The Author's POV

-Clank!

Entering the classroom, I instantly felt countless stares directed towards me. Already prepared for this, I ignored the stares and indifferently made my way towards my seat.

Walking towards my seat, I could hear the faint whispering sounds coming from some of the classmates as they stared at me with a look of apprehension.

"Is that him?"

"Was he really hiding his strength the whole time?"

"Tsk, he's just stealing someone else's credit. He's nothing but a fake"

"Then how can you explain his E+ rank?"

Ignoring the whispers and murmurs coming from my classmates, I continued to make my way towards my seat.

At the moment I was extremely tired.

Having spent most of my morning getting beaten black and blue by Donna, I was feeling lethargic.

To make matters worse, my arm was currently spasming beneath my shirt.

Recently the problem with my arm has been getting more and more problematic.

It was starting to get really annoying as it was impeding me from training with the same intensity as before. Donna did in fact notice this.

When she asked me about it, I could only tell her that I had slightly injured myself during training the past few days.

Since Donna was not a doctor, she quickly bought my excuse and lowered the intensity of the workout.

However, although I managed to avoid getting questioned this time, I knew that this couldn't go on and I had to find a way to purchase an advanced potion to heal my arm.

Lazily sitting down on my seat as I interlocked my fingers together and yawned, my eyes drifted towards the left side of the classroom as I thought to myself.

'she should be able to make advanced potions by now, no?'

If there was someone that could provide me with cheap and high-quality potions, it was obviously Melissa.

Given that Melissa was practically my potion dealer as the deal I had made with her long ago was not just a one-time deal but a long-term one, I could enjoy better quality potions as she improved.

...the real question now was.

Did she improve?

Now that she was busy with the development of the magic card system, there was a possibility that her progress in potion-making stalled.

If so, it would be an annoying problem as I didn't want to fork out 35,000,000 million U to cure my arm.

At least with Melissa, I could pretty much save 80% of the cost as I would only need to provide her with the raw ingredients.

Crossing my arms in my seat, I repeatedly nodded my head.

"Yup, yup, I need to get in touch with Melissa again"

"Can I seat here?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I suddenly heard a familiar voice calling me from behind. Turning around and looking towards my left, I stared at the person who spoke to me.

A surprised look appeared on my face as I recognized who the voice belonged to.

"Kevin?"

Smiling, Kevin looked at the seat beside me and once again asked.

"Can I sit?"

*Sigh*

"Do whatever you want"

Staring at Kevin for a couple of seconds, a sigh escaped from my lips as I lazily waved my hand.

There was no point in hiding the fact that I was friends with Kevin. Given that I already stood out, Kevin sitting next to me wouldn't make the situation worse.

Plus, I kind of felt bad for him.

He was just as much of a loner as I was. Apart from Emma and a couple of other people, he really had no friends.

Although in the novel he would become pretty close with Jin, that would be at the later stages in the novel, and...

Staring at Jin from the corner of my eyes, my mouth twitched.

Indifferently sitting on the left side of the classroom, Jin was probably one of the only people that wasn't paying attention to me as he continued to stare at the front of the classroom with a serious look.

...yeah, I don't see Jin ever becoming close to Kevin.

Given how unfriendly he had become these past few months, I wasn't sure whether this was a possibility anymore.

Even though he was no longer arrogant and looked down on people like before, I felt like his new personality was a bit too serious...

If I had to be honest, I had mixed feelings about this.

Unaware of what I was thinking, looking at me, Kevin worriedly asked.

"Hey, are you doing okay?"

"Hm?"

"I've seen what happened on the news, it's practically everywhere, are you okay?"

news, Kevin had obviously

that were skeptical about Ren's strength, Kevin

that he was any weaker than him. This was especially since he had seen his sword art first

Fast.

fast that he could barely

and Ren, their strength was approximately the same, with maybe

Kevin's question, I lazily

why are

eyes a couple of times,

are friends aren't

"...and?"

I sit next to you...or am I perhaps bothering

Kevin, I was

said

him as a friend, what was wrong with him sitting

guess all those years of being alone caused me

lines, crossing my arms on my desk, I lowered my

fine. There's nothing wrong with what you

"Great"

class. Once he put everything on his desk, Kevin

we're really attacking a lot

remark and lifting my head up, I instantly

of the class was staring at us from

to be sneaky about it, when almost everyone was doing

at Kevin I

you already be

around, Kevin bitterly

it's never been so

my eyes,

why I didn't want to

shoulder as a trace of pity appeared in

used

did not have

wide, I smacked Kevin's hand away as I

me over so that I stood out, I really

hand purposely chose

ass, I did

The staring felt piercing.

Feeling wronged, Kevin explained.

come on, I also did not have a choice. It's not like I knew that

most of the time outside of Ashton city, Kevin had no idea that he was that talented. Therefore, when he took the exam he tried his best thinking that his performance was not going to

thought that they were

Not him.

"..."

statement, I was left speechless for a couple of

statement, I felt the urge to slap

the one that made him

who should I be hitting,

on my face, Kevin quickly diverted

the way, are you coming to the banquet

brow,

perhaps talking about the banquet with the

"Yeah"

Either way, it's not like I

head, as he crossed

since you're part of the tournament team,

"Yeah..."

that was held by the academy to welcome the new

that the academy had set up to give an opportunity to the exchange students and

reason for this was so that the students

bright.

hindsight, I think this was a good opportunity for

presence as I did before, I think that creating connections was

since I would eventually want to expand my

far, I

"When is it again?"

at his watch and looking at his

"In about a week"

Frowning slightly, I asked.

to wear

his eyes,

"What do you think?"

going to be

"Why?"

the back of my

I don't have any

"What?"

of my formal clothes

drastically improving, I no

matters worse, with my fashion sense being quite frankly terrible, I was

as he fell into deep contemplation, glancing towards the left side of the classroom, Kevin

helped me choose one when I had to attend

I looked to the side where a beautiful young girl with short brown hair sat. Currently, she was sitting next to Amanda. From time to time the two would talk, but with Amanda not being very talkative, it was mostly Emma who was

was a

experiences with Emma,

"Emma?...I'd rather not"

thoughts, Kevin

I'll come too. You won't

know. I'll think about

still

there are no electives today, we should be able to

"Eh, I'll see..."