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"ALRIGHT! LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE is ready, so without further ado, let us officially welcome the House of Kings' pride...the brotherhoods!" Mr. Coleman shouts, and everyone instantly starts cheering; some were even on their feet.

     The stadium has three doors as an entrance. One on the left, one on the right, and the one in the middle. The one on the left opened first, and like their first day morning assembly, six students in black uniforms enter the stadium wearing clown masks, except for Krist who was smiling at the crowd, obviously enjoying the moment.

     Jokers' large banner drops just on top of the stage for everyone to see.

     The white uniforms cheered, especially the Jacks. Even Ervin, who wasn't the cheering type, was cheering loudly as the members of Jokers ran to their seats, throwing water balloons at the unfortunate students who were sitting close to the grounds. Thankfully the balloons weren't actually filled with water, but instead filled with glitter, which was more troublesome to take off.

     When the members of Jokers were now in their seats, the next brotherhoods made their entrance. Cigarettes were as excited as ever as some members were even waving at the white uniforms.

     As always, the members of Cigarettes made their way to their seats just beside Jokers. Cj then approaches Krist, and the two fist-bumped each other before heading to their seats.

     Soon after that, the members of Crazy 8 followed. Siren leads the group, holding the cane that she also held during their first assembly. The other seven members followed behind their leader. Even though this is already their second semester, no one still knows who they are, especially since they're wearing their masks all the time.

     "Their presence is really strong despite hiding their identities," Max comments, and Ari and his other friends couldn't help but agree.

     As Crazy 8 finally cozied themselves up in their seats, another banner falls from the ceiling, instantly making the students cheer even louder. BND - as the crowd's favorite - entered the stadium like they were on their way to attend a pageant. They walk in the middle and went straight to their seat; Jokers, and Cigarettes bowing to them, which was now a strange sight for Max and his friends. Marcus even looked back at the bleachers, and when he saw Max, he smiled and waved at him.

    Finally, the most awaited brotherhoods were ready to make their appearance. As trumpet sounds were heard throughout their stadium, everyone stood up from their seats to greet the Royals.

     The door in the middle of the stadium opens as Pretty Duo made their entrance first, followed by Dangerous Five, and then the fierce Hot Wingmen. Right behind them was none other than their leader, Kim Hee-joon who looked like he still didn't want to be there.

     The rest of the white uniforms and the brotherhoods bowed as PHD went to their seats while Hee-joon went straight to the stage to take a seat on his throne. As soon as he was seated, the last brotherhood made their entrance, and it was none other than the kings, Busters.

     Everyone bowed as Busters made their entrance. No one was cheering for them, but Viktor, who was standing in the middle, was waving at the crowd that was too afraid to even look back at him.

     Buster's banner falls as the members got to their seats. Viktor then went straight to his throne, but before taking a seat, Mr. Coleman handed him the microphone so he could say a few words for the students of J.S High.

     Everyone stood straight as they waited for Viktor to say something. Viktor stares at the crowd and remains silent for a couple of seconds. When he finally got a good look of the stadium, he starts, "Welcome back to the House of Kings. There is so much that I want to say, but I'll only narrow it down to one." Viktor pauses and touches his brooch before showing a grin that made the students shiver.

     "Чему́ быть, того́ не минова́ть (chimu byt', tavoh ni mihnovat')," he says, and those who did not understand it was instantly confused.

     "What did he say?" Max asks with furrowed brows, but then he saw the shocked expression on Gavriil's face. It was obvious that he understood what that meant, and Max knew that it was something serious.

     As the white uniforms were trying to understand what their king meant, Viktor smirks in satisfaction before giving back the microphone and finally sitting beside the prince.

     Mr. Coleman was also dumbfounded, but he laughs it off and tries to bring the mood back. "W-Well, thank you very much to our king for giving us that wonderful speech. Now, to officially begin our assembly, let us call on the Glee club, headed by Mr. Ryan Frost, to sing J.S High's school anthem."

     Twenty students went on stage with their club advisor, Mr. Frost, who was also their conductor. When everyone was finally settled, music starts playing, and all the students sang the school's anthem along with the Glee club.

     Right after the anthem, everyone went back to their seats. Unlike last time, Janus didn't make his appearance, so the assembly continued without him. Since it's the first day of their second term, just right after their examination, the results from their exams were ready to be announced.

     "To announce the top 10 highest scorers for the first year and second year is Mrs. Helena Pennington," Mr. Coleman says, and Mrs. Helena joins him on stage with a black and gold envelope.

     The screen that showed the House of Kings' logo changed to a list of numbers, and in an instant, the once excited white uniforms became anxious. After all, getting into the top 10 of your year gives you insane amount of points.

     "To start with the Freshmen. The tenth highest scorer is..."

