In the span of a week, the men of Horikawa Gakuen have turned into saps.

Every morning, a number of them line up the school entrance to greet three female freshmen and during lunch time, they fall over themselves just to gather in front of Class 1-C’s door, hoping to get a glimpse of Mizushima, Nakahara, and Yamaguchi.

This irritates Kamenashi Kazuya, who has yet to see any of the girls, but has witnessed over the days countless number of men fumbling over themselves JUST FOR THESE GIRLS.

Today, he almost bites Kei’s head off during morning reporting.

“No one needs to know how many boys turned up to greet your Goddesses," he sneers.

“Gomen Kazuya-san," Kei immediately bows.

“And none of us need to know how many turn up to watch them eat lunch. THOSE ARE NOT IMPORTANT. You do not need to continue reporting it.”

Jin sits up from the couch and lets out a sigh. He normally never wakes up during Kei’s reports. “Kazuya-san, we told Kei to report all of the students’ movements. It might irritate you but he is only doing his job.”

Tomohisa lifts his head from the game of cards he and Shun are playing and signals for Kei to step out of the student council room.

Kei bows to all of them before leaving.

“You really can’t blame the boys. Those three do look like Goddesses especially compared to all the girls we have in school.”

The King of the West, so far, is the only one among them who has seen the much talked about ladies.

Jin normally does not go anywhere else in the school other than the council room.

Kazuya is the same.

And Shun, although he likes going around the school like Tomohisa, only passes through the freshman hallway but does not linger.

“I hate stupidity in any form.”

“Well, high school boys are an endless well of stupidity, Kazuya-san. You should have entered an all-girls school," Shun replies with a smirk.

Tomohisa’s eyes lights up with mischief. “Or you could take a look at them and see what all the fuss is about.”

Kazuya shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t need to and most certainly do not want to see them.”

“How about you Jin?”

“I’ll see them soon enough, Shun," their unofficial leader declares, “Because Kazuya here does not want to see them AT ALL, he’s assigned me to tail them on their way home.”

Before the start of the school year, Kazuya compiled a dossier on all Horikawa students. Yamaguchi, Nakahara, and Mizushima were late enrollees, thus, he had not been able to have them investigated prior to the opening of classes.

The dossier contains everything vital – physical description, pictures, address, normal route to school and route going home, friends and associates, and everything Kazuya deems important.

It has come in handy in recognizing red flags and people they need to watch out for.

“Let me know when this happens. I just might join you.”

“Whatever for Shun-kun?”

The King of the South grins. “Who knows Tomo-san? I just might vex Kazuya-san enough when I become “stupid” that he will finally fight me.”

Kazuya rolls his eyes and turns back to reading.

This makes Shun’s smile widen.

The two of them have never had the opportunity to face off. The King of the South wonders whether the other man’s fighting style is as precise as his way of thinking. It will be glorious to mess with.

 

***

 

Yoritaka Jun is now convinced that Nakahara and Mizushima are more like bodyguards to Yamaguchi than friends.

He’s seen enough in his years of teaching to note the protectiveness and hawk-like observation skills both women have, no matter how they try to hide it.

And just as he watches them walk home from the faculty office’s window, he notes how the other two always position themselves on both of Yamaguchi’s sides.

He wonders for the nth time who they actually are and what they’re doing in a school like Horikawa.

They all are as intelligent as that Kamenashi Kazuya (Nakahara Kazuko may even contend for being more intelligent while Yamaguchi Mao has displayed a mastery of English that can rival even his), their manners belong to that of girls who come from high-class families, and even though he does not want to be superficial, it is difficult to deny the beauty they all possess.

Of course, he’s happy to have them in class because never before has he actually been able to use his lesson plan the way he is using them now, but still, he cannot help his curiosity.

After all, such precious students must be given utmost care to give them shining futures.

He only hopes he can be instrumental in their growth.

 

***

 

Toda Makoto is like a doll, but not in a good way.

