Saving the Villain

In the end, Rocco barely bought clothes from the thrift shop while Maynard and Conrad waited for him outside the stall. When he came out, the two didn't speak much as they had already walked away. He walked several steps behind Maynard and Conrad, darting his eyes behind the duo's back.

Conrad and Maynard's personalities were poles apart. Conrad was aloof, while Maynard was a social butterfly. It was the reason Rocco got close to Maynard first because the man was the happy-go-lucky type. But even so, the way they showed their anger surprised Rocco.

Maynard's way to release his anger was to beat someone up while Conrad just watched. Both their actions were different, but they were equally cruel. But they did it for Rocco, even though the man himself didn't ask for such a favor.

Lost in his own thoughts, Rocco snapped his eyes when he saw the bar the two had stopped. His brows rose, seeing that Maynard and Conrad had just casually entered the premises despite wearing their uniforms.

"Oy!" Rocco called, following the two inside the bar.

"One scotch and a lemonade for the ladies." Maynard raised a finger and then pointed his thumb at Conrad behind him. Conrad didn't react, sitting on the bar stool right beside Maynard.

Meanwhile, Rocco stopped several steps from them, blinking his eyes. They were his friends, but how come the bartender didn't question those two? They were still wearing their uniforms, after all. Was this even legal?

"What are you doing there?" asked Conrad, arching his brow at Rocco. "Come sit."

"Wow…" Rocco dragged his feet, taking the chair next to Conrad. "... how come you are being served here?"

"When were you born?" Maynard leaned over the counter, head turned in Rocco's direction. "They serve us drinks because we pay, duh?"

"But selling alcoholic beverages to minors is illegal."

"I ordered lemonade," Conrad corrected, making Rocco scrunch his nose up.

"At this point, they only have to think of two things." Maynard casually showed two fingers. "One is they won't let us in and they close down the next day, or two, they declare bankruptcy tonight."

'Isn't that an abuse of power?' Rocco bit his tongue, stopping himself from pointing out the obvious.

"One scotch and two lemonades."

The three glanced up at the bartender as he served the youths some drinks with a smile. It was not his first time serving Maynard here, because this young fellow had visited a couple of times. Although it was still a surprise how this young man born with a golden spoon would indulge in the drinks in this place instead of those high-end bars or clubs.

Maynard didn't wait and downed the scotch in one gulp while Conrad only took a sip. Rocco didn't touch his drink, staring at Conrad's side profile and then at the riled Maynard.

"That damn pig!" Maynard hissed, slamming the glass on the bar counter. "How dare he —"

Maynard halted, sensing Conrad's and Rocco's gaze. He turned his head and caught them staring, making him clear his throat. Although he casually talked to Rocco moments ago, it didn't mean they were already good.

Maynard's stare lingered on Conrad and then clicked his tongue.

"Fine. I'm sorry, alright?" his frown deepened with a tinge of embarrassment plastered on his face. "I know you don't like it when we meddle with your means of living, but that damn pig was too much. No matter what other people did or whatever mistake his employees did, he got no damn reason to belittle them. That's a human being. No wonder his business was trash. There's no growth in that type of place and that type of boss."

Rocco let out a shallow breath as Maynard rambled on and on, justifying his actions. This was Maynard. He was short-tempered but genuinely kind to those he cared about. He wouldn't throw his fist if the store owner wasn't too much.

"Who said I was angry about what you did?" he muttered, putting a halt on Maynard's endless ramblings. Rocco slowly peeled his eyes away from them, setting them on the lemonade in front of him. "It's not like I'm saying what you did is right, but I cannot blame you. That guy just keeps on exploiting people."

He looked back at them and laughed. "It's kinda satisfying hearing him squeal like a pig. You shouldn't be sorry, but I should thank you for standing up for me."

Hearing Rocco's remarks, the side of Conrad's lips curled up. He rocked his head, turning his head in Maynard's direction. The latter opened and closed his mouth, scratching the back of his head, confused about how to react to that.

"Well, if things end well, then it's good." Maynard cleared his throat, making Rocco smile even brighter. "It's not like I did it for you. Even if it's not you, I'd still do the same. It just so happened you were the victim."

"Still, I want to thank you." Rocco chuckled, glancing at Conrad, who barely smiled. That was already called smiling for Conrad as the man had an undiagnosed face paralysis. "Though I am curious. Wouldn't you be in trouble if he wakes up and calls for the police?"

"No need for that." Conrad reached for his lemonade slowly. "The police would come to get him instead. There's no need for an invitation."

"Huh?"

"It was self-defense, duh?" Maynard cast Rocco a dismal look. "Who would the authorities believe? This guy who has been an overachiever all his life, or that pig who hires minors and pays them unjustly?"

"What…" Rocco was rendered speechless, darting his eyes between the two. "... you're framing him?"

"It's not framing him." Conrad put down the lemonade, facing Rocco squarely. "Your boss didn't have a clean track record, and still has an existing record about assaulting a woman and domestic abuse. He shouldn't be out here, but inside the bars where he belongs."

There were days Conrad would wonder why he was such a heartless human being back in the day. That time, Conrad was confident what he and Maynard were doing was right. Rocco didn't speak about their habit as well and going through that night while throwing whatever problems they had in the past.

They didn't talk about it, but just casually hang out. Their night started intensely with Maynard beating up a person, but the end was fun. The three of them knew that their bond just grew stronger, and it would continue to deepen until years later, one fateful accident would change everything.