Chapter 1 - Part 2
"Hey, stop!" He shout made it clear that he was a young girl. As Shiki thought, he might be around his age, or maybe even younger.
(But hey, this is really bad, isn't it?)
Although he only heard rumors, it was said that in the current era where the "Jo-Tei" held control, among the delinquents at St. Lucimantz High School, many were involved in inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex.
At the moment, Kawato and the others didn't need to worry about the "Jo-Tei."
With actions that were too forceful, possibly tainted with the intention to defile or try to lead to a secluded back alley, dark shadows couldn't be avoided in Shiki's mind.
(But... what can I do?)
He was just a victim being harassed by Kawato and his friends; she was nothing more than a weak loser.
Even if he tried to help, he knew very well that he would only get beaten up and become a target of revenge, and he was fully aware that it would trigger even more anger from Kawato and the others.
Furthermore, in a situation where they didn't need to worry about the "Jo-Tei," he didn't know how severe the mistreatment he would endure could be.
The best choice right now was to leave this hallway immediately and call for help.
(But...)
But what if, while he called for help, Kawato and his friends took this black-haired girl away to an unknown location?
And what if, as a result, her dignity was trampled upon?
And what if she suffered lifelong, indelible wounds, both physically and mentally?
His body felt bound by the worst imaginings that kept surfacing, rendering him unable to confront or escape from Kawato and the others. Meanwhile, Kawato and his two followers forcibly kept pulling the girl's hand while two others continued to approach her.
The desire to save the girl and the fear of Kawato and his friends clashed within Shiki's mind.
(Now, the best thing to do is to escape immediately and call for help! Yes, that's what I can do with all my strength! If I don't make it in time, then it's inevitable!)
While saying this to himself,
(But if that girl experiences something even more terrible than what they're doing to me...) I'm certain it would be a lifelong regret.
The weight of that regret is heavier than enduring the mistreatment she would receive from Kawato and his angry friends after the girl manages to escape.
At that moment, as Shiki reached that realization, his strong sense of justice and his inherently kind nature outweighed his lingering fear of Kawato and his friends.
"Oraaa!!"
Unconsciously, he shouted and lunged forward towards Kawato and the others.
The two startled individuals quickly dodged to the right and left, allowing Shiki to continue his full-fledged attack on Kawato.
Perhaps due to the element of surprise, the taller Kawato tumbled dramatically, and the girl he was holding also fell to the ground.
However, as Kawato's grip on the girl loosened, before Shiki could apologize to her, he shouted, "Run!" The girl trembled and looked bewildered, but "Quick!" he shouted again, saying, "For-give me!" The girl immediately got up and fled towards the main road.
"Wait!" Kawato yelled as he tried to get up, so Shiki, in a panic, grabbed hold of him and brought him down once again. Since Shiki and Kawato were grappling in the narrow hallway, the other two were also unable to chase after the girl.
"Interfering, you bastard!" Kawato's elbow kick, aimed at freeing himself, directly struck Shiki's nose, and Shiki lay sprawled on the ground with blood streaming from his nose.
"Everything was going nearly perfectly, and you had to interfere, damn it! Are you ready for this?! Hah?!"
While Kawato stood with a threatening stance, one of his followers raised an eyebrow upon seeing Shiki.
"Hey, hey! Because he was wearing a hood, I didn't realize it, but is he really Orifushi?!"
"Hah?!" Kawato yelled, growing even angrier. Trembling, Shiki's hand covered his bleeding nose and teary eyes. Kawato forcefully pushed him and grabbed the collar of his shirt to make him stand. And he stared at Shiki's face up close... finally realizing.
"Truly Orifushi!" He pushed Shiki, and Shiki fell back to the ground.
Whether due to the piercing pain in his nose or the smell of blood, he lacked the strength to get back up.
But he managed to release the girl. That was enough for him, or at least that's what he chose to believe.
Because if not, he wouldn't have the courage to face the impending disaster.
"We have to finish this properly... There should be a parking area near here, a little further from the main road. I'll take he there, this idiot."
His two followers nodded in agreement, and with their help, they forced Shiki to stand up and walk.
Following them, Kawato spat and began walking after them.
Behind the three individuals escorting Shiki away,
"Senpai... hurry..."
The girl who was supposed to flee to the main road secretly observed from behind the building. She might be calling someone referred to as "senpai," holding her phone to her ear.
---- Shiki, taken to a secluded parking area,
"You're really brave, huh!"
"Afg?!" Shiki felt Kawato's kick to his stomach and staggered backward. Usually, this would be the end of the situation, but...
