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"I'M SURE YOU HAVE a lot of plans in store, especially now that you know Nicolàs Vega is here, but as a member of the Gaffers Division, I'd rather not hear it for my own safety," Asahi says with his usual blank expression, making Max laugh. He didn't want to purposely involve Asahi in his plans, but the gaffer doesn't have a choice if he's keen on helping him.

     "Don't worry, I have something else for you," Max says, adjusting himself on the bench so he can face Asahi properly. "But before that...why on earth didn't you give me a heads up on what type of school St. George Academy is? You should have given me at least a tip to prepare myself."

     "What did you want me to say? Did you want me to say something like, 'By the way, we have tax collections every month, you can offer money to get points, and gaffers practically rule the school.' Do you think that would have helped?" Asahi asked back, and Max couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

     "To be honest, that would have hit the nail."

     "Please, even if I explained the situation, you still wouldn't be able to comprehend how fucked up this school is until you see it for yourself. Even I'm surprised I'm still here."

     "Then why are you still here?" Max then asks, and Asahi finally closes his mouth and decides not to say anything about it.

     "You warned me about the storm before, and you're also the one who told me that someone in our house might lose the reranking. You also wanted me to become the representative so I can be sent here for the Exchange Program," Max explains as Asahi looks away from him. "You know so much about the future. It makes me wonder how much information Uchdryd Rease really has."

    As soon as Max mentioned that leader's name, Asahi instantly looked back at him with his eyes wide in shock. "H-How did you find out?" He asks him. "Did Felix Campbell tell you?" He asks further, making Max confused this time because he wasn't expecting Asahi to mention him.

     "So Felix knew about your secret, too? I should have known," Max says in surprise, making Asahi sigh because he casually just let that slip. "Well, I don't know when you two talked, but no, it wasn't Felix. But that's not really important now. What's important is I know you're on my side on this. Well, are you?"

     Asahi stares at Max, who is waiting for his answer. But as he looked at the serf, Asahi couldn't help but remember their time at the pageant. Max is definitely a remarkable boy, and that's something that Asahi witnessed firsthand. He saw how Max lured people in to be on his side. He saw how he was dedicated to everything he did, and he believed in people who don't even believe in themselves.

     Asahi might not be the type to trust people either, but if it's someone like Max, then he can definitely trust him.

     "I'm on your side," Asahi genuinely answers, and it's up to Max if he's gonna believe him on that or not. Thankfully, Max looked like he did believe him.

     "You know, during the pageant, I was a little frustrated that you gave up without an actual fight. You insisted that I deserved to win the title, but for me, I felt like I was lacking. But thinking back, you told me before I won that you hoped I'd return the favor. Was this the favor that you were referring to? Were you already hoping that I'd help St. George Academy in some way?" Max asks him.

     "Yes," Asahi answers with no hesitation or shame.

     "That's a lot of pressure," Max jokingly says next, but Asahi doesn't laugh, which makes Max sigh and adjust in his seat again.

     "I never expected the House of Bishops to be like this, but now I understand why you're all so eager to bring me here. To be honest, this would have been a lost cause, but I saw the hope in the serfs' eyes, and that's why I decided to help. And that's why I need you to do something for me," Max finally voices, and Asahi nods his head, not saying anything as he listens attentively to what the heir has to say.

     "Can you draw me a map of your dorm and share with me the secret passages so we can have easy access inside?" Max finally asks.

     Asahi was ready to help Max with anything, but this was something that he wasn't expecting at all. When Max saw the confusion in the gaffer's eyes, he moved closer and clarified, "My friends explained to me that the dorms are inspected every end of the month, which will be tomorrow. The cleanest dorm gets points, and that's what we're aiming for."

     "That's why you've all been busy cleaning the entire week?"

     "That's right. I don't want to brag, but the Hell Sanctum looks really good right now, and we might actually get those points. The problem is I don't trust your system. I'm sure that even if we keep our dorm spotless, they'll still give the gaffers or the dwellers those points. That's why I'm planning to secure our victory," Max explains further.

     "And how is that connected with me giving you a map of Paradise Cove?" Asahi then asks, making Max grin in excitement because it's been a while since he's planned something like this.

