Ariel Starlight

"Oh, no, you can leave it, Fray," Alice interrupted as I took the plates to the basin.

"You cooked, so I'll do the dishes. It's normal, sister," I said, shaking my head.

"But you have an important exam tomorrow, right? You should just focus on that," Alice sighed.

"It's just a matter of minutes," I shrugged. "Besides, you should check on Amy. I saw her taking your phone."

"AH! That little monkey!" Alice exclaimed as she rushed out of the kitchen.

I laughed, focusing on my task. She had a point, but how could I concentrate on a practical exam when I didn't even know what it would entail?

What if I failed?

I felt my grip on the plate tighten slightly. After everything Alice had sacrificed for me, all the money spent...

No.

I couldn't afford to fail the exam.

I had to succeed.

I found myself washing the plate with mechanical precision, my mind growing numb.

By any means necessary.

Any means.

"Euh?!" I turned to my right, but no one was there.

'I swear I heard a whisper... what the hell?'

I looked around, but the kitchen was empty.

Was it exhaustion?

I frowned slightly before turning on the tap again.

I really needed to get some sleep. Probably because I hadn't slept the night before, too excited about being accepted into Emberia. All my excitement was now crushed under the weight of impending failure.

I had to shake off this fatigue. I had to prepare. There was too much at stake.

"I think you'll wear a hole in that plate if you keep washing it like that, Fray," Alice said, snapping me out of my trance.

"Ah... Alice. Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts," I replied, shaking my head and spraying water over the plate.

"Hm? What's this?" Alice suddenly grabbed my arm, her eyes narrowing as she read the large letters written there.

"Ah, I asked for the address and time of the Practical Exam and–"

"You wrote it down on your arm?" She asked incredulously.

"Um... yeah," I said, averting my gaze slightly. It was too embarrassing to admit that a girl had written it on my arm. It felt somewhat romantic, even though there wasn't any romantic intention from her.

"You should write it down somewhere else and wipe your arm clean, Fray. You can't afford to go to an important exam like that," Alice advised.

She was right. If any professors saw that, I might be looked at sternly. I had to maintain a neat appearance.

"I will take care of the rest. Go rest now," Alice eventually said.

"But—"

"No buts. Go rest," Alice said firmly, her gaze stern.

"Yes, ma'am," I sighed, thinking of something. "Um, can I use your phone for a moment?"

"That's why I told you I'm willing to buy you a phone, Fray," Alice said, shaking her head as she handed me her phone. "It's low on battery."

"It's okay! Thank you!" I said, rushing to my room. Once inside, I closed the door and slumped onto my bed.

It's okay if I just look her up, right?

I started typing her name: Ariel.

Do I look like a stalker doing this?

No, I'm just curious about who she is.

Of course, I had no hopes of finding her right away with just her name, but I could try at least.

"No way!" I bolted upright, my eyes wide with disbelief.

I had found her on my first try! 

All I did was type "Ariel Aristocrat," and there she was. My finger swiped upwardly, bringing a holographic projection to life before me. There was no doubt—it was the beautiful girl I had seen earlier today.

In the picture, she looked even more elegant, more poised. Her name: Ariel Starlight.

[Daughter of Edgard Starlight, Director of the 7-Stars Starlight Exorcist Hunter Guild. A genius among geniuses, she displayed exceptional talents in Exorcism at the tender age of five...]

The phone slipped from my grasp, landing softly on the bed as my expression froze.

"Starlight..."

I was dead.

She was the daughter of the man who owned the most powerful guild in Arcadia. A top-tier aristocrat, the cream of the crop, leagues above someone like me. We belonged to completely different worlds.

Now, I began to understand the looks I got and the reactions of her friends. Approaching her with my status should have been impossible. I had just been lucky to encounter her by chance, but...

"I won't get killed, right?" I muttered to myself, swallowing hard.

I mean, I hadn't been disrespectful. All I did was ask for an address, which she gave me. She even said she would give me her number if I saw her in class.

"It should be okay," I breathed out heavily, trying to dispel the uneasiness that gripped me.

I took a deep breath, letting the tension flow out of me. Whatever happens, I just have to keep my head down and focus on the exam.

Still, if I see her again, I should apologize to her just in case. I didn't care about myself, but I didn't want Alice or Amy dragged into a mess because of my mistakes.

Slumping back on my bed, I swiped my hand upwardly several times, revealing several projections.

Out of curiosity, I started reading about her.

"Damn… she is really amazing, isn't she?"

The more I read about her accomplishments, the more I was amazed. She was all over the news. I felt ashamed that I hadn't read anything about her back in my town. The last year had been tough, but before that... what happened already?

I scratched my head and zoomed in on her picture.

[Ariel Starlight at the Exorcist Gala of Young Talents.]

It was just last year.

She was wearing a beautiful formal blue dress that fitted her perfectly.

How could someone be this beautiful, honestly?

I found myself feeling a pang of jealousy for her future husband.

Thud!

Suddenly, the door to my room swung open and Alice appeared.

"Fray, I brought you the... charger..." Alice trailed off as she looked around at all the projections, her mouth agape.

"S—Sister?!" I panicked and quickly canceled all the projections.

My face burned red with embarrassment.

"Y–You could have at least knocked!" I stammered.

"To miss this? No way!" Alice giggled, further embarrassing me.

Damn, I just want to dig a hole and bury myself in it.

"So that girl is your crush? I didn't get a good look, but she was quite beautiful. As expected of you, Fray!" Alice giggled, settling down on the bed.

"N-No, I mean, she isn't. I was just curious, that's all," I replied quickly, feeling a surge of panic.

If any of those extremist aristocrats learned that I had even the slightest attraction toward Ariel Starlight, I would be crucified alive.

"And, well, she is way above my status," I laughed nervously.

In terms of looks, grades, strength, and talents, she was several worlds above me.

"There you go again with the self-deprecating talk," Alice rolled her eyes. "How about showing more enthusiasm and confidence?"

I was generally a confident and cheerful guy, but I wasn't overconfident. Overconfidence could lead to disaster.

Noticing my silence, Alice patted my hair gently. "When your brother was alive, you were much more assertive. You spoke back to him without fear, and you left on your own to earn money."

And it resulted in his death…

Yet Alice didn't hold a single shred of grudge toward me. Rather, she was the one who told my brother, who was hesitating to leave Alice and Amy alone, to go find me.

"I don't want you to change yourself but be like you always were," she said gently.

"I will try…" I managed a small smile. "Thanks, Alice."

She smiled warmly, giving my hair one last ruffle before standing up. "Get some rest, Fray. You'll do great tomorrow."

"Definitely."