The Sanction

The principal observed the scene with a mix of annoyance and surprise. Ehito, still being held back by the other students, kept his head down, his fists clenched. His breathing was uneven, and despite his frail and discreet appearance, there was a palpable tension around him.

— Ehito! What did you do? asked the principal in a stern voice.

The students holding Ehito exchanged worried glances. This quiet, always silent boy who usually sat in the back of the class had just hit someone with unexpected violence.

The injured student, still dazed, was being supported by two of his friends. He was holding his jaw with a look of pain mixed with anger.

— Sir… mumbled one of the students. Ehito hit him without warning…

The principal turned to Ehito, visibly frustrated.

— Ehito, why did you do that?

Silence hung in the air. Ehito didn't respond, his vacant gaze fixed on the ground. One of the students holding him finally spoke up.

— Sir, it was the other guy who provoked him. He insulted him, saying it was pathetic for him to hang around with Lia.

The principal frowned and looked at the injured boy.

— Is that true?

The boy, still stunned, managed a smug smile despite the pain.

— It's not my fault if that guy is always in the shadows… I just spoke the truth.

Ehito flinched at those words. A mix of shame and anger boiled within him. Ever since he had crossed paths with Lia, that bright and popular girl, his life had changed, but not in the way he had hoped. The other students saw him as a shadow, a parasite who didn't belong next to someone like her.

The principal sighed, his gaze shifting between the two boys.

— You two, in my office. Everyone else, get back to class.

The students reluctantly dispersed, whispering to each other about Ehito's strange behavior.

In the office

The room was silent, disturbed only by the principal's fingers tapping on his desk. Ehito sat on a chair, shoulders slumped, while the other boy, still angry, kept casting furious glances his way.

— So, the principal began, can someone explain to me what happened?

The injured boy spoke first, his voice arrogant.

— Sir, he's just a freak. Ever since he started hanging around Lia, he thinks he's important. I just told him it wouldn't last and… he hit me.

Ehito clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

— Why did you say that to him? the principal asked, eyes narrowed.

The boy shrugged.

— Everyone thinks the same. I just said it out loud. That guy is weird. Always lurking in the background, always silent… He's creepy, isn't he?

The principal turned his attention back to Ehito.

— Ehito, why did you react like that?

A heavy silence settled. Ehito hesitated, then murmured:

— He… He called me a shadow… He said Lia would eventually leave me…

The principal raised an eyebrow.

— Ehito, you can't let provocation make you lose control. Violence is never the answer.

The boy remained silent, fighting the urge to argue. To him, it wasn't just words. It was like denying his existence. Like, even after everything he had gone through, he was still just a worthless shadow.

— I'll be calling your parents, the principal finally said. Ehito, I know yours are on a business trip, but we'll find a way to contact them. You're both suspended for three days. I hope this will give you time to reflect on your actions.

The injured boy protested.

— What?! But he's the one who hit me!

— And you provoked him without reason, the principal retorted. You're both at fault.

Ehito lowered his head, resigned.

After leaving the office, Ehito felt the weight of guilt pressing down on him. Why had he reacted so violently? It wasn't like him. He was always discreet, almost invisible.

Walking across the courtyard to leave the school, he felt the intense stares of other students. Whispers followed him.

— He's so weird… Why does Lia hang out with him?

— Maybe she pities him.

Ehito gritted his teeth. Every word felt like an arrow piercing his heart.

As he reached the gate, a familiar voice called out to him.

— Ehito!

He turned around and saw Lia, out of breath, her bag slung over her shoulder.

— Why are you leaving so early? Don't you have classes this afternoon?

He hesitated before answering, his throat tight.

— I… got suspended.

Lia looked surprised.

— Suspended? Why?

He looked away, ashamed.

— I… hit someone…

She remained silent for a moment, then approached gently.

— That's not like you. What happened?

Ehito felt his anger resurface as he recalled the insults.

— They… said I'm just a shadow. That you would eventually leave me because I'm pathetic…

Lia placed a hand on his shoulder, a soft smile on her lips.

— Ehito, I'll never listen to them. You're not a shadow to me. You just have trouble standing out, that's all. But that doesn't mean you're worthless.

He looked up, surprised by her kindness.

— You don't understand… I'm always alone. No one has ever really noticed me before you. And now that you're here… it's even worse.

Lia frowned slightly.

— Ehito… Don't let others define who you are. You're you, and that's why I like you.

He felt a weight lift from his chest, but a new fear crept in.

— What if you leave?

She shook her head.

— I won't leave. I promise.

For the first time in a long while, Ehito felt warmth soothing his loneliness. Maybe, despite everything, he wasn't destined to remain a shadow.

As they left school together, he found himself smiling slightly, aware that the road ahead would still be long. But with Lia by his side, he felt that maybe he had a chance to rediscover himself.

As Ehito walked alongside Lia, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. Her words had given him something he had never experienced before—hope. Maybe he wasn't doomed to remain a shadow. Maybe he could change, even if it meant facing the world head-on. Lia's presence beside him was a comfort, her promise of staying by his side a small, flickering light in the darkness. He wasn't alone anymore, and for the first time in a long while, Ehito felt like he had something to fight for.

Thanks de reading