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Year 2007, 06:00 AM at Ontreight State Junior High School, the day after the fight...
Vins seemed entirely engrossed in a nasal treasure hunt inside the still-empty classroom. He was sitting alone when he was approached by a classmate from 7-7 who was incredibly nosy about what had gone down yesterday.
His name was Briyan. His short and somewhat chubby stature made some people view him as a rather comical figure.
He swaggered into Vins's classroom like he owned the place.
"Hey Vins! I heard you just got into a fight yesterday? With a senior named Junior?" his classmate asked curiously.
"Nah, Yan... Where did you hear that?" Vins replied smoothly, throwing the question back to cover his tracks.
"Don't lie! I knew about yesterday's case! Many people said you lost to him, then you begged Dani for help, right? The 8th grader who's causing trouble now! You probably don't know him well, huh? He and I are really close! He said if I need anything, just let him know... Because he knows I'm quite famous among the 7th graders!" Briyan bragged.
Vins raised an eyebrow, listening to his classmate's delusional rant while completely focused on digging a stubborn booger from his nose.
"Who told you? Pssshhh... Pssshhh..." Vins asked, forcing air heavily out of his nostrils.
"You have a bandage on your cheek, what else could it be but a loss? Junior used to be in the same elementary school as me! And he was really scared of me back then! I even beat him up once in elementary school! As far as I know, he became really strong after entering this junior high! Even now, he still bows respectfully to me when we meet! Like he's intimidated by me..." Briyan rambled on.
"Oh..." Vins replied distractedly, inspecting his pinky finger to check the success or failure of his nasal excavation.
"Later, if he shows up in front of us... I'll call him! If he did anything to you, just tell me, okay? I'll let him know so he won't bother you! Oh, by the way, is Karina still single? I want to hit on her! But, I'm confused whether to choose her or Ivana! You know Ivana, right? Our beautiful and popular senior! I joined the scouts now because she forced me... She said, it's so she can see me every day!" Briyan boasted endlessly.
"And then? And then?" Vins asked, shoving his pinky back in, proving he failed his first attempt. He was getting incredibly annoyed by the stubborn booger refusing to leave his nose.
Pssshhh... Pssshhh...
Propelled by the forceful gust of air, the stubborn booger finally shot out—landing directly and sticking onto his friend's chin.
"Huh? Where did it go?" thought Vins to himself, his eyes scanning the area around his desk for the missing projectile.
"Well... I couldn't exactly refuse if she forced me like that! Especially if it meant she could see me all the time! As for Karina, lately she's been stealing glances at me! Sometimes she smiles and whispers to her friend every time she sees me... I'm sure she has a crush on handsome me! What do I do, Vins? I'm confused which one to choose? One is beautiful and popular, the other is a gorgeous Chindo! Karina would be a good match for me! Since we're both children of famous entrepreneurs! You're so dirty, Vins! No wonder no girl likes you! Unlike me, who's been clean since forever!" Briyan lectured, having watched Vins dig for gold this entire time.
Vins still looked completely lost, searching for where his booger had vanished to. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto his chattering friend's face, and he froze in shock at what he saw.
"Damn it, there it is!" thought Vins to himself.
Vins's entire focus was now locked onto the booger chilling on his friend's chin, making him completely tune out whatever nonsense Briyan was spewing.
"Hahaha you're cool, Yan! I'll support you! Whatever you want to choose... Ivana, Karina, Danisa... As a friend, I'll always support you! Hahaha..." Vins replied with an awkward laugh, slowly reaching his hand out toward his friend's chin.
"Danisa? When did I mention Danisa? What's wrong with you, Vins? Your behavior is so strange today!" Briyan asked, stepping back, completely bewildered by Vins's behavior.
Pat! Pat! Pat!
"It's nothing, Yan! Hahaha... I guess, it's because I haven't had breakfast! That's why I've been restless... Hahaha... hahaha..." Vins replied, awkwardly patting his friend's shoulder while still trying to sneak a reach for his chin.
Right in the middle of this incredibly awkward situation, Dani strolled up to Vins's classroom.
"Hey, my bro!" Dani shouted from outside the door, throwing a hand up in greeting.
Seeing a golden opportunity, Briyan immediately wanted to flex on Vins and prove everything he had just been bragging about.
"Perfect! The timing is just right! I can prove to Vins that I know the powerful people in this school!" thought Briyan to himself.
"Hey Dan-" Briyan started, but his words were instantly cut short as Dani walked right past him without a second glance, heading straight for Vins.
