I fell backwards, my body hitting the wall with a loud thump. I winced, rubbing the blood off of my face, breathing heavily. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke filled my nostrils as I tried to catch my breath.

"Mm.. I'll tell you what," the drunken gangster said, his voice filled with a sickening anger. "Either you give me that money you've got in your pocket, or I'll keep on beating you until you're a pulp." The man reached towards my uniform, grabbing my top and reaching into the pocket. His dirty fingers brushed against my skin, making me recoil.

I winced, my body trembling from the pain. I shook my head, my breath shallow. "I don't have any money," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "No?" The man chuckled, slapping me across the face and standing upright. The impact stung my cheek and made my ears ring. "You really are a fucking idiot, lady." He raised his hand, balling it up into a fist getting ready to punch when suddenly, a tall blonde man came out of nowhere, kicking the man down onto the floor. Everything seemed to go by rather fast, the sound of fists hitting flesh and the man's startled yelp before he suddenly ran off.

I locked eyes with the man who had saved me, rubbing my throbbing face slightly. His blonde hair caught the streetlight, and there was something familiar about his features. "Hey.. you're from around here, right? I'm Karube! The one from fifth grade class?" Karube chuckled warmly, popping his knuckles like it was nothing out of the ordinary to fight off gangsters.