Right after the midterm examinations, Sae had to send in his early admission application. Since what mattered were his end-of-term-examination grades, the second semester midterms seemed pretty irrelevant.

Despite that, Sae worked just as hard as he did at any other time. In his free time, he did mock papers and monthly evaluations. Books and worksheets covered the table in his room. Sae took them as valuable practice for the future, even if it didn’t officially count.

He also helped Teo. With Minke’s assistance on the side, they were able to shape up the boy’s mind to some degree.

For the first time, Teo didn’t seem desperate upon completing his exams. He solemnly swore, “I’ll run around the quad in nothing but my underwear if I don’t rise at least three places in the ranking!”

“Isn’t three places a bit of an underachievement?” teased Kaikai.

Teo put up a finger and shook his head obnoxiously. “You have to start small to dream big.” It was like his life philosophy. In the past, he started so small it was questionable if he even moved a breath’s width. Taking one’s time, that was the perfect way to put it.

The classmate sitting on Teo’s right chirped up, “Can I record your dash of honour around our school building when the time comes?”

The kids around them cracked up all at once.

“Hey! That’s not fair.” Teo took it to heart, his voice rising to a pitch. “Where did this enmity and grudges come from? Friends, when did I hurt you, huh? Answer me! What made you all turn on me when I did nothing...”

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When the grades came out Teo felt so elated he did want a dash around school, but several classmates held him back in fear of a scandal breaking out. Eyes glinting with joy, Teo invited Sae to eat at his mother’s shop for three weeks as a token of his gratitude.

Sae laughed at that for some time. “Does your mother know about these high ambitions of yours? Selling her out behind her back?”

“I’ll try to talk terms with her. But you can definitely come for dinner tomorrow night. I asked Minke as well. She said she can’t make it this week, so you’ll have at least three– no! Make it five verbal vouchers. One for tonight, one with Minke, and three extra times.”

“Mhm,” Sae gave his assent. “Five?”

“If nothing else gives, I’m going to pay three times entirely from my pocket!”

Now that was a promise. However scatter-brain Teo appeared to be, fooling around too much and seemingly not being one of the reliable ones, he always kept his vows. What did it matter if the lady boss back home threw a hurdle in the way of those pay-back dinners? He’d personally pay for them!

Of course, Teo’s mother was secretly overjoyed as well. Her son jumped twenty-eight places in the overall ranking, four in the class ranking. He remained one of the top ten, though, top ten from the bottom. But they still had weeks until the high school entrance exam.

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In April, M High School’s early enrolment results came out. Sae got in, so he no longer had to worry about the entrance examination.

While the face of Sae’s head teacher contracted as if associating with something sour, he still had to make an announcement of the news in class.

The students who got in early all had a halo of light drawn around their forms in the eyes of their peers. Though the good wishes and congratulatory words only rang half-sincere. They were tainted with hard-pressed envy set deep in the yet-to-be-accepted students’ hearts.

The head teacher felt this out-of-sync behaviour in many of his students. He thought hard and deep about a method to help alleviate the stress that plagued these young’uns.

“Now, now,” he clapped his hands a few times before the lesson started. “I know many of you are tired and feel life is difficult right now, but believe me, this is only the first step you’ll take in a long journey. Despairing now is nothing more than never having started.”

The man looked over the thirty-something heads before him. Some kids did not stand a chance, and they already knew it. Most definitely a vocational school or a training program waited for them; nothing that could boost the school’s name in the future.

Then there were those who did not try hard enough and those who tried too hard, their small childlike faces anxious and drawn dark with fatigue.

“Strengthen up!” The head teacher’s words flowed gently, addressing each and every one of them. “I’ll let you off this one time; you can loosen up a little. Don’t study until you’re all worn out.”

The kids glanced at one another. Some were cramming even now – a book opened under the desk. Or, in some cases, totally out in the open.

“We’ll watch a film today.” The head teacher powered on the flatscreen-tv in the classroom. “We have two lessons. The film’s not exactly ninety minutes, so you can all move around once it’s over.”

Some cheers went off right then and there, followed by questions trickling in:

“Can we go eat then?”

“What about going home early?”

“Teach, what kind of film is it?”

“It’s not a documentary, right?”

All of a sudden, the noise level shot up. No one wanted to watch a documentary.

