Walking through the morning streets of Machi Town to reach their school are Ryuken, Genji and Sayuri, together again after a hell of a weekend, filled with touching reunions, unexpected encounters, friendly visits and near-death experiences.

Well... to one of them, at least.

Ryuken is in the middle of the three, with Genji on his right and Sayuri on the left, walking together as always every school day, except that one of them seems a little different than usual.

Both Genji and Sayuri look at Ryuken’s direction in a confused manner, but not at his red face as he blushes in embarrassment.

Not at his slumping shoulder from carrying his sling bag that’s heavier than usual.

But at the tall, yellow, stainless steel water bottle, protruding out of his bag in plain sight, catching their attention in an odd and surprising way.

GENJI: …

SAYURI: …

RYUKEN: Mm...

GENJI: So, what’s with the bottle?

RYUKEN: It's... just a bottle.

GENJI: Did you buy it?

RYUKEN: Y-yeah...

GENJI: It seems heavy.

RYUKEN: I filled it too much.

GENJI: Why is it out?

RYUKEN: I can’t fit it in the bag.

GENJI: Why yellow?

RYUKEN: Can you please stop asking me questions about the bottle?

GENJI: Why can I not ask any questions about the ugly, oversized, pee coloured bottle you got in your bag?

SAYURI: I- I don’t think it’s ugly, Ryu-kun. I, uh... I think it looks great!

RYUKEN: Th-that's okay, Sayuri. I really don’t mind what anyone really thinks of it.

SAYURI: No, I really think that it looks... rather cute!

GENJI: In an ugly way.

SAYURI: N-no! Not like that!

GENJI: Why did you buy it?

RYUKEN: I thought I... needed it for practice, you know? I get tired easily... gotta get hydrated every time...

GENJI: And this is the best they got?

RYUKEN: It's... cheaper than it looks.

GENJI: It already looks dirt cheap.

RYUKEN: Can we not talk about the bottle for a minute?

GENJI: You sure they didn’t scam you, cause I'm sure you could have gotten this for free.

RYUKEN: Seriously, it’s just a bottle.

GENJI: But even then, I would rather drink from the toilet than being seen drinking from that thi-

RYUKEN: It's just a goddamn bottle!

GENJI: Okay, okay! I was just playing...

RYUKEN: Let’s just... talk about something else, like... how was your weekend? That's a thing friends asks after not seeing each other for two days.

GENJI: Eh... not much. I'm either sleeping on my bed or helping out my dad.

SAYURI: I was just hanging out with Juri at her place. Speaking of which, she wants us to be at the club room after club session.

RYUKEN: Oh, boy... but okay. I'll be there.

GENJI: Yeah, none of our weekends are as exciting as yours when you bought that bottle.

RYUKEN: Just stop already!

GENJI: Alright, alright...! I'll stop. So, what about you? How was your weekend? Aside from your... exciting purchase, of course.

Ryuken vexedly glares at Genji, who cracks a small, playful smirk at him.

RYUKEN: … I went out with my... with my uncle last Saturday.

SAYURI: Your uncle?

RYUKEN: Yeah, uh... the ponytail guy you both met that day.

GENJI: He's your uncle?!

RYUKEN: Yeah, well... not actually. I just call him that.

SAYURI: So, how are you related, then?

RYUKEN: He's been friends with my parents since college.

GENJI: That long, huh?

RYUKEN: Yeah, and he always visits us often when I was younger.

SAYURI: That's how you guys got close?

RYUKEN: Yeah. We would go out, spend some time with each other, talk a bunch of stuff... it’s a thing we share together. I've always enjoyed those times, and I will always look forward to them.

SAYURI: Aw... that’s really sweet.

GENJI: But why was he looking for you at school?

RYUKEN: Well, it has been a long while since he last visited, so I guess he was pretty excited to see me.

SAYURI: Seems like he wasn’t the only one.

GENJI: Yeah, you suddenly just bolted away from us last time.

RYUKEN: Ah... sorry about that. I should have told you sooner.

SAYURI: It's alright. It took us by surprise, but we didn’t know at the time.

GENJI: Yeah man, it’s okay. Running off to meet your uncle who you haven’t seen in a long time? I find that forgivable. So, no worries!

