The One

What a lowlife

The moment the small-sized boy left the table to head to the toilet, one of the hooligans leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper yet dripping with malice. "So that's the boy who fancies you, huh?"

The ugly sidekick, with a self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face, pointed toward the restroom as he shot a glance at their leader. The leader merely raised an eyebrow, a slow nod confirming his unspoken thoughts, a satisfied grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

Another sidekick chuckled, his voice dripping with disdain. "He's new, so he's got no clue how our captain operates. Poor sap."

"What's the plan, boss?" asked yet another lackey, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Let's have some fun, shall we? We need to eat lunch after all." The captain leaned back in his chair, a wicked glint in his eyes. "I'll humiliate him in front of the whole school on Monday, but first? I'll ask him to be my boyfriend by the end of our little date."

"Damn! Our captain's savage!" one of the boys whistled, clearly impressed.

"Yup, he's definitely not gay. That's been proven!" chimed in another sidekick, laughter bubbling up like they'd just shared a brilliant joke.

"You two really think I'm gay? Hell to the no! I can't stand those types. That dude's just a sissy," the captain scoffed, straightening up as if he were defending a precious secret.

Just then, Karol arrived at their table, her arrival heralded by her trademark cheerful chirp. "I'm back!" she announced, plopping down next to her sister. She immediately sensed the tension, glancing at her family who wore expressions of outrage crossed with confusion. "What did I miss? What's got everyone in a twist?"

Sharon's face twisted in disgust as she explained, "See that group in front of us? They waltzed in right after you and were all over this small boy who's... well, let's just say he's not exactly their type. The one in the black shirt—a total homophobic jerk—belittles him behind his back. It's appalling."

"What the hell is wrong with them?" she muttered, annoyance bubbling forth. "Why can't they just be decent humans?"

"And to top it all off, they plan to bleed the poor kid dry before tossing him aside. They want to humiliate him on Monday, call him out in front of the whole school," Sharon continued, her voice seething with indignation as she recalled bullying cases she had dealt with before. "That's the boy—the small one who's got a crush on the one in the black shirt." She nudged her sister, who turned her gaze to the same group.

As she spotted the small boy returning from the toilet, her heart softened. "Oh my God, he's adorable! So tiny and beautiful!" She couldn't help but beam at the sight of him.

"I know, right?" William replied, disappointment dancing in his eyes. "It's such a shame he's falling for that wanker while the others are just foolishly following along."

Anna shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Let's just bide our time and wait for the right moment to step in, shall we, my lovely family?" The others nodded, their collective resolve solidifying as they continued to eavesdrop.

"Did you guys order anything?" the small boy enquired, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Yes, we did, but I had no idea what you'd want, so we left you out," the leader replied, grinning a bit too broadly, showcasing his not-so-charming side.

Suddenly, a gaggle of material girls burst onto the scene, squashing themselves between the boys, and leaving the cute boy standing alone, confusion knitting his brow. "Oh, I forgot to mention I invited my girlfriend," a sidekick piped up, clearly relishing the chaos.