CHAPTER 104: DISGUST & DESPAIR

Eirin took a deep, steadying breath, pushing past the nausea, past the fear. Her voice, when it came, was clear, calm, and unwavering. "I said disgusting."

One of the girls, her face inflamed with rage, aimed to punch Eirin, her fist already drawing back. But Leila, her eyes fixed on Eirin, held her back with a firm grip. "We... disgust you? These people?" She pointed to herself and her companions, her voice laced with outrage.

Eirin shook her head, her gaze steady, meeting Leila’s challenge directly. "No, you don’t disgust me. Your mindset does," she said, her voice holding an unexpected steel. The truth, unvarnished, hung in the air. "If you think Shade’s a demon, then why are you obsessing over him?" The question was a logical trap, a mirror reflecting their own hypocrisy.

"Because he looks good! Duh!" one of them retorted, her voice dripping with obviousness, as if Eirin were truly dim-witted.

They should be thankful that the librarian was nowhere in sight, or else, they would have been kicked out by the sheer volume of noise they were making, their angry shouts echoing in the sacred quiet of the library.

Eirin shook her head again, holding back the torrent of her true thoughts, the sharp judgement that threatened to leak out through her mouth. Their superficiality, their blindness, was astounding.

"Are you saying that you don’t like Shade because he’s a demon?" Leila asked, her voice tight, a final attempt to pin Eirin into a corner of judgment.

Eirin sighed, a long, weary exhalation. She looked at Leila, then at the other girls, her expression softening, a hint of pity in her eyes. "No, I don’t like him because he’s rude. I don’t care if he’s a demon, or any of that sort. That’s not why I don’t like him. I don’t like him because he’s not nice to me. That’s it." Her words, brutally honest and devoid of romantic pretense, left the senior girls dumbfounded, their faces frozen in expression of utter shock.

"Can I go now?" Eirin asked.

The seniors were left astounded, their faces frozen in expressions of utter shock, rendered momentarily speechless by Eirin’s unexpected words. Her quiet sincerity, devoid of fear or fanaticism, had dismantled their constructed drama.

"If that is all," Eirin stated, her voice calm and clear, "then I’ll go now." She gave a slight, respectful bow, before turning and walking away, leaving the five senior girls gaping behind her, their power momentarily neutralized.

As soon as Eirin exited the grand, echoing hall of the library, she heaved a deep sigh, the breath escaping her lips in a rush. "That was scary," she muttered to herself, shaking her head as she walked back into the bustling hallway towards their classroom.

"Ei! How did it go?"

Coleen’s voice, shrill with concern, filled the classroom as Eirin stepped through the doorway. Coleen rushed to Eirin, her eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? What did those monsters do? I was so worried!" She immediately began to check Eirin’s whole body, her hands fluttering over Eirin’s arms and shoulders, searching for any sign of harm. Her gaze was sharp, probing, ready to find something wrong, some bruise or scratch.

Eirin chuckled. "Nope. We just talked, although they were kind of scary." Hearing that, Coleen heaved a dramatic sigh of relief, slumping against Eirin, her tension deflating. Then, with a sudden surge of renewed fury, Coleen spun around, her gaze landing on Sapphire Blouin, who was pretending to be engrossed in a textbook at a nearby desk.

"You! You did it again!" she shrieked, her voice rising in accusation. She charged at Sapphire, a miniature whirlwind of righteous fury, causing Eirin to grab her arm, trying to stop her before she ignited another, far more chaotic, confrontation.

"I-It wasn’t me! I swear, Coleen!" Sapphire squeaked, cowering behind her textbook, her face paling.

"I’m sorry, Coco. It was me."

Eirin and Coleen turned in unison, eyes wide, to find Trixtan standing behind them, his familiar, unserious expression plastered across his face. He even stuck out his tongue playfully.

Coleen went agape, her anger momentarily forgotten, replaced by bewildered shock. "H-How could you do that?" She started hitting Trixtan on his chest with soft, frustrated blows, her small fists barely making a dent. The boy simply laughed, a carefree sound, while scratching the back of his head, completely unrepentant.

"By the way, where is Mr. Blade?" Eirin looked around the classroom, her eyes scanning the area. No professor was seen, and only a handful of students remained, scattered listlessly throughout the room.

The class should have started long ago, but the air was devoid of the usual academic buzz. "And Shade? He’s not here." His absence, though expected given his reclusive nature, still felt significant in the quiet room.

