38_Hard truth

When exiting the gym, the first-year students hurried to the bulletin where the ranks were placed. Some ran, some walked and some just took their time just like the older years.

"I can't see!"

"Out the way!"

"…"

It was busy around the bulletin. Everybody wanted to take a look to see that they maybe are in the top 50. If this was a year ago or maybe a month ago they would think that they would obviously be in the top 50 even the top 5. But now that they met the others they realized that it wouldn't be that easy anymore to reach the top.

"Did you find your name on it?", Kai asked to Lucius who was looking seriously at the bulletin.

"Yeah, I found my name. I'm 11!", Lucius replied excited.

"And yours?", he asked back after calming down a bit.

"I'm a bit lower. I'm ranked 15.", he answered calmly just like always.

"That's so not fair!", Eira who stood beside them pouted while glaring at the bulletin.

"I'm so much lower than you guys. It's 48.", she said with a sour voice.

"How can you even enter the top 50.", Kai said with a serious voice.

"I believe they counted your score wrong maybe I should ask them to count it again.", saying this he seemed so convinced that he even nodded his head.

Eira almost jumped Kai but was stopped by Ryuu who suddenly appeared beside her.

"You aren't on it, right? I mean that is why you want to jump on him because you want to vent your anger, right? I'm right, right?"

"Calm down boy. I'm in the top 50 if you want to know.", Eira said trying to calm the boy who was getting agitated hearing that Eira got a spot in the top 50.

"You- You betrayed me for the second time! Why am I the only one not in the top 50.", he said feeling wronged and sad.

"Don't make a scene.", Erebus said beside the poor boy who was almost crying.

"So, you aren't in the top 50?", Eira asked carefully.

*DRIP* *DROP*

Hearing Eira's question the tears couldn't be stopped and dripped slowly off his face.

"*SNIF* *SNIF* You all are on it except me. Erebus is even in fifth place! I don't find it fair!"

"Stop crying. It's okay to not be in the top 50. You can try again next month.", Lucius tried to comfort the crying boy, but it had the opposite effect.

"I'll never enter the top 50!", he began to cry loudly attracting the people around them.

"Shut up. You are embarrassing us.", Erebus said in a quiet voice that only them could hear.

"Are you scolding me?", he asked with a pained expression.

"You should really cry less. Who would have thought that a big boy like you could cry like a little baby?"

A new voice came behind Ryuu.

"Sh*t.", Erebus murmured quietly.

"I didn't expect anything else from the crybaby."

The voice belonged to a boy of the same age as them with blazing red hair and light green eyes. Beside him walked a boy that began to fidget more and more when they got closer. He had dark brown hair that could be mistaken as black and light brown eyes.

"I forgot to go to the toilet, see you!", Erebus said fast and was almost running away to God knows where, but was grabbed by the man with red hair.

"You're so mean, Erebus. Not even a greeting.", he sounded almost said, but his face told everyone something different.

"You won't introduce me to your friends, crybaby.", he said while glancing to Lucius, Kai and Eira.

Ryuu who was called crybaby wiped his tears off and looked at the two new person who joined them.

"This- This is Lu- Lucius and this is Kai and Ei- Eira.", he answered while pointing to the person he was introducing.

"And they are Ere- Erebus's childhood friends.", he tried really hard to not stutter but it seemed too hard, and he would stutter once or twice in a sentence.

"The one with red hair is Le-Leo and the o- other one is Jay- Jaylen."

"Nice to meet you!", Leo said cheerfully to the three.

"Like he said, I'm Leo Mammoniers you can just call me Leo."

"I'm- I'm Jaylen El- Elleviathanes. Nice to me- meet you.", the boy said shyly while stuttering a bit.

"Nice to meet you too.", they said.

"Let's go search for the first place!", Leo cheerfully said while dragging Erebus with him to search for Narcys.

"Narcys where are you?", he shouted without showing any shame.

"I final met someone who is more shameful than you.", Kai whispered to Eira.

"What?!"

"Do- Don't fight.", Jaylen quietly asked them.

Looking at the trembling boy they couldn't not listen to him.

"Okay, okay, no fighting.", Eira said helplessly.

"Found you!", Leo shouted loudly.

"There you are! How does it feel to be first?", he asked to Narcys who was glaring at him.

"I would give up my first place if it would take you away from me.", he answered with a cold tone.

"Haha! Don't be like that!", he wanted to pat Narcys's shoulder but decided not to when he saw how hard he glared at him.

"What do you want?", Narcys asked after being silent for a while.

"Why do you talk like I only would talk to you if I want something."

Hearing this Narcys, Erebus, Jaylen, Ryuu and even Luke who just arrived looked at him with a 'Are you serious' face.

"You guys know me too good.", he said giving up his last sentence.

"Hurry up.", Narcys asked impatiently.

"Can I see the badge after you get it?", he aske with sparkles in his eyes.

"Just say you want it.", Erebus murmured quiet but loud enough for the rest to hear.

"You're wrong Erebus.", he looked shocked and even betrayed hearing what he said.

"I just want to borrow it for a while, just for a while.", he said trying to convince everyone.

"Yeah, borrow it for life.", Ryuu said now calmed down.

"You said something crybaby?", Leo asked while glaring at him.

Ryuu saw his glare and decided to hide behind Kai who was almost as tall as him.

"I'm invisible. I'm invisible….", he whispered to himself, and he really believed that no one could see him.

Seeing how much trust he had the others just couldn't help but tease or 'bully him'.

Lucius just watched from a distance. He turned to Narcys who was planning to slip away during the chaos.

"Narcys! It's really amazing how you could get first place. I only got rank 11 even when my sister told me to study four days before you all knew. Maybe I'm not gifted in studying or something like that. You're really are amazing.", Lucius talked and talked, hoping to have a nice conversation with him, but without realizing it he made Narcys more and more impatient.

"Shut up.", he said with a low but dangerous voice.

"Stop talking bullsh*t. You're so fake it makes me sick."

His words pierce Lucius's heart and not only he heard his words even the others did.

"You didn't need to say it like that.", Erebus said a bit angry.

"Why? Should I have lied."

"Man, you didn't need to be so harsh. He just wanted to be nice.", Leo said.

Suddenly everyone was mad and even angry at Narcys. Kai and Eira were the most affected. They were ready to beat the boy who didn't regret saying what he said.

"Stop it.", Lucius whispered quietly, so quiet that no one heard it.

"Stop it.", he said this time louder.

"He didn't say anything wrong.", he looked down and didn't dare to look at his friends.

"I'm hungry let's eat.", he gave them a smile, but he knew it wasn't a genuine one but one who held secrets behind it just like before or maybe it always did.

Lucius walked away and Eira and Kai finally gave up beating Narcys and turned around to follow Lucius without forgetting to glare at Narcys.