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"AS YOUR HOMEROOM TEACHER I think it is only natural that I advise you to forget about what the press said. They're an aggressive bunch, and they want you to mess up so they can have a worthy headline. So don't think too much about it, especially when you answered their questions well," Sir Barron tells Max who's sitting beside him inside J.S High's personal car.

    Sir Barron looks at him, but Max doesn't say anything as if he wasn't even listening, so sir Barron sighs and calls out for him. "Hey, are you okay?"

     Max takes a deep breath and adjusts his white peak cap before looking out of the window. "I'd be an actual monster if I said I don't feel tired and that I'm excited to go back, but the truth is something about what happened earlier made me feel..."

     "Empty? Confused?"

     "Angry," Max answers before finally looking back at sir Barron. "I've always thought that J.S High is this unbreakable school that every other student dreams to be in, but in fact, we're easily stepped upon."

     "Didn't you only care about your own image? You've always been acting upon things that will benefit you and no one else. What made you change your views all of a sudden? The press? I feel like I'm not talking to the same boy I met on the first day," sir Barron explains.

     Max takes a deep breath and goes back to everything that he's seen throughout his days in J.S High.

     He remembers everything that he went through. Brotherhoods and white uniforms have to go through different types of things inside their own houses. Everyone is excellent in their own way, struggling in their own way, and surviving in their own way, yet others see them as this school of - as Kingston phrased it - savages.

     "For some reason, I suddenly have this desire to prove everyone wrong. As much as I don't want to admit it, Kingston Creed was right. With what we are now, nothing about our houses are really admirable even if I try to make it sound pretty. Their admiration is not out of respect but envy and greed. We're the food that they consume when they're hungry for something exciting. Even the students inside our house are divided and yet we claim to be the greatest," Max suddenly explains, surprising sir Barron.

     "And how did you conclude that?"

     "The question earlier during the press conference. I might have given the reporters an answer, but it still made me question everything. I then remembered the incident with Jokers. People don't respect me even after what I did. They see me as something that's a different version of them that they despise. It's like how J.S High is looked down upon by other schools. That's why I want to climb the ranks and prove them wrong. And once I get to the top," Max pauses and directly looks at his homeroom teacher's eyes. "I'll fix this goddamn system that my uncle couldn't polish and make everyone realize why we're the House of Kings."

     The car becomes silent, and sir Barron couldn't believe that he heard such strong declarations from someone like Max. But as he stares at Max's determined expression, sir Barron sneers and nods his head in understanding.

     "Does winning Mr. Brain & Brawn make you wise?" sir Barron manages to say, but when Max didn't laugh, he looks back at him seriously and tells him, "Do it then, but let me warn you as the advisor of the Elites, the current student council is practically unbreakable, especially the secretary, the vice, and the president. Those are the holy three...to be able to pass through them, you have to make a miracle."

     "So winning this stupid pageant won't be enough for such a miracle?"

     "If you think the pageant is stupid then you're a fool to have given it your all," sir Barron then tells him, almost making Max looked flustered.

     "O-Of course I don't think...it's just...I phrased it wrong," Max defends, instantly making sir Barron laugh because of how Max reacted to it.

     Sir Barron doesn't say anything anymore, but Max contemplates what he said. With his victory with the pageant, he has secured 1000 merit points. If BND keeps their word then he'll have an additional 2000 merit points. The points that Max had were five hundred and fifty. Adding it all up will now be 3550, which are points that aren't even enough to surpass Ari, let alone make him a gaffer.

     Now the question is...what's Max's next step? Because Max has been doing absolutely nothing for the past month while others have been moving at an insanely fast pace. Max has to take a step so big that it will allow him to at least penetrate the top 100.

     But what?

     "We're here sir," the driver says, halting Max's thoughts.

     The car drives inside the overly large gate of J.S High. Max gets ready, but to his surprise, the car drives past the Keep, driving its way to the greenhouse instead.

     "What's going on?" Max asks, but instead of answering, the car parks in front of the greenhouse that is still being constructed after the bombing incident. Sir Barron heads out first, and then the driver follows so he could open the door for Max.

     Max steps outside, surprised to see BND waiting for them there.

     "Marcus?" Max asks with a confused expression, and Marcus smiles at him as he says, "Let's go."

     "Let's go?"

     No one answered Max's question as the members of BND start walking away. Max looks at sir Barron, but his homeroom teacher only shrugged his shoulders as an answer, so Max had no choice but to follow behind the dukes.

     As Max quietly follows behind BND - who were apparently wearing their capes - Max clears his throat and tries to ask again, "Hello, is something wrong? Aren't you even going to congratulate me?"

    Hans glances at Max and grins at him, but he still doesn't answer him. So as they continue walking, Max notices that they were now approaching the stadium. Before Max could even react to what's going on, BND heads inside the stadium first, and as soon as Max follows behind them, cheers were heard throughout the stadium, almost startling the clueless heir.

