The situation took an unexpected turn near the end of our lunch break the following day. After we'd finished eating and were idly waiting for afternoon classes to begin, a commotion suddenly arose.
"H-Hey! Dudes! Some first-years are headed this way!" shouted Miyamoto.
This exam revolved around first- and second-years partnering up. On the surface, that shouldn't have been a surprise. Yet the announcement sent murmurs through the classroom.
"Wow. They must be awfully bold to march all the way up to the third floor," said Hirata, sounding genuinely surprised.
I silently agreed. If we were the ones making the approach, we'd need to be cautious not to cause a scene. For the first-years, who had no established connections with their seniors, it must have felt like entering enemy territory. Perhaps that was why their sudden visit carried such impact.
Curious, Hirata went to check. I followed him into the hall, with Horikita and Sudou right behind us.
The first person to catch my attention was a boy with an imposing frame, walking confidently down the center of the hall. His presence was so commanding that the surrounding second-years instinctively stepped aside, pressed to the edges of the corridor. The opposite of what you'd expect when a newcomer appeared.
Trailing a short distance behind him was a girl. Horikita, sensing that they weren't here simply to search for partners, moved to intercept them. A male student blocked her path, with Sudou at her side.
When Horikita and Sudou came face-to-face with the newcomers, one of the first-years briefly locked eyes with me from across the hall before turning his attention back to Horikita.
I recalled the OAA data I'd reviewed yesterday. It seemed Horikita was about to have a fateful encounter with Class 1-D.
"Who's this chick?" the large boy asked bluntly.
"Please wait a moment… I've found it," the girl answered calmly after checking her phone.
"Class 2-D. Horikita Suzune. Academic ability, A-," the boy muttered.
The girl's polite tone contrasted sharply with his rough attitude, making them an odd pair. She then pulled up Sudou's information.
"Sudou Ken…" she read, before the boy let out a mocking snort.
"Hello, my name is Nanase, from Class 1-D. He's from the same class. This is—"
"Housen," the boy interrupted.
Their introductions were curt but clear. Housen Kazuomi and Nanase Tsubasa. Just as they said, both were Class 1-D students—the very same group we had tried, unsuccessfully, to meet yesterday.
Their sudden appearance was a double-edged sword for Horikita. On one hand, it was a fortunate chance to speak with them. On the other, this was hardly the place to negotiate, surrounded as we were by the prying eyes of other classes.
"For first-years, you've done something quite bold. I'll give you credit for that," said Horikita.
"Hah? Don't act like you're above us, woman," snapped Housen.
"She ain't actin' high and mighty, dumbass. Don't talk down to her!" Sudou barked, immediately stepping in.
Though they stood eye-to-eye in height, Housen's broader build made Sudou look smaller in comparison.
"Your score's an E+. Guess you're just as dumb as you look," Housen sneered.
"What was that?!" Sudou roared.
"Whatever. This works for me. Seems like this place is crawling with Class D rejects."
"What do you mean by that?" Horikita pressed.
"As I said—you're all leftovers. You can't even form pairs unless we choose you. So I figured I'd show a little mercy to you incompetent morons."
He was deliberately provoking her. Testing the waters.
"So you want us to team up with you. And you're making your proposal with a rather arrogant attitude," Horikita replied.
"Uh, yeah? You should be the ones beggin' us. Hell, I even dragged myself all the way here. C'mon, get on your knees and say, 'Please, please team up with us.'"
Horikita tightened her grip on Sudou's arm, restraining his growing anger.
"You're mistaken. Our positions are equal."
"Equal? Don't make me laugh. Only your idiot buddy there would spout crap like that," Housen shot back.
"You're Class D, just like us. There's no difference," Horikita insisted.
"You don't get it. We've got ways to screw you over if we feel like it. You really wanna risk that?"
"And what might those ways be?"
Horikita already knew the answer, but she deliberately forced him to say it out loud.
"Heh. We can tank the test on purpose."
Horikita bit her lip.
"Quit talkin' crap, you punk! You do that, and you'll get expelled!" Sudou exploded.
"Stop. Don't be so quick to lose your cool, Sudou-kun. That's your bad habit," Horikita warned sharply.
"But—!"
Sudou's frustration was understandable. Still, Housen wasn't lying.
"Sure, if we flunk the test on purpose, we're gone. But the penalty for not findin' a partner before the deadline? That's only on you second-years," said Housen.
The rules stated that students without a partner would be randomly assigned one, along with a five percent penalty on their final score. For second-years—facing possible expulsion—that penalty was far more dangerous.
"Is… is that really true?!" Sudou demanded, looking desperately to Horikita for confirmation.
