45 School Maelstrom 2

When lunch break arrived, Sofony didn't hesitate to pull Wendy out of their building and headed towards the tenth grade's building. Many students turned their heads to them as they ran past the corridors, rooms, and cobblestone pathways. A few started chatting about them while some perverts or fanatics began to take pictures of them. However, Sofony didn't pay them any attention and Wendy only shrugged at them.

Sofony was quite worried for Steffy, hence, she wanted to check on her and also invite her to pass the lunchtime with her. This was the reason that she immediately ran out, she intended to fetch her sister and led her to the cafeteria.

"Steffy!"

The wavy-haired school beauty following the fidgety nerdy laughed. They reached Steffy's room in the tenth grader building and the first thing Sofony did was charge unceremoniously to her sister who was preparing to leave her seat by that time. Good thing for her that it was lunch break, or else, it would be a very big embarrassment for the sisters if a teacher was around.

Wendy continued laughing as she unhurriedly entered the room.

'Not that it's not already shameful though. Look, Steffy can't raise her head anymore in the future. Our nerdy created so much scene as if she's afraid that people won't know that Steffy is her sister. Hopeless.'

"Are you okay? Are you bullied? Tell sis, I'll have Wendy take revenge for you."

Sofony asked a few more questions under the watch of Steffy's classmate and Wendy. The latter shook her head when her name was mentioned. The others wryly smiled as they wondered if that was a declaration that if anyone makes Steffy, this new classmate, cried or feel wronged, two campus beauties would storm their way to punish the offender.

The students of Tenth Grade Section F gave Steffy a scrutinizing look. Their adviser suddenly introduced this Steffy Mendez this morning as their new transfer student classmate. No other explanation was given to them. A few of them noticed that she was surnamed Mendez, but not many connected her to Sofony. She looked pretty. But not to the level of the five girls listed in the Goddesses List.

Now, this Steffy turned out to be a bigshot without them knowing. She had the backing of two female creatures that could move so many students with just a slight hinting. Just wow.

How weird that even Sofony, the timid nerdy goddess, could act like a mother bear for her.

Under the complicated stares from everyone, Wendy had difficulty dragging them to the

cafeteria since Sofony couldn't stop herself from asking so many questions.

Wendy grimaced, 'When did she become like this?'

"I can't believe you did that, Sofony!" Clea exclaimed.

At the cafeteria, a table was shared by Wendy, the two sisters Sofony and Steffy, and Clea's group of friends. Plates and lunchboxes of food and glasses of drinks crowded the table. It was also lively due to the chats ongoing between the students.

"I-I was just worried! It's her first day!" As Sofony defended herself, she gave her shy sister a glance. "See this, she's thin-skinned, like me. But because I am the big sister, I have to step out for her."

"You know, no one's gonna bully her. Why would people even do that? Steffy doesn't look like a pushover actually, just a bit quiet and shy. But she's cute so she should have no problem blending with her classmates."

"Yeah, Wendy's right."

"Now you made your sister famous." Clea laughed and reached out to pinch Sofony's cheeks. "See just what you have done. So impatient to flaunt that you have a sister?"

The nerdy girl softly cried in pain and grabbed the other's hands to free her now reddening cheeks. "Leeet ggoooo!"

Steffy whose face was slightly lowered worriedly peeked at them then said. "I didn't know that my sister is popular in school."

"Oh, this girl didn't inform you? Well, this nerdy is indeed well-known now. Try to read the bulletin boards and you'll see her face and name there."

Steffy blinked at the beautiful student her sister introduced as Clea before turning to Wendy and Sofony who had just been freed by Clea. The three of them were head-turners, she realized, due to seeing many boys peeking their way.

'They are all pretty. Sis is the real quiet type, slightly airheaded. Wendy looks so smart and brave. And this Clea may look like a local gossipmonger but her looks are above average as well. Her personality is a carbon copy of mine. Sis said she's good in piano. I want to be closer to her. I also want to learn how to play the piano.' The last thought suddenly came to mind.

The meal continued with everyone chiming from time to time. Steffy thought that her sister's friends were very kind since they never forgot to look after her and allowed her to easily blend into their conversation.

Once she finished eating, Steffy excused herself and said that she had to go to the restroom. Before letting her leave, her Sis made sure to give her directions.

'I'll pester Sis to send me home later, then ask to let me learn piano from Miss Clea. I wonder if it will be all fine. Maybe I should take the time to inquire how to join her club.'

Steffy giggled in excitement.

When she entered the public restroom of the cafeteria, a somehow strong scent assaulted her nose. 'Disinfectant? Chlorine? Water? Urine? Ugh, the smell mixed with each other.'

