Secret Admirer; In The Land Of Fairies
13. Zoe's Secret

The Fairille High School canteen is so crowded. It's no different from the school cafeteria in McReych, actually. However, what struck me was the cutlery used here as in the dorm room: besides having beautiful carvings, the color seemed to sparkle when reflected in the light in the room. Unfortunately, I only noticed it for a moment, before I forced myself to eat the food because my mood was not so good at the moment.

Zoe who was sitting opposite me was obviously curious. After I decided to end the bribe and sip my drink strongly, I told Zoe a fact that would probably interest her: nothing else and nothing about my first day of school.

In between the laughter and jokes of the students around, without cueing, Zoe's startled voice lit up the air, her hands reflexively crashing against the table. His response exceeded my expectations.

"What?!" Realizing that his behavior was too excessive, Zoe immediately lowered her voice to resemble a whisper. The students who had landed attention on us then returned busy with their respective activities. "You're Frederick Elford's classmate?"

I nodded lethargicly. My smile was wry, more wry than the orange juice that stayed half a glass in front of me. I then just stirred it up using a straw, already unappetizing to continue eating. It seems that maybe my attitude is dramatizing. I even exhaled heavily and propped up my chin with two hands. But my fear is true.

I didn't feel at all lucky on my first day of school because of my class with that guy.

“Oh. Come, Kim. You don't have to worry like that even though you've punched him to the point of bruising his face.”

Instantly, I felt slapped. The thing I regret is actually mentioned openly by Zoe with ease. My best friend is too forthright.

“Zoe, really, you don't have to remind me back about that.”

Because, indeed, I felt shudder imagining that the guy would do something bad to me. Revenge, perhaps? Especially if you remember Max's story about the many people who did not want to deal with Frederick Elford.

“Ah, forgive me, Kim,” said Zoe while covering her lips using both hands. “But you said earlier he invited you to meet and let you go before meeting me.”

“Iya. She...,” I hang up the greeting and re-imagine Frederick's attitude in class, “like being a different person by letting me go—uh.”

“What do you think, he's interested in you?”.

I choked. Zoe could have asked that while I was drinking. Zoe groaned while rubbing my back as I coughed. Instead of answering, I asked back, “What do you mean?”

“Indeed, there are a lot of people who don't want to deal with him. But behind that," Zoe then changed her voice to sound more mysterious, "he was secretly popular with girls. Frederick Elford became one of the guys who want to date girls on a survey that was once held by an anonymous in the school website community.”

“You're kidding," I said in disbelief. Sure enough, that information made my stomach tingle. I got a ticklish grunt.

“No. I'm serious,” Zoe said as she stabbed a potato and put it in her mouth.

I got too carried away on this rumor to the point that I could easily roll my eyeballs. “The girls who want to date him must be crazy.”

“I agree. Wait till I finish my meal, then I'll tell you about him.”

It didn't take long for Zoe to finish her meal. Zoe then told me a lot about the guy.

Frederick Elfrod was apparently a playboy, as well as a badboy, who liked to make a mess and became a troublemaker at school. Previously, the girls had no courage with Frederick for having a rude nature and bad temper. However, in one of the communities on the school's website, where almost all of his accounts are anonymous, there is one account that discusses how he dated Frederick. Just like everyone else, the anonymous girl was initially afraid of Frederick, but after dating, the girl became infatuated with the guy even willing to do anything for him!

From the story that makes the girls curious and makes Frederick one of the guys who want to date the girls in this school. However, they do not show directly on the surface. These secret admirers of Frederick Elford had a rule not to express their affection directly to Frederick. They just let Frederick pick one of the girls to date. Until now, no girl has rejected it.

“The story makes me nauseous. It feels no more likely than the tale Bad Duck Figured,”, I said and stuck out my tongue like I wanted to vomit. I don't understand why they're willing to accept a date from someone who clearly has bad habits. “Don't you, too, have you, Zoe?”

“Sorry only. But he's not my type.” Zoe flicked her short hair back, it made me chuckle. My best friend then smiled. “After all, I really don't want to deal with him and be careful not to bother him.”

“And I, not the first day has made him angry."

“That's cool,” said Zoe praising. But in my ears, it sounded more like a mockery.

“Yeah. What a cool stupidity. Thank you for the compliment, Zoe," I said peppered with sarcasm.

When we were still busy chatting, someone suddenly sat beside me carrying a tray of food that seemed to have just been taken from the results of a long queue. When I turned my head, I realized it was Tom Graffen.

