The Chika-Bankaa(2)

Minami no Hanashi : Yume - Adagio

First Day of Protection: Continuation

"Get lost," Isao said in an icy tone. The firmness in his voice cut through the tense silence surrounding them.

Leon, his jaw clenched, anger rumbling inside him like a brewing storm, felt frustration mounting. He was powerless against this unexpected obstacle preventing him from exacting his revenge.

In the distance, the murmur of student conversations began to pierce the heavy atmosphere. The indignant voices of Nao and Katsuro reached their ears.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Nao exclaimed, both intrigued and alarmed.

"He was about to hit Minami, wasn't he?!" added Katsuro, his voice laced with both surprise and fury.

As Kurou and Kiyoshi stood up, ready to intervene, Minami frantically waved her arms, forming a large X with her limbs—a desperate gesture to dissuade them from getting further involved.

Meanwhile, Asayoshi stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Leon. His voice, serious and cautionary, rang out: "If that's how you behave, you'd be better off quitting the club right now."

Beside him, Isao hadn't lost an ounce of his determination. His eyes remained locked onto Leon. "Step aside, Asayoshi. Weaklings like him are my specialty," he scoffed, ready to fight despite the consequences.

But Asayoshi, his features tense with concern, responded sharply, "No! If you touch him and people find out, you'll risk expulsion!" His voice, filled with urgency, sought to rein in his friend's combative nature, emphasizing the high stakes.

"You guys are a pain! You don't get how much she humiliated me! Do you think just because you're always protected that you—"

Suddenly, Isao was about to throw a massive punch, but Asayoshi stopped him just in time. "I told you to stop!"

As the tension escalated further, Minami finally spoke up. "Alright! Alright! You've got a problem with me? Fine. Let's settle this with a race."

Everyone turned to Minami, surprised by her proposal.

"You seriously want to race against this guy?" Isao asked. "He's not even worth the effort. Might as well just teach him a lesson right now."

"No, she's right!" Asayoshi cut in firmly. "We'll do it this way."

Minami locked eyes with Leon, her gaze filled with unwavering resolve. Every word she spoke carried a challenge. "If I win, I want you to change your attitude or quit the club. This way, it's one-on-one. I'm not hiding behind anyone."

Leon, his face filled with unshakable confidence, shot back without hesitation, "If I win, you'll publicly apologize for everything and quit the club yourself."

A few steps away, a group of delinquents observed the scene with interest.

"Hmm… Looks like they're gonna race, boss," one of them commented, trying to decipher the situation.

"Yeah, I see that. Anyone wanna bet on it?" the leader asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his lips.

The group exchanged glances before replying in unison, half-mocking, "Nah."

The leader's grin vanished instantly, replaced by a serious, almost menacing expression. "We need to deal with that guy later. Come on, guys, let's move." His low, firm voice left no room for argument.

Meanwhile, on the track, Minami and Leon stood face to face, the tension thick in the air. Both were focused, determined to win this decisive race.

Asayoshi reminded them of the rules. "This is a 200-meter race. First to the finish line wins. Stay in your lanes."

"Three… Two… One… GO!"

In just 25 seconds, Minami reached the finish line. No need to say it—she absolutely obliterated Leon. He couldn't believe his eyes. Furious, he grabbed his things and stormed off, yelling, "Fine! I'll quit! You're right! I'm done!"

Asayoshi stepped in front of him. "Are you sure? You've got potential!"

Suddenly, Hiroto Tanaka, the leader of the delinquents, appeared. "I saw and heard everything. Leon, the way you are now? Get lost."

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm leaving."

While Asayoshi and Minami were satisfied with their victory, Isao drifted away.

At the back of the track, the delinquents had surrounded Leon. Isao watched the scene unfold, then joined them.

"So, you're the one who went after the bunny, huh?" Kurou said coldly, fixing Leon with the gaze of a predator. He added, his voice carrying a hint of menace, "You picked the wrong day—she's under our protection."

Nao, always quick to ask questions, chimed in with uncertainty in his voice. "Boss? Do you think he's the one who attacked that girl and ended up running because of her dog?"

The delinquents suddenly froze, exchanging glances. "Oh yeah…!" They turned back to Leon.

But before they could mock him, Minami and Asayoshi arrived. "Leave him alone! We already settled this with the race!" Asayoshi, the sports fanatic, exclaimed.