With a wry smile, she immediately headed to the nearest available cubicle. Unfortunately, due to haste, she didn't notice another girl who was about to collide with her shoulder. It was all too late when the collision happened and Steffy fell to the floor, the other girl staggering on her steps.

An angry voice entered Steffy's ear a few seconds later. "You bitch! Don't you have eyes?"

Steffy groaned in pain when she landed on her butt and let out a few whimpers. Because the flooring was quite wet, in her heart, a few complains sounded out. She raised her head to see who's the person who collided with her but was stunned after hearing the other party's shout.

'In my hometown, when things like this happen, both party will start apologizing to each other, no matter who is the one wrong. I thought it's the same here.'

Steffy blinked her eyes in confusion and frustration before getting up. Her brows furrowed, she spoke up, "I'm wrong for not looking properly ahead. Sorry."

Anyways, she apologized. It was not like she'd lose something if she would be the one humbling herself first. Besides, she really wanted to enter a cubicle now. And she was about to do that now that she already apologized.

Sad to say, the anger in the other girl's eyes and expression didn't go away even after Steffy said her sorry. When the girl saw the other walking away and no longer looking at her, the girl's anger reached its peak and forcefully grabbed Steffy's arm then strongly pushed her to the floor. Another female student came into the restroom just exactly at that moment and was very surprised to see a girl suddenly landing near her shoes. A loud scream came out of her mouth. Those nearby also saw the scene and flocked towards them.

Steffy also cried in pain. Her body was trembling after the fall. This time, she didn't land on her butt, instead, she fell sideways, and she could feel a searing pain on her right arm and leg that received the impact as if a few bones had just cracked.

A frightened female student peeking from the nearby door screamed, "T-two girls are fighting! Aaaah!"

Steffy's eyes were closed when another bout of pain rushed to her from her stomach. She could feel something heavy stomping at her! Her body once again jerked from the pain and she pitifully let out a few cries.

"Who said you're free to go, huh? You dare cross my path, bitch? You dare?" At every question, a few stomps would follow.

"H-hey! You're killing her! S-stop that!" A concerned student shouted at the crazy girl.

"Girl. Don't meddle! She's one of the Violent Goddess'."

"E-eh? That girl is?"

"That one is a solid follower of Miss Clarissa. Poor student. Why did she fight Vienna?"

Discussions flew over as people watched the girl called Vienna crazily shouted at Steffy as she pulled the other up by grabbing at her hair.

"Hey, speak! You think it's okay to just cross me and then apologize? What's an apology good for? Answer me? Can it change anything that has happened? No? Then what's an apology good for!?"

Steffy violently struggled once she regained clarity of situation, her instinct kicked in and it reminded her to immediately get away from the crazy bitch. Steffy became so angry due to the unreasonable treatment she received after a mere collision. Why was the bitch asking what an apology was for? She humbled herself first to avoid this kind of situation. But what did she get? It was her who fell to the floor, but the other party was so hatefully persecuting her! In public! To shame her!

Did this crazy woman think she's the only one allowed to be crazy and bitchy?

"Let go of me! You're the crazy bitch!" Consumed by anger as well, Steffy strongly kicked at the girl's knees. The moment Vienna released hold of her hair, Steffy immediately pushed her away and then hurriedly distanced herself, her left hand caressing her aching right arm. Since there's also pain in her right leg, she had to lean on the wall to support herself.

Her hurting and numb limbs truly snapped something in Steffy's brain as she shouted. "You're the bitch! You're a dog! You're a sorry waste of space for existing! Why don't you commit suicide now for the betterment of the universe! Bitch! Bitch! BITCH!!!"

Vienna, who had already stabilized herself, charged at Steffy with her fist. "You whore, I'll kill you!"

Vienna's fist landed on the wall since someone pulled Steffy to dodge her, but as a violent woman hanging around with their campus' Violent Goddess, she didn't mind the bit of pain that rushed to her after. Instead, she angrily turned to the woman who got in between them. Every syllable she uttered was perfectly showing her annoyance and anger.

"Wendy!"

Vienna suddenly found herself getting surrounded by a few male students. One of them courageously yanked her arms to her back while two others forcefully held her in place.

Vienna shouted with fury as she struggled, "Let me go! I'll have to plant my fist to that bitch's face to teach her a lesson! Stop meddling! Wendy make them release me! I still have to make sure that bitch is sent to the hospital!"

