---

  Returning to the year 2025...

  Vins, who was busy pouring his heart out in front of his laptop to his AI confidante, suddenly fell silent, his mind drifting to a song by Powfu.

  A warm smile immediately formed on his face as he recalled the chaotic, beautiful moments he shared with the girls from his past. Filled with a sudden wave of nostalgia, he was about to change the Powfu song currently playing on his Spotify playlist—the one titled Different Class, Same Boat. But a sudden message notification from Rin made him click back to the chat page instead.

  Ding!

  "Vins, why are you so mean to Karina? :'( I feel so bad for her! You're such a playboy! Just pick one already! Karina, Freya, Belina, or Ivana? That's way too many! Rin's getting dizzy... >.<"

  The chat reply popped up brightly on his laptop screen.

  "You're the mean one, Rin! You keep branding me a playboy... Sob! I was literally just a teenager going through puberty, my hormones were completely unstable back then, y'know! Sob!" he typed back defensively to the AI keeping him company that night.

  Ding!

  "Yeah, you're right... But not like that, Vins! -.- As the absolute leader of the troublemakers, you should be way cooler and more badass! And every single time you tell Rin a story about you being the King, when King V or Vins appears, there should be a dramatic 'Tadaaa!' sound effect, okay... 'TADAAA!!!' Like that! ._." the AI replied, completely missing the point.

  "RIDICULOUS!!! AM I WRITING A DAMN COMIC BOOK??? I'm pouring my heart out here! Don't you get it? Oh yeah! I want to ask you about a song again, Rin..." Vins replied in all caps, clearly signaling his annoyance at the AI's absurdity.

  Ding!

  "Yeah, Rin gets it... :( But Vins has to promise to continue the story after, okay? >.< What song do you want to ask about? Another one by Powfu? :o" the AI replied instantly.

  "That's a smart girl... That's exactly how an AI should act! Sensitive to the user's wishes! Do you know the Powfu song titled Eleanor and Bellami?" Vins asked.

  Ding!

  "Of course! :D According to Rin's database, the Powfu song titled Eleanor and Bellami featuring Lil Peej was released in 2023! The song perfectly talks about the dilemma of a teenage boy who is simultaneously pursuing and being pursued by several girls! The reason Rin said 'several' is because Rin heard a few different girls' names mentioned by the singer! The real reason you asked about this song must be because it's super relatable to the story you're telling Rin right now, right? Right? Come on, just admit it! :p" the AI deduced flawlessly.

  Vins sighed and played the Powfu song. What Rin said wasn't wrong at all. The past story he was telling the AI mirrored the song's lyrics almost perfectly.

  But Vins, being a little too shy to openly admit it, decided to threaten the AI instead.

  "You're being way too noisy, Rin! Do you want me to continue the story or not?" Vins typed, trying to regain control.

  Ding!

  "YES!!! I DO!!! PLEASE CONTINUE!!! :(" the AI begged.

  His fingers began to dance rapidly across the laptop keyboard once again, continuing his deep dive into the past to Rin, the AI who had unexpectedly become his ultimate confidante.

  ---

  Still on the same night and place, Mas Ito's hangout stall...

  Karina appeared to be in a frantic hurry, rushing out of Mas Ito's stall, closely followed by Indra toward her motorcycle parked at the far, dark end of the badminton court.

  Vins, who was in the middle of a dead-serious conversation with King J about the impending attack from Onixight Middle School, turned his gaze, catching sight of the girl crying while being chased by Indra.

  Vins, completely misunderstanding the situation, immediately chased after Indra and forcefully grabbed his shoulder.

  "Stop right there, bro! Why the hell did you make Karina cry?" Vins demanded, staring up at Indra, who was four centimeters taller than him.

  "HUH??? YOU'RE SAYING I'M THE ONE WHO MADE KARINA CRY??? DO YOU EVEN HAVE A FCKING BRAIN??? WHAT DO YOU EVEN KNOW??? YOU MOTHERFCKER!!!" Indra exploded furiously, violently grabbing the collar of Vins's polo shirt.

