Chapter 55:
After all the performance were over all the groups had to come back out on the stage.
"Coming to you live from the National Acrance Academy Culture Fair at NRC The SDC teams have all finished their performances. Let's have all our entrant step out on stage." The host said as everyone came out. The crowd cheered.
"The winning team is put up to a vote and everyone in the coliseum gets to cast a ballot. Which team did the best job of expressing the world contained in their song through singing, dancing and production? Every team put on an incredibly high level performance. So all of you choose which team you think shined the brightest. Use the QR codes you were given at the gate to vote on your smartphone." The host explained.
The entire coliseum filled with the sound of everyone voting for their favorites.
"We have a real time vote tabulation tool here brought to you by Olympos Inc doing their part to support all our students." The host said.
"There picked NRC and voted. My heart's pounding outta my chest." Epel whispered.
"Vil's was right when he said that it takes guts to vote for yourself. There were a ton of other really good schools." Deuce muttered.
"Yeah, and all of them put on fantastic shows, but I'm still voting for us." Kalim agreed.
"Absolutely. After all that hard training we deserve that prize money." Ace said.
"Someone's getting ahead of themselves. But we're definitely top contenders both performance wise and popularity wise vote with your head held high." Jamil stated
"Yes, we've exerted every bit of power we have. This time I'm going to be number one." Vil said whispering the last part.
"Thirty seconds until polls closes." The host informed the crowd. Everyone started to coutn down and then a buzzer rang out. "We're totaling the tallies now. And the results are in my goodness is this really possible? Would you believe the difference between first and second place is ONE vote!" The host exclaimed.
The crowd began to murmur in wonder.
"ONE vote difference! If we lose by one lousy vote I'm gonna riot." Grim whined.
Host: "These highly talented students have gathered here from all over the country. Each of them put on a performance that shone brighter than most radiant jewels. I wish I could give every team here a winning trophy but sadly I only have one to give out. Who takes home the honor of being the world's greatest in this years's SDC The winning school is….."The host rambled on.
'Just get on with it already, jeez!' Odette thought as she bite the tip of her thumb nail.
A drum roll began to play and the host shouted "The winner is Royal Sword Academy!"
The crowd began to cheer and clap.
"What a wholesome performance it was! The entire stand was drawn into a world of fairy tale fantasy. Second place goes to NRC. They lost out by just 1 vote but their vocals and moves were a tour de force." The host said turning to each group.
"Myah! No my tuna bonanza." Grim whined.
"Well there goes anymore upgrades to the dorm." Odette sighed.
"Let's have a big round of applause for all of our competing schools and their amazing performances." The host said making the crowd cheer and clap more. "Will the w0inning team please step forward?"
"O-oh my gosh really? We got the top spot?" Neige asked as he stopped forward anf the host handed him the trophy. "Thank you everyone." He smiled causing some screaming.
"Now let's have an encore performance from our winning team. Take it away Royal Sword Academy." The host announced.
Odette took this opportunity to wave the at the team to get them to come backstage again but they were dragging their feet.
"You're kidding." Deuce groaned.
"Just one vote." Ace echoed.
"It ain't fair." Epel sniffled.
"Now Epel don't cry. If you keep crying like that,... I'm gonna going to cry too." Kalim began to sniffle too as both became teary eyed.
"Kalim remember you're supposed to be the Asim family heir. Have some dignity. We don't need footage of you bawling your eyes out streaming live to the whole world." Jamil reminded Kalim as he patted his shoulder.
"But it burns aren't you upset about this Jamil?" Kalim hiccuped.
"Oh absolutely. I'm so upset. I'm beyond words or tears my mind is blank." Jamil admitted.
"You're still on stage. Stop this pitiful display at once. Stand tall and don't forget to give our rivals a sporting round of applause." Vil reminded them and did clap for Neige.
This made Odette try to get Rook's attention to try and bring everyone back stage quicker.
"You're taking this in stride Vil. Are you just used to this by now?" Jamil asked.
