Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Father-Daughter Reunions Aren't Romantic
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"Next week is vacation! Everyone, you all worked hard this first semester!"
Pastel placed both hands on her hips and looked at Ellie and Dustin.
"Have you made solid plans for break? As the top research student, my advice is that sincere effort brings results. Even Melissa acknowledged it!"
Hehe.
"Craft, you're so classy."
Right, right.
I'm a graceful swan.
"Don't just waste your break—work hard too! Who knows who'll be the next top researcher? Of course, it'll be me again!"
"Well, it was the first time I'd seen you so absorbed without bothering with your image."
Ellie thought it over and nodded in agreement.
"I knew slacking off on student council duties was just your style, Craft, but when you actually get into it, you're incredible. I had no idea you could whip up a full paper in that short time."
Craft's style?
Pastel tilted her head.
Is she talking about betrayal and division?
Gasp.
Pastel, the villainess?
"What do you mean by image management?"
Dustin looked puzzled.
Ellie shot him a glance like he was a pathetic boy bewitched by a girl's looks.
Huh.
"Ellie, you can't say that to a friend! Dustin's just talented at serving others—he's not an idiot!"
Dustin's expression turned subtly complicated.
"Dustin-who-isn't-an-idiot! I'll explain!"
Pastel pointed to herself.
"Right now, I'm the well-maintained Pastel! See? My hair's shiny, and my skin's moist!"
The demon lord takes care of it every morning.
"But when you were writing that paper? The deadline was tight, so you couldn't keep up maintenance! Your hair was frizzy, your skin dull, your eyes cloudy—like a grad student!"
Eek!
Pastel was amazed on her own.
Grad student...!
Grad student Pastel...!
It was a different meaning, but she'd lost her spark writing the professor's paper, so she really had been in grad student mode.
"You went from cherry blossom Pastel to non-cherry blossom Pastel!"
Gasp.
Non-cherry blossom Pastel...!
Pastel's hands trembled.
Shake, shake, shake.
"The difference between maintained and not is this huge! I'll never be non-cherry blossom Pastel again!"
Eek!
"Ah! You meant the appearance gap from lack of time off as 'image management.' Got it now."
Dustin nodded.
Ellie shot him another glance, this time like he was a pathetic boy falling for a girl's innocent act and getting duped by a few words.
Huh.
Ellie and Dustin just don't mesh, huh.
Well, even friends can be like that!
Understanding Pastel gets it completely!
Pastel finished her pre-break farewell with the student council members and hurried off.
Saying goodbye to every friend would take days. With only a week until vacation, she'd have to move fast to fit it all in.
She spent the time exchanging farewells with every friend she passed.
"Bye! Bye!"
Having so many friends is exhausting too.
A plight only popular people face, I guess.
Of course, these friends here somehow keep a distance from Pastel personally. Like Melissa.
They smile and respond to greetings, acknowledge her as a friend, but shy away from deep talks?
It's comedic from afar but tragic up close, so they keep their distance to only see the pretty side.
Like Pastel, but hesitant to get too close~.
Eek.
That beaming light hurts the eyes.
Idol vibes, good or bad.
"Ah! Leonard! Byeee!"
Leonard, who was checking something with his underlings in front of the first-year dorm, turned around.
"What're you doing here?"
"Came to say goodbye to my friends before break!"
"No friends of yours here. Just go."
Pastel breezily ignored Leonard.
"Friend-friends, hi! All set for break?"
Leonard’s underlings—aka Pastel’s friend-friends—responded warmly.
Truly friend-friends!
Ignore Leonard!
"You lot! If you play along like this, where does that leave my face? Don't you know who's more important between me and her?!"
Huh.
"Obviously me, right? We're friend-friends! Twice as many letters as 'friend'!"
Twice, twice!
Woohoo.
Leonard looked dumbfounded.
"What kinda ridiculous logic is that? Do you even know how shameless you are?"
"Yup!"
Pastel cheerfully agreed.
"Damn, she really is shameless?!"
Leonard was at a loss for words.
"Pastel the Shameless~."
But tons of friend-friends~.
Hahaha.
Pastel laughed to herself, then glanced around.
"So what were the friend-friends doing?"
Leonard sighed.
"Some upperclassman set something up in my turf, so we were checking it out."
Set up?
It was a large rectangular wooden contraption.
"What's this?"
"That's why we're looking. You don't know either?"
"Lemme see."
Pastel examined the wooden device with a serious face. Box-shaped and big, but gears were visible inside and out.
Huh.
"Any idea what it is?"
Leonard asked the top researcher with subtle expectation. The friend-friends' expectant gazes followed.
Hehe.
"Of course I do!"
Pastel put on a confident face.
And quickly tapped her demon sword.
Demon lord! Demon lord!
I have no clue!
Eek!
The honor of top researcher...!
Ejection device.
Pastel said confidently.
