It was...
right after our middle school graduation ceremony.
ANZAI You doing okay? If you feel blue from studying, call me anytime.
ANZAI More like, call even if you're not blue.
I wanna go to the beach.
We just graduated yesterday.
Hey!
Just cough it up!
P-Please give that back.
You don't got crap in here!
The hell. He's friggin' broke.
I'll be in big trouble without it.
Shut up!
If you need it that badly, go ask your mommy.
Please, give it back.
So annoying.
Hey, you guys!
What's so fun about ganging up on one kid?
H-Hey, you guys!
Th-That!
G-Give that back right away!
Are you kidding me?
What's with you?
Hurry up and hand it over!
Cough it up!
You're being quite the douchebags here.
Huh? Who the hell are you?
Hey, what the hell...
Really, thank you very much!
Um, are you all right?
I'm fine, I'm okay.
Thank you very much!
So in the end, I can't be cool like him.
But this guy is amazing.
Hey, you're pretty awesome.
N-No, I'm really weak.
That's not true.
Not everyone can stand up against a group of guys all alone.
Especially if it's for someone else's sake.
I've been looking for guys like you.
I'd love to have you join our team.
I'm sure you'll like it.
E-Excuse me.
Hey, hey.
Glad you could make it.
Once again, I'm Natori, and I call the shots here. Nice meetin' ya.
Oh, nice to meet you.
H-He was the guy at the top? No wonder he's so strong.
Huh? What the hell'd you just say?
Tell me again.
There's no way you can drop outta this team!
Um, that's...
Yeah. Looks like that kid said he wanted to leave the team.
Y-You're not going to stop him?
Just as I thought.
You really are a good kid.
Those with a useless sense of justice but no real strength are so easy to control.
You're the perfect sucker.
And once they enter, suckers are never able to leave.
Because this is a place where violence and fear rules.
Welcome to KEEL.
That's 30K. In three days.
Three more days. And 50K this time.
This ain't enough!
Well then...
If you don't got the dough...
I'll punch you once for every thousand yen that you owe.
I see.
I'm sorry, Nagato.
If only I was stronger...
I could've dragged you back with me.
I'm really sorry.
You're wrong!
Even if you had beat everyone up back then, I wouldn't have gone with you.
There's no way I could have.
Someone like me who does horrible crap like this can't be with you.
- What are you talking— - I've always...
wanted to be like you.
Someone strong and cool, just like you.
If I joined a team, I thought I might get even a tiny bit closer to you.
But in the end, I couldn't become strong nor cool.
You dumbass. What are you talking about?
Nagato!
A-Are you okay?
Anzai! I told you that it was dangerous!
S-Sorry.
What should we do, Anzai? What should we do?
I-I'm fine.
More importantly, I'm just glad neither of you are hurt.
You've always been...
a strong, cool guy.
Huh? What...
Oh, sorry, Nire-kun. I woke you up, huh?
Oh. Huh? What? Where...
The fight's over. We're heading home.
Kiryu-san.
So everything went well.
I'm glad everyone seems to be okay.
You're the worst off of all of us, Nire-kun.
Oh? I'm sorry. I'm fine now. You can let me down.
Come on now. Help me out with my training.
Ouch!
What? Stop that, Suo. He's hurt.
Suo-chan, you really are super-sadistic. What's up?
Sheesh.
I thought you went insane when you ran off back there.
Don't be too reckless, okay?
I'm sorry.
That said, it's because Nire-kun contacted our upperclassmen that we somehow got by.
You helped us out.
O-Oh no, it's not much.
H-Hey, by the way, where's Sakura-san?
Isn't he behind us?
Sakura-san.
Sakura-san, I'm glad you were all right as well.
Worry about yourself.
Sakura-san, you really are so amazing.
You just became the grade captain,
but you pulled everyone together and properly resolved this problem.
Really, no really, thank you for—
- What is? - Huh?
What is so amazing?
I mouthed off and said I could handle 'em all myself, but I couldn't do jack.
I thought about it way too hard, and struggled against some nobody.
On top of that, I had the second-years wipe up our asses.
What part of this is amazing?
How is that a grade captain?
You ended up that way...
and they're all beaten up.
No matter how you look at it, it's all my fault!
I'm sure you guys think so, too!
Just say it's my fault!
S-Sakura-san.
Don't gimme that nonsense.
If I was alone, I definitely wouldn't have gotten Nagato back.
No matter what people think, I only feel gratitude towards you.
Thank you, Sakura.
And it's our own fault that we're all beaten up.
Of course it ain't your fault, Sakura.
Hear, hear!
Sakura-chan.
All of us are feeling frustrated.
How powerless you are is your own responsibility.
Sugi-chan doesn't even know how he's going to face Ume-chan-senpai, either.
I know it doesn't sound reassuring from me, but please don't shoulder so much by yourself.
We're buddies, right?
That's right, Sakura-kun.
Especially me and Nire-kun, because we're vice-captains.
We're responsible for this, too.
Together, let's set things right from this point forward.
