"Go on", the student hissed, the small group of underlings behind him.
Kenta turned to the small group, all of them around his age, eyes glittering with mischief.
He had been on the periphery of the small group for months, smiling inwardly as they laughed at jokes half-heard, eating beside them, tolerated but not accepted.
One day, suddenly, they had turned to him, and invited him to join them, to play a game. All of them had been smiling at him as they surrounded him, a flutter of hope in Kenta's chest as they all regarded him. "You're the new boy, yes? That one from the academy?" Kenta had nodded in the affirmative.
"Must be lonely, being new." Their apparent leader stated, one of the boys gifted with a larger stature for his age. Again, Kenta nodded, not wanting to ruin anything by speaking. The boy sat down, throwing an arm over Kenta's shoulder, knocking his lunch out of his hands. The boy paid no notice.
"Well, today is your lucky day. We've decided to be your new friends. Am I right, guys?" The boy looked to his fellows, who were still smiling, nodding emphatically. "Naturally, you'll need to do something to prove you can be our friend. Something cool. Don't worry," the grin shifted somewhat, becoming predatory. "I have something in mind."
"You want to be our friend, right?" One of them insisted as they made a gesture to urge him forward. Kenta turned back to the shop front. across the road. It was a small shop, a confectioners. He had been in a couple of times, on the few days where he had some spare change to treat himself. The woman in there was kind, laugh lines creasing her face.
Kenta took a hesitant step forward, glancing back just once more. His new friends grinned to each other, waving him on. His steps grew bolder as he crossed the street. As Kenta stepped into the little shop, he tripped over, knocking into a small display. The shopkeeper clucked good-naturedly, moving to help the boy up, but he was up before the elderly woman had begun heaving herself from around the counter.
"Sorry", Kenta mumbled, picking up a sugared candy from the display, putting it onto the counter, pulling out a small coin. He shuffled out of the shop quickly, head down. The woman shrugged her shoulders, putting the coin away. An odd boy, that one, so quiet.
Kenta stifled a nervous smile as he thrust a hand in his pocket, feeling the sweets rustling in their paper wrappings. His eyes flicked up to his friends, smiling from the alleyway. He quickened over, having only a split second before seeing their faces change to dread and skitter down the alley...
And then he felt a yank at the back of his blue robe, pulling him from his feet with a lurching sensation.
Kenta turned to the small group, all of them around his age, eyes glittering with mischief.
* * *
He had been on the periphery of the small group for months, smiling inwardly as they laughed at jokes half-heard, eating beside them, tolerated but not accepted.
One day, suddenly, they had turned to him, and invited him to join them, to play a game. All of them had been smiling at him as they surrounded him, a flutter of hope in Kenta's chest as they all regarded him. "You're the new boy, yes? That one from the academy?" Kenta had nodded in the affirmative.
"Must be lonely, being new." Their apparent leader stated, one of the boys gifted with a larger stature for his age. Again, Kenta nodded, not wanting to ruin anything by speaking. The boy sat down, throwing an arm over Kenta's shoulder, knocking his lunch out of his hands. The boy paid no notice.
"Well, today is your lucky day. We've decided to be your new friends. Am I right, guys?" The boy looked to his fellows, who were still smiling, nodding emphatically. "Naturally, you'll need to do something to prove you can be our friend. Something cool. Don't worry," the grin shifted somewhat, becoming predatory. "I have something in mind."
* * *
"You want to be our friend, right?" One of them insisted as they made a gesture to urge him forward. Kenta turned back to the shop front. across the road. It was a small shop, a confectioners. He had been in a couple of times, on the few days where he had some spare change to treat himself. The woman in there was kind, laugh lines creasing her face.
Kenta took a hesitant step forward, glancing back just once more. His new friends grinned to each other, waving him on. His steps grew bolder as he crossed the street. As Kenta stepped into the little shop, he tripped over, knocking into a small display. The shopkeeper clucked good-naturedly, moving to help the boy up, but he was up before the elderly woman had begun heaving herself from around the counter.
"Sorry", Kenta mumbled, picking up a sugared candy from the display, putting it onto the counter, pulling out a small coin. He shuffled out of the shop quickly, head down. The woman shrugged her shoulders, putting the coin away. An odd boy, that one, so quiet.
Kenta stifled a nervous smile as he thrust a hand in his pocket, feeling the sweets rustling in their paper wrappings. His eyes flicked up to his friends, smiling from the alleyway. He quickened over, having only a split second before seeing their faces change to dread and skitter down the alley...
And then he felt a yank at the back of his blue robe, pulling him from his feet with a lurching sensation.