Part 3: The Hallway Fight
Two hours passed in heavy silence.
Only the sound of pens scratching paper and the distant ticking of the wall clock filled the room. Haruto wrote until his fingers ached, pausing only when he had to think carefully before continuing again.
Then the invigilator stepped forward.
"Time's up."
Haruto's pen froze.
"Everyone, pen down," the invigilator said firmly.
Chairs creaked softly as students straightened. A few let out quiet breaths they hadn't realized they were holding.
The invigilator began collecting the answer sheets, moving row by row.
"Roll one."
A paper was handed over.
"Roll two."
One by one, he continued down the line, the stack in his hands growing thicker with each desk.
When he reached Haruto, he took both papers with a quick glance and moved on without comment, continuing until—
"Roll eighteen."
The last sheet was collected.
The invigilator tapped the stack lightly against the desk to straighten it, then looked up at the class.
"You may take your belongings and leave."
Just like that, the tension snapped.
Chairs slid back, whispers began to rise, and students stood up, gathering their things as the exam hall slowly emptied.
Haruto grabbed his bag and stepped out of the classroom, weaving through the crowd of students.
Then he saw him — Daichi, cornered near the lockers, flanked by Sanae, Haruki, Tetsu, and Raizo. The boy looked small and tense, trying to back away, but there was nowhere to go.
Without hesitation, Haruto pushed forward. He stepped directly in front of Daichi, positioning himself as a shield.
"Move," Sanae sneered, stepping closer. "Or get out of the way."
Haruto didn't budge.
"Move!" Haruki shouted.
"Yeah, move!" Tetsu added, cracking his knuckles.
They stepped forward, throwing punches at Haruto, trying to force him to move aside. The hits made him stagger, but he didn't leave his spot. He stayed right there, taking the blows meant for Daichi.
When it stopped, Haruto drew a slow breath and straightened himself.
He reached back and rested his hand on Daichi's shoulder, steady and protective.
"From the beginning, you stood like this, taking the hits," Haruto said quietly. "Now you should know what you need to do instead."
Haruto stepped forward and punched Tetsu just hard enough to make him step back, breaking the line and creating space.
Haruto reached back and gripped Daichi's far shoulder, his hold steady, not rough. He guided him away, placing himself slightly ahead as they started to walk.
He didn't turn around.
"He's my friend," Haruto said, his voice calm but carrying weight. "If you touch him again, you'll pay for it."
He kept walking, not rushing, not looking back—just leading Daichi forward, away from them.
Daichi followed, stunned, but safe behind him.
They had barely taken a few steps when Sanae suddenly reached out, grabbing the back of Daichi's uniform and yanking him backward.
Daichi stumbled, fear flashing across his face.
"Leave him," Haruto said immediately, stopping but not turning around. His grip on Daichi's shoulder tightened, steadying him.
Sanae scoffed. "Huh?" she said, her hold not loosening. "What if I don't?"
Sanae scoffed. "Huh?" she said, her hold not loosening. "What if I don't?"
Haruto turned.
In one sharp movement, he threw a punch straight toward Sanae, which forced her to let go and step back.
Daichi stumbled forward, free.
Haruto immediately stepped between them again, his body angled protectively, one hand still on Daichi's shoulder, making it clear the line had been crossed.
The hallway went silent, and for a split second, no one moved.
Then Haruki and Tetsu rushed in, anger written all over their faces. Haruto reacted instinctively, driving them back with quick punches, not chasing them, not pressing further—just enough to stop them from closing in.
Before it could turn into anything more—
"Enough."
Raizo stepped forward, his voice low but firm.
"Leave it," he said, glancing at Sanae, then at Haruki and Tetsu. "Let's go."
There was a pause. Tension hung thick in the air.
Then, one by one, they backed off. Sanae clicked her tongue in frustration, Haruki shot Haruto a glare, and Tetsu looked away, rubbing his arm.
They turned and walked off down the hall.
Haruto didn't follow them with his eyes.
He stayed where he was, standing in front of Daichi until the corridor finally felt quiet again.
Only then did he loosen his grip on Daichi's shoulder.
"You're okay," Haruto said softly.
Daichi nodded, still shaken—but standing.
Daichi blinked up at Haruto, his fear slowly giving way to relief.
"Th… thank you," he stammered.
Haruto gave a small nod. "No problem. But… tell me, why do you always get into this?" he asked, curiosity mixed with concern.
Daichi hesitated, then sighed. "It's… because of my red hair. People pick on me for it. But I'm really glad I finally met someone like you—a red-haired guy who actually stands up. I've never seen anyone like that before. Really… thank you."
Haruto smiled faintly. "You've got to learn to stand for yourself too. Not always someone else's fists."
Then Haruto paused, curiosity tugging at him. "By the way… what's your name?"
Daichi looked a little surprised, then smiled nervously. "I'm Daichi Mori. And you?"
"Haruto Inazuma," he replied.
They nodded at each other, a quiet understanding forming. Two strangers just met, but in that brief moment, a connection had been made.