*
I arrived to class early that day, and there was a fight. My classmates tend to stay away from me, conflict like this was rare. I stood outside the classroom, just about to enter when I overheard.
"Hah?! Who the hell do you think you are! I've had it with him! We'll beat Micia up, and you will be first for stepping in!" (Felix)
A group if boys from my class was facing off with... Lucas and Furkar. Was that why they were so quiet on the first day? Have they been fighting all this time? They seemed used to the scuffle. I pushed the door with all my force, slamming it into the side with a heavy thud that drew everyone's attention. I didn't need anyone to tell me, I had always been studying till late and coming to class late to avoid interacting with the other students. I wasn't supposed to be here this early, it was my fault for prying into what was not meant for me.
"You... If you had a problem with me, don't drag in other people!!" (Faramicia)
I see, they've been taking care of me all this time. They must have felt responsible and confronted my classmates. Only this caused tensions to soar higher and culminated in a scuffle. I am not the same as who I was before. I don't need your help anymore, but thank you. It feels good knowing that there are others who know. Before I knew it, I ran in and joined the brawl.
Later on I was told by Lucas that they were looking for a way to deescalate the situation, but I simply lit the fuse instead. After a stern warning from the teacher of how the matter is going to dragged in the principal and even my parents, we were sent to the infirmary. I replied with glee.
"I couldn't let them get away with it! Not when you guys were about to get hurt. I figured if I'm the only one fighting, I would lose quick and it would end.
I'm sorry, I let you see another pathetic side, and even got your help with the fight. " (Faramicia)
" Hmpf! Now that you're strong enough, you should be fine on your own. " (Furkar)
"... Are you an idiot!? If you went in, of course we had to too! Haah~ it's alright, punching that guy's face was satisfying, we simply had a thing going on with Felix before we even split classes.
That guy went and found lackeys instead of studying. No wonder he could find them, they're all dumb! " (Lucas)
Speaking of which, Felix posed as a friend and went to my house that time. Despite saying something sensible, trying to dismiss my parents remarks, I didn't expect he had such a grudge. Maybe Lucas and Furkar also kept fueling it with their tangles with each other. I minimised contact with all of the, yet it still ended up like this. I suspect he couldn't handle someone improving and beating him in exams, at the same time he couldn't bear putting in the effort himself. That left him to brew and wallow in his own frustrations that he projected onto me as a scapegoat for his feelings.
Did his parents start comparing like mine did? After all, he is old Lor's kid. Needless to say kindergarten studies is in another dimension of easiness, it wasn't meant to be hard. I spent most of my time watching TV, increasing my study time from 0 minutes to 10 minutes per week etc...
"You guys have been helping me since the start, haven't you? Thank you, I can't express my gratitude enough." (Faramicia)
"... Did the new environment course correct you into a nerd? What the hell... You're welcome about it. We just did what we had to. Though the result isn't so great to speak of, since they're contacting our parents right now, Haha!" (Lucas)
"Hah?! How's that funny? My track records about to be smudged by this guy, you know...?" (Furkar)
After that, we got the scolding of our lives and never met again. An entire residential zones' worth of students attend the same school at the centre of the zone. It wouldn't be impossible to go searching for them, one way or another it meant that everyone's connected by someone. It'd be a herculean task for someone like me to start socialising just to find a couple people, but not undoable.
I casted elementary school, isolated from those embarrassing situations until I reached middle school and met my current friends. HengJi, Arugawa, and Edward. They went to the same high school that I did, the last 6 years of my life was all a story for another day... If there was another day to live. Late in elementary school, before meeting these friends, I dived into anime and discovered magical girls.
They're just like Lucas and Furkar, they protect everyone from the shadows like those two did for me. Without recognition, they continue to battle. While tacky, their costumes somehow bring it all together with the transformation sequences. Like sauce belonging on rice, you couldn't avoid the transformation scenes. They're sparkly, over the top. Their drama is overexxagerated, lacking any of the candidness I possessed during that situation with Lucas and Furkar.
Yet, even so... Their world was too beautiful. Expectations, lack of expectations, magical girls were either around my age or middleschoolers and they tussled with such issues so frequently. Maybe the writers couldn't help but recycle plots, the show airs every morning after all, it's bound to run into some issues from the crunch. The animation is not the greatest, often there are errors in many frames. However, it was still all beauty I could never have.
They faced their problems head on, they fight it out or argue with friends, they make up and end up stronger than before to defeat the big bad. They then spread that courage they have to others, hoping that other people's lives are slightly happier, slightly easier with a little more courage. I wish I had such a thing when I was in kindergarten, maybe I wouldn't end up like this, like such a pathetic loser.
When I entered elementary school, I faced the gulf of difficulty in studies and socialising. Once again, I locked everything out, picking up this hobby known for making losers happy. I saw it now, and perhaps, I'm a little happier too. Magical girls really are goddesses. They shine so brilliantly in life, tackling everything head on with such divine light. They're like another species compared to me.
That's why, I was never meant to...
*Squelch*
A warmth flows into me, as if to lift me into the heavens. My blood loss still pushes me onto the brink of death but my wounds are healing... I can't see clearly, but I think a fist beheaded the vampire consuming my about-to-be corpse.
"... Jeez, I sensed a new magical signature just in time... If you're a newbie you should have cried for help. I'd have reached you no matter where you were." (Sariel)