Part 4: I Didn't Give Up
After a short pause, they began to head their separate ways. Haruto adjusted his bag and started walking toward his classroom, thoughts still lingering on the encounter.
Just as he reached the door, a voice called out sharply:
"Haruto Inazuma."
He turned. Daigo was standing at the teachers' lounge door, arms crossed, eyes serious.
Haruto swallowed, a knot forming in his stomach.
"Come here. Now."
The teachers' lounge felt quieter than the hallway.
Daigo closed the door behind Haruto and turned to face him. His expression was stern, unreadable.
"Sit," he said.
Haruto did as told, gripping the straps of his bag. He already knew what this was about.
Daigo didn't raise his voice. That made it worse.
"Why," he asked slowly, "did you pick a fight after the exam?"
Haruto looked down. "I didn't pick a fight, Daigo Sensei."
Daigo's eyes narrowed. "Students were punched. Names were mentioned. Explain."
Haruto clenched his fists on his knees. "They were cornering Daichi. I saw it on my first day too. He never hits back. He just stands there and takes it."
Daigo crossed his arms. "And that gave you the right to throw punches?"
Haruto swallowed. "I stood in front of him first. They told me to move. I didn't. They hit me to push me away."
He looked up, eyes shaking but steady.
"I only hit back when they tried to pull him again."
Daigo was silent for a moment.
"Haruto," he said, voice firm, "you could have come to me. Violence is not—"
"I know," Haruto interrupted, then stopped himself quickly. "I know, Sensei."
His voice dropped.
"But I couldn't walk away."
Daigo studied him carefully. "Why?"
Haruto hesitated. His shoulders trembled.
"Because… I know what it's like," he said quietly. "To be smaller. To be weaker. To know your fists won't matter."
His breathing became uneven.
Daigo let out a slow breath. "You've never once taken part in practice battles on the ground," he said. "You avoid them. You stay back. You watch."
Haruto's fingers curled tighter.
"And yet," Daigo continued, his tone sharper now, "you throw punches in the hallway. Do you understand how that looks?"
Haruto lifted his head slightly, tears clinging to his lashes.
"They weren't my friends," he said quietly.
Daigo paused.
"My friends don't hurt others," Haruto continued, his voice trembling but firm. "Anyone who hurts my friends… will have to pay for it."
The words surprised even him.
Silence filled the room.
Daigo studied Haruto for a long moment, his expression unreadable now—not anger, not approval, but something heavier.
Haruto's shoulders finally sagged. "I didn't want to fight," he whispered. "But I couldn't let it happen again."
Haruto straightened suddenly.
"I didn't give up," he said, his voice firmer now.
Daigo's gaze sharpened.
"Everyone in my class became strong through practice battles," Haruto continued. "They learned tactics, teamwork, how to fight in front of others."
His fists clenched at his sides.
"But just because I don't participate… doesn't mean I stopped trying."
Daigo remained silent.
"I trained at home," Haruto said. "Every day."
His voice grew steadier. "With my big brother Raizen… and my brother Renjiro."
Daigo's expression shifted slightly.
"They taught me more than just how to throw punches," Haruto went on. "I learned tactics. I learned tricks. How to read people. How to endure without breaking."
His breathing quickened.
"So no," he said, shaking his head. "I didn't give up."
He looked straight at Daigo now, eyes burning with something deeper than anger.
"I won't stop," Haruto said, voice rising. "Because there's something I need to achieve."
Daigo took a step forward. "Haruto—"
"I promised someone," Haruto shouted, the words tearing out of him.
Before anything more could be said, Haruto turned and ran—bag swinging over his shoulder as he burst out of the teachers' lounge and down the hallway.
The door slowly swung shut.
Daigo stood still, the silence heavy.