CHAPTER 147: THE UNWANTED CROWN

As soon as Eirin was out of sight, a small, unassuming figure in the vast, empty hallway, Calixta’s shoulders slumped with a soft sigh of relief. She rolled her eyes, a small, weary motion, and turned to the figure behind her.

"Come out already. You can’t stay hidden behind a bookshelf forever, you know. I can feel your aura from a mile away."

The moment she said that, a faint shimmer appeared from behind one of the gigantic bookshelves before Pierre stepped out, his face a mix of worry and confusion.

"Why did you lie? You’re not on library duty today," Pierre said, his voice a low, concerned murmur as he stared at his friend. "Are you... perhaps... fond of Eirin? Or maybe you have a crush on her? Is that why you’re helping? You don’t usually care about people."

The question hung in the air, a quiet, accusatory thing that was a new kind of tension between them.

Calixta ignored the young man, a dismissal that was filled with a subtle, cold silence. She started putting the books back to their places, her movements a quiet, graceful rhythm that was a contrast to Pierre’s worried energy. The silence was her only response.

Eirin, on the other hand, rushed back to their room, her mind a frantic, disorganized chaos of worry and anxiety. Their class was going to have a café, and her classmates were already doing their parts for the interior design and the menu. She’s been tasked to find people to eat in their café on the day of the festival, and Coleen had told her that she could take a break from helping.

Just learning that her class was searching for her, that she was needed, made her anxious to the bone. What could it be about? Had she done something wrong? Had she done something wrong? Had she messed up? Thinking of several possibilities, a series of catastrophic, dramatic scenarios, was making her head full, a dizzying, terrifying chaos that she could not escape.

"Eirin! There you are!" a loud, boisterous voice called out her name.

One of Eirin’s classmates, a small, petite girl with a kind, friendly face, immediately pulled her back to the classroom. She was frantic, energetic blur of motion, a direct, jarring contrast to her own quiet, confused state. All eyes went to Eirin as soon as she entered the room, a terrifying spotlight that made her want to disappear.

Coleen, her face a bright, beautiful light, rushed to Eirin’s side with a huge, genuine smile.

"Here she is! Look! Just look at her. With her poise and appearance, we could really win this year’s pageant."

The words, so full of excitement, were a complete, jarring surprise that left Eirin stunned, her mind a blank, empty canvas.

Eirin blinked lots of times as she stared at Coleen after she said those words. Her mind was a confused mess, trying to make sense of the worlds, trying to understand what pageant she was talking about. A small, confused grimace was the only expression on her face.

"What are you saying? Didn’t the class already vote for me to represent the class?"

A loud, sharp voice intervened, a cold, angry sound that was filled with a terrifying fury. It was Kara, her hands on her hips, her eyes filled with rage.

"Why are you suddenly saying that Eirin would do it instead? I was the one who was supposed to represent the class!"

Coleen raised a brow, a sharp, elegant motion that was filled with cold indifference. "Who even voted for you? Was it really a vote, or did you just tell everyone you want to participate? Be honest, do you think you’ll win against Naya? That Naya Oswin? I don’t think so."

Kara couldn’t answer Coleen as she bit her lower lip, a small, frustrated motion. Her eyes, a wide, panicked light, searched the room, waiting for anyone to defend her, but there was none. The silence in the room, a heavy thing was a direct, brutal confession that no one was on her side. She turned to Sapphire, a desperate, pleading look in her eyes, causing the lone girl to feel baffled, a confused look on her face.

’I’m not paid to deal with this,’ Sapphire thought, her mind a frantic, disorganized thing, as she forced a small, tired smile. She was an observer, not a participant in these things. She didn’t want to be involved.

"Why don’t we just vote? It’s the fairest way to decide," she said, her voice a low, neutral murmur. "Who’s in favor for Eirin?"

Before Sapphire could even finish her sentence, everyone in the class raised their hands, a quick, unanimous motion, even Kara’s friends, leaving her betrayed and humiliated. The overwhelming humiliation was a physical blow that left her reeling.

"Eirin will win this pageant and bring our class that bag of gold!" Trixtan said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He wrapped his arms around Eirin, a warm, energetic embrace, and kept shaking Eirin’s shoulder.

