Kyousuke had no idea that, at that very moment, a single sentence was spreading like a virus in the chatroom of "Rampaging Angels"—a chatroom he wasn't even in.
"Want to know how I have so many girlfriends? I wrote everything down in that novel called Love Metronome."
No one really knew how the rumor started, but by the time it reached the chatroom, the story had already been wildly distorted.
What began as someone studying Hojou Kyousuke turned into claims that he had written a step-by-step guide how to get a girlfriend.
As time passed, the legend evolved further.
By the time delinquents from Nerima and Ōta, on the outskirts of Tokyo, got wind of it, the rumor had become:
"Have you heard? The second-generation leader of Rampaging Angels—the strongest delinquent of the new generation in Tokyo!"
"No, no, you got it wrong. He's not the strongest delinquent—he's the strongest player with the ladies!"
"No, no, you're both wrong! He's the most ruthless, handless demon AND the most heartless womanizer combined—the most terrifying delinquent in history!" said one of the underlings, Hiromasha.
"SUGOI!!!"
"Apparently, he wrote down exactly how he became so strong and so good with women in a book called Love Metronome."
"Where can I buy it?!"
Onlookers, their faces flushed with excitement, were desperate to get their hands on a copy. After all, most delinquents weren't exactly known for their brains.
"Heh, too bad for you guys," Hiromasha smirked, pulling a cardboard box from behind him.
"I already bought every last copy in Nerima. But since we're all part of the same gang, I'll sell them to you at a 'special' price."
As soon as he had heard the rumor spreading from Tokyo's central districts, Hiromasha had rushed to the nearest bookstores.
But after searching store after store, he found nothing—until he stumbled upon a shop that specialized in reselling unsold or returned books.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw the place packed with people just like him—guys with the same hairstyle, the same aura.
Sensing a golden opportunity, he immediately borrowed money from everyone he could and bought out the entire stock.
As for whether he could sell them all? He wasn't worried in the slightest.
Ever since the story of the second-generation leader of Rampaging Angels single-handedly taking down two rival gangs had spread through Tokyo's delinquent scene, black motorcycles had been popping up everywhere.
In the past, flashy colors were the trend, but now, in an attempt to imitate that man, delinquents were repainting their bikes black.
Even more ridiculously, people had tracked down the kendo dojo in Mizumoto City where he had trained.
Every weekend, the inner-city expressways were filled with motorbikes heading to Mizumoto for lessons.
Those who couldn't afford the time or money still bought the same kind of bamboo sword he had used, treating it like a sacred relic, hoping that, somehow, they too would become stronger.
So now, with insider information straight from Rampaging Angels, there was no way this book wouldn't sell out—even if Love Metronome looked like nothing more than an ordinary romance novel.
"I'll take one!"
"Oi, Hiromasha! We're in the same gang—charging double is too much!"
"If you don't want it, move aside! I'll take two!"
"You bastard, don't be selfish! If you buy two, the guys in the back won't get any!"
Within ten minutes, Hiromasha's entire box of novels had turned into cash.
Stuffing the money into his pockets, he immediately hopped onto his motorcycle, heading to other districts in hopes of finding more copies of Love Metronome.
He'd heard that in some places, even instant noodles could be used as hard currency.
Looking at the way this book was selling, he wondered if it had the same potential.
Unfortunately, he was too optimistic.
After burning through two full tanks of gas and scouring four or five districts, he couldn't find a single additional copy.
"Damn it!"
Frustrated but unwilling to give up, Hiromasha decided to make a pilgrimage to the very heart of Rampaging Angels' territory—Bunkyō Ward.
By then, the night had begun to swallow the sky, and strange-looking motorcycles were filling the streets.
Back when Makki Hojou was in charge, he had made it clear—outsiders were not welcome in Bunkyō Ward as delinquents often go to that area.
Because of this, the area had become known as a forbidden zone.
Now that the Handless Demon had taken over, Bunkyō had transformed into a delinquent hellscape.