     "Well...we're gonna trash your dorm," Max casually answers with a smile, almost sending a chill down Asahi's spine.

     "Pardon?"

     "We're gonna sneak in and trash it. That way, it would be impossible for the ministry to give you guys the points. What do you think?" Max asks, leaving Asahi speechless. But after a while, he starts laughing out loud, a reaction that's very new to anyone who might know him. Asahi knew Max had a way of making these crazy plans, but this sounded like the craziest of them all. No one would dare do such a thing except for him. And the fact he said it so casually to an actual gaffer makes it even funnier.

     After calming himself down, he wipes the tears from his eyes before looking back at Max. "Imagine if I'm not actually on your side. What would you have done if I ended up ratting you out?" He asks, but that wasn't something Max would be worried about. He's thought of all the possibilities. That shouldn't be much of a concern.

     "Well, you won't, so it's good for me."

     "You're really something, aren't you, Max Sinclaire?" Asahi says with a smile before adding, "I'll draw you a map and send it to your dorm when it's done. And as requested, I'll even put the exits, CCTV cameras, and the areas where there are guards. I hope that would be enough help."

     "That would be more than enough. Thank you."

     "Don't thank me yet, Max," Asahi replies. "What you're willing to give me will be more than what I'm willing to give you. This type of information isn't even a big deal," he then explains, making Max tilt his head to the side.

     "You mean this is another white information? Like the one you gave me last time?" Max asks, remembering the time Asahi mentioned it to him. It was when he revealed that someone from J.S High would lose the reranking. Max wasn't sure what that white information meant at that time, and up till now, he still isn't sure. But what he is certain about is that it will benefit him in the end, and that's what's important.

     "Well, if you want it to be white information, then it's white information," Asahi answers as he reaches out for his now cold tea so he can take a sip of it. "Anyway, is there anything else I can assist you with?"

     "No, you've done enough. Thank you again, Asahi. And as I said earlier, it is such a pleasure to see you," Max says, standing from his seat and suddenly touching his chest as a sign of respect to the higher-ranking white uniform.

     "It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Mr. Congeniality," Asahi jokingly says before nodding his head to acknowledge what Max had just said. But before Max could leave, Asahi decided to ask him one final question.

     "Have you spoken to Kim Hee-Joon yet?" He asks.

     Max takes a deep breath and shakes his head in reply. "I haven't, but I will soon."

     "What do you mean?"

     "I'll wait for that map, Asahi," Max answers instead as he walks away while waving goodbye to the gaffer.

     Asahi chuckles, but while Max is walking away, his expression instantly changes as he remembers everything that has happened to Max in their house thus far. He saw how he ended up being covered in red paint and how he took the punishment from the other dwellers that caused his hands to bleed. He also saw how out of everyone in this godforsaken school, only he was willing to help the serf's division.

     "White information..." Asahi whispers under his breath. "An information you can only give to someone you fully trust."

     Asahi takes a sip of his tea again before looking up at the clear sky. This time, he looked at it with a hopeful smile. "Looks like St. George Academy will be experiencing something remarkable tomorrow. I'll definitely have to be prepared."

...

The school bell rang, and everyone was now at the Cathedral for the Sunday Mass. Some of the students were paying attention, while others couldn't even hide the fact that they were already dozing off, especially the white uniforms from the Serfs Division. The serfs were working all night for the last phase of their plan. Half of them inspected the dorms to check if they missed a spot, while the other half worked on the scheme to trash the gaffers' dormitory.

     As promised, Asahi sent them the map. Others were skeptical about it, but Max trusted Asahi and used the map with no hesitation. For the plan, Max only needed three important factors. First was the machine that Xander built, which would cause a catastrophic display inside the gaffer's dorm. Second was Keigo's exceptional hacking skills, which would help with the CCTV cameras. And third was someone who was stealthy, which Vesper was thankfully an expert of.

      Max wasn't sure if Vesper would help them out, but when he heard about the plan, he ended up becoming more excited about it than anyone else. So fast-forward to that night, and thanks to the help of everyone's cooperation, the plan went smoothly. The contraptions that Xander invented were secretly placed around Paradise Cove with no one noticing, so now all that's left is to wait for the perfect moment. Even Vesper, who never attended the Sunday Masses, was there to watch the whole thing unfold.

