"Hmm... What should I buy first?" I muttered under my breath as I glanced at the list of things I wanted to buy. "Maybe I should get some snacks since I'm already here."

  It was evening. A few hours had passed since school ended, and with nothing urgent demanding my attention, I'd decided to make a quick trip to the on-campus supermarket.

  The original reason for this trip was to grab some cleaning supplies. Even though the school cleaners were scheduled to clean the dorms every two weeks, the thought of waiting that long didn't sit right with me.

  I wouldn't call myself obsessive, but I liked my space to be neat.

  Just as I was reaching for a pack of tea bags, a familiar voice caught my attention.

  "Oh, hey! I know you... Aren't we in the same class?"

  I turned my head and saw Robert standing behind me. He held a tub of protein powder in one hand and a carton of milk in the other.

  "Oh, hey..." I said, doing my best to mask the shock that threatened to creep into my voice.

  Robert smiled warmly. "If I recall correctly, you said your name was James, right?"

  I was speechless. I couldn't believe the most popular guy in the class remembered my name. When I didn't reply immediately, Robert's expression darkened slightly.

  "Wait... Don't tell me that I... Did I get your name wrong?"

  "No, no, you got it right. My name is James. I'm just surprised you remember."

  Robert chuckled. "Believe it or not, I've memorized the names of everyone in our class."

  "Oh, wow! I'm impressed... Learning names is something I struggle with," I admitted.

  "Well, to be honest, I've had a few weeks to learn the names of our classmates."

  A few weeks?!

  Robert glanced at my cart and cleared his throat. "So, what are you buying?"

  "Just some cleaning materials and tea bags," I replied.

  "Huh... It's great that you want to keep your room clean. Maybe I should follow your example."

  His words sounded casual and sincere. It caught me off guard. People didn't usually talk to me like that. Maybe he was just a nice guy.

  If that was the case, maybe this was a chance—a chance to make a connection. Perhaps even a friend.

  "What about you?" I asked to keep the conversation going. "What brings you here?"

  "Oh, me? I came to buy some protein powder," Robert said, lifting the tub in his hand. "With my workout schedule, I have to eat plenty of protein every day."

  That checked out. One glance at his build, and it was obvious he wasn't just casually into fitness. He moved like someone who was used to pushing his body to its limits.

  "What's your workout schedule like?" I asked, more out of curiosity than politeness.

  "Hmm... Well, it varies from week to week. Lately, I've been working out six times a week. My sessions are about three hours each. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are body workouts. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are conditioning."

  Three hours. Six times a week. That wasn't just dedication—that was discipline. It reminded me of my old training, though mine had been less about personal growth and more about survival. His routine was structured, and purposeful, but there was something else to it. People didn't train like that unless they were chasing something.

  With such a rigid workout schedule, it was no wonder he was able to win the competition earlier. The Beep test must have been nothing more than a warm-up for him.

  After purchasing our groceries, Robert and I walked back to the dorms together. The sky was growing dark, and the stars were beginning to twinkle overhead. The cool evening air was refreshing.

  "Hey, can I admit something to you?" Robert suddenly asked as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

  Although I was a little surprised by the sudden question, I nodded.

  "If it was up to me, I'd drop out of this school right now and dedicate my life to fencing."

  "Yeah?"

  Robert nodded. "My dream is to one day win a gold medal at the Magus Olympics."

  His voice held a quiet conviction like he'd said it enough times to believe it.

  He'd mentioned the same thing earlier that day during class introductions. Back then, I hadn't thought much of it—just another student sharing their ambitions, like we were supposed to. But hearing it now, unprompted, felt different. Less rehearsed. More honest.

  "Fencing, huh? That's impressive. How did you get into it?" I asked.

  Robert smiled. "My dad introduced me to it when I was very young. It runs in our family. He was a swordsman too. He taught me everything he knew. It became our thing, you know? Something we bonded over. Without fencing, my life would be very different..."

  I found it fascinating to hear about Robert's life. It was so different from my own. The world I grew up in, you didn't do something because you loved it. You did it because you had to. Because not doing it meant failure, punishment, or worse. Passion was a luxury. One I'd never been able to afford.

  "You know, not many people realize that I don't have a lot of friends," Robert suddenly confessed.

  That caught me off guard. I blinked, momentarily thrown by the confession.

