As the bell rang, Kaizen exclaimed, "Come on, Akane, let's hurry and find Rex. He didn't even show up to class. I have so many questions for him!"
Akane responded, "Whoa, whoa, chill out. I know you're upset, but calm down first."
Kaizen retorted, "I can't calm down. He pretended not to know me!"
Akane added, "Yeah, but I haven't seen that boy in my previous days here. It's only been a week since I joined, but I haven't seen anyone named Rex in class. Maybe his name isn't Rex."
Kaizen insisted, "But he is Rex, my childhood friend. I know it's him. But why is he acting like this? I thought he would be happy to see me. That's pathetic."
"Let's go now, let's find him, Akane," Kaizen said.
"Alright, alright, let's go," Akane replied, somewhat exasperated. "We'll find him."
As they searched for Rex, the tension between Kaizen's confusion and Akane's uncertainty lingered in the air.
Kaizen devised a plan: "Let's split up. You search the upper floor, and I'll check the lower floor."
Akane agreed, "Okay, let's do it, brat."
As they went their separate ways, Kaizen accidentally bumped into a girl, causing her snacks to spill onto the ground. "Whoa, sorry about that! I was in a hurry," Kaizen apologized.
The girl, visibly frightened, hurriedly tried to gather her snacks. "It's okay, I can manage," she replied timidly.
Kaizen noticed the torn uniform, broken glasses, and the fear in her eyes. He knew something was wrong.
Before he could inquire further, a group of girls approached, shouting insults. "Hey, four eyes! What took you so long? You useless piece of trash! Where are our snacks?" they jeered.
The frightened girl stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I fell..."
Kaizen's mind raced with confusion and guilt. "Why is she shouldering all the blame? It was my fault her snacks fell. I bumped into her first."
Kaizen stepped back, observing the scene unfold.
The leader of the girl group noticed some of the snacks were dirty. Enraged, she slapped the girl across the face. "You idiot! You made the snacks dirty, you ugly four eyes!" she yelled, continuing to strike her.
Kaizen couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He felt a mix of anger and helplessness as he watched the girl endure the abuse.
The leader of the group seized the glasses from the girl and callously placed them on the ground, ready to crush them underfoot. Kaizen acted swiftly, grabbing the glasses and intervening.
"Mai mai ma'am! Why are you treating your friend like this? These glasses are already damaged, why break them further?"
Kaizen returned the glasses to the trembling girl, reassuring her, "You're okay now. Stay back here, I've got you."
The bullied girl silently retreated, grateful for Kaizen's intervention.
Infuriated by Kaizen's interference, the group leader lashed out. "Who do you think you are? Mind your own business!"
Undeterred, Kaizen stood his ground. "Ma'am, what's with the harsh tone? I'm Kaizen, the new transfer student. You'll remember my name."
The group of girls continued their tirade, demanding the bullied girl's return. "Stop with the formal talk! Give her back to us!"
One of the girls from the group sneered, "Hey, four eyes, get over here! I'm not done with you yet. You deserve more for your mistake."
The glasses girl, visibly trembling, hesitated.
Kaizen's gaze hardened. "Watch your tone. You've already inflicted enough harm. Lay a hand on her again, and you'll regret it. You ugly group of shits! I won't say it again. Get the hell out of here or I'll make you!"
The bully girls, taken aback and a bit fearful of Kaizen's fierceness, exchanged nervous glances and hastily retreated, leaving behind a warning. "You'll regret this, kid. What you did today won't go unpunished."
With the bullies gone, the atmosphere eased slightly, though tension still lingered in the air.
Kaizen approached the bullied girl with concern etched on his face. "Are you okay now, ma'am?"
The girl nervously nodded. "Yeah, thank you for helping. But you shouldn't have fought them for me. Rose, the one who was bullying me, is the principal's daughter. You're in big trouble now."
"Whoa, whoa, let's get you to the medical room first," Kaizen suggested, gently guiding her. He led her to the college's medical room, where they cleaned her up.
After the ordeal, the girl looked at Kaizen with gratitude. "Thank you so much for your help. But I'm worried about you now. You might get suspended for standing up to Rose."
"Don't worry, trust me, I know what to do in these situations," Kaizen reassured her. "My name is Kaizen. And you haven't told me your name."
The girl, Yui, looked nervous. "Sorry, sorry. My name is Yui. I'm from batch 2-C."
Kaizen nodded, realizing they were in the same batch but different sections. "Interesting. Why were those girls bullying you?" he inquired.
Yui hesitated before responding, "It's... complicated. It's mainly because of my looks and the fact that I'm not great at making friends. When I joined this college, I was excited, thinking I'd make lots of friends. But after a few months, everyone started treating me like a nerd, and Rose, the principal's daughter, started bullying me, making me do her tasks. She even threatened to get me suspended if I didn't obey her."
Kaizen shook his head in disbelief. "That girl has some nerve to blackmail you like that."
Yui nodded sadly. "There are several groups in this college where students who are considered weak or unattractive get bullied."
Kaizen pondered silently. "So that's why I saw Tazz beating up that student on the terrace yesterday. And Rex... Ah man I forgot all about him. He's probably being bullied too, although he's strong. I know him, he wouldn't let himself be bullied."
Kaizen pressed Yui for the names of the groups. "Tell me the names, quick."
Yui froze, her face pale with fear. She stood frozen in place. "No... no... wait... they're gonna... they're gonna..."
"Hey, Yui, are you alright?" Kaizen asked, stepping closer.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed from outside the medical room door.