"Why are you asking me that question?" I asked casually.
"Well, you don't even look surprised hearing this story. When I told the others, they were all totally shocked!" I stared at him sharply before shaking my head.
"I'm the new kid. I haven't adjusted to this school environment yet..." Even though my answer was nonsense, whatever!
"What does that have to do with anything?" Remy rested his chin on his hand, staring at me intensely.
"Ugh, it's nothing!" I immediately turned my body to face the window.
Finally, this guy shut up. He talks way too much!
---
At last, this exhausting school day finally came to an end. My feet slowly stepped towards the school gate to leave.
Buk!
Suddenly, I felt a strong hit on the back of my head. The sound of footsteps grew louder, followed by the rapid clapping of hands.
Pap! Pap! Pap!
I started feeling dizzy and eventually passed out on the spot.
---
I held my head, still spinning from the hit earlier. I groaned in frustration. Who the hell dared to mess with me? They're asking for death! Slowly, I got up and stood, scanning my surroundings. Turns out, I was inside the boys' restroom.
"Arghh! Who the hell did this?!" I steadied my breathing, trying to control my rising fury. I fixed my crumpled uniform before noticing a sticky note on the sink mirror.
"Babe, do you miss me hmm? I miss your voice, I miss your face, I miss your..."
I picked it up and read it. The last words were left hanging, making me ponder for a long time.
"I miss your restless face..."
I gasped. A whisper crept into my ear. Panicked, I searched every corner of the restroom, but there was no one there—only me. Frustrated by the situation, I yelled at the top of my lungs.
"Who are you?! Come out if you dare! Coward!" I kicked the restroom door with all my might, releasing my pent-up anger.
"Arghh!!"
The rage bubbling inside finally exploded. I couldn't control my emotions anymore. My eyes slowly turned a fiery red. I roughly pulled up my uniform sleeve before biting my own arm hard until blue blood oozed out.
"Come out, you coward! Damn it!"
The sight of the blue blood only fueled my sudden bloodlust. Unable to hold back my fury, I rushed out of the restroom, running aimlessly. In my chaos, I collided with someone.
Buk!
"Fariz? What happened? Why is your shirt covered in blue liquid?"
A flood of questions spilled from his mouth. I looked up at him. My math teacher, Mr. Din, was staring at me with a confused expression.
I grinned at him before smirking sinisterly. Without wasting time, I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the boys' restroom. He looked baffled as I locked the door from the inside.
"What's going on, Fariz?" he asked, momentarily stunned.
"You are my victim. Hope you're happy up there."
Without hesitation, I lunged at him, gripping his throat tightly and smashing his head repeatedly against the mirror above the sink. The blood gushed out uncontrollably, and I drank it greedily, satisfying my hunger.
His body went limp, collapsing onto the restroom floor. I wiped the blood off my lips before plunging a pocket knife into his bloodied head.
"A gift from me. Hope you find happiness up there..."
I wiped away fake tears before bursting into laughter at the sight of him.
With a sinister smile never leaving my lips, I strode out of the restroom.
I roughly threw my bloodstained school blazer into a hidden trash bin. I rubbed my chest, trying to calm my anxious heart.
Pap!
I felt someone pat my shoulder.
"Oi, where did you go, huh? I waited for you at the guard post for so long!"
I pouted, glancing at her briefly before walking away.
"Hey, what's with you? I've been waiting, and now you just walk off like that, leaving me behind?" She kept nagging like a broken radio in my ears.
"Wait for me!" She grabbed my school bag from behind, forcing me to stop and look at her lazily.
"What?"
"Where are you going?" she asked, still not letting go of my arm.
"Home." I gave a short reply and started walking again.
"Ugh, this kid... How are you going to get home? My house is pretty far, you know!" She followed my pace quickly.
"So?"
"So, what are you going to take?" She suddenly pinched my arm.
"Auchh, what's wrong with you? I'm taking the bus, obviously! What, you think I'm riding a horse?" I glared at Reena, who still had her innocent look on.
"Ugh, you! I ask a whole sentence, and you reply with just one word!" I shrugged, not in the mood to entertain her nonsense.
"Oh, since I promised this morning to take you shopping, why don't we go now?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Do whatever you want!" She jumped in joy before pulling me onto a bus heading to our destination.
---
"Eh, this one or this one?" She held up two sets of school uniforms for me to choose from.
"Why choose? They all have the same pattern!" I yawned in boredom. Luckily, I wasn't the type of girl crazy about shopping, or else my wallet would be empty—just like the person standing before me now.
"You're so difficult! Even if they look the same, we still need to pick the best one!" To avoid her nagging, I pointed at the uniform in her left hand.
"See! That wasn't so hard! Next, we're going to Star Café!" She handed me a shopping bag containing the two uniforms.
"For what? We've bought the uniforms, what else do you need? I'm tired!" I dropped the plastic bag onto the floor and sat on a nearby chair.
"Aww, just come along! Consider it as payment since I bought you the uniforms!" She gave me a pitiful look.
