Ariana responded calmly, âThis practice room belongs to my group.
You should vacate it immediately.
â
âIt belongs to you?â Carl scoffed and sneered, âIt was yours.
Now itâs ours.
Is there an issue with us using it?â
Ariana stood her ground and retorted, âThe production team has designated practice rooms for each team.
We shouldnât share or lend them out.
â
Carl sneered, âDo these doomed teams still bother practicing for the next round? Whatâs the point guys?â
He glanced at his buddies behind him, and they nodded in agreement.
âWho is saying such nasty words this early in the morning?â A strong voice came from outside the door, and Ariana turned to find an irate Tom bursting through the door.
âs
Having just arrived and heard the situation from Woodrow outside, Tomâs temper flared when he heard Carlâs remark, prompting him to charge in.
Carl appeared to pay him no mind and continued to taunt, âYou couldnât humiliate yourself enough on stage yesterday, now youâre here for a brawl?â
âSay that again?â Tom grabbed Carlâs collar.
âYou want to fight? Bring it on! Iâll show you what Iâm made of!â
Carl snapped and threw a punch.
People from both sides immediately stepped in, and chaos ensued.
Ariana rushed to break up the fight, but Carl shoved her away.
âAriana!â Jim yelled as Arianaâs head collided with the sharp corner of the sound system, causing her forehead to bleed and her to lose consciousness.
The young fighters were shaken.
Tom pushed Carl aside, picked up the bleeding Ariana, and rushed her to the hospital in terror.
Other contestants from different practice rooms heard the commotion and peeked out to check what was going on.
They saw Tom rushing out, carrying the bloodied Ariana.
Some contestants made a video of the incident and shared it online.
In the hospital ward, a row of young men with various styles stood silently with their heads bent.
Ariana had awakened and sat on the hospital bed, her face drained of color.
Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, to prevent further blood loss.
Her pale lips made her appear even more fragile and pitiable.
Thankfully, there was no damage to her nerves, just some minor injuries.
Upon learning about the incident, Calvert hurried to the scene and offered a sincere apology, âMiss Edwards, Iâm deeply sorry.
It was all my fault.
â
Ariana lifted her head and gently shook it.
âYou didnât push me.
You neednât apologize.
â
Calvert smiled and continued, âThen, I apologize for my team memberâs thoughtless actions.
â
Tom couldnât help but mock, âIs he still a child? He made a mistake and expects others to apologize for him? Shouldnât he act like an adult and take responsibility?â