01. Betrayed!

There were only three certainties that Leon had acquired in his nineteen years of life.

The first was that his girlfriend, Brittany, was the most beautiful woman in the world and he was lucky to have her.

The second was that if he got through his terrible school hell, he would get through anything and be worthy enough of Brittany's love.

And the third was that the man who was now beating him severely, smiling between his punches and kicks, would be the first to be eliminated by Leon when, one day, he had the chance to strike back.

The taste of blood ran down Leon's throat as he did little to defend himself. As a mere scholarship student at a school where most of the students were rich, even attempting self-defense could be a problem.

Curled up on the floor, the boy just felt the pain of the beating as he silently prayed for it to end soon.

Without saying a word, the boy who was beating him stopped and began to stare down at him, his eyes blazing from the gratuitous violence and Leon's lack of reaction.

"Do you know what the best part of this is?" asked the bully, smiling. Other laughs accompany him, those of the colleagues who took part in the assault. "It's the fact that you know your place and accept your punishment. Beggars like you disgust me. You're ruining the image of our school."

He spits in the face of the boy lying on the ground.

It's the last year. This is the last year of school, and I just have to put up with it for one more year, Leon thinks, doing everything he can to quell the anger and revolt inside him.

Then the boy sees her.

Half-hidden behind one of the pillars in the huge courtyard was the girl with long ruby-colored hair, plump lips tinted with gloss and bright brown eyes.

Brittany.

Leon clenches his fists.

Every time he subjected himself to that humiliation, the girl wasn't around. In fact, she wasn't even aware of the assaults...

It couldn't go on. He had to prove to her that he wasn't a bloody coward who took beatings without fighting back, although deep down Leon knew that yes, he was a coward.

The laughter of his colleagues echoed around him, but Leon, with surprising calm, began to rise from the ground. His body ached, but his mind was focused on just one thing: the desire to fight back.

The bully, confident in his superiority, didn't immediately notice the change in Leon's gaze. When the boy finally got to his feet, an aura of determination enveloped him.

"You'll never lay a finger on me again," Leon said calmly, wiping the spit from his face with the back of his hand. His eyes sparked with silent resolve.

The bully, initially surprised by the reaction, regained his poise and let out a dismissive laugh. 

"Looks like the worm wants more," he teased.

"You're the worm here, Dean," Leon shouted. It was the first time he'd spoken so loudly to the guy who'd ruined his school life. "I'm going to finish you off."

Dean didn't even manage to say a single word.

Leon, ignoring the throbbing pain in his bruised body, advanced towards Dean. Each step was charged with the determination of someone who finally refused to be a plaything in the hands of others.

The other colleagues, realizing that the dynamic was changing, formed a circle around the two, uncertain about what would happen next. Some even looked at each other, wondering why the class's favorite punching bag was so determined to fight.

Dean, still confident in his physical strength, threw a punch towards Leon's face. However, Leon, moving with surprising agility, dodged the blow and countered with a precise punch.

The impact was felt not just physically, but symbolically. Leon, for the first time, was fighting back. The crowd, which had previously watched with indifference or cruelty, was now divided between those who supported Leon's courage and those who were still loyal to Dean.

Brittany, unable to stay hidden any longer, came out from behind the pillar and ran towards Leon. Her eyes were full of concern and admiration.

"That's enough, Dean. That's enough," she said firmly.

Dean still tried to do something, but Brittany grabbed him by the arm.

"I said enough!"

Leon looked at the girl wearily. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead:

"Brittany, you don't have to defend me. I'm fine! I'm strong enough!"

But then, to Leon's horror, Brittany grabbed Dean's hand... Not to restrain him, but...

She entwined her fingers in his. Companionship.

And to make his nightmare even worse, the girl grabbed him protectively around the waist.

Tears welled up in Leon's eyes.

Brittany stared at the boy, then at Dean. Lowering her head as if she felt guilty, she murmured:

"I'm sorry."

The people around her started to laugh.

That... That was what they called...

Betrayal.

Pain like Leon had never felt seized his heart.

And then came the coup de grace.

Dean lifted his chin, even though he was in pain, and said to Leon with hatred rather than derision:

"Did you really think that girl really liked you? Did you really think that over the last few months, as soon as she left your house, she'd go to her own? No, kid. She was going to see me. She's been with me all this time."