Saving the Villain

Just when Cosette thought she wouldn\'t fall asleep, she still did. She even woke up late, as Maxen had to wake her up to sneak back to her room or just go straight to the kitchen to make lunchboxes. It was a good thing everyone wanted to give Maxen privacy. That was why no one was usually around the area of his room.

Making lunch boxes had now become a part of Cosette\'s life that it had become easier now. Even when instead of making three, she now had four lunchboxes. The fourth one was for Luke — even though she does it with a heavy heart because the guy was ungrateful.

The day played out like usual, with Maxen and Cosette going to school. The only difference this time was that driver George drove them to school. He dropped them off just near the school. And then, the rest of the day went by quickly.

There wasn\'t any particular thing to remember aside from Cosette having to clean the room with Fay and Amie. Luke and Maxen waited for her, and they parted with those two at the school gates.

"Oy, Cosette. Are you purposely sabotaging my lunch box? Why is it so bland?"

Cosette rolled her eyes. Here he goes again, making her blood boil.

"Luke, just tell me if I should stop bringing you lunch. I\'d happily do so." She glared at him, who was walking to her side. Maxen was on the other side.

"I\'m just saying." Luke hurriedly raised his hands to his shoulder level. "But I am really grateful for letting me subscribe to Cosette\'s feeding program for free."

"All my lunchboxes are free." She snorted, looking back at Maxen with a deep frown. "Max, can I punch him in the gut?"

"Be good," was the only thing he said with a delicately arched brow.

Cosette\'s shoulders lowered, sighing deeply. \'I always tell him to behave, but now, he\'d gone to behave…\' her thoughts trailed off as her steps slowed down. Both Maxen and Luke walked at the same pace, the latter casually talking to Maxen.

"Mhmm…" Cosette narrowed her eyes suspiciously, darting her eyes between the two of them. "Why does it seem they look like they had grown closer?"

She rubbed her chin, letting the distance between her and them widen. After a while, Maxen finally noticed that she had slowed down, looking back at her. When Maxen stopped, Luke also did and looked back at her.

"Why are you walking like a snail?" Luke asked with genuine wonder in his voice. "If not for Max, we wouldn\'t even notice. You\'re too small."

This time, Luke felt a cold chill down his spine. He glanced at Maxen and smiled awkwardly, seeing how Maxen\'s eyes grew icy.

"Peace…?" Luke raised two fingers before Maxen set his eyes back at her. Instead of asking her to rush to them, Maxen walked back to her.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, assessing her from head to toe.

"There\'s none. I was just wondering what happened between you two last weekend that you seem closer," she explained, but there wasn\'t a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

Maxen chuckled weakly. "The usual," he said, taking her hand as they walked back to Luke.

"What an eyesore." Luke clicked his tongue, waiting for them until they reached him, and they resumed their walk to his apartment. They planned to review for tomorrow\'s test together, after all.

However, just as they made a turn to the street leading to Luke\'s place, the three of them stopped. In front of them was a group of delinquents from another school… beating up one guy. The sight of it stunned the three, and even before Maxen and Luke could do anything, Cosette\'s eyes blazed.

The sight before her reminded her of the first time she saw Maxen. Hence, before she could even think, her voice thundered.

"You there!!" she ground her teeth, storming at the group of delinquents without a second hesitation. "You bastards! How dare you gang up one person when there are ten of you!? Are you that cowardly, hah?!"

Cosette\'s loud shouts stopped the delinquents, looking back at her with puzzlement. When she stood several steps away from them, Cosette planted her hands on her hips and huffed.

"You bastards… this is why this world is getting worse," she yelled her lungs out, obviously vexed at these people\'s actions. "You\'re so young, yet so vicious! Do you know who my dad is?! He will kick all your asses and set you all straight!"

The delinquents looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Cosette instantly scrunched her nose up in dismay, hearing their ridiculing laughter. Their waves of laughter were insulting.

"Oi, little girl, we don\'t know your dad, but what we do know is we can make his daughter come crying to him," said the delinquent humorously, inducing louder cheers from his peers.

"Little…?" Cosette scoffed as her brain only focused on that while the rest sounded like a broken engine. She looked at the person from head to toe. "I am little, but at least, not ugly."

"Ohhh…" Some delinquents whistled, but her rebut was far too weak to even affect them.

"Oy, did you know this? Are you this guy\'s chick?"

"Hah… do I have to know people before I step in when you cowards are beating him even when he\'s already bleeding?" she harrumphed as if raising her volume would get her point across to them. "Stop this now!"

"Haha! Those from Winter High are really something, huh?" another guy chuckled.

"But she\'s not so bad… actually, she looks better than our school bell."

"You mean that school bell in our school?" someone chimed in along with an insulting laugh. "I still have her clip giving me heads while crying."

"Damn… her mouth was good, but her pussy wasn\'t tight anymore."

"You guys just kept fucking her everywhere."

Cosette\'s blood instantly shot up listening to their disgusting conversation. She didn\'t need to hear more context as she was certain whoever they were talking about… going through hell because of these guys. Things like this, unfortunately, happen just like how bullying exists.

"These guys…" her shaking eyes full of fury glossed over the delinquents. "... there\'s ten of you and you… speaks so proudly of the deeds you shouldn\'t have done in the first place? Hah… really."

Cosette ran her fingers through her hair, unable to decide how she would send all of them to hell and rescue the one they were ganging up on right now, and that young lady.

"Hah… are you jealous and want us too?" someone asked, hinting to others of his idea. "Don\'t worry. We\'ll stop beating this guy if you come with us. We will have fun."

"Yes! We\'ll surely have fun!"

"Over my dead body!" Cosette spat out in disgust. "Have you seen yourselves in the mirror?"

"Come on, now." Someone walked towards her and reached his hand out to Cosette. "We won\'t hurt you. We just want to get to know—"

The guy\'s hand stopped even before he could enter Cosette\'s personal space as another hand grabbed his wrist. He looked up, only to see a pair of sharp eyes that reeked of bloodlust.

"Touch her, and that\'s the last time you\'ll use this hand." Maxen tightened his grip on the other person\'s wrist until the circulation of blood in the latter\'s hand stopped.

"Oy…" another delinquent stepped forward, only for Luke to block him.

Luke raised his chin, and unlike the usual playfulness in them, his eyes bore menace.

"Talk shit about her again and I\'ll shove shit back inside that foul mouth of yours."