4 out of 10

Tick, tock, tick, tock—the rhythmic sound of the clock filled the classroom. Richard sat at his desk during the final class of the day, a bit restless. The day had passed uneventfully, lacking anything truly interesting or exciting. His gaze shifted to the clock hanging on the wall, displaying 3:57 pm. Only three more minutes until class was over.

Throughout the day, Richard had tried to engage Sasaki in conversation, but the latter had been unyielding, refusing to give out more information. Sasaki's reasoning for withholding details was that it might become too dangerous for Richard if he knew more. Growing increasingly frustrated, Richard had asked about the nature of the danger, but Sasaki had simply said that revealing that would also put him at risk. The lack of answers gnawed at Richard, leaving him very agitated.

He couldn't speak with Sasaki because he had something to attend to. "Why the hell did that have to happen today?" He muttered to himself in annoyance. He regretted his decision to help Hajime and the others, but Richard was known for many things, and being a man of his word was not one of them. *I could just bail,* he thought for a moment, but after some consideration, he decided against it. Part of the reason was to stave off boredom, and the other was Sasaki's reluctance to share more information.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the school bell ringing. The teacher closed her book, gathered her things, and reminded the students, "See you all tomorrow. Don't be late, and don't hang around too long." With that, she exited the classroom.

Richard got up from his desk, packing his things and placing them in his bag. Hajime approached him, but before he could say anything, Richard raised his hand. "How about you three idiots wait by the school gate?" he said, annoyance evident in his voice. Hajime nodded and relayed Richard's instructions to Shichiro and Toshiyuki before they left the classroom, shooting a parting glare at Richard, who was not looking.

As Richard was about to finish packing his things, Sasaki unexpectedly approached him. Surprised, Richard asked, "What is it?" Sasaki gazed in the direction where the trio of delinquents had been and questioned, "What's going on with you guys? I've noticed them trying to talk to you all day."

With his bag now slung onto his back, Richard divulged, "They say some gang has been causing them trouble, and they want me to help them beat the shit out of them." Sasaki responded with an arched eyebrow, "So, you guys pick fights with gangs?" Richard let out a chuckle and retorted, "You bet we do. Gotta remind those punks who runs this territory."

Sasaki, however, appeared surprised. "Huh, I knew you had a bad reputation, but I didn't think you'd actually spend your free time battling gangs."

Richard nonchalantly shrugged and leaned in closer, whispering into Sasaki's ear, "And I didn't think you'd spend your free time fighting monsters."

Sasaki recoiled slightly, clearly discomforted by the sudden proximity. "Could you not do that, please? There are already plenty of rumors about me based on my appearance," he remarked, his gaze scanning the classroom where onlookers had gathered. A stern glare from Richard was enough to dissuade their prying eyes.

"Well, anyway, I've gotta run. We'll continue our talk about the MoH'es tomorrow," Richard stated as he headed for the classroom exit.

Sasaki grumbled, "I've already told you I wouldn't," But Richard paid little care, waving a casual farewell as he departed. As he made his way to the school gate, some students greeted him with friendly hellos and goodbyes, the typical interactions popular kids often encountered in high school.

However, on his route to the school gate, he unexpectedly ran into Izanami. Richard nonchalantly walked right past her, paying little attention to her presence. She couldn't contain her frustration, exclaiming, "You won't even say a word to me!?"

Richard halted, turned to her, and responded with an bored expression in his eyes, "What's the point?"

Izanami confronted Richard with frustration, asking, "What's the point? We broke up, and you don't care even a little bit?"

In response, Richard didn't mince words, replying, "Fuck no. In fact, I should be thanking you for breaking up with me, because if you hadn't, I doubt any of what happened last night would have occurred."

Izanami couldn't contain her exasperation, exclaiming, "How did I ever fall for you?"

Richard's indifference was evident as he retorted, "Because you're a gold digger and an attention whore? I thought that was pretty obvious."

Enraged by his words, Izanami raised her voice, asking, "Yeah, then what does that make you, huh? You still dated me, right!"

Richard nonchalantly shrugged, saying, "Of course, because, despite how shallow you are, you still looked hot. Emphasis on the looked part because now that I'm looking closer, you're a 4 out of 10 at best." With that final remark, Richard left, leaving Izanami fuming.

Richard finally reached the school gate, where he found Hajime, Shichiro, and Toshiyuki waiting. Shichiro couldn't help but ask, "Man, what took you so long?"

Richard explained, "Ran into Izanami. Had to put her in her place. Anyway, let's head out to deal with this gang that's been bothering you idiots."

The trio of delinquents exchanged glances, then collectively shrugged, and together, they all headed out towards their destination.

**Half an hour later**

Richard walked behind the trio of delinquents as they ventured into the lively central area of Shinjuku City. The streets were crowded with locals and tourists alike, a common sight in Tokyo.

Richard asked, "Why would you run into a gang in this part of the city?"

Hajime gave him a concise explanation, "This gang doesn't originate from around here. They came here from Kabukichō."

With a smug grin, Richard remarked, "Ahh, good old Kabukichō. That explains why you needed me. You guys must have gotten your asses kicked, huh?"

Hajime shook his head. *I'm going to make you choke on that arrogance today, Richard,* he thought, las they continued to lead Richard, who remained unaware of their intentions.

After following them for a while longer, Richard and the trio came to a stop in front of an alley. "This their hangout spot?" Richard asked.

Hajime reached into his bag and retrieved a baseball bat. "Yes, it is. They seem to gather here almost every day for some reason," Hajime explained.

Glancing into the alley, Richard quipped, "How unoriginal can they get?"

Meanwhile, Shichiro leaned closer to Hajime and whispered, "Do you really think this will work?"

Hajime responded with confidence, "Yes, it will, as long as we do our part."

Suddenly, Richard turned to Hajime and inquired, "How many of them are we dealing with?"

Hajime took a moment to ponder before replying, "I believe there are five of them."

With a smirk, Richard declared, "Then this will be a piece of cake." He took the lead and ventured into the alley, and the trio followed closely behind, bracing themselves for the impending confrontation.