WHY AM I CRYING ?

I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I glanced left, then right, confirming that no one else was around. If someone happened to see this scene, they'd definitely think I was bullying him. After a moment of hesitation, I slowly stepped forward.

He heard the noise, quickly wiping away his tears, trying to act calm, but his reddened eyes gave him away. Facing him, I asked in surprise:

"Hey, why are you crying? Did that big guy hit you too hard, or are you scared they'll keep bullying you?"

He lowered his head, silent for a few seconds as if trying to steady himself, then quietly pulled a pink handbag out of his pocket. I frowned at it. Inside were cosmetics, a vape pen, a few perfume bottles, and a can of hair spray. But what caught my attention the most was an ID card. I picked it up and read the name aloud:

"Đào Thị Mỹ Duyên… Wait, isn't she the beauty queen of Class 10A2?"

I widened my eyes at him before suddenly yelling:

"You're such a creep that you even steal girls' stuff?! You're—"

"I DIDN'T TAKE IT!"

He suddenly shouted, his voice filled with injustice. I flinched at his roar, like a cornered animal fighting back.

His head lowered, his voice trembling:

"Yesterday, on my way home, I saw some girls from my class hanging out. I didn't pay much attention since I had to go home and help my parents. But when they left, trash was scattered all over, plastic bottles everywhere. I stopped to clean up, hoping to collect a few bottles to sell for some money. That's when I found this bag, left behind. I called after them, but they didn't hear me, so I picked it up to return it. But as soon as I turned around, they saw me holding it and screamed like they'd seen a ghost before running away like crazy..."

I stood there, speechless. If his story was true, then this was all just a big misunderstanding!

But there was still something else I needed to clear up.

"What about Mai? Did you follow her?"

He looked confused.

"Mai? Who's that?"

"The prettiest girl in my class, 10A1."

"Oh… If that's the case, I guess we just happened to take the same road. I didn't do anything. Since when does walking the same way make me a stalker? Should I take a detour through the forest just to avoid them?"

He sighed in frustration, his voice breaking:

"Since the start of the school year, rumors about me have been everywhere. I really didn't do anything..."

His tears fell silently. His right hand clenched into a fist and slammed down on the bench as if trying to release all his pent-up emotions. I was about to say something when suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed behind me.

A cold voice spoke:

"Found you, you freak."

I spun around. It was that big guy from earlier!

His eyes narrowed as he looked at the poor boy like a predator eyeing its prey. With a cruel smirk, he spat out each word with venom:

"You should just die. If you were never born, your family wouldn't have to waste food on a worthless mouth like yours."

I turned to the falsely accused boy. His eyes were blank, empty. His body froze, his face pale as if all the strength had been drained from him. His lips trembled, trying to speak, but no words came out.

Panicking, I tried to explain:

"Hey! He was just trying to return the bag! This is all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding, okay?!"

The big guy's face remained expressionless. Even though he stood still, his presence alone radiated overwhelming pressure. I hadn't done anything wrong, yet my instincts screamed at me to be afraid.

Now, I finally had a chance to get a good look at him.

His wavy, brown-dyed hair, broad shoulders forming a perfect V-shape, muscles visibly tensed even at rest. His solid arms, his powerful legs—he didn't look like a normal high school student. He looked like a professional fighter.

The poor boy beside me… This time, he might not be able to escape.