The Vice-Principal was an old man. Not the "kind grandpa" type. The "I fought a dragon with a toothpick and won" type.
He stood at the podium, his voice amplified by magic, recounting a war story that had gone on for forty-five minutes.
"AND THEN!" the Vice-Principal roared, slamming his fist onto the podium. The wood cracked. "I RIPPED THE HORN OFF THE ARCH-DEMON! WITH MY TEETH! BECAUSE MY ARMS WERE TIED BEHIND MY BACK!"
The students gasped.
"THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE FRONTIER! IF YOU LOSE YOUR SWORD, USE YOUR FISTS! IF YOU LOSE YOUR FISTS, USE YOUR TEETH! IF YOU LOSE YOUR TEETH, GUM THEM TO DEATH!"
Kaizen stared ahead, his eyes glazed over.
'Please let me go home. I promise I'll never complain about bad graphics again.'
"Dude," a whisper tickled his ear.
Kaizen flinched. It was Leo. Again.
The Hero's eyes were sparkling. He was leaning in close, practically vibrating with excitement.
"That's amazing, right?" Leo whispered, gesturing to the terrifying old man. "He's a living legend! He served on the Northern Frontier for fifty years. Do you know how high the mortality rate is there?"
'Yes,' Kaizen thought. '98%. That's why I'm terrified, you lunatic.'
"It's so cool," Leo continued, unaware that Kaizen was currently hyperventilating. "To live long enough to tell the tale... that's true strength. Don't you think so?"
Kaizen didn't want to answer. Answering meant establishing a dialogue tree. Establishing a dialogue tree meant becoming a 'Friend Character.'
But Leo was staring at him with those big, honest protagonist eyes. Ignoring him would be rude. Being rude to the Hero might trigger a 'Rivalry' flag.
Kaizen forced a stiff nod. He stretched his lips into something resembling a human smile.
"Yeah," Kaizen whispered, his voice cracking. "Cool."
"Right?!" Leo beamed, slapping Kaizen on the back.
Smack.
Kaizen nearly folded in half. The slap had the weight of a truck. 'He just took 5 HP off me with a friendly pat.'
"I'm Leo, by the way," the Hero said. "I didn't catch your name."
'Don't say it. Don't give him your name. Stay anonymous.'
"Kaizen," his mouth betrayed him.
"Nice to meet you, Kaizen! Let's do our best!"
Leo turned back to the stage, radiating happiness.
Kaizen slumped. It was over. He was now 'Kaizen, the guy sitting next to the Hero.' He was officially a side character.
He rubbed his face, trying to massage the stress away. His gaze drifted past Leo's red hair.
He froze.
Sitting directly to Leo's right... was a dark-haired boy.
He was handsome in a sharp, dangerous way. While Leo was slouching comfortably, this boy sat perfectly straight, like a statue. He wasn't watching the Vice-Principal. He was reading a book titled 'Theoretical Applied Mana Dynamics' and looking utterly bored.
Klaus Silver.
The Demon King Candidate.
Kaizen felt his stomach drop through the floor and keep going until it hit the basement.
'He's here. He's right here.'
The Hero (who wants to kill all demons) was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Demon Prince (who wants to conquer humanity).
And Kaizen was sitting next to them.
It was a literal powder keg. If Klaus sneezed wrong, or if Leo sensed 'Dark Energy,' this entire row of seats would turn into a crater.
'I'm in the splash zone. I'm literally sitting in the blast radius of the Final Boss Fight.'
Kaizen looked at Klaus. Klaus looked up from his book.
Their eyes met.
Klaus's eyes were red. Not a natural brown-red. Blood red.
Klaus raised an eyebrow. He looked at Leo (who was cheering for the Vice-Principal), then he looked at Kaizen (who looked like he was about to cry), and gave a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk.
It was a look that said: 'You and I are the only intelligent life forms in this room.'
Kaizen quickly looked away. 'Don't bond with me! I am not part of your dark backstory!'
He turned his head to the other side, desperate for a safe place to look.
He looked across the aisle behind him.
A pair of eyes were burning a hole through his skull.
Lance Wind.
The Villain was sitting two rows back, surrounded by his goons. His face was twisted in a scowl. He was staring daggers at Leo's back.
'Look at me!' Lance's expression screamed. 'I am your rival! Acknowledge me!'
But Leo was too busy being inspired by the speech. He was ignoring Lance completely.
So, naturally, Lance's rage needed a new target.
His eyes shifted.
He saw Leo leaning close to Kaizen. He saw Leo slapping Kaizen's back. He saw them whispering like best buddies.
Lance's eyes narrowed.
'Oh no,' Kaizen thought. 'Don't do it. The logic is flawed. Don't connect the dots.'
Lance connected the dots.
'That peasant... he's friends with the Hero? He's laughing at me with him?'
Lance locked eyes with Kaizen.
The background noise faded. It was just the two of them.
Lance slowly, deliberately, raised his hand. He flattened his palm.
He drew his thumb across his throat.
The Neck Slice.
A death threat. A promise of pain. A declaration of war.
Kaizen stared.
'I didn't do anything!' his mind screamed. 'I just sat down! I just wanted a seat! Why is the Villain targeting me?!'
Lance smirked, satisfied that his message was received, and turned to whisper something to his goons. The goons looked at Kaizen and cracked their knuckles.
Kaizen sank into his chair. He tried to slide down until he became one with the upholstery.
To his left: An Elf who hated him. To his right: A Hero who might accidentally hug him to death. Further right: A Demon King who might incinerate him. Behind him: An annoyed dwarf. Two rows behind him: A Villain who wanted to murder him.
Kaizen closed his eyes.
"Mom," he whispered to the ceiling. "I want to drop out."