Kevin

The bell rang in your ears—the silence of the lesson instantly vanished, replaced by loud, joyful shouts and relieved sighs. You grabbed your school bag from your chair and rushed toward the school exit, just to avoid running into Kevin again.

Kevin was the high school bully, always cracking jokes and making fun of you. That same high school kid who couldn't resist cracking a joke, a smile plastered on his face. Constant squabbles and trouble were his thing. He'd disrupt classes, blast music loudly in the hallways, steal beer from teachers, and burst into classrooms mid-session. Crowds of groupies melted at his mere glance. And you, who loved studying to the point of exhaustion, were infuriated by this behavior. You were constantly arguing, and Kevin would tease you about your poor eyesight—your glasses always ended up in his hands.

Running out onto the porch, you almost collided with your friend who was waiting for you. Outside the school grounds, you were chatting and enjoying the music when a guy ran past and bumped you with his shoulder. Your glasses flew off and shattered. But your cheerful spirit kept you from feeling sad for long: a couple of minutes later, you simply stuffed the shards into your pocket and continued on. A warm wind ruffled your hair, and the sun filtered through the treetops. Somewhere among the trees in the park, a silhouette resembling a dog flashed by. Overjoyed, you squealed with delight and rushed toward it; your friend only gasped in surprise, not having time to grab your sleeve.

Running up, you felt something soft—fur, you thought. The strange texture made you slightly tense: more like hair than fur. But that didn't stop you—you began to stroke the figure, squealing with delight:

• What a cute little dog! Who's the good boy here???

The figure froze, then a surprised sound was heard. You narrowed your eyes, leaned closer, and saw Kevin's face. You froze in shock. He, too, was clearly taken aback by your touch. His voice was quieter than usual, without its usual brazenness:

• I..?