♛

ANTONIO WAS SITTING IN his classroom, reading the script for the play he was starring in. Classes were about to end anyway, so Antonio just decided to run through the script now before their practice later.

     "Good afternoon everyone," a bright-sounding voice greets, making Antonio put his script down so he could see who it was.

     The person who went inside their room was none other than the Elites president, Ian Rothman. Ian enters the room with a smile, greeting everyone who'd say hi to him. It almost looked like he was some kind of a celebrity.

     "Ian, it's rare for you to come to class," one of their classmates said as Ian walked towards his designated chair, sitting beside the Elites secretary, Richard Young, who was busy reading a book.

     "It's rare to see the members of the Elites here," another one of their classmates corrected.

     "You're making it sound like I'm a bad student who always skips classes," Ian manages to joke. When he took a seat, his classmates instantly crowd around him. If popularity was a thing, Ian was definitely the most popular one.

     "We're here because we're having our Business Studies class. It's the only class that president Janus himself teaches. We can't miss out on it," Richard then explains, putting his book down so he could look back at Ian and his classmates.

     The students of Class IV-A continued to crowd around the two Elites, wanting to hear stories about the things they've been doing in the council like they were some kind of war hero.

     "We're preparing for the Elite School Convention. We don't know who will host it yet, but we're trying to pitch J.S High. It would be great if we could host it for the first time," Ian explains to his classmates, automatically making them look excited.

     As Ian, Richard, and the rest of their classmates continued talking, a particular white uniform pushed through the crowd of students and stood in front of the two members of the Elites, making everyone become quiet.

     "Oh Antonio, you're here too," Ian says as Antonio got closer to them with a smile.

     "Yeah, the other guys from the top 10 all came as well, but you two took all the attention," Antonio says before laughing, making the others look at him awkwardly.

     "I was just joking of course," he immediately says when he noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere.

     Antonio was about to say something again to try and salvage the awkward tension, but then Richard looks at him and says, "Antonio, I heard you're starring in another play next month. My parents were talking about it. Tickets sell out fast when you're one of the leads after all."

     Antonio's face instantly brightens after what the secretary told him. "Thank you for the compliment. If you'd like, I can get your parents some tickets. I'll make sure they sit on the best seats too," Antonio offers.

     "They'd be delighted. Thank you," Richard replies, making Antonio smile even brighter.

     "So you were in another play? I think I saw you on one of the posters circulating around the internet. I bet you're going to get a ton of awards again Antonio," another one of their classmates stated, and Antonio couldn't help but feel flattered.

     Antonio was about to share more details about his play, but then two guards arrived inside their room, instantly making the rest of the class run back to their seats. The two guards entered the room first, and right behind them was none other than the school president of J.S High, Janus Sinclaire.

Janus walks inside the room and everyone instantly became completely quiet. "Good afternoon everyone," Janus greets, and the class's representative, rank 7, Kenzo Furukawa, stands from his seat first and says, "Class IV-A, stand and welcome our today's professor."

     Everyone stood up like what was instructed and greeted the president in unison.

     "Good afternoon president Sinclaire."

     Janus nods his head and gestures his hand for everyone to take a seat. Without a single book or even a laptop, Janus walks toward the board and takes a marker. "Please take out your books and turn it to page 125," he says as he starts writing something down on the whiteboard.

     Everyone did what they were told as they took out their book so they could get ready for their last class of the day.

     "Alright, last time we talked about Operations Management, so today we'll just quickly run through the principles of marketing so we could move on to Info Management and Data Analytics," Janus stated as he started with his discussion. Everyone was listening attentively as Janus went through all the points in the book. He didn't even have to look at it to know what was in it.

     As the class was listening attentively, Antonio takes out his highlighter and started highlighting the key terms that the president was making while writing down some notes. Everything was going smoothly, but then the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrates, almost making him flinch.

     Antonio tries to ignore it, but his phone vibrates again, finally making him put his highlighter down. He glances at Janus who is still busy writing on the board, so Antonio quickly pulls his phone out to see who it is.

     Antonio thought that it was someone from the play, but when he saw that he received a message from an unknown number, Antonio couldn't help but furrow his brows. "Who on earth is this?" He asks, clicking the message to see what it was.

     As soon as Antonio checked the unknown message, his eyes instantly widened in shock. He quickly looked around the room, checking if someone saw him reading something on his phone. When he saw that everyone was still preoccupied with the lessons, Antonio looks down at his phone again to check if he read it right.

     "When is the next auction?" The message read, instantly making Antonio turn his phone off so he could hide it in his pocket again.

