[Ah... why does time always seem to move slower when school is about to end?]

A young man, Simon Cavil, mused as he stared intently at the large clock on the wall, his body slumped over his desk and his eyes drowsy.

He was in a classroom full of 12th grade students.

He turned his gaze from the clock to his Physics teacher, an old man with grey hair and square glasses.

He taught passionately, not even caring that most of the students in the classroom were barely even listening to him.

If anything it seemed like he was just happy to talk about physics and didn't care much about teaching.

[Man... He's been yapping since earlier, what is he even talking about?]

Simon mused, narrowing his eyes at the old man who was clamoring about angles of inclination and what-not.

[I really enjoy physics but they really shouldn't put it as the last period! We are drained!]

Simon cried inwardly and turned his gaze back to the large clock on the wall.

*tick-tock*

Each and every second felt like an eternity.

Until finally...

Trrrr!*

[Finally!]

Simon celebrated inwardly.

The school bell rang at 14:30 sharp.

The loud clamoring of desks and chairs moving echoed throughout the classroom soon after.

" Don't forget to read up on page 255 to page 268! I might give you a quiz on Friday!"

The physics teacher shouted at his students who were rapidly exiting the classroom, his face a little disappointed that he couldn't continue talking about physics for a bit longer.

"Yo Simon! Let's head to the arcade!"

A young man with brunette hair spoke as he wrapped his arm around Simon's shoulder.

"Nah man, not today, I promised Maya that I'd walk her home."

Simon scratched the back of his curly scalp, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Wow look at you, it must be nice having a girlfriend huh?"

"Don't come running to me when it doesn't work out!"

The young man said in a playful tone, feigning a frown.

"Hey Brad you fucker, don't jinx it!"

Simon exclaimed, punching Brad's upper arm.

"Hey chill dude haha I'm just playing. "

The two continued their banter as they walked down the hallway.

Brad and Simon have been friends for as long as they can remember, their mothers were close like sisters, so naturally the two of them would often see each other and they have been inseparable since then.

Soon enough Maya came into view, waiting outside the school building.

Her silky black hair elegantly reflecting the sunlight dancing on its strands, her hazel eyes full of vigor and confidence, her lips adorned with a natural red hue and her skin white as snow.

[Wow she's so beautiful...]

Simon admired her, his blue eyes glistening and his mouth agape.

"... Dude, I seriously have no idea how you bagged her."

Brad said, with a mocking smirk.

"This fucker... will you go already?!"

"Haha! Okay, I'm going jeez."

*Step.*, *Step.*

He walked closer to his girlfriend, his heart beating faster with each step.

Though they had been dating for a few weeks now, seeing her always made his heart skip a beat.

"Hey, Maya."

He said, in a gentle voice which was a little deeper than usual.

"Hey..."

Maya frowned and puffed her cheeks.

"I told you to stop greeting me like we're strangers didn't I?"

"A-ah yeah you did, I'm sorry."

He put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer.

*smooch!*

Their lips intertwined passionately for a few seconds before he pulled back.

"Hey baby."

He greeted her again, his voice much deeper than earlier.

"Y-yeah, that's how you do it."

Maya said, her voice flustered and her cheeks dyed pink.

[Ah... I'm really gonna fuck up my voice box at this rate. ]

He cleared his throat, feeling the strain of forcefully deepening his voice.

The two of them held hands and walked towards the gate, happily chatting about how their respective days went and what-not.

Until suddenly...

"Hey, Simon, buddy!"

A bulky, tall young man shouted out his name with a bright smile on his face.

"Akira..."

Simon muttered the young man's name.

Akira was the basketball captain at their school, so naturally he was the most popular guy in school.

No. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was the most popular kid in the city.

He was so good at basketball that there had been multiple news articles about him on social media and he would sometimes even appear on TV.

"Uh, sorry to intrude on you guys."

He bowed his head to Maya.

"But could I please talk to Simon for a brief moment?"

He asked politely, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Does it have to be right now?"

Simon asked, a bitter expression adorning his face.

