The doorbell rang and Mr. Blanner went to answer it. Demund was seated on the sofa while doing his break homework. School would start tomorrow, and because he had been hospitalized, he had to do it now.

His father came back with a large package in his arms.

“It’s here,” he said.

Demund lay down his pencil and reached his arms out to his dad. After taking the package, he tore it open and took out its contents. A long black item that looked like a mannequin’s leg with a shoe on it. It was light and made out of reinforced plastic, and it felt solid. Some pieces of cloth were inside along with an instruction manual.

It wasn’t anything special. Just something simple and cheap. The ones that were fully functional like limbs would cost an insurmountable sum of money. This was a modest prosthetic leg that printed out after taking Demund’s measurements. Cheap and efficient—that was all that mattered.

Demund slid on the cloth that had pieces of plastic attached to it. According to the manual, the pieces would click on to the main frame of the leg, allowing for greater control and maneuverability. He definitely liked the sound of that.

The cloth itself was comfortable. It had thick padding that felt silky and smooth to Demund’s leg.

His leg was healed now. He stared at the stump. He would still need a lot of time to adjust to it.

Finally, he slid the prosthetic on. It fit him like a glove and the plastic perfectly attached itself together to the cloth. Modern technology was wonderful.

His father watched as he stood up. Mr. Blanner quickly held his son when he stumbled momentarily.

“Are you okay? Does it feel uncomfortable?”

“No, dad. It’s great. There’s some pressure on my leg, but I think it fits me perfectly. I need time to get used to it.”

“That’s great, that’s really great…”’

Mr. Blanner let go and watched as Demund stood still, trying to gain balance.

“Here it goes.”

Demund took a step forward with his right leg. The plastic silently tapped the floor, and Demund increased his body weight on the prosthetic. It made no sound; it was solid like metal.

While maintaining his balance, Demund lifted his left leg and took a step forward. He almost fell to the side but managed to take the next step without crashing down.

He looked up and smiled.

“See? No big deal.”

Mr. Blanner came and embraced his son tightly.

“You did great. You are doing great.”

“Dad? Stop, this is getting awkward,” said Demund as his dad’s beard brushed against his face. “Dad! Your beard!”

His father grinned as he released his bear hug. Demund held still, trying to not fall over.

“We are so proud of you.”

“Dad, what? I didn’t do anything.”

“……you have done enough. Do you need anything?”

“No, not really. I want to try walking around the neighborhood.”

Mr. Blanner nodded. “Be safe. Should I come with you?”

“Nah. I want to try doing this alone.”

Demund slowly walked to the front door and opened it.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Good luck, son.”

The door closed shut.

〄 〄 〄

The morning air was chilly and breezy, and the roads were busy with the crowds of people heading to their daily routine. However, today was a different day for Demund. Now that his bike and leg were gone, his father was driving him to school in his car. Something Demund hadn’t experienced in ages.

Demund’s constant training had allowed him to adjust to his leg quickly. However, he could only walk; running and jumping were too difficult as of now. His crutches were stored at the back of the car just in case he would need them throughout the day.

He glanced out of the car window on his way to school. The majority of students were walking and biking, and they moved out of the way for the car to pass. Some took glances at the car; they had heard the news of the kid who had gotten into an accident. Demund was glad the windows were dark. He didn’t enjoy the stares.

The car entered the campus and parked in front of the building. Students were chatting on the fields to pass time until the bell rang.

Mr. Blanner looked back from the front seat.

“Will you be okay?”

Demund grabbed his bag and opened the door. “I think I’ll need my crutches for today. But yeah. I’ll be fine.”

“Give me a call if there’s anything you need.”

“Dad, don’t worry. Both you and Mom worry too much.”

“How could we not?”

Demund stepped out of the car. “I’ll see you later. You don’t need to come out of the car.”

The trunk was already open, and just when Demund was about to take his crutches out, his father lifted the lid and helped Demund get into position.

