Chapter 38 - Dianca Fritz

After the tournament registration photo was taken, I reunited with my squad in the hallway. Myrrh, Fei, and Neil stood together, their attention fixed on the far end of the corridor. In fact, it wasn’t just them—every student in line seemed captivated, their gazes locked with growing anticipation. Whispers rippled through the crowd like a low current, charged with excitement.

“Is that Dianca Fritz?” Neil muttered, his tone a mix of curiosity and awe.

“Yes,” Myrrh replied with a faint smile, her eyes glinting knowingly.

At the corridor’s far edge, she appeared—a tall, graceful figure who seemed to command the air itself. Dianca Fritz, a blue-haired beauty, stepped forward with a poise that bordered on ethereal. Her long, wavy hair shimmered as it caught the light, bouncing lightly with every elegant stride. Her emerald eyes, luminous and star-like, held a magnetic quality that drew every gaze. She wore the standard gray uniform with a pleated skirt, yet on her, it seemed tailor-made for royalty, accentuating her presence in a way no one else could match.

“Whoa! Dianca! It’s Dianca Fritz!” one of the fanboys squealed, barely able to contain himself.

“Kyaaa! Dianca! Please notice me!” came the shrill cries of the fangirls, their voices teetering on the edge of hysteria.

“I’ll be your dog, Dianca! Just sell us your bathwater!” a group of unashamed degenerates howled from the back, prompting groans of embarrassment from bystanders.

Dianca responded with practiced grace, her smile warm and composed as she waved to the adoring crowd. Then her emerald gaze caught sight of us. Something in her expression changed—her smile widened, bright and genuine, as if she’d found something, or someone, she’d truly been searching for.

With a sudden burst of energy, she hop-skipped down the hallway, closing the distance between us in a matter of moments. Her excitement was unmistakable as she turned her focus to Myrrh.

“W-wait, aren’t you the prodigy Mary Sue Myrrh Alicent?” Dianca asked, her voice trembling slightly, betraying her excitement.

“Huh?” Myrrh blinked, looking first at me, then at Neil and Fei, before her gaze finally returned to Dianca. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, but she quickly straightened her posture, puffed out her chest, and gave a confident smile. “That, I am,” she declared, her voice steady and proud.

“Cool! I’ve always wanted to meet the prodigy WAIFU!” Dianca exclaimed, her emerald eyes sparkling as she clasped Myrrh’s hands in hers. Her voice carried an unmistakable note of admiration. “I’ve heard so many stories about you excelling in every practical exam! And you’re even more beautiful than the rumors say!”

Myrrh returned the gesture with a soft, graceful smile, gently shaking Dianca’s hands. “And I’m equally thrilled to meet the famous girl streamer, Dianca Fritz, in person! I’ve been your fan ever since your debut!”

“Oh, really?” Dianca gasped, her cheeks flushing faintly with excitement. “That’s amazing because I’m your fan, too! Your mother, Mirana Alicent, is my ultimate inspiration. She’s the reason I dreamed of becoming a WAIFU in the first place!”

“And you’re the one who introduced me to MOBA and FPS games,” Myrrh added, her voice light with enthusiasm.

“We should totally do a gaming livestream together sometime!” Dianca beamed, her energy as radiant as her smile. “Fans would go wild seeing a pretty girl like you absolutely slay in online games!”

“I’d love that!” Myrrh replied with a soft laugh, her eyes shining with genuine delight. “It would be so much fun!”

I stood there, stunned, unable to wrap my head around what I was witnessing. Dianca Fritz—the Dianca Fritz—was standing here, practically glowing with excitement over meeting Myrrh Alicent. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Yet here they were, caught in a loop of mutual admiration, their words flowing like old friends reunited, even though this was their first encounter.

The aura around them was dazzling—almost too dazzling. The way they laughed, their melodic voices bouncing off the corridor walls, created an overwhelming atmosphere of joy and warmth. It felt like standing in the presence of twin suns, their radiance pressing down on me.

I had to avert my gaze. The sheer sunshine aura of these two beautiful girls chatting gleefully before me was too much. If I stared any longer, I was certain it would burn a hole through my very soul.

“U-um, Miss Dianca Fritz… c-can I shake your hand?” Neil stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands trembled slightly as he held them out, his cheeks flushed with nervous excitement.

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Dianca turned to him with her signature warm smile. “Of course!” she said, extending her hand gracefully.

The moment their hands touched, Neil’s entire body seemed to light up. His face contorted into an expression of pure euphoria, as though he had just experienced the pinnacle of human bliss. He even let out a quiet, involuntary moan, earning a raised eyebrow from Fei.

“U-um, can I get your a-a-autograph?” Fei Xian piped up, her voice small yet determined. She fumbled to open her Advanced Calculus notebook, holding it out with both hands as if it were a sacred offering.

“Absolutely!” Dianca replied with a cheerful nod, taking the notebook and signing it with a flourish, finishing with a small star.

Fei’s eyes widened, sparkling like gemstones. She gazed at the signature as if it were a masterpiece, her expression akin to a child witnessing a magician pull a rabbit from a hat.

