Dusk was approaching. The sun set halfway, its last rays reflecting off the horizon as darkness crept over. An arc of brilliant indigo and gold adorned the sky. It was silent at school. The empty classrooms had the last traces of light on the lone wooden desks. Near the main building, a teenager sat alone at the computer in the library. As he rapped his pale hand on the table, thuds could be heard. He was tapping his index finger on the table at even intervals, like seconds ticking by. Smooth jet black hair covered one of his eyes, while the other had a cold glint. As if he were a blade, he projected a dangerous aura. Wearing black jeans and a cloudy sweatshirt, he was of medium height. It was Bryan. His status window was open. BRYAN HAYES LVL 1 0/100 EXP PRGRMS - Although I want to screw the geezer over, where do I start? Trying to think of a practical solution, he brainstormed. Mr. Rogers' career must be ended in a way that doesn't implicate him. Mr. Rogers had already died the moment Bryan made him the punch line for some girls. Despite his plan, he had little experience with computers. Bryan concluded he needed some planning, practice, and a back-up plan for when things go south. Let's start with the store. After Bryan texted Lily he would be late, he went to the store, clicking on a particular item on the list. BASIC JAVA - LEARN THE BARE BASICS OF THE PROGRAM JAVA. CONSTANT PRACTICE REQUIRED FOR FLEXIBLE APPLICATION OF SKILLS. ALLOWS CREATIONS OF BASIC PROGRAMS AND INTERCEPTS LOW ENCRYPTION OF CERTAIN NETWORKS — 5 CRYPTS. In order to find evidence, Bryan thought he should first make an attempt to gain access to the computer. He might find something implicating him there. His gaze has roved many times over the bodies of the girls in his class, reinforcing his suspicions. He knew Mr. Rogers was hiding something. Once he found evidence, he could find a local news station and just send it there to cripple him socially. After confirming his plan, he purchased BASIC JAVA for 5 crypts. After a couple beats, nothing happened. Checking the amount decreased, the teenager thought he got scammed! Just my luck, I knew I shouldn't trust som- A mental explosion erupted in Bryan's mind before he could finish his thought. After a few seconds of silence, pulses of agonizing pain erupted on his head. The pain was aggravated by the constant pulses. With every hammer of pain, waves of information flooded his mind. Bryan's vision faded to black as he struggled to cope. The weekend arrived in a blink of an eye. Bryan sat at his desk, typing away. The speed at which he pressed each key accelerated as his fingers swept over them. While he watched the screen, his lifeless, dull eyes didn't blink. That's right, he got the basics of Java. Two hours after he had blacked out, he awoke and stumbled home. Despite having informed Lily, he placated her for a long time before going to bed. Through her door, Emily peeked at him. She stared at him with a little disappointment, then closed the door. Typical Emily. The next day, Bryan went over everything in his brain and practiced. Although the hippocampus (where the brain stores memories) stored the basics of Java, he still had to execute everything himself. Just as he typed in the last piece of code, a notification sounded. He checked his status window. BRYAN HAYES LVL 1 0/100 EXP PRGRMS — JAVA (BASIC) YES! I finally got the basics down. Getting the information ingrained is near, but it still takes some effort to understand it. Now I think about it, that's utter shit. Shouldn't I be some sort of computer god with the system? Computer science majors would have puked blood in anger if they had heard Bryan's struggles! Still, from Bryan's perspective, it was reasonable. The only thing he had to do now was preparing for Monday. However, he could forgive Mr. Rogers and move on to other matters. The old man pissed me off, he's done for. Bryan was never the forgiving type, actually he was quite cruel. But more importantly, this gives me a chance to earn some EXP. He thought about this as he started to code a basic program. After it finished, another notification sounded. KEYLOGGER CODED +5 EXP Alright, just some finishing touches… In the end, he disguised it as a picture. When the recipient clicked it, everything he typed thereafter was recorded, including passwords and IDs. Pretty neat. Coding is quite useful. When Bryan learned Java, his anxiety about his future with computers disappeared. In addition, he found it more entertaining than beating up people. Finishing it up, Bryan sank into deep thought. How can I make him click it? Enlightenment struck him as he thought about Mr. Rogers' interests. Using the online class roster, he located one of the girls in his class. Amy Green. She definitely has something with the old man. Bryan had good reason to believe it. Mr. Rogers' gaze lingered longer on Amy during his 'first' class, as if he were seeking her approval. Bryan also noted the coquettish look Amy gave him. She isn't even smart, but still gets top grades in the physics class Mr. Rogers teaches as well. Something's fishy. Bryan's observational and deductive reasoning were on par with those of detectives. He would have become a successful detective if he hadn't been abandoned. His final fate was that of a petty criminal. Alas, life doesn't always go the way you want it to. Bryan noticed the minute details and found Amy's email. He tried logging in using the default password given to all students, thinking Amy was a dimwit. EMAIL ACCOUNT ACCESSED +5 EXP She never changed her password… The fact that the system considered it as hacking was mind-boggling to Bryan. Getting in his first attempt left him stunned for a while before shaking his head and focusing once again. The 'picture' was attached along with a 'sweet' message. Now I wait, knowing him it's only a matter of time. But… He wasn't sure if it would work. Should he be caught, a suspension would be on the lighter side of punishments. Bryan had to retrieve the information from his computer in person to make this work, which was a major risk. The technical knowledge he needed to handle everything remotely was still lacking. Maybe I should get some photos of them together as insurance… After thinking about how to find them together, Bryan noticed a new email in Amy's inbox. Bryan's face changed into one of excitement after reading it. My lucky day! He grabbed his phone and jacket, leaving the house. He walked at a moderate pace, entering the clothing store nearby. Furthermore, he bought a black face mask, a cap, and sunglasses. He arrived at a park a short time later. After coding for hours on end, it soon became dark. The streetlight flickered in the night, only the sound of the light wind and distant cars filled the park. The disguised Bryan was standing a little ways from a bench with his phone in hand. Soon after, a girl appeared. Wearing denim shorts and a see-through t-shirt, she showed off her tall, slender legs. An older man dressed in a black shirt and black pants stepped up to the bench exactly five minutes later. It was Mr. Rogers and Amy. Bingo. Bryan cheered in his mind, as he hit the 'record' button on his phone. The streetlight illuminated both of their faces. He zoomed in closer as they became more intimate. Mr. Rogers' hands explored her petite body. Her thighs were first stroked before his hand made its way up, like a spider, to her underdeveloped breasts, according to Bryan. He headed back to his house after seeing Mr. Rogers manhandle her body and clicking a few pictures. He opened the front door and closed it, then crept up the stairs on his tip toes, arriving at his room. Likewise, he felt a black shadow rise from the ground and appear next to his door before he could open it. Upon turning around, he was certain who it was. *** Emily stood with her arms crossed in the hallway, glaring at him. As he walked up to her, knowing he'd been caught red-handed, he put on his usual poker face. Emily thought she had him. She could rat on him to put him back in his place. Her smug expression, however, disappeared. Her face scrunched up, leaving only a trace of panic behind.

