The air was thick with tension as Damien, Jake, and Mason stood in front of Leo, who sat comfortably on the park bench. Leo’s calm, unreadable gaze swept over them, waiting for them to speak. His expression was as casual as ever, but there was an air of knowing about him that made the three former bullies shift uncomfortably.

Damien took a deep breath, preparing to speak, but before he could, Jake suddenly blurted out, “Uh… I guess we should, um, apologize.”

Leo raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but didn’t say anything.

Mason quickly followed up, his voice quieter than usual. “Yeah, we were… kinda rude before. You know, when Damien first met you. We… we didn’t really know what was going on back then.”

Damien shot a quick glance at his two friends, surprised they were the first to apologize, but grateful nonetheless. He had expected them to resist, maybe even deny their mistakes, but seeing them humble themselves in front of Leo made him feel like they were truly changing.

Leo tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing just a fraction, as if considering their words. There was a long moment of silence where it seemed like he might not respond at all, but then, to their surprise, he let out a low chuckle.

“Well, well,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “I didn’t expect this from you two. An apology? That’s rare!”

Mason and Jake both winced at that, the weight of their past actions hanging in the air between them. But Leo’s laughter, although unexpected, seemed to ease the tension slightly. It was as though he wasn’t angry—just amused by the entire situation.

“Look,” Jake started again, his voice more confident now, “we were jerks. I don’t know how else to put it. But… things are different now. We’re trying to change.”

Leo looked between the three of them, his smile still lingering. “Change, huh? That’s a big word.”

Damien stepped forward then, finally finding his voice. “We’re serious about this. We’ve done a lot of harm, and we’re not pretending it’ll be easy to fix. But we’re willing to do whatever it takes.”

Leo’s gaze lingered on Damien for a moment longer, as if searching for something in his eyes. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded slightly, acknowledging their words.

“Alright,” Leo said slowly, leaning back on the bench. “I can see you’re not playing games anymore. But you should know something…”

Jake, Mason, and Damien leaned in slightly, waiting for his next words.

Leo’s grin widened, mischief sparkling in his eyes. “Advice doesn’t come cheap.”

Damien blinked, not sure he’d heard Leo correctly. “Wait… what?”

Leo shrugged casually. “You want advice, right? I assume that’s why you’re all standing here like lost puppies, looking for someone to guide you. But, my friends, nothing in life is free. Especially wisdom.”

Mason exchanged a glance with Jake, both of them visibly thrown off by Leo’s sudden shift in tone.

“You’re… asking us for money?” Jake asked, his disbelief clear in his voice.

Leo chuckled again, clearly enjoying their confusion. “Well, let’s be honest here. You’re all trying to fix years’ worth of damage, and you expect me to just hand over pearls of wisdom without anything in return? That’s not how the world works.”

Damien rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. He hadn’t expected this, but then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised. Leo wasn’t exactly the kind of person who did things out of the goodness of his heart.

“How much are we talking?” Mason asked hesitantly, reaching for his wallet out of habit.

Leo waved a dismissive hand. “Relax. I’m not asking for your life savings or anything. I just think it’s funny that you came all this way, looking for help, and didn’t even think to offer anything in return.”

Jake, sensing an opportunity to lighten the mood, smirked. “So what, you want us to buy you a coffee or something?”

Leo grinned. “Coffee? Nah, too boring. But if you insist, I could go for a meal. You know, something to keep me going while I dispense my invaluable advice.”

Damien couldn’t help but crack a small smile, the tension in the air dissolving as Leo continued to tease them. For all his eccentricities, Leo had a way of putting people at ease, even when they were in the midst of serious conversations.

Mason sighed, pulling out his wallet. “Alright, alright. Let’s get you something to eat.”

A short while later, the four of them found themselves sitting at a nearby diner, Leo happily munching on a sandwich while the others sipped their drinks. The situation was surreal—here they were, three former bullies, trying to change their lives, and their guide was a man they’d once mocked, now cracking jokes while scarfing down food.

“So,” Leo said between bites, “what exactly do you want from me?”

Damien took a deep breath, his mind swirling with everything he wanted to say. “We… we don’t know where to start. We’ve done a lot of terrible things, and it’s not just about apologizing. We need to figure out how to be better, how to… rebuild, I guess.”

Mason nodded. “We’ve hurt a lot of people, and it feels like no matter what we do, we’ll never be able to make up for it. But we have to try.”

Jake, who had been quiet for most of the meal, finally spoke up. “It’s not just about saying sorry. We have to live differently. But we don’t know how to even start that.”

Leo leaned back, wiping his hands on a napkin, his expression more serious now. “You three are in for a long road. Changing who you are isn’t something that happens overnight, and the people you’ve hurt won’t just forgive you because you say the right words.”

Damien nodded, already expecting this. “We know.”

Leo’s gaze softened slightly. “The first thing you need to understand is that you can’t undo the past. You can’t erase what you did, and you shouldn’t try to. You have to own it. Accept it as part of who you are, but don’t let it define your future.”

The three boys listened intently, taking in his words.

Leo continued, “You’re going to mess up along the way. You’re going to want to give up, and you’re going to face people who will never forgive you, no matter how much you’ve changed. But the point is to keep going. Every little step you take matters.”

Damien, Mason, and Jake all exchanged glances, the weight of Leo’s words settling in.

“It’s not about being perfect,” Leo said, his voice quieter now. “It’s about being better than you were yesterday. And if you can do that—just one day at a time—you might just find that people start to notice.”

He finished his sandwich, wiping his hands one last time before standing up.

“Well, boys,” Leo said with a grin, “my advice doesn’t usually come with a sandwich, but I guess you got lucky today.”

The three of them stood up as well, grateful but still uncertain about the long road ahead.

“Thanks, Leo,” Damien said, his voice genuine.

Leo shrugged. “Don’t thank me yet. You’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

With that, he walked away, leaving the three of them standing in the diner, the weight of their journey ahead heavy on their shoulders, but somehow… a little lighter.