Huh.
"Ooh!"
Leonard and the friend-friends exclaimed in admiration.
"Figured it out at a glance!"
"As expected of the top researcher!"
Hehe.
Leonard eyed the device.
"Ejection device, huh. Know what it's for?"
"Of course!"
Pastel answered confidently.
And inspected the ejection device. Large wooden box shape, gears peeking out here and there.
"Aha!"
She quickly tapped the demon sword.
Demon lord! Demon lord!
I have no clue!
Eek!
Launches small hot air balloons.
Pastel said confidently.
Huh.
"Ooh! Top researcher! Top researcher!"
Leonard crossed his arms and furrowed his brow.
"Small hot air balloons? What intent in someone else's turf? You know that too, right?"
"Of course!"
Smart Pastel learns fast.
No more hesitation now.
She tapped the demon sword rapidly.
Demon lord! Demon lord!
Eek!
Usually for events. Hang cloth banners under balloons and launch them.
Extreme use: gas dispersal. Structure suggests this is more likely.
"For events!"
Huh.
"Ooh!"
"And gas dispersal! This is more likely!"
Huh.
"Ooh! O...?"
The admiring friend-friends froze.
Pastel, who had been speaking without thinking, froze too.
Oof.
Everyone looked down at the ejection device.
Silence fell.
New friend-friends came running from afar.
"Boss! Some upperclassman set something suspicious in our turf and left! What's this? One here too?"
Ooof.
Maybe not, but terror potential is high. Bold move. Advertising their faction too, perhaps.
Terror?
"Eek!"
Pastel clutched her head and screamed. She ruffled her hair wildly, pouring out confusion and emotion, then stopped and panted roughly.
Then she slowly got serious.
I'm student council. Student council.
Control center in emergencies.
She had to lead by example.
She rubbed her trembling hands to calm them.
"Leonard, evacuate the kids inside the dorm and arm up! I'll check this out—move now!"
Leonard flinched at the firm order but nodded.
"Got it. You heard student council! Move, now! Now!"
Footsteps thundered.
Left alone, Pastel examined the device.
"Can I smash it?"
Not an explosive by structure.
She grabbed and yanked—it broke open, revealing the inside.
A small hot-air balloon made of cloth, a tiny magic device. And vials of what looked like gas agents.
Paralysis scent by the color. Not instant, but effective.
"Notify the professors right away."
No need. If they're this bold, they've already been caught.
Sure enough, alarms blared across the academy. Intruder alert.
Pastel smashed the ejection device by force and scanned the surroundings quickly. She saw kids milling about in panic.
"To the dorms! Dorms!"
Guiding them kept the chaos minimal for evacuation.
Armed Leonard and his group came running.
"Student council, what's next?"
"Depends on the terrorists' goal..."
Pastel crossed her arms, deep in thought.
Then explosions rang out in succession. Small hot air balloons rose, spewing colorful smoke. Heavier than air, it hugged the ground and spread.
Wind will carry it. Not safe here either.
Beast howls echoed from somewhere. Beasts released for chaos?
"Inside the dorm building first!"
"Not fighting?"
"We can defend sieges—no need for field battles! Hole up! Hurry!"
She pushed bold Leonard's back.
Pastel entered the dorm and shut the main gate. She checked the locks. Seemed sturdy.
"Good. Dorm's reasonably safe. Leonard, hunker down and watch for window breaches. No special reason to target the dorm, so if we look hard to crack, we'll be fine."
"Got it. Everyone hear that?! Count first-floor windows and assign personnel! Block what furniture can, guard the rest! Spares check back door and secret passages!"
Leonard directed his underlings. Panic subsided; response was swift.
Doing great.
Pastel relaxed.
She watched, then opened the main gate. Wind rushed in, pink hair whipping. Eyes turned to her.
"Leonard! I'm heading out. You're in command here. Just like now."
"What?"
Leonard whipped around, eyes wide.
"You're going alone?!"
"Yeah, student council."
"Then we all—"
Beast roar. A starving wolf charged through the paralysis smoke.
Pastel took one step without looking back. The wolf grazed her hem; a sword flash gleamed. Blood sprayed.
Blood stained the gate. The girl kicked the wolf corpse outside. Bloodstains trailed on the floor.
"Leonard, I like you playing boss. Then shoulder the responsibility that comes with it."
Blood trickled down her pink locks.
"Calm your emotions, regain reason. Gather opinions, do your best."
The girl stared straight at Leonard.
"You can do it, right?"
She held out her fist.
Leonard hesitated.
Moments later, fists bumped.
Pastel smiled and left the safe zone.
Footsteps echoed.
The girl, with a body beyond human, pierced the paralysis smoke and walked awhile. She stopped where the dorm was out of sight.
Suddenly clutched her head.
Eek.
I joined student council for no reason...!
Pastel marching to her death...!
Life's too hard for Pastel...!