“Beep-beep, beep-beep”

Waking up to the familiar sound of my phone’s alarm, I reluctantly got up from my bed and proceeded to do my morning routine of washing up.

As I brush my teeth, I saw my everyday ruffled hair and what one would describe as ‘dead fish’s eyes”. On a normal day, I wouldn’t have bothered to my appearance at all and head straight to school but today was different. I decided to at least make my hair presentable, after all…

“I need to find members for my club huh, wonder who might join. I’m getting a little excited over this”

I spoke out to myself, although getting a little excited was next to impossible, considering how I have lost the ability to feel anything. After my wash up, I swiftly put on my uniform, took the sandwich I made yesterday evening out from the fridge and started heading to the door. As I opened my house door, I instinctively spoke the familiar words one would hear in any household.

“I’m going out…”

Heading out towards the train station, I let out a small sigh and thought to myself. What was the point of the greetings and goodbyes at home… when I don’t have anyone to say it to anymore. I took a brief look at my phone and noticed the time. 7.30 a.m. The duration for me to reach the school from my house to the school will take approximately an hour or more. Yup, I’m going to be late today.

Rushing towards the train station to make the timing so to prevent my tardiness from school. I somehow managed to squeeze my way through the fully packed train towards my school. At this rate, if I take the alleyway shortcut to school, I might just make it on time.

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As I walked out from the train station, I was listening to apparently what was considered to be the current hit song by the band Chelsia. A music group that specialised in pop and consist of four cute high school girls. I had always heard the people in my class talk about the band and recently about the new single that I’m currently listening to. According to the talk around people, this song is supposed to be a song that actually gets you excited and pump your adrenaline. However, for me who is listening to the song, all I could hear was just the difference in their pitches of their voice and the occasional increase in volume. Maybe I was just using this song as a premise of me trying to be ‘excited’ for today.

I proceeded to the alleyway shortcut I was going to use to get to school. Although… it was probably due to me walking blindly and having my earphones in my ears that I couldn’t hear the commotion that was going on in the alleyway. By the time I looked up and noticed, I was already right in front of them. One look and I knew, I have gotten into something I had most definitely wanted to avoid.

The scene that was right in front of me was something like it was straight out of a classic school manga that one would read. 3 high school guys were cornering a high school girl in a dark alleyway next to the school. I had wanted to turn back and pretended I saw nothing, but looking at my phone. Time now, ‘8.27a.m.’. I can’t just sully my perfect attendance record due to some classic story scene. Being who I am, I began to walk past them as if it was the most natural thing in the world, ignoring the commotion.

“Hey you!”

Although he was saying that in quite the loud voice with a gruntled look on his face. It fell on deaf ears due to the almighty music playing ear plugs also known as the earphones.

“I said wait a second u punk!”

I felt a hand grab my shoulder from behind and yanked me back. Turning around, the one who grabbed me was a crimson coloured hair guy, who was almost as tall as me at 179cm. He glared into my eyes with his red ones and began to yell at me.

“Quite the little punk you are, ignoring me and all.”

“Do you have anything you need?”

I casually said as if I was speaking to a stranger while taking off my earphones.

“Anything I need? Ha… Hahahaha! You walked passed me and didn’t even greet or even bowed? Who do you think I am?! I’m the top dog of the school, Miwasaki Ken!”

“I’m sorry, I never heard of you. Now if you will excuse me, I wouldn’t want to be late for school”

I boldly replied to his disclamation with a straight and bored face. This thug-like guy was smirking while he proceeded to grab me by the collar.

“Now listen here you piece of shit. No one, and I mean No one ever mocks me and gets away with it.”

“That’s right!”

“You tell him!”

The two other guys standing there churned in as he screamed in my face.

“You are dead meat, why don’t we have a quick ‘workout’ before I take my time to enjoy the girl?”

“…umm…”

“Huh? You got something to say punk?”

“……you guys. You guys are going to be late for school you know?”

Miwasaki stared at me with a dumbstruck face as I stated the facts.

“Hahahah! You’re one hell of a fella! Who cares about being late for damn school, I will take all day even as long as I get to have some fun!”

“Hmm, but… Today’s teacher at the gate is Masaki-Sensei though. Are you sure you want to be late?”

“W-What?!”

“Shit we gotta go guys! Masaki-Sensei is the one teacher I don’t wanna piss off!”

Miwasaki exclaimed as he reached for his bag and proceeded to dash towards the school.

“Hey! Wait up Ken!”

“Damn! We will remember you!”

Seeing the 3 guys making a full speed dash towards the school, I was once again reminded of how scary the P.E teacher Masaki Ojiro is. Feared by students, admired by teachers and athlete. The previous National Karate and Aikido two-time champion, Masaki Ojiro, is one to be feared.

“H-Hey you.”

“T-ha….”

“What a bunch of nonsense…I’m gonna be late aren’t I?”

I briefly muttered while putting my earphones back off. Coincidentally, the words of the girl behind me didn’t reach my ears in time as the music continued blasting. I picked up the pace and began to brisk walk towards the school as well.

“W-What?”

“Ah I’m going to be late too!”

The girl behind, flowing red hair in a ponytail with long eyelashes and average height was looking dazed by my sudden comment as I walked away. After a few seconds she also picked up her bag and dashed towards the school.

“…just who was that weirdo anyways?”

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