She is as small and fragile as one and when she and her mother knew they had no choice but enroll her to Horikawa, a week went by before the opening of classes that she could not sleep.

The school is notorious.

But then she learned that her middle school crush, Akanishi Jin, was entering the same school and somehow, even though the boy most probably knew close to nothing about her, there was a sense of relief.

“So is this Akanishi Jin really that strong?" Kazuko asks her as they walk home.

She nods enthusiastically. “He’s a legend Kazuko-san. It actually impresses me that you do not know about him.”

“We were homeschooled, Makoto-san," the other girl drops casually. “And we never really interacted much with other people.”

“Oh…”

Well that certainly explains a lot of things. Makoto thinks.

“Akanishi Jin-san went to the same middle school I did," she continues, “Even when we were younger, he was infamous for always being involved in fights. Our school just never could kick him out because he had good grades. I don’t know how he even studied to constantly end up in our top ten list.”

“So, is it true he has never lost a fight?”

“That’s what they say but it wouldn’t be surprising," she finds herself smiling. “I saw him fight once. He is just… really, really strong.”

“You saw him fight?" Ran pipes up from her left.

Makoto nods. “Well, I was bullied back in middle school once by this group of boys from our neighbor school. I guess because I am really small, it may be fun to think of playing with me. Akanishi Jin-san just came out of nowhere even before I had screamed for help and without a word, kicked everyone down.”

She remembered cowering in fear. She was already too far from school to run back and too far from home to safely escape.

As she prepared to scream for help, a shadow fell in front of her and there stood Akanishi Jin, looking annoyed.

The other boys taunted him but he did not say a word.

As soon as one of the boys stepped in to punch him, he responded with a well-placed body kick, breaking the ribs of his opponent and sending him flying off five meters away.

When the others attacked him, he just kicked each of them with the ease of someone stepping on cockroaches.

Makoto clearly remembered how he didn’t even break a sweat.

“How about these other Kings? What do you know of them?”

That makes her pause.

Of course, she’s heard a lot about the other Kings even before school started.

High school group chats and forums online are littered with discussions about them.

And during the opening ceremony, they were introduced as class representatives.

A chill had enveloped the whole school when Kamenashi Kazuya wished everyone a good school year as long as they followed the rules.

“Well, Kamenashi Kazuya broke the record for the highest entrance exams score in Horikawa. As you know, Kazuko-san, they gave him the title King of the East. No one knows much except that he came from an exclusive middle school. It is said that he once fought a local gang all by himself in Shibuya. People speculate he must have been kicked out of his school because of that violent episode, hence, he had no choice but to go here.”

“And then Yamaa Tomohisa, I know of him because he came from one of our neighboring schools. Rumor has it that he is the only one who ever came close to beating Akanishi Jin before. He likes to play pranks on people, though, and he apparently managed to scam a group of swindlers in 10th grade. Come to think of it, you might have noticed him when we were on our way out of school during our first day. He was the guy sitting on the railings. He had a leather jacket on.”

“The one who was looking at the wall?" Ran asks.

“Yes. That’s Yamaa Tomohisa.”

The tallest woman shrugs. “He didn’t look scary.”

“But you have to still be careful of him if you ever encounter him," she warns. “He wouldn’t be a King without a reason. All of Horikawa’s Kings are the strongest fighters of their generation.”

“How about the last one? The one they call the King of the South?”

Makoto bites on her lip before answering, wondering how she could phrase what she has heard of Oguri Shun. None of it was good. “Oguri Shun-san is apparently Yamaa-san’s best friend. They also went to the same middle school. From what I have read, it seems he is quite cruel. He put a group of juveniles in coma in a fight once. And they say that when he starts to fight, nothing can really stop him, much like a rampaging bull.”

Kazuko raises a brow. “A rampaging bull?”

She nods. “That’s how they often describe him but I have only ever seen Akanishi Jin-san fight between the four of them. I cannot confirm anything of what I have read about the other three.”

