---
Friday morning, 06:30 AM. Ontreight State Junior High School...
Vins seemed completely engrossed in rereading the King's classified guidebook. He was so intensely focused that he didn't even notice the arrival of a 7-9 student named Indra. Indra walked straight past him, heading directly to where Karina was sitting with Danisa.
Almost every single morning, Karina would secretly stare at Vins from afar. The boy was still too deeply anchored in her heart. Vins remained completely unshaken from her feelings, even though she spent almost every night texting with Indra.
By now, Indra was no longer as awkward as he was when he first tried to approach Karina, clearly signaling that their relationship was getting much closer. However, Indra always shot Vins a bitter, sneering look whenever he passed by. The newly crowned King was constantly the main topic of conversation that slipped out of Karina's mouth whenever they texted.
Indra genuinely thought Vins was a massive hypocrite and an absolute idiot. According to him, only a complete fool would constantly avoid and reject a gorgeous girl like Karina.
Returning to Vins, who was busy reading the preface of the thick guidebook, he was suddenly surprised to uncover a hidden truth.
"I, the first King, who wrote and established the rules and duties within this book, am deeply grateful. After countless grueling struggles to forge an organization that operates strictly in the shadows, it finally succeeded in gaining secret approval from the school.
I DID NOT GIVE UP! Even though I initially faced multiple harsh rejections from Mr. Jaya, the principal, and from several teachers who strongly opposed its creation. In the end, I, as the founder, succeeded in securing an underground agreement from the Student Council and the student disciplinary teacher.
I created this book with one absolute goal: that no student, whether inside or outside the school grounds, would ever feel threatened by rival turfs. I hope that with this book, the one who serves as the wolf in the shadows will be able to carry on this tradition until all acts of bullying and senseless violence are completely eradicated.
May the future of Ontreight be bright and prosperous, free from the chains of fear and violence. The First King. KING ZERO!
Reminder! This independent Tradition and Organization was unofficially formed on May 21, 2004, by King Zero and his two loyal companions, witnessed secretly by the Student Council and the disciplinary teacher—exactly one day after the dark tragedy for our students on May 20, 2004: The Bloody Tragedy of Sector C."
"Ah! So this is the guy who wrote it? King Zero, huh? Truly a man worthy of being called a King!" thought Vins to himself, filled with profound respect.
"What are you reading, Vins? You look super serious!" Edrik asked, suddenly popping up next to his desk.
"A guide on how to become a wolf, Vins?" Doval chimed in, taking a seat next to Edrik.
"Idiot! This is the official guidebook of the King of Ontreight, Val! I seriously respect the guy who wrote this... I can't even wrap my head around it! He got rejected so many times, but he still fought tooth and nail to make sure this system existed!" Vins replied, showing the book to the chaotic duo.
"Let me see that, Vins!" Doval said, stretching his hand out.
Vins handed the heavy book over to Doval. He immediately began reading the preface, with Edrik leaning his big head in right next to him.
"King Zero? Why haven't I ever heard of this guy?" Doval muttered, scratching his chin in thought.
"Ugh! You're just an idiot, Val! Look at the date! This book was written back in 2004! You were still a snot-nosed brat flying cheap kites in the rice fields back then!" Edrik mocked, playfully shoving Doval's head.
"That's not the point, idiot! I usually know all the legendary delinquent alumni from this school! It's just that I've never heard of this specific guy... THAT'S ALL, IDIOT!!!" Doval snapped back, clearly annoyed.
"Alright! Alright! Give it here! Don't start a fight this early! Look at this in the top right corner: TOP SECRET!!!" Vins said, snatching the book back from Doval and tapping the bold red stamp on the cover.
"Maybe it's because the organization faced so much backlash from the teachers, Vins! That's probably why it became a highly classified document..." Doval deduced.
"Could be!" Edrik nodded in agreement.
"King Zero? I'm seriously curious now... I'll just ask Sis Freya about it later!" thought Vins to himself.
