Harvest of The Fallen

Just as the screen of his new phone lit up, a car suddenly slammed into Laga from behind, sending him flying into the lake.

Someone was clearly behind the wheel.

As Laga emerged from the lake with his bag in hand, several people got out of the car, laughing loudly.

“Are you so happy about graduation that you decided to jump into the lake? That’s honestly a stupid way to celebrate!”

“Consider that little nudge a farewell gift from us!”

Those damn bastards.

The students began gathering around the lake. Some were laughing, while others silently recorded videos on their phones.

Laga let out a long sigh. Water dripped from his short hair as he wiped his face. His back ached, as did his lips and forehead, which had been scraped by a rock.

He glared at the bullies, who were still laughing. He tossed his bag aside and took a few steps forward.

“I’ve got a parting gift for you guys, too,” Laga said with a smirk. “So, who wants to get their ass kicked first?”

The bullies immediately stopped laughing and backed away. They had already experienced Laga’s punches, kicks, and throws.

They didn’t want to end up in the hospital again.

Laga had never simply stood by while the bullies picked on him. He would always warn them first, threatening to report them to the teachers.

Beating them up was a last resort—something he only did when they crossed the line.

Unfortunately, standing up for a poor student offered the teachers at this school no benefits. They would rather suck up to the parents of the bullies, who came from wealthy families.

The teachers would accuse Laga of being too sensitive and making a big deal out of nothing.

There was nothing wrong with friends teasing each other, right?

Whenever Laga fought back, he was the one who got punished by the school. He was labeled a bad student and a disrespectful kid, then subjected to insults and mistreatment from the bullies’ parents, who simply couldn’t accept that their precious children had been hurt.

So, rather than continuing to be a victim, Laga chose to beat up the bullies—even though, in the end, he was still labeled the guilty party and the villain.

At least he felt satisfied whenever he saw them scared and in pain.

“You bastard! You want to beat us up?” One of the chubby bullies backed away in fear until he stumbled and fell. “I’m gonna report you to the principal! My parents are the school’s biggest donors! You...”

“You’re the one who was driving, you fat little bastard?” Laga asked as he continued walking toward him. “I’ll beat you up one last time. Fat pigs are my favorite.”

“If you... if you do that, I’m calling the cops!”

Another bully quickly added, “Stop acting crazy, Laga! We were just joking around! It’s not like the car killed you, right?”

“Look, you’re fine! It’s barely even a scratch!”

“Who knows? You might actually go viral after we post this!”

Joking around about hitting me with a car?

A minor injury?

I’m being too sensitive because I’m pissed off after getting hit?

That’s complete nonsense.

One of the students recording the incident shouted, “If you beat them up, you’re the bad guy here, Laga! You should be thanking them for not ignoring you all this time!”

What kind of trash logic is that?

I’m supposed to thank my bullies?

That’s fucking insane.

Laga began stretching, hopping up and down a little, and throwing a few kicks into the air. His lean, athletic build was clearly visible beneath his wet shirt.

“I don’t give a damn what any of you think. I don’t live off your approval,” Laga muttered. “So shut your mouths. I’d rather beat all of you up as a parting gift before we go our separate ways.”

The students immediately backed away, while the five bullies panicked as Laga drew closer.

How could Laga still be moving like that after being hit by a car?

The chubby boy called someone. His hands were shaking so badly that he nearly dropped his phone several times.

“D-don’t come any closer, you bastard! You... you...”

A teacher suddenly emerged from the crowd.

“What’s going on here?”

The chubby boy breathed a sigh of relief and pointed at Laga.

“He wants to beat us all up!”

“Is that true, Laga?” The teacher glared at him.

That damn scumbag again.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Laga replied casually. “You want me to beat you up too, four-eyes?”

The teacher snorted in annoyance.

“How dare you talk to your teacher like that, huh? You really have no manners!”

“I don’t take lectures from a teacher who begs for bribes from students’ parents.”

“W-what do you mean?” The teacher looked around nervously. “Don’t say such nonsense! I-I’ve never accepted any bribes!”

The teacher turned toward the chubby student for a second.

“You’ve really gone too far, Laga! How long are you going to keep being so mean to your friends, huh? You should be grateful that they even want to be your friends. Instead, you’re causing trouble by trying to beat them up.”

Those bastards aren’t my friends.

Laga was completely fed up.

