Love And The Russian Winter, Act 2

A kid with a dyed-green streak in his hair went down under a crowbar. Another, a girl who couldn't have been older than sixteen, was sent sprawling by a backhanded slap from a man twice her size. Rage, hot and bitter, burned in Momofuku's throat, bursting in a roar as she charged past the fallen. The sound was swallowed by the cacophony around her. A dozen other shouts, the sickening crunch of bones being broken, the thunderous crash of bodies landing on shopfronts.

The Fujiwara Senki were fighting a war, and they were losing. Her gang members were mostly teenagers fueled by fighting spirit and loyalty to their neighborhood, while their enemies were professional Yakuza and hulking Bratva enforcers.

She was the sole hope of her squad, a whirlwind of red and black that tore through the enemy lines, the faint lines of [Tsuzumi Masamune] blurring after her. A sharp crack to a kneecap here, a punishing jab to a solar plexus there, Every movement left no waste, every swing was calculated to drop one opponent so she could pivot into the next.

Bodies quickly piled around her, thugs clutching broken limbs or moaning in unconsciousness.

Through the trimmed battlefield, Momofuku spotted a familiar head of white hair. He was holding his own, a mountain of muscle weathering a rain of blows. Her bokken found the gaps in the enemies' defenses, blowing away that rain as she carved a path toward him.

"Boss," Itsuki grunted as she fell into place beside him.

"Took you long enough," she shot back. "Is the soundproofing that good in that dump you call a home?"

"... I actually have a new apartment now."

That was almost enough to give her pause. "... For real?"

"Yeah. But it's a longer commute, so—"

A punch to the face muffled his next words, but he and Momofuku quickly took care of the culprit. With him at her back, the battle's momentum flipped over. The sukeban used him as the shield for her sword, ducking behind him to let a swung chain whip off his broad back, then vaulting over him to deliver a crushing flying kick to the attacker's jaw.

She landed from that stunt, breathless even with the adrenaline singing in her veins. In that split second of recovery, she saw it: A bald Bratva enforcer, the last enemy standing, raising a metal pipe high above his head for a blow she would not dodge.

Thwip-thwip-thwip!

The enforcer cried out, stumbling back as vibrant splatters of neon pink burst from his face and chest. Momofuku lunged in that opening, her bokken sweeping his legs before delivering a final crack to the back of his skull.

She turned, chest heaving, and offered a thumbs up to Fumiko, whose bike skid into a halt right before her. On the backseat was Belladonna, her pale eyes wide but focused on skirmish's aftermath.

"Report," Momofuku barked, but she already knew. Fumiko was supposed to be her mobile artillery, riding between hot-spots and providing cover fire. If she slammed the brakes here, it meant the situation...

"We're being pushed back on every front," the mechanic confirmed. "They've broken through on Naoshima Street, and the market on Asahi-dori is about to be overrun."

The redhead swallowed, hesitating on her next words. "We're spread too thin, Momo. You shouldn't have tried to put people on every single street."

A hot spike of anger flared in Momofuku's chest. Logically, she knew her strategy wasn't sound, but her principles refused to be shaken. "Are you telling me I should have picked and chose who gets my protection? I'm not like those soulless politicians who leave us here to die!"

She swept her bokken in a wide arc, her voice rising to address not only Fumiko, but every gang member who could still hear her.

"I won't let the people of this ward think their home or their shop is less valuable than their neighbor's! I'd rather fail to protect everyone than win by abandoning them!"

Reckless and passionate, her words rocked through the Fujiwara Senki's numbers.

"I won't let you fail, Boss!"

"I can still fight!"

"Just tell us where to go!"

Those who had been knocked down rose as one, their faces hardening to match her resolve.

"You three, secure Naoshima Street!" Momofuku snapped, pointing at the recovering members. "You two, Asahi-dori! I'll be right behind you."

They scrambled to obey, a new fire in their eyes. The sukeban turned to Dawn, who had remained silent on the bike's backseat. "C'mon, give me something here."

"Our opposition are the Shirakawa-gumi IV. They're mostly involved on protection rackets and drug-smuggling." She produced a small, printed photograph from her pocket. "This is their branch leader, Goro Ishida."

Momofuku snatched the photo, crimson eyes burning the man's face into her memory. A brown-haired middle-aged man, with a scar over his brow and a cold sneer twisting his lips.

"Tch. Not like we're gonna find him here." He was probably in some cushy office or sauna, letting his men do the bleeding.

"I have already found him," Dawn stated softly. "Online. His accounts have been drained of Bratva money. Chances of re-mobilization after this battle... very low."

Momofuku pumped her fist, a fierce grin splitting her face. "Dawn!" she cheered, tugging at her friend's sweater. "You're the greatest! You know that, right?!"

The pale-haired girl avoided her gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I... did my best."

There was no time to revel for the future, however. Momofuku swung a leg over Fumiko's motorcycle, squeezing onto the seat and making the vehicle groan under the weight of three girls.

She pointed at the white-haired boy. "Itsuki! This is street is yours. Don't you dare let a single one of those bastards through!"