Yeah!
What is this feeling?
After seeing them get beaten up, I feel something in the pit of my stomach.
In the past, I never would've had trouble fighting a nobody like that.
What is this?
What's wrong with me?
This prrrrobably was a good experrrrience forrrr them, too.
When Kaji firrrrst became grrrrade captain, we had something like this happen, too.
Hirrrragi-san back then was so scarrrry.
Rrrright, Kaji?
More like, what do you think about that team?
Well, forrrr a team so new where we have no inforrrrmation, therrrre were a ton of people.
Anything else botherrrring you?
Yeah.
I can't think that many people would tag along with that guy.
Something is fishy.
RESTAURANT ASHITABA
Umemiya-san is apparrrrently herrrre.
Then...
Let's be snappy with ourrrr rrrreporrrrt!
You really are a funny guy.
Yeah! Aren't I?
Hey, chief! A cola for Ume on my tab!
Coming right up!
Hey. Welcome back, you guys.
Hey. Sorrrry to botherrrr you durrrring yourrrr meal.
Oh no, no. I was just asked to help unload stuff, and it ended up like this.
How the hell does it end up like this?
And that's what happened.
I am terribly sorry.
I'm sorry.
Ya betterrrr pay attention.
Okay. Got it. Great job!
Hey. Have some of this, if you'd like.
Huh? You sure?
Not only are we imposing on your shop, but your food, too?
Thanks!
It's fine!
Now, chow time. Let's eat.
U-Um....
Is that all?
Whatcha mean, "is that all"?
I roped Furin into personal affairs.
You say that, but Nagato is one of your friends, right?
Then it's only natural that Furin would help you out.
I troubled my upperclassmen.
It's the upperclassmen's job to take care of their juniors.
Even then...
I'm really sorry about this.
Nagato.
Eat up.
U-Um....
Just eat.
Tasty?
Yes.
It's been a while since I thought something was so delicious.
Don't forget how that tastes.
When you're exhausted, you don't have the composure to savor your food.
But when you eat with people you can feel secure with from the bottom of your heart,
strangely enough, it's really tasty.
You can't change what you've done.
No matter what people think of it, you have to shoulder that burden and live on.
I'm sure you'll be exhausted by lots of things in the future.
But that's when you remember that taste, because...
it's proof that you're not alone.
Okay?
Yes.
Now, come on! Eat up! Eat!
Th-Thanks, I'll have some!
So Kaji-san's group can eat meals right after a fight, too.
Right?
What's wrong, Sakura? You look pretty mopey.
It's nothing.
Everyone got beat up during the fight.
Sakura-san feels like he's solely responsible for it.
Don't say crap you don't need to.
I'm just pissed off at myself.
I talked big, but it doesn't usually end up like this.
But my body just didn't move the way I wanted it to.
Sakura.
Your body stopped moving after you saw your friends get beaten up, right?
Then, there's only one reason for that to happen.
It's because you like them.
Wh-Why does it always end up that way?
Hey, come on now.
That musta hurt!
Kaji! You should at least help out a little bit!
That makes me happy, Sakura-kun.
I-I'm sorry, can we get a towel?
See?
RESTAURANT ASHITABA
Take care!
Hey, Hiragi.
What Sakura talked about earlier... What'd you think about it?
Same as you, I guess.
He's gonna get real strong.
Hey, Ume! Hiragi! If you're done chatting, come on back!
I fried some cutlets!
Huh? Seriously? All right!
You're gonna keep eating?
Nagato.
Tsuchiya, I...
H-Hey, Tsuchi—
Are you a moron?
Both of you, so beaten up.
Welcome back.
Yeah.
Oh, hold on a sec!
I didn't ask you your name yet.
Sakura.
I see. Sakura, right?
Thank you, Sakura.
I-It was nothing.
I just kept a promise.
Man, I heard they were gonna have a scuffle with Furin, so I came all the way here to watch.
Up we go.
Why'd you lose, asshole?
And Furin has gotten a lot weaker than I expected.
Oh, but they did say they were first-years?
In any case, ya gotta draw the line somewhere.
He's totally gonna snap about this.
That said...
Guess this is the end for KEEL.
It grew pretty big, too. What a waste. But...
Because that moron did whatever he pleased, the team was rotten from the core.
I was just thinking I gotta put him in his place, but then this happens.
I really don't have an eye for people, huh?
Well, depending on how you look at it, now I have a great card to play against Furin.
Oh, right. I guess that's what we'll say this was.
I guess you did a pretty good job in the end.
Peace out, KEEL.
You did help me kill some time.
Damn it, anything and everything gets settled with "because you like 'em."
Hasn't he said the same crap after each and every fight?
Sakura-san, you're blushing.
He's desperately trying to hide it, but Sakura-kun is such an easy read!
That's total bull!
Oh, is that so?
I see. I was happy about this, but what a letdown, huh Nire-kun?
Right. I thought we finally broke through his icy exterior.
E-Even if you give me looks like that, I'll never admit it!