Cafeteria Brawl [4]

3 Hours Earlier. 

As Hasegawa galently pushed open the heavy auditorium doors, he expected to be met with the buzzing energy of the new students. Instead, he was greeted by a vast, empty hall.

The rows of chairs stood in neat lines, devoid of occupants, and the stage was eerily silent. The only sound was the chirping of the crickets and the Janitor's mop.

Confused, Hasegawa paused and scanned the entire room, his blue eyes narrowing, looking for another faint of life.

He had anticipated a room full of expectant faces, not an empty void. "Where the hell is everyone?. " He muttered under his breath.

Just as he was about to leave, Hiroto appeared in the doorway behind him, not looking suprised.

"What happened here?. " Hasegawa asked, irritation creeping into his voice.

Hiroto sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The principal ended the ceremony early because you weren't there. He was too angry to wait for you any longer. "

Hasegawa groaned, rubbing his cheeks in frustration. "Seriously?. I thought you said you handled things!. "

"I did try. " Hiroto replied, his tone defensive. "But your absence today caused quite a stir. The students were dismissed early and sent to their classes. "

Hasegawa shook his head, a mix of annoyance and guilt washing over him. "Alright, fine. I guess I owe him an apology."

Hiroto gave him a pointed look. "You think?. "

Ignoring Hiroto's obvious sarcasm, Hasegawa moved further into the hall, the emptiness amplifying the weight of his new responsibilities. He walked up to the stage, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the auditorium.

Standing on the stage, he looked out at the empty seats, imagining the kind of scene that could have been—a hall full of new students, eager and curious about what their leader had planned. 

He let out a sigh and jumped off the stage, heading towards the exit. "Let's go, Hiroto. "

As they walked through the quiet hallways of the school, the contrast between the empty auditorium and the bustling corridors outside became even more apparent.

Students hurried to their classes, some casting curious glances at the two as they passed.

Hasegawa's mind raced with thoughts of how he would address the new students now. He had missed his official opportunity, but he was determined to make up for it somehow. He needed to show them who he was and why he was the leader of the Sakurakai. 

"Hey come here you brat. " Cutting through the corner came the principal, smoke coming out of his ears.

Hasegawa knew what that meant; he was about to begin the school year in the worst possible way.

Few minutes earlier in Class 2B,

the tension of the morning assembly was settling down. Hasegawa sat at his desk, still looking somewhat down from his earlier scolding by the principal.

"Hey Hiro, do you mind telling us why Fujimoto-kun is so down today?. " Himiko asked, trying to break the awkward ice. She wore spectacles and had papers in her hands as she passed Hasegawa's desk on her way to Hiroto's.

Hasegawa sat slumped in his chair, devoid of his usual spark.

Hiro sighed, shaking his head. "You didn't hear? The principal really laid into him for missing the morning ceremony. "

"Hehehe… looks like someone needs a pick-me-up. " Arii, another girl with a ponytail teased, her hand around her mouth, making a funny face as she mocked him.

Hasegawa groaned loudly in anguish, resting his head on the desk. "Shut up, Arii."

"Make me, " she teased, sticking out her tongue before darting behind Himiko for protection.

"What would the previous leaders think of me now? What would Kaito-san think about me missing my first speech?. "

"Close your ears, Himiko," Arii said, playfully covering Himiko's ears from behind. "He's about to start his weird fantasies. "

Hasegawa jumped up and started to chase after her, the two of them running around the class playfully while Hiroto and Himiko watched .

"Yo Hasegawa and Hiroto, how're you guys still here?, there's a big brawl happening at the cafeteria now, " came two students at the door, their announcement interrupting the room's laughter. 

"They say it started with Yuto and another kid. " 

"You gotta come fast, man. He only listens to you, only you can break them up now. "

"This is it…" Hasegawa's eyes lit up with a sudden realization. "My chance for a big entrance. " 

Hasegawa and Hiroto both bolted out of the classroom but Hiroto quickly noticed Hasegawa running in the wrong direction.

"Why are you running that way? The cafeteria is the other way "

"I'm thinking of my big entrance here."

