The morning sun felt less like a warm welcome and more like a spotlight. I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, adjusting my glasses for the tenth time.
"Just be a background character," I muttered to my reflection. "No sharp glares. No intimidating posture. Just... Yuu."
I headed downstairs, grabbed a piece of toast, and ducked out the door before Hana could hit me with any more "hypothetical" questions. I needed to get to school early. If I arrived before the crowd, I could slip into my seat unnoticed and avoid any awkward encounters.
Or so I thought.
--The Early Bird--
As I approached the gates of Sakura High, the street was mostly empty. The cherry blossoms were fluttering down in the morning breeze—a scene straight out of a romance novel. But standing right in the center of the gateway was a figure that turned the romantic scene into a psychological thriller.
Sayuri was there.
She was wearing a different cardigan today, clutching her bag against her chest. When she spotted me, her entire face lit up. It wasn't just a smile; it was a look of profound relief, as if I were a survivor returning from a war zone.
"Yuu-kun!" she called out, scurrying toward me.
I checked my watch. I was thirty minutes early. "Sayuri? You're here already? I thought I'd be the first one."
"I couldn't sleep," she said, falling into step beside me—closer than most friends would. "I kept thinking about what you said yesterday. About holding hands... and about us sticking together. I've been here since six-thirty."
I felt a bead of sweat prickle my forehead. Six-thirty? "That's... dedicated," I said, putting on my best "charming" smile to keep the atmosphere light. "But you shouldn't overwork yourself as my bodyguard, Sayuri-chan. A girl needs her beauty sleep, though looking at you, it clearly hasn't affected your charm."
Sayuri's breath hitched. She looked at her feet, a frantic blush spreading down to her neck. "I... I don't need sleep if I'm thinking about you. It's better than any dream."
She reached out, her fingers catching the edge of my sleeve again. She didn't let go. She walked so close that our shoulders brushed with every step. I felt like a prisoner being escorted to a cell, but I kept the "flirty" mask firmly in place.
"Well, since you're here," I teased, "I guess I don't have to worry about any delinquents jumping out from the bushes."
The Second Challenger
We reached the shoe lockers, but the peaceful walk didn't last. A shadow loomed over the entrance.
Leaning against the lockers with her arms crossed was Amaya. She looked like she hadn't slept either, but unlike Sayuri's tired adoration, Amaya's eyes were full of caffeinated spite.
"Well, look at the happy couple," Amaya sneered, pushing off the locker. She ignored me and stared directly at Sayuri. "Hey, Freak. I thought I told you to get lost yesterday. You think because you found a 'hero' in glasses, the rules don't apply to you?"
Sayuri's grip on my sleeve tightened until I thought the fabric might rip. She hid behind my shoulder, trembling.
I stepped forward, gently disengaging Sayuri's hand so I could stand between them. My "Boss" instincts were screaming at me to put Amaya in her place, but I kept my hands in my pockets and my voice soft.
"Amaya-san, it's too early for this," I said with a weary smile. "Can't we just have a quiet morning? I'll even buy you a coffee from the vending machine if it'll help your mood."
Amaya took a step toward me, her eyes narrowing. "You think you're funny, don't you, Kobashigawa? You think you can just flirt your way out of everything?"
"It usually works," I joked, though I could feel the tension in the room rising.
Suddenly, Amaya reached out, not for me, but to shove Sayuri out of the way. "Move, I'm talking to—"
Before her hand could connect, Sayuri's entire aura changed. She didn't shrink back. She stepped forward, her bangs shadowing her eyes.
"Don't," Sayuri whispered. Her voice was cold—completely different from the shy girl I'd been talking to. "Don't touch him. Don't even look at him."
Amaya froze, surprised by the sudden bite in the "mouse's" voice. Even I was taken aback. The air in the locker room turned heavy, and for a split second, I saw a flash of something in Sayuri's hand—a small, sharpened compass from her stationery kit.
Wait, I thought, my heart sinking. This is going to turn into a crime scene before the first bell.