     One by one, the screen was filled up with names of students that were able to study hard enough to bring themselves to the top 10. Some cheered for their classmates' success, while others silently cursed at themselves for being too incompetent.

     "I bet a thousand dollars that Ari will lose to Felix," Max suddenly says, making Ari look back at him angrily.

     "I'll add an additional thousand to that bet," Ervin then joins in, making Max chuckle as Ari continues to send death stares at both of his friends.

     "Mrs. Pennington will now announce the top 10 scorers for the Sophomores," Mr. Coleman announces, and Mrs. Pennington brings out another envelope, instantly making the 2nd year students fired up.

     "Let's go baby..." Ari excitedly says, but the way he was bouncing his leg made his friends know that he was as nervous as everyone else.

     "The tenth highest scorer for the second year is..." Mrs. Pennington pauses and finally opens the envelope. Right after seeing the name, she announces, "Class II-A's Theodore Crawford, with an average score of 95.2 percent."

     The class cheered as Theo stood up from the bleachers, practically jumping for joy. Even Max and his friend were clapping for their classmate. It was definitely an achievement for all of them. Especially since their class advisor, Sir Barron, was very strict when it comes to their grades.

     "Looks like the top 10 is going to be filled with class A students again." Max overhears from one of the students from class B. Well, he can't really blame him. The list shown from the first year earlier was also filled with Class A students. It's rare for other classes to be part of the top 10.

     "Now for the ninth-highest scorer..." Mrs. Pennington pauses for a quick second before revealing, "Class II-A's Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire, with an average score of 96 percent."

     Cheers were heard in the middle of the stadium, and Max saw that it was actually the brotherhoods Jokers, Cigarettes, and even Boys Next Door, cheering for him like Max just won the lottery.

     Max couldn't help but laugh, but at the same time, he was relieved. Max was always a smart boy, but when you put him in a school where his classmates are literally geniuses, then their difference would be obvious. He's just glad that he was able to still be in 9th place.

     "Another 500 points secured. Congratulations Max," Felix says with a smile; Ervin congratulating him as well.

     "I think you would have ranked higher if you studied harder for Math," Ari then teases, but before Max could get mad at him, he laughs it off and pats Max's shoulder to congratulate him too.

     Top eight was announced right after, followed by the top seven who were both from Class A. As for the next one, after his all-nighters and coffee addiction, Ervin secured his spot as rank six, which his friends were very much excited about as well.

     "Next is the fifth-highest scorer...Hazik Zahari bin Ahmad, with an average score of 97.6 percent," Mrs. Pennington announces as the white uniforms clapped their hands.

     "Damn, tops seven to five only have a few point differences. Does that mean rank four is only just a few points off too?" Ari asks, now getting nervous since he hasn't been called yet.

"Imagine if Ari isn't actually in the top three. It would be the funniest thing ever," Felix manages to joke, making Ari even more nervous. But when Felix realized that Ari wasn't arguing with him about it, he sighs and drapes his arm around Ari before reassuring him, "Hey, you'll be fine."

     Max and Ervin nod their heads to agree to it, making Ari relax a little. "You're right. I studied hard for this so I'm confident that I'll do well."

     "I will now be announcing the fourth-highest scorer..." Mrs. Pennington then says, and Ari gulps in an instant.

     Their professor looks down on the list that she was reading. For a second she seemed surprised, but then she clears her throat and says, "Class II-A's Gavriil Ivanovich Alexeev, with an average score of 98.2 percent."

     The students at the stadium practically gasp, especially Max and his friends.

    "W-what? Gavriil is in fourth place?" Ari asks in disbelief. "He was top 1 last year. How is this possible?"

     Ari, Felix, Ervin, and the rest of Class A started talking amongst each other. They couldn't believe that Gavriil dropped three places.

     Max then looks back at Gavriil who was standing below the stage. Even though he couldn't really hear them, he could tell that Ian was somehow scolding him based on his expression and gesture. But surprisingly enough, Gavriil didn't look fazed at all. It's almost like he expected it.

     "Wait, the previous top three was Gavriil, Ari, and then Felix, right? But if Gavriil's top four now then...who got in?" Ervin curiously asks, and the four friends look back at Mrs. Pennington, eager to know who was able to beat the vice president.

     "We will now proceed to the third-highest scorer," she says, looking down at the list again.

     Mrs. Pennington checks the name of the third-highest scorer. When she saw the name, her eyes widened from shock. She then calls for sir Barron who was below the stage with the Elites. Sir Barron was confused and runs to the stage to check the list as well.

     "What's going on? Did they actually make an error?" Max asks as sir Barron, Mrs. Pennington, and even Mr. Coleman start discussing amongst each other.

     After a couple of minutes, sir Barron heads back down. It seems like the issue has been resolved. 

