"Hahaha, this guy is the best!" A tall, thin, and pale high school student laughed near the door of one of the bathrooms at Veritas High.
"I didn't even know it was possible to stay underwater for that long." A large, muscular student crouched near one of the toilets, speaking enthusiastically.
"For real, for real, if he keeps this up, he'll soon be able to compete in some Olympic swimming event." The other student replied while keeping watch to see if anyone was approaching.
"No kidding, that's some serious dedication." Still crouching, the muscular teen turned to the student closest to him. "Right, Kai?" A wide grin spread across his face.
Also crouched near the toilet, soaking wet and listening to the mockery, was a boy who couldn't take the humiliation any longer.
"Seems like those past few months of training are really paying off, huh?" He gave Kai a few light slaps on the face. "Well, Kai? Answer me!"
An awkward silence filled the space. Instead of replying, Kai stared back at the student with hate in his eyes. He knew it was time to act. He didn't care anymore whether there would be consequences. He couldn't let things continue like this.
"Go…" He coughed.
"Go?"
"Go to hell, you son of a bitch."
A third boy, sitting on the sink with a jacket draped over his shoulders and his right foot bandaged, noticed the shift in Kai's demeanor and stood up. He put out the cigarette he was smoking and approached the toilet. The muscular student, startled, stood up as well. In an instant, Kai's head was shoved into the filthy toilet water. He was reminded why he never talked back or rebelled, why that hellish situation had started, and why it never seemed to end. It was all because of that damned student—Ray.
"When someone asks you a question, you answer, you piece of trash!" the leader of the trio bellowed, holding Kai's head down in the toilet. "Who said you could talk back? Are you insane?" Kai tried desperately to resist, but Ray, a recently crowned two-time national boxing champion in his age group, wasn't someone anyone could take on easily—even with a busted foot.
Maybe I'd stand a chance if I'd kept up with my weight training and martial arts, but I gave all that up because of them.
"Did you forget that you've belonged to me ever since that day, Kai—when you tried to save that nerd and took his place?" Ray smiled. "Speaking of which, where is he now? Did he even thank you once?"
While his face remained submerged, Kai thought back to how it all began. The trio of bullies had transferred to Veritas High earlier that year. In no time, they were harassing the class, demanding money from everyone, and targeting his childhood friend in particular. At the time, Kai trained in Muay Thai almost daily and wasn't intimidated, but the trio chose not to face him head-on. Instead, they followed him home after school.
They found out where he lived—a crumbling house on the edge of town—where he lived with his younger sister. From that moment, life became a nightmare. The bullies beat him regularly, always under the threat that if he resisted, they would harm his sister.
All because I tried to be a hero.
Six long months had passed—possibly the worst of Kai's life—filled with the kind of cruelty he once believed only existed in movies: bullying, merciless abuse for no reason at all.
After pulling Kai's head out of the toilet once again, the trio's leader spoke.
"You know what? You're not showing us enough respect. Maybe I should have a little fun with her," he leaned close to Kai's ear, "your sister, I mean." Ray laughed. "Maybe then you'll learn your place, you piece of shit."
"Ray, you promised you'd never do anyth—" The defenseless boy was dragged by his collar to the sink. "What are you doing, Ray?"
"I promised I wouldn't mess with either of you as long as you behaved like my dog. But the problem is, Kai, over the past few months, you've been baring your fangs more and more. You're the one breaking the deal."
You really say anything to justify your cruelty, don't you? If my family wasn't at stake… if I hadn't been so careless back then… I swear I would've ended this already.
Kai dropped to his knees in the middle of the bathroom and bowed his head at Ray's feet.
"Please… forgive me."
Everyone was stunned. After a moment, the room burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, this guy's pathetic. What the hell is this?"
"I've never seen anything like this, man, this is insane!"
"Good dog," the leader sneered with a wicked smile. "Alright, seems like you've learned your lesson. Do five laps barking, and I'll forgive you." As Kai began to rise, Ray shook his head. "No, no, no. Do five laps on all fours—like a dog."
