Gargantuan girl: “...”

?: “Still no response? Boys, get me the scissors that came with our payment.”

This finally triggered a reaction from her. She immediately stood up, showing all that cared enough to watch just how much she dwarfed them. Easily surpassing 6 feet, the gargantuan girl tried to run but stopped short at the sight of who was ahead.

In the distance, an equally muscular female, albeit much shorter in height, stood by, watching the scene play out. Her contemptuous glare froze the taller girl in her tracks, before she collapsed backwards in fear.

?: ”Enough! You're not being paid to fool around! Just cut that bitch's hair and leave her with a scar so bad, she won't dare to show her ugly mug around here again.”

?: “...Yes miss Gale.”

The timid giant finally shed a few tears in despair. She attempted to cover her hair with her massive hands in order to protect it, but upon looking at her own hands, it was as if she got lost in thought before giving up all resistance to her persecutors.

Gale: “Hmph, did you think growing your hair long made you more like a girl? You'll never be anything more than an ugly, murderous whore. Did you hear me bitch?! You're nothing! NOTHING!!

Noel: “...”

Gale: “Hero high? You think a school for future SUPERHEROES would accept a murderer?!”

Seeing the giant that killed her older brother attending the same school as her, a free woman no-less, infuriated her. Knowing the girl was detained made her confidence soar like never before, but seeing her act like a victim crying in helpless fear as her valued hair was about to be cut, made her already explosive rage reach its peak.

Gale: “A murderer like you...A MURDERER LIKE YOU ISN'T WANTED IN SOCIETY! You wanna be heroic? Save people? FINE then! Haha! Why don't you just do us ALL a favor and fucking kill yoursel-”

She couldn't finish her sentence. Without realizing how, she found the ground overtaking her entire view - drawing closer and closer...

Noel: “You said some things that I didn't like...So stop talking for a while. Okay?”

This sensation was far different from that wretched day.

After recalling her memories, she remembered.

On that day, the girl before her couldn't help but quiver while soaked in her victim's blood. There was never killing intent in her eyes.

But, this? This was a pressure that made her legs feel like jello. A primal fear resurfacing, as if she were mere prey, before a starving, angered predator.

The sensation that couples death and triggers fear...

Was this, a genuine killer?

She would never know, because before she could catch even a glimpse of her attacker, her vision blacked out, and she collapsed.

*Thud*

The man, busy with cutting his target's hair, stopped for a moment after hearing something strange close to his commissioner's location. He turned around just in time to see a sharp, pointed needle held by a small and thin hand, aim itself at his eye right before making contact with his left cheek and leaving a trail of red as it inched its way down to his chin.

The gang leader couldn't help freezing up in fear for a moment, before his senses came back to himself. He stutteringly ordered his subordinates to attack the shortie that dares to mess with his job.

The results?

*Thud*

…

*Thud*

...

Two helpless bodies collapsed on the floor.

*Thud*

One more helpless thug entered a blissful momentary slumber.

And then...

*Crack*

A loud crack resounded throughout the vicinity, yet, the only other humans around were knocked out cold. Without any witnesses present and available to aid Hero high's self professed 'rising star and future hero', Morris, the smaller assailant found it quite easy to break his arm in an unnatural angle.

Morris was a guy that desperately needed money. He would take simple jobs on commission with his groupies in tow, and split the cash among them. Sure he dished out a little pain here and there, but that doesn't mean he's lost sight of his goal. Nope, quite the opposite.

When he becomes a hero, The name Morris will be known everywhere! At least, that's what he wanted. Unfortunately, you can't become a hero with a broken arm holding you back. Not a good one at least.

His screams were ear piercing, almost as if he's never experienced all of the pain he's dished out on others. Tears flowed endlessly like a faucet. That's when his attacker clamped five fingers around his throat like a tightened vice, and spoke in a soft, whispered tone.

Noel: “Shhh, If you make too much noise, I'll have you join your friends on the ground over there. Or maybe I'll outright kill you, to avoid future trouble~”

Morris, who saw exactly how fast this kid took out his lackeys, chose to endure the pain in silence...letting only a handful of barely audible whimpers escape his lips.

