Underneath the Silhouette-Chapter 152: A Quiet Storm

"When was it... when did you realize you loved her?"

Shade froze. When was it? He wondered; he tried to dig through his memories to find the exact time. He had known her for a few weeks, and yet, it felt like a lifetime. He had been so blind, so foolish, so arrogant, and yet, the moment she had entered his life, things had changed. Something within him changed. He had been so consumed with his own thoughts, so lost in his own world, that he had never noticed that light she brought to him.

"Since the very beginning."

Realization hits him after he mutters those words. They were full of truth and were a direct contradiction to the cold and distant world he had built for himself. It was terrifying, yet his heart thumped loudly, something he had never felt before, an overwhelming feeling he hadn’t noticed on his own.

Shade chuckled, a low, unexpected sound that vibrated with genuine amusement. It was a rarity, a beautiful sound that Naya had never heard before, and it made her heart, a small, hopeful thing, sink.

Naya’s lips trembled as she struggled to maintain a semblance of a smile. "I guess I never had a chance, since the beginning." Her voice, a thin, brittle thread.

Shade, completely unaware of the knife he’d plunged into her heart, gently ruffled Naya’s hair. She glared at him, a sharp, furious light in her eyes, as she tried to tidy her sleek ponytail.

"Stop doing that to me. You’re being mean, don’t you think?"

Before Shade could even respond, Coleen burst onto the scene, a vibrant, energetic blur of motion. She held Eirin’s hand, pulling her toward the secluded spot. Eirin tried to hide her face, a small, panicked gesture, but Shade’s eyes, a penetrating light, were already locked on her.

"What are you guys doing here all alone? Oh? Naya! We brought food. Why don’t we all eat together?" Coleen, utterly oblivious to the silent, invisible war being waged, pulled everyone towards the empty open space behind the second building, where benches and tables were scattered beneath the shade of ancient, sprawling trees. "Too bad Link and the others can’t eat with us," she said with a genuine smile as she pulled out a chair and settled down.

"Sit beside me, Ei." Coleen patted the empty chair next to her. Eirin’s eyes widened as she watched Shade, his movements deliberate as he sat beside that empty chair. As if waiting for her to sit beside him as well.

Eirin’s gaze landed on Naya, who was already staring at her, her eyes a cold, beautiful accusation. A surge of guilt, an unwelcome feeling, washed over Eirin. She rushed to the far chair, the one on the other side of Coleen, leaving the coveted seat open. Naya immediately took the seat between Coleen and Shade, a triumphant smile gracing her lips.

At the round table, Shade was once again directly facing Eirin, the distance between them feeling less like physical space and more like a tight, suffocating tension.

"What’s with the weird atmosphere? Did you guys fight?" Trixtan asked, unaware of what had happened, as he began putting the food containers on the table. He took the last chair, the one between Shade and Eirin. "That’s just hunger, so let’s all eat."

The five students began to eat, but Eirin could feel Shade’s gaze, a penetrating heat, as if he were trying to devour her with only his eyes. She tried her best to focus on the beef steak on her plate, hoping to disappear into the porcelain.

"Which do you prefer, Ei? Lasagna or spaghetti?" Coleen asked, unaware of the silent pressure Shade was exerting on Eirin.

Trixtan tilted his head, a confused light in his eyes. "Aren’t those the same? They’re both pastas."

Coleen rolled her eyes. "I’m not asking you."

Eirin immediately intervened. "I like both. Both are delicious." Her answer made Coleen pout, a small, disappointed gesture as she continued eating her spaghetti. Eirin also tried to swallow her foot, but a terrifying lump formed in her throat. Mealtime for her has been so awkward the past few days.

"Oh, right! Is it okay to ask you something, Naya?"

Trixtan’s sudden question, a loud, curious sound, cut through the uneasy silence. Everyone looked at Trixtan, everyone except Shade, who kept his gaze locked on Eirin. His attention was a physical weight that made Eirin want to crawl under the table. It was as if the moment he looked away, Eirin would also vanish, a fleeting, beautiful apparition.

’Why does he keep torturing me like this? Why is he looking at me like that?’ Eirin thought, her silent, internal cry echoing inside her head.

