5 Trouble

Ethan was confused. His sister wasn't the type of person to make him wait on purpose. Her not being at their arranged meeting place seemed very uncharacteristic. Nevertheless, he decided to wait a little longer, hoping that she will eventually turn up.

A few minutes passed, and a girl with a distressed expression came running along. A tinge of redness stemming from exhaustion, made her flawless face look very alluring. Still out of breath, she hurriedly asked,

"Excuse me, you are Emmi's brother, right? You accompanied her this morning."

It appeared as if she was a classmate of Emmi. Ethan gave a doubtful nod, unsure of the girl's intention. Upon his confirmation, the young lady's anxious face revealed a faint expression of relief. She quickly added,

"Your sister, Emmi, I believe she is in trouble. Please come with me. We have to hurry!"

Ethan's eyes widened in fright. It seemed like his misgivings weren't groundless. Without wasting any time, he burst out into a dash while grasping the young girl's soft hand and pulling her along towards the direction she arrived from. While being dragged forward, the girl instructed Ethan on where to go. Soon, they reached a secluded place outside the Academy's schoolyard. Emmi, though, was nowhere to be seen.

Instead of Emmi, two brawny students were relaxing on a bench in front of the duo. One of them had curly red hair, the other a conventional buzzcut often witnessed in the army. They resembled cliché delinquents and presumably were at least a couple years older than Ethan. These two gentlemen were likely his seniors. Curly-Hairs looked at the young lady beside Ethan and asked,

"That's the guy? Geez, no need to summon both of us for a wuss like him. We got better things to do, ya know?"

The girl wasn't startled by the retort. She lifted her chin and snorted,

"I didn't know you dogs had anything to say. Do whatever I tell you to do and stop yapping."

Ethan was bewildered. The anxious girl he assumed to be a friend of Emmi was now acting like all conceited with a smug look on her visage. Puzzled, he turned towards her and asked,

"Hey, what's going on here? Where is my sister?"

The girl gave a hearty laugh and responded,

"You are even more passionate than I expected after I saw you this morning. Here you are, acting all valorous to save your cute little sister. What a commendable brother, I'm so jealous!"

She leisurely stepped towards Ethan until she stood directly in front of him. Gradually, she extended her soft pale hand and caressed his cheek. Moving her lips close to his ear, she whispered,

"Too bad your sister doesn't understand her place, acting all cute and adorable. Listen here, my brave hero, and listen very closely..."

By now, her lips were nearly touching his right ear. The pair appeared to be very intimate, while, in reality, it was the precise opposite. Ethan was tense and involuntarily trembled due to this wicked demoness, who exuded an aura of superiority. The girl recommenced,

"This school belongs to me. Here, power is everything. Everyone, with at least the smallest amount of rationality, behaves according to my rules. If anyone dares to object, they will be at the mercy of the single most influential family of our city.

Getting you and your dainty sister kicked out of the Academy is simple. Getting your parents fired from their jobs is even less troublesome. No matter what it is, all I need is one call, and it shall be done. You best remember that."

Ethan gritted his teeth. As far as he understood, the most influential family in Everdale were the Youngbloods. They were the proprietors of a holding company responsible for overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars. Prominent people from various industries were all related to the family and wanted to entrust their capital to the Youngbloods. Their potential influence was inconceivable. Was the girl in front of him actually the young lady of the Youngblood household? If so, then she wasn't exaggerating in the least. Ethan had no choice but to clench his fists and listen to her requests, at least for now. Almost inaudibly, he replied,

"I understand. What is it that you need from me?"

Hearing his submissive reply, the young lady was visibly satisfied. Her lips curved into a jubilant smile, and her eyes sparkled with delight. She took Ethan's right hand in between hers and raised it high in front of her chest. Acting dainty, she replied,

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, you really are a clever one.

I have to admit, your sister, Emmi, she is pretty good-looking, although not quite as attractive as me, naturally. I don't appreciate the way she acts with others, always being kind and trying to make friends. Especially since she is aware I am in the same class. I can't just go around threatening a cute little girl like her, though. Even I worry a tiny bit about my reputation."

Letting go of Ethan's hand and spinning around in a circle like an excited child, she continued,

"That's why you will be the one to teach her! Now, originally, I planned to make your life a living hell no matter what, but to be honest, I like you. As long as you can get your sister to correct her attitude and beg for my forgiveness, you will have an enjoyable experience at our Academy. Though, I advise you not to make a fool of me."

Ethan felt powerless. He tried his best to stay calm and make sense of the circumstances. With his sister's personality, there was no way she provoked the girl consciously. She was merely trying her best to connect with some of her classmates. Ethan thought back to the anxious Emmi he observed during breakfast this morning. Was he supposed to hinder her from winning some friends? That wasn't an option. As much as simply wanted to enjoy life to the fullest, it couldn't come at the expense of his sister's happiness. Resolving himself, Ethan tightened up his fists and answered,

"Feel free to take your anger our on me, but I won't make my sister beg for your forgiveness."

Neither the young lady nor the two intimidating rogues expected the lad to object. A complicated expression replaced the girl's prior smile. In a cold voice, she spoke,

"Did you not listen to what I just told you? Tch, very well.

I suppose some only learn the hard way. But don't forget, you were the one who made the decision."

Gesturing towards the upperclassmen, the young lady turned around to walk away. Apparently, she had no interest in attending the following scene. After taking a few steps, she halted and raised her index finger towards her chin.

Without turning around, she added,

"Leave his face be. He's kind of cute, don't you think?"

With only the three guys left around, the curly-haired senior chuckled,

"Poor fella, it seems like you have attracted the wrong girl's attention."

Ethan could only give a wry smile without replying. They were all aware of what had to occur next. Before commencing, the other delinquent offered an explanation,

"Don't take this personal, kid. Even if we decided not to beat you up, she would simply take it out on our families and get someone else to do it. There is nothing we can do about it."

Ethan closed his eyes and replied,

"I understand. Let's get it over with."

Dusk was falling as Ethan arrived back at home. While he had some discomfort walking, all visible injuries were beneath his long-sleeve top. Just as Ethan wanted to lay down on his bed to recuperate, Emmi stormed out of her room. With an angry expression, she demanded,

"Brother, I hope you have a good excuse. Hmph, standing me up on the first day of school. Weren't you worried I would get kidnapped on the way home?"

Ethan decided to keep his encounter a secret to not unsettle his sister.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking for an excuse? I waited for a full twenty minutes, but you never came. How long did you expect me to search for you?"

Emmi pouted.

"It wasn't my fault, seriously! My homeroom teacher made me stay late and bugged me with questions about our hometown."

"I'm not accusing you. Starting tomorrow, I will wait for a full half-hour. I promise."

Hearing her brother's remark, Emmi frowned and stretched out her tongue. Upset, she spun around and stormed back inside her room.

With his sister out of the way, Ethan entered his bedroom and removed the hoodie to examine his body. While there were a lot of noticeable scratches and bruises, Ethan didn't suffer any severe injuries. Convinced that some sleep was all he needed to recuperate, Ethan laid down. Thinking of a plan to get out of his current predicament, he was unable to fall asleep for most of the night.