Percy grinned and waved it off. "Forget it, forget it. Your hand''s already broken anyway. I didn''t lose anything. I''m in a good mood today, so I''ll let it slide."


    At this point, Scarlett saw no reason to keep ignoring him and gave a slight nod. Lily stood there,pletely stunned. Jonah had actually put away the carefully prepared written apology she had given him, and even apologized so sincerely. For what? Jonah hadn''t done anything wrong! It was Percy who broke Jonah''s hand. If anything, Percy was the one who should be apologizing!


    Jonah walked off the stage, still in a daze. Everyone swarmed around him, talking over each other, trying to exin.


    Only then did he realize that they had gotten it all wrong. The protests earlier hadn''t been directed at him. They had been aimed at Percy.


    However, none of that mattered anymore. That bitter taste had already sunk deep into his heart, scraping away a good part of his arrogance.


    "Jonah," Lily said, looking at him with worried eyes. "Why didn''t you read the apology I wrote for you?" The one she prepared had technically been a self- reflection, but anyone who read it would know it painted Percy as the real troublemaker.


    Jonah had only wanted to apologize because he was raised well,pletely different from that arrogant Percy. Yet, Jonah hadn''t read it. He apologized for real.


    Now the whole school knew Jonah had been the one who picked the fightst Friday, and that he had been the one in the wrong.


    Jonah, pale-faced, looked at Lily. "The things I saidst Friday... they were pretty disgusting, weren''t they? No wonder Percy threw the first punch."


    Lily stared at him, filled with worry. "Jonah, what''s wrong?"


    Jonah smiled faintly. "Nothing. I just suddenly figured some things out. Come on, let''s go back to ss."


    Lily stayed rooted to the spot, watching his back as he walked away. Her eyes darkened, poisoned with rage. She cursed Scarlett silently. If it hadn''t been for her, how could Jonah have suffered such a blow today?


    Jonah had always been proud and perfect. He never did anything wrong. Even if he misunderstood


    Scarlett and Percy''s rtionshet


    Scarlett should have been grateful he even noticed her, not plotting this dirty revenge.


    Only Percy would lower his standards enough to tolerate a dirt-poor country bumpkin like her.


    Lily turned and caught sight of Nadia waiting nervously nearby.


    Nadia rushed over the second she noticed, smiling obsequiously. "Lily, let''s walk back together?"


    Lily gave her a bright smile. "Nadia, doesn''t your family run a martial arts studio? Do you think anyone there could take down Percy?"


    Meanwhile, back in ss F, Percy had already heard the full story about the protests. He didn''t care at all, though. He stayed sprawled across his desk,zily flipping through a novel.


    Scarlett cast a nce his way. He wasn''t stupid. He probably figured out from the start that the protests weren''t meant for him. Instead of clearing things up, he deliberately let it blow up, just to knock Jonah down a peg.


    Mike walked into ss, a rare smile on his face. Anyone could tell he was in a great mood.


    After chatting with the ss for a bit, he headed over to Percy. "Percy, even though Jonah apologized, your disciplinary record is still under observation for a month. If you want it cleared, you''ll have to earn it," he said.


    s?novel


    "The school''s got a spot open for the Elite Math Tournament. I''m giving it to you. Do you want to take a shot at proving yourself?"


    Percy shifted from hiszy sprawl, propping up his head and sitting up straighter.


    Before he could even answer, a few of Jonah''sckeys burst outughing. "Are you serious? Letting himpete? Do you want the whole school to be embarrassed?"


    "Yeah, right! Percy winning something? You might as well go home and keep dreaming."


    "That loser? If he wins anything, I''ll write my name backward!"


    "I''ll eat shit upside down!"