I Reject Quests

My name is Famin. An orphan with no surname.

I didn't know that I was one. Growing up in an orphanage, I always took the caretaker as my mother. That is until the day my fellow seniors in the orphanage thought I was too dumb and showered me with the cold hard truth.

I felt lost. Disappointed. 

When I woke up the next day, I thought I got over it.

But some of the unwillingness to accept the truth remained. 

As time passed, I got even more insecure about it. My fellow seniors "teased" me about it. I had always wondered how they were any different from me. Was it their confidence? Attitude? Or were they too insecure that they need someone to vent their feelings on?

I was four years old back then. A boy with stars in his eyes and naivety all over the face. I wouldn't consider me from that time as cute but I was passable. Although my fellow seniors seem to disagree. I met one of them a few days ago and asked for the reason they "teased" me. 

"Your face was kind of punchable." Or so he said without a shred of hesitation.

Being the wimp I always was, I had to laugh it off.

Anyways, continuing the story. I was a studious and diligent boy. As the youngest in the orphanage, I was too "uncool" to hang around with the cool kids. All I could do to pass my time is read books.

However, soon enough I came to know that reading books and knowing too much is also a taboo in the orphanage. 

The caretaker used to take monthly tests. Being the youngest kid, I was always at the bottom when the results were out. 

So one day, I courageously decided that I would be at the top in the next monthly test.

I studied with no care for day or night. 

Eventually, I became the top score… not. But I was still in the top 10 so I was plenty satisfied.

Later that day in the evening, I was skipping along the hallway when I met my fellow seniors. Without saying anything, they beat me up. I laid there the entire night thinking what did I ever do to them.

Following months onwards, I scored at the bottom of the lists.

They say kids who suffer early mature early. It was true in every sense. Unfortunately, I wasn't too pleased with my maturity. 

Time passed and I turned six. 

On my birthday, I saw people whom I have to call "Mama" and "Papa". At first, I was confused. Later, Mama hugged me. I don't remember what she said but I was sure that she was trying to comfort me. Papa touched his head and looked at me with a smile. Even when my fellow seniors broke my nose, I didn't cry but at that moment, I couldn't hold back my tears.

Happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin.

I was happy that I finally have the gift I wanted the most - parents.

"Hehe, we can now run away with the money, Miss Caretaker. Who would have expected that kid Famin to have such wealthy parents?"

"Tch. Now you see why I doted on him so much. When are we leaving then?"

But later that night, I also learned that the person that parents may not be the best thing to have. 

When I went to a place called "home", I came to know that I had an Elder Sister. 

"Wow, you are so cute!"

"Haha. Of course, he is. He is my son after all."

I was embarrassed by Mama's comment but that was the warmest I ever felt in my life.

But. Nothing lasts for too long. 

The short happiness was abruptly ended when I went on a "holiday trip" to an unknown place with a friend of Papa. Initially, I was very excited about the adventures that were about to come.

They say - the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

I was taken to a coffee shop near a construction site and was told - "Work if you don't want to die."

Too overwhelmed by shock, I asked questions. 

The man didn't answer.

I didn't stop asking questions though.

Eventually, I was thrown away to the ground by a single slap. Grief and indignance filled my head as I couldn't stop my tears. Without the man explaining anything, I understood everything. 

When I was seven-year-old, I swore to take revenge against my so-called "Papa" and "Mama".

The next day, I started working day and night. 

Time passed and I became the Manager of the Coffee Shop at the age of ten. It was only a small coffee shop. Even if people did come, they never cared or noticed why an underage boy was working.

One day, I asked for my freedom.

The man laughed. He punched me as usual.

A few days later, I was suddenly transferred to a middle school and given a small room at an apartment to stay.

I didn't know why this had happened but I was glad anyways. 

Excited to go to school, I dressed up to look as good as possible. 

"Children. This is Famin. Greet him. He will be in your class from today onwards."

"Why isn't it a girl?"

"Look at his dressing sense. He's such a dork."

"Are you getting the same stench as I am?"

"Eww."

I didn't know why my classmates were so mean to me. All I could do is show an ugly smile.

When the bell rang and the first class ended, I expected people to approach me and ask me questions. 

None of that happened but I was still content. 'So what if I am alone? Wasn't I alone till now? Why do I even need friends?' 

I voluntarily worked in the Cleanliness and Management Society to not starve to death. As an eleven-year-old, there were no part-time jobs available for me.

"Hey, did you hear that Famin works in the Cleanliness?"

"You mean the Cleanliness and Management Society? No wonder, he smells so much."

"Mom told me that all the creeps are from the Cleanliness Society."

I, who was ostracized by the classmates, fell into the lowest bottom of the class. Seniors and even my classmates started picking on me. I retaliated and fought back for a couple of days but I was met with an even greater force.

I gave up fighting.

'I don't even know why I'm still alive.'

When I was in the greatest despair of my life, I met Nina.

"You dropped your pen."

The moment I saw her, I immediately realized that she was my so-called "first crush".

She was gorgeous beyond words and her elegance drew me into her even more. I stopped caring about my bullies and came to school with the sole purpose of seeing her.

A year passed by.

The bullying never stopped but I worked up the courage to talk to Nina.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What is it?"

"I'm having some problems here… I heard you score the highest so uhm.."

Unlike others, Nina wasn't judgemental of me. That day, I realized what happiness is.

Days passed and it was soon the final year of my middle school. I was thirteen and the bullying has completely stopped. Of course, I was still ostracized by my classmates. 

In the graduation ceremony, I gathered up the courage to confess to Nina. 

"So that's the reason you tried to talk to me."

"Yes…"

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Farewell then."

This went exactly the way I predicted. I went home with a smile on my face but as soon as I came back, I cri… not. I held back my tears. 

'What did I even expect?'

Because I was good at my studies, I had received a scholarship from the school.

The bullying had stopped but the scars had remained. He used the scholarship to get home-schooled. 

The next three years were the best years of my life. I was on my own and did what I wanted.

"Here's your certificate. Do you want to enrol in the Eastern Dream Academy? I can guarantee that you would be placed in the 1st Grade Class and be treated like a celebrity within the Academy."

My mana resonance was high. I thought for a long time about what I want to do. There are two ways open for me. I could either live the entire life as a normal person or I could opt to change my destiny.

'I have fought my entire life. I could fight for a few more years."

With that, I enrolled on the Academy.

On the first day of the Academy, I was greeted by my middle school seniors who bullied me. They first approached me and asked me a few questions. I don't exactly remember what but they said something which ticked me off. I went up against them but was ultimately defeated.

Later that day, in depression, I went to the rooftop. I don't know if I dared to jump off but I certainly had the energy.

As I was halfway through, I suddenly fell and a barrage of attacks came upon me.

"No! I was just there to take a piss." 

This is my story. And I'm not going to give up fighting for my sake.