7:13 PM, East Shores Charter High Dormitory Complex
Orochi Naster's Point of View
Three and a half years ago, before entering East Shores Charter High
8:30 AM, Yoab District Hospital, Qrokta City
May 6, 2077
"She needs to stay longer in the hospital. Her condition isn't getting any better.", The doctor told me outside mom's hospital room.
For a moment, everything seemed to crumble under my feet. My mom, who has taken care of me and raised me up, ended like this. I entered the room an hour later. She's already awake.
"Oro, have you gotten into a fight again?", Mom worriedly asked, while gently caressing my bruise on my head. I can't look up at her with my own eyes, and I can't help but stare at her IV medication instead.
"The least I wanted you to be is to be like your father. You won't get anything good from him."
Fuck him. The first thing why mom is in here is because of dad.
"I heard from your teacher that you plan to study at East Shores. Are you sure about that?" She asked.
"Yeah.", Still averting her gaze.
Anything to get away from dad. It's way up in the mountains, less than an hour's travel from the city.
"Are you really sure? I heard that it isn't a really good school. They ranked quite decently in the past, but there's no trace of it now..."
"Still, I don't care! Just so I can get away from..."
I try to avoid saying that word in front of mom. When dad beats me up, she always covered for me. She was always there.
Fuck! If I only mustered up the courage to stand up to him. If only I convinced mom to divorce him, then maybe mom wouldn't be in a situation like this. Then maybe mom wouldn't be hurt like this. If only I had stopped dad...
On that night... On that moment...
May 5, 2077, the day before
When I get bullied and beat up in school, mom would always cook me my favorite food and look after me. I really insisted on her not calling the school head back then about the incidents.
"Oro, I really can't stand to see you like this. Let me call your school he-", as she tried to grab the telephone.
"No, mom! It will only grow worse. Don't worry about me, mom. I'll take care of myself. I promise.", And I tried to smile at her to assure her that I'll be okay.
But things got worse.
"Orochidiot, failing another exam! Haha! You might end up in the slums with these scores.", He said as he tried to slam me into my desk.
"He might even get kicked out! So much for someone planning to enter a Charter High School", Added another.
"Chidiot! Chidiot! Chidiot! Chidiot!"
(*Orochi -> chi + idiot)
I remember the torment as my head is being crushed on my desk, and blood is leaking out from God knows where. Mom might get worried again.
I never had any friends in school. I never talked to anyone on my own will, and it is them who do most of the talking.
Beating me up means nothing to them. The stigma was there. Even the teachers probably wouldn't care less about it, because they also look down on you.
I'm going home again. I hope dad isn't here.
"I'm home--"
"Don't you dare answer back to me, Miho! The only reason why I married a dumbass like you..."
Ahh. They're fighting again. Mom's getting beat up again.
"I-i told... you! I have no... more money...for... your...vices...!", She said as she's struggling, gasping for breath, holding on dad's hand firmly wrapped around her neck. There were no more room for tears.
I've had no more energy nor guts to stop dad on that evening. I was already exhausted from getting beat up by everyone at school. But I had no idea that the course of my life would change from that moment.
Suddenly, everything went silent. The flicking of lights, the empty wine bottles on the table. The sound of crickets in the night...
Thudd!
Dad immediately went out the door, still red from being drunk.
My vision went hazy. Mom's on the floor. She's not moving. I didn't know what to do back then...
"MOMMM!"
That moment changed my perspective about everything. In, this world, no one is equal. In this world, the food chain--rather the hierarchy is a huge irony. The death of one is a celebration for another. To hunt, or to be hunted. That is the unwritten rule of nature, of the order of things.
I contacted an ambulance, and she was sent to the district hospital.
Ever since then, I vowed to myself that I will climb up the chain. No one will belittle me anymore. I won't have to fear anyone. If there's fear, it should be their fear towards me. My mom's a twit for not fighting back against dad. I'm a jerk for never even standing up for myself, or her.
Even though I prep myself to become smarter and diligent in my studies; even though I rose up to become one of the elite at East Shores, the reason I was here was not because of my desire to become stronger.
I came here to run away from my past, from my dad.
I never confronted my fears. Even talking about my dad or my past to anyone bears me chills. The efforts I put to elevate my class ranking was only meant to cover up my incompetence and stupidity in the past.
Deep down, I really am a coward.
September 2, 2080 Present Day
On that night... I got a glimpse of my past once more.
Shirai Satoshi. For the first time in my stay here at East Shores, someone stood up to me. Someone beat and pulled me back into the ground. My head was crushed on to that desk once more...
CITEȘTI
Erudition
Ficțiune adolescenți[HIATUS] A new form of government has emerged in the near future, one where everyone's future and lifestyle is decided by their quotient status, comprised by numerous intelligence and abstract tests. East Shores Charter High School. With its student...
