마음의 고통 (P.O.T.H) LookismxOc

Ch. 2 Heroes

The cover picture is of Little Daniel while he's working at the convenience store.

School had been more than interesting the next day. Apparently the new kid, Daniel, had beat Zack with one punch after Zack challenged him. Supposedly, Zack couldn't even stand up after the punch and Daniel just walked away. People were saying that he didn't want to fight, and Zack made him punch him. He dodged all the jabs that Zack had thrown at him before, moving really fast like he was used to being punched. The word spread across the entire school and made it back to me multiple times. Even now, 2 o'clock in the morning at the park, Vasco was caught up on it. I watch as he lifts the bar as he bench presses, frowning with his eyes full of thought.
"Vasco..." I look at him worried, setting down my dung bells. "Are you still thinking about the new kid?"
"Yes." He says, pumping his arms as he looks up at the stars in the sky.
"Are you worried that he'll become another bully?" I ask, pulling my hair into another bun. I wore my typical work out outfit, a black Adidas sports bra with a white Adidas muscle tank over it, the arm holes down to my waist. My shorts matched with my bra and my shoes with my shirt. Vasco wore a white jersey with the number 74 on it with a pair of ripped jeans.
"I'm worried about all the kids that won't be able to defend themselves against him." Vasco says, voice even. "He will become the top predator quickly."
"We'll have to wait and see." I say, shrugging as I wipe the sweat from my forehead. We'd already finished our 10 kilometer run and my legs were tired, even now as I sat after curling a weight for a while after our 100 pushups and sit-ups. "But I didn't really peg him as the type. He's pretty bashful, Vasco."
"Are you just saying that because he's handsome?" Vasco asks, glaring at the sky slightly.
"No! I don't think that just because he's handsome!" I say, eyes wide in defense. "You've got to trust me. I've got a good feeling about him."
"..." Vasco puts the bar back on the rack and I smile at him softly.
"You can still be cautious of him, but I think that you shouldn't be prejudice." I say, standing up and taking his hand. "Let's go get a drink at the convenience store. Maybe Little Daniel is working?"
"..." Vasco nods, giving me as small smile as I pull him up. I keep his hand in mine as we walk together. I stumble slightly when we start to walk, my legs weak from our run. Vasco wraps his arm around my back in support, smiling down at me with happy proudness.
"We did a strong session tonight, Agi." He says, eyes proud. (Agi means Baby, a nickname that Mai's friends call her) I nod in agreement, leaning on him as we make our way down the street.
"I'm really going to feel it tommorow." I say, smiling as a proud feeling fills my own chest. We did have a great session, both Vasco and I pushing our limits. "I'm just glad it's Friday. Now I have two days to recover."
"We can do a 1.5 mile run on Monday and then a core workout." Vasco nods, smiling down at me. "We've earned it."

We walk inside the convince store and I grab a bottle of green tea and Vasco grabs a couple of cartons of milk. We walk to the counter together and place them on it. Vasco stood with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the cashier. I look forward his familiar face, my lips pulling into a bright smile.
"Daniel! Gosh, your face looks so much better!" I say, beaming at him with pure happiness. "Did you ice it like I said?"
"Yeah." He nods, a blush across his face as he scans our items. I studied his face, the bruises faded away.
"You haven't texted me yet!" I smile, shaking my finger at him. "You could have joined our workout today!"
"Oh. Sorry, Mai." He says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been pretty busy."
"That's okay. You are working right now anyway." I say, leaning on the counter. "What's the total?"
"Five thousand won even." He says, smiling at me. I nod, placing a bill on the tray. "Do you need a bag?"
"I'm serious about teaching you, Daniel. Contact me anytime." I tell him, giving him a serious look to match my tone. "And I don't need a bag, gotta save the turtles. You know how it is."
"I'll think about it." Daniel says, watching me grab my drink. Vasco reaches for his milk silently, eyes taking in Daniel's appearance. He was seeing if Daniel was a respectable person, someone who Vasco would be okay with me around. Which was cute of him, lol. Is anything, Vasco was overprotective. Daniel avoids his thinking eyes, looking back at me with a blush.
"See you later, Mai."
"Yeah, sure." I say, giving him a sad smile as I take Vasco's empty hand without a thought. "I'll stop by tomorrow or some time soon."