chaos blooming

"A duel?" Max repeated, snatching the paper Tristin was reading.

"Hey, I wasn't finished," Tristin said, frowning at Max.

"Thomas is ruthless, wanting to crush this poor guy in a duel," whispers began to circulate in the class.

"I'm sure he was behind the post about Tristin's background," one student said, pity etched on his face.

"That's the price for showing off while he's poor and weak. How will he win a duel if the post made him sweat in pain?" another student commented.

Max skipped to the terms and conditions, knowing it was a duel contract. After reading, he blurted out, "Tristin, you can't accept this duel," looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Why not?" Tristin asked in confusion. "After that post and the picture they took when I was in pain, I can't refuse. That would be the end of me." He thought

Before Max could explain, Sipho jumped in. "Yeah, you can chicken out if you want. A duel needs both parties to agree, after all. But if you do, that would be the end of you at this school. It's bad enough being a poor kid acting like a big shot, but being a chicken is even worse," he said smugly.

"Tristin, don't get baited by them. They want to teach you a lesson while taking your Ferrari," Max warned, his eyes narrowed.

"I've got to hand it to you, Thomas. You know how to set the stage," Tristin thought. He looked at Max and asked, "What do I get if he wants my Ferrari?"

Sipho chimed in again. "By some small chance or miracle, if you win, you get Thomas's VW Golf 7."

"See? There's no reason to fight this duel. It's like baiting a shark with a worm. Why would the shark eat the worm at the risk of getting caught by the hook knowing the worm won't even fill its belly?" Max explained.

"Max, you're a good guy, but I'm accepting the duel," Tristin said, taking the contract from Max and signing it. He took a picture of the contract with his phone. "This is a good opportunity to crush Thomas. I can't let it slip." He said in his mind

Seeing Tristin taking a picture, Max eased a bit. "Tristin might seem reckless, but he's actually smart. Maybe he has a plan to deal with Thomas," he thought, recalling Tristin's words about being back on top by the end of the day.

"Here, Mr. Song. You came bearing gifts just like your name suggests and made everyone dance like your surname. Now leave and tell Thomas I'll be seeing him after school," Tristin said, tossing the contract in Sipho's face.

Sipho laughed and caught the contract in midair. "You are more stupid than your look in that vinegar picture," he said before leaving with his friends.

As he exited, news about the duel between Tristin and Thomas spread like wildfire, since the stakes were a Ferrari and a Golf 7.

Lerato entered the class after hearing about the duel and headed to Tristin. "What are you thinking, accepting a duel with Thomas? Are you that desperate to rebuild your reputation?" she asked upon reaching his desk.

"Afraid I might hurt your cousin and take his car?" Tristin asked with a smile.

"Just the opposite," she stated, folding her arms.

"Oh, I didn't know you cared so much about me," Tristin teased, raising an eyebrow.

Max listened to their conversation, shaking his head.

"Don't fool yourself. I'm the class rep. I care about every student in this class," she snorted.

As Tristin was about to reply, the bell rang, signaling the start of morning lessons as the teacher walked in.

The morning was filled with whispers about the duel. Some students were jealous of Thomas for acting quickly and challenging Tristin, hoping to own a Ferrari by the end of the day. Lunchtime arrived, and those who pitied Tristin offered condolences for his parents and tried to dissuade him from going through with the duel, but it was too late since he had already signed the contract.

The girl who really caught Tristin's eye was Zinhle, his classmate; he could see the sincerity in her eyes as she gave her condolences. Soon it was after school, and now everyone in the school knew about the duel.

Students from other classes were already at the student parking lot, waiting for a good show. Tristin's classmates stayed behind to follow him and see if he would really fight Thomas.

"Are you ready to get your ass handed to you?" Lerato, having removed her school blazer and pullover jersey, asked with a smug smile. "I've been warning him all day, but he didn't listen. Now I want to see what he's made of," she thought.

Tristin, packing his books, chuckled at Lerato's words. "You should be asking your cousin that," he said, grabbing his backpack.

"Don't be foolish. I've been observing you for the past two days, and I couldn't sense any qi energy in your body. Do you think you can beat a Du level martial arts master without using qi energy?" she asked, folding her arms again.

Tristin ignored her but glanced at her boobs. "Those are big. How do you fight with those? Do you use them as weapons against male opponents?"

Lerato looked down and saw her boobs sticking out of her school shirt. She slapped at Tristin, screaming, "You pervert!" The slap wasn't as fast as when she grabbed Thomas's punch, but it was still quick for an ordinary person.

Tristin dodged the slap with ease, catching Lerato off guard. "Hey now, I'm really against fighting women," he said, his eyes fixed on Lerato's boobs.

"You, you..." Lerato stammered, then thought, "He evaded my slap with ease while looking at my breasts. Did he know I would stop Thomas's punch yesterday, or was he sure he could block it himself?" She asked, "You're hiding your strength. How can you dodge me like that?"

Tristin smiled. "What are you talking about? Let's go; your cousin is waiting for me." He grabbed Lerato's arm and headed to the student parking lot, with Max following.