Whispers in the Winter Wind

Two weeks had slipped by since Jingliu and Yasushi embarked on their second escapade, weaving a tapestry of friendship that grew tighter with each passing day. While Xinyi and Furuya warmed up to Yasushi, Jingliu maintained a cautious distance, a choice that suited them both at present.

At lunchtime, Yasushi and Jingliu sought refuge in a secluded corner of the school, the rooftop blanketed in snow and inaccessible due to a barricade of stacked desks. Amid their meal, Yasushi broached the topic of recent gossip.

"Have you caught wind of the rumors swirling about?" Yasushi inquired, settling beside Jingliu as they shared their midday repast.

"Rumors?" Jingliu paused mid-bite, fixing her gaze on him. "What sort of rumors are circulating?"

Yasushi paused mid-meal, releasing a heavy sigh. "It appears that some of the younger students are stirring up trouble, particularly those fresh transfers," he lamented. "Furuya mentioned they carry a certain baggage, if you catch my drift."

"Troubled students," Jingliu muttered, her fork pausing in mid-bite as she considered Yasushi's words. She took a deliberate bite, chewing thoughtfully before speaking again. "Given our knack for attracting trouble, do you anticipate this might entangle us soon?" Her eyes flickered with a hint of concern as she glanced at Yasushi.

With a strained smile, Yasushi nodded in agreement. "If these newcomers are on the brink of delinquency, there's a good chance our past encounters with troublemakers might resurface," he explained. "They could use it to their advantage, getting us involved with whatever trouble they plan on causing."

Jingliu's expression darkened. "I don't want to be involved in conflict. Is it too much to ask for a normal school experience?" Her voice carried a tinge of frustration.

Yasushi chuckled softly. "Perhaps fights within these walls offer a unique perspective, an education of its own, or so I used to believe," he mused.

"You're an odd one," Jingliu countered with a half-smile. "Granted, I dabbled in fencing, so I can't claim normalcy either. You, on the other hand, went out looking for fights. We're quite the pair," she remarked, a shared laughter bubbling between them.

Yasushi's smirk softened into a reflective grin. "True enough," he admitted, his gaze drifting momentarily. "But—"

Their conversation was interrupted by a clamor outside. Locking eyes, they rose from their seats, drawn to the source of the disturbance.

Arriving at a nearby windowsill, they peered outside. In the distance, two figures stood in confrontation, one exuding calm while the other bristled with readiness for conflict.

Jingliu sighed, fatigue coloring her voice. "Another fight? It feels like they're becoming a routine around here."

Yasushi nodded, his gaze fixed on the unfolding spectacle outside the window. "Indeed, more frequent than last year. These first years seem eager to leave their mark."

The two watched silently as the confrontation brewed on the school grounds below. "The one standing composed seems to have provoked it," Jingliu remarked, her eyes narrowing with analytical interest.

Yasushi agreed, his tone calm and observant. "Yes, and it appears he's the one with the upper hand. His opponent seems too tense, lacking fluidity in his movements."

"Mmm," Jingliu murmured, nodding in agreement. "If he could just ease up a bit, he might have a chance."

"We'll see how it plays out," Yasushi said, his voice tinged with anticipation.

Their attention remained fixed on the unfolding scuffle, watching as the calm combatant deftly dodged the aggressive strikes of his opponent.

To their surprise, the aggressor feigned several attacks before unleashing an uppercut towards his composed enemy. Yet, the composed one anticipated the move, catching the aggressor's fist with a smile. With a dismissive shake of his head, the composed one countered fiercely, driving his forehead into the aggressor's nose, which erupted in a gush of blood.

But the composed one didn't halt his attack. He seized the aggressor's head, delivering brutal knee strikes to the already shattered nose, worsening the damage with each blow. This relentless barrage continued until the composed one administered a final knee strike to the aggressor's neck, rendering him unconscious.

As the aggressor crumpled to the ground, bleeding and defeated, teachers rushed in to intervene, separating the combatants. They escorted the composed one away, his smirk remaining intact, while checking on the fallen boy.

"Quite aggressive and brutal," Jingliu murmured, her gaze fixed on the bloodstained ground below. She spoke softly, as if wary of disturbing the aftermath.

Yasushi's eyes followed hers, absorbing the scene with a calm detachment. "Survival of the fittest, perhaps. He did what he had to do to secure victory. Though I suppose to some, it might seem excessive."

Curiosity edged into Jingliu's tone as she turned to Yasushi. "Where do you draw the line, then? What's 'too far' for you?" Her question carried a weight of understanding; she knew of his turbulent history, his penchant for conflict, yet remained uncertain of his boundaries.

Yasushi paused, considering her inquiry before shaking his head slowly. "Hard to say. I've never taken a life. So, I suppose that's a line I've yet to cross." His words held a somber truth, hinting at a complexity beneath his composed exterior.

Jingliu observed Yasushi for a fleeting moment before playfully prodding the tip of his nose. "Trying to be edgy?" she quipped, one eyebrow arching in amusement.

Yasushi chuckled, reciprocating the gesture by tapping her nose in return. "Not at all. There's genuine pain in the world, real struggles that shouldn't be dismissed as edgy. Take characters in stories, for instance. They're often burdened with tragic pasts, yet some label them as edgy."

