"Bang!"
I was just about to greet the person sitting next to me when the classroom door suddenly slammed open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. A male student strolled in, shirt unbuttoned, sides of his head shaved, and an air of swagger that practically oozed off him. Following behind were a few others, looking just as cocky. The guy was chewing gum loudly, then nonchalantly spat the wad right onto my notebook.
"Heard there's a new transfer student in this class?"
Still in shock from the gum now stuck on my notebook, I blinked. Why were they looking for me? I swear I haven't offended anyone.
"There are two new students. Who exactly are you looking for?"
A girl responded with a soft, melodic voice. I turned to glance at the back of the class, then looked forward again.
"Heard the kid's last name is Vũ…"
Wait a minute. Are they… talking about me?
"Name's Vũ."
Oh. Never mind. My name's Anh.
By now, students from other classes were crowding around the hallway to see what was going on. What kind of circus is this?
The "Vũ" they were looking for sat at the back of the class, casually picking his ear with his finger—barehanded, mind you. Gross. Then he stood up and walked right past the group like he owned the place.
"Where do you think you're going without saying hi?"
"Bathroom."
The guy's bluntness seemed to trigger them. One of the gang shouted:
"You got a death wish or something?!"
"Just answering your question."
Vũ kept walking, completely unfazed. One of the boys stepped up and slapped a hand on his shoulder:
"Heard you were top dog at your old school. But this place has its own rules. We've got initiation rituals for newcomers!"
To be honest, Vũ didn't look like a gangster at all. He looked more like a pale, neat, quiet kid. This whole scene—bullying, power flexing—it didn't suit him. And I hated this kind of stuff. My parents worked their butts off to get me into this school to keep me away from bad influences. I couldn't let them down.
But clearly, it wasn't over. They probably realized they couldn't intimidate Vũ, so now they were shifting their attention to the "other" new student.
"Hmph. So where's the other transfer?"
Looks like they wanted an easier target.
"Front row, right side, outermost seat," someone from our class offered up helpfully.
Back at my old school, we called that snitching.
Their eyes all turned toward me—predatory, hungry—and then, as if on cue, they all burst out laughing.
"Wrong class, sweetheart!"
The whole class laughed with them. Boys, girls, everyone.
I didn't say a word. Partly because I was scared, partly because I knew opening my mouth wouldn't help anything. Better to keep quiet than stir the pot.
Just then, the bell rang.
•
Clack clack clack. I pedaled my bike away from school, covered head to toe like a mummy to protect myself from the late summer sun.
And there they were again—the same gang from before. But this time, there were even more of them, nearly a dozen, standing around outside the school gate like they owned the street. Some curious pedestrians had stopped to gawk. Me? I just wanted to get home and eat.
Suddenly, I had to slam on the brakes. A luxury car had pulled up right in front of the gate. Moments later, two motorbikes rolled in—no side mirrors, no helmets, and riders who looked just as shady.
I hesitated, glancing left and right, trying to find an escape route. Just as I was about to turn, Vũ calmly walked out, got on his bike, and pedaled off as if none of this drama concerned him. The motorbikes followed closely behind, like some sort of VIP escort.
I slowly pushed my rusty old bike forward and rolled out too.
•
The first period the next day, the teacher had us write an assignment: "Your thoughts after the first day of school." I had just put my pen to paper when someone from behind suddenly snatched my notebook, tore out the paper, and crumpled it up.
"I said I needed to copy your homework. Didn't say I needed your opinion."
He tossed the crumpled paper onto the floor and crossed his arms, grinning at me with a smug look.
I stood up. "Then ask properly."
The class quieted. All eyes turned to us.
"I am asking. Let me copy your homework."
"I'm not giving it to you."
I could hear whispers spreading. Everyone was already expecting trouble, just waiting to see how I'd react.
"Newbie's got guts, huh?"
He got up from his seat.
"Watch it. This isn't your turf."
I stayed silent.
"You better learn the rules quick, unless you wanna end up eating chalk!"
With that, he shoved my head hard, sending my glasses flying off.
At that moment, a book hit him square in the face.
All eyes turned.
Vũ slowly stood up, looked at him, then said:
"That's my little brother."
The room went dead silent.
"Try touching him again and see what happens."
•
After school, I found myself being dragged into the boy's restroom.
They didn't hit me right away—probably waiting for the hallway to clear out. The leader turned the tap, letting water run noisily from the sink.
"You're brothers with that freak?"
"Not really."
I was drying my glasses when suddenly, they grabbed my shirt collar and shoved me toward the sink.
"Playing tough, huh?"
I didn't answer.
"You'll be swimming in the toilet today."
I sighed. The shirt my mom just ironed for me was about to be ruined.
Suddenly, a loud bang! echoed. The restroom door slammed open.
A chair flew in, hitting one of the guys straight in the back. Then Vũ walked in.
Oh God, not again…
One of them lunged at Vũ, only to be thrown over with a judo move.
Another came swinging and got kicked right in the face.
Vũ ducked, grabbed a mop, and used it like a bo staff, spinning it around until it smacked another in the chest. The guy flew into the sink and passed out.
It was like watching an action movie.
And Vũ? Barely broke a sweat.
The leader backed away, slipping on the wet floor.
"W-wait! You said he wasn't your brother!"
I adjusted my glasses. "I lied."