After some time, one more player joins the opposing team. Leo and I exchange a look when we see who it is, it’s Ricky. Since last year, he’s been trying to get in my way whenever he gets the chance. He got scolded badly by his parents after the teacher’s complaint, and he’s been holding a grudge against me ever since.
We keep the game going. I get the ball, but Ricky blocks my way. I pass it to Leo with a side kick. At thesame time, Ricky comes running toward me and bumps into me hard. We both fall to the ground.
I get up and wipe the dirt off my clothes. Leo rushes to us and pushes Ricky. “What’s your problem?”
Ricky shoves him back. “It has nothing to do with you.”
The other team members intervene, and we resume the game. Everything goes fine for the next five minutes, until Ricky gets another chance to bump into me. This time, his head hits my nose. The impact makes blood spill down my face.
I cover my nose with my handkerchief. He laughs. “You’re nothing more than a pretty boy.”
Players gather around us, but above all the noise, a furious child’s voice echoes the loudest. Her yelling reaches us before she does. Avira and Wen squeeze through the crowd, her face red with anger.
Avira hits Ricky in the stomach. “How dare you hit my brother!”
I pull her behind me, but Ricky just laughs and shoves my shoulder. “You need a little girl to fight for you?”
I grab his hand and twist it hard. He groans in pain, trying to pull free. Leo comes from behind and slaps the back of Ricky’s head. One of Ricky’s friends grabs Leo from behind, but Leo elbows him in the stomach, making him double over.
Ricky throws a punch with his other hand, but I catch it midair and drive my knee into his stomach. He lets out a sharp gasp. I’m much stronger than I was last year, and clearly, his strength hasn’t increased much.
The noise and chaos draw the attention of nearby elders. They rush over and step in, pulling us apart before it goes further.
Ricky’s parents come running toward him, inspecting his arm. Avira tugs at my T-shirt. I crouch down beside her. She gently touches my nose, her eyes shimmering with tears.
I pinch her cheek lightly. “I’m not hurt.”
She blinks. “You’re lying again.”
“I’m not.”
“Hey, child, where are your parents?” a woman’s sharp voice come. I look up, it’s Ricky’s mother. Her face is stiff with anger.
Ricky’s father joins her, his frown deepening as he glances between Leo and me, then at Wen and Avira. “Are you kids alone here?”
“What’s the matter?” Dad’s voice comes from behind us.
Avira turns to him immediately, pointing toward Ricky. “Daddy, that boy hit Zoan on his nose. Zoan’s nose was bleeding.”
Ricky’s father steps forward. “Your son broke my son’s hand. Do you teach such violence to your children?”
I look at Dad. He bends down, inspects my nose, and then places a arm around my shoulders. “Your son hit him first,” Dad says evenly. “My son never starts violence, and I’m proud of him for giving your son exactly what he was asking for.”
Ricky’s mother snaps back. “You’re supporting your child’s violence! You’re turning him into a sociopath!”
Dad raises an eyebrow. “Whatever. Just tell your son, if he can’t afford to get hit back, then he shouldn’t hit anyone in the first place.”
Ricky’s father opens his mouth to argue, but Dad raises a hand. “I’m not free enough to argue.”
Dad’s bodyguards immediately surround us. He bends down again and inspects my nose carefully. “We need to get it checked. You can’t feel the pain, so, without an examination, we won’t know if it’s broken or not.”
I nod silently.
Avira walks up to Dad, clutching her half-eaten candy. He scoops her up, resting her on his arm. She starts narrating the entire incident in her tiny, dramatic voice, her expressions shifting with every detail. Dad listens patiently.
We start walking toward the area where Mom, Uncle, and Aunty are sitting. Wilson must have called Dad earlier, that’s probably why he reached so quickly.
As soon as we reach near them, Wen runs ahead, waving her hands animatedly as she begins to reenact thewhole scene with exaggerated gestures. Mom gets up from her seat, her face filled with worry when she sees the dried blood under my nose.
