Ankhush's mind raced. He knew exactly how this would play out if he fought back. 'If they hit me first, I'll just tell the teacher. She'll take care of them.'
He decided to stay quiet, pretending not to notice them.
But the bullies weren't the type to be ignored.
Bully 1 sneered. "Are you some kind of attention-seeking idiot?"
Bully 2 smirked. "Or maybe just a desperate little w**re, screaming for no reason?"
Ankhush clenched his fists under the desk. His body tensed, but before he could react, someone else did.
Mansh.
He stepped up beside Ankhush, his expression eerily calm. Unbothered. As if their insults didn't even register as a threat.
"I don't know about Ankhush," Mansh said casually, "but your mom's the one who moans so much—I can hear her every time I think about her."
The words landed like a slap.
Bully 2's face darkened with rage.
"You little—!"
He lunged at Mansh, grabbing his collar with all his strength.
For a brief moment, time stood still.
Then, everything happened at once.
Before Bully 2 could throw a punch, Ankhush shoved him backward. The force sent him stumbling onto a nearby bench.
At the same moment, Mansh clenched his fist and swung hard. His punch connected squarely with Bully 1's face, bruising his eye.
