Masaki sits in the conference room… files spread across the table… faint projector light… hum… People are deep in discussion… overlapping voices — murmur… tap…
Then—
His phone vibrates — bzzz… bzzz… Masaki gives a side glance… checks the screen—
Principal
His eyes narrow slightly… he stands up without delay — scrape… A slight bow to everyone… posture composed—
“Sorry for the disturbance… but I have something urgent.”
Without another word, he walks out — tap… tap…
Parking lot…
Masaki opens his black car door — click… Slides into the seat… ignition — VROOM…
The car glides out smoothly…
University entrance…
Car stops — skrr… stop… Door opens… Masaki steps out…
The moment he enters the corridor— Eyes lock onto him…
Whispers float in the air — faint… overlapping…
“That’s Masaki Fujimiya… I heard he’s the best fighter…” “He’s so handsome…” “So hot…”
Masaki remains completely unaffected… steps steady — tap… tap… Eyes forward… posture confident…
A female teacher glances at him… Masaki gives a subtle, soft smile… Her face instantly blushes… she awkwardly looks away…
Outside the principal’s office…
Masaki doesn’t stop… pushes the door open — click…
Inside—
The atmosphere is heavy…
Ikumi, Sato, Aoi stand to one side… Their condition is rough… bruises… swelling… unstable posture…
Sato’s eyes lock onto Masaki… Why is he here…?
On the other side—
Ren sits in a chair… in front of the principal… Back straight… hands resting on his lap… Gaze fixed on the table…
Completely calm.
Masaki walks in… pulls a chair beside Ren — scrape… sit… He sits next to him… but doesn’t look at him directly…
The principal adjusts his glasses — tap… Leans slightly toward Masaki…
“Welcome, Masaki Fujimiya… if your younger brother Ren makes a mistake, I have to call you.”
Masaki’s expression stays calm… controlled… “Go on.”
Ren still looks at the table… No defense… no reaction… just still…
The principal gestures toward the three injured students—
“As you can see… Ren has beaten these three quite badly…” His tone strict… “Now tell me… what should we do?”
Silence fills the room…
Clock ticking — tick… tick…
Masaki gives a slight side glance… Looks at Ren for a second…
Then back to the principal…
He stays quiet for a few seconds… fingers tapping lightly — tap… tap… Then speaks slowly—
“Why don’t you ask these three students…” His gaze shifts directly to them… eyes sharp… “…what they were doing?”
Ikumi’s throat dries… shoulders stiff… That faint smile from Masaki—alarm bells ring in his head…
He immediately bows— “Sir… we were ragging juniors… I want to apologize…”
Sato and Aoi exchange a quick glance… Then bow as well—
“I am sorry, sir.”
The principal’s face tightens… he leans forward… “Aren’t you ashamed? Ragging junior students?” His hand slams the table — thak!
“You’re suspended for three weeks!”
All three lower their heads quickly— “Yes sir…”
They step back… move toward the door — step… step… And leave the room — click…
The tension in the room eases slightly…
The principal takes a deep breath… then looks at Masaki, tone softer— “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Masaki smiles calmly… shoulders relaxed… “It’s nothing.” He gives a side glance at Ren… “Come on, Ren… let’s go.”
Both stand — scrape… step… Move toward the door—
Then—
“Ren.”
The principal’s voice from behind…
They stop… Ren half-turns — turn…
The principal gives a slight smile— “Next time, don’t jump straight into a fight… inform the teachers first. If they don’t listen, come to me. Alright?”
Ren stands straight… then gives a slight bow — bow… “Thank you, principal sir.”
University exit — afternoon…
Bright sunlight near the gate… students flowing out — murmur… Yeamori stands there… arms relaxed at her sides… eyes fixed on the entrance…
As soon as Ren and Masaki approach—
Ren looks slightly surprised… “You’re here?”
Yeamori steps right in front of him… her eyes scan his whole body — head to toe — scan… pause… “You didn’t get hurt anywhere, right?”
Masaki stands to the side… silently observing… A subtle curiosity in his eyes… she’s really concerned…
Ren shakes his head lightly… “No… I’m fine.”
