♛
KRIST LOOKS AT THE view of their campus while sipping his apple juice. He couldn't help but stare at the white uniforms who were happily going to their building, excited for another day in school.
If this was the old Krist, he wouldn't be able to believe it. J.S High has changed, and that's something he has learned to accept. Ever since a certain white uniform came to their house, J.S High felt brighter and hopeful. Students wanted to go to school, they were happily competing with each other, and what's more, they felt more like a community now than just a battlefield.
It's crazy how one ripple could cause a huge wave. A Sinclaire had ruined the foundation of J.S High, and now a Sinclaire was rebuilding it. The irony of it all.
"You look serious," a voice suddenly says, and Krist smiles and turned around to welcome a white uniform who walked toward him with a proud look on his face.
"If it isn't Mr. top 10," Krist says, and Max stopped in front of him before putting his hands inside his pockets. "You didn't come to school yesterday. Were you busy, or were you just avoiding the chocolates that the white uniforms were going to give you? You might not know it, but a lot of them secretly admire you," Krist teases, and Max chuckles and casually leans on the balustrade.
"Please, I don't think I'll be able to handle another confession," Max reveals, surprising Krist. But before Krist could even ask him what he meant by that, Max looks at him seriously and finally asks, "Why didn't you tell me you were previously a king?"
The question surprised Krist, but he tries to brush it off as he takes a sip of his juice, standing beside Max and leaning on the balustrade as well.
"Who told you about that?"
"No one important."
Krist chuckles at the response and finishes his juice before tossing it in the bin. "That was a long time ago, and I only joined C1A for a brief moment. As soon as we won, I left, so I wasn't really able to practice my king title," Krist explains. "After I left, Cj followed, and then Hans. And eventually, Joon and Viktor decided to split."
To be more specific, C1A was composed of Viktor, Tanis, Hee-joon, Killshot, Hans, Cj, and Krist. As soon as they won against Paradox and were declared kings, Krist left.
When all the other members left, Viktor and Tanis stayed and changed the name to Busters before adding the other members.
Hee-joon formed his own brotherhood as well with Killshot, and that was PHD. Then the third brotherhood that was formed was BND, which was a brotherhood that Hans and the others created.
In their second year, Cj made his own group. He was hoping to recruit Krist, but the two ended their genuine friendship before that could happen, and so Cj formed Cigarettes on his own with the students from a different class. Krist made his own brotherhood after that, which was funny because he only made it to mock the system, but they ended up ranking up instead.
And just before the end of their second year, Crazy 8 rose up from the House of Pawns to the House of Kings during the Brotherhood Annual Reranking, and that finally solidified the top 6 brotherhoods of J.S High. That rank has not changed ever since.
"I told you didn't I that I never really wanted to be a brotherhood because of how the previous brotherhoods treated us in the past. I made Jokers for fun, but shit happened and we became the barons," Krist shares, and Max couldn't help but laugh because of how bizarre that story is despite how many times he's heard it.
"But that's still a very incredible achievement. To be a king is something that you should be proud of. It's a shame that the other white uniforms don't even know about it, yet they tend to look down on you," Max says, and Krist just shrugged his shoulder bec doesn't really matter to him anyway.
"So, what are you doing here Max? I know you, and you're not the type to visit my base just to talk about the past," Master Joker then says, and Max couldn't help but chuckle.
"As expected of my first protector," he says before finally removing his hands from his pockets.
Krist doesn't say anything and waited for Max's request. Knowing Max, the favor could be unexpected, but when he heard what Max has to say, Krist couldn't believe that Max is still able to catch him off guard like that.
"What do you know about Checkmate?" Max finally asks, and that surprised Krist more than Max's first question.
"I'm assuming you also heard this from someone who isn't important," Krist says, and Max's silence made it clear that Max wasn't going to explain why he asked such a thing in the first place.
"Wow, Checkmate. I never expected to hear that name come out of your mouth," Krist says, looking away from Max so he could look back at the view in front of them.
"When I enrolled in J.S High, they were the princes and Paradox's most trusted ally. But when we defeated Paradox, they fell apart, proving that they were only strong because of Paradox. So in our second year, Checkmate got demoted and became the barons. But despite that, their attitude did not change. Checkmate was still a bunch of assholes," Krist explains, remembering all the things that particular brotherhood has done to him.
"Thankfully their old leader changed, and most of the members graduated too. They're now in the House of Bishops, and despite our past with their brotherhood, the Checkmate now is much better than the old one. We don't have any sort of bad blood with them," Krist explains, surprising Max.
"Wait, so you're familiar with their leader? You personally know him?" Max then asks.
"I don't personally know him, but I know him enough. Brotherhood leaders usually meet up with each other so I get to see him once in a while. I believe you've already seen him too during our first day's opening ceremony. All the brotherhood leaders from the lower houses were invited here," Krist then says.
