Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 107: Arc 3, - 17: Fight or Flight

"Jotou, it’s your turn to present your report."

"Dammit," Jotou pursed his lips shut, watching every tick of his watch go by. ’So close to the bell...’ The last period of the day and of course there was just enough time for his turn...

Grouped up in tables of four, he barely talked to those around; only when the necessity arose he would speak. Forty classmates contending on which voice rang the loudest in Jotou’s ears.

Jotou stood up with three papers, paperclipped together. Never muttered a joke or asked for a good luck—not making the mistake to be made fun of again.

As he walked from the middle of the class, through the crowd of legs to the front, his shoulders closed in—eyes staring at the front wall of the class. ’Don’t make eye contact, don’t make eye contact.’

Jotou looked around, shuffling past the bags on the floor; his eyes met the gaze of another classmate who just happened to look. Jotou’s pupils could not dart elsewhere any faster. ’Especially not with Penny, she’s too cute, you’re too ugly, move on.’

A leg stuck out, "Guh," Jotou tripped forward, catching himself on a desk; a water bottle fell onto the file on it. Jotou picked it up, but the water already spread out onto the clear file, "Sorry!"

Little laughter muttered out behind him. The glaring girl groaned as the water spilled across the table; the clique around her did not ease the tension.

Jotou knitted his brows, turning back, "Very funny!"

"Jotou? Quickly please, time’s about to be up. If you’re trying to stall then I’m going to fail you," the teacher looked up from her laptop.

"Sorry," Jotou knew it was futile to report the incident. The last thing he needed to be was teacher’s pet; that’d be even worse... If they believed him in the first place.

’Yeah, I could fail your stupid teacher’s degree too for sitting on your ass putting artificial marks and you still haven’t given our exam papers back graded. Not good enough to become a doctor so you teach Biology?

Gonna tell my mom that I got an A anyway, it’s not like you’re teaching me anything useful that I’m gonna use. Useless irresponsible adults I swear. I hope you get fired and your house burns bitch.’

Inner monologue seething within, Jotou took a breath as he stood in front of the class. He began his report, not like anyone paid real attention except for the few in the front.

Jotou spoke, eyes glancing back and forth between the printed text and to a girl in the front row listening, but his gaze quickly would go back. ’Stop doing that dumbass.’

"Jotou, could you speak louder?" the teacher put her glasses up on her forehead.

"Uh, sure," Jotou nodded, heart beating quicker the more time he stood at the front of the class.

"Eh? What was that?" she placed a hand to her ear and leaned closer.

’Do you need a damn hearing aid?’ "I said sure," a bit louder.

"Oh okay, carry on. Quickly now."

’You’re the one who stopped me dickhead, you can just read the damn report and grade me, why the hell do I have to read it out!?’ Jotou, more vocally finished his report, right as- "RINGGG!!!!"

The students showed no patience, leaving the class like water through a funnel. Jotou peered to his seat; his classmates had already packed and were ready to leave with a fling of their backpack over their shoulders.

Jotou’s table—the only one with an open pencil case with items strewn about, books needing to be kept back and the cubby under his desk needing to be cleaned out.

One by one, the students left and soon the teacher. Jotou alone, packed his things and stuffed the textbooks barely read into his bag.

"Hey Howllett."

’Crap...’ Jotou closed his eyes, recognizing the voice. He turned; no one else in the empty class but Nelson standing behind him, his bag thrown on a nearby desk.

"Just go away..." Jotou’s eyes glazed over.

Not another word before Jotou stumbled back on to his own backpack, zipped up. From a push to the chest, Jotou stood up, "Dude, piss off, seriously."

His bag was ready to go, two doors for exits and nobody else. "What? Your girlfriend can’t come save your pathetic ass?" Nelson stepped forward.

"She’s not my girlfriend idiot," Jotou cringed in saying.

"Oh right, which girl would even want you," he cracked his knuckles, "Some guy’s probably the best option for you."

"Ha, ha, gay jokes, you got anything else?" Jotou’s voice rose.

"Fine, I’ll let you pass," he grinned, "If you get on your knees and suck my dick," he pointed to the ground below.

"What? Explain to me how you’re not gay again?" Jotou knitted his brows. Walking forward, Jotou bent his tongue and spat onto Nelson’s face again.

Nelson wiped his scrunched face and glared back to Jotou, "You’re so dead!"

"I’m so sick of your shit!" Jotou’s blood boiled, readying his own fists as the two rushed forward.

Jotou’s arms went up. "Whack!" Nelson socked him on the cheek. Jotou flailed his arms forward, landing a few punches; they were lucky to even make contact.

Jotou gritted his teeth, "HUH!" he coughed from a shoed kick to his stomach. Jotou staggered back, grunting away the pain as a white daze formed around the corners of his eyes.

