Something forgotten

I stood still for a few more minutes, cherishing the rush Kiri had just given me. Until, eventually it ended, and I could sense my heart decelerating.

Rumble

A sound came up from my belly, resulting from my lack of nourishment for lunch. After all, I only had a drink so far.

Cafeteria food should do.

Having decided on the location to ease my hunger, I took haste in my steps toward the door and opened it. As much to my surprise, on the other side stood a girl. And not just any, It was the mysterious Kae.

“What the hell, what are you doing here?”

“I saw you going inside a middle school so I got curious. Let’s just ignore the details, how was the encounter?”

Of course, there were much more questions that needed to be answered. Nonetheless, I laid them to rest considering how elusive the girl always was about situations regarding herself. And so, after descending the rooftop stairs, I precisely retold my experience with Kiri.

“I see, and you still went out and had fun with her, knowing there were problems that hadn’t been resolved?”

“My main goal here is knowing that she has a fun life, stability comes after. It’s her choice, not mine, I don’t control her. So, if you’re going to tell me that I’m irresponsible then yeah, I am. I’m not responsible for her actions.”

I thought I had made a good point. However, as if waving off my argument out to the side, she made a riposte.

“Isn’t that just being ignorant? You’re here to help her, right? If so then what’s the point of just seeing how she’s doing? Moreover, you value her momentarily fun instead of her future here. I wouldn’t say that’s helping.”

Imitating her pace, I promptly made a comeback.

“I will help her when she needs it okay? Kiri is a smart girl, she’s making money and even has excess to save up, if that weren’t the case I would have been worried too.”

“Smart people make dumb decisions sometimes, Stan. Especially when they’re mentally ill.”

A tick rang in my mind, and I grew impatient.

“You know I used to think like you at first, but then I realized how Kiri is in person. She’s strong, and fierce, despite all the trauma that happened not so long ago she was able to lay them all in the past. Now that’s something I admire, she’s someone for me to look up to.”

“Yeah, you sure do. She’s the polar opposite of you, after all.”

“What does that even supposed to mean?”

A first halt emerged from our dispute and my opposing side responded with a tiring sigh. Not long after, she spoke.

“Whatever, it’s your decision, whether to help or not. I’m just here to remind you of some facts.”

“Sure, I guess I owe you a thanks then.”

Hearing my sarcastic tone, she simply closed her eyes and started descending further into the stairs.

“Nah, I didn’t convince you. Looks like I failed.”

Following her mimicking of my tone, I could feel some veins appear on my forehead.

“Since you worry about me so much, maybe I should do the same. Say, where do you even plan to sleep, you could always crash at the place of the girl you criticized so much.

“I have a relative near here, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Contrary to her appearance fading, my irritation held no chance of stopping.

Rumble

Oh, would you shut up already?

Finding myself standing idly like an idiot, I rushed down the stairs and found my way toward the cafeteria.

Although I was new to the school layouts, my reaching there was swift and I was already ordering my food.

On top of the glass fence was the menu, ranging from light snacks like churros, chips, and kimbap to heavier culinary like fried noodles and the like. After a moment of decisive picking, I chose a meatball sandwich.

“You’re not a student from here are you.”

After putting my order in a toaster, the chef inquired about my identity. She was a woman around her 50s, with a scarf on her head.

“I guess I don’t look the part here.”, I chuckled. She probably realized it because my height was starkly taller than a middle schooler’s. “Yeah, I’m a student from the city, I guess I’m just here to look at what schools are like in the outskirts.”

“Poor you then, just looking from the outside anyone would have guessed that it’s no heaven in here.”

I merely smiled at her negative view, meanwhile looking for the silver lining.

“Facility isn’t everything, I’m looking forward to seeing how nice the students are here.”

“You’d be disappointed, they’re not evil but, they don’t care about anyone but themselves. What’s worst, there’s a group of bullies here that messes with not just the boys, but also the girls. Do you ever see that in the city?”, She started melancholically but the more she talked, the more it felt like a grandma complaining.

“No, I don’t.”, I chuckled out of awkwardness again. “Guess I’ll still see to it then.”

As I spoke, a ding sound could be heard, and the old woman handed me my order. I briskly chomped up my lunch, browsing my phone coincidingly.

I decided that my reconnaissance plan was to check up on him every recess while giving myself a tour around the school during class hours. As I treaded along the school grounds, a few school personnel noticed my odd presence, which I dealt with by running away. However, nothing more unfavorable had proceeded, and I was safe. From this, anyone might have guessed that the teachers don’t care much about students skipping class, or strangers entering the institution.

