New Friendships and Standing Up

The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the first half of the day. Children burst into chatter and laughter, scrambling out of their seats for the interval.

Master Teren gathered his papers and gave a nod to the class. "Alright, kids, enjoy your break. I'll see you all after the bell." He left the room, his steps echoing down the hallway.

As soon as the teacher disappeared, the door creaked open, and the fat boy from earlier came sulking back in. His round cheeks were flushed, either from embarrassment or frustration.

The class erupted in quiet giggles, whispering to each other about what had happened.

The fat boy shot an angry glare at everyone, clearly still upset about being sent to the principal. He stomped over to his chair and slumped into it. Moments later, two boys—his best friends—came in after him and sat beside him, whispering in low voices.

Meanwhile, Avoi reached into his little leather bag and pulled out his lunch—a neatly packed meal of sandwiches, some fruit, and a small bottle of juice. His stomach growled, and he eagerly unwrapped the sandwiches.

Just then, Lila turned around in her seat, her braid swaying. "Hey, Avoi," she said cheerfully. "Can I eat with you?"

Avoi grinned. "Sure!"

Lila picked up her chair and spun it around, sitting down beside Avoi. She placed her lunch box on the table and opened it, revealing a steaming bowl of ramen.

"Want some ramen?" Lila asked with a smile.

"Thanks!" Avoi said, happily grabbing a pair of chopsticks she offered.

After taking a few bites, Avoi reached into his bag again and pulled out some pancakes wrapped in cloth. "Wanna try some pancakes?" he offered.

Lila's eyes lit up. "Thank you!" she said, taking a piece and popping it into her mouth. "Mmm, these are really good!"

As they ate together, Lila leaned in a little closer. "Hey, Avoi… how do you know magic?"

Avoi swallowed his bite of sandwich and smiled proudly. "My mom taught me. She knows all sorts of cool spells."

"That's amazing!" Lila said, her voice full of admiration. "You're really lucky to know magic at such a young age."

When their lunch was finished, Avoi stood up, his energy renewed. "Come on, Lila! Let's go play outside!"

Lila grinned and jumped to her feet. "Alright! Let's go!"

The two of them ran out to the playground, where groups of children were already playing. Some kids were chasing each other, while others climbed the swings and played games with sticks and stones.

As Avoi and Lila wandered around, something caught Avoi's eye. Near the edge of the playground, the fat boy from earlier and his two friends were crowding around a smaller boy.

The smaller boy looked frightened, clutching a small candy in his hand. The fat boy loomed over him, his hands on his hips.

"Come on, give me the candy," the fat boy sneered. "You don't need it."

The smaller boy whimpered. "But... it's mine."

"I don't care," one of the fat boy's friends added. "Hand it over!"

The smaller boy looked like he was about to cry.

Avoi's eyes narrowed. "That's not right," he muttered.

Lila tugged his sleeve. "We need to help him."

Without hesitation, Avoi marched over to the group, with Lila right behind him.

"Let him go," Avoi said firmly.

The fat boy and his friends turned, startled to see Avoi and Lila standing there.

"Or what?" one of the boys sneered, stepping forward.

"Or you'll regret it," Avoi said calmly, his eyes steady and determined.

One of the fat boy's friends—a taller kid with messy hair—lunged forward, trying to throw a punch at Avoi.

But Avoi moved like lightning, ducking under the punch. He grabbed the boy's wrist, twisted it slightly, and with a quick movement, threw him to the ground.

The boy hit the dirt with a loud "Oof!" and lay there, groaning.

The other two boys stared in shock.

"You want to try next?" Avoi asked, his gaze unwavering.

The fat boy shook his head, his face pale. "N-No thanks!" he stammered, backing away.

"Then leave him alone," Avoi said.

Without another word, the fat boy and his friends turned and ran off, tripping over each other in their rush to get away.

Lila laughed. "Wow, Avoi! That was amazing!"

The smaller boy, still holding his candy, looked up at Avoi with wide eyes. "Th-thank you," he whispered.

Avoi smiled warmly. "No problem. What's your name?"

The boy wiped his eyes and managed a small smile. "I'm Ren."

"Nice to meet you, Ren," Avoi said. "We're Avoi and Lila."

Ren beamed. "Do you... do you want to be friends?"

"Of course!" Lila said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Avoi agreed. "Friends stick together."

Ren's face brightened, and for the first time, he looked truly happy.

The three of them spent the rest of the interval playing together in the playground. They chased each other, climbed trees, and laughed until their sides hurt.

As the bell rang again, calling them back to class, Avoi, Lila, and Ren walked back inside together, grinning from ear to ear.

Avoi glanced at Ren and gave him a playful nudge. "If those bullies ever bother you again, just tell us, okay?"

Ren smiled shyly. "Okay. Thanks, Avoi."

The three new friends made their way back to the classroom, ready for the next part of the day—with Avoi knowing that this was just the beginning of many adventures to come.