Alan's words clearly struck Bob's pride. Yet what unsettled him wasn't the insult itself, but Alan's face.
No smirk. No grin. Not even a flicker of satisfaction.
That calm, emotionless stare made Bob hesitate.
Bob scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Alright then. So, Loser Alan… what exactly did you whisper in my ear earlier?" He mocked, his voice rising. "Is your nose okay?"
Bob clenched his fist and stepped closer, trying to tower over him, only to realize Alan was now taller than before.
"Have you forgotten what happened after I gave you that lucky punch back then?"
The moment the words left his mouth, realization spread through the crowd.
Whispers erupted.
"Wait… wasn't that kid dead?" "Yeah, Bob beat him to death eight years ago." "How is he standing here now?"
Andrew and Coner froze, their faces turning pale. This wasn't possible. That boy never returned to school. Everyone believed he was gone for good.
Bob's eyes widened.
"…You're right," he muttered. "Alan never came back. Everyone thought he died."
He stared at Alan again, disbelief turning into unease.
"Don't tell me… you're really that Alan?"
Alan didn't blink. Didn't flinch.
"It's true," he said calmly. "I'm the same Alan."
He took a slow step forward.
"And you're the same Bob who killed me that day."
Bob's breathing grew heavy. Rage flooded his face.
"You never learned your lesson!"
Bob roared and swung his fist with full force.
But before the punch could land, Alan moved.
In a single motion, Alan front-flipped into the air without using his hands, landing lightly on Bob's arm. Before Bob could react, Alan twisted again, flipping behind him.
A swift sweep kick sent Bob spinning through the air.
The next moment, Alan drove his foot straight into Bob's face.
A loud crash echoed across the ground.
Bob slammed into the floor, blood pouring from his nose, eyes rolling back.
Unconscious.
Silence followed.
Andrew's lips trembled.
"Did he just… defeat Bob?"
Coner swallowed hard.
"He's a C-rank… how did he lose in a single move?"
The whispers grew louder.
"Even Daniel only one-shots D-ranks." "And he's B-rank!" "So what does that make Alan?" "A-rank… or higher?"
Daniel stood nearby with Daisy, unable to hide his smile.
Calling it a fight felt wrong. It was domination.
Alan turned away without a word and walked back toward the classroom, ignoring every stare burning into his back.
Inside, whispers followed him like shadows.
He didn't care.
He achieved what he came for, but something still felt unfinished.
As he sat down, the image of the old photograph surfaced in his mind. His parents. Faces missing. Answers still buried.
The door slid open.
Daniel walked in and casually sat beside him.
"Hey," he said with a grin. "What the hell was that?"
Alan didn't look at him.
"You mean why I hit Bob?"
Daniel laughed.
"No, I couldn't care less about that. I'm asking how you beat him so easily."
He leaned closer.
"I knew there was something different about you from the start."
Alan replied calmly.
"And I thought you were just another bully, until I saw you take down Andrew and Coner."
Daniel chuckled and nudged his shoulder.
"So you noticed, huh?"
He leaned back.
"You know about the rankings now, right?"
Alan flipped a page in his book.
"D-rank. C-rank. B-rank. Then A-rank."
Daniel smiled.
"Close. Let me explain properly."
"F-rank. The weakest. Barely able to fight."
"E-rank. Below average."
"D-rank. Average street fighters."
He paused.
"C-rank. Real fighters. No techniques, but real combat sense."
"And B-rank," he smirked. "That's where skill starts to matter. That's me."
Alan listened silently.
"A-rank is rare. Way above B. No B-rank can beat them."
Daniel glanced at Alan.
"People are saying you're around A-rank… maybe even higher."
Alan closed his book slightly.
"Ranks don't interest me. Sounds childish."
Daniel laughed softly.
"I figured you'd say that."
"Then there's S-rank," Daniel continued. "No one in this school has it. Even A-ranks can't push an S-rank to full power."
His eyes gleamed.
"That's my goal this year."
Alan exhaled slowly.
"Are there S-ranks in other schools?"
"There are three schools in this city," Daniel replied. "Not sure if any of them have one."
"And above S-rank?"
Daniel shook his head.
"There's nothing recorded after that."
"Highest, huh…" Alan murmured.
Later, Daniel returned to his class where Daisy waited, arms crossed.
"Where were you?" she snapped. "Lunch is getting cold."
"Talking to a friend."
"Alan?" she guessed.
Daniel smiled.
"Since just now."
*Flashback – Earlier in the Classroom*
Daniel stood beside Alan's desk, scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile.
Daniel: Alright Alan, I gotta go. If I'm late again, my girl's gonna kill me. I ditched lunch just to talk to you.
Alan: You didn't have to.
Daniel: I know. I wanted to.
Daniel hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand toward Alan.
Daniel: Come on, don't be stubborn now. Friends?
Alan looked at the hand. For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes — memories he didn't want to remember. Then he sighed and slowly shook Daniel's hand.
Alan: …Fine. I can do that much.
Daniel's face lit up instantly.
Daniel: Nice. Then it's settled.
*End of flashback*
Elsewhere, Bob, Andrew, and Coner stood before a man seated calmly at a desk. His face remained hidden in shadow.
"What is this?" the man spoke coldly. "You lost to a new student?"
He slammed his hand against the wall.
"You call yourselves bullies?"
They trembled.
"I'm sorry," Bob muttered. "I got careless. He won't beat me again… Sir Jack."
"Shut up," Jack snapped. "Stop messing with Daniel, and that other boy."
His voice dropped.
"If I hear you lost again, you'll regret it."
Silence filled the room.
The episode ends with Jack's unseen face.
Who is he?
To be continued.