Ryuken smiles appreciatively to his two understanding friends.

RYUKEN: Thanks, everyo-

GENJI: Not as forgivable as when you bought that atrocious excuse of a water container.

RYUKEN: I hate how you’re having too much fun with this.

…

GURISU: Sob... my hand...

The four delinquents are walking along the street together, with Taku looking ahead with a blank stare, Kirin with a mean look on his face, Myuto still vibing to his tunes, and Gurisu with a cast on his right hand as he laments its former glory.

GURISU: My favourite hand... sob...

KIRIN: Enough whining, Risu. It’ll be better in a few weeks.

GURISU: My mom’s gonna kill me...

KIRIN: Just hide it in your jacket, or wear a glove. You want to be a biker, right?

GURISU: How am I supposed to wear a glove?! I can’t even move my fingers!

KIRIN: Then make up a story or something! Who knows, maybe some girl might walk up and ask you about it.

GURISU: Why?

KIRIN: Some girls like guys with a cast.

GURISU: Huh?! Really?!

KIRIN: It’s what I've heard.

GURISU: You’re saying I could get a girl with this?

KIRIN: I'm saying your chances are doubled. Which still isn’t much...

Gurisu raises his arms in excitement-

GURISU: YES!

-and his hand starts stinging.

GURISU: OW!

As the four keep on walking on the street, Ryuken and his friends are seen walking in the opposite direction, still talking before they reach their school.

As soon as both groups pass by each other-

TAKU: …?!

-Taku quickly turns his head to the three walking by, specifically the young girl with long black hair and glasses who caught his eye.

His eyes keep on tracking her as she walks away from where they passed by.

TAKU: …

Without a second thought, he walks in their direction and follows the three from behind.

KIRIN: Taku?

GURISU: Where you going?

MYUTO: …?

Taku passes by his friends without looking at them or saying anything.

KIRIN: What’s wrong with him?

Myuto shrugs, unsure of the answer himself.

GURISU: He’s following some girl.

KIRIN: Must be his type.

GURISU: When his eyes are on the prize...

KIRIN: He draws his claws out to hunt.

Myuto nods his head in agreement.

KIRIN: Come on. We can’t leave a bro behind.

GURISU: But he left us behind.

KIRIN: Let's just go!

They all turn back and catch up to Taku as he keeps trailing the three.

Meanwhile, Ryuken and Sayuri are in the middle of a conversation, unaware of the impending trouble on their tail.

RYUKEN: I’m still not sure Gorm Knight’s gonna turn back around. They're still making him do a lot of evil stuff.

SAYURI: I can’t play the waiting game any longer! When are they gonna reveal that he’s still good inside?

Genji, who simply listens as the two keep talking about their favorite interest, keeps turning his head behind to see the four young delinquents tailing them, getting closer by the second.

His eyes grow sharper as he senses the danger coming to them, specifically from the bleached young man, walking closer to them with his hands in his pockets.

Genji has noticed that the young man has been eyeing them from the start, and he knows for sure who his target is.

From the far right where he stands before, he now slowly walks to the far left, putting Sayuri in the centre of them.

He closes in to Sayuri and whispers to her.

SAYURI: Genji-kun? What's wro-

GENJI: Walk faster.

SAYURI: What?

GENJI: Look straight ahead.

Sayuri feels baffled by what he asks of her, especially after seeing his face as he seems more stern compared to his usual light-hearted nature.

SAYURI: Genji-kun?

Genji gently pushes her back, making her walk in front of him.

He then pulls Ryuken by his arm and places him by his right.

Sayuri is now leading the three, with Genji and Ryuken positioned just behind her, shielding her from what might come to them.

RYUKEN: G-Genji?

GENJI: Just keep walking, Ryuken.

RYUKEN: What?

GENJI: Don’t let anyone pass through you.

RYUKEN: What are you talking about?

SAYURI: Genji-kun, I don’t understa-

TAKU: Where you’re going, little missy?!

A sudden voice yells from behind them, alarming Ryuken and Sayuri to immediately turn to their backs, only to witness four older teenagers, with mean looks on their faces, are now following onto them.