She had no choice but to nod.
"And wouldn't you be setting yourselves back from the very start?" Horikita countered.
"Compared to you guys? Not really. Ain't that right?" Housen turned to Nanase.
"Yes. In our case, we'd lose Private Point deposits for three months, at most two hundred forty thousand points. It's not insignificant, but hardly fatal," Nanase explained calmly.
"Get it now, Horikita-senpai?" Housen grinned smugly, looking down at her as though she were beneath him.
Sudou's temper flared again. He stepped in front of Horikita, glaring at Housen with open hostility.
"You wanna go?" Housen asked without hesitation.
"Don't get cocky, punk!" Sudou snapped.
"Don't lose your head, Sudou-kun. You know the school's rules," Horikita reminded him.
The hallways were under constant surveillance. Any violent incident would be immediately caught on camera.
"I know…" Sudou muttered reluctantly, backing down under Horikita's sharp gaze.
But Housen suddenly shoved his massive hand into Sudou's chest, sending him stumbling backward.
"Wha—?!"
Sudou crashed to the floor with a loud thud, barely catching himself with his hands.
"Ha! Only thing big about you is your height, loser. One little tap and you're down?" Housen mocked.
Even the second-years spectating looked uneasy. Violence was reckless here, and everyone knew it. Hadn't the first-years been warned? Or… was this calculated?
"Bastard…!" Sudou growled, preparing to strike back.
But before he could, another voice cut in.
"Hey! The hell do you think you're doing?!"
It was Ishizaki from Class 2-C. Hot-headed and rough around the edges, but not without compassion. He must've run out of patience after watching Sudou get humiliated.
"Man, these losers just keep poppin' up outta nowhere, one after another. Like cockroaches," said Housen with a smirk, as if he found the situation amusing
The girl who had earlier introduced herself as Nanase finally stepped in, her voice calm but firm.
"Housen-kun, I thought we came here to have a discussion. If your only goal was to get violent, then I'll be leaving."
"Violent? All I did was give the guy a little tap. Like I was petting a cat or somethin'. My bad, Sudou," Housen replied, his tone dripping with mockery. He deliberately omitted any honorific, as though spitting on Sudou's dignity.
"Hey, you're going way too far! Knock it off already!" Ishizaki shouted, unable to restrain himself any longer. He reached out, trying to grab Housen by the collar.
But the moment Ishizaki's hand shot forward, Housen smirked.
"Better think twice, Ishizaki… unless you wanna die."
The voice that issued the warning didn't belong to Housen. Ishizaki froze, inches away from his target. The one who had spoken was none other than Rokusen Rokusen himself—Ryūen. He had been watching from nearby the whole time.
"W-Why'd you stop me?!" Ishizaki demanded, bewildered that Ryūen of all people was the one holding him back.
Even Ibuki, standing close by, frowned in confusion. "What the hell are you doing? Stopping him, I mean."
Ryūen was the last person you'd expect to avoid trouble. Normally, he welcomed it with open arms. Cameras or no cameras, consequences be damned—if he wanted a fight, he made it happen. Which was why his sudden restraint came as such a shock.
"Stand down," Ryūen ordered coolly, forcing Ishizaki back. Then, without hesitation, he walked straight toward Housen.
Housen looked him over and scoffed. "So what, you're supposed to be my opponent now? Please. You look weaker than that meathead Sudou over there."
It wasn't hard to see why Housen dismissed Ryuen as weak. On the surface, Ryuen lacked the intimidating size or brute force that Housen flaunted.
"I know you pretty well, yeah," Ryuen replied with a smirk. "I remember hearing that this 'Housen' guy was kind of a celebrity back in my hometown. Didn't expect him to turn out to be such a brain muscle idiot, though."
Housen had mocked Sudou over and over, calling him stupid without hesitation. Now, Ryuen casually threw the same insult back at him. It was exactly the sort of provocation one would expect from Ryuen. Normally, he was an enemy to every class except his own, but right now, it was almost refreshing to see him standing against Housen. The tense shift in atmosphere even helped Sudou rein in his temper.
"Y-you know this guy, Ryuen-san?" Ishizaki asked, sounding both surprised and uneasy.
"Wait… Ryuen, you say?"
The moment Housen heard Ryuen's name, his expression shifted. A wide grin spread across his face, almost like he had stumbled upon something entertaining.
"Well, ain't this a treat? Gotta be fate. I've heard your name get tossed around so damn much it's been pissin' me off, Ryuen," Housen said, his voice thick with amusement.
"Wow, so you've actually got the brain cells to remember someone's name?" Ryuen shot back without missing a beat.