Kurou let out a sigh, grabbed Leon, and pushed him forward. "Don't let us catch you near the bunny again."

Isao watched Leon walk away into the distance, lost in thought. Katsuro grabbed his arm. "I know that look—you're itching for a fight!"

Seeing Isao among the delinquents, Minami thought, He really blends in with them…

Isao removed Katsuro's hands and walked off. "I don't have time for this."

The delinquents watched his silhouette disappear over the horizon. Suddenly, Kurou turned to Minami.

"What's going on?" she asked, as all eyes turned to Kurou.

"We're not letting you out of our sight anymore," he said gravely. "A guy like that shouldn't even be able to get close to you, especially when it's our responsibility to protect you."

Asayoshi and Tanaka's expressions tensed, intrigued by this declaration. Minami, on the other hand, locked eyes with Kurou, analyzing every nuance of his words.

A heavy silence settled over the group until Asayoshi had a sudden realization. "Oh, right! It's the protection pact from the race bets!"

"Exactly!" Nao exclaimed excitedly. "So, we're gonna hold up our end of the deal!"

You guys really don't have to… Minami thought.

After a few minutes, the delinquents started chatting among themselves, while Asayoshi and Tanaka returned to their activities on the track. Taking advantage of the distraction, Minami tried to slip away—but before she could, Kiyoshi grabbed her by the hood.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, staring at her.

"I—I'm heading home!"

"You need to let us know." He insisted, his face serious.

"Since when?! Ugh… Can you let go? I'm going home."

Kiyoshi finally released her hood, but the entire group followed.

A bit further from the school, a new formation had taken shape—Minami was at the center, Kurou and Kiyoshi to her left, while Nao and Katsuro flanked her right.

Strangely, the delinquents seemed at ease, as if this situation was completely normal. They chatted casually, as if they were merely discussing the weather.

Minami, in the midst of it all, simply observed and listened, feeling somewhat disconnected from the lightheartedness around her.

She couldn't help but think of Kurou and Nao, recalling their encounter in that strange shop. The atmosphere back then had been so different—filled with mystery and tension.

During the walk, Minami felt heavy stares on her, accompanied by barely audible whispers. She could sense the judgment in the air, as if every gesture, every word, was being scrutinized by the passersby they crossed paths with. Then, she suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong, little bunny?" Nao asked, intrigued by her abrupt change.

"Do you guys come here often? Why is everyone staring at us?" she asked, curious.

"Haha, they're not staring at us. That's the face of fear," he replied playfully.

"Maybe our faces aren't exactly reassuring?" Katsuro suggested.

"Oh, please. Of course you guys don't look trustworthy! In fact, out of all of you, you seem the most harmless," she said innocently.

Everyone turned to Katsuro, smirks forming at the corners of their lips.

"You girls always fall for it anyway," he murmured.

"What? What did he just say?" Minami thought, slightly taken aback.

Kurou added with a slight smile, "Depends on your point of view. But he may not be as innocent as you think."

Curious to learn more about them, Minami made a decision. "Actually, I'm not going home just yet. Besides, I don't want them knowing where I live!"

"Hm? So what do you want to do?" Nao asked.

"Let's go to an arcade," Kurou replied, already walking away without waiting for the others to agree.

His natural authority was evident—everyone followed him.

During the walk, Minami witnessed all sorts of conversations and challenges.

"Katsuro!! I've got a challenge for you," Nao called out enthusiastically.

"Tell me!" he exclaimed.

Kurou positioned himself beside Minami, watching with interest to see what Nao had in mind. Then, Minami turned to him and said, "You're the leader, aren't you? Aren't you supposed to bring order to this chaos?"

"I don't know how you see me, but we're more like a family. Officially, yes, I'm the leader, but everyone is free. We follow whoever has an idea and is confident about it," Kurou replied seriously.

"Hmm... They're not as dumb as I thought," Minami remarked.

Suddenly, Katsuro started walking toward a group of girls, all appearing to be in their early twenties or slightly younger.

"What did you ask him to do?" Minami curiously asked Nao.

"Haha, just the usual for him! I told him to get three girls' numbers out of five!" Nao replied with a teasing grin.

"Ah... So you're those kinds of guys. Nao, I'm telling Tsuka," Minami said mockingly.

