Hey guys... it's been a month since the last chapter. Such a long hiatus... I know.

There were many things happened last month, from my family events to my laptop's problems. Don't worry, I won't spell it out for it could probably fill the entire paragraphs in this story. Talking about story... why don't we go right into it now?

But before that... I want to thank dragonranger9811 for another favs and follows...

Happy reading...!


Lisa's POV

"What did you just say?! You want to take part in the Christmas Performance at my school...?!"

What is this all of a sudden? I have no idea what's going on here? Is this one of his tricks? Even though I came here thinking it would be my usual writing schedule, yet just a few minutes I sat on this couch to continue practicing... my mentor, Glu... he suddenly asked something weird to me.

"Yes... please...!"

His intention was so strong... I could say that just by looking at the frown between his eyebrows, and his sharp gaze looking at me...

"Again, you always do silly things... why do you want to be on such an event?" Mimi, who was standing behind him, naturally heard his sudden and nonsense request.

Well, yeah.. but somehow it feels pretty satisfying to see my enemy begging at me...

I then smiled and fulfilled his nonsense request, though I don't know his purpose yet,"Very well... you may perform along with me."

"Huh? Are you serious, Lisa? That's a big moment for you, you know?!" instead Mimi who was surprised to hear my statement just now, while Glu just stared at me without saying anything.

"Yeah, that's fine... I don't really know what's going on here, after all I'm still confused about what to perform. And I think it'll be intriguing if I have someone who come up to the stage with me." answered me, calmly.

Suddenly, "Thanks, Lisa... I didn't think you would allow me to perform along side with you." Glu suddenly said something that somehow made me a bit awkward.

But I'm a little curious about what makes him motivated to participate in such an event, "Why do you want to participate in this event?"

Glu was silent for a moment, maybe trying to simplify his complicated reasons. He then smiled and finally gave his answer, "I've got this horrible friend. And since she's feeling sorry for herself... I want to punch her in the face, just once..."

("I want him to realize my presence...")

And from that moment on... after hearing Glu's honest answers... I felt something would change...

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The next day... after the school hours ended at Sahyta Academy...

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'Alright, I have to hurry ...'

Dozens of books in front of me, both notebooks and thick reference books, I juts put them together at once in my medium-sized backpack. Either they will tidy themselves inside or not, I don't care... the thing is I must hurry.

The remaining two weeks before the storm came... the air had begun to cool my feathers but the first snowflake had not yet reached the ground, though I knew that December had arrived.

"Lisa...!"

I heard my two friends calling me from the school corridor... apparently Lucy and Icyre were waiting for me in the crowd of students who had just come out of their class. I wonder how they could get rid of their own mess so quickly...

"Today we want to try a cake shop that just opened last week. Do you want to come with us?" Lucy shouted while I was tidying up my books.

"No... I'll pass that." I replied in a hurry, then after finishing with my business, I immediately ran out of the classroom... passing my two friends who were amazed by my rush, "I have schedules to write today... sorry!" I shouted , not forgetting to tell them why I refused their friendly offer.

Running in the middle of the corridor filled with students was indeed no joke. There were some who almost hit me, and some who almost got hit by me... even a teacher too...

"Don't run in corridors, Miss Shivalry...!"

Shouted a teacher who almost get hit by me because he suddenly walked out of a class.

I stopped for a moment, and from a distance bowed apologetically, "I'm so sorry, sir... I have an important schedule today. I have to leave immediately." then jogged back to the exit.

A few minutes later...

When I opened the door at Mimi's home, the first thing I did was, "Hah... Hah... Hah..." took a breath, and took a moment to relax my exhausted body until Mimi and Glu looked at me, "I'm sorry... I'm a little late today." I told them, panting.

"Don't worry about it... in fact, you came earlier than usual." my mentor, Glu... smiled and went straight into the main discussion, "So have you written the first stanza?"

I nodded, walked into the room where I used to practice until nightfall... putting my backpack on the sofa, and searched for it.

'Damn... I was in too much of a hurry when I put the books in,' I thought, as my wings reached into my backpack but still hadn't found that piece of paper. After about thirty seconds of searching, I finally found it... a dull and wrinkled piece of paper...

