Chapter: 21. The Fall of the Cold and Elegant Beautiful Girl
The night quietly descended.
The entire Star Academy was illuminated by gentle golden light, resembling a firefly floating on the sea.
Tonight’s freshman banquet would be held in the “Starlit Hall.”
Starlit Hall is a building located on the southwestern side of the main island of Star Academy. Its design concept mimics the stars in the night sky, featuring a half-arc streamlined exterior with silver-white walls embedded with star-like light sources, reminiscent of the Milky Way falling to the ground.
The corridor leading to the entrance was adorned with transparent crystal sculptures and fountains, with soft and dreamy lighting.
New students in various formal dresses gathered in small groups in the square, along with some upperclassmen.
The boys wore well-tailored suits and tuxedos, while the girls adorned the night in colorful evening gowns, with flowing veils and swirling hems.
The air was filled with a faint scent of perfume, along with the joyful conversations and laughter of the students.
…
Kanade leisurely moved along the edge of the crowd.
Dressed in a black formal suit, his shirt and trousers were tailored to be snug, outlining his tall and stern figure. His jacket was open, revealing a special dark silver badge of Star Academy on his chest—an invitation symbol representing his special status.
To avoid drawing too much attention, he deliberately walked in the shadows close to the hall’s wall, his face slightly lowered, using the interplay of light and shadow to conceal most of his features.
Even so, some passing girls couldn’t help but glance back, their eyes showing a hint of confusion and an undercurrent of attraction.
Seeing this, Kanade felt immensely grateful for having followed Juuroku’s advice.
“(If I get caught up by other girls… or boys before meeting a girl, tonight’s ‘date’ will be ruined, so Captain, remember not to let anyone discover you’re that man on your way to the freshman banquet.)”
Kanade had to admit that Juuroku’s words made a lot of sense, but—
“(Definitely, definitely don’t let anyone discover you’re that Tsukimi Kanade…)”
“Why does it sound like I’m a wanted criminal?!” Kanade whispered, unable to help but complain to the other end of the headset.
“(No choice, after all, you’re a big celebrity~)”
“(And from the girls’ perspective, just imagine—she’s been busy since noon, prettifying herself just to earn your compliment when you meet… only to find you surrounded by a bunch of girls blabbering away…)”
“(Although boys don’t need to spend as much time on appearances as girls in such social settings, we do have the obligation to provide some emotional value to the girls who’ve put in hard work to look beautiful.)”
“(Especially in the first moment they meet, their reaction can let the other feel— all the effort they put in today wasn’t in vain. That’s the responsibility of a gentleman.)”
“Alright, alright, thank you for your education and explanation…”
Kanade had no doubts about Juuroku’s expertise in this area.
However, through the headset, he could almost imagine that guy with his handsome, cheerful face, animatedly discussing these matters—still, the inner Kanade couldn’t help but feel a hint of resentment.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but think: if only he had known Juuroku earlier and learned these experiences from him, perhaps he could have had a happier time with that black-haired girl back then?
Just as Kanade shook his head lightly, trying to dispel these thoughts—
A series of sharp, short gasps suddenly erupted from the front of the crowd.
Kanade’s brow furrowed slightly, his footsteps pausing just a bit.
He subconsciously thought he had been exposed due to a moment of relaxation.
“(What happened? Captain, are you game over? It sounds like not just girls but a lot of boys too… surely, Captain, you are still quite popular among many boys—)”
“No, wait, it doesn’t seem to be because of me—what do you mean by ‘my type’? Please don’t categorize me in that world.”
Kanade’s reaction was incredibly swift; in less than half a second, he noticed that the excited and screaming gazes were not directed at him.
Curiously, he moved closer to the direction of the crowd and followed their gazes—
In front of the entrance of the Starlit Hall, a slender and striking figure stood silently.
The girl wore a mature and sexy black strapless gown, the neckline daringly low, boldly exposing her upper body, the smooth fabric clinging to her stunning curves. The black fabric contrasted beautifully against her snow-white skin, producing a heart-racing visual effect as the sheer gauze extending from her chest gently wrapped around her arms like moonlight, softly swaying with her breathing.
The design of the gown, short in the front and long in the back, perfectly accentuated her slender waist and figure, with long legs subtly visible beneath the skirt, while the gentle fabric highlighted the rounded contours of her hips.
The entire dress sparkled with tiny silver lights, resembling falling stars, swaying gently in the breeze as if the night sky flowed upon her.
Even Kanade, upon seeing this scene, found himself momentarily stunned.
And through the headset, Juuroku was completely mesmerized.
Especially that girl’s long, raven-black hair pulled into a neat ponytail, fastened with a hair tie adorned with silver stars. The smooth, satin-like hair cascaded down her snowy back, dancing lightly with the sea breeze, adding a touch of softness to her cold, stunning beauty, perfectly balancing purity and cool elegance.
“(Wow—)” Juuroku couldn’t help but whistle from the other end of the phone, representing his surrender in the face of the girl’s beauty—he was a complete fan of ponytails.
“(Honestly, I want to throw in the towel right now—I’m so envious, envious, envious, and it’s so important I have to say it three times~)”
“Hey—”
Just as Kanade and Juuroku were bickering on the call, he noticed that around the black-haired girl, a few well-dressed boys had clustered together at some point.
