8: Banquet Star

The whole country heard of the Grit’s daughter’s banquet. She had successfully ranked first in the CSAT last week. Being the first in banking means she has the qualification to study on the Mainland. Although Yolo City was not within a high-ranking country, since her family is sponsored by the General, she had the possibility to enroll in the two prestigious universities there. People were also confident that she would have new friends because of her generosity and kindness.

The reason why people idolized her was because of their tragic past. 

Shania Dewy Grit. A beautiful name of the most adored person in the city. The local citizens were blindly loving her so much as if she was the saintess that would bring them salvation throughout her life. 

Her life was dramatic. 

When she was a young and naive child, her family lived on the Mainland until her father died later when he was betrayed and stripped of his position in his own company. 

No one investigated the validity of her mother’s statement. Little Shania Dewy was traumatized that she could not live her life like any other child for almost a year. She was only able to cope because of the care showered by most of the citizens.

Their story was published in the local tabloid at that time. 

Ignorant people would be fired up once hearing the word “Mainland.” Such a wonderful place they had no idea what was inside. 

But the “big” companies in Yolo City tried to ask for information from the Smart Company with almost all of their assets but were only able to verify that a daughter of the Grit’s family is in Yolo City. But the information has not been updated since two years ago. 

(A/N: Two years ago means two years after the Grit’s family’s downfall.)

When the local citizens started to doubt the validity of her words, a group of big-shot reporters started to rush into their neighborhood. 

Their equipment was more advanced and they were also dazzling. They could hear their voice loud and clear even from afar. 

How did these people find out that she is the missing daughter? Well, the security system outside the Mainland was easy to hack and steal. A year ago, they published about the Grit’s daughter and located it through the IP Address. 

That news was a hot topic on the Mainland since one of the ten immortals was looking for that girl. He would be here three hours from now. He was just preparing to leave the Division 8 and Special Squad led by that popular ice figure, Trujaen.

He once announced that Grit’s daughter needed to be nurtured well.

(A/N: They don’t know her name since the young Grit’s daughter was kept out of the public’s eyes.)

Only three of the ten immortals knew the girl’s identity and three of them have been missing since then. 

General Vanuatu felt responsible, and thus made such an impregnable decision in his life and revealed the information about the missing daughter. 

The moment it was publicized, the Criminal Regime (CR), which has been silent for 25 years, also started to move. 

The race commenced and the targets remained oblivious.

Debussy Institute. 

The first in-school ranking brought by Shania Dewy’s glory against the Faraday Academy. 

The students gathered in groups, chatting about their observations from the exchange students. They realized how big the gap was between them, and the fire of competitiveness lit inside their burning soul. 

Their competitiveness made them sing praises or denigrate the exchange students while boasting about themselves. 

The only thing that might be amazing to them was their status as Mainland citizens. 

There was a large crowd that huddled together as if whispering something.

“I am certain that very few of you know about this secret.” The loli student with blond hair said intriguingly. Everyone recognizes that she was one of the exchange students. But no one despises her because she has a bubbly and outgoing personality.  

The crowd nodded in unison, all had curious looks. 

“We won’t come here to your city if not for Shania Dewy?”

One raised his hand and asked, “Then why do you need to go through the process such as being an exchange student?”

She chuckled mockingly before putting on a smug expression, “The schools there are much stricter than here.”

“How?”

“They don’t  want us to give a shit about those who live outside the Mainland.”

“What?” Voices of disbelief echoed throughout the crowd. 

“Yes.” She nodded with heartfelt consideration. “I know what you are thinking. We also want to interact with you from there. Unfortunately, unless someone made a communication program for more than one month without being able to catch the attention of the government on the Mainland, we would have been friends for a long time now.”

“No one has ever done that yet.” One of the crowd commented. 

The loli student watched as they whispered to each other full of contemplation. “Worry not. I still have one secret ”

The crowd became attentive once again as they stared back at her, waiting for the continuation. 

“Raise your hand if you have been contacted secretly by suspicious people!” She announced excitedly. One by one until all of the crowd in front of her raised their hands. Those who heard her question from afar also held their hands high.

“Okay, done. Your friends and schoolmates who have gone for a trip to the Mainland also meet the same suspicious people.” She smiled with all of her teeth seen as she trembled with excitement. “They all agreed to those suspicious people’s condition.”

The students went into an uproar. They felt the same as when they studied for their exams, yet could not remember clearly, doubting two options, then picking the wrong one, and found out it should be the other one answer and felt devastated by their wrong decisions. 

“That must be why you felt conflicted the other day.” The boy named Beaver mocked the boy beside him. 

Sicily rolled her eyes and answered, “Aren’t you, too?”

Beaver did not put attention to what she said, instead blurting out what he observed almost a month ago. “Only Toro and sister Cider lived carefreely at that time. They might not have been offered that large amount!” 

“At least, we did not fall into temptation.”

“Blah! Blah! Let’s find Terence. That nerd has been guiding that giant fangirl for a week now. Tsk!”

“A riddle in a day drizzles. A loyal dog under the pretentious bitch.”

The two of them looked at another crowd, composed mostly of spoiled brats and fanatics. The emotionless face of a forced young man drew attention to some of the exchange students. 

“You’re the best, Queen!”

“Congratulations, Dewy!” An exchange student and a fanatic congratulated Shania Dewy sincerely, but a girl started nitpicking at her.

“Uh– excuse me? How dare you call her by her name? You are only allowed to address her as Queen or Princess. Frog in the well never knows how vast the world is.”

Beaver and Sicily who just arrived laugh heartily. 

Sicily cheered, “The frog reminds herself, amazing!”

The surrounding started to muffle their laughs, afraid to offend Shania Dewy in any way. But she just watched how things unfold. 

“You peasants should go plowing your fields than pretend to be well-off!” She replied with arrogance.

“Did you hear anything?” Beaver asked out of the blue.

Sicily looked around the crowd as if verifying something. “A dog is barking. It might bite us any minute now; let’s go.” 

They intentionally bumped the shoulder of the arrogant fan as they passed through them. 

Terence paused inches away from Shania Dewy and whispered, “Hold your dog’s leash tightly, and don’t let it run wild.”

Those beside her heard him, making them shut their mouths. 

“Y-YOU!” Those words fueled the anger of the girl and could not help but should with all her might. 

While they were walking, the exchange student stopped and hesitantly opened her mouth. “I will be going. T-thank you.” 

(A/N: I also don’t understand this chapter since I wrote it in November 2022 while I was sleepy.

Reminder, I do not discriminate. Each character, even extras must have their own personality.)