What's Next

The bell echoed through the corridors, signaling the transition to club activities. Despite applying for a club, he was overlooked, feeling like an outsider once again.

He mostly retreat to the rooftop, where he could immerse himself in the sanctuary of his phone, escaping the clamor and unwanted attention below.

High school, with its relentless hierarchy, always seemed to favor the strong, leaving the vulnerable to fend for themselves.

Aww, isn't she beautiful?" A group of girls huddled together, enraptured by the glow of their phone screen, likely watching a telenovela.

Ryuichi quietly gathered his belongings getting ready to slipped away to the rooftop, away from prying eyes.

Aww, just look at her. Yes, Haruki is truly beautiful." "I wish I had beauty like hers," one girl, Deborah, said.

Ryuichi's heart sank. Did they not realize Haruki was his mother, and he her son? Should he reveal the truth? No, it seemed futile; they would likely scoff and dismiss his words.

His mother's absence from school events, consumed by her relentless travels, only fueled the misconceptions.

I wish his son is gorgeous as her, so I could be his girlfriend," Pascaline, the epitome of popularity, mused aloud, further deepening Ryuichi's discomfort

With cheeks ablaze, Ryuichi fled the classroom, desperate to escape the suffocating weight of their words.

But his attempt to disappear unnoticed was thwarted when he collided with a fellow student in the hallway.

He didn't bother to turn and apologize, as every student seemed to be in a hurry, running in that direction.

"What's going on?" Ryuichi asked a guy who was also in a hurry. "It's the new transfer student, Mika, from class A.

He learned that a new transfer student named Mika was set to face off against Evelyn in a kendo duel.

Ryuichi didn't care much about joining the crowd, knowing it would be overwhelming. But then, he spotted Karen at her locker, and he couldn't help but notice her beauty.

Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft waves, framing her delicate features. Her eyes sparkled with warmth, and a gentle smile played on her lips.

He had a crush on her, hoping to ask her out, but he was afraid she would reject him. It was a stroke of luck that his locker was next to hers, giving him an excuse to be nearby.

Summoning his courage, Ryuichi approached his locker, his heart pounding and sweat beading on his forehead. This time, he was determined to talk to her.

As he stood beside her, he caught a whiff of her natural scent, a subtle fragrance that intoxicated him.

Karen textbook slipped from his hands and fell to the floor. She wasn't aware of it. so he quickly stooped to retrieve.Unable to believe he was holding Karen's book. His hands trembled, and he felt a cold sweat breaking out.

Karen heard someone mention her name. She checked behind her, but there was no one. However, when she turned forward, she saw Ryuichi standing near her, handing her the book. It must have fallen down.

But first of all, eww, gross, you are drooling, she said, calling attention in the hallway.

I'm sorry," Ryuichi said nervously. "What the hell, how did this happen?" He wiped his lips nevorusly.

"I didn't mean to. Hey, is that Ryuichi, the weirdo? Why is he standing by Karen?" a guy said.

"What the hell, this is not happening again. Tell me this is a dream."

He didn't have time to apologize now, but they were mocking him.The crowd started gathering, tension filling the air.

Was he asking her out? No way, he's such a loser, he can't ask her out. And they all started laughing.

"What's going on?" a group of boys walked through the crowd. Dylan, Karen's boyfriend, and his squad of golden boys.

Panic gripped Ryuichi as he realized the gravity of the situation...

He was trapped, surrounded by mocking classmates and facing the wrath of Dylan and hisintimidating crew. With his heart pounding in his chest and his mind racing.

What The Hell !!!!!!

"he's dead this time."

Dylan was a muscular guy with long golden hair tied back and shiny blue eyes. He was incredibly handsome, and all the girls had a crush on him in school.

He was popular both in and out of school. Rumors swirled about his numerous national martial arts championships, adding to his aura of popularity.

To top it off, his girlfriend was Karen.

What the heck!!!!

Ryuichi felt like he'd signed his own death warrant as Dylan and his squad, the "golden boys," approaching him, like predators ready to hunt down their prey.

What the fuck should he tell them?exuding an air of menace. His legs started trembling, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Dylan and his squad, reached in front of him. Tension filled the air, with everyone eager to see what would happen next.

Dylan, was in a white jacket with his hands casually tucked into his trouser pockets, exuded an effortless coolness.

Ryuichi's heart raced as he tried to figure a way out of the impending confrontation.He breathed in and out with his head held high.

As Dylan focused on Ryuichi's anxious face, he addressed him directly. "Heard you want to ask my girlfriend out, is that true?"

Despite wanting to deny it, Ryuichi remained silent, allowing the assumption to hang in the air.He was quiet, making it seem like it was true.

"Baby, what will be your response to him?"

Dylan asked his girlfriend, Karen. Dylan turned to Karen, seeking her response.The crowd held its breath, awaiting Karen's words.

"No way I'd go out with this pathetic loser,"

She retorted, prompting laughter from the onlookers and intensifying Ryuichi's humiliation.

"He doesn't know his limits. Darling, can you do me a favor and teach him a lesson?" Karen told Dylan.

What the heck, this bitch?

"I never asked her out, or is she capable of lying like that?"

What a bitch,

What a bitch!!!!

Dylan gave a strong kick to Ryuichi's stomach. Ryuichi lay on the ground, the pain radiating through his body as the world spun around him.

His ears rang with Karen's harsh words, her rejection cutting deeper than any physical blow.

Dylan's menacing presence loomed over him, his threat echoing in Ryuichi's ears like a death knell.

Tears welled up in Ryuichi's eyes, a mixture of pain, humiliation, and despair clouding his vision.

"What did I ever do to you?" Ryuichi choked out, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to make sense of the cruelty that had been unleashed upon him.

But his question went unanswered as Dylan grabbed him roughly and slammed him against his locker.

The force of the impact reverberating through Ryuichi's already battered body.

He felt his spine crack under the pressure, stars dancing before his eyes as darkness threatened to consume him.

"Let me tell you this one more time: don't you dare get near my girlfriend or even stare at her pretty face, or I swear I will kill you."

Dylan's menacing voice cut through the haze of pain, his words dripping like a serpent venom.

Ryuichi could do nothing but lie there, broken and defeated, as Dylan and Karen walked away.

Their laughter echoing in his ears like a cruel mockery of his suffering.

The crowd dispersed, leaving Ryuichi alone in the hallway, abandoned and forsaken. No one offered him a hand, no one spared him a second glance.

"He's such a weirdo and a loser.

I can't believe he was asking Karen for a date," the crowd murmured to themselves as every soul disappeared from the hallway.