"What? No way! I'm not interested in them! It's just to test Katsuro! We all want to see him get rejected!" Nao defended himself, trying to justify his actions.

"What do you think, Bunny? Will he manage to get the three numbers or not?" Kurou asked, intrigued.

"Of course not. Even if he's really handsome, no girl is going to give her number when a guy asks for more than half of the group. It makes him look completely unserious. But if he had done it one by one..." Minami explained before realizing that everyone was looking at her strangely, as if she'd said something inappropriate.

"You think he's really handsome?!" Nao exclaimed.

Minami gave him a despairing look.

"Want to make a bet, Bunny? You sound pretty confident," Kurou said, a playful smile on his lips.

"Fine, if I'm right, you agree to play against Sanae again," Minami replied confidently.

"And if I win, you have to go ask a guy for his number," Kurou countered.

Nao and Kiyoshi exchanged an incredulous look, surprised by the sudden turn of events.

"Alright, I'm in," she declared, sure of herself.

After just a few minutes, Katsuro started walking away.

"Where is he going??" Minami exclaimed, surprised.

"He'll be back," Kurou assured her while responding to messages.

Fifteen minutes later, Katsuro rejoined them from behind. Before he could even speak, Minami and Nao intercepted him.

"So!?"

He handed Nao five slips of paper before heading toward Kurou.

While Minami and Nao inspected the papers, Kiyoshi asked Katsuro, "Why did you go around?"

"Oh, so they wouldn't see me coming back to a whole group of guys. It leaves a bad impression on the girls, haha!"

"So, Bunny?" Kurou asked, locking eyes with Minami.

"He... He got five numbers," she admitted, a slight shiver of surprise running down her spine.

"Alright, toss them out, and let's hit the arcade!" Katsuro announced.

"Not so fast," Minami interjected. "Why are you so eager to get rid of them?"

"You don't want to admit you lost, Bunny?" Kurou teased with a smirk.

Minami snatched the numbers from Nao's hand and walked toward the girls.

Katsuro shouted, "Hey! Don't do that! It'll ruin my image!"

Minami didn't believe him. "Yeah, right. There's no way all of them gave you their numbers."

Kurou and Kiyoshi were the only real spectators to the scene. Nao, on the other hand, stood by Minami, secretly hoping for an explanation behind Katsuro's success.

The young Katayama reached the girls and held up the slips of paper. "Are these really your numbers?"

The girls exchanged glances, an unspoken conversation passing between them. One of them took the papers in her hands. After a few seconds of deliberation, the most influential-looking one spoke up.

"Yeah, we gave them to that handsome guy earlier! How did they end up in your hands?"

"You've got to be kidding me... How could you—" Minami began, only to be interrupted by Katsuro stepping in.

"Haha, sorry, girls. She's my little sister—she's just a bit overprotective. She thinks I belong only to her," he murmured to them.

"What? You liar!" Minami retorted, furious.

One of the girls, visibly charmed, responded softly, "Well, I can kind of understand..."

Just as Minami was about to expose his trick, Katsuro placed a hand over her mouth.

"Anyway, I hope she didn't bother you too much," he added, trying to smooth things over.

One of the girls smiled. "Not at all! She's as cute as you!"

"WE DON'T EVEN LOOK ALIKE!" Minami thought in despair.

"Haha, good to know," Katsuro replied with a playful wink.

The girls discreetly handed the numbers back to Katsuro, and right after, he walked away, dragging Minami along while keeping her from speaking.

Back with the group, Kurou looked at Minami with a mischievous smile.

"Well? Are you convinced now?"

Minami sighed, then turned her gaze to Katsuro, watching as he casually tossed the numbers into a nearby trash can.

This action intrigued her. "You're not keeping even one?"

"Of course not, it was just a challenge. What do you take us for?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Man... I misjudged them again. Seriously..." she thought.

Kurou motioned toward her. "Alright, your turn, Bunny."

Minami took a deep breath, gathering her courage. Then, with determined steps, she approached one of the guys.

"Give me your number," she demanded, her voice steadier than she expected.

Nao, shocked by her request, reacted with a mix of disbelief and irritation. "Are you insane?"

"You're the insane one," she replied without hesitation. "If you give it to me, I'll pass it on to Tsuka."

The reaction was immediate.

Katsuro shouted, "What the hell!?"

