In the confines of the campus, as the four freshmen were released from Eleanor’s grasp, Jane instantly bid them farewell.
Ethan wanted to chase after her, saying it was not her fault, but she was held back by Julia, saying it looked like she needed some alone time.
Then, Ethan, Julia, Irina, and Lilia walked away from the bustling crowd, finding a quieter spot where they could talk freely.
Ethan, still visibly shaken from the altercation, wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief.
His injuries had already healed to a certain degree; therefore, the blood wasn’t even much.
However, on his face, his usually cheerful demeanor was replaced with a somber expression as he processed the events that had just unfolded.
“That was… intense,” he remarked, his voice slightly hoarse from the earlier confrontation. “I never expected things to escalate like that.”
Julia, her adrenaline still coursing through her veins, couldn’t help but feel a sense of exhilaration. “Yeah, no kidding,” she replied, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and disbelief. “I mean, who knew there were people like that?”
“Is this the first time you are encountering someone like this?” Lilia threw a quick gaze at Julia. “There are a lot of them in this place.” Her gaze contained annoyance, and her tone was thorny.
“Ho? It seems you are experienced?” Julia raised an eyebrow with a slight mock. She wasn’t in a good mood since she wasn’t able to beat those seniors up, and now Lilia’s attitude somehow irked her.
“Of course.” Lilia scoffed. “Contrary to certain blockhead who only knows how to swing swords and play games, I am quite proficient in dealing with matters regarding such cases.”
Lilia’s words stung, hitting a nerve that Julia didn’t even realize was sensitive. She bristled at the implication that she was somehow less capable or experienced than Lilia, her temper flaring at the insinuation.
“Oh, so now you’re saying I don’t know how to handle myself?” Julia retorted, her voice sharp with frustration. “Just because I don’t spend all my time buried in books and studying tactics doesn’t mean I’m incompetent.”
Lilia’s expression hardened, her eyes narrowing as she met Julia’s gaze head-on. “I never said you were incompetent,” she replied coolly, her tone measured. “But there’s a difference between acting recklessly and acting strategically. And in situations like these, strategy can mean the difference between life and death.”
Julia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. “Oh, please,” she shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I don’t need a lecture from Miss Perfect Thorn about how to handle myself. When my friends are in danger, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them, even if it means getting my hands dirty.”
Lilia’s eyes flashed with irritation at Julia’s dismissive tone. “And what if your reckless actions end up putting your friends in even more danger?” she countered, her voice tinged with frustration. “What then? Will you still be so quick to act without thinking?”
The tension between them crackled in the air, both girls refusing to back down from their positions.
Irina, sensing the escalating argument, raised her head. Her thoughts had been wandering around a certain someone, and she dozed off. But now her attention was grasped; she exchanged glances with Ethan.
After seeing him shake his head, she stepped in, her voice calm and diplomatic.
“Guys, let’s not fight,” she interjected, her tone soothing. “We’re all on the same side here, remember? We should focus on what happened there.”
“….”
“….”
Her words seemed to momentarily diffuse the tension between Julia and Lilia, their expressions softening as they exchanged hesitant glances. After a moment of silence, Julia let out a frustrated sigh.
“You’re right,” she conceded.
“My bad.” Lilia also took a step back. Though she was angry at Irina, she knew better than anyone else that she should never let her emotions cloud her judgment.
“So.” Turning her head to Ethan, she locked her eyes with him. “How about you spill the beans?”
At this point, with Jane’s appearance at the café, Lilia knew she was the girl Ethan had somehow gotten closer to. She saw his gaze. But then again, she couldn’t understand how Ethan met with Jane. It was not normal for a senior to meet freshmen unless a circumstance happened. Especially for Jane, since she doesn’t seem to have any common points with Ethan.
That made Lilia think that there was another point that she wasn’t aware of, and after seeing the scene, Lilia had a bold guess.
‘Ethan attacked Emma. At least that was what Emma said, but this shouldn’t be the case, as I know Ethan. He is not someone to randomly attack others, especially a senior.
That means Emma was lying, but to fabricate such a lie, there needs to be certain truth. The people around are not stupid.
For instance, Ethan needs to have a reason to act in such a manner in the public eye. That means she somehow wanted to provoke Ethan.
Why would she do that? We don’t know her clearly, and she shouldn’t be someone with whom Ethan is enemies. Therefore, her target was that senior, but Ethan was swept by it because he was on the periphery of that Senior.
This also aligns with what I saw. Her clothes and hair had traces of coffee. They spilled some coffee on her head?
