His Unveiled Passion

At the time, Quentin was already 18 and in his final year of high school. With a heavy academic load, he no longer wasted time or energy on bullying his sister. It had been a long while since he last pulled pranks on Naomi.

The high school and middle school divisions were located close to each other. That day, after school, he went with a few classmates to a bookstore just outside campus to buy supplementary materials. As they exited, he heard the sound of someone crying from a nearby alley.

He followed the noise and was shocked to find that the person being bullied was none other than his long-suffering sister.

At that moment, fury surged through him. Quentin was livid. Someone actually had the nerve to bully his sister?

The bullies were middle schoolers, all minors. Reporting them to the police only resulted in a warning, with no real consequences. Still, once he made the call, the matter escalated to the school and Benjamin.

The school promised to conduct a thorough investigation and assured Benjamin that they would follow up on it.

That evening, Quentin confronted Naomi with frustration in his voice after returning home.

"Why didn't you fight back when they hit you?"

Naomi lowered her gaze. Her voice was small and meek, like someone used to being picked on.

"I tried. At first, I did. But I was outnumbered. Fighting back only made it worse."

Quentin's anger flared again. His voice rose slightly.

"Then, why didn't you tell a teacher? Or our parents?"

He almost said, "Why didn't you tell me?" But what right did he have to ask that, when he'd been the first to hurt her?

It hit him all at once. He had been the first person to ever bully her.

confirm that realization, Naomi paused for a second before saying something that struck him

them wouldn't

was soft and flat. "When you used to bully me, I told Mom. But she

him like a tidal wave. It felt as if an invisible hand was tightening

a long silence, Quentin's

"I'm sorry."

the first time he truly recognized his own mistakes

school, the truth quickly came to light. The students

Quentin's suggestion, Benjamin signed

day, Quentin patted her on

mess with you, hit them back. You're

eyes flickered, but she

...

left for university, Quentin sought

far you've come. Come on, show me what you've

the two of them fought until they were drenched in sweat and gasping

was over, they sat back to back on the

my sister," he

think you're an easy target.

was wrong. I was a lousy brother. I'm sorry. From now

quietly. From

she