Endless Pain Chapter 1 Page7. A Star approaches me.
Alicia Wonders, a famous idol from the group Idol group Sparkle is shaking my hand.
"Nice to meet you." She greets me with a smile, her tone of voice mirrors her enthusiasm, and her body language also shows her excitement about meeting a new student aka me.
"It's nice to meet you too." My tone lacks the enthusiasm of Alicia, but I don't think I came across as rude.
"Have you settled in with the other classmates?" She shows concern even for that aspect, she is the first to do so.
"Yes, everyone here is friendly. I had no problems with anyone." Well, that's a lie, Hiroshi caused me to find myself back with them.
"I'm glad to hear that!"
"I'm surprised that someone as famous as you are is in this school let alone my class." Well, I don't care about that but, I shouldn't end the conversation without me attempting to show some effort and showing interest like she just did for me.
"Ohh, I was recommended to be homeschooled, so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed by fans but I declined and chose to remain in school after I became well-known, under one condition…" In the middle of her dialogue, she was interrupted by a male voice.
"Alicia, are you not going for your break?" The male voice is asking her.
I turn my head toward the door.
A male student walks into my class approaching me and Alicia.
The girls in my class blush at the sight of him.
"He looks so good."
"I wish he was my boyfriend."
"He's really tall."
The girls whisper to themselves describing his exterior features.
He stands before me and Alicia.
"Hey, Tanaka." Alicia greets him.
Tanaka shoots me a glaring look of spite.
"Who is this person?" He is asking with a tone that represents his look.
"He's a new classmate of mine, his name is Nilos." Alicia smiles at him approaching Tanaka to stand between the two of us.
Alicia must be trying to protect me from him.
"It's nice to meet you." I greet him to show that I mean no offence so that he can lower his guard.
"Tsk." He is responding back after I tried to be somewhat friendly.
"I'm sorry about him, Tanaka and I are cousins and he's my bodyguard. That was the condition I was trying to tell you about, he is like that to everyone, especially boys. Please don't take it personally." So that was the condition for her to stay at this school. Tanaka had to enrol with her so he could ensure her safety.
Looking at him at a second glance, he does seem reasonably qualified, not only is he tall but his muscles show that he frequently exercises, and his knuckles are blood-red with scars indicating he does martial arts training mainly in boxing.
"Don't waste your time on this loser Alicia." He could work on that attitude a little.
"Stop it. Let's just go." Alicia is pushing Tanaka in front toward the door.
She turns her head back to face me.
"I'm really sorry." Alicia apologises to me with her smile.
I appreciate her kindness but that's not something she should be doing.
"You don't need to apologise." I tell her, standing up from my chair.
"Oh it's fine It's my fau-"
"-Rather than you apologising, Tanaka owes me an apology." I cut Alicia off mid-sentence. She is not at fault, she hasn't done anything to me other than showing me kindness.
Tanaka turns around and walks up to me.
"What did you say?" Tanaka is standing in front with his tall stature towering over me. He looks down straight into my eyes.
He is trying to intimidate me.
"As I said just now. You are the one who needs to apologise." I am not faced by his intimidation tactic.
"Let me tell you something new guy, I don't owe you a thing and stay away from Alicia." He whispers I can tell how angered he is.
"Don't tell me what I should do, I did nothing to offend you and Alicia." I am not letting him walk all over me.
"You bothered Alicia, that's you offending me." He takes his duty way beyond a regular bodyguard, they are cousins after all.
"She was the one approaching me, all I did was try to be nice."
"Next time, don't talk to her. She doesn't need a friend like you." What makes him think that I want to befriend her, that is the last thing I want to do.
I remain silent. This conversation doesn't go anywhere and in circles.
Tanaka walks toward the door since the break is coming to an end.
Great my break was spent with this.
Silvia walks past Tanaka, Tanaka shoots her a look of spite as he did with me.
"What happened?" Silvia is asking me with concern, she left during the break to use the restroom and eat some snacks, so she wasn't here for what just occurred.
"It's nothing, just some friendly conversation." I don't want to burden her with concerns of mine.
"How are you doing, Silvia?" Alicia approaches her.
That's strange, the gossip surrounding Silvia pushes everyone away, preventing her from making friends.
Yet Alicia approaches her intending to know about her.
"I'm doing fine. I watched your shows, they were amazing!" Silvia replies with enthusiasm, she even smiles which she has done with no one to the few people she has spoken to.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me hearing that from you." The conversation leads me to believe that they seem to know each other outside of school.
Ms Nakata walks into class along with the other students who left for break.
(School end)
"That's it for today, be careful on your way home. Class dismissed." Ms Nakata ends the class.
The students leave the class.
Outside the gate, I part ways with Silvia who is going in the opposite direction.
I need to pick up some groceries.
I make my way to a local convenience store.
Ready meals, Toothpaste, Shampoo and Water bottles, that's all I need for now.
I pay for the items and leave the store with my bag of groceries.
It's close to 5 pm. It's getting dark at this time during winter.
On my way to my apartment, I see Alicia walking on the opposite side of the street with a face mask and a hat, because of the crowd of people she fails to see me. Her bag and uniform allow me to recognise her.
Something else strikes my eye…Alicia is being followed by two people with hoodies over their heads.
Where is Tanaka? He should be protecting her.
I better keep an eye on her.
Alicia is walking faster and faster and she has noticed that she is being followed.
I also speed up not taking my gaze off Alicia.
As long as she remains out in the open everything is fine.
Alicia walks faster and faster trying to lose her pursuers.
She walks into an alleyway, what a foolish mistake.
(From Alicia's perspective)
"No! It's a dead end."
I hear footsteps running at me from behind.
"Looks like we caught her."
Two young adult males are blocking the way I came from.
"What do you want from me?" I can't give away my identity if they know who I am they will for sure not leave me be.
"We know exactly who you are, you can lose your mask, Alicia Wonders." One of the men is exposing my identity.
I am screwed, I can't stop trembling. I back away but the wall behind me.
I'm scared I don't know what to do. Perhaps I should scream but I have no idea if anyone can hear me with the loud city noises.
"Please leave me alone."
"We all know that we won't."
One of the men is reaching into his pocket.
What could he be reaching for? A knife?
I close my eyes and I am too scared to see ...." Please someone help me."
"Hey!" A familiar voice shouts out.
A person is standing behind the men but because of the light behind this person, I can't make out who it is.
The person walks closer and I am beginning to see him more clearly.
"Wait it's you….Nilos?"