Her perception of Bryan completely changed after the confrontation in the bathroom. Lily's opinion of him would deteriorate if she told her he came late. Bryan, however, was different now. The man lacked predictability. Crawling, she ran into the wall of the corridor until her back was against it. He placed his right arm against the wall to keep her from escaping.

“Be quiet and don't tell Mom about this” said Bryan in a low imposing voice towering over her.

Emily felt he strangled her with his threat. Yet, she tried to put on airs.

Maybe he'll let me go if I act cocky? Her confidence rose up as she answered, “Why should I?”. However, seeing his expression turn cold, she started to think of something else. Before Bryan could rebuke her, she interrupted him. “Let's go to the amusement park together!” Emily hastily said. Her round deep blue eyes staring at him in desperation. Bryan stared at her for a moment before chuckling wryly. Leaving the little girl behind, he entered his room. After a brief response, he softly shut the door. “Deal” Left alone, Emily stamped her foot on the floor in irritation. “Shit! I'm such an idiot! Why did I ask that of all things? That irresponsible jerk!” *** The rest of the weekend passed without incident. It was Monday, and Bryan was sitting at his desk eating lunch. With a full stomach, he walked to Mr. Rogers' office and knocked three times heavily. “Come in!” a vigorous yet dignified voice sounded, cueing him to enter. He had a bland office. The most basic furniture and equipment decorated the room. Mr. Rogers was sitting at his desk with his laptop. He seemed absorbed in thought, tuning out everything around him. He noticed Bryan standing by the doorway while he was working. “What do you want? If you have nothing to a day, then get out of my office, I'm busy,” Mr. Rogers said with scorn when he noticed it was Bryan. Such a grumpy bastard! Putting a fake smile on his face, he responded. “Amy was looking for you. She said she needed help with something,” Bryan replied with a bland tone. Mr. Rogers jumped up from his seat, a big lecherous smile on his face, before it vanished in an instant. “Mhm, I'll go now. Get out of my office.” Suppressing his excitement, he pushed Bryan out and locked the door. He then walked at a faster pace towards his classroom. Creep Bryan thought as he took out a small paperclip out of his pocket. He bent it at various angles resembling a lock pick, inserting it into the door lock.