24: Two Passers

June and Aki returned to the classroom in silence. They hadn't told anyone about what was happening—not even their close friends Kanaye and Amelia.

After what they found out from Raia, they didn't talk about it anymore. There was also a possibility that Amelia and Kanaye might be put in danger if they told them the truth. Aki and June believed that this was not the right time to tell their friends about it. Several days had passed since the exam, and the results were about to be released. 

June looked around until he saw a particular person who Raia had predicted was one of the passers. That person furrowed his brow when he noticed June looking at him. June looked away and sat down, putting his hands in his pockets. 

After a moment, Mr. Rayven finally arrived with a smile on his face, and the class's tension was palpable as they looked directly at him.

 "Oh my God, I hope I passed," Coral, who was sitting behind June, said, hoping out loud while praying. 

"Don't worry, you probably did," her friend reassured her. 

On the other side of the room, Ryota, who was unbothered by what was happening, grins and proudly smiles while he is looking out the window. 

He was confident that his name would be mentioned, given that he was one of the top students in the class. He wouldn't allow himself to fail again, especially since he lost to Fletcher before. He looked at Raia and smiled slightly. 

Aside from him, he didn't see anyone else who could beat him. In their last battle, Raia faced Osamu, who was the second-highest scorer on the exam. Moments later, a projector displayed the exam results. They all looked at it in anticipation. Raia wasn't surprised to see the same number he had mentioned to June. 

Student Number: 123541 

Student Number: 107233 

Everyone immediately looked at their identification cards to see if their student number matched those projected in front. However, most of them sighed in disappointment. 

"Ugh, I thought I could get in this time," one of them said. 

"Why am I not included? My grades are high, and I know most of the answers are correct," another said sadly, trying to defend himself. 

"Me too," another one said. 

The four corners of the room were filled with disappointment and frustration, and some couldn't help but get annoyed with the results. Mr. Rayven immediately explained how and where he got the rankings of those who passed. 

He also showed the breakdown of grades to make it clearer to everyone. Some couldn't complain anymore when they saw their class standing, while others continued to complain to the teacher. 

Ryota was one of them. It was as if he was about to explode in anger when he saw his class standing. 

"What—what the hell?" he couldn't believe it. 

He even stood up from his seat and made a loud noise, causing everyone to look at him.

"Why am I in the 10th place? I don't deserve that! I know my class standing is higher than that! I should be in the first place!" he angrily exclaimed. 

Everyone was surprised by his actions. Ryota was usually quiet and mysterious, but it was as if his true nature had come out in those moments. 

"Why! How did this happen?!" he asked loudly. Mr. Rayven looked at him and smiled slightly. 

"Do you want to pass this level so badly?" he asked Ryota. 

June felt a strange smile from Mr. Rayven. It was as if he was challenging Ryota. But Ryota looked back at the teacher seriously. The whole class was quiet, and it was as if the two of them were talking through their eyes. In the end, Mr. Rayven gave in. 

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you why. Go to my office later after class," he said to Ryota before returning his gaze to his desk. Ryota seemed to have regained his composure and returned to his seat, while the other students went back to what they were doing. 

June waited for their class to finish before talking to Ryota. The young man was already leaving the classroom when he noticed June leaning against the door, waiting for him. 

"Yo," he greeted him. 

There weren't many people left in the classroom, so he was sure June was talking to him. "What do you want?" he lazily asked. June quickly stood up and put both hands in his pockets. Both of them had similar vibes, from their posture to their movements. They only differed in their attitudes and ways of speaking. 

"Are you going to Mr. Rayven's office?" June asked him. Ryota frowned when he saw Raia and Aki standing behind June. 

"Yeah...why?" he replied plainly. 

"It's better to stop it, Ryota. There's no need to talk to him...in fact, you shouldn't even dream of passing that exam," desperation could be heard in Raia's voice. 

