Chapter 74: Jack’s Secret, Mark’s Repay List

It was the next day at school as students moved toward their various classes. Among them was a boy named Jimmy, who walked along the hallway with a backpack slung over his shoulder. As he turned a corner, he came across a troubling scene. His expression changed when he saw a cornered freshman boy trembling in front of Max and Roman, with his assignment clutched in his hands.

"Have you done that homework I told you to make for us?! It’s already the deadline, so just speak!" Max demanded harshly, his fists clenched threateningly.

The little boy only shook like a writhing leaf under their presence. But his mouth stammered as he finally managed to force out a word.

"Hold it right there! You don’t have the right to do whatsoever to whoever you think the people are!" Jimmy uttered as he stepped forward.

This might be an everyday vice of the school, but I’m just sick and tired of seeing these worthless jerks displaying their stupid arrogance and filthy strength over those who are too scared to stand up for themselves. Every time this happens, no one does any shit about it. He thought inwardly. What a wild ground this place is after all, I guess.

His call made both bullies pause and look over. The boy’s trembling never ceased as Max only smiled at the sophomore’s attempt to interfere.

"Ooh, look at the hero of the day. Another one to join our friend here." He said, patting the freshman boy’s head softly. "The one who claims to be the bane and curse of a dragon. How pathetic!"

Max sniggered as Roman smirked, prompting the freshman to chuckle weakly in the hope of leaving the scene, but their eyes never left him.

"You sick brats are always too full of yourselves. You even believe that you’re at the top. But in reality, you’re just some lackeys to another jerk, and all you seem to do is fuel their reputation. You’re just a bunch of lost idiots," Jimmy said, his eyes hard on them.

"If you want to pick on someone, why don’t you go for someone in your own league?" he mocked bitterly.

Max’s eyes became sharp as he cracked his knuckles. "Ey? Why don’t we start with you, then? I guess you’d be the right punching bag for this morning."

He and Roman moved forward as Jimmy rolled up his sleeves and dropped his bag.

With that, the freshman boy used the opportunity to run away. Max turned with a snarl, but the boy was already out of reach.

"Hey! We’ll still get to you eventually. You can run, but you can’t hide," Max spat out.

Roman added, "Now look what you’ve caused! Happy now, huh? Well, your happy day has come through, because our full focus is now on you!"

Jimmy frowned with a threatening gaze as both dudes came forward. But then a presence attracted all of their attention. They turned to see an auburn-haired young man with blazing eyes and clenched fists, making all of their expressions freeze for a moment.

What’s that? Why does he have such an immense amount of mana aura emanating from him? It’s odd, but this could only mean that he’s not the same as before. Jimmy observed inwardly with narrowed eyes. His body is ready for what’s coming.

Max and Roman exchanged glances with uncertain expressions. But as for Roman, there was something that lurked over his mind about this young man because of their recent encounter.

Before they could fully comprehend what was happening, Mark moved forward like a flash. His fists were clenched as he delivered a blow to Roman’s head, sending him swinging backward at an awkward angle. The cracking of his neck muscles was audible as he fell hard onto his back.

The wind blew from the force of the blow alone, leaving Max momentarily stunned before he met Mark’s hard gaze.

"One out of three. Check," he muttered without even sparing the stunned Jimmy a single glance before leaving the scene.

Jimmy blinked, his gaze reevaluating what had just happened.

I don’t know what’s really happening, but for some reason, I’m starting to like it myself.

---

Jack and Victor leaned against the hallway lockers with folded arms while sipping from juice boxes. Victor finished his drink before lazily tossing the empty box into a dustbin several steps away.

When it entered with a satisfying dunk, his eyes fluttered with a smirk.

"Ha! I really did it again! I need to join the basketball team for real."

But he didn’t get a reply from Jack, who remained lost in his thoughts.

Victor nudged Jack, making him flinch out of his thoughts. Victor gave him a slight frown.

"What’s wrong, buddy? You’ve been this way for a while. I’ve noticed it since a week ago. Is someone actually bothering you?"

Jack remained silent for a moment before exhaling and looking upward.

Right then, a freshman girl with an incredibly cute and youthful appearance walked by. She had large rainbow-colored eyes and a stylish hairstyle consisting of a ponytail, bangs, and flowing hair that fell over her chest and shoulders. Her movement was more of a skip than an ordinary walk.

It was known that her attractive appearance was a special attribute gained from her summon, and it had already made her a potential candidate to appear in the school magazine.

Her presence caught the attention of several students along the corridor, who stared at her for longer than necessary. Jack’s expression softened at the sight of her, his eyes tracking her every movement more closely than anyone else’s.

"Hey, what’s up?" he uttered flirtatiously as the girl nodded at him while continuing forward.

Victor’s expression changed when he noticed the look on Jack’s face.

"Wait... huh? What’s with that?"

Jack smiled slightly before sighing briefly.

"There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask or tell you. It’s sort of personal, something I’ve harbored since the start of this year."

Victor gave him an uncertain look, but something began arranging itself within his mind.

Jack continued after a pause. "It’s been a long time coming, but ever since the arrival of the freshman students, I think I’ve finally found my heart with someone else. Someone real."

His eyes trailed upward.

"It might seem odd, but it’s actually true. She’s like a gem before my eyes, while Mia has been really hard to get the attention of throughout this whole time. Sometimes I even begin to wonder what she sees in me. To admit it, bro, I think I’d rather hang out with this cute girl for a change."

A smirk appeared across Victor’s face, his eyes taking on a knowing look.

"Yeah, I’ve known it myself for the while but remained discreet for you. Anyways, how has it been with the cutie so far?"

"Nah, just a few eye glances and a brief, cool compliment that seems like the world to me." A dreamy expression crossed Jack’s face as he spoke calmly.

"Woah, really? That’s a nice start. It’s your best shot, and I give you the go-ahead to take it further. I’m here for you, man. You can go for your choice. At least we don’t have to always fight over Mia anymore, which should loosen the pressure. That’s my take," Victor said smoothly.

Right then, someone appeared along the corridor. He wore a green hoodie with the hood concealing his face, but his auburn hair could still be seen clearly.

Both Jack and Victor’s expressions changed when they felt the weight of his mere presence.

Those along the corridor paused as their attention was forcefully drawn toward him, heavy premonition settling within their hearts. The person finally straightened his stance before pulling down the hood to reveal his face.

Emerald-green eyes stared back at them with a hard, unwavering gaze.