“What does it mean, punk?”
“A teen with grandiose delusions. Someone who desperately wants to stand out and has convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.”
“I’m not any of those things!”
“Shut up, you’re freaking loud. And seriously, take off the face mask already if you’re not even sick, it’s embarrassing just watching you wear it.”
I raised my right arm up and tugged on the gap between the fabric and her ear with my index finger. When it came off her eyes widened in shock as her lips parted slightly. She was quick to react and covered below eye level with her right hand.
“What do you think you’re doing? Are you an idiot? Pulling off the mask of the Faceless gang’s leader, do you have a death wish?”
“Faceless… gang?”
“Oh? Are you now starting to understand the consequences of your actions, you fool? But it’s too late for you to regret-”
“What the hell is the Faceless gang? Is that the best name you could come up with for your imaginary gang?”
“I-I-Imaginary?”
“Yeah. You don’t seriously expect me to believe a gang would have a childish and embarrassing name like Faceless, do you?”
“Ugh… Childish… and embarrassing?” She mumbled to herself.
“And what did you call yourself just now? The Faceless gang’s leader? I’m supposed to believe a girl like you is a gang leader? I must look pretty gullible to you. Seriously, how old are you even to be playing pretend gang leader? When are you going to grow up?”
“Playing pretend… grow up?” My words seemed to have done some serious damage.
“Yeah.”
“But… I’m 19… and I’m not pretending…”
“You’re 19 already?”
“Don’t look at me like I’m pitiful and too far gone!”
“How are you not too far gone? At the age of 19, you’re only now getting your motorcycle license? Could it be that you weren’t able to pass the knowledge test until now? You’re not going to tell me you’ve been trying to pass for the last three years, are you?”
“S-Shut up, I’m not good with studying for stuff. Don’t make fun of me. If you’re such a big shot, how many attempts did it take you?”
“Heh. Are you sure you want to know? You might have your heart broken in the process. Ignorance is bliss you know, there are some things you’re better off not knowing.”
“Shut up and tell me. You’re just makin crap up to avoid tellin me.”
I shook my head and sighed, “Haaaah. It can’t be helped. Here.” I took out my license and held it up in front of her.
“What are you showin me this for? What’s this supposed to prove?” She scrunched her brows up.
“I get you’re a bit slow, but don’t you see my date of birth?”
“Huh… uh, it’s your birthday today?”
“Yeah.”
“What of it?”
“How old am I now?”
“Uh… what? Only 16? So what if you’re 16 though?”
“Do I have to spell everything out for you?”
When I said that, realization slowly started to sink in.
“No way. That means… you got your license... today? You could only take the test today… your first attempt? This can’t be... possible…”
“Well, it is. Your eighth-grader syndrome might not allow you to accept this reality, but I passed it on my first attempt.”
“T-This can’t be real! I’ve been trying every week since I turned 16 and I only passed a few days ago.”
I looked at her disgusted and asked, “Seriously… just how dumb are you? How much money did you waste trying to pass that knowledge test? You know they only have so many questions they can ask and it’s not like they can change them that much in a short period of time.”
“It took me half a year just to get my class 5L license. The rest of the time was for the class 6M license… it’s cost me between $1500 to $1800 to reach this point yet it only took you $20. Where is the justice in this world?”
“It cost you that much… my wallet’s bleeding just from hearing about it. Isn’t your life too miserable?”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it. And give me back my face mask, you jerk!”
Her left arm shot out toward the face mask in my right hand. I unconsciously pulled it back and her hand passed through empty space.
“What do you think you’re doin? Give it back. Now.” She demanded sternly. For some inexplicable reason, those burly men were sweating. Come on, do you guys seriously believe this harmless girl with eighth-grader syndrome is some big-shot gang leader? She’s pulled the wool over your eyes.
“If you obediently give my face mask back now, I won’t kill you.”
“You really want this back that badly?”
“It’s a symbol of my identity.”
“If you want it back you’ve obviously got to have something to exchange for it. How about $5 and I’ll give it back?”
“You… you’re seriously trying to get money out of me to return my own possession?”
“Yeah, I found it for you, so it’s only natural that I should be rewarded for finding the item you carelessly misplaced, right?”
“Huh? But you took it from me.”
“I never took anything from you. Right, guys? It just coincidentally fell off your face into my hand and I caught it. Since I found it and I’m returning it, don’t you think it’s only right that she rewards me for putting in so much effort to find it for her.” If she wanted to play pretend gang leader, the best way to deal with her was to not cower back and be even more of a deviant than her.
After I sought their opinion on the matter, strange looks formed on the faces of the six burly men. They neither nodded nor shook their heads to refute my words and remained dead silent.
