Mismatched
Chapter 06: Bet
*****
Daniel couldn't help but freeze at Alex's menacing tone, it's reminiscent of his entrance at the room this morning when he was upset and scolded Zack and his gang about their poor treatment towards Daniel in his original body.
(He can't help but admire Alex, on how kind he is to help Daniel even if he is virtually a stranger to him. The way he spoke that commanded attention and the way he delivered his words that got a whole crowd moved to tears and to see a new perspective. He was effortlessly cool and well deserved the respect others gave him. Even Zack seemed to listen to him. And from the looks of it, based on the class dynamics that Daniel saw so far, Alex has a lot of friends, even outside their class. Daniel hopes that one day he could be one of them.)
"I, ah, Sir, please don't! What if you get arrested for assaulting someone?" Daniel said, genuinely concerned for both Alex and the guy that's about to steal the phone charger.
Alex is just being a nice citizen for stopping a petty thief, and in Daniel's eyes he doesn't deserve to get arrested for this. And as for the guy, to Daniel he appeared guilty and ashamed when he saw his face. Daniel is very good at identifying these emotions, because he feels them most of the time. The boy was genuinely remorseful for his actions and it shows.
The stiffness on Alex's empty smile fades as he closes his eyes to inhale and exhale deeply. When he opened them again, calmness had overtaken his expression, giving nothing away.
Daniel couldn't help but squeak as he saw Alex's foot dig further on the perpetrator's back.
"Now, I want you to roll over to face us and don't even try to run away if you know what's best for you."
The thief nods vigorously and Alex removes his foot on the guy's back, shaking in fear on what's to come, the thief obediently rolls over to show his face.
"Jiho? Park Jiho?" Alex's surprise was clear in his voice, as the boy, Jiho, flinched at being recognized.
"What–" The look of confusion washes the blonde's face, his eyebrows knitting together, then he looks up and outside the window, realization filling his face as anger soon follows.
"A-A-A-A-Alex! I can, I can explain! Please it's not, I–"
Alex cuts Jiho off. "It's them, isn't it. They put you up to do petty theft for them." And it's not a question but a statement.
"I, they, I'm..."
Daniel stands unsure as Jiho scrambles for an answer. Before he looks away, shame faced and most likely wishing that the ground would just swallow him whole. Daniel knows that feeling very well, he can relate to a pitying degree.
Biting his lips, Jiho nods as tears prickle at his eyes, humiliation and self-pity reeks from his being.
(Is this what those girls see when they tell Logan to go easy on him?)
Alex's dark eyes softened, and if Daniel's seeing correctly from his glasses, through the reflection of the convenience store light, Alex's eyes were an enchanting deep green rather than the black he thought it was. And wow, how did he not notice that his lashes were not black as well, they were a pale yellow, just like his hair and eyebrows.
Wait, he was pretty sure it was black earlier this morning, how could that change over time.
(And it's embarrassing to admit that he knew and was pretty sure it was black because he spent an awfully long time staring at Alex's sleeping face imagining ways to talk to him and befriend him.)
"Ah, Clerk-san, can you help me carry all my stuff to the counter?"
Daniel stupidly stared for a long time before his brain caught up to the other teen's request. And huh, he's using a Japanese honorific, then Daniel wasn't imagining it when he heard him speak in Japanese earlier. Wow, when he thought he couldn't be any cooler, Alex must be smart too! Knowing how to speak another language and all that.
(And he knew the pretty and nice girl from earlier too, Daniel wonders what their relationship could be, they seemed pretty close.)
(The conversation they had were also quite concerning. Daniel had no idea that a guy can also get harassed in that way, but then again, Alex is a very pretty guy. His face is so beautiful that it is understandable that he can be mistaken for a girl. Daniel can even confidently say that he's prettier than some of the girls he knew. But still, it doesn't warrant him getting harrassed by anyone. No one deserves to be harassed, period. It must've been so scary and uncomfortable for him, but the callous way he spoke about getting used to it creates a pit in Daniel's stomach.)
Daniel snapped out of his stupor when Alex gave him an inquiring concerned hum, the very same hum his mom would do when he comes home with bruises.
"A-Ah, of course! Let me hold the basket then!" He flinched at the way his voice broke and squeaked.
God, and right in front of the coolest guy I want to befriend too!
Daniel's cheeks heated up as he took the small grocery basket full of snacks from the blonde.
"Thank you."
