My Story of Falling for the Class President

Chapter 29: Second Battle Against Aoi - Second Half

Having won the endurance contest, I managed to lure the exhausted Aoi to the battlefield at the riverside park, under the overpass.

Here, there are three pitfalls I painstakingly dug, and various tools are hidden as well.

(Hmm? Do I really need them?)

Aoi's legs were trembling like a fawn, and he was gasping for breath, clearly at his limit. I'm tired too, but since I planned to run long distances from the start, unlike Aoi who hadn't, the difference in our conditions is obvious at a glance.

(What should I do? Stick to the plan—drop him into a pitfall, immobilize him with damage, tie him up with the prepared zip ties, mentally corner him until he wets himself, record a video, and use it to blackmail him?)

If I leave him be and he recovers, he's a man with strength beyond what I can handle alone.

I've run so much that my head isn't working right. Probably, Kousuke and Tanaka are filming this right now.

I look for Kousuke at the strategy headquarters and spot him near a stack of cones.

I try asking with lip movements.

(What should I do?)

(?? I don't know, do whatever you want.)

I think he's probably saying to do whatever I want.

Aoi bullied me and insulted my family and Kousuke.

He also bullied and used violence against Tanaka and the others.

I feel an emotion of unforgiveness.

But I also think he was probably egged on by people from another town, treated like a mad dog, used as the vanguard and muscle of the Sotomachi group. I realize I don't know much about him personally.

Back when we were still in elementary school, I remember a day when I went with Acchan and the others to catch stag beetles and couldn't catch any. Aoi gave me a single stag beetle that day. That memory comes back to me.

In a broader sense, we're kind of like childhood friends. Even childhood friends can bully each other, though.

I'm starting to show the side effects of reading too many warlord stories.

I'm beginning to think I want to fight like a man.

Well, I did wear out my opponent with an endurance run, though.

But would Aoi be satisfied if I took him down like a hunter trapping prey?

Take him down while I can with traps or anything VS there's a right way to win, a temporary victory won't solve the root issue.

That's how I feel.

It's not right to change the plan here on my own ego when everyone prepared this for me, right?

And if I lose because of that, it's not just me—Kousuke, Tanaka, and the others will definitely get retaliated against, right?

Of course, I have to win, but winning with tricks leaves lingering resentment.

I read in a delinquent manga at Acchan's house where the leader of a prestigious delinquent gang said,

That's why in the end, leaders settle it with a one-on-one fight.

I make all sorts of excuses, but the face that always comes to mind is Kashii-san's.

She was so troubled by class issues, hurt by bullying and teasing.

This time, she got involved again. That girl thinks she can do anything herself.

She believes that if everyone can smile, she just has to handle things well. I want to make that come true for her.

To do that, I need to avoid leaving resentment as much as possible.

'Aoi, I'll give you three minutes. Catch your breath.'

'Huff huff, Tachibana, you're pretty relaxed, huh!'

Three minutes passed. His complexion and breathing are clearly better than before.

(Did I give him too much time? Maybe one minute would've been better.)

Thinking such petty thoughts, the battle at the riverside park began.

We glare at each other for a while.

(Huh? Is he recovering more during this time?)

Since I've never done martial arts or fought before, I don't have any special tactics.

Should I provoke him?

'Not coming at me?'

'Shut up!'

A punch with incredible force passes in front of me.

'Always smirking! You're so annoying! You introvert!'

'That makes no sense.'

While dodging, I notice Aoi is quickly out of breath, so he's still low on stamina.

I'm really glad I trained my running.

'I'm already bored, Aoi. I won't dodge next time, so come at me for real, okay?'

'Don't underestimate me!!'

I'm not used to fighting, so I don't have the skill to land hits. Aoi's arm strength is fundamentally better than mine. My leg strength is superior, but I hate the idea of kicking someone.

Aoi's right fist lands on my left cheek, and I thought sparks flew from my eyes again.

I was prepared to take it. I've been hit once before, so I could endure it.

I could see in slow motion that Aoi had a face like he'd won. At this distance!

I swing my full-strength right fist in a small motion! The next moment, it lands on Aoi's left cheek.

As Aoi's legs wobble, I swing a small left hook at his jaw, imagining a move from Hajime no Ippo that I read at Acchan's house.

Aoi collapses unconscious.

I fall on my butt too.

Once it's over, my hands and knees start shaking. That was seriously scary.

Kousuke and Tanaka, the two timid ones, rush out from behind and beside me.

'Tachibana-kun!'

'Sho, that was bold of you.'

'Sorry, I thought winning with traps would leave resentment... I changed the plan on my own, I'm sorry.'

'Since you won, Sho, it's fine, right?'

For now, we used zip ties to secure his wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles so he couldn't move. Kousuke, isn't this a bit too thorough?

Sarakata-kun, who was driven to truancy, spoke up.

'Deal with him? Deal with him?'

Sarakata-kun suggested finishing him off (for real), but of course, that was rejected.

For now, I suggested we try talking to him.

It's getting dark, so as planned, the three of us and Kousuke will disguise ourselves and surround the area.

We turned on two rechargeable camping lanterns, lighting up just the area around us.

Each of us prepared intimidating tools for the disguise (specified as things we could explain away if questioned by police).

We had brought them along.

Kousuke has a bat (plus a ball and gloves). Didn't the baseball gear save us the other day?

Tanaka-kun has a hammer. He said it's from his home toolbox. It's actually pretty powerful, right?

The first timid guy has a sturdy umbrella, a self-defense tool he apparently bought online. It looks super durable.

The second timid guy, Sarakata-kun,

'I overlapped with Kousuke-kun with baseball gear, haha.'

Saying that, he pulled out a menacing spiked bat from a bat case.

I thought to myself,

(As expected, it's more like a weapon or madness.)

How could Aoi bully someone like this...? Or did he become a monster because he was bullied? I feel like a spiked bat definitely won't pass a police check.

I talked to everyone while they changed clothes.

I spoke about my internal conflict before the fight.

I told them how Kashii-san was hurt and troubled by the bullying and teasing in class, even crying.

I apologized for being selfish but explained I didn't want to leave lingering resentment by talking things out.

I explained to everyone while apologizing repeatedly. They all understood.

I told them that if things didn't work out, as planned, I wanted them to intimidate him without revealing our identities.

As that explanation wrapped up, two girls arrived at the scene.

They're the same height and build, but somehow I can tell which one is Kashii-san, though...?

Probably Obata-san's side, is that a huge triangular ruler? The kind used in math class? Do people normally have those at home?

Since they're girls, I expected less intimidating tools, like sticks or iron pipes. I strictly forbade things like kitchen knives because that'd be dangerous.

Now, as for Kashii-san, I can't tell from a distance. She's clearly pumped up with a "Hmph!" even from afar, but...?

What is that? As she got closer, I realized it's a huge industrial hand mixer? A bulky one with three heads?

I don't quite get it, but it was intimidating as ordered.

———————————————

At Kashii-san's house

'Mama, can I borrow this?'

'Reina? Are you making a cake? Using the kitchen?'

'No, just gonna mix something up a bit!'

Aoi-kun is totally about to get mixed up.