Four students who often bullied Eliza stood blocking their path, as if the school hallway were a small stage they always controlled.
Maya stood at the front, while the three girls behind her lined up like shadows ready to laugh at anything that happened.
"What is this supposed to mean, Maya?" Eliza looked at her with irritation she could hardly hide.
Maya instead showed a pleading expression she never used while bullying.
"Come on, let's play. We're good friends, right?" she said, though the act was painfully fake.
Rio stepped half a pace forward, placing himself between Eliza and her painful past. His hand lifted slightly, signaling that Eliza did not have to face this alone.
"But she already has plans with me," Rio said calmly but firmly.
Maya frowned and stepped closer to Rio with a condescending look.
"Since when did you become so low, Eliz? Aren't we friends? And why are you hanging out with a bullying victim?" Her words were slick, designed to stab.
And she was not done.
"If I remember right, since elementary school, right? You don't even have parents, do you? No place to complain, right?"
The words made the air suddenly tense. Riko panicked immediately, his eyes widening like someone who had just seen lightning strike at his feet.
"Rio…" he said quietly, because he knew how fast Rio could explode if his past or family was touched carelessly.
But Rio stayed silent long enough to make everyone uneasy. Then, with a strange smile and a flat voice, he answered,
"At least I have a brain."
That reply wiped the smile off Maya's face, while Riko let out a long breath. "Thank goodness…" he muttered, though he still watched Rio cautiously.
After that, Rio decided not to give them any more time.
"Let's go…" Rio put an arm around Eliza, intending to lead her away from Maya and her group.
But his steps stopped when Eliza spoke in a small voice. "Because of me, your parents got dragged into this too." The sentence made Rio go still.
He slowly let go of her and said without turning, "What did you say? I didn't hear you." His tone was not angry, but clearly showed he had grown more distant.
Riko, who knew Rio's sensitive side, stepped closer to Eliza.
"He's always like that…" he whispered gently. "But no matter what, he's a good kid." Eliza nodded slowly, though her heart ached a little for accidentally touching a wound she should not have.
Meanwhile, Maya and the three girls behind her began to lose interest when they did not get the reaction they wanted, though Rio's gaze had made them step back half a step.
The hallway finally returned to calm, leaving only the three of them standing, quietly watching out for one another.
Once they left the school gate, the late afternoon atmosphere rolled in like a small marketplace.
Students scattered everywhere, some joking, some running, some trying to look cool in front of their crushes. Rio, Riko, and Eliza walked casually, trying to shake off the tension.
"Thank you, Rio." Eliza stepped closer, trying to express her gratitude.
"For what?" Rio replied with his usual lazy expression, like someone who had just woken up before sunset.
After only a few steps, an unfamiliar yet familiar voice sliced through the air.
"Looks like you're happy."
A tall figure appeared in front of them, with several followers behind him. Their aura felt like a flock of crows claiming the schoolyard as their territory.
Rivaldo and his lackeys.
The words were almost like fate muttering. Rio instinctively clenched his teeth, his face showing a hint of anxiety, but his eyes were already heating up.
Rivaldo walked closer until he stood right in front of Rio. His height forced Rio to look up, but Rio's gaze did not retreat even an inch.
Rivaldo looked down like a predator who thought he had already won before the match began. "So now the dog wants to bite its owner?"
Despite his fear, there was a mad spark in Rio's eyes. A spark that only appeared when he was excited. "Since when does a dog have an ant as its owner?"
The tension rose.
Rio's face tightened, his wide grin stretching like someone ready to play with fire. Riko quickly stepped in front of Rio, intending to shield his friend from what came next.
Rivaldo did not respond immediately. His gaze dropped briefly to Rio's hand, still wrapped in bandages. A thin smile formed, more threat than humor.
"I'll do it next time. Your hand might disappear," he said before turning away, leaving the threat hanging.
Rivaldo had only taken a few steps when Rio's voice cut through the calming afternoon air.
"Why don't we do it tomorrow?"
The challenge came out without hesitation, driven by instinct.
If I don't do it now, I'll never be able to do it at all.
Riko froze beside him, mouth slightly open, as if Rio had just challenged a dragon while his hand was still bandaged. His face clearly said, This has to be a joke. But he could only accept Rio's habit of acting first and thinking later.
Rivaldo stopped and slowly turned back. Laughter burst from his mouth, loud and disbelieving.
His expression shifted, eyes narrowing, lips curling in mockery. He walked back toward Rio casually, as if watching entertainment walk into a tiger's cage. "Has our little coward finally grown brave?"
Their faces were only inches apart. Rivaldo's breath was clear, full of arrogance. But Rio did not move back. His body no longer trembled. A strange courage spread through him like fire finding fuel.
"So? Are you scared?" Rio said steadily, without a shake in his voice. As if he had finally found himself.
The atmosphere tightened. Passing students slowed down, some glancing over, sensing something that would become school gossip for a week.
Rivaldo's face turned serious, his arrogant mask gone.
"I'll wait for you tomorrow on the fourth floor."
Then he truly left with his followers, steps heavy with threat. The evening wind seemed to close their conversation.
The fourth floor was known for having no roof, only railings. It was usually Rivaldo's place to skip class, quiet and slightly eerie for normal students. But to Rio, it looked like a stepping stone.
Eliza stepped closer, holding Rio's bandaged hand.
"Rio… you shouldn't do this."
Her eyes shimmered, not fully crying, but afraid of losing something she had just found.
"Yeah, that's right. You can do it another time," Riko added anxiously.
Rio looked at them and smiled, a real smile from deep in his chest.
"Don't you want freedom, Eliza?"
His gaze was firm. "If I win, we'll never be bullied again. This is an opportunity."
Eliza shook her head. "But you don't need to sacrifice yourself. Your hand is still hurt. What if—"
"You don't need to worry. This is my fight," Rio cut in gently.
They parted at a small intersection near the school park.
Eliza took the right path, glancing back several times. Rio and Riko took the left, the sidewalk washed in orange light. Once Eliza was out of sight, silence settled.
"You're serious?"
"Did I look like I was joking?" Rio stared ahead. "I've waited ten years of being bullied. I won't waste this chance."
Riko stopped walking. "But what if you get hurt? What if you lose? Rivaldo has more experience."
He grabbed Rio's shoulder.
"What if you struggle and lose?"
Rio stopped, then turned with a small smile, eyes closed.
"If I lose… No. I will win."
The words were calm, but they echoed down the quiet road. At that moment, Rio no longer looked like a victim, but someone who had finally found his backbone.
He continued walking home as the evening light faded, the air feeling heavier, as if the world knew that tomorrow would not be ordinary.