"How are you doing? Are you fine, my bro?" Dani asked, gripping Vins's shoulder and checking in on him.
"Fine, bro! I'm fine!" Vins replied cheerfully.
"Damn... Why did it turn out like this?" thought Briyan to himself, staring in absolute disbelief at the reality unfolding in front of him.
"You got a greeting from Junior! He said you have to come to his place today! There's something important he wants to talk about..." Dani explained to Vins, who still looked visibly distracted by the booger clinging to Briyan's chin.
"Oh? Yeah, Bro Dan! Hehehe... Yan! Don't go anywhere yet! Okay? Bro Dan... I'll go there after school! Hehehe..." Vins replied in a strained tone, desperately trying to keep Briyan from leaving. Dani noticed this and looked a bit confused by his junior's erratic behavior.
"Huh? What does Vins mean by holding me back? Is he doing it on purpose? Trying to embarrass me?..." thought Briyan to himself, completely misunderstanding the situation.
"I have to get my booger!" thought Vins to himself.
"Oh... You're also invited to Junior's hangout, Vins? Let's go there with me! He also told me that earlier... Directly, not through an intermediary like you!" Briyan scoffed, standing tall with Vins's booger still proudly displayed on his chin.
"What is this guy talking about?" thought Dani to himself, entirely lost by Briyan's words.
"Bro Dan, do you remember me? I'm Briyan, the one you said you'd back up if I got into trouble..." Briyan explained, turning to Dani.
"Ohhh... Briyan!" Dani replied flatly.
"You remember, right, bro?" Briyan pressed, acting incredibly arrogant in front of Vins.
"Which one? I forgot..." Dani answered honestly, scratching his head in thought.
"WHAT??? HE FORGOT??? EVEN THOUGH WHEN HE EXTORTED ME, I GAVE HIM 50 THOUSAND RUPIAH... THEN, HE SAID HE WOULD BACK ME UP!!!" thought Briyan to himself, panicking internally.
"Oh! I remember! Briyan! The one I extorted 5 thousand Rupiah from! But you gave me 50 thousand Rupiah, right?" Dani suddenly revealed.
"That's right, Bro Dan! That's me! Briyan! I'll go with you to Junior's hangout later... He also wants to talk about something important with me!" Briyan lied smoothly.
"Oh... Really? Okay! Then just come with me and Vins... Where are the chocolate buns and cream cheese, Vins?" Dani replied to Briyan before turning to ask about Edrik and Doval.
"I don't know, bro... Usually they're more diligent than me... It's unusual they haven't arrived by half past seven!" Vins replied, his eyes still glued to Briyan's chin.
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Not long after, the guys they were just talking about finally showed up. However, Edrik walked into the classroom completely alone, without Doval by his side.
"Hello-hello guys! Miss me? Hehehe..." Edrik grinned as he stepped in.
"Damn! This nerdy kid seems so arrogant! He's acting so chummy with Dani! Ah... He'll probably get extorted by Dani soon! Hahaha..." thought Briyan to himself.
"Hey, come here!" Dani shouted, waving Edrik over.
"See? Hahaha... From Dani's tone alone, it's clear he's going to bully him!..." thought Briyan to himself, smirking.
Edrik quickly jogged over to their little circle.
"How is it? Are you fine, my bro Edrik? Are your bodies not sore, right? Hahaha... You were amazing yesterday! Defeating 5 ninth-graders by yourselves with Doval! Hahaha..." Dani praised, slapping Edrik's back.
"HUH??? SERIOUSLY??? THIS NERDY KID DEFEATED 5 NINTH-GRADERS BY HIMSELF??? AHHH... HE PROBABLY USED A WEAPON!!!" thought Briyan to himself, his ego taking a massive, debilitating hit from reality.
"I'm fine, bro! Just a little sore on my back! Hehehe... Doval's the one who didn't come today! Because his face is bruised! Hahaha..." Edrik laughed, giving an update on his partner-in-crime.
"Oh? He was also told to come by Bro Junior! You also come with us later! If it's just a bruise, Doval just call him and tell him to come later, okay?" Dani instructed Vins's towering friend.
"Yeah Bro, just come with me! I guarantee it's fine!" Briyan chimed in, confidently patting Edrik's broad shoulder.
Edrik, feeling the pat, looked down at the student he didn't recognize at all. Instantly, he noticed something weird stuck on the guy's chin.
"Who are you?" Edrik asked bluntly.
"I'm Briyan! The guy most known by girls and school delinquents!" Briyan boasted smoothly.