     "The Mass is ended. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord," the priest recited.

     "Thanks be to God," everyone then responded.

     After an hour and a half, the celebration was over, and everyone bent one knee down before proceeding to the Atrium for the next event. Max even had to wake Vesper up because he ended up sleeping all throughout the ceremony.

     The brotherhoods, on the other hand, stayed in their seats and waited for everyone to leave.

     "Celebrating the gift of life the moment you wake up really puts you in the mood," Ronnie Holloway from Checkmate says, making Uchdryd look at him with a grin.

     "I bet it is, considering how you were jerking off all night. Gotta do something to wash the sin after all, right?" Uchdryd says to him. Ronnie punches their leader's shoulder while the rest of the members of Checkmate laugh. Scarlet Letter, on the other hand, looked at them with disgust.

     "You lot should at least be respectful. We literally just finished seconds ago," Ruby Rose, the leader of Scarlet Letter, then voices out.

     Miguel Pascual of Checkmate, who was sitting right in front of her, turned to face the leader and said, "That's big coming from someone whom the church hates."

     "Ohh!" The members of Checkmate cheered in unison, making the other members of Scarlet Letter chuckle. Surprisingly enough, Ruby was smiling too. She didn't say anything about the truthful comment, but she reached out to pinch Miguel's cheek like he was an annoying little brother, making the lord push her hand away in annoyance.

     It really is refreshing to see the two groups in such a friendly relationship, especially since both of them came from J.S High. But one brotherhood in particular wasn't having it at all. He wasn't here to make friends with the brotherhoods, so he didn't really care to build any sort of relationship with them.

     "Can you bastards just shut the fuck up," Elijah Memphis Valor, leader of Red Tigers, says with his brows furrowed in anger.

     "Always such a killjoy," a member of Scarlet Letter whispers as Uchdryd turns to face him as well.

     "What's your problem now? You've been looking like shit since the mass started. Has the holy spirit possessed you or something?" Uchdryd jokingly asks, pissing Elijah even more because Uchdryd knew exactly why he was acting like that. Elijah just found out that their school was sold to an unknown buyer. How can they be acting all happy while knowing that information? Someone is basically controlling them behind the scenes, yet they act like it's not a big deal.

     "Fuck you, Rease," Elijah suddenly fires back, instantly making the members of Checkmate stand from their seats, ready to fight if shit goes down. The members of Red Tigers did the same, which made Ruby sigh and massage her temple in frustration.

    "Seriously...these boys," Ruby whispered under her breath before standing from her seat as well. "Control yourselves before shots get fired. We're still inside the cathedral. If you have bad blood with each other, pull their flags and battle at the atrium. This is not the right time or place to fight."

   Everyone didn't say anything. Even the Gallants, the Archers, and the Clan were just watching them in silence. But as the tension grew, Uchdryd chuckled and waved his hand like he was declaring defeat.

     "No need to get fired up," the lord of pride answers. "And Memphis, if there is something that does not please you, I'd be happy to entertain you. No need to shout such profanities on these holy grounds."

     Elijah grunts in frustration but doesn't say anything anymore as the rest of his members head back to their seats. Checkmate did the same as well, which finally made Ruby sigh in relief. Seriously, out of everyone here, Ruby Rose might be the only mature one amongst them.

     "Brotherhoods," someone then calls out.

     Everyone turned around and found President Justice approaching them with an annoyingly excited smile. "The white uniforms are now at the atrium. They're all waiting for you there."

     "Finally," Yun Donghyun, leader of the Archers, says as he immediately gets up from his seat, glad to leave such an awkward scene.

     The members of the Gallants, Archers, and the Clan got up and walked out of the cathedral so they could head straight to the atrium. Elijah and his brotherhood finally walked out as well, and next were the members of Scarlet Letter. Uchdryd and his brotherhood were about to follow, but their leader stopped in front of the Saints' President and said, "Where on earth is PHD again? Just because you guys found out about the Princes' Law doesn't mean you can give them special treatment. We forced ourselves to attend this mass, and they can just skip it? Don't you think it's unfair?"

     "Kim Hee-Joon made a request to skip the mass because all of them aren't Catholics," Justice answers.

