While the group of prospective heirs made their way to the cafeteria, some of them engaged in a discussion expressing their dissatisfaction with a previous encounter.

"Sophia, what were you doing with the trash?"

"She's right, I mean..."

"Seriously, you shouldn't have stopped me from beating him up," the man who had intended to harm Victor exclaimed angrily. He continued to vent his frustration to everyone, expressing how annoyed he was for not being able to unleash his anger on Victor.

The woman ignored their comments, showing no interest in their words.

"That's enough," a man standing beside Sophia interjected, his gaze fixed on the girl who appeared unfazed by the situation. He then glanced at the others, signaling their future plans.

In the meantime, Victor hurriedly made his way through the campus, oblivious to the presence of those around him. The recent incident had left his heart pounding, replaying the pleasant moment in his mind.

How I wish I could always see that smile, he thought, causing his face to blush crimson.

"Hey Victor," Amelia called out to him, noticing his approach but realizing he hadn't noticed her. She observed his hurried pace and wondered what had transpired. "I wonder what happened to him?"

"Mia?"

"Amelia?"

Lost in deep thought, Amelia's curiosity about Victor's distressed state caused her to become absent-minded, forgetting the people beside her.

A student tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her reverie. "Mia?"

She temporarily set aside her worries about Victor and focused on the task at hand. With a smile, she apologized and asked, "I'm sorry, what were you all saying?"

"We were wondering if you would like to join us for lunch."

"Is there something wrong?"

She smiled back at them and reassured, "No, everything is fine. Shall we go then?" She followed them, but couldn't forget about the earlier incident.

Finally, the day came to an end, and Victor began his journey home. However...

"Hey, Victor!"

Victor was taken aback when someone called his name, someone other than Amelia or the teachers. Curiosity sparked within him as he turned around to see who it was. To his surprise, the group of privileged heirs and their  goons were making their way towards him.

As he pondered why they were approaching him, he noticed a familiar face among them.

Charles Chen? What was he doing here?

He feared that the appearance of such an elite would not bring any good news for him. Anticipating trouble, he humbled himself and avoided making eye contact.

"Master Chen, is there something I can assist you with?" Victor asked, his head bowed.

Charles approached the boy, whose body trembled in his presence. "What was your name again?"

"It's Victor."

"Ah, the one responsible for Mia's encoding?"

"Ah, yes, I did. Is there something wrong?" Victor inquired, cautiously raising his head to gauge the boy's expression.

Before Charles could respond, his attention was diverted by someone calling his name.

"Charles."

Both of them turned their heads, recognizing the familiar voice.

Approaching them was a group of girls, and among them was the young woman who had called out to Charles—none other than Sophia.

As the woman approached, Victor found himself unable to tear his gaze away from her. She was like his ray of sunlight. Never in his wildest dreams would he even look at a woman in this way.

Charles, noticing Victor's intense stare, maintained a stern expression. He was displeased with the way Victor was looking at Sophia. Observing the boy's admiration for the girl, he decided to further torment him.

"Soph," Charles called out, walking towards her and placing his hands around her waist. "Is everything alright?"

Sophia, delighted by the attention she was receiving from Charles, felt they were a perfect match, given their prestigious backgrounds.

"Everything's fine," she responded cheerfully.

"Charles, what are you guys doing here, we've been looking for you." Stated the boy with glasses.

Pretending ignorance, Charles asked, "Is something wrong?"

An African-American Asian woman approached him with anger, exclaiming, "The f*ck? Weren't you the one who said you'd treat us to dinner? Don't tell me you forgot already?" She appeared irritated and defeated, muttering, "Damn it. I should have just gone with my parents."

Amidst the commotion, he couldn't help but giggle, observing the frustration of everyone present. He noticed Sophia, who seemed displeased but kept her emotions to herself. "I was just kidding, relax," he reassured. With a final glance at Victor, who seemed like an unwelcome presence being ignored by everyone, he said, "Let's go then."

Witnessing everyone leaving him behind, Victor's frustration intensified. His jealousy towards them reached its peak.

I wonder what it would be like.

To be surrounded by such incredible people. To hang out and engage in conversations with them.

With this thought in his mind, he headed towards his destination.

To dine at the finest restaurant, drive luxurious and sports cars. To indulge in all of that without any worries.

Victor moved through the world like a ghost, invisible and indifferent to those around him. As he observed people passing by, laughing and chatting, he clenched his fist, bitter about the life he was leading.

Finally, he reached his destination, causing the people inside the store to wonder why he appeared so downcast.

"Victor, welcome."

"Gramps, I'm sorry I'm late," Victor replied, extending his greetings to the customers in the store as well.

The elderly man didn't bother to inquire about what was troubling Victor because he knew the boy would respond in his usual manner, keeping his feelings to himself.

"Oh, Mia is already here; she's in the back. Go and help her out," his grandfather instructed.

"Okay."

Victor made his way to the back of the store and found Amelia diligently washing dishes. Compared to Sophia, Amelia was a simple girl with no extraordinary qualities, except for her academic excellence.

"Mia, let me help you," he offered, grabbing an apron and tying it around his waist.

Amelia noticed the ominous clouds encircling them, prompting her to reflect on recent events. Concerned, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Perplexed by her question, he turned towards her, uncertain of her concern, and replied, "No, everything is fine. Why?"

Without further inquiry, the young woman proceeded to the front to assist the old man in managing the store, leaving Victor to complete the remaining tasks in the back.

As Victor concluded his duties, he stowed his apron away and ventured outside to dispose of the garbage. While depositing the trash into the large bin, an unexpected strike caught him off guard.

Unprepared for the assault, he crumpled to the ground, bewildered by the unfolding situation. All he could perceive were the various blows raining upon his body.

"You piece of sh*t."

"What should we do now?"

"Let's leave him to rot."

Victor's vision blurred, yet he could still discern the figures standing before him. Though his sight was dimming, he managed to approximate their number.

Ha- this is it then. I'm really about to die, ha. I haven't even done anything worth being proud of with my life.

"Trash, why don't you just die already."

"Come on, hit him more."

Victor recognized some of the voices, but he couldn't be certain.

Why is this all happening, when I finally got close to her?

If you can hear me, why are you making me suffer?

They showed no concern for the boy drenched in blood. They spat at him and continued to taunt him while delivering more kicks.

Summoning his last ounce of strength, Victor clutched onto one of the feet that was assaulting him. He longed to beg for mercy, but instead, he received further punishment.

"You stinking b*stard, you just ruined my pants."

"Sh*t, he got blood all over you."

The entire group halted their actions as the figure drew near the fading Victor. Without uttering a single word, the figure simply gazed at him.

Gasping for his last breath, Victor made a feeble attempt to discern the identity of the individual before him. However, his vision was fading rapidly, and his breathing had become shallow.

"Is he dead?"

"Check him?" Stated one of them.

As one of the goons checked, he declared that the boy was no longer breathing.

Seeing the situation had come to an end, all of them slowly walked away.

Hmm, I guess I'm dead now. Life sure is unfair.

Victor thought were still lingering around as his body was already stone cold.

"That right, life is never fair."