The teacher rapped his knuckles on the podium. “No, it’s not. But––”

A collective groan travelled over the classroom.

“If you pay attention, it’s a good thinking exercise. You can learn from it.” He started the film. “Boys, shut the blinds. And everyone quiet down!”

Cloaked by darkness, even those who had tried to read gave up. They took a rest by watching the screen with tired eyes.

Sae had already seen this film, so he zoned out. His stomach rumbled quietly, but Teo promised to take him to dinner today. And so, he closed his eyes and napped all through the afternoon to take his mind off his stomach.

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Deil just got back from taking a shower when his phone buzzed with incoming push notifications. All of them were messages Little Mo sent, filling up the entire screen.

Deil stood before his bed barefoot. Hair dripping water all over the hardwood floor, he read one message after another.

––Deil, my friend, come quick!

––I’ve just run into Lennox and his boys while gaming,

––They were on their way out when I came in. Five of them, all nasty-looking guys.

––Near High Street. At the little alley after the stationary store on the corner. You know, the one we usually go to when cutting class.

The next message had been sent an hour ago:

––Fuck, why aren’t you reading this? They are going away.

The time stamp on the following message indicated ten minutes later.

––I don’t know where they’re heading, but right now I’m near the old tobacco factory.

As he towelled his hair, Deil snorted upon reading the last line. Was the little brat following in the shadows like a raccoon? The corners of Deil’s lips curled up.

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At the same time, Little Mo squatted at the side of the road under the eaves of a closed-down shop. His legs were numb to the point they hurt, and his nose became stuffy. Unfortunately, he did not have any tissues, so resorted to sniffling every few minutes.

Little Mo fixedly stared at his phone, his breaths puffing out to pale white mist when suddenly, all of his messages got read at once. And there was a reply!

––Where are you now?

––I didn’t see your messages. Did you follow them?

Little Mo sniffled once again before writing back. He made a screencap of his location and sent it over, unsure whether his friend knew where to find him if he only gave half-assed directions. His fingers hurt from the onslaught of cold wind; his knuckles had turned somewhat red.

A few seconds later, his phone pinged.

dddeil: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Keep an eye on them.

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In the warmth of his home, Deil threw on some clothes and hurried downstairs. He knew more or less where to find the location that Little Mo had sent.

Part of B. city’s outskirts used to be a flourishing industrial district. Even now, a third of it was still busy. Near one of the university campuses the land prices remained expensive, sometimes nearing the upper limit. The older areas, however, had crumbled to run-down skeletons with the closing of several factories many years ago. Their neighbouring streets and living conditions shortly followed. Soon, whoever could, had set off, pulling out their businesses.

This old and forgotten neighbourhood contained many places delinquents liked. There were two towering buildings that kids scaled to the very top, smoking and playing cards up high, only to seem cool when they talked about it. Deil knew of this by first-hand experience. In the past, he had been one of those idiots.

Smaller, flat-roofed buildings housed pool rooms and little shady businesses. They were cheap and dubious, perfect for stupid little kids trying to act big.

As the lift descended to the main floor, another notification went off on Deil’s phone.

Lil’Mo: Do you want to call the guys?

Deil wrote, No need, I’ll just talk to him.

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When Deil arrived, Little Mo was still squatting at the base of the building. It was early evening, and the lights stood far and few between these battered streets. The boy raised his arm after spotting Deil.

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Deil jogged those few metres between them. The biting cold wind carried not just rain but sleet as well. Sometimes when it rained and cold wind came from the mountains, it froze in the dead of night, even in April. During the last few years, the difference in temperature between days and nights had become finicky and unpredictable.

Little Mo straightened on numb legs, his hand supporting himself on the wall. As Deil stopped next to him, the first words out of his mouth were, “Do you have a tissue?”

Deil looked for, then offered a crumpled thing from his pocket while the other kept sniffling. “It’s not used, just crumpled.”

“Do I look like I care?” Little Mo grabbed after the tissue. While he took care of his business, Deil scanned their surroundings. The area was truly lived down, with some buildings half-dilapidated. Not many people dared to be out in the open after sundown.

“What are they doing?” he mused as he lit a cigarette. He had to fold in on himself to light the thing because of the wind and rain.