“Who chose them as Kings?”

“The former Kings.”

“How were they chosen?”

“During their senior year, the Kings choose incoming freshmen from other schools who can replace them. They say the Kings send an invitation to fight to see how worthy a possible replacement is. A new King must beat the former King in a fight to be chosen," she then looks around her before saying in a whisper, “Akanishi Jin actually beat all four Kings during the fight they invited him to. It is said he’s the one who chose what position he will take amongst the four.”

“They’re all Kings. Doesn’t that mean they are all equal in power?" It’s Mao who now asks, for the very first time.

“The King of the North is the unofficial leader of the Kings. What he says is law, even amongst them.”

“Somehow it still sounds so stupid," Kazuko utters in contempt. “They are only high school students. What do they know of true strength and actually being Kings?”

“Well, we ourselves are high school students, Kazuko-san," Mao replies. “Who is to say that anyone at all at this age really knows about true strength?”

Makoto misses the undercurrent in the discussion between her friends because the sight of the bakery she works part-time for distracted her. “Oh! The bakery is here already!" she announces before looking up at the other three girls. “I will see you at school tomorrow?”

Ran, always cheerful, nods. “We’ll be waiting for you at the gates. Don’t be late!”

 

***

 

Rumors have a funny way of circulating.

As news of the Goddesses swirl around Horikawa, it starts to spill over other schools too, including Ryogoku, an all-boys rival school.

“I’ve seen the picture!” Hino Yuichi, a sophomore at Ryogoku informs his classmates. “And they really look like Goddesses!”

“HOW CAN THOSE ANIMALS ATTRACT SUCH HIGH CLASS GIRLS?!?!" Nishizaka Kaii, one of the strongest fighters in the school, almost flips over his seat in indignation.

It’s beyond unacceptable.

Horikawa, that nest of hideous beasts, have no right to such beauties.

“We should visit these Goddesses for them to know real men," Yuichi eggs son.

“I agree," Kaii affirms, full in his conviction. “We will pay them a visit tomorrow. Let’s see if they continue to fuss about their supposed Kings!”

 

******

 

Ueda Kaede first taught Mao to fight when she was five years old.

At the time, she had been studying ballet for a year due to her mother’s persuasion, but she was quite excited to start learning Aikido.

Cherished by her parents, he had worried how she would fare but looking back, it seemed stupid to even have doubts.

She is the daughter of Yamaguchi Nobunaga, the man whose strength is that of a hundred lions - of course, she would be a natural fighter.

And indeed, earning her black belt in Aikido at the age of seven and dropping all thought of ballet from her head, the future Family Boss has proven time and again how worthy she is as a successor.

“Did I hurt you, Kaede-sensei?" she asks in concern now, kneeling beside him.

They are sparring and because of his carelessness, he has been thrown fifteen feet up in the air, landing unevenly on the other end of the training mat.

“You always do," he answers with a smile, allowing her to help him up. “Although I must admit I was a little distracted.”

“Distracted?”

“Ran told me about these four boys in your school who are called Kings.”

Mao smiles. “Do not worry about them Sensei. No one will ever find out about us. And even if they do, I doubt they would be strong enough to defeat us. They are high school boys.”

“But they are strong?”

“I have not seen it for myself but their reputation precedes them. Still, you know that unless I see it, I won’t believe it.”

“Reputations tied to strength are rarely untrue. Sometimes they might be overemphasized, sometimes they might be deemphasized. But at most, they are true.”

Kaede stands up again and poses in his fighting stance.

“Again, Sensei, please do not worry about their strength," Mao follows suit and returns to her fighting stance. “I do not worry about it because I do not plan in engaging them or anything of the like. I promised you I will keep a low profile throughout these three years and I will do just that. All I want is to be a normal high school student.”

