April 12th, 202X

A faint, faint buzzing echoed through his room. It was a light continuous sound, one that was lightly pleasurable...but in the context he hated it. Going from the comfortable darkness of sleep to the harsh brightness of the waking world. The buzzing disgustingly forcing itself into his ears, his body trying to force itself back to sleep, attempting to grasp onto any semblance of sleep left before it fully left his body. His eyes slowly opening as he stared at his ceiling.

A groggy voice starting to moan, "ughhhh...this is bullshit..."

His hand naturally raised itself as if it was clockwork, and slammed down onto his alarm clock. It was a shitty reminder of something unpleasant, yet he could never will himself to throw it out.

A deep and resonating yawn came from the deepest vestiges of his body, filling his room with sound as he forced himself upwards off his bed. Grabbing his phone, he looked at the time.

7:00.

Maybe I will be late..eh...I doubt it.

While gripping his phone, he felt his fingers twitching. A shaky exhale came from his mouth as he gripped his wrist. He muttered a little prayer under his breath, the fingers seemingly stopping for a moment. Yanking the covers off his body, with his phone still in his once shaking hand, he pulled up one of his favorite songs to motivate him through his morning blues.

Stumbling into his bathroom, the lights instantly turned on from the movement, making his eyes flinch from the sudden light. Gaining his barrings, he took a slight glance into the mirror, seeing his blonde hair.

Ew...and shit...my hair seems to be losin' its color...I should dye it soon...

Roughing up his spiky blond locks, Ryuji set "It Was A Good Day" to full blast as he continued on with his morning routine.

Stepping into his shower, Ryuji finally woke up as the steaming hot water he loved so much pelted against his back, his drowsy state of mind starting to melt away as he rapped along. It was almost as if every lyric kept granting him a large boost of energy, the song was a Godsend, the reason why he kept listening to it on repeat throughout his days.

His hand flew through his wet hair with ease as he leaned into his sink, placing a towel on his head, it flopping into his eyesight. His eyes peering into the reflection.

C'mon Ryuji...c'mon...

Clasping his hands on his cheeks, a ferocious light started to take hold in his eyes.

C'mon...first day. First day to change it all. . .

A sharp inhale, and a hearty exhale came from his mouth. "But first, I gotta brush my teeth."

Feeling the cold A/C within his apartment against his bare chest was another factor to force him to be at full alert for the first day back. Admittedly it was a bit overkill since his mantra earlier served as the best medicine to get him out of his nigh drunken stupor.

Quickly moving over to his mother's room, Ryuji knocked silently on her door, seeing if she had awoken in the land of the living. There was no reply.

A little whisper came from his lips, "...Ma? Are you there? Ma?"

A shiver went through Ryuji's body as his mother's voice screeched through the apartment, "RYUJI, I'M DOWN HERE!"

Realizing it was his mother, Ikumi Sakamoto, Ryuji sighed and replied back, "Alright, Ma!"

Jumping down the stairs, Ryuji flopped down and paced towards his mother in the kitchen cooking some eggs and bacon.

He eyed his mother as her concentration focused on her task. Her tired brown eyes hidden behind her glasses, lined with bags underneath. Ikumi's messy black hair pulled back into two separate buns. She perked up, noticing her son's glare.

"What? I got something on my face, Ryuji?"

Being pulled from his zoning out session, he jerked his head up, "Hm? Oh, no I just zoned out for a moment."

"Really? I'd think that since you're all...up and about, you wouldn't be zoning out..."

Ryuji started to rub his towel over his face to remove some of the discarded water dripping down his face as he walked and sat down on their couch. "Eh, it's fine Ma. Don't worry, alright?"

Getting plates from one of the cabinets, Ikumi placed their food on each one respectively before she locked her eyes in her son's direction, as he used his towel to hide his face from her. "How could I not worry, Ryuji? With everything that happened during your first year I—"

"Mom...it's fine. I'm genuinely telling you that, not because I'm trying to sugarcoat things, but because that's the non-biased truth. This break I've had...it's put things into perspective."

"Things like? I've seen how you look at your—"

"Mom—"

"The point is, someone with that type of empty...gazing look? That's someone who isn't content with what's happened. The look you literally just gave me? That's one of them." Ikumi gently placed the plates on the counter and started walking over to her son, squatting down in front of his face. Not allowing him to hide anymore.

