When the bullied boys saw Eric fall to the ground, they could hardly believe it. A movie played in their heads, from when the bullying started shortly after they got off their bus to this moment. They looked at Klaus with gratitude and admiration, feeling safe at last, but still approached with trepidation.
"'T-thank you so much, Klaus!" One of them exclaimed, thanking him, and the others bowed slightly before him, looking at him with respect.
"You were amazing!"
"It really is! I've never seen someone from this place like that in person!"
"You're a better person than we realize when we hear about how amazing you are!"
Klaus got a little silly at the praise. "Ah! That was nothing, guys! I just did what anyone would do!"
"No, you are definitely our savior!"
"Ah~! Thanks, guys!" Klaus said with his hand on the back of his head, shyly.
Meanwhile, Klaus' groupmates, concerned about the situation, approached with tense and relieved expressions.
One of the girls, Emily, spoke with concern as she approached with quick steps.
"Klaus! Let me see if you are hurt!"
Emily quickly took Klaus' left arm and began to examine him, from bottom to top, from shoulder to knee.
"Don't worry, Emily. I'm perfectly fine."
"Your fists! Look how much blood is on your fists. I'll use the first aid quit immediately." Emily stated, knelt down and opened the small kit, which contained gas, alcohol and even thread for sewing a wound along with a needle.
Andrew seemed a little calmer, because he knew Klaus better than any of the people present. "Why didn't you warn us that you were going to confront Eric like that? It could have been dangerous, and we don't want the star of our group to get hurt."
"It was our fault!" One of the boys promptly said.
"No, it wasn't your fault." Klaus looked at his classmates and sighed. "I understand your concern, but I needed to do something to protect the boys and also to give these guys a message. They also tried to intimidate me and I couldn't just ignore their behavior." He then looked at the boys. "Besides, I couldn't stand to see you guys suffer and do nothing."
However, while Klaus was saying this, internally he was speaking aloud:
'Yeah! I couldn't stand it, but you guys might as well give me your golden ticket, right?!'
Andrew walked over and put his hand on Klaus' shoulder. 'We trust you, Klaus, and we know you mean well. But next time, please let us know before you make such a risky decision."
Klaus nodded, recognizing the validity of his colleagues' point of view. "You guys are right. I promise I will be more cautious in the future. But I couldn't just stand by while Eric intimidated and threatened the others."
Cloe also approached, however, she was quieter and felt she didn't know Klaus well enough to say anything that would comfort him or lecture him, so she just helped Emily cover Klaus' wrists with bandages.
While the conversation between them was going on, Eric remained unconscious for a few minutes after Klaus' powerful punch, and when his teammates from the Athletic Department approached him in concern, he slowly opened his eyes and stood up, startling them a little.
Eric looked directly at Klaus and the boys he had bullied earlier, his face expressing a mixture of anger and frustration. Klaus returned the stare and the others standing next to him stepped back a little, but to their surprise, Eric turned his back. With a quick and abrupt movement, Eric wiped the blood from his nose and called his "subordinates," the members of his department. They quickly approached him, showing concern and uncertainty about how to proceed. Eric, still a little dizzy, gave a clear and concise order: stay away from Klaus' group and the other students.
Eric's team members understood this and helped him a little to walk, because he still looked dizzy. Although they were concerned about his condition, they also seemed relieved that he had regained consciousness quickly. Besides, they knew that this was no time to draw attention from the teachers or expose themselves in a complicated situation like this, which could result in their expulsion from the special program, so they just went as far away as they could.
The boys gathered around Klaus expressed deep gratitude for his courage with looks and knew they owed Klaus something for standing up for them. One of them, a little hesitantly, decided to speak up for the group:
"Klaus, we have no more words to express how grateful we are for protecting us."
Klaus smiled humbly, acknowledging their gratitude once again.
"I'm glad to have helped. You shouldn't have to go through this, so if they dare to torment you again, call me."
"We thank you for that, and as a way of saying thank you, we decided to do something for you. We know that you were also looking for the golden ticket, of course, and..."
Klaus raised an eyebrow, anxious about what they were about to say.
"Yes, of course. Why?"
"Well, actually, while you were busy fighting Eric, we saw something fall out of your pocket. It was our golden ticket, so you can take it back, you deserve it."
Klaus looked up in surprise, putting his hand in his back pocket and realizing that it had indeed fallen out.
"But why are you offering it to me? You guys wanted to find him too."
"Yes, it was our original goal and then to stay near the faculty building. But, after all you have done for us, we realize that you are the one truly deserving of this ticket. However, be careful, just like these guys, there are many groups that want more than a golden ticket, they want more to prove that they are better. You must have realized by now that for many it is not enough to be here, they want to be the best of the best."