1 Unknown Voice

Denny left the comfort of his gaming corner and took a few steps toward his bed. It was time to go to school. Though full of bullies, graduating and getting a job was the only hope his mother's mysterious sickness had left in his life.

After wrapping Elites Academy jacket around his pale chubby body that acted as a magnet for bullies, he took a few other steps toward his mother's bed. She had fallen ill and doctors failed to find any defined sickness, forcing Denny to move her to a cheap apartment as a way to economise the little money they had.

"Mom, maybe you still feel much pain. But I assure you that from what I see, your beauty is slowly returning."

What else could he tell his mother to motivate her if not complimenting her beauty? It's the only thing she valued after him when she was still healthy. Beauty was like an office for strippers, after all. Without it, she wouldn't have made even the little money he was using to fund his partial scholarship now.

"You should also stop worrying about me. As I told you, last week, a new chubby guy joined our school. Though he's a rich-kid, the bullies don't care. They are also rich-kids, after all. Of course I take most of the kicks. But at least my daily dosage had reduced by 37%. That is around seven kicks a day to be exact. Can you imagine, mom?"

This was the only benefit he had obtained from having to face bullies everyday. His speed to count and calculate had increased, leading to increase in marks which in the end earned him more other kicks for surpassing his bullies in marks.

Since his mom could not respond or show any reaction, Denny planted a peck on her forehead and left the room.

Unlike usual, this time, he was smiling. The new chubby guy had brought a smile into his life. If only he knew what awaited him.

***

A few meters from Elites Academy, Denny glanced at the parking lot. No limited version cars could be seen. His bullies were yet to come.

Nevertheless, he could not risk to go inside the academy alone not knowing if Alex—a bully who didn't have his own car—had arrived.

Still smiling, Denny decided to linger near the parking lot for a little so he could wait for Billy—the new chubby guy. His Mercedes-Benz was yet to arrive, too.

Not long after, a Mercedes-Benz S-class came to a halt in front of Denny. Trying to pierce through its one-view-glass that was as dark as the car's colour, only a reflection of a guy with extra fat on his cheeks, a big nose and messy black hair stared at him with his green eyes.

'At least there's a smile this time.'

Not wanting his own reflection to spoil his mood, Denny thought of Aira. His next target. Though he knew what would be her answer the day he would propose, there was no harm in trying his luck. Who knows? Maybe after over a hundred rejections, he was finally going to get a girlfriend and fulfill his mother's last wish.

'Why did mom had to burden me with finding a girlfriend? Doesn't she see how impossible it is for someone like me?'

'Stop badmouthing your mom, you fool! Of course you were rejected everytime you tried. But look, your introvecy level had reduced, right? Now you can at least have guts to ask a girl out despite knowing how heartbreaking her answer would be. Isn't it quite an improvement?'

Talking to himself as if there were two people was a method Denny had invented since his childhood to kill boredom. He had tried to stop it when the new chubby guy joined Elites Academy but to no avail. Quiting one's habits takes time, after all.

'Though Aira is not as beautiful as my heart desires, she's not a rich-girl. I can manage a few gifts. This makes her the best candidate for my next proposal and I...'

At that moment, a click of the Mercedes-Benz's door interrupted his thoughts.

Billy was about to get out.

Denny quickly stepped away so the door would not hit him.

After it fully slid away, Billy stepped out with a beaming expression on his face. This was strange. The guy has never smiled ever since he joined the Elites Academy and learnt a harsh reality that the bullies there didn't care whether he had some money or not.

Why was he smiling then?

'Strange!'

Denny had already raised his hand to big him up. Instead of raising his as usual, Billy marched toward the other side of the car, not even sparing him a glance.

As he struggled to put his hand in the pocket of his cargo pants, Denny could hear a dozen of giggles from the academy girls who happened to be nearby.

Temperature under the skin on his cheeks rose in degrees, forcing him to run after the one who had embarrassed him.

"What's up with you, bro? Why did you..."

The scene unfolding before his eyes shut him up. There, in billy's car, a beauty with a lean figure, hazel eyes and blonde hair could be seen, her super mini-skirt revealing her...

'Pure thoughts please!'

'But it's Aira!'

Denny's mind became chaotic.

What was Aira doing in Billy's car not wearing her pants? What have they been doing on their way to the academy?

'No! Don't tell me Billy has took her for himself!'

'What if he did? It's not like she was not going to reject your proposal anyway.'

As inhabitants of Denny's mind kept arguing, Aira was done putting on her pants. Not even glancing at him, she placed her hand into Billy's and started walking toward the academy. Even Billy pretended to don't know him.

Denny knew he didn't have a say. But his sturbon mouth fell open.

"Wait!"

At his sudden outburst, the couple turned to look at him.

Billy offered him a snobbish smile.

"Hey Denied, do you have something you want to ask?"

When Denny heard Billy calling him Denied, he knew he had lost not only his future proposal but also his new friend. Because, Denied was a nickname he earned on his 77th rejection.

He asked Lilith out to only get denied as an answer. If only she had kept her voice down, no-one in the playing ground would have heard it that day. No one would have nicknamed him Denied.

Now even Billy was calling him by the same nickname. The name his enemies used to call him.

'Gods! Why? Why me?'

"If you don't have something to ask," said Billy, his tone full of disdain. "Let me introduce my girlfriend to you. I bet you know her name. You're the one who told me about her after all."

He then turned to Aira.

"He was planning to propose to you, can you imagine?"

Aira looked Denny up and down, her hazel eyes full of contempt. Following, she leaned against Billy, staring into his blue eyes with a seductive smile.

"He must really be your friend. If you haven't approached me first and gave me all those gifts, he should have won a second nickname from daring to mess with me."

Before Denny could react, a rumbling that sounded like it belonged to a high-definition engine was heard approaching the parking lot. And then another, and another.

Pulling Aira toward him, Billy turned around saying, "Old friend, you should hurry and go hide your girlfriendless chubby body. The OG gang is coming."

He was not lying. The bullies were approaching and Billy had a girlfriend. No-one was going to bully him anymore.

'Oh gods! It's going to be a hundred percent again.'

'...Why me?'

***

Denny didn't want to worry her already dying mom. But he had no-one else to share his misery with. Since he had managed to clear his bloodied face, he approached his mother, hugged her and started sobbing his problems out.

"Mom, remember that I told you not to worry? That there's a new chubby guy at school? Yeah! You should really not worry. No! Worry a little. He's no longer my friend. He had even took Aira."

After telling his mom all his day problems, he started singing his recent song called 'If Only'. A song he never sung at the academy, lest he wanted the kicks to increase.

🎶

If only mom was in her days,

I would die for a few days.

I would transmigrate and cultivate.

I would learn never to tolerate.

As a mage, my bullies would be shaken.

And I know, one day, it'll happen.🎶

Before he could move on to the refrain, something unexpected happened.

An unknown voice spoke to him.

"You have a beautiful voice!"

Though his mom had never spoken for months, Denny could not have forgotten her voice.

Who had spoken to him then?

Wandering his eyes around the room, they popped out when they fell on who it was. There, on his bed, a beautiful girl was sitting, her legs crossed and staring at him with lustful eyes.

But... but her demonic nails.

'Damn it!'

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