"Wasn't planning on it, Boss."

She then slapped a hand on Fumiko's hip. "Hit the gas! I'm ending the fight at Asahi-dori myself."

The motorcycle roared, and Momofuku clung to Dawn's back as the three weaved through the battle-scarred streets.

"New plan!" the sukeban shouted over the wind. "Keep doing what you're doing, but you're also our taxi service now! Once you're done making the rounds, find me and Itsuki and drop us wherever we're losing the hardest!"

Fumiko gave a single sharp nod. "... got it."

Before the bike had even stopped at Asahi-dori, Momofuku launched herself from the seat. She soared through the air, bokken held-high, and landed shoes-first into the chest of a Yakuza goon who was about to punch one of her members. The man crumpled, and she landed with a backflip.

"IS THIS THE BEST YOU'VE GOT?!" she bellowed to the remaining enemies, who were too shell-shocked by the entrance to respond. In contrast, her gang members were reinvigorated by her presence. With a rallying cry, they surged forward, and Momofuku led the charge once again.

The pattern repeated throughout the morning, with the roar of Fumiko's bike becoming the war horn signaling the heavy hitters' arrival. Momofuku and Itsuki were deployed to the most desperate fronts, their combined force thinning down the enemy's numbers.

Skirmish after skirmish, the Fujiwara Senki, fueled by their leader's indomitable Fighting Spirit, finally broke the invading force. The remaining Yakuza and Bratva, disorganized and demoralized fled the forbidden district.

Panting for air, her body aching in a dozen new places, Momofuku sat on the concrete steps of an apartment building, leaning heavily on her trusty wooden blade. All around her, her neighbors were slowly, cautiously emerging from their hiding places. Words of thanks and bowed heads were offered to her and her gang members. She accepted the praise with a stoic nod, though a faint, embarrassed flush crept up her neck when the shop owners started showering her with snacks and treats.

She opened a bag of gummy bears, then cringed at the imaginary lecture her grandma would give her for eating sugar for breakfast. She proceeded to offer the open bag to Dawn, who had no such restrictions.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Fumiko shuffling on her feet, trying to melt into the background whenever a civilian thanked her.

Huh. She'd have to ask about that later. But for now... "Let's plan our counter attack."

Soon, the four of them—Momofuku, Itsuki, Fumiko, Dawn—regrouped in the dim space of their abandoned warehouse hideout, each sitting on a plastic chair, with a wooden crate in the center serving as their table.

"Hey, Momo..." Fumiko broke the silence first. "I just wanna say I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday. When you dragged me out of bed to talk about how you picked a fight with Alyona, I kept thinking, can't this wait until tomorrow?" she echoed, then shook her head. "Guess I didn't expect her to hit us the very next day. I mean, wasn't it the Germans who did the whole Blitzkrieg thing?"

Momofuku waved a dismissive hand, the lingering fatigue making the gesture seem slower than usual. "Don't sweat it, Fumiko. Let's focus on the now." She straightened up, her crimson eyes scanning her small, trusted council. "Listen up. Our counter-attack will be an operation on four fronts."

Fumiko blinked. "Hold up, shouldn't Madoka be here to hear this?"

Dawn, who had been quietly observing a rust spot on the wall, spoke without turning. "It is second period at Higan. She must be there already."

"Right," Momofuku confirmed with a wince. They had taken too long to take those thugs down. "And that's the fourth front. Madoka's working with the student council to gather official testimonies against Rodionova."

She held up three fingers, folding them down one by one.

"The third front is Dawn. Stick to that blond brat like glue today. Figure out her routine, where she goes, where she might go, and where she could be stashing the real ledgers."

"The second front is Fumiko. I need a gadget. Something small, portable, with video and audio input. Catching her on the act is our backup plan if we can't find the ledgers."

Momofuku had a phone, afforded by many allowances so she could communicate with her gang. However, the model didn't have any video recording function, and the less said about its picture quality, the better.

Finally, she jabbed a pointer finger on her chest. "The first front is me and Itsuki. The Baskeball Club gave us a list of other sports clubs being squeezed, so we'll follow that lead, starting with the Soccer Club."

Fumiko tilted her head. "What's the difference between first front and fourth front? Aren't you both just... interrogating clubs?"

Momofuku's scowl deepened instantly. "The fourth front is the council. I am not fusing with them. Any more questions?"

None.

Momofuku nodded. "Itsuki, Dawn, go get into your uniforms."We're moving out before we miss the second period. Fumiko, you stay. We need to talk."

Dawn gave a silent nod and slipped away. Itsuki grunted and lumbered off towards... his new apartment, most likely. Seriously, would it kill him to share that sort of stuff with her earlier?

Momofuku shook her head to dispel errant thoughts. She got up from her seat and stopped before the confused mechanic, crossing her arms.

"Alright. Spill it out," she said. "What's eating at you? You've been gloomy since the battle ended. Hell, maybe since yesterday when you knew it was coming."

Fumiko stared at her hands, her shoulders slumping. She was silent for a long moment before the words came out in a quiet, conflicted stream.

