Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 148: Rejected

Liam left the Student Council Office with a strained smile on his face. Just like Kaiser had said, he hadn’t been accepted. In fact, only Elon had been accepted into the Student Council as an Assistant Treasurer.

’This is really unexpected.’

Sighing, he returned to class. A lecture was already ongoing, and he smoothly joined the class in learning. Thankfully, the Student Council had informed the various instructors about calling one student from their class, so Class-E’s Class Rank Points wouldn’t be reduced because of his lateness.

"Hey, your smile isn’t very bright. What happened?" Astron asked quietly, concern in his voice.

Liam turned to him, shaking his head. "It’s nothing, really. Just got some bad news, that’s all. And I was expecting it, so..."

"What? Bad news? Liam, talk to me," Kiera said, turning to him, her voice rising.

"Shh, we’re still having a lecture." He warned her, then turned away calmly. "We’ll talk about it after the class."

The instructor didn’t even glance at them, completely ignoring the little commotion, but Liam knew the cameras would surely be watching.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to Kaiser, who seemed lost in thoughts while staring at the board.

’How did this guy even buy the cameras? And I heard it’s no longer possible because the school banned it. What a shame.’

He sighed inwardly, bringing out his notes to write. Although the PDF files of each class were available, it was always better to have a physical note.

While writing, his mind kept replaying the questions asked by President Anthony, and the answers each student gave.

’Iruca is soft and compassionate. No wonder her class is so unified. Adela on the other hand, seems to be a tyrant. She decisively used the dungeon evaluation to weaken her opponents’ influence over the class.’

His brown eyes narrowed solemnly.

’That’s a ruthless method. But I suppose she has the confidence to bring her class back to the top.’

Sighing, he massaged the space between his brows.

’These are the kind of people we want to compete with. Apollo’s class is even worse. With Elon’s support now, I’m sure they’d have a greater advantage in the Special Evaluations.’

His grip on his pen tightened, feeling a subtle pressure building up on his shoulders.

Although Class-D seemed conservative and non-lethal, they made him feel wary and on the edge.

’Yet, I have to bring our class to the top, pushing down these other classes.’

His smile dimmed, but his determination rose like a flame consuming fuel.

’I can do it... No, I will do it.’

From the back of the class, Hazel glanced at Liam’s hunched figure. She had a feeling he wasn’t focusing on the lecture at all, probably destabilized mentally.

’Kim said he was called to the Student Council Office earlier. Could it be he was rejected? That’s...’

She studied him deeply, then heard Ariel’s whisper.

"He must have been rejected. Although he expected it, it still hurt."

Hazel glanced at the long-haired boy, seeing that he hadn’t even turned to her while speaking. She also faced the projector, whispering softly.

"I see. It is just like this guy predicted. But I’d like to know what made him get rejected and other important information like that." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Ariel nodded subtly. "That would be after the classes. Perhaps you all should go get a private room at the karaoke."

"You’re not coming?"

Hazel’s voice lowered slightly, a hint of warning within.

However, Ariel remained unfazed. "I’ve been getting too involved. It wouldn’t take long before I attract attention if I keep getting involved."

Hazel fell silent, unable to refute him.

"The only thing I can do from now on is to give you advice. Don’t expect me to be present physically."

Ending the conversation there, they both refocused on the lecture.

......

A few hours later, classes ended for the day, and the students dispersed to their respective hangouts or dorms. Hazel, Ysabella, Liam, Astron, and Kiera all headed to the karaoke to get a private room for their discussion.

Although Hazel had tried persuading Kaiser to attend, he totally ignored her presence and left the classroom.

’Tch. Insufferable guy.’

Grimacing inwardly, she glanced at Kiera, who latched onto Liam’s arm with a cute expression. Instantly, Hazel’s expression became weird.

She found their lovey-dovey acts a bit childish and immature. Weren’t they Awakened already? Why would they still be concerned about some insignificant comfort in each other?

She originally didn’t want Kiera to attend the meeting, given that the girl was intellectually dumb. It wasn’t that she wasn’t smart, but she was a bit slow to catch on to important things, and she didn’t really like thinking deeply.

In the end, Ysabella had convinced her to let the girl attend so she could at least support Liam emotionally.

’This is why I prefer working alone.’

Carrying a subtle, disgruntled expression, she walked into the karaoke and booked a single room for one hour.

As soon as they entered, Ysabella and Kiera took to the stage, checking the available songs and getting ready to sing.

Hazel glared at them coldly. "We aren’t here for this!"

Her voice was sharp, making the girls flinch. Ysabella pouted and said coyly.

"But we can at least have a little fun, right? It’ll help everyone relax after a stressful day."

Hazel’s glare sharpened. "Get off that stage. You can do your songs later. We need to talk, now."

A staff member walked in at that moment, asking if they’d like some drinks. Hazel immediately rejected, making Kiera dissatisfied.

"What’s the matter with you? You’re being too bossy!"

Hazel sighed exasperatedly. "Are you kidding me? We have an important matter to discuss. We’re not here to joke."

Liam stood up, his lips curled downward. "Guys, let’s not argue. Hazel is right. We need to speak about this issue at hand, then we can have fun later. Right?"

He looked at Kiera, his gaze soft and pleading. The girl snorted, crossing her arms and turning her head.

"Fine. We’ll do that after your ’oh-so-serious’ talk."

"Good." Hazel said calmly, then took a seat. The others also took their seats, all staring at Liam.

The boy took a deep breath, then started. "I got rejected by the Student Council."