Footsteps In The Dark

Unexpected Meetings

The muffled sounds of chaos crept through the cracks of the classroom door, drawing Takemichi's attention away from the monotone drone of his history teacher. He tilted his head, trying to decipher the cause when suddenly the door burst open, and there stood Mikey, his infamous grin cutting across his face as if he owned the place.

"Yo, Takemitchy!" Mikey called out, his voice slicing through the lecture like a knife. "Let's go have some fun."

The teacher's chalk snapped against the board, dust cascading down like snowflakes in slow motion. "Excuse me," he said with a flutter of bewilderment on his brow. "I'm in the middle of teaching."

Mikey didn't even glance at the teacher; his eyes were locked on Takemichi, an unspoken challenge hanging between them. The air was thick with expectation, and Takemichi felt every student's gaze bore into him, waiting for his response.

"Uh..." Takemichi hesitated, his heart thumping a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

"Come on," Mikey pressed, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

Swallowing hard, Takemichi nodded and edged his way out of his seat, following Mikey out into the hallway where the reality of the commotion became clear.

Draken stood amidst a scattering of 3rd years sprawled on the floor. Some groaned, clutching their sides, while others lay still, too pained to move. Takemichi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What happened here?" Takemichi asked, unable to mask the shock in his voice.

Draken shrugged nonchalantly. "They're in school so I schooled them," he said, as if that explained everything.

"Line up," Draken commanded the groaning students. They moved—or tried to move—with labored breaths, aligning their bruised bodies into a grim formation on the ground.

"What are you gonna do to us?" one of them wheezed, fear lacing his words.

"Stay close together. It'll hurt you more than it hurts me," Draken replied with a smirk, his indifference to their pain chilling.

Then, as though stepping over a mere inconvenience, Mikey and Draken walked on the backs of the defeated students, discussing matters of their gang with a casualness that belied the severity of their words.

"Looks like someone's trying to take over one of our territories," Draken commented, his voice low but fierce.

Mikey's eyes sparkled with the thrill of the impending challenge. "Cool, let's go kick some ass," he said with a nonchalance that sent shivers down Takemichi's spine.

The clamor of curiosity rose like a wave through the halls, heads poking from doorways and eyes wide with intrigue. Mikey's presence was enough to draw a crowd, but his question to Takemichi acted as a magnet, pulling even more attention. "You busy? Let's hang out," Mikey said with that characteristic smirk of his.

"Actually, I—" Takemichi's reply cut short as Ayame stepped into view, her arrival igniting a new buzz among the onlookers.

"Whoa, is that Ayame-san?" a chorus of hushed voices rose from the crowd—impressed, curious, envious.

"Third year, right? Look how cool she is!"

"Man, she's hot..."

Ayame rolled her eyes at the commentary, her gaze fixed on Mikey. "Mikey, what are you doing here this early, huh? It's too early for your shenanigans," she chided, hands on her hips. She threw a glance that softened as it met Mikey's. "I swear, I can't take you guys anywhere."