《Is My Life Ordinary?》 Chapter 1 - Early Morning Troubles I woke up at... "7:05 am." At least I didn''t wake up late, I don''t know what is happening to me but the past few days I end up being late for school and my mother would scold me. Also, I don''t like being scolded but who can resist sleep in the morning? "It''s better to get ready early o-" "Allen it''s 8:30 and you haven''t woken up yet!" here it is. You all must have experienced that our parents always would tell time wrong and will say things like they used to wake up four in the morning. I mean you used to wake early but it doesn''t mean that I also have to wake up early. And even if I wake up early, what should I do? Imagine a scenario where we woke up at 4 in the morning and we slowly brushed our teeth, took a bath, and ate our breakfast; how much time would it take to do all these things? 30 minutes or max-to-max one-hour but not more than, right? But we still have approximately more than one hour. "ALLEN!" I heard mom''s loud voice and I knew if I don''t wake up now and get ready, some kitchen utensils will come in my direction also with great speed and force but..... "5 more minutes...¡­" I said that with a little low voice. I know I planned to get ready early but it is just a plan, at night I made a decision that I would wake early from today onwards and the result is what we are seeing. I tried to wake up but couldn''t wake up. I don''t know what time it was but I just knew that it is way past eight and my school starts at 8:30 so I am going to be late today also. What a drag... "Click" I heard my door opening but I was in half sleep so I knew that my door opened but I neither have the power to lift my head to see who is there nor the interest to know who came. "TNNN!" At that moment a metallic substance hit me, very hard and I knew who it was in an instant. "I am awake! I am awake. I am awake....." all the sleep just vanished and the look on my mother was very terrifying. "You better be and if you don''t get ready in ten minutes don''t think that you will be able to go school without getting your cheeks red. OKAY?" "Yes, mother." In an instant, I stood up and ran directly to the bathroom. "Mothers are very terrifying when they get mad." I brushed my teeth and took a bath hastily. Mother was just about to call me to check whether I was ready or not and due to someone''s terrifying look, I made it in time. I ate my breakfast, wore my shoes that looked like the last time I checked my books and now I am ready to go to school also more importantly in TIME. I am proud of myself since in less than ten minutes I got ready and I mean aren''t I super fast... "Hehehehe." "Why are you laughing? Get going already, it''s time already." "Yeah, yeah. Don''t nag me, I am going. BYE!" "Yeah, Bye." as I waved my hand to my mother she also waved back. On my way, the road is generally peaceful and quiet but due to some construction work, the peaceful days are gone but of course not for long. Just like our peaceful neighborhood used to be, I hope today the day goes peacefully, without any problem. But whenever we think our day will be great something or other happens and ruins our mood and I have a gut feeling it is going to happen. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 2 - Homework Crisis As I left for school I started to think that we have homework right? "OHHH SHIT!" I didn''t do the homework, more importantly, today is the last day of submission. I knew it! Something that will ruin my day would arise. "Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit." I ran as fast as I could. If I could just copy it from someone I still have a chance. The school was in view and I could see children going in, maybe if I can find someone from my class from whom I can ask about their homework but... "No one? Why do I have such bad luck." I reached my classroom and I could see that almost half of the class was filled. For a second I forgot about the homework and wondered how it is possible that so many people can wake up early in the morning? I have so much trouble waking up early and here almost half of the class is already. "I don''t have time for this." I looked around to see if I could copy my work... "Thud." I placed my bag at my desk and went directly to the topper of the class. Always ask the class topper for anything related to study. Also, generally, the topper kind of people have a little bit of ego in them and their answer to someone who asks about their homework and their reply would be- Case 1) "I didn''t do it." Case 2) "I don''t know." Case 3) "Teacher asked us to do it on our own." The third one is the worst kind of answer. So I have cracked opened a very simple formula about this kind of answer and that is- "Hey, Tim, can I ask you something?" Tim is our class topper. "Yeah, sure," he replied. "I forgot to do the homework and I know this is silly of me but can I ask you to share your homework with me please." "I don''t know..." okay, so the second option. Here we go. "But Tim beside you I don''t know whether the work of others is correct or wrong. I can only believe that your work can be fully trusted." "Umm... Since you want it that badly I guess I can give you but don''t copy it line to line, change it in between so that the teacher doesn''t find out that you copied mine." got him. "Yeah. Even I won''t do something idiotic like that." see the trick with egoistic people is to praise them a little and compare them with the whole. Also most important is to maintain a neutral relationship with them because you don''t know when and where you need them. "No time to waste now. Let''s hurry." I sat down on my chair but... it is like people to meddle whenever there is a chance. "Hey Allen, what are you doing?" I heard a girl saying this while I saw a pair of shoes resting on the side of my desk. "What do you want Liz?" I asked her very gently, not to get angry. Ask anyone who wouldn''t get angry when you are doing important work and someone comes to you and interferes with your work for FUN! "Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you." What the fuck man?! "Liz, can we talk later? I have to do some work right now?" she doesn''t know that if she doesn''t go away right now she might have to face some consequences. "Wh-" as she was about to say something- "Hey Liz, someone is here to talk to you." someone called her. Thank that person. "DING-DONG! FIRST PERIOD." And I cannot catch a break. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 3 - What Happened In Class? Okay so here is the situation- I haven''t done the homework which has to be submitted today. If I don''t do it, what would be the outcomes? Case 1) I would get scolded by the teacher and matters end here. (acceptable) Case 2) I would get scolded by the teacher and then this matter will be told to my parents. (extremely not acceptable) Case 3) Teacher will be in a good mood and let this problem pass by. (not likely to happen) The first option is a viable one but if the outcome is second then I might have to run away from home. Listen, parents will never let this kind of thing pass by, either they will remind you of the incident again and again or will scold you and then will keep a check on you on regular notice and also become more alert about what their child does. The second option is out so we are left with the last option that is... the teacher will be in a good mood but its possibility is almost 0.001%. Has it ever happened that she let go of the person who hasn''t done the homework? There haven''t been any moments like that, none. Man, what to do? What to do? "So with this, the lesson is complete." huh?! "Also I have a small announcement to make." great... I didn''t pay any attention to today''s class. This homework is going to trouble me throughout the day. "Since we have completed three chapters of mathematics, we teachers have decided to take a quiz." "When will it be sensei?" one of the frontbenchers asked. "It depends, like we teachers are planning to take it on this coming Monday but if you want it to we can extend it, but only till next week of Friday." Even if they take a test on Monday we still have at least four days since today is Wednesday. But I would prefer Friday. More the time we get is always the better choice. "Monday!" As always the topper always wants the tests or quizzes to be held as earliest as possible. "No! Friday." This came from the person sitting next to me. Her name is Selene, she doesn''t talk much with students but often answers questions asked in class. And like that class got divided into two sections. One side is saying for Monday and the other for Friday. This is hilarious since the class is in havoc and the teacher doesn''t know how to control it. It''s the perfect time for me to complete my homework, yes! "ONE MOMENT HERE PLEASE." a boy shouted from the middle of the class. Oh... man. "Why don''t we make it Wednesday?" that boy right there, his name Noah. He is our class monitor and one of his big problems is that he speaks extremely loudly but at the beginning only. I don''t know why but whenever he speaks the first sentence is always loud and then slowly there are decreases in volume. It''s kind of funny that he speaks like that, starting with so much high volume and decreasing it to almost zero. "Yes, why don''t we take it on Wednesday?" At last sensei had some courage to step in. "... we can take it." one side of the group who chose Monday agreed to this. "Okay take it on Wednesday." and a few moments later the other half also agreed. Such a waste of time. I could have at least done half the homework till now. "Ding-dong! Second period." "Fuck man another period wasted..." I let out a big sigh because the voice of the school bell is reminding me that- ''I have to complete the homework before 5th period.'' "Which subject''s period is now?" "English," Selene answered me even though she usually doesn''t talk much. "Thanks." as for the reply she just nodded. As I thought, she still doesn''t want to talk much. "Good Morning Sensei." All students stood up from their seats to wish sensei and as for me, my heart is throbbing faster and faster, as every minute passes by. I am constantly being remembered, about my homework. I just hope that she gets absent or someone''s teacher takes up the period or another thing just doesn''t give her the class today. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 4 - What Is With These Number? "So we can say that he played a very important role in getting freedom in Africa." Homework is still not complete and it''s the end of the third period. (Fifth Period is the submission) I have been sweating a lot and my legs won''t stop shaking. "Any doubts?" sensei asked. "No." "No, sensei" Even I don''t have any doubts in today''s class, most probably because I was paying hardly any attention in class. "Okay the bell has rung and I have to go now. See you all tomorrow and try to go through whatever was discussed today." As she said that she left the classroom. "Ahh... man I give up." I have been worrying about this thing for far too long. We''ll see whatever happens. I haven''t drunk a single drop of water since coming to school, I drank half the bottle in one go and for a while I noticed someone staring at me. "..." "Do you want something?" I asked while looking towards Selene. "No.... nothing in particular." "Whatever." I tried to ignore it. I don''t have time to chit-chat. .... .... The fourth period was half away. My heart was like a train engine, the number of heartbeats per minute was increasing like the train''s speed increases when it leaves the platform. "With this, our topic for today is finished." Okay, in this class I did pay a little bit of attention, I think.... "Umm... We still have 10 more minutes, should we continue?" sensei asked everyone. "...." at first no one answered. "Let''s stop here." one student from the backside of the class said, his name is Peter. After he said that, most of the students agreed to it instantly. "Okay, I will leave this here." while he said that he walked out of the classroom. "Hey." I felt someone poking my shoulder. I turned around to see who it was. "Hmm..." "Did you do physics homework?" His name is Alex, similar to mine. "No..." "Lol, I also didn''t do it. We are both partners in crime. Hehehe." "Oh god¡­ I thought I was the only one." At least someone is like me, great. "I have an idea. Why don''t we ask everyone in class whether they have done it or not," he advised, an idea that also piqued my interest because if there are multiple students who haven''t done, the wrath of the teacher will be divided into multiple students and the impact will be less. "Let''s go." We stood up. But something has been bothering me for a while. "If you want to say something, say it," I said to Selene. She flinched when I said her name a little loud. I somehow knew she wanted to say something earlier. "Umm...." "Alex, you go ahead first." I made Alex go early because I guessed that she isn''t comfortable with Alex around. "Now." since Alex is gone she should be able to tell me now. "I... have... also not done the homework," she spoke. "Wait what?" Selene can be considered right behind Tim, I guess toppers also sometimes forget to do homework. "..." "Okay, if we include you, we are 3 students out of 40 who haven''t done the homework." "Allen two here also!" Alex called out to me. "What?" "They also haven''t done it." (5/40 students who haven''t done the homework) I also started asking. ¡­ ¡­ "Fuck man!" If someone sees Alex like this anyone can tell he has fallen into despair. "Yeah, who would have thought that only 6 students would have not done the homework." (6/40) "Isn''t the number a little too less?" "Ding-ding. Fifth Period." "Fuu....." I let out a big sigh. "Let''s gather up our courage, Allen," Alex said while putting his hand on my right shoulder. "Yes..." Let''s see what happens now. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 5 - What Will Happen? Let me introduce our physics teacher- She is a scary instructor, and I mean that literally. When a student was not paying attention in her class, she escorted him to the counseling room, and he has always paid attention in class since then. So, never do something that would put you on her radar, because I don''t want to be on her radar... But whatever happens, it doesn''t matter now. ... Approximately ten minutes have passed since the period started but she was nowhere to be seen. Also, she has a history that she has never taken a single holiday for the past 7 years. How do I know this? I have an elder brother who was taught by her and he is 6 years older than me, also I have asked a few others and they all confirmed the fact. "SCREECH..." the door opened but no one came inside. "Oi, is it her?" Alex asked me. "I am also sitting next to you, why are you asking me, ask someone from the front bench," I said. "Did she come?" someone from the back, asked. "No. Not yet." Tim answered, he always sits on the front bench. He has weak eyesight so cannot see things clearly if they are far away. The whole class was dead silent and was waiting for her arrival but no one was seen at the gate. "Peter goes check if she came or not," Alex said but still looking towards the door. "W-why me?" even Peter is scared of her. Peter always ends up in fights so he is considered a delinquent. Even delinquents are afraid of her. "Show some gut''s man." Alex taunted him more. "Why don''t you show some gutters and go check it yourself." Peter didn''t let him taunt. "I-I-is that so." even his voice his cracking. But I have a way to check. I stood up from my seat and the whole class looked at me at the same time. "Watch me." I declared as I went towards the gate. I just wanted to be in the spotlight and doing something heroic. Also, it seems like what the main characters would have done. Hehehe. My plan is very simple. If the teacher is at the gate I will tell her that I am going to the washroom or if she isn''t there then there is no problem. I was just a few steps away from the door and then- "Class 2-E we have an announcement to make." a girl came inside running pushing me sideways as if I was not there. Also, there were three more students behind her. "I am the school president and this is an announcement if all second years are requested to report to assemble at the auditorium." "..." "Right Now." When I heard ''right now'' I looked directly towards Selene and Alex. I can see that Alex is quite happy, I mean look at him smiling as if he has won a big competition. And for Selene, I cannot completely comprehend what she is thinking but a slight change could be seen on her face, so I guess she is also relieved by the news. This goes the same for all six who haven''t done the homework. Everyone stood up and started exiting the classroom. I waited for Alex since he waves at me and... also he shouted to wait for him. We all walked towards the auditorium. "Allen, can you believe it!?" "No, of course not." "I am really happy right now." "Is that so..." actually I could make out that he is happy, it''s showing on his face. Anyone would be able to see that. "Yeah!" As we entered the auditorium it was almost full, it looked like they were waiting for our class only. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 6 - Whats Happening?! As we were about to enter the auditorium I could hear some voices from inside. I entered and saw that almost all of the auditorium was full with only a few spaces available. Probably our class was the last to come. "Woah! It''s full." Alex was walking beside me. "It must be important since first years and third years both are all here," I replied. The space left was occupied by our class. I looked around and was quite surprised to see that all teachers and vice-principal, principal and school chairman were present, forming a line in front of the students. "What''s going to happen?" "Why are we here?" "What are we here for?" Many students were confused about what is going to happen because neither the teachers nor the student council has revealed anything yet. "SILENCEEEEEEEE!" someone on the microphone shouted and at full volume. The whole auditorium fell silent. Who is he? "Who is he?" Alex asked me. "You don''t know him?" I said sarcastically. "You know him!?" "No... I am kidding....." Does he not understand sarcasm? "As you must be knowing me, I am the principal of this school. Today here with me is Mr Albert, he works for the government and is here to tell you all some important things." what important things? "What important things?" Alex again asked me, poking my shoulder. "Shut up for a second," I spoke a little loud and a few turned behind to see what was happening. But I acted as if nothing had happened and I also looked around to make it look like I am also not aware of who it was. "You there, be silent." one of the teachers from the front said while looking towards my direction so I thought she was saying to me but she also thought that Alex is the one making noise. "Hello my name is Albert and as your principal has told you earlier I work for the government. You all will not be able to go outside the school for two weeks." "WHAT?!" someone from class 3-C shouted. That class especially is known as one of the worst classes in the school. I have heard some bad rumours about that class. But that''s not important now. "Please calm down, listen to me first." "...." students settled down. "Okay, now that everyone is calm I will proceed. What I mean is that the government has planning to introduce a new system of education and coincidentally your school name came up." "..." Even after he finished it raised more questions than answers. "Excuse me." I heard someone from behind so I looked back but I could not see the person. I couldn''t make out who it was. "Yes." Mr Albert said. "What do you mean by not being able to go outside school?" Yes, that''s the main question. "Good question. It means that from today onwards till the end of two weeks you all will have to stay in school." "Don''t worry about food or clothing, the government will provide it all." Everyone was in confusion, also by the looks on the teachers face we could also make out that even they didn''t know about this. "Everyone focuses here." The principal took over the microphone. "We have already contacted your parents about all this and they all have agreed to this." "What! My parents will never allow this!" a person standing beside me shouted. "Yeah, I need to talk to my parents!" Shouting increased drastically, probably because whose parents would agree to sudden demand? They aren''t even requesting but demanding. Without any prior notice, any parent will decline it. "Sorry but no one is allowed to talk to anyone outside." Now this made students go wild. Shouting increased so much that, now I have put my hand on my ear to block such loud voices. While no one was noticing, I coincidentally noticed another person wearing similar clothes to that of a government official; like Mr Abert. I thought that she was with him but- "Shut up!" she shouted so loud that it echoed around the auditorium. Yup not with the government, I mean look how scary she looks. "...." everyone''s gaze turned towards the corner. "Are you not able to sleep without your mother? Huh!? It''s just two weeks after that you can sleep on your mamas'' lap." she glared at all of us. She looked so terrifying that no one was able to say anything. "Ohh... right there is my acquaintance. Her name is Charlotte." really!? A person like that works for the government instead she looks like the leader of a gang. Scary. Very scary. The atmosphere became nervous and the look on everyone''s expression was that of a dumbfounded. It''s like we will be confined in school for the whole two weeks. Let''s see what is going to happen to us. Also, I still have to complete my physics homework. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 7 - Are We Really Going To Be Okay? For two weeks straight we all are going to live in the school. It''s kind of okay and not okay at the same time because all connection to the outside is blocked. After the announcement was finished we all were sent back to our classes. We live in a modern age and by that I mean, many bring their smartphones with them in school even though it is prohibited. So naturally, they tried to call their respective parents but... Everyone''s backpacks were missing. Many put their phones in backpacks but... since our backpacks are missing many thought that we were not of options. But some kept their phones with them, so few still had their phones. The person with the phone tried to call on a number but he was automatically directed to a voicemail. The government doesn''t have loopholes, they thoroughly have seen this through. ... ... "What should we do now?" Alex asked me while we were sitting in our seats. The class was filled and everyone was discussing forming a group about this weird situation. "I don''t know. Teachers are also missing, I mean there is no one in the whole building and just a few moments ago they were all in the auditorium." "I have an idea." "What?" "If there is no one in the whole school to check us we can just jump over the school gate, right." "Like no one would have thought of it." "Come on, let''s go and check." He took my hand and pulled me. "Okay. I''ll go, don''t pull me, I can walk on my own." I freed my hand and tagged along. ... "Umm.... can I come also?" Someone again pulled my shirt. "Huh." It was Selene. "...." oh.. she also wants to check. I didn''t know she was listening to us. "Yeah sure." she also tagged along with us but... she didn''t let go of my shirt. "Umm... Selene..." I tried to give a hint that she is still holding onto my shirt. "Huh..." she didn''t realise it yet. "Nothing." fine hold onto it. ... We walked towards the exit. I noticed that the school was in... desolation. "Hey look, it''s already crowded." "I told you. Many of the students must have thought of the same thing as you. Stupid." I scowled at him a little. "Anyway, why aren''t they going outside? Isn''t our school gate only around four-meter high?" I also thought of the same thing. "Hey, what''s happening?" I called someone who was standing right in front of us. "It looks like the gate have been replaced with a new one." "Huh!" Alex was the first one to react. "What do you mean by that?" I asked. "Look at it yourself." I stepped forward also... Selene is still holding onto my shirt, come on girl when will you let go? ".... oh fuck." What the heck is that thing? "What did you see, tell me also!" Alex shouted from behind. Alex is small in height as compared to an average high school student, that is why he couldn''t see what I just saw. "The school gate has been replaced." "What?" "Instead of our old gate a metal gate is replaced and a sign is placed in front of it saying ''Caution- High voltage current is flowing through here.''" "Huh?" Yes, that''s the same reaction when I first saw it. "W-what do we do now?" Selene said while pulling my shirt. "I don''t know...." how could I know? "For now let''s meet up with others." "With others you mean our class right?" "Yes, of course, who else." "No, nothing. Never mind." actually he is friends with weird kids and would usually hang out with them and for a second thought, he meant them. ... We walked towards our class. "Someone is still in class." It was a little surprising because while we were on our way almost all the classes were empty. Maybe because they were all anxious about what to do now so we''re roaming around the school instead of sitting ducks. "Who?" I asked Alex since he is walking in front. "Umm... it''s Peter and Liz." ohh... man not Liz and Peter, both at the same time. "Hey! Have you seen others?" Alex you idiot! I didn''t want to be associated with them. "Huh! Ohh... no we haven''t." Liz answered while glaring at me. Why?! "By the way..." Peter said but stopped in between and looked behind me. What''s behind me? "Hmm..." I looked but nothing was there so naturally I looked at Peter. "Why is she holding onto your shirt?" ohh... he meant Selene. "Why? Is it bothering you? I never liked Peter, never. So this is a good chance to annoy him a little if it annoys him that Selene is holding my shirt. Good going Selene, don''t let go of my shirt. "Huh!?" he thinks that everyone should listen to him. "I said, ''Is it bothering you?''," I said in a sarcastic tone. "Stop it Peter." too bad Liz interfered in between. Someday I want to kick his ass. "STUDENTS THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT SO LISTEN CAREFULLY. LOOK INSIDE YOUR RESPECTIVE DESKS AND THERE YOU WILL FIND AN ENVELOPE. OPEN IT. THERE WILL BE A TASK WRITTEN FOR YOU. COMPLETE IT BEFORE THE TIME LIMIT WRITTEN ON IT ALSO WHO IS NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TASK OR REFUSES TO DO IT WILL EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL ON THE SPOT." okay first of all I would like to say it loud- ''What the fuck is happening in this school!?'' but I tried to suppress it. I walked towards my bench and we all went towards our bench. "Time limit- 1 hour. Task-_____________________________________." Huh! it''s blank. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 8 - What Am I Supposed To Do!? "Time limit- 1 hour. Task-_____________________________________." Huh! It''s empty. I think I heard correctly saying that there will be a task written, but why is it blank? "H-hey, is your task not written?" "Yes, mine also is not written." Alex was the first one to answer. "Same." "Yep, same." It seems like all of our tasks are not written. One minute, wait. "Selene...." I called her since she is the only one who hasn''t said anything. "... I have something written in here." "Nice. Read it aloud." I said, to which she nodded. "Time limit- 30 minutes. Task- What can run but never walk, have a mouth but never talk, have a head that never weeps, and a bed that never sleeps?" "Time limit is different for you. I have an hour. What about everyone else?" "45 minutes," Alex said. "1 hour," Liz answered. "45 minutes." followed by Peter. "Why is only Selene the one with the task written," Alex asked. "Who knows. What time is it?" I asked. "10:45 am," Liz answered since she is the only one with the watch. "Can you add a timer in that?" "Yes." "Add a timer for every 15 minutes." "Why....?" "Isn''t it self explanatory that we would need to keep a check on time? Didn''t you hear they will expel us? We need to keep the time limit in mind." "Ohh...." Liz comes on, staying with people like Peter have reduced your IQ. She put a timer on but the problem was what should we do now? We don''t know what the task is and above all, they will expel us. Are they kidding us? Having written that the person was expelled might make the person''s life difficult since it will degrade his value and many schools might not allow the person to enrol him in the school. It will ruin its whole life. As we were thinking about what to do, a sudden increase in invoices could be noticed. Ahh... here they come. Of course, our other classmates will come. No one wants to get expelled, especially from this school. I might not have mentioned it but actually, our school is considered to be in the Top 5 schools in the whole nation. ''Coincidently'' my ass, this might be the main reason why the government chose this school. Everyone looked inside their respective tables and took out the envelopes. But the problem was that only 8 people have their tasks written and the others have the same problem as us. "What the heck is this?" Peter said loudly with an annoying face. Also, he said that a little loud to which everyone turned their gaze towards him. "Oi, we all have the same problem. Don''t react like you are the only miserable one here." I mean he pointed out our main problem. It''s just psychology, like when someone says that they are hungry it makes others realize also, making everyone hungry, also if someone in a group yawns it''s a possibility that ninety per cent of people present there will also yawn causing a chain reaction. And because of his comment, it made us realize that we are sitting ducks here. "HUH!" "Are you deaf?" I said with a little loud voice. You wanna fight to be my guest, I also want to settle my score with you. "Cut it out both of you." Liz again interrupted in between. "Liz doesn''t interfere in between!" Despite Liz saying to stop, Peter looked extremely annoyed. "Are you an IDIOT?" I again taunted him. "You are just asking for it!" he stepped further and it looked like he was going to punch me. But like hell, I would get scared and back down. "Do we have the luxury to fight? In about 50 minutes if we don''t complete our task we all will be expelled and if you want that, I don''t mind beating some sense in you." "Allen you....!" "S-stop." I heard a girl''s voice not too loud but enough to be noticed. I looked around to see who it was. "We should n-not fight among ourselves." It was Selene. "....." "....." "Fine." what she said was right. I don''t have to waste my time on him right now, I will deal with him later. "Alright." It seems like Peter has a little sense in him. "Ehh.. you have some sense. Nice for you." I couldn''t suppress that statement from coming out. "You.... you....!" I looked directly into his eyes and waited for him to say something but he didn''t say anything. "Allen stops it." this time Liz scolded me. "Ohh.... sorry. Sorry." I apologized since I know that I went a little overboard. Onto the problem at hand. "Selene, do you have any idea what the answer is?" I looked back at Selene. "I don''t know...." makes sense, riddles usually take time also for Selene it is only thirty minutes. What to do? What to do? "Read it again, the riddle." " What can run but never walk, have a mouth but never talk, have a head that never weeps, and a bed that never sleeps?" "What can run but never walk? What is it that can run but does not walk? Hm....." what can it be? I know the answer. I mean when my elder brother was watching TV the other day, this was the same question they asked. Come on, it is on the tip of my tongue but not coming out. "Selene, what are things related to running?" "A-A dog runs, a man runs, tap water, marathon, sprint....." "Wait, wait, wait what did you say before a marathon?" "T-tap water." "Tap water, water, running water, running water... I got it." I spoke a little loud. "Did you get the answer Allen." since Alex was closest to us he asked first. "River. It''s the answer to the Selene riddle. It meets all the conditions." "Wait." Alex checked the riddle again and by the reaction he was giving, I could tell that he also thought the answer was correct. "B-but... where do we have-have to submit this?" Selene asked. "Right.... we don''t know where to submit." Liz was also listening to us and said. "Oi, Allen isn''t it a problem? We don''t know where to submit it and time is running out. Fuck it, man! Right, when we cross one hurdle there is another. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 9 - We All Are In This Together... Okay, now we have a big problem in our hands. We completed one of the eight riddles but we don''t know where to submit it? "Hey, Allen, what should we do now?" Liz asked me. "Why is everyone asking me?" I mean for the last few moments everyone is asking me what should we do next? "Okay, okay we''ll try asking you fewer problems from now onwards." "Yes, please do that." "Beep-beep." "15 minutes have passed." For me, 45 minutes are left, for Selene, only 15 minutes are left, for Alex, 30 minutes are left, for Liz 45 minutes are left and as for Peter I don''t care. I only know about all these people''s time limit, and others I don''t know as of now. "Hey everyone, let''s aid others whose tasks are written. It might lead to something if we solve all eight of them." I don''t know completely but most probably all of the eight tasks might give us hints about how to read the blank sheet of paper because it is not like they will try to give us a blank sheet, most probably moreover it might also lead us where we have to submit it. "Umm... guys I think I have a problem here." "What now?" Peter is extremely annoyed, I could make out just by looking at his face. "In my paper, it suddenly got a few letters." "What!? Give it to me." Liz asked. ".... Yes, there are few letters but I could hardly make out what is written here." "Hey, what did you do?" "Nothing, I was just drinking water and a few drops of water fell on it." "That''s it! Water." I said loudly in excitement. "Water?" Alex asked. "Everyone sprinkles water in their papers. It might be that invisible ink is used." these government bastards, they must have made it like that so that people will waste their time. "Hey, my task is visible now." "Mine also." "My task is also visible now." yes! It means it was certainly invisible ink. "Mine doesn''t show up." "Me neither." It seems like a few still have a few problems. "Okay people with their tasks written, start thinking. And for others, let''s see what should be done." Liz has started to take control, which is good. In this situation, we need a leader. "What to do now with them?" "Hey, if other papers were related to invisible ink shouldn''t other papers be also related to it." Alex pointed out an obvious statement. "Hey, do any of you know another way to make invisible ink visible?" "Umm... I know." someone from behind said. His name is Henry. "What?" "We can put the paper in some bright light and it might reveal the context." "Let''s do that." We took our papers and put them in front of the lights. "Hey, it''s visible now." Peter was the one who was checking the papers since the lights are placed at a high location and he is the tallest person in the class. "Bring it down." "What does it say?" Alex asked. "Read it yourself." Peter handed down the papers to them. Let''s see what is written on my sheet? Task- I''m tall when I''m young, and I''m short when I''m old. What am I? What the heck is this? Isn''t the answer an old person? No, wait, the answer shouldn''t be this easy. "Hey, Selene, could you help me out?" since Selene is the only one whose task has been completed. Let me rephrase it, she is ready with the answer. We still don''t know where to submit it. "Y-yeah sure..." "Listen- I''m tall when I''m young, and I''m short when I''m old. What am I? Shouldn''t the answer be an old man but the answer will not be this simple right?" "Umm.... how did you conclude that the answer is ''old man''?" "Huh. I mean normally an old person''s back becomes weak and it bends forward, which means they become short.... or so I thought." Is it wrong? "But in this, riddles aren''t always the answer. I mean, in any case, the result would be the same but for this specific question if we take the answer as an old man he/she might or might not get his back weak. Right?" "Wow. Selene, I think you should speak more." man she can talk when it is needed. "I... t-try." Best of luck, I wanted to say that out loud but I am too busy to waste any time. "Beep-beep, beep-beep." I heard a similar voice. "Wait, isn''t that the sound of the timer I asked Liz to make?" 30 minutes have passed and we still haven''t found out where to submit? "No, no. It''s the alarm I enabled earlier. Only.... 8 minutes have passed since the first beep." "Oh... thank God I thought I had to say goodbye to Selene," Alex said with a relieved face. "Hey, how many of you have found out the answer?" ohh boy. I forgot about my riddle. "Selene, did you get the answer?" I asked Selene. "Let me think...." fast, fast. "I think I got it." yes! "What?" "I think it could be a candle?" "Huh? Candle?" I don''t understand. "Look when a candle is not used it stands straight and this could be considered as young in a sense but if we use the candle the tip of the burning candle begins melting of wax and slowly its height reduces and it could mean that it becomes old also it is always true in any case." "Selene...." "W-w-what?" "Oh my God! Aren''t you a genius? Like you usually stay quiet but right now I think I saw a different side of yours." due to excitement I unknowingly moved my face a little too close to hers. "Umm... Allen could you please mov-move b-b-back a little...." "Oh... sorry, sorry but I think you should talk more if it suits you." "Hey, I think all of us have found out the answer. Right?" Liz shouted but only a few answered. "What!? Only this many completed the task? Do you all want to get expelled?" no one let out a single voice. "Hey, it''s not their fault that the questions are difficult." I tried to stop her because I know what happens when she gets angry and you don''t want to see it. "We have only 3 minutes left and most of us will be expelled. Suit yourselves." "Hey, something is written in the corner of my envelope," Alex exclaimed. "What?" Liz asked. "In the roof." "What does that mean?" "I don''t know? Do we go to the roof?" "Everyone checks if something is written in the corner of their envelope. If a place is mentioned, go to that place fast." Liz shouted to which every student started reading their envelope. "People with a time limit of 30 minutes should leave first and rest here." Nope, Liz is more like a dictator. Everyone with their time limit saying thirty minutes started to leave, of course, Selene also had to go but she seemed kind of hesitant so I tried to encourage her. "Selene, ALL THE BEST." as I said that Selene''s facial expression changed, at least better than before. Around ten students had a time limit of thirty minutes so they all left and the classroom seemed kind of less crowded since one-fourth class is gone or maybe more. I don''t know the exact number but I am sure. Let''s see what happens now. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 10 - At Last, We Finished The Tasks But What Now? "Beep-beep" "Alright.... they all must have been able to reach the rooftop," Liz said. "Yeah," I said. No one noticed that something is inscribed on the corner of their envelope until Alex caught sight of it. Fortunately, Alex noticed it early, if he would have been a minute or two late some of them would not have been able to reach the rooftop before the time limit. Since few had their destination inscribed on their envelope so naturally, I took out my envelope and looked at the nooks but nothing was inscribed on it. Why? "Hey, Liz, is something written on your paper?" "Yes, it is displayed ''in the cafeteria.'' Does that imply that I have to change positions to the cafeteria?" "Maybe, I don''t know... At least someplace is written on your envelope and it''s empty. Blank." I know I emphasized the last part. "Hey, Peter, is something written on yours?" Liz asked Peter. "No, nothing." "Look, you have a partner." "Liz, don''t joke like that." "Okay fine. Hmph!" she frowned a little but turned normal in an instant. "Hey, did everyone find out their answers?" Oliver raised a question. "No." "Yes." "Yes." "No." "Hey, hey, hey. don''t say it like that, how will I know what you are all saying?" he is right, how can someone infer, if they all speak at once. "Let''s do this. Those who have found their answers come on my right side and rest stay in their place." Those who have found their answers gathered on the right side of the classroom, of course, I am also one of them. "So only eight have not got their answers." Peter was one of them. Nice. "Okay everyone let''s help them, also those who have found their answers and some destination is written on their envelope get moving in a minute!" Liz told everyone. Now eight people need help and we are more than sufficient but I noticed that only one person, Noah, is the only one who no one is assisting so I chose to aid him. "Let''s see what you got there Noah." Noah is quite a kid in our class so no one ever converses with him. Moreover, no one is willing to help him even in this predicament. "Umm...." "Here give it to me I''ll help." I grabbed his paper and envelope. "Okay, so your riddle is- ''What gets wetter the more it dries?'' hmm...." "Did you get it?" he asked. "I just read it, give me a minute." "...." "Think for yourself too, don''t just leave it all to me." "Yes." "Hmm... something which gets wetter when we try to dry something.... isn''t it just a piece of cloth? " Yes!" "But... not every time it works, after a few wipes, it is unable to soak up any more water. Hmm.... right, towel." "..." "Yes, it should be a towel since it is used to dry us off and can carry more water than a normal piece of cloth." "Right...." "Okay, this is the final answer. Now, which place was mentioned on your envelope?" I asked. "...." He didn''t read it so I took it from him instead. "Bathroom...." "..." "Huh! A bathroom?" "Read what is written in brackets." "What is written? " I noticed that in very small letters it is written women''s on the third floor. "Wow! Noah, you got fortuitous eh..." "Don''t make fun of me. It is saying to go to the senior''s bathroom. If there is someone who interprets it wrongly they will beat me to a pulp." "Yeah, most probably. But don''t worry before they say anything, uncover your envelope to them. Also don''t act skeptical before entering." "I''ll try." "Yeah, best of luck. Also, try getting back alive." ''Don''t make fun of me!" I tried to lessen up the tension but it seems like it was for nothing. Also, I noticed that I was able to talk to him normally so why does everyone ignore him, isn''t he normal, whatever. By the time I finished assisting Noah, it looked like others had also finished. "Hey all of them got the answers right?" I asked Liz. "Yep." "Alright everyone, get to the place hinted at in your envelope." Only five minutes are left for those whose time limit was 45 minutes, so whose destination was written off also Liz and Alex were one of them so they also went ahead. Nearly the entire class was empty. Only 8 are left including me. "What should we do?" Oliver said. He was also with no destination to go. At exactly 11:30 a siren was heard in the whole school. "CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU HAVE CLEARED THE FIRST TASK. I WOULD LIKE ALL OF YOU TO ASSEMBLE IN THE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM AND THERE THE NAMES OF ALL THOSE WHO PASSED HAVE BEEN POSTED." "....." no one let out a single voice and waited for him to continue. "BUT BEFORE THAT I WILL RELEASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS BEING EXPELLED. FIRST IN BOYS, 39 BOYS WILL BE EXPELLED FROM THE FIRST YEAR. IN THE SECOND YEAR 78 WILL BE EXPELLED, QUITE A FEW I SAY. IN THE THIRD YEAR ONLY 28." What the hell!? 78 only in the second year? it''s roughly two classes combined. I don''t care who gets expelled. "NOW TIME FOR GIRLS, HMM... 67 IN THE FIRST YEAR. 86 IN THE SECOND YEAR. 36 IN THE THIRD YEAR." Whoa! a total of 146 boys will be expelled. That''s almost three classes combined in the second year. And if we add only girls it will be... 189. Fuck. If we total boys and girls it would be... 335! We can say that a whole any one year of students were expelled. On what basis did they evaluate it? "Ohh... shit! So many students will be expelled." Peter exclaimed. " Not ''will be expelled'' they are expelled." "Yeah, yeah same thing." The atmosphere has changed dramatically, maybe because they announced the number of people who will be expelled and not the names, so everyone must be frightened just by imagining that their name is on the ''expelled student'' list. "What should we do?" one of our classmates said, his name is Leo. Not just Leo but the remaining students left in the class are all stunned, I could just tell by seeing their expression that they all are terrified. "Hey, Allen, why do you look so calm?" Peter said, staring at me with a perplexed face. "What do you mean?" "I mean look around. We all are like what should we do if we are one of the people who are being expelled and you here look the same as ever furthermore, while we were figuring out the problems earlier you seemed to be having fun." Was I having fun? I don''t know why but I don''t feel any anxiety or dismay like others from the beginning. They all are terrified just by visualizing that they will be expelled but I am not feeling anything in particular. To be honest, instead of being terrified I find this situation a little bit amusing. "So, what?" I don''t understand the point. "Don''t ask me, I just told what I noticed. If you don''t think you are too relaxed in this situation, then something is definitely wrong with you." "Anyway, let''s go to the auditorium." Oliver interrupted our conversation. "Yeah." Leo and the others agreed in unison. .... .... When we arrived at the auditorium we found no one. I mean we eight are the only ones present here. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 11 - Where Am I? When we arrived at the auditorium we found no one had arrived yet. We looked around and waited for a few moments but not a single soul was there. Just a projector was stationed in the middle and a huge white screen was in front of it. "Okay, so what do we do now? Didn''t he announce that there will be names of the students who will be expelled in the auditorium?" Oliver raised a question. "He did say that but more importantly why are we the only ones here? Didn''t he also reveal that all of us have to show up at the auditorium?" "What the fuck is going on...?" It looks like Peter is also at his limits. "Some dude comes to our school and he is now expelled like he owns the damn place! Show yourself dammit..!" nope, Peter has completely lost it. It''s natural for anyone to be having the same response, all of a sudden students are being expelled and now that everyone is dispersed, no one knows what is happening or going to happen to them? But our real problem isn''t who they are but why they are doing it. This whole situation is getting too mysterious. Also, there''s no way our parents actually agreed to this. "Fuck...." Oliver also starts to look miserable. "What should we do now?" Leo is also not looking good. "Oi! Where did the other four go!?" I blurted as I noticed that half of us are missing. "Huh! Aren''t they here with us?" Peter peered around. "Where are they? Oliver also inquired. "They were right behind us, where did they go?" Alright, I know that they were behind us but when we reached the auditorium and found no one inside, no one cared to look for each other. Rather, we didn''t comprehend what was going on and didn''t pay any attention to their surroundings. As for me, I was glimpsing at Oliver and Leo that I too didn''t notice others being missing. "Beeeeep!" "What was that?" I asked. "Look at the projector, a red light is blinking." Leo was the first to notice. The sound continued for a minute more and something we projected on the screen. [Congratulations you have passed the second task. You may not know this but the second task commenced the minute another announcement was made. The second task was to reach the auditorium but the issue was that nearly the whole school was already filled with sleeping gas and only a few certain areas were gas-free.] Wait for a minute does that mean the first task was just a waste of time? I mean we all could have just gone to the designated place directly without answering the question. "What the hell is going on!?" When this was projected in front of us everyone had already lost it. A new slide is shown. [At this point we have already eliminated unnecessary things. We hope you are not one of them.] [Let''s commence the Third Task. but it doesn''t seem like a Task so let''s just call it that you are being abducted. We hope you survive.] Huh? What? What is the third task? Survive? Abducted? I knew from the start that this isn''t going to end well but I never thought they would abduct us. But how? I mean look at the doors there is no way in or out, probably. No one noticed but the exits have been shut off, I only noticed it just now but I didn''t notify anyone. If I say something like this to these people... God knows what will happen to them, they are already on the verge of breaking down. If they were to lose themselves they would all be useless. "H-hey... why is gas coming out of that projector?" Leo asked as he quivers. Some kind of short circuit sound was coming from it, what is happening? Now I am a little bit concerned since if that thing is going to blow up some plastic components might come in our direction and it will be not good. "Hey, stand back," Peter said. I think he has a similar feeling as me. *Shhhhhhhh.....* It didn''t explode but it began to release smoke. The amount of smoke emitted increased dramatically. We remained in the corner, but also because the entrances had been closed, the smoke had already collected inside, and eventually accumulated in the auditorium. Our auditorium is regarded as rather large in comparison to other schools, but the amount of smoke was only increasing with time. Due to smoke, it made breathing difficult. As a desperate attempt we ran towards the door apparently we struggled to open the door and it wouldn''t even budge. Moments later Leo lost consciousness, then Peter and then Oliver. I also would have passed out but since I tried to hold my breath as much as possible, that''s the reason I was still standing. I tried to break the door but it felt like it was not the same gate as it used to be because it felt like it was made of steel. "What should I do now....?"I began to lose consciousness as well, but I tried all I could not to lose consciousness... the density of the smoke became so much that even if I attempted to cover my face with both hands, it was still getting in, and the smoke was making my eyes sting. I couldn''t keep my eyes open for much longer. As I was just about to pass out, I tried to give the last hit on the door but the result was still the same and after that hit, I also lost consciousness. ... ... "Hey, I...k....e is... waking u..." what? Where am I? "S.....le..... some wa..... him" I heard a few voices but I couldn''t recognize any of them. "Wha? Where am I?" I tried to open my eyes but my eyes were still hurting a little. Maybe the smoke was a little bit poisonous, but that''s not important now. "Hmmm.... that''s hard to tell since we also don''t know where we are?" a girl standing in front of me said. "..." I stood up since I was lying on the ground and looked around and saw that many more people were also present here. "What''s your name?" someone from behind asked. "..." I didn''t respond. "What a rude person! I asked him so nicely... Hmph." another girl said while frowning at me. "Am I a rude person here?" I don''t usually interact with people other than my classmates, so I don''t know many people in our school. Also, are they from our school? Not just them but all of us who are here. "Huh!" the boy said while stepping in front of me as if to scare me. "Fine... I''ll tell you my name. It''s Allen, anything else?" he thought that I got scared of him but I just didn''t want any unnecessary fighting. "..." he also must have thought that I would stand my ground but I replied to him and now he doesn''t know how to react to that. "Would you mind backing down a little?" I said. "What did you say...?" he sounded so confident but to me, he looked somewhat dumb. "You are too close," I said. I don''t understand the point of him trying to intimidate me in this situation. I mean look around, we don''t even know where we are. "You just asked for it!" Huh? Why Is he getting violent all of a sudden? He was about to punch me but he was quite slow for a person who was trying to talk big earlier. "Ryan stop...!" one of the girls said but he didn''t stop. He threw the punch directly at my face to which I obviously avoided it easily. He kept on throwing punches at me but I evaded them quite easily. It is a waste of time. "What''s the point of all this¡­?" I asked him as I backed down a little. Looking at him I just kept wondering what''s happening in his mind? "Ryan that''s enough," the girl from earlier stepped in. "B-But¡­!" He was about to say something but the girl stomped on his leg. "Guhh!" he was down on his knees, was that too hard? It''s kind of hard to imagine. I assumed he would be stronger since he was so confident earlier. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 12 - A New Stage By the time our little braw stopped, I noticed that people were staring at me but only a few. Well, it doesn''t matter much since I don''t even know them. The main problem is where am I? It looked like a hall or something like that. In the crowd, I noticed a certain person but I didn''t wish to be associated with him so I avoided him but he was not the only one, on further left, I saw Selene standing beside Liz. "Liz," I tried calling out to her but my voice wasn''t enough to reach her. But fortunately, they heard my voice faintly but they presumably heard my voice but couldn''t make out where it was coming from because the area is extremely large and everyone''s voices are blending with mine so it might be difficult to make out exactly where it is coming from. "Here, Here," I called out to them even more loudly than before, also lifting my hand high. I haven''t shouted for someone, maybe because I didn''t need to but now that I think I should have because my voice isn''t loud enough. "Hey, who are you calling?" I turned around to look for who it was. She was the girl from before. "Who are you anyway? I don''t even know your name?" "My name is Sistine." Why does she sound so prideful just by telling her name? "Ah so... My name is Allen." "That''s all?" "Do you need anything?" "Y-yes, who are you calling?" "I just met you and you wanna act like we are friends? I''ll talk to you later. I am looking for someone." I ignored her and looked away. Where did they go now? I just saw them... "Allen!" here they are. "Liz!" Selene was also with her. "Thank God. I haven''t seen anyone from our class except Selene." "Oh." I was just about to say that I also saw one but I don''t want him to come here so I didn''t bring up his name. Of course, it was Peter. I certainly don''t want to talk to him. "What should we do now?" Liz asked me as she looked around. "Don''t ask me, I am just as lost as you are." [HELLOOOO] "!?" ouch! I don''t know from where but the voice was so boisterous that it hurt my ear. [MY NAME IS MR X. YOU ALL MUST BE THINKING THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU SO THIS TIME I WILL YOU TELL FEW IMPORTANT THINGS.] Yes, we need information about what is taking place and what is going to happen to us? [SO YOU ALL MUST HAVE REMEMBERED THAT YOU ALL WERE CALLED IN THE AUDITORIUM, ACTUALLY, IT WAS TOO STALL TIME TO SET THINGS IN THE RIGHT PLACE LIKE ADDING A CELL PHONE JAMMER THAT BLOCKED YOUR CALLING SYSTEM AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH¡­ AND MANY MORE THINGS. ANYWAY, THAT''S OLD NEWS. NOW LET''S TALK ABOUT THE ANSWER TO ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS, WHAT ARE TASKS.] "What''s a cell phone jammer?" Liz asked. "It is like... hmm... how do I explain? Ah yes, they are devices that produce some frequency similar to those of that cell phone which interfere with the cell phone signal. Normally it is only used by police. I think," [TASKS ARE TO EVALUATE YOU ALL. BUT I MUST REMIND YOU THAT THE FIRST TASK WAS JUST TO CHECK HOW YOUR BRAIN FUNCTIONS IN A DIRE SITUATION BUT THE THING ABOUT EXPELLING STUDENTS IS REAL. BUT I MUST INFORM YOU THAT THE NUMBER WE TOLD EARLIER WAS FAKE. FROM THIS POINT ONWARDS THE MAIN TASKS WILL BE GIVEN.] he answered a few questions but it doesn''t help at all. "Hey! What is going to happen to us?" someone yelled from behind? "Where are others?" Obviously, not everyone is present in this hall so where are others? [MANY MORE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN YOU WILL COMPLETE THE GIVEN TASK. LIKE YOU CAN SAY... REWARDS FOR COMPLETING THE TASKS.] "Why do we have to listen to him?" "Yeah, we will not do anything he says anymore." [OH, REALLY YOU WON''T LISTEN TO ME... HOW ABOUT NOW?] From the sidewalls of the hall, a hatch emptied and some kind of tool appeared. "What?" The boy who vetoed to listen, on his forehead a red pointer was targeting it. "NOW LET ME HEAR AGAIN WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER. LET ME TELL YOU, THE BIG MACHINE POPPING OUT OF THAT WALL, THAT''S A MACHINE GUN THAT CAN FRY YOUR BRAIN IN LESS THAN A SECOND. SO LET ME HEAR AGAIN WHAT YOU JUST SAID." Woah! He must be kidding. I mean he wouldn''t just exterminate a person, right? "YOU DON''T BELIEVE ME? HERE YOU GO I WILL DEMONSTRATE ITS ACTUAL POWER." "H-hey, y-y-you must be kidding...?" he was trembling, not just him but nearly all of us, anyone would be having a similar reaction when a gun is pointing at your head, but on the contrary, I didn''t feel anything rather I was kind of eager to see it. *BOOM!* A sparkle was observed from one end of the tool. Most terrifying was not that they shot but to imagine that they would shoot directly towards the boy. Many speculated that they will shoot up in the air or someplace near him but not exactly at him, even I also thought that. *Splash!* The bullet went right through his skull and blood-spattered around. They annihilated a person. "...." Liz grabbed my shirt and was just about to drop but Selene helped her. "NOW ANY MORE QUESTIONS?" he thinks that after what he did just now will anyone ask anything? "NO? ALSO FOR TODAY, YOU ALL CAN REST TODAY... BUT FROM TOMORROW ONWARDS YOUR LIFE WILL BE MADE A LIVING HELL. OH, SORRY DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD? ANYWAYS BEST OF LUCK FOR TOMORROW. BYE~" [ALSO, THERE IS SOMETHING WAITING FOR YOU SO TRY NOT TO MEET IT, YET~] For a moment no one let out a single voice, rather they just gazed at each other''s faces, many were not able to handle seeing the dead body and threw up. Even Liz and Selene. For some reason, I didn''t feel anything, rather for me, it was like seeing a deceased bird on a roadside or something like that. The atmosphere changed entirely. A few hours ago we all were laughing, playing, etc. but all of a sudden we were caged, moreover the ones who caged us killed a person a few minutes ago. Mr. X was it? He told us to rest but does he believe that anyone will be able to rest beside a dead body moreover seeing him get shot made it worse. ... The smell of blood increased, many of us threw up and saw others throw up, several who have been able to control themselves from throwing up also lost control. After three hours the gate opened, everyone rushed outside because who wants to sit here with a dead body. As we stepped outside the shiver went up to my spine, I don''t know why but as I looked around I felt like I had been to this place before, long ago. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 13 - The Nightmare... As soon as I strolled outside, shivers scaled to my spine for a moment there. I don''t understand why? Even though it was presumed to be my first time discovering this place, my breath began staggering as I looked around. My knees started feeling weak, it felt like I could drop at any instant. As I trod further I twisted my foot since the surface was uneven and I lost my balance, fortunately, Selene held out her hand to mine. "Thank you." All of a sudden I started to feel weak. It felt like my strength was being sucked out. What the hell is this place? I feel like I have been to this place before. I tried my hardest to calm down..... and moments later I was back to normal. Something is wrong with me or this place. After settling down I lifted my face allowing the light and shadow to dance across my skin. The whistle of bees humming, branches creaking, feet of others shuffling through the debris. I noticed yellow leaves fallen on the soil while the trees looked all green as if spring had arrived for them all. I determined it has to be a forest. Something slithered past my and Selene''s leg hissing as it passed by. "Kyaaa!" She looked terrified. It was a small reptile or something like that, it went past us instantly and I couldn''t even take a good look at it. ... By the looks of others, I could tell that they also don''t know where this is. ... Soon everyone started to form groups. Liz and Selene stayed together with me. Also, a person I tried not to meet caught sight of us and came in our direction. "Liz, I have been searching for you for a while." "Peter? where have you been?" of course it was Peter who I didn''t want to associate with. "I saw you earlier but due to the turmoil, I lost sight of you." "Why didn''t you also get lost?" I said with an irritating face. "What''s your problem? Huh!" "It''s you." "Allen, don''t start again." Liz screeched at me. "... Fine." ... It has been approximately two hours since we arrived outside and we still don''t have a single clue what is going on and not a single message has been made yet by Mr X. "I''m hungry." "Peter, did you hit your head or you were just born with that little brain?" "What!?" "Liz..." I looked towards Liz. During this type of situation if someone says he is hungry it makes others also hungry, more precisely we were made to realize that we are also hungry. "Peter, don''t say this kind of thing out loud." "Liz, not you too..." "Don''t look at me like that." Even though we all are in such a pinch everyone is trying their best to keep it together. "Hey, I can''t take this anymore. I am going to the forest. Do any of you want to come?" someone shouted. "..." "No one?" "I''ll go," I noticed a voice much closer to me, it was Liz who agreed to join him. "Oi, Liz, are you sure?" Peter asked while holding her hand. "Y-yeah I mean we are sitting ducks here. Maybe we can find something out there like something to eat." "Yeah, rather than finding something to eat you might come across some wild beast who''ll eat you instead, then what will you do then?" What Peter was saying was making pretty much sense. We don''t know where we are and besides, we are in the middle of a forest. There could be wild animals roaming around here. "But we have to do something." Liz was also right. If we step inside the forest they might get something to eat or might find some clue where we are. Both were right from their perspective. "... okay you can go but I will also come along." "Fine." Liz agreed. "I''m also coming!" Peter shouted. As soon as Peter also agreed many more also agreed to go. I would also like to go but I thought that staying here would be safer as compared to going to a place where we don''t know a single thing. "Allen let''s go." Liz tried making me go with her but... "No, I don''t want to." I denied her invitation. Who would agree to such a risky thing? "Allen, are you scared?" Peter taunted me but I know how to reply to him. "I don''t usually go to places which I am not familiar with, also today I saw a person die in front of me just for refusing to hear. Who knows what could be out there, I could die here since it doesn''t look like a big deal to them(I am referring to Mr X). To round it all I will say- Yes, I am scared." whoever has captured us doesn''t care if we get killed. If he cared he wouldn''t have shot a person right in his face in front of such a large audience. "T-that..." "What happened? Don''t have anything to say?" Peter could not come up with anything to reply. "..." "Bye Liz, come back safe." "Yeah." "Peter," I said. "What!" "I don''t care what happens to you but keep Liz safe." I couldn''t care less if Peter dies. I wish at least Liz to be safe since she has helped me in a lot of ways. ... Shortly after they were not in sight anymore I noticed that almost half of us had left the area. Earlier I was busy steadying myself. I didn''t look clearly but on closer look, I noticed the expanse of trees ahead of me was never-ending or so I thought. I could smell the rotting of wood, fresh, dry, damp, wet scents on the wind from nearby places. When I first entered here I felt like my life force was being sucked out empty but now I have settled down in the area, it feels kind of nostalgic. How should I explain it? It felt like I had returned to the place I pertained but at the same time, I couldn''t recognize or recall a single thing about this place. .... About half an hour has passed. "Hey, Selene," I called out to Selene. "Hmm..." "I noticed that you haven''t said a single word since we came out from that place, I know that you talk less but not this much. Is everything alright?" she is usually quiet which seems normal but not for this long. "I j-just don''t k-know what to talk about...?" "Hmm... now that we are alone I think I don''t know anything about you, even though we sat beside each other for almost half a year." she never talked much and I also never tried to engage in talks with her. "I d-don''t have a-anything special to s-say about myself..." "So let me ask you this if you don''t have anything to say." "Okay..." "Why do you stammer so much? I mean earlier when we were discussing that riddle you talked fluently but otherwise you..." "I-it''s just that I get ne-nervous when I talk to s-someone." "Oh, so how about you try talking to me normally. We have known each other for almost half a year, you shouldn''t be nervous around me that much as compared to others right?" "I''ll t-try." "Heh, you stammered again." "S-sorry." "Again... okay fine. Let''s try it slowly. I won''t pursue further than this but you have to try." "...." It was the first time we both chatted like this in like ever. We usually don''t chat much. I wish we could talk much more like this again. ... I could hear the chirping of birds, wind whistling around the trunks of a tree. It felt really like I am in a forest. The tree leaves are stopping the sunlight from reaching the ground. Soon it became soo dark that I couldn''t even see my outstretched hand in front of me. "Hey, Selene, hold onto my hand otherwise I won''t be able to find you." "Yeah..." We both held out our hands and sat next to each other. I couldn''t even make out where the remaining students were. As we were sitting, the rustling of bushes was heard near us. "What''s that?" Selene asked as she clasped my hand even more tightly than before. "I don''t know but don''t make too much of a voice and just stay still," I whimpered in her ear. Whatever it was... not making too much voice is the most viable choice, probably. The rustling increased. I could feel like it was coming in closer. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 14 - Run! The sound kept on intensifying. No, to be precise the sound of steps sounded more like it was running around. "Selene, when I count to 3 we run. Okay?" "Okay." In this crisis, if we just remain still, there is a possibility that we might perish at the hands of an animal since they have more competent eyesight than humans, and if we run, the odds are that we will survive. "!?" suddenly a torch-like glint was noticed in front of us. "...g..." "....y...." I couldn''t deduce what they are whispering but presumably, they have a smartphone and must be attempting to flee. The gap kept on expanding between us and the glint. Fools, if you use such stuff in this much dark you will be the first one to be detected. "Grr....." oh, shit. I am now convinced that a feral beast is preying on us and on top of that those students just have made themselves his prime prey. But since they are enabling me to circumvent it, I don''t care about them. The rustling of leaves declined a speck. Yes, he most likely has decided to attack them first. "Selene, 3..." Selene clasped my hand tightly. "2...." "1.... Go." I stood up gripping Selene''s hand and ran as fast I could in the polar direction of the flash. But not so quick that Selene is not able to catch up. Even though it was dark... "H-how are y-you able to... run so fast ev-even.... though I c-can''t see a... thing?" it was a normal suspicion. A normal person would not be able to move like I am right now but even I couldn''t comprehend why because as soon as I stood up, approximately every feature around me just kept appearing in my head. "I also... don''t know." We kept on sprinting till Selene could not go on anymore. ... "What... now?" Selene asked me. I just moved my right hand further and felt something rough. Maybe a tree? "Selene, touch this for a second." I took Selene''s hand and pushed it towards the same thing I skimmed just now. "Ew! What''s that?" reaction was normal? If someone placed my hand on something I can''t identify the response will also be the same for me. "I think it''s a tree. Don''t you think so?" "... now that you mentioned it." She moved her hand around a little bit. "Maybe it is a tree." Okay, now I have confirmed it is a tree now I can plan something. "Listen to me carefully. In this dark, if a wild beast attacks us again I don''t think that we will survive." "Y-yes..." "So I think we should climb up the tree and wait there till morning." "..." "How about it?" If we just loiter around on the ground most probably we will not be able to see the daylight again. But if we climb up the tree maybe we can survive because most of the animals cannot climb trees and even if some animal or reptile-like snake appears then we will decide then only. Most likely that will be the end of us if by any chance something climbs up. But the percentage of survival is more up the tree... than on the ground. "Fine." she agreed to it but... "W-Wait an s-s-second... I don''t know how to climb a tree..." "Oh, don''t worry I''ll carry you on my back." I am quite sure that I can carry her. "Huh!" "Hey, don''t talk so loudly." "B-but...." "Selene, we don''t have time for this okay? you want to come then I''ll carry you no questions asked and if you want to stay here I can climb it up the tree myself." Even though I said that, I have known Selene for a significant amount of time and I can''t just let her die. But in this predicament, anyone will agree to do anything to survive. So I inferred that she would most likely agree to climb up. "....okay." yes. "Okay hold onto my shoulder." She slowly let go of my hand and put it on my shoulder. I turned around. "!?" something just moved past my leg. I tried not to let Selene notice. "Come on fast." as I said that she suddenly jerked for a second and glided up my shoulder and cross-locked her legs on my abdomen. "Let''s go." I could feel the warmth on my back as she pressed her body against mine. I moved around and examined the tree by feeling its texture. I couldn''t have seen a thing if it was as dark as before, but fortunately, in this part of the forest because of moonlight, I was able to at least see something. I put my dominant hand up and then the other. Pulling my body up and placing my dominant leg on the tree and trying to move further. One by one I let go of my one hand and placed it a little above and then the other. Same for my legs. I continued the same process till I felt a trunk on my left-hand side. "Listen Selene I will do something crazy so I think you should hold onto me tightly." as I said that she squeezed me. "Huff.... huff..." I let go of my left hand and placed it on the trunk. Then slowly releasing my right hand and then both legs. I am now hanging down a tree. Look generally when I try doing pull-ups I can do almost like 30-35 but now I have a person on my back who weighs almost the same as me so I need to pull my body up like two times the average weight. I would have been able to pull up myself and Selene easily but I just ascended a tree that is almost three-meter high and now I don''t think I have the strength to pull up. "Selene I don''t think I will be able to pull like this. Try to climb up if possible." "..." she slowly let go of her legs which were wrapped around me and then the hands. Even though she was so scared a few moments before, I think she has calmed down or... she is on adrenaline. During desperate predicaments, a human body can exceed normal limitations. She then quickly moved upwards, as I was still hanging on the tree she put her foot on my shoulder and clambered up the trunk. "Are you okay Selene?" "Y-yeah..." she sounded as if her life force had been drained. I also climbed up since the weight has been reduced to half and Selene also helped me tugging me up. ... I made a hasty decision just now and I know it. If I would have just climbed a little more I could have reached the trunk more easily but due to my hasty judgment, I put Selene and me both in danger. ... There is much more moonlight up here, maybe because we are at a higher altitude. I could now at least make out our surroundings more clearly. Now our major problem was where should we sleep? "Groowwwwllll....." no, we have another problem... food. "I''m sorry...." anyone would be hungry because we haven''t eaten a single thing since the morning. "You don''t have to be sorry. I mean it''s only natural right?" "..." I wanted to save it for later but if we don''t eat anything most probably it will affect tomorrow. (Mr. X will be giving us tasks tomorrow and most likely we will be needing more strength.) "Here." I took out a wrapper. "Where did you get this?" "Want it or not?" "Yess..." I gave it to her. "You don''t want it?" "I have already eaten." "When?" "If you ask so many questions I might take the whole packet back." "..." it was just a packet of M&N. I know it is not enough to fill a stomach but something is better than nothing. I usually don''t keep things like this but today of all days my mother kept on insisting I take it. I don''t know what is going to happen to us but no matter what I am not going to die here is what I promised myself. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 15 - Remember... Even though we were supposed to be safe up here, the trunk is not thick enough to withstand both of our weights. The trunk is almost twenty centimeters in diameter. "Hey, Selene, I don''t think this trunk will hold on much longer. How about we find another place?" "... Allen, I don''t have the strength to move an inch anymore. I don''t know how you are able to move even after so much has happened..." "..." I could have said something but I still preferred not to say anything. But... still, I know that this place is also not safe. I looked around, now that my eyesight has settled I am now able to make out things more clearly but not clear enough to move around freely. It is still risky. At that moment I remembered something which happened a few months ago... ... Allen''s Father POV (Allen and his father is camping in a forest near their area) "Allen what would you do if you are alone in a forest?" I said while putting up our tent. "What do you mean?" Allen looked confused. "Just hypothetical, if you were to camp here or in a forest alone what would you do?" "Hypothetical... I don''t know." by his looks, I could make out that he really doesn''t know. "Oh, boy. Think it like this, you went camping with your friends but some mishap happens and your tents catch on fire. You''re all supplies are inside the tents. The fire increases drastically since wind is flowing and now you''re the only option is to run away. What will you do now? Also, you are left alone in the forest since your friends have gone in different directions." "Why would the wind be flowing inside a forest so much that it increases the fire?" "... Allen just answered the question. Don''t bother with the details, just imagine." What am I gonna do with this boy? "Okay, first of all, I would try to find a safe place to sleep." "Could have been food or water first but okay continue..." "Then I would find something to eat and also water afterward." "Okay, so... how would you find a safe place so that no wild animal ambushes you when you are resting or sleeping?" His answers were vague. "..." "You just said that you will find a place to rest but how?" saying things are completely different when it comes to execution. "I don''t know? Climb a tree..." "That''s right! You should climb a tree if possible because unlike humans wild animals cannot climb trees and it would be much safer up there unless a snake climbs up. Then you have to try killing it." "So you are saying there is no place completely safe?" "Hmm... we can make one. Like, look at this tent. No insect or a snake can come inside when it is closed right?" "Right..." "But the question is how to make one from scratch?" "How?" "Try thinking it yourself while I set things inside the tent." "Alright." ... The tent was up and now I just have a place, a lamp and a few other things inside. "And... Done." "Allen, come inside." It was already getting dark even though we came in the afternoon. Time flies when we are having fun. "Coming." "... so, what did you think of?" Since the tent was not so big his only option was to sit beside me. "Nothing. I couldn''t think of anything." "Allen you lack imagination. I gave you a hint ''tent'' didn''t that ring any bell?" "..." "Alright, I''ll tell you. First of all, look around a forest. What do you see?" "Trees?" "Yes, but not just trees there must be some lumber lying around or maybe a bamboo tree." "Oh, right." "Generally, it would be better if bamboo is available since it will be easier but if it''s not there, our only option is to make one by using lumber. Normally if it is laying around that means that the tree was weak and fell so try finding only like four to five meters high." "Then what?" he seemed curious. "Just like tents have a kind of V-shaped upside down or take a pyramid for example. Gather three or more lumber big enough and try making the same shape as the tent." "But how will they stay still? I mean even with a little bit of movement and they all will fall right?" "Yes, that''s right. For that, we would need a rope." "Why would I have a rope if all my supplies have been burnt down?" "Allen imagined. We are in a forest and there is a huge possibility that there will also be a banyan tree." "What about it?" "Allen, I think you should start watching those wildlife tv-shows." "..." "They have those rope-like things hanging down their branches. I also don''t know what those are called. But that is not the point here." "Oh, I know what to do next." "What?" I said. "We will tie those lumber all together at the top to hold them. Right?" "Yep, that''s correct." "That''s all?" "What? No, does the tent only have those metal rods? It is covered." "Yeah..." "So we use leaves." "Leaves?" "Not just any leaves we will try to find something bigger, big enough to at least half the size the lumber used." "Where would you find leaves that big?" "We are in a forest. Any size of the leaf can be found there." "..." he continued listening. "Once we find the leaves, we will try covering it around the lumber and then tie them up." "Okay...." "Now do you get it? Just saying that you will find a safe place is not as easy as at all." "Right. But what should I do if it''s nighttime?" "Oh, that is a great question and I am glad you asked." "..." "At night you will not be able to see anything. But if it''s a full moon it might be possible and observe your surroundings." "But there would be so much less light so how would I observe things around me?" "Only your eyes aren''t usable at this time but your other senses are still working." "What do you mean by other senses?" "How do you think blind people live? They try touching things or try to recognize things by concentrating on their ears." "Oh..." "I don''t have personal experience but I would suggest you try to get things ready during the daytime. But in case you couldn''t do it just try observing the things around you and try to figure out what to do next. That''s all I can say." "Alright, I''ll remember that." Allen, you should remember it. Sooner or later it is going to be useful to you. ... Allen POV I remember what dad said but still, I can''t figure out what I should do? He said to examine my surroundings but if I cannot see my surroundings clearly what should I be observing? I still persistently tried but still, nothing. ... I think I am also at my limit. Even though I tried not to fall asleep, it was futile... As I closed my eyes for a second my body automatically leans backward and at that moment I knew... I have already fallen from the tree. I could feel the wind passing through every body part. "Thud!" ouch! Even though I fell directly it didn''t hurt much and slowly... I lost my consciousness. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 16 - The First Morning On The Island "!?" a sudden bright light fell in my eyes. I tried opening my eyes but... I couldn''t see clearly from my left eye so I tried rubbing it with my hands. "Huh!" some liquid-type substance was surrounding my left side of the face. I placed my hand in front of my right eye to see what it was. Red? Oh, that''s right I fell down the tree and I must have hit my head. I tried standing up but... "Ouch!" it felt like I was just injected with a big needle on my left ankle. "What?" I sat down near down while leaning on one of the trees. What do we have here? It was swollen up pretty badly. Maybe when I fell from the tree at that time I got hurt but why didn''t I feel any pain? By the looks of it, I am in pretty bad shape but it''s okay since I don''t feel that much pain right now. Now I remember, my body was feeling numb at that time when I fell on the ground. That explains why I didn''t feel any pain at that time. At that moment something clicked in my mind. "Where is Selene?" I looked immediately at the trunk but she was not there. Where could she have gone? She was nowhere to be found. Then all of a sudden rustling of leaves was heard on my right side. "!?" At first I thought it was a wild beast so I picked up a rock lying nearby. Well, I knew that it wouldn''t matter much if it attacks me but holding something at least I was ready enough to counter attack it if I can''t defend against it. The sound kept on increasing. "Allen?" I thought some felt animal was there so for precautions, I had already made a stance of throwing the rock aiming in that direction. "Wha! Selene? Where did you go"`Yes, it was Selene who came out. Fortunately, I stopped as soon as I saw her face, or otherwise, I am sure her head would have been blown up. "Allen where were you?" She looked somewhat concerned. "And is that blood on your face!?" "Oh, this doesn''t hurt anymore so don''t worry about that." I threw the rock aside. "How can I not worry about it!?" She stepped closer and took out a handkerchief from her side pocket. "Selene, it''s okay." I tried to stop her but she didn''t listen. "Shut up and stay still." That''s the first time I have heard her so assertive. "..." while she cleaned the blood from my face our faces were so close that I could feel her breath against my face, it felt ticklish. "And... done." as soon as she said that our eyes met for a second there but she instantly moved back. "Hey, when did you start talking without stuttering?" I don''t exactly remember from when but she hasn''t stuttered for a while. "Wh-what do you m-mean?" there she goes again. "You might not have noticed but for a while or to be precise from last night you haven''t been stuttering. Maybe because you didn''t notice it." "..." yeah, she didn''t notice it at all. This kind of thing happens all the time, like for instance when we talk about something we like we continue blabbering about it until someone stops us or we notice that ourselves. Maybe it was the same for Selene also. "Nevermind these small things. Tell me where did you go?" "Oh, ah, I can''t t-tell you..." "What can you not tell me?" "I c-can''t tell y-you!" It seems like she doesn''t want to tell me so I shouldn''t pursue it further or she will not like it. "Okay, fine, don''t tell me. Can you at least tell me if you find anything useful?" she might have some kind of lead maybe. "...n-no." Aw, man. But first of all, I need something to eat. I haven''t eaten since yesterday. That''s not all, I need to take care of my ankle. Fortunately, my bleeding stopped, or otherwise, it would be quite a trouble to handle. "Selene, I think we should find something to eat, or I think I will lose my consciousness again." "... Yeah. Huh! What do you mean by a-again." "Oh, that''s right you don''t know. Last night while you were asleep I started feeling a little dizzy and moments later my body began feeling a little numb and slowly I lost consciousness and fell on the ground right there." I pointed out in the direction I woke up in the morning. "You f-fell down t-tree!" She seems shocked and also a little bit concerned. "I mean y-yeah so what?" It was only four meters high. "So what?! Are you hurt s-somewhere?" "... no I am alright." if I tell her about my ankle I know she would freak out so if I decided not to expose it. We set out to find something to eat or otherwise I don''t think I will be able to move. The pain in the ankle kept on increasing but I still tried to endure it. ... In the forest most probably we can find some berries or some fruit at most. I know we can eat some wild animals but I don''t know how to butcher them and more importantly how will I catch any wild animal? I neither have the skills of a hunter nor do I have some kind of weapon to kill it so eating wild animals is not an option. Selene walked right in front of me and she looked like she was a bit interested in plants, I mean she was closely observing every plant and somewhat looked cheerful at the same time. "Hey, Selene, do you like botany?" out of curiosity, I asked. "Y-yeah, ever since I w-was a c-child I used to spend my time observing the plants. So yeah y-you can say I like botany....." she kept on saying about how much she likes plants and how she would spend her childhood observing, studying, and looking after the plants. I thought she would not be feeling good since yesterday''s incident but... it looks like she is handling it pretty well. "Look! Blueberries!" she shouted while extending her arm calling out to me. "At last something to eat... But they are not poisonous right?" I heard somewhere that wild berries are poisonous. "Wild blueberries have toxic compounds in them and if they are eaten in an excessive amount it may cause uncomfortable symptoms or something even more fatal but only if eaten in excess." "Means until we do not eat in the excessive amount we should be safe." "Yep." At a time like this, she seems so reliable. We took out only a few of them. I was about to pluck one out but she stopped me. "Take only the ripened ones. Other than that are mostly poisonous. They would have a higher concentration of toxins inside them that would be very fatal for the human body." "Alright." At last, after a whole one day, I can eat something. "HELLOOOO~ HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?" The voice echoed in the forest. "LET ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AGAIN. MY NAME IS MR. X. YOU ALL MUST VERY EXCITED ABOUT YOUR VERY FIRST TASK OF THE DAY RIGHT?~" what excited? We almost died yesterday and he seems so happy right now. "SO FOR YOUR FIRST TASK, YOU ALL NEED TO...." TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 17 - Rules "SO FOR YOUR FIRST TASK, YOU ALL NEED TO..." he paused. "OH, RIGHT I HAVEN''T EXPLAINED THE PROGRAM THAT YOU''RE GOING TO GO THROUGH." now that I have heard his sound so many times I think I have heard it somewhere before but where? "NOW THEN, I EXPECT THERE''S AMONG YOU WHO ARE STILL VERY CONFUSED. WHICH IS WHY I WILL BEGIN WITH REAFFIRMING THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT YOU''RE CURRENTLY IN." Selene and I both stopped walking and listened to him carefully. "FIRST! EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS ISLAND HAS BEEN WIPED FROM THEIR FAMILY!" what? "THE MOMENT YOU STEPPED INSIDE SCHOOL TODAY YOUR EXISTENCE WAS DELETED. THAT''S RIGHT AS FAR AS THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS CONCERNED YOU WERE NEVER BORN IN THIS WORLD." I am stunned. "THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE NO FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR YOU. ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS SINCE YOU ARE ALREADY WIPED FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, YOU ALSO NO LONGER HAVE ANY HUMAN RIGHTS. THE ONLY FREEDOM YOU HAVE LEFT WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE RULES WE SET!" it''s not making any sense. "WITH THAT IN MIND, PLEASE LISTEN VEE~RRY CAREFULLY TO WHAT WE SAY." obviously there would be more than one. "SECOND! YOU ALL MUST BE WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO OTHERS WHO DIDN''T ARRIVE HERE. REST ASSURED THEY ALL ARE SAFE AND SOUND BACK IN THE SCHOOL. ALSO WHAT I SAID EARLIER, THEIR MEMORIES OF YOU HAVE BEEN ERASED ABOUT YOU." I doubt anyone will be concerned about the others if we are in such a hostile environment. "THIRD! WHY WERE YOU THE ONLY ONES TO ARRIVE HERE? FOR THAT TO BE ANSWERED YOU ALL JUST NEED TO COMPLETE THE GIVEN TASK AND GATHER AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN THEN... ~ YOU CAN ASK FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT MORE HIGHER THE DEMAND THE MORE HIGHER THE POINTS WILL BE ASKED." so points are the most important thing if I want to get out there quickly. But why were we chosen? It would make sense for someone who excels in academics or has good physical strength but I don''t have any redeeming features so why was I chosen? "MANY WOULD ALSO BE WONDERING WHY YOU WERE THE ONLY ONES CHOSEN, SO TO BE CLEAR THE ANSWER ISN''T THAT INTERESTING. YOU GUYS WERE PICKED UP BY CHANCE." there was no reason or meaning behind it? We were only ''picked'' by chance? "SO FOR YOUR FIRST TASK, ON THE WHOLE ISLAND THERE WILL BE SAFE ZONES OR HOTSPOTS CALL IT EITHER. YOU HAVE TO FIND A SPOT AND IN THOSE SPOTS A DEVICE IS IMPLANTED IN WHICH YOU HAVE TO WRITE YOUR NAME. BUT THAT''S NOT ALL, BY WRITING YOUR NAME ON THE SPOT IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE ACQUIRING IT. THE QUEST IS TO ACQUIRE ONE SPOT AND FOR EVERY 8-HOURS OF THE SPOT ACQUIRED BY THE SAME PERSON 50 POINTS WILL BE DEPOSITED IN YOUR NAME. THE NUMBER OF POINTS WILL BE SHOWN ON THE SAME DEVICE YOU HAVE WRITTEN YOUR NAME." that''s easy. "ALSO THERE ARE ONLY 12 OF THESE SPOTS AND THE TOTAL PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND ARE 50. IN CASE A PERSON IS NOT ABLE TO GET AT LEAST 100 POINTS BEFORE 72 HOURS THEY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED." even though he just said that those who couldn''t compete in the task will be disqualified but something feels off about that. "Do y-you have an-any idea what would happen if we get d-disqualified?" Selena asked. "I don''t know but definitely not something good. All this seems fishy." "ONE MORE THING, AFTER EVERY TWELVE HOURS TOP 3 SPOTS WILL BE REVEALED. THAT IS NOT ALL SOME SPECIAL PRIZE WILL BE REWARDED TO THE FIRST PLACE." is this a game to them? "SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR LET THE GAME BEGIN!" and with that, that''s the last we heard from Mr. X. ... Selene and I strolled around searching for a safe zone but what Mr. X didn''t mention was what are hotspots or what do they look like I mean he didn''t mention any special characteristics about that place. How in the world can I find one? "Hey, Selene got any clue on how to find those spots?" "... maybe by hotspots, it mean-t like some safe p-place. L-like a cave or s-someplace nearby a water source." makes sense. But first I think I need to find a solution to make her stop stuttering. "Cave... or a place nearby a water source... hmm..." nothing comes to my mind. We haven''t seen a cave yet or some water source. But something is still bugging me. "Hey, did you notice we haven''t seen any other person yet? Also, don''t you think this environment is too good to be true?" "W-What?" "We haven''t seen anyone since we ran away and also have you noticed there are almost no insects like mosquitoes or something like that and above that we got at least something to eat so easily." generally if we are in a forest one of the problems is not wild animals, we can do something about wild animals but the main problem is about the small insects. In a forest, an ample number of poisonous insects live but we haven''t encountered at least one. Something isn''t right. "Y-yeah I also have n-noticed that..." she said. ... Even after hours of searching, we found nothing. Also, I am starting to feel thirsty. I haven''t drunk a single drop of water since yesterday but thankfully we found those berries, they at least had some liquid in them but still... it''s not enough. "Allen, do you h-hear that?" "What?" "Listen closely... the sound of water..." I closely tried to listen to it. "..." yeah I also hear something but it''s so low I can''t believe she noticed it so easily. "... but which way is it?" I can hear it but it''s still not enough for me to make out the direction. "Hmm... this way." since I cannot make out the direction I can only trust her right now. She led the way and I just followed her silently. As we moved further the sound kept on increasing... and at some point, even I could make out its direction by myself also. "Look!" She seemed delighted by the sight of a river. Mr. X mentioned earlier that it''s an island so technically it''s not a river but a stream. "Beep-Beep!" "What''s that sound?" Selene exclaimed. ''Don''t ask me." "Beep-Beep!" I looked around to check what exactly it was. "Allen, here," Selene called out to me. "What?" I walked in her direction. As soon as I reached her I saw a device. Yes! It''s the machine that he mentioned (Mr. X). "Selene, I think you were right." She was the one who guessed that a hotspot would be in a place like this. "Beep-Beep!" "But how do we operate it?" a blank box was blinking on the screen and on the corner it was written- ''Empty''. Maybe it meant that this place was still vacant. On the blank box, I tapped on it and... TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 18 - Task 1 It was showing a blank box, I tapped on it and... As soon as I clicked on the screen our names appeared on it. But how did it know it was us? I looked around to see if there were any cameras around but I couldn''t find anything. "CONGRATULATIONS ALLEN AND SELENE, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A HOTSPOT." a mechanical voice came out. "So now we only have to wait here for 8 hours for points to get awarded." "That looks like it," I replied. ... After spending a while one day without water I drank the water flowing the stream and surprisingly it was not salty. It felt like this is not an actual island but artificially made. Normally on an island, the water in the stream is salty but the water here is drinkable. "Allen, what s-should we do a-about food?" "I don''t know. Do you know how to fish?" earlier I saw a few fishes in the stream. "I know b-but I need an f-fishing rod." "So we can''t catch fish either..." ... I don''t remember how many hours have passed, we haven''t eaten anything. But our hunger is not that much so we should be fine for a few more hours. "Beep-Beep!" Suddenly the machine made a similar sound. "What now?" I stood up and walked towards the machine. "YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE. YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE." "Message?" on the bottom right it was showing a small yellow box blinking so naturally, I clicked on it. "ADDITIONAL TASK ADDED!" what? "SPECIAL CONDITION 1- GATHER MORE THAN 150 POINTS BEFORE EIGHT HOURS. REWARD- ANY FOOD YOU WANT BUT FOR ONLY ONE PERSON AND LIMITED ONLY/ A TENT FOR ONE.(OPTIONAL)" "..." "SPECIAL CONDITION 2- GATHER MORE THAN 200 POINTS BEFORE EIGHT HOURS. REWARDS- ARMS AND AMMUNITION BUT FOR ONLY ONE PERSON/ WILD ANIMAL REPELLENT SPRAY. ( OPTIONAL)" "..." "IN CASE BOTH THE TASKS ARE COMPLETED BEFORE THE TIME LIMIT A SPECIAL AWARD WILL BE GIVEN." As I read those lines one thing came to my mind... how would a single person acquire more than 100 points if for every eight hours only 100 points are given? "Hey, how w-will someone g-gather more t-than 100 points?" It looks like Selene had the same idea as me. "I also don''t know." Something related to this should also be mentioned here. I looked in the machine and found a black box labeled as INFORMATION, RANKING, LOCATION. I clicked on INFORMATION. I thought that it might give us some hints relating to those special condition tasks. "YOU HAVE OPENED INFORMATION. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ANSWERED?" "Can I ask any question?" no response came. "Can I ask a question?" I asked again but still, no response came. "Look at that m-mic shaped b-button." Selene pointed out. I clicked on it. The machine vibrated. I assumed that this button allows asking questions to machines. "Can I ask a question?" "YES," it replied. "Umm... Where are we?" I asked. "FOR THE QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED 1,000,000 POINTS ARE REQUIRED. WILL YOU USE POINTS?" what? For one answer I have to pay one million pints that''s absurd. "How in the world can I collect this much point?" "T-try asking s-something else." "..." "Is there any question which is for 0 points?" I said but... I forgot to click on the mic button again so it didn''t respond. "Is there any question which is for 0 points?" this time I clicked the button. "ZERO POINT QUESTIONS- HOW TO COLLECT POINTS? HOW TO USE POINTS? CAN TEAMS BE MADE? CAN POINTS BE DISTRIBUTED? IS THERE ANY OTHER TASK TO GAIN MORE POINTS? HOW TO SHARE POINTS? WHAT ARE THE POINTS? WHAT IF A PERSON REACHES ZERO POINTS?... THESE ARE THE FEW QUESTIONS FOR ZERO POINTS BUT ONLY ONE OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED. AFTER EVERY EIGHT HOURS ONE MORE ZERO-POINT QUESTION WILL BE OPENED." "What''s the use if after eight hours only two questions can be answered? We need to find the answer before eight hours so that we can complete those special conditioned tasks..." I exclaimed. "Try asking h-how to collect m-more points." She has a point. "How to earn more points?" "IT''S A ZERO POINTS QUESTION SO NO POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED. ANSWER- TO EARN MORE POINTS ONE PERSON CAN CAPTURE MORE HOTSPOTS. ANOTHER METHOD IS TO SHARE POINTS TO ANOTHER PERSON OR TO ADD POINTS OF TWO OR MORE PERSONS." "So we can earn points by just capturing other spots that''s easy." "B-but what if we l-leave our previous s-spot empty and another person t-takes over that area?" "Why don''t we just use this machine?" she nodded in agreement. "How can a person capture multiple spots without getting it stolen by others?" "IT''S A 100 POINT QUESTION. WILL YOU USE POINTS?" "It looks like points are the most important thing if we want to know the answer..." *sigh* I was about to call out to Selene but she seemed to be thinking something so I didn''t disturb her. About an hour has passed and we have not a single clue. ... We couldn''t think of anything to earn more points and we also didn''t want to leave this hotspot. Time passed by and something just clicked on me. "Selene, why don''t we check the ranking? Maybe someone we know might be there." I said to which she agreed. "Here we go." I reached the machine and clicked on RANKING. "RANKING- ONLY THE TOP 3 PLACES WILL BE DISCLOSED." 1ST PLACE- ALICE AND JIMITHY 2ND PLACE- WILLIAM 3RD PLACE- LUCAS. "Nope. I don''t know any of them. Selene, do you recognize any of them?" "No..." It''s almost noon so I decided to make a tent or something like that so that we can at least sleep or rest safely at night. "Selene, gather some dry wood, I will try to find something to make a tent." "Okay." We both looked around and thankfully the trees are so tall that the leaves are blocking most of the sunlight and it''s comparatively cool. If there would have been no trees then the temperature would have risen above 30¡ãC at least easily. As I stripped further in the forest... I saw something sparkling so I stepped forward to see what it was. "What? A chips rapper?" Only a small part was out, the rest was inside the soil. I had to dig it out completely. At that moment something clicked on me. When we were inside the room earlier I am certain that no one was holding onto a chips packet, and that means that someone, other than the school student was here or used to be here. This island... is giving me creeps since earlier. Either this place is being used for something strange or I have or used to have a connection to this place because I keep on the feeling I know this place but at the same time I don''t have any memory of this. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 19 - The Horror Selene was busy gathering dry wood for the fire. On the other hand, instead of finding some lumber, I am asking questions to the machine. The rewards for special condition tasks are somewhat suspicious. So I need to find as much information as possible. "What did you mean by arms and ammunition in a special condition task?" I said after pressing the mic button or otherwise it would respond. "IT''S A 0 POINT QUESTION. ANSWER- ARMS AND AMMUNITION FOR ONE PERSON WILL BE PROVIDED IF THE SECOND CONDITION IS FULFILLED. WAYS TO FULFILL CAN DIFFER. ONE WAY IS, TWO OR MORE PEOPLE CAN ADD ON THEIR POINTS BUT BY USING THIS ONLY THE SECOND CONDITION WILL BE CONSIDERED AND NOT THE FIRST CONDITION. IF A PERSON IS ABLE TO ACCUMULATE 200 POINTS THERE ARE TWO CONDITIONS. CONDITION 1- IF A SINGLE PERSON IS ABLE TO ACCUMULATE 200 POINTS THEN THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE REWARD THAT IS OF SPECIAL CONDITION TASK 2. CONDITION 2- IF TWO OR MORE PEOPLE ARE ADDING UP THEIR POINTS TO GATHER 200 POINTS THEN THE REWARD WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BASED ON THEIR CONTRIBUTION." It feels like we are in a game. We complete tasks and get rewards. The main difference is that it is happening to us in real life instead of happening virtually. "How can a person share its points?" I asked. "THIS IS A 10 POINT QUESTION. WILL YOU USE POINTS?" "Ah, man... I don''t have enough points." I exclaimed. "THERE IS A SPECIAL CONDITION IN CASE A PERSON IS LACKING IN POINTS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?" the machine answered and I noticed that I didn''t remove my hand from the mic. But whatever the case, if I can still ask questions I would like to know it. "Yes." "THIS IS A 0 POINT QUESTION. CONDITION 1) IF A PERSON IS AT ZERO POINTS OR LACKING IN POINTS THE PERSON CAN STILL ASK ANY QUESTION BUT IN RETURN IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS THE PERSON NEEDS TO EARN ENOUGH POINTS TO PAY THE DEBT. THE RETURN AMOUNT IS TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF POINTS USED FOR A QUESTION. THE AMOUNT WILL BE DEDUCTED AUTOMATICALLY. IN CASE THE DEBT IS NOT PAID WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT OTHERWISE THE PERSON WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. CONDITION 2) IF A PERSON IS HAVING ZERO POINTS THEN ONLY THE QUESTIONS WHICH COST 30 POINTS CAN BE ASKED. CONDITION 3) IF A PERSON IS HAVING MORE THAN 0 POINTS (0>100) THEN ONLY TILL THE NEXT 50 POINT QUESTIONS CAN BE ASKED. CONDITION 4) IF A PERSON IS ABOVE 100 POINTS (100>150) THEN ONLY THE NEXT 200 POINT QUESTIONS CAN BE ASKED. TO KNOW FURTHER CONDITIONS 100 POINTS ARE REQUIRED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE POINTS?" it''s getting more complicated as I dig further. I think it''s best to wait. What the machine said was that, if we don''t have enough points we can still ask questions but instead, in return, it will take triple the amount. On the surface, it''s not a bad deal but the risk involved is quite big. We still don''t know what ''disqualified'' means? ... "Allen, did you find anything?" Selene called out to me. "Ah, oh... I am still searching." nope. I still haven''t started searching for it properly. I was so into the machine questions that I didn''t know how much time I had blown. As I walked further into the forest I saw a few pieces of wood that could be used for making a shelter. But how would I carry these alone? I cannot ask Selene as she is busy gathering other things. Whatever, I should at least try it. I put both of my hands at the end of one wood piece and pulled it with all my strength and... I believed that wood or lumber is generally heavy but surprisingly it wasn''t that heavy. Their weight was so light that I could move them alone. I pulled the pieces one by one to our hotspot. ... It took longer than I expected. By the time I placed the last piece I heard a voice from the machine. "Beep-Beep! YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE." I clicked on it. "CONGRATULATION ALLEN AND SELENE! FOR EIGHT HOURS YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A HOTSPOT. 100 POINTS WILL BE REWARDED TO BOTH OF YOU. YOU CAN SEE YOUR POINTS BY TOUCHING YOUR RIGHT ELBOW." what? I can see my points by touching my elbow? I touched my right below. [Welcome Allen] [Status- Alive] [Points- 100] As I touched my elbow my name was written on the machine screen. What? I touched my elbow and my points are shown on the screen. I thought that some virtual screen will pop up in front of me or something like that, like in games. "Selene, come here," I called out to her. "..." no response. I turned around. Selene was not there. Yeah, I haven''t seen Selene in the past few hours. Where is she? I looked around but she was nowhere to be seen. "Selene!" I yelled thinking she might reply but... nothing. "Where did she go?" I started walking in the direction she was last seen. I searched around. As I walked further I noticed a bundle of sticks. I picked one of them. "It''s dry." she must be around here. "Selene!" I screeched again. Constantly I yelled her name but no response came. Then I noticed something sparkling on the roots of a big tree. I walked in that direction. "Huh?" It was a hair clip. Ah, right Selene wore that. As soon as I picked up the clip I looked around thinking she might be nearby. "...n" huh? I heard a soft voice but it was so low that I couldn''t make out what it was. "..e.." the same voice came but from where? I walked in behind the tree and I noticed some scratches on the tree, not just some small scratches. It was almost the same size as mine. "What? Who made this big scratch?" I am sure it is not man-made "A...n" this time the voice was much louder than before and this time I could make out the direction. It is coming from my left side. I trudged in that direction. I saw some blood marks on the ground. Something is not right. I started walking faster and faster. The amount of blood kept on increasing till a huge amount of blood was accumulated in front of a big rock. "... okay, nothing to worry about." Even though I tried not to think about it, deep inside I felt like something was eager to see it... A trail of blood was leading behind the rock, I kept on following it. "...." At first, I didn''t believe what I saw. I turned around and then saw it again but nothing changed. I saw a person... whose both arms were ruptured and... legs ripped off spitting up blood continuously and his face is crushed such that I am unable to discern if it''s a male or female. Normally a person would turn away but I didn''t feel anything seeing it. I was actually a little bit curious instead. I mean look at it, who could do this? No wild animal will leave a person like this, either he will eat it or will just leave it. Definitely, not crushing a skull. "Allen." this time I heard it correctly. Someone was calling out my name and from behind. I turned around to check. "Selene?" It was Selene who was calling out my name. But why? "Allen, run," she said. "Why?" "...." she couldn''t say a single thing so I took her hand and helped her walk. I walked her to our hotspot. On the way she didn''t say a single thing, by her looks I can easily tell that she is terrified. So I didn''t ask her anything. ... TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 20 - This Island Is Wierd Selene was still trembling. Instead of comforting her or taking care of her, I focused on making a shelter. Soon it''s going to be dark and I don''t want to end up like yesterday. Ignoring the trembling girl I started placing the lumber I collected earlier, diagonally against the tree with the widest bottom. I placed the first one in front of the tree forming a 90¡ã Triangle. Like that, I started placing the rest of the lumber in a circular formation. But I could only collect five of them so I need to place them correctly and evenly otherwise if the gap is big in between it would allow cold winds at night to blow. I definitely don''t want that. During night time the temperature is comparatively low even if you compare it to your A/c at home. That is why I have to place them accordingly. The shape was such that only one side is open, the rest are either blocked by the wood or the tree. Now I just need to place something to cover the gaps between leaves or cloth. I don''t have cloth big enough to cover the side and the leaves are too small. I need something. Then I thought of asking the machine. It might give me some hint, probably. I walked towards the machine, Selene was also sitting beside the machine but there was no change in her appearance. She still looked shocked. I wonder what she saw? "Hey, can I order things?" I said while pushing down the mic button. I know it would most probably ask for points but if it''s a zero point question I may be in luck. "IT''S A 0 POINT QUESTION. ANSWER- YES, YOU CAN." whoever made this machine really likes to fool around. I mean when I asked earlier about what the questions are for zero points it didn''t mention this before. "What things can I order?" I asked. "LIST- FOOD FOR ONE PERSON 50 POINTS, FOOD FOR TWO 130 POINTS. CLOTHING FOR ONE PERSON 100 POINTS, CLOTHING FOR TWO 200 POINTS, TENT FOR ONE 250 POINTS, TENT FOR TWO 320 POINTS. THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AS OF NOW." okay so, first of all, if these were sold in the same way as of now it would be considered a fraud. Generally, if a person buys two same goods then the price is double the price of a single good or maybe less but never more than the double price. Normally this would happen but here they are not even just doubling the price instead it''s more than the double amount. It''s completely a fraud. But wait a minute... What if we buy them separately? "What if I buy clothing and Selene but buy clothing separately?" "IF TWO PEOPLE BUY THE GOODS SEPARATELY THE AMOUNT WILL BE THE SAME AS LISTED BEFORE ONLY IF THOSE PEOPLE ARE WITHIN 30 METERS OF RADIUS." so they made sure there are no loopholes. All this point system is annoying me. Not only do I have to use my points carefully but I also need to earn points regularly so that I can buy things or get more information. I feel like I am playing a game with its maximum difficulty chosen. More importantly, there is nothing in the list I could use to cover the lumber The sunlight is now decreasing. I still need to find something to cover the lumber. ... Even after intensive searching, I couldn''t find anything. In frustration, I gathered the leaves whichever size came in my hand, and placed it on the lumber. Few leaves were able to hold up there because the surface was rough but most of them fell. Now instead of covering it with leaves, I decided to try something else. I looked around to find some branches almost the same size as that of the lumber and luckily there were quite a few within my reach. I broke those branches and placed them in between the gaps. I had to find quite a several branches to completely cover it. ... After finishing. I decided to take a look at Selene now. Now I can freely talk to her since our most important problem has just been solved. "Selene, have you calmed down now?" I asked as I sat next to her. "... yeah." "So, do you want to talk about what happened before or maybe sometime later?" I shouldn''t force her to answer as of now. "... n-no I think y-you should k-know what I saw back then..." I didn''t reply. I sat there silently listening to her, not interrupting in between. Although she said that she would tell me, she was continuously trembling as she described the situation. At first, even though I couldn''t believe what she was saying, any person wouldn''t believe it, but since I also saw something that made sense to what Selene was saying. ... "And then you came..." "... alright. Now don''t try to remember it. I know it will be hard but try to divert your mind." I cannot say anything else other than this. What she said would be quite horrifying, any person if they were in the same situation as she would also have the same reaction as her. "..." "Now it''s going to be dark soon. Why don''t you sit inside that tent-like thing while I try to put on a fire." She stood up by herself and walked inside the ''shelter'', that is what I named it. Fortunately, I already gathered the dry wood so I now just need to put it on fire. ... "Now it''s... done." I put on a fire and also sat inside the shelter. At least now I don''t need to worry about wild animals attacking us. Wild animals tend not to go near the fire. Now to our next problem that is Selene. I am not saying Selene is a problem, I am just saying that I need to find a solution to change her mood. "Selene, we haven''t talked much in school so why don''t we try to know better now?" I tried to change the atmosphere but it didn''t change much. "Okay..." "I will start first. Where shouldn''t start? Hmm... Ah, yes! Listen when I was in..." I was the one who talked most of the time and Selene only listened to it. Gradually but slowly the stiffness on her face reduced. "Now you are back to normal," I said. "W-what?" "I know it was hard for you but we are both in this together." I tried comforting her. The tense atmosphere which we had earlier came to an end and finally, she was able to fall asleep. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 21 - The Night To Remember As I sat there inside I noticed the sound of wind slipping through the leaves. Creaking of tree trunks as if someone is walking on them and the fluttering of wings unseen. It was a pleasant experience until... I heard the sound of wolves howling, but the sound felt like it was somewhere far from us. After a while, the howling stopped and the forest became dead silent. Only the whistling sound of wind could be heard. Now that I have so much time I began thinking about the incidents which occurred to us in past few days... First, the government took over the school and asked us to complete the task or else we will be expelled but then instead many were transported to this island which included me. The most terrifying incident for others was the one where they shot a boy in the face in front of everyone. Everyone was horrified by that but to me, it looked normal, or to be precise it didn''t affect me at all. After a lengthy day, Selene and I were separated from others at night. The next day, something more interesting happened. It was the start of something that could be considered dangerous as well as thrilling. On an unknown island, we are left alone to survive, and if we are not able to complete the tasks they will be disqualified. Anything can happen if a person is disqualified like they will be killed or caged in a cell or something even worse. How do I know this? I just felt like this could happen since seeing their behavior and actions taken by them I could comprehend that they don''t care whether we die or not. I think they must be aiming for something but what? It''s a big mystery that I don''t think will be revealed soon. But one thing is still bugging me. What was that dead body in the forest? Selene described it to me but if there is the possibility that it is true then I don''t think anyone on the island is safe or will be able to escape. Whatever the case is, that thing is not something that could be taken carelessly. If one wrong move then all of us will be dead within a day. Also, what was the reward for the second special condition task? Arms and ammunition right? If they are giving something like that then most probably there will be bloodshed soon. I can easily comprehend that sooner or later they will make us kill each other saying the one who is at the top can escape the island, this kind of scenario, I have seen in a movie. But in the end, everyone dies at the hands of an evil association. "Run...!" I heard someone screaming. As soon as I heard the sound I stepped outside to check what it was. ".... Run faster it will catch us!" I saw a couple of people running in my direction and by their looks, I could easily make out that they are being chased by some wild animal. "Look fire! Run towards it!" shit. I don''t them to cause trouble for me. But now that they are already coming in my direction, now I need to prepare something. "Ahhh...! It''s coming closer...!" I picked up few sticks with a fire burning at one end and waited for them. "Help...!" are they stupid? If they shout so much they just asking for other feral animals to attack them. "Come on." in any case I just need to stand my ground here. As soon as one person reached our base I handed him the burning stick. I am not the only one who will be fighting it. "Here." I gave only one person the burning stick and the others went right past us and hid behind us. "In a count of 3, shout as much as possible okay." I know it would attract more animals but it is the only way to make it go away as fast as possible. "Okay." "And... 3!" they started shouting, I didn''t shout instead I kept on hovering the burning stick around trying to scare it. At last after a few more minutes of shouting it ran away. I couldn''t see it clearly because it''s so dark but I am certain that it had three eyes or whatever it was. I swear, I could see three glowing things. Two looked like eyes but the third one was placed differently than others and a little above the two eyes. It must be around two-three meters high. Earlier in the afternoon and now, this island is not normal. *sigh* "Thank you for saving us." they were a group of four consisting of two boys and girls each. "No, it''s okay. Now that you all are safe from that beast why don''t you all leave now?" I don''t want any more burden. One of the worst things for me is to form a group. It''s too much of a hassle to handle. That''s why I don''t form a group of more than three people. More like it''s my policy. Reason? If there are more people then the number of compromises a person has to make also increases. "... huh?" all of them said at the same time. "What? Do you want to just relax here after causing such a risky thing for me and my friend?" because of them we had no choice but to shout which must have made other animals also aware of this place making this their primary location to attack whenever the chance arises. "... at least let us stay here for the night.... please..." one of the girls said. "Huh. Listen here I am not giving free shelter. If you want to stay here I can let you all stay here-" "Really?!" one of them seems to be over noted but don''t worry not for long. "But you just have to give me 40 points each." after all this time I am certain that points are going to play a crucial role in the future. "W-what...?" "If you want to stay here give me a total of 160 points right now or else you can all just leave." "But that..." "I will count to three. Before that agree to pay me the amount and you can stay here for the night or otherwise I will have to chase you out of here." they all seemed to be tired maybe because of the beast but with this, if they don''t agree to me I will just have to beat them up. With their physical condition so low I could handle them single handily. "1...." they started discussing between them. "2..." "And-" "Okay! We will pay." "Alright. Welcome aboard. But before you all got down transfer your points to me with that machine over there." in the morning I also noticed a button saying TRANSFER POINTS. "Okay..." they all walked towards the machine and moments later they returned. "Okay, you all sit here but don''t get inside or even near that place." I pointed out my ''shelter''. "Why? We even paid you..." one of the girls pleaded. "You only paid to sit down here not inside so if you want to sit inside pay me 90 points." "That''s absurd!" a boy yelled. "Okay for you my friend you just got a penalty of 20 points." why? because he shouted again. "We-" as soon as he was about to say something again another boy stopped him. "I''ll take the remaining 20 points from you in the morning." I pointed a finger at him which made him even angrier but the other person stopped him. Ignoring then I went towards the machine and touched my elbow to check my points. [Welcome Allen] [Status- Alive] [Points- 260] Okay, they did pay me up. With a minute where is Selene? I walked directly towards the shelter. I saw Selene in the corner shivering. "It''s okay the beast went away." "...." she is still shocked by what happens in the afternoon. She walked outside and I introduced her to the other people and explained what happened of course I didn''t mention the point part. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 22 - Friend Or Foe The howling once again started. A few moments ago we barely we''re able to subdue the beast and now they all seem to be having fun. Even though Selene has warmed up to them I still feel hostile towards them. On the surface, they seem a normal group of students but without being noticed by Selene they are trying to get close to her. "Selene which class were you in?" a boy named Kurt said to Selene. "I w-was in 2-E..." Selene already doesn''t talk much and now it is even worse since she doesn''t know any of them. "Is that so? Isn''t Peter in your class also?" a girl said. I don''t remember her name though. "Hey, isn''t it a nice time to have a picnic?" I intervened. "What? Are you an idiot? Picnic? Here?" "So why does it seem like you all are having fun? We are in a life and death situation but you all are having fun like a bunch of kids on a picnic." "You! I w-" Kurt seemed annoyed. "Why don''t you all shut up?" I intervened again. I don''t know whether they have noticed or not but they are talking quite loudly making our presence noticed to those shadows lurking in the dark. "What?!" Kurt is pissed. "Do you want me to add some penalty for you too?" the other guy has to pay me 20 additional points so if there is a slight chance arises, I am going to suck out as many points from them and I will gladly do it. "Listen here. I am not your buddy or something like that okay? If you cause me any more trouble you might need to leave early." I tried warning them but its effect was the opposite. "W-we won''t listen to you! Right?" one of the girls declared. "Yeah!" the other girl also joined. "W-wait we shouldn''t f-fight..." Selene intervened. "Selene tell them not me. Also if you say another word a little bit loudly I might have to send you off." they all are idiots. "He is pissing me off!" "Grr...." "!?" "What was that!?" "Now are you happy?" he seemed confused by what I mean, but if someone has a little bit of brain would understand that because of noises they all created many wild beasts must be coming here. They all panicked including Selene. I put up the fire stick and since it''s still night the visibility is almost zero. "Allen..." Selene called out to me but I still didn''t move an inch from the position because I am having a feeling that if I move from here that thing will ambush me. I felt chills throughout my whole body. "Grrr....!" the sound felt near this time. The rustling sound of the bush kept increasing in my front. I didn''t move or even blinked for a second. I have a gut feeling that if I blinked for only one time I am done for. "I am running away..!" yes go away. It might follow you. "No!" why are they so obsessed with making more trouble for me? Slowly I tried moving backward. I didn''t care about others but I just need to make a way out for myself and Selene. "Aahhhhh!" this time it wasn''t the sound of a beast or any animal but a sound of the boy. "S-shouldn''t we help that p-person?" one of the girls said. "Yeah, why don''t you lead the way then. Idiot." I said. Maybe be due to the sound of the scream the beast which seemed like was about to attack is has moved in that direction. "..." "Did it go away?" "That''s it. I am done with all the talking now. You all pay me 30 points right this instant or I am going to do this the hard way." "Why do we have to pay you more points?" "Yeah, the majority of us are not going to pay you any points." "Did you think that with the majority you can defy me? This is not some democracy it''s a dictatorship and I am the dictator here. You don''t want to pay up okay fine instead I''m going to have to take your points by force." I am starting to get a little irritated by their behavior. "Allen it''s n-not good t-to take their p-points..." Selena again intervened. "Oh come one, I don''t want you too to support them." "B-but..." "Y-yeah, Selene is on our side." "...." Selene nodded. Okay, so that''s your play. Fine if you want to play I am going to crush that game. "... fine." ... The slight flicking sound of wood burning was the only sound I could hear. All the girls were sound asleep in the ''shelter'' and the boys were sleeping around the fire. Why did the girls be able to sleep inside? Selene said that it was okay for them to sleep there. Now I completely understand why they tried to be on the good side of Selene since earlier. They must have talked about me and Selene''s relationship and must have anticipated that I wouldn''t disagree with someone with who I am on good terms or close. "Okay so now what should I do with them?" I am not going to just sit here and let them be. ... "It''s morning Allen..." "... Huh? Oh, morning Selene." did I fall asleep? "B-but why d-did you sleep o-outside?" "It was so cramped inside. Just by looking, I felt like I was out of breath. How did you all sleep?" only the girls were sleeping inside but it was still cramped. Earlier when I was sitting inside with Selene there was not enough space so I had to put half of my body out but all three slept easily. How? "Y-yeah it was c-cramped but we m-managed..." "... now what should we do now?" Kurt said while looking at Selene. "What do you mean ''what should we do now?'' get out of here already. Why are you still here?" I only agreed for them to stay the night. "Huh?" by his looks I could easily tell that he forgot the deal. "Don''t ''huh'' me. You want to stay here pay me another 160 points or else get going already." "Selene so you really want us to go?" one of the girls whose name I still don''t know said with a puppy face. "Don''t. Don''t do that before I smash your face." "..." I know what are they doing. They are going to convince Selene to let the. stay here and eventually I would also give in. "Allen let. t-them s-stay, please..." "Fine, you all can stay here but pay me 200 points first." "What? 200? Didn''t you say it was 160 earlier?" "Yeah, it was. Every minute I am going to add another 10 points so the sooner you pay me up the less the amount will be." "..." Selene wanted to say something but this time before she could even say a word I scowled at her to which she flinched and didn''t say another word. "What? Selene says something to him." the girl said. "..." Selene didn''t reply. "Okay, 210." "Wha!?" "Time is ticking." "... fine we will pay 200 points." "You seem like you heard it wrong. I said it is 210 and is going to be 220 in.... 30 seconds." "Okay, we will lay you 210 points." "Don''t move your mouth. Walk to that machine and transfer the points before it turns into 220 points." "..." no one said a single thing and quietly went in that direction. Why was I so confident that they will pay me? In the forest, there is plenty number of beasts, and who knows when or where you might encounter one so to be safe a call is the best place. No matter what others say but we survived the night where we encountered beasts two times which included the one where we were able to subdue it. So, this is a safe place. No one is willing to let go of a safe place at any cost. "... done." "Okay, you all can stay here for the day. Thank you for your service." the last part was meant as a joke but they didn''t look happy about it. Who can blame them, I just took a total of 370 points from them. Now I should be having.... 470 points. But if they want they could have tried to suppress me, I mean they it would be 4 v/s 1 but in the end, they still obeyed me why? TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 23 - The Calm Before The Storm Just by mesmerizing the things that happened at night still gives me goosebumps. What was that beast? What was that scream? Many questions arise but no one can answer them. Anyway, I should be having 470 points. Should I say that it was a blessing in disguise that those four people came to our place? Absolutely not. If the beast hadn''t left who knows what would have happened to us? No matter how many points you give life comes first. But something is still bugging me for a while why did the beast come to our base only when those four arrived? Maybe it''s a coincidence. Also, I keep track of everything they are doing because they all seem suspicious. Why? First, they are acting quite friendly with those they just met. Second, when they arrived then only we started encountering beasts. Third, each of them had 100 points, to begin with. If they had acquired a hotspot so why did they leave it? Because of the beast, that''s not likely because by the looks of their clothes I could easily tell that from wherever they have arrived it was not a safe place. Clothes torn from the edges and hands with mud. From what I have concluded the hotspots are places that could be somewhat considered safe places. If they weren''t a safe place they wouldn''t keep a machine open which is playing a crucial role for everyone on the island, and any animal could destroy it. So, either they were forced to leave their hotspot or they have stolen points from someone forcefully a fight occurred and that would explain why their clothes were torn from the edges. But what about the beast? It was not a normal beast. It was even taller than me. When I saw a glimpse of it I felt the same as before when I first stepped on the island. Whoever is doing all this to us isn''t someone who gives a shit about us. It looks like he is just toying with us. ... "Allen w-what should we d-do a-about f-food?" Selene asked me as she approached me. "I don''t know. By any chance did you collect those berries from yesterday?" "N-no." "Then I also don''t know what should we do now." "How a-about we go b-back there and c-collect those berries?" "Yeah it would be plausible but... I cannot leave this place with them around here." I said while looking in their direction. "..." Selene neither agrees nor disagrees with what I said. I know Selene wouldn''t notice it but they all are trying to monopolize this by taking her to their side. They must have gotten the gist of it that I won''t be able to rule around easily if Selene were also to oppose. But don''t worry, if they were to do that I won''t hold back at all. I am just waiting for them to make a big move. But before them, I have a bigger problem which is the food. In the river, there are few fishes but both Selene and myself don''t know how to catch a fish without a fishing rod. I tried catching them with a bare hand but as soon as I put my hand inside the water they just slip away. After many attempts, I gave up. "Hey, does any of you know how to catch a fish?" if it wasn''t my last resort I wouldn''t have asked them. "Oh, so now you want help?" Kurt seemed kind of happy that I had to ask for help from them. "Okay, so no one." but I ignored his comment. "... I know." the other said. "Go catch as many fish you can from that river." "He will but why should we share it with you?" Kurt again tried to taunt me. "Oh, man I wish you didn''t exist. Seriously? I protected you from the beast last night and I am still letting you stay here for a day and you want to ask why should you give it to me?" "Not free." this time the girl said. "Honey, nothing is free in this world. If you want help for free goes somewhere else. I don''t give such service." I know I added ''honey'' in the beginning but I just wanted to intimate them. It''s just phycology, that if you add a sweet word before intimating someone it affects it more. And by their looks, I think it was spot on. "... Okay I will share it." Should have said that from the start why waste the time. ... After few hours of trying they were able to manage four fish. It would have been better if there were one for each but baggers can''t be choosers. "H-here." after all this time I was able to remember his name, his name is Kevin. "I don''t know how to cook a fish. You need to do it." I have only seen it when I was with my father when we went camping. I have also seen it on television but just by seeing I can''t learn something correctly right? "... okay." I expected him to refuse but it looks like they have lost the courage to reply to me. Selene was talking with the girls which were quite unusual. She didn''t talk much when we were in class but now she can talk more. Kurt and Kevin were trying to put on a fire for cooking the fish. What am I doing? I am just resting. I had trouble sleeping last night because of the unfamiliar area and also I woke up early. So, now I am just relaxing sitting beside the machine. "Now that I am resting why don''t I check my points status." I touched my right elbow. [Welcome Allen.] [Status- Alive] [Points- 570] Huh. Wasn''t it supposed to be only 470? Hmm... that''s right every eight hours I would get 100 points. But I didn''t hear any sound which the machine produced when I first received the points. Maybe it was a one-time thing. I just hope this nightmare ends. I don''t know what will happen to us in the future but I am having a gut feeling that whatever happens, it will not be going to be good. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 24 - The Storm Is Coming I don''t know about others but fortunately, we were able to secure a hotspot in the early stages. If we had to spend another night in the forest with no protection then I can''t possibly think how we would have survived. "Allen, what about the points we were supposed to get every eight hours?" Selene asked me. "Hmm... that''s right, you don''t know how to check our points," I said. " Here let me show you." when I first received my first point Selene was not present at that time. Slowly walking as I heard the sound of crickets, Selene and I approached the machine. "Now, touch your right elbow." "What?" it''s natural for everyone would be confused. Who would think that that it''s a mechanism to check your points. "Just do it will you." "... okay." she touched her elbow. A status window pooped up on the screen. [Welcome Selene] [Status- Alive] [Points- 200] "Wha?" was my reaction the same as her? I wonder... "So, now you know how to check your points right?" "Yeah... Allen can you show me yours?" "....." I don''t want her to see my points because of various reasons. First, she would notice that I have almost twice the number of points as her. She would become suspicious of how come I have so many points. Second, she already knows that I have taken points from the others but even if we total the 200 common points plus the 210 points I have taken it would be only 400 but I have a total of 570 points. "Is that... a no...?" I don''t know how should I respond to that. "... Argh... Selene why don''t I show my points sometime later?" yes, sometime later at the right opportunity. "... okay." I know sooner or later I would have to her. Now, what should we do? I don''t have any lead and if I use points now most probably it would be in vain. Like they would let me have the information that easily. "~GOOD MORNING TO ALL!" like before the sound echoed throughout the forest, where are the speakers? "~I HOPE YOU HAD A PLEASANT FIRST DAY ON THE ISLAND, OH SORRY, IT''S YOUR SECOND DAY BUT FOR TASK IT''S THE FIRST DAY. ANYWAY DON''T WORRY ABOUT COUNTING THE DAYS SINCE YOU''LL AIN''T GONNA LEAVE THIS PLACE ANY TIME SOON~" every time I hear his voice why do I feel like I have heard it before. "~SO, I ALREADY TOLD YOU MOST OF THE INFORMATION BEFORE BUT WE DECIDED TO ADD NEW RULES NOW," he continued, "BEFORE WE TOLD THAT YOU NEED TO COLLECT 100 POINTS BEFORE 72 HOURS BUT AFTER DISCUSSION THE TIME LIMIT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 12 HOURS" what? It''s not like I care but if they have reduced time something is definitively going to happen soon. "ALSO EARLIER IT WAS ONLY 100 POINTS, RIGHT? BUT NOW WE CHANGED IT SINCE ALMOST MORE THAN 70% HAVE ALREADY REACHED 100 POINTS SO NOW YOU HAVE TO GAIN 350+ POINTS." yup, they are going to eliminate us sooner as I expected. How did I know they would eliminate us? It''s simple actually, first they abducted 50 students and threw them on this island also they have already killed a person. Second, wild beasts are roaming on this island where anyone can get killed at any moment. Third, he just said that more than 70% of people have already completed the first task maybe that''s why they increased the points requirement so that fewer people will be able to advance further. "~AH, HOW CAN I FORGET ABOUT THIS," he said, "I HAVE A ONE GOOD NEWS AND ONE BAD NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO HEAR FIRST?~" ".... LET''S GO WITH THE GOOD NEWS FIRST. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SINCE I FEEL PITY TOWARDS YOU ALL SO... I AM GOING TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE FIRST 3 PEOPLE. BUT IT''S NOT FREE, NOTHING IS FOR FREE. I WILL NEED SOMETHING IN EXCHANGE. WHAT SHOULD I ASK FOR? HMM... AH! HOW ABOUT THIS, YOU''LL GO TO YOUR MACHINES IN THE HOTSPOT AND I WILL ASK THEM PERSONALLY WHAT I WANT IN EXCHANGE. NOW, WE GO FOR THE BAD NEWS..." he paused. "~THE BAD NEWS IS THAT OUT OF 50, 13 HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISQUALIFIED. IT''S NOT EXACTLY A BAD NEWS BUT STILL, IT COULD BE CONSIDERED A SAD NEWS FOR YOU ALL RIGHT? YOUR FRIENDS HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE YOU~" When he mentioned that 13 have been disqualified Liz and Peter came to my mind. I didn''t want to imagine Peter but he just popped out when I thought about Liz maybe because they both went together, whatever. "TOO BAD WE HAVE TO STOP HERE. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN PASS THE FIRST TASK~" with that he left us. Even after he increased the number of points I am still safe but the problem is for Selene. She has 200 points at present and in the next 12 hours, it would turn 300 points at best, which means Selene is going to get disqualified. "Selene what will you do now?" I could give her 50 points and I would still be safe but I don''t want to waste my points yet. "I don''t know..." she also understands that in the next 12 hours she has to collect 350 points or else she is going to get disqualified. While I was discussing with Selene I noticed that one of the girls is missing. I looked around to confirm but she was not in sight. It''s not like I was worried, it will be the last thing I would be worried about. I just think it is suspicious. In the forest where beasts roam around and yesterday they were being chased by one so normally no one would dare to roam around alone in the forest. So where is she? "Kurt, where is that girl?" he was sitting somewhat far from me so I had to say it louder. "Who?" "That girl who is useless." I haven''t seen her doing anything yet. "... oh, her. Her name is Ritzu. I don''t know where she is." lie. From what happened yesterday no one would go alone somewhere in the forest. They are hiding something. "What do you mean by you don''t know?" I walked towards him, "Wasn''t it your group which got attacked by a beast at night, and now you are letting her roam around alone in the forest." after what happened last night even I would think twice to go alone. "A-ah, o-oh, ..." he couldn''t say anything. "Hmm..." "What''d going on?" from behind I heard a girl''s voice different from Selene''s. "Oh, where did you go alone in the forest?" it was Ritzu. "W-why do I have to tell you?" she seem sophisticated. "That''s right you don''t have to tell me but... by what happened yesterday you still dared to go alone in the forest by yourself? Aren''t you a little bit afraid of being attacked by a beast?" "W-what are you getting at?" Kurt tried to intervene in between. "Fine, I will leave it at that today. But if you do anything suspicious I might have to do something about it right?" I am sure they are plotting something but what? "..." I walked away from them. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 25 - The Storm Is Here That night, fortunately, we found an abundant amount of fish and by chance, I stumbled upon an Autumn Olive. At first, I hesitated whether to take this or not so to confirm it I called out our Botany expert Selene. "Ah, this is a delicious shrub, how did you find it?" whenever the topic about plants came up Selene seem enthusiastic. "No, I was just looking for some dry wood and then I noticed this plant... is it edible?" I have just seen it in a picture book so I don''t know whether it''s poisonous or not? "Yep, it''s kind of safer than those berries. We can eat it without any problem. Also, it''s used for making jam..." even though I just wanted to know whether it was edible or not but she began describing how it became known from Asia to the United States and what are its uses, and many more things. "... Selene how about you continue this back at the camp?" "!?" she nodded in embarrassment. ... Now, what should I do with those four? I know something is fishy is going on with them but what? Also, the girl went missing... That night after everyone was asleep since it was my duty to guard at that our. I picked up the burning stick and walked in the same direction as the girl went before. I know that it is risky but if I don''t find some lead before they do something to me. I walked there was not a single light except the one I am holding. Were it not for the burning stick I would have lost the way in the dusky forest. "!?" something slithered past me. I didn''t make any sudden movements and stayed still for few seconds and then continued moving forward. "It''s scary as hell..." I couldn''t see much but it was enough to make me imagine spooky and scary things which made it even worse. The ground was feeling kind of muddy, why? It didn''t pour. As I looked down to step forwards, trying my best not to slip since it''s kind of slippery but then... "What''s this?" I noticed an impression of pair of shoes. By just looking at the impression I couldn''t figure out who it is, but mysteriously the size was quite small as compared to the ones at the camp including me also. With this, I confirmed that they are meeting with someone. I didn''t expect this. "!?" wolf howling started suddenly. "... okay now I have to do one more thing and that is to run..." I hastily made it to the camp safe and sound. Also, it doesn''t look like any of them noticed I went somewhere. ... "..o... mo.....g Allen..." I felt like someone is shaking me. "Huh? Oh, ah, good morning Selene..." I don''t remember when I fell asleep. "..." "Where are the others?" "T-they all l-left..." "Huh?" they left? "Y-yeah, in the m-morning they s-suddenly said that t-they are l-leaving..." "... okay..." "~GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!" "What is it now?" "~NOW THAT 12 HOURS HAVE PASSED, WE ARE NOW GOING TO ELIMINATE THOSE WITHOUT 350 POINTS~" "Selene tell me how many points do you have right now?" "...3-300 points..." oh boy what should I do now? "... come here fast." I pulled her and made haste towards the machine. "W-what?" "..." I didn''t respond instead I clicked on the button ''TRANSFER POINTS''. "HOW MUCH AMOUNT IF POINTS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED?" a blank box popped out. I put 50 points in that. "50 POINTS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED TO SELENE." huh? How did it know that I wanted to send it to her? "A-Allen what d-did you d-do?" Selene was still confused. "Nothing I just saved you from being disqualified." "Bu-" [Welcome Selene] [Status- Alive] [Points- 350] "~NOW THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS WHO ARE BEING DISQUALIFIED ARE~ JUST KIDDING! I WON''T BE THE ONE WHO WILL BE DISQUALIFIED~ IT WILL RUIN THE SUSPENSE HEHEHE~ THE MACHINE WILL TELL YOU AND FOR THOSE WHO COULDN''T EVEN FIND A MACHINE, I DON''T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM~ ALSO IN ONE HOUR A NEW TASK IS GOING TO BE DISCLOSED AND I TELL YOU, IT''S GOING TO BE A BOMB~" what kind of task is that? Anyway, I don''t have time to think about that. What I need to focus on is that who is going is going to get disqualified. "BEEP- BEEP." "Here it is..." both our eyes were focused on the screen. "ALLEN IS SAFE." I know I will be safe since I have almost 100 more points than the required amount. "SELENE IS DISQUALIFIED." huh? Even though I gave her points. "..." Selene look shocked, it''s natural. We don''t know what disqualified means and who knows what will happen to them. They already said that our existence in the outside world is null and even killed a person, maybe the ones who are being disqualified will be killed since no one will greave or remember them so no point in keeping them alive. But... "Is there any way to save a person from being disqualified?" "TO SAVE A PERSON FROM BEING DISQUALIFIED THERE ARE 2 WAYS- FIRST, TO PAY 1000 POINTS." no way... "Any other way?" "SECOND WAY IS TO EXCHANGE IT WITH A LIFE. IN OTHER WORDS, INSTEAD OF DISQUALIFYING THE PERSON, A SUBSTITUTE WILL BE APPLICABLE." "A-Allen that e-enough..." even though she said that she is still shivering. "..." I couldn''t find the right words to console or do anything to her, I could just watch her. "SELENE IS REQUESTED TO MOVE IN THE NORTHERN DIRECTION. FURTHER INSTRUCTION WILL BE FOLLOWED." "Sele-" even before I could say something she started moving. As I saw her disappear behind the leaves I felt like I lost something. ... "~NOW THAT WE HAVE DISQUALIFIED SOME OF YOU WE CAN NOW PROCEED TO OUR SECOND TASK, YOU''LL WILL HEAR A GUNSHOT AND IT WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND TASK. RULES WILL BE DISPLAYED ON THE MACHINE SCREEN. ALSO, I''M TELLING YOU IN ADVANCE THAT THE TASK IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT ONLY 10% OF PEOPLE CAN PROCEED FURTHER~" I don''t know who he is but whenever I hear his voice I keep on thinking that I have heard it before but where exactly? Also, what is with that new task? Only 10% can survive this? The further we are moving on it''s getting more and more difficult. Whatever this task is one this is I am sure of is that they are planning to destroy us all. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 26 - Task-2 It has been nearly half an hour since I heard from Mr.X. As I was relaxing beside the machine I began speculating about what is going to happen to those who were disqualified. Whether it''s all fake or real or a game it''s taking it too far. "Shot!" "!?" I heard a gunshot. That''s the signal I guess... "~HELLO EVERYONE, THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND TASK. LET ME TELL YOU THE RULES OR... MAYBE NOT. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN TELLING YOU HOW WILL THE SECOND TASK COMMENCE, IT''S A DRAG, SO JUST LOOK INTO YOUR MACHINE SCREENS AND IT WILL YOU~" "BEEP-BEEP." the machine made the same sound whenever a new notification came or something new came up. "CONGRATULATIONS ALLEN YOU ARE NOW IN THE TOP 15 POSITION. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS TASK IS 25." "..." "AFTER EVERY 10 HOURS A SUPPLY BOX WILL BE DROPPED ANYWHERE ON THE ISLAND. IT MIGHT CONTAIN FOOD, CLOTHES, ARMS, AND AMMUNITION. YOUR TASK IS TO SURVIVE FOR THE WHOLE ONE WEEK." they aren''t specifying what will be in the supply box? "ALSO WE HAVE ALLOWED A CERTAIN NEW OPTION THIS TIME." this time? Does it mean this happened before also? "WITH THE HELP OF POINTS YOU CAN ORDER SPECIFIC THINGS. IT WILL BE SHIPPED TO YOU THROUGH THE SUPPLY BOX ONLY." doesn''t that mean that we can just pick up the items someone else ordered? "ALSO FROM THIS POINT ONWARDS AFTER EVERY 12 HOURS, ONLY 50 POINTS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. POINTS WILL ONLY BE GIVEN IF THE PERSON IS WITHIN A RADIUS OF 5 METERS FROM THE RESPECTIVE REGISTERED MACHINES. IF A PERSON MOVES AWAY EVEN AN INCH AFTER 5 METERS NO POINTS WILL BE GIVEN." isn''t that a problem? I mean if we were to pick up something from the supply box we might have to leave our spot. Most probably they made the supply box drop after every 10th hour so that we have to choose between the supply box or the points. "THE PERSON HAS TO CHANGE ITS LOCATION AND MOVE ONTO A NEW LOCATION. THE REASON BEING THAT THE MACHINES WILL BE REBOOTED AND THE SAME MACHINE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER THE SAME PERSON TWICE. AND NOW ONLY 5 OUT OF 12 HOTSPOTS WILL OPERABLE." so now do I have to find some other hotspot and fast also. "LET THE ELIMINATION BEGIN!" "!?" I heard another gunshot but, why? At this point, I am now certain that they are going to kill us. They just said that ''let the elimination begin what else could they mean by that?" Whatever the case is I just need to survive till the end that''s all I can do right now. ... Almost an hour has passed and I still don''t have any lead on where could the other hotspot could be. I had hoped that maybe I could find someone or anyone to ask for their hotspot so I could just swap theirs with mine but unfortunately, I didn''t find a single soul. Now that I think about it I haven''t seen Liz I wonder where are they now? Maybe they got disqualified? Who knows, if they didn''t get disqualified I would be able to see them sometime soon right? Also, I noticed that I am in the top 15 so it means that few have more points than me but how come? One possibility is that they combined points but it must have led to an elimination of the others who contributed so most probably no one would be willing to give away their points. Another possibility is that they forcefully took others'' points. That could be the most likely cause. ... "Hey, we discovered it first...!" I heard someone yelling deep in the forest, so naturally, I strolled in that direction thinking I might be able to swap hotspots with them... "Huh! We came here first!" By the time I reached already a brawl had been started. By their looks, I guess they both came at the same time and either party doesn''t want to let this hotspot go. "You wanna fight...!" "I could take you all on!" The conversation is getting heated up. One party consists of two girls and one boy, on the other hand, the other three are all boys. Should I step in to stop? Nah... "We were the ones who came first so it''s ours." "Oh, is that so!? If so, then we were the ones who saw it first it mean it''s ours, right?" are they stupid? I mean they could just swap their hotspot right? "Don''t get cocky you bastard...!" "Tsk." "Did you just clicked your tongue at me!?" oh man, even I want to acquire a hotspot before dark. I think it''s better to step in now. I could just take any one side. "Umm... excuse me..." I stepped out of the bushes. "Who are you?" the first one to react was the one who looks most irritated. "I was just passing by and heard some quite loud voices from this direction so I just stumbled upon here." "Now leave." "That''s harsh... anyway I didn''t want to eavesdrop but I heard enough to hear both of your problems and I could figure out how to solve it." "What?" "I said I could solve both of your problems." "Is that so? Then tell us." they all looked at me with suspicion. It is natural for them to be suspicious of me. "But in return, I also need a hotspot." "Huh!" "No way." they straight out rejected me. Well, that''s to be expected. "You know I could have just registered my name in the machine while you three were quarreling but I didn''t do that do you know why?" "... Why?" yes, they took the bait. "Because I don''t want to fight my schoolmates and also it would be unfair for you all if I secretly did that. I just want everyone to survive." it''s all lie. I am just spouting lies. Just like a saint, I will make them believe that I want everyone to survive, but the truth is I don''t care if everyone dies until I survive in the end. "..." "I don''t like to fight between my peers for just a trivial problem. If you could agree to my terms we all could survive this." I feel like throwing up. "... I also don''t want to fight between my peers..." as soon as one of the girls said that the other agreed to listen. Fools. "They said that we cannot re-register our names again in the same machine so we have to find some other, right?" "Get to the point." "I am getting to the point... Why don''t you two just swap your machine location? It''s a win-win, right?" "... why didn''t we think of it?" maybe you all are idiots? "Yeah, I could agree to it." "So can I register now?" I said. "Yeah sure but tell us your hotspot location first." "Oh, just walk straight in that direction and take a slight right turn. It might take some time. It took almost half an hour. Ah, also one more thing the hotspot has a river flowing through there." it''s a basic concept to make others take the bait. Don''t just tell them the answer, tell them by exaggerating it, it will make them believe it more. Make the answer more tempting. "I-is that so. Then we are going there." all boys group decided to take that hotspot. "No! We will take that spot. Girls need water more than boys." oh boy, don''t start it again. "What?!" Before they start disputing again I shall register my name in the machine without further ado. I silently walked towards the machine without anyone noticing. "WELCOME ALLEN. YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A HOTSPOT." "No way we decided to take it first." "You take some other we will take that." "Now, now why don''t we all calm down first?" if they want to fight go somewhere else don''t shout so loudly. "Hmph!" "It looks like both of you want that place so why don''t we just leave it to luck?" "What do you mean by that?" "Just play a stone paper scissor and whoever wins will take whichever place they wish to take. Fair enough?" "... okay." "Fine..." "Beep-Beep!" what now? I turned to see what it was. It was the machine who made the noise. It was different than that of the machine from earlier. "YOU HAVE A NEW NOTIFICATION." TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 27 - Fake Faces "YOU HAVE A NEW NOTIFICATION." what now? Even though the machine''s sound was quite loud the others didn''t notice it at all. They were busy with their problem. "SPECIAL CONDITION TASK 1) COLLECT ANOTHER 50+ POINTS BEFORE 7 HOURS AND COLLECT THE SUPPLY BOX FIRST. REWARDS- CLOTHES WITH FOOD FOR ONE." "..." "SPECIAL CONDITION TASK 2) COLLECT ANOTHER 200+ POINTS BEFORE 9 HOURS AND COLLECT THE SUPPLY BOX FIRST. REWARDS- ARMS AND AMMUNITION PLUS A MAP." a map? What could it be its benefit? I mean I am sure it''s an island so what would it contain? Why not ask the machine. "Hey, what are the uses of a map?" "..." no reply. "Oh, sorry I haven''t clicked on the mic button." I forgot this existed. "Now can you tell me what are the uses of a map?" "THERE ARE THREE USES OF MAPS AS OF NOW. FIRST, IT CAN DETECT ALL THE HOTSPOTS AROUND 5 METERS OF OF RADIUS FROM YOUR CURRENT LOCATION BUT CAN ONLY BE USED TWICE IF FOR THE THIRD TIME IT IS USED 50 POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED. CONSECUTIVE USE WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE OF 30 POINTS. SECOND, IT CAN APPROXIMATELY REVEAL THE SUPPLY BOX LOCATION AND ONE POINT TO BE NOTED IS THAT THE LOCATION IS NEVER EXACTLY THE SAME. IT CAN ONLY BE USED TWICE IF USED FOR THE THIRD TIME 50 POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED. CONSECUTIVE USE WILL LEAD TO INCREASE OF 40 POINTS." oh boy... if someone grasps the map, it can easily be considered that he will be at an advantage over others. But what''s the third? Isn''t these two more than enough to gain lead? "THIRD AND THE LAST USE OF THE MAP IS THAT IT CAN DETECT OTHER PLAYERS AROUND THE RADIUS OF 10 METERS FROM YOUR CURRENT LOCATION BUT IT CAN ONLY BE USED ONCE. IF USED FOR THE SECOND TIME 150 POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED AND IF USED FOR THE THIRD TIME 250 POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED. CONSECUTIVE USE WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE OF 50 POINTS EVERY TIME IT IS USED AFTER THE THIRD TIME." it''s just like he can survive the whole thing if he has enough points. "Oh shut...! We are the ones who will be taking that place." and they are still fighting. It''s getting noisy I should step in now... "I''ll beat you all to a pulp...!" "Ahem..!" I intervened. "... what?" "Guys, come on what are you doing? Why don''t we calm down and sort it out without a fight?" oh God, how long don''t have to wear this mask. "..." at least they calmed down. Also how in the world do they have so much energy? They shouldn''t have a decent food supply but they looked as if they are eating normally. It''s fishy... "Yes now, what''s the problem?" also I noticed that they are listening to me quite easily. But why is that? "We want to take the spot near the river." "No, we want that spot." "Alright, I understand your problems... hmm... how about we decide by luck?" "How do you propose we do that?" "I''ll take two sticks and whoever takes out the shorter won has to accept the terms of the winner, how about it?" "... I''m up for it." "... Fine." "Turn around for a second will you," I asked them to turn around. "..." I picked up random sticks with not much difference between them. "And... you can turn back now." "Why did you take more than two?" "Why you say... Wouldn''t that be easy if I took only 2? If there are more the chances of taking the shorter stick might increase also the same goes for the longest one..." actually I just took whatever came to my hand and just broke one of them to turn it into the smallest. "Okay..." "Here you go. But before that only one from each group should come forward to take it out. It doesn''t have to be everyone." "I''ll choose first." one from the all-boys group came forward. If it were me I would just take out anyone e there is no way of knowing which one is the longest or shortest, it''s all based on chance. But as soon as he approached me I could make out that he is quite tensed up. "I''ll c-choose t-this..." "What did you get?" his group looked worried. "..." He turned around but didn''t reveal the size of the stick. I guess he first wants to check the other groups. "Alright then from this group Please take one out," I called out. "I''ll choose." I thought the boy would be the one to come forward but it looks like the girls are more daring than him... "Here you go...!" "..." she came and took out one of the sticks not wasting much time. "Are you sure?" "Why do you ask?" "Huh? I mean I am the one who came up with the idea and all so I just asked..." what a rude person. "... Hmph." "Now, let''s reveal the sizes." oh god, this is so embarrassing... acting like this. "..." Both of them revealed the sticks at the same time. "... we won!" it was the all-boys group''s win. "Sorry guy, I couldn''t win." "Don''t worry." "Yeah, it was all the game of luck." their group looks so close but why do I feel like the other girl is not on the same wavelength as the other... "Bye-bye...!" the all-boys group left. "H-hey, they didn''t tell me their hotspot location...!" oh come on, why can''t you just leave already. "Don''t worry we can just take this hotspot." huh? "Yeah, you over there move over we will take this place." I thought the group with the girls would be the polite group but I might have to change that perception. "B-but we can''t f-force him o-out..." what? The boy is the weak one here... "Zen doesn''t interfere." "..." even though I didn''t reply yet but they went on ahead of me. "WELCOME ALICE, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A HOTSPOT." the rude girl registered first. "Now, Zen you register." I didn''t speak anything and just kept on watching them. "MAXIMUM CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED." "What...!?" that''s new. I didn''t know they have a capacity for that also. Maybe it makes more sense that it has a capacity since the number of persons fell drastically, most probably the maximum capacity was filled and they couldn''t register even after finding a hotspot. "Hey, you remove your name from here!" "Hmm... is that the way you ask for a favor?" "You don''t wanna mess with me so just remove your name from here." "Is that so? I will remove my name but in return how about you give 50% of the total points you all have." "What?!" "Or you can find some other place since I won''t be leaving this place." "You...!" "Oh, shut it. You only have two options give half of your total points including those two also or you can just leave this place." "Oh... is that your real nature?" "Isn''t it that the way people speak changes around different people?" "I will choose neither and I''ll force you to leave this spot." "Then make me." "S-stoop....!" TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 28 - Is This All Real? As soon as she stepped forwards a certain person stepped in to stop her or me or both, I don''t know. "Zen step aside..." "..." he doesn''t move an inch. "Emma, say something to him." the girl looked troubled. "Don''t look at me solve it yourself," by their conversation, I reckon the girls don''t get along with each other. "Tsk." "Ahem...! May I have your attention," I said, "Why don''t you all just pay me half of your total points? It''s a waste of our time, right?" all this is kind of a stupid dispute if I say so. They can''t force me to leave this place so I came up with a scheme to satisfy both but they don''t want that. Even if I back down and leave this place they still need to find another spot since the maximum capacity is two. "Look even if I back down here what will happen to your group?" "What do you mean?" they must have not noticed that they have to leave a person to take this spot. "Even if I give to you the spot what will happen to your group? You still have to let go of one person, yes?" "..." "If any two of your group member take this spot one will be left behind and have to find another hotspot and above that he/she will be alone." "... Alice, we didn''t think of it." her name is Emma I guess. "Yes, wouldn''t it be more beneficial for you if a person who you know stays beside you in this unknown place?" "... even though I don''t want to accept it but what he is saying is true." Emma said. "Alice!" "What!" "You stay here and I''ll go and find another place with Zen." "Huh!?" No way, if it''s decided that one will leave I shall be the one who goes with him." do they both like him? For me, I don''t consider love or like as a feeling, I see it as a commitment in how I choose to think about someone else. Personally, I don''t feel attached to anyone. I try to pretend but deep down I know I don''t feel for anyone. Does this mean I am emotionally detached from everyone, I wonder... "Alice, please stay here... I don''t want you to leave a safe place..." Zen said as he stopped Alice. "B-but..." "Yeah, don''t make Zen worry you understand Alice." "Zen..." "Alice, we will be leaving, and maybe we can meet you in the future." why doe he sounds like he is going to die? "..." I saw them leaving as their body vanished behind the bushes and the leaves of the trees. ... I used to believe that if I sit beside an unknown person then it shouldn''t be awkward but I might have to change that thinking. We have seen sitting ideally without even exchange a single word but only exchanging slight glances at each other. This is going to be a drag... I should think about our situation not wasting my time on this... First of all what is happening? What is happening? I mean we got abducted and sent here, on this unknown island also this whole island seems strange. The water is not salty, not a single insect insight, and above all a dead body ah, also a plastic wrapper how can I forget that. All this seems Intel. but at the same time, the sense of touch and smell all feel real. Also this strange feeling about this place and Mr. X. If I could get a single hint about what''s this all about then maybe I can find a little bit of information. Also now that I have settled down why did Selene got disqualified? It doesn''t make any sense. First of all, we spent almost two whole days and it should be around 30-32 hours so we must have spent four cycles of 8 hours but we only got 300 points... maybe when I went to find Selene they skipped both of our one cycle of 8 hours? Also, I didn''t receive another 100 points while Selene got... I should have been rewarded another 100 points but it didn''t happen I would have asked that time but because of the problem with serene and the spur of the moment, I also forgot. Just by thinking that I shook my head up and down. What am doing? I don''t know myself. Yes, I could ask the machine now but didn''t Mr. X said earlier that the machines will be reset that most probably means that the earlier data must have been deleted. But if there is a chance that the data is still saved since he directly doesn''t mention that the data will be deleted, I could ask but not in front of her. If she knows how many points I have right now or what happened at my previous camp it would be troublesome. There is still more, even though Selene had 350 points why did she still get disqualified? Wasn''t the minimum requirement 350 points? Their sense of reasoning, I don''t get it. "Hey are listening!?" "Huh!?" what? what? I feel like someone is shaking me. "What are you thinking so hard?" "When did you come here?" she was sitting just beside me. Maybe I was in my thought that I didn''t notice her coming closer. "What are you saying? Weren''t you the one who agreed?" "What do you mean I agreed?" I didn''t say anything, right? "I asked whether I can sit beside you and you shook your head, that''s why I sat here." what? Hmm... oh that''s right I just shook my head while thinking about something else... talk about bad timing. "So, what did you wanted to talk about?" "Hmm..." "Wasn''t it that you wanted to ask something you came here?" "Yeah, that right, I wanted to know how did you survive till now?" "Why do you ask?" "So that I can evaluate whether you can be helpful to me or not." "Aren''t you a straightforward lady..." "I don''t like to complicate things." "Ehh... Don''t worry, I won''t drag you down at all. More importantly shouldn''t you worry about how would survive at night?" "Don''t worry about me." "Why?" "Since I got a tent." "What?" "You might not remember it but during the first task there was a special condition task, I don''t remember the complete details but if I complete one of those tasks they would provide me food and shelter," I remember that but... "I somewhat remember that but how did you complete it? Even I don''t remember the complete details but as far as I could recall it was impossible." "It was quite simple." "..." "You just need to share your points. If you are in a group with understanding members you could easily pull it off." ah, now I could match all the dots. There are merits in a group but it comes with demerits also. In a group, you can share points but those special conditioned tasks only benefitted a single person, letting the other members left out. In her case, I can imagine her group sharing points without any dispute. "That''s nice." "That''s for me but what about you?" "All I need are some dried stickers for burning and I would be able to go through the night," I said. "That''s dumb." "Maybe." ... It was about to get dark and fortunately, I have found a quiet sum of dry sticks. "This much should be enough for the night." As I was making my way back I saw something strange. A few spots on the leaves are colored red and it''s definitely not the leaf''s natural color. "What''s this?" I stepped closer and saw something that shouldn''t have been on this island. