So for those who read my other stories you might've noticed a certain authors note where I talked about how the silence of the readers was offputting and frustrating to me. I thought things over and decided to do something instead of stopping the wriiting. So here it is. From now on if people want to see an update from me on any story there must be at least 10 comments on the last updated chapter. So this chapter needs at least 10 comments before I update again.  :/ That way it ensures I do see readers and that the same pattern of nonresponsiveness doesn't occur.

They waited for the group of hybrids to approach their table, making sure to keep calm instead of letting their hackles rise. They would need to be ready if things got ugly.

The panther approached first. “New students?” He asked with a smile.

A fake one. Jeonghan could spot a fake smile miles away. With the corners of his eyes he noted how the other hybrids either looked away or shook their heads. This must be a regular occurrence then. This panther sizing the wild hybrids up and no doubt using a show of power if necessary to show who was top hybrid.

The domestic hybrids stayed away like their lives depended on it. This guy had a smug air about him. More so than his friends did. If wanted to start something, well Jeonghan had lots of experience fighting. He only stopped a couple of weeks ago too.

He drawled, “Obviously.” Jeonghan shot him a smirk, putting his chin in his open palm. Making sure to convey to the panther that he was being stupid and ever so transparent.

“Now now Jeonghan,” Jun said, adding some fuel to the fire. “I guess Kwangjin here didn’t realize that you guys are some new faces.” He snickered, fox ears going up in mirth. “I guess his eyesight is going.”

Kwangjin’s face twitched. “What was that Junhui?” His tail lashed out, causing the cheetah hybrid to move forward. Kwangjin turned his head a bit and snarled at him, making him take those steps backwards.

The panther clearly didn’t have a hold on his temper if he got angry over a small thing like that. Jeonghan mentally wrote it down. Using your opponent’s anger against them was a great asset.

The fox hybrid grinned. “You didn’t hear me? Should I repeat what I said? I guess your hearing is going too.”

Minghao snickered behind his hand, laying his head on Jun’s shoulder. This panther was a riot, thinking he was king of the school.

Snarling he moved quickly, smashing his hand down on the table, rattling their lunch boxes. The other hybrids near them flinched at the sound; the ones more sensitive to noises anyhow. The ones who knew what was coming started inching away from them. They didn’t want to get caught up in what was bound to happen.

In the panther’s anger, one lunchbox toppled. Jeonghan’s to be exact. The lunch that Joshua painstakingly made, with love, for him, hit the grassy floor. He stared at it, his body still. Blinking he couldn’t quite get the full picture of his food on the floor. The panther’s angry words filtered into his ears but they didn’t linger. Not when he felt a surge of anger. Joshua’s hard work and love was splattered across the floor; it was supposed to be in his stomach and he’d show an empty lunchbox to Joshua so the man would smile at him and blush a bit asking if it was tasty. Now he couldn’t even do that.

Jeonghan got up from his seat. Ignoring the minor snarling and the smirk playing on Jun’s face, he grabbed Kwangjin. Silently Jeonghan took him by his shirt collar and threw Kwangjin away from their table.

“What the was that?!” The panther got up before his little cronies could flock around him like hovering mothers with their children. Flashing fang he asked, “You want to fight kitty?”

Seungcheol looked at Jeonghan before looking down at the floor. He stayed seated. Jeonghan wanted revenge and in all honesty, he would’ve too if it was his lunch on the floor. Anything from Joshua that was meant for them was the world. The panther hybrid was going to get the rug pulled up from underneath him. Jeonghan was fierce and dirty fighter. Seungcheol would know.

“This is like the pot calling the kettle black” Jeonghan growled back, “Except you’re the kitty. I’m a jaguar.”

He spat back at Jeonghan. “You want to fight then? Feeling brave?” The panther hybrid looked at the floor. Simpering he said, “Oh. Is the little kitty sad that his lunch is on the floor?” A smirk formed on his face. “Not like it was anything special from the looks of it.”

Seungcheol whistled low. Jun shook his head, an evil smiling forming on his face. Minghao smiled happily.

Jeonghan’s mouth curled into a smile, one that spoke of pain and unimaginable bad things. “You know,” he said taking off his shirt and throwing it to Minghao. No need to get it ripped by accident. Joshua would know something went down and he would get all sad and pouty. It’d be cute but still, he’d get scolded. “I was going to let you do your stupid alpha male, I’m king . But you ing crossed the line when you made my lunch go down. Then when you insulted his cooking.” Claws popping out, Jeonghan continued, “No one bad mouths him and gets away with it.”

“Kwangjin,” the cheetah hissed, “is this a good idea?”

Kwangjin gave him a dirty look. “Do you think I can’t take this sad excuse of a cat?”

“But—“

“Shut up! And move back!” He readied himself. “I can take on this kitty.”

“Not going to listen to your mommy,” Jeonghan taunted as he started to circle the panther.

“ you,” Kwangjin spat back. “I’ll be making you cry for you mommy once we’re done. And I’m going to take that pretty collar of yours too as my prize.”

“Oh ,” Seungcheol muttered at the table. “He’s going to ing die.”

Jeonghan growled still circling.

“Hmmm,” Jun threw in. “Jeonghan loves Joshua to bits. Bet he loves that collar too since Joshua got it for him. Kwangjin is dead.”

Playing with his own collar Minghao nodded. “You two won’t take anyone’s crap over Joshua hyung.”