"I... didn't feel like I deserved it. The praises from everyone."

She finally looked up, her eyes troubled. "Didn't that battle happen because of us? We picked a fight with the Census Club, and the whole neighborhood paid the price for it. When it was us defending our turf from delinquents, it felt... well, it didn't feel good, but it was cleaner. But going on the offensive and picking fights... I don't like it at all."

Momofuku leaned forward, her voice lower.

"This was always going to happen, Census Club or not. I don't want to protect just Fujiwara Ward. I want a Kageoka where people from every abandoned district can live freely. No yakuza. No delinquent gangs. No rioters. No one to look down on them or shake them down for trying to live their lives." She gestured towards the warehouse entrance, and the city beyond it. "For that to happen, I can't sit here and defend forever. I have to take the fight to them. Seize the present, and change the future!" she declared, clenching her fist tightly.

The redhead pursed her lips, still wearing that scared look that looked so off on her. "I get that...! and I do think what you're trying to do is admirable, but... you're fighting fire with fire, Momo. When you've taken down all the Yakuza, all the gangs, all the groups opposing you... when all that's left is us... can you be sure we won't become the new criminals others have to rise up against? Can you handle all that violence, all that power, without losing yourself?"

Momofuku looked deep into Fumiko's eyes.

"Yes."

The word hung in the dusty air, simple and final. Fumiko held her leader's gaze, searching for any hint of doubt, any flicker of deception. She found none. Only a smoldering, unwavering certainty.

After what felt like an eternity, the mechanic looked away, a small, resigned smile touched her lips. "Guess I shouldn't have expected anything else."

"... If you still doubt me," the sukeban said softly, almost hesitantly. "You can leave the gang business. I won't mind."

Fumiko's eyes widened, and she started to stammer an apology. "I didn't mean I wanted to—"

Before she could finish, Momofuku's hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of Fumiko's shirt and pulling her close, forcing their eyes to meet again.

"I'm not finished," she interrupted, her tone firm, but not unkind. "If you still doubt me and you stay, I'll... appreciate you even more. Having someone here to tell me if I'm going too far, or if I'm being a crazy bitch... that's as valuable as any gadget you can build."

Her lips twisted slightly.

"Madoka had that job, but she's been busy playing nice with the council. Guess the duties get split between both my childhood friends now."

Fumiko shook her head, a small smile breaking through her gloom. "You're not playing fair, Momo, pulling the childhood friend card like that. Since when were you this sappy?"

Instantly, Momofuku's face flushed a brilliant red. She sputtered, turning away and waving a dismissive hand.

Sappy? Her?

"I wasn't being sappy! I was... managing morale! That's a leader's job!"

As Fumiko began to laugh, Momofuku stomped her foot.

"Y-You! Get out! Get these grease-stained rags off and put on your uniform before I decide to manage your morale with something else!"

"Sure, sure... thanks for the pep-talk, though!"

Eager to end the conversation, the sukeban shoved her laughing friend outside their hideout.

Once alone, she let out a heavy breath, her bravado deflating. She looked down at herself, finally registering the grime, sweat, and faint splatters of someone else's blood that caked her own clothes. Right. She couldn't exactly storm the school looking like she'd crawled out of a warzone. Muttering to herself about how "this is what I get for trying to be nice," she headed out to find a change of clothes.

Later, the four Fujiwara Senki members reconvened, now clad in their Higan Academy uniforms Though Momofuku's was, as always, modified in black and red. Under Dawn's expert guidance, they sneaked through the hallways, using labs as shortcuts, empty classrooms as temporary hideouts, and the most random of places as camera blind spots.

They slipped past every hall monitor and faculty member with practiced ease, finding themselves near their target classroom.

"Remember," Momofuku whispered to Itsuki as they lurked in the shadows. "Meet me at the Soccer Club room after third period. Don't be late."

The white-haired boy nodded once. Then, he peeled away from the group, heading towards his own grade's hallway.

Then, the bell chimed for the second period's end. They watched as the teacher finally gathered his things and left the classroom. The moment the coast was clear, the three girls slipped inside, and instantly, Momofuku's eyes locked into their target.

Alyona Rodionova, sitting primly at her desk. The Russian girl turned her head to the door, and their gazes met across the room. A small, infuriatingly smug smile graced Alyona's lips as she held Momofuku's furious glare all the way to her desk on the back of the class.

Fumiko slipped into the desk behind her, and Dawn took the one directly in front.

Madoka, seated to her right, scooted her chair closer.

"What happened?" she whispered, brow furrowed with concern. "Why are you only showing up now?"

"We got intruders at Fujiwara this morning," Momofuku muttered back. "Yakuza and a bunch of Rodionova's men. Took a while to clean up the mess."

The gyaru's eyes widened. "Is it safe to leave the ward unattended like that?"

"Dawn scrambled the Yakuza's money. They won't be back until they sort it out. The Russians don't have enough numbers alone, so the people there can handle it."

Quickly, the four-front plan was relayed in a rapid-fire summary, just in time for the second-period teacher to enter the classroom.