Vins, who had just tucked the book safely back into his bag, suddenly felt a heavy stare burning into him from the direction of Karina's desk, right next to where Doval and Edrik were sitting.
"Huh? Why is this guy staring at me so intensely? Is something wrong?" Vins wondered internally.
He felt genuinely confused by Indra's hostile attitude. In his mind, he had never done a single thing to wrong Indra. However, Indra's dark gaze clearly radiated a deep, burning hatred for him.
Not long after, the morning bell rang shrilly, and Indra was forced to return to his own class. Vins just shrugged it off, not really wanting to waste energy paying attention to it.
---
During break time...
Vins, who was currently strolling down the 2nd-floor corridor, was heading straight to the Student Council room to meet Freya. Upon arriving, he peeked inside but didn't see anyone in the room.
Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder lightly from behind.
"WOOO!!!" the person whispered loudly.
"Jeez! You scared the crap out of me!" Vins jumped, spinning around.
It turned out to be Freya, who was carrying a thick stack of books from the library. Seeing her strict, formal appearance at school made Vins feel like he was looking at a completely different person compared to last night.
"What are you doing loitering in front of the Student Council room? Are you looking for me?" the Ontreight Student Council President asked formally.
"Why is she using formal language again? Wasn't she super clingy and familiar just yesterday?" Vins thought to himself, surprised by how quickly Freya switched her persona while on school grounds.
"Well, who else would I be looking for? If it wasn't for you, Sis... Why would 'I' have any business with this unclear underground organization, led by such an unclear person?" Vins teased, heavily emphasizing the word 'I' to mock her formal tone.
"Hey! Why are you getting upset, Vins? Don't you know? Here at school, I am Freya, the strict Student Council President! But at home, I am sweet Freya! I hope you can respect my professionalism!" Freya retorted, adjusting her glasses with a serious glare.
"HOLY CRAP!!! HAHAHA... SHE'S SO STIFF, SHE'S LITERALLY LIKE A CARDBOARD BOX!!!" Vins laughed internally, struggling hard to keep a straight face.
"So, what do you want from me? Miss me already?" Freya asked, a slight smirk breaking her strict facade.
"She literally just started acting normal a second ago, and now she's already bringing up missing me again!" Vins thought to himself, completely exasperated.
" 'I' want to ask you, Madam President... About something 'I' found in the— Ugh-Ugh! Ouch-Ouch..." Vins started, but his words were cut short as Freya violently pinched and pulled his ear, clearly annoyed by his relentless teasing.
"Vins... Don't be a naughty boy, okay? Wanna sleep on the cold sofa tonight? Are you sorry?" Freya threatened playfully, twisting his ear slightly.
"Just kidding, Sis... Ouch! It seriously hurts! I'm really sooorrryyy..." Vins groaned in pain, tapping out.
"Say it first! 'Sis Freya is my darling and also the most beautiful and sexiest girl at Ontreight State Junior High School!' Hurry up! Then I'll let go..." Freya demanded, refusing to loosen her grip on his reddening ear.
"Sis Freya is the most beauti— Ugh-Ugh! Okay-Okay! Sis Freya is my darling and also the most beautiful and sexiest girl at Ontreight State Junior High School!" Vins practically shouted, as his ear was yanked even harder for stumbling over the embarrassing words.
"That's much better! Since you're being an obedient boy, Sis Freya will give you a special reward later..." Freya purred, finally letting him go.
"Ouch... My ear is burning red, Sis..." Vins whined, vigorously rubbing his throbbing ear.
"Alright! Let's head inside first if you want to talk business..." Freya invited, grabbing Vins's hand and pulling him into the room.
Vins noticed something odd; he realized that Freya was always the only one hanging around the Student Council room and wondered where the hell the rest of the members were.
"How come you're always in here alone, Sis?" Vins asked.
"There are other members! The Student Council is really only busy when there's an official meeting... Or at most, when there's a sudden, urgent issue! That's the only time everyone actually gathers here!" Freya explained, casually moving a stack of files from the top of the desk into a steel cabinet.
