The academy docking station, used solely for work purposes, was unusually crowded.
Seafarers were bustling around the docking station while the academy professors and administrative staff nervously prepared for the welcoming ceremony.
However, what stood out more than that was the group of students blatantly gathered at the staff’s docking station, preparing the welcome event.
“Pastel! Pastel!”
“Wait a minute!”
The head of the inspection department, Leonard, stomped on a wooden box to get their attention and then pointed at the group of students.
“Hey! Your voices are too quiet! Once more! Pastel! Pastel!”
“Pastel! Pastel!”
“That’s right! Once more!”
“Pastel! Pastel!”
The student council members who had separated from the group stared blankly at the scene.
Melissa muttered.
“Did Pastel ask them to do this?”
“Yeah.”
The unsure Alcyra nodded immediately.
Eli, checking if she had forgotten anything in the documents she brought, glanced over and corrected.
“That could be the case.”
It was an opinion that expressed doubt about whether or not it was really requested.
“Probably not…?”
The gaze of those nearby fell on Dustyn, who was awkwardly standing close to Eli. Dustyn flinched but spoke up.
“Pastel just really likes it when everyone gathers like this.”
Melissa listened seriously and nodded.
“It does seem like she would like that. Can I join in a little?”
Alcyra’s silver eyes briefly turned dull as she imagined Melissa, who was not behaving very noble, waving the welcome sign, and she immediately agreed.
“Sure.”
“What do you mean by ‘sure’?”
A stack of documents hit the top of Alcyra’s head. It was Eli.
“Our student council isn’t so free we can participate in that kind of public relations management. The reason we even came out to greet is because of the pending approvals.”
“Is that public relations management?”
“Of course.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s voluntary.”
Dustyn argued, but no one believed him.
Instead, Eli looked at the welcome sign for Pastel in Dustyn’s hand and shot him a pitying glance.
Dustyn flinched. His palm awkwardly covered the pink sign. The part that said “Pastel Heart Pyeong Pyeong~!” was half-covered.
“No, this is just because Leonard gave it to me.”
The pitying look intensified.
“No.”
While Dustyn continued to receive the usual looks, Melissa seriously observed the welcoming crowd.
The head of the inspection department, Leonard, was explaining again the welcome procedure to follow when Pastel’s airship arrived.
“If that’s the case, is that Leonard Tyler also doing it voluntarily?”
“Yeah.”
Melissa gasped slightly.
“I didn’t see him that way. How did he end up like that? My mother’s saying that people ruin themselves when they fall into the desire for power was right.”
Dustyn looked around, then silently refrained from arguing back.
Eli’s expression grew even more pitying.
“Why again?!”
“What? Just do your work properly.”
“The plank? Can you show it to me?”
Melissa received the welcome sign. The pink colors and embarrassing Pyeong Pyeong hearts made her feel slightly ashamed to hold it.
“It must be tailored to Pastel’s taste, right? But don’t you think there’s a bit too much pink? Pastel prefers white over pink. It’s the same with her clothes and belongings.”
“She surprisingly doesn’t like pink that much.”
Eli shook the stack of documents.
“Really?”
“Just looking at the office supplies she uses, it’s all white.”
“The fountain pen is black.”
Alcyra retorted.
“That’s because I brought it to use for myself but ended up giving it as a gift after changing my mind.”
Eli’s expression became serious. In the meantime, she explained her observations about Pastel to her junior colleagues.
“She doesn’t like pink; it’s just that pink looks good on her, so she decorates herself with it. But her actual preference is heavily reflected in the office supplies that help her focus on work without worrying about how others see her.”
“That makes sense.”
Melissa sighed in admiration.
“So when bringing something into the student council room, it has to be white.”
“Ah, so it becomes that way. An order tailored to her preferences.”
“She doesn’t say it, but she gives hints. I once trialed placing a pink ceramic item, and Pastel kept standing in front of it saying ‘Oing Oing’ for a while. Does anyone here know what ‘Oing Oing’ means?”
Eli scanned her colleagues. Alcyra maintained a blank expression while only looking at Melissa.
New employee Melissa thought seriously.
“Move it if it bothers you…?”
“Half of that is correct.”
“Half?”
“The intent is correct, but more interpretation is needed.”
Eli explained with a serious expression.
“If Pastel had only said ‘Oing’ instead of ‘Oing Oing’ in front of the ceramic item, it would have likely been a positive signal. But ‘Oing Oing’ has a different meaning; the character count is double.”