  "Really?! I figured you'd have lots of friends."

  It was hard to believe someone as popular as him had so few friends.

  Robert chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess it seems that way. But it's not... Growing up, the only person I hung out with was my sister. She was my only friend."

  His tone shifted, softening at the mention of his sister. There was no trace of embarrassment, just quiet acceptance like he'd made peace with the fact long ago.

  "I guess appearances lie sometimes, huh?" I said, watching him closely.

  "Yeah," he murmured. "They really do."

  As we approached the dorms, I found myself genuinely enjoying Robert's company. Despite his constant chatter, there was something refreshing about his straightforwardness. He didn't dance around topics or try to read between the lines. He just said what he meant. No pretenses. No masks.

  The complete opposite of me.

  Just as we were about to enter the building, Robert stopped abruptly.

  "Hey, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

  Following his gaze, I spotted a group of boys leading a girl around the corner of the building. There were five of them, and the girl in the middle looked familiar. They moved with an air of secrecy, their heads close together as they whispered among themselves.

  A sense of unease settled over me.

  "Isn't that the student council president?" Robert said, sounding both surprised and concerned.

  "Yes, it is."

  "Something doesn't feel right about this."Robert frowned. "We should check it out."

  For a second, I hesitated. Following a suspicious group this late in the day didn't seem like the best idea. But Robert's determination was evident, and I didn't want him going off on his own.

  "Okay, but let's be careful."

  "Agreed!"

  We kept our distance, trailing the group as they moved around the side of the building. Fortunately, the bushes and trees provided some cover.

  The boys led Amelia to the back of the building, where the lighting was poor. I could hear their muffled voices but it was hard to decipher the words.

  "Do you recognize any of them?" Robert whispered.

  Judging by their height and appearance, the group of boys looked a few years older than us.

  "No," I responded. "They're not from our grade. They must be upperclassmen."

  Robert clenched his fists and grunted. "Something's off. I can sense they're up to something bad... Why else would they be sneaking around like this?"

  "..."

  Not knowing what to say, I shifted my focus to analyzing the situation. Even though the student council president didn't seem to be struggling, her body language suggested she was uncomfortable. My best guess was that she'd been forced to follow them.

  As the group of upperclassmen rounded the corner, they came to a halt and formed a loose circle around Amelia. Robert and I crouched behind a row of bushes, peering through the leaves.

  "What do you guys want?" Amelia sighed. "Why did you bring me here?!"

  Amelia, though outnumbered, held herself with a defiant posture. Despite her brave front, there was a hint of fear in her voice.

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  "Because I told them to..."

  The words came from the shadows, smooth and deliberate. A tall figure stepped forward, his dark hair falling messily over his forehead. He didn't need to raise his voice to command attention. His presence alone seemed to be enough to shift the atmosphere.

  "Clayton," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "W-what do you want?"

  So, his name is Clayton, huh? That's the first I hear of him...

  "I want you to resign as student council president," Clayton answered. "The position was never supposed to be yours."

  Amelia's eyes narrowed. "And what makes you think I'd ever do that?"

  "Because you care too much about your future to risk opposing me."

  "I'm not scared of you!" Amelia spat angrily. "I won't let you bully me like you bullied George."

  "Don't tempt me, Amelia. You know very well what I'm capable of doing."

  "Tch... What are you going to do? Torture me or something..."

  "As much as I'd love to torture you, I'll just skip to the main course. If you don't hand in your resignation by the end of the week, I'll ruin your fucking life," Clayton replied, stepping closer.

  Just by listening to their conversation, it was obvious the two of them shared some sort of history. A dark one by the look of things.

  "You're out of your league, Amelia. Just step down gracefully, and no one has to get hurt. This can be solved peacefully."

  Amelia squared her shoulders, refusing to back down. "I'm not resigning. Nothing you say or do is going to change that!"

  Just when things seemed to have reached a stalemate, the situation escalated quickly.

  Without warning, Clayton grabbed Amelia by the throat and slammed her against the wall.

  "You know, you're really starting to piss me off!"

  Tears started streaming down Amelia's face as she gasped for air, her hands clawing at Clayton's arm in a desperate attempt to free herself.

  Beside me, I noticed Robert's fists clenching and unclenching, his breathing growing more labored. He was getting ready to step in.