Nao glanced at Kurou, but he remained unreadable, simply waiting for his decision. So, Nao looked back at Minami, her determined expression showing how serious she was. Eventually, he gave in.

"Okay! Okay! But you'd better actually give it to her!"

Minami simply nodded. "Yeah, yeah."

After saving the number in her phone, she turned to Kurou, a victorious smile on her lips.

"Haha, you're a bold one—I like that. Well played. I should've been more specific," Kurou joked.

"More like he did it on purpose," she thought, watching him closely.

While they continued heading toward the arcade, they stopped at a park. There, the delinquents settled in—Kiyoshi and Kurou at a table, while Katsuro and Nao played on the slides.

Minami watched the scene, dumbfounded. "They look like kids..."

Suddenly, Nao shouted, "Hey! Bunny girl! Come sit on this swing! We'll push you as hard as we can!"

"Not in a million years!"

Katsuro and Nao replied in unison, "You're so lame."

Minutes passed as more and more children filled the park. Some joined Nao and Katsuro on the slide, blending into the carefree atmosphere.

In this lighthearted moment, Minami let a thought slip: They're not that bad after all. They're scary, sure, but just as I thought, they're not evil.

From a distance, Kurou spotted a familiar figure accompanied by others. He called out to the group, and they quickly decided to leave the park. Minami followed them, curious about their sudden departure but refrained from asking questions.

Once they were far enough, a group of young men emerged from an intersection. Their heavy footsteps echoed ominously, signaling their hostile intent.

Caught off guard, Minami whispered to Kurou, "You know them… don't you?"

"Yeah. Kiyoshi, cover Bunny's eyes. She shouldn't see this."

Before Minami could react, Kiyoshi grabbed her and led her into a dead-end alley, ensuring she couldn't escape or witness what was about to happen. Resigned, she sat down, her heart pounding, waiting anxiously.

Then, the first sounds of the fight reached her ears. Blows landed with sickening force, accompanied by muffled grunts and curses. The cries of pain mixed with cynical laughter, forming a discordant cacophony. Minami shut her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the brutal reality, but the sounds forced their way into her mind, relentless and unbearable.

Among the chaos, one voice stood out—Nao's. The only one laughing. His laughter rang hollow, almost cruel, amplifying the fear tightening around Minami's chest. She felt trapped, powerless against the violence unfolding just meters away.

After what felt like an eternity, the noises finally ceased, replaced by a heavy silence, thick with tension and unspoken threats. The ones who had attacked the Chika-Bankaa scattered, leaving behind a boy with a bloodied face, dragged along like a discarded rag. The delinquents approached Kiyoshi, hauling the beaten boy with them. They tossed him to the ground and motioned for Minami to come back.

With a chilling lack of empathy, Kurou addressed the battered boy, his voice as cold as ice. "What did I tell you last time?"

The boy lowered his head, remaining silent in the face of intimidation.

"You can bring as many people as you want," Kurou continued, his tone dark with menace, "we'll beat you down every time." He grabbed the boy by the hair, ready to strike again.

Alarmed, Minami intervened. "No! You're not actually going to hit him again, are you!? He's already out cold!"

Ignoring her, Kurou delivered another punch to the boy's face without hesitation. The group left him sprawled on the ground, abandoned to his fate.

"Minami, these are people we know. They had no business attacking us," Kurou said, his gaze chilling. "And it's not like he's dead. He's just unconscious."

The gang walked away from the scene, heading toward a fountain near the park to wash the blood off their hands. Minami stood frozen, shaken by the sheer brutality they were capable of.

I take back everything I said. The Chika-Bankaa are truly terrifying.

As they cleaned their hands, Kurou shot Minami a menacing glance. "Remember. This stays between us. If you can forget it, even better."

All of them stared at Minami, making her heart pound in panic. This is just like last time… I need to get out of here!

"Y-Yeah, of course! I won't say a word! You must have your own reasons as delinquents. It's none of my business."

"We're not delinquents!" Nao snapped.

"Kind of are," Kiyoshi replied, his tone neutral as he glanced at Nao.

Suddenly, Minami spotted someone she knew in the distance. Without hesitation, she bolted toward them, yelling, "I see someone I know over there! I'm going with her! Don't bother with me anymore!"

She was too fast to chase after, so the delinquents simply waved at her from afar.

