Chapter 26: Dancing with the Stars

The library of Estellia Academy, also known as one of the best educational institutions on the continent, held a vast collection of books that was fitting for its prestigious status.

If one looked at the sheer number of books it housed, the library of Estellia Academy could be compared to the Mage Tower’s Library, which was renowned as a treasure trove of knowledge. As a result, the library was always bustling with the footsteps of passionate students eager to study.

Of course, not all of the books in the library were related to academics, so there were also students who visited the library for other reasons.

Damian, who was left alone in the library and turning the pages, was also there for that reason.

“There are pictures, but they’re so hard to understand.”

Damian went to a corner of the library and tried to imitate the movements drawn in the book.

Although Damien had a genius talent for moving his body, the picture drawn in the book was so unfriendly that Damian’s current movements were half created by his own imagination.

Moreover, even if he was moving alone in the air, trying to imitate movements that two people made together, it was not a pleasant sight for others to see. Damian also knew that fact, so he deliberately went to a corner where no one was there.

Currently, there were only Damian and the librarian in the library. Even though the librarian was busy preparing for the festival, Damian was unsure if there would be anyone else studying, so he moved his body in a discreet manner to avoid drawing attention.

Although he wanted to go back to the dormitory in his heart, he thought it would be better to be in an empty library because there would be many people looking for him due to the festival. If he were caught by Reinhardt or Richard doing the same thing in the dormitory, he couldn’t even bear to imagine such a terrible future.

The graduation festival…

The reason Damian, who had kept a distance of 90,000 miles from dancing throughout his life, was now practicing dancing was because of the graduation festival to be held three days from now.

Currently, everyone at Estellia Academy, from the faculty to the students, was busy preparing for the graduation festival. The professors, who usually had heavy butts, were directly involved in the preparations for the festival, so it was clear how much they were focusing on this year’s festival.

One could say that the graduation festival was just another ordinary festival, but this year’s graduation festival was not. 

Starting with the children of the Seven Magic Towers, the heirs of prestigious nobles on the continent were all expected to graduate this year.

Crucially, among them were the first prince and the first princess, who could be considered the future owners of the imperial family, so even the faculty, whose motto was equal education, had no choice but to put their heart and soul into this year’s graduation festival. The students began to prepare for their festival in their own ways.

“What am I doing here now…?”

Damian sighed deeply when he realized that nothing seemed to change no matter how many times he tried. He had made various efforts to prepare for the future, but the obstacle he faced this time was of a kind that could not be overcome by the efforts he had made so far. 

In the end, when he realized that he couldn’t do it alone and was about to give up, Damian hurriedly straightened his posture and turned his head at the presence he felt from behind.

However, due to the hasty change of posture, Damian’s gestures were very awkward, and it only raised more questions in the viewer.

“…What are you doing here alone?”

“I haven’t done anything strange, so please don’t look at me like that.”

Seeing Elena looking at him with strange eyes, Damian obediently showed the book open in front of his eyes what he was doing here, and Elena, who saw the book, understood right away without any explanation.

But Elena, who still didn’t understand, returned the book to Damian and said,

“Um, but why were you watching this all of a sudden? You weren’t interested in this kind of thing.”

“Because of the graduation festival being held this time. They say graduates must attend the banquet. That’s why.”

“You seem to remember academy events and strange things well, but you don’t remember these small things.”

At Elena’s words, Damian replied with a bitter smile.

“The book didn’t go into that detail.”

“It’s the same with the book in your hand. It’s outdated, and on top of that it’s a book about the history of society, not a book about dancing.”

“I know that too. But this book is the only one with pictures of dancing.”

“And you don’t have to dance at banquets. Why are you so obsessed with dancing? To do something uncharacteristic of you, like drinking on the terrace or in the corner of the banquet hall as usual… Did you get a dance request? “

At Elena’s words, Damian nodded slightly. As soon as Elena saw it, she turned her head away from Damian and said in a small mutter.

“Is it because of Noel?”

“Yes.”

With that conversation, silence fell between them.

Damian was still reading his book without saying a word, and Elena sat next to him, turning her head away from him and staring blankly at the air. Eventually, it was Damian who opened his mouth first in the eerie atmosphere that flowed silently.

“I know you won’t like me dancing with Noel, but I couldn’t help it. How could I refuse the princess’ request to dance?”

“I have no reason to dislike you dancing with Noel.”

“No, it’s all showing in your actions right now. I know that you care for that child, but even if I look a bit lacking, can’t you please look at me because I’m working hard like this?”

“If it were Noel, she would have accepted it without saying anything even if you refused.”

“Yes. That’s right. If that had happened, I would have received her resentful gaze until graduation, but whatever.”

“There’s not much time left until graduation anyway.”

“…The aftermath of something like that usually lasts a long time. It’s best not to create such a situation in the first place.”