Yeamori’s shoulders relax… a small nod— “Okay.”
Then her gaze shifts to Masaki… a curious tilt… “You’re really Ren’s older brother?”
A playful smile forms on Masaki’s lips… “Don’t I look like it?”
Yeamori instantly slips into teasing mode… eyes narrowing playfully— “Yeah… not at all.”
Ren’s brow creases slightly… a bit annoyed— “What are you two even talking about?”
Yeamori looks at him with a smile… “Ren… introduce me properly.”
Ren exhales lightly… Then in a casual tone— “This is Yeamori Arisa… my high school friend.”
Masaki extends his hand — extend… “I’m Ren’s older brother… Masaki Fujimiya. Nice to meet you.”
Yeamori takes his hand — shake… firm… They exchange a brief smile, eyes meeting…
Ren stands to the side… watching the two… A faint mix of expressions on his face…
A little later…
Ren and Masaki both wave goodbye to Yeamori from a distance…
Inside the car…
Both sit as Masaki drives… the road smooth ahead… Ren looks out the window… voice calm—
“It wasn’t my fault.” This story is hosted at g.com.
Masaki replies without even glancing— “Yeah… I know.”
“How did you know those three were in the wrong?”
Masaki smiles slightly… “Just guessed.”
Ren rolls his eyes— “Stop using that ‘guess’ excuse every time.”
“Ha… haha…” Masaki chuckles, then adds— “Mom and dad used to get irritated by that too… just like you.”
Ren leans back into the seat… relaxed— “Yeah… I know.”
The car comes to a smooth halt — skrr… stop… Ren’s building gate ahead… soft evening light… a guard standing nearby…
Ren unfastens his seatbelt — click… Opens the door — thak… Steps out… starts walking — tap… tap…
Then—
Masaki’s voice from inside the car… slightly playful— “Not even a goodbye?”
Ren stops — tap—stop… Half-turns… body toward the building, face toward the car… A soft smile forms on his lips—
“Bye, Masaki.”
Masaki, hands on the steering wheel, smiles back… Gives a slight nod…
Ren closes the door — thak… And walks toward the building…
The car engine hums — vroom… Masaki drives away…
Bungalow…
The main door opens — click… Masaki steps in… adjusts his coat slightly — swishh…
In the living room, Souta is already seated on the sofa… one leg crossed… hands relaxed…
Masaki sits on the sofa across from him — drop… Leans back… shoulders loose…
Souta looks at him… brow raised… “Where did you disappear to in the middle of the meeting?”
Masaki half-closes his eyes… tone calm— “I went to Ren’s university.”
Souta straightens… posture alert— “Why? What happened to Ren?”
Masaki takes a light breath… “I’ll tell you…”
He slowly explains everything… Ren staying calm… the flow of the fight… the three going down… the principal’s office…
As he speaks, his fingers tap slowly against the sofa edge — tap… tap… Voice steady… but clearly analyzing every detail…
Souta leans forward slightly as he listens… A faint smirk forms on his lips…
Masaki notices… eyes narrowing slightly… “You’re happy.”
Souta looks straight at him… doesn’t deny it— “Yeah.” A brief pause… “And I have a suggestion.”
Masaki tilts his head slightly… interested— “Go on.”
Souta clasps his hands… leans forward… tone serious… “I want Ren to be with us too…” His gaze steady… “He should understand how this world works.”
Silence fills the room…
Masaki’s eyes lower slightly… thinking… His fingers slow… tap… …tap…
Then he speaks quietly— “Maybe… you’re right.” A short pause… “I’ll think about it.”
Souta leans back… but his gaze remains fixed on Masaki… His voice turns heavier—
“You’ll may the right decision…” Then a slight pause… “But you know what his promise is…”
Masaki’s eyes lift…
Souta says it directly— “Sooner or later… he’s going to come after you.”
A heavy silence settles in the room…
The AC hums — hhhh…
Masaki’s face remains calm… but in his eyes… a deep, unresolved thought begins to form.
—Chapter 7 end—