NOTE: This is a continuation of Kings On The Horizon Vol. 1-3. If you have not read that book, head to my profile and start with that first before reading this. Thank you!

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MAX STARES AT HIS white uniform that was neatly hung in front of him. He walks closer to it and touches the blue armband. Afterward, he touches the brooches that were pinned on the coat. One was the Sinclaire emblem that president Janus gave him. Next to it was a golden jester crown, and then a crown with three small diamonds which represented BND's three traits: honor, passion, and grace.

     Max went on to touch the newly added one, which was a crown that looked like flames. It was the crown brooch of rank 5 brotherhood, the Counts, Cigarettes.

     What happened yesterday at the Great Hall was something that none of them expected. Max thought that he had to make the counts bow to him in order to conquer them, but the truth was, the only thing that Max needed was to understand them.

     Cj wasn't going to bow to anyone, but if he was going to surrender anyway, it should be to someone who understood his intentions despite it being completely immoral and different from what Max believes is right.

     Max realized that it's not Cigarettes that have to change. The reason why J.S High is so disorganized is because of the white uniforms and the brotherhoods. JS High hasn't really done anything to prove themselves to other schools. Despite claiming to be one of the greatest, other schools look down on them, and Max experienced this firsthand during Mr. Brains and Brawn.

     The only way for Max to fully address such discrimination is if he can enter the Elites and become the president. Max has to have enough power to fix the system, and at the same time, help make the House of Kings a respectable name.

     Max already has plans on how he'll be able to do that. The problem now is how Max will be able to enter the Elites.

     The Elites contain the very best students of J.S High. They're the top five students that have an insane amount of achievements and points. Not only do you have to make a name for yourself while acquiring points that will surpass them, but you also have to break through the unbreakable top 10 and even the top 100 that mostly consist of fourth-year students. Max isn't even a gaffer like Ari yet, which only shows how far he still is from achieving his real goal.

     "Master Leigh," a voice suddenly calls out from outside Max's room.

     Max stares at his uniform one last time before walking towards the door to open it.

     Étienne, who was politely waiting outside, was surprised to see his master wearing a black turtle neck that was tucked in black checkered trousers, matched with leather shoes. Max definitely looked like he wasn't wearing that just to eat dinner downstairs.

     "I was supposed to call you for dinner but it seems like you have other plans," Étienne says as he looks at his master from head to toe.

     Max was about to open his mouth to answer his butler, but then he suddenly sees Marcus running towards them like there was some kind of emergency.

     "Max! We have a problem!" Marcus shouts, grabbing Max's arm. Before Max could even ask what it was about, Marcus suddenly starts dragging him downstairs, Étienne following right behind them.

     Max didn't know what the ruckus was about, but when they reached the first floor, Max sees five guards blocking the entrance of their mansion. Max pulls his arm away from Marcus and walks closer to see what the commotion was about. To his surprise, the person who's being blocked by the guards was none other than the vice president, Gavriil Ivanovich Alexeev.

     "Max, what did you do? I thought your suspension was over? Why is he here?" Marcus asks, looking at Gavriil before looking at Max, and then looking back at Gavriil.

     The atmosphere was tense, but after a while, Max suddenly bursts out in laughter, making everyone, even Gavriil, look at him with confusion.

     "Max?" Marcus asks with a concerned look, but Max ignores him as he looks at the guards to tell them, "Stand down. He's my important guest."

     The guards were surprised and immediately steps away from Gavriil. After apologizing to Max and Gavriil, they head back to their stations.

     "I apologize for the intense welcome. Guards don't usually block the entrance whenever someone comes," Max jokingly says as he approaches Gavriil who was wearing a plain white shirt that matched with his black ripped jeans and converse.

     "It's fine," Gavriil replies before walking inside. "I'm kinda used to it at this point."

     Étienne bows to greet him, followed by the two maids who were standing on the side. Marcus, on the other hand, crosses his arms and walks closer to Gavriil like the overprotective brother that he is.

     "What is the meaning of this? What are you doing here?" He asks as he looks at him from head to toe, silently judging him.

     Gavriil clears his throat and suddenly bows at Marcus before saying, "Good evening. I'm here to take Leigh to dinner."

     Marcus was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting to hear that kind of answer at all. "I'm sorry...what?"

     Max chuckles and pushes his brother away. "You don't have to ask permission from him."

     "I wasn't asking for permission," Gavriil confidently says.

     Marcus was about to do something, but Étienne immediately grabs him by the collar and pulls him away from Gavriil and Max. "Is that so? Then drive safely," Étienne says, making Marcus look at him with a deadly glare.

     "What are you talking about? I'm coming with them," Marcus suddenly declares.

     "Don't be an idiot," Max says before looking at the maids. "Can you please get my wallet and phone in my room? It's at the side table beside my bed."

     One of the maids nods her head and runs upstairs. While Max is waiting, Marcus escaped from Étienne's hold and faces Gavriil again to tell him, "Why are you eating dinner with him? Where are you taking him? I know you Gavriil. We were classmates for a year and a half, and I know for a fact that you don't take people out just to eat dinner. You're not a gentleman."

