"It doesn't matter what grade you're in. Everyone in the Z-class is doomed to perish without ever getting the chance to prove themselves. We can start counting the days before we get remov—"
BOOM!
A violent crack tore through the air.
Zen and Hako jumped as the wind whipped down the hallway.
The entire classroom door exploded off its hinges and flung into the corridor with a deafening crash.
A body flew with it.
The boy hit the ground hard, collapsing to his knees, and started coughing up blood.
Zen felt the world around him blur into silence.
What… just happened?
Hako leaned over and nudged his elbow, voice hushed like he was watching a horror film.
"Did you see that? Did he just cough out a tooth? That looked painful…"
Well. He might as well have shouted it.
The boy at the door stirred. He stood up with unnatural calm, brushing off dust.
His silky, glacial blue hair swayed softly in the wind. But those frosted eyes looked like they could kill with a glance.
Zen instinctively felt, This guy... is dangerous.
"My, isn't that scary? What are you looking at, you sadistic prince?"
Hako slipped out from behind him and suddenly taunted him.
"Eek— Hako!"
Zen hissed under his breath. Why are you provoking him?!
The blue-haired boy tilted his head, patting off his uniform leisurely. Then he smiled with an easy, menacing grin.
"I guess you didn't learn your lesson from last time."
Hako scoffed, stepping forward defensively.
"Don't act like you won! That was a tie. A tie!"
"Mmm... you wish," the guy replied, nodding with boredom, though his smile oozed quiet venom.
His hair was cut elegantly at his chin, framing a face that belonged more in a royal portrait than a fight. Yet the aura he carried was pure violence wrapped in silk.
"Then again... I still have unfinished business."
With that, he turned and walked back into the classroom, the very air around him humming with pressure.
Zen flinched and asked. "You know him?"
Hako gave a tight nod. "Yeah. That's Fabasa."
Then added quietly, "A guy with a few screws loose in the head."
Zen stared at the wrecked door on the perfectly clean hallway floor, then at the escalating commotion coming from inside the classroom.
Before he could process it, Hako crossed his arms and dragged him through the door.
The moment they stepped in, Zen's soul exited his body.
What kind of class did he just walk into...?
If this wasn't chaos, then what was?
The chairs had been shoved to the back like a forgotten afterthought, leaving the front completely empty.
Several students were cheering on a fight, while one dude lounged on the teacher's desk like it was his personal throne.
Another stood beside the drama, peacefully clipping his nail, completely ignoring the commotion happening around him.
At the center of it all stood Fabasa, holding a student by the hair, dragging his head up condescendingly.
"Did you say something again?"
The boy, on his knees, still had the audacity to grinned with all his teeth.
"Did I hit a nerve, sissy? I can help with the haircut… tch."
Wow.
Is that guy seriously still alive?
Zen grimaced at his face, stained with blood, and shivered.
A short boy near the front hurried to intervene, bowing slightly as he spoke anxiously.
"Ah—Fabasa, don't mind him! Kozen didn't mean any harm. He's just... mentally unstable these days."
Before Zen could get a word in, Hako silently tugged him toward the back corner.
"Hako?"
"Shh." Hako held up a finger and whispered with a grin. "Not to be alarming, but that Kozen guy's a mad dog. Might catch something if you stand too close."
"Eh?! Is it that serious?" Zen's eyes widened.
"False," Hako said, deadpan. "I meant literally. He bites everyone he sees."
Hako gestured toward the front.
Sure enough, Kozen was growling at the short boy who had tried to defend him.
"Who are you calling mentally unstable, you little shit?"
Zen could literally see the boy's face lose all color. He stammered anxiously.
"S-sorry! I—I—I d-didn't mean that..."
Zen leaned closer to Hako. "You know that guy?"
Hako squinted at the trembling rabbit. "Nope. Never seen him before. Maybe he's from another city."
"Yeah? He looks like he's about to faint."
"But I like him. He managed to piss off both Fabasa and Kozen. Hahaha."
Zen frowned. "Shouldn't we stop them? Why is everyone just watching?"
Hako cackled. "What are you talking about? This is free entertainment."
"Wow... You do look like a villain."
Just then, Zen's ears twitched. He caught the sound of the wind cutting toward them.
He ducked immediately.
Wait—Hako is there!
Zen turned in panic.
Fortunately, Hako caught the flying chalk-filled duster midair.
"Cough—keh!"
Zen helped wave the dust off his face.
Where the hell did they find a duster that dusty?!
Hako snapped, his voice muffled by coughs. "Fabasa, you seem to be itching for a beating?!"
Fabasa casually dusted his own hands and smiled. "You seem to be enjoying the show for a loser."
A vein popped on Hako's temple. That's it, he's going to stomp that bastard!
Welp!
Zen quickly held him back. "Hako! Give me the duster, let's not make this worse—"
Too late.
Before he could finish, Hako had already hurled the duster across the room.
Only, his aim sucked.
It sailed clean past Fabasa and nailed the guy who had been clipping his nails earlier.
A perfect white imprint bloomed across the back of his clean black uniform.
Oh... great aim, Hako.
The guy picked up the duster slowly, without a word.
The entire class fell dead silent for some reason.
He lowered his gaze... then crushed the duster in his fist like it was made of sugar cubes.
When he looked up, veins bulged across his face, and his eyes nearly burst into flames.
"Who. Did. It."
This is getting dangerous.
Zen's brain buzzed. Okay, this is officially out of control. We need to stop this!
But how—