"It's time for a confession! I won't pretend anymore—I'm actually an E‑rank boss!"
Jitto announced it loud enough for half the classroom to hear. Heads swiveled. A few girls even stared at him with open surprise.
Reaching E‑rank while still stuck in the Safe Zone wasn't easy. Jitto's vanity bloomed like it had been watered with fertilizer.
He turned, eyebrows wagging. "Ric, how about you? Hit E yet?"
Fenric cooperatively shook his head. "You've got me beat. Respect."
"Heh!" Jitto chuckled, slapped Fenric's shoulder, and put on a magnanimous face. "Don't get discouraged. Even if you can't get into an Ability Academy, you can totally swing a junior college. By the way… why do you look different today? Taller. Broader. Did you eat growth feed?"
He wasn't the only one who noticed. Several girls in nearby rows were sneaking glances. Fenric—who usually blended into the background—suddenly had that clean, sharp, grown look. Lines tighter. Shoulders wider. Whole presence upgraded.
Fenric brushed off Jitto's hand. "It's called a growth spurt. Humans do that."
"Not that much! You sure you didn't mutate?"
"I'm too lazy to explain." Fenric redirected. "Anyway, congrats. Looks like we won't be classmates much longer. Don't forget me when you're hot stuff."
"What are you saying? Am I that kind of person?" Jitto huffed theatrically.
Before Fenric could answer, the school broadcast crackled to life:
"Attention, all Grade 12 students—assemble on the playground immediately."
Chairs scraped. Students filed out. Expressions split along familiar lines: those who'd hit E‑rank glowed with anticipation; those who hadn't wore complicated faces—envy, frustration, forced indifference.
"Move it, Ric!" Jitto dragged him toward the stairwell. "This has to be enrollment!"
Fenric followed, hands in pockets.
On the vast playground, instructors shouted students into lines—boys and girls separated by class. Fenric wound up next to the girls' column from the neighboring class.
"Hey—left side," Jitto whispered. "It's Isla."
Fenric glanced over. Delicate face, bright eyes—yep, that was her. He felt… nothing in particular. Psychological age was a thing; impulse years were long behind him.
Jitto leaned in again. "Heard she made E‑rank too. Wonder which academy she'll pick. If we end up at the same school, you better visit often—come see your goddess."
"Shut up," Fenric muttered without heat.
Administration filed onto the temporary podium: the principal plus several unfamiliar faces—recruiters, clearly.
After the usual ceremonial wind talk, the principal got to the point. "This year, major Ability Academies are expanding enrollment. Standards across the board have been adjusted. We've fought hard for extra admission slots—don't waste them!"
"Yes!" hundreds of students shouted back. The response rolled like thunder.
"Students who have achieved a comprehensive E‑rank evaluation, step forward and come to the platform."
Movement rippled through the crowd. Isla stepped out. So did Jitto behind Fenric. One by one, the E‑ranks gathered.
Fenric stayed put.
If he so much as lifted a finger, every academy rep on that stage would start bidding like lunatics. But he'd already decided: play salted fish. At least until he hit A‑rank strength, he'd keep his head down.
Out of several hundred seniors, fewer than thirty advanced. Under ten percent. The principal nodded, satisfied.
"Remaining students, return to class. Study hard. The college entrance exams are near."
Back in the classroom, the teacher hadn't arrived yet. Envy, jealousy, and vinegar fumes filled the air.
"Damn it, Noha sandbagged us! Quiet all year, then suddenly E‑rank?"
"Right? That guy Luban too. His grades suck—how'd he hit E?"
Complaints continued. Fenric listened, amused. High school ecology never changed.
He tuned them out and sank into his own thoughts.
According to his plan, after graduating from high school, he didn't plan to continue, even if he was admitted to a good school.
But he pictured his father's face—the pride, the hope. The man had worn his body down at two jobs to pay his tuition. If he didn't enter the university, I am afraid he would be very sad, right?
He sighed, pulled a book toward him, and pretended to review.
Morning classes blurred by. When the bell rang, newly recruited E‑rankers were mobbed—classmates begging for tips, gossip, and meals.
Fenric stayed out of it. Jitto found him anyway, grinning like he'd eaten the sun.
"Ric! Deli Restaurant—let's go!"
He waggled a card. "My old man heard I got into an Ability Academy. He loaded five grand on this thing. Lunch is on me!"
Fenric smiled. "Then I'll eat you poor. Congratulations, Boss Jitto."
Of everyone in class, Jitto was the one who'd stuck with him—gaming all-nighters, sharing snacks, talking trash. Braggy? Yes. But he's loyal.
They headed out together.
Deli Restaurant
The place was packed. Tables crammed with laughing seniors, most fresh off special recruitment offers. Celebration buzzed in the air.
And at one table near the window, Fenric spotted someone familiar.
Isla Wynn.