BIG-J

15

Filled with excitement about my relationship with Dominic, I entered school, eagerly anticipating the sight of him. And just as I had hoped, as soon as he spotted me among the crowd, he rushed over, lifting me in his arms, and spun us around before planting a sweet kiss on my lips. It was undeniably adorable, but the stares and whispers from onlookers made it a bit awkward. Despite the attention, I tried my best to ignore it and focused on the warmth of Dominic's hand in mine, solidifying our relationship in the eyes of everyone around us.

Throughout the day, I didn't catch sight of James or Elinia at school. However, I did run into Shreya, and I introduced her to Dominic. Thankfully, they got along well, which brought me immense happiness. As the school day drew to a close, Dominic graciously dropped me off at the bus station. Before parting ways, he planted a tender kiss on my cheek, leaving me with a contented sigh.

Sitting down at the bus station, I opened my phone and checked my messages. Disappointed, I saw that James had seen my texts but hadn't replied. It stung a little, but at that moment, I didn't let it bother me too much. Life seemed to be taking a turn for the better with my newfound relationship with Dominic and everything else falling into place.

I gasped as I stepped off the bus station, only to be abruptly yanked into a nearby alley. Panic surged through me as my hair was painfully pulled, and I was forcefully pushed against the cold wall. It was Elinia, accompanied by her two friends, and the situation quickly turned into a nightmare.

As I attempted to raise my head to see what was happening, I caught sight of Elinia holding a pair of scissors. Fear coursed through my veins, realizing the danger I was in. Before I could react, Serena delivered a brutal stamp to my leg, intensifying the pain. Victoria then seized my hair, and with a cruel motion, she began cutting it, as Elinia recorded the entire ordeal.

Humiliation and embarrassment overwhelmed me as my hair fell to the ground, reduced to a symbol of their control over me. I felt weak and pathetic, despising every second of the torment. Elinia approached, her touch grazing my wounded cheek, and she whispered with a chilling tone, "You better break up with Dominic. He's mine."

Unable to respond, my lips bleeding and my body wracked with pain, I could only witness the scene fading away, the voices of my tormentors gradually growing distant as darkness engulfed my vision.

James' POV:

I had been preparing for another tournament, following the usual route that took me past Anushka's house. As I crossed, I overheard Elinia and her gang laughing and being obnoxiously loud. They mentioned Anushka, and my worry began to grow, but I brushed it off, focusing on the upcoming tournament.

However, when I opened my phone, I was confronted with a video posted on our school blog. It was Anushka being bullied, and I immediately knew who was responsible. Rage surged within me, overriding any thought of the tournament. I couldn't let this slide.

I rushed over to where Elinia and her gang were, anger boiling inside me. Confronting Elinia, I demanded to know where Anushka was and insisted that she delete the video. Elinia smirked, moving closer and provocatively touching my jaw, her words dripping with innuendo. Unable to tolerate her insolence, I pushed her aside and repeated my demand, warning her before things turned violent.

Her laughter only fueled my determination. Smirking, I replied, "Well, bitch, I warned you." Without hesitation, I went straight for her face, landing a punch that sent her stumbling, blood trickling from her nose. Serena and Victoria stood there, stunned by my actions. I locked eyes with them, daring them to challenge me next.

They looked at me in disbelief, pleading and then quickly retreated, leaving Elinia alone. She stared at me, a mix of astonishment and fear evident in her swollen eyes and bloodied nose. Smirking, I approached her, lifting her chin to get a better look at her pitiful state.

"That's quite a beautiful image," I taunted, taking a picture of her in her vulnerable state. I demanded that she delete Anushka's video and provide me with Anushka's location, and to my surprise, she complied, fear evident in her actions. I left her there, alone and humiliated, the taste of victory on my lips.

I rushed to Anushka's location, finding myself in a dark and ominous alley. There, I was confronted with the sight of her fragile body lying on the ground, her hair scattered around her. Guilt and frustration welled up within me as I realized the consequences of my presence in her life. "All I wanted was for her to stay away from me because I'm trouble, but it seems that her staying away from me is causing trouble," I thought, feeling a mixture of regret and annoyance.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I focused on the immediate concern at hand. I carefully lifted her delicate body, my mind now solely focused on her well-being. The tournament that had been my initial priority became a distant memory. My only mission now was to take care of her.

Arriving home, I gently laid Anushka on my bed, her vulnerability tugging at my conscience. Normally, I was the easygoing guy who frequented clubs and engaged in casual encounters, but I always respected a woman's boundaries and would never touch her without her consent. However, in this situation, I had to set aside my usual principles.

Knowing that I needed to tend to her wounds, I reluctantly began to undress her, praying that she had worn a bra. Thankfully, she was wearing a black bra, and I couldn't help but smirk at her curvaceous and alluring figure, even in this vulnerable state.

As I examined Anushka's wounds, my earlier smirk faded away. They weren't as severe as I had initially feared, but the sight of her injured body still pained me deeply. I left her side briefly to go to the kitchen, preparing a comforting bowl of hot soup for her. Once the soup was ready, I placed it on a heater to keep it warm and returned to Anushka's side with the first aid kit.

Taking a gentle approach, I began to cover the wounds on her body, ensuring they were properly cleaned and bandaged. Then, I shifted my attention to her delicate face. It wasn't the type of girl I would typically find myself attracted to, but there was something about her that intrigued me. She was trouble, that much was certain. As I touched her cheeks softly, cleaning up her bruises and swollen eye, a mixture of concern and tenderness washed over me. I placed a cold towel on her forehead to provide some relief and then stepped outside to the backyard for a smoke.

Looking out into the distance, frustration welled up inside me as I pondered the course of my life. All I wanted was to escape this country and town, but circumstances seemed to keep pulling me back. Lost in my thoughts, I received a notification on my phone. It was a message from Shreya, Anushka's friend whom I had been talking to recently. Although she had sparked my interest, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to reply at that moment. With a sigh, I re-entered the room, gathered my clothes, and headed into the shower, seeking solace in the comforting flow of water. 

Entering the washroom, I let out a mischievous smirk as I stood in front of the mirror, admiring my torso. "Damn, who's this sexy boi?" I playfully touched my hair, striking silly poses and sticking my tongue out for added effect. Entering the shower, I continued my playful antics, applying soap to my hair and gently running my hands over my body, pretending to be a superstar like Gemini, a K-pop artist. Lost in my concert fantasy, I belted out songs, letting the water cascade over me.

However, my blissful moment was abruptly shattered by a piercing scream that echoed through the house. Startled, I jerked, causing the soap to slip from my hand and my legs to collide, leading to an unexpected and rather ungraceful fall. "Fucking hell!" I cursed, the sudden scare catching me off guard.

Realizing that Anushka had woken up, I quickly exited the washroom, towel wrapped around my waist. In my haste, I completely forgot that I was half-naked, focused solely on attending to her needs and addressing her distress.