Chairman Carter tapped his cane once on the polished floor.
"Everyone, sit down."
The room quieted. Even Mrs. Crowne froze mid-huff. Principal Kudo looked like he might faint from relief.
Ethan's parents remained calm, their trust in their son unwavering. His mother only looked at him, checking silently for bruises. His father gave a small nod—ready to take him for another hospital visit the moment this was done.
On the other hand, Mr. Crowne was sweating.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He thought he had control. The principal was weak. The situation was perfect for pressuring the university into quietly burying Ethan's future.
But then the chairman got involved.
He had tried digging into Chairman Carter's background. Nothing. No digital footprint. No records beyond his title. Every investigator came back blank.
Except one.
"If I investigate any further… I'll die," the man had whispered.
Now Mr. Crowne sat in silent dread.
Chairman Carter turned to him. "Let's hear from you, Mr. Crowne."
Before he could speak, his wife barked again, voice shrill.
"That boy tried to kill my Axel! You think we'll just sit and watch? If the university doesn't act, we will ruin him ourselves!"
Ethan's mother's hands curled into fists. For a second, she looked like she might leap across the room and slap the woman into a new dimension.
But Jasmine placed a hand on her arm. "Don't worry, Aunty. Barking dogs don't bite."
Something in her voice calmed Ethan's mom. She sat back with a cold nod.
Mr. Crowne grabbed his wife's arm, hissing, "Enough."
Chairman Carter chuckled.
"Your son's dumb. Just like you."
Mr. Crowne's face twitched.
"He thought he could do whatever he wanted, and his mommy and daddy would clean up after him." Carter paused. "Unfortunately for him, Ethan isn't dumb."
The chairman pulled a folded note from his coat and handed it to Principal Kudo.
"Before going to the rooftop, Ethan gave this to Jasmine. A note from Axel. It clearly says, 'Meet me at the rooftop.' Your son's handwriting."
Mrs. Crowne leaned forward, eyes wide. "That's fake! He copied my son's writing!"
Carter raised a brow. "Ma'am. We have classroom CCTV. It shows Axel writing the note and throwing it at Ethan."
Mrs. Crowne sat back like she'd been hit with a stun grenade.
"And the blade?" Carter continued. "Fingerprint analysis. Only Axel's prints. Nobody else's. Even you can't buy your way around evidence that dumb."
He handed them a copy of the fingerprint report.
The Crownes stared at the paper, pale.
Their son was an idiot.
"Ethan is the victim here," Carter declared. "Your son, and his two friends, are guilty. Once they're released from the hospital, appropriate punishment will be delivered. The matter is closed."
His tone turned icy.
"You may leave."
Mrs. Crowne stood, seething. Mr. Crowne glared at Ethan like he'd personally ended their bloodline.
They left the room in silence, hatred thick in the air.
Ethan's mother exhaled. "Thank you… Chairman Carter. Jasmine. Truly."
Chairman Carter waved her off. "Your son did nothing wrong. In fact, he helped this university more than most faculty members ever have."
Jasmine smirked, turning to Ethan.
"So," she said, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve, "Fighting three guys alone? I knew you were strong, but… I didn't know you were this hot-blooded."
Ethan raised a brow. "What, you into bruised boys now?"
She leaned in slightly. "Only if they know how to dodge blades and look cool doing it."
Ethan laughed softly. "Thanks… ."
Jasmine teased."Next time, let me handle one or two. You don't have to be the hero all the time, you know."
As they exited the office together, Ethan's mom nudged her husband. "Are they flirting?"
He nodded. "Definitely flirting."
Scene Shift: Hospital Room – Later That Night
Axel lay on the bed with a bandaged arm and neck brace, gritting his teeth in pain.
Lucien sat beside him, a cast on his arm and bandages across his nose. "My parents haven't even called… ."
Axel let out a low growl. "Useless. Everyone's useless."
In the corner, Rei sat silently. His head hung low, both cheeks bruised—not from Ethan, but from the two people glaring at him now.
Mr. and Mrs. Crowne stood by the hospital door. Neither looked pleased.
"You idiot," Mrs. Crowne snapped, eyes blazing.
SLAP!
Her palm struck Rei's cheek so hard his head turned sideways.
SLAP!
Mr. Crowne followed up with a brutal backhand to the other cheek.
Rei remained still, jaw clenched.
Axel winced, watching them. "This all happened because you choked. You couldn't even beat one guy."
Lucien added, "Now we're the ones paying for it."
Rei looked up slowly, eyes burning. "He's not normal. None of you understand. Ethan... he fights like a monster."
Mrs. Crowne scoffed. "No excuses. If you couldn't deal with one boy, then you're no use to us."
She turned to Axel. "We'll handle things differently now. Properly."
Axel didn't respond. He simply stared at the ceiling, pain and hatred swirling in his expression.
The hospital door creaked open.
All three turned.
A smooth voice entered the room.
"Hello, Uncle. Aunty."
A boy stood there, hands in pockets, smirking slightly.
Rei's eyes widened.
Lucien cursed under his breath.
Axel whispered, trembling, "No way..."