VICTIM

Maurycy entered the classroom and looked around in horror at his new surroundings. He was an exceptionally shy person—he was never one to start a conversation or loosen up in new company. His strange, ancient name didn't make things any easier. Maurycy. He didn't even like it, and he had a reputation for liking everything. The teacher introduced him and asked him to sit somewhere. He looked around the room again. Thirty shabby desks, unfavorable expressions. Two boys were just tipping over empty chairs. Someone else said,

"Maurycy? What kind of name is that!? What fairy tale did you come from, dude? Or maybe the old guys were high? It's both bad and not so good...

" The whole class burst out laughing. Now Maurycy noticed there weren't a single girl in the class. He slowly moved between the tables. He picked up a chair and sat down at the last desk. The teacher was dictating the topic. The boy was about to take his notebook out of his bag. As he started to bend down, the person on the bench next to him put their foot on his backpack.

"Umm, sorry, but you stepped on my backpack. Could you take your foot?" He tried very hard to keep the hesitation and fear out of his voice. It didn't quite work, as his neighbor only shifted his shoe further, effectively stomping on his bag.

"Look, how polite... A well-bred mama's boy like you should know that you're looking at the person you're talking to." The boy's voice held a steely note. Maurycy quickly raised his head. He looked straight into the blackest eyes he'd ever seen. Dark skin and black, disheveled hair completed the image. He had a feeling he was looking into the eyes of the devil. He wasn't far off. The stranger was smiling mischievously. The boy repeated his request. Only a quiet snort came from the devil. He took notes while talking to the newcomer.

"Maurycy... What a gay name..." He looked at him sideways. The other was beet red. He was looking around the classroom, clearly looking for help.

"You're out of luck, no one here will help you. And don't even think about the teacher." He took his foot off his backpack as the bell rang. The teacher hurried out of the room, clearly forgetting about Maurycy. Almost everyone in his new class surrounded him in a tight circle. The boy blushed even deeper. He desperately wanted to see at least one friendly face. Instead, he saw grim amusement in the equally empty eyes. He noticed a few ironic smirks. No one seemed eager to get to know the new high school student. His throat went dry. He felt as if he would choke on the hatred emanating from the people he would be spending the rest of his time with until final exams. Or at least for this year...

"So you're not going to say hello? Maurycy?" The black-haired man didn't speak any louder than he had in class. Yet Maurycy felt his authority. That one quiet sentence robbed him of his last courage. He opened his mouth but said nothing. He looked around, searching for an escape route. As far away from them as possible, from this hatred, from this muscle cult…

"Faggots and fish don't have a voice, do they, Ivan?" Maurycy looked at his feet and blushed. Someone burst out laughing, followed by others. The blond man lowered his head. He knew that kind of laughter well. They'd found a new scapegoat. Someone only to laugh at, insult, or disrespect. He was struggling to hold back tears. "Why now… I haven't done anything. So why? Why…" The laughter faded. Maurycy raised his eyes. The black-haired boy, the one they'd called Ivan, clearly wanted to say something. He stared at the newcomer for a moment. Then he blurted out,

"I guess not teeth either. " The class burst into laughter again. Ivan stared with satisfaction at the terror on the newcomer's face. He turned away, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with this. This, along with the earlier reference to his teeth, sent the class into an uproar. Maurycy didn't even realize what was happening as he found himself on the floor with a bleeding lip. The boy who had just hit him stepped aside, making room for another. The blond man cringed, expecting another blow.

"Hey!"

The leg that had been about to kick him fell to the ground. Everyone looked toward the door. A tall, slender teenager stood there. He was completely calm. He brushed back his brown hair with red streaks that had fallen into his eyes.

"Leave him alone, the principal is coming." He tossed his backpack onto a desk in the front row. He ignored the fallen Maurycy. He was searching for something in his pockets when Ivan said,

"I'll hold the principal in the hallway. Don't bother me." And you, Oyama, don't interfere.

"I'll interfere wherever I want." The brunette hissed through his teeth. "Get away from him!" He growled at the rest of the class. Everyone took a step back.

