Renegades: Battlegrounds.-Chapter 51: Morning Summons

Ren hadn’t slept.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it.

Hasegawa’s cold stare. The photo of Kaito smiling with the four people who’d come to abandon him. The white jacket.

He stood in front of his apartment mirror, staring at the white armband folded on his desk.

Unmarked. Probationary. A promise he wasn’t sure he could keep.

His hands trembled as he picked it up. "Stop shaking. Just put it on."

He slipped it over his left bicep, then pulled his school uniform sleeve down to cover it. The fabric was thin, barely concealing the white underneath. Anyone looking closely would see it.

Everyone would look closely.

Ren grabbed his bag and checked his phone. 7:34 AM.

If he left now, he’d make it to school by 8:00 but the walk felt different today.

Hanasakura District looked the same, the cherry blossoms falling, shopkeepers opening stores, students in uniform heading to school. But something had shifted or maybe it was just him.

A group of students from Hanami Academy crossed the street when they saw him coming.

An old woman sweeping her shop entrance looked at him, then quickly looked away.

"Do they know?"

"Can they tell?"

Ren felt his chest tightening. Each breath took effort. The armband under his sleeve felt like it was burning his skin.

"I can still take it off. Walk away. Transfer schools just like Hasegawa said."

But then he thought of Kaito in the hospital. Being hunted. Being alone.

"No. I made my choice."

Even if his hands wouldn’t stop shaking, he would continue on this dangerous path.

School Gaate,

7:52 AM.

Ren arrived at the school gate in under twenty minutes.

"Dude! REN!"

Shiinchiro sprinted toward him from across the street, nearly hitting Ren again with his bicycle. He skidded to a stop, breathless, phone in hand.

"You’re trending again." Shiin shoved the phone in Ren’s face.

The screen showed a blurry photo taken at night—Ren standing on Sakura High’s front steps, four figures behind him silhouetted against the school lights.

The timestamp read. "8:23 PM, April 11."

The caption was "New Sakuratei recruit? Kaito’s brother spotted with Hasegawa’s crew."

The comment section under the post varied greatly. Some were positive and some negative.

"No way that’s actually happening."

"RIP to that kid lmao."

"He lasted one week before joining them."

"Like brother like brother i guess."

Ren’s stomach dropped.

"It’s got like three hundred shares already," Shiin said, scrolling. "People are going crazy. Some are saying you are going to become the head like your brother, others are saying Hasegawa’s just using you for your..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

His eyes had dropped to Ren’s left arm where the sleeve had ridden up slightly, exposing the edge of white fabric.

Shiin’s voice went quiet. "...Ren. you didn’t—?"

Ren pulled his sleeve down. "I’ll explain later."

"Later?" Shiin’s voice rose. "Dude, this is—you actually joined them?"

"I said I’ll explain later." Ren’s voice came out harsher than intended.

Shiin flinched.

Ren immediately regretted it. "Sorry. I just... I can’t talk about it right now. Please."

Shiin studied him for a long moment. Then, quietly: "You look terrible. Did you sleep at all?"

"No."

"Figures." Shiin sighed, pocketing his phone. "Okay. Later. But Ren—" He grabbed Ren’s shoulder. "Whatever happens today, I’m still your friend. Okay? Sakuratei or not."

Something in Ren’s chest loosened slightly. "Thanks."

They walked through the gates together. Students stared. Some whispered. Others took out their phones.

Ren’s hands clenched in his pockets. His breathing was shallow again.

"Just get to class. Just make it through today." Ren kept telling himself as they walked through the hallways.

The moment they stepped into Class 1-C, the room went silent.

Every conversation stopped mid-sentence. Heads turned. Eyes tracked his movement from the door to his seat.

Ren kept his gaze down, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. His legs felt unsteady. The floor seemed to tilt slightly like it was trying to trip him over.

Don’t fall. Don’t show weakness.*

He reached his desk, dropped his bag. His hands were shaking so badly he almost dropped it.

"Ren."

He looked up. Fubuki sat beside him, her expression worried. She didn’t say anything else, she just looked at him with those gentle, concerned eyes.

Across the room, Hana stared at him. Her face had gone pale, almost gray. Her hands gripped the edge of her desk so hard her knuckles were white.

Their eyes met.

Hana looked away first.

The rejection hit harder than Ren expected.

"So it’s true."

Sudo, the class representative stood beside Ren’s desk. His expression was carefully neutral, but his posture was tense. Wary.

"You joined them. Sakuratei."

Whispers erupted across the classroom.

Ren forced himself to look up, to meet Sudo’s gaze. "I made a choice."

