Reality Quest: A Monster

[A/N: Read the Auxillary chapters first.]

I looked at the person in front of me, his hands were clenched and raised, and his expression was full of satisfaction and smugness.

To this moment, I have no idea why they're doing this to me.

I didn't feel the slightest pain from whatever they did to my body, but my mind couldn't figure out why they're like this... All the people that beat me have the same expression.

Happiness.

Is it fun?

Is it fun hurting people?

But I know, my mind couldn't answer that.

I just remembered what that coach said to me.

"You're asking me if hurting people is fun?! Hahaha, what a stupid question. Of course it's fun!! Do you think bullies bully the weak for no reason at all? No, they do that for fun and for their self-satisfaction."

From how it looks right now, it seems true.

"Come to this gym tomorrow and I'll show you the path of power! For now, look at this and see if you can replicate it. One-Two!"

One-Two is a simple form, a simple jab and punch. But I can perfectly imitate it at one glance.

The student thug's fist finally hit my face.

"Look at this bastard, you think you're tough?"

"Hahaha, he has always been like that, he's not pretending, his mind is just fucked from what it seems."

"Yeah, we tried to get him to cry by locking him up in the school storage room, but he literally stayed there for one day. When we opened the door, he just sat there and looked at us with those creepy eyes."

The thug that punched me raised his brows.

"Hoh, why don't we make him cry today?"

"I bet you a cigarette that you can't."

"I bet three."

The thug that was holding me seemed to get some energy again as he lifted me using my shirt and started beating me. Even after all those beatings, they couldn't get what they want.

The word "cry" left my mind long ago when my parents died, I wouldn't even remember it if these people hadn't brought it up.

"Tsk, what's with this guy?"

"Told you, we sometimes even call him 'Lifeless Guy' here. Now pay up."

"Tsk, here!"

The thug reluctantly passed the cigarettes to the other two.

"Before we leave, I will make this guy pay first for those cigarettes and give him a couple more punches since he's the reason I lost those precious cigarettes, haha."

"You're crazy, you'll kill him at this rate."

"I don't care!"

He grabbed me by the shirt again, however, as he was about to punch me, a voice stopped him.

"Hey, what are you doing to him?!"

It was a girl with dark eyes and black hair in a ponytail. Even though I don't have an interest in her, I couldn't help but admit that she's beautiful. She glared at the guy holding me and approached.

"We're just playing here, now leave."

"Playing?! I can see blood on his mouth!"

The bully looked around at first, then remembered that they're at the back of the building right now, and smiled.

"Hold her, guys."

The two other bullies had a grin on their faces as they held Ahrin in their arms. Her eyes turned dark and her face paled as the bully slowly got closer to her.

"What are you planning to do with me?"

The bully grabbed her face and smiled widely.

"What do you think?"

"Y-y-you can't do that, y-you'll be in jail if you do!"

Instead of replying, the bully slapped her face with the back of his hand.

"Arrogant bitch, you think everybody cares about you just because you're beautiful?"

Ahrin, who was dumbfounded by the slap, couldn't help but be enraged as she brought her fist backwards and kicked towards the man's main weakness. Unfortunately, the bully managed to block it and, in return, punched her in the stomach.

"You bitch!"

Ahrin's legs became weak as she gasped for air. The punch was painful, really painful, but she couldn't hold her stomach as the two other guys helped her up.

I looked at this scene without any sense of pity. But something was pushing me to stand up and help her.

I didn't what it was but I followed it.

I stood up straight with my hands lying down like they're dead.

Noticing me stand up, one of the guys holding the girl alerted the guy who punched the girl.

"So you're still alive?"

I ignored what he said and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Is it fun hitting people?*

"Hah?? It seems your brain got wasted after my beating."

"Is it fun hitting people?"

The bully's face quickly turned sour, then he quickly ran to me. He was running very slowly in my eyes.

I quickly adapted the One-Two form that the coach showed me and gave the bully a powerful, precise and lightning-fast jab.

My fist goes straight ahead without the guy even having a time to react.

Thudddd

The bully instantly fell unconscious on the ground upon contact with my fist.

"Wha-what just happened?"

"I don't know! That guy did a boxing stance, then Shin suddenly fell on the ground."

I ignored the unconscious man named Shin and slowly moved towards the other two.

The two other bullies froze on the spot, and their expressions quickly turned to fear as they saw me approach. They tried to escape, but it was already too late.

