NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 76: Eccentrics
In this dormitory, amidst the heated argument between Yannis and Sequanni, two other individuals happened to be present. One of them was the dormitory head, Noemi, although she was more of a titular head without any real authority over her fellow dormmates.
Noemi, a half-roman half filipina, with her average grades and unremarkable looks—darker skin tone than Luciel, almost wheatish—had a slender figure and an outwardly honest appearance. She spoke softly with her small, sleepy eyes almost closed when she smiled.
Caught in the midst of the sudden quarrel among her roommates, Noemi found herself at a loss, attempting feeble interventions but ultimately backing down, unable to muster even a word.
The other roommate, Chica, formerly Luciel's seatmate and a girl with chinese blood, had a tendency to exploit Hera's snacks whenever possible. She was known for her indecisive nature and during conflicts like this, she simply enjoyed the spectacle while munching on a pack of Pringles paprika and Mini Babybel.
Chica was a peculiar figure in the dorm, known for borrowing others' shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and even toilet paper, yet stingily guarding her own snacks, unwilling to share even a bit, sneaking to eat them under her blanket.
Noemi, the timid dorm head, often bore the brunt of Chica's freeloadings due to her meek and honest demeanor.
However, Chica had her own grievances, primarily about constantly losing things. Just recently, she received a high-end skincare product as a gift from Hera, which she hadn't even used yet, only to discover it mysteriously vanished.
Infuriated, she had shouted in the dorm about catching the thief, but no one paid any attention to her...
This dorm definitely harbored a "thief"!
And this "thief" seemed to target only Chica!
In Chica's view, among the eccentric characters in this dorm, only Noemi, the nominal dorm head, could be considered normal. At least she was honest and kind, freely allowing others to mooch off her, unlike the rest who were all penny-pinchers!
Especially Elena—obviously from a wealthy familia, probably not much different from Hera, using only branded products—yet she locked everything securely away in her cabinet, denying any chance of freeloading.
Chica had even taunted Elena a few times, only to be sternly warned back: "If you say there's a 'thief' in the dorm, you better watch your back."
The other girls silently scoffed; there wasn't a "thief" in the dorm, just a shameless freeloader.
...
When Luciel arrived with her roommates and Xanthia, Chica quickly put down her potato chips and eagerly said to Luciel, "Sister Lucy, you've come! Now we have hope. Please mediate between them."
Luciel gave Chica a sideways glance, suspecting she didn't actually want her to resolve the conflict but to interrupt the drama.
Noemi hurried to Luciel's side, looking determined. In a hushed tone, she explained, "Sister Lucy, their argument didn't start over trivial matters—it's all about past grievances."
Perplexed, Luciel asked, "Then why are they arguing?"
"Because of Elena."
"Elena? What does Elena have to do with this? She's not even in the dorm." Luciel was puzzled.
Xanthia also perked up, intrigued and eager for gossip, having a knack for keeping up with school news thanks to her good rapport with the school's gossip queen, Lhoraine.
Don't let the prestigious Thessaloniki First High School's image deceive you—where there are many students, there are bound to be all sorts of eccentricities, just like in a large forest where all kinds of birds gather.
"Sequanni told Yannis, 'Elena, that flirt, was out fishing for men again last Sunday afternoon. Poor you, stuck in the dorm playing with your phone.' Then Yannis got upset. She defends Elena, saying Elena isn't from Thessaloniki but has a relative here, and she just went to her aunt's for dinner..."
After Yannis finished explaining, she turned to Sequanni and said, "Sequanni, just because you're not attractive and have a crush on that guy from Class 2 Experimental doesn't mean you should be jealous of Elena. Elena has high standards; she wouldn't look twice at him. Just relax!"
This sparked a heated argument, leading Sequanni to deliberately sit on Yannis's bed and start eating braised and greasy snacks, escalating the conflict.
Through Noemi's objective narration, Luciel finally grasped the sequence of events. It was clear these two had deep-seated grievances, and Elena was just a trigger.
Nevertheless, Luciel braved the situation and intervened, addressing the two confronting girls: "Both of you, simmer down. Since you're assigned to the same dorm, you should prioritize common peace!"
"Sequanni, you started this. You shouldn't have provoked Yannis for no reason. Just because Elena is attractive doesn't mean she's guilty."
"And Yannis, it's good that you defended Elena, but attacking Sequanni's appearance afterward was unnecessary. You're escalating the conflict."
"Both of you are at fault here. Don't blow this minor issue out of proportion. You're making a spectacle of yourselves!"
Luciel's authoritative lecture had a significant effect, thanks to her high standing and impartiality in handling matters.
Sequanni was willing to give Luciel face. "Sister Lucy, you're right. Being attractive doesn't imply guilt. But there's a big difference between beautiful girls."
"You, who doesn't flirt with boys at all, are definitely not a flirt."
"But someone like Elena, well, let me say it straight. She loves to tease boys, leading them on for her own amusement. She accepts their favors but never reciprocates. Who wouldn't call her a flirt?"
Luciel frowned. Elena appeared inconspicuous in class; Sequanni's description seemed exaggerated.
Yannis quickly retrieved her phone and showed a chat screenshot to the surrounding girls. "Don't believe Sequanni's nonsense. She's just jealous. Ugly people are always up to mischief! My cousin, Elena, doesn't play with boys like that at all! Look, this afternoon, our class's gentle guy confessed to Elena, and she politely declined. How is that leading boys on? She's naturally liked by boys. What's wrong with that?"