IF ONLY

The Princess is in danger

High School

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Most students stayed behind for after-class activities such as projects, dances, or meeting with their partners. Others loitered around notable spots like the Prince Hyper Mart, a public park, or somewhere with fewer people around. The nature of their activities was a mystery to many.

Wayne, however, was different. He was known as a loner, without any friends, and never took part in any after-class activities like the one underneath the sycamore tree behind Mr. Ramirez's room. He would leave the school immediately after class, which went unnoticed by most of his classmates. Despite his lack of charm and his average appearance, his mysterious and distant personality frequently caught the attention of girls, especially due to his attractive eyes.

He erected unseen walls around himself, pushing people away from his life. He didn't want to reveal his past and feared things would only get worse if he did. He could sense the emotions of those around him - sadness, joy, infatuation, or even hate - and read them in their eyes.

"WAYNE!!!" a girl's voice called out.

The school day had finally come to an end and the students were eager to leave. The noise level in the hallway rose as students excitedly chatted and laughed with each other, looking forward to their after-school activities or going home.

Amidst the chaos, a voice called out, “Wayne! Come back! Oi Wayne!” It was a persistent girl who kept calling his name. 

However, Wayne didn’t respond. He had vanished in the crowd, ignoring the girl’s calls. He knew why she was trying to reach him – he was scheduled as the cleaner for their class today and was dreading the thought of having to stay back to clean the room.

A couple of impatient students grumbled, “This takes too long! I want to go home.”

“Come on, let’s go to the park later, sis!” said one student to another.

The school guard stood by the exit, looking exasperated as students bombarded him with demands to let them out.

One of the students, with a sense of entitlement, yelled, “Guard, let us through! You’re just a guard! We pay you with fees, so basically we feed your poor ass life.” Her friends backed her up, nodding in agreement.

As he was walking down the path, he could hear the guards trying to calm the students down.

"Alright everyone, just calm down. Remember, we're here to ensure your safety," one of the guards said, holding up his hand to signal the students to slow down.

One of the students, with a sense of entitlement, yelled, “Guard, let us through! You’re just a guard! We pay you with fees, so basically we feed your poor ass life.” Her friends backed her up, nodding in agreement.

The guard, used to this kind of behavior, just let the words roll off his back and calmly replied, “I’m sorry, but school policy states that I can’t let you leave until the bell rings. Please be patient for just a few more minutes.”

Despite the guard's efforts, the students were growing increasingly restless. Some were pushing and shoving, trying to get to the front of the line. Wayne tried to step back, trying to avoid getting caught up in the chaos. But it was no use, he was surrounded on all sides.

"Come on, what's taking so long?" another student complained.

"It's only five minutes, just hold on a bit longer," the guard tried to placate the students.

Wayne took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the chaos around him. Finally, the gates began to open and the students started to pour out, like a herd of animals being released from their pens.

As he walked out of the gates, Wayne let out a sigh of relief. He was glad to be out of the chaos and finally able to breathe fresh air again. But he couldn't help but feel a little bit of sympathy for "Alright, let's keep it orderly people," one of the guards said, trying to be heard above the noise of the students. "No pushing or shoving. We don't want anyone getting hurt."

Despite the guard's efforts, however, accidents still happened. Wayne felt a small shove from behind and before he could catch a glimpse of who had pushed him, he found himself pressed up against a girl.

The girl, who was Anastasia, the leader of a small and self-proclaimed gang around their school, didn't seem too pleased about the situation. She grabbed the part of Wayne's collar near the buttons and pulled him closer towards her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Anastasia asked, her tone clearly hostile. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Wayne tried to pull away, but found himself surrounded by Anastasia's subordinates. The girls, who looked like typical delusional gangster girls with twin-tailed hair and a shade of burgundy on their lips, wore brass knuckles that looked fatal. The strong fragrance of cologne was starkly obvious. 

The girl threatened him. “You’re pretty brave to take an interest in my chest, do you have a death wish?” she sneered, the anger clear in her voice.

