King (Part 1)

I wonder.

Was it in middle school or elementary school? Or was it even earlier?

When did I, Jack Belie, notice that I was meant for greater things?

Since I could remember, I loved basketball. I loved how the great players dominated the field and how much respect they got from fellow players, coaches and fans. Seeing that on TV, I knew that I wanted to achieve the same. I, too, wanted to get treated like the great players.

Thus, I started to practice intensely even as a child.

I was taller, faster and stronger than my peers. My physical abilities were exceptional. There was nobody that could hold a candle to me.

My parents praised me for my efforts and told me that there was no doubt that I could achieve great heights in my future basketball career. They decided to invest into my future and even hired personal trainers and bought professional equipment for me.

Not only that but it seemed like my high school was quite a powerhouse school for basketball. If one said that a school was a powerhouse then one would also expect there to be at least good players.

However, my disappointment was immeasurable after the first few weeks.

There was not even a single one that could keep up a little bit with me! I was so frustrated at their level that I decided to help them but they still made the same mistakes over and over again! One day, even the sorry excuse of a coach approached me and begged me to slow down because the others weren't at my level.

So annoying!

Everyone around me was just trash! Useless idiots!

The least those fools could do was to help me get better. It didn't matter how, they should just serve me like loyal dogs. Yeah, that's right...

They should just stick at getting and refilling my drinks, getting the ball, making sure that the gym was clean and treating me like their god. After all, it's me who made this team an unbeatable team. And it's not like they wouldn't get rewarded for their efforts they put into serving me. In the future, when I become a star player, they can brag about having played in the same high school team as me.

“Ah, I'm sorry! My bad!” an idiot shouted after he didn't make his shot.

Sigh.

This team's really hopeless without me...

“Leon, can you prepare the drinks?” I asked as I tried my hardest to put on a smile.

Hm? Why wasn't he answering me?

I turned around and realized that Leon wasn't there.

Wait a minute... Ah, I remember.

Apparently, Leon didn't come to school today. One of his classmates told us after we searched for Leon during lunch break.

Sigh.

I heaved another sigh.

“Maybe I will go home...” I muttered disappointed after I checked the time.

Leon, huh...

Just thinking about him made my blood boil.

He was exactly the type of person I hated the most. I could understand if someone was useless. After all, not everyone could be blessed like me. However, I couldn't stand people who were useless and really thought that they had the right to fight back.

I still remember how many times Leon stood up against me. I repeatedly and kindly asked him to do something for me but he didn't listen to me.

I had to admit, over time I got a little pissed so I decided to dish out an appropriate punishment. I mean, someone as talented and busy as me was generous enough to interact with him. But he decided to bare his fangs at me. Thus, I had to let him know his place.

All I did was just giving his even more useless friends a little scare. However, it was not enough. In the end, he just got more stubborn.

Leon was not the first one to fight back against me. In my entire life, I met many people like him and every time I succeeded in making them all obedient.

Sure enough, Leon will breakdown as time progressed.

That's what I thought back then.

Now, years passed and he still showed no signs of giving up.

But I couldn't give up either. I didn't care what I had to do. I just wanted to tame him!

And then, my wishes were heard.

One day, Fynn told Anna and me about a drug that will make the person, who consumed it, lose his memories for thirty days. He explained us that we should use this drug on Leon and pretend to be his friends.

I didn't fully understand why Fynn wanted to do that but I did not hesitate. I had to use this chance! With his memories gone, I could finally make Leon submit to me!

To tell the truth, it was a huge pain in the ass to act as his friend. He was the person I hated the most. As if I could casually act like his buddy! And to think that he would actually assume that we were good friends made it so much more annoying!

I took a deep breath to calm down.

There were many times when I wanted to snap at him and let everything out at him but every time I got reminded of Fynn.

I could only regard a few people my age as equal and Fynn was among them.

No, he was even more.

At some point of time, I saw myself as someone special but then I met Fynn in middle school. I didn't know why but he was special. He had everything one could have and yet he hid behind his innocent and kind smile his cunning and greedy self.

Fynn was someone who would truly use everything to get what he wants. He would even become a monster.

Therefore, I couldn't regard him as my equal. He was someone with a higher status. He was someone who earned my respect as well as fear.

Unconsciously, I rubbed my cheek that got injured a week ago at the mall. I remembered that Fynn pointed out my loose tongue so he texted me that I should go to a certain location quickly or else the punishment will get worse. In the end, he kindly let me off with a light beating that time.

That injury made me remember how terrifying Fynn can be if one failed him.

For me, it meant that I had to be even more on guard around Leon for the remaining weeks.

“Only two weeks left, huh...” I murmured while I was on my home.

Wait... Two whole weeks left?! So I had to pretend to be his friend for another two weeks?! Oh, hell no!

Hm? Speaking of the devil...

Roughly ten meters in front of me was Leon who stared at a house as if he was waiting for someone. We were currently in my neighborhood whose streets were usually empty at this hour. But why was he here? Wasn't his home somewhere far away from mine?

Also noticing my presence, Leon turned around to me.

I wanted to call out to him but my body and voice hesitated.

Why did I hesitate?

I looked at him. He wore a wide smile. However, unlike usual his smile did not reach his eyes and felt rather creepy.

“Ah, Jack. Didn't expect you here? What's up?” he asked in a monotone voice.

Even the atmosphere around him was different. Maybe he was still ill. After all, he missed school today.

Suddenly, he slowly raised his hands until his hand was on the same level as his throat. Then, Leon softly led his thumb horizontal across his neck. It was as if he pretended to be a mafia boss who ordered his men to kill a person.

Bonk!

Huh? Did something hit my head?

Thud!

Did I just fall on the ground?

Why were my eyes closing?

Was my consciousness fading away?