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Chapter 0

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-BEEP--BEEP--BE-*Click*

Eyes opened, Robin sat up and scanned the room. On his right was a small wooden desk with two drawers on the side and an old, creaky wooden chair. Sitting on the desk was a black lamp and his laptop; next to it desk was a bookshelf with three layers completely filled with stories ranging from Harry Potter to manga. Yes, he was an avid manga reader and anime fan despite the world looking down on him with the bias that “cartoons are for kids” and other nonsense.

After getting out of bed, Robin walked towards his closet to the left of his bed, took out a plain blue shirt and khakis, and changed into them. Throwing his old clothes into a basket in the corner, he opened the door and walked out into the hallway. Moving towards the bathroom he turned the knob and pushed it open, suddenly stopped by the impact of a 14-year-old boy on the other side.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" It was Jackson Cunningham, his younger brother.

"Jeez, for someone who likes to stay away from people, you sure love making trouble for them."

= It's not like I wanted to run into you! = Robin retorted in his mind but kept those thoughts to himself. If he spoke up, then that would cause more trouble than he would have liked, so he stayed silent and merely looked to the side.

Jackson left and headed to the kitchen. Robin quickly brushed his teeth and combed his black hair paying extra attention for any stray strands. Afterwards, he headed towards the kitchen. Sitting at the table was Jackson and our father. Looking upward from his newspaper (yes they still exist), he said "Up already? I thought you would sleep in knowing you keep watching those cartoons."

"Honey" mother said from the kitchen, "It's his decision what fetishes he wants in a woman. There's no need to call him out on it."

= And just how was his actions any different from yours?! = Yes that was exactly how things were. His parents have high paying jobs as a lawyer and doctor. They had a good education and grew up knowing cartoons as something nothing more than an small entertainment for children. That's why they could never understand watching T.V. and playing video games were acceptable habits of the modern teenager.

"Whatever he's not gonna stop anyway. Forget that dad, I wanted to tell you my report card came home. All 100's. What do you think?" Jackson grinned as he proudly proclaimed as if it was the greatest thing in the world. Problem was that to them--

"That's fantastic son! I couldn't be more proud. Keep it up and you'll be extremely successful.''

"Our little Jackson is growing up to be such a fine man." Mom exclaimed.

"Thanks dad." Jackson looked at me with a sneer.

-it practically was.

= This is disgusting. =

Robin quickly ate, swallowed his milk, grabbed the toast and stood up.

"I'm going ahead."

Father slightly nodded without raising his head and mother didn't even bother to look up. As for the little booger he just went back to eating and humming a tune. He grabbed his backpack in the corner and the letter on the table, and then quickly left the house without another word.

That was Robin Cunningham's morning. Every day since childhood, he was a shy and introverted kid, who was always fascinated by technology and fantasy. Thus he developed a hobby for indulging in video games and books. However, to his parents that seemed like nothing more than a waste of time. Admonishing him for it, his parents tried many times to get rid of his "weird" tastes as it was "unbecoming of a Cunningham."

As Robin walked to school he contemplated his life and squeezed his backpack strap. As his parents came to realize that despite his equally good grades, his hobbies didn't seem to fit their so-called status, so they decided to turn their efforts to Jackson.

As it turns out, Jackson was just as smart but much more willing to follow his parents' every order. Easily becoming the favorite, Jackson was doted on and Robin was consequently ignored, leading to the current situation where Robin was mocked and treated like an outsider from his own family.

"Oh hey there Robin. Was fapping to porn fun last night?"

"Hey man what's the point of asking, he probably does it every night anyway."

"Right right considering how much of a weeaboo he is, he probably has a disgusting amount of those cartoon posters on his wall huh."

"Ew what a freak."

Walking into the school, jeers and cruel comments were told in not inconsiderately loud voices from the boys and girls alike. As it so happens, Robin never was talkative in class but earlier last year he spoke up and tried to open up to people. He spoke about his hobbies and this resulted in the bullying. Add in his shy nature and hesitance for trouble he never tried to speak up to try to defend himself. Being the sole person who watched anime, he understood standing out to defend his hobbies made it seem more true. Besides there was one silver lining in all this nonsense.

"Morning Robin." A tall, slender 10th grader was standing next to his desk. She had beautiful blonde hair and an even more prominent rack that seemed to sway as she shifted from leaning one side to the other.

