A number of evaluations came and went after Zoe’s. Rai wasn’t all that interested in most of them though. There were some that seemed promising to begin with, but none of them ended up placing higher than Zoe or the person in first place.

Rai stared at the ranking board as the next student went onto the testing ground for their evaluation. He squinted as he read out the name of the person in first.

“Jerry Sim. Who’s that?” Rai turned to his friends to see if anyone knew.

Sin’s eyes widened as she looked at his name on the board.

“He’s got nine techniques at epic tier? How have we never heard of this guy?”

“He’s that vice principal’s mentee. Guy’s supposedly a whiz, but he doesn’t know a legendary technique at that level. Fuckin’ pissant.” Feris growled.

Maya stared at Feris, bewildered. She was amazed at Feris’s uncanny ability to anger himself even when there’s nothing happening around him to make him angry.

“If he’s strong, then I want to fight him!” Tullian said.

“Do you think of anything other than fighting? Ever? What about women, do you ever think about women?” Amy asked him.

“I... I know women! My sister’s a woman! So is my mother!”

“That’s... not what I meant...” Amy said with an exasperated sigh.

Sin stared at Rai with an expression that screamed ‘please let me play matchmaker, please please please please’.

Rai stared back with conviction. His expression screamed ‘no’.

Sin frowned.

“Is there no one else who knows a legendary technique?” Rai asked them.

On cue, the crowd erupted.

Sin pointed out the ranking board. “You just called it Rai! Look!”

They all looked at it.

The first golden name had appeared.

With a single ‘1’ next to their star.

There was a new first place on the ranking board. Rai leaned against the railing to see who it was. The student thanking the examiners was... well-groomed, to say the least. He had very unique blonde hair. It also looked like he was wearing makeup. Who is that guy?

Sin didn’t realise the name at first, but then she noticed the boy. Promptly, Sin gagged.

She wanted to puke.

“You alright?” Rai asked her.

The others looked worried as well.

Sin leaned back in her seat and groaned.

“No! I’m not alright. Of all people... why... WHY HIM?!”

The crowd was still loud in their cheers, so no one else actually heard her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react to someone like that... Who is he?” Tullian asked.

“He’s a noble boy called Leo Jenkins... And I’ve rejected him more than I’ve rejected Hiron.”

Maya had to stop herself from bursting out in laughter. She took a few deep breaths before asking her question. “What... What made him so bad? Other than his dreadful appearance, that is. Pfft.”

She couldn’t stop herself from snickering a little bit at the end.

“He always used to try and woo me with his fancy clothes and hairstyles whenever I’d attend noble events. I would always tell him that I wasn’t interested. The worst part is that he truly believed that I was just playing ‘hard to get’... I hope to all that’s holy that he doesn’t think that anymore.”

“Sometimes I really don’t envy your position Princess. Surely he’s forgotten about all that by now. It’s been how many years? What kind of maniac would still feel like that after that long?”

Sin’s expression became more and more disgusted as her eyes followed Leo’s path on the testing ground.

“Probably... this one.” She sunk back in her seat.

“Miss Raven! A pleasure to see you here! Might you be free this evening for a dinner? Perhaps we should catch up, for old times’ sake!”

Sin sunk even lower into her seat. Her torso was practically laying on the bottom of the chair.

Maya didn’t like this. As a girl who’s had to reject a lot of guys and not enough girls, she really didn’t like this.

“She said NO!” Maya shouted.

“I didn’t ask you, peasant. I asked the Princess. Miss Raven it would be a great opportunity for us to reconnect!”

He wasn’t giving up.

Sin had practically fallen off of her chair from embarrassment. She wanted to cry. After all this time, she’d gotten away from all of that. She was happy for once. Why did it all have to come back now?

Amy got up this time. She blew a raspberry at Leo.

“Ptth! Piss off noble asshat!” She’d taken a page from Feris’s book of insults.

Which he noticed. Something about it made him feel just a little proud.

Leo wasn’t budging, and the crowd was beginning to notice. “Miss Raven I do implore you. I have not forgotten your true beauty for as long as I have lived. Please do me the ho-”

A hand was on his mouth.

BOOM!

The crowd went silent.

