The mont the words were uttered, Jethro and Kekius quickly pushed through the crowds of students, hurrying to Oand where tiny d Drones were diligently checking over him and his Toad for injuries. Oand was pale, clutching his side where the burns were worst, his eyes downcast.
"Oand!" Kekius called him with a rush of worry.
The d Drones left almost imdiately, noting that Oand’s injuries were minor and would heal with ti. Oand got to his feet just as Kekius and Jethro arrived.
"We’re so sorry, Oand!" Kekius said urgently. "We were supposed to stay together, but we got separated because of the Faction grouping. Are you okay?"
They walked out of the amphitheater, and could hear the grinding and clanking as the arena transford back to a class hall.
Oand looked dazed. Jethro watched him with an expressionless look on his face.
"I’m fine," Oand finally said, sounding tired. "It’s expected since I’m weak." He glanced down at Froggy, his tone despondent. "I guess I just have to get used to being the punching bag of the Academy."
"Don’t say that."
Oand and Kekius turned their heads to Jethro, who had suddenly stopped walking. Kekius thought that his face looked completely different now— sharper, like he was actually very angry.
"Don’t speak about yourself that way," Jethro repeated. "It’s regressive."
He looked at Oand. "Have you forgotten that I’m the only one with a Gray-Rank in the school. The weakest kind of beast anybody could have— a Gutterling. I’m weaker than even you, Oand. So don’t just say things like that."
Oand looked at him for a mont, maybe slightly inspired, but overall still saddened by the reality of his fate. "Yeah, but..." he spoke quietly, his gaze drifting past Jethro towards the dispersing crowd, "you’re different, Jethro. People weaker than I am don’t survive the Conqueror."
Jethro’s eyes widened.
"Everyone’s talking about it," Oand added, noticing Jethro’s reaction. "You might be ranked the weakest... but you’re not actually weak. You’re... aweso. You’re not afraid. And Princess Jessamine spoke to you on the first day of school."
He looked back down at his Sparkfrog, gently stroking its shimring back. "I’m not as cool as you. I’m just Oand. And I’m just weak."
Jethro stood frozen by the words, staring at Oand. If Oand knew about the rumors, it ant they had already taken root at this point and it was already changing everyone’s perceptions of him, setting him apart even from those he considered his peers. His equals.
He didn’t know how to bridge that gap without sounding dismissive or ungrateful for Oand’s misplaced admiration. So he simply stood there, wondering if what Oand had said was true.
Jethro was supposed to be the weakest of the weak. The pathetic one in the Academy. But so far, it didn’t feel that way.
First, he defeated a Silver-Rank, and now, everyone knew he survived the dreadful Decterion Darc. Those weren’t the accolades of the weakest tar in Beastcorp Academy.
Oand broke the awkward silence, looking at Kekius. "Can we go eat now?" he asked.
Kekius looked away from Jethro to Oand, giving him a hearty smile. "Of course! I’m already starving myself."
Jethro blinked, pulled away from his thoughts. "Eat?"
"Yeah," Kekius replied, catching Jethro’s gaze. "It’s lunchti so we’re all heading to the Food Station."
Jethro looked down the corridor where the stream of students flowed onward.
"The Food Station is the best part of the day because it’s the only ti we get to sit with the upper-year students," Kekius added. "I’m sure Leader Fenris would be there too." He headed on with Oand. "Co on."
Jethro watched them for a mont, still mulling over Oand’s words. Then Scorch croaked softly.
Jethro sighed. "I’m hungry too, Scorch, but you don’t see croaking about it."
He started walking.
Croak.
"Yeah, I know I can’t croak. But that’s not what I ant."
Croak.
"That’s it. You’re only getting ordinary nutrient paste. Not even premium."
The lizard was silent this ti.
"Yeah. That’s what I thought."
Soon, they arrived at the Food Station. Jethro had expected a cyber cafeteria, and found his assumption correct, though amplified in style.
The room had chro walls and a matching ceiling, though the sun simulator gave the latter a more platinum sheen. Between tiered rows of communal tables stood an array of tallic pillars, reflecting the artificial light.
The tables were filled with students already eating while laughing and talking, others carried trays of food as they approached the tables. They were walking down from the food hub— a counter of tal and neon lights where robot chefs served food onto the waiting trays of hungry students.
Jethro noticed students heading to a smaller station after getting their food, scanning their paycards before joining their friends at tables. This was how he learned that als weren’t free.
Since first-year tuition was free, the Academy couldn’t afford to offer other anities for free. Consequently, items like food were charged, sotis even at inflated prices, to make up for the free first-year tuition.
Jethro frowned at this as they got to the Food Station. He pulled out his paycard to check just how much credits he had left.
The holographic display replied with 55.00 Cr. Jethro pretended to be surprised, but that was the exact amount he had gathered after selling all the scraps back at ho, plus the few his father could manage to give him.
Kekius, who had been peeking, interrupted Jethro’s thoughts. "You can’t blow that out on lunch. Save it for sothing more important." He pulled out his own paycard as Jethro watched. "Here, let spot you so credits."
Jethro raised a brow. "No, Kekius. I can manage."
"You don’t have to manage when I’m your friend." Kekius tapped his own card. From the hologram, he selected a transfer amount, and with his finger, swiped it through the air and sent it into Jethro’s paycard.
The notification popped up. Jethro stared at his new balance: 105 credits. updated balance: 105 credits.
"I’ll pay you back," he muttered after a while.
"No. You don’t have t—"
"Stop whining, Four Eyes. I said I’ll pay you back." Jethro began heading towards the robot chefs. "And what’s this about us being friends? Pfft, I thought I was the funny one."
Kekius watched Jethro’s retreating figure for a while, eyes wide. Then a smile broke across his soft face. "You are," he whispered, seeing right through Jethro’s act.
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