Chapter 11: Show No One Your Tears
“YOU sure have been spacing out an awful lot lately.”
“Huh?!” Oriana was so surprised by the remark that she jerked, sending flecks of ink flying. To her horror, it landed on the report in front of her and Vincent beside her, leaving tiny black splotches on his robe. All the color drained from her face in an instant. “Agh! I’m sorry!”
“Nothing to worry about. It only got on my robe. More importantly, you’re being too loud.”
“I am so, so sorry…”
Since they were sitting in the study hall, naturally the other students present glared at them. Miguel was seated across from them, and his shoulders were quietly trembling. With laughter, Oriana suspected. She snapped her mouth shut and turned back to her report.
Autumn was swiftly approaching before they even knew it. At Lagen Magic Academy, it wasn’t the season for fine arts or delicious cuisine so much as studying. Exams themselves were still a far way off, but it was necessary to plan in advance. At least, that was the excuse Oriana had employed so she could sit with Miguel and Vincent in the study hall and…well, study.
“Lost in thought?” Vincent asked in a hushed voice.
He’d clearly seen right through her inability to concentrate on her work. Oriana lifted her head, then lowered it again before finally mumbling, “Yeah.”
“What’s on your mind? Is it something I can help with?”
Oriana shook her head. “No…”
“That’s a shame. If there’s ever anything you think I might be able to help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Okay.”
“That said…” His eyes glanced down at her report. “That part right there is wrong.”
“Huh? Sorry, which part?”
“This…” Vincent leaned toward her, his shoulder coming close to hers as his finger reached toward her report. She caught a light whiff of his cedarwood scent and had to bite down on her lip.
It was a shame he was being so nice to offer his help, but she couldn’t rely on him even if she wanted to. After all, how could I? He was precisely what had been occupying her mind so much lately.
Ever since Oriana fell for Vincent, every tiny little interaction he had with her sent her over the moon. She’d even polished her skill of being able to spot him in a crowd. Her thoughts wandered to him during any spare moments she had during the day. Even as she spent her noon break with her classmates, she found herself searching for him. When she opened her schoolbooks, she’d wonder what subject he was studying right now, and when they did actually meet, she was way too self-conscious.
I want all of it to stop, but I can’t actually stop myself.
If only she possessed the strength to fight back against this ill-fated love. Or perhaps it would be better if she could ignore the fact that his heart belonged to someone else, then maybe she could convey her feelings, thereby making it easier on herself. Alas, if she actually did tell him, it would completely change who she was as a person. Or at least, it would change how he saw her. She would no longer be a friend but a female student who was in love with him. Oriana tried to tell herself, again and again, that that wasn’t the kind of friend he desired.
“Since we started studying together, my academic ranking has gone up,” Oriana said.
“Oh, has it?” Vincent lifted his face, lips breaking out into a smile. That expression was always so beautiful that it made Oriana grin as well.
“Ehehe, thanks for the help!”
“When you put your mind to it, you’re the type to spare no effort to accomplish your goals,” he said.
“R-Really? I am?”
“Yes. It’s a shame; you had the ability to make it to the Special Class if you so desired.”
“Ahaha, I think you’re overestimating my abilities.” Oriana chuckled, thinking he was joking.
Vincent, however, gazed back at her with profound tenderness. “You put in all that effort to memorize magic circles and to set up those dance lessons, remember? It’s your ability to do all those things that I respect so much.”
Oriana thought her jaw might drop all the way to the floor. The Vincent Tanzine had just told her he respected her. How many students had he spoken those words to before? Her whole body froze, all the heat concentrating in her cheeks, overwhelmed by the fact that the person she loved had just complimented and recognized her efforts directly.
There was an audible splat as her ink dripped and stained her report once again.