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"TODAY IS MY LAST day here in J.S High. Thank you, everyone, for welcoming me here wholeheartedly. Though we were only together for a short time, I am very thankful to have been a part of this class. I will definitely bring with me the things I have learned here," Cindy Lin—the only guest to have stayed in Class II-A since Jontell had to leave—says while standing in front of the class.
"I won't be able to attend to closing ceremony anymore, but again, I would sincerely like to thank you all for having me as your temporary classmate."
The class adviser of Class II-A, Sir Kai Barron, who was also standing in front, looks at Ari and nods his head as a signal, making Ari stand from his seat while holding a bouquet of white roses. He approaches Cindy and then hands it over to her, surprising the queen.
"Thank you," Cindy says, and Ari bows his head to her before returning to his seat.
"I also hope that by next year's convention, our school will be chosen too," Cindy finishes before looking at Sir Barron and giving him a signal that she was ready to go.
"Alright, I'll walk you to the gate," Sir Barron says, and Cindy nods her head and gets ready to leave. But before she could step out of the room, she handed the bouquet to Sir Barron and suddenly walked to the back where Max was seated.
Max was surprised and immediately stood from his seat. And when Cindy stands in front of him, she grabs Max and gives him a tight embrace. "I'll see you around, Leigh. Take care of yourself here," Cindy whispers to him.
Max doesn't know what to say, but then he smiles and wraps his arms around Cindy too. "You take care of yourself too, Cindy."
Cindy didn't want to let go of his dear friend, but after a couple of seconds, she finally pushed him away from her and walked back to the front. She then walks past Gavriil and gives him a quick hug too.
"You have no idea how proud I am of you, vice president Gav," Cindy then tells him. Gavriil didn't really want to give the queen a hug in front of everyone, especially since Blade, Killshot, and Ren were there too, but he smiled and decided to pat her back instead.
"I'm proud of you too, Hellcat," Gavriil replies.
"Hurt our friend, and I'll kill you," Cindy finishes before finally breaking from the hug.
Finally, Cindy stops in front of Blade and the rest of the Royals, immediately making the three of them stand as well.
"Tell your king to take care of my fellow queen's brother. Violet is very protective of him. If we find out that something happened to him here, best believe the Vixens will pull all your flags down," Cindy then warns, immediately making the three of them bow their heads to her, which was strange for the rest of them considering how Killshot and the others are powerful royals themselves.
"Are you going to say goodbye to anyone else?" Sir Barron then asks, almost sarcastically.
Cindy chuckles and takes the bouquet from Sir Barron's hand before looking back at the class again. Without anything else to say, Cindy gives out a quick bow to them before finally heading out of the room.
As soon as she was gone, everyone was left speechless. They were still in a state of shock that Cindy Lin stayed in their classroom. A queen, and an heiress of the highest caliber, sat in one of their chairs in a shabby classroom like this.
"Alright, brotherhoods, it is time for you to go too," Gavriil then says, standing from his seat and walking towards Blade and the others. "I will be escorting you back to your rooms."
"Finally," Ren says with a relieved sigh before walking towards the door and heading out, not even saying a few words of thanks like Cindy did.
Killshot walks to the exit too, but before leaving, he looks in Max's direction, making Max flinch a little. Max thought he would say something to him, but Killshot eventually looked away. Without saying anything else, Killshot walks out of the room too. He doesn't really understand why they have to be so sentimental when they only went to one class with them for a demonstration, and that didn't even last for a couple of hours.
But of course, unlike Ren and Killshot, someone among them was very sentimental about the whole thing.
"My little bunnies!" Blade shouts, standing in the middle and looking at the entire class who was staring back at him. Ren wanted to grab the prince so they could leave already, but Killshot stopped him, letting Blade have his little moment.
"It was very exciting to be a white uniform again. It feels like yesterday when I was one of you, but now here we are again," Blade says with a sad look on his face. "I will definitely miss you all! But before I leave, I have one thing to say..."
Everyone looks at each other, confused as to what Blade is about to do. Others even thought that he'd start crying and end up hugging them one by one, but to their surprise, Blade's demeanor suddenly changed, instantly making everyone sit up straight.
"Now that's the Blade I remember," Max whispers with a smirk, remembering the time Blade carried his chair from the stadium back to his room when his previous classmates decided to prank him.
"Listen and Obey, Class II-A," Blade announces, his stance now more fitting for his title compared to the sweet and bubbly persona he usually shows them. This was the second time he was uttering these words to this class, and like the first time, everyone instantly stood up from their seats in terror.
Blades continues to stare at everyone with a serious expression, putting his hands on his back like he's some military officer.
"Carry the things you have learned through this convention and bring them wherever you go. Understand that we hosted this event not because we wanted to show them that we are better but because we want to be understood. We want them to understand that we may be different, but we can still be on the same level as those who excel in our society," Blade seriously explains, looking at his "classmates" one by one.
