ONE WEEK LATER
"And then he turned himself into a pickle! Funniest shit I've ever seen!" I say.
The gang laughs.
We don't really learn much in nursery. It's a place for parents to leave kids and let them socialize.
I'm starting to fit in really well being the clown of the group. I'm having a lot of fun. Pinku is the chief's daughter so every time we go out, everyone acts super kind and does whatever Pinku tells them to.
But I still cannot forget what happened to Junior. I only feel worse every day. I want to apologize to him. I've asked people where he stays so that I can say sorry, but no one knows. He hasn't come to the nursery in a week (much to the disappointment of Pinku).
My thoughts are interrupted.
"-go to the hot springs today." One of our gang's members says.
"Good idea." Pinku says. "You brought the food, Onna?"
"Of course." I say. These people love my lunch.
Out of the corner of my eye I see him. Junior. He's now got a scar on his lip and he looks very anxious.
I properly see his face now. I haven't noticed how pretty he looks.
Almost like a girl. Almost.
"We don't have any towels so- wait. Is that who I think it is?" Someone notices Junior. "Pinku, look who showed up!"
Pinku turns around and sees him. Her mouth slowly morphs into a sickening grin.
"Hey! Junior! I know you can hear me!" she shouts. "Don't think you're off the hook yet! Meet me after nursery."
He keeps walking and sits in the back.
I can't concentrate on anything. And since I'm having a shitty time, time decides to run twenty times more slowly.
But thankfully, time does pass.
We finally reach the end of nursery time.
Junior's POV
I need to get out. Quick.
They have already noticed me.
They follow me as I walk out.
"Oi! Wait up!"
No point in fighting.
I look back. They're all standing there.
"Please. I want no trouble." I plead.
A crowd is starting to form. The other kids form a circle around us.
Pinku has an audience. And it's the entirety of the nursery. Watching me.
"Alright. We won't fuck with you again." Pinku replies.
What? What fucked up shit is she going to do?
"What do you want in return?" I say.
"You're smarter than I thought! Hmmm…give me all of your clothes and run home."
Some of the kids laugh, while the others look in pity.
I knew she would order me to do something she knew I wouldn't do.
"You know I can't do that. Please, let me go."
"I dunno. You either give me your clothes and I forgive you. Or we tear all your clothes off and do it every day we see you."
"Please. Everyone's watching. I'll do it if only your group can see." I try to bargain my way out.
"Nope. Do it right here. In front of everyone. Then I'll forgive you."
Tears well up in my eyes. My mom, the other adults, The kids, and even my own dad. Everyone hates me.
What did I do to deserve it? I just mind my own business.
I'm not going to reply to them. Nor am I going to pick a fight. I'm simply going to stand here, and let them do whatever they want. I'm done with these people. This world.
"So? What will you do?" Pinku says.
I just stand. I close my eyes. I don't want to feel a damn thing.
Silence.
"Alright. Guess we're taking his clothes off ourselves. I'm not touching that filthy thing. Who wants to take em off?"
"Uhhh. Pinku. I think-" a boy
"Oh! Do you want to do it Onna?" Pinku says. "I didn't know you were into dudes."
Some people laugh.
"What? No, I-"
Pinku says, "Relax, nobody's judging you. I'm actually a very good person, y'know? I think gay rights are essential human rights. I believe that everyone must be treated with dignity. " And looks proud of herself.
I'd laugh if I wasn't in this position. The fucking ego in this girl. I can't imagine a world where she would be the one lecturing people about what's right and wrong.
"Uhhh…yes. You're a very kind and empathetic person, Pinku. But that's not-" The boy replies.
"No more arguments. Go and remove his clothes, Onna!"
I open my eyes. It's the same spineless bastard who offered my help. He seems extremely uncomfortable doing this. But he inches closer nonetheless.
If he doesn't, someone else will take my clothes off.
I give up.
End of Junior's POV
WHY AM I TOLD TO REMOVE A GUY'S CLOTHES?
WHY AM I IN THIS POSITION?
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD LET JUNIOR GO!
This is fucked up. This poor kid.