"Sayuri, hey," I said quickly, grabbing her wrist gently to stop her from doing anything permanent. I turned to Amaya with a sharper, more commanding look than I had used all morning. "Amaya, go to class. Now. Before the President does her morning rounds."
Amaya looked between me and the silent, vibrating rage of Sayuri. She scoffed, clicking her tongue. "Fine. But watch your back, Glasses. Your 'girlfriend' is even crazier than I thought."
She turned and marched away.
--The Aftermath--
The silence that followed was deafening. Sayuri was still shaking, but the "cold" aura was fading, replaced by her usual timidness. She tucked the compass back into her pocket so fast I almost missed it.
"Yuu-kun... I'm sorry," she sobbed, her eyes filling with tears. "I just... I can't stand it when people are mean to you. I'd do anything to protect you. Anything."
I looked at her, realizing that my "bodyguard" wasn't just obsessed—she was dangerous. And Amaya was now officially a personal enemy.
"It's okay, Sayuri," I said, patting her shoulder. I leaned in and whispered, "But let's keep the stationery in our bags, okay? I like my girls a little less... sharp."
She looked up at me, a tear rolling down her cheek, and gave a tiny, broken nod. "Okay. For you, Yuu-kun... I'll be good."
I walked toward the classroom, my mind reeling. I used to run a gang of fifty hardened criminals, and yet, managing two high school girls was proving to be the most difficult job of my life.
The morning announcements hadn't even finished when a student messenger tapped on my desk.
--Student Council Office--
"Kobashigawa Yuu? The Student Council President wants to see you. Now."
The classroom went quiet. I felt Sayuri's gaze burn into the side of my head—a mix of worry and something that felt like jealousy. I gave her a reassuring pat on the arm, whispered a quick "I'll be back," and followed the messenger.
When I entered the Student Council office, the smell of expensive tea and old paper hit me. Fuuji Masuyo was sitting behind a massive oak desk, her long black hair draped over her shoulder like silk. She didn't look up from her paperwork.
"Close the door, Kobashigawa. And lock it."
I did as I was told, my heart skipping a beat. I kept my posture slumped, my "average student" mask firmly in place. "Is there something wrong, President? If it's about the locker room earlier—"
"Drop the act."
She finally looked up. Her eyes weren't just sharp; they were calculating. She slid a thick, manila folder across the desk. I opened it. Inside were photos—not of me at Sakura High, but of a younger version of me, standing over a pile of defeated thugs in a rain-slicked alley.
"The 'Demon King' of the South District," Masuyo said, her voice smooth and cold. "You disappeared six months ago. Most people thought you were dead or in juvie. I didn't expect to find you wearing fake glasses and acting like a nervous herbivore in my school."
The air in the room changed. I stopped slouching. I took off my glasses, cleaning them slowly with my shirt. My eyes, usually hidden behind the frames, sharpened into the gaze of the man in those photos.
"Your background check is impressive, President," I said, my voice dropping an octave. The "normal guy" was gone. "What do you want? If you wanted me gone, you would have called the police already."
Masuyo leaned back, a small, triumphant smile playing on her lips. "I don't want you gone. I want you to work for me. This school has a reputation for 'youthful perfection,' but beneath the surface, there are seven 'Troublemakers'—students so volatile they threaten to destroy our image. The faculty can't handle them. The police are too messy."
She pulled out seven profiles. I saw Amaya and, to my horror, Sayuri.
"The Seven Calamities of Sakura High," Masuyo continued. "Amaya, the violent delinquent. Sayuri, the hidden stalker with 'yandere' tendencies. And five others just as bad. I want you to be their 'Guide.' Use that charisma and those fists of yours to keep them in line. Tame them, Kobashigawa."
I stared at the photos. "You want a former gang boss to act as a babysitter for high school psychos?"
"I want a Boss to handle his own kind," Masuyo corrected. "If you refuse, I'll leak those photos to the school board, the students, and specifically to your little sister, Hana. I wonder how she'd feel knowing her 'peaceful' brother is a monster?"
I felt a surge of cold fury, but I suppressed it. She had me cornered.
