Chapter 79
"You surprised us so much with your performance, Pershey," Iries said as they sat down.
“Yes, Pershey,” Leighden agreed.
"You're just good at singing," Iries added.
“True. Your voice sounds in-love. I feel like I can fall in love with the tenderness of your voice. Teach us how to achieve that kind of voice,” Leighden said and joked.
Pershey just smiled at their compliments on her.
"Your voice is really beautiful," Leighden added while patting Pershey's arm.
"Ouch," Pershey moaned.
"S-sorry." She rubbed her arm, and they both laughed.
They have 30 minutes to prepare the Q&A portion.
"You're keeping a secret, ah," Iries joked while laughing a little.
She rode at Iries's joke. "Of course." They both laughed. They laughed softly when they noticed that Leighden suddenly fell silent as if her mind was somewhere else.
They didn't immediately pay attention to Leighden because maybe she was just thinking about something.
They noticed Leighden was still the same.
Leighden sat to one side while they sat in front of the mirror. They look at Leighden in the mirror and she’s still the same. She is still an idiot. They feel she is deep in thought.
"What's wrong with her?" Iries asked in a whisper as she gently combed Pershey's hair.
"I don't know," Pershey replied. They kept their eyes on Leighden who was sitting in the corner and was stunned. Pershey stopped Iries from combing her hair.
When they could not bear it, they stood up and approached Leighden. Leighden didn't notice them because she was stunned. They sat down next to her.
"What's wrong?" Pershey asked. Leighden just shook her head and was still stunned.
“You were like that before. What is the problem?" Iries asked.
Even before Leighden could answer, Pershey spoke again.
"Tell us, so we can give you advice."
Leighden first thought about what had been said earlier. She took a deep breath.
She picked up her phone and showed them a picture. They were both shocked at the picture, while Leighden was sad.
In that picture, Neil and Draek are there. Draek has a hugging woman in the photo, that’s Cecil.
Her face frowned.
"It's Draek?" Pershey asked as she pointed at Draek in the picture.
Leighden replied frowning. "Yeah, that's him."
Iries pointed to the woman Draek was hugging in the picture.
She asked her as she pointed at the woman. "Who is this woman?"
She still frowned in response while not looking at the picture they were pointing at. "I do not know. Maybe her girlfriend. ”
Pershey refrained from laughing as her gaze fixed on her. Leighden's annoyed face couldn't be painted.
"Are you jealous? Is that why you are like that? ”
"No, Pershey," Leighden replied quickly.
"Ahh .... it's obvious," said Pershey.
Leighden defended. “No. I'm not jealous." She frowned and snorted. “Why should I be jealous? Is he my boyfriend? We don't have any. There is nothing between me and Draek,” she insisted.
Iries and Pershey looked at each other. They both held back a laugh.
"What are you fighting for?" Iries asked.
“I have the right. I have the right to say I am not jealous. ” Annoyance echoed in the tone of her voice.
"So why are you acting like that?" Pershey asked.
“Nothing, just my trip. Is it bad?"
Pershey was about to answer when she heard that the pageant was starting again. She immediately stood up. They also noticed that it was already starting, so they both stood up suddenly.
Pershey picked up the gown and headed to the fitting room. She changed as they, in turn, confusedly prepared Pershey's heels.
When Pershey came out she didn't care at all even though she would be caught at any time. They are in a hurry to act.
"Don't panic," she rebuked them. She felt that they were confused as they put on her heels.
"How not to be confused?" Iries asked.
"Look at me."
They looked at her. Pershey smiled at them.
"I can do it. No need to worry.”
“We believe in you. We know you can, Pershey.” Iries smiled.
"Fighting!" Leighden smiled as well.
She kept smiling until she could climb the stage.
While the host was asking questions to the candidates, Iries and Leighden went out for a while to get some air.
They were both walking outside but they were still inside the campus.
Unexpectedly, a runner approached them, so they were shocked and stopped walking.
"Finally, I saw you again," Fricks said excitedly to Iries.
Iries frowned slightly, saying, "I'm just at the backstage."
"We don't see each other anymore because you're there," Fricks said.
They continued walking while Leighden remained standing while looking up at the starry sky.
When Iries noticed that Leighden was gone, she turned around.
She called Leighden.
"Hey, Leighden!"
Leighden looked at her with her face calm and clear.
"Come here," she ordered. Leighden nodded and smiled. "Come here," she ordered again but Leighden shook her head again.
“Let her go. Draek is coming,” said Fricks. Iries just returned Leighden's smile to her.
