Getting Bullied?

"Leo? You're late?"

"Hey, Leo! First time seeing you show up this late."

"Good afternoon, Leo."

"Good afternoon, Leo. You'd better hurry to your class before the bell rings."

Leo blinked, momentarily taken aback. It wasn't the students calling out to him, but rather the workers—the janitors, cleaners, and maintenance staff—who were pausing in their tasks to smile and greet him with an unusual level of warmth.

He looked around, his brows raising slightly in surprise.

Yup, it wasn't students... these were the workers who usually swept the hallways, carried supplies, fixed pipes—people most students barely noticed.

Yet today, they were greeting him with kind eyes and friendly voices, as if he'd done something extraordinary for them.

Leo gave them a small nod, his expression a bit confused. 

Just then, his attention was drawn to the staircase. An old lady—one of the senior janitors—was making her way down with a heavy water bucket. Her steps were slow, and the burden clearly weighed on her. As she reached the middle of the steps, her foot slipped slightly, and the water sloshed out, spilling across the stair.

"Oh—careful!" Leo shouted, leaping forward instinctively.

He caught her arm just in time, steadying her before she could tumble backwards.

"I-I'm sor—Leo?" the old lady gasped as she regained her balance, her frail hand clutching his for support.

Leo gave her a small nod, "Yeah, it's me. Leo." He sighed internally and gently took the heavy bucket from her hands. "You shouldn't be carrying this by yourself. Let me help."

"N-No, son... you really don't have to," the old lady said, her voice shaky as she reached for the bucket again.

But Leo was already climbing the stairs with it. "It's fine, I've got it. Just follow me slowly, alright?"

The old lady let out a soft, tired smile and started walking behind him. She looked up at his back with something that felt close to affection.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Leo glanced sideways at her. "By the way, I haven't seen any of my classmates around. Have you spotted any of them nearby?"

The old lady paused to think, her head tilting slightly. "Hmm... I'm not completely sure, but I did see a few of your friends walking into 11-B a little while ago. That's your class, right? Why do you ask?"

Leo's lips curled into a brief smile. "No big reason. Just checking."

She gave a shrug and motioned to the mop closet ahead. "Well, thank you for the help. I'll take it from here," she said, stepping forward and accepting the bucket from him.

Leo nodded and turned to leave, but then paused, looking back. "I know you're working hard, and I respect that. But next time, don't hesitate to ask someone younger to help. It's not worth the risk."

The old lady chuckled gently, her voice carrying a warmth only age could produce. "You always give me advice, don't you? Haha."

Leo raised an eyebrow, deadpan. "So, you really do this kind of thing all the time, huh?"

"Huh?" she blinked in confusion.

"N-Nothing," Leo muttered quickly, shaking his head as he turned right. "Anyway, take care. Better not fall next time—I might not be around to catch you."

"Haha... 11-B is on the left side, Leo," she called out, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

Leo froze in his tracks, glanced to the left, and laughed awkwardly. "Haha... I-I knew that. I was just... checking if you were paying attention," he said before quickly jogging in the correct direction.

The old woman shook her head with a chuckle as she watched him go. "Leo... Leo..." she mumbled fondly, then bent down and resumed her mopping duties.

Leo walked briskly, trying not to look like he was running but clearly picking up the pace. His eyes scanned the classroom doors as he passed them.

"10-B... 10-C... 11-A... and finally—11-B," he murmured, coming to a stop in front of the closed door.

He took a deep breath and reached for the handle, slowly pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Thud.

The door closed behind him, and instantly he felt the weight of dozens of eyes locking onto him.

Everyone had turned to stare.

Students sat frozen in their seats, some mid-conversation, some mid-note, but all united by the sudden arrival of a late classmate.

Leo swallowed and nodded once, stepping in with as much composure as he could muster. But just as he moved further into the room—

"It's not your house, Leo. You can't just come and go as you please."

The voice was sharp, feminine, and unmistakably irritated.

Leo turned his head to the side and saw a woman wearing glasses—probably in her late twenties—standing near the teacher's desk. She was glaring at him with a mix of disappointment and fury in her eyes. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, and her posture radiated annoyance.

Leo gave an awkward smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I kind of overslept, so..."

The woman raised an eyebrow and folded her arms even tighter. "Oh? Overslept, huh? Sounds like someone was enjoying their freedom a little too much yesterday."