"And if I do it?" I asked.
"Then your 'peaceful life' remains a reality. I'll protect your identity, and I'll make sure no one looks too closely at the Kobashigawa family secrets."
I looked at the profile of Sayuri. She was smiling in the photo—a shy, innocent smile that felt like a lie now. Then I looked at Amaya, the girl who wanted to break my face.
I put my glasses back on, the "gloomy" mask sliding back into place. "Fine. But I do things my way. No reports, no paperwork. If I have to break a few spirits to keep the peace, you don't complain."
Masuyo's smile widened. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Welcome to the Student Council's 'Shadow Committee,' Yuu-kun."
I walked out of the Student Council office, the weight of the "Seven Calamities" folder practically burning a hole in my mind. I adjusted my glasses, forcing my expression back into that of a timid, average student.
Tame them, she says, I thought bitterly. I'm supposed to be a retired legend, not a zookeeper for high schoolers with screws loose.
--Back to the Classroom--
When I slid the classroom door open, the chatter died down for a split second. My eyes immediately drifted to my seat. Sayuri was sitting perfectly still, but the moment she saw me, her entire body recoiled then leaned forward, like a spring being released.
I sat down, trying to look as "Normal Yuu" as possible. "Hey. Sorry that took so—"
"What did she want?"
Sayuri didn't let me finish. She was turned fully in her seat, her hands gripped so tightly on the edge of my desk that her knuckles were white. Her eyes were wide, searching my face for any sign of... well, anything.
"The President?" I asked, giving her a lopsided, flirtatious grin to try and disarm her. "She just wanted to talk about my 'fashionable' glasses, Sayuri-chan. Apparently, they're a bit too gloomy for the school's image."
Sayuri didn't laugh. She didn't even blink.
"You were in there for twelve minutes and forty-two seconds," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I counted. Why did she lock the door? I saw the messenger lock it. People only lock doors when they want to be... intimate. Or secretive."
I felt a cold drop of sweat slide down my back. She was timing it?
"It was just school business, I promise," I said, leaning in closer and lowering my voice to a teasing whisper. "Are you jealous, Sayuri-chan? I didn't know you were the type to keep me on such a short leash. It's actually kind of... exciting."
The effect was instantaneous. The "interrogator" mask cracked, and her face flushed that brilliant, deep crimson. She let out a tiny, soft "fuwa" sound and hid her lower face behind her hands.
"I-I'm not jealous!" she squeaked, though her eyes were still shimmering with an intense, possessive light. "I just... I don't trust her. Masuyo-senpai looks like the type who takes what she wants. And you... you're mine. I mean—we're seatmates! We're a set!"
"A set, huh?" I chuckled, patting her head. Her hair was incredibly soft, and for a moment, I forgot she was holding a sharpened compass in her pocket earlier. "Don't worry. The President is way too scary for my taste. I much prefer someone... gentler. Like you."
She melted into her desk, looking like she might actually faint from the praise.
But as I turned my gaze toward the front of the room, I caught Amaya staring at us from three rows away. She wasn't just angry anymore; she was looking at me with a calculating smirk, as if she'd realized that if she couldn't break me, she could break the girl sitting next to me.
One obsessed stalker down, six more 'Calamities' to go, I thought, leaning my head on my hand. And I still haven't even finished my first day of classes.
After the intense interrogation by Sayuri, the rest of the morning was a blur of textbooks and hidden glares. During the break before the afternoon gym period, I realized I'd forgotten my gym clothes in my locker. To avoid the crowded main hallway where Amaya was likely waiting to cause a scene, I took a shortcut through the old science wing.
The air here was different—heavy with the smell of sulfur and something sweet, like rotting fruit.
--The Third Calamity: The Mad Chemist--
I was passing the door to Science Lab 4 when a muffled boom shook the floorboards. Thick, purple smoke began to seep through the cracks of the door.
Just keep walking, Yuu. Normal students don't investigate explosions.
But then, I heard a manic, high-pitched giggle. Curiosity (and my new role as "Guide") got the better of me. I slid the door open.
