Challenger

Shiyon stood confidently in front of the class and continued, "....Therefore, to properly celebrate his arrival, Sen-chun and I have decided to organize a small Kendo tournament exclusively for our Kendo club members. And Yuuno-chun will be the one to face the champion in a match."

"Wohaaa!!" The class erupted in cheers at the announcement.

"But this guy... To face the champion without even competing in the preliminaries...? Is he that strong, Shiyon-san?" one student asked, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in his voice.

"N-No way, he just transferred here! And Sendo-kun can even beat third-year students! There's no way Sendo would lose to a newcomer in Kendo," another girl chimed in, voicing her doubt.

"Don't be so quick to judge... Didn't you hear what Shiyon-san said? This Yuuno is ALSO Shiyon-san's brother. Plus, he's two years older than Sendo-kun... Who knows how strong he might be?! And to think he'd transfer halfway through the year..." another student countered, sparking a buzz of speculation and excitement among the classmates.

"Yeah, imagine that. Two people like Shiyon-san at our school... If he joins the club too, we'd be unstoppable," another student remarked, their excitement evident.

"Well..." Shiyon started, scratching his head thoughtfully, "To answer your questions, yes, he's strong. To be honest, I'm not even sure if Sen-chun could beat him. As for him joining the Kendo club, it's unlikely. He's not a fan of Kendo," Shiyon explained with a smile.

"E-Eh?! He HATES Kendo, but you say he can beat Sendo-kun!?" The students collectively expressed their surprise, clearly intrigued as to why Shiyon, the founder of the Kendo club, would have a brother who dislikes the sport... And the same one can beat even Sendo.

"Well, hehe... I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Since this is happening two weeks before your sports festival, the teachers have agreed to allocate the final time slot of the day for it. So, get ready!" Shiyon concluded, leaving the students buzzing with anticipation.

The bell rang, marking the beginning of the in-between morning classes break. With a quick goodbye, Shiyon and the teacher exited the classroom, along with Sakura and the rest of Class 2. As soon as they left, a buzz of excitement filled the room. The students, now animated and lively, plunged into a flurry of conversations, each group caught up in their own world of chatter and anticipation.

"Shiyon-san is so nice... Everyone respects him so much... He must have been an exemplary student, right?" one student mused to his friend as they sat in the classroom.

"Haha, an exemplary student!?" The group chuckled at his assumption.

"W-what..?" The first student hummed in surprise, clearly not in on the joke.

"Oh, right - you only joined our school at the start of the second year of high school, so you wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't know what?"

"Shiyon-san wasn't always this cheerful and open..." His friend began to explain, but before he could continue, they both felt a chilling presence, like a swamp alligator lurking behind them in the classroom.

They quickly turned around.

"PILLOW!?" they both exclaimed in shock, "Weren't you in the infirmary!?"

"I got my arm bandaged. No, don't mind me. Go on, spill it out. I'm all ears. I'll even lend you a doujin. John was quite the dick, huh?" Pillow asked nonchalantly, adjusting his glasses with his bandaged arm effortlessly.

'You too now?' Hardcore Anime Pillow user that believes his pillow has a real soul in it thought to thin air.

"Euh, somehow the way you refer to him pisses me off even more, even though it's his real name..." one of the two who turned around pointed out, irritation lacing his words.

"This doesn't concern you, anime pillow! Back off!" the other snapped.

"Whoa, I'm just interested in Chinchinyon-san's backstory. I'm getting mad negative vibes here. No one gets a discount now—"

"Shut the fuck up! Who are you to talk about Shiyon-san like that!? Just because you're two years older doesn't make you respectable. Scum!" A girl, overhearing the conversation, interrupted Yuuto, her friends nodding in agreement.

'Overly protective, these guys... He did a pretty good job brainwashing them all,' he thought to himself.

"Stupid weirdo. Nobody likes you here! Even Shun-san looks disgusted whenever he sees you!" another girl muttered under her breath.

"I actually feel sorry for him and Riko. Having to endure anime pillow behind you all year..." one student mocked with a scoff.

"I actually saw him walking here with his anime pillow... I think it was Mikoko's..." a guy claimed, sneering.

"Ew... So creepy...!" A few girls reacted with a mix of sneers and disgust.

"Acting like he's on the same level as Shiyon-san... What a creep!"

Chatter filled the classroom, whispers swirling around Yuuto. He straightened his back, hearing the weight of everyone's jeers and giggles. His already infamous reputation seemed to plummet even further. Even Shun and Riko remained silent, neither defending nor joining in.

'They're doing it so openly now.' Yuuto internally sighed.

But it was Yuuto after all.

"I'm sorry," he said loudly, his voice steady as he adjusted his fake glasses, "You seem to have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn. Now, continue with your story about that asshole Ching-chong, I'm curious."

"GET OUT OF HERE!" An empty bottle flew across the classroom, striking Yuuto's head.

