Ivan and Leo sat down on the bed, side by side.
For the first time that night, neither of them joked.
Leo rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"Okay… we'll tell you."
Ivan nodded.
"But don't interrupt," he added quickly, glancing at Elena.
"We already feel stupid enough."
Elena didn't respond. She simply crossed her arms and waited.
Leo spoke first.
"After school ended today, we did what we do almost every day," he said.
"We went straight to the internet café near the school."
Ivan continued,
"We didn't plan to stay long. Just a few rounds. Same game. Same place."
The familiar routine had felt harmless.
The café was loud—keyboards clicking, voices shouting, screens glowing with flashing colors. Ivan and Leo took their usual seats and logged in.
That was when they noticed them.
Four guys.
Older. Louder.
Already playing the same game.
"They challenged us," Leo said quietly.
"Didn't say much. Just… sat down next to us and started competing."
Ivan let out a humorless laugh.
"And lost."
Once.
Then again.
"And again," Leo added.
Their expressions darkened with every defeat.
"They couldn't take it," Ivan said.
"So they started trash-talking. Calling us kids. Saying we were cheating."
Leo clenched his fists.
"We ignored them. Finished our game and left."
They thought that was the end of it.
It wasn't.
"When we walked out of the café," Ivan continued,
"they followed us."
Not right away.
Not openly.
"They called us over," Leo said.
"Toward the corner behind the café. Said they just wanted to talk."
Ivan scoffed bitterly.
"We were idiots. We went."
The corner was narrow. Quiet.
No cameras. No people.
"That's when they hit us," Leo said flatly.
"No warning."
Four against two.
"We fought back," Ivan added quickly, as if defending himself.
"But it didn't really matter."
Punches. Shoves.
Too fast. Too unfair.
"They left when someone shouted from the street," Leo finished.
"And we came home."
The room fell silent.
Ivan and Leo stared at the floor.
"We didn't want anyone to know," Ivan said softly.
"That's all."
They looked up at Elena at the same time.
Her expression was unreadable.
But her eyes—
They were colder than before.
Elena listened without interrupting.
No comments.
No sarcasm.
No reaction at all.
That silence was somehow more terrifying than yelling.
When Ivan finally finished speaking, Elena slowly leaned back in her chair. She took a deep breath—and just like that, the cold sharpness in her eyes faded.
Her expression returned to calm.
Normal.
Almost gentle.
Which immediately made both Ivan and Leo uneasy.
Oh no, Leo thought.
This is the calm-before-the-disaster version of her.
Elena stood up.
She didn't look at them.
Instead, she pointed toward the wall in front of the bed.
"Both of you," she said evenly,
"face the wall."
Ivan blinked.
Leo hesitated.
"…Now," she added.
They moved instantly.
"Hundred squats," Elena continued calmly.
"Hands on your ears."
She finally turned her head slightly and glanced at them.
"Count them out loud."
Ivan's mouth fell open.
"A hundred—?!"
Elena looked at him.
Just one look.
Ivan snapped his mouth shut.
"Yes, Sis."
Leo sighed internally.
We survived four guys… just to die here.
As they started squatting, Elena spoke again, her tone completely business-like.
"After that," she said,
"I want a reflection essay."
Both of them froze mid-squat.
"…Essay?" Leo croaked.
Elena nodded.
"One thousand words."
Ivan nearly lost balance.
"About what?" he asked weakly.
Elena tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely thinking.
"You'll write about," she said calmly,
"what you did wrong—"
Her eyes shifted toward them.
"—and what you should be doing at your age."
She paused.
"Oh," she added casually,
"and I expect honesty. Not drama. Not excuses."
Leo groaned softly.
Ivan's brain was already spiraling.
One thousand words?
I barely survive exams.
Is this punishment or character development?
Elena walked toward the door.
"And Ivan," she said without turning around.
He straightened instantly.
"Yes?"
"If I find even one sentence blaming someone else—"
She smiled faintly.
"—we'll add another hundred."
The door closed softly behind her.
The room went silent except for their voices.
"One," Leo muttered as he squatted.
"Two," Ivan replied miserably.
Ivan glanced sideways and whispered,
"She's scarier than those four guys."
Leo nodded.
"At least they stopped hitting us."
They continued counting.
And for the first time that night, both of them understood something very clearly—
Getting beaten outside was painful.
But disappointing Elena?
That was unbearable.
Elena left their room without another word.
She went back to her own room, closed the door behind her, and sat down on the edge of the bed. For a moment, she simply stared ahead, lost in thought.
Kids, she thought.
Stupid, reckless… but still kids.
After a while, she lay down and let her eyes close.
The next morning, when Elena woke up, the house was already unusually quiet.
She stepped out of her room and found Evelyn in the kitchen.
"Where are Ivan and Leo?" Elena asked casually.
Evelyn looked up from what she was doing.
"They've already left for school," she replied.
"They said they have to submit a project today, so they went early."
Elena nodded slowly.
Of course you did, she thought.
Ran away before I could see your essays.
Honestly, she had expected nothing less.
They had probably planned their escape the moment she closed the door last night.
She didn't comment on it.
Instead, she sat with her mom, talked about random things, listened, responded normally—no trace of last night's tension on her face.
After some time, Elena glanced at the clock on the wall.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
She leaned back and thought,
School should have started by now…
A faint, knowing smile appeared on her lips.
Project submission, huh?
Let's see how serious you're taking it.
She stood up calmly, already planning her next move.
Because one thing was certain—
Elena wasn't done yet.
Elena stayed at home the entire day.
She didn't rush.
She didn't question anyone.
She simply waited.
When she finally glanced at the clock, one detail caught her attention.
One hour left before school ends.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
She stood up, went to her room, and got ready unhurriedly. After that, she walked into the living room where her mother was sitting.
"I'm heading out for a while," Elena said casually.
Evelyn looked up.
"At this hour?"
Elena smiled lightly.
"I'll be back soon."
Without saying anything more, she picked up her keys and left.
A short while later, Elena stood across the street from Silver Oak International School.
Students were already beginning to gather near the gates. The familiar sound of chatter, laughter, and footsteps filled the air.
Elena crossed her arms and waited calmly.
Her eyes were fixed on the school entrance.
The final bell rang.
Students poured out of Silver Oak International School, laughter and noise spilling through the open gates.
Ivan and Leo walked out with the crowd.
They were halfway through a conversation when—
Leo stopped.
Mid-step.
His brain took a second to register what his eyes were seeing.
"…Ivan," he said slowly, his voice dropping,
"tell me I'm hallucinating."
Ivan followed his gaze.
And froze.
Across the street, right in front of the school gate—
Elena was standing there.
Calm.
Still.
Unbothered.
People passed by her, some slowing down, some turning back for a second look. A few students whispered, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
Who is she?
Is she waiting for someone?
Elena didn't react to any of it.
She stood there as if no one was looking at her at all.
As if the world around her was nothing more than background noise.
Leo's mouth went dry.
She actually came.
Ivan felt his heart sink straight into his shoes.
She didn't forget.
She never forgets.
The two of them stood there, completely stunned, staring at her like she was a mirage.
Elena, sensing their presence, slowly lifted her gaze.
Her eyes met theirs.
And in that instant—
Ivan and Leo knew one thing for sure.
Running… was no longer an option.