"Oh! I see... I honestly thought you ran this whole place solo! Oh yeah! I wanted to ask you, Sis Freya... Do you know anything about King Zero?" Vins asked, getting straight to the point while Freya was busy organizing.
"King Zero? King from what year? I've honestly just heard that name from you, Vins!" Freya replied, looking genuinely confused.
"I read it in the preface... He's the guy who originally created this entire underground tradition and organization! He's also the author of this guidebook!" Vins said, pulling the book with the crowned wolf logo out of his bag.
"Huh? Seriously? Let me see that..." Freya said, taking the heavy book from Vins's hands.
Freya quickly scanned the preface of the book.
"Student Council President of 2004? Who could that possibly be? Let me try to dig up some info first, Vins!" Freya muttered, her curiosity officially piqued.
Vins just nodded and took a seat on one of the benches in the room.
Freya, determined to figure out who King Zero was, immediately rushed over to the towering filing cabinets to hunt for the archives from previous years.
Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!
"2001, 2002, 2003, 200... Found it!" Freya announced triumphantly, pulling out a dusty, thick folder labeled 2004.
She slammed the file onto the desk. Vins, who was currently in the middle of casually picking his nose, immediately snapped to attention and got up from his seat.
"Found it? Who is it, Sis?" Vins asked, leaning over the desk.
"Hold on a second..." Freya muttered, furiously flipping through the pages to find the member registry while tucking a stray bang behind her ear.
"Wait... How come the official list of members isn't in here? Look! There are only event schedules, meeting minutes, and school rule endorsements signed by the disciplinary teacher! Where could it be?" Freya said, baffled by the glaring absence of the 2004 Student Council members' biography list.
"Geez... It's really not here, Vins... Could it have slipped into another classified document? Ugh! This is a highly important file, y'know?" Freya stressed, anxiously biting her thumbnail.
"Let me try to help you look for it, Sis!" Vins offered, stepping closer.
Vins slowly began sifting through the chaotic stack of papers, examining them one sheet at a time. Freya, seeing Vins bending down so close next to her, suddenly felt completely mesmerized by his side profile—especially his sharp nose and naturally red lips.
"Ugh... I seriously just want to bite him!" thought Freya to herself, overwhelmed by a sudden, intense surge of affection.
Vins successfully spotted the missing biography list, which had been carelessly tucked away between some irrelevant budget sheets.
"What's this one with all the ID photos? Is this the file? Oh yeah, this is definitely it!" Vins mumbled, pulling it out.
Freya, completely lost in her own thoughts, was still staring blankly at Vins's face.
"Gosh... It's happening again!" thought Vins to himself, noticing her dazed expression.
"Sis... Sis Freyaaa... SIS FREYAAA!!!" Vins shouted, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Huh? Oh? Yeah? W-What's wrong, Vins?" Freya jolted, snapping out of her trance.
"Instead of actually helping, you're just standing there daydreaming about who-knows-what!" Vins complained, clearly annoyed.
Freya, feeling completely caught red-handed, blushed furiously and quickly tried to deflect.
"Daydreaming about what? I was just surprised looking at you! It turns out you can actually look serious when you want to..." Freya lied smoothly.
"Here... We've got the file! Check who the Student Council President was!" Vins sighed, handing it over while tidying up the scattered papers.
Freya quickly scanned the biography page. She was instantly shocked to see that the Student Council President's profile had no ID photo attached. Furthermore, there were obvious traces of white correction fluid smeared heavily over the real name, crudely replaced with a single number: 0 (Zero).
"Ummm... Ahhh... Here's the Student Council President of 2004! Huh? Seriously? Vins, look at this!" Freya gasped, pointing at the faceless, redacted biography in her hand.
"Huh? '0'? What the hell is that supposed to mean? That's so creepy! It's like his entire existence is being kept a total secret!" Vins replied, his confusion deepening.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Freya meticulously went over every single piece of data on the page, but there was absolutely no detailed information about the President. She only found generic, useless info regarding his place and date of birth. However, a cryptic, handwritten message scrawled at the very bottom of the page sent a chill down Freya's spine.