“These are my friends,” Myrrh said, stepping forward with an air of calm confidence. “This is Neil Orbeus, and his partner, Fei Xian. We’re classmates and study buddies.”

Neil and Fei bowed in unison, their movements stiff but sincere. “It’s an honor to meet you!” they chorused.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Dianca replied, her voice as dazzling as the aura she seemed to exude effortlessly.

I watched all this unfold, feeling oddly detached from the overwhelming excitement radiating from my friends. Was I really the only one not starstruck by Dianca? Sure, she was undeniably beautiful and carried herself with the poise of a star, but if I had to compare… Myrrh still had her beat. In my eyes, Dianca was a solid 9.5 out of 10, but Myrrh? She was a perfect 10. Maybe I was just biased—or maybe I was just a hater. Livestreamer girls have always seemed overrated to me, their exaggerated personas dripping through the speakers like plastic honey.

And then, finally, her emerald eyes landed on me.

“And you are?” Dianca asked, her gaze locking onto mine.

I found myself locked in a gaze with Dianca’s starry emerald eyes, each one glittering like a field of gems under the sun. In that instant, her radiant aura enveloped me, and my inner loser—hidden deep beneath layers of cynicism—took control. Her beauty and charisma hit me like a wave, leaving me utterly dazed. My jaw refused to cooperate, frozen by the sheer warmth of her presence. She wasn’t just beautiful; she exuded an approachable friendliness that softened her allure. Maybe I was wrong—maybe she did deserve a ten out of ten after all.

Thankfully, Myrrh stepped in to save me from my awkward silence.

“He’s Zaft Callahan,” Myrrh said, her voice steady and self-assured.

Dianca tilted her head slightly, her gesture as adorable as it was inquisitive. “Is he your goon?” she asked, her tone laced with genuine curiosity.

And just like that, the spell was broken. The radiant aura that had dazzled me mere moments ago dissolved, and my admiration for her plummeted faster than a dropped matchstick. She went from a ten out of ten to a hard one out of ten in record time. I knew it—popular livestreamer girls were just not my thing.

“Pffft! Ahahahaha!” Myrrh suddenly burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she doubled over. Her shoulders shook, and even her chest jiggled with the force of her mirth. “You… you nailed it, Miss Dianca! He is my goon!”

“I’m not!” I shot back, my face flushing with indignation.

Myrrh wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, her smile still radiant. “Zaft is my partner,” she clarified, though the mischievous glint in her eyes suggested she wasn’t entirely letting me off the hook. “He may look like your average hooligan who drops common loot when defeated, but deep down, he’s a reliable guy.”

“Oh, so he has layers?” Dianca asked, her voice so sweet and innocent that it felt like an unintentional jab.

I straightened up, my face deadpan. “I’m a goddamn onion,” I replied, delivering the line with the dryest poker face I could muster.

Dianca’s emerald eyes locked onto mine, and then, without warning, she broke into laughter. “Ahahahaha! You’re funny!” she said, her voice ringing like chimes, bright and carefree.

I frowned slightly, murmuring under my breath, “I don’t get what’s funny about that.”

Her laughter subsided, and she extended her hand with a radiant smile. “Nice to meet you, Mister Zaft Callahan.”

“Nice to meet you too, Miss Dianca Fritz,” I replied, taking her hand for a firm handshake.

I couldn’t help but wonder why Neil had reacted so dramatically earlier, practically swooning over a handshake. Sure, Dianca was famous, but her hand was just soft and warm—nothing extraordinary. If anything, it reminded me of Myrrh’s hand, though the tingling sensation I felt when holding Myrrh’s was stronger, more electrifying. Maybe I was just building up some kind of immunity to holding a girl’s hand. Still, in that brief exchange, Dianca had managed to earn a sliver of my respect. Perhaps I’d check out one of her videos tonight.

“By the way, I just noticed!” Dianca exclaimed suddenly, her expression lighting up with realization. “Are you all joining the Licensure Examination Tournament? Have you submitted your forms?”

“Yes, we are, Miss Dianca,” Neil answered eagerly, his voice tinged with the unmistakable tone of a simp.

“Great! Then I’ll be seeing you in the arena!” Dianca declared with an enthusiastic clap of her hands. “I was invited by the university to host the entire tournament! So make sure you all pass the written exams, okay?” She punctuated her encouragement with a playful wink, and holographic sparkles showered around her like a special effect straight out of a livestream.

“We will!” Myrrh, Fei, and Neil chimed in unison, their voices brimming with determination.

I just smiled faintly. Sunshine-drenched encouragement like that wasn’t exactly my style, and I had no clue how to respond without sounding awkward.

“See you later then, Myrrh, Fei, Neil, and Zaft! Good luck!” Dianca said with a cheerful wave before turning and heading toward the entrance of the registration booth. She took a seat at one of the terminals, effortlessly slipping into her role as the event’s host.

As I watched her go, I couldn’t help but wish she had been the one handling my registration earlier. Instead, I’d been stuck with that overly smug metrosexual hipster, whose unnecessarily complicated explanations and fake smiles had drained every ounce of my patience.