Little Mo finally felt refreshed and laughed a little. He rubbed his nose a few times before saying, “I don’t know. Do you want to go in?”

Deil shook his head. “Later. Let’s wait until they come out.”

“There’s a pool room across those trees, one street over. Maybe they’ll go there?” offered Little Mo.

Deil turned his head to the dense rows of trees separating two streets. It wasn’t that big of a distance, five-six rows of young beech trees, nothing of an actual forest. Further out lay nothing, only the edge of the city.

The boys pulled up their hoods and huddled under the narrow eaves while rain turned into a downpour. Deil finished his cigarette but did not light another one. It was too bothersome, and the air also became very humid.

Not long after, the rain let up. Two kids spilt from the stairs to their left. Deil recognised them as the two idiots barrelling the streets on that ridiculous scooter. A nerve at his brow twitched.

Lennox appeared, followed by another two guys that Deil had never seen. Just as Little Mo had predicted earlier, they all headed in the direction of those trees. For them, it seemed easier to cut across that bit of greenery than to circle around.

When they were well amidst the tree lines, Deil kicked off the wall and sauntered after them, letting out an ear-splitting whistle. Without looking back, he told Little Mo, “You can go now.”

It only took a second of consideration, but Little Mo nervously followed, looking around and trying to size up all the long shadows between the trees. Lennox did not stop upon hearing the harsh whistle, but the two bringing up the rear paused and turned back. “What the fuck?”

“Who is it?”

Five guys. Slightly older than Deil and Little Mo but not that much bigger physically. Although they definitely had the advantage in height. Deil did not think of this as a big deal. He did not wish to get into a fight but knew some things were inevitable.

“Lennox,” he called out in a steady voice, “Can we talk?”

At this, the leader looked back over his shoulder while the others circled around Deil and Little Mo with jeers and ill intentions written on their faces.

“Who the hell are you? You think you can just talk to Lennox by wanting to?” The one who spoke had an eyebrow piercing that looked… simply bad. Otherwise, he seemed so ordinary that Deil would pass him on the street without a second look.

“Can you talk? Fuck, have some self-assessment and know your place!” These guys were only waiting for Lennox to give the sign before they attacked.

Lennox raised his arm, and his lackeys backed off. The older boy stopped but did not make a move or come closer. Deil walked the remaining distance until they were mere two metres away, facing off in the semi darkness of dusk.

There was a sturdier looking tree behind Lennox, the bark flashing as pale and shiny in the moonlight as his scalp under the brush haircut he had. He waited patiently, eyes narrowing. Lennox could recognise Deil in a glance, but he did not open his mouth.

“You should keep your dogs on a tighter leash,” said Deil.

The scowl on the older boy’s face deepened.

It only took one sentence for the pack of jackals gathered at the sides to get ready to pounce. They challenged, “Say that again, little shit!”

“Why waste your efforts? I’m the one you have a problem with.” Deil did not dilly-dally. He came to talk it out, so reckoned it would be useless to waste time with idle chit-chat. “That kid... you’re not after him. You think he’s the one who put the call in, but you are wrong.”

Deil knew full well that one of the store owners reported their tussle. The police had informed his father about that at the station.

“You aren’t screwed because of somebody else, you’re screwed because of me.”

After a minute, Lennox tilted his head back and smirked. They both knew what this was about. “Want me to let him off? How are you so sure he’s not the one?”

There was a hard glint in Deil’s eyes. “He’s not.”

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Back then, after Professor Shum arrived to resolve the situation at the station, everyone became a bit flustered and indignant. The police thought the wild little monkey they dragged in had to come from a low household. The youth certainly behaved arrogantly and out of line just like one. So how could a well-mannered, gentle spoken man, an educated professor, be his father? The man probably gave good bearing to his son. Then what was the little brat doing beating others up?

The constables glanced from one side to the other – a sole kid versus a group of somewhat known rascals from the city’s lower high school. No one expected more from that bunch nor raised a brow at seeing them in the office.

Professor Shum expressed his sorrow and gratitude to the patrols dispatched to retrieve his son. He said sorry many times. The officers felt they could be lenient in consideration of the boy’s father, and did not make things difficult for them.

