William was leisurely reading a book, but from time to time, a few customers would still come into the store.
Bookstores are different from bars. When customers come in, there’s no need to greet them. Most people browsing in bookstores are students. They find the books they want on the shelves by themselves, and usually only need assistance when checking out.
On the ground floor of the store, there was a large table. But when Alice and her friends ordered fried fish sticks, the aromatic scent wafted everywhere. To prevent it from being unsightly to the incoming customers, they took their food upstairs to eat.
So, William was left alone downstairs to mind the store. Of course, he couldn’t just keep reading his book. As a professional, he felt responsible and would occasionally glance up at the customers, even while reading.
“William! So, you really are here,” came a voice.
While he was relaxing in the store, his three roommates from room 306 surprisingly showed up.
William looked up and greeted them with a smile, “What’s up?”
They had seen each other during class in the afternoon, and during a casual chat, William’s roommates learned that he was working at the ‘Cozy Book Haven’ bookstore.
Their visit surely wasn’t just to buy books. They must have something on their minds.
Daniel Rivera looked troubled, saying, “Remember the fight with Thomas at the Skyline Bistro a couple of days ago? Today, he came looking for payback.”
“Payback?” William chuckled, thinking these college kids were making a big deal out of a small matter.
“It means he wants to talk,” Wyatt interjected, thinking William might not have grasped the exact meaning.
William smiled faintly, asking, “And how does he plan on talking?”
To William, a minor clash between college students, even if it got physical, wasn’t a big deal. At most, they would just avoid each other in the future. But the idea of Thomas’s friends bundling Daniel up in a sack for a beat-down seemed exaggerated.
“They want to meet us at a bar for drinks. If we don’t go, they’ll attack us on sight,” Wyatt explained. “I heard Thomas’s older brother is actually Joshua. After the altercation between Daniel and Thomas, we’re supposed to apologize. They’re trying to save face.”
“Who’s this Joshua?” William was confused about this new name.
Wyatt explained seriously, “William, you might not know since you’re new here, but there are influential families in this area. Ryan is considered a significant figure around here. He gets Thomas to do his bidding, but Thomas is actually following Joshua. I’ve heard that Joshua owns the ‘Moonlit Harbor Pub’, quite a renowned bar in New York. Moreover, he’s a well-known small-time thug in NYC. If we don’t go, it would be a direct insult to Joshua…”
Wait, what? William wondered. Was Ryan now considered a big shot in this area? And was the thug from New York that Wyatt mentioned the same Joshua who had streaked the other day?
Listening to Wyatt discuss this “street politics”, William felt it was somewhat childish. In an era of higher education, such antics seemed outdated. Wasn’t there a saying, “You use words, not fists”? Traditionally, educated people looked down on street thugs.
“So, you want me to come with you?” Since William had moved into room 306, he naturally felt like part of the team. Respecting his new status, he would definitely stand up for his roommates if they needed him. He wouldn’t let them face danger alone.
“You coming with us might not help much,” Wyatt whispered. “They’ll definitely bring a lot of people. We can’t possibly match them. And if we’re just going to apologize, who knows how they might humiliate us tonight? We’re certainly outmatched in strength unless we can get someone influential to come with us.”
William asked, “What do you mean by ‘someone influential’?”
“Lila!” Wyatt grinned, “Isn’t Lila your girlfriend, William? If she’s with us, even Joshua might think twice before acting.”
William chuckled, “Bringing a woman into such a trivial matter would be quite embarrassing. I’ll go with you guys.”
Paul, who was standing by, murmured, “They seem to have a lot of people.”
Among the three roommates, Paul spoke the least. He usually stayed in the room watching anime or playing games, always the quiet one.
William raised an eyebrow, “It doesn’t matter how many they have. I can take on ten by myself.”
“But what happens after the fight? We don’t have any connections. What if they come for us again in the future?” Wyatt’s voice trailed off as he glanced stealthily at William, “Maybe you should call Lila after all. It might be better if she’s there.”
William shook his head, “I’m not in the habit of letting a woman fight my battles. I’ll go with you. We can reason with them.”
“Reason with them?” Wyatt was incredulous, “You plan to reason with Thomas and his gang? Are you joking?”
Daniel’s eyes widened in anger, “William, you all don’t have to go. I’ll go alone. I want to see what they can do to me!”
Daniel was known for his fiery temper and didn’t take kindly to being pushed around. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have confronted Thomas in the first place.
“How can you go alone?” Wyatt looked at William with pleading eyes.
William responded, “This whole mess started because of me. I can’t just stand by. I’ll go with you, and I promise to have your back.” .𝒐𝙧𝒈
It was a minor issue, and William felt confident about resolving it. He just wondered if he should go easy if things escalated to a fight.
“Let’s go!” Daniel clapped William on the shoulder, “You’ve proven to be a true bro, William. Worst case scenario, we face it together!” He seemed rather excited about it.
Wyatt clenched his teeth and said, “I’m with you guys.” He then turned to Paul, asking, “Paul, what about you?”
Paul furrowed his brows, seemingly pondering. After a few seconds of thought, he said, “I’m in. Wait for me here. I’ll be right back.” With that, he turned and left.
When Wyatt asked him where he was going, Paul didn’t answer.
William went upstairs to notify Alice and then prepared to leave with the others.
They waited outside the bookstore for a few minutes. Just as even William thought Paul might bail on them, Paul returned, trotting back with determination.
William squinted, noticing something concealed under Paul’s coat – a weapon.
Earlier, Wyatt had thought Paul was scared. Who would have thought that quiet Paul was the fiercest among them?
Preparing for a brawl, and he’s even considering using a knife.