Vol 1 Chapter 11: A Call from Ryouma-senpai (Prologue: Encounters Arrive with a Sense of Déjà Vu)

After the girls’ gathering ended, I practiced at the gym before heading home. As soon as I walked in, my phone rang, playing the opening part of Kids Return, composed by Joe Hisaishi for a Takeshi Kitano film.

The movie Kids Return is about two high school friends—one aiming to become a Yakuza and the other a boxer—who both experience major setbacks. Taken by its ending alone, it might seem like a downright depressing story, yet the final scene leaves a lasting impression.

The two idiots, who never learn, return to their old high school, riding a bicycle together across the schoolyard.

“Are we already done?”

“You idiot! It hasn’t even started yet!”

It’s one of the best lines in any Kitano film.

This track was also used as the entrance theme of my favorite kickboxer, the Stray Dog—Kobayashi Satoshi. There was no one more fitting for that iconic line.

…Huh? Kobayashi Satoshi retired in 2006, huh?

And you’re asking how old I am?

W-well, never mind that. I glanced at the caller ID on my phone—I shouldn’t keep him waiting too long—and slid the answer icon.

“Hello, this is Kosutake.”

“Yo, Kosutake. It’s Akagane. I’ve got a somewhat complicated matter to discuss. You got a minute?”

The caller was Akagane Ryouma-senpai.

He was the former Tokkou Taichou of the outlaw biker gang Bloody Red Road and is now a professional boxer. He also graduated from our school, Rikkokugawa High School.

In the past, he clashed with the group led by Miyayuri, and after a fierce battle with her, he was defeated. Since then, they reconciled to defeat their mutual enemy, Beruzebubu.

Since then, we’ve maintained a friendly relationship—occasionally sparring, watching boxing matches together, and even recently going on a graduation trip.

You could say that by now, Ryouma-senpai is more of a friend. But something about his tone felt… off. There was a hint of intimidation in his voice.

“I’ve been hearing some strange rumors lately… and I need to confirm something with you.”

“Is it about the rumor that you confessed to Himeno-senpai and got rejected? I swear, I haven’t told anyone about that!”

I had a hunch that Ryouma-senpai was about to give me some unpleasant news, so I tried to ease the mood.

Instead, his tone grew even rougher.

“You idiot! I—I haven’t even confessed yet, so I haven’t been rejected! And don’t cut me off when I’m talking!”

Oh, so this old fart still hasn’t confessed, huh?

Himeno-senpai, with her gender identity disorder, apparently never falls for a man—and she seems to like Miyayuri—so maybe it’s a good thing that Ryouma-senpai hasn’t confessed yet.

No, perhaps it might be even better if he were swiftly rejected, so he could cut his lingering feelings off sooner.

“If it isn’t about Himeno-senpai, then what’s the matter?”

“…You’re getting more and more thick-skinned, aren’t you? Well, it’s better than scaring people off.”

Ryouma-senpai, despite his Yakuza-like voice and appearance, has an unexpectedly caring side when it comes to his friends.

“Anyway, to get back on topic, I’ve heard rumors that you guys, ‘Rei,’ have been indiscriminately attacking delinquents at Rikkokugawa’s arcades and convenience stores. Is that true?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that!”

Before I knew it, I forgot that I was speaking with my senpai and ended up shouting over the phone.

“…You’re definitely not treating me as your senpai, are you?”

“Sorry… it caught me completely off guard—I’d never heard about it before.”

“Well, since you seem totally unaware, I’ll fill you in. Apparently, a trio of women, who appear to be ‘Rei,’ have been involved in a spate of incidents at the arcades and convenience stores in Rikkokugawa, where delinquents are being attacked. Supposedly, some of the victims were even among those who had been assaulted by the former Bloody Red Road.”

“That’s absolutely impossible… By now, there’s no reason for Rei to attack the disbanded Bloody Red Road, and besides, Rei’s targets are solely biker gangs—not ordinary delinquents.”

Miyayuri has been taking down biker gangs partly in search of the culprit responsible for her younger brother Takeru-kun’s accident—which left him in a vegetative state—and partly out of vengeance.

So, if that were the case, then why haven’t I, being a member of Rei myself, heard anything about it?

“Yeah, you’re right… but they did say that among the three, one practices boxing, another kick, and the third uses some form of martial arts.”

“Martial arts? That term covers a lot—what kind are we talking about?”

“Ah… oh, it’s about the one who uses martial arts…”

Ryouma-senpai continued speaking hesitantly, stuttering slightly.

“Well… it seems that he apparently has a build remarkably similar to Orito Tachibana Hineno’s, and he employs both striking and throwing techniques. He’s probably a practitioner of Nippon Kempo.”