“Mao-san, indeed you are strong BUT you are also young. Do you not know that such strength incites challenge? Challenge incites conflict. And conflict… breeds catastrophe.*”

“We will be careful to not be involved in any “catastrophe” that might come from them or for them.”

Kaede extends a hand to disarm her right side. “That is, if you even have a choice.”

She sidesteps and counters his attack with a punch to the rib.

He catches her hand and pushes her forward so he can kick her.

Mao quickly turns to control the direction she is moving and create some distance from him.

“Truly Sensei, it does not matter. I will do everything I can to ensure that Ran, Kazuko, and I do not get involved in any form of fighting or high school gang wars.”

Kaede tries to grab her leg but she quickly grabs his arm instead.

“You put too much store in your will and that is admirable. But sometimes there are mountains that even YOU cannot move.”

He gives in to the force of her attack and manages to hit her square in the chest.

Her eyes glints in recognition of HER carelessness.

“We shall see Kaede-sensei," she declares as she hits him back, “I have yet to see a mountain I cannot move.”

 

***

 

Akanishi Jin is curious.

While everyone else revels in their beauty, he wonders quite a lot of things.

One, how did “these” girls climb over a ten-feet gate when they were supposedly late for school during their first day? Two, how could Kei be sent off flying against a corridor wall when he bumped into one of them? Three, why would they choose to study in Horikawa when none of them look like they need the scholarship that the school offers for girls? And four, why are they always together? No one ever sees any of them apart from the other.

When he and Kazuya talked about it, they both felt suspicious.

All home-schooled, registered to one address, and looking as out of place as Shun would be in a sunflower field, something is terribly “off” about these so-called “Goddesses”.

“Maybe we should go to class just to see them," he remembers suggesting.

“I think it would be better for us to know more about them before we even observe them up close," Kazuya responds. “I hate being unprepared.”

And now here he is, tailing them on their way home.

And while the itch of suspicion would not go away, he also agrees with what Tomohisa has been telling them.

These girls they were calling Goddesses are indeed pretty – no wait – pretty is such a depthless word.

They are more than pretty actually.

They are unnervingly beautiful – the kind that you know is more than surface-deep.

It is Nakahara Kazuko that he first saw coming out of the gates. Genpaku’s descriptions of their hair had been his guide in differentiating them.

The first girl is shorter than the other two but still quite taller than the average height of girls in their school. No wonder Kei told them the three could pass as models.

He then saw “ponytail” – the girl who “bumped” into Kei.

Yamaguchi Mao is smiling down at the girl he recognized as Toda Makoto, a schoolmate of his from Middle School.

And lastly he saw Mizushima Ran, the one who always looked chipper.

Boys are wishing them a safe trip home and they respond to each one.

It’s a good thing he agreed to do this for if Kazuya had done this, he would have wanted to box each boy’s face in and they wouldn’t have been able to gather information.

Focusing back on his task, he takes note of the way they walk, the way the two others (Nakahara and Mizushima) flank Yamaguchi, and the manner with which they look around their surroundings while walking.

He recognizes it.

They are acting like bodyguards.

But bodyguards of Yamaguchi?

Who is she to have bodyguards?

“Don’t forget your homework again Makoto-san," he hears Kazuko’s voice. “And don’t forget that you need to buy another notebook.”

“I promise I won’t," the girl responds and gives them a wave. “I’ll be off now! I need to drop by the bookshop before work.”

“See you tomorrow!” Ran calls out as he watches them split up.

He follows them until they arrive at a motorcycle parking lot.

He sees them change into biking outfits and wonders how he could follow them home. Based on their registered address, they’re supposed to only just walk.

Why are they changing into biking outfits?

He curses the fates because he knows he would not be able to follow them at all.

He has to tell Kazuya he needs a bike tomorrow.

 

***

 

As soon as Nishizaka Kaii sees the doll-like girl wearing Horikawa’s uniform saunter inside the bakeshop and got the opportunity to look at her face up close when he bought a piece of baguette, he is sure that she is one of the Goddesses that Yuichi (who was late for this), was talking about.

