I'm almost done with shoving my assignments out of the way, so I was able to write up the next chapter for Shine! :D
Anyway, big thanks to those who faved, followed and reviewed! 8D
Mighty Agamemnon: Yeah, poor Toni's feeling the pressure. :( don't worry! He definitely gets better and adjusts himself to it, though! :D yeah, I took your words to heart, and have definitely incorporated them to by writing now. ;3 thank you very much! :D
0- Jougen Knight -0: Ehehehehe...*sweat drops because Fahrenheit IS the inspiration* yeah, Antonio's really starting to become pressured, but he's gonna get through his studying problems! :D don't worry, it'll still be Spain x Nyo!Vietnam by the end, but for now they're still developing. XD
Guest: I see another person has caught me. XD
Guest: Thank you very much! :D your English isn't bad, don't worry - I can definitely understand you. :)
Olympus' Blessing: I'll answer both of your reviews here. I like the name I picked for Romania personally. The latter about Quan speaking Mandarin was already answered in a message I gave you: it's because Mei wouldn't understand Vietnamese, and that saying so, Quan isn't fully fluent with Mandarin like French; he just knows enough to get by.
[Music Recommedation/s:
- Riot Rhythm by Sleigh Bells
- Flask Boy by Ken Nakagawa and Daisuke Achiwa]
Enjoy~! :D
It was time for his study period, and for Quan, that meant only one thing, really.
Briskly stepping through a corridor and sidestepping past a couple of students, he curved swiftly around a corner before finally stopping in front of two giant doors that seemed to be made out of stained glass. The smooth surface glinting slightly from the sun's rays bouncing on it.
Straightening his posture, he smoothed out his shirt when he detected that there were some wrinkles on the front. Gazing slightly at his reflection from the door's glass, his nose twitched upon seeing that his hair looked a bit uneven on part of the side. Swiping his spindly fingers on some of his bangs, he quickly tried to fix it as best as he could, however that just resulted in more of his dark strands to go askew, and his hair now looked a bit messy.
Quan couldn't help but give a groan to himself, 'So ironic…I'm supposed to be a stylist, yet I can't even properly style myself.'
Nonetheless, after taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open quietly and peered around carefully – golden orbs scanning around until they stopped at a part on the second level.
There, sitting at one of the oaken desks with a book in her hand, Rosaliese Edelstein sat.
Heart suddenly skipping a beat, Quan felt himself try and stand taller as he then made his way up the stairs towards her. She seemed rather engrossed with her book, which was revealed to be a sort of text of fashion from the earlier Victorian era.
For that, the Vietnamese stylist couldn't help but feel that smiling nudge twitch at his thin lips. That was totally the type of book one would expect her to read.
Feeling his stomach turning slightly, he cleared his throat to try and gain her attention.
Upon hearing that sound, the young lady in purple simply shut her eyes before a very tiny smile spread out on her lips. She nodded, "I was wondering how much longer it would take until you would accompany me with your presence."
Though Quan heard some whispered words about how strange her manner of speech was, he cared naught for them in the slightest. He found her sophisticated mannerisms quite charming actually. Just because those people were dumber than posts, they felt the need to poke fun at those who had proper grammar and etiquette. Regardless, he responded in a quiet yet pleasant tone, "I am here now. And quite happy to spend time with the lady."
She couldn't help but give a little chuckle; he was usually a shy young man, however he was certainly raised correctly. How properly he responded, and the tone was polite, yet not condescending or sarcastic. Opening her eyes, a pair of amethyst hues simply shone at him expectantly, "Delight me with you company."
Quan sat on the seat across from her, "If that's what you wish."
She placed a lavender bookmark with a frilly, white tassel at the assigned page before shutting the book and leaving it at her elbow. Then she straightened her posture a bit before beginning their daily conduct, "So, how was your practical?"
"The typical, really," replied Quan. "I've just been sketching designs in preparation for the first assessment."
"So I've heard," mused Rosaliese. "Another thing that I've heard of is that it is a collaborative project. Is that true?"
"To be honest…I'm not sure," admitted the golden-eyed Asian as he shrugged one shoulder. "Mr Feliks is being quite vague about it."
"Hmm…" Rosaliese tutted as she tapped her finger on the table. "As of my own practical head and tutor…"
"All will be revealed once it becomes prominent, I'd think."
