NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 96: Grand Entrance
Without a doubt, the moment Xanthia walked into the classroom, her meticulously prepared white silk maid costume created a buzz that further ignited the excitement of everyone present at the school sports festival's opening ceremony.
The sports festival was already a time when students of Thessaloniki First High School could unwind and revel in joy, a period that could be summed up in a single phrase—“sweetness after bitterness.”
After all, the daily routine at Thessaloniki First High School was so rigorous it felt like imprisonment. The monthly break was like a brief respite from confinement, and the sports festival transformed what were usually grueling, monotonous days into a time of entertainment and relaxation. It was an immensely pleasant change!
Moreover, just a few weeks ago, the students had faced their first major monthly exam of high school—a nerve-wracking, grueling test that starkly highlighted the differences between high school and junior high.
Some students adapted quickly, seizing opportunities during the exams to make significant progress, while others, still basking in the glory of their junior high days, faltered and lost their way.
But now, everyone could temporarily cast aside the burdens of academic pressure and worries about their grades, like shedding all their heavy baggage and finally indulging in their youth.
In this moment, Xanthia undoubtedly became the highlight of her classmates’ high school memories, adding a vibrant splash of color to their youthful experiences.
The most striking feature of Xanthia’s new maid costume was undoubtedly her long, slender, and exquisite legs.
The pure white silk thigh-high stockings, combined with the maid outfit's skirt, created a captivating visual effect. The delicate lace trim accentuated the allure of her perfectly proportioned legs to the fullest extent!
Typically, the “white, young, and slender” type of beauty might have its limitations in terms of figure, but if she were curvaceous and well-endowed, she would no longer fit the “white, young, and slender” mold.
Though Xanthia did share some of the common shortcomings of this beauty archetype, her slender waist and perfect leg proportions, combined with her innocent, youthful, and endearing face, and classic pale complexion, completely overshadowed any flaws in her slender figure.
Regardless, she exuded an overwhelming sense of first love.
She might not align with the word “sexy” and might not stir the most primal desires, but by perfecting the “pure” attribute, she had achieved an unmatched level in this category!
It’s worth noting that the white silk thigh-high stockings weren’t as easy to pull off as black stockings. Only someone with Xanthia’s pale, youthful appearance could bring out the pure, immaculate feeling of white silk to its fullest potential.
Aside from the standout feature of her lower half, the blue wig she wore and the classic maid headpiece were also highlights. The headpiece was like the finishing touch to the maid outfit, making it feel complete; without it, the ensemble would be missing that essential detail, much like how some anime characters would seem incomplete without their signature hair strands.
At this very moment, the classroom erupted in excitement!
The girls’ reactions were relatively subdued. Perhaps few of them had seen the very popular anime "Re:One" from a few years back, and so they didn’t fully grasp the appeal of Xanthia’s cosplay of the character Rem, who had been voted as the most adorable character.
However, they had to admit that the maid outfit Xanthia wore was crafted with high quality, from the materials to the craftsmanship. The details, including the lace, were particularly exquisite, with no hint of a “plastic” feel.
Such high-quality clothing was clearly not something you could just buy online but seemed like it had been handcrafted by a master tailor.
One could only say that system-designed outfits were inherently “head and shoulders above the rest” since they could directly enhance player attributes. The overall quality was indeed not something ordinary ready-to-wear clothing could match.
From a gaming perspective, ordinary ready-to-wear clothing in real life would be “gray” trash quality, barely qualifying as even basic gear, while her white silk maid outfit was “purple” epic quality, with special equipment effects. The difference in grade was like heaven and earth!
The boys’ reactions, especially those like Miguel, a seasoned otaku, were nothing short of exaggerated!
His eyes widened in disbelief. He had thought that wearing his Ultraman costume and playing the joker would make him the star of Class 3, but Xanthia’s perfect Rem cosplay was impossible to top!
The thought of her leading Class 1-3’s banner bearers in such a stunning manner made Miguel feel immensely proud. Class 1-3 would undoubtedly become the most talked-about class in the entire school!
Other boys in the class couldn’t help but cheer, whistle, and shout out loud!