“Kimmy. We meet again!” His greeting was very cheerful, as was his wide smile that revealed his white teeth. “Can I sit here?”

“Tommy! You're like the morning sun!" Of course I mean figurative. Tom's warm smile like the morning sun made me smile. "Of course I can.”

“Wow. Turns out you've made a close friend behind me, Kim.” Zoe took the vote. He sounded jealous because I had other friends besides him. “Photographer Tom Graffen, right?”

“I can't believe a member of the student committee knows me. Nice to meet you, Zoe Borsche.”

The conversation of the two people who were with me successfully made my eyebrows bend. My hands then closed. “You guys know each other's names but just got to know each other. It's funny." I shook my head, astonished. "By the way, I don't know if you two are famous people in this school!”

"No way," I said spontaneously responding.

"Come on, Miss Borsche. No one doesn't know you're Marion Lynch's lover, a lost student who once claimed to have seen a fairy."

Waita minute. This conversation is a conversation I've been waiting for. Fairy, yes, I want to know a lot about them. But the beginning of this conversation surprised me. As I shifted my gaze a few degrees, I realized Zoe had widened her eyes and opened her mouth like she wanted to say something. I watched for a long time, the corner of his lips twitched. Zoe then bit her lower lip, so I knew I wouldn't hear an explanation from her.

Is the person that Tom is referring to the same person that Zoe was telling you about yesterday? But Zoe didn't tell me at all if that guy was her boyfriend.

No one spoke anymore between the three of us. Zoe inching her eyes, while Tom and I looked at each other for a moment and compactly looked back at Zoe with the same clatter. Before long, I saw Zoe's movements slowly standing up.

"sorry. I'm going to the toilet."

My best friend left us both without letting me say a single word

"Did I say it wrong?" tom asked as he continued his delayed meal by looking towards the departure of Zoe.

I'm still tied up in a hunchback. Still processing information that has just been heard in the ear. I didn't realize when Tom called my name. It was only when the corner of my eye caught Tom's face looking at me from a very close distance that I was shocked.

"T-Tom! What are you doing?!" screech me while shifting my seat to get away from Tom.

"It's Tommy, not Tom" said the man trying to fix his nickname for me. Then he laughed. "You haven't heard."

"It's the same!" my protest to Tom. Then I lowered the voice. "Sorry, I was daydreaming earlier."

"It's okay. Just so you called me Tommy. Because it's not the same if it's you, Kimmy."

"Alright, Tommy.” I also gave up. Prepare to take a look and hear the story from Tom. “So, please tell me what really happened with that guy named Marion Lynch. So is the photo of the fairy's silhouette."

Without twitching, the guy immediately complied with my request. The story that Tom heard was not much different from the story that was told by Zoe yesterday. However, what surprised me enough was that the missing person turned out to be the lover of my best friend. Zoe didn't tell me the details. Even Zoe acted as if the missing disciple was someone else, not someone close to her.

"If the photo of the fairy silhouette–still I do not know the truth. I don't know if it's a real fairy or not.” The story changes with Tom's photo. The guy put in the last sausage before chewing it while thinking about the thing I don't know what. A question then popped into the air, “Do you remember the thing that made us interested in the back garden of the school?"

I thought for a moment, remembering. "Fairy sculptor?" I made sure while tilting my head slightly.

"Absolutely. Why do you think I'm interested in the statue?"

I weigh the answers. If Tom was a photographer, maybe I knew the answer. "Because you're curious about the existence of fairies, I'm guessing you want to uncover the truth from your photos."

"Smart girl" praised Tom while giving me a thumbs up.

I remembered something.

"ah! I forgot to return your handkerchief.” Not only that. “You too, Tom. You forgot your promise!"

"What about the fairy tale? That's why I didn't forget" Tom replied lightly.

"Aha!” My index finger was raised and pointed at Tom. I have no hesitation in suing him. “Then. Tell me now."

"I don't think so now, Kimmy. The break is over soon."

Hearing him, my face immediately grunted in annoyance. "You're just looking for excuses!"

Right after my accusation to him, the bell suddenly rang. Tom shrugged his shoulders, his facial expression looked stupefied and his eyebrows went up. "See?"

"Well, next time then" I said surrender.

"Exchange numbers? I might be able to answer any kind of curiosity about fairies if you think of something." On the offer, I did not answer. Tom's smile that kept pointing at me made me doubtful. “How, Kimmy?”

But, I don't think there's any harm. Tom Graffen wasn't the Frederick Elfrod who might have terrorized me. Besides, my curiosity about fairy stories is getting deeper and deeper.

"Sure, Tommy."

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