“Hey, you’re Tinashe, right?” Tanaka asked, her eyes wide as she stared at me. There was something different about her, something I’d only seen in Sandra, Ashylene, and Dwayne. She looked at me like…like she was actually trying to be my friend.

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice low.

She closed her eyes and smiled, an innocent expression that caught me off guard. Was she really smiling at me like that? Like I was her friend?

“So, what do you think about our school so far?” she asked, as I nervously rubbed the back of my head.

She opened her eyes, thoughtfully grabbing her chin as she shifted her stance, her hip jutting out in a way that highlighted her curves. I swallowed hard.

What the hell is with this chick? I wondered, trying not to stare.

“It’s okay, I guess,” she said, still smiling, though it was clear she didn’t really mean it.

“You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself,” I observed, watching as she sighed.

“Yeah, the people here are a bunch of irritating pricks. I didn’t expect a school like this to have bullies, but I guess where there’s light, there’s always shadow,” she replied, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

Ah, the classic hair-brushing move, I thought. Girls usually do that around someone they like, but with me? I must be overthinking this. I glanced at her, trying to read her intentions.

“Yeah, it’s not cool, but somehow, it happens even here,” I said, glancing toward the door as two students passed by.

“Yeah…” she trailed off, then paused. “I-I wanted to apologize for what my sister, Sarah, did earlier,” Tanaka said, her face clouding with a genuine frown.

Is she really upset? I wondered, surprised by the emotion in her voice.

Is she really different from her sister? I asked myself again, trying to make sense of it all. Tanaka smiled at me, her expression sincere.

"I'm sorry about my sister," Tanaka said, her voice soft.

I froze, staring at the ground, struggling to process what was happening. This couldn’t be real.

"It—it’s okay," I finally managed to say. She nodded and started walking toward the exit.

“Oh, and I’m sorry for laughing at you earlier,” she added, glancing back before leaving the training room.

As she stepped out, Dwayne stormed in, his eyes narrowed as he shot a glare at Tanaka. “What the fuck is going on?” he demanded.

“Why was she here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, his hands buried in his pockets.

“She said she wanted to apologize for earlier,” I explained, still trying to wrap my head around it. Dwayne paused, disbelief written all over his face.

“You’re bluffing, man. Her? Apologize? With all that pride? Her and that messed-up sister of hers, Sarah?” He scowled, shaking his head.

“Yeah,” I confirmed.

“And what did you say?” Dwayne pressed, eyeing me closely.

“I said it was okay,” I answered, but before I could elaborate, he cut me off.

“You’re simping again, man! Don’t you remember what happened last time when you pulled that shit?” Dwayne snapped. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but those twins are way more messed up than even Dane. You can’t compare them to anyone.”

"Seriously?" I asked as Dwayne walked toward me, his eyes locked on mine.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Yeah, and if you didn’t notice, you’re about to have another Jane incident all over again. Only this time, it’ll be way worse," Dwayne warned, his voice low and serious. He extended his hand, and the air around us started to vibrate, an eerie hum filling the room. Something began to take shape in his grip—a long rod, as tall as a door.

"I swear, if you pull that shit again, I won’t hold back. I’ll smack you with this," he said, pointing the rod right at me.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Like I’m dumb enough to fall for that again," I replied, turning to walk toward the benches.

As I moved, I heard voices from behind the walls—familiar ones. "Ah, seems like they’re here," I thought, recognizing the sound.

"Be like me, little bro," Dwayne continued, his tone shifting to something more boastful. "I went to the greatest mountain and trained for 50 days straight—no food, no water—and now I’m immune to all women’s charms," he said with a smirk, clearly proud of himself.

"I gave up on that nonsense. I chased real strength, and now I’m in the top 10. All those chicks want me, but no—I’m too great for love," he declared, clenching his fist and closing his eyes as if he were making some profound statement. A single tear escaped his left eye, sliding down his cheek.

