Blood Again

While Imee was having her own situation, Renir depressedly sat on a bench amidst the quiet park.

With a few trees here and there on the park, the breeze would whistle.

'What am I thinking?', his hand on his face. Renir was having a chronic facepalming disorder.

"Of course, nobody would hire me...", Renir sighed as he leaned forward and brought down his bag.

After leaving the apartment, Renir went back to the Demon Caller. They exchanged a few words while Renir on the polite side.

He learned a few things about his uncle.

Around the time he was gone, men with unknown backgrounds would pester their apartment's room.

Old Lady Miyan couldn't care less about what was happening as long as no property was damaged. So she just ket them and didn't pry any further.

Renir thank the old lady again and looked at the setting sun that brimmed hope into his eyes. The blue sky that he hadn't seen for a while was washing all his negativities.

'No! I'm different now! Soon, even if Imee doesn't like me, contrary to what she was showing, she will soon!', his heart raced and found romance as a factor of motivation.

Renir fearlessly inquired jobs all over the town and effortfully applied to every possible job he had the potential to land on.

But in the end...

None accepted his application for multiple reasons.

First of all, he was just a student and only seventeen years old at that, he had no experience, lack of documents or requirements, and a lot more, but mostly, because he doesn't have a guardian's permission even though he was still a minor.

Almost everything needs a license and the rest that doesn't need experience like attending a small shop, was still a no since the owners don't trust him since he's a stranger and they don't need help in the first place for a small business.

Nothing worked out for Renir as he comes dazing at the moon again. But this time, with a different challenge.

"Haaa~~", Renir let out a sad sighed, "Should I have accepted Imee's help?", he conflictedly scratched his head, "But I'm a healthy young man just about to completely finish his puberty... I have a sex drive too.", Renir blushed, never once he thought he would see this as a problem, "And Imee is the very epitome of my type of girls."

Renir didn't want to ruin their relationship by "accidents" here and there that mostly happens in the morning.

While he was sighing nonstop, he caught a glimpse of two people approaching his direction.

He felt trouble as he remembered what Imee said about the increasing crime rates. It's not bad to be suspicious about his surroundings or to be careful.

And these two people had hats and masks covering their faces. Even if Renir didn't know about the increasing crime rate, he would see them as suspicious people.

So acting natural, Renir took his bag, left the bench under one of the lamp posts, and entered the darkness where the moon and the stars are the only illuminations.

Their slow footsteps made Renir confident and unscared.

'It seems like they aren't dangerous at all or just not desperate enough.', he thought since none of the two ran up to him.

With his weak body, lack of energy, and heavy backpack, it would be hard for him to escape if they ever tried to chase him.

But Renir's feet lost heat the moment he saw one man entered the light under the lamp post in front of him.

This man also had a mask and a hat. It couldn't be a mere coincidence.

On Renir's left was a wall he couldn't climb even if he had the time, and his left was the dark grassy field of the park with arranged trees on it.

Still acting naturally, he changed his direction but encountered another person in the dark.

Renir cursed inwardly. It seemed this was planned!

He only had one chance, one life unlike in his mysterious "dream". This is more dangerous than he had ever experienced.

"Sir, where are you going?", the person in the shadows in front of him snickered.

"Away from here.", Renir honestly said.

".....", that was the first unique reply the person had ever received so he was unable to make a retort, "Tsk!", he just clicked his tongue and proceeded to push this thin man and get the job done.

This thin man's large backpack is a feast for them. Even if there was no money there, just seeing it loaded was enough for them. This thin man shouldn't be carrying a garbage-filled or rock-filled backpack unless he's crazy.

However, just as he pushed, he just felt air coursed through his force that made him almost fell to his front.

"Max, what are you doing?", a woman's heavy voice sounded from the pair that originally followed Renir.

Max had his face red from embarrassment, 'Are my eyes not suited in the dark yet?', he diverted himself from shame even though the thin man was visible under the moonlight.

Renir, on the other hand, was confused too, 'What was that?'

He just remembered that the man was about to push him down but as if his body is not his own, it silently moved away. It was not quick but it was fast enough to avoid the pair of hands.

"Heh!", Max laughed behind the facemask, "I was just playing with him!", he glared at Renir beside him.

"Why would you play with the victim?", the third person that appeared was too serious, "We just need to get that bag and we're out of here.", he swiftly took a pocket knife from his pocket and pointed at Renir, "You just heard me.", he looked at Renir with cold eyes. He seemed to be accustomed to this.

"You get the bag, I get the man. Even though he's a bit skinny, he has the look and young age.", the woman's lust could be seen through her squinted eyes because of her wide smile even though she had a mask, "I wasn't really satisfied from earlier."

When he heard this, Max's face turned to rage as he shouted, "You bitch! Are you just thinking of sex all the time?!", after he shouted, he saw the man beside the bitch turned his face away, "Fucker...! Is that why you two were together?! Roxanne, you will even satisfy yourself with a rookie like him?!"

"Oh, Max, why do you care? We already broke u-", Shick!*

The woman's eyes abruptly turned lifeless as it rolled to her side. She saw the man with the knife had already pierced her neck. Her killer didn't even look at her last moments before the blood came oozing from her neck as her sight was filled with darkness.

Her consciousness returned to the moment before she was born, nothing.

"Ah...", Max was stunned but immediately dodged the incoming slash. He tumbled at his back with blood on his cheek.

He cursed loudly, he was almost killed too!

If he didn't saw the death in front of him, he wouldn't recognize the danger.

The rookie beside the woman had his legs weakened so when the dead fell onto him, he couldn't help but fall and have a corpse lying on his top.

When he just remembered the excitement and ecstasy he felt when this woman suggested herself to him just earlier made him puke.

"Brian...", Max's eyes trembled. He wanted to ask why but didn't dare so. Brian just killed someone without batting an eye. Even the self-proclaimed psychopath Max was shocked.

Brian pointed the knife at Renir again, "Don't try to run while there is drama here. I am confident I can kill you before you take the third step of your escape. These idiots are fighting again because of that slut. Haven't they seen her ugly face? Just because she's horny all the time, doesn't mean she likes either of them.", his words were directed towards Renir then halfway through, to himself and then the last sentence to Max.

'Are you really just blaming Roxanne? If I hadn't dodge earlier, you could've have killed me too!', Max thought.

"Max, the boss had arrived, there are no failures.", Brian coldly glanced at Max as if he read his mind, "Roxanne would've received worse if the boss had known what she was doing at work."

Max gulped, "I haven't heard about the boss arriving...", he then stood up and faced Renir with a serious face.

Sweat soaked Renir's light clothes wet. This was worse than he imagined. This was the first time he saw someone died, unable to revive again. His face turned pale.

And he kept in his mind what Brian said to him.

So would Renir just surrender and give his belongings for a chance to survive?

"We won't hurt you if you hand over that bag.", Brian coldly said.

'He wouldn't hurt me....?', Renir frowned;

'As if!'

Even in this dire situation where a sharp knife that could easily cut his only line of life was directed at his weak self by a man with no hesitation to kill, Renir felt unfounded courage swelling inside of him.

"No", Renir glared back.