In S High School, as in any other high school, news travels fast.
Even the students who were not there to witness the spectacle quickly heard about what had gone down this afternoon at school.
Fear quickly spread throughout the school and took root in the hearts of the student body and staff.
The name of that fear—
Ian Everett.
Their freshman year student representative.
Top of the special class from the moment he entered S High School.
Top of the entire student body when it came to overall grades.
Unchallenged number one athlete.
Acknowledged school grass with a gentle and polite demeanor.
And now, the scion of a major business group with both money and power.
As well as someone none of them could afford to offend, regardless of their family background and wealth.
All at once that night, in the homes of numerous households, the sons and daughters of magnates and political figures were summoned to the restricted studies of their parents and given a stern warning to not mess with Ian. Either they try their best to befriend him or to stay clear of him because his wrath—especially the wrath of his brother behind him—was not something they or their parents can withstand.
And to ensure that their normally spoiled and haughty children understood them clearly and took their words to heart, the powerful or wealthy figures issued numerous threats and listed several punishments that would be dealt out if their children failed to heed their orders.
What the parents threatened to their children might seem serious, but the consequences of offending Angus's precious little brother is even more serious in comparison.
The wealthy and powerful people trembled just imagining it.
This scared the pampered princes and princesses so much that although a little reluctant and confused, they agreed. Though deep in their hearts, none of these privileged descendants wanted to go anywhere near Ian Everett after what happened at school this evening.
One person against a group of the school's notorious bullies.
Single-handedly beating up upperclassmen who looked stronger and tougher than him with no sweat.
Not to mention the amount of blood spilled…
None of these pampered brats and punks wanted to get on his bad side either.
The next day at school, Ian noticed a stark contrast in the behaviors of his fellow students and classmates.
People who would usually call him out to play a sport with them during lunch made no attempt to ask him for help or hang out regardless of how desperately they needed him to win against the other class's team.
People who swarmed and competed to sit next to him at lunch steered clear of him. Actually, if anything, everyone avoided even approaching his table.
People who pestered him and begged him to teach them how to understand lesson problems and solve confusing questions no longer disturbed him.
Ian's eyes flashed with a particular gleam.
He was not surprised.
'Seems I made quite the impression yesterday…'
Ian shrugged. Oh well, he didn't care, although the current situation made things a tad bit inconvenient.
'Now I can't make others do my bidding without the use of my powers.' Ian sighed with slight disappointment. 'If it's with the impression they had of me before, if I wanted, I could get information out of them without them knowing I was purposefully extracting information. Or I could hint at something and they would perceive it and carry out my will without ever realizing my intention or dawn on the fact that I was commanding them. Too bad those advantages are gone.'
Previously while at school, although Ian didn't exercise his powers, he used normal hypnotic skills and mind manipulation methods that could be learned by ordinary people to quickly understand the situation of everyone in the school. From the information of wealthy daughters and sons as well as their parents to the children of middle-class or poor families, Ian grasped it all.
Using the information he gathered, Ian had a plan to make friends with certain people he deems useful.
He had planned to use his gentle demeanor to approach them seemingly unintentionally before, but now, it seems like he needs a change of plans. He also could no longer use simple and subtle hints to get information out of his classmates with the way they're avoiding him.
Again Ian shrugged. 'But it's alright.' A surge of deep, magnetic purple pooled in his eyes like melted ice, like the coming of dusk.
"They will listen to me anyways."
With a step to the right, Ian strided with long steps to his classroom.
Everyone made way for him. No matter how crowded the bustling hall was, not a single person dared stand in the young master's way.
It was middle school all over again.
*****
Watching in the dark, Shade felt a dull thump in his cold heart. Dry and crisp like fallen autumn leaves stepped on and shattered to pieces with a slight touch.
His dark eyes never left his master as Ian left the school building and exited school grounds in his personal car.
Leaping out from the shadows, Shade silently and invisibly followed after the car with unbelievable speed.
As he jumped from tree to tree without rustling a single leaf, a hint of deep blue mixed with gray stirred in his shadowed eyes.
For as long as he can remember, he had always been alone.
Shade had no one to call his family. No one to confide in, no one to protect him as if that was the most natural thing in the world.
He had no one.
There was no one.
And it never once bothered Shade.
His heart was frozen like a flame trapped in millennium ice, raging yet still.
It remained indifferent in the face of his first kill.
It remained cold in those moments when his life was on the precipice of death.
It remained unresponsive when his former boss and organization tried to kill him.
Shade never once thought that would change, nor did he wish for a change.
He was fine the way he was.
Life would go on.
But then…
For the first time in his life, that fire broke out of that century-long ice in a fateful meeting with a teenage boy with long dark-to-light shades of purple hair and a pair of hypnotizing deep purple orbs that glowed with a mysterious power.
In that instant, Shade instinctively knew that he had met his fate. The one he would serve with all that he could offer, the one he would dedicate his life to. Even if Ian ordered him to die, Shade will execute his order without hesitation.
Ian meant the world to Shade who found no meaning in the world.
That's why seeing his little master so alone, so desolate…
He felt a pang in his heart.
His master shouldn't be like a lone leaf swaying in the wind, bleak and lifeless. He should be like the rivers and lakes, the moon and the sun, surrounded by others and admired by all.
His master had family. His brother loves him. Levi loves him. The uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, in the gang all love him and treat him like their own.
His subordinates, including Shade, look up to him and follow his every will to a T. No one would ever even think of betraying his trust.
Yet… there's not one his master could truly call a friend. One to whom Ian can talk about anything and everything. One to whom Ian could share his feelings of loneliness, pressure, and doubt with.
Shade felt another pang in his chest.
Shade knew that Ian had never once thought this way. And him thinking in this way might be overstepping his bounds as a subordinate.
But.
But to think that Ian had no one his age to accompany him in his ups and downs unlike other teenagers, Shade prayed that Ian could also experience some of the ordinary passages of life and not just be worried about the safety of his family all the time.
This is his sincere wish as a subordinate who wants his master, Ian, to be happy.
One that he would never say aloud, but would always keep in his heart, waiting for the day it is fulfilled.
*****
Maybe it was because of Shade's heartfelt feelings for Ian.
The next day at school, someone spoke to Ian.
"Hey!"
Ian was rudely patted on the shoulder with a heavy hand.
Ian raised a brow as he turned around to see who it was.
Turns out, it was no stranger.
It was Gracie.
"Cheer up!"
Her loud voice echoed unashamedly throughout the hall. Everyone could hear her.
Heads turned in the direction of the voice only to turn away after seeing who the voice was speaking to.
No one's curiosity overcame their fear of Ian's background as they hurried to class or some other destination.
Looking around herself, Gracie sighed mysteriously and patted Ian's shoulder again.
If this was an anime, a huge question mark would've appeared on top of Ian's head at Gracie's actions.
However, this isn't an anime, and Ian was not confused.
Ian understood what Gracie's sigh and actions expressed.
She was pitying him for being ostracized by the whole student body.
Now here begs the question.
Why is she not scared?
Ian was about to speak when his words were cut off before he even moved his lips.
Gracie's cheerful and bright voice could be heard echoing throughout the hallway.
"Although you made my friend cry because you rejected her, I don't believe you are a bad guy after I thought about it for a few days. I think what you said before makes sense. And it's really too pitiful for you to be a loner and an outcast just because you've got a powerful brother that no one dares to offend. It matters not what your background is—you look good and you're smart, I don't mind being your friend. I have courage and guts. Don't be too happy!"
She grinned at a rarely stupefied Ian.
Ian's lips twitched at the ridiculous situation he found himself in.
…Huh?