"Oraa!" Taking advantage of the fact that "Jo-Tei" wouldn't be watching, Kawato continued to pummel his fists into Shiki's already injured face, claiming that the injuries were too noticeable to ignore.
"..." Grimacing in pain, Shiki continued to stagger backward. Or rather, it should be said that there was nothing he could do but retreat while enduring the punches and kicks. If he resisted or defended himself poorly, it would only further provoke Kawato's dissatisfaction.
"Aa? Why do you look so hurt? Meanwhile, I myself suffered a broken rib because of your punch, you know!"
Accompanied by the cheers of his followers, the blows were directed at Shiki's face, and he continued to back away, enduring the pain that surged through his cheek.
When Kawato mentioned "your punch," he was referring to the collision Shiki had caused to free the black-haired girl.
Of course, the claim about the broken rib was an obvious lie, just an excuse to inflict more torture on Shiki than usual.
"By the way, you're really tough, Orifushi-kun."
"Well, it's not a problem if he's tough, but if you keep hitting his face too much, won't it be an issue if Orifushi is seen by Jo-Tei at school tomorrow?"
Hearing the remarks from the onlookers while smoking, Kawato let out a sigh.
"It won't be a problem like that. Anyway, today we never encountered Orifushi," Kawato said, shaking his shoulders.
The followers, realizing his intention, began to laugh uproariously.
"So that's how it is? Unfortunately, Orifushi-kun got involved in some trouble with a few thugs in this town and got beaten up badly. So we have nothing to do with it, right?"
"That's right," Kawato replied, nodding his head while spinning his shoulders in a flamboyant pose.
Then, assuming that his opponent would not retaliate or dodge his attacks, he unleashed a spectacular right punch. Shiki's body was pushed to the right after his left cheek was struck.
"aaaaghh!"
The following left punch hit his right cheek, causing Shiki's body to shift to the left. Kawato continued to unleash a series of consecutive punches, and with each blow, Shiki's body shifted from right to left like a metronome.
Due to the frequent strikes to his cheeks, a strange taste filled his mouth. So far, it was a miracle that his teeth remained intact without a single one being broken.
(Please let it end quickly, please end soon, end quickly...)
He kept wishing, while continuously being beaten. He tried his best to avoid reality, to evade the pain that was assaulting both of his cheeks.
As a weak individual, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle violence well if I tried to confront it directly. That's why I chose to evade it, hoping that everything would come to an end soon. And so, I ran away.
Finally, as the number of punches approached twenty, Kawato's movements came to a halt.
"Damn... Why is he still standing... this guy..." he muttered with a grumble, gasping for breath.
I wanted to answer that it was because I was trying to evade reality—but saying so would only make him angrier. Besides, it was clear that even if I opened my mouth even slightly, the pain would immediately strike my cheeks and the cavity of my mouth.
So, I continued to escape from reality without uttering a single word—
"............Eh?"
Suddenly, within my field of vision, I saw a girl behind Kawato, and my consciousness was forced back into reality.
It turned out that not only I noticed her presence, but his two followers also dropped the cigarettes they were holding and stared at the girl.
Kawato, realizing that there was someone behind him, turned around with a threatening and frozen gaze, resembling a statue.
The reason for this was because of that girl,
"J-Jo-Tei..."
Observing the similar reactions from Shiki and Kawato, the girl known as "Jo-Tei" or Kohinata Karin furrowed her brow and displayed a clear expression of disgust on her face.
"So why do all of you call me by such a derogatory nickname?"
Karin sighed, slipping both of her hands into the pockets of the varsity jacket she wore over her T-shirt. She walked past Kawato without a care and stopped in front of Shiki.
In Shiki's thoughts, he perceived Karin's combination of a mini skirt and knee-high socks as similar to her school uniform—though this was an irrelevant thought at the moment.
"Hmm?" While everyone remained unable to move, Karin furrowed her brow and stared into Shiki's face.
"Eh, aren't you the person from before?" She exclaimed with a jumbled voice, hitting Shiki's shoulder hard.
"Even though you were so afraid of me back then, you were quite brave. Honestly, I admire you."
Of course, even now I'm still very afraid of her—Shiki wanted to express that, but due to the pain emanating from his injured mouth caused by the numerous punches from Kawato, he couldn't utter a single word.
"Oh, you don't have to force yourself to speak now. You can explain it later." After saying that, Karin stared at Kawato with a sharp gaze filled with menace.
With a body taller than Karin by approximately 15 centimeters, Kawato suddenly trembled in fear, just like when Shiki stared at Kawato.
