CHAPTER 46: CONGRATS, CRUSHES AND A CHASE

The remainder of the school day dragged on in a blur of routine activities.

Renji had even forgotten about the bathroom incident because he was caught up in all the complexities of high school.

The classroom hummed with the usual post-lunch lethargy; pencils scratching on worksheets, the drone of lectures on feudal Japan and art classes, group discussions buzzing about upcoming tests.

It was the same as always, a curriculum that was second nature to Renji.

However, today was a little bit different. Today, the limelight was all on Renji, for the first time ever.

Word of Principal Suzuki’s announcement had spread like wildfire through the faculty grapevine, and every teacher who entered the class for their period made a beeline for him.

First was Mr. Yamamoto, the balding economics instructor, clapping Renji on the shoulder with a firm hand.

"Kenshiro! Heard you’re our rep for the art comp. Congrats, boy. But you better remember not to let the school down now. Practice your craft; Nakada Academy is one of our opponents, so it’s going to be pretty tough this year."

Surprised at the traction he was getting, Renji nodded politely, "I won’t, sir. Appreciate it."

Next came Ms. Katsura, the literature teacher who always kept to herself and barely smiled. "It is good that you got the position, Renji," she said briefly. "Prepare diligently. Your submission reflects on all of us."

Renji was more surprised that she knew his name.

"Understood, Ms. Katsura," he replied with a steady voice.

Even the PE coach poked his head in during a free period, barking, "Art rep, huh? You’re no good at sports, Kenshiro, but you better be good at this. Nothing but victory, kid!"

Each congratulation was a pat on the back, but they fueled the glares from the front row, where Kaito and his goons seethed.

Renji could see them turn to glare at him, whispering venomously with clenched fists under their desks.

Kaito’s face was the worst. It twisted in jealousy with every praise. If looks could kill, Renji would have met Micheal Jackson by now.

The final bell rang like a starting gun, and that was the cue for everyone to get the hell out of there.

Students erupted from seats in a chaos of chair scrapes and bag zips. Renji packed quickly as usual, but he noticed Hitomi approaching his desk

She appeared hesitant, her school uniform neat but her cheeks already flushing pink. She clutched a notebook like a shield, her sharp eyes darting to his face then away.

"Um... Hey Renji," Hitomi started shyly, her voice soft and stuttering slightly.

Renji looked at her. "Hey."

She gulped, finding some courage. "Congrats on being the representative. As class president... and, um, since my mom said we’d work together... I thought we should talk about the details right away."

She glanced up at him through her lashes, her blush deepening.

Renji slung his bag over his shoulder, standing. He was in a hurry to get to the Center but it was a good idea to get this over with quickly.

"Sure, Hitomi. You mind if we walk and talk, though?" He gestured to the door.

She shook her head. "It’s no problem."

"Cool."

He fell into step beside her as they navigated the crowded hallway, students streaming past in waves of chatter and locker slams.

Hitomi nodded eagerly, her steps quick to match his. "O-Okay! So, the competition is inter-school, like my mom said. Seihou versus three others: Nakada Academy, Oshimaru High, and Kengo Tech.

"The theme is ’Urban Evolution,’ so pieces need to show city change over time. Something like maybe skyscrapers rising from old neighborhoods, or tech integrating with tradition. Submissions are digital or physical, up to 2x3 meters, judged on creativity, technique, and theme adherence."

Renji looked at her. "Yeah, but I know all of that already."

Hitomi’s eyes widened, nervous. "No. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you how to do your job. I’m sorry, it’s just..."

She spoke rapidly at first, then slowed, peeking at him. "W-We’ll need to prepare a portfolio. Sketches, concepts, maybe mock-ups."

Renji nodded. "I can do that."

"Great!" she beamed. "Meet in the art room after classes, starting tomorrow? I can help with research. And I have to report to my mom on your updates."

Renji raised an eyebrow, genuinely engaged. Anything to get those benefits.

"Sounds solid. How many pieces for the portfolio? And hey, are there any past winners I should study?"

They turned a corner, the hallway thinning as they approached the exit, sunlight streaming through windows.

