He was kind of cute. Shit. Sssshhhhhiiiiiiiittttt.

The group of three practically skipped class to spy on Krieg some more. At least to figure out what he ate for lunch. Well, let's be real here. MIHAWK wanted to know what Krieg ate for lunch despite not knowing his name, class, social availability -

"Bro, I have to keep my GPA up. I do not have time for this!" Zeff complained, hiding behind a cookbook.

"I told you go back to class. You're just here to laugh at me because I proved you... are more observant than you let on," Mihawk said begrudgingly.

"You mean I'm here to tell you 'I told you so', which I am, because I told you that Vista wouldn't be the last person you'd date or be interested in," Zeff corrected smugly.

"I'm just here to laugh at your misfortune. Mwaha!" Moria said, leaning back to perform an exaggerated laugh. "I was also right in guessing that you might be crushin' on the new guy."

"Good call," Zeff complimented, holding up a fist for a bump.

"Thanks, bro," Moria said, bumping fists with Zeff.

"You're both idiots! I'm not crushing on the new guy. I just think he's unusual for an elite. He's not playing his part or paying attention to any of the student organizations. They could help his career. Whatever that even is. Shut up, Mori!" Mihawk snapped, holding open his fitness magazine.

"If you're not into him, prove it. Go up to him after school and show him to the afterschool snack bar. All you gotta do is be coooool," Moria suggested, doing his finger thing again with pulling the invisible string. "Just be honest and say you didn't get his name when you met at the library. If he buys you something, you'll know he's a genuine guy. If he doesn't, see if he pays for himself. He's either strapped for cash or expecting you to pay for everything. Either way, he's bad news. Movin' on."

"Sounds legit, I guess. What if he buys something to get his attention? Do we relate his choice to the pin colors?" Zeff asked, wondering how this could work in Mihawk's favor.

"Hmm. Well, there's four colors and five tastes. Maybe we could take a guess at it. Black is for business. What flavor goes great with that?" Moria questioned.

"Something earthy, neutral, fresh. Maybe a small salad with mushrooms or a sandwich wrap," Zeff offered, eyeing Krieg as he weighed his options on lunch. He was making something small.

"Okay, we can work with that. I was thinking something salty, but that could be the dressing or sauce. I like that," Moria said, pointing at Zeff then putting his finger under his chin. "White is for friendship. Always keep it pure. I say something kinda sweet."

"An amateur mistake. You go sweet and spicy to show new adventures, so any type of fusion food would suggest that," Zeff said. "Yellow is for rivalry. I'd go with... something sour or with citrus. The nachos do have those limes."

"True. Red is for romance. That's usually sweet and can sometimes be sort of bittersweet or just straight bitter. So, maybe something with dark chocolate or a trail mix," Moria suggested, snapping his fingers.

"Hey, fat people, he's leaving," Mihawk informed, closing his book and leaving them behind.

That was a complete waste of his time. Krieg just made two loaded sliders and requested use of the microwave. He brought his own lunch. He was just adding something to it, but... well, maybe he could offer something to the new kid. He wasn't going to be making any friends for a while if he stayed holed up in the library like that. Not that Mihawk cared or anything! He liked being alone..., but he wasn't so devoid of friendship that he seemed inhuman or antisocial. He was just self-sufficient.

The last bell rang for the day. Krieg did a big stretch like a cat and yawned. One day down... fourteen more to flippin' go. Uuuuggghhhh! Well, at least he could decide on how many hours after school he could devote to his remedial time. A worry for tomorrow, though. He missed his little ingrates, and he had to pick up the paint and canvas from the local art supply store. Cheaper than the goddamn school's art supplies! Luckily, those crayons were only 50 cents for the smaller packs, but a bigger pack went a longer way in his house. Plus, he needed the canvas and chalkboard strips for wallpaper to kid-proof the playroom and bedroom. For lunch, he was able to borrow a cookbook from the school's library, so he made doubly sure to go to the grocery store with the money he had left from working at his part-time gig over the summer while a lot of the shit from last year got sorted out. He'll be able to work for a W-2 soon! Tax refund for the broke boi! Let's GOOOOO!

Packing everything up, Krieg headed over to the exit doors and was met with a couple kissing in front of him. Weird PDA, but okay. But then, he saw another couple. And another. And... another. Before he knew it, some girls were running up to him with glittery eyes. What the - ?

"H-h-hello, are you new here?" the girl asked.

She reminded Krieg of the girls on his 7:15 bus. He wondered if he'd ever see them again. Not wanting to be rude, Krieg answered, "Yeah, I am."

"Do you have your bracelet?" the girl asked, blushing. A boy started approaching him, too.

So much for being invisible. Krieg then answered, "What bracelet? Is it something for new students?"

"Oh, it's for all students, actually. It tells us how socially available you are," the girl replied. "Like if you're interested in dating and things like that. You're very cute. Why don't you visit the Student Social Circle? It's just outside of the cafeteria. I saw you eating out there earlier. We have the same lunch. You can sit with us at our table tomorrow!"

