Elena walked up to them.
Ivan and Leo were still standing near the school gate, frozen in place, like their souls had briefly stepped out to discuss whether this situation was survivable.
Students passed by, throwing curious glances their way, whispering to each other. Elena, however, stood there calmly, completely unaffected by the attention.
She lifted her hand slightly, her fingers moving in a lazy wave—almost like a teacher checking attendance.
"Hello."
The single word hit harder than a slap.
"Si—sis? You're… here? At school?"
Ivan asked, his shoulders stiffening. His voice came out tight, laced with tension and a very obvious hint of panic, as if he were already preparing his last words.
Elena looked at them calmly, her gaze moving from Ivan to Leo, slow and measured, sharp enough to make both of them straighten unconsciously.
"You two had such an important project today," she said evenly.
"How could I not come?"
The moment the words sank in, Ivan reacted on pure survival instinct.
"Sis, it wasn't my idea. It was Leo's!"
The blame was passed so fast it almost deserved applause.
Leo's eyes widened for half a second before he instantly switched expressions. He put on his most innocent face, the kind that screamed wrongly accused.
"Well… it was just a plan," he said softly, carefully choosing his words.
Then, with the dramatic eyes of a victim in a courtroom drama, he turned to look at Ivan.
Elena watched their little performance in silence, her face completely unreadable.
"Are you planning to finish this drama here," she asked flatly,
"or should we save some of it for home?"
The effect was immediate.
Both of them went silent, mouths snapping shut as if someone had pressed a mute button.
Elena let out a small sigh, the kind that carried deep exhaustion rather than anger.
"Come on."
They followed behind her without another word, obedient like two students being escorted to the principal's office.
After walking a short distance, Ivan finally noticed the direction. His steps slowed.
"Uh… sis," he said cautiously,
"this isn't the way home. Where are you taking us?"
Elena didn't stop. She didn't even look back.
"To the internet café you went to yesterday."
The air around them instantly felt heavier.
"…Why?" Leo asked, his voice lower now, cautious.
"To collect the payment," Elena replied coldly, her tone flat and emotionless.
Ivan and Leo exchanged a confused look—confusion mixed with a growing sense of dread, as if they were only now realizing that this walk was about to turn into something far worse.
Hearing that, Ivan finally spoke up, his voice tight.
"Sis… if we go there to take revenge on those guys, they'll beat us again," he said nervously.
"There are four of them. And we're only two. How are we supposed to handle that?"
Elena said nothing.
She just looked at them.
That silence was far more terrifying than yelling.
Leo and Ivan exchanged a quick glance. When Elena still didn't respond, a gloomy realization slowly settled in.
Looks like today is officially our 'getting beaten up' day, Ivan thought.
Left with no other option, he spoke again, sounding almost resigned.
"Okay, sis… if you really want to go, that's fine," he said.
"But we'll go talk to them. You stay somewhere far away and just watch. Don't come near. Please."
Leo nodded immediately.
"Yeah. Don't come, sis."
Inside, both of them were thinking the same thing.
We can get beaten up. That's fine.
But we can't let her get hurt in front of us.
After all, this mess had started because of them.
Taking a few punches felt like the bare minimum price to pay.
With that thought, both of them silently decided they would face those people alone.
Elena, who had been watching them the entire time, saw it all.
The forced bravery.
The badly hidden fear.
And the worry that was clearly not for themselves—but for her.
She stopped walking.
Then, almost helplessly, she spoke.
"I know you two are useless," she said bluntly.
Ivan and Leo stiffened.
"But that doesn't mean," she continued calmly,
"that you get to assume your sister is useless too."
With that, she turned and walked ahead.
Leo and Ivan stood there for a second, stunned. Her words took a moment to sink in.
"…What does that even mean?" Leo whispered.
"I don't know," Ivan replied, confused.
Still, without saying anything more, they followed after her.
A few minutes later—
The familiar signboard came into view.
The internet café.
The air around them felt heavier the closer they got, as if the place itself remembered what had happened yesterday.
And whatever Elena had planned…
it was clear this visit wouldn't end the same way.
Elena stepped inside the internet café.
The moment the glass door slid shut behind her, the noise hit them—keyboard clicks, mouse taps, low chatter, and the sharp electronic sounds of gunfire and explosions from the game screens.
She didn't rush.
She calmly looked around, her eyes moving from one row of computers to another, scanning the place with quiet focus, as if she were memorizing every corner.
Behind her, Ivan and Leo stood stiffly, shoulders tense, already uncomfortable just being there again.
Without turning back, Elena spoke in a low voice.
"Which ones were they?"
Ivan and Leo froze.
For a second, they looked at each other, silently arguing over who should answer.
Then, slowly, both of them lifted their gaze and followed Elena's line of sight.
In the far corner of the café—
Four boys.
One of them was sitting comfortably in a chair, leaning back, completely absorbed in his game. His fingers moved fast on the keyboard, eyes sharp, focused on the screen.
Behind him stood the other three, laughing loudly, occasionally cheering him on.
"Nice shot, man!"
"Bro, you're insane!"
"That headshot—perfect!"
The boy on the chair smirked without looking away from the screen.
His name was Rex.
The kind of guy who clearly enjoyed attention.
Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing headphones around his neck, Rex looked like he owned the place—even though he didn't. His chair was tilted slightly back, one foot resting casually on the desk beside the CPU.
Standing behind him were his usual followers.
Karan, thin but sharp-eyed, always the first to laugh.
Vikram, bulky and loud, cracking his knuckles like violence was his hobby.
And Sameer, quiet, leaning against the wall, watching everything with a lazy, almost bored expression.
Ivan swallowed.
"…Them," he muttered under his breath.
Leo nodded slightly, his jaw tightening.
"Yeah. Those four."
Elena's eyes settled on Rex.
She noticed the way the others revolved around him.
The way he didn't even need to speak to be obeyed.
The way the chair, the posture, the confidence all screamed the same thing—
Leader.
Rex suddenly won the round.
"Game over," he said with a lazy grin, finally leaning back properly.
The others burst into laughter.
"That's what I'm talking about!"
"Easy win!"
Rex smirked, removed his headphones, and only then glanced around—
And noticed them.
His eyes paused on Ivan and Leo.
Recognition flickered.
The smirk widened.
"Well, well," Rex drawled, standing up slowly from the chair.
"Look who decided to come back."
Rex walked toward them.
His steps were lazy, unhurried, like he already knew the ending. A crooked smile played on his lips as he stopped a few feet away.
"Didn't like yesterday's reward?" he asked coolly, grinning.
"So you came back to collect it again?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"I told you, didn't I? Don't show your faces in this café again."
One of the boys behind him—Karan—snorted.
"Rex, looks like they came back for another dose."
Vikram laughed loudly.
"Must've felt too light last time."
The three of them burst out laughing, the sound sharp and mocking, echoing through the café.
Leo and Ivan flinched.
Their shoulders stiffened, and almost instinctively, both of them lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact. The memories from yesterday came rushing back too easily.
Elena watched the scene quietly.
Then her gaze settled on Rex.
Up close, she noticed something she hadn't before.
He wasn't towering.
He wasn't intimidating.
In fact, he was barely a couple of inches taller than Leo.
She stepped forward.
Just one step—but it was enough to draw all attention to her.
The laughter faded.
Rex's eyes shifted to her, curiosity flickering across his face.
Elena stopped right in front of him. Her expression was calm, her voice steady, completely free of anger or fear.
"You hit my brothers," she said.
Not a question.
Not a threat.
A statement.
And in that moment, the air between them changed.