Hey, You’re the One They Call Mikey?

My name is Xia Yue, and I'm a big brother-con. He's not my brother by blood, but I still love him more than anything, and not just because he's strong. But seriously, my brother is ridiculously strong, okay? He's the current top dog at Suzuran High, known as the strongest man ever to stand at the top of the school. He doesn't need a gang backing him up. His own strength alone is enough to keep the school's notorious delinquents, famous all across the country, under control. His name is Mario, aka Lao. We're family from the same orphanage. It doesn't matter that we're not related by blood. My brother has taken such good care of us all, so I want to do something for him too, like help him reach the top of Japan's delinquent scene... Then I heard there'd been some commotion in Tokyo lately. You've got to be kidding meeeee! If anyone can lead his crew to the top, it's my amazing big brother! He can accomplish what the seniors before him couldn't, and my monster of a big brother from the same orphanage is the only one for the job, damn it! Hosen High, Onizuka High, they should all bow their heads in front of our Suzuran! And that Toman outfit that's been getting just a tiny, tiny bit of attention lately? You've got to be kidding me! Delinquents from Tokyo? They sound ridiculously weak! I know they've been growing a little too fast lately. People from Hosen next door and my friend who transferred to a school in Tokyo have both mentioned Toman. They even say Toman's leader is really strong, that one kick with his leg can knock out a two-meter-tall bruiser, and he seems like he might be as strong as my brother Lao... I think they're exaggerating. But my friend Izana, whom I've known for ten years since we met at another orphanage, has heard of Toman too. He's always scowling whenever they come up, saying he'll take their leader down sooner or later. This guy called Mikey... How does he know him too? I was so curious that I secretly went to Tokyo to check things out. When I got to Tokyo, I planned to sneak over to my friend's new school first, but before I even got there, I saw seven or eight delinquents cornering a boy on the street. The boy looked kind of dazed, and he was even chewing on a dorayaki. He wasn't very tall, and he was a little skinny too. He looked so harmless he was almost cute. Wouldn't a kid built like that burst into tears if they beat him up? So, feeling kindhearted, I launched a flying kick and sent the leader sprawling with a hard blow to the head. While the others stood there dumbfounded, I grabbed the boy and ran off with him. “…How long are you going to keep dragging me along?” The boy, whose hand I was holding as we ran, seemed touched by what I'd done. He asked in a daze. “No idea. I think I'm lost.” I felt like we'd sprinted through at least ten blocks, so I bent over with my hands on my knees, panting hard. “I just got to Tokyo, so I don't know my way around. I'm here to find someone.” The boy with pale yellow hair looked even more dazed. “Who are you looking for?” “The leader of the Tokyo Manji Gang, Mikey.” “…Huh?” Content warnings: This is a sister story I only thought of writing later, so there are some plot points that were hard to work into the previous book. You can also think of it as a parallel world starting from the Christmas Showdown in God of Regret. In any case, you don't need to have read that book. Hina appears in it, but you can just consider her an original character in this one; it won't affect the plot. There's more everyday life than fighting, and they won't get into brawls often. A cool, aloof exterior with a poker face but lots going on inside vs. a delinquent gang leader who's actually clingy and good at acting cute Theme: Always treat others with sincerity, live well, and cherish the people you have.