For once, Momofuku didn't immediately zone out during Geography. She kept her eyes fixed on the teacher at the front, her focus not on the lesson but on the man's line of sight. With subtle hand signals behind her back, she would signal to Fumiko whenever he glanced their way, prompting the tinkerer to quickly hide the disassembled pieces of the recording device she was already fiddling with on her desk.

Then, the bell rang, signaling the end of second period. At Higan Academy, the third period was uniquely dedicated to club activities, a testament to the school's emphasis on extracurricular development. Students began to file out, Momofuku among them, already mentally mapping her route to the Soccer Club.

"Chikata. A moment."

Momofuku froze, then slowly turned. It was the Geography teacher, Makanai-sensei. He stood by his desk, his expression stern. Her gang members looked back at her with clear apprehension.

With a sharp jerk of her chin, the sukeban gestured for them to go on without her. They hesitated for a second before reluctantly obeying, melting into the stream of students leaving the room.

Left alone with the teacher, Momofuku lazily hoisted herself onto a nearby desk.

"What is it today, sensei? Wrong uniform? Bad grades? That assignment from two days ago? If it's the last one, I'll drop it by your office tomorrow, but I got some important shit today."

Makanai-sensei's eye twitched visibly. "It is your uniform, yes. A blatant and repeated violation of school regulations."

Momofuku only nodded, expecting the usual detention slip to be slapped on her hand. Instead, he began to go on and on about "repeated infractions" and "escalating consequences so she'd learn her lesson", his voice tightening with frustration as he threatened suspension, starting today.

She couldn't help but snort.

"Yeah, good luck with getting a suspension approved 'cuz I don't like the color blue."

Her dismissal only fueled his anger, making the angry flush on his face more pronounced. Sensing she'd ribbed the older man too much for one day, she slid off the desk.

"Well, if that's all, I'll be going."

She gave him a wave and strode out of class without waiting for a dismissal, her destination set.

She didn't have to walk far before Itsuki fell into step beside her, having waited for her in the hallway. Together, they marched into the club room and barged in without knocking.

Inside, the Soccer Club's girls team was spread out in plastic chairs. Their captain, a tall, tanned girl with her dark hair pulled in a ponytail, sketched formations on a whiteboard. She turned at the noise, letting out a long, weary groan the moment her eyes landed on Momofuku.

"Oh, for the love of... seriously?"

Momofuku's grin only became sharper at the lovely reception. "Akari. You know why I'm here, so let's not get caught up with pleasantries. Start talking so we can get on with our days."

Akari crossed her arms, pouting. "I have no clue what you're talking about, Chikata. This is just my mood whenever I have to look at you."

"Let me jog your memory," Momofuku said, striding past the whispering club members and cornering their captain against the board. "You were there yesterday when I was dragging that Census Club chick around the school. I found out from the Basketball Club that there's an extortion racket, and your club is on the list."

Akari winced, her posture crumbling into something more demure. "Look... drop it, okay? We've made our peace with it."

"And I'm sure that's going wonderful for you," Momofuku shot back, dripping with sarcasm. "Hell, I'm sure every other club feels the same way."

"... screw you, Chikata."

"Look, I'd gladly leave you to rot in peace, but I need your help to help the others. Even you can't be this self-serving, right?"

She watched as something in Akari snapped. "G-Go bother someone who actually knows what's going on, you nosy jerk! L-Like the Baseball Club! They're the ones getting paid by Rodionova to lord over the rest of the sports clubs. My team just gets used as maids for her stupid tea parties!"

Before Momofuku could recover from that verbal one-two combo, the club door swung open again.

Standing in the doorway was Alyona Rodionova, flanked by the ever-quiet Renka, and that hulking foreigner, Archie.

"Akari-san," the blond greeted, "We're here to talk about this month's budget. I hope we're not interrupting."

"You are. She's busy."

Akari shot the sukeban a horrified look, hissing, "Chikata, shut up...!"

Momofuku plowed ahead, her gaze locked on Alyona.

"She's been telling me all the details on how your little pyramid scheme works. The Baseball Club is next on my list."

"... is that true, Akari-san?" Alyona asked, her serene masking cracking into a scowl.

As the Census Club president glared daggers at both Momofuku and Akari, and the Soccer Club captain glared back with a mixture of fear and fury at them both, Momofuku simply smirked, might proud of herself. Sure, she'd exaggerated the shit out of the intel she got and threw Akari into hot water, but so what? The girl was already a victim. One who had been clearly lying to herself about being at peace with it. Even if it was thrust into her hands, she had a choice now.

"Well?" Alyona pressed on.

"Well?" Momofuku added fuel to the fire.

"..." The Soccer Club's captain swallowed thickly, but it wasn't nearly enough to lighten the air in the room.

Would she stay a victim, or would she struggle for something better? Would she bet on the ones skirting the rules, or the ones breaking them?!

Akari Tachibana straightened her shoulders, meeting their gazes. "Yeah, it's true. Now get the hell out of my club room, both of you."

Momofuku managed to hold her laughter. "Aye aye, captain."