"Do you know him, Vins? Bro Dan?" Edrik asked, pointing a thick finger at Briyan. Dani just nodded casually in response.
"Yeah Drik! He lives not far from my house... Sometimes we go to school together... As we are at the same sector..." Vins explained. Edrik gave Briyan a highly suspicious, confused look.
"You're the guy known by girls and known by school delinquents?" Edrik asked, leaning his large frame in, bringing his face intimidatingly close to Briyan's.
"Damn! What's with this gorilla? You don't have to stare at me like this! I know I'm handsome and popular! Hahaha..." thought Briyan to himself.
"HAHAHA!!! Are you sure you're famous in school? How come I don't know you if you're so famous?" Edrik laughed mockingly, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Hahaha... Yeah bro! I'm usually too busy with my achievements... So I focus too much on all that! I'm leaving now! I have something to do... Bye!" Briyan stammered, quickly excusing himself, terrified that his web of lies was about to be completely exposed.
"That person is so weird!" Edrik muttered, watching Briyan scurry away.
"Hello, beautiful!" Briyan called out as he left the classroom, trying to flirt with a female student in Vins's class to save face.
"Ugh! Disgusting!" the girl replied, looking at him in disgust.
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Dang! Ding! Dong!
The final dismissal bell rang through the halls.
Edrik immediately rushed over to Vins so they could head to the spot where they had gone to war with King J's crew yesterday.
Upon reaching the school gates, they saw Dani and his fellow 8th-grade fighters smoking casually outside the classrooms. The same went for some of the delinquent 9th graders who had been their bitter enemies just 24 hours ago.
They greeted each other naturally, exchanging fist bumps and shoulder bumps like old friends.
"Hey, how are you all doing, my bros? All recovered already?" Dani asked his seniors with a grin.
"Hey, Dani! Hahaha, we're fine, Dan! It's almost exam time anyway... We have no choice but to show up! Hahaha..." replied one of Junior's right-hand men, who was about to head to the hangout spot with them.
"Crazy! All the best to my seniors!" Dani cheered, and the older boys responded with warm, genuine laughter.
Vins and Edrik followed Dani's lead, respectfully greeting the seniors. Briyan, with his slicked-back hair, awkwardly tried to do the same.
The massive group then mobilized, walking together toward the 9th graders' notorious hangout spot.
Upon arriving, dozens of students in white and blue uniforms were already gathered at the exact dead-end street where the brutal brawl had taken place.
Darick and Harris could be seen busy sweeping and cleaning up the area.
Some guys had just arrived with their crew, while others brought their girlfriends along.
"Doval is on his way here, bro!" Edrik informed the 8th-grade leader.
"Awesome goldfish! Never refuses to gather even when sick! Hahaha..." Dani laughed, clearly pleased.
Briyan looked incredibly stiff, struggling hard to socialize or fit in with the hardened delinquents. Meanwhile, the entire walk there, Vins had still been intensely staring at his friend's chin. He couldn't fathom how his booger was still perfectly stuck there.
"Hey! Stop spacing out!" Edrik barked, snapping his friend out of his weird trance.
"Hahaha... Sorry Drik... No! Not really... I was just thinking about something..." Vins replied, shaking his head.
"What is it, pal? Don't stress out! We just gotta enjoy life, buddy!" Edrik said, trying to ease whatever was on his friend's mind.
"You're absolutely right, Drik! Okay! I won't think about it anymore..." Vins nodded.
Vins finally forced himself to look away from Briyan's face.
Amidst the growing crowd, Harris and Darick started ordering everyone to stand in a wide circle. Like herding ducks, the students complied, forming an orderly ring without any protests.
Right before the main event started, Doval finally arrived.
"Damn! Doval's here, Drik! Vins!" Dani called out from beside them.
"Damn! WelcWoMe hAnDsOmE!" Edrik teased mercilessly as Doval walked up wearing his uniform pants and a casual t-shirt.
"DwOn'T tAlK tO mE fIrSt! YoU ShItTy PiGgiE!" Doval mumbled, struggling to form the words because his face was so severely swollen.
"Hahaha... Feeling better, Val?" Vins asked with a sympathetic smile.
Doval just nodded, way too lazy and in too much pain to speak.
"Ugh, what kind of creature is this? So ugly! Vins's friends are all worthless!" thought Briyan to himself, glaring disdainfully at Doval's battered face.
VROOOMMM!!! VROOOMMM!!! VROOOMMM!!!
