Underneath the Silhouette-Chapter 78: More Than Meets the Link

The empty classroom fell silent after Link’s words. Coleen stared at the young man’s conflicted face, then let out a sigh.

"Stop doing that."

Link flinched after Coleen removed his hand from the door. He bit his lower lip as he held Coleen’s arm. "I’m sorry, for telling you things I didn’t mean. You know you’re the only one for me, Coco."

Coleen rubbed her face, exhaling slowly. "I know what you’re trying to do, Link," she said, her gaze steady on his. "I’m not falling for it anymore... because I know... I know the truth, about us... about you."

Link blinked rapidly, his eyes wide. "W-What do you mean? I-I’m not doing anything that you’ll hate."

Coleen scanned the classroom, then walked to the far door at the upper end of and locked it. She returned and locked the second door near the bottom of the room.

The young girl took a calming breath, then reached out and held both of Link’s hands. "I like you just the way you are, Link. What you said might have stung, but we’ve been friends since we were children. Even after my romantic feelings for you faded, I’d still love you with my whole heart."

Link stared, his expression uncomprehending. "You don’t like me anymore?"

The question made Coleen chuckle. "Yes, it’s been that way since I realized you’d never like me... and you know I already like someone else, don’t you? So why do you keep acting like that?"

Link stared at their holding hands. "You knew my secret? Since when?"

Coleen laughed. "Since forever. How long do you think we’ve been friends? I knew it before you even realized it yourself."

Link looked around the empty room with his brows furrowed. "Wait, what secret are we talking about?"

Coleen shook her head. "You do have tons of secrets, don’t you?" she said with a laugh. "I’m sorry for ignoring you for almost a week."

Link sighed, gently caressing Coleen’s hand and leading her to the seats. "I’m also sorry for telling you to leave Eirin even though you didn’t want to." Coleen’s lips pressed into a thin line, and she fought back tears.

"Apology accepted. You can stop acting like you have romantic feelings for me now."

Link’s gaze swept around the empty room again after she spoke. "I did see you in a romantic light before, Coco. That was real."

Coleen caressed Link’s cheeks. "I know, but when you’re with me, you can let go of everyone’s expectations and just be yourself. Shade, Trix, and even Eirin would accept you for who you are. I just know it."

The young man giggled and said, "It’s like you’re saying I’ve been putting on a façade my whole life."

Coleen shrugged, her silence a clear agreement. "I mean, you can’t say you didn’t, because you did—and anyway, we’re too young for romantic love anyway." Laughter bubbled between them. Link still chuckling, began to apologize again for his insensitive remarks.

"You know, I’m just thankful I gained a new friend, but that doesn’t mean it makes you any less important," Coleen said, smiling as she gripped Link’s hand gently. "I didn’t want to rely on you my whole life. I didn’t want to make your life miserable by hindering chances you could have taken if I weren’t around."

The young man’s forehead creased as he sighed. "What does that even mean? You know you’re a part of me. You’re my family. You will always be part of my decisions, you know that."

"I realized that too. That’s also why I tried to keep my distance, because I wanted you to enjoy your time alone—I know it sounds like an excuse, and maybe it is, but I genuinely thought of your well-being."

Link laughed, a wide, unrestrained sound that showed his gums, and Coleen couldn’t help but join him. "What are we doing? This isn’t like us," he said, shaking his head. "Remember that time when we first met?"

Coleen suppressing her smile as the memory of their first meeting resurfaced in her mind. She pictured it; the small boy with a muddy face and empty, blank eyes, standing before a little girl in a tutu dress with tears welling in her own eyes. Mr. Blade had held both their hands, watching warily as they stared at each other.

"Coleen, this is Link. He came from Infirmus," Mr. Blade said. "Link, this is Coleen McGuffin. She was born in the north. Now, you two are playmates and classmates, so you must get along well, okay?"

They remembered the faint unease that had flickered across Mr. Blade’s face as he introduced them.

"Remember when I accidentally stuck gum in your hair? Mr. Blade tried so hard to calm you down because you wouldn’t stop crying after they cut your hair."

