The Peculiars’ Tale

Translated by: whosays25

Edited by: senji96

/25/ Murder the Past: Ireneo

“There are things that have to be forgotten if you want to continue living.”

-Morris-

Twenty people were left.

For half an hour, I managed to scan so many pasts, but it caused me a headache. Whenever I used my eyes, it consumed large amount of energy from me. However, right now I still have to continue for I need to see more.

I know who were the people with the Ace of Spades. Fortunately, I was still not caught by them whenever I winked.

But one of them was…

Lord Ireneo III

He’s the highest ranker in our cla.s.s caste system. They claimed that he was the one who created the caste, the one who controlled everything, the most influential of all. However, no one knew who Ireneo was and on how he could manipulate everything.

I could feel that he’s guarding against me that’s why I have no choice but to be careful and fast whenever I ‘murder’ my other cla.s.smates.

Like Tamaki, what I read in Ireneo’s eyes is different. Behind the thick lens of his eyegla.s.ses, covered a mystery. No. He’s not like us though. He’s not a Peculiar.

Ireneo smirked at me, as if he’s saying that I would eventually fall on his traps, as if stressing that he could cause anyone’s downfall. That no one else is powerful but him.

My consciousness was pulled by his eyes and was brought back across the pa.s.sage of time.

“G-good morning. M-my name is L-lord James Ireneo III. I-it’s nice t-to meet you all.”  He said in a small voice while bowing his head. The only things you would notice about him were his thick eyegla.s.ses and his hair which almost covered half of his face.

Shy and quiet, that was how we defined Ireneo who was mostly called as James that time. No one would notice his presence aside when there’s a cla.s.s activity where he excelled.

He’s an achiever, maybe which was natural since he was the son of the Parent-Teacher a.s.sociation President of the White Knights Academy. His mom, a perfectionist, always wanted everything perfect for her children. And due to this that he always aimed for the best.

But as they said, you can’t always get what you want.

He never achieved the first rank. For some reasons, he had several compet.i.tors.

“Second place in the ranking? Are you really studying hard, James?” Even without him saying, his mom already knew the result. Probably it would end up like this if your mom was the President of PTA, popular and influential in the school.

“I-I’m sorry, Mom.”

“My goodness, James! Look at your elder brother. Your brother would reach far in his law school because he’s never been bested by anyone else!”

The most painful thing for him was that his mother can’t accept his imperfections. He had always been compared to his older brother whose talents and wits were doubled of his. Due to this pressure, he’s got no choice but to give his all.

“I w-wont’ disappoint you n-next time. Mom, I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t do anything but follow his mother’s commands. He’s a puppet for the whole time in his life.

“That’s a must! I’ll enrol you again in the best and most expensive cram school. Don’t forget, James. I’m the PTA President and you are my son.”

But he couldn’t fulfill that promise. Because of the pressure that he always carried alone, another factor was that he’s got no friends, he slowly fell from his rank. Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh… until his name got no place in the top ten. His mother became angrier and he lost interest in studying until the time came when he barely came to school.

Then a chance came for him to make a friend.

“Wow, you’re actually playing Pokemon, James.”

It’s Stephen.

Stephen Yue, the current rank forty of the cla.s.s.

Yeah, they were friends. For real. Believe it or not.

He was startled when Stephen arrived. He was alone playing on his portable game player at the student plaza. He couldn’t speak since it’s the first time that a cla.s.smate of his approached and talked to him.

“Ah…yes.”

“Do you want to trade with me?” Stephen asked in a friendly manner and brought out his own game player. That was how the so called friendship between them began – because of Pokemon trading.

Since then, they always got together whenever they have free time, to play and trade Pokemon. Stephen somehow helped him to change a little. He could now talk to others and it was Stephen who made him trust others.

Somehow, his interest to school returned. But he still remained second in the cla.s.s standing. He doesn’t mind anymore if he was being compared and scolded by his mom. He got used to it.

Because he could now be approached by the others, he started being the leader whenever there are group activities. Ireneo is a good leader; he knows how to make someone move. That’s when his talent awakened. “Everything he touches turns to gold”, Ireneo is an a.n.a.lytical thinker.

It was no longer questionable if the group he’s leading received an outstanding or even the highest grades. That was why when there are inter high compet.i.tions, he always led us.

One of those was the cheering compet.i.tion. We won for the very first time and that was one of the memories of our cla.s.s. Section 1-B.

“Hi, James.”  He was surprised when  someone took the opposite seat. “Can I share this table with you?” He nodded, finding it unbelievable. Stephen was not with him that time because he’s studying by himself.

“Congrats to you.” Lucille cheerfully said as she pulled out her book from her bag. The reason that he remained in rank two was because of her.

“Ah… it’s nothing.”

Lucille Marin was the cla.s.s representative and the first ranker. He got the next place after hers. Maybe because Lucille was more intelligent and diligent that she always made it to the top.

What everybody was not aware of, his secret feelings for her. Unbelievable, but it’s the truth. Ireneo liked her very much but he didn’t have the chance to be that close to her. Yes, they talked to each other but it was all about academics. Very different from the closeness between her and Tamaki.

“Senji, our group will be having a meeting later, I hope you cooperate.” He treated Tamaki as his biggest rival. However, he still believed that he’s above Tamaki.

“I’ll be expecting you.”

He was there; he was always behind Lucille’s back. He was always watching her from afar. Every day, he anonymously sends letters and small gifts to Lucille’s locker. He even secretly took her pictures, anywhere.

