CHAPTER 138: THE SHAME SPIRAL

The three arrived at the academy, and the familiar sight of the grand, humongous building, the bustling, jumbled energy of the students, and the comforting scent of the surroundings, was calming Eirin.

Coleen, her body a tired, exhausted thing, slammed her body to her bed as soon as they arrived inside their dorm room, a soft, tired thud. Eirin smiled as she watched her like that, her body a small, tired lump under the covers, which then reminded her about Miss Welkins and the mailman. She had to go.

"I’ll go meet Miss Welkins for a little, okay? I won’t be long. I just have to confirm some things with her."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Coleen’s voice a muffled, sleepy sound from under the covers. Despite her tired and exhausted body, Coleen got up from her bed and was ready to go out again, but Eirin shook her head, a gentle, reassuring motion.

"It’s fine. I won’t be long anyway."

Despite being worried, seeing the sparkle in Eirin’s eyes made Coleen agree as she lay back on bed, a defeated sigh escaping her lips. Eirin went out of the room, the familiar walls and the scent all over the place made her comfortable, a comforting sense of home.

On her way to Miss Welkins’s office, Eirin noticed that there were lots of students around, maybe because it was the weekend and there were no classes. The bustling energy of the academy was a striking contrast to the quiet, sterile silence of the hospital.

"Oh? Eirin!"

A familiar, voice, a joyful, beautiful sound, called out to her. Eirin turned around after hearing it. A smile, a genuine, beautiful curve of her lips, formed on her face after seeing who it was.

"Pierre."

The young man, with a wide, infectious smile on his face, rushed to Eirin’s side. His eyes, a bright, beautiful blue, were filled with a joyous bliss as he ruffled Eirin’s hair.

"How have you been? It’s been a while since we saw each other. Are you okay now? Have you eaten yet?"

Pierre bombarded Eirin with questions that made the teenage girl taken aback, a flustered look on her face as she couldn’t choose which one to answer first. Seeing the expression on Eirin’s face made Pierre laugh, and he even pinched her cheeks as he giggled.

"That was wrong of me. I shouldn’t have asked too many questions all at the same time. I was just worried, I apologize."

Pierre’s smile, a wide, genuine, and beautiful thing, caused all the people surrounding them to gaze at him, an unspoken admiration in their eyes. He was a beacon of light, of joy, of kindness. Pierre looked around, as if searching for somebody else, his gaze a questioning, searching light.

"Coleen’s not with you? That’s strange. You two are always together."

"She’s in our room. She was tired after fetching me from the hospital, so I let her rest. I’m on my way to Miss Welkins office now. Link said she wants to meet me about the mailman."

Pierre’s smile grew wider as he offered his hand, a gentle gesture, making Eirin confused.

"Want me to go with you? I can keep you company. The walk to the office is a long and lonely one."

"No, not really," Eirin said with a smile, a gentle protest. She doesn’t like the attention from the other people, the whispers, the stares, the curious gazes. "It’s not far from here. I can—"

Eirin’s stomach started grumbling, a loud, embarrassing rumble that cut her off mid-sentence, leaving her ashamed while Pierre giggled. It was only then that Eirin was reminded that she hasn’t eaten lunch yet, that her body was tired, hungry, and in need of care.

"Come on. You can’t go on an empty stomach. I’ll accompany you to the office, then let’s eat together, in the cafeteria."

Pierre lent Eirin his hand again, a soft, gentle, and insistent offer, but she sighed and just made him follow her. The young man, his body a tight, energetic thing, continued talking, a soft, constant stream of chatter, as if afraid that once he stops, Eirin would be long gone, a fleeting, beautiful memory in the wind.

When they arrived in front of the office, Pierre, with a silent understanding, waited outside as Eirin knocked before getting in. Miss Welkins stood from her chair and greeted Eirin with a smile. Eirin did as well, a small, polite gesture, as she showed her respect before asking about the mailman.

"You’re in luck, Eirin. The messenger from Infirmus is here today. They shall leave tomorrow at dawn, so if you have any letters you want to send, you may give it to me before midnight."