The boys unanimously praised Xanthia's outfit for the day. Even those who weren’t into anime or didn’t understand cosplay had basic aesthetic sensibilities.
With Xanthia’s current appearance at around 70 points on the beauty scale, she could have pulled off anything, but this exquisite white silk maid outfit, which highlighted her eye-catching legs, had achieved a resounding success!
Most girls also appreciated Xanthia’s innovative new look. They found joy in beautiful people and beautiful things, which always lifted their spirits.
However, there were a few, like Hera, who couldn’t stand Xanthia’s attention-grabbing appearance. The more prominent Xanthia became, the more Hera despised her, thinking she was just a girl who pleased the boys. Hera was clearly creating anxiety over beauty and considered removing her from the female ranks to ease her frustration.
When Xanthia returned to her seat, Lhoraine turned around and exclaimed excitedly, “Xanthia, your Rem costume today is stunning! A maid outfit! So perfect! Let’s take a picture together—I want to treasure it for a lifetime!”
“Sure, let’s take a photo!” Xanthia replied with a cheerful smile.
Lhoraine, the arts committee member and gossip queen, was thrilled. She was one of the few girls who genuinely enjoyed watching anime and was quite eclectic in her tastes. Whether it was shoujo anime or male-oriented harem and moe shows, she enjoyed them all. Thus, she was even more excited than most boys to see Xanthia’s outfit.
At that moment, Elena had not yet returned to the classroom and might still be changing, so Lhoraine took the opportunity to pose with Xanthia and start taking selfies.
Lhoraine was the type to post her daily life on social media, so she definitely planned to share these photos on her SocMed Moments and Synomilia.
Given that Lhoraine’s looks were a tier below Xanthia’s, the difference was even more pronounced with Xanthia’s outfit. In their selfies, Lhoraine appeared as a mere backdrop to highlight Xanthia.
Lhoraine, however, didn’t mind at all. She had a “fun-loving” personality and wasn’t overly sensitive like some other girls. She didn’t harbor jealousy just because her looks were overshadowed.
She considered Xanthia a true friend and appreciated her beauty genuinely, not just as a superficial “plastic sister.” The more beautiful Xanthia was, the happier Lhoraine felt for her.
After Xanthia’s dazzling entrance, other girls who came into the classroom gradually, no matter how well-dressed, couldn’t make as much of an impact.
The group of “bottom-feeding” guys had lost interest in making comments, clearly feeling that nothing could compare to what they had just seen.
In reality, most high school girls weren’t bold enough and feared being seen as overly eager to please boys, which could lead to gossip and rumors behind their backs.
Since Xanthia was a day student and didn’t stay in the dormitory, the girls in her immediate surroundings, who had no “beauty anxiety,” were free to flaunt as they wished.
Even if one were to consider it from a different perspective, Xanthia was someone who didn’t care about others’ opinions. Everything she did was essentially for her own enjoyment, regardless of what others thought.
She thrived on shining brightly and causing a stir, relishing the joy it brought her. Being low-key was not her style—it reminded her too much of her previous, unnoticed self. Of course, making a splash behind the scenes was a different matter.
Transforming into a prominent figure and flaunting her success was exhilarating.
Thus, Xanthia would never miss an opportunity to show off.
As more students, dressed in their flamboyant costumes for the opening ceremony, entered the classroom, they brought their own unique styles.
Elena La Loannou, for example, had chosen an outfit that suited her aesthetic—still maintaining her fresh, artistic goddess vibe. While not as eye-catching, it had its own uniqueness and presence.
Boys who appreciated this style would easily be drawn in, potentially becoming quite smitten.
The boys who fell for Elena's charm likely still thought Xanthia’s outfit was overly flashy. They couldn't handle it, preferring the more traditionally fresh style and natural beauty that Elena represented.
As for Luciel, she had chosen not to wear the school uniform today. It was a rare opportunity to relax at school, and she wanted to switch up her style.
Her new outfit was quite trendy, though somewhat unconventional for her gender. Nonetheless, it was a significant improvement over the over-familiar blue and white sports uniform that everyone had grown tired of.
Time continued to move forward, and the much-anticipated opening ceremony of the sports meet was finally about to commence.