Completely unaware of their threatening presence until now, their faces turn white as fear starts to fill their minds-

GENJI: Just look ahead and keep walking.

-but Genji, still looking calm even in a daunting situation, pushes them to move forward without involving themselves with their pursuers.

TAKU: Quite a wonderful morning to start our day, don't you think?

Sayuri’s body tenses up in distress as the man repeatedly calls out to her to grab her attention.

TAKU: You're from Mizuno, aren’t you? Never visited there myself. Heard the girls there are 10 times prettier than Kokyu, and after looking at you, I'm starting to believe it.

Her head begins to sweat anxiously -

TAKU: You seem smart for someone with a pretty face. You know, I've been having trouble with my tests lately. Couldn't find a good study partner for so long... wanna fill that spot in for me?

-her arms crossed tightly in discomfort-

TAKU: Come on, it’ll be fun. We can study anywhere we want. Your favorite spots, anywhere you wanna go, I can make that happen. Trust me. We can even crash at my place. It's quite cozy, believe me.

-her legs tremble with every step-

TAKU: I can see you’re pretty scared even from here. Don’t be. I'm maybe loud, but I'm really gentle once you get to know me better. Quite sensitive, in fact. Romantic, even.

-and her face winces in fear, desperate for an escape.

TAKU: Come on... just for a day. I promise I won’t scare you. I won’t even hurt a fly.

Taku steps closer onto the three and reaches his hand to Sayuri from behind-

TAKU: Come on, little missy. Just a short while before school sta-

Slap!

TAKU: Khh!

-but Genji hits his hand away before he could even touch her.

GENJI: She's not interested, pal.

Genji turns his head over his shoulder while still walking forwards, and stares back at Taku who’s directly behind him.

They both exchange a deathly glare to one another, staring intensely without blinking an eye.

GENJI: …

TAKU: The hell are you? Her boyfriend?

GENJI: Why does it matter to you?

TAKU: It matters, cause you’re in my way of me having a nice talk with the young miss.

GENJI: She's not in the mood to talk.

TAKU: She could just listen. I don’t care. Let me do the talking and she can just stay quiet as long as she wants.

GENJI: She already listened enough, so buzz off.

TAKU: How would you know that? She hasn’t said a single word about it. She might even like it.

GENJI: I know so... now beat it.

TAKU: Let her said it then. If she says she’s not into me, then let her said it in front of me.

GENJI: She doesn’t need to say anything in front of your face.

TAKU: Come on, missy! Say something for me! Just a little bit!

Sayuri fearfully tenses up as Taku continually yells at her.

TAKU: If you won’t say “NO”, then I won’t leave till you say “YES”!

GENJI: You should stop right now.

TAKU: Come on, just a little squeak! That’s all I'm asking, sweetheart.

GENJI: I mean it...

TAKU: Then show me your face, then! Turn around, and I promise I’ll stop!

GENJI: If you don’t leave, I will-

TAKU: You'll what, HUH?!

Taku rushes in to grab Sayuri from behind-

GENJI: Hey!

-but Genji blocks him and pushes him away.

GENJI: Back off!

TAKU: You prick...

Taku tries to break into them, but Genji keeps pushing him away from letting that happening.

TAKU: Khh!

GENJI: I'm warning you, pal! If you pull that off again, I'll break your face in!

Taku coldly stares back in disgust after failing to break into Genji’s impenetrable wall, but it is not without flaws.

He looks to his right and sees another teen boy walking with the group, but notices his body slightly shivering in fear.

Ryuken, who has been clenching onto his bag while nervously sweating in silence, keeps on walking without budging away from where he’s placed.

In the corner of his eye, Ryuken notices Taku staring into him, which scares him even more.

He tries not to lift his head and look back at Taku’s menacing stare, but his eyes instinctively rose up, and in his sight-

TAKU: …

-is Taku grinning at him with a mischievous smirk.

TAKU: Heh.

RYUKEN: Ah?!

Taku suddenly rushes into Ryuken-

GENJI: HEY! STOP!

-and pushes him onto the ground-

RYUKEN: Argh!

GENJI: RYUKEN!

-and he now finally faces Sayuri, staring down at her as she looks up in pure terror of the threat before her.

TAKU: Come on, sweetie... I just want to know you better. That's all I'm asking.