Coleen, having given up on pummeling Trixtan, scratched her cheek, a thoughtful gesture. "Mr. Blade said we should focus on training our Flairs today, in preparation for the sports festival. He just told us to use our time wisely." She gulped, then her eyes widened in realization, her gaze flicking towards where Shade’s desk should have been.

"Shade followed you Ei, after he learned that Leila called you—that reminds me, where is he now?"

Eirin shrugged. "I guess I’ll have to find him—since he’s going to help me train."

Coleen’s forehead creased, her gaze turning serious. She leaned in, whispering into Eirin’s ear, her voice low. "Are you sure you’re not falling for him, Ei? I mean, it is your feelings but you know, falling for that kind of guy—he’ll just break your heart! He’s trouble! Dark and brooding and—"

Coleen kept talking, her words a rapid-fire cascade of warnings and concerns, but Trixtan, with a mischievous grin, covered her mouth with his hand, making everything she said sound muffled and incomprehensible. Eirin couldn’t understand a single word, much to her amusement.

"You should go to him now. He’s probably waiting for you," Trixtan said, his tone unusually serious despite the playful gesture, as if he knew exactly where Shade Cromwell was. "By the way, where is Link?" he added.

"O-kay?" Eirin said, still slightly amused by Coleen’s muffled protests. "I’ll go now. I don’t know where Link is, but let’s eat lunch later." She patted Coleen’s head before leaving the classroom.

Eirin wondered where the young man could be, but there was just one place that flashed in her mind, a place already marked by their unusual encounters.

Eirin grimaced, hoping that those five senior girls, the self-proclaimed fan club, had already left the library. She didn’t want to bump into them ever again, especially not with Shade. It would be an absolute disaster if those girls saw Eirin with Shade, training, interacting, reinforcing their ridiculous ’true love’ narrative.

"I mean, it’s not my fault he’s being a great teacher to me, right?" she talked to herself, her voice a low murmur, a faint justification echoing in the empty hallway.

The moment Eirin arrived at the back the library, stepping into the shaded, secluded area, her eyes scanned the quiet space, searching for the young man. And there he was. Sitting on the grassy ground below the arched window of the library, bathed in a silver of sunlight, looking lost in thought. He seemed... smaller, somehow, in that vast space, more vulnerable.

Eirin’s face softened. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand, then sauntered towards the young man, her steps light.

"What are you doing there?"

When Shade looked up, his dark eyes meeting Eirin’s, the teenage girl blinked multiple times, taken aback by his appearance. His eyes were red-rimmed, a faint puffiness beneath them. The usual mask of arrogance and indifference had cracked.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Her voice was softer than she intended, concern overriding her usual exasperation with him.

Shade stared at his hands, turning them over, scrutinizing his palms as if seeking answers there. His voice, when he finally spoke, was low, rough, devoid of its usual edge. "Long enough to hear you say disgusting."

Eirin’s breath hitched. She walked closer, stopping a few feet from him, scratching the back of her head, feeling a blush creep up her neck. "Well, this is awkward," she admitted, a nervous laugh escaping her. "It’s your fan girls’ fault, by the way. They’re the ones with the crazy mindset."

"They’re not my fans." Shade’s voice was firm, a sudden return to his usual stubbornness, yet it lacked the venom.

Eirin tilted her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Okay, then I don’t have to explain anything. You heard it all."

"That’s right." His reply was flat, almost a whisper.

The teenage girl’s forehead creased with genuine confusion, wondering why it seemed too easy to converse with the young man who was usually so rude and annoying. This soft-spoken, vulnerable Shade was an enigma.

"Did something happen to you? Why are you talking to me normally? You’re usually such a pain."

Shade chuckled, a low, humorless sound that caused Eirin to instinctively step backward, a flicker of apprehension. The sound was unfamiliar, unsettling. "I’m thankful, I guess. That you don’t see me as the monster everyone calls me to be."

Eirin’s eyes widened. ’There’s something really wrong with Shade Cromwell,’ she thought, swallowing hard. This went beyond the curse, beyond his transformation. This was... human pain. "I mean, you do act like a demon because of how rude you are but—" Shade glared at her, a flash of his old, familiar irritation.

Eirin sighed in relief, a genuine, almost joyous, breath at seeing the familiar expression of the young man.

"Did you really appreciate it so much that you—" Eirin couldn’t continue talking. The familiar irritation faded, replaced by sorrow in Shade’s eyes. He didn’t speak a single word, but Eirin could feel it.

The unspoken grief, the quiet yet evident despair emanating from him. Eirin’s body moved on its own accord, instinctive, unthinking reaction. She stepped forward, closing the distance, and wrapped the young man, pulling him into an embrace.