A New Challenge

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Master Teren clapped his hands.

"Alright, class, that's all for today. Don't forget your homework, and see you tomorrow!"

The children quickly packed their bags, eager to leave. Avoi stuffed his notebook into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and stood up.

Ren, a boy with spiky black hair, waved cheerfully. "Bye, Avoi! See you tomorrow!" Then, he ran off toward the gate.

Avoi smiled and looked at Lila. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Lila nodded, her braid bouncing slightly as she stood. They walked out of the classroom together, chatting happily about the day's lessons.

At the gate, Avoi spotted his mom waiting. She waved at him with a bright smile, standing with her arms wide open.

"Mom!" Avoi shouted excitedly and ran toward her.

Saria knelt down and caught him in a warm hug. "How was your first day, sweetheart?" she asked, brushing a bit of dust off his clothes.

"It was great!" Avoi said, still grinning.

Lila, standing a little behind him, gave a small wave. "Bye, Avoi! See you tomorrow!"

Saria noticed her and smiled. "Who's that?" she asked softly as she stood.

Avoi turned and waved back to Lila. "That's Lila! She's my first friend!"

Saria's eyes sparkled. "Your first friend, huh? She seems nice."

Avoi nodded. "She is! We sat next to each other and talked all day."

Saria chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Come on, let's go home," she said, taking his hand as they walked toward the car parked nearby.

Inside the car, Avoi chatted nonstop about his first day—about Master Teren, his new friends, and how he had stopped a prank with magic without anyone noticing.

Saria smiled as she listened. It felt good to see Avoi so happy.

When they arrived home, Grandpa was waiting by the front door. His eyes twinkled as he greeted them. "There's my little warrior! How was your first day at school, Avoi?"

"It was awesome, Grandpa!" Avoi said, running to give him a hug. "I made a friend, and I learned so much!"

Grandpa laughed. "I knew you'd enjoy it. Did you get into any trouble?"

"No trouble today!" Avoi said proudly.

Grandpa gave a playful wink. "Good. But remember, even warriors have to take baths before lunch!"

Avoi groaned, but he obeyed, running off to clean up while Saria prepared lunch.

At the lunch table, the family gathered, the aroma of fresh food filling the room.

"So," Grandpa began, "tell me more about this new friend of yours."

Avoi smiled as he spoke. "Her name is Lila. She's really nice, and we sit next to each other in class. I think she's gonna be my best friend!"

"That's wonderful," Saria said as she set plates on the table. "It's important to have good friends."

They ate happily, enjoying their conversation. The day had been a success, and Avoi couldn't wait to return to school the next day.

Days passed in a joyful blur. Avoi followed the same routine—waking up, going to school, and spending his breaks with Lila and Ren. They played together every day and became fast friends.

One sunny morning, during the school's lunch break, the trio sat outside under the shade of a big tree, enjoying their meals. Avoi had packed some snacks, which he happily shared with Lila and Ren.

They laughed and talked, feeling as if nothing could ruin their day. But then, a familiar figure appeared in front of them—the chubby boy who had tried to prank the class before.

Avoi squinted at him. "What do you want?"

The boy, whose name was Jack, raised a hand with a grin. "I want to be friends with you," Jack said.

Avoi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Really? You're not here to cause trouble?"

Jack shook his head. "I promise! I just want to be friends."

He extended his hand toward Avoi. After a moment of hesitation, Avoi shook it. "Okay. If you've changed, I'll believe you."

But suddenly, Jack's friends appeared from behind the tree and grabbed Avoi and Ren.

"Hey!" Avoi shouted, struggling against their grip.

Jack gave a wicked grin and grabbed Lila by the arm. "This is what I do to your friends," he said, pulling out a bottle of ink.

Before Avoi could stop him, Jack poured the ink all over Lila's hair and clothes.

Lila gasped, her eyes filling with tears. The boys laughed cruelly.

Avoi's anger boiled over. He felt his fists tighten as heat surged inside him. With a fierce shout, he punched one of the boys, knocking him backward into the dirt.

The other boy tried to grab him, but Avoi spun and hit him with a powerful punch, sending him sprawling.

Jack growled and swung his fist at Avoi, but Avoi dodged easily. He struck back with two quick punches, leaving Jack gasping for breath and clutching his side.

The commotion had drawn a crowd of children, who quickly intervened to stop the fight.

Moments later, Avoi, Lila, Ren, Jack, and his friends were all standing in the principal's office.

The principal, a tall, stern-looking man, folded his arms. "Now," he said, "I want the truth. What happened?"

Jack looked down, fidgeting nervously. After a few moments of silence, he mumbled, "We were just messing around… I didn't think it would make her cry."

Avoi glared at him. "You poured ink on her! That's not messing around!"

The principal sighed. "Jack, what you did was wrong. Bullying is never acceptable."

He turned to Avoi. "And while I appreciate that you stood up for your friend, violence isn't the answer."

Both Avoi and Jack were ordered to bring their parents to school the next day. "You're dismissed for now," the principal said, waving them off.

As the others left, Avoi hesitated at the door.

"Sir," Avoi asked, "do you like martial arts?"

The principal's stern expression softened slightly. "As a matter of fact, I do. I trained for many years when I was younger."

Avoi's eyes lit up. "Can I join the martial arts training at school?"

The principal smiled. "I think you'd be a great fit. Training can teach you discipline and control. I'll speak with your teacher about enrolling you."

Avoi grinned. "Thank you, sir!"

Outside the principal's office, Lila and Ren were waiting for Avoi.

"What happened in there?" Ren asked curiously.

Avoi explained everything, including the conversation about martial arts.

Lila's eyes sparkled. "That's so cool! I'll join the training with you!"

The three friends laughed, feeling closer than ever. Even though the day had been difficult, Avoi knew one thing for sure—he was going to make the most of his time at school.