CHAPTER 140: TRUTH BOMB

Sapphire giggled, a light sound that contrasted with the heavy atmosphere. She sat beside Shade, not wanting to miss any of the gossip from the two. Her shyness was long gone when it came to Shade and Eirin; the drama was too compelling to ignore.

"So, did Shade and Eirin come here to eat? Together?"

Naya’s composure, a carefully constructed mask of cool indifference, finally cracked after Sapphire’s question. The constant stream of affection from Pierre, the obvious glances from Eirin, and now the not-so-innocent and direct question from Sapphire, was too much. She chuckled, a short, sharp, and utterly humorless sound, as she peeked at Sapphire, her green eyes glowing coldly.

"No. Your brother is here on a date with Eirin."

Naya’s voice dripped with a biting sarcasm that was unlike her usual composed self. Her words, though meant to sting, were an aching confession of her own pain. The hurt, an exposed thing, was a heavy, leaden weight in her heart, a weight she was now sharing with everyone at the table.

Sapphire stood from her seat, her eyes wide and filled with disbelief. "No! Pierre! You can’t be the second male lead!" Her voice was so loud, so filled with a dramatic horror, that all eyes in the cafeteria went to their table.

The whispers and murmurs stopped, replaced by a hushed silence as everyone watched the scene unfold. She soon realized what she had done, the public confession of her love for romantic dramas, and a fiery red spread from her neck to her cheeks, causing her to cower in embarrassment as she sat back down, her body a small, mortified thing.

"Second male lead? What are you talking about, Sai?" Pierre chuckled, a warm, genuine sound, as he continued eating, as if unbothered by the annoying things Naya had said. His calm, quiet energy was an anchor in the chaos.

Eirin just couldn’t take it anymore. The awkwardness, the suffocating tension, and the piercing gaze of the man sitting in front of her. His dark eyes were a bottomless abyss, and she felt as if she could see right through her, see the flustered mess in her mind.

’My stomach hurts. I want to puke,’ she thought, an overwhelming urge to run away, to disappear.

"Oh, I remember. They made sorbets today, which one do you prefer, Eirin, orange or strawberry?"

Pierre’s voice, a sudden, gentle sound, was a welcome distraction. He turned to Eirin, his eyes a warm, kind glow.

"A-Any of the two. They both sound delicious," Eirin stammered, her voice a hesitant whisper.

Pierre, with a soft smile, stood from his seat to get them some desserts, a small, thoughtful gesture. He left Eirin with all the attention from the other people on the same tale, a frightening moment of exposure. Naya saw this as an opportunity to grill Eirin, a game of cat and mouse.

Naya’s green eyes glowed, as if looking at her prey, as she rested her chin on her palm. Her face, though still composed, held a cold, predatory light that was a shocking contrast to the beautiful, timid woman Eirin knew.

"What do you think of Pierre?"

The question, so simple and yet so loaded with unspoken meaning, was a trap.

Eirin flinched as she met Naya’s gaze. She’s not fond of such questions, of being put on the spot, of having her private feelings exposed to the world. She shifted in her seat, a small, uncomfortable motion.

"I think he’s great. He’s a good friend, a really kind and supportive one."

Eirin’s words, though true, felt like a small, meaningless like in the face of Naya’s intense stare.

Sapphire nodded, as if agreeing with her statement, while Trixtan stared at Shade, waiting for a reaction to come out of his face. Curiosity filled his eyes. But there was none. He maintained his poker face, a cold, unreadable mask, while still only looking at Eirin. The sheer focus of his gaze was an undeniable weight.

’Dude’s not even hiding it anymore. It’s like she’s the only one he could see,’ Trixtan thought, a disbelieving shake of his head. He had seen Shade’s obsession with her before, but this was a new level of intensity. The cold, stony mask was gone, replaced by intense focus.

Pierre came back, bringing everyone sorbets as he sat back down beside Eirin. "What did I miss?" he asked.

Sapphire, with a knowing, mischievous look, shook her head while saying, "Not much, brother. But I thought you were going to train today? How come you’re eating again? Didn’t you just eat?" The question, a playful, innocent jab.

