"Hah…"
Nicholas let out an annoyed breath.
He stood just outside his school. The front entrance was wide open, almost inviting him in, yet a strange sense of foreboding lingered in the air.
He hesitated. Not out of fear, mind you, but out of concern that something irritating would happen the moment he stepped inside.
"Whatever."
Banishing any meaningless thoughts before they could take root, he walked in.
And… nothing happened.
"Phew." He sighed in relief.
Still, he did not let his guard down. He continued walking as if nothing was wrong, posture relaxed, expression neutral.
It only took a few seconds before he felt it.
Stares.
Dozens of them, pressing against the back of his head. He could hear hushed whispers following him through the hallway. Some spoke his name in awe and contempt. Others mispronounced it.
He rolled his eyes.
From what he could tell, most people had not forgotten his so called confession that ended with Little Lily running away in tears. At the same time, word had spread that he had also saved Lillie's life, along with one of the teachers.
Because of that, no one quite knew how to treat him.
They wanted to berate him, but there was a reluctant respect holding them back. So instead, they waited. Waiting for someone else to make the first move. Waiting for a spark that would start the chain reaction.
At least no one was bothering him directly.
That was good enough.
A small, sly smile crept onto his face. There was something oddly amusing about having everyone's attention while no one dared to utter a word.
Then he immediately cringed at the thought.
God, that's so corny.
He managed to reach his classroom without anyone saying a word to him, which he counted as a win.
The moment he stepped inside, the chatter died.
Not everyone was present, but most of the faces he actually bothered remembering were. His classmates stared at him, many with conflicted expressions. All except Haru and Dick, who were grinning ear to ear and gesturing enthusiastically for him to come sit in front of them.
And then there was Sydney.
She was staring out the window, something she almost never did.
Nicholas fought the urge to sigh for what felt like the tenth time that day and took his seat.
Once it became clear he was not reacting to the stares, the class gradually returned to their meaningless chatter, though the atmosphere remained faintly awkward.
Nicholas hummed under his breath as he waited for homeroom to begin. He was not in the mood to talk.
All things considered, it could have gone much worse.
In his book, this was a fairly pleasant outcome.
The door creaked open.
"Good day to you all, my class of misfits."
Ms. Heath stepped inside with her usual broad smile. Her eyes swept across the room, and the smile faltered slightly when she noticed how many seats were empty. Her gaze lingered for just a moment too long on her favorite punching bag.
It was the final day of their first year as students. As such, it was highly unlikely that any of their teachers would actually teach a subject. This included Ms. Heath, who spent most of the period chatting with the class.
She tried her best to appear nonchalant about the events from a few days ago, casually steering the conversation toward it and gauging her students' reactions, as if checking whether any of them needed help.
You should look at yourself first, teach.
As pitiful as it was, Ms. Heath herself was trembling slightly. She was a grown woman, yet she showed more fear than her students, who were still just kids.
Nicholas could not really blame her.
An 'attack' happening at a school was not that common.
Maybe it was more common twenty years ago, when supers first appeared, and the world was far more chaotic than it is now.
Not that any of them had lived through that era.
Ms. Heath had only been a child back then. Perhaps the incident had stirred up memories she would rather forget.
Not like it concerns me.
In the end, the news had covered the incident and labeled it a villain attack. The monstrosity was completely omitted, and no mention or evidence of it could be found. Students and staff alike were told it was the work of an awakened with illusion-based powers.
It seemed the government did not want the public to know about mutants or monsters.
There is a lot, Nicholas thought. Awakened, monsters, mutants, ghosts. Whatever the hell I am… What is next, mages?
He found himself wondering what else existed in the world.
How many secrets were being buried?
And for the first time, he wanted to know.
How many wants could he honestly say he had ever had in his life?
He wanted to protect his friends and family.
He wanted to understand what it meant to be human.
And over the past month, he had gained two more.
To explore his abilities and discover what the world had in store for him.
In simpler terms, he wanted to find his purpose.
One he could be satisfied with.
"I just hope that answer will not get me killed," he muttered.
Turning a corner, he bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry," he said immediately.
Looking down, he saw Selene.
For just a moment, her usual stoic expression cracked as her eyes widened in surprise, as though genuinely surprised to see him. Then it vanished, returning to its familiar calm.
Without a word, she walked past him.
"Guess she was really serious about that, huh?" he muttered as he watched her leave.
The rest of his classes passed just as uneventfully. Spiky and Average-kun were absent, though the other Nicholas and Sera attended.
Once again, the blond Nicholas kept shooting him a look that clearly meant he wanted to talk.
Nicholas Darklight, however, could not be bothered with something so troublesome and skillfully avoided him.
During one of the breaks, he slipped behind the school gym.
He did not expect to find anyone there.
Sydney sat against the wall, knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them.