"I hope it’s the right one." Sudo’s voice was quiet. Then he walked back to his seat.

The whispers grew louder now.

"Did he really join?"

"I heard Hasegawa recruited him personally."

"His brother was their founder, right?"

"This is insane."

"Is he dangerous now?"

Ren sat down heavily. His vision swam slightly. The room felt too hot, too crowded, too loud.

"Breathe. Just breathe."

His hand went to his left arm, feeling the armband through the fabric.

"What have I done?"

Mr. Tanaka entered the classroom soon after with a roll sheet in hand. The whispers cut off immediately.

"Good morning, class." He lazluy sad as his eyes found Ren. He lingered on him for a moment.

Something like concern crossed his face. "Let’s get started with—"

But then the PA system crackled to life.

Everyone froze.

Principal Hanagaki’s voice filled the room—cold, authoritative, deliberate.

"Ryūhara Ren, Class 1-C, report to the principal’s office immediately!" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The classroom exploded with whispers.

Ren’s heart stopped.

"Ren Ryūhara, report to the principal’s office. Now."

The PA clicked off.

Shiinchiro leaned over, voice urgent. "Oh no. This is bad. This is really bad."

Fubuki grabbed Ren’s wrist, her grip surprisingly strong. "Don’t go. He is going to expel you."

Ren looked down at her hand, then at her face. She was terrified.

"I have to face this." He gently removed her hand, stood up.

His legs almost gave out.

He gripped the desk for support, took a breath, steadied himself.

Ren grabbed his bag, a force of habit but then realized he wouldn’t need it if he was being expelled.

He left it.

The walk to the door felt like a mile. Every eye in the classroom watched him.

At the dore, he looked back once.

Hana was staring at her desk. Fubuki looked like she might cry. Shiinchiro gave him a shaky thumbs-up.

Ren walked out.

The door closed behind him.

The hallways were emptier now classes had started, students already behind closed doors. Just Ren and Mr. Tanaka walking side by side, their footsteps echoing.

Ren’s breathing was too fast. Shallow. His chest began hurting.

"Am I having a panic attack? Is this what a panic attack feels like?"

"Your brother sat in that same office more times than I can count." Mr. Tanaka said breaking the silence.

Ren looked up but Mr. Tanaka’s expression was unreadable.

"What happened to him? In that office, I mean."

"Principal Hanagaki tried to break him."

"Threatened expulsion, called your mother, tried every punishment in the book." A slight smile crossed Mr. Tanaka’s face. "Your brother just smiled and took it all. Always drove the principal insane."

They turned a corner into the administrative wing. It was much quieter, more intimidating.

"The principal before him was different—weaker. Scared of gang conflicts. Turned a blind eye most of the time." Mr. Tanaka’s voice dropped.

"But Hanagaki? He’s ambitious. Wants to prove himself. Wants to be the principal who cleaned up Sakura High."

They stopped in front of a large wooden door. Gold nameplate. "Principal Hanagaki."

Mr. Tanaka turned to face Ren. "Don’t let him bully you. He’s afraid of Sakuratei, not the other way around. That’s why he goes after individuals, they’re easier targets."

Ren’s hands were shaking again. He shoved them in his pockets.

"Can he actually expel me?"

"He can try." Mr. Tanaka knocked on the door. "But expelling the founder’s brother without cause would start a war and he knows that."

The door opened from inside.

"Enter."

Mr. Tanaka gestured for Ren to go in. "Good luck, Ryūhara."

Ren stepped over the threshold.

Behind him, Mr. Tanaka closed the door with a soft click.

The office was large, traditional and very intimidating by design.

Dark wood paneling. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes that probably had never been read. A massive desk dominated the center made of polished mahogany and was meticulously organized to the last degree.

Awards lined the walls. Certificates.

Photos with politicians, business leaders, board members.

Everything carefully arranged to project authority.

Principal Hanagaki sat behind the desk, fingers steepled, staring at a document.

He didn’t look up.

"Close the door and sit."

Ren closed the door.

He walked to the chair in front of the desk. It was smaller than the principal’s, positioned lower.

Another power move but Ren sat nonetheless.

His hands were still shaking from earlier. He gripped his knees to stop them.

Silence stretched. Thirty seconds. A minute. But hmthe principal didn’t say a word.

"He’s trying to make me nervous."

"And it’s working."

Finally, The Principal looked up.

His face was severe with sharp features, cold eyes behind wire-frame glasses. Late fifties, maybe early sixties. Hair graying at the temples. The kind of man who had built his career on control and fear.

"Do you know why you’re here?"