As David leaned back in his chair, basking in the aftermath of his earlier comment, the door to the classroom creaked open. Melissa walked by the hallway just in time to overhear David's latest words, and her expression instantly soured.
She hadn't seen the movie David had casually referenced—That's My Boy—but the concept? Oh, she was very familiar with it. The "after-school tutoring with a young teacher and a top student" plot was something that floated around in some circles. Of course, it was mostly talked about in the gossip-filled hallways by overly enthusiastic, unapologetic gossip queens. David? Well, he was just the sort to quote it in class without a second thought, clearly unaware of the trouble that might stir.
Melissa's eyes narrowed. "I swear, I'm going to send this guy straight to the moon," she muttered under her breath, her patience running low. She had no idea how David did it, but he always found new ways to get himself into trouble—and to drag everyone else into it with him.
Jake, who had been standing nearby, adjusted his glasses with a deliberate flourish, his face twisting into an expression of utter disdain. "David, you're really playing with fire now, huh? Do you honestly think you're not going to get suspended for this?"
David didn't miss a beat. Without even looking up from his desk, he shot back, "Then why do you think the teacher's calling me in?"
David folded his arms, leaning back in his chair like someone who was so cool, they practically radiated chill. He looked at Jake with a confident grin, the kind of grin you only wore when you knew you were about to make someone look like an idiot.
Jake, the quintessential class genius, always seemed to be at the top of the leaderboard. He prided himself on being a model student, the one who never faltered on exams, who always had a nice little speech ready for every occasion. He wore the label of "top student" with the same pride someone might wear a gold medal. It was almost as if he believed his academic prowess would shield him from any sort of ridicule or judgment.
"Well, clearly, you've miscalculated," Jake said, almost with a smug smirk. "After all, I've got the top marks. What's the issue with that?"
David didn't flinch. He just gave Jake a sideways glance, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Jake, you do realize the homeroom teacher has never asked you to go for a chat, right?"
The class went silent for a moment. Everyone's eyes snapped to David as if waiting for him to drop the ultimate truth bomb. And David, ever the troublemaker, let that silence stretch out for just a beat too long, enjoying the suspense he'd created.
Jake froze. His brain scrambled to catch up with David's question. He hadn't expected this, not at all. He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. His expression shifted slightly—realizing that he was caught in a trap. It was too late. David had already sprung it.
David continued, "Want me to tell you why? It's because you're... well, too ugly."
The words hit the classroom like a brick. The entire room went dead silent. Not even the usual class chatter dared to interrupt this moment. David had dropped the ultimate insult—and it was a cheap shot, but oh boy, was it effective.
David patted Jake's shoulder with exaggerated sympathy, his face the picture of sincerity. "Hey, man, don't feel bad. Maybe the teacher's just trying to spare you the humiliation. I mean, who wants to look at your face for too long, right?"
There was no need to look around to know the impact of his words. Everyone in the class turned their gaze from David to Jake, some with grins they couldn't hold back, others with wide eyes as they processed what they had just heard. Even the sunlight streaming through the window seemed to pause for a second, as if it, too, was momentarily stunned by the sheer audacity of David's comment.
Jake, usually so composed and full of himself, now stood there like a statue—completely frozen in place. His eyes glazed over, and his lips parted as though he were trying to find the words to respond, but nothing came out. He just stared at David's face, which, in that moment, looked even more handsome under the golden glow of the setting sun. It was as if David had suddenly become some kind of mythical creature, radiating an effortless charm that Jake simply couldn't compete with.
The class had completely turned on Jake, not even bothering to hide their amusement. Some students were stifling laughter, while others exchanged amused glances. Jake's face, usually so confident and smooth, now looked like a piece of white bread—flat, bland, and utterly out of place.
David, of course, was loving every second of it. He watched Jake stand there, dumbfounded, utterly disarmed. And as if on cue, the system's notifications started to ping in David's ear.
[Obtained from Jake's negative emotion value +30...][Obtained from Jake's negative emotion value +30...]