"Calm? Used to this? Heh Of course I'm not. I want to walk over and kick all those RSA boys right off the stage. Someone knock me out before I unleash a tirade of verbal abuse that will mince them to shreds. Why am I nothing more than to hex all the people who voted for them?" Vil growled as he looked at the dancing group.
Odette gave up and quickly came out of the shadows and started to herd her group backstage. "Okay I think that's enough stage time for us. Why not we start to pack up and head back to the dorm or go explore the rest of the culture festival?" Odette suggested.
"Oh fair Vil. Our Roi Du Poison. I must apologize for my choice has brought you much anguish. But I simply couldn't lie to myself." Rook confessed.
"Huh? What are you talking about Rook?" Vil asked.
"The one most deserving of your ire is moi." Rook informed them.
"What?" Everyone exclaimed.
"What? What do you mean? You're the one most deserving of my ire?" Vil asked raising both of his eyebrows in confusion.
"Well you see here…" Rook said as he handed Vil his phone.
"N-No…" Vil muttered as the color drained from his face.
"Whoa Vil, hold it together." Kalim exclaimed.
"Steady sir. Here hold on to my shoulder." Deuce said taking a step closet to Vil.
"What? What is it?" Odette asked trying to look at the phone.
"Are you nuts Rook sempai? Why did you vote for RSA?!" Ace snapped.
"I don't believe you. Why'd you do something so boneheaded?" Epel snarled.
"I told you I simply couldn't lie to myself. Neige's group believed in themselves and each other when they danced and sang. When I saw them up there they stuck me as powerful and as the fairest of all in that exact moment." Rook explained.
"This is just,… I can't." Vil muttered.
"Vil. Nobody should believe in your beauty more than you yourself. It's most becoming the way you maintain such rigid restraint while polishing yourself to triumph over your rival, but as long as you lack conviction, no amount of validation from the rest of the world will ever leave you fulfilled. Even if you wind up old emaciated grimy and stooped over. If you were to truly believe that you are the fairest of all despite that, even the magic mirror of legend wouldn't contest your claim. The strength and pride to believe in yourself is what marks the true fairest one of all. Roi Du Poison, Fair Vil. I implore you to believe in yourself more than anyone else. Beauty is always with you. At this exact moment you are the fairest one of all." Rook rambled on.
Vil began sniffle trying to hold back his tears.
"Vil!" Neige shouted as he jogged towards the group.
'Oh no not this guy again.' Odette thought as she took a small step towards Vil.
"Neige?" Vil sniffled as he tried to blink away his tears.
"Vil I've never seen you cry outside of an acting role before." Neige gasped.
"Well, you caught me at a bad time. Heh I'm always second to you." Vil laughed bitterly.
"Maybe that's what the number said, but you guys gave an amazing performance that nobody else could have pulled off. Sure I took first at the competition but your group is number 1 in the hearts of everyone who voted for you." Neige said.
"Neige." Vil muttered.
"So come on Vil don't cry." Neige smiled at him.
"Heh, the Roi Des Neiges is right. Your smile is far more becoming than your tears Vil. Here take my handkerchief." Rook said handing him a handkerchief.
"Thanks." Vil said taking it and dabbling at his eyes.
"Ah, you're the one who flagged me down before the opening time. Your name is Rook right?" Neige asked looking over at Rook.
"Oui, my apologizes for rushing you." Rook said.
"You're R aren't you? The one who comes to every single one of my meet and greets and writes me letters?" Neige asked looking surprised.
"What?!" Everyone in the group exclaimed.
"Meet and greets?" Vil asked looking just as surprised as Neige.
"Letters?" Epel asked.
"Ah! How did you know?" Rook asked.
"There's only one fan of mine who writes letters addressing me as a fancy name like Roi Des Neiges. It hit me when called me that earlier. I knew R buys each of my photos at fan events and composes poems to share their impressions of each picture. But I certainly wasn't excepting R to be a man. I was so surprised." Neige explained.
"What? Rook's a fan of Neige LeBlanche?" Deuce asked.
