Today is a day like any other, the hot summer light penetrates the classroom window making the life of us poor window sitters worse with each passing day. Cold sweat flows down my neck and enters my upper back making the t-shirt stick a bit to my skin and making me feel uncomfortable. Though the fans are running at full speed they might as well be just props for anyone not sitting directly below them. 

The teacher in front continues writing gibberish on the blackboard and I absentmindedly write it all down like a machine. I roam my eyes around the room and see everyone following the same preprogrammed instructions as me, except for a few. There are some brave souls who are actually diligently listening to the words coming out from the front and asking genuine questions.

I wish I had that sort of enthusiasm for my studies, that would make these classes much more enjoyable and make a recess or PT not the only activities I look forward to in school. As such trivial thoughts and unattainable wishes grow and die out in my mind, the bell rings marking the start of recess.

The teacher leaves after telling us about today's homework and quickly the silent class erupts into energy.

I like this type of atmosphere where everyone is feeling energetic and showing actual human emotions instead of sitting like dead puppets when a lecture is going on.

I put away the notebook and pen in the bag and take out the lunch box my mother prepares for me every morning but I don't open it. Soon three people arrive at my desk and form a group around me. Each taking out their lunchbox and laying it out on my desk. Without a thought, I exchange my lunchbox with Lena and open it to see fried eggs with slice bread at the bottom along with some sweet rice. Lena opens my lunchbox and is delighted as always to see healthy food that tastes like dirt to me.

[You really are determined to achieve that thin idol body aren't you] said Loreal munching on some snack bar.

Lena motions her head in agreement and starts eating the grass laid out in front. Though I find her somewhat pitiful, at the same time I was glad that the keto lunchbox I would always throw out in recess was now being actually eaten by someone.

[We are planning to go out for karaoke today, you wanna come Mayuri dear] asked Mehak with an expectant tone. 

Though all three were looking at me with eyes of much expectation I had to shatter their dreams with my cruel words

[No can't do, you know my parents will actually kill me if they found out I skipped tuition]

Though all four of us already knew the outcome, we still couldn't help but slump down in a frown. Lena rests her chin on top of my shoulders and throws curses at my family saying things that a child should defiantly not think of in regard to their parents, but hearing her curses lightens my mood as she's the one getting angry in my stead this time.

As the usual recess continues, a loud slam of the backdoor catches everyone's attention and the whole class silences to look at the culprit. Shocking to everyone, the culprit turned out to be Miss Mana from the class next door.

All the information I have on her is that she's in the same 2nd year of high school as me but in a different section, apart from her scary demeanor, all the other info is just rumors I have heard. Some I believe in order to match the image I have of her in my mind and others I don't. But what was such a troublemaker doing in our class? this scene was out of the ordinary in my everyday formulaic life.

[Oi! You Chimps, where's the four eyed fatty of your class] she commands everyone present, her voice not leaving room for any questions

Since she commanded everyone must oblige. Soon someone snitches and reveals to Miss Mana the whereabouts of her victim, revealing the location to be the school's library.

Without saying a word, she bangs the door shut and everyone releases a sigh of relief, happy that her victim was not one of them.

Scary...

[She really is like a classical villain] blurts out Loreal and all three of us nod in agreement.

Her path in life is way different than ours, a delinquent like her will most likely become a victim to the dark side of society and sooner than later will probably regret her life decisions, wishing she had studied diligently and not wasted her high school life.

A student's goal is to study and not to become a nuisance for everyone around. A small part of me feels pitiful for her inevitable future but it's her own life, I don't have any right to interfere like an annoying preacher.

...

Now it's evening and I make my way home from the tuition center. Today just like yesterday nothing interesting happened but for some reason when I picture the faces of my family I don't want to enter my home and feel suffocation, the air outside is so much cleaner and more liberating. Even the air inside the tuition center is to stifling, everyone there is just so serious and mechanical. They don't view their fellow classmates as respectful human beings but someone they must trample over in order to please the professors.

The professors at the coaching center also treat their students like livestock, only the most brilliant of them all will receive affection while everyone else will be belittled for their dumbness.

If I could I would leave both my family and coaching behind, but I'm still but a child. I need their care in order to enter college and meet my daily necessities, once I become self-sufficient I would love nothing more than to leave these heavy atmospheres behind and live peacefully among my friends. 

Maybe I will buy a house next to Loreal who wishes to open her own restaurant one day, then I will have tasty dishes every day for free. We can go to Lena's idol concerts and cheer her from the front row and maybe by then Mehak would have also figured out what to become in her life. That's a good plan, a really nice plan, a dream I wish I could conjure into reality.