David couldn't help but grin to himself. It was almost too easy. "Oh man, if I'd known insulting someone's looks would be this effective, I would've been doing it years ago," he thought smugly.
Jake, still rooted to the spot, had no idea how to recover from the devastating blow to his ego. He was too stunned to say anything more, too paralyzed by David's effortless jab.
David leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the chaos he'd caused. He wasn't sure if Melissa was going to come storming in and give him an earful or if he'd just earned himself a few extra weeks of office visits. Either way, he was perfectly content to bask in the aftermath of Jake's complete meltdown.
"Man, I love high school," David thought, a smug grin creeping across his face as he glanced at his growing negative emotion points.
Somewhere in the back of the classroom, someone let out a stifled "pfft!"—then it spread like wildfire.
Within seconds, the entire class erupted like a busted soda can. Laughter burst out in all directions. Desks rattled. A couple kids were clutching their stomachs. Someone almost fell out of their chair.
"It's true though," someone gasped between giggles. "Imagine being stuck in an office alone with Jake. I'd rather do detention in a janitor's closet!"
"For once," another chimed in, wiping tears from her eyes, "David's actually funny. I never thought I'd say this, but... he's kinda a legend today."
"Honestly, can't argue with the guy. He's got a point," said one of the quieter students, nodding solemnly like David had just delivered a TED Talk.
Meanwhile, Jake looked like a tomato that had just been told it wasn't getting picked this season. His face was a deep, boiling red, like someone had photoshopped rage onto a baked potato. His lips twitched. His brain looked like it was trying to reboot.
[Obtained from Jake's negative emotion value +40...][Obtained from Jake's negative emotion value +40...]
David saw the system notifications pop up in his mind like achievement badges. He casually glanced at Jake—still frozen, still red, still looking like he might explode—and gave him a warm, appreciative nod.
"My guy," David thought. "Ugly as a burnt waffle, but generous. Real MVP."
Just as he was soaking in the glory, a hand reached in from behind and clamped onto his ear.
"OW—hey—ow ow OW!"
David winced hard. He turned slightly and saw a pair of white and pink manicured fingers firmly latched onto his earlobe like a crab claw.
Melissa had arrived.
No warning. No footsteps. No announcement. Just sudden pain and the smell of strawberry hand cream.
David flailed half-heartedly as she started dragging him toward the hallway like a disobedient cat being yanked off the kitchen counter.
"It hurts! Seriously, I'm fragile! Teacher, be gentle! My ear's not even that thick!"
Melissa didn't say a word. She just kept walking, calm and cold, as if hauling David across the classroom was her afternoon cardio.
Behind them, the class was back to wheezing laughter, except now it was more... satisfying. Like watching karma unfold in real-time.
"Oh man, he deserves it," someone whispered.
"Totally worth it," said another.
But then the classroom fell silent again, thanks to Melissa's sudden death-ray glare.
"Enough." Her voice cut through the noise like a guillotine.
"Why are you all still here? Don't you have homes? Beds? LIVES?"
Everyone froze.
"If any of you want after-school tutoring," she continued, glaring at random students like she was selecting victims, "I'm more than happy to lecture each and every one of you for another hour. Sound fun?"
Chairs squeaked. Bags were grabbed. Students scattered faster than pigeons near a firecracker. No one dared laugh anymore. Even Jake slowly sat down like a broken wind-up toy.
David, sensing his moment, decided to test his luck.
"Wait, wait—Teacher Melissa!" he cried dramatically, limping a little for extra effect. "Before I get dragged to wherever evil teachers go... let me apologize."
Melissa raised an eyebrow but didn't stop.
"I swear, I want to apologize to Jake! It was outta line. I feel terrible."
She paused, holding his ear like a volume knob she was tempted to crank off.
"Apologize?" she said, slightly suspicious. She glanced over at Jake.
Jake looked like he had been spiritually defeated. His soul had already packed a suitcase and moved out of his body. He stared at the floor like it owed him money.
