When Kaito suddenly hears an angry voice behind him, he shivers.
"Hey! I've never seen you around here before! What did the teacher mean by 'reinstatement'? Have you ever studied here? Who are you?"
Kaito turns around and sees Victor and the rest of his classmates, who analyze him from top to bottom, mixing curiosity and contempt.
However, it would be nice if it was just them. Kaito's entire class is looking at them, as well as a crowd of people outside the room, increasing the pressure on Kaito.
Kaito takes a deep breath, determined to face the situation head-on. He stands up from his chair, dragging it back and faces Victor seriously. "I am Kaito Zhao."
The moment Kaito's last name echoes throughout the quiet room, most of them either widen their eyes or open their mouths.
Everyone seems to freeze for an instant, with their faces expressing shock and disbelief. Kaito Zhao's name resounds like an echo, filling the empty space between them. Next, a loud bang happens.
"What?!" Many in the crowd shout, shocked.
Victor, the bully who once tormented Kaito, still remains stunned for a few moments. His eyes are wide, and his jaw has dropped like a rock. He is unable to articulate any words because the boy who was the biggest target of his taunts and aggression has turned into something completely different from what he imagined possible, no wonder he didn't recognize him.
The other classmates are also perplexed, analyzing the difference between their memories of Kaito and how he is now. His metamorphosis is so extraordinary that it is difficult to compare the image of the fat, ugly boy they remember to the young man before them, who looks like something from a fashion magazine.
Some people in the crowd outside the room are also in total surprise, while others are trying to understand the reaction of the room, wondering who exactly Kaito Zhao is. Some recognize him because in the past he has embarrassed himself in front of everyone several times, but even with a name, it is difficult to remember, after all, it is almost impossible to assimilate that the two are the same person.
As anxious murmurs begin to spread, Victor takes a step backward with sweat dripping down his face. "No, it can't be! That doesn't make the slightest sense!" He exclaims.
"Exactly! There's no way you can be that piglet!" Another bully agrees.
"The other one was much smaller and was, I don't know, forty pounds heavier!"
"But I am, this piglet," Kaito says, looking into Victor's eyes.
Silence settles again in the room, but this time it is different. There is a moment of reflection among those present, and Kaito's words begin to resonate in their minds. The look in Kaito's eyes conveys a mixture of vulnerability and strength, making it evident that he is not seeking approval.
Among his classmates, some are again murmuring among themselves. The crowd outside the room also reacts, and the comments spread like waves.
"It's true, he really looks different now..."
"Did you see the look in his eyes? He seems determined to prove he's changed..."
"I wonder where he was all this time?"
As the debate continues, Victor is still reluctant to accept what he sees and hears. Discomfort overwhelms him and he clenches his fists, but as he raises his head again, he looks into Kaito's eyes and realizes that there is no hatred, quite the contrary, Kaito is incredibly calm. Thus, Victor realizes that this is the first time he has looked directly into Kaito's eyes, as he has always avoided them in the past.
Victor finally sighs, and adopts an expression mixed with disappointment on his face. He lowers his head and mutters:
"I... I want to ask..."
Before Victor can finish his sentence, the crowd outside begins to make a lot of noise, interrupting the conversation, and then a tall, strong man steps out of the crowd, entering the room. He is Instructor Cooper, who writes the martial arts classes.
Instructor Cooper enters the room with a serious, watchful, confused look on his face. He has gray hair, an eye patch over his left eye, and a muscular body despite being over 60 years old. Known for his wisdom and martial arts skills, the students respect and fear him at the same time. His gaze sweeps the room with strangeness, observing the whole situation and feeling the tension in the air.
The murmurs subside, and all eyes turn to him.
"What's going on here?" asks Instructor Cooper. His deep voice echoes through the room, causing all the students in the other rooms to immediately leave the hallway and return to their rooms.
Victor, still shaken by the revelation about Kaito, cannot find the words to answer.
Kaito takes the initiative and speaks truthfully, "Instructor Cooper, my classmates were just asking me why I was gone for so long. It's no big deal."
"And who are you?"
"Kaito Zhao."
Instructor Cooper narrows his eyes, staring at Kaito as if assessing him entirely. He remembers that last name, after all he was always among the last in the rankings of his classes and that's why Kaito was nicknamed by some teachers as 'The Weakest'. Then in a few moments he seems to notice the difference in Kaito, both physically and in his attitude and lets out a diplomatic smile.
"Kaito Zhao... I see that you have changed, not only in appearance but in posture. I have always seen potential in your intelligence, maybe now your body can keep up with you. In any case, I want everyone seated." Instructor Victor states loudly.
Everyone immediately returns to their seats, and Kaito also takes a seat as Cooper approaches his desk and whispers:
"Are you okay?"
Kaito see's the question as unusual, but still, he promptly replies. "Better than ever, sir. Thank you for asking."
Cooper smiles from one corner of his mouth. "That's good to hear, young man..." He says and then turns to speak to the entire room. "I hope you guys aren't feeling cold, because we will be training outside today. So, go to the changing rooms and put on your training clothes. I'll meet you in 15 minutes on the terrace."
Kaito is still a little shocked that Instructor Cooper has treated him well for the first time in his life and that he seems guilty in a way, after all Cooper has seen his bruises so many times in the locker room in the past and never asked a single question about it.
'It seems that thinner and taller people really are treated better.' Kaito thinks, getting up.
'Come on, what are you waiting for! Hurry up! Whoever is late will have to do 200 push-ups!" Cooper says with a smile on his face, evidencing that he is serious, which makes everyone feel a shiver down their spine.