Standing amidst a cloud of neon vapor was a girl with wild, messy teal hair and a lab coat that was three sizes too big. Her goggles were lopsided, and she was holding a bubbling test tube with an expression of pure, unadulterated ecstasy. This was Ichinose Rin, the third Calamity.
"Success!" she shrieked. She turned, her eyes wide and bloodshot behind her goggles, landing right on me. "Oh? A test subject? And a healthy-looking one at that!"
Before I could blink, she lunged. For a girl who looked like she lived on energy drinks and chemicals, she was terrifyingly fast. She pulled a syringe from her coat pocket, the needle glinting under the flickering fluorescent lights.
"Don't move, Guinea Pig! This won't kill you—probably! It's just a neuro-stimulant designed to see how much stress the human heart can take before it stops!"
She was inches away, the needle aimed straight for my neck. My "Normal Yuu" mask slipped for a split second. This wasn't a school interaction; this was an assassination attempt.
I didn't think. I reacted.
As she lunged, I stepped into her guard, my hand snapping up like a viper. I caught her wrist in a crushing grip, twisting it just enough to force the syringe away from my face. With my other hand, I grabbed her shoulder and slammed her back against the laboratory table.
CRASH.
Beakers rattled and spilled, but I held her there, pinned. I leaned in, my shadow looming over her. I didn't realize it, but my glasses had slid down, revealing the cold, murderous eyes of the "South District Boss."
"Listen to me, Ichinose," I hissed, my voice vibrating with a low, dangerous growl. "I don't care how many chemicals you've huffed. If you ever point a needle at me again, I'll make sure the only thing you're experimenting on is the hospital food you'll be eating through a straw. Am I clear?"
Rin didn't scream. She didn't struggle.
Instead, her pupils dilated. Her breathing, which had been frantic, slowed into a rhythmic, heavy pant. A dark flush crept up her cheeks, and she looked up at me with a gaze that wasn't just obsessed—it was worshipful.
"Such... such raw, overwhelming force," she whispered, her voice trembling with excitement. "Your grip strength... your heart rate didn't even spike... You're the perfect specimen. You're... magnificent."
I realized I was still holding her down. I quickly let go, stepping back and shoving my glasses back up my nose. "I... I mean, that's dangerous! You should be more careful with those things!"
The "Normal Yuu" was back, but the damage was done. Rin stayed leaning against the table, her hand resting over her heart, staring at me as if I were a god who had just descended from the heavens.
"Kobashigawa Yuu," she breathed, reading my name tag. "I've spent my life looking for a miracle in a test tube... but you... you're the ultimate reaction."
I turned and bolted for the door. Great. Just great. One stalker. One vengeful delinquent. And now, a mad scientist who wanted to dissect me because I'd accidentally shown her my "Other" side.
I barely made it to the locker rooms and changed in a blur. My head was spinning. Between Sayuri's surveillance and Rin's needles, my "quiet life" was starting to feel like a high-stakes survival horror game.
--After the Lab Incident--
I stepped out onto the gym floor, adjusting my glasses and hunching my shoulders. Just be average, Yuu. Be a C-student. Be the guy nobody remembers.
"Alright, listen up!" the gym teacher, a man who looked like he'd survived on a diet of granite and whistles, shouted. "Today is the biannual physical assessment. We're doing the 'Buddy System' for the circuit training. I've already assigned your partners based on the register!"
I looked around. Sayuri was across the gym, staring at me with a pained expression, her hands clasped as if she were praying to be paired with me. Amaya was nearby, cracking her knuckles and giving me a look that promised a "training accident."
"Kobashigawa Yuu!" the teacher barked.
I stood up straight. "Yes, sir?"
"You're with Ichinose Rin. She's finally out of the lab, so make sure she doesn't faint on the track!"
My heart dropped. From the corner of the gym, a messy teal head popped up. Rin was already staring at me, her goggles replaced by thin, circular glasses that didn't hide the predatory gleam in her eyes. She was holding a digital stopwatch and a clipboard.
