In the back corner of the classroom sat a boy ,Who looked different from everyone else. Green eyes, a chubby oval face, bright red hair—and a stomach that bulged like a balloon.
The evening bell rang out. Ting! Ting! Ting!
Renjiro, who was utterly exhausted and resting his head on the desk. His eyes suddenly opened up —like he'd just woken up from a nightmare about a ghost. He looked around everywhere. The students of class were already out of their seats, making a beeline for the door. Renjiro Lifting his heavy legs, he grabbed his bag with his left hand, threw it over his shoulder, and dragged himself toward the exit at a slow pace. Right as he reached the doorway and was about to step out...
He hold. Two girls were walking down the hall right at him. Then Renjiro decide to Keeping his head bend , Renjiro tried to squeeze past them quietly.
Those girls screamed rich family money, and they looked arrogant as well. When they spotted Renjiro, their faces scrunched up like they were staring at a pile of garbage.
"Ha, Look that idiot,how disgusting face that is," one of them sneered to her friend, laughing at him. "Look at it, can't even walk straight property. ,I am so wondering that ,How does a gas balloon even walk around? ."
Her friend nodded right away. "Yeah, you're right. A People like him are just a waste of space. Why does God even bother making them?" Laughing and joking, they walked right past him.
Renjiro heard every single word. He didn't say anything back.
He swallowed it down and kept walking, his head still down. Then another guy walked up. Fit, and acting like he owned the world. He swerved right into Renjiro's path on purpose.
Thud!
The guy shoved his shoulder into him hard. "Haa ,look You fat pig of shite, are you blind?!" He shouted in his shrill voice. "Watch where you're going, Fu*ker !" A sick smirk spread across his face as when he looked down at Renjiro.
"Don't ever let me see your face again. Get in my way one more time and I'll beat you raw. Piss off." Spitting the threat, he walked away.
He balled his hands into fists and pushed himself to keep walking.
Sunlight poured through the corridor windows and hit his face. The glare caught his red hair and lit up the tears sliding down his cheeks. He didn't stop. He just kept taking steps.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
People were whispering. Out of all the kids packing up to go home, a bunch of them were just staring at Renjiro. Giving him dirty looks, treating him like some kind of freak show.
Renjiro decided it was better not to look back at them. His pale face pretty much showed exactly how he felt.
He slumped his shoulders, same as always, and aimed for the exit. Then, a loud, echoing sound started up.
Dump!!! Dump!!! Dump!!!
The chatter in the hallway died down simultaneously. Walking down the exact same path Renjiro just took, three guys were heading for the main doors.
The crowd of students scrambled out of the way. Kids shoved themselves up against the lockers, clearing a right path down to the middle.
Renjiro was right by the few inch behind from exit doors now. All around him, people were secretly pulling out their phones from their bags or pockets. They knew something was going down unbelievable.
The footsteps got louder and clearer. Everyone was looking. It was obvious who was coming.
Dump! Dump! Dump!
First up was Yuto Sakurai. The guy walked like a wild animal. Every button on his uniform was undone. His glowing yellow eyes matched his messy, spiked mustard hair. He had this crazy grin on his face, like a dog scaring its prey.And he
On the right, cracking his knuckles, was Daichi Watanabe. The guy was built like a athletic with ridiculously broad shoulders. His brown hair was tied in a messy top-knot, with loose pieces falling in his face.Daichi's jaw was locked tight. He looked like an MMA fighter mixed with a model. He just looked pissed off, like everyone in front of him was just in his way. Daichi was huge; normal kids only came up to his chest.
And the guy walking right between them... was stylish. Annoyingly attractive. And that was the worst part. Hiroto Kageyama. He walked with total confidence, acting like the king of the school, chin up and hands jammed in his pockets.He had deep, angry red eyes. Flawless dark blue hair—shaved razor-short on the sides, but totally wild and messy on top. He stood right between the other two in height.
"Where do you think you're going in slow motion, bratt? Leaving without saying hi?" Yuto laugh like manic.
Panic shot through Renjiro's eyes, like someone had just stabbed a needle in his back.
Whoosh!
Without turning around, Renjiro tried to walk faster.
But then.
A hand grabbed him from behind.
Krrrch!