"Here it is..." I handed over the paper which contained the first stanza I had written all night.

Glu then read it, I saw his eyes move from left to right... top to bottom... once in a while I saw him smile, and his eyes widened a little, 'Oh god... I hope he would like it...'

"I didn't know you were very good at writing a poem." he commented, "Your innocent and frank attitude is clearly seen here. Simple yet meaningful." he finally smiled at me. I thought my struggle last night wasn't in vain... Hyacinthum G slowly acknowledged my ability...

"I've written my part too." he then gave me a few sheets of paper, "There are about 27 to 30 stanzas that I wrote... and today we'll look for those that are more suitable with yours."

'Thirty stanzas?!' Of course I shouted in my head, while looking at thirty stanzas written by him, 'Thirty stanzas he said... and in just one day. He is really a literary bird... his words are complicated, there are even some that are unknown to me. Even though, the verses are very simple and have very deep meaning... he really is on a different level from me...'

Even so...

"Alright... let's do it! Today I will also write more stanzas!"

I won't give up on him... I shall continue to hone my skills, increase my vocabulary, and make every word I write reach him...

And just like that, the fight for two weeks... has begun...

"I think we should replace this part..."

"So am I... I think this word sounds too common."

"Maybe we should add some foreign words?"

"Is that okay? I'm afraid they won't understand it."

"That's the purpose of a poem, isn't it? Looks simple yet sounds complicated, moreover we're going to bring this poem with our voices. The right intonation to spell out this foreign word so that it can give goosebumps to those who hear."

Practicing, arguing and giving opinions... I learned so much from him. Day after day... I always come to this room and slowly we connect each word, sentence, verse and stanza that we make...

"Oh, I see? You know what, Glu... fortunately, I can be said to be an expert in a foreign language," smiling self-confident, I handed over my stanza that had been rewritten, "What do you think? "

"Ah, Lisa? It's too much..."

"Huh?"

"I feel like I'm reading completely foreign poem."

"We only need one foreign word in each verse. Don't write all the stanzas in a foreign language. People will certainly be confused."

"Ah... that's right. Dummy Lisa..." I immediately grabbed the paper, and rewrite it again, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

You dummy Lisa... this is basic knowledge, of course everyone also knows that...

"Don't think about it too much... we still have enough time, and thanks to the knowledge of your foreign words, we found some interesting words that we could add into the verses. Let's see... maybe we can add this in the middle, right?"

Five days have passed, and we're done making half of the entire poem that we will be performing. But maybe this development can be said to be too slow, considering we also need to memorize it and present it with the right tone, expression, voice texture and intonation.

"Ah... good morning, Lisa..."

Even in the morning, while waiting for the school bus, I was too focused on my little notebook I couldn't say a proper good morning to my friend.

I averted my eyes for a moment from this little book, "Oh... Lucy? Sorry... good morning too, ahaha..." laughing awkwardly due to being late for fifteen minutes to realize the whereabouts of my good friend.

"Don't think about it, it's fine. I don't want to bother the serious Lisa who is seriously writing."

Thank God because she is Lucy, she only smiles when responding to my late greetings.. but still...

"Ahaha..."

The situation is really awkward for me...

"If I may know, what are you writing?" asked the curious Lucy, peering into my little notebook.

"Oh... this... I'm just trying to match a few words."

"You wrote a poem?" her eyes sparkled, it seemed she was very interested in the small activities I was doing

"Yes... you may say that." I answered awkwardly.

"Don't tell me you will perform it on Christmas tomorrow..." yep, she's really into it.

"Unfortunately, I would tell you that..."

Luckily a moment later the school bus arrived, and I didn't have to go through that weird interview...

"That's good for you... I mean you're very genius at writing such a thing. Plus your face is charming, elegant, and cute..."

"Can you stop exaggerating me? The bus has arrived, you know..." I snapped, too awkward to hear her hyperbole.

But it seems like she doesn't bother it...

"You can certainly captivate many audiences tomorrow... and of course, I will always support you."

"Well... thanks..." I then moved from my seat, "Come on..."

Even when the lunch break is taking place...

"Lisa, let's go to the canteen...!"

If it wasn't the two of them who forced and dragged me from the classroom, maybe I would have spent my lunch breaks for writing and forgetting about the important food intake to maintain my body condition.