And so, the first bell rang, and I sprung into action. Looking through the window outside his class, I could see the kid was playing on his phone, alone.

Not surprising to be honest.

I don’t want to say serve you right, but.

“Serve you right you little brat.”

I smiled contently at the idea of the kid’s social situation, however, there were a bunch of boys that came up to him not long after. The only interpretation I’ve got was only through visual, though it was enough to decipher that the clique wanted to hang out with John. Which, he replied with a nonchalant hand wave, and buried his head into the screen once more. Dissatisfied, those boys left him alone.

So, you’re that type huh?

The next two bells were the same, with nothing notable to be mentioned. When the final one rang, signaling the end of the day, I rushed to the gates to do my finishing act for the day.

After a few minutes, John could be seen entering the school grounds. As the kid went into my view, so followed another clique of boys. They were pretty huge for eighth graders, with a member count of up to six, half of them were near my height. And that’s not to mention their width, I mean they weren’t bodybuilders or anything but were surely more buff than me.

“A typical group of bullies. And six of them, this won’t be good.”, I mumbled to myself.

I stood far away and watched, expecting the right time to come in and save the day. But, they walked past John, rendering me a complete fool for assuming nonsense. Nonetheless, even if their target weren’t John, they were indeed a group of bullies. Whom they chose to be their victim was even worse, it was a girl of the same height as John, with ginger hair and a petite body shape. As the clique of assholes surrounded the girl, I could feel my conscience gnawing at me, and I took haste in my step.

Except, I halted my enclosing when I noticed John was still standing there, staring at them. His visage was convoluted, though, it was discernable that he was troubled by the damsel in distress. No, more than that, it seemed like he was going to rush to them at any moment, yet, his feet remained unmoving.

“Looks like you still haven’t heard my advice. It’s for your own good, die your goddamn hair.”

Despite my position far away from the scene, his voice was so loud I could hear it from here. It was from the tallest dude in the group, standing directly before her and merely looking down at the girl almost half his size. Judging by his appearance, I guessed that he was the leader.

“Yeah, you better listen to him.”, as another guy in the group interjected, the assumed leader glared at him, taking no effort to shut him up.

Guess that pretty much confirms who’s the big bad.

“E-hem, Abigail, you have to know that I’m caring for you. That pretty face of yours will be a waste with you being a redhead. Nobody will like you, listen to me.”

Dithery, the little girl revealed her voice for the first time.

“I’m grateful for your advice but, I’m fine with this hair of mine.”

Like a dirty pig snorting, the leader infuriatingly inhaled, followed up with a lowering of his neck. In spite of the fact that I wasn’t the one receiving that glair, my skin crawled observing the girl’s frightening confrontation with his eyes.

“What part of me being kind to you do you not get?”

John has still not made a single step, albeit his shaking hands giving nothing but the intent of choking his target to asphyxiation.

“If you’re so angry then help the girl already.”, I whispered to myself.

However, it suddenly hit me. When I looked at that face, there wasn’t just wrath or craven. It was hard to tell, but I saw despair. A line between us suddenly formed, and I could see him through his own eyes.

Even if John intervened, what could he do against six stronger boys? If nothing he might make the situation worse. He could irritate the bullies more and they might do something even more detrimental, and he could give them another way to pick off on the girl since the bully is literally attracted to her. His becoming the second victim wouldn’t help here in any case. The leader is clearly into Abigail, and John trying to act as a hero would undoubtedly push the story into further despair.

There was no path for John, other than just watching, grinding his teeth, making fists, and hoping the situation would end. But it would not, and he was hopeless, and there was nothing he could do to help that girl. Just like…

Just like.

An instant ringing noise entered my head, and my body sprung into motion.

“Aren’t you going to- Woah?”

Before he could react, my hands were already on his shoulder. And with every fiber of muscle in my body, the big guy was thrown away far to the side.

“You again?”, John cried out in shock, his expression identical to every person around me.

“Hey, who the hell do you think you are.”

As the brat came up to me, acting all intimidating and such, I made sure he knows his place and pushed him back. This seemed to light something in the others apparently, since they all came at me with fists. Utilizing my height advantage, I managed to land a kick on two brats, before a strike landed on me. Though it wasn’t nearly enough to obstruct my rampage, and I kept on blowing front kicks toward them.

Until, I could feel a hand on my shoulder, and with my instinct, I looked back. For a split second, the face of the dirty pig leader was in my sight, before his meaty paw was launched into my face.

And my vision went dark.