Chapter 2
The "Boss" of Midtown High School
The reason for this isn't that this universe's Frash Thompson is an excellent student in both character and academics...
Simply because, on the first day of school, Flash, who was used to bullying everyone in the junior high, had just promised his parents that he would never cause trouble. But then, true to form, he scanned the new students, trying to find someone to assert his authority. Just like in the original story, he set his sights on Peter, who was thin, wore glasses, and looked like a bookworm who was easy to bully.
As for Riley, who was with Peter...
Although he was more developed than Peter, he was still no match for Frash in terms of physique. So even though the two brothers walked together, Frash didn't take Riley seriously at all.
But soon Frash realized that going after Peter would be the most unforgettable mistake of his life.
Because he had just raised his fist to Peter, Riley, whose physical strength had been enhanced by the system and was now comparable to that of a professional weightlifter, gripped his wrist like an iron clamp, making him unable to move an inch.
Then, amidst that excruciating, bone-crushing experience that felt like his bones were about to break, while screaming like a pig being slaughtered, he was forcibly dragged into the grove by Riley, who was standing next to Peter, with a friendly smile on his face.
After the two had a "friendly exchange," Frash Thompson, whose face was originally quite handsome, came out with a bruised and swollen face, looking like a pig's head.
Claiming there was no conflict between them and that he had simply tripped and fallen, Frash Thompson completely restrained his personality and dared not cause Peter any more trouble.
Of course, after publicly reprimanding Frash, Riley Parker's name became increasingly mysterious through word of mouth among his former junior high school classmates.
Furthermore, even if the other party wasn't bullying Peter, Riley's style of action was always to step in without hesitation and help innocent students out of trouble whenever he saw someone being bullied.
As time went on, even though Riley repeatedly emphasized and clarified, trying to prove that he was just an ordinary student, it became clear that...
Despite his ever-present smile and ruthless actions, Riley, who was known for his unwavering hatred of evil, was the subject of countless outlandish stories imagined by most students at Midtown High School. Privately, they unanimously considered Riley the "boss" of Midtown High School.
As a result of a series of coincidences, Midtown High School, which was plagued by American-style bullying due to Riley's presence, has recently seen a significant improvement in its reputation.
In addition, with Peter's help in tutoring, Riley's grades, even if not as good as his good friend Peter's, were still among the best, placing him among the top students.
As a result, teachers often chose to turn a blind eye to Riley's actions.
Even if occasionally some parents, without distinguishing right from wrong, step forward to demand an explanation.
But when they saw Riley, who was excellent in both character and academics, like a well-rounded warrior, and then looked at their own son—whom they couldn't beat in a fight, couldn't compare academically, and who, if they had to be fair, could even be considered a hero for his actions—their son was completely unreasonable.
The more parents see it, the more ashamed they feel. Their hearts are bombarded with criticism, and they eventually realize they are in the wrong and back down.
Even Ben and May, after learning the whole story, only gave Riley a verbal lecture, telling him not to bully his classmates.
However, knowing their child's personality, they all believed that Riley would always make the right choice, and therefore did not deliberately correct Riley's behavior. Nor did they arbitrarily conclude that Riley's actions were wrong and that they should reason with the other party.
This, on the contrary, made Riley, who was used to Chinese high-pressure education before the transmigration and had heard "Why does he only bully you and not others? It takes two to tango, why don't you look for the reason in yourself?" and "Whether he insulted you or not, it is wrong to strike first!" and other "timeless classics" that he was tired of hearing.
"Alright, alright, I know you didn't mean it... Be careful when you play, it's not good if you hit the flowers and plants even if you don't hit anyone."
"Okay, boss! I'll be careful! Thanks, boss!"
"Boss? No, I've told you so many times, I'm not... Hey, hey, why are you running so fast? Be careful not to fall!"
That's why, looking at Frash, who was already drenched in sweat without having said anything, Riley felt like he'd become some kind of heinous villain. He could only wave his hand, letting the relieved Frash scurry back to his teammates. Turning his head a few times, he saw Peter's adoring, starry eyes and, with a wry smile, reached out to ruffle Peter's hair.
"Hey, you saw it, I didn't do anything... When you go back, don't tell your parents anything, I don't want them to worry."
"Hehe, got it, boss~"
Normally, Peter would definitely yell that touching his head would make him grow shorter and avoid Riley's hand.
But given that Riley had just saved him from a disaster, Peter, who considered himself magnanimous, still pretended to tease Riley while obediently letting Riley pat his head, and subconsciously rubbed his hand against Riley's.
After Riley withdrew his hand, Peter looked around, observing the changes in the other students' expressions, and sighed sincerely.
"Ah, it feels so good to be respected... I wish I could be as amazing as you!"
"You're not bad either, Peter. Your paper caught the eye of Dr. Connors from Osborne University. He sent you an email inviting you to visit his lab after school today."
Seeing Peter's self-pitying appearance, Riley knew perfectly well that the silly boy was probably influenced by public opinion and mistakenly believed that his own potential was far inferior to Riley's, who was now somewhat famous.
To prevent his good friend from going down the wrong path under the influence of negative emotions, Riley naturally put his arm around Peter's shoulder and smiled as he offered timely guidance.
"Besides, I didn't do this to be seen as the boss by them. Like Dad always says, our Parker family has always been..."
"With great power comes great responsibility, I know... but I'm still so envious!"
"Haha, don't be discouraged. You're not even an adult yet. Maybe one day, I'll have to rely on you, this genius scientist, to take me under your wing!"
"Hmph, if that day ever comes, you can rest assured and hide behind me. I will definitely protect you!"
"That's more like it. Then it's a deal."
Seeing that Peter's mood was gradually improving, Riley finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He then raised his free hand, made a fist, and held it up in front of Peter, lightly bumping fists with Peter's.
Riley: "At that time, we brothers will be of one mind..."
Peter: "Its sharpness can break gold!"