Someone yanked him back by his shirt collar and slammed him hard into the metal lockers—Smash!!!
Dozens of kids pointed their phones, recording the whole seniro for a laugh.
Renjiro's head throbbed like a blown nerve, and his vision went black for a second.
When he could see again, he saw Daichi stepping up and cracking his knuckles at time , "You've walked enough today, fat brath. Get ready to drop.",He pulled his fist back.
But ,Hiroto put a hand on Daichi's arm, stopping him on time. He took a slow step forward.
"Oh, Ren-Kaba. How many times do I told you that to stay away from my Miyu?,but you Can't understand my warnings" He stared right at Renjiro. "Do you just not get it, or are you deaf?"
Renjiro remembered that morning—just picking up her dropped pen and giving it back. The memory played in his head in choppy pieces.
Renjiro's eyelids fluttered. He grabbed his knee with his right hand, desperately trying to stand up. Sweat dripped down his face.
He gritted his teeth., staring at the floor as he slowly, agonizingly pushed himself up. His bag was on the ground next to him.
He was half-dead. His face flushed red in the evening light, and he grabbed his one shoulder tight.
Hiroto stepped right up to him. "You mad, Ren-Kaba?,Are You wanna hit me?" He noticed Renjiro's shaking fist. "You're not gonna break my face with that, are you?"
"Boss, this pig ass is always hanging around when Miyu-san is there," Yuto Snickered, enjoying it way too much. "Maybe we should put a tracker on him so he stays away."
Daichi steeled his gaze. "Boss,He looked at Miyu-san with his filthy eyes. Just say the word, Boss. I'll beat him right now and put him in his place. Make him think seven times before looking at her again."
"Can you two shut up for a second?!" Hiroto spat, looking back at them. "I'm talking here!" He raised his voice. "Don't interrupt me!" His eyes were full of pure rage.
The crowd watching actually shivered.
Yuto, who was laughing a few second ago, went pale. "Boss, bu—"
Daichi shot him a look that said shut up. Yuto looked down. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and he clenched his jaw.
Hiroto leaned his head forward. "So where we ar—"
"When are you guys gonna stop messing with me?" Renjiro's voice broke. "I'm so sick of this. I just gave her pen back. That's it. Why won't you leave me alone? Why do you always target me?" He sounded like a helpless kid. Tears streamed down his face. "Why won't you just leave me alone" He cried with his mouth open.
A weird look crossed Hiroto's face. Not angry. Not calm. Just the kind of look that makes you want to drop dead.
"What did you just say?"
Without missing a beat, Hiroto drove a knee straight into Renjiro's chest, knocking the wind out of him. Then he threw a brutal right punch to his stomach. Spit flew out of Renjiro's mouth. Hiroto grabbed his hair, yanked him down, and smashed a flying knee into his face. Then he just started swinging, throwing punch after punch. No mercy.
The crowd just kept filming and taking pictures.
Beating him over and over, Hiroto screamed, "How dare you try to stop me?! You're lower than dog shit to me! How dare you cut me off?! Did nobody teach you when to shut up and who you're talking to?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "I hate your face! I despise guys like you! Fatties like you are only born to take a beating!"
He threw a heavy right hook right into Renjiro's face. Red and purple bruises swelled up instantly, and blood poured out of his nose.
Renjiro collapsed, sliding down the lockers until he hit the floor.
Hiroto glared down at him. "Get Miyu out of your head. You're not worthy of her. You think you could ever get her? You're delusional. You're not even worth the dirt on her shoes. Look in a mirror before you think like that. I'm letting you live today, but if I catch you near her again, I'm burying you in the ground.Ren- kaba" He pressed his heavy leather shoe into Renjiro's shoulder and smirked. Just like a devil.
Hiroto devilish like smirk, Yuto's crazy laugh, Daichi standing there with his arms crossed, and the shining lights of the camera phones.
Click! Click! Click!
They were taking pictures of a ruined kid for a joy.
Renjiro's vision went completely blurry.
Sometime later.
It was totally dark outside the school. The building was empty, except for an old janitor with tired eyes. He held a long metal flashlight, shining it right onto Renjiro's beaten face.
Renjiro's vision slowly cleared up. One eye was swollen shut. His face was a total mess. Ribs, jaw, shoulder—everything hurt like hell.