From the way they spoke, it was clear the two had known of each other for some time. Housen, a first-year from Class 1-D, came from a place close to Ryuen's old stomping grounds.
Meanwhile, the bond between Ryuen and his classmates—particularly Ishizaki and Ibuki—made it clear he had fully reclaimed his position as leader. He might have stepped down temporarily, but now he was undeniably back in control.
"Still, gotta say… for the so-called 'fabled Ryuen,' you look scrawny. Pitiful, even. Damn, what a disappointment," Housen jeered.
"And you look exactly like what I expected—a musclebound freak," Ryuen sneered in return.
Housen chuckled darkly. "Y'know, I stopped by your old hangouts a few times, hopin' to beat the ever-lovin' crap outta you. Funny thing though—I never ran into you. Guess that means you were scared, hidin' away like a coward, huh? Or What—"
Ryuuen walk away leaving behind an atmosphere that suggested the fight was inevitable—just not today.
"You've been runnin' away and makin' your little soldiers do all the work? Is that it?" Hōsen said, his tone dripping with provocation.
"Kukuku... I'd say it's more like lady luck saved your ass, Hōsen. If you had met me back then, you sure as hell wouldn't be actin' like such a bigshot right now. Guess you lucked out, since you can still say you haven't lost to me yet," replied Ryūen, his sharp eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Actually, I think you just ran with your tail between your legs. If you're tryin' to tell me that's not how it is, then how about we settle this, right here and now?"
Hōsen clenched his massive fist, his confidence radiating like a beast ready to strike. If he knew who Ryūen was during junior high, then the impression he had of him couldn't be too far from ours. Perhaps he hadn't yet realized that Ryūen wasn't someone you wanted as an enemy.
"Yeah, hard pass. I ain't plannin' on fightin' a gorilla like you when there's nothin' in it for me," said Ryūen, shrugging casually.
Hōsen's offer had been clear—he was itching for a fight. Even Ishizaki and Ibuki were convinced that Ryūen would jump at the chance, even if it meant moving elsewhere to avoid drawing attention. But Ryūen turned him down without hesitation.
"Wait, is this dude all that dangerous? I mean, sure, he's bigger than Sudō and all, but…" Ishizaki muttered nervously.
Rumors about Ryūen had spread even before he set foot in this school. Tales of him fighting off Hyakunin no bōsōzoku—an entire gang of a hundred delinquents—single-handedly, had given him an almost mythical reputation. Whether the story was true or exaggerated, no one could say for certain. But the very existence of such a rumor was enough to paint him as someone extraordinary.
"Who can say?" Ryūen smirked, offering no clear answer. His expression made it impossible to tell if he was denying it or simply enjoying the mystery. He then gave a small gesture to his subordinates. "Let's go."
"Are you really okay with lettin' a first-year disrespect you like this?" asked Ibuki, her voice laced with doubt.
She knew Ryūen's nature well. He never backed down from a challenge, no matter who the opponent was. That was exactly why she couldn't help but question his choice to walk away now.
"Heh. We can settle things whenever. What's the rush?" Ryūen answered calmly, as though the outcome had already been decided in his favor.
"Is that chick one of your little soldiers too?" he asked, having watched them bicker earlier.
"Yeah, somethin' like that," said Ryūen.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Don't go and act like you're the boss of me," snapped Ibuki.
"So you even stoop to using chicks as soldiers, huh, Ryūen?" asked Hōsen.
"Could say the same to you, buddy. You're the one who brought that cute little thing over there, right?" said Ryūen.
Just like how Ryūen was accompanied by Ibuki, Hōsen had Nanase standing beside him.
"She ain't mine. Well, whatever, I couldn't care less about that. Let's have some fun, Ryūen," said Hōsen.
"Already told ya. Hard pass."
No matter how many times Hōsen tried to provoke him, Ryūen wouldn't budge. As if to signal his disinterest, Ryūen turned his back, showing he had no intention of fighting.
_
"Huh, that so? In that case…"
_
Hōsen's grin widened. The next moment, his figure blurred—one instant he was standing two or three meters away, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished. A sharp gust of air swept the space he left behind.
Before Ibuki could even register it, he was in front of her. His massive arm shot out like a steel trap, clamping around her neck in a brutal grip.
"Ngh?!"
Her body was wrenched upward, feet kicking against empty air as he effortlessly lifted her. Ibuki clawed at his hand, tried to free herself from his grip, as if a distress signal were being transmitted from her brain to the rest of her body in that instant.
However, Hōsen's hold didn't yield an inch—his arm felt less like flesh and bone, and more like solid iron.
His audacious grin didn't waver. "Let's see how long you can thrash around, little girl."