Chapter 5: Xian's Childish Attempts

      The uneasy truce between Xian and Vios was short-lived. For Xian, the merger represented an opportunity to expose Vios as the spoiled, privileged prodigy he believed him to be. His mission was clear: make life at West Woods High so unbearable for Vios that he would be forced to leave.

Xian gathered his friends in a secluded corner of the schoolyard during lunch. The sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on their determined faces.

"Alright, listen up," Xian said, his voice low but commanding. "We need to make Vios realize he doesn't belong here. We're going to sabotage him at every turn."

Lian, ever the loyal sidekick, nodded enthusiastically. "What's the plan, Xian?"

Xian grinned mischievously. "We start small, with some harmless pranks. Just enough to annoy him and make him reconsider this whole merger thing."

...

The first attempt was a classic: the bucket of water balanced precariously atop a door. Xian and his friends waited in the hallway, stifling their laughter as they saw Vios approaching. Vios, engrossed in his phone, pushed the door open, and the bucket tipped.

But instead of drenching Vios, the water spilled harmlessly to the side, splashing a passing teacher instead.

'Sh*+!?'

The teacher, drenched and furious, glared at Xian and his friends, who scattered in all directions.

"Detention, all of you!" the teacher shouted, shaking water from her hair.

...

Later, as they sat in detention, Lian chuckled. "Well, that didn't go as planned."

Xian scowled. "Just a minor setback. We'll get him next time."

...

The next day, Xian decided to tamper with Vios's locker. He carefully replaced Vios's textbooks with comic books, hoping to embarrass him in class. But when Vios opened his locker and saw the comics, he merely raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Unfazed, Vios carried the comics to class and, when the teacher asked about the switch, he coolly explained it as a sociological experiment on the impact of humor in education. The teacher was impressed by his ingenuity, and Xian, watching from the back, fumed.

"Is there anything this guy can't turn to his advantage?" Xian muttered under his breath.

Lian patted him on the back. "Don't worry, Xian. We'll get him next time."

...

Their next scheme involved swapping Vios's gym clothes with an outfit two sizes too small. Xian and his friends waited in the locker room, snickering as they imagined Vios struggling to fit into the tiny clothes.

However, Vios, ever composed, simply shrugged and wore the outfit with surprising ease. When his classmates burst into laughter, he used the opportunity to make a point about body positivity and the importance of self-confidence. The laughter quickly turned into applause, and Vios walked away with even more admiration from his peers.

ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ

Xian's frustration grew with each failed attempt. It seemed no matter what he did, Vios managed to turn the situation to his advantage. His determination, however, only grew stronger.

The final straw came during a joint science project presentation. Xian had tampered with Vios's experiment, switching out key components to ensure it would fail spectacularly. He watched with bated breath as Vios began his demonstration.

To his shock, Vios noticed the switched components immediately. Without missing a beat, he adjusted his presentation, improvising a new experiment on the spot.

The result was even more impressive than the original, and the teacher praised Vios for his quick thinking and adaptability.

(⁠ノ⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

After class, Xian cornered Vios in the hallway, his frustration boiling over. "How do you keep doing that?" he demanded. "Why can't you just fail for once?"

Vios looked at him.

Looking at him like an idiot.

"You think I haven't noticed what you're doing? I know you've been trying to sabotage me. But here's the thing: I don't need to prove anything to anyone, least of all to you."

Xian clenched his fists, his face a mix of anger and confusion. "You're so full of yourself. Don't you ever get tired of playing the hero?"

Vios raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Hero? Is that what you think I am? I thought I was just the guy who keeps fixing your messes."

Xian scowled, taking a step closer. "You're not that smart, you know. One day, I'm going to get the better of you."

Vios chuckled, shaking his head. "You've been trying for weeks, and all you've managed to do is make me more creative. Thanks for the practice, by the way. I'm thinking of writing a book about it – 'The Art of Outwitting Dumb@$$.' Think it'll be a bestseller?"

Xian's face reddened. "Laugh all you want, but sooner or later, you're going to slip up."

"You know, instead of plotting against me, you could try actually learning. Who knows, you might surprise yourself – and then you could stop embarrassing yourself."

Xian's eyes narrowed. "I don't need your advice," he spat. "I'll find a way to beat you."

Vios sighed, his expression softening slightly. "Look, this rivalry of yours… it's pointless. You're so focused on bringing me down that you're missing out on what really matters. Maybe if you spent more time on your own work, you'd be happy with your own success instead of obsessing over mine."

Xian hesitated, taken aback by Vios' unexpected sincerity. For a moment, a flicker of doubt crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with anger. "Save your lectures, smarty pants. This isn't over."

"Sure," Vios said with a shrug. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Just remember, every time you try to trip me up, you're only making me better."

..."And by the way, this is my territory. You better get hold your nose out of my business again."

Xian stormed off, his parting glare full of resentment. Vios watched him go, feeling a mix of relief. As frustrating as Xian could be, a part of him hoped that one day, his rival would find his own path to success.

With a shake of his head, Vios turned and walked away, ready to face whatever new challenge awaited him, confident that he would continue to rise above – no matter what anyone threw his way.

The bell rang, signaling the end of another day. With a satisfied smile, Vios knew that against all odds, he had once again come out on top.