Invitation

Kazuma stood there, arms crossed, staring down at his two beaten subordinates who were sprawled on the ground like broken dolls. One guy had his face so swollen he looked like he'd been stung by a whole nest of wasps, while the other was clutching his ribs and whimpering like a kicked dog. Blood trickled from split lips and bruised noses, painting a pretty clear picture of what had gone down.

"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath, but his eyes weren't filled with disappointment. If anything, there was a glint of interest there, maybe even respect. That Haruto kid wasn't just some random transfer student after all. Anyone who could turn his guys into human punching bags deserved some attention.

He'd been running this school for two years now, ever since he'd beaten the previous top dog into submission during his second year. Nobody had given him this much trouble since then. Most new kids either joined up willingly or got taught their place real quick. But this Haruto... he was different. The way he'd handled himself, the casual confidence he'd shown while dismantling two experienced fighters – that wasn't beginner's luck.

Kazuma scratched his chin, deep in thought. Yeah, this guy definitely wasn't ordinary. The question was, what to do about it? He could try to crush him completely, make an example out of him, but that might backfire. Smart move would be to bring him into the fold. A guy with that kind of skill would be useful to have around.

"Yo, Kenji!" he called out to one of his other lackeys who was leaning against the wall, trying to look tough but mostly just looking bored.

The guy didn't respond. He was just standing there like a statue, staring up at the sky with this weird, vacant expression on his face. His mouth was slightly open, and he had this dreamy look in his eyes like he was watching clouds turn into cotton candy or something equally stupid.

"Kenji!" Kazuma called again, louder this time.

Still nothing. The idiot was completely spaced out, lost in his own little world. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair, and he actually sighed contentedly, like he was having some kind of spiritual moment up there.

Kazuma felt his eye start to twitch. This was exactly the kind of crap that made him want to knock heads together. Here he was, trying to run a proper organization, and his guys were daydreaming like elementary school kids during math class.

"What the hell is wrong with you today?" Kazuma snapped, marching over to where Kenji was standing.

The guy didn't even notice him approaching. He was completely gone, probably thinking about whatever nonsense teenagers think about when they're not paying attention to important stuff. Girls, video games, what to have for lunch – who knew? All Kazuma knew was that it was pissing him off.

Without warning, Kazuma's hand shot out and connected with Kenji's cheek in a sharp slap that echoed through the hallway. The sound was like a gunshot in the quiet school building.

"Ow! What the—" Kenji stumbled backward, hand flying to his stinging cheek, eyes wide with shock and confusion. "Boss? What was that for?"

"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Kazuma growled, flexing his fingers. "I've been calling your name for the past minute, and you're standing there staring at nothing like some kind of brain-dead zombie."

Kenji blinked rapidly, the dreamy expression finally fading from his face. "Sorry, boss. I was just... thinking about stuff."

"Well, think about this instead," Kazuma said, pointing a finger at his subordinate's chest. "Go down to the classrooms and find that Haruto kid. Tell him I want to see him. Now."

"Which classroom?" Kenji asked, still rubbing his cheek.

"Figure it out. He's a transfer student, shouldn't be that hard to track down. And don't screw this up – I'm not in the mood for more disappointments today."

Kenji nodded quickly and took off down the hallway, his footsteps echoing as he headed for the stairwell. Kazuma watched him go, then looked back at his two beaten guys who were slowly trying to pick themselves up off the floor.

"You two, get yourselves cleaned up," he ordered. "And next time, maybe try ducking."

Down in the classroom, Haruto was sitting at his desk, having what looked like a pretty normal conversation with his new friends. Jun was gesturing animatedly about something, probably some anime or game he was obsessed with, while Miki was nodding along and occasionally chiming in with her own comments. The whole scene looked incredibly ordinary, which somehow made it even more interesting to Kazuma. This was the same guy who'd just demolished two experienced fighters without breaking a sweat.

The classroom door suddenly burst open, making half the students jump in their seats. Kenji stood there in the doorway, looking slightly out of breath from running down the stairs.

"Hey!" he called out, his voice carrying across the room. "Which one of you is Haruto?"

The whole class went dead silent. Conversations stopped mid-sentence, pencils froze in mid-air, and every head turned to look at the intruder. This wasn't the kind of thing that happened during normal school hours, and everyone could sense that something was up.

Haruto glanced at Jun and Miki, who both looked worried. Jun's face had gone pale, and Miki was gripping her pencil so tight her knuckles were white. They obviously knew what this meant – when one of Kazuma's guys came looking for you, it usually wasn't for anything good.