Another girl appeared from behind and chuckled, her voice filled with sarcasm. “Look at this guy, boss. Out of all the students in the school, he chose you to make a pass at.”

The guard was pulled a few meters away to a secluded spot by a stream by the group, who were obscuring the scene from the view of others. Despite the dangerous situation, he tried to remain calm.

“Boss, this could get us into trouble,” the short, nervous girl named Pacia said, grabbing Anastasia's arm and pleading with her.

Anastasia's expression was one of frustration as she replied, “Pacia, stop acting like a frail cat. We need to show this guy that he shouldn't mess with us. We need to be tough to be taken seriously, they laugh and belittled us and that ends today”

One of Anastasia's subordinates spoke up, their voice filled with excitement. “Yeah, let's show him who's boss.”

The others echoed the sentiment, but their voices held a hint of hesitation. They were brave when following their leader, but timid when alone.

Anastasia's group of thugs announced with a united front, “Don't mess with us.” Despite their bold declaration, their voices were quiet as they whispered amongst themselves about the potential consequences of their actions.

The young man chuckled, baiting Anastasia. “Never who, huh?” he asked, his tone nonchalant. “Who exactly are you guys?” 

The tough-looking girl was physically frail, often underestimated, but the small scar on her left forehead and the way she gripped Wayne’s collar showed she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

"You think that's funny?" Anastasia snarled, her face inches away from his. "You think you can take us lightly?" She tightened her grip on his collar, pulling him up until he was face to face with her.

With a deafening crack, Wayne's head was jolted to the side as Anastasia's punch landed square on his cheek. The pain was immediate and intense, radiating through his skull and down his neck. He felt the bones in his cheek shift and grind against each other, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his entire face. For a moment, he was stunned, unable to move or even think. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheek, swelling it up and adding to the already unbearable pain.

"U-uhmm...I-is he dead?" Pacia asked, her voice trembling with fear. "God, are we murderers?" she panicked, until Anastasia backhanded her, snapping her back to reality.

"No, you stupid idiot! There's no way he could've died from such a weak punch," Anastasia spat out, annoyance and frustration clear in her voice. She grabbed Wayne by his collar, shaking him in an attempt to rouse him. "For a guy, you sure are weak," she muttered disdainfully.

Despite the immense pain, a small chuckle escaped Wayne's mouth. "Heh...hehe..." he said, his voice barely audible. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having provoked Anastasia. It was clear she was used to having things go her way and wasn't used to people standing up to her. He felt a sense of pride knowing that he had shown her that she couldn't push him around.

“What’s so funny, you jerk?” Anastasia pulled him up and saw the cocky smirk on the young man’s face. She lost her temper, seeing how the young man was playing with her, mocking her. 

“For a girl? Boy you sure do look like a gorilla.” He gave a cocky smile but the emptiness in his eyes revealed a deeper pain. The words were meant to sound confident, but the sadness that weighed down on him was palpable.

"O-oh…boy… You shouldn't have said that," said Pacia, her tone revealing a hint of concern for the young man's well-being.

Anastasia could feel the tension in the air and the sadness that the young man was trying to hide. But instead of acknowledging it, she chose to channel her anger and held her rage, chuckling as she asked, "You really have a death wish, do you? Hehehe…”

"You better prepare for what’s to come,” Anastasia said with a stern voice, her eyes narrowing into a grim look.

Wayne sighed, his depression taking over. "Death awaits," he said with a defeated tone. "I’ll give you the opportunity to kill me. You should be honored."

The girls were taken aback by his words, the bravery and recklessness of his statement was something they had never encountered before. They were hesitant, confused, and even a little scared. Not even the bravest of them all would dare to say something like that.

Wayne's head was filled with dark whispers, "If only I could kill them." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push away the overwhelming sadness that was consuming him.

From a distance, it was a scene of a princess in danger, surrounded by big bad girls, but her eyes were filled with determination, and a hint of sadness as she stood her ground. "Death is imminent," Wayne thought to himself.