The wall clock ticked softly.
5:00 PM.
The dismissal bell for the afternoon classes at HIHS had rung a while ago.
Inside one of the classrooms, a female teacher with a plain yet elegant face finished organizing her teaching materials and stepped out, accompanied by polite greetings from the students.
After walking a short distance, she paused and glanced back at the classroom door, a faint smile on her lips.
"Other than that scholarship kid who seems pretty lazy… I didn't expect this troublemaker class to turn this normal," she murmured to herself, satisfied.
For her, 'normal' was already a big achievement for the afternoon class.
"And now there's only one semester left before they graduate… I didn't think I'd get this attached. But well… that's life. I just hope they become better from here on."
"...Including that lazy kid. Maybe seeing his friends improve will motivate him to try a little harder."
With that, she walked away.
Inside the classroom, at one of the back seats in that elite-class room, someone was still fast asleep.
Head resting on the desk, breathing steady, completely unbothered by the world.
Al.
The 'Big Brother.' The 'Masked King.'
The remaining students exchanged looks.
"Huff… as usual. He's still sleeping. It's already after school," a boy whispered.
"Hehe, that's Big Brother for you," another replied softly.
Two girls walked over.
One had long, neatly flowing hair and a beautiful face with the refined aura of a prestigious family's daughter.
The other was more expressive—stylish, slightly seductive, with a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
They stopped right behind Al's chair.
"Big Brother…" the first girl called gently.
No response.
The second girl leaned down slightly, bringing her lips close to his ear.
"Big Brotherrr… school's over~" she said in a sweet, teasing tone.
Al shifted a little, a lazy groan escaping his lips.
"Uhh… it's over already?" he muttered without lifting his head. "Wait a sec… five more minutes… hoaammm…"
Several students nearby stifled their laughter.
The expressive girl exchanged a glance with her friend, then boldly wrapped her arms around Al from behind, her chin almost resting on his shoulder.
"Big Brother… wake up, wake up. It's time to go home. Let's head out together."
Al frowned slightly but didn't reject the hug.
The long-haired girl stepped closer too, placing her hands on his shoulders and gently shaking him.
"Yeah, Big Brother. Come on. We won today. Let's party while we still have time."
Al's eyes slowly opened halfway. His messy hair stuck out in every direction. His gaze was still blank, unfocused.
He straightened up and leaned back in his chair, letting out a light yawn.
The two girls moved in front of him—one on the left, one on the right—grabbing his hands and trying to pull him up.
"Finally awake. Let's go, Big Brother," one of them said.
Before Al could respond, another student approached—the boy he had helped earlier that morning.
"Hey, you two, don't bother Big Brother yet," he said.
The two girls pouted, released Al's hands, stuck their tongues out at the boy mockingly, then moved behind Al again and started massaging his shoulders instead.
The sight made others envious.
The male students wished they were the ones being pampered by two hot elite-family girls—not just ordinary girls.
The female students, meanwhile, also wanted a special place beside Big Brother, but most of them lacked the confidence to act that bold.
The boy rolled his eyes and refocused on business.
"Big Brother, today's war loot was pretty decent. Even though they're not from an elite school, they had quite a few valuable items."
"...If we sell everything, it should be around 200–300 million rupiah. As for the bet winnings, ten million—we've already donated that."
He handed over a note listing the plundered items.
"But… is this really okay? The plunder, I mean. It's not a big deal for us, but it's our first time doing something like this. I'm honestly a bit confused handling it," he admitted.
Al yawned lightly.
"Hmmm… relax. That kind of thing is normal on the streets. Besides, they're students like us. They'll prefer to keep their losses quiet rather than report it to their parents."
"...It'd be way worse for them if their parents found out they were involved in a gang fight," he said casually.
He took the paper.
"As for plunder… yeah, it's new for you guys. But you'll need to get used to it. After all, this isn't even worth the risk we faced. What if we lost and they actually slashed us with those sickles?"
That image alone made them shiver. Even the two girls massaging him unconsciously pressed harder from the tension.
Suddenly, 300 million didn't seem like much.
"Three hundred million wouldn't even cover medical treatment and follow-ups for people like you," Al continued calmly. "So at least learn how to secure real justice for yourselves."
They could only nod, impressed by Big Brother's insight and 'wisdom,' their admiration rising even higher.
"You're really the best, Big Brother," the two girls chimed sweetly while clinging to his arm.
