Chapter 3

After I got off the phone with Daryl, my emotions settled down. My face was still covered in bruises, but all the resentment and pent-up rage had mostly worn off. I'd be getting my revenge tomorrow anyway, so I was starting to feel quite excited.

The guys in the dorm could tell I was in a pretty good mood, so they felt at ease enough to start chatting. As usual, the conversation was mainly focused on job hunting. Graduation was only a few months away, and figuring out our next step was the top priority for everyone.

Considering the credentials of our no-name university, it was going to be quite tough to find a good job. Although we'd be graduating with a proper college degree, it wasn't all that much better than an associate degree from a community college.

Most of the graduates would just end up working at factories or other unskilled positions.

That was why everyone envied Harvey so much. Even Shae was eager to latch onto him after he got into Drakeway Group.

Since my parents died when I was young, and Callum had gone missing for years, I was used to working part-time. I'd racked up plenty of work experience, so finding a basic paycheck to keep myself fed wouldn't be a problem.

Plus, all I could think about now was my revenge plan, so I didn't join in on their conversation. I went to bed early to get enough rest for tomorrow.

Just then, a message popped up on my phone. Isabelle had texted me, asking, "Are you feeling any better now?"

There were no accompanying emojis or anything to indicate the tone of her message, but considering how shy she was, I was sure it'd taken her a great deal of courage to message me first. Even as I stared at the message, I could imagine her clenching her fists and hyping herself up.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't bother responding to her. Since I didn't like her back, I didn't want to give her any hope. But after recalling how she'd given me the gauze and iodine solution earlier, I gave in and replied, "I feel a lot better now. Thanks."

I sent her some money through PayPal, not wanting her to spend her money on me. But she didn't reply, nor did she accept the funds.

Not dwelling on it, I went to sleep.

…

As soon as I woke up the next morning, I called Daryl and arranged to meet up with him at the back entrance of the campus. Then, I got out of bed and changed my clothes.

Since today was the day I'd be getting even with Harvey, I was the most eager to get the ball rolling.

"Elliott!"

Fred Moore, who slept on the bunk below my bed, stuck his head out.

"What is it, Fred?" I asked puzzledly.

"Remember the business card I gave you yesterday? Can you give it back… I gave it some thought, and I realized that I can't bear to share her with anyone else…"

Fred's shoulders drooped. His eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink last night.

"Seriously? Is that really necessary?" I tossed the business card back to him before sticking the power twister under my jacket and rushing out the door.

The hallway was empty at 7:00 am. Snores echoed from every room. It'd be too much to expect the students at this school to be diligent with their studies.

After hurrying out of the building, I was just about to bask in the morning sun when a figure, who seemed to have been lying in wait for some time, shot over to me and stammered, "C-Can you not go…"

It was Isabelle. I had no idea how long she'd been standing out here. Her hair and clothes were a little damp from the morning dew. Seeing the anxiety etched on her face, I knew she had found out I was going for a fight.

I'd made the call last night in front of the guys in the dorm. I had no clue which one of them leaked the information to her.

Isabelle really was quite pretty. She had delicate features and soulful eyes. With that elegant face of hers and long, brunette hair, she looked like a classic beauty.

That being said, she was still so timid and introverted. It took her so much effort just to talk to someone. I really couldn't see myself liking her.

"This has nothing to do with you," I said stiffly before walking off.

While I didn't like Isabelle romantically, I didn't dislike her either. I only spoke so harshly because I didn't want her to waste any more of her time on me.

After getting some breakfast at the campus cafeteria, I headed to the back entrance and waited for over half an hour before Daryl finally showed up.

Daryl was nearly six feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. He was built pretty solid, but he didn't look fat. It was all muscle.

Thanks to his stocky build, he was able to get by pretty well, even as a kid. He'd started hanging out with the local gangs even as a student, and he was able to thrive among them. No matter where he went, he would never be at a disadvantage.

My heart warmed at the sight of Daryl, my dearest buddy, whom I'd grown up with. This was my pal! With just a single call, he'd always come to my aid, no matter when or where.

Surely this was the meaning of loyalty and friendship!

Once he got closer, I smiled. "What took you so long? And where are your guys? It's not just the two of us, right?"

"I stopped to get some food before coming over," Daryl replied with a smile as well. "We can head up now. They're waiting for us at the hilltop."