Her glare intensified, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Leo couldn't help but feel like he was being personally targeted.

Did she have a grudge against him or something?

The woman shook her head sharply. "Go and meet your homeroom teacher. He's been waiting for you for a while now."

Leo let out a tired sigh. "Where is he now?"

The woman frowned, clearly irritated. "You don't even know where your own homeroom teacher's office is? Really?" She exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you... Go to the first floor. He's in the staff room. Just ask around if you still can't find it."

Leo gave a brief nod, turning on his foot and walking out without another word.

The woman stared at the door for a moment after he left, then resumed her lecture. But in the midst of her voice filling the room, unnoticed by most, a single boy in the back row continued to stare at the door with a strange, almost wicked grin on his face.

Meanwhile—

Leo made his way down to the first floor, his footsteps echoing slightly in the quieter corridor. When he reached the staff room, he paused at the entrance. From the doorway, he could see rows of desks and partitions—each seemingly housing a different teacher's workspace. The room was cluttered, full of murmured voices and stacks of paperwork.

He stood awkwardly at the entrance, unsure of where to go.

Leo sighed. 'Now I need to figure out which one is his? Damn it... this is such a pain,' he thought, his expression visibly annoyed.

Just then—

"You finally decided to show up."

Leo flinched slightly at the voice. It was familiar—deep, calm, but tired—and it matched the one that had called him earlier on the phone.

He turned around to see a black-haired man in his mid-thirties standing a few feet away, his eyes slightly narrowed, his face visibly drained as if he'd dealt with too much before breakfast.

"Hello, Sir," Leo greeted quickly, straightening up.

The man didn't respond immediately. He simply turned and muttered, "Follow me," before walking deeper into the staff room.

Leo followed him silently, weaving past a few other teachers and desks until they reached a small cabin tucked in the corner. The man opened the door and stepped inside, leaving it open behind him.

As Leo entered, the mood shifted. The cabin was cramped and dim, filled with old paperwork and files stacked high on the shelves and desk. The atmosphere was dense—as if time had settled there and refused to move.

"Sir?" Leo asked cautiously, noticing the man just staring at him with a tired but observant look.

The man finally sighed and reached under the desk. He pulled out a black school bag and placed it heavily on the table. "Here... your bag," he muttered, rubbing his forehead.

Leo stepped forward, just about to pick it up, when the man spoke again.

"Just how long are you planning to let them bully you, Leo?"

Leo blinked, caught off guard. "Bullied?" he echoed, frowning. "What do you mean?"

The teacher leaned back in his chair, letting out another sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "What? You think your bag climbed up a pole and got stuck all by itself? Come on." He looked at Leo directly now, his tone firm and disappointed. "Leo, you need to start thinking for yourself. This isn't about your classmates, and it's not about the world being unfair. This is about you. You can't keep waiting for someone to fix things for you."

Leo remained silent, his expression stiffening.

"I know you've lost your only parent... and yeah, life hasn't been fair to you. But hiding, avoiding, and staying quiet while others mess with you—it won't help. Sigh..." the man exhaled again and leaned back in his chair, waving his hand as if dismissing the topic altogether. "Go. Just... go back to class."

Leo blinked again, then slowly reached out and grabbed his bag. Without saying anything more, he turned and walked out of the cabin. His face, however, had changed—his lips pressed tightly, his jaw clenched.

Back upstairs, the classroom had changed a bit. The lady teacher was gone, and now it was just few students... it seems like lunch time.

Leo stepped in, scanning the room. He noticed that everyone avoided eye contact, their gazes quietly shifting away the moment he looked at them. It wasn't subtle—he could feel it. They were ignoring him.

Purposefully.

Leo frowned, but he didn't say a word. He simply walked to the back of the room, to the only empty desk left in the far corner. As he reached it, he moved to pull out the chair and sit down—

Thud!

He fell straight to the floor, landing on his butt with a sudden jolt.

The chair had been pulled back at the last second.

"Oops? My bad. My legs are kinda sore. Hope you don't mind?" came a voice, laced with false innocence and clear amusement.

Leo looked up from the floor and turned to the side.

There, leaning back casually with one arm over the desk, was a boy with ash-grey hair and a sly grin stretched across his face. His eyes gleamed with mockery, as if he were waiting to see Leo react. 

"..."

Leo stared at him in silence, expression blank and unreadable.