When the school bus pulled up on campus, Kira got off and headed toward the locker room. She was inside when she suddenly heard laughter echoing through the hallway.
Turning around, she saw a group of girls and boys laughing at Clifford Henderson, who was scrambling on the floor, hurriedly gathering his textbooks and notebooks while mumbling, "I'm sorry, sorry."
Kira's expression changed as her wolf Aya, full of excitement, called out, "Mate!"
Her gaze shifted to Clifford, who stopped what he was doing, lifted his head, and looked directly at Kira.
Those eyes—those eyes—weren't ordinary. Kira was certain of it.
Without hesitation, she briskly walked over to Clifford, grabbed his arm, and dragged him into the restroom. She forced him into the girls' bathroom and pressed him against the wall.
"Have you been pretending to be weak?" Kira asked coldly.
Clifford avoided her piercing gaze, adjusted his glasses, and replied, "I'm not pretending."
A flicker of a smirk played on Kira's lips as she realized he was still trying to lie, even when it was obvious he wasn't being truthful. Without a word, she raised her arm and scratched five marks into the wall.
She motioned for Clifford to look at them. When he did, Kira said softly, "You're just like me."
Clifford went silent, refusing to meet her eyes. Kira's lips curled into a slight smile as she added, "You're my mate. That makes you just like me— reject me!"
"No," Clifford shot back coldly.
His words stunned her for a moment, but she continued, her tone intimidating. "If you don't do it, I'll keep bullying you, treat you worse, and let everyone know you're my boyfriend."
His eyes widened in shock at her words—being her "boyfriend" meant risking a war with half the boys in school, who were crazy about Kira, and some girls who saw her as a role model.
Seeing his reaction, Kira chuckled softly before turning to leave. Clifford hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly stepped out, only to hear a girl gasp as she looked at him with suspicion.
Feeling embarrassed and guilty, Clifford lowered his head and mumbled, "Sorry," before quickly walking away, eager to get out of there.
After Kira returned to the classroom and stayed until lunch break, she finally stepped out with Sophia walking beside her.
"Kira, there's talk going around the school that they saw you with Clifford in the restroom. Is it true?" Sophia asked, her eyes wide with surprise. She had known Kira for years and knew how much she disliked men, so the news caught her off guard—especially if Kira was sneaking around with Clifford.
Kira lowered her head shyly, trying to hide her face, then hesitated before raising her voice. "Yes. Don't tell anyone, but... Clifford and I are dating. We're in a relationship," she said loudly, making sure at least ten students behind her overheard.
Sophia looked at her in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard, and Kira didn't offer any further explanation.
Suddenly, a harsh voice cut through the air. "Get out of the way, bitch!" a girl screamed from the doorway.
As Kira looked up, her gaze fell on a group of boys wearing chains, striding toward her, while a girl sat on the floor crying.
Kira's expression hardened when she saw the girl had been pushed. Without hesitation, she hurried forward and confronted the boys.
She demanded coldly, "Apologize to her now!"
The group of boys looked at her in shock—stunned at her words, size, and clenched fists. Their amusement only grew as they look at her.
"Bitch, do you do home service? I wouldn't mind paying a few dollars for it," one of them taunted with a smirk.
Kira ignored the insult, her voice firm. "Apologize to her," she repeated.
One of the boys snapped, "What are you gonna do if we don't? Make us regret it? Beat us up? Report us to the school authorities?"
Laughter erupted among the boys after that, but Kira remained unfazed. "I'm going to beat you up," she said plainly.
Without hesitation, she lunged forward and threw a punch, knocking one of them to the ground. She swiftly turned to the others, delivering punches and kicks that sent two more sprawling onto the floor, crying in pain.
Turning to the girl on the ground, Kira extended her hand. The girl looked up, her face flushed, and as she saw Kira's serious expression, she hesitated.
"I don't do girls," the girl whispered meaningfully.
Kira understood immediately and replied sincerely, "I have a boyfriend. His name is Clifford Henderson."
Clifford Henderson was carefully selecting a book from the library shelves when he suddenly sneezed for the tenth time. He instinctively touched his nose, puzzled by the relentless sneezing. If he had known the entire school was talking about him, he wouldn't have been surprised.
"You are Clifford Henderson?" a voice suddenly asked.
Startled, Clifford looked up to see a boy smiling at him. He nodded cautiously.
"Yes," he replied.
"Come with me," the boy said, turning on his heel and walking away.
Clifford hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow. They moved toward the library restroom area. As soon as they stepped inside, the door was slammed shut behind them and locked with a click.
Turning around, Clifford saw eight boys surrounding him, their faces grim and intimidating.
"Are you Kira's boyfriend, huh?" one of them asked coldly. His eyes flashed with annoyance. He liked Kira a lot and had tried to win her over multiple times, but she had always refused him. Now, she had chosen a bookworm like Clifford over him, and that made him furious.
"Who said so?" Clifford asked, confusion flickering across his face. Then, suddenly, a memory hit him—Kira's words, her warning echoing in his mind.
Before he could process it further, one of the boys snapped, "Why are you wasting time? Just do it already! There's no more time to lose!"
Clifford instinctively stepped back, trying to escape, but he was quickly grabbed by several boys. They kicked him to the floor, punching and kicking him relentlessly until they grew tired. When they finally stopped, they left him lying there, battered and bruised.
But what they didn't realize was that Clifford's injuries had already healed—the wounds vanished as quickly as they appeared, leaving no trace of the attack.