"Okay, I just need to finish one more verse...!" I yelled to Lucy who was waiting for me in front of the class.

Icyre suddenly approached me and dragged my wings which were still busy writing, as a result... I accidentally created a small scratch on the white sheet...

"Hey...! What are-" the intention to scold her was suppressed by Icyre who interrupted my frustration words.

"Lunch break doesn't last forever, you know!" she said, "You also have to pay attention to your body, not just your papers."

Inevitably... the two of them finally managed to get my butt out of class...

Then I intend to make up for this meal break by writing harder at Mimi's home, as well as bringing together and discussing some of the stanzas I have written with Glu...

"I think we need to add anaphora..."

"Anaphora? Oh right... we can make a quatrain anaphora using those foreign words...!"

"Good idea, Lisa... we'll use the stanza you first created as the anaphora."

"Okay, roger that...!"

And just like that... almost every night I always walk home with Glu. Although our house was quite far away and in the opposite location, but when walking home from Mimi's... we went in the same direction...

While eating crêperie together on the way home, we took the time to re-examine the script that we made...

"I think this verse must be changed in grammar, so that it sounds a little strange to the ears and will eventually attract the attention of the audience."

"I see..."

I just nodded at Glu's suggestion while munching on this crêperie until I realized that I was coming home a little late tonight...

"Oh, where have you been, Lisa? You come home late tonight," when I opened the door of my house, my brother, Alex, was the first to greet me, "We've been waiting for you."

"We?" I asked, confused because usually only my brother is at home every night. For some reason this time he used plural first person pronouns.

"Yes... Mother came to have dinner with us." he answered, but somehow he didn't look too happy though this was the first time we had dinner together in the last few months, "I hope the banquet is still warm."

That way, I walked down the hallway to the dining room that looked bright from this long path, when I arrived at the end...

"Mother?" I was astonished at a figure I hadn't seen for a long time at dinnertime, sitting at dining table, "It's not like you can go home this earlier." I then pulled out a chair and sat across from her, looking at each other.

"Father replaced her job, so she can go home early..." instead my brother who answered, then sat at the dining table between us, "For today..."

"Yes... it's true what was said by your brother..." my mother then confirmed what he said just now, "Besides, today I came to see the condition of you two and told you that we will come to Christmas event at your school."

Surprised and distrusted... that was the feeling that first arose in my heart. After so many competitions that my brother and I participated in, they couldn't even attend just to achieve their so-called deadlines... this time, mother said if she and my father would come to the biggest moment of my life?

As a result of my surprise, I could only stay silent...

"I heard you were going to perform a poem tomorrow, right?" my mother asked, and I just nodded, "That would be amazing," she then smiled, "We'll look forward to it..."

I know, right? I should feel happy because my parents will come to my big moment, and listen to the poem I made... but why... I feel something else instead... like fear?

Even a few days later, news of my performance at the Christmas event tomorrow had spread throughout the academy... all the teachers and students began to talk about it and look forward to my performance on stage...

"Miss Shivalry..." one of my teachers happened to meet me in the corridor after school hours ended, "I heard that you are going to perform your poem on the event tomorrow, am I right?"

"That's right, Mr. Hulgo." I replied, confirming the rumor.

"It's good to hear that..." Mr. Hulgo smiled at me, "I really hope for you. You have to give your best, okay... there are even many reporters who will come. They said they would welcome a talented princess. If you succeed, your future will be guaranteed."

What is this? What is this feeling? I initially only intended to make my brother acknowledge my existence, but why suddenly... everyone, everybody... was expecting something from me. Even Mr. Hulgo's footsteps that echoed along the corridor making my whole body tremble. As expected... this worry is fear... a fear of disappointing everyone...

Then, at Mimi's home... when Mimi and I were looking at a calendar to count down that big event...

"Four more days..." said Mimi, staring cheerfully at the calendar, "I didn't expect time to go this fast, eh...?"

'Four more days?' I whisper to myself, staring blankly at the calendar, 'For four more days I have to endure this feeling...'

("We look forward to your performance.")

("Everyone will come and see you. Therefore, you must give your best shot.")

("She relies mostly on her beautiful face.")