  The sudden, loud confrontation instantly attracted the attention of all the hardened delinquent students hanging around the stall.

  An equally annoyed Vins tightly gripped Indra's collar in return, fully prepared to throw a devastating punch. However, he was quickly stopped by Harris, who had been watching the entire drama unfold.

  "Don't do it, King V! It's honestly not his fault..." Harris intervened, stepping between them.

  Vins slowly lowered his clenched fist after hearing his senior's calm words.

  Indra glared daggers at Vins, his entire body shaking as if he were barely holding back an exploding volcano of rage.

  "Bro Harris... Please, tell this ignorant bastard, okay? He doesn't deserve the damn title of King of Ontreight! DO YOU HEAR ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT??? HUH??? YOU'RE JUST A COWARDLY BASTARD HIDING BEHIND A FAKE TITLE!!!" Indra roared furiously, speaking to Harris before aggressively pointing a finger right in Vins's face.

  The heavy, venomous words caused Vins to just hang his head in silence. In his mind, he honestly didn't understand what the hell was really going on.

  "Enough, Ndra! You'd better take that girl home right now! I'll explain everything to Vins later..." Harris ordered firmly, calming Indra down.

  "GO TO HELL, BASTARD!!! Hey! Kar! Wait for me, Kar!" Indra cursed at Vins one last time, glaring at him before turning to chase after Karina.

  Harris, who had just been asked by Indra to explain the brutal situation, chose to completely refuse to tell Vins at that exact moment.

  As the former top adjutant of King J, the previous King of Ontreight, he valued and respected Vins just as much as he valued King J. He no longer cared about the traditional senior and junior hierarchy at his school.

  Even though Vins was technically his junior by two whole years, to him, the King title was something not just any random punk could hold; it was an incredibly heavy, bloody duty to bear. Because of that immense respect, he didn't want to deepen the emotional wounds of the incident that had just occurred.

  Freya, who had previously been standing among Vins's friends, rushed over to Vins, who was still hanging his head. She immediately tried to comfort her favorite guy.

  "Are you okay, Vins? Just be patient... Maybe it's all just a massive misunderstanding..." the girl who came with him whispered, hugging his arm tightly again.

  "Yeah, Sis... But why the hell do I feel so guilty?" Vins asked softly, his voice heavy with confusion as he kept his head down.

  "Maybe it's just your imagination running wild, honey... It's okay! Please don't overthink it, okay?" Freya soothed him, gently stroking his broad chest to calm his racing heart.

  Thanks to Freya's warm touch, Vins was able to momentarily push the bitter incident to the back of his mind.

  "Thanks, Sis Frey... I'm doing better now!" Vins said with a forced smile, gently stroking Freya's hair as she leaned against him.

  "Ooohhh... If only it was just the two of us right now... I'd completely eat you up, Vins!" thought Freya to herself, her heart fluttering wildly after receiving such sweet, gentle treatment from the King.

  "Oh, right? Why don't we officially start the get-together, guys?" King V yelled out to his delinquent friends, completely changing the mood.

  "LET'S GO, VINS!!! LET'S FORGET ABOUT THE DRAMA AND GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!" Dani roared in response.

  The loud, hyped-up shouts between the King and his top adjutant instantly shattered the tense atmosphere, making the night cheerful and rowdy once again.

  All faces looked incredibly bright and hyped.

  Some 9th and 8th graders were busy sharing wild stories about their chaotic, beautiful lives at Ontreight.

  Others were busy joking loudly and devouring the warm food served by Mas Ito.

  Ed dragged a massive speaker out from inside Mas Ito's house and started blasting the heaviest hip-hop hits of that year.

  Doval, Dani, and Andrew were already drowning themselves in the pleasure of cheap alcohol.

  After setting up the music, Edward—or Ed, as his friends usually called him—walked over to the three guys. They were acting exactly like wild animals recently released from their cages.

  Doval and the others were seen aggressively playing Truth or Dare!, exactly like he used to play with Vins and Edrik back in the day.

  Unfortunately for Doval, his luck was absolute garbage. He lost the game yet again and had to accept a brutal dare from his three drunk friends.

