Threatening Ryuen

The next morning, sunlight spilled across the bed through the gaps in the curtains, and Onizuka slowly opened his eyes.

Still bleary-eyed, he touched his forehead, rubbed it gently, and then slowly sat up.

Last night, Sakura Airi had stayed in his room until very late before leaving.

She had told him about her past, speaking of the confusion and struggles she once faced.

She hadn't tried to hide anything, instead choosing to reveal her most vulnerable parts to him in a way that was almost apologetic.

Onizuka walked to the window and pulled back the curtains, letting the sunlight flood into the room and illuminate every corner.

The morning air was fresh and crisp, giving him a sense of clarity; he took a deep breath and squinted his eyes.

"It's about time to close the net on that Ryuen business." Onizuka muttered to himself in the room.

Since today happened to be Saturday, Onizuka contacted Ryuen directly via LINE.

Ever since the incident with the archaeological scroll, he hadn't been in touch with Ryuen for a long time.

He wondered if Ryuen still remembered him from Class D? But it didn't matter if he had forgotten; after this, Ryuen would surely find him the hardest person to forget.

'Onizuka? What made you think of contacting me, you guy?'

'Don't be so impatient, Ryuen. I have some things I want to discuss with you regarding Sudo.'

Ryuen stared at the message box on his screen, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

He hadn't expected a guy like Onizuka to take the initiative to contact him. Especially the mention of the Sudo incident, which inexplicably made him feel a sense of irritation.

'Sudo? Don't flatter yourself. Our last encounter was nothing more than a fair trade. You aren't trying to strike up a friendship to get me to let him off the hook, are you?'

'If I said that, would you agree, Ryuen?'

'Heh, what do you think?'

'Well~ I didn't think so. Anyway, let's meet at the same rooftop as last time. See you in an hour~'

'Hey! Kid! Don't think I'm someone you can just summon at your beck and call!'

'Hey!!!'

"Damn it!!!"

Watching the messages he sent turn into unread status, Ryuen couldn't help but curse out loud.

Albert, who was nearby, walked over and reached out to take the phone.

"Boss, what happened?"

"Go call that guy Ishizaki out. We're heading out in a bit."

"Understood, Boss."

Seeing Albert turn to leave, Ryuen suddenly called out to stop him.

"Wait, Albert, bring Komiya and the other two along as well. Forget about Ibuki; it's not the right time for her to make an appearance."

"Also, bring those things I had you prepare earlier. Alright, go."

"Understood, Boss."

Hearing Ryuen's order, Albert turned and walked out, closing the room door behind him.

Now, only Ryuen remained in the room, and the surroundings fell into a deep silence.

He slowly sat back in his chair and pressed his temples. His eyelids twitched incessantly due to a subtle agitation, and the gloom between his brows grew heavier.

Onizuka... this guy was definitely up to no good.

Choosing this specific moment to invite him to a meeting with that nonchalant tone was clearly a deliberate provocation.

Ryuen smiled coldly, though a hint of chill flashed in his eyes.

Hmph, did he think just anyone could use this to step on him? Did he really take him for a pushover?

A long time later, after Onizuka finished washing up, had breakfast with Sakura, and walked her back to her dormitory, he finally strolled toward the agreed-upon rooftop of the school building.

By the time Onizuka pushed open the rooftop door, two hours had already passed.

On the rooftop, Ryuen was sitting quietly on the edge, while his five subordinates stood to the side, holding their breath and looking as terrified as cicadas in winter. The atmosphere was heavy and stifling.

"Yo, Ryuen, long time no see?" Onizuka greeted him with a smile.

"You've got guts, kid, daring to make me wait this long!"

Ryuen swept a cold glance at him, having no intention of exchanging pleasantries. The corners of his mouth curled slightly as he sat there, chin resting on his hands, motionless, exuding a dangerous aura.

"I hope you actually have something to discuss. Otherwise—"

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze growing colder, "I'll make you pay the price."

An ordinary person would likely have been too terrified to move under such a gaze.

However, Onizuka didn't care at all. Humming a little tune, he met Ryuen's eyes and walked over to the students who had been beaten black and blue, acting as if he were alone.

With a look that was half-smile, half-serious, he observed them while poking their arms and shoulders without any hesitation, full of curiosity.

"So this is what Sudo did to you?"

He clicked his tongue, his gaze sweeping over their three bruised cheeks as he chuckled with a hint of disdain.

"He really doesn't hold back, does he? I never would have guessed Sudo had such a violent side; I couldn't tell at all during our daily interactions."

Immediately, he pressed his hand firmly onto Komiya's injured arm, and no matter how much the other struggled, he could not break free from Onizuka's grip.

Komiya's face gradually turned pale, his eyes filled with pain and anger, yet he was powerless to resist.

At that moment, Ryuen finally reached his limit and shouted, "Enough!"

Seeing Ryuen like this, Onizuka couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hey now, Ryuen, when did you become so indecisive? This doesn't seem like the usual you. I suppose you've realized something is wrong, haven't you?"

Ryuen did not react to Onizuka's words; instead, Ishizaki, unable to control his temper, lunged at Onizuka's face with a punch.

Onizuka took a light step backward, dodging it with ease, and then seized the opportunity to grab Ishizaki's fist and pull him forward.

Caught off guard, Ishizaki was thrown off balance by Onizuka's maneuver and slammed heavily onto the ground with a dull thud, letting out a cry of pain as a sharp ache radiated from his chest.

Seeing this scene, Ryuen finally stood up and glanced at the trio beside him.

Seeing Ryuen's signal, the trio immediately understood his intent.

They quickly pulled black spray cans from their backpacks and rapidly sprayed them over the surveillance cameras on the rooftop.

"Onizuka, can you show your trump card now?"

"Don't be so impatient; I haven't had enough fun yet."

Despite saying that, Onizuka tossed his phone to Ryuen, which was playing the very video he had recorded in the special building that day.

As the video played, Ryuen's expression grew darker and darker.

"Framing others, perjury, and assaulting a classmate—even if the three victims here decide not to press charges for that last part, you lot would likely face a long suspension, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, the most important thing is how many class points you'll lose. One hundred? Two hundred? Surely not three or four hundred, right?"

Komiya and the others looked at their own unsightly behavior in the video, their faces turning deathly pale, their eyes filled with panic and unease.

"Boss Ryuen! Is what he's saying true?"

"Yeah, Boss!" another companion couldn't help but whisper in a panic.

"You said we were going to strike a heavy blow against Class D, which is why we agreed to do this! But now, if the school finds out about this, we're finished!"

Ryuen's expression grew increasingly cold, his gaze sinister, as if he wanted to bore a hole through Onizuka.

"Shut up!"

With his roar, the rooftop fell into dead silence in an instant.

Komiya and the others were terrified into silence, lowering their heads and trembling, not even daring to look up at Ryuen again.

He stared fixedly at Onizuka, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes, his voice low and full of threat: "Onizuka, what exactly do you want?"