In a training room, a young man lifted heavy weights onto his shoulders, sweating profusely as he squatted, counting aloud:

"Ninety-nine... one hundred!"

He dropped the weights, causing them to crash onto the floor, shaking it from their sheer weight.

A girl with a short ponytail watched him silently, her arms crossed. After he finished, she spoke.

"That was impressive. Now clean up after yourself, you idiot."

The young man turned to her with a smile.

"Amy, looks like today is the first day... It's been a really long time. How's Kang?"

Amy examined his body with her eyes.

"He's fine. I saw him this morning. Have you been training since then?"

The young man grabbed a towel, placing it around his neck while maintaining his smile. Then, with great enthusiasm, he said:

"I really missed you both! Let's reopen the club!!"

Nearby, a girl with curly orange hair observed them from a distance.

(T-They're Satcho and Amy! And they mentioned Kang... This is valuable information! There's no doubt the Writing Club is coming back. I must go tell Mark about this!)

As she turned to leave, she found herself face-to-face with a tall boy wearing square-shaped glasses, his soft hair neatly combed. He stared at her suspiciously.

"Luna? What are you doing here?"

A shiver ran down her spine, and she bolted, covering her head with a black cloak as she ran.

(H-How did he recognize me?! That bastard Kang... he's even scarier than last year!)

Amy, Satcho, and Kang stood together, watching her disappear into the hallways of the building.

Satcho tilted his head.

"Isn't that Luna from the Fox's Claw group?"

Amy sighed.

"She’s been following me all day. I can’t believe they’re actually serious about their little gang… I almost feel sorry for them."

Kang smiled and turned to Satcho.

"You've really grown... I could barely recognize you."

Satcho stretched his arms upward.

"Well… those six months were painfully long and boring. I read your messages. Did you guys prepare everything?"

Kang chuckled.

"You didn’t even let me say a proper hello. Don't you know how to greet an old pal?"

Satcho smirked and extended his right hand. Kang shook it firmly, gripping his forearm with his other hand.

"Even your grip got stronger. That actually makes me feel safe."

Satcho’s smile quickly vanished, replaced by a look of disgust.

"L-Let go of my hand. You've seriously become weird."

Amy sighed.

"You two really haven’t changed at all. Still a couple of idiots."

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Satcho's gaze shifted to the window, where he saw many students spreading throughout the city. They were the first-year students.

"Guys, we need to hurry, or we’ll lose potential members!"

Kang pulled out a stack of posters with the words "Writing Club" on them and handed some to Amy and Satcho.

"Spread out!"

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Inside a Small Theater

Three boys lay on the stage, pretending to be defeated, while two others engaged in battle.

The first boy shouted angrily:

"You hurt my friends and turned everyone's lives into hell! It's time to end this, Raino!"

The second boy assumed a bizarre stance, lifting his left leg while extending both arms.

"I eliminated the traitors and the weak. Only you remain, and I will crush you just as I crushed that friend of yours! Then, this will be the end of your club!"

They both lunged at each other at the same time, ready to clash—

But suddenly, a blond-haired student sitting on a wooden chair, his blonde hair tied back in a man bun, yelled into the microphone, his right leg crossed over the other.

"Stop this nonsense! Where is the exaggeration in your acting?! Where are your emotions?! Raino! You should have grabbed someone’s hair while delivering your final line! And you, Kait! What the hell was that?! Raise your voice! Fill it with rage and hatred! He beat all your friends to a pulp—show me all you've got!"

Kait scratched his head.

"L-Leon, I don’t think this role suits me…"

From the audience, Taki stood up and walked out of the hall.

(That was the hardest thirty minutes of my life… The Applied Chemistry Club would've been better than this nonsense. I feel like I'm going to throw up.)

As he strolled through the city, he took in the scenery—shops, buildings, and various activities happening on both sides of the streets. Students were knitting accessories like gloves and scarves, food carts sold snacks, and street performers displayed acrobatics and sleight-of-hand tricks.

The streets were full of life, all run by students alone.

A girl with bright blue eyes, brown hair, and a gentle smile stopped Taki and offered him a sample of meatballs on a small cardboard tray.

"We, the Cooking Club, welcome everyone! If you like the sample, I can offer you more! We also have a dessert section if you have a sweet tooth!"

Taki took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. The flavor exploded in his mouth—rich spices, tender and juicy meat that melted with ease, leaving a strong aftertaste.

"These are amazing! Can I have more?"

The girl maintained her smile.

"Of course! Follow me, Ken is waiting for us—"

Before she could finish, she noticed her friend Ken being harassed by a group of students. She rushed toward them.

"What are you doing?!"

A boy with a green mark on his cheek smirked.

"You're in our territory. If you want to promote your stupid club here, you have to pay a tax."

A crowd gathered around, watching the scene unfold. Others simply ignored it, as if this was normal.

The girl nervously grabbed Ken's hand and tried to walk away, but the green-marked boy blocked her path again.

"I said, you need to pay."

His eyes landed on the tray of meatballs in her hands.

"How about you give me that, and I’ll let you leave in peace?"

Forcing a smile, she replied hesitantly.

"I-I'll give you one, but... you have to join the club."

The boy turned to his friends, and they all burst into laughter.

"Seriously? Fine, give me one."

He bit into the meatball, chewed for a moment, then spat it right into her face.

"Disgusting! Are you trying to poison the new students?!"

The whole crowd laughed as the girl’s face turned red with embarrassment. She lowered her head, speaking in a trembling voice.

"I-I'm... that's not true..."

The boy took her tray and flipped it over, sending all the meatballs tumbling onto the ground.

Ken clenched his fists, barely containing his anger. Finally, he lost control and swung at the bully—

But before his fist could land, Taki's punch struck first, smashing directly into the boy's face and sending him crashing into his friends. The cardboard tray flew out of his hands.

The entire crowd gasped at Taki’s sudden, violent intervention. His punch made a loud crack, like something had been broken.

Taki bent down, picked up the scattered meatballs, placed them back in the tray, and said coldly:

"Someone like you... should starve to death. Do you think acting like this makes you look cool in front of your friends? You don’t deserve the life you have, you bastard. You’re not strong just because you spit on food or waste it like that."

From the crowd, Amy silently observed him, as if recalling something from the past.

The green-marked gang members quickly surrounded Taki, Ken, and the girl, forming a tight circle.

One of them, who seemed to be their leader, stepped forward.

"What do we have here? A first-year student playing hero?"

Taki looked at him with cold eyes.

"Take your guys and leave… I don’t want to hurt anyone else."