Chapter 7 - Rayden Lysander

[Seven Years Later]

"Hey, bastard!"

A small, handsome boy stopped in his tracks as a chubby classmate blocked the entrance to his classroom. He stared directly at the boy with a blank expression.

The handsome boy, named Rayden Lysander, sighed softly. It wasn't the first time his friend had called him that crude name. As usual, he decided to ignore his friend's taunt.

Rayden started to move forward again, but the round-faced boy spread his arms wide, blocking Rayden's path.

"Didn't you hear me, bastard?!" shouted Benjamin Brown, the chubby boy.

"Are you talking to me, Ben?" Rayden asked innocently.

Benjamin's face turned red, feeling mocked by Rayden. "Who else would be the bastard here if not you?" he said, jabbing his finger repeatedly into Rayden's chest.

Rayden's eyebrows knitted together. He looked at Benjamin with disinterest. He had promised his mother to behave well at school and be someone she could be proud of. However, Benjamin's behavior toward him had become increasingly aggressive, and he was starting to get annoyed.

Sometimes Rayden didn't want to go to school because he was tired of Benjamin's bullying. But he didn't want to disappoint his mother.

"I have a name, Ben. Doesn't your tiny brain ever remember it?" Rayden spoke calmly, though his words were cold and sharp. This time, he didn't intend to stay silent. He was fed up with Benjamin's arrogance.

Benjamin's eyes widened. Their classmates in the room burst into laughter.

"Shut up!" yelled Benjamin, his face turning a deeper shade of red.

His small, chubby jaw tightened. He grabbed Rayden by the collar.

"You bastard! How dare you insult me! Do you know who my father is? I'll make sure you can't go to school anymore!" Benjamin shouted in rage.

Rayden, who was smaller, staggered as Benjamin shook him. Frustrated by his classmate's bullying, Rayden grabbed Benjamin's arm and bit it hard, causing Benjamin to release his grip.

Benjamin screamed in pain.

"You're just a daddy's boy. Without your father, you're nobody," Rayden said. He couldn't stay silent any longer after Benjamin's threat.

"You!" growled Benjamin.

Benjamin's fist swung toward Rayden's face, sending Rayden sprawling to the floor.

Their classmates screamed, but none dared to stop Benjamin.

Rayden winced. Even though a punch from a six-year-old wasn't as powerful as an adult's, Benjamin's larger body inflicted a lot of pain.

Blood trickled from the corner of Rayden's mouth. He wiped it gently with his thumb.

"You're just the son of a b*tch! No wonder you don't have a father!" Benjamin sneered.

Rayden's hazel eyes glared sharply. The anger he had been holding back finally erupted.

Benjamin's loud, mocking laughter filled the corridor. Some of their classmates joined in, further humiliating Rayden. None of the girls dared to approach Rayden, fearing Benjamin's retaliation. Everyone knew that Benjamin Brown's parents were influential at Sunrise Elementary School.

Because of this, Benjamin always acted arrogantly at school, and no one dared to stop him. Even if someone reported him to the teachers, they would only settle it peacefully.

Other parents warned their children not to mess with Benjamin at school. This only fueled Benjamin's behavior, making him feel like a little ruler at the school.

Rayden never expected to be his classmate's target. He had tried ignoring Benjamin's taunts, hoping Benjamin would get bored and stop. Unfortunately, Benjamin saw him as a coward and continued to bully him as he pleased. The teachers seemed to turn a blind eye to Benjamin's behavior.

To this day, Rayden couldn't understand why Benjamin hated him so much and kept bothering him.

Rayden also didn't know how Benjamin found out that he lived without a father. He had never told anyone, but about a month ago, Benjamin started calling him a bastard.

Benjamin's jokes had crossed the line. But Rayden always remembered his mother's advice to avoid physical violence to prevent getting hurt.

Rayden had been born with a weak body. His mother had always taken great care of him, and Rayden didn't want to worry her by telling her about the bullying at school.

Even though he had promised his mother not to fight, Rayden couldn't hold back any longer, especially since they had insulted his mother.

"Rayden, the whore's son!"

The taunting words echoed from his classmates' lips under Benjamin's lead. Rayden's downcast face looked blank. He clenched his fists tightly.

"Stop it!" Rayden shouted.

But no one listened to the poor boy. His eyes were wet with tears, but he tried to hold them back, not wanting to appear weak in front of his bullies.

"Your mother is just a whore. She's not like my mom and dad. How dare you fight back?" Benjamin sneered, laughing again.

His words ignited Rayden's anger. Without warning, Rayden sprang up and punched Benjamin in the face while he was off guard.

Screams echoed in the corridor, and chaos erupted as a result of the punch.

Benjamin's chubby body staggered. He felt a sharp pain around his eye where Rayden's fist had landed.

"You..." Benjamin pointed at Rayden, shocked by Rayden's retaliation. "How dare you hit me!"

Benjamin punched back, hitting Rayden repeatedly, until Rayden lay on the corridor floor with Benjamin on top of him. The fight caused panic among the students.

No one dared to stop Benjamin, who was furious until the school bell rang. The students hurried to their classrooms, not wanting to get involved.

The teachers, intending to enter the classrooms, were shocked to see the two boys fighting in the corridor, and none of the students dared to intervene.

"Rayden Lysander, Benjamin Brown! Stop it!"

A young woman with thick glasses hurried to stop the two boys. She was their homeroom teacher, Daisy Miller.

Rayden, currently on top of Benjamin, stopped punching. His face was bruised in several places. So was Benjamin's, though his injuries were less severe than Rayden's.

Seeing Rayden's hesitation, Benjamin pushed him hard, causing Rayden to fall. His small back hit the floor hard.

"Stop it, Ben!" Daisy shouted. She hurried to help Rayden, who was grimacing in pain. Blood was flowing steadily from his nose.

Another teacher helped and supported Rayden.

"What have you done?" Daisy scolded angrily. She was exasperated with Benjamin Brown's misbehavior in class. Now, he had resorted to violence.

Without even asking, Daisy Miller knew the troublemaker was Benjamin Brown. She had often reprimanded Benjamin for bothering Rayden in class. But she hadn't expected the two boys to end up fighting like this.

"Miss Miller, he started it. He mocked me and hit me first," Benjamin accused, pointing at Rayden.

Rayden's face paled. "Liar! He's lying, Miss!"

"No! He's the liar!" Benjamin retorted.

Daisy Miller rubbed her temples. Her blood pressure spiked at the sight of the two boys' argument.

"Enough! Both of you, come with me to the teacher's lounge. I'll be calling your parents!" Daisy Miller said it firmly.