Truth

"Alright, stay here and write another self-reflection for me. If you repeat this behavior, I'll call your parents to meet me here!" (The teacher said sternly.)

I was furious but powerless. All I could do was sit there and diligently write my self-reflection. Meanwhile, Kiên, after receiving only mild criticism, was let go. As he walked out, he whistled—a scoundrel like him, arrogant and lawless, was free to leave, while I…

Time passed, and finally, it was time to go home. The principal granted me permission to leave. I looked around for Kiên, but it seemed he had already run off ahead of me. I was too late.

Smack! The sound of a hand patting my shoulder startled me. I turned around to find Mai. Her face was filled with worry as she repeatedly asked:

"Are you still in pain?"

"I'm fine, just a little uncomfortable," I replied, my face flushing red.

"So… what's the deal with you and Kiên? I still don't quite get it," Mai asked curiously.

I decided to tell Mai the whole story, from what happened in school to the events afterward. I couldn't hold back my emotions; they all spilled out onto my face as I spoke. I wanted Mai to avoid that guy. Someone as pure, beautiful, and talented as Mai shouldn't have any association or friendship with someone like him. But as I recounted the events, Mai didn't say a single word. She seemed shocked that someone as despicable as him could exist in our class.

I swore to myself that as a man, I would dedicate my life to protecting Mai and upholding justice—because justice always prevails.

When I got home, I tried my best to endure the pain and act normal so my mother wouldn't notice. She asked me a few questions, then went to her room to rest. I threw my books and notebooks into a corner and immediately lay down on the floor, assuming a push-up position. I had to get stronger, much stronger.

"One, two, three, four…" I collapsed onto the ground. No! I had to keep going!

I repeated the motion over and over until my body felt like it was about to turn into a puddle of water. In total, I think I managed… maybe 15 push-ups?

Sitting there, I began to think. My opponent was clearly trained in martial arts. How could I possibly win against someone like that? I remembered watching a wildlife documentary about tigers fighting over territory. In such battles, the tiger that fell first was almost certain to lose. That's it! I just needed to knock him down. If that guy ever dared to mess with Mai again, I wouldn't forgive him.

Determined, I decided to rest and gather my strength for the next day.

At the crack of dawn, I woke up. As usual, I got ready and headed to school. On the way, I couldn't stop thinking: what would happen if I ran into him today? I didn't want to seek revenge—that would be childish. But what if he attacked me again? Well… in that case, I'd have no choice but to fight him again.

When I arrived in class, unlike yesterday, every eye was on me. At that moment, I was the center of the universe. Kiên approached me. I looked him straight in the eye. He had fair skin and was about two centimeters taller than me. I'm currently 1.65 meters tall, so that makes him 1.67 meters. He smirked and said with a mocking laugh:

"Ha ha! Hey, dog, crawl under my legs! Ha ha! Be good, and I'll let you chew on a bone!"

His gang burst out laughing:

"Ha ha ha!"

"Ha ha ha!"

"Kiên's little puppy! Ha ha!" (shouted the smallest one in the group.)

My face darkened. I walked away, not wanting to engage with him. As I passed by, I noticed the veins on his face starting to bulge. The sound of rushing footsteps followed.

"Ow!" Someone collided with me and pulled down my pants!

Furious, I shoved him. It turned out to be Chí. He fell to the ground and was enraged. He threw a punch at my face, but fortunately, I regained my composure just in time. Kiên, of course, was ready to defend his underling. I dropped my bag and got into a stance, preparing to face him.

Just like the other day, his stance hadn't changed: left foot forward, right foot back, slightly angled, knees slightly bent. I charged at him, hoping to push him over. But I forgot one critical thing: his hands were up, veins still bulging.

WHAM! His left hand punched me square in the face. Despite the hit, I managed to keep moving forward. BAM! His right hand struck my nose. Saliva mixed with blood began dripping out of my mouth. The world seemed to slow down. As he retracted his left hand to throw another right punch, I heard his voice in slow motion:

"Eaaaatt thissss righttttttt hookkkkkk…"

My legs tangled, causing me to stumble. His punch narrowly missed my head.

"What the hell?! He dodged it?!" Kiên shouted in disbelief.

Seizing the opportunity, I lunged at him. The distance between us was now minimal. I dove in like an arrow, grabbing his left leg with my right hand while shoving his body with my left hand. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Did I… win?

I climbed on top of him, straddling his stomach. I raised my fist, ready to strike. His face was full of fear. I swung my fist down, but he was clever enough to block 65% of his face with his forearm. My punches landed on his head, but they didn't do much damage.

If this dragged on, the advantage would be mine. But out of nowhere, one of his friends kicked me hard in the side…