27 Classroom Rivalry

Kamon slumped in her chair, twirling her pen between her fingers. Debate Club was supposed to be fun—a chance to flex her wit, show off a little, and maybe, just maybe, prove that she was the smartest person in the room. 

But today was different. 

Because today, she was up against Patcha. 

"Alright, class," Mr. Niran said, adjusting his glasses as he paced at the front of the room. "For today's debate, we have an exciting match-up: Kamon versus Patcha. The topic—" he turned to the whiteboard and scrawled it out, "—'Technology does more harm than good.' Kamon will argue for the statement, Patcha will argue against." 

The class murmured in anticipation. Everyone knew these two had a competitive streak. Kamon could argue her way out of a locked room, and Patcha? She had a way of making even the weakest points sound like divine truth. 

Patcha smirked. "Oh, this is going to be fun." 

Kamon forced a smile. "Oh, absolutely. I love debates." 

Mr. Niran clapped his hands. "Alright, Kamon, you're up first." 

Kamon took a deep breath and stood, flipping open her notebook. "Technology has undoubtedly done more harm than good. We live in an era where social media addiction is rampant, misinformation spreads like wildfire, and privacy is practically nonexistent. It's turned people into mindless consumers, glued to their screens, disconnected from reality—" 

She paused for effect, scanning the room like a seasoned lawyer about to deliver the final blow. 

"—in short, technology is not a tool anymore. It's a crutch." 

A few students murmured in approval. 

Patcha, still seated, yawned exaggeratedly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was a debate, not a TED Talk." 

Laughter rippled through the classroom. Kamon narrowed her eyes. 

Mr. Niran smiled. "Patcha, your rebuttal?" 

Patcha stood, adjusting the sleeves of her crisp white uniform shirt. "Technology has done far more good than harm. It has advanced medicine, allowed people to connect across the world, and created countless educational opportunities. If anything, it's made people more informed—well, at least those who know how to use it properly." 

Kamon's jaw clenched. That last part felt directed at her. 

Mr. Niran nodded. "Back to you, Kamon." 

Kamon smirked. "Oh, absolutely, technology is useful ometimes. But let's not pretend it hasn't also created a culture of—of—" She paused, searching for the perfect word. 

Then it happened. 

"A culture of hypocrosy." 

Silence. 

Then, laughter. 

Kamon blinked. "What?" 

Patcha grinned. "Did you mean hypocrisy?" 

Kamon's face went red. "Obviously. That's what I said." 

Patcha leaned back. "Sure, sure." 

The laughter didn't stop, but Kamon refused to falter. She took a deep breath and smiled. 

"Well, at least I'm making new words instead of recycling the same old arguments." 

The class erupted into "Oooohs," and even Mr. Niran chuckled. 

Patcha's smirk faltered for half a second before she regained composure. "Oh, don't worry, Kamon. I love creativity." 

The debate continued, with both girls throwing arguments like daggers. The class hung onto their every word, thoroughly entertained. 

By the time it ended, the room felt electrified. 

The bell rang, but the tension between Kamon and Patcha didn't disappear. 

"Wow, Kamon," Patcha said as they exited the classroom. "Trying to impress everyone again?" 

Kamon stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me?" 

Patcha crossed her arms. "You always do this. You argue like your life depends on it. It's like you want everyone to think you're the smartest person in the room." 

Kamon scoffed. "And you don't? Please. You love showing off." 

Patcha rolled her eyes. "At least I don't 

try so hard. It's just natural for me." 

That did it. 

Kamon dropped her bag. "Oh, you wanna go? Right here, right now?" 

Patcha smirked. "Oh, what are you gonna do? Argue me to death?" 

Before Kamon could retort, a sharp voice cut through the hallway. 

"Ladies." 

Mr. Niran stood there, arms crossed. 

The girls froze. 

"I assume you're discussing the debate in a civilized manner?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Silence. 

Mr. Niran sighed. "Since you both clearly have so much to say, I'll give you an opportunity to put it in writing. One thousand words each. A reflection on today's debate. Due tomorrow." 

Kamon's mouth fell open. "What?" 

Patcha groaned. "You're joking." 

"Do I look like I'm joking?" 

They glanced at each other. 

"No, sir," they muttered in unison. 

"Good. Dismissed." 

That night, Kamon sat at her desk, staring at a blank document. 

"One thousand words," she muttered. "For what? A reflection?" 

She pulled out her phone and groaned. Patcha had already updated her social media. 

"Just got a pointless writing assignment because some people can't handle losing gracefully." 

Kamon gritted her teeth. 

Fine. If she had to write it, she'd make sure hers was better than Patcha's. 

But then… inspiration struck. 

She opened a certain helpful website. 

"AI, do your thing," she whispered, typing in her prompt. 

Within seconds, a beautifully worded essay appeared. Kamon skimmed it, her eyes widening. 

"Oh, this is good." 

The next morning, Patcha slammed her paper onto Mr. Niran's desk at the same time as Kamon. 

He adjusted his glasses and read the first few lines. His eyebrows lifted. 

"This is… quite impressive." 

Kamon smirked. 

Patcha folded her arms. "Well, sir, when you give us such intellectually stimulating assignments, we can't help but produce masterpieces." 

Mr. Niran flipped a page. "Your vocabulary is remarkably advanced." 

Kamon and Patcha exchanged glances. 

He narrowed his eyes. "You two didn't 

happen to… over-rely on technology for this, did you?" 

Kamon grinned innocently. "Sir, are you implying that technology is actually useful?" 

Patcha gasped dramatically. "But that would contradict Kamon's argument from yesterday!" 

The class, listening in, burst into laughter. 

Mr. Niran sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You two…" 

Kamon and Patcha high-fived under the desk. 

"Fine," Mr. Niran said, shaking his head. "I'll let it slide this time. But next time,

use your brains. Not AI's." 

Kamon grinned. "Noted, sir." 

Patcha smirked. "See you at the next debate, Kamon." 

Kamon smirked back. "Oh, you know it."