Before going home, one of the officers told the professor to try not to overthink things. The caller who reported the issue was only frustrated by the ruckus the kids had made. After they dispersed, nothing further would come out of it.

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Knowing all that, what could Deil tell Lennox now?

Deil thought things through. He could not right out say he knew who made the call. And anyway, wasn’t this just too silly? Getting to sit at the precinct for a few hours had not left the slightest mar on these guys.

“Kid,” Lennox turned to Little Mo, “Aren’t you Monori’s little brother?”

Without waiting for an answer, he scoffed, “Run back home. What do you think you’re doing here?”

Little Mo was too scared to make a peep. He never fought with older people and had only ever been good at bragging about his big bro. Still, one thing he stood by was loyalty to his friends. Out of that feeling and taking pride in sticking up for his people, Little Mo stayed put even though he got dismissed. He exchanged a few glances with Deil on the side.

Deil did not care if Little Mo decided to leave. He would not hold it over the other’s head. This wasn’t Little Mo’s business to begin with.

No one said anything as tension suffused the air.

“How about we settle it just between the two of us?” Breaking the silence, Deil finally offered, “Let’s not meddle so much in each other’s life. I say, resolving it directly is the best.”

Lennox took it as good humour. “In one go?”

Deil shrugged. “Sure.”

“I’m just curious why are you so hell-bent on protecting that kid if he has nothing to do with you?” Lennox took a step closer. Following his example, the other four did as well.

That kid, that kid… why were they still talking about Hoh Saering? The plan was precisely to move on from Hoh Saering and never pull him into anything like this.

Deil stood his ground, not moving a muscle. He opened his mouth to drawl, “Actually, I’m not. You’re just too idiotic to see it.” After a chuckle, he added, “And he really doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

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At first, Lennox had not considered who the caller might be. One of his buddies said they saw a scrawny kid on the bridge watching them while on his phone. That information in itself remained as something way below Lennox’s attention.

But after the arrogant brat named Shum Deil transferred schools, they went to find him. After all, they really didn’t settle the score between them that night. When Lennox and his boys approached the school, they saw Shum Deil with the kid from that time, the kid from the bridge.

Unfortunately, there were too many people around the school gates, so the group had to retreat.

Following that day, that brat, Shum Deil, was often seen around the kid, and something about that did not sit well with Lennox. He wanted to find out who placed the call after all. It was a curiosity sparked from boredom, hostility… from arrogance.

A few weeks later, two from his circle told Lennox they had the perfect opportunity to play a prank on the kid. However, Shum Deil got there first.

The older boy ordered them to speak clearly. After listening to the whole thing from beginning to end, Lennox felt that, in truth, Deil had tried to prevent an accident from happening.

Now look at that; he was right.

Otherwise, why would the brat go out of his way to find him and tell him off, offering a chance to bout it out?

“Interesting...” Lennox said in a low voice. His eyes shone with a vicious light.

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“You two dim-witted ones,” Deil turned to the half-wits. He really disliked outsiders trying to use roundabout means to settle their issues with his person. If someone had a problem with him, why not come to him? What was the point of threatening others? “Don’t you think attempted manslaughter will send you back to the police? Even if Lennox doesn’t care about discarding you, how can you be so stupid? I highly doubt he told you to try to run someone over.” Tch. Tch. As he finished, he even clicked his tongue a few times.

The two dummies exploded on the spot, “What the fuck you’re saying? Stop talking shit!”

“Am I?” mused Deil.

They were back to the main topic once again. Little Mo could not help but glance at his friend. Without letting that thing go, Deil’s verbal onslaught only egged the group on. His intention was clear – he judged Lennox for trying to play funny, using underhanded methods. Not only that, but he mocked the other for it, too. It didn’t matter if it had not been Lennox himself initiating those things. At the end of the day, whatever his followers did all fell back on him.

Lennox leisurely walked closer. Noticing him, one of the over-excited, eager boys charged at Deil from the side without much thinking. However, even before the boy could raise a fist, Deil kicked him in the gut.

That boy had a stinky hat on, and it slipped off his head as he doubled over. His hair was on the longish side, falling in clumps over his face as he stayed down. It was only one kick. He could not even touch Deil.

“Do you parade around with a crowd because you’re scared or just plain lazy?” Deil sneered, “I already told you to try and control them if you can. This is between you and me.”