"You... I've seen your face in the Arai faction," Karin said, causing Kawato to tremble in fear once again.
While Kawato trembled in fear, Karin glanced at the two individuals surrounding him. "So, those two are the same, right?"
After her statement, both of them trembled in fear simultaneously. Witnessing their fear, Shiki pondered once again.
There was something about Karin that scared him, causing Kawato and his comrades, who were the ones Shiki feared the most, to be afraid like this.
"This kid doesn't look like a troublemaker, does he? So, I already had my suspicions back then... And it seems like my hunch was correct, wasn't it?"
Karin referred to the "back then" moment, which likely referred to the time when they almost collided a while ago when Shiki was forced to be their lackey.
"...What do you mean by 'it seems like my hunch was correct'?" Kawato asked, his voice almost choking.
Karin answered with a threatening tone.
"All of you hide from me and oppress the weak, which means you're just foolish scoundrels."
"Even so, what's your connection to that?" Kawato questioned, standing up against her.
"None at all. I just dislike it. So, I'm going to destroy you now," Karin replied, her voice emanating threat.
"Hah! What you're doing is also bullying the weak, even worse," Kawato retorted. The two individuals surrounding him supported with a small voice, "True, true."
Seeing the reactions of Kawato and his comrades, Karin sighed. "When you put it that way, I feel a bit annoyed."
Upon hearing those words, Kawato and his comrades almost felt relieved, but...
"Alright, I'll change the way I say it. Do you remember the beautiful black-haired girl you tried to forcefully take to a secluded place? She is my Kouhai," Karin said.
(TL: Kouhai = Junior)
In an instant, the three of them turned pale.
"Well, even though I didn't think that you, who only hide and dare to intimidate the weak, would do something this big..."
Karin lowered her gaze while continuing her words.
"Nothing changes in the fact that you attempted to touch my sweet Kouhai. I won't be satisfied with just punishing you a little."
In front of Karin, who had a smaller body than anyone else present, whether it was Shiki, Kawato, or the two individuals surrounding her, they all felt a strong pressure.
"Ah... ah... aaahh!" Unable to bear the "pressure" from Karin, one of the two individuals surrounding her screamed hysterically and attempted to attack her.
"Enough, back off," Karin said as she lightly pushed Shiki's body.
As Shiki, who didn't resist the pressure at all, stumbled backward, Karin suddenly produced an iron fan from somewhere and threw it towards the approaching individuals. The covered tip of the iron fan struck her opponent's nose, momentarily halting their movement. At that moment, Karin, who had closed the distance, caught the falling iron fan and with its tip, launched an attack towards the person's abdomen, knocking them down with a single strike.
"Kwooghh!!"
Perhaps because his teammate had been defeated, one other person, half-shouting in despair, attempted to strike Karin from behind towards the back of her head.
However, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, Karin spun on the spot to dodge the blow.
Then, taking advantage of that spinning motion, she swung a new iron fan she had taken, delivering a fist strike to the person's temple. Like her teammate, the other opponent also fell with a single strike.
Although Shiki could only catch fragments of information, there were rumors that Karin combined suspicious ancient martial arts called the "Kohinata Family's Ancient Fighting Technique" with her own developed fighting style, allowing her to confront the delinquents at St. Lucimantz School with unstoppable power.
Indeed, Shiki believed that her fighting style was very different from Kawato and his gang, who were members of a delinquent group.
Apparently, Kawato had witnessed Karin's fight before and realized that he wouldn't stand a chance if he challenged her.
The two followers of Kawato, who had been defeated, seemed completely motionless.
Without paying any attention to Kawato in his current state, Karin gracefully turned her back to him. She tucked the iron fan in her left hand into her jacket pocket and approached Shiki while swaying the open iron fan in her right hand.
"If I punish him here and now, then after the commotion subsides, he will go back to doing things unseen by me... that can happen, so..." Karin said, giving an extraordinary suggestion, disregarding Shiki's bewildered expression. Referring to Kawato without looking at him, Karin pointed at him with her left thumb and made a surprising statement.
"So, you, the scoundrel, will be the one to defeat him."
"............Eh?"
A surprised sound escaped Shiki's mouth, and Kawato immediately reacted to Karin's words like a moth drawn to a flame.
"So, a one-on-one fight, that's what you mean. If that's the case, it means you mustn't touch me, regardless of the outcome of this fight."
Implicitly, Kawato laid out his condition, and Karin casually agreed to it.
"I have no problem with that. However, if you lose, don't ever touch him (Shiki) again."
