'What… just… what just happened!?' Shun thought, his eyes locked on the classroom door lying shattered on the floor, its hinges twisted and broken.
Around him, the classroom buzzed with disbelief. Every gaze was glued to the bathroom door Yuuto and Gon had just disappeared into moments before. The subtle click of the lock echoed in their ears, amplifying the tension.
"Holy shit…" someone whispered.
"T-that… that wasn't real, right!?"
"No way! It has to be some sort of trick!" another student stammered, his voice trembling.
"There's no way that Pillow fucker just took out Gon like he was nothing!" The whispers multiplied, each one carrying a thread of fear and awe.
Even the teacher, a man who usually couldn't hide his disdain for Yuuto, gulped audibly. His usual confident sneer faltered as he stared at the destruction. For a moment, he seemed paralyzed, unsure of how to process what he was seeing.
But only for a moment.
With a sharp shake of his head, he turned on his heel and strode toward the door. "CALL SHIYON-KUN!" he barked, cutting off a student's hesitant protest. "Anyone from the disciplinary committee! Call them here NOW!"
He stormed past the stunned Sakura and Yahiko, who stood frozen, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief with practiced ease.
He was a teacher at INK, after all. He was used to this.
The hallway quickly filled with murmurs as students spilled out of the classroom, drawn by curiosity and the raw spectacle. Their eyes darted between the scene before them: traces of blood smeared on the tile floor, several teeth scattered like broken pearls, and the mangled remains of the doorframe.
The sight was grisly, but what truly caught their attention was the figure of Sakura and her ex, Yahiko, standing in stunned silence.
From the crowd, Miyuki emerged, her gaze lingering briefly on Sakura before flickering away.
"M-Miyu-miyu…" one of her friends stammered nervously, tugging at her sleeve. "That… didn't happen, right?"
Miyuki didn't reply immediately. Her lips curved into a quick, reassuring smile as she looked ahead. "Let's see how this plays out," she said, her voice steady but low. Then, her tone softened as she glanced back at her friend. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'm keeping you safe."
Her words hung in the air as she brushed past Sakura, her calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the chaos around them.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" the teacher bellowed, snapping the crowd out of their stupor. "CALL HIM NOW! He should be in 3-3!" His voice carried down the hallway as two students, shaken but obedient, darted off to summon Shiyon.
Minutes later, the sound of heavy boots echoed through the corridor. Shiyon strode toward the scene, flanked by three members of the disciplinary committee on either side. Their red armbands gleamed under the bright hallway lights.
The crowd hushed as the group approached, their whispers turning into strained silence. All eyes shifted between the bathroom door, where the teacher continued banging and shouting for Yuuto and Gon to come out, and the approaching committee.
"It's… quiet," someone murmured, their voice barely audible above the tense stillness.
Shiyon's expression was unreadable as he closed the distance, his steps deliberate. But beneath his composed exterior, his thoughts churned.
'Sakurai-kun…' he mused, his mind brimming with dark amusement. 'To think you lost your temper so spectacularly. How disappointing… Or perhaps… how thrilling.'
A wicked grin began to creep across his face, twisting his otherwise calm demeanor. 'Ah, how terrible. You'll make me want to fight you now—for punishment, of course.' The thought sent a shiver of excitement through him.
'Poor me… I'm so, so terribly sad,' he thought mockingly, the grin stretching wider. 'But I've been looking for a way to vent these days. It's been so dreadfully stressful… I suppose I'll have to punish you properly. Show you exactly what I've been holding back, hmm?'
Yuuno, walking beside him, caught the gleam in Shiyon's eyes. A knowing smirk tugged at his lips. He didn't need to say a word. He could tell from the way Shiyon carried himself—he was itching for chaos.
'Yes… That's who you are. Not the coward that dumb mutt made you.' Yuuno thought with satisfaction, his gaze flicking toward the absent Sendo. The mere thought of him brought a flicker of disdain to Yuuno's face.
"S-Shiyon-san's here!" someone whispered urgently, and the atmosphere in 3-1 shifted. All eyes turned to the figure striding to the area in the hallway.
"H-huh…? Sendo-kun's not with them…"
"Hey, didn't you hear what he did? Of course he wouldn't be with them…" The murmurs rippled across the classroom.
'Something Sendo-kun did…?' Shun wondered, the weight of Shiyon's steps drawing his attention. Each step felt heavier, sharper—an unmistakable signal that Shiyon meant business.
