CHAPTER 148: SHE’S BACK

The day had arrived. It was the school festival, the most-awaited time of the year for the students of Senerra Academy. The campus, usually a quiet, scholarly place, had been completely transformed into a vibrant, bustling city of its own. The air was filled with a chorus of joyful shouts and the sweet, delicious scent of fried dough and cotton candy. Every corner was alive, a bright, beautiful tapestry of colors and sounds. Banners of gold and crimson fluttered in the breeze, and makeshift stalls lined the paths, each one a promise of new wonders.

Due to being a participant in the pageant, Eirin was saved from all the work in the café. She was instead given a special task: to attract customers to visit their café. Coleen, her face a bright, beautiful light, couldn’t stop telling Eirin how beautiful she was.

An overwhelming and beautiful praise that she wasn’t used to. The whole class, a small, vibrant family, couldn’t disagree. They had all helped, a collective, loving effort, in making Eirin look her best, so beautiful that they couldn’t take their eyes off her.

A high, sleek ponytail, a style she rarely wore, held her long, flowing hair high off her neck. It gave her a new, elegant look, a new, sharp confidence.

Link came over with a smile. "Wow, you’re so pretty, Ei. It’s the first time I’m seeing you with your hair tied up high like that," he said with a smile as he swirled the tip of Eirin’s hair with his fingertip. "Pretty."

The way he complimented Eirin, so casually, so genuinely, with his stunning, handsome smile, made the girls in their class blush as they stared at him, a tall, handsome figure wearing his waiter uniform.

Coleen giggled proudly, a small, happy sound. "High ponytail suits my Ei so much. I tied it for me. Great job, right?" Her smile was so wide, so proud, but Eirin stared at her after her words reminded her of her best friend, Ava, who used to always call her ’my Ei’.

The memory, a beautiful and aching thing, was a direct, beautiful contradiction to the present.

"Yes, yes. You did great," Link said while patting Coleen’s head, a gentle, playful motion, making her smile widely while looking all proud.

Link clapped his hand once, a sharp, loud sound that grabbed everyone’s attention. "Okay, now that we’re done helping Eirin dress up, the others should start preparing for the café. Coleen and Trixtan would continue assisting Eirin for the pageant," he said, and everyone agreed. Their words, so full of confidence, contradict Eirin’s doubt.

Coleen grabbed onto Eirin’s arm, a soft, firm grip, before going to the student council’s office, where the participants were gathering before the pageant started. This reminded Eirin of Naya, who was sent on a mission along with Shade Cromwell; it was constantly haunting her mind.

"How will Naya participate if she’s away?" Eirin asked, her voice a low, hesitant murmur, causing Trixtan, who was walking beside them, to turn his head in her direction.

"She arrived yesterday, so most of the members with her must have arrived earlier today," Trixtan said, his eyes unreadable. His eyes then widened as he realized something, a sudden, awareness. "Shade must have arrived already. Why are you asking about that anyway?"

The student council’s secretary came out of the room, her face a bright, cheerful light, and greeted the three, making Eirin unable to answer Trixtan. She told them to proceed to the field where the stage for the pageant was already built.

The first part of the pageant would show the students in their school uniform. Next to that would be their talent showcase, and after that would be the question-and-answer. There would be a voting process, and the result would be announced the next day, on the last day of the school festival.

Eirin’s long, elegant hair, tied high up, fluttered by the wind as they walked out of the main building and into the crowded field. The sight, a vibrant, chaotic sea of people. There were lots of students gathering, wanting to witness the said contest. Even those outsiders, a large, boisterous crowd, were clearly thrilled.

The student council prepared a cooled tent for the participants to keep them safe from the sun outside and to help them relax, but it was doing nothing for Eirin. The cold air, a sharp sensation, did nothing to calm the frantic, terrified beating of her heart. She couldn’t sit still as she kept stretching her legs, a small, frantic motion, terrified of making a single mistake.

"You’re making me dizzy," Trixtan said, a weary, exasperated sigh as he covered his eyes and rested on one of the chairs. He was a loud, boisterous presence.

Coleen shook her head as she held Eirin’s arm, a soft, comforting grip. "Do you feel nervous? Do you want me to get you something to drink? Or maybe something to eat?"

Eirin shook her head as she took a deep breath. "It’s just... It’s been a while since I last did ballet... I guess I am nervous. What if I forget the steps? What if I fall? What if I make a fool of myself?" Her voice, a small, terrified whisper.

Coleen tilted her head, a confused, worried light in her eyes. "Not because there’ll be lots of people watching? I thought you were used to it. You look so calm on the outside."

Eirin nodded. "I’m used to performing in front of people. I’m just scared of making mistakes. I guess it was something I just can’t easily get rid of. The fear of making mistakes."

Coleen pulled Eirin into a hug, a warm, comforting embrace. "You won’t. I know that for sure. We believe in you, Ei. You can do this."

The comfort Coleen gave her already boosted Eirin’s mood, a small, beautiful light in the dark chaos of her mind. She took another deep breath. There were thirteen contestants, and Eirin was number five. She might have been used to having dance recitals, but having to speak in front of a crowd wasn’t something she was used to doing—no, it was something she was terrified to do. It was a whole different kind of performance.

It didn’t even take long before the contest began, and the screaming crowd, a deafening roar, made Eirin hesitate. A small, nagging voice in her head whispered, "Are you really doing something you should be doing?" But her hesitations were too late. The contest began with a loud, triumphant bang.

Coleen, her hands trembling as if she were the nervous one, a small, trembling thing, combed Eirin’s hair for the last time. The sight of her trembling hands, so full of a quiet love, was a contradiction to her usual confident, carefree demeanor.

"Oh, Naya!"

A loud, happy voice said, a small, excited sound.

Eirin turned around, and there she saw Naya Oswin getting inside the tent. All eyes were on her as she tucked her long, silky black hair behind her ear, a simple, elegant gesture that was filled with confidence. Her beauty was taking everyone’s breath away, a stunning and opposite to herself weeks before.

The moment her emerald green eyes, a cold, unreadable light, landed on Eirin, she flinched.

Naya smiled, a cold, elegant, and terrifying thing, as she flipped her hair and walked towards the three. "I didn’t know Eirin Luxfield would join this contest too," she said, her tone seeming to differ from the last time Eirin heard her.

There was a new, cold, elegant edge to her voice, the opposite of what she saw them days before.

"Yes, Eirin’s going to represent our class. You better watch out, Naya," Coleen said with a huge, confident smile on her face, a thing that was filled with pride.

Naya’s smile sweetened, a cold, beautiful, and terrifying thing. Unlike her days before, this Naya that stood before them was different. She glowed, so radiant it seemed as if she was blinding Eirin’s eyes.

"I heard you’ve been doing well, Eirin. That’s good. It’s great to have competition sometimes," Naya said, her voice a low, beautiful, and utterly cold murmur.

The way Naya spoke was different than before, but also different than her usual timid elegance. She looked way more confident, and it invoked curiosity in Eirin.

Eirin felt awkward, she didn’t know how to respond, she doesn’t even know if she should respond, afraid that it might once again make Naya wary of her.

"I’m not sure I’ll win against you," Eirin said with a smile, making Naya turn to her.

"That’s fine. I’m used to winning things anyway," Naya said as she started humming. The way she acted confused Coleen and Trixtan. It was unusual again, but for Eirin, for someone who doesn’t know Naya that well, it was something she couldn’t comment on.

However, hearing Naya say those words made Eirin feel even more miserable. She’s not just thinking about making a single mistake; she’s now scared of participating.