Of course, Max remembered the opening ceremony. That was when he first saw all the brotherhoods and found out Viktor was actually alive. It was also the day when he first witnessed a brotherhood battle. It was a battle between Busters and Jokers, which actually started everything.
He remembered all that, but for some reason, he couldn't really remember the leader of Checkmate. He was probably preoccupied or wasn't interested enough to remember.
"I don't know why you're looking for him, but his name is Uchdryd Rease. He's a scary-looking fellow, but he's pretty chill compared to the previous leader of Checkmate," Krist reveals, and Max instantly froze.
Uchdryd Rease...
Uchdryd Rease...
Where on earth did he hear that name?
"Why do I feel like—" Max was trying to think of where he was able to hear that, but out of nowhere, a memory popped inside his head, almost making Max gasp in shock.
"Uchdryd Rease! I've met him before, at the pub!" Max shouts, remembering their first encounter.
(Flashback was from Chapter 121)
"I haven't seen you here before," a voice suddenly says.
Max looks to his right and sees the man in a white shirt looking directly at him. He wasn't entirely sure if the man was talking to him, but then he leans closer and adds, "Is this your first time here?"
When Max was now sure that he was really talking to him, he slightly moves back and answers, "No, I've been here a few times."
"I see," he says before showing Max his hand. "Uchdryd Rease, nice to meet you."
"Max Sinclaire."
Max couldn't believe that he has already met Uchdryd and he didn't even know who he was. He introduced himself as a 4th-year student at St. George Academy. He should have known that a normal student wouldn't just approach him like that.
"I've met him at the pub called the Mask. He was the guy with the dragon tattoo on his chest. He gave me information about Crazy 8 when I was trying to conquer them. I didn't know he was a brotherhood leader," Max explains, and Krist couldn't help but be impressed that Max was able to meet another brotherhood leader without any effort.
"Well then, wouldn't it be easier now?" Krist says. "Since you're already familiar with each other, I think he'd be able to speak with you if we asked."
"We can just ask?" Max asks in confusion.
Krist smirks and adjusts his brooch before looking back at Max. "I'm not really the type to flaunt my status, but you'll be surprised to know that there are things that one brotherhood can do, especially when they're in a higher rank."
...
"Mr. Kawanishi, you're needed at the Elites' office," Ms. Vigil Macy, their Psychology & Sociology professor, announces as she entered Class II-A's classroom.
Keigo was surprised, but he hides his notebook anyway and went out of their class. He was supposed to head straight to the Elites' office, but as soon as he got out of their room, he was welcomed by a cold-looking elite.
"Vice president!" Keigo shouted in shock, making Gavriil sigh at the overreaction.
"Good, you're here. Now follow me," Gavriil says as he starts walking away, not even waiting for Keigo. Keigo was still confused, but he immediately runs toward the vice president so he could catch up with him. As soon as he was walking beside him, Keigo awkwardly looks at Gavriil and tries to say something, but he felt too embarrassed to even open his mouth.
After finding out that he and Max are dating, Keigo couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. He couldn't believe that he chased after a guy who had a boyfriend like Gavriil.
"If there's something you want to say, then you better say it now," Gavriil tells him, making Keigo flinch for some reason.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to act suspicious. It's just that...you know...I'm assuming Max already told you so I'm just feeling a bit awkward," Keigo says, trying to laugh it off. He thought Gavriil was going to laugh or just brush it off too, but his response surprised him.
"I respect your feelings, and there is no reason for you to be awkward with me or with Leigh, especially when he respected and responded to your feelings properly too. As long as you know where your boundaries lie, then we won't have any problem," Gavriil explains, and Keigo couldn't help but look at Gavriil in amazement.
"You held your ground and did your best. With an attitude like that, I'd feel more jealous than you are of me," Gavriil then adds, and that finally sealed the deal.
For a second he almost thought that Gavriil was cool. He couldn't even believe that his heart started beating fast after hearing what the vice said. Keigo tried his best to ignore his feelings. He can't just have a crush on the boyfriend of his previous crush, that would just be crazy.
"It seems you two really are alike," Keigo comments. "I hope you two can jump through all the hurdles of your relationship. I'll be rooting for the two of you from afar."
Gavriil looks at Keigo after hearing what he has to say. And for the first time, Gavriil smiles at him, surprising Keigo even more. "Thank you," he says, and Keigo immediately looked away, holding onto his chest that almost exploded.
Now it's totally clear. Keigo will fall in love with anyone who he thinks is cool. What a troublesome trait.
"A-Anyway, why did you ask for me? Why are we going to the Elites' office? Am I in trouble?" Keigo asks as he and Gavriil continued to walk down the long corridor.
Gavriil didn't answer him, but then he stopped in front of a door. Keigo looked at it and was surprised that it was actually a familiar door. To be more specific, it was the Smoking Room, AKA Cigarettes' base.
