Zero's POV
We were walking with my friends after visiting Natalie’s nice coffee shop.
Suddenly, Kizaki asked me, “Are you guys going back to school tomorrow, Zero?” as we continued walking.
I replied without looking at him, “Depends, if we can handle it.” My gaze remained fixed on the ground ahead.
I heard him say, “You guys shouldn’t go back to school yet,” which made me turn to him and stop walking.
The others felt it too, so they all halted and looked at me and Kizaki, wanting to know what was happening.
I asked Kizaki, “What do you mean by saying we shouldn’t go back to school?” staring seriously at him.
He met my gaze and said, “Because I’m sure the third-years won’t let what happened slide.” His voice was calm.
I couldn’t respond immediately because he was right about what he said. But I needed to make sure and understand what was running through Kizaki’s mind.
I asked him, “What will the third-years do to us?” with genuine interest, smiling at him.
He took a deep breath and replied, “They will fight us first-years when we go back to school.” He looked at me and then at our friends.
If we were going to fight the third-years, I thought it was still too early for us because we weren’t strong enough to take them on, judging by how we looked.
I wasn’t surprised, so I asked Kizaki again, “What should we do for now?” glancing at our friends, whose expressions were sad.
He answered, “We need to rest our bodies and minds to get stronger again.” I looked back at him as he focused on me.
I nodded because that was exactly what we needed at the moment.
I turned to our friends and asked, “Why do you all look so down? Is there a problem?”
A few of them responded with:
“We can’t help you if this is our situation, Zero.”
“That’s right; we’d just be a burden to you.”
“You can’t rely on us right now.”
I felt sad hearing their words because everyone’s morale was plummeting.
I looked at Kizaki and asked, “Do you know a second-year named Kaizel?” as I kept my gaze on him.
He slowly nodded and said, “They were the ones we fought earlier; why do you ask?” He was now looking at me.
I bowed my head, thinking carefully about what I wanted to ask him next, until I realized what I wanted to know.
I raised my head and faced Kizaki, saying, “What’s his connection to the third-years? That Kaizel?”
Kizaki was momentarily surprised but smiled at me and said, “He’s the second-year representative who follows the orders of the third-years.”
I asked him, “What else?” still staring at him without blinking.
He replied, “He’s scared of the third-years, so he obeys their commands.”
“Who gives those orders that scare him?” I asked him again.
He answered, “If I’m not mistaken, the person they’re referring to is Loki.”
Loki?
I couldn’t stay still, so I asked again, “Who is Loki?” while keeping my gaze on him.
Kizaki took a deep breath and said, “He’s the number one at Taesan High,” still locking eyes with me.
I was shocked by what he said; now I knew who our enemy was. I couldn’t wait to face the third-years.
I smiled as I looked at our friends and said, “We’re going to crush those third-years, and I’ll defeat Loki, the one leading Taesan High.”
They were startled by my words, but then their spirits lifted when they heard it. I noticed Miyuki nudged me, smiling and nodding.
I turned to Kizaki, who was also pleased with what I had said.
Our friends responded to me, saying, “We’ll join you, Zero.”
“You can count on us.”
“Just tell us when.”
“I can’t wait.”
“We can do this.”
I felt happy that their morale and trust in me had increased, motivating them, especially since they were with me.
I beckoned them and turned to lead the way home.
As we walked, Kizaki suddenly asked me, “What do you plan to do, Zero, when you become number one at Taesan High?” while we continued walking.
I paused to think carefully about his question, so I didn’t answer right away.
What will I do?
If I become number one at Taesan High, I’ll probably leave once I’m done with what I want to accomplish, or it might depend on the situation if someone wants to challenge me for the top spot I desire.
But I’ll think about that later; for now, I need to focus on becoming number one and proving my strength to them.
I answered Kizaki’s question, “We’ll see when I become number one at Taesan High,” as we walked.
I noticed he nodded, and I asked him, “By the way, what’s our plan for the coming days?”
He stopped, and I did too, along with our remaining friends since some had already gone home.
He looked me in the eye, and I stared back at him seriously, and then he said the words.
To be continued.....