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PORSCHE
I threw the garbage bag in the trash bin and was about to smoke when I heard a loud crash in the back alley of the bar I was working with. There were five to six men attacking someone who was lying on the ground, helpless. Their fists and feet were slamming the man nonstop.86506Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQd65uA7QN
I turned my back, clutching my backpack, and continued huffing my cigarette. I pretended not to see what was happening. I'm already familiar with that, it was always happening in the dark back corridor of the bar.
"What a difficult type of shit!" Someone shouted.
I sighed, then walked in front of the back door, locking it. I'm already done with my part-time job as a waiter and wanted to go home.
At this moment, our customers were starting to decrease. Others were waiting for their buses, others were picking up women who were waiting on the road for their customers. And some were just being brave to pass by in the dark alley of our bar, like the man who was getting beaten.
Although I'm not a horrible man, I was not the type of person who intruded on anyone's business. I didn't want to intervene with them, especially the ones behind me. Jinx ate me, and called me names for not helping the man but I didn't care.
The fact that the man was getting beaten, I was sure that he did something.
"Let go of me!"
I threw my cigarette butt. I stretched my already numbed arms and planned to go in quietly. I looked back once again at the miserable man who was trying to fight back for his life. I shook my head and was about to hold the doorknob when a shaking hand gripped tightly on the hem of my shirt.
"Help me!" A raspy voice called me.
When I looked down, my eyes met his bleeding face. His nose and mouth were oozing with blood. I was dumbfounded when I noticed his fitful face. Although it was oozing with blood, I still found him ethereal. With the help of the small light from the corridor, I noticed he was still young.
"Hey! Come here!"
One of the gang shouted and strode fast and tugged the man on his shirt's collar. I looked at the man asking for my help again, he was in sorrow. My heart twitched and decided to drag him beside me.
"Easy, brother." I calmly said.
I noticed that he was older than me because his face was covered with a mustache. Why are they bullying a kid? If you look at the man I was gripping on his arm, we are the same age. Also, from the look of his branded clothes, I was sure he's one hella rich kid. That's when a sharp brilliant popped into my mind.
I pulled him back from the bastard's and jerked him behind me. I gazed at the gang in front and they were looking back dangerously.
"If you all don't want to get hurt, stop interfering with us and bring us back that kid."
I wavered a bit before replying. "What if I don't like it?"
"I told you, let go of him!" He yelled.
Reckoning on what was happening now wasn't my business and I still have a little brother waiting for me, I got speechless. I was wavering on what to do as I recalled the beaten man's face in my mind. I admit I was insensitive all the time. As I had said I was not the type of person who helped anyone. Nonetheless, there was nothing I could have in return.
"Help me and I will give you tons of money in return." The man murmured near my ear. I scoffed, he did believe everything will be solved through money. How dare this man coax me with money.
"How much?" I asked.
In the end, of course, money could buy me at times I need it the most.
"Is fifty thousand enough?"
With that, I put my backpack down, gripped my knuckles, and made a cracking sound. Stretched my strained neck and back muscles a little. That was enough for my brother's tuition fee, of course, I'll help.
"Deal. If you back down on your word, I'll kill you."
I said before seeing one of the gangsters pick up a stick and tried to hit me in the head, but my reflexes are better than the rest of them combined. I kicked the man in the jaw and managed to move him out of the way. One down.
Another one charged forward but my feet were faster to connect a flying kick at his gut. The others followed suit but no one succeeded in getting their hands on the boy.
Being a Martial Arts Champion since high school, I knocked down a lot of people. And I used all of my knowledge and skills to protect that one person behind me.
Now, I became the target and they took turns in throwing punches at me, some connected with my jaw, and I smiled at the tangy taste of blood on my lips. That won't be enough to bring me down, mother fuckers!
I managed to counterattack, punches after punches and kicks after kicks rained. When finally, all of the gangsters were grunting and falling to the ground, I snatched my backpack and grabbed the bloody boy who was sitting near the trash bin holding his stomach. I dragged him by the hand and ran towards my motorcycle. I looked back and saw the gangsters chasing after us.
