Hi guys! You may find us in discord thru ! Please come and let us know about you, too! (づ￣ ³￣)づ
Chapter 42: Chaos
It was a chaos—Principal Bin's birthday party. Half of me felt sorry for the mess that happened. But even I had no idea what to do at that time.
I was standing in the center of the hall. Priam's ability, which controlled my body earlier, had already disappeared but I still couldn't move. The surrounding was so quiet then which made me more apprehensive.
I watched Priam walked out from the hall after he whispered something to Gin very leisurely, as if nothing happened. He even waved his hand with his back on us before finally heading out of the hall.
Gin, on the other hand, was left standing there. His face still had that same shadow of rage while his fist was still clenched into a solid ball as if it will hit his brother’s jaw again like earlier. All the same, I knew that whatever Priam whispered to him—he was affected by it.
I felt a hand held unto my arm. In my muddle-headedness, I looked at Victoria.
“Let’s go. It won't help staying in this place.” She calmly said.
She pulled me slowly away from the center of the hall. I saw Sir Apollo and Ethan who did the same with Gin. We deliberately exited away before all the people who were looking at us as if they couldn't believe in what they just saw.
We're almost by the door when Luna reached us. She's holding our belongings that we left on the group's table. Her face was stricken with fear but she tried not to make it obvious. None of us even tried to look at the people as we walked through the front of the hall.
"Oh, God. It's a big mess." I heard Luna whispered.
She's fidgety while we're walking out, in contrary to Victoria, who's silent and looked calm beside me. Her face was impassive―almost uncaring, but the intensity of her grip on me was telling the opposite; I got a dig on what she has in mind.
She's thinking of ways to counter and turn over this mess that happened tonight. I can almost hear her voice saying something like: This is not going to be a pretty sight but, hey, shit happens so we just have to deal with it.
Shit happens.
I wanted to laugh at what happened. Despite the chaos and everything, until now, it still has not sunk into my brain—I wanted to laugh hard. I don't care about what happened and what would happen; only one thing was clear to me.
I wanted to leave this place. Go back home.
We entered my room in the dormitory. I just found myself sitting on the bed while the two―Luna and Victoria, stayed outside the room. From the open door, I saw them talking.
A few minutes passed before Luna followed into my room. Victoria should have retired to her own. Luna, upon seeing me by the bed, closed the door and smiled lightly before walking to the table by the bedside.
I wondered what she up to. Then I noticed a white box over the table that was not there earlier. I heard Luna sighed deeply before opening the box.
“Happy Birthday, Shia.” She almost whispered.
I looked at the object inside that box―a cake. It's a white cake decorated with fruit slices together with a thin and small candle placed at the top of it.
“It’s—” She could hardly say her piece straightly. “It’s supposed to be our surprise. A should be surprise after Principal Bins' party.” She laughed slightly. “You thought we forgot, right? We would never.”
A sad smile took over her shallow laugh. “But we didn't expect the event earlier.” She's almost in tears. “I’m so sorry, Shia. Sorry for the mess in your birthday. I’m sorry because I know you’re having a hard time here. If only I could do something.”
She sat on the chair opposite to me. I watched the cake on the table. It's a magnificent cake. The same kind of cake that Lucas dreamed to buy for me but that said cake was bought by the group to surprise me. I was confused with myself. I just wanted to get angry with everyone here but I couldn't.
A knock came from the door which halted Luna. She quickly wiped her tearful eyes and stood up to open the door. With their mere footsteps ringing on the floor, I knew who came in.
“Sir Apollo,” Luna greeted.
I noticed how she rubbed her nails unconsciously—a habit when she’s nervous. I felt sorry for Luna. Even the beautiful dress she had worn was already wrinkled. She seems tired. I don't want to see her like that.
“I would like to talk to Shia.” Sir Apollo said. I noticed his serious voice. Sir Apollo rarely took a serious stance. He always seemed to be drunk or had a hang-over.
Luna bowed, nodding. “Okay, sir. I'll just go outside.”
She headed to the door but before it was completely closed, she looked back at me. I smiled at her to assure her that everything will be fine. She smiled back and finally closed the door.
When Luna was gone, silence broke into the room. Sir Apollo didn't speak. I did the same. He just stared at the space and sighed.
“I need a cigarette.” He whispered to himself. He's wearing a tuxedo and everything but all he could think about was cigarette. I can't blame him, though. He looked strained.
“Aah,” he breathed. “What is with this group? Everyone likes to make a mess and be such a headache.” He sat on the chair where Luna sat before and faced me. “Shia Sheridan, do you know what happened earlier?”
I almost glared at him because of his question. What happened?! Would he like a full rewind of everything that had happened?
He laughed faintly when he saw my reaction. “You didn't really change since the first day you came here. The same Shia Sheridan from Hesperia.”
“Crude and miserable?” I answered with no interest. What else did he mean but that?
(ED: Author actually used 'asal-mahirap' which directly translates to 'behavior-poor'. Well, we're open to suggestions. ʘ‿ʘ)
“Pure. Untainted. Rare. Irreplaceable.” He said seriously. He looked at me straight in the eyes. I’ve never seen him this serious. That's when I realized that the events earlier were something serious.
“You do know the feeling when you find something so rare you want to keep it?” He asked out of nowhere. “You don't want it to be scratched or be sullied by others. You want to keep it in its original form; with you being the only one who knows or who holds this precious thing.”
One person entered my mind as he said those things. “What do you mean?” I asked, a little anxious.
