09 – Case Closed, Right?

“Please, just cut it out already.”

I tried to sound nonchalant, even as I endured the sharp pain in my right arm.

“E-Eito-san?”

“What? Are you some kind of knight in shining armor, swooping in late to protect your precious princess? God, you’re so damn annoying!”

Is this guy an idiot?

We’re right in front of a family restaurant. With all this commotion, someone’s bound to call the police sooner or later.

All I need to do is buy time. Help will come eventually.

The thug raised his fist again, and I braced myself, preparing to block the punch with my arms.

But—

“Guh…!”

A sharp pain shot through my stomach.

Damn it… He faked going for my face and punched me in the gut instead.

The blow was so intense that I staggered, almost losing my balance.

“Aniki! We’re making too much of a scene here! If we don’t move, the cops will get us for sure!”

“Damn it… Fine, this is such a hassle!”

“Ugh…”

The thug grabbed me by the neck, choking me.

How pathetic. I came in like some kind of hero, but not even thirty seconds later, I’m the one getting beaten up.

But I can’t just let it end like this. It’d be way too embarrassing, and I can’t let Sena down by looking this pathetic.

I grabbed the thug’s arm with both hands, using what strength I had left.

“What the hell are you—?!”

As I pulled his arm toward me, I kicked at his right leg, sweeping it out from under him. With only one leg to support his weight and his balance thrown off, he fell backward, landing hard on his backside.

“Just so you know, that was self-defense.”

It was a basic judo move, something I’d only seen in passing, but it worked thanks to him underestimating me. With his grip on my neck broken, I quickly backed away to create some distance.

“Haa haa, you two…”

The thug slowly got back on his feet and then bellowed,

“Looks like you both wanna die together! Get ‘em, all of you!”

He yelled, signaling his lackeys to join in.

This was bad. No matter how much we resist, the odds are still 2 against 7. And it’s not like I’ve ever been in a real fight before, let alone against a group. As for Sena, she’s just a regular girl—no way she could handle this either.

(TL: I beg to differ)

“I got this, Aniki. I’ll knock this guy out in no time.”

The gang members began to crowd around us, inching closer. Damn it.

No one was coming to help—not the police, not the bystanders. Was I really going to get beaten up and end my high school life just as miserably as I did in middle school?

I glanced over at Sena. Strangely enough, her expression was completely blank. She was staring fixedly at something, lost in thought.

“You made our boss look like a fool! You’re gonna pay for that!”

One of the thugs reached out to grab my collar.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

A voice suddenly rang out from behind the thugs, freezing them in place. Even the leader turned around to see who had spoken.

“What the hell? You wanna get beat up too………..”

But he trailed off before finishing his threat, his words catching in his throat.

“What’s wrong, boss? It’s just some old guy. Let’s beat him up while we’re at it.”

“N-no, that’s not it… This man is…”

The leader spoke, clearly uncomfortable.

“He’s my dad.”

The delinquents’ father looked at him with a gaze full of disappointment.

“What a mess you’ve gotten yourself into,” he said, sighing in frustration.

The gang members, who had been ready to charge us just moments before, were now paralyzed with uncertainty. The tension in the air had completely shifted.

“Dad, I can explain—” the leader started, but his father cut him off with a sharp glare.

“I don’t want to hear it. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough. This ends now.”

The leader’s tough-guy attitude crumbled instantly. He was no longer a threatening delinquent but just a kid being scolded by his father. The man’s mere presence had defused the situation better than any fight ever could.

“Go home. All of you. Now.” His voice left no room for argument.

The delinquents looked at each other, hesitating, but quickly began to back away, grumbling under their breath.

As they retreated, the leader’s father turned to us and gave a slight nod. “I’m sorry for the trouble my son has caused. It won’t happen again.”

With that, he grabbed his son by the collar and dragged him away, leaving just the two of us standing there.

“Cut it out, Kento. If you keep causing trouble like this, you won’t be allowed to go out anymore.”

“But… but they’re the ones who made a fool out of me!” Kento protested.

His father furrowed his brows at that and glanced at us. Clearly displeased, he turned back to his son with a stern expression.

“This is your own fault,” he snapped.

“What?”

“You kept treating her horribly, and that’s why she ran away! It’s common sense if you just think about it!” His father’s voice boomed with frustration.

Kento looked taken aback, clearly not expecting this response. “W-why are you saying this, Dad? You always take my side…”

“Normally, yes, I do. But this time…” He pulled out his phone and held it up for Kento to see. “She sent me a video—of everything you’ve done.”

“What…?”

A video? I didn’t know what he was talking about, but it seemed like Sena had planned something behind the scenes to protect us.

I glanced at her, and she met my gaze with a small, knowing smile. So that’s why she had been so calm. She’d already prepared a way to expose Kento and his gang.

“So, Dad, you’re being blackmailed, right? I’ve got nude photos of Sena, so there’s no need to worry—”

“How many times do I have to tell you to cut it out?!”

“…!”

“Stop making excuses and back off from them. Luckily for you, she’s said that as long as you and your friends stay out of their lives from now on, she won’t pursue this further.”

“But… no way…”

“Enough. Let’s go home.”

Kento, looking bitter and defeated, was grabbed by the collar and dragged toward the car by his father. His gang, still stunned by the sudden turn of events, followed along without a word.

“Uh… is this really over?” I muttered, still in shock at how quickly things had resolved.

As Kento’s father passed by us on his way to the car, he muttered under his breath, 

“Monster…”

Those words lingered in my mind, echoing as I watched them leave.

(TL: I wonder what she sent that it even scared the dad damn)