The wavy-haired girl who pulled Steffy to her was really Wendy. The two didn't know, but the commotion their swearing and fighting brought alarmed so many. Since the place was at the restroom, Wendy and her best friend hurried over in fear that Steffy was involved.

Unfortunately, they guessed right.

Ironically, it was also a relief that they rushed over.

"Don't release that crazy dog. The others, don't just stand there! Call someone, a teacher, or better a police! I'll gladly file a formal complaint to let this crazy dog know the taste of a criminal's meal at the precinct!" Wendy's bossy aura was in full display as she commanded.

Since people knew who she was, and the fact that her brother was actually a police officer, a few indeed pulled up their phone to call the police.

"Don't you dare!" Vienna tried to shrug off the man locking her hands behind her but didn't succeed. Since she failed, she directed her hate-filled eyes to Steffy, then to Wendy. "Don't you dare, Wendy! I don't give a damn if you're popular or a ranker or what! Have them release me! I have to give that girl a punch! Do you hear meeeee!" And the violent student started roaring to intimidate others."Do you know who I am? You two-faced Wendy!!! I said release me! I have to kill that bitch!!!!"

"For what reason?"

It was another female voice. Hers was normally softer and gentler than Wendy's. But this time, it was also not polite.

Vienna didn't turn to know who speak and instead madly roared. "She purposely collided with me! That bitch! She collided with me! Not putting me in her eyes! She's so arrogant and I hate her! I'll gouge her damn eyes!"

The gentler voice sounded again. "Is that so? What happened, Steffy?"

When Steffy heard that voice, her eyes immediately welled up. Even though her leg was still very uncomfortable, she sprung up from her place and jumped to her sister's embrace. She felt so wronged. She only wanted to take care of her business. How did she end up beaten up like this? And her sister even saw...

The heck! Who just said over the table that she wouldn't be bullied?!

Sofony's heart became very uncomfortable as well as she hugged the disheveled Steffy. Looking at her sister's crying state, the anger bubbling within her made her feel like slapping whoever did this!

She could perfectly infer from how Steffy looked like. Her hair was rudely pulled. There were hints of blood on the edges of her lips. Bruises were on her exposed arm.

What could cause this? Just what kind of bloody fight took place to make Steffy end up like this?

Her sister was injured!

At this thought, Sofony couldn't contain the anger she felt and her body also trembled. She shouted to the people around, "What's going on!?"

"Don't ask anymore, Sofie. Obviously, Clarissa's dog caused all of this. What else can we expect from uncivilized people pretending to be students studying at a proper school?"

Sofony acted like she didn't hear Wendy and asked again, "I said, what happened?"

Probably due to seeing her agitated, the girl who came in just when Steffy landed on the floor earlier, stepped up.

"W-when I came inside, I already saw this miss lying on the floor... She looked in pain. I don't really know what happened prior to that, but I know that the other girl was the one who pushed her to the ground and even stepped on her stomach. Then this miss fought back. To get away from the other. It was scary. I-I didn't intervene because s-she was threatening others not to interfere..."

In fact, Vienna focused only on Steffy and didn't really threaten the others. Vienna only remembered threatening Wendy to have her fanboys released her. The frightened girl just made up the last part due to her fear of getting interrogated on why she only stood there and not helped out.

Sofony closed her eyes and then said to Steffy. "Is that true?"

As Steffy sniffed and sobbed on Sofony's uniform, she nodded. Sofony's eyes flashed with pity and anger for what her sister went through. Now, she felt like exploding, like a sleeping volcano that awakened after millennia of silence.

How many times had she expressed anger since she was little?

She was the type who only let grievances be washed away by time. Forgiving was easy for her. Though like the others, she never forgets, as those times are always a lesson. Nevertheless, she was someone who could let bygones be bygones and resolve misgivings with a heart to heart talk.

How about this time?

Sofony felt like it was hard to endure. Maybe this was an influence of her recent changes or the system. But she didn't care. She learned now that there were times when anger should be fully displayed to set examples to people who might have the tendency to repeat that same mistakes, with her and Steffy as targets.

With a deep breath, she turned to Vienna and spoke with an obviously shaking voice. "She collided with you, correct?"

Vienna laughed, "If not, do you think I will get angry for no reason? She bumped against me!"

Sofony's eyes pierced through her as she added. "But then, she must have already apologized." She knew that Steffy would. After all, she was the one who rewrote a few of her traits directly.

When Sofony saw how the other girl laughed and said, 'What of it? It's still her fault.', she could no longer control her temper. Against unreasonable people, Sofony discovered that it was stupidity to be polite to them. She let go of Steffy and walked to Vienna. Every step was not slow, but not also fast, just enough to reach Vienna within three seconds since the distance was not that far. And then without saying any more words, without caring for anyone's opinion, she gave the brusque girl a glare, a soul-piercing one. Her hand rose high up into the air, and strongly gave a slap to Vienna's face!