“You’re... utterly shameless.” The girl grimaced to herself.
“What? Not going to pay up? Should I use this thing for toilet paper or something?”
“You’d dare use it for toilet paper? This level of disrespect… I’ve never experienced this degree of rage before. Killin you wouldn’t even suffice to quell my anger at this point…”
“Oh, how scary~” I nonchalantly spun her face mask around my index finger in the air.
“Look… I don’t have any money on me.”
“Huh? You don’t have any money? If you don't, why don’t you go borrow some from one of them?”
“There’s no way I can do that.”
“Oh? Are you secretly afraid of them?”
“Afraid? Hah! If anyone’s afraid of anyone, it’s them who are afraid of me.” The way one of them unconsciously nodded their head in agreement with her words caught me a bit off guard. Seriously? Are there burly appearances just for show?
“For a gang leader like me to go and borrow money from others, there’s no way I could. My pride won’t allow it. Extorting money is only appropriate for a gang leader… but I can’t do that here or I’ll get blacklisted from every provider for the training course and never be able to get my license.”
“Haaaah. You’re still going on about that gang leader nonsense?”
“Because I aaaaaaammm~”
“I see. Here.”
“Oh? So you finally believe me?”
“No, I’m just starting to feel bad for bullying a broke delusional girl with an obvious mental disorder.”
“B-Broke… D-Delusiosional… m-mental disorder… hah… hah… hah…” She was fuming and trying to keep her anger under control.
“You’re only 16… but you’re actually this good at pissing people off. You’ve even got shamelessness down to a T. Is this what they call talent? Could you actually be a prodigy gangster in the making? Honestly, I could use someone like you in my gang.”
“Me, become a gangster? Hah, I’d never become a wannabe gangster like you.”
“Hah… wannabe… hah… gangster…” She’d taken another heavy blow.
“I’ll be sure... to remember you…”
“Oh, I’m so scared~ but I’ve already got more women than I want remembering me, so please move on, okay?”
“Who’d ever be interested in you that way?”
“My girlfriend.”
“You… have a girlfriend? How could anyone ever put up with you in a relationship?” She seemed genuinely shocked.
“No idea. Your guess is as good as mine.” I feel like I get asked this too much.
“I don’t even have a boyfriend. I’m actually losing to a guy like this? God is dead… There is no justice in the world.”
“What does it mean, punk?”
“A teen with grandiose delusions. Someone who desperately wants to stand out and has convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.”
“I’m not any of those things!”
“Shut up, you’re freaking loud. And seriously, take off the face mask already if you’re not even sick, it’s embarrassing just watching you wear it.”
I raised my right arm up and tugged on the gap between the fabric and her ear with my index finger. When it came off her eyes widened in shock as her lips parted slightly. She was quick to react and covered below eye level with her right hand.
“What do you think you’re doing? Are you an idiot? Pulling off the mask of the Faceless gang’s leader, do you have a death wish?”
“Faceless… gang?”
“Oh? Are you now starting to understand the consequences of your actions, you fool? But it’s too late for you to regret-”
“What the hell is the Faceless gang? Is that the best name you could come up with for your imaginary gang?”
“I-I-Imaginary?”
“Yeah. You don’t seriously expect me to believe a gang would have a childish and embarrassing name like Faceless, do you?”
“Ugh… Childish… and embarrassing?” She mumbled to herself.
“And what did you call yourself just now? The Faceless gang’s leader? I’m supposed to believe a girl like you is a gang leader? I must look pretty gullible to you. Seriously, how old are you even to be playing pretend gang leader? When are you going to grow up?”
“Playing pretend… grow up?” My words seemed to have done some serious damage.
“Yeah.”
“But… I’m 19… and I’m not pretending…”
“You’re 19 already?”
“Don’t look at me like I’m pitiful and too far gone!”
“How are you not too far gone? At the age of 19, you’re only now getting your motorcycle license? Could it be that you weren’t able to pass the knowledge test until now? You’re not going to tell me you’ve been trying to pass for the last three years, are you?”
“S-Shut up, I’m not good with studying for stuff. Don’t make fun of me. If you’re such a big shot, how many attempts did it take you?”
“Heh. Are you sure you want to know? You might have your heart broken in the process. Ignorance is bliss you know, there are some things you’re better off not knowing.”
“Shut up and tell me. You’re just makin crap up to avoid tellin me.”
I shook my head and sighed, “Haaaah. It can’t be helped. Here.” I took out my license and held it up in front of her.
“What are you showin me this for? What’s this supposed to prove?” She scrunched her brows up.
“I get you’re a bit slow, but don’t you see my date of birth?”
