At one corner of the ground floor, near the base of the stairs leading to the first floor, was the staff room. The teachers gathered there had grown terrified by the violent commotion erupting from the floor above. Realizing the situation was beyond their control, they had immediately called the only man in the school capable of handling such chaos: the Headmaster.
Before he had even heard the full details over the phone, he cut the call and rushed to the scene in a fit of intense rage.
Now, four people were present in the Headmaster's office. On one side of the room, in front of the window, the Headmaster and the Assistant Headmaster (AHM) sat side-by-side in two chairs.
Before them stood a wide rectangular table. On one side, several applications were neatly stacked next to a pen stand and a flower vase placed there for decoration. Nearby lay a copy of that day's newspaper.
Along the two walls of the room, numerous files were stored in two large, towering cabinets.
The Headmaster sat with both elbows planted on the table, his palms joined together in front of his face. He remained silent, his eyes closed as if deep in thought. Beside him, the AHM had a file open and was intently reviewing its contents.
On the other side of the table stood Yino and Yohan. Both remained silent, not a single word passing between them. Yohan simply stood there, alert and steady, waiting for the Headmaster's next move.
The Headmaster lowered his hands from his face and rested them firmly on the table. It was clear he was finally about to speak. Yohan kept his eyes locked on him, bracing for whatever was coming next. A dry, inward smile flickered through his mind as he thought, "I just hope I don't end up getting suspended on my very first day."
The Headmaster leaned back in his chair and said, "I thought that by removing the head of the gang, the rest would settle down. But no—it seems they're thinking, 'So what if the leader is gone? We'll be the ones to tear this school apart ourselves.'"
Yino didn't pay any attention to his words. He kept his gaze fixed stubbornly to the side. But the Headmaster didn't stop. So what if Yino was ignoring him? His ears were still open.
Disregarding Yino's indifference, the Headmaster continued, "It's only been one week since the new session started. And already, you've begun tearing the school apart."
The Headmaster now turned his gaze toward Yohan. Staring into his fearless eyes, he asked, "And you? What is your name? Such a handsome face!"
By then, Yohan had slicked his hair back once more. His forehead was still damp with sweat, and the green studs in his earlobes gleamed under the sunlight streaming through the window.
Understanding the Headmaster's mocking undertone, he looked him straight in the eye and answered, "Yohan Davis."
Hearing the name, the Headmaster placed his glasses on the table and said, "I knew it. I could tell just by looking at you that you aren't a simple boy. Someone who can cause such a scene on their very first day naturally wouldn't have any sense of fear."
The AHM sat silently in his seat, completely absorbed in the files before him. For some reason, Yohan's eyes kept drifting toward him. While the Headmaster was visibly fuming with rage, how could this man sit right beside him with such absolute indifference? Did he have no sense of responsibility toward the school at all?
Yohan listened to the Headmaster's words in silence. He could clearly sense the man's state of mind, so he chose not to speak. Even so, he couldn't help but feel that the Headmaster's words carried a significant weight.
After a moment, the Headmaster said, "Yino Wheeler—his family background is the primary reason he is still sitting in a classroom in this school."
Upon hearing this, a faint smile flickered across Yino's distracted face. However, it wasn't a smile of pride; rather, it was tinged with a weary, somber bitterness.
Ignoring the distraction, Yohan focused his attention back on the Headmaster. Even so, he couldn't help but think to himself, "Wow, so this place is even more interesting than I imagined. At the very least, he's a formidable fighter worth remembering, with a backstory that seems worth knowing. I wonder just how deep that story goes."
"And Yohan is a new student. There is no doubt in my mind that he was a gangster at his previous school as well."
The words shot out of the Headmaster's mouth like an arrow.
Almost simultaneously, a faint, subtle smile appeared on the faces of both Yohan and the Assistant Headmaster.
The Headmaster let out a rhythmic chuckle himself before turning his sharp gaze back toward Yohan and Yino.
"Can either of you give me one good excuse—one valid reason—why we shouldn't suspend you both right now?"
The Headmaster leaned forward once more, resting his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers in front of his face, watching them with a look of intense, expectant curiosity.
The Headmaster looked from Yino to Yohan, his expression unreadable. He tapped a rhythm on the table with his index finger.
"Suspension is the standard procedure," the HM said quietly. "But standard procedures are for standard students. Yino... you've been here long enough for me to know that kicking you out just sends the chaos into the streets where I can't monitor it. And Yohan..."
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as they searched Yohan's face. "You're an unknown variable. I don't know if you're a victim of circumstance or the spark that's going to set this school on fire. If I suspend you on your first day, I'm admitting that I'm afraid of what you might be."
He stood up, signaling the end of the tension.
"I don't like being afraid. I'm going to let this go—not for your sake, but for mine. I want to see how you two handle the mess you've started. Consider this a 'probationary period.' No paperwork, no official record... for now. But if I see either of you in this office again before the month is out, the 'gangster' labels and the expulsion letters will be the least of your worries."
He gestured sharply toward the door. "Get out. Both of you. Clean yourselves up and get to class."
Yohan didn't move immediately. He held the Headmaster's gaze for a second longer than necessary—not out of defiance, but with the cold, analytical look of someone sizing up an opponent.
"Understood," Yohan said, his voice low and steady. He turned on his heel, his damp hair catching the light as he moved toward the heavy office door.
Yino followed, his expression still unreadable, though the bitterness in his eyes had retreated into a weary blankness. As the door clicked shut behind them, the stifling silence of the office was replaced by the hollow echo of the long, empty hallway.
They walked a few paces away from the door before Yohan stopped. He leaned against the cool plaster wall, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind the blazing heat and the dull throb in his knuckles and stomach.
Yino stood a few feet away, staring at the floor. He didn't look like a "leader" or a "fighter" in that moment; he just looked exhausted.
"You're not a gangster," Yino said suddenly, his voice cracking the silence. It wasn't a question. "The old man was just trying to get a rise out of you."
Yohan looked at his own hands, then back at Yino. A small, sharp smirk touched his lips. "Maybe. But in a place like this, sometimes it's safer if people believe the lie."
He pushed off the wall and began walking toward the stairs. "Coming? I'd rather find the infirmary before the next bell rings and we're 'variables' again."
As they reached the end of the long corridor, Yino stopped abruptly near the corner that led to the infirmary. He leaned his back against the wall, looking out a nearby window at the empty school courtyard.
"I'm not coming," Yino said, his voice flat but not harsh. He didn't look at Yohan, instead focusing on the distant treeline. "Go there yourself. Tell the nurse you tripped or something. Stay there for a while and just... rest. You've had enough of a first day."
Yohan paused. He looked at Yino—really looked at him—and saw the weight the other boy was carrying, a weight that had nothing to do with the fight they just had. He realized Yino wasn't being dismissive; he was giving him a moment of peace.
Yohan let out a short, quiet breath that was almost a laugh. "Rest, huh? In a place like this?"
He adjusted his collar, his expression softening just a fraction. "Fine. But don't think this makes us even for the knees to the ribs."
Yino didn't reply, but the corner of his mouth twitched—the closest thing to a friendly gesture Yohan had seen from him yet.
Without another word, Yohan turned the corner and headed toward the infirmary alone. The hallway was quiet, the only sound being the rhythmic steady thud of his own boots against the linoleum. He needed those few minutes of silence to process the fact that, somehow, he had survived his first hour without a suspension.