"Where are we going?" He asked me while still holding his abdomen.
"Don't know."
I answered, taking his hands to hold into my waist as he was reluctantly looking behind at the running morons towards us. I made sure he was holding tight, I can't afford to let him fall before he can even pay for my services.
I started the engine and run quickly at full throttle. I looked back and saw a few still chasing us but get lost when I turned into the main road. I accelerated without looking back, they might get into a car and come after us if I didn't get far enough.
"Thank you."
The hoarse voice spoke behind my ear, and I feel a shiver down my spine. I can feel his head, heavy on my shoulder. He must have been badly hurt.
"Don't thank me yet."
I say looking back through the side mirror. I let out a sigh when I make sure that we are far enough and no one is chasing us.
"They won't follow us anymore. Thank you again." Said the tall figure behind me, his head and body fully leaning on me.
I'm afraid he might faint so I took hold of his hands with my left, to make sure his grip is tight, afraid he would fall.
"Hold me tight or I'll be dead." His voice suddenly became smooth and deep. Gone was the hoarse tone.
I feel his fingers tighten his hold at the hem of my T-shirt.
"Thank you." He said again.
"Fifty thousand."
I said, looking at his face through the side mirror. He nodded in pain and adjusted his sitting position.
"Let's go to my house, then I can give you the money."
I thought for a while. What if this guy is a drug dealer? Or a mafia member? I'll be dead before I even get hold of the money.
"You don't have to look like that, I'm not deceiving to kill you."
As if he heard my thoughts, the guy commented looked straight at the side view mirror,r and smiled at me.
"Who knows?"
"Do I look like a criminal to you?"
"What if you were related to goons or the bastard like earlier?"
"Hehe." He laughed through a pained expression.
I'll be damned. So I told him I'll be stopping at the nearby gas station and he can take a taxi home. I make sure that the gas station has an ATM so that he can withdraw and pay me back.
"My phone is lost including my wallet."
"Hey! You liar, how could you trick me? I should just probably beat you to death right here." I said turning my face into him who happens to still be sitting on my back seat.
"Oh, you can take this, this is worth more than fifty a thousand." He said taking off his watch.
"How will I know it's not fake?"
"Then return it to me."
I inspected the watch, even though it was soiled, I can see it was beautifully crafted and sold even for a hundred thousand.
"Okay, you can get down now, but if you tricked me, I'll come looking for you and beat you to a pulp."
"Wait a minute, can I borrow your phone? Let me call my Dad."
Okay, now you can call me completely paranoid, but what if he runs with my phone? But judging from his hunched figure and ragged breathing, I wonder if he could even get away from me.
"Such a nuisance," I murmured before I hand my phone to him.
He pressed some numbers and there came an answer on the other end of the line. He did call his father. I heard it, he asks for someone to pick him up at our location.
I gently watch him as he makes the call, there's a strong urge inside me to take him to the nearest hospital. I can't leave him breathing like a dying cow like this. The gushing blood from his head seems nonstop.
What if I told him that I'd take him to the hospital but I'll add another thirty thousand, will he agree?
"Thank you again even if you're a money-greedy one." I pretend not to care for what he said. A person must do what he needs to do to survive.
"We are in the same school, what's your name?"
"How do you know?"
"Your shirt."
I realized I was wearing my school uniform atop my working clothes, which are now bloody red.
"What's your name?"
He breaths so hard making him hard to speak, I want to tell him to stop speaking and reserved his strength until his escort came.
"Why? You're waiting for them to beat me?" I raised my eyebrows.
"No, can you just tell me your name?" He kept asking.
"Why? So that you could write it on the wall and glorify me?"
"If you don't want to, I'll get the watch back, you can come with me to my house and pick up the cash."
"Jom, my name is Jom."
He gazed at me for quite a while before turning back and walking a little wobbly away from me. I wonder who is he and what is he doing with those gangsters. I just shrug my shoulders. It's not my business anymore. I put on my helmet and start to drive home.
