Kyle stood outside the school gates, shifting his weight from foot to foot. The afternoon sun was sinking, casting long shadows on the pavement. He sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair, growing increasingly impatient as he glanced at the time on his phone.
"Where is he? Ben should've been here by now..." he muttered, eyes scanning the busy schoolyard, but there was no sign of his best friend. A nagging sense of worry began to gnaw at him. It wasn't like Ben to disappear without a word. Kyle frowned, tapping his foot anxiously.
"Maybe he got caught up in something. I'll just check inside," he thought, his concern pushing him forward.
Without wasting another second, Kyle turned on his heel and headed toward the school building. Walking down the familiar hallways, the sound of his sneakers echoing, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling building in his chest. The corridors were mostly empty now, with just a few students hanging around their lockers or chatting in small groups. But Ben was nowhere to be seen.
"Where could he be?" Kyle wondered, checking classrooms one by one and peeking through open doors. His concern grew with every step. Finally, on the second floor, he reached the end of the hallway and noticed something strange. Through the slightly ajar door of an empty classroom, he saw two figures standing close together.
Kyle's breath hitched.
Near the back of the room, Ben was pressed against the wall, looking pale and terrified. His usually cheerful expression was replaced by wide, fearful eyes. In front of him stood a tall boy, his hand planted against the wall beside Ben's head, leaning in dangerously close.
The tall boy was handsome—almost annoyingly so—with sharp features, tousled dark hair, and a lean, athletic build. His school uniform was slightly untucked, giving him a careless, arrogant look. The smirk on his face made Kyle's blood boil.
"What the hell? Is he... bullying Ben?" Kyle thought, fury flaring up in his chest. He clenched his fists, heart pounding, and without thinking, bolted into the room.
"Hey! Get away from him!" Kyle shouted, his voice ringing through the empty classroom.
The tall boy barely had time to react before Kyle's foot collided with his side in a swift kick. The force knocked the boy off balance, and he staggered backward, crashing to the ground with a thud.
Ben gasped, his hands flying to his mouth in shock. "K-Kyle!" he stammered, eyes wide.
Kyle's chest heaved with adrenaline as he stood protectively in front of Ben, glaring down at the fallen boy. The tall boy groaned, sitting up slowly and rubbing his ribs where Kyle had kicked him. The smirk was gone, replaced by a look of surprise and irritation.
"What the hell was that for?" the tall boy gritted out, teeth clenched.
Kyle shot him a fierce glare, fists still clenched tightly. "What do you think? I'm not going to stand by and let you bully my friend!"
The tall boy raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, though a flicker of amusement played in his eyes. He dusted off his uniform and stood up, towering over Kyle by a good few inches. Despite the hit, he didn't look particularly angry—if anything, he looked... intrigued.
"Bully? That's what you think is happening here?" he asked, chuckling slightly.
Kyle's scowl deepened. "I saw you cornering him! Don't try to act innocent now."
The tall boy glanced at Ben, who was still pressed against the wall, looking as though he wanted to disappear. Ben's face flushed, and he averted his gaze, silent and embarrassed. Kyle felt his heart race faster—what if Ben had been too scared to stand up for himself?
"You've got the wrong idea, man. I wasn't bullying him," the tall boy said calmly, his voice steady.
Kyle scoffed, taking a step forward, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Oh really? Then what were you doing?"
For a moment, the tall boy didn't respond. His eyes flicked between Kyle and Ben, then a small smirk curled on his lips again.
"Talking." The word hung in the air, mocking Kyle.
Kyle stared at him, the explanation sounding ridiculous. "Talking? You call that talking? Ben looks like he was scared out of his mind!"
Finally, Ben spoke up, his voice small and shaky. "Kyle... it's fine," he whispered, sounding conflicted.
Kyle turned to his friend, confused. "Fine? How is this fine? He had you backed into a corner!"
Ben lowered his head, biting his lip, fingers fidgeting nervously. "It's not what you think... it's... it's complicated," he admitted, voice barely audible.
Kyle blinked, completely thrown off. "Complicated?" he muttered, trying to piece it together. Before he could say anything else, the tall boy crossed his arms, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"See? Complicated."
Kyle felt his anger flare up again. This guy—whoever he was—was really starting to get under his skin. He stepped closer, looking up at the tall boy's face with narrowed eyes. "I don't care what your excuse is. Stay away from Ben."
The tall boy's smirk widened, a glint of something unreadable in his eyes. "I'll do what I want."