"... Very well. We shall leave. But since I was unable to discuss your budget," Alyona said, her tone dripping with venom. "I will have to leave a big, fat zero as the default. Perhaps other clubs, those more respectful of my time, will receive the funding they need."

"... the funding request deadline is the tenth."

From the corner where he'd been a silent, looming presence, Itsuki stirred.

"It doesn't matter what you leave on the paper now."

"Ah, but Arakami-sensei in administration is terribly slow at his job. I find it's best to submit everything ahead of the deadline to ensure everyone can receive their due in time."

The former student council member deflated at the non-subtle threat and turned to Momofuku, his lips almost forming a pout. "Boss. I can't do this cloak and dagger stuff. Can't we just beat her up?"

On cue, Archie took a heavy step forward, cracking his knuckles. "You can try."

Alyona actually looked delighted. "Oh, please do. Let's see whose side the teachers take."

"Why are you in a rush to get your ass kicked, Rodionova?" Momofuku asked. "We'll have all the time in the world after I tear you out of your little paper throne."

A scoff. "You talk big, but you appear too scared too back it up. A pity."

A snort. "That doesn't mean shit from someone who's only this cocky on school grounds. Try repeating that in the streets. See what it gets you."

The challenge hung in the air for a moment. Then, Alyona's smirk vanished, and she swept out of the room without a word, her two flunkies falling in behind her.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Akari was on Momofuku's ass, shoving her firmly towards the exit.

"You too! Out! You've caused enough trouble today!"

The sukeban let herself be pushed, a picture of cool satisfaction amidst the hushed chatter from the Soccer Club. She pulled out her phone, dialing the fourth front.

"Moshi-moshi, Madoka speaking!"

"New info. The Baseball Club aren't victims. They're working together with Rodionova as middle-men to boss the other sports clubs."

"Nice work, Momo! I'll tell Shu to check it out. Kao-kao said something similar about the Caligraphy Club, and Yae has theories on the Ceramics Club.
We're all grouping together at lunch break to talk about it. You should be there too!"

"I'll think about it. I gotta talk to Dawn and Fumiko first. See ya."

"Bye~!"

Click.

Momofuku noticed the pushing had stopped.

"You... you're working with the student council on this?"

Akari stared at the sukeban, dumbfounded.

"Why didn't you say that from the jump?! I would have been so much more helpful if I knew there was an actual effort from the school to take her down!"

That instantly soured Momofuku's mood. Was she seriously talking about the same group that sat twiddling their thumbs all these weeks? That let all of this happen under their noses?

"Still time to go out and be helpful to them," she snapped before walking the remaining distance by herself, waiting for Itsuki to catch up and slamming the door behind them.

Back in the hallways, her sharp eyes caught a familiar duo in the distance. Archie and Renka, heading in the same direction she intended to go. She quickly jogged to catch up, the opportunity too good to let it pass by.

With Itsuki as her shadow, she fell into step beside them.

"So. What's next on the agenda? Volleyball Club?"

Renka blinked. "Do you expect me to monologue our nefarious plans at your request?"

Momofuku shrugged. "Doesn't have to be a monologue. I'll take a flat delivery, too. Way less fun, though."

Renka seemed almost amused by the offer, smiling briefly, then shaking her head.

"Where's your boss anyway?" the sukeban switched topics, head swiveling around and failing to spot the diminutive blond. "Taking a break to wipe her tears after getting shot down in front of the Soccer Club? Bet that was a first for her."

Renka's serene expression didn't flicker. "Indeed, Alyona is not accustomed to denial. She has departed to, quote unquote, end your school life."

A thrill of satisfaction shot through Momofuku. There was nothing like giving a smug bitch like her a taste of her own medicine. Riding the wave of that small victory, she turned her focus back to the white-haired girl.

"Why do you stand with her?"

She jerked a thumb at Archie, who had been holding a staring contest with Itsuki.

"Him, I get. He looks like he was born to be dumb muscle."

"Oi."

"But Alyona told me you were a bullying victim when you found her. Don't ya feel any shame making other people suffer the same way you did?"

The question struck Renka hard. Her shoulders stiffened, and she went silent, staring the path ahead.

"You don't gotta answer her," Archie grumbled. "She's trying to get in our heads. Turn us against the boss."

Momofuku shot him an irritated look. "No one wants to get in your empty head. I was just asking."

"... I am unsure."

Renka finally found her voice.

"I recognize the harm our actions bring to the entire school. Yet... I cannot help but assist Alyona, as she has assisted me before." Her single eye lifted, meeting Momofuku's red orbs. "Should one be ashamed of repaying kindness with kindness, and enmity with enmity? Is revenge inherently wicked, and turning the other cheek inherently righteous?"

This time, it was Momofuku who couldn't help but be silenced. For a girl like her, who lived as her instincts demanded her to, that sort of broad query was a curveball. She could not help but glance black at Itsuki. His stony expression was focused, his own gaze fixed on her, waiting for her answer. He, too, sought revenge, and she had recruited him without a second thought.

