Chapter 1 - The Eye of The Beholder

What determines trust?

Is it appearance? Does a beautiful or handsome person seem more trustworthy than a ugly person? No, that doesn't seem right at all. Then... is it how someone acts? Are people who talk more than people who talk less more trustful? No, not that either.

"My name is Ernalie and I like running, playing sports, and playing the piano too!" a long brown-haired girl introduced herself. I could already tell that she was one of the "popular ones."

The same is with if I can trust them or not. Yet, I can't seem to figure out how to get someone to trust me. That's my goal for high school. I want to give it all I got this time.

"Meurs," I said once it was my turn to introduce myself.

I considered myself a introvert, but I wasn't really bad with talking to people. No, it wasn't the talking, instead, it was that I was silent most of the time and disconnected from people.

"And what are your hobbies?" the girl who had just introduced herself, asked.

These extroverts, I tell ya. They can never give us introverts a break.

"I mainly read," I responded.

It was a boring, dull response.

"Like, what genres?" the girl kept pushing.

I turned towards her now. Her desk was beside me and she was resting her head on her hand while facing me. Everyone now had their eyes on me. This must've been the power of a extrovert. It is truly... overwhelming or so a real introvert would say but I'm different.

"N, T, R," I replied.

Everyone began immediately talking amongst themselves. I could hear someone really laughing their ass off in the front. Meanwhile, the girl in front of me was confused. Could it be... did I just corrupt a pure soul? Will she now search for what the term means?!

"I meant nonfiction, thrillers, and romcoms."

"Oh! That's a pretty weird mash up, but I think I get why everyone's laughing," Ernalie responded.

"Ernalie, do you seriously not know what NTR is!?!" a student shouted.

"I do!" she said back, "It means nonfiction, thrillers, and romcoms-"

"Hey, stop right there!" another student said.

"Alright, I think that's enough," the teacher finally stepped in.

We can always depend on the teacher for quieting down the class, but not for most things. Was it a good idea to say such a provocative thing? Eh, who cares? I certainly don't.

[ Lunch ]

It seems that I successfully deterred most people from interacting with me after pulling a stunt that could've potentially landed me in the office. I've come to learn that many of the people from last year were in my class so I knew most of their names and I knew how to separate them into groups. Arthur, Ernalie, Mary, Will, and Wendy were the popular group. Litul, Jackal, Oak, and Liche were the bully group and lastly, Yuelia, Zuri, and Meimei were the gossip group. Every one else was irrelevant.

"Hey, do you want to join our table?" Jackal asked Ernalie.

While I was enjoying my quiet meal, I was suddenly interrupted by a loud slam from the sliding doors. Three third years entered the room and stepped up to the podium. Everyone looked up from their seats in disarray.

"From today, everyone here will be expected to pay a total of 50000 yen every month from now on," the leader of the seniors announced.

"Why should we?" Jackal asked cockily.

"Then, you'll be put on the black list."

"Can you believe this, Meurs?" Jackal said to me.

I gave him a nasty glare and had my finger go across my neck to gesture to him that he was dead. Everyone glossed over the fact that Jackal called me.

"You, come outside right now," the third year told Jackal.

Both Oak and Liche stood up with Jackal, but they were just small in comparison to the third years. They had no chance of winning a fight. Jackal looked over at me again and I sighed. After Jackal and the seniors left to go outside, I shortly followed after them.

They were at the side of the school covered by trees and bushes so that nobody could see from the windows or from the other side of the fence. I waited a while until Jackal and his two henchmen got their asses whooped before jumping in.

I bum-rushed the leader of the third years from behind and sent a soaring kick into his head. I made sure that it was a rather light kick. Afterwards, I ducked as one of the seniors attempted to grab me and countered as I slid under his arm and punched him square in the face.

The third senior was tall and threw a jab, thinking he had the distance over me. I kicked him in the crotch and he immediately crumbled to his knees. I stomped him on his face and then my old habits began resurfacing.

I rummaged through their pockets, stealing the money in their wallets and even their IDs. When I got to the leader of the three, his nose was bloodied. I took his phone and then took out my pocket knife and stuck it in the screen, destroying it.

"That's for fucking up my lunch faggot," I said to him even though he was unconscious and probably wouldn't even remember my face.

Jackal and his two goons got up slowly and I walked over to Jackal.

"Wait!-I swear that I'll be good in high school! I just didn't like how these guys acted!" Jackal immediately yelled desperately.

"Ah shit, you're making me look bad!" I yelled at him furiously.

Ah, I remember why I can't get anyone to trust me now. It's because I was a fucking psychopath. The three nodded their heads while I took my anger out at them by yelling. That's all they could do.

Nobody will ever be able to trust me now.