She skipped over to me, her oversized gym shirt hanging off one shoulder.
"Greetings, Specimen No. 1," she whispered, her voice low enough that only I could hear. "Don't bother hiding it. I've already calculated the torque of your wrist grip from earlier. Now... I want to see the rest."
--The Assessment--
The first test was the long jump. I deliberately tripped over my own feet, landing with a pathetic thud just a few feet from the line.
"Oh no," I said in a flat, monotone voice. "I am so clumsy and weak."
Click. Rin didn't even look at the sand. She was staring at my calf muscles. "Interesting. Your muscle fiber recruitment was suppressed by exactly 74%. You're faking, Yuu-kun. Such fascinating neurological control..."
Next was the sit-up test. I did a slow, struggling twenty reps, pretending to pant for breath. Sayuri, who was paired with a random girl nearby, looked like she wanted to rush over and give me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Rin, meanwhile, was kneeling right over my feet, her face inches from mine every time I sat up.
"Your heart rate is 72 beats per minute," she whispered, tapping her clipboard. "You aren't even breaking a sweat. Your body is a masterpiece of efficiency. Tell me... what happens if I push you to the limit? Does the 'Boss' come out to play again?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ichinose-san," I wheezed, trying to look exhausted. "I'm just... out of shape."
"Liar," she giggled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "I can smell the adrenaline you're trying to suppress. It's intoxicating."
The Climax: The 1500-Meter Run
The final test was the long-distance run. As the whistle blew, the class took off. I stayed in the middle of the pack, keeping my pace steady and unremarkable.
But Rin was right beside me. She wasn't even running properly; she was more like a caffeinated bird, hopping and skipping to keep up while staring at my profile.
"Yuu-kun," she panted, her eyes wide. "If you don't show me your real speed, I might have to leak a certain 'chemical accident' in the cafeteria tomorrow. I wonder how Sayuri-chan would react if her lunch was spiked with... let's say... a very potent truth serum?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. The other students ran past us. I looked at Rin, and for a split second, the "Normal Yuu" mask cracked. My eyes went cold, and a heavy, oppressive aura radiated from me—the kind that used to make grown men kneel in the South District.
"You're threatening my classmates now, Rin?" I said, my voice like grinding stones.
Rin didn't flinch. She leaned into the pressure, her face flushed with a terrifying joy. "There he is! The miracle! The Alpha specimen!"
She reached out to touch my chest, but before she could, a shadow dropped between us.
"Is there a problem here?"
It was Masuyo, the President. She was in her gym clothes too, looking like an Olympic athlete. She looked at Rin's crazed expression and then at my darkened gaze.
"Ichinose, back to the track," Masuyo commanded. "And Kobashigawa... remember what we discussed in my office. You're supposed to be guiding them, not provoking them."
Rin scurried away, scribbling furiously on her clipboard. "The reaction! It was perfect! High-pressure stabilization!"
Masuyo turned back to me, her eyes narrowing behind her bangs. "You're doing a terrible job of staying hidden, 'Boss.' You've already got two of the Calamities ready to kill or die for you. If you don't get them under control, I'll have to move up the deadline for your... 'orientation' with the fourth one."
I sighed, putting my glasses back on and slumping my shoulders. "They aren't exactly easy to 'guide,' President."
"Figure it out," she said, turning to run."
--After school--
The walk home felt like a march toward a firing squad. I was exhausted, my "normal" mask was cracked, and all I wanted was to hide under my covers and pretend I was back in the South District—at least there, people just tried to stab me.
As I rounded the corner to my house, I froze.
Standing right by my blue mailbox were two figures that should never, under any circumstances, be in the same zip code.
Sayuri was there, clutching her bag to her chest, her eyes shadowed and dark. Next to her stood Rin, still in her oversized lab coat, holding a handheld biometric scanner. The air between them was so thick with tension I half-expected lightning to strike the pavement.
"Yuu-kun!" Sayuri chirped, though her voice had an edge like a jagged saw. "I was waiting for you. But this... person was already here. She says she needs to 'calibrate' you."