"Oh, so now you want me to pay you back? Okay, let's go to the bank right now—I'll withdraw my money and pay you back immediately!" I was about to walk away when she grabbed my arm.
She shook her head quickly.
"I don't want your money! Just keep me company at the café and meet my friends, please... I already promised them." She batted her eyelashes at me and gently shook my shoulders.
"Fine…"
She grinned widely before dragging me into the café with her.
"Oh, and one more thing—I told them you're my boyfriend, so... you get it, right?"
I glared at her.
"Why the hell do I have to be the one? Are you looking for a death wish?" I asked, clearly annoyed. With everything going on, now I even felt like a lesbian—though no one else knew.
"Please, Fariz, I had no choice… There's a guy who keeps bothering me. So, I had to tell them you're my boyfriend so they'd stop!" Her voice softened.
I let out a deep sigh.
"That silence means you agree, right?" She raised her eyebrows, making a cute face.
"Let's go!" She grabbed my arm and led me to a table where her friends were sitting, grinning at me.
"Fariz, these are my friends—Lina, Fina, and Nara." She introduced them one by one.
I gave them a brief nod before taking a seat.
"Guys, this is my boyfriend, Fariz!" she announced excitedly.
"Wow, I didn't expect your boyfriend to be this handsome and hot! He looks like a Korean oppa!" The three of them giggled flirtatiously while occasionally throwing shy glances at me. I ignored them and stared out the window.
Reena blushed at their teasing.
"Look, stare all you want, but compliments should be over the top!" Reena's playful remark sent them all into laughter.
I sighed heavily. Why are all girls the same? Only caring about looks rather than personality!
"Ehem!" I felt a slight tap on my shoulder and turned around.
"Oh, you're finally here! We've been waiting for a while!" Nara greeted a guy with a sweet smile.
"Fariz, meet Amir—Nara's boyfriend," Reena quickly introduced the guy to me.
"Hmm…" I replied half-heartedly.
"Amir, if you're bored, chat with Fariz… but not too much! He's mine!" Reena teased, pushing Amir to sit beside me.
"Ugh, do you think I'm gay? If he were a girl, maybe I'd be interested!" Amir quickly sat down next to me. I ignored him and continued playing a game on my phone.
"Fariz, I didn't expect us to meet again," he suddenly spoke.
"Hmm…"
"Oh yeah, how long have you and Reena been together?" he asked, trying to make conversation.
"Hmm…" I kept my focus on my phone.
"Are you always like this?" he asked out of the blue.
"What?" I furrowed my brows at him, noticing his sly smirk.
"Yeah, you're so cold… I wonder how that girl even fell for you!" He chuckled at his own words. I just shrugged.
"I don't know why, but I feel like I want to get to know you more…" His tone suddenly turned serious, his eyes locked on my indifferent face.
"You've intrigued me ever since you saved me that day…" His voice carried a different emotion now.
"Go say that to Nara. I'm a guy—you're not gay, are you?" I asked sarcastically, purposely provoking him.
"Sigh, that's what I'm worried about… Am I turning gay?"
"Don't even try flirting with me. We're both men… So before I start hating the sight of you, you better cut it out!" Without wasting time, I stood up and walked toward the counter to buy coffee for takeaway.
"So, if you were a girl, you'd fall for me?"
I nearly dropped my coffee. When did this guy get here?!
"You better not make me tell Nara!" I warned him firmly, but he just laughed.
"She means nothing to me. I lost the one I loved before… but now, I won't let go of the person I like!" Suddenly, he grabbed my hand tightly.
I yanked my hand away and walked off.
"Damn bastard!" I glared at him before nudging Reena, who was still chatting with her friends.
"I'm going home."
She blinked in confusion.
"Already? You can't be bored that fast! If you are, chat with Amir!" My frustration only grew.
"I don't feel well." I massaged my head lightly as a sign to Reena.
"Aww, oppa is leaving already? We were just about to invite you to hang out at our place!" I shook my head before forcing a plastic smile.
"Where's Amir?" Nara suddenly asked.
"Who knows? Maybe the restroom!" I didn't care about that guy!
"Guys, I'm leaving now. Let's hang out again next time!" Reena waved at her friends before pulling me along as we exited the café.
"Are you okay? You look like a volcano waiting to erupt." She studied my face.
"Whether I have a problem or not, it's none of your business!"
"Huh, so arrogant!" I heard her mumble.
"I'm going home!" I sped up my steps, leaving her behind.
She groaned in frustration before running after me.
That damn pervert, even hitting on a guy.. Amir such a pervert gay!
•••
We took the bus home, and I nearly threw up from the overcrowding and the unpleasant smell coming from the other passengers. Finally, we arrived home. I slumped onto the sofa before turning on the television.
"Hey, are you hungry?" Reena suddenly asked. I shook my head quickly and returned my attention to the news broadcast, which was reporting on the death of the math teacher I had killed earlier that evening.
"Ugh, I'm starving..." She rubbed her stomach slowly before getting up and sitting beside me.
