Chapter 53:

Side Story - The (Former) Strongest Delinquent & The Blonde Devil (2)

The Pride of A Banchou


When my consciousness came back to me, I slowly opened my eyes. The ceiling of the classroom was the first thing that I saw. I groaned as my head throbbed in pain, as if I’d just been hit with a blunt object.

Wait…I did get hit, right?” I froze when I recalled my last memory.

“Ah, you’re awake, Senpai?”

The cheerful voice that rang next to my ear startled me. I slowly turned my head, finally realizing that my head was resting on something soft and comfortable.

“K-Kagura…Sakuya…” I muttered when I came face to face with her.

To be exact, I was facing her stomach, since my head was lying on her lap.

“Oh, good, you still remember everything.” Sakuya sighed in relief. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you claim that you don’t remember losing the fight.”

The warm and soft sensation on my head was proving to be too much for my self control, so I quickly sat up. I ignored the increasing ache at the back of my head as I properly sat facing Sakuya.

“There’s no way I’ll do such a dishonorable thing.” I refuted sternly.

“I know. Mikado Ouji isn’t the type of person to do that.” Sakuya agreed with a slight smile on her lips.

“As promised before, I’ll become yours. However!” I quickly added before she could speak up. “Please allow me to challenge you to a rematch! I always wanted to fight someone as strong as you, so please let me do that! I’ll do whatever you want in exchange, so please…!”

“Ahh, I get it.” Sakuya lifted her hand to stop my desperate pleas. “I already got it, so you don’t have to be so desperate, Senpai. I’ll gladly be your opponent again, however…” Her lips curled into a sly smirk. “…you’ll have to follow my order every time you lose, is it okay?”

At that time, I nodded without thinking too much. But when I looked back, I realized that it was the turning point of my life. Meeting her was the encounter that changed my whole life.

After she won against me, Sakuya decided to use the empty classroom as her base of operation. Everyday after school, she’d show up in the classroom without fail, always bringing a new delinquent that she’d subjugated with her. Then I’d challenge her to a fight, in which she’d easily trounce me.

“…it’s my loss, Kagura-san.” I knelt in front of the petite girl after my first rematch, unashamedly announcing my defeat. I ignored the wide-eyed delinquent that Sakuya brought with her.

“Hmm…that means I get to give you an order, huh? What should I have you do?” Sakuya muttered with ominous smile on her face.

Her smile gave me chills, but a deal was a deal. I had already prepared myself to do whatever she wanted me to do, no matter how shameful—

“Then, take care of this kid, will you?”

“Huh?”

I was dumbstruck by her irresponsible words. I reflexively looked toward Sakuya, who pushed the delinquent at me.

“You can train him, bully him, or do whatever you want with him.” Sakuya continued, without caring about the delinquent’s whitening face. “Just make him useful.”

“I…I understand.” I stammered, even though I understood nothing.

“Well then, I have other things to do, so I’ll drop by again later. Take care of your junior properly, okay?” Sakuya casually waltzed out of the classroom.

The two of us who had been left behind exchanged awkward glances. None of us knew what to do with the other.

“…your name?” After a long silence, I took the first step.

“K-Kazu.” The delinquent muttered.

“Since Kagura-san asked me to make you useful…” I stepped forward while cracking my knuckles, making Kazu took an involuntary step back. “…I’ll train you until you’re useful enough.”

Later, when Sakuya came back to check in on us, she chewed me out for training Kazu too harshly. To be honest, I had no idea how to coach someone else, since I always trained on my own. For the first time, I realized that not everyone had the same capability as me.

As Sakuya brought more and more subordinates to the classroom, I gradually learned how to see other people’s limits and trained them accordingly. It made me understand that everyone had their own strength and weakness. Kazu, who wasn’t as physically powerful as me, was a more charismatic person than me. It took him no time at all to get close with and be admired by the other delinquents as the senior subordinate of Sakuya.

Lately, I’d been so busy taking care of my juniors that I didn’t have the time to challenge Sakuya to a fight. On the hindsight, perhaps this was what Sakuya had been aiming this whole time. But strangely, I found that spending time with other delinquents was just as rewarding as fighting against strong opponent.

If it was Sakuya, then perhaps…she could give me the answer I was looking for this whole time.

*****

Ding-dong.

The moment the last bell rang, I stood up from my seat and raced through the empty hallway toward the first-years classrooms. I managed to reach that place before the first-years flooded out of their classes. I waited patiently outside the door, making sure that I wasn’t blocking the traffic.

The first-years walked past me without sparing a glance, even though they were too terrified to go anywhere near me at first. But since I’d been doing this for few weeks already, they slowly got used to me. Humans were more resilient than they looked after all.

“Ah, there you are, Ouji.” Sakuya greeted me when she walked out of her class. She’d insisted that she didn’t need to be picked up from class everyday, but in the end, my stubbornness won.

“Good afternoon, Kagura-san. How was your class today?” I walked next to her, making sure to adjust my walking pace with hers. Sakuya could move fast if she wanted, but she rarely saw the need to do so.

“Mm…it was quite boring, to be honest. There’s nothing new to learn…” Sakuya held back a yawn as she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

“As expected of Kagura-san.” I praised her unhesitatingly. “Speaking of which, today I have a bit of free time. Kagura-san, won’t you fight—?”

Kyaaa!!!”

Both of us halted our steps when we heard a scream at the end of the hallway. All of the students nearby also turned their head with piqued curiosity. The source of the commotion was a first-year female student, who was cowering as third-year male delinquents surrounded her.

