[Eight months ago…]
"Isn't that Brane from Section F? The school delinquent?"
"Seriously? Didn't classes just end? They're already fighting again."
"Gee. These people are such a waste of space."
"I'll be late for my cram school."
"Shhh! Be quiet."
"Who is he? And why…" A young high school girl trailed off, lowering her head as she carefully walked toward the street. "Is it safe to cross? Or should we just wait?"
Students from the area's public high school slowly gathered at the end of the street. Not because there was something they wanted to see, but rather because they were intimidated. The sight before them made them stop as a precautionary measure.
A group of teenage boys loitered in the middle of the road, blocking the usual route to the bus stop. But among the seven boys, only one wasn't on the ground. He was seated on someone's back while the other lay flat on his stomach.
"Ugh…" A painful grunt echoed down the narrow street. Brane — the notorious troublemaker of Hara High School — glared at the boy seated on his back. "Damn you, Grave…"
Mikel, calm and unfazed, kept seated on Brane's back like it was a bench built for him. "Easy now, or do you still want to fight?"
"That uniform…" another student furrowed his brow, eyeing the teen sitting on top of one of their school's delinquents. "Isn't that from District 5 High School?"
"District 5 High School?" another mused. "Then does that mean that guy is…"
District 5 High School's worst delinquent: Mikel Graves.
Everyone held their breath, wide-eyed at Mikel. He remained seated on Brane's back, eating a bun leisurely. When he finished, he snapped his eyes at the students who had gathered at the end of the street.
The second he did, the students instinctively looked away. Others had their breaths hitched as they noticed the bruises on Mikel's cheek and his busted lip from the fight.
"Hah," he scoffed, chewing slowly before getting up. He picked up his black nylon sling bag and tossed it over his shoulder. "Pick it up and throw it away."
Tossing the bun's wrapper at one of the students on the concrete ground, he strutted away.
All the students gazed at his relaxed back before glancing at the six delinquents from their school trying to get up. These delinquents, Brane especially, had been terrorizing their peers with their violent and aggressive behavior, but now they looked pathetic.
The person responsible for this was Mikel Graves, District 5's worst delinquent.
Rumors had been circulating that there had been tension between these groups of delinquents for quite some time now. However, no one had expected things to come to a head today. And the results were clear:
The notorious troublemaker from District Five had wiped the floor with them.
---
"Tch." Mikel hissed as he touched the corner of his mouth, walking along the side of the road. "Shit."
As he cursed, his eyes fell on a mother and her son walking in the opposite direction.
"Mommy, look at the big brother—"
"Shh." The child's mother quickly clasped his finger, peeking at Mikel before quickly looking away. She protectively guided her son to her other side, whispering, "Don't point at people. It's rude."
The boy blinked innocently and asked, "But he has a boo-boo on his face."
"Yes, I know," she whispered even more quietly. "If you don't want a boo-boo on your face, you have to stay out of trouble, alright? Don't be like him."
"Okay!"
The mother smiled subtly, casting Mikel another quick look. Hostility was clear in her eyes as she walked farther away from him until they passed each other.
Mikel shrugged indifferently, not surprised by such stares and judgment. After all, he was what others called a troubled teen. Whatever reasons he had for his actions didn't matter. He'd fight anyone who wanted trouble. Just like those delinquents from Hara High School, who had been harassing his classmates just because they "claimed" District 5 as their territory, Mikel never backed down from a fight.
"Still, my face hurts like hell," he hissed, stopping at the pedestrian crossing to wait for the signal to turn. As he stood at the front, more people gathered behind him, preparing to cross the main street.
When the signal turned green, the cars stopped, and the pedestrians started crossing. Mikel massaged his throbbing jaw, but just as he reached the other side of the road, a loud screech rang in his ears.
"Watch out!"
At the shout, Mikel stopped and turned his head. All he saw was a car speeding through the other side of the lane, and in its path, a woman with a stroller was crossing. The woman froze at the shout, turning her head toward the speeding car.
"Kyah!" she screamed, but no one moved to pull her out of the way.
Time seemed to slow for everyone as they held their breath, eyes wide in horror at the unfolding scene. But just as they expected the woman and child in the stroller to meet their tragic end, the car made an abrupt turn.
Screech!
The next thing everyone heard was the loud crash of the car slamming into the traffic pole, with parts of the car and glass from the pole flying into the area. Silence fell on the usually busy road until the woman's knees buckled, and she slumped to the ground, sobbing in relief.
Thank God she and her child were safe.
Only then did the people around start rushing to her, trying to make sure she was okay. Everything happened so fast, but they were glad she and her child were safe. But just as everyone thought, no one got hurt aside from the driver of the speeding car, a shout erupted in the air.
"Ahh!!!"
A loud shriek echoed through the air. Everyone quickly felt a sense of dread creeping up their spine as they frantically searched for the source of the painful cry. Their eyes eventually fell on a teen writhing on the ground, his feet kicking the ground in agony.
Mikel.
Mikel screamed in agony, his hands clamped over his eyes as blood seeped through his fingers. The pain was unbearable—unlike anything he had ever experienced. It felt as though the nerves in his eyes were slowly, excruciatingly burning away their connection to his brain, like his skull was cracking open from the inside. Yet, even through the blinding torment, the sharp sting of metal drove deeper into his eye.
People began to crowd around him in worry, shouting for help.
But at that moment, Mikel's instincts — despite the agonizing pain and overwhelming fear — told him one thing: his life would never be the same after this. He wasn't sure how different it would be, but he knew it would be completely changed.