A rainy day, a cloudy afternoon, loud promising voices overtook Kumai's Ramen Shop. The one that never lost his faith (Murayama), the one that trusts his students (Yusuke) and the last one that returned after so long (Ryusuke) gathered to talk about the last events that took place. It has only been a week after the random attacks from the Elite school students had stopped. And other issues rose around Oya High. Only this time, no one was attacking Oya High. This time it was Oya High attacking (or at least so it was said).

"How many times do I need to explain it!" Oya High Leader uttered. Those few weeks he had enough of the new teacher. Murayama had even forgotten, that they had teachers. Oya High wasn't like all the other high schools. Oya High was a place were the national den for Yankees* (who claimed a good academic background) gathered. They all wanted to scout a better place and level up. The most heinous high school where leaders nationwide gathered there. But the new teacher didn't care about that fact. He was there to teach, and trust his students. "We aren't like the rest High Schools. If you want to teach there are full-time students. No teacher dared to cross inside our territory." he went on explaining.

The Oya High Leader sat with his legs wide open as he was swinging the chair. Next to him sat Yusuke (Yankumi's son & the new teacher), he heard everything that Murayama told him so many times. Though he never agreed with him. "The principal told me, that I am class 3-D's home teacher. And I am here to teach you guys. If you want to train, or anything else, you can do that. But that doesn't mean that I will not teach." Yusuke explained again causing the leader of Oya high to get in shock once again.

"Anyway, that's not what we were talking about. The main issue is those students you said you saw with Oya High uniform, attacking people. Where you sure it was from our school?" Murayama asked him really concerned. Oya High was bad news indeed, but they never attacked randomly. Maybe they fought a lot. But it was with each other, and mostly inside the school. And they did it only for the rang. And with Murayama as their leader, a lot had changed.

"I was with Yusuke when we saw it clearly, they were surely wearing Oya High's uniforms." Ryusuke (Old friend of Yusuke and Kira) said. Then he went on to eat his ramen. When he, Yusuke and Kira were younger they were always eating at Kumai's shop. He had missed the flavor of Kumai's Ramen.

"Though my guys swear they didn't attack anyone recently. You know lately, we were looking to find who was behind those random attacks. And then we had to deal with our new 'Home Teacher' there was no time to do anything else." he clarified.

Yusuke nodded "I heard them saying that indeed. Then who would it be?"

Kumai, who was serving ramen interfered "Maybe someone is trying to frame you guys. It happened to us too, when we were in High School. Yusuke your mother helped us out back then."

"Yes, Yes I did. Umaira (Guys), you did also your best to find the real culprit behind it. I was so proud of you. I still am." Yamaguchi cheered as he ruffled Kuma hair. The rest of them froze as she appeared from nowhere (as Yankumi always would).

"Mom doesn't do that. You cannot keep appearing like that." Yusuke scolded her. All those years neither he or the others have ever found out, how Yankumi managed to do that.

Yankumi, on her hyper proud mood, ruffled then Yusuke's hair "I am so proud of you too. Eating with your students. That means you are close already."

"Far from that..." Yusuke mumbled. Although Yusuke as a teacher was like Yankumi, only he never overdid, as she used to.

"Yankumi is like that." Kumai said and laughed as "All those years she never changed."

"Yes even when she was our teacher." said Ryusuke "We were really hard to deal with back then. But she found her way."

"Yankumi has that. And believe me, I was her first student. She trusted her students in a way no other teacher did." Kumai told them with a smile on his face. He was really so moved by Yankumi. All those years and Yankumi was still around helping him.

Ryusuke nodded "Yusuke is like that too. So, Murayama, I don't think you guys can escape!"

Oya high's Leader gave them a fast glance. He has seen Yusuke's intense and eager enjoyment to teach them. "We already know that" he admitted.

Kumai laughed "But what you guys missed, was Yankumi single. And whenever a man was walking with her, we were in shock." Kumai mocked her.

"Yankumi with a man right!" Ryusuke let the tease continue "You don't know our shook when we found out she was married. Yankumi married!"