Nicholas felt like he was seeing something he was not supposed to. He turned to leave.
"Stop."
Her sharp voice made him shudder.
Still, he stopped. He did not know why, but he did.
He turned to face Sydney. She stood and walked toward him.
Stopping close, she looked up at his face as if searching for something.
Nicholas only stared back with a neutral expression. Complete indifference. His dead eyes revealed nothing.
Sydney looked down. Her lips trembled, and her fists clenched tightly.
Then she looked up and slapped him across the face.
In the next moment, she walked away without another word.
Nicholas stood there, stunned.
Slowly, he remembered something she had said days before the dance.
She had told him she would slap him if he confessed in Average-kun's place.
"Fair enough," he muttered. "She did warn me."
With that, he returned to class before the period began.
…
"Can you please just wait a second?"
Nicholas stopped and turned around. The other Nicholas was calling out to him, and he looked noticeably worse for wear.
"What is it, blondie?" Nicholas Darklight was frankly tired of avoiding him. It might be easier to just hear him out, say something like "okay," and move on.
They stood in one of the school hallways as students poured out of their classrooms and rushed toward the exit.
The final class for most of them had just ended, marking the beginning of summer break. This included Nicholas's class as well, except for him.
"I want to… no, I need to talk to you," the blond Nicholas said, ignoring the stares he drew from passing students.
It was strange. For someone so well-liked to look this desperate to speak with the one everyone hated.
"Sorry," Nicholas replied flatly. "In case you forgot, I still have one more class."
A flicker of understanding crossed the blond's face, followed by anger and perhaps envy.
"Ah. Right. Of course. You are the special one," he said. "The only student in our entire year who passed the special test." His smile failed to reach his eyes.
Another one with an inferiority complex toward me? Seriously, people. There is nothing about me to feel inferior over. Get that through your thick skulls already.
He did not voice the thought. Instead, he said, "You keep using special. Are you trying to imply I am autistic or something? Even if I am, is there a problem with that?"
His expression made it impossible to tell whether he was joking or dead serious.
"W-what? Of course not," the blond stammered, flustered. Other students slowed down, casting him strange looks.
"Heh."
That was… oddly satisfying. Maybe I am more sadistic than I thought.
The other Nicholas let out a slow sigh and composed himself. Then he met Darklight's gaze.
"After your class," he said. "I will wait."
Nicholas's expression soured slightly.
"Buy me a drink from the vending machine, and we'll talk."
He waved him off and headed toward his classroom.
His final class of the year.
…
Nicholas was half prepared to receive another punch to the stomach as he quietly entered the classroom.
Instead, Ms. Heath sat at her desk, staring off into the distance.
"Hello," Nicholas said, breaking her out of her trance.
"Mhm? Oh. Darklight. You can take your seat." She flinched slightly at his voice but quickly straightened herself. "Actually, before that…"
She stood and walked over, stopping directly in front of him.
Then she extended her hand.
After a moment of hesitation, Nicholas took it, unsure of where this was going. She clasped his hand with both of hers and bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For saving my life."
Before he could react, she pulled him into a hug.
"Uh…" Nicholas froze, not daring to say a word.
After a second or two, she released him and returned to her chair, letting out a long breath before inhaling deeply.
"I think that was the hardest thing I have ever done," she muttered. "To think I would actually thank you for something."
Oi. Oi. Oi. That last part was completely unnecessary. Why say it like you were thanking a criminal or something? Ah… well. I guess I technically am.
The thought lingered as he remembered that his alter ego was, in fact, illegal.
Still, she did not have to ruin the moment.
"You are making too big a deal out of it, teach," Nicholas said as he took his seat. "The police would have arrived eventually. Or firefighters. Hell, any other student would have done the same."
"Oi, brat. Just shut up and accept my gratitude already, will you?"
He rolled his eyes.
"And there you go again, downplaying yourself," she murmured. "In the end, you were the one who saved me. That is all there is to it." Her voice was soft but firm, and she offered him a gentle smile.
Nicholas felt his heart skip.
How is she still single?
He wonders briefly before remembering the reason he had her saved as 'WWE Teacher'.
"Well," she continued, "since this will be the last time we see each other for a while, you can ask me anything. If something is troubling you, or if you just want to talk."
"Ah."
That was unexpected. Usually, she carried the conversation while he contributed only when necessary.
"Then… how about you and Lillie? How did you two end up in that hallway together?"
Her smile strained slightly. "I am afraid I can't share that. All I can tell you is that she came to me for help from the guidance counselor." She pointed at herself. "Which, as you know, is me."
I think I can guess why from there.
For the next several dozen minutes, they sat in silence.
Nicholas could have asked how she was doing or tried to comfort her, but he had no idea how to do that properly. He was painfully aware of his own shortcomings. He asked the wrong questions, missed cues, and often sounded rude without meaning to.
