Chapter 5: Do You Know How

The door burst open with a loud bang. It slammed into the two girls outside, sending the bucket of water flying.

Splash!

“Ahhh!”

Their screams mixed with the crash of water hitting the floor, echoing through the restroom.

The two girls stumbled backward from the force of the door and crashed into others standing behind them. The floor turned slick, and the sound of splashing water and chaotic screams filled the air.

Elira stepped out slowly. She kicked the swinging door aside with her toe, her hands casually tucked into her jacket pockets.

Her cold eyes swept over the scene—the girls sprawled on the wet ground, their uniforms soaked and hair dripping.

Then her gaze shifted… and stopped on the only one who had managed to stay dry.

Roxanne Jarvis.

The so-called beauty queen of the school.

At that exact moment, Delilah appeared. She had come to use the restroom—but the second she saw Elira, she froze. Then, without hesitation, she spun around and ran.

Her heart pounded as she thought: If I’m even one second late, that stupid fat pig will blackmail me. Then everyone will know she’s my sister!

She sprinted away like her life depended on it.

Elira didn’t care. She stepped over the drenched girls like they were trash on the ground. Her cold eyes locked on Roxanne, who stood stiff, her face pale.

Roxanne had bullied Elira countless times before. Laughed at her. Humiliated her.

But now… now Elira looked nothing like the weak, pathetic girl she used to know.

For the first time, Roxanne felt fear. Real fear.

She took a step back. Then another. But she had nowhere else to go. Her back hit the door.

“W-What do you… want?” Roxanne stammered, her voice trembling.

She didn’t even finish the sentence before Elira’s fist shot forward like lightning.

“Ah!”

Roxanne screamed and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow to land.

But… the pain never came.

She slowly opened her eyes—only to find Elira’s face inches away, her fist frozen beside her ear.

Elira leaned in, her voice cold as ice.

“If there’s a next time… you won’t be so lucky.”

Roxanne’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded wildly.

Without another word, Elira pulled her fist back, shoved her hand into her pocket, and walked out as if nothing had happened.

Roxanne stood frozen, still pressed against the door. Slowly, she turned her head—and froze again.

There was a deep dent in the wooden door where Elira’s fist had landed. Fine cracks spread out like a spiderweb.

Her body trembled. Her knees felt weak.

She turned to look at the girls lying on the floor, soaked and shivering. Her jaw clenched.

That fat pig… that loser… had just scared her out of her mind.

Humiliation burned through her. Her eyes darkened with fury.

“Elira… just you wait!” she spat through gritted teeth.

---

On her way back, Elira saw Frank waiting by the corridor outside her classroom. The moment he saw her, he limped quickly toward her.

“Elira!”

She stopped. “What’s up?”

“I… I heard you were cornered in the restroom,” he said, worry in his voice.

“So you came to see if I’m okay?” Elira tilted her head, her eyes softening slightly when she saw him nod.

“I told you,” she said calmly, “I just didn’t bother dealing with them before.”

Looking at her little brother—limping, anxious, protective—Elira felt something stir in her chest. Warmth. A strange, unfamiliar warmth.

So she added gently, “I’m fine.”

Just as the quiet moment settled, a sharp, mocking voice cut through the air.

“He’s really the fat pig’s brother, huh? A cripple and a fat pig. Wow, their family genes are so… balanced.”

Elira turned her head slowly. Two boys walked out of the classroom next door.

One of them was Benjamin Moore.

Benjamin. The boy Elira had once humiliated herself over in her previous life. The so-called school hunk.

Now, she looked at him with calm, detached eyes. At most, he had all his facial features in the right place. Nothing more. Not even half as pleasing as her little brother standing beside her.

Next to Benjamin was the other boy—the one who had just opened his filthy mouth.

He snorted and said louder, “She’s a fat pig with a cripple for a brother, and she still dares to have a crush on you? Pathetic.”

Benjamin’s face darkened instantly. Clearly, the comment made him uncomfortable. He looked at Elira and muttered to his friend, “That’s enough.”

But the boy wasn’t done. Seeing Benjamin annoyed, he turned his attention to Frank and sneered, “Hey, Cripple. Class is about to start. If you don’t crawl back now, you’ll be late.”

Frank’s face flushed red. His fists clenched at his sides. He bit his lip, holding back his anger.

The boy smirked, feeling powerful. “Let’s go. This is boring—”

Before he could finish, a strong hand grabbed his collar and slammed him hard against the wall.

Bang!

The back of his head hit the wall with a thud. Pain exploded down his spine.

“What the—?!” He looked up, eyes wide—and froze.

It was Elira.

Her cold, dark eyes bored into him like sharp blades.

“Hey! Fat pig!” the boy hissed in anger. “Are you crazy? Let go of me!”

He kicked and struggled, but Elira didn’t move an inch. She gripped his collar tighter, lifting him slightly off the floor.

“Do you know how to apologize?” Her voice was low, dangerous.

“Tch! I’ll apologize to you in hell!” he spat. “Now let me go—”

“I said,” Elira hissed, tightening her grip until his face turned red, “apologize.”

The boy froze. Something in her eyes—something cold and merciless—made his blood run cold.

“What are you doing? Let him go!” Benjamin barked. His tone was sharp, but Elira didn’t even look at him.

Benjamin stiffened. No one had ever ignored him like that before.

The boy’s smugness returned when he heard Benjamin. He smirked, certain Elira would back down now.

But then—

“Shut up,” Elira snapped, her voice cutting like a blade. “This has nothing to do with you.”

Gasps filled the corridor. Everyone froze.

Benjamin’s face darkened, humiliated by her blunt dismissal.

Frank stared at his sister, stunned. This wasn’t the Elira he knew. This was someone else. Someone fearless.

Elira’s patience ran out. Her voice dropped, deadly calm. “Apologize. Now.”

The boy choked as her grip tightened around his collar. His breath caught. His face turned crimson.

He looked around. A crowd had gathered. Everyone was watching. Whispers filled the air.

His humiliation burned. But he couldn’t break free. He couldn’t even breathe.

Finally, grinding his teeth, he rasped out, “I-I’m sorry.”

Elira leaned in, her lips close to his ear. Her voice was soft but sharp as glass.

“If I hear the word ‘cripple’ again… I’ll make sure you know what it feels like.”

Then, with a flick of her wrist, she flung him aside like garbage.

“Get lost.”

The boy stumbled and fell, rage twisting his face. But fear kept him silent.

The bell rang. Benjamin grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled him away, glaring at Elira one last time.

Elira turned to Frank, who was still standing there, wide-eyed. She raised an eyebrow. “What are you staring at? Didn’t you hear the bell?”

Frank blinked, still in shock, and blurted out, “Y-You don’t… like Benjamin anymore?”

Everyone knew about her old crush. The humiliation. The gossip.

Elira froze for half a second. Then she laughed lightly. “I never liked him.”

At that exact moment, Benjamin—who was about to step into the classroom—stopped dead in his tracks.

His face twisted as those words echoed in his ears.