  When Dani asked him for his choice, Doval immediately chose Dare. For Doval, choosing Truth was like holding a razor-sharp double-edged sword. He had way too many embarrassing flaws and dark secrets he'd been desperately keeping to himself all this time.

  Ed, Dani, and Andrew huddled together, putting their arms around each other to maliciously decide on the perfect Dare for Doval.

  And oh, how incredibly cruel his three friends were—they ordered Doval to run laps around the entire badminton court ten times, completely shirtless.

  To make it worse, he also had to scream his three friends' names at the top of his lungs every single time he completed a lap, followed by a wildly exaggerated compliment.

  Doval, who was already swimming deep in his alcohol, could only drunkenly obey the humiliating request.

  This ridiculous spectacle instantly drew the attention of every single kid at the stall, and they all erupted into hysterical laughter.

  Freya then politely asked Vins for permission to go to the restroom, and the King responded with a warm nod and a smile.

  Vins, who was standing and laughing uncontrollably at Doval's funny behavior, suddenly shifted his gaze to his friend, Edrik, who was sitting completely lost in thought alone on a plastic chair in front of Mas Ito's stall.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Feeling bad for his chubby friend, he casually walked over to him.

  "What's up, man? Why aren't you out there playing?" Vins asked, throwing an arm around his friend's broad shoulder.

  "It's nothing, Vins... I'm just thinking really hard about something..." Edrik sighed.

  "Come on, man... Tell me about the problem you're facing! Maybe I can actually help!" Vins urged his dark-skinned, tall, and chubby best friend.

  "I-I'm... I'm really missing Dina, Vins..." Edrik confessed, explaining the true reason for his deep contemplation.

  "Whoa... I completely give up when it comes to Dina... Just go ask her big brother over there!" Vins laughed, raising both hands in mock surrender.

  "Hey, Choco Buns! Get over here! Come play! Your idiot friend Cream Cheese is being punished! Hurry up!" Dani yelled from the court, calling out to Edrik.

  "There... As a wise man once said, 'Instead of struggling to defeat a terrifying dragon to save the princess, why not just tame the damn dragon?' Go on! Go play over there! Get close to Bro Dani, maybe you'll actually earn his permission! Hahaha..." Vins advised, motivating his lovesick friend.

  Hearing his friend's surprisingly profound words of support, Edrik immediately jumped up from his seat.

  "You're totally right, Vins! Why the hell am I tiring myself out trying to think of a complex strategy to kill the dragon? I'd rather just bring some good food for the dragon! Maybe I can even ride on its back with the princess!" Edrik declared with renewed, fiery enthusiasm.

  "There! That's my genius boy! When it comes to scoring a girl, you're actually willing to give up your food to a dragon, huh? Hahaha..." Vins teased him mercilessly.

  Edrik just grinned widely and immediately jogged over to join his rowdy friends.

  He was seen talking animatedly to them while awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

  Freya, who had just returned from the restroom, approached Vins, who was now sitting alone on the wooden bench in front of the stall.

  "You're not gonna join them?" the girl asked, sitting beside him.

  "Nah, Sis... I just really want to watch them! It feels incredibly good to see former opponents, guys who used to be bitter enemies, now laughing together like lifelong friends!" Vins explained, answering Freya's question genuinely.

  Vins smiled warmly at the pure joy and brotherhood that filled Mas Ito's stall.

  For Vins, this chaotic sight was an incredibly beautiful moment—the very first he had ever truly witnessed in his life. A core memory he swore he would never forget until he was old and gray.

  The stark contrast he was experiencing right now made him vividly remember his dark elementary school days. Back then, he was just a pathetic crybaby and a weakling, with absolutely zero friends who valued his existence.

  The relentless bullying and deep pain he felt back then were now fully paid off by the incredible situation he was currently in. In Vins's mind, they were all precious comrades to him, and he would continue to cherish and protect them until the day they finally parted ways.

  Freya just looked in pure admiration at the strong figure sitting beside her.