But Haruto just sighed and stood up calmly, like he'd been expecting this all along. "That's me," he said simply.

"Boss wants to see you," Kenji announced, trying to sound intimidating but mostly just sounding nervous. "On the roof. Now."

Haruto nodded and started gathering his things. Jun grabbed his arm as he passed.

"Dude, you don't have to go," Jun whispered urgently. "We can tell a teacher or something."

"It's fine," Haruto replied, gently pulling free from his friend's grip. "Just stay here with Miki. I'll be back."

"But—" Miki started to protest.

"Really, it's okay," Haruto said with a small smile. "I can handle this."

He followed Kenji out of the classroom, leaving behind a room full of worried whispers and anxious glances. The walk to the roof felt longer than usual, partly because Kenji kept shooting him nervous looks like he was escorting a condemned man to his execution.

The roof was exactly what you'd expect from a school building – concrete, utilitarian, with a few scattered air conditioning units and a chain-link fence around the perimeter. But it also had a great view of the city, and more importantly, it was private. Nobody came up here except for the occasional student looking for a quiet place to eat lunch or skip class.

Kazuma was waiting for them, leaning against the fence with his back to the door. He didn't turn around when they approached, just kept staring out at the cityscape like he was deep in thought about something important.

"You can go," he told Kenji without looking back.

Kenji nodded and practically ran back to the stairwell, clearly happy to be dismissed from whatever was about to happen. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving just the two of them alone on the roof.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. The wind picked up, ruffling their hair and carrying the distant sounds of traffic from the streets below. It was almost peaceful, in a weird way.

Finally, Kazuma turned around, and to Haruto's surprise, he was smiling. Not the cruel, predatory smile you'd expect from a school bully, but something that almost looked genuine.

"Congratulations," Kazuma said, clapping his hands together slowly. "You passed the test."

Haruto raised an eyebrow. "What test?"

"The one where you beat the crap out of two of my guys," Kazuma replied, his smile widening. "I've been wondering what you were made of ever since you showed up here. Now I know."

"So that was intentional?"

"Let's just say I don't mind when my subordinates get a reality check," Kazuma said with a shrug. "Keeps them humble. But you... you impressed me. The way you handled them, the technique, the control – that's not something you learn from watching movies."

Haruto didn't respond, just stood there waiting to see where this was going. He had a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear it from Kazuma's mouth.

"This school has a lot of beautiful girls," Kazuma continued, changing the subject so abruptly it was almost comical. "Really top-quality stuff. If you see someone you like, just let me know. I can make things happen. No problem at all."

Now Haruto did smile, but it wasn't a particularly warm expression. "Just cut to the chase. What do you want?"

The casual dismissal of his offer seemed to catch Kazuma off guard. His smile faltered for a second, and something harder flickered in his eyes. Most guys would have jumped at the chance to have him as a wingman, especially with his reputation and influence around school. But this Haruto kid was just brushing it off like it was nothing.

For a moment, Kazuma felt his temper flare. Who did this transfer student think he was, anyway? Just because he could throw a punch didn't mean he could disrespect the established order around here. It would be so easy to put him in his place, to show him exactly what happened to people who didn't show proper respect.

But then he remembered what had happened to his two guys, and he forced himself to take a deep breath. This wasn't some random punk he could just steamroll. This was someone who could potentially be very useful, or very dangerous, depending on how he played it. Better to be smart about this.

"You know what?" Kazuma said, his smile returning but looking slightly more forced than before. "You're right. I like that about you – straight to the point, no bullshit."

He paused, studying Haruto's face for any reaction. The kid was good at keeping his expression neutral, but Kazuma had been reading people for years. There was definitely something going on behind those eyes.

"Here's the deal," he continued. "I think you'd be a good fit for my gang. You've got skills, you've got attitude, and you obviously don't back down from a fight. Those are qualities I can use."

"And if I'm not interested?"

Kazuma's smile disappeared entirely. "Then you go about your business, and I go about mine. But think carefully about what that means. This school isn't as simple as it looks, and having friends in high places can make your life a lot easier."

The implication was clear enough – join up or face the consequences. But he was trying to be diplomatic about it, at least for now. No point in forcing a confrontation if he could avoid it.

"You don't have to answer now," Kazuma said, stepping back from the fence. "Take tonight, think it over. Give me your answer tomorrow."

He started walking toward the door, then paused and looked back over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Haruto? Whatever you decide, I hope we can keep things civilized. I'd hate for anyone to get hurt unnecessarily."

With that, he was gone, leaving Haruto alone on the roof with the wind and his thoughts.