Soon, the school security arrived. They apprehended my uncle and his companions, who offered no resistance. It was hard for me to see my uncle being taken away like that.
Yet, my uncle remained defiant, keeping his head held high. He had struck Arnold and spoken to me in front of the other teachers. At that moment, I understood the concept of "one person bears the consequences of their actions." If I could handle things on my own, why would I drag my uncle into it?
"Uncle!" Tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes.
"Go wash your face and get back to class. Don't worry, no one will dare to expel you, unless I'm dead!" With that final sentence, my uncle was led away. I wiped my tears and nodded resolutely.
As I washed my face in the restroom and looked at my reflection in the mirror, I made a firm decision. From now on, I would take responsibility for my own actions. I wouldn't burden my uncle anymore, and I wouldn't allow anyone to bully me again.
When I returned to the classroom, everyone looked at me with surprise. I walked to the back row of the classroom and casually grabbed Adrian's book. I crossed out his name on the first page and replaced it with "Jim."
The morning passed by without seeing Adrian and Bill, but the entire school was buzzing with rumors about me. These rumors included the incident where I had someone confront Arnold, and as these stories spread, they became increasingly twisted with various versions.
The most peculiar version claimed that I had connections to the criminal world, that my father was a powerful figure in the underworld, capable of summoning several truckloads of people with just a phone call. It even suggested that the school was afraid to take any action against me...
In reality, my parents were honest individuals who led a modest life. They had never been involved in any conflicts throughout their lives. However, my uncle often joked that the alias for honest people was 'inept', but I didn't agree with that.
Although the unreliable rumors circulated around the school, I hadn't heard any news of being expelled. The class teacher, the old woman, had not made an appearance either. However, I couldn't shake the anxiety in my heart, wondering if the school might still decide to expel me, especially with the involvement of the Vice Principal, Arnold...
As the school day neared noon, the loudspeaker blared to life, announcing Class 6 of Grade 9. I heard my name, but the content of the announcement took me by surprise.
The announcement didn't mention the fight at all. Instead, it urged students to focus on unity and friendship among themselves. It was as if nothing had ever happened!
I couldn't help but wonder what kind of connections my uncle had used to suppress such a significant incident.
During the lunch break, after having my meal, I returned to the dormitory alone. The other students in the dormitory avoiding eye contact with me. This sudden change caught me off guard.
I didn't know if they were afraid of me or Adrian and were avoiding me because of that. But, to be honest, it didn't matter to me. Given the situation, I just lay down on my bed and drifted into a deep sleep.
When I woke up, it was already 6 in the evening. I had slept through the entire afternoon, and surprisingly, no one had come to wake me up. I had never skipped a class before, but I was actually enjoying this feeling.
After having a little something to eat, I went to an internet cafe outside the school by myself. I avoided the FX Internet Cafe; the incident with Gary was still unresolved, and I didn't want to get into another fight.
Truth be told, I had never enjoyed fighting. From childhood to adulthood, I had never actively sought out trouble.
Besides, it was such a hot day. Sitting in the internet cafe, sipping on a drink, and playing a couple of ranked matches sounded like bliss. Who in their right mind would want to fight when they could be enjoying such comfort? Perhaps I might even be able to meet a pretty girl and have some romantic adventures. Who needs to fight ?
It was my first time at the BS Internet Cafe. The environment was far superior to regular internet cafes, and the air conditioning was on full blast.
With the little money I had left, I paid for a membership. I even used up the money I had set aside for lunch. But satisfying my desires came first!
I found an available private booth, turned on the computer, and logged in. If it weren't for the fear of bumping into Gary, I wouldn't have wanted to spend this extra money on a private booth. It was expensive!
I noticed that the desktop was populated with information about all the LOL players in the internet cafe. I could even chat directly from the desktop. All the game skins were available for free. It was an instant upgrade, and I felt like I hadn't wasted my money on the internet fees.
Among the list of accounts, a few IDs caught my eye: Carol, Monica, and Sonia. My mind immediately went to Shirley's group of girls. I thought, could it really be this coincidental?
But then again, there were only two internet cafes near the school. It wasn't too strange to bump into someone from the same area. What really caught my attention was a chat message on the desktop calling for people to team up and play. The ID belonged to Sonia!
With a mischievous grin, I rubbed my hands together and sent Sonia a friend request. She accepted almost instantly and invited me to join a game room. I thought to myself that high-ranking game IDs were probably useful. If I played well, maybe I could even catch the admiration of a beautiful girl and embark on an online romance.
With headphones on, listening to the DJ, I threw myself into the game, fully indulging in it. If you were to ask what made LOL grow so quickly, it was undoubtedly securing kills! The more kills you secured, the higher your rank in the game. That's just how the game worked. Whoever progressed faster was the king!
After playing for a while and securing twenty-one kills, I was in high spirits. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned around, I was dumbfounded.
Three determined girls stood there, hands on their hips, faces filled with anger. The girl in front, wearing overalls and with long hair, I recognized as Monica, the one who had intervened to stop others from fighting me.
"It's actually you! How do you play the game? Why do you always steal my kills?"
Facing Monica's questioning, I swallowed nervously, avoiding her gaze. I had never imagined they would find me at the internet cafe. It just didn't make sense.
"Yeah, why do you always steal my kills? And you're even ranked high! Ridiculous!"
The girl in red shorts behind her shot me a contemptuous glance. I knew she was Sonia. The one who was likely to be Carol kept trying to calm them down. She looked really young and timid.
In this moment, I couldn't find the right words to say. My uncle had once advised me that when caught in the act, the best response was to stay silent. Explaining only made things seem like a cover-up, and not being honest led to consequences...
"Let's forget it. It's just a game. Let's head back quickly." Carol, dressed in a white T-shirt, muttered softly, constantly pulling Monica and Sonia away. I was drenched in cold sweat, hoping these girls would leave soon. I genuinely couldn't handle it!