An Unexpected Assault

"Here I come, elusive rider of the gray horse," Kiran whispered, closing his eyes, surrendering himself to the hands of destiny.

Approaching the cold tarred street he whispered to himself, "Farewell world, Kiran has signed out."

"SPLATTT!!!!!".....

"Is this the afterlife?" Kiran thought to himself as he swam through the darkness of his mind. The void enveloped him, its emptiness echoing his soul's yearning for peace and tranquility.

"Is this what it feels like to finally find peace? It's dark and lonely, almost as if it's reflecting my soul," he said, his voice lost in the abyss within.

"Hey, fool, open your eyes," a mature voice called out to him.

One of the first things Kiran noticed as he opened his eyes, was he was suspended a few meters off the ground, defying gravity.

A splattered bugger a few meters away on the sidewalk and a pair of feet by his side. However, in his bewildered state, these details seemed inconsequential. His focus was consumed by the inexplicable fact that he was still breathing, still conscious. He couldn't make sense of it all.

Gradually, he became aware of his surroundings. The bustling sounds of the city filled his ears, blending with the distant honking of car horns. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, mixed with the subtle fragrance of blooming flowers. It was as if the world had continued on, unaffected by his near-death experience.

"Huh?" Noticing that he wasn't in his utopia, Kiran let out a confused exclamation.

"So this is what you do on a Monday morning?" the voice said again. Kiran realized the voice came from above him. He adjusted his neck slightly upwards to see who was speaking.

Finally, he could see who it was that shattered the gate to Eden, and it was none other than the elderly man who had been observing him from the opposite building. The man had caught him with one arm, preventing his face from greeting the wicked floor.

Still holding his cigarette in his other hand, the man took a puff and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he interrogated.

"Huh? Grand-grandfather Ooji?" Kiran blurted out as soon as his eyes locked onto his unexpected "savior".

Seeing that Kiran was out of immediate danger, Ooji released his grip, causing Kiran to land face-first on the floor.

"I see you still have that bad habit going for you, still trying to switch off your sun," Ooji remarked, his gaze fixed upon Kiran, who was now sprawled on the ground.

"What can I say, bad habits die hard, I guess?" Kiran replied with a slight chuckle, rubbing his forehead in discomfort.

Kiran sat on the floor, his gaze fixed on his grandfather as he disappeared into the bustling streets.

"Get your suicidal ass to school, don't let me catch you doing anything else," Ooji warned, his words echoing in Kiran's mind. He watched as his grandfather vanished among the sea of rushing humans, determined to reach their destinations.

"Why did that old toad have to interfere? I was sure today was going to be the day I crossed to the other side," Kiran lamented, his voice filled with frustration as he reluctantly followed the usual route to his school.

"Oh well, there's always tomorrow, that's if I make it through today with my sanity intact."

"Shit, I forgot my school bag on the street. Huh? My lunch too?" Kiran muttered in annoyance as he entered the school gate, feeling the weight of his forgetfulness.

The day had just begun, and all the students had their attention focused on the teacher at the front of the class. Well, almost all of them, as there was always that one student who refused to pay attention no matter the circumstance.

"Why do I have to sit here and listen to this man trying to tell me what to do with my life?" Kiran whispered to himself, twirling his pen between his fingers.

"Solve this equation, he says. It'll help you decide what you want to be in the future," Kiran continued his inner monologue.

"What if I decide I want to be dead?" he added, his voice filled with bitterness.

"If I had succeeded today, I wouldn't have to sit here and listen to this pig squeal," Kiran mumbled, leaning back in his chair.

Lost in his overwhelming boredom, Kiran suddenly noticed something approaching through the window beside him.

"What is approaching at such incredible speed? Is it a bird?" Kiran pondered, his gaze fixated on the mysterious object drawing nearer.

In the blink of an eye, the window beside Kiran shattered, and a young man in his mid-twenties dove through the broken glass, landing in the classroom. Without fully stabilizing himself, he grabbed the nearest chair within his reach.

*WHAMM*

Before anyone could react, the chair was forcefully swung into Kiran's face, striking him with a resounding impact.

The entire class fell silent, their minds struggling to process the unexpected turn of events unfolding before them.