“Is that from personal experience?”

“No, I heard it from my father. That the young lady who he refused to dance with at a party still hadn’t forgotten about it after several years. Well, Noel wouldn’t do that, but you know that my human relationships are limited. If I had to dance there, there was no choice other than Noel. So, could you please allow it?”

However, Elena still had a face that didn’t like Damian’s excuse.

Damian couldn’t understand why Elena was doing this, but she wasn’t sure about the feelings that made her feel bad right now, and she didn’t want to say it out loud.

However, her tightly closed lips couldn’t stop her subconscious, and her dissatisfaction leaked out in a very small voice.

“In the first place, I wasn’t even an option for your choice…”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“It’s nothing. Damian, I’ll be your practice partner. You have to make sure not to step on Noel’s feet, even if you make a mistake.”

Damian looked very confused at Elena’s words as she stood up from her seat and reached out to him. Soon, his face began to show concern instead of embarrassment, and he asked her, still not holding the hand that Elena had given her.

“…Are you really okay? I don’t think that’s very good. After all, I’m ‘Damian’.”

“Are you still worried about that? Then how do you explain us sitting here facing each other and having a conversation?”

“Who was the one who threw a fist at the first meeting? I got it. If you’re okay with it. But please don’t deliberately step on my foot.”

When Damian finally took her hand, she responded with a thin smile.

“I don’t know?”

***

My senses were more sensitive than ever before.

Her breath, standing right in front of my nose, flowed into me. Although we were only a few centimeters apart, our faces were facing each other, and our distance was so close that if I moved even a little forward, we would touch.

Although we had been closer in terms of distance before, this was the first time we had been facing each other so closely. What I needed to pay attention to was not only the distance between Elena and me but also the possibility of accidentally stepping on her foot every time I took a step.

If it were my usual self, I could do it even with my eyes closed, but now that Elena was right in front of me, most of my thoughts were filled with her, making it almost impossible to think rationally. In the end, I had to get rid of the obsession by stepping on my own foot.

“Damian. You keep stepping on your own feet. Are your feet okay?”

“I’m sorry. My body doesn’t seem to move as I intend it to today.”

Both of my hands were holding her, making it impossible to even pinch my thigh.

I thought I had become familiar with her beauty in my own way, but it seemed to be my delusion. If I kept trying to approach her, I had no choice but to step on my own foot.

When I kept stepping on my own foot, Elena closed her eyes for a moment and then said she had an idea.

“Damian, why don’t you close your eyes for a moment?”

“But then I might be stepping on your foot instead of mine, Elena.”

“It’s okay. And if Damian completely entrusts himself to me, that won’t happen.”

In the end, I closed my eyes as Elena suggested and held her hand. As my vision was blocked, other senses began to become more sensitive. However, because I couldn’t measure the exact distance between her and me, the risk of colliding with her when I opened my eyes was higher than before.

“Try to follow my breathing slowly.”

Elena whispered in my ear. I started to breathe the same way as her, feeling her breath up close.

As our breaths mixed together completely, I couldn’t distinguish between our breaths, and Elena began to move my feet while leading me.

There was no separate song that served as a guide for me.

The only one who could move me was Elena. She was the wind that moved me, and I was a bird riding that wind.

I didn’t know if it was because I had my eyes closed for a long time, but I never stepped on her foot once after closing my eyes.

I became engrossed in dancing with her, forgetting the passage of time. As the dance continued without interruption, I gained some confidence and opened my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, I lost my composure at Elena’s bright smile and stumbled, causing my feet to tangle and fall to the ground.

‘I really can’t dance.’

***

Damian stood alone, staring at the ceiling, as Elena had left her spot and departed.

The dance practice she had helped him with was successful. Moving his body with a partner was definitely more helpful than awkwardly moving his body alone while looking at pictures.

Since he was confident in moving his body, it wasn’t difficult for him to move in sync with Elena. As a result, Damian was able to learn the movements of dance with just one practice, and his practice with Elena ended very quickly.

Damian placed his hand on his chest.

His heart was still beating faster than usual, despite the passing of time. 

He didn’t need to think about what this emotion was. He tried to calm his racing heart by taking deep breaths, but as soon as he thought about what had just happened, his heart started beating even faster.

“I have to let it go. I have to let it go.”

Damian and Elena, who thought they would live like people who didn’t know each other after their breakup, joined forces to change the future, and in doing so, they shared many secrets that only they knew.

They changed the future.

They saved the princess who was supposed to die and prevented the foreign believers from invading the academy.

However, there was always a line that should not be crossed.

He remembered that he and Elena only became involved in this relationship because they shared the same opinions. To think beyond that and not be satisfied with it would be greedy and arrogant.

He became aware of his name, Damian Kraus, and took a step forward.

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