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 29 - Whats That? At first glance, I was sure that it was an empty magazine of a gun, let me be more precise... It was the magazine of Beretta 90two. Its origin was in Italy in the year 2006. It uses a cartridge of 9x19mm Parabellum. Huh? How do I know that? It just popped at the top of my head. It happened before. When I first entered the island I felt this same strange feeling earlier also. What happening to me? Not only that, I don''t want to say it, but a pair of fingers'' are attached to it and a sole finger is lying apart from them. Oh, fuck! That is not something I believed I would see here. I can''t remember it completely but periodically I would have this dream where I am talking with a person, not just any person it has that unique aura, just by talking to him in my dreams I felt inferior to him. The only thing I could heed attention to was a ring he wore in his left hand. To be more precise I couldn''t even see his face, only his hands. The ring had that peculiar design. A body of a dragon is attached to a blue background. And now, most probably the same ring with the same design was lying here. That''s weird... I picked up the empty magazine. One thing that is bugging me it''s empty... it''s not that why is there a magazine at all. I already guessed that there would be something like that since they have already announced on those special conditioned tasks that there is a reward of arms and ammunition in one of them. The problem is that why is it empty? If someone would have used it, it should have been loud enough for anyone to hear it on the whole island. But not a single loud noise was heard the entire time. Is it possible that they would have used a silencer? Again? How come I know about guns even though I haven''t read or researched about them my entire life. "Maybe I am thinking about it too much..." I hid the magazine inside my shirt and returned to my new hotspot. "Ehh... you got so many this early?" a certain girl called out to me. "Why do you care?" "Yes, you are right. I don''t care just wondering since I have so much free time." what free time? Even if she has a tent does she not want to eat food? "Good for you," I said. But I wonder where is her tent? She is bare hand all this time so did she hide it somewhere near before coming here? "So, where is your tent?" I had this little urge to know. "Hmm... why do you care?" ha... she said the same line I said earlier. "If you don''t want to tell then it''s okay. I was just wondering since I can be just fine in the wild at night without a tent." "Hey, don''t copy what I said earlier." "Wasn''t it you who started it first?" "Argh...!" "What? Got irritated with this much?" "Fine. Why don''t we just call it off?" "... sure" She was right. We might need to work together for two weeks if the situation doesn''t change. ... I set out the fire beside her tent. Where did she find got the tent? It was quite amusing if I would say so. She earned the tent during the first task for completing the special conditioned task. When they announced that everyone has to change their location they gave a special option only for them that they can store their tent inside the machine and later it would be available only after registering in a machine. It has its advantages and disadvantages. For transport purposes, it was beneficial for them since carrying such a big thing around would be tiresome. On the other hand, it was a problem for those who would not be able to acquire a hotspot. One could lose his asset easily. "Don''t you dare come inside you understand?" "Yes, I understand. I will not come inside or even come near your tent without asking you. Is that okay?" "I would never allow it but still... okay fine." "What a troublesome girl..." "What did you say?" did she hear me? I am sure I said it quite softly. "Nothing. Maybe it''s just your imagination." "... is that so..." at least she is easy to fool. ... Gradually the last ray of sunlight disappeared behind the leaf of a tree and it was again complete dark. But thankfully I had already prepared a fire so it made my surroundings more evident. "So are you gonna sit here alone all night?" "Do I have a choice?" "If you plead enough I might let you in." "No thank you." I have my dignity. It still hasn''t stooped so low to plead for someone''s favor. "What''s your problem? I was helping you." "Is that what you call help then it''s way off the mark, lady." "Hmph...!" why does she look angry? I don''t think I said something rude, on the other hand she is the one who is rude, right? ... Fortunately, nothing much happened last night. It was almost too quiet if I compare it to my earlier nights. Maybe it''s the first night of the task so they are hinting that something worse is going to come to be prepared and rest as much as possible. "~HELLO EVERYONE! GOOD MORNING~" there it is, Mr. X. Maybe I was right about the rest thing I mentioned earlier... TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 30 - Next Phase "~Hello Everyone! Good Morning~." I have felt this strange feeling whenever I perceive his voice then maybe, the person who comes into my dream might be him, but in the end, there is no definite answer, it might be all my imagination. "~SO, I AM GUESSING ONLY 15 OF YOU ARE LEFT NOW~." what? Wasn''t the number 25 yesterday? I cannot comprehend what is happening to us till now. Like Selene was disqualified, and I still don''t know why. "~SO SHALL WE BEGIN TASK 2? OH, SORRY MY BAD. IT''S ALREADY STARTED~." "I don''t understand what is he thinking." Alice said, while looking at me. "Yeah, same for me...," I said. "~NOW AFTER READING ABOUT THE SECOND TASK I BELIEVE WE CAN CONTINUE WITHOUT ANY HITCH." This time the task is quite difficult and risky. Why? Almost three days have passed since we arrived on this island and most probably everyone is at their wit''s end. Some must have also lost it already, because this whole situation is weird and horrifying. Slowly many of us are being taken away. God knows what will happen to them. Above all, I saw a dead body and not just a simple dead body, its limbs were shattered and what''s making me feel weird is that the person wore our school uniform. That''s not all. I encountered a beast that almost killed me a few days back, so I am guessing that many more students must have also encountered it at least once. There might be some cases where, because of these situations, many must have lost their friends. I mean, it was 50% luck that the beast ran away. If he would have counter-attacked us instead of running, away I don''t believe I would have survived it at all. After all this, I''m positive that others will not hesitate to kill each other for their survival. It''s just going to be like the survival of the fittest, like in a jungle... Few might still have their sanity. But yes, the number might be quite less. What should I do? I don''t have any lead till. I got absolutely nothing. How should I move forward? What should I do now? The answer to all these questions needs to be answered quickly. Wait a minute, I might have an idea... "Hey, umm... what''s your name I forgot," I said. "It''s Alice, remember it, idiot." why does she sound so cranky? "Sorry, my bad. Anyway, I might have an idea to increase our chance of survival. Wanna hear it?" "... sure." it looks like she also understands the situation. The sooner we take a step forward and advances further, the chances of our survival will also increase substantially. "Listen earlier when you were arguing with the other group that time two new special conditions tasks came." "Huh...!? Why didn''t you tell me sooner?" there she goes again, she gets angry quite easily. "I don''t know? Maybe because someone, I am not picking out a single person. Someone wouldn''t even bother listening to me, so I also didn''t bother telling it..." I also retaliated a bit. "T-that... anyway tell me your idea." "Aren''t you good at changing the subject, lady?" "Argh... are you gonna tell me or not?!" "Okay, okay. I''ll tell don''t get angry." "I am not yet but if you don''t continue I might get...!" what''s with this situation? Wasn''t she supposed to apologize for being rude earlier? I have to say it, she sure has a lot of character in her. But I can''t say it directly to her, can I? "So, one was that to earn 50+ points within 7 hours and rewards was umm... right. Clothes and food for one." "That''s all?" she said with a confused face. "What do you mean?" "You said there are two, so what about the other?" "The second one was that to earn 200+ points before 9 hours and the reward was... arms and ammunition." "Hmm..." "What? Want to say something?" "Isn''t this all seems easy?" "..." I didn''t say a single word. "Anyone can collect another 50+ or even 200+ points if they have more than enough points." "Ah, that''s right. I forgot one more thing." "Thought so. So, what is it?" "Another condition was that we need to collect the supply box first." "Allen," Alice said, while looking down. "Yes..." "How could you forget to tell me something this important!? First about the tasks and now about collecting the supply box!" "What got you so angry suddenly?" "You are a complete idiot. Forgetting something this much important!" "Come on, why are fussing around so much?" I don''t get it? Why is she so much angry all of a sudden? "Huh! Calm down? You are an idiot." "Listen up Alice, I am trying to be nice to you, but I don''t think you are returning the favor here. Also, stop calling me an idiot. We just met and you are talking down to me. I didn''t think of it much in the beginning, but I think you should change that behavior before I do something about it." "Shut up idiot!" okay, so we tried talking nicely, gave one warning I might give another warning and it would be the last time. The third time she has to face some consequences. "Oi, Alice. Stop talking so loudly, okay. Also, stop calling me an idiot every time. " What would you do if I don''t?" "Okay, so two warnings didn''t do it. Don''t cry after I do something." "I dare you." I still don''t get it. Why is she so angry all of a sudden? "Fine." I know just the thing. I walked in her direction. "W-what? You will hit me?" she took a few steps back in fear. It''s natural, if after an argument the other person walks towards you all of a sudden, the person will get scared. "Don''t worry, I won''t touch you." I walked past her and towards her... "No...! Not the tent!" "Hmm... I can''t hear you." I took a small stick lying nearby me and pierced it from the front side of the tent. "Stop!" "... that will do for now." almost 60% of her front cover was torn apart. "..." "Don''t look at me like that. I warned you two times." "..." ... After almost an hour has passed since the incident and we haven''t spoken a single word to each other. Now that everything has calmed down, I might now know the reason she is acting too cranky. She was separated from his group and had to stay with a total stranger and also I didn''t tell her about the special conditioned tasks earlier. She already has a tent which was the reward for special condition tasks, so I think she wants to complete those tasks and gain the privilege as soon as possible. But still, I don''t know the exact reason. Whatever the reason may be, the way she talked was not right. I don''t know about her surroundings, but I think she must be some kind of leader in her group. That might be the reason she thinks of me as an inferior. *Siren! Siren!* "!?" "W-what?" "I don''t know." what the hell''s happening. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 31 - It Has Dropped "!?" what''s happening? "What''s going on?!" Alice said. "Don''t asks me, I also don''t know..." *Siren-Siren* What''s happening all of a sudden? No one told us about the siren thing. "... SUPPLY....P." due to the siren I couldn''t hear what the machine said, the only word I could make out was ''supply'', what does it mean? The supply box? "Alice, did you hear what it said just now?" "Huh?" the sound of the siren kept on increasing. Maybe that''s why Alice couldn''t hear the machine nor me. The sound of the siren kept on intensifying for about a minute or so and gradually faded away. "What were you saying?" Alice asked. "During the sound of a siren, I noticed that the machine said something but I couldn''t make out clearly what it said. So, I asked whether you heard it or not? Did you?" my ears are still ringing from that sound. "I don''t know..." it looks like Alice also didn''t hear it. I walked towards the machine to check. "Hmm... what was that sound from earlier?" I asked the machine. "..." "Oh come on, who would remember to click on the mic button every time I have to say something to the machine?" it has happened to me twice. "..." "Fine, I will press it." I pressed the button and repeated the same question. "IT''S A ZERO-POINT QUESTION. THE SIREN WAS TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE SUPPLY BOX IS BEING DROPPED ON THE ISLAND." "Why did the sound keep on increasing?" if they just wanted to let us know that they have made the siren sound a little less loud and especially not making the sound louder. "IT''S A ZERO-POINT QUESTION. THE SIREN INCREASING SOUND IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PLACE WHERE IT IS DROPPED. THE LOUDER THE SOUND, THE MORE CLOSER IS THE SUPPLY BOX LOCATION." does that mean we are lucky in this case? I mean the sound was quite loud and above all, it kept on increasing which means it''s closer to us. "Does that mean the supply box is going to drop near out location?" Alice was standing behind, probably she also wanted to hear this information. The last time I forgot to tell her about the special condition tasks and she got infuriated. It was quite a hassle to stop her. "Seems like," I said. "Alright, I am going." "What? Why?" "Why wouldn''t I go?" she looked pissed. "It''s probably dangerous?" I can''t think of the right answer but I know that going alone there is not the best strategy either. "Hmm... are you worried about me?" no way. Now that I have thought about it I might have reason to stop her from going. "No, it''s just..." I can''t tell her the real reason can I? "Look even you don''t know what are you saying," "... if you leave I''ll remove your name from the machine." now what will you do? I need to stop her from going. "You wouldn''t dare." "Seriously? A few moments ago I just tore your tent and now you are saying I wouldn''t dare?" "... fine I won''t go." The real reason I am not willing to let her go to the supply box is that if by any chance she succeeds in collecting all the supplies inside it I would be at a disadvantage. Why? Mr. X mentioned earlier that it might contain food and it''s the most crucial part for surviving on the island and I don''t have acquired a food source yet. I couldn''t afford her to get ahead of me and if she did, it would be troublesome. Instead of her I would like to go and collect. But going to the supply box is going to be extremely risky. Almost all the participants will make a haste decision and will come forwards to obtain the supply box. Even though she isn''t of much use to me right now but in future she might come handy, that''s why I don''t to lose her at the moment. It would be lucky if by chance a person is able to collect the supply box before someone else arrives. The chances of encountering others are quite high as compared to the chance of not encountering anyone. A brawl would start if the two-party encounter each other. That''s one of the main reasons I don''t want to collect the supply box. The other reason is that the drop is near me but I don''t know its exact location. If the drop is outside the Five-meter range of the machine I would lose 50 points and maybe my name would also be removed. I certainly don''t want that. When I was at my previous hotspot I tried asking the machine what would happen if a person steps outside the machine range. It replied that no points will be given to the person. I also asked that will our names will be removed or do we have to re-register our names again but instead of answering it replied that it''s a 200 point question. Naturally, I did not use up my 200 points at that moment. But the mystery still remains, whether do we or do we not have to re-register our names again. If my names is removed I''ll have to register again and most probably Alice would not let me do it easily. That''s why I don''t want to leave the hotspot until it''s an emergency. "So, what will you do about the food?" Alice said while looking annoyed. "I don''t know." "What do you mean you don''t know!" "I looked around a bit but unfortunately, I couldn''t find a single thing we could use as food." that''s true I did look around but not thoroughly. I might have missed more than a few places. "Oh God, I am going to starve to death at this rate...." she let out a big sigh. "Why don''t you ask the machine? I am sure it will give some hints." "Hmph..." even though she looked vexed but at the same time, she knew that what I said was right. She walked towards the machine. "Can I order food?" she asked the machine. "..." "You have to press the mic button," I said. She must have also forgotten about that. "I know that..." She looked quite embarrassed, that''s a face I haven''t seen before. "Can I order food?" this time she made sure she has clicked on the mic button. "IT''S A ZERO-POINT QUESTION. YOU CAN ORDER FOOD THROUGH THE SUPPLY BOX OR YOU CAN ORDER IT DIRECTLY THROUGH THE MACHINE AND IT WILL ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION THROUGH THE MACHINE. BUT THE PRICE OF ORDERING FOOD SEPARATELY IS 5x THE AMOUNT OF POINTS ORDERED THROUGH THE SUPPLY BOX. THE PRICE MAY VARY ON DIFFERENT FOOD ITEMS." so we can order but they made sure that no one can find an easy way to survive. Everyone has to fight for their survival. "What are the options for food items?" "TO KNOW THE FOOD ITEM LIST CONFIRM WHETHER YOU WILL ORDER THROUGH DIRECT ORDER OR SUPPLY BOX?" "Directly." is she an idiot? Why would she willingly lose 5x points even though she is not in any dire situation? "I NEED CONFIRMATION WHETHER YOU WILL USE DIRECT ORDER OR NOT. IF YOU CONFIRM NOW, THE ORDER MUST BE PLACED OR IN ANY CASE, THE PERSON IS NOT WILLING TO ORDER AFTER CONFIRMING, 150 POINTS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE TAKEN FROM THE RESPECTIVE PERSON. DO YOU CONFIRM DIRECT ORDER?" "... no" she hesitated but declined in the end. "Beep-Beep!" "What now?" I said. It''s one thing after the other... TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 32 - Revive "Beep-Beep" "What now?" Alice exclaimed. "THE SUPPLY BOX HAS BEEN COLLECTED." in such a short time? "IN ANOTHER 10 HOURS A SUPPLY BOX WILL DROP." "I should have been the one..." I think she meant that she would have been the first person to collect the supply box if I hadn''t stopped her. "Looks like we couldn''t complete the special condition task this time also," I said. "Don''t use the word ''we'', earlier I was able to complete the special condition task and that tent was its reward." I don''t get it? Why is she acting like that? One moment she talks normally to me but the other time she acts grumpy. What''s her deal? "Fine. ''I'' failed to achieve the special condition task ''this time also''. Is this okay?" "Hmph..." there she goes again. Should I comprehend it as a ''yes'' or ''no''? ... Since we don''t have any food to eat so we both decided to work together and look for something. Even though I said that I have searched the whole area earlier, she still refuses to believe it and decided to scan the region again. "I wish Selene was here. She would be able to distinguish between poisonous and non-poisonous fruits. " ~HELLO EVERYONE!~" I have a feeling something is going to happen again. "~A DAY AGO MANY OF YOU WERE DISQUALIFIED DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.~" what''s he getting at? "~TO MAKE THINGS INTERESTING WE HAVE DECIDED TO ADD A FEW NEW THINGS." I have noticed that he always mentions himself as we. Not exactly himself as ''we'', he might mean that he is not alone. That''s most likely the case. All this is not the work of a single person. That''s maybe why he mentions ''we'' and not ''I''. "~THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WILL PROCEED TO THE THIRD TASK WILL BE ONLY 7." it means that only half of us going to the next task. "~BUT BEFORE THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING IN THE DISQUALIFIED PEOPLE AGAIN.~" what? "~YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT. ALL GE DISQUALIFIED TILL NOW WILL COME BACK AGAIN BUT ON ONE CONDITION.~" condition? "~FIRST, IS THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE ONLY ONE. THE SECOND, IS THAT FOR THE REVIVAL OF ONE PERSON WILL COST 3000 POINTS.~" 3000 points? I don''t think I would be able to get that many points easily. "~TIME LIMIT IS TILL THE END OF THE SECOND TASK. SO, IF YOU WANT YOUR FRIEND, GIRLFRIEND, BOYFRIEND, OR A SIBLING YOU CAN BRING THEM BACK AGAIN. ~EVEN I CAN''T GUARANTEE THEIR SAFETY IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH TIME TO REVIVE THEM.~" at least they gave us a decent amount I time. This might be a great chance for me to bring back Selene. With Selene, I remember I still need to find some food. I strode around but this time I looked at every corner. "Did you find something?" "!?" "Hmm..." it was Alice. For a second I thought someone else sneaked behind me so I was ready to punch the person. "Don''t ever sneak behind me. Ever." in this situation I believe, to survive the most viable option is to eliminate others first before you get eliminated. The system that Mr. X has made is most probably built to eliminate and to get a sole winner. Till now what has happened to us is the evidence of that. "Why?" "If next time you sneak behind me, I''ll give you the answer." "Whatever. So, did you find something?" "Not yet. I already told you that I have scoured this area." "Hmph! Then it means that you did not search it thoroughly. I found some blueberries. Which were ''near'' to the location you sat ''yesterday''." "..." oops. "What happened? Did a cat get your tongue?" this time I can''t say it''s not my fault. I should have looked at least around where I sat. "I don''t have any excuse." let''s admit it. "It''s your fault you should at least apo-" she stopped in between, "What did you say?" "I said ''I don''t have any excuse. This is my fault.''" "Y-you..." she couldn''t say anything. She must have thought that I would not admit my mistake and she would try to get angry at me or something like that but instead, I apologized. Now she can''t get angry at me. It''s common psychology. If a person admits his/her mistake the other person''s anger reduces to half. "Are you okay? You look pale a little bit." I tried teasing her a bit. "Allen you mean..." I think I might have teased her a little bit too much. "Hey, wait for me. I also need to eat those berries..." ... She took me to the place where she found the berries. "..." when I looked at it I remembered Selene. Why? Because these are the same berries Selene and I ate are the first thing after coming to this island. "What''s with that look? It looks creepy?" "What look?" I am sure I was not making a face or anything. "I am talking about your inner face. It felt creepy." "What are you talking about? Inner face?" it''s true that it made me feel something but was my feeling leaking out? Whatever. "These are edible but not in excessive amounts. If you eat excessively you might get poisoned." "Ehh... you know about plants?" "My friend told me about this." "Thought so. You don''t look like someone who likes something like this." "''Something like this?''" what did she mean by that? " Nothing. Forget about that... So, we can eat these right." "You sure are good at changing the topic. And the answer to your question is yes." "So, I take it out then." she just ignored my comment. "No, not that one." she was about to pick out the one which has not yet ripped but before she could pluck it I stopped her hand. Seeing her making the same mistake as I made, brought back the memories of when I and Selene were plucking out some blueberries. At that time she was the one who stopped me from plucking from unripened one. "Why...?" "It''s poisonous. Here look at mine. There are color differences, right? "... now I look closer yours look much dark blue rather than this. Now I get..." "Okay now that you got the difference remember not to take out more than needed." "I know if we eat in an excessive amount we might get poisonous." "That''s correct but there is one more reason." "What?" " This is our only food resource and if it gets depleted in one day what will you eat after that? Did you think about it? Even though we are in a forest we still don''t know where we can find some decent food source. We need to make out the best of it." "... What you said made complete sense but it came out of your mouth made it feel like you are just spouting things..." I think she doesn''t like me. "If you understand it, then that''s all that matters." ... We plucked out quite a few and at least after so many hours, I was able to eat something. I was starting to lose strength and even after eating I might still not have recovered completely but something is still better than nothing. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 33 - Supply Box I still haven''t been able to figure out whose footsteps were those. If I rack up my brain I might have seen an upper-class person who was small, she was quite famous for being too small. When I enrolled in the school some rumor spread around that they have seen a little kid roaming around on the senior floor. Although after a month or two an announcement was made that, that person is a student here. They had to make this announcement because many got curious and wanted to see for it themselves so they went to seniors floor frequently due to which many students were not able to concentrate on their studies. Now that I remember I might have seen her but I can''t recall her face completely, anyway the problem is, why did she come to my camp? What was the relation between her and those three? Many things are still uncertain. "I had it enough...!" "Can''t you just sit quietly?" she is quite bothersome. "I have an idea!" "..." I tried ignoring her. "I. Have. An. Idea." why do I feel like she is peering too hard at me. "..." I still ignored her. "Don''t you want to listen?" it''s as if her eyes are piercing me. "... *sigh*," I let out a big sigh and said, "What is the idea?" I know I am going to regret it later but still go on. "What if the items inside the supply box are still there?" "I had a feeling since earlier but I think now is the correct time to ask, are you an idiot?" "Huh! What do you mean?!" "Why would anyone leave ''anything''? In this situation, they would take everything that comes into their hand. If necessary they would even snatch from someone but never leave anything behind." "Fufufuf...." she started chuckling. I wonder why? "What? Did I say something funny?" "No, no, it''s not that you said something funny but I think you missed something this time. Being serious all the time must have taken a toll on your rationality." ''being serious'' what did she mean by that? But above all what did, I miss? "You, yourself just said that in this situation anyone would be willing to snatch from someone if necessary so why would ''anyone'' bring a person with them to collect the supply box?" ah, I did miss that. Even I would prefer to go alone or to be more precise I would myself never let anyone else around getting the supply box if possible. "I... did miss that..." "And the way they described that the supply box will have food, clothes, etc. Then it''s size be must be big and they most probably there are more than one thing inside." that''s true. They never revealed that there will be only one item inside. "..." I continued listening. "So, if my theory is correct a single person will not be able to take all the items inside. Which allows us to take the rest of the items." "... I take back what I said earlier." "What are you saying?" "Saying that you are an idiot." the way she analysis things is quite scary. She was able to make a theory that I was not able to think of. "Hmph! If you accept that what you said was wrong, then kneel and apologize." "Nope, it must have been a fluke..." I said but in a lower voice, soft enough so that she can''t notice what I said. "What did you say?" "Nothing." obviously I would not open up. "Come on, kneel quickly." she is persistent. "So, are you going to check the supply box?" I completely ignored her last comment. "Huh? What about apologizing?" "So, you don''t want to go. Then I''ll go and check by myself." "H-hey, don''t ignore me..." what? Is she crying? "Oi, why are you crying?" what''s with her? Yesterday she was acting all mighty and arrogant but what''s with this change of personality? Crying? I would have never thought that she... I... I can''t describe her. "Ha! Gotcha! Don''t ignore a person when they are talking, it''s bad manners." "..." wha? I don''t get this girl at all. "And about what you said about checking the supply box, I will be the one going." "I think the theory you made just now was just a fluke and nothing more." "What do you mean by that?" "The box dropped around one hour ago and they clearly stated that every 10th hour the supply box will drop and every 12 hours 50 points will be granted to us. So, just to check the supply box which could be ''empty'' you are willing to let go of 50 points?" "T-that''s..." "Hmm..." "Who said about going now? I was going to go after taking those 50 points anyway, I already knew about that. You didn''t need to tell me something I already knew. Hmph!" "Is that so?" "Yes, that''s correct!" "Fine, I believe you. Next time onwards I wouldn''t warn you at all since you would be knowing that beforehand." "I didn''t s-say that y-you can''t w-warn me. Yes, you can warn me sometimes." "Hmm..." I really don''t get this girl at all. I was not worried that she might miss those 50 points but what concerned me was that I might miss 50 points if I go right now. ... The next one hour passed quite smoothly, Alice didn''t speak a single word and it was pleasant. All due to this ridiculous thing I, myself has also started losing some edge. If I was in perfect shape I might have been able to think of the same theory that Alice came up but with the lack of food supply and not being able to clean my body I have started to lose both my rationality and edge. If, only if I could eat a full meal I might be able to regain some of my lost strength. But it''s impossible right now. Thankfully before moving from my previous location I drank as much water as I can and that''s why I was able to stand my thirst till now but after such a long time I need to find a water source and fast. "Argh... Can we go now?" "Don''t ask me. Go check the machine and check whether the points have been rewarded yet or not?" "..." she stoop up and walked towards the machine. This might be a good chance to check how many points she has right now. What? She didn''t touch her elbow. Then how did the screen appear? [Welcome Alice] [Status- Alive] [Points- ] Before I could see how many points she has, she closed it immediately. "Nope, it still hasn''t arrived," she said while turning towards me. "Hey, would you mind if I ask something?" "Hmm... you can ask if you apologize to me for what you said earlier." she is still hanging onto it? "Then it''s okay. I won''t ask." "... Hmph! Fine." I wanted to ask her how did she open her points tab because if the location for checking the points is different for everyone then why were mine and Selene''s the same? TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 34 - Another Group Two "Hey, by any chance did you came across someone?" I said to Alice who was sitting inside her tent. "What do you mean by someone? Do you mean the other students?" a feeble voice came out through the half-sliced front sheet. "What else could I mean?" "Then, yes. We did encounter few people." "By ''we'' you mean the people who you were traveling with from before, right? "Ah, I see it looked like that. Yes, they were the ones." "So, what happened when you first met a new group?" "Hmm... nothing much. They stayed at our hotspot for a night and then left saying that they don''t want to impose themselves on us." similar case happened to me also. "Hoo... in this situation they acted considerately, it''s suspicious. Don''t you also think so?" "Now you have mentioned it I might have noticed something unusual." "What''s that?" I am curious. "Even though it was my first time meeting them they acted all friendly with me," Alice said, letting out a big sigh, "Did you also meet someone else?" "I did meet a group." "And... are you going to continue?" "Do you want to listen?" "I told you to mine so tell me yours!" "Okay, fine I''ll tell." I began describing the group I had met. ... "Don''t you think the group we both met are kind of similar?" "?" "They acted friendly to me and with you also. Not particularly with you but with your group member." now that she mentions it I also noticed the same behavior. "Hey, what was the name of the group members?" "I can''t remember all of their names but only the name of a boy named Kurt. Since he was the one who was butting in between the most." I hear a certain familiar name. "..." as I thought. I knew they were up to something. This confirms that they were scouting the whole island. Earlier when I was talking to Alice she told me that she and her group came from the southern direction, which was the opposite direction as mine. I could have been convinced if Alice and her group didn''t meet them but what information I have now made complete sense that they were definitely scouting the island and if not then why were they on the other side of the island and after that came to the other side again. Also, the day Alice mentioned they left was the same day I encountered them. "What happened? Was Kurt the one who you encountered also?" I forgot Alice was waiting for me to answer back. I keep forgetting she is there since she is hiding inside the tent. "Yes... I also met him." If my theory is correct I think there are more of them and their base is most probably at the center of the island. Why? Because it''s the most ideal location to keep track of most of the students'' locations. If one group is sent to scan the area they can come back again to rest at the same location. But the problem is how will they survive? For the previous task, I don''t know the maximum capacity machine can register and if I would make an approximate guess it would be 5 not more than that. But this might get solved if a person uses their brain tactfully. They just need to acquire two hotspots and make a few markings. What bothers me is that what are they plotting? Either they were the ones who led to the disqualification of half of the students or they are gathering only the ones who are useful to them. Why do I think that? Because I would also choose from either of them. To survive I would do anything. As long as I survive that''s all that matters in the end. "What should we do about the food?" Alice said while coming from the half-stripped tent. "Let''s first go for the supply box. Then we''ll think about it later." "Are you also coming?" "I can''t let you take all the loot alone can I?" I said teasingly. "That''s why you didn''t let me go alone!" "No, maybe yes. Don''t you also want points?" "I... can''t complain against that reason..." she said as she admitted that it was for her best. At this point, food is more necessary than gaining points. What''s the point in accumulating points if you starve to death? ... ... * Somewhere on the island* Four people were kneeling in front of someone but his face was hidden by the shadows of the leaves... surrounded by the fee others whose face was not clearly visible as the dazzling light blocked their view. "So you are saying that you just gave away your points?" the person said with a deep voice. Just by listening to him, the other four felt inferior and weak at the same time. "Y-yes..." those four couldn''t even speak clearly nor look at him in his eyes. "And you just came back?" as he said that, shivers went up to their spine. "... he f-forced us to give our p-points to him. If we didn''t give him the p-points we would have been killed..." the big guy crouched down to their level and held the head of one of the guys. "So, why did you come back? Huh? Shouldn''t you have taken back what he stole from you? Did you think I would help you take revenge? Did you think I''ll save you from disqualifying?" even though he didn''t raise his voice but to others, it felt like he would just kill them if he says one wrong word. "S-sorry... forgive us..." all four of them said in unison. "It''s alright I''ll forgive you but on one condition. I''ll save only one of you. Decide it yourself in a minute." this guy... is pure evil. They were astounded at first but they knew exactly what had to be done for them to survive. A feud broke out till only the last one was standing. "Times up." one of the spectators shouted. "..." a sole person was standing amidst the three unconscious bodies. "Congratulation. Take all the points from them and save your ass." "T-thank you..." his voice was shaking and he looked like he would fall any minute now. But to survive he moved his body and moved forward. ... ... *Back to our Protagonist POV* "What are you think so hard for?" I heard a familiar voice. "Nothing much," I said. I was thinking about what might have happened to Liz and Peter? Even though I don''t like Peter but Liz was with him so I am a little bit worried. I just hope that all this ends soon. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 35 - The Next Plan As we both sauntered further inside the forest, moving towards the supply box. "Haaa... I can''t walk anymore..." I hear a feeble girl''s voice so I turned around. "What? This early?" she looked so tired that she had to take a knee. She was panting heavily. Was she this weak? By her attitude, I believed that she was more like some type of Yankee but by her looks now I''ll have to change that. "W-wait... for me..." I just wanted to look around to check whether we are near the supply box or not because we have been walking for quite a long time. But she must have interpreted that I was about to leave her. "Don''t worry I won''t leave you all alone." instead of decreasing she started panting more frantically. "*panting-panting*" yep, that isn''t normal at all. "Hey, Alice, by any chance do you have asthma," I said, "Because you holding your chest white hardly, furthermore you are panting too much." "... do you got a problem with that!?" "You should have told me this earlier." maybe this is why she was having trouble. "..." We decided to stop but moving a little bit back because we might still be inside the 5-meter radius from the machine and our names might not be removed. "Why don''t I look for the supply box alone and you stay here?" I proposed an idea. Earlier I wouldn''t leave her alone but the situation has changed. She is having trouble walking and chances are that she would hardly be able to reach the machine. Before we started looking for a supply box there was a possibility that she might remove my name from the machine but now it''s almost impossible. That''s why I can look for the supply box for the time being. "No, you''ll take all the leftovers from the supply box." it looks like only her physical condition has been exhausted, her rationality is still filled with a little bit of energy. "Can you stop me?" but the question is how will she stop me? Physically stopping me is literally impossible for her, in this condition. "I-I''ll..." she only thought halfway. "So, how about this, you give me 100 points after we reach see the supply box and return to our base?" "Huh? Why would I give you points?" "I don''t think you have much of a choice. Either you pay me 100 points or I am going alone. Ah, also I could remove your name from the machine. I can do both of them I sprint. I might not look like it but I used to run few marathons so I have enough stamina." "..." I feel a little bad. If her physical condition was perfect she might have been able to avoid all this. But this is for my survival so I will do whatever it takes to survive, I can''t show sympathy. "Ah, come on say something." seeing her sit silently makes me look like a villain here. "..." "Alright, how about this. You owe me a big giant favor. I can choose wherever, whenever and you have to return the favor at all cost." I cannot compromise more. "... okay." "Look if we want to survive u think we should form a treaty with equal footing. This might be a better option for both of us." the most fearsome thing is getting betrayed by someone who you are close to. That''s why I don''t want to get backstabbed by her. "What do you mean by forming a treaty?" what part did she not understand? "I''ll be straightforward. I don''t want to get backstabbed so to decrease that possibility we form a team till the end of Task-2. It will be beneficial for both of us." "So, what are the rules?" "Hmm... okay so first is that no one will remove each other names from the machine." I proposed the first idea. "Okay, that makes sense," she replied. "Second is that... we will have to share everything. Like points rewarded, food, water, etc." "Okay." Alice listened to these rules quite seriously. "Third... is that we will have to at least know the approximate amount of points we possess. Not the exact amount just like more than 100 or less than 100, like that." this seemed a little bit excessive but if she agrees to this I will be able to get an idea about how many points she has right now. "No, I don''t think that is necessary. Also, no one will have points around 100 anymore. The least amount was 350 for the second task." thought so. She declined it instantly. "It was just an example don''t take that seriously." "Is that all?" her attitude became the same as before. She must have recovered from all that exhaust. "Yes, that''s all." "But how will you make sure that either of us doesn''t break the treaty?" "That''s what I need to think. We''ll talk about this in much detail later so shall we move forward now that you look like you have recovered?" "Alright." I need to think of something that will make sure that no one backstabs anyone. ... We moved as the sunlight kept on decreasing. Alice hasn''t said a single word after we started moving again. Maybe she is covering her energy by talking less. The way she talks with such attitude and vigor must be needing a lot of breath and after observing her all this time I could say that it''s in her nature so she can''t talk normally even if she wants to. "Alice are you alright?" I wanted to just confirm it. If her response will be the same as usual then my theory will be right but if she responds normally then I have anticipated wrongly. "Do I look okay?" "Yes..." "Then that''s your answer." Yup, even if she wants to conserve her breath for as long as possible she can''t talk normally. Maybe because of her dignity. Who knows, I can never understand what''s going on inside a woman''s brain... "Allen, look over there!" she exclaimed as she was pointing towards a certain direction. "What...?" I peeked towards her way and then towards the direction pointed by her. I saw something sparkly and some kind of rappers there. Alice paced towards that thing. "Argh...!" as she reached she shouted. It was a big small red-colored crate with a tiny opening in front. "Why did you shout?" I said as I reached the crate as well. "It''s empty." "Well, we expected that as much so no point in whining now." the probability of the crate being empty was certainly high as compared to the crate having few leftovers. "..." as I strode my eye around I saw a few silver-colored rappers lying near the crate. What might be those? I picked it up but nothing was written on it. But... "It smells like bread." I noticed a faint smell of bread. "How do you know that?" Alice asked. She was trying smelling it but couldn''t figure it out. "I often used to eat bread late at night so I know the same of bread very well." that''s true. I would stay up late and I got hungry so I just eat bread with jam or something like that. "Hmm..." "But with this, it is confirmed that there is always more than one thing inside the supply box. The number of rappers and the size of the crate proves it," I said, "What do you say?" I turned over to Alice to hear her opinion. "..." no response came. "Alice?" I called out to her but she didn''t even budge. "Oi, Alice!" "Huh? W-what? Why are you shouting?" "You didn''t respond so I had to shout." what happened to her? She was looking at the crate... no she is looking for something besides the crate. I moved further to see what was lying there and I saw something which I had a gut feeling would be there on the island but I didn''t want that to be true. At least not now. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 36 - Death Game Even though I expected that these type of things will no eventually be seen but what I don''t understand is, why does Alice look so terrified? If we look back during our first day, a person was killed in front of everyone. Later on, the numbers kept on decreasing and they even mentioned items that are not something that should be given to a high school student. "Alice, sit down beside that tree." since I have decided to make an alliance with Alice for the time being I can''t let her go to waste even before she could be of any help. "..." she didn''t even look at me. So, I took her hand and forced her to sit down. "And now... what should I do with all this?" Inside the crate was a silencer, a few used-up bullets, and a gun that was broken from the front. Again? Why do I know all these things? Just by glancing at it, I could make out the name of the gun even though I am not a bit interested in guns. That''s not important now, I need to move out of these things. Why? Because if someone sees these things here there would be two possibilities. First would be the same as Alice, a person would be stunned. The second is that even though these items shouldn''t be seen by a high school student but now that we have been inside a death game and above all, in this situation, some nasty thoughts might rise like, using a gun for their survival and all. It would be bad if more people think of it. Vicious thought only rises when it is introduced to them or seen. That''s s why I can''t let these things lying around here. I picked up the silence and threw it in the branches of the trees thinking that it might get stuck up there somewhere. "1,2,3 and... go!" I threw it at go but unfortunately, it didn''t stick but it just went up and down in the same direction, onto me. "Ek!" it came right towards me. "Should I change the direction?" I believed that if I throw it just straight up it would get stuck but it seems like I need to throw it somewhere else. "1,2,3 and Go!" it went diagonally and towards the big branch of a tree. "..." I saw it going between the branches and not getting stuck anywhere and it gradually after reaching the highest point it came down, because of the earth gravity. "Damn you Gravity." but who knew that instead of reaching the ground it would touch the branch before that. It barely touched the side of a branch and changes direction. "Oh, God it''s coming down again." why do I feel anxious? Because I want to remove these things before anyone else comes here and also I need to go back to my hotspot. Fortunately, the change in direction was a blessing in disguise. At last, the silencer got stuck, and also it was almost hidden by the leaves. "Now the gun." I picked up the gun. "Huh?" it was not heavy I had imagined, I thought it would much heavier. Anyway, I need to hide this and for that, I need to dig a hole somewhere distant from the crate. I moved in the opposite direction as Alice and started digging a hole. But I need something sharp to do that. I picked a rock with a sharp edge and started digging. "*sigh*, at last, it''s done." after hard work labor I was able to make a hole big enough to hide the remaining things inside. Why did I also put the silencer with the other things? That''s because I can''t put everything in the same place. In case someone finds this hole they might get all these things, even though any of it is not of use but sometimes we need to hide things for their benefit. I don''t care about their benefits or safety I just don''t want myself to be in danger. I made a couple of different holes and made them camouflage it with the surroundings. "Now shall we head back?" I walked towards Alice to check whether her condition has changed or not but it look like it hasn''t changed a bit. "Alice, get up we are going back," I said but it was the same as before. "...." I pulled her hand forcefully to make her stand. "Let''s go." I pulled her hand started walking. Almost an hour two must have passed by now and I think it''s going to be night soon so I picked up my pace. ... We walked back in the same direction through which we came. Since Alice hasn''t said a single word I could hear the rustling sound of dry leaves lying on the ground as we walked. Now that I noticed I haven''t seen a living animal since the last few days. Not a single sound of birds chirping nor a single sight of that three-eyed beast. Did they just vanish all of sudden? "Huh?" I was just wandering around as we both walked but my eyes caught attention to something which was standing out alone. "Hey, what''s this? I didn''t expect that something would grow in between all these trees..." it was a banana tree. I don''t know in which weather do bananas grow or which soil do they grow. If Selene was here she must know about this. It''s quite suspicious, on our way earlier it wasn''t here and now it''s here, no tree can grow 7 feet tall within hours. Is it a trap? There is a possibility, Mr. X must be knowing that now most of them would be desperate to eat food and he put a trap here so that many of us would eat it and get poisoned and will get disqualified. I can think of this as a possibility. "I am not going to eat something from such a suspicious tree." I decided not to eat this and instead I walked passed to it. As soon as I reached the hotspot... "!?" I stopped few steps back. "H..... k." I heard few voices from the front. Who are they? TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 37 - Who Are They? As we were about to reach our hotspot I hear a few voices in the same direction as that of the hotspot. I guess it was plausible that sooner or later we would encounter someone. "Hey, why are you still holding my hand?" "!?" suddenly I heard a girl''s voice. "Let go." it looks like she is back to her senses. "Don''t make too much sound. Look over there." I let go of her hand and pointed out in the direction of our hotspot. "Hey, it looks like no one is coming." a blonde guy said. Who is he talking to? "Ryan, register our names." a girl said who miraculously appeared out of nowhere. "Alright." oh boy, I am not surprised that they are going to remove our names but instead, the girl was small. I mean like her size was small as compared to a normal high school student and if I am correct she is the one who came to my previous base. The size of her shoe and the size I saw that day are most probably the same. "Hey, Allen what are we waiting for? Shouldn''t we step in now?" Alice asked me. "Wait a minute, will you? I want to know whether that removing someone''s name and then registering your name is possible or not." I wanted to know this earlier but the machine said it was a 200 point question so I don''t have the answer yet and if the answer is lying in front of me I would take it. "So, how do we do that? the blonde guy asked, his name was Ryan if I heard it right. "I don''t know. Look at the information icon." the girl said. They both moved towards the machine so I couldn''t hear them correctly. I looked around the ground to find something big and then I noticed a big rock lying near Alice''s leg. "Alice, pick up that rock," I whispered in her ear. "Eek!" I don''t know why she got started but as soon as her facial expression changed I put my hand in front of her mouth. "I don''t know why you got startled but don''t make any noise." instead I picked up the rock and threw it in the opposite direction as ours. "What was that?" yes, they took the bait. "Let''s go check it out." they both hurried towards the direction I threw the rock. "Let''s go," I said the Alice. "Hmm..." we slowly walked towards the machine hiding behind the bushes and taking cover behind the trees. Cautiously and slowly we moved. "What was that I wonder?" "I don''t know. Something must have fallen from the tree. Forget it." they came as in a minute or two. "So, about that removing the names." Ryan looked into the machine. Also now I can hear them more clearly. "Yes." the small girl said. It''s wrong to say her small since she is one year older than me but no matter how I look at her she looks like a kid. "It says that it''s still registered to them. I mean who acquired this hotspot." oh, it looks like we are still registered good for us. "So, remove it then." "I mean we can remove their names but..." "So what''s the problem?" "It''s written that to remove someone''s name from the registered machine we red to pay 400 points." that''s surprising. I thought it was a paid question then why did they get it for free? Was this question changed into a zero-point question when task 2 started? "Hmm... so what do you say? Should we do it?" the (small) girl said. "Don''t ask me. If we carelessly use points he will most likely abandon us or maybe even worse." the blond guy, I keep forgetting his name. Ryan said something that piqued my interest. They are afraid of someone. A big group must have formed and the leader of that group must be monopolizing the points from all of them. "So shall we leave it?" "I guess..." they are just gonna leave? "..." we both stayed hidden till their backs vanished behind the leaves and bushes. "It looks like we can take someone''s hotspot but a price has to be paid," I said as I walked out of the bushes. "Yeah..." she seemed to be troubled to get out of the bushes. Her clothes got stuck so I helped her. "Thank you." this might be the first time she said thank you to me. But yeah I didn''t do anything worth appreciating. ... We both sat there silently looking at the sky as it was getting dimmer and dimmer. I lighted up the wood I had collected earlier. Soon it was dark and quiet. The only sound I could heard was the clicking sound of burning wood. I just wanted to live a normal life but what has happened to it? Really what happened? Suddenly put inside a death game. I wish we could turn back time. If that was possible I would never go to school on that specific day. If only I had not come to school I would have been lying on the couch watching television. *sigh* No point in thinking of something impossible. Slowly and gradually my eyes felt heavy maybe because of the cold wind passing through the forest. But what can I do about it? Also, it felt a little bit note chilly than usual. But who cares, I put my back against the tree hoping some cold breeze would get blocked and I fell asleep. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 38 - Return? I woke up at around 7. Brushed my teeth, ate my breakfast and went straight for school. "Bye mom." I spoke out loud. "Bye Allen. Take care." she said with a warm smile but a little bit of anxiety in the eyes said to me. I opened our entrance gate. A bright sky with birds chirping and enjoying the cool breeze. The dew drops were falling from the leaves of plants on the roadside. "Hey, isn''t he one of the survivors?" someone whom I don''t know was walking behind me but the conversation she was having with her friend was most likely about me. "Now that I notice it... yeah he does look like the one from news." "Isn''t it scary just by imagining about that death game." "Yeah... I couldn''t even sleep at night the day I heard the news." I really don''t care what they talk about me but since I can hear them loud and clear it just don''t feel good so I just took a glimpse back at them. I lowered my head a little and looked somewhat serious. "Ek!" "L-let''s just go." that did the trick. They ran past me. How long will it take to subdue this news I wonder... As I was about to reach the school gate someone grabbed my shoulder. "Yo Allen." it was Alex. "Hi." "That''s a dull reaction early in the morning," he said. "What do you think happens when you stay up late and wake up early?" I replied. "Hmm... that''s understandable. But what were you doing up late?" he looked so curious, I can''t comprehend what he is thinking at all. "Anime, manga." "Allen as I friend I must warn you." what''s with the serious look? "What?" "Try to restrain yourself from watching anime and manga''s a little because if you get into it too much it''s almost impossible to get out. I am saying this from personal experience. I was like most of the free time doing all these stuff in middle school and I barely made any friends. I had to lock them inside a box with a locker and threw the key somewhere." he looked somewhat relieved after saying that. "Yeah, I''ll keep that in mind." "FIRST PERIOD." an announcement was made. "Run for it Allen." we both paced for our class. ... "Yes!" Alex shouted as he saw that teacher still hasn''t arrived. Every time I look at the scene inside the classroom only one question arise- ''How did they all arrive so early?'' But for the past few days the each time I enter the classroom everyone''s gaze was at me. It''s not like I don''t know why but I can''t do anything about it. "Okay. Sit on your seats and we will start today''s class!" our homeroom teacher arrived at the same moment I settled on my seat. ¡­ Almost a week have passed since the death game has finished. The result was that only a handful of students were able to survive and come back. No, let me rephrase it, only 7 of the students came back alive including me. Also the thing Mr. X said about that our identities have been erased, it was all a lie. Police was searching for us all the time while we were on the island. It became a huge incident because about 40-50 students were kidnapped out of know where from school in one day. Those of us who came back had their memories erased completely. They didn''t even remember that their friends were killed or whatever happened to them. They just remember their names but not their memories. But for me, I don''t know exactly why but my memories weren''t fully erased. The only thing I could remember was that we were sent to an island and something like we had to gain points to survive and that''s all I remember. All the things I could recall, I told to the investigating officer for this case. My name was never revealed that I had few memories about the island and all. The information was said to be given to them anonymously and cannot tell public the source of that. The ones who came back, they were on the news flash of every news channel. The ones who came back were- 1) Alice 2) Allen 3) Selene 4) Peter 5) Liz 6) Emma 7) Roy What happened to others I don''t know. We never got to know about them nor we were able to see their deceased body so no one has yet confirmed their death at the moment but the hope is on the brink of extinction. The one thing that made me the center of conversation was that Roy, one of the survivors said something which made me look like I was the one to blame for all this. Like because of me all this happened. Since I can''t even remember why we got kidnapped and all this happened I knew that no one can blame me yet. The accusation statement he made on me was that he saw me holding a gun against someone. Naturally it can''t be used a proof. So, I straight out said- "I don''t know why you are blaming me but since we all can''t remember anything can you blame me yet? You don''t even have a solid proof." But police took this matter more seriously than I thought so they interrogated me. My parents refused for a child who is only in his high school to be interrogated alone. In the end police compiled to this and let my parents to sit while the interrogation took place. I told them everything I could but they needed someone to blame for all this commotion. Such a big thing happened and the police have no clue of what happened so to keep their name safe they tried blaming it all on me. But they don''t know me, I didn''t back down no matter how much they threaten me or show me a gun. Yes, they even pulled out a gun on the table. Since my parents were sitting in other room they couldn''t interfere much. ... I was sitting alone inside a black room with a single light at the corner. I hear footsteps from the other side of the room. Most probably that''s where my parents are sitting. "So, Allen how are you today?" a man with a well built muscle said to me as he sat in front of me. "Nice how about you." this was the third day since the interrogation has started. "Hmm... what your friend said that you held a gun was it true." "First he is not my friend. Second, I have told you at least five times so I will not change my answer just because you ask me the same thing again and again." "Are you sure." "Yup." "Okay, so how about we play a little game?" he said. "Nope. Not interested." I rejected him out flat. "Allen you need to co-operate with us so we can get over it early. You understand me right?" he seemed to be looking down on me. Fine, you want to play I''ll play. "Is that so? Since I am being interrogated I believe you have a warrant?" "Why do you ask?" "Look I am still under 18 so at most I''ll be sent to juvenile jail. But even that to happen you''ll need at least a concrete proof which I believe you don''t have." "Aren''t you a smart kid." he is still looking down on me. "Listen here mister. I know you all want to save your face but take a note that I will not back down easily," I said, " And above all, I believe I don''t do anything wrong so don''t even think that I will compromise and let you give me all the blame." "Is that so?" now he did it. He placed his hand inside his coat and took out a gun. "Yup. Still taking the same stance." as soon as he pulled out a gun I could hear shouting from the other side of the room. I know who it was, "I believe a gun is not allowed here." "Who knows? No one objected to it so I bought it here. Do you find it uncomfortable?" dare he. "No. I am just saying that you should at least hide it from their view." I directed my eyes towards the left side of the room which had a huge mirror only one way through so I can''t possible see past it but I know that my parents are on that side. "Don''t worry. They''ll handle it." "If you say so." "... Allen which school do you go to?" I don''t get it what he is doing. "I don''t know you tell me since you must have done a thorough background check on me." do they take for a fool? "Aren''t you a tough lad." "Should I take it as a complement?" I asked. "Yeah," he said. "Then I don''t want that at least from you." why would I want to take complements from someone like him. "That''s to bad." this time his eyes flinched a little. Is he getting irritated? "Mister why don''t you tell me about yourself instead?" "It will take a long time, will you listen to it?" he said. "If it''s long then I would like to take back what I said earlier," I said. "That''s to bad." "Mister I am getting tired of this all. Why don''t you just end it?" "If you say so." I wondered what will he do but I didn''t think he would resort to it. "Isn''t it a little excessive?" he pointed out the gun at me. "Maybe, maybe not. Who will judge me?" "Umm... I don''t know. Like you bring a gun to an interrogation room and even use it on a suspect and above all you don''t have any proof against him. Oh, he is under 18." "Are you testing me?" his eyes again flinched. "I dare you." *BANG* TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 39 - Find The Real Culprit The person sitting in front of me knows exactly what will happen to him after this but the look in his eyes appeared full of confidence that even made me falter a little bit. A sudden chill went down my spine. The bullet pierced its way through my color bone, causing a gaping hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood and gushed out. My whole left body felt numb. A pool of blood forming around me and dyed my clothes in red. The moment the bullet pierce me was not that painful as compared to the pain I felt moments later. I was feeling was a bit drowsy and I could hear faint voices from the other room. It must be mom and dad. "Allen I know you are still conscious so listen to me carefully." He said. "¡­ W-what do¡­ you w-want to say n-now¡­?" ah, god. The pain is unbearable. Even though my facial expression didn''t change much but the pain I am bearing right now is¡­ "Most likely this whole area is filled with HYDRAs," ''HYDRAs''? "Believe me. I am on your side. After this, we might not be able to meet again soon so you''ll be all alone. Try to find the real culprit." "W-what¡­" I was breathing heavily. I could lose consciousness any moment now. "I was not able to find much but a person is working inside your school. I was not able to make out who exactly but it''s most likely one of the survivors. I can''t say much now in detail because maybe the police department is also involved in it. I''ll contact you. Also, I needed to shoot you don''t get me wrong." "W-who¡­ are you¡­?" that''s it. I am losing strength. "Allen just stay alive until I come for you!" I don''t get it? What''s he saying? He is on my side? Who cares about that now? I can''t even open my eyes anymore. *Thud* ¡­.. "Is he going to be alright?" "Don''t worry his life is not in danger anymore." I heard a faint sound but who is it? "Really?!" ah, the light. When I tried opening my eyes, a bright light obscure my vision. Ah, what''s that? "Doctor! The patient is gaining consciousness!" what happened? Why do I feel I am moving? "Doctor please tell me! Will Allen be alright?!" ah, I recognize this voice. Even though I couldn''t see but this faint yet wobbly. It was mom''s voice. Even if I hear hundred different voices, I can never forget hers. "Ma''am please step back! Let the doctor do his work!" "B-but¡­!" don''t worry mom. I''ll come back to you soon. I tried to say the words out loud but no matter how hard I try I couldn''t gather the strength. Was I hit that badly? "How''s his blood pressure?" "It''s normal but his heart rate is quite low." "Get me the patient''s report." "Yes, doctor." "As I thought. The damage was not all that fatal but the bullet hit a nerve that connects the right hemisphere of the body with the brain. He is quite lucky because it only scratched the nerve not causing it to break. The nerve was ruptured but during the operation, it was sealed off. This might be the after-effects of it or maybe the nerve opened again." "Is he going to be aright¡­?" "Yes, since we closed it one time it can be done again. Also, most likely this happens when the patient is trying to gain consciousness and move his body a little bit. The sudden movement causes the stitches to become loose or break. With this we can say that the patient is going to wake up soon and normally the bleeding will stop automatically since this child is young and his blood platelets will be much stronger so the body will automatically patch itself." I couldn''t hear much but what I could make out was that I was going to be alright. Yet again, I am fuzzy but the strength is still missing. I can''t move nor open my eyes. ¡­.. "Ah, why does the light always aim for my eyes? It hurts." I said out loud. I felt a breeze and the sound of birds chirping while a low sound of someone talking near me. "Hmm¡­ what''s this?" I detected a warmth in my right hand. It felt like a hand. "Allen¡­ don''t worry mother is¡­ here for you¡­" ah, how could I not notice the warmth? These hands are the ones who held me since the day I was born. Mom was holding my hand while she was half asleep on the side of my bed. She must be extremely tired and exhausted. So, I didn''t wake her up instead I just sat there looking outside the window while holding onto mom''s hand. "AH! I fell asleep!" the moment I wake up mom also woke up. Is this some sort of phycology? I wonder about that. "Hi mom," I said, "Are you awake?" "Allen¡­?" she rubbed her eyes multiple times before realizing that she isn''t dreaming. "Allen!" she hugged me. "Mom, shh! You shouldn''t shout inside a hospital." Yet mom didn''t budge. "Oh, Allen you woke up. That''s great!" I heard a manly voice from behind the curtains on the right side. "Yes." It was my dad. He made such a euphoric smile as he saw mom hugging me. "Dear, why don''t you let him breathe first." Dad must have noticed that mom is hugging too tightly at a person who got shot earlier. "¡­" she slowly backed up and sat on the chair beside my bed. "Allen, are you feeling alright?" "Yeah." The moment I woke up both my parents were overjoyed. Maybe this was the first time I saw both of them so happy. We all talked to change the gloomy atmosphere to a contented one. ¡­ "Bye, mom. I am going to school!" "Bye Allen take care." Almost three weeks have passed since I was discharged from the hospital and since then I have made a full recovery. Also yes, I need to start thinking of all the things that person said inside the interrogation room. Even though he shot me yet he said me to find the real culprit. I can''t comprehend the real reason why he shot but if his motive was just to shoot me he wouldn''t say all those things then. I don''t know yet but something fishy is going on. Not just with the students but with the police and the school and I must find them. If this time they went for us, high school students maybe next time they will go for our parents. I don''t want that at all cost. I know for a fact that some big organization is behind this. Maybe the whole police department is involved with this. They first meddle with me and then they gave such trauma to my parents, twice. If you want to play games I''ll play. I''ll play that game of yours and bury you all. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 40 - A Normal School Day As I was on my way to school I was mesmerized by the incidents that happened to me the past few months. During the interrogation, I ended up with something unexpected. I was shot but it was to cover up something which I still don''t know and the mister who shot me told me that sooner or later he is going to contact me and till then I have to find the real culprit. If this was a normal situation I would have straight out declined him but this time I believe they will involve my parents also. Like in the interrogation room I was shot in front of my parents and in case to cover up the situation they kill them. That can happen. If the abduction of 50 students can happen, killing two ordinary people is not much of a case for them in comparison. Also, he said that someone from the school is also involved. Most likely it''s going to be a teacher, right? I mean a student is not someone who can plan or even execute all this efficiently. Abduction, killing, guns all this is not something a high school student can handle easily. "Run! P.E. teacher is going to close the gate!" I heard someone shouting. I dashed towards the entrance gate before it closes and fortunately, I was successful but not all the students. About 4-5 were not able to be on time. Anyway, who cares about them? I have my share of problems. I ignored the cries of students to let them in and walked towards the shoe locker but as soon as I changed my shoes and was about to put them inside the locker I heard the sound of the entrance gate is open. Normally the teacher needs to contact every student''s parent about their child being late and it takes at least 10-15 minutes but within a minute it opened, why is that? I peeked outside to look at what happened and I saw a pitch-black Mercedes just outside the entrance and a couple of students are getting out from it. I never knew that such rich kids are in this school. Even if any student is rich at most they come in a bike but not in a car with a servant to open their door. But this is the first time I have seen them. Maybe they are always early that''s why I missed them. But there is always a first time for everyone, they also must be late. "DING-DONG. FIRST PERIOD." Oh, boy I was mesmerized by them that I forgot about the class. I am going to be late for sure. I hurriedly put my shoes inside the locker and paced towards the stairs. "Ah!" "Hmm¡­" as I was about to leave the locker are I heard a feeble voice so I just took a single glance and saw someone standing beside the locker. I couldn''t see their face completely because of the sunlight. If the bell hadn''t rung I would have stopped but it''s already too late so I ignored them and went ahead. "Be seated everyone!" I hear a similar voice from my classroom. It was my homeroom teacher. The class has already started. I tried sneaking from the back door but she noticed my head and called out to me. "Allen, why were you late?" I walked towards my bench and placed my backpack. "Ma''am I have a good reason for that." I tried convincing her. "Ho¡­ go ahead." Everyone''s gaze was at me. "While I was on my way I saw an old lady carrying a heavy bag. I would have felt bad if I didn''t help her so I helped her carry her luggage." "So, you helped an old lady that''s why you were late?" "Yes. That''s why I was late today," I said. "Okay so after school let''s go and meet this ''old lady'' you are talking about shall we?" "¡­ I didn''t take her to her home. I just helped her for a couple of blocks and then I remembered that I am going to be late for school I asked someone nearby to help her in my stead." "Enough with the lies. Don''t be repeat this mistake." Is this a trick question? If I say ''yes'' now she will know that I am lying but if I say ''no'' and asks me to take her to that imaginary old lady I''ll be in more trouble. What should I do? "Ma''am someone is standing outside!" nice assist Alex. Alex must have understood that I was in a pinch and helped me. "¡­ There is no one," she said. "Maybe I just imagined it." A laugh broke out in class. "Alex, after class come with me." "¡­ okay." "Let''s start with¡­" she started teaching, she must have forgotten about me. "Thanks, Alex even though you got caught up," I apologetically said to Alex. "Nah, it''s alright." But he didn''t mind much about it. Classes went by more quickly than usual and it was lunch break before I knew it. Normally I would go to the cafeteria for lunch but today mom packed lunch for me. So I can eat it in class or go somewhere else. Hence, there are rumors about me everyone''s keeping a distance from me except a few. Even though there were six others, but I was more famous than all of them. I stood up from my seat to move out. I didn''t even need to look back, I could feel all of their gazes at me. Well, it didn''t affect me much so I don''t care about it. The food at the cafeteria isn''t that good so many bring their food. During h it''s quite difficult to find a quiet place to eat. But I have found a secret place. When did I find it? When I was in the first year and I didn''t have many friends to talk to so most of the time I would be alone at lunch. I like a quiet place but during lunch finding a quiet place is not that easy. Either you form a group and take the spot for yourselves or just eat it in the classroom. To find a quiet place for a loner is quite hard. I just wandered around the school hoping to find a suitable place for me. As I wandered around for a while and didn''t found any place I was on the verge of losing hope for a quiet place but as I was about to crawl my way up the first floor my eyes noticed something in the basement. I walked towards it and saw that behind all those broken chairs and desks is an open space. The most ideal place for me. That''s how I found this quiet and peaceful place but why is there a girl here now? TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 41 - Who Is This Girl? Usually, it''s a place to dump broken things but no one knows that it has a secret treasure of its own. A quiet place for me, a loner. It''s the best place for me during lunch break. But why is my secluded place being captured by a girl? Who is she? I pushed aside a desk that was in the way. But it made a little dragging sound. "Eek!" she got flustered from the sudden sound. "Ah, sorry. Did I scare you?" "N-no¡­" even though she refused but her voice was so shaky that I could read her like a book. I didn''t say anything and just took the most stable bench out of the dump and sat on it. I would usually sit on the other bench but the other girl is sitting on it. Instead of starting a conversation, I took the other option, i.e., take out another seat. "¡­" she also didn''t mind me neither did I. "Hey, who are you?" the girl asked. "Allen." "Oh, that''s right I know you. You are from that news." "Maybe." I have a vague answer. "Hmm¡­ so you want to keep it a secret." "¡­" how did my sanctuary got destroyed? It''s because of her. "Allen tell me about what happened after you all went missing?" is it just me or is she getting too much friendly with me? "My memories are all fuzzy so I don''t remember it all." "Gotcha. You said you don''t remember it all but you remember something. Tell me!" oh god, she is persistent. "Fine. Let me rephrase it. I don''t want to tell you. Okay?" why can''t people do their own business, always sticking their nose in others'' business. "What?!" "Oh, did you not hear me? I said- I don''t want to tell you." "No! That''s not what I meant," she clearly looks irritated. "Then what did you mean?" "Maybe there is someone who doesn''t know me yet¡­" she mumbled something. "What? I couldn''t hear it." "Nothing. Do you who is the chairman of this school?" "Hmm¡­ I have seen his face but I don''t know his name." what is she getting at? "Thought so. I am the daughter of the chairman!" she looked so proud. "So? What''s your point?" I still don''t get it. "I am the daughter of the chairman." Ah, maybe I get it now. "Oh man, I didn''t understand what were you getting at but I think I understand now." "That''s good if you understand now. If you apologize to me I might forgive you for your rudeness." "The post your father has is of the chairman and that position is appointed to him with his efforts. You just came out of a womb and are a liability to him right now. Did you accomplish anything worthy of helping your father at work or for school? I don''t mean the awards you won at a competition. I mean financially. Your value is almost zero so don''t think you can order around people as of yet." She is just a spoiled kid who was born with a silver spoon. She thinks she can order everyone just because of his father''s position. "Wha?! That''s the most absurd thing I have heard ever!" "Maybe no one said the truth to you," I replied. "¡­ Allen you just wait¡­!" she dashed out. "Okay." I gave her a thumbs up while on her way out. I mean what will she do? Complain to the chairman? Since the police couldn''t send me what can a normal citizen can do? But who cares about that, at least I was able to get a peaceful place. "DING-DONG. LUNCH BREAK OVER." "No way." Because of that girl, I couldn''t even eat my food. ¡­.. I walked back to my class a little disappointed. "Hey, who is she waiting for?" I heard someone shouting from behind. So, I turned around. "Who knows?! Maybe Peter?" I heard a certain name but I wonder what happened? "Hey, move aside will you!" a girl came running from behind pushed me aside as if I was a tin can from the roadside. I noticed a huge crowd just outside my class. I tried pushing them aside but they won''t even budge. "Excuse me, can you move aside a little bit?" since I cannot move this whole crowd aside I tried talking my way in. "Get in line! We all want to see her okay!" what? "¡­" that''s enough. I am already having a bad day because of that stupid girl. I took hold of someone''s color and pulled the person behind. That person collided with few others making a small gap for me to move in. I hurriedly dashed and tried moving forward. "Hey, look on the right maybe the teacher is coming," I said with a little loud voice so that at least the people around me would turn around to check, and then at that moment I can gush out this crowd. "Really?!" it worked successfully. Not all of them turned but at least a few of them got fooled and after so much hustle and bustle I was inside the class. But I can at least say that task failed successfully. "So, Iris what can I do for you?" as I stepped inside I hear a familiar voice. I saw the girl from before sitting in the middle of the class with four students surrounding her. "Peter, I already said that I am waiting for someone." Oh, come on. Why them? I already don''t like Peter and to put salt in a fire that girl from earlier is also there. I don''t want to get between them so I tried sneaking from the side not getting noticed. "Allen." As I was about to move I felt a hand stopping me from moving forward. "Hmm¡­" it was Alex. "Where have you been the whole time? Tried searching for you all lunch break but you were nowhere to be found." "Why?" "I wanted to talk about something." "I''ll ta-" "Ah! There you are!" I heard girls shout. The sound felt extremely familiar so I didn''t even need to lookup. "Oh god," I said exasperatedly. "Allen you know her!" Alex was the most surprised one. I don''t get it, why is so he shocked? And does that mean that all these people outside our class are for her? "Allen, long time no see!" she said with a smug on her face. "Allen you know Iris?" I thought Alex would ask this but the one who called out to me was Peter. "I''ll talk to you later so shut up for a second will you?" I don''t want to get things complicated so I stopped him early, "And I just met you like few minutes. What do you want now?" I could feel like she is planning something. "Ara, Allen we were so close to each other and you even pushed me back, and now you talking to me as if I am a stranger?" "Hey, don''t make it sound weird." But it was too late to clear this misunderstanding. Everyone was looking at me with hostility as if the way they used to see me before was not enough. "Is that so? But I remember it clearly. I tried to stop you but you didn''t listen and forced me. I was so scared that I had to run as soon as you let me go." So, that''s her play. Fine I will play. My reputation is already at the bottom because of those rumors about me holding a gun. Just you wait Roy, I''ll pay you back soon. "Look I don''t even know you okay. Today was the first time I am seeing you." "Maybe that''s why you did all that to me. You must have thought that I am some new girl who you can control. I was lucky that you let your guard down and I was able to escape¡­" now they are staring daggers at me. "I am not in any mood to play along with this charade okay. End your fake acting and go to your class already." "He is awful." "Yeah, he doesn''t have any manners." "What horrible things did he do to Iris?" "I can''t even imagine." "Yeah, he is the worst." "If Iris hadn''t escaped who knows what could have happened to her." I can hear you''ll clearly. Without even knowing the full details they are blaming me, well that''s what they call a ''society'' just hearing a single rumor they make wrong assumptions. "S-stop¡­!" who is that person? TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 42 - HYDRA It was Liz who stepped in. "What happened?" "Why is Liz shouting?" "And who might you be?" Iris asked. "That doesn''t matter," Liz said, "Just answer me this, what actually Allen did to you?" is she trying to help me? "I already said that¡­!" Iris didn''t falter. But I noticed that she is breathing heavily. Is she exhausted? "No, you didn''t. You only said some vague sentences and you don''t even have concrete evidence Do you even have proof?" not only she stopped her but Liz is suppressing Iris, only with words. "T-that''s¡­" hoo, to think that the one who looked so confident a moment ago, now can''t even reply properly. But as Iris stepped back a little she suddenly lost balance and was about to fall. "Are you alright, Miss Iris?" the ones who were surrounding Iris for so long didn''t say a single word this whole time, are now speaking. Are they some kind of bodyguard? Seeing them standing like that feels exactly the same. "Yeah," Iris replied as she help her head in the exhaust. Did she get exhausted so quickly? That''s weird. "Excuse me but what might be your name?" one of the bodyguards asked Liz. Since I don''t know their names I have decided to call each of them ''body guard'' for now. "Liz." "I don''t want to say such things but I think Liz''s way of speaking to Miss Iris was not appropriate. Miss Iris has a weak metabolism and gets exhausted quickly when she shouts or speaks loudly. You not only tried to suppress her but even made her shout. What will you do if something happened to her?" wow, he turned the tables at Liz so easily. "¡­" since Liz doesn''t know the full details she can''t counterattack. "I-it''s alright Will. I am okay so don''t do anything unnecessary." "Allen apologize to Iris!" Peter shouted as he stepped in front of me. "Yeah, apologize." "Apologize." As soon as Peter said that many of his followers started shouting after him. "Peter. Step. Aside." He isn''t even involved in this so why interfere? "Make me." "Fine by me." I took a step back and was about to swing a circular kick aimed at his head. "Wait!" I stopped the moment I heard Selene''s voice. She stepped in between me and Peter, "A-allen don''t f-fight¡­" I don''t know why but I could feel like she and share some kind of bond. "¡­" yes, she is right. If I fight now I might get reported to a teacher or the teacher himself might see me since lunch has been over for at least 10 minutes and he might be coming any second now. "What happened?" Peter said to me as if he was waiting for me to attack him. "I am not going to admit it no matter what you do till you show some proof till then goodbye. The teacher should be coming soon so get out. I mean you Iris, take your bodyguards with you on your way out," I said as I glared at one of her bodyguards. "Miss, let''s go. We don''t want you to miss a class due to something this minor problem. We''ll take care of it." He glared back at me. They left. As soon as Iris left the crown left with her, is she that famous? Who cares about that problem anyway, not me. "Allen are you okay?" Liz asked me. She looked worried. "Nothing to worry about." She looked relieved as I said that. "Umm¡­ A-allen¡­" Selene as pulling my sleeves, does she want something with me? "Yes?" "I t-trust you¡­" I don''t know exactly what she means by that. "Okay¡­ thank you, Selene," I replied. "I a-also trust you Allen¡­!" Liz also said the same thing as she held my hands. "Thanks, I guess¡­" what''s with these two all of a sudden? But I didn''t notice it earlier but everyone''s eyes were on me. I really don''t care as long as they are just gazing at me. I noticed that especially only second year the ones who are always keeping a watch on me. The other year students didn''t bother much. I wonder why that is. ¡­.. Later after school, I was called out at the Principal''s office. Maybe it has something to do with Iris I guess since she is the daughter of the chairman. "Excuse me, I am Allen and I was told to come to Principal''s Office." I knocked at the door waiting for someone to answer back but no response returned. Maybe I didn''t say it out loud. "Excuse me!" this time I raised my voice. But still, no response came. "Umm¡­ I am coming in, okay?" I said thinking that someone might answer but no word came out. Maybe the principal is not in the office. Since I was told to come I should just wait inside, right? I opened the door. "!?" a paper came flying right at my face. "What?" I took it out of my face and saw something incredible. The room was filled with papers and not to mention, it was scattered everywhere. I had to think where I should step next. I carefully took one step at a time until I reached the Principal''s desk. "Whoa¡­ is she sleeping?" I saw a lady sleeping on the desk. By her looks, she hardly looked like 25. Is she really the principal? If my memory serves me right, the last time I saw it was a man who looked over 45 at least. But since no one else is here maybe the previous principal retired. "Umm¡­ excuse me," I said out loud but she didn''t budge. "Excuse me!" this time not only I raised my voice I tried shaking her. I know it is inappropriate for me to touch someone without their consent but if I let her be like this who knows how long I will have to wait here. "¡­ what?!" she woke up at last. "Umm, I was told to come to Principal''s Office so?" "Huh? What?" it looks like she is still feeling sleepy. "Here drink some water first." A cup of glass was placed on the table so I gave her the glass filled with water. "Thank you. But who are you?" as she drank the full glass of water in a single gulp she moved her hand around the table searching for something. "Allen?" "Oh, right. I did call you¡­ wait a minute." She is certainly searching for something. "¡­" I stayed silent while she was searching. "Ah, here they are." it was pair of glasses. She must have a weak eyesight. "So why was I called here?" I asked. "So, you tell me. Do you have any clue why were you called here?" what''s with all these riddles? Can''t she just get to the point? "¡­ I don''t know." "Is that so? I''ll tell you then," she said. "Should have said that from the beginning," I mumbled to myself. "What? Did you say something?" "No, I didn''t say anything." "I got a complaint from Iris that you harassed her. Is that true?" I thought so that this will be the reason. "That''s not true," I said. "Alright, I believe you." Huh? "Are you sure?" I asked. "Yeah, why? Did you do it?" "No." "I know that girl for a long time. She has always been like this. If the other person doesn''t obey her she thinks her father''s position can help her also her father is somewhat too ''attached'' to his daughter so he doesn''t stop her." "Oh, then may I leave now?" it''s great if I don''t have to resolve it any longer. "What''s the hurry? Sit on the couch. Have called you for some other topic to talk to you about." She looked serious all of a sudden. I sat on the couch. "?" I don''t have a single clue what she wants to talk about. "How''s your shoulder?" "!?" "Oh, didn''t you hear me? Maybe because of the sound from outside." She closed the windows. "No, I did hear you but what did you mean by my shoulder?" how does she know about my shoulder injury? If the news have gotten out there was no way that the whole police department would be okay right now. Shooting underage in interrogation is a crime. "Oh, so he didn''t tell you about me? That old man¡­!" is she talking about the one who shot me. "?" "Let me tell you in detail," she said, "The day you all students disappeared, it was the same day we were planning to execute the whole HYDRA organization but we were fooled. Someone from inside leaked the information and before we could even react, 50 students were kidnapped in a single day." She looked frustrated. "¡­" I just sat there silently. But one thing that bothered me was that she wasn''t using ''me'' anywhere and only using the word ''we'', does she mean that there is an organization hidden from public eyes? "We had to compromise the operation," she banged the table, anyone could make out that she was frustrated, "Now, after such a long time you 7 came back. But all your memories were erased. The only lead we could get was lost." "I get the gist of this but why was I shot then?" "Even I, myself don''t know how you are connected to this all but higher-ups were dead set on making you take all the blame. Also one of the survivors said that he saw you holding a gun and that made the whole police department suspect you. Also, the higher-ups even permitted us to use force to make you admit false accusations." "¡­" I still don''t get. If so then why that man did say that he was on my side then? "You must be wondering why I am telling all this." "Yeah," I prodded. "Including me and that old man, there are only a handful of people who we can trust. To fool the higher-ups and gain their trust and to get the inside information, the old man had to show them that he is on their side. That''s the reason why he shot you so that the higher-ups know that he will use extreme force. Even at this moment, I believe that the old man is at headquarters. Most likely, we will find a lead on those HYDRA bastards soon¡­!" "I understand¡­" "Now, the main problem is I need your help to find the culprits, of course, I''ll also help as much I can. The information we have acquired is stating that all this is somewhat connected to this school." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 43 - One Thing After Another Well even I thought that school must be involved and now this confirms it. "What exactly do you mean by in this school? Does it necessarily means the teachers or are we including everyone?" I had to clear my doubts first. "Through our sources, we believe it''s one of the teachers, but personally I believe it can be anyone. I can''t think only of teachers. I even suspect students, who are like you." "What do you mean by, ''like me? That''s good since she is not focusing on a single piece of information. It can be wrong at times and can disrupt our mindset. If we think only of one thing we narrow our thinking not letting any other useful information let in. "I meant like in the sense, there are quite a few who are comparable to adults. I mean in IQ and strength both." I didn''t know there are students like those. "So, did you find any lead?" "After I became the Principal, few teachers'' behaviors have changed a bit towards me so I suspect one of them." "By change in behavior, what do you mean? You haven''t been working or even talked to them so how can you make out?" did she just assume that? Their behavior change might be because the Principal was changed and they didn''t like her and were feeling a bit frustrated. So, they went with a cold attitude with her. "Before coming here I did a thorough check-up. The previous Principal is a friend of mine so he also told me everything he knew about the teachers'' way of speaking, attitude, and many more things. And I myself have also checked their behavior secretly so I know it." "Isn''t that because you are only 25 years old and became a Principal of this school. From what I have heard that the Principal is always elected from the majority vote of the whole teacher committee. But you just came from nowhere." "Firstly, I want to ask you something." "What?" did I say something wrong? The voting system might not be true but the reason was most likely jealousy so I don''t believe I was wrong in that sense. "Do I really look like 25?" huh? "¡­ Yeah? But what does it go to do with this?" I said vaguely. "N-nothing. Anyway, it''s not important how I became the Principal. I am certain that one of them is related to the kidnapping." "If you are certain then it''s fine. But I do think you should reconsider this and re-evaluate it." Nothing is wrong with being more cautious. "¡­ What I want from you is that you need to find and confirm if some student is involved in this or not?" she ignored my last comment. "I''ll do what I can do." ¡­ Our meeting concluded with a task of our own but I still can''t believe that my first meeting with the new Principal took a quiet turn. Who would have guessed that something this huge is happening? First the HYDRAs and then someone from school, police, and some kind of secret organization. But first I need to remember what happened on that island with me and all the others. Every time I tried to recollect the memories of the incidents, I get a slight headache and my mind gets all blank. What really happened to me? Why was I the only one who can recall about the island? As I was pondering about all this I noticed the same black Mercedes on the school gate, the one from the morning. I still went ahead and ignored it. I am already having a headache because of these problems accumulating all of a sudden. But even after 15 minutes the car is still following me. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence but I believe that''s not the case. I changed my pace and even ran but it was still following. To clear the confusion about going in the same direction I even took a roundabout but it was still behind me. I stopped and waited for it to go ahead but it didn''t budge. I walked towards the car. "Excuse me, do you want something with me?" I asked while taping on the mirror. It was a one-way mirror so I couldn''t see who was sitting inside. The person pulled down the driver''s side mirror and I saw a person sitting in a white dress just like the ones worn by a driver. "Do you need something from me?" I asked again. "They want to talk to you." He arrowed it towards the back seat. So, I went to the passenger''s seat at the back. "Hello." I saw a boy and a girl who looked almost my age sitting at the back looking at me. "Again. Did you need something from me?" I have repeated the same thing for the third time in a minute. "You are Allen, right?" the girl asked me. "No, you got the wrong person." if they don''t know for certain then I can get away with this quite easily. "B-but our brother said that you are Allen¡­!" the boy said but he still looked skeptical. "Fine, my name is Allen. Do you need something with me?" "You lied!" the girl said but she looked so shocked as if she just knew that earth is round and not flat. "Shut up for a second I am talking to him." the boy shunned her up. "¡­" "Okay, so Allen I would like to come and meet our brother right now." He said that while he looked so anxious which I doubt whether he is saying the truth or lying. "Why?" I asked. "We don''t know." "What if I say no?" "¡­ then we might have to use force." As soon as he said that I rolled my eyes around to check if someone is coming behind me or not. "¡­." I noticed one person on the right, one person on left, and two more on the other side of the road. How did I distinguish them from ordinary people? The common thing between all of them as they were wearing the same set of glasses and I could make out that all of them are staring directly at me or this car. Facing towards my direction I could at least make out that they are looking at me because there was no one around me except the car. If he hadn''t said anything I would have missed this. "At least give me a little information. How can I trust you this easily?" I tried talking my way out. In public, I don''t think I can win against them. Also based on their body build they look, professionals. "See, I told you at least tell him something. Why would he trust us?!" the girl exclaimed. "That scared me," he flinched, "Don''t shout all of a sudden Lily!" Her name is Lily, huh. "S-sorry¡­" she apologized. "Anyway, Allen we are from the Longdust family," he said, "Our brother was next in line for the succession in taking over the business but when 50 students were kidnapped, someone from the sub-family declared that our brother is involved in this. Due to all these rumors, his chances of taking over the succession decreased. He tried to clear his name and found something while searching to clear his name." He paused. "What did he find?" he stopped at the most important part. "That''s the reason he asked us to make you come with us. He wants to talk to you directly." Both of them looked troubled. "Fine. I''ll come." The reason I agreed was not that they looked upset, the real reason is that I want to know what he found. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 44 - Similar Faces As I was about to sit inside the car Lily called out to me. "Sit, here." She hinted me to sit in between them. "Why?" the boy asked. "Brother¡­" she said with a smiling face. "Ouch! What was that for?" he screamed. "¡­." I just quietly stood there seeing both argue. ¡­. After arguing for a couple of minutes it was decided I have to sit in between. I don''t see any reason why I have to though? I could sit at the corner or the front seat beside the driver. "Allen," Lily called me. "Hmm¡­" "Umm¡­ so which class are you in?" "E," I replied. "Oh, o-okay." She looked disappointed. Did she want me to continue the conversation? "Which class are you in Lily?" "!? How did you know my name?" she looked shocked. Well, I guess it''s a normal reaction since a person who she hasn''t met before knows her name. "I heard it while you were both arguings." "Ah," she looked disappointed. I really can''t figure out what a girl is thinking. One moment they are upset, then the other time they are happy. "By the way what is your name? I didn''t get to know your name." I asked the boy sitting on the left. "Me? My name is Harry." "Harry, huh," I said. "My section is A. Harry''s too," Lily said to me with excitement. I forgot I asked her this. "Isn''t that class for like Elite people?" In the whole school, everyone knows that Section-A is only for elite students who excel in all subjects and are also on a different level physically compared to other students. Now that I recall, the Principal did say that few are on equal footing with adults so I guess they must be in the elite class. But no matter how hard I think about it, from what I have seen in P.E. and sports festival I haven''t seen anyone who completes all these conditions. "Here we are." The driver said. I looked out to see where we are and to my surprise, it was quite a house if I would say so. "Let''s go," Harry said to me. I stepped out of the car and saw the clear image of the house. It was most likely three-storied and it even had a huge lawn comparable to the size of a soccer ground. Is that a house? No way, if this is what they call a house then the house I live in right is nothing compared to it. It even has a personal helicopter parked here. They must be filthy rich. "Did you like our house?" Lily asked me as she tapped my shoulder. "Yeah¡­" to be honest I was quite amazed. ¡­ We walked through almost like 5-6 rooms, how big is this house? I have already seen like 5 servants. I thought this type of people only were in movies but to believe that there are people like them too. After passing through an infinite number of rooms we arrived at a room with a grand gate. This must be the place. "Oh, you came Harry!" as Harry opened the entrance I heard a croaky voice. If someone just hears his sound they would think that this person is over 40 or maybe older because older people generally speak in a low voice. I couldn''t see his full face because of the reflection. "Yes, brother¡­! We brought Allen!" he said happily. "Great!" his voice changed again. It felt a little husky. He stepped forwards and I could see his face clearly. A sharp jawline with a masculine figure but something looked out of the place and that was his hair, it looked brittle, maybe he is someone who doesn''t care about how his hair looks. "Yes!" Lily also seemed excited. "You must be Allen?" he held out his hand. "Yes¡­" we formally shacked our hands. "Shall we sit down?" he said condescendingly. "Sure," I replied. ¡­ For the first few minutes, no one spoke a single word while I drank a full cup of green tea. The tea tasted great, it must be expensive. If they have more than enough money why does he want to be the successor? Just enjoy what he has. As I rolled my eyes over I saw Harry signaling me to say something to which I signaled him back ''Why should I?'' He fell silent. Then I saw Lily enjoying the tea like me. She doesn''t look bothered at all while Harry was the opposite. I could easily make out that he is worried. But why? It''s not like this is related to him. The one who must be worried the most is just sitting there relaxed. I think I should break the silence. "Umm, can I make a small call? I need to tell my parents that I''ll be late today or otherwise they will get worried." "Yes, should tell them at once. It''s not good to make your parents worried." Their brother agreed to it instantly. I stood up and asked one of the servants for a phone. A girl made directed handed me a phone. I called up my parents and told them an excuse. I could never tell them the truth that I am trying to catch the real culprits, right? They will definitely refuse it and stop me. I returned thinking the atmosphere will change but by the looks, no one has said a single thing yet. "Hey, can we talk about that thing you mentioned in the car? Although I told my parents I''ll be late but they will still get worried if I don''t return before dark." "Alright, let''s get straight to the point now." the older brother said, He indicated Harry and Lily to move out. Even the servants left except the one standing behind the big brother. Soon the room was dead silent, not even the sound of sipping tea. "So, what did you find?" I asked. "Allen let me ask you first something, do you have any idea what''s happening?" "What do you mean?" "Since you must have got some gist of the situation, you must be knowing a little about HYRDAs right?" again. I have heard this word the second time. "Yes¡­" "While I was digging further I was able to get a hand on a couple of clips, and one of them was consisting of you." "!?" me? "Here you go." The servant behind him handed me a tablet. A video was already loaded on the screen so I just had to play it. ¡­ "What are you waiting for?! Shoot it¡­.!" The screen was blank but I heard a girl''s voice shouting in fear. "Allen what are you doing¡­!? Shoot!!" huh? Me? The screen was blinking and I got a slight glimpse of me holding a gun while I saw few others whom I don''t know running past me. "AAAGGHHHHH!!" I heard a scream. What''s happening? The camera angle is looking only at me. I saw myself holding a gun aiming forward but at what? "Oh, God!! Help¡­!" another scream. The screaming continued. I should be feeling terrified but there was no change in my emotions nor my physical appearance. What is happening? While the others are running away scared, I didn''t move an inch and was just gazing forward. What am I doing? *SHOOT!* a bullet went right past me in the direction I was aiming but it was not mine, someone else was shooting. "What happened Allen!!?" a boy grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. Who is he? I couldn''t remember him at all. Not like I could remember any of it. "Grrrr¡­!" a sound of a wild animal echoed in the room. "It''s coming! Get ready! AIM!" someone shouted while the one who grabbed me didn''t move an inch. While I was astounded it felt like he was protecting me. The video was breaking in between and I couldn''t see clearly but I noticed the boy in front of me took out a knife from his back and ran forwards at whatever that thing is. "Don''t shoot yet!" he shouted as he pierced through the skin of that thing. He was aiming only at the vital parts but he was missing just by centimeters. That thing rushed forward but the boy evaded and sent the knife flying at the eyes. "Tsk!" his aim was off by a few millimeters. The knife fell on the ground so he tried to grab it again. While he was on his way to take the knife that thing rushed at him again but with full throttle. The boy was, fortunately, able to grab hold of the knife, and this time instead of evading he rushed towards it. "Wait don''t!" someone shouted indicating him to stop but he had already made up his mind. The moment they both could collide the boy leaped slightly towards the left and jabbed the knife deep inside his left foot that made it limp and loses balance. But the problem was that maybe the skin was too thick that his knife got stuck and he had to let go of it. He jumped back after futile trying to take back the knife. It crawled on the ground but soon was able to stand up again but it looked slightly exhausted. "Shoot!!" he shouted as he took a gun thrown at him and started shooting. "GRAAAHHH¡­.!" That thing began running in circles, taking the advantage of the trees and taking cover. "Don''t stop y-" I couldn''t see the full image but someone got killed for sure. Droplets of blood fell on the screen. Screams continued but the screen was completely black. Moments later all the sound fell dropped. ¡­ "What happened after that?" I asked him. "Unfortunately I don''t know myself. We don''t even know who recorded this. When I tried to find out I got into some trouble¡­" "How did you get it?" this is suspicious. "I can''t tell you the source but I can assure you that I am not your enemy." He saw right through me. "Then prove it." "Here take a look at this." The slide on the changed tablet. ¡­ "Let''s revise the plan again¡­" I saw a certain face that made my shoulder flinch a little. "If the information is correct, then the HYDRA will make a move today. Soon they will make a move. Don''t miss out on the slightest of information. Squad Alpha will plank them from behind while Squad Beta and Gamma distract them from the front and the side. If it still fails, Squad Sith has already infiltrated the place. Nothing can go wrong now. At last, we will catch those bastards¡­!" I couldn''t see the person''s face but his voice was similar to the man sitting in front of me. "But why in the broad daylight?" the old man asked. "That''s because th-" he paused, "What?!" I heard a faint voice but couldn''t hear it properly but the man understood it perfectly and reacted. "What happened?" the old man asked. "They are not her!! Their aim was never here¡­! Shit!! Dammit¡­!!" he sounded frustrated. "What?! Then where are they?" "Their location is still unknown but¡­" "But what?!" the old man''s face looked pale. "50 students went missing a few minutes ago¡­" ah, it was us. "What?!" ¡­ And with that, the video ended. "So, how do you trust me?" since he was with that old man then I guess he is with that secret organization Principal and that old man is. By their conversation, I could tell that he was also trying to capture the HYDRA organization but what is concerning me is that why did he record this?" "I trust you but why did you record this?" "It was broadcasted to all our team members. A voice can be falsified so to confirm if the person is the real one we decided to use a video. "Are you sure that no one from your team leaked the information?" "As soon as we tried to find out who leaked the information, 17 out of 20 group members were killed. It''s most likely they were assassinated." He looked sad. "Why did you not get assassinated?" "A person came but he failed. I even tried interrogating the person but he didn''t open his mouth till the moment he was about to die." So he has already killed a person. Behind his chrematistic face hides some evil. ¡­ After our discussion, I left the room. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 45 - Such A Long Day I walked again through the eternal passage and was able to finally able to meet Lily halfway. If they want to meet someone do they walk all this? And all the people present are mostly servants except Harry, Lily and that big brother of theirs. Ah, I forgot to ask his name. "Lily, what''s your brother''s name?" "You mean the eldest brother right?" she seemed confused. "Yup," I said. "Lucas Longdust." "Oh, can I ask you something personal?" "If it''s not too personal then I guess it''s, okay," she looked happy all of a sudden. Did she want me to ask questions? "Earlier in the car when Harry tried to shun you, you looked somewhat scared but later on your behavior changed, why is that?" it looked confusing to me. One moment she is scared and one moment she is buddy-buddy. Who is the real her? "Well, it was important to make you come with us. The way Harry talks to people is not liked by many so I believed that you might as well reject it and his behavior changes in front of others. If I interfere in between a little bit he gets all cranky and irritated. I don''t like that. So I just stopped¡­ it''s not like I am scared of him." "Hmm¡­ that seems reasonable," I replied. ¡­ We talked while we reached the same entrance gate I entered this mansion. "So, I guess this is goodbye." She looked somewhat disappointed. "It''s not like I am going for good. We can still see them in school right?" "Yeah¡­" "Then, Bye. See you later," I said while turning my back towards her. "Hey, how do you intend to go home?" Harry said while he came towards me. "I guess I''ll take a bus." "No way, we were the ones who made you come here. I''ll take you back. Get in the car." A car came from the back and stopped right at the entrance. "Thank you." "You don''t need to be so stiff," he said as one of the servants opened the door. "Oka- Alright," I corrected my sentence. "That''s better. Otherwise, it feels like we don''t know each other." But we barely know each other. ¡­ I thought Lily will also accompany me but she had some other work so she didn''t come while I sat beside Harry all alone. I was at least able to start a conversation with Lily but it doesn''t seem that easy with Harry. "Harry, you are in ''A Section'' right?" "Yeah," he replied vaguely as he looked out of the window. It''s awkward. Well I am used to being alone so it is not that different for me but I thought I could at least try to begin a small conversation but I failed miserably. Maybe Lily was just the type of person who get along with everyone. On my way, I noticed several things. The experience was somewhat different. I walk my way back so I never paid any attention to the surroundings rather I only look out for the road and cars. I don''t want to get in an accident but since I am in a car I don''t need to be careful. I can enjoy the view outside. *Drip* *Drip* I noticed a few droplets of water on the window. Soon it was raining cats and dogs. I saw the water surfing down the mirror. It was quite a sight. I kept on seeing them. It intrigued my interest. I could see the water droplets falling down the sky and striking the mirror, I squinted a little thinking it will fall on me. The raindrops fell silently on the windscreen, while a mesmerizing song played at low volume. The air was cold, moisture beginning to how up the on the inside of the mirror. If I remember it right, this type of situation has happened to me before. When I was around 8 or 9, dad took us to a hill station but whether changed too quickly and we had to cancel our plan even though we were halfway through. Earlier I didn''t know what landslides are so I thought the rain was only to blame. But with rain, many other risky things also come. But the view from the inside car was quite good. Like I could see few droplets sliding down the mirror and I would see which droplet reaches the end first. I had fun. Just when I was seeing all this dad suddenly opened the window. I was surprised. I jumped back in shock. But after calming down the rain was much calmer than before, so I took out my hand to feel the rain. One, two, and a slowly infinite number of droplets came falling at my hand. I tried counting it but lost count of it. Who would have thought that such a turn of events will take place? Well for one I didn''t. ¡­ Soon we reached my house. "See you later Harry," I called out to him just as I stepped one foot out of the car. "Yeah, see you tomorrow. Say hello to uncle and aunty," he said politely. He told me not to speak formally but now he is the one talking formally. Well, I say that to him later on. As soon as I was fully out of the car I dashed towards my house. "At last reached home. What a long day¡­" I stepped inside. "I''m home!" I said out loud. "Welcome Home!" mom said as I saw her coming out of the bathroom holding a pile of clothes in her hand. "I''ll wash myself up. Can I use the bathroom?" since she was holding up some clothes I guess she still has some work inside. Like using the washing machine or separating the colored and white clothes. "Ah, wait a few minutes. Till then wait with your father. He is waiting for you since afternoon." She said as she went into the other room. Didn''t dad had an office? "Okay¡­" I opened the gate and felt a sudden chill. "Oh, Allen when did you come?" I saw my father sitting on the couch watching television. "What''s the temperature here? In minus?" it was freezing in here. I noticed the temperature on A/c was 16 Degree. "What? It was so hot outside," and above all, he was wearing only shorts and a half t-shirt. Isn''t he getting cold? "Take a look outside, it''s raining." I tried searching for an A/c remote to increase the temperature but it was nowhere to be found. "Eh? Raining? I didn''t expect that," he stood up and took a look outside. "Where I the remote?" I asked. "Remote? Ah, with remote I remember. I think television remote cells have weakened a little bit. I tried decreasing the volume it didn''t. After the rain stops go but a new set of cells," he said to me. "Give me. I''ll check it," I had a doubt. I need to clear it. "Here," he handed me the remote and walked out of the room quietly. "Huh?" that old man. He intentionally did that. It was A/c''s remote and before I could say to him he went outside. Well played dad. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 46 - Dont Let Them Leave I was in school earlier than usual. Through unknown reasons I was able to wake up early and even came to class early. If it was before the incident I would have talked to someone in class but now, I can''t even sit beside them. They clearly look at me with contempt. I couldn''t care less about it to be honest. If they themselves don''t want to talk to me and if they believe the rumors more then I can''t also have a decent conversation with them. "G-good morning Allen¡­" I hear a sweet voice from my right. "Oh, good morning Selene," I said. She placed her bag down and sat on the chair. "S-so, um¡­ Are you okay Allen?" she asked me. She looked a little worried with slight embarrassment hidden. "Me? I''m always okay. Don''t worry about me." "Really?" she again asked. "Yeah¡­" I noticed the glaring at me. "Selene, I got a favor to ask you," I said to Selene. "W-what is i-it¡­?" "When we are in school don''t talk to me," I said to her. "¡­ huh?!" she was astound. Well, I said something rude to her then I guess it might be natural reaction. "Okay," I turned away. This problem is for me and only for me I don''t want to drag her with me. She and I haven''t talked much she was always nice to so I don''t want her to become an outcast like me. It''s much better than this way, I won''t feel any guilty this way. "See how rude he was to Selene?" "Yeah, he is really not a nice person. Right Anna?" a certain familiar name came up while they were about behind me. "I don''t like him at all. Who knows what will he do to us? It''s better to keep distance from him. Right, Peter?" why did she ask Peter? "I don''t much," he said vaguely. Since the beginning of second term Anna is like the dictator of the girls group. "Yeah, it''s better to keep some distance from him." All the other girls surrounding her agreed in unison. It''s making a laugh after hearing them all talk like this. I mean they can''t say it to my face but saying out loud enough for me to hear it. Do they think it''s going to make me look more pitiful? If I just give them a slight glare they would get scared and would hide behind someone. I ignored them. With a blink of an eye the one of half of school hours went by. I don''t know why but I am unable to concentrate in class and would slack off, seeing outside the window and wasting my time. What happened to my normal school life, I wonder. "Anna let''s go," "Wait. Peter where are you going for lunch? Cafeteria? Or someplace else?" Anna asked Peter. "I don''t know," he exited the class and Anna followed her. They are living such care free lives and here I am living on the edge all the time. Whatever. Right now I need to think of something. Who should I suspect? The list is filled with 36 people. If I try to do it each at a time it will take more than a month. I can''t wait for a month. I need to sort out the list fast but what should I do? The principal isn''t going to help me. I was just wandering around the lunch but I met Lily waiting for someone. I thought of asking her something but I decided not to. I am sure she also don''t want to associate with me who is being outcaste by the whole school. Our eyes met for a second but I shifted my gaze. "Allen! Allen Over here¡­!" she called out to me in front of this whole crowd. I quietly tried to ignore her walked away. "What was that?" I mumbled to myself. I stopped after I put some distance between us. "A-allen I called you¡­ w-why didn''t you stop¡­?" Lily came running and held onto my shirt. "Lily? What are you doing?" I said to her dragging her inside the empty room nearby. "What? I wanted to talk to you," she said. She was still breathing heavily. Is she that fragile? But that''s not the problem right now. Why is she going out her way to just have talk with me? She could have waited like last time where no one could see us. Maybe she has something important to tell me. Otherwise she wouldn''t risk her reputation to drop. "What did you wanted to talk about?" I asked. "Let me breathe for a¡­ second." I waited for her and sat on the nearby chair. "Now let''s start. The last time you met my brother you must have seen the footage then, right?" she started to talk. Her expression changed from playful to serious in seconds. Girls do have some incredible technique. "Yes," I said. "I am just a messenger for my brother right now. He told me to make a call as soon as possible. Here you go. He is already on call," she said to while she handed me the phone. "Hello?" I said. [Allen listen to me carefully. HYDRA have started to move again and their target is to eradicate all the survivors including you.] "How do you know that?" I asked him. I stood up from my seat walked towards the window. This person Lucas seems suspicious to me. Who exactly is he? [I have my ways. Don''t worry about how I found it but rather how to save all those people. I don''t exactly when they will execute it but most likely they are going to do it today. I need you to stop all of them from leaving the school premise today.] "Huh? Why me?" I don''t know why he would tell me that. If he wanted to save them he can use his servants to follow them. The number of servants I saw that day is more than enough to track each of them. Even if he used 3 for each. So why me? [I am full with something else right no- *shoot*] it was the sound of a gunshot just now. "What happened?" [Just do it¡­! I''ll call you later, also if you can please keep Lily and Harry safe. SIR THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULY INFILTRATED THE PLACE! WHAT HOULD WE DO NOW? Take 7 of your team and plank it from the left while I and the remaining people will try to stop them from the front, but make sure you succeed. If you don''t it might be the end for all of us.] What''s going on? Gunshot? Infiltrated? Is he fighting someone, well that''s obvious. "What''s happening?" I asked. [I can''t tell you right now. But make sure to don''t let anyone go out of school today. Ask your Principal for help. She will help you out and tell her that I said it is CODE- NIGHTLIGHT. If I don''t return the call then it''s sure that you all will be assassinated soon.] And with that he cut the call. What''s going on? "What did my brother say?" Lily asked me as she was waiting for me to cut the call. "Something is going to happen. Let''s go." I said. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 47 - Scared Of The Principal Lily and I both made our way to the Principal''s office. "Allen what happened?! What did my brother say¡­?" she asked while trying to match my pace. "I''ll tell you everything soon just wait," I said. "We are coming in," I said loudly in front of the Principal''s door and opened it. "¡­ What happened? Why is she looking so out of breath?" does she not know? "Make sure that the survivors from the incident including Harry and Lily do not leave the school premises today," I said. "Oh, so you heard about it? I know the reason and have already taken action for it. Lucas called me and told me everything. Soon there will be an announcement and they all have to come to this office so there is nothing to worry about for now." ''for now'' means, that it''s not completely safe. [Allen, Selene, Liz, Peter, Roy, Emma, Alice, Lily, Anna, Alex, Noah, and Harry is requested to come to the Principal''s office.] An announcement was made but why did she call the others? Alex nor Noah are related to the incident so why? Ah, also Anna. "I called them because it would be suspicious if only the students from the incident were called suddenly so just to be precautious I called them also," she must have understood from my facial expression that I wanted to know why she called them. If it''s her then I think it''s going to be alright, I just have a gut feeling. School was about to end soon. They all will be here soon. To be honest I would have preferred if she took them to another room or somewhere else instead of calling here. It''s going to be crowded here soon. I sat on the sofa. The Principal was looking at something through her computer while Lily was standing, she was also fidgeting a little. Is she not feeling well? That''s not good then, she can''t go to the washroom yet. If she isn''t feeling well she should sit down. I signaled Lily to sit across me but she tried refusing at first but I insisting her sitting. It would not feel right if I am the only one sitting and she is standing. She sat on the couch after many tries but she looked a little pale. "Are you okay, Lily?" I asked her." "¡­" she didn''t respond and was just starring on the floor. Is something on the floor? "Lily?" I called out to her again. "¡­ Ah! Wh-what happened?" she was startled. "Are you feeling okay?" "Me? Y-yeah I''m okay¡­" she said. But your expression is saying otherwise. "Are you sure?" I asked again. "I''m just fine¡­!" she yelled out a little. But since she is saying she feeling fine I can''t dig further nor do I intend to. We aren''t that close so I shouldn''t pursue saying anything further. "Quite down will you," she said. The principal didn''t even took look at us. I mean if a person suddenly yells it''s natural that everyone would at least take look even though they aren''t interested. She was least bothered by us. Well, the situation is somewhat critical right so I guess it''s much better to give that matter more importance rather than some dispute between kids. "Um. Excuse me, I was called here. My name is Noah," Noah was the one who was called out first. But the extra students she called here are from my class only. Was it intentional or was it a coincidence? "Yes, come in," she said. "¡­" he walked in and as soon as he saw me sitting on the sofa he was petrified. What happened to him? "So, um. Why was I called out here¡­?" he asked politely. He was also fidgeting just like Lily. What happened to both of them? Is there something that I can''t see? What''s going on with them? "¡­ Just wait there," she said. She could have told him to sit on the couch but I guess she want to maintain her discipline. I mean if a teacher is getting too frank with students the power they used to hold will decrease and the students will not take you that seriously as they used to. Maybe I should also stand beside him. It would look weird if only Lily and I are the ones sitting here. As I was about to stand up someone knocked on the door again. Why are they coming one by one? At least the ones from my class can come together, right? "Excuse me, my name is Alex, and was told to come here," his voice felt a little shaky. "Come in." He also came inside. He saw Noah standing while I was sitting on the couch with Lily. "What are you doing?" he whispered to me. But he was loud enough for others to hear it. I thought he was an idiot but he really is an idiot. "Sitting," I said. "One of you, go stand outside, and if the students from the announcement come send them inside. I can''t say ''come in'' for every single of you," the Principal said. "¡­ Yes!" Noah and Alex said in unison. They both looked at each other wondering who will go now. They both were standing side by side so they whispered something to each other. I couldn''t hear them at all. What happened to Alex''s loud whispering? "I said something," she said with a little voice. "Why don''t you both go outside?" I suggested. It was better than, right? No one will have to conflict now. But instead of moving out of the room all three of them were staring at me. What? Did I say something wrong? "Can''t yo-"The Principal was again about to say something but they both left the room in an instant before she could complete her sentence. "Are all students like this?" she said. "Maybe I don''t know. They must have been surprised that they were called to the Principal''s office suddenly," I said. "A-allen¡­!" Lily called out my name. Does she have something to say to me? "That might be the reason." After waiting for 10 more minutes they all arrived. The room became crowded. That''s why I wanted another room. I don''t like crowds. "So, does any of you know why you were all called here?" Principal said. "¡­ No." Except for me and Lily, everyone was standing. Well, Anna was daggering eyes at me as always so this was not that different. But what about others? I could understand about her but apparently, others are also looking at me with a dumbfounded faces. Is something the matter? Now that I notice it, Lily is also acting weird. Is it that they all are scared of the Principal? I mean I heard someone talking someone saying that the new Principal is kind of strict but to think it''s to this extent. Maybe she did something while I was absent, during those 3 weeks the school Principal was changed. This must be it. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 48 - In Charge "Alright, now that you all are here I can now begin," The Principal said. "¡­" everyone was quietly listening. "I need all of you to contact your parents and tell them that you will be staying at school tonight and if they disagree tell them to talk to me then. Is that clear?" she said. "¡­ Yes." Everyone said in unison. "I''ll be leaving this room for a while call your parents till then and in case no one is picking up your phone at home I''ll take of that," she said, "Also Allen I''m leaving you in charge." Huh? Did I hear her correct? Even if she has shared some vital information with me this doesn''t make sense at all. She must be knowing my hierarchy standing in the whole school. It''s on the grounds. What is she thinking? As soon as she stepped out and closed the door the ones who spoke were Anna and Roy. "Why him?!" Anna yelled. "Of all of us him¡­!" Roy shouted. "Now, now. Anna, calm down," Liz tried to stop Anna. "I don''t want to obey him at all! Do whatever you want¡­!" I would love to say ''shut up'' right now to him but this might get disadvantageous for me. I stayed silent. "Will any of you¡­?!" he is making a fuss. Why don''t they shut him up? If he shouts again I''ll step in. I know it might not be in my favor but if we look at it like this, the Principal put me in charge then she will have to take responsibility. There might be some reason behind it. "Will you shut up?" it was Harry who stepped in. "Huh?!" "Alright, that''s enough. Before she comes, at least finish that and then waste your time," I said. I don''t care what they do but it would be much better if they could tell their parents. I know how parents think when their child gets home late and with all those rumors and kidnapping it has become worse. "Why do I have to listen to you?!" Roy was still yelling. Even Anna understood that it was necessary to call at home but I think his screw must have fallen. "Okay fine don''t listen to me," I said, "I just repeated what the Principal said and if you still won''t do it then I would take it as a violation of Principal''s order. Since you are denying it I guess you are also ready to face the consequences when the Principal comes back, right?" if I am guessing it right then these people are kind of scared of the Principal. I might as well use it as my advantage. "¡­ I-I¡­" he stuttered. "What happened now?" he couldn''t reply. That''s much better. "I''ll be coming in a few moments till then please contact your home," I said. "Where are you going?" Lily asked me. "I forgot something so I''m going to take it back," with that I left the room. While I was walking down the stairs I noticed that few of the tiles had a lump on it. Like it was lifted up a little as compared to others. It was not noticeable when many students are moving on it but now that it''s completely empty it can be noticed. Now that I remember I saw few people doing some work on these stairs few days ago. They didn''t do their work in right manner. It was not just the stairs rather a few small bumps were noticed on the surface of the walls of the school. I wonder if they didn''t do their work properly or was it intentional? Well I have more important things to focus on right now so I ignored them and went back to the Principal''s Office. In about 10-15 minutes they all called their respective homes. "Um, my parents didn''t pick the home," Anna was the one who said, "Since you are in charge I am telling you to advance." Since I''m in charge it''s natural for them to tell me this type of information. "My parents are not approving. They are opposed to allowing me to remain at school," Peter said. "Anyone else?" I said. "¡­" everyone shook their heads in denial. Then it''s just these two. "Peter, did they specify any particular reason or they are just worried?" I asked. "They didn''t tell me any particular reason," he said. "Call your parents again and this time I''ll talk," I said. "Huh? Why?" he was confused as well as the others. "I am in charge so I need to at least decrease the number of problems for Principal if possible and if it can be solved with just a talk why not give it a try?" The principal already has her hands full with more important things than chatting to parents, so even if it''s only a little bit, I need to assist her out. "¡­ Here," he handed me his phone. *Ring-Ring* *Click* [What do you want now?] "Hello, good afternoon. I am Peter''s Classmate. I need to talk to you for a minute, are you free right now?" I stood up from my seat and I stepped out of the room. "Oi, where are you going?!" Roy shouted. Is he dumb? Can''t he see that I am talking to someone''s parent? "Someone shut him up¡­" I said that and left the room. [¡­ Alright. But you need to be quick, I can''t talk for long.] He said. "I understand. I''ll be brief. You must have heard from Peter already that he needs to stay at school. Is there any particular reason you aren''t letting him stay here or are you concerned about him?" [Reason? Whenever he has gone on a school trip before he could come home his complaints would come. I don''t want that to happen so I am not letting him stay. That''s my reason.] "What if I will take full responsibility for it?" [This is the first time I have talked to you how can I believe me?] That''s true. Who would believe a kid and moreover it''s their first time talking. "Sir, what kind of job do you have? Corporate or Government?" [Government.] "Okay sir, you must be remembering the incident that happened right?" [¡­ Yes.] "Sir, what will you do I told you that your son might die today?" I didn''t take the longer route rather went for from front. [What kind of nonsense are you telling me?!] He seemed raged. It was a natural reaction. "Okay sir, I won''t try to pursue further but please reconsider your decision. It''s just not him but everyone from the incident including me. You must be knowing my name. My name is Allen." [¡­ Is that your real name?] He asked. "Yes sir, that''s my name. It''s just for the night let him stay." [¡­ Let me think. I''ll call later.] "Sir, I need to ask you something," I said before he could end the call. [What?] "Since you have a government job, can I assume you have a considerable high post in the department?" [¡­ Maybe. What do you want?] "Sir, this is a top-secret so never tell this to anyone. Do you happen to know about a secret criminal organization HYDRAs?" I asked. [¡­ How do you know that name?] He already knows about this. "I need you to find if the person is involved with HYDRAs," I said. [What''s the name of the person?] I told him the person''s name and ended the call. Why did I tell him about HYRDA? First of all, if he was with HYDRAs he would never do something which would put his son in danger. The way he talked and the reason he said for not letting Peter stay was a genuine reason as a parent. Second, he already knows about HYDRAs so when I said about HYDRAs he would have been surprised but he was calm and collected. The bigger the secret the person is hiding the bigger the reaction but he didn''t show any type of reaction at least through his voice. I walked back to the room. "What did he say?" Peter asked me. "Hmm¡­ he''ll call you soon so till then wait here," I said. "Were you able to pursue him¡­?" he kind of looked shocked. "I said to wait, right? I can''t say for sure if he agreed or not." I sat on the couch while everyone was standing. As I sat on the couch everyone looked at me with suspicion. Alright, I need to know why they are all acting like this. This is definitely weird. But it can wait till tomorrow. The girls were standing on one corner while the boys were standing on the other corner. I was the only one sitting alone. Well, this is much better. Now that I noticed the increase in number of people has made the temperature of the room to rise, I decided to decreased the temperature on A/c. Anna was glaring at me nonstop. So I asked, "Anna do you want something?" "Allen, did you hold a gun?" Anna asked. The whole room fell silent. Everyone''s gaze was at me waiting for me to say something. "What do you think?" I passed the baton to her. "¡­ M-maybe you did," she looked hesitant but still said it out loud. "He sure did!" Roy supported her. Huh? Does he just smirk at me? Maybe he did. "Well, detective Roy if you say so then why don''t you put me in jail then? The police still haven''t put me in jail nor have charged me for anything. Now let me ask you again, what do you think now?" I said. "T-that''s¡­" he couldn''t respond. "Do you like to make a fool for yourself? Earlier also, do you ever think before you speak?" I said. "Y-you¡­!" he came towards me, "Say that again!" "Just like your brain, does your ear also doesn''t work?" "Allen¡­!" he raised a punch at me. I didn''t do anything. I saw him swing his hand at me but I still didn''t move because I knew it would stop anyway. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 49 - Infiltrate Part- 1 "I leave the room for a few moments and this is what I happened," I heard a familiar voice. "¡­ Wh-" he was about to yell but as soon as he saw the Principal standing by the door he was petrified. He let go of my collar. "What happened?" she asked as she glared at each one of them. "I-I was j-ju-" Roy tried to justify his stupid actions but failed miserably. "Can''t you speak clearly?" "¡­" he couldn''t spit out a single word and just bowed down. "Nothing happened," I said, "He was just anxious because of this sudden request to stay at school without any notice and just panicked. It''s nothing serious." "Hmm¡­ is that correct Roy?" she asked Roy. "¡­ t-that''s right," he said. What happened to all his yelling now? He can''t even speak loud enough to hear the person standing next to him. Yes, I couldn''t hear him at all. "I didn''t hear you, come again." "W-what Allen said is correct¡­!" this time he shouted it out loud. "So loud," she said, "Now, can I assume you all have talked to their parents about staying at school?" "I was not able to contact my parents," Anna said. "Anyone else?" she asked. I thought Peter would also say something about his parents not allowing him to stay but it seems like he already received the message. "Anna I''ll take care of that," she said. *Ring-Ring* the telephone on the Principal''s desk rang. "What happened?" she said. "¡­" I couldn''t hear what the other person was speaking, it''s obvious since she didn''t put it on speaker. "Huh?! What do you mean by that? You couldn''t stop them!" what happened? The atmosphere feels heavy. "¡­" "¡­ Okay, I''ll think of something," she said and ended the call. "What happened?" I asked. "Listen everyone from this point onwards no one will leave this room," she walked towards the big almirah placed beside the bookshelf. She opened and took a bottle which looked like perfume. "Allen, come here," she called out to me. I stepped forward. "What?" she handed me the bottle. "Spray it inside this room and wear this. Empty it." I was handed a gas mask. Huh? How do I know it''s a gas mask? "Why? What''s this?" I asked. "I''ll explain everything soon just do I say for the time being," she said. Ack! Suddenly my head started hurting a little and disappeared moments later. What was that? I ignored it and started spraying the spray inside the room as I wore the mask given by the Principal. "What are you doing¡­!" everyone started panicking. I still continued spraying it till the bottle emptied. What was that? I looked at what was written on the cover of the bottle but it was all black. Not on the bottom, nothing was written what it was. *Thud* Noah was the one who fell down first. Slowly one by one everyone dropped on the floor. "W-what w-was th-that¡­?" Lily who was closest to me said to me and just gradually she also lost consciousness. "What was that?" I asked while I was checking everyone''s pulse to make sure that didn''t die. Suddenly dropping on the ground can be considered that that spray might be a poison. "Don''t worry they are fine. It was a sleeping gas. Since they all are high school students the effects might be considered an overdose but in about 10 hours they might be waking up." She was wearing a bulletproof vest and two pistols attached to it sideways. Again. Why do I know for sure that it''s a bulletproof vest? "Here," she threw a pistol in my direction. What is she thinking? Making a high school student hold a gun. As I held the pistol I ran my hand across the whole pistol and without taking any time to think I clicked a certain part of the pistol and something slide down from where I was holding a gun. I was moving my hand as if it was natural for me. The part which slide down I noticed some shiny part at the top. It must be the bullet. I placed the part where it belonged and pulled back the upper part of the pistol and it made a click sound. What just happened? The weight of the pistol and this strange feeling felt similar yet something contradicting at the same time. "Have ever held a gun before?" she asked. She was also wearing a similar mask as mine which covered only the lower part of the mouth while the other part exposing. "As if," I said, "I am still a high school student why would I hold a gun? Although the footage where I was holding a gun was something different which I, myself is not aware of it so don''t ask me about that." "Alright I understand, anyway let''s go now." Wait, wait. ''Go''? She suddenly gave me a pistol and made these students force sleep, what''s happening? I thought of at least making them sit on the couch but she wasn''t planning to do it and was about to leave so I also didn''t bother with that. "At least tell me what happened?" we both stepped out of the room. "The school is being raided by the HYDRAs, the first floor has been captured by them. My unit is trying their best to take back the floor but it seems like the HYDRAs have taken someone hostage-" "Who? A student or a teacher? Also, how did they infiltrate the school? Didn''t you take any measures to stop this?" "The person is wearing a female school dress so it''s a female student. They are soon going to make their way to the second floor so before they reach the third need to stop stall time as much we can till backup arrives. How did they come inside the school, I don''t know yet but we need to stop them at all cost. Otherwise, their lives will be at risk." It''s happing too fast. "Why can''t they just move to the second floor?" what''s so hard to go to the second floor? Are they having difficulty in finding the stairs for the second floor? "What do you think I was doing while I was out?" she said as we made our way towards the stairs. "I don''t know? Maybe bathroom," I said. "I made sure that no student or teacher is at school and the reason they can''t move further easily is that I installed some traps just in case something like this happens. It seems like it was a good idea to install them, if he hadn''t said this to me I wouldn''t have thought of it. They were deactivated but when I made sure everyone left the school I activated them." That''s the reason the HYDRAs are not able to move easily. "But when did you install them?" I asked. If they were adding some kind of traps in school someone must have noticed it but that doesn''t seems to be the case. "Do you remember the construction that took place few days ago?" "It was for this...?" I didn''t expect this at all. I thought those bumps were because of the poor work done on them. The stairs to the second floor were in view. "But, in all this ruckus what should I do?" I still don''t know what my role is. "I need you for something, the pistol is for self-defense so I would prefer if you only used it for that but in some situations, you think it''s necessary to use it, use it." Huh? Use it? Does she not know I''m a high school student, under 18? *Shoot* I heard sounds of gunshots from below. It''s real. "But why me? I''m still a high school student, don''t you have someone in your team to help you?" I asked as we were walking down the stairs. "I don''t know who but someone is trying to sabotage our every mission." She continued, "I had already placed people from my unit outside the school at standby but for unknown reasons, they were able to infiltrate inside without being noticed. It''s fortunate that one of my subordinates saw them through the window and started the assault and here we are now. The only person who could use a gun and could assist me even a little bit is you, even though you don''t remember it but in footage and in the room earlier I know for sure that this guy can be useful." It''s for sure that there is someone who is siding with HYDRAs but it''s difficult to point who. This is going to be a problem for me as well. What if I tell the traitor something? I need to be careful. *Shoot* *Shoot* The shooting increased substantially. As we were about to enter the second floor she stopped just a step behind the door and signaled me to stand against her. She told me to check in her direction check whether someone is there or not. No one was in sight. I also didn''t say a word and signaled her. "Follow me," she whispered in my ear. It tickles. "How much you have?!" I hear shouts near the opposite stairs. Our school has two stairs, both at the ends of the building. We slowly stepped inside the nearest class from where they were shooting. We both waited at the door waiting for them to show their face or boy or anything to aim at. "3 more! Did you do it already?!" this time the sound felt a little different. "I am doing! Who the hell places a bomb trap inside a school!" bomb? By traps, did she mean this? That''s super risky what was she thinking? "If we don''t complete this mission I don''t think the boss will leave us alive so whatever needs to be done do it!" I noticed that there were 5 of them wearing similar black jackets. Why are they wearing such heavy clothes? *Shoot* This time the sound felt near. I looked at her to see what happened just now and saw a small amount of smoke coming out of her pistol. Was she the one? "Hey! What happened?!" "I don''t know someone from behind shot him¡­!" by the number of sounds I heard till now I think there are 5 people and her just one so now it''s down to 4. "From behind!" *Shoot* Two of them started firing at us, though they still don''t know our accurate location so they were randomly firing. I tried taking a little peak to know their location while the Principal was drawing their attention. I took the farthest distance possible to see them but¡­ *Shoot* The sound of bullets felt near but this one was not from us to them instead from them to us and to be accurate it landed just near my ear. It was a close call just now. I immediately went inside the class. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 50 - Infiltrate Part-2 (The GUN FIGHT WITH THE HYDRAs continues) The bullet missed me by one inch. My ear would have blown out by now if I had been even one inch in that direction. I think I got lucky. However, because the bullet missed me by an inch, my right ear was ringing nonstop. The Principal was continuously shooting at them while I was hiding and attempting to settle down my ears. She was constantly shooting at them. Even after such a change of events, she seemed unfazed. "It''s my last mag¡­!" I heard the enemy person shouting. "Why don''t you just tell them all of our plans, huh!" they seemed to be arguing with each other. I wanted to know what was happening but I didn''t try to peek again. I don''t want to blow my other body part. That time with ear was lucky but luck doesn''t work always. Who knows I might actually get shot this time so instead I was just listening and waiting for it to end. But see the Principal she seemed to be having some other plans. The Principle plunged forward and shot three bullets in one go. *Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!* Did she get all three? "Wha¡­!" the moment she shot 3 bullets I moved forwards to see and saw that all three bullets pierced through each of their vital parts. She really killed three of them in a single go. I saw the dead bodies with their eyes open. They all must have been astounded at that moment. But seeing right at their eyes, it looked creepy. The three were bathed with blood. The floor which was grayish a few moments ago is not dyed in red. One on the head, the other at the heart, and the last was at the neck. "P-p-please¡­" the last survivor said. Wait a minute, where is the hostage? She told me earlier that there is a hostage, so where is the hostage? I looked around while the Principal stepped down the stairs. As she was about to step on the lowest stair I saw a slight glimpse of a small hair sticking out the stair wall and a very slightly visible shadow on the floor. "It''s a trap. Don''t go yet Principal," I said. He must have waited for that. Seeing the 3 of his teammates he hid himself to ambush her at the last moment before she could react to it. My hand moved unconsciously, the moment he was about to ambush the Principal my hand pulled out the gun, removed it from safety, and aimed at his head. What happened just now? The way I felt the recoil and the sound of bullets felt familiar. *Shoot* It happened so suddenly. I couldn''t believe what I had just done and seen. The bullet pierced right through his brow. I just killed a person. But it didn''t surprise me as much, but I was taken aback when I spotted the bullet''s route traveling through the Principal abdomen area and I fired it without hesitation. If the path was slightly tilted the Principle would be bleeding buckets but even after knowing the risk factor, I shot without showing any kind of hesitation. "¡­ That was my fault. Thanks for the save," she said and shot two bullets through the last survivor''s both legs. So that he doesn''t try escaping. "AAAAGGGGHHH!" he shouted in agony and fear. The unpleasant sound echoed throughout the whole floor. *Thud* Something fell down the stairs where I shot a person moments ago. The sound could be of the dead body of that person but his body was already fallen and is in front of the Principal''s leg so what could have fallen? "Allen, go take a look," she said while pointing her gun at the last survivor. I stepped down the stairs rapidly. I saw long black hair and a uniform from our school but her clothes were slightly colored red near the upper part of the uniform. Was that blood? She must be the hostage. I walked closer towards the girl. I lifted her head and saw blood flowing from her forehead. It must be because of this fall but she looked like she was unconscious even before she hit her head. "What is it?" the Principal asked from above. "It''s a girl. She seemed to hit her head. She needs medical support ASAP," I said. "¡­ Alright I''ll do that but come up here for a second," she called me up. I supported the girl''s back with the sidewall and moved up. A few drops of blood splashed on me and "There she is," I heard a man''s voice from behind. I looked back to check who it was. I saw a couple of people holding a gun in their hands. They must be subordinate of hers. They lifted up the girl and went outside again. "What is it?" I walked up the stairs to again see the dead bodies lying on the floor. "Do you know him?" she said. "Why would I know him?" how would I know a HYDRAs member? "I''m not talking to you," she isn''t talking to me? "W-w-why i-is¡­ he h-h-here¡­? On the brink of death, he looked at me with fear. "How do you know him?" Principal asked. "N-n-n-no¡­ w-wa-way. Y-you¡­" he looked at me with terror. Before he could say further I noticed that he was bleeding from his right arm also. He wasn''t shot anywhere other than his legs so then the bleeding on his arm is from? In about a few seconds he died. "What?!" she pulled his hand high and noticed a small blade pierced through his veins, with the lade hiding behind his long sleeves jacket. That''s why they all were wearing those jackets. He must have pierced his veins beforehand. Did they come prepared to be killed? If they were caught they would commit suicide, was that their aim from the start? What kind of organization are HYDRAs that they are willing to give up their lives to keep a secret? "Dammit, I shouldn''t have let my guard down¡­!" she exclaimed. She seemed to lose her composure. Well, it''s a normal reaction for someone who lost the one way to find about the HYDRAs. But why did she ask him about me? The place where bullets, shooting sound was heard is now dead silent. A few moments later she was back to her usual self and I think that my question needs to be answered. "Um, why did you ask him about me?" I said. "Well¡­ it''s kind of hard to explain. Let me tell you in short. If you were framed by the higher-ups then someone must have some clue about it, right? I mean other than higher-ups. The way he talked and the reaction he showed before dying confirmed that except the higher-ups there are few more who know about it," she said. "Anyway forget about it for now, before anything else tell me how you did it?" she asked while she called her team members to remove all the traces of this incident. "What do you mean?" I said. "Don''t play dumb with me," she said, "No amateur can shoot like that." Ah, she meant that. Well, even I don''t know how it happened. It just happened before I could even evaluate it. "Hmm¡­ what if said ''I don''t know,''" I said. "Do you want me to believe that?" she said. "It would be much better that way," I said. I need to find it out first myself. "Then I''ll wait but sooner or later you need to tell me," with that she turned back and asked me to check on the students. I walked two flights of stairs and reached the Principal''s Office. I opened the room to find out that they all were still unconscious lying on the floor. With all that sound they still didn''t wake up means that the gas was too effective. As I took a look around, I noticed a change in position of Peter''s hand. Is he awake? I walked in his direction and tried slapping him multiple times on his face until his face turned from peach bright red. After multiple tries, he still didn''t wake up or show any kind of reaction. I guess he moved his hand unconsciously like we usually do in a dream. *Thud* I heard something heavy fall on the floor. I looked back to see what it was. Oh, I had forgotten I was carrying a pistol. It reverberated a little because the room was quiet. I placed it in my back pocket but the size was not big enough to keep all of it inside, so half of it was hanging which would fall any moment and I guess it is this moment. I picked it up and placed it on the table. As I sat on the empty couch I noticed something peculiar. The number of HYDRAs members to kill us was less. This doesn''t feel right. If they needed to kill us the organization would never try to do it from the front. No one ever does a frontal attack if the only way to win is through tactics. If they would have used force at least 10 people must have been sent but only 5 of them were there. No, wait. I am sure that I have seen 6. One died as soon as we reached the first floor by the Principal''s hands. The other three were also killed by her through surprise. The one who was aiming to ambush the Principal was killed by me. This sums to be 5 but there is one more. The last one committed suicide. But the number of dead bodies I saw were¡­ only 5. One is still missing. