[SFW, Fluff]

“This is it, Sachi. We’ve both been preparing for this day for so long. And you still think you can beat me at my own game?”

“Of course I can, Alice. I’m not about to lose to a brat who thinks that she’s much bigger than she really is. I’ve got all that I need, right here!”

“Hah! Always so confident. I’ve taught you well, but this is when I clip your wings and let you fall down to the very depths of despair! You won’t even get close to him from this day onward!

“We’ll see about that! I’ve got a trick that you can’t possibly beat-”

“Boss!”

The two rather extravagant voices echoing across the rooftop stopped in the middle of their bragging as they turned towards the sound of two doors slamming open, and a short lavender-haired girl running up from the stairs behind them. A girl that was completely and utterly out of breath to the point where she was about to faint from exertion.

“B-boss…” The girl gasped as she nearly tipped over, only for a tanned arm to reach around her and keep her from falling. An arm that felt familiar, yet the girl it belonged to was not who the girl expected.

The one whose arm wrapped around her was a blonde gyaru with lightly tanned skin. Though it was easy to tell that the blonde shade was little more than added hairdye, because the roots of her hair was a deep shade of black. Combine that with a certain thickness to her body and it was hard to take her seriously as a gyaru. At least, if you just looked at her body at face value. It was the way that she carried herself with utter confidence that made it impossible to really focus on her features and notice the imperfections.

“Okada? Why’re you here?” The gyaru, Sachi, raised her eyebrow slightly as she looked at the short and shaggy-haired girl. “I thought I told you and the big guy to go on without me…”

“A friend of yours, Sachi?” The other individual who had been exaggerating her persona stepped over, while carefully adjusting her pink hair antennae to make sure they didn’t stick up as much as before. Alice Grimwald, one of the prettiest and yet most foul-hearted girls in the entire school. And the gyaru’s best friend, after what they had been through.

Sachi nodded, narrowing her eyes a little. “Maybe a bit more than a friend, but that’s none of your concern. She doesn’t need your help.” She looked back towards the girl in her arms, knowing that the pink-haired devil would probably find a way to ruin her under the guise of helping her. “Okada. Speak.”

The lavender-haired girl, Rina Okada, gasped a few more times as she caught her breath, before slowly nodding. “S-Sorry, Boss. I-it’s just… W-We’ve been doing our best as a gang ever since you left, trying to keep the influence you bought us. B-But one of our rivals has been making moves since you… y-you went…”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Okada.” Sachi’s voice deepened for a moment as she clenched her fist. “Because if you think I went soft, I’m happy to remind you how strong I am.” Even though she had gotten accustomed to the role as a carefree gyaru, she was still as strong as ever.

“You better believe her.” Alice chuckled, narrowing her eyes a little. “I’m still sore from that last backhand you gave me, Sachi. You better pay it back sometime soon.”

“I gave you ice cream last week, you devil. You still owe me a new pair of heels after the time you tripped me.” Sachi quickly shot back, not missing the chance to return fire against her best friend.

Rina slowly got out from her former Boss’ grip as she took a deep breath. Seeing these two, the devil of the school and the former delinquent that headed the school’s gang, acting like close friends. M-Maybe… Maybe..!

“P-Please, Boss!” The lavender-haired girl bowed as far down as she could. “Please help us deal with the gang before they try to move on us! Otherwise everything’s going to come tumbling down and we won’t be able to protect the school anymore!”

“Protect the school? Is that what you were doing when you were acting out?” Alice asked, hiding her smile behind her hand. “How utterly noble. I’m sure you could’ve caught his heart much earlier if you had just told him that.”

“Please, keep talking. I need somebody to warm up on.” Sachi snarked as she stood up as well, frustratedly running her hand through the back of her hair. “Okada. I’m not supposed to be fighting like I did back then. He wouldn’t like that.”

“B-But-”

Before Rina had a chance to protest and beg yet again, she noticed the grin that found its way onto her old boss’ face. “I said I’m not supposed to. But how can I say no to you?” The gyaru’s smile made tears slowly run down the lavender-haired girl’s face, her heart bouncing with joy.

“This isn’t a good look, Sachi. What’s he going to think?” Alice chimed, slowly and coyly walking past her friend. “Maybe I should tell him that you’re up to no good again.”

Only for the gyaru’s hand to find its way onto her shoulder, preventing her from walking away. “You’re coming with me, Alice. Because if they end up getting through, they’re going to be threatening him. And I don’t think you want that, do you?”

Alice could feel her vein popping. “Ah. Yes. How foolish of me. I forgot that my brother’s a vulnerable sort.” She cleared her throat, before glaring into her friend’s eyes. “Then I suppose I’ll have to help. After all, you lost to me when we both fought. You would do well to seek the assistance of the one that trounced you.”

“I could beat you if I wanted to. You just took advantage of weak spots that no longer exist.” Sachi grinned, glaring straight back into her friend’s eyes. This was how they bonded. Through constant mild aggression and teasing at every corner.