"Big entrance? Right now? You gotta be kidding me. Someone's gonna really get hurt if we don't hurry, "

Hasegawa didn't even wait to listen to Hiroto finish his sentence as he was already long gone, sprinting towards what he imagined would be to him; a dramatic, heroic intervention.

Back to the Present.

"Good morning, everyone," he began, his voice steady and confident. "I am Fujimoto Hasegawa, the leader of the Sakurakai. I apologize for missing the morning ceremony, but I speak to you now to make amends for that, "

He paused, looking out over the controls with a smile that was both mischievous and enigmatic. "Now, I know you're all expecting me to give some kind of grand speech, but let's keep it real. You see, life is like a bowl of ramen. Sometimes it's hot and spicy, sometimes it's cold and bland. But you know what? You gotta slurp it up, no matter what."

The students exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of where he was going with this.

"And speaking of slurping, I hope you all brought your A-game because this year is going to be one hell of a ride. We're talking about dodging punches, the Interschool Sports Games and, of course winning the ultimate battle… surviving the midterms!, "

There was a ripple of laughter and confusion through the crowd. Hasegawa continued, unfazed. "Now, on a serious note, let's talk about respect. Respect is earned, not given. But that doesn't mean you can't respect the guy who shares his snacks with you or the girl who lends you her notes. So, be cool to each other. Or else, you know, you might end up with a face full of curry, "

He winked, and the students chuckled, some shaking their heads in disbelief.

"All right, I'm done. Let's go read that new issue of your ecchi manga."

"You're still broadcasting, " a voice corrected him.

"Oh shit." Hasegawa's eyes widened at the realization. "Forget what I said just now. "

The intercoms went off with a cracking sound leaving the students bewildered.

[I finally heard him talk in person.]

[He's so cool and funny too.]

[Wow! He's so awesome.]

"It's not like he's standing in front of us or anything, " Ren muttered.

[Of course he is!]

"What is this sense of solidarity?, " Ren thought, puzzled by the reaction.

[You barely know him, man. You just live on the same street as him.]

"Would simply being a strong fighter do this much?, " Ren wondered in his mind.

[Well, I do see him every morning on the way to school, so that's better than you.]

"Are these guys really the bad guys? Ren questioned.

"Fujimoto Hasegawa... what kinda guy are you really!?, " Ren thought, curiosity piqued.

The intercoms came back alive and Hasegawa's voice boomed once more, snapping Ren out of his thoughts. "Also, before I forget, clean this whole mess up and get to your classes. I don't want to hear about any more fights. "

"Or else..." he trailed off menacingly.

As the cafeteria slowly returned to normal, Ren took a deep breath, his mind already planning his next move. He knew he had to understand more about Hasegawa and the Sakurakai if he wanted to achieve his goal. The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing yesterday and today's little skirmish made clear: was that he could hold his own against whatever came at him. 

As the scene in the cafeteria slowly returned to order and the students began cleaning up, Shiinchiro who had been hiding under s table away from all the mayhem leaned in closer to Ren. "You're crazy, you know that?. You went toe to toe with the Mad Dog unscathed. " He whispered. "But I kinda like it. "

Ren gave a small smile, but his mind was already racing. He knew he had made a bold declaration, and it had definitely not gone unnoticed.

"Hey!, " Ren heard ring from behind him.

Ren turned just in time to see a sucker punch coming his way. The blow landed hard on his nose, and Ren collapsed in a fll.

The cafeteria buzzed with shock as Ren crumpled to the ground. The assailant, a short student with a mean look in his eyes, stood over Ren's near unconscious form, a mean smirk playing on his lips.

"That's what you get for messing with the Sakurakai, " the assailant sneered.

Ren's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, trying to sit up. His vision was blurry, but he could make out Shiinchiro's concerned look above him.

Students around them murmured in disbelief and fear. Shiinchiro, still reeling from the earlier chaos, rushed to Ren's side. "Hey, are you okay?. " he asked, shaking Ren furiously. 

"What… " Ren then collapsed from exhaustion, his body giving in after the intense fight and the unexpected sucker punch. 

As Ren lay unconscious, the world fading to black around him, his mind began to reply the events of the previous day.