Noel: “There, see? Was that so hard? Instead of bullying someone into crying by cutting their hair and stomping on their hands, shouldn't you focus on training your body, and your personality quite frankly, into those of an ideal hero's? Then again, maybe you're not really interested in becoming a hero, since you're outside the school playing the role of a villain.”

Morris: “Of-Of course *Sniff* I do! Stuff like this isn't that big a deal anyway! It ain't *Sniff* like I was gonna kill her!”

Noel: “I'm tired of this conversation. I have to go to class before the bell rings, so please just...disappear somewhere fast before I change my mind. You may wanna get your arm checked out at the hospital first, though.

...Oh! and if you reveal what I've done here to anyone at school, even the teachers...then I'll find you, and kill you.”

{Of course that's all a bluff though. How could I ruin my family vow of keeping my identity a secret by laying low, plus my own personal vow not to kill, before school even began? Either way, Father would be cross if I went back on something I promised to follow through doing.}

Morris: “I...I promise. Please let me go...I won't...say anything. *Sniff* I...I just wanted-”

Noel: “I honestly don't care about you're story. If you're leaving then leave, but remember: I'll know if you talk.”

Morris left school in a hurry, while Noel approached the bully's victim. She'd hidden her face behind her hands, too afraid of the situation that spiraled FAR out of control.

Still, hearing somebody come to her aid filled her with a sense of joy that she'd long forgotten.

Even while Morris abandoned her in order to focus on his group's assailant: she didn't pry her hands away to satisfy her innate curiosity. Naturally, she also did not witness what transpired, because of this.

Nevertheless, seeing the unconscious bodies that littered the campus now, together with what little she eavesdropped on, regarding Noel's scary threats, was enough to make her tremble a little. Even though this boy saved her, he didn't hesitate to claim he was gonna kill them!

Could he...be a psychopath?

Without being privy to her thoughts, Noel merely took one step and she already began crawling away from him in fear.

Noel: “Uhh...I guess this is the part where I say...you're welcome? Sorry if my...words, scared you, or something. I was only bluffing so they would stop hurting you. If you let people do bad things to you, they'll just consider it the norm. Trust me, haha...I know from experience.”

She softened her trembling for but a moment, before staring away from him. As Noel traced her gaze afar, he noticed where the problem in his words lay.

Noel: ”Oh, them? I just fed them something to make them sleep. No need to worry, somebody will wake them up eventually. Are you...um, are you alright?”

Whether or not she believed him was unclear – however, it mattered not since the tall female did manage to stop trembling. That's a step forward, right?

Gargantuan girl: “...I..”

Noel: “Hm?”

Gargantuan girl: “T...Thank...you..”

{It seems she's having trouble speaking. Could it be she has a speech issue? She keeps holding the areas where her hair was cut too...}

Noel: “Does it bother you? Your loss of hair.”

He bent down and gently pressed her hair away from her eyes, revealing a pair of watery, bright, emerald-green irises. His actions were calm and composed, like he saw nothing wrong with being so close to her.

She honestly couldn't help but blush a little, leading to her avoiding eye contact slightly.

Gargantuan girl: “...Yes...very..much. Without it, I don't look...much like...a girl. I always..cared for...*Sniff* took...care of it...but now...it's...*Sniff*...it's gone....”

Noel: “Hmmm, but you know? Short hair can be beautiful too, especially with those clear eyes of yours~ hahaha.”

{Oh no. She isn't responding! Did I say something wrong? Quick! Gotta, gotta make up for it! I'm not used to talking to people!}

Noel: “Well, does your appearance bother you that much? My father's scientists can-err...haha I-I mean, if you cared that much for it, then why didn't you fight back? With those muscles of yours, you would've had no problem taking that snobby mean girl or even Morris out of the picture, let alone the group of thugs clinging onto your arms like monkeys,”

This time, she looked at her hands. Those rough, powerful digits that stole someone's life away from them. Their warmth, still reminded her of the man's blood.

Gargantuan girl: “I keep wondering...that maybe she's right. I...I don't deserve my freedom. The-The man...who tried to..rape me...I ended up killing him. Her brother...losing him probably...ruined her life...I...I don't deserve anything...special, like happiness.”

---