Chapter 13

My right foot hit something hard, which caused me to lose balance, face-planted, and bruise my arm and palm after trying to prop them on the ground. I was too fast. My hand could not stop me from the impact, from the face planting.

"Ugh! Shit! *Cough, cough* I think I ingested some dirt!"

I bruised my palm, some skin peeled off, and I think it is starting to bleed. My face felt so dirty, so I wiped it with my hands and proceeded at a snail's pace. Well, I could still feel the pain in my wounds.

"Why did I feel a prick on my leg?"

The prick came from my right thigh, where I put my flashlight in my right pocket.

I pulled out the flashlight from my right pocket and heard the glass crackling inside as I got it out.

"O-Ow!"

The reflector that redirects the light into a steady beam was broken into pieces, and I think a small shard pierced through the thin cloth of my pocket and wounded my thigh.

"I can't use the reflector of the flashlight now. If I want to use the flashlight, its light will just spread because the light isn't being redirected."

Broken glass pieces, what should I do with this? Throwing them on the ground might cause harm to others. There is still the probability of it being my classmates. But I can't keep them in my pockets.

"Should I just bury them on the ground? Hmm... I will do it."

The thought of hiding my flag somewhere around the forest had crossed my mind several times when I was reading the rules and regulations.

To dig up the dirt, I used one of the glass shards and buried the glass shards in the ground. Hah... Wait, why am I wasting time doing a useless thing like this?!

Before I continued my manhunt, I decided to have a look at the wound on my thigh, and thank God it was just a shallow wound. I don't need to worry about it.

I was too caught up in myself. I did not notice the beam of light swinging around back and forth, side by side, and I could see students through the dim light the moon was giving.

More and more students are coming from all directions, and I am all by myself. If they target me now, I won't be able to defend myself even if force is included.

In the face of danger, even a cornered rat will dare bare its claws against a fiercely playful cat. Take everything into heart, consider thy safety, and don't even try to hold back when hitting someone. Even if they are girls or women! Don't hesitate to hit them when but don't hit them without reason! That is just wrong!

I yearn for true gender equality! Boys! We must raise our flags and create a club! Come follow me, boys! Don't let anyone stop us from achieving our goal! Keep striving and keep thriving! We must bring justice to men whose lives had been ruined by women!

"Whosoever trample the lives of our men shall suffer the same!"

I might have hit my head without me knowing it. I just realized the words I am saying right now, and I somehow felt great. Yeah! I feel fucking great! If it is for the sake of the entirety of men, I'd gladly stand, take the lead, and fight!

What the hell am I saying? I lost my shit!

The bright light from the flashlight illuminates the forest, giving us a clear view of what was ahead of us.

"Oi, I saw someone standing alone! He hid behind a tree!"

They found me. Well, everyone found me, but not everyone is on their way to pursue me just to capture my flag. The collision between multiple groups can lead to danger and different possibilities. No one knows what will happen if they ever go clash against each other just for a single flag. The worst possible outcome for them is I escape with my flag still with me and even manage to steal a few from the quarrel.

As soon as I heard that someone said they saw me hiding behind a tree, I sprinted away without even thinking. At this rate, if all I ever do is just run away every time others spotted me, I'd be sitting ducks at the very bottom of the standings.

"Oh, he is running away! Quick, after him!"

Why am I running away? Why exactly am I turning my back on these people who are after my flag? Am I really a coward, even though I have stood up many times against my bullies? Am I really pathetic? Where is the excitement I was feeling earlier?

When I looked back, four men were following me, their flashlights swinging from their hands upside down, illuminating my path. Thanks to them, I didn't have to be fully cautious about tripping on some surging roots.

"Why isn't he using his flashlight?" asked one of the pursuers, huffing as he watched me run zigzag through lines of trees.

"And look, where is his flag?"

"Hey, Aaron, do you think it is stolen?!"

I

hid my flag behind my back and tucked it in my pants so that it will not get in my way. I kept my flashlight in my left pocket because it could press hardly on my shallow wound. It might hinder my movements, slow me down, and result in my pursuers catching up to me.

"He might have hidden it somewhere around his uniform!"

It could be the other way around. Did the thought that I might be luring them into a trap cross their mind? If they are thinking straight right now, they would surely think twice before chasing me.

If there is someone among them using their head right now, acting rashly would definitely lead to their downfall. Argh! These people!

"Okay, you guys leave me no choice!"

~