"YEAH, SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY! DON'T TALK ABOUT SHIYON-SAN LIKE THAT!!"

'Hm,' Yuuto thought to himself, unfazed.

He turned and walked over to Shun and Riko.

"Hey, cuckoo. What's the story with Shosho here?" Yuuto asked calmly and loudly.

"Sakurai," Shun said sternly, turning to face him, his expression tight with barely contained anger.

"You know nothing about Shiyon-san. Find your stupid gossip elsewhere and leave us out of it," he said, his voice strained as he tried to control his rising anger.

"Haha, what's this, cuckoo? Speaking for your girlfriend now?" Yuuto replied, chuckling without a hint of hesitation.

"Sakurai..."

"Please, just stop..." Riko turned to him, her face etched with exhaustion and desperation, catching Yuuto off guard.

"Stop? Stop what? Like all of you, I just want to know what's so special about Fagoochini and you're being defensive like he's God or something."

Riko sighed, a look of despair in her eyes. She exchanged a glance with Shun, and together, they took a deep breath, choosing not to respond to Yuuto.

"Come on, I'm curious. Tell me the story and I'll give you a free doujin," Yuuto offered, turning to address the entire class with a loud, clear voice. Despite his proposition, the room remained silent, filled with a palpable tension that seemed fragile enough to snap at the slightest provocation.

Undeterred, Yuuto continued, "I know most of you are lame virgins, so you'd definitely appreciate stuff like that. Come on. Humor me. Maybe you'll even make me change my mind about your precious Byongchon."

The students remained silent. But stares of mockery turned to stares of hatred aimed at Yuuto. The students tightened their fists and gritted their teeth.

"Is your precious Bashion so uninteresting that you won't share his stories?" Yuuto taunted with a smirk.

"Sakurai. We'll beat the crap out of you if you don't—" a student, backed by his group, began angrily, turning towards Yuuto. Their threat was cut short by the sound of the classroom door sliding open. The math teacher had entered.

"What is this? Mr. Sakurai, why aren't you seated?" The teacher asked Yuuto, her arrival silencing the hostile student.

"Just stretching my limbs. I've been to the infirmary, but my hand still hurts. May I leave?" Yuuto replied calmly, showing the teacher his bandaged arm.

With a sigh, the teacher nodded, permitting Yuuto to leave. As he walked out, the students' silent resentment towards him was palpable, though unnoticed by the teacher.

"Let's beat him up after class," the previously angry student whispered to his friends as soon as Yuuto was out of earshot.

"Yeah, that anime pillow fucker went too far insulting Shiyon-san. He's new here; he knows nothing about us."

"You still got the brass knuckles?"

"Always do," another replied, subtly gesturing towards his backpack.

"...Good. It's about time we teach Mr. Senior here some manners." The group of three murmured among themselves, plotting their revenge against Yuuto.

"I stayed away from him just because he stayed a year twice. But no way he's dangerous. Probably just a delusional shut-in."

"Well, the charitable us are going to bring him back to reality." They all shared malicious giggles.

Other students overheard the whispered threats but chose to remain silent. Some even wore faint smiles, seemingly in agreement.

As the teacher instructed everyone to open their books, Riko turned to Shun, initiating a silent conversation.

"Remind me why you're friends with him?" she asked, her curiosity evident.

"We're not friends," Shun responded coldly.

Riko paused, observing Shun for a moment before speaking. "...Either way, stay away from him from now on."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Shun replied, his voice firm, a trace of frustration evident, which Riko didn't miss.

"I didn't mean it that way," she said gently.

He looked up, confusion clear on his face, as Riko gestured discreetly towards a particular group of students in the classroom.

"...They've targeted him, haven't they?" Shun deduced.

Riko nodded in confirmation.

"Well, he's put himself in this mess. Always acting so superior, as if he rules everyone. He can get himself out of it, right? Frankly, he was asking for it," Shun said calmly, opening his math book.

"Insulting Shiyon-san like that... Who does he think he is?" he muttered, his teeth gritting slightly with annoyance.

Riko gave Shun a look of understanding, then returned to her own desk, opening her math book as well.

Yuuto sighed as he walked the hallway.

'Well, now how am I supposed to get any information out of them? Stirring the pot clearly didn't help... Strange. I expected them to jump at the chance to defend their idol, to tell me how amazing he is. For now, I should head to the infirmary. I don't want to give the teachers any more reasons to—'

"Oh, Sakurai-senpai!" A cheerful, yet loud voice rang out in urgency as the speaker jogged down the hallway.

Yuuto turned, 'Sato—' His thought was abruptly cut short as Sato breezed right past him.

"Sorry! I've got to be somewhere!" Sato called back, his figure quickly disappearing as he took a turn at the end of the hallway.

'Suspicious,' Yuuto thought, his curiosity piqued.