My hands were clammy, my heart was racing, and above all… I was scared.
Back then, when we were kids, Donavan had been my best friend, but he changed along the way, turning into a delinquent. I had tried to reason with him, but all that led me to my current situation.
— "Hi Donavan, I… I have to go."I said, turning to run away—away from both my enemy and the cruel reality he represented to me: the fact that I was alone and nobody understood me.
— "Go? What do you mean? I remind you, you didn't give me the homework you were supposed to do for me."
I felt a powerful force pull me back; he grabbed me by the collar. He looked angry, and more importantly, ready to beat me up like usual.
Then a majestic, almost charming voice rang out—Jack's. The crowd had split in two to give him space, as if he were one of those mythological heroes coming to save the weak from the wicked. Except here, he arrived three years too late; I had already passed the point of no return…
— "Jack… of course, it's nothing. I was just teasing him,"Donavan laughed, giving me a strong pat on the back, signaling me to play along, or it would be over for me.
— "Yes, he's right Jack, it's nothing,"I said, trembling, feeling truly pathetic. Yet I couldn't afford to offend Donavan. After all, he came from an influential family… while mine consisted only of civilians. I couldn't make them suffer again…
Amid all this, something caught my attention: the outsider was looking at me with enigmatic eyes.
— "See, you heard him!"
— "Don't try to play dumb, Donavan. I know you harass a lot of students. I hope you don't cross the line, or I'll deal with you."
Donavan smiled and walked away, while Jack helped me up before his crowd of admirers could overwhelm him. Some asked if I was okay or needed help, but I didn't want to deal with all this social hypocrisy, so I ran away as fast as I could. I ran as if my life depended on it.
After a while, I realized I had gone far.
I was now at the other end of the school, a place rarely visited and only known by name: the library, the only place where I felt at peace, embraced by books. But this time, I sat down, catching my breath. Walking was hard with all the bruises hidden under my clothes, after all.
I sighed, thinking about what had just happened. I guess I'll get beaten up again on the way back, like every time they get mad at me… What a shitty life.
Tears ran down my cheeks, and the rage screaming in my heart finally made me speak.
— "I'm so done, I'm done! With Donavan, with school, with all these hypocrites… I hate you all!"
The hypocrisy of people trying to look good in front of Shin exasperated me. I've been bullied every single day for over three years, and it's only when Jack pays attention that you all care? What about all the times you looked the other way… especially you, Jack! You, so strong, always showing off like a hero, yet when I need you, you're not there! Sometimes you even make it worse. By saving me like this, I'm just going to get beaten on the way back. I want it to end…
— "Wow, the little guy sure has a lot on his chest,"I looked up and saw the loser from earlier standing in front of me. He had a bloody nose and still bore bruises from his fight. He looked messy yet simple, with a somewhat special air. His purple eyes radiated something unsettling. Don't tell me he came to harass me just to get attention or provoke Jack?
— "What the hell are you doing, idiot?"He asked bluntly, looking me straight in the eyes.
— "Me? Doing what?"I didn't understand at all what was happening. What had I done? Don't tell me this is one of those webtoon scenes where bullies find some stupid reason to harass someone.
— "You're much stronger than those idiots, you have a special constitution, if I'm not mistaken?"
— "Huh?"
— "Are you deaf or something?"
— "I'm hard of hearing…"He raised an eyebrow as I explained that I hear worse than a normal person.
— "My bad, sorry about that. But I'm serious, what the hell are you doing?"
For a moment, I didn't understand what he meant. How could I be stronger than Donavan? He beats me up every week—how could that be possible?
Suddenly, he sat down next to me. He took a deep breath, probably thinking back on his defeat earlier. He pulled a water bottle from his backpack and drank it quickly before tossing one to me.
— "Doesn't matter if you don't know, drink a bit. It's a sort of first-generation potion, and then we'll head to the infirmary."
A potion? Did he make it himself? Alchemy is hard nowadays; usually we rely on the gifts of the awakened for more commercial purposes. At least it should relieve my pain and speed up my recovery. As I drank the reddish potion, I realized he said the infirmary.
— "The infirmary?"
— "For your bruises."
For a moment, I froze. How did he know? In three years, no one ever noticed, not even my own parents.
— "If you're wondering why, I used to get bullied too, so I get it."
After finishing his bottle, he yawned and looked at me as if telling me to hurry. It wasn't a request, it was an order. He was a really weird guy…
After that, he dragged me to the infirmary against my will. At first, I refused, but he threatened to beat me even more if I didn't go, and he even managed to fool the nurse there about the origin of my injuries.
When we left the infirmary, my wounds were healed. I finally felt okay, it had been ages since I felt human… Yet why was he helping me? Did he see himself as a good samaritan helping me, or something else? Did he intend to use me?
— "Hey, can you stop sticking so close to me?"I finally said, wary from my experiences with bad people.
— "Huh? What do you mean?"
— "What you're doing."
— "You mean playing hero?"
— "What are you talking about!?"
— "Playing hero?"
— "That makes no sense! And I don't want your help!"
— "I don't care. I fight for myself and play hero for myself. Just know you've ended up with a leech. By the way, why not abandon the perpetual cycle? There's a library art that would suit you much better."
— "Huh?"
— "You really like that word, huh."
— "Because you talk too much nonsense!"
I had no idea at the time, but this encounter with Shin would pull me out of my loneliness and change me forever, for better or worse? I didn't care, because now I live for myself and myself alone, according to my convictions, and I even play hero with Shin, hoping to see his dream realized while showing my own worth to the world.
As I slowly opened my eyes, the pain that had been devouring me disappeared while I recalled my first meeting with the madman, before he changed my life.