“Go to the usual table and save a spot for me while I get some food.”

“No problem. We’ll be waiting!”

Kieren walked up to a chef who was almost finished catering to a group of students.

“Sous chef, for an appetizer I would like a beef tartare using fresh 100% Kobe beef with oyster aioli, quail egg, and thinly sliced pomme gaufrette fried to a light crisp. For my entrée give me a glazed duck confit that is seared on the sides with a side of carrots, barley and a piping hot sweet potato and finally for dessert I’ll have butternut bread pudding and make sure the inside is fluffy while the top is slightly crunchy with spiced caramel and french vanilla ice cream..”

“Very well, will that be all?”

“Oh yes, and for my beverage I’ll have a steaming cup of traditional Japanese green tea. How long will it take?”

“The food shall be ready in 10 minutes. Where will you be dining this afternoon?”

“Take the food to the last table on the eastern side of the courtyard”

“Yes young master. I hope you will enjoy your meal.”

Kieren headed over to meet Ash and Kai at their usual spot. While he was walking down the path towards the courtyard he sees Aaron surrounded by a crowd of people. Occasionally they would laugh at something Aaron had said. Although it looked like a circle of friends at first glance, you could see that everyone was paying attention only to Aaron rather than each other. Kieren knew that this was partly due to his family influence but a big portion was his charm and charisma it was almost as if god favored Aaron. Kieren didn’t bother approaching Aaron’s table as they usually didn’t talk at school as to not provoke trouble. This morning was special as Aaron wanted to check up on Kieren after his grandma died.

Kieren continued on towards the last table in the courtyard, when he got closer he could see a group of people surrounding it. He immediately ran towards the table.

(Shit! This can’t be good!)

“Move!”

Kieren shoved away the bystanders blocking his way to the table. It was difficult as the bystanders were intentionally getting in his way. They were recording the scene with their phones and they knew which side they wanted to be on. From above the crowd Kieren could hear insults being hurled.

“What are you going to do about it? Huh?! Pathetic thieving losers! The only reason you can inherit is because you two are cowards and couldn’t even be born by yourselves!”

(That is probably the stupidest insult I ever heard.)

“Losers!”

“Hey Kai, what’s wrong with the way you talk? Did your twin leech off your ability to speak when you were born, you freaks!”

“Never should have been born!”

Kai was on the floor with his twin standing protectively over him. He faced down so his hair would cover his face, he didn’t want to be seen looking anymore scared and small than he already did. He put a hand to his face where he was slapped in mouth. Ash on the other hand was looking up at their tormentor in rage; he was moments away from completely snapping into frenzy.

“Shut up Lucas!”

Lucas turned around sharply. He wasn’t very powerful when compared to the other students but he knew that he could at least bully his half-brothers without anyone to scold him. An unspoken rule in the business world was to not interfere when it came to familial disputes. He saw Kieren standing at the edge of the crowd slightly out of breath. Lucas sneered at Kieren.

“Well, well, look who we have here. I knew you two were cowardly weaklings! Always in need of saving since you can’t do anything yourself! But I guess the stupid and weak always crowd together when facing someone strong.”

“Yeah Lucas tell him like it is!”

“The losers should just disappear!”

Lucas and his friends were trying to provoke Kieren to attack first. If he attacks them they can retaliate with full force on Ash and Kai in the name of self-defense despite the twins being heirs to the family, after all Lucas’ mother was still the legal wife.

“That’s right Lucas; even though we are weak we are still able to beat you and your lackeys at almost everything.”

“Say what?! The only reason I don’t utterly destroy all of you is because of your family’s power and the fact that those two weaklings are being protected! Though that won’t be long now that, the old Moonfury hag is dead, about time too.”

Lucas had a vicious smile on his face. He knew Kieren was very attached to his grandmother since the people who befriend Ash and Kai are checked thoroughly. Kieren’s face didn’t show a hint of anger or even dissatisfaction; he just kept a smile on his face and replied,

“Oh? So that means that we are actually the strong ones then. I do feel bad now, after all the strong shouldn’t bully the weak. Sorry about that. But when a Chihuahua is making so much noise you can’t help but want to give it a kick to shut it up.”

Ash and Kai snickered at that. They were always suffering from Lucas’ abuse so when they had the chance to witness him getting a taste of his own medicine was always a nice change.

The sound of grinding teeth became audible and Lucas’ body was shaking in rage and humiliation. His friends were trying to calm him down so he wouldn’t lose control of himself. It didn’t do much good as he didn’t put much importance in their opinions. He only associated with them because he could boss them around.

“Shut up! What would you guys know; you think you’re better than me? Don’t you ever tell me to do anything!”

