"How was your summer?"
"Man, imagine Monday and new semester day are on the same day, fucking hell!"
Many students in the halls are crowded more than usual because today is the start of the new year.
Friend comeback, new class, new lessons, new chapters.
But sometimes, new things don't spark interest as the old.
[12S]
The golden brooch on his shirt identifies him as the highest-grade student, 12.
The gold is a signifier for a scholarship student, and the S means he is one of the members of the most vigorous class in the school.
Many eyes change their interest in him. The new students look at him with admiration, but the old student who knows him despises him.
Boss quickly walked through the hallways and upstairs to his classroom without making eye contact.
After 6 years, he still can't bear the hate he got for being in this position.
Boss slides open the door, and inside there is only 1 girl in the room, even if the bell will ring soon.
She was a timid girl, so shy that the moment the door opened, she jumped like a rabbit and put up a book to cover her face.
She is a beautiful girl with long straight hair and round glasses, she is relatively small for her age, making her have a unique charm like a small animal, but her shyness is the biggest obstacle they have to overcome before facing the most challenging obstacle, which is her family.
Her family is wealthy and overprotective —one of his classmates "drop-out" after asking her out.
"Hi! Nice to see you again, Aria."
But Boss doesn't care.
"Yes… Good to see you too, Boss."
After seeing it was Boss, the girl lowered her book and smiled back.
"How was Cerby doing? Is she still going around biting people? I hope not."
Cerby is Aria's dog, a unique dog.
It only answered Aria's command and was hostile to everyone else.
But with some "negotiation," Boss convinced it to behave in exchange for specific luxurious food and care, but the condition changes every year and keeps increasing.
"She better…"
Aria smiled a little while looking at Boss's enthusiasm and giggled after remembering what hardship it was back then.
Boss has to fight for his life before Cerby finally listens to him and starts the negotiation process.
He has to be in a plaster cast for 6 months.
But in exchange, he earns Aria's trust.
"Oh! By the way, just asking, ``what is your magic level now?"
"It's still A. Sorry…"
"Don't be sorry! I just wanted to ask the same thing I have been asking for 6 years. Please carry me!"
Boss begs Aria without shaming or guilt.
This girl is his savior, with the highest magic talent in school. She alone carries his ass from grade 6 to 12 by being in a group with her in the magic test.
"I don't know… My mother told me it would be different in the 12 grades, b-but if it is you, then I will try my best!"
"Thank you! Let's hope we can graduate together, haha!"
"Um!"
[Ding!]
The bell starts ringing, and Boss goes back to his seat.
Aria's seat was at the corner at the back of the class, but his seat was in the middle of the front, directly facing the teacher, because he wasn't afraid to answer the question in class!
"Two people?!"
The teacher, a mature lady with a long dress and vigorous figure, shouted after seeing only 2 students present.
"You get used to it, by the way. The name Boss. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, hello Boss, I heard a lot about you, "The King of Crow," isn't it?"
"Hehe~"
Aria giggled after hearing Boss's secret nickname only known amongst the teacher and top students.
She laughed because of its origin; it was hilarious!
"Come on! That was one time, and it was an accident! I didn't know the crow would go brrrrr like that!"
He once had to face one of the strongest students in school in a battle because his opponent thought what he said was offensive, but he negotiated with the crow to "disturb" his opponent's life until the match day.
His thought was that the crows would make some noise, pick some cloth, and be annoying, so the opponent's life got more challenging and got frustrated, and on the fight day, he would surrender so his opponent would not get to relive the stress, ever!
He planned to destroy his enemy's mental health.
But the crow has another plan.
That student's house got shitted on by the crows 24/7 for 1 month straight.
She dropped out because her family couldn't endure it.
To this day, the crow still occupies that house as their gathering place.
"Year, sure…."
The teacher rolled her eyes.
With power like his, the world is one weapon class away from the ape's revolution.
"So, where are your friends?"
"If you specify "friend," they are all here, but if you are looking for other students, they should be either late or busy."
Most students here are inherently strong, so the class is the last thing they care about.
They either have their fun somewhere else or do a mission.
"We got a field trip today in the afternoon. Will they be back before then?"
"If you told them, maybe."
"Then, can you call them?"
"Nope, I don't have anyone's number. Even if I do, they probably blocked me."
Other than Aria, he has no friends around here.
He was an outcast the moment he got chosen for this class.
If not for Cerby, even Aria wouldn't be his friend.
He is the weakest mage with a funny mouth among the strongest warriors.
Compared to others, he is a peasant sitting alongside a band of heroes.