Sayuri hesitantly steps back as Taku slowly walks in closer to her.

TAKU: The name’s Taku, so now you tell me yours. It’s not that hard, right? Come on, don’t be-

GENJI: HEY, YOU!

Genji furiously walks to Taku and tightly grabs his shirt by the collar with a seething glare-

GENJI: I told you to back OFF!

TAKU: Seriously? This is how you’re gonna do it?

-but Taku simply looks back at him with a condescending scowl.

GENJI: If you don’t back away from us-

TAKU: You'll what, huh...? You're gonna torture me to death with your BIG words? Get real, buddy... you’re not scaring me for a second.

GENJI: I'm warning you...

TAKU: Warn me all you want. See this! This right here!

He points to Genji’s hand gripping onto his shirt.

TAKU: Classic intimidation move, right? But it won’t work, cause I'm not the right guy to use it on. I'm bigger, you’re smaller. Enough said. Now just take your hand off, and let me have a small chat with the lucky lady.

GENJI: You really think I will let you do that?

TAKU: Sigh... enough with the tough act, buddy. It’s not gonna work. I mean, look at where you are right now! You're gripping on someone’s shirt like you’re asking for it, but you’re completely outnumbered. Look behind you!

Genji turns to his back and sees the other three delinquents, looking ready to fight back with mean smiles across their faces.

TAKU: That tall guy, his name’s Kirin. Biggest guy I know. He's like, twice your size and he could stomp you like an ant. You'd be a fool to take him down on your own.

KIRIN: Try it, man! I like a little challenge.

GENJI: …

TAKU: And the tiny dude there... Myuto’s small, but once he takes off his earmuffs and shows off his teeth, he is one mean animal that even I won’t mess with.

Myuto stares intensely into Genji and silently threatens him with a slitting gesture to his throat.

GENJI: …?

TAKU: And Gurisu there, he-

Taku briefly looks at Gurisu for a moment before he finishes his sentence.

TAKU: …

GURISU: …

TAKU: He has a knife in his pocket.

GURISU: No, I don’t.

TAKU: Shut up, Gurisu!

GURISU: What? I'm just saying I don’t have a knife. That's dangerous.

TAKU: No one asks you to talk!

GURISU: Fine, fine! I'll shut up now.

TAKU: Sigh... sure, he’s knifeless, but he’s still one, tough, son of a-

GURISU: I think you should count me out, Taku.

TAKU: What?!

GURISU: I mean, look at me. I’m injured. I can’t do much, really.

TAKU: You got three other working limbs!

GURISU: And I need my three working limbs to protect my one injured limb!

TAKU: Sigh... goddammit. Sure, Gurisu can’t fight right now, but do you expect to bring him down that easily? He can take a beating all day long. You'll be dead tired before you could land the final blo-

GURISU: Why do you make me sound like I'm a punching bag?

TAKU: You know what? Why don’t you just stay in the corner and just don’t say a word?

GURISU: I kinda prefer that, actua-

TAKU: JUST SHUT UP, GURISU! Goddammit... alright, my mistake. My gang ain’t in our best forms right now, but still... you think you can beat us? You think you can beat me?

GENJI: …

TAKU: Acting tough doesn’t make you tough, buddy. Just makes you desperate. What are you trying to prove, huh? You wanna be tough in front of your friends? You wanna show off? You wanna show who’s boss, huh...?

GENJI: …

TAKU: Face it. The moment you lay a finger on us, you’ll get dropped by the next second. And what happens next? Your friends got no one to turn to. What are they gotta do? Your lady friend can’t do much, we both know that... but what about the other one? You know... the fat, useless one.

GENJI: …

TAKU: He's just a scared puppy. He can’t even look at me without pissing his pants. I just touched him and he falls down on his own. It’s hilarious how you think that your friend there could handle someone like me. He’s literally useless! Why would you ever be friends with someone that weak? Someone so utterly helpless? Unless...

Taku leans in closer to Genji and mockingly whispers.

TAKU: Cause he makes you look better, right?

Genji’s eyes flare up in rage as he tightens up his grip, even harder than before.

GENJI: … pant...

TAKU: Ohoho... you mad? Thought you were about to cry for a sec.