"What a change… Oyama, have you started caring about others?

" "No, I just don't like being ordered around. Chubby, if you beat him up here, I'll get beat up too. Beat him up after school." The blond was completely disoriented by the situation. First, the boy had stood up for him, now he wanted to be beaten up after school… He was completely confused. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him up. When he got to his feet, he noticed the disapproval in Oyama's eyes. "He… despises me too?..." The fleeting impression was interrupted by Ivan's voice.

"Good idea." The brunette's eyes no longer expressed anything. The circle around Maurycy relaxed. After a moment, he was the only one left in the middle of the classroom. No one paid him any attention. Not even insults were being thrown. "Apparently, they want to conserve their strength for after-school... But I guess it's better than this... disrespect... As if I didn't exist..." He instinctively raised his hand to his mouth. His split lip was still bleeding. Hesitantly, he approached the boy who had helped him earlier.

"Thank you for helping..." The boy didn't even turn around. "Do you know where the bathroom is?" Maurycy's voice visibly trembled.

"For the biological one." Oyama continued rummaging through his backpack.

"And where is the biological one?" The blond felt he couldn't have made a bigger fool of himself. The other's look confirmed his suspicion.

"I'd better take you." Without waiting for Maurycy, he quickly moved towards the door. A moment later, they found themselves in the bathroom. Fortunately, it was empty. The blond plunged his face into the cool water. He could feel Oyama's gaze on him. He wasn't sure, however, if the boy was seeing him or the void. The bell rang in the distance. Maurycy jerked his head up, hitting himself painfully against the faucet.

"Don't be in such a hurry. Teachers arrive in our class ten minutes after the bell.

" "Okay." The boy nervously finished his toilet and dried himself with a towel. They walked back to class much more slowly. The newcomer kept up with Oyama easily. A few meters outside the classroom, the boy suddenly stopped. Maurycy didn't have time to brake and hit him. He immediately started apologizing. He fell silent, seeing the boredom on the other boy's face.

"What's your name?" Maurycy had expected anything but this.

"Ma... Maurycy." He stammered.

"Okay... On your last period, pack up a few minutes before the bell rings and run out of the classroom with him. And sign up for karate or something..." He trailed off. The blond boy finished the rest of his sentence: "...or you'll end up in the hospital."

"But I don't know where..." Oyama frowned. It sounded like the boy was afraid she would hit him for asking that.

"There are a lot of posters about martial arts schools...

" "I'll look for them. Thank you..." He stopped, seeing the boy already entering the classroom. He himself entered just before the teacher

.

Oyama looked around the classroom. Normally, everyone slept during the last period. But now, whispers and giggles could be heard. He had no doubt what was causing them. "Damn... They really want to send him to the hospital. Such a victim... Pathetic... He won't get away from them. But if they put him in the hospital, no one will ask where I was. I'll get suspended too, which means I won't see Ari again... Dyro's head is falling, let's put him in this class..." He looked behind him, at the last desks. Ivan was sitting with his feet on the desk. He didn't even pretend to pay attention. Maurycy sat at the desk next to him. He had the look of a hunted animal. He nervously glanced around the room, jumping at every loud sound. Oyama snorted softly and went back to taking notes. He was sitting too far away to hear Ivan.

"We'll meet after class, right?"

Maurycy said nothing. He lowered his head and checked his watch. "Fifteen more minutes..." The class's excitement grew, but no one paid him any attention. He felt like he couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to stand up, shout that he was there, that he existed... He didn't dare. This disrespect... He buried his face in his hands. He'd already wanted to be noticed, to be liked... He'd been expelled from school. And yet, from the very beginning, he was nothing, nothing but air... He swallowed back his tears. Five minutes remained. He quietly packed his things. When the bell rang, he ran for the door. Just as Oyama had advised. He hadn't anticipated one thing: that they would try to stop him. The teacher had barely left the room when he received his first punch to the stomach. Another to the head. A moment later, he collapsed. He heard a cry of pain. He looked ahead in surprise. Oyama had knocked out one of the attackers. The boy groaned and couldn't get up. The others, dismayed, stopped. Ivan approached the brunette. Maurycy cringed again, feeling the confidence radiating from the black-haired man.