An electrifying buzz filled the atmosphere. Crackling and zapping sounds filled the auditorium as Rai’s voice boomed from beside Leo.

“Did you want to keep that mouth?”

Rai stared straight into Leo’s soft yellow eyes. They looked timid.

Leo stared into Rai’s inverted eyes. The white irises and blue pupils clearly terrified him. He nodded profusely.

Rai sighed. His voice thundered as it echoed throughout the auditorium once more.

“Then keep it shut.”

An instant.

Rai returned to his seat in an instant.

It took Sin a moment to realise what had just happened. She turned to Rai, who smiled at her.

Sin was so happy that she could kiss him. She really wanted to kiss him. What happens if I kiss him here? Will it be bad? Will dad’s public image suffer if I kiss Rai right-mmph.

Rai kissed her.

After a moment, Rai released his lips from Sin’s.

“I’m yours.”

“... And I’m yours.” Sin kissed Rai again.

The crowd went absolutely insane as they watched it happen.

Leo looked around at them. Why are they cheering! He’s a no-name!! He looked up at Rai and Sin. Anger and fury was all that he felt. Argh! FUCK! Leo stormed back up to his seat, having been properly rejected in front of the entire year group.

The students in the audience were blown away. There was just as much excitement as there was sadness. Rai and Sin were two of the ‘popular kids’ to a lot of the students. They were unattainable for many of them, but that didn’t stop the the girls and boys present from crushing on at least one of the two. Still, this kiss was something that a lot of students saw coming. Especially those who shared classes with both Rai and Sin. They’d have much to gossip about in the coming days.

By now, Rai and Sin’s lips left each other.

Tullian stared at Rai and Sin with a flushed face, and a confused expression. His mouth was agape.

“About time.” Amy said with a smile.

Lina nodded in agreement with her twin. “Mhmm.”

“Wondered when you two would finally get together. I still don’t see it though. All he’s got is lightning for brains.”

Sin stifled a giggle at Maya’s words.

Feris simply grunted.

Tullian was still confused.

“Cat’s out of the bag now then.” Sin said. I think it should be fine. If anything bad happens, I think we can handle it.

Rai embraced her.

“Sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. The last few days have been... pretty hectic.”

“WHEN!? When did this happen? I never noticed!” Tullian exclaimed.

“Eh? Have you been living under a rock?”

Tullian stared back at Rai, but he didn’t know what to say.

“Tut tut tut. It seems I’ll just have to teach you about these things. On Sunday we’ll go out and I’ll just teach you everything about it, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.” Tullian said. He clearly didn’t know what he was getting himself into.

Amy fist pumped the air in a genuinely stealthy way. It was so genuine, in fact, that just about everyone in the audience saw it. In other words, it was not stealthy. Not at all.

Rai turned to Sin. He shot her a look that said ‘see? It’ll all work itself out even if you don’t play matchmaker’.

Sin pouted at him. Her expression screamed ‘but I wanted to have fun with it’.

Maya sounded confused as she pointed towards the person walking over to them.

“Uh... guys?”

They looked at Maya. Upon seeing her pointing in a certain direction, they all diverted their attentions there.

Rai’s eyes softened a touch.

“Hiron.”

Hiron walked over to them. He didn’t say anything at first.

A deep breath of air made it into Hiron’s lungs. He took a few of those until he was ready.

Hiron made sure to make eye contact with all of them.

“Sorry.”

He walked away.

Rai stared blankly at the empty space Hiron left behind. Sin nudged him.

Rai ran after Hiron. He caught up with him and and grabbed his shoulder. “Hey!”

Hiron turned around.

“... Thanks.”

Hiron nodded, then continued walking. He went over to the stairs.

Rai returned to his friends.

They all watched as Hiron went into the testing ground.

“Guys. It’s about time. We’re all about to have our evaluations after Hiron. Let’s see how he does.”

Sin rubbed her hands together.

“I’m excited! For all his talk, Hiron better have something good to show us.”

Tullian and Feris stared down at the testing ground. As did the rest of their friends. In fact, most of the student body was paying attention now. The whole of their collective concentration was focused on the centre of the testing ground.

Hiron was in full command of the stage.