     "What's going on? Who sent me that message?" Antonio asks himself as he looks back at president Janus, trying to focus on the lesson again, but for some reason, he couldn't focus anymore.

     "How did they get my personal number?" Antonio continues to ask, bouncing his leg up and down as sweat started to form on his forehead. "No, this is a prank. Someone's just trying to prank me. I have to act normal. I can't let anyone notice," Antonio continues to convince himself as he looks back at his book. He then takes his highlighter to highlight another key point, but as he was in the middle of doing it, his phone vibrates again, instantly making Antonio flinch and mess up.

     "Mr. de la Paz!" Janus then shouts, immediately making Antonio jolt up from his seat in complete panic.

    "You think I haven't noticed you checking your phone? If there's something you can't ignore, step out of the room first and stop disrespecting my class," Janus says, and Antonio quickly apologized before heading out of the room.

     As soon as he got out, Antonio ran to the restroom and checked every cubicle to make sure no one was there. When everything was clear, Antonio pulls out his phone and reads the new message that was sent to him.

     "Can we meet up? I have a huge sum to offer you. I'll be waiting at the auditorium."

     Antonio sat on the toilet and removed his peak cap so he could brush his hair back with his fingers. "Who is this person? How did he know about the auction?" Antonio confusingly asks; his usual bright expression now turning into a more serious one.

     Yes, Max and Keigo guessed it right. Antonio was, in fact, the white uniform who was organizing the auction. He's been doing it for two years now, and for those years, he has never been caught.

     Antonio organized the auction with complete discretion. He would usually befriend a handful of people and choose the person who looked like they had money to spend for points they desperately needed. This was where his acting skills paid off.

     The auction is usually held after classes. Antonio would send a letter to the council, requesting that the Theater Guild will be practicing and no one be allowed to enter to avoid 'spoiling' the play, not knowing that they're actually holding bids instead in the auditorium. It's been the perfect strategy considering how their auctions only happen once every three or four months.

     Another reason why they've never been caught before is that they're not like Checkmate. Checkmate bullied white uniforms so they could forcefully take their points, while Antonio did a different strategy that's less eye-catching.

     Antonio would look for seniors who are willing to give out their points in exchange for actual money. There are some senior students who don't want to rank up anymore since they're going to graduate anyway, so these seniors would sell some of their points. Usually, it's just small, like 50 merit points up to 200. The amount is small because Antonio doesn't want to risk alerting the Elites.

     Now, after gathering these points, Antonio would have enough to start the bid. Sometimes he'd auction 1000 merit points and the bid would go up to millions, showing how some white uniforms are desperate to rank high. It was also one of the fastest ways for Antonio to raise money, especially when the theater industry is slowly dying.

     "What the hell am I going to do?" Antonio asks while massaging his temple. He was contemplating whether or not he should reply to this number, but after a couple of minutes of thinking, Antonio decides not to reply to the message at all. He wasn't dumb enough to reply to something like this and risk getting caught. That was the master plan, but then his phone vibrates again.

     Antonio takes a deep breath and slowly checks the message. He didn't know what to expect, but as soon as he saw what was sent to him Antonio dropped his phone in shock.

     "H-How..."

     Antonio slowly looks back at the phone that's already on the floor. He couldn't help but cover his mouth in shock when he saw a picture of himself running out of their classroom earlier, with the caption "Why so nervous?"

     Antonio slowly reached out for his phone again, and as soon as he was able to grab hold of it, the unknown caller started calling him this time. Antonio didn't hesitate anymore as he finally answered, "Who the hell are you?! Do you think this is funny?"

     "Mr. de la Paz, you finally answered my call," an unfamiliar male voice says. "I have an important offer that you might not be able to refuse. If you want to learn more, I'll be waiting at the auditorium."

     Before Antonio could say anything, the man ends the call, almost making Antonio throw his phone away out of complete anger.

     Antonio was cornered. He doesn't entirely know who that man was, but if he doesn't go to the auditorium like what that caller said, then he wouldn't be able to know what will happen next. Who knows what other things he might know? Antonio can't risk it.

     "I'll have to go to the auditorium," he finally decides, hiding his phone inside his pocket and finally heading out of the restroom as he was already thinking of what to do.

     The plan was simple, head to the auditorium and check what the man wants. From what Antonio knows, no one has evidence of the auction as the security is high, and all the guests are checked and profiled before it even begins. As long as he doesn't admit anything and plays dumb about it, then nothing bad will happen. He'll just act like a victim until everything is cleared up.