Finally, she turned to Renka, her conviction hardening once more.

"Nah. Revenge isn't wrong. Torture is. Rodionova should have knocked some sense into your bullies in one swoop. Dragging it out, making a system out of hurting the same people... that's what's wicked." She pointed at the other girl's direction. "And when I take her down, and her protection vanishes, whaddya think's gonna happen? All those bullies you repayed will come at you and set the score on their favor again."

"... I suppose I ought to do my best to stop you, then."

"Hey!" Momofuku protested, making the other girl jolt mid-step. "Are you even listening to me?! I said it's best to take care of things in one swoop. Do you think I'll let any assholes kick you while you're down and start it all over again?" She jabbed a thumb at her chest, confidently puffed up. "I'll protect you and the rest of the foreigners the way you should have been protected!"

"My hero," Archie muttered sarcastically.

A faint smile graced Renka's lips. "You truly are a righteous warrior, O Wind Demon of Fujiwara. Unlike myself." She let out a small, wistful sigh. "It is a shame. I feel as if you and Alyona had found common ground, you could have been unstoppable together."

That delusional, absurd, borderline heretical idea left the sukeban swallowing a few choice words. "... yeah, right," she chose instead.

Their strange, fleeting conversation faded into the hallways as they neared the Volleyball Club's door. However, before it stood three men. Two Higan campus security guards and the first-year P.E. teacher, Tanaka-sensei, a burly man with a perpetually sun-reddened face and a buzz cut.

Renka pulled ahead of their little group while Momofuku halted, instincts screaming at her.

"I hope the shackles of suspension don't hold you for long," the girl spoke without looking back. "I would like to speak with you soon."

As if on cue, the three men closed in, surrounding Momofuku and Itsuki. One of the guards spoke into his radio. "We have Chikata and Kusanagi secured."

Momofuku ignored the guards, warily eyeing the teacher. "Tanaka-sensei. What's this all about?"

"Don't even try to play innocent!" the man barked, his face flushing an even deeper red. "You've been harassing the sports clubs since yesterday, and fleeing from any attempt at enforcing your suspension—"

"I didn't even know I was suspended until now!" Momofuku shot back, indignant.

There was no way Makanai-sensei somehow pulled that off, right?

BRRRRING—

With an audacity that made Tanaka-sensei sputter in disbelief, Momofuku pulled out her phone and answered. "What."

"The teachers are paid off too!"

A few fateful seconds too late, Madoka's voice tumbled from the other end.

"Some faculty members are in it as well! It's way worse than we thought, Momo! Shu hit a wall trying to investigate the Baseball Club and—"

"... I'm about to hit something way worse. Call you back."

"What—?!"

She hung up without another word, looking up at the still-ranting teacher with a profound, simmering scowl. What a drag. Big empty hallway, practically no escape routes aside from a straight dash, and she couldn't even buy time by targeting their knees.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Itsuki's fingers twitching, and elbowed him on the side before they could form a fist. The guards were probably following the teachers, who were themselves being manipulated by Alyona's dirty yen. Since they were unwillingly complicit, it'd leave a bad taste in her mouth if she hit them.

And besides, if they landed a single hit at a staff member, suspension would be the last of their worries. Expulsion was very much on the table here.

"Ahh! I don't even know why I still bother trying to talk to you," Tanaka-sensei finished, gesturing to the guards.

Time was up.

Momofuku tensed, struggling to push down her fighting instincts as security reached for her—

Clink.

A small, round object bounced down the hallway, stopping near their feet.

Training kicking in, the two guards instinctively ducked, pulling the teacher down with them, but the sukeban avoided their grasp.

POP!

As a grey cloud erupted and filled the corridor, she grabbed a handful of Itsuki's uniform and made a break for it, the sounds of coughing and shouting fading behind them.

"This way!" hissed a voice from her left while she sprinted blindly through the thick, acrid smoke.

Momofuku veered towards it, finding Fumiko and Dawn waiting at a junction. The pale girl gestured them to follow. She led the other three through a series of turns and classrooms, until they found themselves in a maintenance closet, the door clicking shut behind them.

Cramped in the dark, dusty space, Momofuku let out a sharp breath, patting Fumiko and Dawn roughly on the back. "Good save. Now, report."

Fumiko rounded on her. "You first! Why the hell's security after us? I had to bail while I was attaching the lens and almost dropped the whole thing!"

"Rodionova paid off the teachers," the sukeban stated flatly. "They brought the guards into it, so we'll have to change up our approach."

"... are you for real?" the mechanic whispered, brows furrowing further. "We should be going to the principal right now, not doubling down...!"

"Security will be tightest near the principal's office," Itsuki countered. "And the student council must be on their way to bail us out already."

Momofuku grunted, a bit annoyed at having to rely on them for this. "Right. Now, can I get a report?"

While Fumiko stewed on her frustration, Dawn's voice cut through the dusty air.

"There are three possibilities for the ledgers. One: they are digital. I observed Alyona showing her club members spreadsheets on a laptop before she departed for the Soccer Club. Two: she has taken the physical copies to her residence. Three: with this new development, a bribed member of the faculty may be safeguarding them for her."