On his last day of school, he was still being treated unfairly by a teacher who was supposed to protect students and serve as a good role model.

The teacher pointed at Laga.

“If you beat up your friends, I’m reporting you to the police! I’m serious, Laga!”

The bullies smiled happily, but their smiles vanished instantly when Laga smiled back.

Laga suddenly sprinted forward, grabbed the teacher by the collar, and threw him into the lake.

Everyone was stunned as the teacher flew through the air and crashed into the water.

“Laga, what are you... You really...” The teacher surfaced briefly before sinking back into the water.

I should have done that a long time ago.

Laga turned toward the bullies and started running after them.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out somewhere nearby.

The students immediately scattered in panic.

“Laga, you... you have to get out of here... right away...” the teacher struggled to say as he surfaced again.

“You!”

One of the chubby boy’s bodyguards suddenly emerged from the crowd.

“Beat that trash up!” the chubby bully shouted, pointing at Laga.

Laga snorted in annoyance and fled when he saw several bodyguards approaching.

He hid behind the storage shed for a while.

Once he felt safe, he left the school through the back entrance.

“Ah!”

Only then did Laga begin to feel the pain from his injuries.

“I didn’t get to beat them up, but throwing that damn teacher into the lake was worth it. He looked so damn stupid. That was actually hilarious.”

Laga walked along the sidewalk, his clothes still soaking wet. The streets were bustling with people and vehicles coming and going, but not a single person paid him any attention.

He entered the shopping district.

Rows of televisions of various shapes and sizes in one store were all showing the same news story.

[Major storms have struck several countries over the past two months. More than a million people have been injured or displaced from their homes, while thousands remain missing.]

Televisions in other stores were showing different news stories.

[Famous actor Ryan Lan is suspected of having an affair with a newcomer singer. His wedding plans with his fiancée have been called off.]

[A passenger ship sank in the Lotosan Sea, resulting in dozens of deaths. Several crew members and passengers are still missing.]

[Check out the trailer for the latest romantic drama.]

[Rescue teams are still searching for seven hikers who have been missing on Mount Hurapa for a week.]

[A research team has discovered ancient ruins deep within the Duran Forest.]

[Rising fuel prices have sparked protests at the presidential office since yesterday.]

[The National Research Office caught fire last night. Ten researchers died, while two others are still missing.]

Did Laga care about any of this news?

The answer was, of course, no.

Every day, someone fell ill, went missing, died, or was born.

People were easily replaced and forgotten.

However, there was one news story that made Laga stop in his tracks.

One of the televisions was airing an interview with a family. The studio audience sat around the main stage, smiling toward the camera.

The news anchor turned toward a middle-aged man.

“Mr. Lagasa, your two sons are truly extraordinary. Your eldest son was accepted into a prestigious university when he was only fifteen years old, and your second son won first place in a science competition.”

“How did you raise them?”

Laga suddenly laughed, even though his hands were shaking and his chest felt tight.

“Two sons? Wow, that’s hilarious.”

He crossed the street.

Unfortunately, another television in a nearby store was still showing the Lagasa family’s interview.

I was rejected by the university.

That... actually sucks.

Laga looked up for a moment.

The streetlights suddenly went out.

A second later, a fierce gust of wind swept through, knocking him sideways and nearly sending him crashing into the door of a nearby store.

The television continued showing the Lagasa family until it finally went dark.

The entire city lost power at the same time.

Streetlights began toppling over.

People screamed in panic, desperately trying to save themselves. Umbrellas, store signs, dogs, cats, and even a small child were swept away by the wind.

The screech of brakes rang out, followed by the sound of a vehicle crashing.

It all happened in the blink of an eye before the storm finally swept through the entire city.

“Huh?”

Laga was swept along, his body sliding across the sidewalk.

He reached desperately for the wall of a nearby building, but his hands couldn’t find anything to grab onto.

He crashed into a trash can, then slammed into several people before finally being thrown into a car that had also been blown toward him.

Unbelievable.

I got hit by a car twice in one day.

A moment later, Laga felt as though his body were passing through something.

He looked around.

There was nothing but emptiness.

Strange sounds began to echo around him, growing louder and louder before suddenly fading away.

Then Laga opened his eyes.

“Where am I? Am I dead?”

Laga rubbed his head, checked himself for injuries, and surveyed his surroundings.

His eyes widened.

“I’m... on a bus, and I’m wearing a prison uniform?”