     "We apologize for the delay, but now I will be announcing the third-highest scorer for the sophomores."

     The sophomores were holding their breaths as Mrs. Pennington finally announces, "The third-highest scorer is...Class II-D's Kawanishi Keigo, with an average score of 98.5 percent. Congratulations," Mr. Pennington announces, but instead of cheers, everyone in the stadium was confused.

     "D-Did she just say...Class D?" Ari asks in disbelief as he and the rest of Class A looked to their right to see an averagely tall student from Class D, happily laughing while his classmates congratulated him. You could even see their class adviser cheering for him too.

     No one from Class D and even C has ever been part of the top ten. This was definitely an unexpected turn of events.

     "Holy shit, Gavriil got beaten by a Class D. I don't know if I should laugh or if I should pity him for it," Ari then says, making Max look back at Gavriil again who was now being scolded by sir Barron. As a member of the Elites, especially the vice president, Gavriil is supposed to be a role model. He's supposed to be the best student in his year.

     "Alexeev might get demoted with that result. If Richard Young beats Ian and becomes the top scorer of their year, he might take Alexeev's place," Felix suddenly opens up, surprising Max when he realized that as well.

     If Richard becomes the new vice president, then...

     "Wait, I just realized something. Felix, if you beat Ari and become top 1, you'll get the 3000 points and you'll automatically get promoted as a gaffer. That's a fucking big deal," Ervin suddenly points out, making Max and Ari look back at Felix with shock.

     Ari, who has been nervous since earlier, brushes his hair back and takes a deep breath. "I want to have a little hope that I'll be able to defeat you, but how confident are you with your results?" He seriously asks Felix.

     Felix wanted to joke about it, but when he saw how serious Ari really was, he takes a deep breath and truthfully told him, "Very confident. In fact, the exam questions was so transparent that I'd even know the exact items that you didn't get right."

     Max, Ervin, and Ari were surprised because they've never seen Felix so sure about himself before. But instead of brushing it off, Ari sighs and chuckles, almost like he already accepted his defeat.

     "It should have been pretty obvious that I wouldn't be able to beat the kid who became the third highest-scorer last year even though he fell asleep and finished his 150 item exam in only 20 minutes," Ari says before giving Felix his hand. "Congratulations Felix."

     Felix smiles and shakes Ari's hand, and just like what they predicted, Ari was the 2nd placer with an average score of 98.7 percent. While Felix Campbell, the once quiet serf of Class II-A, got 1st place with an unbelievable average of 100 percent, an average that no other student has achieved before.

     It was at that moment that Max realized that the small white uniform that he rescued and adopted was definitely not a lost puppy like how they thought him to be.

...

"Congratulations to all the top scorers. Let's give not only them but ourselves as well a round of applause for everyone's hard work," Mr. Coleman - the host - says, and everyone started clapping like they were told.

     The rest of the top scorers were announced earlier. In the third year, the highest scorer was Dustin Griffiths, followed by Heaven J. Carter, and then a white uniform who was ranked 15.

     As for the fourth years, Ian Rothman got the highest score, followed by rank 8 Furukawa Kenzo, and then Richard Young.

     After the announcement of the top scorers, the stage was cleared for the next event, which was the new ranking. After the results of their exams, it is expected that the ranks will drastically change, which is the reason why a lot of students are nervous, especially those who rank high but were not able to top in the exams.

      Like what happened at the Great Hall, the ranks were shown on the screen one by one. As their rank and their picture were shown on the large LED screens for everyone to see, you could hear cheers and disappointed grunts in a distance.

     "Guys, what rank are you on?" Max asks while looking at his friends.

     "289," Ari answers.

     "400," Felix adds.

     "318," Ervin says last.

     "I was rank 286," Max then says. He hasn't told them about the massive amount of points that he received from Cindy so he wants to think that he'll rank higher than his previous rank, but he doesn't want to be too complacent either.

     "Alright, let's see how much we improved."

      Ranks 600 to 350 were announced, and as they expected Felix wasn't among any of those ranks anymore, which made Max, Felix, and Ervin congratulate him. Everyone in the stadium patiently waited for their names to be announced. Even the brotherhoods, who weren't even part of any of these events, quietly and respectfully watched the ranks unfold, clapping and even cheering for their underlings who were able to rank up.

     Surprisingly enough, unlike last time, the announcement of the ranks was filled with cheers and even laughter. The white uniforms congratulated those who got promoted and even gave words of encouragement to those who got demoted. For the first time, the students didn't feel too pressured. It was a competition of who becomes the best, but it doesn't make you feel so bitter anymore.

     No one knows why the white uniforms are now slowly acting like they're part of one house, but Max and the others could only guess that it might be because of the events that have been happening to J.S High. Everyone is finally realizing that they have to improve as a whole to make sure they bring pride to their title as the House of Kings. It was an improvement that both Viktor and Ian were secretly happy about.

