Due to the rain, this week’s PE class was held in the indoor basketball gym.

Several classes were combined for the session.

Our class and Nathaniel's class were part of it.

After the warm-up, the PE teacher blew the whistle, announcing that the class was dismissed for free time.

The energetic boys quickly formed teams and began playing games.

Nathaniel was a bit distracted as he dribbled the ball.

Every now and then, his eyes would glance over in my direction.

In the past, I would have run over immediately, acting as his number one fan.

I would have claimed the spot closest to him, cheering him on and getting excited with him.

But today, I didn’t pay him any attention.

Instead, I walked toward the bleachers, and sure enough, Yannis Lucero was sitting alone at the top, looking as quiet and harmless as a bush of green.

He was known in school as the "high mountain flower," someone out of reach.

Only I, his childhood friend, could still have conversations with him.

I sat down next to him.

Yannis casually flipped through a page of his book, not looking up, and asked, “You two have an argument? What did Nathaniel do to upset you?”

He was already studying some university-level courses.

After all, he had been the top student in our grade for years, and his name was on the direct admission list in my past life.

But in the end, he gave up the easy offer of direct admission.

I was angry at how careless he was.

“I wasn’t being careless.” He gave a soft laugh at the time.

Then, he stopped smiling and looked at me seriously, asking, “Yara, with your and my grades, even if we don’t get direct admission, do you really think we won’t get into a good university?”

I was stunned.

At that time, I had missed my chance for direct admission due to the bullying scandal, and I was still resentful about it.

Yannis made me realize something.

I studied hard for the exams but still fell for Lydia's trick.

Right before the college entrance exams, she carefully orchestrated that scene, letting me witness Nathaniel's betrayal firsthand.

Already on the edge of collapse, I fell apart once more.

Later, I heard that the usually calm and restrained Yannis had blocked Nathaniel in an alley and beaten him up badly.

Both of them ended up bruised.

When I applied medicine to his wounds, I asked, “Did he upset you?”

At that time, Yannis had several bruises on his face. He pursed his lips and didn’t answer.