“You didn’t need to come out. Aren’t you busy?”

“Hmph. Nothing is more important than my son’s well-being.”

Demund wrinkled his nose. “Hurry up, Dad. The kids will see me.”

Demund waved at his dad while the car drove out of the campus. He looked down at his legs. They were firm, and with crutches, it wasn’t that difficult to move around. The kids were giving him stares, but he would get used to it. They’d forget about it once a few days had passed.

For now, he had to get to class. He couldn’t be late on his first day after break.

〄 〄 〄

He entered his first lesson. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and Demund didn’t know anyone that particularly well. Just a few students he had worked on a project with. He hadn’t socialized very well.

He sat down on his chair and heard whispers all around him. Without paying them any mind, he retrieved the class material from his bag and started reviewing. Class was still twenty minutes away—a second wasted was unforgivable.

“Hey…you’re Demund, right?”

A small group of two girls and a guy came to Demund’s desk. He looked up from his books. After examining their faces, he nodded.

“Uh-huh. And you are?”

“I’m Wane,” said the guy with brown straight hair. “This is Portia and Rory.” He motioned to the girls next to him.

“We’re part of the Student Life Committee for freshman students,” stated the girl with brown hair who was introduced as Portia. Her green eyes sparkled with determination. “We would like to help you in whatever way we can.”

“Help?”

“Yes. Like moving around the campus.”

Demund let out a disappointed breath internally. So they were essentially required to come talk to him. He couldn’t help but think negatively.

He smiled casually at them. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get used to it in no time.”

“That won’t do! You definitely need help!” stated the dude called Wane. “Please, let us assist you. We’ve all joined to help out people like you.”

The girls nodded. They seemed like a persistent lot.

There really wasn’t any reason to refuse.

“Sure. Just carry my bag or something. Is that alright?”

Their faces lit up happily.

“Yep! We already know which classes you go to and were assigned accordingly. After the end of each class, we’ll come to you. That’s fine, right?”

Woah! This school really didn’t abstain from handing out information! Demund recalled signing something on his admission to the school, but he never expected it to actually apply to him. Well, it made things convenient for him.

“That’s fine. Thanks.”

“It’s what we do after all.”

The students named Wane and Rory left the room while Portia took a seat next to Demund.

“Nice to meet you! I’ve said it before, but I’m Portia.”

“Nice to…meet you?” He recalled seeing her across the room. “You don’t usually sit there, do you?”

“No, but the teacher will understand. The Student Life Committee allows for certain privileges.” She looked at Demund’s desk. “You’re studying already?”

He shrugged. “It’s how I spend my time.”

“Hmm. So yeah. Tell me if you need anything. I’ll try my best to help!”

Demund sent her a thumbs up and returned to studying. Portia took out her phone and started typing things at an incredible pace. He glanced over some time later. She was very stylish. Her bag had accessories covering it, and her jacket was tied around her waist. She had multiple armbands and rings, but no piercings for some reason. Her hair was tied back loosely with a black hairband. Something between a normal student and a delinquent.

He wondered how someone of her appearance entered the School Life Committee.

“Do I have something on my face?”

Demund was caught off guard when Portia suddenly turned to him.

“Erm—”

He tried to think of something witty.

“You used to sit next to the window at the back, right?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “You remembered?”

“Yeah. I’m good at memorizing things.”

“Now that I think of it, your grades were—”

Portia covered her mouth abruptly with her hands. Demund raised an eyebrow at her.

“What do you mean, ‘your grades’? Did the school provide you with that too?”

“Erm—”

At that moment, the teacher entered the class with his supplies.

“Class started! Talk to you later,” said Portia hastily as she put away her phone and started taking out her class material.

Demund likewise prepared for the lecture. He felt that this school had some screws loose.

