I walked back into my house, still feeling excited about my new friendship with Mark and meeting his group of friends.
But my good mood was short-lived, as I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off about Kai.
The next day at school, I saw Kai again in the hallway, and this time he wasn't smiling:
"Hey Chris," Kai said, his voice low and menacing, "Mark's little pet, right?"
Ryan stood beside him, silent but with a hint of a smirk on his face, as if encouraging Kai.
My heart sank as Kai took a step closer:
"You think you're friends with Mark just because he shared lunch with you? Please, you're just a temporary distraction."
Kai's words cut deep, and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment and fear:
"You're just a weak little kid who got bullied all the time... Mark only befriended you out of pity."
Ryan chuckled softly beside him, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
I tried to walk away, but Kai blocked my path:
"Does Mark even know how pathetic your life was before he 'saved' you?"
His tone was dripping with sarcasm, making my skin crawl.
I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as Kai continued to taunt me:
"Mark's not even your real friend... he just wants someone to look cool in front of Hana."
My mind raced - was Kai telling the truth about Mark?!
I tried to shake off Ryan's grip, but he held tight, his eyes glinting with intimidation:
Kai continued to sneer at me:
"You're just a temporary friend to Mark, a charity case."
My heart racing, I felt tears welling up – just as I thought I'd collapse from fear...
Mark appeared out of nowhere, his voice firm:
"Hey, what's going on here?"
Ryan instantly dropped my arm, and Kai's sneer transformed into a casual smile:
"Not much, Mark. Just discussing the upcoming school festival with Chris."
Mark looked at me concernedly:
"Chris, you okay? You look pale."
I nodded slowly, still shaken, as Mark turned to Kai and Ryan:
"I was thinking we could all work together on the festival project. What do you guys think?"
Kai and Ryan exchanged a glance before Kai said:
"Sounds like a great idea!"
Kai's smile seemed genuine around Mark, but I knew better.
As the days passed, our school festival project meetings continued with Mark leading the group.
Whenever Mark was present, Kai and Ryan behaved perfectly normally - even friendly towards me.
But whenever Mark stepped away for a moment or left the room...
Kai's demeanor shifted only when Hana and Nao were not paying attention or had stepped away for a moment, but mostly when they were completely out of sight.
Whenever Mark was present or Hana and Nao were near:
Kai would smile and chat with them politely, especially Hana - his eyes would light up with friendly interest around her.
But when Hana and Nao had walked away to discuss festival decorations or use the restroom:
Kai would lean in close to me, his voice low and menacing:
"You're still just a nobody, Chris. Mark will drop you soon enough."
Ryan would stand silently beside him, a hint of a smirk on his face.
Akira would still be chatting with them or nearby, seemingly oblivious to Kai's true nature - or choosing to ignore it.
Nao would often return quickly to Hana's side, glancing nervously at our direction, as if sensing something was off.
As the festival days drew near, Mark and I grew closer, often walking together during lunch breaks.
One day, I gathered courage to confide in him about Kai's bullying:
"Mark, can I talk to you about something?" I asked nervously.
Mark's expression turned concerned:
"Of course, Chris. What's up?"
I took a deep breath, but before I could reveal Kai's true nature:
Mark said:
"Chris, I consider Kai like a true brother to me. We've been through thick and thin together."
My heart sank. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.
I quickly changed the subject, not wanting to jeopardize our friendship:
"No, nothing important, Mark. Just school stuff."
Mark smiled and clapped me on the back:
"Anytime you need to talk, I'm here for you."
Unbeknownst to me, Kai had witnessed our entire conversation from afar, his eyes narrowing with calculation.
The next day, Kai and Ryan cornered me in an empty hallway:
"Looks like Mark trusts us more than he trusts you," Kai sneered.
Ryan chimed in:
"Yeah, and if you snitch, he'll probably drop you like the worthless friend you are."
I felt terrified. My mind racing with fears:
* Losing Mark's friendship
* Being alone again
* Facing Kai's wrath daily
Something snapped inside me. I started to doubt Mark's friendship and began to see Kai as the stronger, more powerful ally...
I decided to reach out to Hana for help, hoping she had sensed Kai's bullying.
I caught up with her between classes, trying to appear casual:
"Hana, can I talk to you for a sec?"
She smiled and stepped aside with me:
"What's up, Chris?"
I took a deep breath, about to reveal Kai's true nature:
"Kai and Ryan have been..."
But before I could finish, Kai appeared out of nowhere:
"Hey Hana, didn't know you were talking to Mark's shadow here."
Kai's interruption was perfectly timed to silence me.
Hana looked at Kai curiously, then back at me:
"Actually, Kai, Chris was about to tell me something."
Kai's smile turned menacing:
"I think Chris was just going to complain about my festival project ideas."
He turned to me, his eyes glinting with threat:
"Weren't you, Chris?"
I froze, fearing retaliation if I told the truth.
Hana looked concerned and said:
"Kai, what's going on here? Chris was talking to me about something."
Kai's expression instantly changed to innocent curiosity:
"No idea, Hana. Chris was just about to show me the festival layout."
Hana seemed satisfied with Kai's response and said:
"Okay, I'll catch up with you later Chris. Nao's waiting for me."
Nao waved gently at me before they both walked away with Mark, who was approaching their group.
As soon as they turned the corner, Kai's smile vanished:
"You were about to snitch, weren't you?"
Ryan stepped forward beside him.
Kai's fist clenched, and he punched me in the stomach.
I doubled over in pain as Ryan kicked me in the back.
The beating continued until I was curled up on the floor, terrified.
Kai leaned in close, his breath cold against my ear:
"You're going to be our friend now... publicly.
Meaning you'll hang out with us, laugh at our jokes, and never breathe a word about this to Mark."
Ryan kicked me again softly, as if emphasizing Kai's threat.
I nodded frantically, still coughing up pain and fear.
Kai helped me up, his grip on my arm tight:
"Smile, Chris. Mark's coming this way."
Indeed, Mark was walking towards us, concern etched on his face:
"Hey guys, what's going?"