Hitomi’s eyes lit up, her shyness easing into enthusiasm. "Three to five pieces minimum, but quality over quantity. Judges are city gallery curators and art profs from the university. And last year’s winner from Nakada. I’ll show you her work tomorrow."

"Oh, and supplies! The school provides basics, but for extras like premium canvases, we submit a budget request by next week."

Renji shrugged. "Seems simple enough. I’ll sketch ideas tonight. And... uh, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Art room."

Hitomi mindlessly smiled even deeper, her cheeks flushed bright red.

"Yes! Art room! This is great!"

Renji frowned, confused. "You seem... really enthusiastic."

She suddenly realized herself. "Oh. No. I’m just... yeah, I’m excited to win and..." She punched the air. "Kick those Nakada Academy students asses."

Apart from the fact she had said kick and yet punched the air, Renji thought she was being really weird.

But that was how she always was around him so he didn’t think much of it.

They pushed through the doors to the outside, the afternoon sun warm on their faces, the school gates ahead.

But then, a scent wafted past Renji’s nose, delicate and floral, cutting through the outdoor breeze.

A perfume.

Renji had always had a great sense of smell. And this perfume smelled really familiar. In fact, he’d smelled it earlier today.

His eyes flicked to Hitomi, staring for a long moment as realization dawned.

’What... the... fuck?’

Hitomi noticed, tilting her head. "R-Renji? Something wrong?"

His eyes didn’t move. "That perfume you’re wearing. It’s nice. Really... stands out."

Hitomi froze, her face exploding in red, eyes wide with shock and nervousness. Her hands instantly flew to her collar as if to hide.

"O-Oh! Th-Thank you... it’s just... a floral one my mom got me..." She stammered, looking away, her crush making her fidget more.

Before Renji could press, a bus hit him.

Not an actual bus. But damn it sure as hell felt like it.

A rough shoulder check and a yank on his bag spun him violently. Renji felt his world tilt as he was dragged backward, feet scraping the pavement, crashing hard onto the ground with a painful thud that knocked the wind from him.

His elbow scraped concrete, his cheeks hitting a stone and swelling almost instantly.

’What the—?!’

He groaned, pushing up on hands and knees, vision blurring for a second.

Laughter erupted.

Renji looked up to see Kaito standing over him, his schoolbag in his grip, flanked by Jiro, Iroha and Haru, their faces twisted in mocking grins.

"Look at the art star, face-planting like a loser!" Kaito sneered, rifling through the bag and dumping the contents.

Renji’s books, pencils, and lunchbox clattering out.

No Milf Note.

Even in pain, Renji applauded himself for choosing to hide the book rather than take it to school.

Struggling, he got up to his feet.

"Give it back, Kaito," Renji demanded, brushing dirt off.

Kaito shoved him hard, causing him to stumble. "Listen to me you loser! You don’t deserve the rep spot. You’re too poor and you come from a dysfunctional family. Which makes sense that you’re so obsessed with mommy porn!!"

POWWW!

Before Kaito could turn, Renji had already attacked.

His fist flew, and he sucker punched Kaito as hard as he could, causing the bully to crumple half-fainted with a groan.

Everyone gasped.

Quickly, as Jiro and the rest of the goons watched in shock, Renji snatched his bag and scattered books, bolting as fast as his legs carried, heart pounding.

Jiro shouted. "Get him!"

And they all ran after him as Hitomi watched, hands over mouth, hoping he’d escape.

Renji darted through streets, weaving alleys, checking over his shoulder to make sure no one was following.

Once he got to the park, he looked around first before ducking into bushes. From the hiding spot, he retrieved the Milf Note, stopped a cab and hurried on to the Center.

However, just a few minutes later, Jiro waved the goons over in the park. "Here! Over here!"

They hurried to where he was standing, a slightly deserted bushy area.

He pointed at the disturbed leaves, the hollow spot. "I saw him grab something from this hole earlier."

They all peered down at the spot. That was certainly a good place to hide something valuable.

Kaito, with his cheek swelling red, and shame burning through him, glared at the hole.

"Don’t touch it, and don’t let him know we know about this. Tomorrow, doing recess, we’ll come here to see what it is that he’s hiding."