“Ha?! Why would you scream?! It hurts my ear, dammit!”

“It’s useless anyway! Even if you scream, no one will come to save you!”

“Listen, we’re not asking much here. We just want you to hang out with us, how hard can it be? Hmm?”

The first-year girl was trembling as her eyes darted everywhere, silently begging for help. But none of the students dared to meet her eyes. They all turned away, pretending that they never saw the commotion.

“H-Help…” She whispered desperately, but her small voice never reached anywhere.

“Ugh, stop acting like we’re going to attack you! We just want to hang out, which part of it is so hard to understand?!”

One of the delinquents ran out of patience and seized the girl’s wrist roughly, making her wince in pain.

I clicked my tongue in disgust before turning away. “Such boorish people. Kagura-san, let’s hurry and go—”

My voice halted when I realized that the petite girl next to me was already gone. I turned around and saw her dashing through the hallway, before kicking the ground powerfully to execute a beautiful heel drop on the delinquent.

“Wha—?!”

Before the other delinquents could react, Sakuya’s fist moved as fast as lightning and neatly took care of them.

In the time I took to blink, all those delinquents were already lying unconscious on the floor.

“Are you alright?” Sakuya turned toward the first-year girl.

She stared blankly at Sakuya, as if she couldn’t believe the sight before her.

“It’s okay, they won’t dare to bother you anymore.” Sakuya grinned fiercely and reassured the girl. “I’ll personally make sure that they won’t be able to bother anyone again.”

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes when Sakuya’s words sunk into her mind. “Th-Thank you…very much…Kagura-san.” She said between her sobs.

I walked toward them as Sakuya comforted the crying girl. While waiting for the girl to calm down, I decided to dispose—move the unconscious delinquents outside the school. They might get severe bruises tomorrow, but I couldn’t care less. It was their own fault for forcing themselves on an unwilling girl and provoking Sakuya’s wrath.

When I came back from cleaning the trashes, the first-year girl already left. Sakuya remained standing alone, her face set in a hard expression as if she couldn’t forgive those delinquents.

“Kagura-san.” I called out to her, and her expression finally mellowed out.

“Oh, Ouji. Are you finished? Thanks for taking care of it.” Sakuya replied.

She was about to walk away, but my question put her to a complete stop.

“Kagura-san, I don’t understand. Why did you bother to help the girl?”

“Huh? Isn’t that obvious?” Sakuya whirled around to face me. “There’s no way I can just stand by and watch the strong oppressing the weak just because they have the strength to do so.”

I tilted my head. “But that’s just natural.” I argued. “It’s normal for the strong to devour the weak. That’s how we survived—”

“THAT’S WRONG!!!”

I was taken aback by Sakuya’s sudden outburst. I’d never seen her raised her voice at anyone, no matter how angry she was. Her hands were clenched into a fist as she glared hatefully at me. But strangely, it felt like she was glaring at someone who wasn’t me.

“If that’s what you really believed in, then your prided strength is meaningless!”

That sentence hit me in the guts like a punch. I stared wide-eyed at Sakuya, unable to ask how did she know the question that was bothering me all this time.

“The strong has the responsibility to protect the weak! That is how our society survives! If you let your strength get into your head, you’ll just be poisoned by that very strength! Ouji, don’t ever let yourself be blinded by that!”

Sakuya panted after yelling all of that. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment, but her vivid ruby eyes never wavered. That sight of her moved me to the core, so much that my body acted on my instinct.

I dropped to my knee and held Sakuya’s hand reverently, like a knight to a noble lady.

“W-What? Ouji—”

“Kagura-san, please…please let me stay by your side.” I whispered whole-heartedly. “I’ll do anything you ask and be anything you want. Even if you ask me to be your servant, your slave, or even your dog, I’ll do it. Just…please let me stay with you forever.”

For a moment, there was only silence. I directed my heated gaze toward Sakuya, who kept opening and closing her mouth as if she couldn’t decide what to say.

Finally, she broke out into laughter.

“Aah…you’re completely serious, aren’t you?” Sakuya gazed at me fondly, as if she was looking at a cute puppy begging for her attention.

“Yes, Kagura-san. Please allow me to be by your side.” I affirmed.

Sakuya laughed again. “Alright, I don’t really understand why you suddenly acted like this, but I’ll accept your devotion. Since you’ve sworn your loyalty, then I should reward you, right? How about a nickname—Pochi?” She looked at me mischievously.

She might expect that I’d decline such shameful nickname, but for me, it was a precious name and proof of trust that she had for me.

“Yes, it will be fine.” I smiled widely. “I shall be your Pochi from this day onward. Please take care of me, Kagura-san.”

*****

Later on, after Ouji told his story to Ryuu when they were reunited, he added that his nickname came from Sakuya’s pet dogs back when she was still a child.

“Hee…so she used to have pet dogs…how cute.” Ryuu remarked light-heartedly. Then he stumbled upon a realization. “Hm…wait. Pet dogs? Since when did the Kagura Family have cute pet dogs? Don’t tell me…!” He looked at Ouji accusingly.

“Yeah, did I not tell you? She used to raise hunting dogs like the ones used by the police.” Ouji replied casually.

Ryuu massaged his temples as he sighed in exasperation. “I knew it…this family is never a normal one after all!”

“Then, I guess it’s my turn?” Hiiro interjected while smiling mischievously. “The day I first met Sakuya-chan…”