Lennox made eye contact with his boys, telling them to stay put. Enjoy the show if they will.

“Alright,” he said to Deil. It wasn’t that often that someone intentionally offended him. He had to acknowledge that the kid got guts. On a whim, Lennox decided to indulge this arrogant behaviour. “Ah, getting even with a middle-schooler… my heart is really good when it comes to kids.”

Little Mo stepped back.

The others helped Stinky Hat up from the ground, moving him to the side.

Lennox shook his head as he chuckled. “We settle this now. Don’t come making a fuss later.”

A cloud drifted, hiding the moon.

Deil nodded but didn’t say anything. Instead of an answer, he threw a fist.

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Out of the five vouchers promised by Teo, it was Sae’s fourth time dining at Mrs Bede’s shop. They ran a bit late, and since he had the habit of eating with Emi on Wednesdays, he invited the little girl as well. Sae said they would pay for themselves, but Teo did not want to hear a word of it.

It rained for half the evening, and puddles dotted the sidewalk leading to the shop’s entrance. The three of them filed into a line while heading for the door, trying their best to avoid getting splashed with water.

Teo was the first one to go inside. He hollered with a foot still over the doorstep, “Mum, we’re here!”

Through the open door, a gust of comfortably warm air permeated with the smells of fragrant dishes hit the children’s faces.

“Quiet down; you’re disturbing the customers!” Teo’s mum waved them over with one hand. A lot of patrons visited during the evening rush hour. It was just as noisy inside as outside on the street.

“Good evening Mrs Bede! I’ve come too,” Emi greeted cheerfully from behind Sae’s back, her voice clear and lilting at the end of each sentence.

The lady boss looked at the three children still dawdling at the door. “Another one?” she exclaimed.

“Hehe.” Teo giggled and pulled on Sae’s sleeve. They made their way to the counter. “She’s just a little girl. She won’t eat much.”

The little girl gave voice to her objection with a loud, Hey!

When they arrived at the counter, Teo suddenly stopped moving, so Sae bumped into his back. “What is it? Why aren’t you moving?” Sae stepped around Teo.

A boy they all knew a little too well waited at the counter’s bent corner.

“Shum Deil?!” Teo blurted while Emi’s eyes got round.

Inexplicably, Sae felt a little excited by this turn of events.

It was not just the fact that Shum Deil was here, but he looked absolutely battered as well – his hair somewhat wet and his face an utter mess.

“You know each other?” Teo’s mother looked between the kids. She clapped her hands. “Very good. There’s not much space; you can all eat at one table.”

The otherwise occupied woman immediately shooed them towards one of the tables. Using her right hand, she first pushed Sae, then nudged Shum Deil to sit at one side of the table. Teo and Emi naturally took the other side.

“Little one, you’re fine with this, right?” Teo’s mother asked Shum Deil. The boy looked greenish-purple in the face, and that wasn’t just the bruises and poor lighting. Teo’s mum did not stand around waiting for a response. She upped and left with, “Order all you want. I’ll charge it separately.”

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Four kids practised quiet restraint in awkwardness as the shop bustled around them.

“What the hell?” Teo whispered to Emi, barely opening one side of his mouth. The little girl shook her head, dumbfounded.

Sae could not help but glance at the boy sitting next to him. There were fresh bruises on the right side of his temple, stretching downwards along his eye. A cut crossed his straight nose; his chin chafed and swollen.

Coincidentally, Deil was peeking at him as well. After a flash of eye contact, both of them looked away.

“Do you come here often?” Teo asked Shum Deil out of the blue. “You seem familiar with my mum.”

Shum Deil cleared his throat before speaking, “Somewhat. I’ve come here a few times.”

Emi stared at Shum Deil’s face with horror. She couldn’t make a peep, but Teo did not hold back at all. He asked, “Who did you fight with?”

“...High school assholes.”

Sae turned towards the boy just as Teo questioned half-jokingly, “The same that got you kicked out of school?”

It was obviously a joke, just a careless remark to lessen the uncomfortable atmosphere. Unexpectedly, Shum Deil did not give a reaction at all. A minute passed without a reply, then another. The table became even more awkward.

After a few minutes of silence, it wasn’t hard to figure out that the answer to that question was probably, yes.