The school hallway smelled of cheap disinfectant and sweat. Niragi walked with his backpack slung over one shoulder, his head down, trying to go unnoticed. By now, he knew there was no point in making eye contact: it only gave them more reasons to look the other way.

"Hey, four eyes! He heard behind him, followed by a few giggles. Before he could react, he felt a sharp shove against his locker. The blow drew a low groan from him, but he didn't raise his voice. He never did.

The three boys approached, blocking his way. One snatched his backpack, opening it and knocking his books to the floor. "What do you have here? Notes? What's wrong, do you think studying will make you stop being a loser?"

Niragi clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. He could feel the heat of anger burning beneath his skin, but he knew if he said anything, it would make things worse. The leader of the group shoved him again, causing him to slam into the cold metal of the locker.

"Come on, tell us something, okay?" He mocked, leaning toward him. "Or do you not even have a voice?"

The laughter of the others echoed in the empty hallway. Niragi, his lips tense, looked up for just a second. His eyes were wet but bright. He said nothing. He just bent down to pick up his books from the floor with trembling hands.