"THE NUMBER 0 is Zero. The meaning of Zero is absolute nothingness. Zero is Empty. The philosophy of nothingness and emptiness. If blood has not stained the ground, then 0 will remain 0. The Student Council President and the King of Emptiness."
The ominous text was clearly written in dark ink at the bottom of the paper.
"Huh? So it turns out he was actually the Student Council President AND the undisputed King respected by all the school delinquents?" Freya exclaimed, reading the heavy message aloud.
"What is it, Sis Frey? Oh? So King Zero also served as the Student Council President too?" Vins said, surprised as he leaned in to read the text under Freya's finger.
"I don't know, man! My head hurts! Whatever the author wants, I guess!" Vins groaned, aggressively messing up his hair in frustration.
"Vins, I just remembered! I actually have a contact who used to be a Student Council member back in 2004! But..." Freya started, suddenly hesitating to follow through with her idea.
"What is it, Sis?" Vins asked.
"N-Nothing... Just forget it! I'll try to contact that person privately later..." Freya replied, flashing a forced, cryptic smile.
Freya's sudden, unnatural smile made Vins feel incredibly uneasy. He instantly realized there was something very odd and hidden behind that smile.
---
During the walk home from school...
Vins, who was about to head home with Edrik and Doval, was suddenly approached by Dani on the 1st floor.
"My brothers! Don't forget, tonight at 7 PM sharp! Got it?" Dani reminded the three friends.
"Ready, Bro Dani! What does Mas Ito actually sell there? Is there internet? Do they have instant noodles with egg and corned beef?" Edrik asked excitedly.
"No, Drik! Mas Ito's is obviously a high-end clothing store, not a restaurant! OF COURSE THERE IS, YOU SHITTY PIG!!! You literally know it's a grocery and food stall, you idiot!" Doval exploded, ruthlessly roasting his friend who only ever thought about his stomach.
"Do you really wanna see me get handsome, Val? Just because I finally get skinny?" Edrik shot back defensively.
"Hey! Even if you miraculously get skinny, it'd be completely useless! Oh, macho Edrik... It's impossible anyway... especially when you literally never stop asking about food!" Doval sneered, highly annoyed.
"At least my glow-up efforts won't cost a damn fortune if I actually want to try! Get fat? I can get skinny with exercise! Get tan? I can get fair with skincare treatments! But you? Didn't you spend a literal ton of money on your botched lip surgery?" Edrik fired back, mercilessly teasing Doval's swollen face.
"SHUT UP!!! I'll literally slap your mouth off!" Doval threatened, absolutely furious.
"Ugh! Please don't! Please don't, Val... I seriously don't wanna end up looking like the second Dovalino Rikardo!" Edrik mocked, dramatically covering his mouth with both hands.
"Just get along, you two! You guys literally fight all day, every single day... You might actually end up falling in love with each other! People always say: Before true love exists, pure hatred is created first! Hahaha..." Vins laughed, effortlessly calming down the chaotic duo of chocolate bread and cream cheese.
"Hahaha... That really is the exact behavior of chocolate buns and cream cheese... You guys absolutely have to come, okay? Because Ed specifically said he wants to buy two bottles of 'the water of life'!" Dani laughed, shaking his head at the 7th graders.
"AWESOME!!! Are there gonna be any girls there, Bro Dan?" Doval asked, suddenly leaning in and whispering conspiringly to Dani.
"Yeah, Val... Don't worry about it! I'll introduce you to my personal friend... She's a solid ten from top to bottom!" Dani whispered back, winking at Doval.
Doval, hearing Dani's golden promise, enthusiastically threw up two thumbs-up.
"Bro! Is your sister Dina coming too?" This time it was Edrik who leaned in to whisper.
