Chapter 43: Her first errand

In building 2 of the academy, students couldn’t help but turn their heads at the little bouncy thing walking around their building. Penny was small, but white, like a snowman dressed in pink and orange clothes. Her pinkish cheek bounced at every step, her plump hands clinging to the strap of her backpack. She looked like a kindergartener who was about to do her first errand.

"Hi." A group of pretty girls placed their hands on their knees to level their heads at Penny. "Are you looking for something, little girl?"

Penny looked up at the pretty girls and smiled. "I’m okay!"

"Aww..." the girls melted at her smile.

"She’s probably doing her first errand," one of the girls whispered, thinking the kindergartens were having activities.

"You are so cute." Another one pinched Penny’s cheek. "Tell us, your big sisters, if you need help, alright?"

The girls had to stop themselves from tickling her or biting her so as not to scare her.

Penny faintly sighed and went on her way. She could still feel the pretty girls’ gazes on her back, making her hasten her pace. Just when she thought the girls would stop, they didn’t.

They followed Penny closely, making sure Penny wouldn’t hurt herself while doing her errand.

’Goodness.’Penny glanced over her shoulders, puffing her cheeks. ’Why are they following me?!’

Penny was already thirteen! In a week, she would be thirteen! But mentally, her soul was an old lady. Although she always acted younger in front of people to her advantage, in front of some random kids, she didn’t want to be pinched or tickled!

’They’ll stop following me soon,’ she told herself as she headed to Slater’s classroom.

The academy was big, but she went to this school in the past. Hence, she was very familiar with the place. However, she couldn’t help but feel this strange feeling because the last time she visited this place, there were a lot of changes. Now, those changes hadn’t happened yet.

When Penny reached Slater’s room, the girls following her stopped in the safe distance in the hallway.

"Does she have a sibling in there?"

"I don’t know. I wonder who?"

"She’s so cute... I want to take her home and play with her."

The girls sighed as they found the adorable Penny very well-behaved. They could watch her all day and they wouldn’t get tired of her.

Meanwhile, Penny stood on her toe and stretched her neck to look for that cowardly brother of hers. The students in his class were doing their own thing and there didn’t seem to be anything amiss.

’It’s recessed. Where could he have gone?’ she wondered and frowned.

The girls watching her covered her lips as they felt sorry for her when she frowned. What could’ve made the little girl sad, they wondered.

Was her sibling not in the room?

’Is he being bullied somewhere?’ Penny rubbed her chin, thinking the school never tolerated bullying. Therefore, if the students were picking on someone, they would do it somewhere else.

The first thought that crossed her mind was the back of the school!

Thinking Slater was being beaten somewhere in the school, Penny hastily turned to find him. But the moment she did, her face twitched because the girls were still at the end of the corridor.

’They’re still here?!’

Penny took a careful step back, only to bump into someone.

"Oh, sorry," Penny mumbled as she quickly turned to face the person she bumped into.

Looking up, she saw an arrogant-looking boy gazing down at her. She blinked adorably, but he just hissed.

"Move," he said irritably, grabbing her bag to move her aside.

Much to his surprise, her bag was heavier than the boy expected. He looked down at her, only to think it was probably not the bag but her weight. Penny, on the other hand, just stared at the boy, curious if he would give up soon.

"Hey!" one of the girls who had been following Penny yelled angrily. "What the hell are you trying to do to the little girl!?"

The boy flinched at the sound of her voice, shifting his eyes to the three girls storming in his direction. As soon as he saw their faces, his face turned sour.

The three girls quickly put Penny behind them protectively.

"Why are you here?" the boy asked in displeasure. "And why do you care if I try to move her? She’s on the way!"

"Mark, what do you mean she’s on the way?" one of the girls yelled. "Can’t you see there’s more space here? Or have you truly gone blind?"

"Blind? Why are you girls getting so worked up?"

The girls fiercely berated the boy while Penny tilted her head to the side. She looked at the boy, who was arguing with the girls irritably.

’I think... I know him?’ Penny rummaged through her memories and scrunched up her nose. ’Isn’t he the delinquent that got involved in that incident with Slater?’

As far as Penny remembered, this boy would get an expulsion because of his bad records. He was the type who would always get into the fight. However, he wasn’t the one who bullied Slater, and she knew that because she overheard Slater telling Hugo this guy actually stood up for him.

’Still...’ Her thoughts trailed off as she darted her eyes between the girls and the boy. ’Time to yeet!’

Taking advantage of the situation, Penny removed herself from the situation as quietly as possible.

’Thank you for defending me, big sisters, but I really have to find that brother! I’ll return the favor next time!’ she expressed in her heart as she quickly disappeared from the scene.

When Penny was at the safe place, she quickly took the path to the back of the school. Her growing worry about Slater made her a little nervous, thinking her brother was being beaten again. The more she thought about it, the more she felt irritated at the cowardly brother.

How dare he pick on her at home and then get picked on at school!?

As Penny walked quietly through the hallway, she saw a boy casually leaning beside the boy’s restroom.

’That’s him.’