There are many scattered stars in the sky but no moon.
Leighden remained standing as she looked up and gazed at the brilliant stars. She took a deep breath.
She didn’t realize Draek was standing behind her. Her attention was focused on the dark sky that was given life by colorful and brilliant stars.
Draek smiled sweetly as he watched Leighden. He also looks up at the sky.
The stars twinkle and twinkle.
Leighden took another deep breath and forced a smile.
She was still unaware that Draek was standing behind her and had been watching her for a while.
"Heaven is beautiful, isn't it?" Draek asked softly and weakly as he looked up at the sky.
Leighden was shocked and startled to turn around to face him. They are too close to each other. Leighden blinked steadily as she looked at Draek. Draek's gaze was not on her but in the sky while the smile was still on his lips.
She was speechless because she did not expect Draek.
Draek slowly lowered his gaze to Leighden. His face was even brighter and he was smiling.
Leighden soon replied. "Y-yeah." She was still blinking as if she had seen an angel come down from heaven.
Draek smiled sweeter. The wind seemed to blow Leighden's mind. Her eyes blinked steadily.
When she realized what she was doing, she said again, "Yes, that's good." Then she looked up.
Then Draek looked down at her again and said softly, "You're even more beautiful than the stars tonight."
Because of what he said, Leighden slowly lowered her gaze to him. They were both looking at each other.
They didn't notice that Iries and Fricks had been watching them before. There and flying Iries mind as butterflies fill the inside of her stomach.
Fricks tapped her lightly on the arm to rebuke her for making her grin. Iries frowned at what he had done.
She smiled broadly again as she looked back at Leighden and Draek.
She asked, “Are they going to kiss?” She covered her mouth because of what she was thinking.
"Stop smiling like that, Iries," Fricks scolded. Iries just ignored him.
Meanwhile, Draek and Leighden are still in the same situation.
They face each other and are so close to each other that if you think about it, they will still kiss.
"What did you say?" Leighden asked him.
Draek smiled before he spoke, “You are more beautiful than the stars tonight.”
Leighden's mouth was shut again as Draek repeated what he had said earlier.
Draek took a step closer as they were closer to each other. They both stare at each other.
After a while, Leighden thought back to what she had seen before, so she stepped back and looked down.
She looked back at Draek as she stepped back. She turned around and took a deep breath.
She caught the eye of Iries and Fricks staring at them. She ignored them and left abruptly.
Draek followed her. Draek was suddenly surprised by Leighden's sudden departure. He feels Leighden is avoiding him.
Leighden walked quickly as if the stalker was following her. Draek still followed her.
"Wait!"
Leighden neither looked at her nor ignored her. She kept walking and he also kept following Leighden where she was going.
"Just wait, Leighden!"
She kept walking and ignored Draek.
"Just wait! Why are you avoiding me, huh?! ”
He grabbed Leighden's arm, so Leighden stopped walking. She turned to him hiding her feelings and examined Draek.
“Are you avoiding me?”
She chucked weakly at the same time as she shook. She replied, "Why should I avoid you?" she let out a sarcastic laugh again.
“Why would you avoid me? Is there a reason for you to avoid me? ”
"Nothing," she replied sparingly and then turned around. She walked again.
Draek followed her again and think that Leighden might be avoiding him but he didn't know what the reason was.
"Hey!"
Leighden continued to walk as if she heard nothing.
"My lady!"
Leighden was still speechless.She looks like a deaf man who can't hear.
“My lady! My la— ”
"What is it, huh?!" Leighden asked madly as she confronted him.
They are in front of El Lavish Restaurant, outside the parking lot.
“Can you please stop calling me 'My Lady'?!” She felt irritated.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked in confusion.
"There is nothing wrong in me!"
“You are avoiding me. Why? ”
"Yes, you are right."
“But, why? Why are you avoiding me? ”
Annoyance flashed through her reaction. She was speechless because she did not know how to tell Draek the reason why.
"My lady," he called softly to her.
"I'm not your lady."
"What is your problem?"
“I don't have a problem!”
"Then why are you avoiding me?"
“You keep asking questions! You have so many questions!”
"It's hard to predict," he insisted. He doesn’t raise his voice unlike Leighden who raises her voice because of the annoyance and the feeling she has in her chest.
“Leave me first, Draek, please? I want to be alone."
"But I want to talk to you."
"We're talking, aren't we?"
“What is the real problem? Did I do something wrong? Is there something you don't like about me? Tell me.”
“I want ... to be alone. Please, let me be alone.”