The moment Hiromasha entered, he felt the difference.
First, there was no deafening roar of engines.
Despite the sheer number of motorcycles filling the streets, none of them revved their engines. They all moved quietly, heading in the same direction.
This confused Hiromasha. Revving was practically a delinquent's instinct. If not for the fact that he was an outsider, he would've gunned the throttle himself.
Despite his fear, he decided to follow the crowd, heading toward their mysterious destination.
Along the way, a few Rampaging Angels members stopped him, asking what he was doing here.
Nervously, Hiromasha pulled Love Metronome from his jacket, about to say he had come seeking wisdom from this holy text.
But before he could get a word out, Eikichi Onizuka, one half of the infamous Demon Duo, slapped him on the back with a laugh.
"Oh, you're one of those guys, huh? Then come on—join us!"
Eventually, they arrived at an abandoned construction site near an expressway junction.
Over a hundred motorcycles were parked in a circle.
Seeing so many people there, Hiromasha finally relaxed.
Among the crowd, he spotted familiar faces—including a guy who had bought ten books from him earlier.
That same guy was now gloating, proudly showing off his stack of Love Metronome copies.
"Hiromasha! Get over here! The reading session's about to start!"
"The… what?" Hiromasha had no idea what that meant, but he ran over anyway.
Soon, Eikichi Onizuka climbed atop a makeshift platform of stacked gasoline barrels, holding a copy of Love Metronome high above his head.
"Hey, Onizuka! I read this whole book, and there's nothing in here about getting stronger!"
Before Onizuka could start speaking, a stocky, scar-faced man with a shaved head and a tank top shouted from the crowd.
'Huh? Getting stronger?'
Wasn't this book about dating?
Onizuka, who had been planning to share his romantic insights, completely blanked out.
"You idiot! If it was that easy to figure out, then anyone could become the Handless Demon!"
Despite the chaotic scene, the crowd was actually seated in organized groups according to their respective gangs.
A voice emerged from within a group of more than twenty people.
"That's right! Besides, I don't care about getting stronger—I just want to know how to use this book to get a girlfriend."
"Yeah! Pah-chin's brain is too dumb to understand this book anyway. Everyone shut up and let Onizuka spill the secrets."
The ones speaking were none other than the captains of Toman's Third Division, who had previously been beaten senseless by Hojou Kyousuke.
"Exactly! No matter how strong you get, you can't be stronger than the Handless Devil. We might as well focus on learning how to pick up girls!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The crowd erupted in agreement. Under the overwhelming pressure, the bald-headed delinquent who wanted to train in combat could only sit back down, reluctantly pulling out a notebook to take notes.
Phew.
Eikichi Onizuka and Danma Ryuji sighed in relief as the situation stabilized once more.
Just moments earlier, their subordinates had briefed them on the wildly distorted rumors circulating.
Both of them immediately realized the gravity of the situation—not because they feared retaliation from the misled delinquents, but because they dreaded the "extra training" their leader would surely bestow upon them as a reward.
"This is all your fault, you idiot! Our leader shared this study material with us out of goodwill—we could've just read it in secret. But no, you had to go bragging about it!" Danma Ryuji smacked Onizuka on the back of the head.
"Ryuji, be fair! Weren't you the first one to brag in the chatroom?"
The two stared at each other in silence.
"So what do we do now?" Onizuka finally asked.
"Didn't you say you wanted to hold a reading session? Just guide them through the book."
"But..."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"How about we call in Kisaki Tetta? That guy's smart."
"Good idea. He's our strategist anyway—this kind of thing is totally his job."
And so, they sent an urgent message, tricking Kisaki Tetta into coming.
By the time he arrived, the scene was surreal—amid the deafening roar of motorcycle engines, waves of voices echoed in unison, reading aloud.
Somehow, the infamous Onizuka and Ryuji had actually managed to get the delinquents to read the novel.
Of course, these weren't just any delinquents; they were a special breed—guys too dense to get a girlfriend but desperate enough to try anything.
