A few days later, school resumed, and the atmosphere was lively, filled with cheerful faces and excited chatter echoing through the corridors and classrooms. Everyone seemed to be talking about Kiddy's act of bravery, and it had quickly become the hot topic around school.
The group arrived at school as usual, but Kiddy was absent, still resting at home due to body pain. As everyone took their seats, it didn't take long before they were surrounded by a crowd of curious students, all eager to ask questions about what had happened. Ammy, who was still trying to figure out how the story had spread so quickly, glanced around and her eyes landed on Sam. She noticed him casually recounting the entire incident to his classmates, and a suspicion formed in her mind.
"Sam," she said, raising an eyebrow, "did you... post something about this on social media?"
Sam, unaware of the impending storm, nodded nonchalantly. "Yeah, I thought everyone should know what happened. Kiddy deserves some recognition, right?"
Ammy's eyes narrowed, and before Sam could react, she unleashed a barrage of light punches on his arm. "You idiot! You could've at least asked first!" she scolded, her punches more annoyed than harsh but enough to show her frustration.
Sam tried to shield himself, laughing nervously. "Ow, ow, okay, okay, I'm sorry! I didn't think it'd blow up this much!"
The scene drew a few giggles from the surrounding students, who quickly dispersed when the teacher walked in, signaling the start of the class. Everyone hurried back to their seats, settling down as the day's lessons began.
As the teacher began taking attendance, she called out Kiddy's name, only to find he was absent. Remembering that Kiddy had asked her to inform the teacher about his situation, Ammy quickly stood up after the roll call and approached the teacher's desk. She explained everything, mentioning that Kiddy was still recovering at home and would likely be back once he felt better. The teacher nodded understandingly, making a note of it before continuing with the class.
The rest of the morning went by almost as usual, but during lunch, Sam found himself surrounded by a wave of curious students. They all wanted to know more about the fight Kiddy had been involved in, eagerly seeking answers. Sam, realizing he didn't want to make things worse, just shrugged and bluntly said he didn't know any more details. Disappointed, the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving Sam with some much-needed breathing room.
Lily, however, wasn't going to let him off so easily. She approached him, arms crossed, and gave him a stern look. "Sam, you really shouldn't have posted about Kiddy without asking him first. That wasn't cool," she scolded.
Sam chuckled, brushing it off. "Come on, it was just a little prank. I didn't think it'd become such a big deal!" he said, trying to downplay it.
Lily sighed, shaking her head. "Not everything is a prank, Sam. You need to think before you act."
The rest of the group gathered around, and they all settled down to eat lunch together. Amidst their usual banter, the topic shifted to Felia, and they asked if she was doing okay after everything that had happened. She assured them with a small smile. "I'm fine, really. Just... processing things, but I'm okay. Thanks for checking on me."
With that, the group felt a bit more at ease, and they continued eating their lunch, grateful to have each other's company.
The rest of the school day went by smoothly, and as the final bell rang, the group decided to check on Kiddy at his home. They wanted to see how he was doing and make sure he was recovering well. Everyone agreed, and they headed to Kiddy's house together.
When Sam rang the doorbell, they suddenly heard Kiddy's loud scream from inside. Without hesitation, they quickly burst open the door, stumbling over each other and falling into the hallway. Kiddy, startled by the sudden commotion, turned to see his friends sprawled out on the floor. After a brief moment of surprise, he burst into laughter.
"Well, that's definitely a new way to enter someone's house!" he said, still chuckling. "You guys really know how to make an entrance!"
Ammy, annoyed by how casually he was treating everything, walked up to him and gave him a playful punch on the head. "You idiot! We thought something happened to you!" she said, rolling her eyes.
Kiddy winced slightly but still grinned. "Hey, hey, I'm still recovering, you know. That hurt!" he said, rubbing his head.
"Oh yeah, I can see just how hurt you are," Ammy replied sarcastically, pointing at the game he was so focused on playing. "Clearly, you're in a lot of pain."
As their playful argument continued, the commotion drew the attention of Daisy, Kiddy's mom, who came out of the kitchen to see what was going on. She was pleasantly surprised to find all of Kiddy's friends gathered in the hall. With a warm smile, she welcomed them inside.
"It's so nice to see all of you here! Come on in, take a seat. I'll bring some snacks for everyone," she said, gesturing for them to make themselves comfortable.
The group sat down and chatted with Kiddy, relieved to see that he was doing well. He assured them that he was feeling much better and planned to return to school the next day. Hearing this, everyone was pleased, and after spending some more time together, they eventually decided to head back to their homes, happy and reassured.
The next morning, the group arrived at school a bit earlier, bringing treats for Kiddy as a gesture of thanks and to cheer him up. They assumed he might come late since he was still recovering, but to their surprise, Kiddy was already at his usual spot. When they saw him, they collectively gave him a knowing, unimpressed look.
Ammy, Sam, and Harry playfully scolded him. "Seriously, Kiddy?" Ammy said. "You just can't stay in bed for once, can you?" Sam chimed in, "We thought you'd finally take a break and show up late, but nope, you just had to beat us all here." Harry added with a chuckle, "I guess even injuries can't slow you down." Meanwhile, Lily and Mando were laughing at the scolding, and Felia stood quietly, watching. Kiddy, completely confused, scratched his head. "What? What did I do wrong?"
After a few moments of playful banter, the group handed Kiddy the treats they had brought. Seeing all the snacks, Kiddy's eyes lit up, and he eagerly started unwrapping them, but Ammy stopped him. "Wait, there's one more," she said, gesturing to Felia. Felia stepped forward, her cheeks slightly flushed, and handed him a chocolate. "Thank you for...you know, helping me," she said softly, still blushing. Kiddy saw her blush, and his usual confidence faltered as he stuttered, "N-No problem."