Not much longer now. In just a few more months, we'll be done with high school and I'll never see these idiots again. I can't act impulsively now. I have to hold on. I have to hold on…
The bathroom door handle suddenly rattled, but the door didn't open—blocked by one of the bullies. Rapid, strong knocks followed, drawing everyone's attention just as Kai was about to obey.
"I really need to pee! Please, someone let me in!"
"Go to another bathroom, dumbass."
"The other one's too far—this one's closest to my classroom."
"Goddammit, you damn nerd, just leave already!"
For a moment, the delinquent lost his grip, and the other student managed to get in.
"I don't know why the skinny guy couldn't handle you, but…" Ray stared closely. "Oh, it's your ex-friend, isn't it, Kai? Look at the little gems fate gives us." He pulled a box cutter from his coat pocket and prepared to strike. "No one defies my orders in this school and gets away with it." His right hand moved quickly, aiming to slash the face of the newcomer.
Before the blade could strike, Kai instinctively stepped in. For a moment, Ray thought about stopping—but the thought of someone defying him again only enraged him further. He shifted his feet to strike—but his injured foot was in worse shape than expected. He stumbled, felt a sharp pain, and the box cutter slipped from his hand.
"Damn it! Shit!" He spun around, clutching his foot in pain, unaware of what had just happened.
"Ray…" said the muscular student.
"This damn right foot! I'm gonna lose it!"
"Ray…" the other student echoed.
"Why do you nerds keep popping up one after another? I swear, I'll kill every last one of you!"
"RAY!" both shouted in unison.
"What?!" The leader seemed confused by their panic.
"Look in front of you." The tall student gestured, pointing out that something was terribly wrong.
It didn't take long for everyone to realize what had happened. Ray's box cutter had landed in Kai's throat. Blood was pouring everywhere.
"Ah… Ah…" Seeing the horror in their eyes, the wounded boy looked at his reflection in the mirror and went pale.
"AH!" The delinquent leader ran out of the bathroom as fast as he could.
"Ray! Holy shit! Holy shit!" The other two followed.
"Kai, what…" His former friend fainted at the sight of the blood.
"I don't believe it. This can't be happening."
What a ridiculous situation. Why did this have to happen to me?
"Someone help me, please!" He screamed and screamed, but there was no answer. "Please! Anyone!" His breathing grew weaker. The boy, covered in blood, looked at the one who had fainted.
Seriously, what did I do to deserve this? And the worst part…
"I'm about to die, and you're not even here to thank me for saving you again." He sighed. "Why did I jump in front of the blade? Why did I try to protect you again? What the hell is wrong with me? This world is full of trash like Ray… and fools like me."
His consciousness began to fade, and his sense of time started to warp. His vision blurred, his breathing faltered, his body signaled that it was about to give out for good.
"No, maybe it's more accurate to say this world is full of wolves and lambs."
Memories began to flash—his parents' death, one of his sister Lisa's birthdays, the day he started Muay Thai training. All of it felt distant, meaningless, now that he was on the brink of death.
"All I know is…" he struggled to breathe, "…if I were to reincarnate…" he gasped, "…I would never try to be a hero again."
"Lisa, I'm sorry for leaving you like this." More flashes of the past. "Mom, Dad… I never would've said those things if I'd known what was coming." He began to cry. "I'm scared. I'm scared. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. Someone, please… someone…" His mind began to go blank. "I… don't… want… to die…"
The boy died in a pool of blood, lying on the cold bathroom floor.
Kai felt a sudden heat and opened his eyes. "What's going on? Did I die?" He looked around. "What the hell is this?" Before he could understand, a message appeared before him—like a notification in a video game.
[The 999th villain has just been slain by the hero. Your main mission is to replace him and become the next great villain of this world within the time limit. The system will assist you in your progression. Good luck.]
"What the…"