Chapter 10: True Masculinity

True Masculinity

The rain had completely stopped.

Stars twinkle in the night sky and a crescent moon appeared.

The park, which was filled with the laughter of children during the day, became a different kind of gathering place for 'children' at night.

From children in the single digits to high school students.

Onizuka quietly walked over to some high school boys sitting on swings in the park and smoking cigarettes.

When they saw Onizuka, they waved friendly.

"Yo, Onizuka."

One of them waves and hands over a full packet of cigarettes.

Onizuka ignored it.

"…………"

"What's wrong, Onizuka? You look strange."

Onizuka stared at them all slowly.

And then I ask himself.

What is true masculinity?

The image of the brave Saotome Otome, who unashamedly stripped off her clothes in front of him and jumped into the muddy river without any hesitation to save a drowning cat, was burned into Onizuka's mind and would not leave it.

He had never seen such a manly girl his life.

The girls who always approached him have an aura that made he wanted to protect them, and they themselves were aware of this and make it known.

He thought that girls were such fragile and cute creatures, and that that was how girls should be, and that protecting girls was what men should be.

However, Saotome Otome was different.

She carried out an action that could only be described as manly, without showing the slightest sign of reluctance.

And then she laughed as if it's no big deal.

Onizuka felt doubts well up inside him.

What on earth have I been doing up until now?

What was the point?

He rebelled against his parents who were on the verge of divorce, got together with friends late at night, smoked cigarettes, and fought.

What does that amount to?

What has that become?

What I've done is not manly at all.

─He's just a sulky kid.

"...I'm going to stop hanging out with you guys."

"……Eh?"

All the people smoking turned their eyes to him.

Someone even dropped their cigarette.

"I won't be coming here again"

Onizuka repeated himself so that those who hadn't quite grasped the situation could understand.

"...Thank you for all your help up until now."

With that said, Onizuka turned his back on his friends – his former friends.

"Wait a moment!"

...As expected

There was no way he could just walk away.　

One of them grabbed Onizuka's shoulder.

With such force that it hurts.

"You're not going to just say something silly and then be like, 'OK, that's it.'"

"...I'm not going to hang out with you guys anymore."

The moment he repeated that again──

"Hghh!"

The fist sunk into Onizuka's cheek.

It was so powerful that even the tall Onizuka was left staggering.

Taking a few steps back, Onizuka managed to avoid falling.

"If you want to get out, you'll need to perform a purification ritual!"

"I've never heard of such a rule..."

He roughly wiped the cheek where he had been hit.

The taste of blood spread in his mouth.

"I won't allow you to leave!!"

"I have no intention of fighting with you guys."

Onizuka's former comrades were annoyed that he refused to fight back.

Onizuka was the best at fighting in this group.

If Onizuka really wanted to, even multiple people would be no match for him.

But he raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, hold him!"

Following the instructions, the two men held down Onizuka's upper body and legs so that he could not move.

Onizuka didn't resist.

He was left unable to move.

"Owwww!!"

"Gaha!"

The fist was thrust out with force and hit Onizuka in the solar plexus.

Saliva spurted out of Onizuka's mouth.

Without any chance to rest, the next punch was thrown under his chin.

While being restrained by two people, Onizuka was then subjected to violence, including being punched and kicked by several others.

He spat and vomited blood.

Even so, Onizuka continued to be beaten without resisting.

He was unconscious.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was a clear crescent moon.

Am I... still alive...?

Despite the pain all over his body, he forced himself to get up.

He looked around, but the delinquents who had lynched Onizuka were no longer there.

He didn't remember how the purification ritual ended.

"Ouch..."

Onizuka stood up, brushing off the sand from his body.

This completely cut ties with them.

It's not that he don't feel lonely.

The smiles he wore when he was fooling around with them were definitely not lies.

But still─

"Now... I wonder if I can stand in the same place as you..."

What comes to mind is a boyish girl with pink hair.

Onizuka had a bright smile on his face.