Kaito spends the rest of the day reading the notebooks Ren gave him at the Dojo. He skipped 2 classes today and he’s sure Ren will give him one hell of a nag tomorrow. However, like a kid just discovering a new world, Kaito can’t stop being fascinated by the fact he can use logic in a fight.

So far, Kaito only depends on his instinct after training in martial arts. Of course, there are times he's flustered when he meets a particularly skilled opponent that he has to rack his brain for a strategy. After understanding everything Ren wrote in the books, Kaito is an optimist he can even come up with a new fighting technique revelation.

Using science in sports is not something new but is not also commonly taught in school books. To think Ren chose this method to teach him is extremely brilliant in Kaito’s opinion.

Every page he reads, Kaito will take a break just to be dumbfounded. Apparently, he can also calculate fighting with staff using kinetic energy and leverage theories. Ren even puts some detail into it. Although he knows nothing about martial arts, he did a great job in doing lot of research.

/What an amazing guy. Isn’t he one of the genius who was only born once in hundred years?/

The more Kaito thought about it, the more he admired his timid class president.

If the position reverses, Kaito isn’t sure if he’s willing to go all through the trouble to compile subject summaries and do research for someone he’s not even close with. Kaito is somewhat touched by Ren’s effort and promises himself to do his best to teach Ren music as well.

When Kaito reads almost half of the notebook, he realises the sky almost turns dark and the last bell had been ringing an hour ago. 

“Ah dammit! I'm late for my part-time job!” 

Collecting all the books and shoving everything into his back, Kaito scrambles toward the bike parking lot.

Kaito hates riding his bike at night. Despite the fact that he already wears contact lenses, The streets of the town at night are completely unlively regardless of the lamps shining across the avenue. The inhabitants of the town were originally small, but at night it became quieter. Kaito loathes dark and quiet places like the garden behind the school. Who knows who could possibly sit on his backseat when he passes the paddy field?

Kaito just passes the school gate, however, he meets a crowd of people in front of the alley right beside his school building. That spot is already shady enough as it is. Usually used for a secret smoking area since it’s a dead end and no random people would pass through.

As someone who sometimes uses that spot, Kaito doesn’t really mind the presence of other people using that spot, after all, he’s not owned the place. Whatever they do out there is none of his business either. So Kaito keeps riding his bike like he doesn’t see them.

“Oy! Where do you think you are going?!” One of them called Kaito off, stretching his leg to stop Kaito’s bike. While Kaito knows he can just keep going and grind out the rascal’s leg, for some reason, Kaito can sense they are not just a bunch of kids going out for a smoke - he knows from their behaviour that they wouldn’t doubt to kick Kaito’s bike or throw something at him if he didn’t stop - Kaito has recognised those kinds of scum-like behaviour from someone.

“What the fuck do you want for me asshole? I’m late now!” Kaito barks back, stopping on his track. Perhaps Kaito just could easily recognise the same short-tempered fellow like him.

“Ha! Look at this. You look different with those short hair, but now I look carefully, you are indeed the one we are looking for” A guy with bleach, stiff, Harajuku-style hair approaches Kaito with a taunt snicker.

Kaito glowers at him, he has no idea what this guy is talking about, but it definitely sounds like trouble. Moreover, after he said that, more people showed themselves inside the alley. About ten people surrounded him. Kaito has no choice but to get off his bike. 

“I have never seen you guys’ uniform before,” Kaito states calmly. “What makes a school gang from another town come all the way here just to find me?”

There’s only one high school in this small town. Kaito occasionally travelled to the neighbouring towns so he has seen a few of their school uniforms, but none of them wearing Gakuran or black blazers on top of the white shirt like the guys who stop Kaito now.

“We are still fatigued after a long motorbike ride, why don’t we take time to get to know each other?” He said that but it doesn’t sound friendly at all. They narrow Kaito down and lead him to the dead-end alley. 

From his experience, sometimes talking things out is simpler and faster than having to fight them all, so Kaito follows them without resistance.

“Please quick. I’m not as idle as you all.” He grumbles without breaking his glare at the bleaching guy that seems to be their leader. Though he did what they told him to, Kaito can’t hide his displeasure for wasting time doing stupid things like this.

“Easy boy~” The leader grins, displaying his nicotine-covered teeth. Kaito scrunches his nose in distaste, making a mental note that he should stop smoking soon if he doesn’t want to end up like this guy. 

/How can a teenage boy get his teeth destroyed by nicotine that severely? Is he smoking inside his mother’s womb or something?/

“Let me introduce ourselves,” The leader begins after cornering Kaito to the wall with his minions gathered on his back. “We are from Akita High.” Kaito’s eyes twitched hearing that the capital city is mentioned.  “The thing we went all the way here is because for the past couple of months, Kids from Iwate district which is directly adjacent to ours keep messing with kids from Akita high and later we know they plan to take us down and gobbled a whole Akita prefecture under their rule. We plan to unite all high school fighters in this prefecture. That's why we are travelling around several places, even to this small village to recruit strong fighters from all over the towns in this district to prepare for war.”

“Fucking hell!” Kaito spits indignantly, startling the other boys around. “You take my time, hold me from going to my job, and gang up on me like this just for a childish reason?”

“WHAT???” The leader barks. Kaito can see his face slowly turn red and the veins around his neck bloated. “DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE?! I’m sure you have heard about Akita boyz! We are members of the most feared gang-”

“Urusai na~” Kaito indifferently scratches his ear, despite being the same height as the Harajuku leader, Kaito doesn’t show he’s being intimidated by the fact he’s cornered, not even breaking the gaze first from all the glare directed at him. “Now you have already introduced yourself. Now let me return the favour. However, since you said you’ve been looking for me I assume you already know who I am. Now, I ask you fucker, do you know who the hell am I?”

