CH 165.1

Chapter 165.1 : Ooyama Daisuke

A being called man is strong.

I grew up hearing those words from my father. He was a genuine karateka, whether it was me, my little brother, or my second little brother, he donned us in training garb the moment we were aware of our surroundings and started our basic training. We were famous in our neighbourhood as karate idiot’s siblings.

A being called man is strong.

Those were the words that I believe.

That was only natural since I was unmatched in brawling ever since I was in elementary school. With this strength that came as the fruit of training from my father, I used my fist to gain the right to play basketball in the gymnasium or soccer in the training field, it was also with this fist that I won the huge quarrel against the students from other schools over the right to use the biggest park in neighborhood to play baseball with my classmates.

The me of that time was a hero. Everyone was praising me, or maybe, afraid of me. Since I was strong, I’m definitely a man amongst men, the me of that time didn’t doubt this.

A being called man is strong.

My father, no, the thing that made my faith waver happened when I was in middle school. As we entered our growth spurt, the men who became taller than me appeared one after another.

I was by no means a shorty, but I wasn’t that big either. When I was lining up along with my classmates, I was right in the middle.

Naturally, it didn’t mean that height had anything to do with being strong. Since I had the body and skill that was drilled into me since my childhood, I absolutely wouldn’t lose against those brainless dudes who only had their heights. But then, I came to realize that there was a difference between my weight and those who’re taller than me.

The sport such as judo or boxing was divided by weight. Why did it get divided in that way? it was simply because the difference between weight couldn’t be bridged with skill alone.

When I entered the second year of middle school, I finally realized that I had no talent. You became more skilled just by becoming taller. I became even more conscious of that when my second brother finally grew taller than me.

「… I think I’ll try Shiromine High.」

In the spring of my third year, I told my family about my intention to enter Shiromine High when we ate around the dining table.

「I see.」

「Shiromine High, is that famous prep school, right?」

「OOh, Big Bro is awesome~」

「Our big bro is smart after all.」

Both my parents didn’t actually oppose my choice rather, they’re clearly delighted. Both my brothers were praising me for being able to try Shiromine High which was famous for its high deviation value. Everyone gave their blessing to me for choosing Shiramine High.

In reality, the me of that time wished that they would stop me instead. I wished that my father would knock my head with his iron fist as he shout 「THIS FOOL!」. I wished that my little brothers would shout 「ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM KARATE?」.

A being called man is strong.

At that moment, my faith in those words had already crumbled. I was a man, I’m supposed to be strong, and yet… I knew better than I was weak. That’s why I made studying my escape. On the front, I said that I wanted to become a man who excelled in both martial arts and literal arts.

So that means I’m not a man if I’m not strong. Why, why none of you are shouting at me? Why did no one stop this weak me? I mean, the time I allocated for preparing for the entrance test was longer than the time I allocated to train karate.

I mean, I don’t care about studying or whatsoever. I don’t care even if I’m stupid. I just want to become stronger than before, and yet…

「―― It’s cold.」

On the day of the entrance test for Shiromine High, I was attacked by intense cold temperatures as soon as I left the business hotel in which I spent the night before. My hometown had a warmer climate.

「Dammit, how can I act like a sissy. If I pass the entrance test, I might’ve to live by myself in this place.」

No, I’ll get accepted for sure. I mean, I used Shiromine High as my escape from karate, family, and classmates, I even boasted to them that I’m gonna get accepted for sure. As a man, I’m definitely going to get myself accepted into Shiromine High to keep my promise to them.

Thus, I ran towards Shiromine High with such a resolution in my heart.

I had finished my review the night before, and also took the right bus. I arrived at the school gate and found the table with my number without any mishap along the way.

I saw numerous test-takers in front of the school gate. Well, it was Shiromine High after all. Students from various regions gathered to take the test, not just the students of this city. They’re simply not wearing their uniform right now, that’s why it was hard to distinguish their origins.

But like hell, I’m gonna lose against them. All of them were my rivals. And I’m gonna beat them all.

「Fuwaa… so sleepy…」

Suddenly, I heard a lazy yawn which was akin to pouring cold water onto my burning spirit. When I turned my eyes to my side… glaring towards the yawning bastard who dampened my mood with an irritated look on my face…

「…!?」

Uoo, a good man… in that way, I was rooted on the spot. That’s just how manly the yawning man who sat beside me was.

Is this guy really the same junior high school graduate like me? His appeal as a man was through the roof.

The yawning man was tall. And he ain’t just your usual lanky and tall, his body was clearly trained. His contours were enough to tell me about that fact. I could feel deep down in my heart that there was a power, overwhelming power hidden beneath his seemingly lazy appearance.

He had perfect chest muscles and broad shoulders. And yet, he didn’t look like a muscle daruma either thanks to his long legs. Instead of Japanese, he was just like an action star in a Hollywood movie.

Though he had blonde hair, his face was that of a Japanese. An extremely good-looking one on top of that. Though a blonde-haired man who made such a big yawn was usually seen as nothing more than a delinquent, when this man did the same, it was as if it came straight out of a famous movie scene. He was an extremely charming man to the point that I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

「Ryuuichi.」

The man then looked in the direction of the voice who called him, perhaps his friend.

「Oh, Yuuto.」

「Thank God you came properly.」

「Well, can’t keep acting like junior high school forever after all.」

「But if it’s you, I guess you will be accepted quite literally whichever high school you’re going to go.」

「So you won’t leave me alone, huh.」

「As if! Let’s pass this test together.」

The friend who called out to the yawning man with a smile on his face was a really handsome man.

