The final bell of middle school rang, its shrill sound signaling the end of another year. For most students, it was a moment of celebrationâsummer break ahead, the promise of freedom, and the transition to high school. For Arata Tatsuma, it was just another day, another moment to survive.
He gathered his things slowly, eyes locked on the report card he'd been given. Average. His grades were nothing special, and nothing had changed since the start of the year. He wasn't smart enough to stand out, nor strong enough to avoid the constant ridicule. He was just⌠there.
"Hey, Tatsuma! You still here?"
Arata's stomach dropped. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Kaito, always there to remind him of his place. Kaito wasn't popular in the school, but in their class? He was the one who called the shots. An average student, but with a sharp tongue, quick wit, and a knack for making people feel small.
Arata barely turned his head as Kaito walked up to him, a smug grin on his face. "What, you still haven't left? The bell just rang, we're done with middle school, and you're still here looking like some sad leftover."
Arata remained silent, clenching his fists inside his pockets, trying to ignore the weight of Kaito's words. He could already hear it, Kaito's voice rising with insults. "God, even your clothes are a joke. What is this, some second-hand bargain-bin stuff? Your mom never bothered to buy you anything decent, huh?"
Arata's face flushed with shame, but he stayed quiet. Kaito always knew how to hit him where it hurt.
Kaito leaned in closer, his voice lowering, more mocking now. "But hey, it's not like it matters. I guess you'll just go home to an empty house anyway. Your mom left you, didn't she? Off to have a new life with someone better. Your dad? Too busy with his new wife and sons to even remember you exist. You've got nothing, Tatsuma. You're just some forgotten nobody."
Arata's chest tightened. He wanted to say something, wanted to stand up for himself, but the words stuck in his throat. It hurt too much. It was true.
His mother had left him years ago, remarried, and started a new life. She was living somewhere else now with her new family, and Arata had never been a part of it. His dad? He remarried too, had two younger sons. Arata barely even existed in their lives anymore.
Kaito's voice cut through the silence, each word sharp like a blade. "I bet your mom's living it up while you're here. She doesn't even think about you, does she? Doesn't care what happens to you."
Arata stood there, frozen, his mismatched eyes staring at the ground. The world felt suffocating. He was nothing. Kaito was right. His appearance wasn't much better than his life. His clothes were hand-me-downs, his hair long and messyâhe purposely kept it that way to hide his face. The ugliness was his shield.
Kaito smirked, walking around Arata, his eyes scanning every part of his appearance with disgust. "And look at youâyour hair's a mess, your face is a mess, your clothes are a mess. I don't even know why I waste my time talking to you."
Just then, another student, Yuto, a popular jock from the class, came up behind Arata. "Hey, Kaito, leave the loser alone. I don't think anyone here wants to be reminded of how much of a failure Tatsuma is."
Yuto shoved Arata from behind, making him stumble forward. Kaito laughed, his voice mocking. "Good one, Yuto. But hey, don't be too hard on him. He's probably used to it."
Before Arata could react, Kaito grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him forward, slamming him into the wall. "Hey, Tatsuma, you wanna fight back?" Kaito's face was close to his, a twisted grin on his lips. "Or are you just gonna keep being a little coward, hiding behind that ugly face of yours?"
Arata's breath quickened, the pain in his chest growing. He wanted to hit Kaito, to finally stand up for himself, but his body wouldn't move. The fear held him back, chaining him to the same place, the same feeling of helplessness he always had.
Kaito shoved him again, this time harder. "Pathetic."
"Alright, that's enough." Yuto stepped in, grabbing Kaito by the shoulder and pulling him away. "Come on, let's go. We've already had our fun." He shot one last glance at Arata, his eyes filled with disdain. "You better be careful next time, Tatsuma. We don't always play nice."
Arata fell to his knees as soon as they walked away, his body shaking with a mix of anger and humiliation. The laughter of the other students echoed in his ears as he stared at the ground, his heart pounding in his chest.
At Home
Arata stepped into the small apartment that felt emptier than usual. His dad was still working, his new wife and sons probably spending their time somewhere else. There was nothing here for him. Nothing ever was.
He stared at the pile of clothes in the corner. Hand-me-downs. His dad didn't seem to care about buying him new ones. He didn't seem to care about anything. He had his new family now. Arata was just... left behind.
He dropped his bag on the floor and stared at the photos on the wallâold pictures of him and his mom, back when things were different. Back when she cared.
Now? She had a new family. She didn't need him.
Arata looked at the report card in his hands. Average. Just like everything else. It was like he was in a world where he didn't belong, always out of place, always overlooked.
The voice in his head echoed again: "You're nothing. You'll always be nothing." Kaito's words. His father's silence. His mother's absence.
Arata clenched his fists, trying to push the thoughts away. But they wouldn't go. Not today. Not when everything felt so heavy.
Tomorrow would bring high school. A new beginning. But would it really be any different? Would anyone even notice him there? Or would it be the same as alwaysâalone, invisible, forgotten?