Raia convinced June and Aki to help him stop Ryota from talking to Mr. Rayven. He didn't want Ryota to die. He already knows what would happen to Ryota if he talked to Mr. Rayven. Ryota frowned upon hearing this. They had met once before and became close when they first met on the bus. 

They were sitting next to each other, so they were able to talk for a while. But after that, they became strangers again. But for Raia, he was still a friend. This was why Raia wanted to save him. 

"Why? Because you want to pass it instead?" Ryota asked him sarcastically. 

"No! I don't want to pass that exam either! Please, just stay here; you shouldn't pass that exam," he pleaded with him, which only intensified Ryota's feelings. 

"I don't get you, Raia. Last time, you almost passed the exam against Osamu, and now you're trying to manipulate me and convince me not to pass the exam." Ryota sarcastically asked him. 

"Yes, and I'm saying this for your safety." Ryota noticed the seriousness in Raia's voice, but he still didn't understand what he meant. 

He just looked and walked away. 

"I don't need anyone's protection, Raia. I'm safe on my own," he said and continued walking away. 

"I'm telling you, you don't need to pass that exam, Ryota. Trust me!" Raia shouted after him. 

"He's right! Don't go in there, Ryota," Aki added. But Ryota acted as if he didn't hear anything—not until he heard June click his tongue. It seemed that June didn't care about any of this. He lazily walked past Ryota. 

"Come on, let him be if that's what he wants. You can't force someone to listen to you, right?" June said. 

"June..." Raia called out to him as if pleading to convince Ryota. June suddenly stopped walking and turned slightly to look at Ryota, who was behind him. 

"But I'm telling you this, Ryota, don't pass that exam if you don't want to die," June said seriously before continuing to walk. 

"June, wait!" Aki shouted and followed her friend. Even Raia ran after Ryota. Raia lightly tapped Ryota's shoulder and spoke softly. 

"I don't want you to die, Ryota. Trust me, this place is not what we think it is," Raia said meaningfully before continuing to follow June. 

Ryota was left stunned as he processed what he had just heard. He knew they were not joking, especially June. Despite not being close to him, he could see what kind of person he was. 

Based on what he saw from June, he was not the type of person to joke about these things. Ryota couldn't help but think as he looked at their backs while walking away. On the other hand, Wrenn Vincen held his head in disbelief as Everett laughed out loud. 

"Wow! Who would've thought you would be the first to pass among us five?" Everett said, still laughing. They were currently in the cafeteria, killing time. 

They had just finished class and still couldn't believe that Wrenn was the first of their friends to pass. 

"Oh, Wrenn should treat us to karaoke when we get out of here," Chan Ming teased him. 

"Yeah, I even thought Rio would be the first to pass among us," Dae Ming said. 

Their table was filled with laughter, with everyone teasing Wrenn. Wrenn himself couldn't believe the result and held his head in disbelief. 

"Are you sure they didn't make a mistake in encoding the student number? I know I got a lot of wrong answers on that exam; I'm even doubting how I passed," Wrenn said with uncertainty. Their friends laughed. 

"Hahaha, maybe they did make a mistake. Don't celebrate too soon; they might take it back later," Dae Ming joked. 

For Wrenn, it was impossible. He wasn't smart, to begin with, and he was sure that he didn't get all the correct answers on the exam. 

Little did they know that Mr. Rayven controlled the exam results. Yes, he showed them the breakdown of the exam, but even that was manipulated just to justify his selection. Jin Feng, a Chinese student, also passed the exam. He went alone to the field and started jumping for joy. He didn't expect to pass, but he was still grateful. 

Raia was walking back to their room after leaving the library. It was already nighttime, so the library was closed. There was no curfew yet, but Raia still went back to their dorm. While walking, Raia noticed a figure hidden in the wall. 

He noticed the shadow and realized someone was there. 

"Who- who's there?!" he asked nervously. The man slowly emerged from hiding and smiled at him. 

"Hello, Mr. Raia," Mr. Gojo said with a smile, looking at him. Raia's eyes widened when he saw the guy in front of him.