I stop in my tracks.
"What are you doing Onna?" Pinku yells at me.
Will I be able to live with this guilt? I'm ruining a boy's life.
My brain yells at me "IF YOU DON'T DO IT, YOU'LL LOSE ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND BE BULLIED BY PINKU FOR A LONG TIME."
I talk back to my brain "Shut up, you loser. I don't think I can bear the guilt."
My brain talks back. "I'M THE LOSER? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH, YOU RETARDED CUCK! EVEN IF YOU FIGHT BACK, WHAT WILL HAPPEN? SHE'LL FIGHT YOU AND YOU'LL LOSE! YOU ANYWAYS CAN'T FIGHT AT FULL POWER. REMEMBER WHAT YOUR MOM TOLD YOU?"
I talk back to my brain. "Bro. Shut the fuck up. You can't even tie your shoelaces, and you want to talk to me about smart choices?"
My brain replies, "THAT'S BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE HANDS, YOU MORON. JUST TAKE HIS CLOTHES OFF, OR BETTER YET, TELL SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT."
I talk to my brain, "But I don't want to feel like shit. I'll feel even worse if I do it."
My brain talks back! "YOU BRAINLESS IDI-"
"Shut up, brain. I'm not listening to my head anymore. I'm going full retard." I talk back.
I turn my brain off. I'm gonna fight the female gorilla.
"Sorry Pinku, but I'm not doing it." I say.
"Wha- did I hear that right?" She says, shocked.
Shit. Now what?
"Uhh…instead, we could, I dunno, grab an ice cream on the way out?" I laugh weakly.
"You're such a pussy. Akibare, you do it."
The kid named Akibare steps up, very happy to remove a boy's clothes.
"Sorry bro, can't let you." I try to sound cool, but my voice cracks halfway through and my legs are shaking.
"Uhh. Pinku?" Akibare looks at her.
"Come back Akibare." Pinku sighs.
She looks at me. "Just because you've been a clown for the past week and made me laugh doesn't even make you an acquaintance. You were just there for my entertainment."
She walks towards me, cracking her knuckles. "Last chance. Or I beat you up and rip both yours and Junior's clothes up."
Jesus, this girl is going to grow up to be a psychopath.
"Ain't moving." I say.
The glass worms spin around her. She's reinforcing her entire body. Her efficiency shocks me. A good chunk of the worms go into her body rather than fly away from spinning so fast. Seems like a whopping 2% of the magic she's burning is being converted to reinforcement magic. Yes, the remaining 98% is getting wasted, but considering the fact that even my mom is at 8% efficiency after 120 years of practice, to get a quarter of my mom's efficiency at the age of 9 is insane.
What's my efficiency? A measly 0.2%
She's running at 145, while I'm only running at 80 of my 245.
So she's basically only being able to convert 2% of her 145 to useful magic while I'm using 0.2% of 80. If you do the math, you'll realize that I'm quite fucked.
I get ready to fight.
She grins cockily. And she moves.
Fast.
I can barely track her. I somehow manage to block a punch from her but my arm stings from where she hit me.
I barely had time to recover before she punched me in the jaw.
My world explodes in spectacular pain. I've never felt this intense pain before, even while sparring with my mom.
I fall down, and she sits on me.
Normally, I'd be quite happy if a woman sat on any part of me. Especially happy if that part was my face, but I'm freaking the fuck out here.
I try covering my face, but that doesn't help. She punches me so hard that it breaks my hand and somehow manages to mess my jaw up even more.
She's doing this for fun. She just enjoys beating people up. She laughs manically as she starts pummeling my face.
She hits my nose. My mouth. My cheek. She grabs me by my hair and smacks me on to the tarmac.
Monster.
I can't believe how bloodthirsty she is at this age.
I start crying from the pain. Blood and snot dribble from my nose. But she isn't satisfied yet. She just keeps beating me up.
From the corner of my eye, I see Junior looking at what's going on. Terrified.
Good god. Is this what he experiences every day?
I don't have time to think as the crazy kid, now satisfied with fucking my face up, goes for my ribs next. I cover myself in a foetal position to protect myself, and I wait for the kick.
