[The Sixth Day of School] Kujo Was a Perfect Fit for Class C

The school rooftop.

In a spot neither near the fence nor the entrance, Ryuen and Sakagami waited for Kujo in the blind spot of a security camera.

Footsteps sounded, drawing closer.

"Kujo, you're really late. Don't tell me you were just with a woman?"

"Unlike you, Ryuen, I don't waste time crawling around on the ground just to find a spot outside the camera's view."

The moment Ryuen and Kujo met, they started trading insults.

Meanwhile, Sakagami stood in the corner with his arms folded, looking completely detached from the argument between his own students.

"Heh. Last time, you invited me to the classroom and even paid ten thousand points for show. This time..."

Ryuen had barely gotten halfway through his sentence when Kujo suddenly stepped forward and swung a punch at him.

The attack came without warning. Even Ryuen, who had been on guard, could only stumble backward and barely avoid it.

Kujo's assault followed like a downpour. He threw punches and kicks without hesitation, each strike sharp and merciless.

Unable to figure out Kujo's fighting style, Ryuen could only block and dodge, retreating step by step.

What made things even more troublesome for Ryuen was Kujo's seemingly bottomless stamina. He was powerfully built, his footing as steady as a rock, and every collision sent a solid shock through Ryuen's arms.

This was a formidable opponent.

He had to find a weakness and target the most vulnerable spot.

Ryuen thought quickly between blocks. At last, just as Kujo seemed to let up slightly after a flurry of attacks, a fierce glint flashed in Ryuen's eyes. His muscles tensed as he prepared to counter...

"It's better to talk less before a fight."

A heavy thud landed squarely in Ryuen's stomach.

Pain exploded through him. Ryuen grunted and dropped to one knee, cold sweat beading instantly on his forehead.

His breath knocked out of him, he clenched his teeth, fighting off the wave of numbness as he tried to straighten up again.

"Actions speak louder than words."

Stung by Kujo's taunt, Ryuen clenched his teeth and tried to get back up.

Just wait... Once I've caught my breath...

The next moment, an even more powerful blow followed.

Thud!

His vision suddenly dimmed, and the world spun. Before Ryuen could even make another move, his consciousness cut out, and he toppled straight onto the cold floor.

In the dead silence, Kujo slowly lowered his guard.

He looked down at the unconscious Ryuen, then turned toward the empty rooftop and called out:

"Ishizaki, quit hiding. Got a bucket of water? Bring it over."

Kujo knew that in the original story, Ryuen, Ishizaki, and Albert were inseparable.

He figured the other two were lurking nearby, up to who knew what.

But the only answer was the wind. The sounds of Ryuen and Kujo fighting had already reached Ishizaki in the distance. He didn't dare make a sound. He could only wait quietly for Ryuen's next signal.

Still, not everyone had Ishizaki's blind faith in Ryuen. On the other side, Albert had heard the noise and could no longer hold back. He stepped out to face Kujo.

Only when he saw Ryuen lying unconscious did Albert focus completely and take up a fighting stance against Kujo.

Hearing the renewed commotion, Ishizaki had no choice but to swallow his pride and step out too, standing with Albert to face Kujo.

Kujo's gaze swept over Albert and Ishizaki as he quickly assessed their strength.

Albert was the type to fight head-on, so he wasn't much of a threat.

If Ishizaki had stayed hidden and ambushed him while he fought Albert, he might have caused some trouble.

But now that Ishizaki had shown himself, he wasn't a concern either.

Still, to be safe, Kujo walked over to Ryuen and kicked him twice more while he was unconscious.

Only after confirming that Ryuen was truly out cold and not faking it did Kujo stop.

Then he looked at the two standing beside him, tense and on their guard, and grinned.

"Listen. I'm not trying to replace Ryuen or become your boss. But I know there's no point talking until we've fought and settled things. Come on, Ishizaki brothers."

"It's Ishizaki!" Enraged by the deliberate mispronunciation, Ishizaki snarled and charged first.

If Ishizaki had chosen to ambush him...

If Ishizaki had teamed up with Albert instead of charging in without a shred of coordination...

If Kujo's words hadn't angered him...

But there were no what-ifs. The instant Ishizaki moved, a sharp side kick landed squarely on his right cheek. He didn't even see Kujo's leg move before he was sent flying sideways and slammed hard into the ground.

"Cough..." Ishizaki struggled to push himself up, blood at the corner of his mouth. He glared resentfully at Sakagami, who still hadn't moved from the sidelines, and rasped, "Sakagami! You're a teacher! You're just going to stand there and watch Kujo beat us into the hospital?!"

Sakagami still had his arms folded, leaning against the wall in the corner as if he were meditating with his eyes closed.

At the sight of him, the last of Ishizaki's strength seemed to drain away. He gasped for breath and sprawled out on the ground, limbs spread wide, as if resigned to his fate.

