Ninja?

She probably worried he offered his help because of an ulterior motive.

As he reached the school courtyard, a familiar face appeared in his view.

It was Tom, seemingly waiting for someone at the school gate.

"Hi Tom, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, Rafael. I am waiting for you. We haven't talked since the school entrance. 

I just thought it's better to get to know other scholarship students."

"Sure, I have some time. You want to talk in the canteen?"

"I have a place in mind. Follow me," Tom replied, while his eyes looked around the area, making Rafael feel weird.

"Did something happen?" Rafael asked. He thought someone had already bullied Tom, and he wanted to ask for help.

"Not here," Tom replied, then began walking away from the schoolyard.

A distance away, Ben, the security guard, watched everything happening with a concerned gaze.

"Learn your lesson, Ben. You have done enough by warning the students; it's not our role to intervene," a voice came from behind him.

It was said by the other security guard.

"We are the security. Isn't it our job to protect the students?" Ben asked back with a sigh. Despite saying this, he understood what his friend meant.

"We are only responsible for protecting them from outside danger, not from themselves. Let's be real, Ben. Do we even need to be here? We are nothing more than decoration. Each student has their own personal bodyguard loitering around the academy."

"How many more will fall victim? This job is really taking a toll on my conscience."

"There is a reason for our high wage, you know. You can just quit if it bothers you that much. But please don't get involved; they will make me responsible for not stopping you."

Ben tightened his fist, then let out a sigh. He didn't say any further words.

His friend put a hand on his shoulder. "I have some experience in the military. Believe me when I say you don't need to worry about that boy."

"Rafael? Why?"

"His mannerisms, how he moves and acts. Yeah, I don't know his life experience, but I am sure even ten veterans wouldn't be able to defeat him in a fight."

Ben looked at him with disbelief.

Meanwhile, Rafael followed Tom, turning into an alleyway. His sense of danger started tingling, as he saw the place was strangely empty. There were no people walking around the alleyway; the atmosphere also felt very weird.

It was like the whole city had become empty. Turning into the alleyway, Tom was nowhere to be seen.

"Tom?" Rafael called out.

He started walking deeper, seeing many graffiti painted on the walls. The ground was littered with trash, from brochures and cigarette butts to crushed beer cans.

Some empty bottles could also be seen near the trash can.

'Since when has there been an alleyway like this near the school?' Rafael questioned in his mind.

He was sure he had checked the surrounding area and found no place like this.

'It just doesn't make sense; the school wouldn't allow a place like this to exist near them.'

Rafael continued on his way, looking for Tom; he then got out into a small opening.

Usually, in a place like this, there should be a few people hanging out in that place. Usually, they are thugs, members of some gang, just wasting time or waiting for a potential customer to sell illegal items. But now there was no one there.

Rafael took out his phone, wanting to check the map, but he could not as it didn't have any signal.

He started feeling worried, not for his life, but about what happened to Tom.

The area was completely silent. Only the sound of his own footsteps could be heard.

Looking around, Rafael could feel his back hair stand up. Trusting his instincts, Rafael suddenly dropped the briefcase and then crouched down.

Swosh!!!

He could feel something fly above his head, then it stabbed into the ground in front of him.

'A knife? Is this the gang's retaliation?' Rafael wondered.

Despite what Vivian said, who knows if the gang still had family or loved ones.

Rafael turned his gaze, looking for the assailant. But as he did this, his sense of danger tingled again.

'Upper right.' Rafael thought. He adjusted his body, and another knife flew through.

Rafael dashed forward, his eyes locked with a figure covered in a black suit with openings only for his eyes.

'A real fucking ninja in this city? What is next, he uses ninjutsu?' Rafael thought, feeling the whole situation was absurd.

As if answering his thought, the man made a weird gesture with his hands that clapped together. His body then turned into a blur and disappeared.

But Rafael didn't let down his guard; his instincts still screamed of danger.

His body spun, and then he raised his hand.

BAM! He could feel his bones stinging with pain.

"Are you even a normal student? I knew the mission was too good to be true."

Rafael's eyes sharpened; he saw the man try to clap his hands again. He didn't understand what was happening, but now was not the time to think about it.

He moved his hand, making a grabbing motion, tightly clutching the assailant's hand. Rafael pulled him forward, then smacked his head toward his.

BAM!

He felt like he just hit his head against a concrete wall. His head hurt, blood seeping out, blurring his sight, but Rafael did not stop with that one attack.

His other hand turned into a fist, targeting the man's chin.

Rafael knew if he hit it at the right angle, it would shake the man's brain, knocking him out as a result.

But the man was experienced. He tilted his head, dodging the punch, then tried to counterattack.

A knife appeared in the man's other hand; it then moved with precision to stab Rafael's throat.

But Rafael ignored this. He pulled the grasped hand, then locked it toward the man's back. 

While he did this, Rafael's leg moved, kicking the man's leg to make him fall.