The morning sun peeked timidly over the horizon, casting long shadows that seemed to mirror Jin's existence—dim, overshadowed, and forgotten. He trudged to school, his bag slung over his shoulder, eyes fixed on the ground. The weight of despair had become so routine he hardly noticed it anymore. Each day blurred into the next, a monotonous cycle of torment and humiliation.

  As he approached the school gates, a chill ran down his spine. The sight of Haruki and his gang lounging near the entrance made his stomach churn. They were like predators lying in wait, their eyes lighting up at the sight of him.

  "Morning, Jin," Haruki called out, his voice dripping with mockery. "Ready for your daily workout?"

  Jin ignored him, keeping his head down. He knew better than to respond—it only made things worse. Haruki smirked, falling in step beside him, while his gang flanked him like a pack of wolves surrounding their prey.

  "Hey, I'm talking to you," Haruki said, his tone sharp. He grabbed Jin's shoulder, yanking him back. "What, too good to answer me now?"

  Jin froze, his heart pounding. The other students walking past glanced at the scene but quickly averted their eyes. No one would step in—not for someone like him.

  "Relax, Haruki," Riku said, chuckling. "He's probably just scared stiff. Aren't you, Jin?"

  Jin didn’t respond, and Haruki’s smirk widened. "Guess we’ll have to loosen him up."

  Before Jin could react, Haruki’s fist slammed into his gut. The air rushed out of his lungs, and he doubled over, clutching his stomach. The gang laughed as Haruki slapped him on the back, nearly making him collapse.

  "Better?" Haruki asked, feigning concern. "See? A little exercise does wonders."

  Jin staggered away, clutching his bag tightly. The laughter of his tormentors followed him all the way to class.

  The classroom was no sanctuary. As soon as Jin stepped inside, the mocking whispers started.

  "Here comes the punching bag," one student muttered, earning a round of snickers.

  "Think he’ll cry today?" another added.

  Jin walked to his desk, only to find it covered in graffiti. Words like loser, trash, and worse were scrawled across the surface. He sighed, opening his bag to retrieve his notebook, only for a crumpled piece of paper to hit the back of his head.

  "Hey, Jin," Haruki called from the back of the room, his tone cheerful in that infuriatingly fake way. "Why don’t you come over here? We could use some entertainment."

  Jin ignored him, focusing on his notes. But Haruki wasn’t one to be ignored. He stood and sauntered over, his gang trailing behind. The classroom fell silent as everyone watched the unfolding spectacle.

  Haruki slammed a hand on Jin’s desk, making him flinch. "C’mon, Jin. Don’t be rude. Crawl over here like the good little dog you are."

  Stolen story; please report.

  The class erupted in laughter. Jin’s face burned with humiliation, but he didn’t move. His silence only seemed to amuse Haruki further.

  "Fine," Haruki said, grabbing Jin by the collar and yanking him out of his seat. "If you won’t crawl, we’ll make you."

  With a sharp shove, Haruki sent Jin sprawling onto the floor. His books scattered across the room, and his bag fell open. Haruki’s eyes caught on a photograph poking out from the bag—a picture of Jin and his sister, Yumi.

  "Well, well, what’s this?" Haruki said, picking up the photo. "Is this your girlfriend?"

  Jin’s eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet, panic flashing across his face. "Give that back!"

  Haruki held the photo out of reach, grinning.

  "Your sister, huh? She’s kinda cute. Maybe I should pay her a visit sometime. What do you think, boys?"

  The gang burst into laughter, and Haruki stuck out his tongue, licking his lips exaggeratedly.

  "Think she’d like me, Jin? I’m pretty charming, don’t you think?"

  Jin’s fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. His whole body trembled with barely restrained fury. For a moment, Haruki paused, noticing the way Jin’s knuckles whitened.

  "Oh, what’s this?" Haruki taunted, his grin widening.

  "You mad? Gonna hit me? Go ahead, Jin. Try it."

  Jin’s teeth ground together, but he stayed frozen. He knew it was pointless. Even if he fought back, they’d only beat him harder.

  "Didn't think so," Haruki sad, smirking .he turned and delivered a sharp back kick to jin's stomach, sending him crashing into the desks. Jin gasped, water and bile rising up in his throat as he doubled over in pain.

  ''Oops,'' Haruki said, feigning ignorance. "Looks like i overdid it.''

  The gang roared with laughter, and some of the girls in the class looked away in disgust. But no one moved to help.

  'Clean this up," haruki said, grabbing jin by the hair and dragging him to a puddle of water that had spilled from someone's bottle. he shoved

  jin's face into it, holding him there for a moment. 'There you go. You look better like this on the ground, where u belong."

  The laughter grew louder, echoing in jin's hear like a creul symphony. Tears prickled at his eyes, byt he refused to let them fall, He refused to give them the satisfaction.

  By the time Haruki and his gang were finished, Jin was barely standing. His body ached, his clothes were soaked, and his pride was

  shattered. The rest of the day passed in a haze of pain and humiliation. The jeers, the whispers, the mocking laughter-it all blurred together until it was just noise.

  When the final bell rang, Jin packed his things in silence. His bag felt heavier than usual, the picture of Yumi tucked safely inside once more. He trudged home, his steps slow and unsteady. The world around him felt distant, like he was moving through a dream—or a nightmare.

  As he entered the apartment, he found it empty. Yumi had left a note on the table, saying she'd gone out to run errands. Jin sank onto the couch, his body collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut.

  He stared at the ceiling, his mind replaying the events of the day. Haruki's sneer, the laughter of his classmates, the pain in his stomach-it was all too much. He wanted to scream, to cry, to break something, but all he could do was lie there, staring blankly ahead.

  For a moment, he considered giving up. What was the point of fighting back when the world seemed determined to crush him? But then his thoughts drifted to Yumi-to her smile, her unwavering support, her sacrifices. She didn't deserve a brother who gave up. She deserved someone strong, someone who could stand tall.

  Jin clenched his fists, the spark of

  determination flickering in his chest once more. He didn't know how, but he would find a way to rise above this. For Yumi's sake, if not his own.

  As the night deepened, Jin sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his reflection in the cracked mirror. His bruised and battered face stared back at him, but beneath the pain, there was something else resolve.

  Tomorrow would be another day of torment, but he wouldn't let it break him.