"You okay, boy?" The janitor put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Come on, get up. It,s Time To Lock Up."
"Aaaaaaaaaa!" Renjiro flinched hard, screaming out of nowhere.
"Whoa, easy. Calm down, kid." The old man looked genuinely worried. "Come on, I'll walk you to the gate."
The janitor tossed Renjiro's bag into a locker, grabbed his arm, and tried to pull him up. "Damn, you're too heavy. Gotta be at least three hundred pounds." He struggled hard, planting his feet. Thud!
"Nnngh... It almost... ahhh!" Straining his legs, the janitor finally got him standing.
They slowly made their way to the main gate. The janitor leaned Renjiro against a concrete pillar.
"Just lean here for a sec. I'm gonna go lock the main doors and come right back. Don't wander off. I'll drive you home." He turned and walked back into the school.
Out on the road, the yellow streetlamps lit up the Sidewalk. A few of them flickered, making the night feel heavy and painful.
Leaning against the pillar, Renjiro was totally spent. His legs shook so much that he slowly slid down the wall to the ground. Blood dripped from his nose. His hands were covered in scrapes. He stared at the blood pooling in his palm.
"What is this that ? Is this my blood?" He sounded completely dead inside. "Why do I always get beat up? Why does everyone mock me? Am I just going to take hits forever? Why is it so easy for them to hurt people?" He asked himself with a voice Causing someone to cry. "I need to go home. It's so late. My throat is so dry." He tried to push himself up, but a sharp pain shot through his chest, and...
Thud!
He fell back down, panting hard. The pain in his ribs flared up. "This hurts... what kind of pain is this? Why can't I just get up?" He stared at the street. Hiroto's words echoed in his mind.
"You're lower than dog shit to me..."
Another memory hit his ears...
"You're not even worth the dirt on her shoes..."
And then that terrifyic laugh—Heh.
Renjiro clenched his fists against the cold asphalt. He could barely breathe but he don't forget his willness.
"Am I really just trash?" he cried. "Do I have no right to be happy?"
But then...
Through the fear and Hiroto's voice, another voice surfaced. A voice that wasn't cruel. A voice that felt heavy and safe, like a mountain.
The smell of dry dirt. The training ground in Osaka.
A giant man stood there. His hands were big enough to crush a coconut. He wasn't overly fat or totally shredded—he was perfectly balanced. He had bright, calm emerald eyes, thick eyebrows, and dark hair. He looks similar like his grandson,he is another then Renjiro,s grandpa. Kenji Hoshino.
Thump!
His grandpa stomped his bare foot into the dirt, dropping into a deep Shiko stance like a Sumo God.
The ground in the ring literally shook, like a earthquake had hit.
"Renjiro, my boy," his grandpa said, looking back with a warm smile. "Always remember this. It's not always about strength. It's about balance. If the ground beneath your feet belongs to you, nobody can drag you down."
The training ring slowly faded into bright white light. His grandpa faded away with it.
"No, Grandpa, don't leave me again! I won't let you go!" Renjiro sobbed, reaching out his hand. "Please, Grandpa, I need you. Please Don't go. You're the only one who doesn't hate me."
He was back in the real world, lying on the freezing pavement by the gate.
He found a spark of courage inside him. The cold night air hit his lungs, waking his body up. He planted both hands on the asphalt and pushed. Ignoring the sharp, tearing pain in his gut unbearable, but he develop some sort of courage and dragged himself onto his knees.
"You're right, Grandpa," he whispered. "This ground is mine. I won't let it slip away."
He pressed his right hand hard against the street. His fingers gripped the blacktop . Slowly, he brought one heavy leg forward, planting his shoe flat on the ground.
Thump!
His leg shook violently. When he shifted his weight onto it, he almost screamed, but he swallowed it down. He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't see faces of hiroto ,yuto and daichi.But all he saw was his grandpa's unmoving, mountain-like stance.
Using everything he had left in a body , he planted his second foot on the pavement. He was standing on both feet. Not straight—his knees were bent deep and back leaning slightly forward. A perfect, deep Sumo Shiko stance.
At that moment, the light from the lamp—which had been flickering just a short while ago—settled steadily upon his face and stopped flickering.
"Next time, this ground stays at my feet."