“Huh… uh, it’s your birthday today?”
“Yeah.”
“What of it?”
“How old am I now?”
“Uh… what? Only 16? So what if you’re 16 though?”
“Do I have to spell everything out for you?”
When I said that, realization slowly started to sink in.
“No way. That means… you got your license... today? You could only take the test today… your first attempt? This can’t be... possible…”
“Well, it is. Your eighth-grader syndrome might not allow you to accept this reality, but I passed it on my first attempt.”
“T-This can’t be real! I’ve been trying every week since I turned 16 and I only passed a few days ago.”
I looked at her disgusted and asked, “Seriously… just how dumb are you? How much money did you waste trying to pass that knowledge test? You know they only have so many questions they can ask and it’s not like they can change them that much in a short period of time.”
“It took me half a year just to get my class 5L license. The rest of the time was for the class 6M license… it’s cost me between $1500 to $1800 to reach this point yet it only took you $20. Where is the justice in this world?”
“It cost you that much… my wallet’s bleeding just from hearing about it. Isn’t your life too miserable?”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it. And give me back my face mask, you jerk!”
Her left arm shot out toward the face mask in my right hand. I unconsciously pulled it back and her hand passed through empty space.
“What do you think you’re doin? Give it back. Now.” She demanded sternly. For some inexplicable reason, those burly men were sweating. Come on, do you guys seriously believe this harmless girl with eighth-grader syndrome is some big-shot gang leader? She’s pulled the wool over your eyes.
“If you obediently give my face mask back now, I won’t kill you.”
“You really want this back that badly?”
“It’s a symbol of my identity.”
“If you want it back you’ve obviously got to have something to exchange for it. How about $5 and I’ll give it back?”
“You… you’re seriously trying to get money out of me to return my own possession?”
“Yeah, I found it for you, so it’s only natural that I should be rewarded for finding the item you carelessly misplaced, right?”
“Huh? But you took it from me.”
“I never took anything from you. Right, guys? It just coincidentally fell off your face into my hand and I caught it. Since I found it and I’m returning it, don’t you think it’s only right that she rewards me for putting in so much effort to find it for her.” If she wanted to play pretend gang leader, the best way to deal with her was to not cower back and be even more of a deviant than her.
After I sought their opinion on the matter, strange looks formed on the faces of the six burly men. They neither nodded nor shook their heads to refute my words and remained dead silent.
“You’re... utterly shameless.” The girl grimaced to herself.
“What? Not going to pay up? Should I use this thing for toilet paper or something?”
“You’d dare use it for toilet paper? This level of disrespect… I’ve never experienced this degree of rage before. Killin you wouldn’t even suffice to quell my anger at this point…”
“Oh, how scary~” I nonchalantly spun her face mask around my index finger in the air.
“Look… I don’t have any money on me.”
“Huh? You don’t have any money? If you don't, why don’t you go borrow some from one of them?”
“There’s no way I can do that.”
“Oh? Are you secretly afraid of them?”
“Afraid? Hah! If anyone’s afraid of anyone, it’s them who are afraid of me.” The way one of them unconsciously nodded their head in agreement with her words caught me a bit off guard. Seriously? Are there burly appearances just for show?
“For a gang leader like me to go and borrow money from others, there’s no way I could. My pride won’t allow it. Extorting money is only appropriate for a gang leader… but I can’t do that here or I’ll get blacklisted from every provider for the training course and never be able to get my license.”
“Haaaah. You’re still going on about that gang leader nonsense?”
“Because I aaaaaaammm~”
“I see. Here.”
“Oh? So you finally believe me?”
“No, I’m just starting to feel bad for bullying a broke delusional girl with an obvious mental disorder.”
“B-Broke… D-Delusiosional… m-mental disorder… hah… hah… hah…” She was fuming and trying to keep her anger under control.
“You’re only 16… but you’re actually this good at pissing people off. You’ve even got shamelessness down to a T. Is this what they call talent? Could you actually be a prodigy gangster in the making? Honestly, I could use someone like you in my gang.”
“Me, become a gangster? Hah, I’d never become a wannabe gangster like you.”
“Hah… wannabe… hah… gangster…” She’d taken another heavy blow.
“I’ll be sure... to remember you…”
“Oh, I’m so scared~ but I’ve already got more women than I want remembering me, so please move on, okay?”
“Who’d ever be interested in you that way?”
“My girlfriend.”
“You… have a girlfriend? How could anyone ever put up with you in a relationship?” She seemed genuinely shocked.
“No idea. Your guess is as good as mine.” I feel like I get asked this too much.
“I don’t even have a boyfriend. I’m actually losing to a guy like this? God is dead… There is no justice in the world.”
