The lesson had barely reached the fifteen-minute mark when a wave of noise rose from outside.
A few students turned their heads instinctively.
The teacher was still writing on the board, but whispers were spreading fast across the room.
"Uh… are those BTSI kids?" someone murmured.
Leo leaned toward the window, eyes widening.
"Oh man… nightmare comes early today," he muttered, loud enough for several students to hear.
Alex followed his gaze.
Down at the front gate of BIPS, a group of students in BTSI uniforms were standing as if they didn't care they were in front of an elite school. Some wore the brown-striped uniform, some had their tech-school jackets on, and a few were in the BTSI sports outfit.
At the center stood a calm-looking boy with a firm posture: Ryder Knox, the well-known leader of one of BTSI's student crews. His reputation traveled far, even to the hallways of BIPS, Ryder was speaking to the security guard at the gate. His tone wasn't loud, but sharp—sharp enough to carry tension.
In his hand he held a report book, and standing beside him was one of his BTSI friends, looking tired with faint marks on his face—nothing graphic, just enough to show he had been through something.
Ryder pointed at his friend, then at the report book, his expression unreadable.
From the classroom above, Alex couldn't hear the exact words, but he could easily guess the message:
"This happened because of that ranking system. And you expect us to stay quiet?"
The classroom erupted in whispers.
"Oh no, not this ranking stuff again…"
"They're seriously confronting BIPS?"
"If BTSI's here, that means something bad happened."
The teacher finally stopped writing and glanced out the window. His jaw tightened, a hint of worry crossing his face.
Alex looked from the window to Jared, confused.
"What's going on? Why are they acting like this?"
Jared sighed, shifting in his seat.
"Okay, here's the quick version," he began. "Whenever a school's ranking drops, especially BTSI's, there's always pressure from… well, certain people. BIPS and BTSI always blame each other."
Leo twisted around again, speaking fast.
"And if a student gets into trouble—rumors, problems, anything—it becomes this huge rivalry thing between the two schools."
Alex blinked. "But why bring a report to our gate?"
Jared gave him a look, as if trying to check whether Alex was ready for the answer.
"Because… they think BIPS is the reason their ranking dropped this week."
Leo added quietly, "And usually, when BTSI shows up in person… it means something bigger is happening behind the scenes."
Outside, Ryder stepped a bit closer to the guard—no physical aggression, just a very tense stance.
The guard held out a hand calmly, telling them to stay outside school grounds.
The entire class stared down at the scene below.
The teacher tried to regain control of the room, but even he kept glancing outside.
And in the middle of all that, Alex sensed something deeper—something darker—beneath this rivalry.
The teacher frowned at the scene outside the gate. The situation was clearly getting out of control.
He quickly reached for the school phone on his desk and pressed a speed-dial number.
"Mr. Martin, please come to the north gate immediately. A group of BTSI students is trying to force their way in. Hurry," he said, voice low but firm.
The entire class fell silent. Everyone listened.
But before the teacher could even put the phone down—
CRAAACK!
A loud shatter echoed across the room.
Students flinched, ducking instinctively.
The far back window split open, fractured glass falling to the floor in tiny pieces.
"What was THAT?!" Leo nearly jumped out of his seat.
The teacher raised his voice, "EVERYONE STAY STILL! DO NOT MOVE!"
Alex snapped his head toward the broken window.
Down below, in the courtyard, stood a BTSI student—calm, almost bored.
A dark-skinned boy with short curls, wearing only the loose BTSI sports shirt instead of a proper uniform.
He was the one who threw something.
Not a dangerous object—most likely a rock or a rubber ball—but enough to crack the thin classroom window.
And he was smiling.
A thin, mocking grin that showed he had done it on purpose.
"That's Davion…" Jared muttered, his face dropping. "Ryder's guy. He loves provoking people."
Leo swallowed hard. "I told you. This is getting crazy."
The teacher hurried out of the classroom.
"I'm going to check the situation. No one leaves this room. Understood?"
Whispers erupted instantly.
"They've gone too far…"
"They're just trying to drag us down."
"If this becomes a big issue, BIPS will lose ranking again…"
Alex glanced at the shattered glass on the floor, then back at Davion below.
That grin…
It wasn't random mischief.
It was intentional. Calculated.
Jared leaned toward Alex without taking his eyes off the window.
"If Davion is already involved… this isn't just about ranking. Someone higher is pulling strings."
Alex narrowed his eyes.
"From The Cooperation?"
Leo nodded nervously.
"Yeah… and this is just the beginning."
Down below, Davion kept staring at their classroom window—
still wearing that small, taunting smile.
The teacher immediately called in several other staff members for support. Before they could even step outside, a loud crash echoed from the far end of the hallway—
the windows at the back suddenly shattered all at once.
Everyone jumped in shock.
Down below, one of the boys — a dark-skinned student from the rival school — stood with a small stone still in his hand. He gave a thin, mocking smile as if proud of what he had done.
The staff didn't hesitate. They stormed toward the entrance, raising their voices firmly.
"Enough! All of you leave this area right now!"
"You're trespassing on school property!"
"If you don't stop this immediately, we will report your names to the police!"
The moment the boys heard the word police, their smirks faded. A few tried to act tough, but their steps slowly retreated. One by one, they backed away from the gate, muttering under their breath before finally disappearing down the street.
Inside, the teacher exhaled, trying to calm himself.
"That could've gotten worse," he murmured. "Everyone, stay inside until we're sure the area is clear."