Coleen raised a brow. "What do you mean, accidentally? You did that on purpose because you wanted to play with Trix, but he kept playing with me. You were really envious then because you liked him, didn’t you?"

Link chuckled and shook his head. "I was a child, okay? Who wouldn’t like Trix before? I felt horrible doing that too, didn’t I give you my allowance for the whole month because of it?"

"Yeah, I bought so many candies that I ended up with a toothache. Arthur had a hard time accompanying me to the physician because I cried so much. He couldn’t leave me because I was holding onto his hair," Coleen recounted, laughing until her stomach ached.

Link nodded. "You know, I feel a little bad for Mr. Blade now. He became our father figure, but Shade’s still making it hard for him."

Coleen chuckled. "I know right! When will he grow up? He’s even bullying Ei even though she’s trying her best to get along with him."

Link shrugged as he rested his neck on the back of the chair. "You know how Shade gets sometimes. He’s wary of people after all."

"Remember that one time when we first met him? He was like a stray cat, feisty and terrified. He looked adorable back then."

Link looked at the ceiling. "He was so small; I think he was the same height as you."

Coleen nodded emphatically. "I used to be able to boss him around. But something shifted in him—I can’t even remember when it started—and now he’s this Shade Cromwell. The troublemaker and arrogant Shade Cromwell."

The two continued reminiscing, as if they’d forgotten why they were alone in the room in the first place. Coleen kept talking about how much she missed the days when Shade was just an adorable little guy who followed them around because he had no friends.

"I wonder when it began... it was so drastic I couldn’t remember how he changed."

Link held Coleen’s hand once again. "It doesn’t matter how he changed, because I know he’s still the same person underneath. Maybe just tired from all the challenges Ms. Hockenbury keeps throwing at him—who wouldn’t be?"

"I agree." Coleen leaned on Link’s shoulder. "I always wonder why Ms. Hockenbury hates Shade so much. It’s not like he was born the jerk that he is now, and he didn’t even want to have demon blood in him. He had his cute sides too, but the academy corrupted him."

Link sighed. "Corrupted might not be the right word. You know why he turned out like that. The treatment from professors, and even some students when all he ever wanted was to meet his mother again. The academy is hindering him from doing that."

Their talk continued, touching on their childhood that now seemed to be fleeting away, their dearest friend who has lost who he used to be, their new companions, and the evolving relationship between them.

"I think even Calixta is under the impression that you’re in love with me," Link chuckled. "You certainly appear that way. Coco is kind of blunt when it comes to expressing her emotions when she truly likes someone."

Coleen pinched Link’s cheek. "Of course I love you. You’re my best friend, and my family."

"I didn’t mean that kind of love," Link laughed, gently cupping his friend’s cheeks. "I will always be grateful for your love, and for accepting me for who I am. Even my parents couldn’t do that."

Coleen gently slapped Link’s arm after his playful jab. "I told you, we’re too young for romance."

A comfortable silence settled between them, and they lost all track of how long they’d stayed in that empty, locked room together.

"You know, Shade wouldn’t mind your secret. He wouldn’t even care. I can see him saying that you’re still you matter who you like or what you want to be," Coleen shrugged. "That’s the kind of person he is—or maybe he just can’t care enough about other people."

Link smiled. "You really can’t end it without dissing Shade, can you?"

Coleen rubbed her elbows and shook her head. "It gives me shivers just thinking of Shade Cromwell being kind. Do you see how he treats Eirin? He’s being twice as mean towards her, don’t you agree?"

Link scratched his chin. "I don’t know about being mean, but doesn’t he act quite different around Eirin?"

"Different? How?" Coleen tilted her head.

Link shrugged. "It’s like he’s always holding something back when Eirin’s around. It’s not like him."

Coleen scoffed. "The only thing he’s holding back is no-thing!"

The two laughed. "By the way, your birthday’s coming, should we tell Eirin?" Coleen asked.

Link smiled and said, "Nah, I think we should just celebrate it by ourselves."

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