A New Kind of Trauma

The morning after Lucien's shocking introduction, Ren and Kael stumbled into the classroom like two people who had just walked through a nightmare—eyes wide, shoulders tense, and brows furrowed. The awkwardness in the air was so thick you could practically cut it with a sword. Each step felt like a slow march into an abyss they didn't fully understand, but knew they had no choice but to walk.

They sat down at their usual spots, Ren at the window seat, staring out with a frown that could rival any storm cloud. Kael sat beside him, his posture rigid, arms crossed, still reeling from the invasion of his personal space. The classroom was as loud as usual, the chatter of students and teachers filling the air like the sound of a busy marketplace, but the tension between the twin brothers was palpable.

Ren barely looked at Kael, his mind consumed by memories of Lucien's wink. That damn wink.

"I can't believe it," Ren muttered under his breath, gripping the edge of the desk so tightly his knuckles turned white. "That guy... he just winked at me. Like I'm some sort of... of... thing!"

Kael winced at the recollection. "You're telling me. That whole 'playful nudge' thing with his eyebrow? I almost had a heart attack!"

"And then there was his... 'cool guy' walk when he entered the room," Ren added, cringing at the memory. "What was that? A model runway?"

Before Kael could respond, the door to the classroom creaked open, and Lucien, looking as unbothered as ever, strolled in. His mischievous grin stretched across his face like a cat who just found a mouse—except the mouse was Ren.

Lucien paused as he entered, giving the class an exaggerated look-over, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. "I see the party's still going strong," he said with an exaggerated flourish, winking directly at Ren.

Ren's entire body locked up. His face turned a shade of crimson that could rival the setting sun, and he froze, half afraid to breathe. Kael, sitting next to him, went rigid, his expression shifting between horror and disbelief.

Lucien strutted forward with an air of arrogance, his swagger so pronounced that it could be mistaken for a professional wrestler about to walk into the ring. He leaned against the desk where Ren sat, a glint of mischief in his eye.

"Hey, Ren," Lucien said, his voice syrupy sweet, "what are you doing later? Maybe we could... I don't know... hit up the practice field? Or maybe you'd prefer a more private session, hmm?"

Ren nearly choked on his own spit, his face turning from crimson to a darker shade of red as he tried to mumble a response. His usual confidence had evaporated. All he could manage was a weak, "Uh, I, uh..." His hands started shaking, and he clenched his fists, hoping to regain control.

Kael, not wanting to be left out of this uncomfortable mess, leaned over to Ren with a half-serious, half-panicked whisper. "Bro, if I were you, I'd just run. Like, now. While you still have your dignity."

Ren nodded vigorously. He tried to push his chair back, but his leg caught under the desk, causing him to stumble forward. Lucien grinned wider, clearly enjoying the chaos he'd sparked.

"Careful there, Ren!" Lucien teased, his voice sing-song. "You don't want to hurt yourself trying to avoid me now, do you?"

Ren winced, wanting nothing more than to disappear into thin air. He glanced around the room. It was like everyone else had gone blind to the obvious tension. The class carried on as if nothing was happening, the other students completely unaware of Lucien's antics.

As Ren sat there, praying for the bell to ring, he turned to Kael. "We need to tell Tsukihara and Dad. This... this has gone too far."

Kael nodded, his eyes darting nervously to Lucien, who was now making exaggerated faces at Ren, trying to see how far he could push the discomfort.

"I'm with you," Kael said, still shaking off the lingering discomfort. "We can't just let him keep doing this."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and the students filed out. But Ren and Kael stayed behind, the weight of their decision hanging over them like a storm cloud.

Later that day, Ren and Kael found themselves walking toward Tsukihara's office, their steps slow and deliberate. The hallway stretched out before them like an endless void. It wasn't so much the prospect of talking to Tsukihara that worried them—it was the fact that they had to explain Lucien's behavior to him.

They reached the door and knocked. Tsukihara's calm, composed voice echoed from the other side. "Come in."

The brothers entered, and immediately, Tsukihara looked up from his paperwork, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, my two favorite troublemakers. What brings you here?"

Ren and Kael exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Well," Ren started, shifting on his feet, "there's this new kid... Lucien..."

Kael jumped in, speaking in a tone that was far more serious than the situation called for. "He's... kind of messing with us, Tsukihara. In, like, a really uncomfortable way."

Tsukihara's eyebrow twitched, but he stayed silent. Ren hesitated before continuing, detailing Lucien's antics, his winks, his flirtations, and everything else that had occurred since the moment Lucien had entered their lives.

When he was finished, Tsukihara leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. So, this Lucien fellow is acting… unusual, is he?"

Ren nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Like, he's always making these weird, uh... comments toward us. It's—it's really uncomfortable. And we need help, Tsukihara."

Tsukihara gave them both a long look, then chuckled softly. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it right now. If he's doing something inappropriate, you'll just have to handle it in your own way. Use your strength. Show him you won't tolerate it."

Ren blinked. "But—"

"I've told you before," Tsukihara cut in, smiling knowingly. "There's no better way to stop someone than showing them your own power. Now, go on. I'm sure you two can handle it just fine."

Before Ren could respond, Tsukihara added, "And, remember: If you need me to step in... just let me know. But it seems like this will be an interesting test for you two."

Ren and Kael exchanged a look. So that was it? They had to handle Lucien themselves?

As the brothers left Tsukihara's office, their minds were already racing. They needed a plan. But the second they stepped into the hallway, they were met with the last thing they wanted to see—Lucien, leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed with a smirk that could only mean trouble.

"Well, well, well," Lucien said, his voice low and teasing. "Didn't take you guys long to come crawling to your big brother for help, huh?"

Ren's hands clenched into fists, and Kael's eyes narrowed. But before they could even open their mouths to respond, Lucien spoke again, raising his hands in mock innocence.

"I was just joking, guys," he said with a grin, clearly enjoying their discomfort. "But hey, no need to be shy. I'll just leave you two to think about things... privately, okay?"

And with that, he walked off down the hallway, leaving the two brothers in stunned silence.

Ren slowly turned to Kael, his face a mix of disbelief and frustration. "I swear... if he does one more thing, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Kael interrupted with a wry grin. "He's already gotten to you, hasn't he?"