Beaten To Death?

As soon as the classes for the day ended, Leonard packed his bag. Unlike most of his classmates, he didn’t have a cellphone, thus making it impossible for him to send a message to Susan.

But as they needed to meet to study together for an hour, Leonard stalled for time, allowing most of the students to clear out.

“Leonard, how about we start studying tomorrow? I have yet to inform my family and our driver would be waiting outside already,” Susan explained as soon as the class emptied out.

Looking at how worried she really seemed, Leonard shrugged, not minding if they started today or not.

“I would start work on the project tonight and then share whatever progress I have made with you tomorrow,”

Susan let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his words and her face lit up with a smile.

Still grinning, she added, “I just knew that working with you would be so easy!”

“Let’s share our numbers so that we can talk more when we get home,” she added and pulled out her phone from the pocket of their high school uniform.

Leonard’s face flushed a little with embarrassment. After all, in a school like theirs, having a phone wasn’t even an accessory and was just a simple item that everyone had.

However, as he had never been one to lie, “I don’t have a phone,” he told her, rubbing the back of his head a little awkwardly.

Susan’s face flashed with a little surprise before she nodded in understanding.

“Okay, then come to school early tomorrow. I’ll pass you what I work on while you pass yours, that way, when we meet after school, we will know what we want to talk about better,”

Leonard agreed with her suggestion, and the both of them bid each other farewell. As soon as she left, he packed his bag also and made his way out of the school.

Usually, he used to work in about two to three places after school and during the weekends, but now, he had lost his job on two of them because of the time he had to spend in school.

For the last one, which was a small restaurant, Leonard planned to go there first so he could get some money that would be enough for them to eat tonight.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Leonard hummed as he walked out of the school gates. His entire mind was on the national competition that the teacher had announced earlier today.

As someone that could barely manage to survive, Leonard had always enrolled in as many competitions as he could. That way, he would be able to get some money from the award and prizes.

This time was no different, and he had every intention to enrol in the national mathematics competition.

As he was planning on how to make his schedule fit in with their project and his studying for the competition, Leonard had already walked out of the school.

His mind was occupied, so he didn’t see the movements that were happening around him even up until he entered the alley right beside their school.

“You sure do have the guts of a bastard,” a familiar voice rang out as more than ten figures rushed out of the dark.

Leonard’s eyes widened with shock for a moment as he thought that he had been attacked by a wild gang. Upon seeing Edgar, his face relaxed a little as he looked at the familiar faces of his classmates.

All of these kids were children with parents that would have drivers picking them up, but sometimes, they would skip and run off to do some matters.

Coupled with the fact that he could smell some smoke in the air, it was not hard to figure out they were hanging here previously.

“I’m only passing here to go to work. You guys can continue your thing,” he raised his hands up in mock surrender and then turned to leave.

Passing the alley was a shortcut, but if it wasn’t usable, using the normal road to his workplace was not a problem too.

“What do you mean, little poor Leonard? We are waiting right here for you.” Edgar said with a sly smile.

The other guys with him burst into laughter at his words.

“You have crossed your boundaries by daring to lay your eyes on Susan. She belongs to me and not some wretched boy like you,” with each word, Edgar closed the gap between them step by step.

Leonard stepped back subconsciously, his natural instincts kicking in.

“T..there’s nothing between us,” he struggled to explain, his raised hands going up a little higher.

Edgar sneered, clearly not believing him. “You say you don’t do it, and you are free to go?”

“You have messed with the wrong person!” Edgar roared, and with his hand signal, everyone in the group closed the gap between them and surrounded Leonard.

“Kneel!” Edgar commanded as he closed in on Leonard, who was already shaken by what was happening here.

Despite not having any money, Leonard was someone that had his own willpower, so his brows frowned slightly as he heard Edgar’s words.

To kneel for his own classmate?

Edgar didn’t give him the chance to think well as he scoffed.

“I knew you were the proud type. Our parent’s money pays your fees, and you dare to look at us in the eye?” Edgar scolded, and with a twist of his body, he rushed at Leonard and gave him a quick punch in the stomach.

With him making the first move, the group of over ten guys immediately followed his lead and sent punch after punch at him.

Leonard’s fists clenched as several fists met with his body. Not bothering to plead, he allowed them to beat him up without fighting back.

Even though he wasn’t weak, it was impossible to beat a group of ten guys.

More importantly, if he hit them without any backing, he was going to end up harming himself instead.

Just the thought of that made him give up any thought of beating them up.

At some point, he lost consciousness from the pain and internal helplessness.

“Perhaps, someday, I would be able to raise my head tall also?” He thought in his mind as he blanked out.

Upon seeing that they had beaten him to an unconscious state, all of them backed off, and Edgar threw a final kick at him.

“If I hear a word about this incident, everyone here is in trouble!” Edgar instructed before walking away.

Although everyone there had a similar age range and class. The major determinant was their background, and Edgar’s family had the biggest influence in their group.

As for the people that came from higher families in their class, even Edgar wouldn’t dare to offend them.

He was the typical type to bully the people beneath while respecting the ones above.

Very quickly, the entire alley became empty leaving only Leonard’s badly bruised body.

If they had waited a little more, the group of them would have seen a light burst out from the chest pocket of Leonard’s uniform and enter his body just as quickly as it appeared.

Leonard’s body remained as still, however, after this moment, his life was going to change forever.