“Never,” Seungcheol said quietly. “He’s just lucky it was only Jeonghan’s lunch and not mine too. Otherwise I’d go after him after Jeonghan’s done too.”

“More like you two would fight to see who would get to fight him first,” Minghao said. “You two can barely agree on anything except for hyung.”

“We’re your hyungs too you know,” Seungcheol said with a pout.

“Sometimes I wonder,” Minghao sassed back.

They stopped talking as Jeonghan roared, claws extended he jumped forward and swiped at the panther.

Kwangjin taken aback at the unmasked killing intent in Jeonghan’s eyes didn’t have time to move.

Jeonghan’s clawed hand hit him, ripping his shirt to shreds. He let the panther get up. He wanted a bit of a fight. Not some scaredy cat peeing his pants. Grinning at Kwangjin Jeonghan leaped back, getting into fighting position. He held out his hand, making a come-on motion with his fingers, blatantly teasing the panther.

Kwangjin hated being taunted. He growled back and ran forward, extending his own claws.

A grin spread on Jeonghan’s face. That was more like it. He dodged at Kwangjin’s ty side swipe. Anger made the panther sloppy. He was making this too easy for Jeonghan. The other hybrids must’ve led such pampered life styles if they let this bad fighter take them down. Or they just didn’t put up an actual fight at all. Too bad. Jeonghan would show this loser just who he was ing with.

He jumped to side as Kwangjin tried to rush at him and take him down. Retracting his claws, Jeonghan waited for Kwangjin to right himself once more. This was nothing like fighting Seungcheol, which were normally fights to injure one another. This was easy. Less about trying to kill each other. Well Jeonghan didn’t actively want the other hybrid’s blood on his hands. But if he managed to make some blood spill here and there he wouldn’t be so sad about it.

Kwangjin rushed forward again, claws out. Jeonghan readied himself. Grabbing Kwangjin’s flailing arms, he held the panther still as he raised his knee up hard. Hearing a coughing sound as his knee hit the panther’s solar plexus he let go, pushing the panther back. Jeonghan smiled at him. “Still want to fight me?”

Coughing Kwangjin snarled weakly back at him. “You got in a lucky hit.” He steadied himself and wiped his bloody nose. He moved slower this time, not rushing Jeonghan as he did before.

They circled each other, making sure to keep a few feet in between them.

Jeonghan was getting really tired of this. “Come on kitty,” he teased. “Going to show everyone just how tough you are?”

 The panther hybrid roared. He moved forward clawed hands out ready to strike.

As he swiped left, Jeonghan ducked and his hand in a fist, punched Kwangjin’s stomach. This time he didn’t let the panther rest. Using his other hand Jeonghan swung, hitting the panther in the face, aiming for the eye.

The two consecutive hits took the panther hybrid by surprise. Kwangjin coughed, stumbling away from Jeonghan. Moving back on his feet, he fell to the floor.

“Kwangjin!” The cheetah rushed forward grabbing his friend.

“Better take your friend to the infirmary or something,” Jeonghan said with a scoff. “Some fight this turned out to be.”

The cheetah looked up at Jeonghan growling weakly.

Smirking Jeonghan asked, “You want to fight me too?” He watched as the cheetah hybrid curled in on Kwangjin. Lovers? The cheetah was being awfully caring. “Better take your lover boy to the nurse though. That last hit might’ve broken something.” He gave him an evil smile. “I don’t pull my punches.”

He grabbed Kwangjin and slowly hauled him up and walked away, glancing back a few times to make sure Jeonghan wasn’t coming at them to finish the job.

“That was easy,” Jun drawled. “Why you took off your shirt I don’t know?”

“Didn’t want it to get dirty?” Jeonghan replied. “Could you imagine the horror on Joshua’s face if he saw me with a ripped shirt? Better to just take it off.”

Minghao handed it back. Jeonghan tugged it back on, staring mournfully at the mess that was his lunch.

He whined. “Shua’s homemade lunch.”

“Better hope that cut heals,” Seungcheol interrupted, tapping his own cheek to show Jeonghan where it was.

Jeonghan rushed grabbing his phone and taking a look using the shiny case as a mirror. “Awww, .” He saw a small cut on his cheek, sluggishly dripping blood. “He’ll be so pissed.”

Smirking Seungcheol said, “Only at you. I didn’t do anything. I’m not the one who got into a fight. It was all you.”

He put the phone down. Smirking back at Seungcheol, Jeonghan said, “Yea but Shua will be pissed at you too. For letting me fight. And not for helping me. We’re both in trouble if this doesn’t heal by the time we go home.”

His face fell. “,” he whispered. “You’re right. Damn it.” Seungcheol whined. “I didn’t even do anything.”

“Damned by association and for not helping,” Jun said through his foxy snickers.

The wolf hybrid whined at the unfairness as Jeonghan lightly touched the cut while looking at his phone.

What an exciting day, Jun thought. Hopefully the cut healed so Joshua wouldn’t know any better.

“So as I was saying,” Seokmin started. But his next sentence was interrupted by Joshua.

A violent sneeze erupted from his side of the table. “Sorry,” he sniffled. “I don’t know what came over me.” He took out a handkerchief and wiped at his nose.

Seokmin smiled. “Maybe someone is thinking about you hyung.”

Joshua laughed, tucking the handkerchief away. “Maybe.” Maybe it was Jeonghan and Seungcheol. It was lunch time after all. Hopefully they liked what he cooked for them.