"I agree with your notion."
What the two of them didn't notice was that a certain trio were sitting not so far away from them. The bell had rung – signalling that it was time for them to go to their next class, however Gilbert simply kicked back in his seat before shutting his eyes while Francis packed at a more leisurely pace. Antonio meanwhile was scribbling quick notes in his book as his emerald eyes scanned through the pages of his textbook.
It wasn't until Francis had slung his bag over his shoulder when he turned his head to see two certain stylists – one a boy, one a girl – sitting across from each other and immersed in what appeared to be a deep conversation. "Antoine," Francis tapped the Spaniard on the shoulder.
"¿Sí?" the brunette idol looked up, his attention suddenly caught. "What is it, Francis?"
"Isn't that your stylist over there?" he pointed at the chatting Asian and Germanic. "And if I am not mistaken, Gilbert, that is your stylist as well."
"Eh?" the Prussian idol cracked his eyes open and blinked in surprise at seeing the two stylists talk. He snorted before rolling his eyes, "Well, I'm not that surprised. She's uptight as fuck, and he's a hard-ass."
"Gil!" Antonio scolded. "Quan's not a hard-ass! He just needs some time to adjust to you, that's all."
"Whatever you say, Toni," the silver-haired student grumbled. "But to me, he's still a hard-ass."
Francis rolled his eyes, however he tapped his stubbled chin, looking greatly interested, "Ahh, but they would make a rather interesting couple, do you not think so? Mademoiselle Rosaliese Edelstein with monsieur Quan Nguyen…a rather enticing combination, I would say!"
"Enticing?" Antonio tilted his head, though he looked a bit unsure. "I don't know about that…" for some reason, watching his Asian stylist converse so easily and smoothly with the Austrian girl in purple made Antonio highly uncomfortable.
It had been four days since that first time that Antonio had seen Quan and Rosaliese interact together, and, much to his shock, they continued to meet up with one another. It was usually at the library, but whenever lunch came around, the Spaniard noticed that one would save the other a seat, and the two seemed more interested in conversing amongst themselves, and joining in on the conversation of the others once prompted.
Already, Dracul and Alfred enjoyed bestowing the lovey-dovey, teasing title drops on the two. 'Sweethearts', 'lovebirds' and once Dracul had even addressed Rosaliese and Quan with 'Mr and Mrs'. Gilbert had even bluntly told the two to "just go make out and get a room already!" Of course, the Austrian student and Vietnamese boy promptly ignored his crowing. Francis, Karina, Mitchell and Emil found the ordeal quite amusing, cute or a mixture of both, as they giggled and chuckled – agreeing that the pair looked quite cute together, and they would work well if they went out. Rosaliese and Quan both either didn't seem to care, or didn't seem to mind the teasing and just went on with their business – sometimes it even appeared as if they were in their own little world with each other.
He didn't know what it was, but it made Antonio uneasy whenever he saw the two of them talk together. Maybe it was because Quan seemed more relaxed and obviously happier around someone who he wasn't really working with? Maybe it was because of how there was a rather excited little spark that flashed in his golden eyes whenever Rosaliese was concerned, and maybe it also had to do with how more perked up and interested she became whenever Quan himself was concerned. Even Quan himself seemed eager and keen when the lady in violet was the subject. But whatever it was, Antonio didn't like the feeling that was making him inwardly squirm in discomfort. Noticeably, Antonio saw that it wasn't just him who seemed to mind upon hearing that; he noticed Madeleine looked highly uncomfortable.
The Canadian composer shuffled every so often in her spot, and her violet-blue eyes would dart at something else whenever Dracul or Alfred would go into their normal bout of teasing Quan and Rosaliese. She didn't ever join in on the teasing or laughing though, and Antonio could see that Quan greatly appreciated that. It was a rather clearly long amount of time that passed by, but still Antonio found it disappointing that though Quan didn't reject his presence and seemed more used to him, he didn't really treat him in the same manner as he did with Madeleine. Not at all…
"Antoine!"
"Earth to Toni! Hey!"
The Spaniard shook his head after blinking a couple of times, "¿Qué? What's up?"
"Are you alright, mon ami?" Francis questioned in worry. "Perhaps you are becoming overworked from the books?"