The group couldn't help but laugh at the awkward yet sweet interaction. "Alright, now that we've made Kiddy feel special, let's take our seats," Ammy said. "And no more talking about what happened, okay?" The group nodded, agreeing to move on, and returned to their seats while Kiddy happily nibbled on some of the treats. Slowly, the rest of the class filled up, and the day began.
As the class filled up, the morning began like any other day. A few students approached Kiddy to check on his health, offering well wishes. The group felt relieved, thinking that the buzz around Kiddy's recent fight had finally settled down.
But then, their teacher entered the room with an unexpected announcement. "Alright, everyone, form a line. We're heading to the school ground for a special assembly," she said. The class exchanged curious glances, surprised by the sudden instruction.
"Special assembly? What's going on?" Sam whispered to Harry, who just shrugged, equally clueless. The group quickly got in line, falling in with the rest of the class, and began making their way to the school ground, all the while wondering what this unplanned gathering could be about.
As everyone gathered on the school ground, the principal stepped up to the microphone with a warm smile. "Good morning, students and staff. Today, I want to talk about something that is often overlooked in our daily lives—bravery. Bravery is not just about physical strength; it's about having the courage to stand up for what's right, even when it's difficult. It's about protecting those who need help, regardless of the consequences." he began, his voice resonating across the field.
As the principal spoke, Kiddy's friends exchanged knowing looks. They had a feeling they knew where this was going. Sam nudged Kiddy and whispered, "Did you tell them you were coming today?" Kiddy shook his head and replied, "No, but I think my mom might have." The group sighed in unison, realizing this special assembly was arranged to honor Kiddy's recent act of bravery.
The principal continued, "And today, we have a shining example of such courage among us. Someone who, despite the risks, stood up to protect a friend, showing a level of bravery and selflessness that deserves to be recognized." He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in, then added, "I would like to call Kiddy up on stage."
Kiddy hesitated, his heart pounding. But seeing his friends smile and cheer for him, he took a deep breath and walked up to the stage, their encouragement giving him the strength he needed. As he stood there, looking out at the sea of students, he felt nervous but saw his friends clapping and waving, which made him relax a little.
The principal put a hand on Kiddy's shoulder and introduced him to the crowd. "This young man showed immense bravery a few days ago. When a difficult situation arose, and his friend was in trouble, Kiddy did not hesitate to step in, even when it meant putting himself at risk. He acted with courage and compassion, qualities that are truly admirable." The audience erupted in applause, and Kiddy could feel his cheeks warm with embarrassment, but there was also a sense of pride.
The principal then handed Kiddy a small award. "Kiddy, this is a token of our appreciation for your bravery. We hope your actions inspire others to always do what is right, no matter how hard it may seem." The applause grew louder, and Kiddy awkwardly bowed his head, a shy smile on his face.
Just when he thought it was over, the principal handed him the microphone. "Kiddy, would you like to say a few words?" Kiddy's eyes widened in surprise. Speaking in front of so many people was not something he was prepared for, and he hadn't held a microphone since middle school. But seeing his friends cheering for him gave him courage. He took a deep breath, held the mic, and started to speak.
Kiddy took a deep breath and began, "Uh, I-I'm not really good at public speaking, so I might stutter on some words or not be able to express what I really want to say, so please bear with me." His voice was shaky, and he glanced at his friends, who gave him sympathetic, encouraging looks. Feeling a bit reassured, he continued, "Well, um, I'm not exactly a hero, but I don't think I'm normal either. I-I think I have this kind of pre-installed system in my head that tries to figure out what's right and wrong, b-but it usually only works when I, uh, see what other people are doing."
He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "This system has helped me more than I think. B-but, this time, it was different. I didn't react because of my gut feeling or instinct. I reacted because I thought about it, and I-I knew what I had to do." He swallowed nervously, seeing the whole ground listening intently. "To be honest, this was my first real fight. A-and I was scared. Really scared. But after I took the first punch, it was like something in me just unlocked a fearless mode or something."
The students chuckled softly at his phrasing, and Kiddy felt a bit more at ease. "I-I don't think what I did was, like, super heroic or anything. I was just trying to help a friend who needed me. And I guess that's what anyone would do, right?" He glanced nervously at the principal, who nodded with a warm smile, urging him to continue. "I just want to say that... um, being brave doesn't mean you're not scared. It just means you choose to do the right thing, even when you are scared."
Kiddy could see more smiles across the crowd. He felt relieved that his message was getting through. "thank you for this... for this recognition. It means a lot. And, I-I just want to say that I'm... really grateful for my friends who...always have my back. I don't know what I'd do without them."
As he finished, there was a moment of silence before the entire crowd erupted in applause. Juniors and seniors alike clapped, some even cheering his name. Kiddy handed back the microphone, his hands shaking slightly, and took deep breaths as he made his way down the stage. His classmates rushed to congratulate him, and amidst the chaos, he glanced at Ammy, who was giving him a big, proud smile. Seeing her smile made Kiddy's heart feel lighter, and he couldn't help but smile back.
The assembly continued, with the principal acknowledging other announcements, but it was clear the highlight had been Kiddy's speech. When the students were finally dismissed back to their classes, Kiddy received another round of applause from his classmates as he walked in, feeling both embarrassed and relieved.
With that, Kiddy finally got to sit down and rest, and the day continued as usual, but there was an air of pride around him. His friends kept jokingly reminding him not to let it go to his head, and Kiddy laughed it off, grateful to be back to normal life after all the excitement.