“You are that thing.” He said straightly.
I blinked. He’s too straight to the point. This made all my apprehension slowly built inside me on his next words.
“So, I'm an object now?” I asked with a blank gaze. “For the record, if they didn't know, I breathe―complete with both pulse and heartbeat. I’m not some kind of toy that they can just take interest in.”
“Interest can turn into a passion, Shia.” He said. “One moment you are curious and interested; the next, you can't live without it. This―you know the things it can fuel and the things it can destroy.”
I met his serious gaze. “What do you mean?”
I noticed my voice cracked. I don't know why but I didn't want to hear what he’s going to say next. I was scared. I didn't want to confront it. I wanted to stay in the middle of everything where truth wouldn't find me.
Gin— didn't have to do that. I wanted to think that he just did that because I was his responsibility as a member. But his eyes were saying different when he looked at me after Priam had left.
“Gin likes you.”
I felt weak, like suddenly I lost my strength because of what Sir Apollo said. It didn't immediately register in my brain. I felt something collapsed somewhere. Something broke. Tears gathered in my eyes with reasons unknown.
“No,” I answered. “You’re wrong.” I said emphatically.
Please say you’re wrong. I don't fucking need this.
“Shia, I know what you are thinking. It’s never wrong to like someone. The only wrong here is the time and circumstances. Yes, it’s a big problem. Yes, the whole group will be affected because of it—"
“Then what am I supposed to do?!” I almost snapped at him. I don't need this. I don't want anything that will add in my misery in this place. I― also don't want him to have difficulties because of me.
“You need to avoid Gin.” replied Sir Apollo.
“At the moment Ethan and Cain are together with him. They are still calming him down. Gin has never lost control. Never. A lot of worse things had happened before, way worse than this but he didn't care. That's until you came.”
So I’m ruining everything, huh? Fuck this!
“Less than two weeks― that's how short the days left before the Linus Cup. I need you all to keep your focus on the game. The thing between you and Gin— it needs to be set aside.”
For the first time, I saw the emotions in his eyes. Emotions that Sir Apollo had long hidden away―pain and resentment.
“You know what’s more deadly than physical pain?"
"It’s emotional torture.” He answered his question without waiting for my reply.
Sir Apollo left after our conversation. The party has still continued in the Hall so he needed to go back, too. They made a cover-up for what happened. It was said that it's just an ordinary fight between the brothers that incidentally involved a member of the group— me.
It was almost midnight when Priam returned to the Hall and said that what happened earlier was his fault. He blamed his pride as the cause and apologized especially to the old guests. He made his way out easily since everyone has thought that he was such an endearing and charming person. I say, swine.
The party ended well. Almost as if everyone already forgot what happened. But I know that there were still some who did not bite the excuse cover-up. Still, if they really didn't believe; they didn't utter a word about it. One thing sure was in their mind— that's to use this information slyly in the coming Cup.
I woke up the next day feeling numb. I only lay in the soft bed and looked at the ceiling without any expressions on my face. It's like all of my care flew somewhere and were not coming back. All that's left was a numb and unconcerned Shia. Though, I still prepared for the day. On my way, I saw the cake on the table. I threw it into the trash bin.
I went down towards the Breakfast Hall. It's the same as usual; the other students were unaware of what happened to the party last night. I sat with Luna at the group's table. The others were still not around.
“Priam has left.” That’s how she greeted me. “He returned to his job in the normal world.”
I just hope he will never come back. “Is that so.” We both watched the Hall that's starting to be packed with students.
“He took the blame for last night.” Said Luna.
She turned to me. “There’s something he wanted to say—” Luna paused when she noticed my expression.
She cleared her throat gently. “He said he’s not sorry. He did every one of us a favor.”
I almost laughed aloud at that. I wanted to hit the table with my mixed annoyance and amusement of that beast. I understood if he's not sorry; the word 'sorry' wasn't in his vocabulary. But a favor? That’s bullshit! What he did was not a favor but a big messed-up problem.
“He said he gave both of you, his brother and you, a warning.” Luna continued. I noticed the confusion on her face as though she didn't get what Priam wanted to convey.
“He said, we can adjust better if we find out the truth before the start―while we're still here. We do not have much time to strategize in the game let alone fight an internal battle. It's better to realize things here than in the Cup. Because,” Luna swallowed. “It would be such a dangerous realization in the midst of the Game.”
Luna examined me closely. She seemed to wanna say something but hesitated.
“Shia, is there something else we need to know about what happened?” In the end she asked me in a voice of concern and confusion.
“I know Gin. He is very protective when it comes to his members, but Shia, what happened—”
“It’s nothing,” I cut her statement.
They don't need to know everything. They don't even need to concern themselves on this matter. It was better for them to think it was all a mistaken opportunity that pushed me between Gin's and Priam's fight.
Luna’s eyes wouldn't leave me. Though as if she knew something, she decided to keep it. She gave me the space I needed. She just reached my hand and gently squeezed it.
A moment later, I saw Cain entered the Breakfast Hall. Then almost as if they're together, Victoria, Ethan, and Gin followed in. It still looked like a coincidence, though.
Gin’s eyes met mine.
He didn't expect me to come this early after the events last night. I intended to retract my eyes away but I became irresolute when I saw his face brightened and seemed to relax when he found me looking okay.
I need to avoid you, Gin.
Stop making it unbearable.
(ED: Can anyone please tell me why she had to react that way when Sir Apollo said that Gin likes her? 'Em confused! I need a love doctor…)