"Dude, if he's writing poems about every single photo the guy publishes? That's WAY down the hardcore fandom rabbit hole." Ace sighed.
"Wait a minute when you brought that heavy photo album with you to training camp. Was that entire album nothing but official photos of Neige LeBlanche?" Jamil gasped.
"What!" Most of the group exclaimed turning to Rook.
"Wow, if you're that big of a fan it must have be nice getting to meet him up close. You should ask him for a handshake." Kalim suggested
"A-ah! I suppose." Rook muttered.
"Rook's gone awfully quite, what's the matter?" Epel asked.
"Heh, feeling awkward are we?" Vil chuckled.
Rook began to sniffle.
"He's quietly weeping." Vil sighed.
"Roi Des Neige allow me to properly introduce myself, I'm Rook Hunt. Member #02 of the Neige LeBlanche fan club eternal snow." Rook introduced himself.
"You're in his fan club?" Deuce exclaimed.
"And you're in the single digit ID in it?" Ace asked.
"Your work has shone a light upon my life and allowed me to live with hope in my heart. It's such an honor to speak with you face to face thank you so much for everything today." Rook said still sniffling.
"You carry yourself so differently here than when you come to my meet and greets. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you sooner. Thank you for always supporting me." Neige smiled at him.
"I shall write you another letter to encapsulate my thoughts about your performance today." Rook professed.
"Heh when you do make sure to sign it as Rook not just your initials okay?" Neige asked.
"Neige LeBlanche he handled that with grace. I'm starting to see why he's such a beloved figure. He's a leading global celebrity but he still treats fans warmly and attentively. That's definitely a strength." Jamil muttered.
"I dunno part of thinks Rook's just coming off way too strong as a fan." Ace said.
"What a cad. This is quiet the last minute betrayal you know." Vil huffed.
"Yes I voted for Royal Sword Academy but it had nothing to do with my fandom truly. I was…" Rook began but Vil cut him off.
"Please Rook. I know you're not the type to act on personal bias. Don't insult my intelligence. But I've known you for two years and I never had the slightest clue that you were a fan of Neige. You really hard a man to read. Now wipe those tears away. Here have a handkerchief you own actually." He said handling him back his own handkerchief smiling.
"Mecri Roi De Poison." Rook thanked him and took the handkerchief back.
"Glad to see you got your smile back Vil." Neige smiled at him. "Ooh, I know. Let's sing together that should put even more of a smile on everybody's face." He grabbed Vil's arm and started pulling him back towards the stage.
"What?" Vil exclaimed resisting him at first.
"Come on let's go!" He insisted.
"W-wait Neige!" Vil protested but allowed Neige to bring him back out on stage.
The crowd instantly began to cheer and the fan girls began to scream.
N: "Come on NRC boys let's sing." Neige called back to the rest of the group.
"What?!" They all exclaimed as Odette rolled her eyes but shoved them all back on to the stage. "I guess they get to perform once more time." She sighed as she leaned against the wall to watch them.
"Let's go one, two, three!" Neige shouted then began his song.
Once the song was over the audience went nuts.
"Thank you everybody! Your turn Vil." Neige said turning towards him.
"I'll see you all again." Vil said waving to the crowd.
"They're back to being friends, yeah!" Kalim smiled.
"What a beautiful sight." Rook sang.
"Wow, I have to hand it to Vil." Epel said.
"He said he wanted to kick his rival right off the stage but there he is smiling and singing with him. I guess that's what pros do." Jamil shrugged.
Vil is smiling as they made their way back towards Odette and backstage. "Ah! Again! Someone knock me out this instant!" Vil snapped his smile fading instantly.
"Yup, we're done. We're going to the dressing room." Odette said taking his hand and pulled him and everyone else back to the dressing rooms.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're almost to the end of the Pomefiore Arc. I kept editing this chapter because I kept trying to add more lines for Odette but I settled for actions speak louder than words in Odette trying to keep Vil separate from Neige. I don't think it make across that strong through.