Furuichi was in paradise. Real paradise. The kind with white sand beaches, crystal-blue water, palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, and girls in swimsuits so dazzling he thought he might actually shed tears of joy. He lay sprawled on a beach chair, sunglasses perched on his nose, drink in hand complete with a little umbrella, and sighed like a man who had finally found salvation after years of suffering.
"Finally," he whispered to himself. "A break from demons. A break from Oga. A break from endless pain and humiliation. This... this is heaven."
And then, like the cruel joke the universe loved to play on him, a familiar, booming voice echoed across the sand.
"FURUICHI-KUN!"
He froze. The umbrella slid from his drink. Slowly, mechanically, he turned his head—and there, striding across the beach in his ridiculous green bodysuit, was Alaindelon, the transport demon.
"No," Furuichi whispered, already panicking. "No, no, no, NO! Don't you dare—"
Too late. Alaindelon's arms stretched wide, and with that terrifying sparkle in his eyes, he shouted, "TRANSPORT!"
Furuichi's scream echoed across the island as the world warped and twisted.
With a sickening pop, Furuichi found himself not on a tropical paradise, but standing on the hot concrete of a public pool in Ishiyama, still clutching his umbrella drink like it was proof that his dream had been real. His swim trunks were still wet from the beach, sand stuck to his legs, and his sunglasses sat crooked on his face.
Across from him stood Oga Tatsumi, arms crossed, Baby Beel on his back chewing on a floaty toy, and Jagua the kitten pawing at the strap of Oga's shirt.
Furuichi's jaw trembled. "...Why?"
Oga grunted, his face as blank and unbothered as ever. "Because if I'm not able to enjoy an expensive vacation, then the same should be true for you."
The words hit Furuichi like a slap. His umbrella drink slipped from his fingers and shattered dramatically on the pavement. For a long moment, he just stood there, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
Then, in the deadpan voice of a man pushed past all limits of despair, he said, "Why not just... transport yourself there and enjoy the expensive vacation too?"
The suggestion hit Oga harder than any punch ever had. His eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, his pupils shrank to tiny dots. His entire body froze in place as if the concept was simply too massive for his brain to process.
Beel squealed. Jagua tilted his head.
And Oga stayed like that—for the entire chapter.
Resigned to his fate, Furuichi trudged toward the poolside where the Red Tails were hanging out. The girls looked up, some smirking, others rolling their eyes.
"Eh? Furuichi?" one of them asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Dragged against my will," he muttered, slumping onto a lounge chair like a man who'd been sentenced to death.
The girls giggled, passing around sodas and snacks. "Too bad Aoi couldn't come. She said she's off doing some special training or something," one mentioned casually.
"Oh, that's right," another added. "She sounded really busy."
Furuichi perked up a little. "Aoi-san's not here? Tch. Figures. The one time I might've seen her in a swimsuit, and—"
Before he could finish his lament, a group of rough-looking delinquents swaggered over, leering at the Red Tails.
"Well, well," their leader sneered. "If it isn't the famous Red Tails. Looking good, ladies. How about you ditch the loser boys and hang with us?"
The girls scowled instantly, some already cracking their knuckles. But before anything could escalate, one of the punks squinted at Furuichi.
"...Hey. Wait a sec. Ain't that Furuichi? From middle school?"
Furuichi stiffened. "...Crap."
The leader, a tall guy with bleached hair and an ugly grin, leaned closer. "Takashima. Ring any bells?"
"Oh, it rings," Furuichi deadpanned. "Like a funeral bell. Mine."
Takashima's grin widened. "Good to see you again, buddy. Remember how you always used to run your mouth back then? Let's see how much fight you got now."
Furuichi panicked. He dove into the pool, thinking maybe—just maybe—he could hide among the swimmers and let this whole nightmare pass.
Unfortunately, Takashima had other plans. He snapped his fingers, and more of his men rushed in, cornering the lifeguard. After some quick lies about "dangerous chemicals in the water" and "a kid drowning," the lifeguard blew his whistle and evacuated the pool.
Within minutes, the pool was empty. Everyone gone. Except Furuichi. And Oga.
Furuichi's heart sank.
"Really?" he groaned. "Really?! Even the lifeguard?!"
Takashima and his crew surrounded the pool, grinning down at him like sharks circling prey. "No running this time, Furuichi. You're all ours."
Furuichi's eyes darted around wildly. He spotted Oga, still frozen in comic-shock mode from his earlier revelation, standing poolside with Beel and Jagua. His best friend. His only chance.
"...Oh, crap," he muttered.
The punks started closing in, jeering, cracking their knuckles. Furuichi knew he had two choices: get pummeled into paste, or... gamble.
He looked at Baby Beel, who was innocently gnawing on his toy floaty. Slowly, carefully, Furuichi crept toward him.
"Hey, uh... Beel-chan?" he whispered desperately. "Do Uncle Furuichi a favor, okay? Just one teeny-tiny cry..."
Beel blinked at him. Then grinned.
A split second later, the pool exploded with green lightning. Jagua leapt onto Oga's shoulder, tail puffed up. Takashima and all his men convulsed violently, hair smoking, screams echoing across the public pool.
When the sparks died down, every last delinquent was twitching on the ground, eyes rolled back.
Furuichi stood in the shallow end of the pool, water dripping off his nose, arms raised triumphantly. "Behold! Furuichi Takayuki, middle school's nightmare, has returned!"
A moment later, a massive fist slammed into his head, dunking him underwater.
"BASTARD," Oga growled, finally snapping out of shock. "DON'T USE BEEL FOR YOUR CRAP."
The girls watching from a safe distance sighed. "Yep. Same as always."
Later that evening, as the sun dipped low, Aoi finally arrived at the pool. She was nervous, clutching her bag close to her chest. Inside was the brand-new swimsuit she'd bought—cuter than anything she'd worn before. She'd spent hours picking it out, telling herself it was for "training purposes" or "just because."
But deep down, she knew why.
When she found her friends lounging near the lockers, she asked, "Um... is Oga here?"
One of them shook her head. "He left just a while ago."
"Oh... I see."
Aoi smiled politely, but her eyes dropped to the ground. She couldn't admit it out loud, but her heart ached. She'd wanted to show him. Just once.
Elsewhere, Kogen had wandered away from the pool chaos, Jagua at his side. He had his own plans, his own curiosity. And it didn't take long before he found Tōjō again—working yet another part-time job, this time hauling crates at the dock.
"Do you ever stop working?" he asked, amused.
Tōjō shrugged, sweat glistening on his arms. "Gotta keep busy somehow."
Before Kogen could reply, Jagua padded forward in kitten form. Tōjō froze, then his face melted into the dopiest grin imaginable.
"Kitty!" he practically squealed, crouching down to scoop Jagua into his massive hands. "Look at this little guy! So fluffy!"
Jagua mewed, rubbing against his chest, while Tōjō nuzzled the kitten with the gentleness of a child.
Kogen raised an eyebrow, watching this supposed musclehead melt into a pile of goo over a cat. A slow smile crept across her lips.
So this is the infamous Tōjō. Not just a muscle brain. A softie hiding underneath. Interesting. Very interesting.
As Tōjō played with Jagua, Kogen leaned against a wall, chuckling quietly. Maybe this was the beginning of a very strange friendship.
And so, the day ended with Oga still rattled, Furuichi battered, Aoi quietly disappointed, and Kogen forming unexpected bonds. Just another chapter in the chaotic, ridiculous saga of Ishiyama High.