Eirin, who had just taken a large mouthful of her sorbet, gulped, a choking gasp that made her eyes water. The ice cream, though delicious, suddenly felt like a heavy lead in her throat. Pierre moved quickly, as if on instinct, he immediately gave her tissues, his hand a gentle, comforting touch on her back.

"T-Thank you."

Naya observed the scene with a piercing gaze. "Amazing. How can you stay still like that while emitting such blood lust, Shade?" she whispered to the person sitting beside her, her voice a low, knowing murmur that was only meant for his ears. She could feel the power emanating from him, an untamed energy that was a brutal contrast to his composed, indifferent appearance. His calm, unreadable face was a beautiful lie.

"Where is Coco, by the way?" Trixtan cut into the conversation again, a deliberate act of distraction. He didn’t care about the mood at all; he just wanted to break the suffocating tension.

"She’s resting in our room," Eirin said as she continued eating. The cold sorbet calms her down. Although she wished to tell the young man sitting across from her to stop staring at her, there was no way she could say something like that aloud. It was like admitting that she feels awkward being stared at by the young man.

Naya, still not satisfied, gawked at Eirin, her green eyes a sharp, probing light. "Is there a possibility for you guys to date, Eirin? You and Pierre?" Her question was so out of character, so direct and so cruel, that even Trixtan was baffled by her. He knew Naya was a good person, but the pain in her eyes was a frightening thing.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Trixtan said, still munching on his chicken, with a confused look on his face.

Naya smiled, a small, bitter curve of her lips that didn’t reach her cold, green eyes. "Oh, right. You guys weren’t here earlier. Pierre confessed that he likes Eirin. He said so himself." The words, a venomous confession, were meant to hurt, meant to expose the terrible truth of her heart.

Sapphire, her eyes wide with a dramatic horror, stood once again from her seat. "What? You like Eirin? Romantically or just platonic?" Her question was buried after Naya immediately said something else, a desperate attempt to create more chaos, more pain.

"What’s wrong with helping Pierre gain a girlfriend? He deserves to be happy."

Naya’s voice, though calm, was filled with rage, a silent, seething anger that was a proof of the unbearable jealousy in her heart.

Trixtan’s forehead creased, a serious look on his face. He knew something was different with the Naya sitting with them. His eyes landed on Shade, as if afraid that he might say something rude again, but he was awfully quiet. He was just sitting there, his gaze still fixed on Eirin, as if nothing else mattered in the world.

Sapphire, with a pleading look in her eyes, intervened. "You don’t like my brother like that, right, Eirin? You wouldn’t like him just because he likes you, right?" Her question was full of her own childish fears, was a desperate plea for reassurance.

Trixtan was beyond confused at that point. He wondered why Sapphire, Pierre’s younger sister, would say something like that about Pierre. Does she not want Eirin to end up with Pierre at all? He turned to Pierre, and he was unaffected by everything that’s happening around him.

"You don’t have to worry about that."

The voice, a low, cold, and utterly unexpected sound, came from Shade. He was quiet the whole time, a silent observer, and now he suddenly decided to speak. The sound of his voice, so quiet and yet commanding, made all of them fall silent.

Sapphire’s eyes sparkled in excitement. "What makes you so sure, Shade?" Her tone, once filled with childish fear, now held hope.

Shade rested his arm on the table, cupped his chin with his palm, and for the first time in a while, a genuine smile touched his lips.

"Because Luxfield would then like me too."

Trixtan dropped his spoon, the metal clattering loudly against his tray. His mouth hung open, a look of disbelief on his face, and the water he was drinking dripped out of his mouth.

Naya’s eyes widened, her jaw falling open in a silent scream as she turned to her side to face Shade.

Sapphire, with a joyous light in her eyes, brought out her notebook. Her face was red as a tomato, her mind a frantic, dizzying chaos of new possibilities.

"S-So are you saying that you like Eirin Luxfield, romantically?"

Eirin and Shade’s eyes met across the table. Shade’s smile widened as he stared at her, his dark eyes an unreadable abyss of light and shadow.

"Yeah."