"Forget option three," Momofuku said instantly. "A control freak like her would never trust that shit to someone else. For option one, we can check as soon as Dawn gets on a computer."

Dawn nodded. "I would have already accessed her laptop, but the Computer Science Club was... too occupied. I will search once I'm home."

"For option two..." she paused, scratching her chin. "We'd have to wait until she's finished gathering all her little funding requests and follow her after school."

"Ah. In the topic of after school, I also overheard her plans for today. She will be selling test answers to first-years. Original theory: pilfered records. Current theory: bought from the faculty itself."

This was it. A shot at getting physical evidence. Momofuku turned to Fumiko, hope shining in her eyes.

Wordlessly, the redhead pulled a small, palm-sized device from her pocket. It was a bit bulkier than a commercial product, with a slightly protruding lens. She deftly showed off all its angles, fingers brushing a few tiny buttons on its side.

"The video quality won't be all that, especially if it's getting dark," she explained. "But the audio will be crystal clear. More than enough to prove it's her."

Momofuku excitedly clapped Fumiko and Dawn on the shoulder, the force making them wobble.

"Damn! That's what I'm talking about! A+ work!" Then, remembering something important, she reached up to ruffle Itsuki's hair. "And you! You were on your best behavior today! Good boy!"

"Don't treat me like a dog, Boss." Tellingly, he did not swat her hand away.

Yet her triumph was fleeting as she recognized her precarious position in the closet. She rested her hands on her lap, sobering up, and taking several moments to swallow her pride.

"Alright. I hate to admit it, but we're gonna have to lay low until the council saves our asses. But after class..." Her crimson eyes burned hotter. "We strike again."

Right on cue, the bell rang outside, signaling the end of the club period and the start of lunch break. As if a switch had been flipped, a low, synchronized rumble echoed in the cramped maintenance closet. Four stomachs, starved from constant activity since morning.

Slowly, robotically, three sets of eyes turned to one. The only one among them who always brought a homemade bento to school.

Momofoku crossed her arms, her expression stony. "No way. My lunch isn't feeding four people."

"We can't get to the cafeteria without security dragging us off," Fumiko pointed out, her voice laced with a familiar whine. "And we're only in this mess because we followed your ridiculous plans. You owe me—ahem, us—at least a bite."

"No."

Dawn raised a hand. "I will be the one sneaking to homeroom and retrieving the bento from your bag. Appropriate compensation: a little treat."

"No."

It was Itsuki's turn.

"It's fine. I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday."

Somehow, the lack of any argument was what did her in. With a long sigh that was only half-feigned, she relented.

"Okay, fine! Now stop looking at me like that."

A few minutes later, the four of them were sitting in a rough circle on the dusty floor of the maintenance closet, Momofuku's meticulously prepared bento box open between them. They silently shared a meal, passing around the pair of chopsticks and taking small bites of rice and vegetables.

"... they're here..."

Their quiet atmosphere was shattered by the sound of approaching steps and faint murmuring. In an instant, Momofuku and Itsuki were on their feet, bodies tensing for a confrontation.

The door creaked open to reveal Madoka's worried face and Yae's cool gaze, draining the tension from the delinquent's shoulders.

"Are you guys okay?!" the gyaru fussed, bustling inside and looking each of them over.

"Adequate."

"Not the dirtiest place I've eaten in."

Itsuki only grunted.

Momofuku comfortingly pat Madoka's back as she got hugged, her eyes trained on Yae.

"We're fine. What about you guys?"

Yae leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed.

"We were making good progress initially, even with Yaya refusing to work on the case. However, the faculty's interference has killed our momentum.
We also attempted to speak with Okomoto-kocho regarding your suspensions, but a conveniently long line of teachers and staff members who want to discuss 'teaching plans' and 'schedules' has formed outside her office. So we've stuck Prez there to wait it out."

Her lips quirked up in her usual smirk. "It was almost scary, honestly. By the time we were leaving, he got to skip two places in line because of teachers getting emergency calls from family and friends."

"..." Momofuku forced her jaw to close. Luck-based warfare sure was something. "Alright, so we'll be clear by the next period."

"Most likely."

"Fine by me. Our best chance was after classes anyway. Dawn found out Rodionova is selling test answers today. We'll be there to catch her. Will the council have our backs?"

The detective let out an amused sound. "Do you even have to ask? You should know the Prez well enough by now."

Momofuku rolled her eyes at the obvious fondness in the other girl's voice.

"Yeah, I do have to ask," she claimed on unshakable principle. "And for the record, the only reason I'm working with you all is Madoka."

That annoying know-it-all smile crept on Yae's lips. "Yeah, it's not like you would have folded the moment Shu-kun suggested joining forces."

As if!

"Stop making hypotheticals and go back to your job, you bum!" she shooed the chuckling Yae away.

"You know," Madoka began as the door closed, a slight grimace on her face. "The student council office is a lot roomier. And it has chairs. Maybe you could all..."

"No," Momofuku shot her down instantly.