They all started laughing. Only Kumiko wasn't. Her eyes were already fired up and she was on her Yakuza mood. "You dear to make fun of me. Come out I will fight you all!" she yelled glaring at them. Kumai and Ryusuke hid while Yusuke grabbed his mother's arm trying to prevent her from attacking them. Murayama laughed too, they surely looked silly. But he was sure what he had just witnessed, he had seen it before.

"Just calm down. They're only kidding," said Kira. Thankfully, she didn't appear as suddenly as Kumiko did. She unexpectedly showed up. She walked over and sat with everyone.

Yankumi dropped it and stepped back. "Okay, but they were asking for it." she said and smiled at her daughter.

"Murayama, why are you here?" Kira asked when she noticed that he was with the others.

"I would ask the same. But I can guess you, Yusuke and everyone's teachers here are somehow related," he responded.

"Ah! True Aniki (Brother) said that he was teaching in Oya High. Well, Yusuke is my brother, and the 'everyone teacher' is my mom!" Kira explained.

"I am Yamaguchi Kumiko, you can call me Yankumi. Nice to meet you!" Kumiko introduced herself randomly.

"I see. Her reaction seemed familiar." disclosed Murayama. He was sure he had heard those words before.

"Why? did Yusuke used them?" Ryusuke asked wanting to make some fun of his friend. He knew of course that Yusuke never really spoke like that. But he hasn't seen him for a few years. Maybe now since he is a teacher, he would start to look more than Yankumi.

"No, It wasn't him." the Oya High Leader pointed at Kira "It was her." Kira signed him to shush. After all, no one ever saw Kira speak like that. Her wild persona was never really shown around her home and friends. Since she never acted like a reckless person, as she did lately when she was around the Sannoh district.

"Ki-chan.. are you sure? Kira, always speaks softly. Even when she is mad." Ryusuke revealed. And the rest agreed.

Murayama, understood that Kira was hiding things. But it was not his place to judge her. "I was wrong," he told them. Although, Yusuke was sure that Kira was hiding something.

"Of course you were." Ryusuke smiled he knew Kira was so many years, as well as he knew Yusuke. Kira, even if she was spoiled, and her reactions could be odd. She was not a violent person.

Kira dying to change the conversation "But, why are you here Murayama?" she asked again.

"Well, people from Oya High have been accused to attack people. Though it was no one from our school." the leader of Oya High reported.

"Don't you guys talk about those issues with Cobra, or the other leaders?" Kira noted.

Murayama agreed on that, they always talked things through with Cobra and the others, "We lately do that. But the issue was that the attacks took place in Sannoh district."

"Eh?" Kira confused faced Murayama "Isn't that one more reason to contact Cobra?"

"If you asked us a day ago we thought it was only rumored. But Yusuke and his friend here saw them. Or saw few guys wearing the Oya High uniform. I wanted first to know about that, before seeing Cobra." he admitted. The discussion had turned serious. Yankumi and the rest listened to them. Certainly, they were puzzled. How would Kira, know so many details. And why would the Leader of Oya High take her so serious?

"What is with all the attacks. First those Elite students. And now you guys getting framed?" Kira quizzed as she rubbed her head.

"What makes you so sure they are framed? Maybe it's them?" Ruysuke alleged. Whenever he saw Kira at work, he reminded him of the Kira he always knew. But, the Kira he was facing now, and at the Itokan Diner seemed so different.

"Oya High aren't like that. Even, before Murayama became their leader. They surely were Yankees but they never attacked randomly. And attack around the Sannoh district, right now. It's not possible." Kira declared. She knew all the stories from Naomi. Even if she acted irresponsibly around her neverland. She knew the people. She could trust them.

"You surely know a lot about them Ki-chan!" Ryusuke said sadly. He was not sure if the person he one's knew was the same. Yusuke was sure that Kira started something. But Kumai's store wasn't the right place to talk about it.

"Kira... why do you know so many things?" Yankumi asked her daughter. She had just noticed that her daughter knew details, about things she never thought. Kira was always interested in art, fashion and other girly things. Of course, she knew she spent many hours training. But Kumiko never (ever) had seen her daughter taking place about gang-related matters.