"Look. You can tell me anything. You know that. Especially after what happened. So, if you're going to do anything...please...just...tell me."

Ryuji stared into her tired...beatdown eyes, seeing the bitter somberness in her eyes. Yet, at the same time, he could see his own reflection in her glasses, and how he still maintained the fire granted from his mantra in the bathroom.

A faint chuckle came from his face, and he smiled at his mother.

Sorry, Ma.

"I'm not going to do anything mom, I promise you that. Okay? And if I do...then I'll tell you, alright?"

Her expression took a bit of blow, no matter how hard Ryuji tried...his mom always knew what he meant, but some hope filled her face again as if her doubts had been stopped. This time...she didn't want to admit it.

Raising her hand whilst standing up, she rubbed Ryuji's hair, "Now, are you gonna get dressed and go or...? Because I'm completely fine with eating your share of the food."

"Crap...what time is it, Ma?"

Raising her non-dominate hand with her watch, Ikumi replied with, "It's...7:23."

"Ugh...shit—"

"Language."

"But I just said—"

"Crap doesn't even count as a curse word remotely anymore Ryuji, you should know that by now..." She scoffed and paced back towards the counter as Ryuji rushed up the stairs.

"Well...I guess that means he doesn't want the food...no harm in eating his leftovers..." With no remote sense of self-control, Ikumi started to dig into Ryuji's "leftovers."

Rushing into this room, Ryuji scrambled around his messy room, it had descended into a disorganized mess completely over the course of the break. Finally finding his usual clothing for Shujin, which had the off chance of not being washed since the last term...

Putting that aside, Ryuji forced on his signature Shujin outfit, completed with his "Rising Sun" converses and his blazing yellow "ZOMG!" shirt underneath his Shujin commissioned jacket.

Stretching his legs quickly, sensing that maybe he would have to make a mad dash towards the trains, he accidentally kicked over one of his clothing bins. Spilling out the confines within. More dirty or cleaned clothes, he couldn't genuinely tell, sprawled out on his floor. A deeply irritated groan flew from his lips as he flopped onto the floor, attempting to force everything back into the bin before feeling a dull poke in his gut.

"A-Ah what the hell? What was...oh.." Consumed by the messy ball of clothing he had made, a stick was poking out. A brown battered stick that had seen the last of its days but, like his alarm clock, he never had the will to throw out.

Feelings and memories of the past started to spew forth from his depths, but quickly he forced them all back down as he forced it all back into the bin, anger taking place.

Standing the bin upright, a single thought burned itself into his mindscape.

Fight.

The only conclusion he had come to within the last break. The conclusion that he forced into his brain due to putting a self-imposed confinement onto himself. He needed to fight.

Before getting any deeper inside of his mind, Ikumi's voice screeched out from below him again, "HEY RYUJI IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO TO SCHOOL, YOU CAN JUST TELL ME YOU KNOW?!"

"Oh, yeah." A nonchalant sigh came from his mouth. One that was quickly ripped away as he took a quick glance at his phone before slipping it in his pocket.

7:29.

"OH, SHIT." As if he was meant to be a track star in another life, Ryuji zoomed from his room to the door within a matter of seconds, his mother's words not even registering with him. Slamming the door behind him, Ikumi was left in a consuming silence. A sigh came from her mouth again, her glasses being held in one hand as she rubbed her eyes, "Just please...don't do anything stupidly reckless..."

OH SHIT! C'MON RYUJI WE HAD ALL THE DAMN TIME IN THE WORLD! Wait...crap! With all that rushin' did I even remember to pack my headphones? Think...think...come on...oh you gotta be shittin' me...With this endless pool of stamina I have...I should've just become a track star instead of...Those two assholes just had to convince me, huh...Two assholes who aren't even here anymore...

Having enough energy to spare, Ryuji sighed as he got to the bottom of the stairs at the train station. As if being blessed with a stroke of luck, the train towards Aoyama-Itchome was just starting to close its doors.

JUST? SHIT, THATS NOT LUCKY ENOUGH!

Ryuji reached out, his legs starting to feel sore from his inactivity, yet before he could get a word out, someone else did for him, "W-Wait! Someone, hold the door!"

