"I don't think I've ever seen anything so perfect in my life," Jason thought as he stared at Catharine's breasts. They were pale, round, and perky; like two perfect marshmallows just asking to be toasted. He nearly licked his lips but held himself back. Somehow. He managed to restrain himself and keep his composure. He didn't think she would have done it when he asked; it was only a request, a shot in the dark. Yet, she actually flashed him. What did that even mean? Was she actually serious when she said she was going to have hot steamy sex with him later at his house? Oh shit, he was finally getting some action. Hopefully, nothing bad happened to him… hopefully he didn't die and get transmigrated to another world.
It was around the evening hours, and Jason was walking home from the university where he studied. The sky had taken on a yellowish hue as the sun crept back behind the horizon. Despite this, it seemed like the street was just getting lively. Jason couldn't help but review the mental picture he had taken of Catharine. His heart skipped more than a beat when he thought of how his luck had finally changed. He wasn't that good-looking. Actually, he was ugly. Built like a bag of beans, his teeth couldn't be straightened even if the braces were applied with retainers and superglue. He had no experience with women, but just like any normal young adult, he felt the urges, they were there growing stronger with each new day. It felt as if his friends were all already experienced and he was the only virgin. He watched porn and did other questionable things, but that was how life always went around the age of 20-25
Suddenly, he had gained the attention of an attractive girl in his department. Since he was the class clown, it was easy to get her laughing, and that had given him the ticket to view paradise once. Jason wasn't dumb; he wasn't morally perfect either. He didn't want to be the clown; he didn't want everyone laughing at his jokes. But that was the only way to numb the pain and keep him from committing suicide. The only advantage he had in life was his incredibly sharp mind. He was a genius—relatively. That's what gave him the ability to figure out why Catharine had really showed him her breasts. She didn't see him as boyfriend material. No. She saw him as a practice dummy. Something to experiment on and improve her sex skills with. It made sense. How else would a beauty like her learn how to ride? She couldn't afford to make mistakes with the guys she actually liked. But he didn't mind. He thought that was the perfect relationship—friends with benefits.
As he headed home, he decided to stop at the grocery store. He opened his phone and looked at the text his mom had sent him. Eggs, bread, bananas, tomatoes. His head was bent down, barely watching where he was going. He walked into the store and began picking out the items he needed from the shelves. That was when the bell at the door rang with a clang. Two masked men burst inside the store with weapons. One of them had a pistol, the other held a knife.
"Everybody hit the floor, now!"
People scrambled like ants that had just been stepped on. Jason dropped on his plump belly; he didn't dare lift his head. He wasn't going to waste his life trying to be a hero, not today. Not when he was about to finally get some action. But the universe had other plans for him. Jason spotted a tattoo on one of the men's arms. It was a scorpion. He almost let out a gasp. He recognized that tattoo. These weren't just any robbers. These guys were professional killers. They would definitely wipe out this whole store. Now he had to do something.
Whether he waited and kept his head down or if he fought the two men, there was still a high chance of getting killed. He had always been a coward, but today he would fight. He couldn't die here. He had to live. With that thought in mind, Jason started inching closer to the two men, who were nervously looking around while the cashier stuffed money into a bag. Jason was convinced that these guys would kill everyone in the store once they were done collecting the cash. That was the way the Scorpion Gang operated. This wasn't the first time they had done this. He had read about them, maybe even seen them once.
As he inched closer, the robbers didn't notice him. He finally reached close enough to make his move. In one swift movement, he used his hands to balance himself and jumped to his feet. Like a leech that hadn't seen blood in years, he latched onto the arm of the robber holding the gun. As long as he held that arm, he was sure the robber couldn't aim at anyone else, and he could take a beating if it came to that.
The other customers jumped off the floor and rushed out of the store, running for their lives. He had risked his life to save them, and they escaped without a second thought. Jason's stomach twisted when he saw it. They just ran. Not one person stayed to help. But he didn't blame them. Honestly, he would have done the same thing if he wasn't so sure these guys planned to kill every single one of them. Now he had to hang on like his life depended on it, because it did.
Panic broke out in the store with Jason clinging to the robber's arm, his chubby body weighing the man down. The other robber rushed over and started smashing his gun on Jason's back, trying to get him off. The cashier stood frozen, eyes wide, unable to move. What could she do? The other robber still had a knife. After a few more blows, the robber with the knife turned it around and stabbed Jason. Once. Twice. Over and over again until blood began flowing onto the floor.
The pain. It was so intense. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have cried out or fallen immediately. But after all the bullying Jason had gone through in his life, he hadn't even realized how high his pain tolerance had become. He turned toward the shocked cashier, his lips trembling, and struggled to scream.
"Get… out now!"
The woman snapped out of her frozen state and bolted for the exit, leaving him alone with the two robbers. Slowly, Jason's vision began to fade. Everything got darker. His body felt heavy, like it was sinking into the floor. But he smiled inside. At least his death hadn't been in vain. He had saved everyone in the store. His only regret was never knowing what it felt like to be wanted. To be seen as more than a joke or a practice dummy.