"Whoa... You're getting real brave lately, ain't ya, you roasted pig?" Dani scowled, instantly annoyed at Edrik's audacity.
"Okay, bro, I'll definitely be there later! But I don't think I'll be coming alone..." Vins smiled mysteriously.
"HUH??? WITH WHO???" Edrik and Doval shouted in unison, completely shocked.
"You'll find out later! Oh yeah! I'm strictly not drinking, bro..." Vins added firmly.
"Relax, my brother! I'd never force anyone who doesn't drink to touch alcohol! See you boys tonight at 7!" Dani replied, waving as he walked away, leaving his three underclassmen behind.
---
Indra, who was currently on his way home, suddenly felt his phone vibrate with a new text message...
Ding!
"Okay Ndra... Just pick me up at 6:30! Be careful on the way, okay..." read the content of the message.
"Finally! Hehehe..." Indra grinned excitedly, his heart racing after reading the text from Karina.
---
It was exactly 6:30 PM...
Vins was seen walking down the exact same dark alley he had passed yesterday when he escorted Freya home. He was dressed sharp, wearing a clean Polo shirt and long, black pencil-fit jeans. He finally arrived in front of the heavy sliding iron gate of the girl's house.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Assalamual'aikum... Sis Freya!" Vins called out politely while knocking a coin against the metal handle of the slot lock.
Click...
A little girl peeked out from behind the front door of the house.
"Wa'alaikum salam... Big brother! Are you my big sister's boyfriend? My sister is still taking a bath!" the 7-year-old girl announced innocently.
She was quickly followed by Freya's mother, who stepped out onto the porch.
"Oh... Vins? Tell your big brother to come inside, sweetie... Are you looking for Freya, dear? Frey... Hurry up and get ready! Your boyfriend is already here!" Freya's mother called out loudly into the house, completely ignoring Vins's internal panic.
Hearing Freya's mother casually refer to him as her lover again made Vins incredibly nervous.
"Eh? Hmmm... Y-Yes, Auntie..." Vins stammered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
"YES, MOM!!! TELL VINS TO COME IN FIRST!!!" Freya shouted back from deep inside the house.
"Come here, dear... Come inside first! What would you like to drink, Vins?" Freya's mother offered warmly.
"No need to go to all that trouble, Auntie... I won't be staying long anyway! Hehehe... We're planning to head out right away!" Vins politely declined, stepping inside to respectfully kiss Freya's mother's hand.
"Alright then, Vins... Just wait a moment... My daughter does tend to take forever to get ready..." Freya's mother sighed with a smile.
"It's fine... It's really okay, Auntie... I'm not in a rush either..." Vins replied.
Vins then awkwardly took a seat on the wooden chair out on Freya's porch.
After nervously waiting for about 15 minutes, Vins finally saw the girl step out from inside the house. Freya beamed a radiant smile at him. She was now wearing a stunning pink off-shoulder top paired with short denim jeans. Her hair wasn't let down this time; it was tied up in her signature, elegant ponytail.
Freya looked absolutely breathtaking. She wore a subtle, muted pink lip tint, making her long eyelashes pop beautifully. She had also applied a soft blush to her cheeks—a strategic move, worried that if she received another surprise hug from Vins like last night, the makeup would perfectly disguise how violently red her face would flush from embarrassment.
Seeing how effortlessly beautiful Freya looked, Vins was completely captivated. Once again, he was entirely blindsided by the stunning, casual appearance of his school's strict Student Council President, who looked like a completely different person outside the school gates. In his eyes, Freya looked even prettier tonight than she did yesterday at the internet cafe. The girl's signature, intoxicating vanilla perfume instantly washed over him, miraculously calming his racing nerves.
"Hello, Vins! So sorry for making you wait so long..." Freya apologized sweetly, walking gracefully over to him.
"Eh? Oh! Y-Yes, Sis! It's totally fine! Hehehe..." Vins replied, his voice cracking slightly from nerves.
"Wanna head out now? I'm all ready! Hehehe..." Freya smiled.
