“… Student, student, wake up.”
My body was vigorously shaken. The voice in my ear was unfamiliar. I frowned and opened my eyes slowly. Did I see dark blue pants? When I looked up, I saw the security guard bending over and staring at me.
My body was crumpled like a discarded tissue.
“Ugh…”
“Did you sleep outside? You can’t do this here. Did you also smoke?”
I got up while the guard was nagging. I was still groaning and half-asleep. I blinked slowly a couple of times before coming to my senses.
My body was bruised, and my entire body ached from being beaten by Joss. My cheeks were a little swollen when I touched my face.
The previous night’s events came to mind. I hit my older brother in the head and ran away while fighting with him. Then, while sniffling and wiping away my tears on the bench, I ran into Joss, with whom I had gone to elementary and middle school, and we fought.
To be honest, I was worried about coming across as weakling in the fight and losing as soon as possible, but it was a long fight. The fight was a complete mess. I grabbed a handful of Joss's hair, kicked him hard on the thigh, ripped the zipper off his jumper, and threw it somewhere on the ground. And just as I was about to hit Joss on the cheek like he did to me, he kicked my shoulder. He ran away with his friends, leaving me on the ground, and calling me a crazy bastard. I think I won, but it was a bitter victory. I lay on my back on a bench alone, wiping away tears, touching my cheeks, sniffling, and closing my eyes. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but when I lay down, I fell asleep.
And morning came.
“Oh!”
I quickly reached into my pockets and took out my phone. The battery was out. What time was it right now? I need to get to school.
“U-uncle, do you know what time it is?”
“Now? It was past nine. It’s almost ten o'clock.”
My heart was racing as I heard the uncle’s words. Furthermore, because today was the day before the college entrance exam and a preliminary call-up day, it ended early. It would be pointless to go now… My mind was filled with complicated thoughts.
“I still have to go…”
I didn’t like being absent from school because of a quarrel with my older brother. Nobody could have predicted that I would become so messed up in one night. Even I had no idea.
It was easier than I expected to become a delinquent teenager. I suddenly considered what I would do once I finished school, but nothing came to mind. I thought it would be fine if I just ran straight to Tay's house, but I also hated having to explain everything to Tay.
Anyway, I have my way.
~
The classroom was quite noisy. when I carefully opened the back door and entered. It was most likely due to the teachers’ neglect of the class because they only had morning classes.
When I walked in wearing a mask I bought at a convenience store in front of the school, the noisy guys turned their heads toward me.
“Hey, New Thitipoom!”
Book, who was sitting in the front, called me. I shifted my gaze to Book, then walked to my seat.
“New Thitipoom.”
Tay, who was sitting, called me. It was a good thing I was wearing a mask. I couldn’t explain the swelling in my face. When I left my house yesterday, I was beaten up. Of course, I hit him a lot too, but… Anyway, I deserved it because I was the one who hit him first.
