"So the cafe's a front?"
The boy asked the gangster who was standing outside, smoking his cigarette as the only thing between them is the barely open door of the cafe.
"Pretty much." The gangster said, exhaling out smoke.
"That's why the pay is too good to be true." The boy said nonchalantly as he wipes some blood off his hand.
The gangster looked at the door, he takes another puff from his cigarette. He was confused, most people would be scared with just the sight of him beating someone else.
But the kid inside wasn't shocked at all, hell he even joined in. He felt curious, curious about the kid and how he's this calm. The gangster exhales out the smoke from his lungs as he throws his cigarette at the trashbin beside him.
He went inside the cafe, only for him to see the man he was supposed to torture foaming in his mouth, eyes rolled back, and shaking violently.
"Oh, you're done with your cig, sir Gin?" The kid asked as the gangster flinched.
The gangster didn't notice his presence at all. He composed himself, trying not to embarrass himself in front of the kid.
The kid, on the other hand, was observing him like a hawk. His eyes focused on his every move, staying eerily silent as if he's judging the gangster's every action.
"Should I wake him up?" The kid asked the gangster as he pushed himself off the wall but the gangster stopped him.
"No need." The gangster said, grabbing a crowbar.
The boy's eyes widened. He knew what will happen next as the gangster drags the crowbar as he face the tortured man. He raised his crowbar and smashed the man's head with it.
He looked back, expecting that the kid would find it too much, only for him to see that the kid's gaze didn't waiver, watching with arms crossed.
"Seriously, what are you?" The gangster asked the kid behind him.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" The kid asked.
Does he really not know? The gangster asked himself. No ordinary person would stay alright seeing another person die. The gangster scoffed at himself, realizing that he's being paranoid over a kid.
"Any normal person would probably be disturbed seeing someone die infront of them, you know?" The gangster said, wanting some kind of answer, some kind of affirmation about his paranoia.
The boy turned silent for a second, his mouth slightly open before it turned into a smile as the gangster froze, terrified to his core.
"It's not my first time seeing someone die."
.
..
(Juwan's POV)
['It's your fault.]
Shut up.
[You're the reason why ^H%e***#*^^--]
Shut up..!
[Because you're weak.]
....
"I SAID SHUT UP!" I shouted as I woke up in cold sweat. I felt my chest tighten so I took a deep breath.
It's that nightmare again.
I put my hand on my forehead to massage myself, trying to lessen the headache I have. I checked the time on my phone and saw that it's just 4am.
God, I feel tired. I want to lay down and rest some more but I feel like that nightmare will just continue if I sleep again.
So like usual, I grabbed my jacket and went out for a run.
.
.
I arrived at school a bit earlier than I usually do, mostly because I don't have anything to do at home anyways.
I was about to enter the room when I suddenly heard that cat's voice.
"I'm sorry I can't accompany you properly Lovely." Pomfy said weakly.
"It's ok Pomfy, you're still recovering from that black card person right?" Lovely said in a comforting way.
I stood behind the room's door, eavesdropping in their conversation.
"Listen closely Lovely, there'll be two warps that will open today." Pomfy said, her voice sounding weaker.
"The first one is a Blade-quoinn's warp, go here first since the reward there is a skill you need, it'll be in Goe Ilaya city." She continued as Lovely listened closely.
"The second one is the Thunder Seer's warp. It'll happen around Cae Citrum city. It's a dangerous warp but you need to stop it to prevent a break... out..." Pomfy's voice became weaker as she start to fall asleep.
Cae Citrum huh, lucky. The skill I want can drop in the Thunder Seer's quest line but I didn't know I'd get it this early on.
After waiting for a minute, I finally entered the room.
"Yo, morning." I greeted Lovely since she's the only person in the room.
"Juwan! M-morning!" She greeted back enthusiastically and as if hiding something as she holds the keychain on her bag. You're being too obvious, Lovely.
"Well someone has lots of energy today." I teased her as I sit on her desk like I usually do.
"O-oh uhh, it's just that I'm excited to talk to someone! That's all!" You're not good at making excuses Lovely.
"Really now? So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked her smugly. Seriously, she really doesn't have to hide that she talks to Pomfy since no one knows she's a magical girl.
No one knows except for me.
"I uhmmm uhhh!" She ponders, thinking of something she can talk about.
"Ah--!" Her eyes lit up and then her expression turned sour.
"What's up?" I asked her as my eyes focused on her pink eyes behind her round glasses.
"I'm sorry but can I rant to you?"
"...? Ofcourse you can, what happened?" I felt a weird sense of amusement. Who would've thought that this timid person would ever rant about something?
"So you know that Xavier guy right?" She said, putting her hand on her cheek as if she's whispering.
"Yeah?"
"He's actually very rude!" She said as her eyebrows frowning.