From their demeanor, it was clear that some were evidently new students, while others were more mature upperclassmen. Although these people didn’t know each other, at this moment, they were clearly captivated by the girl’s unparalleled beauty, each displaying unhidden ardent gazes, some shyly and some confidently striking up conversations with her.
“Speaking of which, if I get approached by someone before I meet her, wouldn’t that be an impolite and irresponsible act—” Kanade curiously asked: “Now that she’s surrounded by so many people trying to approach her, can I show her some attitude?”
“(…As expected of the Captain, you always manage to say something that shocks my brain and perception.)”
Juuroku couldn’t help but exclaim in response.
“(Well, I can’t say I don’t understand what you’re trying to say, provided she’s your girlfriend, fiancée, or wife—but let’s be clear, our current identities are no different from those surrounding flies.)”
“…I suddenly feel like I’ve been scolded.”
“(And don’t underestimate this girl.)”
“What do you mean?”
“(Look, those who just now surrounded you like beasts have all been cleverly handled by her, neither angering others nor letting them stay too long—)”
Hearing this, Kanade indeed saw that the few boys had awkwardly frozen in place, as if their attempts at approaching the black-haired girl were blocked by a barrier that was elegant, clean, and nearly flawless, causing them to disperse momentarily.
This made Kanade exclaim: “As expected, Juuroku, you’re quite unhappy with my current situation? Why emphasize that I’m the same as them????”
“(Anyway! Captain, you need to be mentally prepared; this girl isn’t easy when it comes to this, and what follows may be a tough battle…)” Juuroku diverted the topic while lowering his voice to create a tense atmosphere.
Kanade looked at the time; there was still half an hour before the agreed time.
He thought he had gotten there early enough, but it turned out she had arrived even earlier.
Could this be the social warfare Juuroku mentioned? If so, she truly had the upper hand in a certain sense.
With the girl waiting for him in that gorgeous and exquisite gown in the night breeze, while also fending off the advances of other boys—having not even met yet, Kanade could feel himself at a disadvantage.
Nevertheless, Kanade steeled himself, adjusted the cufflinks in his hand, and stealthily made his way toward her through the shadow.
Tonight’s battle was officially beginning—
…
…
“Sorry for being late.”
Kanade stepped out from the cover of shadows and stood before the black-haired girl.
According to Juuroku’s instructions, he tried to keep his first sentence to her calm and composed, without any hint of flattery or servility, merely stating the facts.
Only in this way could he avoid being led by her presence, remaining in a passive position all night.
Both Kanade and Juuroku were highly alert.
In such an occasion, the first impression left during their first words after meeting was extremely crucial.
Juuroku even outlined several possible reactions she might have, preparing corresponding responses for each.
Accepting his loss in the first battle, Juuroku nevertheless wouldn’t simply give in.
At least, he aimed to help Kanade recover from the initial disadvantage and bring them back to an equal footing.
However, Juuroku also realized how challenging this was; considering the way she had deftly handled those boys just now, and given that Kanade had just asked—“Now that she’s surrounded by so many people, can I show her attitude?”
Juuroku knew it was an 8:2, perhaps even a 9:1, opening.
However—
When she heard him, and slightly raised her head, her gaze was softer than that of the girl who had been gracefully handling those advances.
“N-no, I just arrived too…”
Her tone was light, giving a small animal-like cautious feeling.
“(High-level—!)” Juuroku couldn’t help but marveled, for her reaction completely exceeded all his expectations, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded.
The same was true for Kanade.
Everything Juuroku had just taught him, the whole set of prepared strategies—polite greetings, moderate distance, gradual probing, etc.—suddenly lost its purpose at this moment.
“Let me introduce myself first.” Kanade’s lips moved, speaking at a volume only Juuroku could hear.
“(Wait, wait, she certainly won’t be that simple; introducing yourself right now will only—)”
Before Juuroku could finish, Kanade introduced himself as usual:
“Hello, I am Tsukimi Kanade, from the Moon Academy. It’s an honor to be your dance partner.”
“I, I am… my name is—”
“Kamishiro Akane, right? A beautiful and lovely name, just like this dress, suits you perfectly.”
Kanade replied straightforwardly.
“(Idiot, interrupting her self-introduction at this moment—)”
“C-cute… meow~?”
“(…Meow, meow?????)”
Through the headset’s camera, Juuroku could clearly see that the once cold and elegant girl was now blushing all over her face—
“Shall we go?” Kanade slightly turned to the side, extending a hand in an inviting gesture.
“Y-yes~?”
“(…???????)” As an expert in emotions, Juuroku’s brain fell into unprecedented confusion.
Is this girl truly the same one who had just appeared as a frozen and cold queen?
Why, upon meeting Kanade, did she seem like a kitten longing for affection, her entire body, along with her tone, softening?
If it wasn’t an illusion…
He could even see the hint of a peach-shaped love heart sparkling in her bright, clear eyes???
“(Hey, Captain, your phone actually has some weird pattern that can hypnotize beautiful girls into falling for you, right?)”
This was the most reasonable explanation Juuroku could come up with.
