The academy’s dock, usually only for business use, was unusually bustling with activity.
Sailors busied themselves around the dock while the academy’s professors and administrative staff prepared a tense welcome ceremony.
However, what stood out even more than that were the groups of students openly gathering at the staff dock to prepare the welcome event.
“Pastel! Pastel!”
“Wait a second!”
Hearing the shouting, Head Inspector Leonard stomped on a wooden box to get everyone’s attention. Then he pointed emphatically at the group of students.
“Hey! You lot! Your voices are too quiet! Once more! Pastel! Pastel!”
“Pastel! Pastel!”
“That’s right! Again!”
“Pastel! Pastel!”
The members of the student council, who had strayed away from the group, gazed at the scene in bewilderment.
Melissa murmured, “Did Pastel order this?”
“Yeah.”
Elshire, who didn’t really get it, agreed immediately.
Elly, checking if anything was missing from the documents she brought, glanced over and corrected them.
“That could be true.”
While it wasn’t clear whether Pastel actually commanded it or not, it at least raised suspicions.
“It wouldn’t be…?”
Dustin, awkwardly standing nearby Elly, caught their gaze. He flinched but managed to speak up.
“She really loves it when they do that.”
Melissa listened seriously and nodded.
“It does seem like something Pastel would enjoy. Can I participate a bit?”
Elshire’s silver eyes momentarily went blank. Imagining the absurd image of Melissa shaking a welcome sign, she immediately agreed.
“Sure.”
“What do you mean ‘sure’?”
A pile of documents thwacked against Elshire’s head. It was Elly.
“Our student council isn’t idle enough to engage in managing public opinion like that. We just came out to greet them because of delayed approvals.”
“Is it really about managing public opinion?”
“Of course.”
“It’s not! It’s voluntary!”
Dustin countered, but no one believed him.
Instead, Elly shot a pitiful glance at the welcoming sign for Pastel that Dustin was holding.
Dustin flinched. His palm awkwardly concealed the pink sign. The part saying “Pastel Heart Sparkle~!” was half-hidden.
“No, this is just because Leonard gave it to me.”
The pitying gaze intensified.
“No.”
While Dustin continued to receive his usual looks, Melissa seriously observed the welcoming crowd.
Head Inspector Leonard was explaining once again the welcoming method to be used when Pastel’s airship arrived.
“If that’s the case, is Leonard Tyler also doing it voluntarily?”
“Yeah.”
Melissa frowned slightly.
“I didn’t see him that way. How did he end up like that? My mother always said that when a person falls into a lust for power, they ruin themselves.”
Dustin glanced around, then subtly chose not to counter.
Elly looked even more pitying.
“Why again?!”
“What? Just do your job right.”
“Is it that plank? Can I see it?”
Melissa received the welcome sign. Surrounded by pink and embarrassing hearts, she felt slightly ashamed for holding it.
“It must’ve been made to suit Pastel’s tastes, right? But don’t you think there’s a bit too much pink? Pastel seems to prefer white over pink, especially with her clothes and supplies.”
“She doesn’t like pink as much as you think.”
Elly dusted off the pile of documents.
“Huh? Is that so?”
“You can tell just by looking at the office supplies she uses. They’re all white.”
“The fountain pen is black.”
Elshire retorted immediately.
“That’s because I brought it to use, but then changed my mind and gifted it instead.”
Elly’s expression turned serious. She explained her observations of Pastel to her junior colleagues.
“She doesn’t like pink; she decorates herself in pink because it looks good on her. But when it comes to supplies, she focuses more on her actual preferences.”
“True.”
Melissa nodded in admiration.
“That’s why when we bring something into the student council room, we should get it in white.”
“Oh, so that’s how it works. Customized for her preferences.”
“She won’t say it, but she gives hints. I once placed a pink ceramic piece to test, and Pastel spent a while going ‘oing oing’ in front of it. Does anyone know what ‘oing oing’ means?”
Elly scanned her junior colleagues. Elshire looked dumbfounded while Melissa just stared at her.
The new employee, Melissa, pondered seriously.
“Does it mean ‘it bothers me, so take it away’?”
“Half of that is right.”
“Half?”
“The intention is correct, but it needs further interpretation.”
Elly explained with a serious expression.
