DY GRIMONY'S POV
Life is a cliché and I am part of it. The world is vast, yet we still meet? Fate toys with destiny, forcing disparate souls together despite mutual discontent. Is this serendipity or cruelty? Perhaps the world is indeed vast, yet we reside in a small provincial city. Maybe that's why fate made us meet again.
He and I were schoolmates. He's the infamous fire starter from our primary grade. He was bullied, but he fought back.
"You know each other?" Seth broke the silence.
"Seems like a scene from a movie" Sol remarked, eyeing us.
"Guys, we better get going" Maye urged.
"Okay? What's happening?" Azure raised a brow.
"I don't know. Maybe we should just… watch?" Sol raised a brow as well.
Then Seth offered a bag of popcorn from who knows where. "Who wants popcorn?"
They stared while Ish and I exchanged fierce glares. Our never-ending standoff felt like it would last forever. Just when I thought it wouldn't end, Stella worriedly approached us.
"What happened? Are you both okay?" Her voice held genuine concern as she looked us over, making sure we didn't get hurt.
Noticing Stella, Ish timidly nodded. "I'm fine. I don't know about that" he added, pointing at me with his index finger, causing me to frown.
Firebrat! Did he just call me that?
"I'm fine too, Miss" I assured her, hiding my annoyance with a sweet fake smile.
She nodded in understanding as she said, "If that's the case, perhaps you all should get going. Knowing him, for sure…"
Him?
Without letting her finish her sentence, we abruptly ran toward the gate, frantically searching for where the gym gama was located. Thanks to Maye's exskill, we found it. We tried our very best to listen to the speaker despite the murmuring all around us. Unfortunately, we couldn't hear much because some students couldn't keep their loud mouths shut. Their nonstop chatter echoed annoyingly in my ears.
"Alright! Listen to me, punks!"
Normally, a teacher or student would try their best to avoid using that word, even if they were pissed, especially when speaking in front of a crowd. So, I couldn't help but wonder, who? I glanced at the stadium and what I saw made my jaw drop.
The man speaking looked like he'd stepped out of a magazine!
"I am Alexander First, the Commander of C.A.T, in case you're wondering. Unfortunately, despite the obvious schedule posted a month ago, there are still delinquents who arrived late" he announced, his disappointment evident in his voice and expression. "Shana Shark!"
The owner of the said name climbed onto the stage and used her exskill. A light emanated from her eyes, projecting like a screen. Everyone saw six students desperately running like crazed zombies with no clear direction. One of them almost tripped, causing giggles to ripple through the crowd. I was mortified!
I heard a loud gasp—I was certain one of them was mine—as everyone turned in our direction. Then, a giant hashtag appeared on the screen:
#WhatIsAHarshtug