Bryan had been shaking Amir awake when he heard Sarah's question. He paused slightly and turned his head. "Exactly what it sounds like."
"What?!"
Sarah's expression shifted to shock. She spoke urgently, "You're saying the school knows what's been happening, but—"
She pointed toward the direction they'd co from, then looked back at Bryan, unable to finish her sentence.
Looking at her expression, Bryan naturally understood what she was trying to say. That area had no visible surveillance caras, and the uniford man had arrived suspiciously late—none of it looked like the school had been watching.
"The caras you can see are just for show."
Seeing Sarah gaping like a fish, clearly trying to form words that wouldn't co, Bryan found it almost painful to watch. He temporarily set aside what he was doing and stood up to explain:
"Hidden caras, soldiers, teachers, administrators—even so students. Those are what actually monitor us. As for those obvious surveillance caras mounted up high? They're just there to make us let our guard down."
"..."
Sarah listened to Bryan's explanation but still found it hard to believe. After thinking for a mont, she imdiately found an apparent flaw in his reasoning. "If it's really like you say—they see everything but don't want to intervene—then what about that man who showed up and chased everyone away?"
"Tch, I called him."
Seeing Sarah's stubborn expression that said she still didn't believe him, Bryan felt a laugh bubbling up. He stepped forward and pinched her smooth cheek. "Good. You should learn to think things through. Don't charge in headfirst like so bull."
Then he turned to look at Dick and Allen standing nearby. "Sa goes for you two!"
"Okay!"
"Got it."
Hearing their halfhearted responses, Bryan rolled his eyes in exasperation. If they weren't standing so far away, he'd definitely plant a kick on each of their backsides.
"You called him?" Sarah ignored the tangent. When she heard Bryan say he'd summoned the guard, her surprise returned. "How?"
"That's right."
Bryan nodded slowly, his gaze drifting toward the library. "When I was in the library, I heard all that shouting and knew what was happening. I wasn't planning to get involved."
He shot a pointed glare at Allen. "But then I turned around, and you'd all vanished. I know your personality too well—you see sothing like that, you absolutely have to do sothing about it. So when I passed the front desk on my way out, I reported it. I was hoping to stop the fight before you actually started throwing punches."
A helpless expression crossed his face as he continued, "I thought you'd at least observe your opponents first before deciding how to act. But no—next thing I knew, fists were already flying."
For so reason, seeing Bryan's exasperated look made Sarah feel better instead of worse. She smiled and asked, "So why didn't you co out and stop us yourself?"
"Tch. Once the fight had already started, what good would stopping it do?"
Bryan clicked his tongue. "Since it couldn't be undone, I figured I'd let you fight to your heart's content. Call it practical combat experience. From what I can see, you and Dick both know how to avoid your weaknesses and play to your strengths—unlike Allen over there, who's all brawn and no brain."
Allen wasn't far enough away to miss the insult. He heard every word and puffed out his cheeks in annoyance, though he didn't argue back. He just turned his head away, clearly still nursing his wounded pride.
Raising his head to look at the sky that was about to go dark, Bryan had Sarah and the other two return to the library to retrieve the books they'd left behind, then head back to the dorms to rest early.
Then he turned around and looked at Amir lying half-dead on the bench, preparing to wake him and take him back to the dorm.
Just then, Sarah recalled what Bryan had said earlier. After mulling it over, she suddenly thought of sothing and asked in confusion, "What you said about the school not wanting to manage things... what did you an?"
"I already told you—exactly what it sounds like."
Looking at Sarah's mouth hanging wide open, clearly having thought of sothing but unable to articulate it, Bryan found it extrely uncomfortable to watch. He stood up from what he was doing and explained:
"Hidden caras, soldiers, teachers, administrators—even so students. Those are what actually monitor everything here. As for those obvious surveillance caras up high? They're just there to lower our guard."
"..."
Hearing Bryan's explanation, Sarah still found it hard to believe. After thinking for a mont, she imdiately found an apparent flaw in his logic. "If everything you say is true—if they see everything but don't want to step in—then why did that guard show up and break things up?"
"Tch. I called him."
Seeing Sarah's stubborn I still don't buy it expression, Bryan couldn't help but smile. He stepped forward and pinched her smooth cheek. "Good. You should question things. Think it through. Don't go charging in blind."
