CHAPTER XXVIII: Mistakes of Righteousness

The next day, I woke up like my limbs were about to be torn off.

Last night was the first time in a few years since I fully exerted myself.

I felt so worn out that I was saddened to think about parting with my soft cushions.

However, the attendance for going to the festival was a major determinant for our participation in this event.

Grunting to myself, I lazily prepared for the day.

When I went down, I saw that the helpers were busily doing their respective tasks.

I didn't pay them much mind and went straight towards the dining area to grab something to eat.

Luckily, all the food had already been prepared by the head chef. All I had to do was grab everything that I wanted.

I silently ate my breakfast consisting of buttered bread, spam, and sunnyside ups. It was a typical meal in the morning for our family.

Excluding the actual family part.

Just as I was about to finish eating, the chef, Mikel, entered the dining area.

"Good morning, young miss." He greeted me.

I merely nodded politely in his direction.

When he received my response, he smiled and turned back.

Once I was done, one of the helpers immediately grabbed my plate and bowed at me.

I was about to leave but then I stopped midway. I grabbed a small sticky note and a pen from my clutch and wrote a small thank you with a smiley face below it.

I don't know what urged me to do it, but eating in that dining hall with no one to glance at but yourself felt suffocating. Ironically, with no one even present to strangle me.

Honestly, I would be shocked. I was the type of person who doesn't talk much nor did I show any clear emotion to other people. As expected.

And maybe doing so might make them see a new side of me that they haven't seen for a while after what happened a few years back. It was worth a try to see how far I had changed.

Especially in attempting to express my gratitude for the times that they remained in this lonely house to accompany someone like me.

Accomplishing that, I left the isolated house.

I headed straight to the academy and met up with Solar soon after I had arrived.

We were both leisuring in the garden since the boys were both busy with their own activities.

Ross was in a student council meeting while Haru was preparing for the championship of the basketball competition.

Leaving us, Solar and I, to some time to ourselves.

I decided to quietly read a book to pass the time and Solar laid down on the grass to get some shut-eye.

An hour passed with only pure silence surrounding us, which was pretty rare since we have Solar in the picture.

Flipping to another page in my book, I heard a faint rustle on the side and knew instantly that Solar had awakened from her slumber.

Sad to say.

"Hey, you know I've been wondering about somethin'." She said in a slightly groggy voice.

"…"

She took that as my answer and continued with what she was about to say.

"You're smart, I don't know if you're 'Haru-smart,' but you're smart. You're also a talented artist. Anyone can probably see that. And…you're really pretty, like the model type of beautiful."

"And why are you complimenting me all of a sudden?" I asked without bothering to move my eyes away from what I'm reading.

"Because I don't understand why people hate you! Aside from the attitude of course. Everyone is annoyed with that."

I know I heard her say 'even me' somewhere at the end, but I'll let it pass.

I closed my book and turned towards where she sat.

"Do people need any reason to degrade someone?" I responded.

"I don't know, probably not? But there should be a specific time where it all began, you know?"

Thinking about it now, when did it start?

If I were to look back, it would most likely be that particular day.

"If we are talking about time, I would say it was during my freshman year?"

"Why? Did you offend someone?" She curiously asked.

"When didn't I offend anyone?" I deadpanned.

"Touché."

When no one said a word for the next few minutes, she stood up and dragged me to my feet.

"Solar, your hand." I called out.

"Wait a minute, grumpy bitch." I scowled at her back.

I just went along with her pulling until she sat me down on the place where she previously slept.

I thought we would just be sitting on the grass but she literally pushed me down until I laid flat on the grass.

"What is this for?"

"For the mood." She shrugged.

"For the what?"

"For the mood, Dia. For the M. O. O. D. Mood." She even exaggerated every letter.

This made me raise my eyebrow. "You're starting to be sarcastic."

"Well, I learned from the best, didn't I? Now, cut the bullshit and start storytelling!" She demanded in an authoritative voice, adding in a double clap at the end like some rich madame.

"You know, you've cursed me out two times now, right?" I pointed out.

"Fucker." And what met her that time was my shoe.

"Okay, I'm sorry…" She pouted helplessly. I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy as she rubbed her slightly swollen forehead.

Lucky for her, the heel of my boot didn't hit her face.

"So, are you going to share it now?" When I looked at her, she flinched and raised her arms up to defend herself.

