The air was charged during break.
Too many eyes, too much tension.
Rumors had spread like wildfire through J High:
"Did you hear? That new guy… Jalen? He sat with Mary Kim."
"He ignored Vin Jin."
"He walks around like a main character."
"I heard he's loaded. Like NewTube kind of loaded."
And then.
Zack Lee heard.
It didn't sit right with him. Not the rumors, not the attitude. And definitely not someone making waves this fast without earning it.
So when Jalen stepped out into the yard alone, the opportunity wrote itself.
Zack approached.
"Hey," he said flatly. "Let's talk."
Jalen turned lazily. "About?"
"Your mouth. Your face. Your vibe. Pick one."
Then.
Swing.
Jalen slipped the punch.
Then the next.
And the next.
Each strike Zack threw was met with a barely-there tilt, a pivot, a shoulder slip. Jalen's feet were smooth, almost gliding. He didn't counter. Didn't even raise a fist.
He just dodged.
Clean. Calm. Clinical.
Gasps filled the yard.
"He's dodging Zack's punches…"
"Is he a fighter?"
"He's not even sweating…"
"He's rich, handsome and strong?!"
But they didn't see it.
The tiny twitch in Jalen's eye. The slight tremble in his fingers after the fourth dodge. The burn in his calves from pushing a body that wasn't made for this.
"Damn it… I'm already winded," he thought.
"This body's trash."
He moved again duck, sidestep, backpedal and finally raised a hand.
"Enough," Jalen said. Not loud. But sharp.
Zack paused. Breathing heavy. Brows furrowed.
They stared at each other. No smiles. No threats.
Just understanding.
Zack didn't apologize, but he walked away.
And Jalen, calm on the outside, collapsed onto the nearest bench the moment the crowd dispersed.
Exhausted.
"I need to start training again. This body needs work. Badly."
His breathing steadied after a minute. He glanced over.
Daniel Park was sitting beside him now, eating quietly from a lunchbox.
"You good?" Daniel asked.
Jalen chuckled faintly. "You tell me."
Daniel smirked. "You handled Zack like a pro."
They sat in silence for a bit, until Daniel's ears perked up.
A group of girls nearby were whispering.
"The school festival's next week, right?"
"Yeah, I heard we're doing a runway. Fashion department's going all out."
Daniel looked thoughtful. "Festival's coming up."
Jalen leaned back, arms behind his head.
A slight smile played on his lips.
"Sounds like the perfect place to make a statement."