〄 〄 〄

Wane was a model student. Excellent grades, attendance in sports clubs, a member of the Student Life Committee. During middle school, he had been at the top of his class. He was also an outsider like Demund and came from a modest family that had no ties to Tartis High. He had entered the school solely by his test scores.

He loved asking his teachers about his ranking in class. It motivated him. It was why he tried his best to create good relationships within the school. He would have become the class president if his Committee work didn’t interfere.

Decent looks that matched perfectly with his dedication. He was very popular among his classmates.

He had invited Demund on a few occasions to group outings, but Demund had refused every single one of them. He didn’t really pay Demund much mind. Demund was just introverted. Some liked to go out, others didn’t.

Yet after midterms, the plain guy had caught his attention. When he looked over the grades for the students of the class, he discovered that he wasn’t number one. He had lost it, the title he had held constantly throughout middle school. It was understandable. This was a prestigious school with extraordinary students.

But Demund. He couldn’t believe what he saw. Near-perfect grades on everything? After going through the details, Demund had gotten a perfect score on every single one of his tests that required memorization. Subjects like Literature was his weakness, but even that was becoming excellent throughout the test scores.

He thought, wow, there really are people like him in the world. Perhaps he had a special power.

Wane himself was E class. He possessed nothing at all. So when he saw people who were way above him, he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

Then the request from the Student Council had come in. Help Demund rehabilitate and adjust to school. He had gotten into an accident and had lost his leg.

Wane became a little happy. He could talk to the smartest person in the class! If they became friends, he could learn a thing or two from Demund.

He saw Demund’s accident as an opportunity. To approach him when he was vulnerable and become a close friend. It wasn’t anything malicious. Since he didn’t have anything, he saw everything as something he could obtain. Something he could use to make his blank life a little bit more special.

〄 〄 〄

“So yeah. This is Wane from the School Life Committee. He’s here to help me out.”

Demund introduced Wane to his friends as they brought their lunches to the table.

“Oh, don’t mind me. It’s just as he said. I can go if you guys want me to,” said Wane. He knew Riley and Rhyne. The inseparable duo who dominated sports among the normal students. He was surprised to discover that Demund was friends with them.

“No biggie,” said Rhyne. “You don’t mind, Riley?”

“Not at all,” said Riley. “I’m glad Demund’s getting help from you.”

“It’s nothing that big,” said Wane. “I’m just carrying his bag for him.”

They started eating lunch. Riley and Rhyne did most of the talking. Then out of curiosity, Rhyne asked a question.

“Do you share all of your classes with Demund?”

“No. Just the classes before and after lunch, except PE. There are other people helping him out.”

“Oh?”

Wane let out a small grin. “They’re all pretty girls.”

Rhyne turned his attention to Demund.

“You’re not cheating—”

Riley quickly positioned his hand over Rhyne’s face.

“Dude, no. Wane just said that they’re helping him.” He leaned over to Rhyne.

“And Demund probably doesn’t want us to mention Enariss. The mood’s been weird,” Riley whispered.

“Oh yeah.” Riley moved back and Rhyne took a spoonful of broth and meat. “My bad,” he said apologetically to Demund’s direction.

Demund sighed. He’d have to clear this misunderstanding later. Sure, things were weird currently between him and Enariss. For one thing, they had stopped running together. They were planning to meet and study today, so it would be fine. But Enariss had started acting weirdly on the group chat. She was being less…talkative? Her replies had been simple and short unlike before.

He’d find out tonight. Perhaps Enariss had discovered his confession plan?

“You guys are exaggerating. And Riley, your whispering sucks.”

“What—”

“There’s nothing happening between the two of us. Just chill.”

“Yeah! He’s talking to you, Riley,” teased Rhyne. “You’re always so serious about everything.”

“Well, you’re the one—”

Wane watched as Riley and Rhyne exchanged light-hearted insults. This was normal, probably. But Demund was talking to them as equals. And had they mentioned Enariss? The whole school knew Enariss. There was only one Enariss—the best student of the special freshman class.