I smirked at her reaction. When she saw my face, she immediately removed her hands from her head and frowned at me.

I chuckled lightly and faced the blued sky.

"Well, it all started a few months after I entered this college."

During that time, I was still wary of everything. What happened earlier that year still left a permanent and visible scar in my mind which made me dubious at every turn.

Always, flinching. Repeatedly, skeptical.

Feeling eyes on me sent shivers down my spine.

And the only time I felt brave, everything came crashing down in a blink of a second.

"Walking down the corridor on that school day, I was the usual. Never bothered to associate myself with anyone."

The only difference was that I constantly carried a looming fear with every step I dared to take.

Yet, on that day I persuaded myself to be invisible, the world began to turn its back on me.

There was a girl who was being dragged by the hair along the floors of the pristine white tiles.

She was yelling to the woman pulling her to stop.

"Her cries were so loud that people could hear it at either end of that place."

At one point, they finally stopped. Not to make peaceful conversation with each other but to make it more unbearable for the victim.

"The bully was a famous cheerleader, so it was only natural for her to have minions of her own."

What was worse was that…

"There were also men with them. I think they were from the football team."

Apparently, the cheerleader caught his football player boyfriend flirting with the victim.

Without hearing her explanation, she immediately charged towards the victim and harassed her in every way she could.

In the eyes of numerous spectators, the victim was humiliated and bruised from all points.

Watching it made me nauseous. The victim yelled over and over again for someone to call for help. But no one moved. Not a single individual gave in to her pleas.

That's when I couldn't take it anymore.

"Her cries and shrieks pierced my ears. Slowly crawling towards my consciousness."

Most importantly, her pained shouts reminded me of 'her.'

Letting go of my stuff, I hurriedly rushed to the scene.

"Like some pathetic hero."

I had experience in fighting, that's why I was advantageous during that time.

I kicked the cheerleaders in their stomachs. I twisted the arms of the jocks. I took a handful of strands from their locks of hair and punched the side of their cheeks.

Until they all dropped and glared at me while I stood proud because I managed to become confident, brave, even, to stand up against the likes of them.

What I didn't know was that may have been a part of my gravest mistake.

"When I thought the victim would be thanking me for helping her, I later found out what a fucking coward she was."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?" Solar asked. Thinking of her made me clench my fists so tight.

"That asshole turned me into their next victim."

After the confrontation, the bullies were suspended for what they had done. I was also reprimanded heavily, fortunately, I was only left with that warning.

I regretted that.

"A week after what happened, I was called by the victim. I honestly thought she was going to offer gratitude or something like a normal human being, but she was one hell of a schemer."

I followed her like some idiot towards the back of the school gymnasium.

What I didn't anticipate was a group of people waiting for me.

"They beat me up. With one of the jocks locking my arms behind my back, the cheerleaders clawed my arms, my face, and my thighs. The jocks punched my gut like barbarians. Then, they left me writhing in pain, while they boast and laugh. Those fucking lunatics."

"Where's the victim you were talking about?"

"That coward was there. Cowering yet still watching me be played around."

And the only thing she said to me?

'Are you okay?'

"I wanted to punch her, shout at her, curse her, but I wasn't able to do it. I couldn't. Everything ached yet at that moment, I still thought that she was also a victim. How pathetic of me to think of that."

She ran away.

She never returned after that. I heard she transferred to another university. Somewhere out of their reach.

While I remained here, forced to receive their tricks.

"It only calmed down after some time, but it was something I could never forgive them for."

Solar gasped, "Wait! Wait! I think I heard rumors about this! It was you all along?!"

"The one and only." I shrugged.

She looked like she couldn't believe it. I wouldn't too, if only I wasn't the one who was actually in it.

"How did you solve it? I heard that the bullies were expelled with some of them being arrested."

"Ah, you don't need to know that."

"Please! I'm dying of curiosity here." She clasped both of her hands together and begged me to explain further.

I pushed her face away from me using my hand and stood up.

"You had your dose of the story and that's the end of it."

"Okay, just tell me the name of the victim. At least I'll be able to slap her once, or at least five times, when I see her."

I shook my head at her.

It actually made my mood lighten.

"Hmm, maybe I can give it to you."

"Yeah and?!"

"It was Hadie."

Hadie, the personification of my mistake for righteousness.