Jack leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the desk.
The silence bored him.
Ever since Daniel and Alan humiliated Bob and his crew, things had grown dull.
Jack exhaled slowly.
"Tch… boring."
He turned his head toward one of the men standing nearby.
"Get ready," Jack said casually. "And call Bob, Andrew, and Coner."
The underling straightened.
"Yes."
As the man left, Jack stood up, a smirk forming on his face.
"Alright," he muttered. "Time to start the fun."
---
Elsewhere.
Behind the school building, Coner and Andrew counted the money they had collected.
"It's about seventy-eight dollars," Coner said.
Andrew laughed.
"That's a lot. We did great today."
Coner frowned.
"Yeah, but where the hell is Bob?"
Andrew stretched.
"Whatever. I'm sick of hiding back here."
Footsteps echoed behind them.
A man appeared.
"Jack wants you," the underling said. "And Bob too. Get to the classroom."
He turned and walked away.
Coner and Andrew stared at each other.
"How are we supposed to find Bob now?" Coner whispered.
A voice spoke from behind them.
"So this is where you were."
They turned.
Bob stood there, arms crossed.
Andrew blinked.
"What do you mean? We've been looking everywhere for you."
Bob smirked.
"I was just waiting for you two to finish stealing money."
Coner sighed.
"Seriously? Anyway, Jack called all of us."
Bob's smile widened.
"Oh? So it's finally starting."
---
Elsewhere.
Alan and Daniel sat together in the classroom, eating quietly.
"You don't need to be here," Alan said. "You should be in your own class."
Daniel shrugged.
"Why? I want to eat with you."
"And Daisy?" Alan asked.
"She's probably eating with her friends," Daniel replied. "So I had no choice."
Alan hummed softly.
"Alright."
But his thoughts drifted.
Rumors.
That story Daniel told him.
And Ellie.
Daniel suddenly spoke.
"I feel weird," he said. "Like something bad is about to happen."
Alan stared out the window.
"It might," he replied calmly. "Who knows."
---
Back to Jack.
Bob, Andrew, and Coner stood before him.
"Oh?" Jack said. "So you finally showed up."
Bob nodded.
"We've done the money work too."
Andrew and Coner glanced at each other.
"'We'?"
Jack's smile grew.
"Interesting."
He stood up.
"Get ready." "It's starting very soon."
His eyes gleamed.
"The hunt of weaklings in Blackridge."
---
Chaos erupted.
Groups of students were attacked without warning.
Fists flew.
Cries echoed.
One by one, weaker students were beaten across the school grounds and lower floors.
Andrew, Coner, and Bob stayed back, leading from a distance.
"I really enjoy bullying," Andrew laughed.
"All thanks to Jack's plan," Coner replied.
Bob snapped.
"Shut up and watch." "Who told you to join them?"
"Sorry!" they replied together.
---
The noise reached the upper floors.
Daniel's head snapped up.
"What's that sound?"
Alan's eyes narrowed.
"It's coming from below."
They walked to the window.
And saw it.
Students being beaten.
Panic spreading.
Daniel clenched his teeth.
"What the hell is happening?"
"The feeling was right," Alan said quietly.
Daniel turned.
"I'm going to check on Daisy."
He rushed out.
Alan didn't move.
He stayed seated by the window, calmly watching the chaos unfold.
---
On the ground floor, bullies stormed classrooms, dragging boys out and beating them.
Some avoided the girls.
Some didn't.
Some settled personal grudges.
Daniel burst into Daisy's classroom.
"Is everyone okay?" he asked.
Daisy looked up.
"Oh, Daniel. Yeah, we're fine."
"They're only attacking the ground floor and outside," a classmate added.
Daniel exhaled.
"That's a relief."
"But why is this happening?"
No one answered.
Daniel clenched his fist.
"…Jack."
"That bastard started it again."
---
Elsewhere.
Jack leaned against his desk, watching through the classroom window.
His underlings stood behind him.
The screams below echoed upward.
Jack smiled.
The hunt had begun.
To be continued.