved through them with almost lazy efficiency, his footwork sharp, his movements minimal but perfect.
He used the fundamentals of Kyokushin Karate to deflect her thrusts with his shins and elbows, blending it with the soft redirection of Aikido to guide her strikes away from their target.
The lackeys were frozen, watching their boss move like a seasoned fighter.
Renji muttered, "…Boss is on another level today."
Sakai grinned. "This is insane. Prez can't land a hit!"
Shou just watched quietly, though there was a rare spark of interest in his usually dead eyes.
Rindou's breathing grew heavier as Seijirou closed in, his strikes quick and precise.
He snapped a low kick to her shin, forcing her balance to falter, then used Kali Escrima footwork to step inside her range.
With a sharp twist of his wrist, he grabbed the shinai and wrenched it from her grasp before snapping it across his knee.
The sound of breaking bamboo echoed like a gunshot.
Rindou's eyes widened.
"Looks like you're out of toys," Seijirou said, his tone cold.
He didn't stop.
He swept her legs, catching her as she fell, and locked her in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu armbar before she could recover.
His weight pinned her down, his grip iron-tight, his face inches from hers.
"You think you can lecture me?" he said, his voice low, almost a growl. "You think waving a stick and shouting rules makes you strong? Wake up, Prez. The world doesn't care about your rules."
Rindou struggled, but she couldn't break free. Seijirou had the angle perfect, her arm trapped, her movements useless.
The lackeys stood frozen, a mix of awe and unease in their faces.
Suzune's smirk widened. "…Damn, Seiji."
Renji let out a nervous laugh. "Prez is done for…"
Sakai muttered, "Never seen anyone manhandle her like that."
Seijirou held her down a moment longer, making sure she felt the complete lack of control, the difference in strength between them.
Then, slowly, he let go and stood, brushing dust off his pants.
Rindou sat up, her breathing ragged, her pride clearly wounded, her cold blue eyes blazing with fury.
Seijirou looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "Next time you try to stop me, bring something sharper than a stick."
He turned his back to her and motioned to his crew. "We're going."
They followed without question, the wall forgotten for now, the adrenaline still buzzing in their veins.
Behind them, Rindou slowly stood, her fists trembling.
Seijirou didn't care about that. His mind was occupied with something.
He would normally wouldn't be this violent. In his past life, he hasn't even gotten into fights.
With his previous personality, he would've just agreed with her and return to class, so why didn't he?
He felt an unbearable amount of humiliation and hatred at being ordered around, and he just acted on instincts.
It was as if the original Seijirou took over for a moment, to show that woman that no one can order him around.
He sighed, staring at the sky.
Was his personality also being affected by the original Seijirou?