For Your Failed Unrequited Love

The two of them chatted and giggled about interesting things the whole time since they left in front of the dormitory. Lucy Keenan was chattering away to her partner with a happy expression on her face that Felix had never seen before. 

What.

Felix’s face wrinkled again.

How can you talk like that with a man other than Adrian?

Suddenly, Felix felt like an idiot. He had even given Lucy a chance, so she could apply to be Adrian’s partner. He also ended up being Rosé’s partner, which he never wanted to do.

Lucy didn’t seem to regret not being Adrian’s partner. She was just laughing and chatting with her partner and having a great evening like everyone else.

Felix closed his mouth tightly and stared at the pair ahead. As he continued to watch them, the two seemed to get along quite well. They were both small and young, looking at each other and chatting, like a pair of squirrels.

Suddenly, annoyance surged from the corner of Felix’s heart.

“Felix Berg.” Rosé Millard’s angry voice rang in his ear. “Are you really not going to listen to me?”

“Oh, sorry.” Felix took his eyes off the back of Lucy’s head. 

Rosé stared at him with her eyes narrowed. “I know you hate going to events like this, but you were the one who invited me.” Rosé straightened up and said, unable to hide her displeasure. “Then you have to be nice to me for accepting it. You’re like the tiara I’m wearing on my head tonight. Do your best, so I can shine brighter than others. Do you understand me, Prince of Berg?”

After she finished her words, Rosé looked forward again with her face fashioned into a coy smile and began to walk.

* * *

The library hall was beautifully decorated with golden ornaments in the autumn atmosphere. The cacti and flower pots at the entrance were removed, and instead, pumpkins were gently illuminating the place to welcome the guests.

In front of the stage, the presenters will recite a poem. Adrian, the director and host of the event, Peter, the literary director, and Mrs. Erin, the librarian, were busy checking something.

The students who arrived at the entrance of the hall began to enter one by one. About fifty people walked inside, and the whole room was crowded as they sat down.

“Let’s sit here,” said Rosé, pointing to the table a little further from the stage.

“Not in the front?” said Felix, looking curiously at Rosé, who for some reason had chosen an inconspicuous seat.

“This is fine. The distance from here to the stage is just right to show people my graceful walk.”

“What do you mean?” asked Felix, drawing his eyebrows together, but without answering, Rosé sat down on the chair and slowly fluttered the fan she held in her hand.

Felix followed her to her seat and saw Lucy sitting a few tables away. She was still talking to her own partner, the boy, about a topic she seemed to enjoy.

The hall was buzzing with the noise of people talking.

Moments later, Adrian came on stage. At the same time, the noisy hall soon quieted down. Everyone’s attention was naturally focused on him.

Adrian stepped onto the stage, looked around the audience, and slowly opened his mouth.

It was the first verse of a poem called “Autumn Nights”. It was an important custom of the ‘Literature Night’ for the host to go on stage and recite poetry first.

Adrian’s calm voice filled the hall. People held their breath and listened to his poem. Everyone was captivated by his beautiful and elegant appearance. Even Rosé, who had always been dissatisfied after being rejected by Adrian, looked at him in rapture.

Felix averted his eyes and looked at Lucy’s side. She, too, was concentrating on Adrian’s poetry recital, her mouth agape. The clear green eyes that looked at him were particularly dazzling.

At the end of Adrian’s recitation, the crowd applauded enthusiastically. The applause did not stop until he left the stage to introduce the next speaker.

Perhaps discouraged by the incredible popularity of the previous reciter, a first-year student came on stage with a nervous face. Soon, another beautiful poem resonated in the hall.

Literature Night allowed them to showcase poetry recitations and various other talents, such as playing musical instruments and singing. Some students played the violin, others the piano.

At the end of their performance, applause erupted from the audience.

The reciters’ poetry recitals were sweet; and the performers’ performances were excellent. The night was getting deeper, and the event was reaching its climax.