"... Sure thing!" Krieg cheered, clapping enthusiastically once. "I've never heard of that before. Why do you need a bracelet to say if you want to date or not?"

"To exchange red or white pins. It's a program that teaches the students the appropriate way to date or be friends, so, instead of just going in blind and hoping for the best, you do things like go to counseling or go on a double date with friends. You're even taught how to socialize for business and take compatibility tests for arranged marriages if your family is more traditional. It's what makes our school very unique! I noticed you didn't have a school badge for transfer students or your pins, so I thought I'd be neighborly and ask. If you want, we can show you the student organization rooms, too. They have holiday events planned out that you'd really like," the girl informed.

Girl, if you don't get away from me with that... Krieg thought, but he played it cool and instead kept his act going.

"Alright, bet! We can do that tomorrow!" Krieg cheered, giving the group all of his energy.

The group of girls and few guys nodded and agreed to try to find him tomorrow... To which, Krieg made ABSOLUTELY sure to never show face at the cafeteria again. He would need a backup plan. The library seemed to be a safe space for now, but he wanted to check out the other study rooms, too. Maybe he could plan it all out. Never stay in one place the whole day. He'd have to cycle through locations... just in case. To hell with the f***g bracelet. He didn't have time for them. Not wanting to think about it any further, Krieg played nice until he got on his bike and rode off to his destinations for the evening. First, he had to empty out part of his childhood hideout. Well, actually, it'd be better for him to get the art stuff first. Meh, what the hell? He just wanted the boombox from the old spot anyways. The rest was just stuff to keep his kids busy, but maybe they'd want it. If not, he could just trash it and start over like he really wanted.

With school over with, Krieg could finally enjoy his bike ride at the local stores. He loved the cobblestone streets on his block, and the scooters and minivans on the road. No roaring muscle cars. Just small vehicles and shuttles. He may have to ride for close to an hour, but it was his to relax to. The sounds of nature and tolerable noise was pleasant. Arriving to the art store, Krieg locked up his bike and went inside to grab his things. He needed a lot of canvas and plenty of chalkboard. He also bought the paint and foam for the Twister floor the boys wanted. He was going to have to come back for groceries, but Krieg managed to strap everything to his trusty bike and portable buggy. He didn't even notice that one of the customer service people was checking him out. Once he got to the Daycare Center, he spotted his boys playing outside with the puppies. Ah, feels good to be back!

"Big brother!" Pearl called, running up to him and jumping on his legs. "Some men brought our beds home."

"Can we build 'em? Can we, can we, can we, can we?" Gin begged, pulling on Krieg's pants leg.

"Of course, we can, squirts. Let's see if they have all the important stuff in the boxes," Krieg said, kneeling down to embrace his brothers. He hugged the nanny and asked, "Thanks, Nan. Were they okay today? The therapist is supposed to be here for a year until they're ready for school."

"They were fine. They definitely missed you, though. Pearl kept checking the window every hour, waiting for you. So sweet, that boy!" the nanny said with a light blush. She escorted Krieg to the apartment and said, "Dinner's on me tonight, dear. You should tell your friends about your day."

"What friends?" Krieg questioned with a concerned look on his face.

"Well, us, obviously," a familiar voice said. It was the bus driver. And the old man from the barbershop, the two girls who never wore appropriate shirts, the bored cop, and the lady who gave him lunches from time to time. Everyone was here! "Didn't think we would never see each other again, did you?"

"I - I - I - " Krieg started.

He couldn't continue, though. All he could do was cry and embrace everyone. Out of all the people in the world, he could admit that he would've missed them the most. He didn't have to take the 7:15 anymore, but it looked like he didn't have to. Everybody lived close to him now. This was part one to his journey of a better life. Everybody pitched in to help put the wallpaper up for the bedrooms, complimenting his idea to protect the walls from unwanted markings, and helped make the Twister floor. Gin and Pearl, however, put in the secret lights and hung string lights up for pillow fort nights. Everyone agreed to help Krieg with furniture for another day as night came in and dinner was made. Really, dinner was delivered. It was a cookout for the Don family, the youngest and newest neighbors just after the two girls. Once everyone left, Krieg worked well into the night, putting the bedframes together with his boys until they got tired. Their beds weren't ready just yet, so Krieg took out the air mattress and let them share that. He took the floor with a pillow and comforter for the time being.

A loud bang woke Krieg with a start. He checked the time first before getting up and realized there was a lot of weight on his legs. When he looked at them, both of his boys were sleeping next to him and clinging to his legs. The air mattress lost very little air, so they left it at some point during the night. All Krieg could do was smile. That's a good way to start the morning - no, a better way to start life again. Moving the boys closer to him so he could wrap his arms around them, he saw the 5:45 AM alarm blaring at him on his clock. A new cellphone would be ready for him next week, but Krieg kind of liked not having one. Made him stick to his own routine and focus on more important stuff, but... he would no longer be needing the 5:45 alarm from here on out. Not even the 6:15. He could sleep in for a change...

"Twenty minutes in and I'm already regretting this," Krieg said to himself.