"What do you want? School's over. You know they won't do anything to us. Most likely they won't even suspend us.

" "I won't risk it. Leave him alone. "

No one moved. Maurycy felt the tension rising.

"What are you so interested in him for? Are you in love or something?"

A few people snorted, but everyone fell silent as soon as they looked into Oyama's eyes.

"And even if he did? Will you hit me?" he hissed.

"I don't… Oyama, I already asked you to slow down in September. It's October, and you're jumping around more and more. This could end badly…

" "Let's see who…

" "For you, karateka, for you." Oyama narrowed his eyes. Ivan turned away. "Leave him alone today, there will be other opportunities. For now, leave them alone."

He smiled maliciously at the brunette and left the room. The rest of the class followed him. As the door closed, Oyama knelt next to Maurice.

"Are you okay?"

"Nothing, everything's fine... Just... Why did you stand up for me? Now you're going to be in trouble!"

The brunette remained silent, disconcerted. The fact that Maurycy was crying didn't make it easier for him to say anything. The blond continued:

"As always... I'm always trouble... Trouble or nothing..." he spoke increasingly quietly. The karateka had to strain his ears to hear the last words. He sighed quietly and placed a hand on Maurycy's shoulder.

"Calm down... Come wash up. I'll walk you home."

The boy looked at him. His face was like an open book. Hope, surprise, disbelief, sadness... And traces of tears.

"Y-you don't have to... I... don't want to... be a burden...

" "If you were, I wouldn't suggest it. Get up."

Maurycy obediently rose to his feet. As soon as he stood, he immediately fell to the floor, bent double.

"Nothing, everything's fine, right?"

Oyama helped Maurycy stand up. Carefully, steadying the swaying boy with one hand, he went to the bathroom. Only the echo of their footsteps could be heard in the empty hallways. The blond slowly regained his composure. After a few minutes, he could stand normally. The cold water refreshed him. He glanced at Oyama. The boy was staring thoughtfully out the window.

Maurycy stood motionless. He didn't want to disturb Oyama. The only sound was the dripping from the leaky faucet. The brunette tore his gaze away from the window.

"Are you finished? Can you go?

" "Yes. I think so.

" "Are you sure?" He raised his eyebrows.

Maurycy swallowed and nodded. They left the bathroom. Oyama matched his pace with Maurycy's. He didn't say anything. The blond felt his calm, composed, weary, and despondent expression. They left the school grounds. Dusk was already falling outside. The last rays of sunlight illuminated the streets, houses, passersby… The warm light soothed Maurycy's sadness. He took a deep breath. His stomach almost stopped hurting. He smiled. At the first intersection, he tugged on Oyame's sleeve.

"We'll walk through the park, okay?"

The boy shrugged.

"If you want…

" "But if it doesn't suit you, we don't have to… It's a bit longer this way…

" "We'll walk through the park."

"Thanks!" Oyama looked at him in surprise. For the first time, he saw a smile on his face. The boy seemed unsure if he was seeing him off out of favor or because he wanted to… Despite this, he was calmer. He gazed around the street with delight. The sunset had turned everything a rusty color. "What's so absorbing about him? Nothing's happening..." They turned through the park gate. Maurycy stole a glance at Oyama. He was silent again, staring at the gravel path. He stepped on the golden and crimson leaves, ignoring them. "I don't understand… Doesn't he see them? And why is he seeing me off? If he wanted to make fun of me, he would have done it at school…" He sighed softly. He looked up. The sky was reddish. Dark gray clouds were clearly reflected against the background. Maurycy couldn't tear his gaze away from the sight. Suddenly, he felt his foot catch on something. Startled, he let out a soft cry. He fell onto the path.

"Wow, victim... Are you alive?" Oyama said, extending his hand to the fallen man. The boy tried to stand up, but immediately felt a piercing pain in his stomach and leg. He groaned.

"Maurycy..." The brunette knelt down beside the boy. "Don't tell me you're fine."