Two boys, both with raven black and messy hair came running up beside him, seemingly in the same situation. One donned glasses and a handsome face with dark gray stormy eyes. Something of which both of them shared. Although...upon closer inspection, it seemed to Ryuji that the one with the glasses had shorter hair than the one without them. The other one, seemingly younger, had his hair pulled back into a bun, which didn't help with the messiness of his hair remotely. Besides those traits...the two boys looked rather...ordinary? If that's the case...then why was Ryuji stuck on their appearances? What was it...?

He couldn't figure it out, or he didn't have enough time to figure it out as the one with glasses snapped his head back towards Ryuji, speaking his first words to him, "H-Hey! You gonna come or what?!"

Snapping out of his trance, Ryuji dashed towards the door with what little energy he had left, "Yeah I'm coming!"

Narrowly getting inside of the doors, Ryuji and the two boys all collectively breathed a heavy sigh. All three of them trying to regain their energy and posture. Ryuji, himself, slumped his back on the door as the departing vibration of the train soothed his soreness lightly.

With his eyes closed, he managed to muster up enough strength to get some words out, "H-Hey, thanks for that back there...I really...really—" His eyes opened to see the boys gone within an instant. "Appreciated...that...what the hell...?"

Shaking his head in confusion and even more annoyance, Ryuji closed his eyes once again, I don't think I've ever seen those guys before...right?

Eh...who knows, I've never paid attention. But...maybe I'm just being the over-assuming dumbass I always am, huh? Yeah...that's probably it...But...something is awfully familiar about those two...Heh, maybe I met them in a previous life perhaps? I know Mom has been trying to get into that spiritual stuff...maybe this is one of them, heh.

A yawn started to spread from his mouth, that sprint really depleted him of the energy he developed. It seemed that his first day was doomed to become a yawning fest. Which wasn't something he was trying to have happen this year...things were different and that meant he couldn't just lazily maintain subpar grades. Even if that meant he would have to study, one of his hated things.

This year...has to be different. It has to be.

Rubbing his face using his shoulder, Ryuji paced over to a free seat he saw. Finally sitting down, he took a quick rest.

Might as well get extra sleep instead of sleepin' in class right?Right...Right...

The train came to a screeching halt, being so forceful that Ryuji upon waking from his slumber, partly making him think it had broken off from the tracks and crashed into the next stop. Luckily for his living existence, that didn't happen.

Rubbing his neck from stupidly sleeping in the worst possible position, Ryuji's mind started to wonder,

Yeesh...they should probably fix the breaks on this thing...one wrong move and...god I should stop thinkin' like that...already hate trains enough...

Finally mustering together enough power to launch himself onto his feet, he started to lightly stretch. However...he stopped. There was no point, in the end.

A dejected sigh came from his mouth, his eyes becoming painted with a somber look. Something that kept on his face as he walked through Aoyama-Ichome, his fellow Shunjin classmates buzzing and crowing the neighborhood. It seemed the morale for the new year was ultimately at an all-time high. Something that was a boost from his first year and that brought a nice smile to his face.

While walking, Ryuji's ears started to perk up hearing some classmates' miscellaneous chatter. Seemingly some first years slightly behind him.

"Hey, did you hear about the Marching Band this year?" The first of the two boys, the taller one, spoke first with a slightly nasally voice.

The second with a deeper voice perked up as his friend finally caught his attention, slight annoyance seemed to slip from his lips, "What is it now, Ichiyumi?"

The first started to roll his shoulders with a smirk on his face, "Well...for your information Jin...apparently, there are some new changes undergoing in the group...they need a new percussion section leader. I heard that, apparently, the last one had a big, insane blowout with Kamoshida..."

Jin's eyes started to widen, "Really? What for?"

Ichiyumi started to shrug in response, "I haven't been able to learn from what...maybe from the blowout at the Nationals last year...but no...it was about...February I heard?"

"Hm, I wonder what that was about? You think he still goes here?"

An irritated face started to form as he started to drive into his thoughts, Course he does you idiots...magically...

"Not sure, all I know is that he's a second year. But that's beside the point. I've heard tell of Kamoshida making a more strict regimen for Nationals. And apparently...there are some new students appearing here today...coming straight from—"

"Shhh, you never know...they might be around us. Don't want to get on their bad side just in case do you?"

