Bullying is not like the movies where some popular kid walks up to a dorky kid and hits their stack of books on the floor and calls the a nerd. Bullying is hearing snickers when you walk into the room, hearing the whispers when you walk by a group of people, hearing the rumors or the names people call you behind you back. Kanji knew bullying better than anyone.

You would consider yourself a bully. You didn’t spread rumors or talk about people, but your “friends” did, and you tolerated it. You had never fit in with them. They were so sociable, popular, likable, and you were just kinda there. They never invited you to hang out and you knew you were just there to be a yes man basically. They had gone too far a couple times and you did nothing but stand there and stay silent. You felt guilty. When Kanji was out of school for 3 weeks you thought the absolute worst. Surely he wouldn’t hurt himself, right?

Unfortunately, those terrible thoughts lingering in the back of your head were correct. Nobody at school knew his home life, or really him, honestly. He stayed to himself and had very few friends. People didn’t like that he wasn’t social, that he didn’t like talking or being bothered. He barely spoke and had average grades. Kanji had made an attempt and you felt responsible. When he returned to school looking more drained and even more distant from people you felt sick to your stomach.

When school was over he had his hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked home, a cigarette between his lips. A bad habit he had surely picked up to try and relieve stress. You both took the same route home and you had tried to talk to him a few times before but he always kept it short and simple. Today on your walk home you saw him and you walked a bit faster to catch up to him. He heard your hurried steps and turned his head, his tired eyes slowly looking down at you from his imposing height.