I adapted the One-Two form again and struck the back of their heads with powerful jabs, the two fell unconscious on the ground almost at the same time.

With nothing left to do here, I walked without looking back.

"Wait, hah-hah, help me get up, please."

At the girl's request, I turned around and got her up.

She tried to helped me so I must do the same.

"Can you help me at least get to the school infirmary?"

I looked her straight in the eyes to see her reaction.

As expected, she also avoided it. But there's no disgust or fear.

She just avoided it without a particular reason.

It seems that I still don't know how to judge other people's reactions.

"Wait, do you even know where the infirmary was?"

"I was brought there many times."

"Haha, I can see why."

I looked at her, and seeing my expressionless face, she closed her mouth and stopped talking.

I entered the school building while assisting the girl who tried to help me on walking.

I didn't know her name, but I didn't want to ask since this is probably the last time we will talk to each other.

We will probably part ways after I bring her to the clinic.

As we were walking in the hall, she suddenly started talking again.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Yu."

"Yu? Do you have a last name?"

I didn't answer that question, for me, saying my name was enough.

"Oh, okay, I will call you Yu then. My name is Ahrin, Joo Ahrin."

Once again, there was a silence between us.

But she continued.

"You're very cool back there, I don't even know how you did that. Those super fast punches, I mean. Your body doesn't look strong enough to manage to do that. Ah, and why do you allow them to beat you up like that if you can just beat them?"

"It was bothersome to do anything to them."

"But that's not good, you have to fight back and defend yourself."

I once again didn't bother replying to her.

Truthfully, what I said was the only reason I didn't fight back or defend myself.

I don't really have any reason to do it, and therefore I didn't do anything and let them beat me.

Noticing the infirmary wasn't far ahead, I pointed towards it and said,

"We're here."

I then left her immediately, or so I thought.

Ahrin held my hand and pulled me.

"You can't leave, you don't look like you're in good condition right now."

Her eyes are full of determination, and the pain she had before seems to have vanished.

It seems that she wouldn't take no for an answer, so I also entered the infirmary with her.

"Hello, is anyone here?"

She called for the school nurse, but no one answered.

"It seems that they're not here."

Ahrin then pointed at one of the infirmary beds and said,

"Please sit there for a moment, I will just grab the first aid."

"Okay."

After a brief moment, she finally returned with the first aid in her hands.

Immediately, she started applying first aid to my injuries herself.

She even asked me to remove my uniform.

I think the word "inappropriate" is the right term for this.

I've seen many girls blush and be shy when they saw a man remove his shirt.

But this girl, Ahrin, didn't seem to be that type of girl.

Her focus never left as she tended to me.

There was a peaceful silence between us as time continued to run.

I also wanted to ask if she was alright already, but it seems a stupid question since she seems fine as she treated me, so I just didn't open my mouth.

Not long after, she was finally finished tending my injuries.

"Finally, done."

She then looked me in the eyes.

"Have you eaten anything yet?"

"No."

Ahrin's eyes gained a spark as she clapped her hands.

"Perfect timing, I haven't also eaten yet. Why don't we go to the cafeteria together with my friends? Ah, I also have to report about what happened before. Let's go first to the teacher and tell him about the bullying, then we go straight to the cafeteria. Sounds good?"

I nodded.

She then pulled me again and walked fast towards the faculty lounge.

After entering the faculty, we approached the head teacher and told him what the bullies did to us and where they were now before quickly leaving.

We then met with her friend.

She was brown-haired and wore an orange jacket. She was the same height as me, so when she looked at me, it was at a perfect angle.

"Who's this guy, Ahrin, and why is he full of bandages?"

"This is Yu. I saw him getting beat up, so I helped, and also got beaten up, but Yu then beat them with a very fast punch."

Hearing that, the girl's face turned from surprised to angry.

"What?! Someone hurt you? Who is it?"

"Haha, we already told the head teacher about it, don't worry. And they only punched me one time, it didn't hurt that much."

I can still remember that she was having a hard time breathing before, but I think she just didn't want her friend to worry.

"But still, how can anyone hurt you?"

Ahrin held her stomach and rubbed it.

"Come on, let's forget about it for now, I'm hungry, as well as Yu."

The friend raised her brow and looked at Ahrin holding my hand.

Noticing the gaze, Ahrin's hand immediately left mine and she said with a smile,

"Come on, let's go. Follow me, Yu."