Chapter 2: Expendable Profession (1/2)
Leonel's depressed mood didn't last for long. Soon we was smiling as though nothing had happened.
At that moment, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Considering how easily the culprit had done so, it was obvious that he was even taller than Leonel.
”Another failure, how many is that already? 520?”
”521.” Leonel muttered.
”Almost every school day since first-year, huh?”
The culprit laughed, leading Leonel up the stairs.
”There are too many young noble women looking to get into the good books of the 3021st bachelor of the Eligible Minor list. Yet you've been solely focused on one girl for four years, think of all the hearts breaking across the world.”
Leonel laughed. ”James, when you have to say such a large number, it makes the accomplish ring hollow, don't you think?”
It was quite funny. It was nice to be ranked, but being told that there were 3020 men better than him didn't exactly have a nice ring to it. Plus, this was just the Eligible Minor list, once he turned 18, he might not rank on the true Eligible Bachelor list at all.
More depressing than that was the fact there were several snotty-nosed brats no more than 13 or 14 years old ranked ahead of him.
”Bah, forget that damned list.” James spat. ”Who knows what perverted grandma ranked a bunch of minors on their eligibility? Load of nonsense.”
”Must be nice looking down from on high like that, Mr. 1034th.”
James laughed pervertedly, shaking Leonel side to side with his arm.
[Scanning… Security procedures underway]
[Student Leonel Morales recognized]
[Welcome future Five-Star Quarterback]
Leonel heard the usual mechanical voice ringing in his ears. Though he knew no one else could hear it, he still felt a deep disgust whenever he heard this introduction.
”Think about it this way,” James continued as they entered the grand hallways of Royal Blue Academy, ”There are over three billion people on Earth who are under 18. Half of those are men like us. Yet were in the top percent of a percent of a percent of them.
”You gotta stop chasing after this one girl. There are too many who want you.”
”As long as she rejects me, I will leave her alone. But in four years, she's never said a word after one of my confessions. She always just runs off.” Leonel swiped his finger under his nose a few times. ”It's obvious she likes me.”
James was stunned for a moment before bursting into another fit of laughter. It seemed the students were used to his boisterousness because no one batted an eye to his ridiculous laugh.
”I don't know why I waste my words, I know you don't care about these surface things. I should have known nothing would affect your state of mind for the big game.”
James pulled his arm from Leonel's shoulder, pounding a fist to the latter's chest.
”Those preppy boys can just wait patiently for their fourth National Championship loss in a row.” Leonel grinned, pounding James' chest in return.
Leonel caught a bit of a complex light in his best friend's gaze. James was easily three inches taller than him and had been his partner in crime ever since they entered Royal Blue Junior Academy together. Leonel would never miss something like this, he knew him too well.
”I do have something to talk to you about —.”
James' voice was cut off by the ring.
”— Dammit, there's a test today!”
Leonel shook his head as James ran away like a madman, likely trying to find someone he could cheat off of. Without thinking much, he pulled out a binder from his backpack to cram for his own test while he walked to class.
Unfortunately, he and James weren't in the same class. While Leonel ranked third academically across all subjects, James was near the bottom of the barrel. If it wasn't for the fact his Gene Analysis decided that his fateful career was that of a 'Five-Star Tight End', he wouldn't be allowed to enter this building at all.
Royal Blue Academy took these separations very seriously. Due to this, it was already a miracle that Leonel could make it into Senior Class A to begin with.
When Leonel was young, like every other child at the age of three, he took a mandatory Genetic Analysis Examination. Among other things, this test was meant to decide your optimal career path while weighing your benefit to society. This career path would be graded from one to five stars depending on several factors.
Ultimately, a One Star Professional was average. This person wouldn't cause any waves in their career path, but they would be able to stabilize its foundation, allowing the innovators at higher star evaluations to drive progress.
Five Star Professionals were on another level. These were people that would revolutionize their fields. In a single generation, there wouldn't be more than a hundred children with this level of evaluation, and not every profession was guaranteed to birth one either.
It should have been great that Leonel had such an evaluation. He too was a Five Star Professional. The trouble was that he had no interest in joining the National American Football League and becoming a Hall of Fame Quarterback.
People like him were categorized as 'entertainers'. He would be rich and live a great life, but he would never be taken seriously outside of his sport. This was part of the reason he was ranked so lowly on the Eligible Minor list. Many ranked above him were only worth three stars to their professions, but they were still more valued.
Of course, this wasn't the full reason or else James wouldn't be ranked so much higher than he was since he too was an 'entertainer'.