His breath grew heavier, eyes opened up to their fullest. Muffled sounds went around his ears, feeling the adrenaline kick in. Jotou ran straight at him, bringing a hand out. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Nelson moved, but not before the bitten nails scratched across his nose, drawing blood. "You piece of shit!" Nelson held the stinging crimson.

"You’re the bastard! What!? Your dad left for milk or something!? Nothing better to do with you pathetic life so you gotta pick on me jackass!? Go end yourself! It’ll be a favour to the world!"

"What’s going on here!?" a teacher poked her head in, hearing Jotou’s raging scream. The two boys came to a halt, gulping their heads to see the school disciplinarian...

Heads held low, the two walked down the hallways to her office... "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"I didn’t do anything. I was just leaving, it’s his fault," Jotou pointed.

The teacher pointed a finger back to Jotou, "You have too much ego." She turned to Nelson, "And you," she looked to the shoeprint on Jotou’s clothes, "What do you want to do when his parents take you to court?"

The both of them shuffled legs, looking out the window or items on her desk. The teacher sighed, "I’m not going to tell your parents. You two better apologize right now."

Jotou glared to the floor, shifting his eyes, "Sorry," hardly verbalizing it.

Nelson did the same, a groan, or a sigh, hard to tell which before, "Sorry."

_

"Hey loser," Daiyu rolled up on her bicycle and tilted her head. Jotou’s bag slung on his shoulder as he walked out the school and down the road whilst students left and teachers drove cars out. Jotou sighed, removing his hand from his cheek.

"Oh boy, who hit you?" Daiyu scanned over the black and blue—her hair loose, in a green jacket and jeans.

"Nelson, who else? Then we got taken away by Mrs Perry of all people."

"Eugh, sorry. Come on, we can get an ice pack on the way home," Daiyu shifted on the bike.

"And ice-cream?" Jotou went forward, wearing his bag on both shoulders as he hopped on.

"Yeah sure, as long as you’re paying."

"I’ve got ten bucks to my name..."

"Hey I’ve got twenty and I’m buying the ice pack, so."

"Ai, ai, ai, fine, let’s go," Jotou shook his head, holding onto Daiyu’s shoulders.

"Hey Jotou, look," Daiyu kept her eyes peeled, watching a girl with slight acne and brown bangs hop into a bus.

Jotou caught the tail end of her, the girl in the front row of his class, "Yeah, uh, her name’s, Deanne," Jotou recalled, "What about her?"

"Dude, she checked you out!"

"No she didn’t," Jotou shook his head.

"Wanna go ask her yourself?" Daiyu jerked a shoulder.

"No."

"Want me to go ask if she’s interested?"

"NO! I’m way too ugly for that!"

"You’re not ugly Jotou, and you’ve lost some weight too; come on, you gotta take a shot."

"Lies. Besides, I have exams and homework and stuff, I’m not ready for a relationship."

"I think asking her number would be step one, not under the covers Jotou."

"Will you just go? I’ve been having a crappy day."

Daiyu pouted then sighed, lifting the bike off she pedalled it onto the road. "How’re you gonna explain that bruise to your mom?"

"Ah, she’s stupid. I’ll just say I opened a door too fast on my face or something."

"I think that’d just make her think you’re stupid."

"I don’t expect them to think much of me—easier to lie."

Daiyu stopped at an intersection, looking both ways, "You know you could’ve ran, right?"

"Yeah, it crossed my mind, but I was sick of it."

"You wouldn’t’ve got yourself in trouble if you did."

"Yeah, but I brought him down with me. Let’s see him fight me again after the teacher caught us. Plus, I made him bleed, I got off on bruises."

"Yeah, probably closer to internally bleeding. No regrets huh?"

"Keeping regrets is stupid. What’s done is done and he got beat up by a tennis racket and got caught the second time. I’d call it a draw though."

"Jotou... Sometimes it’s just smarter to run. There’s no point in getting yourself hurt. I told you to be in one piece, didn’t I?"

"Technically, you said get to class in one piece; I was leaving."

Daiyu smirked, "Yeah, but you’ll go to class tomorrow won’t you?"

"I’m still in one piece, just hurt."

"Smart-ass..." Daiyu groaned, rolling her eyes, "I’m going to shove ice-cream up your nose."

"What?"

"Nothing. Nothing..." Daiyu grinned.

’When did I become the class’s laughing stock...?’ The memories were so hazy, so hazy... ’Maybe it is better to run. Keep my head down and stay away from this stupid stuff...’

19th of August, 979_

The blonde’s eyes waxed open—the soft pillow, the covers hugging her body, sword against the nightstand, nightgown on. Realizing where she was, again, "DAH!" Jotou sat up.