"Sometimes I miss how it feels to simp," he mused, staring at the ceiling with a wistful expression.

"What the hell are you talking about, dumbass?" I asked, baffled by his sudden shift in tone.

Before he could respond, I heard voices again, closer this time.

"Hey, I haven’t seen Tinashe. Where did he go?" someone said as two people entered the training room.

"Ah, there he is," a voice called out. I looked over and saw Ashylene and Sandra walking in. They both headed straight for me. I glanced at Dwayne, who was standing in the middle of the room, fists clenched, staring intently at Sandra.

"Guess who’s the simp now," I thought with a smirk as I greeted Ashylene and Sandra.

"Hey, why weren’t you in class?" Ashylene asked, her voice filled with concern. "Did those guys mess with you again?"

Sandra’s eyes narrowed as she added, "Who did this to you? What are their names?" Her face went blank, a dangerous look in her eyes as she clenched her fists, looking ready to take someone down.

"I-I’m really okay," I stammered, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their concern.

"Gahhh," Dwayne grunted from across the room, catching my attention. I looked at him, raising an eyebrow as I watched him struggle to keep his cool.

"Well, whatever," Ashylene said, brushing off the tension. "Let’s get to training. We’ve only got seventy days left until the final exam—the great national tournament."

And so the nightmare began. Ashylene and Sandra loved to push us to the limit, and today was no different.

"The hell, are you guys monsters?" Dwayne grumbled after two grueling hours in the training room.

Eventually, we packed up and headed toward the gate, relieved to be leaving early. Some teachers were out due to meetings about the upcoming national tournament, so we got a rare break from the usual grind.

As we approached the gate, we spotted two girls entering the school. Both of them were massive, towering over all of us. Even Dwayne, who was taller than me, looked like a kid next to them. Their pale skin and red eyes made them even more intimidating, and both of them wore unsettling smiles.

"Hey," the younger one called out as she approached. The older one stood silently beside her. "Where’s the office?" she asked, looking straight at me.

I craned my neck to meet her gaze. I’m 179 centimeters tall, but these girls had to be pushing 190 or more.

I was still staring blankly when Sandra pointed toward the reception room. "Over there," she said.

The girls glanced in the direction Sandra indicated, then the younger one nodded in thanks before they both walked off. Dwayne’s eyes were as wide as saucers, like he’d just seen a ghost.

"What the hell is going on?" Dwayne muttered. "Why are people transferring to this school with only two months before the tournament? Are they just here to shake up the yearbook and knock out the current top ten?"

He pointed at Ashylene and Sandra. "First, it was you two," he said, then nodded in the direction of the Void sisters. "Then your sisters, and now those giants. Man, she could probably mail me home in a box."

Sandra grinned, her eyes narrowing mischievously. "Are you afraid of being replaced or something?"

"A-H, nah," Dwayne fumbled, trying to cover up his obvious concern. "I’m too strong—no one’s replacing me."

"Oh, really?" I cut in, unable to resist. "Didn’t Ashylene one-shot you with negative difficulty?"

I burst into laughter, and Dwayne’s expression soured as he glared at me, but even he couldn’t deny it.

Everyone laughed along with me—except Dwayne, of course. "Piss off, dude," he grumbled, shrugging off the teasing.

As we continued walking, I suddenly felt a strange sensation, like someone was watching me. I glanced back toward the office and saw the two giant girls staring in our direction. The younger one even had a smile on her face, but it didn’t seem like she was looking at me. Instead, both of them appeared to be focused on Ashylene.

Then I felt it—a cold, murderous intent emanating from the older girl. It was so intense that it sent shivers down my spine. She had noticed me looking at her, and her glare made it clear I wasn’t welcome.

----------------------------------------

"Sister Jane, what are you doing? You’re going to scare my future friends," the younger girl, Annie, said with a light-hearted tone.

"Don’t worry, Annie," the older woman replied, her smirk widening. "That boy... he looks interesting.