They entered the classroom. Everyone was already seated.
(Kevin's thoughts)
They're not laughing today…
They're not whispering or mocking.
Today, they're looking at us… like heroes.
Because today, they walked in with Princess Selena.
Students turned their heads, murmuring as Kevin, Rina, Mira, Kael, and Finn walked to their seats. Curious eyes followed them, not with mockery, but with admiration. For once, Kevin didn't feel like hiding.
Students began to gather around, asking excited questions about Selena.
"Did she really talk to you?"
"What did she say?"
"Is it true she punished the bullies?"
Kevin and the others didn't answer every question. Sometimes they just smiled or shrugged. Their silence made them seem even more interesting.
Kevin glanced at Mira, who walked with a confident swing and a mischievous smile on her lips.
Her walk, her grin—
She looked like the heroine of the academy.
Then Master Lee entered the room.
The students quickly returned to their seats. Even Lee seemed different today—calmer, maybe even proud.
"Today, we're learning something new," he said with a rare smile.
"Everyone, move to the training area."
Training Ground
Kevin felt something odd for the first time.
He wasn't dreading the training.
He was... looking forward to it.
Master Lee stood in front of the group.
"We're practicing defense today—specifically, disarming a knife attack. Kael—step forward."
Kael nodded and walked confidently to the front.
"Pretend you're an attacker with a knife," Lee instructed. "Try to strike me."
Kael lunged.
With precise, fluid motion, Master Lee twisted Kael's wrist, disarmed him, and flipped him to the ground. He demonstrated the move again, slowly and clearly.
"Control and timing," Lee explained. "Not brute strength."
Then he looked up.
"Kevin. Erik. You're next."
Kevin's stomach twisted. Erik was already standing, looking confident—too confident.
Kevin stepped forward, heart pounding.
"Kevin attacks first," Lee said.
Kevin raised his hand to mimic a knife and lunged.
Erik smirked, grabbed his wrist, twisted, and threw him to the mat.
Laughter erupted across the field.
"Wow! That was fast!"
"Poor Kevin—he didn't even last a second!"
"Guess Erik's the champ again!"
Kevin stared at the ceiling. His ears burned.
Only Rina, Kael, Mira, and Finn stayed quiet.
"Switch!" Master Lee called.
Now it was Erik's turn to attack.
Kevin stood up slowly. His hands trembled.
He looked around. No one was cheering for him.
Everyone wanted him to fail.
He clenched his fists. Not this time.
Erik charged, cocky and smug—
But Kevin moved first.
He sidestepped, grabbed Erik's wrist, twisted with surprising speed, and slammed him down.
Face-first.
The entire class froze. Even the wind paused.
Then—
Cheers erupted.
"Whoa!"
"That was Kevin?!"
"Did you see that?!"
Even Master Lee raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Mira sprinted to his side.
"Who are you, and what did you do with Kevin?!"
Kevin chuckled, panting.
He was still catching his breath, but his heart felt light.
For the first time, he wasn't just surviving the class—he was shining.
Later That Day
During the break, Master Lee approached him.
"Walk with me," he said.
They strolled through the quiet corridor. Sunlight streamed through the tall academy windows.
"You looked different today," Lee said. "Focused. Confident."
Kevin nodded.
"The first time… I was scared. But when everyone laughed at me, something changed. I just wanted to prove I wasn't weak."
Lee gave a thoughtful smile.
"Fear is normal. But letting it decide your actions—that's when it wins. You didn't let it win today."
He paused, looking at Kevin closely.
"I wasn't the best at magic. I used to feel weak. But I trained. I didn't give up. And eventually, I became a teacher."
He placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder.
"You've got that same spark. Keep it burning."
Kevin felt something shift in his chest. He nodded.
That Evening at Home
Kevin told everything to Sayura and Yuna over dinner.
Mira kept teasing him.
"That throw? Lucky shot."
Yuna smiled.
"Then maybe Kevin's lucky and strong."
Mira narrowed her eyes.
"Is he your kid or am I?"
Yuna laughed, pulling both of them into a hug.
"You all are my kids."
The house rang with laughter and warmth.
Back at the Academy
Word spread fast.
Kevin—the quiet kid—had flipped Erik, the cocky star of combat class.
Now, students started whispering in awe, not mockery.
"Did you see it?"
"Maybe Kevin's not weak after all."
"Is he stronger than Kael now?"
One afternoon, Erik swaggered up to Kael in the courtyard.
"Well, looks like Kevin's the top dog now. Maybe you should step aside."
His friends snickered behind him.
Kael, calm as ever, simply smiled.
"If Kevin's stronger than me—good. He's my friend. I'm proud of him."
Kevin heard it from nearby. He stepped beside Kael, stunned.
Kael grinned.
"You deserve the praise. Don't let it get to your head though."
Kevin laughed.
"Never."
Erik's face twitched.
Students nearby giggled.
For once, Erik was the one people laughed at.
Meanwhile: Behind the School
Toji and his gang were scrubbing walls.
Their uniforms were covered in paint, sweat, and shame.
Toji muttered,
"All this because of one stupid sentence."
One of the others sighed.
"We went too far."
Another added,
"Selena's eyes... I can still feel them watching us."
Toji didn't reply.
He kept scrubbing.
Harder.
Rougher.
Like he was trying to wash away his guilt.
They didn't talk much after that.
But the wall stayed clean.
To Be Continued...