     "This is like another play that I have to act on. It's going to be easy," Antonio says with confidence as he heads straight to the auditorium with no hint of hesitation.

     When he got there, Antonio pulls out his student card from his pocket. The auditorium is only opened when there are events so the only people who really have access to it are the members of the Theater Guild since they have to practice and make props.

     Antonio scans his card and the door finally unlocks. When he got inside, the auditorium was dark, and the only light was coming from the stage.

     Antonio walks into the middle aisle and goes straight to the front row. As soon as he got there, he saw a white uniform sitting on one of the seats at the front. Antonio stops walking, and then the man finally stood up and faced him.

     "Are you the person who called me?" Antonio asks, and the strange caller finally turned around and faced him.

     Antonio furrowed his brows in confusion. He didn't know who the man was, but after a while, his eyes widened from shock as he says, "You...you're the white uniform from Class D who was transferred to Class A after getting the 2nd highest score in the exams."

     The man whose name was Kawanishi Keigo smiles at Antonio and bows to him before saying, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Antonio."

Antonio was trying to process the situation. He didn't understand why someone like Keigo would do such a thing. "How on earth did you get my number? And how on earth did you get in here?" He finally asks him, and Keigo puts his hands inside his pocket and walks closer to where Antonio was standing.

     "You see, I have connections. I know people who have attended this auction, and I know that you can help me with my problem," Keigo says, and Antonio shows him a puzzled look like he didn't know what he was saying.

     "I think you've got the wrong person. I have no idea what you're talking about," Antonio tells him. "I came here because I wanted to warn you. You took my number and my picture without my consent. If you continue on with this charade I'm going to tell the council about it."

     As soon as Antonio said those lines, Keigo became quiet, but after a while, the silence turned into laughter, making Antonio take a step back.

     "I had a hunch that you were going to say that," Keigo says, turning away from Antonio and walking back to the chair he sat on so he could take something. He then returns to Antonio, surprising him because Keigo was now holding onto a silver-colored briefcase. "You say that now, but let's make money talk," Keigo says as he stops in front of Antonio.

     Antonio didn't know what the briefcase was about, but then Keigo opened it in front of him, and as soon as he saw what was inside, his mouth instantly dropped in surprise.

     "200 million dollars," Keigo says. "Sell me 4000 merit points and I'll give you all this," he then adds, and Antonio couldn't help but stare at the amount of money in front of him with disbelief.

    This was no doubt the highest bid in their entire auction. The highest so far was 10 million dollars, so the amount that Keigo was offering was definitely unbelievable.

     But as big as the offer was, 4000 merit points was definitely too much for Antonio as well. The highest they've ever sold in their auction was at least 2000 MP, and that was when they got the 10 million bid. Through the ways they acquire their points for the auction, 4000 merit points would be difficult.

    "This is real, in case you're wondering. I could even drop all the bills on the floor so you could check it yourself," Keigo tells him, but Antonio remained silent, making Keigo smirk.

     "You see, I'm still a serf, and since I'm already in Class II-A, I really need to rank up and become a gaffer. Unfortunately, my points are too low, and the only way I can get enough points is through you. I'm aware that this isn't really how auctions work, but I think you can make an exception, considering how I'm offering you this much," Keigo then states while shaking the briefcase.

     Antonio gulps and continues to stare at the amount of money in front of him. With that amount, it could be possible to search for 4000 merit points. He'll use 100 million to pay the white uniforms who are willing to sell the points to him, and then he'll keep the other half to himself.

    With that amount of money, Antonio could finally...

     "Raise it to 250 million dollars," Antonio now bargains, and a grin slowly appears on Keigo's face. "We usually put that much on auction, but if that's your starting price then I'll make an exception. Raise it to 250 million dollars, and I'll give you the points you need as early as next month. Is that a deal?" Antonio says with a desperate look.

Keigo doesn't say anything for a while, but then he closes the briefcase and tells him, "Thank you for your cooperation."

     Antonio's face instantly lights up. He was ready to talk to Keigo about the details, but then Keigo turns away from him and suddenly says, "That's a deal...but I have to talk to my benefactor first."

     "W-What?" Antonio asks in shock.

     Keigo smiles and looks over his shoulder before saying, "You see, this money isn't really mine, so let me just ask if he's willing to add more."

     Antonio didn't entirely know what was happening, but then someone suddenly appeared on stage, and as soon as he saw who it was, he couldn't help but fall to the floor in complete shock.

     "Max, you think you're willing to add 50 million more on your bid?" Keigo asks as Max went down from the stage to approach Antonio who was left dumbfounded. Max wasn't laughing, nor was he looking down on Antonio. The only thing on Max's head right now was...

