Chapter One: A Bystander’s Punishment (Arc 1 – Start) (Illustrations!)

Chapter One: A Bystander’s Punishment (Arc 1 – Start) (Illustrations!)

“Attention all passengers, this is your captain speaking. My name is Carter Armlet, and I have the lovely joy of flying you all to Athens, Greece. It’s a beautiful country with a rich history, so I hope you enjoy your trip. Just bear with us as we complete our pre-flight checklist, and we’ll be in the air before you know it.”

Mekka Academy’s class 2-F was packed into a plane headed for another country. Since the sun hadn’t risen yet, it was almost pitch black out. Most students were glued to their phones, posting last-minute social media updates or sending messages to friends and family. They wouldn’t have a chance to do that once we were in the sky, so I suppose this was their last opportunity until we landed. Judging from our pilot’s announcement, we were just minutes from taking off.

As for me? My phone was about to die, so I was doing all I could to get through an article on ancient military strategy and how the history of war could have changed if guns were a thing 5,000 years ago. It was honestly incredible that some of the plans and schemes created thousands of years ago were still in use today. It was astounding that man had evolved from sticks and stones to spears and arrows to guns and ICBMs. If you were to ask the brightest minds of a century ago, they would have never imagined a world where it was possible to control a missile-equipped drone to strike a target the size of a watermelon on the other side of the planet.

The screen flickered for a second, then turned black, marking the end of one of the few joys I had in life. My charger broke a day prior, and it would take me months to scrounge enough money to replace it.

That’s fine. It isn’t like anyone calls or texts me. I should be happy the academy decided to give me one. Even if it’s the oldest model, it’s still something.

“Your phone died?” said Will, who sat to my left. I only conversed with him at school, but that was good enough. Will mentioned he wanted the window seat, so I was more than happy for him to claim it. His small stature meant I would have more space since he wouldn’t have to lean over me to stare out the window.

“Yeah.” My reply was brief and quick, with a hint of an apathetic tone thrown in for good measure, but he knew there was nothing sinister or antagonistic behind it. It was the same with Greggie and Keeth, who sat in the seats behind us.

Greggie leaned forward and handed me a cable, but I didn’t take it. “Ah, that’s right. You got the 42c. I don’t think those models have been sold in a decade,” he said in his deep voice.

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the past. Take the M1903 Springfield. It’s over 300 years old, but man does it hold up in beauty,” I said, swooning over its fantastical design. These three had already known I was a gun nut, and they had accepted that fact. We all had our quirks. Will was obsessed with lewdness, Greggie was a foodie, and Keeth enjoyed building models.

“It’s a bolt action, right? I’m not too big into guns, but I thought everything was automatic nowadays.” Greggie pulled back his hand and presumably pocketed the cable. He had started to develop an interest in guns after meeting me.

“It is, but a few—” Before I could answer my big-boned friend, an obnoxious group of people and their voices drowned me out.

“Tokko, you’re gonna help me snag some girls, right? I’ve kinda been on a dry streak.”

“No, Damon. It’s time for you to stand on your own two feet. Besides, I’ve got plans,” replied Tokko. He ran a few fingers through his short-cut blond hair, then rubbed the three earrings in his left ear.

“Those plans better include me,” said a girl who sat in the row ahead of them. She stood up, turned around, and sat on her knees in her chair. A wave of brown hair soared across her hazel eyes. A slender hand reached out, almost touching Tokko’s face.

“You know it, Mia,” Tokko whispered. He raised his right hand, which had a tattoo of a diamond on it, and reached forward until his fingers slid down Mia’s face.

“Eh, I thought you were talking to me. Hey, why don’t we share a night together? You know you want to be with the D-Man.” Damon flashed an insincere smile that he thought was gentle and warm, but his rugged outfit, complete with a crude leather jacket and a spiked bracelet, reflected his nature as a conflict-loving delinquent. His heterochromatic eyes gave way to his lustful thoughts.

Mia groaned, gagged, and smiled at Tokko with her eyes.

“And now you’re going to make lovey-dovey eyes in front of me? Are you bastards trying to make me jealous? Shiku, help me get laid!” Damon tapped the head of the guy sitting in front of him.