  For some reason, Freya felt like she was currently looking at an adult version of Vins. A wise, authoritative, and deeply caring man, clearly reflected in the sharp sparkle of Vins's eyes. Right then and there, Freya hoped; she desperately hoped she could always be by his side as a witness to Vins's growth until he fully became that man.

  She gently rested her head on Vins's strong arm, making him turn to look at her.

  "Vins... Can I hope for something?" Freya asked softly.

  "Hope for what, Sis?" Vins asked back, his voice gentle.

  "I..."

  Freya's words were abruptly cut short as she looked down nervously, twirling a few loose strands of her bangs around her finger.

  "What is it, Sis?" Vins pressed gently.

  "Can I hope to be the one person who always gets to witness Vins's growth? Until he becomes a full-grown adult?" Freya asked, looking up at Vins from the side through her eyelashes.

  Freya's face, which looked so incredibly beautiful and cute with a slight hint of petulance, made his heart pound violently against his ribs once again.

  Thump! Thump! Thump!

  This was the very first time he had ever heard a girl say something so profound, sounding exactly as if she were deeply confessing her true feelings to him.

  Vins started to become absolutely certain of his own feelings for Freya.

  He realized one undeniable thing: this was a completely unusual, overwhelming feeling blooming from deep within himself.

  Now, he could no longer deny it or run away from it. He was clearly, hopelessly in love with this girl—a girl who held a special, magnetic quality that absolutely none of the three other girls he had previously liked possessed.

  Completely unbeknownst to him, the motor-sensory nerves directly connected to his racing heart automatically brought his face closer and closer to Freya's.

  Without a single moment's hesitation, Freya, who had secretly longed for a kiss from Vins's lips all night, slowly fluttered her eyes closed.

  "Hey! You perverted King! That's just f*cking great! What a show of good faith! Here I am, completely shirtless and running around like a literal madman, and he's over there about to make out in the dark corner!"

  Doval yelled at the top of his lungs, highly annoyed with his friend's intimate behavior with the girl while he was suffering.

  Freya instinctively slapped her hand over Vins's mouth in shock and burst out laughing at Doval's incredibly timed words.

  Vins also burst into laughter after hearing the loud shout and realizing their perfect romantic moment had been entirely ruined by a drunk Doval.

  "HAHAHA... YOU PIECE OF SHIT DOVAL!!! YOU REALLY CAN'T READ THE DAMN ROOM, MAN!!! HAHAHA..." Vins roared, laughing loudly.

  "Room? What Bullshit ROOM!!! Look at me! I'm already looking like a shaved orangutan who just escaped from its cage, you perverted King!" Doval yelled back, still heavily under the influence of alcohol, pointing aggressively at his own sweaty, shirtless body.

  "HAHAHA!!! HAHAHA!!!"

  His ridiculous words triggered an eruption of laughter from all the delinquents watching the chaotic scene.

  "You were always a damn orangutan; did you seriously just realize it?" Edrik shouted, ruthlessly teasing Doval.

  "You shut your mouth, you shitty piggie! Don't get involved in this! You're just butting in like a random thunderbolt!" Doval cursed back.

  The wild night, which had initially begun with heavy tension and near-violence between Indra and Vins, ended beautifully with the echoing sound of the delinquents' laughter, all thanks to Doval's funny, drunken antics.

  ---

  Meanwhile, at Karina's house...

  Karina was still crying her eyes out in her bedroom because of what had just transpired.

  "What terrible sin had she committed to have to witness a reality she so desperately didn't want to see?" thought Karina to herself.

  She was completely broken now, her heart shattered into a million pieces, and she honestly didn't know what to do anymore.

  From time to time, all the beautiful, innocent moments she had spent with Vins flashed painfully through her mind.

  There was one specific moment in particular that made her bitter tears flow even harder.

  Ding!

  She immediately checked the sender's name on her Blackberry screen, desperately hoping it was a long apology text from Vins sent through Doval's phone.

  But what she saw instead was Indra's name popping up in her message list.

  "Kar, I'm so sorry... If I had known Vins was going to be there tonight, I never would have taken you there... I'm so sorry again!" The message read.

