Chapter 17: Twist of Fate

"Van, bro. What type of System do you have!?"

Agnes, the healer that was checking on Van, could not help but perk her ears up as he heard Harvey's question. She too was mighty curious as to what type of System this freshman has for him to be able to heal fast.

"I… don't know", Van shook his head.

"You probably have an Enhancer-type System like me", Harvey flexed his biceps, "I am very strong, you're very fast. Together, we are the Enhancer Master Type!"

"This…", Van didn't really know what to make of Harvey's weird statement.

"If you don't know…", this time, it was Beatrice who spoke as she slightly squinted her eyes, "Then it would usually mean you have a Unique-type System, do you have skills that aren't suitable for an Enhancer-type?"

Hearing Beatrice's words, Van could not help but slightly look away. He has an Active Skill that would allow him to step on air momentarily, [Air Step] which most likely doesn't belong to an Enhancer-type. And his superspeed is not even from an Active Skill, it was from a Passive Skill that activates using only his will.

But since the Headmaster said that they should not reveal their skills so easily, Van just shook his head.

"N...no", he muttered, "It's probably… an Enhancer-type"

"Are... the two of you not warming up for the next game?", Van quickly asked in hopes of changing the topic.

"Pft…", Harvey could not help but snort, "We're already warm enough", he said, "That first game was intense as fu--"

"What's up"

Before Harvey could finish his words, a voice came from behind.

The group could not help but look at the owner of the voice all at the same time. But as soon as Van saw who it was, his eyes instantly widened as his breath suddenly fell short.

And by instinct, he once again activated [Time Perception]. His whole body once again felt woozy as nausea quickly climbed up to his head due to everything turning slow again.

But even then, his eyes remained staring at the owner of the voice-- Gerald, the student who beat him up the first time he arrived in the academy.

'Should I run?'

'Where should I go?'

'Why is he here?'

'Does he recognize me?'

Several thoughts quickly raced in his mind. His chest was already tightening as his insides twirl due to the intense nausea he was feeling. Hints of sweat started appearing on his face, but not falling due to the sedated time.

But then, as he looked at Gerald's eyes, he realized that he was not looking at him, but at Harvey.

'Could it be… that he isn't here for me?', Van thought. Doesn't he recognize him?

And so, with that realization, Van quickly turned off his skill. The sweats that were hanging on his face quickly trailed down on his face.

The vomit that has been wanting to escape from his stomach was bursting to go, but he held it in.

Healer Agnes quickly detected the sudden drop of Van's SP. 'Why… did it suddenly drop?', she thought as she squinted her eyes, 'Could it be he really wasn't alright?'

Does Van have some kind of Regeneration Skill? Several theories were once again resurfacing in the healer's mind as she kept checking on Van.

"Ah, brother!", noticing who the owner of the voice was, Harvey quickly ran towards Gerald.

"You are also in Jacobs' class?", Gerald raised his eyebrows as he slightly chuckled.

Seeing the bright smile on Gerald's face, Van could not help but furrow his eyebrows. He kept on remembering Gerald's twisted expression as his group beat him to death.

"Yes!", Harvey nodded his head.

"Well, isn't that a coincidence", Gerald laughed as he placed his hand on Harvey's shoulder, "Give that brute a hard time, will you?", he said as he raised his thumb up.

Gerald then looked at Beatrice and Van, "And, these are… your friends?", he asked with a curious tone.

"Ah, yes!", Harvey nodded and smiled, "This is Beatrice, and the one being healed is--"

"John!"

Before Harvey could say his name, Van blurted out a random name.

Harvey quickly squinted his eyes in suspicion, but he didn't really take it too much in mind as he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hello there", Gerald raised his hand, "I am Gerald, Harvey's big brother. He might be retarded, but please do take care of him for me", he said as he slightly bowed his head towards Beatrice and Van.

"What!?", Harvey quickly put up a stance, "You're the one that's retarded!"

Gerald could not help but laugh as he looked at Harvey.

'Is he… faking it?', Van squinted his eyes as he looked at Gerald's wide smile.

"Gerald…?", Beatrice muttered as she slightly approached Gerald, "Could you be… The Gerald Lauder!?"

"Oh, you know of me?", Gerald tilted his head.

"Of course", Beatrice fixed her glasses as she nodded, "You're the heir to the Lauder Armaments. I read all about it in the paper when your father was interviewed!"

Hearing the word 'father', the smile on both Gerald's and Harvey's faces quickly disappeared. But after a while, Gerald released a slight chuckle, "Yes, that's me".

"Too bad I won't be able to watch you fail, Harv", Gerald sighed as he looked at Harvey, "I still have… classes. Don't cause any trouble for your friends, okay?", he said as he shook his head and once again placed his hand on Harvey's shoulder.

Harvey only snorted in reply as he jokingly gestured for his brother to go away.

"Alright. It was nice meeting both of you", Gerald once again slightly bowed towards Van and Beatrice before walking away.

As soon as Gerald left, Harvey looked at Van with squinted eyes, "John? I thought your name was Van!?", Harvey said as he scratched his head, "Was I actually saying your name wrong!? That's awkward!"

"N...no", Van quickly shook his head, "I am just… not comfortable with strangers knowing my name", he said, his tone slightly cold.

Knowing that Harvey is Gerald's brother, he could not help but feel a bit conflicted.

Even though he only met Harvey today, he is one of the first people that could potentially be considered as his friend… turned out to be the brother of the one who bullied him?

And they seem close as well. Should he avoid Harvey from now on?

What…

'What... should I even do now!?'