     Max almost couldn't grasp the situation as the cheers grew louder and louder. But as he finally looked around, he realizes that the bleachers were filled with white uniforms and brotherhoods alike. They were standing on their feet, clapping and cheering for none other than Max. It almost felt unreal.

     "Is this for real? Isn't this a little over the top?" Max jokingly asks.

     "Don't worry, they did it for me too. But the cheers weren't as loud," someone suddenly says behind Max, immediately making Max turn his head, making him realize that it was actually secretary Richard Young, last year's second runner-up.

    The Roses arrive next, standing in line behind BND. And when Max spots Ari, Ari winks and smiles at him proudly, instantly making Max chuckle; not because he winked at him, but because everyone was shocked to see him with the other Roses. Now everyone knows that Ari isn't just a gaffer, but an underling of the third-highest brotherhood too.

     As Boys Next Door settles down with their Roses, the white uniforms settle down as well. The Elites then approach the dukes with a red velvet case; a case that Max was very familiar with. He couldn't help but smile in excitement because of it.

     Hans approaches the case as president Ian opens it, revealing a blue armband. He then adjusts his leather gloves and then takes the armband out before walking towards Max.

     Even though it wasn't a gold armband, Max felt proud. This was an important moment for him, and even if he wished that his points would be enough to make him a gaffer, leveling up from a serf to a dweller is enough for now.

     "Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire," Hans starts, the camera directed to his face so that it could be projected at the two big screens in front. "You came back with victory and gave your house great pride. You have also shown honor, passion, and grace, three traits that make up a member of BND. As the leader of the third strongest brotherhood, and a duke of the House of Kings, I present to you your new armband."

     Marcus walks beside Max and removes his black armband for him. "I'm proud of you," he whispers before pulling away from him.

     Hans finally moves closer to Max. And before putting on his new armband for him, he announces, "Rank 308, Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire, with 3550 points..."

     Hans attaches the dweller armband on Max, and the white uniforms start cheering again even though Max is fully aware that they're only cheering because he won Mr. Brains & Brawn, and after this, they'll go back to hating him.

     But regardless, Max smiles and looks at his armband before touching it.

     "And of course, as promised," Hans says next, immediately making Max look back at him with shock.

     As Max looks back at BND with surprise, Jokers suddenly appear with about thirty of their Jacks following behind them. They walk to the middle of the stadium and stood beside the dukes while the Jacks stood beside the Roses. Max, who spots Ervin, waves at him too as he and Ari stood beside each other.

     Krist then makes his way to where Max and Hans were. Hans steps back, and Krist stands in front of Max with a smile on his face.

     "You gave this back to me because you thought you only brought Jokers trouble and shame, yet we followed you because we knew what you were capable of," Krist says before finally pulling out a brooch from his pocket. "We have said it once, and we will say it again...we are honored to assist you till the very end, Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire."

     Krist moves closer to Max and pins his crown brooch on Max's collar. "Good job little toy," Krist whispers before pulling away from him so Hans could approach him this time.

     "Looks like it's my turn," Hans says as he removes the BND brooch that's already attached to Max's collar.

     The students start murmuring at each other. They thought that BND was only going to give Max the points, but from where this is going, they couldn't believe that something like this was about to unfold again.

     "I can't believe I'm about to do something like this. Honestly, when Krist did it I criticized him, but now I somehow understand why he did such a bold display. You've proven yourself worthy Max, and like the barons, use us as you see fit," Hans says before finally removing the crown brooch that he's wearing.

     The students start talking louder, but Hans ignores their disbelief as he approaches Max and pins his crown brooch beside Krist's brooch.

     Max couldn't believe it himself, and for a second he thought that a tear was about to fall from his eyes. Everything was just overwhelming. He couldn't think straight.

     "You told me before that it doesn't matter if I'm an option. Whether I'm the first, second, or third, I was still an option. But Max, when Mr. Brains and Brawn was announced, you weren't an option. You were already our choice, and starting today, we will always choose you," Hans sincerely says as he smiles and pats Max's shoulder before standing beside Krist. The two leaders look at each other before looking back at Max like proud parents.

     Without saying anything, Master Joker and Hans bow in front of Max first, and then the members of Jokers and BND bowed next, followed by their respective underlings. The fact that they started bowing instantly made the students who are sitting on the bleachers quiet.

     Max unconsciously touches his chest. For some reason, his hand trembled, but he wasn't entirely sure of the reason why. But as the men in front of him continue to bow, Max takes a deep breath and deeply bows in front of them as well.

     "T-thank you..." he says as he clenches his fist, trying his best not to cry in front of everyone there.

     "Thank you..." he says again.

     And as the stadium gets devoured by the silence, Max bows even deeper, hiding his face as a tear finally drops on the floor.

- END -