     "Why? You're not the gentleman type either, isn't that right? If I remember correctly, I'm not the one who made Cindy cry when—" before Gavriil could even finish his sentence, Marcus immediately covers his mouth and starts laughing out of nowhere.

     "Did I tell you that you look extra handsome today? Well, enjoy your dinner with my dear baby brother," Marcus suddenly says instead. He then leans close and whispers, "I hope you choke while you're at it."

    Marcus finally lets go of Gavriil, and before Max could even start questioning him about Cindy, the maid arrives and hands Max his wallet and phone.

     "Thank you. Now, shall we go?" Max asks, and Gavriil nods his head and gestures at the exit.

     Max heads out first, and just before Gavriil could follow, Marcus looks at him again and mouths the words, "you're dead if you do anything funny."

     Gavriil doesn't say anything back, but he smirks and bows in a mocking way instead before finally following Max out.

     "That little piece of—"

     "Let them be," Étienne immediately says to stop Marcus from following them. "It's rare for him to go out like this. After everything that happened, it's good that he's able to relax a little. And besides, it's normal for teenagers to go out on a Friday night."

     "But shouldn't you be worried? That guy was Max's childhood friend. Aren't you afraid that he'll say something unnecessary that would confuse Max? Aren't you afraid of father?" Marcus asks with a genuinely concerned expression.

     Étienne takes a deep breath and looks away from Marcus, staring at Max as he heads to Gavriil's car. "Afraid? I'm more afraid of the fact that I'll lose my master's trust. I'm tired of following Denzel Sinclaire around, and I hope you are too, sir Marcus."

...

"You and my brother seem close," Max says as the two drove their way to their destination.

     "I can't say we're close, but our meeting was unavoidable even when we were kids to when we started studying in J.S High. We're more like forced acquaintances," Gavriil answers, making Max laugh.

     "Well, I'm glad he doesn't entirely hate you," Max says before looking out the window.

      The car ride was silent because Gavriil remembered how Max didn't want the radio on before. But while the two enjoyed each other's company, Max takes a deep breath and says, "Can you tell me something about our past? Something that may help me remember?"

     Gavriil was surprised by the question, but he smiles and nods his head anyway. "Where do I even start? The past was bittersweet you know? All of us were young and optimistic. We felt like we could do everything and anything. That's why such attitudes got us into a lot of trouble, especially Viktor. We got scolded a lot of times because of him," Gavriil shares.

     Max couldn't help but smile. Even though he doesn't quite remember the details, he could still remember the feeling.

     "There was a time when we were invited to a wedding of some CEO's daughter and Viktor accidentally knocked over the cake. It was such a scandal that it was even featured in the news," Gavriil explains, making both of them laugh.

     "I remember his father had to make a public apology too. The entire situation blew out of proportion," Max says as he continues laughing.

     Gavriil's laughter dies down when he heard what Max said. When Max realized what he said too, he couldn't help but show a sad smile. "Looks like I remember that. Somehow these things come out so naturally that it makes me believe that I haven't really forgotten about it."

     "Maybe there's something inside you that's trying its best not to forget," Gavriil says as he stops at a red light. The two of them stare at each other for a couple of seconds, but before anyone could say anything, Gavriil looks away.

     "Anyway, it looks like we're here," Gavriil says instead as he makes a turn.

     Max looks out of the window and was surprised to see that the place where they're going to grab dinner was actually at a fast-food restaurant of a famous clown.

     "If I knew you were going to bring me here, I would have worn a suit," Max jokingly says.

     Gavriil parks at the parking lot and immediately heads out to open the door for Max. "Fancy restaurants are fine, but we gotta admit, we never really enjoyed the food there."

     "Well, I can't say I disagree with you," Max answers.

     The building was packed with people. There were families, kids, lovers, and even a group of friends who were just there to have fun. It was an environment that Max wasn't used to be in, but surprisingly enough he liked the ambiance. It made him feel relaxed and carefree. He felt like he could act like himself without thinking of proper decorum and etiquette.

     "It's been a while since I've eaten here. Étienne and I usually just drive-through and eat at the car," Max shares.

     The two head inside where all the customers were. Unlike going to a well-known restaurant, no one paid them any mind. They were just minding their own business and not putting out their phones to take pictures of him.

     "Do we split the bill?" Max genuinely asks, making Gavriil chuckle.

     "No it's fine, I suggested eating dinner with you so I'll pay."

     The two waited in line like everyone else, and while they were waiting, the girls waiting behind them couldn't help but stare and giggle. Max thought that they were laughing at him, but when he turned around he noticed that the two of them were staring at Gavriil.

     Gavriil was an attractive man, and he was tall too. Unlike the guys that Max has been acquainted with, Gavriil has a relaxed yet mysterious vibe going on around him, and his style was somehow cool and ragged - not in a bad way though. He looked like the type of guy who'd purposely ignore a message but his partner would apologize instead for disturbing him.

     "You're quite the lady killer huh?" Max asks, but Gavriil wasn't able to hear him properly. Instead, he moves closer to Max and suddenly reaches out to fix his hair for him. That simple gesture made the two girls stop staring, but it also made Max feel shy.