The blond didn't reply. He knelt down with difficulty. With Oyama's help, he reached a nearby bench. He crouched down to ease the pain. He also tried to hide his flushed face. He caught his breath and whispered,

"I'm sorry..."

The karateka looked at him in surprise.

"For what?

" "For the trouble... and...

" "Don't apologize. You're welcome.

" "But...

" "What, but?

" "It's in class... now...

" "It's no problem for me... You're worse. How are you feeling? And I'm warning you, if you say you're fine, I'll get angry."

Maurycy looked up at the other person. As usual, the boy was looking somewhere in the distance. He considered his answer for a moment. He didn't want to upset Oyama. He also didn't want to cause trouble and complain.

"My stomach and leg hurt... But only a little," he said as the brunette turned away. Oyama sighed quietly. Maurycy's agreeableness was starting to irritate him.

"Then we'll wait a while until you've recovered..."

Maurycy flinched.

"You don't have to if you don't want to...

" "I know I don't. And if I didn't want to, I would have gone home a long time ago.

" "...Thank you."

Oyama snorted a quiet laugh. The blond was visibly flustered. He wanted to say something, but Oyama beat him to it.

"Why did you fall?"

Maurycy's blush deepened. It took a moment before he replied.

"I was staring at the sky..."

The brunette looked up. Then, with pure surprise in his voice, he asked,

"What's so interesting about him?"

Now the blond was surprised. He stared at Oyama as if he'd suddenly revealed himself to be an alien from another planet. The boy sat down next to him and rested his elbows on his knees.

"What fascinated you so much?" he repeated, more quietly.

Maurycy didn't consider his answer.

"The colors, the shapes, the shadows... Simply everything..." Spontaneously, he added, "Don't you think they're beautiful?"

He looked up at the sky. It was purple. The clouds were brightening. Only after a moment did he notice that Oyama was silent. He sat with his head bowed. Suddenly, he said firmly,

"They have no meaning... They're so deceptive... Fake..." His voice broke slightly. Normally, no one would even hear it, but Maurycy felt something was wrong. He wanted to help him. He just didn't know how.

"Don't look at it like that... They're changeable, but every change brings something new... Sometimes more beautiful...

" "And sometimes nightmarish..." Oyama seemed to be talking to himself. The blond waited for him to say more. For now, he felt lost.

"You remind me of my sister..." He's also looking at the clouds, not at his feet. It's like a spark that can be smothered or helped to burst into a bright flame... I don't understand what you see in the clouds...

"Everything... They're so majestic... Mysterious, unshakable... They don't disappear, they just change... But they're still clouds..." Maurycy looked at the sky. Silence fell. He didn't want to break it. He already felt he'd said too much. Such statements were usually met with laughter or incomprehension.

"Unshakable and indifferent to everything... That's for sure... What can looking at clouds, water, or lightning give you?" Oyama raised his voice slightly. Maurycy, absorbed in the play of light and color, paid little attention to it.

"Peace... You don't have to pretend. You just have to look. Happiness..." He fell silent. The brunette detected new tones in his voice. Now the boy was almost himself. He wasn't afraid.

"You're so different from in class." Maurycy's fleeting sense of freedom vanished. Again, he was paying attention to every word, gesture, thought… He was beginning to regret speaking. He quickly changed the subject.

“I used to love storms… Ari, my sister, always came to my room. She claimed the view was better there… She jumped with every clap of thunder… Then we laughed about it… Today, the storm, the clouds, are nothing to me…

” “Why?” The blond’s voice held genuine interest.

