THIRD PERSON POV
Yuta Katsuo, a first year student of Checa high school slumped in his seat, eyes fixed on the manga page in front of him. It was a story of a white-haired protagonist, who was reincarnated into a fantasy world and gained the ability to wield magical powers with ease.
mm
This manga had been Yuta's obsession for since he first saw it at the book store a couple of weeks ago, and today he finally saved enough to afford it, hence his impatience to wait for the teacher to leave.
As he read, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Who wouldn't want to be reincarnated into a world of fantasy and adventure?. A world where he could change his personality, and have a family, maybe he could even be good with the ladies.
"Yuta Katsuo, can you tell me the answer the question?" The teacher's voice cut through his daydream.
Stunned Yuta rises to his feet, letting his manga fall to the floor. His eyes darted to the blackboard, where the question was scribbled in messy handwriting. He hesitated for a moment before responding, "Uh, it's... um... Nitrogen fixating bacteria sir?"
"That is correct" The teacher informed, seemingly pleased with the answer "But next time pay more attention during lectures"
"Yes sir! Very sorry sir" Yuta said stiffly with remorse etched on his face as he retained his seat. Forgiven he was by the teacher however, the cool kids in the back of the classroom weren't so kind.
"Wow, Yuta can get away with anything, it does feel good to be a teacher's pet," one of them snickered.
"Of course he will be the teacher's pet after all he is broken. Studies is all he has" A female spat out with a hellacious laugh.
"I bet he can't even afford good drinking water in that run down orphanage of him," another chimed in, chuckling.
Yuta's face burned with embarrassment as the class erupted into laughter. He sank lower in his seat, trying to blend into the background. Why couldn't he just be like the protagonist in his manga – strong, confident?. He so wanted to give these bullies a piece of his mind he was so tired of their endless bullying.
As the teacher continued the lesson, Yuta's mind wandered back to the manga world. He imagined himself as the s
white-haired hero, wielding magic and commanding respect. A small smile crept onto his face, and for a moment, he forgot about the humiliation he'd just endured.
After school Yuta headed to the "TOGA'S Bakery," where he had worked as an assistant salesman, and handy man for the past three years.
Five hours down the line, Yuta rushed to finish his tasks at Toga's Bakery, sweeping the floor and restocking the shelves. The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, making his stomach growl with hunger.
As the moon began to rise, Mr. Toga, the owner, patted him on the back.
"Good job today, Yuta! You're a hard worker. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you sir. It was nothing I was just doing my job" Yuta said, his cheeks turning red as he nervous crashed the back of his neck.
"Don't be so modest about it you are a hard worker and you should be proud of it, it's not wonder the orphanage staffs value you so much" Mr Toga complimented and Yuta 's smile fades. He called a conversation he heard a few days, the one between the orphanage staffs and their superior, it was a conversation about him, apparently the orphanage staffs never wanted him around in the first place, they even consider him as a "demon" since he was said to be responsible for the death of both his parents. They said the only why the keep him around was because he was a hard worker. Yuta had gotten so hurt that day, it felt like he was all alone, but he had to find a way to accept it and move on.
"Earth to Yuta" Mr Toga called out, pulling him back to reality "Is everything alright Yuta"
"Sorry sir, I was just in my head again" Yuta said with an abject laugh.
"You should go home" Mr Toga said as he handed Yuta a few leftover bread rolls and a small pouch containing some coins.
"Take these home with you. You deserve a treat."
"Thank you so much sir" Yuta gratified as he beamed with pride, feeling a sense of accomplishment. The bread rolls would make a great snack for the kids at the orphanage, and the coins would come in handy for buying milk and eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
With his treasures in hand, Yuta hurried out of the bakery, eager to get home. As he walked, the streets grew darker, and the alleys narrower. He quickened his pace, his heart beating slightly faster.
Suddenly, he found himself in front of a familiar dark alley. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should take the shortcut. But something about the alley's silence sent cold chills down his spine. He turned to take the longer route instead but decided against it when he estimated his arrival time.
