Chapter 98: Worth Keeping

Immediately, the heavy double doors clicked shut behind Eden and the two other Eclipse House officials, leaving the vast silence of the suite to the two of them. Elle let out a dramatic, breathy squeal and threw herself backward onto the plush cream sofa in the center of the living area with a delighted sigh, sinking so deeply into the cushions that she practically disappeared into them. "Oh my God," she breathed, stretching her arms across the back of the sofa and running both hands over the smooth leather. "This is so soft and smooth. How is this even a sofa? It feels like I’m sitting on a cloud. Starlight, I am telling you, this is literally woven from the dreams of angels. Come and feel this!"

Starlight barely glanced in her direction, still standing near the center of the sitting area, her gaze moving slowly across the room as she took in everything around her. The sheer size of the space was still surreal, the soft hum of the central climate control the only sound breaking the stillness. Sunlight poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating every pristine, polished surface.

Elle sat up slightly, slapping her hand against the empty cushion beside her. "Starlight, stop standing there like a statue! Come sit down! Come feel the softness of this sofa right now!"

Starlight let out a dry scoff, shaking her head as she took a slow step toward the kitchen counter instead, ignoring the invitation entirely. "I can see you’re really enjoying yourself."

"Of course I am!" Elle threw her head back against the cushion, staring up at the high ceiling with an insufferable grin. "Oh my God, this place is incredible. The lighting, the view, the space... everything is practically begging to be enjoyed. Do you understand how many students would sell their souls for a place like this? I might actually cry, Star."

Starlight just shook her head again, a small, subtle twitch at the corner of her lips breaking her usual stern composure. Elle pushed herself off the couch, marching across the polished floor with zero restraint. She grabbed Starlight by the arm and dragged her over to the living area, shoving her down onto the soft leather cushion.

"Sit. Down," she commanded, stepping back with her hands on her hips and watching Starlight expectantly. "Well? How does it feel? It’s amazing, right?"

Starlight shifted slightly with a resigned sigh, feeling the deep, supportive sink of the high-grade leather against her back. It was, undeniably, the most comfortable piece of furniture she had sat on since arriving at the academy, in fact, in her entire life.

"It’s fine," she said quietly, resting her hands flat on her thighs. "It’s okay."

"It’s fine? It’s okay?" Elle threw her hands up, pacing the rug in front of her. "Oh my God, Starlight, you can be insufferable at times. Will it kill you to show how you truly feel for once?" She stopped and pointed dramatically at the room around them. "If only you knew how lucky you are to have this place! But you know what? I’m not going to let you throw it away. I’m going to make sure you keep this place, and that means we have a lot of work to do. We need to start planning immediately on how to make sure you do not go down in rank. You need to hold that Number One spot with a vice grip, or at the very least stay in the Top Three. You cannot give up this suite, okay? You don’t need to surrender this to anyone. I don’t care what you personally think about high-tier rankings. I am not giving up this room."

Starlight raised an eyebrow, looking up at her with an amused smirk. "You aren’t giving it up? Last time I checked, this residence was assigned to me, not you."

"Yes, but I don’t care. I’m your manager, remember?" Elle pointed a determined finger straight at Starlight’s face. "And one more thing — the one roommate you get to bring along with you is me. The second person packing their bags and moving up to the top floor is me, no one else. I called dibs the second Eden said the word ’roommate.’ Besides, I’m your manager, and I need to be close enough to manage your career properly."

Starlight leaned back against the deep cushions, letting out a short, airy chuckle. "You really know how to make everything about yourself, don’t you?"

"Duh! I’m looking out for both of us. That’s what a good friend and manager does," Elle declared, completely unbothered, stepping closer to sink onto the coffee table right in front of Starlight. "Anyway, we need to start planning. We need to figure out how to keep your ranking stable, organize those fan meetings, keep the DawnBreakers engaged, make sure you’re visible enough without overwhelming you, and probably find a way to encourage more people to keep voting for you. We can even start planning—"

"Whoa, calm down," Starlight interrupted, raising a hand to cut off the rising tide of Elle’s frantic chatter. She exhaled slowly, her gaze drifting around the enormous room. "As much as I don’t want to lose this room — because for once, even if we disagree on almost everything else, we actually agree on this — I am not planning on giving this place up either."

Elle paused, her eyes widening with sudden, sharp interest.

"This place gives me privacy," Starlight continued, her voice settling into a steady, thoughtful rhythm. "I can cook my own meals here. I don’t even have to step foot in the main dining hall or walk into crowded common rooms if I don’t want to. I can literally isolate myself and stay completely away from all the academy drama. I don’t plan on losing that sanctuary. We can agree on that much. But please... do not start planning anything that is going to overwhelm me. No wild gatherings, no huge crowds, and no insane publicity stunts. I don’t want my entire life turned into some kind of campaign just because I’m currently ranked Number One."

Elle stared at her for a second, then gasped dramatically, pressing both hands over her heart. "Oh my God... did we just reach an actual agreement?! You finally acknowledge me as your manager?! You mean I can go ahead and plan our defense strategy?!"

"Calm down," Starlight repeated, though the faintest edge of a smile softened her expression. "Yes, you can plan. Plan whatever you want that keeps me from losing this rank, as long as it keeps people out of my face."

"Oh my God, Starlight, I love you!" Elle squealed, lunging forward to give Starlight a quick, suffocating squeeze around the shoulders before bouncing back up. "I promise you, you are not going to regret trusting me on this! You are going to be the most unshakeable Rank One this school has ever seen! I will manage things so thoroughly that not even the five great clans will be able to come near you without my written permission!"

Starlight groaned softly, pulling away from the sudden embrace while brushing off her shoulders. "Fine, fine. I hear you. Just... keep it whatever you do manageable."

"Roger that, ma’am!" Elle replied with a quick, exaggerated salute, looking far too pleased with herself.

Starlight rolled her eyes at her hyperactive roommate. "By the way... don’t you have a lecture this morning?"

Elle waved a dismissive hand, a bright, triumphant grin spreading across her face. "Nope! No academic classes for me until the 11:00 AM practical field sessions. Which, if you remember, are compulsory, so we are walking down to the field together. I don’t have a single thing to do until then."