“If Pastel had just said ‘oing’ in front of the ceramic instead of ‘oing oing,’ it would’ve likely been a positive signal. But ‘oing oing’ means something different. The word count is doubled.”
“It’s doubled in word count.”
Melissa was amazed.
Elshire, snapping out of her daze, alternately observed the serious conversation between Melissa and Elly, then returned to her previous clueless look.
“Pastel is essentially saying to the pink ceramic: ‘It bothers me, take it away. But I won’t say it because that doesn’t fit my image, so figure it out.’”
“Aha. I think I get it.”
Melissa pondered with a diligent attitude.
“With the pink hair and looks, it suits her image to live like that, but it must stress her on some level.”
She twisted a strand of her golden hair around her finger.
“I can relate. When I was little, my mother dressed me in a bee dress with wings on the back. Including the antennaed headband. I still respect my mother, but that dress was so embarrassing back then—”
“Pfft.”
Elshire, imagining the scene, let out a laugh.
Melissa froze in the middle of her smiling expression. Her blue eyes shifted to Elshire.
“Are you laughing, Bellamont?”
Elshire paused for a moment to think.
Then responded.
“Yeah.”
Melissa’s face turned to one of disbelief.
“Bellamont, did you always dress well since birth? Haha. Because it’s cold, did you always just wear similar clothes? You can’t possibly have lots of the same outfit in your wardrobe, can you?”
“Yeah.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah.”
Melissa found herself at a loss for words.
“Did you, then? No wonder. It wasn’t that you were always wearing unwashed clothes.”
“Hmm?”
Elshire looked at her quietly.
It seemed to ask how she thought of someone to assume that the same clothes meant they didn’t wash them at all.
Melissa, thinking about how she might have severely mocked the backward North by suggesting they couldn’t even wash their clothes, decided to pretend it didn’t matter.
“Why are you doing that?”
Elshire only protested silently.
“The airship is coming.”
Elly looked up at the sky. An airship not affiliated with the academy was descending.
Since it was mentioned they had rented an airship, the dock was prepared without confusion. Technically, a privately rented airship shouldn’t be allowed to dock due to security protocols, but none of the staff mentioned anything.
As the airship, resembling a whale, lowered its altitude, a pink head peeked out. As the hair fluttered in the wind, it became distinctly visible.
—It’s here!
Head Inspector Leonard immediately sprang into action.
—Hold up the signs!
A flurry of radiant pink welcome signs shot up.
—On three, we shout! One! Two! Three!
Head Inspector Leonard raised his clenched fist.
—Pastel—
—Our great Governor Pastel!
No matter how the students gathered, the preparations for the ceremony had been completed by President Horace, who suddenly blasted his voice through a megaphone.
So powerful was his shout that the students, who were about to shout, were swept up and stared in shock.
A group of well-dressed musicians followed behind President Horace, and a grand orchestral performance kicked off. The academy’s budget had been exuberantly poured into the symphony orchestra.
—We, the staff of the academy, believed without a doubt that the great Governor would someday take the position of the Governor of the Sky Island!
The professors and staff clapped in unison. It was as if they had practiced somewhere.
Turning to the rail of the airship, Governor Pastel was seen covering her mouth in surprise. The girl leaned excitedly over the rail and shouted with all her might.
—Thank you, everyone! It’s all thanks to you!
It seemed the Governor’s eyes were solely on the orchestra and President Horace.
—Kraaah!
Head Inspector Leonard ruffled his hair.
—Is that guy insane with a lust for power?! A little flattery is fine, but it’s been ages since she lost the governorship—what does he have to believe in?!
Melissa was taken aback.
“Is this how it usually is?”
The new employee hesitated before lifting her welcome sign timidly. It certainly was an action unbecoming of a noble, but compared to everyone else’s extravagant preparations, it was glaringly insufficient.
Governor Pastel’s joyful gaze suddenly turned to Melissa, her eyes widening as they locked onto her.
—Wow! Melissa too!
The Governor clapped her hands together like a megaphone and shouted.
—You even made a sign?! Thank you!
“Oops.”
Melissa’s expression brightened.
“Yes! Pastel! Ah, maybe I’m not loud enough yet.”
The blonde girl hurriedly waved her hands.
The Governor waved back.
—Kraaah!
Head Inspector Leonard was furious.
—That ranking of friends…!
It was the sorrow of someone who had a bad first impression and couldn’t even step foot in the student council.