“Jesus Christ, just shut up already! We haven’t left the airport, and you’re already making me wish I was dead!” Shiku stood up out of his seat and turned around, sending black hair scattering angrily across their green eyes. Though his voice and body were soft and feminine, Shiku was definitely male and often beat up anyone who suggested otherwise. His slim-fitting t-shirt stubbornly clung to his chest, which unintentionally emphasized how feminine he was. The pants he wore outlined his narrow waist and unnaturally wide hips. After a vote to decide the prettiest girl in school, he somehow snatched the silver medal. It was much to his demise, really, and he was unnaturally depressed for a few days.

I wonder if he dresses that way on purpose just so he can have an excuse to fight? He is a martial artist.

“Tch! Those bastards... Just because they’re aristocrats...” Will didn’t finish his sentence. Aristocrats referred to the best of the best of Mekka Academy, which itself stood at the top of the merit-driven society we lived in. Only prodigies and geniuses had a chance to apply, and it wasn’t assured they would get it.

Tokko ruled the entire academy since he was simply unmatched. Mekka Academy forbade tattoos or earrings, but aristocrats circumvented the rules.

I just remained quiet and listened to Will grumble to himself, which was something he did a lot.

“You saw Mia when we were boarding, right? Her outfit is ridiculous, even for the aristocrat’s standards! The cut-off top that ends above her belly button... That short skirt... I mean, her ass is constantly on display!! You saw it when she bent over to adjust her socks, right? That tight ass was just calling my name past that skinny pink thong! Like that sexiness should be illegal. Hey, you think she gets wet off having people stare lustfully at her?” At times like this I just ignored Will.

Even for an outsider, it was odd seeing people from such different backgrounds getting along so well. Compared to the aristocrats speaking so loudly as always, my friends were like night and day.

Will was somewhat overly antagonistic and tended to speak what was on his mind. Greggie was a gentle giant, and he filled out his seat in a way that had made it a struggle for the average-sized Keeth to shuffle past him when we boarded the plane.

Greggie was Will’s physical opposite. That even extended to his voice. Will’s was scratchy and high-pitched, but Greggie had a deep southern drawl that lingered on certain words. When we got together in class or at lunch, the topic of our personal lives never came up. But if we were quiet, then Keeth was like a mime. His mouth only opened to answer questions when directly asked. I had only seen him initiate a conversation two or three times.

We kept to the shadows because we hated standing out. It was the one thing we all shared, and I suppose that was the link to our rather fragile friendship, which was only tested at school.

Three girls near Damon said they wanted to be his, and he let out a hearty chuckle and said Shiku’s services wouldn’t be needed. Then those three started to bicker over the right to sleep with Damon, revealing personal and intimate details I did not want to hear. I wasn’t the only one feeling grossed out.

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Take and ignore... Pain is just temporary...

“EH?! There’s a fight?!” exclaimed a girl named Elly, a flashy idol with blue hair. She was one of the two foreign exchange students. Her father was Russian, and she was the second tallest in the class. Skimpy clothing was the name of the game for her since, according to her, idols were always getting stared at.

“Ami, look!” Elly said, talking to her cousin, who was half Russian and half Mexican, as indicated by her skin, which was a shade lighter than golden brown.

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Ami’s sleeveless arms reached up and pushed down Elly’s blue hair, allowing a pair of brown eyes to peek at the action. Her infectious smile was almost a permanent characteristic of her happy attitude. That was something she and her cousin shared, and they were likable. They even talked to someone like me enough times to count on two hands.

My eyes probably involuntarily glanced over to them for help, but the message didn’t get across. I just wanted to get this over with. My body relaxed and waited for a punch that I knew was coming.

“Stop this at once!!!!” From nowhere, a stressed voice rang out, causing all eyes to turn to Ms. Mary. As an instructor of class 2-F, which had no rivals, Ms. Mary didn’t have much to do. Anything she could have taught the rest of the class was stuff they, barring me, had already known about.

She rushed out of her seat, and the clacking of her heels brought all the attention to herself, which subsequently brought it to me again when everyone saw what she was walking towards. Her beige blouse and black pencil skirt were all folded and creased, probably from the haste she ejected herself from her chair. Will considered her to be pretty, though. With her smart-looking glasses and fluffy black hair, he exclaimed that a ‘hottie’ like her had no end to her list of suitors.

Will had once mentioned he had heard a rumor about Ms. Mary. Apparently, she was a lesbian, but baseless rumors were dime a dozen at Mekka Academy. As prominent and high-ranking it was in terms of academic geniuses and physical prodigies, it was still a school at heart. In the deepest, darkest corners of the left, right, and main halls, the tortured cries of abused, bullied, and tormented students could be heard at all hours of the day.