He didn’t notice his obsession for Lucille.

Since no one knew.

Until…

The cla.s.s was not dismissed until evening because they review for the special exams…

“Bye Jill, bye guys!” He’s standing faraway, watching Lucille exited the school gate. He followed after her while hiding in the dark, ‘til she boarded the train. When she got off at Station Ten, he was still following her. He doesn’t have any bad intentions, he only wanted to watch and protect her, to gain a chance to talk  and be her friend.

But not on that eve.

Lucille noticed that someone was always been following her. Ireneo was not aware that she already noticed. However, he was not recognized because he was wearing a hood.

That eve… Lucille’s book dropped accidentally. He picked it up to give back to her. But Lucille only confirmed that someone was tailing her. She ran away while he ran after her.

“Kiddo, who are you following?” He stopped because some people obstructed his way. They were five bystanders. They encircled around him. They were actually students from the nearby public school. However, they were taller and looked like thugs.

“Do you have money? Give us!”

“You’re from White Knights! Buddies, this one is a rich kid!”

He couldn’t get away. They pinned his arms. He said he’s got no money to bring out but they didn’t let him go.

“Wait!” One of them glanced at his ID. “You’re Tamaki’s cla.s.smate, right?”

He didn’t reply.

“Right! This one is Tamaki’s cla.s.smate! HAHA! Friends! Guys, you know what to do!”

“Since we couldn’t take revenge against your d.a.m.n cla.s.smate, we’ll just take it out on you! HA! Tamaki owe us a good beating!”

Ireneo couldn’t do anything. They dragged him somewhere and for the first in his life, he tasted being beaten. He couldn’t fight against the five of them. He also has nowhere to run away to.

Even though he was dizzy and with his body aching, he could still make out that someone  was hiding behind the trash bin.

“S-stephen.” He called out.

He saw Stephen who was also showing fear. He knew he heard him.

But…he suddenly sprinted away.

What happened to Ireneo was engraved into his mind, not on how he was turned into a big mess, but on how Stephen didn’t rescue him. He couldn’t forget how he left him. A part of his heart darkened.

Things changed suddenly. Stephen and he no longer bonded together. It was as if they didn’t know each other.

Ireneo improved his leadership skills. He changed. He seemed to become a dictator. He learned not to care. For him, life is just a big game and need to be won. What’s important to him is to win everything.

He gained a high reputation not only in our cla.s.s but within the White Knights.

“L-lucille. I l-love you.” He was there in the library when Tamaki confessed to Lucille.

He saw that Lucille smiled and that she held Tamaki’s hand.

“I know.” She said.

“Don’t you like me too?”

“I like you, Tamaki.” He was hurt.

“But I’m sorry. We can’t be together.” But out of the sudden, his confidence came back.

“W-why?”

But he didn’t know that he will be more hurt by what Lucille after that to Tamaki.

“I’m pregnant.”

He didn’t know why but he followed Tamaki that day. The cla.s.s was dismissed. He went to the rooftop, where I was and stopped near the door, listening to what was happening.

“Is it true, Morris!”

“Answer me!”

“Senji, enough.”

“Stop interfering, Roman!”

“You! You are the father. Your the father of Lucille’s child!”

“You’re a beast!”

He didn’t hear anything aside from Tamaki’s shouts and screams, the sounds of kicks and punches.

The time came when Lucille was no longer attending school. Ireneo did everything to find her, to talk to her. But eventually failed. He failed finding her and telling how he feels about her. Even though he knew that it’s been late. It’s been late for everything.

After a couple of months, a grave news was announced.

“Lucille would never come back. I’m sorry cla.s.s, she died.” The homeroom adviser said.

He remained calm and emotionless. Unlike his other cla.s.smates who was shocked, sad and cried. But deep inside him, he was deeply hurt. He also wanted to cry but no tears streamed down his face.

When it was time for dismissal, he stayed at the cla.s.s. He also discovered that Lucille didn’t see everything he gifted her. The letters and gifts were not opened. It piled up in her locker. Because of extreme depression, he threw it all in the trash can.

He was almost leaving the room, but then he sat on Lucille’s place and fell deep in his thought. He brought out all the stuffs under Lucille’s desk and examined it one by one. Those were quizzes and scratch papers in Math. Then he found one stationery letter. A date was written on it, three months ago.

His heart beats like drum. He sweated. He scanned if there were still anyone at the place before opening and reading it. After that, he hid it on his bag.

“It was Jill’s and George’s fault. They cheated on me… That’s why I need to do this… Good bye.”Ireneo read the letter aloud, in front of the cla.s.s. A big commotion happened after that. All were shocked. They couldn’t believe the last words of Lucille.

“It’s JILL and that man’s fault! IT’S YOUR FAULT!”

Tamaki went wild. All eyes were on me and Jill. Two guards entered and stop the Tamaki who went berserk. Jill was crying. n.o.body said any word.

“Jill.” I approached Jill and tried to explain but she shook her head and stormed out of the room. No one went after her.

“Listen everyone.” Ireneo spoke. His tone was unusual, with authority and power to command everybody. “I want everything that happened and you knew not to be disclosed outside the four corner of this cla.s.s room.”

The letter was the source of his power.

“From now on, I want everyone to listen…And follow my orders.”

That letter was the root of the caste.

But what if they learn that the letter…was just a hoax.

Will Ireneo lose his power?

Because the truth is… That there was someone who put the letter under Lucille’s desk.

T/N Note: Ireneo is ________.

Please fill in the blank.