     "Why?" He asks. "Why did you do this?"

     Antonio stares at the floor, not daring to look at Max's face. But after a while, Antonio clenched his fist in anger as tears formed in his eyes. "Why?" He asks back. "You ask why...don't make me laugh Max."

     Max doesn't say anything, but then Antonio swallows the lump in his throat and says, "Money is power. There is no opportunity in art. If you don't have connections and power, you'll never make it."

     Keigo looked at Max, expecting him to say something about that comment, but Max kept quiet about it instead. He didn't want to interrupt Antonio. He wanted to understand why he'd do such a thing. He didn't want to feel guilty like what happened to Thomas.

     "Do you know what it feels like to be in a school filled with kids like you?" Antonio then asks, looking at Max with spite and anger. "I've tried my best to fit in with rich kids like you, but I realized that oil and water will never mix. It's easy to brush things off and be carefree when your family is already stable. You business tycoon kids don't know the struggle."

     "Wait, why are you suddenly blaming this on us?" Keigo asks as he approaches Antonio, but Max immediately stopped him.

     "Why? It's the truth! You guys don't have to wake up early in the morning to train and practice for a play that people would barely go to. You don't know what it feels like to be rejected just because of the color of your skin. I had to starve, only to be booed at by people who know nothing about the arts. I had to work my butts off just to be where I am today, yet it's still not enough," Antonio explains as the tears that he tried to hold on to finally streamed down his eyes.

     "Because with all the awards and recognition I get, I'm just another actor who's entertaining an audience whose wealth and power I will never reach."

     Antonio takes a deep breath and looks past Max's shoulder so he could see the stage. While looking at it, he couldn't help but show a smile that felt sad and lonely.

     "I never wanted to be a theater actor, but it's the only thing I'm good at ever since I was a kid. The truth is I'm fucking sick of it. I'm fucking sick of being on stage, while hundreds of people stare at you. But what other opportunity do I have? Unlike you people, I'm not privileged enough to find my real passion," Antonio reveals before laughing at himself, almost like he found his own situation funny.

     "This auction is one of my biggest sources of income. If I don't act, no one will financially support my entire family. I'll even lose my scholarship here in J.S High because my acting experience is the only reason why I was even invited to enroll in the first place, so don't ask me why I did it because my only response would be...why shouldn't I?" Antonio says with complete conviction, making Keigo gulp.

     Max on the other hand continued to remain quiet. It wasn't because he didn't want to give any sort of reaction, but because there wasn't anything for him to say in the first place. Antonio sounded certain. He knew the consequences full well. This was just his last resort.

     "Do you have nothing else to say?" Max asks, and Antonio stares at Max's eyes for one last time. He wanted to be angry at him for planning such a thing like this. He wanted to be mad at Max for ruining things for him, but the longer he looked at Max's ocean eyes, Antonio couldn't help but let another tear drop.

     There was no malice in Max's eyes. Just complete sadness.

     "Don't look at me like that," he says, finally looking away from Max.

     Antonio wipes the tears in his eyes and looks at the stage for one last time before suddenly taking a seat on one of the chairs in the auditorium. "You win Max. I can't even get angry with you. You got way too much innocence and good intentions in your eyes. It's irritating," he says, and Max nods his head towards Keigo, making Keigo dial something on his phone.

    After sending out a message, the lights in the auditorium turned on, and the doors instantly opened, revealing the Elites vice president, Gavriil Alexeev, and the treasurer, Dustin Griffiths.

     The two Elites went in front of Antonio as Gavriil tells him, "Antonio Fernández de la Paz, according to Article 4 Sec. C, you are—"

     "I know, I know. I practically memorized the handbook so I won't retaliate. I'll come with you," Antonio says, taking a deep breath and looking at the stage for one last time before finally standing from his seat.

     Gavriil walks out of the auditorium, while Dustin nods his head towards Max first before walking Antonio out. But just before Antonio could take his leave, he looks over his shoulder and suddenly smiles at Max.

     "You know, that was my first time being a part of the audience. Seeing you on that stage earlier wasn't so bad after all," Antonio tells him as he and Dustin finally went to the exit.

     As soon as they were gone, Max and Keigo looked back at each other before sighing in relief.

     "We did it," Max says, and Keigo smiles and walked closer to him.

     "We have one day left, and one last task to finish. You think we'll be able to make it to the banquet?" Keigo then asks him.

     Max takes a deep breath and reaches out to touch the brooches on his shoulder. With confidence, Max smiles and answers, "You better get your best suit ready then."

- END -