“Double the character count, huh?”
Melissa was astonished.
Having shed her blank expression, Alcyra stared back and forth at Melissa and Eli, who were having a serious discussion, before returning to her blank state.
“Pastel basically said the equivalent of: ‘If it bothers you, move it.’ However, she didn’t say it out loud because it doesn’t fit her image, so she hints at it.”
“Ah, I think I understand.”
Melissa adopted a studious attitude for her contemplation.
“Her hair color and appearance match well with pink, so she lives according to that image, but it seems to be somewhat stressful for her in terms of personal taste.”
She twisted a strand of her golden hair with her finger.
“I can relate. When I was a child, my mother once dressed me in a honeybee dress with wings. Including the antenna headband. I still respect my mother, but that dress back then was really embarrassing—”
“Pfft.”
Imagining the situation, Alcyra laughed.
Melissa’s expression froze in the same smile. Her blue eyes rolled around and settled on Alcyra.
“BellaMonte, are you laughing at me?”
Alcyra paused briefly to consider.
Then she replied.
“Yeah.”
Melissa’s expression turned to one of disbelief.
“Have you always worn well-tailored clothes since you were born, BellaMonte? Oh, I see. Since the weather is cold, did you only wear similar clothes? Could it be that you have several identical outfits in your closet?”
“Yeah.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah.”
Melissa had nothing more to say.
“Is that so? No wonder you weren’t wearing the same unwashed clothes all the time.”
“Hmm?”
Alcyra looked at her silently.
It was a look that seemed to ask how she could think the same clothes meant she was dirty instead of being identical but unwashed.
Melissa felt puzzled, thinking if she mentioned that the backward North couldn’t even wash their clothes, it would be too harsh a mockery, and she should play dumb instead.
“Why are you acting like this?”
Alcyra merely protested silently.
“Here comes the airship.”
Eli looked up at the sky. An airship that was not affiliated with the academy descended.
As it was previously mentioned that they had borrowed the airship, the docking station was prepared without confusion. In fact, if it was a privately borrowed airship, it couldn’t dock due to security principles, which was a violation of regulations, but no one among the staff mentioned it.
On the deck of the whale-like airship, a pink head peeked out. As the hair was blown by the wind, it became clearly visible.
—They’ve arrived!
The head of the inspection department, Leonard, immediately sprang into action.
—Hold up the signs!
Bright pink welcome signs were raised high.
—On three, shout! One! Two! Three!
Head of the inspection department Leonard raised his clenched fist.
—Pastel—
—The great Governor Pastel!
Whether the students gathered or not, the ceremony preparations for the Governor were finished, as Chancellor Horace took out the megaphone and suddenly shouted.
The students, who were about to shout, were swept away confusioningly by the loud voice, and all attention was drawn.
From behind Chancellor Horace, well-dressed musicians came out in a rush. The grand music performance began. It was a symphony orchestra that had received a reckless budget from the academy.
—All of us from the academy staff firmly believed that the great governor would someday take office as the governor of the Sky Island!
The professors and staff clapped in unison. It was a seamless performance, as if they had practiced together beforehand.
Turning her head to the railing of the airship, they saw Governor Pastel covering her mouth in emotion. The girl leaned excitedly against the railing and shouted with all her might.
—Thank you all! It’s all thanks to you!
In the governor’s eyes, only the orchestra and Chancellor Horace seemed to matter now.
—Kraaa!
Head of the inspection department Leonard was tearing at his hair.
—Is he insane with power? There should be limits to flattery! It’s been a long time since the governor’s position disappeared, what does he have to believe without a doubt!
Melissa felt bewildered.
“Is it normally like this?”
The new employee hesitated before timidly raising the welcome sign. Although she knew it was slightly undignified behavior for a noble to do something like this, it still paled in comparison to the glamorous preparations of others.
Governor Pastel’s gaze, which had been joyous, suddenly turned cold. It landed on Melissa, and her eyes widened.
—Wow! Melissa too!
The governor cupped her hands in front of her mouth and shouted.
—You even made a sign?! Thank you so much!
“Ah.”
Melissa brightened up.
“Yeah! Pastel! Oh, maybe my voice isn’t reaching yet.”
The blonde girl hurriedly waved her hands.
The governor waved back eagerly.
—Kraaa!
Head of the inspection department Leonard was furious.
—That friend’s ranking…!
It was the sorrow of someone whose first impression had gone badly, unable to even step into the student council.
