Chapter 11

 

 

 

The class ended rather quickly, with everyone busy preparing for the upcoming School's Inspection Day, including the students of Class 3-D who were deeply engrossed in planning.

 

Reiko quietly organized her belongings in her school bag, then stood up. She glanced over at Hayato and the others, who were fully immersed in their event preparations. After a moment, she looked at her cousin, and as they all got up to leave the classroom, she made her move.

 

As she hastened toward the door, Hyuuga called out to her, "Reiko-chan!" She stopped in her tracks, turning toward them with a puzzled expression.

 

"We're heading to the Game Center. Do you want to come with us?" he asked.

 

Reiko looked at them apologetically and walked over to join them. "Um, sorry, but I'll have to pass," she replied with a sheepish smile. "I'm going to hang out with Mizuo and the others instead."

 

Tsuchiya questioned, "Wouldn't it be the same? Why don't we all hang out together?"

 

Reiko glanced at him timidly, explaining, "It's a bit... personal. We're visiting someone."

 

Takeda, Hyuuga, and Tsuchiya nodded in understanding. She blurted out an apology, but they reassured her that it was fine.

 

"So... see you tomorrow!" she waved and left the classroom.

 

"Hey!" Hayato called out to her in the hallway of their building. She stopped in her tracks, turned around, and saw Hayato approaching. She gazed at him with a puzzled expression. "What is it?" she asked.

 

"Give me a call later," he said, further perplexing her.

 

"Why?" she inquired, and Hayato avoided her gaze, causing her to furrow her brow.

 

"Just to make sure nothing goes wrong on your end... I'll also walk you home," he explained.

 

She shook her head and smiled at him. "Come on, I'll be perfectly fine. I'm with Mizuo and the others, so they'll be the ones to keep me from doing anything reckless. Besides," she said, pausing and looking at him with a serious and blank expression, "there's really no need for you to walk me home... we're..."

 

She paused as her cell phone rang, taking it out and signaling for Hayato to wait for a moment.

 

"Yes?"

 

"He’s looking for you,"

 

Her eyes widened in surprise, hearing at the simple statement; it made her stood there frozen for a while, making Hayato look at her curiously. "Does he know where I am?" she asks quickly, biting her bottom lip in anxiety.

 

"No... but he’s trying to find out,"

 

"Okay... I’ll be at the meeting place... ja."

 

She ends the phone call, placing her phone at her pocket; she looks at Hayato with an apologetic smile. "I’ll go now; Mizuo and the others are waiting for me..." she let out as Hayato look at her blankly. "See you tomorrow..."

 

 

Reiko and her group found themselves inside a large studio building far from the Shinta Temple in downtown. Very few people were coming from that direction, likely due to the dim streetlights, which cast a mysterious atmosphere and discouraged casual hangouts.

 

Two imposing bouncers stationed at a steel door noticed their arrival, with one of them particularly recognizing Mizuo and Reiko. The bald bouncer acknowledged them, saying, "Welcome back." Mizuo and Reiko nodded in response, and the bald bouncer opened the steel door, granting the five of them entry.

 

The other bouncer with clean-cut hair seemed surprised and asked, "Why did you let those kids in?"

 

The bald bouncer smirked and chuckled, glancing at the group that had just entered. "Oh, right, you're new here. Those are the special guests that the boss allows inside, and one of them is Mizuo." The bald bouncer's explanation made the clean-cut bouncer widen his eyes in understanding.

 

The five of them were dressed in casual attire to avoid suspicion that they were high school students. However, the bouncers at the entrance knew and suspected that some of them might be under 18. Still, knowing Mizuo's name carried weight, and it was enough to grant them entry.

 

Mizuo was well-known due to his family's business operations across Asia and Europe. Their agency specialized in providing top-ranked bodyguards with expertise in martial arts and shooting. Additionally, his family manufactured weapons used for protecting their clients and supplied them to the Japanese armed forces. They had a reputation for their legitimate business dealings with the government and their connections with the underground mafia.

 

A rusty voice interrupted their progress. Reiko and her friends halted upon hearing the voice of a man. They looked up to see a man who stood at 5'7" wearing a dark suit. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore rectangular-framed glasses that partially obscured his brown eyes. At first glance, he appeared to be a kind, honest, and gentlemanly figure. However, beneath that exterior, hidden behind his glasses, was a ruthless individual who wouldn't tolerate being deceived.

 

"Aiz?" Daisuke exclaimed as he approached the man, grinning widely. "You haven't changed a bit, buddy," he commented, casting a glance at Mizuo and Reiko.

 

"Up for some old memories?" Aiz asked, looking at Daisuke and noticing the tense and irked aura emanating from Reiko. He shook his head, amused by the girl's attitude. "You're still the same, Rei."

 

Reiko scoffed and looked at Aiz, saying, "Look at you, with a few gray hairs in that head of yours... my, my, you're getting old, Aiz." She mocked him, and he chuckled heartily at her sharp and direct tongue.