     "T-Thank you..."

     After a while, the two were finally able to order their food. And since it was so packed, they were forced to share a table with a couple who were happily feeding fries to each other.

     "I should have chosen a different place to eat. I didn't know there would be this many people at this hour," Gavriil says as he places the tray in their shared table.

     The two sat down, and as Gavriil was giving Max his meal, Max tells him, "No, it's fine, really. We have our food and we have a seat. What more can I ask for?"

     The answer made Gavriil smile in relief, and the two finally enjoyed their dinner.

     "Anyway, I heard about what happened at the Great Hall. I wasn't expecting Cj to give you his crown brooch right away, but I'm glad everything worked out in the end after everything that happened to you," Gavriil says.

     Max, who was enjoying his burger, looks at Gavriil and nods his head in agreement. "I know, everything ended in such a dramatic way like usual. Cigarettes had a completely different ideology, and it was either I respect it or move on. I still don't really believe in their custom, but for now, the best thing I can do is make them my ally."

     "I guess that's true. Besides, Cigarettes have a lot of underlings. Your possession of their crown brooch automatically makes their underlings respect you too, and that can be beneficial when you enter the Elites," Gavriil explains.

     After taking a sip of his soda, Max wipes his mouth with a tissue before looking back at Gavriil. "So, how have the Elites been doing now that one of the twins is gone?"

    "The members immediately adjusted to their new roles, especially Dustin. I'm not going to lie, we miss Justin's positive vibe at the office, but Heaven's a capable new member so we have no complaints," Gavriil explains.

     "Oh yeah, Dustin got demoted and is now a school representative. But Dustin handles the clubs right since he was the treasurer? Does that mean it will be Heaven now?" Max then asks.

     "That's right, I almost forgot to tell you. Heaven will be overseeing all the clubs from now on, so if you guys have any concerns, just talk to him."

     Max - not knowing that Heaven betrayed Cj - was actually glad that the new officer was now someone he could easily talk to. Even though he didn't entirely hate Dustin, Max thought that he could easily chat with Heaven and make requests for the Omega Society now.

     "Anything else you want to know about the student council?" Gavriil asks without looking back at him.

     Max, unsure if he should open it up or not, takes a deep breath and leans towards Gavriil. "Hey, do you remember your promise with me?" he finally asks him.

     "Promise?" Gavriil asks back with furrowed brows. "Do you mean the promise we made about how I'll marry you when we get older? Yeah, I remember." He then casually adds before taking a bite of his burger.

     Max's eyes widen from shock and almost choked on his food when he heard of such a statement. "N-No stupid. Don't joke about things like that."

     Gavriil laughs too as he stares at Max's embarrassed expression. But while Max was trying to compose himself, Gavriil swallows his food and tells him, "All jokes aside, I remember what you're talking about. It's about the Elites, right?"

     Max clears his throat and nods his head as an answer. "I asked you before if you could help me enter the Elites, and you told me that you'll do it if I acquire three brooches. Well, I have three brooches now. When are you going to help me?"

     "That's actually what I wanted to talk about with you too," Gavriil says. "I know how capable you are, but I have to make sure that you're ready to enter the Elites. Hundreds of students fight for their lives just to get a chance to break the top ten. Do you think you can handle the pressure?"

     Max stares at Gavriil as he puts his burger down. "Gav, you must have forgotten who you're talking to."

     "I haven't, that's why I'm asking. The Elites are responsible for whatever happens in J.S High. They are responsible for both the white uniforms, including the brotherhoods. Leigh, you are now bounded by three brotherhoods who all have different visions of what type of J.S High they want. You have to choose your own ideology, and this will cause disappointment to your protectors and even your friends in the future. Are you willing to gamble it?" Gavriil seriously asks him.

The fast-food restaurant was filled with chatter and pop-like music, but for some reason, after hearing Gavriil's question, Max felt like they were the only ones who were there. It was a question that he hasn't thought of before, and honestly, he found it difficult to answer.

     Gavriil was right. Jokers, BND, Cigarettes, and even his friends Ari, Felix, and Ervin, all have different ideas on what type of JS High they want, and one of the reasons why they surrendered to Max is because they want their own visions to come true. Max can't just choose one and follow that. At the same time, it would be difficult to lump everything in and combine them together.

     "No wonder the members of the Elites look like they have no friends," Max manages to joke. He then takes a deep breath and brushes his hair back with his fingers before looking back at the vice president.

     "Someone told me before that other than Viktor, the president is the face of JS High. What type of president we have will reflect on what type of House we'll have. I promised them that I'll save J.S High, and I'll do it my way. If they can't accept that then I'll gladly return their brooch to them," Max says with complete determination and certainty.

     Gavriil doesn't say anything and just stares at Max. After a while, a smile appears on his face.

     "I'm glad to hear that," he says before getting a bite of his fries.

     "As informal as our setting is, I'll fulfill my promise with you, Leigh," Gavriil finally says with a serious expression. "As the vice president of J.S High, I'll offer you my assistance. I'll help you enter the Elites and make you my president."

- END -