Mikey x that one guy from episode 9 (Ryohei Hayashi)

Chapter 2

Pov: That random guy

I was walking home I still couldn't get rid of the feeling that I'd just met the most annoying person in my entire life. Like why does he have to be so annoying, I could have taken care of those boys myself. 

Out of nowhere, this throbbing pain hits the back of my head hard. I stumble forward, gasping for air, only to be hit with another punch. Enraged, I turn around to see my assaulter.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?"

"You thought you could get rid of us with the help of that guy, huh?" It was one of the bullies.

"I don't need help, I could take you guys, it's just not fair that it's always 8 vs 1!" I shout, getting back up onto my feet. He goes to shove me but I land a hard punch on his shoulder, he grabs for it, and I can tell it hurts like hell. 

"You're a brat! You'll regret that!"

"Everyone keeps on saying that!" In anger, I get in a stance and punch him again, this time in the face. "What I can and can't do, just shut up! I've got it, damnit!" I shout while punching over and over again, everything just comes all out. Finally, it's over, I make it home, aching from getting beat and doing the beating. 

"Brother?" I look over and see my 9-year-old little brother. "Oh, you're back, you clean now, I'm done."

"Don't look like you're done. I still see dust, you obviously have not cleaned."

He frowns and whines. "Yes, I did! You want it cleaner, you do it yourself!"

"Nah."

"Then don't complain,"  He mumbles and gets back to work wiping down the coffee table with a rag, as he does so I go over to put my stuff away in my room, "Why do you look like that?"

"I'm telling mom."

"No, I mean yes, but like why do you look dirty and red." He points to my arms and face, all the places I've been hit. I sigh.

"You'll understand when you're my age. Keep cleaning, no one said to stop working."

"Burn."

"'Burn.'" I mock him as I walk into my room. Changing out of my school uniform, I took the crumpled test out of my pocket, I got 2% on it. I bite my lip and inhale deeply, crumpling it back up again and taking it to the kitchen trashcan, I open it and throw it in. 

"And that is?" A woman's voice asks sternly, I flinch and move away.

"It's nothing, mom!" I say quickly knowing damn well that she will never buy that crap, 'It's nothing'?  Yeah sure. 

"You failed another quiz." She frowns and puts her hands firmly on her hips, looking down at me all judging and motherly. I fidget with my fingers.

"No."

"Oh, yeah, of course, though, a look like that tells a different story."

"It was a test this time."

"And that's better?" She sighs, I look down and away. "Listen,  you try, but you have it in you to try harder. Next time you will prove me so." The older woman nods, then smiles, 'How beautiful' I think, I may be stupid but she doesn't shame me for it, she motivates me and only shames me when I give up or don't try, but still, she remains supportive. A woman unlike most mothers, she's more aware and clever than any other mother I've heard of, plus, she gets me, she always had. 

"So no punishment?" A small hopeful smile creeps onto my face.

"Who do you take me for? You are expected to be indoors by, at the latest, 6:00 PM."

"Until when?"

"Until the chain breaks."

"Hm?"

"I want to see above a 40% next time."

"That's fifty times the percent I got this time!"

"Twenty, actually. Two multiplied by twenty gives you forty, two multiplied by fifty gives you one hundred." She corrects me and goes back to setting the table for dinner.

"I can't, I'm slow, even my little brother is smarter than me!"

"You can't expect a change like that with an attitude like that. Oh, and fetch him over, it's time for dinner."

During the course of dinner we talk about ways to help me actually pass, even if I barely make it. Sometimes I wonder how I got the short end of the stick. Mother and brother both have the clever genes yet I'm as dumb as anything, the only thing I've got is my fighting, but I can't even defeat all my bullies without help so there goes that.