.
The entire auditorium was frozen for a moment, every student staring at me like I had just grown three heads.
"Wait… WHAT THE FUCK was that??" one of the students shouted, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
Another girl whispered loudly, "Did he just… walk around the headmaster and call it the planet?? ಠ_ಠ"
Sammy, who had just returned from flying halfway across the sky, landed with a thud and pointed at me furiously.
"Bro, are you dumb or are you dumb? That's not the planet, that's just Alex standing there!"
"¯\(⊙ʖ⊙)_/¯" I shrugged again, enjoying the chaos.
"Don't give me that face again, I swear I'll smack you!" Sammy yelled, stomping his foot so hard the floor echoed.
Students started murmuring, their voices rising like a storm.
"This is unfair!"
"He didn't even fly!"
"Why the hell are we busting our asses circling the globe while he just… walked??"
One bold student marched up to Augusta.
"Ma'am, this isn't right. He didn't complete the exam properly. We demand justice!"
"Yeah!" another shouted, "Suspend him! He's cheating!"
The auditorium erupted into complaints, groans, and curses.
"Fuck this, man!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ This exam is a joke!"
But before the chaos could spiral further, Alex raised his hand. The room instantly fell silent, his presence commanding absolute authority.
"Enough," Alex said, his voice sharp as steel. "The exam is not only about strength, but about morals. He interpreted the task differently, and his reasoning was sound. That is the essence of this test."
"But—" one student tried to protest.
"Silence," Alex cut him off, his eyes narrowing. "Do not question the judgment of the academy. If you cannot accept that morals are as important as power, then you have already failed."
The students looked at each other, dumbfounded, their mouths opening and closing like fish out of water.
Sammy groaned loudly, throwing his hands in the air.
"Man, this is bullshit. Absolute bullshit. ಥ_ಥ"
I just smiled, my lips twitching into a grin.
"^_^ Guess I passed."
Sammy glared at me.
"Get that smile off your face or I'll rip it off myself!"
Alex chuckled again, shaking his head.
"Patience, students. You will all learn that sometimes the simplest answers carry the deepest truths. Now… continue your exams."
The auditorium went quiet again, but the air was thick with disbelief. Students muttered under their breath, some cursing, some sighing, but none dared to challenge Alex further.
And I? I just stood there, smug, knowing destiny had played its card in my favor.
"ಠ_ಠ" Sammy muttered beside me.
"What now?" I asked.
"Nothing… just fuck off man p."
After that exam, life in the academy got rough for me.
Everywhere I went, people stared. They whispered behind my back, loud enough for me to hear.
"Cheater."
"Lazy idiot."
"ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ He thinks walking around the headmaster counts as circling the planet?"
In the cafeteria, students moved their trays away when I sat down. On the training grounds, no one wanted to spar with me. Even in class, people dragged their chairs further away like I was some kind of disease.
I tried to act like it didn't bother me.
"¯\(⊙ʖ⊙)_/¯"
Sammy wasn't having it.
"Don't do that face, man," he said, annoyed. "They already hate you enough. Stop giving them more reasons."
But I couldn't help it. The more they ignored me, the more I smiled.
"^_^ Guess I'm still number one."
Sammy groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"You're gonna get yourself killed one day. ಥ_ಥ"
At night in the dorms, the whispers got worse.
"He's a disgrace."
"Why is he even here?"
"Fuck this academy if he's allowed to stay."
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, pretending their words didn't sting. Truth is, they did. Being hated by everyone isn't easy.
Sammy sat next to me, ignoring all the noise.
"Listen, Rudra. They don't get it. You thought differently, and that's why Alex respected you. Don't let their hate get to you."
I turned to him, unsure.
"You really think so?"
Sammy smirked and punched me lightly on the shoulder.
"Of course, dumbass. You're my friend. If they hate you, they'll have to deal with me too."
The room went quiet for a moment. Everyone else glared, but no one dared to say anything to Sammy.
So yeah, the academy was split. Me—hated and ignored by almost everyone, standing there with my silly faces and stubborn grin. And Sammy—the only one who refused to leave my side, my shield against all of them.
"ಠ_ಠ" Sammy muttered when I grinned again.
"What now?" I asked.
"Nothing… just shut the fuck up."