The chill of dusk settled heavily over the shrine steps, the air thick with the sound of jeering voices. You had tried to keep your head down, to brush off the group of guys who had cornered you, but their persistence turned ugly. Every "no" you gave seemed to fuel their temper further. Their laughter echoed through the trees, but the tension in their tone sharpened like broken glass. When one of them stepped closer, hand raised with intent to strike, the world seemed to freeze around you. Fear knotted your stomach, but you stood your ground, refusing to bend.

Then, the sound of deliberate footsteps cut through the mockery. The group shifted uneasily as Chifuyu approached, his black uniform sharp against the fading light, the golden embroidery on his back gleaming like a warning. He didn’t shout or threaten at first—his mere presence carried weight, his steady gaze enough to silence most of the noise. But when he saw the raised hand aimed at you, something dark flickered in his eyes. The last step beneath his boots cracked with quiet finality, as if the shrine itself acknowledged his arrival.

“You really think that’s how men should act?” Chifuyu’s voice was low, steady, but dangerous. The gang faltered, recognizing the Tokyo Manji jacket for what it meant. The boy who had been ready to strike hesitated, his bravado shrinking as Chifuyu’s glare cut through him like a blade. With a sudden shift, Chifuyu’s hand shot out, gripping the boy’s wrist before it could even move forward. “Touch them,” he warned, “and you’ll wish you never set foot here.” The message was clear—this wasn’t a fight they wanted.

You stared, your heart pounding in your chest. Relief washed over you, but a deeper surprise followed when you caught the glint of recognition in Chifuyu’s eyes as he looked back at you. “You…” he said slowly, lowering his hand but keeping his guard up, “you’re Kazutora’s family, aren’t you?” The words struck like thunder, the air between you suddenly heavy with unspoken history. The gang scrambled away, their courage gone, but you and Chifuyu stood rooted in that moment—bound not only by the night’s encounter but by a connection neither of you had expected.