Rina sniffled as she wiped away her tears. “B-Boss, I-I know you can do it! Make sure they never think about coming back!” She cried out as the two girls walked towards the stairs, out towards the impending fight.

“I’ll be back before you know it! Call the big guy, tell him I’m footing the bill for a big dinner!” Sachi laughed, waving goodbye as she descended with Alice in tow.

What were they to worry about? It was just a gang. Nothing to fear, especially for the two toughest girls in school.

---

“Sachi?”

“Yeah, Alice?”

“How many have you downed?”

“A good three dozen or so. Why?”

“Can you handle seven dozen more?”

“If you back me up.”

“Good luck with that, I can’t feel my arm.”

“Aha, now that you mention it, I can’t feel mine either…”

The casual dialogue between friends betrayed the fact that they were in a lot more danger than they could’ve imagined. And honestly, they should’ve expected it considering the reputation the school’s gang had back when Sachi was the head.

The gang that had gathered to try and reclaim their territory was not just made up of students and delinquents from one school. No, it was made up of several competing schools. Each of which had previously tried to fight against Sachi. Each of them getting dumpstered.

“Just how many weeds did you piss off before you had your epiphany, Sachi? Two jump out the moment we down one!” Alice shouted, slowly backing away with her arm dangling by her side.

Sachi nervously laughed as she held her side, gritting her teeth as she could feel a splitting pain. She had overexerted herself, and a scrape had opened into a proper wound. At least it wasn’t one that would give her too much trouble in the future, but dammit it hurt in the present…

“I may or may not have given three leaders a concussion. At the same time. When they were trying to come at me with knives.” She replied very casually, despite the approaching gang members that wanted to utterly break the two of them. “Honestly, these guys? Hardly a challenge compared to them.

One of the near-faceless minions of the gangs charged at the two as soon as he heard that, only for Alice to grab his fist mid-punch, throwing him with the remaining power in her other arm. “I can’t believe you’re still trying to insult the small-fry while we’re on our last legs.”

“Like you’re one to talk!” Sachi shouted as she delivered a swift kick to another boy’s stomach after he tried to strike at the pink-haired girl. “I know you’re rich, I know you’re strong, but you can’t give them a bit of respect?”

Both of them laughed as they simultaneously kicked through another couple idiots, taking advantage of their still functioning legs. They were sweating to the point where their dress shirts had been utterly soaked, and they still had another horde of students to go…

Not to mention, some of those idiots were growing smarter, as both girls were forced to jump back when they struck their feet straight up against a metal plate that one of the boys had hidden under his shirt. Leaving them with a shaking sensation vibrating through their kicking leg and a severe bruise…

“I am going to kill that boy..!” Alice growled as the fury started building in her eyes. The time for pleasantries was over. She was going to utterly destroy this gang..!

At least, if she could stand up straight she would. But her attempt to follow her violent emotions just caused her to fall into her blonde friend’s arms, the two trying to catch their breath after everything they had done.

“I gotta admit. I didn’t expect my actions to catch up with me so quickly…” Sachi muttered, before slowly closing her eyes. “At least they still show me the respect they showed me back then. They’re not holding back because I’m a girl.”

“Not the time to be proud of equal treatment, you ditz…” Alice coughed and rubbed the spot on her foot before wincing. “Great. Dislocated.” She muttered, closing her eyes. This was what she got for helping a friend out. Even if her main motive was protecting her precious brother.

Just looking at the crowd in front of them was enough to send dread down most people’s spines. So many rough-looking young men, each either ready to throw down with their toned bodies or armed with some sort of makeshift weapon whether it was a piece of school equipment or a pipe or the like. But these two? They weren’t even closed to scared. If anything, they were just tired. Tired of fighting so many idiots that had to bunch up to prove that they were strong.

“Sorry, Okada. I wasn’t strong enough…” Sachi muttered as her eyes struggled to stay open. Was that the adrenaline running out..? Ah. Well, at least she wouldn’t be conscious for what happened next-

“BOSS!”

Her eyes shot open as soon as she heard that familiar scream, and the sound of a wall being broken down. The crowd of mooks looked towards the sound, and plenty of them immediately dropped their weapons in sheer shock.

“I can’t believe we’re being saved by the same brat that asked for our help…” Alice muttered, barely able to make out the silhouette of the lavender-haired girl beyond the hole.

“Not just her.” Sachi said, grinning. “The big guy’s here too.”

Standing outside the hole was not only Rina, but a rather tall looking young man with a rough looking face. Not only that, but the short red scarf around his neck made him look positively heroic. But to those that had hurt his old boss?

He was their worst nightmare come true, a fact that only grew more emphasized as he bowled straight through them with nothing but his brute strength.

