Chapter 108 - Desperate Rationalization

"I don't know how you got Sir Hanon, Mike, and Catherine into this but I swear I will kill you!"

Hearing this shout, the other victims 'realized' what's happening and all looked at Nick's strange expression. They all shouted at once.

"Nick, what did tell them!? You bastard, I will kill you!" Eline tried to kick around to resist but failed with three men roping her. But since their mouths were free, they kept shouting.

"Sir Hanon, did Nick blackmail you!?"

Mira followed and looked at Mike and Catherine.

"You're just being forced here, right?! But I thought we were together!? I can't believe you fell for his tricks and words!"

After completely tying them up, they were dragged together. Afterward, Nick sighed since he was seen as the bad guy. No... he's one of the bad guys but he's not the mastermind.

Meanwhile, Hanon could only turn around, unable to see their sorry states.

To their shoutings, Mike was the one who replied.

"Idiots!"

His shout stopped the four, gaining their attention.

"Didn't I tell you not to worry about Nick!? You stupid idiots! Damn it! This wouldn't have happened if you listened!"

Catherine finally released his complaints. Hearing this, Mike followed. Instead of having an aggressive tone, he spoke with sadness instead.

"You didn't believe us... Now you're saying as if we're the ones who broke our friendships. What's more, you actually did the opposite of what we were telling you...!"

"... W-we don't understand..."

With her face filled with tears and snot, Eline asked.

Before Mike or Catherine could answer, a voice stopped them.

"That's enough shouting."

After this voice, Mike and Catherine made a way for Teren to step in, the owner of this voice.

All eyes were set on him. The majority were puzzled, the others were cautious, some were baffled, and the rest admired him. Although 'rest' it was just one person who sat a bit far as if she had taken the best seat to watch while taking bites of the bbq she took.

"Teren...?"

Josh smiled, thinking that they were joking. 

"No way! This has to be a joke! You've been seen through, I mean, none of us were actually hurt, right!?" Eline tried to escape reality.

But her words make sense. Although they were tied up, none was that hurt. Except of course during the time they were actually being tied up, everything was just a scare. 

If this is what they think it was, Nick should've at least hit Josh for cursing at him.

Right?

Mike and Catherine both disappointed sigh.

"Oh..." Teren couldn't convince the four that he's the mastermind and that everything was real because of the dumb smile on his face.

But he didn't care about what they say. They're already in his hands. With a snap of his fingers, three pieces of paper mystically popped out of thin air in front of Hanon, Mike, and Catherine respectively. The latter two were evidently surprised by this but remembering the superhuman Clade which Teren easily defeated, their reactions were milder than their four friends.

"Okay! Did anyone else see that!?"

Eline looked at her friends that were tied up with her. Josh snapped and kicked the ground away from Teren.

"What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?" he kept muttering in fear.

"I-is that a magic trick?"

Mira tried to stay calm and continued.

"What is this sick method of showing your magic tricks? Is this a play or something?"

"Dumb..."

Iesa commented on Mira's attempt at understanding the situation. Now that she spoke, some attention was placed on her.

Is she a part of this too? Why is she so casually just sitting there and eating with excitement on her face? That's a rare expression for the school idol.

Does this mean this is really is just a play? If not, how could Iesa be so casual and excited about it?

Hearing their thoughts, Iesa lightly laughed. She then arrogantly said.

"I can't believe how none of you are still unable to comprehend what's happening."

'Didn't she overreact every time I show her something before?'

Teren thought, finding how she can be so arrogant about it so cute. While those who received the papers were carefully reading what's written on it, Teren have free time and so, he indirectly replied to Iesa.

"Normal people have lived all their lives thinking that super abilities are just fiction. Because it's illogical and nonsensical, they will try to rationalize with every chance they can once they saw one. It will take more than that for them to accept the reality."

Hearing that Teren replied to her, Iesa closed her mouth and slightly nodded. After the 'blunder' she made earlier, she didn't have the guts to even interact with Teren.

"Hah? Are you guys drunk or on drugs?"

Mira persisted with beads of sweat on her face.

Super abilities? Like the ability to fly? Super strength? Super speed?

No matter how the four think about it, they cannot accept that such things exist. If so, then how can they've never heard of its existence as non-fiction? Teren said one thing right, it is illogical and nonsensical which science will not be able to explain. Therefore, how can they believe it?

Mira looked at the others. Josh had already lost his shit, Dan was just silently crying as he internally tried to deny the situation while Eline blankly stared at the space in front of her, seemingly still trying to comprehend what she just saw.

'They are getting tricked!'

She thought which made Iesa almost choke on what she's eating.

Hanon was the first to finish what he was reading. Finally, he spoke.

"I... I'm ready."

The two then followed as if they were just waiting for someone to take the initiative.

"Me too."

"..." Mike just nodded.

"Okay, well then, who will be the first one we should try?" Teren casually said. However, none of the three could answer.

"Of course, I will not let you make the choice. I'm not evil."

Hanon gritted his teeth when he heard Teren say this.

"Let's make a coin toss. Heads and I will choose from the boys, tails and I will choose from the girls. After that, another coin toss."

Teren then took out a coin, ignoring everyone's different reactions.