My Lie, Your Ring, This Rose| Kamukoma

🥀 Chapter 8 🥀

Doubtful or confidence? Doubtfulness. It is the moon that sits there, pale, sick and colourless. Blotches of grey surrounds half of it while the rest is an eerie white. Although at night the moon is practically glowing, it is glowing out of fear not of beauty. It stares at everything around it, wanting to become something brighter, yet it cannot. The moon has only ever seen the sun in its dullest form for the moon moves too quickly to get a chance to admire the sun. Confidence. The sun, being confident, is what lights up the sky and awakens the earth. It spreads a bucket of paint across the night sky to announce its arrival. The sun glows out of exquisiteness and it warms the heart of the earth. However, if the confidence one holds is too fiery, then it is as if the sun burns the heart rather than hugging it. Doubtfulness gets you nowhere, but too much confidence gets you to the bottom of what you had. I snuggled further into the silky pillow. My eyelids felt cold and my cheeks were clenching my jawbone. Why is it so cold? I hugged myself, to keep at least the little bit of warmth I had with me. Suddenly, a mellifluous tune surrounded my room. The small notes of the piano made me open my eyes. I sat up on the burgundy bedsheets. I rubbed my eyes roughly and sleepily stared at the grand tv screen in front of me. The once black screen was filled with the image of Kirumi.
"If you have not gotten up yet, I advise you do! The first competition will start in an hour and breakfast finishes in twenty minutes," she smiled and waved. The screen made a clicking sound before switching off. I turned my neck to the side for a satisfying crack before turning my attention back at the screen. Twenty minutes till breakfast ends. Twenty minutes? I scratched the back of my hair. Kirumi's words started to ring in my head like a buzzer.
"Twenty minutes!" I exclaimed. I jumped off the bed and my feet landed with a soft thud against the velvety carpet. I ran to the bathroom and picked up the charcoal toothpaste. I brushed my teeth rapidly, the brush going around each tooth in a circular manner. I glanced next to me where the charcoal shampoo was. I sighed, of course each bathroom essential was made out of charcoal. I pushed my thoughts aside. Worrying about mindless things shouldn't be my top priority. Hell can do whatever it wishes, someone like me shouldn't judge. Once finished with my hurried shower, I ran to my bed. The sheets were dented and the pillow was on the floor due to me jumping up. I frowned and rubbed my arms, it's still so cold. Is the heating broken? With my luck most likely.  I folded the sheets neatly and symmetrically. My hand glided through the sheets. Even at home, the bedsheets weren't this soft. My hand stopped midway. What's this black thing? I rubbed my hands on the blanket. It looks like paint?
"What's paint doing here?" I muttered. I shrugged, maybe it came from the walls. I glanced at the walls, actually that's unlikely. The walls were made out of black quartz, not paint. I took my hand away from the stain.
"That doesn't matter right now, I need to go," I announced to myself. I examined my room one more time. It was an elegant room for sure. I never thought that I out of all people would be able to even be in such a room. There were two deep claret, leather seats in the far right along with a gold table. On the left, was a lonely door which opened the bathroom. One bedside table sat happily next to the bed,with an ebony hourglass. The sand in the hourglass looked soft and delicate. I wonder why they would put an hourglass there though. Never mind that, I'm glad my luck hasn't recked anything in the room yet. I smiled and my room door opened for me to exit.

•🥀•

A rush of cold air caught my attention. My hair flew sideways, directing my eyes to look beside me. Nagito stood there next to his room door, hugging himself as if he was in Antarctica. I hummed, if I were to predict anything: his room's heating broke.
"You should speak to Kirumi about the temperature of your room," I announced aloud. Nagito jumped and spun around rapidly. His hair was still slightly dripping with water, he must have showered in a rush. I looked at my watch, he was late.
"I didn't see you there," he smiled at me. "Also, good morning."
"Hm, yes. Good morning. You do know that you are late?" I responded to him. He shuffled his feet embarrassed. He nodded, his eyes glancing to the side.
"Sorry," he mumbled. I shook my head.
"To be on time is only a benefit to you, not me. You do not need to apologise. The first competition is today. I suggest you rush to the dinner hall," I responded to him. A section of my hair fell in front of my face. The blackness drowning out my vision of Nagito. I squinted my eyes. He nodded and smiled at me.
"Goodbye Prince Izuru," he waved at me and ran off. I clutched the documents I had tighter and carried on walking. My feet clacked with the floor making an unsettling echo around me. I carried on staring at the floor. This competition was going to at least amuse me for a while. However, it could just end up failing and being tedious. I frowned a little. In the end, I get to choose the demon I will marry. Not the public, not the competition. I do. Very well, let's hope I make a good decision. I sighed and opened the door to the room. There stood a large table with rubies encrusted in it and multiple seats. Kirumi was already sitting in one, crossed legged. She immediately stood up and bowed when she saw me.
"Good Morning sire, please have a seat," she gestured to the seat in front of her. I walked over to the seat. I pulled the chair out, it making a disappointing noise, and sat down. Kirumi placed some sheets in front of the table for me to take. I scanned them before dragging the one most important.
"Miss Sayaka came to me last night and requested that the singing competition should go first," she started. I nodded, some strands of my hair nodding with my head. I moved my legs to sit crosslegged and Kirumi continued.
"So in favour of her, I decided that the singing competition will be the first competition. What do you think sir?" she questioned me.
"Well it is only explanatory that Sayaka wanted to get her competition over with. If you have already set the competition up then no reason to disagree," I sighed. She nodded.
"Also, in Nagito's room the heating has broken. Please request someone to fix it," I insisted. I kept my eyes on the sheet but I could feel Kirumi smiling.
"I thought you said that you weren't going to talk to any of the contestants?" she asked.
"It is due to his luck that we keep crossing paths," I responded.
"Makoto has the same talent as him though," she carried on talking. I placed the papers back on the table and made a neat pile of them before responding.
"Nagito experiences a different type of luck," I commented.
"Isn't that an unpredictable trait then? You wanted someone who would bring colour in your life, did you not?" Kirumi asked me. I thought about it for a little bit. His luck was quite interesting. Something good then something bad, or the other way around. Let's see how his luck plays out today.
"Perhaps," I concluded before getting up and walking out of the room, leaving a smiling Kirumi behind.

