With the instructor’s shout of, “Class dismissed!”, the tense atmosphere around the pool finally relaxed.
The boys hurried toward the showers as though escaping a battlefield, while the girls climbed the stairs toward the changing rooms, worried about drying their hair.
Hanayama also turned to leave.
Then—
Riiip.
The specially tailored black swimsuit that covered his entire body finally gave way.
A tear nearly twenty centimeters long split open along the back zipper.
Beneath it…
Part of his back was exposed.
There, hidden beneath the suit, was the unmistakable symbol of the Hanayama-gumi.
A section of an elaborate yakuza tattoo.
Surrounding it were countless knife wounds, bullet scars, and old injuries layered upon one another.
It was a sight no ordinary high school student should ever see.
Hanayama reacted instantly.
Without turning around, he stopped in place.
Then…
Maintaining the same forward-facing posture…
He calmly began walking backward toward the changing room.
To everyone watching, it looked absurdly unnatural.
Yet after witnessing the destruction he had caused in the swimming pool moments earlier…
None of the boys dared question it.
They simply accepted it as another incomprehensible habit of an overwhelmingly powerful man.
Unfortunately…
Even Hanayama had a blind spot.
Kei Karuizawa had returned alone to retrieve something she had forgotten.
As she descended the side staircase beside the girls’ changing room…
She happened to look directly toward Hanayama.
Through the torn swimsuit…
She caught a glimpse of dark ink winding across scarred flesh.
The raised scars twisted through the tattoo like countless centipedes.
“…Huh?”
Her mind went blank.
That wasn’t a fashion tattoo.
She understood that instinctively.
It was something far darker.
Something that belonged to a completely different world.
Hanayama stopped walking.
He didn’t turn around.
Only his thick neck tilted slightly.
Their eyes met.
No words were spoken.
Yet Kei clearly understood the meaning behind that single glance.
You saw it.
Hanayama silently looked away again and disappeared into the changing room.
Kei remained standing alone.
Her school shirt clung to her back, soaked with cold sweat.
Her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
1:00 p.m.
Swimming class had long since ended.
Behind the dormitories, along a quiet forest path hidden from the school’s security cameras, stood a lone wooden bench.
Hanayama sat there calmly.
A few moments later…
Soft, hesitant footsteps approached.
“U-Um…”
The person arriving was none other than Kei Karuizawa.
The confident, fashionable girl everyone knew was nowhere to be seen.
Instead…
She stood hunched over like a frightened rabbit.
Earlier, Hanayama had simply sent her a brief message through the school’s terminal.
“Come see me.”
To Hanayama, it was merely a request to talk.
To Kei…
It sounded like a death sentence.
(He’s going to silence me…)
(Maybe he’ll beat me until I can’t talk…)
Her imagination spiraled out of control.
Then…
Both of them pulled out their school terminals.
Kei bowed deeply.
“P-Please don’t hurt me!”
“I’ll give you all my points!”
At exactly the same moment—
Hanayama extended his own terminal.
“…Take this.”
“It’s hush money.”
The two froze.
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
Hanayama frowned slightly.
According to his own sense of honor…
Extorting money from women or children was disgraceful.
Kei had merely witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to see.
Silencing her through intimidation wasn’t his way.
If anything…
He believed he should compensate her for keeping quiet.
That was the code by which he lived.
Kei blinked repeatedly.
“…Shouldn’t…”
“…I be the one paying you?”
Hanayama shook his head.
“I don’t rob the weak.”
“You saw something.”
“So I’ll pay you.”
“Keep it secret.”
“That’s all.”
His tone remained calm.
(…He’s paying… me?)
Kei’s thoughts completely stalled.
This wasn’t extortion.
It wasn’t intimidation.
He was offering compensation.
Her fear slowly began giving way to confusion.
Then…
Another thought surfaced.
Originally…
She had planned to get close to Yōsuke Hirata.
Dating the class’s most dependable boy would give her status.
Protection.
Someone everyone trusted.
But after watching Hanayama effortlessly crush Sudō…
She realized something.
(Hirata-kun couldn’t stop someone like that.)
If genuine violence ever came for her…
Kindness alone wouldn’t protect her.
Not against a true monster.
Almost unconsciously…
She glanced up at Hanayama.
His scar-covered face remained expressionless.
For one brief second…
A ridiculous idea crossed her mind.
(What if…)
(I asked him to pretend to be my boyfriend…?)
The thought disappeared instantly.
(Impossible!!)
Suggesting something so childish to someone like Hanayama felt no different than asking a tiger for a hug.
She might die on the spot.
Instead…
Another idea emerged.
Something much safer.
Something that made sense in Hanayama’s world.
Kei suddenly pushed her terminal toward him.
“N-No!”
Hanayama looked puzzled.
“…Why?”
Kei swallowed nervously.
“Hanayama-kun…”
“I’ll never tell anyone your secret.”
“So…”
“Please let me pay you protection money every month.”
“…What?”
For the first time in a long while…
Hanayama looked genuinely surprised.
“If I pay you…”
“And someone starts causing me trouble…”
“Or if I’m ever bullied…”
“Can I say you’re backing me?”
“I don’t need you to do anything.”
“As long as people believe you’re protecting me…”
“That’s enough.”
Hanayama silently studied her face.
There was no greed.
No deception.
Only fear.
Pure fear.
The yakuza code offered no sympathy merely because someone was weak.
But…
It also forbade abandoning someone who sincerely sought protection according to the rules.
If he refused…
This girl would probably spend every day terrified.
Hanayama let out a quiet sigh.
“…Ten thousand.”
He reached into his pocket, produced a cigarette, and lit it with a match.
Kei blinked.
“…Huh?”
“Ten thousand points.”
“That’s enough.”
Her eyes widened.
“…Only ten thousand?”
She hurriedly operated her terminal before he could change his mind.
Transfer Complete.
10,000 Personal Points Received.
The transaction finished.
By Hanayama’s standards…
The agreement had now been established.
He slowly exhaled a stream of cigarette smoke.
Then looked directly at Kei.
His gaze was sharper than ever before.
“Don’t misunderstand.”
“If someone bullies you…”
“You can hide behind my name.”
Kei nodded repeatedly.
“Y-Yes!”
“But…”
“If you’re the one bullying someone else…”
“This agreement ends immediately.”
“And I’ll deal with you personally.”
His voice carried no warmth.
It was simply a warning.
A promise.
“I-I understand!”
“I’d never do something like that!”
To Hanayama…
Those were merely the conditions of their agreement.
To Kei…
They meant something entirely different.
(As long as I don’t cross the line…)
(This person will protect me.)
For the first time since entering Advanced Nurturing High School…
Kei Karuizawa felt something she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
A genuine sense of security.