Onizuka narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness showing in his gaze, though the corner of his mouth curled in a faintly mocking smile.
"Ayanokoji, what are you trying to do? Don't tell me you're planning to use violence to force me to comply?"
"If necessary." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka made no attempt to deny it, then continued:
"I know exactly how capable you are, Onizuka. If you're left unchecked, there's a very good chance you'll drag Class D into the abyss in this exam."
"Honestly, I originally didn't care what you planned to do. Tsk... But this time I have my own reasons. I can't let you do whatever you want."
A surprised expression flickered across Onizuka's face, but then he burst out laughing. His laughter echoed through the empty cabin, full of mockery.
"I mean, what do your reasons have to do with me, Ayanokoji?"
When his laughter died away, his expression suddenly turned cold, and not a trace of amusement remained in his eyes.
"At the very least, I have no reason to cooperate with you!"
Ayanokoji sighed helplessly.
"Yeah, I figured that'd be your answer. Guess there's no other choice."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly threw a punch, fast as lightning, swinging at Onizuka without hesitation.
"Thud-"
Onizuka reacted quickly and caught Ayanokoji's jab with ease. Feeling the force behind the punch, he raised an eyebrow slightly, looking somewhat surprised.
"Oh-ho? You're taking this seriously, Ayanokoji?"
The other boy didn't answer-or rather, he sent his other fist straight toward Onizuka's ribs.
Onizuka quickly turned aside to dodge his next hook.
Ayanokoji moved quickly and decisively, his body agile and his movements clean. His punches and kicks were crisp and direct, wasting not a bit of effort.
He had no unnecessary words to offer. Clearly, he had decided to make Onizuka stop in the most direct way possible.
"Getting right to it, huh, Ayanokoji?" Onizuka chuckled under his breath, a glint of excitement gradually appearing in his eyes.
If it weren't for the person standing in front of him, he probably wouldn't have fought so seriously.
Ayanokoji threw several punches in succession, all of which Onizuka deflected. As he dodged nimbly, Onizuka carefully watched Ayanokoji's movements, seemingly waiting for him to leave an opening.
He quickly took a step back, then suddenly bent down and pivoted, trying to trip Ayanokoji with a low sweep.
Ayanokoji nimbly leaped backward. His quick reaction surprised Onizuka.
"Pretty agile," Onizuka remarked, looking up with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
His tone was casual, but his attacks grew even more fierce.
He suddenly closed in and drove a punch straight at Ayanokoji's chest. Ayanokoji's gaze sharpened as he quickly crossed his arms to block the blow, but the powerful impact forced him half a step backward.
The two moved apart again and met each other's gaze, each stubbornly holding his ground.
The next moment, Ayanokoji lunged forward. Onizuka quickly raised an arm to block, but Ayanokoji deftly used the force to slide to the side, then struck back with a clean hand chop aimed straight at Onizuka's shoulder.
Realizing he was in danger, Onizuka immediately stepped back and dodged the fierce blow.
Ayanokoji stayed on guard. Once Onizuka had steadied himself, he calmly adjusted his breathing, then moved in close again and launched a flurry of attacks at an even faster pace.
Onizuka's eyes narrowed. Sensing that this attack was even more intense, he quickly guarded his vital areas and crossed his arms, doing his utmost to block Ayanokoji's punches.
"Ugh!"
Ayanokoji frowned slightly. The force of the counter had left his arm numb, but he didn't retreat at all.
Instead, he lowered his center of gravity, pressing Onizuka's arm downward with the momentum and trying to topple him with leverage.
Onizuka sensed what he was trying to do and planted both feet firmly on the deck, as steady as a rock.
Then he shoved Ayanokoji's hand away, pivoted with the motion, and swung his palm back across Ayanokoji's side.
Ayanokoji couldn't dodge in time and had no choice but to raise his arm and take the heavy blow head-on. His whole body staggered half a step backward.
The two faced off once more. Their breathing was slightly ragged, but their gazes remained sharp.
Almost at the same time, they unclenched their fists, and their breathing gradually settled.
Onizuka raised a hand and lightly brushed the dust from his clothes, a faint smile on his lips.
"Ayanokoji, you don't really think you can stop me this way, do you? This isn't like you at all." He raised an eyebrow.
Ayanokoji lowered his head and carefully smoothed the wrinkles in his sleeve. His expression was as composed as ever, but a deep resolve appeared in his eyes.
He looked up at Onizuka, his voice calm and utterly even.
"I never expected this approach to change your mind. I just wanted you to understand that I'm serious about this-even to the point of taking action myself to make my position clear."
As he spoke, Ayanokoji fixed his gaze on Onizuka, his eyes sharp as a blade, carrying an unmistakable chill.
"Onizuka," he said, pausing briefly, his tone firm and unquestionable.
"I hope you'll reconsider what I said."
Onizuka paused under his sharp gaze, then broke into a teasing smile and folded his arms across his chest.
"Reconsider? Maybe."
Ayanokoji gave a slight nod and looked away, seemingly already expecting that answer.
In the quiet, the two left the cabin slowly, each with his own thoughts.
When Onizuka returned to the deck, Sakura immediately noticed that his sleeves were a little untidy and his hair slightly disheveled. She asked with concern:
"Onizuka, just now... did something happen?"
Her gaze carefully swept over him, clearly picking up on something unusual.
Onizuka smiled at her, casually straightened his cuff, and said indifferently:
"Ah, it was nothing. I ran into Ayanokoji and chatted with him for a bit." He patted her shoulder to show her she didn't need to worry.
Sakura furrowed her brow slightly, noticing that a few details about Onizuka's appearance were still a little untidy.
She raised a hand and gently smoothed the crease in his collar, her fingers carefully brushing over his shoulder. She also took care to neaten his slightly mussed hair.
Just then, Ayanokoji passed by in the distance and happened to glance over.
Onizuka raised an eyebrow, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
His eyes met Onizuka's. Though his face showed no obvious expression, his pace noticeably quickened, as if he didn't want to linger.
Sakura looked at Ayanokoji with some confusion, but didn't ask anything. She focused on checking that every little detail of Onizuka's appearance was neat, then nodded to show he was all set.
By then, the line had shortened considerably, and it was their turn to go forward.
Onizuka and Sakura passed the teachers' inspection without incident, then followed the crowd off the ship and stepped onto the unfamiliar beach.