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 51 - The Sixth Person As I was wondering where the sixth person is, the Principal barged in the office looking worried. "What happened¡­?" I asked. "¡­ He is gone," she said. "Let me guess," I said, "There was a sixth person who you shot and you believed he died but now he is gone." But how did he escape, that''s a question we need to know. "That''s right. There is a window almost double your height above the stairs, but it''s not for opening-" "Between the gunfight, they broke that window letting one of them escape. They already knew that they were going to die either way." Now I get it. "Again. That''s right," she said. "But how come no one noticed this?" there were at least 6-7 people. If they are letting people escape like this then this secret organization is nothing but a cakewalk for the HYDRAs. "Well¡­ when my subordinates saw a hostage they panicked a little because I assured them that there will be no one on the school premises. Then all their focus was on saving the hostage. Also about the window, it was not there a week ago. They weren''t told about the window at all. I installed a window for only sunlight purpose and even I forgot when those people came inside the school suddenly," she said. The way she talked looked frustrated and that''s a natural reaction since the enemy now knows all the approximate number of allies. They know how we are protecting the school and the survivors. "We can''t dwell on the past forever, right? So, what''s the next plan? Are we still going to let these students in school or are we sending them back?" "For starters, we are not letting them go home until it''s completely safe." She said. "But how are you going to keep us safe? The number of people, who are commanding, traps and now they even know that the survivors are in school," I said. "What do you mean by ''they even know that the survivors are in school''?" she asked. "Do you know Schr?dinger''s cat?" "Yeah, I know. What has this got to do with this?" "Schr?dinger put a cat inside a black box, filled it with poisonous gas. We can''t know if the cat is dead or not. It could be both dead and alive. I continued, "Similarly, let''s just assume that the HYDRAs didn''t know about the students and just sent them to confirm this. If they really wanted them to die they would have don''t a better job. They only sent 5 people and they all died too easily. Let me rephrase it- They all were ready to commit suicide. Now they know for sure that these students are here in school and now they just need to send another group but with a better possibility of getting the job done. What''s the point if your secret organization can''t even think at least this much?" "¡­ Now then. In about 5 hours they will be waking up. Take them down in the auditorium. Everything has been arranged there." She easily changed the subject but she looked a little irritated. Maybe I was too harsh on the words. But I won''t take them back. It''s the truth. "What are you going to do now?" I asked, "Also do I have to take them downstairs myself, or do I have to wait here 5 hours?" "Whatever suits you," she said while she took both of the pistols and masks we have been wearing for a while and put them inside the same cupboard she took them out. "Alright I''ll do it my way but where are you going?" "Do you want to come?" she asked as she was walking her way out. "After this? No. I would prefer to watch these," I said to her. By ''these'' I meant the students lying on the door. I saw the door close slowly as she disappeared. Now, what should I do with them? I don''t really want to babysit and wait for them to wake up. I also don''t want to carry them down. *sigh* Then something clicked on me. Why not just go downstairs by myself? She said I can do whatever I want. I can write a note saying that the Principal told all of us to come to the auditorium. Through this, I can say also add that I woke up early than them and came downstairs. Ah, I forgot something. They all saw me spray the sleeping gas so after waking up they all will ask me why I did that and I need to answer them all. She should''ve told me to at least give me a reason to subdue this. That''s why she said to handle this myself. That sly fox. I''ll think about it later. I just want to rest for a bit now. Seeing all this I need to rest. I took out a piece of paper from the table and wrote a notice for all these students lying down on the floor- From, The Principal I know you all are confused right now. Before answering your questions I want you all to go downstairs and standby at the auditorium. Signature- I opened a nearby file on the table to see how the Principal''s signature looks like and I copied it on that piece of paper. It was not completely accurate but it''s good enough to fool them. I placed the notice at the center of the table and placed a paperweight on it. Soon I left the room. I walked down the stairs but I noticed something down the way. There were no dead bodies or anything relating to the attack. I was like in there for 15-20 minutes and all the traces are erased this fast? That''s awesome. I tried touching the place the bullet was about to blast my ear. "Huh?" its color was similar to the rest of the wall but it was a little wet and some of it got in my hand. I guess they are not that awesome. To confirm I touched all the places where the bullet touched the walls. Almost half of it was wet. But half of it was already dried so in about another 5 minutes the other half also will get dried. They concealed it nicely. After taking a short look around the area I decided to walk down to the destination. The sky was crystal clear and soft shades of purples and light blues, and the sun was emanating vivid shades of red and orange. If I told anyone about the incidents about this evening no one would believe me not because it seems fake but the place that I''m seeing right now is so quiet and pleasant that even I would doubt myself one time if I didn''t experience it firsthand. ¡­ I reached the auditorium 5-6 hours earlier than everyone else. Well, it''s not that I am early it''s that they all are sleeping. When I reached the auditorium I saw 5 tents which could take 2 people. I peeked inside the tents out of pure curiosity. A couple of mineral water bottles in each tent with some store-packed food inside. Then I guess it was true that when the Principal said everything was down here prepared. "Now what should do¡­? I said to myself. I couldn''t think of anything else except to just sit here empty-handed and wait for them to arrive. But I guess this is also good for now, the silence I loved so much. ¡­ After waiting for 5 hours I hear the sounds of footsteps. Maybe they woke up. For the past five hours, I was sitting here thinking about the excuse I should say to them when they arrive, and I gave some serious thoughts on that also. Yet¡­ I couldn''t think of anything. Let''s see what happens now. To be honest I was not that much tense about what to say to them rather I was having some different kind of feeling swelling up. "¡­ What happened back then¡­?" I heard a faint voice before the door to the auditorium opened. "Brace for impact," I said to myself. "Y-you!! What did you do to us¡­?!" the first one to react after seeing me sitting beside the tents was Roy. He looked so angry right now that the face he was making was kind of funny. "What do you mean¡­?" I tried playing the dumb faced. "Huh! Tell us the truth¡­!" the yelling was continued by Anna. "¡­ I don''t know what you are talking about¡­" I said. "Allen tell us why you u-used that gas and after that, we all fell unconscious," Noah said to me. Everyone''s gaze was at me. All their eyes were filled with suspicion and few of them even showed hatred. Well, it''s obvious that only Roy and Anna showed hostility towards me but the others were in doubt. "I even don''t know myself. The Principal asked me to spray that bottle inside the room and I did. After that even I lost consciousness. I don''t know after how much time passed but when I opened my eyes I saw myself lying on the floor beside you all," I continued, "I was confused at first but the Principal came into the office right at the same moment and handed me the note that I placed on the table above. So, in conclusion, I was directed to do this and I don''t know anything about why she told me to do it." Hmm¡­ I''m kind of amazed at myself. I just thought of this right at this moment and I don''t think this seems false either. It''s a win-win situation. "As if we would believe that¡­!" Roy exclaimed, "Right¡­?" he looked around to see. "I don''t think he lied," Liz said. "I also think so," followed by Lily and Harry. "Wha! You got to be kidding me!" he didn''t expect anyone to believe me but instead there are few who took my side. "M-me also," Selene said in low voice. "¡­ I also think he is telling the truth," Noah said. After arguing for a minute or so it was settled as I am telling the truth and not to talk about this again. In the end, Roy had to agree with everyone. The look on his face was worth seeing but what I don''t understand is why he is so hostile to me? I don''t believe or recall anything I did to him. All of us took a tent in pairs, of course, boys and girls were separated. I was paired with Peter. I was a little bit frustrated but in this situation, if I took a fight with him it would be too much of a hassle to handle it. While everyone was talking and laughing I was sitting inside my tent alone. No, it''s not like I was being excluded, it was my own choice. But one thing to take notice of is that the Principal never showed up again. Was it because the HYDRAs sent a real group of mercenaries or were it because she was busy guarding the students. Whatever it was I would ask her in the morning. As for these people, I ignored them. I ate my food and went to sleep. I''m sure everyone was having bliss. Staying at school without a supervisor and all alone is the best thing that ever could happen to a student. It was a little bit noisy but I still managed to sleep. ¡­ I don''t know the exact time I slept but when I opened my eyes I saw Peter sleeping beside me and a few rappers outside the tent. Maybe the food wrappers. But even in the morning, the Principal was not around rather a huge note was pasted on the wall saying that we can go home now. She never showed up. This is definitely suspicious. I would definitely as her in the morning. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 52 - Suspects "Allen¡­ Allen!" "¡­ Hmm¡­?" I heard someone calling my name. "Allen she talking to you¡­!" Alex was shrugging from behind. Oh, that''s right I am in class. "Yes," I answered half asleep. "Were you sleeping?" she asked as she put the book down on the table and was staring at me. Not only her but the whole class was staring at me. "¡­ Sorry?" I don''t particularly don''t know what should I say in this situation. "Tell me which page number are we on?" "... 34?" Selene pulled my shirt and opened a page number. Without giving it a second thought I said it. "¡­ Who told you?" she inquired. "No one," I said without batting an eye. "Did anyone saw who it was?" she asked the whole class. What''s happening? Usually, she wouldn''t do any of this, just a slight warning and that''s all but she is prying into it too much. It''s weird. "I saw who did it!" the person sitting behind Alex said. "Who did it?" "It was Selene," she declared. What was her name? Anna if I am right. Huh? Did that girl just now smirk at Selene? "Selene¡­" the teacher glared at Selene. "Eek!" "It wasn''t her," I hear another familiar voice yet a disturbing one. "¡­ How can you be so sure?" this is really getting weird. If it was some other teacher, he/she would have left the matter yet she isn''t stopping. "*sigh* Fine I''ll just leave the class, is that enough?" I said. This matter was not getting anywhere. "Wa-" I stepped out of the class. ¡­ I left the class without causing any more problems. In any case, I didn''t want the blame to fall on Selene. That''s the main reason. I don''t want her to be on the bad side of teachers. I''ve got some free time until lunch break, so I''ll just head to the Principal''s office for the time being. I took a step closer and made my way to the Principal''s office. "Excuse me," I said as I knocked on the door. "Come in," I heard a response from behind the closed door. I stepped in. Ah, it''s cold. Is it just me or is everyone feeling rather hot? Yesterday, my dad and now her. Is the temperature not only rising for me? "Can we raise the room''s temperature?" I asked as I sat on the empty couch which was also cold. "Yeah, sure, go ahead," she said as she tossed me the A/C remote. It was at 14 degrees. What is this? Is she living in a desert that she needs to raise the temperature this much? "20 degrees should be enough," I mumbled to myself. But it will take some time to raise the room''s temperature. Till then, I can only wait. "So, did you get any leads on who is suspects?" She asked me as she was also writing something on paper. Huh? Is she not gonna talk about the incident last night? "I need to ask you something first," I said. "What is it?" She stopped writing and was paying full attention to me. "What happened last night after we were in the auditorium?" I asked. "... listen closely Allen. This is the last and the first time I would say this and that is, the mission was successful. So don''t worry about it and let''s never talk about that ever," she replied to me with a slight smug on her face. Well, then I guess it''s all good if she succeeded and the problem is solved as of now. Also keeping it a secret and talking about it is also a wise decision. "Alright, but I do need to ask few more questions," I said. "Go ahead," to which replied. "Who is Lucas? Who are you, people? What is that you want from me? What is the motive of HYDRA? Am I being observed? Wha-" "Wait, wait. One by one." "Who is Lucas?" I asked. "Ah, you met him. I thought I told him not to meet you. Actually, he is my subordinate. Did you want something with him?" "I saw a clip where I was holding a gun. Why was this not leaked? The police and also the higher up you mentioned earlier must have used this against me," "We didn''t find it," she said, something ridiculous just now. "I don''t get it. If you didn''t find it, then who did?" is someone sent them the footage then that person could have leaked it in public and it would be the end for me but that didn''t happen. "Someone mailed me these clips just after you left the office. I wanted to tell you, but you had already left, and then maybe after you left the office Lucas tried contacting you." Something is not right here. The order is wrong. If I am right, Lucas''s sister, Lily, wanted to talk to me since the morning, and they looked like they had been waiting for me since school ended. But I talked to the principal after school ended and talked to her for almost an hour or maybe more. It''s possible that he wanted to meet me before that, but he shouldn''t have access to the clips. Since he is subordinate to her, he must get permission from her before revealing any information and moreover if the clip is something that could cause an uproar in the whole city. "What are you thinking?" she asked me as I was busy with my thoughts. "Are you sure he is your subordinate?" I asked her. "What''s that supposed to mean?" she got confused. "Is he really your subordinate?" I asked her again. "I don''t know what exactly you mean. Yes, he is my subordinate. Why are you asking this?" she still doesn''t know the real meaning behind my words but she will know sooner or later if my theory is right. "Ah, nothing. Now the next question is, who are you? " "I can''t tell you that, yet." "Yet, huh. Then I''ll wait but I need to know your motive soon. I''m still not sure I can trust an unknown individual whose background is unknown to me. But you must tell me as soon as possible if you want my assistance," I said, "Now, let''s move on to the next question. What exactly do you want from me? Why am I being targeted by the higher-ups?" I asked another question. "Let me tell you something first. We tried to find out more about you. Why are you being targeted, but your records all went blank after a while. It was really weird, she paused for a few seconds and then continued again, "I myself tried looking into your past, but before high school, your past was all blank. It was like you never existed in the first place. No records. I have no clue where you lived or where you were born. Is your family the real family?" She said something that made absolutely no sense. "What are you saying? I was born in my hometown before we moved to the city. I studied in a kindergarten near my grandparents'' house. I used to play a lot in their fields there. For middle school, my father got a post in the city, so we moved there and I studied there. Then I continued to a high school near my old middle school. What do you mean that you couldn''t find anything?" "... maybe we didn''t do it thoroughly that''s why. Don''t take this seriously. And we still don''t know why you are being targeted by the higher-ups." "Last question. Am I being observed?" I asked. "... Not yet," she answered. It means soon then. "Also, tell your subordinate, Lucas, to talk to me directly and not through someone else," I added a condition. "I''ll be sure to tell him." "Now, how do you expect me to find the culprit?" I can''t think of anything, "Do I have to follow every student and find out myself? At least tell me a few names." "We don''t have concrete information, but we were able to distinguish a few things, but only in teachers. At the top is your homeroom teacher, Ms. Lena, "she said to me. To think, our homeroom teacher is also suspected. "Hmm... so in the case of students, you don''t have a single clue?" I enquired. "Yes, that''s true." She stood up from her seat and walked towards me, "But I tried digging up few things and want you to investigate." "Who?" "They are in the same class as you." What? Same class as me? Who could it be? "I don''t have any clue," I answered. "Find it yourself. The way higher-ups are targeting you I need to find out for myself why are they so fixated on you. There must be a reason why they are targeting you. They must be thinking that you are some kind of threat to them. That''s why they are trying to eliminate you." Okay? But what has got to do with me finding the suspect by myself? I don''t get it, but as of now all I can do is follow the instructions till I get some kind of lead myself. I can only depend on them as of now since I can''t do anything myself. "... Fine. I''ll do it, but in return I want something," I asked. "What is it?" she asked, as she sat beside me. "Lucas said that he found not a single clip but a few more, I want all of them." "¡­ We''ll do whatever we can," she said flatly, not agreeing or declining. I stood up. "I should be leaving now. Classes are about to start." "With all this happening, he is more worried about his." She let out a big sigh and said something, but it was so low that I couldn''t figure out what she said. I walked out the door and slowly closed it. At least now I have some leads. But who will it be? Is it someone who was kidnapped? But if they themselves were kidnapped in the first place, they must have thought of their safety. I guess it will be the one who was not kidnapped. Out of 40 students, only 4 were kidnapped, so there are 36 suspects. With this number, I cannot do it easily. If I also take my reputation into consideration it''s going to be a problem. Everyone will be keeping their distance from me. The real culprit might also take advantage of this and will be able to get away easily. What a hassle... *sigh* Whatever might be the case think I should appreciate that I am at least one step closer to the truth. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 53 - Who Am I? I walked back to my class while thinking about today''s incidents. "Ah! There you are¡­!" someone from behind smacked me. "What?" it''s her again, Iris. "I was looking for you all this time," she said as she started walking beside me. "What did you want to talk about?" I don''t want to add on my worries because of her. "If you want I can promote to ''A'' class. Only if you beg me." What is she babbling about? Why would I want to move to the ''A'' class? After I was able to know that the culprit might be in my class. "No, thank you," I politely decline. "It''s alrig-", she looked bewildered, "What?! You don''t want to be in the ''A'' class?!" "Yes, you heard me right. Now if you would excuse me I have a class to attend," I tried escaping from her but she held onto my collar and stopped me. "Really?!" "Let go of the collar," I said. "A-and what if I don''t?" even though she looked like she was looking down at me but she is scared, her hand is shaking a little bit. "I said let go," I glared at her a little bit and she let off the collar in an instant. "Eek!" a crowd was starting to form around us. It must be definitely because of her. "Listen here, Iris. If you ever want to talk to me again try talking normally to me and not like the way you talk to others with superiority. Also, you said that you can take me to ''A'' class why don''t you instead come to my class? The next time you repeat this you might regret it," I whispered in her ear. She was petrified. I dashed out the corridor and took a right turn which lead to the indoor basketball court. "What''s her problem?" I need to make sure I don''t meet with her again. "10 more laps! Come on!" a heard a loud shout from inside the court. I peeked a little to see what was going on. "N-no more¡­" "5 more are left¡­!" the P.E. teacher was relentlessly shouting at the basketball team. By their looks, they must be exhausted. However, over half of the team was falling behind, with only a few students ahead of the group and not seeming tired at all. "And¡­ that''s all!" The majority of them appeared to be so exhausted that they simply sat on the ground and breathed deeply. "Have you noticed that Peter never gets tired?" "Yeah, he always takes the first spot." Peter is the captain of the basketball team. True, his body is superior to that of the majority of the students. But every time I see his face, I am reminded of an incident that occurred during our first year together. Even after he apologized, I still can''t bring myself to forgive him since he is nothing less than a criminal in my eyes. "Peter do you want to hang out sometime later," a girl asked him. Let me clear the situation, almost a dozen of female students are standing outside the court calling out Peter''s name. Fans may be or they must like him or whatever the case is my opinion of him is definitely not going to go up rather it just went down. But there in between many other female fans I saw a certain familiar face. Whatever. I couldn''t bear to stand there seeing him so I left the court. "Allen?" "Who?" I turned around to check who it was. It was Liz. "Where are you going? You haven''t been in any of the classes since the morning," she said to me. I was busy talking to the Principal that I didn''t know how much time have passed. "Ah, sorry." "Why are you apologizing to me?" she asked. "I don''t know myself," I replied. "Allen are sure you are doing okay? You''ve been looking troubled for the past several days since you returned from a three-week vacation," she looked worried. "Don''t worry I am alright," I said. ¡­ Soon school ended. I used to walk alone even before the incident, and I still do today. But I don''t think I had the blazing eyes I have today at the time. I exited the entrance gate and paced outside. After I covered some distance I was back to normal walking. It was yet another peaceful day instead of rain. Yesterday''s rain is still in my mind. "?" I noticed a man walking behind me. How did I notice? Well, a car was parked on the right side of the road and through its rearview mirror, I noticed someone walking just right behind me. Not too close and yet not too far. The distance never changed. Suspicious. I changed my pace and yet the distance didn''t change. It''s now confirmed that he is following me. What should I do now? I ran past the nearest corner on the road and hid behind a truck parked there. "Where did he go? I was able to hide in time. "Sir, I lost track of him. What should I do now?" he was on phone. I couldn''t hear clearly but I could make out a few things. "Okay," what will he do now? He didn''t leave and instead started walking forwards. I didn''t move. He continued walking and left at the next corner. If I wanted I could just leave but I wanted to know what he wanted with me. I also took the next corner but he was nowhere to be found. He got me good. That day I didn''t meet anyone else and just sat there in my room. I opened my laptop and tried searching for few things. "Let''s see," I muttered to myself. -- [HYDRA Association] [No data found.] -- [50 students went missing] [50 students went missing on July 23rd. They vanished from school, leaving no trace. The police have now verified that they were all kidnapped and that they will be found soon. The parents of the missing students are terrified. The entire city is horrified. This occurrence has never been witnessed since it occurred 20 years ago. That day became known as Shady Halloween. The same amount of kids went missing, and the authorities are still looking into the case. If this is connected to that, then those who did it previously have put their gaze once more. The minister is now reassuring the parents of the missing kids...] I don''t want to listen to this more. I shut down the laptop and placed it on my desk. I held onto a pillow and placed my head against the wall and closed my eyes. I didn''t feel anything at that time but those feeling buried deep down inside are now coming to the surface. The first thing that popped into my mind is what the heck is going on? What the heck? I might not show it to others but I am getting a little scared now. A secret association is behind me. My past is all blank according to her. The police department is trying to make me take all the blame for something I can''t even remember. What happened on that island? Where are the other 43 students? Thinking about this is making my heart race at a tremendous rate. I am trying my best not to show it to others but if this continues and if these doubts don''t get cleared soon I might lose my sanity at this rate. The footage I saw yesterday was also terrifying. If that video got leaked in public I might end in jail and that would be the end of me. I am also a high school student so why does keep forgetting that? The principal told me to find the culprit and didn''t even tell me the name. I am scared. I squeezed the pillow tightly. Huh? What happened? All the anxiety I was feeling is all gone. I was scared just a moment ago but now it''s normal. My heartbeat is also normal. Who am I? What am I? Who am I? What am I¡­? I just kept on repeating the same question and slowly fell asleep. ¡­ The same thing happened the next day also. That person was still following me. This time he wasn''t alone at least 3 more are following me from a different direction. Since they haven''t closed the gap between us I ignored them and dashed towards the school. They were blocked at the entrance by the P.E. teacher. Classes went by in a blink of an eye. I went to my paradise but Iris was already there. So, just taking a little peek there I left the place. My paradise is being destroyed. I really wanted that place because I could at least get away from the glares directed at me. "Did you really spread the rumor about Allen holding a gun and shooting it at a person?" I heard someone calling my name. It was coming from behind the stairs. I quietly tried hearing them. I saw two girls and a boy talking. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 54 - A Clue "My father said that he is suspected of holding a gun. He said that the police just need some proof and he will be in jail in no time," one of the girls said. "But when I saw him in the first year I was like what a normal person. He gives those otaku vibes sometimes that''s why I kept my distance from him but to think he will do something like this," the other girl said. "We can''t be sure about that yet. But Anna are you sure about this? I mean aren''t all these false rumors spread by you? If we get caught the teachers are going to kill us," the boy said anxiously. I would love to see their faces. But they were behind the shadow of stairs that''s why I couldn''t see their faces. Especially the girl. If they are telling us the truth then I need to do something about her first, Anna. "Don''t worry the teachers are also believing the rumor. Didn''t you see it yourself yesterday? The homeroom teacher didn''t let him off the hook at all," ah, then this confirms that the other two are in my class. That''s good. "It was kind of hilarious to look at him, dumbfound." another girl said laughingly. While she was laughing she stepped further from the shadow and I was able to see her face clearly. Her name is Emilia, she sits beside Anna if I remember correctly. "Anyway, you both go I need to make a call." the girls left first while the boy stayed there. "How stupid can they be? I just manipulated Anna a little and she just followed my every instruction," he gave off a weird vibe. "I just need to put an end to Allen and I would be able to complete it." Huh? *Tuck* I slipped my foot and lost balance. It made a sight sound but unfortunately, it was loud enough for him to hear it. "Huh! Who''s there?" as he said that he ran covering his face. "Darn it," If only I could have seen his face. He did say that he needs to end me to complete his task so I think he''s the culprit then. What he just said confirms this. At last, I have some clue. I can''t tell apart someone just by seeing his physic I need at least some facial information. I need to think of something. I went straight to the Principal''s office even though my class is about to start. "I need a favor," I directly went inside instead of asking for permission. "At least knock. So, what happened?" she asked me. "I might be able to find the culprit soon so for that I need a little favor," I said. "A favor you say. What kind of?" she looked amused. "There is a student named Anna in my class. Make her and me do some class chores together. Like staying back in class to do some school work or makeup anything but just make a situation where we both are alone for two weeks," I proposed my favor. "For Anna? Who is she?" she looked confused. "Just a student in my class. Also, make us do something which takes a lot of time and some physical work also," I added on. "What are you gonna do?" she asked me. "Wait and see," I said. "I just need to do that, right?" "Yes," I answered. "But you will owe me a favor then, is that okay with you?" she asked again. "I don''t really care but don''t make me do something unreasonable at least," I said. "¡­ Fine. I''ll do that," she said giving me a thumbs up. I walked out of the room thinking about my plan. Soon I''m going to find the culprit. A slight delighted feeling was swelling inside me. I stepped inside the class. The subject teacher was walking behind me so I just need to enter the class before she could enter. Before I sat on the seat. I gave a slight look at Anna. "Huh? What?" she looked pretty annoyed just by me seeing her. Let''s just wait and see. ¡­ "Peter, where are you going after this?" Anna asked Peter. "Umm, maybe karaoke? I don''t know. Let''s just see what happens," Peter said. "Then can I also co-" as she was about to ask something she got interrupted by the teacher? "Ah, Anna can you wait for a second?" it was the last period of the day and everyone was in a hurry to go home, play with friends or mall so was Anna but. "What happened, teacher? Do you need something from me?" she asked as she walked towards the podium. I guess the Principal already took care of what I wanted, I sat on my seat and waited for it to happen. "What?! Why me¡­!" she exclaimed in front of half of the class since half already left. "Sorry but please help me out," the teacher said that and left the class. "Oh god why with him?!" now let''s just proceed with the plan. "Allen wait here! We both need to do some work," she loudly shouted. "Poor Anna." "Should we help her?" "No way, I don''t want to ruin my after-school hours doing some school work." "True¡­" They left the class. "What did the teacher say?" I asked. "Argh¡­! We need to move some cartoons from the teacher''s office to the Study room," she said as she let out a big sigh. "Then let''s go," I said. We walked side by side till we reached the Teacher''s office. "Here you go. There is a total of 15 boxes and important papers are inside it so please handle them with care." The teacher suggested. "15?! Why so many?" Anna said. "Please behave Anna. Allen is also with you, he might be able to help out since he is a boy." He said as if he was signaling me something. "¡­" At most she could lift only one box while I was able to handle 3 at once. "Will you be able to handle them? She asked me. "What''s this? Are you worried about me?" I said. "Huh! Why would I be worried about you? The teacher said that these are important papers so we need to handle them with care. Stupid!" she said. "Harsh¡­ could have said the same thing nicely," I commented. "Hmph!" After a minute or two we reached the Study room. I saw a pile of boxes already placed inside. Instead of a study room, it more looked like an attic. "Where should we place these? It''s already full," she said. The way the boxes were placed was not quite right. There were few places left in between. "Let''s rearrange these first," I put down my boxes and started placing the boxes in the right order. "What? You are going to sort all of that?" she asked me with an astounded expression. "Yes, do you have any better idea?" "No..," she said, "I''ll also help then." At first, she tried moving a single box but it didn''t move an inch. "Do you eat something? You can''t even move it," I said laughingly. "D-don''t make fun of me!" she stood up but she didn''t look around and crashed with the boxes. A couple of boxes were about to fall on her head. If she gets injured right now and seeing how the rumors are being spread about me the blame would fall on me for sure. I took her hand and drew it towards me. "Eek!" she got scared. "That was close. Let me ask you something, are you a klutz?" I asked. "¡­ N-no," she replied. "Hmm¡­" "Y-you don''t believe me?!" "I sure do," I said. "You don''t¡­!" I didn''t make any move but with this, the distance which I believed could not be measure by the naked eye is now visible. It took almost 3 hours to put the boxes in the study room. What was that Principal thinking? I did say about physical work but this is too much. "Thank you so much! We have some space here now thanks to you¡­!" the teacher thanked us. "Space? Weren''t those important papers? Is it really okay to leave them there like this? By the look of that room it was filled with dust and spider webs at every corner," Anna said to the teacher. "Ah, it was not tha- Don''t worry about it. You both can leave now," he said. I am pretty sure he was about to say that those papers were not that important. "B-but¡­" "Do you want me to call your parents?" he said. "For what?" Anna asked as she showed slight anger. "It''s getting late you both should leave," sometimes teachers are really confusing. "Don''t," I stopped her in between. "Thank you, sir. We''ll leave now," I said and dragged Anna with me. "Why did you do that?!" she asked me in anger. "Do you want to be on the bad side of teachers? No. It''s better to compile with their unreasonable things also sometimes. That makes a good impression and it might help in Parent teachers meetings sometime." "Argh!" "Well, that''s that. I am leaving," I said. "¡­" I left her behind. I walked out of school and went home. When I got home, I saw my folks were concerned about where I went this late. I forgot I had set it on mute since I was at school and didn''t remember to call them about the work. I told them about the work and all. They looked relieved. They must have been worried because of those false accusations it has been hard for my family. I need to do something about this soon. I can''t see them like this any longer. Just wait for a week or two I''ll find the real culprit. After discussing a lot of things and eating dinner I went to my room. I could have asked Anna to tell me the identity of that boy even if I had to use force but in case it leaks out I don''t think it would be good for me. I need to take steps slowly. Breaking that shell of hers before moving further. Also with this video recording, I don''t think I need to worry too much. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 55 - A New Entry If I am right, Anna''s opinion of me might have moved a little bit on the positive side. Last night she looked like she has something to say but before she could bring it up I left. I need to ask her today. As I walked towards the school, I noticed a couple of birds perched on a tree trunk. Watching them, I had the impression that they have such carefree lives, but here I am living on a rope that may snap at any minute. Well, I can''t do anything about it but what I can do is to do my best to get out of this weird situation. I mean literally what''s happening to my life? "Run¡­!" a heard someone yelling. I noticed that the school entrance was about to close. I think I have seen this scene before also. I paced as fast I could and through my hard work and sweat, I was able to get inside before the gate got closed. "Phew¡­ Close call," I said to myself and made my way towards the shoe rack. "Pftt¡­!" I turned back to see who it was. "What do you want Roy¡­?" it was Roy. What does he want now? "Let me make one thing clear¡­" he said. "And what is that? You are really scared of me?" I said haughtily. "Huh! You know what? I don''t really care what you say and the last time the Principal made you in charge of us that day I didn''t say anything but don''t get me wrong. If the others didn''t interfere I would have kicked your butt," he said. "Is that so? Well, I would definitely believe a person who walks with his flyer open," I replied. "Wha!" he panicked as I said that. He looked down to check if it was true or not and it made me a good opportunity to get away from him. It''s not like I am scared of him but rather taking him on when there are no spectators, it would all for naught. He would boost himself, faking and all but if I embarrassed him in front of spectators it would be much effective. All the times he tried to pick a fight with me I retaliated when someone was nearby to see him fall. But this time no good will come out for me. See, this is the main difference between him and me. He acts mostly on emotional rage who I have no idea why he has so much hatred towards me but on the other hand I don''t. "Where are you going?! I was not finished talking¡­!" oh god. He is so persistent. I was already on the first floor and near my class yet he needs to pick a fight where teachers could see. Was his brain fall somewhere when he was trying to search for some common sense? "Alright, fine I''ll listen to it but make sure it is worth my time," I stopped on my track. He has already yelled, and a few more students have begun to come out from the classroom to see what kind of commotion has taken place. "Whatever happened that day doesn''t mean I was fine with that, don''t let it get to your head¡­! You know your reputation is on the grounds, right? If I wished I would make it so that you will need to hide yourself in your home," he said. But what I don''t understand is what does he mean by saying all this? Like, is he bullying me or trying to act superior? "¡­" I was trying to think what exactly he meant by all this but to him, it looked like I was trying to ignore him. "Are you trying to ignore me¡­?!" he yelled. "Oh, sorry. I forgot you were saying anything. I thought some dog was barking but it turns out it was you," I replied. Since there is some audience here I can at least say this much. My reputation is already on the grounds so what''s the worse that could happen to me? But that wasn''t the same case for Roy, if I roast him in front of an audience his reputation might start to crumble. The one who was yelling in the corridor and tried picking up a fight was him. "What''s happening here?" I turned back to see who it was. It was my homeroom teacher. "H-he was trying to pick a fight with me¡­!" what? How can he lie in such broad daylight? "Allen?" she turned towards me with suspicion. "I wasn''t trying to pick a fight with him, rather it was the opposite he was saying," I said to her. "And why should I believe you?" she said to me. "The same way you are believing him," I said. "Huh? Are you talking back to a teacher?" she said in anger. What''s happening? It''s like she is just aiming for me. "Is that what it looks like?" I continued, "If that''s the case then I''m sorry but I was just stating the truth so I think I didn''t do anything wrong." "What?" she looked astounded. She must have assumed that I would apologize but instead, I continued the matter further. If it was a normal case like others I would have anyone of the standbys to act as a testimony but in this scenario, it''s the opposite. If I would ask someone they would never take my side whatever happens. "I''m letting this slide this but don''t do this ever again," I thought she would try to do something but she backed down quite easily. Roy also didn''t continue this matter further and stopped. This is weird. Soon the classes started. I was constantly being glared at by my classmates. It didn''t affect me that much since I''m used to it already. *Ding-Dong! LUNCH BREAK* In a blink of an eye it was soon lunch break and today also I wasn''t able to pay attention in class. Anyway, I was on my way to the Principal''s office right now. *Knock-Knock* "So what do you want right now?" she said to me. "I might need some help finding out someone," I said while I made my way towards the couch. "And who might that be?" she said while she was busy piling up her papers on her table. It''s the first time I have seen her table so messy. All the previous times I have been here all the things were sorted out but today it''s doesn''t appear to be. "I know you have already stated that the spy is in my class and I have also met him but unfortunately his face is hidden. Anna was also with that boy with another girl. So, I think you should already tell me that student''s name." "Huh? What are you talking about?" she looked confused. "Don''t ''huh'' me. You said before that you have already found out about the spy among students but you aren''t going to tell me. So, now might be a good time," I said. "Find him? The spy never existed among students. Earlier I had my suspicion but it was cleared when my sources confirmed the one collaborating with the HYDRAs is among the teachers which were short-listed and only 3 teachers are there in it." "But, I heard some student saying that ''I need to put an end to Allen'', what do you have to say about this?" I said. "What? Give me some time. I''ll look into this," her face turned pale all of a sudden. "I need you to check whose parents are in the police department and anything related to it, the names of their son or daughter, and also check who has close relation with those parents among the students," I continued, "I heard that someone among them have their parents in police and it might be related to me." "Don''t worry I know all their parent''s backgrounds. I just need to check each of them thoroughly." "Also about the incident with HYDRAs in school?" I asked her something. "We agreed not to talk about that, right?" she asked me. "Yes," I replied. That incident was not a normal incident. I agreed not to talk about that but I need to know exactly what happened last night. She won''t tell me no matter what. I left the Principal''s office. What''s happening to this school? What''s happing to us? I don''t know what is HYDRA planning or have any clue how to find them. Why am I being targeted by the higher-ups? In all this ruckus it''s most likely I''m at the center of all this but why? As I was walking down the stairs I noticed a group forming in front of my class. I walked towards it. "Hey, did you see that?" "Yeah, he tried to hit her." What''s happening? Who hit who? I tried paving my way in my own class. "You better not touch her again..! You understand?" I heard a person yelling. "W-what are you gonna do!" I saw Roy standing against a person who I don''t know and behind that person, Lily was standing. What happened here? TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 56 - Another Battle As I was trying my best to pave my way to the class a brawl had already broken out. This type of situation have happened earlier, when Iris came to class to see me. But it was slightly different, earlier it was because that time it looked like that they like Iris and were frowning at her but right now, it felt different. "Don''t you dare¡­!" Roy yelled and lunged towards the other person. The moment I was able to enter the front lines I saw Roy charging at someone. What was he thinking attacking a person straight ahead? There are many ways to counter attack that type of attacks. "¡­" The unknown person made Roy stagger back when he slammed his fist into Roy''s shoulder. See, this was one of the ways. Fighting is not all about brawn, some brain is also needed. "GAAAHHH¡­!" he cried yet he didn''t back down. He continued throwing punches at him. But a war cannot be won through sheer anger or dedication. The other party was fluently evading Roy''s attacks. It seemed like the person standing against Roy wasn''t even taking this seriously. Roy swung a roundabout punch. If that would hit it perfectly it would be a game over for him only if it connected perfectly. The other seemed to have already analyzed his attack so bent backwards a little evading the punch by millimeters and felt his knuckles swish past his nose. All of the chairs and desks were strewn about. Only a little circular figure was made nearby, creating a small space for them both to fight in. A ring was formed inside a class. "Hey, who do you think would win?" "Seeing Roy charging, I think he will win." I heard someone from the crowd murmuring about the fight. "No way, I think the other person will win." "You want to bet?" "UFFF¡­!" Roy''s nose started bleeding. "S-shouldn''t we stop them now¡­?" seeing Roy bleed the discussion from betting on who will win changed to stopping them. "W-why don''t you g-go?" few of the spectators though of stopping the fight but it was only a thought. Deep inside even if they won''t show it on the surface they are still thinking of continuing this fight. This is an entertainment for them. Roy stepped back a few steps. He came to a sudden standstill and took a deep breath. For a moment there everything froze. No one spoke a word and were just watching Roy and the unknown person standing. Roy dashed and tried to give round kick but failed miserably as the opponent caught his leg before it could land. "Tsk!" Roy clicked his tongue and released his leg with force. Backing up again. They both just stared at each with daggering eyes. None of them took their gaze from each other. Even if I don''t want to I could feel a tense atmosphere forming up here. Roy again started moving forward but this time it felt like he had some kind of plan. The other person didn''t move at all and just waited there. Seeing both of them looked like two scorpions inside a single bottle, ready to attack. Roy charged up to him suddenly. He threw his forearm like an offensive lineman blocking a defensive back, but the other person slipped to his side quickly, pushing Roy''s elbow down and away, caught his head and rolled Roy on the floor. Whoa, that was fast. Roy was about to fall to the ground when he collided with the edge of the table and smacked his head. I''m sure it hurt a lot, adding to it he must be bleeding now. "What just happened?!" "Did you just see that?!" "It was just like in movies¡­!" Yes, that move he made just now was quite good. The way he slipped on the side and throwing him down on the floor, it happened to fast. Seeing Roy''s face right now, even he don''t know what happened to him. The person standing against Roy was making a fool of Roy in this battle. He appeared to be having fun with Roy. While Roy appeared to be out of breath, the other one was not. Or so it appeared. Even Roy must be feeling it. But Roy, on the other hand, did not appear to be as readily swayed. Several drips of blood were trickling from his right eye. He tried cleaning it away with his bare hands, which was a bad idea. He might become contaminated. Yet he did it either way. Was it because of his ego that he didn''t back down even after that injury or was it something else? Everyone thought that after this Roy wouldn''t move now but rather he charged towards the other person. Even I was surprised a little seeing this. Which made me think, does he really don''t want to lose or it''s something else? This before Roy could outstretch his arm for a punch the person against him threw out his own fist in a fast jab making Roy lose his balance. But I think that was what Roy wanted all along. Roy was moved back a little and even lost some of his ground but he didn''t completely lose it and still stood his ground. He grunted and regained his balance again. This surprised the other person a little bit and this made him flinch a little which was a bad move on his part. Because of that he made an opening for Roy to attack. Roy gave a slight smirk. Roy didn''t let go of this opportunity and outstretched his left arm to which the opponent reacted. The other person took both of his hand blocking his eyesight and tried blocking the blow from the left side while he was trying to balance himself. *Smack* It was perfect hit. The opponent slid back. The opponent made a basic yet the most important mistake. In a fight never close or never let your eyesight get blocked. When he tried to save himself from the attack, in the process he blocked his eyesight. Roy took this slime opportunity to surprise attack him from the other side. The opponent fell on the ground while Roy was still showing his dominance. But for not too long. "Now you have done it¡­" The person on the ground sprang up and charged straight towards Roy. Roy attempted to avoid it, but his opponent was too swift for him. He moves and attacks in a way that is not typical of a high school kid. While fighting, he has a professional attitude. Perhaps he was trained when he was a youngster. Roy had already been struck in the blink of an eye. It was a solid hit. Normally, a person hit by that type of jab would have already been on the ground, but examining Roy''s I believe that his build is far superior to that of a typical high school student. But that wasn''t the end of the story. Roy''s opponent kept pounding him as though he''s a punching bag. At this moment, the game was completely one-sided. He kept hitting him until he realized Roy was bleeding too much and needed assistance. "Someone take him to the medical room," he said as he stepped back and sat on one of the chairs closest to him. For a split second, everything was silent, and everyone''s gaze was riveted on Roy, the fallen man. He was breathing, but it was uncoincidental. I''m curious what happened to cause all of this to occur. This is not a normal fight between students. Even if he hold something against him this seemed to excessive on Roy''s side. Getting a head injury is not a slightest bit of a joke. Yet, he continued. "What are you waiting for?! Do you want him to fell unconscious?" he seemed furious. I guess he must be, since if any teacher saw this, it would be terrible for both him and us. The spectators might as well be held responsible for not putting an end to this brawl. I was also one of the spectators, but I don''t really care if fell unconscious. Even if a teacher saw this, the blame will fall on all of us. But, gosh, watching him like this gave me a tinge of satisfaction deep within. "I- w-will take him," someone from the crowd said. A boy emerged from the crowd. It was Noah who stepped in. Everyone changed their gaze from the fallen person to the person will help Roy. He tried picking up but his body weight was too much for him alone. But seeing him try a few more cam forwards but they were all the ones who I have seen following Roy most of the times. Well I guess this solves it. I walked towards my seat ignoring all what happened right now. But I noticed something. Everyone was staring at me but this time it was something different than usual. Normally I would ignore it like I have done it till now but this doesn''t feel right. No, it was not particularly at me but they were intently gazing at what was right behind me. Observing gazes I concluded that it was not just at me but at something behind me. I turned around to see what it was and¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 57 - Grudge? Personally, I don''t like starting conflicts, but if the other person does, that''s another story. If the other person starts it first I won''t hold back but not like I would instantly start it rather I will at least give a warning before doing anything. *Bang* I saw a slight glimpse of a person''s fist aiming in my direction and to defend from it, I predicted his trajectory and without even taking a full sight of it I caught a punch through my right palm. But that punch sure was a heavy one. If it had hit my head I might kissed the ground as of now but I blocked it on time. "What''s this?" I asked him as I had grabbed his fist with my right hand. He didn''t answer me rather he raised his leg and tried to kick me but instead of evading it I put some strength on my right hand holding his fist. "AAG!" he let out a slight scream but controlled it. He lost his balance and failed to launch a kick at me. I loosen my grasp, expecting him to back away, but instead he tried jabbing my chin. But I didn''t respond since the force he used and the length of his outstretched arm meant it that way so it wouldn''t touch me. Observing his fight with Roy disclosed the fact that whenever he was going to strike, he would outstretch his arm to a certain extent in order to put weight in his blow, but the length didn''t match this time. As soon as he was seen attacking me, there was whispering among the crowd. Oh, man¡­ this might again start some rumors again. But the more important thing that those rumors is that I want to know why the person who was fighting with Roy just a minute ago is now trying to pick a fight with me? The rumors can spread all they want until I''m not physically damaged by it. "You are the one who got involved first," He came to a halt just as his fist was going to connect with my chin. Even his voice seemed to be full of anger and frustration. What does he mean by that? Involved? Does he mean the fight? I just came here so how is possible that I was involved in this fight? Also I''m sure I haven''t met this person in my whole life, then what could he be talking about? "Huh? I don''t know what are you trying to achieve here but if you don''t back down now you might not be able handle the trouble it," I warned him. But he doesn''t seemed to back down that easily because he had those fiery eyes pointing at me. Even if he defeated Roy in a battle, that does not imply he is in fine shape. I could tell he was out of breath a little bit. But the result wouldn''t have changed even if he had been in his full strength. "What are you going to do!" he yelled as he grasped my collar with both hands. I thought he would continue to strike me instead he out straight held my collar. Did he loose his cool? "Okay, so this is the last time I will be saying this, let go," I said. If he doesn''t let go of my collar he will be lying on the floor beside Roy, maybe in even more bad condition. "And what if don''t?" he said haughtily. "Mike! Don''t you dare¡­!" I used to believe that Lily was not a loud person, it mostly because of the way she used to speak that much, but just now she unexpectedly yelled, which startled me a little. That shout was loud enough to quiet down the murmuring. "B-but, because of him¡­" he staggered while answering to Lily. Still he let of his hand. "I have already mentioned to you, right? Not to fight Allen," she said in low voice. Lily stepped in the right place at the right time, for if she hadn''t hollered, it would have been too late for this person. She took a step towards us. "I''m sorry Allen," she apologized to me for a reason I don''t know. "¡­" I didn''t respond to it. As Lily was apologizing to me I saw Mike glaring at me. What exactly happened here and why is so fixated on me? I ran my gaze towards the audience. I saw that every single eye ball in the room aiming at me. Is this what it feels like to be a celebrity? I mean aren''t the celebrity the only ones who have to hide from paparazzi''s because everyone are trying to look at them. Just kidding. Now that I''m at the center I noticed that there are few who are not even in the same class as us. Many are from junior and few were our seniors. Am I that famous? "What''s happening here?!" From the rear of the audience, a teacher yelled at the loudest level his vocal cord could take. "Run!" one of the student yelled. "Move aside..!" the second they realized a teacher have arrived everyone tried escaping the crime scene before they get caught. A huge ruckus was caused just by hearing the teacher''s voice. In a minute or so the crowd percentage decreased to zero. It was fortunate that Noah already took care of Roy and took him to the medical room. Even I took some steps of my own, that were to place the desks and chairs in order. They were not perfect order but also not too bad. Good enough to let it pass. "What was happening here¡­?" it was our English teacher. "¡­" no one spoke. "You four, tell me," he said that while he looked in my direction. But four? Aren''t we only three? I looked around and saw that including Mike, Lily, and me there was another person standing and that person was Peter, while everyone were placed in their seats. That was fast. "Nothing," Lily said for all of us. "¡­ Are you sure?" he doesn''t look that furious as before. "Yes," maybe Lily do hold some higher ground in school. Since her family so rich then they must be funding this school, which might be the reason the attitude changed of the teacher. "Alright, now then be seated¡­!" he didn''t tried to dig the matter further and just started his class as usual. *Pst* "Allen, I''ll talk to you later¡­" Lily said that and left the classroom. "Where did we left last time..?" ¡­ The remaining four periods of school were over in the blink of an eye. "A-allen can I talk to you¡­?" I heard a pleasant sound that I haven''t heard in a long time. "Hmm?" it was Selene. "¡­ Somewhere else," she said in low voice. I agreed instantly. The reason being, if she talks to me in class some stupid person might spread rumors of Selene along with me. And most likely that person would be Anna. If my memory serves me right, Anna and along with another female student was involved in spreading rumors about me so Selene might also get involved with this. "Sure," I replied, "But let me exit the class first I''ll be waiting for you near the shoe rack." With that I left her behind and left the class. I descended the stairs and came to a halt in front of the shoe rack. Soon the entire area was cleared out in roughly a minute. How eagerly do they want to return home? I changed my shoes and waited for Selene. "T-thank you f-for waiting¡­" I hear a girl''s voice. I turned back to see Selene out of breath. "There''s no need to rush; I told you to wait, right?" I said to her while I gave her water to drink. "It''s i-important¡­!" she exclaimed. "What is it¡­?" "You remember the night that we all had to stay in school," she paused for me to acknowledge it. "Yeah, I do remember it." "Right, that night, I don''t know exactly when but it was around 1 or 2 in morning I had the sudden urge to drink water, so I took out a bottle from the tent but it was already finished. I took an empty bottle and went to the water cooler in the building," she paused and took a deep breath. "¡­" she looked a little anxious. "If you feeling uncomfortable saying then don''t," I said to her. "N-no!" she exclaimed. I could see by the look in her eyes that she was determined to say it. "Alright, take your time," I replied. I waited patiently for her to say it. "¡­ W-when I was about to r-reach the water c-cooler I am sure that I saw one of the student talking to someone on that floor¡­" she began saying it. I could feel see the effort she was doing it to say all this. "Maybe he was chatting to his parent, or his folks wanted to check on him?" There might be another explanation for it. So, what precisely did you want to say to me?" I asked. "No, h-he wasn''t talking on phone. I am c-confident that I saw another person''s shadow near him. I''m sure I did. It looked like of an adult. But this isn''t what''s important. I heard that the student was saying something about putting an end to-" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 58 - She Knows I don''t know exactly why but since my second year of high school she tried to befriend me. She halted in the middle of what she might have to say. She wasn''t looking at me; rather, her gaze was riveted on something behind me. "Aren''t you going to continue¡­?" I asked her, but she didn''t respond, instead, she pulled my shirt and fled behind one of the shoe racks. As she was trying to pull me I was able to take a slight glimpse behind me and I saw a couple of students coming from the stairs. I guess she doesn''t want this to be heard by anyone. I wonder what she wants to say. "Did see what happened in E class today?" A group of three, consisting of two guys and one female, was swindling their way around the school grounds. I believe almost 10 minutes have passed since the school has ended but I guess there are still a few who haven''t left. "I came a little so I wasn''t able to see Roy fight with Mike I sure did see the one where Allen was about to get beaten." The other person said. "True, if Mike hadn''t stopped Allen would have slumbered on the ground." The girl said. "True¡­! Hahaha¡­" the boy replied. "Yeah, it would totally be one-sided." I wasn''t directly watching them instead I was just listening to them while I was hiding behind the shoe rack with Selene. "That''s given since Mike went to nationals for Karate." A group of students was discussing the happenings that occurred during the lunch break. But to think they''d assume I''d get beaten up by Mike. Isn''t that a little exaggerated? He never actually tried to harm me, and I never tried or even bothered reacting to it. So even if they are just assuming it was running on the wrong path. After a couple of minutes and they left the school premises. Were they just walking around or did they want something? Whatever. I have a more important matter to attend to. "¡­ Now let''s continue where you left earlier," I said. She looked hesitant but still spoke. "¡­ I h-heard the student s-saying to put an e-end to Allen," she again paused but not because someone was coming but it was entirely for a different reason. The face she was making it quite easy for me to read. She looked a little scared and anxious at the same time yet she tried to speak it out loud. "¡­" I didn''t pressurize her to continue, rather I waited for her to speak. It''s most likely a serious matter also what she said right now is something that might be related to the HYDRAs. "¡­ And I heard the man saying- ''After Allen is kicked out of this school I''ll handle the rest of the survivors. Ah, and don''t worry you will be rewarded handsomely so don''t ruin this plan.'' Is what I h-heard¡­" she let out a sigh. A sigh of relief. "So, did the conversation continue or did they just leave?" "¡­ I was h-hiding behind the s-stairs and then s-slipped, and¡­ the b0bottle I was c-carrying fell on the ground. They b-both disappeared in an i-instant as a c-consequence of the sound produced," she said. "Did you see their faces¡­?" "¡­ I tried, but the light was so low that I couldn''t make out their faces," she said. "Did you say this to anyone else?" I asked. "¡­ NO," she replied instantly. It''s fortunate that she came to me first, but if she had gone to another student in the class, it would have been disastrous. We still don''t know who is targeting me and the survivors. There was a potential she would have revealed this knowledge to that student, which would have gotten Selene in trouble. But it would only happen if she told someone else; in reality, she just told me. That''s a good sign. "Okay, I need to ask you this. Why me?" I asked her. "¡­ What do you mean?" she seemed confused. "Why did you decide to tell me? You could have told to teacher yet you came to me first," I stated. For the past couple of days, we haven''t even made eye contact with each other even so she decided to tell me such type of information first. "B-because¡­" "Because?" "¡­ B-because it is y-you, A-allen," she said in a very low voice. Even I, who was standing close to her in such a quiet environment, couldn''t hear her properly. "¡­" I don''t have any particular reason to suspect her. "D-do you n-not¡­ t-trust me¡­?" she looked anxious all of a sudden. To be honest I don''t know how to react to this. Despite the fact that I have no reason to doubt her, I must tread cautiously in deciding who to trust and who not to trust. In any case this time I''ll go with my gut feeling and put my trust in her. "Well, that''s¡­ I don''t know what to say in response to what you''ve just told me, but what do you think we should do now?" I lied to her. I''ve already taken a few measures to uncover the true perpetrator, but I can''t tell Selene about it just now. Also, I''d like to know what she''s going to do next. "I d-don''t know¡­ I just had to t-tell you this and¡­ I didn''t t-think after that¡­" she said. So, I guess she trusts me that much. It''s a good thing if she thinks of me like that. "Should we tell others about this¡­?" I asked her. "¡­ m-maybe we s-should tell them¡­" well it was given that she would prefer to disclose this to everyone. But I can''t say this is a good idea. The reason is that I have two theories. First, the perpetrator is one of the survivors. I came to this conclusion because if they intended to accomplish anything by kidnapping 50 students and not getting discovered, this may be a plausible possibility. No one will suspect the victim, and the true perpetrator will be able to conceal himself. Secondly, the culprit might be from this school excluding the survivors. To avoid any kind of risk. I reached this conclusion after seeing the footage I was shown by Lucas. It was not just a normal kidnapping for money but it felt like a survival game. So, disclosing this matter to anyone is risky. No one can guarantee, we might get backstabbed the moment we let our guard down. "What are you both doing here? More than 20 minutes have passed since the end of the school day." I heard someone. "You came at the right moment," I said. It was the Principal. She came at the right moment. She might be the most trustable person in the whole school as of now. "What do you mean?" she asked. She stepped forward in our direction. "Eek!" Selene let out a cute voice. But what was that? Ah, I forgot that she is a bit scared of the Principal. This was the same reaction when we were inside the Principal''s office. She already has experienced trauma when she heard about the targeting so she might be more scared than usual so to calm down her, I placed my right arm on her back. "¡­ A-alle-" she was petrified. I thought it would work because I read in a magazine that through skinship the other person can calm down but I don''t think it worked here. "Just act as usual," I said. "¡­." She nodded. "Now¡­?" I forgot I need to her. "She has something to tell you, it''s very important," I replied. This might be a great opportunity for Selene to overcome her fear of the Principal and the credibility of the information is more when it is heard from the person themself. "Then say it already," she said to Selene. "¡­" she wasn''t able to. Well, I guess I''ll help her then. "¡­ She saw¡­" I told her everything Selene told me. It took some time to explain it to her in detail, but the main point to be noted was that there was another person inside the school grounds who the Principal was unaware of, and it''s most likely that the student he was speaking with was the one who had been asked to stay at school, or he could have been someone else. We don''t have any specific evidence and no one to suspect as of yet. "Hmm¡­ I''ll look into it," she said, "Now, Selene I need to know for certain that whether you really saw those people or were you half asleep at that time and not hallucinating?" "¡­" she nodded. "She wasn''t hallucinating," I spoke for Selene. If she would have been hallucinating at that time then she wouldn''t have said this in the first place. Also, I am adept at reading people, and seeing her I am sure that she was certainly not just imagining things and it was all real. "Are you sure?" she asked me. "I vouch for her," I replied. With that, we both left the Principal behind and headed outside. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 59 - Encounter "Enlighten me again," I said. "¡­ A-about what¡­?" Selene asked with a confused face. "What were you doing at that time? I mean like what was the reason you went upstairs?" I asked. "I w-was thirsty... So I w-went to get some water..." "Ah, now I recall, the water that was handed to us had run out." As soon as I was done with explaining the Principal about the incidents that had occurred that night. But what didn''t make sense is that how come the defense was broken twice when she said she was prepared. I''ll ask her tomorrow. Even though she told me not to talk about that incident but this is different. Earlier there was no cause or reason for me to raise that incident but now I got to know something important. "Hey, Selene a considerable amount of time have passed. I don''t mean to suspect you but what got you delayed?" This is not something that should be concealed. Even though she was reluctant to tell anybody, the longer she waited, the more difficulties she could cause for the Principal and might for me too. "¡­ I attempted to talk to you several times, but each time I blew the opportunity, and you told me not to. This heightened my anxiety. But not today. Today I mustered the strength today to confront you and say it to you," she said. The explanation was reasonable, but that wasn''t what startled me. I was taken aback by the fact that she spoke this in a single flow, without pausing or even stuttering. "You know what you just did?" I asked her. "What¡­?" she looked totally confused. "I don''t make fun of you but just now you said all that without pausing in between, even for a single second." "W-w-w-w-what are you s-saying¡­?" "And now she back to before," I commented, "Anyway, I apologize for saying all that before about not talking to me and being rude to you." "¡­ D-don''t be¡­" "But I still don''t want you to talk to me in school," I said. I assumed the rationale was self-explanatory. My reputation is almost touching the ground, and if she becomes involved with me, soon, she will be standing by me with her reputation shattered. "Allen¡­! Is that really you?" I heard a familiar voice calling out to me. I turned around to see who it was and to my surprise I saw a person I saw every day. "A-allen who is she¡­?" Selene asked me as I "That person is my mother," I replied, "Mother, what are you doing here¡­?" I saw a couple of polybags in her hand. She must have gone shopping. "Well isn''t that question supposed to be asked by me? What were you doing out this late? The school day was scheduled to finish an hour ago; if you were going anywhere, shouldn''t you have notified me or dad?" why was she acting all cranky? "I''m sorry that I didn''t tell you earlier but you don''t need to act so cranky, I have my friend with me," I said to her as I arrowed my eyes down to Selene who was partially hiding behind me. "Oh, you should have said this earlier," she glared at me, "Anyway, what is your name? Are you two friends? I''m delighted to know that he made friends at school; I''ve always been concerned about whether or not he made any friends. Seeing him all dismal at home made me worry all the time, but now that I see a gorgeous lady who is his friend, I have to say this," she let out big sigh, "I''m relieved." "A-a-a-a¡­ I-I¡­ t-thank y-y-you¡­" she was acting all fidgety and her face all flushed all of a sudden. "Oh my, you are such a cutie," she laughed a little. "Don''t tease her, mother." I said. "Okay, okay I won''t but she is so cute," she seemed happy all of a sudden, "Are you sure she is your friend? I my expectation of you making friend was certainly low but who knew you would hit a homeroom." She exasperated. "¡­." Selene wasn''t able to let out a single sound out. But her whole face was turning red especially around the ears. "Are you feeling okay, Selene? Your face is completely red," I asked her. "That should be expected from Allen," my mother commented. "What do you mean by that?" I asked her. "I''ll take care of her, you walk in front of us," she said and came closer to Selene. "Alright," I said while I took the poly bags from mother''s hand. I noticed a few marks on her palm at the time. The bags must be rather hefty. Maybe that''s why she was so cranky. She must have been exhausted after carrying all this. *Shud* Whoa, was she holding all these by herself? I am confident in my build but the weight in those polybags was quite large. That''s the reason for those bruises on her hand. I don''t usually went to guy some groceries for home but if my memories serves me right the super market is almost a 20 minute walk from home. If she was thinking of buying so much she should have asked me instead. Well I''ll talk to her about this at home because I''m a thinking about what''s she talking about with Selene. I don''t know what is she going to do but if it''s my mother I can rest assured, probably. I quickened my speed and put some space between Selene, my mother, and myself. They were both walking so slowly that I didn''t even need to exert any effort, yet our distance was fairly considerable. I wonder what they are talking about. I tried not to look back but that made me even more curious. It''s not like I don''t trust my mother but rather I don''t trust her tongue. If she continues to talk she never stops. I had experienced it. Since they were walking so slowly that even after 15 minutes have passed we were only halfway from my house. It doesn''t concern me that much walking to match up their pace is kind of troublesome. I have this a weird habit that whenever I am walking with someone I know I instinctively match up their pace even if they are slow or fast. I just match up their pace. This time also I''m doing the same thing. "Hmm¡­" I ignored it since it might be coincidence so I went up ahead. Maybe because of all this ruckus in school and in my daily life I might be imagining things. "¡­ alright, that''s far enough," I mumbled to myself. Just now I noticed something on the mirror of the car parked on my right side. Not once but twice, I don''t particularly bother me when someone is watching me or stalking me but it bothers me when this type of thing happens to my family. For the past few minutes a couple of men are following me. Nor did they close the distance in between us nor are they have spoken to each other much. They were mostly staring straight ahead. It''s just like the last time, when a person was tailing me. I know for sure is because the area from we are passing buy is a place famous for sale. A couple of meters from here there is a super mart for everyday things and once every month there is a sale, and I mean a big sale. Buyers park their automobiles on this side of the road since the parking lot fills up as soon as the Sale sticker is posted outside the mart. To avoid causing traffic, many of them park their vehicles here. And I''ve been noticing these men following us for a long now through these mirrors. It''s for certain that those men are following us. I stopped on my track and waited for mother and Selene to reach at my spot. "Mother I''m placing these bags down for a second here," I placed the bad down beside an electric poll, "I will return in a minute so wait for me here." "Wh-?" before she could even finish her sentence I have already taken off. Without losing a moment I paced in the same direction I saw those men''s. Seeing me run at them they turned on the nearest alley and before I could reach that alley they were gone. I lost track of them. I thought of going further but I also need to return. "Forget it¡­" I again paced down to where mother was waiting for me. "Where did you go¡­?" she demanded me. "I¡­ say a cat down that alley being bullied by some other cat''s so I went to save that cat¡­" "After coming so much further you decided to protect her¡­?" "Well¡­ you always tell me to help others, I thought for a moment that someone else would help her but instead I took the action¡­" what am I saying? I don''t even know for myself. "¡­ Fine." "Where is Selene?" I asked her as I noticed she was missing. "Her house is up right at that corner. See that big house. That''s her house," she said. "¡­ Okay?" why is she telling me this? "What am I going to do with you¡­?" she looked a little bit unhappy but a slight glimpse of smile was noticed on her lips. With that, I tried to forget about the men who were following me and returned home with my mother, who informed me about how wonderful Selene is. All until we got back home. TO BE CONTNUED¡­ Chapter 60 - Dispute I was wandering around the school thinking and sorting things that have happened to me. Well I would have preferred to go to my usual spot but for reasons unknown Iris was already sitting there. Since she was there, naturally I took a different route and took left-right turns without any specific destination to reach. I know there are eyes aiming at me but it doesn''t affect me so I just ignored them. To be honest there are few advantage to it also. More or less everyone tries to avoid me so wherever I try to go the number of people are almost zero. Including the time at cafeteria, when I try to buy some bread the people in front of me diverge into two, making a passage for especially me. Anyway, I don''t have so much leisure time to spend on thinking about something that is insignificant to me as of now. *Knock-Knock* "Come in." a voice returned. I decided to ask the Principal for help and also the thing related to what Selene yesterday. "¡­ So, did you find any clue who it was¡­?" I asked her while I placed myself on the couch. "Working on it," she replied to me half-heartedly. She looked a little pale also I noticed some dark circles under eyes. She must really be trying to find who it was. "Want this?" I picked a single bread loaf for lunch but it seems like she needs that the most right now more than me. "¡­ I think I''ll need to take you up on that offer," I stepped forward and handed her the whole bread. "When was the last time you ate?" it was getting awkward so I asked her. "I-I d-don''t¡­ know¡­ m-maybe last¡­ n-night¡­?" she was eating the bread loaf too fast. Was she just swallowing up it directly? But she did say that she ate something last night so I guess she is really hungry. "You know you shouldn''t eat it that fast. It''s said that if you ate something too fast after too long your stomach might not be able to accept it and you would throw up," I saw it on one of the science show which is based on survival. "¡­ I know that," she said as she ate the last bite. "But you should eat properly," I said, "It''s bad for your health, you know." "Unlike you, I have some real work to do," she said while she again started working. But do all grownups have to do so much paper work? I guess everyone has their own share of problems¡­ "Well you can keep working on it but I have something important to tell you," I said. "What is it¡­?" she asked me while she put aside her pen. Seeing all those paper aligned beside her laptop, I felt a bad disturbing her but I still have to ask her his at any cost. "Yesterday I was being followed, and not just yesterday it has become frequent." "Are you sure?" she said in a serious tone. "Do I look like I''m kidding?" I looked right in her eyes. "I guess some of the higher-ups have started to move more arrogantly, I guess," she paused for a moment and then continued, "It was the board''s decision not to stalk or follow or use any kind of other means to silence you. It was a collective decision that only through legal allegations can you be arrested or anything else." "Then what happened?" "This was something the higher-ups decided. The board never agreed to it. It''s the work of a single entity and not the whole board." "But what benefit it will give them? I mean if they would have used force to silence me, or arrest me or doing something else they could have then why did they agree to use only legal allegations?" "It isn''t necessary that if few apples are rotten the whole tree is spoiled," she paused for a moment and made a strange face, "But it can spread. Slowly the whole tree is starting to spoil. If the rotten ones aren''t removed the whole tree including the surrounding trees will also get spoiled." "By spoilt apples, you imply the higher-ups who are aiming at me; the apples that were fresh but are now starting to deteriorate are the honorable higher-ups, but they are also becoming corrupt," I said, "By tree you meant the whole association and by the surrounding area you meant the public, right?" "You can take it however you want to but you got the right idea," she neither agreed not declined to what I said. "Also I need a favor from you," I said. "That''s new," she said, "What do you need?" "Yesterday I was with my mother and then at that time I noticed a couple of stalkers or whatever they were. I don''t care as long as it was till me but, I don''t want my parents to get involved into this. So, I need you to make sure no matter what my parents are safe at all times." "Hmm¡­ so you need me to place few of my subordinates around your both of the folks 24x7?" "You can say that," I said, "Can I count you on that?" "It''s going to be difficult but don''t worry I''ll handle that but," she paused. "But¡­?" "You will owe me a big fat favor. Whenever, wherever I want you will do that favor." She said with a big smile on her face. "¡­ Fine. I will do it, to the best of my abilities." "Do you yourself know your full extent of the abilities?" she asked me a stupid question. "What do you mean?" "Tell me the truth, have you ever exerted yourself, physically?" she asked me. "Of course I have," I said. "If you say so¡­" she replied as if she wasn''t satisfied with my answer. "I guess that''s all I had to say, I''ll leave now. I''m counting on you for that, I just don''t them to get involved in this at all." I don''t care as long as the threat is up to me but when that thing crosses me and affects my family it wouldn''t end good for me or for anyone. "Yeah don''t worry about that." With that I left the office. "There you are!" I heard a familiar voice. "Hmm¡­?" I turned around to see who it was and saw a figure I thought I got rid of since I haven''t seen her for two days? Yes, it is Iris. The one girl who stole my lunch break spot. "Where are you going¡­?" Iris asked me as she walked up to me. Why? I don''t have many questions but only a single one. "¡­" I didn''t respond and just kept on walking thinking she would get fed up and leave but I guess it wouldn''t work on her. Because she didn''t respond the way I guess, rather it was opposite. "Allen? Are you listening?" she kept on trying to make me respond but she didn''t know I''m also as stubborn as her if I want to be. "¡­" I continued to ignore her, but she clung to me, drawing everyone''s attention to me. "Allen!?" she exclaimed all of a sudden. I dragged her arm inside the library while holding it. I didn''t want to go to the library; any other calm place would have sufficed. But because that was the nearest option at the time, I went there. I stepped inside the library, as I entered I noticed someone sitting on the counter. I didn''t bother to take a good look but with a slight glance I guess it was student. "What do you want?" I asked her. "Please quiet down," I heard someone. "Sorry," I replied. I went to the library''s nook. Almost a couple of shelves back. No one''s voice will be heard at this location any longer. "I''ll again say this, what do you want?" this time I pinned her down beside the shelf. "W-w-w-wh¡­." What now? Her face is suddenly flushed all of sudden. "I don''t know why you are bothering me but you need to keep your distance from me, alright?" I said, "You might be the daughter of the chairman and you must think that every other student in this school will obey you and you can freely order them around at will but get this one thing straight. I''m not like them, if I ever see you trying to ordering me or doing anything to me you''re going to regret it." "¡­" I couldn''t clearly read her face but she nodded in agreement. "Now don''t ever bother me again. It might look a threat, I will clearly say this. You can take it however you want and do whatever you want with this I can take you on." I said. She didn''t respond. I guess it did the trick for now. Anyway the message is conveyed so I guess it should keep her quiet for a while now. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 61 - Rising Up? As I was about to leave, I glimpsed her jaw open slightly; I expected her to say something, but in the end she didn''t or couldn''t, I don''t know. I exited the library leaving Iris behind. It''s best not to get involved with her; the last time our conversation got a little heated, she showed up in my class looking for retaliation. She''s unlikely to interfere with me now at least not any time soon that I''ve demonstrated some authority. But this isn''t the end of it since after observing her, I''ve realized that she isn''t one of them who gives up. "Look, isn''t it the infamous, Allen?" I heard an irritating sound from my right side. "And isn''t it the famous, Roy. If my memory serves me right aren''t you the one who got his butt kicked? If I remember it correctly you lost consciousness after that, right?" I said out loud. Few other students were standing behind me. Is he trying to scare me with them? that was the sound of one of the bystanders. The only reason that I said it out loud was for the by standers to hear it too. "¡­" he wasn''t able to find a correct way to encounter it. He was completely at a loss of words. "What happened? Don''t know how to respond now? Why not ask your lackeys for help?" *Twitch* That did the trick. He looked pissed as well as the lackeys of his. "Aren''t you one cocky kid?" someone from the herd came forward. "What are you doing?" another familiar person emerged from the crowd. What''s happening in this school? One by one someone is coming and most of all the problems revolve around me. That time in class that person attacked me out of the blue and today, he tried picking fight with me. It wouldn''t take a genius to find out that all the things are moving around me. "Lily, don''t get between us," Roy said. As he said I noticed behind Lily it was the same person that attacked me last time. Is he also here to pick a fight with me? "I''m not interfering with anyone. Everything that happens at school is relevant to me, so this time isn''t any different than the others," she replied. "Is that so? Then answer this, do you like Allen?" everyone fell silent. Roy asked a ridiculous thing. I have known Lily for only a couple of weeks. What does he intend to do with this? "W-what are you saying¡­?" her ears were turning bright red. "So, is it true or not? Otherwise you wouldn''t try to take his side," Roy said. What is he saying? If a person take''s someone''s side does that mean the person likes the other? "I-I''m his friend," she said, "Yes, that''s right! I''m his friend and I am going to help him. Wouldn''t you have does the same thing if it was one of your friend? Or you only help those who you like?" "Why is Lily taking Allen''s side?" "Does she really like Allen? "Maybe she do, that''s why she is trying to take his side. I mean who would ever help Allen?" I appreciate it that Lily is willing to take my side but I don''t really okay when it affects the person tries to help me. "Roy, if you have a problem with me, target at me instead of at Lily, i.e., if you''ve got the courage to do it?" I tried provoking him. "What did you say¡­?!" that did the trick. "I guess you''re just full of words," I said haughtily. "Don''t try me, Allen," he looked totally pissed right now. I just need to pressure him a little bit. "I guess then you really are just full of words¡­" "Allen¡­!" he charged at me. But it doesn''t affect me since he fell right into my trap. He was already defeated the minute he attempted to pick a fight with me. If I''m guessing it right, the reason he is aiming at me and above most of all resorting to violence is because he needs to pick up his shattered pride and ego and make a new one or make it look like it wasn''t fully destroyed. The battle back then most likely appeared to be a one-sided match after a certain point, to the point where he lost consciousness. This person who is now approaching me with the sole intention of restoring his tarnished image. I could have tried to back down and leave it right here but why would I pass up such a wonderful opportunity? I believe in the notion that if you cannot bear the same suffering that you have given another person, you should not do it. So, I''m just returning him what he had earned it. It''s Karma¡­ He outstretched his left making a fist. If that would to hit me directly it could be dangerous but only that was only if it was to hit me. Instead of blocking my right side I guarded my left hemisphere. His fight with Mike made it clear that if he is going for a win, he doesn''t play around. He use only his dominant arm. The moment he raised his left arm I knew for sure that his left arm was a ruse, at that instant I observed his right leg pointing in my way, so instead of getting caught in his ploy, I was able to saw straight through it all. "Nice doing saving this but what will you do about this one?" he said as he took one step back and flung his right fist at me. In response to it, I blocked the attack with one of my free hand. He was surprised seeing this somehow. I mean his punch was so-so only so what is there to be amazed about? Is it a big deal that I stopped his attack? He freed his trapped fist but I wasn''t letting it go that easily. Seeing this astounded him. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to do so. The moment he put a little bit more force I let go and he was about to fall on the floor but still managed it to stay up. It would be good seeing him fall on the ground. In rage he again came at me but this time instead of using his left arm he used his other hand. This time he is serious. I immediately backed up, but he wasn''t letting me contemplate, or so he believed. He kept throwing punches, and I make it appear as though I''m barely evading them. It''s a little detail, so hardly one notices it, but if we put a particular amount of energy into our fist with the intention of hitting, we''re likely to put in more than the needed quantity, resulting in the consumption of stamina. The same thing is happening to Roy right now. He isn''t a professional so he is unconsciously doing the same thing right now. The proof to that theory is that his breathing is beginning to stagger. His punch velocity, speed isn''t the same as before. "What are you doing? Can''t you do something else that just evading?" he said it while he also backed down to regain his composure again. "Saying a man who haven''t even able to touch me once," I said, "Is it that you are exhausted and now to beat me you''re trying to get inside my head? If that''s what you were thinking then, it failed, miserably." "AARRGHHH!" "If you are going to come at me, at least don''t shout," I said. He came to charging again. He must be looking down at me. But this time I wasn''t planning on playing defense. Just defeating him isn''t good enough. I will only stop after shattering every single thing he has. Pride, ego, reputation? Yes all. First, he was never able to touch me, even once. Second the one time I retaliate he will look like a complete fool. He thought that through me he could climb up again but he forgot that to do that he need more than just raw strength that is still lower than me. *Tap* When we were approximately three feet apart, in response to his earlier question I stretched my right leg, established a 60-degree angle, and tapped his left knee. While running it''s natural that our knees bend but what happens when it suddenly goes back to its original position through the use of external use? An enormous amount of pain rushes throughout the leg. But to confirm for sure I''ll know it right now. "AAAA¡­" he stopped in his track and sat on the spot in an instant, holding his knee. It''s true the pain is real. "Looks like I can do just more than just evading," I said to his face as he was glaring at me. For a moment the whole floor fell silent. Every single of them were looking at me not with those daggering eyes as they used to but all of theirs eyes were filled with suspicion. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 62 - Revenge I know the reason why all of them are looking at me with eyes filled with suspicion. The main reason I''m being shunned is because of the rumor spreading that I have held a gun and shot a person. I don''t regret what I did just now but I might have added fuel to a fire which was about to extinguish, probably. Till now almost everyone have been seeing me as person who is being accused of using a gun and before that I was just a no one. But right now the way I handled Roy doesn''t match the way I have been living my school life till now. Between my fight with Roy, I came up victorious and not just any win. It made it look like either Roy is actually not that strong they used to believe or I might actually be strong. The percentage of thinking of me as strong will certainly be less than the other but it still holds some affect. The view of others on me was slightly in doubt whether I did it or not since I didn''t show any kind of physical dominance till now but as of this moment that doubt was overshadowed today. "Was Roy was always this weak?" "But, even if he is weak but Allen was able to evade his attack without breaking any sweat." "Allen even knocked Roy in a single hit." "Roy even lost his fight with Mike that day too. Maybe he is the one who is weak." Listening to this murmuring I guess I''m in the safe. Since there is slight doubt within. It would have been worse if they completely made it look like I''m strong. This would add credibility to the case. But even if it would happen I will take that head on because I already made a decision to shatter Roy''s remaining reputation in exchange of this addition to it wouldn''t still matter. Their opinion doesn''t hold any weight in evidence. "He needs to go the infirmary, right now." One of his lackeys said looking at me. "So what are you waiting for? Do you want me to take him to the infirmary?" I replied. ¡­ A rumor spread across the school, one that Roy might actually be pretty weak and the other one was that I might actually be considerably strong. Well whatever the rumor is, it didn''t change my treatment at school. Anything but it only worsen the situation. ¡­ As I was trolling around the corners of the school, suddenly I was dragged inside an empty room. "What''s this?" I was surrounded by a considerable number of students. The light was dim, and the room had only been brightened to the point that I could barely make out their faces. "What do you think this is?" heard a familiar voice. "I thought you were in the infirmary?" I said. The person standing in the middle of all the group was Roy. I guess he is coming to get his revenge. Well I welcome him with open hands. "Because of you, I can''t move around¡­!" he exclaimed. "Then don''t. It''s not like you have some work to do," I said. "What did you say¡­!" he was pissed. "What happened? Can''t swallow the truth?" the one thing I noticed among all this was the slight glimpses on Roy''s facial expression. I can''t say I can completely read people but seeing that agitated face I know for certain that something is wrong. Even though his way of talking was like always but something felt different. Like he was hiding something. "Hahaha¡­ I think you don''t understand what kind of situation you are in," he said, "If you bend down on your knees and apologize right now, I might considering forgiving you. It has one merit that you will get to away from here unscathed but it comes with one demerit, you will have act as my butler till the end of the high school. Isn''t it a good offer?" Right now I could clearly feel his smug on his that face. But a war can''t be won just using brute force. A bit of a brain is also needed, which he lacks. "¡­ Then I''ll pick the one which allows me to leave unscathed," I said. "Hahaha¡­" Roy started laughing and a moment later a laugh broke out in the room. Seeing this I also started laughing beside them. "But the part where I beg you to forgive me and that butler thing isn''t added," I intercepted in between. In an instant, the room was deafeningly quiet. The faces that were once smiling now appear serious. "What?" Roy asked me. "I said other than letting me go unscathed the other conditions are invalid," I said. "Are you an idiot? Can''t you see the situation you are in right now? Or are you thinking that you can escape from here?" his voice starting to become course. "No, no. What are you talking about?" I continued, "It''s just that you are going to let me leave willingly." "What are you babbling about for so long?!" someone from the group came and stood in front of me. Does he think it will scare me? He don''t have any idea, a gun has been pointed at me and I still didn''t falter. A little intimidation isn''t going to do a single thing. "Why don''t you ask Roy about it? He might know the reason," I said. "Huh!? Why would I know¡­?!" he was definitely confused. "Stop playing games! And answer the damn question or in another moment your head will be seen smashed on that wall." He pointed out the wall behind me. He sure does have a bad temper. "Roy do you remember that time you were called in the Principal''s office with few others?" I asked. "What''s your point?" he started to doubt. Well me himself must have started to shake inside his boot''s even it''s a little bit it is sure there. The reason being, he gathered a handful of people to scare me but instead I''m not even taking a step back. "Why do you think I was so composed in front of the Principal while everyone else was shivering, including you?" The moment I brought out the Principal''s name every single of them took a step back. Even the one who was trying to intimidate me, earlier. "¡­" he didn''t respond but I still continued. "I know what the Principal did and why she is feared. Yet I still dared to act like that, why do you think I didn''t exhibit any fear to her?" I said. Roy have already made it clear to me that instead of acting rationally he acts on his emotions. So, even if I flat out tell a lie to him he would still won''t be able to know that but I can''t say for others. So to fool every single of them without fail, the only way is to tell the truth mixed with pieces of lies. The one thing I lied is that I still don''t know, why the Principal is feared? That is the lie I mixed with the truth. "W-why is that¡­?" he began staggering. I won this. "We have known each other, even before she became this school''s principal," I said, "What do you think will happen if she saw me all beaten up? My injuries will heal in a week or two but I can''t say the same for you too. I''m telling you, what you have seen up till now is only the tip of iceberg." "¡­" he completely fell silent. "W-what''s the proof that he know t-that¡­ monster?" among the crowd a voice raised. "Why not ask Roy? He must also be remembering that she made in charge that time also, if I''m telling a lie then why would she do that?" the best way to trick a person is not just to tell a single lie, but to embellish it with a few extra details to make it appear more credible. "¡­ He''s telling a truth," he replied. Seeing all this happen the only thing that came up first on my mind is what a turn of events? The one who were hunting are now being chased away. Everyone seemed confused since all of them were turning here and there but no one knows what to do now. "¡­ I got it, I''ll do it." Roy said out of blue. "What do you mean you are going to do it? Didn''t you hear what he just said?" someone replied to him. "Even if you believe I''m lying, do you honestly believe that everyone else will still listen to you?" I said it out loud but this statement was aimed at Roy. "He might be telling the truth." "I don''t think this is a good idea." "ARGH¡­!! I''ll do it myself, all of you get out!" Roy said in frustration. "What?" everyone was confused? "I. Said. To. Get. Your. A*s. Out!" he yelled. "F-fine, fine." With that the room was filled with nothing but a weird atmosphere. "Don''t blame me for this¡­" he said something weird as he began charging at me. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 63 - Hidden The room''s atmosphere was tense. The only sound that could be heard was the flickering sound of wind blowing through the open window. I might have not noticed this earlier but all the desks and chairs were placed on the corner, making a big space enough for a couple of people to brawl. They were really prepared to fight me, if I hadn''t made my way out with words I might actually had to fight all these. But it isn''t something I should be concerned about right now; the man in front of me is far more menacing than those lackey''s of his. The light was faint, but it was enough for me to see his gaze. Those eyes were clearly out for vengeance, but they also appeared to be looking for something else. "Don''t blame me for this¡­" he charged at me. As he began taking steps forward, he took something out of his pocket aiming at me. He glared at me, yet his face appeared tinged with dread. Even though he tried to hide his fear, it was exposed through his hands. *Sparkle* A shiny object shined at my right eye. This was the first clue that indicated me that this isn''t just a revenge match. He is certainly holding some kind of weapon but what exactly? He lunged forward at me, as I had nothing to defend from it I took steps back only to crash with the wall. The moment he placed his weapon against me I saw the complete image of it. He was holding a knife. Instinctively I moved in the opposite direction and held his hand and placed it beside my waist. Unable him to use his knife any more, and as for the other hand I waited for him to use it. The moment he raised it I grabbed it. "Answer me, why do you have this?" I asked him. That moment I noticed something strange, he sweating heavily, and most of all, his gaze was filled with anxiety. "¡­" he was shivering. It''s strange, few moments earlier he was looking down at me and was full of confidence but the moment he held onto this knife he was beginning to act completely differently. "I-It''s¡­ b-because of¡­ you¡­ if only y-you didn''t¡­" In a matter of seconds, the guy who was shaking and his eyes filled with apprehension transformed into complete hatred. I started strolling in his direction. All I know is that the only way out of here is to disarm him or make him lose consciousness. I noticed a hint of apprehension in Roy''s eyes as I locked my gaze on him. He was well aware that the instant he turned his sight away from me, he would lose. So he stared at me and made hesitant steps back. I rushed towards him; if anybody else saw this, they''d think I''d gone insane. The rationale for this is simple: in a knife vs. bare hand combat, the best option is to flee if at all feasible. Regardless after knowing that, I''m still going at him with bare hands. The person in front of me is not experienced, and most importantly, he lacks the conviction to really strike me. Even if he had already made up his mind and determined to stab me with a knife, the experience is far worse when we had to do it for real. When he spotted me approaching, he pulled back a little. Even he was surprised that I would try to assault even after knowing the risk factors. In reaction to my advancing forward, he attempted slicing with the knife at me; I averted it and kicked him in the upper torso. He lost his balance, giving me the opportunity to disarm him. But his eyes were locked on me, as if he knew I''d do it, so in response to it he let go of his knife. When I saw this, I took a little stop. When the knife dropped to the ground, the entire room became dead silent for a moment. I attempted to grasp the fallen knife, but at that very instant, I caught the sight of Roy feverishly pointing his leg at my head. I leapt sideways to avoid getting hit in the face. But that made a chance for Roy to get upper hand again. He picked up the knife. This time he came at me. Without a single second to think he launched continues attack at me. No manner what happens there is always a difference when the other person is wielding a weapon. In order to win Roy was desperately clenching onto his knife. He don''t want to let go his upper hand at all even if it is for a moment only. Knowing that I couldn''t do much against a knife he didn''t let go of this chance and began swinging his knife frantically. I could only try dogging because if the knife connected with my body it could be fatal. Neither of us didn''t exchange a single word but yet the air between us was getting heavier. While escaping from his relentless attacks I tried searching for something, anything to stop him from attacking. There it is. I leapt to my right, clutching the text book that was lying under one of the desks. It was fortunate that the light was brighter in that location that I was able to notice it. He also noticed that I was trying to get hold onto it and to prevent that he tried his best but he wasn''t a professional, I was able to evade his attacks and got hold of the book. As I was taking out the book my hand felt something beside it. Just as an assurance I took it also. "You are not getting away!" he yelled at me and aiming straight at me. I could have prevented it but I was a bit late in doing that, to protect myself I placed the text book between me and the knife. *Pierce* The knife pierced but only half way through, most likely it didn''t pierce through it completely is because he don''t have enough strength to do so. I guessed that would be the case that''s why I took the chance. He tried freeing his knife but this time he was a bit late in doing that, I instantly bent the book sideways forcing Roy to let go of the knife. "W-what¡­?" he was shocked. I could have stopped right there and he also could have stopped but instead he desperately tried to get hold of that knife. So, to prevent from that happening. I focused my strength on my right leg and positioned my left leg to make a strong stance. I waited for the right moment for him to be into my strike range; he was so frantic that he neglected to glance around and do something pleasant for me. The second he came inside the range I released my leg. *Whoosh* "GAAHHH!" it was a perfect hit. My leg and his abdomen were so precisely linked that he flew right to the opposite end of the room. I took a big breath and let myself a minute to settle down. It''s not that I was scared I was scared but it might be the first time facing someone with a lethal weapon. I wasn''t sure if it was not my first because I knew exactly how to react to every situation. "This should calm him down," I said to myself. ¡­ The fight was over, but Roy still haven''t woken up. To make sure he didn''t die and he was still breathing I checked his pulse. My eyes were directed at the knife and his hands, therefore I didn''t notice the exact point of blow on his body so I needed to confirm this, because if I had hit his liver or any region near it, it could lead to instant death. I searched the whole room for something resembling a rope to bind him up. I don''t want him to rampage like that again. Fortunately, I discovered something, but it wasn''t quite a rope, but rather a large piece of fabric. I''m not sure what it''s good for. But that doesn''t matter because it can be used to bind him. But that wasn''t the only issue; I''m not sure how I should bind him. If I put a single desk behind him and tie it up, he might push ahead along with the desk, and it won''t stop him; I need something more robust that can hold him down. While I was contemplating about it, I locked the door so no one could interrupt me when I went to investigate him. What he said when we were fighting meant something; if it didn''t, he wouldn''t have acted the way he did. I''ve seen Roy act condescending so far, and he has a big ego despite having lost two confrontations. Something definitely is going on with him. But what? This can only answered by him. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 64 - Reasons "H-huh¡­!" he tried opening his eyes. But he didn''t knew that he was in for one hell of a ride, "Wh-what''s happing?!" he started panicking, "Why am I tied up¡­?!" he tried struggling his way out but couldn''t free himself. "Now that you know your situation, we can easily talk¡­" I pulled one of the chairs from side and placed it right in front of him. *Thud* The sound echoed throughout the whole room. I made sure that no one else is there near the room since it''s going to get a bit noise here soon. "W-w-what do you w-want¡­?" he was completely terrified right now. Anyone would be, he just opened his eyes, and the predicament he''s in now is frightening. The point of this to scare him and its point on, this could be shown through his way of speaking. His speech is shaky, and he sought to escape himself by running away. A faint resistance still remained within him as he persisted to try to escape, which was still not worth anything since all of it would be futile. "I advise you not to move much because¡­" I arrowed my eye''s above him. "Y-you are crazy¡­!" he yelled. Let me explain his predicament. I had previously tied him down with a desk, but it wasn''t strong enough, so I put another desk in between the legs of that desk and then another desk above that. Not only that, but I positioned another one above it, with a slightly skewed attitude. If he makes any sudden moves or attempts to force his way out, the desk will crash directly on his head. It doesn''t matter how I managed to handle it; what matters is whether it works or not. I can never promise that he will not try to force his way out, and if he does, it will be a perilous move. "I might be crazy," I said. "¡­ W-what do you want¡­?" he asked. "Now we are talking," I said, "So, first question. Do we know each other?" "W-what?" "Like have we met somewhere before, other than this high school," I elaborated my question. "¡­ Y-you don''t k-know¡­?" "I''ll take it as a ''No''." I bold said it. Acting like this is really exhausting, "Next question. Who gave you this?" I showed him the same knife he was holding earlier. Seeing the knife in my hand surprised him a little. "N-no one g-gave me¡­" he averted his eyes. He is obviously lying. "Alright, you want to play it the hard way I''ll play," I pointed the knife at him and flung it without hesitation. *Whoosh* "AARRGGHHH!" he screamed. "What are you doing? It didn''t even touch you, it went flying right past you," I said. The purpose was to scare him and I would say it worked perfectly. *Huff-Huff* A second later he realized it hadn''t pierced him. As he tried to calm down I picked up the knife and placed it right between his legs. "How about know? Do you remember it now?" Actually, I presented him his current predicament. He may believe that I will not use the knife, but he is mistaken; in fact, at this point I''m do anything to him, because I believe he is the true culprit. The one who wants to get rid of me and who attempted to kill me, even if it was simply a failed attempt, he did do all it. If he is the real culprit, I will use all means necessary to get him to speak the truth, whether he is a student or not. "I-I can''t s-say¡­" "So there is someone behind," I came to a conclusion. "N-No¡­ t-that''s¡­" "So will you tell me the real reason why you used a knife? No matter what happened to you, no high school student will do something like this," I said with confident, "So, why don''t you tell me the truth or we take this matter to the Principal." "¡­ I c-can''t tell you¡­" hmm¡­ so Even when I used the Principal to intimidate him, he still won''t open up. It used to shake everyone''s boots even him, but this time he''s refusing. A drop of water trickled down on his cheek as he was helplessly sitting up their tied. It didn''t bother me because he could be pretending it, so I let him leave. As if I''d fall for such a simple ruse. But if it''s true I don''t know what should I do? "Are you sure?" I asked him. "¡­ No¡­" "Just answer this, did you spread those rumors about me throughout the school?" "N-no¡­" "Do you know who did this?" "No¡­" "Do you know Anna?" I asked. "¡­" He declined by shaking his head right and left. "Is someone ordering you to do things?" using the flow of the conversation I spurt out this question. "Y-N-¡­" he couldn''t reply. He had a worried expression on his face. Alright, I think I have enough information for now. I raised my hand and aimed at Roy''s head. "W-what, what are you d-doing¡­.!" He exclaimed. He must have been scared to death since I was holding the knife on that hand. I grabbed the knives and knocked him down. He lost unconscious a few moments later, and I untied him and exited the room, leaving him there. ¡­ I made my way towards the office, Principal''s office. But I noticed something which made me curious but I saved it for later. *Knock-Knock* "¡­ Come in." I heard a reply from behind the door. "I need to tell you something," I said. "What is it?" she stopped whatever she was doing and looked at me. "I''ll cut to the chase. It''s most likely Roy is being threatened by someone," I said. "Why do you think so¡­?" she asked. *Slide* I threw the knife at her, she caught it with only 2 figures. Well that''s to be expected of someone who can kill 3 people in an instant. Catching a knife is too easy for her. "What''s the meaning of this?" she looked a little concerned. "Roy attempted to assault me today. Not only that, but he used that knife to do so, and when I questioned him who gave him the knife, he refused to answer, and just to be clear, I wasn''t soft with him even while I was interrogating him," I said. "He could just be holding a grudge against you, I know what you did to him earlier. You humiliated him in front of everyone what did you expect? I would say this could just be out of frustration. Nowadays high school kids are really out of mind if they aren''t constantly monitored," she said. "You think I didn''t think of it?" I asked, "Instead of declining that he himself brought the gun, he answered me saying he can''t tell me. What kind of person answers like this if they themselves brought the knife?" "What¡­?" she looked confused. "He never admitted that he brought the knife," I said. "I''m not following you, explain from the start." "So, it all started when I was¡­.." ¡­ It took quite some time but I revealed everything that had taken place. "So, you are telling me he is being controlled or manipulated by someone?" she asked me. "That''s right," I continued, "That''s why I need you to keep a track on Roy. If my guess is right then the ones who are controlling might be the HYDRAs." "¡­ And why do you think that?" she looked curious. "The HYDRAs have already shown that they are attempting to eliminate us, and this is in addition to the higher-ups targeting me. It''s just my theory, but they could be operating alongside, and the one thing common in both of them is me, because their goal from the outset has been to scare me or kill me, they might have used Roy, and attempted to scare me or whatever else, but this is what I came up with." "¡­ Sometimes I forget you are a high school student," she mumbled to her. "What did you say?" I asked. "Nothing, but you should be more worried about how you should handle Roy," she warned me. "Why? I don''t think he would do something like that ever again, probably¡­" what I did to him today, he won''t be able to forget it easily. "That boy is a ticking bomb. Don''t overlook his actions. If it''s true that he is being threatened he might be most desperate than anyone else right now. And don''t underestimate a desperate man," she said in a serious tone. "I''ll keep that mind," I said, "And if you get to know something about it tell me also. I might be able to find the culprit sooner." "Yeah, I''ll notify you." I silently departed the room and I looked at the ceiling as I stood on the corner just beside the office. It would be a lie if it I said this day wasn''t tiring. It might be the first time I fought against someone holding a weapon. Even the interrogation part. I''m not good at this kind of things. Doing the interrogation I reminded of that old man when I was being interrogated. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 65 - Attack As I made my way from the Principal''s office to my class resting my hands inside my pocket where I put my phone. I know I''m not supposed to be carrying one with me but my mother forced me to take it. I encountered a large number of upper class students, or seniors as we call them. But I must say that the atmosphere among the seniors is not the same as among people in my age group. No one, in particular, is staring at me with daggering eyes. This is an experience I haven''t seen for a looong time, I must say. Maybe the rumors about me were most effective at those around my age group. But this still unusual, I have been using the same route from the time I used to yet I never encountered this much crowd. I wondered about it earlier but at that time I had some more urgent matters to attend to but now I have time to wonder about it. I guess all the third years have something to do here. I could have asked someone but why bother if I won''t be staying here forever. I don''t know any third year and if I would suddenly to ask some third year it would be weird, at least to me. [THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT RELATING TO THE GATHERING OF ALL THE THIRD, SECOND AND FIRST YEARS TO THE AUDITORIUM 2. FROM CLASS 2-E ANNA AND ALLEN, PETER AS WELL AS FROM CLASS 2-A IRIS AND LILY, MIKE ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT TO THE AUDITORIUM 2. ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED STUDENTS NEED TO CONTACT THE PRINCIPAL AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE IN THE AUDITORIUM.] Huh? Why all of a sudden? Maybe it''s what I said earlier to the Principal, making me work with Anna. But with so many audience I can''t talk to her much as well as I can''t approach her. Well anyway let''s see what happens. If I''m correct the Auditorium 2 have an inbuilt stage. Well we can''t exactly say it a stage rather an uplifted area. ¡­ I was going to arrive to class first, but after some consideration, I decided not to. The only reason I was considering coming to class was because I was thirsty, but I could simply wait till whatever the senior event is. So, instead of going to class I went straight up to the auditorium 2. Thirst could wait for another an hour or two. ¡­ "What did the teacher say, is this about?" a boy said. "It''s a workshop I guess?" the girl looked a little confused. Maybe the information hasn''t been revealed yet. "Even I know that much, I meant like what''s the theme?" this time it was some other guy. "How would I know? I was sitting beside you the whole time¡­" the girl still had doubts. A couple of third years were walking in front of me. I didn''t mean to eavesdrop them but they talked considerably loudly and through that conversation I got to know that a workshop is taking place. It''s going to take more than an hour. Even for the second years a workshop was held and it was something about carrier counseling. Maybe the same thing is taking for the third years. Well, the only way to know is to go there myself. It''s going to be a drag. Looking out the window of the building, I spotted a couple of birds perched on the same branch, but then suddenly out of nowhere a third bird jumped in making the beautiful pair part away. I''m curious as to what that bird''s real intention was. Anyway, I moved ahead as I made my way towards the auditorium. As I was about to enter the auditorium someone called out to me. "Is your name Allen¡­?" I turned back to who it was. "Yes, do you want something with me?" the one who called me boy or to be more precise he was a senior, who was wearing glasses. He had the appearance of a studious person. I guess it''s only because of his glasses, probably. "Where are the others?" he asked me. "Are you talking about those who were called alongside me?" "What else could I be talking about?" he said rudely. I know he is a senior but he could at least talk a little bit nicely. "Who knows? I came here alone," I said. "What?" he appeared to be irritated. That''s a given; no one like being spoken to rudely. "Do you want anything else with me? I have some more important matters to attend to than argue with-" I didn''t complete the sentence intentionally. "With what? Say it," he tried forcing me to say it. "Does it matter?" I said haughtily. "Hmm¡­ I see," he made a remark. "What does that mean¡­?" my intention was to move ahead but now I think I don''t need to. "What? Did you think the rumors about you haven''t reached the third years yet? Well it does. Till now no one hasn''t said a word to you because I told them not to," he said something that made me think if it''s true or not. It could be true, since I haven''t been starred by any third years but it could also mean that it doesn''t bother them or maybe they don''t know about me yet. All of them could be possible. "So, what do you want with me?" it wasn''t a coincidence. He planned it all. I guessed it since I noticed that after a couple of students one particular student was constantly looking back at me, this made me think if it was just a coincidence but it continued until he approached me. "You see, I established this school''s reputation and put everything I had into it to reach it to where it is today. You don''t have a single clue what I had to do to make this possible and no matter what happens I won''t let it blow my future. But now, all of a sudden, because of someone, it has commenced to shrink. I will not let my achievements crumble to grounds this way. I don''t care about this school''s reputation but if it does something to me I''m going to take this personally," he remarked as he locked his gaze on me. "I still don''t know, what exactly you want with me," I said to him. Neither I averted my eye nor he. The crowd was passing through us. No, the crowd was the same since the beginning but the way it was moving was rather suspicious because this way we were out from the teacher''s range. "I''m just saying that sooner or later you will have to leave this school," he smirked at me, "And if you would ask me it''s going to be sooner." "Well, we''ll see abo-" before I say another word another announcement was made. [IS THE SECOND YEAR NOT HERE YET?] "Don''t sweat it," he paused, "Junior." He intentionally made it sound like I was inferior to him. But I don''t have single clue how he will attack me so as of now I have zero ways to counterattack him. And if he is serious, and talking to him I think he could make this possible if I''m not careful. Odds are against me this time. "¡­" I stared at his back as he vanished in the crowd. "Allen¡­!" I again heard someone calling me but this time it felt familiar. I turned around to see who it was and noticed Lily walking beside Mike and Iris. But they were quite far away. I decided to wait here and waited for them to reach me. But I noticed something. "W-wait¡­" she tried to make her way towards me but was not successful. A sudden increase in the number of student''s coming inside significantly. I raised my hand and signaled for us to meet at the nearest corner. She also raised her hand and gave a thumbs up in response. Slowly but gradually the crowd decreased and all the third years were about to settle that''s when Lily and her company were able to talk. "Did you need something from me?" I asked Lily as she was the one to call out to me first. "Hmm? N-no I just called out to you-" she was hesitant in answering me. I waited for to say something, while I glimpsed at Mike and Iris. Unfortunately Iris and mine eye''s caught each other. "I wanted us to be together with you that''s all," Iris blurted out. "But why?" I said. [IS THE SECOND YEAR''S STILL NOT HERE?] Ah¡­ I totally forgot we need to report to the Principal. "What is she talking about?" Mike asked me. "We need to report to the Principal," I said. "Why didn''t you tell us that already?!" Mike exclaimed. As we were about to leave, I spotted Peter and Anna walk in. I could have called out to them, but I chose not to because they had already seen me and were following us. But before we could approach the Principal someone stopped us on our tracks. "Are all second year''s here?" one of the invigilators contacted us and asked us a question. Peter and Anna had also caught up by then. "Yes." Lily replied politely. "Alright, follow me," is what she said and we started following her accordingly. She walked towards where the Principal was sitting. As I was walking forward I peeked at the Principal as I saw her, at that instant she signaled something. I couldn''t make out exactly what she said but what I could make out was that something is going to take place here. "Huh?" instead of stopping beside the Principal we just walked past her and were straight going towards the stage. "¡­. Don''t back down," as we were passing through the Principal, she whispered to me something that I didn''t know the meaning of. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 66 - Showdown Part-1 I heard some sounds coming from outside. The entrance captured most of the students attention. *Open* Ah, how can I forget about them? A mob erupted; of course, they were all second and first years. I had forgotten that they were also called here. Mostly because I only observed the third years and completely forgot about them. [SECOND YEARS AS WELL AS FIRST YEARS BE SEATED QUICKLY. THIS IS FOR EVERYONE; DO NOT FORM A GROUP AMONG EACH OTHER. WE NEED YOU TO BE PATIENT FOR JUST 15-20 MINUTES.] "What''s happening?" Iris whispered to me. "What do you think? The rest of the second year addition to that first year is also coming," I answered. The teacher kept walking until we were all few steps away from the stage. I must say, the view from here is spectacular. I can see all the way to the back of the Auditorium. Still, now isn''t the moment to be amused by the sight, but to consider what''s going to happen. I cast a glance towards the Principal, who motioned for me to wait. So, for the time being, my only option is to wait. "Except Allen you may return to your respective class," she said in cold tone. Somethings weird. "Wh-" before any of them could say a single word she glared at each of them. All of them seemed hesitant to say another word except two. "I need an explanation, why we are the only one going back?" Lily asked me. "I also need to know," Iris agreed to it. I guess their position can be of use some times. But the teacher still didn''t seemed to be fazed by it all. I guess she had already guessed it might happen. But if Iris isn''t the one to back off so easily. "If you leave now, you will know it in next minute or either you can all wait here and waste all of our time, and there is another route, i.e., you can do as I say told you." She looked serious. "¡­" no one further stepped in. Even Iris seems reluctant now. This teacher is really dangerous. I will have to be caution. ¡­ "So, what''s this all about? You can at least tell me, right?" as we both were standing there alone I asked her. "Well even if you know it will of no use so let''s tell you either way," as she was about to say something I fluently placed both of my hands in my pocket and listened to her. ¡­ "¡­ So, you are this is a¡­" I asked. "Well, you can say it that way," she said, "So far, no one has been able to get away from this, so brace yourselves for the impact. So, don''t even think that you''ll be able to avoid this either." She looked a little bit delighted. "¡­" [ALLEN AND THE SCHOOL''S PRESIDENT HARVEY IS REQUESTED TO GET ON THE STAGE.] "It''s time," she pushed me forward. "What if I would to drag you down with me?" I gave her a smirk. "Wha-" she looked worried all of sudden. I just returned the favor to her. "What''s happening?" someone among the crowd whispered. "Why are they both being called on the stage?" the doubts began to increase. But the one who was most looked most worried was someone among the crowd. The crowd was confused but don''t worry all this will be cleared soon. As I stepped up I noticed that I was again on a higher plain but the difference wasn''t much from earlier. As I ran my eyes around I noticed the same person I encountered on the entrance coming up the stage. Is he the School President? Ah, so that''s what he meant by that. Now it all makes sense. They really would have caught me off guard. He took a single look at me and let out a smirk. In return I did the same to him. *Ahem* {GOOD MORNING TEACHERS AND THE PRINCIPAL MA''AM. I''M THE SCHOOL MEMBER OF SCHOOL COUNCIL AND THE PRESIDENT. YOU MUST BE CONSIDERING WHY WE CALLED YOU ALL HERE. THE REASON IS SIMPLE.} Someone handed him the mic and started his pretend speech. I just looked at the audience to see the reaction to each and every comment he was about to make. {THE REASON IS THAT OUR PRECIOUS SCHOOL HAS STARTED TO LOSE ITS POSITION.} He looked in my direction and continued his speech. {OUR SCHOOL, WHICH WAS HONORED AS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE SCHOOLS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, HAS BEGINN TO SLIP. WE OUTPERFORM EVERY OTHER SCHOOL IN EVERY ASPECT. WE WON SECOND PLACE IN THE NATIONALS OLYPIAD IN MATHEMATICS. WE WON FIRST PLACE IN PHYSICS AND THIRD PLACE IN BOILOGY. WHAT DOES THIS SHOW US?} He asked the whole crowd but before someone could say anything he continued. {WE ESTABLISHED OUR POSITION, OUR NAME AND OUR EVERYTHING WE HAVE, THROUGH SHEER DEDICATION AND EFFORT MADE BY EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU. DO YOU AGREE WIH ME OR NOW!?} "¡­ He is right." "Yeah." "Is this the only reason we were called here¡­?" In an instant, the entire auditorium appeared to agree with him. He''s a tremendous public speaker. That''s probably why he was able to quickly sway everyone''s viewpoint. It''s true that he was able to persuade the entire school with only a handful of words. {BUT IT HURTS ME FROM INSIDE TO SAY THIS BUT WE I NEED TO SAY THIS.} "What does he want say?" someone from the front row asked. "What is it¡­?" Oh, I know what he wants to say. I''ll see what I can do about it. {OUR NAME IS BEING TARNISHED, EVEN AT THIS MOMENT AS I SPEAK. AND ALL THIS IS BECAUSE OF THIS ONE STUDENT. A SECOND YEAR STUDENT, ALLEN!} So that''s how you are going to play. {BUT BEFORE ANYONE COULD SAY ANYTHING TO HIM I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. ALLEN AND SIX OTHERS RETURNED FROM SOMETHING HORRYFYING WE COULDN''T EVEN IMAGINE. I SYPATHIZE WITH EACH ONE OF THEM-} Huh? A drop of water slide through his right cheek. He sure is a good actor along with that speech. {AH, DON''T MIND ME¡­} He stopped for a moment and continued again, {BUT WITH WHOM I DON''T SYMPATHIZE WITH IS ALLEN. YOU''LL MUST HAVE HEARD SOME WEIRD RUMORS ABOUT ALLEN. LIKE HIM HOLDING A GUN AND USING IT. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. THE POLICE IS ACCUSING HIM OF THAT. THIS ADDS CREDIBILITY TO IT.} "¡­" the whole auditorium fell silent. {NOT ONLY THAT, SOME OF YOU HAVE WITNESSED HIM USING VOILENCE, IN SCHOOL GROUNDS. ONLY BECAUSE OF HIM OUR EFFORT AND DEDICATION TO MAKE THIS SCHOOL ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOL HAS BEGUN TO CRUMBLE.} "Yeah he is right¡­" "Yeah I saw him fighting." The crowd was already in his hand. If he were to become a politician the opponent party will lose no matter if they were to go against him without a plan. {IT HURTS TO SAY THIS TO ONE OF MY FELLOW SCHOOLMATES BUT IF IT''S TRUE I NEED TO MAKE A DECISION. FOR THE SAKE OF THIS SCHOOL''S FUTURE I NEED TO STEP FORWARD FOR EVERYONES SAKE.} "¡­" most of their gaze was Harvey while the remaining rest of them were looking at me with hostility. And the one who seemed a bit delighted was the same teacher that pushed me up here. I must assume she collaborated with Harvey. {AS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS SCHOOL AND AS A FELLOW STUDENT I HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION.} And I think what that is. {TO EXPELL ALLEN FROM SCHOOL BEFORE HE FURTHER TARNISH OUR EPUTATION!} "Yeah!" "Expel him¡­!" "No¡­" amongst the crowd few tried supporting me but it didn''t matter. {ALLEN THE WHOLE SCHOOL IS WILLING TO EXPELL YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY SAY?} He again smirked to me. I guess I need to give him the taste of his own medicine. "Can I have the mic¡­?" I politely asked me. He handed me the microphone while grinning at me. He placed his other hand on top of the mic and whispered to me as he was going to offer me the microphone. "Don''t get me wrong but the moment you talked to me was the moment you had already lost," he said arrogantly. {SHH¡­! EVERYONE ALLEN HAS SOMETHING TO SAY. IF THIS IS HIS LAST TIME HERE IN SCHOOL I THINK WE SHOULD LISTEN TO HIM. THAT''S THE LEAST WE CAN DO FOR HIM. EVEN THOUGH HE TRIED TO DEGRADE OUR SCHOOL WE CAN STILL LISTEN TO HIM.} He handed me the mic. I rolled my eyes around the whole audience. Almost everyone''s eyes were filled with rage, animosity, and frustration, but amongst them a handful had an empathetic and worried expression. {I GUESS I DON''T NEED TO INTRODUCE ME, RIGHT¡­?} "¡­" no response came. Well that''s to be expected. {SO, I GUESS I''LL JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE POINT THEN.} Every single eyeball was at me. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 67 - Showdown Part-2 Not a single sound was heard throughout the Auditorium. All gazes were aiming at me. {BUT BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING. I NEED TO ASK THE PRESIDENT SOMETHING.} "And what is that?" he asked me. {I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, I CAN ASK THEM, RIGHT?} I turned towards the President to give his consent. I don''t really care whether he give his consent or not because if it comes to worst the Principal would help me out. So, I just did some formality to him. "Yes," he said, "But you are still going to get expelled soon. So, ask away anything since it won''t matter when you leave this school." I lowered the arm that was holding the microphone. "I dare you to try it," I said. "Wh-" before he could say anything I started my plan. {ARE YOU ALL STUPID?} I said out loud. For a moment the voice echoes throughout the Auditorium. Half of them were still processing what I just said but the one who know me on a personal level had their mouth wide open and those people include Selene, Lily, Liz, Iris, Mike, Peter, Noah and the among them there was another and that person was the one who I really didn''t expect, and that individual was Roy. "¡­" I still strolled my eyes around to see each and every single of their expression and the one with the most fascinating expression was Harvey. He one who looked the most surprised by my statement. Did he really think I would just sit back and let him crumble me? But this is just the tip of the iceberg. So, don''t be too much surprised because there is more to it. "What did you say!?" "Is he out of his mind¡­?" "Huh? Did I hear him right¡­?" an uproar began in the Auditorium. Even the teachers had trouble controlling the students. Seeing the response I could say that my first step was successful. Alright, now to the second step. {WAIT, WAIT. YOU ALL AGREED TO LISTEN TO ME TILL THEN THE END, RIGHT? OR ARE YOU THINKING OF REFUSING THE PRESIDENT''S REQUEST?} Slowly but gradually the frustrations settled down. Harvey sure has a presence in this school. Well, that''s to be expected since he is President. To take him down I need to proceed accordingly. {ALRIGHT, NOW I CAN BEGIN. LET''S START WITH THE FIRST STATEMENT YOUR PRECIOUS PRESIDENT SAID EARLIER. IF SOME OF YOU FORGOT LET ME REPHRASE HIM- ''WE OUTPERFORM EVERY OTHER SCHOOL IN EVERY ASPECT. WE WON SECOND PLACE IN THE NATIONALS OLYMPIAD IN MATHEMATICS. WE WON FIRST PLACE IN PHYSICS AND THIRD PLACE IN BIOLOGY.''} "Where is he getting at¡­?" "I don''t know¡­" confusion began among the students. But don''t worry I''ll clear that soon enough. {YOU THERE, SECOND ROW FROM THE FRONT. WHAT''S YOUR NAME?} I randomly picked a student. For my plan to be successfully executed I don''t even think of picking a certain student. "W-who me¡­?" {NO, NOT YOU. THE ONE BESIDE YOU.} I said. "Me..?" I just told him yet he is still confused. {YES, YOU. WHAT''S YOUR NAME?} "¡­ James¡­?" he answered. He looked a little flustered, maybe because I called out to him suddenly. But I don''t care so let''s continue with it. {SO, JAMES I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. FIRST, DID YOU WIN MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD?} I asked. "¡­ N-No¡­" the voice was very low. This way the one in the back won''t be able to hear it. {IS THERE ANOTHER MIC? NO ONE FROM THE BACK WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR HIM THIS WAY.} I asked. Out of nowhere, soon a mic was passed down to him. {SO NOW TO THE SECOND QUESTION, DID YOU WIN THE PHYSICS TEST?} I continued asking the question. "N-no¡­" now his voice is loud enough. {AH, I GET. YOU WON THE BIOLOGY TEST, RIGHT?} This was the third question. Nevertheless, I didn''t stop and instead, I still continued pressing him further. "W-what are you getting at Allen¡­?" I heard a voice close to me. The one who said that was Harvey. He looked a little worried. Did he really think I wouldn''t try to do anything to protect myself? {AH, JAMES CAN YOU JUST WAIT A MINUTE BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PRESIDENT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME. STILL, IT DOESN''T MATTER MUCH BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHY IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT¡­} I tried intimidating him, and seeing his face I think it was spot on. Not to let the audience hear our small conversation I placed my hand to it and turned towards the President. "President, I don''t mean to disrespect you but can you shut for now? Let me finish," I replied while giving out the coldest stare I have made till now. "W-what¡­?" experiencing my stare firsthand made him lose his composure. {SORRY, THE PRESIDENT NEEDED TO ASK ME SOMETHING. HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT ''SOMETHINGS'' GOING WRONG BUT NOW WE HAVE CLEARED THE CONFUSION AND WE CAN CONTINUE NOW.} I proceed, {WHERE WAS I? AH YES, JAMES DID YOU WIN ANY PRIZE RELATING TO BIOLOGY?} "N-no¡­" his answer was the same earlier. Even the question changed his answer never changed that made my plan be executed easily. {OH, I''M SORRY IF I EMBARRASSED YOU. BUT I HAVE ONLY A SINGLE DOUBT LEFT SO PLEASE ANSWER THIS ONE. YOU CAN DO THAT AT LEAST RIGHT?} "Y-yeah..." He said. Seeing him I could easily make out that he has already lost it. The confidence he showed when he shouted to expel me and now is the complete opposite. How the tables have turned? {JAMES, IF I''M RIGHT YOU ARE A THIRD-YEAR, RIGHT?} "Y-yes¡­" his voice was shaky. {HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING UP TO THIS POINT TO ASSIST THIS SCHOOL? I DON''T JUST MEAN IN STUDYING, BUT ALSO IN SPORTS. OR IN ANY OTHER ACADEMIC SUBJECT?} "¡­" he didn''t answer. No, let me rephrase that, he couldn''t answer. {HERE WE HAVE A THIRD-YEAR STUDENT NAMED JAMES WHO HAS STILL NOT DONE ANYTHING TO SUPPORT THIS SCHOOL. WHAT I REALLY MEAN TO SAY IS, ON WHAT GROUNDS ARE YOU SAYING THAT ''ALL'' OF YOU MADE AN EFFORT TO MAKE THIS SCHOOL PRESTIGIOUS?} I looked at Harvey to see his reaction and seeing his expression I knew that this strategy is going brilliantly. "¡­" not a single student dared to counterattack that. {OKAY, LET''S FORGET THIS. CAN YOU ALL RAISE HANDS WHO WON THE COMPETITIONS YOUR SCHOOL PRESIDENT MENTIONED EARLIER?} At first, no one raised their hands but slowly they rose their hands but one thing I noticed was that only a handful of people have actually contributed to this school. I wonder what the President was talking about in his speech earlier when he made it sound like each and every student have contributed. "Pfftt¡­!" a sole chuckle echoes throughout the auditorium. It''s a serious situation and if someone was seen laughing would have been definitely been punished but not to someone of that post. It was the Principal. "Ah, sorry continue¡­" she controlled herself. {SEEING THE PRINCIPAL, I THINK YOU''VE ALL GOT A HINT WHERE I''M GETTING AT BUT LETS STILL CONTINUE¡­} I SAID. "¡­" those cold stares at me have turned to self-doubt. They might have agreed to the President but that was him influencing them, now that I''m telling the truth to their face, they have turned pale. Especially the third year since they were the most enthusiastic when the topic of me being expelled came up. I guess they needed to push their failure at someone and that someone was me. This has resolved most of the third-year troubles, allowing me to move on to the second-year obstacles. If I''m not able to shut them up here I could lose a golden opportunity like this. Previously, I was concerned about the situation since I had absolutely no clue what was happening, but now that I know, I can make the best use of it. If it wasn''t for that teacher I wouldn''t have a plan but due to her carelessness, I could take on both of them at once and still come out unscathed. {I ONLY SEE A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS. WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF YOUR EFFORT? ALSO, PRESIDENT HARVEY, IN WHAT UNIVERSE DOES THIS LOOKS LIKE THE EFFORT PUT IN BY ALL OF THE STUDENTS?} I continued, {WHY NOT ALSO CONTRIBUTE THE PRIZE MONEY AS WELL, EVEN IF YOU COUNT THE AWARD AS A WHOLE FOR THE SCHOOL IT ACTUALLY DOESN''T COUNT. IF YOU DISTRIBUTE THE PRIZE TO ALL, I WILL CONSIDER IT TO BE THE EFFORT OF EVERYONE. UNTIL THEN, I WILL NOT ACCEPT THE NONSENSE YOU SPOUTED IN HERE, NOT JUST ME, ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WILL AGREE WITH ME.} "..." no one dared to say anything. {THE AWARD HAS A NAME WRITTEN ON IT SHOWING WHO HAS WON IT AND IT''S NOT FOR IT TO BE SHARED WITH EVERYONE. IT''S ONLY FOR A SINGLE PERSON. SO DON''T USE THIS AS AN EXCUSE TO USE IT AS AN EFFORT MADE BY WHOLE.} "¡­" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 68 - Counter Attack I wasn''t finished yet; I could just incinerate Harvey''s reputation to the ground, but I won''t use it unless I''m about to lose, and based on the response, I don''t believe I need to use it right now. But it''s funny seeing all those who were trying to expel me earlier are now aren''t able to say a word against me. I guess they could only follow up behind the President. {AH, NOW I GET WHAT THE PRESIDENT WAS TRYING TO DO. HE WAS USING ME AS A SCAPEGOAT.} "What? Are you out of your mind!?" the President said to me while he glared at me. "Oh come on," I placed my hand on the mic and said, "You think I wouldn''t know? I think you really underestimated me, didn''t you?" "Fufufu¡­" he let out laughter. What is he thinking? "What''s so funny¡­?" I asked him out of curiosity of my own. He is going to go down soon enough but he doesn''t look a bit worried. Is he that much confident that he won''t lose? "Did you really think that something like this going to sway them away? Or did you think they are going to believe someone¡­ like you?" he asked. "¡­" I silently stared at him. On the other hand, while I and the President were talking the audience was in turmoil. It''s natural since I tried to defame their school, President. Now that remember, during our first encounter the crowd only consisted of the third years, does this mean he can control the all? It''s a little hard to believe but it''s really true then I guess he is bad news. "I have been here in this school for three years and then on the other hand there''s you," he smirked at me again, "Seeing you, I know you are intelligent so answer me this, a boy being suspected for holding a gun by the police and with addition to it, the rumors spreading around the city I wonder who will they believe?" he said haughtily. Well, his reasoning isn''t wrong either. "¡­" yet I didn''t respond to him. Because he was right, but with his haughty tongue, he offered me a clue how to counterattack him. To be honest, I expected him to be concerned after witnessing me state facts and prove him a liar, but... looking at him right now, that isn''t a worried expression, it''s the face of someone who isn''t scared at all. He had a smug smile on his face. Does he have this much confidence in himself? I asked myself again. Alright, let''s begin the third step shall we? {ALRIGHT, EVERYONE LISTEN TO THIS, THE PRESIDENT IS DENYING THE FACT THAT I''M BEING USED AS A SCAPEGOAT, SO LET''S HEAR WHAT YOU ALL BELIEVE.} With this statement I grabbed every single person''s attention. "It''s not true." One said. "Of course you aren''t right." Another said. "The president wouldn''t do something like this¡­" soon almost all the students were taking the President''s side. Not one, not two but a bunch of students were on his side. {PRESIDENT HARVEY, IT LOOKS LIKE ALMOST HALF OF THE SCHOOL TRUST YOU.} "Give me that," he asked me for the mic and I handed it to him. {OF COURSE, THEY WILL TRUST ME, I TRUST THEM AND THEY TRUST ME. THAT''S THE REASON I''M THE SCHOOL PRESIDENT AND YOU ARE NOT.} He gave that answer as he glanced a smile at me. "Yeah!!" "That''s our school president for you...!" he stirred the whole auditorium in his favor again. "Hand over the mic to me," I said to him. {OKAY, OKAY. I ADMIT I''M NOT WORTHY OF BEING THE SCHOOL''S PRESIDENT BUT I JUST NEED TO ASK SOMETHING.} I said, {BUT IS HE ALSO WORTHY?} I asked. For a brief minute, the entire floor was deafeningly quiet, but it wasn''t for long because all of a sudden a wave of shouts broke out. "What are you saying?!" "What?" many seemed outraged? It looks like he does have a lot of influence. {I SAY HE IS NOT. FOR THE LAST 5MONTHS OUR SCHOOL HAVEN''T RECEIVED A SINGLE AWARD, WHY IS THAT? IS IT BECAUSE OF ME? DEFINITELY NOT ME, SINCE THE PROBLEM I CAUSED CAME ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO AGO. SO, DOESN''T LOOK LIKE THE PRESIDENT IS BLAMING YOUR FAILURE ON ME? AND DON''T YOU ALL DARE TO DENY THIS, OKAY?} I made a bold statement. "Give me the mic," Harvey snatched the mic from my hand and I willingly let him have it. {EVEN IF YOU MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THIS, THE RUMORS ABOUT YOU HAVE STILL AFFECTED OUR REPUTATION. EVEN YOU CAN''T DENY THAT OR CAN YOU?} I see so he lured me into a trap. Because this way I can''t deny the fact that those rumors aren''t affecting the school. "Fufufu¡­" I laughed a little. {WHAT''S WRONG¡­?} He asked me as he saw me laughing. "Hand over the mic and I''ll tell you," I extended my hand. He handed me the mic but his expression wasn''t the same as before. {IF YOU REALLY THINK THE RUMORS ARE TRUE THEN WHY DON''T YOU ALL BECOME DETECTIVES AND FIND SOME SOLID PROOF RATHER THAN JUST MOVING YOUR LIPS UP AND DOWN. THE POLICE HAVEN''T HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SINGLE PROOF AND HERE YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY MADE IT LOOK LIKE I DID IT.} "B-but the rumor¡­" "Those rumors still have¡­" many were still obsessing with those groundless rumors. {IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE ALL THESE STUPID RUMORS THEN WHY ISN''T IT USED AS A PROOF TO PUT ME IN JAIL YET? BECAUSE¡­ IT''S JUST A RUMOR AND THE DEFINITION OF RUMOR IS A CIRCULATION OF A STORY OF AN UNCERTAIN OR DOUBTFUL TRUTH. SO, IF YOU HAVE A SINGLE SHRED OF BRAIN LEFT, YOU WILL THINK THIS MATTER OVER AGAIN AND IF YOU STILL DON''T CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE THEN THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH YOU.} "¡­ We can still expel you, you know?" Harvey tapped on my shoulder and said to me. {YOU CAN''T EXPEL ME.} Oops. Instead of taking of the mic I mistakenly said it out loud. Or is what I would have thought but right now I don''t care. {BUT ALLEN YOU HAVE STILL AFFECTED OUR SCHOOL LIFE, HAVE YOU NOT?}The President snatched the mic from my arm and said. {IF YOU BELIEVE THIS REASONING IS GOOD ENOUGH THEN I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO EVALUATE YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL''S REAL POSITIONING. IF YOU USE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO BLAME ME I DON''T THINK THIS SCHOOL WAS GOOD ENOUGH SINCE THE BEGNNING.} "Are you making fun of this school?!" someone from the crowd shouted and it echoed throughout the Auditorium. {IF YOU''RE GOING TO BELIEVE SOME STUPID RUMOR, SO WHAT IF I DID SAY THAT?} I said. "Huh?!" {DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN MAKE ME LEAVE THIS SCHOOL?} I asked. "¡­" thought so. All bark and no bite is what I thought about them. But man, they sure are blindingly following the President. "Did you really think that you will be able to expel me that easily?" I turned over Harvey, "Even you must be knowing that you need some kind of legitimate reason to expel me and if you have one why haven''t you used it yet? Or it because you don''t have one?" of course this time I remembered to put away the mic. I won''t make the same mistake as before. "What are you implying?" he asked me, "You think I won''t be able to kick you out?" "Oh, I''m not implying anything. I''m just saying that you can''t do that," I replied, "But I can give an opportunity to do so." "¡­ What do you mean?" he looked confused. {FINE, I WILL LEAVE THIS SCHOOL ON ONE CONDITION. GIVE A SINGLE SOLID PROOF BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID RUMOR I WON''T BE LEAVING THIS SCHOOL.} This is the opportunity I was talking about. "¡­" but not a single one could say anything. The answer was simple because there was no proof, to begin with. Even if they still denied I could just show them the proof that the rumors were spread from this school only. {EVEN IF YOU ARE THAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCHOOL''S REPUTATION, WHY DIDN''T YOU TRY TO REPEL AWAY THOSE RUMORS TO PROTECT YOUR PRECIOUS SCHOOL FAME?} "What are you saying¡­?" "What?" {I MEAN, YOU HAD A CHANCE TO DENY THE RUMOURS. RATHER THAN STOP THEM FROM SPREADING FURTHER, YOU CONTINUED TO LET THEM CONTINUE UNTIL THEY AFFECTED THE SCHOOL AND EVEN YOU. ALSO, BEFORE I FORGET. THE RUMOURS ABOUT ME THAT SEEM TO BE STILL GOING ROUND BEGAN TO SPREAD FROM THIS SCHOOL ONLY. SO, IF YOU WANT TO BLAME SOMEONE, BLAME THE PERSON WHO CAUSED ALL OF THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE.} With that, I looked directly at one particular teacher, and seeing her expression I could easily make out that she isn''t pleased with the outcome. She deduced that I would go down like water in a waterfall but actually I''m the water that will break the stone blocking my path. So, if I fall or not doesn''t matter much because I''ll break through whatever comes in my path, no matter who. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 69 - Awkward Silence "¡­" It was a strange silence. They can''t believe that it''s their fault, but they also can''t deny it. Those who attempted to expel me earlier are in a dilemma, but that doesn''t bother me one bit. I couldn''t care less about them. What comes around goes around, is what I would like to describe this situation. I wonder how is the President feeling right now, he should be the one most pissed. Observing him I believe that he has some inferiority complex with a huge ego. I bet he gained that through suppressing the weaker ones. BUt he didn''t knew I wasn''t the who can be suppressed easily. All the while I was being pinned down, not a single teacher stood up. I guess even they want me leave this school, but you know what I won''t leave the school no matter what. Not until I clear my name. *Step-Step* A certain figure was noticed on the sideline of the Auditorium, normally the teachers would have stepped in but instead they all were just staring at that figure silently. The person stepped on stage moments later. As the person stepped up I noticed a slight smug on her face. "Hand over the mic," she said to me. Yes, it was the Principal, that''s the reason no one stopped her from coming up here. I can''t completely make out what it was but the only thing that I can think of was that she was amazed. "Here you go," I said as I handed over the mic to her. She did told me to ''Don''t back down'', so I think I did a pretty good job in doing that. "E-excuse me," I heard a shaky voice and it turned out to be, Harvey. I wonder what''s making him lose his ground. Seeing his expression I could easily make out that he isn''t okay at all, right now. "What is it, school President?" she asked him. She looked a bit pleased but she still tried to hide it using her usual stern expression. *Ahem* "Are you going to expel Allen¡­?" In an instant, he was back to its old self. "What I''m going to do is none of your concern," she said that flat out to him, "And I have seen enough to know what''s happening here. So, why don''t you just stand still there and don''t move till I say you to." "¡­" he was petrified. I guess even the President wasn''t much different from the other masses. I mean to say is that he is also afraid of the Principal like others. Seeing him like this, confirms that he is also afraid like the other students even after considering his standing position in school, it doesn''t matter when it comes to the Principal. "Do you understand?" she said to him. "¡­ Y-Yes¡­" {SO, YOU MUST BE KNOWING ME SO I WON''T WASTE ANY MORE TIME IN ITNRODUCING MYSELF AGAIN.} "¡­" all the gazes were locked at her while she locked her gaze at a certain figure. Amongst the crowd, she was looking at someone but I couldn''t deduce who it was. {I USED TO BELIEVE THAT THE YOUNGER GENERATION WAS STUPID.} What? Did she just now say that in front of them? She sure doesn''t care about them or their opinion. "¡­" everyone was dumbstruck after hearing this. {BUT SEEING THIS, I MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE THAT.} I don''t get it, is she praising them or not? I don''t get it. It''s just not me, it''s all the students here. {YOU ALL ARE MUCH WORSE.} Okay, I didn''t see that one coming. "¡­" all I can see on each one of the students face was that they all were dumfounded. I guess it''s natural since she said that to them unexpectedly. {YOU ALL INCLUDING THE SCHOOL PRESIDENT WEREN''T ABLE TO TAKE DOWN A SINGLE STUDENT. LOOK I KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT WHAT JUST HAPPENED WAS SHAMEFUL NOT FOR ME BUT FOR YOU ALL. IF WORD GET''S OUT ABOUT THIS INCIDENT WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN?} "¡­" not a single sole in the entire school was able to answer to it. {LET ME TELL YOU, THE RUMORS WILL SPREAD LIKE THIS:-THE WHOLE STUDENT BODY WASN''T ABLE TO WIN AN ARGUMENT. IN CASE THIS RUMOR SPREADS, I DON''T THINK THIS SCHOOL WILL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE MUCH LONGER.} "¡­" she sure doesn''t mince her words at all. {I DIDN''T INTERUPT IN BETWEEN BECAUSE I THOUGHT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS ALLEN WILL BE EXPELLED TODAY, SINCE ALMOST WHOLE SCHOOL SEEMED TO BE IN AGREEMENT TO THAT BUT¡­} she paused for a moment to take a look around and see everyone''s expression and then continued again. {HE COUNTER ATTACKED YOUR EVERY SINGLE STATEMENT. SEEING THIS I THOUGHT FOR A SECOND THAT IS ALLEN THAT SMART OR IT''S JUST THAT OUR SCHOOL IS QUITE DUMB.} "B-but ma''am b-because of hi-" the President tried to say something but was stopped in between by the Principal. "Did I give you the permission to speak?" she glared at him. "N-no¡­" his voice became feebly. "Then shut up." {OKAY, AS OF NOW, ALL EXCEPT ALLEN, HARVEY, AND MISS JASMINE, AS WELL AS MISTER HENDRICKSON, HAVE BEEN DISMISSED.} ¡­ Literally the entire Auditorium was emptied within minutes soon after the Principal ordered the remaining students to leave. There was not a single soul left behind. "My Office now," she said to all of us and I instantly began following her, not just me but all the other also did as instructed. While we were walking down the hallway I caught a glimpse at Miss Jasmine, he expression clearly showed that she was anxious about something. "What do we do now?" Harvey whispered to Mister Hendrickson. "I''ll handle it don''t worry," he replied. While I was listening to their chat, I tried to sneak a quick glimpse at them, but our gazes met. To avoid being suspected, I kept staring in that way, but not exactly at them; instead, I diverted my eyes outside the window. Harvey still continued to look at me but I didn''t show a slightest bit of interest and continued to look outside the window. For a brief period, I was taken aback by the scene outside. It''s approximately one o''clock in the afternoon. It''s the most peaceful time of the day or as I would like to say the quietest hour of the day, in my opinion. Around this time, practically everyone is preoccupied with themselves or is not as energetic as they are during the day or night. If it were up to me, I would set out an hour for the students to unwind. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The swaying of the leaves on a tree revealed a gentle breeze was flowing outside the window. I wish I could just relax beside a tree, its shadow covering my whole body while a gentle breeze passing by¡­ making all the stress piled up go away like it was nothing. But, it''s just my fantasy that I believe won''t come true any time soon. "Alright, get inside." I thought of entering the room first but then I thought about it and decided not to. I waited for everyone to enter except the Principal. Since, she was the one who opened the door she was the last person. I motioned for her to go first, but instead she took a little step forward and muttered something to me. "You don''t need to pretend that," she said. She knows me pretty well, she knew from the beginning that what I was doing was just a formality and nothing else. "¡­" I stepped in without any further delay. "So, Mister Hendrickson, what do you have to say now?" the Principal asked him. Why do I think I have missed something? "¡­ I don''t have words right now¡­" he seemed pale. "And what about Miss Jasmine? I don''t think it went as planned as you thought." "¡­" she didn''t reply and silently stared at the mattress on the floor. "¡­" the president silently moved and hid behind Mister Hendrickson, but he doesn''t know that the Principal isn''t someone he could escape from. He doesn''t have a slightest bit of a chance. Seeing her shoot 3 people in one go isn''t someone even I could fool easily. "And our school President," she said, "What did you say at that time to me? I don''t see how you handled this ''small task''?" "I-I¡­" he couldn''t even face her properly. Now I''m certain that I''m really missing something important here but what exactly is it? "Look at him," the Principal pointed at me and said, "He don''t even have a single clue what happened to him just now but he is trying his best to keep his cool." She stepped forward and came towards me. She stood beside me placed her hand beside my shoulder and something funny. "I''m not letting you have your way with this boy," she said with a straight face. How did she manage to do that? Like I''m not anyone''s property and this sentence looked like it was taken from some movie or television series. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 70 - Second Chance All three of them were staring at me. I think it''s a nice opportunity to take down all of them at once but it would be bad to do right in front of them. What if they pin down me somewhere else? Like in class they might target me but thinking about it now they can''t do much to me either way. My reputation is isn''t something I have to think of. But since among them two are teachers and one is the School President I need to be careful. Just like today, the President was almost successful in convincing the entire school in expelling me, if I hadn''t stopped him on his tracks he might have accomplished that but that would also might he not very likely cause if that would happen I''ll be not the only one to go down. "B-but if don''t e-expel him¡­ our school''s r-reputation¡­" the President tried to convince the Principal but hearing his voice being this much shaky I highly doubt anyone would be convinced that way. "Hmm¡­ alright, we will expel him," she said. What? I''m pretty sure that no one could be convinced but she agreed to it in an instant. What''s the meaning of this? Earlier she told me not to back down, and now she is the one doing the opposite of what I was told to do. "R-really?!" the President had a delighted expression. "But, there is one problem." "¡­ w-what is the problem!?" he lost control over his emotions and yelled at the Principal. "Harvey! You shouldn''t talk to the Principal like that¡­!" Mister Hendrickson smacked at the back of his head, "I''m apologize for his inappropriate behavior." "It''s alright," she said in her usual tone, "The problem is that, on what basis we should expel Allen? Neither we some proof about the spreading rumor nor he has done something wrong till now. If I''m wrong tell me right away." Nice play Principal. She handled the situation pretty efficiently. Her question seemed absolutely right and this way no one can question her authority. Her question neither support me nor go against the teachers. I wonder how the other teachers will react and especially how will the President react. "We already told you the reason," Miss Jasmine said, "The rumors have spread far enough and it''s impacting our status." "Did you not hear what Allen said earlier?" she looked at them with inferiority, "It can''t be used a good enough reason to expel someone, if that were to happen half of the school would be emptied by now." "W-what do you mean?" Miss Jasmine looked confused. "Don''t think that I wouldn''t know your wrong doings," she said, "Before the rumor about Allen spread there was another one circulating around, and other school stated that our school paid the judges to win the competition." "T-that''s not true," Mister Hendrickson tried saying something but it didn''t affect the Principal and she still continued. "I know the truth, you know the truth and if that were to leak out I wonder who is going to damage the school''s reputation. The one about Allen where isn''t a single shred of proof and just a rumor spread by our own students and then there''s another rumor, about our school using underhanded means win prizes. I wonder which seems more convincing." "After all, no one will bother to take a second look at Allen because people aren''t interested in something that doesn''t provide them with any benefits. That way, it will be you, not Allen, who will be the cause of this school''s downfall. I will not stand by and let injustice take place." Is it just me or is that the Principal is really frustrated right now. "¡­" the others might not be able to know the real reason she looked so frustrated but I know. It wasn''t because of me nor for me but it was for herself. "I don''t have the power, no I didn''t have the power to take any action against the wrong doers but take a note that I won''t let it happen again¡­ think before you come to again with such thing." her voice was somewhat coarse. "¡­ O-okay¡­" everyone except me were confused and scared at the same time. "B-but he h-hasn''t either done something worth till now," the President gathered up his strength and came forward. Let''s see how the Principal will handle him now because he got a point. "What do you mean exactly¡­?" the Principal asked. "¡­ What he meant to say is that, even if we don''t consider rumor as a way to expel Allen, but the rumor have caused some damage and it''s a fact even you can''t deny," Mister Hendrickson seemed to back up the President a lot, what''s going on between them? "Again, where are you getting at?" The principal asked. "There are many students who haven''t done worth to rise up our school''s reputation, but they neither have done something that will crumble the school''s reputation," he supported his statement. Listening to that reasoning even I''m agreeing but that doesn''t mean I will let them expel me. And eve if the worst come I have a secret plan of my own. "Hmm¡­ you does have a point," she said. "So, are we expelling Allen then?!" the President was the first one to say. "I would have done that but, everyone deserves a second chance," the Principal said. "¡­ And how exactly are we going to that?" Mister Hendrickson asked. "Give me some time to think about it," she said, "I''ll get back to you about this as soon as possible." "¡­ Whatever you decide, try doing it fast¡­ please." If Mister Hendrickson hadn''t used the word ''please'' at the last, it could have interpreted as a threat. "Fine, I''ll do something fast. If that''s all you can leave. Everyone except Allen," she said, "I have to tell the truth to him. Since, the others won''t be telling him themselves." "L-let''s go, Harvey¡­" with that all three of them left the room while Harvey was glaring at me with frustrated eyes. I guess it''s natural since he was completely shunned by the Principal. Not only that, when we met on the entrance of the Auditorium he told me that he will successfully expel me from the school instead he saw his plan fail miserably. It''s obvious that he must be harboring some grudge at me now. It can''t be helped. *sigh* The principal let out a big sigh and instantly sat on the couch. "Are you okay?" I just said it without thinking, "What''s this¡­? Are you worried about me?" she asked me. She was definitely grinning. "Why would I be? You are an adult so I don''t have to worry about you at all. It''s the basic manner to ask someone, or is what my mother told me to." "Anyway, we can talk all about your mother later but don''t you something more important to ask me?" she asked me. "Listening your conversation, even a stupid student will figure it out. But one this is bugging me, why didn''t any teacher came forward to stop it earlier?" "I agreed to them that I''ll expel you but on one condition," she paused for a moment and continued again, "You will get a chance to clear your name in front of the whole school and no teacher will interrupt in between. And if there is slightest bit of evidence or sowed any sign of fear that you have done something wrong you will be expelled on the spot but you stood your ground you." "¡­" "Not only had you stood your ground alone. You were able to shut the hell up the whole student body single handedly. This was something they didn''t expected at all. Also the confidence you showed and not cowering not a slightest bit put the teachers dumfounded." She said. "Did you expected it?" I asked her. "Of course, I knew you''d be able to confront them, but I assumed you''d merely be able to deny the accusations, but you didn''t stop there. When you not only confronted the entire school with your face held up high you took offense at them, even I was taken aback at that time. So, yeah, I was a little startled." She said laughingly. "Hmm¡­ is that so. Anyway, here I need to give you this before I leave. This might help you give an upper hand at those teachers and will shut them up for a while." I handed her over my phone. "What''s this?" she asked me. "Well, it''s just a conversation between me and one of the teacher I met before getting on the stage," I said. "Let''s see what it has got," she clicked through the phone. But instead of hearing the sound of the audio I heard only vibrations coming from the phone. "Wh-" "What''s the password?" ah, explains the sound of all those vibrations. "Sorry, my bad¡­ I forgot I didn''t open it," I took the phone from her. I''m sure I opened the phone but I guess it''s because of my habit. Whenever I move away from phone or placing the phone somewhere I unconsciously lock it. I must have done the same thing this time also. "Here you go¡­" I again handed her over the phone, this time I made sure it''s unlocked. "Hmm¡­" she played the audio. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 71 - Familiar Face [ANNOUNCEMENT] [IT HAS COME TO MY NOTICE THAT FEW OF THE READER''S ARE REQUESTING FOR THE CHARACTER DESIGN AND I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE HAND BUT, DUE TO MY LACK OF AWARNESS I KEEPT ON FORGETTING THAT IT''S NECESSARY FOR THE READERS TO AT LEAST KNOW THE FACE OF THE PERSON TO EXPERIENCE THE STORY IN MUCH BETTER WAY. SO, I WANT YOUR VIEW ON THIS. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION.] [Do you want a character design or not?] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I think I''ll listen to this later on because even if you say that this might keep away for a while I have some other matters to attend to," she said, "Even if I listen to this I''ll have to go to them and talk with then and that''s the most headache work." She appeared to be concerned by them. I can''t possible know exact reason, but my hunch is that they pressed her earlier about expelling me, but she persuaded them to give me a chance. Also, nearly all of our teachers in our school have more than 15 years of experience, so we may consider them old. No offense, but dealing with the elderly can be a one-of-a-kind problem since they don''t back down easy. And seeing her exhausted look right now looks like she has already done it once. "Alright, I''ll do that but at least you can take a copy of the audio? It''s better to be precautious rather than being careless..." I suggested her to take a copy. It''s only logical to take a copy before hand. "I take you up on that," she said, "Share it with me." Within a few moments later I transferred files to her phone. "I sent you another one," I said, "You don''t need to pay much attention to it. But in case I''m in a pinch back me up..." "Okay...?" she looked a little confused but she still concurred with my request. "Also one more thing," I said, "What now?" "Sorry but this won''t take much time," I said and continued, "Can I take care of the President?" "What do you mean by taking care of him?" she said that but before I could answer she told me something, "... You know what? Do what ever you want. I don''t really care about that stupid student anyway and if you don''t mind... I''ll be busy some work for a couple of days so try not to disturb me until unless someone is about to die..." "... Okay..." I replied to her. "... You can leave and close the door shut when you leave," she said. Without any further questions I silently went up to the door and closed it without making any noise and left the area. As I was making my way to the second floor I wondered about something. I know the Principal was a bit stressed out but the incident that took place wasn''t the reason for that. Also she losing her composure wasn''t something that happens to her no matter the situation. Even when our school was Infiltrated she didn''t lose her composure and executed the mission pretty nicely. So, there is not even one in a billion chance that she would lose her composure to those kind of people. Something is definitely up but what? I was thinking about it and slowly stepped down the stair, making my way to my class. But I noticed some murmuring down the stairs. Is another fight taking place? Even if there is, I''m not going to get involved in it so if I see at any point that I''m being targeted or going to get targeted I will leave. I don''t like to be the center of attention but I know my luck... "He''s here..." "Eh? Where...?" What? Are they are talking about me? I didn''t wanted to become the center of attention but I guess it was a futile wish since after what I did at the Auditorium was not something that will be kept quite. "I wish I could have just stayed up there..." but since the Principal was already in a bit pickle herself, I can''t possibly try to burden her more since she is already doing everything in her power to protect us. "Ah! He''s here...!" I noticed a familiar voice. Turned out it was Iris. She was about a couple of meters away from. I couldn''t care less about her but right now she isn''t coming alone. A group of people were coming with her and I''m sure that I don''t know either of them in any way, so why are they also coming? No... wait, I see a familiar face, no... not just one a couple more. "Allen!" Lily stopped just in front of me and yelled. "... what?" I asked her. It didn''t much time to make a circle me up. "Don''t ''what'' me." she said to me with a voice that showed a little bit of concern but I think I might be imagining it since she isn''t someone to be concerned about others. "If there is nothing else, I''m leaving," I said. "W-wait... Allen!" I turned around to see who it was and it turned out it was Lily. She was also the one among the many people that came with Iris. "..." I stayed quite. "What was that speech earlier?" "How did you know that the rumor began spreading from the school...?" "Weren''t you afraid at all when you said all those things on stage...?" "Did you rehearse it before hand?" "Were not scared of the President?" Mountains of questions came upon me in an instant. To the point where I lost track who was asking what. "Hey, at least let the man breathe..." it was Mike who stopped all those wave of questions with his bold voice. "..." I know what''s Mike social standing within the school but his statement made them quite so I''m guessing it''s in the upper region. "Now, Allen tell me what how did you do it?" Nope. He wasn''t that different than others either. He was just another fish inside a pond. "I just did it, nothing special," I said, "I wasn''t scared of the President and neither the speech was rehearsed. I wasn''t even aware of that something like that is going to happen... I''ll be not going to answer any further question so clear the way let me leave." "B-but-" Iris tried to ask something but I interrupted her. "It might look like a big deal to everyone but to be honest it was nerve cracking so if you let me be at peace for a while it would be very much appreciated," I said. I intentionally made it sound like that so that they sympathize with me and let me be alone. "A-alright..." at last she backed down. "But you have to tell me later on...!" or no... she didn''t back down at all. She just postponed it for a later date and I have another headache. "... Fine... but let me leave first," I said. ... Without turning back I paced myself out the second floor and made my way to the school gym. Since, the thing that happened in the Auditorium happened just a while ago there is no way anyone will come to the gymnasium. But as a precaution I sat behind the basket ball stand. It was big enough to hide me so I sat there to relax. "Now I only need to take care of the President..." I mumbled to myself. *Thum* *Thum* I heard something bouncing inside the gymnasium. I''m pretty sure I was alone here and I''m sitting beside the ball stand so there is possible no way to take the ball without me noticing. I tried taking a peek at what''s happing in the court. *Thum* *Thum* I saw a girl practicing with a basket ball. Gut how did she take the ball? No, wait. Something is... I have seen this girl somewhere before... where...? Hmm... Ah, she is the one who got kidnapped that day. I completely forgot about her. Well for starters I knew that she was okay since the Principal said it and moreover if she wasn''t okay at least some fuss would have occurred. *Thum* *Thum* But she sure is practicing hard... I mean she was already sweating and her shirt was already soaked with sweat. Wait, sweat? She didn''t come here just now, she has been here even before I came. But then were was she? *Thum* She stopped in between and let go of the ball and starred at the basket. "Aw man... I can''t go on like this forever..." she muttered something in low voice I couldn''t hear it but seeing her facial expression I think she is frustrated. It was the similar look like that of the Principal earlier in the office. *Roll* *Stop* The ball that she let go earlier rolled at my direction, no let me rephrase it. It came directly at me and stopped just at my feet.. This is the worst situation possible especially for me. Chapter 72 - She Remembers...? The ball stopped just right in front of me. It''s really the worst thing that can happen right now and even I know that if she sees me right now it''s going to be troublesome. Not just on but there are multiple troubles. The reasons are quite simple. If I roll the ball over in the opposite direction she will instantly know that someone is here. I will totally be seen as a stalker. Neither did I reveal myself earlier and nor did she know that I was here so no matter what explanation or reason I layout to her she wouldn''t believe it most likely. Even if I try to plea not guilty, I don''t think she will listen to what I say. And if I stay here silently I am still in a pinch since she will eventually come to take this ball and when she comes here to pick up the ball she will see me and it will freak her out totally. If I''m right, she must be thinking that she is alone in here but the instant she sees me will suspect me of stalking her. *Step* *Step* It was already too late. I could hear the steps coming closer. "Why can''t I do it correctly...?" she again said something to herself in low voice. But I don''t have to decipher her words because I am already in a bit of trouble right now. *Step* The sound of footsteps stopped halfway. What happened? I waited and waited and waited but no sound was heard but as the floor went silent I noticed something else. "Y----" someone else was coming other than the girl standing right there. "Oh boy," I heard the girl''s voice, "Got to hide..." I was just sitting there waiting to get caught but something peculiar happened instead. The moment she stopped right in front of the ball stand she noticed my presence and stared at me for a second or two and instantly everted her eyes. "Wh-" she was about to say something she turned around for a moment and but stopped in between and turned around for a moment and the next moment she was doing something unreasonable, or at least what it looked like to me. *Throw* *Throw* She picked some of the balls and slide them down the floor, scattering them. What is she trying to do? As I was wondering why was she throwing the balls throughout the gym. But as she had the last ball in her hand she threw it the farthest and took quickly took a seat beside the ball stand, or to be precise she sat beside me. Was she hiding from someone? "... What was that...?" I heard a girl''s voice. "Don''t ask me..." there is more than one girl. "Whatever happened there, I might need to think it over about those rumors, to be honest..." a group of girls came inside the gymnasium. "You know what... I think the same but there is this uneasiness..." I think they are talking about me... "... Yeah... Like even I talked to a couple of my classmates and even they told me that they don''t really know much about Allen..." "Hmm... even I got to know that he existed in this school... I know I''m bad with faces but not this much that I forget about a person studying in the same school." another girl said. Their conversation was the worst of my worries because a bigger problem was sitting beside me at the moment. I sat there silently watching the girls over there and the girl that sitting beside me. "Whoa!" "Who scattered these balls around...?!" one of the girls exclaimed. "I''m not in the mood to gather up all these balls..." another girl said with an expression of exhaustion. "Neither am I doing it..." soon all of them declined to clean up the mess. "Argh! I hate it... can''t they just clean it up before cleaning...?" one girl among the group exclaimed and the others agreed in unison. "Let''s leave, it''s not like we are going to clean it and then practice..." With that last remark, it was decided that they are going to leave. As I saw them disappear behind the entrance gate I felt a little relieved since if I was seen with a girl alone it might lead to another ruckus. But then I remembered that another problem is still here with me. "Do you mind telling me what are you doing here?" ah, here it comes. "Umm... will you believe me if I say that I was just sitting here to cool off my mind," I said. "Do you really want me to believe that...?" she made a face that I haven''t seen on anyone yet. "If possible I would want that but..." I analyzed her expression and came to a conclusion, "You don''t seem to be convinced." "Then mind telling me the truth?" she questioned me. But this situation is strange. Normally if I talk to a random person I won''t talk as much as her. She must also be knowing me since I''m infamous in the whole school. So, it''s natural to ignore me or complain about me yet she isn''t doing either. "I just said it," I said. "Wait a minute, your name is Allen right?" she asked me with a confused face. "Yes...?" "Aren''t you supposed to be in the Principal''s office at the moment?" "Yes, I was supposed to be there-" before I could complete my sentence she spoke again. "Then why are you here?!" she exclaimed. "Let me finish the sentence at least..." I said to her face. "O-oh, sorry... continue," she said. "The reason the Principal called me was something related to what happened today but it didn''t take as much time I expected it would," I said, "So, that''s the reason I am here at the moment." "So, what happened in there...?" she asked me something like that this easily? Did she really think I would tell the conversation that took place in there? "I don''t know..." I vaguely answered her. I wish she was satisfied with this much explanation. I intentionally added the reason for me going to the Principal''s Office. "Is that so? Anyway, what I want to kn-" as she was about to ask another question I stopped her from going any further. "Look I don''t even know your name and I just met you so do you mind not interfering with me this much? I have already told you enough and moreover I also need a little alone time after what I did today so..." I thought after hearing this she would back down but little did I know that she wasn''t going to back down just because of this reason. "I just want to know one more thing that''s all." she still pestered further. "Like I to-" "Do you happen to remember a day when few strangers trespassed the school? It happened on... I don''t remember the exact date but it was-" so she does remember? But if she has this memory she must have also the memory of me and if she remembers me she must have also seen me holding a gun. But she said she can''t recall the exact date then means that she isn''t sure herself. "What? Why are you asking me this out of nowhere?" "I-I just thought that I might have s-seen your face..." she tried thinking about it. The main part to focus on is ''might have'', this confirms that she isn''t sure either. I can still make her believe it was only her imagination. "Me? First of all, there is no way I would have forgotten something like that. And secondly, are you crazy? If something like strangers trespassing the school happened wouldn''t that news be spread across the entire school by now?" I continued with my innocent face. "Y-Yeah you are right b-but..." "If we consider that is true then weren''t there someone else with you or someone else who has seen that?" "That''s the problem, I was alone that day..." she said while staring at me. "Okay, now it seems completely surreal. It must have been your imagination and about seeing me I think I know the reason why..." I said. "Why?" she asked me. No. You aren''t supposed to ask me ''why''. Why are you asking so many questions? I came here to get some peace but instead, I got the opposite. What did I do to deserve this??? "I don''t mean to brag but I happen to be quite famous in school for some time and you must have gotten the gist of me and unconsciously imagined about me," I sounded stupid but I had to give it a try at least. "Do you really think I will believe something like that?" she asked me. "I don''t care whether you believe it or not. It''s just that I don''t remember any unknown person entering the school grounds and even if someone did at least there would have been some kind of announcement to be cautious but nothing sort of that happened and you know it. So in conclusion, it''s not a matter that you believe me or not it''s just that the facts are proving your say imaginary and that''s that," I said. "..." she looked like she wanted to tell something rather she gulped it inside and didn''t say another word but she was staring too hard at me, why? TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 73 - I Know She kept on staring at me too hard. What does she want now? Again this situation is difficult for me. If I ask her why is she staring at me I will have to listen to that and I certainly don''t want that because the only reason I decided to come here was to be at peace but the moment she sat beside me I lost my most loving thing, peace. And if I don''t ask her she might continue staring at me, I don''t want that either. It''s weird if someone keeps on staring at you without any reason, right? I have two options, and both lead to a dead end. This girl is definitely bad news. I can''t associate with her more than this. Who knows she might even come to my class to ask something. As I was thinking about it something happened that I forgot to take into consideration. "You know what...?" she can also ask her question first hand. I completely forgot that. Now that she has spoken something should I just stay silent? But if I continue to stay silent she might continue to pester me. Observing her till now has made it clear that she won''t stop until she gets her answer or I force her to stop. "Are you listening...?" she continued to pry further. "... Yes... I''m listening. What do you want?" I asked even though I might regret it later. "Aren''t you a bit different?" she made a perplexed expression, which left me perplexed as to what she was saying. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked her. "Like you know the rumors, right?" she said. "... I know that the rumors about me but I don''t particularly know what are they... so, you can say I don''t know exactly what are the rumors about me," I replied vaguely. "What?!" she yelled right behind my left ear. "... Don''t yell at someone when you are this close," I continued, "Also since no one tries to talk to me directly or talk to me about the rumors I don''t know. Is it that surprising?" I don''t think that''s something to be surprised like that. "No, no, no. You are waaay of the mark..." she said. "?" but I still don''t get her point. "Don''t tell me are you a complete airhead...?" she asked me. "No... why would you say that?" is she making fun of me? Her face looked a bit serious but her way of questioning seemed a bit like she is making fun of me. "But seriously," she said, "Do you really not know?" "My answer is still the same," I said. See, this is what I was talking about. She will continue asking me questions that I think as stupid. "Fufufufu...." she began laughing all of a sudden. But she was still trying not to let out her voice too much, maybe because the earlier group might return because of the sound. "..." even though I stayed silent and stared at her thinking only one thing, why? Why am I still sitting with her here? "... The most f-famous among... fufufufu... is that, a-all the second years think that you are of a son of a big yakuza''s group leader... fufufufu..!" "A-And... the first years think that you are a playboy... fufufufufu...!" she tried to control herself but the moment she thinks she was in control and look up at me she burst out laughing again and again. I sat there observing her but I think I heard something weird. Me? A son of a yakuza? Playboy? I don''t even have that many female friends, to begin with, how did they come to that conclusion? Is this some kind of joke? "Wait, wait... aren''t the rumors supposed to be about me holding a gun or using a gun at someone?" I''m confused right now. "That was fun..." she said. After many failures, she was able to control her laughter. "The one about you holding a gun and using it was something that gave rise to the spread of rumors and to be honest that was the point when everyone became afraid of you, even those who don''t even know you. The reason being, the rumors spread like wildfire and it might have twisted bit by bit by many people," she said. "So you are telling me that someone spread the rumor and later it was changed?" what is this? Like how much can a rumor be distorted? Isn''t this a bit too excessive? "That is exactly what happened," she said. "I think I understand that thing but why did you laugh this much?" I asked. "Look even if the rumors are spreading about you, aren''t you supposed to be a little bit knowledgeable about it? So, that you can do something to change your reputation," she said. "I don''t really care what other people think of so why should I do something unreasonable such as that?" the only thing is that all that is just a rumor and the rumors are meant to disgrace the person. So there is a high possibility that all of that is actually false, if they have the slightest bit of brain in them they will come to know it''s just a way to break me. "What? You don''t care about that? Aren''t you a bit concerned?" she said. "... You are the one asking me questions for a quite a long time why don''t you answer some of mine too?" I proposed something. "Alright... I''m fine with either way," and she agreed to it instantly. "Why don''t you tell me the real reason you laughed at me?" I asked my first question. "Ah, it''s just that the moment I talked to you looked somewhat herbivorous so imagining you like a playboy or a son of a big yakuza leader seemed funny, and also you are an airhead," she said. "I told you, I''m not an airhead." "So, what''s your second question?" she looked eager to answer the next question. Is she the type that likes to talk a lot? If someone would ask me, I would say ''yes'' without hesitating for a second. "Why were you alone in the gymnasium?" I asked. "Hmm..." she paused, "I wanted to practice..." "And you expect me to believe that?" I said as I stared at her in the similar way she did earlier. I thought I will give her the taste of her own medicine but it appears that she doesn''t dislike it since she also stared back at me. "... Why don''t you believe it?" she asked me. "I might not know you or come in here on daily basis but the way you acted earlier when those group of girls came in I completely understand that you have some alter motive and I want to know what it was," I said. It looked like she wanted to get rid of those girls. Throwing the balls across the court isn''t something that can be done without a reason obviously. "Aren''t you asking something personal?" she asked me. "What you were doing to me till now isn''t personal? Even though it was a failure, you were still trying to pry into my personal life. Isn''t that right? If not I will back down right now and leave," I said. Since the beginning, she was trying to ask me things I don''t have to disclose with someone that easily. "Hmm... how about this, I tell you why I was doing practice all alone and you tell me whether you had a conflict with Peter ever," what? Why is she mentioning Peter? I don''t think he has got anything to do with this. "Alright, let''s call it a day then," I said to her. I just asked her about her because she was doing the same thing to me but instead of answering me she handed me an exchange offer. The offer that I don''t even care about. Did she really think I will agree to something this foolish? And then I just got to know her why would I tell her something like that? "What?" she looked confused. She really did think I would comply with her. "Why would I tell you something like that? If you don''t want to answer that''s fine with me since I don''t really care what you do..." I was halfway stood up and was about to stand up completely but she pulled my shirt down with full force. I didn''t think she would pull me down and because of my lack of awareness, my shoes slipped and I was about to hit the ground but fortunately, I placed my hand on the ground before the impact and slowed myself a little making my fall less hurtful. *Thum* It wasn''t that painful as I thought. I turned around to see what happened and saw a pair of legs below me. She placed her leg so that I wouldn''t directly hit the ground and because of my hand I was able to slow myself making enough time for her to act but still I didn''t think she could react this fast. I guess basketball people have to fast o their feet at least. "A-Are you okay...?" she looked a bit concerned. "Who is asking? The one who made me fall..." I said sarcastically. "I''m sorry...! Did you get hurt anywhere?" she looked worried. "I''m okay but don''t do that type of thing again," I said. "I won''t... but I need a favor..." she asked me. And I know I''m going to regret this one also but I still said it. "What...?" I think I have asked something I shouldn''t have. TO B CONTINUED.... Chapter 74 - She Isnt Aware "Y-yeah...! That''s great Allen!" she said as she was breathing heavily while I could see her body in sweat. Is it too intense for her? "I can say... the same for you... I didn''t think you were this great," I gave her a compliment. Also, I wasn''t in much of a different situation as compared to her right now since I was also sweating too much. "I know that! But Allen I''m surprised you can stick this longer..." she said as she was gasping for air. She must have been tired since we have been going like this for quite some time. "What did you expect then...?" I asked her. "For being your first time, you are able to continue this loong! I didn''t expect this at all...! I think I need to rest a bit..!" she exclaimed as she stopped moving and locked her eyes at me. "No way, if we stop right now I don''t think we will be able to finish it..." I said as I also stopped moving and locked my gaze at her. She was sweating too much. I could clearly see every single drop of water scrolling down her soft skin. "A-Alright! Let''s go another round...!" she exerted herself and started moving. The moment she was beside me her body collided with mine and I felt her soft skin. It was soft as that of a newborn baby. Are girls really supposed to be this soft? "N-No... I can''t anymore..." she again stopped but this time she was definitely out of gas. Her legs were shaking. I guess we can stop now. "Alright," I said indicating to let''s stop. ... [20 Minutes Earlier] "I won''t... but I need a favor..." she asked me. And I know I''m going to regret this one also but I still said it. "What...?" I think I have asked something I shouldn''t have. "I need someone... other than the club members to help me out with basketball," she seemed hesitant at first but she was still able to say it upfront. "Then find some," I said, "Oh, you want my help to find that someone, isn''t that right?" "No... you are a complete airhead..." she said something in low voice. I couldn''t hear what she said. "Hmm? What was that? I didn''t get it," I asked her. "... Nothing," she let out a considerably a big sigh, "I want you to help me out with my practice." Huh? What''s that supposed to mean? I just met her right now and she asking me to practice with her. Even if we talked for quite some time but I''m still practically a total stranger to her, which is what I assumed from the start but seeing her eyes I think she thinks otherwise. If not then she wouldn''t have asked me for something like this. "Why are you asking me? I just met you," I asked her. "Well... I want someone with who I can practice with. Also, the seniors don''t let me play in the games and the ones from the second years don''t like me that much and the first years are a no-no," she said, "Since I don''t get to practice that much I want someone to block my attacks." Now I get it, she doesn''t especially want me, she could have asked anyone outside her club because she is not on good terms with them as of now so they must be trying to isolate her. Also since she isn''t much different than me. But I don''t want to do something like that. I thought I could rest for a while but coming turned out to be the biggest mistake. "What if I refuse?" I asked her. "If you refuse..." she didn''t think it through did she? Well, I guess I can leave. "Okay, I''ll be leaving now." I quickly stood up not letting her drag me down again and distanced myself and her as quickly as possible. "If you leave..." she looked like she was racking up her brain thoroughly. I took this opportunity and without any second delay, I paced myself towards the exit. "Wait! If you will leave right now I am going to tell everyone in the school that you were stalking me...!" she exclaimed. I was just a couple of steps away from getting outside. Earlier if she had said something like this to me I would have ignored her but after what I did today, I might be able to get rid of all those rumors. But that''s the problem, if only she had something like this a day before. If she spreads a rumor around the school like this I don''t think they would ever believe me again. "You won''t..." I said. "What makes you think that I won''t?" she asked me. "I know for sure you won''t, because if you did many would ask you when and where it happened," I said. "Where are you going with that?" she looked confused. "You made a mistake," I said. "What mistake...?" she doesn''t have a single clue. "You mentioned earlier that second year''s don''t like you and if my theory is right, third years also don''t like you," I said, "When you tell them the place where it all happened those group of girls that came here earlier will also get to know that," I said. "..." she stared at me silently. I continued. "Seeing by your reaction earlier I think you don''t get along with them that much." "..." she didn''t respond but her eyes did flinch a little. I guess it''s true then. Even though we were standing apart but because of the sunlight, I could see it her face slightly. "When they will get to know that you were here all alone in the gymnasium they will know for sure that you are also the one who scattered all the balls here. They might show some sympathy in front of others but they might also isolate you even more than you already are," I said. "So you are saying it''s going be my fall as well if I try to threaten you...?" she said. "That''s what you said, I just stated the facts and if it looks like that then so be it," I said. That was not fully true since I meant it like that. By doing this I won''t be the only one to receive the fall. "Hmm... you made it quite hard for me, Allen." she looked a little bit troubled. "Is that so?" I asked. "But I wonder who will it hit hard? Me or you? Even if I am going to be affected by it I can still handle it but can you?" I think I might have underestimated her. What she said is actually pretty much in her favor. She won''t be affected much as compared to me and I might as well lose the chance to clear out my name. "... What do you want?" I gave in. I tried to intimate her but failed. If I try to do anything further she might actually do it since I don''t hear that much and don''t know what she can do or not. It''s too risky as of now. I can''t bluff my way out, I might get caught easily. "That''s more like it," she seemed enthusiastic. But her atmosphere really changed in an instant. Why do I think I have seen this somewhere before? ... And here we are. I''m helping her practice her basketball. To be more precise, she instructed me to block her from shooting the ball. At first, I thought I could handle her since I have played basketball in middle school but it turns out that I can do more than just that. Since we were doing one-on-one, it was decided that I would only try blocking maybe because she isn''t confident in shooting and wanted to practice. She came dribbling from the center of the court and I would try not to lose my eyesight both the ball and her legs since she might do a fake but it can only work if the other person is focusing only on the ball, on the other hand, I was doing both simultaneously. The moment she would lunge forward to throw the ball I would also jump at the same moment and would just try to change the direction of the ball, I was also at a bit of advantage here since I was slightly taller than her so blocking her wasn''t that difficult as I thought it would. And fortunately, it was working quite well. But that was not all there was something else that was stopping her from making it to the basket. ... [The Present] After doing some intense play, it was decided that we need to rest for a bit. "H-how...?" she said as she was gasping for more air. "What?" I asked. "... How are you able to block them...?" she successfully said that in one go. "To be honest I just jump at the same time as you," I said. "T-There''s no way that''s true..." she said. "You aren''t focusing on your opponent," I said, "From what I have noticed, it''s that you think of me as a small fry and maybe even I am but due to that thinking you mainly focus only on the basket. Making an opportunity for me to take you down." "..." TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 75 - I Need To Get Away... I don''t know what time it was but one thing I know for sure is that soon the classes are going to get started and I''m soaking wet with sweat. What am I going to do with this? As I wondering about my share of problems it looks like she has also problems of her own to solve. "... I-I..." she tried to replying but she wasn''t able to speak it out loud. "Now that you know your problem why not try doing it again?" I suggested. It''s for sure that she is a bit better in basket ball as compared to me since she must have been practicing for quite sometime and as for myself, I don''t think I have played basket ball for a long time. Only if she took into account that even an amateur can at least parry the attacks from a regular player sometime. See her play till now, I came to a conclusion that she isn''t trying to take me seriously rather she thinks that I''m inferior to her and that''s when she makes a mistake. "Alright," she said. She looked like she was planning something this time rather than attacking like earlier without any strategy. "..." We both entered the court and she picked up a ball lying around. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Since the beginning she made some distance between me and her. She maintained the distance for quite some time but she plunged forward when I was least ready. Nevertheless I was still able to block her path but she was persistent, she continued to push me back. I would have been able to stop her from baking up any further but I can''t use more strength on her than this. She continued dribbling and did a fake. Using her left hand, she took the ball and made it look like she was aiming for the left side but her shoes indicated otherwise. "Haa... haa..." I could hear her heavy breathing. I took a small step on the left but still focused on her right side. *Thump* "Hup...!" instead of taking it back and turning towards the right, she forced the ball on the ground, the ball got rebounded and passed from right through my hand. That was something I didn''t expect. I turned around to take the ball but I was a bit late since she was more agile maybe because of height she was able to move slightly bit faster than me. This move wasn''t something she came up with just now. It was something she have been practicing for a long time. Or is what I believe. "Kuh~!" she didn''t just stop there. Without stopping for a second she stepped forward towards the basket but she didn''t knew that I am quite fast on feet also and in a slit of seconds I caught up to her. "Haa..." even I was slightly tired but I still didn''t falter. To stop her I tried using my dominant hand thinking that I could at least interfere her dribbling but I failed. She continuously changed the ball direction the moment I would extend my arm. To stop her I lunged forward and took a couple of steps much faster and came up in front of her. Seeing me she looked surprised for a moment there but instantly changed the ball from other and tried taking the other route. Since, I exerted myself a little bit in taking few steps ahead of her I was only a second late in blocking her. She passed me and was in clear. She only had to take a single step and just had to do a lay up or throw ball aiming at the basket and it would have gotten inside. It was a perfect opportunity. She didn''t hesitate and decided to throw the ball directly, maybe because she thought I would stop her. *Throw* "Haa...!" she threw the ball. I saw the ball going inside the basket and I don''t know what happened to me but my body moved on it''s own and without any wasting any second I ran towards the basket. I passed her and my eyes were locked only at the ball. "W-Wha-" I heard something but I ignored it for the moment and completely focused on the ball. The ball only few inches away from getting inside the basket but I still didn''t stop and I jumped. I don''t know if whether I will be able to block the ball successfully or not but I still jumped. *Touch* The tip of my figures was able to touch the ball. I turned around to see. The ball direction slightly changed but it was still around the area of the ring. I didn''t close my eyes even for a single second and saw the ball. I''m sure she is also looking at it right now. The ball touched the ring and then the support and bounced back. Seeing that I felt a little happy but I turned back to normal again soon enough. .., "... After this we are even," I said as I sat on the floor. Also thinking of a way to dry all this sweat fast. "... We... can say that, but did you happen to play basket ball before?" she asked me. "Look, I''m not going through all this again," I said, "No more questions and no more answering. Why don''t we bot keep quite for a while as we rest?" I can''t take this anymore. Only because of her I had to go through all this. If it at all possible I don''t even want to meet her again. It was my fault from the start in the first place. I shouldn''t have come here and instead I wish I could have answered those questions and I might have been able to get out from there much more easily. "Boo...! You aren''t fun at all," she said as she sulked over something this trivial but I don''t care what she says or does. "I''m not here to entertain you. I was forced to do that," I said, "If you really want to talk then tell me the quickest way to dry all this... sweat. You must be knowing some kind of trick right?" "What?! Do I stink...!" she started sniffing herself all of a sudden. She comes to a conclusion pretty fast. "No..." I let of the biggest sigh in this whole week and said, "You practice a lot so you must get sweaty all the time. What do you do then?" "Ohh... thank go," she seemed relieved, "I usually use the extra shirt or T-shirt but sometime I also play in school uniform. I would just sit beside the window seat for a couple of periods and it get''s dried soon enough." What? Isn''t she aware that doing that kind of think might degrade her health. A couple of periods means it''s at least for more than hour and wearing a sweaty shirt for more than an hour is enough to make most of the people sick, it''s surprising she hasn''t gotten yet. "Any other way...?" I asked her. "Hmm... you can wear the extra cloth. If any teacher asks tell them that your shirt got wet or any other excuse," she said. "And do I look like I have an extra pair of clothing with me?" is she that much dumb? I can understand she carry an extra pair since she has club activities but why would I also be having something like that? "You asked me some other way and I told you," she said, "You never mentioned that you are specifically talking about yourself." she added. "Sorry it''s my mistake," who am I asking? She is definitely not the right person. "Anyway I will think about it myself," I said, "I suppose I should get going I have my class." With that I stood up and began walking towards the exit hoping she wouldn''t call me back again but I guess even god is full mood to make me miserable. "Allen, you never got to know my name." But I don''t want to remember you that''s why didn''t bother asking. "... What is it?" I still asked it so that we can end it in good faith. "Aamber," is what she said. "... That''s a nice name. Anyway, need to go now so bye..." I said to her and picked up my pace. "See you later, Allen." she said out loud. But I don''t want to meet you again, who knows what she will ask again. I''m afraid I might encounter her soon. "..." instead of replying I raised my right hand and waved to her and after soo multiple attempts I was successfully able to get out of that ''gymnasium''. If at all possible I would prefer not to go in there again, who knows I might meet her again. Without stopping for a second I made a considerable distance between me and the gymnasium. I walked around the first floor hallway. I thought I will see crowd around here since the classes haven''t started yet but it''s completely empty. I wonder why? As I made my way towards the second floor I noticed something. Not just something, it felt like the scene I had seen not long before... TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 76 - Not Again I stepped up the stairs thinking of the incidents that happened in a single day. Not to mention that I met some girl who threatened me to do somethin for her, that might have been my first time someone has ever done like that to me and that''s for sure that I don''t like being used as they think. Anyway, let''s forget about that since I got another issue in front of me. It wasn''t that long that I have seen this much crowd. Is another brawl happening, if so I''m going to leave at this moment. I don''t want to engage in something trivial anymore. "What''s happening?" as I was mounting over the stairs, I heard someone talking beside the stairs. "I think the all student council are waiting for someone." a small group of first year''s were standing there. I know for sure they were first and didn''t mistook them for a second year or third since their dress color is slightly darker than the second years. The upper the class the lighter the color gets. "What! All the of the student council...?" one of the boy looked surprised. "That was the exact same reaction I had when I first heard about it. I wonder what''s going to happen?" the other person said. "Why don''t you ask someone...?" among the group I noticed a girl was also there. She was standing behind one of the boys that''s why I couldn''t see her but when she stepped a little forward I noticed her. "I asked but many of then don''t know." the previous boy answered. Hearing him I think he must have gotten earlier than the others. "Oh... even I''m curious now. That thing in the Auditorium and now this..." "It''s also rare to see all of the student council all together." ... After hearing their conversation I knew for sure that something is going to happen and that something might actually be related to me. I guess I won''t be going to the class as of now. I went downstairs but then it occurred to me that this girl might as well be coming. There is only one passage from my class to the gym and through the gym the passage only leads to the same staircase that I am now standing on. I wish I could just snap my fingers and everything just vanishes or I get to teleport to my home in an instant. The longer I stay at school the more problem I get I am getting involved with. I thought about what should I do now and decided to choose the earlier option, i.e., to get to the classroom hoping the student council or anyone doesn''t have anything to concern with me. Even though it was a futile wish but I still hoped for it to happen. *Step* *Step* I slowly took the steps and walked up the stairs, again. I tried to sneak in between all that crow but unfortunately I couldn''t completely escape from them. I was almost camouflaged among the crowd but my luck ran fast quite fast when the farthest person among the crowd saw me and shouted it out loud. "L-Look Allen''s here...!" I don''t know who he is but he sure know my name. Also what I feared the most came to bit me in reality. Seeing the way that person reacted at the sight of me clearly showed that I am most likely the one who all the student council is waiting for. Well that''s to be expected after what I did in the Auditorium. If at all possible I would have never done something like that again. Due to that I''m the center of attention but in a different way yet I still don''t like being the center of attention. I wish that matter could have handled only among the teachers. "Where?" "Who shouted?" Slowly a small wave of yelling, shouting and pushing rose up. Seeing that I was a bit surprised, am I really that much famous that I could shake up the whole crowd just by being present there? No, this isn''t the time to be amazed at yourself. To distract the crowd I did something. "Look he went in the opposite direction," I said a little louder. The students closest to me heard that. Since many of them didn''t knew where exactly I was, they foolishly ran in the false direction I told them. Hearing my false words many of them moved away and made a path for me to escape. As I saw students passing by me I tried to cover up my face by looking the other way while covering it with my right arm. Slowly the crow lessened and I could see my classroom. I paced down there and the moment I stepped one foot inside I felt something was wrong. I slowly lifted up my head and noticed 6 figures who I don''t seem to recognize. Not just that, just a few moments ago whole class was in uproar but as of now it seems to be opposite. All their gaze was fixed at me. As I moved my head a little I noticed a couple of more familiar faces. I tried ignoring those daggering gazes which was piercing my but one of the student council spoke something to me. "You must be Allen, right?" a boy with red hair and crimson eyes asked me while he glared at me. Seeing his close I think I might have seen him. But where was it exactly? "No, you got the wrong person..." I said thinking they might get fooled. "Oh, my bad," he said but after a moments of silence he noticed it, "W-Wait as if!" Is the Student Council filled with students like him? If yes I really think they need to change them as soon as possible. "See I told you back then! We shouldn''t have brought him, other people think low of us because of his stupidity." the girl said said as she was standing on the podium. "Um... did you need something from me?" I said. Since I have been surrounded, there is no way to get around this without confronting them. So, I decided to ask them and trying to finish this matter as soon as possible. "As a matter of fact we don''t want something but," other person said standing beside the black board. "Is it your habit or you all finish each other sentence? Cause if isn''t then I would prefer if you only one person talked. This way it''s way too confusing." I said. Really if they think it is going to make me fear them or I don''t know what they thought it was going to do to me then they are way of the mark. Until unless they take out a gun I don''t think I am going to get scared or intimated at all. "I''m sorry for that but from this point onwards only I will be talking, that is fine with you right?" another guy said. He came forward and stood right in front of me. His height was slightly higher than me. I don''t consider myself as short but he is huge. Not muscular but with a good proportion of muscles built. "I suppose," I said. "Alright, then here''s the first one. After what you did at the Auditorium did you really think you would be able to get away without any kind of consequences?" he said while he tried to intimidate me with his body. But my stance still didn''t change. "Are there any consequences?" I asked while meeting his eyes. Seeing me not faltering not even the slightest bit took him aback for a moment but he didn''t lose his composure. "There sure is," He said, "Since you said that many of our student''s haven''t contributed to this school but you forgot something, that they also haven''t done something to degrade our school''s reputation. What do you have to say now?" Well his point makes some sense but to counter that I had mentioned it before in the Auditorium. "It''s not my concern if the matter was exacerbated significantly by solely your cherished students. If you had run the school better, those rumors would not have circulated in the first place," I reasoned. "Doesn''t that suggest that it was you who created all of this, not just me? No matter who or how they look at it, the only conclusion we could get from this situation is that if you had managed the issue much more carefully, you would not have needed to come to me right now. Also, if you think I should accept responsibility, you''re mistaken, and if you still believe I''m in the wrong here, we can take this to the Principal right now, right?" I stated this while also casting a quick glance at each student council member present. Also, I know the principle specifically asked me not to come to her for the time being, but instead I bluffed. In these kinds of situations, using her name typically works very nicely. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 77 - Threat For a moment there everything fell silent. Not only the student council was glaring at me except a few, but the entire class was also looking at me dumbfounded. Well... I might be knowing the reason why is that. Not long after I entered this school, an incident occurred. Or to be more specific a couple of students from the first year were expelled from the school right after the school entrance ceremony for the newly enrolled students. Rumors were that they had a dispute with each other and the student council was present at the scene and decided to expel the students because of that all of the first years at that time might have been scared of them because of how much power they hold in the school, but in the end, they were all just a rumor. ... Right after the ceremony ended I was strolling around the school grounds looking for a quiet place but who knew that my luck would rush out soon. The moment I passed by the gym, that''s when I heard some noises from the back of the gym. "Who are you!?" a boy yelled. "Yeah, who the hell are you!" another person''s voice was heard. What''s going on? Normally if I wasn''t this close to the noise I would have ignored it but since I am losing enough I decided to at least listen to it or just take one look at it. "Me? That is not something that you need to be concerned about." a third person? But it was that of a girl. "Then get out of here! It''s our matter and we will solve it ourselves." the boy said out loud. "Since I''m also a student in this school I won''t allow such misconduct in this school." the female student said. "What?" "Look I don''t want to fight with a girl so why don''t you play with some other girls and get out of here...!" the boys seemed irritated. I tried peeking a little bit to see their faces. I saw a couple of familiar faces from the entrance ceremony facing towards the wall. If my memory serves me right they must be first years. I noticed some bruises on the person standing closest to the wall. His right part of the face had scratches while the other one had slight dust sticking the back of the shirt. Looking at their appearance I can assume they fought not long ago. I tried stepping up forward a little more to also see the girl''s appearance but it appears that she is sticking to the wall and if I move forward a little more I will be exposed and I certainly don''t want that to happen. So, I decided not to step up further and stay hidden behind the wall. "This is the last warning. If you apologize right this instant I will let this pass but if are still going to continue your puny little brawl in my school you are going to face some consequences." is what the girl said to them. I took a step back as I started to wonder who she is, cause even if she is some senior she can''t just say those things that easily. Also, she isn''t saying ''this school'' rather she is using the word ''my school'' what''s that supposed to mean? Is she a p- "Wh-" "That''s not what I wanted to hear." as I was not facing then she said something that I wasn''t able to hear the conversation completely. *Whoosh* *Smack* I heard something big fall on the ground so I turned around to see what happened. To my surprise, I noticed that one of the boys was already fallen on the ground. "H-Hey, what did you do!" the other began yelling yet he looked terrified all of a sudden. What did she do exactly? "St-stay away..." the only boy standing was terrified to the point where he started taking steps back, his eyes filled with fear and staggering in his steps. *Smack* "Ah-" the sunlight suddenly blocked my vision because of that I could only take a peek. after taking a few seconds to settle my eyes I noticed that the boy has fallen on the ground but that was not something I cared much about. My eyes were turned over to the girl''s long black hair swinging around because of the wind. *Thump* "Don''t expect any mercy," she said while her face was hidden behind those sparkly black hair. Maybe because of the sunlight her hair seemed to be much shinier as compared to a normal typical blackhead. I can admire her hair later on because she was looking in my direction. Maybe she heard the sound I made earlier. But instead of coming towards me she stayed there and ignored me for the time being. Both of the boys were lying there. One had a nose bleed while the other was holding his right arm while agonizing in pain. I noticed that his palm is not able to move upward. Was it broken? This fast? While the one who got down the first had his nose bleeding, looking at it closely it looks like it was broken. "Well, well... what happened to all your almighty talk?" she said as she continued to pulverize them till the verge of losing their consciousness that looked like she didn''t care what happens to them. Seeing her continue ''that'' I can safely conclude that she is most likely someone from the student council. That particular day was the day when rumors spread about it, but that was also the day I got to know that the real amount of power the student council holds truly. Yet after knowing the truth I am still going to stand my ground. ... If everyone knew exactly what happened that day, they would be much more scared. The incident was efficiently hidden, not letting a single word get out of that incident spread. "Is that threat?" the red hair said to me as he gave a glare at me. "I wonder who is threatening who," I said half-heartedly. They all were trying to intimidate me but they have to do more than this. "What''s that supposed to mean?!" he looked pissed. Seeing his reaction I believe no one has ever dared to confront the student council like this, maybe that''s why he is getting pissed off. "From what I have seen, shouldn''t this situation be considered as a threatening me? I just arrived in the class and you began questioning me and tried to intimidate me or we can say that you were here to ''gang up on me.'' Well, that is a different story since you failed miserably but it was still a try. No matter who you ask, it looks like 1 V/s 6 where upper-class students tried to scare their junior. Aren''t you misusing your authority?" I said. "What? We can use that authority however we want." the girl said from earlier. "So you admit it then?" I said a little bit arrogantly, "The whole class heard it. I wonder how the Principal will react to this? Oh, also one more thing, the President was shown his way out of the office a few moments ago." I intentionally used the President in this context. "What do you mean?" the red hair asked. He was confused. That made more sense when he was scratching his head with his right hand. Well, it was not just him but almost all of them except the one standing in front of me. "Let me explain it," the man in front of me said, "Remember he came from the Principal''s office earlier?" "Yes." the redhead said. "He wasn''t the only one invited, the President and Mister Hendrickson along with Miss Jasmine. He came out as if nothing has happened so it would seem like the Principal wasn''t convinced to kick this ''thing'' out." ''Thing''? Does he look down on me so much that he won''t even consider me a human being? "So what does that mean?" this time the other person asked. He was wearing glasses. "Can''t you see the bigger scene here? He isn''t just bluffing, there is a possibility that the Principal might have taken his side and went against the President and if that''s true then we can''t scare him, or is what he is implying we were attempting to do here." With that, the Student Council members were watching at me with a peculiar look while the class was still dumbfounded seeing what was happening right now. "..." "Did you think that would stop us?" he said. The man in front of me smirked as if looking down on an insect, it was not just him but all of the members were slightly smirking at me. "Will it not?" I asked the obvious question. "That''s the problem with arrogant students like you," the red hair said arrogantly, "Well it won''t matter since soon you are going to learn why I am in here..." he arrowed his left arm above his head while moving his arm downwards, "... and you are here." His hand stopped right below his waist level. "..." I didn''t respond. To be honest I can''t say anything to that since he has much more authority than me, not just me but to almost most of the students in the school. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 78 - In Return? It is true that he holds much more authority and not just him but all the other Student Council members. I might have escaped from the President but if they are going to join forces to kick me out then I need to be more vigilant. I can''t let my guard since the Principal won''t be able to help me out this time. "Anyway, we won''t do anything as of now but I suggest you take care of yourself," the person said something to me as he closed the gap between us and said it in my right ear. "..." I still didn''t respond to him. "See you later." with that they all left the classroom as we all watched them leave silently staring at the entrance. I stood there silently. I stepped forward towards the gate to confirm whether they have left or not. They did leave the place but I noticed that they stopped after moving a little farther from the class. "Where were you all this time?" I heard one of them saying something. Is there another person standing there? "Ah, my bad. Sorry, sorry. I was in the gym." Since they were considered quite far from me so I couldn''t make out what they were saying but what I did notice was that another person was a female student. Is she also one of the Student Council? "Again...?" "What do you mean ''again''? I just went there. Anyway, forget about me. How did it go with you?" "... We will talk about that in Council Room." "Oh... a secret...? I am even more exciting right now...!" With that, all of them exited the floor and went upstairs. ... "What just happened?" "Don''t ask me, I don''t know either." Slowly the whispering began to increase, it increased to the point that it was no longer be called whispering instead it was loud voices. I ignored all of them and sat on my seat silently placing my head down. Even if I am not looking at them directly I could feel their gaze filled with suspicion. Well, that cannot be helped but I wish this would end soon. I don''t want this to extend much longer. I don''t have time to prove my innocence to these people. No of this matter when the real matter is solved but for me to end it I need to get rid of the Student Council first and then about those teachers who were also in part of this. I got some work to do. ... Before I could notice all the classes ended. Noting in particular what happened in the class, I thought the teacher would at least say something relating to what happened today but none of the teachers care to say a word about it. Maybe they were asked not to discuss the matter as of now since the blame has shifted slightly towards them also. "Where are you going after this?" "I don''t know... where are you going?" the other person replied vaguely. "I am thinking of going to buy some burgers." "Burger? Why not just go to a caf¨¦ then? We can buy some burgers and I also haven''t gone there for some time." the person seems a bit delighted as I heard her voice. I was walking down the hallway when I heard a couple of girls freely talking about their after-school plans. They both looked so carefree and happy as compared to me I am here with the opposite life force. Neither I am living a carefree life nor I am living a happy one. It is like I have forgotten the things I should do to free my pent-up stress. "Alright, it is decided then," I said to myself as I clenched my both fist at the same time. "Ah! He is..." I might have said it out loud. The pair of girls walking in front of me looked surprised seeing me. Was it because I am walking behind them or is it because I said something weird out loud earlier? Whatever might be the case, they both are staring at me with suspicious eyes. "Let''s leave." Only seeing for a moment where they both paced down the stairs and vanished before I could reach it. The school was mostly empty except for a few students leaving. I intentionally wait in the class for the crowd to reduce. The moment ring bells most of the students would leave their seats as if their train is about to leave. But today was different. Instead of leaving early, they tried to stall time in the class although they failed to do so. The first wave takes away almost forty percent of the classroom. The second wave takes fifty percent of the students in the class. They are the ones who take time to gather up their belongings and place them inside their bags or their desks. Like that of the last wave, only ten percent of the students remain in the class. They aren''t in the class because they take much more time to collect their belongings, they are like me. The remaining students intentionally stay put in the class and wait for the first and the second wave to leave. I am one of the students who leave in the last wave. Also even if we take into consideration today''s incident, many can''t talk to me and the remaining rest who still tried to talk to me were forced to leave the classroom early today. I don''t know why but the teacher especially made me wait in the class and handed me some stupid work relating to the attendance. Because of that even those who wanted to talk to me couldn''t and the teacher also made it look like I am going to stay in school for a few more hours extra. Losing the hope to talk to me the remaining left the class. The fun fact was that the teacher never especially said out loud that the students need to leave. Even after the teacher made it look like that, a few still stayed in the class. I guess they thought through it, I thought they would try to talk to me but they won''t talk to me or even take a look at me. Instead, they were busy doing their work so they paid not the slightest bit of attention to me. That was something I didn''t expect but if that''s what is going to happen then I also won''t dig any further. This way I won''t be needing to talk to anyone. But this also doesn''t work out pretty well when the other person waits for your arrival. I arrived at the shoe rack. Without any further ado, I wore my shoes and departed from the school only to encounter Iris on the exit. I don''t know have anything to say except, why? I don''t want to talk about today''s event. Not to her at least. I made myself believe that she won''t ask me, even if it won''t come true I still wished for it to happen. "Allen, care to walk with me for a while?" she couldn''t even wait for me to come to the entrance. She came at me and asked me something I wouldn''t accept although she knows that then why ask? "... What if I say no?" I asked as I stopped there for a moment for her. "You can but what if I told you that I can help you...?" she gave me the peculiar look that I have never seen before. "And how do you propose you do that? The last time I saw you, you weren''t able to do anything in the Auditorium, is your authority only up to the students?" I said as I again began walking. "But you still handled it efficiently," she said, "Then what''s the problem?" "Oh, so you came prepared? Good for you. Then why don''t you chase down to the real reason why you came here? I am not in any mood to talk right now." I said. "Fine, I will get down to the point hen," she said, "I can help you get rid of the Student Council problem." "Hmm..." that seems tempting but there is only one problem, how is she going to that? If I am correct, the last time she couldn''t do anything so what makes her think that she could be of any use as of now? "You said earlier that my authority is only till the students and at the moment the Student Council are only students so I can help you with them in that sense," she said. "That seems good and even tempting but what is going to take in return? You aren''t going to do any of this for free, right?" I asked. "That is something I will tell after you tell me your answer. Are you going to work with me or are you going to confront them all alone? To be honest, I don''t think you will get out of this alone," she said. It was clearly written on her face that she is going to ask me to do something ridiculous for her. Ahh... man why did I end up in this situation? TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 79 - Favor To be honest I don''t want her help but if I look at the bigger picture I also don''t think taking up on her offer is a bad idea either. The merits and demerits of this are almost equal. I need to know which could be beneficial for me in the long term. I mean look at her position. Within the school grounds, her position is much higher than most of the schools. In the school, no one usually would prefer to get on the bad side of the daughter of the chairman and this works oppositely also. If I get help from her or make it look like we both are in the same team many problems can be solved that way. Even the teachers can''t do much for her. If I take her help, my getting cornered by teachers or the Student Council decreases significantly. Not taking her offer would definitely be an idiot or so it looks like from the outside. Behind this good intention, something must be hidden. Even if she is willing to help me out, she said she is going to ask something in return, and that is what I am most worried about. That ''something'' is what made me rethink about taking her help. "One more thing," I said as I halted for the moment. She walked past me but seeing me stop she also stopped a couple of steps farther. She turned around looked at me directly in the eye. It was brimming with something that I couldn''t comprehend what it was. "What is it?" she asked me. "Why? Why are you willing to help me?" I asked her as I took a step towards her. In response, she said, "Can I not? You are in a pinch right now. Since we have known each other for some time so I thought I should help you. I just wanted to help you." "That seems a good reason to fool someone but it''s not good enough to fool me," I took another step towards her and stared at her eyes, "You know, I know, and even you know that our past is something that took a bad turn along the way and that I don''t think we''ve straightened out yet. How can I make myself trust you?" Who was she trying to deceive? Since the first moment I met her, I''ve argued with her more than half of the time, and every time she was withdrawn with a big huge defeat. No matter how we look at it, she has the potential to take advantage of my vulnerabilities and then stabs me in the back. "We can say this as my way to start a new start. Yes, we might have gotten on the wrong foot so I decided to undo that with this," she said to me without any hesitation. At this point, I have four options with me. Firstly, I could trust her. But if I trust her a couple of problems might arise. She wait for me to let my guard down and then she could without any effort could do a U-turn and change sides as soon as she gets the opportunity. This seems pretty risky. But all this was the demerits. The positive side to this is that I could use her position. This can be considered equal to the demerits. Not letting her stab me I could keep track of her. Secondly, I don''t trust her at all instead I just use her and make it look like I am cooperating with her on the surface but actually I was just using her and discarding her as soon as the work is done. This is a much better option to me but there is one demerit, if she gets the slightest bit of gust to this she can turn the tables at me. It is a double-edged sword. The attack will be quite good but the rebound is much worse. Thirdly, I think she is telling the truth and that she will not betray me. I won''t have to worry about anything this way. This way, I won''t have to be concerned about anything. To be honest, this choice appears to be far too good to be true. But, if everything goes as planned, I can''t comprehend how efficiently things could go. This one has a lot of potentials, but there is only one step back. What if she isn''t able to assist me in a significant way? I doubt the Student Council will be shaken down by her so quickly, based on how they sounded. Lastly, I decline her gracious offer and do it alone as I have till now. This way I won''t be troubled about anything except the Student Council. But this way has the biggest demerit as compared to the rest of the options, I can''t have any authority. The principal is out of this so she is out of the picture for the time being and the only person with authority is Lily, Lily''s brother, and Iris. I could have asked Lily for help or her brother but I don''t want them to be involved in something that could endanger their hierarchical position. Also, because of Lily, I got to know about the footage and many more things so I can''t do that to her. Out of the four options, I think the third one seems to be the most efficient but it is quite risky. The other option is almost equal so I can''t choose a specific one. No matter which I choose I could end up with a dead-end sooner or later. I need to choose the one where it will be later. What happened to my ordinary life? The one where I would go to school and then home. The peaceful times. A few days back those days did come but god doesn''t like me to take a rest. He handed me this stupid situation where I could end up expelled from the school at any time. "What are you thinking so hard for?" she waved her hand in front of me. I must have gotten deep in my thoughts. "Ah, Sorry I had to think about something," I said after regaining what is happening at the present. "So what do you think? Are you willing to take my help or not?" she asked me the same question I had my doubts about since the moment I met her at the entrance. "Iris, I wish it was that simple." I let out a big sigh. "What is that supposed to mean?" she looked confused. "Nothing," I said, "About taking your help. I am willing to take your help but I need some sort of assurance you won''t stab me in the back or try to do anything fishy behind my back." I again continued to start walking, she followed me right back. "What do you want me to do? A letter written with blood?" she chuckled a little. "What? Letter written with blood? Why would I want that? Are you stupid?" why would she say something stupid like this in such a serious conversation? "Pfft... relax... I was just kidding, you took it seriously?" she couldn''t control her chuckling even after covering her hand with her hand. "..." I don''t what should I say in this situation? Do I also laugh it out or do the opposite of it? Nah, I am going to change the third option. "Fufufu..." "I am leaving," after saying that I paced up and ignored her. I couldn''t just say that I paced up, I was almost running. "W-Wait..." she ran after me to stop me as she extended her arm. She knew that I was already out of her reach yet she still continued to stop me. "Alright, you win," I said. I took a slight glimpse of her not far from me. "Haa... haa..." I stopped and waited for her to come to me. As I turned around, I saw her breathing heavily while holding her chest with both of her arms. Is she okay? Something similar happened in the classroom not long ago. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked her as I reached out to her. "W-Wait..." she took multiple deep breaths till she regained her composure. "..." I waited for her to calm down. "... What did you say earlier? You said, ''I win'' then you are accepting my help, right? Right?" she didn''t look a bit worried about her health rather she seemed much more enthusiastic than ever. "... Unfortunately," I said in low voice, "Yes, I am willing to take your offer to help." "Then you are going to do what I will say after all this is solved, right?" is she still asking me that? "I will say this for the last time so listen carefully. I want Y. O. U. R help and yes I will comply with any one of your wishes. But don''t ask for something ridiculous..." I answered her. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 80 - Is She Okay? "Ah-Ha! We''ll see about it...!" she said enthusiastically. Wasn''t she out of breath a few moments ago? Was she just acting it up is quick in regaining her composure? I can''t know the truth, at least for now or I don''t have interest in knowing that. "But first tell me something," I said. I still have my share of doubts. "What is it?" she asked me as she was trying to match up to my pace. But this situation is really out of the place. Not long before I had a few arguments with her but now we are talking normally as if nothing has happened between us. "Are you hiding something?" I directly chased down to the point. I don''t want to waste any more time talking about unnecessary things. I have done that more than enough. What my doubt is that if I were to go to her for help that would entirely be a different matter but that didn''t happen, instead she came to me. She could have also used that one ''something'' to divert me from the real story. It''s just a theory, if it turns out to be false that''s nice but if it''s the opposite then there is something coming. Just because she showing goodwill doesn''t entirely mean that she is doing it just to help me out, she could also be having some kind of different motive. It''s always a certainty. "What do you mean...?" she looked confused. "Like are you planning to gain my trust and then use that trust to do something else?" I asked as I slowed down my pace a little. I didn''t look at her and just stared at the sky waiting for her reply. "... No. I won''t do something like that," she said. Should I trust her not? It''s going to be difficult. "I guess I was just thinking too much," I said, "Sorry for suspecting you." I apologized to her. "No, no. It''s okay, it''s natural to think like that and even more, if the person is in the situation like you." she didn''t accept my apology. I will trust her for the time being but I am still not convinced. At any point, if I get to know what she is really up to then she has something else coming. Well, that was something that can be taken care n the future, as of now I need to think about how would I get out of this ridiculous situation? The most easiest way is to do something that will increase my evaluation, but the problem is how? Do I need to achieve something in academics or in sports? Either way, I haven''t really thought of that yet. "So, now that both of us have agreed why don''t you tell me your plan?" I asked Iris. "Straight to the point? Well, I guess I can tell you the plan since you have agreed to take my help but why don''t we sit somewhere? I prefer to sit and then talk about something important." what''s with that reasoning? Not that I have any other choice, so compiled to her. "Where do you want to go? Also don''t think of somewhere far, I need to go home too." I said. "You are making it sound like I don''t want to go home," she said. "My parents will get worried if I don''t get home before a certain time. Yours won''t be that much since you already have someone watching over you. It''s a bit different for me," I said. After the Police incident, folks at the house really get worried even if it''s the smallest thing. "What do you mean...?" huh? She doesn''t have any idea? "Tell me a car number you know at your house?" I need to confirm this, if it was something else then I need to escape from here soon. "Why all of sudden?" "Just tell me," I pressured her a little and she gave in immediately. "XXX-XX-76," she said. "I see that''s how is it," I said, "I think you should talk to your father about the bodyguard thing." "Bodyguard? Earlier you said something, what are you saying?" she doesn''t get it. Well, I didn''t tell her much so it''s natural she won''t understand it either. "You usually came to school with a black car, right? Where is it now?" I asked her. We are considerably far away from the school yet the black car has been following for quite some time and above all, it was the same car that Iris come to school and it even had the same car number on it. After adding up all the dots, the only conclusion I came to is that there is someone looking after Iris. Since she is the daughter of the chairman it is expected to have someone as your bodyguard. "I don''t you. I told him to go back I will call him later," she said. "Is that so? Then I guess it''s okay. Anyway, change of subject. Where are we going?" I don''t want to waste my time telling her that she is being protected. "Wh-" before she could drag on the matter I interrupted her and put a stop in her tracks. "We can stop by the central park, it''s nearby and it won''t take much time to reach there. Also at this time, it would mostly be some kindergarten student''s so no one will disturb us there." I proposed an idea. "Don''t try to change the subject all of a sudden...!" she exclaimed. I guess she isn''t that stupid as I thought. "I am not changing the topic, I am just saying that we should go to the Central Park since we don''t have much time to waste, right?" I said in order to convince her. "... Fine..." and it is done. It was quite easy to convince her. ... The Central Park is about 150 meters away from my present location and my house is only at most 50 meters away so even if I were to take a little longer I won''t have any trouble reaching home. Since the Central Park is considered quite big as compared to the other city parks it looks much better than any average park around the city. Before we could even enter the park, you could notice the beautiful trees. The crumbles of yellow and red leaves under my feet and make the slight sound of something crushing. I don''t know why but it gives a certain satisfaction while doing it. Let me describe the Central Park. When the flowers bloom and how it''s the most spectacular sight you could ever imagine seeing, all the different colors that appear. When you breathe in and you get this smell of purity, you feel free and alive. Since I like to have some quiet space for me sometimes I like to sit on the old wooden bench where the bench frame is a little rusted, and I get rid of my thoughts and my eyes search the night sky. The sight would be fantastic, because of the trees around the region the pollution is comparatively reduced and the sky would be clear. When the wind blows, it grazes over the blades of grass. Some days I just stand and take a deep breath in and I can taste the spring. During the day the sky is the bluest view insight. Whenever I want to relax I used to come here but I don''t remember when exactly but I haven''t gone to the Central Park, I wonder why? At night I would come here to take a stroll. Above all, since it is comparatively quite big so it never gets crowded but during at night, except that time it''s almost full. Also, I specifically chose the time when the number of people will be least. "Catch me if you can!" "I am going to catch you!" "Don''t run away, stop...!" As we both entered the park I noticed a group of children playing just near the bushes. Good for them, playing freely not having anything to worry about. "Aren''t we here early?" "Idiot! We are late, and above all thirty-minute late." I also notice a couple of people gathering around at the center. I guess they are having a small gathering around here somewhere. I didn''t mention it earlier, but it''s busiest in the evening. The gentle air coming through the spaces between the trees makes it the ideal location to unwind after a hard day. And one of those persons must be a member of that group. No can help, if it were to me I would also choose this idea location but in the end, it''s an ideal location. Not one group, not two groups but more than five or six groups come here so the crowd keep on increasing and making it the worst location if you came here alone. And I am one of those people who come here alone. "Allen where are we going to sit? Also isn''t this place a little bit... too much people..." she said as she shook her head here and there nervously. "Calm down a little. You''re so anxious that your vocabulary has suffered as a result," it was quite amusing seeing an all-mighty girl in school isn''t half of that in public. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 81 - Girl Power "Huft... Chill down a little will you? You are bothering everyone around here." I said to her since a few people are staring at her and me. Due to her many are looking in our direction and I don''t want to be the center of attention here also. In school, it is more than enough. "S-Shut up...!" seeing her reaction was unexpected. Seeing her acting all brazen and all seemed a bit funny. Who knew Iris wasn''t good with large crowds. "Isn''t that true? Even your way of speaking is failing you, also look around a little bit." I said while I walked around searching for something. She was holding my left arm and trying not to look too much at the crowd. Watching her at school my impression of her was that of a person who can do anything but viewing this I might need to re-think it. "... We can discuss on h-how I am speaking later on... but find s-some place to sit and also a quiet one..." she pressed her body against mine. Too close. "I understand," I said to her as I began looking around for a place to settle down and more importantly to settle her fast. I couldn''t care more if she gets a nervous break right now but that would be disadvantageous for me then. By what happened today I don''t think the Student Council is going to let me be for long. During our conversation earlier I could at least make it out that they came prepared to expel me or with the intention of telling me that I''m going to get expelled but since I stood my ground and didn''t get intimated by them, they retreated. Seeing their reaction it''s most likely that they will lay out their plan sooner than later. "What are thinking so much for...?" Iris said to me desperately. "Nothing, let''s find you a place to calm down first," I said as I moved forward a little. "Y-Yeah... let''s do that fast..." she kept on clinging to me. "Catch me if you can!" "Wait...!" As I was walking around the footpath I noticed a pair of children who looked around the age of 5-6 years old running around the place. I wish I could swap places with them but that is something impossible. Let''s forget about stupid things and focus on the matter at hand. "How about that place?" I pointed out to a bench near the fountain. "W-Where...?" she looked up and stared at the direction I pointed. "The one near the fountain," I said. "... Can''t you see people around there...!" she exclaimed at me as she noticed a couple of people around the bench. "What? Those are only elderly, what''s the problem with them?" I asked her. "Problem? They will talk so loudly and above all, it will be about some stuff that makes no sense," she said to me. "... Alright, let''s move on to the other." we continued walking again. "While we try to find someplace to sit, why don''t we try to talk about something. It will also take your mind off a little." I said. If she isn''t focused on the crowd then maybe we might be able to talk about the plan. "A-About what...?" she asked me. "How about you tell me what''s your plan against the Student Council?" I said. I think it''s best to talk about the plan so that she could focus more on the plan rather than on the crowd around us. "Tell m-me something first, are you stupid? Or are you purposely saying that? If not then you need to talk to people around a lot more... d-don''t you see I am having some trouble here and you want to talk about something like that right now...?" she said to me. What does she mean? Isn''t the best way to take your mind of right now? Or was I wrong? Because she certainly doesn''t feel the slightest bit pleased. "Then why don''t you tell me what you want to talk about?" I asked her. "I don''t know... you don''t ask the patient for what kind of medicine he should eat. The doctor has to give it to him..." she said as she let out a big sigh. "Don''t try to shift it to me, I tried but someone didn''t like it," I said to her as I looked around the park. "... Oh, so it''s my fault then?" she said furiously. "Hey, don''t get angry at me. It''s not my problem if you can''t handle large crowds." I counterattacked her statement. "Look at this young couple..." "Seeing them fight remembered me of my old days." "What old days? You didn''t have any boyfriend." "Hahahaha...!" "Oh, shut up. I don''t want to listen to that from someone who had broken up more times than she is years old." As I walked around, I noticed a group of old ladies walking behind us and unfortunately I heard and Iris also heard it. I can make a bet right now saying that Iris is going to get up more worked up. "Look Iris we can just ign..." I turned at her a saw her face. "W-W-W-What...? Do w-w-w-we really look like that...!" she looked flustered. Seeing her reaction even the dumbest could get the hint of what it was really. But I decided to be ignorant about this matter. "My husband doesn''t even take me for a walk anymore." "Same with me..." "Hmph! I don''t need to have a walk, Nah I don''t have the strength to take a walk after doing it for so long..." Where is their conversation going? Don''t they realize that they are in public and above all, it turned out exactly what Iris said earlier? Old people do talk out loud. "Really!?" "Shh! Don''t talk about it loudly!" "Huh? What''s there to be ashamed of?" I again took a peek at Iris and saw her face completely flushed. We need to get away soon. Well, it''s natural to et embarrassed listening to something like this? "Let''s move up ahead..." I changed my pace. "Y-Yeah..." she agreed and moved to try to match up to my pace. "Look you made these young couples embarrassed." earing that I increased my pace a little more. ... As we were trying to get away I noticed an empty bench behind a tree. "This way," I said and she followed me without asking anything. I looked around for a second noticed that this particular place was not crowded as compared to other places. Ah, that''s why. The sunlight here is quite less as compared to the other parts of the park and also the wind here is quite low. That''s why many ignored this place. "... At last we could find a place, suitable for a certain someone," I said as I placed myself on the right part of the bench and placed my backpack beside me. "..." I waited for Iris to settle down since she got cranky earlier when I asked for the plan. What is going on inside her is a complete mystery to me. ... "How about now...?" I waited for almost 15 minutes but she still didn''t speak a single word. "... Okay, I have calmed down now. We can talk now. What do you want to talk about?" she said in her usual voice as she lifted up her head up. "What are you suggesting we should do to deal with this?" I asked her. "To be honest we could shut them up if you beat them up in their own game," she said to me. "I don''t understand," I said. "What I mean is that no one is perfect. So, a similar thing also implies to the Student Council as well. No matter who they are, someone has a weakness and you just need to find that and use that to beat them up using that as leverage at their own field of expertise." she said to me with complete confidence. "Hmm... that seems good, but it only looks good at the surface." "Care to elaborate, why?" she asked. "How do you think I''m going to find those weaknesses? I don''t have any type of connection to find about it and above all, they aren''t going to wait for me to find their weakness. They are going to come at me with everything they have and soon. I don''t have enough time." I said. "That would have only happened when you tried working this thing out yourself. Why do you think I am here for?" she looked at me. "I don''t know why? You tell me," I said. "You really are dumb. I can use my connection to find their connection and don''t underestimate a high school girl''s power and the number of connections she can have," she said proudly. "Well, I am not trying to underestimate anyone, it''s just that my faith was reduced when I saw that "girl''s" power earlier," I said to her. "T-That''s not...!" when I saw her, I knew that I had teased her a bit too much. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 82 - Authority "Sorry, sorry. Did I tease you up a bit too much?" I asked her as I saw her face making a funny face. "Y-You... you ever do that again I won''t help you again...!" she said to me as she turned her face to the other side as if showing anger at me. But I knew that she wasn''t really angry, because if she was she would have gotten up and left but she is sitting here, so that is the problem... yet. But there is one problem, does she want me to say something to her or should I just stay shut up? "Look if you want me to say something to you then I don''t really know what should I be saying in a situation like this so why don''t you skip this stupid part and continue talking about the plan?" her being angry is far less important to me as compared to getting rid of the Student Council. "... Hmph! You really are an airhead in a matter like this, aren''t you? If you ever get a girlfriend I can''t imagine how will she handle you..." she said as she placed her hand on her head. "Why are you concerned about what would my girlfriend think of me?" I asked. "Well, that''s because then I need to b-" before she could finish her sentence she instantly placed both her hand at her mouth. Seeing her, only one thing came to mind. She was about to say something but stopped just before spilling up the beans. "Anyway, let''s proceed to our plan. We can talk about that later on, right?" I ignored the non-important matters and continued with the real important matter. "... yeah," she said, "We are going to talk a lot more anyway." "WAAAAAHHH...!" somewhere in the middle of the park I heard a shout. I turned around to see what happened. There I saw a kid I saw earlier running around lying was now on the ground holding his right knee. I guess he fell on the ground. But before that, I heard her saying something. She something in low voice and also because of the background voice I couldn''t hear what she said. Well, since she agreed to proceed further then I can ignore the later part and just focus on the plan. "You were saying that you can collect information but there is still one problem," I stated. "What is the problem?" she asked me. "What if, what if the Student Council gets the gist of what you are trying to do?" I answered her question with another question. "So? Even if they get to know about our strategy it still won''t matter," she said confidently. "See, that''s the problem here," I said, "If you can find someone to find their weakness what makes you think they wouldn''t try doing the same thing to me?" "Oh... I didn''t think about it. But still, what would it matter? It''s not like you have done anything, right?" she asked me. "... I can''t answer that," I said as I averted my eyes from her. ''Wait, wait. You do something? When? How? Where? Tell me." she said. "Why don''t we find some other way?" I tried changing the subject. "We won''t talk about anything else until you tell me," she tried pressuring me to answer. "I said to let''s discuss another plan, why don''t you understand it?" I didn''t want to do that but I gave her the coldest look I could make at the moment. Well, it was necessary for her to back down. "... Alright, we will discuss the other plan." that did the trick. "That''s much appreciated," I said. "So, I thought why don''t you just stay silent and if they try to expel you again I will step up?" she proposed another idea. "Like the same way when I was up on the Stage? Because if my memory serves me correctly I wasn''t even able to see you in the crowd so what makes you think that it''s going to be different this time?" I said in opposition to her idiotic idea. "... That time we weren''t collaborating. But right we are so I can step in to help you," she said. "Is that your reasoning? If so then I must respectfully decline it," I said, "You know it, I know that you can''t do anything with that. It''s the Student Council we are talking about. They aren''t your ordinary students, even I know that their position is not just for show." "W-Well that''s..." she tried thinking of something. I waited for a few minutes to let her think but... "You might not be knowing this but apparently the members of Student Council came to my class today," I said. "So?" she asked me. "No matter how you look at it, it felt like they came to intimidate or maybe with the intention to expel but-" "Expel? They can''t do it." she interrupted me. "Let me finish next time before stepping in next time," I said as I noticed her head shake up and down, "That''s true, they can''t expel me but they sure have some position in school so at least they can make it happen indirectly if not directly. That''s the message they wanted to pass on to me." "Hmm... if that were to happen I can use my position against theirs," she said confidently. "... Let''s admit that you can''t fully suppress them with just your hierarchical position or with your father''s post. I am pretty sure that even your father cannot interfere much in students matters. The work of the School''s chairman is pretty much not related to expelling or suppressing students. The best he can do is shut them but it will look bad for you then." "Bad to me?" she looked confused. "Think about it, even if we use your father to stop them do you think it won''t stop the members of the Student Council from spreading rumors saying that the ''Chairman covered up for Allen''. If something like that were to happen instead of clearing up my name it will taint my name even more," I said, "If something like that is spread by the Student Council the only thing others will think of, is that something fishy is happening. Find it true or not but they have a similar number of popularity as yours or maybe even more." "..." she quietly listened to my reasoning this time. "Do you want to involve your father in this?" She thought of pretty good ideas but they looked good only on the surface. Executing them wasn''t a simple task. "No. I don''t want my father''s reputation to fall." "My point exactly," I said. ... For the past 30 minutes, we racked up our brains and thought many more plans but after thinking about it seriously and thinking about ways to execute, all of them seemed impossible in the end. "That''s it," she said in the exhaust. "What?" I asked. "I am out of plans," she said, "Whichever plan I could think of was rejected by you. I don''t have anymore." "Hey, it''s not my fault that all those plans were half complete. Before coming to me you should have thought of it earlier..." I said. "Oh... so it''s my fault then? Then I guess I shouldn''t have come to you in the first place." "... We aren''t the enemy here. Let''s not talk about our failed plan and think of what should we do now." "..." she nodded in agreement. ... I looked around thinking of some other way. To be honest, till now whichever plan we came up with was quite good but after taking all the parts and analyzing it had at least one shortcomings. I can''t think of any way to erase those gaps. As I was just strolling my eyes around I noticed a trail of ants going somewhere. Since I can''t think of anything right now why not just see them go? I followed up the trail and noticed it was gathered around my side of the bench''s stand. As I looked at it more closely I saw a honey bee trying to move around but it looks like its one pair of wings was cut down. As he wasn''t able to escape the ants came up to him and kept on attacking it until one of them stopped moving. Well, the outcome was clear. The ants were able to kill it within a few minutes. Seeing the bee trying to escape made me realize that why can''t we overpower the Student Council with numbers? Till now we only thought of one way. Why not just use all of them at once? "I... think I got an idea," I said out loud. "What is it? Tell me...!" she said in excitement. Why is she excited? Here I am in a pinch and she doesn''t look half worried as myself. Well, she isn''t in my situation so I can''t force her to feel like I do but at least don''t look excited. "Why not just lay out everything we have at our hands?" I asked her. "What do you mean...?" she looked confused. "I meant like..." I started explaining the plan to her. ... It took quite some time but it was necessary. Also while I was discussing our plan with her my folks called me out in between, of course, it was through a smartphone. Since I forgot to call them me being late today they must have gotten worried. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 83 - Unexpected Reunion "Hmm... now that I think about it might be possible but there is one problem," Iris said as she stood up from the bench. "And what is that problem?" I asked her. "Even if we do compete them with all what are your chances of winning?" she asked something that even I find it hard to answer. "... Let''s just say that we have a chance," I said, "I rather not focus on the other part as of now." If someone were to ask my viewpoint on the plan, I would say it''s only forty percent out of a hundred. It''s all based on if the bluff works or not. The plan is quite simple, to be honest. Rather than thinking it through later, I decided to go through it as long as I am since if any changes needed to be done we could do it right away rather than extending it to a later date. "Why don''t we just revise the plan just one more time?" I asked Iris as I turned over to her. "... Again?" she said in the exhaust. "What do you mean by ''again''? We haven''t even discussed it. I just told you the plan as of now. I want your view now." I said. "Alright..." she said. I guess she also understands my reasoning. "But," Iris said. "But what?" I asked. "Look if you intent to go against the Student Council I would really recommend you go against them fair and square. Because if anything, if you win over them I really think they will back down." "We have been over this," I said, "We don''t know what area of expertise they have. And even if we find them do you really think I could win it?" I said. "..." "What''s the problem with my plan? I just need to make them accept that they only want to expel me because their School President was humiliated by a no one, like me. If I make that happen then what''s the problem?" I asked her. "And how do you propose you are going to accomplish that? If you are telling me that I will force them into admission to that then you are out of your mind. I can''t force any of them. You said clearly a few moments earlier," she said in rage. Why is getting all worked up when I am the one who is in trouble? "Who said about forcing them? Can''t you see?" I asked her. "I... get it!" she gave thumbs that showed me how much she really got it. "You don''t get do you...?" I looked at her eyes and said. "No..." she replied. "Alright, for now, let''s just believe that what I am thinking is most likely the best plan despite the situation," I said to her as I averted my eyes. "..." she didn''t respond so I had to turn over to her and saw her nodding in agreement. I know I wanted to think this plan through again but she isn''t the right person for that. It was already late, so instead of going home I stayed situated on that bench while Iris was asked to return home by her father. She couldn''t refuse it and headed out towards the exit. When she was just about to enter outside, a man in a black suit suddenly popped up from somewhere. Iris was shocked, I was also a little bit concerned. If she were to be kidnapped I won''t be able to execute my plans. But it wasn''t something like that. The moment she was surprised she was also relieved after moments later. I couldn''t clearly hear it but it appeared like Iris was yelling at the person. The Black suit man seemed to be apologizing to Iris. Seeing both of their reaction I came to the conclusion that he was someone Iris knew. So, there is no problem then. Seriously, rich people do have it easy. ... Slowly seeing the sunset, feeling the slightly cold breeze I called home about me getting home late, again. With the people slowly returning to their houses, especially the kids who were making the most noise are leaving. Elderly getting near the exit or sitting somewhere at the corner of the park. Mainly due to these circumstances, it was making this place the most ideal location for me. I sat there with my eyes closed and silently listening to the increasing sound of a cricket. Before I could realize it was already dusk. The mixture of orange and red light was almost turned into dark blue. I don''t know about others but usually seeing sunset gives a certain satisfaction and it''s always amusing to see. I was just enjoying the evening when someone called out to me and ruined it. What''s the problem with people around here? First at school with a stupid girl and earlier with those old ladies and now what else is left? "Allen...?" I couldn''t see the person''s face since I have closed my eyes but heard him, it''s certainly a male. "..." I thought that if I stayed silent he would go away but god, he is persistent. "Allen I know you are faking it," he said. "... What?" I opened them up and saw the figure that I most certainly don''t want to see right now. "What are you doing here? Also with your uniform still on?" it was Peter. He was holding a can of cold drink, I think. I saw one at the other corner of the park he must have bought it from there. "A- It doesn''t concern you. B- It really doesn''t concern you," I said to him. "Don''t be like that... I know you don''t want to talk to me but after what happened today I wanted to talk to you about it," he said to me politely. I really don''t like him. When he was supposed to be beside his friend he ignored him that I don''t even remember the reason why he did that but now he wants to talk to me. "Well, you are not in luck today. I don''t want to talk about anything to you," I flat out rejected him. "Allen, please. You know what will happen to me if that incident came to the surface, right?" he pleaded to me. "What are you talking about?" I played dumb. I know what he was talking about exactly. "... You know what I am talking about." "Well, I don''t care if it comes to the surface or not. So, why don''t you just go back to where you came from and don''t try talking, you will ruin my evening even more as it is now." I said to him. "Allen...! It doesn''t mean necessarily mean that I will be in danger. That incident might be used by the Student Council to expel you and maybe even me..." he said to me with a face of guilt. "Are you trying to threaten me?" I asked him. "No... I am just asking you not to do anything that will get me expelled," he said to me in such a low voice that it could be heard to me. "And why would I do that? I don''t have any reason to help you," I replied to him. "Can''t you understand that it will also ruin you if that came up...!" he exclaimed. "Wait a minute," I said, "You don''t care what happens to me but what happens to you. If the Student Council bein to find some kind of dirt at me that incident will most likely come up sooner or later. I wasn''t the only one involved in that and to provide with evidence your name will also come up." I wanted to continue further but I wanted to hear his reaction. "That'' what I am trying to tell you! I could get away but you won''t be able," he said. "Pftt... Do you think of me as an idiot?" I asked him. "What?" "You know that I won''t just stand there accepting all that alone. If that ever happens I will take you down with me also. Even if you won''t be expelled I wonder what will happen to your reputation?" I said to him. Well, I am not planning to get expelled in the first place. I just told him to scare him. Even if there comes a time when that incident comes up to the surface I won''t hold back and will spill out everything. I know my hierarchical standing in school. Many might think I am lying but that information will look much more credible when Iris comes into the picture. "Allen, I''m requesting you..." he pleads to me again. "Tell me one thing," I said. "What is it...?" "Why did you do that? Don''t you dare tell me that it was because you gave in to peer pressure, okay?" I warned him. "..." he stood there silently looking at me with eyes filled with guilt. "No, no. Don''t do you dare look for sympathy from me." I said to him as I stood up. "... What do you want me to tell...?" he asked me. "I want to know the truth you didn''t tell that time," I said. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 84 - Truth? "I want to know the truth you didn''t tell me that time," I said in a serious tone. "..." with his looks, he looked like he was trying to say something but couldn''t put it up in words. The atmosphere became heavy as we tried pressing the matter further. If we are being honest here, I wouldn''t have cared the slightest bit about what happened to that student but I don''t know why but I am wondered since that time, why am I being concerned about it and why am I was so raged at Peter? I know what happened- Huh? I can''t remember the incident. I am pretty sure that the anger I felt, even if it was the slightest bit, I did feel it inside me. But what was it for? I can''t remember it. What''s happening? First the kidnapping thing and now I forgot about the incident I thought I remembered. What''s happening to me? The anger I felt when I first saw Peter began diminishing. "... You wouldn''t understand," he said. "..." "Allen... at least say something," Peter kept on saying something but I only heard it but there was no output on it. It''s weird. It''s definitely weird. This isn''t right. Somethings wrong. Why do I feel empty inside while I feel a faint bit of frustration welling up but it isn''t coming out? He was more worried about himself rather than what he did to him. I should be angry at Peter for what he did and for what he is asking me to do but why can''t I make myself get angry at him? Was it because I don''t harbor any harmful intent towards him, no it must be because he isn''t the wrong in here also. I felt scared, anxious, angry, helpless, overwhelmed. I felt all sorts of emotions altogether. But none of it was directed at Peter but at me. It was like something was forced inside me, locked inside me and that is trying to come up. I can''t explain but I feel like I would faint soon. Was it because I have done too much physical work today? Like the thing on the stage and then in the gym. No, those are all just excuses. I''m mentally exhausted. I felt like throwing up for a moment there. "Allen!" "!?.... What...?" Peter was standing in front of me holding my shoulders as he looked at me. "Are you doing okay?" "... Yeah, probably..." I felt like I am fainting but when I looked around a bit trying to engage myself in something else and in seconds I was back to normal. It was like the thing that tried to barge outside calmed down. It was similar to that time when I was feeling scared and anxious in my room. That time also I was having a hard time processing everything but in another moment I was back to normal. "Why are you lying? You look like you are going to faint any moments now... or it looked like..." Peter said as he sounded worried and confused at the same time. "Ha! What''s this? Are you worried about me...?" I said. It was a forced sentence. I tried looking normal and forced myself to say that. I don''t want him to suspect me for anything. "This isn''t the time for saying something like that," he said. "I told you... I am fine." I tried to rug his hands off my shoulder as I tried standing up. "... If you say so," he swiftly removed his hands without any need of force. I was really fine now. I don''t know what''s wrong with me. "... Anyway, if you don''t want to that thing to see the sunlight you owe me one," I said. I can''t even recall the incident, but if I could use it to gain leverage over him, why not take advantage of this opportunity? Even though I''m not as irritated at him as I used to be right now, that anger is still inside me, someplace concealed. I just need to figure out why this has occurred to me. "What?" he said. "Don''t tell me, you want me to do something for you without anything in exchange?" I asked him. "No, that''s not what I meant. Earlier you won''t even consider it but now it''s the opposite. It''s weird," he said to me. "Do you want this thing to involve you or not? Ask another question I might as well blame you for all those doings, so consider it before saying another word." I said in a serious tone. The longer I can fool him the better it is for me. Also, I need to know what really happened. I am certain that something happened in my first year but I can''t recall it clearly. "Alright," he agreed. ... Since I told him not to talk to me about the incident he stayed silent about it but... he didn''t understand that I also don''t want him near me at the moment. "Why are you walking beside me?" I asked him. "What''s the problem? Also, my home is also in the same direction so it can''t be helped," he seems to be having fun. As I was making my way to my house, I encountered a group walking right in front of us. It wasn''t a problem at first but they began talking soo loudly that it began to irritate me. After having a long day I didn''t get any time to rest. When I thought I will be able to rest just after Iris left I encountered Peter and meeting him triggered something inside me that is still unknown to me. And now hearing those irritating noises I want to leave as soon as possible. "... Fine. You wait here and I will leave first." I suggested him. "Why should I wait? You wait here and I am leaving first," he said. "What?" I said, "Fine. but make it fast." That group wasn''t the only problem, Peter is also one of my many problems. It was most likely that because of him I had to feel something like that. Well, I can''t blame him directly but he did trigger that so he does have a fault in it. It wouldn''t matter if he would just leave. I already have too much on my plate and I don''t want to have a quarrel with him on something this stupid. So, I decided to at least lessen one of my problems. "... That was weird," he said something in low voice. "..." I tried ignoring it whatever it was. "Alright, see you later. I guess." with that, he paced on the road and soon he overtook the group and vanished from my view. "Hahaha...! Is that true?" "I''m not kidding! It really happened...!" "I don''t believe it" It wasn''t just me now, some of the people around the area also seemed to be bothered with them. "Yeah, why don''t you ask him too?" "Why him?" "He was also with me...!" I didn''t even care to look at them and tried to slow my pace. I don''t feel like overtaking them so instead I slowed down my pace. At least their loud irritating voice will not be that much annoying. "Wha~~~" See, I made a considerable amount of distance between us. At least their annoying voices aren''t reaching my ears. To be honest I just wish I could just teleport to my room and just sleep like a hog. And waking up like all that has happened today was just a dream. Only if that could happen. No, not only just today. I wish the point when we were kidnapped, it was the point when all my problems rose was just a big illusion. I kept on walking slowly until they were out of sight. The moment they weren''t anywhere in sight I increased my pace and went directly home. As I walked down the road my eyes caught the sight of the sky. Mysteriously it was the clearest I have seen for a long time. The last time I saw this clear sky it was most likely at my grandparent''s place. ... "I''m home!" I said out loud. "What took you soo long, Mister?!" mother was the first one to meet me at the entrance. "Sorry I had some work," I said, "Also didn''t I already tell you I might get late today?" "Yes, you told us but when I called you first," she said. Looking at her face I instantly noticed she wasn''t pleased with all. "Sorry. I''ll tell you beforehand myself next time," I said in an apologetic manner. "Fine. But you better make sure that it happens...!" she exclaimed. "Yes I will tell you first," I said. I guess I made her worry for nothing. "That''s good," she said, "Come wash yourself up and come to have dinner. Your dad had already done it. You and I are the only ones left." "Oh, I guess I should do it fastly then," I said. ... Soon I washed up and came to have dinner with my mother. After what all happened today in school, I was worried about what should I do next about the Student Council Problem but after coming home. Eating dinner with mother is so calming that I completely forgot about it for a moment I enjoyed mother''s handmade dinner. Savoring every single bit and trying not to think of anything else. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 85 - I Dont Know Anymore I was trying not to think about my situation but I couldn''t. Since we were eating at the dinner table my mother couldn''t see my legs shaking up frantically. To the point where even I was hardly able to hide. I tried not to show her any reason to worry. "Allen, how''s the food?" she asked me. "... Yes it''s good as always," I abruptly replied with the brightest smile I could make at the situation. "That''s good... good..." that''s when I noticed her warm and sweet smile disappear behind that worried face. "What''s the... matter...?" I asked her as I took another bite. "N-Nothing... just some problem from work," she said. I know that face. She is lying. She did mention it is from work then I guess I can''t involve much. But it still makes me worry about her. "If you say so..." I replied as I took the last bite. "Are you sure you don''t have any problems?" she asked me as she had a worried look on her face. "What do you mean...?" I asked her. "I just had a hunch," she said, "Maybe I was just overthinking things... hahaha..." "... Yeah that must be the case," I added. It was awkward since we both didn''t know what to talk about. It''s most likely she also has some problem but she can''t talk about it just like me. The atmosphere between us seemed to be distant but we talked as usual. Such irony. Trying to break that unsettling atmosphere she asked me something. "... Do you want more?" she asked me as soon as she saw my plate empty. Her look clearly stated that she wasn''t doing okay but she still tried not to let it be shown to her son. "Nah, I am full," I said trying to act as usual. I just couldn''t afford to make the anxious face I was hiding inside of me to her. At least not yet. "Oh... then I guess I will do some other work now." With that, she left the table and went straight to the kitchen. I couldn''t say anything to her as I saw her vanish behind the door. The room fell silent. I tried staying there for more time but I couldn''t stop shaking. ... I entered my room and turned out the lights. Because my bed was on the other side of the door, I had to go a few steps before reaching it, and when I did, I sat on it with my back to the wall. I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down, but it was all for naught. I began to have thoughts about my life. I wasn''t attempting to think about anything, but who knew human emotions could take over so easily? The thoughts blazed like a wildfire in a forest, with no way of halting them. I''m not sure why I''m still alive at this point. Is it because death is such a terrifying experience? NO If anything, I suppose it''s because I''m concerned about my parents. I really don''t want them to blame themselves for raising me. I''m not sure what went wrong, but I''m certain it was all my fault. If it wasn''t my fault them why am I begin in this situation? I used to have a normal ordinary life. That''s all I wanted, but what happened to it? Is it because I''m to blame? That is not feasible, I think. I didn''t do anything criminal, so why is everyone pointing a gun at me? Who? Who exactly? I''m not interested in why, but in who. First, I was abducted. Then being shot by the cops. As if that wasn''t enough, I''ve been living on the precipice my whole life. Was it because of something I did wrong? I simply don''t feel safe any longer. No matter what. When I go into my house, I may feel relieved, not because a tough day has come to an end, but because I made it through the day unscathed. It wasn''t enough that I had to deal with that idiotic child, Roy, after the event with the HYDRAs. At this point, I just feel relieved at the end of the day that I am alive. Because all those things happening around me have led me to think that it isn''t going to stop anytime soon and even if the ends, the moment it all ends will be the exact moment that I would be free and feel relieved for getting past all difficulties or it will be the moment I wouldn''t be able to feel anything anymore. I might look okay from outside but all this is eating me from inside. They can say whatever they want, all they want but they don''t know the real reason. No one does. I am in this alone and I have to get out of this alone... it''s not an option. At first, it was only my hands but right now all my body is shaking. No matter what it kept on shaking. What would it take me for someone to help me? I can''t tell anyone at home nor can I talk about my worries to someone. I just can''t. No matter what they say on the surface the evil side always lurks behind those pleasant words. I have seen it happening in front of me. The moment I was about to have a mental breakdown I felt a surge inside my body. Like something flowing throughout my veins. Ah, here it comes. The mysterious antidote to calm me down no matter the situation. I am here having my life and death situation but my mental condition seems to be doing just fine now. Just a few seconds before I was about to pass out maybe but now I am just fine. It''s as if I am not even controlling this body, the body is controlling me. I know that seems bizarre, but I don''t feel like myself. As I go down this unknown but hellish path, it''s as if I''m losing touch with my emotions. Is it me who is changing, or is it the true me who is emerging? ... Before I knew it I fell asleep. Was it because I needed to calm down or was it because my mental situation needed some rest? I can''t possibly know that but I am pretty sure it wasn''t my doing. ... "!?" as I tried to move my hands I felt like I touched some fabric. But maybe I was half-asleep I didn''t know that it was the curtain and it just got sideways. A sudden bright light flashed in front of me. "Ah..." I woke up with a slight headache. I wonder is it because of what I was going through last night... Without any further ado, I walked outside my room and went directly to the bathroom. Soon I was ready and was waiting for my breakfast to be served by my mother similar to what my father was doing as he was reading the newspaper. "Allen," he called out to me. "Yes," I responded. "How''s school? Anything new took place recently?" he asked me as he turned over the newspaper page. "As always nothing new to tell," I said without giving it much thought. The mother also came up to the table with a pair of plates. "Is that so...? Then why did I hear from your mother that you have made a cute girl-friend and is pretty close with you," he said as he hid his face behind the newspaper. I turned over to mother for an explanation but the instant I turned over to her she walked away not even taking a look at me. "She is just a friend," I answered. "Hmm..." he didn''t sound convinced but he didn''t pursue the matter further. "Enough about me," I said, "How''s the work at the hospital?" "Fine, I guess." he gave a vague answer. Hearing it I came to the conclusion that it isn''t going great either. I ate breakfast as fast I could and made my way out to the house. ... "Did you pack everything?" "~Yes~" I didn''t even realize that my father is also leaving right now. We both said that in unison. "It looks like both father and son are in sync today, fufufufu..." mother let out a slight laugh. "Yeah," father replied with a smile on his face, "I am going. Allen, you going to?" "Yeah sure," I replied as I stood up from the table and went to wear my shoes. I stepped outside alongside with father. "Allen, take care," he patted my head and said to me as he walked in opposite direction. "Yeah I will," I said in response and left for school. ... Now I just need to think of how to handle the Student Council. All the way to my school, I just thought about how I would make them accept that they are just trying to expel me to get revenge on what I did to the Student Council President on the stage. But it''s easy said than done. I couldn''t think of anything to make them say it. Alright, it''s decided then. I am going to think of this in school. I am too stressed up with all these problems pilling up. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 86 - Knock-Knock I was just standing outside the school entrance gate thinking whether I should go inside or not. If I chose to go inside I might end up with nothing. The only support I have is Iris and I really don''t think she is going to last long. As I stood there in the corner thinking about my life troubles I saw the other students going inside with a big smile on their faces. "Hey did you last night''s show?" "Of course dude! Who would want to miss such an awesome thing?" "True. I like the end part when the main character did the opposite of what we thought he was going to do...!" "Even I was a bit overwhelmed but it was expected~~~" I don''t particularly know what show they are talking but from their talk, I can clearly see that they are enjoying it. They are enjoying themselves fully but on the other hand, what am I doing? I am just standing here waiting for some predestined misfortune to fall upon me. If only... if only I could have a redo I would do whatever it takes to change my current situation. But one thing still remains, why was I kidnapped along with 50 other students? If I don''t unfold that mystery no matter how many times I redo it won''t matter. Ah... if I continue to think about my problems then I guess it won''t end anytime soon. Let''s try focusing on only one problem at a time. Just thinking about all my problems I might get a headache soon enough. With that mindset, I took a step inside. Then another and then another and didn''t stop until I came to the shoe rack. "Hey, it''s him right...?" "Yeah..." "Isn''t he the one who took a fight with the Student Council?" "Yeah, it''s him." A bunch of students standing not too far from me whispered something and they thought that I wasn''t listening but I can clearly hear them. Well, it''s a different matter when I was ignoring them. But is it just I or the people''s stare at me has increased? Till yesterday I wasn''t getting this much attention, not at least near the shoe rack. Normally those cold stares will come at me on the second floor and mostly it would be second years but right now it''s not just them. Both first years and third years are here. Also, how did they know about me and the Student Council dispute? It must have one of the students from my class who spread something about my first encounter with the Student Council. Anyway, I have already made up my mind. No matter what I will resolve this once and for all. I ignored those daggering eyes at me and walked up to the stairs. Slowly taking one step at a time I began walking up the stairs and continued. As I was moving up the crowd behind me also began attracted to me. Like a magnet attracting the iron fillings. Seeing the crowd move just because to me it seemed pretty amusing but at the same time the tense atmosphere rose up. I know precisely know the reason why. I was supposed to stop at the second floor and go right instead of doing it I began climbing another pair of stairs and was heading up to the third floor. I could feel the glares at me even though I can''t see them directly. As I moved up the second floor I thought that the crowd would reduce, since many first years will get to their classes. But as I turned around a little I noticed a slight increase in number. That''s when I noticed that second years who were already on the second floor had begun following me. Among the uncountable number of students, I saw a familiar face. Our eyes locked for a second and then instantly I averted my eyes and continued looking forward. Taking one step at a time made the entire floor tense up. The reason is simple, if a person walked straight forward into the enemy territory then it''s a hint that a fight will take place or the situation is going to get heated up. But it has the opposite effect when a person walks slowly. It makes an impact on the ones seeing them and the ones he is going towards. It appears more like an important talk will going to happen. But that''s not the reason why I am walking slowly. Not long ago I was pacing up the stairs I tripped and fell. I don''t know about others but trust me the feeling of falling down is much more scarier than getting hit by that fall. That''s the only reason I was walking slowly but if some benefits come along with it I can''t decline. That''s why if I were to slip or trip down the stairs I would definitely be seen as a laughing stock by the students following me. "Do you think he is going at the Student Council members?" "Why would I know it?" "Is he going to fight them?" "Again. Why would I know?!" Ignoring them I reached the front of the Student Council Room. Well, just like many different clubs have their own room similarly the Student Council has one but apparently, the difference in the room was quite something. Especially their door was made out of wood but it was nothing as compared to the principal''s office entrance. But as compared to other clubrooms this one is better. I haven''t joined any club but I did happen to visit them and to be honest their entrance wouldn''t even come close to this humongous entrance. *Knock-Knock* *Knock-Knock* I waited a couple of moments for someone to respond along with 69 others. Just kidding. I don''t know the exact number of students who came following me but that line is what I read somewhere online and it happens to be quite famous. Anyway, I knocked again but no response came. *Knock-Knock* *Knock-Knock* As I was about left thinking that no one is inside I slightly pushed the door thinking it would be unlocked and miraculously it was. The door slowly opened up and a sudden bright light shone from inside but it was soon disappeared. It must have been because of the window at the back. I walked inside while the ones following me couldn''t pursue me any further but a certain figure still walked close to the entrance and stopped there with a few more students. "Who told you to enter inside?" I heard a similar voice. As I looked around I saw the similar figures that I saw yesterday. Six Student Council members. I turned over to the sound of the voice and replied. Also, I turned my eyes around and noticed a couple of sofas with a grand desk at the center along with all the members sitting ideally on the sofas while the red hair was standing beside the desk. "No one responded so I stepped in," I said as I saw the red-headed person. "Huh? So, you can just barge in like that then...?" he began questioning me. "Were you doing something important?" I asked him. "That''s not the point here-" "There is no point in having this argument," I interrupted him. "What did you say to me!" he sounded angry. "Calm down will you? Can''t you see he is getting in your head? Idiot," the girl stopped the red hair from pursuing the matter further. I guess there are few who have some brain inside them. "Okay fine..." with that he stopped. "So what did you want with us?" a person came in front of me. He was the same person who tried to intimidate me yesterday but failed so why is he doing it again? "Nothing I was just wondering what are you planning to do with me?" I asked. "With you? Pfft!" a burst of laughter broke out in the room. "..." I didn''t react to it. "Don''t take it the wrong way but..." he paused for a moment to control himself, "But you are nothing to us so you don''t have to worry about anything. We will end things for you pretty quick, you won''t even know it." "You? Ending things for me? Are you kidding me?" I asked as I looked at each one of their faces. "What''s that supposed to mean?" someone from the sofa asked but after taking just a single look I didn''t bother looking at them again. Instead, I stared back at the student in front of me. "Did you forget what happened to your President yesterday? If I am correct, isn''t the President supposed to be more powerful than his pack? Or am I wrong?" I gave a slight smirk just like the way he gave me yesterday. "... We thought of taking things with you easily," the person standing in front of me answered. "So you admit defeat then? That you got defeated," I said. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 87 - Lets Begin The silence made the atmosphere a bit uncomfortable. Not for me but for them. The high horses they were yesterday have just gotten their legs cut down. Last time I had already used up almost all my mental strength and couldn''t come up with this. But right now I reset my mental situation last night. "What did you say just now?" The red hair came at me with an intent to hit me but was stopped in his tracks. "Wait, wait. Let me handle this brat," the one standing in front of me said as he extended his arm. "You better shut this, this, I can''t even think of a word to describe you," the red hair said to me. Does he not think of me as a person? Well, it won''t matter when they go down. "Okay... you just need to cool yourself down. It''s embarrassing for all of us if you get worked up this easy and above all the one who got you worked up is this." "If you don''t mind can we cut to the point?" I interrupted their conversation. On the surface, it might look like nonsense talk but it has a meaning behind it. Them having a free talk and having a small dispute on a puny thing shows how insignificant I look here. It was quite a good way to ridicule me but apparently, I am not like that red hair who gets worked up by something like this. "Oh yeah sure," he said vaguely. "I am sure you are thinking of kicking me out of the school but I need to know the reason why you are so fixated on me. It''s not just an act of revenge for the President. I know that for sure so why don''t you tell me the truth?" I said. "And why do you think that we have some other reason? Also, this isn''t just for the sake of the President," he said to me but whenever he talked to me he made sure to look directly in the eyes and didn''t waver a single bit. I know he is the enemy but that is something to admire about him. But this specific time his eyes faltered a bit. Even though it didn''t show in his words, that gaze told something else. "Just President? Then there are more involved in this?" I asked him. "Ha! Why would I even tell you if others were involved? Also, you are going way off the mark from the start," he said. "Really? I think I just hit the mark," I said as I walked past him. "Look at this point it''s already clear that it''s not just for the sake of the President''s reputation or revenge or anything else like that. Something else is going on here. Also if you expel me at this time, after what I did yesterday it''s most likely that things will worsen for you all." I said. I know I might have not been able to convince everyone but many were swayed a little by my speech. The downfall of the school isn''t primarily because of me but because of small things that got accumulated. The only way out was to use me as a scapegoat. If the blame was shited to someone else then they could get out of this. "We can handle it," the man in front said. "So, there is something happening behind the scenes then." it wasn''t a question. I made a statement. "You know that we can throw you out of the school anytime we want. We are just waiting for some reason to kick you out and... when we do I don''t care where you are, I am personally going to come to you and kick your a$$ out of this school." the person in front of me said arrogantly. "I dare you to do that. Try finding something on me and I am pretty sure you are going to find nothing. You won''t need to come to me, I will come to you and-" before I could say another word I was interrupted in between. *Thud* A big file was slammed on the table that was placed in front of the sofas. "Look kid, I don''t know from where your confidence comes from but don''t you dare try threatening us. I don''t care what you think or what your theory is but one thing that I know is that if you don''t get out of here in another minute I can''t say what will happen to you." Until all this time only the person standing in front of me and the red hair responded to me but right now someone else said it. Then it means they are noticing me. It''s a bad sign, to be honest. If I don''t get under their radar I can anytime ambush them but as of this moment, they are noticing me and most likely my every movement. "Okay, fine. I will leave for now but I still can''t figure out the real reason so I will come back." With that, I left the room and didn''t stop until I was several feet away from the room. I didn''t look back. I guess that did the trick. Through this, I know for sure that they haven''t found anything on me yet. Also, they don''t have a single reason to expel me so I can bluff them then. I just need to find something on any one of them and then all will go smoothly. But before that, I need to get away from here. All the crowd that stopped just out of the Student Council Room is still here. How much do they want to follow me? Don''t they get enough of this? If it were me I wouldn''t take a second thought about it and would ignore it. I made my way to the stairs but was stopped on the tracks by some of the students. "Umm, did you need something from me?" I asked them. Seeing their dress I am thinking they are from the first year. "Yes." one of the girls among them stood up in front of me. Her hair appeared to be brown but it might be because of the sunlight. "So am I supposed to think of you as a leader of this... small group?" I asked. "That''s not important right now," she tried changing the subject. "Then what''s important? You need to make it quick. I need to do some work to do," I tried brushing them away by giving them the cold side. "What are the people talking about you, is it true?" she asked me. "Tell me one thing before that," I said, "Were you present yesterday?" "Yes..?" "Then I said everything that needed to be said. I am not going to repeat it to just... a couple of juniors," I said. "Don''t you know who she is?" one of the kids who had their lips zipped said. What''s happening to kids nowadays? Since when did they start threatening their seniors like this? I mean I might have said something like ''I dare you'' to my seniors moments before but it wasn''t like this or maybe it was? I don''t know but it was them who first came to me so it was never me who threatened me first. Yes, it was the Student Council members who first came to me with an intention of threatening me so it was just me returning them a favor. "I don''t know and I am not even the slightest bit interested in knowing her either. If you don''t have anything to say can I leave now?" it''s not like I can''t leave, I just thought it would look nice this way. "Huh? You don''t know her? She has been on the cover page of XXXX Magzine." "So? I don''t get your point," I said. "Just tell me. Is it true or not," she asked me again. "If you ask me then all those rumors about me are all false and after that, it''s up to you to believe if they are true or not." with that I turned slightly towards the left and made mine towards the stairs. Also, it was at that moment that I noticed that the crowd was considerably distant from me or rather distant than the group that came at me. "W-Wait!" that group called out to me but it was at that moment that I knew if I stop now I won''t be able to get away so I paced down the stairs but I had to slow down because the floor was wet. When did it get wet? I placed my legs carefully so as not to slip up. But that made them catch up to me. As I reached the second floor I stopped there. Not for them but for someone else. "A-At last you stopped..." they all were out of breath. I haven''t used one-tenth of my strength and they are already half breather just by walking down one floor? "What do you want with me? Can''t you get the hint that I don''t want to talk to you...?" I asked them, especially their leader, the girl. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 88 - Iris V/s The New Girl "I j-ju... just wanted t-t-to ask..." she seemed to be out of breath. Is it because of the slippery stairs that they needed to walk more carefully but it would save their breath and not the opposite? "Look I already answered it," I said, "I won''t say the same thing again." "T-That''s not-" she tried taking deep breaths. She did mention that the girl was in some magazine. If she is in the first year then she must have worked hard to make her facial and etiquettes look good so I am assuming she didn''t take much part in any physical activities. That might be the reason she was out of breath this easily. "Allen!" ah, here she comes. Iris was standing above the stairs. Her timing couldn''t be any better. This might be the first time in my entire life that I wasn''t mad at her. "Who?" By the time Iris came all of them were back to their usual self. Pretty fast if I say so but who cares how fast they can recover. "I came to get Allen. Who are you, people?" Iris said arrogantly. What''s the point of trying to intimidate them? Like can''t she just come down and take me away normally? Her only moment when I wasn''t frustrated at her might have been ruined just now. "We are talking to Allen right now so why don''t you come later on?" one of the girl''s lackeys said to Iris. Oh, boy. I don''t mean to criticize Iris but assuming how much ego she has, that kid just now worsened the situation. *Twitch* I couldn''t see Iris'' face completely but I could feel her face twitching. She is mad. "Huh! What did you just say to me?!" she came running down. "W-What are you going to...?" seeing the difference in Irir''s speaking tone the kid seemed to back down a little. Not just him but all of them. "I don''t know what things you are being taught but from where I am, I have been told to respect someone older than you but I don''t think I am being given enough respect here. So, I am just going to say this once," she said as she walked down the stairs. "..." all of them were staring at Iris silently. "Don''t ever- Don''t you dare ever speak to me like that. Not just me but to anyone and just pray that I don''t find you doing this somewhere again. And if I did find you, believe me, you will be one hell of pain. Not just one but all of you." she said arrogantly. That was some speech if I say but all that could have been prevented if she had come for me earlier. "I just want to ask Allen a few things," the girl said, "It won''t take much time." "Oh, god...! You don''t back down do you? Haven''t you heard me? I am taking Allen back off right now," Iris said. She looked pretty irritated. Well, if I am being honest here I think that girl is similar to Iris in some ways. Like not backing up when asked and trying to get things your way. The girl is just like Iris. Seeing them argue the only thing that I could think of is that the most difficult person to talk to is the one when the other person is similar to you. That''s the same situation Iris is in right now. Seeing her get irritated seemed amusing to me. Since I have also suffered something like that because of her, I am going to wait for a few more moments and let her get a taste of her own medicine. "I also told you, I just want to ask something, that''s all...!" the girl exclaimed. "Are you an idiot? Can''t you see he also doesn''t want to talk to you then why are you so obsessed with him all of a sudden?!" Iris also exclaimed. It''s like seeing a catfight. I guess it''s true, when two girls fight it looks like a catfight. "He was about to agree then you suddenly popped up!" the girl doesn''t seem to back down but Iris was also the same as her. "Look here, I am trying to get this inside your brain but it appears to be getting in but instantly it''s getting out from the other...!" Iris said. While they were having a fight almost the whole floor had gathered around us. That''s the only thing I didn''t want but thanks to both of them the crowd has surrounded us. But if I look at this another I can just walk past the crowd because they aren''t looking at me in particular at the moment. The junior and Iris were the center of attention right now. "Hey, what''s going on here...?" "Iris and that idol from the first year are having a dispute." "Really?!" "Who are you betting on...?" "Of course it''s on Iris!" "Iris? I don''t think so." I specifically told Iris to help me out using her authority when someone is trying to approach me but who would have thought that she wouldn''t be of any help this much sooner. While Iris and that idol girl were having their small dispute I used that opportunity to blend in the background and I slowly walked towards my classroom. Since Iris was already famous and that new girl also seems to be known by quite a few then no one even bothers to look in my direction. Without any further thinking, I increased my pace and walked right past the crowd as I hid my face by lowering my head down. I just pushed a few and the way automatically was made. ... I don''t know what happened to Iris and that girl''s fight but what I heard in the class is that one of the teachers came and stopped their fight. Also, before that happens one of them happened to slap the other. I wonder who did that. "Please settle down! We will begin a new topic," our homeroom teacher entered the class with a thick book in her hand. Seeing it only one thought came to mind, when will that book''s topic be all covered? And when it will be covered do we have to learn all that? Just thinking about it I remember that I do have a student life and have to study. ... Without any hitch, the first half of the school happens to pass by like a blink of an eye. Also, that''s a given that most of the time I was just making it look like I was getting it but it was flying right above my head. As I was thinking about this I was just about to leave the classroom but someone stopped me by holding my shoulder. I turned around to see and saw a familiar figure. Well, that''s a given that it would be a familiar face but apparently, this one hasn''t talked to me for a while. "What can I do for you...?" I asked. It was Anna who came. What does she want now? "Umm... is it okay if we talk in private...?" She looked nervous. "Why?" I asked. "Please... try to understand-" she seemed pretty tensed up. "... Fine," I said. As I was about to leave the classroom I felt multiple death glares at me but among them, I saw a nervous look on Selene''s face. I wonder why that was? ... We both walked down the hallway but where are going? "Where are we going?" I asked. "What...? Weren''t you leading the way?" she seemed surprised. "Why would I? Weren''t you the one who wanted to talk privately?" I said. "Argh...! Fine let''s go to the library then," she said in frustration with a slightly anxious feeling hidden. ... Well, it was given that I would be the center of attention if I was seen with Anna alone. It won''t matter to me but what caught me off guard was that Anna was also not affected by these gazes. We stepped inside the library. It was almost empty except a student was sitting holding a quite thick book beside the window. Ignoring him we sat on the farthest seat from the entrance. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked. "UM- Ah..." she was hesitating. "You know I don''t have all day, right? Just spill it out." I tried pressing her to speak up. If I were to leave her here, who knows what kind of rumors she might spread again. "D-Don''t press me in saying that...!" she yelled at me. "Shh. We are in a library, remember?" I told her. "... sorry," she said. "What is it really? Just say it," I said. "I-I. You said yesterday that the rumors about you were spread by someone from this school-" she was about to finish her sentence but stopped in her tracks. "Yes... I did say that." I agreed. "Wh-Wha-" she couldn''t say it out loud. Or she was trying to make up her mind whether to say it or not. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 89 - Confessing The Truth? "Wh-Wha-" she couldn''t say it out loud. Or she was trying to make up her mind whether to say it or not. I was going to take a seat in front of her when she motioned for me to take a seat beside her. Perhaps she wishes to talk about something that was not supposed to be heard by someone else. If I had sat in front of her, our distance would have been fairly great. Someone walking close to us could overhear our conversation. Looking at her, it was clear that whatever she was attempting to convey was difficult for her. But what exactly may it be? When was the last time I spoke with her, if my memory serves, right? Wasn''t it the case that we were both required to perform some job for the teachers? That was the only time we ever chatted for more than a minute. "Do you need more time? I can go, and whenever you''re ready to tell me, you can probably find me in the classroom..." I tried to stand up, but she grabbed my arm and exclaimed. "W-Wait...! I''ll tell you," she said. "Please be quiet..." a warning was given. I didn''t care who said it or to whom it was addressed since I knew it was solely for us. The other person isn''t making a single sound and there isn''t anyone except us and him so the warning for us is. There''s no doubt about it. "Alright, say it or I am really going to leave this time," I said. "Okay..." she said, "W-When you were on the s-stage you said that the ones who spread rumors about you were in s-school, what did you mean by that...?" She looked hesitant. "I mean exactly what I said,'' I said, "The rumors were spread from the school." To be honest I know where she is getting at. Let''s bring back some memories, shall we? ... "My father said that he is suspected of holding a gun. He said that the police just need some proof and he will be in jail in no time," one of the girls said. "But when I saw him in the first year I was like what a normal person. He gives those otaku vibes sometimes, that''s why I kept my distance from him but to think he will do something like this," the other girl said. "We can''t be sure about that yet. But Anna, are you sure about this? I mean aren''t all these false rumors spread by you? If we get caught, the teachers are going to kill us," the boy said anxiously. ... That''s enough for the past conversation. Alight. Now then, right there, it was confirmed that Anna was one of the culprits. At this point, I am barely able to control myself from laughing out loud. Who knew that the person I was trying to manipulate in taking my side will come to me. The original plan was to use her to get to the name of that other boy. The first option was to slowly gain her trust and then spill out that boy''s name. I know it has quite a high chance of failure but it was worth it. Or so I thought. The second option was to use the recording. I am thankful to myself for bringing up my phone at that time. The moment I got the hint that they are talking about me and the rumors I recorded all of it. I thought it would be helpful to use it as blackmail but I never thought I could use it as leverage on her. It''s quite a development we got here, Allen. I said to myself. "... I-Is there anyone in s-specific that you suspect...?" she said. I turned over to her and saw her hands shaking frantically as well as her legs. It''s going to look as if I am the bad guy here using the recording to blackmail her. I don''t care how it looks to me or anyone. I am just doing what''s best for me and there''s a saying, right? If something comes around it goes around. "Umm... are you asking this because you know someone who might have spread those rumors...?" I asked her. Since I know what she is trying to do I am just playing with her. Let''s see how long will she be able to handle it. "... W-What if I k-know...?" she asked me. I could totally see her anxious eyes. It was almost dark inside her eyes. Is it that much of a problem? Well, for her it might be because if the school gets the gist of it about who really spread those rumors then she might be the one who gets expelled. Because of her, I was about to get expelled, that''s another case that I won''t be going anywhere but the school might use a reason that she was about to ruin someone''s whole life. I don''t know but she will definitely get punished severely. At least that''s for sure. "What do you mean? You know the person who spread those false rumors about me?" I said. "What w-will you do when the p-person confesses her c- his crimes...?" she was just about to reveal that it was a girl but then she changed it. "I don''t know but because of that person, I had to go through all of this so I will make sure to pay back in equal amounts. No, I will make sure to pay back that person no matter what," I said in a little serious tone. The more I tell her about what will happen if that person comes forward because if she believes that she will be forgiven and who knows she might actually be so then I won''t be able to control her anymore. I cannot let this opportunity pass by. "I-Is it really necessary? Y-You can just f-forgive her-him...? Don''t you t-think...?" Anna, you are making it too easy here. Even if I haven''t heard your little secret talk back then I can totally make out that you are involved in this. "Now that I think of what have they done to me? Just spread the rumors, right?" I said. "Y-Yes..." her eyes showed a little bright light. "Only because of those rumors, I was made an outcast. I couldn''t talk to anyone, those glares at me all the time at school. Bad Mouthing about me as I passed by them. If that wasn''t enough I was just about to get expelled. Expelled. You know how much it matters, right Anna?" "Yes," she said. "It was good that I stood my ground or at this point, I would just be staring at these walls like usual but from outside, right? Isn''t that scary? Just imagine that I was about to be kicked out of here... it''s scary," I said in a low voice. "..." she silently looked at me while I continued showing my desperate situation. "Getting them punished won''t be enough. It won''t be enough at all. I am going to make their lives as miserable as mine. No, even worse. I will make sure that their entire school life is the same way they were about trying to do it with me." I said in a deep voice. "..." she silently looked at me, agonizing. The atmosphere was getting weirder. "Thanks, Anna," I said. "Why...?" She was confused and shocked at the same time. "It only happened because of you, I realized that I can''t forgive them at all. I will make them regret messing with my life. They won''t get away with this easily." I said as I hid my face from her. "N-no..." she tried denying it. "Ah... sorry for all that w.e.i.r.d t.a.l.k Anna... I hope you u.n.d.e.r.s.t.a.n.d how d.e.s.p.e.r.a.t.e I am... Don''t tell anyone about this to anyone..." I emphasised some words thinking it would click somewhere inside Anna/ Sympathy is a weapon that can be used as a shield and as a way to attack. Sympathy is a deadly weapon. "N-n-no... I ca-" she was trying to say something but I interrupted her before that. "Anna, you came here to help me make a decision, right? Before we talked I just thought about what I should do when I will find the person who spread those rumors about me and you must have seen through me. Thanks, Anna," I said. "No, t-that''s not it..." she still denied it. Well, she is going to deny it since she is the one I am talking about. "Can I ask you a favor...?" I asked her as I looked into her eyes. "Why- wh?" she couldn''t find the right word for the moment. "Can you help me find that person? I can''t ask anyone for help and you came to help me make a decision... can you please help me out...?" I asked her. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 90 - Faking It Fake It "Can you help me find that person? I can''t ask anyone for help and... you came to help me make a decision... can you please help me out...?" I asked her. I know this might seem reckless to some but it''s the best strategy I could think of at the moment in order to gain her trust. This way she can''t escape from me and later on, she might turn herself in and at that moment I can proceed with my plan that I had planned for her since earlier. "W-What¡­ did y-you...?" She was confused and taken aback at the same time. Well, that''s a normal reaction since I just asked the real culprit to help me find an imagery culprit. "... Just think about it," I said, "I can use your help. You have quite some influence among the class and maybe outside too. I could really use your help in this one." "N-no¡­ I can''t¡­" she still denied. "Anna I know you wanted to help me out that''s why you came to me in the first place, right? And if that''s so I really appreciate it," I said. "... I-I still¡­" She tried saying something but couldn''t. I guess the guilt really hurts a person from inside slowly. It''s most likely that because of that guilt and me telling her my desperate situation she can''t seem to decide what to do. "Anna, you seem to be jittery from before¡­ Are you feeling okay?" I asked her. "..." she didn''t respond. "Anna is it that you are the one who spread those rumors¡­?" I said. I decided to take the leap. It can lead in two ways. One is that she accepts it and on the other hand she could leave this place in anger. Either way, she will get caught in my plan so let''s see which she "!?" she instantly looked up. "Ah, there''s no way that''s possible¡­ or is it?" I looked at in confusion. "Y-Yeah I didn''t do it," she said but her eyes said something else. So, she decided to take the third option. I guess in a desperate situation any kind of decision can be made. Anyway, now that she denied having done this I can just make her guilt grow. "Yeah, if it were you, you would have never come to talk to me in the first place¡­ hahaha¡­ I am an idiot to think something like that," I said, "Sorry for making you uncomfortable." "..." I guess making her guilt grow was working quite well or at least making her feel a little bad for what she has done. That way there is a slight chance that she will confess or she agrees to help me, either way, it''s my win. "So Anna, I really think that you are the only one I can depend upon in the entire class. If it wasn''t for you I couldn''t have made my decision," I said to her. "W-What if the person confesses to you, can''t you forgive he-him?" She did it again. She was going to say ''her'' but then changed it quickly. "Hmm¡­ why are you saying that? I don''t understand. If it was you in my situation will you be able to forgive them easily? Tell me honestly," I said. "... N-No, I won''t be a-able," she said in a low voice. "See¡­" I said, "Anna, I understand if you don''t want to help me out this much, I mean who wouldn''t want to be involved with me this much after what''s happening to me and my reputation." "..." she stayed silent. "In case you ever change your mind you know where to find me," I said, "Also if you don''t mind can you not tell our conversation to others? I don''t want others to think badly of you so just tell them that the teacher told us to do some work together. Okay¡­?" I know for sure that the other students she was with the last time I saw her near the stairs are definitely going to ask her about this conversation later on. It would be good if she wouldn''t tell them but even if she told them I don''t see any reason they will ever think that I know who really spread these rumors. I mean I just asked the culprit to help me. It''s just like suspecting a wheel-chaired person with stealing something and running away. "Mhm-Mhm," she agreed and nodded. I hope she keeps her word. "I will wait for your decision so please think about it thoroughly. It would be a huge help if you had helped me... Anyway, I will get going now," I said in a serious yet low voice. "..." she stared at me for a moment there and when our eyes matched she instantly turned around. Was it guilt? There was no way for me to find it out. As she turned away I also began walking but my steps weren''t for the way out but for the way somewhere inside. I had to do something about our little stalker that has been spying on me for quite some time. "What are you reading¡­?" I asked him. The moment I reached him he hid something in his pocket. He was sitting near the window holding a book for quite some time. "Ah, it''s a-a ''The Luminaries'' written by... Eleanor Catton¡­" he replied as he turned over to the cover page/ "Oh, I have read this one. Isn''t the main character in this a female lead? She has some family problems and was destined to marry someone, not of her choice but later on, she comes to like the person¡­ isn''t that right¡­?" I asked. "Y-Yeah, that''s exactly what happened¡­!" He agreed to it. "So, which chapter are you on? I might have given you a spoiler¡­ haha¡­" I said. "Umm¡­ I don''t remember the chapter name but the page number is... 189," he said as he looked at the page he was holding. "Ah, I can''t remember the chapter this way either but which part are you reading right now¡­?" "Oh- Ah-" "Alright, the joke time is over," I said. "What do you mean¡­?" he asked me. "The moment you turned over to the cover page you didn''t bother bookmarking the current page you had opened up and when you told me the author''s name you randomly opened the page," I said. "W-What¡­? That''s absurd," he denied it but his actions were telling something else. "Oh, is that so? Then earlier you were on page 158 and when you returned you were at page 189¡­ I wonder what''s absurd here?" "I just r-randomly said it by mistake t-that''s all," he tried to convince me. "Oh, one more thing. The brief story I told you, it wasn''t even the story of the book you mentioned. It was the book my mother used to read sometimes. So, let me ask you again," I said coldly, "Is it me who is lying or is it you¡­?" I asked him. "!?" He was surprised. "Also hand over your phone," I said. "HUH!?" He was surprised no it wasn''t that, he was panicking. "Your phone, hand it over," I said. "W-Why should I give my phone to you¡­?!" he yelled. "Please don''t make loud noises in the library," the person from the desk said. "Fine, let''s go to any teacher, and then I am going to tell them that you were recording or clicking photos of me without permission. I wonder what''s going to happen then? Will you still refuse to give them your phone?" I glared at him. "..." he tried not to let his fear out but his eyes showed it all. "Maybe instead of me who was about to get expelled it will be you, a stalker," I said. "Hand over the phone it will be handled nicely or else you might be in quite a pickle," I said, "I don''t know who told you to do it but I am pretty sure that when you get drowned by me he wouldn''t think twice to sacrifice you. It''s a win-win if you just hand me the phone." It''s most likely that he was being ordered by someone from the Student Council. I guess they have started to make their move earlier than I thought. Anyway, I also need to start my investigation as well. I can''t just let them tail me all they want whereas I am sitting ducks here. "... Made up your mind? If not we are directly going to the teacher''s office. Even if you don''t go I will make sure that you won''t do the same thing again. So, what''s it going to be? Hand over the phone to me or get your school life destroyed soon enough? What''s it going to be...?" "...Here," he handed me over his phone. I guess my threats do work sometimes. I mean based on my reputation I didn''t think he would hand me over his phone. "Unlock it," I said. *Click* "I don''t know who ordered you to do it but I don''t want you to tell them about this at all. You understand¡­?" I asked. "N-No why wo-would I do that¡­?" "I am not asking here. I am telling you," I said. Well, he will tell the person ordering him anyway so all I am doing here are just empty threats. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 91 - Plans I know for certain that he will go and tell the one who is ordering him about me and Anna''s conversation. Even if he did tell him about me and Anna talking alone in private this might lead me to an opportunity. It can take their eyes from Iris or in other words, I would still have an element of surprise. See it this way, if someone from the Student Council saw me and Anna together what would they think? It''s most likely that they might believe it as if we both are collaborating. Like discussing a way to stop the Student Council. Even the Student Council knows that I am going to take someone''s help but the question is whose help will I be taking? Well in the first place I don''t even have so many people I can ask for help. So, there is only a limited number of people they can keep their eyes on. Why didn''t I get this earlier? If they get to know that Iris is helping me it would be like letting them cut my arms off. I can''t let that happen. Even if Iris holds a certain degree of power in school it won''t matter if the Student Council diverges us or do any other means to separate us. I don''t know exactly what they are going to do but it''s always much better to be precautious rather than being reckless or ignoring the other possibilities. I can''t let her be known, not yet. If that were to happen there is a high chance that I will for real get expelled from the School. "... Is it done¡­?" he asked me. Oh, that''s right. I haven''t returned his phone yet. "Yeah sure, but make sure you don''t ever get caught up... by me," I said. "... Mhm-Mhm," he nodded and left the library as soon as I handed over his phone. Ah, man I can''t think what exactly the Student Council is doing. I don''t even know who they actually are. Maybe I really have been isolating myself a bit too much or used to before the incident happened because I can''t seem to remember most of the names. Well, it still doesn''t matter but on the other hand, it could have come in handy if I were to socialize a bit. Still, I don''t regret it being like that. I just think I could use those people as a distraction to the Student Council. "Allen you haven''t left yet¡­?" I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and saw Anna staring at me with a confused look at her face. "Ah, no I was just about to leave," I said. "Really¡­?" she said. "Yes, I just happened to catch my eyes on a book," I said. "Which one¡­?" she asked me. "The one placed near you," I replied. It was the same book that the stalker was holding earlier. "Yeah, you should leave first, I will come out later," I said, "It might be bad for you if someone were to see us together again." "Ack¡­!" my head just went blank for a second there. What''s happening? Suddenly some kind of images began displaying in front of me. I felt like my vision was zooming into something. [Sudden bright light. People surrounding me. Some kind of chattering but I can''t make out what that is.] And all of a sudden those images vanished and I just zoomed out of something weird. What was that? I lost my balance but fortunately as I extended my left arm I held onto the nearest chair. If it wasn''t there I might have fallen. "That was a close call¡­" I mumbled to myself. "Are you okay¡­?" Anna asked me as she looked at me with concern. "... Yeah, I am just fine," I said. I was taking deep breaths one after the other. I could feel my heartbeat accelerating. It was like I was just shot by adrenaline. But within a few seconds of the span, I calmed down. My heartbeat slowed down. "You sure¡­?" she still wasn''t convinced, "We can go to the infirmary if you want. You look really pale right now. As if you just saw something weird." Did I really look that much pale, right now? "No¡­ it''s just that I haven''t eaten anything yet so¡­ I must be feeling a little dizzy. It''s nothing much of a concern," I said as I signaled with my right arm. "... Okay," she said. "Yeah, I will see you in the class," I said. As Anna walked towards the gate she glanced back a little but I arrowed my arm telling her that I was fine. She didn''t wait any longer and made her way outside. ... I quickly took out one of the seats and sat on the nearest one from the window. Sitting there silently I watched the outside scenery trying to figure out what just happened to me. I don''t know exactly what happened to me just now. For a moment there I could have passed out but the next moment I was back to normal. And those weird images. Low voiced chattering, what''s that supposed to be? Huh? This is the first time something like this has happened to me. Earlier it was only the panic attacks or nervous breakdown but now what? Something is weird going on inside my body and I can''t seem to find what it is. Should I go check with a doctor? I think I really should. "Anyway, I don''t have much leisure time to think about something I can''t even understand," I decided to ignore it for the time being. Trying to shake that thing out of my head I just looked outside the window. Hoping I would get distracted. I could see the birds flying around the trees, a few sitting on the branches chirping or maybe singing, I can''t possibly know what they really are doing. Seeing that I felt a little relieved. I guess nature does heal you. ... Actually, I was supposed to meet Iris right now but right now I just don''t feel like talking right now or I want a bit more time to rest. I want a few moments alone and quiet for a minute. If I were to talk to Iris right now I don''t think I could handle her right now. Not in this shape. Who knows what might happen to me? I could faint any moment. So instead I just stared outside the window. Dappled sun shining through the trees, creating mysterious shadows on the ground. Seeing it gave me a different kind of satisfaction. As I was watching the different shapes formed by the tree leaves a sudden dark patch appeared above the tree. I looked up and saw the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds that were drifting in the gentle breeze. I could look at it all day and never get tired of it. The afternoon sun bathed the school building in its warm light and it was getting warmer. Hot- It was getting hotter here. I guess staying too close to the window isn''t a good idea for too long when it''s afternoon and while the sun is shining brightly. I stood up and changed my location quickly. Also, I thought it was a good opportunity to read something new. I am in a library, it''s quiet as I like it so I could use the book as a way to distract my mind because the one looking outside turned out to be too hot for me. I got up and went on to search for something to read. "Hmm¡­" I was just looking around when all of a sudden I noticed a book lying on the ground. I picked it up. "What''s this¡­?" I said, "''The Boy Gone Missing''. What kind of name is it?" I turned over a few pages to see who the author was but apparently, it was blank so flipped it over to see if the author''s name was written on the back or not. "Not here also," I said. Anyway since I have already held onto it, I can just read it just to pass time. I was thinking of reading it from the start but then I remembered I don''t have so much leisure time to read all these 200 pages. I can just read the summary. It wouldn''t take much time I guess. As I turned over to the last page I was surprised to see that the summary was only a single page long. [There used to live a boy with his family. They laughed, played, and even cried at times but they were all happy with what they had. Monday was supposed to be just like the usual Monday''s but something changed. Something changed for that young boy. The boy was supposed to be home at 12 but he didn''t come home that day. The parents were worried sick. He was nowhere to be found. Feeling hopeless they filed a missing report. The parents couldn''t take a wink that night. At midnight someone rang the bell. The parents hurried to the door hoping their son had returned. The moment they opened the door they saw him standing there with his clothes torn apart. Both the parents couldn''t be happier and worried at the same time. They didn''t know how they were supposed to react. Delighted that their son has returned or anxious where he was? Soon it was found out that he fell down near a wild bush growing on the outskirts of the town. THE END] "What was that¡­?" TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 92 - False Information "That sure was some weird story," I mumbled to myself, "Anyway, I should get going now." I have already used up too much here. I stood up from the seat and made my way to the exit. Oh right, the better place the book back before I leave. I turned around and tried finding its rightful place among the numerous shelves but after taking a complete minute I still couldn''t find it. So, I left the book on the table. At that moment I realized that I have spent more than enough time here, I should leave soon¡­ ¡­ I made my way out of the library. I hope I haven''t spent too much time there. I don''t even have a watch to check the time. I really should buy one. As I was walking down I remembered something. "Oh, boy¡­" Iris and I haven''t decided where we will meet. How can I do something like that¡­? So, as an attempt, I began trying to find. In doing so, I strolled around the school but she was nowhere to be found. As I was passing by my class I heard someone calling me. "Allen¡­!" I couldn''t make out who called me out but I was certain that it was from my class. At first, I thought of ignoring it but then I thought that Iris might be in there. Like the last time, to get revenge or maybe something else she came to my class and caused quite a ruckus. There is a possibility that she might do it again. So I turned around and walked back in. *Peek* I took a peek inside. "Allen!" Iris jumped in front of me. I took a step back and said, "... So it was really you then." "That''s a dull reaction," she said, "You didn''t even flinch a little. Don''t you get scared?" "Do you want to waste our time talking about something like this or something more productive," I said, "Also the answer is ''No''." "Mean¡­ anyway I was trying to find you all over the place where you were?" she asked me. "I had some work to do," I replied. "Work¡­?" she said in a weird tone. It was more like she was suspicious of something. "What is it¡­?" I asked her. "Huh? What do you mean¡­?" she played the ''I don''t know what you are talking about'' act. "Say it or we don''t have to talk at all today since you can''t seem to tell me things," I said. "W-Wait, wait," she said hurriedly. "You have to be a little bit faster," I said. "I came to your class the moment the break bell rang but you were already out," she said, "So, I just asked around and they said something like you went somewhere alone with a girl. I know, I know it''s not true so I thought I would try to tease you a bit¡­ but apparently, you are much denser than I thought," she said the last part in a low voice so I couldn''t make out what she said. Also, I wasn''t even the slightest bit concerned about it. But I think it''s good to know that these students have at least started talking about me and Anna talking privately. Also, it took quite some time so I am thinking some rumors must have also begun circulating. "A- You heard it right, I went with a girl and-" before I could say another word she exclaimed. "What!" she exclaimed. "Don''t yell," I said to her. The moment she exclaimed all eyes were at me and Iris. Well, they were already staring at us so it didn''t change much. "What¡­!" she again exclaimed but this time in a hushed voice. "B- Don''t waste your time thinking of ways to tease me. I don''t like it," I said in a stern voice. It''s not like I am totally against a little joke but right now isn''t the best time to do it. After dealing with all my ''P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.'' I might be open to joking and kidding around but as of this moment, I don''t have much leisure time for that kind of thing. "Okay¡­ but tell me first who were you alone¡­?" she began questioning me. "Hey, what''s happening between them¡­?" "Why did Iris just yell?" "Were they friends¡­?" This isn''t looking good. It would be bad if the Student Council got the gist of me and Iris collaborating. *Grab* I grabbed her hand and paced outside. "W-What? Where are we g-going?" Iris was surprised. I didn''t respond to her and without stopping anywhere I ran to the place we both first met. My Paradise, or used to¡­ ¡­ After we reached there Iris was the first one to say anything. "Wha- Why- What happened to you just now¡­?" she couldn''t find the right word but she did in the end. "I can''t expose our relation to others yet," I replied to her straight. "Wh-Wh-What relation¡­?!" "Our relationship where you help me with the Student Council and in return, you will ask me to do something for you, isn''t that right?" I asked her. I don''t understand what''s the confusion here. It''s just a give-and-take. Like a transaction instead of exchanging money or credit, we are doing each other favors for something in return. "Shouldn have thought it would be like this, what did I expect from someone as dense as him," she again said something low voice that I couldn''t make out but since our whole conversation isn''t going anywhere I assumed it was something that doesn''t concern me so I just ignored it. "So, what did you find?" I asked her. "On what?" She answered me back with a question. "On¡­ The Student Council," I said, "Please don''t tell me you came all the way to my class just to argue about something useless." "I don''t know what you''re talking about....?" Oh, come on¡­ I was foolish not to tell her to gather information on the Student Council today itself. But she could have at least thought of it before coming to me or my class. It''s my fault. "Hahaha¡­ I am just kidding," she said laughingly, "You have quite a face right now¡­ fufufu." "... So you were joking¡­?" I said in my usual tone. "Yeah," she said as she tried to stop herself from losing control again. "Alright," I said. "What¡­? You aren''t going to say anything¡­?" Iris asked me. "No," I said, "What I meant is, it''s alright. You can forget about gathering any information on the Student Council anymore. I will do this myself. I am calling off the deal we had." I just told her that I don''t have time for such kinds of jokes. If she can''t understand something as simple as this I don''t think she could be of any help. It''s foolish of me to think that in the first place that she could be of some help. "W-What? I said I was just kidding, it isn''t something to be mad about." She justifies herself. "''Just kidding''? Didn''t I already mention to you that I don''t have time for such things?" "B-But-" she was about to justify herself but I stopped her. "Do you have any idea what''s happening to me right now? What''s going to happen to me¡­? No, you don''t have a single clue," I said in a hoarse voice. I can feel something swelling up inside me but it felt like something is stopping it from coming out. "W-What do you mean¡­?" "If I don''t find some way to counterattack the Student Council my days here in this school will be soon over. Yes, that''s true that I can''t make you fully understand my situation but can''t you see what''s happening right now? To me? At least think of how I have to spend my days here all the time¡­" "I u-understand-" she was again trying to justify her but I shunned her. "No, you don''t understand at all," I said in a loud voice, "If you did understand, even a little bit you would have gone straight to the point rather than doing something else. "... B-But I can still help," she said. "Help? You know what, if you don''t find me something good enough to stop at least one of the Student Council Members the deal we had is off, and don''t ever talk to me. I don''t want to waste my time with you here sitting ducks," I said. "T-That''s not fair¡­!" she exclaimed. "Fair? Do you want it fair? Why don''t you go back in time and give back all the time I wasted on¡­ you?" I said in an irritated voice. I could feel my voice getting different. Weird. "Fine, Fine. I won''t ever do anything like that ever again. Just let me help you¡­ okay?" she said in a soft voice. "..." I didn''t respond. "I am sorry but I won''t do it again," she said. *Ding-Dong* It was the bell for the break''s over. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 93 - Flashbacks "You have till the end of the day," I said, Find me something that can help me get a lead on the Student Council then-" I stopped talking for a moment there. "Then what¡­?" "Then don''t even think of talking to me or about the deal," I said, "Don''t ever mention it." With that, I walked towards my class. I didn''t bother taking a look at Iris''s face because I, myself, wasn''t sure if I was doing okay or not. Ever since those flashbacks I saw earlier in the library I have this uneasiness inside me. I was having difficulty breathing. "W-Whoa¡­" I was walking casually but for a moment there I felt like I lost the strength in my body. As I walked I had to take support of the wall to walk. My head started to hurt just like before. Just like that time in the library, but this time I wasn''t seeing things at the moment. Walking a while I couldn''t make myself go to the class or we can say that I can''t go to the classroom in this state of mine. So, I turned around and went to the infirmary instead. ¡­ The infirmary was on the first floor so I had to walk down there. Even while I was walking I was having minor headaches along with slightly disbalance. Was it because of those flashbacks back then? No, it must be because I haven''t completely recovered mentally. It has to be. Nevertheless, I didn''t stop. My head was constantly in pain and at any one point, those flashbacks will come back. I still continued to walk and walked down the path to the infirmary. If I were to be frank here these stairs felt like never-ending stairs. For how long have I been walking? Isn''t it taking too long? But after my constant will to continue I was able to reach there. "At last¡­ I reached," I said. At this point, I was about to faint. "Just hold on a little longer," I said in my mind. I stepped inside but I still didn''t have enough stand-up straight so I had to take the support from the sidewall. And at that moment, the moment I stepped inside I felt a sudden burst of wind pushing against me. It felt much more powerful like it was pushing me back, no it was me who has become weak to the point I can''t stand my ground even against the wind. Whatever those flashbacks are, one thing is clear, they are making me weak. And that was when I noticed a figure sitting near the entrance. She must be the taker here, "Now what happened to you¡­?" she asked me. I saw a stool near the door so I stepped forward to sit down there because I, myself, don''t know when my legs will give up so just for the assurance I sat there but someone had a problem with that. "Hey, you can''t sit there until you tell the reason¡­!" she exclaimed. Ouch, her high-pitched voice hurt. "Ah, headache¡­?" I said. "Really¡­?" she questioned me. What is she doing¡­? I need to sit down somewhere I don''t think I can last longer, at least not when those flashbacks are appearing again and again. "Ye- Yes," I said, "Can I rest here or not? Or do you want me to write an essay about it?" I was already pretty disturbed with Iris''s doing and with those weird flashbacks messing up my brain I don''t want to argue with her now. I can''t. "What was that? You can''t say that to me, you know?" she said in a stern voice. "Look I am really sorry for that but I am having a hard time here¡­" I said in a voice loud enough that only she could hear, "So, can you take a look at it or at least let me rest here for a while¡­" I don''t even think I can stand any longer. The pain isn''t bearable anymore. "That is secondary," she said, "No matter what your situation is, that isn''t the way to talk to any teacher. You understand me¡­?" What''s her problem¡­? Ack! Again the bright light, people chattering but not a single word can be heard clearly. I need somewhere or something to calm this stupid thing down, and fast. "Then, a student that is in pain instead of giving him medical attention you are questioning him, is that the right thing to do, huh?" I said. Looking at her I don''t think she isn''t going to let me rest that easily so the only option left is to talk back to her because only expressing my suffering to her isn''t doing any good. But that was the last thing I could do. "Huh?!" she yelled at me as she stood up from her seat. "You cou-" Okay, it''s finally here. I don''t mean death. I mean I am losing strength here. I could feel my hand slide down the wall I was taking support to stand up. Ah, here it comes. My eyesight was becoming darker, I could feel my strength leave my body. As I was falling down I could feel the wind against my face, hands. It was painful. My legs gave out and I lost complete balance of myself. I tried moving my hand to regain my composure but it was a wall for naught since I can''t move a centimeter. My body won''t listen to me anymore. "Wh-~~!!" I couldn''t hear what she was saying but I am pretty sure that at this point she was convinced that I was really in a bad shape. But what does it matter now? Now that I am losing myself, my body, my mind. I can''t do anything for myself. Not just at this point but since earlier I always felt like something is deep inside hiding inside me but what was it exactly? Is my situation because of it? Before I could think anymore I lost complete control over my body and¡­ At this point, I just wish I don''t ever wake up. In my life, there are nothing but new problems arising again and again and again. I don''t want this anymore but at that moment I heard something deep within the darkness that was hidden. "Don''t. Don''t stop. Not yet." ¡­ (The Moments before Allen was losing his consciousness.) "Wh- What happened to you!" the caretaker exclaimed as she saw the boy fall on the ground. *Thud* The boy that came looking for some help but instead was questioned fell on the ground suddenly while the caretaker was astonished, no she was taken back. At that moment she realized she did something bad, really bad. "What have I done?" "I shouldn''t have done that," she said in a shaky voice, "I should have let him rest here." All sorts of doubts fill upon her. Why wouldn''t they? Just because of a student who was asking for her help, instead of helping him, she began arguing with him. "R-Right¡­! I should place him in bed first," she said and hurriedly tried to pick up the fallen boy. "W-Wh-? Why is he heavy¡­?" she exclaimed as she tried picking him up. "He looked so thin from his looks¡­" she said as she looked around the boy''s exterior body parts. "... Hmm¡­ those are some decent muscle growth," she said in amusement, "He must have been taking care of his body pretty nicely¡­" She was going through the boy''s biceps, triceps, leg muscles, and everything else except looking at the boy himself. "... Oh! I completely forgot about him¡­!" When she reached his arm muscles region she then noticed that the body wasn''t moving at all and that''s when it clicked to her that she needed to treat him quickly before someone else sees the boy in this condition. "Here we go!" She pulled the body over to the farthest bed in the room and placed him there. "That wasn''t that hard I guess¡­" She couldn''t lift up the boy so she had to drag him down there. So, yeah it wasn''t that hard. "Now then what shall we do about him¡­?" She pulled out his stethoscope and checked his heart beat. "... His heart rate is slightly higher but it''s nothing to be concerned about but then why? I checked he also doesn''t have any fever or any external physical injury. So why?" She kept on wondering about it and couldn''t think of a definitive answer. "Excuse me, I scratched my knee. Can you take a look¡­?" a boy emerged on the entrance with his knee bleeding. "Coming," she said as she checked the boy for the last time but still nothing was found. "Okay," the newcomer said as she sat on the stool beside the door. "What do we have here¡­?" nothing to be found she left the boy on the bed and went towards the new patient. "I fell~" While the other two were busy talking about how he fell and got hurt, the boy on the bed was left alone. Not knowing when he will wake up. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 94 - Waking Up I can''t remember the exact time I lost my consciousness but the last thing I could recall is that I and that caretaker were arguing and then I fell on the ground. I wonder which part touched the ground first. If it was the face then I must have gotten injured near the nose region, I guess. Well, I can''t possibly know until I see it for myself. I tried moving but- "Huh?" no matter how much energy gathered up to use my body it wouldn''t move. Has my health been much degraded? Now that I am lying here in the dark I can think pretty clearly. It''s like all the problems I was having before just flew away. But I know that it was only a temporary thing. Sooner or later those problems will come around, it''s only a matter of time when? Anyway, it''s something that can be taken care of in the future. I need to think about what''s happening to me? In that complete darkness, I felt like I was losing something a part of myself but I can''t seem to know what exactly? The only thing I could feel was someone touching my body all over. It wasn''t the same sensation when I touched myself; it felt like someone was going through my body. What do they want with me? It tickled a bit but soon it was over. I can''t seem to open up my eyes nor can I move my body, nevertheless the only thing working was my brain and sensory things. I couldn''t feel the pain or see those flashbacks. Should I be thankful that they aren''t appearing again or be worried why they aren''t occurring? Those flashbacks¡­ it felt like they meant something¡­ it wasn''t just any images but it felt like it was an important memory but what was it? No matter how much I exert myself, I can''t think or even remember the slightest bit of it. What really happened to me after I returned? Or is this just after I returned? It could be happening to me even before that but I can''t remember it. It could be anything, I can be anything. Just thinking about only two things came to my mind. First, that the problems I have are nothing compared to what is really happening to me right now and the second is that I don''t have a single clue about myself. It''s really laughable, really laughable. What have I been doing till now? I don''t want to go back there, not to the place where I have to fight literally everyone and I can''t ask anyone for help. I trusted someone that could at least support me even if it was a small one but it turned out to be a disappointment. Am I destined to suffer through this hell alone? At that point I don''t think I can continue, I could feel myself begin consumed by something. It felt like a part of me but at the same time, it wasn''t. It existed but at the same time, it did not. Ah, here it comes again. Just before I could fall in that darkness something held out my hand and pulled me up, can I really call that help? Was I really going in the right direction? What if that darkness is my way out? Is it really the darkness that I need to get away from or my real destination is that darkness? Nothing can be done. I have already been lifted up to something that I don''t think has an escape. "Ah¡­" a bright light fell upon my eyes. I tried moving my arms and they did. It moved like normally. "... It doesn''t hurt anymore¡­" I also noticed the headache vanished like it didn''t happen at all. "Oh, you are awake¡­?" I heard a similar voice. "..." I just stared at the face of that person and the only thing that I could think was that how can this person be taking care of this infirmary? "Look I am sorry," she said. "For what¡­?" I said as I tried to sit up but I felt a little pain near my left hemisphere of the face. "D-Don''t sit up yet," she said as she held me down, "You fell but before your nose could touch the floor and break that nose of yours you turned around. So, the left lower part of your face was hit pretty hard¡­ try not to move your jaw that much." She said as if she actually cared for me. But what happened to me at that very same entrance, I can''t forget that. "Again¡­ for what you are sorry¡­?" I said as I looked around. "F-For not looking after you even though you asked for help¡­" she said. She couldn''t even lift up her head, is she feeling ashamed now? Isn''t that a bit too late for that? "..." I didn''t respond to that apology or whatever she is calling that. "Hey, but all that wasn''t my fault. You shouldn''t have talked to a teacher like that," she said. I heard loud and clear. Are you kidding me? What kind of apology is that? Isn''t she just trying to blame it on me partially? "Really? Is that your justification, ''teacher''?" I asked her. I emphasized the word ''teacher'' so that I can make it look like I talk to her respectfully which I really don''t think she deserves but it still has to be done. "Alright¡­ I''ll tell you the real reason," she said, "Don''t tell this to anyone else, okay?" "Mhm-Mhm" I nodded. If I find that reason feasible then I can think of respecting her for real but if that doesn''t happen forget about it. "I had this huge with my parents today¡­ They are forcing me to get married¡­ I mean who gets married at the age of 24? You tell me. They weren''t even trying to listen to me. They just pushed their ideologies to me, of course, I revolted and resulted in a fight¡­" Huh? "D-Don''t look at me with that face, okay¡­? It was really hard for me even if you don''t understand it¡­ yet," she said as she saw my face. Even, I don''t even know what kind of face I was making but according to this situation, it wouldn''t be a pleasant one of course. "Is that the reason¡­?" I asked her. If this was the only reason then something messed up is happening inside her brain. "Y-Yeah¡­" she replied in a low voice. "I am sorry but how is this connected to you not helping me out, earlier¡­?" I asked her. "I-It''s kind of complicated¡­?" She seemed hesitant. "I have time, why don''t you tell me?" I said. "Look, my parent''s already made me look miserable and didn''t give me the respect I should be getting, you understand me?" she said. "I guess," I said vaguely. I really don''t get it. "I don''t like how they neglect my opinions. It''s like they still think of me as a 10 years old child¡­" she said as she glanced at me. "I¡­ still don''t understand," I said, "How is this all connected to me¡­?" "I am coming there, don''t hurry me. You said you have time to listen to it," she said. "Okay, fine. Please continue," I said sarcastically. "Thank you," she said, "Just like they didn''t bother to at least listen to my opinion I felt worthless. It''s like they don''t even think of my opinions as opinions, to them it''s just a talk with no meaning. They don''t show me any kind of respect. It''s really frustrating but then you appeared and triggered something inside me." She blamed me. "How is that¡­?" I asked. "Even though I was frustrated, I know for a fact that they are my parents so I would back down there but this time I didn''t and the fight occurred. At that point, I was just thinking that this only happens with my parents only. Others will talk to me with respect I deserve but before I could cool myself down you came and talked to me like I was just nobody. It was frustrating, you know?" "I-" before I could say anything to it she interrupted me. "I know you were in pain, the pain I couldn''t possibly imagine and didn''t care much about the way you talked back. I don''t blame you completely but partially because it was my fault also. So, please understand that I was also not in the right mind at that time¡­" she said. What should I say now? I can''t think of anything to counter it. I mean after listening to her story, I could understand her situation but I still don''t sympathize with her. Also, I can''t fully understand her. It''s just as she mentioned, I can also be counted as one of those who were at fault too. But only a bit nothing more. "..." I was thinking about it when she called out to me again. "So¡­? Now you know why I acted like that earlier¡­ Can we overlook this incident¡­?" she said to me. "... I think we can," I agreed. I mean it''s not like I had any physical injury and my headache was also almost healed so I don''t have any particular reason to be mad at her, do I? "Anyway, care to tell me what really happened to me¡­?" I asked her. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 95 - Real Reason "Anyway, care to tell me what really happened to me¡­?" I asked her. I was in bed even though I collapsed on the door. Did she put me here? "Umm¡­ about that," she said. "Yes¡­?" I asked. "Did you really have a headache¡­?" she asked me. "What''s that supposed to mean? Isn''t that a given, since I collapsed earlier¡­?" I asked her. Where is she getting at? If I haven''t gotten on then why would I be here in the first place? It''s not like I was planning to ditch any classes. "Well I don''t know the exact reason why you collapsed but the moment I saw you collapse I was scared to death, I am not kidding," she said. "..." "So, I¡­" she seemed to hesitate for a moment there, "I instantly pulled¡­ you up¡­?" "Can you say it a bit more clearly¡­?" I asked her. "Yes, I pulled you up and instantly placed you in here. So, without any delay, I checked your heart rate and for fever but¡­" "But?" "You didn''t show any sign of it," she said, "So, this leads to my previous question, did you really have a headache?" "I¡­ am sure¡­ that I had a headache¡­" After hearing that, I even doubted myself a little bit. No, that feeling of pain felt too real to be a dream. It can''t be, yet I showed no sign of it. "Are you going through any hard times?" "Huh?" "No, it''s a bit common these days for students to have pressure, like their future plans and how they will end up in future so many of them have their healths depleted. So, are you through any one of those things¡­?" she asked me. "Are you what? A counselor also?" I asked her. "Maybe¡­ but that''s not the point here," she said, "You don''t show any kind of problems at least not on the exterior but are you suffering from something that has been in your mind for far too long?" Is she really asking me this? I mean all of the school knows about my situation so why doesn''t she know? "Do you not know me¡­?" I asked her. After what happened to me yesterday I don''t think anyone is this whole don''t know me or is what I think. "I know your name," she said, "It''s Allen right¡­?" She knows my name yet she doesn''t know what I have been going through? "But what has it got to do with your problems?" she asked me. "Were you not in the Auditorium yesterday¡­?" I asked. "Was I supposed to be?" She answered me with another question. "Where have you been this whole time then?" "I have some gist of what happened there but I still don''t understand the point here," she said. "I was the one who was up against the whole school expelling me so-" I was about to say something but she interrupted me again. "Wait what? It was really you¡­? I wasn''t present there but the teachers were talking like something had happened there. At first, I thought they were exaggerating it but then a video was circulated on the school''s forum-" this time I interrupted her. "School forum? What did they write there¡­?" I wasn''t even aware of that. "Write? No, no. It was a video," she said. "If it was a video then you should have recognised me, yes?" I asked her. "Yes, I should have recognised you but its quality was so low, or was it that both their faces were blurred intentionally. Nevertheless, your faces weren''t shown." "Why? Why didn''t they just reveal our faces? It''s not like no one knows about it anyway. All the students were present there," I said. "Although the students know who they are, the problem is that it''s not just the students who use it," she said, "There are few more who use it. Like parents or those who are trying to apply for this school so maybe for that reason, they didn''t reveal your faces. Or else there could have been some problem from your parents'' side. I guess they didn''t want to go through such haggle," After hearing her I forgot for a moment there that she wanted to talk to me about my hard times but I am guessing she forgot about that. "But didn''t read any comments there? On the video?" I asked. "It was off. Also, it''s not like anyone can upload things on it. Only a few students have access to it." "But that video has to be taken down," she continued, "It''s giving a bad message to the outsiders. Even though to us it seems a bit amusing, it''s not good for the school..." Wait, what? Only a few? Then I can find out who recorded it. The reason I have to find him is that she just told me that only a few students can upload things on the school forum so it has to be one of the Student Council or someone they asked to do. That video only showed that I was humiliating the whole school so it''s definite and when someone outside the school sees it, nothing good will come out of it. The Student Council won''t risk themselves for such things, then the only option is that someone other than the Student Council did it. The question remains who? Ah, it''s going to be hard because I have to find that person before the school does. They are going to have to delete the video and for that, they have to find the person. I just have outrun them. "But what made you do all that¡­?" she asked me. "Didn''t you see the video? That person, the President, was about to expel me. What else was I supposed to do?" I said. Why is she asking something like this? Isn''t that a given after seeing the footage? "No, no, no. It didn''t look like that," she said as she corrected me, "It appeared that you were dishonoring the school''s honor and its students. That''s why I said it felt a bit amusing because there was some truth in it and seeing you saying it out loud made me laugh a little." Huh? So, they were clever enough to only make me look like the enemy. That was a good plan. This way all those who were not present at the moment might get the wrong idea about me but to the outsiders, it might look otherwise. The school can blame me for this. This time they have the reason, and now that I have made the enemy of the Student Council and not to forget the ''President'' they will most likely will set it like I am the one who made someone else record this video. If it was revealed that I am the one who did this then I could be charged with bullying the person for forcefully recording and for dishonoring the whole school. This video clearly makes it look like I am the one responsible for the downfall of the school''s reputation and this time they will have proof. They really got me this time. "What did you mean by expel¡­?" she asked me as she looked at me with those weird eyes. Was it a worry? Was it sympathy? There was no way for me to know what they really meant. "You wouldn''t know the real reason why I said those things, would you¡­?" I asked her. "Based on the video I am guessing I guessed it was just a debate," she said. "Wait what? You didn''t even see the Principal at the end¡­?" I asked. "No¡­ was she also on the stage?" Oh, boy. They really have me down there. At this point, I have at most 3 days. If the Student Council were to reveal the person who recorded all this in just a couple of days it might look suspicious. So to make it look like I was the one who made the person record the video then they will have to pretend to take some time and then reveal it. If my brain is working fine then it will be around the third day not more than that. "Allen¡­?" she called out to me. "Oh, right. She was also there," I said At this point, I don''t seem to have viable options. What should I do now? I hate to admit it but I might be actually in a pinch right now. "Fufufu¡­" I let out a little laugh. I don''t know why I did but I just did. Am I okay? "W-Why did you laugh just now¡­?" I looked over to her and she had this confused look. "No, it''s just that I remembered something funny," I said. "Hey, if you laugh out loud then you have to tell the joke as well," she said, "Is what I believe. If you don''t want to then it''s fine." "Really it''s nothing," I said. I can''t possibly tell her that, now can I? "That''s good¡­" she commented as she looked at me. "What''s good¡­?" I asked her as I was also curious and also there was also a part of me that wanted to at least know at last something. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 96 - New Strategy "What''s good¡­?" I asked her as I was also curious and also there was also a part of me that wanted to at least know at last something. At this point, I have too many unsolved mysteries that I need to answer so I had this weird feeling of wanting to at least know this. Weird. "The first time I saw you," she said, "You had this look¡­ umm¡­ like you were handling all the world''s problems but now you have a different look." "What look¡­?" "That¡­ you don''t look particularly happy or sad but¡­ that¡­ normal look. I can''t say the right word but what matters is that you don''t have a worried look anymore," she said. Now that I think of that, I don''t have a headache or those weird images appearing. Was it because I needed a good rest, no I don''t think it''s just that. That weird potion inside me that calms me down when I start to fear, tremble, it''s definitely that did this to me. Should I be grateful or be concerned about what it does to me? "Then I can say the same for you as well, right¡­?" I said to the caretaker. "Huh? Me? I don''t understand," she looked confused. "You were also angry, or whatever you were feeling earlier. You right now are far much better than the earlier you. At least to me," I said. "Oh, hahaha¡­ you little cheeky brat," she said laughingly. "So, can I leave now¡­?" I asked her since she was the one who told me to stay put for the time being earlier. "Yeah, sure." "That so? So, I should leave now," I said as I stepped outside the bed and walked towards the door. Seeing it again I remembered the pain but it was only a memory, I can''t seem to feel it anymore. And what''s more weird is that I feel a little refreshed than before. Am I being addicted to that substance that is inside me? "Allen¡­!" she called out to me as I was one foot behind the door. "What is it¡­?" I said as I retracted that foot and looked behind. "Don''t get in too much trouble," she said with a bright smile, and if that wasn''t enough a bright sunlight reflected behind the window making her smile more mesmerising. Was she this much encouraging? I wouldn''t have believed that if I hadn''t talked to her. "I will try," I said and set off from there. Leaving behind the room and her. I walked down the hallway thinking about multiple things and one of which concerned me a bit more than the rest is that I am feeling completely fine. Experiencing something like that (Allen is talking about The headache, pain, decrease in strength, and those flashbacks) I wouldn''t have imagined that earlier but here I am now. Something is definitely weird about me, I just need to find what exactly. But that doesn''t take the first priority yet. The video clip takes the first priority right now. TheStudent Council really got me this time, even though I hate to admit it but they really got me. I thought I could have gotten a lead on them but they have already been one step ahead of me. Also, this is partially my fault, I don''t particularly open the school''s forum so I didn''t even get to know this. If I had at least known about this earlier I could have thought of it but at this point, I am too late. I must have muted its notification, if I hadn''t done that I would have postulated something about it in its earlier stages. This is way too late. Now, without any further delay, I need to think of something. What should I do first? Find the one who made the video or find Iris? If I don''t find the real person who uploaded that video then who knows when the Student Council might reveal that person to everyone. I can''t risk that. But blindly attacking them won''t be any good to me either. I don''t even know all their names yet. If I haven''t gotten that headache then I might have not yelled at Iris or made her go away. Seeing her act I believe that she got some information but I ignored it. I shouldn''t have that. Well, thinking about what I should have done earlier isn''t going to change my current position so let''s focus on that instead of it. I walked up the stairs and reached the classroom. I took a peek inside and saw my physics teacher standing there. What should I do now? It''s the second last period of the day. Almost two periods have passed since I was resting in the infirmary. I hope the caretaker has told the teachers about me not intentionally skipping classes. Also, I need to talk to Anna. It can''t wait any longer. It has to be done fast. I stepped inside. *Gaze* All the gaze fell upon me. Same as always, it was filled with hostility and anger hidden¡­ Well, it doesn''t concern me much so I went straight to the point. "Mr. Allen," the teacher said to me as she turned to me. "Yes¡­?" I said. "Where have you been this whole time?" she asked me. Hearing it I guess the caretaker didn''t tell her. "Umm¡­ would you believe me if I told you that I was not feeling well so I went to the infirmary?" I asked her. "Is that the truth? You know very well that I can check this instant and in case it were to be found false you will have to face some severe consequences for skipping classes and for lying to my face. So I will ask you again, where were you?" she tried scaring me but I didn''t faze at all. "My statement still doesn''t change so please go ahead and check it," I said, "Also, while I was on my way here I met with the Principal-" "Where?" before I could say another word she jumped in. "Yes, I met her in the staircase," I said, "But that isn''t the main issue here-" "Then what is¡­?" she again popped in between my sentences. "Let me finish please," I said politely, "I met her at the staircase and was asked by her to send Anna and Selene to the Principal''s office." "Huh?" "Maybe you didn''t hear me right. I said-" this is the third time she interrupted me. Is she doing it intentionally? "No! I understand what you said but why all of a sudden?" she questioned me. "I¡­ don''t know so they need to leave right," I said. "... Alright, Anna and Selene you may go to the Principal''s Office," she said. "Okay," Anna said as she stood up. "Mhm-Mhm," Selene nodded as she also stood up. As they made their way out I was just about to follow them but I was stopped. "Mr. Allen, where are you going?" she asked me. I looked around the whole classroom and every single ball was at me including Anna and Selene. "To the Principal''s Office," I replied. "You never told me that you were also asked to go," she said. I could see in her eyes that she is thinking that I am lying. Is this because it was a sudden demand or was it because it is me. I am the problem here. "Well, now you know," I said. "Why were you also called and not anyone else in this classroom?" she asked. Now, this is ridiculous. She is definitely doing it on purpose. "Again, I don''t know the reason," I said. "Are you telling the truth¡­?" She continued her investigation. "Yes¡­" I said. "Should I call the Principal right now to check?" she said to me. ''He should be revealing the truth any minute now'' is what I think she must be thinking. "Yeah," I said, "Go ahead." "O-Okay," she hesitated, "You are good to go." I am guessing she didn''t actually think that I would agree to it. "Thank you," I said and made my way out. ¡­ We were silently walking down the hallway until I broke the wall of silence. "So Anna, I need your help." I blurted out. "W-What?" She looked anxious. "Yes, I need you to do something for me," I said. "Y-You said we were c-called by the Principal, what about that¡­?" she asked. "What¡­? No, you weren''t called. I just made that up to get you out," I said. "Huh!?" she exclaimed. "Hey, don''t yell." I stopped her. "Y-Y-You lied to her¡­!" she said in a hushed voice. "That doesn''t matter now," I said, "I need you to do something for me." "W-Why me¡­?" she asked me. "You said in the library you will help so I asked you or¡­ you don''t want to help¡­?" I asked her. "N-No¡­! It''s not like that bu-" before she could agonize more I started talking. "You don''t need to do something serious. But what I am about to tell you shouldn''t be heard from anyone else. Are you willing to do it¡­?" I asked her. "I¡­ don''t know¡­" she said. "Hey Anna, please don''t bail out on me right now," I said, "Just one thing." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 97 - Lily Knows "Hey Anna, please don''t bail out on me right now," I said, "Just one thing." "W-What is it? Only after h-hearing it will I decide whether I am going to help you or not¡­" she said. "That''s fine with me," I said, "You just need to call Iris out of her classroom." "Huh? That''s it¡­?" She looked confused and a little bit anxious. "Yes," I said, "That''s why I said it''s a small thing but you can''t tell another soul about it. Are you willing to do it?" "I think I can do that¡­ but why?" she asked me. "It''s a bit complicated," I said, "Like you know my reputation right?" "Yes¡­" "So I can''t be seen with her alone. She will also be affected and that''s also the reason I didn''t call you out after school and now," I said, "I used the Principal''s name to get you out and most of all at this hour most of the students are in their classes so no one will see us. So, you won''t be affected. You understand my point¡­?" "Yeah," she said in agreement. "So, are you willing not to tell anyone about this? This is only to help Iris," I said. "Okay, I will do it." She agreed to it. "Thank you," I said, "Also, take Selene with you." If she were to go alone someone might get suspicious of Anna and if they get suspicious of her they will follow her and if they follow her then they might see me with Iris and I don''t certainly don''t want that. "Why¡­?" Anna asked me. "Hn!" Selene was taken by surprise. Selene, wait a minute I will explain everything so don''t feel that much anxious. It''s just a small job with risk next to zero. But it appears that Anna doesn''t know why. Well, I didn''t tell the real reason ever so she can''t possibly think of any specific reason. "You know Iris is quite popular in school?" I asked her. "Yes¡­?" "If you suddenly talk to her then some might get curious and that curiosity of theirs might lead them to me and Iris meeting. We certainly don''t want that," I said. I never thought that to hide one single thing would need thousands more layers of lies to cover it. "O-Oh¡­" it seems that Anna was convinced but the problem was Selene. "Selene¡­? Are you on board with this¡­?" I asked her. "I-I don''t know¡­" she wasn''t ready to do it. Maybe she is afraid of what our physics teacher would do if she found out that I used the Principal''s name to skip classes. "Are you sure¡­? If not, you have to stay with me till Anna comes back with Iris," I said, "To be honest if we both were seen alone at this hour I can''t make any promises about another rumor spread about you. Are you fine with that¡­?" "I-I" she looked like she was quite in a pickle. She can''t decide what to do. Here let me help you. "Just go with her," I said as I pushed her towards Anna. "Hey, don''t push her towards me¡­" Anna said. She was about to yell but controlled herself. "Fine," I said, "Just go before someone sees us¡­" ¡­ They both left. Now that I think, calling out Selene seems all for naught. Well, it can''t be helped. As I sat on the stairs keeping an eye for whoever comes here I thought about the video that was uploaded on the forum. What should I do with that? I hate to admit it but at this point, they are in the lead. If I don''t do something soon they are going to come at me with full throttle and I would have no means to get out. At this point, the Principal would have been a great help but she specifically told me not to come to her for the time being then I don''t think I can go to near her anytime soon. But when did they plan this all? And who planned it all? *Step* *Step* Someone is coming. "Hey, what do we have after this¡­?" a girl appeared at the end of the corridor. "Don''t ask me¡­ I wasn''t paying attention in this class." another girl appeared who was walking beside her. Before they could reach the stairs I stepped up a few stairs and out of their sight. "You really are an idiot¡­ fufufufu." one of the girls laughed. "Don''t laugh at me¡­! You are also not in any different situation as me~~" With that, they passed the stairs and walked past. Since the stair that I am at is at the one end of the corridor which is also just beside the washroom so I guess they are going there. Soon they were not heard. But as a precaution, I stayed up for the time being and sat there. Now then let''s again think about that footage. Where was I¡­? Right, here... If it was the President, I believe he would have seen all the possibilities but his reaction at that time seems to be a legitimate one. At the moment I can''t possibly know whether he was faking it all or was that a genuine reaction. I didn''t think of a possibility that someone could have recorded it and that''s the reason why I didn''t think that the President might be just acting all that time. Whoever thought of it is not just one but a couple of steps ahead of me and is planning to kick me out no matter the cost. What should I do then? If my theory is correct then I don''t have more than 3 days or maybe even less. Oh, boy the more I think about it I worry about it more and more. The sole thing that is clear is, I have to find the one who recorded the video as soon as possible. But what then? Do I scare him or threaten him? "Allen¡­!" I heard a feeble voice from behind the stairs. I turned around to see who it was. There was a possibility that someone who isn''t my ally would appear there and if that were to happen who knows what will happen. I have already told many lies so I can''t risk getting caught. "Lily¡­?" I saw a slim figure with a slight fluttering of hairs. "Yes, it''s me, Lily," she said to me, "What are you doing here¡­?" Yes, that''s a good question. "I wonder," I said vaguely. "Really¡­? That''s your answer¡­ to me?" she asked. "I was just resting¡­" I said. It was obviously an excuse but let''s see if she gets fooled or not. "You really like living a hidden life, don''t you¡­?" she said. "..." I stayed silent since I can''t say anything to that comment. "Anyway, how are you doing¡­?" she asked me. "Me? What about me?" What is she concerned about? It''s not like we have known each other for that long to worry about each other yet. "No, after what happened to you and then the video¡­" So, even she knows about the video. I really think I should try socializing more or at least be more active online. "The video¡­ huh?" I mumbled. "What are you doing to make things right¡­?" she asked me. "Making things right¡­? Why will I?" It doesn''t matter to anyone if I am found guilty or not, at least in this school so I have nothing to prove to them. I just have to stop them from expelling them. I don''t care how I will achieve it. Even if it''s going to take threats I won''t hold back.. "I don''t understand¡­? Don''t you want to clear your name?" she asked me. "That was something I thought for some time, then one day I realized I don''t really care how others see me until the real one sees and understands the real me. So," I said, "So I don''t care about others'' opinions." "You really¡­ have some ideologies," she said with a smirk that was hiding behind that face of hers. "Anyway, did you want something with me¡­?" I asked her. "No," she said, "I was just passing by and saw you sitting here all alone." "So¡­? Don''t you have somewhere to go then¡­?" I asked her. "Nah, it''s not that important so I can spare a few minutes." She said with a smile and a big thumbs up aiming at me. "Oh, then¡­?" I don''t know what to say now. "Allen, tell me one thing," she said. "Sure," I replied, "What is it¡­?" "What are you going to do about the video? It clearly looks amusing at first sight but if someone outside the school sees it, they will for sure get the wrong idea and it will affect the school," she said. She had similar thoughts about the video. "Well, about that¡­ I can''t do anything as of now," I said. "You can do something about¡­!" she exclaimed. "... What? Do you know who uploaded it¡­?" I asked her with a vague tone. "I¡­ don''t know who did it as of now but¡­" she stopped and waited for me to ask her. "But¡­?" I asked her. She really is getting a kick out of this. "I can find who did it easily," she said proudly and looked at me with a big smug face. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 98 - It Is Easy "I can find who did it easily," she said proudly and looked at me with a big smug face. Huh? What? I have been agonizing about how to find that person and she is telling me that she can find it ''E. A. S. I. L. Y''...? Really? "Allen¡­? What are you thinking so hard for¡­?" Lily asked me. "How? How can you find that person¡­?" I asked her. "Well, I don''t mean to brag but I am pretty good with computers¡­" she said proudly. Isn''t she contradicting herself? She just said she doesn''t mean to brag but then seemed to be proud of it. What is she doing? "Okay¡­ so you are going to track the person then?" I asked her. "Hmm¡­ I can do it but it''s going to take at least 3-4 hours," she said, "Since, I don''t have my things right now also the computers at school are not much compatible with the way I do things so this much time is at least needed to find out the culprit." "Huh? Only 3-4 hours¡­?" I asked her to confirm it once again. "Yes," she said, "Apparently I am not that good at tracking someone but in this case, it''s only a handful of people suspected so finding that person might be easy." So, it''s possible then. "Wait," I said, "Why are you helping me¡­? Yes, why is she suddenly trying to help me? We aren''t even close to worrying about each other''s problems. Even if I and her brother talked once, that doesn''t make us buddy-buddy. Lily and I can be considered more as acquaintances rather than a friend. "Why are you asking me this? Don''t you trust me¡­?" She asked me. "To be honest," I said, "I don''t trust you. I have already been outcast so trusting or believing someone is kind of difficult for me as of now¡­" I can''t trust just anyone, even if they are willing to help me. Who knows when they will backstab me. At these times I have to consider who to trust and who not to trust. "... Well, I can''t blame you for that mindset but I really think you shouldn''t suspect everyone is going to betray you," she said, "Not everyone is your enemy, you know¡­?" "..." I stayed silent. No matter what she says, it''s not going to change my way of thinking. Not yet. "Ha¡­ It seems like you really don''t want to trust rather than you can''t trust me, she said. What does she mean by that? I don''t want to trust¡­? I don''t think I am forcing myself not to believe someone else. "Alright then," she said, "How about this? I find you that person and then you can at least trust me a little bit¡­?" It doesn''t seem like a bad start but I still have my doubts about it so- "I¡­ will consider it then," I said. "Hmm¡­ that also works but I hope you start believing in someone in the future," she said. What''s that supposed to mean? Am I isolating myself? No, she is wrong. I am just being precautious. It''s always better to be prepared rather than being ambushed for being careless. "..." "Anyway, you still haven''t answered me," she said, "Why are you here alone¡­?" "No reason," I said. "Really¡­?" She asked with a tone that gives off the vibe that she knows that I am not telling the truth. *Peak* Oh, boy. I just saw Anna, Selene, and Iris walking towards here. What to do now? I need to make Lily leave, right now. "Lily, why don''t we talk later¡­? I have some work to do. You have some work to do, right¡­?" She did mention that she was going somewhere but she also mentioned she can talk for a minute or two. But it should have been more than a minute or two. "Oh, right, she said, "I did say that." "So¡­?" She wasn''t leaving. "But it''s not that important so¡­" she said with a smile, "No worries about it." No, no, no. I wasn''t worried about you, I was worried about you seeing me with Anna, Selene, and Iris. The moment she sees us together she is going to ask me something, and I wouldn''t be able to answer that. "Lily," I said. "Hmm¡­ What is it?" She looked at me and I looked at her. "Why don''t we talk after school¡­? Then we can talk all you want, isn''t that much better than talking here¡­?" I proposed an idea. "Really!? After school¡­!" she was oddly excited about it for reasons unknown to me. "Yes," I said, "So, why don''t you finish your work before that so we can talk freely." "Alright! I will do that. And o-oh, oh!" She was just about to leave but then called out to me again. Those three are only a few steps back. Lily, you need to talk fast or it''s going to be bad for me. "I will come to your class- No. You come to my¡­ No I-" is that what she is worried about? "Why don''t we just meet at the entrance gate¡­?" I suggested. "Ye-yes! That will also¡­! So see you later," she said enthusiastically. "Bye¡­" With that, she ran off to somewhere. Gosh, girls really are hard to handle when they seem to get the slightest gist/hint of something wrong is going on. (I don''t mean to offend anyone here. It''s just my opinion so any girls/women reading this¡­ don''t get offended by it and just see it as a joke??.) *Step* *Step* *Step* As soon as Lily was out of sight all three of them reached the stairs. Nice timing. But as I saw them something felt odd. Well, it''s not something but someone. Is it just me or Iris seemed a bit unhappy? Is that the right word to explain her expression? "Hey Allen," Anna was the first one to talk to me. "Yes¡­?" "I told Iris''s subject teacher that the Principal is calling for us so you better take all the responsibility if someone finds out that I told a lie to take Iris out of the class," she said as she pointed her index finger at me. "Alright, alright. Don''t worry I will take care of all that but you also better make sure that you don''t spill the beans to someone. If that were to happen then you are all on your own," I said. "Huh? Even if the teacher asked me¡­?" She asked. "I meant not to tell you friends or any other student," I said, "If a teacher asks then tell them that the Principal wanted to talk about the rumors and the video that is uploaded on the forum." "What¡­? So, you want me to tell another lie to cover a l-lie¡­!x she exclaimed. "Yes," I said. "Are you kidding me¡­!?" "Fine," I said, "First try to tell her the reason I told you and if you think she is going to catch or isn''t convinced you tell them to speak to me. I will handle it." "You will handle it¡­?" At least she calmed down a little. "Yeah, I will handle it. Is there any more problem¡­?" "No¡­" she said in a low voice. "Alright then," I said, "Go to the class and if the teacher asks where am I tell them that I am still with the Principal." "How many lies are you going to tell¡­?" She asked me but she already knew I wasn''t going to answer it. She walked past me. "Selene, you don''t have any problem doing it¡­ right¡­?" I asked her as she was just about to leave with Anna. "Y-Yeah I don''t h-have but y-you have to t-tell me the truth l-later¡­" she said in a hushed voice. "I will make sure to tell you everything after all this is finished. I am sorry for the inconvenience," I said. To be honest I feel a little bad to drag Selene into this. Telling lies and asking her to cover for me. I would have called out someone else''s same but only Selene felt like she was the right choice. She is too innocent to get involved with me. After this, I am definitely going to tell her the truth. But why am I being so considerate of her? Anyway, this can be thought of at later times, right now I need to talk to Iris. "Y-You-" Selene was about to say something but Anna called out to her. "Selene, are you coming or not?" "C-coming," she said. Seeing her expression I knew that she wanted to say something but I gestured to her that we can talk later. ¡­ I saw both of them going to the classroom while an awkward silence was present between me and Iris. I am bad at starting a conversation and even worse if the other person isn''t in their best mood. "What did you want to talk about¡­?" She broke the silence. "About that," I said, "You know some information about the Student Council, right¡­" Her expression changed to anger. Why am I thinking I shouldn''t have said that? TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 99 - Information-1 "About that," I said, "You know some information about the Student Council, right¡­" Her expression changed to anger. Why am I thinking I shouldn''t have said that? "You are so full of yourself, you know that?" She said, "So full of yourself." "..." Let''s just stay silent. Also, how am I full of myself? I just lost my composure so I might have some words that could have hurt her but I still stand by my stance. I wasn''t wrong. "No apology. ''Sorry Iris for yelling at you.''" "We can either fight each other or we can talk about this later. Also, if you want an apology here it is," I said, "I am sorry." Seeing her reaction and expression apologizing seemed the best option. "That''s it¡­?" She said, "Isn''t that too short?" Does she want me to write an essay? "Like I said, we can talk about this later." I said, "I will make up with you. Why don''t you just add this with your condition? Isn''t that good enough?" "Hmm¡­ you won''t go back on your words, okay¡­?" She said, "Okay¡­?" "Alright, Alright. I won''t go back on my W.O.R.D.S," I agreed and then continued with the main reason I called her, "So, tell me all that you know about the Student Council." "Why so suddenly¡­?" she asked me. "I¡­ want to know that''s why," I said. "Really¡­? Because earlier I thought you made it quite clear that you want ''T.H.A.T'' information after school hours¡­" She had this ''suspecting face''. "Iris," I said in a serious tone. "Y-Yes¡­ what¡­?" she seemed a bit taken aback. "I have already apologized to you but seeing you act like this," I paused for a moment, "So, why don''t you just give me the information I wanted. I am not going to ask for the third time, okay..?" "W-What then¡­?" "Iris, this is the last time I am nicely asking you. What do you know about the Student Council¡­?" I asked her. "T¨CThis doesn''t look like asking n-nicely," she said. "Alright then," I stepped forward, "This doesn''t look like asking nicely? Then what does this look like?" I slightly pushed her towards the wall and pinner her down. "W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Wh-!" she was startled plus her face was flushed and was turning bright red. "Now then," I said, "Speak up." I saw something like this in a movie, where a male lead pins down the female lead and she speaks out things she doesn''t intend to. So, I just imitated that scene. "Alright, alright, alright. I will tell you everything so let me go first¡­!" she exclaimed. I stepped back. At first I thought it was because I was just imagining it or it was because of the reflection from the sun, her face seemed to be bright red but now that I see it again it really is red upto her ears. Is she not feeling well? I mean wouldn''t her face only turn red when she isn''t feeling good or is having a high fever? Isn''t it the same for everyone? Well, I can think about it later because if her health isn''t good she would have told me that earlier, right¡­? "So¡­?" she wasn''t speaking. "..." she was taking deep breaths all of a sudden. Was that too intimidating for her? If so then doesn''t that mean the pin down trick worked? "Do you want me to speak here?" She asked me as she shook her head right and left. "Here¡­?" I looked around and noticed that I was literally in the open. Anyone could see us here. I guess the moment I learnt about the video I didn''t pay much attention to my surroundings. "Let''s move somewhere else," she suggested. I turned over to her again and saw her face was still red. Is she not feeling fine? If she isn''t in her perfect shape then she wouldn''t be able to assist me at her best capabilities. "Are you feeling okay¡­? Your face is red¡­" I asked her. "... I am fine¡­!" she said, trying to find her face. "If you say so," I replied. ¡­ We left that area and were walking down the hallway. Apparently Iris knows some place quiet and isolated. But this was unexpected, firstly because I never thought she would find some quiet place since she is the source of noises most of the time and secondly I wasn''t the one to find that place, why? I remember it quite well that I searched this whole school for a quiet place. It was the first thing I was dedicated to finding. But I was able to find that place near the stairs, except that all of the other places were filled, literally filled with students. "Where are we going¡­?" I asked her since I had no clue at all. "Let''s just say that, it is my place, shall we¡­?" Isn''t it quite a vague answer. How am I supposed to get a clue from this? ¡­ After minutes of walking we came to a room. "Really¡­?" I asked her. Isn''t it just a club room? How is it a quiet place? I mean all the club members can come here at any time of the day. Also, what is it for? Only a ''Club Room'' is mentioned on the door. "What? Do you have a problem with it? If so, then why don''t you take us to a quiet place¡­?" she said. Seeing her face again after some time, I noticed that her face wasn''t red anymore. It was just like always. "Lead the way," I said to her. "Much better," she replied. We stepped inside. At first glance it wasn''t something special but only at first glance, after looking around I saw the left side filled with anime, manga, collectables and all the things related to the otakus. And on the right side were the images hanging on the wall and the images are of¡­ scenery? What''s this club supposed to be? "What''s this club supposed to mean? Isn''t that what you are thinking?" Iris said to me. Was it visible on my face? "It''s a photography club plus I got special permission to collect all that stuff on the other side. So, officially it''s a Photography Club but it also has these things," she said. Well, I got the gist of it but I still didn''t know exactly what this is for. "Anyway, now that we are here let''s start¡­" I said. "Have a seat," she offered me a seat. It was in the middle of the room. While she was sitting on the window side. "..." I sat there without any complaint. It has already been too much time. If possible I don''t want to waste my time any longer. "So, what do you want to know¡­? Also let me clear, I am still doing some background check ups so at the moment the information isn''t much of any use to retaliate against the Student Council," she said. "It''s alright, I should at least know who I am going against," if possible. "Alright then," she said, "There are a total of 7 Student Council members." "Including the President, Harvey or not?" I asked her. "Excluding him," she said, "To be honest what you did on the stage yesterday was quite some stunt you did. Ever since Harvey has been in this school he hasn''t been defeated. And I mean literally." "Okay¡­? I just did what I thought was best for me," I replied. "No, no. You don''t understand him. He isn''t someone a normal student can think of going against him," she said. "So¡­? What does it have to do with me¡­?" I asked her, "Because from my point of view he won that battle as well." "How¡­?" she asked me. "The video on the forum," I said. "Oh, that''s right but how does he win with just that¡­?" she asked. "The video only shows me saying things that can lead to the fall of the school''s reputation. The school can now blame me for all that at least half blame me," I continued, "To some it might seem a bit amusing at first. I mean those who were in the auditorium and knew the whole story but to outsiders it would be the opposite of that. So, overall I think he beat me really hard." No matter how I think of it he did outsmart me that time. "Huh¡­? That''s¡­ I didn''t think it meant like this," she said. "So, before they put the blame on me I want every single information on them," I said. "That''s why you said you came to me¡­?" she was about to get angry. "Iris, let''s finish talking about this fast before someone finds out that I wasn''t called out by the Principal¡­" I said. "Fine," she said, "As for the other 7 other members¡­" "Yes¡­?" "All of them have a clear record. At least on the surface," she said. "So you''re telling me that I can''t do anything to them¡­?" I asked her. "No, no. That''s not what I meant. Listen to me carefully," she said. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 100 - Information-2 "No, no. That''s not what I meant. Listen to me carefully," she said. "Then what are you trying to say¡­?" I asked her. "Listen to what I am saying," she said, "I said that only on the surface do they have a clean record." I see¡­ so they have done something. That''s a nice start. "I will get back to it but first let''s talk about the information that is on the surface," she said in a serious tone. Yeah, that''s also necessary. Let''s focus on the information that is on the table, I can focus on the information that is under the table at a later date. "Alright then," I said. "So, as I have mentioned earlier there are a total of 7 members excluding the President, Harvey." She said as she turned over to me. "..." I stared back at her with my usual expression. "Hmm¡­?" "What¡­?" I asked her as she didn''t continue. "At least respond," she said, "Otherwise how would I know that you are listening to me or not¡­? I won''t be telling this again." "Fine¡­ I will respond," I said. "Make notes if you want. I really won''t be doing this again," she warned me. "I will take care of that so just continue," replied. "Do whatever you want," she said, "Where was I again¡­?" Oh god, what''s taking her so much time? "Members and the President¡­" I said. "Oh, that''s right¡­!" She said, "As I was saying earlier there are a total of 8 people you have to go against." She looked at me. I guess she wants my acknowledgment that I am hearing her. "Yes¡­" I said vaguely. She made a slightly irritating face, I am guessing she didn''t like my response but still it wasn''t more than mine so she continued talking. "All of them are experts in different fields so if you want to beat them fair and square you might as well raise a white flag because you don''t have the slightest bit of chance to win against them." She said in a serious tone. Seeing her expression and way of speaking, I came to the conclusion that she wasn''t faking it at all. "By field, you mean like academically¡­?" I asked her. "Not just academically but in sports as well," she said, "Also, it doesn''t finish here. Except for the President, Harvey there is someone else who might be almost as smart as Harvey. I think you have met with him already." To be honest I don''t know yet how smart the President is. The only thing I know so far is that he can be one-two or maybe several steps ahead of me if he has enormous information on me. I can think why no action was taken on me until yesterday. All that time he was gathering bits of information on me so that he could be prepared. The video is going to play a crucial role in me getting out of the school-based on how Harvey shows it. "Oh, hello¡­? Where are you¡­?" "Sorry, let''s continue¡­" I said. "So, let''s begin with Elaine," she said, "Overall academically she can be considered as an Elite. Even though she excels in almost everything, her area of expertise is Mathematics." "Mathematics, huh¡­" "Yes, I wonder how she can excel in something like math¡­? Also, getting good grades in a particular subject is something different but she is also the Winner of the Olympiad last year," Iris said, "Got the Second place." "Second Place¡­? Must be really good then," I said, "But it doesn''t help me much so let''s skip this and tell me her weaknesses." Her strength isn''t something I want to know. The only thing that can help me win against them is to find their weaknesses and learn how to exploit that. "I tried asking around to know her weaknesses and the only thing I could find was that she is afraid of insects," she said. "Insects¡­?" I said in a doubtful voice, "How am I supposed to use that against her? Raise an insect army to scare her?" "Huh? Is that supposed to be a joke¡­? It wasn''t funny at all," she said. "Anyway, she isn''t someone I want to fight with," I said, "What about the others¡­? If you have this kind of information about all of them then I don''t want to listen. Just tell me their names, that''s it. Your information as of now isn''t worth much." "If so then, then you are in luck," she said, "When you¡­ yelled at me-" "I wasn''t yelling¡­" I intervened with her but she still stayed put on her statement. "Yelled at me or whatever you want to call it. I found out something quite amusing," she said with a big fat grin on her face. "What is it¡­?" I asked. "The Disciplinary Incharge, Henry is rumored to be a delinquent in middle school," she said, "He was some kind of the leader of his school. But that doesn''t just end there. Even in his first year he was like that. Picking fights with everyone but-" she stopped and stared at me. "But?" "But all of a sudden he changed completely after one incident, or what people say," she said. "Aren''t you missing quite some part here¡­? It''s too vague. It might even be false." "Might be, but in my experience," she said in a serious and low tone, "Everyone has dirt but it won''t matter until it is hidden behind the curtains. And those who have high status and are being accused of something are mostly true. So, it''s a safe bet to find something on him." "Is that so¡­? Then let''s find about it then," I said, "Find me everything you can on him. But tell me one thing before that." "What?" "How does he look or how does he speak? Describe his characteristics. I might have seen him in the Student Council room earlier," I said. "Um¡­ He has a serious face all the time and his way of speech isn''t that good, rather he is impulsive," she said. Impulsive? Was someone who used to fight. Don''t tell me- "Ah! He also has ''RED Hair''" Iris said. "Haha¡­" I let out a slight laugh. "W-What is it? You are scaring me?" Why didn''t I think of it? Seeing him talk and act, he must have had an incident related to a fight. "Nothing. But is that all or did you find something else too?" I asked Iris. "No, nothing at the moment." "Oh, that''s right. What''s the name of the person who can rival the President?" I asked. "Harrison," she said. "What about him?" "?" someone sneaked behind me? Even before I could see their full appearance I turned around and grabbed their arms. It felt slightly smooth and slender. I am sure I was paying attention to the gate in case someone enters but someone has already made their way here. Did I miss her? The door also didn''t make any noise. "Ah-" it was a girl. "Olivia, how many times have I told you not to sneak behind someone like that?" "Olivia¡­? Iris mind me filling me in?" Iris wasn''t fazed a bit seeing her. "Oh, right. Introductions," she said, "Allen, meet Olivia and Olivia, meet Allen," she said. As she said that I looked around and saw the girl standing against me. She had those dull eyes, it felt like I was seeing myself in a mirror. She reflected a similar gaze as me. Also, she had long black hair. Am I imagining things or her hair are shining? "Umm¡­ mind letting me go now?" "Oh, sorry." I forgot I was grasping her hand. "H-How-" she said something but it wasn''t loud enough so I also didn''t bother listening. But she was staring at me too hard. "Miss Iris, may I ask what this scoundrelis doing here¡­?" scoundrel? Is she referring to me? Isn''t that rude to someone you just met? "Olivia, manners. Haven''t I already told you to be respectful when you meet someone and above all if the person you have met for the first time," Iris said out loud. But seeing Iris saying those things was so ironic. If I remember correctly wasn''t she doing the same thing to me, the first time we met. Instead of saying the word ''scoundrel'' she was looking down on me because of her father''s position. "Miss Iris," the girl said, "I have seen and heard about him enough. So, there is no need to show him any respect. He''s an eyesore," Eyesore? Hey, aren''t you going too far? At least don''t say it to my face. Even if I don''t really care about how others see me, hearing it in person is different. "Olivia," Iris raised her voice a little more, "As I said earlier. Show some respect." "I am sorry Miss Iris," the girl apologized immediately. But did I hear her correct? She was using ''Miss'' before calling Iris''s name. "She is someone my father has asked to look after," Iris said. She must have seen me thinking about the reason. "Servant¡­?" "Yeah, you can say that. It''s for protection in school in case I get into trouble," she said. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 101 - Olivia "Yeah, you can say that. It''s for protection in school in case I get into trouble," she said. "...?" "I can''t be given special permission to get bodyguards inside the school so as a substitute my father made her accompany me¡­ all the time in school," she said the last part in a low voice. I am guessing after seeing her expression she wasn''t happy with that. Also, if that girl is acting as a bodyguard then that solves the mystery of why she was able to sneak behind me. She must have gone through some kind of training. "Alright then¡­ I will be leaving," I said as I stood up. "Wait, wait. She knows about it so you don''t need to leave right now," Iris said to me as she looked at the girl. "Why did you tell her¡­?" I asked. "''Why'' you ask? Isn''t that a given that she will tell me everything when she leaves to meet someone suspicious?" the girl said. Her name¡­ Olivia, right? "I am sorry but does she speak for you as well? I mean, is it in the job description?" I said. "Huh? Are you looking for a fight with me¡­!" she snorted out. "Iris," I looked at Iris for her to intervene but she ignored me and sat there with a smile on her face. "Don''t try ignoring me," Olivia said. "Hey, we just met, and aren''t you even showing your disgust against me. It''s pretty clear that you don''t like being in the same room as me, so why don''t you just leave?" I said. "I don''t need to know, I know very well who you are. You are just a trouble maker for this school and especially to Miss Iris," she said. "Trouble maker? Don''t you know that Iris came to me first," I said, "Maybe Iris don''t you trust as much as you believe?" I ignored her earlier but she didn''t stop and still continued to press me. Well, I have already talked to her nicely for the 2nd time so I am guessing the next time she continues she might need to face some consequences. "Huh? Aren''t you getting ahead of yourself?" she said arrogantly. I guess she likes to be talked to nicely. "Olivia, that''s enough. If you are going to continue like this then I might need to ask you to leave," Iris said. "B-But" "No buts. Make yourself out if you still want to continue," I silenced her completely. "Now Allen, what are we going to do¡­?" Iris asked me. I again sat on the same chair and looked at Olivia and then at Iris. "For now we just wait," I said. "What? Wait? Why?" she asked. "We are going to look for the one who uploaded the video," I said. "Video? How will you find the person?" she asked. "Olivia, why don''t you tell her¡­? You seem to know something," I said. "Olivia? Olivia, do you know?" Iris as her as she turned over to her. "I don''t exactly know how but it''s most likely that he knows someone who can track down the owner of that video''s IP address," Olivia said. "Really? We can do that¡­? I didn''t know." Iris said. "Not exactly the person, IP address is the combination of numerical and alphabetical words. It''s like the number specifically designed for the device. Each and every device has its own. So, tracking it is similar to tracking the owner," Olivia said. "I-I¡­ already knew that," although she said that it wasn''t convincing at all. "Anyway, it should be done soon. But till then you need to gather up information, you know right¡­?" I asked Iris. "Hey, you can''t order Miss Iris like that," Olivia said. "Olivia, I think I made myself clear earlier that you can''t like this," Iris said in a stern voice. "I apologize Miss Iris but I still don''t like the way this- this person talks," Olivia said. Seeing her expression I am pretty sure that she was going to say something else instead of ''person''. "Olivia, I don''t know why you are this much against Allen but enough is enough. I would have still let it slide if you knew him for quite some time but you have only been here for a couple of minutes and you have started talking harshly," Iris said, "Acting like this makes me look smaller. Can''t you see this¡­?" "!?" seeing Olivia''s expression I am guessing she wasn''t aware of that. "I am deeply sorry¡­! Give me another chance to correct my mistakes," Olivia said. "Iris you can talk about this all you want but I have another important thing to discuss with you," I said in between. "What is it?" Iris asked me. "It''s not something to be revealed easily¡­" I said. "No one is here except us," Iris said. "Don''t worry. Even though I don''t trust you I still respect Miss'' decisions. Whatever you talk about here is something that I won''t speak to some outsider," Olivia said. Maybe Iris''s father, the Chairman, made the right decision in sending Olivia by her side. She is too much of an airhead. I was hinting at her to talk in private but instead of her Olvia understood it. "Then¡­" *Play* ¡­ [Moments before Allen was about to enter the Auditorium] *Beep-Beep* *Beep-Beep* "Is your name Allen¡­?" I turned back to who it was. "Yes, do you want something with me?" the one who called me boy or to be more precise he was a senior, who was wearing glasses. He had the appearance of a studious person. I guess it''s only because of his glasses, probably. "Where are the others?" he asked me. "Are you talking about those who were called alongside me?" "What else could I be talking about?" he said rudely. I know he is a senior but he could at least talk a little bit nicer. "Who knows? I came here alone," I said. "What?" he appeared to be irritated. That''s a given; no one likes being spoken to rudely. "Do you want anything else with me? I have some more important matters to attend to than arguing with-" I didn''t complete the sentence intentionally. "With what? Say it," he tried forcing me to say it. "Does it matter?" I said haughtily. "Hmm¡­ I see," he made a remark. "What does that mean¡­?" my intention was to move ahead but now I think I don''t need to. "What? Did you think the rumors about you haven''t reached the third year yet? Well, it does. Till now no one hasn''t said a word to you because I told them not to," he said something that made me think if it''s true or not. It could be true since I haven''t been stared at by any of the third years but it could also mean that it doesn''t bother them or maybe they don''t know about me yet. All of them could be possible. "So, what do you want with me?" It wasn''t a coincidence. He planned it all. I guessed it since I noticed that after a couple of students one particular student was constantly looking back at me, this made me think it was just a coincidence but it continued until he approached me. "You see, I established this school''s reputation and put everything I had into it to reach it to where it is today. You don''t have a single clue what I had to do to make this possible and no matter what happens I won''t let it blow my future. But now, all of a sudden, because of someone, it has commenced shrinking. I will not let my achievements crumble to the ground this way. I don''t care about this school''s reputation but if it does something to me I''m going to take this personally," he remarked as he locked his gaze on me. "I still don''t know what exactly you want with me," I said to him. Neither I averted my eyes nor he. "You see I don''t care about the school''s reputation or you. You can go ahead and kill whoever you want but when your actions stood in my path it became my problem. So, I am coming for you. I don''t care how the school suffers, I just want you to suffer," he said in a low voice. Voice only to be heard by me, "So, just be careful. I didn''t care about you until it only affected the school as a whole, that I didn''t care at all but it began affecting my position and authority so I had to stand up. Watch your back, kid." "I am sorry but I still don''t know what exactly you want with me? Like are you going to make my school life miserable or something else?" The crowd was passing through us. No, the crowd was the same from the beginning but the way it was moving was rather suspicious because this way we were out of the teacher''s range. "I''m just saying that sooner or later you will have to leave this school," he smirked at me, "And if you would ask me it''s going to be sooner." "Well, we''ll see abo-" before I say another word another announcement was made. *Beep-Beep* *Beep-Beep* TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 102 - Lets Find The Rightful Owner "So, you are saying that all this conversation is recorded here?" Iris asked me. "That''s right," I said. "But when did you? How did you know¡­?" she asked me. "I had a suspicion that sooner or later someone was going to come at me. It was just a precaution in case someone threatens me," I said, "But the President didn''t know that and he just spilled all the beans." "So, why are you going through all this trouble then? Just show him this and all this would be gone for good," Olivia said. "Never reveal your best hand in the beginning," I said. "But here it clearly shows that the President isn''t just protecting the school from shame, instead he is protecting himself," Iris said. "Well, it might look like that from your perspective. But it also looks like the President has put in a lot of effort in helping the school''s reputation rise. So, he has at least this much right to defend himself. Either way, it cannot be used blindly. Based on the situation I am going to use it," I said. "But he clearly said he didn''t care when the school''s reputation was crumbling," Iris said, "So if we release it to everyone, won''t most lose their trust in him¡­?" "My statement stands," I said, "It won''t matter much. We need to use it carefully and slowly lead further. I can''t say for sure but it''s possible that he is already aware of this recording." "How?" Olivia asked. "The person was already thinking steps ahead. He baited me to speak those things on the stage and he recorded it in the way that most of the blame will be in my direction," I said, "So, it''s highly possible that he knows about the recording." "... Maybe you are right," Iris said in a low tone. "So, we won''t be using it as of now," I added. It''s the truth or at least I didn''t tell the half-truth. If Iris was convinced that this recording is an easy way out she wouldn''t do the work much efficiently. Even if she tries her best, it wouldn''t be her true potential since in her mindset there always is an escape route. Also, I talked about the recording to establish a trustworthy relationship. Not to Iris but the girl beside her, Olivia. She doesn''t trust me at all. So, this can at least play a small part that I am trusting them full-heartedly and they should also trust me back. That''s how trustworthy relationships move further. "That''s too bad¡­ but now that I think of it, it has a bright side to it," Iris said. "How so¡­?" I asked. "If you were to use this recording wouldn''t our deal be nullified?" Iris said with a smug on her face. "Ah¡­ I should have used this in the beginning then, right? Isn''t that what you are suggesting?" I said teasingly. "No¡­! I meant the opposite," she exclaimed. "Really? Wouldn''t that be better for me," I said, "Or did you want something to happen to me?" "Argh! Don''t twist it more as it is already," she said. I think maybe I teased her a bit too much. "Miss, I think you should return to class. It has been quite some time already," Olivia said. Now that I think of it, I might as well return. I am sure the teacher would ask me something again. Let''s think of it on the way. "Yes, I should be going now," Iris said to me. "I will also be going," I replied. "Don''t leave with us," Olivia said, "Leave after us or before us." Her voice seemed harsh but made sense. We can''t be seen together. "Fine," I said. "The-" "I will leave first, you come out later on," I said. "Ha¡­" Olivia was looking with her mouth wide open. "What happened?" I asked. "Olivia, don''t expect him to act that way. He isn''t like that at all," Iris said to Olivia, "In fact he doesn''t even consider acting like that." "Like what¡­?" I asked. "Ah, don''t worry about it. Get going already," Iris said. "Miss-" "Allen, Bye-Bye." Iris waved at me. "Okay," I awkwardly waved back. "Pft¡­ that''s dull," Iris said. Was it really that dull? Anyway, I didn''t respond to it and left the room behind. I walked down the hallway silently. ¡­ Fortunately, the period was already over when I reached the classroom so I didn''t encounter any teacher on the way. So I entered the classroom and I felt the same feeling for quite some time. The feeling of being stared at. No matter how much time passes by I can''t completely handle it. Some kind of tingly feeling is always there. I can''t figure it but it was like among all that glaring, there is only a single gaze that pinches, or tickles me. It''s probably from someone specific but the moment I turn around to see who it is all their gazes turn to everything else other than me. I couldn''t catch that person, never once. There were a few times when I thought why they did that but no reason came up. So, I have been ignoring it till now, but recently it has increased. It wasn''t just the same tickling or small punches but now it''s kind of different. Should I call that bloodlust? No, it''s not that but it was like someone is eager for something to happen and is hastily watching over me. ¡­ Soon the school ended. All were exciting while I was waiting for someone. That, someone, was Lily. She didn''t tell me when she is going to start or when I should be asking her for the information. It might have been decided to meet at the entrance gate but it''s probably pretty crowded so we can''t meet there. It''s too conspicuous. So, I just stayed back in the class. It''s possible that she might come to class if she can''t find me there. Seeing her expression and reaction back then it''s clear that she wouldn''t leave this easily. So, I sat there all alone. The only sound in the room was the room of the window being pushed back and forth but the wind. With so much sunlight outside and heat it''s probably bad wind. By bad wind I mean the wind that can depreciate someone''s health if exposed for excessive time. *Step* *Step* I heard someone running in the corridor. Is she here¡­? "Allen¡­!" At the entrance of the classroom, I saw a girl in half breath, panting for air. "Lily," I said. "You could have at least told me you are here¡­!" she exclaimed and ran at me. "Oh, sorry about that," I immediately apologized. "A little heads would have been great!" she said. "Why are you out of breath? I don''t think just running to the entrance gate of the school and coming back is a long-distance," I said. "I ran not just to the gate but for almost half a meter outside and then came here¡­!" she said. "Huh? Why would you do something like that¡­?" I asked her. "''Why'' you ask?! I was looking for you. I thought I missed you so I went outside and looked around for you. You know our school is located just near a big park and it was completely filled up. I mean why are there so many at the same time¡­! Even if they are, why is the outside area also packed up?! Do you know how difficult it was for me? Also, there was an old lady that kept on, blocking my way. What was her problem? Can''t she stay still? It''s not like she had a lot of time left in this world anyway¡­!" she said in anger and frustration. I think she isn''t in a good mood right now. "Here you go," I offered her my water bottle. "..." she snatched it from me and drank it all in one gulp. It was half empty, still, it was more than enough that should have at least taken more than one gulp. "Done¡­?" I asked. "... Thanks," she said, "No. No, you should face some consequences after what happened to me because of you." "I will do everything you will ask me to do, but right now help me find that video''s owner," I suggested. "Yeah about that," she said, "TO be honest I wasn''t able to do anything till now. This school''s computer isn''t compatible with the software I use so I couldn''t do it but," "But¡­?" "One of my servants brought my laptop from my house," she said, "Pretty smart, right?" "Yeah, pretty smart for a person who ran more than 50 meters instead of looking inside the place nearest to her," I said. "Hey, don''t bring that up or I will be going to ask you to do something ridiculous. I am not kidding," she warned me. "Alright," I said, "So, you will be starting right now?" "Yup," she said, "I have already made arrangements that will allow us to stay here till around six in the evening. That should be enough for me to find that person." "''Made Arrangement''? Aren''t you pretty much able to control the school itself if you wanted?" I asked. I wasn''t expecting any sincere answers anyway. "Yeah, I could." She said, "It''s not a big deal anyway." Huh? TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 103 - Tantrum Yeah, I could." She said, "It''s not a big deal anyway." Isn''t it a big deal? "You know it might be a big deal for someone¡­" I said. "I know," she said. "Alright then, it''s booted. Now, I need to just begin it," she said as her laptop screen loaded. *Stare* "Umm¡­ Allen mind if I do my work?" she said as glanced at me. "Yeah sure," I replied back, "Go ahead." "No, no I meant like I won''t be able to do it if you keep staring at my side. Just sit over there and let me finish it." "Oh, alright then." I said, "I will sit over there then." I took the seat parallel to hers and sat there silently. As I was sitting there, I thought about something. What will I do if I find that person? If it really is the work of the President or the Student Council I highly doubt they are going to speak up this easily. Now then? Should I threaten them about telling the school about their deeds? Even if I told them that it still is partially my fault. I can''t just rush things blindly. It''s quite a pinch I have got myself into. Hmm? *Tick* *Tick* Wait, if she is able to find the location of that person can''t she hack his/her phone? I don''t know how exactly these things work but it''s not impossible to hack into someone else''s phone, right? "Hey Lily, can you hack into someone else''s phone?" I asked. "Well, it''s not entirely impossible but I can''t do it, " she said as she continuously looked at the screen. "What? Why can''t you do it? If you can pinpoint the location of the phone so you should be able to do that as well or am I wrong?" "Allen, let me tell you the truth. Hacking isn''t something that you see in movies. All of that is false. If that were this simple all the money in the bank would have been just Whoosh or many businessmen crushed on grounds but nothing like that has happened, why?" she asked me. "Why¡­?" "Because it''s not as easy as it looks. Months, maybe years take to master it. So, at my level the highest is to track something," she said. "¡­" I fell silent. My only plan reached a dead end even before it took its flight. "But¡­ I can arrange someone to do that," she said. "Why waste time explaining all those things then? Should have just started with this," I said. "¡­ You don''t spare words do you? Anyway, if I ask my brother he might be able to help you with this prospectus." She said, "I am pretty sure he has someone like this." "Which brother are we talking about?" I asked. "The elder one," she said, "Why would you even think of the other one? He is even dumber than me." "Right. Elder one. Make sure to ask him about this," I said. ¡­ "And¡­ it''s done." She said enthusiastically. Seeing her, I am expecting some great results. "So, who is it?" I asked. "Well it''s not someone from our school," she said. "Huh? What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, the last location of that phone from which the video was taken and uploaded has been disposed of." "Disposed of?" "Yes, disposed of. The last location is near the river, located near the main market. That person is good but I was able to find the owner''s name." she said. "Who''s that...? I asked. "Someone named¡­ Silvia," she said doubtfully, "for what I know it could be a fake. People use fake Identities sometimes." "But yeah I really don''t think a student would do that. At most he/she could only think of disposing of the device. Above that, it''s not like the student will think of it," she said. "The isn''t there a single student named Silvia? Or teacher or even the parents?" I asked. I can''t do anything if I can''t find the person and remove that video. "also can''t you remove the video on the forum?" "No, its firewall is too tough to break. The moment I write a code it throws me off. I can''t do anything about it." She said, "Whoever put up the firewall is no joke." If she can''t do it then should I ask someone else? But I don''t know anyone else who can do something like this. "So¡­ let''s focus on finding the person named Silvia then," I said, "It''s only better if we were to find that person." "Yeah that''s the only thing we can do at the moment," she said, "I will try to look up in school records. But this is going to take much more time. Maybe a whole day," she said. "A whole day, huh. Fine, then," I replied. "But," she stood up, "Let''s discuss where we are meeting today. I don''t want to end up like this again." "I don''t know¡­ do you know any place that is empty? I certainly don''t want to be the center of attention right now." It''s only better not to reveal my hand. If the opposition gets the gist of me talking with Lily they might try to narrow my options soon. But seeing Lily''s authority I doubt they will be able to restrain her but the thing they can do is decrease the viable options. Above all, if they get to know that Lily can find the owner of that video then it''s highly possible that they will stop her. "Empty place¡­? Why don''t we just go to my house then?" she proposed. "Alright then, let me tell you something first," I said. "What is it¡­?" she asked as her laptop screen went blank. Maybe she turned it off. "Your house¡­ it''s not a house," I said, "Huh?" She was confused. "It''s a villa," I said, "Also, how do you propose I go there? Do we leave school at the same time? If someone were to see us together leaving school it''s for sure that a huge fuss will occur." I certainly don''t want that. Unnecessary rumors might begin circulating again. "No¡­ you just go with the same route," she said, "I will ask one of my servants to pick you up. It''s much better and that you can also inform your parents about you getting home a little late." Late? Why? It''s not like I would be spending the dinner there? Also- "You believe my parents would let me go with a complete stranger?" I asked. There is literally no way they will agree to it. "What if¡­ I came to pick you up?" she said. "Huh? What?" "Look, even if I get out late from school I certainly will be able to reach your house much faster. I have a car, duh," she said. "All this¡­ just to help me?" I asked, "Why? It''s not like we have known each other for a long time. Why the sudden interest to help me? This isn''t the first time I have been in trouble, why this particular time?" I have been thinking about this for some time now. Why is she going out her way to do this? I haven''t even helped or even talked to her so much that she comes and helps and also invites me to her house. No matter how you look at it I don''t think it''s a normal thing to do for someone like me. It''s just too suspicious. "Helping you? Why? Is it wrong to help someone?" she asked. "Well¡­ it''s certainly good to help someone in need but the way you are doing things isn''t just helping me. It''s like you want something from me," I said, "Do you want something from me¡­?" "No¡­ I don''t need something from me¡­ maybe," she said vaguely. Now it''s sure that she isn''t just doing this to help me. Some altear motive is there and I want to know it. It''s better to know the other person''s intent rather than just believing them blindly and then get stabbed in the back. "Really? Even though I know you aren''t being honest here," I pressured her, "I want a definitive answer, or I might have to decline your help." Well, it''s certainly not good for me. There is no way I am going to get the information she is going to get me on my own. But I still can''t let that be the cause of my failure now, can I? "Wh-! Allen I am here helping you out but you still aren''t believing me?" she snorted at me. "That''s the problem. You are helping me out for no reason. How am I supposed to trust you? If anything I might be walking down a path that is laid out with traps made by¡­ you," I said. "Really Allen? ''That'' is your statement? Even though I ran out there for more than 25 minutes and came back here holding a laptop. Do you know how many people there are? Zillions of people were roaming there," she exclaimed. "Look you are taking this the wrong way," I tried to explain to her but apparently her ship has already sailed out. "Also, if it makes you feel any better I told you about the owner''s name. Isn''t that enough to clear your doubt about me¡­!" she yelled. "Alright, alright. I won''t doubt you," I said, "Calm down now." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 104 - Capture "Also, if it makes you feel any better I told you about the owner''s name. Isn''t that enough to clear your doubt about me¡­!" she yelled. "Alright, alright. I won''t doubt you," I said, "Calm down now." What happened to her? My image of her isn''t someone who would cause a tantrum. "Really¡­?" she asked me with a sorry face. What''s happening here? I really can''t understand what she is doing. I mean who would yell, exclaim at something like this? I mean shouldn''t she also understand that my position of trusting someone isn''t an easy task? Almost half of the school is hostile to me. Why would they get involved with me after knowing this? Anna is only doing what I am telling her to do because she doesn''t have any other chance. She is afraid of getting caught for spreading a rumor so she has to make sure I don''t get the gist of her spreading the rumor. Also, Iris is still a bit suspicious although she is still getting something out of this. It''s possible she might be deceiving me and also at the same she isn''t. But the amount of information she has told me till now is making me partially trust her a bit. But this isn''t the case for Lily. She isn''t taking anything in return and above all she is just helping me because she wants to. Who would let themselves get into trouble in the process of helping the other? Isn''t that a little bit too much? "Allen¡­?" Lily was waiting for my response. "Yeah, I will not suspect any further. But if I ever think something fishy is going on then I will cut off all my ties with you," I said sternly, "I won''t think twice nor I will be going to talk about that with you." "... Fine," she replied back. "Alright then let''s leave then," I said as I stood from my seat. "You go ahead," she said, "I have some work in school." "O-Oh! Before I forget¡­! Make sure that you won''t be late tomorrow. I will be waiting outside your house," she said. "Yeah I will¡­" I replied, "Also you don''t need to shout. No one is here so I can hear you clearly even if you don''t shout." "..." she didn''t reply as she hid her face in embarrassment. ¡­ I left the room and walked out of the school. I noticed a couple of black cars just near the school gate. I guess it''s for Lily since the last time I saw her she was in one of these cars. *Start* I heard the engine start from one of the cars. I turned around and noticed one of them started moving. Why is that? Aren''t they supposed to wait for Lily and I am pretty sure she hasn''t come outside yet. Then the only question remains, why is it following me? Thinking it might just be a coincidence that I ignored it and continued on my path but it increased its speed and overtook me, stopping in my path. They literally pulled up the car over the sidewalk. Isn''t that too dangerous? It''s fortunate that no one is nearby at the moment. Nearby? No one? Wait, wait. Isn''t this pretty dangerous? Not long before someone was following me? Are they now trying to kidnap me? What should I do now? If they are in a car, I can never outrun them. Also, if they came in a car then there is a high possibility that a few more others are also there to capture me then I am really in trouble. Some serious trouble. Not wasting another moment I ran off in the other direction. *Zoom* The car didn''t wait and reversed in a blink of an eye. Whoever is driving that car is not an amature. "Oh, Allen you haven''t lef-" Lily was just exiting the school. I didn''t stop and still continued running. I knew for sure that I can''t waste even a second. Every single second counts. "W-Wait!" she yelled at me but I still didn''t stop for her. *Zoom* The car just passed Lily at high speed. "OU!" I didn''t take a single glance back because judging by her reaction I already knew that she was also surprised. Watching a high-speed vehicle can surprise anyone. It was the same for Lily. But fortunately, she had her bodyguards to protect her. "Miss!" "Ma''am¡­!" It was already given that I couldn''t ever outrun the car on a road so I took an alley that came up first. Even though I don''t know where I am going, I just ran and ran without thinking about the pursuers. After taking dozens of turns I halted for a moment to think about my actual standing against them. If they''re serious about capturing me then it''s going to happen. There is literally no way I can outsmart them. The reasons being- They caught me off guard. Secondly, I can''t outrun them. If they want to kidnap me then they might have already set up a few people near my house. So, running to home is a no. Thirdly, I don''t even know how many are there or how they look. There could be someone wearing casual clothes, he might just knock me out of nowhere. I can''t do anything about it, now can I? Oh, boy I am really in serious trouble. *Step* *Step* *Step* I heard a few steps from nearby. It wasn''t the same rhythmic sound when someone walks. It felt like there were more than one. Also, they are getting close. I am at a total disadvantage on this plane. I don''t even know the area''s outline. Where am I supposed to run? *Step* *Step* *Step* The sound felt a bit louder. Let''s just run. Not knowing which alley led, I ran in those unknown alleys without any prior knowledge. It was like a maze that would only end if I were to get captured or get away safely. And the one with me getting out safely is almost just next to zero. With no known definite answer I ran and ran but only to lead where? I don''t know. Let''s just find it out. *Grab* Out of nowhere, I was pulled behind. *Slip* *Thumb* I don''t how but I was already on the ground, with my face facing the ground. With the face almost in contact with the dust on the ground. I tried moving but both my arms were blocked from making any movement and both of my legs were both immobilized. "W-What¡­!" I knew that I can''t escape from this. The person''s body weight didn''t let me make any slightest bit of movements. "B012 here at Street 6. I have Captured the Subject-002." the man said as she removed one of his hands from me to enable his speaker. I knew for sure that if I don''t take this opportunity I might not get another chance then. So, I took it and released all of my energy near my abdomen, because that was the region he was using his body weight the most. *Scratch* *Thud* "Don''t try to make any unnecessary movements, kid. It won''t end well for you," the man said as he slammed my head on the ground. It hurts. It felt like my brain would just crack open any moment. But I didn''t let out a single cry. [Team Leader we have a girl following her. What should we do?] A girl? Is it Lily? Why would she come here? Is she an idiot? "Kill her," the person said those words so easily. [Sir, she isn''t alone. A couple of bodyguards are near her. Also, her Car has the symbol of Hendricksons.] "Hendricksons, huh? Scare her away then. Don''t interfere with her too much, you understand?" the man said in a stern voice. Hendricksons? Are they related to them? What the hell is this mess? More and more confusion keeps on increasing. [We understand Sir.] "Alright, then. 002 how have you been this whole time?" He asked me as if he had known me for a long time. "What the hell are you talking about? I don''t know you¡­?" I said as I lifted up my head a little. "Oh, is that so? I guess they fussed up your brain too much. I told them, it would affect your brain cells if- Oops. I was just about to spill the beans."He was having fun? Does it seem amusing to him? Above all, he knows me, and what about my brain? Have they done something to me? When? How? What? All sorts of questions came to me but I couldn''t find the answer to any. "Why? What happened? Too scared to tell me?" I tried provoking him. "Don''t try playing games with me. You pity tricks won''t be able to fool me," he said. "Really? Then when are you going to find out about this¡­?" I threw a rock at his head with the help of my legs. While he was talking on the phone I tried moving my legs as I distracted him with something else. Fortunately, I felt something hard against my leg. Slowly I tried moving in the right direction and waited for the right moment to throw it. And it was this moment. *Slam* I heard some cracking sound. I am sure it hit his head pretty hard. He let go of my hands and I was able to shrug him off. "Whoa¡­!" he lost balance and fell to the ground. Without looking back I ran but- *Shoot* "I t-told you¡­ it won''t end for you," he said as I turned around and saw him standing with a smirk on his face while I was beginning to feel numb. Before my vision darkened up completely I saw a dart right at the center of my back. *Thud* TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 105 - Kidnapped *Shoot* "I t-told you¡­ it won''t end for you," he said as I turned around and saw him standing with a smirk on his face while I was beginning to feel numb. Before my vision darkened up completely I saw a dart right at the center of my back. *Thud* ¡­ "Wake him up," I heard a voice. I tried moving but apparently, both of my limbs have been tied up. What''s happening? "Yes, sir," I heard a few footsteps. *Splash* *Slap* *Slap* "Oi, wake up¡­!" I don''t know who they are but it was certain that I am not in a great place. "... What¡­?" I said as I slowly opened up my eyes. Oh. As I was about to open my eyes, I felt multiple bright lights at me. And among them, I noticed a glimpse of something red. Is it an eye? Do people really have a red-eye color? Or is he wearing a lens? "Who are you?" I asked as I hid my eyes from those bright lights. Also, it was given. I was already trying to free myself but I was strangled by someone expert. I can''t seem to find the knot nor the ending of it. How am I supposed to free myself from this? Also, I am feeling a little numb. Was I drugged? I really think so. The last thing that I remember is me getting shot by some kind of a dart. Maybe that''s when I was drugged. It looked somewhat similar to what they use as a tranquilizer on animals to make them sleep. It''s most likely that I was shot by a similar thing but with a low concentration of drugs or otherwise, I could have died or some kind of other things. "Me? I really feel bad that you don''t remember me¡­ Mr. X, or what few call me. Does that ring a bell? Not like it matters now, does it?" I couldn''t see the person''s face because of the way the lights were set but his voice. His voice felt oddly familiar. Also, my vision isn''t clear I could slightly make out his "..." without knowing his exact location I instinctively looked at the direction the voice felt close. "Allen, Allen. Your senses have dulled. Aren''t you out of shape¡­? I thought you wouldn''t change no matter the circumstance," he said. "Listen, Mister. I don''t know what you are talking about," I said. I looked around and it seems like my eyes have settled down a little. But I still can''t see past those flashes. "It''s obvious that you don''t remember but don''t you feel like you know my voice, even a little¡­?" he said. "!?" How does he know that? "Oh, judging by that reaction, I hit the mark then." he said, "Tell me, Allen. You remember me, right, right?" "I don''t think I should be answering this, no do I?" I asked him in a similar way he was talking. "Oh, so you aren''t even fazed by the fact that you are abducted¡­? That''s good, that''s good. That''s how it''s supposed to be. 002, I was beginning to think you have forgotten everything but it seems like you haven''t," he was talking in this weird familiar manner that was giving me the creeps. Who is he? "Who are you¡­?" I asked again. "Again with that¡­ you know that if I were to reveal my face you will have to die then," he said. What''s up with this movie line? If he wanted me dead he would have done that already. "Really? Then what are you waiting for?" I asked. "You see¡­ I don''t want you dead. It''s not like I don''t want you dead but I want you for something else," he said. "Something else¡­?" I asked. "That''s right," he said, "You see, you weren''t the only one. There were multiple that were similar to you but they couldn''t handle it and died." Died? Who is he talking about? Was I also in that? I don''t get it. "..." "Anyway, we can talk about something like that sometime later. Do whatever you have been doing. Just make sure that you overcome it or else I have to dispose of you also," he said in a not-so-friendly voice that he has been using till now. "Overcome? Dispose of me? I don''t get it," I said. "Well, that''s one of the things that you have to overcome. Also, you must know this, I have eyes on you so try not to make a fuss about this," he replied in his weird voice. "What do you want with me?" I asked, "Are you the one who captured me and sent me to the island? Why did you do that? Also, did you do something in school also?" "Hey, hey. Aren''t you asking way too many questions here?" he said laughingly. "Answer me," but I wasn''t in the mood for a laugh. "You need an answer. Here you go," he said, "Yes, I have infiltrated your school. How many or who, it''s up to you to find. But I can''t assure you they won''t attack you. So, if I were you I would keep a constant check on my back." "..." "Also, the one who kidnapped you along with 50 others was also me," he said. Even though I can''t see his face I knew for sure that he had this huge smirk on his face. "Why? Why did you do that¡­? Where are the rest of them?" I asked. "It was just an experiment. An experiment to know the limits of the human body. We needed to know at which point a person could break completely. Was it the time when he faced death or was it the time when he lost hope? Or was it something more physiological? All of this had to be done in order to make a perfect human being," he said. "What? Aren''t you out of your mind? Experimenting with students illegally?" "You don''t understand. The brain of a child is in its evolving phase. If we were to alter it and make it function more efficiently, it would be the greatest invention one could make," he said, "The only problem humans face is that they have this certain part of their brain that is occupied with emotions and some useless thinking." "Still, you are crazy," I said. "You can call me whatever you want but the world will know that what I have created is going to change the way things have been till now," he said proudly. "Aren''t you just acting on your emotions right now?" I asked him. The way he is talking isn''t just a person stating facts, but rather a person who is expressing himself. Even though he is crazy but emotions are still there. "No, no. Don''t confuse this with emotion. It''s passion." he said, "So, I am just going to wait for that to happen. Even if it makes me look evil I will accomplish it." "Wait¡­ you are from HYDRAs," I said. "Yes, that''s right. We are from HYDRAs," he replied. "Aren''t you a criminal organisation? Why indulge yourself in crime then?"I asked. "Do you really think what I am doing is legal? Of course not. So to get funds, we use methods that get us money fast," he said, "Also, it is fun to see the other person plead and beg for his life. That also added as an experience, you know? The point of mental breakdown." Isn''t he just a psychopath then? I mean who gets pleasure while watching the other person suffer? Also, what''s this about that brain thing? Does he really want to eliminate emotions from a person''s body? Is that even possible? I mean doesn''t have emotions make us humans and not some robot? *Beep-Beep* *Beep-Beep* "Oh, I guess it''s time to part ways, Allen." he said, "I hope to see you soon." "Well, I certainly don''t want to meet you ever again," said. *Baam* Something hard hit my head and I slowly felt a little drowsy and lost consciousness again. ¡­ "Allen¡­!" I heard a familiar voice calling out to me. "..." I tried opening my eyes. "Oh~ Thank god¡­!" It was the Principal looking at me. "What are you doing here?" I asked as I tried to move. "Ah-" my legs hurt. What happened to them? "Don''t move. It''s been bruised up," she said as she extended her arm around me. Helping me stand up. "When I saw you running in front of the school gate I knew something was wrong but it was made perfectly clear after I saw a couple of cars behind you," she said, "But I was too late." Where are we? "This is my home," she said, "You were lying unconscious at the Central Parks parking area." That place? They must have dropped me off there. "Lily was also there. What happened to her?" I asked as we continued to walk. My vision was slightly blurry so I couldn''t make out exactly how my surroundings looked. "Don''t worry about that," she said as she placed me on a chair, "Apparently I was able to catch up to her. But I wasn''t able to reach you." "Oh¡­" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 106 - Unknown Identity My vision was slightly blurry so I couldn''t make out exactly how my surroundings looked. "Don''t worry about that," she said as she placed me on a chair, "Apparently I was able to catch up to her. But I wasn''t able to reach you." "Oh¡­" "Anyway, how are you really?" she asked me. "Well, a little pain in the legs and a slight numbness all over the body," I said in a low voice, "What time is it?" "It''s pretty late," she didn''t mention the accurate time. "How late¡­?" I insisted on telling her. At times like this, I really wish I own a wristwatch. I wouldn''t need to ask around like that. "It''s past 12 pm," she said. "Huh? What? Past 12? Are you kidding me¡­?" I asked her. Really? That late? I need to call at home and let them know about my whereabouts. "Don''t worry about your parents," she said as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, "I personally went to them and told them about some excuse. So, for the time being, you don''t have to worry about them worrying about you." "Are you reading my mind?" I asked. "At your age, you only have a handful of problems so guessing them was pretty simple plus it''s too easy to read your face," she said. "Is that so¡­?" Ouch. The legs were still in pain. What did they do? Also, why did they do it in the first place? That man himself said he wants me for something then harming me, isn''t he contradicting himself. "Allen, tell me what happened?" she asked as she sat across from me while handing me a warm cup of tea. "Well, I was kidnapped," I said. "Allen, it''s not helping. You need to tell me everything. This isn''t a small matter." She said, "If you were to get kidnapped from that would have been some other case but you were attacked while you were close to the school and kidnapped not from there. I am wholly responsible for that." She said that she is going to keep surveillance around the school area and I was ambushed. If not wholly, partially she is to blame. If she hadn''t said that I could have at least thought of some counterattack in case I was ambushed. Even if I can''t perfectly predict the outcome, I could have at least increased my chances of escape rather than increasing their chances of catching me. "If you were taking responsibility did you catch any of them? Who was pursuing me earlier?" I asked. "No," she said. "See that''s the problem here," I said, "I don''t know what you are doing. You aren''t able to uncover things, catch them nor are you able to protect me from getting ambushed. How am I supposed to trust you?" After these consecutive incidents, it''s making it hard to believe her. At this point, I even think she is collaborating with the HYDRAs. "What? Are you kidding me?" she snorted. "Think about it from my perspective," I said, "What would you do if you were in my case? I don''t you, who you work for, what kind of work you do and above all, you are too suspicious at this point." I don''t care if she decides not to help me out, it''s still better to work alone rather than work with some unknown entity. I have been only asking for her help because she was supporting me while in school and that one time when some of the HYDRAs infiltrated the school. I am not saying she is evil or a bad person but it has been too long not knowing her. Although she told me what she does, at the end of the day it could be fake. I haven''t seen her legit identity yet and what else, I don''t even know her real name. "So you want to know more about me¡­?" she asked me in a low yet serious tone. "No, don''t make it sound out like I am forcing you. I am asking you to open up to me so that I can do the same, otherwise, I doubt we can work together," I said. This is a crucial time for me as well as for her. I might know something she might not be knowing and she might be knowing some inside information. For those things to come upfront, we need to sort out our things. If not, then I don''t think this is going to end up well. "Alright then," she said, "You want to know me. Here it is." "..." I stared back at her. "I was born in the Philippines. It was around the age of 9 that my parents were killed right in front of me in an Alley," she said, "We were coming back from a movie. We had this great dinner and all but fate had entirely different plans for them." "..." I stayed silent and let her continue. "Initially before I was born they both worked with the HYDRAs and were working on something Top Secret. I don''t particularly know the details but the only paper they had at home was Named- Higher Evolution of the Human Brain. Since I was a child I didn''t care about that but soon enough the day we were returning from the movie was the day HYDRAs found them," she continued, "They didn''t leave the job on good terms. They fled from there. Maybe not to let the information leak, the HYDRAs made sure they didn''t happen. I was left all alone in that alley. Soon an investigation took place but it was abruptly stopped. Even though I wasn''t someone with a 200 IQ I could still make out that something is wrong." "What did you find¡­?" I asked. "While I was standing in front of my parent''s dead body at the hospital I overheard some of the detectives talking about something that made me even more furious." "What!? HYDRAs? Why them? And if they are in any way involved in it we should investigate much further. That way we can at least do something about them. We could get a promotion!> "Even though I didn''t have any concrete information¡­ I still felt like they were involved in this," she said. "..." I don''t have the correct words for the situation. An awkwardness spread across the room. While I was sitting there I even forgot to take a sip from the tea and now it''s cold. Also, if what she is saying is true then I guess she harbors hatred from deep inside her. At first, I thought it was just for justice but now I think it''s much more and much greater than just justice. It''s like revenge. But why tell me this? "Here it is," she broke the awkward silence, "Is that what you wanted to know?" "Well technically I wanted to know what kind of work you do and some proof would have been great¡­ but this is¡­" "Huh?" she had this dumbfounded face. "I got the idea that you hold some kind of grudge against them and I should comply with you in the process," I said. "You little sly brat," she said in embarrassment. "Don''t tell me you haven''t told this to anyone yet?" I asked. "That''s right¡­! Do you know how hard it was for me to recall all those memories¡­?" she said as she yelled at me, "And you are saying you don''t need that?" "Hey, don''t blame me. I wasn''t the one to tell your story. I just wanted some legit information so that I can make myself believe you. I never asked about your personal life, now did I?" I asked. "Oh¡­ so it''s my fault here then? I tell you my story and you blame me for telling it?" she exclaimed. "Don''t twist the facts here. We both were partially at fault here," I said, "I should have made myself more clearer and you should have analyzed the question in a better way. So. let''s just move on." "... Yes, you are right." She said, "Now, it''s your turn. Tell me what happened?" "Alright then," I said, "I was wrapped around a chair with a rope. I don''t know who roped it wound me but it was certainly strong to hold a grown-up man. I couldn''t see the person''s face but he called himself MR. X." "Mr. X?!" She was taken back. "Yes, is something wrong?" I asked her as I saw her startled look. "He is the only person we don''t have any information on," she said, "We don''t how but no after how close we get he always slips away. We haven''t even seen his face. The only thing that we know that he exists is that the people we have captured received a mail and an attachment sent from MR. X." "Mail?" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 107 - Mr. X "Mail?" "The tasks were written for the person and a video saying the exact same thing but he used a device to alter his voice so we can''t even know his real voice." "You don''t know his voice? When he talked to me he didn''t use any such device," I said. "What did you talk about¡­?" she asked me as she pulled out a pad to write it on. "He is working on some kind of thing that will enhance the capabilities of the human brain. In doing so, he kidnapped those students. He also mentioned that he used those 50 students as an experiment to check the result when a human brain fails to work," I said. If I remember correctly, that''s the most important thing he mentioned. "I see, then it means he isn''t going to anyone as of the moment," she states. "Why is that? How did you come to that conclusion?" I asked. "7 returned. It means only one thing: that your brains were the only one who didn''t break and was the one with the most stability as compared to others. And you might be the one who was the most successful. That''s why he kidnapped you. He personally wanted to know you," she said. Now that she mentions it, it makes some sense. Is that the reason? "But what about the others?" I asked. "Well, I can''t say for sure but it''s possible that he might as well try to contact them." She replied. Although we have questions that still need to be answered, the question still remains, who is he? What does he want with me? "So, for the time being, spend the night in here and from tomorrow onwards I will add someone tailing you all the time. I can''t risk having you get kidnapped again, it goes the same for all the rest of the students," she said. "You really don''t know what the HYDRAs are really planning to do?" I asked. "If I knew, would I be laying around in the school?" "Fair enough," I said. And throughout all that talking before I could realize my pain went away. It really was just a bruise then. "Also, by spending a night here, does that mean I have slept here?" I asked. "Did you hit your head also? Yes, of course, you have to sleep here," she said. "But where? You can''t possibly be asking me to sleep on this chair?" I asked, "Did my parents agree to this?" Technically they wouldn''t allow it but I wonder if they did if the Principal herself went there. Staying at school is one thing and staying out is another. "Ah, about that." She said, "They agreed to let you stay with me." "Wait, you told them I am staying with you¡­?" I asked because I think I misheard something. "Not technically with me," she said and at that moment a door from behind opened up. I instinctively held onto the cup as a weapon to attack. "Allen," the Principal saw me and lunged forward and held onto my arm. Maybe I am just too hostile to my surroundings, well after today''s incident and what I have been through I am a bit more cautious. "Oh, so you are also here, but when did you wake up?" Apparently, it wasn''t what I had in mind. "What are you doing here Peter?" I asked. The figure standing in front of me was Peter. "I am here for a drink¡­" he said in a low voice. "What¡­?" I am confused, "Why are you here, that''s what I am asking?" "Why are we here? For a study group like the rest of them¡­? Why are you asking? Isn''t that what we all are here for?" he said. "Hu-?" "Peter, why did you come up here?" the Principal asked before I could say anything, "Didn''t I already tell you specifically not to move out until further instructions?" "T-That''s b-because¡­ water was f-finished so I had to-" he was stuttering a lot. "Fine, just take this bottle and move out." The Principal said in a stern voice as always. *Step* *Step* *Step* *Click* Without any further conversation, he picked up the bottle and left the room without making any unnecessary noise. "Care to tell me what that was¡­?" I asked her. "Apparently, I brought all the survivors here with the excuse of Study Group while I will supervise them. That''s the exact same reason I told you parents so they also agreed instantly," she said in a low voice. "There are others?" I asked. "Yeah," she said, "I can'' just invite-only one student now, can I?" "What did you tell them about me?" I asked. If I am correct there is a possibility that they have been here for more than two hours and by that time I have been unconscious. And if I were to suddenly come up wouldn''t they ask me various kinds of questions? And I don''t want to end up in that situation, it''s just too much of a hassle. "Don''t worry," she said confidently, "From their perspective, you lost consciousness and passed out just outside my entrance gate. The reason being you were stressed up and your health degraded. So, you needed a rest." "And they were convinced¡­?" I asked. "Not everyone can be like you Allen," she said. Is it sarcasm or was it genuine? I don''t know and I don''t need to know. "So, is there any need for me to go there?" I asked. "Well, Peter has seen you already, you have to go." She said, "Also, in about 30 minutes you have to take a quiz so get ready for that. I don''t need any excuses." "What? Quiz? Aren''t you being harsh on me? I just woke up after being kidnapped?" I said. "Did you get injured around your wrist?" she asked me. "No, I don''t think so," I replied. "Are you injured around the brain region¡­?" she asked me. "Oh, I know where you are going with this," I stopped her, "I mean come on don''t be like that. I don''t even know what it is about. Give me a handicap." She was making it clear that I am not injured, not in arms and not in the brain, then I can do both, think and write. "Allen, at the end of the day you are still a student. Wearing a school uniform and going to school so you can''t skip these things. You have to face them head-on," she said encouragingly. "You are just being mean," I said. "Alright then," she said, "I will take the test after 1 hour. Get ready before that" "Subject?" I asked. "Mathematics," she said. "No, not mathematics." I said dishearteningly, "At least take something else." "See you in one hour. Go downstairs. Everyone is gathered there," she said as she waved at me with a big smug face. ¡­ I stood up and also I realized that my pain was completely gone. Maybe it was a minor numbness. "Did you complete this one¡­?" "This one?" I heard some chattering. At first, I thought I shouldn''t go but soon an image of the Principal appeared in front of me, with a maths question paper. Oh, god why do bad things happen to good people? *Click* I rolled down the doorknob and entered. "..." Every single one of them fell silent at the sight of me. Well, it''s not like I care about them. So, as I rolled around my eyes I saw my bag just at the corner left all alone. Don''t worry my ''bag'' we both will be alone now. I don''t know why I am thinking like this but it felt natural at the moment. "Here comes the star of the show," Roy broke the silence. Wait a minute. Isn''t he the one who shed tears not too long ago? What is he doing? So, as a response to his sly comment, I just looked at him showing him that I don''t care what he does. He poses no threat to me, not now, and not ever. "Ek!" he jerked back a little but didn''t let the other notice it too much. "Allen how are you now¡­?" It was Lily. Wasn''t Lily also there? At the site nearby where I was kidnapped. Does she know about it? I hope not. "Normal, I guess," I replied back. "He says normal," Roy chuckled. Instead of trying to stop him, I chose to ignore him. Idiots will always be idiots. Let''s just keep my distance from him for now. *Stare* Selene was heeding at me. I looked back a little, just for a second. "Seriously, Allen are you okay?" Lily asked me again. "Yeah," I replied. With those stares centered at me, I walked forward and sat on the spot farthest from all of them, and took out the heaviest book from my bag. And waited for the second most terrifying thing to happen. The Maths test. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 108 - Math *Stare* Selene was heeding at me. I looked back a little, just for a second. "Seriously, Allen are you okay?" Lily asked me again. "Yeah," I replied. With those stares centered at me, I walked forward and sat on the spot farthest from all of them, and took out the heaviest book from my bag. And waited for the second most terrifying thing to happen. The Maths test. ¡­ With no further intervention, I sat there burying myself on that pile of chunks filled with formulas. I guess those times when I wasn''t paying attention are coming back to stab me in the back. ¡­ *Click* "Alright then. Is everyone ready?" The Principal entered the room holding a pile of white paper that wasn''t graded yet, "Keep aside your books and notebook. The quiz will begin now." "E-Excuse m-me¡­ c-can I ask something¡­?" one of the girls sitting beside Peter asked. "What is it, Emma?" So her name is Emma. "W-Why are we¡­ the o-only one who has to do t-these things? W-We were... also asked to s-stay at school earlier," she said. "All of you are the only students who are behind. I am sure many of you must have caught up with the rest of the class but this is still a procedure we teachers came up with," she said, "So, you need to do these. Last time it was planned to do the same but another teacher had some urgent work so we skipped that day. This might go on for a few more days. So, comply with it." It was easy to read the room''s mood. All of them wanted to say something but couldn''t. I guess the Principal has established her authority pretty high. "..." "Here," she handed down white papers filled with things that might give me nightmares at night. She had a total of 8 sheets. I know about the 7 but why is there plus one? Lily is the one who isn''t supposed to be here but she is. Is it related to today''s incident? I might as well ask her later if it bothers me much or ask the Principal. "Allen here is yours," before I could notice she already handed the sheets to everyone except me, "Also, do you mind keeping that book in your lap someplace else?" Oh, I still haven''t put away my book yet. "Idiot. Can''t even understand simple instructions," Roy gave his sly comment. *Glare* This time I didn''t even look at him since the Principal was already doing that. And truthfully she should just glare at that stupid boy. He might change for good because the way he is now isn''t any good. "Mr. Roy, have you finished your paper already so that you have the luxury to talk about someone else?" The Principal said. "Eep! I-I am s-sorry," he instantly apologized. She handed me the sheet and moved away. "Also, before I forget about it I should inform you," she said, "The one who scores the highest will get a bed to sleep on. Of course, I won''t let the others sleep on the floor. The rest will have to sleep in sleeping bags that will be provided by me." "What if everyone gets an equal score?" I asked. Since it''s the best situation for me. I don''t care what others think. "Equal score, huh?" Everyone''s gaze was focused on me. ''How can he ask her something like this¡­?'' Is what others are thinking, based on their expression. ''He must have a death wish.'' Only Roy had this weird look that was stating this. "Well, you all can get a bed in that case." She said after giving it a thought. Isn''t that easy then? We can all just get 0 on the quiz. Equal marks and all get a bed. It''s clearly a win-win situation. If someone objects to it, that person must be an idiot or someone who would fool everyone so that they can get the benefits of a bed all alone. "Total marks is 50 so, 0-25 marks aren''t acceptable. Score more than that," she said. Why? For the love of God, why do such a horrible thing to me? Isn''t this just too cruel? "I will come back in one hour, make sure all of it is done. If I catch any of you using any kind of unfair means then you have to face some serious consequences," is what she said as she left the room with the door open. ¡­ For the starting 20 minutes, I was able to solve the 1 marker, 2 marker,s and even the 3 markers. But the problem rose up when 5 marks came up. It''s of proving. And the worst chapter of proving, trigonometry was there. There are almost infinite possible formulas. Any formula can be converted into anything. I would write the question again and the proving part and after that, my mind would go just blank. Also, if I leave it can affect the overall score. One 5 marker is equal to my two 2 markers and one 1 marker question. The weightage of those 5 markers is much more and those are the ones that I can''t seem to do correctly. With no other solution coming up, I raised my eyes around the room to analyze everyone''s progress. Among the group of 8, Lily, Selene, Emma, and Alice were the only ones who were writing without any hesitation. The rest were like me, who got stuck somewhere along the way. The one that intrigued me the most was watching Roy. He would write something and after writing a couple of lines he would stop in between and look at it as if he found a mistake. But that mistake wasn''t just any mistake, all of what he has written seems to be wrong so he would scratch the whole area. What is he really doing? On the other hand, Peter would act like he is writing but soon his mind also would go blank. Liz would stop in between but she seems to be thinking sincerely, she would write a line then slightly on the corner she would write something, maybe do some calculation then proceed further. ¡­ Soon the Principal entered the room with a red pen in her hand. Is she going to mark all of us right here? "Alright then. Time up, hand over the paper. I will call you one by one," she ordered. She collected all the papers and when she reached my place, she looked at me and gave me a slight smirk. What is that supposed to mean? Did she find it out? No way, I hide it pretty well I think. ¡­ She called everyone one by one. She would whisper the scores in their ear so that no one knows who scored how much. And at last, it was my turn. "Allen," she called out to me. "Coming," I replied. *Step* *Step* "So Allen, are you ready to face the consequences?" she whispered with a smirk. "Huh? What do you mean?" "What''s inside that left pocket of yours¡­?" she asked me. "I¡­ don''t know," I replied. "Is that so¡­?" She extended her arm and placed her long and slender palm inside my pocket. While the others were busy thinking about their score, no one cared to look at me. "Huh?" The Principal seemed a bit surprised. "What happened Principal?" I asked while hiding my smirk behind that expressionless face. "Wait," she instantly checked all my pockets and even the insides of my palm but she couldn''t find anything. "You shouldn''t have shown that smirk of yours," I said as I glanced over my sheet, "Also, they are still there so you won''t find them here." "... Sly brat," she said as she tried to hide her frustration. ¡­ I initially ripped a few pages of my notebook after writing all the formulas on it without anyone noticing. But apparently, while I was copying them she came to me handing over the paper. At that moment I had already ripped the paper slightly from the top. She didn''t say anything at that time, maybe she wanted me to face some punishment. But I followed her eyeball and knew that instant she saw that ripped paper. So, not to fall into her trap I didn''t tear any paper. She can''t even say anything now. The papers are there intact and she can''t blame me for anything. Also, while she got her attention on that paper she forgot that Lily was sitting diagonally from my place. Making a clear path for me to see her sheet. Also, Lily didn''t even realize but her sheet was pretty much facing in my direction so I was able to see it easily. I didn''t completely copy it but still scored an average score. ¡­ "Everyone at their seat," she said. I went back to my initial space. "Eat your food that is placed just outside the door and further instruction will be told later on," she announced and left the room again with a pile of graded sheets. At last, the nightmare is over for the time being¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 109 - The Night "Eat your food that is placed just outside the door and further instruction will be told later on," she announced and left the room again with a pile of graded sheets. At last, the nightmare is over for the time being¡­ ¡­ Since all we had to do was to wait for her to come here again and pick a student for a reward. It was a good opportunity to reveal each other''s marks but only if all of them were a group of friends and not a group of students. Not being close to each other they seemed a little bit hesitant revealing their score. Questions arose, ''what if they judge my score and me?'', ''what if I have the lowest score?'' Not knowing how good the other person is in academics their thoughts about revealing their scores didn''t come up. ¡­ Peter stood up and brought in the food the Principal placed just outside the door for us. My ever and initial plans are always the same. Keeping a low profile and not gathering too much attention. Or is what I had in mind. "Do we really need to give these to Allen?" Roy said arrogantly. "What are you talking about?" Peter asked him as he was the one distributing. "He wasn''t even studying. We were hours earlier than him," Roy said haughty, "He shouldn''t be given the same treatment as us." "Oh, I am sorry but do you happen to buy the food?" I said. "W-Well¡­ I didn''t buy it b-but you still don''t deserve to get the same treatment as us!" he exclaimed. I guess he must have hit his head when he was small. I mean then how one could be this stupid? "Roy, you are now being unreasonable," Emma said as she took one box from Peter. She seemed to be ignoring the conversation but I could see her irritation on her face. "Oh, so you are on his side¡­!?" Roy continued his unreasonable thing. "Shut up will you?!" the girl sitting beside Emma yelled at Roy. I guess I didn''t even have to interfere anymore. After giving the quiz everyone''s mood dropped down a little and Roy''s annoying voice and his unreasonable yelling must have triggered the order to show up on the surface. "W-What? Am I the only one who thinks like that¡­?" he questioned himself. I am sure now that he likes to make a fool of himself in front of others. Let''s shut him or else he might still persistently continue his blabbering. "Roy, how about shut up now? Or is that you are one of those who are called what¡­? Right, attention seekers. Are you one of those people?" I asked him. If he were to get mad at this then his reputation will surely plummet and if he stayed silent results might change. It''s up to him which way to go. "Huh!?" he yelled. *Step* I guess it''s time. *Step* *Step* The constant yelling of Roy was loud enough to reach the Principal. Since it''s night time even the slightest of sound is considered loud. His stupidity didn''t take into account the consequences of his actions. If he were to be in someone else''s house he might have been excused but unfortunately, it was the Principal''s house. "Roy I happen to hear your yelling, just to confirm it was you, right?" the Principal came with a long, shiny knife holding on her left palm and if that wasn''t enough something red was also pouring down from it. "Eep!" ''Ek!" It wasn''t just Roy who got scared but the rest of them were pretty scared. *Glance* The Principal couldn''t understand what happened so he glanced at me for an explanation. [Hand.] I moved my lips saying the words ''HANDS'' to her. To which she instantly knew the reason why everyone else was scared. "I was making some sandwiches for myself. The ketchup must have stuck on it while I was cutting it," she said, "What are you so scared of?" "..." Gradually they slowly took a slight glance at her hand and realized it was just the tomato ketchup. *Relief* A chain-like reaction spread across the room with relief. "Don''t yell or talk loudly. It can disturb the neighbors," she said and left the room. "...." An awkward silence spread across the room. Everyone was looking at each other''s faces except me. I took the sealed box lying on the table and began opening it. While the others seemed to be in shock, I was having my dinner. I liked the silence of the room. That''s what I was hoping for since the beginning. All those chattering and all really irritated me. "Allen¡­ how come you aren''t fazed a bit¡­?" Lily asked me as she shifted towards me. While she shifted everyone''s gaze locked on me. Why? Why Lily did have to raise a question like that? At least be a little more discrete. "All of us were terrified for a moment there but you didn''t even bat an eye," she poured even more salt on an open wound. "I knew it wasn''t blood and when I knew it wasn''t blood I didn''t care," I said as I began eating. For a moment no one said a thing and I felt that it was the sign that they were satisfied with the reasoning but apparently it was the opposite. Hearing me give that answer made them more interested in me. The reason was, even if I knew it wasn''t blooded it was one that could get a bit surprised if not scared. And to them, it seems more than a bit odd and weird. "Have you seen blood?" This time it was Emma who questioned me. "Well, I have. Like when I scrape my knee or something like that," I replied. "No, no. Not like this but blood pouring down. Like blood flowing from inside or something like that¡­?" Technically I have seen more than just one dead body. So, I know what the book looks like and it has been imprinted in my head so I can never mistake tomato ketchup as blood. "Maybe," I said vaguely. "Huh?!" "Shh~~" Roy was again about to flip out but everyone else shunned him up as soon as he opened up. "Roy, just shut up okay? You are making our situation worsen. I can''t handle your stupidity any longer," Emma said clearly stating that Roy is being a nuisance and nothing else. "So you are taking his side?" he wasn''t yelling as before but his voice was still considerably loud as compared to others. "No one is taking either side," Lily intervened, "It''s just that you are trying to provoke him for reasons I don''t know. And if you continue to act like this the Principal might come here again and it might not go as easy as this time." "..." it seems like he wanted to spill out something but swallowed it inside. Even if he is dumb he is still scared of the Principal. ¡­ The atmosphere became gloomy and the chattering was almost negligible. While eating Lily tried asking me about the incident. She must have seen my pursuers this afternoon. But I dodged the question saying it was nothing serious and made it look like that the pursuers mistook me for someone else. Observing her expression, she was still not convinced but she got the hint that she shouldn''t pursue this matter any further. Nothing would come out if I am not willing to say it. *Step* *Step* While I was just about to finish dinner I heard steps coming closer. I shouldn''t be alarmed but for reasons unknown, I have been on edge ever since I came back. Is it because I was kidnapped? Or is it because of that person''s voice? For a moment there I felt disgusted and above all, it was all oddly familiar. "Is everyone done?" the Principal asked as she stepped in. And she came empty-handed this time. The rest still seems a bit scared. "Y-Yes¡­" Peter said. "Alright then," she said, "Who will be using a bed? Any guesses?" "..." A dead silence spread across the room. "I guess no one wants it," she said, "Why don''t you all just use the sleeping bags? It might be a new experience for everyone." "B-But-" Roy seemed to want to speak something but before that happened the Principal stated something. "Whoever thinks this isn''t fair," she continued, "They better be sure about how they scored. Because I will only accept questions from those who score in the top 3. It would have been great if you had discussed but since you didn''t no one knows who scored how much. So, in any case, a person who placed 4th has to clean the house alone in the morning." "Huh? That''s just plain absurd," Roy exclaimed. "As I trial I am going to use that. So, is anyone going to ask me something?" the Principal said, "You should have at least talked about this." I see, so she had already planned it out all. "..." Since everyone was in the dark no one could dare to come up. The thought of cleaning was stopping all of them from raising a question because I may still have not seen her apartment completely but it''s for sure that it''s quite spacious and if we are including the upper floor it''s too big for a single person to shoulder themself with all the cleaning. "That''s how real life works. You might encounter unknown people but you should at least try to gather the information that could be related to your work at the moment," the Principal said. "..." So, her plan was just to let the students know about one of the many real-life situations? That''s not what I was expecting but who cares. Either way, I was still going to sleep in those sleeping bags so no matter what happens I would still be on the safer side of the line. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 110 - Naked? Soon the sleeping bags for each were given to us. After what happened today I really felt like I needed rest, although I did sleep or lose unconsciousness it didn''t feel like taking rest more like I was forced, and I don''t want that. I want a natural way of resting. And taking that mindset I prepared to sleep. Look this should have been done quietly but apparently few have some disturbing opinions that lead to a quarrel between a certain few. "Hey you," it was the first time Alica has called me ever since I have been here. "Me¡­?" just confirming. "Yes you," she said, "Give me that sleeping bag." Isn''t her tone for asking something on the wrong track? "Come again?" "I want to see if that one is more comfortable," she said. Wait, is that the only reason? Who cares about something like this? Just take whichever gets in your hand, it''s not like you have to spend multiple days here in these bags. It''s just one night. "It''s the same," I replied. "Just give me that. I will make sure of myself," she ordered. "Here," I handed it over since I am not looking to get into trouble over something like this. "Yes, this one is more comfortable. Here take this one," she threw hers in my direction. I don''t care which one I get but she didn''t even check it from inside to check whether it''s more comfortable. Isn''t that a bit odd? "Alright lights off," the Principal came and switched down the lights. With no objections, everyone quietly put themselves onto the sleeping bags. I did the same and occupied the corner place, the same place I was sitting on earlier. "At last," I muttered to myself. "Hey, are we really going to sleep?" Roy asked. And there goes my peaceful sleep. No matter what, whenever Roy opened up his mouth nothing good ever came from it. "Why? Do you want something you would like to do?" Peter asked. "Not exactly but shouldn''t we at least do something." For a minute silence spread across the room but soon everyone agreed to do something fun. Well of course I wasn''t. I just wanted to sleep. "So that one day~~" While disturbing my sleep they continued their conversation and I couldn''t wink because of that. I turned around thinking the voice might decrease. "Huh?" As I turned around I felt a little breeze around my lower region. What was that? I stretched out my leg and saw a hole right next to my knee region. That''s why she exchanged it. "Hey, Alice, did you know about this¡­?" I asked her while showing the hole. "W-What are you talking about? It wasn''t there earlier. You must have done it," she blamed it on me. And if that wasn''t enough, "Yes he must have done that. Wait for the Principal. It''s going to be fun," he added in his comment. "Are you sure you want to do it like this? Just admit it you did and that''s the reason you exchanged it from me," I politely said. "Huh? Aren''t you blaming Alice for your mistake? You are the worst," Emma came up to support Alice. "H-Hey guys, I don''t think Allen would lie like this," Lily intervened in between. "So, is Alice lying?" Emma seems enraged, "Lily, we have known each other for more than two years and you are taking his side?" "W-What? I wasn''t taking anyone''s side," Lily said desperately trying to tell them the truth. I guess nothing good ever comes out of getting involved with these people. Ever. "Alright, I will talk to the Principal about this right now," I said as I stood up. "It''s not my fault so do whatever you want," Alice said haughtily. "I didn''t even ask you why are you replying?" I said and left the room. ¡­ *Step* *Step* *Click* I returned to the room after talking with the Principal. "What happened? Did you get scolded for tearing it?" Alice was the first one to speak. "What happened Allen?" Lily asked. I looked around the room and saw Selene''s worried look, Peter''s confused look, and Roy''s delighted look. "Apparently the Principal asked me to face consequences for what I did," I said. "Really?!" Lily was taken aback. "Yeah, good to hear that." Roy seemed pretty delighted after hearing that, "You should have just kept quiet." "What are the consequences?" Alice asked me. Unlike Roy, she was hiding her delighted face but she didn''t hide it in her eyes. In her eyes, I could see clearly how funny it was for her. But don''t worry I will drown you in that happiness soon enough. "Well¡­" I built a moment. "So¡­ what is it? Tell us," Emma asked me as she placed her hand on Alice. "A-Allen¡­" Lily and Selene both asked me with concern. I walked up to my belongings and pulled them, every eyeball in the room was aimed at me. "I will be going to sleep in the room beside this," I said. "Please tell me, is it a storage room," Roy asked in excitement. I wonder how comfortable saying all that after what happened that day? Has he already forgotten about that? "Alice, I feel sorry for you to be honest," I said. "Huh? What are you saying?" she asked me with confusion clearly showing on her face. Her delighted feeling up till now seems to be drowning, as I thought. "Yeah, what do you mean by that?" Roy asked. "Alice should have used this sleeping bag," I said, "I will be moving in the room beside this which is apparently a bedroom," I said while everyone''s reaction was like- ''W-W-W-W-Whaaaatttt!'' I showed them a key, the key shining across the room. With no further time wasted I left the room and didn''t look back. [When Allen Left the Room] *Step* *Step* *Step* Soon I tried searching for the Principal and saw her in the kitchen sitting all alone under the dim lamp glowing. "What do you want?" she asked me even before I entered the school. "It''s tearing up," I said. "Oh, so you got this one?" she said with a slight smile at the corner of her lips. "What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. What does she mean by ''got this one''? "Well, I did say that one of you will get to sleep on the bed-" "But you said that no one gets to sleep in bed now?" I asked. "I don''t go back on my words and while doing that I changed the process a little," she said, "Well I handed this specific sleeping bag to Alice because she scored the highest marks and in order to keep my word I handed her this bag. So, she would come to me and complain about this and I will give her the bed as a way to solve the problem." That was something I wasn''t expecting in the least bit. "Anyway, now that you have the bag I will have to give it to you. But to make sure, you didn''t steal this, right?" Steal? "Are you kidding me? She was the one who gave me this in the first place and blamed me for tearing it up," I said. "Oh, I guess she tried to be over smart in the process. Alright then, bring up your belongings and I take the room next to theirs. Everything is prepared there," she said as she handed me the keys to the room. "Alright," I said. ¡­ I stepped into the room and collided with objects that seemed vaguely like a box or that''s what I assumed. Eventually, my eyes settled down a bit and I discovered the lights. *Bright* Ow¡­ A sudden bright blinding light fell upon my eyes. I rubbed them for a couple of minutes and soon I realized I was standing just below the light bulb. "Mention it earlier," I mumbled to myself. "What''s this¡­?" {Light Bulb up Ahead. It might surprise you.