"Y-Yes... O-Of course! L-Let's go, Sis!" Vins stuttered, his cool completely shattered.
"Mom... I'm heading out with Vins now, okay?" Freya shouted back into the house.
"Yes... Be careful out there, dear..." Freya's mother replied warmly.
Vins politely pulled the heavy iron gate shut for Freya. They immediately set off down the alley.
Freya, being the bold girl she was, unhesitatingly looped her arm through Vins's left arm and hugged it tightly against her.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Vins, being treated so intimately by Freya, became entirely overwhelmed by the deafening sound of his own heartbeat. Unlike usual, he now felt incredibly nervous just being around her. He was genuinely terrified of his own feelings. He was deathly afraid that he was actually falling in love with his Student Council President.
Vins turned his head, looking down at the pretty girl's face from above. Her hair smelled so incredibly fragrant, making his heart hammer even crazier against his ribs with every passing second. Freya noticed Vins staring down at her, and she immediately looked up to meet her underclassman's gaze.
Freya gently reached up and cupped Vins's cheek with her free left hand.
"Are you okay?" Freya asked softly, her thumb lightly brushing his skin.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
"Vins? Hello? You're okay, right?" Freya pressed, worried about her underclassman, who was completely frozen, staring down at her like a deer in headlights.
"Oh? Hmmm... Yeah! I'm totally okay, Sis! Hehehe..." Vins finally choked out, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
Freya gently pulled Vins's face down closer to hers. She then whispered something so incredibly bold that it made Vins's heart completely short-circuit and beat wildly out of control.
"Relax, my handsome dear... Even though we're not officially in a relationship yet, just pretend I'm your girl tonight... Okay, honey?" Freya whispered seductively directly into Vins's ear.
Instantly, every single hair on Vins's body stood on end. He had absolutely never expected that a girl would tease and flirt with him far more intensely than Karina ever had.
---
At Mas Ito's hangout stall...
A large crowd of teenage delinquents had already gathered there. It was a mix of hardened 8th and 9th graders. There were also a few 7th graders who were Vins's close friends—namely Doval, Edrik, and Andrew—who were busy chatting and joking around outside. Not long after, a loud motorcycle pulled up, carrying a guy and a girl.
Vroom... Vroom... Vroom...
It turned out to be Indra riding a Yamaha Vixion, with Karina sitting on the back. Indra had been personally invited by Harris, the head of the Taekwondo club, to join the underground gathering.
"Drik! Drik! Look, Drik! Look who Karina showed up with!" Doval hissed, aggressively nudging the chubby arm of the guy next to him.
"DAMN!!! It looks like a massive romantic war is about to pop off tonight!" Edrik gasped.
"Huh? What kind of war? Whoa... I get it! I totally get it now!" Andrew interjected, quickly connecting the dots after seeing Doval and Edrik's dramatic reactions.
That night, Mas Ito seemed so incredibly overwhelmed with all the orders that he was actually being helped by several of the visiting delinquents. A lot of them just went behind the counter and served themselves.
This made Mas Ito's stall incredibly rowdy and noisy, packed to the brim with the school's most notorious rascals.
"Woah... Ndra! Come on in, man! Whoa... Who do we have here? A new girlfriend?" Harris grinned, walking over to welcome Indra.
"Yeah, Bro Harris! Hehehe... Meet my new girl..." Indra bragged, wrapping an arm around Karina.
"Oh? Yeah, Ndra! Hello... I'm Harris, head of the Ontreight Taekwondo club!" Harris introduced himself, extending a friendly hand to Karina.
"Oh! He-Hello... Nice to meet you, Bro Harris..." Karina smiled politely, shaking his hand.
Not long after, Dani and Ed emerged from the back, carrying several heavy bottles of cheap liquor.
"Hello, everyone! Look what the hell I brought to the party!"
Creack...
Dani cheered, slamming the heavy glass bottles from a large black plastic bag onto the wooden table.
"Awesome, Bro Dani!" Doval shouted from outside, and Dani immediately shot him a cool thumbs-up.
