The canteen was louder than usual.
Trays clattered, shoes echoed against the tiles, the smell of hot food filled the air, and the chatter of hundreds of students bounced from wall to wall.
But in one corner — the farthest round table, where the group always sat — it was oddly quiet.
Tom, Ashi, Max, Sam, and Moco were there as always.
But today, two new faces joined them — Sid and Sofi.
Their presence changed the whole energy.
It felt heavier… calmer… but also more dangerous.
People from other tables kept glancing toward them, whispering behind their hands.
Everyone in the school knew who Sid was now — the muscular guy from the hallway fight last week.
Clips of that battle had gone viral on the school's social page.
They remembered his roar.
The sound of bones cracking.
And how fast he'd beaten six guys without breaking a sweat.
Now, that same guy was sitting casually at their table, his head resting on one hand like nothing mattered.
And his girlfriend, Sofi, the calm-faced beauty who had broken a guy's arm that same day, sat right beside him, quietly scrolling through her phone.
No one dared to come close.
Tom finally broke the silence, leaning back with his drink in hand.
"So…" he started, raising an eyebrow, "how the hell did you guys even meet? I mean, yeah, same class, sure — but I heard you were a hard guy to approach."
He looked straight at Sid.
"And pretty arrogant, too."
Sid's expression changed instantly. His jaw tightened, his eyes cold.
"Are you saying I'm arrogant?"
Before the tension could rise further, Sofi sighed and nudged him with her elbow.
"Stop it, Sid."
Max lifted his hand lazily. "Yeah, stop. It's too early for a fight."
Ashi leaned back, grinning. "Two meatheads in one group. That's never a good mix."
Both Sid and Tom turned their heads at the same time, glaring.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING MEATHEAD?!"
Ashi immediately raised both hands like he was surrendering. "Okay, okay! My bad!"
The serious mood cracked for a moment. Sam started snickering while Moco tried to hide her smile.
But then Sam suddenly stared at Sid — eyes wide, almost sparkling.
Sid frowned. "What are you staring at, kid?"
Sam's serious face turned into excitement. "You were so cool in the hallway that day! That spin-kick combo? Man, I've never seen something like that! And you've even got a beautiful girlfriend beside you. Total main-character moment!"
Sid blinked, then chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Heh. You've got taste, kid."
Sofi rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her lips.
"Can we move on? Max said this was an important discussion, not a fan meeting."
Max glanced at Ashi and Tom.
Ashi cleared his throat dramatically. "Right, right. As you all know, the observation week is officially—"
He stopped.
Because something flew across the air — spinning, clattering, and then—
SMASH!
A plate full of curry and rice hit Moco square in the back.
The thick sauce splashed across her hair and uniform.
The sound echoed through the canteen.
Then, everything went silent.
Dozens of heads turned.
The whole crowd froze.
Ashi's grin vanished. Tom's hand clenched on the table. Sid's chair creaked as his muscles tensed.
Moco sat still for a moment, her body stiff, food dripping down her back.
Then came a mocking voice from across the room.
"Ohhh, that was close! I missed her — no worries, I'll aim better next time!"
The group's eyes snapped toward the voice.
It was a familiar face — the same guy whose arm Sofi had broken last week.
His hand was out of its cast now, but the hatred in his eyes made it clear he hadn't healed at all.
And he wasn't alone.
Three seniors stood with him — all wearing smug, confident grins.
The one in the center took a step forward, the sound of his polished shoes cutting through the silence.
"Well, well. Look who we have here," he said, smirking. "The famous freshmen. Heard a lot about you. Guess you guys still don't know how to respect your seniors, huh?"
Nobody spoke.
He laughed quietly. "Tell you what — I'll let you off the hook. You just have to hand over that girl."
He pointed straight at Sofi.
"I've got a little score to settle. For my brother."
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut through the air.
Then Max spoke, his tone calm and flat — but there was something dangerous in his eyes.
"Sofi, could you please take Moco to the washroom?"
Sofi blinked, surprised for a moment, but then nodded. "I'm sorry for the trouble," she said softly, helping Moco stand up. "This happened because of me."
The two girls turned and left quietly.
The senior's grin faded.
"You've got guts, kid," he said, stepping closer. "Doing the opposite of what I just said."
Sam cracked his neck and stood up, a feral grin spreading across his face.
"You talk too much."
Before anyone could blink — he moved.
Sam dashed forward like a wild animal, the ground cracking slightly under his step. He was fast — too fast.
His fist came flying straight toward the senior's face—
—but a sharp kick came from the side.
