Netori: I Shall Steal All Of My Enemies' Women For Revenge!

Haruto opened his eyes slowly. At first, everything was blurry in the dim light, but as his vision cleared, he jolted upright, his pale face betraying the pain still lingering in his body.

"Yo, you're awake?" Arataki's familiar voice came from above, his grin unmistakable.

Haruto grimaced, realizing he'd been lying on his lap. The discomfort in his stomach churned even harder at the thought.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Arataki lifted a brow, holding up a small ice pack. "I'm treating you, idiot."

He exhaled, relieved. He shifted awkwardly, adjusting his position as he turned away from him.

Around them, the gang lounged in their usual carefree manner—sitting on the ground or slouched on worn-out couches, some idly strumming guitars, others chatting and laughing by a makeshift fire burning in a rusted barrel.

Cigarette smoke filled the air, mixing with the scent of cheap alcohol from scattered cans.

"Enji, you didn't have to be so harsh on him," Arataki suddenly called out, glancing over at their leader, who sat not far away, lazily plucking at the strings of his guitar.

"What? He said he wanted to kill someone," Enji shrugged, not looking up from it.

"If he can't even take me down, how the hell is he gonna kill anyone?"

Arataki sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, but you can use brains to kill too, not just brawn."

"It's fine," Haruto interjected, wincing as he pressed a hand to his aching stomach.

"I'm the one who wanted this. I asked to join."

He knew the deal. To officially become part of Enji's gang, he had to defeat the leader in a fight.

Until then, he was just an "intern," hanging around but not fully trusted. Not that it mattered.

Even as a so-called gang, they didn't really do much besides hang out and fight occasionally. It wasn't like they were out causing chaos in the streets.

'Maybe I don't know all their activities because I'm not fully in yet,' Haruto thought to himself.

The idle thoughts were interrupted when Enji spoke again, his tone serious. "Haruto, who's the guy you want to kill?"

The question silenced the group. Conversations halted, eyes turned toward him, and the crackling fire became the only sound.

Haruto stared at his tracksuit for a moment, pondering whether he should say it out loud. Finally, he spoke. "Do you know Daiki Yamada?"

Enji's eyes widened slightly. "Yamada? From Aoyama Gakuen? The Red Fang leader?"

Haruto nodded. "That's him. He's that well-known?"

"Well, yeah," Enji said, leaning back on his hands.

"We all know each other, more or less. Word travels fast in school gangs. There's been a lot of talk about that bastard."

Arataki exhaled a puff of smoke, passing Haruto a warning glance. "Don't mess with him, man. That's not someone you wanna cross."

"I don't have a choice," Haruto replied, his jaw tightening. "He needs to pay for what he's going to do."

Arataki took a long drag from his cigarette before shaking his head. "Haruto, let me give you some advice—leave it. You don't know what you're getting into with him."

Enji, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke up. "There are two kinds of people in this world, Haruto. The ones with limits and the ones without."

He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing, "We might look like a bunch of delinquent kids to you, but we have our boundaries. Yamada? He doesn't."

Enji's words were firm, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced with something more serious. Haruto couldn't help but laugh, a dry, hollow sound that surprised even him.

"What? You're scared of him?"

Haruto sneered, though the bitterness in his tone betrayed him.

He knew how dangerous Daiki was, but he was beyond caring. If Daiki had no moral compass, then neither would he.

Enji's lips twitched in annoyance. "Scared? I'm not scared of anyone. But I know when a fight's not worth it."

"You want to drag us into this mess, then fine, but understand this—if you pick a fight with Yamada, it's not just your problem anymore. It's ours."

Haruto's breath hitched, his eyes flicking toward the ground. He hadn't thought about that—about the consequences for the gang if he went after Daiki.

They'd all be caught in the crossfire.

His voice was quieter when he spoke again, more subdued. "I… will make sure that all of you won't get involved."

Enji studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Just know what you're risking, Haruto. This isn't a game."

Haruto clenched his fists. He knew it wasn't a game—this was war. And he had no choice but to fight that he decided to create.

Arataki suddenly sighed, breaking the heavy tension that had settled around them. "Ah, you guys are way too serious. Why don't you come on vacation with us, Haruto?"

"You!" Enji snapped, furrowing his brow in annoyance at his friend's sudden suggestion.

"That's for members only."

Arataki just shrugged, unfazed by Enji's disapproval. "Come on, aren't you being too uptight? It's just a regular trip to the sea. What do you say, Haruto?"

Enji rolled his eyes, clearly irritated, but when Haruto glanced over at him, he noticed something strange—Enji looked almost tense. Why?

"You can even bring your family," Arataki added, flashing a grin. "I've got a private resort. But… you'll need to be our courier."

Haruto furrowed his brows, confused. "Courier? What do you mean?"

"If you agree to help with the… deliveries, you'll be part of the group," Arataki said, giving Enji a meaningful look.

The red-haired leader nodded reluctantly. "Of course, you can."

"And don't worry about your family," Arataki continued.

"I'll provide more than enough private space for them. We have plenty of room. Good deal, right?"

Haruto's thoughts swirled. A vacation sounded tempting—he couldn't remember the last time his family had the money to go anywhere, especially with his drunkard father draining their resources.

Haruka would love a chance to relax, though she couldn't enjoy the ocean since it was hot, but she would like to go away from that house.

And Chiyo… Well, he wasn't sure how she'd feel about it, but they hadn't had a real break in a long time.

But could he trust them? A part of him doubted it, but he knew Enji for years and when he was in this gang, he never saw one woman or their women before.

They never harassed any women before either.

After a long moment of silence, Haruto closed his eyes, making his decision. "I'll bring my family. But promise me, you won't do anything to them."

Arataki smiled easily, nodding in agreement. "Of course. No funny business."

"There'll only be the three of us in one area, just Me and Enji there. The others will be far off in different parts of the resort. You won't have to worry about anything."

"The vacation is in two weeks, alright?"