As Kisaki Tetta approached, Danma Ryuji, who had been waiting at the edge of the gathering, nearly jumped in joy.
Without a word, he dragged Kisaki into the center, explaining everything along the way.
Kisaki barely had time to process what was happening before he found himself shoved onto the makeshift stage—a stack of old gasoline barrels—replacing the already sweat-drenched Onizuka.
"Hey, why are they revving their engines while reading?" Kisaki whispered to Onizuka, grabbing him before he could slip away.
"I told them the sound of the engines helps them absorb the book's wisdom."
"And the real reason?"
"Delinquents get fired up when they hear engine noise. Their brains will shut down completely."
Fair enough.
Even if that wasn't the case, the sheer noise could probably knock them into a daze.
Kisaki let go of Onizuka, adjusted his white tactical coat labeled "Strategist," and stepped onto the platform.
As he stood under the expectant gazes of the crowd, he forced a confident smile.
While Onizuka and Ryuji saw this as a hassle, Kisaki saw it as an opportunity to expand their leader's influence.
With his sharp intellect and smooth persuasion skills, he began weaving an intricate web of nonsense.
If anyone pointed out a flaw in his logic or questioned the credibility of "Love Metronome," he would immediately invoke the ultimate proof—his invincible leader, Hojou Kyousuke.
Half an hour later, the spectacle came to an end. The delinquents, now dazed and overwhelmed, slowly dispersed.
Did they learn anything? No.
Was "Love Metronome" useless? Absolutely not!
Then why didn't they learn anything? Because they were too dumb.
Did they gain anything at all? Yes—confirmation that the Handless Devil was, in fact, the most ruthless, emotionless womanizer in history.
Would they continue reading "Love Metronome"? Of course! If they read it enough times, they were bound to pick up something useful!
Conclusion? Buy it! Everyone, go buy "Love Metronome!"
———————————————————————
Earlier that day…
At Higashi High School, Kyousuke, completely unaware of the chaos his subordinates were stirring up, diligently resumed his studies after lunch.
After school, he headed to the Kendo Club, where he received the best news of the day.
Somehow, Makki Hojou had managed to pull some strings and obtained an official teaching certification with Kyousuke's name on it, allowing him to serve as an instructor for the Kendo Club.
Which meant—he was getting paid now! And the salary wasn't bad either!
The good news didn't stop there. Just as practice began, a knock sounded at the door.
Moments later, a group of students clad in silver uniforms flooded in.
It was the Kendo Club from Kaiju's branch school. Unable to contain his excitement, Satoshi Katagiri had gathered all the members and rushed over, eager to receive training from their leader.
When he heard that Kyousuke had officially become an instructor at Higashi, Satoshi immediately declared that he would have their school issue an appointment letter by tomorrow!
Though his position was only part-time, the combined salary from both schools totaled about three million yen per year.
While this was nearly half of what a full-time teacher at Higashi earned, Kyousuke was more than satisfied.
Thus, for their first joint training session, he put his all into it. Each member was struck down at least twenty times, leaving them battered but oddly exhilarated.
After club activities, Kyousuke—now a man of substantial means—headed straight to the Garden of Words to enjoy another meal on the house.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, in Wakou City—a medium-sized town in the southern part of Saitama Prefecture…
Inside an unremarkable apartment, a stark contrast of colors painted the scene.
White walls. A white bed. A white nightgown.
A red chair. A red computer. Crimson eyes.
A black wardrobe. A black desk. Black stockings.
It was hard to imagine that such an exquisite beauty resided in an obscure town like Wako.
The sheer perfection of her black stockings—estimated to be around 10 to 15 denier—accentuated the soft curves of her thighs, providing just enough transparency to hint at the pale skin beneath.
The subtle pressure from her weight against the chair caused her thighs to slightly expand outward, emphasizing their plushness.
Yet, rather than appearing overweight, this effect only enhanced her allure.
An almost irresistible urge arose—to tear through the stockings and free those flawless legs from their delicate prison.
———————————————————————
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