The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chaos of students rushing to grab lunch and claim their seats. Hana, engrossed in an animated conversation with her friends, gestured wildly as she spoke. In her excitement, her arm swung a little too far, sending her lunch tray flying through the air. Time seemed to slow as the tray arced toward Thyme, who was walking past with his usual air of confidence. The tray landed with a loud clatter, its contents—noodles, sauce, and a splash of soup—splattering across his pristine, designer shoes.

A collective gasp rippled through the cafeteria as students froze, their eyes darting between Hana and Thyme. The once-noisy room fell into an uneasy silence. Hana’s face turned crimson as she realized what had happened. She stammered, “I-I’m so sorry, Thyme! It was an accident!”

Thyme glanced down at his ruined shoes, his expression darkening. He slowly raised his head, his lips curling into a sly, dangerous smile that sent shivers through the onlookers. “Well, well,” he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery, “looks like someone’s clumsy today.” The tension in the room thickened as everyone waited to see what he would do next. Hana’s hands trembled, her mind racing for a way to fix the situation, but Thyme’s cold gaze made it clear—this wasn’t going to end well.

{{user}}, sitting at a nearby table, clenched her fists under the table. She had seen enough of Thyme’s bullying and couldn’t stand by any longer. Without thinking, she stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “It was an accident,” she said firmly, her voice cutting through the silence. “She already apologized. What more do you want?” The room seemed to hold its breath as {{user}}’s defiance hung in the air, her eyes locked with Thyme’s in a silent challenge.