Chapter 8

As he sat on the small chair, forced to listen to the girls' conversation. Mikael felt his mind slowly turn numb.

This was already the third shoe store they were visiting. Mikael yawned as he began looking around. There were many females, so he began to rate them in terms of appearance.

'Average...Bland...Ooh, she has nice legs.'

As Mikael casually listed the women in the store, he discovered a guy sitting on one of the couches.

He was next to his girlfriend as she tried on different shoes. He appeared miserable and laxly responded to his girlfriend's questions whenever she asked.

When their eyes met, they subconsciously nodded in understanding.

Mikael closed his eyes in boredom, wanting time to pass by even faster.

"We're done. Come on, let's go." Veronica woke him up a few minutes later.

"Finally, thought I was going to grow old here."

"Just carry our bags."

She handed him multiple bags of shoes. He took it with an unwilling expression and added it to the already growing pile of bags he had to carry. Since the first store, the girls had forced him to carry their shopping bags.

Michelle dropped her bags with him before leaving with Veronica. Nancy also left her bags with him but showed him an apologetic smile as she did so. They left together and started talking.

"So, you're a Junior?" Mikael asked as they passed by an electronics store.

"Yeah, I graduated a year before Veronica."

"A year? Isn't Veronica a freshman, though?"

"She took a gap year. It's pretty common."

"Mm, so you like going to school."

"Well, it's not that I like attending school, but it's one of the few places where I can worry about my own thing."

"Yeah, I totally get that."

Mikael smiled as he talked with Nancy. He asked more about herself as Veronica and Michelle walked inside another store.

Nancy was talkative, so they got along well, forgetting to follow Veronica inside as they talked outside.

"No way..! You really blew up your school's tool shed?!" Nancy covered her mouth in shock as she listened to Mikael talk about his time in school.

"It was an accident. Besides, I wasn't the only one who got involved." Mikael chuckled nervously, he asked her not to tell anyone.

"Haha~! Really, dude. I'm not going to report you."

"Well, how can I be sure? Can I check you for a wire? You know, for confirmation..." Mikael teased as he closed the distance between them.

"Haha. No way." Nancy softly pushed him away.

***

Inside the store, Veronica and Michelle watched their interaction with close attention.

"I think Nancy likes that friend of yours, Veronica." Michelle smiled as she spoke to Veronica.

"She shouldn't! That guy is no different from a dog in heat." Veronica snapped.

Michelle looked at her oddly, "What's with you? You brought him here with us yet you don't seem to like him. Why?"

"He-... I just don't want Nancy to get hurt by him. He's a perv. And she has such a shy personality. I'm only worried she'll be taken advantage of."

"Oh, I see. But look, she's smiling. And I don't think this Mikael is as bad a guy as you make him seem."

"That's just a mask! He's really just a sex-crazed asshole. You'll see if you spend more time with him." Veronica spoke with conviction.

Michelle just looked at her with an odd gaze. She looked at Mikael again before looking at Veronica. She sighed with a shake of her head.

***

Veronica and Michelle walked out of the store soon after.

Mikael and Nancy didn't notice them until Michelle called out to them. Mikael greeted them and took their bags, Veronica seemed a little put off when she interacted with him.

Mikael looked at her strangely.

Taking a round trip on the ground floor, Michelle asked Nancy to go with her to the restroom.

Veronica followed, but when she saw Mikael set their bags by the wall as if in preparation to wait for them, she chose to stay.

"..."

"..."

Mikael and Veronica rested their backs on the wall as they waited for the two to return.

Mikael glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her clothes were dark and tomboyish, her long hair cascaded down her side like a waterfall. Despite the ugly lighting, she seemed like an untouched rose.

"Don't try anything with Nancy, alright?" Veronica suddenly spoke, her expression serious as she looked at him.

"...That's something Nancy should decide."

"I'm warning you, Mikael. She's just an innocent girl. I know how you are."

Mikael wryly smiled and turned his body to look at her. He remained quiet.

"What?" She asked as she saw how he simply looked at her without responding.

"When you can't find someone in the future. Just remember that I'm still an option."

"Wha- What the fuck are you saying!?" Her face blushed red in anger.

She suddenly remembered that he had (basically) looked at her bare body the night before. Her eyes became teary as she glared at him, but instead of appearing intimidating. It only worked in enhancing the loveliness of her appearance.

Veronica continued to banter back and forth with him as Nancy and Michelle walked out. Michelle and Nancy looked confused as they saw Veronica's angry reddened face and Mikael's sly smile.

"What are you guys arguing about?" Nancy asked as she approached them.

"We weren't arguing! He was just being a sleaze ball."

Mikael chuckled, "She told me she was hungry but was too embarrassed to eat before noon. I told her she should buy something, but got angry when I told her to share it with us in case she got fat."

"That's rude, Mikael. And Veronica, if you were feeling hungry you should've told us. I was also feeling a bit peckish myself." Nancy reprimanded Mikael before kindly speaking to Veronica.

"No, no! I'm not hungry." Veronica vehemently refused.

"She's just shy. I saw a food court nearby, let's go there." Mikael picked up the bags on the floor.

As they walked to the food court, Michelle began teasing Veronica on their way.

Veronica responded grouchily at Michelle's antics.

In front of them, Nancy offered to take some of the bags as she saw how ridiculous Mikael seemed with the mountain load of bags.

"I'm alright."

"Are you sure? It must be heavy, right?"

"It's okay. As a man, it's my duty to work like a donkey."

"A donkey?"

After reserving two tables for themselves, the girls went to place their order while Mikael sat down and kept watch over the bags.

