“Say that again. I dare you.”
With Henry coming to a halt, the rest of Class Six followed suit.
Elena immediately grabbed his arm. “Ignore them! Don’t start anything.”
“‘We’? Elena, you’ve been in Class Six for a day, and it’s already we now?”
Zayden’s voice dripped with sarcasm, his eyes full of contempt.
Elena frowned. “Zayden, don’t stir things up.”
Sarah put on her usual wounded act. “Elena, why are you defending Class Six? Don’t forget-you’re coming back to us eventually.”
Zayden’s voice turned colder. “So what if I am stirring things up? Elena, you chose to go to Class Six. You dragged your name-and ours-through the mud.”
“Yeah, we must be cursed to have someone like you. Volunteering to go to Class Six? What, you think they’re better than us?”
Class One students always thought highly of themselves.
Comparing them to Class Six was an insult.
“Elena, stop hanging around these punks. They’re not good people.”
“You little-“
Henry raised a fist.
Elena jumped in front of him.
If it escalated, the punishment would definitely fall on Class Six-not Class One.
“What now? Trying to start something?”
Colton and Lewis stepped forward.
Just the sight of them made some Class One kids back off.
Especially when Nolan joined them.
The Nolan.
The one who’d done time.
Even Sarah clammed up, stealing a worried glance at Zayden.
Because the confrontation had stalled both groups, the PE teacher blew his whistle and jogged over.
“Move it! What are you all standing around for? Run!”
As the teacher approached, Henry pointed a finger at Zayden and the rest of Class One.
“Next time, don’t talk to us like you’re better than we are. Who the hell do you think you are?”
Colton glared at them. “Whoever was trashing Class Six-don’t run after school. I’ll find you.”
Then, turning back, Colton did something unexpected.
He looked at Elena. “You. Run with me in the front.”
Elena blinked in confusion.
Lewis smiled gently. “Come with us. It’ll keep them from messing with you.”
“…Thanks.”
Elena moved forward with them. But as she passed Nolan, he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Her skin prickled with goosebumps.
Nolan gave her a cold glance. “You. Run with me.”
She had no choice but to fall in line beside him.
These tall guys each took two strides for every one of hers. At first, she kept pace-but she soon started to struggle.
Nolan must’ve noticed, because he gradually slowed down.
Only then could Elena catch her breath.
“Why did you agree to switch tests?”
One sentence from Nolan made her heart stop.
He knows?
Her breath hitched-and she nearly stumbled.
Just as Elena nearly tripped, Nolan grabbed the back of her collar and yanked her upright.
She barely avoided falling, but her chest still burned from the strain in her breath.
“I asked you a question.”
Nolan’s presence was suffocating.
Though he was just a teenager, he exuded a sense of authority far beyond his years.
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Elena tried to brush him off.
But Nolan leaned in, voice low and expressionless. “I saw it.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
“I saw you switch papers during the last exam.”
Her eyes widened in shock.
He saw it? That couldn’t be. Sarah had always chosen the blind spot-areas with no cameras, no monitoring.
Nolan didn’t miss the flicker of panic in her eyes.
“There’s no one in Class Six who can bully you.”
He didn’t press her further. Instead, he flicked her forehead lightly and said, “Keep running.”
Elena followed him in a daze.
He’s known all along. But he didn’t expose her.
Why?
“Elena! Hurry up! You’re falling behind!”
Henry jogged beside her, nudging her forward with a grin.
Thanks to what had happened earlier, Class Six had unexpectedly taken her in. The resistance from this morning was gone.
Even Colton, who hadn’t been friendly before, made sure to run behind her, blocking Class One’s line of sight.
…
At lunch, a few of the Class Six boys hauled their boxed meals into the classroom.
There were only sixteen students in Class Six. The cafeteria delivered meals based on class headcount.
Since Elena had just transferred in, her name hadn’t been added yet. There was no meal for her.
If she wanted to eat, she’d have to go back to Class One to get it.
And those people? They weren’t going to make it easy.
“Eat mine!”
Henry shoved his boxed lunch toward her.
Elena shook her head. “It’s yours. I can’t take it.”
“We’re all one family in Class Six. No need to divide what’s yours and mine. Besides, I worked up a sweat during PE-I’m not hungry anyway.”
He opened the lid and pushed it closer. “Eat up. You’re still growing. You won’t get taller if you don’t eat.”
His easy smile warmed her heart. It was hard to imagine this was the same Henry who’d been ready to throw punches an hour ago.
Outside the door, a few girls from Class One appeared, staring at Elena with smug, mocking expressions.
Clearly, they were waiting for something to happen.
Elena’s eyes darkened.
“Elena, Sarah asked us to bring you your lunch.”
One girl raised a boxed meal in her hand, her face haughty and smug.
Elena didn’t need to guess to know what was coming.
“Ignore them. Tomorrow your name will be in the system. They won’t have any reason to mess with you anymore,” Henry muttered, gesturing to her to eat.
But Elena stood up and walked straight toward the door.
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