"I'm going to order delivery. Do you want anything?" I quickly shook my head again.
"Geez, talking to you is like talking to a wall!" she grumbled under her breath before picking up her phone to place an order.
"Hmm, what sounds good? Pizza? Oh yeah, pizza!" I snatched her phone from her grip.
"What the hell? I'm hungry!" She tried to take it back, but I swiftly hid it behind me.
"No delivery. It's a waste of money!" I canceled her order.
"But I don't want to go out... Once in a while, what's the harm in splurging? Hehe!" She still had the audacity to joke.
"I'll buy it!" I got up immediately, walked into the room, and threw on my hoodie.
"Wow, seriously? Aww, my boyfriend is so sweet. I'm falling for you even more now!" Reena rolled around on the sofa, hugging a cushion and giggling.
"She must've gone insane," I muttered in disgust. Truthfully, there was no such thing as helping others in my life. I was doing this because I had my own plan—to satisfy my insatiable thirst for killing.
---
After buying the pizza Reena ordered, I wandered around looking for my next "prey."
"Who will be my 'food' tonight?" I twirled the karambit blade between my fingers over and over. After about twenty minutes of prowling the streets, I finally found a target.
A man wearing a cap that obscured his face was sitting on a bench, absentmindedly tossing pieces of bread to the ground, feeding a few pigeons.
"You seem like a good guy, but unfortunately, you're going to be my victim tonight..."
I slowly rolled up my sleeve, revealing my scarred arm, before plunging the karambit's sharp edge into my own flesh. The sight of blue blood trickling down made a wide grin spread across my face.
Silently, I crept up behind him.
Without hesitation, I smeared my blood-soaked hand all over his face.
"Erghh!" I clamped my hand tightly over his mouth as he began to groan in pain.
"You're such a good boy, so I'll help you get to heaven quickly..." I whispered into his ear.
"Hmm... hmm!!" He struggled desperately in my grip.
Zap!
I drove the karambit straight into his stomach.
"You should be grateful that I'm killing you instantly instead of torturing you first..."
Zap!
I stabbed his abdomen again, tearing it open. His eyes bulged wide with agony, his life hanging by a thread.
Zap!
"So, hope you're happy in heaven!"
Finally, he was dead, his stomach grotesquely split open, his face drenched in blue blood, disfigured as if splashed with acid.
A wild grin stretched across my lips.
Greedily, I devoured his insides, slurping up his blood as it poured like a waterfall.
---
I burned the bloodstained hoodie before tossing its ashes into a dumpster.
Quickly, I made my way back to Reena's house.
"Hey, where the hell did you go? You were gone for an hour!" Reena stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at me.
"There was a long line at the pizza place..." I replied lazily. Now that my stomach was full, my eyelids started to feel heavy with sleep.
"Hmph, if I'd known, I would've gone with you! I bet lots of girls were checking you out, right? That's why it was so crowded!"
Not in the mood to listen to her rant, I handed her the two pizza boxes. She was still pouting and rambling on.
"Annoying, dramatic, talkative... Hm, I'm just now realizing all of your real personality traits..." I pretended to count them on my fingers.
Reena smacked my head with a cushion.
"Ugh, I only act like this around certain people, you know..." she muttered quietly.
"Especially people I feel comfortable with... and love..." she added softly.
Oh boy, if she knew my real identity, she'd probably be devastated!
"Ugh, enough already! I'm not in the mood for jokes!" I stormed into the bedroom, locked the door, and collapsed onto the bed.
•••
The loud, rapid knocking on the door jolted me from my deep sleep.
"Wei, Fariz, wake up! We're going to be late for school… Is this how a good student sets an example?" Reena started nagging from the other side of the door.
"Ugh, you're like a broken radio in the morning. Chill, I'm going to take a shower!" I muttered, tidying up my bed before stepping into the bathroom inside my room.
Once I had finished getting dressed in my school uniform, I walked out of the room with my hair still a mess, completely uncombed.
"Oh my god, if you don't want to be late, at least brush your hair first!" Reena, who was in the middle of biting into a piece of bread, suddenly stood up and walked toward me.
"It's none of your business if my hair is messy!" I stuffed two pieces of bread into my mouth.
"None of my business? We're going to school, and everyone there thinks you're my boyfriend! So, of course, it's my business!" She huffed, disappearing into her room to grab a hairbrush.
Without hesitation, she began brushing my hair. I didn't bother stopping her—after all, it wasn't a big deal if we touched.
"Why is your hair so soft? Like a girl's?" she muttered. I stayed silent and sipped my milk from the mug.
"There we go, turning into a statue again. No worries, I'll grab a hairdryer in a sec. I'll melt not just your hair, but you along with it!" she teased sarcastically. I couldn't be bothered to respond, so I simply grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" Reena hurriedly chased after me.
"To die. Wanna come?" I asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
"Hahaha, so funny!" she laughed before grabbing my wrist and dragging me along to catch the bus heading to school.