He decides to wait for her after her part-time job and talk to her.

It would be better to get her alone rather than ask her out in front of other customers.

“Thank you," he hears her voice and thinks that even it sounds angelic. “I will see you again tomorrow.”

“Take care on your way home!" Someone from inside the store responds.

Kaii looks around and still finds no trace of Yuichi.

His loss then.

As the “doll,” as he calls her in his head now, walks past him and five other classmates, he motions for them to follow her until she turns a corner.

She is oblivious, bless her.

She turns another corner and he hurries his pace to catch up.

He ends up flying against the wall as soon as he turns.

“Kaii-kun!!!” one of his classmates shouts.

He shakes his head to clear his vision and see if he had hit a post.

Instead, he sees, standing in front of him, three figures clad in black, wearing motorcycle helmets.

So Akanishi Jin and his punks have resorted to wearing costumes now.

“Protecting one of your Goddesses, I see," he announces as he stands up. “And in stupid costumes even.”

“Goddesses?” a muffled voice that is definitely not Jin’s (for Kaii had once fought Jin and heard his voice) responds.

“Goddesses," he confirmed. “Those three girls who look like angels that study at your school.”

“So, you are following that girl because you think she is one of these so-called Goddesses?!" the same person asks, the one standing in the middle.

“Are you fu*king with me?!" Kaii explodes. “If she wasn’t one of them, why would you be protecting her?”

“There’s no such thing as Goddesses in Horikawa.”

His patience is wearing thin especially since his angel girl had now disappeared from his sight.

Do these punks think he is stupid to not realize the truth?!?

“Of course you’ll say that.”

“I am telling you again. There’s no such thing as Goddesses in Horikawa. It would be better for you to go home now.”

Kaii screams in frustration and runs, ready with a punch, when he feels a powerful kick to his ribs coming from the left.

Around him, his classmates are now also engaged in a fight with another one of the black figures – the one standing on the right.

The one in the middle who’s initially speaking to him just remains still as the two others send him and his classmates crashing to the ground.

It is all too fast for even his eyes to register the movement.

Their attackers are like blurs.

He only felt the hits.

And he knows that his left shoulder is most probably dislocated, his hip bone shattered, his face bleeding.

It’s like fighting with ghosts.

“It would have been better if you had just listened," the one in the middle is talking again, walking towards him. “Now we have to send you over to a hospital and let you rest for a few months.”

“Who in hell are you?" he manages to squeak out, blood foaming at his mouth.

He had fought Akanishi Jin before but that man was nowhere near the level of precision and fatality that the two he fought with now displayed.

Are these the other Kings?

After all there were three of them.

“You don’t need to know," is the answer he hears before he finally lost consciousness.

Damn! Damn! Triple Damn!

 

***

 

Mao lifts the face shield of the helmet she is wearing and tells Ran to call 119.

Her senses have been telling her, ever since they left school, that they were being followed but she couldn’t see anyone tailing them.

Her senses continued to tingle until they arrived at the motorcycle parking lot but no one was still in sight.

Kazuko then suggested they check on Makoto if she was alright and when they discovered this group of boys creeping on the bakeshop, she thought that maybe this was what her senses were warning her about.

Still, something inside her could not quiet down.

As of the moment, she does not feel anymore that they are being followed but even with these guys down on the ground, something inside her is blaring warning signals that these boys are not the ones her senses are raising red flags about.

Something else is coming. SOMEONE else.

She knows she needs to talk to Kazuko and Ran about it.

She’d do so as soon as they get home.

 

* * * *

 

Daily Diary

 

I am so bored.

We got into a fight today but it wasn’t really much of a fight.

I think I need to do something about this. Tomorrow, I’m going to start on that gory vampire series.

 

Kazuko

 

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*This phrase from Ueda Kaede is taken directly from Vision in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War movie.

 

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