JUST A 'GUY'

As the man uttered those words, he reached into his pocket, retrieved a key, and aimed it at a sleek, dark red sports car hovering nearby. With a press of a button, the car's door swung open automatically.

Initially, Stare was briefly stunned by the man's exquisite ride. However, upon recalling the man's Prime status and his likely connections and status, the situation seemed less improbable.

Stare wasn't entirely certain about the precise social standing or significance of Primes. Yet, thanks to his closeness to Doush, who would occasionally discuss it, he understood that they wielded significant influence and held varying degrees of power in society, particularly those in higher tiers.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Stare followed the unassuming man into the sports car.

***

Following Stare's instructions, the hovering car soon arrived in front of his apartment building. They rode the elevator to his floor, where Stare and the frail man found themselves standing outside his apartment door.

Stare hesitated for a moment before giving a slight nod and pushing open the door after entering the code.

This sequence of actions initially piqued the frail man's interest, but he chose not to comment.

The moment they walked in, everyone in the living room instantly fixed their gaze on them.

Stare's parents, Doush, and his younger sister—who inexplicably wore a pout—directed their attention towards Stare.

As Stare's concerned parents laid eyes on him, their expressions shifted from worry to something unexpected. While he anticipated a barrage of questions, what unfolded next took him by surprise.

His mother stepped forward, her relieved expression masking underlying anger. "Stare Richardson Johnson, you have a lot of explaining to do, boy."

'She used my full name...she's definitely angry,' Stare thought, feeling his agitation rise.

As he stared at his mother's face, witnessing her relieved expression morphing into one of anger, Stare felt a shiver of fear run through his entire body.

'But shouldn't they have asked about my sudden disappearance first, before jumping to anger? It's almost as if they knew where I was from the beginning...wait.'

Stare immediately glanced towards his friend, who seemed to be avoiding eye contact for some reason.

Feeling his friend's persistent gaze, Doush eventually relented and met his eyes with an apologetic smile.

"I tried to keep quiet, but you were taking an unusually long time to return. I was concerned you might have encountered real trouble, so I decided to come clean and inform your parents about everything to ensure your safety."

Stare felt the urge to facepalm, but he couldn't blame his friend. The 'robbery' and the incident with the Algos had consumed much of his time, so it was understandable that his friend became worried.

He glanced at his father and noticed him avoiding eye contact, likely harboring his own anger and showing no intention of intervening in the impending scolding from his mother. Even Aila, with her father, had turned away, sporting a persistent pout on her face.

With an exhausted sigh, Stare resigned himself to his fate. He locked eyes with his mother, whose furious gaze felt like it could pierce through him.

"We're waiting for your explanation, young man, so I can determine the severity of your punishment," she declared sternly.

Stare opened his mouth as if to speak, though he had no idea what to say. Saying something, anything, seemed preferable to saying nothing, right?

Just as he was about to utter some last-minute gibberish, the frail man who had been silently observing the scene from the sidelines suddenly came upfront.

Maintaining his signature smile, the man turned to face Stare's mother.

"Um, may I ask who you are, please?" Stare's mother inquired, clearly puzzled by the sudden appearance of the man.

Even Stare's father and Aila, who had been avoiding looking at Stare, turned their gaze towards the man, their curiosity evident as they too seemed perplexed by his sudden presence.

It appeared that they had been so absorbed in scolding their son that they hadn't even noticed someone entering the house with him.

The man's smile widened further as he retrieved a virtual ID card from his watch.

"Guy Jared, Vice Rector of the prestigious Phoenix Hero Academy."

A sudden silence hung in the air for several seconds before Doush leaped up, repeatedly shouting, "It's true!" while displaying his phone's screen.

The screen showed the information of the Vice Rector of the Phoenix Hero Academy, and the displayed picture bore an uncanny resemblance to the man standing before them.

It appeared that the man had recently been appointed as Vice Rector, explaining why he wasn't widely recognized.

Although it appeared that Doush was the only one with such an exaggerated reaction to the revelation, even Stare's parents had their mouths slightly agape in shock.

After all, the Phoenix Hero Academy was the most prestigious institution for heroes on all of New Earth, producing some of the world's finest heroes. Just imagine the vast network of connections and power the Rector and Vice-Rector would wield.

It wouldn't be too wrong to say their power might be the closest to that of the president of New Earth. So having such a figure suddenly visit them at their home was quite unexpected.

While everyone was shocked by the position this man had, Stare seemed to be interested in something else.

'His name is actually Guy, and he dares call my name odd,' Stare scoffed inwardly, then directed his gaze towards the man still standing before him.

"So, enrolling me in the Phoenix Hero Academy was the plan all along?" Stare inquired.

Guy chuckled before confirming, "You could say it was a form of scouting."

"As I expected," Stare replied nonchalantly, further intriguing the Vice-Rector.

The Vice-Rector studied Stare for a moment, but seeing no inclination for further conversation, he shifted his attention back to Stare's parents, who continued to regard him with awe.

"Well, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Johnson, I'm certain you're curious about my presence here, especially concerning your son," the Vice-Rector began.

"...Well, you could say I bring good news. I'm here to inform you of your son's acceptance into The Phoenix Hero Academy, and more importantly, that he is my newest beneficiary."

"The Phoenix Hero Academy?" Stare's parents, Aila, and Doush all asked simultaneously, clearly surprised.

Shaking his head, Stare's father was the first to dispel the perplexed expression on his face.

"What we meant was...aren't Primes the only ones accepted into Hero Academies? Stare here surely missed the Public Testing," he clarified.

Guy chuckled a little.

"Well, you could say he missed the Public Testing, but the Testing still found him regardless, and he passed easily."

"Stare's a Prime?" Stare's parents, Aila, and Doush asked again, visibly shocked.

Upon seeing the man nod slightly, each of them experienced a range of emotions. Some felt pride, happiness, and slight doubt, while others were overwhelmed with extreme happiness or happiness tinged with envy.

A/N: ...