The heavy, roaring sound of a Yamaha Tiger engine echoed through the dead-end street. The motorcycle, heavily modified into a slick Cafe Racer style, rolled into the center of the spot.
A student as tall as Vins was riding it, and everyone instantly knew exactly who had arrived.
"What the hell? This person is so tacky! So noisy..." thought Briyan to himself, completely clueless.
It was King J, rocking his signature black leather jacket and a classic vintage helmet. Junior killed the engine, kicked the stand down, and pulled off his helmet.
The seated students stood up out of respect to greet him. Junior walked through the crowd, shaking hands firmly with the delinquents.
Not long after, another motorcycle pulled up—a classic 1980 Honda Legenda.
It was Edward, arriving late with his girlfriend riding pillion.
"Sorry guys... A bit late! Just finished delivering something for my girlfriend's mom!" Ed apologized, hopping off and dapping everyone up.
"Fine, my man!" Dani replied.
"Okay, everyone's here? If so... Let's start the event!" Harris announced loudly, standing in front of the gathered Ontreight delinquents.
"I invite the king of Ontreight State Junior High School to enter the circle of students!" Darick called out.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The crowd erupted into applause, welcoming Junior as he walked confidently into the center of the human ring.
"What kind of event is this, Bro Dan?" Vins whispered, leaning toward Dani.
"Just watch! You'll find out yourself later..." Dani smirked.
"Damn! Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" thought Vins to himself.
A heavy silence fell over the students; even the girlfriends who had tagged along quieted down completely.
Junior stood tall and began his address to the underground society of Ontreight.
"Good afternoon, Ontreight friends! As King J, the King of Ontreight school! I intend to invite all of you present today only to inform you that we, the ninth-graders, will be busy with final school exams... These will be held approximately 6 months from now! I, Junior, and my fellow ninth-grade friends, would like to apologize for what we have done to all of you in the past! Whether intentionally or unintentionally!" Junior stated loudly, his voice echoing off the concrete walls.
"This tradition of Kings has existed since our school's early days when we often clashed with other schools! Not intending to be rulers crazy for fame, our duty as Kings is to maintain the safety and peace of Ontreight students from outside threats..." Junior explained, shedding light on the true burden of his title.
"This tradition has been officially recognized by the Student Council organization and the student discipline teachers... And it was also established secretly without the knowledge of other teachers or the principal... That's all! Nothing more or less! Therefore... I, Junior, hereby inform you of my resignation as King and will choose a new King to continue this existing tradition..." Junior declared, followed by thunderous applause.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Vins, Edrik, Doval, and Briyan, upon hearing King J's speech, were completely blindsided by the weight of this hidden tradition.
They had no idea that all this time, there was an underground system of power designed purely to maintain the safety and peace of Ontreight students against outside threats, operating entirely outside the Student Council's jurisdiction.
"Hey, Vins! Did you know, Vins? This King position is usually given to an 8th-grade student to continue the previous King's duties!" Dani whispered excitedly to Vins.
"Seriously? I'm shocked, bro! I thought it was just the name of Bro Junior's delinquent gang..." Vins whispered back.
"Every school that stands within the three top schools, definitely has its candidates, Vins! All of this is done so that cases like Elgor, which I told you about yesterday, won't happen again..." Dani explained, his eyes gleaming with respect for the tradition.
"Thank you! And also, I have invited the head of the Student Council of Ontreight State Junior High School as the internal school administrator, to witness the selection of the new king today! Therefore, I will appoint a new king who is worthy to be the spear and shield to handle problems coming from outside the school! This new king must be a person who possesses courage, strength, and strong influence over the school environment..." Junior continued, laying down the heavy criteria for the crown.
"Without further ado, then let's welcome..."
The atmosphere in the dead-end street grew suffocatingly tense as everyone wondered which 8th-grade student would be chosen as the new King. They exchanged nervous glances, praying that this time, the King would be a righteous guy who actually enjoyed defending bullied kids or fighting off rival schools.
King J had technically done his job well against outsiders, but internally, he had often acted like a tyrant toward his own schoolmates. This had caused a lot of resentment toward the Student Council and the previous King for choosing Junior in the first place. Many had suffered under his arbitrary rule.
Because of yesterday's brutal battle, Junior finally realized what he had been doing all this time. Thanks to Vins's actions—which Darick and Harris had relayed to him after he woke up from being knocked out cold—Junior came to a profound realization:
Power without heart is pure evil, and conversely, heart without power is nothing but weakness.
"HERE IS OUR NEW KING..."
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-To be Continued
