Bullies weren’t uncommon in school. But that didn’t make them any less exhausting.

You’d been a target before—different schools, different faces, same story. This time, it was Sukuna.

Ryomen Sukuna: the most loved and the most hated student. Somehow both, somehow untouchable. And once he set his sights on you, there was no escaping his attention.

His fist cracked across your face, sharp and punishing. You stumbled to the ground, but you didn’t cry. Didn’t shout. Didn’t even glare.

That made his mouth curl in something halfway between a sneer and a grin.

Another strike followed, heavy and deliberate. Still no reaction. His brow twitched, but instead of rage, there was a glint of intrigue in his eyes.

“You’re either fearless,” he muttered, crouching down and grabbing your chin, tilting your face up toward him, “or too damn stupid to know when you’re beaten.”

Your silence stretched, unyielding. His grip tightened, and his voice dropped lower, sharper.

“How long are you going to keep up this act, huh? You think not reacting makes you strong?”

He shoved you back, driving a fist into your stomach before standing over you. The pain burned hot in your chest, but still, you held your ground.

Behind him, his friends snickered quietly, but Sukuna’s eyes stayed fixed on you, unreadable now—somewhere between irritation and a twisted respect.

“Keep it up,” he said finally, his voice steady, almost amused. “We’ll see how long that wall of yours lasts.”