Talk:Jiangshi/@comment-26380985-20170104160245/@comment-27800590-20170111001138

I stand in horror as I watch the beating, then when I can't stand it anymore, I lunge. If there's one surefire way to drop him while he's not looking, I know it. I bring my leg up as he's pulling back for a kick, and strike him clean in the balls. He goes down like a sack of bricks, and I pick up my friend and carry her to the office.

I sit there for a while, making sure she's okay, letting everyone who asks know what happened. I'm excused from class so I can look after my friend. When she wakes up, she smiles at me, and raises a hand to my cheek. Her mouth's still a bit stiff, so when she tries to silently mouth the words, it's hard to understand, but eventually I catch it. 'Thank you.' With a smile I tell her I should be thanking her.

Some of the other, more violent mamono from the school hear about what happened, and before the days out I learn that the great bully has been strung up on the flagpole by his underwear. As me and my friend are leaving school I make sure to give the flagpole a salute, and silently thank whoever put him up there.