THUD!
Another senior had stepped in. His foot connected hard with Sam's ribs, and the impact sent Sam flying into the wall.
Tiles cracked. Food trays clattered.
"Sam!" Ashi shouted — but Sam didn't respond.
The table went silent.
Then, all at once — everyone moved.
Max's chair scraped back. Tom and Sid stood up.
Ashi's voice turned sharp. "Guess we're skipping introductions."
They charged.
Max went straight for the senior who had kicked Sam. His punches came fast — sharp jabs, low hooks, short uppercuts.
The senior dodged them all like he'd done this before. His guard was tight, his movements smooth — not a street punk, but a trained fighter.
Meanwhile, Tom, Ashi, and Sid went after the one who had thrown the plate.
But before they could reach him, the third senior stepped in with a blur of motion.
A single strike — and Ashi was thrown sideways, crashing into another table.
Tom and Sid kept going.
Tom ducked low, aiming a punch for the gut, while Sid followed with a right swing powerful enough to bend metal.
The entire canteen turned into chaos.
Chairs flew. Students screamed.
Phones were out, recording everything.
The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed against the walls.
This wasn't just another fight anymore.
It was a war.
Max kept charging. The senior kept dodging, smiling smugly as he avoided every hit.
"You really think you can land one on me?" he taunted.
Max gritted his teeth. His fists blurred faster — but the senior kept slipping away.
Then Max realized something. The senior had been dodging backward this whole time.
And now — he had nowhere left to run.
Max stepped in, faked a punch to the face, and when the senior raised his guard—
the real punch came low.
THUD!
Right into the liver.
The senior gasped, bending over, clutching his side. His knees hit the ground.
Max raised his arm to finish it—
—but something slammed into him hard from the side.
CRASH!
Tom had been thrown across the canteen and crashed into Max. Both of them rolled over the floor, grunting in pain.
Sid was still holding his ground against another senior, trading heavy hits that made the tables shake.
Ashi, bleeding from the nose, got back up. He was bruised but not beaten.
Max stood again, breathing hard.
The senior he had hit earlier was already standing like nothing had happened.
"Lucky shot," the senior said with a cold smirk. "Won't happen again."
Max clenched his jaw. "We'll see."
He charged again. This time, the senior caught his punch mid-air.
Max swung his other hand, but the senior ignored it and threw a punch straight for Max's stomach.
Max managed to block, but the force sent him sliding back several feet.
What the hell was that power? he thought.
If I hadn't blocked that, it'd be over.
The senior smirked. "Not bad, you blocked. Guess you've grown some guts."
Then he lunged.
But before his fist reached, he was suddenly sent flying back — a kick exploding against his ribs.
The impact echoed through the canteen.
It wasn't Max.
It was Sam.
He was standing again, blood still dripping from his lip, but grinning like a maniac.
"Hey," he said, cracking his neck. "Remember that kick you gave me? I just returned the favor."
The senior groaned on the floor, clutching his ribs, his face pale. The pain from Max's earlier punch still hadn't gone away, and now the same spot was hit again.
Sam stepped closer, wiping blood from his mouth. "Stand up. I'm not done with you."
The senior spat blood and tried to rise, shaking. "Don't… get cocky, kid."
Sam tilted his head. "Then stop talking and fight."
The senior threw a punch — then another — but he was slower now. His arms trembled. His breath came out ragged.
Sam dodged each one like he was toying with him.
"You're too slow," he said. "At this rate, you'll never land a hit on me."
The senior yelled and swung wildly.
Sam chuckled. "Fine, I'll show you how to land one."
He jumped forward —
knee first —
BAM!
His knee smashed straight into the senior's face.
The sound was loud enough to make everyone flinch.
The senior's nose broke instantly. Blood splattered across the floor.
Before anyone could react, Sam grabbed the man by his hair and started punching — hard, fast, relentless.
Each punch echoed through the canteen.
The tables around them shook. The crowd watched in shocked silence.
The senior tried to protect his face, but Sam's hits were too quick. Blood smeared across his knuckles.
By now, the entire canteen had gone still.
No one dared to speak.
Only the sound of Sam's heavy breathing and the dull thuds of his fists filled the room.
Tom, Sid, and Ashi stopped fighting for a moment, turning toward the sound.
Then —
footsteps.
Slow.
Steady.
Cold.
Each step echoed like a drumbeat through the canteen.
And as the sound grew closer, everyone in the room felt it — the pressure.
It wasn't fear.
It was presence.
Someone strong was coming.
Someone who could silence a hundred people just by walking in.
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