SECOND LIFE ASSASIN!

Episode2

As Leo walked through the school gates, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He had hated this place back then — and the truth was, he still hated it now. But it had something that tugged at his heart. The creaky lockers, the scuffed floors, the faint smell of chalk and teenage sweat, the petty fights, the cringeworthy love confessions, the wannabe gangsters … for some reason, they all felt comforting.

As Leo walked down the hall, he remembered why he never did like school. His social life? Practically nonexistent. Leo had been what most of the kids at school were, trash—a loner, with few friends, a geek, really. Not that he was anywhere near stupid or dour (he had more than enough of those, too), but that he wanted to keep his distance. His antisocial instincts developed out of boredom, apathy and a preference for evading unnecessary drama.

"Ugh, whatever… mwehehe, the important part is I'm gonna be filthy rich real soon!" Leo smiled to himself, still buzzing at the implication of accumulating Bitcoin in this timeline.

He got some weird looks from a nearby pair of students, who whispered:

"I don't like that dude, what's with that guy?"

"Bro's getting possessed or something."

But Leo didn't care. Today was his final day here — his last opportunity to alter the trajectory of his life. He sank into his usual seat at the back right corner of the classroom, plopping into the unsound chair with a strange sagacity. His eyes darted over to Fred, his desk mate — a gangly kid with hair that was perpetually f****d up and shirts that never fit quite right. Fred wasn't exactly Mr. Popularity, but he had a strange charm that was hard to dislike. They connected over anime and often exchanged dumb jokes in class.

Fred's doodles in his notebook were on pause when Leo took a seat. His pencil froze mid-air. His eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Dude … what the hell's wrong with you?" Fred blurted, gesturing at Leo. "You look… I dunno, happy? Refreshed? Or kinda sus?"

Leo sat back in his chair with a strange smile. "What do you mean? I'm the same as always."

Fred snorted. "Hell nah, bro. You always have, like, negative energy. You hardly talk, never smile — awkward as hell. Yesterday, someone sneezed too loud and you remember you were pissed. Today, you are glowing like you just got reincarnated.'

Leo laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. At least for once, he wasn't annoyed by Fred's bluntness. He actually kinda liked it. It reminded him of simple times—times that had long disappeared in his former life.

"Well," said Leo, lowering his voice so others could not hear, "Let's just say… I'm about to get rich."

"Rich? Rich like a monkey?" Fred raised an eyebrow. "How? Are you starting your own business or something? Or — wait — you're not finally professing your undying love for Liana?! GODDAMN!"

Leo froze for a moment, his heart racing at the mention of her name. Did Fred somehow sense how special Liana was to him? No way. They hadn't even had a proper conversation yet. He shook it off and laughed it off.

"W-What? Who?" Leo feigned ignorance, attempting to sound nonchalant. "Nah, bruh, I can't even talk to girls. I mean, really… I found a way to make some bank."

Fred leaned in, intrigued. "A 'way,' huh? Spill it. What's your genius plan?"

Leo hesitated. How much should he reveal? Telling Fred that he was a covert time traveler from a dark alternate reality probably wasn't going to go well. Instead he went vague — vague enough to quell Fred's curiosity and not sound like a raving lunatic.

"I was thinking… I'm going to invest in crypto. You know, Bitcoin?" Leo said nonchalantly, feeling the waters. "Or stocks. Maybe both. There's going to be a big opportunity soon."

Fred blinked, obviously dubious. "The hell's 'crypto'? Stocks? Dude, when did you become Warren Buffett? You made a comment last week that money was useless if you did not get to exchange it for instant noodles."

Leo shrugged with a smirk. "I've seen the light."

Fred folded his arms in disbelief. "Whatever. But if you squander away all your savings, don't come crying to me."

They both laughed, and for a moment Leo felt normal. Like any other teenager worrying about exams, relationships and their uncertain futures. It was… refreshing.

Fred hesitated, reached for his phone, showing Leo a screenshot of a posting from a forum posting. "Hey, check this out. That are back to the manga that we were, waiting? New season's confirmed. And now, next year, there's going to be an anime adaptation. "At long last we see best girl animated!"

Leo nodded eagerly, he was actually excited. Anime had long been one of the only things that made him happy — even at his lowest points. "Yeah, I heard! Not bad… not bad at all."

The conversation went from there, naturally. They grumbled about cliffhangers, argued over character arcs and speculated about plot twists. For a moment there, Leo forgot his mission, his past, all the baggage on his back.

He was just another boy, lost in a made-up world.

Eventually, the conversation turned to more personal territory. Fred made an exaggerated sigh and leaned his chin on his hand. "Man, I'm sick of being by myself."

Leo grinned. "Speak for yourself. I'm just fine going on my own. Less drama, more freedom."

"Sure, sure," Fred teased. "But in your heart of hearts, even you gotta admit you get lonely sometimes. Someone to share your highs and lows… You don't deny it."

Leo hesitated, his eyes absently shifting to Liana. Was Fred right? Had loneliness pushed him to make wrong decisions in his previous life? He dismissed the thought and jumped back into talking.

"Whatever," Leo muttered. "So, what are your plans after graduation?"

Fred shrugged. "Probably college. My parents are pushing me to major in business or accounting but to be honest? I'd rather do graphic design. What about you?"

Leo paused, considering his response. This was his opportunity to make amends — to avoid the path that brought him to that garbage life.

"I'm considering starting my own business," Leo said confidently. "Something tech-related. Or maybe investing early. Whatever it is, I'm done spending time on it."

Fred whistled, impressed. "Damn, ambitious. Guess you're really doing this.?"

Leo smirked. "Of course, brother."

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Leo stood, feeling a little taller. Talking with Fred made him remember the simplicity of being a young adult, friendships, dreams, infinite possibilities. And even though he knew he couldn't afford to take his eyes off the prize, he also knew that reconnecting with people might be just the thing that saved him from repeating his past mistakes.

Little did he know these small moments of connection would shape his future more than he could envisage.