"Carry these teachings with you, and help our House become the house to be admired and respected. A house you are proud to be a student of. And a house that is truly fit for kings. Remember, one student cannot carry the weight of this castle alone," Blade continues to say, now looking at Max.
"This is the Princes' Law, and those who defy it will be stained in red," Blade finishes, and everyone bows their head in a respectful reply.
Blade looks at the class for one last time, but right after, a bright smile appears on his face again, confusing everyone even more because they don't really know what the prince is thinking.
"Alright, little bunnies! That would be all. I'll see you around!" Blade finally ends, waving his hand to the class before heading out of the room. As soon as the brotherhoods were gone, the students of Class II-A sighed in relief and started arranging the chairs so they could head back to their proper seats.
"Looks like we're finally going back to our normal school life!" Their classmate Hazik excitedly announces, and everyone in the class agrees, except for Ervin, who was putting his things back in his original seat, which was the seat Jontell once sat on before he left.
"What are you talking about?" Hazik asks back.
Before Ervin could even answer him, Ari chimes in and tells everyone, "Today's the first day of March. And after the convention, what do you think our next event is?"
Everyone looked at each other, and then one of their classmate, Demetricus, opened his eyes wide in shock when he finally realized it too. "The Annual Brotherhood reranking!" He finally says, making everyone gasp.
"The Annual brotherhood reranking will be starting soon, which means all the white uniforms won't have classes for a week because we'll be watching the week-long battle," Ari explains to them. "This battle won't just determine the brotherhood's new rank, but it will determine the overall standing of our house."
"You don't think the ranks would change, right?" Keigo then asks, scared by the fact that someone might get demoted. He couldn't imagine the Jokers, Cigarettes, or any other brotherhood in J.S High suddenly getting replaced by another brotherhood from another house.
"Apart from the Royals, I don't think the other brotherhoods would make a huge impact if they get demoted. What we really should be worried about are the kings. Imagine if they get demoted, and someone else takes their place," someone then says, instantly making the entire class erupt.
"Don't jinx it, you dickhead," another white uniform warns.
"As much as I hate Viktor, I don't want another king. Let's face it, Busters fit the title. If someone from a lower house takes the spot, things would definitely change. Viktor practically has the power over our system, yet he doesn't fuck around with it. But if someone else does...it's going to be chaos," Hazik explains, and everyone surprisingly agrees to it.
"Imagine if we get another Crazy 8 case? An unknown brotherhood from the House of Pawns suddenly skyrocketed to the House of Kings. That would be epic!" someone exclaims.
Everyone started showing their excitement about the whole thing, but then Ari cleared his throat, making them stop talking to look at him. He then glances at Max, who is quietly writing something in his notebook. As soon as they realized that Max was actually still there, they immediately stopped talking and continued arranging the chairs in silence.
Max made a name for himself by conquering four brotherhoods of J.S High. Even if one of the brotherhoods gets demoted, everything he has worked hard for will definitely make a huge impact on his plans to become the Elites' president.
"Max, you okay?" Ari then asks, and Max takes a deep breath and looks at his friend before nodding his head. Ari was about to say something else, but then the bell started to ring, indicating that everyone should head to the stadium for the final ceremony that would officially conclude the convention.
"Alright, Class A! Line up outside and head to the stadium!" The class representative, Ari, announces to the class, making everyone drop whatever they are doing to head out.
All the students of J.S High arrived at the stadium, sitting on the bleachers while the guests also arrived and got directed to the chairs in the middle.
Compared to the first time they came here, some of the guests were waving at the friends that they've made with the other guests, as well as the white uniforms. This convention might have been the most troublesome convention all of them have ever experienced, but it's no doubt the convention that they will definitely remember the most.
"Everyone, take your seats, please. We don't want anyone getting hurt," President Ian says with his famous politician smile, waving at the crowd as he and the rest of the Elites also make their way to the stadium.
As everyone got settled down, the brotherhoods came as well, but this time, without the extravagant stunts.
The crowd cheers as the barons, counts, marquis, and dukes walk to their seats just beside the chairs adjacent to where the guests are seated. Soon after, the Royals arrived, some waving at the crowd as well before sitting beside the others while Tanis and Hee-joon went to the stage to sit on their thrones.
As soon as the two royals took their seats, everyone inside the stadium stopped talking, making the entire stadium quiet.
"Good morning J.S High!" Professor Vincent Coleman, the host for today's closing assembly, shouts as he runs to the stage with a bright smile on his face, instantly making the crowd cheer for him.
"Today marks the end of this year's Elites Convention. I am very much aware that all of you have found this experience meaningful and unforgettable, but I can't really speak for them regarding this matter. So J.S High, let us welcome the guests' representative, a 3rd-year student, and the council president of Lincoln International, Li Gengxin!" Mr. Coleman announces, and this time, everyone respectfully starts clapping their hands as Gengxin walks to the stage with a serious expression on his face.
Mr. Coleman walks to the side of the stage as Gengxin stands in front of the podium. He adjusts the microphone, but before starting his speech, he looks at the two royals on their throne and suddenly bows his head to them, making everyone start cheering after seeing such a gesture.