Then Alex slips on his other pair of flip flops – that he used to knock down Jiho – and walks away heading towards the counter, leaving Jiho blushing red on the cold floor.
"Pick yourself up, Park Jiho." Alex states, setting down the beverages on the counter as Daniel caught up to him and going behind the counter. "Don't let others knock you down completely."
Daniel bites his lips to stop himself from gaping in awe, Alex's cool maturity boosted the respect he had for him. Now he knows why Alex didn't help Jiho to get up, he wants Jiho to know that he wasn't pitying him, that he wants him to learn how to stand up for himself.
"Clerk-san,"
"A-Ah yes!" His head swivels to the slightly taller teen.
"Can I leave my purchase here for a moment? It seems that I dropped something outside." Alex says with a smile, his eyes a pair of crescents, the small mole beside his lips showing itself. Huh, Alex sure has a lot of beauty marks.
Daniel just nods. He can't bring himself to answer in the face of the blonde's radiance.
With one last sparkling smile, Alex turns away and walks towards the exit, hands in his pockets.
He stops beside Jiho and does one thing Daniel didn't expect him to do.
Alex bows at the waist. A sign of deferral, respect or apology.
"I'm sorry that my disciplinary actions towards them were not enough to discipline them. This time, I'll make sure to be extra firm." He straightens and huffs out a laugh, looking sheepish. "I bet all my friends in Tokyo would laugh at me for not being able to properly discipline three guys, they'd probably scold me for using a softer way. But don't worry, I'll take care of this problem, one that I should have resolved a long time ago. I hope to see you stand tall again Jiho, and I'll make sure of it."
Alex dips his head again, not at all minding Jiho's dumbfounded look he was giving him.
Then he continues walking, not looking back towards them.
From Daniel's standpoint from behind the counter, he could perfectly see the sight of Jiho sitting up and looking at Alex's back, the warring sides of hope, embarrassment and awe clear in his face.
Alex is so damn cool! He's like someone out of a Shounen anime!
The ring of the door chime breaks their stare and Daniel scrambles to follow the blonde, wanting to see what he would do. Behind him, he hears Jiho curse as he slips but follows him towards the door.
They both quietly followed Alex, remaining close to the doors as the blonde stands before the surprised trio, hastily stubbing out their cigarettes or hiding it behind their backs. The lone girl with the bullies stood, staring at Alex's face intensely, seemingly deciding what she thinks of Alex.
"Oh, you guys out for a midnight errand as well?" Alex asks in a mild soothing tenor, one hand sweeping his hair up and away from his face. If Daniel hadn't seen him furious before he would think that he was casually greeting a friend.
The three of them glanced at each other nervously, while the girl seemed to decide what her opinion on Alex was, stars on her eyes.
"Wow, he's so pretty, he's just my type."
Hearing this and with the nonchalant confidence that Daniel envies, Alex waves at the girl – he was probably smiling too based on her red face – making her make a sound between a squeak and a squeal.
"Thank you, and good evening or morning to you too, Miss."
Daniel could never, what's with the class president and his insane laid-back charisma? No wonder why he has so many admirers at school, he even heard that some guys had fallen for his charm of being so natural and polite at the same time.
Taking off his oversized jacket, Alex throws it underhandedly to the girl who easily catches it, leaving him in a simple v-necked white shirt.
"Wear that, it's too cold outside to wear something like that." Alex says in the same relaxed manner as he had before. In Daniel's eyes, he can't be any cooler.
Holy shit! Alex is too cool! What a gentleman!
"O-Okay." Red explodes on the girl's face as she clumsily starts wearing the too large zip up jacket, subtly smelling the warm, black fabric.
Daniel doesn't blame her for that reaction, to be honest, he would probably react the same way given the chance.
"And maybe go home too, your parents must be worried sick by now." Alex continues.
The gaze full of honest parental-like concern had the girl sputtering and nodding her head vigorously. She then gives a hasty lackluster goodbye to the guys she came with and a flustered one towards Alex.
He bids her a careful walk home as she stutters a thank you, speed-walking away with hands over her very red face.
Daniel really envies Alex's confidence.
(He even overheard in the canteen once, in a group of Vocal and Dance Department students that, "It's not gay if it's Alex.". The teen kept insisting he was perfectly straight, that liking Alex does not make him gay, and that Alex was the only guy he held a crush on other than Michael Jackson. He also stated that they'd be lying if none of them had a crush on Alex, none of his friends was able to answer that.)
