A Tutor For My Bully

Chapter 18: The One Who Did It

Akira's POV

For a moment, I couldn't move. It felt as though my feet had been glued to the floor. The words on my locker blurred before my eyes.

NERDS DON'T BELONG.

My books were scattered everywhere. Some pages had been ripped out of my notebooks, while others had footprints on them, as if someone had deliberately stepped on them. The hallway gradually became crowded, students slowed down just to stare. Some whispered.

Some laughed. Others took out their phones.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Who would do something this horrible?" Camila gasped beside me. I couldn't answer.

I slowly walked toward my locker, my fingers trembling as I picked up one of my notebooks.

It was soaked with red paint. The mathematics notes I had spent weeks organizing were ruined.

Another notebook...

Ruined.

A novel I had borrowed from the library...

Ruined too. Tears welled in my eyes. I tried so hard not to cry. Oh,not here. Not in front of everyone. Someone behind me snickered.

"I heard she's trying to become Mrs. Blackwood."

Another laughed.

"Maybe this will teach her to stay in her lane." I bit my lower lip so hard it almost bled. Camila suddenly stepped in front of me.

"Enough!"

Everyone looked at her.

"You guys should be ashamed of yourselves!"

One of Linda's friends folded her arms.

"Oh please, we're only watching."

"You think this is funny?" Camila snapped.

Before anyone could answer, a familiar pair of heels clicked against the hallway floor.

Linda.

She walked over with her usual confident smile, stopping directly in front of my locker. She looked at the red words painted across it.

"Oh my..."

She placed a hand over her chest dramatically.

"This is terrible, she exclaimed." I looked up at her. She was pretending, her eyes betrayed her.

There was satisfaction hidden behind them.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Akira," she continued sweetly. Camila scoffed.

"Save the act, Linda."

"What act?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Linda raised an innocent eyebrow. "Are you accusing me?" "I know you did this!"

Linda laughed softly.

"Do you have proof?" Camila fell silent.

Linda smirked. That's what I thought, she turned toward me. "You really should stop making enemies." Then she leaned closer until only I could hear her. "I warned you to stay away from Kael." My heart skipped.

So...

It really was her.

Before I could respond, she straightened up and smiled as though nothing had happened.."Come on, girls." She walked away with her friends, their laughter echoing through the hallway. Camila clenched her fists. "I can't stand her."

Neither could I. But what could I do? I had no evidence. I quietly knelt to gather the remaining books. Every page I picked up felt heavier than the last. Suddenly...

A pair of polished black shoes stopped beside me. I didn't need to look up to know who it was.

Kael.

He crouched without saying a word and picked up one of my textbooks. His eyes narrowed when he saw the red paint covering it.

"What happened?" I forced a smile. "It... it's nothing." He looked at me, then at the locker, then back at me. "Nothing?" His voice became colder.

They destroyed your books.

I'm okay.

No. He stood up slowly. "You're not."

My heart skipped.

He sounded...

Angry.

Not the usual irritated Kael. This was different.

Dangerously different. He looked around the hallway.

Every student immediately avoided eye contact. Silence spread through the corridor.

Kael spoke calmly.

"Who did this?"

Nobody answered. "I'll ask one more time."

Still silence. Camila glanced toward Linda, who had almost reached the end of the hallway.

Kael noticed. His eyes followed hers, he didn't say anything. He simply began walking straight toward Linda. My eyes widened.

Oh no… Not again.

"Kael!" I called after him but he didn't stop. Linda turned around when she heard the approaching footsteps.

A smile appeared on her face.

"What?"

Before she could say another word, Kael grabbed the strap of her school bag, which had a pink ribbon dangling from the zipper, and pulled her back. The hallway erupted into shocked gasps.

"Kael!" Linda cried. His face was expressionless.

Did you do it? What are you talking about? "My patience is very thin today." I didn't touch her stupid locker! He stared at her for several long seconds. Then… He let go of her bag.

"I'll believe you." Linda sighed in relief.

"But..."

His voice cut through the hallway.

"...if I find out you're lying..." He leaned closer.

"I'll make sure you regret the day you learned my name." Linda's confident expression disappeared completely. For the first time… She looked frightened. Kael walked away without another word.

He returned to where I was standing and picked up my remaining books.

"Let's go."

I blinked. Where? "To the principal's office." What? "You aren't cleaning this mess yourself."

"It's okay, I can—" He shot me a look.

The next time you say 'it's okay' when it clearly isn't...

He sighed.

...I'll start believing you're impossible."

Despite the situation, i almost smiled.

Almost. As we walked down the hallway together, I could feel hundreds of eyes following us. The whispers had started again. Only this time...

They weren't laughing, they were afraid.

An hour later, after giving our statements to the principal, I finally stepped outside the office.

Kael was leaning against the wall, waiting. "You didn't have to wait," I said softly.

"I know." "Then why did you?" He looked away.

"...Because." Because? That wasn't an answer.

Before I could ask another question, the principal's office door opened again.

"Miss Owens... Mr. Blackwood." We both turned.

The principal adjusted her glasses.

"We've reviewed the security footage."

My heartbeat quickened. "We now know..."

"...who vandalized the locker.”