Students from all first and second-year classes had assembled on the sports field, lined up in their designated formations.
From the outfits and styles of the different formations, it was easy to tell which were composed of second-year students and which were first-year students.
Principal Herculano El Monterro of Thessaloniki First High School began his opening address from the podium on the west side:
“Good morning, teachers and students! Today, we embrace the warm October sunshine…”
After Principal Herculano finished his speech, a student representative was set to speak. This time it was not the first-year Dionysius, but instead, the second-year representative, a girl named Rosa.
Rosa, alongside Moreno, the head of the school broadcasting station, was tasked with announcing and introducing each class formation as they passed by the podium.
The podium was also crowded with teachers, nearly all the class advisors were present, eagerly awaiting the surprises their classes would bring.
“Teacher Emmanuel, your students seem very enthusiastic about their formation. Do you know how they plan to showcase their personalities?” Eirini La Konstantinou asked.
Emmanuel shook his head. “I let them do as they please. I’m not sure about the details.”
“You really have a big heart, Teacher Emmanuel. As for my Year 1 Class 2, they’re quite well-behaved and will certainly not do anything too outrageous. Their uniforms are neat and unified,” Eirini said proudly.
“I haven’t managed Year 1 Class 1 too closely. They listen to Dionysius’s direction, and I believe their formation will definitely impress everyone,” Noli El Tangere interjected with a smile.
Eirini rolled her eyes at Noli’s comment. As if having Dionysius made them exceptional.
No matter what they did, Noli always boasted about Dionysius flaunting the best of all students, which was quite irksome.
Emmanuel, on the other hand, was calm and composed, thinking to himself that while Year 1 Class 1 had Dionysius, Year 1 Class 3 had Xanthia, whose potential was even greater!
With the preliminary ceremonies complete, the familiar athlete’s march began to play. The principal and teachers on the podium settled in and began reviewing the class formations.
At the broadcast station, Moreno, the head of the school broadcasting station, spoke into the microphone, “Now, approaching is Year 1 Class 1 of the first year. This is a…”
Leading the formation of Year 1 Class 1 was Dionysius, tall and handsome, dressed in a stylish modern gentleman unique to this parallel world, combining old beauty with modern fashion—a popular choice for large ceremonies and events.
The rest of the students in his formation also wore similar civilian styles, thanks to his substantial financial resources!
Year 1 Class 1 instantly raised the bar with their impressive display!
Not only did the principal and teachers on the podium nod and smile approvingly, but all the students standing on the sports field were also awed by the grandeur of Year 1 Class 1.
School media personnel responsible for photographing the event began frantically snapping pictures. Some were concerned that Year 1 Class 1 had set the bar too high, fearing that subsequent classes might struggle to steal their thunder!
After Year 1 Class 1 completed their review, Noli, the homeroom teacher, beamed with pride, still clinging to the idea that “Dionysius the Great” could conquer all enemies!
“Marching forward with courage, never admitting defeat, Year 1 Class 2 is coming with the sunrise, full of vitality and enthusiasm…” Rosa began to announce as Moreno completed his introduction of Year 1 Class 1.
Compared to the grand spectacle of Year 1 Class 1, the presentation of Year 1 Class 2 was more conventional.
“Strengthen the body, aspire to success, Class 2 is exceptional!” The students of Year 1 Class 2, all in their school uniforms, shouted their slogans loudly and with great enthusiasm.
Though they fell short in novelty and grandeur, their straightforward presentation was quite comfortable.
The principal and teachers on the podium applauded their performance.
“We share joy, we pursue together, we race on the field, we display our spirit. Go, athletes, victory will belong to Year 1 Class 3…” Moreno continued with the scripted announcements.
Then, holding the banner for Year 1 Class 3 was Xanthia, with her blue hair and white silk maid outfit, leading a group of flashy, eccentric, and chaotic “monsters” in their costumes, onto the plastic track in front of the podium…
Their slogan left Class Advisor Emmanuel stunned:
“Great terrorists, we stand against your tyrannies, unifying the hardships, for all innocent dreams!”
'Who came up with that slogan?!'
Emmanuel’s face darkened with displeasure.