  "You need to calm down, Robert. We can't fight six guys. We don't stand a chance. Besides, that Clayton guy is at least a 4th Circle Mage."

  "Huh? How can you tell?"

  "Oh... Uh, I think I remember seeing his RP profile somewhere..."

  For a moment, my words seemed to reach Robert. He hesitated, his gaze flicking between me and the scene unfolding in front of us.

  "Damn it," Robert cursed under his breath. "We can't just watch and do nothing!"

  "Just be a little more patient. I'm sure he'll let go of her any moment now."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I am..."

  Unfortunately, I was wrong. Very wrong. Instead of releasing her, Clayton pressed his body against her and started unbuttoning her shirt. Robert's face twisted in fury.

  Before I could stop him, Robert jumped out of the bush and charged forward.

  "Hey! Get your hands off her, freak!"

  The words cut through the tense silence like a whip. Heads turned. Eyes widened. For a heartbeat, everyone froze—except Robert.

  He moved first.

  The closest guy barely had time to register the threat before Robert's fist connected with his jaw. The impact sent him sprawling, arms flailing as he hit the ground with a dull thud. The second boy lunged forward, but Robert sidestepped and shoved him away.

  I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. I'd known Robert was athletic, sure. You didn't build muscle like his without dedication. But this? This wasn't just the strength of someone who spent hours at the gym. His movements were clean and controlled. The kind of precision that came from someone who'd learned how to fight properly.

  Maybe all that training he did for fencing had somehow translated into fighting?

  As Robert charged forward and squared up against the last three boys, it almost seemed like he had control of the fight. But I knew better. Skill could only do so much when you were outnumbered. Fatigue was already creeping into his stance, each punch and dodge costing him more energy than the last.

  And that's when I saw him.

  While his lackeys kept Robert distracted, Clayton had slipped away from the chaos and found himself a baseball bat. Now, he was slowly closing in from behind to deliver a heavy blow.

  My stomach dropped. Robert, too focused on the fight in front of him, had no idea what was coming. One swing—just one—and it'd be over.

  Realizing that my words wouldn't reach him in time, my body reacted on its own. I dropped my groceries and sprinted forward.

  SWOOSH!

  Just as Clayton swung the bat, I shoved Robert out of the way and brought my arms up to block the blow. The impact was brutal. The baseball bat hit my forearms, the edge of the bat knicking the side of my head with a sickening thud.

  My vision blurred momentarily as I hit the ground, and I felt a warm trickle of blood running down the side of my face. My arms throbbed from absorbing most of the impact, and the cut on my head was deep enough to be concerning. Despite the pain, I forced myself to look up.

  For a brief, tense moment, Clayton and I locked eyes. His expression was one of shock and confusion. His eyes narrowed as if he were trying to comprehend what had just happened.

  "Who the f-"

  Before he could finish his sentence, one of his friends shouted, "We have to go, Clay! Security is coming!"

  Clayton's jaw clenched, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before turning and fleeing with his lackeys. The sound of their hurried footsteps quickly faded into the night, leaving behind a tense silence broken only by my ragged breathing.

  "Are... are you okay?" Robert asked. He seemed a little shaken by the fact that I was covered in blood.

  I nodded, relieved that neither he nor Amelia seemed to have any external injuries. Even though I could still feel blood trickling down the side of my face, I was confident I'd avoided any serious damage. The proof was in the pain in my arms.

  "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you guys?"

  "Oh... I'm good," Robert replied.

  "Me... too," Amelia said.

  A guard arrived moments later, his flashlight casting long shadows on the ground. He took in the scene quickly, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. When his gaze fell on me, he rushed to my side, concern etched on his face.

  "What in the world happened to you?!"

  Before Robert could say anything, I spoke up.

  "I was distracted by a game on my phone and ran into the wall."

  "Is this true?"

  The guard looked skeptical, his eyes flicking to Robert for confirmation.

  Before Robert could respond, I made eye contact with him and subtly shook my head. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and nodded, resigning himself to my story.

  "Yes. It's true."

  "Alright," the guard said, still unconvinced but unable to press further without more evidence. "Let's get you to the infirmary and make sure you're alright."

  As the guard helped me to my feet, I glanced back at Robert and Amelia who followed from behind. They were both still staring at me, their expressions unreadable.

  * * * * *

  The walk to the infirmary was short. It was only about a minute or two from the dorms.