GENJI: … pant...

TAKU: Alright, you’re ruining my jacket. So, why don’t you just take your hands off and we’ll-

Taku tries to move Genji’s hand away, but it won’t budge.

TAKU: Hm?

He grabs his hand and pulls it as hard as he can, but it still won’t let go.

TAKU: Hey, what gives-

Before he could finish his sentence-

TAKU: Woah!

-Genji violently hurls Taku to the ground towards the other delinquents-

TAKU: Oof!

-landing him a few feet away, but still sending him rolling on the ground a couple of times.

GURISU: Taku?!

MYUTO: …?!

KIRIN: TAKU!!!

Genji's sudden throw not only shock the delinquents, but also his friends as they both watch him from a distance.

RYUKEN: Genji...?

SAYURI: How did he do that?

KIRIN: Taku, you alright?!

GURISU: You hurt?!

KIRIN: How dare you...

Taku slowly gets up from the throw, and while it didn’t leave him hurt, it surely left him stunned.

He looks up from the ground and sees Genji standing a few feet from him, eyes burning with anger as he glares into him with his fist tightly clenched, ready to fight against anyone who dares to step up.

KIRIN: You made a BIG mistake, going against us!

GURISU: Yeah! Kirin’s gonna own you!

MYUTO: …!

Genji silently stares into them with intense fury.

KIRIN: You want a piece of me?!

GENJI: …

KIRIN: Oh, you wanna FIGHT?! You wanna GO?!

GENJI: …

KIRIN: ALRIGHT! I’m gonna take care of this piece of-

TAKU: Wait!

Taku holds up his hand before Kirin rushes in for an attack, as he looks at Genji with a cold stare-

TAKU: …

GENJI: …

-and starts cracking a cold laugh.

TAKU: Ahahahaha...

GENJI: …?

He finally gets up on his feet and icily glares into Genji with a nasty grin.

TAKU: …

GENJI: …

TAKU: You know what? I'm impressed. With only one hand? That’s quite a feat. You must have used that hand a lot. But, just like Kirin said...

His grin turns into a bitter frown.

TAKU: You really made a big mistake.

GENJI: …

TAKU: But you know what? I'll let this one slide... for now. So, you want me to back off? Sure, I'll back off. But... only after you do so.

GENJI: … what does that even mean?

TAKU: Oh, you know what it means?

Taku walks up to Genji and leans his face close to his.

TAKU: We'll back off... if you back off.

GENJI: …

TAKU: A simple request, right? So, do it. I won’t hurt your friends, I won’t stalk your lady friend, I won’t have my gang beat you down to a bloody pulp; sounds good, doesn’t it? So, do it.

Genji's body froze up-

TAKU: Go on. Do it.

-unable to face away from his devious opponent-

TAKU: What's wrong, buddy?

-unable to walk away leaving the way it is.

TAKU: It’s hard, huh?

GENJI: …

TAKU: It's hard to go out like this, hm?

GENJI: …

TAKU: It's hard... to lose this way, isn’t it?

GENJI: …

TAKU: You don’t get to leave me bruised, or make me beg on my knees, or beat me down till you’re satisfied... no, you don’t. And you know what’s worse?

Taku leans into him even closer.

TAKU: You don’t even get to SCARE me.

Genji's breathing gets harder and louder as his rage against the repulsive bully before him boils ever so furiously.

GENJI: … pant...

TAKU: So, what’s it gonna be? You walk away to school with your friends, safe and sound?

GENJI: … pant...

TAKU: Or why don’t you step UP to me, and MAKE me learn my lesson...?

GENJI: … pant...

RYUKEN: Genji...

Ryuken comes up from behind him while Sayuri stands by safely away from them.

RYUKEN: Let's just go, Genji.

TAKU: Genji? Quite a heroic name for someone so pathetic.

GENJI: … pant... pant...

RYUKEN: Genji... just let it go.

TAKU: Why go now, when you can be a hero, Genji...

GENJI: … pant... pant...

RYUKEN: Let’s just go.

TAKU: Save the day... make the villains pay...

GENJI: … pant... pant...

RYUKEN: You don’t want to do this.

TAKU: You know you want to.

GENJI: … pant... pant...

