A Strange Man

(Ito Rui's Pov)

Ding~

Ding~

"That's it for today," said our homeroom teacher as soon as the bell rang. Students started leaving the campus hurrying to their home.

I felt so lazy that I didn't want to move. Going home was a long lost cause. I wish I could just sleep here. Going home and coming back to school is too much of a hassle for me. It requires too much time and energy which I don't have.

I was looking out of the window right now. The sun was setting and the sky was looking orange because of it. Seeing the scenery made me yawn. I felt as if sleep could take over me anytime.

"Rui, let's go home. School is already over for today," said a student to me while hitting my head with a book. I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

He's Yuko Kyoji, my best friend. He is strong, well built and tall. Well that is expected from the leader of the Tokyo highschool gang.

He has brown hair and grey eyes. Girls always flock around him as if he is a flower. Now you might be wondering how can such a person be my friend. Well to be honest I don't know myself.

Maybe because unlike others I don't try to stick up to his ass.

"Oi, are you lost in your thoughts again?" he asked me while hitting me with the book again.

"No, and could you please stop hitting me? it hurts," I grumbled while massaging the back of my head.

"It's your fault zoning out," he replied back with a grin on his face.

"Yea sure, now let's go," I said to him and started walking out of the classroom. Kyoji followed me while complaining about how much of an ass I am for being so lazy.

After walking for a while I separated from Kyoji since we live in different directions and he needs to visit his mother who is currently in a hospital.

Kyoji has a very dark past. His father was a drunkard who used to drink all day, gamble and beat kyoji's mother everyday.

But even then his mother tried her best to keep Kyoji safe from his father.

When Kyoji was ten, his father left the home after taking a huge amount of loan. Because of this, he and his mother used to get harassed by loan sharks everyday.

Kyoji's mother tried her best to repay the loan but it was too big for her to pay off. Around two years ago she fell ill because of overwork and has been in hospital since then.

This made Kyoji get into fights and make a gang of his own. He uses all the money he gets from his gang activities to pay his mother's hospital bills.

Today his mother is getting discharged so that's why I am happy for him. Even though he seems chill and carefree from outside he is broken from inside. He has a thousand things to worry about.

While I was thinking about Kyoji, a man around the age of seventy came into my view. He seemed tired and was running from something.

Well this didn't surprise me. Since I am an orphan I can't afford a proper house. Because of this I live in an area where such things are common.

When he came closer I could see the blood on his clothes. Never in my life had I seen so much blood.

I ran up to him and said, "Sir, are you fine? What has happened to you? Come with me to the hospital."

He didn't reply to me and started mumbling about something. I couldn't clearly make out what he was saying but it was something along the lines of monster.

He was holding a katana. 'Who in today's world uses a katana?' I thought while trying to calm him down.

"Calm down ol~,"

Before I could complete my sentence a monster with six legs and a huge tongue wrapped around his neck jumped above us and was standing in front of us blocking the way.

He looked like a giant frog ready to trample on anything.

"Wha.. what is this?" I said while pointing towards the green frog-like-monster with my shaky hand. My brain had gone numb at this point.

I was sweating bullets while my body began to freeze.

"Kid run, I'll take care of him," said the old man to me in a huffed voice putting me out of my trance. He stood up and got into a fighting stance with his katana pointing towards the monster.

"Are you crazy? You can't fight that thing. You'll die," I shouted at him trying to make him stop. But he didn't give any heed to my words and pounced upon the frog aiming for his head.

But before he could get anywhere near the body of the monster, he got hit by the full swing of its tongue and crashed into a building. Since it was a shady alley, no one except us was here.

"Run," he murmured while sitting in between the rubble while coughing up blood. I could run but what will happen to this guy then? I didn't want to leave him behind.

When my parents abandoned me, an old guy like him took me in and took care of me until he died. Even now I live in the house left behind by him.

And one thing that he has taught me is to never leave behind a person who is in need just like how he didn't leave me behind.

'Fuck it,' I thought and ran up to the monster. I could never escape with him blocking the way. So I picked up a stone and threw it at him trying to get his attention.

And that stone did its job very well. Now the monster was looking at me with an annoyed look on his face. I felt like I could shit my pants right now.

"What are you doing? Run before he kills you," the old man shouted at me.

"Don't worry, I'll help you. We both can make it out alive old man," I said to him. As soon as I said this, the monster once again unwrapped his tongue and swung it at me.

I tried to duck under it but it hit me. I ended up hitting the walls and coughing up blood. He once again swung his tongue at me aiming directly for my chest.

'I guess this is the end for me,' I thought to myself while hoping that the old man had run away. I bought him all the time I could for him to escape.

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Hey guys, I am participating in a competition. I will be very grateful if you guys help me win it by donating me your powerstones.

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[Edited by OtakuSumit]