"Tsk, Ivy is always helping those who don't need help," a girl mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"But look at the way Kira is staring at her," another girl whispered, watching the tension build.
Kira muttered under her breath, "You want me to kneel down and beg in front of everyone?" Then, unexpectedly, she burst into laughter, lowering her head.
"Ahhh, you b***h!" Kira suddenly roared, lifting her head sharply. Without warning, she grabbed Ivy by the neck and started strangling her. Screams erupted from the crowd as Kira pushed Ivy to the ground, straddling her and continuing the assault. She slammed her forehead repeatedly into Ivy's face while choking her.
"Let go of her!" James shouted, grabbing Kira's waist and trying to pull her off. It was a struggle, and only when another boy joined in were they able to separate the two, with Kira still screaming.
"I will kill you! Let me kill you first before I start on the rest! This is all your fault, you White Lotus b***h!" Kira yelled furiously.
Girls and boys rushed to Ivy's side, helping her sit up. Ivy clutched her neck, gasping for breath and coughing. One girl handed her a bottle of water, which she drank gratefully while others gently patted her back.
"Ahh, Ivy, your head is bleeding! There's a huge bump on your forehead," the girl said, covering her mouth in shock.
Ivy touched her head, then looked at her hand stained with blood. A loud, anguished scream escaped her lips as she shook her head, tears streaming down.
Suddenly, one of the girls stood and marched over to Kira, who was still held by the boys. Without warning, she slapped Kira hard across the face and grabbed her hair.
"I'm tired of you being such an a**hole! You think being our class monitor makes you big time? Time to come back down to earth!" she spat, slapping Kira again.
Another girl approached carrying a bottle of orange juice. As one of the boys held Ivy's hand, the girl poured the juice over Ivy's already soaked white shirt and kicked her in the belly.
"Ivy was only trying to help. She's kind, and this is how you repay her?" the girl sneered, brandishing a pen. "Maybe I should help fix your character," she threatened, raising her hand to stab.
Suddenly, a loud BAM echoed through the room as someone slammed a hand on the desk. Everyone froze and turned to see Maria standing calmly, removing her headphones and placing them on the table.
"Stress, huh? Maria mubled as she ran a hand through her forehead
"Don't you guys have tests to study for instead of bullying someone?" Maria asked, rubbing her forehead.
"Hey, Maria, mind your own business," a boy snapped.
"How can I mind my own business when you're tormenting someone?made a bet with ?if she commits suicide because of you, who will pay me? What will you do then?" Maria's voice rose, filled with anger.
Tears welled up in ivy eyes as she softly called, "maria."
"Don't look at me like that," Maria said as she glanced at ivy
She continued, addressing the bullies. "You're punishing her for what she did to V, right?" They nodded reluctantly.
"Well, what about Ivy? If I remember correctly, Ivy told my mother I'm being raised by different men. She almost got me expelled once. And the art accident? You never punished her. Is it because she cries? But Ivy, I have to say, you've got guts to come back to school after all this," Maria said, clapping slowly.
"You refuse to tell the truth. Even when students were threatened, they had to beat you before you confessed. Now you're here acting like a saint, blaming her. But honestly, weren't you the one who said Kira pushed you, which made V spread those photos? Why didn't you do anything then? Why didn't anyone? Forget about Kira— I want an explanation from you, Ivy. I'm tired of your 'I'm sorry' and tears. That's over. You better find a way to make this right, or we'll take this to the art competition. I bet your new friends will be thrilled to see your true colors," Maria said, tilting her head.
The classroom fell silent.
"Hey Maria, why are you helping Kira? You're not even friends," a girl asked.
"Yes, and Kira's a dirty girl. We're just teaching her manners so she won't disgrace the class. Someone who would do anything for revenge is disgusting. And as her crush, I have the right to put her in her place," James said proudly.
Maria burst out laughing. "How thick-skinned do you have to be to say that?" she mocked, folding her arms. "Seems like all that praise has gone to your head. You're not handsome, popular, or rich. You're just… average no you are worst than average."
" So you seriously have the guts to say that? Do you even have a mirror at home? I bet you don't. That's why you're like this. Why don't you take a piss and look at your reflection before you come here talking?" Maria jabbed the desk as James's face flushed red.
"We're giving you respect as a classmate. Mind your business," a boy said.
"Tsk, you've been acting like an ice princess for too long. Just because some of us talk to you, you think you're our equal," another boy sneered. "Your family's got problems right now, so don't act like it's not your issue. Now be a good girl and face your camera, got it?" He kicked Maria's desk.
Maria calmly picked up her table and textbook from the floor, then walked over to the boy who kicked her desk. When he turned, she slammed the textbook hard into his face, leaving a mark. Then she kicked his knee, and a sickening snap echoed through the room.
"If you ever try to act like a big shot in front of me again, I'll break your head," she warned coldly. "Fine, go ahead and bully her. I bet my fan will love to see the true face of this class." Maria started recording on her phone, forcing the bullies to step back. The boy holding Kira released her and took a step back as well.
"Go on, keep pretending. I don't need my family's name to put sense into your heads. If I wanted, I'd just call Chloe. You guys seriously want to offend Chloe? She told me she's bored and might destroy a company. Who's ready to risk their family's name?" Maria challenged.
Everyone fell silent and returned to their seats.
"And Ivy," Maria added softly, "don't forget—you owe me now. Everyone, go read your books."
With that, Maria sat down, her eyes sharp and unyielding.
The teacher entered the classroom. "What happened here?" the class teacher asked as he noticed Kira covering herself. He then looked around at the classmates. "It seems you all have a lot of free time on your hands to bully your classmates. If you don't have high school to keep you busy, I expect all of you to go to the army school for training."
