Theodore glared coldly at the three boys still snickering, ignoring the teacher who had already begun writing the lesson on the board after briefly greeting the class. The three wealthy kids were named Leaman, Xuval, and Jailen. Yes — they were the ones who had beaten Theodore the night before.
"Hey, Theo," Wisley whispered from the bench beside him.
Theodore merely glanced over without answering. He wondered why Wisley wanted to be friends with him — or perhaps Wisley simply didn't care about Theodore's ragged appearance. He didn't know. In any case, Theodore had become the target of cruel pranks that crossed every line.
"Am I seeing things? Are you staring at them like that?" Wisley continued in a hushed voice so others wouldn't hear. Theodore shrugged and turned his attention back to the lesson.
"Why do I have to learn all this?" Theodore grumbled as he obediently took notes.
After two hours in class, Theodore's body ached from sitting on the hard chair. The lesson itself bored him to sleep.
"Why am I doing this? Damn it," he muttered as they left the classroom.
Wisley frowned at that comment — something he'd almost never heard before. To Wisley, Theodore had always been a diligent student who never complained.
"What's wrong with you?" Wisley asked, puzzled.
"Huh?" Theodore answered, looking at Wisley, which made Wisley gape. He opened his mouth to speak, then fell silent with a heavy sigh.
"Forget it. You're acting weird. Did you hit your head or something?" Wisley said softly, a hint of disappointment in his tone.
"Really? You'll get used to it," Theodore replied calmly.
"There it is! So strange — the way you're talking. Are you really okay?" Wisley asked again, feigning concern.
"Of course. They won't go too far anymore," Theodore said coolly. Wisley rubbed his temples, exhausted from trying to understand his friend, and decided not to think too hard about it.
"Wisley, go on ahead. I need to use the bathroom," Theodore said, stopping his steps.
"All right, don't be long!" Wisley answered, heading to the cafeteria alone. Theodore turned toward the restroom — but not to relieve himself. He was walking toward the place where the three boys had secretly told him to meet.
"Hey!" As soon as he arrived, Theodore was struck by a punch that landed on his face.
"Why are you still alive, huh? I thought you were dead last night!" one of them snarled, pinning Theodore against the restroom wall. The corridor was quiet, with no other students nearby.
"Tell me—why are you still hanging around Shiny?!" Leaman roared. He disliked anyone getting close to Shiny, whom he fancied.
"What's it to you? She's not yours!" Theodore replied bravely. His expression remained calm, showing no trace of fear.
"Leaman, is he okay?" Xuval asked, uneasy at how different Theodore seemed — it didn't feel like the same boy. Usually Theodore would apologize and stay away from Shiny, even though she often approached him.
"But you actually killed me last night," Theodore said, his glare sharp, leaving the three boys bewildered by his strange behavior.
"Huh??? Then who are you?" Jailen snapped, angrily as if Theodore were mocking him.
Theodore smiled faintly, his face emotionless. He stepped forward, leaned close to Leaman, and whispered, "I'm Theodore."
Leaman swung to strike, but his arm hit the wall instead — the intended victim had stepped aside.
"See you later!" Theodore said, turning on his heel and waving as he walked away, leaving three enraged boys behind.
"You insolent brat! Get back here, servant kid! I'll kill you!" Leaman shouted.
"He's getting bolder," Xuval murmured, still puzzled by Theodore's attitude. They had expected him to be dead after last night — yet here he was, at school, even if beaten and bruised.
Theodore walked calmly, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, and met Wisley who waited in the cafeteria enjoying his meal. After grabbing his food, Theodore sat down across from him.
"Did Leaman hit you in the face?" Wisley asked, noticing a fresh bruise on Theodore's cheek. Theodore only nodded, then began eating without much care, ignoring Wisley's astonished look.
"Theo? What happened to your face?" Shiny approached suddenly, concern written across her pretty features. "Did Leaman do this?" She produced an ointment and began to rub it gently on Theodore's cheek.
"Thanks, but I'm fine," Theodore said, brushing her hand away. He glanced at Shiny, who sat beside him looking anxious.
"Shiny, you shouldn't be here. You'll only cause trouble for me," Theodore said flatly, making Wisley panic at such bluntness.
Shiny was stunned — she had never heard him speak like that. It didn't sound like the Theodore she knew.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just stating the truth," Theodore said coolly, regarding his two friends. Shiny glared at Wisley with tears she pretended to hold back.
"Wisley! Tell me! What's wrong with Theodore? Where is the Theo I know?!" she cried, gripping Wisley's shoulders and firing a barrage of questions until Wisley was dizzy.
"I don't know. Let go of me!" Wisley snapped, making Shiny stop. He tried to calm down and watched Theodore eat the remainder of his food with composed indifference.
"It's rude to talk while you eat," Theodore said, ignoring them again.
"Hey! Theodore, you insolent—!!!!"
A commotion rose as the three boys thundered over. Wisley shivered at their arrival, fearing the worst.
Theodore didn't even turn. That only infuriated the trio more, while Wisley grew more alarmed by Theodore's strange demeanor. Shiny stood up angrily, glaring at Leaman and his cronies.
"Why do you keep hitting Theo?!" she demanded.
"It's not my fault — blame my useless servant instead! He keeps ignoring me! I'll kill him and take you away!" Leaman snapped at Shiny, all possessiveness and insolence.
"Hey! You hear me, Theo!" Xuval yelled in annoyance, then swung his fist, knocking Theodore from his seat.
The cafeteria erupted. Students began whispering and gathered to watch the fight as Shiny struggled in the grasp of two girls trying to restrain her from charging in.
"Let me go!!!" Shiny screamed.
"No, I won't let you get hurt!" one friend sobbed, holding her back.
"Leaman, stop beating him!" Wisley begged, unable to watch Theodore suffer more injuries.
"Shut up!!!" Leaman barked, shoving Wisley hard — sending him crashing into a table and getting hurt in the process.
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