Saving the Villain

When they arrived at Luke's apartment, Remo was still in the same spot. Remo was just leaning against the wall, flexing his fingers carefully, and simply checking if he could move around a bit. His body still felt sore and weak, but Remo was too used to a fistfight that this level of strength was enough for him to endure whatever he had to endure.

"Wow… are you made of steel or are you a descendant of superman?" asked Luke, sitting on the beanbag.

"How can you move as if you rested for an entire month?" Cosette added, perching on the other bean bag. When they arrived, they instantly idled on each bean bag while Remo remained silent. When Maxen excused himself to make a call, both Cosette and Luke's attention naturally fell on their patient.

Remo snapped his eyes up at them, opening and closing his hand. His lips opened and closed, but no words came out. He didn't know what to tell them or how to talk to them, honestly.

"Luke, do you think he now has the energy to bully us?" Cosette shifted her eyes to Luke, her voice laced with genuine curiosity.

"Who knows?" Luke shrugged. "Oy, did you recover well that you can bully us now?"

"Why would I bully you?" asked Remo with a deep frown. His voice was deep and mature, fitting for his huge stature and bulky physique. "Did you cross me to make me want to crush your heads on the ground?"

"Gosh…" Cosette and Luke shivered, rubbing their shoulder. "... so scary!"

Remo clicked his tongue in irritation. But after spending a night with these two buffoons — and knowing he had too many days to spend with them — this was how they were. They were still children most of the time.

"I'm staying out of trouble. So you don't have to worry." Remo let out a shallow breath, shaking his head mildly. "Even though there were many things to break on your faces, I won't."

Cosette and Luke looked back at him incredulously. Sensing there was some level of sincerity in the big bully's claim, they didn't run away and stayed still.

"Why are you staying out of trouble, though?" asked Cosette out of plain curiosity. "I was expecting you to bully me."

Remo snapped his eyes at her and let out a dry laugh. "Why? Because you were bribing some fools to beat me up?"

"You're bribing someone to beat him up?" Luke gasped at Cosette, making the latter roll her eyes.

"I did it because I was worried about Max, alright?" Cosette crossed her arms. "This guy used to bully Max, so I want to teach him a lesson. It's just so happened he didn't take the bait."

"Wow… what a cruel girl."

"Hey, don't you dare look at me as if I'm the only one who planned to mess with the school bullies." Cosette frowned, looking at Luke dead in the eye. "Have you forgotten? You were plotting something."

Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, and his eyes slid to the corner. She wasn't wrong. Initially, Luke was planning to mess with those delinquents by befriending them. However, he changed his mind for a deep reason.

"See? You're not any better than I am." Cosette clicked her tongue in irritation before shifting her attention to Remo. "So? Why are you staying out of trouble?"

Hearing this, Luke also shifted his attention to Remo. He was also curious. Based on the reports he got last year, this guy and his lackeys used to bully Maxen. He also heard many bad things about them. Staying out of trouble wasn't definitely Remo's style.

Remo darted his eyes between the two and noticed the curiosity in their eyes. He opened his mouth to give them an unsatisfactory answer, but then shut his mouth again. Remo had to weigh the situation first, and intimidating these two wouldn't benefit him in any way — especially with the job Maxen hired him to do.

"I promised my grandpa," Remo answered quietly, looking away from them. "My grandfather is the only person I have. He used to scold me whenever I come home with a bruise, yet, he still tends to them. He was devastated when I got arrested, yet he comes to visit me every single day."

His eyes softened as he gazed at his hands, smiling subtly and bitterly at the thought of his grandfather.

"But then, one day, he didn't come. Apparently, he was rushed to the hospital because of his medical condition. God knows how much I wanted to go to him that day, but how can I? I was locked up inside," Remo let out a deep huff as he cleared his throat. "So when I got out and went straight to him, I promised him I will stay out of trouble and listen to his advice. So… I want to stay out of trouble and become a person he can be proud of."

"In that case, he wouldn't blame himself again. You know. My old man always blames himself whenever I hurt someone, when, in fact, he doesn't raise me incorrectly. My decisions were mine; it has nothing to do with him. But well… I guess that's just how he is."

When Remo raised his head, his brows furrowed. He darted his eyes between Cosette and Luke, seeing them sniffing hard while staring at him with teary eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"My gosh… you are such a bad person," said Cosette with a shaking voice.

"Man…" Luke sniffed hard. "... I didn't think you have such a good grandpa, and your reason is this valid."

Cosette and Luke's shaking voices turned into sobs, and when Maxen returned inside, he stopped at the entrance. Maxen cocked his head to the side, staring at Cosette and Luke, kneeling in front of Remo. Those two were crying, speaking in between their sobs, holding Remo's hand, and patting them gently.

Remo slowly raised his eyes at Maxen and mouthed, 'help,' but Maxen pretended he didn't see that silent call for help as he silently leaned against the wall. Maxen folded his arms under his chest, smiling.

For reasons unknown, Maxen felt strangely relieved that he had hired Remo. Maxen didn't know why, but Maxen felt like he owed Remo something. This feeling wasn't unfamiliar. It was the same feeling he had for Luke.

Perhaps it was because Maxen never thought he could dream of something good or better than good. Or maybe this strange feeling lingering strongly in Maxen's heart was because of something else. Either way, with the life they had, Maxen and Remo knew their options were limited — or none at all. But now, they could breathe a bit, live a bit, and just be young, even for a moment.

And knowing there was an option for a righteous path, Maxen… was thankful and relieved. That was all thanks to Cosette.