TAKU: Ahahaha... what a disappointment. All bark and no- huh?

For a moment, Taku thought his eyes deceived him, as he had stared into Genji’s face too long enough... to see it slightly changing in front of him.

GENJI: … Pant... Pant...

His ears seem somewhat pointier.

His teeth look vaguely sharper.

His breathing sounds more guttural.

GENJI: … Pant... Pant...

But his eyes make the most change, as it was once a darker shade of brown-

GENJI: … Pant... Pant...

-but it now strikingly glows a deep, burning orange.

TAKU: … huh...?

Breathing heavily like a rabid animal yearning to kill its prey, Genji could not resist glaring away from Taku with such intensity and wrath, and for once in their battle of wills, strikes fear in Taku's heart, as his head begins to pour cold sweat from the sheer sight of his fiery eyes, and yet, he can’t gaze away from it.

GENJI: … Pant... Pant...

Fear struck Ryuken as well when he saw the change in Genji’s eyes-

GENJI: Grrr...

RYUKEN: … Genji!

-but he knew he had to act fast-

GENJI: … rrr...

RYUKEN: Genji!

-before things get far worse than it already is-

GENJI: … rrrrr...

RYUKEN: Genji!!!

-as he has seen-

GENJI: … rrrrrrr...

-those eyes before.

GENJI: … rrraaaa-

RYUKEN: GENJI!!!

GENJI: -Ahh?!

Ryuken’s voice finally reaches to him, causing Genji to snap back as the orange glow in his eyes disappears like it was never there.

Genji turns to Ryuken, who stares back into him with worried eyes.

GENJI: …

RYUKEN: … let’s just go.

He was reluctant to leave before giving Taku what he deserves-

GENJI: …

-but after seeing his friend seriously concerning for him, Genji finally steps down and walks away.

GURISU: Yeah! Run away, coward!

KIRIN: You think you can mess with us? Well, think again!

As the rest of the delinquents taunt him, Genji walks away with his head low along with Ryuken and Sayuri by his side.

GENJI: …

RYUKEN: …

SAYURI: Are you okay, Genji-kun?

GENJI: Oh... yeah, I'm... I'm fine. What about you, Sayuri? Did he hurt you?

SAYURI: N-no, I'm- I'm good! I really am. Thank you, for what you did.

GENJI: It's... nothing, really. I was trying to make sure you’re safe.

Genji keeps his head low again as the three continues to walk to their school, without another word said from any of them.

KIRIN: Beat it, buddy!

GURISU: You never had a chance in the first place!

They keep on taunting loudly and cockily at him from afar, but Taku stays silent throughout, still in shock of what he witnessed earlier with his own eyes.

Did he really saw Genji glaring back at him with bright orange eyes, growing canine teeth and deeply growling like a wild beast?

Or was it all in his imagination?

TAKU: … what the hell...?

…

Late afternoon practice sessions in the Kendo Dojo heats on as the members train and spar with each other to hone their skills in the way of the sword.

Ryuken, on the other hand, quietly sits on the ground, blankly watching the rest of the club going through their training, but his mind is elsewhere at the moment.

RYUKEN: …

CHOHEI: Hey, Ryuken!

Chohei approaches him with his head drenched in sweat and short of breath.

RYUKEN: Chohei-san.

CHOHEI: … pant... You're not training?

RYUKEN: Uh, no. Well, I did, but... my group didn’t find me helpful, so I just stay here so that I won’t slow them down.

CHOHEI: What? … pant... They can’t just do that to you.

RYUKEN: Th-that's okay, Chohei-san. I wasn’t really feeling it today, to be honest.

CHOHEI: What's wrong, Ryuken? … pant... You weren’t like this last week. … pant... Did something happen?

RYUKEN: Well, a lot of things have happened, but it’s not really a... a big deal or anything.

CHOHEI: What happened? … pant... You can tell me.

RYUKEN: Don't worry, Chohei-san. It's nothing, real-

CHOHEI: … pant...

RYUKEN: … you okay?

CHOHEI: Me? No, I'm just... I'm just really tired...

RYUKEN: You want something to drink?

CHOHEI: Uh no, that’s- that’s alright.

RYUKEN: I mean, I have some water if you want.