"W-what are we doing here?" Keigo asks, now looking nervous since he has heard numerous rumors about what happens to white uniforms inside the smoking room.
Gavriil doesn't answer him, but then a voice behind them says instead, "Stop acting like a scaredy-cat. We're here to welcome an important guest."
Keigo quickly turned around, and a bright expression appears on his face when he saw his task partner, Max Sinclaire.
"Max! You were here all along? I thought you didn't go to school because you weren't in class," Keigo says as Max approached them.
"I told you didn't I, that I was going to talk to someone who knew about Checkmate," Max explains before standing in front of Gavriil this time. "Thank you for bringing me my important package, vice president."
"It's my pleasure," Gavriil says with a smile, bowing his head to Max and finally taking his leave. As soon as Gavriil was gone, Keigo looked at Max in disbelief and asks, "That's it? You're not even gonna hug him or anything?"
"And why on earth would I do that?" Max asks back, and Keigo just cleared his throat, pretending like he didn't ask anything strange.
"Anyway, we should get going. Our guest has been waiting," Max says as he heads inside the smoking room first.
"W-Wait, Max, are you allowed to just go in there?" Keigo asks in a frightened tone, but he still followed him inside like a kid who was afraid of being left alone at the cash register in a grocery store.
Max doesn't answer him but walks down the flight of stairs that would lead to the basement where Cigarettes' base can be found. As soon as they got there, Max and Keigo were welcomed by a cloud of thick smoke and a group of men who looked more like a gang than a brotherhood.
"T-That's the count...that's C-cigarettes," Keigo whispers in a panicked tone as the two of them stopped in front of the members who were sitting on a sofa, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes like they weren't in school.
"Count," Max greets, holding his chest and bowing, immediately making Keigo do the same.
The room was completely quiet, and for a second Keigo thought that they were going to get beaten even though he fully knows that Max already conquered them. It's just funny that he's acting this way when he's literally an underling of the second strongest brotherhood in J.S High.
"Good to see you little Maxy," Cj says, smoke escaping from his mouth as he said it. "Who's your friend here? You've been hanging out with him so much that we're getting jealous."
Keigo flinched when all the members looked at him at the same time. But before he could even say anything, Max ignores Cj's question and says instead, "We're here because of Master Joker's request."
Cj doesn't say anything and just stares at Max, but after a while, the leader started laughing, finally making the other members start laughing too.
"Look at how scared Kawanishi was! His reaction was the best!" One of the counts teased, making the rest of them laugh even louder.
"Are you sure he's part of the Dynasties? (PHD's underlings) He's pretty weak to be an underling of the prince," Anthony—Cj's right-hand—then says, making Keigo pout this time.
"Keigo is smart and a reliable student. Please do not question why the prince chose him," Max suddenly defends, and that immediately made the counts stop laughing.
"Wow, feisty as ever," Cj says, putting the cigarette in his mouth so he could inhale the smoke. "That's what I like about you," he then adds, red smoke oozing out of his mouth this time.
Max doesn't say anything about it, so Cj puts his cigarette on the table and takes a quick sip of his beer. "You're no fun," he says with a sigh. "You know, I almost celebrated when I heard that Mj asked me for a favor, but when I found out that it was actually for you, I got a little disappointed."
"Why? Disappointed because you can't play with your little clown?" Max then teases next, making Cj grin.
"That jester is just playing hard to get. Don't worry, I'll make him jump out of his box sooner or later," Cj says, now standing from his seat so he could walk towards a red door.
"Anyway, as requested. I sent a formal courtesy call under the counts. Your guest is already waiting inside," Cj then tells him as he opened the door for Max.
"Thank you, my count," Max replies, bowing to him again before finally walking inside the room, Keigo following behind him.
When the two were already in the room, Cj closed the door for them. As soon as they got in, Max and Keigo spots a man in a black uniform, standing in front of a punching bag that had blood on it.
Keigo's mouth opened wide in shock when he saw the uniform. It was a familiar black uniform, but unlike the uniform that the brotherhoods wear in the House of Kings, the man's uniform looked more like a cassock, or a priest's uniform.
"Is that—"
"It is a pleasure to meet you...my lord," Max says, suddenly bowing.
Uchdryd Rease, the leader of rank 7 brotherhood Checkmate, slowly turns around and finally looks back at them, his presence alone making Keigo bow to him too.
Keigo couldn't help but gulp in terror at the sight of him. Uchdryd was a lord, a title given to the brotherhoods in the House of Bishop, but for some reason, like the brotherhood members before him, he felt like a prince. It felt like he fits the image of someone who once belonged to J.S High.
"Max Sinclaire," Uchdryd greets, his voice low that it made Keigo gulp.
"The pleasure is definitely mine," he then says with a grin, and Keigo knew that even though he ranked lower compared to Jokers and the others, this lord that they invited to their castle was no doubt a lot more dangerous than they might have expected.
- END -