Eirin’s eyes widened as she smiled, a joyous light in her beautiful amber eyes. "Thank you! I’ll give it as soon as possible." She rushed out of the door after thanking Miss Welkins, an urgent sense of purpose driving her.

"Oh? Was it good news?" Pierre asked, his voice a low, joyful murmur, as he greeted her with a warm, beautiful smile, making her flinch, an embarrassed twitch of her body.

"Y-Yeah, it was something I’ve been waiting for," Eirin said, a soft smile on her lips. "I’ll go back to the dorm to fetch some—" her stomach growled, another loud rumble, making Pierre laugh.

"Before that, let’s have lunch. You can’t leave with an empty stomach."

"But I left Coleen there alone—"

Eirin protested, a gentle protest that was drowned out by the noise of the academy. Pierre grabbed Eirin’s arm, his fingers a warm, reassuring grip, and she couldn’t resist due to the eyes all over them, the curious gazes of the other students, as Pierre pulled her to the cafeteria, a small, flustered, and awkward smile on her face.

Pierre forced Eirin into a chair at a small, empty table, his smile a bright, reassuring sun that made her internal panic seem a little less ridiculous. He told her not to worry about anything and offered to get her food. Eirin’s stomach rumbled as a protest and couldn’t say no to the young man. She watched him walk towards the counter, his broad shoulders and easy confidence an opposite to her own flustered state. He was used to taking care of other people; it was as natural to him as breathing.

Eirin rested her chin on her palm, a small, tired sigh escaping her lips. "Sapphire’s lucky to have an older brother like him," she muttered to herself.

Eirin’s internal peace was short-lived, disrupted by a sudden wave of loud whispers that rippled through the cafeteria.

"Look at them, they suit each other so well."

"I know, right? We’ve been saying that for years."

"Why aren’t they dating already?"

"Maybe they are, and they’re just keeping it a secret."

The murmurs, a low, buzzing hive of gossip, were all directed at a single, elegant pair who had just entered the cafeteria.

Eirin’s eyes landed on Shade and Naya walking in. The two of them moved as one, a silent, graceful walk that felt like an intrusion in the loud, buzzing space. They walked side by side, their presence a quiet, undeniable power that seemed to draw all eyes to them.

Naya’s black hair was pulled into a sleek, elegant bun, and her posture was perfect, her every movement radiating cool confidence. Shade, with his dark hair and intense eyes, was a beautiful, yet terrifying shadow beside her, an undeniable force that seemed to pull all light into him. The aura they emitted was a charming, dangerous style, something Eirin couldn’t even imagine. They looked like royalty, a perfect match.

Pierre returned to the table with a tray of food in each hand, his smile unwavering. "Do you prefer chicken or pork?" he asked, a gentle, kind voice that was the opposite of the buzzing whispers of the crowd.

Eirin was too focused on Shade, on the way his eyes scanned the room with a cold, detached air, on the way his gaze seemed to be searching for something, that she couldn’t hear Pierre’s voice at all. Her world had narrowed to a single point of light: him.

"Eirin?"

Pierre’s voice, a little louder this time, finally broke through her trance. It was enough. Shade turned his head in Eirin’s direction, a sudden, sharp motion. His dark eyes a bottomless abyss of light and shadow, and their gazes met. The moment felt like a physical blow, a sudden, electric shock that coursed through her body.

The sheer, overwhelming embarrassment of being caught staring, of being caught at all, was too much. Eirin, her mind a frantic, disorganized mess, slipped off her chair, a graceful slide, and hid under the table, her body a small, trembling thing.

Pierre crouched beside her, playing the trays on the table, a smile flashed on his face. "What are you doing down there? Did you drop something?" he asked, a playful light in his eyes. He didn’t seem to have any clues as to why Eirin was acting like that, but he felt a strange sense of delight watching her.

’It’s like gaining another younger sister,’ Pierre thought, his gaze a warm, loving light. ’or more like a cat that’s easily startled.’