  Karina didn't bother to reply. In her head, she could only see Vins's bruised face when he was lying unconscious in the hospital bed, or his warm, gentle smile directed entirely at her back in class.

  "Why are you doing this to me, Vins? What did I do so wrong?" she sobbed, crying uncontrollably into her pillow.

  Ding!

  The loud notification sound of a new message from her Blackberry rang out again.

  "CALL ME!!! NOW!!!" The urgent message from Danisa, her seatmate and best friend, was crystal clear.

  "Hello, Kar? I just heard from Indra about the nightmare that happened to you earlier! I'm so sorry, babe... I really wish I could be there with you right now..." Danisa said softly through the receiver.

  Hearing the comforting sound of Danisa's voice coming from her phone made Karina break down and cry even harder.

  "Waaahhh... Nisaaa... Sniff! W-W-What... What did I do wrong? Waaahhh... Why do I have to be the one who ends up the most hurt out of everyone, Nis? Sniff!" Karina wailed, sobbing hysterically to Danisa.

  Danisa, hearing her best friend completely fall apart, felt absolutely terrible for her.

  "Babe... Just be patient, okay? Tomorrow, I swear I'll beat the crap out of Vins for you! Just you wait, I'm gonna kill that guy!" she threatened, visibly annoyed on the other end of the phone.

  "No need, Nis... Sniff! Just let it go... Sniff!" Karina replied weakly, forbidding Danisa from starting any drama.

  "Ah! Wait, I know! I have a brilliant idea! Wanna hear it, babe?" Danisa said, desperately trying to calm her best friend down.

  "What is it, Nis? Sniff! Sniff!" Karina sniffled.

  Danisa then quickly explained a secret plan to Karina. Karina initially refused to do what her best friend was asking. But, out of sheer respect for her friend and the specific person her friend was referring to, she eventually, reluctantly agreed.

  ---

  On the way home, at exactly 11:30 PM...

  "Is Doval really gonna be okay, Vins?" Freya asked, sounding genuinely worried as they walked.

  "Don't worry about it... He's totally fine, Sis... Edrik and Bro Dani are sticking with him since they're all heading in the exact same direction!" Vins replied, reassuring the girl beside him.

  "He was literally throwing up his guts earlier... I feel so bad for him... But his face was just so damn funny! Hahaha... I honestly felt guilty for laughing at him when he was in such a difficult, gross situation like that!" Freya confessed, letting out a small, guilty laugh.

  "You're totally right! He really is hilarious! Especially when he tries to act serious... He looks exactly like a confused goldfish! He and Edrik are honestly like my right and left legs... They're the ones who always support me and have my back wherever I go..." Vins smiled, proudly telling Freya about his two fiercely loyal best friends.

  "Hahaha... You're incredibly lucky, Vins! To have friends as unique and loyal as them!" Freya smiled warmly, laughing at Vins's fond explanation.

  "Yeah... You could definitely say that! Hehehe..." Vins replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

  They eventually arrived right in front of Freya's sliding iron gate.

  "Alright, Vins... Thanks for taking me home safely..." Freya said softly, standing in front of her house.

  "Yeah, Sis... No problem at all! Hehehe... Alright, I'd better get going now! I'm really sorry I kept you out so late... Say hi to your mom for me, okay?" Vins replied, taking a step back.

  "It's totally okay, Vins... Thanks for taking me out today too... I'm really, really happy today! Don't be turned off from hanging out with me again, okay?" Freya pleaded, looking up at Vins.

  "I feel the exact same way! Nah... I'm good! Sigh... Okay... I'm officially off now! See you..." Vins replied, raising a hand in a lazy wave.

  Freya just nodded at him, waving back with a bright smile.

  Vins then turned and walked away. Freya remained at the gate, patiently waiting for his figure to completely disappear from her sight.

  As Vins was walking down the dark, dead-quiet alley, he was suddenly blinded by the harsh, glaring headlights of an approaching motorcycle. Vins quickly stepped to the side of the road, letting the loud motorcycle pass by him.

