Inn and Froze made their way through the campus grounds and suddenly found themselves crashing into a group of senior students. The seniors, who were already in a bad mood, quickly turned their attention towards Inn and Froze and began to bully and harass them.
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One of the senior students, a tall and muscular guy, stepped forward and stood menacingly close to Inn.
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"Watch where you're going, kid," he sneered. "You're lucky we don't beat you to a pulp right now.”
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Froze stepped forward, his fists clenched. "Leave us alone," he said defiantly. "We didn't do anything to you.”
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The senior guy just laughed. "You think you're tough, kid? You're nothing compared to us. Now get lost before we really get angry.”
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Inn and Froze tried to back away, but the seniors followed them, taunting and jeering. It was clear that they weren't going to let them go without a fight.
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Inn's heart was pounding as he faced the angry senior. He had never been in a situation like this before, and he didn't know what to do. He glanced around, looking for a way out, but the senior's friends had surrounded them, cutting off their escape.
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Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them, and Inn looked up to see Pathn standing there. His muscular frame seemed to fill the hallway, and his dark eyes were fixed on the senior.
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"What's going on here?" Pathn's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made the senior and his friends step back.
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"This little punk and his friend bumped into me," the senior said, his chest puffed out.
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Pathn's gaze flicked over to Inn, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Is that true?”
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Inn shook his head. "No, we didn't mean to. We were just trying to get to class.”
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Pathn turned back to the senior, his expression cold.
"You heard him. Now back off.”
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The senior hesitated for a moment, then he and his friends slunk away, muttering insults under their breath. Inn let out a sigh of relief, and Froze grinned at him.
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"Thanks, P’Pathn," Inn said to Pathn, his heart still racing.
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Pathn shrugged. "No problem. Just be careful around here, okay? There are some people who like to pick fights.”
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Inn nodded, grateful for the advice. He couldn't help but admire Pathn's confidence, and he found himself wanting to get to know him better. But Pathn was a senior, and he was just a freshman. He didn't want to overstep his bounds.
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Over the next few weeks, Inn and Pathn would occasionally cross paths in the hallways or in the cafeteria, where Pathn was always with his friends. Inn knew he was developing a crush on Pathn, but he didn't know what to do about it.
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One day, Inn was sitting in the cafeteria with Froze when Pathn approached them.
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"Hey, guys," he said, taking a seat across from them. Inn's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, and he tried to keep his cool.
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"Hey," Froze said, grinning. "What's up?”
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Pathn shrugged. "Not much. Just thought I'd come say hi. You guys seem to be fitting in pretty well.”
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Inn smiled, feeling a little more at ease around him. "Thanks. It's been a fun few weeks.”
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They chatted for a few more minutes, with Pathn asking about their interests and hobbies. Inn found himself opening up more than he expected, and he was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Pathn.
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As they got up to leave, Pathn clapped him on the shoulder. "Good talking to you, Inn. Maybe we can hang out sometime.”
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Inn's heart leaped at the thought, but he tried to play it cool. "Yeah, that sounds great.”
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As he walked away, Inn couldn't help but smile to himself. Maybe he had a chance with Pathn after all.
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