Chapter 16: A Friend in the Shadows
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Ain stepped onto the school grounds, the familiar hustle and bustle of students rushing between classes washing over him. His body still ached from his earlier fight with Dylan—his muscles sore and his mind running a mile a minute as he processed everything that had happened. It had been a grueling battle, and even though Ain felt a surge of pride from having survived it, he knew it wasn't the end. Not by a long shot. He was just beginning to scratch the surface of what awaited him.
As Ain made his way toward the school building, his gaze drifted over the sea of students, looking for anything familiar. He was almost used to the noise and chaos of the school, but something caught his eye.
There, standing near the entrance of the school, was Liam.
The sight of him stirred something in Ain—a memory, a thought, a feeling he hadn't fully understood in his past life. Liam was a figure who had always been there, a constant presence in the background. He was a lone wolf, someone who kept to himself but never got involved in the petty social games the other students played. Liam was strong, ranked 5th in the school's strength ranking, and no one dared to bother him. Not even Jack had ever tried to force Liam into bullying others, despite the pressure he applied on almost everyone else.
Ain remembered the first time he had seen Liam—the way he stood apart from the crowd, his eyes always sharp and calculating, as if he was always prepared for whatever came his way. He had never been close to Liam, but there had been something in the way Liam carried himself that Ain respected. Unlike the others who had tormented him, Liam was a person who kept his distance from everyone and didn't give anyone a reason to attack him.
In his past life, Ain hadn't understood that. He had always been so caught up in his own struggles and insecurities that he couldn't see beyond his own narrow view. But now, standing in front of Liam again, Ain realized that he had missed something crucial in their previous interactions.
A flashback hit Ain like a wave, pulling him back to a time when he was still in school—the time when he had been at his lowest. He remembered how, despite everything, Liam had never once bullied him. Even when Ain was the target of Jack's schemes, even when the others joined in the torment, Liam remained indifferent. He didn't participate in the games, nor did he try to bring Ain down.
But there had been one moment—a moment Ain would never forget. It was when a boy, eager to curry favor with Jack, had tried to pressure Liam into bullying Ain.
Ain remembered the scene clearly: It had been in the school courtyard during lunch, a few weeks after the new term had begun. The boy, a lanky student known for being a sycophant to Jack, had walked up to Liam. He had spat on the ground before addressing him.
"Liam," the boy had said, his voice dripping with smug confidence, "Jack's looking for someone to deal with Ain. He wants you to teach him a lesson. I'm sure you don't mind, right? You're strong enough to handle him."
Ain had been sitting nearby, overhearing the conversation, and he knew what was coming. The boy had expected Liam to cave, to do Jack's bidding like the others did, to humiliate Ain. But Liam didn't even flinch. He hadn't even looked up from the book he was reading. His expression remained cold, distant, as always.
"Not my problem," Liam had said flatly, his tone so casual that it almost sounded like an afterthought.
The boy, clearly offended by the dismissal, had stepped forward, towering over Liam. "What's the matter with you? Are you too good for this? Jack doesn't take kindly to people who don't fall in line. You'll regret this."
That was when things took a turn. Ain had watched in silence as Liam set his book aside and stood up slowly. The boy didn't seem to realize what was about to happen until it was too late.
With a swift motion, Liam had grabbed the boy by the collar, lifted him off the ground with ease, and slammed him against the wall. The force was enough to knock the wind out of the boy, and before he could even react, Liam had shoved him away, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap.
"You're right about one thing," Liam had said, his voice eerily calm. "I am strong. But you're too stupid to see what that really means."
The boy had tried to get up, but he couldn't. He was gasping for air, blood trickling from his nose, his body shaking with both fear and pain. He hadn't expected this, not from Liam. Liam wasn't one to get involved in the politics of the school, but when someone tried to force him into something he didn't believe in, he didn't hesitate to make his stance clear.
Liam hadn't even looked at the boy as he walked away, leaving him there to lick his wounds and regain some semblance of dignity. The other students had watched in stunned silence, too afraid to say anything. No one dared to speak up, because they knew Liam's reputation, knew that he could handle himself in a way few others could.
Ain, watching from a distance, had felt a mixture of awe and confusion. He didn't fully understand why Liam had done it, but he knew one thing for certain—Liam was different. He was strong, yes, but it wasn't just physical strength that set him apart. It was his indifference to the world's expectations and his refusal to bow to pressure. He didn't care what anyone else thought of him, and that made him untouchable.
After that day, Ain had tried to talk to Liam once or twice, but each time, he had been met with cold indifference. Liam wasn't the type to engage in small talk, and Ain's attempts at conversation had fallen flat. But despite that, Ain had continued to respect him, silently hoping that one day, Liam might see something in him worth acknowledging.
The memory faded as Ain snapped back to the present. He stood in front of the school, staring at Liam, who was now just a face in the crowd, his back to Ain as he walked past.
Ain felt a pang of regret. In his past life, he had been too caught up in his own self-pity to understand Liam's message. Liam had told him time and time again to get stronger if he didn't want to be bullied. But Ain had dismissed it as a simplistic answer, as though strength was something you could just obtain without any real effort. He hadn't realized the weight of Liam's words then, but now, after everything that had happened, Ain understood.
Liam's strength wasn't just physical—it was mental, emotional. It was the strength to stand alone, to reject the systems that sought to control him, and to remain true to himself no matter what.
Ain felt a strange sense of resolve wash over him. He wasn't sure if he could ever be like Liam—cold, distant, and unbothered by the opinions of others—but he could at least try to get stronger. He had already begun the process, hadn't he? The fight with Dylan had been a wake-up call, but it was only the beginning. If he wanted to stand on his own, if he wanted to be free from the torment and manipulation of people like Jack, he would have to push himself even harder.
For the first time in a long while, Ain felt like he had remembered his clear goal in front of him.
Get stronger.
It was simple, but it wasn't easy. And that was exactly why he had to do it.
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