"From Naomi, do you guys ever listen. Naomi always told me about things that happened around her parts." Kira said honestly.

An hour later, Kira and Murayama managed to escape from Kumai's shop. They needed both to reach the Sannoh district. Kira, to help Naomi as she had promised. And Murayama to speak with Cobra about the latest attacks. But they didn't know what they would face at Itokan Diner. How things could turn only in one evening no one really knew.

---

Meanwhile, at Itokan Diner...

Ken and Hikaru walked into the store all bruised. They had been attacked and they went to inform Cobra and the others. This week few of the Hoodlum Squad members were ambushed and beaten. But they didn't say anything, because they had not noticed the attackers. But today Ken and Hikaru saw who beat them up so badly.

Yamato stood up helping Ken to sit "What happened to you guys?" he asked really worried. Tettsu (Hoodlum Squad Tettsu) grabbed Hikaru before he lost his balance.

"Oi, who did that?" Cobra asked with a dark aura surrounding him. He edged his body closer to his knees as his hands pressed against them. But neither Ken or Hikaru knew how to explain what they saw.

"We were randomly attacked." explained Ken as he slowly leaned his back "They come. Beat us and left."

"Just like that? with no reason?" asked Den.

Hikaru nodded "Yes, just like that."

"Then who was it?" asked Tettsu, he as well as Cobra wanted to know who would dear to attack so cowardly against their friends.

"Oya High" murmured Hikaru getting everyone's attention.

Cobra stood up and stepped closer to them "Oya High?" he asked confused. It made no sense, why would Oya high attacked them.

"It was at Oya High. Surely." Ken added shaking his head.

"Maybe someone is trying to frame them?" Chiharu thought loudly.

"You don't get it. It was not that unknown guys from Oya High attacked us. It was Todoroki, Tsuji, and Shibaman." Ken made it clear.

"Todoroki? He is new with Oya High, but he would never cross the line!" Yamato told them more than sure. Everyone was baffled. Why would Oya High's main member go under attack? They would never do something like that.

"There is something more that we may not know yet! I have to talk to Murayama." Cobra voiced as his deadly gaze spaced out.

---

Same Time at Oya High...

Todoroki, Tsuji, and Shibaman were under a big fight with Furuya and Seki. It was Seki that come face to face with them when they attacked Ken and Hikaru. They were more confused than the Sannoh Rengokai was.

"Todoroki, did you know what you just did. Why would you attack members from the Sannoh Rengokai? Haven't you guys learned already? We were through hell." Seki came down on them really pissed. But neither of them had anything to say. Their faces were pale like they were sick. They look horrified, that confused Furuya and Seki more.

"If Murayama finds out you good as dead!" Furuya added "You better come clean now. Why the attacks?"

Todoroki sighted, he wasn't sure if he should tell them the truth. But nothing good would come if he would not explain at least to his teammates what had happened. "We had to attack them." he mumbled.

"You had to.. what do you mean?" asked Seki.

"Our guys were held by a gang. If we didn't do as asked they would kill them!" Shibama honestly told them.

"Huh? Kill them? Who?" Furuya yelled at them "Are you guys trying to confuse us?"

"No, nothing like that. We don't know who they are. It was a gang with men dressed in black, and metallic blue sparkling masks. They had guns. If we didn't do as we were told, our guys were in danger. What would we suppose to do?" Tsuji asked really scared.

"Contact Murayama or us." Seki advised them.

"We didn't have time." Todoroki made it clear "Those guys were not playing around. We had an hour, or they would shoot."

"What makes you so sure they would? Maybe it was only a prank?" Furuya questioned.

"Because they had already hit one of them. What should I do? See him die?" Todoroki uttered loudly.

"We have to tell Murayama about that." Seki told them. But Furuya ensured him that he had already informed him. And that he is heading to meet with Cobra.

---

When Kira and Murayama entered into the Itokan Diner, nothing looked promising. If they didn't know the leader of Oya high, and how he dealt with things, they would already attack him. But they first had to find out what was going on.

