Puppet Under Strings (unOrdinary)

Episode 9

~~~Flashback~~~

"Huh?! You cut your hair?!"

"What? You don't like it?"

"Nono! It's just that I was surprised and all. You're really pretty with short hair."

"W-Well, I'm thinking of getting extensions and dying some parts of my hair yellow. What do you think?"

"Eh? Then was the point of cutting your hair short if you were going to style it long anyway? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Shut up! I'm trying to rebel!"

~~~Flashback End~~~

I laughed at that little conversation we had on the rooftop.

That was so stupid. After that, people began talking about me even more. About how I chopped off my hair, hung out with a cripple, and skipped class. Of course they were scared whenever I approached them since I was still powerful. But this time, instead of giving my usual scowl, I simply smiled and walked away. 

John, you are truly an inspiration...is what I thought.

Months later, I lost my ability to a group of unknowns and couldn't activate it for a while. People in school noticed and began targeting me as a punching bag. Everyone wanted a piece of the fallen goddess. Around that time, I noticed a great change in John's personality. He was more cold, distant, and more worrisome about me. I asked him what was going on and he told me about his encounter with Arlo. I later ran up to him and threatened him if he ever stepped near John's direction again.

Soon after, things had started to get really bad. Apparently, there was news of a Joker running around school, tearing down the strongest students one by one. My other low tier friends were scared of their lives. During a jog, I asked John about his opinion about Joker. Turns out, he wasn't that worried. To be honest, I was surprised. You wouldn't expect the guy who fears for you in a fight against a mid tier wouldn't fear the possibility of you in a fight against a high tier. However, I just brushed it off aside as him being a truly fearless individual. Then...

"John is Joker."

Arlo had told me that the school cripple, also my best friend, was the fearsome Joker of Wellston. I didn't believe him for a second. Arlo's always been stuck on hierarchy and is obsessed with order. And because I was the strongest and was hanging out the weakest, it was wrong. How much more desperate can you possibly get to make me Queen again?

After Cecile's grand defeat, it was clear that Remi was Joker's next target. People were already placing bets on who would win. Wellston's Lightning Queen or a masked nobody? It seemed like everybody had a pretty good idea on who would win, but that wasn't the case at all.

Joker won. He defeated Remi. Isen. Blyke. And Arlo. It was 4v1 and he still won. 

Then, it had become clear. 

Arlo wasn't really lying. 

John was Joker. 

He lied.

After that, the two of us had a talk. It went terrible. John lost his mind and tried to keep lying to me to get me on his side. He even called me Claire. The outburst still resonates in my memory.

"I can't believe you! After everything, you still chose their side over mine?! I trusted you! And you went behind my back to dig up dirt on me!"