•🥀•

The smell of sweet and sour, fruity and savoury filled the dining hall. Majority of the demons are here, however, I feel like some are definitely missing. I can't exactly remember any of their names though, oh how useless I am. I walked towards the table and sat down. Despite breakfast ending twenty minutes ago, making that twenty minutes until the competition, Kirumi was nowhere to be seen. Knowing her, she knew that I would wake up late and decided to keep the hall open for me. Although, I shouldn't make the situation all about me. I picked up a bagel and stuffed the remaining bits in my mouth. I noticed that someone had picked the seat next to me.
"Psst," a voice whispered. I moved my head to the side to see a robot. Kiibo, right? At least I can remember his name.
"Nagito, move your hand to the side of your wings," he instructed. I blinked a couple of times. What is he saying?
"Excuse me?" I murmured. He sighed and pointed to the corner of my wings. My eyes widened in shock. On a couple of the feathers, the black dye had come off- I thought this was permanent! Junko, you liar! That must have been the black paint on the bed.
"Since my wings are made out of metal, I carry black paint around with me everywhere. Come with me to my room, I'll get it for you," Kiibo smiled at me. He was being nice to me? Why?
"Thank you," I smiled at him back. I got the long blazer of my suit and put it over my wings. This way, no one will see the white on my wings. Kiibo got up and walked out of the room and I followed him. We walked down the corridors and he unlocked his room with his face. I waited patiently outside his room. What if he uses this information against me? Oh gosh, I didn't think about this. He must know I'm an angel now. Kiibo came back with a can of black paint and beckoned me to come inside. I nodded shakily and stepped inside of his room. It looked the exact same as my room. He shook the can and started to spray it on me.
"Will you...tell anyone about this?" I questioned him. Kiibo laughed a little.
"No, don't worry. I, in fact, admire angels. You guys are the lights of the earth," he commented. I smiled. We were symbols of hope after all.
"Why did you come here to the competition?" Kiibo continued talking.
"My friends told me to and truthfully I wanted to compete," I responded. He nodded. I glanced down, he was done. I felt a tingle on the back of my wings. I sighed and started to pat them rapidly. Despite my patting, the gold sparks just kept coming out. Some sharper than others. Suddenly, the same melody I heard this morning filled the room again. I looked at the tv screen and Kirumi was there.
"Please make your way to the singing venue for the competition. The workers of the royal castle will direct you there," she announced. The tv switched off and Kiibo and I exchanged glances.
"I'm not good at singing," he murmured.
"That makes two of us," I sighed and we walked out of his room. Multiple of workers, all with scarlet suits, stood in two rows. There were fifteen along the wall and fifteen along the other wall. One of them stepped in front of us and smiled. He tapped his foot on the floor as he spoke.
"Please follow me for the first competition," he smiled. I ruffled my hair and nodded at him. He smiled and walked towards the glassy stairs. His wings were larger than mine and there was a scar on one of them. It dragged from the front to the middle. Maybe, he got into an accident? It looks as if someone scratched him purposely though. I cleared my throat and carried on climbing the stairs. We had reached to the second floor. It had the exact same interior as the first one, it was as if they were identical. The worker lead Kiibo and I to large gold doors. I pushed one open to see a colossal music venue. The stage was made from marble and it had cyan and navy stripes. The lights were directly above the stage and there were rows and rows of turquoise, velvet seats.
"Nagito and Kiibo, thank you for coming. Please have a seat. All the contestants are here now. We are just waiting for Prince Izuru," Kirumi spoke up, she was standing in the centre of the stage. I nodded and felt my nails dig in my socks. I don't know how to sing- or do anything in that matter. I itched my nose and sighed. I was lucky enough to eat breakfast, despite the fact that breakfast ended. What is my luck going to do now? I wonder, most likely something horribly, awfully bad.