Almost instinctively, Shun stepped forward, placing himself between Shiyon and the others. The air grew heavier.
'…Who's this little bitch?' Yuuno thought, his frown deepening as his sharp gaze landed on Shun.
"This must be good, Shun-chun," Shiyon said, his tone carrying no warmth—only the weight of a veiled threat. Shun felt it. That same suffocating aura Shiyon had exuded back at the resort was here again, but this time it was sharper. Darker. More intense.
Shun's knees trembled. "Shiyon-san… I… T-there must be an explanation for this…!" he stammered, sweat trailing down his forehead. "S-Sakurai wouldn't have done—"
The sound of the slap echoed like a gunshot through the classroom, silencing the whispers. Shun reeled back, nearly airborne, before hitting the ground hard.
"SHUN!" Riko screamed, rushing to his side as blood trickled from his nose. The room was frozen in stunned silence.
All eyes turned to Yuuno, his hand still raised from the strike, as if daring them to look. His expression was cold, detached, as he gazed at the fallen Shun with disdain—like discarded trash.
"You talk to Shiyon-nii like that one more time…" Yuuno said, his voice calm yet cutting, "…and you're dead."
"JUST WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?" Riko snapped, her voice breaking with anger. "You could have just told him to move out of the way!"
"Hey," Yuuno interrupted smoothly, stepping closer. His hand shot out, gripping her chin with a force that drew a sharp gasp from her lips. "Watch your mouth."
"RIKO!" Shun scrambled to his feet, his voice desperate, but Yuuno shoved him aside with effortless strength, sending him sprawling back to the floor.
"AH!" Shun gasped as he hit the ground again.
The room was a mix of hushed whispers and muted gasps.
"Fuck… That's too much," one student murmured, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean 'too much?'" another whispered harshly. "They defied the disciplinary committee…"
'I hate this too,' the teacher thought grimly, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene, his frown deepening.
'But for the disciplinary committee to function… they need absolute authority. That's… That's how it's always worked. That's how it worked the last time.' He clenched his fists at his sides, his unease growing as the scene played out before him.
'So… why? Why does it feel so different now?' His thoughts wavered, his eyes narrowing as they lingered on Shiyon. The boy's presence was as commanding as ever, but something felt off. Something was missing.
'As if…' The teacher's brow furrowed deeper, his chest tightening. 'As if there's something missing from Shiyon-kun… something vital.'
From the sidelines, Miyuki's eyes narrowed, her face unreadable as she watched the scene unfold. 'Yeah… best to stay out of their way,' she thought, her hands gripping her bag tightly. 'They were stupid for standing between them and where they needed to be.'
Yuuno tilted his head as he studied Riko, his grip on her chin tightening slightly. Her eyes watered, but she refused to cry out. He leaned closer, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Damn… I might just forgive you, though;" Yuuno began, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. Shun's face paled as Yuuno added, "You look kinda—"
Before he could finish, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. The grip was iron, twisting just enough to bend the joint painfully. Yuuno's body tensed, his words faltering.
"That's enough, Yuuno-chun," Shiyon said, his tone light but with an edge that cut through the air.
Yuuno hesitated, his jaw clenched, but he released Riko's chin and stepped back, his smirk fading as Shiyon's grip remained firm for a moment longer before letting go.
"Let's not delay here more than we need to. Surely, you want the best for this school, right?" Shiyon's voice was calm, but his gaze burned with an intensity that hadn't been seen before. His eyes locked onto Shun like a tiger warning a small bird not to test its luck.
"I think…" he continued, his tone sharp enough to cut, "that they've learned their lesson."
Shun froze. His breath caught in his throat as he found himself trapped in Shiyon's nearly feral gaze. It was suffocating, like staring into the maw of a predator.
'I… I'm gonna die…!' Shun thought, his chest tightening as though invisible knives were pressing against it, ready to strike.
But the moment passed, and the pressure lifted as the members of the Disciplinary Committee stepped past him and Riko without a second glance, treating them like insignificant pebbles in their path.
"As you command, Shiyon-nii," Yuuno said firmly, his voice devoid of any frustration despite the lingering pain from Shiyon's iron grip on his shoulder.
The teacher, still lingering by the door, nodded toward Shiyon. The faintest of nods was returned before the teacher stepped aside, clearing the way.
Shiyon stopped, now standing before the bathroom door. His body was taut with restrained energy, his excitement barely concealed.