  As the nurse finished dressing the wound on my head, she stepped back and gave the security guard a reassuring nod.

  "Fortunately, it's just a minor cut. There's no need for me to use healing magic. The boy will be fine with some rest."

  The guard let out a sigh of relief and looked at me sternly. "You need to be more careful from now on! Don't play on your phone when you're walking outside. If you keep doing that, you're bound to get hurt."

  "Yes, sir. I won't do it again."

  "Good."

  As the nurse and the guard left the infirmary, the room fell silent once again.

  Robert cleared his throat and stepped forward. With just a glance, I could tell something was troubling him.

  "Why did you lie about what happened?"

  "I figured it'd be troublesome if I told the truth," I answered honestly.

  Robert frowned, clearly unhappy with my choice. "It's not right that those guys are getting away with what they did."

  "I know..."

  Robert looked at me in disbelief. "How can you be so calm about this? If I was in your shoes, I'd be desperate for justice to be served... Those guys need to be taught a lesson!"

  "I don't know... I think it's better if we both just forget about what happened."

  Just as Robert opened his mouth to protest, Amelia cut in. "Your friend is right. You should just forget about what happened."

  It was the first time she'd spoken since we got here. She'd been silent for a while now.

  Robert turned to her, his face a mix of fury and confusion. "How can you say that? Especially after what they did to you? Do you have any idea what would've happened if we hadn't been there?!"

  "Listen... There's nothing we can do to prove they're guilty. It's just our word against theirs. Making this a big deal will only bring more trouble."

  "But it's not fair! Something has to be done!"

  Nothing either of us said seemed to be resonating with Robert. He had no intention of letting them go unpunished.

  "Without concrete proof, trying to expel Clayton is virtually impossible," Amelia explained. "His father is the vice-chairman of the school. In other words, Clayton is untouchable... If your friend had told them the truth, we would have gotten expelled for lying."

  Robert slammed his fists against the wall and growled in frustration.

  As much as I wanted to agree with Robert, I couldn't afford to draw more attention to myself. After tonight, I'd undoubtedly drawn the attention of a troubling individual. Which wasn't good. It was only a matter of time before this Clayton guy came after us. After me.

  I needed to find a way to get off his radar and fast.

  Amelia's mood seemed to shift as she looked at us more closely. "AHEM... May I ask for your names? Unfortunately, I don't recognize your faces."

  Robert took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "It's probably because we're first years... My name is Robert. And this is James."

  I offered a polite nod.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Amelia bowed her head. "Thank you, Robert. Thank you, James. I'm truly grateful for your help tonight..."

  "Don't mention it," Robert said. "It was the right thing to do."

  Amelia let out a sigh. "Having said that, I would prefer if you both stay away from me moving forward. Getting involved with me will only bring you trouble. I don't want you guys getting hurt because of me... Besides, I'm confident I can handle things on my own."

  Just as Robert opened his mouth to protest again, I touched his shoulder. "I think we should let her take care of this. She's not the student council president for nothing. I'm sure she has a plan. Isn't that right?"

  "Yes. I have a plan," she replied.

  Robert clenched his fists and nodded reluctantly. "Fine... But if you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

  Amelia bowed her head. "Thank you. I appreciate your concern... I bid you both a good night."

  With that, the silver-haired girl turned and left the infirmary, leaving Robert and me alone.

  "Do... do you really believe it's better to just let this go?" Robert asked after a few seconds of silence.

  I glanced at him, choosing my words carefully.

  "Letting go is the only option we have... Especially now that we know Clayton's father is the vice-chairman."

  Robert sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just hate feeling powerless."

  "I understand. But we have to be smart about this. We can't afford to act rashly, okay?"

  "Fine..." Robert nodded, but the hesitation in his eyes told me he was still wrestling with my decision. Moving forward, I'd have to keep a close eye on him.

  "Thanks for stepping in tonight," Robert said after a moment. "You saved me from getting hurt."

  I shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It was the right thing to do. I'm sure you would've done the same..."

  "You're a good person, James. I'm glad we met."

  Huh?! Where did that come from?

  As nice as his compliment sounded, I had no idea how to respond. So I did what I do best. Disregard it.

  "What do you say we head back to the dorms?" I suggested. "It's getting late."

  "Sounds good to me!"