 

"If you want to get in the ring and fight, you better start warming up," Aiz suggested.

 

"Tch, not likely to happen, Aiz," she growled as she made her way to the center of the room, where a large ring had been set up.

 

"So, is this going to be a sporadic visit or something more regular?" Aiz inquired.

 

Mizuo smirked as they settled at the bar, ordering drinks and meals. Aiz joined Mizuo and took a shot. "We're just letting her blow off some steam... she's under a lot of stress," Mizuo replied briefly as Daisuke sat beside Aiz.

 

"Oh? Is she having problems now? I thought she enjoyed making problems for others," Aiz remarked.

 

Daisuke chuckled at Aiz's comment. "Well, there's this particular issue that's really getting on her nerves, so yeah, she's facing some problems now."

 

Reiko leaped into the center ring, where a guy named Masco was currently defeating an opponent. The spectators fell silent, and whispers about Reiko began to circulate. Masco, a muscular figure standing at 5'10", wore a white tank top, army pants, and black boots, and his face matched the rest of his imposing physique.

 

Masco glanced over his shoulder and spotted Reiko, patiently waiting to cheer for his victory. "Finished cheering for yourself?" she quipped, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "You might want to, because it could be your last."

 

"Hey there, pretty girl, are you here to fight or get my autograph?" Masco bragged, flexing his muscles and wiggling his eyebrows. Reiko's face twisted with plain disgust as she watched him show off.

 

"The last thing Reiko wants is to be underestimated," Shuriko muttered from the sidelines, with everyone nodding in agreement. They all watched as Reiko delivered a powerful uppercut to Masco, hanging out at the bar side as they each other their own refreshment.

 

Cracking her knuckles, Reiko observed the guy who tumbled to the ground, landing on his rear end. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Huh? I thought you were tough? One solid punch and you're already down?"

 

Masco scrambled to his feet, but Reiko didn't give him a chance, swiftly delivering a kick to his gut and then to his face. Onlookers winced as they witnessed Reiko's relentless assault. In response, Masco grabbed her leg, preventing her from attacking further. Reiko swiftly adjusted her position and swung her leg at the guy's face, forcing him to release her other leg. As she fell gracefully to the ground, she heard Masco mutter, "You're strong..."

 

But before he could finish his sentence, Reiko swiftly stood up. "But not good enough!" Masco exclaimed, lunging at her, attempting to tackle her to the ground. However, Reiko sensed his intentions and rolled to the other side of the ring, leaving Masco groaning in pain as he crashed onto the mat.

 

Struggling to stand, Masco noticed Reiko's feet in front of him and quickly grabbed hold of them with his bare hands. Reiko adjusted her position to face him, attempting to free her lower body. With a firm grip on her feet, Masco raised his fist and struck her in the stomach, causing her to cease her struggles. She clutched her abdomen in pain, and her friends were taken aback by the sudden attack.

 

Mizuo was on the verge of leaving his seat, but Aiz stopped him with a warning. "You know the rules here, Mizuo," Aiz stated firmly. Mizuo clenched his fists and shot Aiz a dangerous look. Aiz met his gaze with a blank expression. "Help her, and you all face the consequences."

 

Mizuo's hands remained in tight fists as he watched Reiko struggling to get up while Masco stood. He knew Reiko could defeat the burly guy, but she had to push aside the distractions bothering her.

 

Reiko crouched on the mat, regaining her breath. She simply stayed there, gathering the calm mindset she always possessed. "Hey there, babe. How about we end this fight and grab some drinks?" he suggested with a sly smirk.

 

Swiftly opening her eyes, she stood up and delivered a well-placed kick to Masco's groin. Masco's eyes bulged in surprise and agony as he tried to cope with the excruciating pain. Tears welled up in his eyes as he crouched on the ground. "You know what they say about big guys... their weakest spot is down there," she remarked, eliciting snickers from the crowd. She narrowed her eyes and dove at him, delivering punches to his face as she straddled his chest. She continued pummeling him until Masco passed out.

 

Reiko stopped, noticing Masco's unconscious state. She grinned broadly, got off the guy, and turned to her friends. She raised her hand and gave them a thumbs-up, eliciting roars of astonishment and cheers from the spectators. She took a deep breath, leaving behind the negative energy she had moments ago, and began to regain her composure.

 

Returning to her friends, she was met with a punch to the face from Mizuo. Her eyes widened as blood trickled down her lips. "That's for underestimating that guy, you idiot," Mizuo growled. Reiko scoffed and pushed herself toward Mizuo, punching him in the face in return.

 

"That's for being an overly worried freak. You know I defeated him fair and square!" she retorted, pouting as she saw Mizuo smirk.

 

"Your punches are getting weaker, Queen," Mizuo shot back, suddenly chuckling as Reiko pouted and pointed at him accusingly.

 

"Yours too, dummy!"