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 come 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 cameras, and the uniformed man had arrived suspiciously late—none of it looked like the school had been watching.
"The cameras you can see are just for show."
Seeing Sarah gaping like a fish, clearly trying to form words that wouldn't come, Bryan found it almost painful to watch. He temporarily set aside what he was doing and stood up to explain:
"Hidden cameras, soldiers, teachers, administrators—even some students. Those are what actually monitor us. As for those obvious surveillance cameras 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 moment, she immediately 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 some bull."
Then he turned to look at Dick and Allen standing nearby. "Same 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 something like that, you absolutely have to do something 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 some reason, seeing Bryan's exasperated look made Sarah feel better instead of worse. She smiled and asked, "So why didn't you come 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 something and asked in confusion, "What you said about the school not wanting to manage things... what did you mean?"
"I already told you—exactly what it sounds like."
Looking at Sarah's mouth hanging wide open, clearly having thought of something but unable to articulate it, Bryan found it extremely uncomfortable to watch. He stood up from what he was doing and explained:
"Hidden cameras, soldiers, teachers, administrators—even some students. Those are what actually monitor everything here. As for those obvious surveillance cameras 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 moment, she immediately 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. "Same 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 meaningful look at Allen. "Then I turned around and all three of you had vanished. I know how you are—you see something 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 some reason, Bryan's frustration made Sarah feel oddly pleased. She grinned. "So why didn't you come 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 someone 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 demeanor 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 me to ask Devin to excuse you for the day?"
"No need. I'm fine..."
Hearing Bryan's voice, some 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 times 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 acknowledgment, it really was... unexpected.
"Don't thank me. 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. Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
"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 time 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 something that pushed you over the edge."
Hearing what Bryan said, Amir seemed to recall something terrible. His fists suddenly clenched tight. His previously expressionless face twisted into something savage and terrifying. He slowly raised his head, looking at Bryan. "You want to help me?"
"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 moment of silence, he slowly spoke:
"Deal."