This story is a Halloween inspired piece, based off of Aesop's fable 'The Fox and the Grapes'
Word Count: 1.2k
Jimmy took a long drag from his cigarette as he stood outside the Quick & Snappy. The small store that sat right across the street from the arcade. He was begrudgingly waiting for his grandma to finish talking to her old lady friends inside. Normally he wouldn't be in this part of town, but his grandma had dragged him over early this morning. Stating there was a two for one sale on beef, at this precise store, that she just HAD to have.
He pulled out another cigarette from his pack, and moved the plastic store bags to the side with his foot, as he heavily debated whether to storm across the street and teach Ben Park, fucking Alex Go, and some damn tree of a person a lesson.
He had been biding his time ever since his fight last year with Ben Park. Steadily building up his strength as he got into fight after fight, all for the purpose of settling the score once and for all with him. And now here he was, watching Ben and his two stupid friends trying to match their strengths against each other, on some punching machine right outside the arcade.
Alex was the first one up, getting a measly score of 870. Ben was next, and Jimmy pulled the cigarette out of his mouth to focus his sight better, as Ben punched the machine with a deafening smash that Alex had obviously lacked. Jimmy let out a scoff as he noticed that the score read 970. Soon after that he noticed the tree send the machine a high kick.
He didn't bother to check the score as he turned his head to look into the store's front window instead, seeing his grandma still deep in conversations with her friends. That fucking pathetic bastard, Jimmy thought of Ben as his fist itched for a fight. But even Jimmy knew it was a bad idea to start a fight with his grandma still in the vicinity.
She had been having health problems recently, and he cared enough about her to not want to cause her anymore stress. Plus he knew Ben's days were numbered anyway. Especially after the recent scuffle that had happened with Jack Kang at the underpass.
He turned back to see the trio finally walking away, laughing as if they didn't have to thank their lucky stars that he had to hold himself back today. Jimmy grit his teeth as he cursed Ben under his breath and lit up another cigarette.
No sooner had the cigarette touched his lips that he felt a strong slap to the back of the head, causing his barely lit cigarette to fall onto the concrete at his feet.
"Damn it Jimmy! What have I told you about smoking those things! And please don't tell me all these cigarette butts on the ground are yours?" Granny Bae shouted out as she looked in disgust at the littered ground around her. She shook her head solemnly. "Don't you know your grandpa died from smoking those things. So unless you want to meet him sooner rather than later you'll cut out that disgusting habit."
Jimmy knew better than to argue with her and just rolled his eyes, as he picked up the multiple grocery bags from the ground. He had started following her to the car when an idea formed in his head and he stopped.
"Hey grandma, give me a sec." he called out placing the bags down on the ground again, and jogging across the street, as his grandma yelled out after him.
He reached the punching machine in no time and inserted a coin. He drew back his fist with a mirthful smirk before releasing his punch and hitting the target with a loud boom. He looked down at his score and his face morphed into an unpleasant scowl.
That couldn't be right, he thought as he read the 960 marked score. He dug into his pocket for another coin as he gave his complaining grandma a half assed wave for her to wait. He then quickly inserted the coin, pulled back his fist, and tried again. This time the sound of the impact was stronger so he was sure the score would reflect a better outcome, which in a way it did, but still not what he expected it to be as it read 965.
He clicked his tongue before spitting onto the sidewalk and making his way across the street again to his waiting grandmother. He picked up the grocery bags in a daze as he played back in his head what has just happened. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear any of his grandma's snarky comments on the walk to the car.
For the next couple weeks Jimmy trained his body every chance he got. Whether it was by doing pull ups on the school's parallel bars or by getting into unprovoked fights. He was even lucky enough to run into Alex Go at the pool hall, where he shown absolutely zero mercy to the green eyed teen, as he pummeled his face bloody.
But even that small moment of satisfaction didn't make Jimmy's mood any better. He still walked the school halls with a permanent scowl that sent most students running for cover. To everyone he crossed he resembled an angry grizzlie bear just waiting to attack.
Even his best friend Jack Kang wasn't sure why Jimmy was as prickly as he had been lately. He assumed it had to do with the problems Ben Park had caused recently, but of course Jack couldn't have known that it also involved an arcade punching machine. Or the fact that Jimmy had already gone back twice, to that same machine since the original day he had tried it. Each time only showing a slight improvement, with a gained score of 966 on his first return visit and 968 on his second.
And it just so happened that at this very moment, Jimmy was standing in front of the same punching machine, with a look of hatred and determination in his eyes. He stretched out his arms first before inserting a coin, and winding his arm back. He then took in a deep breath, held it for a second, and then released. The loud boom of his fist hitting the target radiated throughout the street.
Jimmy pulled his fist back and scowled once more. The score read 969.
He stood staring at the numbers for a solid minute before spitting out in distaste.
Stupid, fucking machine must be broken. Plus there's only one REAL way to test out your strength anyway.
He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed up Jack. "Hey Jack, gather everyone up and tell them to get ready. We're gonna hit up Eunjang tomorrow. I'm tired of these games and I'm ready to show Ben a real fucking lesson."
A/N: Anyone who has talked to me for more than two seconds will know that I love me some Jimmy Bae, but even I don't think he will ever catch up to Ben. Even if he's just a hair's breath away, or in this case, just a single point's difference. And seriously out of all the characters, I think Jimmy would be the most sour grapes about losing than anyone else. 🦊🍇
