Chapter 9: — “Street Fight & Sick Rhymes: Part 2”

Otogi’s body hit the ground with a heavy thud after Kenji’s punch. The courtyard exploded in gasps and yells. Within seconds, students poured out of classrooms, towards the courtyard, forming a tight circle around the chaos. Phones went up. Whispers turned into yelling.

“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!”

Riku stood off to the side, bruised, blood dripping from his lip, arms sore from being kicked down earlier. He could barely stand, but his eyes searched through the crowd, until he made quick eye contact with Mika. She stood frozen near the edge of the circle, her hands trembling.

“Let me go! I have to make sure he’s okay!” Mika cried, trying to pull away.

“Mika, don’t!” Sakura said, holding her arm firmly.

“You can’t!” Miyuki added. “They’ll hurt you too!”

But Mika couldn’t look away. Her heart ached watching Riku limp back from the center. She laid her head on Miyuki’s shoulder, trembling. “Please… please don’t let anything happen to him…”

In the middle of the circle, Kenji kept his eyes locked on the bullies, fists clenched, ready for the next move. “Riku,” he muttered, “you’re already messed up. Back off. I’ve got this.”

Otogi wiped the blood from his nose, seething. “Big mistake, tough guy.”

Otogi lunged forward, but Kenji dodged with ease, grabbed his arm, and slammed him to the ground. One of Otogi’s friends rushed in to help, but Riku, battered and bruised, stepped in front of him. His body was shaky, but his eyes showed he wasn’t backing down.

The crowd screamed louder.

“KENJI’S TAKING THEM ALL DOWN!”

“AND IS THE QUIET KID TOO?! LET’S GO!”

Mika could barely watch. One of Otogi’s friends tried to jump in, but Riku stepped forward, ignoring the sting of his bruises. “You’re not touching him,” Riku growled, landing a side kick that forced the guy back. He gritted his teeth through the pain.

Mika winced and covered her mouth. Her vision blurred from the tears. “Stop fighting, please…” she whispered, clinging to Miyuki’s sleeve.

Kenji blocked a wild punch and threw the second guy down hard onto the ground, then turned to Otogi again. “Still wanna run your mouth, huh?”

Otogi stood, wiping his mouth. “I ain’t done yet.”

He charged once more, throwing a flurry of sloppy punches. Kenji dodged every one with surprising speed, then delivered an uppercut that sent Otogi stumbling back. Blood trickled down from his lip. He wasn’t used to losing.

The courtyard was thunderous now. Kids were jumping and shouting, some recording, some cheering, others just watching in stunned silence.

“KENJI’S GOING OFF!”

“YO! THIS IS LIKE A MOVIE!”

From the edge of the crowd, Riku kept a defensive stance, guarding in case more of the bullies jumped in. His eyes drifted back toward Mika. Seeing her crying, again, because of him, made his blood boil.

Miyuki whispered softly to Mika, “He’ll be okay. He’ll be alright. I promise.”

Mika didn’t answer. She just nodded, breathing shakily as she wiped her eyes. Her voice was a whisper, shaky and low. “Please… just be okay…”

Kenji and Riku finally stood over Otogi and his friends, all of whom were groaning on the ground.

Riku stood next to Kenji, panting. Blood ran from a cut near his forehead, and his fists were shaking.

Kenji looked down at Otogi. “Now apologize to her.”

Otogi didn’t move.

Kenji’s eyes narrowed. “Say it.”

“…Tch.”

Kenji raised his fist again.

“ALRIGHT! I’m sorry!” Otogi yelled, loud enough for everyone to hear. “You happy now?!”

Some students laughed. Others gasped. The courtyard had never seen Otogi back down like that.

Kenji lowered his fist. “Not really. But it’ll do.”

The crowd started to murmur, some cheering, others stunned that the school bully just lost.

Riku turned his head slightly toward Mika, catching her expression, relieved, broken, teary-eyed.

He winced. She saw all of this…

Then Otogi stood, wiping blood from his mouth one last time. He looked between Kenji and Riku, a twisted smirk forming on his face despite the bruises.

“You think this is over?” Otogi spat, his voice low but venomous. “We ain’t takin’ this loss.”

Kenji raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You want round two already?”

“Nah,” Otogi said, cracking his neck. “We settle things a different way now.”

He looked around at the crowd and grinned. “How ‘bout a diss battle?”

The crowd exploded again, this time with even louder roars.

“NO WAY!”

“LET’S GOOOO!”

Riku blinked. “A what?”

Kenji rolled his shoulders, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oh, now this could be fun.”

Mika’s eyes widened from behind the crowd, still holding tightly onto Miyuki. Her tear-stained face lit with confusion, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of hope.

Otogi spat on the ground and stepped back, voice booming.

“You think you’re tough? Then prove it. Diss battle. Right here. Right now.”

His lackeys nodded behind him, still scowling and out of breath.

“You back out,” Otogi sneered, “and everyone here’s gonna know you’re just scared little losers.”

He turned sharply, pointing at the growing crowd. “Don’t go anywhere. The real show’s about to start.”

The courtyard buzzed with excitement. Phones were already out. Whispers turned into yelling.

Riku clenched his fists. Kenji just cracked his knuckles with a smirk.

Mika looked up from Miyuki’s shoulder, eyes wide in disbelief.