Rolling his eyes, Ryuji started to pace faster in front of his underclassmates as he muttered, "New students huh? Guess that explains it. Who are they though?"

Stepping onto the step, Ryuji flicked his head up to become nearly paralyzed in his steps. His heart beating faster and faster as his breath quickened.

Her back was turned to him, and nevertheless...her aura felt cold. It was almost as if people were avoiding the two of them, making a clear path between them. Maybe it was on purpose. Maybe it was just sheer luck. Maybe...his mother was right with all that spiritual stuff...

One thing Ryuji knew for sure, however, was that she didn't even remotely acknowledge nor know he was standing right behind her.

Of course...that's...nothing anything new. Nothing remotely.

She started to distance herself more and more from him, eventually making her trek into Shujin's entrance. With Ryuji still petrified at the base of the stairs. A shaky breath drew itself into his lungs as he gritted his teeth, pulling his fingers into a fist. Eventually willing his legs to begrudgingly pull himself towards his homeroom class.

As he slowly paced through the halls of Shujin, he was thrown cold and dry looks from nearly everyone. Whether it was staff or students, the look in their eyes was the same.

Cold. Harsh. Repulsed. Revolting. Detestable. Pathetic. Useless. An awful piece of shit who didn't deserve to walk the halls of Shujin again.

Little whispers flowed through his ears like water as he tried his damnest to recite "It Was A Good Day" bar for bar with his horrible English.

"Sakamoto-kun is still coming here? After what happened...? I'm...surprised..."

Just waking up in the morning gotta thank god.

"You'd think the dumbass would possess enough sense to not show his face around here. Since he possesses enough balls to do what he did."

I don't know, but today seems kinda odd.

"Ryuji...god he's a fool for coming."

No barking from the dogs, no smog.

"A foolish monkey only knows so much being on his lonesome without any help.."

"He and those new boys would be a good fit wouldn't you say? Bunch of fools." A deeply familiar and disgusting voice far behind Ryuji, making his vision nearly blur with anger as he spoke one bar to calm himself down.

T-Today...was a good day...

Or at least he hoped he could drill into his head as he stomped angrily into a bathroom stall. A few deep breaths kept repeatedly coming from his mouth. He knew there was no reason for him to be letting this bullshit get to him but...

Ryuji shook his head, smacking himself in the face a couple of times as he kept reciting his mantra from earlier in the morning.

Fight. Fight. The only option is to fight.

Before he was able to pull himself from his temporary chair, he heard the door open. His chest tightened.

Crap...this isn't good...this could go left really bad...

"So, Ryuji's back huh? The mad bastard stayed, huh?"

Familiar voices. Ah, okay...I can pipe down a little.

"He's got a lot of balls to do that. I wonder if Kamoshida's gonna say anything?"

"If he does, Sakamoto's just gonna beat his ass again!" Hearty laughter came from the two before calming down into silence as they took their time checking themselves up in the mirror.

"...What Sakamoto was screaming...while they were pulling him away...you don't think it's—" The boy cut himself off, seemingly struggling to comprehend his words.

The other let them sit in silence for a moment. Taking a moment to compose his thoughts as well.

Ryuji, stiff in his stall like a stone, intensely listened.

"I...I've been wondering that too, you know."

"R-Ryuji's one of the kindest...honest to god people I've ever met. Him saying something like that...no...but Kamoshida is—"

"You know how brainwashed the population is here, Tora."

"Yes...I know, Iwai..."

Iwai stared himself in the mirror for a moment. His state losing focus as he zoned out. Suddenly snapping back to reality, he stared at Tora, "Have you heard anything about those transfer students? Has Onya mentioned anything?"

"No...most I know is that they're from Kyoto. Brothers apparently. One is in our grade, and another is younger. Maybe...he'll be in the same class as Shinya."

Iwai chuckled upon the mention of Shinya, "That'll be good...let's see if our luck will strike gold, huh?"

Tora let out a chunky chuckle as he yawned a bit, seemed the morning blues were spreading to everyone. His tone became a bit more hushed, causing Ryuji to lean in more.

"Apparently Onya heard this from Kamoshida, but both of them...they were apart of the Kyoto from last year. One was a trumpet section leader. But she hasn't heard anything else remotely about why they left if anything happened, and anything else of importance. It's gotten her a little frustrated, you know."