"There's something Francy-pants and I can definitely agree on!" declared Gilbert as he grabbed hold of the Spaniard's book. "We've stayed cooped up in here for too damn long! Let's go out and explore a bit more! I wanna just lay on the grass!"
"Eh? But come on, mis amigos!" Antonio protested as he tugged back on his textbook. "Don't you think we should be studying?"
"You can always do that in your bedroom at home, Toni."
"But-"
"Is it because you want to spy on the two lovebirds?" the Frenchman chuckled. "I definitely wouldn't blame you! Right about now, I expect monsieur Quan to just come in on three…two…" hearing the library doors swing open with a creak, the blonde winked, "Magnifique! He is here!"
Sure enough, Rosaliese's amethyst eyes darted up as soon as the Vietnamese stylist student walked in and took his spot across from her. Straight away, he placed his bag right beside him while the Austrian girl closed her book. The two then engaged in what seemed to be a sort of deep conversation. Just like always.
"They're certainly looking close, don't they?" Francis beamed. "How adorable!"
Gilbert shrugged, "Meh."
"It's not even a month yet, though," spoke up Antonio. "And they're already going to jump into a relationship?"
"Well, why not?" questioned Francis as he arched an eyebrow at his brunette friend. "Love isn't about plans all the time! Sometimes it is spontaneous! And if they really like each other, than why shouldn't they take the next step?"
"Does Quan even like Rosaliese that way?" wondered Antonio. "Does she even like him that way?"
"It kinda looks obvious from here, Toni," Gilbert remarked as he gestured his head in direction to the pair of stylist students. "Look at how they're suddenly happy and shit – hell, princess over there is smiling with Mr Stick-in-the-Ass! There's definitely something going on, that's for sure…" leaning forward, he blew some stray bangs from out of his crimson eyes, "Anyway, enough about princess and her unawesome romance! The first collaborative assignment is gonna be announced on Friday, and honestly, the awesome me doesn't intend on failing!"
"Right!" Antonio's once concerned expression morphed to a more determined one as he fixed his eyes onto his textbook, reading some more about how to conduct one's self, as well as proper breathing techniques.
However, hearing the prim-like, girly giggle made him snap his head up for a moment to see that Rosaliese was covering at her mouth; her shoulders shaking slightly with laughter while Quan seemed rather satisfied with something.
And much to Antonio's own shock; Quan was smiling. Though it was quite small, there was a tiny one where the corners of his thin lips had gone upwards.
'What does she do that can make him smile?' Antonio couldn't help but wonder. 'I wonder if I can make have him smile like that while we talk and hang out together with Madeleine someday?'
Though Antonio really wasn't as worried as he was before when he used to panic like a headless chicken when it came to studies, news of the first collaborative assignment however was truly making everyone else around him nervous and edgy. The Spaniard wasn't that concerned – he made sure to study during his free periods, and back in his bedroom on the comfort of his bed and fluffy pillow, and though there was a lot to go on, he was soon getting used to the amounts of text that he had to absorb in his brain. And unsurprisingly, he was already starting to write up a schedule on what to study and when – two hours on E.C.A., and two more on Musical Theory. Then he'd usually take a break either by having a snack, taking a siesta or strumming on his guitar for a bit. And then he'd go back to studying for another two hours on each subject as they had a lot of things to expand on. Finally it would be bedtime, and he would collapse in a heap.
Francis didn't seem so disturbed, though he did display concerns on what the assignment was going to be as it was pretty major. Not as huge as the first major assessment, but the assignment was still a big deal apparently. The blonde idol student had expressed his concerns every so often, but Gilbert always blew them off, much to his displeasure.
Gilbert on the other hand didn't seem to care or worry at all. He would just lazily lounge on the seat and spit paper balls in the direction of some students, while just sleep on his books on another. However, he definitely wasn't incapable of studying – whenever Antonio appeared to have a problem with something, surprisingly, it was Gilbert who helped out by correcting his mistake. Even Francis seemed bewildered by that. The Prussian idol simply cackled, "It's because I'm awesome, that's why!"
The stylist students seemed both nervous and excited, though to varying degrees. Dracul was obviously more excited than nervous, and he voiced his opinion of not being able to wait to see what it was. Eduard however was on the other side of the scale, being more nervous – noticeably he began to stammer and sweat more profusely as he continued with his studies. Rosaliese didn't seem to pay much heed to it, and simply expressed interest as to what the assignment was going to be, but nothing more than that. Quan himself didn't seem particularly edgy about it, either, though Antonio knew that the golden-eyed Asian was pretty smart and organized: the Spaniard felt that the Vietnamese boy shouldn't have to worry.
