Thoughts of the Chairman

"...And that's what happened, Sir. Again, I sincerely apologize."

Allen stood before the stern-looking man in an office lit by the rays of twilight. He just finished explaining their escapade at the rooftop this afternoon, including Ezekiel Canaan's adventures. The red head doesn't seem appalled, though. Mentally prepared, he just held his head high, waiting for his feedback.

Their intense staring contest was won by none other than the Student Council President as Mr. Canaan burst out laughing out of nowhere.

"That's my son, alright! I can't believe he actually did that!" he started mirthfully.

"What do you mean by that, Sir? Mr. Zeke was such a big ball of energy that it's impossible not to believe," Allen commented with an amused grin.

"Well then, President, will you believe me when I say that he acts different inside our home?"

The red head only blinked at that in surprise.

Seeing his reaction, Mr. Canaan chuckled before standing up from his chair. He then turned his back to him and faced the window, arms folded behind. His toned figure bathed in the red-orange shades of the afternoon glow, silhouetting a sense of nostalgia. The atmosphere then subtly grew heavy as the older man started reminiscing a distant memory.

"That child was devastated over his brother's disappearance, but after learning he'd be replacing him, he started hiding his emotions away. Burdened by his present obligations, he became too focused on the future. He'd been trying so hard to fill in his brother's shoes," Mr. Canaan confessed.

He remembered how hard Zeke had cried that day, only to stop grieving a few days after. As time passed by, they just found him acting differently. From a blithesome and happy-go-lucky teenager to a mature and well-mannered one, Zeke turned a one hundred eighty. Right then, he realized that he had started imitating his perfectionist elder son.

"He used to be an eccentric kid – climbing trees, playing pranks on people and causing troubles wherever he went. I thought I'd be glad when he stopped doing them, but it turned out I just got even more worried. I felt like strangling him with all these responsibilities. Out of guilt, I became strict. I'd criticize him and even called him undeserving of his position at one point, all because I desired to hear his true feelings about being a replacement," he continued with an ashamed expression.

All the while, Allen only listened silently, eyeing the older man's back intently. He now understood why Zeke had exploded back in the rooftop earlier.

"Seeing how lonesome he was in his current predicament, I gave him a push by hinting about you guys."

With that, Mr. Canaan swerved around and faced him again. Despite the enigmatic aura he's giving off at that moment, his smile looked genuinely grateful as if appreciating his very presence alone. Allen's eyes widened a little, not anticipating the sight before him.

"But you wanted to keep us a secret, didn't you?" the red head asked in confusion.

"A hint was all that I gave. I only wanted to keep him away from you since he's still inexperienced. However, if his strong desire to know more about you can help him grow, I can't say there is a problem," the Chairman answered with a shrug.

"Of course, there is. What if something bad happened to him?"

"If he came to me crying then, that would only make him more undeserving. After all, the Champions will have to work together with my heir in the future. He should learn from your example as early as possible. If he gets the cold feet now, this school is done for."

Allen only heaved a sigh, thinking that they're really father and son. Still, he couldn't argue with that since it was true. Once Zeke succeeded his father, he'd be joining forces with them in protecting the academy.

"Oh, yeah. You mentioned Ms. Angelica Claes too, right? I've heard the deet from His Majesty," Mr. Canaan voiced out with a sour expression, recalling his discussion with Hal earlier.

Allen wanted to laugh at how he addressed their leader as if remembering his worst nightmare. He wasn't able to join their conversation in the end since the battle with the summoned creature earlier had left him with so many unfinished Student Council works, though he did look forward to witness the exchange.

"It's quite shocking, to be honest. But as long as it's under control, I'm fine with it. It's also a good thing that he found a close companion at last," he continued with a knowing smile, much to Allen's bafflement.

Seriously, he's very curious about their talk.

"Maybe my son needs a friend like her too! He's socially awkward so involving himself with others is a good experience, don't you think?" the Chairman quipped, voice suddenly filled with zest.

"I'm sorry to tell you, Sir, but both Mr. Zeke and Angelica are on the same boat when it comes to socializing," Allen remarked with a sullen expression, recalling how severely lacking the two are in their social skills.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's like this, Sir... While Mr. Zeke is socially awkward in a way that he's loud and oblivious of his surroundings, Angelica, on the other hand, has zero confidence. They're similar and opposite at the same time."

With that, the Chairman and the Student Council President engaged in a longwinded chatter like two old ladies gossiping on the street. Mr. Canaan mock-suspected Allen, saying he's just probably worried that his master would get all lonely once his son started hogging the girl all to himself. The red head only retorted that Hal isn't that childish and their relationship isn't like what he thought it is, to begin with. In the end, their discussion took a weird turn and eventually became a discourse about teenage hormones and the likes, much to Allen's chagrin.

"The Chairman can be such a weirdo at times..." he thought, only mustering a smile on the outside.

"Sir Canaan, we're forgetting an important matter here. Though I think Mr. Zeke has no issues with befriending her, what about Angelica's opinion?" Allen questioned, suddenly feeling like they're talking about betrothing their children to each other.

"That's true... We shouldn't neglect her thoughts. Do you have any idea how she sees him?" Mr. Canaan wondered out loud like a father planning on his son's marriage interview.

"I don't have any since they just met today. But if it's Angelica, I recommend facing her head on."

"Oh~ A new rival, eh?"

"Please don't be silly, Sir."

Mr. Canaan only guffawed at how strained Allen's smile is, thinking that the whole situation is very amusing indeed. He eventually decided to settle down upon recalling that matters like romance shouldn't be something to rush and fuss about. It's best to watch it develop on its own. Pushing the topic aside for the meantime, the Chairman began thinking about his next course of actions. Although he agreed with what his student said about not ignoring Angelica's feelings, he also wanted to support his son from the shadow.

"You know, Escarlot, I almost didn't believe you when you said that this person had entrusted such a huge role to my son in defeating the summoned creature earlier. Like you said, they just met today. What does a girl like her actually knows?" Mr. Canaan suddenly blurted out, voice firm and serious, much to Allen's flummox.

"Perhaps, because she actually does know nothing about him, she's able to trust his capabilities blindly. Not looking at the background, but just Ezekiel himself," he continued.

The red head only stared at his inscrutable expression, starting to feel perplexed at how he switched tones and moods like this. It somehow reminded him of Hal.

"Escarlot, I thought of something. Help me on this one..." Mr. Canaan suddenly added, grinning at him.

He then fished something out of the drawer of his desk before handing it to him. Allen paced towards it and took the paper. His eyes widened in surprise upon seeing that it was a fill-out document of Zeke's transferee entrance examination at Canaan Private Academy.