"So," Alex extends the word after the long stretch of silence they had watching the girl leave. "What are you guys doing here?"
The pointy one fumbles on the answer, Doo was his name if he remembers correctly. "O-Oh, we, ahh... we went on an errand just like you said!"
The chubby one nods profusely. "Y-Yeah! That's right, we, ah, went on an errand, hehe, together."
The blonde tilts his head and hums. "Hmm... I saw Jiho inside, did you guys invite him to do your errand then?" Then he walks towards them slowly, hands in his pockets and shoulders relaxed, a breeze blowing and making his hair sway.
"W-What? We didn't invite him or anything! We didn't even know that, that, he was here!"
Even though it was already obvious, the pompadour guy – who had mocked his mom – drops the cancer stick and tries to subtly stomp on it.
"Really now," Alex's nose scrunched up, like he was smelling something foul. "But you guys looked like you were waiting for someone to come outside of the store."
"We really weren't! This is just the place we like to hangout in!"
Alex sighs. "But you just said that you were on an errand." He states dryly. "Just give it up already, this is just getting embarrassing."
"But we really aren—"
"Do you think that I'm stupid?" His voice was the same calm as before, but now there's something sinister behind it that makes Daniel's heart beat a little faster.
He has heard that tone before, it's the same tone Logan would take when he's trying to lure his victim to a false sense of security, before he beats the shit out of them. Alex is pissed, that much Daniel could tell, but he is worried for the blonde.
Based on physique and numbers, Alex is outnumbered and Daniel would just get in the way if he tried to intervene. Daniel suspects that Alex has some fighting experience based on the quick way he dealt with Jiho.
But in the end that means nothing when Jiho has the same power level as Daniel at the moment.
Alex is shorter than average, with a lean and delicate body that could be easily mistaken as a girl from behind while these three are taller and have more muscle than him.
What should I do?! I need to help him in some way!
"How about this," Alex places one hand on his waist, putting his weight to his left leg. "Since you guys don't understand human words after my fifteen attempts, we'll talk using our fists."
Oh no... This is the worst case scenario! Alex is gonna get beat up at this rate!
"What?!" Jiho cries out, equally as flabbergasted as him.
Lee Doo, the unnamed leader of the trio when Zack is not present perked up at Alex's words. A certain glint in his eyes said that he likes where the conversation is going. He stands tall and walks up the remaining distance between him and the blonde, confident at his stance as he looks back to share a nasty smirk with his friends.
"Oh yeah? You sure about that? Don't come crying to Zack after this is over. The only reason we didn't do anything to you is because it pisses Zack for some reason. But if you insist on talking with our fists," A malicious grin stretches wide at the bully's face as he cracks his knuckles.
Daniel couldn't help but squeak and shake in fear.
I need to do something to stop this!
*****
I've really gone too soft.
Alex couldn't help but think that as he stares boredly at Lee Doo's face. If any one of his friends in Japan were to see him now, they would laugh themselves to death after beating the shit out of Lee Doo's face for disrespecting him.
To go from being the most feared to a tired teen wrangler – though he already was a teen wrangler for his friends from before – oh how the mighty have fallen. He couldn't stop the wry grin from his face.
"I should be saying that to you."
His statement rankles at their bravado and Lee Doo takes action by taking a swing at him.
Alex stops the fist from reaching him with one hand, gripping the teen's wrist and catching everyone by surprise.
(He can hear someone approaching from around the bend, with it being midnight, every sound is all the more pronounced. Alex takes note of it but his attention fully on the trio before him.)
"Before we start, let's make a bet."
Lee Doo tries to tug his arm but fails, his prior confidence taking a hit but he projects a cocky veneer that's in line with typical bullies. Or teenagers with large misplaced pride in general.
"Sure, let's hear it. It might be an even more fun game than what I came up with." He tried to smirk but missed the mark by a meter because Alex squeezed the teen's fist tighter for trying to resist before dropping it.
Alex huffs. "I win, you'll all leave Park Jiho and the other students alone, conducting yourselves as model students."
"And if we win?~"
The blonde couldn't help the internal scoff at the unlikely scenario. It'll be a great embarrassment to Alex's family to lose to a trio of idiots.
Oh if only he knew...
A serene smile blooms from his lips and he lets go of Lee Doo's wrist to take out a lollipop from his sweatpants' pocket. "I'll be your one and only loyal dog through highschool."