"Oi! Does Murayama explain? What is with all the attacks?" Cobra asked him deadly serious. He didn't wait, he wanted to know why on earth three main members of Oya high attacked his guys.

"It was you guys right?" Yamato asked, as Kira by-passed them and walked behind the counter. At least she knew things seemed serious this time, and she didn't went do anything reckless. At least not at that time. Although, she and Cobra exchanged a few odd gazes. After all it a few days ago they ended up married. And things between them were still not quite well.

The leader of the Oya High nodded "Yes. Furuya contacted me right now. I didn't know my guys were behind it. You need to give me some time and talk to them. Cobra, can you trust me with this. They had their reasons."

Cobra glared at Murayama, but he knew it well. That the leader of Oya High would never lie. "Alright. But fill us in soon. And make sure, there will be no other attacks. If you guys do these again, then I cannot promise anything."

Murayama nodded, he waved goodbye at Kira and walked out. He was facing a bigger deal at the moment. Those guys could blackmail them again. And what could he really do? Choosing between having his guys killed or attacking someone. He would do the same as Todoroki, Tsuji, and Shibaman did. He had to find out who those men were.

A stiff breeze and hence a high windchill pierced through Hoodlum Squad's Leader. He could tell there was more to the story. Murayama seemed troubled enough. And to mention Kira, who was far from her reckless self. Cobra shifted his body and stood up. He signaled Kira to follow him outside. "Kira, Let's talk!" he spoke and walked outside. Everyone (including Kira) gazed at him dazed.

Kira simply agreed and followed him outside. Cobra leaned against his bike, which was parked a few steps away from Itokan diner. She stopped only a few inches away from him. Dressed as a girl. With her long black hair waving against the night wind. Her big eyes gazing at him deeply. Then she cracked a light smile at him. Like she noticed something.

"What's with the smile?" Cobra asked her. Maybe it was the first time he spotted her smiling like that.

She took a deep breath and explained: "You called me Kira."

Cobra blinked once confused. When his mind was troubled with important data he could by-pass little things. "So? Isn't that your name?" he ironic answered her back.

Kira nodded still with the same smile on her sakura colored lips "It is. But you always call me 'punk' or 'that punk'. It's the first time you actually call me with my name."

And she was right. Since the first day Cobra and he met, he always called her 'punk'. Even in his thoughts, he never used her name. But today it was different. She wasn't at all like that punk. She wasn't reckless at all. She didn't overdo anything. She acted more like a member of the Hoodlum Squad than that spoiled punk.

"What did you want to talk about?" Kira asked him.

"You were with Murayama when he found out it was his guys, the ones that attacked Ken and Hikaru?" Cobra asked her.

Kira was a bit surprised "Eh... Yup, I was with him." she honestly answered him.

Cobra was sure the was more to the story. "Then, why did they attack?" Cobra went on asking her.

Kira gave him a quick glance and then dropped her gaze. She wasn't sure how to tell him these, but she surely would make him mad again. "I know. They had a reason." Kira responded.

Cobra waited "Which is?"

"I cannot tell you.." she mumbled still staring at the ground. Kira could be reckless lately, she could be spoiled. But she would never tell on a friend. She knew that Murayama needed to figure out things. And surely he would inform the other leaders.

Cobra gave her an angry stare, while lightly punching her shoulder. "What you mean you can't tell me? You don't trust us?"

"No, no!" she shook her head "It's not that."

"Then? Why?" Cobra asked her again losing his patient slowly.

"Something caused them to do the attack. Murayama asked you some time to deal with it. So let him. He should be the one tell you. I cannot just gossip what I heard. It's not right!" Kira uttered as she lifted her eyes.

Cobra tilted his head aside and a smirk stretched across his face thinking 'that punk' has some good point after all' He tapped her shoulder and walked inside not telling her anything else. If he was covering for a stranger, he would get mad. Like he did when Yamato covered for Chiharu. But after all, they have gone through at least he could tell, that Kira was right at this point.

(( upcoming chapter ~ Act 11 ~ ))

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Note:

Yankee, despite the American meaning, means a juvenile delinquent or gang member when used in Japan.