“You look so good, was I too easy on you yesterday?” It was Milan’s first sentence to Ponjie when they entered the room for another spar. Just like before, the Seniors were very early to come. “Sorry, have you been waiting long? Aren’t you guys busy?” Ponjie wondered. Roy, who was in casual clothes this time, answered, “Not really. Our schedule can accommodate practices like this.” A nauseous grating noise sounded inside the room and the three of them turned to Fruto. The guy was dragging a chair lazily near the whiteboard and sat on it. When he noticed that he was being stared at for what he did, he just crossed his arms and shrugged. For the second time, Ponjie prepared to wear the boxing gear before going inside the ring. Milan wasn’t in a hurry as he thought Ponjie was probably worn out anyway. That would just make the fight not worthy at all. To be honest, he was badly disappointed and really thought he could take something away from Ponjie, but there was no gain. Milan deci
They were waiting for food for half an hour when somebody knocked on the door. Fruto was busy wiping alcohol on the earpiece he wore out of view earlier before he went to open it and saw Hugo carrying lots of food. “Finally!” Ponjie threw his phone away and complained, “What took you so long?” Hugo was apologetic and replied, “I’m sorry! I ordered so much so it took a while. Also, I had to be careful since Milan and Roy entered the cafeteria. I needed to hide for a while until they’re gone because if they saw me carrying so much and start suspecting, who knows what might happen to Ponjie next?” ‘How can you let Ponjie talk to you like that?’ Fruto wanted to remind Hugo that he should be the boss. Since there were only two chairs, Fruto started clearing what was on top of their study tables and arranged it to connect at the end of Ponjie’s bed. Then, they started eating together. “What’s with you guys?” Hugo asked. “What’s at stake for you to keep engaging with sparring sessions wi
Hugo was silent for a while, darting his eyes back and forth from Fruto to Ponjie. The guys in front of him were serious so he slowly drank water before answering.“We’re training to be Elites. Monsters are not a rare occurrence in this field.” Hugo sighed. “I encountered low-ranks, but nothing higher than that. Our mission is still harmless. Why did you ask?”Half an hour later, the exchange for information was successfully completed. Hugo sat motionless while Fruto and Ponjie opened snacks. “You said that Roy and Milan were also there and kept visiting you afterward?” He asked.“After that incident, even if we were not running for elections they made a request to have Milan spar with Fruto.” Ponjie replied in a casual manner.“Hold on. Hold on. The both of you almost died!” “So?” Ponjie raised his brows. Not getting why Hugo’s reaction was big. “It was a pathetic fight. I could only remember there was so much pain. More painful than Milan’s hits for me.”Hugo pressed his palm on h
Fruto looked outside and stared at the gloomy weather thinking hard about life and the shoes he’s wearing. It was quite old– the shoes, not his life. And his feet started aching just from the first five minutes of wearing it.He let out a small sigh before sneaking his fingers on the sole and pulling it down. He’ll just step on it like he does on slippers. Anyway, he’s wearing white and clean socks. The pants he’d put on does not help, though. He had been looking absolutely ridiculous. His new uniform barely fits him. Everything was too short and tight. But Fruto can’t do anything about it. He was not in-charge of his daily expenses. He doesn’t even have money on his own. Going to school with free stuff was already good. He didn’t dare ask for more. He hugged his backpack firmly while waiting for the bus to reach his new destination. “Your new school.” His uncle said one summer day. Fruto knew that no negotiation would take place. Not when he had lost track of time and wasted two ye
The sun spilled on the room through the window, giving a peaceful vibe on the two young men sleeping soundly on both of their beds. There was no division in the room except for the bathroom separated by a large frame. The dorm provided a bathroom for each room in the building because the headmaster did not like the way common bathrooms were used by the previous batches, who, in his opinion, were all irresponsible boys. Therefore, he established a rule where the stink, dirt, and mess should be cleaned by the own hands of the students, thus the exclusivity of bathrooms given to them. It’s not really spoiling them, but the headmaster just didn’t want to pass by a corridor full of bad smells every time he conducts a mandatory check of the dorm once a month, despite the cleaning methods used by the staff.While not everyone is a morning person, the boys are required to follow their schedule strictly, or else violation means that they will be sent to help in the cafeteria for a full week, r
"Have you heard about the freshman who knocked ten people down during their P.E class, yesterday?""What? Is that true?""Of course it is! Everyone saw it with their own eyes! The freshman was very strong and not only that, he defeated the instructor too!""Shit, you don't tell!""I'm not lying! You can ask anyone around and they'll tell you the same thing!""I've heard about it too! Apparently the freshman who did that was so strong that he entered the academy by knocking the headmaster down!""So cool! What's his name? Let's go see him!"
A month has passed and it was time for students to go back and visit their families at home. A lot of students went away early in the morning, while Fruto and Ponjie decided not to go. Ponjie reasoned that it was time for him to rebel since his parents did not even tell him about their plan to send him to the academy. Fruto also did not plan to visit his uncle since there is nothing to talk about. He was clear about what his uncle wanted.For him to be able to build a life he doesn’t need to escape from.He was busy folding his clothes that he washed from the laundry room in the basement when Ponjie tapped him on the shoulder.One month was enough to see the kind of person his friend was. Ponjie cleans really well when he’s around, but is always me
Birds sang in the trees, leaping from branches to branches, celebrating the joyous day. It was a lovely weather, as it should be, since the academy does not experience anything aside from sunny days.But that will change soon. The headmaster, who was grumpy and wasn’t in the mood to feel happy each day he lived, finally decided to let students bear the real weather.“It’s not going to harm them.” He clarified after seeing the butler reluctant to do what he wanted. “It was my grandfather who spoiled these rotten students. The weather will not shield them when they venture into society. Whether it’s raining, or hot, if there is a typhoon or not, an Elite will have to endure. The AI simulation is not enough. They need to adjust.”