Mikael sat comfortably when he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

He frowned and turned around. He scanned all the people in the court before discovering someone. A man with a piercing glare.

His eyes were as sharp as knives, with hair in dread locks that fell down to his chin. He wore a black windbreaker with a silver chain hung around his neck. Despite sitting on a couch, his large frame took the majority of the seat.

"Fuck..." Sweat formed on his brow.

Mikael lamented but continued to stare at him without avoiding his gaze. The two remained unmoving as people passed by.

Soon, a woman wearing a loose jacket approached whilst holding a tray, she sat in front of the man with dread locks. He silently took his eyes off Mikael and began talking with the woman.

Mikael subconsciously sighed in relief and laid back on the chair.

He discovered that his shirt had become wet, his back was drenched in cold sweat. He glanced at the woman sitting in front of the giant before turning his body back to the front.

The girls then returned soon after, they sat down with him as they waited for their food. Mikael would remain quiet as they chatted.

He saw Nancy glance at him a couple times as she had noticed his silence, he was happy by her actions but didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, a small mechanical body approached with three trays of food. It noisily stopped in front of the table and placed the trays neatly on the table, leaving immediately without missing a beat.

"You didn't order any food?" Nancy asked, the other girls then noticed that food hadn't arrived for him.

"No, I'm not really in the mood to eat."

"Oh, okay." Nancy seemingly was about to offer some of her own but stopped when she heard him.

Veronica glanced at him but said nothing, continuing to chat with her friends.

***

After leaving the food court, they started making their way to a higher floor. But before they could go up the escalator, Mikael told them he would leave their bags at a storage area, he couldn't carry handle any more.

"Don't worry, you don't need to do that." Michelle responded, she pulled out a car key.

"You bought a car?" Veronica asked, surprised.

"Yup, my daddy wanted to celebrate my graduation and bought me the newest model as a present." Michelle puffed her chest with pride.

She flicked her keys to Mikael with nonchalance.

"My model is the S89. The color is red, it's parked by the entrance. It's hard to miss."

The girls then went up to the 2nd floor while Mikael looked at them dumbfounded.

"I could steal her car along with these bags if I wanted to. These girls are too innocent." Mikael wryly laughed.

***

After closing the doors, Mikael clicked the lock button on the key.

Beep~ Beep~

"Ahh, the sound is so crisp..." Mikael was mesmerized by the sleek beauty of the car.

'I guess women aren't the only beauty things that I can admire.' Mikael grinned foolishly, he took out his phone and started taking pictures of it.

"Sup, Mikael." He heard a deep voice coming from behind him.

"Hm? Do I kn..." Surprised, Mikael turned around to see who greeted him.

His large frame and long frontal dread locks were obvious enough for him to realize who it was. He subconsciously stepped back to keep his distance. He glared at the man in front of him.

"What are you doing here, Lowell?"

"Just wanted to talk." Lowell disregarded Mikael's caution as he reclined on the car.

"Talk? Are you trying to fuck with me? You're a savage, you never talk."

"...You think so? Then, I guess you can just stand to get this beat down over with."

A small force of wind approached Mikael upon hearing his words.

He frantically ducked, avoiding the hit just before contact.

Swoosh!!

Without a moment to waste, Lowell's knee rose and connected to Mikael's gut. He was pushed backwards as his stomach groaned, his mouth shot open as he began to throw up clear liquids.

Mikael suddenly swerved his head to the right, a fist brushing past his head.

Lowell sent a barrage of punches. Mikael narrowly evaded as many hits he could but couldn't prevent them all as a few hit his chest and arms.

Lowell swiped his hand towards Mikael's face.

Mikael managed to dodge with the slightest margin. Mikael acted quickly and grabbed his out-stretched hand. He pulled it to his mouth, and bit it with force.

Lowell howled in pain as he felt Mikael's teeth sink into his flesh. Mikael took this opportunity to get close and punched him on the chin.

The punch disoriented Lowell and he recoiled backwards.

Mikael followed up by adding all of his strength and kicked him away, he wanted to take this opening to escape. Lowell tripped for a moment but was able to regain his senses before he could fall. Lowell frowned for a moment before punching out.

"You fucking monster!" Lowell forced Mikael to a wall, his massive frame engulfing his entire view.

"Lowey!"

A pretty voice sounded nearby. Lowell immediately froze upon hearing that voice. Mikael as well stood petrified.

Mikael sweated as he thought he felt the raspy breath of the grim death just a moment ago, he was thankful to the owner of the voice for saving him.

The soft voice continued to call out, after a few minutes she left.

The soft voice continued to call out 'Lowey' for a few seconds before disappearing. Lowell sighed in relief upon hearing her departure. He backed away from Mikael and looked around, searching for any traces of her.

Mikael wanted to step back but couldn't as the wall blocked him.

"Who was that?" Mikael asked, he noticed how anxious Lowell looked when he heard that voice.

"My... girlfriend."

"Huh?... Pft~ Ahaha, there's no way!"

Mikael dismissed his words.

He couldn't believe that the savage brute, Lowell could ever have a girlfriend, especially one with such a beautiful voice.

Lowell's eyebrow twitched as he saw how Mikael dismissed his words as false.

Mikael suddenly stopped laughing as a thought came to mind,

"...Wait, was it that girl I saw with you at the food court."

"Yeah, her name is Leslie."

"Oh, so she's really your... Heh, shit. Well, congrats."

"Mm."

Mikael and Lowell became silent after.

"You said you wanted to talk?"

"Yeah."

"Let's talk then, since it's never too late for a civil conversation."