The next day, Ash sat in the cafeteria, staring blankly at his food.

The usual hum of chatter and clattering trays surrounded him, but his mind was elsewhere, still stuck on the note tucked away in his backpack.

He hadn’t decided when or how he’d slip it into Blake’s bag or desk, but it was there, a quiet reminder of the plan.

He poked at his sandwich, taking a small bite, trying to act like everything was normal. But his eyes kept drifting toward the entrance.

He didn’t want to see Blake. Not today. Not with everything swimming in his head.

Maybe he just wanted to assure himself that Blake won’t act like the jerk he is.

But, of course, Blake swaggered into the cafeteria, his lackeys trailing behind like shadows.

His voice, loud and obnoxious, cut through the cafeteria noise.

"Move it, you idiot." Blake barked, pushing William, Asher’s classmate, out of his way as he made his way to a table.

William stumbled slightly but didn’t say anything, just shot Blake a sharp glare as he straightened himself.

Blake didn’t even notice- or didn’t care.

Ash's stomach clenched.

Lucas had told him to keep his head down, that this wasn’t an action movie where the hero always wins.

And yet, William was a tough guy.

But even he wasn’t making a scene. He just let it happen.

Ash bit his lip, a knot forming in his chest.

He could feel the small folded note in his backpack, and the urge to do something, anything, bubbled up again. But his feet stayed glued to the floor. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He just watched as Blake and his gang scurried to their usual spot.

For a moment, everything seemed normal, but then Blake’s voice boomed again. This time, directed at some poor junior who had apparently made the mistake of sitting too close to his table.

“What’s your problem, punk?” Blake growled, towering over the smaller kid.

‘Man, when will I ever eat lunch without any distractions?’

He watched as Blake shoved the junior, sending his tray clattering to the floor.

The kid stammered something, clearly terrified, but Blake wasn’t having it. His lackeys circled around like wolves.

“Stand up when I’m talking to you.” Blake snapped, grabbing the kid by the collar and pulling him to his feet.

The entire cafeteria went quiet, eyes darting between their food and the scene unfolding before them.

‘Not again...’ Ash thought, very well remembering what happened when Blake grabbed him by the collar.

“U-Um, Si-Sir, I..I’m s-sorry, Please let m-me go?” That kid asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Blake laughed, “HAH?! You talking back to me?!”

“U-Uh, s-sorr-” He stopped when he saw Blake dragging him out of the cafeteria, his goons snickering as they followed.

Ash could hear the kid’s weak protests echo down the hallway as the doors swung shut behind them.

The cafeteria slowly returned to its usual noise, but it felt different.

Tense.

Uneasy.

Ash let out a shaky breath, feeling a wave of shame wash over him.

Alex said he wanted guys like him.

He should’ve done something. He should’ve said something. But he didn’t. He just sat there, like everyone else.

He glanced over at Lucas, eating normally with his other friends, but his features were tense, disturbed.

Ash wondered how he could just let it go.

Why didn't he stop Blake like he did when he stopped Asher.

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But then again, maybe Lucas was right. Maybe this wasn’t a battle worth fighting.

Ash sighed, his eyes drifting back to his food.

He was still torn. Between wanting to stand up and not knowing how. Between wanting to stop Blake and fearing what would happen if he did.

‘I can’t just sit here forever.’ he thought, feeling the weight of the note in his bag again.

But what could he really do? Would a note even make a difference, or would it just make things worse?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After lunch, Ash shuffled out of the cafeteria, his mind still replaying the scene from earlier.

He couldn’t shake the tension that sat heavy on his chest, like a weight pressing down with every step.

‘I should throw that note away, it won’t make any difference whatsoever. I should go back to studying and obser-’

As he wandered down the hall, he noticed a group of students gathering near the school grounds.

“What’s going on?” someone whispered nearby, their curiosity piqued.

Ash, curious, followed the crowd.

His heart sank when he saw what they were all looking at.

There, in the middle of the grounds, Blake sat sprawled in a large, makeshift easy chair, legs stretched out like he owned the place.

Like he always did.

His lackeys, predictably, were standing in front of him, but something else caught Ash’s attention.

The junior from earlier.

The kid was on the ground, barely conscious, his clothes dirtied and his face swollen from the blows he had clearly taken.

Blake's lackeys were still at it, kicking him and shoving him around, each hit landing with a sickening thud.

Ash stopped in his tracks, the scene unfolding before him.

‘Blake….He is gonna kill everyone in this school if he keeps on doing this. But what can I do anyway?’

The crowd around them wasn’t helping either. Some students watched in curiosity, others looked away, pretending not to care. Some passed by like it was a casual routine.

But no one stepped in.

No one stopped it.

Blake glanced over at the junior on the ground, a sneer pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Didn’t I tell you not to talk back?" His voice was low, almost casual, like he was commenting on the weather, not ordering a beating.

Ash clenched his fists, feeling the frustration and helplessness welling up again. He had never seen Blake go this far before, at least not in public. He felt sick to his stomach.

‘Is this what happens when nobody says anything? When everyone just watches?’

The kid was trying to get up, but each time he did, Blake’s lackeys knocked him back down.

It was cruel.

It was pointless.

Ash could feel the little threatening note in his backpack, swirling like it was a magical pen to heaven.

His heart asked him to stand up, to do it, but his mind told him that he wasn’t strong.

He cannot go in front of the entire school and ask Blake to stop.

He was not Alex.

But how long could he just sit back and watch?

‘What if it was me again?’ he thought, his mind racing. ‘Would anyone help me?’

Blake caught sight of Ash in the crowd.

Their eyes met for just a second, but it was enough to send a cold shiver down Ash’s spine. The corner of Blake’s mouth twitched, amused.

Ash froze, his feet glued to the ground, heart pounding in his chest.

He could feel that familiar sense of dread creeping up his throat.

He knew Blake would never change unless someone made him, but that person… it couldn’t be him. Could it?

The junior on the ground groaned, his voice weak.

The sound broke Ash’s thoughts.

‘I can’t do this anymore… I can’t just keep watching.’

The weight of the note in his backpack felt heavier than ever.

‘I’ve to do it. No, I need to. I’ve no other choice.’

And then Ash turned on his heel and started walking towards his classroom.

Thanks to Blake, all the hallways and classrooms were empty, the students silent audience of the show.

‘No Asher, Go back like a good boy. Don’t force yourself to face him.’

‘But Am I really, really, a good guy?’ Ash asked himself.

He wasn’t nice to other people.

He didn’t take care of other people’s feelings, he wouldn’t take them into his account.

He considered only himself to be his first priority.

Right, he wasn’t a good guy.

But, he was doing this to protect others.

But others won’t know it was Asher who was doing it.

So, yeah.

Maybe he wasn’t a good guy to other people, but actually, he was.

‘I’ll just do it. Forget the details.’

Ash was now outside Blake’s classroom, he had already taken the note out of his own backpack.

It was folded neatly in Ash’s pocket, and he started to walk towards Blake’s desk.

There was no one around, no one in his classroom, no one in the hallways.

Ash took a deep breath.

‘I’m really gonna do it. I’m really gonna put myself in harm’s way to save others.I’m really gonna pretend to be a lame hero, but hey, I’m gonna do good at my job.’ Ash wondered, and then chuckled.

He took out the note and put it under Blake’s desk with trembling hands.

This wasn’t easy, yet here Ash was, testing his luck.

‘Done, now god, please, let the fate play out on my side, this once, then I won’t ever test it.’ Ash mentally prayed, while making his way to the classroom.

He met no other student on his way, which satisfied his tensed form greatly.