“Hey, don’t you move another fucking step.” Damon had a sharp edge in his voice, stopping our teacher in her tracks. Her knees were shaky and weak like she wanted to march forward, but she just couldn’t do it. Her glasses nearly danced off her face from her trembling. “Remember your place, instructor. Don’t do anything to jeopardize an easy job that comes with a fat paycheck. Sit there and watch. Do nothing else.” Then he flashed a smile, but it was like a wolf’s snarl and punched me in the stomach.

Pain flared up, spreading from my stomach to my arm and neck. I crumbled to the floor, hitting the back of my head against an armrest as I struggled to breathe.

The air was knocked out of me.

Ms. Mary stayed back, afraid to take the extra step since it would mean disobeying a direct order from the aristocrats. She just stood there...watching as one of her students was assailed by a flurry of kicks to the gut.

But whereas our teacher was frozen in fear, someone else stomped down the aisle. “Pick him up!” Mia commanded. I felt a large hand wrap around my shirt. A second later, I was on my feet. As much as it all hurt, I kept an empty expression. I didn’t like being punished for something I didn’t do, but striking back against my abuser? Shouting at the teacher, who didn’t do a single thing to protect her students?

That kind of thought just didn’t exist in my mind. It was just so foreign that I couldn’t fathom the possibility of doing anything other than taking it.

I’ve been taking the abuse all my life... Why should it change now? This must be my fate.

“Shuuta! You’re a shitty brother! I told you that you were forbidden from doing anything that would embarrass me!”

Damon roared with laughter upon learning Mia’s secret, which pissed her off. In a flash, she raised a fist and clocked me across the cheek. Years of archery practice and devotion to her fitness had strengthened her core and arms, and I wasn’t surprised when a few teeth vacated my mouth with a splash of blood. The dull ache multiplied, making it hard to deduce just how many Mias were scowling at me.

But that was fine. The pain didn’t compare to what my ‘mother’ and ‘father’ did to me.

Hell hath no fury like scorned parents...

Damon laughed some more and taunted me, saying that I was able to ignore his line of sight for two years, but now he was locked on to me. Then said the best shine the brightest when compared to filthy losers. He asked Tokko if he could have some ‘fun’ with me, but the aristocrat walked down the aisle.

“No,” Tokko said, joining the growing distraction. “Like Quella said, it’s a long flight, and I might want to catch some sleep. I can’t do that if you have your little ‘fun’. If I recall, he’s the only student in our school with absolutely nothing to his name. No trophies, no awards, not even an honorable mention. Every garden needs a wilted weed to showcase how beautiful the roses are, am I right?” Tokko grinned and shook his head.

He held out a hand. Mia’s mood instantly brightened, and she skipped over and placed her head on his shoulder. It was like watching a puppy happily walking towards her master. He gave a warning to Ms. Mary that cut through her very soul, then returned to his seat with Mia. Damon saw fit to give me a light push, which knocked me to the ground where I bashed my head against an armrest.

“Got it. Quella, I’m so, so, so, so, so sorry. Can you ever find it in your gorgeous, beautiful, busty heart to forgive me for my insolence? I’ll even let you go out on a date with me.” Damon kneeled and touched his forehead to the carpet. Even though my vision was cloudy, I knew it was just theatrics.

When he realized Quella was ignoring him, Damon savagely stood up with reckless abandon. He punched the empty middle seats while returning to his own, where he crashed into it with an exasperated sigh. From behind, I heard Ms. Mary cautiously creep forward. Instead of looking to Will, Greggie, or Keeth, my eyes radiated over to the pair of foreign exchange students because they were talking about something.

“Wow, Shuuta, you got slapped like crazy!” Ami said. The girl had no sense of tact, but I felt like it wasn’t worth getting mad at her, especially since Elly chastised her cousin over her amateurish grasp on our language. I guess she had explained what the correct thing was to say because she said something completely different. “Wow, Shuuta, I’m sorry you got punched like crazy.”

She isn’t from here, so I can’t fault her for not saying the right thing the first time... Is there anything about me that’s right?

“Wah!” exclaimed Elly, a wave of ruby red embarrassment covered her face. She covered Ami’s mouth and apologized for her cousin.

Quella put her glasses on for the second time and reached out a hand. Right as I was about to take it, the world went bright white. Almost all creation seemed to disappear into an unfathomable void of infinite nothingness.