Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 1-3) ✓

33 | A Joker's Past

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BASES, ALSO KNOWN AS Brotherhood Bases, are areas within a campus that was chosen by a specific brotherhood. A brotherhood must choose an area in their House and submit it to the Brotherhood Association along with the reason why they chose it so it can get approved. These bases are inaccessible to white uniforms, except for the brotherhood's underlings. The brotherhoods also have full control of their base, and most of the time they can be found there if one wishes to meet with them.

     For instance, the stadium is a joint base for both the kings and the princes. If there is an official battle or event, everyone can enter the stadium. But during regular days, only the royals are allowed inside. Students who enter without permission will face consequences.

     "Thank god it's Friday!" Ari shouts while walking down the hall to their classroom.

     "Yesterday was still too crazy for me that I don't even feel the comfort of a Friday. Who would have thought our class's little prank would lead to that? I've never seen the vice president so angry," Felix says as he walks beside his friends Max and Ari.

      "Yeah, he didn't even need my help. Everyone involved immediately admitted to it after Blade left. Even Ervin helped rat some of them out," Ari tells them.

     "I bet he got mad since they were pinning the blame on the Jacks. Ervin didn't leave Jokers and continued his activities with them. It's just a pity that his so-called friends left him because of that. Just goes to show they were only hanging out with him because of his title," Max then says even though Ervin had bullied him a few times before.

     After Gavriil gave the lists of names to Blade, the three students involved in the prank were immediately called right after. Everyone knew that there would be consequences, but no one expected that they'd be kicked out of their class. Everyone was just surprised when their homeroom teacher, sir Barron, arrived and announced that the three students will be moving to Class C. They were only twenty students in Class II-A, but there are only seventeen of them now.

     "But the craziest part about all this was that the prince helped you. I bet our classmates thought you'd get in trouble, but instead, it backfired on them," Ari explains, and Max couldn't help but nod in agreement.

     Max didn't tell anyone about how the king asked the prince to assist him, but he knew that what happened yesterday was already enough to at least make his classmates stop doing anything reckless. And he didn't tell anyone about his encounter with Jokers' Brave either since he didn't want anyone to know he carried him in the middle of the fountain.

     "He didn't exactly help ME out. They only did it because someone disrespected the rules regarding their base. They would have done it to anyone," Max answers, and both Felix and Ari shrugged their shoulders as a response.

     When they got to their classroom, the three were surprised to see that a bunch of students was blocking the door.

     "Well this is a familiar scene," Ari says as he pushes the students away so he could make way for them. When they got inside, Max was surprised to see Ervin sitting on Max's chair. And on top of his desk was none other than the infamous Jack-in-the-box.

     "You got to be kidding me," Max says in disbelief as he approaches his chair.

     Some of his classmates looked at Max with a "serves-you-right" look. But before Max could even ask why he was given another box, Ervin gestures at it and says, "Open it."

     Max wanted to protest, but he knew nothing would come out of it. So without saying anything, Max turns the handle, and the familiar melody echoes inside the room. As soon as the sound finds its end, jack pops out with a note. Max takes a deep breath and takes the note so he can read it.