School Courtyard – Morning Tension
It started as any other morning.
Keon walked through the front gate, earbuds in, hood up, eyes low. Kira shouted something across the courtyard, probably at a squirrel. Fuyu sat on a bench, pretending not to watch Keon. Leo leaned against a wall, laughing with people who never laughed back.
Nova stood by the gate as usual, eyes scanning the crowd like a hawk in a suit.
Keon just wanted to make it to class.
Then the scream happened.
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Inside – Screams and Silence
It echoed through the hallway like a ripple across still water.
Everyone froze.
A teacher ran down the hall, yelling something incoherent. Students backed up, huddled. Phones came out. And then—
CRASH!
A desk flew out the classroom door, hitting the wall hard enough to leave a dent.
"Yo, what the hell—" someone whispered.
Keon turned slowly.
Inside the room, a second-year student stood, panting, holding another kid by the collar. Blood trickled from the corner of his lip.
"Don't act like you didn't snitch!" the guy roared, fist clenched. "I told you what would happen if you crossed me!"
No one stepped in.
The teachers didn't move.
The crowd watched.
---
The Line Crossed
Keon saw the guy wind up.
One more punch and the kid's head was going through the window.
He heard his own thoughts whisper: Stay out of it.
And then he heard something else.
The sound of the kid whimpering. Just barely. Barely enough to notice — unless you'd been that kid once.
Something snapped.
Keon dropped his bag.
---
Scene 4: Intervention
He walked into the classroom.
The crowd gasped.
The guy holding the victim looked up. "What, you want a turn?"
Keon didn't stop walking.
"Back off, transfer boy," the guy warned.
Keon stopped two feet away.
Then he said calmly, "Let him go."
The room was dead silent.
The guy laughed.
That's when Keon moved.
Quick. Precise. Brutal.
He grabbed the attacker's wrist, twisted it, kicked his knee sideways, and brought him to the floor in three fluid motions. The kid was freed instantly.
The attacker screamed, squirming.
Keon didn't even breathe hard.
Nova appeared at the door a second later, face blank — but her hand hovered near her jacket, just in case.
The crowd exploded into whispers.
"Did you see that?!"
"He didn't even blink—"
"Who is he?!"
Leo watched from the back, eyes gleaming.
Fuyu smirked on the stairs.
Kira cheered, "THAT'S MY BOY!"
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The Aftermath
The teacher tried to act like he'd been on the way the whole time.
Keon just sat back down, ignoring everything, hands folded on the desk like nothing happened.
But the silence that followed wasn't normal anymore.
It was respectful.
And a little afraid.
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