With the composers, Alfred was just like Dracul – he was excited, and couldn't wait to show what he could do, if not worse than the Romanian student, because the American just couldn't sit still or stop talking about it. Emil and Madeleine both seemed rather nervous, yet it was evident on their faces that they were quite excited, too. Karina though…the poor Latvian girl looked like she was about to faint at any second. Just mentioning the words 'assignment' or 'assessment made her face blanch instantaneously.
Unsurprisingly, Antonio stayed behind in the library as the day for the announcement as to what the first collaborative assignment was going to be was drawing closer and closer. Becoming an idol was his dream, and he was determined not to drop out or flunk in anything. Even when Gilbert and Francis wanted to go out having become tired of getting cooped up in the library for a bit longer than what they wanted, the Spaniard declined their offer of going to the cafeteria and have an extra bite to eat or just lay out on the grass.
As he sat and flipped to the next page of yet another one of his thick musical theory textbooks, he looked up to see that yet again, Quan and Rosaliese were engaged in their deep conversations. 'As usual,' the green-eyed brunette thought to himself. Noticing that the area around him seem a bit empty, he couldn't help but give a sigh, 'Wow…the space is actually pretty big with just me here…'
"What's with that stupid expression?"
Antonio almost leapt out of his seat when he heard that voice speak up so suddenly. It was blunt in tone, and quite deep in pitch – even deeper than Francis and Quan, and that was saying something. Looking up, he was shocked when his eyes caught on the tall figure just looming over him.
The tall figure had quite a muscular build. His dirty blonde hair consisted of sideburns as well as an arrangement or spikes that naturally appeared limp. His pale green eyes glared down at the Spaniard as his brows knotted together in a rather tight scowl. He was wearing a tanned jacket with two pockets at the chest, a dark blue shirt, black pants, and a long, blue and white striped scarf. Though this spiky-headed blonde bore an expression that would scare the ever living daylights out of most people, or at least warn them to stay away, that didn't come off to Antonio.
No, instead, a huge grin spread out on the tanned boy's face as he exclaimed, "Lars! Oh, mi amigo, how've you been doing?! I haven't seen you for so, so long~!"
And with that, he literally jumped up and gave the taller student a big hug.
Lars however didn't seem at all happy upon being hugged right out in the open, so for that, he mercilessly shoved the Spaniard off of him while grumbling, "Get off." His right eye gave a little twitch.
"Lars, come on!" Antonio gave a pout. "I haven't seen you for so long! Remember? We were friends back in primary school!"
The spiky-headed blonde snorted, "Were we? I don't ever recall that."
"Awww, Lars-"
"Anyway, what the hell is with that face of yours? Seriously, you look like someone kicked your puppy or something."
Antonio blinked, however he couldn't help the beam that spread out across his face again, "Ahh, well…I'm just a bit lonely that's all. You see, Gil and Francis left already because they didn't want to stay any longer in here. But I can't help it! I wanna study hard and ace that first assignment!"
Lars arched an eyebrow, "You, study? Two words I never expected to have together in a sentence…"
"That's mean!" Antonio pouted yet again, which caused Lars to snort. However, as soon as he said that, his viridian eyes suddenly glowed, "Wait! You're an idol student here, too, right, Lars?"
"What do you think?"
"Study with me!" with that, the Spaniard patted the spot next to him. "Let's study and ace the assignment together!"
"You should be studying with your stylist and composer," Lars responded tonelessly, looking totally unamused. "After all, this thing is a collaborative assignment. And from what I hear, a lot of these will pop up this year."
'Where is everyone getting this information about the assignment?!' Antonio wondered to himself. "But still, we're both idol students! It'll help since we're both studying the same thing-"
"Not necessarily," stated Lars gruffly. "You could be studying about shitty pop, and I can be studying about rock or ballads. You can be studying about how to cope with fan girls and staying in shape, while I study more on how to deal with stress and money. Don't say that we're studying the same thing."
'He's even colder than Quan,' Antonio thought to himself miserably, the smile now disappearing from his space. 'What happened to you, Lars? You were really shy and sweet back then, and now you're so mean…'
That expression, though.