"Who's that? What's going on?" a bewildered student questioned, unable to come up with a rational explanation.

"How did he get up here? We're on the third floor, aren't we?" another student voiced their confusion.

The intruder stood before Kiran, a smug expression etched across his face. He had blonde hair, light green eyes, and a well-toned physique that was evident in his gym outfit.

"Hey, boy, how's the class going?" the intruder taunted, wearing a broad smirk.

"Ouuchhh!!!" Kiran exclaimed, clutching his head. Whether it was genuine pain or a ploy to deceive his assailant remained uncertain.

"Don't you know it's common courtesy to warn someone—" Kiran began to retort.

"—Before you throw projectiles at them," he swiftly interrupted. In a flash, Kiran launched a precise kick to the side of his attacker's face.

"He's fast..." the intruder declared, his once-confident smile contorted into an expression of surprise.

The sheer force of Kiran's kick sent the intruder flying out of the shattered window, crashing and tumbling down into the school courtyard below.

"Did he really have to attack while I was still at school?" Kiran muttered to himself as he approached the shattered window. He observed his attacker struggling to get back on his feet below.

"I thought stalkers usually lurk around for weeks or months before they make their move," Kiran pondered, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

Gripping the frame of the broken window, Kiran leaped out, descending three stories in a matter of seconds. He landed gracefully in front of his assailant, who had managed to stand up by that time.

"It's only been a few hours since you started tailing me. Are stalkers this impatient nowadays?" Kiran quipped, casually dusting off his uniform.

"Wow, kid, you kick like a mule..." the assailant remarked, clearly impressed.

"But you'll need an attack much stronger than that if you intend to take down the great HEAVENLY BRAWLER!!!" With a flourish, the muscular figure struck a gym pose called "the kneel," showcasing his well-defined muscles.

"Now come at me, you hybrid donkey," Heavenly Brawler taunted, assuming a fighting stance.

Rather than responding to his taunts, Kiran simply stared at him with a blank expression, as if silently musing, "So this is what a true musclehead looks like. Are they always this dim-witted?"

"What's wrong, kid? Getting cold feet?" Heavenly Brawler jeered.

Once again, Kiran remained unfazed by his childish provocations. With complete disinterest in taking on the musclehead, Kiran turned around and began walking in the opposite direction, leaving Heavenly Brawler in a state of confusion.

"Where in rear-delts name are you going, kid!!!" Brawler yelled in frustration, fed up with Kiran's nonchalant attitude.

"Are all those muscles obstructing your vision?" Kiran retorted. "Can't you see I'm heading back to class?"

"Oh, and old man, can you please clean up the mess you brought to my school?" Kiran halted his steps, his words laced with a mixture of annoyance and exasperation.

*SIGH* Kiran released a tired sigh, feeling the weight of the recurring incidents.

"How many times has it been already? Like thrice this month?" Kiran wondered aloud, running his fingers through his dark hair.

*HAHAHA...* A rough yet mature laughter resonated through the courtyard.

Ooji emerged from behind a tree, his presence now revealed.

"Since they can't take on an old man, they'll try to get to me by attacking anyone who looks like a family relative," Ooji explained, walking towards Heavenly Brawler, who stood bewildered by the unfolding events.

"He must have seen us talking earlier this morning," Ooji added with a knowing smile.

"Hmph, anyway, I'm heading back to class. Oh, and I believe you can handle this muscle child, right?" Kiran remarked casually, resuming his path back to the classroom.

By this time all the students had their heads poked out of their respective classroom windows, silently observing what was going on in their school's courtyard.

"AARRRHHH!!!" Heavenly Brawler roared, fueled by fury. "You'll pay for underestimating these well-trained muscles!" With a burst of rage, he charged toward Ooji.

Anticipating the impending attack, Ooji assumed a formidable fighting stance, ready to face whatever onslaught would be unleashed upon him.

"Come on, show me why you've trained those muscles... Let me see your resolve," Ooji challenged, his eyes focused and unwavering.

What's about to ensue is a battle of brute force against true skill, who would come out on top. Heavenly brawler who's dedicated his life to training every muscle of his being or Ooji who has a slender physique but is well adept in experience and skill.

Who would be left standing when the dust settles? I wonder...