Lucas’s so called friends got angry. They were considered part of the weak so they used Lucas as a human meat shield to deflect people who would want to bully them. They knew that Lucas only wanted them to inflate his ego and frankly they were tired of his inferiority complex.

“Fine! Have it your way then! We won’t interfere with whatever you want to do next”

(It looks like Lucas’s lackeys are smarter than he is. They were able to restrain their anger and with just a few words they completely washed their hands of all possible responsibility or blame he could put on them later. Lucas has calmed a bit but a little more should push him over the edge.)

Kieren caught the twins’ attention and signaled them with his eyes. He would watch out for them but they shouldn’t depend or expect him to shield them all the time, now it was their turn to fight back.

“We know why you keep harassing us. You are jealous that we are the true heirs of the family despite being the children of a mistress”

“And t-that we have a, a bond that you and siblings c-could never have! T-the same with our mom! S-she loves us…w-whether or not we a-are the heirs!”

(Ouch. These two really don’t mince their words; they went right for the throat. Well, it’s not like they said anything that wasn’t true.)

“Y-y-y-you!”

“Oh? What’s wrong Lucas? You’re starting to stutter. Could it possibly be because you’re so fucking stupid? After all you don’t have a twin to leech off your speech ability like Kai does, if you did then you would be the heir and your mom would actually like you. Then you would be able to fuck her in the ass like you always wanted whenever you wanted right? Oops! I’m sorry~ that was supposed to be a secret wasn’t it.”

Ash gave Lucas an apologetic expression while Lucas just stood there dumbfounded. His mouth was gaping like a fish on dry land. It wasn’t long until it morphed into pure rage. His jaw clenched to the point where it looked as though he might break his teeth. He was shaking like a leaf and his whole body was wound up so tight that everyone was set on edge.

“You. Two. Are. Dead! I’M GOING TO MAKE YOU REGRET YOU WERE BORN!”

Letting his anger explode, Lucas charged at Ash with his fist wound back ready to wipe the smile off his face. Ash and Kai’s face transformed to worry seeing the malevolent anger approaching them. Ash quickly helped Kai up from the floor. If they were to fight Lucas they could only do it by working together.

As soon as Kai was on his feet he pushed his brother away. The punch Lucas put all his momentum in flew over Ash’s shoulder harmlessly. Using the momentum from the push, Ash and Kai moved so they were on either side of Lucas. Despite Lucas turning left and right he could not shake Ash and Kai from his sides. They would move in synch no matter which way or how suddenly he turned.

“Stop running and fight me! You can’t be the heirs of the family if you’re always such weak cowards! Let your big brother help toughen up your hides!”

“And it was such a good thing that you aren’t the heir, I mean come on! You call that a provocation?”

“Y-yeah L-Lucas you’re always s-saying how um dumb I-I am but I believe you’re just… projecting onto me a-aren’t you?!”

(Kai is getting better at deflecting verbal attacks so they don’t weigh him down and reflecting them back. And Ash is now able to control his emotions enough to watch his opponent and work in concert with Kai.)

“Bastards! Thieving weak pathetic sons of a bitch!!!”

Lucas completely ignored Ash and rushed at Kai. His face was distorted in fury and spittle flew as he roared like a savage animal. He was closing in on Kai who previously eluded him no matter how much he tried but the adrenaline pumping in his veins pushed his body to seek violence on the ones who tore his pride to shreds.

“Kai!”

(That’s far enough)

A twig near Kieren’s feet disappeared in a blur of motion, his foot moving so fast that unless someone was looking very closely it would be near impossible to see him kick the twig across. The twig reappeared underneath Lucas’s foot just as it was about to land. Inevitably it caused Lucas to footing to slip just as he was about to grab Kai.

“Wha-!”

Unable to stop himself, his front foot slid forward but his unaffected back foot could not keep up.

“”””“Oooh!”””””

In unison the crowd flinched away.

“A-a-a-ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”

The twig caused Lucas to unexpectedly do the splits. Ash and Kai let out a quick breath in relief; they knew they would be safe for a while.

“Uh Lucas it looks like you’ll need some time to collect yourself so me and your half-brothers will leave you and your friends to loosen up. Come on Ash, Kai, it looks like the came just on time.”

“Uh!”

Lucas tried to say something but his jaw was clenched to prevent him from crying however, the tears streaming down his face betrayed his agony. Ash and Kai walked over to Kieren who was already leaving the encirclement to meet the awaiting waiters.

“Young master, the food is ready. Would you like to partake now?”

“Yes set the food on that table in the corner, the one with food already on it.”

Kieren, Ash, and Kai finally settled down to eat without annoying bullies to bother them. At least for now they got a moment to relax in peace, they knew it was fleeting but it was definitely real and deserved to be treasured.