Yearbook A

Chapter 1- Echoes of the past

TW: Mentions of death

Popularity is a curse disguised as a blessing.
It's like fraud, being told to do something different as to what happens.
Once you become popular, there is no turning back to your original life. Being in the limelight with your name on everyone's lips, their pupils fixed on you as you strut through the corridor like it's your red carpet.
It's fabulous to even imagine.
The grim reality, however, is that nothing lasts forever.
And neither does fame.

The Spirit8 were the most feared group of eight influential young boys. Jungwon, the genius, came from a family of wealthy pharmacists, which explained his high intelligence and logical thinking. Ni-ki, the resident 'rogue', was the heir to a hotels group and was a daredevil, taking every risk, legal and illegal and never getting caught. He was famed for his dauntless attitude, and no matter how many fines he'd break while speeding on a highway, nobody could tell him anything. JO, the player, was the youngest of three siblings of the Icarus foundation, a successful chain of shopping malls around the country. He had waves of gossip surrounding him wherever he went and was even rumored to have had changed his girlfriend every month back in junior year, therefore naming him the infamous 'player'. Harua, me, the observant one, was the only son of a wealthy business couple, who were well known for their million-dollar real estate foundation around the world. Yuma, the athlete, hailed from a family of athletes who owned seven sports clubs around the world. Pretty much most of his athletic abilities were thanks to his flawless genetics. Taki was the son of a famous actor couple in Japan, which made him a superstar as soon as he stepped foot on this earth. And Maki, the youngest of the clan, was heir to a chain of prestigious educational institutes in the country. These seven would occupy the morning corridors of Genesis Collegiate high school, led by their leader, Kim Sunoo, who was heir to Elysium Corp, a luxury vehicles company, which also enabled him to own several cars by the time he entered junior high.

Even the teachers couldn't part their lips in front of them, as they hailed from the most powerful families of upstate society. The octet ruled the school and everything that came in and out of it, and whatever they wanted would happen. Despite their perfect on-campus reputation, there was never a party complete without them. As a matter of fact, these boys were notorious for their lifestyle, from driving to school in chauffeur-driven Bentleys to socializing in the city's most expensive hotel resorts. All of this was just the surface of the socialite world they lived in.

To the outside world, they seemed like your typical rich players who weren't thankful for anything and were passing school thanks to their surnames. But reality is often different from what we anticipate, since each of these boys topped in class and were captains and leaders of extracurricular clubs. Their bond was especially a topic of discussion. Many assumed that they were like brothers, since they never hung out with the absence of any one member.
However, school gossip claimed otherwise, that because of their snobby attitudes and playboy behaviors, they had ongoing rifts between each other. It didn't come off as much of a surprise. When you are famous, everyone assumes anything about you.

The reigning chapter of the Spirit8 went on for a long two years. Then came the end of the year prom, which was a recreational event for the senior and junior students. Students and teachers took pride in preparing their best for this event, and it showed in their results. Little did they know, that night would change everything.

A chilling scream was heard, after which a number of students huddled outside to find the source. It was unusually dark despite being lit up by a mass amount of tree lights. I remember Ni-ki running before us as he shoved past a bunch of guys who surrounded a corpse in a pool of blood near the school gate. His face went deathly pale as he knelt down, his palm reaching out to move the auburn hair away from the person's eyes. Jungwon audibly gasped, his hand covering his mouth. Tears welled up in my eyes as I saw the lifeless body of our leader Sunoo. Bruises and scars covered all of his visible skin, including his face. Next to me, Maki collapsed to knees as JO hugged him. Taki ran next to Ni-ki, who was sobbing inconsolably, when the teachers and police arrived at the scene. I glanced at my right to see Yuma stifling a cry, leaning his head on my shoulder.

My memory of that night was vivid. It still haunts me today, and tomorrow marks one year since Sunoo left us. And I still have nightmares about it today. 

We're going to have our yearbook pictures taken today. I still wish Sunoo was here. I should get ready now. It's gonna be a long day.

Anyways, this is Harua signing out for now.

*****

Harua closed his journal before opening his drawer and storing it inside. His gaze darted to the window as clouds loomed over, blocking the rays of the sun. He exhaled deeply, tossing around in his swivel chair as he grabbed his phone, when Jungwon entered the room.
"Good morning bro!"
"Morning." Harua replied, rising up from his chair and grasping the backpack from the bed. The two sit in Jungwon's BMW, as they start for school.