Turning his gaze to the window, Yasushi's expression darkened. "If those critics experienced the same trials and had their trauma brushed off as 'edgy,' they'd be outraged. Shows their own fragility."

Jingliu absorbed his unexpected outburst, momentarily caught off guard. Before she could respond, Yasushi's phone interrupted, drawing his attention. "Hello—"

"Yasushi! Jingliu's with you, right? Hurry to the cafeteria; her assistant needs help!" Xinyi's urgent voice crackled through the phone, prompting Yasushi to glance at Jingliu, who mirrored his surprise.

"What's going on?" Jingliu inquired, her voice tense as she listened to Xinyi's explanation on the other end of the line.

"Layena's in trouble, being provoked without fighting back," Xinyi's urgent words echoed through the phone, her concern palpable. "I thought you advised her not to retaliate, so she's not doing anything to the bullying right now. I know you're—"

Jingliu interrupted swiftly. "We'll be there." With a decisive click, she ended the call on Yasushi's behalf, seizing his wrist to propel him into motion.

Caught off guard by the sudden urgency, Yasushi followed without protest. Although unfamiliar with Layena, he deduced she likely served Jingliu's family, given Xinyi's familiarity with her.

As they hurried toward the cafeteria, Yasushi sought clarification. "You have staff at school too? Does Xinyi have one?" His curiosity mingled with a hint of concern, sensing the gravity of the situation unfolding ahead.

"Catherine. Xinyi's assistant," Jingliu clarified, her tone matter-of-fact as she unraveled the dynamics of their school life. "You've seen her around Xinyi, though she tends to keep her distance. Layena, on the other hand, is more discreet in her vigilance over me. I've instructed her not to interrupt us during lunch, granting us moments of respite from their watchful eyes."

Yasushi absorbed this information without further inquiry as they swiftly made their way to the cafeteria. Inside, they witnessed a scene that spoke volumes — a young woman with short blue hair and brown eyes enduring the torment of two others, food flung at her in a display of cruelty.

"Come on, servant girl, dance for us!" taunted the younger aggressor, their laughter piercing the air.

Layena remained composed, unfazed by the barrage of insults and food. She stood her ground, calmly eating her sandwich. Despite Jingliu's instructions to avoid confrontation, it was evident Layena possessed the capability to defend herself if pushed to the brink.

Jingliu observed the unfolding confrontation, her gaze steady as she swiftly extracted her phone and sent a message to Layena. A pause hung in the air before Layena, having received and processed the message, rose to her feet. Jingliu aimed her phone at the scene as Layena stepped forward to address the harassers.

"This constitutes harassment. I could file a report against you," Layena's voice rang out, her tone firm and resolute.

The boys paused momentarily, their laughter tapering off before resuming with renewed vigor. The senior, defiant, retorted, "So what? We'll just brush off your silly threats and return if we're expelled. Bring the cops and tasers if you want us to back down!"

"The city's a pushover," chimed in the junior, his gaze lewd as he leered at Layena. "And you? You're not bad yourself. How about being my little plaything?" His words dripped with arrogance, a stark contrast to Layena's composed demeanor.

Layena's expression hardened as she maintained her composed demeanor, addressing them in measured tones. Yet, her attempts to defuse the escalating tension only seemed to stoke their anger. The senior, unable to contain his rage, rose from his seat, followed closely by the junior.

"Do something about it, you bitch! Come on, show us what you've got!" he bellowed, his voice laced with venom as he forcefully shoved her shoulders.

Layena stood her ground, absorbing the push without flinching. Her eyes flickered briefly toward Jingliu, who offered a subtle nod of encouragement. With calm determination, Layena allowed herself to be pushed a few more times, biding her time before finally deciding to retaliate.

With lightning agility, Layena dropped low, sweeping the senior off his feet with a precise leg strike. As the cafeteria fell into stunned silence, she seized the moment, gripping his face in her hand and forcefully slamming his head against the floor.

The junior, witnessing the sudden turn of events, lunged at Layena, but his smaller stature proved a disadvantage. At a mere five feet two inches tall, he found himself swiftly subdued as Layena grabbed his neck and flung him across the room.

A heavy thud echoed as the junior hit the ground, his pained groans filling the air. Unfazed, Layena cast a disdainful glance at the fallen senior before turning to leave. However, the senior, fueled by humiliation, scrambled to his feet and grabbed his tray, swinging it in a desperate attempt to strike Layena.

Yasushi tensed, ready to intervene, but Jingliu's hand stopped him. Layena, her expression darkening further, intercepted the tray with her arm before swiftly delivering a punishing blow between his legs, causing the senior to collapse in agony, unconscious and sprawled on the ground, his shame compounded by peeing himself.

The cafeteria, once filled with chaos, fell into an uneasy hush, punctuated only by the sounds of pain and embarrassment.

"Does your dad exclusively recruit badass women or what?" Yasushi quipped, his gaze fixed on the aftermath before him.

Layena, her expression a mix of annoyance and victory, remained poised amidst the chaos she had just quelled. The two aggressors, now subdued, stood no chance against her might and skill.