"What did you say?!" The school bully looks straight at , still red from previous verbal attacks.
The girls all turn back. Their thoughtful eyes are filled with anxiety and worry.
Do not worry, girls. I am just mad!
"I ant every word. What would you do if no one was here to stop you?!"
They may not know whatever crap I just spouted. And frankly, that is a good thing. The past is hideous to look at.
Rachel is frowning deeply after hearing my words. I wonder what she is thinking about. The class rep does not say much but moves one step closer to the bully with her fists clenched tight as if preparing to go all crazy. As for Kurokawa, she moves forward, completely blocking his view. For so reason, she makes feel like the bookworm is a at shield...
With that formation, saying they are desperately trying to protect would not be an exaggeration.
"Beats ! Sothing fun for the whole gang? But what are YOU going to do about it, you pus? Standing behind these girls like right now? Do you see yourself as a real man? Grow so balls, will you?"
It can be seen he is trying to vent his anger onto an unlucky soone. No doubt my taunt has shifted that attention over here. Maybe the girls noticed that, too.
Still, this is not their fight.
...Wait...it is their fight... I am just a mob... There is no reason for to be here right now...
Nevertheless...
"I asked him a question, and he's just standing there like a retard. Honestly, what are you girls seeing in him?" The bully points the finger at . "He has nothing special! Like how a side character should be!"
"...I sure am."
"See! What a pathetic little pussy! Wahahahahah!!!"
Regrettably, neither do I possess superhuman strength like Rachel, an intelligent mind like Kurokawa, or a straightforward attitude like Laura. That is where the difference between a mob and the main cast starts.
He is right. I have no distinctive feature to be proud of.
When I was still busy thinking of ways to escape the bully, Rachel faced him head-on without any doubt. Blondy managed to do sothing I did not have the guts to do: protect Kurokawa and Laura. In fact, the mont she took her stance, in my heart, there was admiration. She was like an idol or a hero to , a real heroine.
And that is just Rachel alone.
"Shut the hell up already!" The class rep shouts.
Laura is so straightforward that she does not hesitate to confront anyone if she feels the need to do it. The class rep does not care what everyone thinks of her and does what she thinks is right.
"You didn't hit him hard enough, Rachel." Kurokawa looks blondy.
On the one hand, Kurokawa does not seem to stand out from the three. That is only a facade she created. I understand she does not yet have the chance to prove anything, but that is her strength. No one really knows when Kurokawa will strike.
"...Yeah." Rachel nods.
Unlike these girls, who can do anything they want and will try to get it by all ans, I am hesitant. There is a big chance of ssing things up again, and I am terribly afraid.
Right now, it is not protecting them. It is the reverse.
I am such a coward.
In my hands is none of their strengths, like how a dispensable character should be. That also explains why I could not get anything done in the past.
After so many trials and errors, I have been cursed with knowledge. How things will go, how things will end, how people will be hurt, all of them are inside my head. Because of said experience, it is not foreign to that things will never work in my favor. It is not simply doubting myself. Concrete evidence has shown the truth over and over again so many tis already.
Occasionally, I wish I had enough strength and bravery to go outside the safe zone and wipe everything in my head. Deleting my mories sure sounds enticing if it cos to maintaining my ntal state.
Just Laura's event alone has left a neverending scar in my heart, not to ntion the others. I can not rember the number of tis I created sothing worse while trying to get them free. Every ti sothing like that happened, I felt another piece of whithered.
However, that and this bully before us are two different things. I could withstand the horror the ga created in the past does not an I like to see sothing similar happening again! Never had I ever been able to look at their suffering without feeling the excruciating pain deep in my chest.
And just now, that bastard... He threatened them to do the sa as he did to Laura, for Christ's sake!
Now that they care for more than ever, I would be a heartless bastard if I abandoned them to follow the original script. These girls deserve better than that. I was allowed to go inside Han's mansion and offered food, a bath, and even breakfast. All those things I have never had a chance to try out before were given to without much thought.
I may be stupid, but the warmth they showed should be returned tenfold.
As the face of the school bully becos the center of my visual field, visions of past failures appear. Imdiately, images of Laura being abused both physically and sexually, becoming their toy, and losing her life show up without any invitation.
Her agony, pain, grief, the tears in her eyes, the warmth of her blood on my skin... is ever so vivid. My brain is clearly telling this is not how I should act, that I should not get involved in this ss to keep myself from falling down the abyss of despair this world has given . When I look down at my hands, they are shaking intensely.
Always and always, I am hanging by a thread. Once I fall, who knows when I will be able to climb back up this ti? A year? A decade? A century? Or perhaps longer?
Is...is this wrong? Is it wrong for to interfere? Is it wrong for to help them?
Is it wrong for them to live freely?
Of course not! I want them to break out of this system! Everyone has the right to be free of influence! They should all have the chance to think for themselves!
But what if the script changes and three of them will all be hard?!
What if I am alone again?
I...
"C?" Kurokawa calls my na.
"Eh?!" Startled, I answered hastily. Once again, I let my thoughts run amok. This is getting more frequent...
"If you're uncomfortable, you don't have to force yourself. We'll be fine. Promise!"
Right after, she shows the softest smile I have ever seen. The other two also smile at , completely disregarding the bastard.
Sensing my stunned state, Rachel pats herself on the chest: "Trust , I will not let anything happen to our precious class rep and bookworm!"
"I am not your bookworm." Kurokawa grunts.
"Forget these two, C. Get back to class first. We'll be joining you later. No need to worry too much, see!" Laura takes out a paper-knife and pushes the blade out. Its sudden appearance instantly makes the bully steps back.
Looking at them like that, I really do feel happy. I want to cherish them and keep them safe from any threats this world has.
I need to do it. No.
I must find a way!
Think, C! Think!
When he was about to hurt Laura, the bully always had company. They all took part in harming her, shaming her, and ridiculing her. No matter how hard I tried to separate them, they would always group up and hurt Laura again, thanks to the system trying to make things right. Even when I told the class rep to run or hide, sohow, the end result would still be her death. She either did not believe or failed to escape.
The only way for Laura to not die at the hands of the bullies was to be saved by Han.
Wait!
That is it!
The protagonist!
Reviews
All reviews (0)