'Damn it...!'
I thought as I kept running through the park in the uma exclusive path. Just a couple of seconds more and...
(Finished today's objectives, ran 5000 meters at the park!)
(+5 Guts, +5 Wits, +3 uma coins)
(Notification: Your Wit is currently maxed, you earn 0 points.)
"Ahhh... ahh..... haaa..." I stopped for a moment after receiving the notification to recover my breath.
I wasn't really that tired, after all, it was just running, not dashing or giving my all. But still... It's damn frustrating not earning almost a single thing for that, useless system scam thing. The day was beautiful as the summer began to show its face, but the heat was terrible.
"Ufff... I need some water..."
I began to walk to the nearest water fountain at the park when I heard a group of girls laughing. For a moment, I didn't really care. I'm not really here to socialize; I need to finish my training and head back to the campus to watch the newest episode of the Uma Rangers, and I'm not even that known, so there is almost no way for people to recognize me outside, which is a good thing, I can go around without being bothered.
As soon as I reached my goal, I began to drink to my heart's content as I kept hearing their conversation.
"Aaawwww, the baby is going to cry?"
"Hahahaha!" The laughs of a group of girls got carried to my ears by the wind.
I raised my eyes to see a group of girls surrounding someone, and I raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell was going on.
'Eh?' My ear twitched as those twisted laughs arrived in my ears. 'What's going on?'
"Hehehe! Hey, let's throw this shrimp into the river! Maybe that's going to lower her stupid attitude!"
"Yeah, let's do it!"
For a moment, I felt a mix of conflicting feelings. I knew I had to stand up and go to help the victim, but my body didn't respond as I wanted to.
'Don't tell me there is bullying in this world, too?' I didn't need to answer that question; I already knew the answer. The parents of Meek, my parents, died in a stupid car crash because of a drunk driver. This world wasn't all sparkly as it seemed; of course, there are bad sides too. 'I'm gonna beat those brats to a pulp,' I thought, but my hands trembled. 'Hee... why can't I move?'
I managed to take a step in the direction of the bullies, but then I noticed the cold sweat on my back. Some memories ignited in my brain, my own memories, the suffering I had gone through when I was in high school, all the laughs and the humiliation.
'T-Thats right... I'd better go search for a police member for this. I turned around with my head lying low 'Actually... I'm just going back home...'
"Hey, film her pathetic face!"
'Yeah, it's not my business,' I sighed and started walking away. For some reason, walking away was pretty easy.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!!"
'!'
My blood froze at the moment. That voice. I recognized that voice.
'Mambo...' I looked back and managed to see her being surrounded by four girls who were grabbing her; for some reason, she was bleeding on her nose.
That was it. I closed my eyes, and even as all the torment that I endured flashed through my eyes, I was filled with courage, or maybe I have to say I found the courage to finally act. I knew it had to be stopped, and that girl had seen something I don't know on me; it would be a betrayal if I just did nothing.
"Hey, you bitches leave her alone!"
"Haaa!? Who is this jerk coming out of nowhere!?"
Resuming what had happened after that is not worth. Let's just say I took the beating of the century, but thanks to that, some police officers took notice, and all those punks got detained, and I managed to rescue my junior. And now I'm in a very awkward position. I'm sitting on a bench alongside Mambo while I wait for Aoi to come pick me up. I'm not that badly hurt, so I don't need to go to a hospital, or I believe that at least, but I won't be able to go back to the dorm just by myself.
"Happy Meek-san!! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" And of course, Matikanetannhauser was crying her heart out.
To tell the truth I was a bit dissapointed, I thought my protagonist powers would suddenly awaken I would beat the shit out of them, but I wasn't able even to give them a single hit, actually I was used as a sandbag, and maybe thanks to that it gave me that mature aura, like... 'not worth hitting nobodies' or that I wanted to believe to feel better about myself.
"It's all my fault!!"
"Come on... don't say that!" I said that, forcing a smile, "Why would it be your fault?"
"It's because... I dragged you into my problems! I... I..:"
I poked her forehead in order to get her attention.
"Hey, it was my choice, and if it's my junior, I would do it again, and again if needed. If those jerks are soulless, how can that be your fault?"
"Meek-san!!" She ended up hugging me, which caused a lot of pain, but then again, I just let her be as I patted her head.
"Come on, don't cry, it's not worth it."
"But you are all beaten because of me!"
"I'm fine!" I said resting importance to the matter.
Then she proceeded to keep crying, but this time silently. Nearby, a police officer asked me some questions, and I did my best to help them fill out their report. Of course, they took my information as well.
'Haaa... I just wanted to grind those stat points... how did it come down to this? I must look so lame in her eyes now.
After a couple of minutes, a mature uma came to pick up her daughter, who was a crying mess. She was very worried, so she picked her up and rushed away. That gave me a small breather, or so I thought, because less than a minute after their departure, a limo arrived with a very shocked Aoi, who looked at me and almost started to cry again.
"H-Hey!" I managed to say, raising a hand, "Thanks for helping me back to the dorm."
"W-W-What dorm!? You are going straight to the hospital, little miss!"
"I'm fine, this is nothing," I said, standing up and dusting my clothes, then I don't remember much more of that day.
...
...
...
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. I tried to sit down, but it was impossible. I don't fully understand what happened; it seems I fainted.
"She must not run for two months in order to heal." I heard the medics discuss with Aoi near the exit of the room.
'Ah... I'm cooked.'
The good news? No injuries on the legs or back, the bad news, some fractured ribs.
'Wasn't this supposed to be about sports and the magic of friendship?' I complained mentally.