Then he turned to Dick and Allen. "Sa goes for you two!"
"Sure!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Their lackluster responses earned an eye-roll from Bryan. If they weren't standing so far away, he'd definitely kick them both.
"You called him?" Sarah latched onto that detail, surprise returning to her face.
"Yeah."
Bryan nodded, his gaze drifting toward the library. "I was inside reading when I heard the commotion. Figured out what was happening. I wasn't planning to get involved."
He shot a aningful look at Allen. "Then I turned around and all three of you had vanished. I know how you are—you see sothing like that, you can't help yourself. So I reported it on my way out, hoping to shut things down before you actually started swinging."
His expression turned exasperated. "I thought you'd at least size up the opposition first. Nope. Next thing I knew, you were already throwing punches."
For so reason, Bryan's frustration made Sarah feel oddly pleased. She grinned. "So why didn't you co stop us yourself?"
"Please. Once you'd already started fighting, what was the point?"
Bryan clicked his tongue. "Since there was no going back, might as well let you get it out of your system. Call it practical combat training. Looking at it now, you and Dick both played to your strengths and avoided your weaknesses. Unlike soone who just charged in like a bull, only figured out to adapt after watching everyone else. Completely brainless."
Standing within earshot, Allen definitely heard. His cheeks puffed with indignation, but he didn't talk back—just turned away, clearly nursing wounded pride.
Glancing at the darkening sky, Bryan sent Sarah and the others to retrieve their abandoned books, then return to their dorms to rest.
He watched them until they disappeared into the evening darkness. Then he turned back to Amir on the bench and woke him. Amid the boy's pained groans and complaints, Bryan supported him as they walked slowly toward the dormitory.
...
The Next Day
The first thing Bryan did upon waking was check on Amir's condition.
But when he climbed out of bed, he found his roommate already awake, sitting at the edge of his own bed. Amir stared at nothing, eyes hollow and unfocused, his whole deanor radiating defeat. How long he'd been sitting there, Bryan couldn't say.
Surprised to find him up so early, Bryan asked with genuine concern, "How's your body feeling? Are you okay? Want to ask Devin to excuse you for the day?"
"No need. I'm fine..."
Hearing Bryan's voice, so focus returned to Amir's empty gaze. He turned his head slightly, hesitated, then said, "About yesterday... thank you."
"Didn't think you knew how to say thanks."
Hearing Amir actually say thank you, Bryan felt genuinely surprised. Since they'd first been assigned as roommates, he'd helped Amir plenty of tis but had never once heard those words from him.
Not that he'd needed to hear them—but the absence had left an odd taste. Now, finally hearing the acknowledgnt, it really was... unexpected.
"Don't thank . If you're going to thank anyone, thank Sarah and the others—the three who actually stepped in to help you. To be honest, if it weren't for them getting involved, I really had no intention of interfering in this matter, even if the one being attacked was you."
"..."
Hearing this, Amir's expression showed no change. He simply sat there, head bowed, silent.
The room fell quiet. Both of them sat on their respective beds, neither speaking. Ti seed to freeze in that mont.
"Want revenge?"
Bryan finally broke the silence. He lifted his blanket and climbed down from his bed, reaching for his clothes. He dressed while talking.
Without waiting for Amir to answer, he continued: "I'm guessing yesterday wasn't the first ti those guys went after you. And from how surprised they were when you fought back, you'd never resisted before. But yesterday you did. That kid who crouched down to whisper in your ear—I'm betting he said sothing that pushed you over the edge."
Hearing what Bryan said, Amir seed to recall sothing terrible. His fists suddenly clenched tight. His previously expressionless face twisted into sothing savage and terrifying. He slowly raised his head, looking at Bryan. "You want to help ?"
"Yes and no."
Having finished dressing, Bryan slowly folded his blanket. "I won't help you beat them up. But I can help you train—make you stronger. You'll have to take your own revenge. So what do you say... deal?"
Staring fixedly at Bryan's back, Amir's savage expression slowly faded. Then he raised his head, staring blankly at the ceiling of the dorm room. After a mont of silence, he slowly spoke:
"Deal."
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