I slightly closed my eyes, trying not to laugh before looking at her again.
"S-so..pftt-- so how did you find that out?" I asked as she grabbed my jacket's sleeve.
"You see when I was walking down the stairs, he bumped into me and I fell down! I got up and apologized but he told me to watch where I was going in a mean way!" She said passionately as she pulls on my jacket.
I closed my eyes again, trying my goddamn best not to laugh.
"So what did you do?" I asked her, my voice trembling slightly.
"I threw a book at him and it hit his head." She said so proudly, her smile triumphant as she raised her hand with a peace sign.
"Good job." I said proudly, raising my hand as she instinctively high fives it before patting her.
"Ah--! Hehe." She closed her eyes, letting me rustle her hair.
I realized what I was doing and pulled away my hand. Seriously what the hell am I doing?
"R-Right, I remembered something." I said as she looked at me, tilting her head slightly.
"Cedric likes hanging out in the arcades." Her eye's widened from my words as she smiles before pretending to cough.
"S-so Cedric likes going to the arcades huh." She said, her smile clearly visible.
You're too obvious, Lovely Aerin. I just smiled before standing up after seeing a certain someone on the door.
"Eh? Where are you going?" Lovely asked me as her eyes follows my movement.
"Hmm? Ah-- I just don't want to disturb you guys when you talk." I told her as she tilts her head again slightly.
The moment I walked away, Sonaia sneaked in and gave her a hug from behind.
"Morning Vely!" Sonaia said, startling Lovely.
"Sonaia?! M-morning!" Lovely replied as she compose herself.
They both talk for a while before Sonaia's eyes wander around the room and saw me sitting at my desk. She glared at me as I wave at her.
"So he really is your classmate." Sonaia said, still staring at me.
"I told you! A-and he always talk to me too! It's just that I-- didn't remember his name... But now I do!" Lovely said as she hid her face from embarrassment.
Sonaia kept glaring at me, still undecided if I'm trustworthy or not.
"What? You falling for me?" I jokingly asked Sonaia from the front row, mocking her as she finally realized how long she's been staring at me.
"As if." She scoffed at my comment before continuing her conversation with Lovely.
Sonaia Lunethorne, the bestfriend of Lovely Aerin and a future magical girl. How will I deal with this girl?
Imma just ignore her for now.
I'd rather focus on getting stronger before the main plot progress. I took my phone out and told Sir Gin that I won't be going to work today.
.
.
Well, this world certainly works in mysterious ways.
"I can't believe it, why do I have to eat lunch with you?" The girl with silver hair and a bitchy attitude asked me as she avoids even looking at me.
"Cuz Cedric invited Lovely to eat lunch with us." I said in a deadpan tone as I wait in line behind her.
"Yeah but you could've just not joined." Sonaia told me as she finally looks at me with an irritated expression.
"But I'll be sad if I didn't join my bestfriend and his crush during lunch." I told her mockingly as the line progresses slowly.
"Then you should've just stayed sad then."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a bitch?"
"No, in fact they call me pretty, beautiful even."
"Damn, lots of liars these days."
We both glared at each other before she tried to slap me as I easily avoid it, letting out my tongue to mock how slow her hands are. She kept trying to slap me but she got tired.
"God, I fucking hate you." She outright tell me as we're almost at the front of the line.
"But didn't God said to love thy neighbor?" I sarcastically told her as we wait in line.
"I'm not religious, and hell is too far for me to be your neighbor."
"Oh, I didn't know you live even deeper than hell, damn." She tried to smack me again but I easily avoid it.
As soon as we both got our food, we walked straight to the table. Sonaia and I stayed silent, both of us not wanting to waste our energy with each other.
I looked at our table and saw that Lovely and Cedric were talking to each other, those two looks so awkward that it's weirdly cute.
...But why do I feel that something's off-- ah fuck that's right!
In the corner of my eye, I saw Xavier walking towards our table, his tray filled with soggy and liquid foods and his eyes are focused on Lovely.
"Hey, hold this for me." I told Sonaia as I put my bread on her tray.
"What? Who the heck do you think you are to just-- Hey where are you going?!" Sonaia said as she tries to follow me as fast as she can but her tray is full of food.
I basically sprinted towards the table, reaching it before Xavier does.
"Heya, whatcha talking about?" I asked Cedric and Lovely as I stood up behind them, just slightly slouching while my eyes are focused on Xavier.
"Ah you fu-- I told you to stop startling me dude!" Cedric said as he composed himself.
Lovely giggles at how dumb we are.
"Oops, my hand slipped." Xavier uttered as he deliberately tilted his tray to the side, all of his mushy food and soup about to fall on Lovely.
I raised my hand upwards with enough force, smacking his tray back to him as all the soggy and liquid-y food he have hits his face.
He was stunned by what just happened as he looked at me.
