What It Means To Be King

Chapter 72: The Pillars Of Our Friendship

Just fit in my new college, so far so good, but now I'm having an abundant of of regret for choosing New Zealand instead of the UK because I may have underestimated my abilities, alongside my insecurities, and now have probably lost the chance, but hey! It's not too bad. New Zealand is still something.....

Anywayyyy....

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There was a time once, when none of Anubis' spells worked on Shao Long. Neither his weakest, nor his strongest spells. It was one thing to have someone fall into each and every single spell you cast, no matter how foolishly simple it was. It could be maddening, it could be concerning and overwhelming and flattering at most. But to have that person suddenly deflecting every poke, every prod into his mind felt like being dumped with a bucket of cold, freezing water, bringing him the reality that all of those instances before were solely because Shao Long trusted him like he trusted no other. Because once that trust became clouded and broken, Shao Long was no different than a stranger to his mind tricks, that even the strongest ones failed to detach him from reality. 

It was at that time when neither Anubis nor Leo realized that Shao Long was bullied. Or rather, Leo didn't realize. Anubis had had an inkling quite a few months ago that something was very wrong with Shao Long's social life, and that even though the kid looked like he could befriend every creature on the planet, he was almost always alone. Sure, Anubis kept track where he went, and sometimes Shao Long may not fit into his target schedule as he thought— though that could easily be brushed off with the idea that Shao Long may have sidetracked with candies, as he so often does — but all in all, there was this strange thought that Shao Long never went out with his friends, and even if he did, Anubis never saw them. It was always his parents, themselves, his guards, his driver, his neighborhood army of aunties and uncles who liked to fawn over him for being such a good boy, and maybe a tree is involved in his list of company. 

So during that month, Anubis who had nothing better to do, opted to stalk Shao Long's movements day in and day out, just to get a glimpse of his friends, if not his classmates. Shao Long studied at a private school that time, newly transferred about three months ago by his parents' choice so he said. The kids there were abnormally rich, the type of wealth that made Anubis feel more disgusted than awed. They weren't nearly as rich as Shao Long though, but most of them always, always acted as if they were much more superior. And none of them were Shao Long's friends, to Anubis' sick relief. It was a dark thought, him wanting Shao Long to hang out with no one other than him and Leo, because neither he nor Leo had friends outside of this odd trinity. Only Shao Long seemed to have an actual social life out there, and it made Anubis feel seconded, feel used, feel disrespected. He never voiced it out. 

Shao Long talked with almost everyone, from the nastiest to the nicest. They didn't look comfortable around him, not after finding out who his father was, not after finding out about the rumours circulating around him. They didn't lunch with him. They didn't do homework with him, didn't ask him questions, didn't regard him for the most part. Most of the times they did was solely out of necessity. So Anubis began to wonder. And wonder. And wonder again.

Shao Long was nice. 

He was sweet. 

He was so, so very kind. 

Maybe a little bit of an asshole, but that's only when you stole his candies right in front of him. Still, he was a good company. He cared for people. So why did no one approach him after hearing boring rumours? It wasn't realistic. Surely, with how much talking Shao Long did, one would think that he'd have the highest number of friends in the school, and maybe even earned himself some followers. He's got the name, the looks, the grades, the skills, almost everything needed for people to like him.