Flip The Script

Toshi was not conforming to expectations.

Cute guys don't get in fights. Cute guys often rely on societal norms and the goodwill of others to navigate their way through conflicts, hoping that someone white knight will step in to protect them. Cute guys depend on the rules of polite society and the manipulation of others to accomplish their goals. Toshi fit this mold perfectly, or so it seemed. Toshi was cute, therefore he could not fight. He was the quintessential cute guy who could not resort to violence. Logic would dictate Toshi was not capable of delivering a right hook straight into the cheek of a smirking bitch. Physics, on the other hand, decided that reality didn't give a crap about what was supposed to happen and sent her falling back into a bathroom stall.

Toshi grabbed his fist with his left hand and drove his right elbow into the neck of the other lackey. A choked gargle escaped her as she clutched her throat, her eyes wide with pain and shock. Toshi shifted his focus back to Naora, determined to maintain the momentum of his surprise attack. His plan was clear in his mind: knock Naora off her feet, grab Ruri, and dash into the hallway where the presence of witnesses would force Naora to back down. However, Naora had a different outcome in mind.

She kicked him squarely in the balls.

Toshi doubled over from the blow, reflexively covering his crotch. She followed up with a right uppercut, catching him in the eye. He staggered back, slamming into the wall and holding onto it to keep himself standing. Naora let out a light laugh, "Not bad, but there is a reason cute boys shouldn't get in fights." She casually closed in on him, "Just because you're a boy doesn't mean I won't beat the ever-living shit out of you." Toshi faced the wall as he tried to recover. This wasn't the first time he had the crap beat out of him, but not in this body. He was a whole lot weaker than he thought he'd be. He left himself open and now he was paying for it.

Ruri was having a hard time understanding this turn of events. This wasn't how things happened. Ruri was the social outcast of the school. Nobody cared. Nobody would ever come to her rescue. Nobody would come charging in here and pick a three-on-one fight to save her. If someone did, it wouldn't be a boy. If it was a boy, there is no possible way on God's green Earth that it would be the hottest boy in her class. She pinched herself as she tried to figure out if she had already been beaten into a coma. This could not be happening.

There was no way Honey Whitefox just took a boot to the junk for her.

The other two girls were recovering, but hanging back. Maybe they knew this was something Naora liked to do alone, or maybe they DID have a problem with hitting boys. Either way, Toshi realized that Naora was taking him far too lightly as she grabbed his shoulder and casually spun him to face her. As she began to line up another shot, Ruri screamed, "NO!" She balled up both fists as she took a step forward. She was fully prepared to fling herself into the melee without a hint of concern for her own well-being. The other two girls moved to block Ruri. Ruri had no illusion about winning, but she was going to give Toshi a chance to flee. Naora spared Ruri yet another contemptuous glance.

Big mistake.

Toshi might have been weak, but he didn't need much strength to reach up, grab Naora by the collar, and yank. Naora's perception of reality shattered as Toshi drove his forehead into her face, smashing her nose and sending her staggering back. All four girls looked beyond surprised at this turn of events. Society, movies, culture, and every life experience told these girls that one shot to the groin and the guy goes down. This is such common knowledge that belief had become reality. When a boy would watch popular media, they are told over and over how this is their weak spot. They were told this is the greatest pain you will ever experience. Tell someone they have a weakness enough times and they internalize it. The result was a world where one shot to the jewels and most boys give up and don't even bother to fight anymore.

Apparently, Toshi didn't get the memo.

The stabbing pain in his head made it easier to ignore the throbbing in his crotch. The room started to spin, but the adrenalin was kicking in. He started to laugh and not so much as smile, but bare his teeth. One of Naora's flunkies made a quick gesture to ward off evil spirits. Much later, the three bullies would all admit to each other that Toshi looked terrifyingly insane.

Naora took her hand away from her nose to see a splotch of blood. She gritted her teeth as she spit words at Toshi, "I'm gonna put you in the hospital!"

Toshi hunched his shoulders while flexing his arms with a grunt. This helped him clear his head and focus. He stabbed a finger at Naora, "YOU." The word carried the weight of implication. He might not win, but his target wasn't going to either. His face was twisted with the rage of several weeks of pent-up frustrations. Here was a simple problem with a simple solution.

Hit As Hard As You Can.

He took one step forward just as someone behind him shouted, "ENOUGH!" Everyone stopped and looked, with one exception. Toshi had a good idea who it was. It took a few moments for him to switch gears. He took a deep breath while he inwardly cursed and tried to come up with a good excuse. He put on a concerned face as he spun around.

"Thank God you are here, Teacher-Sensei!"

Toshi pointed at the four girls.

"I found these four girls in the boy's bathroom and they refuse to leave!"