Her gaze was also constantly on the ground. Her self-esteem is definitely low. Is this a result of bullying?
Maybe Ethan came across her when she was injured?
That means that Senior and Ethan could possibly be met in such a manner, and Ethan knows about her situation. That is why she doesn’t refuse him?’
As she concluded her analysis, Lilia locked her gaze into Ethan.
Ethan released a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly as he prepared to recount the events involving Jane.
“It all started a month ago,” he began, his voice tinged with a mixture of frustration and concern. “I saw her getting bullied by a group of seniors, and I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. So, I intervened and helped her out.”
As he spoke, Ethan’s gaze drifted off, his mind replaying the scenes of Jane’s distress and the way she had looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability.
“After that, we started talking more often,” he continued, his tone softening as he recalled the moments they had shared. “Though she still hasn’t opened up to me about what was going on, I could sense that her life was hard.”
A flicker of anger flashed in Ethan’s eyes as he recounted Jane’s struggles, his fists clenching involuntarily at the thought of someone deliberately causing her pain.
“Today, we were supposed to meet up again,” he went on, his voice tinged with frustration. “But then Emma and her friends showed up and ruined everything. They started accusing me of attacking her, even though I never laid a finger on her. It’s like they were trying to frame me or something.”
As Ethan spoke, Lilia’s expression shifted, her thoughts aligning with some of the conclusions she had drawn earlier. It seemed that her initial assessment of the situation had been mostly accurate, though there were still some details she hadn’t anticipated.
‘This guy actually dared to oppose five seniors? I don’t know if he is really dumb or a zealot. Well, this is just like Ethan.’
She threw a look at Julia, who had been listening to Ethan.
‘These two are really alike. They act even without thinking.’ Just as Ethan finished speaking, Irina’s voice cut through the tension, drawing their attention to the forums.
“Guys, we should check the forums,” she called out, her voice urgent. “There’s a post there that you need to see.”
With a sense of foreboding, the group gathered around Irina, their curiosity piqued by her words. Whatever was waiting for them on the forums, it seemed that it was something they couldn’t afford to ignore.
“Huh? This….”
At that moment, Ethan’s mouth was agape. After all, the person in the video was him.
“You….” Lilia and Julia couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. “They really beat you up.”
Each one of the groups knew that this matter would escalate from now on.
However, for some reason, Julia’s gaze was narrowed…..
*******
“Wow, did you see the post?”
“Of course I did. Who didn’t? The seniors? What the hell are they doing?”
“Right? Right? Is this how this academy works? I thought resorting to violence in the academy was against the rules, and everyone was equal here?”
“Are you dumb? Where did you hear such a thing?”
The students in the classroom continued their animated discussion, voices rising and falling as they exchanged opinions and shared their thoughts on the controversial post.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that video,” one student remarked, shaking their head in disbelief. “I mean, I knew the seniors could be tough, but I never thought they’d go this far.”
Another student nodded in agreement, adding, “Yeah, I’ve heard stories about them being strict, but I didn’t think they’d resort to violence. It’s like they think they can do whatever they want just because they’re seniors.”
A third student chimed in, sharing their own experience, “I once saw them cornering a freshman in the hallway. It was like they were trying to intimidate them or something. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now, seeing this post, it makes me wonder…”
The murmurs of agreement grew louder as more students joined in, sharing similar anecdotes and expressing their surprise at the seniors’ behavior.
“But what can we do about it?” one student asked, their tone filled with frustration. “It’s not like we can confront them directly. They have the power here.”
CREAK! As the discussion among the students in the classroom grew heated, voices overlapping with fervor, suddenly, the door opened.
–SILENCE
Eleanor’s entrance brought an abrupt halt to the chatter. The room fell into a hushed silence as all eyes turned towards the instructor, anticipation and apprehension mingling in the air.
Eleanor’s gaze swept across the room, her expression unreadable but commanding respect.
The tension in the room seemed to intensify as she fixed her eyes on each student in turn, as if silently assessing their reactions to the recent events.
Finally, she spoke, her voice calm yet firm, cutting through the quiet tension like a blade. “I trust you’re all aware of the recent developments circulating within the academy.”
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, confirming that, indeed, everyone was well aware of the controversy unfolding. But her eyes were locked on Ethan, who somehow once again became the main character along with some other seniors.
“It’s crucial,” Eleanor continued, her tone unwavering, “that we maintain composure and focus on our studies despite external distractions.”
A few students shifted uncomfortably in their seats, as some of them blatantly hated on seniors on the internet, thanks to their ‘experiences’.
“In any case, let’s start our lesson. Today, we will talk about [Swords].”