One hour ago.
"I'm heading out, Mom. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Come back soon, Tory. I'll make a very special dinner." Tory's mother replied from the living room as she watched TV.
Tory, an eighteen-year-old high school student, had temporarily paused her studies to help with her family's situation. Like Max, she had so many problems that she could barely keep track of them.
When she left the house, she headed to a nearby supermarket, where she usually bought whatever groceries were needed. Her mother had recently been getting sicker than usual, and the expenses for her medicine were so high that they barely had enough to eat. Tory needed to work just to cover her school expenses.
She hardly had any time to focus on herself; her only concern was being able to pay for the things her mom needed so frequently.
As Tory walked down the stairs of her apartment, her appearance drew the attention of those around her, especially her sleazy landlord.
But to Tory, this was insignificant because being attractive to others was the only thing she had. No one understood her—only she herself, who struggled day by day to survive. Even so, the world irritated her deeply. She was angry that she had to work so hard to be a good person while others, who had life easy, were complete jerks.
Throughout her life, she hadn't had a good childhood, especially after her father's death. Her mother's deterioration over the years, being the only one fighting to get by, was evident and had deeply affected her. The expenses were so overwhelming that Tory had even thought about dropping out much earlier than she did, but she knew if she did, the future for the two of them alone would be grim.
If she were to get sick, her mom would have to take care of her, and then she wouldn't be able to work. Expenses like rent, utilities, and many other things, such as her mom's medicine, would strain their budget even more. Tory cried silently each night; she had no one else, and it was suffocating her.
She didn't have friends, didn't go out partying, and the only person she spoke to was her mother.
Right now, she couldn't even afford trivial things like data for her phone, much less pay for calls, especially since her mother's medications had recently run out and they'd had to buy more.
"What can you do? I'll see if there are any discounts before I get the vegetables." Tory bent down to reach a shelf as she entered the supermarket. Her indifferent expression gave her a unique attractiveness that captured many men, but to her, they were all just lying fools who only cared about appearances.
It's worth mentioning that some of her old friends, with whom she'd lost contact, had been deceived after getting intimate with their partners—something many men only sought from pretty girls. Although that wasn't always the case, it was clear that young love often came with risks.
Young love meant that both the guy and the girl weren't mature enough to understand what each was willing to offer to the other. For a relationship to work, one needed to know their own worth perfectly; otherwise, the relationship would last just a few years, if not less.
"These seem reasonably priced...they fit my budget." Tory reached out for some bags of pasta, but at that moment, she felt an intense gaze that made her frown.
Right behind her, a man who seemed to be browsing the TVs was actually staring at her shamelessly. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but this time felt different because the man, about thirty years old, seemed drunk and obviously high as well.
"Just what I needed—a creep like you..." Tory was furious but decided not to make a scene and continued her shopping. However, wherever she went, the drunk man followed her without fail.
Several minutes had passed, and Tory was losing patience. When she turned her head, the man's steps quickened, so she grabbed a glass bottle, ready to defend herself.
"Hey, jerk, I've been ignoring you, but it's obvious you've been following me for the past ten minutes, so stop or I'm calling the police." Tory's voice was icy, showing no fear as she confronted the man before her.
"Pretty girl, I'm going the same way. Who do you think you are to talk to me like that, you little b—" The man taunted, staring at Tory with an intimidating look. With his tattoos and the bandanas in his hands, it was clear he belonged to a gang.
"Just get lost and stop following me." Tory turned away with her cart, feeling increasingly worried, but the only way to shake off a stalker like him was to head toward a crowded area.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, so listen when I speak."
"Screw off! I told you to stop following me!" Just as Tory was about to throw the bottle at her stalker and make a run for it, an unfamiliar voice sounded behind her.
"She told you to leave her alone."
"Huh?" Tory gasped in surprise as a tall figure stepped between her and the man. She didn't know him, but she could tell he was a good guy willing to step up to help her.
"Is there a problem, buddy?" Max looked at the tattooed man with a cold stare.
"Stupid kid. If you're looking for trouble, you don't have the guts to solve it." As the man said this, he lifted part of his shirt, revealing the handle of a knife above his waistband.
Max smirked and said, "If you're showing a weapon, you'd better know how to use it. Are you really faster than me, drunk?"
Hearing those words, the man saw a blade in Max's hand and scowled, but realizing the other guy was also armed, he spat, "Screw you both. I'm out of this stupid place."
"Aren't you going to apologize? Stupid thug…"
"Screw you!"
Max was about to release his anger on this jerk who had harassed an unsuspecting girl when suddenly a slender hand grabbed his arm.
"That's enough. Let's go," Tory said, looking him in the eyes. She wanted to end this as quickly as possible since looking for more trouble was the last thing she wanted.
"Did that jerk do anything to you?" Max asked, gazing into her eyes, his stare reflecting a fierceness usually hidden behind a friendly smile or indifference toward others.
Tory shook her head and replied, "I'm fine. He just started following me when I entered the store. It's not a big deal."
"You should've called security or someone nearby immediately. Are you the type who always wants to handle everything alone? It could have been dangerous. What if I hadn't been here?" Max asked, slightly bewildered by Tory's actions but more irritated by that jerk from a moment ago.
"I'm fine. That's what matters." Tory only now noticed that Max was blind in his left eye, the scar around it adding a menacing look to his face.
But this didn't matter to her, and with a relieved smile, she thanked him, "I'm Tory. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Max..." After calming himself, Max, who hadn't lost control since returning from Japan, grew a little concerned.
He hoped he hadn't frightened Tory, but she seemed to have more urgent things to worry about.
"By the way, Max, do you get into fights often?" Tory asked, referring to the scar on Max's eye.