I nod to myself dreaming of such a blissful and peaceful future when suddenly the dream gets shattered by the strong gust of wind that passed in front of me.

Startled I look to the left and witness the culprits go into the dark alleyway. Yes, Culprits, it was for sure some people chasing after someone. evident by the distressed look on the one in front. Though only momentarily, I think I saw the face of Miss Mana, is she in trouble? is she being chased by a bunch of hooligans? 

Though a situation like this might be a struggle of her daily life, but for some reason an eerily feeling grasps my heart. A normal person would just ignore this situation and go on with their life but if I find out tomorrow that some misfortune befell Miss Mana and I could have potentially prevented it, that sort of burden is too much if I want to live the life I dream of.

Carefully I tiptoe inside the alleyway and bring out my phone to start recording. The moment I catch it on phone as evidence I can quickly call the police to come to her rescue. Confident in my plan, I silently make my way through the alley when suddenly an opening comes on the left.

Feeling my heart stuck to my throat, I nimbly peek my head from the edge of the wall and capture the scene inside my smartphone.

What I witnessed was nowhere near what I had expected.

Though there was a person named Miss Mana though she wasn't the one in distress instead she was one the dishing it out.

Alongside her stood two more people, both awfully familiar to my memory. They were also in the same class as Mana, most likely her friends or lackeys but what were they doing there? Who were they surrounding on the ground? I crouch down to get a better look at their victim and to my surprise, the victim was also someone I was familiar with. It was a boy who went to the same coaching center as me, though I don't know his name I have seen him pass my vision from time to time.

It looks like these three were bullying the poor guy. What poor taste, pushing down the weak and helpless. The flames of justice start burning bright in my heart and I make sure to record everything properly, so I can pass this evidence to the school authority. Maybe after being punished these three will correct their ways and start living a more respectful life.

That was a thought a moment later I didn't wish I had. Why did I start behaving like some superhero and not leave the scene like a normal girl? I really should have just left the moment I thought it was just petty bullying.

The moment came and suddenly a shot was fired. The shot from the gun wasn't loud, it was indeed barely audible but I was able to clearly identify the source of the sound as right in front of my eyes was a silenced gun resting on the boy's head.

My heart thumped wildly to come out of my chest and my eyes traced the hands holding the gun, the owner none other than Miss Mana. Whose image instantly changed in my head from a typical bully to that of a murderer.

Miss Mana is a murderer.

She had just committed a grave crime in front of me.

Miss Mana accompanied by her two companions had just done a murder.

All their actions are captured in my smartphone, the gravity of the situation suddenly befell my mind and a violent surge of vomit tried its best to leave my stomach and greet the outside world. But I have to hold it in, I tried calming my heightened nerves and shaking body but my body didn't listen to my thoughts.

I have to get out of here quickly, quietly, and immediately contact the police.

The plan was formed but my limbs stood paralyzed in protest. I need to get out before they turn their heads, I recited it again and again in my head when suddenly my limbs got tired of their protest and I was able to move again.

Quickly I turned back and to my demise noticed a cat standing in front of me.

I used to love cats, I always wanted a cat as a pet, they are just soooo cute but right now I wished for all the cats in the world to stop existing. Maybe sensing my impure thoughts the cat sneered, though it probably didn't but that's what I imagined as the next second it opened its ugly mouth and meowed out loud.

I don't like cats anymore, maybe sensing my disgust directed at it, the cat turned out with a haughty "HM!" and left the scene of the crime leaving the poor me behind.

You piece of shit.

I wanted to yell out loud but all the required yelling had already been done by the monster and I mechanically turn my head around to witness three demons standing behind me. My eyes locked with all three and without thinking I propped up my smartphone and deleted the evidence in front of their prying eyes and as an apology even gifted them my smartphone.

See? No evidence remain! All is good now, right?

Nervous laughter escaped my mouth as I leave the smartphone on the ground and turn around to leave the scene, never to look back again. But it seemed like god was awfully playful today as my silent escape was way too quickly stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

[Mam, I apologize for the inconvenience but it seems like we shall need to have a lengthy discussion, don't you agree?]

said Miss Mana with a smile on her face, wow, what a sensible young lady but I was afraid I had to deny

[Sor-]

[I insist, PLEASE] said the purple haired girl next to Miss Mana in a gentle and tender way.

I mean how could I resist such kind invitations thus I agreed to the so called discussion and the red haired girl to the other side of Miss Mana quickly grabbed my hand

[Let me show you the way to the discussion hall]

[hahah.....] how could I reject such thoughtful guests, I thought as a river of panic and regret flowed down my face.