The silence in the principal's office was heavier than words. The principal sat behind his desk, his features serious, looking between Ahmed, Misaki, and the girl standing beside them, then turning his gaze toward the three students who caused the problem, their heads bowed as if trying to disappear from the situation.
The principal asks the girl to recount what happened.
She hesitates for a moment, swallows, then begins to speak... her voice faint but clear, as if she is trying to defend herself for the first time. She talks about the day she first noticed the harassment, and how the matter continued until it became burdensome for her.
Ahmed listened with concentration, his hands clasped in front of him in a manner that indicated his patience and his empathy for what she was going through. Misaki, in turn, added some details of what she witnessed, in a gentle and slightly saddened voice, confirming what the girl had said.
With every word he heard, the principal's expression changed... it wasn't just anger, but a sense of responsibility toward what was happening inside the school. He sighed slowly, then turned to the bullying students with a firm look, and began directing stern words indicating that this situation would not be left unaddressed.
When he finished speaking, he asked them all to wait for a few moments before leaving.
The girl stood with outward composure, but fatigue was evident in her eyes... a fatigue that resembled the echo of the events Ahmed and Misaki had witnessed minutes earlier in the corridor.
And while a light silence prevailed in the room, Ahmed and Misaki exchanged a short glance... a look carrying great compassion, as if they were beginning to realize more deeply that this girl needed more than just a fleeting intervention.