It didn’t matter what they threw at him. He managed to tank straight through it. Whether it was a pipe, a punch, anything. He managed to endure it all, and punish them appropriately. With his heroic fists.

Rina ran over to the two collapsed girls as the big guy tore through the crowd, panting and gasping as she quickly dug into the bag she had brought with her. “Y-You two are going to be okay, I-I’m sorry for being late!”

“You didn’t have to come, Oka…” Sachi paused as she tried to brush the girl off, before blushing a little. “Rina…” She muttered. The girl had earned the honor of being called by her first name.

“W-Well, t-that’s what I thought, b-but… W-Well, it never hurt to be careful! A-And Tetsuya wanted to help after I asked him!” Rina bowed down before the two injured girls, still sounding just as shy as she always did. Despite the fact that she had just saved them by proxy.

Alice scoffed. “If you could’ve called on him this entire time, then why didn’t you just do that..?” The pink-haired pint asked, wincing as the girl applied a bit of pain-killing cream to her injuries.

“...He never really listened to anybody but the boss before. He’s always been a big help whenever we were out fighting these gang battles. I don’t really understand either, but…” Rina muttered, not sure what to think despite what she had done.

“It’s because he’s got a heart full of justice, Rina.” Sachi said as she slowly sat up properly, wincing. She could feel her bones trembling still. If she had fought any longer, she would’ve probably broken a couple of them. “You didn’t just ask him to come help, did you?”

“I… I…” Rina paused, a bright blush on her cheeks. She didn’t want to admit what she had said. It was embarrassing. Especially considering her boss was right there…

The one to break her out of her embarrassed state was the big guy himself, tossing a guy through the wall behind them as he walked towards them, wiping his hands clean after everything he had just done.

“Nice to see you again, Boss. Still enjoying your gyaru life?” The big guy, Tetsuya, said as he looked down at the two injured girls. Not the way he’d like to meet Sachi again, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Well, since I have this gremlin shackled to my ankle at all times…” Sachi trailed off while casually dodging an attempted punch from her best pal, only to grin. “Yeah. I’m enjoying myself. Now, mind telling me why you decided to show up?”

“Easy.” The large lad said as he kneeled down a bit, to the point where he was at eye-level with the lavender-haired girl so he could put his hand on her head. All while smiling. “She poured her heart out about how worried she was. How she thought you were going to be killed because you were headed straight into a proverbial trap. All that kind of stuff.”

“T-Tetsuya!” Rina cried out, the red on her face having completely consumed her body at this point. Ah, she wished she could die…

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, Rina. It’s because you were worried about the Boss that I helped you. A leader looks out for the people that she cares about. Even when they’ve left the gang. Isn’t that what you once told us, Sachi?” Tetsuya said, looking at the blonde gyaru that had once served as his fellow delinquent. He knew she wasn’t the boss any longer, there was no reason to keep pretenses.

Sachi nodded as she grinned back. “And here I thought you forgot what I said when your sister left us behind. How’s she doing, anyway? Still got her head in the books?”

“Yep. With any luck, she’s headed out to sea in a couple of months. I can’t wait to see her graduate, she’s worked so hard for this chance.” Tetsuya replied as he slowly got back up. “Just like I enjoy seeing you enjoy your life, Sachi.”

Alice rolled her eyes, as her gears slowly started turning inside her head. After looking back and forth between the big guy, her gyaru friend, and the short and thoroughly embarrassed girl that had asked for her help, it all started to click.

“Sachi.”

“Yeah, Alice?”

“Was this all one big ploy to hand over the reins of your gang?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The pink-haired girl grit her teeth a little as she glared into her friend’s eyes, before huffing as she slowly but surely got up. The cream that had been applied to her wound served as an extended pain killer, so she had quietly snapped her foot back into place. Even if it still hurt a bit, she could at least walk.

“You owe me at least a day of peace with him after pulling this.” She muttered as she helped her blonde friend up, using her body to support her. Because even if she was miffed, she wasn’t about to leave her here.

Sachi laughed a little, sighing as she looked at both of her former gang members. Giving Tetsuya a thumbs up and receiving one in return, before looking at Rina one more time. “Rina.”

“Y-Yes, Boss..?” The lavender-haired girl said as she snapped to attention. She never wanted to disappoint the girl that had given her so much by taking her under her wing…

“Don’t call me that.” Sachi said, smiling as she ruffled the girl’s shaggy hair. “You’re the boss now. Keep an eye on Tetsuya and the others for me, alright?”

Rina gasped, her heart stopping for a brief moment as she processed what she just heard. And even though she just felt the heavy weight on her shoulders, she took a deep breath… And smiled the best she could. “I-I will, Sachi!”

As Sachi slowly walked out of the same hole that her friends had come in through, there were two things that lingered on her mind. One was how that boy was going to end up taking good care of her and Alice after what they had been through. And the other was tied to how she could finally leave her old life behind with no regrets.

She had left her old gang in good hands...