Chapter 2 - Consuela
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After making up her mind, Lisa tried to behave normally and interact with Consuela.
However, there was a very foundational difference between the previous Lisa and the current one.
While the one before was a gentle and innocent young girl, the new one was an ex-middle-aged businessman. His definition of 'normal' vastly differed from what the norms really were.
Lisa greedily eyed the few candies placed near Consuela and directly took one and popped it into her mouth, chewing on it earnestly. She had picked the raw mango flavor, which was her favorite.
Consuela took a while to process what had just happened before she gave Lisa a wronged look.
"Tsk, what are you looking at? It was just a candy, alright? Whatever, I will offer you my protection for today in exchange for two more candies."
Without waiting for Consuela to respond, Lisa directly pocketed two more, finding them very much to her liking.
The teary-eyed Consuela couldn't protest as she quickly hid the leftover candies in her pouch and stored them in her school bag.
The Teacher had noticed Lisa's little mischief and coughed lightly while staring at Lisa as she spoke,
"Everyone, pay attention to the class. Do not cause trouble to others."
Although she didn't address anyone in particular, since the two kids involved were both scholarship students, Lisa noted her instruction and started to behave accordingly.
The Teacher was surprised by Lisa's strange Behaviour, who had been very popular even with the teachers.
She couldn't understand why the usually well-behaved Lisa suddenly acted like a rogue. In the end, though, she dropped the matter and resumed the lessons.
Lisa wiped away her cold sweat and tried to put on a serious learning posture. At her mental age, she didn't want to endure a punishment like standing outside the classroom.
She didn't worry about studies, though, as the current curriculum was a piece of cake for her to master.
Rather, even college-level study material could be recited by her, owing to her days of having home-tutored students in her previous life's youth.
...
Soon, the Lunch break arrived.
Lisa was surrounded by a lot of students who tried to chat with her. Lisa, too, made some simple small talk with the kids without blowing her cover, while she secretly kept an eye on her deskmate Consuela.
It wasn't long before three boys came close to the class entrance as they began to glare at Consuela. Holding her Lunchbox and the leftover candies, Consuela slowly made her way to them, as the four of them eventually went away.
Since this had happened routinely, nobody thought much about it. But Lisa had been lying in wait for this certain event since the morning, and recalling the System's prompt regarding Consuela's troubles, she excused herself from the crowd and started to follow the four from a distance.
After following them for a time, she saw the four going behind the School building, near the backyard. Watching closely from the corner, Lisa found the three boys glaring at Consuela mockingly.
The tallest of the bunch pulled her hair, causing Consuela to grimace in pain, while the other two took away her lunchbox and candy pouch.
"Heh, getting too arrogant now, aren't you?? Why did you not greet me when I came to the class, huh?!"
"E-Elder Cousin..."
Consuela mumbled as she tried to hold back the tears from her hair being pulled.
Her elder cousin, the taller boy, Matt Howard, laughed heartily as he scolded,
"That's the way you should call me. By the way, I am only taking care of you because your beggar Mom asked me to take care of an unwanted child like you. And see how good I have been to you, right? Aren't I such a good cousin? Allowing you, poor excuse of a relative, to hang around with us rich people, isn't this luck of yours reaching the skies already?"
Consuela finally she the tears held back in her eyelids when she heard her Mother being mocked so badly. But she knew that she was powerless and couldn't fight back against the three older boys. Even her Mother had to bow to her Cousin's Parents whenever the issue of borrowed money came up.
Fighting back just wasn't an option for her, not to mention the strength difference between the four-year-old Consuela and the three second-year students, averaging at seven years of age.
The fat boy standing behind her cousin held her candy pouch gleefully, but upon opening it to check, he became angry all of a sudden and roared,
"What is this?!! This little amount won't even satisfy a tooth of mine! You greedy bumpkin! You already ate my candies, didn't you?!"
Consuela's face turned a shade of red. Still, she chose not to answer and lowered her head in silence instead. She didn't want to get her deskmate Lisa involved in her problems.
Her Elder Cousin Matt didn't take Consuela's response too kindly as he kicked her in the waist, sending her small body a distance as she fell on the ground.
"Hmm? Looks like we have been too kind to you lately. Forgot about us already, eh? Well, it has been a while since your last beating. Maybe today is a good day for re-education."
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