Understandably so, who would want their bonding time with their hot girlfriend to be disturbed?

"Yeah man, can we talk real quick? It's about that thing."

Akira narrowed his eyes and his expression became stern, perhaps it was really something important that they had to discuss.

"Uh babe, could you wait for me at the convenience store?"

He rummaged through his pockets and took out some money.

"Please buy something to drink and wait for me okay?"

Maya puffed her cheeks and reluctantly took the money.

"Hmph! Don't take long or else I'll leave."

"I won't take long..."

He watched Maya's figure walk into the distance and turned to face Akira.

"Let's go talk over there."

Akira gestured to the old classrooms at the corner, his finger pointing behind them.

"Alright..."

Simon chewed his lips and followed.

After walking for a minute or so, they finally reached their destination behind the old classrooms, which was a little bit out of view.

The first thing Simon saw was the cloud of smoke rising up from the corner and on the floor he beheld countless cigarette butts.

He raised his gaze and his eyes fell upon a rough looking young man with piercings in his left eye brow and a taper fade on his scalp, a lit cigarette in his hand

Next to the rough looking young man he saw a petite girl with short black hair, wearing make up. She looked rough but was oddly attractive.

She too had a cigarette in her hand.

"Ay, what up Simon?"

The rough young man stood up and spread his arms.

He strutted toward Simon, his shoulders confidently swaying.

He took a puff on his cigarette and blew it on Simon's face.

"So? You got my dough or what?"

Simon grit his teeth and took in a deep breath.

"Nah, not yet, I need a few more days then I'll sort you."

*Smack!*

Akira smacked Simon on the back of his head.

"That's what you fucking said last week, isn't it?!"

Akira exclaimed, his friendly expression from earlier completely vanished.

"You heard the man."

"Where is my dough Simon?"

"I agreed to stop bullying you publicly and even got my good friend Akira here to pretend to be your friend just so you could be popular and get with that girl."

He continued:

"I fucking made you Simon, don't you dare forget that."

" Now where's my fucking money?"

He retracted his hand and swung it violently at Simon.

[So slow, I could easily dodge this...]

Simon mused as he watched the hand tear through the space in front of him, his eyes perfectly following its movements.

[But...]

*Slap!*

Simon felt a stinging pain on his cheek and staggered backward.

[My body is too fucking trash to react!]

Simon cried inwardly as he nursed the stinging on his cheek.

His perception was extremely exceptional, he was able to perceive fast moving projectiles with ease.

In situations where he wanted to react his mind seemed to have been faster than his body, or rather his body did not have the muscles to react the way he wanted it to.

So more often than not his body would just tense up instead of reacting like he wanted it to.

His body was naturally very scrawny, no matter how much he ate or trained, his body was unrelenting in maintaining its gaunt frame.

[It's like I'm fucking cursed or something damnit!]

He spat inwardly and regained his posture.

"I know your family has money so you better pay up!"

The rough young man roared and punched Simon in the gut, causing him to fall to the ground.

The trio then proceeded to stomp on him for a couple more minutes.

Simon could only cover his face as he bore through the onslaught.

[Damn it! I know I could take these fuckers but this damn body is holding me back!]

He cried inwardly and grit his teeth.

"You better have the fucking money tomorrow."

The trio left him there laying on the sea of cigarette butts and plastic wraps.

"*huff*,*huff*. Damn it!"

"Damn it! Damn it!"

He furiously punched the ground almost breaking his knuckles.

//

Maya leaned her back on the old classroom wall and basked in the sunlight.

Her ears perked up, listening in on the conversation between Simon and Akira's group.

Her facial expression remained unchanged even as she heard the painful grunts of her boyfriend.

"*sigh*. What a loser."

She muttered under her breath.

She then took out her phone after hearing the retreating footsteps in the opposite direction.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

She typed something on her keyboard and sent a text to Simon.

<< Hey babe, something came up I have to go home, see you tomorrow? ; ) >>

She felt nausea as she was sending the text, her face distorting in disgust.

[I might fucking die from dating this loser.]

She spat inwardly and left the scene.