“Just why don’t you like me? I have money, and everything else that you might need and yet… ” Jeremiah narrowed his eyes at Randy who was about a meter away from them and then continued, “Don’t tell me that you really like that loser? I don’t even want to say his name, afraid that I will receive his bad luck.”

“I never said I liked him. He is only my childhood friend and that is all.” Emilia readily refuted the claim that she was into Randy. She did not want anyone else to misunderstand their relationship. They only spend time together because they lived in the same neighborhood when they were kids and although her family moved, they are still not that far away from each other.

Randy listened to this, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. They used to spend time together due to their parents. She even comes to his house for a visit, and sometimes even gets mentored by his mother regarding her ice ability. Throughout that time, they got closer, and it was obvious they both had feelings each other. But now, she said they were only childhood friends, and that was all there was to their relationship. Randy felt hurt, he even thought about confessing to her when he awakens his ability someday, if even that day would ever come. Nonetheless, Randy ignored these emotions and continued to ask.

“Emilia, Are you going somewhere else with your friends? If not, we can go home together.” Randy said ignoring the other students next to Emilia, including Jeremiah Zhang.

Jeremiah was pissed off when he noticed that Randy was ignoring his existence as he continued to speak to Emilia. Despite feeling anger bubbling up within him, he did not let it show, afraid it would leave a bad impression on Emilia.

On the other hand, Emilia was troubled when she heard Randy’s question. She did not know how to answer. Due to Randy’s inability to awaken his ability, her parents warned her to not get close to him as it would affect her reputation and so, she tried to avoid him, but he always approaches her like this. Lately her parents were more adamant that she should not get involve with Randy as the university entrance examination was approaching. And today, she did not leave school right away and decided to stay until the evening to head home. All this was in order to avoid Randy, yet he still managed to find and approach her. He usually leaves around six o’clock in the evening, but today he was leaving around seven o’clock instead. Just why was that?

After a while, Emilia finally spoke after collecting her thoughts.

“I am actually heading somewhere with my friends today, so I cannot go home together with you.” Emilia said shocking everyone, including her own friends who had no idea they were going to someplace else besides heading home until just now.

“What?!” Jeremiah was confused when he heard what Emilia said just now.

‘They were going somewhere? How come I did not know about it?’ Jeremiah wondered.

Jeremiah checked and found out that Emilia did not have anything else to do today, so he was very confused when she decided to stay in the school for a while longer. But he did not mind it at that time when he heard she changed her schedule and decided to stay in the institution for a while. But now, she said they were going somewhere? Was his information source wrong or…

Jeremiah had a puzzled expression on his face at this moment, he thought of using today to impress Emilia and finally win her favor by walking her home and maybe spending some time together along the way. Now all his plans turned into nothing. He wasted his time staying late in the academy when he could be somewhere else having fun instead.

Emilia ignored Jeremiah who had a questioned look on his face at this moment and spoke again.

“Anyway, that is how it is. Tell Auntie that I say hi. Get home safely.” Emilia said as she turned around and continued walking with her friends who had a dazed look on their faces at this moment. They had no idea what was going on, but they felt like they had to play along with the situation. One was the loser of their academy, and the other was the rich Jeremiah Zhang. These two are polar opposites of each other and if they had to pick, they would rather Emilia go out with Jeremiah instead that loser of their academy, but that is not their decision to make.

Randy Smith listened to Emilia’s nonsense with a serene look on his face almost as if he was not bothered by her response. In fact, he was well aware that Emilia had been ignoring him lately, but he thought that maybe he was just thinking too much, but this situation just proved his suspicion that Emilia really was gradually abandoning him too. He might only have two people who believed in him now if she also stopped associating with him. Randy knew Emilia very well, so how could he not tell these simple habits she makes when she was lying? Even so, he decided to play along with her and so, he responded.

“Okay, have fun. And I will let my mother know. I will be taking my leave now.” Said Randy as he also turned in a direction and walked away with his tired body. The guys with the girls were confused about what was going on, especially Jeremiah who had his plans ruin just now.

Jeremiah wanted to let out his frustration. He could have just forced that girl to be with him. However, with her talents, if something happens to her, not only will the police investigate, but the school will also get involve, so he did not force her. Instead, he tried to coerce her with his status as a rich boy, but he ultimately failed using that method and so, he wanted to approach her normally today. But who would have thought that this plan would also get ruined. He wanted to get close to her as soon as possible, because the university entrance examination was approaching, and they might not see each other again. In the process, losing his chance to make her his woman. As this moment, his eyes were bloodshot as he clenched his fist so tight. Then he turned and saw a figure walking away in the distance, the figure seemed to be worn out and could barely take step after step. The moment he saw the figure, a sinister smile appeared on Jeremiah’s face as he began to give his orders to the other male students next to him.

“Are you for real, Brother Zhang?” One of the male students was startled by the brutality of Jeremiah Zhang.

“Hmph! That loser dares to get in my way every time I tried to approach Emilia.” Jeremiah scoffed and then proceeded to give the figure that was struggling to walk away, a cold sneer and said, “I had been sending people to beat him up every now and then, but with his endurance, I bet he was able to take those beatings without much problem. This time, I will take it up a notch. I will see whether he will still have the guts to approach Emilia again.”

One of the students squinted his eyes and looked at Jeremiah for a brief before he said, “Alright! We will listen to you. But don’t forgot about your promise.”

Jeremiah was silence for a brief moment before saying, “Don’t worry, you three would surely get a spot in one of top universities, if you help me with this.”

“We will take your word for it then.” All the three male students said after hearing the confirmation from Jeremiah Zhang.

…

On the way home, Randy thought about how Emilia had been acting lately, and could not help but feel a little sadness welling up within him. He never thought that the one person that he thought would not abandon him would also show traces of leaving him too. Randy carried his lonely, but worn-out body across the street and made his way towards his house. His family’s house was only a thirty minutes’ walk away from the academy. His parents decided to get a house at the location near the academy just so that he could attend the academy without much trouble, but that was when they had high hopes for him.

Now, they held nothing but disappointed toward him; they only paid attention to his little brother who had awaken two different types of abilities with different cultivation. Only rare people had these kinds of talent, so one can only imagine the fame such people would get. But as his older brother, what does he get? Nothing. His parents’ disappointed rooted from this fact. While Randy was going through his emotional breakdown of not living up to his parents’ expectation of him and having to lose the trust of everyone that was close to him, he saw a figure approaching his direction. Right now, he was walking in some alley that led to his house, it was the shortest distance, if he does not want to walk through the crowded street.

“Hey loser, your time is up.” A mocking voice said in the distance.

“Who are you? And who sent you?” Randy asked as he was already used to people meeting him along the way home and suddenly attacking him, because someone had told them to do it.