Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

279 | Rejected Appreciation

     "And here I thought we can at least make a monument for you. Maybe even just a small statue to commemorate your excellence and zeal," Justice sarcastically says next, and the two finally laugh in response.

     "I would burn this school to the ground if you do something so embarrassing. It's already strange enough that I share the same surname as J.S High," Max truthfully says.

     "Oh stop being so humble. You could have ignored the situation here and just continued with helping PHD, but you didn't. You still helped with whatever you could. Your reason may have been selfish, but for us, it wasn't."

     "Can we just move on from this?" Max insists.

     "No, not until you accept my sincere thanks."

     "You got to be kidding me."

     "Just say you're welcome. It would be awkward if you help us again and we still haven't even thanked you from the last one."

     "Don't worry, there won't be a next time. Like I said back in the atrium, I will no longer help this house. I only have a week left before returning to the King's Castle. I have already wasted so much time here," Max then answers.

     "So helping us was a waste? I didn't know you were this heartless," Justice responds.

     When Max hears the comment that would obviously lead him to a trap, he grins at the president and tells him, "I said what I said."

     "Yet you put so much effort into something you believed was a waste. How foolish," Justice says back, and this time, Max chuckles.

     "You're not gonna make me change my mind."

     "Come on. Why is it so hard to just accept the fact that you greatly helped our school? That you helped implement the White Uniform Protection Code, and that you stood up for us when no one else did. You're not like any other student Max and that's not something to be ashamed of. Why are you trying so hard to—"

     "It's because I don't want people to think I'm acting like Grey," Max suddenly admits, and the answer surprised Justice to the point where he instantly stopped walking. This was definitely a response that he did not expect to hear from Max.

     "What are you talking about?" 

     "I don't...I don't want them to think I'm acting like him, or replacing him by saving a school and getting all these praises when I haven't even done half of what he has done in the past. People keep saying they remind me of Grey but..." when Max realized what he was saying to someone whom he wasn't even that close to, he immediately stopped himself and looked away from Justice. He laughs at himself and then slowly reaches out to the Lemieux necklace that he was wearing. "Sorry, that was unnecessary and way too inappropriate to share. Please forget about what I just said."

     "N-No it's fine, I—"

     "You know what, you're right. It would have been easier if I just took your thanks. So let me stop being difficult and say it now. You're welcome. I hope this will be the last time we can talk about this so we can move on. I have more important matters to worry about, and that's getting PHD back to J.S High. Helping this school was just something I wanted to do. That's all there was to it," Max says as he starts walking.

     Justice stares at the heir and gives out a loud sigh. He never knew that Max would have such sentiments. He didn't even expect that he would be worried about the fact that people associated him with Grey.

     Has Max even told anyone about this before?

     "Hey," Justice calls out, making Max stop.