Summary: After being defeated by Mob, Teru sees the world with new eyes. One-shot.
Aftermath
Teru was the chosen one, the king, and the "main character" of his own little world. The universe had made him superior. Brawn, brains, and beauty, they were all pitiful compared to psychic powers. Everyone else had less and therefore were lesser beings. This was the natural order until Shigeo Kageyama walked into his life.
In his warped reality, he had to constantly establish himself as the best in order to keep the praise coming.
"Wow, you got another perfect score!"
If everyone kept insisting that he was great, then they must be right.
"Ya, think your tough punk. Our shadow leader, Teru, is invincible!"
Highlighting his existence is what the non-blessed lived for, it was their role in his life.
"Te-teru, I've had a crush on you for awhile now... Will you go out with me next Sunday?"
Everything was about him because he was as empty as his world. Only the confidence of others could fill his hollow being.
Then another "main character" appeared. Kageyama's existence challenged his position. Forcing Kageyama into the role of the sidekick was the only way to maintain the warped reality Teru had formed. Like a wounded animal he attacked.
…And he failed.
The bubble world he'd built had been popped.
Teru was beaten, stripped of his delusion, and left naked to the truth in front of Black Vinegar Middle school. The fact was all his confidence had come from a shaky foundation. Confidence from what others thought instead of believing in himself was weak and false. All the power he thought he wielded had been an illusion.
The one who had been hurt the most by his beliefs was himself. He'd stagnated. It was time to wake up and grow up. No more accepting himself as special and perfect, he couldn't continue on that way. There was always something better if he tried for it.
"I am a commoner," said Teru as he stood alone in the rain and rubble. For the first time in years, he was grounded in reality.
Confidence had to come from within himself and not from forcing others to be his pawns. He did not have to be the ruler and they did not live to serve him. If no one was special, then everyone could be who they wanted to be instead of who they had to be.
Whether he stood out or not was up to him. Freedom of choice ruled the world, not some unavoidable fate.
Simply being was no longer enough to earn praise. The only way to become the better was to work and improve on his natural talents. Effort was rewarded rather than success being arbitrarily given.
There was no king nor any single main character in this world that Kageyama had revealed to him.
Everyone was the main character of their own story.
The truth hurt, but it was beautiful.