Two different voices voiced their horror towards the last laid out stake.
"A-Alex why would you–"
"Don't! That's a terribl–"
A bark of laughter cuts off the clerk's and Jiho's protest, the sinister grins on the trio of bullies couldn't be anymore obvious as they have taken Alex's bait.
"We like your terms. Right boys?"
Twin affirmatives answered him. "Yeah!"
"Why don't we shake on it to make it official?" He stretches his hand out for a handshake, popping the apple flavored candy in his mouth.
He watched pointy face smirk towards his fellows before taking his hand. Once their palms met, Lee Doo suddenly tightened his hold and pulled the blonde in.
Alex already has inkling that something dirty was about to occur so he lets himself be 'dragged' in, the teen is actually making his job easier than it should be. He let that happen impassively as he simply took hold of Lee Doo's shirt collar.
Without much difficulty on Alex's part, he got even closer, pivoted and threw Lee Doo over his shoulder using the momentum of his pull on Alex.
Faster than the taller teen could comprehend, up was suddenly down and down was suddenly up.
Props to this guy though, he was planning to hold Alex by the armpits from the start for maximum cheating and public humiliation. There's nothing like holding your victim down from the start so they can't fight back as the others beat you up as they laugh with some bystanders in the background.
Lee Doo really holds up to his title as a shitty highschool bully.
The heavy thump of falling body and a pained groan never sounded so satisfying to Alex ears, other than the last asshole who tried to cross him.
Alex straightens out from his throwing stance to look at the other two stooges staring bug-eyed at their fellow idiot before their feet crying about his aching back.
Silence had never been louder at that moment. Everyone is too stunned to even utter a word. Behind Alex, the owner of the approaching feet that he heard earlier before he started the challenge is right behind him now, and by the sudden squeaks of fear from the two bullies, it's someone they both know, feared and not at all friends with.
It must at least be someone intimidating going by the clerk's and
"What's going on here?" A familiar deep gruff voice greeted Alex's ears that had him automatically grinning at the sound of it, he turned around to be blessed at the pleasant sight of the most adorable kid he knows aside from his sisters.
"Coco!" Alex exclaims way too brightly at the middle of the night, but he doesn't care when Vasco seems happy by his greeting.
"Al, what's going on?"
Alex looks back at the still and quiet bullies before focusing his attention towards Vasco.
He waves his hand in a 'don't mind' manner.
"Oh nothing much, I'm just talking in the language they knew with a little bet to spice it up a little. I should have really nipped this whole ordeal in the bud earlier on, now they've grown branching horns on their heads and ruining some people's lives."
Confusion flickers in Vasco's frankly intimidating face, but to others it appears he is contemplating murder. He even tilts his head sideways like a puppy, but with the streetlight directly above him, the shadows on his face appeared even more sinister.
"Their language? Bet?"
Oh this sweet and adorably clueless kid, Alex didn't know that being slightly slow on the uptake is a cute trait up until now, his middle school friends Pah-chin and Peh-yan certainly didn't make it look like that.
"You know, like their troublesome fighting fist language. And as for the bet," He gives a side-way glance towards a quiet Jiho. "I placed a bet that if I defeated them, they'd let Jiho go and become upstanding model students and if I lost..."
Alex turns his gaze back to Vasco.
"I'll become their one and only servant throughout our Senior high."
The answering look of fury in Vasco's face almost takes Alex aback by its animosity. He's never seen Vasco this angry before and by everyone's responding squeak, it was their first time too.
A heavy hand settles on Alex's right shoulder grip loose and gentle.
"Al, you don't have to do this. So I'll take your place." He says grimly with tears glimmering in his eyes.
Now, it's Alex time to be confused. "What?"
Vasco pats his shoulder three times before moving past him to face the trio, by this time, Lee Doo has gotten up and suddenly Vasco is on his face.
"You guys are bad guys." He snarls, taking him by the neck and lifting him off the ground. "Now I'll take Alex's place and punish you all for what you did."
Alex stood there, dumbfounded as he watched Vasco throw the pointy asshole towards his pals before proceeding to beat the breaks out of them in righteous fury.
By the third punch Vasco had delivered, Alex just shrugs and walks toward the two bystanders watching Vasco's justice beatdown.
Alex clumps a careful hand on Jiho's shoulder, making him flinch and jump.