Yuta turned around and continued down the alley, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the night air. As he walked, he felt a sense of determination wash over him. Tomorrow would be a new day, and he was ready to face whatever challenges came his way.
As Yuta turned onto the main street, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. But his reprieve was short-lived. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by a group of rough-looking men, their faces twisted into menacing grins.
The men were armed with knives, bats, and other makeshift weapons. Yuta's heart skipped a beat as he realized he was trapped. The men began to close in on him, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and cruelty.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" one of the men sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Looks like we've got ourselves a little mouse with a treasure troph in hand."
"Hand over the bag and money, little worm"
Yuta tried to stand his ground, but his legs felt like jelly. He clutched the bread rolls and coins tightly in his hands, wondering if he could find a distraction.
The men began to circle around him, their movements slow and deliberate. Yuta heart raced like a beating drum, he knew he had to think fast if he wanted to get out of this situation alive. He took a deep breath and tried to come up with a plan, but his mind was a blank.
Just as the men were about to pounce, Yuta heard a loud whistle piercing the air. The men froze, looking around nervously. Yuta took advantage of the distraction to make a run for it, dashing down the street as fast as his legs could carry him.
He didn't dare look back, fearing what he might see. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his heart pounding in his chest. He ran into the main road only to feel a painful slash across his back.
He fell to the ground, coughing out blood. His bag of bread and coins were littered all over.
"You poor kid, did you really think you could out-run us" The leader (Senku) mocked, kicking him across the abdomen, causing him to fly across the street.
Yuta face with battered, scrapped across the street, in tears he spat out some lumps of blood.
The arms rubbers picked up the pastries and began consuming them.
"Oh, so good!" Their leader mocked as he munched on a loaf of bread and the rest of the gang burst into laughter.
The gangsters turned to leave but were stopped by the sound of Yuta's voice.
"Give me back my stuff, it doesn't belong to you. Those children need them," Yuta said, his voice firm and resolute, as he pulled himself to his feet. His leg trembling like spaghetti.
The gang's leader, Senku, sneered at Yuta's bravery. "What did you say, kid? You want this back?" he taunted, flaunting the bag of pastries and cash.
"I tell you what, kid," Senku said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I am going to hand it back to you, if you can land a punch on me."
Yuta thought for a while, he couldn't possibly let Senku and his men escape with his stuff, or the only thing left to do was attack.
Yuta's anger boiled over, and he charged at Senku. But the gang leader was too strong, and he easily dodged Yuta's attack.
Yuta's eyes blazed with determination as he faced off against Senku . Despite being outmatched, he refused to back down.
Yuta's eyes narrowed, and he focused all his energy on landing a hit. He charged at Senku again, but this time, he was met with a swift kick to the stomach.
Yuta doubled over, gasping for breath. But he refused to give up. With a fierce cry, he launched himself at Senku once more.
This time Senku didn't only dodge, instead he caught Yuta in midair, landing punches and kicks. Yuta's determination and anger gave him no advantage, Senku was superior in both strength and training.
Yuta was left to fall to the ground hopeless, it seemed like all was lost, but just then he remembered the words of his favorite manga protagonist: "A true warrior never gives up, no matter how bleak the situation may seem."
With renewed resolve, Yuta summoned every last ounce of strength, rose to his feet and landed a solid punch on Senku's jaw.
The gang leader stumbled back, surprised by Yuta's sudden burst of power. For a moment, the two locked eyes, and Yuta saw a mountain of rage in Senku's gaze. Senku had never been humiliated like this, talk less by a school kid. Senku took out a dagger and without a moment of hesitation, he launched at Yuta stabbing him multiple times, every stab more violent than the last. Yuta screamed, begging but still his pleads fell on deaf ears.
Senku stabbed Yuta three times but stopped upon hearing a police siren approaching.
Senku threw a battered Yuta to the ground and ran out of the scene, along side his gang member.
Yuta laid on the ground, his body soaking wet with blood, his body ached with immense pain. He was tired. His eyes began to dime as the Sirens drew closer.
He felt his life eluding him and yet found no real reason to keep fighting. In that moment Yuta realized his life down to this point had been absolutely pointless.
*********************