"Haah," Ms. Heath sighed. "The bell is going to ring soon, and you do not seem in the mood to talk. How about I let you leave a bit early?"
Nicholas shrugged. "If you say so."
Her grin faded into a concerned frown.
"Come on, kid. Where is the excitement for summer break?"
"Mhm."
His expression remained flat as he packed his things and headed for the door.
"Hey."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
He turned, confusion written on his face.
"Enjoy yourself," she said softly. "I want to see a big smile on your face when you come back. Promise me that?"
Her smile was sincere, the kind that made refusing difficult.
Nicholas looked conflicted.
"...Best I can say is that I will try."
And he meant it.
He was not unhappy, but he was not happy either. He was indifferent to his own life until the moment he gained his powers. It was like seeing color for the first time.
Of course, he couldn't properly explain these emotions of his, nor could he ever hope to. He knew that this wasn't how a normal person acted.
Ms. Heath sighed again, still smiling.
"Well, coming from you, that is better than nothing."
"Oi."
She gave him a light smack on the back. "Now get out of here."
I'm going, I'm going, woman.
With that strange farewell, he closed the door behind him.
Down the hallway, he spotted the blond Nicholas waiting patiently near the exit.
"Hah," he muttered. "Let's get this over with."
…
"So? What do you want?" Nicholas did not bother beating around the bush. He wanted this to be over as soon as possible.
The two Nicholases were located at one of the two vending machines just outside the building.
The blond slipped some cash into the machine. A moment later, two bottles of cola dropped down. He crouched to retrieve them and handed one to the dark-haired teen.
"..?"
"You said to buy a drink, right?" The blond Nicholas offered a friendly but strained smile.
I didn't think you'd actually do it, though.
Still, Nicholas did not refuse a free drink. He took the bottle, twisted the cap open, and downed a large gulp.
Ugh. So sugary.
The blond teen looked away before speaking.
"Why'd you do that?"
"Hah? Didn't you ask me to do something about it? To resolve things so everyone could stay friends?" Darklight replied calmly, though a faint edge of hostility slipped through. "That was simply the most effective way."
Wasn't he the one who pleaded for everything to be resolved?
"That… that wasn't what I had in mind."
Darklight frowned openly. "Maybe some people can read minds, but I can't. If you want someone to understand what is going on in your head, you need to say it properly."
"I didn't ask you to sacrifice yourself," the blond said, clenching his teeth.
Darklight stared at him in silence for a few seconds before he barked out a laugh.
"Sacrifice? You call that a sacrifice?" He shook his head and composed himself. "You really do not understand what that word means. To sacrifice is to lose something. Sometimes you gain something in return, but often you give something precious away."
He stepped closer, staring straight into the blond's eyes.
"So tell me. What did I lose? Did I gain anything? No. I did it because I wanted to. You could have begged me a thousand times and I still would not have done it unless I chose to. Remember that."
The blond looked stunned, as if he were seeing a completely different side of him.
The eyes that always looked dead and empty now burned with resolve, shining brighter than his own.
He swallowed.
"You… chose to do it, huh? But you would never have thought about it if we had not told you about the situation." He argued.
"You don't know that," Darklight replied dismissively. "Lately, I have been getting into the habit of involving myself in other people's problems without being asked." He smirked. "Dwelling on what ifs is pointless. Besides, why does it bother you so much? What I did, I mean."
The blond ran his hand through his hair. "I guess. I'm just envious of that strength of yours."
"...Strength?"
"The ability to do as you please. Even if you might get hated, even if it might tarnish your image. It's a privilege I can't ever have." He smiled weakly, clutching his chest.
"Idiot."
Nicholas Darklight would not let him sink into self-pity.
"I do not know your circumstances, and I do not care. The ability to choose is not a privilege. Privilege is having something others do not. Every living thing can choose. Being afraid is one thing. Saying you cannot choose at all..? Ridiculous."
His words came without hesitation, edged with quiet fury.
"...There are those who never choose in life. Simply aimlessly drifting on the open sea. Do you think a person can be satisfied with such a life? With nothingness..? Ah. I think I went on a bit of a tangent there and got off topic." Darklight cleared his throat.
He stepped back.
"Point is, I helped because I wanted to. Do not pity me. There is nothing to pity. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a birthday to attend."
He grabbed the blond's hand and pressed something into it.
Cash. Exactly the price of the cola.
Without another word, Darklight walked away, leaving the blond alone with his racing thoughts.
As Nicholas passed through the school gates, he glanced back once more.
It would not be the last time he saw the place, but somehow it felt like a farewell.
He shrugged and continued on his way home.
After all, he still needed to buy a present.
It was his brother's birthday.
Across from where he stood, he could see two thugs had a man cornered against the wall.
Black wisps seeped from his hands.
With this, he had made his choice.