"Yeah, I promise as much as you want. If he (Shiki) can defeat me, that is."
"Wait a minute! You're deciding everything on your own!—Ouch!?"
Karin covered Shiki's mouth as he tried to protest with her palm. Shiki, thinking that he had upset her, felt a chill running down his spine.
However, the sweet aroma emanating from Karin's palm, different from the faint scent of the lingering iron fan, momentarily made him forget his fear of "Jo-Tei."
Unaware of Shiki's change, Karin blinked her eyes and covered her own mouth.
"Don't worry. I will provide you with advice on how to defeat that foolish person."
"W-What!? He shouldn't need your advice!"
Karin removed her palm from Shiki's covered mouth, and this time she covered her own mouth while smiling conspicuously.
"Oh, dear~ Are you scared~? Yet, you have been disturbing and bullying weaker opponents. And besides, this is just a little advice~?"
In the face of blatant mockery, Kawato trembled as if trying to hold back his embarrassment. Despite having a blue vein on his temple, he spoke out in annoyance.
"Hah! Who's afraid of Orifushi like that? Do whatever you want, including giving advice."
"Very well, I will gladly do it without hesitation."
When uttering those words, Karin placed her hand around Shiki's shoulder, and together, they turned their backs on Kawato.
The sweet scent wafted again, tickling their noses, and due to Karin's face being closer than Shiki had expected, he grew more nervous.
Misinterpreting Shiki's reaction, Karin pursed her lips.
"Well, it was just as bad in front of the vending machine too. But every time you get scared like this, it kind of hurts, you know."
"Uh... it's not that... but..."
After witnessing the scene where Kawato and his followers were swiftly taken care of by Karin, Shiki couldn't deny being afraid of "Jo-Tei".
However, at present, the overwhelming feeling of joy and embarrassment from being in such close proximity to the small girl named Kohinata Karin was much stronger.
"Actually, stop using formal language. Besides, we're the same age, right? So, that means you can address me casually too, right?"
"But..."
"But it's okay. What's important is not to use formal language. More importantly... uh... What's your name.. Orifushi?"
"Y-yes..."
"Well, what's your first name?"
"Shiki... but..."
"Shiki, huh? It's easier to pronounce than Orifushi, so I'll call you by that name. In return, you can call me Karin."
"....Huh?"
"Thank you, Shiki. You saved my underclassman. I'm truly grateful for that."
"Ah... yeah..."
Surprised by the swift turn of events, the conversation continued as time passed.
"So, listen. It seems that idiot is really hot-headed, so let's skip the small talk and quickly give advice. Are you ready?"
Taking a deep breath, Shiki nodded in agreement. Karin, with a satisfied smile on her face, offered advice that seemed unreasonable.
"Attack first! Deliver a powerful kick to that idiot's stomach with all your might! That should be enough to win!"
Unconsciously, Shiki appeared as if he wanted to say "Ehhhh," and Karin responded with laughter.
"You look like you want to say 'Ehhhh.'"
Shiki smiled while feeling confused, struggling to conceal his expression.
"Well, I also feel that it's a crazy suggestion, even though I'm the one saying it myself. But it's the most certain way to win, so there's no other choice."
In the face of unwavering conviction, Shiki was at a loss for words.
"Jo-Tei" had provided a definite advice. If he kicked Kawato in the stomach as suggested, he might actually have a chance to win. However, the fear of Kawato, etched deep in Shiki's heart, was not easily overcome.
(But...)
Even though the black-haired girl was Karin's Kouhai, he didn't think it was wise to rely on her completely after he got involved in this situation.
So,
"Alright, I'll give it a try as Kohinata-san suggested."
"So, Karin is enough... Ah, right now, that's not important."
Stepping back, Karin forcefully hit Shiki's back.
"Now, attack him once!"
Shiki nodded and confidently faced Kawato.
"How dare you act so arrogant just because you received advice from 'Jo-Tei.' ...Fine... Let's go... I'll shatter the advice he gave!"
With clearly visible veins on his temples and an anger never seen before, Shiki unconsciously glanced towards Karin. However, by that time, she had already distanced herself from Shiki and was smiling while giving a thumbs-up, whether she was aware of Shiki's feelings or not.
Perhaps this is the day of my demise... The thought flashed through Shiki's mind in an instant.
"Now it's too late to be afraid. I'll make you regret challenging me one-on-one! Get ready!"
Yelling in anger, Kawato swiftly launched his attack.
(Is it starting already!?)
Shiki screamed internally, but without needing to ponder for too long, they were already bound to be engaged in a fight.
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