SAVANNA (VERONICA)
‘Apologize to my brother, now.’
For a moment the boy, David looked stunned, then his face twisted into a mocking grin.
“Apologize?
For what?” he scoffed loudly.
Not even caring about the warning in my tone.
“For telling the truth?
Everyone here knows your brother’s a cripple!” His smirk deepened further, challenge in his gaze.
Ethan flinched at the word.
I felt his soft touch on my forearm.
“V-vero, ll-et’s g-go.” He whispered softly.
“Oh!
I forgot to mention, along with crippling, he stutters as well!
What a disgrace in the name of a boy!” That jerk, he kept pushing the limit.
But what pierced my soul was— Ethan stiffened the moment he said those words.
“Just listen to him!” He scoffed.
My gaze sharpened with a murderous glance, and slowly, I tilted my head.
“Yeah?”
David’s smirk slightly faltered looking at my gaze and before he could know, I lifted him slightly off the ground, using only one hand.
Not yet controlled, but I was making Veronica’s body work sufficiently.
The hallway fell silent almost instantly with a shocked gasp.
David’s feet barely touched the floor now, and his face turned red as the collar tightened against his throat.
“It was very easy to apologize, you know.” I said calmly, “Yet, you chose arrogance.”
He gasped, clawing at my wrist, struggling to breathe properly as panic began creeping into his sorry face.
“You— what are you doing!?” I heard Damon’s voice beside me.
“Let him go!” He said sharply, stepping forward.
I turned my head slightly and looked at him with calm indifference.
The shock on Damon’s face was immediate.
Including the crowd.
Through Veronica’s memory, I knew, no one in this school ever spoke to him like that, and certainly not Veronica, the fat girl who had once followed him around like a lost puppy.
My lips twitched at their expressions.
Yeah?
Taste that now.
Meanwhile, the boy in my grip began coughing violently as his breathing became more difficult.
His earlier confidence had completely vanished, replaced by frantic fear.
I turned to the boy in my grip.
“Now- now, say, sorry.” I repeated, my voice still cold as ice.
“I…
I didn’t—” he tried to protest, but the lack of air cut his words short.
My grip tightened just enough to make him panic further.
If I used a simple technique, he would just die and I could do that, but I wouldn’t waste my breath on these scumbags more than this.
This was enough for them.
His legs kicked helplessly while his eyes widened with fear.
“S-sorry!
Ss-sorry!” he choked out desperately.
“Not to me,” I replied, tilting my head toward Ethan.
He looked at Ethan with watery eyes and croaked, “S-sorry!”
I pressed a little further, and his face almost turned pale.
Eh, parents spoiled child.
“Tsk-tsk, now look, who’s stuttering?”
Before this pathetic boy died out of fear, I finally released him.
His body collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud, and he immediately began coughing violently while clutching his throat.
I crouched slightly and pinched his cheeks so he could hear me clearly.
“If I ever hear you use those words again on anyone, you’ll experience exactly what it means.”
He nodded frantically, clearly too terrified to argue anymore.
My lips slowly curved, I patted his cheek once, “good boy.”
Then, without another glance at him, I stood up and took Ethan’s hand.
Then we walked away from the stunned crowd as if nothing unusual had happened…
By the time we reached the canteen, the entire atmosphere had changed.
Students stared at us from every table, whispering among themselves but careful not to say anything out loud.
News of what had just happened had clearly spread faster than we had walked.
Good though, they should know not to bother us.
We sat down in a quiet corner with our lunches.
Ethan didn’t say anything for a while, but his eyes kept drifting toward me as if he were trying to understand the person sitting before him.
Finally, he spoke softly, “V-vero…
thank yy-ou.”
His voice carried genuine gratitude, but also filled with confusion.
I didn’t blame him, this wasn’t the sister he was used to.
He hesitated for a moment, before asking the question that had clearly been bothering him.
“Dd-didn’t you l-like Dam-mon?”
I raised a brow at the ridiculous claim.
Then, shrugged lightly while opening our lunchboxes, taken from the canteen service.
“No, I never liked him.”
Ethan blinked in surprise.
“B-But everyone says you c-conf-fessed to him!”
I took a bite of food and chewed on it.
“People enjoy spreading rumors, I wonder who started that one.”
I truly wanted to find that person, so next time he wouldn’t invade anyone’s privacy.
Ethan stared at me for a moment, then slowly smiled.
“Y-you’re r-really cc-ool V-vero!” He gave me a thumbs up with a bright smile.
And for the first time in a long while, he looked proud of his sister.
I bet Veronica would have loved it…