Albert, however, was in a different situation from Ishizaki.

Though he had taken a fighting stance, he still showed no sign of attacking.

His gaze wandered, and his feet slowly shifted backward against his will. His towering frame looked hesitant and passive, as if he were locked in a fierce inner struggle.

As someone who had crossed into this world, Kujo understood why Albert was wavering at this crucial moment. So, in front of the bewildered Ishizaki and Sakagami, Kujo suddenly shouted—and his voice cracked for the first time:

"Albert, you useless coward! You don't like fighting because you refuse to use violence for no reason. But the guy standing in front of you just bullied your brother! I'm strong—stronger than you! Give it everything you've got!"

Albert's backward step froze.

Because of his family, Albert had been born with a build and strength far beyond those of the people around him. But he had never thought of using them to become anything.

Someone born strong, who trained in fitness and combat to avoid hurting himself or others, yet had never once used his full strength.

Albert didn't like Ryuen, and he didn't like Ishizaki, who was lying on the ground. They were weak, and they bullied people even weaker than themselves.

But Ryuen had said he would use his strength for the class.

Albert believed him, which was why he had accepted being called Ryuen's lackey by everyone else.

From that moment on, perhaps, just as Kujo had said, Ryuen had become his brother.

Kujo wasn't a bad person either. But if it was just a spar...

"Come on!"

The next moment, the two figures collided with a crash. Their first few exchanges were cautious, with probing attacks and blocks, but Sakagami, watching from the side, soon realized they had reached some unspoken understanding from the very beginning. They threw themselves into wide, powerful attacks, seemingly abandoning dodges and fancy techniques altogether.

It was a pure contest of strength and endurance—brutal, yet strangely honest.

At last, Albert fell to the ground, exhausted. Only then did Sakagami emerge from the corner of the rooftop.

He didn't say a word. He simply helped Ishizaki and Ryuen up, then followed Kujo, who was carrying Albert on his back, into the school building.

A while later.

The infirmary was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Ryuen opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a featureless white ceiling.

The dull aches all over his body brought back everything that had happened on the rooftop.

"Wasn't it a dream?"

Ryuen clenched his fist. His arm trembled slightly with the effort as he raised it toward the ceiling, then let it fall weakly.

He understood that none of it had been a dream. It was all real.

"Ryuen, you're awake?" Ishizaki, a bandage stuck to his face, saw him move and hurried over to help him sit up.

Albert understood at once and got up to help too.

"Kujo held back. Your daily lives won't be affected. I've already spoken to the infirmary. They only know you fell down the stairs. We've got our stories straight."

Sakagami's voice drifted lazily from the doorway.

Ryuen turned his head toward him and gave a self-mocking sneer.

"Looks like you really are on Kujo's side, Sakagami."

Before going to the rooftop, Ryuen had paid Sakagami forty thousand points to keep an eye on the fight and be ready to provide evidence if Kujo used violence.

The original plan had also been to provoke Kujo with insults. As long as Kujo struck first, Sakagami's testimony would let Ryuen force him to back down.

Everything had gone surprisingly smoothly. Kujo had indeed attacked, but Sakagami hadn't honored his deal with Ryuen at all.

The reason was simple.

From start to finish, it had only been a verbal agreement between Ryuen and Sakagami. There was no evidence to prove any of it.

Ryuen had assumed a teacher wouldn't lie. Now he realized he'd been too naïve.

Sakagami had taught Ryuen another lesson.

The reason Sakagami chose Kujo was simple too.

Might makes right.

Neither of them was a good person. Sakagami would support whichever student could beat the other into submission.

That was all.

"How long was I out?"

"About three hours. I wasn't keeping track."

"So you waited here for three hours, Sakagami?"

"I have work tomorrow, and you have class. It's not strange that I'd check on you. Besides, I wasn't waiting the whole time. I just went to answer a call from the Class A homeroom teacher."

After a brief silence,

Ryuen began asking where Kujo had gone.

"What's that guy doing now?"

Sakagami shook his head.

"Maybe he's out on a date with his girlfriend."

At that, Ryuen's temple twitched. He was impressed that he hadn't immediately gotten up to find Kujo and fight him again.

Ishizaki couldn't help raising his hand to ask, "When did Kujo get a girlfriend?"

Hearing that, Albert picked up the slippers from under the bed and handed them to Ryuen.

Ryuen didn't even look. He simply flung his arm.

Smack!

The slipper landed squarely on Ishizaki's face.

"Idiot."

Ryuen closed his eyes, too tired to look at Ishizaki's dumbfounded expression again.

You think the rest of us are as clueless as you, Ishizaki?

Who in Class C likes that gloomy guy?

Only a simple-minded idiot like you, Ishizaki, wouldn't know.