Haruto strolled leisurely toward school, his earphones pumping his favorite tune into his ears.
The rhythm was enough to keep his steps light—until an incessant ping from his LANE app interrupted his vibe.
He groaned, halting mid-step.
'Who the hell is messaging me now?'
His first thought was Mari. She'd been relentless lately, constantly messaging him, hoping for reconciliation.
Haruto felt a twinge of guilt for her, but deep down, he was waiting.
Waiting for her to either break Kota's delusional heart or do something drastic. Until then, he had no plans to entertain her again.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Haruto glanced at the notification. His brows furrowed when he saw it wasn't Mari—it was Daiki.
'Daiki? This early in the morning? What does he want now?'
Haruto sighed.
'Don't tell me it's about babysitting his pets again.'
Reluctantly, he opened the message. It was a summons to the Red Fang's hideout: the abandoned school building.
Haruto's eyes narrowed as he reread the text, curiosity gnawing at him.
'What kind of nonsense is he dragging me into this time?'
Still, he shrugged and changed direction, heading toward the rundown building.
As he approached the gang's usual hangout, he peeked through the cracked window of the classroom.
Daiki's crew stood stiffly, their gazes fixed on someone in the middle of the room.
'
Wait... is that Kota?'
Haruto thought, squinting to get a better look.
'What the hell happened this time?'
Pushing the door open, Haruto stepped inside casually. His voice cut through the suffocating atmosphere.
"What did I miss?"
Watching the chaos unfold, he couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of it all.
'This is what happens when stupidity meets hubris.'
Ren's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Stop." His sharp glare locked onto Haruto, halting the chuckles with a single word.
"I heard this all started because of the love triangle between you and him." He gestured between Haruto and Kota.
Ren stepped closer to Haruto, their faces mere centimeters apart, the tension palpable.
"So why are you just laughing, Haruto? Why don't you give your stupid reasoning too?"
Their eyes clashed, neither willing to back down.
Ren pressed further, his voice laced with venom. "After all, this bastard only got into our gang because of you, right?"
Haruto's smirk widened, unfazed. "Mari was supposed to be my girlfriend. But Kota blackmailed me to break up with her and demanded I make sure he got into Red Fang," he said, his tone calm but biting.
Daiki, sitting on the sofa, let out a derisive laugh. "You? Blackmailed? By him?"
"Well, you might think it's funny," Haruto replied with a shrug, "but I had to protect someone's dignity. Kota threatened to leak a video of me and Mari... together."
The room erupted into laughter. Daiki leaned back, howling, while even Azuma shook his head, smirking despite himself. Ren, though initially stern, cracked a humorless grin.
Daiki finally spoke, wiping a tear from his eye. "So, this is Mari's revenge, huh? She's quite an interesting woman."
"Why don't you bring her here sometime, Haruto? Things have been boring with Ren and Ayaka's drama."
His eyes flicked mockingly toward Ren, who stopped laughing immediately, his jaw tightening.
Haruto's smirk vanished, replaced with a cold glare. "No. She's not coming anywhere near this mess." His fists clenched as he shifted his focus back to Kota.
"Anyway, aren't you going to teach this idiot a lesson? Or are you just going to sit there while your gang's name gets dragged through the mud?"
He tilted his head, his smirk returning. "I mean, really? A perverted stalker as a Red Fang member? Doesn't exactly scream 'elegance,' does it?"
Kota flinched visibly, his voice a low murmur. "But... you're all worse than me..."
Haruto chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "See? He still doesn't get it." He leaned closer, his tone dropping to a venomous whisper.
"Let me explain it to you, Kota. You messed with the wrong woman, and you got caught being a pathetic creep."
Haruto straightened, his smirk twisting into something sharper. "You're not Ren. You're not Daiki or Azuma."
"You're you—a sad little man who stalked a girl for over ten years and still couldn't win her over."