For some reason, I got the feeling that Daryl's smile was a little forced. He didn't look too good. His face was a little pale, and his gaze a little distracted. I wanted to ask him if something was up, but he'd started walking already.

Maybe he'd stayed up all night at the gaming lounge and wasn't feeling his best. Without thinking too much about it, I followed after him.

Duke Hill was right behind the campus. It wasn't really much of a hill. It was more like a giant mound of dirt. There were quite a lot of trees there, however, and the leaves rustled in the wind.

Daryl trudged along in silence ahead of me. He wasn't joking around like he usually would. Just as I was noting the strangeness of it all, I heard a sound behind me. Jerking my head around, I saw Luca waving at me from behind a tree, with the same smile he always had.

I thought he'd gone back, but he was still keeping watch over me, huh?

He sure was dedicated to the job. I'd better remind Callum to buy him a beer next time—or maybe two!

I gave him the OK sign, signaling that everything was fine and he had nothing to worry about.

All of a sudden, Daryl said, "Hey, Elliott, why don't you head back?"

"Why?" I asked, feeling quite bewildered.

"I can deal with Harvey myself. You don't need to get involved," Daryl said without turning to look at me.

"Are you kidding me? I have to beat him up myself! Besides, we've been in plenty of fights together. Are you worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up? Come on. I'm already here, anyway. There's no point in turning back now."

I wasn't as good a fighter as Daryl, but I could definitely hold my own. I was even one of the better fighters among others my age. It was mainly thanks to all the part-time jobs I did. Since most of it was manual labor, I was pretty well-built myself. I had both the strength and the muscle mass.

After hearing my response, Daryl fell silent and kept walking ahead.

I got the sense that something was up. Worried that things would go awry, I secretly got my phone out and sent a message.

Either way, it was always best to have a backup plan.

Soon, we reached the top of Duke Hill. There was a small clearing, where the wind blew strongly enough to make it seem like the trees were dancing along with it.

Since the school wasn't all that strict, if students had any sort of conflict that got too heated up, they would come here to settle things with a fight. I'd joined in on a few of those, so it wasn't unusual to me.

I spotted Harvey immediately. He was already there with seven or eight other thugs—the same guys from yesterday. One had his head wrapped in bandages.

Shae had come, too. She stood beside Harvey, looking quite graceful and pretty in her white dress. But that illusion was broken the moment she opened her mouth.

"If you can't afford a mirror, Elliott, just take a piss and get a good look at yourself. What makes you think you can challenge Harvey to a fight, huh?"

Honestly, I was starting to wonder whether the old me had been a blind fool. Why did I ever fall for such a shameless woman?

"What's the matter? Is Harvey getting thirsty? Is that why you're telling me to take a piss the moment I arrive?" I retorted without hesitation.

Then, I turned to Daryl and muttered, "Where are your guys, Daryl?"

I'd looked around and saw no one but Harvey's people!

"Just wait a little longer. They're coming," Daryl said, but he didn't even look up.

It was as if he dared not look me in the eye.

"Well, where are they?" I looked around again.

"Get him!"

At the same time, everyone in front of us, apart from Harvey and Shae, came charging at me. They were all armed with various weapons, including metal batons, machetes, and more.

Unlike yesterday, when I'd been caught off guard by the sudden ambush, I came mentally prepared today. I ripped open my jacket and pulled out the power twister, slamming it heavily into the leg of the first guy who came at me.

He lost his balance and fell to the ground with a loud howl. Without wasting any time, I swung the power twister into another guy's face and heard a loud crack. A few of his teeth flew out.

Someone bashed a bat right into my back, making me gasp in pain. Whipping around, I saw the scrawny-looking guy who hit me, so I raised the power twister and bashed it on his head three times, dropping him to the ground.

I'd taken out three guys in a row, but I didn't let that get to my head, for even more of them were coming at me. There was no way I could take on all of these guys myself. If this continued, it'd end up being a repeat of what happened yesterday.

Immediately, I started backing away while asking Daryl, "Where are you guys? Are they coming or not?"

After glancing at me, Daryl abruptly yanked open his jacket and pulled out a wooden bat. He swung it right at my head.

"What are you—"

I was stunned.

Thankfully, I'd been on my guard and was able to jerk my head to the side. The bat ended up scraping my face, still painful enough to make me wince. I felt something warm trickling down.

My head started spinning a little, and I fell to the ground.