"Specimen No. 1!" Rin ignored Sayuri's death glare, skipping toward me. She grabbed my arm, pressing the scanner against my bicep. "My data from the gym was incomplete! Your resting metabolic rate is essential for my thesis on 'The Perfect Human.' Also," she leaned in, her voice a sultry, manic purr, "you look even more appetizing in the sunset light. Your testosterone levels must be peaking."
"Get. Away. From. Him," Sayuri hissed. She stepped forward, her hand disappearing into her pocket—no doubt reaching for that sharpened compass. "He doesn't want to be your 'specimen.' He's my seatmate. My... everything."
"Oh? A possessive variable?" Rin giggled, clicking a button on her scanner. "How unscientific. Yuu-kun belongs to the world of progress! Specifically my progress."
"I don't care about science," Sayuri whispered, her aura turning pitch black. "I'll erase any 'variable' that touches him."
"Could you both just—" I started, my hands raised in a peaceful gesture.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"
A third voice exploded from the sidewalk. I turned to see Amaya stomping toward us, looking absolutely livid. Her uniform was messy, and she looked like she'd been pacing the block for an hour.
"Amaya-san?" I blinked. "Did you... follow me too?"
"Shut up, Glasses!" she barked, her face turning red—not from shyness, but from sheer irritation. "I came here to tell you that tomorrow, I'm going to kick your teeth in for making me look like an idiot in front of the President! But I get here and I find a stalker and a freak show having a mid-off on your driveway! This neighborhood is a disaster!"
"Amaya-san," Sayuri said, her voice dropping into a terrifyingly calm register. "You want to... kick Yuu-kun? Maybe I should kick you out of this timeline first."
"Try it, Pigtails!" Amaya snapped, stepping into Sayuri's space.
I stood there, the "Boss" of the South District, feeling completely powerless as a mad scientist scanned my pulse, a yandere threatened a murder-suicide, and a delinquent screamed at the sky.
"I'm going inside now," I said, backing away slowly. "Please don't kill each other on my lawn. My mom just planted those petunias."
--The Secret Files--
I slammed the front door, locked it, and bolted upstairs. My heart was actually racing now. I pulled out the folder Masuyo had given me and spread the documents across my bed.
"Let's see who I'm actually dealing with," I muttered, opening the first file.
1. Amaya (The Fallen Grace): > Middle School Records: Straight-A student, class president, 'Good Girl' persona.
The Incident: A redacted event in her second year led to a total personality shift. Known now as a violent delinquent, but her 'inner good girl' occasionally surfaces as intense irritation when things don't go according to 'rules.'
2. Ichinose Rin (The Chemist): > Status: Aspiring Mad Scientist.
Warning: Sent five students to the hospital last year after 'accidental' exposure to experimental gases. Views humans only as biological data. High intelligence, zero empathy.
3. Hase Sayuri (The Angelic Stalker): > Status: Extreme Yandere.
Summary: Looks like a timid, angelic girl. Reality: Expert in surveillance and psychological pressure. Has been tracking Kobashigawa Yuu since the entrance ceremony. Highly dangerous if she perceives a 'rival.'
4. [REDACTED] (The Junior): > Information: Hidden. Mentioned only as a first-year student with 'prodigious' destructive potential.
5. [The Influencer] (The Gyaru): > Name: (Pending). The girl from the first day who cornered the 'fake timid' Amaya. She controls the female social hierarchy of the school. A master of verbal abuse and social assassination.
6. [The Challenger]: > Information: Female. Wants title as the strongest.
7. The Third Year (The Ghost): > Record: Almost zero data. Known for an incident that nearly destroyed the school's prestigious reputation two years ago. Currently the most 'stable' but potentially the most explosive Calamity.
I closed the folder and rubbed my temples. "A good girl playing bad, a mad scientist, and a stalker who thinks we're a 'set'... and that's just the girls on my porch."
I looked out the window. They were still out there, arguing over who got to walk me to the gate tomorrow.
"Youthful life," I sighed, leaning my head against the glass. "Masuyo, you're a real piece of work."