Chapter 2: The Protagonist

[Jin]

In a river surrounded by tall trees and dense foliage, creating a secluded and private area was where Jin often found himself these days.

The river itself was calm and peaceful, with gentle ripples and the occasional fish jumping out of the water, but the current scene was far from being peaceful.

Jin found himself facing off against a group of students from a rival school who were seeking revenge for their friends that he had beaten up the previous days.

The group was made up of four students, all of them looking tough and aggressive, ready to fight, while Jin was of average height and on the leaner side.

The fight began with taunts and threats exchanged between them as they circled each other warily.

Jin was outnumbered, but he was skilled in a brawl and could hold his own in a fight. His face was strangely empty of expression, and his mouth twisted in a bitter grimace, sheen of sweet coating his face and his back was already wet from the blistering heat.

Due to his strange white hair, and silver eyes, Jin was often picked upon. And with him relocating to different areas of the globe every few months due to his mother's work, he could never really connect with his peers, and he was often alone.

An easy target for bullies, to put it simply.

With his every fight, however, Jin quickly learned a thing or two, even without proper training he could held his own against expert fighters.

The four students weren't expert fighters, though. They were rich kids whose hands blistered if they cut butter with a knife and would likely chop their feet if they held an axe.

The four were brave because of their numbers and foolish enough to attack him all at once. Jin was able to dodge and block their punches and kicks with ease. He then retaliated with quick and precise strikes, taking down one student after another with well-placed punches and kicks.

The sound of grunts and thuds echoed through the secluded area as the fight intensified.

The scuffle continued for several minutes, with both sides landing blows and taking hits. The students from the rival school became more and more desperate, trying to land a decisive blow on Jin.

However, Jin was too fast and too skilled for them, and he gradually gained the upper hand.

Finally, after a particularly vicious exchange of blows, Jin was able to knock out the last of his opponents, leaving them sprawled on the ground in defeat.

Jin stood, his chest heaving with exertion and his fists still clenched tightly. His shirt clung to his body, wet with his sweat while the sun ever so hot continued to pour intense heat wave upon the lands.

The river returned to its peaceful state. The only sound now was the gentle babble of the water as it flowed over the rocks.

Jin took a deep breath while wiping the blood on his busted lip, feeling a mix of relief and triumph. He had once again defended himself against his enemies.

If nothing else, he was a good fighter. Quick to learn and quick to adapt. He could even fight dirty if the circumstances asked for it.

"Fucking assholes," Jin muttered and spat the blood in his mouth, "Come at me again, and I'll break your legs."

Still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins after the fight, Jin pulled a fallen student by the collar and breathed heavily.

"The next time I see your ugly faces, I'll kill you. Got It?"

The student shrieked in fear when Jin's eyes constricted into a dot. The student bobbed his head vigorously it would fall. Terrified, he stuttered, "I-I'm sorry, we won't–!"

"Save it," Jin cut him off. "You and your buddies are asking for it. Do you think you can just throw a fight right at me and get away with it unscathed? If I catch you or any of you assholes following me again, I won't hold back next time."

The student's voice trembled when he answered, "I-I understand. P-please, let me go."

Jin released him. "Get out of here, and tell your friends to stay the fuck away from me."

The students pick themselves up and limp away, tripping over one another in their haste.

Looking at them, Jin knew that the reason he was attacked was because of his unusual appearance – his white hair and silver eyes – which had been attracting a lot of attention since he transferred to this new school a month ago.

Jin felt frustrated and angry that people would judge him solely on his appearance and that they would be so quick to attack him while he just minded his own business.

At the same time, he also felt a sense of sadness and loneliness. He missed his old friends and his old life, that life when he didn't have to constantly move from one place to the next. He felt like an outsider in this new place. He couldn't fit in.

Jin longed for a sense of belonging and acceptance, but he knew that it might be difficult to achieve given the prejudices and biases that exist in this world and the fact that he could do nothing about his mother's job.

At nineteen, Jin often talks about not wanting to go with his mother and just live alone in a single place. But since they only have each other, his mother vehemently denied his request.

Not wanting to part with her only son was what she always reasoned with him. Though she was often in her job and he was still left alone in a fancy apartment in the end.

Jin took a giant breath and let it out in one long blast, trying to calm himself down. He reminded himself that he couldn't let other people's opinions and actions define him and that he needed to stay true to himself and his values.

He wasn't a bad person, contrary to what most people believed, which pulled him deeper into solitude.

He also knew that he needed to be careful in the future and avoid getting into any more fights if possible. He didn't want to attract any more attention or put himself in danger.

It was just . . . danger didn't want to leave him alone these days.

As Jin looked around at the serene and beautiful surroundings of the isolated river, he felt a sense of peace and tranquility. He took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty, at least feeling grateful for the moments of peace and seclusion that he could find in this otherwise turbulent, fast paced world.