CHOHEI: Oh, you do?

RYUKEN: Yeah.

Ryuken grabs the yellow bottle from his bag next to him and gives it to Chohei.

RYUKEN: Here, Chohei-san.

CHOHEI: Really?! Thanks, Ryuken!

Chohei sits down next to him and quenches his thirst with some refreshing water.

CHOHEI: Hoo! That's the best water I've ever tasted. Is this yours?

RYUKEN: Y-yeah...

CHOHEI: Looks cool!

RYUKEN: R-really?

CHOHEI: Yeah, I really dig it.

RYUKEN: You can drink more if you want.

CHOHEI: You sure? You're the best, Ryuken.

As Chohei goes for a second gulp, Ryuken looks away to ponder for a moment.

CHOHEI: Ahh...! That's hits the spot...

RYUKEN: Say... Chohei-san?

CHOHEI: Hm?

RYUKEN: How long do you think it would take me to be like... them?

CHOHEI: Them?

RYUKEN: Y-you know, to be skilled in Kendo like the rest. Like... you.

CHOHEI: It'll take time, but you’ll get there.

RYUKEN: Yeah, but like... how long would it take, though?

CHOHEI: It could take weeks, months, even years. It’s all about dedication. The dedication to learn, to improve, to win, to help each other out. With the right drive and effort, anyone can do it.

RYUKEN: Hm...

CHOHEI: If you pour everything out in the next few months, I can definitely see you get into the list.

RYUKEN: Yeah, but... I'm not really interested in the championships.

CHOHEI: You don’t?

RYUKEN: I just wanted to learn some self-defence, so I thought Kendo would be an interesting one to learn.

CHOHEI: Kendo is pretty cool, but it’s not really a great martial art for self-defence.

RYUKEN: What?

CHOHEI: Kendo is more of a sport, and while it’s good for self-defence too, no one is likely to bring a bamboo sword everywhere they go.

RYUKEN: Oh.

CHOHEI: Like, who does that?

RYUKEN: But what if you got into a fight?

CHOHEI: Sure, it can be helpful to sharpen up your reflexes or reading your opponents better, but if I have a choice, I rather not engage in one at all.

RYUKEN: Huh...

CHOHEI: I know that some of the members here joined so they could learn how to fight, but Kendo’s more than that. It's all about learning discipline in themselves, which in turn will bleed into how they apply it to real life. If it weren’t for this, my life would be in a mess right now. Well, my life still ain’t perfect, but better than I expected, honestly. If more people saw it like that, they wouldn’t just see it as another cool sword-wielding sport.

RYUKEN: Oh...

CHOHEI: But there’s nothing wrong if you think that way! I mean, it's very cool wielding a sword. It feels awesome!

RYUKEN: Haha. Yeah... you’re right.

Ryuken stands up from the ground to get ready to leave.

RYUKEN: I think I should be going now, Chohei-san.

CHOHEI: Really? Don’t want a last-minute spar?

RYUKEN: Thank you, but it’s alright. I need to meet with my friend for some... club business.

CHOHEI: That “Searching... For The... Excellence” club?

RYUKEN: Yeah, something like that.

CHOHEI: You got a club room?

RYUKEN: Sorta. It’s at the back of the building.

CHOHEI: Neat. Maybe I might stop by sometime.

RYUKEN: Nobody should. Thank you for talking with me, Chohei-san.

CHOHEI: Hey, anytime!

Ryuken walks to his locker to change to his uniform before leaving the dojo.

…

In a dark, dirty school hallway, with cracked painted walls and trash littered all over the ground, Sayuri is seen standing at the top of the staircase, patiently waiting for someone.

The sound of footsteps can be heard echoing from below the stairs, and as they get louder and louder, Sayuri turns to the sound and sees-

RYUKEN: Hey, Sayuri.

SAYURI: Ryu-kun!

RYUKEN: How long have you waited?

SAYURI: Not too long.

Together, they walk through the dirty hallway to reach the clubroom.

RYUKEN: So, what is this thing she wants to show us?

SAYURI: I don’t know. She won’t even tell me.

RYUKEN: Ah... must be a “huge” surprise, then.

SAYURI: Hopefully, not too surprising.