As the noise quiets down, Gengxin clears his throat and finally starts his speech.
"Good morning J.S High, as well as all the guests that I am with today. I am Li Gengxin, the representative chosen to share the experiences we have acquired here in this year's convention," Gengxin says before bowing to the crowd.
"I have attended two conventions during my time in Lincoln High, and this marks my third. I believe I share the same sentiments when I say that this year's convention was one of the conventions that have led me to believe that we are definitely different in a lot of aspects," Gengxin begins, making the white uniforms look at each other in confusion, unsure if he was dissing them or if he was complimenting them.
"During the first day, we have witnessed a terrifying display of violence that we have not experienced anywhere else," Gengxin continues, and this time, the white uniform's expressions changed. Even the brotherhoods ended up rolling their eyes back.
He was definitely dissing them.
"On the following day, we saw the hierarchy that is evident even at the cafeteria that everyone calls the Great Hall. But the experience that we will never forget was the incident at the courtyard when a student took another guest hostage, which later on was followed by a loud explosion, scaring a handful of us," Gengxin says with a serious tone.
"Hey! That wasn't even our fault this time!" One of the white uniforms shouted while some were already booing at him. But the representative wasn't fazed at all and just continued his speech.
"Our schools are definitely different from J.S High, and I say this...because this difference has opened up a very serious discussion," Gengxin says while looking at the brotherhoods in front of him.
"The students of J.S High...who have faced these challenges daily without fail, who have tasted the hardship of their ranking system, and have battled their way to survive...are no doubt...outstanding students," Gengxin finally says, making everyone in the stadium stop talking.
"During the battle on the first day of the convention, we have seen a perfect display of leadership, teamwork, and brotherhood," Gengxin says, looking at the brotherhoods before looking back at the white uniforms.
"On the second day, we have seen the magnificent architecture that has made your campus an attraction to on-lookers, staying true to the saying that this is no doubt a castle fit for kings. We have also joined you in your classes and have witnessed the teachings of your excellent professors, as well as the state-of-the-art equipment used for everyone's learning. This could be the reason why this school has an average academic score of 88%, ranking them as the 5th highest scorers in the entire country," Gengxin continues to say, making everyone look at each other, surprised by the sudden shift.
"On the third day, though there were some bumps along the way, we were able to witness the influence of the student council, Elites, as they handled the incident with tenacity and great composure during incidents that they might have already experienced multiple times. With bias, as a council president myself, I applaud them and wish to create a council that is similar," Gengxin then praises next, looking at President Ian this time, who respectfully nods his head to him, thanking Gengxin for the compliment.
"On the fourth day, we saw the clubs and were honestly surprised by the number of activities that help each individual excel in their own skills. The diversity of this school has no doubt astonished us, and we are not ashamed to say that a handful of us was jealous when we found out that you even have a dance club," Gengxin continues, making the audience laugh this time.
"Can't believe THE Li Gengxin would be praising us like this," Keigo whispers with disbelief while recording Gengxin's speech on stage like the real fanboy that he is.
Ervin looks at him and immediately snatches the phone from Keigo's hand before deleting the footage. "Keigo, it's illegal to take photos, especially videos, in J.S High. Do you really want to get suspended?"
Keigo laughs it off and slowly takes his phone from Ervin before hiding it back inside his pocket, now watching the speech without a camera.
"As this marks the fifth day or the final day of the convention, I would like to close my speech by once again saying that J.S High is no doubt different from the other schools, but this difference is not a negative connotation. J.S High is a school these white uniforms are proud of...and this is a house that deserves such pride. Thank you, House of Kings, for welcoming us into your home. We will carry the learnings we have here and improve ourselves as you have done the same," Gengxin says, suddenly moving away from the podium.
Everyone was confused because they thought Gengxin had ended his speech like that, but to their surprise, he put his hand on his chest and suddenly bowed to the students. The rest of the guests also stood from their seats, and then they turned to the brotherhoods and the white uniforms. Like Gengxin, they placed their heads on their chest and bowed to them as well, a bowing practice that the white uniforms usually do to each other.
The students of J.S High are all surprised, but then Ian smiles and removes his cap before bowing to them as well, making the rest of the Elites follow.
Soon after, Tanis and Hee-joon did the same, and then the rest of the brotherhoods started bowing too. Finally, all the white uniforms stood from their seats and removed their peak cap like President Ian did, bowing to the guests as their final gift to them.
"Thank you for having us, J.S High!" The guests shouted in unison.
Max and his friends looked at each other with a smile, while Ervin looked at Edward, who was happily waving at his brother.
Gengxin then stands back up. He takes a step closer to the microphone again and finally ends his speech with the statement, "You've mentioned this during the first day of the convention, so I hope you may allow me to say it aloud as well. Everyone...Whatever happens in the castle..."
The white uniforms stood back straight and looked at each other with a smile before shouting, "Stays in the castle!"
And thus concludes...
The Annual Elites Convention.
- END -