'Now…' His thoughts crackled with anticipation, the edges of his lips twitching into a wild grin. 'Do not disappoint me, SAKURAI-CHUN!!!!!' The name screamed through his mind, his eyes glowing with a primal ferocity.
Yuuno, trailing just behind, observed Shiyon's demeanor with a mix of awe and unease. 'It's been too long since I've seen Aniki look like this,' he thought, his gaze narrowing as he stared at the ominous door.
'Just… who the fuck is beyond this door…?'
The door itself seemed to exude malice, an almost imperceptible red hue seeping from its edges. The air around it was heavy, suffocating, as if bloodlust had taken physical form.
Something lay beyond that door—something feral, untamed, and primal. Yuuno could feel it deep in his bones, a predator he had never faced before. An unseen beast, waiting to be unleashed.
Sakura clutched her trembling hands together, uncertainty clouding her thoughts. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. She wasn't sure what to think, let alone what to expect.
And yet, the tension in the hallway continued to build, pressing against them all like a coiled spring ready to snap.
Sato could be seen sprinting down the hallway, his hurried footsteps echoing as he approached the scene just in time to witness Shiyon raising his leg high into the air, his muscles coiled for a powerful, devastating kick.
'I feel it… Aniki…' Yuuno thought, holding his breath, a mix of excitement and trepidation swirling in his chest. 'Aniki's going to fight whoever's in that bathroom… with everything he's got!'
His fists clenched tightly, resolve hardening. 'If that bastard's a threat… I'll take him down myself.'
Meanwhile, Shun remained frozen, his eyes glued to Shiyon's poised foot before squeezing them shut in resignation. 'I'm sorry, Sakurai… I'm not strong enough to do anything...'
The tension in the hallway thickened as everyone held their breath.
'I'M COMING IN, SAKURAI-CHUN!!!!' Shiyon screamed internally, his feral grin widening as his leg came down with brutal force. The bathroom door splintered as the lock shattered, the impact echoing like a thunderclap.
The door slammed open with a thunderous thud, swinging wildly on its broken hinges. Shiyon stormed inside, his entire body tensed, every muscle coiled like a predator ready to strike. His wicked grin refused to leave his face.
And then… he stopped dead.
"..."
His expression froze as the scene before him unraveled.
"HARDER, YOU PILLOW FUCKER!!! WHO'S GONNA BELIEVE THE PLAY IF YOU HALF-ASS YOUR HITS LIKE THAT!?" Gon shouted, his face smeared with blood, fists clenched as he glared at Yuuto. His stance was solid, unyielding, as though every bruise and bead of sweat was fuel for his fire. "I BET THEY'RE ALL LAUGHING AT YOUR LOUSY ACTING!!!"
Shiyon's grin faded. His muscles slackened as his foot fell back to the ground. His head tilted slightly, eyebrows furrowing in sheer disbelief.
"…What," he muttered.
Outside, the hallway descended into a stunned silence.
"…The…" Shun whispered, narrowing his eyes from his spot on the ground, too confused to even stand.
"Fuck?" Miyuki gasped, her mouth falling slightly agape.
Inside the bathroom, Yuuto stood opposite Gon, his expression flat, a mask of absolute boredom. He sighed, looking away dismissively as Gon screamed in his face.
"Ah… Who cares anymore? This was all that manipulator's idea…" Yuuto muttered, his voice as lifeless as his gaze. "I hate this club."
Gon snarled, blood dripping from his nose. "THEN HIT ME PROPERLY, YOU ASSHOLE!!! YOU CAN'T PULL YOUR PUNCHES AND THEN BLAME ME FOR THIS SHIT!!! I ACTUALLY HAD TO BRUISE MYSELF SINCE YOUR WEAK ARM COULDN'T DO SHIT TO ME!!"
Yuuto, unfazed, didn't even glance at him. "I said what I said," he replied calmly, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve.
Shiyon's eye twitched as he tried to process what he was seeing. His dramatic entrance, his brimming excitement—it was all being unraveled by… this.
"Ah," Yuuto said, finally acknowledging Shiyon, his tone utterly detached as if greeting a mild acquaintance. "We're too late, Gorilla. He's already here."
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING A GORILLA, DICKFACE!??"
Yuuto's distant gaze settled on Shiyon, his face a portrait of utter disinterest.
"Sakurai-chun…" Shiyon began, his voice hollow, the feral intensity drained from his eyes. He blinked, his composure fraying at the edges. "…Just… what is the meaning of this?"