The first thing he did as soon as he arrived at his school building and parked his motorcycle in the parking lot was search Alicante.
"Jackson! You finally come!"
Ignoring the attention of the female students, who immediately swarmed him like flies, his eyes scanned the surroundings.
A little bit far from his place, he found Alicante Watson walking strangely and occasionally grimacing in pain.
From the way Alicante walked, he saw some visible wounds that still looked new.
There might have been so many scars on Alicante’s fragile body.
Which made him feel both worried and curious. How could there be so many scars on such a fragile body?
From the first time he met Alicante until he lost him forever, he never knew the reason behind the injuries.
When Alicante was alive, the man was always silent whenever teachers tried to ask questions.
As a result, the school assumed Alicante was involved with some street gangsters.
The school was terrified. It would mean Alicante would destroy the reputation of a school known for producing the best graduates every year.
Until Alicante died, he still didn’t know the reason behind it.
Since he got a second chance, he was determined to find out anything about Alicante Watson.
"Jackson!"
Tyler Baldwin, one of his best friends who was also a member of his basketball team, hugged his shoulder so hard that it created a slight pain in his shoulder.
He took Tyler’s arm away from his shoulder. He still can’t take his eyes off Alicante.
Although he knew Alicante had already entered the school building.
"What is the matter with you, dude? Why are you making such a long face? It is still morning," Tyler tried to follow the direction of his gaze, but he turned his attention to another direction.
In his previous life, he had always enjoyed the attention the female students gave him.
His mother was rarely at home because of her busyness. To him, it was his way of relieving his loneliness.
But he felt different now. He didn’t want the attention of the female students anymore.
All he desired was Alicante’s attention—nothing less and nothing more.
So he sent a sharp, piercing gaze to get all the female students to stop swarming around him.
His method worked, as all the female students were immediately frightened and ran away from him.
"None of your business, Tyler. So, move your ass right now. I have some business to take care of."
"Whoa! Is it necessary for you to be so curt? It's still morning." Tyler looked surprised at his curt attitude, staring at him in confusion.
Perhaps Tyler thought that the change in his attitude was too weird.
But for him, it was not that weird. Tyler was the first person to come up with the idea for all the students in his school to bully Alicante.
And it was one of the reasons why Alicante chose to kill himself.
He clenched his fists as the guilt began to overtake him.
Because of him, Alicante died. Alicante chose to end his life because of his foolishness.
It was all his fault.
Everything that happened to Alicante in the past was his fault.
His mind could not stop blaming himself for the incident involving Alicante’s death.
He did not miss a second, regretting his decision until this day came.
Today, he was going to change everything. Just like his determination when he managed to cast a magic spell that could finally take him back to the past as he wished.
He would not let his stupid past make him lose sight of Alicante again.
He would not let that happen again.
He would never, ever let that happen for the second, third, or forever.
Not on his watch.
"What? You don't like it?" Jackson faced Tyler, who was getting more and more dismayed by his change in attitude. "I will stop being so rude to you if you stop bullying Alicante."
"Huh?" Tyler raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Why should we stop with that?"
"What do you think?"
"Did something happen to you yesterday? Wasn’t the idea of bullying him every day yours too?"
"Indeed," Jackson admitted, and his heart filled with guilt as he confessed. "But not in the way you always do. I decided to quit this whole stupid thing."
"Wait, wait, wait, Jackson! What, I mean, why are you––"
"I don't owe you an explanation," he responded to Tyler’s question quickly. "And I will not be spending my time with your group until you all stop bullying Alicante Watson."
"Eh? You are weird, Jackson! Are you all right?"
"I’m pretty fine, thanks. And that is all I have to say. I am leaving first. So, have a nice day, Tyler. Send my greetings to others, and tell them what I have said to you just now. Got it?"
He tapped Tyler on the shoulder a few times while sending him a threatening glare before walking briskly away from Tyler.
Ignoring Tyler, who repeatedly called his name, Jackson walked into the school building and followed Alicante, who was now opening his locker.
A student accidentally bumped into Alicante, causing him and all the things the man was carrying to fall to the floor.
The student did not stop there. Instead, the student kicked the Biology book that was near the student’s feet away from Alicante, who was trying to reach the book while holding back his tears.
It did not take him to think twice to approach the student, who was now swearing at Alicante.
He gripped the student’s wrists and forced them to face him.
"Pick up the book you kicked earlier right now," Jackson said, emphasizing every word and sending a threatening glare when they tried to protest at him.
"Jackson? Look at this loser! I’m helping you teach him manners--"
"Teaching him manners?" Jackson repeated the student’s words in a sarcastic tone. "Who asked you to do that?"
Jackson punched the wall next to the locker hard, causing a crack.
His eyes stared so fiercely at the student who had bullied Alicante now trembled in fear.
"I don’t care about your nonsense. I said, pick up the books right now! Did I make myself clear?"
***
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