The gyaru pouted fiercely. "Momo, you have to stop being so tsun about working with them at some point. We're here to help!"

"I meant every word I said." She held up a hand to stop a retort. "I know they're good people. You wouldn't be offering otherwise. But this is about turf. My business is to the streets, their business is to the school. I will admit, I shouldn't even be this deep in Rodionova's situation. The only reason I'm here is because she personally offended me. If it weren't for that, I would have expected you all to handle it." The fact that they hadn't yet was honestly a bit disappointing.

Madoka shook her head. "You are so silly. Haven't you brought Shu and Yae to Fujiwara to help with that serial killer already?"

"T-That's different..."

"Is it that you want all the help without ever helping back?" her friend mused. "Or is it that you'll let others intrude on your turf, but you refuse to step onto theirs?"

"Definitely the latter," Fumiko piped up from behind, her voice suspiciously muffled.

Momofuku whipped around, a retort on her lips, but it died as she witnessed utter ruin. Her empty bento box sat between Fumiko and Dawn, the latter wiping the chopsticks with a handkerchief while the former still munched on the last bite.

"... you greedy, no-good, BACKSTABBING, OPPORTUNISTIC COW!!!" she erupted, all the rage and frustration from the past minutes finally boiling over.

Fumiko blinked slowly, unaware of her impending doom. Her eyes drifted down and up between her prodigious chest and Momofuku's more modest one.

"I don't think a bit of rice would be a game-changer there, Boss."

A wordless roar was her only reply as the sukeban launched herself forward, Madoka and Itsuki immediately diving to intercept. It didn't take long for ensuing chaos to attract campus security again, their heavy footsteps echoing outside.

"Shit! Scatter!"

For the remaining minutes of the lunch break, they became ghosts again, darting from one impromptu hiding spot to another within Higan's massive campus. They ducked into a disused science storage room, then filtered into an empty home economics lab, then slipped into the shadowy space behind the auditorium's stage curtain.

Crouched behind a rack of old band uniforms in a music room storage closet, Dawn peered through a sliver in the window blinds, always on the lookout for threats. "They have been consolidating their search," she commented, her voice a stark contrast to her heavy breathing. "Guard count has increased by approximately forty percent. A siege is inevitable."

Then, a firm knock sounded on the closet door.

Everyone froze. Itsuki's fists clenched. Fumiko's hand reached for the nearest blunt instrument.

Momofuku bit her lip. Before anyone could stop her, she broke away from her hiding spot.

She would let them take her, and buy time for the rest of her gang. Together with the council, they had everything to expose Alyona and drop these unfair suspensions. She would not be able to see that infuriatingly smug expression crumble, but that was a price she was willing to pay.

She reached for the doorknob, her heart steady and righteous—

"Uh, hello?" Knock, knock. "Is everyone decent in here? It's Shu."

She yanked the door open and drove her fist into the idiot's gut.

"Oof!"

"You couldn't have spoken up sooner!?" she snarled, her face alight with anger.

Doubled over, clutching his midsection, Shujinko grinned up shakily at her. "S-Sorry about that!" he half-wheezed, half-laughed. "I was a bit out of breath. Ran all the way from the principal's office." He straightened up, his expression softening into that usual smile of his. "But everything's alright now. I talked to Okomoto-kocho, and your suspensions have been put on hold."

"He's correct," Dawn interjected, having silently moved next to them. She took another peek beyond the door and nodded to herself.

"Tch. Thanks for the save, I guess," the sukeban mumbled, refusing to look at him. Behind her, a chorus of better-delivered gratitudes came from her gang. "But I'm assuming Rodionova won't even get a slap on the wrist for all this."

Shujinko's expression turned apologetic. "It was untraceable back to her, unfortunately. Most of the teachers who called for a suspension... well, they had pretty solid alibis."

"The hell? I'm not even disruptive in class. In fact, I don't show up at all! Can you guys believe this?"

"..."

Madoka suddenly found the ceiling fascinating.

"..."

Yae examined her nails.

"..."

Fumiko fiddled with her camera.

"..."

Itsuki didn't even bother avoiding her eyes.

"You guys..."

Something poked her back, and it was Dawn, her fellow truant, giving her a commiserating nod. It was all she got as they made the trip back to homeroom.

There, Momofoku sank into her seat like a stone, the piled-up exhausting finally piercing all the adrenaline in her body. However, there was no peace to be found around her. The air in the room was thick and charged with silent animosity. From her seat, she could feel Alyona's cold, triumphant glare from across the room. A few rows over, Shujinko, Yae, and Kaoru sat with a calm, watchful readiness. Surrounding the sukeban, her gang members radiated the same weariness as her.

No more barbs were exchanged. No attacks were launched. But everyone in that room, even those not part of those groups, knew with absolute certainty this was only the stillness before the storm. Soon, the metaphorical fuse would be consumed by the fire in these students' hearts, erupting the final battle for Higan Academy's clubs.

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Pub: 14 Oct 2025 21:01 UTC

Edit: 19 Oct 2025 16:16 UTC

Views: 31