} Is this supposed to be a prank? If I can''t see what''s right in front of me how am I supposed to read it before lighting on the lights? Anyway, I was too exhausted so I threw my bag at one corner of the bed and the other corner for myself. I didn''t even care to look around the room and before I realized I fell asleep. And that''s how I got a full bed for myself. ¡­ "Allen it''s morning you need to get up," I heard a soft voice near my ear and I felt something warm blowing on my other ear. And something soft, plump pressing against me from both sides. What is it? It was soft just for a pillow. "Wake up or I might do something naughty," while my upper body felt warmer than usual I heard some chuckling near me. *Eyes Open* "Oh, you woke up~~" the first thing I saw was two ladies lying next to me with an evil smile on their faces. Who are they? "Hm?" I moved a little and I felt the blanket rubbing against my bare skin. To see what it was, I looked under and saw myself without clothes. Wait, why am I naked? When did I strip? TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 111 - Recording *Open his eyes* "Oh, you woke up~~" the first thing I saw was two ladies wearing similar uniforms lying next to me with an evil smile on their faces. Who are they? "Hm?" I moved a little and I felt the blanket rubbing against my bare skin. To see what it was, I looked under and saw myself without clothes. Wait, why am I naked? When did I strip? "How are you feeling now¡­?~~" one of them asked me. "Did you have a good night''s sleep¡­?~~" the other one asked. "Good I guess¡­" I am busy thinking about how I ended up in this situation that I wasn''t even paying attention to their question. "He says ''good''..." "Is he unsatisfied about last night?" Last night? What happened last night? I am pretty sure I came inside and just laid down on the bed. "Allen, are you unsatisfied?" the girl on the right asked me. "Clear a few things for me first," I said. "Anything," she said with a smile. "Who are you both? Why am I naked? Also how come you are lying here with me?" I asked. Well, naturally I should have been terrified or at least surprised but I wasn''t. Maybe because I know that this is the Principal''s house and I find it difficult to assume an intruder broke in. "Who are we?" they said in unison. "No, that can wait." I said, "Give me my clothes first." No use in being naked. It''s better to at least have some cloth on myself before someone enters here and assumes something completely wrong. *Click* Then the thing that I was hoping shouldn''t happen, happened. Someone opened the door and was coming inside and that person will see these two ladies lying around me while me being naked. "Is Allen awake?" It was the Principal who walked in. Fortunately. "Yes I am but I am still a bit confused about the incidents last night," I said. "It seems like my maids did something to you," she replied as she analyzed the room. "We just cleaned him a little," one of them said. "Yes he was stinky so we just removed all the unwanted things," the other said consecutively. "Here it is," the Principal said, "Your answers." "So, why are you both lying around me then?" I asked. "Well, it seems like you were having difficulty having slepping so we just laid around here to keep a check on. Nothing else," one of them replied. "..." I still had some more questions but the main ones were already cleared so let''s just forget about the rest. "My clothes? You aren''t expecting me to roam around here nake, now are you?" I asked as I pulled up the blanket a little bit. "My, my. Are you shy now? Even though we removed the clothes earlier," one of them said teasingly. "I wasn''t even conscious that time so of course, I wouldn''t be shy. But now that I am wide awake I wouldn''t certainly want to show my body to some unknown people," I said. "Boo¡­ it wasn''t the reaction we were looking for," they both said in unison. "Get him a pair of clothes," the Principal ordered. "Okay~~" ¡­ Soon I was provided with a pair of clothes and was asked to meet up with the rest of the students. She will be sending all of us home at once. *Step* "Did you sleep well, Alice?" "Of course not. I couldn''t get a wink." "Yeah. I also couldn''t get a wink." Right outside their door I was standing and hearing their conversation. How about I get back at them? *Click* I opened the door and went inside. *Yawn* I exaggerated my good night''s sleep. "..." Everyone was staring at me with contempt. Except for Lily and Selene. Peter seemed a bit pissed but he seemed to be controlling it pretty well. "You know you took my chance to sleep on the bed," Alice said with a clearly irritated face. "Is that so? Then why did you give me that chance?" I asked. "T-That-" "Please shut up. Just swallow up your mistake and you have realized by this time that this would have not happened if you hadn''t given me the sleeping bag," I said. Hearing her voice feels almost similar to Roy''s at this point. Also, now that Roy''s name has come up. Just wait a while, I will get back to you eventually. "..." That seems to shut her up but it seems it didn''t affect her company. "Hey, that isn''t a way to talk to a girl," Emma complained. "Did you all plan to gang up on me? Or does it seem funny to you all?" I asked. I am getting tired of this. People are trying to pick on me just because of false rumors. "I am being quite polite to you and if you find it wrong or uncomfortable in any way be my guest to complain about it because I won''t be changing it," I said. "Huh?!" she exclaimed. "What''s the ruckus about this early in the morning¡­!" the Principal yelled as she entered the room with both of her maids. "..." "I heard Emma yelling," the Principal said, "Why were you yelling? "I-I-It''s nothing," she tried evading it but it was pointless in front of the Principal. "Say it," she said in a stern voice. Emma gave in, "I¡­ was y-yelling at Allen¡­ he was b-bullying Alice that''s why¡­" Huh? That''s her response? Isn''t she going way off the mark here? "Allen, why were you bullying Alice?" the Principal asked me. "Well, I felt like that''s why," I replied. If she is going to be playing like then why don''t I return her favor? "What?" The Principal was surprised. But she wasn''t as surprised as the others. I could see everyone''s jaw drop. "Why not ask Alice what really happened?" I raised the question. "I will, but Allen, that isn''t the way to talk to your teacher. I am letting this pass this time but don''t ever reply like that to a teacher," the Principal said, "So tell me what happened." "She was complaining like a baby how I took her opportunity to sleep on the bed. So, I told her to shut up," I said straightforwardly. "Is that so? Alright then, Alice tell us yours," the Principal turned over to Alice, "Also I mind you. If you lie then you are in big trouble. That also goes for Allen." "Y-Yes¡­ he came inside and¡­ kept boasting¡­ about how he had a good night''s¡­ sleep. Seeing¡­ that he made everyone uncomfortable¡­ so I told him to not show off¡­ and that''s when he flipped out and y-yelled at me and told me to shut up," she said while a drop of water poured down her cheek. That''s amusing. She has such high-quality acting, don''t tell me she does this occasionally to get people''s sympathy. "Is that true Allen?" the Principal turned over to me. "Why don''t you all just hear it for yourself?" I pulled out my phone from my pocket. *Beep* "W-What''s that¡­?" Alice asked as she was pretty shaken up by its appearance. *Play* ["You know you took my chance to sleep on the bed," Alice said with a clearly irritated face. "Is that so? Then why did you give me that chance?" I asked. "T-That-"] *Pause* "Alice, what''s this¡­?" the Principal asked her. "T-That¡­ You didn''t record the full part¡­!" Alice exclaimed as her facade broke completely. "What part? That''s what all happened," I said, "There is no other part." How do you like this? I knew for sure that eventually, she would come to me with something like this and as a precaution, I had already started the recording before entering the room. With no alley to trust, I have to rely on modern technology. "Y-You liar¡­!" Alice yelled. While she had completely destroyed herself, others were pretty shocked. Not because of her but the way I handled the situation. I shattered her lie while protecting myself. Watching a wrestling match, which is apparently fixed. I knew the outcome, the moment she tried to come at me. "Alice, you do realize what you have done, right? You lied to me even though I warned you to and you still did that," the Principal felt heavier, "For 14 days you are suspended." Hmm. Suspended. Well, it wasn''t something I was guessing but who cares. The lesser my enemies are the better for me. "W-What?! You can''t do that¡­ My father is the fundraiser of this school¡­! You c-can''t just do that!" Alice seemed desperate. "Should have thought about that earlier before lying," the Principal didn''t faze, "So now tell me. Are you going to admit your mistake and take the punishment or do you want me to forcefully suspend you for 20 days?" Oh, she didn''t even faze but she is intimidating her. Isn''t a bit savage. Normally when a person has to face an important person, they tend to favor them but nothing like that sort of thing seems to be happening. "Wh- Ho-..." Alice tried to look for a word but she can''t seem to spell it out. "I think the word you are thinking of is- ''I am sorry''," I helped her. "... Argh!" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 112 - Payback "Wh- Ho-..." Alice tried to look for a word but she can''t seem to spell it out. "I think the word you are looking for is- ''I am sorry," I helped her. "... Argh!" Soon the Principal contacted Alice''s father and even Alice''s father agreed to that punishment. I guess it''s one of the many qualities of a good parent. Before leaving, she cursed me several times when the Principal was not around. In support of her, Emma tried to but I showed her my phone and watched my finger stop right in front of the record button. She swallowed up her anger, and frustration and just glared at me. Nice way to start a day. Clearing one of the obstacles seems to have been eliminated for the time being. ¡­ Since it was Saturday I set up my destination straight for home. Before leaving Lily tried stopping and she slyly questioned me about yesterday''s events but I dodged them pretty nicely. I can''t tell her the truth, now can I? ¡­ ''Allen, where were you yesterday¡­?'' Lily asked me, hiding her obvious intention. ''Just around here, what about you¡­?'' I asked. ''N-Nothing special¡­ just here. What did you do yesterday¡­?'' she still continued pestering. ''Walk around the city,'' I replied. ''But why were you running all of a sudden yesterday¡­?'' she asked. ''Oh, about that. You saw, huh?'' ''Yeah¡­'' she thought I was going to tell her the truth right now. I mean her face is just too easy to read. Apparently, I was mistaken for someone else and a few men came running at me all of a sudden. I got scared and ran in fear. But don''t worry it was soon cleared,'' I said. ''O-Oh¡­is that so¡­? Then¡­ see you later,'' she said, ''Hey.'' ''Yes?'' ''If you want someone to talk to I can listen,'' she said, ''I am a pretty good listener you know¡­'' ''Yeah I will,'' I replied vaguely. ¡­ Even Selene came up, asking me whether I was actually feeling well or not. It was the first time someone actually asked me whether I was fine or not, of course except for my mother and father. They worry about me from time to time but other than them, Selene might actually be the first. Even Lily had some other purpose, she wanted to know what happened to those guys that were chasing me. ''I am really fine, Selene,'' I replied, ''Thank you for asking. Take care on the way home.'' Hearing my reply she felt a little relieved and we both parted our ways at the next corner. ¡­ "What am I supposed to do now?" I asked myself. Do I focus on the Student Council? But if I am going to do that, what am I supposed to do about the kidnappers? And if I focus on the kidnappers, I won''t be able to focus on the Student Council. Somehow the pursuers knew about how I would react and they acted on that. No matter which route I took, somehow they caught up to me. They laid out their remaining members around the area, even before I exited the school. If I were to roam around as carelessly as before I might as well give myself to them. I can''t walk freely as I used to. Although the Principal assured me that she will be going to provide her support, I can''t rest easy with just that. The last time I remember, HYDRAs members infiltrated the school with arms, powerful enough to massacre the whole school if not stopped. Why do I always end up in a situation like this?? Every turn I make ends up on a dead end. Rerouting, rerouting, and rerouting¡­ I end up in trouble. Is it just that my luck ran out or is the god decided to have fun with my life? Because no matter how you see it, I am literally at the center of the problem. The Student Council, Mr. X, the whole school. What else is there? ¡­ Until I recognized similar surroundings, I kept on having thoughts that can be considered as either dark or negative. "What do you want with Allen?" I heard my mother''s voice. "Ma''am as I have already mentioned. We are from the Hendrickson family. Our Master has requested a summoning of Mr. Allen. We only need a couple of hours and that''s all," few men in black were standing in front of my house while my mother, wearing her usual apron, stood out in front of them holding a frying pan in her hand. "I still don''t understand why you need my son? I don''t even know who these ''Hendrickson families'' are. How am I supposed to believe you¡­?" mother asked them with a perplexed face. "Ma''am we have given you our card. Our telephone number and even the location of our head office. If this is not sufficient then how are we supposed to make you believe us?" the man in black asked politely. "Let me ask you something then," my mother pushed forward her pan against his black suit, "If a stranger asked you that they want your son for a while. Will you be willing to take them?" "... Ma''am can you please wait a moment while I contact my superior?" "I don''t know¡­" my mother''s expression seemed a bit unconvincing. I guess she still has her doubts. "Yes, it will only take a minute." I stood there hiding. Hearing their conversation. [Yes, sir, we are having a problem with his mother. She isn''t willing to let us take Allen.] {Did you give her our head office address?} [Yes, sir.] {Did you provide her with our telephone?} [Yes, sir.] {Lend her the phone then.} The man in black handed my mother the phone. {Am I speaking with Allen''s mother?} "Yes," mother said. {Ma''am is there any specific thing that seems suspicious to you? We can do that to the best of our capabilities to clear all your suspicions.} "Ah¡­ I find it suspicious for some men wearing all black to get my son. It''s the first time I have heard of them. I don''t feel good about letting them take my son, Allen." She said, "I can''t let him go all alone." {Okay ma''am I think I know your reason for suspicion.} "Yes¡­ and what is that¡­?" my mother asked. {Why don''t you all also come with your son?} "..." {Ma''am?} *Beep* The mother ended the call. "I will let you take Allen only if you also take me with you," mother stated her demanding. "What?" The person standing in front seemed a bit confused. "Tell your superior that I agreed," mother said as she removed her apron. "Whaaaa~~" all the other men seemed to be captivated by my mother for reasons unknown. "M-Ma''am are you perhaps a single mother¡­?" One of them asked a strange question. "..." mother ignored that. After watching them for a while I decided to go. *Step* *Step* "Allen¡­!" mother saw me and called out to me. I waved to her and let her know I have seen her so she doesn''t have to keep calling out to me. "Who are these people¡­?" I choose to be unaware of the fact that these people are sent from the Hendricksons. "It seems like they want us to go with them," she answered as she glared at them. "Is that so? Why is that¡­?" I asked. "Tell him," mother said to them. "W-Well our Superior wants to talk with you about a few things," one of them answered. "..." I am a kid in this situation so only my mother can tell them the final decision, whether we will go with them or not. Even if I know where they are from, I still cannot agree with it, in this situation. If my mother knew that I am involved in this situation I don''t think I could handle her rage and worry. "My conditions will be the same," she said, "Let''s go." ¡­ Soon we were transported to their mansion in an imported car. "Allen, do you have any idea where they are taking us?" mother asked me while she looked around. "Why would I know?" I replied. "Yeah how would you know if you don''t even know them," she said. "But it appeared that you had been talking to them since earlier, even before I came. Did they not get any hint or did they not reveal anything in all that time?" I asked while I stared at her. "I don''t think so¡­ they suddenly came right in front of me while I was watering the plants," she said as she tried to think, "The only thing they told me was that they wanted you and in exchange for your safety they gave me their contact information and their office address." "Mother not like it matters now but these contact information or even the location of their office might be fake you know?" I am not implying they are fake but there is a possibility. Do you believe everything that you read on the internet? No, after watching or after reading some definite things you believe something. Similarly, the coil has just given the mother a false location, mother didn''t even confirm whether it was false or not. But yeah, normally people usually believe them but my situation is different than those people. Think about it. I was kidnapped, someone is watching over me and the way they were captured seemed too easy for them. If they can get to me, they could go to my family also. It''s better to be precautions at times like this but mother or father, they don''t know about this. The thought of them getting kidnapped wouldn''t even cross in their wildest dreams. Why would it? From their perspective, I am already having a normal school life. "I know that, Allen." Mother replied, "But they kept insisting so I agreed to let them take me also with them." *Knock-Knock* "We are here." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 113 - Why So Many Questions? "I know that, Allen." Mother replied, "But they kept insisting so I agreed to let them take me also with them." *Stop* While we were having our private conversation the car came to a stop. Did we reach there? *Knock-Knock* "We are here." Someone came to us and opened the door for us. As I stepped out, the only thing that came to my mind is- ''What the hell is this?'' "Allen, are you sure you don''t know these people¡­?" mother asked me as she was completely engrossed by the house right in front of our eyes. "... If I knew someone like this Is there any possibility that I would forget them?" I said as I was also captivated by the view. How filthy rich are they? Who makes such a large house when you hardly have someone to live in. The last time I was here the only thing I can recall was that there are more servants than the total number of people living in our neighbourhood. Who needs that many servants? It''s not like the servants help with their baths also or do they? The house is big, could be possible. But there is no way of knowing. "This way," we were instructed in a certain direction. "Allen," mother whispered to me. "What happened?" I asked. "Are you really sure you don''t know them?" mother asked me as she was amazed by the beauty of the house. "If I ever saw something like this, do you think I would forget about it?" I said. "... That seems fair," she said. "Oh! Look¡­!" she jumped in excitement after seeing something. "What happened now?" I asked. "It''s the same flower that I bought a month ago but it withered away soon enough¡­ how did they make them bloom?" she crouched down as she admired the flower. She surfed her hand gently around the petals of the leaves and the flower while she gazed at the flower color. "Mother¡­?" I said. "... Allen, wait a minute. Let me admire these for a little longer," she said as she silenced me, "You don''t know how much trouble these gave me. Manure, water and sufficient sunlight¡­ I did everything yet they withered soon enough¡­" "Fine, Fine. But do it fast," I said. "Umm¡­ excuse me," someone tapped my right shoulder. In response I looked around, "What is it?" "Our Master wants to meet you so¡­" he was wearing a white apron downside while a sky blue shirt on top. "If I could I would but as you can see, my mother is ''admiring'' something so if I were to leave without informing her she might cause an uproar here. Do you want that?" "... Very well," with that he left me as she walked down the same hallway I went by, the last time I was here. Now that I see nothing much seems to have changed. Except for the flower bed here is much more sparkly than the last time. Were they watered recently? Because the sunlight was expressing their colors vibrantly. "Allen come here," while I was looking around my mother called me. "Mhm-Mhm," "Ask someone if we can take one of these plants or not?" she asked me. "Mom, don''t do something this embarrassing," I said as I showed my unpleasant face, "And don''t involve me in this." "Aright, alright. You don''t have to be so upfront about it," she replied. "..." "At least ask someone how they grew them," she said. "Wh-" Before I could answer a familiar figure was noticed at the corner of my eye. "Allen¡­?" It was Lily who was standing there staring at me. "Allen by any chance you know her¡­?" Mother asked me with suspicion. Of course she would be suspicious of me if a person from here recognised me. I can''t really appreciate her timing right now. Maybe her timing when she was about to find me the name of the one who uploaded the video was pretty good but as of now I can''t seem to have the same stance. "Allen it''s really you," she said with excitement, "You should have at least told me sooner if you were about to come visit us." "..." Unfortunately I can''t answer her. "Umm, do you know Allen?" mother jumped in. "Of course I know but by the way who are you¡­?" Lily asked as she took a glance at me. "Let me explain it," I jumped in. If I were to continue like this, it''s pretty clear that the conclusion wouldn''t be nice for me. "..." They both stared at me. "Mom this is Lily and Lily is my mother," I said as I directed both of them towards each other. "Oh! I am sorry if I was being rude," Lily instantly apologied. Although I don''t know why. "My, don''t be. Meeting a stranger would definitely make you alarmed and cautious," mother said politely, "But Allen you mentioned earlier that you don''t know this place¡­" "That''s right. I did mention that I don''t know anyone from here and it''s still true," I stood by my statement. If I am going to lie let''s at least be confident in it so it appears more real. "What? Allen I am not getting you," mother said as she seemed confused, while Lily was even more confused than my mother. It''s good that she isn''t saying anything. Just be silent for a few more moments and I will clear all this. "I know Lily because we are from the same school. But I never knew her family name was Hendrickson or she lived here," I said convincing my mother, "Isn''t that right Lily?" I turned over to Lily and signalled her with my eyes to just go with the flow and say ''yes'' otherwise I might be getting into huge trouble. "I¡­" she seemed a bit doubtful. While my mother kept a closer look at her. "Lily," I said. "Oh! Yes ma''am we haven''t really talked that much about my family and he never came here so it''s obvious that he wouldn''t know whose place is this," Lily said in a convincing manner. For a minute my mother seemed a bit suspicious but eventually she was convinced. "Is that so¡­?" mother said. "That''s right mother," I followed up. "Allen, can I talk to you for a minute¡­" Lily called out to me. "Mother, you look at these- I''ll go talk with her," I said. "Yeah go ahead," she agreed. "Someone come and attend this miss," Lili said a bit loudly. Is she calling for a servant? "Yes," someone spawn from behind her and went straight for my mother. I guess she will be busy for a while then. ¡­ "Allen mind telling me what is happening here?" Lily questioned me as soon as we were considerably distant from my mother. "What is?" I asked her. It''s not like I am dumb or anything but I don''t want to have this conversation with her. The more I involve people the more risk I have to bear. I am not doubting Lily, in fact she has only been helping me ever since we have known each other. But that''s the cause of the problem. It''s all good and all if we were friends but we are not, it''s only been a couple of weeks or maybe a month and we aren''t that close to each other. Think about it, an unknown girl helping a person like me for reasons unknown. What I think is that she is hiding something or has some ulterior motive. If not then why? Till now, no matter who it is, they have seen me with hostility, fear, and suspicious gaze but she never did. She is just like Selene. I can understand in Selene''s case because we have known each other long enough. And especially she is just too innocent to backstab a person. I know all this because I have observed Selene but I can''t say the same for Lily. "You know what I mean," Lily said, "You lied to your mother about something, didn''t you?" "Why do you think that?" I asked. "Huh? You played the part where you don''t know this so of course I would know you lied about something and I want to know what it is," she said. "It was a bad counter," I mumbled to myself. "What was that?" "Nothing," I replied, "Anyway let''s just forget it. It''s solved right?" "No, no. It''s not solved yet," she said, "It would have ended if I wasn''t told to lie but now that I have joined your charade include me with details." Persistent. "It''s nothing I just lied about never being in here, and that''s all." I said, "Is that enough?" "In here?" she asked. "This house- no it''s not a house but yeah Mansion. I told her that I have never been in this Mansion of yours," I said. "I understand, but why?" she asked. Really? She is going to continue asking? God why did you give people the ability to think? If no one could think I could have just enjoyed life. Feeling a cool breeze early in the morning and sitting in the afternoon shade and sleeping at reasonable hours. Why did you give them the ability to think? If they couldn''t think she wouldn''t be asking so many questions. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 114 - Sixth Person "It''s nothing I just lied about never being in here, and that''s all." I said, "Is that enough?" "In here?" she asked. "This house- no it''s not a house but yeah Mansion. I told her that I have never been in this Mansion of yours," I said. "I understand, but why?" she asked. "Why?" I replicated her sentence. "What?" she got confused. "Huh? What are you saying?" I replied. "Wait, you said why?" she said. "What? When did I say ''why''?" I asked. "What''s happening?" To be honest I don''t know myself what is happening here. "Stop!" Lily exclaimed. "..." "I asked you why did you lie to your mother about not knowing this place?" she said, "And no saying why, when, or what this time." Her voice seemed a bit stern but also childish. "Wh-" "Tutututut- I told you no why, when, or what," she said as she stopped me. "Alright," I said. It seems like she isn''t going to let me go anytime soon. "..." "If I tell my mother that I have been in here earlier when I was meeting with you mother she will find out that I have been in some kind of trouble in school and she might get worried," I said, "I have had enough of all those things, I don''t want to bring back those memories again." "Ohh¡­" she might not know exactly what I meant by ''memories'' but she got the hint that it''s not something that I can reveal to her. "But why didn''t you just say that you came to meet me or my twin brother?" she said. I can''t reply to this. I didn''t think of it that way. "What''s done is done. Let''s just not get into it too much," I said. "Allen¡­!" I heard my mother''s voice. I turned around and was about to leave Lily behind but she caught up my sleeves and stopped me. "We''ll talk later again," Lily said. "..." I didn''t respond. ¡­ "What happened?" I asked. "It seems like they want to meet you," she said as she glanced at the same person who brought us here. "Mother, you wait here with Lily while I go and have a talk with the person," I said. "Yes ma''am let''s go to the garden and wait there," Lily outstretched her arm towards the opposite direction, "We can wait there for Allen." "But," she wanted to go with me and I couldn''t do that. "Mother, they said that they wanted me right¡­?" I said. "True¡­ but if anything happens to him I won''t be leaving this place, you understand?" she said in a stern voice to the man in a black suit. "... I understand~," he said. What''s happening to him? Why is his voice more polite than earlier? ¡­ "What happened this time?" I asked as I confirmed that we are considerably away from my mother. "What do you mean?" he asked me. "What? You called me here for some reason right?" I asked. "I am not allowed to give out details freely," he replied, "I am only instructed to show you the path." "Fine¡­" I said. ¡­ *Click* I felt the dark and gloomy atmosphere throughout the room. "Allen you are here," it was a familiar voice but the face was hidden. "?" I still didn''t see the person''s face completely. "I have something to tell you," he stepped towards me. Ah, it was Harry. Lily''s eldest son. "What is it?" I asked. *Click* The door behind me closed up while the person who guided me down the hallway stood near the door. What''s happening? The room is gloomy and the feeling I am getting isn''t good either. Did something happen? "We found the man who infiltrated your school," he said. "And¡­? You didn''t possibly bring me here just for that. "And what if I did?" he asked me with a curious look on his face but his eyes seemed depressed. "Give it to me. I don''t like playing riddles," I said as I remembered my time with that person. [That person- Mr. X] "Straight to the point? Here you do," he said, "Do you remember this person?" An image was displayed right in front of me and something was labeled under the photo in bold fonts. [Cizor Crytine] Who is this? He had a mustache but not a groomed one, a messy one. His eyes are swollen a bit and have a mole right in under his ear. "I¡­ might have seen him," I said. "Really where?!" he exclaimed. "I have seen him roam around our neighborhood. I thought he was just a homeless man. But not the last time I saw him¡­ it was like 3-4 months ago," I said. "Wait, how can you be so sure you last saw him 3-4 months ago?" he asked me. Well, it''s natural for him to ask this since people tend to forget recent events easily but I didn''t. "Apparently he was seen trespassing someone''s house and got arrested," I replied. "Allen, you know that this isn''t convincing enough. Tell me the full story," he asked me. I guess fooling an adult isn''t as easy as fooling a teenager. "The house that he was caught trespassing was mine," I said. "Interesting," he said, "If he was caught then he must have a criminal record somewhere¡­" "I suppose," I said. Where is he getting at? "Then how come he has a clean slate?" he asked. "... Wait, do I have to answer that?" I asked. "Of course not," he said as whispered something to the person standing at the door. "Wait a minute," he said as he typed something on his laptop. Now that he''s quite downed a little I can get a good look at the room. Well, I suppose it hasn''t changed much anyway except a white screen right in front of me. The rest is the same layout as the last time. "Here," he said. A video was played. ¡­ [May I ask your name?] [...] [Sir, may I know your name?] I noticed a man wearing a blue police dress while the man standing in front wearing a black robe and a face mask hiding his half face. ¡­ "This video was of the jail where that person was held in. On this day someone bailed him out," Harry said. "So¡­?" I am still not getting the relationship between that person and this video. "He has no criminal record at all. Where is it?" he asked. But not me, "To never get into trouble with the police his records were erased and that''s when he got in with the HYDRAs. The HYDRAs whole existence is unknown but the only people we were able to identify were either killed or on loose." Now it makes sense. HYDRAs real boss is unknown but to do their dirty work they can''t do it themselves or otherwise, they might get on the police''s radar. So, they took people with no livelihood. Like that homeless guy. That person had nothing left so they used that vulnerability and told him to do their work. "But is he dead or on the loose?" I asked. "Dead," Harry replied. "How¡­?" I asked. "We found his whereabouts and formed a team of certain few¡­ including your school''s Principal," he continued, "He was just inside our palms and that''s when he was killed. The cause is unknown but it seems like he ate some poison sometime earlier." So, HYDRAs knew someone was going to catch that person so to remove the only piece of evidence that could lead to them, they erased his entire existence just for their tracks to be hidden. That''s a nice move, to be honest. If the only source of information is removed it''s technically impossible to catch the culprit. "This person was charged for theft, bank robbery and even assault. After getting caught once he was released by the person on the screen," he said. "How do you know all this? Weren''t his records removed?" I asked. If the records are not there then how come he knows all this? "Someone I know got their parent''s killed and this person was present at the time of the murder. But he was given money to be quiet and that''s how I know all this," he says, "No matter where you are, someone is always watching you and that is how we know about his real records." Why does the story seem similar? "Also watch this-" He again played the video but this time it was different. ¡­ "Which direction did the target go?" it was a familiar voice. "In the northwest direction. 50 meters ahead." Wait, he is the one who interrogated me. That guy, so he really was with them And the earlier person was the Principal. What is she doing here? I know she is involved in this but I didn''t know she was involved in fieldwork. But now that I remember her shooting 3 people at once seems plausible for her to be here. "Beta Team is covering the other side." It was dark, I could hear the rustling sound of grass. Is it a forest? "Why did he even come here?" The Principal asked. "Who knows." the Old man replied. [Alpha Team we have found him but¡­] "What is it?" the Principal asked. [He is dead.] ¡­ "It was the Principal, wasn''t it?" I asked, "Whose parents were killed that day. That person was the testimony but she was devastated by the fact that person refused to talk." "..." he didn''t respond. "Don''t need to answer that," I said. His silence was enough for me to know the answer. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 115 - Suspicion "It was the Principal, wasn''t it?" I asked, "Whose parents were killed that day. That person was the testimony but she was devastated by the fact that person refused to talk." "..." he didn''t respond. "It''s alright, don''t need to answer that," I said. His silence was enough for me to know the answer. That''s how it is. That''s why she is not acting like her usual self. She refused to talk to me and was instructed only to contact her when someone is about to get killed. It makes sense now. She must have hoped to catch this bastard to know for real who was the killer of her parents. But the moment she knew he was dead she lost hope. The only lead to catching the person who killed her parents was just about to be revealed, and not just that killer but some intel on the HYDRAs that they have been trying to catch. But fate didn''t agree to it and took a turn that she hoped shouldn''t have happened. "I get the point and all but why tell me¡­?" I asked. "To be honest I don''t know myself but this felt like it should be known to you," he said. "Does the Principal know about this¡­?" I asked him. "... Maybe," he again answered vaguely. His wording was vague, and by assuming it I am thinking that the Principal doesn''t know about it. If she knew about this she wouldn''t have let me go without any prior knowledge. When I was called onto the stage that day she also gave me a heads up. Also, the time when the HYDRAs infiltrated, she mentioned it to me. If Harry was going to call me then she would have at least mentioned it but she didn''t so I am assuming that Harry contacted me without any prior notice to the Principal. "Is there anything else that I am supposed to know about?" I asked him. Because the information he told me is kind of intel that should be revealed, or I think. "Well I don''t know whether this is included as work but this is important to me," he said. "What is it?" I asked. "What''s going on with you and my sister¡­?" he asked me as she took a step forward in my direction. Is he trying to intimidate me? "What do you mean?" I still don''t know what he means. "As I said, is something going with you and my sister?" "I suppose but why do you ask?" Lily is indeed involved with me. "Huh!?" he exclaimed. He seemed pretty angry but why? "Look if you are trying to intimidate me then I am sorry it isn''t working," I said, "I have been shot once, kidnapped recently so if someone tries to intimidate me it doesn''t affect me anymore so what you are trying to do here is futile. Just tell me what''s the problem." It will save us a lot of time. He will persistently continue to do that and I would just react the same all the way. "... Are you this stupid¡­?" "Are you making fun of me¡­?" "Fufufu¡­ maybe," again with the vague talk. "..." "Just go," he said as he sighed a bit while pressing his head, "Take him back safely." "Hey," I called out to him before exiting the room. "What is it?" "The next time just come to take me from school," I said, "Don''t come to my home. You know how many lies I had to tell my mother?" "How many?" he said with a smirk. "Not important," I said, "If you have something, tell me through the phone, come pick me up at the school gate. My house is out of bounds." "Okay, okay." He said but his voice wasn''t very convincing, "Hey, in case you are going to his home, at least give me a heads up. What kind of subordinate doesn''t tell their boss about their actions?" "Yes sir," I completely forgot that this person was still here, "I deeply apologize for my actions." "I understand so you don''t have to be so uptight all the time," he said as she shook his hand signaling to leave. ¡­ It was an awkward time. But I preferred it that way. A silent walk is the best walk. With no small talk, just walking and walking and especially when the place is humongous and beautiful at the same time. Just enjoy nature. Just the way I liked it. With all that happening in my life, getting a bit of free time is the best thing that''s left for me. Think about it, first getting kidnapped along with 50 students than getting back only to get accused of shooting someone and shot once. That doesn''t end there. Coming to school hoping something would be normal but no¡­ life is just full of lemons. There I was an outcast, I like to be alone but not the one that is being outcast. Being Alone, like blending in the crowd and not standing out in the crowd. that''s the worst thing I wanted. But... But who knew this wasn''t the worst thing, I was about to get expelled for a reason they can''t prove. So I had to fight my battles all alone. Yes, I could have asked for help but who and why? If I asked someone what could they possibly do to help me? How would they prove my innocence? All they could do was talk and maybe convince but not all. It would have still been great if that was the end of it, if I called out to someone it was for sure that they will become the same as me. I don''t want to be indebted to someone, not right now. A crucial time anything can happen to me, I can''t involve someone else. The more they get involved the more they will be targeted, just like Lily. She followed me and was just about to end up in the same situation as me but because of her Family name, she got out. Not everyone can escape. I only agreed to work with Iris because her father is a chairman, it''s a good bet that Iris will be protected. What about the others? Like Selene, Liz what would happen to them? If it was known that the moment they got involved with me all my efforts would be ruined. I just rose from the ground, I don''t want my reputation to be shattered again. "You know," the man walking in front of me said. "What?" I asked. "Your life is almost a mess," he said. "You don''t have to point it out," I said, "I already know that." "No, no. We aren''t on the same page," he said as he chuckled a bit and continued, "Our young Miss is interested in you and our Master Harry Hendricksons don''t like it when someone tries to get close to her." "Wait you lost me along the way," I stopped him from moving further, "Lily is interested in me but how is it that I am getting close to her?" "It doesn''t matter to the Master. If it''s you or Young Miss, he is possessive of few things." "Well it''s natural to have those feelings for her sister," I said, "What''s your point?" "Young Miss has been in trouble ever since she was a little child. Like Getting kidnapped, it''s not the matter of money but the Young Miss safety," his voice felt heavier, "It was around when Young Miss was 7 years old. Master and Young Miss were going to picnic. It was the second time Young Miss went outside." "Second?" it felt like he was pointing out something. "The very first time she was kidnapped¡­" it was getting heavier, his voice. "Then what happened¡­?" I asked. "The second time Master Himself took responsibility for her¡­" he took a minute, "But it was just for a single moment, he went to grab an ice-cream but when he returned Young Miss was missing." "Let me guess she was kidnapped," I concluded. "It''s only the half," he said, "The one who kidnapped Young Miss was someone close to Master and Young Miss." Oh, I see. It was like backstabbing. The thing I fear. I guess me being cautious of these things does have some real-life credibility. "I still don''t know why it is connected to me," I asked. "Due to this incident, they both haven''t made progress. They don''t talk to those they don''t trust. That''s when you come," he turned around and walked at me, "You, the only person Young Miss talks too freely. The only person Master is willing to reveal information that shouldn''t be revealed." "..." "Why is that? Is what I have been wondering ever since," his voice felt like he was being suspicious of me but his eyes felt a bit relieved. "So do you know why¡­?" I asked him as I took a step back since he was standing up against me with only a fist distance between us. "From what I know, you are more suspicious to anyone but you are similar to them," he said, "You don''t trust them even though you came to know how wealthy they are, you still suspected him." It is what I have been doing ever since I got to know someone is targeting me. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 116 - Small Talk "Well, it was the most natural thing to do for me," I replied. "No. People tend to change their behavior based on the other person''s values. Hendricksons have been a family that is filthy rich and with that money comes the money leechers," he said, "So they come to lick our shoes no matter what. But it did not faze you at all." Well, it was because the hou-no mansion was this- big. That I couldn''t decide on what expression to make so I just stared at it expressionlessly. But if he thinks of it as my merit then it''s good. "My life is already on the edge so I can''t risk falling off that only cliff. So, I had to be precautious of them," I said. "They both have also been like this," he said, "Maybe that''s why they both like you and that''s why Master is going to be more precautious of you." So that''s how it is. The one who kidnapped Lily was someone close to both of them and that same scene is reciprocating again. Harry being cautious of me is completely fine with me. I like that since he isn''t blindingly trusting me. "So, are you suggesting to me not to do anything that might betray him or his sister Lily, is that what you are trying to say?" I asked. "No, no. I am not suggesting anything," he said as turned around, "I am warning you. If you ever do anything to deceive Master or Young Miss you won''t be able to get away at all." "..." I see so that''s what it is. It''s not like they are suspecting me, they are suspecting the whole situation. After hearing the story I am guessing that me getting close to Lily is bothering his brother. Lily used to be close to someone who was deceiving both of them for his own gain and him getting close to Lily was the first thing that person did. To be honest I am not so different from that person. Harry is giving me information that is helping me find the person targeting me, so even if I am not intentionally I am using him. And Lily, I might not have used her till now. Not to use authority or to get my slate clean in school. Now that I think of it, why did he say that even though it isn''t true? "Hey stop," I called out to the person, "I haven''t even talked to Lily that much and me using either of them isn''t plausible here." "Hmm¡­" he stopped, "Well your reasoning isn''t wrong but it isn''t fully true either. You might not be using them but I am not just saying if you are using them or not. That''s not what I am implying." "Then what are you implying?" I asked him. "What I am implying is that Young Miss is trying to get involved with you," said, "But that''s not the problem. The problem is you being involved with Young Miss." Again¡­ I am lost," I said. "Your life is full of risk and if we take into account it," he continued, "It''s more than fair to think for you to get hurt, and not just to you but also to those involved with you." "Oh, that''s how it is." I said as I admitted it, "But I am trying to do that you know." "I know you are," he said. "... Wait what¡­?" How does he know that? "You thought that I wouldn''t know your situation after you have been invited here twice? Child, you haven''t even seen the complete strength of intelligence we can find," he boasted himself or maybe his whole area of work. "Yet you can''t find the HYDRAs," I added. "..." he fell silent. "So, it''s really true you can''t find them" I further said, "But why can''t you? Like in movies you have some connection and you find out about the villain boss." "Huh?! If that were this simple wouldn''t we have gotten rid of those scums already¡­? Think, think." He exaggerated. "Then what can you do? Spy on kids like me¡­?" I asked him. "Do you really think the only evil organization is the HYDRAs?" He answered me with a question. "No¡­" I said. "Yes, there isn''t just the HYDRAs that we have to take care of," his voice felt heavier but he didn''t show that on his face, "There are an infinite number of wrongdoings happening across the country. It''s not physically possible for the Police to reach each and every one of those." "..." I felt like he wasn''t finished yet. And my guess was right on point, "Our work isn''t just to find the culprit but to stop it from happening." "Confused," I said. "You think the only crime that happens is done after it''s being broadcasted on television or reported to a pol "Ohh I see that''s how you operate," I said as I processed it all. But to accomplish that is still a great feat. Crimes that we can''t even think about are being stopped before it could harm us. "Let me apologize for being a rice station?" He said, "Multiple crimes take place every single day and our work is to stop as many as possible from happening. Before the crime can be committed our main goal is to stop that from happening." I am sorry about earlier," I apologized. Yeah, this was an honest apology. ¡­ Soon after walking a million miles, I reached my starting point, from where I left my mother. This is hou-mansion is huge. If I had this much money to spend, the first thing I would do is to get a wifi connection and a room large enough for me to laze around. And I will install a lock that could only be open from inside. Like a ''safe''. So that no one can disturb my peace ever again. It''s the sole thing that I wish for. "That''s where we part our ways," he said politely. "It seems like," I said. To be honest he is a nice person. "Allen!" I heard a familiar voice. "Allen¡­!" I heard my mother''s mother. No matter who calls out to me, the only voice that I could recognize with just once hearing is of my mothers. *Wave* *Wave* *Wave* "..." I waved back at her as she waved at me. I walked to her as she was sitting beside Lily. I glanced at Lily for a bit and she signaled something like a peace sign. So, I am guessing she controlled my mother. "Allen, you know how much time I had to wait for you¡­?" mother said exaggeratedly as she leaned over the table. "Yeah I can see all these cups on the table," I said. There were almost 4 cups and it smelled like green tea so she must have really waited for quite some time. "See," she said, "Even Lily was getting tired¡­" "Lily, did you get close to my mother this much time¡­?" I asked. "I don''t know what you are talking about," she said as she hid her face from revealing it to me. "Allen, don''t say it like that," mother defended her. "Oh so you are close enough to take her side," I said, "Lily you really are a player." "It''s not like that Allen," I could see Lily shaking up. She sure is having fun with this. She knows that I don''t want my mother to know about my situation so she is taking advantage of that. Clever girl. That''s why I don''t want more and more people getting involved with my life. The more they get involved the more they can use that to scare me. Even though many might not be knowing this but no matter what I don''t want my parents involved. That''s the sole thing that I fear. I can handle any situation but if it gets out of hand my family could get in danger. I have already seen shoutouts in school and then kidnapped once, what''s next? My parents getting involved is something that I don''t want to imagine. "Allen what were you taking so long for¡­?" Mother asked me as she held onto my arm. She looked a bit worried but also she was relieved, her holding my arm showed her concern and relief all at once. "Well¡­" I have got nothing. Literally nothing. I should have thought of this earlier. "Yes¡­?" She was waiting for me. I looked at Lily to help me out but she also seemed to get nothing. What have you been talking about since then till now? "Excuse me, ma''am," someone called out to my mother. "W-What¡­?" mother seemed a bit shocked. "Here is the Price Mr. Allen has won in the General Knowledge Olympiad," he handed over a basket filled with all sorts of sweet things. What is happening? I again glanced at Lily, as I turned a bit I saw her giggling as she controlled it while covering her mouth. Oh¡­ Oh¡­ She really is clever. I have to be careful around her. "Yes¡­ I won the Olympiad and the Hendricksons have organized it so they asked me to take the Prize from them Personally as they wanted to congratulate me personally," I said, "That''s why they called me here and that''s why I was feeling hesitant to tell you." "Allen, do you take me for a fool¡­?" mother''s voice felt different. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 117 - Kidnapped... Again "Yes¡­ I won the Olympiad and the Hendricksons have organized it so they asked me to take the Prize from them Personally as they wanted to congratulate me personally," I said, "That''s why they called me here and that''s why I was feeling hesitant to tell you." "Allen, do you take me for a fool¡­?" mother''s voice felt different. Why, what''s the matter with her? Wasn''t that convincing enough? "Mom, what happened¡­?" I asked. "?" Lily was also pretty confused but I didn''t take her reaction as the real reaction as she has already fooled me once. "You kept this a secret from me and now after winning this you still tried to hide it from me¡­? Do you take me for a fool or did you expect me to not be pleased by your accomplishment?" mother said. Ah, so that''s how it is. "''Oh, I just didn''t know how to tell you this so I had difficulty telling you," I said, "I am sorry." "I guess it''s my fault for not raising you properly," mother said in a low voice. "Pft¡­" What''s that? I think I heard something from the other side, and the other side is where Lily is sitting. Also, I was feeling it was weird but mother has been covering her face since the beginning. I thought she was just feeling down but that doesn''t seem to be the case. "Mom, look at me," I said. "Why?" Mother asked me, "Is there something on your face?" "Mom," I raised my voice a bit. "Pft¡­!" "Hahahaha¡­" Both the ladies burst out laughing. "..." I stared at both of them, eyes filled with a suspicion. "Oh¡­! Lily it''s really true," mother said as she tried controlling her laugh, "Allen really isn''t much different even when outside." What are they talking about? Also Lily, what''s going on here? You have bonded with my mother to this level that you are playing pranks on me. What''s your real intention? Getting close to me is one thing but that changes the whole thing if you try to get close to my family. Here, I am trying to keep trouble away as much as possible, and she is getting close to her. Does she not know her brother''s work? His brother is working in a field that isn''t considered safe so I specially told him to come and pick me up from school and not home. What if someone knows about that and to lure me in they might target my family. That''s the sole thing that I wish not to happen. "S-See¡­ I told you¡­" Lily said as she was also in the similar situation as my mother. "Care to tell me what''s going on here¡­?" I asked. "... Nothing much," mother said, "It''s something that is related to you but it''s not something that we can tell you¡­" "Alright then," I said, "Let''s go." "Okay," she said as she dragged her chair behind and stood up on the spot, "See you later Lily." "Yes¡­!" she was brimming with excitement. "Mother leave first I have a few words to say to Lily," I said. "But don''t take too long," she said with a smile on her face. See, that''s the smile that I wish to protect. *Step* *Step* *Step* Soon mother disappeared behind those flower bed. "What is it Allen¡­?" Lily asked me. "What is it? What are you trying to do here¡­?" I asked her. "What do you mean?" She seemed confused. "You are trying to get close to my mother but I want to know why," I said. "What¡­?" "If you have any ulterior motive then stop," I said, "And if not then just ignore it." "I didn''t mean anything, I was just trying to get along with her," she said. "That''s why I said," I said, "If that was not your motive then just ignore it, I might have read the room wrongly." "..." she fell silent. "You know my situation right?" I continued, "I have difficulty trusting someone, that''s why I am having difficulty trusting you. I don''t want you to understand it completely but try thinking about it from my point of view." "... I understand that," she said in a low voice. "If you get it," I said, "I guess I should leave now otherwise my mother might cause a tantrum." "Yeah you should," she said. ¡­ I left her behind and reached out to where mother was. I reached the entrance and saw multiple men wearing black suits but I also noticed that one of them was a woman. She wasn''t there the last time. But if she is with them all then there''s nothing to worry about. *Step* Mother was standing still near the gate so I approached her, slowly walking. But something felt odd. What is it? I waved to acknowledge that I was coming to her but she didn''t wave back. What is it? Now that I was only about 10 feet away I noticed her eyes are almost closed and she wasn''t just standing still but rather she was leaning onto the entrance gate while someone''s hand was around her shoulders. Wait, what? *Stop* I stopped but I guess I was too late. *Bam* I was right at the back of my head. I couldn''t even protect myself since I was ambushed and whoever was that, he was too fast for me to react on time. Soon I lost strength and my vision was getting blurry. I still tried to hold my ground and turned around and just flung my arm 360 degrees but that was futile. "Too late boy," he said. He was wearing the exact same dress as the rest of them, and my vision was getting blacker as time passed by and with nothing to do I fell on the ground and with the last ounce of strength left I spoke. "Mother¡­" This shouldn''t have happened. Never. The only thing that I feared is coming true right in front of me and I can''t do anything about it. Why is this happening? Isn''t Harry''s house supposed to be safe? Did he betray me? But does it matter now? The only thing I could do is just to wait for the revelation. ¡­ *Flash* As I started to feel my fingers I felt a bright light flashing against my eyes but it wasn''t directly, my whole face was covered with some kind of bag. I tried to move my legs but they were too numb while my hands tied up behind me and it felt like I was partially tied around a chair. I am getting deja vu. But how come I was kidnapped this soon? Also why? *Throw* What the hell was that? My whole body froze up for a second, the lingering things that I was able to feel are again numb. "What''s going on¡­?" I asked as I was trembling. "Oh¡­ so you woke up¡­?" It wasn''t a human voice, rather it was more like a mechanic''s voice. Are they trying to hide their real voice? If so, then they must be someone I know. It''s possible since I could recognize them so it''s good to assume that the person is someone I know. And it''s most likely they are a different group of people since that MR. X didn''t use something like this. But again there is a possibility he is using it now. "..." "Are you cold¡­?" the person asked me. "You think?" "So you aren''t even scared," the person said, "You really are a piece of work." "What do you want? What happened to my mother?" I asked. *Punch* I don''t know if it was him or someone else but I was punched in my gut pretty hard. And with this cool, it felt even more harder. "You can''t ask questions. That was your warning," the person stated. "..." I stayed silent. "That''s right just do as I say," the person ordered, "Tell me what is your relation with the HYDRAs?" "..." I stayed silent. *Punch* "This was your second warning," the person said, "Answer it." "I don''t have any relation with the HYDRAs," I said. Also, after feeling those two punches my body was slightly getting warmer around the abdomen region. "Really? Then why are you being targeted by them? If you haven''t done anything wrong or don''t have any relation to them then why are they after you? I think it''s very suspicious," the person said as the voice felt closer. "I don''t know why they are after me¡­" I said as I tried to suppress my scream. Those punches are really starting to take effect now. "Really? Are you really telling the truth?" that person said. *Click* I heard something click. What was that? *Shoot* All the pain till now was nothing compared to it, something was shot at it. Was it a gunshot? I can''t possibly know since the pain was so immense that I couldn''t make the difference now. But this is weird, my sense of pain seemed to be heightened. Have I been drugged? I have read a few papers on my father''s work desk. ¡­ (Time when Allen was at Home with his Father) "Allen, can you get me some of the papers on my desk? They are in the red folder," Father called out to me as he was sitting on the couch whereas I was lazing around the house. Going from one spot to another so when father called out to me I was given something to do. So, I took this opportunity to get out of my lazy period. *Step* "Wait a minute," I said. *Step* *Step* *Click* I opened the door, it was dark as usual and the only source of light was that lamp that I have seen ever since I have been here. "Why don''t he just use a brighter lamp," I mumbled to myself. "Hmm¡­?" While I was looking for a red folder I noticed another file just behind it but the only difference wasn''t just the color but it was kind of sealed. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 118 - Recall "Weird," I said as I touched the lock. It was the pin lock. So, although I was lazy, this file got me curious and that''s how I began trying various pins. After a while father called out to me again. "Allen¡­ Did you find it or do you want me to come¡­?" Father still didn''t seem to be in a hurry so I continued my lock break. "Let''s try this," it was their anniversary date. *Click* Oh, so it was right. I started flipping a few pages. Since I couldn''t read in detail I read only the heading and some of the underline things. [New Drug. Effectiveness is 2 times more than N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist drug. Pain receptors are much more sensitive.] That''s all I could read since my father came into the room. So, I hurriedly locked it again but the thing that I noticed, at last, was that something related to the test subject. I wonder what that was about. ¡­ (Back to the Present) "Really? Then why are you being targeted by them? If you haven''t done anything wrong or don''t have any relation to them then why are they after you? I think it''s very suspicious," the person said as the voice felt closer. "I don''t know why they are after me¡­" I said as I tried to suppress my scream. Those punches are really starting to take effect now. "Really? Are you really telling the truth?" that person said. *Click* I heard something click. What was that? *Shoot* I clenched my teeth and tried my hardest not to scream. "Oh so you can endure this much?" he continued, "But it wasn''t even a real bullet so of course, it shouldn''t have hurt that much but then again we did drug you so that could have hurt pretty seriously." So they did use the drug. If what I read on my father''s paper it''s a possibility that it''s either one of those drugs. "... You know this won''t end well for either of us," I said as I gritted my teeth. "Huh? What do you mean¡­?" I was having difficulty breathing so it wasn''t easy for me to talk yet I still did, "... I couldn''t care less¡­ if you had just¡­ kidnapped me but the moment you touched my¡­ mother was the moment that you made an enemy of me," it might seem too far fetched but I am not kidding, "... I won''t let you go easily." "Are you threatening me¡­?" *Punch* Another punch but this one felt more harder so for a moment I was feeling like I was losing consciousness but I still tried not to. "... You know¡­ what?" I tried talking, "... You can¡­ just¡­ piss off¡­ since I am going to come for you¡­ I will find you no matter¡­ what¡­" *Punch* *Punch* *Punch* ¡­ I don''t remember how much time has passed? How many hours has it been? No, that isn''t true¡­ It has only been a few minutes. But the pain, constant pain felt like an eternity. "Are you sure you aren''t connected with the HYDRAs in any way¡­? If you just tell us I can ease up things for you." So there are multiple people and not just one. "Really¡­? I am getting tired of this again¡­ and¡­ again¡­ I have already told you I don''t have any clue why they¡­ are after me¡­ or why all this is happening¡­ to me," I said as I was on the verge of losing consciousness. "Aren''t you just being stubborn here¡­? Just tell us and who knows maybe you will get to go home soon," that person also seemed a bit desperate. "Just¡­ Just wait¡­ I am going to¡­ find out who you are¡­ then I will¡­ make you¡­ you pay for this¡­" With those words, I was left with no ounce of energy. The light that was more or less visible till now seemed to blacken. I guess that''s how it is. I just hope mother isn''t hurt¡­ "... Maybe he really isn''t related to the HYDRAs¡­" I heard a voice that wasn''t familiar at all. But does it matter now¡­? ¡­ "Allen¡­!" I instantly opened my eyes. "That voice," I tried to move and to my surprise, they were working just fine but I was still feeling a bit of numbness around the abdomen region. "Where am I¡­?" The light was half-lit, so it took quite some time for me to make out my surroundings. Huh? It''s my room. How am I here¡­? "Allen, dinner''s ready." *Click* The door opened and a sudden burst of bright light reflected on me. "What¡­?" I was still confused. Am I dreaming? No, that can''t be possible since it is just surreal for it to be a dream. "Come on get out," mother said, "You have been sleeping for more than 3 hours now." What 3 hours¡­? If I am not wrong the total distance between Lily''s house and mine is almost like about an hour or maybe even less so how come I am sleeping for three hours? "Mom, can you tell me what happened after we left Hendrickson''s house¡­" I asked her as I rubbed the back of my head. "You don''t remember," she said, "We both fell asleep so we passed out till we reached our house. The driver had to wake us up and what''s more, he had to carry you inside since you." Wait, something isn''t fitting here. What happened to the time when I was tortured? I could feel those punches, they have made an impression that might need a few days to get back to normal. "So, you don''t remember when we reached our home¡­?" I asked. "Yes," she said, "What''s the matter with you?" She left as she mentioned about dinner once again. So, all that time they took me somewhere else and took me back. Why bother taking me home then? The last time that MR. X just threw me around the parking area around Central Park, the Principal had to find me but this time they made sure I reached home. Why would they do that? Unless they wanted me to reach home so no suspicion could be caused. If I am right, then they were someone that Harry or the Principal or even me, knew about. So, the culprit is someone close by and it''s most likely they are one of those guards. I don''t care who but that person, I will track down no matter what. It didn''t matter if I was the only one but it''s all the other thing if you try to involve my family. "Allen are you coming down or do I come up again¡­?" mother yelled. "Coming¡­" I hurriedly got out of bed. ¡­ Nothing much happened at dinner. Mother told my father about that fake accomplishment. So I was congratulated about it. Although it was fake, the compliments felt pleasing. ¡­ I was resting as I tried touching my abdomen region to check where exactly I was hurt. Also, it hurts. I am not kidding but they didn''t go easy on me at all. All the pain, I could still feel it but not as much as compared to that time. What did they want from me? Isn''t that pretty obvious that I am the victim here? If I was just on the HYDRAs side, would I still be getting in all this trouble? Why would I? *Ping* All of a sudden my phone rang up. I got a notification from an unknown number. Who is it? I unlocked the phone to see what the message was. {I checked up as you asked for and it seems like there is something fishy going on for sure. The Hendricksons Family was once involved with the HYDRAs but their last descendant, HARRY seems to have nullified their connection yet he has still made contact with unknown sources and I believe it''s related to the HYDRAs.} "Took longer than expected," I mumbled to myself. With just the context written, I instantly knew who it was. It was Peter''s Father. ¡­ (When Allen Talked with Peter''s Father) *Click* [What do you want now?] "Hello, good afternoon. I am Peter''s Classmate. I need to talk to you for a minute, are you free right now?" I stood up from my seat and I stepped out of the room. [¡­ Alright. But you need to be quick, I can''t talk for long.] He said. "I understand. I''ll be brief. You must have heard from Peter already that he needs to stay at school. Is there any particular reason you aren''t letting him stay here or are you concerned about him?" [Reason? Whenever he went on a school trip before he could come home his complaints would come. I don''t want that to happen so I am not letting him stay. That''s my reason.] "What if I will take full responsibility for it?" [This is the first time I have talked to you. How can I believe me?] That''s true. Who would believe a kid and moreover it''s their first time talking. "Sir, what kind of job do you have? Corporate or Government?" [Government.] "Okay sir, you must be remembering the incident that happened right?" [¡­ Yes.] "Sir, what would you do if I told you that your son might die today?" I didn''t take the longer route, rather went from the front. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 119 - I Wont Let It Happen Again [¡­ Alright. But you need to be quick, I can''t talk for long.] He said. "I understand. I''ll be brief. You must have heard from Peter already that he needs to stay at school. Is there any particular reason you aren''t letting him stay here or are you concerned about him?" [Reason? Whenever he went on a school trip before he could come home his complaints would come. I don''t want that to happen so I am not letting him stay. That''s my reason.] "What if I will take full responsibility for it?" [This is the first time I have talked to you. How can I believe me?] That''s true. Who would believe a kid and moreover it''s their first time talking. "Sir, what kind of job do you have? Corporate or Government?" [Government.] "Okay sir, you must be remembering the incident that happened right?" [¡­ Yes.] "Sir, what will you do? I told you that your son might die today?" I didn''t take the longer route, rather went from the front. [What kind of nonsense are you telling me?!] He seemed raged. "Okay sir, I won''t try to pursue further but please reconsider your decision. It''s just not him but everyone from the incident including me. You must know my name. My name is Allen." [¡­ Is that your real name?] He asked. "Yes sir, that''s my name. It''s just for the night let him stay." [¡­ Let me think. I''ll call later.] "Sir, I need to ask you something," I said before he could end the call. [What?] "Since you have a government job, can I assume you have a considerable high post in the department?" [¡­ Maybe. What do you want?] "Sir, this is something that shouldn''t be spread around since it could put me in danger so never tell this to anyone. Do you happen to know about the secret criminal organization HYDRAs?" I asked. He fell silent and I could only hear the sound of heavy breathing through the speaker, [¡­ How do you know that name?] He already knows about this. "I need you to find out if the person is involved with HYDRAs," I said. [What? Why do I have to do that?] he asked me. "It''s not necessary but you know your son and I are quite close so what do you think will happen if I get involved in this mess? Do you think your precious son will be safe?" Of course, it was a fake threat but if he doesn''t comply with it then it might change into a real one. [Are you threatening me?] his voice felt angrier. "Sir, I am trying to avoid that but I will do whatever it takes to keep myself safe," I said, "I don''t want you to sympathize with me but just to try cooperating with me, that''s all." [What''s the name of the person?] he asked. I guess the threat worked. "Sir, the name is Harry Hendricksons, and especially try digging further into the Hendricksons," I said. [...] "Sir?" All of a sudden he fell silent. [... How much do you actually know?] he asked me. "Does it matter now¡­?" I asked him. [I will do but if you already know all this, better be careful. The more you keep getting sucked in the scarier it''s going to become.] He warned me and ended the call. "I am already at risk¡­" ¡­ (Present, Allen Sitting in his room) "I almost spent most of the day at the Hendricksons and I was kidnapped in between so before I knew it was already late," I could see the street lights turned on. *Ping* *Ping* My phone rang twice, so normally I don''t get any notification so this time it''s weirder since I got two at the same time. [Unknown Number- XXXX-XXX-XX24] {I got what you wanted.} {I checked up as you asked for and it seems like there is something fishy going on for sure. The Hendricksons Family was once involved with the HYDRAs but their last descendant, HARRY seems to have nullified their connection yet he has still made contact with unknown sources and I believe it''s related to the HYDRAs.} "Took longer than expected," I mumbled to myself. So, it''s true that Harry is related to the HYDRAs. But why? After the Principal''s history with the HYDRAs, it''s pretty clear that she won''t tolerate any kind of betrayal and if it''s related to the HYDRAs then it''s going to get pretty messy soon. Also, after observing the Principal for this long I believe that she would be able to find out if her subordinate is getting in contact with the HYDRAs¡­ unless she knows of it. It''s getting complicated. What if, what if all this time the Principal is with the HYDRAs? The reason she told me the story might have been a trap and Harry calling me to tell all that story about the Principal''s parents getting killed was to make certain that I won''t doubt them. Is that how it is? But there is also a possibility that the Principal was telling the truth but about Harry, I am still in doubt. Why did he have to tell all this¡­? It''s not like I asked him and I believe it was not the Principal and¡­ how did he know that I had this talk with the Principal in the first place? Did the Principal know this¡­? What''s going on with them? ¡­ I have my hands filled with those Student Councils so even if I wish to I can''t dig deeper into Harry''s matter so for the time being I set that aside. Also, before I forget let''s set a timer for tomorrow afternoon since by that time Lily must have found out about our video owner. "Let''s just tell her not to come to my house, otherwise I have to tell another lie to my mother," I mumbled, "It''s just too much of a hassle." I usually stay a bit late but after what I have gone through for the last couple of days, I need as much rest as possible. So, with so many things to worry about, I still went to sleep. Having a false, all the problems will just fly away. ¡­ The alley was partially hidden by the small building on the right while the other half was slightly lightened up from the street lights. It was a usual day for everyone except a few. Normally a person might choose to wander around the city with their friends but what would a person like me possibly do? But I still had a reason to go out. "W-what do you want from me¡­?" She seemed scared but she still had her defense up. "Who are you¡­? What were you doing at our school?" I asked her as I pinned her down against the wall. "..." she tried not to say anything. "Really¡­ is that you going to play? Just tell us why you were at our school that day. I will let you go otherwise I might need to use some other means," I tried threatening her, "You won''t be liking them." "H-Help¡­ Help!" she yelled. "You know this is an alley that anyone usually doesn''t take. Although it''s a shortcut, it''s still scary at night¡­ so no one will be coming for your aid," I said as I moved a little closer, "So yell as much you can." "N-No¡­ Help¡­ Help¡­ please let me go¡­" she agonized, screamed but nothing came out of this. "Just tell me why¡­ we could skip all this you know if you just tell me why you came to our school that specific day," I pressed her. I won''t be going home until I get an answer. I already wasted too much time on this so I don''t want to let it all go to waste. "... W-Why¡­ are you doing¡­ this to me¡­ I was just¡­" she was about to say something that shouldn''t have been disclosed but stopped right at the entrance of that. "Just, finish it." I raised my voice a bit. "Ek!" she was terrorized by it. Maybe it seemed scarier because she was all alone in an alley with an unknown entity like me. But what she is actually scared of is that no one will be coming for her no matter how much she cries, screams, or agonizes. She was shown a ray of hope but it was an illusion made by me. She doesn''t have any possible way to get out of this. Not this. "Why¡­ why can''t you say it?" I asked her. "..." she shivered in fear. "Just tell me and all this will be over," I told her. "Tell me why you came that day," I didn''t stop and continued to pester again and again. "I-I¡­" "Yes¡­ just like that tell me why," I lowered my voice. "I¡­ w-was¡­" she was walking on a thin line that could snap any second. "Yes, just like that, tell me." I slowly whispered in her ears. "... H-H¡­" "H? Just say it and all this will end," instead of pressing her I was intentionally spraying the words in her, "Just say it and you won''t ever have to bear all this risk." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 120 - Guilt (Before the Incident) As usual, I woke up just after the alarm broke out. I am telling you, the worst enemy of humanity is the ''ALARM''. Imagine when you are sleeping like a log but then suddenly some annoying sound wakes you up, instead of this I want a peaceful one. Like it slowly caresses my head and sweetly asks me to wake up but I know that it wouldn''t wake me up. Instead of waking up, I would take another nap. "Allen, did you wake up¡­?" mother yelled. "Why don''t you just come up to check it for yourself?" I replied back and threw my blanket sideways. "What was that?" she asked me as I heard footsteps closing in at a medium space. *Step*2 *Step* "She really is coming," I got out and before she could reach the top I opened the gate and went straight to the washroom before she could say anything I slipped past her and glided down the stairs. "A-Allen¡­" And that''s how my morning began. Not bad as compared to other days, right? I asked myself as I glanced at my face in the mirror. ¡­ Since nothing special happened in the morning I was hoping the day would also go decently. But I should know better than anyone, my life getting ordinary is just something that I can dream of. Still having hope is the last thing that I can do. ¡­ The school was only about a few meters away, I could see the top from this far away. "Allen¡­" I heard a faint sound of someone calling my name but where is it coming from? I turned around to see who it was and noticed something tiny moving from the same path I came from. Who is it? "Allen¡­. Wait for me¡­!" Soon the image got clearer and I realized who it was. Actually, I am getting Deja Vu with this also. Usually, the students tend to keep their distance from me but among the many, this individual is the only person who doesn''t really care about the others. "Alex," I said as I stopped in my tracks and waited for him. "... You really are fast, aren''t you¡­?" he said as he gasped for air. "Maybe," I replied back. "W-Wait¡­" he took a knee for a moment there. The passers-by were watching me with suspicion. Well, it was natural since a person was practically kneeling in front of me. But I am already used to it; so it doesn''t matter now. If they wish they could stare at me all they want. "..." *Stare* *Stare Back* I glared back at them instead. I mean just go mind your own business. It''s not like I am organizing a show for them. "... Alex?" I called Alex since I am assuming this much time is enough for him to catch his breath. "... Yeah I think I am good now," he said but he still seemed a bit out of breath, still it seems much better than earlier. "So, what did you want to talk about¡­?" I asked him. "What do you mean?" he asked me. "You called me and ran like your life depended on it so I was assuming you had something to talk to me about," I said. "No," he said, "I saw you around the corner so I was about to call you out but you had already made it this far so I had to run and yell at the same time." "Still¡­ you needed something from me?" I asked him again. "?" he was confused. Why is he confused? I should be the one confused. "You ran towards me, called out to me, usually no one does that. Especially to me so I am assuming you needed something from me," I said. "Allen, you know you talk like an old man sometimes," he said. "What''s this all of a sudden?" "Hahaha¡­ anyway how are you doing nowadays?" he asked me as he tapped my shoulder. Since we were walking down the same path, I can''t escape from the question. "Pretty good actually¡­" I said nonchalantly. "Huh?" he seemed pretty taken aback by my answer. "..." "Allen, what are you really? I mean if I were in your shoes I would already quit school," he said as he seemed annoyed and restless simultaneously. "Why¡­?" I asked him. "''Why'' you ask? First, those rumors¡­ I can''t really say in this since I also didn''t do anything about them and then that act on the Stage a couple of days ago¡­ I don''t know whether it was luck or something else but you managed to pass by," he looked at me with those pitiful eyes, "And now the whole Student Council¡­ I don''t know how you are managing it all." "..." Am I supposed to answer here? Even if I have to, I can''t. He almost summed up my life. But he makes sound pretty easy but actually it''s just the surface. I am not even worried about the Student Council anymore. It''s most likely that the Principal came back, since she was the one who took me to her home that day. So, it''s alright to assume that my chances of getting expelled have been reduced. Addition to that, Lily should probably find out about the person who recorded that video. "Allen, tell me something." he stared at me as he stopped me. "... What is it¡­?" I asked him. "Why are you in this situation? I have known you since the first year and if I were to be honest here¡­ you were like this harmless student¡­ yet somehow you are in this mess," he said, "Have you¡­ really¡­ done anything¡­ anything like those rumors?" Here it is. I was expecting it since he hasn''t been raising this subject for this long. I could lie to him, no rather I have to lie. "What do you think¡­?" I asked him. It''s a good opportunity to know how the ones close to me, who used to be rather close to me before all this mess started, think of me now. "What do I think¡­? I don''t know," he seemed to have a disputing feeling, "To be honest I don''t doubt you but you don''t share any of your problems with anyone so it seems like you keep secrets to yourself only¡­ sometimes it seems like you might have done something and that''s how you are being punished for it¡­ now..." He seemed a bit down and couldn''t even make eye contact yet he somehow was able to tell me those things. "So to you I seem like I keep secrets," I said I took a step forward, "Why do you think I don''t talk to people around me?" "I don''t know¡­" he said vaguely. "Because I can''t trust anyone," I said, "How many people do you think approached me to clarify those rumors?" "A couple of them¡­" he replied. "None," I said, "Few came but they came when it had already spread around like a wildfire. So, you tell me, who will you trust at this time of crisis?" "..." he fell silent. "I am not blaming you but you can''t know how much I have to take into account," I further continued, "So naturally I don''t have anyone to talk to. I can''t even talk freely about my situation, you know?" "..." his head was already in the ground with the weight of guilt, and I just pushed it further. "Anyway, let''s go different ways," I tapped his shoulder, letting him not feel any guilt for it, "Keep distance from me otherwise you might be also affected by it." "..." he stayed silent. Well, he is also the one who doubted me so it would be totally unrealistic that he wants to help me out of nowhere. He knows that very well that''s why he can''t extend his arm to me. The distance between us is just too much for him to reach me now. No one can. It''s the path that I walked alone, in past, present, and will in future. There is no escape from it. ¡­ Soon we parted our ways, he left early and I waited a few moments for him to mix with the crowd. "Here he comes¡­" "Look at him¡­ he seems carefree¡­" Really? They speculate anything they want, aren''t they even a little bit curious to know whether it is true or not? Or do they just go with the flow? Whatever the case maybe, I don''t specifically hate it. I have endured it for far too long that it doesn''t even bother me at this point. "Allen!" it was a familiar voice. "... Iris¡­?" "Yup, it''s me, the Great Iris¡­!" she boasted herself. I ignored her and continued to walk off. Don''t she realize this isn''t good for her or for me. *Walk* *Walk* "A-Allen I came to greet you and you are running somewhere," she said and in that instant her friend/maid/servant blocked me. "Olivia shut her up," I said to her, "It''s not good for her to talk to me in public. You know it right?" "... I can''t go against My Lady''s wish," she said. "Are you an idiot? If you don''t move right now and stop her, your Lady won''t be the Lady for too long," I said, glaring at her. I don''t care what happens to her but I care about what happens to my plan. "..." she seemed a bit confused about whether to follow her stupid Lady''s fish or to protect her Lady''s reputation. *Slide* TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 121 - Peters Truth Part-1 "Are you an idiot? If you don''t move right now and stop her, your Lady won''t be the Lady for too long," I said as I protruded forward. I don''t care what happens to her but I ''care'' about what happens to my plan. "..." she seemed a bit vacillated about whether to follow her stupid Lady''s wish or to protect her Lady''s reputation. *Slide* I don''t know what changed her mind but she instantly got past me and stepped towards Iris. "Allen wa-w-" Olivia shoved her hand swiftly on Iris''s mouth, it might be a swift movement but her grip was strong enough to shut up that loose mouth of Iris''s. "O-Oliv-" she still resisted but when it was compared to Olivia''s strength she couldn''t win. "Hey, what''s going on here?" "I think Iris was just talking to ''ALLEN''...." Huh. So, mostly they didn''t actually see me talking to her. That''s good and now then, the most viable option is just to walk away as if nothing has happened. If it were some other case, I would have tried to blend in with the crowd but who am I kidding? I can''t blend in it. "No way, why would she talk to him?" "... But I saw that¡­" "You are just overthinking things¡­ don''t you know Iris hasn''t gotten close to anyone except Olivia ever since she entered." "... I guess you are right¡­" ¡­ As I was just about to enter the 2-E classroom, I was thrust backward. "What''s this?" I asked as I saw Peter standing against me as he was trying to pin me down. "We need to talk," he said. "Well, I don''t want to care to move aside¡­?" I said. "No, I won''t move until you and I have a talk," he didn''t move an inch. "You know right that even if you pressure me I still won''t comply with you," I said as I placed my left palm up against his shoulder. "Why? Just once and that''s all I need." he seemed pretty desperate, "I just want to talk this through with you one last time." "Why do you care? You should have thought of it before doing all that," I said even though I don''t have a clue what happened between us but I still had to bluff. "Allen¡­" it felt like he was just about to burst crying, "I am ashamed for what I did that day¡­ even to this day but I can''t turn back time and change things¡­ also I don''t want this to affect me anymore. I have suffered more than enough." "Enough?" I said as I closed our distance, "Do you really think you have suffered enough? I don''t think so." "..." he fell silent as I noticed his eyes desperate as a dying man''s. "Fine," I said. "Really¡­?" he asked again. "But on one condition," I said. "W-What is it¡­? I will do anything¡­" he sounded pretty hurt. What really happened? Why can''t I remember? It seems pretty important to him and is somehow related to me also. "You are going to tell me the exact events of how all that happened," I said. "What?!" he was bewildered. "That''s the condition," I said as I pushed his arm that was blocking my way all this time, "Each and every detail how it all happened. I want to hear it all unfold." "..." he clammed up. "I want to hear your side of your story," I said, "I know everything, I was there so don''t you dare skip the tiniest bit of detail of it, and in case you do miss some of it either it be intentional or not I don''t care. Be prepared for what might happen to you." "..." I don''t know what happened but I made sure to place him on a thin wall that he can''t escape from. "I won''t wait for long and don''t think of fooling me," I said and stepped inside. I didn''t need to look at the face he was making since I already knew his answer. ¡­ "... And that''s all for today," the teacher said as she closed that thick book of hers, "Any doubts?" The whole class fell silent. Well, it was the awkward silence. But I was pretty good at that kind of situation so I was pretty comfortable while the others seemed to look at each other''s faces. "I see," with that, she left the room. "Allen," someone called out to me. Who could it be? Like it''s not unusual but it''s completely impossible for someone to call out to me. That hasn''t happened ever, ever. At most, it was a small voice that no one really noticed but compared to all those times this one is actually different and impactful in various ways. "...?" I turned around and noticed Peter standing all alone while everyone was staring at him. "We need to talk," he said. Our distance was considerably far but I could still probably make out what kind of face he was making right now. It wasn''t a pleasant one of course. "What if I say no?" I asked him. "It''s not a matter of an option," he said, "I want us to have a talk in private." He seemed confident yet his hands were shaking. Also, considering those stares it was pretty clear that Peter also knew what kind of situation he was in himself. "... Alright then," I agreed, "Let''s have a talk." "..." He dragged his seat and made a screeching sound. "... Where are we going¡­?" I asked him as he reached out to me. "Peter," among those silent watchers one stood up. "Liz," Peter turned around and answered, "What is it?" To others, he might seem normal as usual but I can see his eyes fluttering frantically. Is the thing between us this serious? "..." Liz didn''t really say anything but I could see her lips trembling while her eyes showed uneasiness. But why? It''s not like we are going to fight nor do we have a close relationship so what''s there to worry about? I really can''t comprehend a girl''s way of thinking. "... I have to have a talk with him for one last time," he said. Well, it wasn''t just me but the entire class was dumbfounded since they didn''t really know what was happening, neither do I. ¡­ *Steps* While walking down the empty hallway I was trying to comprehend what really happened that made me feel resentment towards Peter even though I wasn''t sure why I felt that way once I thought about it. "Allen¡­" his voice felt deeper than usual. "Hmm¡­ what is it?" I asked him. "Where are we going¡­?" he asked me. "Who knows? Maybe to your redemption?" I said half-heartedly. "..." he fell silent. "I guess it should be fine here," I said. We were standing right in front of the chemistry lab. I usually wander around and have noticed that most of the time this time it''s empty, maybe because a new one was established so they usually took their work there. "Mhm-Mhm," he nodded. *Drag* I drag open the door. I guess with less usage of it, the door got rusted. *Bust Open* I placed too much strength and it slammed to the other side, making an echoing sound throughout the corridor. Well fortunately it was empty so I didn''t have to care about anything. I stepped in and I felt a dark and gloomy air getting out of the room, for how long has this room haven''t been in use? Anyway, that wasn''t the problem here. "So Peter, why not just start now¡­?" I said as I pulled out a chair from one corner of the room. "..." he was still silent. "Peter?" "I am telling you this beforehand," he blurted out, "I feel that it was my fault partially but you were also involved in it so it wasn''t just me who did the wrong thing!" "Really¡­?" I asked. "Y-Yes!" he exclaimed. "Then why don''t you tell me how it all started? From your point of view," I said as I put some pressure on my voice. "..." "What happened? Tell me," I pressed further. I won''t be going back now, I want to know what happened between us. This has been in my mind so after coming this far I won''t just let it go. "For the last time. Just tell me what happened¡­!" I banged the table hard enough for him to jolt back in fear. "A-Alright, alright I will tell¡­" he said. I noticed him trying to keep his tears at bay, while his lip trembled. "..." "It was the first year¡­ when it all started¡­" he began and I noticed a tear roll down his pale white skin. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ ¡­ [Alright guys. I am through with this! Have my writing skills decreased as time passed by? I used to get 60+ Power Stones but right now I hardly touch 30 of those. Tell me honestly, do you all not like the story? Or the characters? Or the Main Character? ] Chapter 122 - Peters Truth Part-2 [This will be in 3rd Pov. It''s my first try so it might not be good, so if you would just please try bearing it for a couple of chapters.] The sunlight glistened upon the whole city. While the few were awake before the sun came up, the others were still asking for a few minutes while covering themselves with the blankets. Among those, through a certain window light dawn seeped into the room. As a result, the one curling inside that white blanket of his knew he had to leave since it was his first-ever day for his High School. With a smile brighter than the sun, he threw the blanket that he was snuggling and paced down to his door. "Woah! You scared me, Peter!" As the door opened he saw a familiar figure that he has been watching for over a decade. "Morning¡­!" he said as he hugged her mother. "Uff! Someone is in high spirits today¡­?" she said as she hugged him back. "Well it''s my first day," he said, "I have been waiting for this since kindergarten." "Hahaha¡­ you better be washed up nicely then," she said as she was mesmerized by the smile of that boy, "Breakfast will be ready in a few moments till then get ready." "Okay!" he said. Just like that he dashed down the stairs and slid down the bathroom. "High School here I come," he said as she watched himself in the mirror. ¡­ Soon after getting all dressed up his mother called out to him. "Peter¡­! Are you done yet?" "Coming¡­" Peter replied back as he came out wearing the uniform. Just past the entrance of his house, his mother was standing right beside the flower vase she had bought a couple of days ago. Waiting for him. "... So¡­?" his mother looked as if she was expecting something, "Aren''t you forgetting something?" "Umm¡­?" Peter was dumbfounded. Well, his mother knew that her son won''t understand it so instead she took the lead and gave Peter a hug. While it seemed like a normal hug, the emotions behind them were incredibly high. "Mom¡­?" Peter wasn''t aware why she did that. "..." Peter can''t possibly understand what motherly love is, yet instead of resisting it he welcomed it with open arms. Her mother was just delighted to watch her son go to a high school, who was just a little baby in her eyes not long ago. ¡­ Although Peter hasn''t moved his home ever since he was born, the path he took today was entirely different. Not just the direction but the scenery was lightened up by the golden fingers of sunlight. Just right in front of the entrance of his new High School, he admired its structure. "Peter!" "Peter¡­!" While walking he heard a distant voice calling out to him, in reaction to it he turned around. "... Andrew¡­?" He seemed a bit surprised to see him. "You also got in here?!" Andrew was much more surprised than Peter. "Yeah¡­ But how come you are also here?" Peter asked. "Well, I got in with the BasketBall thing," Andrew said as he jumped a bit in excitement. "Really! It''s the same for me," Peter was surprised and glad to know that. Although Peter was elated by the fact that he got into the school that is considered in the Top 5 in the whole country he was also bereaved by the fact that he won''t have any friends from his middle school. "I guess it was fate that led us here," Andrew said. "Maybe," Peter said, "Let''s get inside. We don''t want to be late for the first day, right?" "We certainly don''t want that," Andrew said and dashed down the path, "Who comes last will be called Poop for a week¡­!" "Wh- Wait! That''s unfair," Peter said while wearing a smile. ¡­ One day Peter was following his usual routine, practicing basketball with his teammates during the P.E. period. "Hey! Let''s divide into two¡­" someone among the crowd suggested. "Yeah, we can do that." "Let''s do that." Not long after it was decided that the class would be divided into two teams. "And¡­ I chose him," Peter was made the captain of one of the teams, no objection was there to that decision but for the other team, some were fighting over it and after multiple futile attempts to make a person captain ended up in complete failure. In the end, it was randomly chosen. ¡­ With the whistle blown in the court all the worries everyone was having cleared up and eyes aimed directly at the one ball that was up in the air. *Snatch* It''s the most basic thing, the one who takes the ball first is the one who can be one step ahead of your opponent. Peter was the one who took the ball. Soon, everyone realized that Peter isn''t someone anyone can take on. He was dribbling between players so easily that he made the fool out of the rest of the teammates. But instead of showing resentment, they admired that thing, maybe because he was friendly with most of them. No, it''s because everyone knows how much effort Peter has placed in to get to this point. Except one. There was a certain someone who didn''t want to lose to Peter. But that didn''t concern Peter. He played like usual and while Peter was scoring one after the other basket, the opponent team didn''t let this lose interest in the match, rather it turned into a competition. It began with One Pointer and soon it turned into a three-pointer. That match soon was converted into a competition about who can defeat Peter, no, who can match Peter''s fluid movements and stop his constant strikes. ¡­ The match ended with a result of 43-16. Peter''s team won by a milestone. Well, in the first place it wasn''t supposed to be called a match. "Hey!" while everyone was deadbeat after getting slaughtered by Peter someone yelled that made everyone jolt for a second. "..." No one knew who that shout was directed towards. But Peter got the gist of it and stood up in an instant. "Why weren''t you passing the ball!?" The one who was yelling like some crazy man was Peter''s friend Andrew. "A-Andrew¡­ calm down and tell me what happened," Peter tried stopping him. "That stupid sh*t was- I don''t know what he was doing!" Andrew exclaimed while the boy tried to gasp for air at the corner of the court and seemed pretty scared. "Either way it wasn''t like we would have won," a sly comment was spoken by one of the boys that were sitting there. But the one thing to notice, the one thing that Peter noticed was that that sole boy was the one who wasn''t half breathed. He seemed perfectly fine. "Your name is¡­ Allen, right?'' Peter asked. "Who cares! At least the gap wouldn''t have been this big if we were just to pass the ball¡­!" Andrew screeched. "Big deal¡­" Allen said half-heartedly. That ticked Andrew even more and she shoved Peter aside as he charged at Allen. Watching that happen almost everyone was shocked but the one who wasn''t fazed even the slightest bit was Allen. Although Peter felt like Allen was more fragile than an average person yet he also felt something contradicting. After colliding with muscular, older, younger, shorter, and taller people through basketball matches he could make a few things about a person. And watching Allen he felt convicted. Watching that, Peter lunged forward and stopped Andrew from taking another step. "Andrew!" Peter tried calming him down but it was a futile effort. "Peter step aside¡­!" "What is happening here?!" before this commotion was about to turn into something big the teacher stepped in. "..." Realizing the situation, Andrew falls back but still, his glare scared that boy. Shivering in fear, and with the sudden scream and getting yelled at must have caused that boy trauma. Watching him, Peter was about to extend his arm but before that, another person took that position. "Why are you scared?" It was Allen. "Huh?" "I don''t know your name tho," Allen said. Watching both of them Peter wandered something- ''You don''t even know his name?'' "It''s Ryan¡­" his voice seemed pretty low. Even Peter hardly heard a word but he certainly saw his lips move a little bit. "Then Ryan," Allen said, "What are you scared about¡­? Just ignore him. It''s not like you will have to stick with him most of the time." Hearing that Peter was found dumbfounded. "Who thinks like that¡­? That''s not how you cheer up someone who is feeling down," Peter talked to himself. "Peter, let''s get goin¡­!" While Peter was waiting for the right moment to step in their conversation he was called by one of his friends. Since he couldn''t just say ''no'' to him, he left behind both of them. Watching them talk normally, Peter noticed the shivering and the scared atmosphere seemed to have been erased. "Who is that boy¡­?" is what Peter felt watching that. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 123 - Peters Truth Part-3 [This will be in 3rd Pov. It''s my first try so it might not be good, so if you would just please try bearing it for a couple of chapters.] {Present Time} "Why did you stop?" I asked him. "... Allen I don''t think I can do it¡­" Peter seemed disputed about something. "Is it something related to the decision you made at that time¡­?" I asked him. "...?!" he shivered but soon regained his composure. "Tell me what happened next," I said. "I-I can''t¡­" he covered his face but that isn''t going to stop me. "Peter, you have to say it." I said, "That''s your redemption. Don''t you also want to get redemption? Don''t you want to free yourself from this¡­ suffering that has been eating you from inside?" "..." "I know you have been holding it inside for far too long," I said, "It''s time to let it go." "..." his silence didn''t mean anything to me. I just want this to end quickly. "T-Then¡­ it was when we were-" ¡­ {A couple of Days Later} "So what are we going to do today¡­?" Andrew asked Peter. "..." Peter, inside in his own world, thinking about the events that took place a couple of days ago. "Peter?" Andrew shook Peter a couple of times but he still didn''t respond. "Peter!" Andrew called out to Peter ear-splittingly. "W-What..! What happened?" with the sunned scream-like sound Peter was appalled for a moment. "You tell me what happened," Andrew said, "You have been like this for the past couple of days. Did something happen¡­?" "Andrew," Peter''s voice resonated inside Andrew''s head as it was the first time Peter had a serious tone on Andrew. "... What now? You are being weird Peter," Andrew spoke. "Did you apologize to that kid?" "Huh? What kid?" Andrew scratched the back of his head yet he was trying to comprehend the question. "What kid? That kid who you yelled at," Peter felt slightly guilty for not knowing something like this, "Shouldn''t you have apologized to that kid? I know you were partially under after the game heats but still, you could have talked things out with him." "What are you talking about?" Andrew said in his defense, "You tell me one thing. What is that person''s name?" "It''s Ryan¡­ I guess," Peter in a low voice replied back. "See," Andrew went on further, "You aren''t even aware of that kid''s name for sure. And you want me to apologize to him? Also, because of his mistakes, we have that much gap you know, right?" "What''s with that vindication?" Peter said, "Aren''t you just being mean here?" "What do you mean? I don''t even know where that kid sits, do you?" while Peter was trying to talk the matter through Andrew with reasoning Andrew was throwing a reverse card back to back. "..." Peter couldn''t answer that either. "You don''t even know his name for certain, you don''t know his seat in the classroom and I am pretty sure you don''t even know where he is right now," Andrew said, "Or you know where he is right now.?" "..." "It''s practically a stranger to you, and to me as well," Andrew aforesaid, "Then why do you care if I apologized to him or not?" "Wh-Hu-Why?" Peter knows for certain that Andrew was in the wrong but Andrew''s way of thinking isn''t partially wrong. To apologize to someone that is almost a stranger isn''t something someone does. "Just let it go," Andrew said, "You are just banging your head against a wall that has nothing behind it." In frustration, Peter stood up and left the room leaving Andrew nonplussed. "W-Where are you going now¡­?" Andrew called out to Peter but with nothing more to say Peter didn''t turn back. ¡­ "What is he talking about? If he is being rude to someone then he must apologize, it''s basic manners. Yet he is admitting to having done anything wrong," Peter muttered in discontent. *Thum* *Thum* *Thum* Even though it wasn''t Peter''s intention to walk past the court, he unconsciously took turns leading to it. Maybe it was the impulse to take out his discontent and irritation through basketball, it was the only thing he has been that could lighten up his unwieldy heart. "Who is playing at a time like this¡­??" Peter wondered about as he sought to take a look inside the court. *Thum* *Thum* The bumps felt a little off, after playing infinite plays against different players Peter was able to predict the bounces were not perfect. The bounce in basketball has a rhythm, every person has a separate one but the thing is that Peter was a step ahead, he could tell if it''s truly the right rhythm. Peter stepped closer and peeked through the window. "What am I missing here¡­?" ".... isn''t that him?" Peter murmured. In that empty room, a sole person was surrounded by uncountable balls scattered around. Only a single ball moving up-and-down was making the echoing voice throughout the court. "I suck at this¡­" Ryan said dishearteningly. "... Pftt! He is doing the basics all wrong¡­" Peter giggled after watching him suffer, "Still I shouldn''t¡­ shouldn''t try to make fun of someone¡­ pft¡­ who is trying his be-pft! He is dropping the ball right at his foot¡­!" Trying not to let out his laugh heard by Ryan, Peter tried to pinch himself, closed his mouth with all of his fingers yet that wasn''t enough. "W-Who is there¡­?" hearing those slightly heard voices Ryan became alerted and also a bit scared, as his eyes were all shifty. "..." With no response, Ryan stepped forward just to make himself confirm it for sure that no one is watching him from the sidelines. "If someone were to watch me like this I might as well¡­" Ryan said, desperately hoping for no one watching him. While Peter was trying to find some kind of cover to hide himself he turned all around but unfortunately, he was in the middle of the hallway so even if he had found something it would have appeared odd and would have been found out easily. *Step* *Ba-dum* *Step* *Ba-dum. Ba-dum* *Step* *Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum* With every step getting closer Peter''s heart rate was going up. "Alright, alright. I was watching," Peter spurred right in front of Ryan, before Ryan could find out about Peter, Peter revealed himself. From Peter''s perspective, it was better to admit before he was found guilty. "Woah!... Y-You scared me¡­" Ryan jerked back. "Oh, sorry for scaring you," Peter apologized to Ryan as he watched him shocked and a few steps back. "... N-No¡­ I w-wasn''t scared at all¡­" Ryan said. "Well if you say it like that. It doesn''t help me change my statement," Peter said as he heard him stagger¡­ a lot. "..." "Tell me one thing," Peter said as he extended his arm as a sign of peace. "W-What¡­?" Ryan asked as he understood the signal. "You aren''t comfortable with talking to other people, right? You are a complete introvert," Peter said. "... W-Why would you s-say something like t-this¡­?" Ryan reacted a bit dejected yet he couldn''t deny it. "Well first of all. You aren''t sociable. None to be honest," Peter said, "Then when Andrew yelled at you a few days ago. Instead of talking back, you were scared. Scared. You couldn''t even say anything. If I am being honest, you felt like a small child at that time." "...>" "You know normally children are the one who gets the most scared when they say something loudly all of a sudden," Peter said as he tried to connect the dots for Ryan. "... N-No," Ryan couldn''t find a way to counter-attack, the hit by Peter was too deep and accurate that even if he tried to heal it, the best he could do is use a bandage. "I am not trying to make fun of you or anything. I just feel like it''s just your self-defense mechanism that lets you keep away from socializing with people," Peter came to a conclusion. "W-What?!" and it seems like Ryan wasn''t even aware or agreed to that conclusion. "What? Isn''t that the truth?" Peter was sure that he wasn''t wrong, or more like he was feeling like he couldn''t be wrong. "W-Why? Why? Why? Why would you think like that?" Ryan retorted, "You don''t understand anything. You don''t even know me. We aren''t that close that you can say I don''t socialize with people¡­! "W-Why are you yelling all of a sudden?" Peter felt a bit dejected. "J-Just shut up! You people are all the same¡­! After you have everything you could just assume that others aren''t trying to achieve what you have!" Ryan seemed raged, "What do you know about me?! Do you really think that I don''t try to be like you? Do I wish to be an outcast?" "I a-am sorry if I hurt your feelings," Peter apologized when he saw a nerve about to pop out from Ryan''s head. "If? You are just like HIM. Only Allen knows what it really means to be HERE," Ryan exclaimed as he shoved aside Peter. "W-Wha-!" Before he could say anything Ryan fled outside the court leaving Peter guilty, rejected, sorry, and awkward. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 124 - Peters Truth Part-4 [This will be in 3rd Pov. It''s my first try so it might not be good, so if you would just please try bearing it for a couple of chapters.] {Present Time} Although nothing serious has taken place yet, nothing serious has been revealed yet but it seems like "Why did you think of it like that¡­?" I asked him. "I don''t know¡­ I just thought of it. But don''t you think I was right¡­?" Peter asked me as he seemed baffled and disputed himself. "Me? If I were present at that time I wouldn''t think twice to slap you right at your face," I said instantly without giving much thought to it. "W-Why!?" His expressions were perplexed. "Have you ever thought why people like me don''t usually talk much?" I asked him. "You are afraid of their reactions," he said. "Yes, that''s one possibility. But you don''t point it out to the person. It''s insulting and infuriating to the person," I said, "You straight out said those things although your intentions might have been for the good, yet the path you took wasn''t the right one." "... I don''t get it¡­" he said. "You won''t," I said. "Huh? Why¡­?" he asked. "It''s like there is a crack between people like me and people like you. You can''t come to this side whenever you want and leave whenever you want. The difficulty introverts face isn''t something you can understand. Ever," I said, "It''s something you either experience it yourself or you don''t." "..." "Just continue," I said. ¡­ {Back to the Third Person, Peter''s Truth} "If? You are just like HIM. Only Allen knows what it really means to be HERE," Ryan exclaimed as he shoved aside Peter. "W-Wha-!" Before he could say anything Ryan fled outside the court leaving Peter guilty, rejected, sorry, and awkward. "He is just like everyone else¡­" Ryan said as he tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. ¡­ As Peter was trying to find an opportunity to apologize to Ryan even though Peter still didn''t understand why Ryan made him guilty for saying those words. "Where are you now¡­?" Peter muttered to himself as he wandered around the cafeteria. And that''s when he noticed a figure he always seemed to be cautious of. "Hey," Peter called out to him. "..." the person passing by the cafeteria ignored Peter''s call. "Allen, I am talking to you," Peter said. "..." Allen still didn''t pay any attention to him. "Allen!" Peter held onto Allen''s arm and pulled him back, "H-Huh?" Although Peter didn''t use his strength, yet Peter was surprised that he still couldn''t shake Allen. "What is it¡­?" Allen asked as he shook Peter''s arm. "I was calling you since back there and you didn''t respond to any of it," Peter said as he extended his arm to the entrance of the cafeteria. "So?" Allen didn''t care a speck of it. "So- Anyway I wanted to talk to you for a couple of minutes," Peter said. "Why?" Allen asked him. "Just for a couple of minutes," Peter said, "It won''t take much time." "Again, why?" Allen didn''t seem to care if it was a minute or even a second, from his perspective he wanted to know the reason for Peter approaching. Ever since the entrance ceremony, it was the first time Peter tried to talk to Allen, so it was obvious that Allen would put on a defense. "... I want to know about Ryan," Peter got the gist that he wouldn''t be able to pursue Allen without answering him. "Ryan? What about him¡­?" Allen asked him. "That''s why I said I need to talk," Peter said, "Let''s just sit somewhere first." "... I suppose we can do that," Allen replied. ¡­ {Present Time} "Aren''t you just a lousy talker?" I asked peter. "Why¡­?" he asked as he was dumbfounded. "Why didn''t you just ask me about Ryan? Instead of taking a roundabout route? Just ask me where Ryan was," I said. With all these things, even though I can''t seem to remember all this, I am for certain that all the things that he has done till this point included me in hating him. "W-What? It wasn''t jus- wait maybe it was¡­ just let me continue! Don''t intervene," Peter seemed a bit agitated. I am assuming he wasn''t aware of this. "Go ahead," I said. "So we found a bench at the side of the main ground-" ¡­ {Back to the Third Person, Peter''s Truth} "So, what did you want to talk about?" Allen asked as he wanted to finish this as soon as possible. "Tell me how you bonded with Ryan," Peter said. "What?" "I said- How you bo-" "No, I hear completely fine. I was just a bit confused by your question," Allen said as he intervened Peter from saying that phrase again. "I see¡­ so how did you? I haven''t seen him talking to anyone but you," Peter said. "How do you know that? Are you stalking me? Or are you stalking him?" Allen came to a conclusion. "No¡­! Why would you think it is like that? I am just saying that whenever I see him talking it''s with you and with no one else," Peter said. "Why do you care?" Allen straightforwardly said it. "I-I just want to know him better¡­" Peter couldn''t exactly find the reason to speak but inside him, he knew the right answer. Peter didn''t actually want to know Ryan more clearly but instead, his intention was to find out why he was rejected back at the basketball court. And even more why was Ryan enraged by Peter''s deduction. "Really?" Allen might not have revealed the fact that he already knew Peter wasn''t telling the truth but Allen was still able to put on a fake face. "Y-Yes¡­" "But why all of a sudden? You could have tried to talk to him at the start of the session," Allen said. "... I c-could have," Peter couldn''t find a way to find the right words at the moment as his face seemed pretty confused, "Just tell me how you got close to him¡­!" "You are acting weird," Allen said, "I don''t want to get dragged into messy, I am leaving." "W-Wait!" Peter lunged forward to hold Allen down but this time it was different. "I don''t like being held onto suddenly," Allen glared at Peter as he slide sideways, evading Peter''s palm. "!?" experiencing the gaze first handed, Peter flinched and even his pants rigged against each other. "Don''t ever do that," Allen said, "I don''t know about others but don''t act all chubby with me. I am not your friend." Although Peter seemed to believe that he had warmed to almost everyone in the whole class, his delusion was just shattered. "Are you really sure you want to get close to Ryan because you want to know him better or is it just that you want your paradise where everyone likes you?" Allen stated as he gleaned at Peter in slight disgust but was hidden from the facade. "... D-Don''t just come to a conclusion like that. I don''t have ever thought of it like that. You don''t eve- even¡­ know¡­ me¡­?" while Peter was enraged he seemed to have realized something. "What happened¡­?" Allen asked. "N-Nothing¡­ you can go. Thanks for talking with me," Peter said politely, although his mind was still on the other thing. "..." even though Allen didn''t understand what really happened right there, nevertheless he left Peter behind with a carefree look on his face, without putting on a facade. "That''s what happened there¡­" Peter came to realize that his conclusion wasn''t wrong but the situation was the one to blame. Allen hasn''t been with Peter to know him that well still Allen stated something that ticked off Peter at a point. Similarly, Peter did that unconsciously with Ryan. The moment when all the dots seemed to have been connected Peter ran at the trail left behind on the grass by Allen. "Allen! Wait a minute¡­!" Peter yelled as he ran at his fastest pace. "What is it now¡­?" Allen asked with an expression of exhaustion. "Where do you think Ryan could be right now¡­?" Peter asked. "Where do you think introverts do at times like this?" Allen gave the direction to Peter. "Where?" Peter looked around and noticed the hustling-and-bustling as far as his eyes stretched. And that''s when it clicked. "..." Allen understood that expression and went on ahead without saying another word. ¡­ With no place in mind, Peter ran across hallways, but the thing was for sure that he needed to find a place that separates it from the crowd. "Where? Where could he be?" Peter asked himself, "Where would I be if I were in his shoes¡­?" Even though Peter''s intentions were never meant to hurt Ryan, he unconsciously did things that changed how Ryan saw him. Just being who you are can hurt someone, is something Peter was beginning to understand. "Where is h-!" When all hope seems to have been lost, a glint blew right in front of him. The light shone much brighter than ever, sunlight glistened on Peter nevertheless his gaze didn''t shift. He was determined not to lose sight of it again. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 125 - Peters Truth Part-5 [This will be in 3rd Pov. It''s my first try so it might not be good, so if you would just please try bearing it for a couple of chapters.] {Present Time} "So you found Ryan¡­?" I asked him. "Yeah¡­" Peter said, as I noticed multiple curls above his eyes. "Aren''t you supposed to be making the opposite face right now¡­?" I asked him. "... I would have if I wasn''t late that time¡­" his voice felt heavier than all this time in here. I guess we are coming to the climax here. "Late? What happened¡­?" I asked him. "I was too late in protecting him¡­ I was too late making the decision¡­ I couldn''t do a thing to change the outcome¡­ no matter how much you sob now it won''t turn back time¡­" a drop of water tried to pave its way but Peter caught it and wiped it off from the side of his shoulder. "How come? How come you were late in protecting him? How come you couldn''t make a decision? How come you couldn''t change the outcome?" I asked him. Although I can''t possibly know what''s going on in his brain, the only thing I am sure of is that my voice is resonating in there. "..." trying not to reveal it to me, he completely immersed his face under both palms and if that wasn''t enough he pushed down his face along with both of his palms onto the table beside him. "Peter continues talking¡­ we won''t be leaving this room until you reach the very end," I said. "..." after wiping off his face he looked up, determined yet the shaking of his hands didn''t support his eyes, "I saw him at the corner of the basketball court-" ¡­ {Back to the Third Person, Peter''s Truth} As the light showed, the dark side also became darker. In the corner of the court, Peter noticed the figure he was trying to find all this time. "Ryan¡­!" Peter called out to Ryan. Although Ryan''s name was called, everyone present in the court seemed surprised along with Ryan. Ryan is almost an outcast so seeing the most sociable person calling out to-to someone like him astounded everyone. "W-What do you want now¡­.?" Ryan asked as he tried to move away. "I need to tell you something- no actually more than one thing- it''s multiple things-" Till the point of meeting Ryan was the plan Peter thought of, he didn''t think what he would do after meeting him. All the thoughts came rushing out that he just released it all at once. "... What are you saying? Just say it¡­" Ryan said. "First of all I need to apologize to you," Peter was just about to bow down to apologize but the instant Ryan noticed Peter''s back bent a little he took a quick scan of his surroundings. And with only one glance he understood, if Peter were to bow down now, Ryan wouldn''t be able to get out of here without being questioned. "L-Let''s go somewhere else!" Ryan held onto Peter''s piece of cloth and dragged him out. Even though everyone tried to know what was happening they couldn''t. Ryan took a couple of turns in order to lose any kind of tailing. "What are you doing?! Are you trying to kill me, huh! Don''t you realize your place and mine¡­?!" Ryan was enraged by the fact that Peter was just about to do something that could have changed Ryan''s whole school life¡­ not in a good way. "... I am sorry," Peter said. "For what exactly are you apologizing for¡­!" Ryan''s mood still hasn''t changed. "For everything," Peter said, "For what happened in the court that day and for what happened today." "Wh-Ar-Ho-" With the sudden apology and the bowed down figure of Peter agitated Ryan to an extent that he couldn''t say the words properly. He was too conflicted on his own feelings- ''Should I be happy?'', ''Why is he saying this now?'', ''How come he didn''t do it earlier?'', ''Are you an idiot? Think about my situation!''. After all the questions couldn''t be spoken at once, they took time to process and the atmosphere got uncomfortable for Peter. He was expecting something, any kind of reaction and the least expected was of him being delighted about the apology but ''No Response'' wasn''t one of them. "Ryan¡­" Peter said. "... I don''t know what made you realize it but I d-don''t really care about your a-apology so you can just leave now," Ryan said after taking a whole one minute to sort out his feelings. "W-What? You don''t care¡­? Aren''t you just being rude here?" Peter said as his voice seemed higher-pitched than usual. "H-Huh! You are getting mad at me now¡­?" Ryan didn''t step back. Without either of them realizing it soon turned into a conversation with no meaning. ¡­ That afternoon was the point from where the two completely opposite souls became closer. Slowly but gradually, their relationship took weird turns. Took turns together and sometimes stumbled upon something but still continued. But nothing lasts forever. That incidental day came when the thing Peter or anyone else didn''t expect. ... "Peter, can I talk to you for a minute," Andrew said as he snatched Peter into the corner of the room. "What happened¡­? Peter asked, confused. "You tell me what is happening? You have been getting close to that weird kid. Everyone has been talking about it," Andrew said as he pressed his rough hands against Peter''s shoulder, "Keep your distance from him. He just doesn''t fit with people like us." "What do you mean by that? He is just like us so what''s so weird about me talking to him¡­?" Peter said sternly. "Huh? Don''t you get it? He is basically an outcast. No one talks to him and when you talk to him it''s basically creating rumors¡­ bad rumors. Maybe you might as well become like him before you know it," Andrew didn''t back down. From Andrew''s point of view, what Peter was doing is just going to welcome troubles for Peter sooner or later and as a friend who has been with him since middle school, he felt like he should help his friend. "You are talking nonsense now," Peter said as he understood Andrew didn''t mean any ill means, "I don''t know what exactly are you worried about but just let it go." "You will! Before you know it everyone will begin ignoring you," Andrews said. "Come on, just tell me one thing. Me talking to our classmate, is it weird to do that?" Peter asked. "But that kid isn''t someone you talk to. Talk to me! Talk to 38 other students! But why him¡­?" Andrew exclaimed. "Why are you so fixated on Ryan? He is also our classmate, you know¡­" Peter said as his face was turning a bit wrinkly from one side. "That''s it! I am done with the explanation! You either become close to him or you are going to have to part ways with me," Andrew said. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Peter was bewildered by the development that was taking place. "That''s how it is," Andrew said. ¡­ After that they both part ways, not raising any word against each other. Even passing by the hallway they wouldn''t even glance at each other. Though at the beginning Peter wasn''t worried about it since he always had the feeling that it would all come along later on. But Peter''s belief was broken when no development took place. The distance between them was becoming larger and larger. Fearing he will lose his friend, his only childhood friend, he chose the option that didn''t include Ryan in it. Peter held onto Ryan''s hand, took it to new heights, and when Peter felt it wasn''t going to end well¡­ he let go. Alone, Ryan still stood his ground but¡­ one man alone isn''t enough to win a battle with an army. Allen, on the other hand, stood by the sidelines. He was just a spectator. Not going to touch the other side of the road. He knew if he were to step in between them it would collapse. He couldn''t support Ryan mentally or emotionally. He wasn''t part when it all started and he wasn''t going to be a part when it was all going to end. With no one to hold onto, Ryan began to crumble. He wasn''t someone with a mindset like Allen or a strong will like Peter. Peter showed him the light but didn''t invite Ryan to it¡­ Ryan stumbled into darkness. Deeper and deeper. No one to talk to, he shut himself up. And that''s when on an unfateful day IT happened. [On the 10th of March, at around 12 noon a 16 Years old boy jumped off the school building. It is believed that he was bullied and didn''t have anyone to talk to about his worries with. Leading him to suicide. It only raises one question, Is this how our school system developed?] That was the headline, that phrase was stuck and fixed inside Peter''s head for forever. {Didn''t have anyone to talk about his worries with.} ¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 126 - Pawn "..." The room was filled with a dark and gloomy atmosphere and in that silent room, a voice could be heard. It was faint. A voice of someone shedding tears, with slight resistance from crying but the outburst of emotions couldn''t be controlled when leaked. "Hic-Hic¡­ I-I¡­ sh- cou- why didn''t I¡­?" Peter sobbing like a 5-year-old couldn''t even complete his sentence. "Is that all?" I asked him. "... Why?! Why are y-you asking me this again¡­!" Peter''s lips trembled yet his voice wasn''t as shaky as his lips. "I want to hear it from you. Is that all? Is that how it all ended on 10th March?" I asked him. I want him to stand on the thin line that I created. The imaginary line that I made on Peter''s guilt. The more he feels the wrongdoing of his decision the more it''s going to be easy for me to manipulate him. "W-Why! Why are you¡­ doing this to me¡­?" Peter begged as drops of water came crawling out from his eyes. Even those tears seemed to be asking me for all this to stop. "Peter, do you really admit it all was all your fault?" I asked him. "..." "Tell me? Is it all your fault?" I asked again. "..." I noticed his lips turning into something much worse. "Tell Peter, if you hadn''t touched the wall that Ryan built around him would he still be alive?" I asked him. "..." The face he was making was full of regret. "If you hadn''t shown him the light, would he still be alive with us?" I asked him. "Yes¡­" he said in a low voice. Even with the whole room dead silent, I couldn''t hear him, "What did you say?" "Yes¡­! It was all my fault¡­! I shouldn''t have said those things! I should have stayed away! I shouldn''t have held onto his hand! I shouldn''t have talked to him! I shouldn''t have done any of that!" Got him. Right now his spirit is in its worst possible situation ever. He is most vulnerable right now. It''s possible that he would have been able to overcome those feelings of regret and maybe something else as well, and he could have been able to suppress them with time. So as the saying goes- Time heals all wounds. But the thing many forget is that when the wound gets open, forcibly it is going to hurt even more. And that''s what I happen to do now. Reopening of his old wounds, his guilt, his all emotions of anguish are coming out. Bursting like a rainstorm. Weakening him both physically and mentally. "... Peter, I won''t say that it''s all going to be alright¡­" I said slowly, trying to immerse my voice directly into his wounded heart, "But you don''t have to carry the guilt all alone. It''s alright to leave it behind¡­" I stood up and slowly closed my distance and extended my arm and wrapped it around him. I don''t know the exact mechanism but when a person is at its lowest, human warmth and human contact can help it to relieve things that you couldn''t earlier. "... I can''t say you have been redeemed but haven''t you suffered enough? Bearing this weight with you¡­ it''s okay to set this down," I said as I lightly patted him from behind. "R-Really? Is that really okay for someone like me t-to¡­ leave this behind¡­?" Peter asked as his hair rugged against me. It tickles. "I ask why not? When you went to talk to him, what were you thinking¡­?" I asked him. "I¡­ w-wanted to help him- That''s all!" he cried his balls out. "There¡­ there¡­ it''s okay to let it out," I said in a soft voice. I, myself, can''t believe I can say those things with a straight face. I haven''t even tried to calm someone down. But I don''t care how I am able to do this but ''I am able to do this is'', is more important. The more he gets attached to me, the more I can act as his host. The more I break him, the more I will be able to use him. "A-Allen¡­" Peter said but his voice was the same as before, shaky. "What is it¡­?" I asked him. "When did you become like this¡­?" he asked him. "Why do you think so¡­?" I asked him. "I¡­ don''t know¡­" he said in a very low voice, even though I couldn''t completely sort out what he said I was able to feel the vibrations as his voice was echoing in the room faintly. "Maybe I was also feeling down because of the incident. Or maybe I also blamed myself for the cause of that," I said. "..." he fell silent. "Peter?" I called out to him since I was expecting some kind of follow-up. "... So you were also holding onto this weight¡­?" he asked me. "I said, ''maybe''." I replied, "You can guess whatever." "You are a nice person, Allen." He said, "... I am fine now¡­ you can let go¡­" As he said that, I released him from my grasp and slowly distanced myself from him. Now the cozy moment has been finished and the awkward moment has taken over the room. ¡­ With nothing to talk about he dashed out but the way we ended, things weren''t off on the wrong foot. It was perfectly placed at the place I wished for. Since we couldn''t talk at the moment he called out to me again but this time he called out to me at the basketball court after the end of school. ¡­ I normally reached the court and saw a sole figure in the center. I guess that must be Peter. Well, I wasn''t basically feeling awkward but Peter''s face was blushed and was twitching a lot. "What is happening with you now¡­?" I asked him. As his appearance was giving me the creeps. "Well¡­ I haven''t really cried in front of someone so with you it was my first time¡­" he said as he covered his face in embarrassment. "Dude, what the hell are you doing? Don''t act like that. If you were to act like that, what am I supposed to do then, huh? Just act normal," I said. "... Ahem! I will try," he said, trying to regain his usual atmosphere. "But why did you call me out here?" I asked him. "It''s about the talk we had earlier and about the ''incident''," he said. "Why have you been so concerned about this incident? It''s not like this will ever come to the surface and even if it did, why are you so worried about it?" I asked him. "... Well all the commotion is getting larger and larger around you. And that day on the stage you were almost expelled-" "Still escaped tho," I intervened. "Yes¡­ anyway, so with all the development I thought the Student Council might try to dig into your past and if that were to be revealed I might as well be taken to the light and who knows I will be forced to say that you were the reason IT occurred," he said. "So what''s the problem? Just say it''s me and that''s all," I said, "It''s not like we both are buddy-buddy." "I don''t want to do that. I didn''t want to do that. It was my fault and I don''t want someone else to pay for it," he said with a straight face and was gazing at me with shiny eyes. Maybe because the water left in his eyes with all those previous teary moments from earlier was now reflecting the sunlight. "Are you stupid?" I asked him. "Huh! Why would you say that? Weren''t you supposed to say I am a man of my principles¡­?!" he exclaimed. "No¡­ you are just an idiot," I said, "Just blame it all on the other person and get yourself out. That''s what you are supposed to do. Not the opposite." "Allen- you- are really¡­ aren''t heartless are you as I hoped¡­?" Peter said as he was glancing out at the window. "Huh? What''s that supposed to mean now¡­?" I asked him. "You are practically saying to put all the blame at you and let myself escape," he continued with his stupid institution, "I have misjudged you, Allen. You from the start were trying to help Ryan from the shadow as you slowly tried to push him forward towards the light while staying in the dark yourself." "?" What''s he going on at? Where are all these conclusions coming from? I didn''t even think of those things. Also, even if I was trying to help this kid named- Ryan, why would I be still be staying in the dark. "I just intervened and made the situation worse¡­ you truly are a pure heart, Allen," Peter concluded. If he is going to praise, I won''t object to him but it''s also best not to tell him that the ''pure heart'' he mentioned isn''t pure at all. It''s the complete opposite. It has always been like this, it''s pitch dark in there. That''s the reason that I haven''t gotten close to anyone and never will be. "Allen, I will do anything to help you. I won''t let those people ostracize you more. After knowing what you have done till now, I won''t allow you to suffer any more¡­" he said as he slammed his hand against his muscular chest. And that''s how I completely gained a pawn to my party and whom I can completely control. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 127 - Plan To Catch Her The cell phone vibrates me awake. I reach for it, hold the bright screen to my squinting face, and set it for thirty minutes later. I hate mornings. I-don''t-know-how-many minutes later, I open my eyes to see the grey out my window. My eyes shut with the sudden burst of light forcibly pouring inside my eyes. Still, I took the blanket and covered myself like a snail inside its shell. The cell phone again. I tried to turn it off but my arm kept on reaching the wrong place so I opened one side of the blanket and pinpointed its correct location. I should get up. Is what I have been thinking for the past hour or maybe more. I actually like cloudy days. They are warm, hot coffee. They are staring into grey, feeling soothed by it, letting it cover you like a blanket of introspection. Your whole world is what is right in front of you because everything else is consumed by fog. A veil over the world. My eyes open again and I know they must stay open. I have slept far too long. I don''t want to get up. Oh, I don''t want to. Why must I wake up only to suffer even more? With that mindset I was in a pickle, the more I consume my time thinking that the more it''s going to take time and the more it''s going to take time the worse for me. I am going to be late for school. Still, I have too much-unfinished business that needs to be taken care of. I can''t stay like this for too long. Even if I try to escape from reality by going inside a dream, eventually I have to accept the truth. "..." I groaned a bit but still threw aside the blanket that was covering me from that relentless sunlight in frustration. Soon after I was completely awake, I checked my phone as it was the sole reason why I am being cranky, the first thing in the morning. *Alarm* *Alarm* *Alarm* *Alarm* There were like zillions of alarms set and at the interval of five minutes. Who did this? Who dared to do this, huh? It''s for sure that I didn''t do it. Why would I do such an evil thing to myself? That sound of the phone ringing is the worst thing for me. I am all calm and pleasantly sleeping and then all of a sudden there''s this vibration all of a sudden and along with it the sound adds even more fuel to the fire. I hate alarms. If I were to state the most hated things by me, Alarms will easily dominate everything and will take the first place. "Allen did you wake up¡­!?" and if the alarm wasn''t enough, my mother is also there. She is also not so different from the alarm. Instead of those vibrations, all the other characteristics match. "Yeah¡­" I replied back. ¡­ After swearing for a couple of more minutes I calmed down and went on ahead to dress up for school. With nothing else to complain about, I left the house and soon I was met by Alex¡­ again. I don''t know how but he pops us whenever. It''s like he intentionally chose to come at me. Otherwise, we would meet every day, wouldn''t we? "Allen," he said, "What will you be doing about IT?" He was staring at me eagerly. "I don''t know¡­" I replied vaguely. "Huh? Aren''t you supposed to plan something? It''s the first time we were asked to choose our seat partners¡­!" he exclaimed. "You tell me then, who will be willing to become a partner with me?" I asked him. "What? There are a lot of people out there¡­!" he said enthusiastically. "Then name those people," I said. "Well, there''s ¡­. Oh him- that''s right you have him-" he tried thinking of a name but the moment he imagined the person''s image sitting alongside me it vanished. "Alex, let''s just finish our talk here. I don''t want to embarrass you even more," I said, "I appreciate your help¡­" "What? Even more! What do you mean by that¡­?" he exclaimed about the wrong part. "Well there''s that- and oh that''s right it''s there-" "... Allen you are making it even more worse than it was so let it go¡­" Alex said as he understood exactly what I meant by those nonsense words. ¡­ After successfully capturing another person I was able to utilize Peter to its full strength. I used his influence to reduce those rumors and all the things related to it. But I didn''t try to do it excessively, otherwise, it could have been repulsive because the more it affects the more its drawbacks are. So I only reduced it to only a certain extent. And only by the end of the day, the gazes were reduced a bit. Peter''s popularity isn''t a joke. That dude is loaded with admirers. But that day didn''t just end up like that. Later that afternoon I met up with Lily. ¡­ {Yesterday''s Afternoon} "Lily," I said. "Allen," she said as she gazed at me and scanned the surrounding area. "What''s the status¡­?" I asked her. "Well, first of all, I don''t believe this place is a good place to hide if we are trying to reduce any chances of getting caught together," she said as she made a remark. "Why? What''s the problem here?" I asked her. "Why? Just look around, Allen. This place is swamped with people and who knows maybe there will be students from our school as well," she said as she constantly looked all around. "Relax. You just said that this place is swamped with people. If someone were to be here they wouldn''t be able to discrete us and the rest of the crowd," I said, "It''s a good camouflage as compared to the empty classroom." "... That''s true¡­" she agreed. Apparently, the place I told her to meet after school was Central Park. And with all those crowds it was the best option to not get caught. If we were to be in the classroom, there was a chance that we might encounter another student. And if we were to choose to talk while walking, it was possible that we might get caught by some student. And the last option, she came to pick me up from my home wasn''t an option. I can I can''t let my mother suspect me of anything. So with all other routes blocked I decided to choose this place, Central Park. A place where numerous people come. "Let''s begin now," she said. "Sure," I gave her the signal to go. "So our culprit is this girl. It is the same girl that I mentioned earlier and this girl studies in our school," Lily said as she showed her laptop screen to me. "What? Our school? Really? Which year?" I asked. "She is in her second year, the same age as us. But-" she paused. "But?" I looked at her as I diverted my gaze from the laptop screen to her. "She has attended the school for like only a week or so in total," Lily said. "Huh? That''s not possible," I said, "Isn''t there some kind of rule that a student has to come to school for a specific number of days. And I am pretty sure that that number is nowhere near 7 days in two years." "She is an exception. She is going through some kind of health problem. Although it isn''t any serious but through her father''s influence she has been exempted from most of our school''s regulations," Lily said, "And guess what." "What?" I asked. "Including all her days in our school she was present on the same day you were on that STAGE," Lily said and emphasized the time of her appearance. "Well, well isn''t that too convincing?" I asked her. All the specifics of the incident match to her, but if it is the work of the Student Council they wouldn''t be so careless. "I thought of it as well. But the only problem is that she isn''t in contact with anyone except Harrison. Also, she doesn''t usually leave her house as her appearance has only been once a week or maybe once a month," she said. "How do you know all this?" I asked her. "Well her father and mine are somewhat close. Or used to be. So, I have met her a couple of times and no more than that. That''s when I came to know that she doesn''t leave her house," she said. "All things considered and taken note of, how are we going to catch her?" I asked her. If she had dug this far, she should have at least thought of a plan. "That''s why Allen you should have reached out to me earlier," she seemed proud of herself, "I have a plan to catch her¡­" Her voice vibrated in my ears. That''s the sound of me getting out of this hole. ¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 128 - Trust? Its Just A Sham {Present Time} I entered the class after meeting with Alex. And when I stepped inside the classroom I realized it. IT is the day we choose our partners. "Who are you going to choose¡­?" "Wel¡­ if I had to choose someone from among boys it would definitely be Peter." "Peter, huh? Isn''t that goin'' to be difficult for you? You aren''t the only one who wants him." "Don''t tell you are one of them¡­?!" "No¡­ I was thinking maybe Noah." "Hmm¡­ why him¡­?" As I was passing by I heard a couple of the girls talking about choosing their seatmates. I don''t why they are all getting excited. It''s just a stupid thing from my perspective. ¡­ {After Getting back after talking with Peter yesterday it was already the last period} I thought it wouldn''t take any more than an hour or so, but who knew it would take even more than two hours? Still it''s best to know that after all this it ended with my profitability. I got Peter under my palm and got to know one of my past stains that could be used against me by the Student Council. Evidence can be changed by the user and it''s pretty clear to me that the Student Council would do anything in order to expel me. So, I have to make sure that my percentage of being is increased as I increase my troops. I can''t say for sure about Iris or Lily as they could betray me at any point but I now have Peter who will be willing to sacrifice himself and if he isn''t then I know what will make him do it. I just needed that one shield that could take hits for me and not bite me in the back and I achieved that. "Alright everyone I have an announcement to make so please be seated!" my homeroom teacher. I wonder what it is about. *Silence* Not long after everyone took their seats. "Ahem! So, we have decided to change the current seating arrangements-" Even before she could continue further an uproar had already started in the class. "No¡­" "I don''t want to change seats¡­" *Thum* IN frustration the teacher slammed her thick book against the podium and glared at all those who were whining about the matter. "AS I was saying¡­ the seats will be changed. It''s set on a stone so this won''t be changed but. But this time we have devised a new way to change your seats," she said. "?" "You all will be given a piece of paper tomorrow and you just have to write the person you wish to sit with. Simple right?" she said. "But what''s the catch here¡­?" Liz asked. "Well, the seats will only be seated if they both mutually write each other''s name on that paper. For example, there are three students and both B and C wish to be seated with A but only one can. So, the decision rests with A. If A decides to choose C instead of B, A and B will be seated together," she said, "So it''s just a way to let you guys get close, and this way you will be able to understand each other better also." "Then what is supposed to happen with B?" Peter raised the obvious question. "Hmm¡­ since that person will be left we decided to give you another chance," she continued, "You all will be given three chances to choose the person you wish to be seated with. In descending order, the first name being the top priority. And in case it couldn''t be full-filled it would automatically be taken to your second option and so on. Also, don''t use the one with the same category. It''s necessary that you choose someone from the opposite gender." "Why¡­!" "Noo¡­" From the teacher''s perspective, it might seem a menial thing but to other students, it felt like they were practically proposing to the person. Naming the first person you wish to sit with isn''t something you openly tell. I am no expert in ''love thingy'' but the only thing I know is that it isn''t something anyone can openly tell. "Oh sorry did I ask for opinions?" The teacher had this scary glare that not a single soul stood up again. "..." For a moment everyone tried to completely grasp the situation. Well if I were to say, this arrangement is just making me think how lonely I am. No matter how much I think, It''s not like I can''t decide but it''s more like I don''t want to. Also, it goes the opposite way. No one wants to sit with me. "Also the names won''t be revealed. But if you want then you can choose to discuss it with others. You have approximately half a day. Tomorrow it will be decided," she said, "Class dismissed." ¡­ [Present Time} "A-Allen¡­" I felt my shirt getting pulled. "Hmm? What is it, Selene?" I turned and saw the cat-like small paws pulling my shirt in the opposite direction, the direction Selene was sitting. "W-Who were you t-thinking to s-sit with¡­?" she asked me. "That''s a hard question you asked me, Selene," I said as I tried to free my shirt from her grasp but it seems like she wasn''t intending to let it go easily, "What about you?" "I-I can''t t-tell¡­ you," she said. "Why? It isn''t like I will tell someone," I said. "N-No! I can''t tell¡­ you," she said as her grasp seemed, even more, stronger than before. I don''t know why but I am feeling even more curious now. "Okay, okay. You don''t have to yell at me you know," I replied to her as I again tried to shrug her off. But slowly, I know for sure she doesn''t mean any harm so instead of reacting to it I slowly tried to shake her hand off but it wouldn''t budge at all. "S-Sorry," she apologized as she instantly let go of my shirt and covered her face. "..." How am I supposed to respond here? Also is it just me or does her hands really look small like a cat''s pawn? It''s slightly pink at the fingertips and the nails pointy. Has her hand always been like this? ¡­ "Alright everyone," our homeroom teacher entered with a black box in her hand, "Let''s play the game of fate." Why is she being so cringy the first thing in the morning? I already had a bad start and now this¡­ don''t creep me out. I have been going through some creepy things already. "..." All eyes set on the black box as it held their seat partners for the whole year, wait, for the whole year? She didn''t mention how long the seating arrangement will take. "Here you go. Take a paper and pass the remaining behind you," she handed us a bundle of paper, "Also, in case someone is left tell me beforehand." I raised my hand. "Allen," she saw my hand. The entire class was now staring at me. Why can''t they just mind their own business, is it this much fun looking at me? "Is this optional?" I asked. "Huh? What is optional?" she asked me instead. "I mean is it necessary for everyone to take part in this?" I elaborated on my question. "Why? Are you afraid that you won''t be able to sit with the person you wish for?" she said. "On the contrary actually," I said, "So, can I sit out from this?" "Is there anyone else like Allen¡­?" she looked at the entire class and asked. No one spoke a word but I could see glimpses of people laughing at me. But watching them I was feeling delighted cause now they will know what''s actually happening with their life. "Alright Allen," she said, "You can sit out from it. Just don''t say a word while everyone else is writing, okay?" "Understood," I replied. ¡­ After a long break after everyone submitted their piece of paper, they all were now ready for the results. Of course, I didn''t concern myself with that. I sat on the chair that I have been sitting on since the beginning of the semester. ¡­ Let''s just skip the part where I wasted my whole day doing nothing to the last period when our homeroom came inside with a big white sheet rolled under her palm. "I must say it was quite something," she made a remark. "What does she mean by that?" "I don''t know." "I will not say if the results were good or bad but the only thing that I will say is that you are now just a year younger before you reach adulthood so you should now be able to discrete things. No, it''s not an option. You have to learn it and with this, you might get the hint," she said in a serious tone. Many scratched the back of their head, few looked at each other for answers but it seems like I only know the meaning of those words. Well after being targeted, I know a few things that these students don''t know about. Never trust someone. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 129 - Dont Play The Cards, Play The Women You know the point when we learn the truth is the moment we realize all this time we''re just deluding ourselves. Nothing goes as planned, ever so I learned nothing is going to last forever. And that''s how we came to know what betrayal exactly is. "I must say it was quite something," she made a remark that many couldn''t even decipher. "What does she mean by that?" "I don''t know." "I will not say if the results were good or bad but the only thing that I will say is that you are now just a year younger before you reach adulthood so you should now be able to discrete things. It''s not an option. You have to learn it and with this, you might get the hint," she said in a serious tone. This wasn''t something these bunch of kids could understand. Well, I am also of similar age to them but I have experienced things they have only seen in movies so it''s obvious that I would be able to understand those words. "..." the atmosphere was uncomfortable for everyone, except for me. I was kind of amused by everyone''s expression. "So here''s the result-" The Homeroom teacher didn''t waste any more of our time and hung the white paper she was holding till now in front of the whole class. ¡­ Frowned eyes, half-bitten lips, and wavery eyes, either of these things could be noticed on these people. Isn''t this spectacular scenery? Now they know what it means to cooperate with someone you didn''t wish for. "Tsk!" "Hey, did you just click your tongue at me?!" "And what if I did?! I didn''t wish for you to sit me¡­! It was the last thing I hoped for!" "Huh!? I also didn''t wish for it you know! You were also my last option¡­!" "Hey, hey. Why don''t you settle down first¡­?" Alex said as he jumped in between, "It''s not like we can change the outcome now, can we? Let''s just accept it¡­" "Alex, didn''t you write my name on your first priority¡­?" "A I-I-" "Anna, you didn''t write my name¡­?" "Peter, you also choose someone else¡­?" This one is by Andrew. Peter mentioned him earlier. "Wait, you aren''t happy sitting with me, Alex?" Alex''s partner questioned him and his frowned eyebrows with a slightly curled up skin on the forehead wasn''t a sign of happiness. Let me briefly describe what actually happened here a few moments earlier. Absolutely no one, literally no one got to sit with their first priority. Also, the ironic thing is that the last choice they wrote is the ones who they got to sit with, and most didn''t get to sit with either of their choices. So all were disappointed. And they also got to know that they have just been delusional about their relationship. In reality, the ones they thought were close to weren''t actually the same case for the other person. And that''s how this led to this situation. Not one, not two but the entire class was in an uproar. Also, the teacher just left the classroom after revealing the results and closed the door on her way out. Well for me, I am sitting in the middle back with- "Anna, are you okay with sitting with him?!" It was Anna''s friend who yelled so loud that the entire class was looking at her. "... I¡­" she seemed hesitant. "Anna¡­ don''t tell me you choose to sit with HIM?!" her friend again yelled. Everyone could see the irritation in her eyes. On the other hand, Anna was trembling as her legs were shaking frantically, well that''s given in this situation. She couldn''t focus on her friend and her eyes desperately were moving here and there hoping someone would jump in to help her. And her last hope was Peter as she was constantly looking at him but he couldn''t also say anything. Or he won''t say anything. Also, she can''t openly admit it and she can''t deny it. It''s getting interesting. "I wonder who chose to sit you¡­? I am pretty you didn''t get to sit your first choice either so why dig into others'' matter? Just worry about yourself," I said. "H-Huh!? I didn''t ask you, so just shut the hell up¡­!" she exclaimed. "I would have if you were yelling at someone else but unfortunately you are screaming at someone who is sitting beside me and seeing her this isn''t making ''comfortable'' so just think before you speak," I glared at her. "Anna, tell me you aren''t okay with sitting with HIM!" She completely ignored me. "Emiliya¡­ I¡­" "Anna?!" that girl, is she worried about her friend? I am guessing she chose Anna for her priority and if not then why would she be so desperate? "Y-You¡­! Don''t tell me you forced her to s-sit with you¡­!" she didn''t yield back. "Y-Yeah¡­ he could have done that¡­" "He doesn''t have anyone so he must have forced her¡­" Hearing that Anna was even more agitated. But that doesn''t matter now. "Oh really? And when do you think I forced her to do this?" I asked her. "T-That''s¡­" she couldn''t say. "Let me finish that sentence for you," I said, "This announcement was announced at the ending hours of school so after that, I am pretty sure I went directly home and in case you deny it, you tell me one thing then. Were you tailing me?" "W-What! That''s not tr-" "I am not finished," I stopped her, "You can''t deny the fact that I left the classroom and after attending the second year this long even as ''introvert'' as me could guess that you and Anna are somewhat- Close. So it''s possible you both went home together." "Where are you getting at¡­?!" she screeched. Her high-pitched voice vibrated inside my head. "Don''t yell I am getting there," I said, "If you both went home together how is it possible for me to have a talk with her? Hmm? Also even if it''s after you both went separate ways how is that possible that I contacted her? I don''t know where she lives." "Y-You could have tailed us or her!" She stood her ground. "That''s also possible. But imagine a scenario where I try to approach her when she is walking home all alone." "..." "Does she live in a remote area? Not likely. So if I were to even touch her all of a sudden wouldn''t she have made some kind of scream? If that were to happen I wouldn''t be sitting here instead I would be sitting inside a jail cell accused of being attacking HER," I said. "..." she tried to say something but while she was comprehending what to do next I had already swept away the ground that she was standing on. "If you don''t want to get embarrassed more just swallow the defeat and sit down," I said, "Right now." I baited her and it seems like it worked perfectly. "You-You! Bastard¡­!" she came charging at and instantly grabbed my colors and tried squeezing them as hard as she could. "Emiliya! Please s-stop¡­" Anna exclaimed. "Just up Anna! I won''t let him bully or threaten him any further¡­!" Ah, her name is Emiliya. "Listen to her, Emiliya. If you won''t separate my hand now you might get into trouble later on¡­" I gave her a warning but it was only loud enough for her to hear. "Scum! You are doing something I know¡­!" she exclaimed. Eyebrows in its worst citation ever, teeth crashing against each other. She then tried pulling me towards her but her fragile hands weren''t strong enough to move me. *Creak* "What''s going on here¡­!" It was the Homeroom teacher. She paced in our direction and was pretty astounded by the situation she was watching right now. "Emiliya let go of him right this instant!" she said. "B-But-" "I won''t be saying it again!" "..." she shrugged her hand off me but her glare wasn''t. "You and I will have a talk with you later. Come with me after the classes are over," the teacher said in a stern voice. Emiliya nodded in agreement. "Rest of you! I can''t believe you were just watching this happen? Couldn''t one of you at least think of stopping them¡­ or reach me out!" She was outraged. But partially it was her fault also. She knew this wasn''t going to end well and without her presence, it would only worsen. In rage, she left the room but this time she glared at each and every one. It was a hint that if this were to happen again this won''t end up good for either of them. "Maybe¡­ Emiliya was overreacting¡­" "Yeah¡­" "Allen doesn''t even talk so how will he force Anna into doing it¡­" "Yeah, I guess even Anna is like us¡­" And that''s how it is done. No one knows what actually happened here but all this was pretty much staged and of course the award goes to Peter and Anna. They played their role pretty nicely. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 130 - She Lied {The Late Afternoon when Allen left after talking with Lily} "I thought of it as well. But the only problem is that she isn''t in contact with anyone except Harrison. Also, she doesn''t usually leave her house as her appearance has only been once a week or maybe once a month," she said. "How do you know all this?" I asked her. "Well her father and mine are somewhat close. Or used to be. So, I have met her a couple of times and no more than that. That''s when I came to know that she doesn''t leave her house," she said. It''s been far too long and after all this time I only know a handful of information so, "Mind telling me in detail?" "Well¡­" she seemed to be disputing whether to tell me or not. "I would like to know the smallest of details about her. Just as an assurance," I said. "... Fine but you can''t tell this to anyone," she said. "I won''t," I instantly replied. "Right¡­ so it was around the time when I was 10 years old," she said. I noticed her breathing getting bigger. "10? What happened that time?" I asked. "That girl and I used to be close, our father used to meet so we decided to go on a small picnic," she said. "Picnic?" "What? Didn''t you go somewhere fun with your friends when you were in middle school or in elementary?" she asked me. "... I for one went to a park¡­ alone¡­ so is it considered a picnic?" I asked her now. "Allen you- don''t tell me you haven''t gone somewhere with your friends to play also¡­" she seems appalled. "I shall give you all of my personal details later on, okay? So why don''t we focus on ''your'' story for the time being?" I said. "Ah. Yes. Where was I-" "Picnic," I said. Gosh, how long is it going to take now? I have already gone through the thing with Peter not too long ago, and now this¡­ "Yes! My father couldn''t come so it was me, her, her father, my brother, my personal servant or you can say a bodyguard, and someone special to me and my brother," she said. Just say- ''A total of 5.'' I don''t want to know who was and who wasn''t there. "Then what happened?" still I asked. "... Well it started with a pleasant picnic but soon turned into something that I still can''t cope my feelings with. Also¡­" her voice felt heavier or the entire atmosphere felt weird all of a sudden. "Also¡­?" "That was the day her father died due to¡­ an unforeseen incident. And ever since that she couldn''t leave her house or maybe her room¡­ or she didn''t want to leave that is," she said and I noticed watery eyes. "Still I don''t understand why would she then come to school? And of all days, she decided to come that day only? I asked. "I¡­ wasn''t the only friend she used to have. The School President, Harvey was also somewhat close to her. Maybe he asked her to come to school¡­" "Now that we are on this topic," I raised a question, "The Student Council doesn''t seem to be taking any kind of interest in you, right?" "H-Huh? Why would you say th-that¡­?" she seemed a bit taken aback. "Well you are one of the few influential people in the school so it''s possible for them to use your popularity to get me in the corner," I said. "N-No, nothing like that," she said. "But of all people Him, huh? That doesn''t look good. If he is there then it''s going to get difficult," I remarked. "Why?" she asked me. "Well if he arranged all this even before I got the gist of this then he isn''t that dumb. He is extremely quick-witted so he must have used that girl''s vulnerability and used it," I said. "Why would¡­ she let herself get used by¡­ him then?" she asked me. "Why wouldn''t she? You didn''t get in contact with her ever since she shut herself up, right?" I asked. "Y-Yeah¡­ although I regret it ever since," she said. "You didn''t get in touch with her and possibly her rest of other friends also didn''t. If I am right then it''s possible that Harvey took the first step and gained her trust and possibly someone she thought of him as someone she could lean on other than her mother," I said, "You can''t easily express yourself with your parents so it''s most likely that the one closes to her was Harvey. And depending on the situation she didn''t want to burden her mother even more." "... If you put it like that¡­ it makes sense but I don''t think Harvey is that kind of person," she said. "What kind of person?" I asked her. "Who uses someone for his own benefits," she seemed confident in that. "How do you know all this?" "Well¡­" she was conflicted about whether to tell me or not. "Lily, you know that if you can''t be honest with me I can''t comply with you any further," I said without giving any second thought. No matter the benefit, it wouldn''t matter if I were to be backstabbed in the end. "... I have been in touch¡­" she said as if she was covering something. And apparently, my doubts about her turned out to be true. "..." "Allen, at least say something¡­" Lily said with her eyebrows bent downwards. Alright now, how shall we deal with this? This isn''t what I had expected, this development might take some time to solve. "Lily," I said in a very low voice. "Y-Yes¡­" she seemed a bit shaken. Well, that''s a given she hid the most important thing from me. It''s just like infiltrating the enemy grounds in the name of a helper and then throwing a bomb at the headquarters and asking if they aren''t hurt or not. "Mind if I leave now¡­?" I said. "W-Wha- No-" "It was a rhetorical question. But never mind that. I will be leaving now and before I leave I think it''s better to say this now off," I said. "W-What¡­?" "Never approach me," I said, "I don''t care what you do but please mind your distance from me. And about That Girl, forget about it. I am better off alone than working with someone who is already colluding with the enemy. "W-Wa- No- Tha-" she wasn''t just in conflict but she was jeopardized. I don''t care who she talks with. I just want to exploit that guilt that she has been carrying all this time. The more I hit that exact mark the more it will hurt. "Lily you know I was pretty sure you would be on my side after all that happened. Meeting with my mother and with all the talking¡­ but I guess I was just disillusioning myself all this time," I said. "N-No! That''s not true¡­!" she exclaimed. "Let''s see¡­ What should I say? You clearly know who I am going against. You extended your hand to help me, I even felt bad to doubt you and I still did but not now," I said. "..." "You didn''t even consider telling me that you have been in contact with the one man that tried to expel me not too long ago. If our conversation wouldn''t have gotten this far would you have considered, ever thought of telling me that¡­?" I poured salt on her open wounds. "N-No I didn''t tell him anything," she said. "I am sorry for saying all this but after knowing all this I don''t feel like talking with you any longer¡­" I said. "Allen! I am sorry! I am telling the truth¡­! I haven''t told him anything about our meetings. It''s just that I was meeting with a friend. I have known him for a long time but after what he did to you that day I have been constantly trying to change his mind about all this¡­" she said. "... Really? You have just been trying to change his mind¡­?" I said. "Yes. Nothing else," she said. "... You have made this difficult for me Lily," I said, "What should I do now¡­? You aren''t being honest with me and now of all times, you tell me this. How am I supposed to trust you back again, huh? Who knows you have been hiding another lie that I don''t know off¡­" "... H-How about I do something to prove that I''m not colluding with the Student Council or the President?" she said. "What are you proposing?" I asked. "I will spy on how the President meets with our Secret Video maker and that way we can formulate a plan," she said. I guess the trick worked pretty well. Luring her right where I wanted. Acting innocent and making a face that had just been wronged was a nice strategy. "... If you could do that then I might think about changing my mind¡­" I said half-heartedly. I don''t want my lie to get caught. "Don''t worry about that yet. I will make sure you change your mind¡­!" her eyes lightened up. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ {The Timeline Will Continue in the Next Chapter as well.} Chapter 131 - Pre-Planned "I will spy on how the President meets with our Secret Video maker and that way we can formulate a plan," she said. "... If you could do that then I might think about changing my mind¡­" I said half-heartedly. I don''t want my lie to get caught. "Don''t worry about that yet. I will make sure you change your mind¡­!" her eyes lightened up. "Lily¡­ I don''t know if you get this but I don''t want to get expelled," I said, "And the only person who is the most interested in getting me expelled is The President so¡­" "Don''t worry. I am also not pleased by the way he used on you," she said, "I was just trying to make him take back his statement." "Why are you trying to vindicate yourself now?" "Huh?" "You are going to find a way to catch the culprit," I said, "Till then consider us as strangers." "..." she couldn''t reply. "Take care and don''t take too long¡­ because I might consider taking this matter to someone else so don''t think you are the only person who can help me. I just accepted your kindness but I got fooled so think twice before you come and talk to me," I said and stood up from my seat. I didn''t take a single glance at her and left her behind. But she said something that echoed in my ears, "That''s why Allen you should have reached out to me earlier," she seemed proud of herself, "I have a plan to catch her¡­" ¡­ I walked down the usual road I used to get, so the scenery wasn''t much different than usual but on the contrary, it felt refreshing. Is it because I was able to take one step further in clearing my name? That can''t possibly be it, I am just trying to not escalate the matter this high that it leads to my parents. All I care, they can go ahead and criticize, glare, or do whatever they want. It wasn''t too dark nor was it too bright, the street lights were on but their presence hardly made any difference. Walking down, I noticed a couple of people but non-took interest. Watching the surroundings made me realize people don''t really care what is happening to me. The only people that act differently against me are only from school. No one really takes interest in me. Each is busy with their own share of problems. "Allen¡­" about a couple of meters I saw someone standing just right in front of my house. I continued walking till the face started to become familiar. "Allen! I wanted to talk to you about the thing that happened today¡­" "Peter, how did you know where I lived?" I asked. It was Peter who was standing in front of me. Didn''t he already have enough today after what he told me? Is he just faking it now or was he faking it then? "Well I asked our homeroom teacher¡­?" he himself seemed to be in doubt. "You know you have to try much better if you wish to fool me," I said. "?! I am sorry¡­ I looked into our class register," he said. "IS that so? So, what did you want to talk about¡­?" I asked him. "Well¡­" "Before that, clear this f0or me first," I said. "What is it¡­?" he scratched his own head but only for a second. "I don''t know exactly how close you were to Ryan but after you talked about him to me and by your looks, at that time it appeared that you felt guilt about what had happened to him but you are here within front of me as if nothing has happened," I took a step further. "A-Allen you are scaring me¡­." he said. "I know but you won''t have to be afraid of me if you could just answer a few of my questions first," I said as I was just a couple of fingers away from him. I could feel his breath getting staggered. Eyes weren''t focusing at all. Hands shaking slightly but he tried to hide that. Lips trembling. Now I can see his true self. Now I understand, all the facade, the face he puts up all the time isn''t his real identity. It''s for him to hide his fearful self. All this time has he hidden this? If we look at it from a different perspective it''s something many can''t do. After a certain amount of time they break. But it seems like he held his emotions back for almost a year and was still able to put on a facade. Let''s see if my final push exposes his real emotions to the outside world or not. "How come you aren''t affected by his DEATH? Did you lie in front of me all this time? You didn''t actually feel guilt for what you did to him¡­??" Now tell me if you can actually hold back or not? I have already hit you hard enough to break you earlier. I don''t know how you were able to maintain yourself but till now what happens if I knock at that same crack again? Show me the answer. "... A-Allen¡­ we met¡­ just right after school ended¡­ and after that, you went somewhere¡­ else¡­ But I still wanted to talk about something¡­ so I came here¡­ so why don''t we just¡­ talk about that¡­ as of¡­ now¡­?" he said. That''s weird. It feels like if I just touch him now he will burst into tears but with that expression, no one could believe that this person just had a major breakdown earlier today. Has he perfected not letting others see his real self, was it also because the wound was new and it hurt more earlier when I was going at him? That''s new. I believed I could use that strategy to control him but it appears like I just have to do this in a much more fierce manner. Also, it was around noon when we both talked about his past and later it was when school hours ended but it was only for a couple of minutes because after that I had to go with Lily. "Sure," I said, "I just felt it weird since you were acting Just fine after what happened." "..." he nodded. Does he not want me to face him, I mean if he didn''t then he wouldn''t be looking in the opposite directions, right? "So? What did you want to talk about¡­?" I asked. "Well¡­ I was wondering whom you will be sitting with? You don''t have anyone, right?" he asked me after he was completely embarrassed or putting on his facade. "I don''t know," I said without giving it any thought. The answer was pretty clear, not just to me but to Peter and as well as the Entire School. "Right¡­? How about I sit with you?" he said something stupid. "Are you stupid? And also the answer is NO," I said. "What? Why?" he asked me. "Well first of all¡­ I don''t want to increase my ''popularity'' as it is already," I said, "So in case you are here with another great idea just like this one then just leave." "No, no. I have another one," he said confidently, "I can ask someone to sit with you. Isn''t that much better?" "But who? Who will agree to sit- sit with me¡­" "What? Do you know someone who will?" he asked me. "... This might feel stupid but can you help me out on this one?" I asked him. "Sure. What is it¡­?" he asked me. "Here''s the idea," I began my plan. ¡­ I have placed a blind eye on the first thing I should have solved, to find the culprit who was the cause of all those 50 students'' kidnapping. The only lead I have was Anna but before I could jump further into it I was blocked by not just one but the entire Student Council. But that doesn''t concern me much since the Principal is back and also I have already got hints about who leaked the video. Now I just need to place a bit of my focus on Anna and the CULPRIT. I will ask Anna to sit with me and use my name as the first priority. I know for sure that she will accept it. If she won''t I have to use other means. She already told me that she will assist me and if she declines it I can just threaten her about the start rumors. Either way, she will have to comply with my request. We can no longer say it is just a request, more like a command. It''s also predicted that there will be a few resistance about why Anna sat with me. And that''s how I take advantage of the privilege school provides. The No Showing of Result. It''s possible not everyone will get to sit with their ideal partner and this could happen with Anna but it''s only a matter of luck who gets the worst luck. Because at least one of the students has to sit with me willingly or forcefully. Anna won''t tell anyone because she fears everyone might get to know why she is complying with me and Peter won''t say a word because I have already in my palms. It''s a¡­ Win-Win. Well not exactly for everyone but I want to call my win twice. So, Win-Win. At least let me end my day with one or two good things. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 132 - What Is True {Present Time} [Seats Re-Arranged] After a while, all the commotion created by me came to a calm. "Poor Anna¡­" some said. "It''s possible Allen might have forced her to do it¡­" another opinion. "But even if he forced her to sit with him, wouldn''t he need some kind of dirt on her?" That''s an interesting point of thinking. "Do you think Anna has done something bad¡­?" Now that''s a leading question. "Maybe¡­ but what could it be¡­?" see a series of questions are being raised. "Hey, we don''t even know for sure if she even has one¡­" Just me sitting beside her had caused a silent commotion across the room. From one perspective it''s not very good for Anna or for me but that''s what an outsider will think. From my point of view, it''s quite productive. The more pressure Anna exerts the more chances are for her to reveal me the name of the CULPRIT. No matter who it is, a person would drag down someone else at desperate times no matter the situation. And I am guessing it''s not long before Anna breaks. All of this is just to put her into a corner. She can''t ask someone for help otherwise she would be self suiciding. I just have to be patient because it''s possible the CULPRIT might have gotten some kind of hint about me getting to him. But it''s most unlikely. With the Student Council at my back and the risk of being expelled isn''t the ideal time for me to look around for the CULPRIT. "Pst¡­ Allen¡­" Anna threw her eraser at me. "Hmm¡­ what is it?" I said. Since everyone was busy with their own reasonings and thought no one was really paying attention to me or to Anna at the moment. "Why did you do all this¡­? Aren''t you in a risky position like this?" she said. Are you worried about me or about yourself? Which is it? As for me, I think it''s the prior one. "Eventually I was to sit with someone and instead of sitting with someone who resents me isn''t good so I thought I should ask for your help since you also agreed to help me and all," I said. "?!" This alarmed her. "Also they would eventually figure it out that either it be you or be it someone else someone still had to sit with me and luck ran out for ''you''," I said. "Yeah, luck really ran out for me¡­" Anna said. Her voice was even lower. "What was that? At least speak it loud enough for me to hear it," I said. "N-Nothing," she said reluctantly. "If you say so¡­" I replied. ¡­ Periods went by and nothing much was changed except all those who were gossiping about my seating arrangements are now more concerned about Anna. Even though they were getting all kinds of suspicious of her but all that passed on since no one knew or had any kind of thing against her. She was just a girl who had a neutral relationship with everyone in the class. Or more like she was the interacter for the class. But she had one friend who she considered somewhat close and that girl was Emiliya. She didn''t think twice and blamed that I forced Anna to sit with me but eventually I shut her up so there isn''t any problem so far. Everything is going as planned. "Anna¡­ care to talk about the one who spread the rumors about me¡­? I could use your help right now," I said. "?!" she was petrified for a second. She must have been flabbergasted. She knows for certain that she will have to keep her guard up for the entire day and she also knows that she isn''t someone who could cover a lie. "Anna? Is everything okay? We can talk later if you aren''t feeling good now," I said. "Y-Yeah I am not feeling well¡­ I should take a walk outside for a minute¡­ if you excuse me¡­" she replied. She was sweating a lot and her fingers couldn''t even standstill. Let''s see how far she can endure it all. ¡­ It was around lunch break but it was raining outside so it was instructed to stay put in the classroom for the time being. "Anna ca-" before I say anything she would stand up and walk right to where her friends would be sitting. "I guess some other time then," I mumbled to myself. ¡­ It was the second last period but the teacher was on leave so it was a free period. And fortunately, all of us were told to do as we like. So of course why would anyone want to stay still in the classroom? In just a blink of an eye half, the classroom was empty. And the remaining was taken by Peter. Getting Peter on my side was the best choice taken so far. With just being left behind Anna, Selene, Liz, Noah, and me it was like an awkward time for all of us. "Anna¡­" I whispered. With the sound of windows shaking by the wind the closest person to me could listen and no one else. "What is it¡­?" she said in a very low voice. I couldn''t clearly hear her but I could see her lip movements. "The thing that I said earli-" "I can''t right now," she said, "They could hear us¡­" With that, she left the room and me behind. "Allen¡­" Noah called out to me out of nowhere. "What is it?" I said. "Well¡­ I was just wondering¡­ are you and Anna close?" he asked as he leaned forward a bit. "Huh? Why would you say that?" I asked. "You seem to be talking really low so I was just wondering if you had some kind of relation or not," he said. "About that, actually she used my eraser but she didn''t give it back so I was just asking for that," I said. "Oh, okay," he said and also left the room. We don''t really talk much so it was kind of strange talking to him. If I am guessing right, the last time we spoke was when? Right before the I.N.C.I.D.E.N.T HAPPENED? Anyway, Anna is able to hold on pretty long, I wonder how long do I have to pester her¡­ *Bam* Someone just slammed the door and it made the noise so loud that even the other flinched, not me of course. "Allen, you bastard!" Emilya came inside in rage and it seems like she wasn''t in a mood just for a pep talk. "Me?" I said. "What are you trying to pull, huh!" she slammed her hand on my desk and glared at me. "Maybe you can help me tell that answer," I said. "Why have you been trying to talk to Anna even though she doesn''t like it¡­!" she exclaimed. Ah, man. I forgot she also had a screw loose. "I don''t know what you are talking about¡­" I said and acted like I was thinking about it. "Y-You! Don''t try to fake it now! I have been watching all day¡­" she said. "All day? Were you stalking me¡­?" I said. "W-What?! Why would I- Why would you say that¡­?!" she was taken aback. "I just came to that conclusion by your statement," I said. "I was just looking out for my friend, Anna!" She said, "You might know about this but friends care about each other." "Well did she say something to you about me pestering her? Or troubling her?" I asked. "No¡­ of course, she couldn''t say it because you have threatened her to do all this. I know it!" she said as she extended her fragile arms and grabbed my collar. "I am sorry but she didn''t tell you and you weren''t stalking me so how did you know I was troubling her or even forcing her to do all this?" I asked. "No, No! You aren''t getting away this time through this.I don''t know what you did to do this to Anna but I will find it out and you better be ready for the consequences of your actions!" she said she closed the gap between us and growled at me. Since our distance was close enough I said it, "Are you sure your friend isn''t the one who could be lying? Just think about it, am I forcing her into doing all this? Or is she being to do this because she did something and this is the ''consequences'' of that? Or maybe she just had bad luck. Anything could have happened but the question is which one do you believe is true." "?!" she instantly let go of my collars. She seemed a bit confused but she might have also been trying to think her friend is the one that is being wronged and not the one who did the wrong. This should keep her quiet for a while. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 133 - My Stats She felt conflicted within herself so as a response she left the classroom with hitting her lips hard enough to make them bleed. Also, I completely forgot that there are other students here as well. I shouldn''t have raised the situation this much but with the people here I don''t think any of them would say anything to me. Even if they did, I would just talk my way out. *Step* Since the room was dead silent I could hear the steps outside the classroom. But these specific steps weren''t just passing by, it was getting closer and closer. Who is it? And just when I was wondering about that I noticed a figure that could be mistaken for mannequins if no life-like motions weren''t happening. "Allen, we need to talk," he said. It was Harrison who was standing at the entrance of the gate. I wonder what he wants with me? Isn''t he supposed to be on the enemy line? I asked first, "Why?" "We need to talk about you," he said. "Again- Why?" I wouldn''t prefer to comply with the enemy. "As I said, we need to talk. Just come outside for a second," he said. "Suspicious," I remarked. "Argh! Aren''t you testing my patience? Just come out," he said with a face that couldn''t be mistaken as pissed. "Why can''t we talk here?" I asked. "It''s not something that can be disclosed openly," he said. "If you say so¡­" I dragged my seatback. Although the seats weren''t that old, they still made the creaking sound at times and it really irritated me. ¡­ "So what is it?" I asked him. We walked down the stairs and were behind the gymnasium. The dappled sun shone through the trees, creating mysterious shadows. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. Tiny specks of dust seemed to dance in the shaft of afternoon sunlight that slanted through the window. "Here''s the deal," he said in a serious voice, "We dug into you and found something." "What?" I asked. "You were related to a boy''s suicide," he said and watched me with suspicion. "I don''t get your point," I said. "I am asking where you?" he asked me. "I wonder," I answered vaguely. "Alen, this isn''t time for this. I don''t know what actually happened but this isn''t a small matter," he said as he grabbed both of my shoulders at once. "I was not involved," I said. "Then how come you were involved?" he asked me. "I have no idea," I said. I can''t sell out Peter on this. Not at all. After a long time, I was able to gather one ally who won''t turn his back on me and I can''t let it go this early. Let me use him to full content. "I don''t know how but you are involved in almost every serious matter," he said, "Not just with school but outside as well. What are you doing? What actually happened to you? I have no idea but all the problems are laid just around you¡­" "Not at me, right? Isn''t this what you want to say?" I said as I forced myself out of his grab. "The kidnapping is related to you, the suicide is related to you, the Principal is in your favor, the outside school you are noticed with some people in black suits¡­" "What''s your point?" I asked him. "Who are you? You are the only person who is related to a complete mess yet except all that you nowhere¡­ How come?" he said. I could notice shivering in his lips since our distance was close enough and most of all he was sweating too much. "Who am I?... I wish I could answer that¡­ but sadly I Can''t," I said. Even though I don''t want to admit it, I myself don''t know who exactly I am. Memories distorted, kidnapped, HYDRAs, Hendricksons¡­ police, being targeted¡­ if someone were to hear all this about me, I am pretty sure he would think of all this as some kind of movie. "You¡­ aren''t the Principal''s secret child, right?" "Huh?" What the hell did he say? I thought he was about to say some kind of big thing, no, this is a big thing. How did he reach this ridiculous conclusion? "Are you on drugs?" I asked him. "N-No, why would you say that?" he was taken aback but not more than me. "I mean where did your mind go? Even if you were light on your head this morning you couldn''t have come to this conclusion," I said, "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?" "Of course not," he said. "If that''s all I should be leaving now," I said. "Allen, I don''t know who you are actually but you aren''t one of ''us''," he said. ¡­ With the end of our conversation, I returned to the classroom and sat there as if nothing had happened. Soon it was another free period. We are getting too much free time today. "I should really study¡­" I mumbled to myself since I couldn''t understand half of the things today. "Did you start preparing?" "About what?" "It''s the end of the first semester, tests are going to happen soon," Ah, man. I should start studying. I have excluded them more than enough already. If my score were to drop too much my folks will get suspicious since I usually score more than average and I don''t think I would hit average at this rate. Better brace myself now. Also, I will ask the Principal to take care of other things. I can''t focus on ''everything'' at the moment. Just right when the class was again empty I again dragged my seatback. This time I didn''t bother with Anna and instead walked outside directly. While I was walking down the passage I thought about the events today, not too long ago. That guy intentionally emphasized the word ''us'' intentionally. I don''t know what''s going with him but it was definitely something that indicated something. What did he mean by ''us''? As a student of this school? Or as a human being? Well, I am certain that I am a human being, no doubt about that and being a student of this school is also given. So what exactly did he mean by that? Whatever he meant by it isn''t going to be known any time soon. I will ask him personally next time I meet him. Just when I was passing down my classroom I noticed him again but this time a black-headed girl was walking beside him. I couldn''t see her face but I think I have seen her somewhere. "So what did he say¡­?" "Apparently he isn''t¡­" I couldn''t hear them clearly, I could only hear whispering sounds. Since I already have to talk to him I decided to follow him. But I couldn''t just creepily follow. It would attract too much attention. What should I do? I slowly walked towards them subtly. Not trying to make out directly that I was following him but apparently no one noticed I was trying to follow him, they sure noticed ''me''. How can I forget about this? I am pretty infamous in the school. So wherever I go people start whispering, talking behind my back, and sometimes making a circle around me. That''s not good. Although there aren''t many students it''s still making me stand out and it wouldn''t be long before he also notices it. Should I not follow him? But I need to ask him about that. Can I really not? I could talk to him directly but that would make me look even more suspicious and there is a pretty good chance that he would ask me to come to talk to him later. Since he was already with someone and who knows maybe she is also in the council. I can''t do anything in the enemy territory. He came in mine but I am alone and he has the back of the entire Student Council, he could do that easily. But I can''t do that. Like that President twisting the facts was a pretty brutal hit for me he could do the same. And it might come at me. Is this what it feels like to be powerless against the boss-level threat? I haven''t been fond of games but people tend to say the boss is someone that has high stats already, as compared to the main character. If I were to put in terms of level, I would be at Level-10 with half H.P. but the Student Council would be at Level- 50 with 90 H.P. and above them all comes the President with Level- 100 and H.P. off the charts. No ordinary person with Level- 10 will battle with these Bosses until I have some kind of cheat. And apparently, I have the Principal and soon enough I would have the key to The secret gate that leads behind the Top Bosses base, the President, the one that Lily will find me. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 134 - Free [Hello everyone. I have pretty bad news to share. As much as I like to write the novel I think I can only continue this for a month more or less. I haven''t been able to give my all in my tests because of this but... But I don''t regret it. So I am still going to try my best. Also, one more important thing, I am in a pretty tense situation. I am having a cold and above this a runny nose that isn''t letting me sit and write the full chapters. If anyone would like to volunteer to help me a bit for the time being I would really appreciate it and of course, I might be able to reward the person as well when the time comes. That''s all. Now just enjoy the chapter.] ¡­ As I was following Harrison I was obstructed by the gazes and couldn''t find the perfect reason to stop him. I should just wait for the time being till Lily finds out about that girl. I wonder how much time she is going to take now. If she won''t come late this afternoon I might have to go to her. I might seem desperate but I am desperate. I can''t let this one thing that could end all this go. The only problem that arose was that video. Although they have zero evidence showing I have shot someone or anything about the rumors being true. They just have ''that'' video that could be used as evidence showing the disrespect and blighted the school''s honor. "Oh-ho~ Who it is¡­" I heard an irritating voice that I didn''t want to hear at all. "Roy," I said. *Click* "Did you hear something?" I asked him. I felt like I heard something. "H-Huh? What are you talking about¡­ anyway," he seemed shaken a bit but changed the subject instantly. As if he was trying to hide something. "How come you are alone? Oh, sorry you are always alone," he had this smug on his face. "How come you are talking sh*t always?" I replied. I don''t feel like talking to him at all. He is the last person I would want to look at. The irritating feeling I get from him is the second worst thing. The first, being that weird thing inside me. "! Mind your tongue Allen¡­!" he exclaimed. "Me? Aren''t you supposed to mind your tongue and everything else that comes along with it from me?" I said as I took a step closer. "Huh?! Don''t make me bash your head against the wall," he said as he tried to intimidate with his weird looking eyes and most of all he was trying to show his muscular strength in front of me. I mean dude- I have seen people far stronger and more mindful than you, is what I was thinking all this time. "Roy, I think you forgot what happened that day," I said, "By any chance did you forget what happened that day?" He has been acting like this since that math test in the Principal''s house and today also. Did he forget what I did to him that day? That can''t be possible since it''s not a thing that he could ever forget. I mean he cried in front of me. What else could be more embarrassing than that? "H-Huh? What are you talking about¡­?" he sounded confident and was also able to make his usual facial expression while saying that but his words certainly didn''t match his shiverings. His legs were completely losing ground and his hands were shaking to a point that I was able to see his hand''s impression shaking through his pockets. "Really? You don''t remember such a thing?" I asked him. "I don''t know what you are talking about¡­" he said with a laugh that could easily be discredited from his usual arrogant one. What''s he playing at? I know for certain that he hasn''t forgotten about the humiliation he received that day, if he didn''t he wouldn''t be shivering as of now. But the question is how come he is acting like this again? He was acting pretty silent until recently. "By any chance did the Council say something to you¡­?" I asked him. "Huh? Why are you mentioning them now¡­?" he asked. "Do you remember the lethal weapon you were holding that day?" I asked him. "!?" He took a few steps back. That''s right, he wasn''t in possession of that thing anymore. It''s with the Principal. When he collapsed I was able to hold onto it but since I didn''t know where I should keep it, I took it to the Principal. She already had a cupboard full of things that aren''t supposed to be in a cupboard. "Oh did I hit the mark?" I asked him as I slowly took a step towards him. "... S-Step back," he said as he pulled both his hands in front of me. It was good enough that there was no one around. It was a deserted place so I could do anything to him right now. "Step back? Why should I? I am not even doing anything to you¡­ yet," I said. "I said¡­ step back¡­" he said as his hands were shaking, still held up against me. "Tell me Roy¡­ do you really not remember what happened that day¡­?" "..." "The day when you dragged me inside that deserted room," I said. *Touch* Hands of his touched me around the chest region. And by the time his hands and my body had made contact he had already hit the rock bottom. There was no more space behind. He was already pushed against the wall. His hands were feeling since, with just the slightest push they went back a little. But he still had some fight left in him. "You brought some of your allies as well¡­ remember that yet?" I asked him. He forced his eyes shut and tried to look the other way. "No, no. You shouldn''t look away or lose eye contact. Tell me in the eye and say that again that you don''t remember what happened that day," I said. "..." "Roy, don''t you remember when you pulled the knife at me?" I said. "..." "Don''t you remember what happened next¡­?" it was only a couple of inches away now, his face and mine. He was acting as if I was swallowing him whole. It''s weird. First, he acted as if he was above me but when I was right in front of him he was acting like a cat in the rain. It''s weird. And that''s when I noticed it. It wasn''t him acting like this because he wanted to. He was doing that because someone forced him to. The place where no one is watching is a place where a digital eye watches. "Roy you¡­ who told you to do this?" I asked him. "..." he didn''t say a word. "Don''t play the victim here okay? I am supposed to be dead if I weren''t to do all that to you," I said. "..." he still didn''t say a word. "Roy this is the last warning I am doing okay? Just tell me who told you to do all this and I will let this go otherwise I might have to end things for you here and now," I gave him the first warning. "W-What are you talking about¡­?" he spoke. "Tell me who told you to do this? I know that this wasn''t your doing, someone persuaded you and I also know something behind the scenes is going on with you and it''s pretty shady so tell me and I won''t bother you anymore," I said. "I don''t know what you are talking about," he still didn''t break through his own wall. "Alright then," I said. I took out my phone and messaged someone that was not too long ago added to my contact list. {}-> For the Person Allen Called []-> For Allen speaking {Hello?} [Can you talk to Roy about ''that'' thing?] {... Are you sure? I mean you could have used him.} [I could use you.] {Aren''t you being too straightforward with that? At least try to hide it a little.} [Yeah. Anyway talk to him and also take care of him since it''s time to eliminate people. It''s enough of this.] {... Again, are you sure? You don''t want him to add to your ally list?} [Just tell me your answer and your opinion please.] {Okay, okay. Consider it done and just hand him the phone. I have to talk to him personally.} I separated my phone from my ears and lent it to Roy. He hesitantly took it and placed it right next to his ears. In just a few moments I noticed his eyes becoming blurry. A drop of water that felt like crystals rolled down his cheeks. And not too long after his entire face was covered with water. I couldn''t tell exactly what was going on inside Roy but I know for sure that he was going to be free from all this. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 135 - Not Anymore Absolutely no one knows this except me and the Principal but Roy''s entire family has been in the radar of HYDRAs ever since Roy returned from here. The Principal whose entire family was eradicated by the HYDRAs became a sensitive matter for her and that led her to investigate it personally. Soon it was found out that Roy was asked to try to put pressure on me and make the situation worse for me in order to keep his family safe. His entire household was held somewhere around the new construction site. He could only meet twice and as an assurance, they would let Roy see his parents on a regular basis but on one condition. ''To Never Let others know about this. If only a single word were to get out his younger sister''s arm will be chopped off along with his father''s all of the fingers.'' How do I know this? As I thought, the Principal wasn''t that incompetent, she is actually pretty finance and sly. She found this and took action accordingly. When did all this take place? I don''t know the specific date but I am guessing when she was trying to avoid any contact from me she was investigating that matter and here I was assuming she wasn''t feeling well because she let go of the only lead about the HYDRAs. Also, the ones she captured, the same group who had kidnapped Roy''s parents, were just ordinary streets though who had been paid beforehand so the trial that Principal turned out to be a disappointment. And most likely right now, the news is being disclosed to Roy as his eyes swell up. *Click* He gave me my phone back. "So how are you going to leave school on your own or do I have to expel you?" I asked him. "W-What¡­?" Although he was delighted beyond anything at the moment he still has to pay for all the troubles he has caused me. "You didn''t think that if you were forced to do anything you wouldn''t get punished, would you have been able to walk free if you were to tell the jury that you were forced to kill me?" I said. I don''t care what made him do all this but I can''t have a person like him around me at all. He is too impulsive and acts on emotions. The one thing that I can''t endure is the decisions made on emotions. It''s the worst thing any human can do with emotions. "B-But¡­ I was really forced¡­ what would you have done in that situation¡­?" he asked me. "Me? Of course, I would have done what they had told me to do," I said. "So why are you still after me¡­?" he asked me. "Your''s was found out by me. If you had hidden this fact and I wouldn''t have known about this I wouldn''t do anything like this but that''s not the reality," I said, "You got caught. You have to pay the price." "... Why should I listen to you anyway¡­?" he said. So ungrateful. I helped him free his family and all his struggle, why can''t he just do one thing I tell him to? "I was hoping you would accept my gracious offer but it appears you aren''t going to accept it so why not see this before you get expelled?" I unlocked my phone and opened my gallery. ¡­ Right, when I was pulled inside the room I needed a perfect alibi that I was threatened and forced. So I instantly took my phone out and opened the camera. Although the room wasn''t lit up, the camera was still able to capture certain images, and most of the time, it recorded the conversation pretty clearly. And after I knocked out Roy, I checked the video. And miraculously my phone has a feature to automatically enable night mode. So not just slight images but it was clear enough to discrete the people inside the video and above all Roy was seen pretty nicely and clearly attacking me. It wasn''t me who was going to get expelled but it was him. I could have used this on him earlier but I didn''t, I had to find out the truth and my guess his family being threatened or him being threatened turned out to be true. There was a slight possibility of HYDRAs involved in it so hoping to find something I waited for the right opportunity but in the end, the HYDRAs weren''t stupid enough to get caught that easily. So with nothing to gain from him, I am using the video now. ¡­ "Wh-... how¨C" he was shaken and above all his delighted and brightened look was half turned into despair. "So Roy here''s the idea," I said, "Since you aren''t accepting to leave the school on your own and by the way, that would have been the best choice-" "I a-accept to leave the s-school on my own¡­" he said. "Oh, sorry but that''s already off the table. You can''t choose something that isn''t on the table anymore. Now the only option left is to get expelled," I said. I wouldn''t even think of letting him off easily. Absolutely never. After all, that he has done I won''t go easy on him. And I intentionally proposed the idea of letting him leave the school on his own. I wanted him to lose all hope and have just one, i.e., to be grateful that I didn''t go any further. If I want to, I could ruin his entire life with just this video. He will get jailed although he is under 18 it wouldn''t be anywhere similar to the real jail, it would be juvenile jail. But only the word ''jail'' is enough to ruin someone''s entire life. So, I was just going to make him get expelled without leaking the video. He can resent me but he also has to be indebted to me. "... N-No don''t do that¡­ Allen¡­ I am sorry¡­ I am really sorry," he begged me. His eyes that were crying, that cries that were filled with joy and relief are now turned into despair. "Why are you saying sorry now? I am not the evil here, don''t make me look like a villain," I said. "... Allen¡­ please don''t¡­ it would ruin my¡­ life¡­" he was on his knees now. Completely laid himself on me. Not one bit he thought of it as shameless, the only thing he was thinking on how to change his current situation. At desperate times you need desperate actions without thinking twice. "Don''t worry I won''t do that to you¡­" I said. "W-What¡­ what do you mean by¡­ that?" He looked up, still trembling. "The Principal will help you get into a new school of course you would still have the word ''expelled'' right next to your name," I said, "I can''t do anything about it but." "B-But¡­?" tears of droplets curled down his wrinkled face. "You have to be indebted to me until the day you perish¡­ also I need to know the name of the person who forced you to come here today," I said. "... " he seemed hesitant. Let me finish that hesitation for good," WHy not just send this video online¡­ I wonder what will happen then¡­?" I placed my index finger at the upload button and showed him. "No! I will t-tell you," he said. "You better or else this might get uploaded soon enough," I said. It was Harrison and the President¡­ they both told me to rile you up and get you to use force on me¡­" That''s how it is. "Also¡­ about the prior one¡­ I won''t forget that¡­" he said. "You better¡­" I said, "Go to the Principal''s room, and when you again meet with Harrison and the President tell them this¡­ ''If you have the guts then come at me from the front and not from those sly tricks that you have been using till now.''" "I will¡­" he replied as he shook the dust off his clothes and stood up. And with that, I left him behind. ¡­ With this one less problem in my life. And it seems like things have started to steer up a bit now. For this long, the President or even the Student Council seemed to be silent but with this, I think they have started to do something. And especially the President¡­ I need to be precautious of him. The first time he was not just one but the entire football field ahead of me. This time it won''t be. He had already predicted I might force my way out and as a precaution, he recorded only the specific parts of my speech. And the one he used to record was also someone who is entirely secluded from the school. I can''t let that happen again. I won''t let it be like that this way again. I have enough of this humiliation, false charges and being excluded¡­ I had enough of this. It''s time to turn things around. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 136 - Revenge After going away from him I came to realize something on the way. I heard a ''click'' sound while I was standing with Roy, but what was that? Was someone taking a photo of me? But why? Since Roy already confessed that he was forced/asked to confront me all of a sudden by the President and one of the Council members and if they asked him then there is a possibility that they tried to bait me into threatening him or doing something rash. On multiple occasions, it has turned into a heated situation wherever I and Roy were involved. Did they use that to make me even more vulnerable by making a video of it this time or even just a photo, even a video clip of 2 seconds would be enough to trigger a riot against me. Was that ''click'' sound, of them watching me? If so, they must have seen me trying to push him. But I never forced myself on him. At worst it might look like I was trying to bully him¡­ But him starting to weep might be troublesome. The others don''t know the context but on the surface, it would look like I am trying to bully him, nothing less and nothing more. Did I fall into ''his'' trap again? Even after being this cautious? Even after I knew he was coming for me this time? No way, is this how I end? Not like this¡­ I clenched my fist, all the irritation, frustration, all the mental weakness that had been nothing but accumulating inside was starting to boil¡­ is this the result of me trying to hide all my problems? Am I going to lose control over myself? Is the emotion that was suppressed for this long starting to come up? Not at an alarming rate but it was for sure that it''s coming up. The thing that used to calm me down hasn''t shown its signs yet. Is it not coming? Is that not going to calm me down? I was walking and leaving behind the knocking sound of my heels pressing against the floor. The sound echoed throughout the floor but no one could hear. ¡­ I was supposed to be in the classroom trying to solve the unsolvable questions of parabola but apparently, I have escaped from it voluntarily and am waiting in the room that is filled with nothing but awkwardness. "Allen, mind telling me what are you doing here?" the Principal asked me puzzled. "Does it matter¡­?" I asked her. "To me? Of course, it does since you are supposed to be in the class studying and as a responsible Principal I should ask you why you aren''t in the class," she said. "Oh, so you are trying to act ''responsible'' now of all times¡­?" I asked her. "Allen," she scowled at me a bit and I got the idea of it. "I am waiting for Roy," I said. "What? Why?" she asked me. "She is going to come in here asking to get expelled and you will approve of it," I said. "Huh? Expelled? Wasn''t he supposed to go out voluntarily? And I wasn''t told anything about getting expelled," she said. "Just accept it and also I asked him to get expelled and he agreed to it," I said," It''s nothing to worry about." Well, I did skip a few parts in between but who cares, all that matters is the end results. "..." but apparently the Principal wasn''t one of those who could be fooled so she was indicating me to answer honestly with her piercing gaze. "Alright, alright. Since, he has nothing but trouble for me so I¡­ kind of forced him to get expelled and you might help him get into a new school but then he has to owe me a big-time," I said. "SO you are getting him expelled and you told him just after he got to know his parents were free? And you think he owes you one favor?" she asked me with a peculiar look. "So?" "I don''t know, are you stupid enough to not know the mistake here? Or are you too smart to fool the other person?" she said. "Maybe I am both," I said. If a fool is able to fool a fool, who is the real fool? Such irony¡­ As I was thinking about how I ended up in this situation I heard a knock on the door. ''Come in,'' I said to myself since it felt good to know you are superior to others. "Allen," the Principal called out to me. "Hmm? What is it?" I asked her. "Isn''t that job mine to do?" she asked me. "Oh, wait, did I say that out loud?" I questioned her and myself at the same time. "... What do you think?" she asked me, "Don''t. DOn''t answer that. Just shut up for now." What do you want me to do now then? *Creak* The door opened a bit but it didn''t open enough for me to see the face. "Don''t just stand there, come inside," the Principal said as she glanced at the door. Maybe from her view, it was visible. I tried to peek a bit but the Principal sneered at me and I stopped in the tracks. What''s happening to me? Why am I acting like this? Just when I was wondering about it, I saw a familiar face from no too long ago. "Um- I-.. I- " he tried to compile his words but none came outside. "What is it, Roy?" the Principal asked him. Roy was so terrified and scared by the fact that he was going to ask to get expelled that he didn''t even look around to see if someone else was there or not. Also, miraculously he was standing two steps ahead of me and I was on the far end of the sofa so if I were to assume our distance, it would be around 200cm, maybe. Well, it''s good if he can''t see me but it''s really a shame that he didn''t even notice my presence, am I that much not noticeable? "I¡ªI was forced to get expelled from school by Allen! He exclaimed with all his might and let it out in one breath. But hey, aren''t you trying to suicide now, huh? I mean I told him something, one thing to do and he just did something ridiculous. "What¡­?" The Principal seemed happy about it somehow. "..." He seemed to have gotten a hint of someone else''s presence in the room. Why? Because I just kicked the table and it hit him in the back of his knee. He crouched down a bit but since he was already shivering in fear he didn''t raise his voice and silently took a turn behind. "I gave you one thing. One simple thing to do and what did you do?" I asked him. He was looking at me. For a moment it felt like time stopped for him. He wasn''t showing any fear but as time passed by all sorts of agonising expressions seemed to have caught up with the situation. "W¡ªWhat are you doing¡­ h¡ªhere?" he asked me. His lips were trembling, sweat scrolling down his forehead, and stopped right at the tip of his nose. He wiped it off with his shit but the sweat wouldn''t stop pouring. Trembling he tried to raise himself but lost balance in between and was half standing and half fallen. "I wish¡­ I just wish I didn''t have to do this but apparently, you left me no choice," I said. Swiftly, I moved a little and took my phone out and in a couple of seconds, I uploaded the video on the screen and showed him for the last time. Making him sure to see his face for one last time. And paused it right when his face appeared for the first time. "M-M-Ma''am¡­ help me¡­ he is trying t-t-t-t-to," he tried to complete his sentence but couldn''t. Why? It was simple because he can''t do it. Either way, he is going to get destroyed, by me or by himself. "Roy, what''s the meaning of this? Is Allen trying to force you?" The Principal played the good cop. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Yess¡­ he is trying to force me!" he screeched. Even though he had already stood up, and even though I was sitting on the sofa he was supposed to be looking down on me but right he felt even lower than usual. Even lower than me. Is it because he is just a bug in my eyes now? "Roy, what did I say? Just get expelled and I won''t pry any further," I said sitting on a sofa, "But you did something stupid¡­ again. Why didn''t you just do as I said?" "..." he was too terrified to speak. "Roy I can help," the Principal said, "Just tell me is Allen really trying to force you into something you don''t want to? Just say it to me. If you haven''t done anything wrong I will help you." "?!" The last line made Roy even more anxious. Well, it should be. "Alright then, since you look this pathetic I would let this slide if you just tell if the ones who told you to get into a quarrel with me recorded me or not," I said. Shall we begin my¡­ Revenge! TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 137 - Grudge "... Y-Yes¡­ t-they did," he said, "N-Now¡­ you w-will n-not force me to leav-" "Before that¡­ record a video of telling something that would counter that recording," I said. "I will! I will! I will!" He said beggingly but in that despair, he now saw the hope of not getting expelled and most of all¡­ not letting the video get spread across the internet. "Alright, then you should begin right¡­ now," I said while opening my camera. He said something and I recorded it. The Principal watched in silence. Roy also didn''t seem to mind that. Since he was too concerned to think about anything other than himself. "N-Now¡­ you won''t-" he tried to say but I understood the complete sentence. "Alright then Roy," I said as I stood up and walked up to him. Although he tried to stay standing, I put my dominant hand on his left shoulder and put some pressure on it and with not much effort, he was on his knee. "..." he was aghast. "You remember our first meeting?" I asked. "I-" but I didn''t ask him. "It''s a rhetorical question," I said, "Do you remember our second confrontation?" "..." "Do you remember our meeting when you pushed me in the room?" "!?" "After all this¡­ after all this trouble you caused me I let it go since your ''family''s'' life was in someone else''s hands. You can''t do a thing against their demand. I understand it," I said in a low voice but now it felt even scarier to him. He doesn''t know what I am going to do. I might bury him right now with just one click of the ''upload'' button or I can just let this all slide since he provided me with the information about the Student Council and all. Thinking of either possibility I was burning him alive. He should be. "But what did you do¡­? Roy what did you do¡­?" I asked him. I know he was desperate, desperate to not get expelled but that was the only way to save his entire life. But something clicked him and he thought about the Principal. The same Principal, who has reigned over the school ever since she has stepped on the school grounds. "Roy¡­ you disappoint me to the core," I whispered to his ear. Shivers went down his spine. "Allen isn''t that enough¡­?" the Principal interrupted. "What is? I am not done yet so just stay quiet," I said. "So Roy did you really think¡­ you really thought I would let you go this easily? Huh? No way¡­ I am going to destroy you, not just the ''you'' right now but the ''you'' in future," I said the devil''s word and pulled his collar and forced his face on my phone screen. "And-" "A-Allen no! P-Please no! I w-will do anything! A-Anything¡­" he joined both his hands. He cried. He begged me. He agonized. He was getting traumatized twice in a single day. "Allen! That''s enough! You don''t have to go this far¡­! This is enough!" The Principal got the gist of the situation and slammed her chair back. I don''t know what happened to it but the sound was too loud, the chair must have been broken. The Principal rushed at me but it would be too late by the time she reached me. And the devastated person can''t do a thing, him being too helpless he couldn''t gather strength to move except to apologize. "And- ''UPLOAD''," I clicked the button in front of him. Right in front of his eyes. I clicked the button. *Snatch* In that instant, the Principal came and pushed me aside along with Roy and snatched away the phone and tried to delete it. I was able to balance myself from not getting hit by the corner of the table while Roy almost hit the edge of the corner but he didn''t show any emotion. *Click* "... Uff¡­" the Principal let out a sigh of relief while Roy was in dismal. "Are you crazy, Allen! You almost ruined a child''s entire future!" she yelled at me and was about to slap me. "So?" *slap* She slapped me. It hurts. "His future? At least he would have a future, I wouldn''t even live to see the next day if I hadn''t stopped him," I said as I tried to massage the slapped area. "..." the Principal was speechless. The room was filled with negative air. But did she think I would let this end just here? "Don''t you think technology these days is crazy good¡­" I said in a low voice. "Huh! What do you mean¡­?" the Principal asked. "I mean I can upload the same thing from multiple accounts in one single click," I said. That''s right. I have linked my entire cellular data across different clouds and I just needed one thing, that is, to upload one thing from different accounts. YouTbe these days is filled with tutorials of such things. "W-WHAT!?" The Principal was in shock. She instantly opened her laptop and searched across the internet. "Why not just check the school''s forum¡­?" I said. Before coming to the Principal''s room I met with Lily and with her help, I was able to post the video on the forum as well as on other social media sites. Of course to get those videos viral instantly I needed a well-versed account. And Lily volunteered to help me with that. This way she thought she was trying to prove his trust and faithfulness towards me. "A-Allen¡­ yo-you¡­ what have you done¡­!" the Principal exclaimed as she saw the School''s Forum. "Don''t get me wrong but I also hold grudges," I said as I took the support of the table and stood up straight. I walked up to the Principal''s table where she was continuously trying to remove the video and any kind of relation to it but it was already too late. Although the sound was faint¡­ still I could hear my phone placed on her table vibrate continuously. I enabled notification to any kind of activity to the post and right now there was a storm going on in there. "N-No¡­ Allen! How could you do this to him!" the Principal came upon me in rage. "Oh, so him trying to stab me was absolutely right? Him trying to fight me was also right? Him trying to frame me was also right?" I said. "W-What¡­? We are talking about his future here," she said. "I don''t care about that. If you are that much worried then go ahead and help him," I said, "And maybe because of your this side, the naive side you couldn''t ever get a hold on a single clue about the HYDRAs." "Huh!?" She curled his head up a little and a few curls were noticed on them. She is pissed. More than just pissed. Also, I did press against the wrong nerve at the moment. I might regret it later but she is the one who started this. As I was trying to give myself the justification of my words, I felt a gust of wind coming at me and an outstretched arm coming right at me from the left side. I could have evaded it, the earlier one was called for so I took it willingly but not this one. I just stated the truth, and if she doesn''t like it, so be it. I won''t stay silent again. As it was about to reach the same side of the face as earlier I took my left arm and placed it against her palm coming at me. It made a clapping sound, but I held onto it and didn''t let go. "Don''t. Don''t ever do that. Also, if you can''t accept the truth then it''s better if you would just resign from your ''secret organization''," I said, "If that''s all I shall take my leave. Also if this ever gets out that I did this to him you are going to take full responsibility. So whatever happens here is just between us and us only." I took my vibrating my phone and placed it in my pocket while it was still making sounds continuously. And left the room without another word. Nor did the Principal say a word or did Roy. I can''t say fully about Roy but this must have been a hard hit for him. But this had to be done. Till now, every single one of them has been underestimating me. The President made a fool out of me, the Student Council made me look pathetic. But with this, this first step things have changed. I am coming for Harrison, I am coming for the President, I am coming for the entire Student Council. All the humiliating and all those gazes at me have to come to an end. That''s all I want, that''s all it will be. Nothing less is to be expected but much more to get. May it be Alone, I will take you all Alone! TO BE CONTINUED¡­ [THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AS FOR THIS, THE COUR-1 FOR THE STUDENT COUNCIL ARC HAS COME TO AN END. THE COUR-2 WILL START¡­ WITH A NEW CHAPTER DAILY. THE USUAL DAYS. SO KEEP SUPPORTING.] Chapter 138 - She Again Even though it has been more than 15 minutes since I left the Principal''s office the phone hasn''t stopped vibrating. I could have changed it to silent but then I wouldn''t be able to get the updates. And ever since the upload of the video the entire school was in havoc. I can''t say what Lily actually did but apparently, she made the post that way, when uploaded it will instantly give a notification to a large number of people and especially those who are close to the School''s forum. And if it''s the School Forum, the entire school was already involved and among them, my aim was the Student Council. I had already been a puppet for them for far too long, it''s time to send a message- ''I will come for you.'' While I walked down my floor''s hallway, the entire student body was in jeopardy. Students ran around, screaming at the sight of real knives getting swung around, and most of all, they started to gossip. Even though I used to be separated from the crowd no matter the situation, today, this specific time it was different. No one seemed interested in me, they didn''t even feel my presence. Pushing me aside, dragging me aside, and many more similar things. The exact same thing that I used to get before I got infamous. It feels weird yet better. But that also didn''t last long. "Pst¡­ isn''t that Allen." "Hey¡­ it''s Allen." "Allen." Somehow I was again the hot topic of this school. But the question was, am I being seen as a victim or as a culprit? Well, it''s already most unlikely they will think of me as a culprit but there is still a possibility. Their gazes felt similar yet had a different impact. It didn''t feel harmful but rather of pity. And among that crowd full of unknown faces I noticed a similar hairstyle hiding behind the muscular body. But with the agitation among the crowd, her face was clearly visible. It was Selene. She had a worried expression yet only in her eyes, her lips were trembling. Was it fear of the sight of real knives used as a weapon against me or was it the anger? That could only be answered by her but I wouldn''t ask her. Her legs trembled a bit but when our eyes met for a second it stopped. Time stopped. I couldn''t hear anything. And that''s when her lips moved a bit. ''You¡­ had¡­ me¡­ worried¡­'' Although it was only a slight movement along her soft lips, I partially understood the words. ''I¡­ am sorry¡­'' I couldn''t say it out loud and unconsciously I replied to her in the similar way she did. She jerked a bit and tried to hide her face with her hair but it wasn''t enough. Her face seemed flushed and her ears were getting all red all of sudden. With the sudden unknown movements throughout her face, I noticed once. The sight of relief in her eyes, and that was the last thing I saw. She instantly pushed behind and merged with the crowd, I could no longer see her. She left me hanging. "Selene?" I mumbled her name and somehow it felt even weirder than usual. "Hey did you see Allen talk to someone?" "Did Allen just say something?" The crowd seemed to have gotten a hint of me saying something and thankfully, I didn''t say it out loud and no one could figure it out. Everyone''s eyes were filled with something much more than just questions. They were more interested in how I was able to handle the situation, no, they were more interested in how the recording got on the School''s Forum. There was absolutely no way they could know. The video wasn''t uploaded from my account. It was deleted instantly. It wasn''t uploaded from Lily''s account or from the Principal''s or even from the Student Council account. It was posted by the account made not too long ago- ''The Devil'' With the anonymous account, it was posted and of course, it tagged almost every teacher, student including the Student Council and especially in bold letters- ''I am here for you @The President.'' And that''s how they got curious how the video got uploaded there and it was directly linked to me. Not too long ago, the President tried to expel me. And then the video, but this time I had a trump card. And the last line triggered it. The only person who thinks of the President as an Enemy or is what is believed across the school is ME. But no one came forward to directly say a thing to me. Instead, they made speculation within themselves and that made the reasoning exceed my expectations. One among the crowd stated- ''Maybe Roy was in some deep s**t. That''s why he did that. If not, then what''s the explanation? I think he was troubled or may be forced by someone since getting a knife is another thing but using it is completely different." This specific line intrigued me and it turned out, the one who came up with this was someone I know. It was Noah who had come up with this ridiculously correct explanation. Was it a coincidence? Of course, it has to be, I mean it''s Noah, even sheep might be more fierce than him. Turning a blind eye I walked past my classroom. Just before I was passing by it, I took a peek inside and noticed Anna sitting with Emiliya. I wonder what she is thinking right now, this wasn''t just the warning for the President it was also a message to Anna. Although she doesn''t have complete knowledge of what took place with Roy and me, she knows that Roy got entangled with me and took a hazardous step against me and now his life is ruined. No real harm was done, the only word was enough to get him into some strong accusations- ''He Held a Knife and used it on someone with a clear intent to harm the person.'' No person can help him now. Maybe the Principal can help him getting into a new school but only if he wasn''t imprisoned or taken to court or something. And even if he got into another school he would have already been turned into an outcast. The video wasn''t just uploaded on the Forum by the entire social media of Lily who has more followers than the number of students in school. And considering the place called- Internet. It wouldn''t take more than just half a day to get Roy famous across the area or maybe nearby districts. I really turned his life into a living hell. As I walked towards the Gym I noticed the same person that I met on the day I was supposed to get expelled. It was Aamber, that annoying girl that made the part of my life a living hell with her questions, forced favor, and forcing her onto me. "Allen, is that you?" she called out to me when our eyes met for a second. Bad choice Allen, real bad choice. I tried to ignore her and took a turn around but apparently, I was a second late in doing that. *Grab* *Pull* She instantly shortened the distance between us, it was almost the class length distance. She covered it in a matter of seconds and moreover, she had already grabbed me and also pulled me. "Are you sure you are a girl?" I asked her. "That''s rude! You shouldn''t speak like this to a woman and especially to ''this elegant woman''," she said as she flattered herself. "..." "Don''t see with those pitiful eyes¡­!" she exclaimed. Of course, I would watch her with those eyes, just look at how dumb she has become to call herself elegant. No elegant woman or even a woman has this much strength and forced personality. "What do you need, Aamber¡­?" I asked her as I pulled myself away from her. "Nothing much," she said with an innocent smile. I wish I could reply with that bright smile but the only expression I could show was that of a face with a nerve coming on the surface, hoping to burst open in a matter of seconds and of course, a forced smile. "So why did you call out to me?" I asked her. "Well¡­ I thought maybe you could help me with basketball again, or is that what I was trying to ask you earlier but apparently you seemed to be in a weird mood so I changed my mind," she said, "Also what''s with that smile? It''s creeping me out." "The smile comes along with me so, no can do about it. And what mood?" I asked her. "You know it felt calm but there seemed to be some dark smile of sorts¡­ umm¡­ it''s hard to describe¡­" she placed her palm up her chin and thought for a second. Has she not seen the video yet? And what''s with that crazy amount of sweat? Don''t tell me she has been practicing basketball and didn''t even take a glance at her phone yet? "That''s right! I have been practicing¡­ is something the matter?" she asked me with a dumbfounded look. It''s going to be a hard start¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 139 - Involved With Council "That''s right! I have been practicing¡­ is something the matter?" she asked me with a dumbfounded look. "Nothing but¡­ have you been here for quite some time?" I asked her. "Yeah¡­?" she replied. Does that mean she hasn''t seen her phone yet? And how crazy is it for her to practice this much? "Is there something that I missed?" she asked me with her weird look. More like it was like a small puppy wagging her tail with eyes brimming with excitement. "No. Nothing much," I tried to brush it off. "Eh¡­ well I believe it but aren''t you in a bit of a pinch if I am not prying too much," she said with a sly look. "What do you mean?" I asked her. "Well you had that video released on the School Forum not too long, right?" she said. "And here, I thought you weren''t someone to be involved in things like this," I said. Based on her appearance and her behavior I assumed she is more of an outing person, rather than sitting around idly and scrolling down the boring site, the School Forum. But it got famous quite fast, so I guess people tend to share these things with others much more. "Hey!" she smacked the side of my shoulder. Although it didn''t hurt much, it still held strong. I wonder if it is because of all the time she spends playing basketball. "So? What do you want to say in that comment?" I asked her. "You must have gotten in some trouble, right? And in addition to that, the Student Council is also right behind you," she said in a low voice. "About that¡­ I might have taken that for the time being," I said. "H-Huh!?" she flinched a bit and then jerked back feet or two. "What¡­?" I am confused by that reaction. "What do you mean you have taken care of them for the time being¡­?" She staggered a bit in the beginning but calmed down in an instant. "After your practice, why not see it for yourself?" I said. "... Allen what''s with that vibration all this time coming from your pocket?" she asked me. "Ah¡­ about that, it''s the same answer. After practice you will know about it eventually," I said. "..." she fell silent all of a sudden. It''s something new. For the first time ever, I have seen her this silent, and why only when I mentioned about me taking care of the Council¡­ suspicious. "Tell me something," I said. "... What?" "Which year are you in¡­?" I asked her. "Third year, why do you ask?" She looked puzzled. "Hmm¡­" I racked my brain up and got only one conclusion. "What''s wrong?" she asked me. "You are in the Student Council," I said. As I said that, I nonchalantly placed one of my arms in my pants pocket. "W-What? What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?" She didn''t show any signs of revealing the truth but all the dots matched her. Right after my first ''gathering'' with the Student Council, I noticed them talking to a girl but I couldn''t clearly look at her face. At first, I thought it was just some friend of theirs but that wasn''t the case. With Harrison that day and also on the certain day of my first day in school. Not one, but more than once I have seen her. I have seen her figure on multiple occasions and her being taken aback when I mentioned I took care of the Council was also suspicious. "I don''t know who you really are but you are with the Student Council but haven''t been revealed to anyone yet and for some reason you are always with them," I said, "Not only that, you are somewhat a special student around here." "..." "I haven''t seen anyone practicing here all day long," I said, "Except you. Even though it''s not enough for me to prove you are with the Council but that''s up to me to believe it or not and I am sure that you are." "Aren''t you a nice junior?" she said. She was acting as usual but her air became piercing. "Allen, I don''t know what have you really done but tell me one thing," she pressed further, "How is that every evil deed that we hear in the rumors revolve around you?" "Coincidence can be freaky," I said. "Six others came along with you but none was suspected of anything. Only you got singled out and that''s when I started to wonder something. You wanna know what that was?" she asked. "Will you don''t if I say ''no''?" I asked. "Of course not. I haven''t known your existence ever since you entered here. But one day 50 students got kidnapped and even then you weren''t mentioned. You were just someone in the crowd," she said, "But what made you stand in the spotlight right when you returned." "..." "Slowly but then I started to notice you. Don''t misinterpret it, I didn''t take interest in ''that'' way but rather in the opposite way. Hearing the rumors, and that''s when I took the opportunity to know about you. But you were still an air that came along with the gush of wind," she said, "No one knew about you." "..." "With the help of connections I got to know you even got arrested and investigated by the police," she said. "..." "Nothing mattered at that point to me," she said with a disgusted look on her face, "A person who is dark to the core, I knew for sure that you aren''t suitable for this school." "So with just knowing I got arrested you assumed I was a bad guy? Isn''t that a bad judgment on your part?" I asked. "You tell me the answer to it then," she said, "If you were suspected of murder and was arrested soon enough. Would someone think twice before suspecting you as a real culprit? And what else you were the sole person. If you aren''t related to all this then how come everything is revolving around you, not someplace else?" "..." "So, I took it upon myself," she said, "I will make justice prevail and make you suffer for all your wrong deeds till now¡­" She changed to her usual self and into a weird justice-seeking creature. "Aren''t you just using your sense as justice? You know there are laws made to make justice prevail, not someone''s own way of thinking about justice," I said. "True but for justice to prevail you need to take a step to the dark side," she said with a sinister smile. Don''t tell me she is a bit similar to me. I don''t really care about justice but I do care about getting into the dark side to get my ways. "So what are you going to do to me now?" I asked her. TO be honest, at first, I thought of going easy on you since talking to you felt different from what I had expected and the things you did but now that you seem to have taken a step against my justice I have to take a step," she glared at me. "Really?" "You also know this just as a heads up," she said, "I am now coming at you directly. And I will drag you out of this school if I have to." I wanted to laugh right now. I really wanted to laugh my way out. But I shouldn''t. "Well that''s bad news for then, isn''t that right?" I said. "..." she wasn''t fazed and moreover her bright air seemed to have been diluted with something black. "Why don''t I give you a heads up as an exchange offer?" I proposed a silly idea. "..." she didn''t even blink. "Don''t get me wrong but you are stupid," I said. "?!" she seemed to have flinched a bit in anger but I wasn''t finished yet. "Telling your enemy to brace themselves as the worst strategy anyone can think of," I said, "Also did you think that I would sit silently all this time? Hiding myself from you all?" "...?" "I have already shaken your entire school," I took a step closer to her, "Don''t think that your justice is the only thing that exists in the world that can prevail." "Ah, also if you care about your school why don''t you stop this stupid practice and look after your precious justice seekers?" I said as I tapped her shoulder and walked past her. I couldn''t have seen what expression she was making but I did hear her shoes running across the court. ''You aren''t the only one coming¡­'' I mumbled to myself and walked to my classroom again, hoping things would have calmed down a bit and who knew it got even worse than before. Not just the students but the entire Teacher cast was in turmoil. Well they should be, I just got their School''s Future at stake. I wonder how the Student Council will react to this¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 140 - Broken ''You aren''t the only one coming¡­'' I did want to say that but I shouldn''t. While I was on my way to the second floor I noticed not just one but the entire Teacher Cast moving around the floor, while the teachers were busy with something the students were both outside and inside the classrooms. I had expected some ruckus but this is beyond that. At most, I believed the Teacher would contact the Site Handler and that would solve the problem. But yeah by that time many would have already shared since not all students pay attention in class. [The Head Teacher Along with the Student Council Is Required to come to the Principal''s voice. Consider the Matter Most Important and report ASAP.] An announcement was made for the entire school. Although the sound was mixed a bit with the mechanical voice, I could still make out, it was the Principal. It was staggering and the shivering in the voice was clear from her since I am the one who triggered all this. "Move! Move! Move!" pushing aside the mod, our homeroom teacher thrashes forward in that cramped place. Yes, that''s right. It wasn''t just Roy who was in trouble but the entire school. Not once, but multiple times, incidents have taken place and none were something to be proud of. And with this, all the accomplishments are hidden behind the curtain of one certain video. "Where is Allen¡­?!" "Where the HELL is ALLEN?!" Among the mob of the second year on the floor, I heard a distinct voice, but I ignored it and tried to blend in with the crowd. But that wasn''t good enough for me to escape. The yelling kept on increasing and soon the entire floor went silent. And made a circle around me. "Who is it¡­?" I turned around and saw a certain figure I hoped to have fallen into despair. But I was wrong to assume that, how can I forget that humans are the beings who linger to their very end¡­ Just like him. Yes, Roy was standing in front of me, eye completely red and swollen up a bit, while his half shirt was out and the other half inside. And hair felt like it just passed by a tornado. He came yelling at me but I didn''t falter. "Allen¡­ take that thing from there¡­" Although he was soo loud a minute ago, he is quite quiet {It is Intentional and now after this explanation, the fun has been finished¡­} now. "I don''t know what you are talking about," I played the dumb actor. He took a couple of steps more, while he was walking he didn''t glance straight at me, not even once. He stopped right in front of me and for the first time he looked up, directly in my eyes. Now that he is up this close, I could see his eyes aren''t completely fine yet. They are still swollen and it might take more than just a few hours to calm them down. "Allen¡­ I am not kidding¡­ that''s enough¡­ just delete it¡­ my future is to take Allen¡­" He had a slight laugh but his eyes were starting to gather water at the ends. Also, his hands were frantically shaking constantly. "As I said¡­ I don''t know what you are talking about," I said. "..." I haven''t mentioned this but I wasn''t in the video. Before uploading it I blurred my face from it and now it''s just a person who wishes to keep himself safe from being again attacked by Roy in case of Roy retailers again. "What''s he doing here?" "Isn''t he a killer at this point?" "He always acted all mighty. And remember when he started a fight with Allen that day?" "Yeah¡­ is he coming at Allen just to release his pent-up anger¡­?" "I wish he would just go away from here¡­" [Roy! Roy is ordered to report to the Principal''s Office. RIGHT NOW.] Another Announcement was made. "If you really wish to blame it all on me, why not I come with you? That way everything can be cleared, right?" I said. "R-Rig-Right! You should come with me!" he exclaimed and was also brimming with slight hope. He took my arm and was just about to drag me but I forced myself and released from his grip and said, "Roy, you don''t have to get physical with me." Although his reputation was even below at this point, this sly comment of mine made it even worse and the last hope he thought to have in his eyes is again now finished but I could see slight lingering. I won''t let him get the last hope. If I can''t have an ordinary life, why should he? I might seem like a villain here but I am just a broken character. With whom things have been done a teenager shouldn''t have. If I can''t have it, why should my enemy? "..." Roy looked at me frustrated but he had this much consciousness to make out that, if he were to make another wrong step, it wouldn''t matter if accept that I uploaded that video or not. He wouldn''t have any place to return to. ¡­ Soon we walked towards the Principal''s office, the same place I stormed outside not long ago. *step* *Step* The area around the Principal''s office was empty. Or more like a deserted place. It must have been because all the teachers called in. *Click* As Roy was about to open the door, the knob automatically circled around and was pulled open. "W-Wha!" Roy jerked back with the sudden appearance of the teacher coming out. "Roy¡­" While the teachers made the exit they all stared at gazes even though I hadn''t felt myself. It wasn''t pitying, or it was anger it was more like- I can''t describe it but if I were in his shoes, I wouldn''t feel very comfortable. "..." We both silently slid in and noticed the Principal standing right in front of her desk and on the right hemisphere of the room was the entire Student Council. And when I say the entire Student Council, it also includes the President as well as Aamber. "What is Allen doing here?" the Principal asked the most obvious question. And the other waiting in anticipation. Yeah, not just the Principal but those heads beside her were also surprised to see me. "Apparently Roy thinks I posted the video on the School Forum. So, I came to clear out my name from getting disgraced," I said. *Slam* The Principal slammed down a bunch of papers on her desk and also looked pretty pissed but she couldn''t say a word. "..." The silence grew larger but no one to interrupt. "Ma''am what are we going to do now¡­? We need to at least remove it from the School Forum as soon as possible¡­!" The President urged as he took a step forward. "You don''t have to tell me that. Why do you think I called the teachers? They will try to handle the Forum problem. Our real problem is how to get out of this before it ''degrades'' our school any further," the Principal glared at me but I was unaffected. All eyes were on me except Roy. He was too troubled by his situation. "Why don''t we declare it as someone trying to disgrace our school and film it¡­?" one of the Council members proposed an idea. "That''s an option but it wouldn''t matter if it was proven to be ''true''," the Principal said as she took a glance at Roy, "This might even escalate to the point where Police might start an investigation. Based on how our school is pronounced we can''t let it just slide by some slander. We need solid proof to back our innocence." "..." "Roy, why did you bring Allen? He isn''t related to this," the President said. "H-He uploaded the video on the Forum!" Roy broke out. "How do you know if it''s him?" the President asked. "H-He¡­ did that in front o-of me¡­ right before he le-left the room¡­" Roy mumbled but the room was too silent that we could still hear him clearly. "Allen uploaded it¡­? Allen, did you post that video there?" the President turned to me. "I did not," I replied. "Are you sure you aren''t lying? If you are caught lying you might have to face severe consequences and worst-case instant resignation," the President said. "On what basis? Even if I did post it, I just posted a video online, is that a crime now?" I asked him. "Posting something isn''t wrong but this isn''t just ''something'', it''s much more than that," he said, "So tell me, did you or did not post it?" "I didn''t," I answered. "Show me your phone," he demanded. "... Here you go but you won''t find anything there though," I extended my hand and gave it to him. "..." After taking a look at my account and stopping in my gallery he asked me, "Why is this video on your phone?" "What?!" The Principal was the most surprised. I guess in that panic mode she forgot I also have a thing called gallery that keeps all my photos and the reason why the President found the video that fast was because I rarely click photos. TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 141 - Not Over "I downloaded THE VIDEO," I replied. "Wha- Huh? Don''t lie now. You have been caught red handed," the President said with a smirk. Not only him but the entire Council let out a slight sigh of relief. "Why couldn''t I have downloaded the video? There is an option to download at the top right corner you see in the forum," I said, "It''s hilarious how you don''t even know the options in your school''s site." "..." "Now then I wonder what will the school do in this situation¡­??" I asked the entire room. Although the room was lit partially, I could still make out their faces. And they coils see mine. And that''s when I, for the first time gave the most intimidating smile. "It''s him I know for sure. I heard him talking saying- ''I took care of the Council for the time being''," Aamber said as he lunged forward. "Aren''t you now being unreasonable? I mean, isn''t the main reason why the President couldn''t expel me that day as well?" "?" She looked at me puzzled. "You know for someone of your rank, you aren''t much of a brain head. There was a lack of evidence and no as well. If I were to say, Harrison tried to bully me would you believe it?" "But I didn''t," Harrison said instantly. "I am not saying you did. I am giving an example." I said. "But I have more authority than you. So who do you think people will believe? Prior person who got convicted for using a gun or someone of my rank?" she said with a smirk. "Now that you put it that way, it''s my loss but I made the same mistake as earlier." I pulled my phone out and tapped on the screen. *Play* [But I have more authority than you. So who do you think people will believe? Prior person who got convicted for using a gun or someone of my rank?] "I wonder what people would think if they found out that people who try to seek justice are using an underhanded method. Who do you think they will believe?" I asked them. "H-Ha!" she scuffed but didn''t let go of her ground. "They would still believe us. The deed done by you is much of an issue than just this." She said with her head raised up high. "So you are clearly stating that you don''t care about the evidence rather you wish to misuse your authority? If that''s the case wouldn''t that make you in more of a situation?" I asked them. Also, I am this close to closing my composure. I want to blow them away but I have to wait. It''s not too long before it''s set up. "We take steps that result in the betterment of the school. It''s not using our authority for the wrong thing. We all have devoted ourselves to this school." The president said. "No¡­ Why did you say that?" The Principal said as she let out a sigh and placed her hands at her hand. "??" I scrolled down my phone and clicked the PLAY button. (The Bold Letter is from the President.) ["Is your name Allen¡­?" it was the voice of the President. "Yes, do you want something with me?" "Where are the others?" "Are you talking about those who were called alongside me?" "What else could I be talking about?" "Who knows? I came here alone," "What?" "Do you want anything else with me? I have some more important matters to attend to than argue with-" "With what? Say it," "Does it matter?" "Hmm¡­ I see," "What does that mean¡­?" "What? Did you think the rumors about you haven''t reached the third year yet? Well it does. Till now no one hasn''t said a word to you because I told them not to," "So, what do you want with me?" "You see, I established this school''s reputation and put everything I had into it to reach it to where it is today. You don''t have a single clue what I had to do to make this possible and no matter what happens I won''t let it blow my future. But now, all of a sudden, because of someone, it has commenced to shrink. I will not let my achievements crumble to the ground this way. I don''t care about this school''s reputation but if it does something to me I''m going to take this personally," "I still don''t know what exactly you want with me," "I''m just saying that sooner or later you will have to leave this school. And if you would ask me it''s going to be sooner." "Well, we''ll see abo-" before I say another word another announcement was made. [IS THE SECOND YEAR NOT HERE YET?] "Don''t sweat it, Junior. I will use my authority however I want and wouldn''t hesitate to use it even if it''s wrong. Don''t take me as a Bad Guy. If you were only one year late I wouldn''t care to look at you but because of you my future is at stake. I am a SELFISH person, you know?"] "In here, I don''t see a person caring for his school but a person who has a high ego with a selfish mindset," I said. And this is what I have been waiting for this long. I really wanted to pay him back by attacking me all of a sudden that day and now it''s partially done. Yeah that''s right. This is just the half of it, I will be coming to you till the day you quit. "..." Silence grew and turned into self evaluation. Of course no for me but for the entire group of Councils. Ever since the beginning, in their eyes I have just been some guy who was too much of an idiot. "That''s why I told you not to slip your tongue out like this¡­" the Principal said with a worried expression on her face. "Still it doesn''t prove anything. It could be fake!" the President said. "Oh, Gary. The world isn''t built on flowers, is it?" I said. The President''s real name is Gary. "Although there might be some who might think of it as a fake audio but think about the entire situation. The video that got uploaded today and who do you think the victim is in that video?" I asked them. "It-" "It was a rhetorical question," I stopped him, "Imagine when I release both the audio right now and of course the words you mentioned about you caring about the school, are also recorded. Both contradicting things will of course make an impact, not just on students but all those people who used to think highly of you. And bam! The victim here is also Allen. Wouldn''t it look like the school is bullying me?" I didn''t record him saying that. It was just a bluff that I layed out. If it works it''s good and if it doesn''t¡­ will think about it later. "What? School Bullying you?" the Principal was the most taken aback. "Of course the School. Just because of the rumors I was about to get expelled but on the other hand, Roy is still here. Even after assaulting me with a KNIFE. It looks like the School is just trying to get rid of me forcibly," I said. "That''s absurd!" the Principal exclaimed. ''I helped you and is this how you pay me back?'' is what the Principal was thinking. It''s clearly written on her face. "Is it? At times I have been in danger. It''s not a joke. The only problem is he Student Council is incompetent." I feel a bit bad for doing this to the Principal but this is necessary. Staying quiet isn''t going to help. I have to put an end to this. It has been too long. Constantly being ridiculed, constant glares. I had enough of it, although I got used to it but it doesn''t mean I don''t feel it. "Hey!?" the red head yelled. While a heated conversation was taking place in here I heard footsteps coming in our direction. *Slam* The Gate slammed open. "What happened?" the PResident and the Principal asked simultaneously. "T-The Police is here along with¡­" she gulped down her spit, "Allen parents." It was my homeroom teacher who came rushing to the room, she was half-breathed. Her eyes weren''t focused and was trembling. "That''s my ride," I said as I made my way to the exit. "... This isn''t over yet, Allen." The President said as he glared at me along with his minions and especially Aamber. I could feel my soul getting burnt by her fiery eyes. But too bad, it''s already turned to ash with no point of recovery. "Remember this, what you did was ethical and I won''t tolerate any of this." Aamber said, "You are going to pay for this. "Am I? As if that were possible," I said to Aamber. After what I have been through she really thinks, something much worse could happen to me? "Oh yes this isn''t over, Gary. It will be over when I am the only one left standing." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 142 - Feeling Calm I walked out alongside my homeroom teacher. She seemed a bit normal as she had almost recovered from the fatigue of climbing the stairs. She didn''t say a word to me. Walking down the silent road I tried to think of my next step. Not long after we were tight in front of our school entrance. Beside the gate, my parents alongside a couple of police officers were standing. I broke into tears at the sight of me. But what confuses me the most is, I am completely fine so why are they both crying at the sight of me? I understand the concern but nothing more than that. Maybe it''s the parental love that I don''t know of. Whatever. ¡­ After shedding tons of tears everything calmed down. Although the school was in jeopardy, now it was dead silent. I learned that the teachers sent the students home in order to stop the ruckus from increasing. And the video got deleted from the Forum. But no clue who uploaded it. Also, the account from which the video got uploaded was deleted. Still, no one was able to find out the real culprit. I guess Lily does have a piece of higher knowledge of this type of thing or she used something from his brother''s assets. "Allen, can you explain exactly when, how, and why this incident occurred?" The officers came to me after my parents calmed down. And like that I started my story of course I hid the fact that his family was taken, hostage. But I did mention how he took a small conflict and escalated it. The homeroom teacher was also there. We all were sitting in the classroom where it all happened. And Of course they asked this too- ''How come the video was recorded from the back side? Are you sure you didn''t record it?'' If I wanted to I could have agreed to it, no harm could have been caused to me. But I didn''t. I played the dumb part. I told the answer as no. And before the officers could investigate further my mother interrupted. "Don''t you think this is enough? My boy was assaulted and hid that fact for this long. Are you trying to traumatize him by forcing him to remember that horrifying incident?" mother slammed the desk. Watching the enraged expression on her face the officers backed down and the Homeroom teacher along with my father tried to calm her. "We have enough evidence and got what we needed. Thank you for your cooperation." They both stood up. "W-What will happen to the other boy?" my homeroom teacher asked hesitantly. "We can''t say for sure but under 18 children aren''t supposed to hold a weapon, it is a crime. We need to talk with his parents and maybe if his parents wish they could apply for a trial. Anything can happen so we can''t say for certain as of now." One of them replied with a firm voice. Not taking much time, I was also taken home. The atmosphere was almost similar but it felt like it wasn''t. Even though my parents seemed to put on a mask, I could still get slight hints. The food my mother made wasn''t the usual. It''s flavor wasn''t completely merged with the food. Still I also played along and put on a fake front. With no talk about the incident it was already time for bed. "I shouldn''t have done that¡­" I muttered to myself as I sat on my bed. I wasn''t fretting over the fact that I made a complete mess out of this situation. To be honest I wished for this to happen. For once I wished to shake up the entire system. It has been too much time since they started playing with me. The only regret is that it involved my parents. If there was any other way that all of this could have been handled silently I would have chosen it. Nevertheless, let''s stop thinking about what has been done. Let''s focus on what should be done now. At the end of the day, I was supposed to get information about the girl who recorded me that unfortunate day. But with all this commotion I guess it was inevitable to cancel the meeting. Hmm¡­ to gain something I lost quite a few things today. But it was all worth it. Having a feeling of a bit of triumph I spread my blanket and placed my head on my pillow and somehow it felt more cozier than usual. ¡­ With the chirping of birds, I slide my head out from the blanket. And soon the same routine came to being. Getting ready for school. But apparently, I was told a bit late. The school was closed for today. After I had already put on my socks I felt a bit dejected for wasting my morning time. "Why not go for a walk?" Mother suggested. Since I wasn''t supposed to be doing anything it was better to invest that free time in some outdoor experience. It has been quite some time since I went out for a walk. And the morning weather seemed to be quite lively. I was kind of interested in going outside. I quickly got up and threw my school dress on the bed. And took out my casual clothes. Looked up myself in the mirror for a minute or so. I might not show it but I do care about my looks a bit. At least my hair should be presentable. "Better tidy your room before you leave!" from below mother called out to. Looking around, I noticed it''s been forever since I last cleaned this place. The clothes piled up in the corner. The computer wasn''t cleaned. Millions of small dust particles were lying on the surface and with the sunlight, it was even more noticeable. And multiple subjects text books were lying all around. She really waited for this opportunity. I mean why would mother say this of all times? Still watching that myself I myself felt some disgust from my own room. It''s really messy. With no other choice left and mixed feelings of wanting to clean the room, I started to dust the computer first. ¡­ After long hours of labor, the result was fruitful. The room looked much better than earlier. "Done." After that, I took out my shoes from the shoe rack and was just about to leave. Mother called out to me again. "Be careful!" she said. "Mh-Mhm." With a slight nod, I left the house. ¡­ Father had already left for work so we didn''t meet in the morning. When I was cleaning the room he must have left for work then only. With no fixed destination, I lazily walked around the block. When I reached the corner of a department store I decided to buy something. Nothing specific but whatever piques my interest. "Welcome." I was welcomed there by the clerk standing beside the counter. He smiled at me but I didn''t. More like it felt a bit uncomfortable to smile at a stranger. Even though I have been in here a couple of times I still hadn''t held a good conversation with the clerk so to me he is practically a stranger and to him, I am just another customer. I wandered around a bit and saw a packet of chips. It was my first time seeing this flavor. The brand made good chips so I usually eat their products and if it''s a new flavor I should give it a try. I took one out and a small pack of gum. After paying up I left the shop. With an urge to eat the chips I opened it up. Watching the scenery and eating chips I reached Central Park. And as always it was filled with all sorts of people. The sunlight shines, making tall beams of light through the gaps in the branches of the trees. The tall night-scary trees become friendlier in the early morning brightness. As the woodland prepares for another swelteringly warm, sunny day the air becomes moist and heavy, making it hard to breathe. Gentle rippling waves caress the surface of the pond. And in the middle were the flowerbeds full of roses and tulips. But I also noticed some of the familiar cars around the edges of the Park. Casually I walked towards them. As I got closer I noticed it was the same car Lily used to ride on her way back home. It means she is here. Am I getting lucky or what? First a new flavored chip and now meeting her. Of course, I wasn''t feeling delighted to meet her but to meet her for the information she got from the President. Without completely reaching the car I took another turn and entered the Park. At first, I was kind of irritated because of all those loud noises created by stupid kids. I tried to get away as soon as possible and looked around for Lily. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 143 - I Remember I looked around a bit and noticed Lily standing beside the small pond. Alone. I walked up to her and by the time I reached her my packet of chips was about to get finished. As a result, I had to throw the wrapper away but I don''t want to lose sight of her. So I placed the wrapper in my pocket for the time being. "What are you doing here?" I said as I approached her from behind. "Ek!" She took a step back as she let out a cute voice. And even lost balance that she fell on the ground. "Are you okay?" I extended my arm to her. "A-Allen! You scared me?!" she screamed. I thought by this time her bodyguard might have come out to help her but mysteriously they were acting as spectators only. "They won''t be coming to help me. They know about you," Lily said as she shrugged dust from her frock. "Sorry about that," I apologized as I felt guilty about it. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" she asked me. "Nothing just wandering around," I replied. "What about you?" "It''s kind of hard to explain." She said with a saddened face. "I certainly don''t have an appointment and leaving aside the fact that I have to throw a rapper in my pocket in a dustbin I think I can help you out." What am I saying? Does that sentence even make sense? But I suppose the meaning behind the words did pass on to her. "This was the place when I lost my closest friend," she said. I think I have heard this story from someone. I looked around and noticed that man again. He was the one who told me about this story but it wasn''t very detailed. "Is that so? Was? Isn''t that person with you now?" I asked. "He is there but out of my reach and maybe also I don''t want to approach him. I still have lingering feelings of getting rejected again." She said, "Sorry. It doesn''t concern you. I shouldn''t have said something so weird all of a sudden." "So? If he had already rejected you, why care?" I said as I tried to locate a dustbin to throw this rapper. "Huh? Didn''t you hear me? He was the closest person to me." Her voice was a bit vexed. "Aren''t you the one who isn''t listening? He ''was'' and ''is'', there is a difference. I am not saying you reject those feelings, there is a thin line that separates both of them. And unfortunately, you are clinging to the ''is'' side more." "What do you mean?" "If he isn''t with you then it''s his choice and not yours. You can''t do anything about it. But your choice is whether to dwell on the past or to move ahead of it. If everyone were to dwell on the past would people be happy?" "So am I supposed to forget about him?" she asked me. "I never used the word ''forget'', you have to accept reality and live with it. You don''t expect the world to bend your ways do you?" Ah-ha. I located the dustbin on the other end of the Park. "B-But" she was still acting like a little child. A child who got obsessed over a long broken toy. "Lily, you can''t force your ideals or dreams on other people." "..." "Alright enough with the ideal talks. What happened with the President and his secret friend?" I asked her. "You sure changed a serious conversation instantly." She said, "I talked with the President but he wouldn''t crack up. Even in the slightest bit." "So any lead till now?" I asked her. "Although the President told me his direct relation with the Girl, I did get to know that she isn''t that introvert as I thought she turned into." Lily said, "Frequently she would go out at night time." "Night time? Any special reason?" I asked. "None. Before I could ponder any further you blasted the bomb." "... So what''s the next step?" I asked her. "Maybe we can tail her?" she suggested. "But we don''t know when she leaves the house." "Well that''s a problem then. But I will dig further. Till then why don''t you look for yourself rather than for her?" "Sarcasm?" "You think?" She looked at me with a dumbfounded look. ¡­ With that we parted our ways. She went to her grand mansion and I to the dustbin. TO THROW THE RAPPER OF COURSE. As I pondered about how I should get back at the Council I remembered about Iris. Isn''t she supposed to be collecting some information on the Council? If she has done some work I would ask her tomorrow. But if she had already found something then she would have reached out to me but she hasn''t. Does this mean she hasn''t? Let''s look for it in the morning. ¡­ I walked around the Park for the time being. And tried to waste time as much as possible. If I were to sit ideally in the house I would only worry about something again and I don''t want to. After taking a couple around the Park I made an exit on the next way out. On my way I noticed a small girl sneakily looking around, hiding behind a car. "Hey, mister. Come here for a second." "I am talking to you!" she hissed and yelled. But is it for me? "Me?" "Yes you. Come here." She called me. Since she was just a child I complied with her request. "What is it?" I crouched down to match her level. "Can you take a look at that corner and see if anyone wearing a black suit is shanding or not? I mean S-Standing!" Took her long enough to notice that. "Okay, I will see if someone in black suit shanding or not." I said. "D-Don''t make fun of me!" she exclaimed with her cute little mouth. "Ehh¡­ is this how you treat someone asking for a favor?" "... Mmm¡­" she pouted with her small cheeks. *Touch* I touched it a little and all air flew right outside. "Why do you want me to check that? Is someone following you?" I asked. "No¡­ I am playing with my father." she smiled. But isn''t his father a bit irresponsible? Letting a small child all alone? In the park it''s fine but outside isn''t for small kids. "Why not go with me to check¡­?" I asked her. As a responsible citizen I should at least look after her until her father comes to take her. "But what if he is there and sees me? You know for an adult you aren''t that shart- Oops! Smart!" she bit her tongue. Cute. "Then why not just take a peek? Since you are this small I believe no one would see you," I said. "Rika isn''t small!" she pouted again. And I also came to know her name. "Okay, Okay. Rika isn''t small. But to act like an adult you have to take some serious steps, you know? To fool your father you need to see his next move." What am I saying to this small child? Have I finally gone crazy? "Hmm¡­so to win the game I need to outshart- outshart- outsmart! Father!" I was just about to let out a laugh but watching her try saying the word again and again made me feel like laughing at it. Still I was also a child, "I guess Rika isn''t that big." "No! Rika is big!" she exclaimed. "Alright then let''s go," I offered her hand. In response she took her small hands from her pocket and placed them on mine. You know, Rika, you shouldn''t believe people this easily. Didn''t your father tell you not to go along with strangers?" I asked her. "Are you a bad person?" she asked me with puppy eyes. "No¡­" even I felt a bit reluctant to answer. "Then there is no problem! I am an adult and you aren''t a bad person so I am good to go!" she said with a confident smug. She wasn''t technically wrong but her reasoning was a bit twisted. With our hands connected we decided to take a walk to the end of the corner. She didn''t seem a bit scared. "Do you see anyone in black shoot-suit!" she again bit her tongue. "Not anyone with the blck clothes. But I do see small kittens with black fur," I said. "Really!?" Although she was hiding she instantly came forward and stepped in the open. And of course, there weren''t any kittens. It was just a bluff that I played to make her come forward. There wasn''t one but multiple people in suits and she also didn''t show me any specifics to her father. The last resort was to see her father herself. "There she is! Rika!" the man farthest shouted. To which Rika flinched back when she saw the man. For a minute I maintained a close distance from her since I am not sure if he is her father or not. But fortunately, he was. Because Rika jumped forward and hugged him instantly. I guess she did feel scared. "Oh thank god, I found it. Rika please don''t let go of my hand when we are outside, okay?" "Y-Yeah¡­" she was feeling a bit embarrassed as she tried to hide her face in her father''s coat. "I am sorry for the trou-" he was stunned for a second but was back to normal soon enough. "Ah, no problem. Apparently, she was the one to ask for help. If anything I should be ashamed for leaving her alone in the first place." "No, no. I am thankful to you. But¡­ have we met before?" he asked me. "I don''t think so," I said as I tried to recall my memories. "That''s right, isn''t it? Anyways I need to get back. Again thank you for taking care of her." he smiled at me and left. But his way of speaking and the ling he used in the last part¡­ I remember it from somewhere. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 144 - Message From Who? Parting ways with the cute little girl, Rika, I decided to take a walk around the city. It has been time since I went to a mall or some other complex. Alright then, let''s just move to a movie theater and then look around some clothing shops. Ah, also I need to tell my mother about my outing and getting late. It has already been 11 in the morning. Without me realizing it was already this late. I went out at around 8 and then to a 24x7 open department store. Small talk with Lily and then my encounter with the little girl. ¡­ After a 15 minute walk I was in front of a shopping complex and what else, a movie theater was also in it. Well yeah there are usually theaters inside but the seats and the service provided at certain places are just not good. As I went to the counter, I was handed a pamphlet. The cover ebing the outlet of the mall. I must say it''s quite large for a single person. I mean there are 5 floors and each floor is filled with numerous shops and with all these people around I am starting to feel suffocated. THe 1st floor consisted of shops related to clothes. All were considered multinational shops. Casually I entered one of the stores and guess what, the moment I saw the price I was kind of hesistant to look any more. And it was the lowest one there. Do people really like to wear these pricey clothes? I understand having branded clothes gives you a certain delight but still I prefer a decent one. Once in a while okay but not every time. With a brief disappointment I exited the store, the clerk there saw me with suspicious eyes. ''You didn''t take anything, right?'' is what he must be saying. Ignoring his suspicious glare, I left the shop. Since every single shop has those detectors, the clerk couldn''t help but feel a bit ashamed. After clearing out the first floor I moved up to the second floor. Where the main theme was of shoes. And I also needed a new pair of shoes so I decided to look into it. If not buying then at least have a mind frame of the style I like. After taking a look around the shop I exited it with a disappointed look. They had a nice collection but not the ones that I wanted. For an hour I wandered around and decided it''s a waste of time. The moment I like a shoe, the helper in the shop would come by and show me similar styled shoes but with slightly different alterations. That wavered my decisions. ''Sir, how about this?'' ''This one was the most bought last month.'' ''I think informal would suit you more.'' ''Here, it''s available in our shop only.'' In response to all these questions was, ''Is that so¡­? I will look around a bit stil.'' Moving onto the 3rd floor. It was a food court. The entire floor was almost packed. I mean, did the entire city come here? It''s a weekday so why is there so much crowd? Is it declared some kind of national holiday that I haven''t heard of? I skipped the 3rd floor and went directly to the 4th floor. It was the floor that only consisted of movie theaters. Throughout the entire floor all sorts of posters were displayed. I must say, the posters these days are quite intriguing. I mean look at that one, the man standing in front of some sort of balck hole and beside it were some opaque images of few others. What is that? A sci-fi movie? Not only just posters, a wide screen was displaying the most grossing movie of the month. Just with a few minutes of trailer I was interested to watch it. And what else, it has been quite some time since the release and yet the movie is one ladder ahead of others. It''s decided I am watching that movie. The main story revolved around a person caught up in some sort of time dimension and with the interference some sort disortments occurred in the real world. I moved towards the counter and noticed the line was longer than a limo. The counter was specially designed for that movie only. And watching that long line I felt an urge to watch the movie leave. But I wasn''t the only one. The morning shows were all booked already. Half of them left disheartened. Well for me, I took a ticket for some other movie. Since I don''t want to wait till afternoon. The movie starts in a couple of minutes. I quickly dropped by the snacks counter and ordered a medium popcorn with a small coke. While I was waiting for the order, I noticed something. Almost everyone in the line beside me was standing in pairs. Ignoring them I entered the movie hall and got to my seat. It was not entirely in the middle but slightly in the right part of the hall. In a couple of minutes people started to pour in and it was completely filled. And of course people would sit beside me. Lights went off. And fortunately, the people around me were quite good. They weren''t talking or even if they were, I couldn''t hear them. The movie started. The start was dramatic since the main lead was crying and recklessly throwing around things. The bell rang and right before he could open it the screen went blank and something in small letters displayed. 2 Months Ago. ¡­ The movie was almost 2 hours long. So I had to sit there till the end because the movie was coming to its climax. And I am not going to lie but the movie was pretty good actually. The hero got betrayed twice by the same girl. And then the revenge came. It was a pretty normal movie plot but the execution was pretty nice. Almost everyone was so engrossed in it that even in the interval half of the people went out. ¡­ And with the main lead getting the female lead the movie came to an end. For a moment there the hall went silent. But soon enough people started to chatter about the movie. I didn''t have anybody to talk to so I just left the hall silently, talking with my own conscience about the movie. It was already noon, 2pm. I straight out went to the food court hoping the mob had cleared out but I was wrong. Not only did they increase but the noise coming from it was also irritating. All talked so loudly that even if I would have worn headphones I would still hear them. So instead I departed from there and to the top floor. It was an open place with no terrace. It was built on the terrace of the 4th floor. It was windy but not much. Only to flick a few of my hairs. A couple of restaurants at the corner and in the middle a small garden. And ESPECIALLY it was quiet and calm. Even though there were people they still talked in low voices. With the main motive to fill myself up I went to one of the restaurants and ordered something that I couldn''t even spell correctly. Still, it was delicious. And of course it cost me much more than it would have in the food court. Nevertheless, it was worth it. ¡­ *Ping* *Ping* As I was waiting for the lift I got two message notifications. I wonder who it is? I looked at it from the locked screen notification and saw a message from my mother asking me when I will come home. To which I instantly unlocked it responded with a 5 Minute Sticker. Double Blue tick was noticed on it. The other one was from an unknown number. Before I could open it, the lift arrived. A couple of people came out and few got in like me. It wasn''t big enough for me to stand separately and read the message so I waited to get out. With no other stops we reached the end quickly. People got out before the ones outside could get in. With nothing much to do in here I left the place behind and started to walk beside the shade created by the trees. I took out my phone and unlocked it to read it. "Not someone I know." I muttered to myself and opened it. [I have found when she leaves her house. And it''s today at 9pm. If you have time, come and meet outside in front of your house at 8, I will lead the way.] Is it Lily? It''s the first time I have received any message from this number so it could be a coincidence and someone mistakenly sent it to me. But the possibility of that happening is also very low. Let''s just see who it is at 8. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 145 - You Can See Her, But Cant Touch Her Since I was too bored to even move around after watching the movie and all I decided to just head home and rest. It was already past 3 pm when I reached home. I could have gotten here faster if I didn''t have to avoid the crowd. For reasons unknown the road that led directly to my house was all of a sudden filled with people. Again, is there a national holiday that I don''t know about? ¡­ It was soon going to be 8, I got dressed up again. With a made-up excuse, I left the house. Waiting for Lily to arrive and not the other way around. "Lily, aren''t you early?" I asked her. "Really? I said 8 so I thought it would be better to arrive a little early since I am the one who called you." She said, "Anyway, where are you taking me?" I asked her. "Get in the car first." She said as she tilted her head a little. I looked around and noticed a black car, whose headlights were instantly turned on. I couldn''t take a look at the car easily. "Okay," I replied. ¡­ While we were in the car waiting to reach the destination Lily explained to me the bits of knowledge she could gather in a short amount of time. And it turned out that Alex is also involved in this operation. After a short while, the car came to a stop but it was around a normal neighborhood like mine. I assumed the girl would be somewhat of a rich person but isn''t she just like me? And my observation turned out to be true, this wasn''t her place but instead, it was Alex''s place. "Why are we taking him?" I asked lily. "Apparently Alex used to know her and using the thing called- coincidence Alex will meet with her to try to ask her about the video," Lily said with a confident look. "Wait a minute. How are you sure she will just tell him that? You said Alex ''used'' to know her so wouldn''t she be alarmed when he all of a sudden did that?" I raised an obvious question, even the driver took a peek at the back seat. "Tha won''t be necessary, Allen. I won''t be directly asking that" the gate of the passenger''s seat opened up and Alex sat. "Hello, Alex. And what do you mean?" "As you mentioned earlier I haven''t seen her in a while but we sure used to know each other. Since she has been a shut-in for quite some time it might be easy to break her shell," Alex said with confidence. "See, it''s easy," Lily said in agreement. "Wait, am I missing something? Alex is here and Lily seems to have told him everything already. Where was I when this happened?" I raised another obvious question. "I wasn''t trying to at first but he persuaded me and also he wanted to help willingly so I didn''t want to let go of an opportunity that might increase our chances of success." Lily''s straightforward answer made me agitate for a minute. I don''t want to involve more people in it. The larger the information spread the easier it gets for the enemy to find loopholes. "I know Allen you aren''t good with me tagging along but let me help you at least once." He said with a saddened voice. Even before he also seemed a bit disappointed for not being able to help me. I guess he is a person who gives in to peer pressure and now that the opportunity came forward where he won''t need to worry about it he took it. With no one to judge him, he can freely agree to help me, is that what he is thinking? "Alright¡­" And now that it was already agreed on I can''t do much about it. ¡­ Silently the driver rode us to a series of apartments. As I looked outside, I noticed one thing and that was, the other buildings were larger than I imagined and started to come into the light. At first I was amazed by the size of it. And what''s more, I have seen advertisements about it on televisions and in newspapers as well. It has been about 10 years since this place came to being and somehow the prices on the property skyrocketed. Even though I am far from this thing, I still heard rumors about its facilities and how great it was. Now this is what I hoped from a friend of Lily. Although these apartments didn''t hold a candle in front of Lily''s Mansion it was still impressive. We stopped right in front of the exit gate of these apartments. Since it was already dark, we hid under the shadows of the trees. "Isn''t it time for you to go, Alex?" I asked. "No¡­ we are just trying to follow her and pinpoint the place she goes to and then encounter her there. If I were to pop up there now even an idiot will find it suspicious," Alex said. "Allen don''t worry we will do what needs to be done," Lily said, still her eyes were located on the entrance. As I was going through everyone''s expresion I noticed the driver was chuckling but had been suppressing his voice with his mouth and with the dark nothing seemed to be clear. "What''s so funny?" I whispered to him. "Fufufu¡­ nothing, it''s just watching you kids is kind of¡­ funny." He said but soon got hold of his laugh. ¡­ After waiting for hours, "I think that''s her," Lily said in a low voice. "Wait but I don''t even know her name yet." I interjected. "What?" Alex was the most surprised. "Just tell me. Later on we can spend as much time as we want to make fun of me," I said. "It''s Ariana," Lily said. "Don''t you know where she is going at this hour?" I asked. "Apparently she is going to a shady place,"Lily answered. "Shady place? What do you mean?" "She got influenced by some bad people while she tried to cope up with her feelings after her father''s death," Lily said. "She got involved with drugs, smoking and other sorts of things,"Alex said. "... Ehh¡­ at this age? Really?" I heard stories about some teenagers getting on the wrong path but it''s my first time seeing it live. "Allen mind if I ask something off topic?" Alex touched the hem of shirt. I wore a full shirt since it was getting a little chilly outside. "Hmm? What is it?" "I don''t know who uploaded the video but why wasn''t it leaked earlier?"Alex asked. "What do you mean by earlier?" "I¡­ assumed that the video was old footage and not new one," He said. "Why do you think so?" "''Why you say¡­?'' At first, I thought it was a recent event but then after some spectaculations, Noah pointed out a few things that made all of us realize it was somewhat an old video." Noah, huh? "What did he point out?" I asked. "The room where it was recorded was not too long ago changed into a storage room and from the looks of the room it didn''t feel like a storage room at all," Alex said. Well now that he pointed it out, even I felt the room was changed when I was giving my testimony to those officers. Hmm¡­ Noah''s speculations and observation skills are quite something. Even I ignored those slight details. "Well yeah it was some time ago, to be honest," I admitted. ¡­ The Driver started the car when our target, Ariana, was at the corner and had taken a turn. Since we didn''t want to get noticed, the driver didn''t turn on the flash. The Street Lights were enough to see the front. Gradually we came to a dead end. An ally that was too narrow for even a two-wheeler to pass made it difficult for us to continue stalking our target. "Let''s get out!" Lily said as she seemed desperate. "But Miss, it isn''t safe for you to go alone!" The driver''s proposition was legit. It''s definitely safe since we already know Ariana is involved with some bad people. Even I feel a bit hesitant to follow her. The place people smoke and use drugs isn''t a child playground. "B-But we need to save her at least! This is the last option to free her from all this¡­!" Lily cried. And now I know the reason why Lily seemed to show interest in this. Her main motive was to get to her friend and be free from the suffering. I won''t be saying anything at the moment but Lily you need to make amends after, for deceiving me twice. "Lily, it''s the truth. We can''t go alone. It''s not up to us to involve with those people," Alex said with a worried expression. "Argh! A-Allen you will come right¡­!? You need to find out how-" I chopped her head. "Ow! What was that for?!" she exclaimed. "Can''t you hear yourself?" I said. "Wh-What¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" "Just think of a better plan before coming here. At least we know where she is going, now we just need to make a plan to corner her," I said. "..." she nodded. Embarrassed and self pity. Alright, now we have a ground to take on Council. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 146 - One Step Ahead Best novel online free at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net "So what do we do now?" Alex looked at me. "Why are you looking at me?" I asked. "What? You stopped Lily so I assumed you thought of something¡­ or am I wrong?" He seemed confused. "It''s true that we have to talk with her but the one moment she leaves her house is when she goes to a dangerous place and if we were to kidnap her on the way that wouldn''t end well." "Why? Wouldn''t that solve the problem all together? We took her in the car and then we can have a talk with her easily with no distractions!" Alex said with a confident look. "Tell me, do you happen to have a big garage where we can keep her?" I asked. "What''s that supposed to mean?" "Please don''t tell me you thought she would be quiet about that, would you? She might accuse us of kidnapping and eventually be jailed." "Ahh¡­" "Anyway for now let''s just leave since we got no lead to move into. What''s the next time she leaves her house?" I asked Lily. "..." No response came. "Lily?" "..." she constantly kept on staring at that ally. "Lily." I shaked her off and that brought her to her senses. "W-Wh-What?" She was perplexed. "When will she leave her house again?" I asked again. "I don''t know¡­ The President only gave me the information about her getting involved in this. Coming here was my spectaculations." "So no lead, huh. Do we have to come here again tomorrow?" Alex asked. "... I think yes." "Too bad then. Alright then, same time tomorrow." I said. "Okay." "Mh-Mhm." ¡­ With the clock''s longest needle half past ten pm made my entrance dramatic. "Where were you this late?!" Mother asked. "I¡­ was with friends¡­?" "Friends? And who were they?" Mother interrogated while Father seemed to be getting a kick out of this situation. ''Does this look funny to you, Dad?'' "Who were they?" "Alex," I said. "... Really?" "I am tired so I am heading to my room. You can call Alex if I was with him or not," I swiftly tucked out my shoes and went straight up to my room. Mother also didn''t raise any kind of question after that. ¡­ But to think that girl went that path. I don''t know what led to that but if she is involved with drugs then there are chances the police are also going to get involved. If so, isn''t it good to back down and wait for the right opportunity? But I don''t have much time. The Student Council must be trying to find something about me, I can''t just sit here ideally and wait for the opportunity to strike me. Then what? Should we threaten her to not leak our faces after kidnapping her? But on what grounds that will work? Do we bluff her that we know she is the one who uploaded the video? But she is using drugs and there''s a possibility that she isn''t someone who could be threatened. Using drugs is already too risky. But there is also a possibility that if she is on drugs then she isn''t a person with much confidence. She could be influenced easily. Both seem plausible but only one is true and it''s up to me to decide which of them is it. ¡­ The next morning I went to school as usual. On the way Alex tried to approach me but I advised him not to. The gazes that used to be of suspicion seemed to have been turned into sympathy, pity, and maybe more. Well I was assaulted by someone so it''s natural for them to look at me that way. But the people who weren''t sharing the same view as the most still looked at me with hatred. But why? I know why, because they still don''t believe me. And of course there will always be people who have different views than others. Two Schools of topic. Ignoring them I went to my classroom. The first one to encounter me was Selene, she was sitting in the same row as mine, looked at me and instantly reverted into another direction. I wonder why? Beside Selene sat Alex but apparently he wasn''t here yet. Other than that Peter sat in the far left side of the room. But I couldn''t see him directly. Because the people have been staring at me non-stop. "Tch!" someone clicked their tongue but was it at me? I unnoticed it was the seat of Anna''s friend and she looked at me with hostility. As I sat on my seat I noticed Anna getting all fidgety. I wonder why that is? Is she scared by the fact that one of my enemies got eliminated and was pulverized completely? If so, then I guess it had just more than one silver lining. She might have to move ahead with precaution and with that she has to work accordingly in order to protect herself. And since the only way to protect herself is to be faithful to me, she has to disclose everything. But at this point she might not reveal the name of that boy yet. I need to put pressure on her. The incident with Roy ought to do it. ¡­ Classes went by and soon it was lunch break. And yes, this time I paid attention in classes since I have been lagging behind a lot. I need to cope up with the class. As I stepped outside the classroom, the silence that was maintained because of my presence seemed to have been finished. The class became a public place with no restrictions of sorts. But I didn''t have time to hear their conversations. I walked to my usual spot and soon met Iris there. "Has been too long, Mister Celebrity." she said. "Sarcasm?" "You think?" She was more chipper than usual but soon changed when she got accompanied by her attendant, Olivia. "So you got something?" I asked her, ignoring her- f-r-i-e-n-d. "Hmm¡­ yeah I did find some interesting things actually." She said, "So? When are you going to tell me?" I asked. "Now, dummy. Anyway, I got to know about Henry." "?" "Henry, red head, Discipline Incharge. You don''t even know their names yet?!" Iris seemed surprised and Olivia seemed to have made a funny look. Or more like she was looking at a funny thing and mimicking that. "I am not the one who was supposed to find the information about them," I said in my protest but it was still declined by the fact that I don''t even know the enemy. "Henry used to live in another city so the only thing that I could see from the record was that he transferred here in the first year and soon got inside the Student Council," she said. "...?" "That''s¡­ quite a face. Going on, I did some background checks through some connection from my fathers contact!" she confidently and shamelessly said, "It turned out that he transferred because of the incident that took place in his last year of middle school." "What happened at that time?" I asked. "It seems that he got caught in some sort of trouble with a son of some politician and of course when there is power they misuse it. He was about to get expelled but was spared when someone from our school helped him get transferred here. Some sort of money transaction was made." "From our school? Who?" "Apparently that''s where our President came in. He is the one who helped him with that trouble." "... That''s surprising." If he did that then it''s for sure that Henry is loyal to The President. No, it''s more than just loyal. "Right?! Even I thought that. But that''s all I could gather," she said. "That''s it?" it''s more surprising that she could gather only this much. "Hey, you know how much trouble I had to go through just to know this inside information? A politician was involved so of course the information wouldn''t come that easily!" She puffed while Olivia seemed to have been unfazed by the sudden sullen on her friend''s face. "Still this isn''t enough. Try digging further on them." I said. "Well that''s a given but in exchange tell me one thing." "What is it?" I asked. "You are the one who uploaded the video, right?" she asked with a huge smug on her face. "I know for a fact that you uploaded that video. Just admit it." "Sorry to disappoint you but I wasn''t the one who uploaded the video." Technically I didn''t but if we see it from the Principal''s perspective I did. But who cares if no one knows that. "Huh?! Don''t lie to me. I know it was you, you just don''t want to admit it." "I really didn''t. Even if you force me to say it, it would still be a fact that I didn''t upload it." "Eh¡­ I really thought I caught you¡­" she seemed disappointed. Anway stop sulking about such things and do some real work. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Best novel online free at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net Chapter 147 - Great Timing Read novel online free fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net "So in conclusion it turns out that Henry is the one who was saved by our President?" "Yeah that''s right." Iris said. "So what''s the plan?" I asked her. "You thought of something, right? If not about others but you did some work in this, yes?" "Of course I did. Who do you think I am?" "Spoiled child?" I said instinctively. Olivia chuckled a bit but stopped instantly when Iris sneered at her. "Anyway since we know he won''t betray the President, it''s useless to turn him against the President. Instead we force him to do the same thing that got him into trouble like last time." Iris said in confidence. "What did he do?" I asked. "His temper is really bad. And I mean it literally. So, because of it he got into a small dispute with another student of his class. Reason was something stupid, more like it was over some girl or something. Some group of students were trying to bully a girl so he stepped up and that''s when he broke the kids nose with a single punch and that wasn''t the end of it. Teachers had to pull them apart. The other kid had his right arm fractured and nose broken along with a dislocated jaw." "By just one kid?" Isn''t that too much just for a middle schooler? "Yes, he was trained with some kind of martial arts ever since he was a kid so he had much more strength and the other kid was too fragile or as the informant says." Iris said. "..." "Since his temper is too short even for a normal person there are students, Council members too look out for him. We just need him to separate them from him and then you do your thing," Iris chuckled along with Olivia. "My thing?" "Yeah, your thing. You are too good to irritate people." Iris said with a wide smug on her face. "What? My thing? That isn''t true." I protested. "Going on, we just need to record it and be done." Iris said. Well that sounds good but is that really good? If the President recruited him then he must know the demerits of having him. His short temper along with ridiculous strength. At all possibilities getting Henry to lose would be almost non-existent. Then what? The information is good enough to lay out the traps beforehand. And since the President doesn''t know about my alliance with Iris then he mustn''t be alarmed about Henry''s weakness being leaked. And the information that Iris got is from her father''s contacts so the President wouldn''t be knowing about it also. "That''s a decent plan," I said. All merits taking into account, it helds an upper hand against the demerits. "Alright. But how will we do that?" Iris asked. "Huh? You just thought of it and didn''t think of the execution?" So all this was just a theoretical plan? Is she a klutz or a real idiot? "Don''t look at me like that. If anything you should be thankful and feel gratitude to me. If I were to spoon feed you then wouldn''t it be boring? Alos you don''t get to judge me, on the other hand I judge you for thinking I will do everything." Iris hissed at me. And beside her, her friend seemed to be having fun watching our fight. "Alright, alright. I will do something about it. So by that time you please find something on the others." I said as I was about to leave. "You don''t have to point that out. Also you remember our deal, right?" she said. "I remember." ¡­ "Does any of you know about the suicide that took place last year?" What? Did the target aim come right to me instead? It was 15 minutes ago when Henry entered the classroom along with another member of the Council. Using some excuse they asked the teacher to leave the classroom and incidentally the teacher also agreed. And that''s how he ended up here. "Anyone?" He said. "..." Peter tried to glance at me but I didn''t react to it. "You there. What''s your name?" Henry pointed out Peter. Of course he will, if you will look at me like that. The main motive of this was to check who was involved in that incident along with me. And whoever reacted to it, it would mean he/she is involved. "Me?" "No, the person behind you." Peter stood up. All gazes turned to him. "Do you know anything about that incident?" Henry asked. "... No." Peter answered. "Really?" "Yes." Peter didn''t back down. "Do you happen to know about it?" Henry asked. "Yeah I know about the incident but I don''t know who was involved in it." Peter said without wavering. "Is that so? Alright then sit down," Henry said feeling a bit disappointed. Similar to how Henry is loyal to the President, Peter is also the same. So if your plan is to take out some information from him, it would end in vain. "If there is nothing I will be taking my leave. Thank you for your cooperation." He politely said. But his appearance seemed a bit different from what I had assumed. Although I imagined him to be in control in public, this is way off the charts. He never raised his voice, not even a little bit. But from our first meeting I assumed he was always short tempered or was it because I insulted his benefactor? If so then I think I have a great plan to completely defeat him. ¡­ The sky, mid-afternoon, a beautiful canvas graced with sky blues and pure milky whites. The blue in the depths beyond and the smooth, rounded, sugary sweet clouds in the foreground; Stained white wooden porches, green plastic lawn and garden chairs and a yellow butterfly dancing above the steamy urban pavement with an invisible partner to a made up song. With nothing else to do till late evening I decided to head home. On the way I encountered quite peculiar things. A stray dog that was the first I have seen in a while. Our locality has called some department to take care of such stray animals quite some times so watching one seemed a bit weird and of course I had to be precautious of it. Trying to avoid it, I passed by it and took a different route than usual. Am I afraid of dogs? Who knows, it has teeth that could tear apart a skin in a matter of seconds, along with those teeths came the ferocity and above all if he wasn''t vaccinated, a small bit from him could be fatal. So the question is, am I afraid of dogs? Yes, most likely. The other route was kind of a circular way. On the way I encountered another weird thing. A tree had fallen down in the middle of the road. Apparently from the crowd around it says a small truck was passing by and with sudden brakes it''s lock latched out and it went down in an instant. Fortunately no one was around that area. So I had to re-route again. It was the second time I had changed my route. I walked to a whole new path, I was following the route advised by the maps in my phone. Apparently it turned out all the close routes are either jammed or have some issues like construction so I had to take the longest route. And what else, the estimated time was almost forty five minutes. How ridiculous is that? But I still had to go home so I started to walk the advised path. Walking in a new area was still a bit pleasant and weird also. I wonder if it''s because I''m not following the usual routine but it''s been quite some time since I have started to not follow that routine. Either it is to go to Lily''s house, or do some late night adventures. Anyway, I was starting to sweat¡­ a lot. It was like I would melt any minute. Should I get a bike or something like that? I mean it''s not good for me to travel this long. *Honk-Honk* I heard a horn sound behind me. But I was too lazy to turn around and say it to pipe down. I was already starting to lose my temper. Even with the slightest bit of noise I was starting to get irritated. And with the sun it got worse and worse. *Honk-Honk* *Honk-Honk* "What is it?" I said as I turned around. Neither this car was going forward or stopping, it was just moving beside me. "Allen?" with only the face out from the driver''s window my father''s face popped out. "...? Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked as I walked a few steps back. "I could ask you the same question. How come you are here?" he was confused as me. "I will tell you but open the gates. I don''t think I can last longer." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ You can read the novel fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net Chapter 148 - Jokes On You *Honk-Honk* *Honk-Honk* "What is it?" I said as I turned around. Neither this car was going forward or stopping, it was just moving beside me. "Allen?" with only the face out from the driver''s window my father''s face popped out. "...? Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked as I walked a few steps back. "I could ask you the same question. How come you are here?" he was as confused as me. "I will tell you but open the gates. I don''t think I can last longer." I said as he opened up the gates as I entered the back seat. The car was cool, actually so cool that I had goosebumps for a second there. Maybe it''s the effects of sudden atmosphere change. "So? What were you doing all the way here?" He asked me. I took a whole minute to settle down. "I was going home." I replied. "Huh? Home? From here?" he was confused. "All the roads other than this were either blocked or had some natural disturbances around it so I avoided them." I said. "... Natural disturbances?" "Yes, natural disturbances." I meant the dog, I don''t want this to become my embarrassing moment so I should use subtle indications instead of straight forward answers. "If you say so," He started the car and took a u-turn. "Where are you going?" I asked. "Looking at you, going home is the best option." He chuckled. "Oh-Okay." ¡­ "But why were you here at this hour of the day?" I asked my father. "Hmm? I was going somewhere," his answer was too vague even for me. "And¡­?" hoping he would continue. "And, I was going there." He was just talking in circles. "Seriously, dad, where were you going?" I asked. "Fine¡­ I have a small meeting with the directors of the Hospital and with their request all the senior doctors are requested to meet at a hotel in order to have a ''GOOD MEETING''," He said. "Good meeting?" "They wanted to have a lavish meeting, I don''t know why and of course they do this once every 6 months. So it has become a custom sort of thing." He said. "But you don''t seem happy about it. You don''t like going to nice places?" I asked. "No, it''s not like I don''t like them but rather going there on Hospital''s profit isn''t a good decision. A hospital is supposed to focus on curing people and not on doing something like this." He said. "But isn''t that your ideology on others?" I asked. "Ideology, huh? Maybe so but still what do you think? What I am thinking is wrong or is it good?" He asked me. "If you were to ask me this¡­ My answer would be just to go along with the directors." "Surpring, why so?" he asked me. "First of all, is there a rule written that Profits cannot be used on themselves? Think of it like that, because of them, because of their hard work they got profits that they are easily able to have a good time. And secondly, it''s actually their money ultimately so no can do anything about it." I said. "But doesn''t that mean they are imposing their ideologies onto others?" he played a reverse uno on me but I was prepared. "They are above the many. They have power to do so what''s the problem? If they want that then they will do that. It''s not imposing their ideology but rather using power." I said. "..." he fell silent all of a sudden. "Dad?" "Let''s end the topic here." He said. But no new topic could come up in this weird atmosphere. And soon after we were in front of our house. "Tell your mother to not wait for me. I have the keys, I might get late today." He waved at me from inside the window and left. "Okay¡­" I don''t think he heard me. ¡­ I rang the doorbell and in a minute or so mother came out and the first thing she asked me was- "Why are you late again¡­? It''s getting a habit of you coming home late," she said. I guess the incident did some serious damage to me. Mother has started to keep an eye one me more seriously than before. "Nothing I was just wandering around," I said as I took a step inside and started to loosen my shoe laces. "Allen, answer honestly. I don''t have time to play with you," she said in a stern voice. "The nearby roads were blocked so I had to detour and on the way I encountered Dad so he gave me a lift home." I said. "You should have said that in the beginning. Alright, you freshen up." ¡­ I was in my room silently watching a new anime that got released today. And of course I was watching on a pirate site. I can''t pay up to watch those so ultimately the only option left is to watch on such sites. But this anime is really good. It''s a story about a boy whose entire family got massacred by a vampire and was left alone. Luckily one of his family member survived but fate wasn''t that pleasant. He was on the verge of becoming a vampire himself since some of the blood spilled on him. Kind of a mutation. And now at the end of the episode it turns out that the person who killed his family and left his brother half human was near him. And was the final boss. But the studio was teasing everyone and left the episode a cliffhanger. I am sure people must be swearing at it directly but it would outshadow those who will praise it since the animation was too good even for new generation anime. Feeling satisfied I closed the site and waited for a certain someone to message me out, even a call. But it was two hour early so it was just a waste of time. I took my phone and let it get charged a bit. And one in a while I noticed it has a low battery. Maybe because it''s usage has increased that''s why I have started to notice such slight details. Leaving the phone side I took out my text book and started to read things that were taught today. While I started to turn pages I got to know that all the things that I have heard bits of everything are actually not too difficult. Like this one, I heard something about shares and some woord security and it turned out that the entire thing is- Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. The terms voting share and ordinary share are also used frequently outside of the United States. They are known as equity shares or ordinary shares in the UK and other Commonwealth realms. Not so difficult. Like that I moved on, took notes, tried to write in once and sometimes thrice in order to learn it. *Beep* *Beep* I heard the phone vibrate and make a beep sound both at once. Is it time? I looked up at my room clock and it was 8:15. Isn''t it still early? I picked it up, switched off the charger and opened the lock. Lily- [Meet me outside.] I took out my jacket from the closet and wore a pair of shoes. "Now where are you going?" Mother asked as she stood beside the wall. "Out with friends?" I said reluctantly. "Don''t lie again," she said. "What? I am not." "You expect me to believe you have friends?" "..." "I am just messing with you. I wanted to say that since forever!" She burst out laughing. "If you are done can I go now?" I asked. "Yeah you can go. Fufufu¡­" her laugh didn''t stop. ¡­ I walked a couple of steps to reach out to the first corner near my house. "Is it time to go?" I asked as I noticed the same black car hiding behind the shadow of a tree and Lily standing in front of it beside Alex. "Not really but I thought it would be better if we were to be before time on the destination. Who knows, maybe we can find some other clues there." SHE SAID. "I suppose that''s true¡­" With that we all sat in, with the same seats from yesterday. Alex on the passenger seat, while I sat on the left window seat alongside Lily. "Let''s go." Lily said and the driver started the engine. "I don''t care what you say but this sure is exciting. 3 Students going on a secret mission! It''s like we are in a movie!" Alex said with excitement. "To me it''s like we are with a small child who just got to go out with his friends after school¡­ without parents permission." I said. "Alex, get a grip will you? My School Life is at stake here." "... Sorry¡­" he said in disappointment. "But it still feels like we are some kind of spy, isn''t that right?" Lily said. *Stare* We both stared at her until she realised it. "Wait, did I say that out loud?" What do you think? TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 149 - Her Past We departed from there. The car was partially filled with embarrassment and awkwardness but half was filled with concern. The one with embarrassment and awkwardness were Lily along with Alex but the other one was the driver. And the concerned one was me. I was concerned about that girl. How should I let her reveal the names of the President and the Student Council? It''s quite a difficult situation. Also that girl is involved in some shady thing, if I can utilize it to take out information from her all would get right. The only problem is she is involved with ''drugs''. "What are you thinking so hard for, Allen?" Alex asked as he turned around. "Everything," I said. "What''s that? Fufufu¡­ but seriously what are you thinking about?" He said with a slight chuckle. "About the girl." "Ah, Lily, what was her name again?" Alex asked Lily. "It''s Ariana, remember it. You are her friend then how come you don''t even know this?" Lily asked. And even I was confused about this, is Alex that bad with names or he genuinely doesn''t know? "About that, we actually used to call Ari but ever since elementary school or maybe it was in middle school we lost contact. Plus¡­" "Plus?" "I never got to know her real name¡­" he said with an embarrassed face. "Huh? You don''t know her name even though you were in the same school? That''s¡­ unbelievable," Lily said. "It''s not my fault! Everyone used to call her Ari and even the teachers called her that so I assumed it was her real name," Alex said. "Alex, either you are a fool or you are just too ignorant to things," I said. "T-That I can''t say¡­ anything to it." "So Lily mind telling me her full name again?" Alex asked Lily. "You really are shameless, aren''t you, Alex? Her name is Ariana. Try to remember your friend''s name at least." Lily said. "Wait, I never said I knew her." Alex dropped the bomb at us. "Huh?" "What?" "Ehh¡­" "Eh." "Eh..." "Alex, what are you saying?" I asked him. "Like I said, I was not her friend but classmates." He casually said it. And was wondering why we were shocked. I turned to Lily for answers. "D¡ªDon''t look at me like that!" she exclaimed as I was staring at her with killing intent. What has she done? Even if it''s a mistake, how come it''s this big? We involved someone entirely unrelated to our plan. And she confidently told me it''s going to be solved soon. "Don''t avert your eyes now, Lily. Tell me what happened," I said. "A-Alex! Didn''t you say you know her?!" Lily seemed confused and raged at the same time. I wonder if this is what happens when she panics? I mean she is all over the place. Her hands are both striking the back of the seat and her legs are shaking frantically while she looked confused from her face, her voice seemed angry. "Hey, don''t yell at me¡­ And I did say I know her-" "So, what are you saying now?" "I just know her since we used to go to the same school. I don''t remember which grade but we sure did go. She was quite popular with girls so we boys never really got to talk with her." Alex said such important information so easily that I, myself got confused whether we are in the wrong to yell at him. "Hu¡ªuu¡ªuu¡ªuu¡ªuuuHHHHHH?!" Lily lost it. She went to hibernation and started to mumble to herself god knows what¡­ "Excuse me, what happened to her?" I asked the driver since he was the one who didn''t faze after watching this state of her''s. Alex''s jaw dropped while I was confused, the only person who seemed to be normal was the driver. "Ah, about this, don''t worry about this. It''s a habit of our Miss," He said with a chuckle. "What? Habit?" "You must have noticed how calm and collective our Miss is, although she does act like a kid sometimes she still tries her best to be a perfectionist. So, assuming by your conversation I think Miss made some grave mistake and is now presenting herself for that. Don''t worry she will calm down soon enough if not then just let her be." He said. First of all I want to point out that this driver is someone amazing. I mean usually if their master/owner gets into something like ''this'', then he would also get panicked and will try to calm them down but this person said to let her be. Also what''s with this perfectionist thing? "I don''t get it," Alex said as he went to the corner of the car keeping an eye on Lily. Is he scared or just taking precaution in case Lily kills him. The entire thing happened only because of him. "Hm¡­ think of it like a force of habit. Since Miss was orphaned at a young age, the last thing her mother left was this." He said. It was vague yet it was complete, his answer. If I am guessing right then her mother wasn''t a pleasant person as her or her brothers at all. Her mother must have forced her to be perfect at all things since she was the daughter of such a prestigious family and with such high status comes the feeling of superiority. Her mother forced her ideologies on her and forced her to become a perfectionist and if at times Lily were to fail, she would punish her and Lily would get into ''this'' state. Her mother''s lingering feeling made her like this I supposed All this is just my theory but it fits right in, in the context given by the driver. "Stop talking like that. Just tell me straight out! She is freaking me out!" Alex said. "You sure are a talker, eh? Her mother apparently was the most elegant, superior, and most of a perfectionist. No one was to hold a candle to her in every field. But with such high values comes the disappointment. She was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 40. Soon her health worsened, to the point she was hardly able to stand up on her own. A complete bed rest soon enough." "..." "The things she used to do are now all for naught since she can''t display it again. Even she started to fall in despair. Since she herself doubted her worth, her morals, values, and all the things that had made her the perfectionist started to turn into ashes." "...." only his voice was reverting in the car. "Seeing that, her heartbroken child, Young Miss, started to work hard. Not for her sake but for her mother''s sake. Although she was young she still knew it wasn''t far when her mother would leave. So to change the depressed look on her mother''s face she earned for perfection. But she was still a child." "..." not a word came out from us. "She couldn''t even speak clearly at that time but she worked hard. And when the time came for her mother and for her, Young Miss gave her all but it was nothing compared to what her mother used to do. So as the last words her mother left was-" "Was?" "Become a Perfectionist¡­" "..." "Isn''t her mother a heartless person?" Alex said in a rough voice. Was he angry? "You don''t know the entire story. That wasn''t the end. Soon after her mother left, it was found that she wrote an entire book on her life. And the most emphasized part was her family. But that wasn''t important to Young Miss." "Then what was?" "The book ended with- Become a Perfectionist¡­ become the person you, yourself feel worthy of and not for others. Become a perfectionist for yourself. It might seem her mother didn''t love her daughter, sons, or her entire family but she did care for them. The Perfectionist wasn''t for herself but for Young Miss to become a better person. But the child wouldn''t understand those deep meanings so the only thing she understood was the word ''PERFECTIONIST'' and not the entire thing." I spectaculated the entire thing wrong. Her mother wasn''t a bad person but more like a caring person but couldn''t express it clearly. "... I think that''s enough about my past, isn''t it?" Lily said. "Lily?!" Alex seemed surprised, maybe he still hasn''t calmed down. "Sorry Miss, should I have not mentioned it to your friends?" The Driver asked. "No it''s okay. But you don''t need to tell in so many details. But since it was the first time I am letting it pass but make sure you don''t speak everything to someone I don''t even know," Lily said in a stern voice. "Yes, Miss." ¡­ Not long after, we reached a familiar building. Ariana''s house. And of course we didn''t talk in the car. The atmosphere was too weird to talk about. Although I did want to talk to Lily about her mistake but then realized it was too much of a pain to handle after she goes into that state again. "Alright, here she comes." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 150 - Catch Her The car was almost silent. I don''t know if it was awkwardness to know Lily''s past or was it because of the mistake she made or above all was it because of her reaction when she got to know about Alex''s relationship with Ariana. "When will we reach it? Didn''t we get there much faster yesterday?" Alex asked. "There is construction on that road today so I took a detour." the Driver said. "Oh-Okay." But not too long after we were in front of her house. Nothing much has changed except the guard outside the entrance appearance seemed to have been changed. "So when are we going to talk to her?" Lily looked at me and asked. And her eyes also said- ''If you don''t have an answer you better be ready to face consequences!'' "I think I have but it''s too risky," I said. "What is it?" Alex turned around and asked. "We got with her." "..." Okay, I know it''s a wrong idea but I think it''s good. "Allen, can you repeat what you said just now," Lily said. "As I said, we go in with her and try to normally contact her. And you mentioned you haven''t seen her in a long time so it''s possible she won''t remember your face and for Alex, it''s absolutely zero chances she remembers him," I said "Hey, it''s still insulting if you say it like that you know?" Alex retaliated. "Oh, just shut up. If you hadn''t caused just confusion and problems we wouldn''t be having this talk in the first place!?" Lily said. "Okay, okay. You don''t have to yell¡­" Alex said. "..." Lily glared at him. "So what''s the plan, Allen?" Alex said as he sought out for a path to escape. "Alright, so when she comes outside we wait for her to go to that corner. Since we can''t follow her from here because of the guard and the street lights with cameras. So in order to talk with her, we will need a topic." I said. "Wh- Cameras? Where?" Alex and Lily both simultaneously looked out. I pointed my fingers to our right, the car was parked on the blind side of it. The driver must have known that. If not, then someone would have filed a complaint about it since a car out of nowhere is parked right in front of such a high-class place, there could be the possibility of kidnapping. But that doesn''t seem to be the case, even the guards weren''t looking at us. "Allen you sure have good eyes," Alex said complimenting me. "If you were to look around carefully anyone could have noticed that," I said. "Any way to the topic at hand¡­" I said. "What?" "So Alex, you try approaching her before she enters that valley. Lily, you be on the look-out while I will enter in there in case Alex fails. Also, Lily, if I message you any kind of, or you don''t get into contact with me after some time it''s better to call the police or ask help from your servants or even the driver." I said. In response, they both agreed to it. The reason why I sent Alex first is that he might have a few tricks in order to open her up, I mean he used to know her unlike me. And Lily can''t go because she feels a bit of guilt and in addition to it, she is more like our defense. She has power, so in case anything goes south we can count on her. She herself knows it better. And me going inside is the best option since I have already been through a shoot out so I am probably going to be okay in there. What could happen? "But Allen, are you sure you will be okay?" Alex asked. "What do you mean?" "That girl is involved with bad people so it''s good to assume the worst at such places. I mean it''s drugs, smoking, and maybe what else. Don''t we ask the police or someone''s help rather than doing some stunt?" Alex said with concern. His concern is legit. Going to that place means those people might be dangerous since drugs aren''t anything normal people get involved with. At most they could be ''gangsters''. But does that make me cold feet? Probably not since I got shot, got kidnapped, and then saw a person killing and got killed so I think it''s not on that level yet. So I am going to be just fine there. "Taking all things into account I still think it''s going to be alright. If something bad happens I just have to move fast, that''s all." I said. "..." "What? Why are you staring at me so intently?" I asked. "Allen, are you sure you are a teenager?" Alex asked. "Is that supposed to be sarcasm?" "Yeah but mixed with serious concern," Alex said. "Anyway, Alex I wouldn''t need to do something that scary so you got to do your objective and clear it. Otherwise, you will be responsible for me." I said. "Wait-What!? I have to hold such high responsibility?" he exclaimed. "Don''t be such a baby and just do it," Lily said. "Easy for you to say. What are you doing? Just sitting here in the car. Far from the danger." Alex said. "Oh, so it''s my fault eh? If you had answered me clearly neither you nor I would be in such a pinch. If anything you should be thankful that I didn''t kick you out of a moving car!" Lily glared at Alex. "Huh?! Are you crazy?" Alex screeched by a life-threatening warning. "Alright let''s stop here for today," I said in a louder voice. "..." "Alex just plays the usual character, You get along with everyone in the class quite easily so just try to be yourself in front of her as well," I said. "But still¡­" "You can do it. If not then don''t worry no one will blame you." I said to reassure him. It''s not my area of expertise but I think I was able to motivate him. If it still doesn''t work then I would kick him out of the car myself. "Alright. I will try." Alex said. "You got to succeed and not try, idiot," Lily said. "Allen stop her or otherwise-" "Otherwise? Otherwise what?" Lily said as she was eager and angry to know Alex''s next words. And apparently, Alex was more of a scardy cat than I had imagined. "Otherwise I will get out of the car and go home¡­" His voice along with him, shrunk to the size of a kitten. "You better succeed," Lily said. "I will." Alex complied with her demand. I guess Alex can''t handle strong women. "Allen, how come she''s so nice to you and not to me?" Alex whispered to me. "If you stop doing idiotic things then maybe she will treat you nicely," I said. "You are the same as her Allen-" "What are you two whispering about?" Lily said as she turned to me. "Don''t ask me." While Alex and Lily had a small quarrel of their own, or more like it was a one-sided attack but it still seemed to be a funny situation, and yet the driver''s face didn''t twitch at all. I wonder if he has fallen asleep with his eyes open. ¡­ "Here she comes," Lily said as she looked through her binoculars. It''s not that far so why are you using it? I wanted to ask that but it wasn''t important at the moment. "So should I go now?" Alex asked. "Wait till she reaches that corner up ahead," I said. "Okay¡­" All of our eyes were on her. She was wearing a skirt or I don''t know if it was shorts. But it was black and the upper shirt type thing seemed to be pink colored. She was walking at a normal pace and was being cautious of its surroundings. Looking back and ahead frivolously. I highly doubt she realizes we are going to catch her today. "Okay so do I just go and talk with her or is there anything I should do?" Alex asked again anxiously rubbing his palm around. Just do what you usually do to talk with others," I said. Since he was in my class I know what kind of person he is. He is popular with others and not just in our class but almost in the entire second year. He is easy going and most of all, he isn''t someone who bullies others. It''s like his character. So I think he could easily talk with a stranger. "But how?" He asked. "Just think of her as a stranger who you feel in love with at first sight," Lily said. "Oka-Wait-What?!" Yeah, it was the same reaction for both of us. What''s happening to Lily today? She has been acting too weird, and wilder than Alex who is supposed to be the idiot one in the group. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 151 - He Remembers But Does She? "You heard me. If you got a crush on her then in order to have a conversation with her you will try finding ways to get in touch or stay a little longer to her side, right? Just ask her about the direction or tell her you have seen her somewhere before. Although it''s more like a pick-up line for guys, and then you can tell you know her from elementary school and something like that. Go with the flow." Lily said. It''s not wrong but it''s not an ideal way either. "So I like her?" Alex seemed disputed. "No dummy. You are faking it to like it here. Acting! You are acting. Why can''t you understand simple things?" Lily said. "Don''t yell at me. You are making me even more anxious." Alex retaliated. "Alex, she is about to reach the end. You should get going," I said. "Y-Yeah." "Also before you forget. Remember this, if you were to fail I will have to go in there." I gave him a firm warning and a push forward to go. "This idiot¡­" she cursed at me and left willingly or unwillingly. "What was he mad about? Shouldn''t it be the other way around?" I mumbled to myself. "Alright, it looks like we will catch her today. I will have a talk with her for sure." Lily''s eyes were full of flames. Were they the flames that are going to have a talk with her friend or are they the flames to change the path her friend chose? Either of them is it, I don''t care. I just want my misery to end. They can do anything after that. ¡­ {Alex''s Pov} So do I act as if I like her? Or do I show my real emotions? It''s killing me. "So I like her?" I asked Lily again. "No dummy¡­." So in the end I am just faking, huh. But do I really have to? I mean our objective is to talk with her and not let her go to that place again. "Alright Alex, you just gotta do what you always do." With that mindset, I stepped out of the car and made my vision directed towards Ari. No, her name is Ariana, I haven''t talked to her since that time so I don''t think it''s good for me to talk with her like this. I slowly walked towards her, looked a few times back, Lily was glaring at me and sending the devilish signals that if I failed I would be killed on site. On the other hand, Allen was soo calm and collected as always. He even tried to support me when Lily was about to pulverize me. Although this is for his sake I didn''t force or pressure me. I wonder how he handles such things so easily. Never have I ever seen him get his expression changed. I turned around and made a decision to let him down. She was a few steps ahead of me. I changed my pace. She was just a couple of steps ahead when she yelled. "If you take one step ahead anymore I will call the police!" She held her phone with the number dialed but and fingers right at the call button. I panicked and lunged at her, which made her phone fall over and she became disbalanced. "W-Wait, Wait!" "Ekk!!!!??" She screeched in a cute voice but it wasn''t the right moment to notice such things. I helped her stand up properly and took a few steps back. "I am sorry! I di-didn''t mean to startle you!" "Then what were you doing following me?!" She exclaimed. "I¡ªI wanted to know some directions¡­ I am new to this area and when I saw I thought of asking for your help¡­ and now I regret it¡­" my voice kept on getting lower and lower. "What? Direction? It''s 9 in the night, where the hell are you planning to go this late?" She quickly bent down and grabbed her phone as she placed her hand right in front of the call button again. She was really scared of me, huh. "D-Don''t call the police! I am just asking for help, that''s all¡­! If you don''t believe me then I can take a couple of steps back and talk to you¡­" I said. "Gove 100 steps back." She said, "Alrig- Wait, what? A 100? Are you crazy? How will I talk to you then?!" I said. "... Then 10 steps back." She said as she realized it was unreasonable. "Okay¡­" I was quite far from her but still close enough to talk with her. "So where do you want to go?" her voice seemed a bit shaky but maybe I was imagining things. "It¡ª-------" huh? I didn''t realize what I should do after this¡­ f**k!!! "Tell me¡­?" She started to step back. Think! Think you stupid brain!! "W-Wait Is your name, Ari?!" I said. What the hell? Why did I say something like this all of a sudden?! Now she will surely get suspicious of me?! "?! H-How do you know my name¡­" she was trembling and was ever farther than before. If it''s the last resort then I think it''s better to go for it! "It''s me Alex! Alex, you went to elementary school together with me?" I said. But she doesn''t seem to remember her. "I d-don''t know you or anyone named Al-" "Remember me? You used to call me, Al. Remember now¡­?" I took only a single step ahead. If she had run away or clicked on the call button or had taken one more step back I would go back. I wouldn''t be able to have a talk with her. "A~l¡­?" Ah, she took a step back. Sorry Allen I let you down, I hope you won''t resent me for not meeting your expectations. Sorry I couldn''t help you this time also¡­ "Sorry¡­ I will go back." I said as I turned around. "Wait! You are Al? What happened to your glasses?! What happened to your gloomy self? You weren''t like this¡­" she was surprised but if that''s all you want to say then I am sorry to you also for not stopping. "I am happy you remember me but if that''s all you remember then¡­" I didn''t look back again. "Al¡­?" ¡­ {Allen''s Pov} "Did I say something wrong?" I mumbled to myself. "Probably he is getting cold feet," Lily remarked. "Why? He is supposed to be a good talker and with those looks, I don''t doubt he will be declined so easily." I have seen girls getting affectionate around him at times. "Ah¡­ you won''t know the reason I suppose." She said. "What reason?" I asked. "You remember he mentioned he called Ariana as Ari only?" "Yeah so?" "That''s actually the partial truth that he told us," Lily said. "Partial? Don''t just pause in between and tell me at once," What''s with these pauses? Just let the cat out. "Ari was a pet name of hers that only her close ones used to say. The part where he mentioned everyone also used to call her that is false." "..." "He was close to her and I wasn''t wrong either." She felt triumphant and confident in saying that. I guess she is more concerned to say her victory rather than looking at the reason why he said that. If anything I learned from experience with Peter, is that people tend to hide their past for a reason. While I was wondering about it I saw Alex''s back. What is he doing? It seems like he was talking with the girl but she was nowhere to be seen. What''s he up to? He moved back and forth a bit and soon turned completely around. I took Lily''s binoculars to see the details of the situation. ''Hey!'' Lily hissed at me but it was entirely ignored. He looked kind of irritated and seemed to be grieving about something, what the hell? How come that person is making that kind of face? ''Let me see also!'' He turned around for a bit but soon started to walk to us. What''s with this saddened face? How come he has that face? Wait, if something has happened then this confirms it. Something definitely has happened to both of them. "Why is he coming back so soon?!" Lily exclaimed by the fact he was coming so early. "Let''s wait for him to tell us the entire story," I suggested. "... Fine." Alex took a step inside, only one step inside and Lily attacked him with questions. "Why are you here so early? Did she say okay to have a talk with her? Will she stop going to that place? What did you say when you first met her? Did my advice work? Why aren''t you saying something? Answer me. Why are you so silent? Answer me, will you?" "Lily let me get a breather at least. He can''t answer in the same wavelength you are on. Even I can''t do that," I said. "..." "For the time being I am sorry to break this to you but she was too cautious of me. He was even about to call the police. So I don''t think it''s a success but I won''t say it''s a failure also," Alex said. "Meaning?" Lily asked as she tried her best not to burst out again. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 152 - Now We Wait "Meaning?" Lily asked calmly. I could see a nerve about to pop out from the corner of her head. I hope Alex isn''t the reason for that. "Meaning she knows me and Allen. I think it''s better for you to stay here. If she suspects you then I am sure either she will scream, call for the police or maybe run away. When I approached her I tried my best to calm her down but it seemed to have made a wrong impact¡­" Alex said in a low voice. "Oh really? Then what use are you off?" Lily said. "..." "Alright then, Alex. I understand your concern but I still have to take a look. I need to have a clue about the place I have to go in at least," I said. "Didn''t hear me? I said you would make her suspicious and worse you wouldn''t be able to talk with her." Alex seemed quite desperate. I guess something did happen between him and her in his elementary time period but still, they were kids with their snot in their hands. What could have possibly gone wrong with them? "I am asking so either you can come with me or let me go since it''s a much more important matter to me than you think," I said. "..." Usually, he would have tried to say something to break the tension but this time he didn''t. Alright then, it''s confirmed I''m going to use that thing to lure out that girl. "Allen, even if you have made up your mind, what are you really going to do if you find her in there?" Lily asked. "Yeah what will you do once you find her? It''s not like she will open up to you instantly." Alex said. "Are both of you not listening to me? I just said I will take a look at it and not talk with her. Where are your thoughts?" I said. "Allen." "Alright wait for me I will go and take a quick look at it," I said and opened the gate. ¡­ I got out and started to move towards the same alley we saw yesterday. If I am not wrong it should be around here. I saw a glimpse of that girl but soon disappeared. It hasn''t been too long since Alex came back so I had already guessed she would be around here. I tried to look for an alternative route, since she has been using this route before then it''s for sure that people who she meets know about it. I surveyed the area but there was no other path that leads there. Is it because it''s the only path she chose to go from here or was it because it''s the only path to go in there? Whatever the case maybe I have to look inside. At least have an idea who I am dealing with. I slowly went inside, I heard noises but it was faint. The alley was much darker and longer than I had imagined. Taking each step carefully I placed my hand on either side of the wall, if I had to bump into something then I should be able to know how to react to it. The noises started to become much louder but still faint, some lights seemed to have lightened up the place but it was too dull. I came to a dead-end, I noticed a couple of people standing at the entrance of what I would like to say it, but because of no lights, they couldn''t see me. I quietly took a peek inside. With one eye-popping out of the wall, I saw a bunch of people talking among themselves, at first sight, it seemed like a normal friend gathering but soon things started to become noticed. I noticed a small injection or syringe in their hands, not all but most. One even had a bottle of beer. What the hell? He is even shorter than me. And what''s that? Is that a toy gun? Or a real one? As I was surprised by its sight I didn''t forget the main point of me coming here. I rolled my eyes around and extended my view, pink, pink. Where is pink¡­? That''s when I saw a girl wearing the same or similar outfit as Ariana, I wanted to make sure and confirm it but I was too late. I was exposed, as I tried to lean more the person standing at the entrance noticed my presence. "Who are you?" He asked. As he said, several eyes looked in my direction. I should have guessed it, if they are doing something illegal then it''s possible for them to be on alert at all times. "I am Scizor," I said. "Huh? Why? We don''t know you, get the f**k out of here right now." the other guy imposed. "..." I tried to run but apparently, one of them held onto my collar and pulled me behind. Revealing my face to all. But fortunately, I was already prepared for such circumstances. I had worn a face mask in order to hide my face from getting revealed to all. "Who''s this kid?" Someone from behind said. "I don''t know but he was sneaking around. What should we do with him?" the one who pulled me behind said. "What''s happening here?" A person from within the crowds came. The light fell onto his face and for a moment I was in a bit of shock and amazed by the fact he was here. "Boss he seems to have been lurking around. Should we let him go?" *Smack* The one who he called the boss slapped him on the face. "Are you an idiot? Let him go? He has seen us so we can''t let him go like this. Have you forgotten what happened to the last person who tried to snitch us?" He said arrogantly with a devilish smile that seemed to be scaring everyone. "And now that I see him up close I think I have seen him before¡­" He came closer to me. "Remove your mask." He ordered. "..." I can''t let him know it is me. Why? Because he is our School''s President. What''s he doing here? I don''t know but if he is here then it''s entirely possible for him to persuade Ariana to record that video. "Didn''t you hear me? Take that thing off." He said. He was pissed. His eyes were red but not completely, he wasn''t even standing properly, he was shaking up while his eyes weren''t focused. It''s for sure he was also one of the drug users. "You are ruining the mood man¡­ just take that thing off or I might have to force you." His breath was also staggering. The person behind came at me. Is he following his orders now? I need to get away from here fast because if Ariana gets the gist of me following her it would all be in vain. Before he charges at me I should. I lunged forward and shoved aside the trembling President onto the ground while I tried to run from the grasp of the other person. I placed my leg on the President''s back and jumped up a little in order to knee the person charging at me. As both of them were on the ground, the people there fell silent. The other person watching this came at me but he was full of openings that if I had closed my eyes I would have won. I punched him in the face, I heard a cracking sound, did I break his nose? He screamed as blood came pouring out, I guess I really did. With no one coming at me I instantly dashed out. Not because I wanted to run away, yeah I did want to get away but there was another main reason. It was because there was a person holding a gun. It could have been a fake or real but the question was not something that I should risk my life to know the answer to. Without looking back I paced down the alley, took a turn, and didn''t stop till I reached the car. "We need to leave now," I said. "Wh-What''s happening?" Panicking Lily asked. "Just go, go," I told the driver and he must have gotten the hint. He started the car Alex and Lily stormed with questions. ¡­ It took some time to calm both of them down. "It''s me who ran here, it''s also me who came here in a hurry so why are you the ones making a fuzz?" I asked. "..." "I think I found their hideout," I said. "Where?" Alex asked anxiously. "Apparently it''s not some small group but a whole organization sort of thing. All sorts of people were there, but Ariana wasn''t talking with anyone." "Huh?" "Anyway, I think I know how to single out Ariana in order to talk with her," I said. "And what''s that?" Lily asked. "We wait." TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 153 - Message Received We have two ways at this point. Either we sit tight and wait for the right opportunity. But it''s the last option I could be choosing. The second being, we wait, but only till she comes out of that place. Either let it be midnight, I would wait for her to go home. If she is able to go alone then it''s plausible she comes alone after one point. Going in there is not good now, since they have already been trespassed they won''t let this happen again. Addition to that, now that I know the President was also there, he wouldn''t let that mistake happen again. "We wait?" Alex asked with a confused look. "Yeah we wait," I said. If at all possible I wished for the time when she comes home, I would prefer to know it beforehand. I have already wasted enough time. "Why? And what happened there?" Lily asked. "I was almost caught up so I had to escape and hence the forceful use to start the car," I replied. "Caught up? Didn''t you mention you would just take-a-look-around?" Lily asked with a clear expression of anger. "I know, I know. It was just that, it had only one way in so I had to take a step in and in order to do that I was caught but don''t worry they didn''t see my face." I said. "Oh really? Did you hide your face with a mask? Because if so, I don''t happen to see it now." Alex said but was it sarcasm? "Yes I did." I took out my mask and showed it to them. At the sight of it, Alex was taken aback and Lily was amused by the fact I prepared something like this in advance. "So, what happened there?" Lily asked. "Apparently there are too many people and we can''t get in so easily. Also that girl, Ariana, was one of them." "And¡­?" "SInce we can''t talk to her when she is in there but sooner or later she will leave and it would probably be midnight or maybe even late. In order to corner we will use that opportunity and seize it." I said. "So why are we running away? Shouldn''t we stay there hidden to abush her?" Alex asked. "I thought of the same but it''s not a good one. I can''t stay late and even if we did stay late today she would obviously be cautious since two incidents took place, one being directly related and the other being indirectly. Even if she were on drugs I don''t think she would be too much of an idiot to let herself get caught so easily." I said. Worse could be, the President came and escorted her. Although he didn''t see my face he was still able to get a slight hint, if it were not for my mask then it was a sure busted plan. But since he didn''t, he would be feeling conflicted and making a rational decision after drugs is highly unlikely but it''s not for a hundred percent sure. "Are we going to come here again and stay up late?" Lily asked. "Why? Is there a problem?" I looked at both of them. "I am fine with it." Alex approved. "I can¡­ but staying up all night and doing a watchman job¡­ wouldn''t that be hard?" Lily asked. "We will take turns," I said. "Hmm¡­ let me think about it." I don''t know exactly what Lily is unsure of. Didn''t she want to talk with her friend? Or is it because I mentioned her friend using drugs that made her guilty? Whatever the case maybe I will do what I intend to do. If she refuses then all I have to do is set a camp. ¡­ Thankfully Lily escorted both of us home, and here I assumed it was a man''s job to escort the lady but the one who drove was the driver but then again Lily is the owner of that car. ¡­ I was sitting in solitary, thinking about how the things took a turn of events that I was hardly able to imagine. And since I know the President is also involved I could just use it to make him stop harassing me. BUt for that I need evidence, I couldn''t capture him in recording or in video. And taking note of his social and school''s position all of my voices would be in vain and the president would turn this situation against me. After so long I got a steady and maybe a higher ground, I shouldn''t let it go no matter what. So what should I do now? In order to record it, I will have to go in there again but based on the situation that took place today, it seems a bit risky. Well for now I shouldn''t focus on him but on the girl, since she is the main source of the problem. If she had just didn''t taken that video I wouldn''t need to go through all this trouble. I pulled on the blanket and left to sleep although only three percent of it, the rest remained of whys, if, and hows¡­ ¡­ Soon with a blink of an eye, the sun came as usual. Why must he be on time, huh. Just stay hidden and let me sleep. With a not-so-great mood, I left the room and went downstairs. There I found my father hadn''t come home last night and mother was already up. All dressed up, the questions rose but let them be. With not a single utterance from my mouth I left the house waving back and forth. I saw the school''s structure in my gaze yet it was still far. Feeling troubled by the fact the President might have seen me¡­ but if we take all things into account I hardly think he remembers anything about last night. I encountered Alex but maintained the distance, Lily did the needful without any instructions and as for the lost minded girl, Iris she jumped right in. I had taken only a couple of steps inside and my head was already starting to hurt and the reason was this girl who stood forth. "So Allen wants to hear what else I found? You won''t believe but Henry isn''t the only person who got under president''s wings-" Before she could speak another word Olivia came in like a hero of mine. She silenced Iris and of course through a hard way. Ignoring her and the crowd, I went to the shoe rack, changed them and with a little low gaze I walked through the corridors. At first I thought it was weird but soon it turned out to be an ambush. Yes, half of the Student Council was moving along the second year corridor, and the one who got attention of my gaze was Henry, or as I say him the red-head. He wasn''t looking directly at me but in my class. He came in there last time as well. What is he planning? It''s getting difficult to comprehend his way of thinking. Although I know for sure he wouldn''t be able to find my relation about the suicide incident, Peter wouldn''t sell me out, not on the basis he trusts and is faithful to me but on the grounds he would self destruct himself if he were to sell me out. With no fear of falling down I went inside the classroom, Henry looked at me but seemed uninterested. Peter looked at me with concern but I didn''t care to give any second look at him. And he also understood that very well. Henry seemed to be still looking inside, the room slowly started to fall silent, although he didn''t say a single word. The bell rang and eventually he left along with the rest of the Council members. I wonder what he intended to do with this. The third period came and this time Harrison came but he also just strolled around like a celebrity, a bunch of girls following him around. Discreetly he analyzed the area but only briefly. What''s going on with them? With no further appearance of Council members, I thought of meeting with Iris for the time being. She was bragging about knowing something more, so I hope it''s not something to get disappointed as well. But at that moment I got a message, I found it weird. No, not because of the contents of the message but because I received a message. The ones about the post that I uploaded have been put on silent and there is absolutely zero chance someone will contact me through message. [Unknown Number- I was called to the Council Room at the end of school.] It wasn''t a saved number but I got the gist of who it was since I memorized it rather than saving it. I left it on read and didn''t respond and now after reading this message, it''s even more weird. If she is being called there then does that mean the Council found out about us? Even if they did, they wouldn''t be able to shut her down completely so what''s the reason? I asked the same question again and again but the answer seemed to be an empty space. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 154 - Not The One With Words The message came but no reply went. I held the phone screen on and gazed upwards thinking of the reason why. Even if they found out about us, does that mean my plan failed? That seems ridiculous since I had the upper hand, right? Right? Also if she is called there then does that mean they are trying to lure me in? IN order to save a comrade I have to go there. What if I went there? What''s the worst that could happen? WHY ISN''T ANYTHING COMING TO MIND?! Although the message didn''t mention me, I have started to panic. Is it because they will ruin my plan to silence them up for good or is it because of the fear of getting outsmarted twice by the same person? Whatever the reason being, I can''t let it end like this. Not after I was able to achieve higher ground¡­ The classroom was empty. Of course it would, it''s a lunch break, the day was pleasant, if it were not for this I would have also been lying around somewhere outside, with no concern. *Slap* I clapped both my hands at both the cheeks. "Not a good time to day dream." I took out my phone and sent a message to Peter. Within a minute or so he came running in here. "What''s wrong¡­?" He asked as he held the support from one of the front desks and gasped for air. "I did mention you came here A.S.A.P. but you didn''t have to run here, tho." I said. "..." "Anyway since you are here. I want you to do me a favor." I said. "At the end of the school, I need to stay near the Student Council room until I say so. Can you do that?" Confused with a sudden demand, Peter asked. "Why¡­?" "Can you do that? I will explain the details later on." I said. "... I can¡­" He seemed a bit unsure but that doesn''t take priority. "Alright then, after school get on the stairs and it would be great if you would take one of the teachers no wait not just anyone but the Principal, yes. Take her with you." I said. "Wa-What?! Huh?" He was so surprised by it that he lost his resting arm on the desk and was about to fall. "I can''t tell you the details but you have to trust me on this one," I said. But it felt too cheesy¡­ which movie was it? "Oh-Okay¡­" He was reluctant but still accepted my request. If not I had to force him not to think that I was at a loss of options in order to make him comply with me. With this I have set up a counter attack. ¡­ No one seems to be any longer worried about the constant checking of the Student Council, and I know the reason why. When school ended, I received another message from the same number. But it had only a single character. [?] Does she want me to reply? Even if I want to, I can''t. If someone were to get hold of it, it would clearly state we have some sort of arrangement. It''s best to leave it at ''read''. Peter glanced at me and acknowledged it, also if the Principal doesn''t come there all I can do is bluff. Knowing the incident about Roy it''s most unlikely she will come there. But based on the favors she did on me, even the Student Council and the President knows about it. So it wouldn''t be just a groundless bluff but rather a threat to them. The classroom was deserted. Watching me tense up even Anna tried to say something but looking around, she didn''t. Of course she wouldn''t do something like this so carelessly. She is too much of a scardy cat. It has been almost twenty minutes since school ended. Not a single sound could be heard around except the creaking noise of the window at the corner of the room. I waited and waited. I stood up from my seat, and looked at the time. With a destination in mind I walked towards it. It was too silent, even for me, it felt weird but still calming. At the end of the hallway I noticed Peter along with a figure I assumed to have left long before. "How come she is here?" I asked Peter. "Wha-? Didn''t you ask me to bring it here¡­?" Peter whispered to me. "I did¡­" I looked at the Principal for an explanation but she reverted. Ignoring my hint to answer my question I left both of them behind. Peter seemed agitated, but mostly because of the presence of the Principal and partially because of my weird request. I was on the third floor, or more price at the lion''s den all alone. "What are you doing here? School ended a long time ago." As I was about to enter the Council''s room, one of the Members who appeared to be gauring it blocked me. "Me? Didn''t you all along want me to come here?" I glared at him. But he didn''t flinch or get back. "Huh? What are you talking about? If you have nothing to do here I would request you to go home." He said. That''s weird. I assumed they would be expecting me since they have called in Iris but did I assume it wrong? If so, then do they not know or have the slightest bit of suspicion of our alliance? As I was thinking about ifs and whys. The door opened up, with the girl standing in front of me. "Allen." She sneered at me. "..." I have seen her, the person standing there is Aamber. "I assume you are here to meet up with ''them''?" she asked. "Them? Aren''t you one of ''them''?" I questioned. "I suppose¡­" She tried not to show it, but she wasn''t in a good mood. More Like she is frustrated about something. "Anyway is Henry in?" I asked. "Not just him but a couple of more people." "Then can I go in?" I asked. "Sure¡­ it''s not like I can stop you." She said, Although she let me get inside, she didn''t. She left me and went outside. I wonder what really happened there. At the first site I was a bit taken aback. What''s happening here? "Allen so you did come here¡­" the redhead said with a smirk on his face. "I did but¡­" "Yeah about this¡­ I am sorry but this was necessary to pull you out." He said as if everything was under control. But what is he doing to her? Isn''t she the daughter of the chairman? Huh? Iris was sitting or forced to sit on the sofa, with his arms wrapped around with some sort of cloth, probably because they didn''t want anyone to see she was forced. Her hair was too messy, along with that, her eyes were covered with something. Along with a mouth shut with a tape. Doesn''t he realize doing something like this can get him restigated? "I do realize it''s a risky thing to do based on the position her father poses. But she can''t tell her father about this." He said with confidence. "Why?" I asked. "You see¡­ you need to know more about your allies before your enemy does." His smirk wasn''t going away. "?" "His father is too strict. Not just on others but himself also. He is perfect as a human being and along with that superiority comes an attitude. You might know this but Iris got to know about me and the others because the President let her." "..." "She looked into a students personal records without any sort of consent, nor from the teachers or from the ones handling the information and especially not from the students. If this were to leak out, not only her father would flip out. She might have to change schools. With all this trouble going on, her father will have to take her daughter away not because of her mistakes but in order to keep his daughter''s wrongdoing secret to further disgrace the school''s reputation." "..." "And most importantly what do you think will happen when her father, Mister Chairman get''s know that all the troubles she had to go through was because of ''YOU'', he will surely go for you as well." I took a peak at the miserable state Iris was in, and based on the reaction she was giving after hearing this¡­ I have to admit that he is definitely not bluffing. "Then aren''t you placing yourself in danger as well, hm?" I asked. "Me? Don''t worry about me." Is it confidence after going against a politician''s kid? He did get out of it because of the help of the President. "So? What do you want to do now?" "After coming here, you still don''t understand it? Of course I would be using force in order to stop you from moving further." He said as he his fist bumped into each other. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 155 - Here He Comes "After coming here, you still don''t understand it? Of course I would be using force in order to stop you from moving further." He said as he his fist bumped into each other. "Are you going to use force?" I asked him. From the looks of it, an isolated place, no one to witness and a hostage. This is a pretty good place in order to force someone. Is that why he took her as a hostage? "Does it look like it?" He asked. "I don''t know. I haven''t been in such a situation myself. But you seem accustomed t o it, does it look like it?" I asked him. Of course that would be irritating. If not, why would I be sneering with bloodlust? Even in this low lightened up place I could see his eyes twitch. "I suppose you aren''t afraid." He growled. "Well I can run away." I said. "I hardly think so." He peaked a bit to my right and I felt the person move towards the center. "So you aren''t going to hide the fact that you will be fighting me?" I asked. "Of course, it''s not a fight. It''s more like slaughter." "And you think ''slaughter'' will stop me from hindering your ''precious President''?" I asked. "Aren''t you smart? With enough power everyone bows down." He might be talking normally but I could feel his patience getting knocked up. Cautiously, I surveyed the room, it''s already been confirmed that he won''t be holding back. Although he says he doesn''t care about the consequences much, it''s still weird for him to be this aggressive. All things taken into account, even if the chairman gets angry at Iris, wouldn''t he be more at risk since he ''kidnapped'' the girl? "But before anything, clear this for me." He said. "..." "How come you weren''t fazed by the fact you were about to get expelled? And not now also?" He asked. "I wonder why." I replied. "Still arrogant till the very end, huh." "Actually the one who is acting all high and mighty is you. Aren''t you afraid of the consequences of this? Taking the Chairman''s daughter, from my point of view you are the one with the most low brain?" I said. "Huh?!" He snapped. Although I didn''t see it with my eyes, I could hear the light steps. From my blindside, one of the people standing behind me lunged at me. But I evaded swiftly, turning right and smashing their faces with my knee. The disbalanced figure got in my grasp, I held it with the collars looking at Henry. "Are you sure about your plan now¡­?" I asked. He didn''t answer, the smirk on his face hadn''t gone but I could see him getting fightey. While Iris seemed to be crawling to the corners of the sofa. Don''t tell me she is afraid, well maybe it''s more logical to get afraid. Nothing but darkness along with the screams, you couldn''t help but imagine the worst. And I did the worst. Since they started the fight, along with Iris being the witness, I could change the entire situation, i.e., if I get out of here okay. The other one seemed to have grasped the situation his mate was in, came at me but he wasn''t a fool. He came at me but maintained a considerable distance, his foot almost touched my face, but I used his friend as a shield and pushed him forward. He shoved him aside and came at me with full throttle. As if nothing to lose, his constant kicks seemed to be getting closer but his patience was also getting closer. Rather than being cautious of my counter attack he got more aggressive. Due to his lack of attention I got an opening, but it wasn''t open till I got hit once. I needed to hinder his movement, as I was getting pushed back, I held onto the thing nearest to, and it was a lamp. I simply acted it to throw at him, he got flustered, making him lose his ground. I grasped this opportunity to strike him the gut. While he bent forward, I kicked him with my foot to force him to face upwards. As he was experiencing pain, the other person came at me but instead of getting closer, he used his friend as a shield instead, But I just had to push it with enough power to make them fall. The shield was already weakened by the previous attack. While the other''s strength was halved. I pushed the shield behind with my leg, while he fought back with strength, I threw the object in my hand a bit upwards, but accurately in order to fall in between them. As he noticed it, his strength walked on the arms, as he held both of them up. With both of them being distracted, one experiencing pain while the other trying to evade, I gushed forward. Within a matter of seconds, both were on the ground, like a bed of grains. But while accomplishing it, I got hit hard by Henry. While I was busy with his lackeys, he sneaked behind me and smashed me with something on the head. "That hurts¡­" I mumbled as I took multiple steps hoping to distance myself from him. But he wasn''t anything like his lackeys. He didn''t stop. While I guarded my head, I got punched in the side, I bent over as a natural reaction, the next one was at the back. I tried to counter attack him, but the moment I tried something, something powerful would shove me in the opposite direction. But soon I realized all of this was just his one fist. It''s no exaggeration. His fist was just powerful. I was getting punched again and again. "What-Happened-now? What happened to your arrogant self?" He asked. I didn''t respond. After the last punch, he took a breather. I am sure that''s what he has been doing till now. The sneak attack was really effective, or more likely could have been effective. *Slash* While his punch got delayed by a second, I swung my left arm back with full strength. I made contact. I can''t say for sure if it broke the bone or not but it was perfect. I slashed him, he was on his knees. While I should have gone further I backed up a little. "It''s still okay to back down, you know? Can we even call it even." I said. I don''t know how he is going to handle the consequences after this, even though I feel a bit convicted after the result of this battle. Even if Iris is on my side, it''s still risky. "Me? Back down? Don''t overestimate yourself¡­" he said but I could help but notice, a drop of blood crawling down his cheek. I thought he would stop after this but instead the reaction was opposite. He came at me like a wild animal. Watching this even got a bit taken aback. MMaking a small opening for him to get hold of me. He grabbed me by the waist, slamming me against the wall. While I braced for impact, it was too late. I had already been struck and my head was spinning a bit. WHile I tried to get back, I felt a series of rocks smashing against my bones in the facial region. What''s with this monstrous strength. At one point I could even hear the squeaking sound of the sofa, I guess Iris was really scared. With her eyesight being shut down, all her other senses must have heightened up. But that wasn''t the point here. Among the series of punches, I had to find an opening before a bone cracked up. BUt unlike the last time, he wasn''t stopping, rather his punches were getting stronger and fiercer. Is he really going to go all out? And with this much damage, I don''t think even he can get away if I act as a victim. "Just go down-will you??" I assumed his punches would stop but didn''t. For how long will he continue? Although my guard was up, I could feel the electric jolt of punches through the arms. But that was enough of it. Let''s go with the Plan Exterminate. My initial plan was to end this peacefully, or worse get hit a couple of times and I would hit him. After that he would back down nicely. But that ended the time when I asked him. I blocked one of his punches, his fist was a bit larger than others but still within the grasp of my palm. He tried to let go, but he now experienced my real power. He got flustered and tried to see his other hand but before that could happen I put pressure on the arm. He stopped in between, his facial expression started to change for the worse of course. He started to bend over, while I stopped for a while, "Don''t blame me for the end result now." As his eyes widened up in surprise, I gushed him in the eyes first. I was fed up with those eyes that looked at me as if I were someone below him. Like nobility looking down at a commoner. I didn''t stop with just one, the constant attack on his eyes made me lose his arm strength. He agonized in pain, but that didn''t matter now. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 156 - His Attack I stopped for a moment, as he gashed for air, I kicked him in between the legs. And- that was the cruelest thing I did to him. He experienced it throughout the body, as his body was trembling. As his both hands were not at ''that'' region I again punched him in the face, his head came into contact with the corner of the sofa and fortunately it wasn''t something severe. But I wasn''t done yet. "Hey, stand up. Don''t tell this enough?" I slapped his face a couple of times. He groaned a bit, I took a few steps behind. It took him a hoel minute to get on his feet but still seems like some lingering pain was in his ''that'' region. "AARRGGHHH!" Just like last time, except with a shout, he came at me. Unlike last time, he threw the lamp at the end of the sofa at me, I instantly held my arms up. But that wasn''t a good decision on my part. Or I would have said, the lamp was a distraction. His aim was my leg. How do I know this? Because if he were to use his arms, the lamp would hinder his arm movement. THe last option is the legs, and before the throw of the lamp, he took a small glimpse on my right lower part. And hence, the attack is on the right leg. "Grab him!" He shouted. Of course, the ones lying on the ground held on my right leg and forced me to bend down. Before the lamp could touch me or get anywhere near me, I was on the ground. The lamp went crashing at the other end of the room. As I was forced to sit down, I was in Henry''s attack area. The leg he was aiming at, was right at my face. Did he plan this? In response to the ambush, I pulled up my arm against the kick. I got a bit of a pain and numbness but it wasn''t the time to feel it. I instantly tried to release my caught up arm but it seemed like it wasn''t as easy as I had spectaculated. But I still had to do something, as I looked around while Henry''s another kick came at me, I noticed the shattered particles by the lamp, a few of them were lying behind me. I wished to cause any bloodshed but I guess at this point it cannot be evaded. I took a piece of it, and threw it at the arm holding me down. With my dominant hand, I was able to block Henry''s attack but I don''t think I can take it for much longer. With the previous blocks, my arm is getting numb as time passes by. With the other hand, I sent that broken piece at that hand, It hit right in between the fingers. As I tried to forcibly release my leg, his grip tightened and the piece pierced him a bit. With the sudden pinch and occurrence of blood, he instantly let go enabling me to escape. With sudden unexpected development, Henry took a step back and stood there, glaring at me. "You-You bastard! You came here knowing you could handle us?" He remonstrated. "Well I came here knowing I would end up in a situation like this sooner or later based on your previous behavior." I said. "Huh? What are you saying?" Of course he would be confused by it. "Let me say it that way you can also understand. I knew you would resort to violence at the end of the day, it was only a matter of time." "So you expected things to turn this way¡­?" He was bewildered but tried not to show it''s emotions¡­ yet. "In other words, you have been moving along my fingertips and not the other way around." "Kekeke¡­ so you came here knowing you would be able to suppress all of us?" he asked. "Probably." I vaguely answered. Based on the information Iris gave me, it clearly stated he has a short temper. And along with an abnormal strength, so the only use of him could be of a war dog. After knowing the consequences of this fight, he nevertheless continued it. All brawn with now brains is what I would like to call him. Scapegoat would have also been a good term for him but that''s not for me to decide. Nor do I have the time. While the anger and frustration grew larger in the room, the other two who were supposed to be on the ground seemed to have stood up. But not entirely, partially bent up and a curled up cheeks indicating the pain. The safest and the only thing I have is this wall behind me. I won''t have to worry about getting punched/kicked from the back. Now what should I do with them? Even they are getting impatient, since their eyes'' have started to lose it''s focus while gasping for air. Should I charge while they are down? Or do I wait for them to charge? Either way, I can''t entirely predict the outcome. ALright, it''s decided. With the shattered pieces of broken lamp scattered on the ground, I shoved them towards them, in defense their aim changed to those pieces. I grabbed the opportunity and charged at them. Ignoring Henry, I went for the weak ones. It''s better to deal with them before I get surrounded. With their guard up, I landed a kick at the lower part of one. While he wasn''t even able to stand normally, I made him even more vulnerable. Before he could react to my sudden attack, I smashed his face with my fist. That must have knocked him up, if not at least he must have experienced pain. One down two to go. While the other tried to charge at me, I turned around and that surprised him, since no enemy is supposed to show his backa the face of an enemy. But it was all my strategy, unlike the last time, I was waiting for Henry. He got the better of me last time, but not this time. I Noticed him charging at me. That''s right I saw him. It was enough for me to pulverize him. As his knees bent, I placed pressure on it, although it wasn''t powerful enough to stop him, it was strong enough to hinder his movement for a moment. And it was enough for me to take on the other enemy. Noticing Henry stop, the other person became agitated and charged at me blindly, full of openings. I just had to slap him once, that stopped him, another was the punch he intended to tlan at me, but it was too slow. I blocked it one and placed my fist on his gut. He stopped completely, and held his stomach with a painful expression on his face. But that wasn''t the end of it, this time be my shield. I grabbed his hair and pulled it towards me, he screeched in pain. I noticed Henry would be approaching me any second, I threw the person at him, although he was surprised by the sight of it, he still threw his fellow person as a piece of tin can. I could clearly see his frustration now, I mean at this point he is using force rather than being decisive like before. Slowly but gradually his punches started to slow down, it wasn''t noticeable but the gaps between his rock hard fist and my skin started to widen up. He is getting tired. Alright then. With his strength diminished, I punched him in the face, the most vulnerable place. His head got struck hard, as it was a perfect hit, it took him not more than a second to face me again.. But he may be trying to act hard, but I could see his nose bleeding, while the scratch I made earlier also hasn''t stopped. A line of blood had formed. He wasn''t realizing it, but at this point I was not even trying to avoid his attacks, his aim was starting to lose it''s touch. But the frustration has taken over his senses. I punched him again at the same spot. And again. And again. I punched till he was on his knees, face turned red with blood and partially with swollen glands. Right eye turned slightly blue, while a tooth lingering to it''s gums and eye that has lost its focus entirely. Arms hanging just above the ground, not an ounce of strength remained on him. As a precaution and a confirmation, I left Henry right there and took a look at the other bodies on the ground as they groaned in pain. They both seemed to be okay once they received some medical attention but I can''t say the same for Henry. His condition is far worse than the rest. I might have gotten too much at him. "Should we consider it as your defeat?" "?!" With that line, I don''t know how but he seemed to have gotten angry and tried to mumble something, but with his lower jaw hanging off he wasn''t able to say it clearly. [~~~~~~~~~~] "Oh really?" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 157 - And Thats How You End Things With that line, I don''t know how but he seemed to have gotten angry and tried to mumble something, but with his lower jaw hanging off he wasn''t able to say it clearly. [~~~~~~~~~~] I moved closer to him as I noticed some slight movement along his mouth. "Oh really?" I am still confused how he has this much confidence after this. The words he used were- {I¡­ don''t care¡­ how much you beat me¡­ you still won''t be the same as him¡­ I will come at¡­ you again¡­ when you walk alone¡­ when you pee in the washroom¡­ I will always come at you¡­ watch your back¡­} Is what he said, although he was suffering from pain throughout his body and especially his face, he still seemed confident and I could feel the smirk looking down at me again. This got a little irritating. I was already fed up with him and the entire Student Council, not for proving me guilty, but because of the treatment. "Oh really?" I said. "!?" That''s right, he wasn''t smirking now¡­ I am. As his wide grin seemed to be vanishing, I stroked him again at the face, or more like at his mouth where I could see his teeth. Not once, but to the point where his teeth feel down. The middle two teeth seemed to have fallen down while he shaked in pain, I didn''t stop. He looked at me with confidence even in this situation. Is he still looking down at me? I grabbed his hair, pulled it up. He showed signs of pain but never let out a single sound of it. Not now, not before. That''s when I noticed it. "Now I get it¡­ You have been just trying to mck me, aren''t you? That''s why you seemed to be confident till now." The grin seemed to have shrunk while mine grew larger as the moment passed by. I landed a crushing blow at his gut. With every weak spot, I landed a brutal hit, to the pont he even spit some blood from his mouth. And that''s when I, for the first time I saw a sign of fear in his eyes. Nonstop, I continued to hit him, to the point he fell unconscious. "I guess it''s now over," I said. I noticed my arm colored it, of course none of it was mine. While clothes with small shades of red mixed at it, like sprinkled water on a dry cloth. Seeing the scene, seeing the scenery reminded me of the time when I was on the island when I go- Huh?! Island?! What the hell was that image just now? I held onto the one of the sofas nearest to me. What the hell was that? THose images of people lying down, blood dripping at the corner while my hands covered in red¡­ What was that¡­.? "Mh-Ek¡­" Before I could ponder further I heard a faint voice. It was Iris, she was here all this time. I went outward, hse got scared as the sound of footsteps got closer. She was shivering. "Hey, it''s me." I said. "W-What¡­?Allen¡­?" Her voice was staggering. "Yeah it''s me. Who do you think it was then? Don''t tell me, you hoped that I would have lost¡­?" I said as I helped her stand. "I-I never said that-Remove this thing from me¡­!" she exclaimed. Although she was pretty scared a few moments earlier she sure is playing her usual self pretty early. If I had to choose, I would prefer the timid Iris but reality sure doesn''t bend your ways. "I think it''s better for you to not see your surroundings as of now." I said. The room was as if a tornado passed by, everything was scattered, broken. Among the rumpled room there were three people lying down and one being in a serious condition. If she were to see this, I am pretty sure she would pass out. "W-What?!" I held onto oher arm and dragged her out. Based on when I entered the room, there were supposed to be two people behind this door but not anymore. I guess they were instructed to leave the moment I got inside. Henry sure was an arrogant person. "Go to the stairs, Peter and the Principal will be waiting for you there. Tell them everything but make sure to ask them to meet me once before spreading this around. Also tell them Henry did in order to lure Allen there. The rest ask me, i.e., Allen himself." I instructed her as I revoked the cover on her eyes and pushed her out as I closed the gate again. "W-Wha-What¡­?" She was a bit surprised but I am sure she will handle everything. *Slam* I slammed the door shut. I don''t know whether Iris went or not, but that''s the least of my concern. I had to take a look at these lying bodies first. I went towards the one at the corner, he was half consciousness. I slapped him in order to wake him up.Although it took quite some time and a certain number of slaps, it was worth it. He woke up but wasn''t really in a good condition. Moving onto the next, not so different situation, I sprinkled some water in order for him to gain his senses back. And the remaining was Henry. I got over him and slapped him on the cheek. And of course they were no means some soft ones, I let out my leftover frustration at him. "W-Wha-?" "Alright so you are up. What do you want to do now?" I asked him. "Wh-y are you over me¡­?" He asked. "Do you want another beating to regain your senses?" I showed him my fist. He jolted back in fear. "I was bea-beaten¡­" He was taking quite some time to come back to reality. "Don''t fret over it for long, just tell me what are you going to do now? Are you going to snitch me to the teacher for beating the crap out of you?" I asked as I held on to his collar. "Of-f Cou-ourse not¡­!" He said. "Then? You are just backing down¡­?" I questioned him. "What do you want¡­?" He asked. Although his way of talking was turning back to normal, his eyes were still not settled down. "I want many things but you can''t give them all so how about we talk about what you can give me." "...?" "Back down. Not just you but all of the Student Council." I ordered. "T-That''s difficult¡­ I can''t control all of them." He said. "Does that look like my problem?" I asked. He frowned. "B-But-" "Yeah right, it will be too difficult for someone like you. How about you stop most of them?" "Most¡­?" "You thick skulled bastard. I mean take down as many as you can in the Student Council or don''t tell me you are a pimp even among them?" I asked. If this won''t work then he is so useless, even useless than my phone. At least my phone is capable of doing some things even without not many contacts. "... I can''t betray the President¡­" He said. "Huh? Are you stupid to the core? I am not asking but making an order." I slapped him a couple of more times in order for him to know his position. "Just do as I say otherwise, say bye-bye to this school permanently. Not just this one but to the entire school. Kidnapping the daughter of the Chairman, even your dear president won''t be able to help you when Iris testify against you." I rebuked. "..." "Just say yes, dammit." I slammed his head on the ground. "O-oh-Okay¡­ I will do it, I will do it." He cried. "You should have said this earlier," I said. "Make sure you do it and you don;t need to answer this but I know the President asked you to suppress me. So relay this message to him." [I know your secret. If you don''t want it to spread around back off the Entire Student Council.] I let go of Henry''s collar and stood up, as I tried to shake dust off my pants. All seemed bewildered, but it wasn''t much of a concern to me. I left the room. ¡­ In the distance, I noticed the Principal standing waiting for someone. I wonder who? The distance between us got closer, I was just about to pass by but she grabbed me by the shoulder. "Where do you think you are going?" She inquired. "Home." I answered "What did you do to the students inside?" "Nothing, I just returned the favor I suppose. Tit-for-tat." She stared at me but she knows I won''t be telling her the details this easily. "Don''t play the hard ball. Based on your personality I know you did something wrong again." She sighed. "Henry along with two other inside need some medical attention, sooner the better." I said. "Huh? What?" She seemed confused. "Just take a look at it yourself. Ah, and don''t worry about handling the consequences I have taken care of." I said. Hearing me, she rushed to the Council room. As I was descending the stairs, I heard a scream calling out my name but I didn''t care to take a look back once and left the school building. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 158 - Consequences "ALLLLLEEEEENN N N N N N¡­.!" I heard the yell but didn''t try to give another thought to it. As I picked my bag from the class I encountered, Peter was waiting. It was already predicted that he would be asking me several questions regarding the sudden appearance of Iris and then ask for the Principal and of course that yell. "Alright, give it to me." I said as I stood against him. "... Allen, what did you do to make Iris cry?" Peter roared. Although it wasn''t a loud voice but in this close proximity, I was wondering how come his voice be so heavy for some he hardly know. "Wait, cry? Why did she cry?" I asked. "Iris did." "Who?" "Iris!" He exclaimed. "Just to be clear, we are talking about the same Iris, similar height to me and quite an attitude and of course her voice is high pitched all the time. The same Iris?" I wanted to confirm. When I left her behind the door, I didn''t imagine her crying. The way she was able to calm down so quickly did seem a bit strange but I didn''t think she would cry after she left. "Yes. That same Iris. Now tell me what happened there?" Peter asked. I could have lied to him but apparently he wasn''t in a great mood and moreover, if I were to lie to him and get caught up later on, I won''t be able to call him as an ally. Although his favor is still with me, it doesn''t mean it will always be. "As I mentioned earlier I would tell you everything once it''s over. But before that, why are you so concerned about her?" I asked. "Wha-? I am not concerned¡­" He tried to brush me off, he tried to brush my question off. "Is that so? Then how come your face has that expression?" I asked. That''s right. The only reason why I am asking is to know how come a person who is supposed to barely know Iris is having an expression like that? HIs eye lids are curled up, along with eyes slightly turned red as if he is about to cry. Amongst this, his lips were trembling a bit and of course it was sort of angry. I wonder why¡­ "Th-That¡­" He seemed reluctant to tell me. "If you don''t tell me why you are so concerned with her, I won''t tell you what happened otherwise," I said. Of course if he would have kept that expression to himself I wouldn''t have pried further but it''s a different matter since it''s now related to someone I am using. Both of them are my allies, my tools, in order for me to utilize them at the best I need to know the reason for him getting mad at me. "Alright¡­ I will tell you but you can''t tell Iris about this." He said. Although he was feeling a bit jittery, he still showed courage to tell me. "So what is it?" "Let''s take a walk¡­" He proposed. ¡­ It was a warm afternoon, the breeze was slightly colder maybe because of the sun being put inside the blanket of clouds but it didn''t matter much. It was bearable. Birds were nowhere to be found under that vast sky, well of course why would they? I would even prefer to stay indoors. Not because of the weather but because I prefer it that way. Don''t judge me for that. Even the traffic was a lot less as compared to normal days. I wonder if they all got sick. Anyway, I am not here for a walk but for a specific reason. Peter has to tell me something I ordered him to and I have to listen to it in order to know why. Either way, I have to walk him and listen to his story. "Now¡­?" We were already out of the school premise and he still hasn''t spoken a word. "Soon¡­" "What is it? Are you preparing your heart for something, huh? Like a confession, sort of?" I said with a pinch of prediction. I mean isn''t it a flag where the character tells the other person that he likes the other person but is too scared to tell the girl and sort of thing? I don''t resent the idea about how the creator makes the character so scared but I don''t like the idea about confessing. Aren''t you practically forcing your feelings onto other people? It makes you selfish, but I am not the one to talk¡­ "Ho-Why- NO¡­!" his face was flushed, while he wasn''t even walking normally. His arms were flying around, while the direction of legs were-bad. "Oh god¡­ you like Iris. Isn''t that why you got mad? Now that I think of it, when Iris first came to the class you were kind of pissed off at me. Ah¡­ now all the dots connect." I said. "..." "Wiat, I just guessed it. Don''t tell it to the truth." Seriously, I just blurted that out since my thoughts were filled with such thoughts. And with that red face, making those squeaky noises, I don''t think I am too off the mark but I am right on the mark. "It''s the truth¡­" he blushed. I REPEAT, THIS BASTARD BLUSHED! Why didn''t you just tell me so? I wouldn''t have needed to follow you around just because of it. "What the hell? If you liked then say that earlier¡­ Why wait this long? Wasa it that hard to just say that?" I asked or more like demanded. "Yes¡­ I can''t just say such things quite easily¡­" he said. Please tell me it''s the heat that is turning his face red. And what''s happening to me? Why am I able to predict all his reasons correctly? I don''t mind getting myself correct at every turn but this one was uncalled for. If possible I would like to rewind it. "So the only reason you got angry was because she broke down crying and not because you have some kind of past or anything?" I asked. "We have but it''s not something I can say out loud¡­ it''s too embarrassing." He disclosed. "Huh? Now you are embarrassed? Just lay it out before I lay you out flat on the road." I ordered. It''s been enough of his blushing and that weird looking face. "Okay, okay. No need to get physical." He shuddered. "It was at the time when I was at the train station." "... And?" "Don''t hurry me. It was at the time when I was at the train''s public restroom." He said. "Restroom?" "So I was in there doing what we are supposed to do and all of a sudden I heard footsteps closing in. So of course I would be scared if I heard it. As I looked at the door, a person emerged from it or more precisely¡­" "More precisely?" "It was a girl." "Let me guess, and that girl was Iris." I presumed. "Yes¡­ it was like love at first sight. The bold personality, those long eyelashes, along with those hair floating in the air. And-And that piercing gaze¡­" He said embarrassed. "Love at first sight? Who are you dillusoning? I am certain it''s not me." I said. "That''s why I didn''t want to tell you this." He exclaimed. "Still aren''t you being childish and above all, Stupid?" I asked. "..." He looked angry. Why? "What? It''s not like I asked the wrong question. All of this is sto stupid that even a kindergarten would tell a better story than yours. I mean who the hell would get their love at first sight in a restroom? Restroom?" I emphasized the weird place of occurrence. "Anyway, tell me about yours now. Why did Iris cry? And what happened there?" He asked. Although he was not settled yet, he still tried not to keep calm. "About Iris crying, I don''t know. Seriously." I replied honestly. It''s the truth, if she were to cry I would be the first one to notice that and of course I would also be the first one to get surprised. Her bold personality really didn''t match her character at the time of crying. The Iris I know is more like a person who would make the other person cry rather than being in those shoes. "Really? You didn''t know she was crying? But she came from the same direction you wnet. Didn''t you two have some sort of conversation¡­?" Peter questioned me. I understand what he likes but still, to question me, isn''t that absurd? "I can''t show any proof or anything of that sort but the one thing that I am certain of is that, when I last met her, she was completely fine and definitely crying. So now you can believe me or question me, my answer won''t be bending to another direction." I said. "O-Okay¡­ I believe you." He said. "Also, it was not just some room. It was the Student Council room. And the one named Henry, that psycho kind of kidnapped Iris." I said and took a glance at Peter. "Kidnap?!" he was enraged. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 159 - Convincing "Don''t yell¡­" I shushed him. It''s not like we are in a secluded palace, it''s still a public place. Don''t make a scene. "S-Sorry¡­ anyway what did you say, about kidnapping? Is it true¡­?" "Kind of¡­ I can''t say for sure. But Henry, one of the members of the Student Council needed me because you know I am the cause of all the problems in the school you know?" I Looked at him. "... Yeah¡­" He felt a bit unsatisfied by it. It''s not like it''s his fault so why worry about me? Really, this person is either too stupid or too much of a worrywhat. I wonder how his reputation in the class, no in the school, is so high? That''s also one of the mysteries I wanted to know but it doesn''t hold priority as of now so let''s keep it to myself. "So in order to remove the obstacle, he wanted to get rid of me and I don''t know how or why he thought of kidnapping her. She is the daughter of the chairman and it''s also not that we are close to each other." I said. Yes, it''s still not the time to reveal my connection with Iris, especially not after Peter got a crush on her. Who knows what kind of delusions he will think of. Let the non-important details be silent. "So why did she get captured?" Worriedly asked Peter. "I don''t know¡­ but in order to free her I had to do something. Also I had to get myself to safety since Henry was getting physical along with two pawns of his." I said. "What?!" Peter gasped. "I was the one who got hurt, why is the one making a fuss? ALso don''t yell all of sudden¡­" I again had to shush him. I already had enough of myself getting stared at school, I don''t prefer it outside as well. And this stupid emotional person is too much of a crybabay. Really it''s now starting to get on my nerves, how come this stupid brat got soo high in the social heriachy. Does he know some kind magic to make himself popular, huh? "S-Sorry¡­" he apologized instantly as I sneered at him. Warning him I said, "Next time and it will be the end of the conversation." "Yeah¡­ sorry." "Alright. So Henry got violent and started to attack me so in order to protect myself I took measures to protect myself. Like¡­ self defense, yes. It was self defense." I tried to assure him. Well technically it''s true that it was self defense. But in reality it was more like a slaughter. It''s better if that fact is kept hidden. Also, now that the Principal knows about the health of Henry I am sure she must have been furious, of course the hint was that yell. But she can''t do anything to me since I have a shield, i.e., Iris. If only Henry had taken someone else as a hostage, I wouldn''t have gone that far. Nevertheless, it''s done and nothing can be done about it. Even if she wants to punish me she can''t, she will have to give testimony and I have two people who will support me and will go against her. One being the victim, Iris and the other being Peter. If the Principal wished to punish me she would first have to tell her that Henry kidnapped or captured or forcefully held inside a room without any consent, and tried to attack Allen. He either self-destructed or got at me after removing my supporters and that''s almost impossible to do. "Really?! Are you hurt anywhere¡­?" Peter searched all over. Thankfully before leaving I cleaned the blood on my shirt from the water that was placed on the table in the Council room. Although it''s not entirely gone, slight impressions are left but I was able to hide it pretty well with my hand and the bag. Also, since Henry''s punch was not something to take lightly, I got hit several times on the face. Although it''s not painful now, it''s still swollen a bit, but since it hasn''t been that long, no marks have been formed as of now. All that is left is a small scratch below my eyes. And as of the blood on my face, I wiped it off with a cloth nearby. "Ah-ha! There''s blood¡­!" Peter implored. "Where?" I was sure I cleaned every place. "Look under your cuffs. It''s slightly red. It''s blood. What did you do, Allen?" Peter inquired. "Self defense. He came at me, I punched him back as a ''S E L F D E F E N S E'' so maybe it''s his blood." I said. "Hmm¡­ Well, I have heard rumors about Henry having a bad attitude. So it''s not entirely impossible for him to get violent, and he is feared by most of the students. Mostly because of those musculars arms we see and the other half who have actually seen him in action." Peter shrilled. "So you know how he is a very, very bad person?" "Yeah, it''s horrible that he tried to attack. It''s a good thing nothing serious happened to you," Peter said with concern. "Yeah." Yeah, it''s better to keep the truth a secret to him. His sympathy for me will only help me get further. "Still it''s weird how you got away in good condition. I am no expert but he is rumored to be a fighter and on the other hand you¡­" "What? Are you trying to pick a fight with me now, huh?" He looked at me with concern, and it was more like pity. Do I look that weak to him? Isn''t that insulting? He should have seen Henry''s condition, I am sure he would have fainted at the spot. "No-no. Nothing¡­ it''s good that you came okay." He sighed. ¡­ With no further questions, Peter left me and went on ahead. He was supposed to meet someone before hitting home so he had to go to a cafe or something. Hearing that, I even felt a little urge to go to a cafe or something. Ordering a nice ice-cream and savoring it''s flavor slowly. A calm place and no one to disturb you. Alright it''s decided. I am going to a cat cafe. Yes, with all those small cute little creatures people won''t talk loudly or otherwise it will scare them. Yes, it''s the best place for me to hang out. I went on ahead with the route advised by the phone''s GPS. It was like a 5-7 minutes walk, and with not much sun out, the weather was cool. The best weather and the one I prefer the most. Hald sun bathed, along with gentle breeze of cold wind. Passing through the gaps in between the fingers and the air being pushed out from inside the shirt, it made the entire body tingly. ¡­ It''s here. I was right in front of a cat cafe. Not much of a crowd was around it, I suppose people tend to come here on weekends only. Lucky me. As I was about to enter I was called upon by someone. "Allen!" I turned around to see who it was, and surprisingly it was Alex. "Alex?" "What''s with that look? Aren''t you happy to see me here?" He asked. "Of course not." I said with a smile on my face. "Wah! What are you doing, Allen? Are you trying to scare me or something? Please don''t make that face when you see those little kittens¡­" Alex begged. Is my smiling face that bad? Or more like, is it that scary? "I will be leaving first then." Now that I know there is someone I know, I can''t be here. I wanted to be alone for a while and not with someone. First Peter and his nagging and now him. I feel like even the weather is changing for the worst. "No, no, no.You came here so let''s just go in together!" Merrily Alex grabbed my arms and locked it with his and dragged me in. I heard the chimes sound- *Ring* It made a slight ringing sound. For a second I felt all eye''s at me, and of course none of them was of a human being. Yes, it was the gazes of small kittens at the door but only for a matter of seconds. Their attention soon turned to the people inside. Not many people were here, and most of all, it was quiet. "Yes, may I help you with anything?" The clerk or the waiter came to the door. "Yes, a table for two please." Alex asked with a bright smile. I wonder where he gets this much strength to keep up that face smile. It''s clearly a forced on, or otherwise he wouldn''t be so cautious of his surroundings at all times. I have started to notice such things recently, everytime someone approaches him, his attitude changes too quickly. His air is more like my air but soon, in a matter of seconds it''s turned into something different. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 160 - The History "We would like to have a seat beside a window," Alex said politely. I wonder if it comes from his genes but just some things picked up from here and there. If I had come here alone, I would have just asked for a table without any specifications unlike him. Maybe that''s why he is sociable and I am not. "Yes, very well. Please follow me." As I instructed we followed the person obediently. I knew there would be cats but not this many. If we were to divide equal batches then everyone here would get at least three of them, including the clerk and the staff. Seriously, how come they have this many. "Here you go. The menu is on the table to take your time. If you need something just ring this buzzer right here and I will arrive shortly." With that, he left us. Although he seemed to be around my age, he still seemed to be quite accustomed to all this. He must have been working here for a considerable amount of time. "Here, Allen. You keep this." As soon as we sat down, Alex picked a couple of small kittens as if they were candy lying on the ground. He handed me one. "..." I extended my hand and grabbed the small and delicate body of hers/his. Well I can''t just check the gender now, can I? It was black-furred, holding it I felt like if I were to put a little more strength on the grip he/she would get squashed. "Now this is amusing." Alex chuckled. "What is?" I asked. "I never imagined, Allen could be more friendlier to a cat rather than to a human being." Alex a tad with a smirk. "That''s not true. I just like the latter one that''s all." I answered as I pressed the small paws of the kitten. "So, you prefer an animal over a human being? What are you?" Alex asked? "Sarcasm?" "Yes... With genuine concern." "..." Ignoring the sly comments about me, I played with the kitten. And what''s more interesting is that, no matter what I try with it, touch his/her tail, or play with her paws he/she never tries to escape. Mostly because she was too young to move around easily. "Alex, why don''t you tell me about your story now, hm? It''s better to tell now since Lily isn''t around here." I said. "What are you talking about?" He asked. Without any eye contact, I knew he was falling. "The one where you tell me about you and your encounter with Ariana. Your school ''BUDDY''." "I don''t know what you are talking about." "Oh, so you don''t care if I directly ask Ariana about it? Now that I think of it, it is better to ask the source of it rather than beat around the bush with you, isn''t that right?" "... Sure. Although I don''t know what you are talking about." So he isn''t going to break it to me yet. I suppose the sweet talk isn''t good enough for me to break his shell. "Is that so? Then you won''t mind if I call her now, right?" Slowly I put down the kitten and pulled out my phone from the lower pocket. "S-Sure. But when did you get her number?" Yes, it did the trick. He is getting nervous, till now he tried not to make it obvious to me that his gaze wasn''t paying attention to me. Rather he tried not to put any won''t of interest or fear on the topic. But now, he looked at me. "Ah, about that. I asked Lily. She seemed preferred if I asked from you but I don''t know your contact and it was also not good sure that you had her number since you were just ''FRIENDS'', right?" I glanced at his lips. All the truth lies on the lips, pupils, and the way of speech. Before saying another word, it''s plausible that his lips would tremble a little bit, and his eyes wouldn''t be able to make direct eye contact. And the last thing left is his way of speaking. If everything is stable, the last resort is to wait for his words. "..." He clenched his fist tightly. I guess either he will burst out or will swallow it. Whatever it be, it makes him more vulnerable to me since I would know his weakness. It''s a matter of time before he tells me the story. "Alex? What happened? You don''t look good..." With a fake concern, I asked him. "Me-Meow...!" "Hey, let go of the cat before you break her body." I slapped his hands. He had to release his pent of frustration or whatever it was and the thing he found was that small cat. What is he thinking? "Ye-Yeah sorry!" Ge immediately released his hands. The cat ran away at the speed of light. She must have been scared. Poor thing. Wait why am I- Was it sure it was a she and not a he? "So willing to talk now?" I tapped through my phone, faking to make a call. "I will tell you so no need to call her...!" He exclaimed. "Should have started from the start." "It was the elementary school- And his story began. ... [Alex''s PoV] It was a warm summer evening, even with the subtle noise of the outside world I was clearly able to hear the humming sounds of the creatures unknown to me. I wonder when they come out, at night? "What are you doing, Alex?" Here comes the class bully. His name is Will. What does he want now? Ever since the start of school groups started to form and because of social anxiety I was left behind and got stuck at rock bottom. But that didn''t concern me since my father always told me to face difficulties headstrong. "Looking out," I answered. "All day? I heard that you couldn''t even answer the question, Miss asked today. Are you stupid?" Will chuckled along with a bunch of followers of his. "Maybe I am." I also started to smile. Nothing good comes out of getting in trouble with him, it''s better to just swallow up and don''t think of my pride at all. But since my father taught me to face difficulties headstrong, I am doing quite a contradicting thing but he also mentioned something else also. That is to wait for the right opportunity to strike them back. "..." Now that I just made fun of myself, he can''t pursue any further. Quite pitiful, right? He came all triumphantly but now he can''t say a word. And like that, I used to pass by the day. No trouble since Will had some other prayers to prey onto. But the only person even he feared or preferred not to disturb was Ari. The girl, sitting on the front row of the class, wearing small red classes with a hairpin keeping up one side of the hair. Anyway since she and I used to get paired up in P.E. so we would usually talk. But the other kids seemed to have begun making speculations of their own. But neither I nor Ari were concerned about it. But her parents did. Because of Ari, I was starting to take part in the class. But soon enough, because of the rumors her parents were concerned and worried about her ''well-being''. I still don''t understand, just because of rumors of some kid they decided to change her school? She even cried on her last day, even I cried. Just because of her I was able to socialize with people, talk normally with them. Although it might not seem some sort of high achievement to many, to me it''s the treasure she left behind. But after getting into middle school I got to know the real reason for her transfer. Her father was killed one day and with only her mother left with her, she had to leave for another place. Maybe her grandparent''s house. ... [Allen''s P.O.V] "So that''s it?" I asked. "Don''t sound like it was some foolish reason. It''s hard for me to see her like this. She used to be a lovable kid but now it''s hard to believe that she is." Alex stood his ground and tried to justify my exhaustion by the turn of events. "You can try to prove anything but it''s still foolish. What''s so difficult? She got transferred, she didn''t tell you. If you were close enough as you described it, then in the first place the one who she would have gone to would have been you. But what happened?" "..." "Nothing. You are just pursuing a thing of the past. And don''t tell me that the reason you try to act friendly in front of everyone is that you want to fill up the void that Ariana created." I said. He thought Ari was a close friend of hers that would tell him she troubles him but that didn''t happen. And now that he feels empty, and as a result, he now tries to pursue to become someone who everyone can rely on. "..." TO BE CONTINUED.... Chapter 161 - Again, Who Is That Unknown Person? "Nothing. You are just pursuing a thing of the past. And don''t tell me that the reason you try to act friendly in front of everyone is that you want to fill up the void that Ariana created." I said. "T-That''s¡­" He tried to counter my reasoning but he himself knows and has already admitted the fact but doesn''t want to accept¡­ not in front of me. Even I, myself, wouldn''t want someone to figure out my problems, it''s the worst thing that could happen to someone. Some might take it as a positive thing since they got to know about their shortcomings but this isn''t applicable for everyone. Even if they agree with those critics, there is a part that takes a strong hit. There might be resentment towards the person, even a humble man doesn''t want the other person to point out your shortcomings. "It''s not like I am trying to make fun of you. But your reasoning is all messed up. Think about it yourself, it happened in the past and now she is hardly able to recognize you. Nevertheless, you can''t even hold a normal conversation with her as of now." I said as I felt a small thing pushing me aside on the leg. "..." "I still don''t understand why are you so concerned about her? She didn''t care to tell you her problems so why are you so into her, hm?" I asked. "~~~~" He mumbled something, so low, that a newborn kitten''s meow would have been louder than his voice. "Huh? Say it louder." I picked up the small creature that seemed to have some kind of interest in me. It was the same kitten that I had placed down earlier, I wonder if kittens are this soft. Isn''t he/she too soft, even for her own good. "I said, I liked her!" Alex exclaimed. It took him a minute to realize the situation. All eyes were on us, even the clerk was looking at us as if we were some five year older who is causing a ruckus in a public area. "..." I sighed. What the hell is going on with these people?! Why is everyone talking about love all of a sudden?! First Peter and now him¡­?! Are they going nuts, huh? And just because they like them they are worried about the girls? It''s not like they are dating or are good friends, so why think of them and their well being? "You can''t tell this to anyone, Allen." Alex said anxiously. "Even if I wanted to I wouldn''t do something this stupid, so your ''SECRET'' is good with me. But in exchange do something for me. Or as I would say- ''I scratch your back, you scratch mine.''" I proposed the idea. "Allen¡­" He called out my name. "Yes?" "I am not against the idea of helping you but are you sure you want to say those things while holding that?" Alex peered down. "What?" I also looked down, and noticed the cat looking at me. Is it just me or does this cat''s eyes are sparkling? What''s with that look? "I think that cat likes you. Why don''t you play with it for a while? It wouldn''t calm down otherwise." Chuckling Alex said. Yes, the cat''s limbs were pushing against my leg as if she/he was asking for me to move. I wonder if she/he is so young that he/she wants to play or because she/he is bored of just sitting around. Whatever the reason being, it''s too embarrassing to play with him/she. "Here you go and play with him/her." I said as I pulled over the kitten carefully and directed towards Alex. "Why me? I have my share," He pulled on a similar pair of kittens but double the amount as mine. Based on how he is acting I guess he is trying to cover his anxiousness with the sudden change of subjects. And I think it''s better to change the topic since he won''t agree to my request at once. I would need him to calm down and do as I say. ¡­ Spending almost half an hour playing with the kittens, I decided to talk with Alex. And about how I played with the kittens, don''t ask about it. I only embarrassed myself when a gang of cats lunged at me and buried me under a pile of fur. Although it didn''t hurt physically but it did mentally, it felt like I was getting buried alive. Even the customers laughed at that. "Allen, are you sure you are okay? I hope you don''t feel burdened-fufufufu" Alex tried to stop his laughter but it was futile. "I think it''s better if everyone knew about your crush, hm? Why not start with Ariana only?" I pulled out my strongest weapon, my smartphone and it is indeed smart. Since it''s able to solve multiple problems. "N-No. I will stop laughing now. I will zip it at once." He acted to zip his lips. "Alright so I need you to do-" "U-ha. You don''t order me but ask me nicely." Alex said with a sly look. "Oh, I am sorry but I think it would better for Ariana to know your true feeling-" "Stooppp! I shall follow every order you say with no objection..!" I placed his arm around his chest as if making an oath. "Anyway, stop with this. I want you to do some digging on something." I said. "... On what exactly?" Alex asked. "It''s related to the rumors. I need your help to stop them from spreading further." I said. "End, huh? But how will you do that? From what I know till now, your image is absolute mud at this point." "Mud?" I asked. "Yes. In the beginning your image was too black. No one tried to converse with you or more likely feared to get judged by the others. That''s the main reason for that but after some serious revelation it changed. I can''t say whether it was for good or bad but it did change. And with that video, it took a tip on the good side. So from my perspective, now is your ripe time to turn your image, i.e., the mud into a nice form and build your social hierarchical position." Alex said. That''s some weird sense of reasoning but it does hold points. People are still trying to know if I am truly the bad guy they imagined I am or am I a victim of some bigger controversy. And the word ''MUD'' he used suits me quite well. It''s fully up to me, to either wiat for some other revelations to take effect or I do something about it now and back it up with some proof. "Hmm¡­ it does make sense but the favor I need from you is not to raise my status but to suppress the opponent." I said. "Supress?" with a confused look in the face Alex asked. "Yeah, suppress. There is a person among the school crowd who started the rumors, I can''t say for sure but I do have a proof on the person who spread those rumors but what I need to find the other person who encouraged the spreading of those rumors." I said. "Huh? I am lost¡­ you aren''t trying to stop the rumors but the one who is the founder of those rumors? Why would you do that now? Shouldn''t your priority be the other way around?" Alex asked. "Yes you are right. But as I said, My priorities isn''t to remove the rumors but to find the source of it. Please don''t ask questions and do as I say." I said. "Okay, okay. I can do something about it but who is it?" Alex asked, I could see the eagerness in his eyes. "Why don''t you just see this video¡­?" I scrolled through my gallery and opened a video that I had recorded earlier. I can''t say the tentative date but it has been quite some time since I recorded it. ¡­ It was the recording of the day when I encountered Anna along with her friend and the unknown identity, a boy who is supposed to be connected with the HYDRAs. I can''t say this to Alex but I did understand that this boy is the one who encouraged the spreading of the news. Since the information about the investigation wasn''t supposed to spread my name around. Even in the news, they only named that a ''CERTAIN BOY'' and not my name. Still with no specific names, my family got into a bit of trouble but was soon sorted out so nothing to worry about there. "I don''t know but I have heard his voice from somewhere, it''s familiar." ALex tried to think of it but couldn''t come up with a specific name. I was a little bit irritated by it. Not because he couldn''t recognise the person, but mainly because he has so many people to talk to that he finds it hard to pinpoint the person. And here, I have a handful of people. "So, your role is to find out who is close to Anna and who encouraged her to take that step." I said. "Sure do." With an upbeat atmosphere as always he replied. And that agitated feeling that I had been seeing till now seemed to have cleared from his face. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 162 - Thoughts "Still, Allen, it''s kind of weird how you want to find the source of the problem first instead of solving the rumors. You know if it were me then I would have started to sort out the rumors."He said in confidence. And why wouldn''t he? Unlike me, he has never been at a shortage of a ''FRIEND'' so to him, my problem is that I am not talking with people but in reality it''s more like I don''t prefer to and the people ignoring are also just following the trend. All the hostile gazes seemed to have reduced. Additionally, I don''t want him to know that I can''t let him know that I don''t really care about the rumors. The problem was the looks they used to give but now that there have been new controveyes all around, their focus has started to change. "You don''t expect every apple to taste the same, do you? You have your own ideologies and I have mine so what''s the point of trying to change my priorities?" I asked him. "That''s-" "Don''t. Don''t answer that. Just forget about it. And do the things I told you to." I stopped him from further continuing the topic. "Okay¡­" He replied. And now that our main topic of he day have been done, including taking care of Henry and taking a small towards the revelation of the person who tried to do the unknown deeds to me I can now play with these little paws freely. ¡­ It was half past 6 in the evening. It was time for me to go home. Although I did mention going to a cafe to my mother I still doubt if she will get angry. After all the incidents that took place recently, my mother has been on edge along with me. She worried about me and I worried about her. Funny that I have other situations to worry about but I am more concerned for her. No, wait, it would be weird if I had been worrying about other situations rather than my mother. "Well, well. Aren''t Mr. Allen coming home at a reasonable time?" Mother welcomed me at the entrance with a perfect angry glare. "I must have lost track of time¡­?" I answered. "Hmm¡­?" "?" "Is that so? But I hope this doesn''t become a habit of yours to come late." She said. "Aye-Aye Captain." I pulled off my shoes, set them aside carefully, if I were to place them wrongly, who knows what mother might do to me. Better be on foot before doing anything. I went to my room. As usual it was messy but only around the area of the bed, otherwise it''s kind of decent if I could say. Anyway, now that I am home, why not look through the sheets that were distributed in the class. We all were asked to complete the sets of questions and submit them tomorrow. It would have been better if it was just from one subject but apparently it''s not so in order to not get all of them right might be difficult. Nevertheless I should at least start. I brainstormed and tried to answer every single question. Mysteriously, with only vague explanations that I heard in class I was able to solve the questions. At least the beginning ones. As I was descending, I noticed the difficulties of the questions started to increase. I did get stuck on a few questions but after looking through the book and internet I got some idea about how to solve it. And by 8 or 8:30 I finished. I was assuming it would take more than two or three hours based on how many questions it held but it was all for naught. Anyway now that one hurdle has been passed, I have to focus on the consequences after today''s event. I can''t say for sure but Henry should be able to stop a couple of members in the Student Council. If not I might need to throw him out. No use of allowing an enemy to stay in the same ground as me if he can''t help in any way. The only problem is the girl and the President. By today I might be able to have a talk with the girl and in order to completely shun the President, I either need to expose his truth to the school or wait for him to attack me. I don''t know till what extent he can go to throw me out, he was able to convince a dunb head, Henry, to kidnap Iris and use violence in order to stop me so based on how he takes his moves I highly believe it''s not the end of it. Also it''s been bugging me for quite some time but why is he so obsessed with me? I can understand that his social position will only degrade because of my presence but at most he would have convinced the school to expel but then the Principal is also there. Did he get frustrated by the fact that he can''t reign over me? Spectaculating on his behavior and attitude, he seemed like he thought himself as an Emperor sort of. At least that''s the vibe I get from him. But it''s still not convincing enough for him to go this much against me. THe Stage embarrassment I can understand, the uploading of video I understand but to use violence, it''s not something I expected to use in order to win. And there are two that I can speculate at the moment. First, he took my retaliation on the stage as a provocation as an insult and is trying to get back at me. But the possibility of that happening is quite low. And the other being, he is being used, ordered or advised by someone to go against me. It''s not too far-fetched to assume that a third person is involved. Similar to Roy, there is a small possibility that the President is also being hostile towards me because he has something to gain from it. Not some reputation but something more. It''s kind of a 40-60 situation. "Allen dinner''s ready¡­!" I guess I will know if after I face him directly until then I should focus on finding evidence against him. ¡­ It was past quarter 9 but there was no sign of Lily coming. What happened? Wasn''t our little expedition supposed to happen today as well? *Ping* I got a message. I opened it up but apparently it was from an unknown number. I wonder if my number got leaked or something, because I have been getting spam messages about some ads and all. Anyway I opened it up. {}-> For Allen Messages {}-> For Alex Messages [Are we not going today?] Is it Alex? {Alex?} [Yeah, who did you think it was? Also dude you haven''t saved my number?!] {I suppose. It''s not like you told me in the first place¡­} *Tee-hee* He sent me a sticker of a panda making a baby face and in pink letters written ''Tee-Hee''. And I don''t know how I am supposed to respond to it. So with no experience in talking I didn''t respond. Soon enough he messaged me again but I didn''t look at it since I got a message from Lily and it holds more priority than having to talk with Alex. [I can''t come today. You might have to go alone or should I ask one of my drivers to come and get you?] {No need. We can postpone it to tomorrow.} *Sorry* And now she is also one of Alex''s group. She sent me a sticker similar to what Alex sent me a moment ago. A panda bowing down and ''Sorry'' written in small letters. Is this some kind of trend that I don''t know of? But I don''t know anything about what the trend is so I can''t complain about it. Now that the plan is called I messaged Alex, he is too dump so who knows if he will wait outside at night waiting for us. He was kind of shocked since he seemed eager to go today. Was it because he wanted to clear thoughts with Ariana? If not then what else? Anyway I think it turned out to be best for us. If we were seen sniffing around on a daily basis even a dog might get suspicious of us. It''s better to stay low. Since the President isn''t someone with a low self awareness he might be super attentive to his surroundings as an ''UNKNOWN PERSON'' raided their place. If it were a casual meet-up, he wouldn''t have given it a second thought but it''s a place that is illegal for everyone. But I can''t delay it much further because the President might onto something and I need to act on it before anything. Alright let''s make a diagram for it- 1- Get the Girl 2- Get the Evidence to support the claim of changing the Facts 3- Kick out the President Better. All things sorted out, although if we were to go into details I believe it might cross at least half the register if we include the fact that the Principal is out of this. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 163 - Unexpected Connections Since I have nothing special to do today night I decided to do something that I haven''t done in long time, i.e., to read something. Of course I read school''s books¡­ sometimes. But I am talking about something like a novel or light novel or maybe a comic or manga. Anything but since I don''t own a vast category I intend to read such stuff on the internet. It''s better and more efficient since I have to use no money, and it''s true also since it''s kind of a hassle to find the volume or the novel that I need since the publication takes a little more time to get hold of it. Just search it on the internet and everything in hand in a matter of seconds. But yes it''s not good the author since it''s usually the prating sites. But either they should make the physical copy such that anyone is able to get a hold onto it and support the author otherwise it''s going to get pirated. But that''s for some other time. I searched around the internet to read something good and encountered a comic that is based on cycles. The synopsis didn''t say something special that struck me with any sort of excitement but based on how it was rated I got a little curious and after searching on the gogle it turned out that, it is one of the top tier comics. So I picked it up. I don''t know if it''s continuing or finished but to know that I had to read 300+ episodes and I am confident that it won''t be ending anytime soon. It took me almost an hour to reach twenty chapters and I was engrossed in it. But I should stop before another cliffhanger comes up. I put aside my phone and placed it on charge. After experiencing low battery at a crucial time I started to take special notice about my phone''s battery. I better get used to using it unlike before, I have to rely on it as compared to any other human being. And before I realized it, I was already inside a blanket and was feeling my consciousness fading away. I wonder if death feels like this as well? Is it painful? Or does our body get numb that we don''t feel any pain. Which is it? Also what does one feel when they are close to the grim reaper? And why am I having thoughts of such a thing at this moment¡­? I¡­ don''t know¡­ but I feel like¡­ I am being forced to think about it¡­ what happens to the people who cherished them¡­? All these thoughts made my brain restless and especially, mentally exhausted. ¡­ {Is she dead?} A person is black asked in a serious voice. Who is¡­ {Yes. But what should I do about this¡­?} What? Are they looking at me? Why? Why am I being dragged around? I feel pain but at the same time it''s happening so fast that I can''t even cry in pain. {Stupid brat! Just do as I say¡­!} The same look again. Who is he? The voice I recognise but I can''t make out who, the same ring but looking scarier than before. Who is he? {I don''t know if you can remember this but you weren''t of any use till now¡­ but with this! With this you can be of use to me..!} Is he talking to me? If yes, then why isn''t he looking at me? Why is he making decisions before I could spit a word¡­? Why? ¡­ I woke up to the sound of an alarm. "What a weird dream it was¡­" I mumbled to myself as I tried to move. Still, who is that man? I know I have heard his voice but every time there is some slight alteration, and the only similarity is his ring. That dragon shaped ring he wore. Nevertheless every time I see him or I am in his presence then I feel somewhat powerless. I wonder why that is? Anyway I don''t have much time to think about it. Since I have to go to school. I got up and went to the washroom to lighten up my gloomy mood. I am not denying the fact that I am usually gloomy but I do realize today is much worse than usual. ¡­ On my way to the school I encountered a certain figure that left me stupefied. The girl that I met not too long ago is standing right beside my arch enemy. She was holding hands with the President. And seemed to be enjoying it. Is she his little sister? Now that''s unexpected and something I can''t take lightly. Not because he has a little sister but because her sister knows me and she might spill the beans about me to him and who knows how he will twist the facts again. And if I remember correctly her name was Rika, right? Just like the times on the stage, he convinced everyone with his reasoning and what if he uses his sister as a means to spoil my name like claiming me to be a pervert or something. Anything is possible if it is him. I tried to save my face and went from the other side but small childrens are much more enthusiastic than an average person. She instantly called out to me. What did she call me? Of course not. The only word I am hearing is ''Mister! That Mister from that time! Big Brother is the one I was talking about!'' At least she doesn''t know my name. Instead of stopping, no I shouldn''t stop at any cost. I walked past the crowd. But small steps are much better in a crowded area. I was in a crowded place because of the red light next to me so I had difficulty making an exit but she came to me in an instant and held onto my pants. For a moment I thought of shrugging it off but I can''t do that in a situation like this. So I stopped and walked out of the crowd of course holding her hand. "W-Why didn''t you stop when I called you¡­?!" With her high pitched yell she threw some small punches at me. "I had to go through this much trouble!" "Ouch¡­" I said. "W-Wai- Rika! Don''t go off on your ow-" Even before he could say another word he saw my face and in a matter of seconds he came onto me with a full intent to blast me off. But I can''t let him do that or anyone, so before his puch could reach me I pulled her sister up and placed in front of him. Of course I wouldn''t get violent here. Even I know some social etiquettes. I can''t cause a ruckus in a public area and most of all, I shouldn''t get into any trouble with him especially. "Big Brother¡­?" Rika looked surprised by the sudden change of behavior in her brother''s atmosphere. "R-Rika what are you doing with him¡­?" He glared at me as he snatched the girl from me. "I told you about the person who I met a few days ago, it''s him. But I don''t know his name¡­ Big Brother you know him?" Rika asked. "I-I-" He seemed conflicted. Either he tries to be a good brother and introduces me but he would lose another thing. You wouldn''t want the enemy to exploit your weaknesses. And based on how he reacted it''s pretty clear that his love for her isn''t something to take lightly. But if he refuses to know me he would have to lie but if I were to say I know him, he would be like a bad brother since he lied to her face. "Big brother¡­?" "Yes¡­ I know him." He acknowledged it. "Really?! Then are you two close?" Rika asked with sparkling eyes. I wonder who she takes from, I can say for sure that it isn''t his father or his brother. "I-I-'''' The glittering sparkles kept on hitting the President and he seemed to be getting weaker. The power of cuteness really is admirable. Would he also back down if I act cute? "Yes I know him very well~!" He grabbed onto my shoulder and tried to put on a fake smile or more like a wry smile. Hey, at least try to hide your hostility to me in front of her sister. "Yay! Now I have two big brothers~!" Rika smiled. "Rika! You can''t say such words so easily¡­" President revolted in anger but tried not to vent it out on her. Also is he that much against the idea about me having her call me a Big Brother? But it would be werder if he had accepted it. "Why? Big Brother is big brother and if you two are close to them isn''t he also my big brother¡­?" Rika asked. It''s quite funny to see the sophisticated President turn into such a soft hearted person in front of her sister. If I were to tell someone about this then no would believe it, not because it is from me but because it''s of the President. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 164 - I Think There Is A Situation Here "Why? Big Brother is big brother and if you two are close to them isn''t he also my big brother¡­?" Rika asked. "T-That-" He sneered at me but not for long since her little sister was looking at him. He can''t let her sister see him at the moment. But I don''t mind taking all sorts of frustrations I got from him. So don''t mind me if I step out of my boundaries. "Yes, President¡­ How come you are denying the fact that we are close? Your sister is my sister as well, right?" I bowed down and extended my palm to make a fist sort of thing. In response to it, Rika bumped her fist to mine and looked at her big brother. "See~! We are even closer¡­ I don''t get it. Why are you so against the idea? It seems fishy¡­?" With suspicious eyes, Rika looked at the President or more like her big brother. Although I am surprised by the fact that she is able to say all sorts of things so easily that if I were her age, I wouldn''t even hold a candle to her. She talks so naturally as compared to children of her age¡­ no wait, have I ever met any elementary school that I should be comparing to her? I suppose that''s how elementary school''s are these days. Anyway, let''s talk about the topic at hand. "Rika that''s true but-" He again looked at me but of course not with hostility but more like he wanted redemption. I suppose I really am doing a cruel thing to him since introducing your sister to the enemy and allowing him to be called a brother is truly frustrating since he can''t find any logical inference to counter attack the proposal. But don''t look at me with that worried look since I won''t be going easy on you no matter what. Better be prepared for the consequences. "Rika, I think your brother doesn''t like me¡­ I suppose we can''t talk anymore¡­ Let''s forget about each other¡­ It''s your brother''s wish¡­" I said. I won''t be describing how I talked right now but influencing a child''s consciousness without her knowing is quite easy. I suppose paying attention in English classes did help me out in real life. It''s been stated by an author that a child''s mind isn''t of it''s own, he/she can be influenced quite easily. "No! Big Brother is that true that you don''t want me to talk with- with-" She looked at me. "Allen." I replied. "Yes! Allen! Is that true Big Brother?" Rika seemed like she was about to cry. And of course the question in person wasn''t at least a bit pleased. It appeared as if he would bash my head against the red light if I didn''t shut up. But I wasn''t finished yet. "Ju-Just give me a minute¡­!" the President Exclaimed. I repeat the President got shaken by her words. Succes! The trick was a success. What''s better than trying to infiltrate the enemy grounds with the help of an insider? And if the insider holds much more authority than the leader then I don''t even have to worry about getting caught. "See¡­ I suppose this is goodbye, Rika¡­" I said and turned around. "Wait~! Big Brother I hate you~! I thought you would be happy that I made a brother just like you but you are bad¡­!" Now this is unexpected. My plan was just to make a long lasting impression on her and in case we met again I could trigger it and annoy the President again. ALways savor the moment. But it appears that I have to cancel that plan. "Wh-wait Rika?!" Maybe this is also better. SInce the president is so distraught that I find it hilarious and pitiful at the same time. "I will go with this Big Brother. You hate me, don''t you Big Brother Number-2~!" That was a deep damage. Calling her real brother number two and holding my hand is truly a beast move. Young lady you should really become my little sister. Cunning, smart and most of all cute. I would give you half my wealth if you officially become my sister. The pleasure of getting a sister and the pleasure of watching the President getting killed from inside would be worth it. "What?!" At that spot the pResident was on his knees heart broken but his sister didn''t care to give him another look. I was supposed to be leading the way but she pulled me forward and walked ahead pouting and looking at her brother. "Are you sure you want to let him be like this¡­?" I asked. The reason being I wanted him to look more of his looks, it was the most thrilling thing of all time. Seeing the President kneel, I could even feel him getting inferior to me. Young lady destroyed him more before I destroyed him. "Yesh! oops-Yes~!" she replied. "Yesh? Is shat sho?" I asked. "Don''t make fun of Rika!" Although she was against the idea of me making fun of her nevertheless she didn''t let go of my arm. "Sorry, sorry. But Young Lady, where are you taking me? The road to School was right there." I said as I indicated my fingers to a small road two blocks behind. "MMMM~!" She got flustered. Maybe she doesn''t know the route. "It''s okay. Sometimes it happens to small kids." I said laughingly. "I am not a small kid. I was just testing you if you know the route or not! Yes, that''s the reason!" she exclaimed. "Hmm?" She knows that I know it isn''t true nevertheless she tried to put on a bluff. I wonder if that confidence comes in their genes or just in the siblings? Frst the never ending thirst to get me out of the school from her brother and for her¡­ I don''t mind it at all. "That''s right¡­!" she said. "Then how about you follow me or more like you supervise me while I lead the way, that way you can see if I know the route or not, hm? How about this?" I asked. "Let''s see¡­ that does seem like a better option." She said, "Then shall we leave?" I asked. "Okay!" Watching her bright smile I also wonder if I also ever smiled like that when I was of similar age? I suppose I did, the only thing that disturbs or haunts me is those dreams and this situation. ¡­ The moment I entered the school I noticed gazes that I never felt till now. I looked around instead of averting their eyes. They seemed to be looking at me suspiciously as if I did some crime or something. While I replaced my shoes I noticed Iris standing in the middle of a mout hanging. What''s the matter with her? Olivia who accompanies her usually seems to be chuckling, again why? And I noticed a familiar figure this time with Iris. The person who attacked me all of a sudden that day when Iris came in the class for the first time. And as usual he was looking at me with hostility. "Allen!" I heard Alex''s voice. I turned around in response to the call but didn''t tell him not to approach me in the school? "What is it, Alex?" How come his eyes are looking down instead of meeting my eye line? He usually talks to me that way but not today, and here comes another why? What''s with the sudden weird gaze today? "Allen, did you happen to work in a shady company that lets you carry small girls around?" Alex asked. "Sarcasm?" I asked. "Yes¡­ but with genuine concern." He seemed a bit shaken up. I looked down and noticed Rika clenching my pants from behind with a half hidden face. Wait, am I not supposed to bring her here? Now that I think of it, she must also be going to school, right? "Rika didn''t you have to go to school today?" I asked as I bent down to meet her eye line unlike Alex. I sneered at Alex for looking at Rika since his looks were making her uncomfortable. Get a hint dude, she is just a small child not like a grenade that will blast any moment. "I¡­ suppose I did¡­?" She herself was confused. "Now this is a weird situation. Then shouldn''t you have said something when we left the President behind?" I asked. "..." she looked down. "Allen aren''t you supposed to fill me up?" Alex asked with a complete idiotic face. Wait, it''s his usual face. "I don''t work in any shady company like that so don''t worry about me getting arrested and secondly she is a child not some creature that spawned from a dark forest or something so can you at least try not look at her with those weird eyes? And also tell the others not to creep this girl out just because of me." I said as I tried to respond to those gazes. "Oh-Right. Sorry." He instantly bowed in apology. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 165 - Shunned "I was right! He did not kidnap a child¡­!" Alex turned around and yelled. Wait, what? Kidnap? Me? They all suspected I kidnapped her? Well based on her cuteness maybe people will kidnap her. "Anwya, Rika do you want to go to the Student Council to wait for your brother or go with me until your brother comes?" I asked since she was fidgety from the beginning. "I will go with you." She said in a low voice. What happened to your brave self from before? Nervous? Based on the situation she must have been surprised. "Alright then." I pulled her hand and walked towards my class. Of course the gazes didn''t entirely go away but I have been used to it plus going around a cute child makes all the worry go away. But hey, why do I keep thinking that way? It''s the first time I have ever been feeling so normal. With all the hectic situations going around me I was hardly able to get a breather but with her around I feel a bit more at ease. I wonder why that is? It''s not like I have known her for that much time, she is almost like a stranger to me. "Why are they all staring at me?" She asked as she pulled my shirt a bit. "More like they are staring at me. You don''t have to worry about anything." I said. "Okay." Look at her. Acting timid. For god''s sake how can a person change this much? Children are true actors. I got in the classroom and for a moment there everything fell silent. I could hear the gulping son of the person sitting in front. The next moment all of them looked at Alex who seemed to be sitting in the middle of the classroom with a small circle around. "See I told you ''Allen is coming with a girl in hand''! Believe me will you?!" Alex exclaimed. To be honest it''s kind of funny to see all of them shocked. "I don''t know what kind of speculation you all are making but I would really appreciate it if you all would be kind enough not to scare her?" I said it out loud. "Ah" "Ri-Right." Hearing their response I suppose they aren''t that inhumane I predicted they were. At least they can act as a sensible person in front of a kid. "Where did he pick up the kid from?" "Is she his sister?" "Sister? I didn''t know he had a sister." "Excuse me but do you want to come with me¡­?" Anna''s friend, who I had a small dispute with not long ago asked Rika. "Me¡­?" Rika asked as he clenched me tightly. "Hey, I thought I told you not to scare her. Are you deaf or what?" I said as I stepped in between. "Huh? I was talking to her and not you. Also you must be the one who is scaring her!" She said, "I don''t believe what Alex said so tell us straightforward who she is?" "I don''t think I am in any way inclined to answer you." I said. "Wh-" "Wait a minute will you. Let''s talk this through once and for all." I stopped her and turned around. I walked to Selene and said, "I think there is some misunderstanding so I need to take care of that so wait with her, okay?" "... Okay¡­" she let go of me and went towards Selene. "You will look after, right?" I looked at Selene. She got flustered but she soon realized it was a necessary thing to do. "O-Okay¡­" She said, "I will lo-look after her¡­" Rika seemed conflicted whether to agree to it but I reassured her. "Now let''s deal with you." I said. "W-What??" With my sudden change in demeanor she was taken aback. "Let''s talk outside. You wanted to, right? Anyone who also wants to have a talk with me, let''s move outside." I said. "..." A few stood up but the one that surprised me was Peter. Why? It''s getting more and more difficult to understand human beings. Am I losing my edge? ¡­ A few of them came out but the only person I was most concerned about was Anna''s friend whose name I don''t even remember. "What''s your deal?" I asked. And of course it was a collective question and not directed towards just one. "What do you mean ''What''s our deal?'' Aren''t you the one that is causing problems here and there?" She said in an intimidating voice along with her supporters. "Huh? Did I ever touch you or any of you? Never did I ever hold a conversation with you but you act as if I have been getting on your nerves ever since the beginning. I don''t get your issue with me." I said. "You are suspected of a murder and who knows maybe more we don''t know of so because of you our school students are in constant guilt of letting someone like you continue coming to school." She groaned. "... Is that all? I thought you had some definitive proof that proves my crimes but you are only relying on some rumors spread around and the guilt you talk about, I don''t see any guilt. I see each and every one of you walking around happily, going to a cafe with friends and going out on weekends but never have I seen any of you feeling guilty. So what''s all this fuss about? Aren''t you just trying to corner me up, huh? T-" "That- Were you-" She tried to cut me in between but I had enough people cutting me in between. Always thinking their voice matters more than mine. "Oh just shut the hell up will you?" I said arrogantly. "W-What?" her eyes widened up. Shaking hands. Not just her but the entire group seemed to be frozen up by the fact that I was now talking back. That''s right, till the point I have been provoked by many but I only retaliate to those who tried to strangle my further steps. I have been trying to ignore these muggles till now but this ends now. They are the core of all those rumors circulating around, they are the real weeds in the school. "If you say those things even a small cold will think of you as idiots. Accusing me of something that took place in someone''s imaginations and you made it look like it was real. Shut the fu*k up will you?" I clenched my jaws tightly. Maybe a vein might pop out so I had to control it. "...B-But because of you my parents are worried..!" She exclaimed. "Yeah!" "Yes, that''s right." Sheeps gathering together to defend against a wolf? "Now that''s a ''YOU'' problem and not mine. Either you convince them that it is just a false accusation or that you are just too embarrassed to say a word since you are the ones that are causing the rumors to spread." I retorted to the groundless counter attack. "And if I ever see either of you or anyone glaring or even taking a peek at me I might have to do something about it. Just like I did with Roy. And you better circulate this around just like the rumors." Peter looked at me and he seemed to be having fun watching me. "I think Allen is right. I mean have you or anyone seen him fight first? It has always been a third person provoking him," Peter said. Wait, what? Is that the reason why he came here? He very well knows his hierarchical standing in school, and now that I have finally shunned all these people he just needs to support me. No war can be won alone but there is always a spark necessary to start it and I just did that. Anyway I left them behind. On the way I encountered another weird looking person oh wait it''s not the weird looking person but I had tried not to notice that person. "Wait up. I need to have a talk with you." She said, "Allen." "..." I walked past her ignoring the call. And she should very well know it by now that the only reason I am acting like this is because of her incompetence. "I said I need to have a talk with you!" She grabbed me by the shoulder. "I believe I don''t have anything to talk about. And can you not put pressure on my shoulder? Unlike you I am still a child." I shrugged her hand. "Child? Your ways haven''t been making it clear enough." She said, "Either you have a talk with me now otherwise" "Otherwise?" "I might have to use force." She said, "I also don''t want to use violence." "Force? I believe I have already demonstrated that to you." I replied. "Don''t get cocky you brat. You think you are some kind of big person but in reality you aren''t." She said, her voice was starting to become shrugged. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 166 - The Person I Know But She Doesnt I assumed the Principal was on my side but as time went by I got to realize that the only reason she is helping is because she wanted to find the HYDRAs. But that isn''t the problem, in fact I am in that sort of way of thinking. The only problem is that she sat in the corner when I wanted her. First the point where I had to survive the brutal hits by the President on that stage. The only thing she told me was to never back down. The next was the shootout. The third one was getting kidnapped. And not just once but twice. She came to my aid after the incidents and never before. What does that indicate? Either she is genuinely late or she wants to see the reason why I am the target of many. I previously thought that she could be trusted by now¡­ I don''t think I can trust anyone. You keep a secret or you make an effort to hide it from me. "I might have to use force." She said, "I also don''t want to use violence." "Force? I believe I have already demonstrated that to you." I replied. "Don''t get cocky you brat. You think you are some kind of big person but in reality you aren''t." She said, her voice was starting to become shrugged. "I am being cocky? Isn''t the right word you are looking for is being cautious?" I asked. "What?" "Tell me, aren''t you looking out for me because you know I am the prime suspect in the kidnapping of 50 students and you just want to extract every bit of knowledge you could get out of me. And the only reason why you come right after the incident is always pretty suspicious. Did you put a tracker on me or something to know where I am all the time? Maybe that''s how you got to know my whereabouts that day as well." I said. "..." "You knew that the HYDRAs or anyone who was involved with the kidnapping incident would contact me sometime so you just had to gain my trust and let you lead to the HYDRAs location or maybe a lead on them." I said. "What''s wrong with that? I needed you and you needed me. That''s all there was to it so what''s wrong to take from you when I am giving this much." She said, "In fact you are acting childish." "Who said it is wrong? And maybe I am being childish but Being deceived is all that I have been receiving all this time." I don''t even know why I am saying all these things to her. "Not being able to recall the incident, those images of blood in my hand, being accused of something that I can''t even remember! Not being able to say anything to it since I also don''t have any proof to prove them wrong. I am just stuck in between and when I thought at least someone believes me I might get saved but in the end you also turned out to be like others. Giving? What have you given me? I just needed someone that I could rely on in times of need but you couldn''t even be like that." "..." "And you know the reason why I did that, Roy and Henry?" I asked. "Why?" She asked. "Because they were being used just like me. Roy being forced from the kidnappers and Henry being idiotically faithful to the President. It was better for them to start anew and I just helped them release them from those chains. So if you ever question my decision you better be prepared to question yourself. And you said I was being childish, right? And what if I was, huh? For god''s sake, I am not even an adult yet, but you want me to act like one." I blurted out. "Allen you-" "Also stop the pretentious act of nobility. It disgust me, you are even incompetent than me. Even I have more leads than you. Stop using me before I use you." It''s a well known fact by now that the Principal needs me. She can''t find the HYDRAs without me. I have been in contact with their leader unlike these incompetent fools. So she should stop using me before I exploit her authority in school. Whatever the consequences might occur I would just need to turn to the Principal for protection even if it were forced help. "I will stop that but¡­ are you really sure that you are okay?" she asked. "Wh? Do I look agitated?" I asked. "Yes¡­" "Maybe it''s because of you. Just get out my face will you? I need to sort out my thoughts." I said and took a route that felt more vacant than the other. ¡­ Something''s wrong. Something is definitely wrong with me. I thought it was just in my imagination but at this point I can''t deny it. I am emotionally unstable. In multiple incidents recently I lost my cool and burst out. And the thing that I assume is adrenaline isn''t also kicking in. Whenever I would start to lose my control on emotions some sort of drug would flow through my veins but unlike the other times I haven''t experienced any sort of feeling recently. ¡­ I stepped in the classroom and noticed a small mod had formed around Selene. "Hey knock it off guys! Can''t you see you are scaring her?" Liz squeezed the cheeks of the small creature that I left behind. "But Liz, aren''t you scaring her the most¡­?" Asked someone. "Wha-? Am I scaring you, Rika¡­?" Liz asked. "A¡­ little." "Guh!" What''s happening there? A comedy skit? Also Selene, what are you doing behind the crowd? Well I suppose shouldering her with this much crowd must have been overwhelming. I can''t blame you for that since you are similar to me, I also prefer to escape from a crowded place. "Mind if I take her?" I stepped in. "What the hell? Can''t you see we are playing wi-" "You saying something¡­?" "No. Nothing." He got cold feet and stepped away in an instant. Rika noticed me and came running to me. "I will be taking her now." ¡­ "Now, now. No need to pout." I said. "Hmph! Why did you leave me behind¡­?" Rika demanded. "I had to go have a talk with those students. You them as well, right?" I replied. "Still¡­ leaving a small kid alone in that place? It''s a big NO!" "Small child? I thought Rika was an adult but maybe I was wro-" "No¡­! Rika isn''t a child but an adult! A young Fine Lady." She said confidently. Still, where does she learn those words? "Really but then why is she acting all scared when I left her all alone¡­?" I asked. "That''s-" "If Rika says she wasn''t scared then maybe I will think of Rika as ''YOUNG FINE LADY''." I proposed the idea. "... Okay fine! Rika wasn''t scared¡­" She answered politely. Even if I don''t know a thing about the younger sibling I can make out that she was trying her best not to show herself getting scared and all. "Nice. I was also hoping Rika was an adult." I said. "That''s right. I am an adult." She said proudly. "Riikkkaaa!" I heard a screech from the end of the corridor. But I wasn''t able to point out the exact location. It was kind of an echo rather than a usual yell. "Is it just me but do I hear someone calling you, Rika?" I asked as I tried to make out where it was coming from. "I¡­ also hear that but I don''t know where it is coming from." she said as she also tried to search around. Fortunately my decision to put an end to those rumors today turned out to be a wise decision since the ones who came onto me today seemed to have circulated the information around and maybe that''s why I see almost no one in the corridor but I can hear some sort of voices from inside the classrooms and that''s the reason for not being able to clearly make out the voice direction. "Rika!" It was getting clearer. I assumed since there is probably no one on the floor, maybe it''s coming from somewhere outside. I leaned towards the window and noticed someone standing in front of the entrance gate with a couple of students surrounding the person. "Rika, do you happen to know that person?" I picked her up and showed her out of the window. "Hmm¡­." She tried her hardest to see who the person was. "Any leads?" I asked. She looked out the window and I made sure she doesn''t fall. So I clenched her from the waist above and pulled up to the window level and not too high. Just enough for a little head to hop up the window. She tried her best to recognise but I didn''t see any signs of confirmation o her facial expression. It''s also possible for her to forget faces but she remembered me so she shouldn''t be bad in faces. "I don''t know... But it does seem like I might be able to recognise the person once I see him up front." She suggested. "Alright then. Let''s move down." I said. If the person is yelling her name then I know who that person is. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 167 - We Have A Situation "Rika!" The President screeched while calling out to the little girl that I had taken with myself. "Rike before that do you happen to know your brother''s number?" "Hmm¡­" "?" "I suppose." She said, "Buw why do you need it?" "You suppose, huh?" I mumbled to myself. "I need to call him to know that you are with me. He is your brother so he must be worried about you right?" "..." Maybe she is feeling guilt for not following her brother. Also now that I can''t use his number I can''t force him to back down by black mailing him. But I prefered if an innocent person isn''t involved in this shady thing. The only people I have injured or made their life hell are the ones who were directly related to the core of my problem so it''s completely justified¡­ At least from my point of view. Let''s just not involve an innocent girl like her. Better resolve the problem among the guilty only. "We are not going to go down¡­?" Rika asked. "We are." I answered as I put her down and walked out the school building. ¡­ I thought by this time he would have stopped telling but it seems like he hasn''t. Won''t he get his throat ache at this rate? Anyhow I am supposed to give back his sister to him before he accuses me of something that I didn''t do. I walked up to him but I made sure I was not seen by the crowd surrounding the area. And since the President is worried about his sister he had to make sure that he goes through each and every corner. And fortunately he saw me. For a second he was about to yell but I made sure that didn''t happen. He escaped from the crowd and reached out to me. I was waiting for him behind a couple of trees. Although he was renowned for keeping his school and demeanor at all times; the situation right now doesn''t seem to be plausible. He was relieved and delighted by the sight of her sister ''UNHARMED''. Well even I would be worried if I left my mother or father with my enemy. Even if it is for a minute. And moreover if it''s a sister, the little sister whom I am assuming he treasures the most, unfortunately got in my grasp, i.e., the enemy, he must have been worried sick. Nevertheless I wouldn''t have done anything to her. Probably¡­ "What the hell were you thinking when you took her with you?!" The President lunged at me. His eyebrows were twitching and seemed to be wrinkling in the middle. His voice is also quite heavy and intimidating. "Me? I was just taking care of her." "You want me to believe that crap¡­?!" He was obviously enraged. "Maybe I was in the wrong but shouldn''t you lower your voice now?" I said. "What? Why would I? After what you did¡­ I could have called the cops to get you arr-" As my gaze powered down he noticed why I told him to stop telling. That''s right, Rika seemed to be getting scared. If not then would there be sparkly water droplets crawling down her cheeks? "Wai-sorry Rika¡­ I didn''t mean to yell¡­" he sneered at me but that was the least of my concern. "Waahaaa!! I am shorry¡­" she cried. "No, no. It''s not your fault. I shouldn''t have yelled like that." He tried to console her. And because of the high pitched cry the people that were surrounding the President seemed to be coming towards us. "Hey, pick her up and get inside. Anywhere. Just make sure there are not many eyes around. If someone were to see this ruckus, who knows how much things would get complicated." I suggested. Especially if people were to see me with a crying child, the small amount of reputation that I gained in the past few days would be buried under again. "... Okay." He accepted the proposal. He does realize the situation he is in. I thought he would use this opportunity to drag me to hell but he must have also calculated the risk along with my downfall. Her sister might also get involved in it and getting a small child her into some police formalities isn''t something a brother would want to happen to his little sister. ¡­ "Rika mind telling me what was all that about?" The President questioned the guilty. The judge being the President and the guilty being Rika and the victim bring me, Allen. Just kidding, I am not the victim but more like a partner in crime. "Sniff¡­ sniff¡­" Rika sitting in one of the chairs in the room tried not to let another drop off year fall down sniffed the entire time. "Also Allen what were you thinking by taking her with you? Are you out of your mind? I really was about to call the cops on you. What would you have done then?" He looked at me. "About that¡­ I am guilty as charged. I shouldn''t have done that." Even though I know for a fact that I shouldn''t have done that, I still did it anyway. But in the end it was only to pass the President and earn him not to come at me. But I didn''t take into account that he could have called the police. If that were to happen even the Principal wouldn''t have been able to take care of that easily. "It''s it''s not Allen big¡­ brother fault¡­ I shouldn''t have¡­ sniff¡­ done¡­ that¡­ I am sorry¡­" she apologized. "It''s good that you realise your mistake but that doesn''t mean there won''t be any consequences." "?!" "We will talk about that at home." He instructed and Rika obeyed. "And about you. Allen, what should I do with you?" "Let me go to my classroom?" "..." He growled at me. "Rika, wait outside for a minute. No, you wait in here. You better not move around again, understand?" "... Yes¡­" "Out now." He said to me, "Leave her be." I was looking at the cheerful girl¡­ Maybe I shouldn''t have done that. But what''s done is done. No point in dwelling in the past. *Creak* "?" "It''s my first and last warning but you better not involve her in our mess." He ordered. "Sure." "It''s better for her to have a nice and peaceful life. If she gets involved with you more, who knows what kind of trouble she would wind up getting in." He seemed polite. Maybe because it was a sensitive matter to him. "What else do you want me to say? I already admitted my fault." I said. I can''t blame him for saying those words but I need to at least defend myself. "Fine, I will stop now. But you better distance yourself from her." He pointed his index finger at me. "What if she approached me?" I asked. "Think about it yourself. If you manage to get close then you should be able to do the opposite as well." He said. ¡­ Time went by and it was lunch break. The ruckus about the little girl in the school called down eventually. Many still saw me as someone who did something won''t. Anna''s friend also seemed normal. And how the girl vanished in the first period was solved but the President when he came in the class and announced that she, his sister was with me because I, Allen was just taking care of her in his stead. I don''t know the reason why he did that but nevertheless it helped me in improving my image. I thought that I had enough trouble for today but apparently fate disagreed and forced upon me a situation that put me on the edge. "Now what do we do?" Alex looked at me and asked. "The only lead is now taken away from us¡­" Lily seemed discouraged. Well I suppose anyone would be, after hearing it. Now at this point the only lead is now being taken away from me. What should I do now? And it''s not yet confirmed. "Are you sure Lily that''s what happened¡­?" I asked for certainty. "I am pretty sure that''s what happened because I had asked one of my people to keep an eye on that area¡­" she replied in a low voice. "I can''t say for sure but it''s the most likely scenario¡­" I can''t blame Lily for not knowing all the information since she it''s similar to us in this specific situation. Still I have my doubts about why it occurred on that day¡­ Was it intentional or just a freaky coincidence¡­? IT COULD BE EITHER¡­ I need to confirm this before taking another step. "But why would it happen on that day only? Based on how large that mob was I assumed they were having some sort of arrangement." I said based on my visual sights. "Is there really nothing we can do¡­?" Alex asked. He is the only person who seemed to have been troubled the most by this¡­ maybe because of his past. Now this really is a troublesome situation. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 168 - Will Someone Tell Me Already? [15 Minutes Ago] I was passing by the corridor and was about to make my way to the basketball court. Of course not because I wanted to meet with Amber but because the scene that I caused today seemed to be some sort of hot take in the school. No one seemed to be looking at me or causing a ruckus but settling down and making their own spectaculations. I wonder why that is happening. Earlier they would have been on their toes but now¡­ they aren''t even taking a closer look. Is it because it''s become normal for me to cause incidents that people have started to make their daily routine sort of¡­? If that''s why then I am even more embarrassed and angry at myself and the situation even more. Anyhow, I am supposed to be free today but why am I getting messages? I looked up my phone notifications and noticed the number was identified as unknown but I sort of have vivid recollection of this number. I tapped on it. I don''t know why but this person was barricading my phone with tons of messages. "What the-" [I have some important information to discuss with you and Alex. Meet me in the Rooftop. Asap!] Is what the message said but in order to know the messenger I had to scroll up and see the person in question. And it turned out to be Lily. I wonder what she wants now. Also is that why I don''t have much contact information on my phone, I don''t save people''s phone number? I walked to the rooftop and met up with Alex. "Allen." "Alex." "?" "?" "What are you staring at? Is something on my face?" he asked as he pointed his fingers at the face. "No." "Then¡­?" He looked at me for an answer. But he didn''t know that I was in the same boat as him. "You tell me. You kept staring at me for a while so I assumed you had something to say¡­ or maybe not?" I answered. "No-But I thought you wanted to say something so I asked¡­" He said. "I only stared at you because you were staring at me¡­" I said. "Okay¡­ let''s cool our mind and stop with the ''STARING''."He suggested. "No objection." "... So you came here because¡­" "Yeah, Lily messaged me as well." I said. "But how come she knows our number? I never gave it to her¡­ did you give your number to her?" He asked. "Does it look like I will take the first step to give a girl my number?" I asked him. "Yeah you probably won''t. Sorry for asking¡­ But isn''t it weird¡­ I mean you all of a sudden get a message from an unknown number and tells us to move to the rooftop. I would have ignored it if she hadn''t mentioned your name and of course she also texted me it was her since I wasn''t replying to it." He said. "..." How much can he speak? It hasn''t been five minutes but he has said almost twice the words as me. Is this the power of the social person¡­? I really questioned my soul¡­ as compared to him I must look like a dork to others. Even I am feeling like a dork in front of him. "What do you think she called us for?" "..." "Allen!" He shrugged me off. "What? What?" I was so deep into self degrading that I forgot he was still with me. "I asked if you have any idea what happened?" "I¡­ don''t know myself." I instantly replied. "Well I suppose she will answer us herself." He looked up and said. My gaze followed his and noticed a figure as if descending from the sky. SunLights went past it and it was all good until I noticed it was nothing to be captivated about. It was Lily who seemed to be in a not-so-good mood and I think we are the cause for that. I looked at Alex and he looked at me. "I messaged you like 10 minuted ago. Where the hell have you been when I specifically mentioned the word ''ASAP''?" her voice felt like it was rhetorical question but maybe- "We were ju-" Alex gathered strength and tried to speak for both of ourselves was instantly shot down. "Oh, just shut up and come up here." She ordered. Yes, it was definitely a rhetorical question. "Okay¡­ no need to be so testy¡­" Alex groaned. "What was that?" Lily pierced Alex''s mental health like a piece of glass. "N-Nothing." ¡­ "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE POLICE ARRESTED ALL OF THEM?!" Alex yelled. "Don''t yell. Do you want the entire school sniff around us?" Lily silenced the shocked kid. "So you''re telling me that if we had gone to the hideout to find this girl, Ariana we could have been in trouble with the police?" I asked. "That''s right. I don''t know who exactly did that but someone snitched them and after 12 a squad or a bunch of police officers came in and emptied the entire place along with the trashs who used the drugs." Lily said. "Now what do we do?" Alex looked at me and asked. "The only lead is now taken away from us¡­" Lily seemed discouraged. Well I suppose anyone would be, after hearing it. Now at this point the only lead is now being taken away from me. What should I do now? And it''s not yet confirmed. "Are you sure Lily that''s what happened¡­?" I asked for certainty¡­ again. "I am pretty sure that''s what happened because I had asked one of my people to keep an eye on that area¡­" she replied in a low voice. "I can''t say for sure but it''s the most likely scenario¡­" I can''t blame Lily for not knowing all the information since she it''s similar to us in this specific situation. "If you had your servants go over there so easily then how come we had to go there on a daily basis?" I asked. If we have an alternative to reduce the chances of getting into any high level danger then shouldn''t we have just taken that beforehand? "I could have but I needed to know for certain what was happening with Arianan and after I got to know that ''ALEX KNEW HER'' I got my hopes up. And¡­ the other thing didn''t come up until I had to go somewhere else." She said, "That''s nice. You highlight my mistake and overshadow yours with mine, Miss Oversmart." Alex said something sly when Lily intentionally tried to put the blame on Alex. "Excuse me? If it weren''t for your stupid tongue and head I could have thought of it beforehand." Lily counter attacked. They both fought with each other trying to justify their actions. But Alex can''t tell the truth so Lily can admit her mistake since she is ''MISS PERFECTIONIST''. And I can''t lose hope since I had expected that I wouldn''t be able to get a hold on her easily. All I need is to think what''s the next viable route. "Alright let''s stop here. Enough with the trash talk. Now what should we do? If they are all arrested I don''t think any of them will get out until tomorrow and I am talking if one of their parents comes out to be rich." I said. "..." "Do you know if Ariana got out?" I asked. "?!" "What?" Alex asked as he noticed Lily jump on the spot. "I haven''t checked if all of them got arrested or not! It''s possible for at least a few of them to get out since they have been using drugs for quite some time so they must have some sort of secret arrangements so maybe few got away!" Lily said in excitement. "You are a genius!" Alex complemented her. "That''s right, I am indeed a GENIUS." With a smug on her face Lily took the complement. And who would have guessed that a minute ago they were fighting like dogs. "Wait-what are we doing??" Alex came to realize. [I don''t know if this is considered Adult(R rated) or not but to my knowledge it is.] "... Why was I getting all excited? It''s must be because of you, yur idiotic germs must have penetrated me." "Pft~!" Alex laughed. "What?" "Penetrated¡­ Pff~ Hahahaha¡­" He couldn''t control his laughter. "Pener-" Lily flinched a bit and her face turned completely red. What happened? I don''t get it. Why is Alex laughing so much? "Ohh~~ Poor All- haha- Allen didn''t get it- did he- hahaha?" Alex tapped my shoulder and asked. "I didn''t get it okay? Also at least speak clearly." I said. Still how come it''s so funny to him that he can''t even say the sentence in one go. And why is Lily hiding her face with her hands? What''s going on? Will someone tell me already? TO BE CONTINUED¡­ [Again, I don''t know if this was funny to you or not, but I tried my best.] Chapter 169 - Called In Jokes aside¡­ if what Lily just said is true then it''s possible for Ariana to get herself to safety. From what Lily had mentioned earlier, Ariana has supposedly been using the drugs since earlier and if we take into account that she has some brain cells left in her she would have thought of a way to get out of such situations. But¡­ "What are you thinking so hard for, Allen?" Alex shrugged my shoulders and asked. "I was wondering if Ariana does get out then how are we going to have a talk with her, hm? In order to not get captured/arrested she would need to stay hidden. As the word suggests- Stay Low for the time being and to let things cool down a bit." I proposed my theory. "That''s true¡­" Lily acknowledged my theory. But Alex wasn''t convinced yet. "Let it out." I said as I noticed him getting restless. "... Allen, you are thinking it from an outsider''s perspective. If she has been using drugs for quite some time then do you really think that someone like that person will be able to live without it? Isn''t she practically addicted to it, huh?" He said. "..." "... Alex, are you possibly more of a genius than I thought?" Lily said. And not just her, even my reaction was the same but of course she beat me to it. "I am going to take it as a complement." He replied. Seriously though, what Alex said is true. I assumed she would stay hidden but the only reason she used drugs was to let go of her anxiety and possible grief and in order to overcome she got into shady stuffs and after examining her, it was pretty noticeable that she was addicted to it, if not then she wouldn''t have gone to that place on daily basis. She either needs to hold onto for a long time but it''s hardly possible. If drugs hadn''t had this sort of side effect then it wouldn''t have been illegal to take. She will eventually come out the hole. "Alex, is there any possibility for you to look into someone?" I asked. "Huh?" He asked. "What is it now, Allen?" Lily asked. "I have had my suspicions on someone for quite some time and in order to accomplish my goal I want to dig into their background thoroughly." I said. "Shady¡­ buw why all of a sudden?" Alex asked. True enough, the topic was focused on Ariana but I changed it but in truth I just wanted to expand my horizon and in order to do that I Need more information without their knowing since it''s not proven yet and it''s possible for them to spill the beans of force. "I just have a few hints but in order for them to all join together I need more precise details." I replied. "But why not me then? I can gather it more efficiently and above all it would be ''PRECISE''." Lily sneered at Alex in doubt. "I would have but I don''t think it''s better for you to get more involved in this. You are already starting to lose your cool that is supposed to be your speciality." Alex chuckled. "Maybe because you are too sentimental for your friend. And because of our daily heavy pressure, yours to save your friend and mine to get my problems solved. It''s better for you to focus on one thing and nothing more." I said. Alex laughed that ticked Lily off as she thought Alex was making fun of her for being incompetent or is what I interpreted from that. "... Fine." But Lily knew herself that she wasn''t going to do well, not in her condition. There have been several times where she lost her composure that shows her lack of stability. It''s most likely because of the pressure of anxiety of watching her friend go to a place that isn''t supposed to be a place for a child. Even Alex found it difficult to break this silence. Ariana isn''t only connected with Lily but with Alex as well. "..." Silence groomed in the room. "Then what should I do?" Alex broke the silence. "I will tell you about it later on." I said. Since this topic seemed to have taken quite some high tension I don''t think it''s a good time to raise my suspicion. "Oh-okay." Alex got my hint and stayed silent. Although his attempt to break the silence was admirable it still wasn''t good enough since I was out of topic to talk about and no one seems to talk about anything else. ¡­ And like that we all exited the roof with their own set of things to do. Now that I think of it, didn''t the President come to school today? And he seemed to be more agitated than anyone else. If he did come out of that place then shouldn''t he have stayed low? Also he was supposedly in charge there. Is that also why he didn''t call the police on me? He must be afraid of getting in their radar. Why didn''t I think of it? I could have used his weakness and exploited him. But now that the time has passed I can''t do anything about it. It''s better to let it go. I should now focus on how I should approach the girl. I still need to find out about her whereabouts. I mean she is definitely in her house but I need to know when she will move out. I need to find her otherwise I would get swallowed up by this person. "Harrison." I said. "Allen." "What''s this?" I asked as I noticed a couple of Council Members behind him. "Why don''t we hold this discussion somewhere else?" He proposed. "... I suppose we could do that." I replied. It was not long after that I came to realize that we are heading towards the Principal''s office. But why? I thought he would take me to the Student Council room¡­ "Don''t worry. Unlike the last time, this time nothing will happen to you¡­ at least physically." He said. "..." So it was pre planned by all of the members? Also if he had intended to harm me in any way, he would have taken the approach Henry took. Now he and I have been in front of many spectators. *Creak* The door opened. As usual the Principal was standing in front beside the chair while behind the sofa my homeroom teacher along with a couple of more heads. What''s with this situation? "Allen." The President called me out. I didn''t see him since he was standing behind the Principal. "?" "It''s come to our attention that Mr. Allen was in some sort of connection with the Suicide incident last year." "On what basis?" I asked. "As per the information your Homeroom teacher gave us, it turned out that you and ''that'' kid were somewhat close. Do you oppose the fact, Allen?" The President questioned me. "No. I wasn''t close with him. But yes, I did talk to him a couple of times." I answered. I cannot afford to slip words that can be taken in a wrong way. With all these people around, it''s best to think that the President has pushed them to his side, having an edge over this situation. And I already have a weird record so it''s possible for them to think I could be a suspect. "Really? It has come to our attention that even though there were 40 students in a class he talked to you only. Is this also wrong?" He asked. ''No. It''s not true. He talked with Peter as well.'' I was about to say that. It was right on my tongue but I stopped in between. If I had said this sentence I would have exposed myself. Although it might not hold much information regarding the problem in hand, it sure holds an enormous amount of trust. All these teachers would have thought that I was lying and that would only lead to my downfall. "Allen?" "Yes¡­ I don''t know about who he talked with since we were not close in the first place. Did this answer your question?" I said. "I guess¡­ Going onto the ne-" I stopped him in between. "May I know what is happening here?" "What?" "Getting summoned all of a sudden. I don''t get why I was called here." I said. "After some investigation it has come to a conclusion that you, Allen was close to the Person and maybe you know the reason for him to commit suicide." Harrison said. "Huh? This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard." I said instinctively. "I am sorry for that language." "What do you mean, Allen?" The President asked as I noticed him getting annoyed. He must have thought that I won''t be able to keep my cool in front of all these people. "I was not related to him at all. We just had a normal conversation like any two acquaintances but of course unlike the ones we are having right now. And he was in the same class as me and I so it''s possible for us to have a conversation for a minute or two." I said. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 170 - How The Tables Have Turned? *Flap* *Flap* *Flap* The only source of the sound was the turning pages of a book. In a situation like this, the person responsible would have been hearing an earful but that doesn''t seem to be the case. The person responsible wasn''t someone who could be talked against. "..." No one was saying a word but it was clearly written on their faces that I was the culprit. Still, the thing I was most concerned about was that the Principal seemed to be ignoring my entire existence aas she was constantly flapping the pages of her book. "Allen, so are you sure you aren''t related to the incident?" The President asked again. "As I said, I am not related to it." I replied firmly. "Even if you deny the fact that you were related to him, how will you defend the fact that you tried to talk with ''PETER'' and weeks later he committed suicide? As I have noticed by far, you aren''t very sociable and on the other hand Peter seemed to be on the upper level of social hierarchy. How come you both had a talk and soon that boy dies? Isn''t this suspicious?" He asked. Although he was maintaining his demonar quite well, I could see his true face, he was smirking. No, he was looking down at me. Just like the time he was at the ''STAGE''. "Again¡­ I will be declining all these accusations but- How were you able to get hold of this information? You only mentioned that I am not very sociable so I don''t have close friends so how did you get to know about this? Were you Stalking me? Or did you get this information from some other means?" I asked. "You-" He was about to shut me up but stopped as he noticed he was in the presence of the people that would make the final decision. Rather he was alarmed, as Harrison stepped in. "President." "I am fine." He said in a low voice. "I don''t consider this an important topic on how I got the information. That can be discussed at a later date. First we need to know the truth that hid till now." "I would like to know." Wait, was she always in here? It was Amber who said that. Her figure was hiding behind the shadow of the curtains and I didn''t notice her there. "Huh? What are you saying Amber?" The President asked in surprise. Based on his reaction, he must have not thought that one of his allies could turn their backs on him. Even I thought the same. Why is she stepping in now¡­? "Like I said¡­ I want to know from where you got this information? It happened one year ago so talking about that closed case all of a sudden makes this situation more suspicious and now you put some information that could put him in jail if proven guilty. We better move on with caution before we dishonor our school''s reputation if at a later date he was proven ''NOT GUILTY''." She said in a bold and scary voice. I don''t know why she is helping me but right now¡­ I will accept it graciously. "Fine." He said as he sneered at her but didn''t make it noticeable. "I talked with someone from second year. He was horrified by the incident so he couldn''t come up at that time but now that he did, I can''t let him down. Also due to the situation being too highly classified I can''t be disclosing the person''s name. It''s better to keep his identity secret. Will that be okay, teachers?" "... Fine." The Principal said. I was wondering if she was paying attention at all and it turns out she is. "Right. So Allen, care to explain now how you were having a conversation with Peter?" He asked. "... He wanted to ask me something so I just answered. It was nothing related to that boy or the incident. How many times do I have to say this? If you have concrete proof then at least put it on the table. You are only trying to put on airs till now and the moment something seemed to be uncovered you hid it." I said in opposition. I still can''t comprehend what''s the point of all this? He seemed to be trying to pressure me into accepting the fact that I was involved in the incident but to the point he never put on real pressure. It was all some light threats, even the teachers seemed to be taking this matter lightly. For them I can consider it as a waste of time mostly because of the time period of the incident. Not just an assumption but from their facial expression even an idiot would be able discrete that they aren''t interested in seeking truth but more interested to put an end to this. "That''s true. But Allen you seem to be hiding the fact that you knew that boy. And even if you deny the fact you knew him, how come he had several short conversations with you and with you only? Based on his friend circle- no. Based on his triangle, You and Peter Included, it''s the only possible inference that you were directly or indirectly related to him." He said. Is this what he has been doing till now? And the rumor about him never losing an argument, was it true also? He got me this time. And he was able to get this information, after the story Peter told me I had concluded that the boy whose name I barely remember was not sociable so his disappearance never affected anyone. So it was practically impossible to find the truth since only Peter and I know about this¡­ or is what I had thought off. There is another person¡­? "Allen?" "Yes¡­ it''s true that I had several small talks with him. It''s also true that I was one of the people he ever talked with. But this doesn''t mean I was directly or even indirectly related to him. So for the last time¡­ I was not the one that led him to his death." I said. "Alright. Alright. I will back down now but this isn''t the only thing I called you in for." He said. What? This isn''t the only thing he called this meeting? Wait, wait¡­ I am not prepared for this yet. I glanced around the room, the teachers, and the Student council Members seemed unfazed with the only exception of Amber. No wait, the Principal is also- "Wait up. I wasn''t told about any other thing." the Principal stood up. Her eyes brows curled up together showing the clear expression of confusion while a hand hanging in front asking in doubt. "I am sorry but the information got in at the last minute so I wasn''t able to put in a formal request for it." the President said. "I don''t care about that! You think of me as a Joke, huh?! If you got something other than the requested topic to discuss you need to put in a formal request, I don''t have free time and especially not for something uncalled for!" She instantly tried to shut him down. I can''t say if it puts her in a bad position or not but it''s best if she silences him instantly otherwise I won''t be able to handle most likely. I don''t have a single thing about the other thing he is going to talk about. This isn''t a time to be daring at all, especially when there are this many spectators. "Ma''am I think we should let him go on a little bit more. If he has something important to talk about we should at least listen to it." A teacher stepped in quickly, no, it wasn''t just any teacher. She was my homeroom teacher. "What?" "I also agree." "Same." "If he has something important we should at least hear him." It didn''t take more than a minute for the teachers to go against the Principal. And with the sudden confrontation of the teachers the Principal was shocked. What is happening all of a sudden? I knew that there are teachers that resent me but I had never expected them to gang up on the Principal. "What the hell are you all saying? What do you think of me?" The Principal stood her ground. "How about we hold a vote¡­?" Harrison came in and said something disturbing. "But it''s only a suggestion¡­"His confidence came to a dead end when the Principal scowled at him. "Agreed." "It''s better to put on the majority vote." This is what I was most afraid of. Democracy is the worst thing in this situation. Based on the situation it''s entirely possible that the majority will be against me. I have to fight all these now¡­? "This is my office! *Bam* No one can make rules of their own!" The Principal exclaimed as she banged the desk so hard that there might be a crack on it. In fear everyone took a couple of steps back but their voice didn''t. "Ma''am we can vote to¡­ remove you as Principal if you keep your tyranny behavior any longer." without a hint of hesitation my homeroom teacher stepped in and ''THREATENED'' the Principal. TO BE CONTINUED¡­