Kaito doesn’t threaten them with any weapon, he’s not even shown his fist. But, his malice-dripping tone is enough to tighten the other boys’ mouths and hold their breath. 

Just like the law of nature; people who are ashamed of their insecurity will appear more aggressive. The tall leader speaks with eyes undoubtedly still challenging Kaito, ignoring he can’t even finish his words without stammering. “O-Of course! After all, we set foot in this lame countryside just to find you - Kaito Sato, the Kyokushin national athlete. If we have you on our side-”

“If you-” Kaito cuts him off and meets the leader’s eyes with a scorching glare that oozes a thick killing intent. “If you already have an idea who the fuck am I then why are you still blabbing your stinky mouth in front of me? Huh? Get the fuck off! I don’t care if you are going to war or die or whatever, I don’t give a damn! Do you think I will lend my power for a kid fight when you already know what scale my league is? Don’t kid yourself, asshole!” Kaito finally snapped.

Anger flared across his face before the leader laughed humorlessly while baring his teeth. “Being in a national team seems to have made you big-headed, huh? Do you think you are already high and mighty?”

“Oh fuck yeah! Of course! Do you wanna how it feels? Then be a pro athlete you moron!” Kaito pokes at what he knows would be the most painful spot for the delinquent leader. 

A fist is flying at his face but Kaito naturally dodges it, settling the leader’s punch and striking the wall. Kaito’s opponent can not hide his surprise. He may not be an athlete but he’s a trained amateur boxer. His coach often praises him for having the fastest punch in the gym, however, for the first time, after so many punches he launched at a close, cornered target - none of them can even graze Kaito’s face. At that moment, he finally realises he is nothing but a frog in a small pond.

“STOP DODGING AND FIGHT ME!” He provokes.

Still maintaining his calm while nimbly dodging every attack despite the confined place he’s at, Kaito shrugs, “I told you my skill is too wasteful to use against a petty delinquent brat like you”

“Damn you! Fight me! Show me what you got!” Kaito’s opponent howls. As if his vision has been blinded by rage, he charges blindly without any calculation. At the same time, Kaito managed to counterbalance by dodging every attack in a slick move like a water snake.

After a few failed attempts, the bleach-haired boy is out of breath with bruised knuckles. He decides to throw away his pride and shouts at his underlings behind him. “BOYS GET HIM!”

Two guys with the biggest body proportion step in and hold Kaito on each arm. “It’s your fault for not fighting me back when you have a chance!” He jeers satisfied. Thinking his win has been guaranteed.

“Does ganging up on me make you feel good?” Kaito insults him back with a sneer.

Unfortunately, Kaito’s smug face is quickly punched away by the delinquent leader. With both of his hands restrained, Kaito doesn’t even try to dodge the punch. He just slightly leaned his head toward the direction of the punch, to meet it halfway just like how Ren taught him. In spite of that, when the fist meets his lower lips the throbbing feeling is quite severe and he can taste iron on his tongue. “Bet you keen to brag about beating a national athlete to your little friends back at school tomorrow” Kaito grins with red-tinted teeth.

“SHUT UP AND EAT THIS!” He strikes Kaito blindly to feed his wounded ego. He probably also vents his anger for coming all the way here - to a rural village just for nothing. Regardless, Kaito won’t change his mind.

With all the punches coming at him, naturally, Kaito can’t avoid most of them with his restricted movement. It’s sure painful; some parts of his skin are torn up, but nothing more than that. He had gone through worse and this was just child's play for him.

After receiving a cold shoulder from Kaito and slowly drained of energy, the leader of the group stops hitting Kaito - or mostly because his hand has given up on him. Panting and showering with sweat, he regards Kaito with a face even angrier than before. “So it’s true the dragon which resides inside the shabby cave now has been declawed. What a disappointment.” he hisses spitefully. “I don’t understand why our boss is so obsessed with recruiting you. But a coward like you has no place in our crew. I let you off the hook now, so just leave and live silently.”

Hearing that cocky remark, Kaito urges to laugh but since his lips split and his face bloated, he was too lazy to go through the pain. Although his face is a mess and bloodied, Kaito walks still with a high head and straight posture. Except wincing caused by the pain, nothing else changed from the way he behaved.

Without sparing a glance at anyone, Kaito saunters away like there’s no one there to begin with. He walks confidently as if nothing happened and rides his bike leisurely as usual. He almost seems glad that the hassle ends up quickly.

The gang left with a simmering rage they can’t describe. Seeing the opponent they beat up showing no sign of fear toward them - even worse, ignoring them, is the greatest humiliation they ever experienced. They feel like being toyed with and ridiculed.

“After being cornered in the alley and ganging up on 10 people, he looks calmer than someone who just fell from their bike. Was he a robot or what?” The leader grumbles to himself. “Kaichou! What should we do now?”

“What are you asking dumbasses? Of course, we completed the mission to find him.” Another guy shows up from the mouth of the alley.  With an unruly appearance;  long, unnatural brown hair that covered one of his eyes, and bulked arm muscles popped up from his tight gakuran; anyone can tell he’s far from the normal student who wears a uniform only to goes to school. “Kaito guy…he looks so different now. Who could even guess a champion of the international Kyokushin olympiad actually used to be my errand boy?”