Nothing happens.
Then I hear the crackle of thunder and smell Ozone.
Everyone becomes dead silent.
Only one of my eyes isn't swollen. I see what's going on.
The general's son is here. Along with his group of four other people.
"That's enough, Pinku."
I cannot see Pinku's face. But I'm guessing she looks murderous.
"How about you fuck off? Or I tell my dad about you?"
"You know your dad won't do anything against me, right?"
"…."
She leaves without saying another word.
"What are you guys looking at? Leave." The general's son says.
The crowd disperses.
"Oh lord, look at his face." One of the kids in the General's son's group says.
"Kami, you can heal him, right?"
"Yeah." The general's son replies. His name is Kami, huh?
He places his hand on my face and I scream in agony.
"Calm down." I can feel magic flowing through my face, mending everything, pulling parts up back in their place.
"Done." He says.
"What?" I say. I touch my face. Everything's fixed.
I look at him in awe. This kid…how the hell is he this strong at such a young age?
Wait. Something feels wrong with my face. I can see something from the corners of my eyes. Are those..nostrils?
"Dude, his nose is upside down."
"Oh shit, you're right. Uhhh…hold on." He puts his hand on my face and turns it the right way round. But now something feels wrong with my forehead.
"Dude, his nose is not supposed to be in his forehead."
"He looks like a low budget unicorn."
"Oh shit, you're right. Hold on." He fixes the location of my nose.
He fixed me!
"Uhh….ugghhh…." I tear up. This man…this man saved my life!
"Uwaaaaaa! Thank you!" I hold him and cry.
"Ew, you're getting snot on my shirt! There's snot on my shirt!" He sounds disgusted.
Oh, sorry." I sniffle.
I calm down.
"They won't be bothering you anymore." He reassured me.
"R-really?" Junior says in disbelief. "Thank you."
"Never mind that. What were you thinking, taking Pinku on?" The only girl in the group asks me. "Are you insane?"
I say, "I kind of just turned my brain off."
"No shit." She says. "That was a little bit admirable, though. But mostly embarrassing."
I blush. I did cry and get mucus everywhere.
"She's easily got the third highest Output in this tribe's history. Just below the General and Kami." The nerdy looking boy says.
The girl in the group sticks her hand out to me to help me to my feet. "I'm Zamor."
I take her hand and get up. "Thanks. I'm Onna."
"Anyways, try not to do anything dumb again. "
"It's not like I actively want to do dumb things." I say.
She giggles. "Yeah, right. Anyways, see you tomorrow."
The kids wave bye and leave. And I'm now left with Junior.
Apparently Junior still hasn't recovered from the shock.
"Uhhh..hello?" I say.
After what seems like an eternity he answers, " So it's over?"
"Thankfully." I reply. "That was embarrassing for me." I blush.
I notice the adults look weirdly at us. What were they even doing?
"I..umm…thanks. For….that." He says. He's still in shock. Everything did happen in a span of a few minutes, after all.
At this distance, I could see his face clearly. He looks very feminine.
"Don't worry about it." I say. "I'd feel shit if I didn't step in. But goddamn that hurt. Is that what you go through every day?"
"Not to that extent, and not everyday. But occasionally, yeah."
"Fuck. That hurt like hell. What did you do to her that made them want to bully you?"
"My dad told me that if someone bullies you, you'll have to fight back. They only did mild things to me back then. I fought back, and things got worse."
I stay silent.
We both walk together, to god knows where.
"How long were you her friend?" He asked me.
"About a week." I say.
"How were you even her friend? She's bloodthirsty, self centered and delusional as fuck."
"Yeah." I reply. "Did you hear what she said about being a good person?"
Junior laughs. "Yeah, she started talking about gay people out of nowhere just to brag about how virtuous she is. And she even called herself empathetic! What an idiot."
I laugh. "What a fucking idiot indeed."
We stay silent for a bit. He asks. "Do you have any friends left?"
"I don't think so." I reply. "You?"
"Nope."
I stay silent for a bit more. Then I ask him;
"Wanna be friends or something?"