“Hey, Jacob! Here!”  

Leo calls me out as soon as I enter the grounds for our daily magic practice. The class is about to start, and as usual, it’s quite crowded here.   

“In a minute! I need to do something first!” I shout back.   

“Fuck whatever you want to do! Come here fast, it will take a minute as well!” Ryan, who’s standing next to Leo, says.   

Sigh… Oh, well.   

Changing my direction, I start jogging towards my friends.   

“What happened?” I ask hastily, not wanting to waste much time here.   

“You didn’t hear the news about Kate and Alex, did you?” Ryan asks, sounding really excited.   

“It’s fucking amazing! I cannot remember the last time I was this happy!” Leo says before I could reply, raising his fist high in triumph.   

“Kate and Alex? What, they broke up?” I ask.   

Both Ryan and Leo look at me in surprise.   

“Yes, but how do you know!? Even we found out just a few minutes ago…” Ryan tells me.   

“Oh, just heard a few girls talking about it on my way here, thought that this must be it…” I lie with a nervous smile.   

To be honest, it was just a guess— though not a blind one. I mean, Kate was literally bursting to finish off everything with Alex officially. I am sure that this must be the first thing she told her friends about today. And as expected, this news spread like wildfire.  

“Fuck, I wanted to tell you about this. But still, no worries, the break-up is not even the best part! You remember what I told you about a couple of days ago? About Alex raping Kate and her liking it and stuff?” Ryan continues.   

“Yes, what about it?”  

“Well, as it turned out, that bastard was lying, hoping to dirty Kate’s name and blackmail her after she tried to break up with him. That’s why she stayed at home after the rumor spread out, crying and everything,” he answers, looking angry.   

“Poor Kate…” Leo mutters sadly.   

“Really!? I expected nothing less from that scum…” I say, trying my best to sound surprised.   

“… but still, did everyone believe her all right? I mean, there is a chance that she might be lying about this, you know? We all know that her image has greatly plummeted after that rumor. This might be an attempt to gain back her popularity.”  

It may sound like I am trying to make my friends doubt about Kate, but that’s not true. I just want to know if she successfully managed to convince everyone about the truth. Because if not, I will have to step in and help her— and I know how to do that.   

“Hmm… Good argument, but I don’t think that she’s lying, to be honest, and neither does anyone else think that. I mean, what Alex said was already hard to swallow, the only reason everyone believed it was because Kate didn’t deny it, and even stopped her friends from reporting about the rape. It’s great that finally decided to fight back and tell everyone the truth.  

“And also, even if we go according to what Alex said, then I don’t think Kate should have broken up with him— After all, he was fulfilling all of her kinky demands, satisfying her in every way. He was telling everyone that she’s really happy with him if you remember,” Leo says with a shrug.   

True, true…   

“Yeah, I think you are right. Kate’s definitely not lying. Anyway, for us, Alex’s breakup is a thing to celebrate! That bastard doesn’t deserve any girl in his life!” I say cheerfully.   

Well, there is something else to celebrate as well— him being butt-fucked yesterday, but I cannot tell Leo and Ryan about this good news sadly.   

“Yes, he doesn’t! Oh, and by the way, while I agree that we should be happy about Alex’s breakup, there is one even more delightful and important thing that we shouldn’t forget,” Leo says.  

Hmm?   

“And what’s that?” I ask, confused.   

“Kate is single again!!!” Ryan bursts out before Leo could answer, looking even more excited than before.   

…   

“So? Why do you guys care if she’s single or not?” I ask, frowning.   

“What do you mean by that!? The hottest girl in our school is single— of course, we care! This is our chance to get in a relationship with her!” Ryan replies, determined.   

“Yes, this is our chance!” Leo agrees.   

…   

Are these guys for real!?   

“And why do you think that she will ever agree to be in a relationship with either of you?” I ask, suppressing an urge to laugh at them.   

At this, Ryan gives a huge sigh.   

“I really pity you, Jacob. You don’t understand a girl at all. As I have already said a thousand times— I doubt you will ever lose your virginity, let alone find yourself a girlfriend,” He says, looking at me piteously.   

Fufufu… Yeah, sure.   

“Get on topic, idiot,” I say lightly.   

“Tch… Use your brain? Kate just got out of a toxic relationship with Alex! She must be fed up with rich and handsome bastards like him! Now, she must be looking for some middle-class and not-that-great-looking-but-still-above-average guys like us!   

“As they say, strike the iron while it’s hot. I need to grab this chance and make her my girlfriend before she gets past this phase,” Ryan explains with a superior expression.   

…   

First of all, what makes you think that you’re above average in looks?   

And anyway, with what happened with Kate yesterday, I am almost sure that she has already found a guy she likes— me. I cannot think of any other reason as to why she acted like that.   

Though still, I am not sure of the extent of her feelings for me…   

Would she say yes if I ask her out? Or she isn’t ready for that yet?   

Haa~   

Well, it doesn’t matter, to be honest. I will make sure that Kate will be mine, no matter what I have to do.   

So guys, sorry, but fuck you.   

“Yeah, best of luck both of you. I hope you succeed… never,” I say, adding the last word in an undertone.   

“Thanks, mate. You can start addressing Kate as my girlfriend from now on,” Ryan says with a confident smile.   

“Wait, who said that Kate will be your girlfriend!? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ryan! I am the one who will go after her!” Leo says angrily.   

“Hahaha… Have you ever seen your face in the mirror, chimpanzee?” Ryan says with a laugh.   

“Yeah, but have you? I may look like a chimpanzee, but with your bald head, you look like a chimpanzee’s ass— with poop coming out, that is!” Leo says, laughing even louder.   

“The fuck you said!? You fucking micro—  

“Eh… Guys, I need to go, see you later!” I say my goodbye as Ryan retort back, ignoring me completely.   

Leaving my arguing friends, I make my way where section B of my class are standing— Kate’s class… and Alex’s as well.  

While I can spot Kate happily chatting away with her friends a few meters away, Alex is nowhere to be seen. Well, considering that Evelyn must have freed him just an hour or so ago, I am not surprised.   

To be honest, I wanted to stay in the brothel the whole night and hear the suffering of Alex as those male prostitutes fuck him. But alas, the girls had to go home as it was getting really late, and Layla would have gotten worried about me as well.  

So, all of us decided to leave things in Evelyn’s hands and go home. (I remember a really nasty smell coming from Alex’s room when I walked past it— almost like shit).   

Anyway, I doubt Alex will come to school this week, or even in the next one. In fact, I think he might even miss out on the Magical Tournament selections— After all, his gaping and thoroughly torn-up asshole needs some time to heal.   

Fufufu…   

Anyway, I will think about these happy thoughts later, let’s focus on the task at hand first.   

As expected, at some distance from the class, Zakira is standing alone with her bodyguard behind, waiting for the class teacher to arrive so that they can start teaching.  

“Hey, Zakira!” I say, walking close to her.  

Zakira notices me and her eyes open up wide in surprise.   

“Shush!!! It’s princess Zakira,” she hisses.   

“And anyway, I told you that we shouldn’t talk in school!”  

“I know, but I have no other means to contact you. Give me your number later, okay?” I tell her.   

“M-My number? You are asking for my number?” Zakira asks, suddenly blushing out of nowhere.   

“Yes, you don’t want to give it to me?”   

“N-No, that’s not it. I will give you my number then,” she says, nodding furiously.   

“Great, anyway, I wanted to tell you something important, that’s why I came here to talk,” I tell her urgently.   

“Hmm?”  

“Come with me to my house after school— my other women want to meet you.”