Oioioi, what is this, are you telling me that these kinds of guys are not that rare in this city? I mean, the only time I saw something like this was in a TV drama.

Could it be that all of this was just a dream since I couldn’t endure the pressure of taking this test?

Those two then proceeded to enter the school building while I was still thinking about such stupid things.

「So his name is… Ryuuichi huh.」

The tall, blonde-haired man was Ryuuichi. And his friend, the idol-like fella, was Yuuto.

Ryuuichi was my idea―― fuck, what in the hell I’m thinking about.

Calm down, I’m not gay!

But when I saw an ideal man, the figure which I always dreamed about, I couldn’t help but have this yearning… aaah, goddammit, like hell I had the time to worry about such a thing.

「Fu~~」

I took a deep breath and tried focusing my mind.

Before I noticed, I had already sat on the desk with my number in the classroom while I was mulling over the situation. The test would start in less than five minutes.

Finally, it was the moment of truth. Let’s give my all. This is a manly, one-on-one battle, bring it on Entrance Test!

「Uh, please, please…」

Dammit, the shorty who prayed like a girl beside me is so fu*king noisy!

Oh f*ck, forget about my statement just now, ain’t that fella actually a gi— wait a fu*king minute, that’s a gakuran. So you’re actually a man, huh!

I mean, what the hell is with that face? Are you a man? A girl, or an elementary school student? Seeing a weak-looking guy like him was enough to make me irritated――

「Well then, let’s begin the test.」

Dammit, if I fail in this test, I’m gonna curse this girlish shorty who sat beside me!

「… Haah.」

The test had ended safely without a hitch. Though I was so nervous right before the start of the test, it turned out I could finish it without a hitch.

I could see it. This might be what you call the fruit of my labour. Well, if I didn’t get accepted, I could only blame myself for that.

「――Aah, it’s finally over. Let’s board the first bullet train tomorrow to go back home.」

""

Anyhow, I was walking towards the hotel where I was staying while reporting to my father. The sun was about to set and though the temperature dropped even further compared to the morning, well can’t be helped, it was in the middle of winter afte—

「UWAAA! P-PLEASE STOOP!」

Suddenly I heard a man’s miserable cries. My ears weren’t playing a trick on me, it came from one of the back alleys.

「Heey, yer fella just came out from that Shiramine, ain’tcha?」

「This uniform ain’t from this area.」

「So, did you come to this place to give us some of your pocket mone~y?」

When I passed by that alley, I saw a splendid, textbook example of money extortion.

There I saw a trio, whose appearance was definitely that of a delinquent, was currently surrounding a fatty. From their conversation, I guessed that they were extorting a small amount of money from the test taker.

「Uuh… s-sorry, please, let me go…」

「Oioioi, it’s fu*cking too little.」

「Ain’t need to worry, we’re gonna leave you with enough money to go back by electric train.」

「That’s why give yer money quickly――ORAA!!」

One of those yankees used a knee strike on the fatty. It was an extremely clumsy attack devoid of skill and weight but the fatty still crumbled down in agony upon receiving that knee strike.

Good grief, such miserable fella. Not only did he not train his body but his heart was also very brittle. He was just a fatty who could only grow fatter.

「Oi, the fellas over there.」

I hate such fatass and gutless fellas like him, but the fellas with twisted guts who surrounded others to extort money from them were even more disgusting in my eyes.

「Hah? The hell are you?」

「Who the hell is this fella?」

「Are you this fatty’s friend?」

「Shut up. Just scram already, yankee like you ba*tards are just eyesores!」

Their merry atmosphere from before vanished as soon as I provoked them like that.

「It seems you really want to make trouble with us huh? Hey, what shall we do to this fu*cker?」

「Ya ain’t someone from this area. It seems this fu*ker has no idea what it means by selling a quarrel to us.」

「Been a long time since I got this irritated…」

The trio leapt toward me at once.

The fatty escaped from the alley as soon as the trio’s attention focused on me. He was, unexpectedly, a quick-witted fella. He didn’t even thank me.

「Let me teach a lesson to this baldy.」

「Ain’t a baldy, it’s cre-cut. Yer eyes must be so rotten.」

One of the three stepped forward. He looked like the most short-tempered one or maybe the most skilled amongst them. But well, the tallest amongst them was definitely even taller than me.

Such, like hell I’m gonna lose against such lanky and untrained fellas.

「… You’re doing karate huh?」

「What the hell yer surprised about, fu*king yankee.」

The yankee suddenly asked such a question upon seeing my stance. Meaning that he realized that I did karate despite looking like a stupid yankee.

「Ya ain’t supposed to laid yer hand on amateurs like us ain’tcha?」

「What, it’s already too late to worry about that.」

I’ve already received a black belt a really long time ago, it’ll be a huge mess in various ways if it’s known that I used my karate on them. In the worst situation, even if for example, I got accepted into Shiromine High, they would reject me for my behaviour, but screw that… I’m also a man. Like hell, I’m gonna back off after I went this far.

「This fu*king baldy is so annoying… kill, kill him.」

The yankee then took out a knife as he said so.

It was a butterfly knife. It was small but still, a real knife. It could easily tear my skin, or pierce if used for a stab.

Dammit, for this fella to take out an edged weapon, this guy must be really pissed off.

「DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.」