She jumped into a car stopped at a red light.

"MINAMI, YOU SCARED ME TO DEATH!" Jun exclaimed, breathless.

"Ohh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" she sighed in relief. "What are you doing here?"

"H-How am I supposed to answer that? I'm just driving around! The real question is, what are you doing here!?" he retorted, trying to shift the focus.

"I-I… I was just at the park with… some acquaintances," she stammered, avoiding his gaze.

"Ah… Same, I just dropped off a friend," he said casually.

"By the way… Yeah, it smells like a girl in here. Since when do you see girls!?" Minami teased, glancing around the car.

"No, idiot! She's just a friend!" Jun shot back, slightly flustered.

Suddenly, honking from behind reminded them that the traffic light had turned green.

After a few minutes, the unnecessary tension faded, and everything returned to normal.

"Want me to take you home, or do you need to go somewhere?" Jun asked.

"Home, please. I just want to lie down!" she groaned, exhausted.

"Haha, right away, Lady Katayama," he joked.

Since Jun hadn't visited in a while, he decided to drop by the Katayama house. With Shinsuke on vacation, they settled in the living room.

As usual, Narumi wasted no time asking him for a favor the moment he sat down.

"I'll need your help again tomorrow too!"

"Uh… okay," Jun replied hesitantly. He was, in fact, more wary of Narumi's requests than Minami's.

Just then, Azumi entered the room with surprising news.

"Have you heard? There was a fight in a neighboring district. Some people say it was a gang-related dispute between young guys."

Minami choked. "News spreads WAY too fast!!!"

"Are you sure it was young guys?" Shinsuke asked, oddly invested.

Azumi nodded firmly, locking eyes with him. "Of course. That's what witnesses around the area reported."

"A fight between young guys, huh?" Jun muttered, lost in distant memories.

"You ever been in a fight?" Narumi asked, curious.

"Uh…" As he searched for an answer, his gaze shifted toward Shinsuke.

Narumi caught on and turned to her father. "Hey, don't intimidate him…"

Let him answer! And besides, we're talking about the past. It's not like Jun was figh–"

Memories suddenly resurfaced in her mind, and she quickly turned to Jun. The two of them, as if connected telepathically, recalled the same memory—the moment when Jun had violently grabbed Mei's brother.

It had lasted only a few moments, but they both understood and didn't want it to be brought up. So, they swiftly changed the subject.

Minami, exhausted, greeted Jun before heading to her room. She dropped her things and collapsed face-first onto her pillow.

At that moment, Azumi quietly entered and spoke in a gentle voice, "Are you okay, Minami?"

Minami gave her a thumbs-up, her face still buried in the pillow.

"Tell me, this isn't about a broken heart, is it?" Azumi teased.

"Noo, Mom, still not." Minami suddenly sat up and grabbed her phone. Thinking out loud, she said, "By the way, I have his number, I need to—"

Surprised, Azumi cut her off mid-thought. "You asked for a boy's number??"

"The phrase is cliché, but for once, it's actually true. It's really not what you think, Mom," Minami replied, narrowing her eyes.

She then sent Nao's number to Tsuka with the message: "Here's your Prince Charming's number. Do whatever you want with it."

She plugged in her phone to charge and set it aside. As she lay down again, she noticed her mother holding the book she had taken earlier.

"Oh, you finished it?"

"Yes! It was excellent. I have a question, though," her mother said. The atmosphere suddenly shifted, wrapped in an odd mystery. "Did you finish the book?"

"Of course, green tag means finished," Minami answered confidently.

"There was a folded page. Was that you?" Azumi asked, even more intrigued.

"What? No way! I never fold the pages of my books, not even a little."

"Oh, okay," her mother replied, but a glimmer of suspicion remained in her gaze.

"Why all these weird questions? You know, it's not a big deal if a page is folded. Maybe it just happened when the book was closed—it happens," Minami said lightly.

"I doubt that, sweetheart. I was very careful with it myself. You can check for yourself, it's on page 142," her mother insisted.

"Laaater, I'm too tired! Close the door when you leave and let me know when it's time to eat!" Minami called out, eager to end a conversation that felt too exhausting in her current state.

Azumi put the book back in its place. Then, with warmth in her voice, she said, "Alright! Rest well!" before gently closing the door behind her.

END OF CHAPTER