Iwai snorted, "Course it would. But that's good to know." Quickly flashing his watch in front of his eyes, Iwai ruffled up his silver hair as he spoke, "We should probably go, class starts in three minutes."

"Course."

As if being teleported, their presence was quickly eliminated from the restroom. Leaving Ryuji to stare at himself as he quickly shuffled out of the stall. Hunched over the counter, his mind pieced together strings of thought.

...Kyoto...no way...

His eyes widened as he drew a sharp breath.

Of course.

As he marched up the stairs to his homeroom, Ryuji's mind kept locking onto the two boys at the train. Although he did he noticed that people were moving out of the way for him as he moved past. Huh. Maybe this whole delinquent of Shujin Academy bullshit is good...

Blurring out everything as he kept piecing everything together. Or as he attempted to piece everything together. Everything blurred together to the point that he had a genuine surprise when it came to be time for lunch.

Lunchtime was what he needed the most.

Quickly launching out of his homeroom door, Ryuji started to investigate every classroom on the floor.

He's the same age as us...Iwai confirmed it. If it is truly him...He's a new student. People should be crowdin' around his homeroo—Ah! There we go!

A big large crowd of his classmates filled around Class 2-D, just a class away from his own 2-E.

A sigh quickly escaped from his mouth as he realized he wasn't going to get inside of there easily, nor quickly if he just sat around. If he did, lunch would end before knew it, and time was of the essence here.

Forcing himself into the crowd, Ryuji made slow but significant progress through the bulk of the crowd as some of his classmates shouted profanities at him. He didn't remotely care, however, this kid...he presented something Ryuji desperately needed.

Finally bursting through and stumbling into 2-D, Ryuji was greeted with a face he didn't want to see.

Ann Takamaki.

Hurt and shock electrified the air, coursing through his veins as he struggled to look into her eyes. Forcing his eyes down to his feet, silence filled the space between them.

They stood like that for a moment. It happened again, Ryuji becoming paralyzed.

Crap crap crap crap, c'mon Ryuji you have to move! We gotta—

She spoke first. Her voice dry. "Hey, Ryuji."

He swallowed any amount of saliva his dry mouth could present to his parched throat, which didn't really amount to anything. "h-Hey Ann." He couldn't remotely bring himself to bring his eyes to hers. He didn't deserve it. Not anymore.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice sounded bitter. He hated when she sounded bitter.

"N-no reason at all."

"If you don't have a reason, then you should leave, alright?" She paced past him, seemingly disappearing into the crowd before Ryuji could turn around and say anything. She was gone within an instant. Leaving him alone, again. Forcing his eyes shut, he clenched his teeth as he opened his eyes to see his target.

He walked slowly, dread sort of rushing within him.

It's him. From December...it's really him. Never thought I'd see him like this again, would I? If he's here...then there must be a reason. I can use his help. He...he can be the fighting effort I need. The one I desire. Right, Akira Kurusu?

Reaching the space right in front of his desk, the sunlight from the window next to Akira highlighting the two men.

The two former members of nationally recognized Marching Bands.

Akira coldly raised his eyes to meet Ryuji's, his glasses barely containing the cold harsh glare his stormy gray orbs gave off.

He spoke, his voice smooth and suave, just like Ryuji remembered, "Do you need something?"

Hiding his shaking fingers in his pocket, Ryuji placed his stronger hand on his desk and slightly leaned forward, Ryuji spoke, "Yeah. We need to speak, Akira Kurusu."

A curious expression painted his face, "About?"

"Simple. Takin' back the Marching Band." A toothy grin started to spread across his face, Akira's own still being one of curiosity.

A/N: Well, this is the new project that I'm working on. This doesn't mean remotely that CPTL is canceled or done, I just wanted to write something new. I'd say that CPTL is just on a break, I have a lot of interesting ideas for it, and honestly, it has about a maximum of 15 to 25 chapters left in it if I don't decide to add anything else to it. Also...sorry for this chapter being relatively shorter compared to some of the CPTL chapters, but I genuinely had this planned out from the start and wanted to stick to this idea of only focusing on Ryuji.

Also, this chapter is technically two years old lol. The next chapter is actually new material. Anyways.

-Sayonara