"Oh man, you okay? You should've been more careful." I told him smugly. I winked at him, mocking his silly attempt of humiliating Lovely.
"Gasp! Xavier are you okay?" One of the girls following him asked as they try to wipe off the mess on his face and clothes.
He was clearly angry at me as he click his tongue before leaving the cafeteria.
"Petty bastard. You okay, Lovely? Anything spilled on you?" I asked as I shake the hand I used to hit with out of habit before patting her hair.
I looked at Lovely, only to see her with a stunned expression and a slight blush on her face. God fucking damn it, I raised another flag--. Fuck wait Cedric's here!
I immediately removed my hand as I look back at Cedric... only to see him with a stunned expression, looking at me with a slight blush on his face as well.
"Well, aren't you a slick bastard?" Sonaia told me with a smirk as she puts down her tray on the table.
"Here." She said as she threw the bread I bought at me as I catch it.
"Thanks." I said as I walk to the other side of the table and sat down beside her.
The both of us don't want to sit beside each other but we're both here to make sure the two people in front of us get together.
"Damn you're so sexy, Juwan." Cedric told me playfully as he laughs.
"Don't stroke this guy's ego Cedric, it's gonna immediately go to his head." Sonaia said as she eats her food.
"Still though, how did you know that Xavier's tray would slip from his hand?" Cedric asked as he eats his food as well.
"Oh, he intentionally tried to drop his tray." I said as I take a bite out of my bread.
""Hmm?"" Both Sonaia and Cedric suddenly looked at me while Lovely avoided eye contact.
"Did Lovely not told you yet?" I asked the both of them as Lovely turned her head as if to hide.
"What? What did Vely do?" Sonaia asked me as she looked at her and back at me.
"Can I tell them?" I asked Lovely as I try my best not to laugh.
"...Please do." Lovely said as she hid her face.
"So? What happened?" Cedric asked, his head tilting slightly.
"He threw a book at Xavier's head." I said, before taking a bite off my bread.
Both Cedric and Sonaia's jaw dropped, I mean even I was so amused when I heard it from Lovely earlier. Who would've thought that this timid and shy girl, would throw a book at the most famous guy in the school on their head? Fucking majestic.
Sonaia started laughing heartily while Cedric coughs after choking on his drink as both of them imagined what must've happened for Lovely to throw a fucking book.
"That's why when I saw him with all that food, I knew that he'd do something out of revenge." I said as I finish my bread.
"WAHAHAHAHAHHAA! I can't--! He got hit by a book and now he got hit by his tray--! HAHAHAHAHAHHA!" Sonaia laughed, losing her breath in the process as she starts coughing.
"He deserves it at this point Hahahahaha!" Cedric said as he wipes a tear off his eyes.
Lovely looks surprised, she must've thought that these guys would look at her in a negative light if they knew that she hurt someone.
She looked at me, her eyes sparkling as if her worries vanished. I winked at her as a smile forms on her face.
"Pftt... hehehehehe!" Lovely finally laughed along with them.
.
.
"You sure you're not gonna join us? The arcade has some new stuffs, you know!" Cedric asked again as we walk down the hallway.
"Yeah, it's my day off today so I wanna go get some sleep." I told him as we go down the stairs.
The sun's already setting, it's orange hue contrasting the light on my phone as I check what time it is. We meet up with his other friends as I wave them goodbye before going down the stairs by myself.
The moment I exited the school, I immediately rushed down the hill and to the bus stop. As soon as the bus arrived, I immediately went in.
After travelling for a bit, I reached my stop. I immediately went to the station, reaching the current train that's heading Cae Citrum in time.
I'll let Lovely handle the warp at Goe Ilaya, the Thunder Seer's warp is harder anyways so I'm basically doing her a favor.
"Next stop, Cae Citrum." The intercom announces as I squeezed myself out of the compact crowd, reaching the train doors.
As soon as the train doors open, I immediately dashed out off of the train. I went up the escalator and exited the station.
I walked around to search where the warp might appear. I kept walking until I felt a chill crept up to my spine.
I turn to where I felt it and saw an alleyway that's weirdly colorless, the orange light of the setting sun should've hit this part.
Bingo.
I stepped inside this dark alley as I feel the air distort in a weird way. When I looked behind me, the crowded street became empty as if I got sucked in a different world.
A red warp was in the middle of this alley. I dropped my bag and removed my uniform, putting it inside the bag. It's more comfortable to move with just my shirt.
I stretched my body, going down low to make sure that my hips and legs heat up properly before jumping around.
I removed my hair tie from my wrist and tied the back of my hair.
"All set." I told myself as I pulled out my card out of thin air.
"Install."
Darkness swallowed me as I feel the mask on my face and feel the coat that appears on my body once I use the card.
I cracked my fingers as I step inside the red warp in front of me.