Before reaching the clubroom, Sayuri decides to ask Ryuken what has been pressing on their minds.

SAYURI: … did you see Genji earlier?

RYUKEN: …

SAYURI: …

RYUKEN: Yeah, I... saw him on the field just now.

SAYURI: How is he?

RYUKEN: He seems good... from afar.

SAYURI: Hard to tell?

RYUKEN: Yeah...

SAYURI: Sigh... I really hope he’s okay. I wanted to see him during lunch, but...

RYUKEN: He probably needed some time alone. That's... maybe why he didn’t join us.

SAYURI: I wish I could say something to cheer him up, or make him forget about what happened, but...

RYUKEN: …

SAYURI: That “guy”... he really sticks in your head.

RYUKEN: Yeah... I never met anyone like him.

SAYURI: I wish we never did.

RYUKEN: …

SAYURI: … I can’t believe I froze.

RYUKEN: …

SAYURI: I've been trained for moments like this... “to never waver against your enemy”. But when he came up to me, I just froze. I was frozen the moment he... called at me. You'd think a few years of training would get you prepared, but... all I did was froze.

RYUKEN: You shouldn’t blame yourself for that. You weren't ready for it.

SAYURI: But I wish I was.

Ryuken turns to Sayuri and sees the frustration in her eyes after hearing her saying what she wishes she would have done.

But it was him that stand between Sayuri and the bully.

If he had not shown fear, if he had not fallen, if he had stood his ground... the worst would never have happened.

He knows that very well, and he has no one else but himself to blame.

RYUKEN: Let's just... try to forget that “guy”. He’s just some jerk we met once and will never meet again.

SAYURI: … I really hope so.

As they walk along the hallway, they see light coming out from one of the rooms.

RYUKEN: For once, I'm actually looking forward to seeing Juri again.

SAYURI: Maybe some clean-up would take the edge off.

RYUKEN: What clean-up?

SAYURI: We left the room dirty, remember?

RYUKEN: Really?! Oh, I forgot!

Ryuken sighs vexedly at the thought of doing chores he didn’t want to.

RYUKEN: But we didn’t bring any cleaning tools!

SAYURI: She told me to not bring anything. Said she took care of it.

RYUKEN: So, maybe that’s the “huge” surprise, huh? Our first activity as a “club” together is her forcing us to clean up the entire-

They both enter the clubroom, and are welcomed with the “huge surprise”.

SAYURI: W-woah...!

RYUKEN: … is- is this the right clubroom?

…

Back in the Kendo Dojo, Chohei in his school uniform slings his bag onto his shoulder, ready to go back home for the day, until he is visited by-

AYAKA: Hey, hey, Chohei!

CHOHEI: Ah! I-I-Ichiyoshi-sempai!

Chohei’s face begins to blush as Ayaka playfully greets him with a kind, cheeky smile.

AYAKA: Going back?

CHOHEI: Y-yeah! W-w-what about you, sempai?

AYAKA: I'll be leaving soon, but before that, I got some good news!

CHOHEI: G-good news?

AYAKA: Coach is considering you for the team!

CHOHEI: R-really?!

AYAKA: Yeah! But you got to work hard for it. A lot of guys here are super competitive, so you gotta work your way just to get final pick.

CHOHEI: I- I will, Ichiyoshi-sempai! If I get picked, I- I won’t let you down!

AYAKA: Don’t say “if”... “WHEN” you’ll get picked.

CHOHEI: You-you believe I could?

AYAKA: Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?

CHOHEI: Ah... t-thank you, Ichiyoshi-sempai!

Chohei deeply bows before the respected (and beloved) club president.

CHOHEI: Thank you for believing in me!

AYAKA: No worries, no worries. Well then, see you later, Chohei.

Chohei blushingly smiles as he looks at Ayaka walking away.

CHOHEI: … ah...

With a broad grin on his face, he merrily walks to the exit door, until-

CHOHEI: Ah?

-he notices something shining from the ground, just a few feet away from the door.

He curiously walks up to it, reaches down and lifts up-

CHOHEI: …

-the tall, yellow, 2-litre sized, stainless steel water bottle.

CHOHEI: Oops, he forgot this.

End of Chapter 24