Chapter 15

"It's the same bastard we were chasing!"

Kevin was still weak, but he was back on his feet, ready to take revenge on me for punching him in the abdomen.

I doubt they would leave me be if I handed the flags to them. The four of them will prolly kick my ass if I ever get caught, so I need to be very careful.

"Do I run away? I've taken two from them. This much is fine. Greed is not good at all."

The hand I used to hurt both Kevin and Ronner was trembling. I could not stop it from trembling, even after I try stopping it with my other hand.

"I--I guess I'm no coward after all!"

I might not see myself right now, but I can imagine myself smiling at the thought.

"The fucker disappeared again!"

Can you believe that I climbed a two-meter-tall tree without a hitch? I climbed it so easily due to the terror of getting caught.

"Tsk! I'd beat the shit of out him if I see him again!"

"We better get back to Ronner. The dude is out cold."

I still can't believe that I just knock someone out with a single punch. Never have I ever thought that my punch would pack that well.

It's a pity I could not bring Carlo down and take his flag too.

[Exactly 15 minutes had passed since the special exam started!]

The announcement came from the speaker in the mini-park. Are those megaphones? The one they use in announcing the news to students. I mean they look like megaphones to me. Hmm... Let's just call it speakers.

Aaron's group left, and I climbed down.

"It is so quiet again, and there are no flashlights illuminating the forest."

Are students also doing the same tactics I'm using? Relying on the moon as the light to my path? Or am I just too far from others that I don't hear or see anyone? Either way, I'd better get going and rendezvous with Ira. I just hope he is safe and sound.

***

Chubby, stinky pig, fatso, pork belly, I have so many nicknames given to me by bullies that I forgot the others. I have always been fat because I like eating. Who does not like eating when it is the best thing you can do every day?

If you were a victim of bully ever since you entered school, you tend to develop a thick barrier around people. Bullying became a part of my everyday life, n school, in my house, and everywhere. The only place where I felt safe was in the cemetery.

I feel safe around where my mom is. Whenever I am visiting her grave, I could sense that she was beside me, watching over her son.

What I am just most afraid of is my mom, seeing me being pathetic in front of people, my bullies. Even if you stood up against them, they would not stop bullying you. They would even come into the group later on if you try to fight back, but I always fight back. I'm a tough person. That's what my mom told me to do when she was still alive.

Another reason why I fight back is that someone told me that when you fight back and let your bullies know that they can't mess with you, they will leave you alone. But I guess it does not always work. It does not apply to everyone's life.

Don't even try to ask what's the worst punishment I got from the bullies. It is not something others should know. This embarrassment stays between me and my bullies.

"The fatty pig went this way!"

My pursuers are annoyingly persistent. If they keep following me, I will collapse due to extreme fatigue.

"I have been running away for three minutes straight! Give me a break already!"

One of my hobbies is watching survival videos on the internet and military training. Having basic knowledge about survival should be common knowledge for people.

I once watched an anime where an ex-military told his comrades, non-military people, just some random people, that it's best you use the darkness to your advantage. If you can't see in the dark, you tend to find the light.

Hiding from other students is hard, I know, but one can always use their head to outsmart and outrun others. However, it is not always easy. What

is life if everything is easy?

"The only way to know if you are on the right path is if it stopped getting easy!"

Struggles and problems are major factors in achieving success. If you had it easy from the beginning, then your life must be so boring. You find yourself lacking something but could not take that something out at the end of your tongue or back of your mind.

I stopped running away. I decided to use some of the knowledge I learned from watching survival skills and how to properly fight. I just don't know if I will be able to pull it off.

The tension I am feeling right now was no excitement but pure terror. Hesitantly, my body almost did not move when I heard three people approaching the tree I was hiding behind.

I thought I completely froze, but luckily I still managed to put my right foot on the way, tripping the student leading the two others.

"W-Wait!"

The first guy tripped over, and he caused the other two to fall down, crashing onto each other on the ground.

"Get off me!"

"I can't! Jessie is on top of me!"

Sweet! Three flags at one swoop!

"H-Hey! Get back here! Where the hell does you think you're going with our flags?!"

"Ahhhh!!! Get the fuck off of me!"

Before they could stand up again, I kicked them off the ground and left them with their flags tightly clenched in my hand.

"Now, where could Clause be? I hope he is not messing around or getting beaten up somewhere."

~