Henry watched Colton’s hand flying toward him and tilted his body slightly.
He had no intention of dodging in the first place. Henry waited silently with his body relaxed.
For his fist to come flying at him.
Thwack!
“Hup!”
He heard someone hastily draw in breath.
Unfortunately for Colton, it didn’t really hurt.
It was thanks to turning his head in sync with his punch. Henry hid the smile trying to bloom on his face and acted surprised.
Because he wanted to look like ‘a victim who was unilaterally hit.’
Everything was flowing according to Henry’s thoughts. Right down to the fact that everyone around was making worried faces toward Henry.
Henry lightly brushed his chin with his hand and opened his mouth to confirm there was nothing wrong with the area he was hit.
After that, he freely threw a punch at Colton.
Because he’d gotten hit by the likes of Colton for this purpose.
Thwack—!
“Urk…!”
Colton, who lost his balance, swayed greatly and backed away awkwardly. He covered his face with his hands.
One side of his retreating lips was split red. Henry reached out once more.
“Henry!”
Everyone belatedly came to their senses at the suddenly unfolding situation. The first to run over and grab Henry was David.
“Henry! What’s gotten into you? Why are you doing something you never did!”
Even though that David was holding him, Henry didn’t stop. Rather, Henry dragged him along and tried hard to hit Colton one more time.
“This bastard…!”
It was the same for Colton. As soon as Colton saw Henry’s actions being restricted by David, he charged at Henry.
“What are you doing! Grab Colton! Declan, try to stop Henry! William, you go call the coach!”
“Yes!”
David quickly mediated the situation. Hearing his words, William hurriedly left the gym, and Declan slowly approached Henry and grabbed his arm.
“No, hey! Ah, let go of this! David. David saw it too. That bastard hit me!”
“You hit Henry first.”
“No, that’s… That bastard said something infuriating first…”
“Did anyone hear it?”
David looked around and asked. One of those who’d been watching the situation unfold nearby from the beginning raised his hand high and answered.
“It’s true Henry said something, but before that, Colton picked a fight first.”
“This bastard! Why are you leaving out the part where that bastard hit me with the ball?”
“Henry apologized for that.”
The person who spoke on Henry’s behalf answered with a puzzled expression. It meant that Henry had clearly apologized, but you said unnecessary things and created this mess, didn’t you?
Without having to fight hard or prove why he had no choice but to do so, the fight was sorted out by those around him.
A proper argument. Colton hit first, and Henry got hit. All the friends around remembered that order.
This was the situation Henry, who had picked a fight with Colton, had drawn up from the beginning.
For nearly a week, it had been a continuous series of days that were just annoying and frustrating for Henry because he didn’t know how Declan would act.
For Henry, who had to endure that time, he needed a place to release his accumulated anger.
Problems you’ve solved before can be solved easily.
But when people encounter problems they’ve never even thought they’d need to solve someday, they often avoid or vent in foolish directions.
And that’s what Henry did. Unluckily, Colton had just caught Henry’s eye.
Henry knew.
Unlike himself, Colton had a bad reputation at school. This meant that even if they committed the same act, more responsibility would fall on Colton than on himself.
Not only that, but Colton deliberately brought up irrelevant stories to provoke him even after hearing an apology. Everyone around had heard the words that came out of his mouth.
Now all he had to do was shift all the blame to Colton, become the victim, and slip away.
“David. I’ve calmed down. You can let go.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll trust you.”
David, who had been gripping Henry’s shoulder, released the strength from his hands. Naturally, he thought Declan would let go too, but for some reason he didn’t. He twisted to pull out his captured arm, but it didn’t budge.
His pride was hurt. He’d never been overpowered anywhere, and because it was him. After a moment’s hesitation, Henry gritted his teeth and called Declan.
“…Russell. Let go of this?”
Even though he must have heard his words, Declan didn’t even move. He just stared intently down at Henry’s chin where Colton had hit him with an indifferent face.
He wanted to shower him with curses right away. Just the fact that his hand was touching his arm made him feel twisted inside.
Yet Henry couldn’t do anything and had to endure. So as not to offend his mood.
That’s when it happened.
“You got hit well.”
Declan, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke. Henry frowned and asked back. Doubting his ears.
“What?”
Declan’s face drew closer. Then he whispered in Henry’s ear. Quietly enough that even David next to them couldn’t hear.
“You. You got hit on purpose.”
“…”
“You were waiting for Colton to hit you, right? To make it look like self-defense.”
The refreshing feeling that had come after hitting Colton flew away.
His innermost thoughts were discovered. A chilling thrill ran through his whole body. Henry bit his lips tightly.
“…I got hit, on purpose?”
“Didn’t you?”
Declan’s face as he confirmed again was so full of certainty. As if he knew everything.
He should say no, but his mouth wouldn’t open. It felt exactly like being stripped naked and thrown before Declan.
“Even if it was on purpose, what can you do? Shout about it? That I got hit on purpose?”
Henry asked Declan, driven by spite to hide it instead. So as not to show his embarrassment, he raised his chin and looked properly into Declan’s eyes.
“Why would I?”
However, contrary to Henry’s will, a disappointingly indifferent answer flowed from Declan.
“Whether you get hit or hit someone. It’s not my concern.”
“Then…”
“Just. It’s funny watching you act innocent.”
Declan shrugged as he answered. At some point, the hand that had been strongly gripping his arm had also fallen away.
At Declan’s answer, Henry clenched his fist.
What if he touched his nerves? The anger he’d endured, throwing away even his pride, was about to burst out.
“Hey, hey. Henry. What’s wrong with you today?”
David, who noticed the strange current flowing between the two, hurriedly interjected between them.
“And Declan. I called you to stop Henry, so what did you say to him? Both of you, stop it, okay?”
So that Henry and Declan couldn’t see each other’s faces. David covered each face with his hands.
“David, just a moment.”
“No, no. You’re going to fight again, you two.”
Henry tried to escape from David who was blocking his front. Though he failed because David shouted and blocked him with his whole body saying no.
It was when Henry, unable to help it, called Declan with David in between them.
“Russell, you…”
“What the hell are you doing!”
A shout rang out loudly in the wide space. The conduct guidance teacher was standing at the back door with a stern face.
Perhaps because he’d run to call her. Behind the teacher, William was panting and catching his breath.
“The coach stepped away for a moment and you’re causing this mess?”
The teacher’s cold gaze scanned the students one by one. In an instant, a cold silence descended on the field.
Even Colton, who had been making a fuss saying he’d hit Henry one more time, kept silent.
“Colton Columbus.”
Instead of answering, Colton pouted his lips with a sullen face. The students who’d been holding him let go of their hands.
Without needing to say it, Colton, who understood the scolding that would fall on him, familiarly moved his steps to her side.
“Henry Lowell.”
“Yes.”
“Declan Russell.”
“…Yes.”
“You two follow as well.”
…Russell too?
A brief question arose, but Henry didn’t bother to defend him.
Declan headed toward the back door obediently without complaint, and above all, wasn’t this the path to getting scolded?
‘Go ahead and get screwed.’
Anyway, for Henry, wasn’t Declan the source of all this fighting? If they got scolded together, it seemed like this resentment would be relieved a bit.
