"People in this world are all scum"—

Shuto Mitsuki, a thirteen-year-old second-year middle school student, had concluded that the vast majority of humanity was worthless. He had his reasons, of course.

Simply put, Shuto Mitsuki—commonly known as "Shoot" (by acquaintances and classmates, and how he will be referred to from here on)—was being bullied at school. Everyone turned a blind eye to it. For Shoot, this was sufficient reason to believe that everyone in the world was scum.

“Hey, Shoot! You’re next!”

THUD! “Ugh…!”

In a deserted part of the school grounds, Shoot was kicked in the stomach by a male student and doubled over in pain on the ground.

The student who kicked Shoot was Yuta Nakazato. He had naturally blond hair, a lean physique, and was tall. He was in the same class as Shoot and at the very top of the class hierarchy. He excelled academically, played soccer on the school team, and enjoyed the unwavering trust of the teachers – a true model student.

However, this exemplary behavior was merely a facade. His true nature was to relish tormenting the weak or anyone he disliked. Behind his back, he was known as the leader of a delinquent group. The teachers and other adults, however, were blissfully unaware. Nakazato only showed his model student side to them.

Furthermore, Nakazato's father was the chairman of a large corporation. This fact further fueled the teachers' favoritism towards him. Because of this, Yuta Nakazato was also known as a privileged son, benefiting from his father's influence.

“Ah, torturing you like this never gets old, does it? I wonder why? What do you think, Mitsuki?”

“…I…don’t…know… (KICK!) …Ugh…!”

Shoot groaned in pain as he was kicked and sent sprawling. Nakazato and his accomplices laughed cruelly at his suffering.

“Ah, that's right, it's because I dislike you. It's incredibly satisfying to torment you, which is probably why I never get tired of it!”

Nakazato laughed gleefully, his companions joining in.

“Alright, next, I get to punch him.”

“Then it's my turn.”

“You guys know the drill, don’t touch his face! It'll be a hassle if the teachers find out.”

Following Nakazato's orders, two other male students took turns punching Shoot.

The first, a clean-shaven student, was Kazumi Tanimoto. He was on the baseball team but also belonged to Nakazato's delinquent group. He was ostensibly friends with Nakazato, but his true motive was to profit from his connections.

The other clean-shaven student, short in stature, was Daisuke Ohigashi. He was also on the baseball team, acting as Tanimoto’s lackey. He used Tanimoto’s influence to act arrogantly in class.

Both were in Shoot's class and ranked high in the class hierarchy.

“Hey, Takeru. You should join in and beat this guy up too. That’s why we brought you along, right?”

“Eh… o-okay! Then I won’t hold back.”

WHAM! “Ugh…!”

A merciless punch landed on Shoot’s back.

“Ahahaha! You’ve become less hesitant lately, haven’t you? At first, it felt like you were forced to do it.”

“Is… is that so? Hehehe.”

Nakazato chuckled, pleased by Takeru Gohara’s enthusiastic participation. Gohara, also in Shoot’s class, was the fourth boy involved.

“…”

Shoot managed to get back on his feet, glaring fiercely at Gohara.

“W-what’s with that look…? Just shut up and take it!”

BAM! “…”

Shoot was punched in the cheek and fell to the ground again.

“Hey, idiot! I told you not to hit the face!”

“Ah, sorry… I got carried away.”

“Well, you’re getting into it now, so it's fine. His face isn't that swollen anyway.”

Nakazato approached Shoot, looking down at him with a smirk.

“See? Isn't it fun beating up someone you hate?”

“Y-yeah. It is fun.”

Gohara, adjusting his waxed hair, gave a weak smile. Nakazato laughed contentedly at this, then kicked Shoot over again.

“Alright. The warning bell will ring soon, so let's head back to class. What was our first period again?”

The three nodded and started to head back to the classroom. Only Nakazato turned back, directing a malicious smile towards the fallen Shoot.

“It’s fine if you tattle to the teachers, but it’ll be pointless, you know? I’m the son of a major corporation’s chairman. No matter how much you complain, without physical evidence, my word will be believed!

My word against yours. The teachers will definitely believe me! After all, they see me as a model student!”

With that, he laughed and walked away. After a while, Shoot slowly got up, brushing the dirt and debris off his uniform and fastening a loose button.

“…Damn it!”

He punched the school wall hard. Ignoring the stinging pain in his fist, he punched it again. Shoot was consumed by a feeling of utter despair.

Shoot was being bullied. The main form of bullying was the group assault by the delinquents as seen earlier. However, they avoided harming his face. Only his torso, legs, and arms—below the neck—were targeted, under Nakazato’s orders. The bullies were cunning.

And no matter how many times Shoot reported it to the teachers, his words were never taken seriously. Shoot was subjected to terrible treatment at school.

Shoot’s ordeal began when he intervened to help another male student being bullied by Nakazato and his gang. Angry at being interrupted, Nakazato shifted his target to Shoot.

Moreover, the student Shoot had previously saved from Nakazato’s bullying was none other than Takeru Gohara, who had just been participating in his torment. Gohara, once a victim of Nakazato's bullying, had joined the gang after being freed from the abuse, and now, under Nakazato's orders, he took part in bullying Shoot.

While initially reluctant, Gohara had grown to enjoy the bullying, just like the others. His appearance had transformed. He had abandoned his glasses for contacts and adopted clothes that skirted the school rules. His class standing had also risen significantly as a result of his association with Nakazato.

Shoot deeply regretted saving Gohara. It was only natural that he was now being bullied by the very classmate he had tried to help.

“…! Damn it, you bastards…!!”

Shoot had once been a boy full of justice. He was a conscientious student who pointed out wrongdoing and refused to condone rule-breaking. He had naturally believed that bullying should not be tolerated and had saved Gohara in the past.

But the result was his current suffering. The reality of being tormented by the person he’d helped. The reality that no one would help him, even though he was going through this.

It was only natural that a middle schooler like Shoot would become embittered by such a cruel reality. The sense of justice he'd held since elementary school had completely vanished, and his understanding of justice had been twisted.

“People in this world… are all scum…!!”

Therefore, Shoot had come to perceive people and the world as such.