John comes from a broken home, with parents who constantly quarrel and a step-father who reprimands and canes him. He has low self-esteem and confidence from dealing with the family problems. At school, John used to be a top student but his performance has declined, which concerns his teachers who feel the broken family is negatively impacting him. He is befriended by only three students, Meng Chong, Azam, and Junjie, who bully and insult John.