He paused, then continued firmly, "After class, all of you will go to the school field and run three laps around the school. Maybe then you'll think twice before bullying someone." The class teacher raised his voice and slammed his desk for emphasis.
"Now, open your books and start reading. Kira, follow me outside. And one of you boys, give her your jacket to cover herself," he said.
Everyone lowered their gaze as a boy silently took off his jacket and handed it to Kira. She followed the teacher out of the classroom. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of the test.
After the test ended, the teacher stepped back into the classroom. His usual calm expression was gone, replaced by disappointment and anger.
"I can't believe what you all did," he began, his voice sharp. "I know you're young, hot-blooded, looking for fun… but not at someone else's expense."
He looked at the boys. "You're supposed to be men. Let me ask you—if it were your sister being humiliated, mocked, stripped of dignity… whether she was right or wrong, would you just stand there and watch?"
A boy scoffed. "Sir, Kira's not our sister. She could never be."
Another chimed in coldly, "If my sister did something shameful just to get revenge, I'd let her be punished. I'd even disown her."
The teacher's voice thundered as he snapped, "Shut up!"
The room went still.
"You say you'd punish her—but would you really let your own sister walk around half-naked in school? Let her pictures spread like gossip? Let boys laugh, point, and degrade her?"
He turned sharply toward the girls.
"And what about you? Forget the boys for a moment. You're girls. You should be standing up for each other—no matter the situation."
His tone dropped lower, dead serious.
"You wanted her to apologize? Fine. But the moment it turned into sexual assault, everything changed. As girls, you should have drawn the line."
He paced the front of the class, eyes scanning their faces.
"But no. You joined in. You hyped the boys up. You handed them power to think they can go Scott free in harassment. And now? They would think they can do the same to any of you."
His eyes locked on one of the girls, then moved to the next.
"What if you are next? What if they target you? What if you are not on talking terms with your friends they will watch and even help them while you're being humiliated?"
He stepped back, voice rising again.
"And let's not pretend your family status will protect you. What if the boys come from families more powerful than yours? What then? You know your parents would rather cover it up than let it leak out."
He paused. The silence was suffocating.
"They'll keep quiet. And the boys will keep going. Again and again. Is that what you want?"
The girls couldn't answer. Their faces had gone pale.
"Sir, we will not do tha—"
Before the boy could finish, a marker flew across the room and struck him on the head.
"Shut up!" the teacher roared, making everyone freeze in their seats.
He rubbed his forehead in frustration and swept his cold gaze across the class. "You boys have energy, strength—and you use it to pick on someone weaker than you? If you want to fight, why don't you try bullying someone your own size? Go after someone who can fight back!"
His voice grew sharper, cutting through the silence like a blade.
"Instead, you went after a girl. Cowards! All of you! You should just put on makeup and tell us when you've switched sides—because real men don't act like this. Do you not have mothers? Sisters? Aunts? What kind of home training did you grow up with?"
He paused, his words now laced with disgust.
"Bullying is already shameful—but sexual harassment? That's an entirely different level. You've crossed a line I never thought my students would cross. Frankly, I'm disgusted to call you my students."
He picked up his book, slammed it shut, and said flatly, "From now on, after school every day, you will run three laps around the school. Rain or shine. Sickness or health. Until. You. Graduate."
Gasps erupted in the room.
"If you refuse, come in sick, or try to play smart, you'll double the laps—or face daily detention with all your points deducted until you repeat the year. Try me."
Without waiting for a response, the teacher turned and stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him.
For a moment, the room was dead silent. Then the chaos began.
"Are you kidding me? Three laps every single day? For years?!" a boy groaned.
"I can't run! My stamina sucks! I'll pass out before graduation," a girl whined, slumping in her seat.
"This is insane. I thought he loved us. He's never even shouted before," someone whispered in disbelief.
"Maybe he's bluffing," a hopeful voice suggested. "I mean, teachers say stuff all the time and never follow through."
"Uh… guys?" a boy called out from the back, holding up his phone. "Check your phones. Now."
They all fumbled to unlock their screens.
"The school board just posted our punishment… and it's signed by the disciplinary committee," the boy said, horrified.
Gasps filled the room. Wails, murmurs, and a rising wave of panic echoed off the walls.
King kicked the seat in front of him and shoved his phone in another student's face. "Look! Someone even recorded it. It's all over the school group chat already."
The atmosphere dropped from frustration to full-on dread.
She walked out quietly and headed straight to the school field.
No one called her back.
She completed her laps in silence.
Sweat soaked her clothes, but her expression remained unreadable. When she finished, she sat on a bench and checked her phone. It buzzed nonstop with notifications.
Too many.
The screen froze, forcing her to turn it off and restart it.
When it came back on, one notification blinked at the top.
A casting announcement.
The film she auditioned for had just posted the official cast list. She stared for a moment—then her eyes widened.
Her name was there.
Second Female Lead: Maria .
The news exploded across social media. Within minutes, her name hit the trending list.
People were stunned, confused, divided.
A well-known celebrity posted:
> "I was looking forward to the second female lead, but I guess anyone can act these days."
The comment section ignited instantly.
While the director was slammed for "casting an amateur," some defended him, citing his track record and experience. But most of the hate—the sharpest, cruelest parts—landed squarely on Maria.
Backlash. Digs at her looks. Comments questioning her talent. Accusations of favoritism. Rumors.
She turned off her phone and sat still for a long moment.
Then… she smiled.
Softly. Quietly. Unshaken.
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