     "Rank 312, second-year student of class A, Ervin Walker, with a total of 3400 merit points...dweller," a voice announces, and Ari, Felix, and even Max start patting Ervin's back to congratulate him for getting promoted.

     Soon after that, the rest of them found out about their new ranks too. Like friends who had one goal, they witness their growth with great pride. Not only them but also the brotherhoods who supported them as well.

     "Rank 280, second-year student of class A, Felix Campbell with a total of 5420 merit points...gaffer."

     "Hell yeah!" Ari shouts, suddenly standing from his seat and grabbing Felix for a tight embrace, practically lifting him off the ground as he did so.

     Max and Ervin congratulate the fourth gaffer of their year. Even those who bullied and laughed at Felix before congratulated him, which was something that Max was still bitter about since he wanted them to apologize at least.

     "Looks like I'm losing to you guys. I have to rank higher to be able to walk with the three of you with my chin up high," Ervin suddenly says, making Max look back at him with a warm smile.

     "You speak as if our ranks are what keeps our friendship strong. You joined us because we are friends so no need to rush," Max reassure him. "But of course, reach for greater heights. We'll support you," he then says as he drapes his arm around Ervin.

     Ervin laughs but was genuinely thankful for his friend's encouragement. "You're acting like an old man," Ervin teases. "But just watch, I will definitely catch up with you guys."

     "I'm counting on it," Max answers back with a smile.

     Ari came next just a couple of ranks after. His previous rank, which was rank 289, rose even higher, making him the new rank 240 with a total of 6300 points. Even Hans, who Ari claimed to have hated him, clapped to congratulate his underling.

     The rest of the members of BND were also cheering for Ari. Even though Ari's image wasn't like the other Roses, BND was still proud to have someone like him be under them.

     "Max hasn't been called yet," Marcus - who was in the middle of the stadium with the rest of the brotherhoods - says as he watches the LED screen with complete focus.

     "What rank was he on last time?" Arjun asks.

     "I think it was around 280, but we're almost at 200 and his name still hasn't been called yet," Marcus explains.

     "You shouldn't be worried then. If his name hasn't been called yet then it means he got promoted. If he gets to rank 100 then even better, though it's very uncommon. In the history of J.S High, only 3 sophomores were able to enter the top 100, and those were Ian, Richard, and Gavriil," Hans then answers.

     Siren, who was sitting behind Hans, overhears their conversation and says, "It would be very impressive if the child does enter rank 100."

     Hans chuckles and looks back at Siren with a playful grin. "Why, will that fit your criteria, Siren? Will that be enough to finally spark your interest in him?" He asks.

     Siren doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds, almost like she was seriously thinking about it. Hans couldn't tell what the marquis' reaction was, but then Siren answers, "Perhaps, but that shouldn't be any of your concern, sir Hans."

    Hans doesn't say anything and just nods his head in understanding before finally looking back at the LED screen that was already showing rank 150.

     "Here we go, we're already in 150. If Max actually enters the top 100, I will lose my shit," Hans overhears Krist say.

Jokers and Cigarettes were as excited as BND. Max was almost like their son, and his achievements were something that they take pride in. It was also proof that they did not make a mistake in giving their crown brooch to Max.

     "Master Joker, we're already on rank 110," Rome says as the brotherhoods' eyes were all glued to the screen.

     "Holy shit, that sly fox might actually pull it off," Cj says before pulling out his cigarette and lighting it up.

     "109...108..." Krist was practically counting down as different white uniforms were showing on the screen. But when rank 100 was finally shown, and it wasn't Max's face, Jokers and Cigarettes (except for Cj who was silently smoking in his seat), instantly jumped out of their seats and started cheering. Even the count Orson grabbed his chair and lifted it up. If Ian didn't stop him on time, he would have thrown it like a maniac.

    "That's what I'm talking about! That's my little toy!" Krist shouted before looking back at the crowd. When he saw Max, he points at him before punching the air in excitement, making Max laugh at how ridiculous they were acting.

     "Congratulations Marcus. Your brother just became the fourth 2nd year to ever enter the top 100," Khian says, and Marcus was moments away from shedding a tear like the proud brother that he was.

     Everyone, not just the brotherhoods but the rest of the white uniforms and even the professors who were there, waited patiently for Max's picture to appear on the screen. They were holding their breath on each passing rank. Some even started making bets on how high Max's rank would be. It was a waiting game that even the Elites were watching closely.

     The entire stadium was practically quiet until finally, a familiar face appears on the screen with a rank that reflected all of his achievements on their last term.

     "Rank 85, second-year student of class A, Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire with a total of 7050 merit points...gaffer."

     And right then and there, the silent stadium was filled with unbearably loud roars.

- END -