He still ate breakfast with his boys at home before walking them to the Daycare Center, and he brought leftovers for lunch. Riding his bike to the local convenience store, he bought a couple of drinks and snacks and made his way to school. That feeling of being watched came over him, and he violently braked his bike to a stop to search the perimeter for the offender. Who the hell was watching him so intensely? Still couldn't find him, but he knew he was there.

"Come out, you little f***r," Krieg growled, glaring in the general direction of the creep.

A nice ass touring bus blocked his view for a moment with the words "Student Council" wrapped around the sides. It picked someone up and rode off in the direction of his school, but somehow... that feeling of being watched... completely went away. So, the reality of all of this was that some sicko from the Student Council at his school was either trying to scout him for new membership, which meant paying a ridiculous fee, or was trying to establish dominance, which Krieg wasn't here for. So, Krieg was going to refuse any invitation into the Student Council at all costs because of that. Moving on.

To further avoid that group trying to get him to date or go to some circle, Krieg parked his bike by the computer science building for the morning. May as well check it out then go to the library. See how it all works out for him. It took some doing since the school was so friggin massive, but he eventually found the map and directory and went to his designated study room. It was fairly empty, but there were people in the room, so he went to the neighboring empty storage space instead. It was full of old computers and yellowing books. Ah, now this was a proper place to study. It looked like an old classroom, so Krieg treated it as such and went to work. He found an old automatic stapler with staples still in it, but it was jammed from the looks of it. Spotting some paper clips and WD-40, Krieg mindlessly went to work to fix the old device. Within maybe 20 minutes of picking at wires and old screws, he got it to work. It just needed cleaning and basic waxing really. As he went through his assignments, he just stapled away. One curious student came in to check on him.

"Hey, you good, man?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Thank you," Krieg said politely with a small smile. The guy sort of blushed at him before nodding and then looked at Krieg's hands. "Careful not to get dizzy from the fumes and dust in here."

"Yeah, will do," the guy said, checking Krieg's hands again. "Forgot your bracelet at home or something?"

"Oh, I'm getting it at lunch. It's no big deal," Krieg lied.

"Cool!" the guy said with a big smile and hopeful look in his eyes.

Yup, f*** the tech building. Locking the door. Click. At least Krieg could busy himself with tinkering.

"Think it worked?" Moria asked at the lunch table.

"IIIIII don't think so. He looked pissed," Zeff said, eating his ravioli.

"The goal was to get him to see one of the elite groups," Mihawk explained, eating his pasta dish. "There's no need to be so against it. The status has its uses."

"And had you just given him a brochure from each one of the elite groups, which was easier, so that he could decide whether he wants to be one of us or not when you met him again at the library, we wouldn't have had to save your ass so early in the morning!" Moria argued, aggressively eating a hoagie. "Did he even *munch* go to the Student Council room today?"

"... I don't know where he is," Mihawk admitted with a scowl. "He wasn't in the library this time. He has to be in the study rooms elsewhere if he's truly an elite. I'll spot him again."

Unfortunately, Mihawk did not see the infamous new guy again; in fact, he couldn't find him in any of the study rooms at all. Where the hell did he - ?

"Hiiiiii, Mihawk!" a familiar voice greeted. It was Shanks.

"Whoo, shit!" Mihawk yelled, jumping from the sudden high pitch of the preteen's voice.

"Whatcha doin', Mihawk?" Shanks asked innocently, hopping on his foot to stand in front of him.

"I'm looking for the new student that's here. He's an elite," Mihawk answered, regaining some fraction of his coolness. "What do you know?"

"Only that he's new. He's my newest mystery aside from you, my love," Shanks said sweetly.

"You don't know his name?"

"Actually, I do but knowing it will cost you one date at the Oro Jackson's mess hall," Shanks said shrewdly, smirking at Mihawk's lack of options. "It has those super special garlic bread rolls you like."

"What else do you know, Shanks? Just a name?" Mihawk asked, testing the waters.

"You can have more information on your target for one date and being my chaperone at the class field trip this Friday," Shanks offered. That meant he knew WAY more than he was telling him.

"Hmm," Mihawk hummed loudly, fluttering his eyelids seductively at the boy to make him blush. "I'll think about it, little emperor. I finally have an outfit for such a high-end occasion."

"YOU REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME?" Shanks asked excitedly, getting closer to Mihawk in a flash.

"The new student must be properly introduced to the pirate warriors of Sambas Regional Academy. You, for example, young emperor, are one of our school's most promising students and you're still in middle school. I am honored to have someone so young be my rival in combat. It's high time he stopped playing around and hiding away from what he truly is, yes?" Mihawk said, now more determined than ever to find the new guy.

Too bad he missed him... all day long... Some of the other students were bummed that Krieg disappeared off the face of the Earth. Some kids at the computer science building said they saw him, but he left after lunch. Then, someone said they caught him in the dorm area, so he went to the room that was on hold and used that as a potential study place. Clever. So then... why hasn't anyone seen him leave the dorms yet? How did - ? Wait... HOW DID HE GET ON HIS BIKE WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING? HE'S ALREADY ON HIS WAY HOME!