"Sofony!"

She ignored Wendy's exclamation and just wordlessly raised her hand again, ready for another slap. Once again, her palm ruthlessly landed on Vienna's face and made the other girl turned to the other side due to the impact. Vienna was shocked at first. The slap was very strong as if the one who hit her was another female gangster. But when she recovered, she immediately began to swear and struggled to break free. The three men holding her in place who were quite shaken by the sight of the nerdy goddess slapping their captive recovered as well and hastened to lock Vienna on place again.

Sofony's anger was still not extinguished, her chest was still heaving up and down, and her eyes still cold. The redness in the other girl's cheeks was nowhere enough. The system told her that a dozen slaps should do the trick to make her satisfied. Strangely, she didn't refute. Her mind and body was silently agreeing and following.

"Let go! I'll kill this bitch too! How dare you slap me! I'll not let this slide! I'll make sure to bring this up to Clarissa! She won't let you, Wendy and that bitch go! You'll have no place in this world! You hear me!?"

Sofony slowly raised her right hand higher and swung it down again! And again! And again!

The people watching quietened down as they witnessed the normally quiet and reserved campus beauty ruthlessly lashing out to the Violent Goddess' lackey. Some were wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them. The others questioning themselves if the person in front of them was really Sofony Mendez.

Time passed, and the crisp sound of the literal hard face-slapping continued to bewilder everyone. Had it been twelve times already? No, probably, the fifteenth? Miss Sofony seemed to be very angry so probably the count would reach more than thirty... Why was she angry again? A few slow thinkers came up with one ridiculous conclusion after another, like Sofony being an anti-bullying activist. The other normal onlookers held their breath, realizing that not even the gentlest person could remain courteous towards someone who do wrong to her family.

Sad to say for Vienna, nobody tried to stop the raging nerdy. And actually, many of them felt pleased to watch the violent and unreasonable lackey of Clarissa Guzman being taught a lesson like this.

"S-sis..."

As Steffy watched her elder sister hit Vienna again and again, even she had already forgotten to cry. Even the pain from her body was already numbed by the violent sight of Sofony. Fear was somehow in her mind. But even though she's scared, something closed to guilt and relief also covered her heart because she knew she was the reason her sister suddenly turned berserk.

"Bitch! Stop!"

"Stop! I'll kill you!"

"I-I'll murder you once I escape here!"

"C-crazy bitch! Stop!"

"N-no, I-I'm saying... stop..."

The swear and curses from the gangster-like student eventually turned into whimpers and cries of mercy after the twentieth slap. Sofony naturally saw the change and even noticed that blood was starting to seep out of the girl's teeth, the redness of the cheek she repeatedly slapped was alarming and already swollen. When compared to the other side of the face, it was comical and ugly.

"What do you say?"

Sofony finally took a rest and then in a still soft voice, she asked Vienna.

The already crying girl immediately asked for forgiveness. She repeatedly did, and the people even saw her kneeling as she said her sorry.

"Did I go.... overboard? Did I? I'm sorry, it's just hard for me to accept that my sister became heavily injured due to your unreasonable beating. Even now, I still can't accept it."

Vienna was scared out of her wits by those words. In fear of Sofony going at it again, she immediately bowed down again and said her apologies again.

"Wendy, I'll trouble you for the rest. I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry everyone."

With her long and perfectly glossy hair swaying in the air, Sofony glanced at her wristwatch and saw that only ten minutes had passed. The teachers should be on their way now. If possible, she wanted to bring Steffy away. But she knew she couldn't.

"Steffy, sit down. It's alright now."

Sofony led Steffy to a seat and then hugged her sister protectively. Her emotions ran wild today... The first time it actually happened in a crowd. People had mixed emotions watching them, but due to Wendy's follow up, nobody dared to stimulate her or bother them.

She thought with her eyes closed, 'This should be my first time slapping someone... My hand and heart still hurt...'

<System Announcement: Hehe, congratulations to Host for successfully completing the task 'Slap The Delinquent Girl Until She Begs for Mercy'. 250 Points obtained. Work hard to earn more points. It's kind of addicting, right? Hehe, Host. Why not try slapping more people in your free time? I'm telling you, it's fun!>

Sofony didn't answer, but her unusually chilly gaze turned to Vienna again. Even the sorry figure of the girl couldn't stop the uncomfortable feeling in her heart.

............