“Because once, after a storm like that, when Ari was already asleep, I heard my parents screaming… They were arguing again about the estate or about us… I don’t even remember… I listened to their raised voices… They spoke louder than usual… I watched the next storm in an apartment on the other side of Poland…” He finished, much more quietly. He was silent for a moment. They could hear the rustle of leaves, the sounds of birds… The darkness was gathering. “Such views… impressions… are fleeting, fleeting, false…” During our last storm together, Ari was wondering what to buy her parents for their wedding anniversaries…

"You can't blame nature for this... It'll kill you!" Oyama looked at Maurycy. The boy's eyes were shining. He understood that he was one of the few who knew this story. If not the only one. "If you can't see magic in the clouds, the water, or the trees, then... Then you're an empty shell! Just another person living from one game show to the next! That's not okay! I know I'm the one to be beaten and ridiculed, the scapegoat," the boy's voice was laced with bitterness. "However, if I can look at the clouds, hear the rain, feel the wind, then the fact that no one likes me loses its meaning!" The blond's words were contradicted by the tears he was clearly trying to hold back. Oyama leaned closer.

"Not true." Surprise showed on Maurycy's face. "It doesn't lose its meaning... Not for you... And besides... I like you."

The boy's eyes widened. His whole demeanor was filled with fear of another joke.

"Really?" he whispered. Oyama wasn't prepared for such a reaction. He hadn't expected Maurycy to have fan clubs, but this… He acted as if he were being spoken to like a human being for the first time.

"Really. If you're not apologizing for being alive and agreeing with every word, you're very interesting…" The boy blushed. He was visibly embarrassed… Just like every other emotion he displayed. "Doesn't anything hurt anymore? We've been sitting here for half an hour."

The blond jumped to his feet. He had truly forgotten the pain.

"Fuck…" He fell silent, seeing Oyama's amused look. They continued down the path. More streetlights were being lit. The brunette continued to look at the ground, but now something had changed… He saw colorful leaves. Maurycy smiled to himself – the boy had been listening, and his words had clearly made an impression on him. He hadn't hoped he'd suddenly fall in love with the clouds, but he wouldn't be so indifferent… So empty…

"Why did you change schools in October of your sophomore year of high school?"

Maurycy wasn't prepared for this question. He staggered, but Oyama managed to grab his arm. They continued on.

"So?"

"They kicked me out...

" "You? For what?

" "For drugs...

" "Drugs? I don't understand." They stopped under a broken streetlight. Despite the darkness, Maurycy's face was deep red. The boy turned his back.

"There was an inspection at the kennel... No one suspected they would check me. I was asked to keep some weed, some LSD... I agreed. I wanted them to accept me... They considered me part of the class, not someone "different" who gets made fun of when they can't see... I was unlucky and they searched me..." The boy nervously clenched his slender hands.

"What did the class say?"

"That I've been carrying drugs for a while now... That I'm a dealer... That..." He couldn't speak any longer. Oyama wanted to say something when he heard a quiet:

"They laughed at me... I meant nothing anymore..." The boy started walking briskly. The karateka suspected he did it just to avoid crying. He caught up with him easily.

"They'll treat you like air in this class too, but don't worry. They're a bunch of idiots. And I... I already told you you have an interesting personality... Tomorrow, sit next to me. First, I'll defend you more effectively against those bastards, and second... I'll have someone to talk to..."

Maurycy continued to look at the ground. He didn't speak for the rest of the way through the park. When they left the fence, Oyama noticed they were right next to his dojo. He glanced back at Maurycy, waiting for him to show him which way to go. The blond, however, stood motionless, his head lowered. Suddenly, he lifted his face. He was nervous, but his eyes were dry. Only his voice trembled slightly.

"Oyama...

" "That's just the name of the style I practice." I have a green belt in Oyama karate, hence the nickname. My name is Nathaniel.

"Nathaniel..." Maurycy smiled slightly. "Thanks for everything.

" "No... Thank you...

" "I live just around the corner. Go ahead. The park can be dangerous after dark...

" "Man, I just told you I have a green belt in karate... Besides, did you see in class..." Maurycy nodded quickly. After a moment, he beamed again.

"See you tomorrow!

" "Naaa, one more thing. Come just before the bell. I'll be there from the first lesson... When I get up.

" "I hope...

" "Me too." Nathaniel finished with a broad smile. After a moment, they were both laughing. Genuine, unforced laughter. Oyama made a mental note that Maurycy looked completely different when he laughed. He shouted hello and ran through the park home. He didn't regret the time it took to walk Maurycy home.

There had been a storm that night...