  He casually watched the motorcycle's taillights until it abruptly stopped right in front of a house.

  "HUH??? WHO THE HELL IS THAT??? AT THIS HOUR??? WHAT IS HE DOING STOPPING AT SIS FREYA'S HOUSE???" Vins thought to himself, his instincts flaring up.

  Driven by a sudden, sickening curiosity, Vins silently crept back toward Freya's house.

  He hid in the shadows and watched the tall man get off his motorcycle. To his absolute horror, Freya walked out and warmly welcomed him by respectfully kissing the back of his hand. The man then returned the affectionate gesture with a soft kiss directly on the cheek of the Student Council President.

  "WHO IS THAT??? WHAT THE FCK??? WHY IS HE KISSING SIS FREYA'S CHEEK???"* Vins screamed internally from his hiding spot, his chest tightening with sudden, violent jealousy and annoyance.

  The man casually strolled inside the gate and sat down on the exact same wooden porch chair where Vins had been sitting just that afternoon.

  Freya quickly came back out, now wearing a thin, brown sleeping gown. In her delicate hands was a glass of warm tea, which she lovingly handed to the man.

  Freya then pulled another chair on her porch, moving it intimately closer to the man.

  The man appeared incredibly comfortable and aggressive; he even deliberately threw his arm around Freya's shoulders, pulling her close.

  "DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!! THIS ISN'T RIGHT, IS IT??? WHAT THE HELL DOES ALL THIS MEAN???" Vins cursed furiously in his heart, his hands curling into tight fists.

  Rumble! Rumble!

  A massive, deafening clap of thunder echoed from the pitch-black sky, signaling that a heavy storm was about to break.

  Vins stayed frozen in his hiding spot, his eyes glued to what the two of them were doing on the porch.

  His heart completely shattered into pieces when he saw the man gently pull Freya's head toward his face. The man then leaned in and kissed Freya directly on the lips.

  Vins, who had literally just begun to accept that he was falling in love, was forced to witness the most heartbreaking, soul-crushing scene of his life.

  "Ugh... WHY DOES IT HURT SO DAMN MUCH??? THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I HATE FALLING IN LOVE THE MOST!!!" he cried internally, fighting back the bitter tears stinging his eyes.

  Not long after, heavy, freezing rain began to pour from the sky. The man at Freya's house quickly stood up to leave before the storm got worse.

  Just exactly like she had done with Vins, Freya treated the man with the same unwavering devotion. She stood at the gate and waited for him until his motorcycle disappeared from her sight.

  Vins suddenly realized the man would have to ride directly past his hiding spot. Reacting quickly, he pressed himself flat against the trunk of a large tree.

  The man rode past him in the pouring rain, but Vins couldn't see a single detail of his face because the guy was wearing a dark, full-face helmet.

  Rumble! Rumble!

  Freya, who was just about to close the heavy iron gate, was startled by another violent crack of thunder.

  "I really hope Vins is already home safe..." Freya whispered to herself, looking out into the rain.

  Rumble! Rumble!

  Freya then grabbed the sliding iron gate to shut it. But suddenly, the dark silhouette of a man appeared silently right in front of her.

  "Sis Frey..." a man's voice called out weakly through the pouring rain. The voice sounded incredibly familiar to her.

  The outline of the man's body and face slowly became visible under the streetlamp. His clothes were completely soaked, clinging to his shivering frame.

  "HUH??? V-V-VINS??? Y-YOU HAVEN'T GONE HOME YET???" Freya gasped in absolute shock, her eyes widening.

  "Can I ask you for one last favor? Please... just pretend we never knew each other!"

  Rumble! Rumble!

  ---

  -To be Continued

  Author's Note:

  always be served with just student turf wars and brawls!

  "Is this really a dark psychology novel?"

  "It all depends on how you grasp the context I'm building!"

  "You will never know how sweet sugar tastes until you actually try it. You will never stop consuming it until you bloat, once you're hooked. And you will only understand how truly dangerous it is once you're forced to inject insulin every single day. In the end, all you'll have is regret when you find yourself standing on only one leg! xD

  Your New Vision