Annaleigh and Liella (2)

When Annaleigh woke up, she couldn't help but notice that the sky seemed duller than before.

She got ready for school and left the dorm around the same time as usual, but with a somber expression. The latest news on her relationship with Liella had already done a lap and come back, so she was pelted by scorn and pity as she headed to school. There was some fear concerning the way her enemies ended up in the combat class, but her misfortune was a great counterbalance.

Once she made it to the door of her class, Annaleigh prepared herself to talk things out with Liella, but for the first time, she wasn't at her seat. As this had never happened before, Annaleigh didn't know the likely cause, but her troubled heart quickly came up with a brutal answer.

"Is she, avoiding me?"

She didn't dare explore further, but the frequent glances she made at Liella's seat were enough to give away her thoughts.

A couple minutes before homeroom, Liella finally appeared. There was not a sign of disturbance to be found in her attire, but Annaleigh could tell based on the slight difference in her scent that she had been sweating. She could easily deduce that Liella had been dancing, and with there being an important performance coming up in two days, it wasn't surprising, but it felt like she was being left out. Annaleigh didn't know if other members had morning practice, but she would have liked to be there with them if they did.

For the rest of the day, Annaleigh was too depressed to call out to Liella again, and Liella didn't say anything to her either. At first, her classmates looked at Annaleigh with scorn, but it seemed even they didn't know how to handle her in this state. Two of them tried to get a reaction out of her through taunting, but she either accepted their harsh words without complaint or agreed with them with a sad smile. As much as they hated her, none of them felt right about bothering her when she was like this, so they left her alone for the rest of the day. Some of them even sent pleading gazes towards Liella, but in addition to being surprised she also felt conflicted. She was ashamed of the way she was acting, but she needed more time to make a decision about how she would treat Annaleigh.

After school, there was another tense dance practice session, and as this was the second one in a row, one of the senior members talked to Heina about it.

"Are you sure we shouldn't do something? This could poorly affect our recital in two days."

Heina wanted them to fix their relationship without too much interference, but considering the time limit in play, she had to adjust her plan.

"Hmm, alright, I'll give them some time alone and hope it pushes them to make up."

When the day's dance session was over, Annaleigh waited nervously for Liella to tell her to leave, but this time Heina came to the rescue.

"Liella, would you mind letting Annaleigh stay with you while you practice for the night? You don't have to instruct her, but I think it would be good for her to watch you dance."

"Uh..."

"Okay, thanks."

Caught off-guard, Liella had no chance of refusing and had an extra duty forced on her. Annaleigh felt sorry for interfering with Liella's late practice, but she had no intention of giving up this opportunity Heina gave her.

Once the other members left, Annaleigh stayed at the back of the room and watched Liella. While she did want to talk to her, she also didn't want to bother her. And more than that, she was mesmerized by Liella's performance as it was on a level noticeably higher than what Annaleigh had seen before. The other times, Annaleigh could tell that her technique was good and she had an aura that could attract attention, but now she could feel the dance resonate with her. There was no music, and Liella remained expressionless, but the flow of her motions conveyed a story on their own.

As if engrossed in a story of Liella's making, Annaleigh found herself lost in wonder, so much so that she didn't notice when Liella stopped.

"Annaleigh."

"Uh, yes!"

Both because she was shocked out of her preoccupation and also because she noticed a change in Liella's aura, Annaleigh was anxious. When she started distancing herself from Annaleigh, there was an slight angsty air about her, but now that air had vanished. Even more than when they first met, her crystal eyes that seemed to peer into her soul were fitting for one known as the ice queen.

"What did you think of that dance?"

"It was great! I couldn't take my eyes off of you. It was like you were floating."

"That's just my technique. I meant the atmosphere of it. What did you feel while looking at me."

"Uh, I'm not sure. I felt kind of nervous and sad, I guess."

"...As expected."

After hearing her comment, Liella didn't continue dancing, but Annaleigh wasn't sure what to say. However, this was obviously a good chance to talk to her so she came up with something quickly and uttered it.

"When I was watching you, it felt like you were trying to convey something in your dance. Am I right?"

Liella raised an eyebrow and nodded in response, "That's right. My dance is based on the story of Schutelzberg, the princess of a country eternally sealed in ice. It starts out with a solemn tone as she deals with the stress of being royalty and a filial daughter, but as it goes on the princess is warmed by the sun that arrives in the form of a prince."

"Wow, that sounds interesting."

"It is. There's a book version I can lend to you, but first, there's something I have to ask."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Very well. I already have a good idea of why you're here, but, there's something I can't figure out. Why are you putting so much effort into getting closer to me? Even if I'm the target of your objective, you shouldn't need to interact as much as you have been."

For a couple moments, Annaleigh was confused. She understood the question, but it was so unexpected that she had to ensure that her interpretation was correct.

"You want to know why I try so hard to get close to you?"

"That's right. What about me motivates you to such as extent?"

Once she heard her question again, Annaleigh placed a finger on her chin with a pensive expression on her face. She tilted her head right and left continuously until she arrived at a conclusion.

"It's because you're cute!"

"I'm being serious."

"So am I. When I say you're cute, I'm not just talking about your appearance. I also mean your attitude, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses. The way you ignore everyone but actually want to talk to someone; the way you stand up for your beliefs even if no one else supports you, the way you admire Heina but think you're hiding it properly. Everything that makes you, you."