Though Lars wanted to leave at that very moment since he got his book, his frown deepened upon that look on the Spaniard's once bright and optimistic face. 'So pitiful,' he scoffed inwardly. Too pitiful almost; Antonio looked like an eager puppy that was just either badly kicked or angrily reprimanded by its owner. Maybe it was because of how Antonio's bottom lip was sticking out, maybe it was because of how the Spaniard fell back, maybe it was because of how his tone trailed off when he was usually so bubbly. However, it wouldn't hurt to study just a little bit. If anything, the spiky-headed blonde didn't want that ugly face aimed at him anymore. So for that, he snorted, "But, if it gets you to shut up and quit flashing that face of yours around like that then…maybe…maybe it wouldn't hurt to study for a bit…"
Upon hearing this, Antonio instantly brightened – it was like switching on a light. He chirped happily, "Muy bueno! Just like old times, huh?"
"Yeah sure, whatever…now what the hell do you want? There something you suck at?"
"Oh, sí! I think I'm beginning to understand this, but I there are still some bits that I'm confused on-"
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Hey!"
"Quan, is that your idol over there?" inquired Rosaliese as she nodded in direction of the babbling Spaniard and his rather annoyed looking blonde companion.
Quan craned his head around and became surprised upon what he was seeing since he never saw the spiky-headed blonde once on campus. However, now that he began to think more about it, a certain memory had popped right into his head. And it involved an Italian ranting about a guy who thought he was top notch to a Finnish composer. And then when Antonio had said that he knew the guy, said Italian veered far away from that. 'Ah, I get it,' the Vietnamese stylist raised his head a bit in understanding. 'He must be that guy. Hmm…his name…what was it again?'
"He has an accent on him, I notice," remarked Rosaliese as she rested her chin on her hand. "Sounds Dutch."
"Hmm…I suppose," Quan shrugged a shoulder; he was never that good with pinpointing accents. Turning his attention back onto his Austrian companion, he cleared his throat, "Now, where were we?"
"Oh, yes, that's right. I believe we were up to here…"
"Ms Williams and Mr Steilsson, what can I help you with?"
The composition lesson was already over, and everyone was already heading out as the day was almost ending. Mrs Kirkland was already fixing her items before getting approached by two of her students. Madeleine and Emil both looked nervous, however after exchanging a glance, they faced her again.
"Mrs Kirkland," spoke up Emil. "Could you…maybe possibly tell us about the first assignment?"
Here, the redheaded woman paused, "That's what you want to know about?"
"Y-yes," responded Madeleine as she pushed her glasses up on their perch. "Just an outline? It's really making a lot of people on edge, and we thought that knowing could help calm them down."
Mrs Kirkland arched an eyebrow before resuming her packing, "Well, it's an assignment that isn't as highly marked compared to your major collaborative assessments, however it is going to have a huge impact."
"An assignment that isn't marked highly, yet is really important," repeated Madeleine to herself quietly.
"Wonder what that is," contemplated Emil. He shook his head before pressing a bit further, "Could you please maybe tell us a bit more, Mrs Kirkland?"
Seeing and sensing that the two youngsters were going to be stubborn with their endeavours despite being two of the much quieter and well-behaved of her students, Mrs Kirkland however knew that telling them everything would just make the headmaster less than happy. However, who's to say that she couldn't give them a clue about it? "Think of it as…a starting point," the woman revealed after a moment's thought.
Emil and Madeleine looked at each other before peering at the redheaded teacher, "A starting point?"
"Precisely, a starting point," Mrs Kirkland seemed to enjoy being cryptic. Catching sight of them opening their mouths, she quickly spoke up, tutting, "I shall speak no more of it. You will find out very, very soon about what it is. Now, run along! Run along!"
"What was that?" Emil huffed, noticeably irritated as he and Madeleine left the classroom. "That was barely even helpful!"
Madeleine's gentle face had pulled down to a slight scowl as she began to ponder, "A starting point…I wonder…what did Mrs Kirkland even mean by that?"
And it seems that Mrs Kirkland loves to get people guessing. XD
Next Chapter: The day of the first collaborative assignment's announcement is finally here! Just what is it? And will our team be able to get through it? What problems will arise from it?
Tune in next time on Shine!
Peace out!
- Hebi-Kazechi-10