Dani and Ed then walked outside to greet their three underclassmen. Their arrival was quickly followed by King J and Darick, who rolled up on the slick cafe-racer motorcycle that belonged to the former King of Ontreight.
"Hello! Hello! What's up? What's up? Looks like the whole gang's gathered now! Where the hell is King V?" King J asked the group of 7th graders outside, giving them solid fist bumps one by one.
"Dunno... King V told me this afternoon that he wasn't planning on coming alone! Judging by his vibe, it definitely seems like he's bringing a girl! Hahaha..." Dani laughed.
"Woah... It's terrifying when a guy has an innocent face but the dark soul of an absolute scoundrel! Hahaha... Crazy! Crazy! He's only been the King for a few days and he's already flexing a girl! What a lucky bastard!" King J laughed, shaking his head at Vins's friends.
"Hey! Bro Dan! Did you see who just walked inside?" Doval whispered urgently, glancing shiftily toward Karina and Indra.
"Damn! Are we about to get front-row seats to a live romance drama later?" Dani smirked, catching Doval's drift.
"Aye yooo... What the hell is going on? Tell me! Did I miss some juicy gossip?" Ed demanded, looking between Dani and Doval, completely out of the loop.
Doval and Dani quickly spilled the tea, explaining the entire Vins-Karina-Indra love triangle to King J, Darick, and Ed. Hearing the dramatic facts, they all burst out laughing uncontrollably, highly anticipating the chaos that was bound to happen once Vins arrived.
"My goodness! Speak of the devil, there he is, the new King of Ontreight!" King J announced, pointing down the street toward Vins, who was seen walking toward them from a distance.
"Yo! King V! Get your ass over here and introduce her to us!" Ed shouted at the top of his lungs.
"That damn loudmouth senior!" Vins cursed internally, his face turning red.
"Come here, my brother King V! Let's have a little chat first!" Dani shouted, waving Vins over.
"King V has arrived! King V has arrived!" Edrik chanted loudly, hyping up his friend as the new undisputed ruler of Ontreight.
"Who exactly is this 'King V', Bro Harris?" Indra asked, hearing the commotion outside.
"He's King J's official replacement, the new King of the shadows! Junior, Darick, and I are gonna be tied up with our final exams soon! The school desperately needs a strong protector to guard our turf against outside attacks! So he was chosen directly by Junior, or King J... the previous King!" Harris explained proudly to Indra.
Hearing the loud, respectful shouts from Vins's friends, Karina began to wonder intensely about the mysterious, powerful figure known as King V.
"King V arrived? A new King? Who could that possibly be?" Karina mumbled to herself, stretching her neck to look outside.
"Huh? Damn! Why does the girl he's walking with look so damn familiar?" Ed squinted, trying to get a better look at the girl clinging to Vins's arm.
"Huh? Yeah? It's just that this one is way prettier than the usual girls around here!" King J commented, thoroughly impressed.
Hearing King J's slightly disrespectful comment, Freya shot him a lethal, cynical glare, clearly showing her absolute annoyance at his words.
"Wait... Is this the Madam President or not?" Darick gasped, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah, bro! Wait... No f*cking way! She looks totally different, dude! But kinda similar, I guess..." Dani muttered, aggressively scratching his chin in disbelief.
For some reason, Vins suddenly and instinctively stepped forward, blocking his older friends' view of Freya by holding out his hand protectively. He felt his intuition moving completely naturally.
Unbeknownst to himself, Vins was rapidly developing a strong dislike for other guys staring excessively at Freya.
"Hey! Hey! That's enough staring! Back off!" Vins snapped, genuinely annoyed that Freya was being ogled by his seniors.
That aggressive, protective reaction made Freya laugh softly. She felt a warm flutter in her chest; she was incredibly happy that Vins was finally stepping up and trying to be fiercely protective of her.