Al stood up and freed himself, returning the paper to the boy.
"Yup," he agreed. "Anyway, even if they try to escalate this, I'll handle it. So don't worry. Sell the loot and donate the rest too. As for where, you decide."
The boy nodded at his boss's decision. But some of the others looked hesitant.
"Big Brother… we're donating the money again? We already gave ten million. I thought we were gonna use it for… you know… party funds," one of them said awkwardly.
Al shook his head.
"Don't be petty. Your allowances are more than enough for a party. No need to use that money. Even if we 'earned' it, legally it still smells illegal."
"And... by the way... about the party… hmm… if you guys want to go, go ahead. But this time… I can't join. Hehe."
"Huh? You're not coming?" someone blurted out.
"Come on, Big Brother. A party without you? We won mainly because of you."
"Yeah, you're usually the most excited about food!"
"I already almost reserved a café! So are we going or not?"
Al looked at the twenty-plus classmates one by one. Their confused yet eager faces were obvious.
But things were different now.
His life had changed.
He wasn't just an orphan kid from a shelter anymore.
He was a Virellano.
They didn't know. And he didn't know whether he should tell them.
"Hmmm… how do I even say this…" he muttered.
Everyone leaned in.
"My life isn't the same as yesterday anymore. Starting today… I might not be able to be as free as before. I'm still adjusting to this new life," he explained.
"...And sadly, I can't use you guys as sample experiments to test whether rich kids can still live freely. Their world seems… different."
They blinked.
"Hah?"
"New life?"
"Sample?"
"What are you even talking about, Big Brother?"
Al rubbed his face lazily.
"Forget it. I just can't talk about it right now. Long story short—if you want to party with me, not today. I've got something else to handle."
Disappointment spread across their faces.
Without waiting for further response, Al walked to his locker, grabbed his backpack and his black and red sweater.
"Don't look so gloomy. You can party without me," he said with a grin.
They could only nod helplessly. None of them really wanted a party without him, but when Al said that was final, digging further was pointless.
Al put on his black sweater, then tossed the dirty red one to the boy.
"Come with me. And help me wash that," he said while walking out. "The rest of you—I'm heading off first."
The boy caught it and hurried after him.
The others stared at each other in confusion.
"What's with Big Brother today? What does he mean his life changed?"
"Maybe he's finally focusing on studying and cutting down on playing around?"
"Hahaha, maybe. Well, that's just him. No one can control him. Better to just follow his lead."
"Huff… we didn't even get more time with Big Bro today…" the expressive girl whined.
"Yeah… uwuuu…" her friend agreed.
They packed up and eventually dispersed.
---
Meanwhile, in a dim corner of the building, shadows stretching as the sun began to set—
Two figures stood facing each other.
Al and the boy.
A sly smile formed on Al's silhouette.
"All good, Big Brother. Everything's secure hehe," the boy said with an equally sly grin. "Seventy percent of the profit goes to your account, ten percent for me, and the rest gets donated. Got it."
"Yup. Remember—don't tell them," Al replied with a satisfied nod.
"Of course, Big Brother hehe."
Their little scheme was ready to be executed.
A moment later, after finishing their shady discussion—
"So… no party with you today? For real?" the boy asked.
Al nodded lazily while slinging on his backpack.
"Yeah. I'm still adjusting to my new life. Not sure how things will look from now on."
"What's this new life anyway? I'm curious, Big Brother."
Al paused for a second, then started walking away.
"That's because… right now…"
He glanced back slightly.
"…I'm a kid from an elite family. So acting wild and free like before? I'll have to tone it down."
With a casual wave goodbye, he walked off.
The boy didn't feel enlightened at all—if anything, it sounded like a joke.
He just shook his head helplessly.
"Big Brother… mysterious as always."
And then he left as well.
"Big Brother, wait for me!" he called out. "Don't you want to ride in my car?"
Al didn't turn around. He simply lifted a hand and waved lazily.
"Not this time. Thanks. I feel like enjoying the afternoon walk," he replied calmly. "Who knows… after this, my life might not be this free anymore."
The boy just stared at his back, slightly dazed, but didn't press further.
And just like that, the two of them left the school grounds—
Like model students.
Without a single trace of guilt.
---
Meanwhile, at the very top of a tall building not far from the Hazandeen International High School complex.
Two figures stood silently, gazing down upon the bustling city of Makazhar that was beginning to grow lively again as the late afternoon unfolded.