Melissa finally let go of David's ear, her hand hovering as if deciding whether to slap the back of his head just for good measure.
To her surprise, there was a flicker of hope in David's face—like he genuinely meant it.
She gave him a long look, then gave a tiny nod. "Fine. Go on."
David rubbed his ear dramatically. "Thank you, merciful one."
Melissa narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
As she stepped aside and Jake blinked back to life, Melissa felt... something strange. Was this what growth looked like? Was David, class clown and public nuisance, actually about to do the right thing?
She wasn't sure if the world was ending or if pigs had just grown wings. Either way, she decided to let it play out.
David strolled slowly toward Jake, hands behind his back like a teacher about to drop some deep wisdom. His expression was dead serious, almost respectful. The whole class watched in stunned silence, as if trying to figure out if this was going to be another joke or some rare cosmic event where David acted like a decent human being.
David stopped in front of Jake, looked him right in the eye, and said with full sincerity, "I'm sorry, Jake. It really was my fault just now."
Jake blinked. "Huh?"
The apology was so unexpected it nearly broke his brain. For a second, Jake even considered forgiving him.
But David wasn't done.
"The real reason the teacher never calls you in for private tutoring," David said, placing a thoughtful hand on his chest, "isn't because of anything personal. It's your ability. Pure and simple."
Jake nodded slowly. This sounded... almost flattering.
"I scored a hundred on the last test," David continued.
Jake's lips twitched. "Yeah, I know. You won by one point."
"Exactly," David said, raising a finger. "One hundred. And you got ninety-nine. Because the full score on the test... was one hundred."
Jake squinted. "Yeah, I know how numbers work, thanks."
David smiled like he was about to deliver a math lesson from the heavens. "So, I got one hundred because the test only goes to one hundred. But you—" he leaned in slightly—"you scored ninety-nine... because your ability only goes up to ninety-nine."
Jake blinked. "Wait… what?"
"I mean," David added thoughtfully, "it's not your fault. Some people just cap out early."
Jake's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't quite figure out what had just happened.
From the podium, Melissa squinted in suspicion. The tone sounded almost noble... but her years of experience told her this was probably just David being David in disguise.
Then Jake finally processed the insult.
"Wait. Are you saying you're better than me? Because of one point?!"
David looked at him with a sad, understanding smile. "It's not just one point, Jake. It's a threshold. Like a gym badge. One step above, and the world's different."
Jake's fists clenched. His eyes twitched. His soul was visibly leaving his body.
[Obtained from Jake's negative emotion value +70...]
Melissa had heard enough.
Her heels clacked rapidly across the floor. "I KNEW IT!" she snapped, storming down from the podium like she was about to eject David from the planet. She grabbed his ear again—no hesitation, no mercy.
"OW! OW, NOT THE SAME EAR!" David yelped as she yanked him back toward the hallway.
"I should've known better than to think you were capable of basic human decency," Melissa muttered, dragging him out like a sack of potatoes.
Back in the classroom, the silence was deafening. Students sat motionless, trying to compute what had just happened.
"So... what was he even trying to say?" one student asked.
"I think," another said slowly, "he meant that Jake's ninety-nine is his max potential. Like, David hit the limit of the test, but Jake hit the limit of himself."
"Wait… is he saying the gap between ninety-nine and one hundred is actually massive?"
"That's kind of genius," someone admitted.
Jake, still seated, looked like he was undergoing a full existential crisis.
Then, someone in the back muttered, "Wait... if Jake is already that far below David, and we all scored like, what—forty-five? Fifty on that test...?"
The room went quiet.
"Are we... not even in the same species?"
A single cough echoed through the stunned classroom. No one moved.
[Obtained from Chelsea's negative emotion value +20...][Obtained from Megan's negative emotion value +30...][Obtained from Luiz's negative emotion value +40...]
Meanwhile, David—ear throbbing, pride intact—was smiling to himself while Melissa dragged him by the ear like a guilty dog on a leash.
Totally worth it.