Naya, momentarily enjoying the shift in attention, looked at Trixtan and tilted her head. "What is it, Trixtan?"

"What is the good thing that would happen once you win the contest?" Trixtan’s straightforwardness made Eirin’s mouth hang open. Coleen immediately leaned over, catching the piece of beef that fell off Eirin’s mouth.

The sudden, absurd scene caused Shade Cromwell to laugh, a loud, joyous sound that echoed through the quiet space, capturing their attention.

"Why are you laughing all of a—"

Naya halted after following Shade’s gaze. She clutched her fist near her chest, a small, furious gesture after seeing Eirin coughing and flustered. It did not make it hard for her to realize what it was. Shade was staring at Eirin, and he was still looking at her despite Naya’s question. His laughter, such a genuine sound, all four of them were taken aback.

The atmosphere, a thick, suffocating thing, seemed to lighten after Shade’s laughter. They were surrounded by sprawling greenery, and the only sound they could hear after that was the chirping of the birds, a peaceful sound, contradicting what was going on in Naya’s heart and mind.

"Anyway, why would you ask Naya about that?" Coleen said, her voice filled with confusion as she raised her eyebrow at Trixtan.

The young man shrugged, a careless, easy motion. "Doesn’t it make you curious? I mean, it’s Naya. What makes this ice princess desperate? The only thing I could think of is always connected to Shade..." He stopped after noticing how Naya’s smile, a cold, beautiful thing, started waning. "Don’t tell me... you’re going to date each other if Naya wins? Is that the secret?"

Coleen dropped her cup of water to the ground; the water scared the squirrels lurking under the table. Her eyes immediately landed on Eirin, watching how she would react, but Eirin tried her best to maintain a poker face, a mask that concealed her fear of being a hindrance.

Trixtan stood, his chair scraping loudly against the ground, after seeing how huge Naya’s smile was. "No way." He turned to Shade, who was still staring at Eirin. "Dude! How could you like both of them? This is not how I knew you." His loud reaction only made things more awkward for Eirin.

"What about Eirin, then?" Trixtan’s voice broke the fragile silence.

They all stared at Eirin after what Trixtan said. The teenage girl tried to put a smile on, a small, tired thing. "What about me?" she innocently repeated, acting as if unaware of everything that was going on.

"Didn’t Shade confess his feelings for you?" The question hung in the air, a sword above their heads.

Coleen slammed both hands on the table. "Shade confessed to you? To my Ei!? That rude jerk did?! When and where!?" Her loud voice permeated the place, making Eirin blink thousands of times with her beautiful amber eyes.

’Does Trixtan like putting me in difficult situations? Why would he say that?’ Eirin thought; her inner turmoil forced an awkward smile on her face. She wondered how she should handle the situation, but no great thoughts came to her mind.

"Y-You know what, I got to go. I’m going to practice for the talent showcase."

So, she chose to run away, like a coward. She had barely eaten anything, but it did not matter.

Shade stood from his seat, his movements quick and decisive. "I’ll go with you."

"No!"

Everyone’s eyes went wide, even Eirin herself, after she screamed like that. Her voice, clearly panicked as he held her palm up, as if signaling the young man to halt.

"I-I mean, you haven’t finished your meal yet. You should eat more—bye!"

Eirin rushed out of the place, her stomach still grumbling, an embarrassing noise, as she winced with the awkwardness swallowing her whole.

"Whoa, I never heard Eirin scream like that before," Trixtan said in disbelief, his eyes wide with surprise. "I guess being pretty makes everything you do look pretty. Even screaming."

Coleen slapped Trixtan’s arm, making him wince. "This isn’t over. And you, you better not do anything bad to my Ei." She pointed her finger at Shade, but the young man’s nonchalance only made her angrier.

"I’ll win and get that thing for myself," Naya muttered.

Coleen and Trixtan looked at Naya after she said that out of the blue. They glanced at Shade, who seemed disgruntled by what happened with Eirin, a frustrated look on his face. The two wondered why they had to witness such a mess and why it always seemed to happen during lunchtime.