Isa leaned back in his chair, a smirk plastered across his face as his classmates chatted around him. Life in Form 1 was predictable—classes, recess, and finding ways to entertain himself in between. Unfortunately, his idea of "fun" often involved teasing others.
Today, his target had been Stacy. Quiet, shy, and always sitting in the back, she had seemed like an easy mark. All he did was joke about her voice, mimicking her soft tone during class. He didn't think it was that big of a deal. But when she teared up during recess, the guilt never even crossed his mind.
Joseph, his best friend, nudged him. "You know, you might've gone too far this time, bro."
"Relax. It's not like I hurt her. People need to toughen up," Isa replied, brushing it off.
Joseph sighed, shaking his head. "If you say so."
The carefree moment didn't last. As they were walking back to class after lunch, Zul, a towering Form 3 student, blocked their path. Two other boys stood on either side of him, arms crossed and glaring. Isa's smirk faltered for the first time.
"Isa," Zul said, his voice low and deliberate. "I heard what you said to Stacy."
Isa swallowed but tried to keep his cool. "It was just a joke. Don't take it so seriously."
Zul stepped closer, his presence alone making Isa take a step back. "You think it's funny making my girl cry? You're gonna regret it. After school, belakang block D. We'll settle this like men."
Isa's stomach twisted into a knot. Zul wasn't just any senior; he was known for getting into fights. Winning fights.
Joseph grabbed Isa's arm as the seniors walked away, laughing. "You're screwed, man. You can't fight Zul!"
"No way I'm fighting him!" Isa hissed. "You think I'm stupid? I'll just avoid him after school."
Joseph raised an eyebrow. "Avoid him? Good luck. Zul doesn't let things go, and the whole school will find out if you run."
Despite the warning, Isa's plan was already forming. As the final bell rang, he grabbed his bag and made a beeline for the back gate. His heart pounded as he glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Zul. But the coast was clear.
He reached the back fence, which was taller than he remembered, and began climbing. His hands slipped on the rough metal, but adrenaline kept him moving. When he finally made it over, his uniform was ripped, and his palms were scraped, but he was free.
"I'm not stupid enough to fight a Form 3," he muttered to himself as he jogged home.
---
The next day, Isa kept his head down, avoiding any place Zul might be. Unfortunately, fate wasn't on his side.
During lunch, he and Joseph were walking past the science labs when Zul appeared again, his expression darker than before.
"You really thought you could run away?" Zul's voice was cold, and his friends stood behind him, smirking.
Isa froze, his stomach churning. "I wasn't running. I had… something to do yesterday."
"Bullsh*t," Zul snapped. "We're doing this now."
Isa glanced at Joseph, who looked just as terrified. "Man, let's talk this out—"
Zul wasn't interested in talking. He grabbed Isa by the collar and shoved him backward. Isa stumbled, barely managing to stay on his feet.
"Hit him!" one of Zul's friends called out.
Isa panicked. He didn't know how to fight. His fists clenched awkwardly, and before he could figure out what to do, Zul's punch landed square on his cheek. The force sent Isa sprawling onto the pavement.
"Fight back, Isa!" Joseph shouted from the sidelines, but his voice was drowned out by the cheering crowd that had gathered.
Isa struggled to get up, his head spinning. Zul didn't give him a chance. A kick to his ribs sent him crashing back down. Pain exploded through his side, and he gasped for air.
"Come on, this is pathetic," one of Zul's friends sneered.
Isa's vision blurred as he tried to crawl away, but Zul grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him up again. The punches kept coming, each one worse than the last.
"Leave him alone!" Joseph yelled, running forward.
Zul turned to face him, smirking. "What? You wanna get in on this too?"
Joseph didn't hesitate. He tackled Zul, sending both of them crashing to the ground. The crowd erupted into chaos, with students shouting and phones recording the fight.
From a distance, another student watched. Harry stood under the shade of a tree, his face unreadable. His sharp eyes followed every punch, every kick, but he made no move to step in.
Isa, bloodied and barely conscious, looked up and saw Harry standing there. A flicker of hope surged in his chest. Maybe Harry would help. Maybe someone would step in before this got worse.
But Harry didn't move.
"Harry…" Isa's voice was weak, barely audible.
Harry's gaze stayed locked on him, but his feet stayed planted.
The last thing Isa saw before the world went black was Zul's fist coming toward him again.
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