     "Bullshit," Uchdryd fires back. "Half of my members aren't Catholics either, but that didn't stop you."

     "Well, you didn't make a request now, did you?" Justice quickly answers, and the expression on Uchdryd's face finally turns into an impressed smirk. He couldn't believe this was the underling they had to adopt because Levi saw potential in him.

     "You're annoyingly good now," Uchdryd says as he wraps his arm around the president. "Well, come on. Don't want to keep those bastards waiting."

    The members of Checkmate got to the atrium, instantly making the white uniforms touch their chest as a sign of respect. As he always does, Uchdryd smiles at the crowd and joins the other brotherhoods in the middle. But while everyone was getting ready for the next event, a group of black uniforms finally made an appearance. It was none other than the members of Pretty, Hot & Dangerous, AKA the lord of Gluttony.

    For some reason, the white uniforms were extra quiet when they arrived compared to when Checkmates entered. The members of PHD were aware of that, and they couldn't help but smile in amusement.

    "What are we doing here now?" Joon asks with a tired tone before yawning loudly.

     "I think they're going to proceed with the offerings," Killshot answers, making Joon roll his eyes back like he heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.

    "Offerings? They hold an event for something so shameful?" Joon asks back before stopping right in front of the Serf's Division.

     The Serfs immediately got up and touched their chest for the brotherhood. Joon glances at them, but then his eyes stop directly at Max, who is looking straight back at him, too. He kept his expression blank, but when Max suddenly touched his chest and bowed to him like how he always does in J.S High, he finally looked away.

     The members of PHD walked to the Dwellers Division next, who stood from their seats and showed their respect just like what the serfs did. But when the lords walked to the Gaffers Division time, a lot of them didn't pay him any mind. They tried showing Joon that they didn't care about what he did to the gaffer last time. Well, that's what they tried convincing themselves until Joon opened his mouth to say something. He hasn't even said a word yet, but everyone instantly got up to touch their chest and show them respect.

     The blank and cold expression on Joon's face turned into a smirk as he stared at the gaffers who finally understood their place. As soon as Joon and the rest of his brotherhood turned around to join the others, the gaffers immediately sat down and started talking amongst themselves, angry and annoyed that they now had to obey a brotherhood who isn't even the highest-ranked in their house.

     "I heard a couple of gaffers were dragged to their base the other day. And when they came back, they were all beaten up," someone among their division says.

     "W-Wait, are you sure? Is that even allowed?"

     "I think it is because the ministry didn't do anything about it."

     "Are you serious? What the hell is going on?"

     "How could they just let them hurt us like that? We're fucking gaffers!"

     Joon continued to smirk in satisfaction as he finally sat on their seats with the rest of the brotherhoods. When he said he was gonna make those gaffers experience hell, he wasn't joking. This is only the beginning, though. And when Joon finally gets to make a plan with a white uniform he's been patiently waiting to meet again, he'll definitely force everyone to sign the petition to get the White Uniform Protection Code approved.

     "Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our next event," a nun says while the rest of the members of the Ministry, as well as the Tax Collectors, sat on the stage with them. "Before we begin, our school president, Reverent Father Lucas Ivory, would like to say a few words to all of us today," the nun then states as Lucas Ivory gets up from his seat so he can stand in front of the podium.

     "Good morning, St. George Academy," Father Lucas begins. "We have once again finished a fruitful and holistic week together. I am thankful that all of you have shown remarkable growth since the first day of our year, and I hope this will continue till the end of our school year."

     While their school president made his heartwarming speech, Max and Elijah couldn't help but stare at him indifferently. Max was staring at him with curiosity, while Elijah had his hands in a fist, feeling completely betrayed by him for selling their school without even telling anyone about it. How could he do such a thing? How long has he been hiding that from the association? Is that the reason why they have a Ministry where the Archbishop is considered to have the highest authority? Who on earth is that archbishop anyway?

     Such questions swam inside Max and Elijah's head. And they both couldn't wait to find the answers for them.

     "I know every one of you is now eager to proceed to today's event, so I will no longer waste any of your time," Father Lucas finally says, and the tension inside the atrium grows to the point where it's making Max's heart beat even faster.

     "Now for our school's tradition. Let me now open the floors...for the Sunday's Offering." 

- END -