Demund’s influence reached further than he had thought.

He couldn’t speak up. He felt slightly out of place.

〄 〄 〄

Demund slowly walked out of the school while Rory—the Committee member with blonde hair—helped him carry his bag. He had managed to go through the day somehow and was satisfied. It had been less difficult than he had thought. He was getting used to it.

Rory was a quiet girl. She had a smart air around her like she knew what to do in certain situations. Maybe she was too quiet at times, but he didn’t mind. He liked the quiet.

“Do you need anything else?” asked Rory in a quiet voice.

Demund turned around slowly with his crutches and motioned for his bag. Rory carefully helped him equip it.

“No. Thanks for today,” said Demund with a slight bow. “See you tomorrow.”

Rory smiled gently and waved. She then went off somewhere. Demund to turned his footsteps towards the library.

He needed new books. He was becoming addicted.

Then at the middle of the campus, he saw something red underneath the statue of TISE High. He recognized it instantly as he approached it.

Enariss, after spotting Demund, walked straight towards him. Demund wanted to wave, but he decided not to. His crutches would make it look weird.

“How are you getting home?” asked Enariss suddenly. “You can’t bike, can’t you?”

“My dad’s coming to pick me up at five,” he replied. “Don’t you have the club to attend?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Oh…”

Enariss brushed her luscious crimson hair to the side and stared straight into Demund’s eyes.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I can give you a ride home.”

Demund was taken aback. She looked very serious about this.

“…Are you sure? We live some ways away.”

“It’s barely anything. Your dad will have to come all the way here.”

“I mean, I’d be glad to, but—”

“It’s settled, then. You’re coming with me. You usually go to the library, right?”

Demund nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’ll message you. See you later.”

Enariss picked up her bag and ran off towards the MMA Club. Demund stood in place to process what had happened.

“Going home with Enariss…”

He shook his head. She was probably doing this out of sympathy. Enariss was a great person, after all. She was elegant in everything, excellent in character—

He just couldn’t believe his luck. He would have jumped if he could.

With a happy grin, Demund went to the library.

〄 〄 〄

“Get in.”

Demund nodded quickly and pushed himself into the small car. It was automated and was the size of two desks put together. A small vehicle meant for two people. He held his breath as Enariss closed the trunk and hopped in beside him. He could smell her scent; she wasn’t sweating much, but the moistness made her look wonderful.

He closed his eyes. She would think of him as a creep if he continued to be like this.

“Thanks for the ride. I appreciate it,” said Demund.

Enariss gave a quick smile and punched in an address into the screen at the front.

It was Demund’s home address.

“You know where I live?”

“I happened to see you yesterday at night. You were running.”

“Oh. That.”

The car quietly accelerated out of the school and drove across the neighborhood. The ride felt unbelievably smooth. Was this the power of the rich?

“Are you going to run today too?”

“About that…”

Demund pointed towards his prosthetic.

“I need to get used to it first. If I do, then I’ll start running.”

“You could have told me…”

Demund glanced sideways. Was Enariss pouting? He simply could not believe it.

“It would be too bothersome,” he said honestly. It was what he believed. He couldn’t ask Enariss to come all the way to his house to help him rehabilitate. Truthfully, he wanted to recover on his own and impress Enariss after he was proficient at using his legs again.

“No.”

“…sorry?”

“Let me come and help you.”

Demund averted his eyes from Enariss’s intense stare. Why was she so outgoing all of the sudden?

“You won’t mind it?”

“No. You also came to my house every day. It’ll be the same.”

“But—I mean, if you want to, I’d appreciate it.” He looked back at Enariss. “Are you sure? It’ll be really boring.”

“You don’t want me to?”

“No, no!”

Demund meekly breathed out slowly.

“Then I’ll see you at the usual time?”

Demund's heart fluttered as he saw Enariss’s face bloom into a pure smile.

“Yep!”