"Morning Reah, how are you today?" Reah was one of the few people who didn't make a big deal out of his hobbies, and she was the only one who even tried to talk to him.

"Good, good. I got a B last semester in Math. It really didn't sit well with my parents. Ugh always so demanding you know?"

= Oh do I = "Yeah..well I hope things work out for you."

"Thanks." "You're welcome....um.."

"Hm?" Reah has always been kind from the beginning of high school up till now. Despite being shy and alone, he had desires just as any other man. Thus, today was the day Robin would confess his feelings for her.

"um...well...I uh.."

"..."

"Nothing..." Or so he thought.

= Damn it nerves why can't you work for the one time I need you?! =

"Well anyway I'm gonna move back to my seat. Talk to you later."

"Yeah...later."

Reah walked back over to her seat near the other class beauties. Unlike Reah though, they were known to be mean and totally bitchy. Robin never liked them, but just waved off their interaction as a connection all girls had or Reah's good nature. Considering they never bothered him, he didn't give it a second thought.

= Sigh I still couldn't tell her. I need to give her the letter at lunch or else I'll never do it. =

At Jefferson High School, Robin shared classes with her only in 1st, 4th, and 6th periods, the 4th ending right before lunch. Since he knew he didn't have the courage to upright tell her never mind pull her away from her group after school, he came with a written letter inscribed with his feelings for her.

= Yes I have to do it. No I WILL do it =

And so the time passed, slowly but surely toward the appointed time. Robin ignored the occasional insult thrown his way, or the lesson altogether considering he would probably ace the test anyway. All of his attention was on the back of his goddess, gathering his courage.

-DING-DONG---DING-DONG--

It was time for lunch.

= Go Time! =

Waiting for her friends to leave to get food first, Reah coincidentally had to walk back to her desk to put up a notebook she left. At that moment--

"R-Reah?"

She looked up to find an average sized kid with black hair and a bang slightly covering his right eye.

"Yeah what's up Robin?"

"We-Well I uh.. I'm thankful for your kindness with me over the last year and a half...and I kinda wanted to um... " A painful throbbing occurred in his head.

"..express it in a way for you to understand so I uh...wrote this." Sticking out both hands while slightly leaning forward, a small envelope containing his confession was held. "Please read it."

"...Ok" Reah took the envelope and opened the letter.

His heart beating fast and the throbbing getting worst, he couldn't handle the embarrassment of watching her reaction to his confession, so he immediately took his bag and scrammed out the door and into the hallway. Finally stopping after reaching the building next door he gathered his wits. His heart was slowly calming down and the throbbing was gone. He had did it.

= I did it! I've confessed. God now if I could get a reply before the day is over that would be fantastic. =

Feeling like he could fly, he briskly walked to the cafeteria and grabbed some grub.

All throughout 5th period he couldn't keep his mind off of Reah.

= What if she refuses? Will she stop speaking to me? I don't want that. She's the only good thing that's happened to me ever since I've entered high school. =

Jackson just so happened to start getting attention and a haughty attitude a month before that so starting high school didn't help his depression either. Only Reah was his beacon. His hope for waking up day to day.

= Even if she doesn't want a relationship, at the very least I want to still be able to talk to her. I'll convince her of that no matter what. = Confident with himself now, a throbbing headache hit him again halfway through class.

= Ouch what the fuck is this? = -THROB--THROB He held his fingers to his temples in an effort to stop it, whatever was causing it.

= For the love of god STOP = As the throbbing got more intense nearly fell out of his chair, but as sudden as it came, it left.

"Mr. Cunningham?"

He looked up at the teacher and students staring at him. Curiously were the students, worried was the teacher.

"It was nothing sir. Just a slight headache."

"Very well. If you need to go to the infirmary, go ahead."

"I think I'll be fine sir. Thank you though."

The teacher nodded and then resumed his lesson.

= What was that? A migraine? I hope I don't have a medical condition. =

Getting diagnosed with medical problems was the last thing he wanted his parents to know.

= Whatever it was, it's gone so I should be fine. =

-DING-DONG--DING-DONG-

Getting his bag, he stepped out of the classroom and towards his last period. As his palms gripped the door handle, he got sweaty at the thought of making eye contact with Reah. Turning the knob and walking inside, he was greeted by something he never would've imagined.

"Huh?"