The blonde doesn't mind it in the slightest and proceeds to give the warmest smile that he can muster.
"Looks like you're free now Jiho," Then his smile turns apologetic. "I'm sorry if it took this long for me to permanently help you and I really should have known that being diplomatic won't work on kids like them. You know, you're really strong, for holding on."
Jiho sniffles, and like the expert big bro to a sensitive temperamental sister, Alex had already brought out a handkerchief and is handing it to the crying teen. The store clerk also sniffles so Alex hands him a small pack of tissues.
He lets them cry for a while before Alex turns to Jiho.
"Why don't you go home now and get some sleep? We still have school tomorrow."
Jiho nods tiredly before walking away, Alex calls out to him.
"Take care on your way!"
He looks back to give a small wave and a shaky smile.
"Y-Yeah, you too."
Vasco approximately finishes giving justice within a minute, scolding the three boys and threatening them to fulfill their end of the deal and not bother or bully ever again. The three have no choice but to nod along out of fear.
Sighing again, Alex comes near them.
"All of you, stay here for a sec."
"Sure." Vasco answers for all of them.
He looks back at the clerk by the door and smiles kindly.
"Can you help me for a bit?"
The pudgy teen stares at him for a second like he can't believe Alex was really talking to him before nodding his head.
"Y-Yeah, of course!"
Alex walks back inside to the conditioned air of the convenience store followed shortly by the clerk.
"Do you guys sell bandaids and antiseptics here?"
*****
Alex comes back out with bags of his purchases and makes his way to the boys. Vasco is standing over them menacingly like a bouncer that had just taken out three minors in a bar.
He stops by them and gives the three an ice bag each before giving Lee Doo a box of patches and a bottle of antiseptic.
"Here, fix yourselves up and iced the bruises, it'll help. But remember to remove it when it's getting too numb."
The three look dumbfounded at the items in their hands, but Alex pays them no heed and turns to face his fellow class president who's looking at him like he has seen Jesus. A tear falls from his eye.
The blonde reflexively wipes it and proceeds to rummage one of his bags for a specific drink, finding it, Alex smiles brilliantly and presents it to his friend.
"And here! A chocolate milk as thanks for helping me." He carefully hands the bottled version of Vasco's favorite brand. "Thanks Coco."
Vasco cradles it close to him, the cold beverage not bothering him even if its moisture is soaking through his tank top.
"You're so kind Alex, I wish all good-looking guys are as nice as you."
Alex sweatdrops at his remark, a light blush on his face from the compliment. "Thanks I guess... and you're pretty nice yourself," He tilts his head to the side, a smirk tugging at his lips. "For a pretty handsome guy."
Vasco is plenty handsome, anyone who says otherwise will have their kneecaps broken. Pretty sure everyone thinks so too, they're just all intimidated by his tattoos and his resting ax murderer face. Some people just can't handle his intensity.
Red explodes in Vasco's face as he makes a high keening sound so unlike his deepass voice.
It makes Alex laugh as the taller teen sputters, saving him from thinking Alex was only teasing he tries to hold the laughter in.
"And I'm not kidding Coco," He pinches one of the gang leader's reddened cheeks. Alex hears three intakes of breath from behind him. "I'm laughing because your reaction is soooo cute."
Instead of words, a whine comes out of Vasco's mouth as he tries to his face with his hands, taking the cold bottle with it to try and cool down his face.
"Okay, okay. I'm done." The blonde holds his hands up in surrender. "I'm going home now, I almost forgot I'm running an errand and I'm very late already."
Alex starts walking away, with more pep in his step, he waves at all of them.
"See you guys tomorrow!"
*****
When Alex got home, he was face to face with his unamused little sister and his only saving grace was the snacks he brought with him.
"Figures." Was Bea's dry response as she looks at the mountain of Dorayaki stacked on the table that is soon to go in the pantry. She takes what he went out for and her designated bribe anyways.
Alex scoffs, not even a Goddamn thank you, moody teenage girls.
He just went back to stocking the pantry with his snacks, putting what happened earlier behind him, if he thinks too much of it he won't be able to fall asleep.
*****
~Confession Line~
In the Jae Won High student body, it's unanimously decided that having a crush on Alex is not gay, it makes you a man of taste and culture.
*****
A/n: I finished writing this at 1 am and I'm not editing it until later, so point out any errors kindly if any, I'm too sleep deprived to do so.