"I was a first-year then when I first joined."
"I was quiet hot-headed back then. " Matsuno said quietly. "So I was jumped by these five guys."
"But then Kaito appeared out of nowhere and saved me."
"You should've seen how he beat them down like it was nothing."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"He told me I had potential that I was wasting it and that Sakuratei needed people who wouldn't back down from a fight. "
Ren leaned forward. "What was he like? Back then?"
"A good man." he replied without hesitation. "The best leader we ever had."
"He actually believed in his Five Virtues. They weren't just words to him. They were everything to him."
Ren leaned forward, listening intently.
"He protected everyone. Every member of Sakuratei. Every civilian in the Hanasakura District. Every kid getting bullied at school."
