While Loter, Hiroku, and Ramiron were having their adventure in Haban, Key Rayth was stuck with a cast on his right arm. He spent several days in the health center, being mocked by the doctor, aka the nurse woman.

Since his desktop was in the dorm and he was not a TV person, Key could only scroll through his phone to pass the time. However, it was done half-heartedly. Most of his attention was spent hating himself.

Key wanted to believe he was good enough. He had been using his victory against Kiznaq as evidence of that, yet deep down, he knew it was not.

Kiznaq DoLock lost to his own overconfidence, not Key Rayth or his ability.

Key just could not keep ignoring it after fighting Kirane in real life.

He was supposed to be the one good at hand-to-hand, yet even his best defense could not match a random kick from that Kayama brat.

He had been training for years without any progress in both his constitution and power. Meanwhile, Loter just arbitrarily gained a new ability halfway through a fight. The fairness of the world was truly incomprehensible.

Key was the weakest one in the squad and likely in the entire academy. He knew he would not be put into the mountain campus if he was not a local. He might not even qualify for the inferior city campus if he were not in Coral Cobble.

Maybe I should quit becoming a 'ero…

But where else can I go? A random orphanage? I'm too old for that. Can I even find a place to live? What job can I do? Fuck…

Shafts of sunlight shone through the wide windows, lessening Key's suffering as he basked in their warmth. He closed his eyes and faced the windows. The heat went through his eyelids and caressed his eyeballs.

Key sighed as he heard the door being opened.

The nurse woman is back.

He slightly adjusted his position on the bed, fully prepared for the mockery.

"Mr. Rayth, how's your recovery?" The genial voice of the vice principal, Sayrine Neosol, came into the room.

Surprised, Key whipped his head toward her, watching her approach with his eyes opened wide.

Neosol put a stool beside Key's bed and sat down. She was wearing her iconic glossy blue duffle coat with a black capelet attached to the collar. Her golden fastening gleamed in the light. She adjusted her blue boonie a bit and placed her hands on her crossed thighs.

Neosol greeted, "Good morning, Mr. Rayth."

"Good morning, Ms. Neosol. I didn't expect you to come."

"Then, I must've failed as a teacher." Neosol faked a weeping impression with her white handkerchief.

Amused by the humorous act, Key let out a cheerful snort.

"So, Mr. Rayth, how's your recovery?" Neosol put down her handkerchief and asked.

"I don't know. The nurse lady told me I will 'ave to keep the cast on for at least a month."

"It must be a hindrance to your training."

"Don't worry. I'm not getting anywhere with the training, anyway." Key averted his eyes down, staring at the cast on his arm.

"Don't give up on yourself. You're only sixteen. You have an infinite amount of potential."

"It's fine, Ms. Neosol. You don't need to console me. I'm already seventeen. I know 'ow talent, gifts, and all that stuff work. It's not like I want to be the future number-one 'ero, anyway."

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Neosol took in a breath, ready to say something. Yet, she dropped it and sighed. Perhaps she realized that she, a hero with one of the strongest superpowers, was probably not persuasive in the slightest.

In the end, she could only squeeze a sentence out of her mouth. "You are very mature, Key."

"Thank you, Ms. Neosol." Key forced a grin out of himself.

Dispirited, Neosol stood up from the stool and said, "I have to attend a meeting with Kayama's people soon. I have to go now. Will you be fine by yourself?"

Key nodded, and Neosol left without saying anything else.

Later that day, Glacia came in for her visit, yet their conversation did not go any deeper than a few friendly jabs.

She said that he could not play games for a long time, and he replied that she would not be seeing Hiroku for a longer time.

Dowii also came, but their interaction was even shallower than the one he had with Glacia.

Just like the vice principal, Dowii and Glacia only stayed there for a couple of minutes. Key spent most of the time on the patient's bed with himself, the person he disdained the most. Once, Key even joined the nurse woman to laugh at himself. The abnormal action freaked the nurse woman out so much that she just stopped mocking him altogether. Or, she was just pitying Key.

Days were dull when the only thing one could do was sleep and scroll through the phone. Yet, the benefit of this dullness was how it dwindles feelings. All the disappointment and frustration became a tiny itch in his chest. He just wanted to play games or basketball now.

Key was allowed off the bed after a few days. He still could not do either of his hobbies, but at least he could get back into the online courses and eat in the cafeteria now.

He put on a smile and said "yo" to greet Glacia and Dowii when he entered the classroom. Although he did not feel like he was doing it the same way as before, none of the two raised a problem.

Shortly after the bell rang, Key roamed off on the internet again, yet, this time, Dowii did not stop him. In fact, Dowii did not even step up from his seat to check on their screens.

As soon as the first twenty-minute break in the morning arrived, Kiznaq rushed to Key. Key was by the stairs, leaning against the white handrail, when he saw Kiznaq coming down from the third floor. He gave Kiznaq an up-nod without a word.

"I'm so sorry aboud whad habbened. I did nod know whad Kirane was blanning ad d'e dime," Kiznaq apologized as he jumped down three steps at once. His facial muscles, especially his cheeks, were pulled in a strange way that made his sheepish smile more awkward than it had to be. It was almost like he did not know if he should be smiling or not.

"Don't worry. I know 'ow forcing Kirane can be. Let's just be 'appy that 'e's gone for good." Key spontaneously grinned and held up his left fist horizontally. Just thinking about how much he hated Kirane made Key feel better.

"So, we are sdill buddies?"

"Yup, buddies for life."

"Yay!" Kiznaq raised his fist and vigorously bumped against Key's. "You say we go hid d'e courd and blay some one-handed baskedball afder class, no?"

Key's smile widened. "Can't I catch a break?" He wiggled his fingers on his plastered right arm.

"Id's already many, many days. I miss you, and d'e boys miss d'eir goad!"

Flattered, Key let out a chuckle. "Alright, I guess it will be fine as long as I don't use my bad 'and."

"See you on d'e courd d'en." Like the over-energetic kid he was, Kiznaq flicked around and ran up the stairs.

Minutes later, the bell rang, and Key went back into the classroom. However, Key had no mood for any learning or internet roaming. He was thinking about basketball, the sport that allowed him to abuse his power to the fullest.

Although the basketball league had explicitly barred anyone with superpowers from entering the scene, Key could still play it with his friends. Since all of them were superpowered, none had an issue with Key having a "little" advantage.

Recalling those fragmented moments on the basketball court, Key felt his heart lightened and the subtle stifling in his chest lessened. First time in a period, he was not non-dejected but genuinely content.

With this concrete satisfaction, Key actually scrolled through some of the literature lessons he hated the most. Of course, he roamed off on the internet afterward.

After the morning period ended, Glacia told Key she would be sitting with some of her friends for lunch. Consequentially, Key decided to sit by Kiznaq's table after the game. They had an empty seat since they lost a member.

Yet, when Key exited the classroom, he saw a girl waiting outside.

The girl had long, black hair and wore a white sundress. She stood a few steps away from the door and turned to Key the moment he came out.

"Lyra Vesp?" Key said, not sure why the reincarnated heroine would be outside his classroom.

"Key Rayth, I need you to come with me," Lyra stated with an assertive tone, leaving no room for further discussion.

Yet, Key proceeded. "Why is that?"

"You'll see by yourself."

"Sorry, but I 'ave already told my friends I would join them on the basketball court."

"Unfortunately, you'll have to cancel your plan. This is an important matter."

Key sighed, "Sure."

"Loter is so much cuter than you."