The Devil's Temptation

CHAPTER 3

"Some good advice, kid." The bully smirks, "I suggest you get out of our business and shut this mouth up or else we'll cut your tongue. Do you understand?"

Chuuya glares more dangerously without a glint of fear. His jaw is in extreme pain from the way the other kids are holding it tightly, but his resentment is greater than the physical pain.

"Tsk." The man signed the other two to let him go before tightening his grip on Chuuya's jaw again. Chuuya felt his jaw almost break before the taller man forcefully slammed him to the floor.

Chuuya gritted his teeth in anger as the three kids walked out, leaving him on the floor. A bruise starts to form on his jaw where the man grabbed it earlier. Instantly, he felt frustrated.

Damn it. How can I be so weak?

He couldn't protect Dazai earlier. He wasn't able to protect anyone in the past. What's wrong with him? He clenched his fist tightly. That's when the door opened, revealing Dazai.

"Chuuya..." His friend whispered. Dazai's eyes are also worried as he carefully observes his situation. In return, Chuuya just grinned at the man to act as if things were alright.

"No worries. We'll get our revenge next time. Once this upcoming Christmas break is over, we've got to pull some pranks on them or something." He groaned in pain and tried to keep his facade, "We'll definitely make them pay. I'm thinking of putting tomato sauce on their—"

"How much did they hurt you?"

"I'm not even hurt!"

Dazai's eyes calmly stare at him observingly before he lends his hands. Chuuya accepts it as he stands up. Dazai examines his face again, but his facial expression remains almost emotionless as his hands slowly reach to gently touch the building bruise on his jaw, "What did they tell you?"

"Nothing. Forget it!"

Dazai's eyes narrow tenderly.

"You are really stubborn, Chuuya."

"Tch," He slaps Dazai's hands away before putting his hands on his own pocket. He sighs as his voice starts to lower down. He averts his gaze from his friend,, "I just don't like it when people mess up with you."

Dazai didn't say a word, but an unexplainable, suffocating atmosphere started appearing around him. Chuuya can't explain it but a dangerously odd feeling creeps into his chest. Despite them having the same height, he feels smaller than Dazai. His friend remains silent, as if millions of things are inside his mind, so Chuuya looks at him suspiciously.

"Are you okay?"

Instantly, like there was a sudden switch in Dazai's persona, a bright smile plastered on Dazai's face as he playfully pat Chuuya's head, making Chuuya groan and almost kick him. His eyes curved as he stared at the redhead tenderly before his lips crept into a chilling, calm smile.

"Pay attention to your safety next time, kitten."

They went out of that place. They talked about other things to divert their attention from what just happened. Dazai ordered another batch of cola as well. Thankfully, Christmas time is coming, and there will be no classes for the upcoming weeks. They won't see those bullies for a while, and Chuuya's pretty sure that both he and Dazai can still plan for good pranks against those bullies.

Little did Chuuya know that they won't ever see those people again.

If there is a mysterious murder case that follows some days later where the victims are three people with their tongues cut off— say, those three people study in the same educational institution as him— Chuuya wouldn't know.

He never heard of those three bullies again.

>>>