"Yes, you're right! It's the exact same person! The one you all love to avoid whenever you're causing a massive ruckus and disturbing the peace at school!" Freya declared boldly, revealing her true identity to Vins's stunned friends.
"WHAT??? THIS HOTTIE IS THAT NERDY STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT???" Vins's upperclassmen shouted simultaneously, their jaws collectively hitting the floor in absolute shock.
The dramatic, horrified response from the hardened delinquents made Freya feel extremely satisfied and smug.
"Damn? Is this really you, Frey?" Ed asked, completely bewildered.
"Yeah! Right, Ed? She looks so incredibly different!" King J agreed, still in shock.
"Seriously! I honestly didn't expect this at all! I swear!" Darick added, shaking his head.
They all quickly fell into a fun, relaxed chat together outside the stall.
Hearing the hilarious, exaggerated responses from Vins's tough friends made Freya let out continuous little laughs. Vins, meanwhile, was busy having a serious, hushed conversation with King J about the recent brutal ambush on Fido, who was attacked by Onixight students along with Andrew and Darick.
That dark news deeply surprised King J. He immediately warned Vins to quickly mobilize and gather his core forces with Dani and Ed. He was highly concerned that there would be a sudden, massive retaliatory strike from the Onixight side fueled by Andy's deep-seated resentment. King J explained to Vins that he had actually fought Andy back when they were in 8th grade. They had uncovered a startling, bloody fact from the past during that fight.
Freya was still tightly hugging Vins's arm, now comfortably resting her head against his shoulder. As she was engrossed in listening to their serious gang talk, Freya suddenly felt a heavy, burning stare directed at her from inside the stall. She slowly turned her head to look back at the person. The person glaring daggers at her was a girl; it was Karina.
Karina instantly realized one devastating thing: the mysterious, highly respected "King V" they had been talking about all night was actually Vins—the boy she still loved so desperately. Her face clearly displayed a burning, toxic jealousy toward the incredibly intimate actions the Student Council President was shamelessly displaying toward the King.
But the second Karina realized Freya had caught her staring, she immediately looked down in shame.
She frantically wiped away the bitter tears that were silently flowing down her cheeks.
Freya, who didn't really know Karina's full history with Vins, just stayed silent, ignoring her, and went back to having fun with Vins and his gang.
"Ndra, let's go home..." Karina whispered, weakly pulling on Indra's denim jacket.
Indra, who was deeply engrossed in his chat with Harris, turned to face his girlfriend.
"Hold on a sec... Huh? Why the hell are you crying, Kar?" Indra asked, immediately concerned.
Karina just stayed completely silent, refusing to answer, while fresh tears welled up in her eyes. Indra then followed her previous line of sight, glancing outside. He instantly spotted Vins looking incredibly happy, intimately wrapped up with a gorgeous girl and surrounded by his loyal friends.
"VINS, YOU BASTARD!!!" Indra cursed internally, his blood boiling with irrational anger.
Karina quickly grabbed Indra's arm, stopping him just as he was about to aggressively storm outside to confront Vins.
"Ndra..." Karina pleaded softly, looking down and pulling on his denim jacket even harder.
Hearing her broken voice, Indra stopped and looked back down at Karina.
"Let's go... Let's just go home right now..." Karina begged, forcing a painful, fake smile at Indra while her cheeks remained soaked in tears.
Seeing Karina's tearful, heartbroken face made Indra feel utterly frustrated and emasculated. He was furious and confused because he knew he couldn't do a damn thing to Vins in that situation without starting a massive war he couldn't win.
Harris, sensing the heavy tension, just shook his head silently at Indra, signaling him to swallow his pride and just follow the girl's request to leave.
Doval, who was expertly watching the entire silent drama unfold through the window from outside, leaned over and whispered to Edrik.
"Drik, the brutal war without any punches thrown has officially begun! Go grab your popcorn, bro!"
---
- To be Continued
Author's Note:
https://soundcloud.com/23241004/lobo-and-bianca?si=e9f05bd34a324d93a10173dcca498190&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Your New Vision
