pslplz | Futureverse

Growing up poor and small was always going to be an invitation to be picked on, at least in the neighborhoods where Nagi grew up. Nagi has known this since he was old enough to remember. Showing up at school with faded hand-me-down clothes, not being able to fill out his family tree for those stupid grade school assignments, not having the latest gadget to show off in the playground: all these things were fodder for the ruthless idiots who had nothing better to do than push him around. Things got a little better after Nagi worked his way into one of the best private high schools in the city, gaining entrance via one of their merit scholarship programs funded by techy billionaires who had an eye for the next generation of programmers.

At least here, the kids are too rich to really care about the scholarship kids. Most of them are into clubbing or high tech VR or (the studious ones) have their eye on college and beyond. Of course, there used to be the occasional jerk, but most of them left him alone after he actually started making friends, like Omi and Ken and Naru.

What he hasn't escaped yet is the scrutiny of teachers like Gilmore, who felt it was beneath him to teach the likes of Nagi. Maybe he thinks his talents are wasted unless he's raising the next CEO or chief medical officer or senator. Whatever. Nagi just needs to endure one semester of this bastard's class before he moves on to better things. Thankfully, it's a mathematics class, so it's not as though he can be graded unfairly (unless he's accused of cheating).

Still, he silently dreads each Tuesday and Thursday, when he has to sit in his class and be berated again, just for existing. Nagi doesn't expect his friends to stand up for him, but maybe he should have? It's been a relatively new thing for him, people having his back. Certainly, no one has ever tried to challenge authority on his behalf.

He tries to stop him. But maybe he doesn't try hard enough? Or maybe Omi just has a mind of his own. Nagi sinks a bit in his chair when Gilmore kicks Omi out. Ken shortly follows, red-faced. Nagi just stares wide-eyed, unsure what to think. He certainly can't concentrate on the lessons. The class proceeds seemingly forever. Gilmore only shoots him nasty glances, which is easier to ignore than his tongue lashings. The hour is finally up and Nagi quickly heads to the door. He pauses in front of Omi awkwardly, glancing at him.

"...hi."

Omi straightens when Nagi comes out, his eyes scanning him over for any sign of distress. It's a fool's task, of course. Nothing more visible than mild discomfort. Sometimes, Omi envies Nagi for the degree of composure he's able to keep.

The nice thing is, this is the last class before lunch, so they don't have to rush to the next lesson without talking.

"Hey. Ready for lunch?"

He just nods in response and falls into step beside him as they make their way down the hall toward the cafeteria.

Nagi sneaks a peek at his friend, wondering if he's still upset.

"...are you okay?"

"...That's supposed to be my line," Omi quietly parries. Nagi showed less on the outside, but he was the one who'd been targeted. And as angry as Omi may still be, he isn't about to forget that; this isn't about him.

"..."

Nagi isn't sure what to say to that. It's relatively new, being the object of concern to people. Certainly not in the way Omi treats him. He doesn't look at him with pity.

"It's nothing new," he finally says. People like Gilmore have always existed. You just have to tolerate them for as long as you need to, and move on. But he also realizes that it's not something Omi has ever had to deal with.

"...but thanks."

Just because it wasn't something new for Nagi doesn't make it right or okay. Maybe he's hoping to reassure Omi that he's used to it and it's no big deal. To Omi, that isn't an idea that makes him feel better. He shouldn't have had to deal with it enough to be used to it.

"...Does anyone else here talk to you like that?"

"...not lately." There might be a tone of gratitude there, because he does think that the kids in most part have left him alone because of his association with Naru, Omi, and Ken.

"Why, are you gonna beat them up for me?" he says with mild amusement.

"Have you ever seen me hit someone?" Omi counters with some amusement of his own. "You know I don't fight with my fists."

The underlying message, of course, being No, but I might make sure they're sorry all the same.

Futureverse

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