However, some participants tilted their heads and yawned secretly. The poems and music were beautiful, but they were a bit boring. People hoped that there would be a presenter who could change the atmosphere and softened the mood in the hall.

At that time, Adrian called out an unexpected name. “The next person is third-year Rosé Millard.”

Rosé, who had been sitting next to Felix the whole time, slowly stood up.

“What’s that?”

Ignoring Felix, who was looking at her with a surprised face, Rosé gently moved forward. Her dress rustling with every step she took.

Like a graceful swan, she rose to the stage. Both the boys and the girls marveled at the beautiful curves Rosé Millard created with her every move. Clearly, she had a knack for catching people’s attention.

Rosé curtsied with a slight lift of her dress. Several male students, who had been sleepy, suddenly came to their senses and applauded. Soon the beautiful melody of the piano flowed over the stage, and Rosé began to sing her song. It was <Queen of Gold>, a song famous for its lyrical lyrics.

Natural expressions and elegant gestures.

Rosé was usually flattered, and she tended to look down on others. Her song was so flawlessly perfect, it’s a wonder if her arrogance came from her skill.

Rosé Millard was not only good at dancing. She had a talent that enabled her to attract people’s attention. She seemed to have mastered all areas, including dancing and singing.

Lucy Keenan, who Felix casually looked at, didn’t look good. While everyone listened to Rose’s song as if in ecstasy, Lucy sat and looked like she was about to cry.

Is she thinking about competing with Rosé?

Felix grinned.

That’s understandable. Rosé Millard, beautiful and from a good family, was always a prominent student who stood out everywhere. Then she went to Adrian first, and she proposed to make her his partner?

In Lucy’s eyes, she might look like a fearsome eagle that will snatch her own crush at any moment.

As he was thinking about it, Lucy suddenly turned her head and looked at him. Their eyes met in the air. Lucy’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. She quickly avoided his gaze and looked in front of her.

Felix quickly turned away as well. He was surprised.

‘Why are you looking at me all of a sudden?’

Felix’s heart was pounding without him knowing why.

After that, Lucy never looked back at him until the end of Rosé’s song. She just sat there stiffly, looking at a corner of the stage, not even looking at Rosé.

Soon the song ended. The crowd applauded and cheered harder than ever before. Rosé seemed satisfied with the reaction, gracefully bent her knees and curtsied repeatedly.

“How was it?” Rosé returned to her seat and asked Felix.

“It was great,” Felix answered, nodding his head slightly. But all his thoughts were directed elsewhere.

After a few more announcements, only the final presenter remained. Surprisingly, he was a small student who came as Lucy Keenan’s partner. Felix, who had been sitting loosely with his legs crossed as he slowly got tired, changed his posture.

The boy’s name was Colin Connor. Colin, who has a small stature, stepped onto the stage as if he was not nervous despite the onerous task of being the last presenter. Colin Connor had an inconspicuous appearance, the audience looked at the small student without much expectation. Only Lucy was cheering and clapping her hands.

Soon, Colin began to recite his poem. His pose was natural, and his voice was confident. He seemed to be familiar with the stage. People tilted their heads as they listened to his recitation. It was a poem that they had never heard before. But they soon began to indulge in the beautiful content more and more.

“Where does that come from?” Rosé asked. She leaned toward Felix, arms folded. However, Felix could not answer because he had never read such a poem in any poetry book.

Colin’s recitation is over. He bowed down and said, “Thank you for listening to my poem.”

The seated audience who were moved by Collin’s poem, gave a thunderous applause. It was even greater than the applause Adrian or Rosé had received.

“What, he didn’t write it, right?” Rosé grumbled, as if displeased with Colin Connor, who received more attention than she was.

But Felix was not listening to Rosé. Before he knew it, his eyes were back on Lucy.

Lucy was smiling more than ever, applauding Colin Connor. From the look on her face, he could tell how proud she was and how much she liked it.

Applause erupted from the audience after each performance.