"Look at how pretty she is? Don’t you agree, you are really pretty?"

The words, a beautiful innocence, were a direct, terrifying, and beautiful confession that left Eirin speechless. She was left astounded after the young man asked her that. Her mind, a confused thing, couldn’t form a coherent response. Her cheeks, a sudden, fiery red, were a testament to her inner turmoil. How would she respond to that? How do you respond to a question like that without seeming arrogant?

"I mean, I might agree that my appearance look like you said ’pretty’ for you guys, but I don’t think I could win the pageant with looks alone," she said, her voice a small, humble whisper.

Everyone was in awe with how Eirin answered. She knew how she appeared to others, yet she was still down-to-earth, still humble, still so utterly innocent. The silence in the room was a testament to her beautiful character.

"What? You agree that you look prettier than me?"

Kara’s tone changed, her voice a high, sharp sound that was brimming with bitter rage as she sauntered towards Eirin.

"Why aren’t you saying anything back? What, are you scared of me?"

Kara pushed Eirin’s shoulder, a sharp, angry motion, causing the tension in the air to rise, a thick, suffocating thing that filled the room.

Coleen immediately pushed Kara’s shoulder back, a sharp, forceful motion as she stood in front of Eirin, a protective, loving shield.

"You know why Eirin’s not responding? Because she didn’t want to tell you the truth. You already have an ugly personality, now you’re making her admit you have an ugly appearance as well. It’ll make you cry once she opens her mouth."

Kara’s mouth hung open. The silence in the room, as if agreeing to what Coleen said, was a direct, painful blow that left her reeling. She could not believe such humiliation. Her face, a fiery red, was proof to her inner turmoil. With a furious gasp, she rushed out of the room, stomping her feet, a series of loud, furious thuds that echoed in the silent, tense room.

Eirin blinked lots, her mind a confused mess, watching Kara walk away. The moment Coleen faced Eirin, the smile on her face vanished after seeing the disturbed expression on Eirin. The happy light in her eyes was replaced by a concerned darkness.

"Ei? What’s wrong?" Coleen asked, her voice a soft, gentle whisper.

Eirin sighed, a long, weary sound, as she held Coleen’s hand, a small, warm thing in her palm. "Coco, that wasn’t so good. I didn’t want her to feel like that."

Coleen pouted, a small, sad, and frustrated look on her face. "But she started it, Ei. I hate how she tried to be all chummy with you in the beginning, but now she doesn’t hide how jealous she is of you. She deserved it."

Trixtan, his face a bright, happy light, wrapped his arms around Eirin and Coleen’s shoulders.

"Now that’s over, what do you say Eirin? You’re the prettiest in this class. After all, you bagged the one and only Shade Crom—"

Eirin immediately covered Trixtan’s mouth, a quick, panicked motion, as she turned to Coleen, nervous that she might have heard what Trixtan was saying. Her heart, a frantic thing, was hammering against her ribs. But seeing the clueless look on Coleen’s face, a soft, innocent thing, made her relieved.

"Eirin will do it!"

Trixtan said, his voice a loud, triumphant shout. He raised Eirin’s hand, a proud, confident motion, making everyone cheer as she just sighed, making it useless to fight them. The overwhelming support was a new thing that she wasn’t used to.

"Now that we’re decided. Let’s go to the student council’s office and register Eirin immediately!"

Trixtan pulled Eirin out of the room, followed by Coleen and Sapphire as they rushed towards the student council’s office.

"But would it be fine for Shade? You know, he might not allow you to enter the contest," Sapphire said, her voice a low, quiet murmur.

Coleen’s eyebrow raised as she turned to her, a confused, questioning light in her eyes. "Why does he have a say to whatever Eirin does? What are you talking about, Sapphire?"

Sapphire gulped, a small, nervous sound as she glanced at Eirin, but Eirin was confused herself, her mind a frantic, chaotic mess of unanswered questions. "O-Oh, I was just talking to myself. Don’t mind me." The words were a direct, painful contradiction to her gaze, a silent, knowing confession that she knew something Coleen didn’t.

After they registered Eirin, a quick, efficient process, the preparation for the pageant along with their café continued. The personal secrets were now a part of her life, a raw, vulnerable thing that was a constant, terrifying, and beautiful reminder of her new, complicated world.