("Don't let us down.")

This is really strange... what happened to me who didn't realize that tears were on their way... running down my cheeks...

Mimi's POV

At a glance, I was sure if it was tears running down her left cheek... she unconsciously kept staring at the calendar while holding back feelings I didn't know...

"Lisa?!"

Until a moment later, she suddenly ran out of the room... somewhere. Maybe she realizes that tear and intends to hide it from me. After searching in every corner of the house, I finally found her in my little library... she sat in a corner of the room, between the bookshelves in the dark...

Seeing her sit while hiding her face in the darkness of the room, reminded me of the situation at that time... he who sat in the dark...

("Somebody help me...")

'I see... I have failed to become a mentor again eh...' I said to myself, staring at Lisa, who sat quietly in such a narrow place.

"You must have suffered a lot..." I whispered to Lisa, gently patting her little head.

"I don't understand... why...?" she answered, sobbing, "I wrote at first only to defeat Hyacinthum G and make my hero acknowledge my existence. But why... I feel so scared..."

No matter what... she's still a kid...

"You know what, Lisa..." I slowly tried to calm her down, whispering softly to her while continuing to pat her head, "Fear is a natural thing for anyone... you, me, Hyacinthum G and even your brother, Timans Noque... we all have felt fear. When the first book was published and saw it displayed in every bookstore and thought whether the book would be accepted by people or not... whether those words could reach them or not..."

Lisa seemed to listen to me... I saw her slowly lifted her head and looked at me with tears in her eyes...

"In your case, well..." I smiled, "It's so funny how five minutes on stage can determine your whole life... but believe it... believe if all this suffering, this sweat, and this blood... you will turn it all into an arrangement of beautiful words and sentences, so that you can realize how happy you are when those words reach them. Besides... a place for a writer is not there...!"

I couldn't help myself anymore... immediately pulled her out of that cramped place, then grabbed her firmly in my arms...

"That hurts, Mimi... I'm sorry..." she whined, struggling to escape from my arms. And at that moment, I relaxed my muscles and now really hugged her gently...

"Don't worry..." I whispered to her ear softly, "You are Hyacinthum G's pupil and you also have tried so hard... if anyone dares to speak ugly and insult you, I will come and beat them myself..."

After remained silent in my arms, she slowly began to hide her face to my chest and I could feel a warm sensation on it... she seemed to be also trying to get rid of all her fears in the form of tears... for some reason this sight was familiar to me...

As I thought...


Chapter 35 : Twilight


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she's just a kid...

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The next day...

Blu's POV

"Jewel... it is us..."

Gracie knocked on the door that already looked very familiar in my eyes, because almost every time we came home from school we always took the time to visit Jewel who was still sitting on the patient's bed. This time I wasn't afraid anymore, just lately I always wanted see her after that stupid thing she said a few weeks ago.

"Come in..."

We opened the door after hearing the response from inside ...

"Hi... how're you doing guys...?"

Indeed the IV tube was still attached to her wing, but fortunately... her smile returned to hers used to be after I had scolded her... I haven't felt this feeling for a long time.

Slowly we stepped into her room...

"We brought you cake..." Gracie showed her a box full of her favorite chocolate cake.

"Ah thanks... please if you don't mind putting it on the table."

"Okay..."

When I was about to step closer to her, Roberto had preceded me as usual, "Hey Jewel... listen, you certainly won't believe this."

"Oh, What is it?" Jewel reacted curiously.

"I got a B on today's exam...!"

"Oh... that's really amazing for someone who always gets a C on his exams..."

"I know, right? Ahaha..."

Well, I guess seeing her return to her usual self was enough for a substitute character like me...

After a few hours had passed, when the evening sky had revealed itself... we walked out of the hospital after chatting many "weird" things with the patient. I then stopped my steps and called Roberto...

"Robe ...?"

"Yep...?" Roberto also did the same thing to me, and turned to look at me.

"May I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Is this all right? I haven't told you what kind of favor I want though. "

"Don't worry... all the favors that my friend want will be granted." Roberto smiled sincerely to me, "Because we are best friends, right?"

Well, I can't do anything else but return his smile, "Thanks, Robe..." after all this is the only thing I can do for her...