Seed

Setting: At the psychologist

Doctor: So the first pillar has crumbled. How did you feel?

Pandora: The tears that started to fill my eyes were genuine. I realized there was no turning back. But to be honest, I had mixed feelings. At the time I wondered how I’d feel when my family and friends would get involved…

Doctor: Did the fans seriously throw you overboard after that?

Pandora: Of course there might be a couple of individuals who didn’t really care about my personal life but my songs got gradually less and less streams online. There was another concert in July where only a few people went to. And then there was another one scheduled for August but I ended up canceling it due to lack of visitors. My career was over. And the threats I got via internet after the photograph incident from my stans… oof.

Doctor: Did you think it was a good idea?

Pandora: Looking back now, yes. At the time, I was really conflicted but I was glad I did it.

Doctor: The rumors… were they spread by-

Pandora: Me. Yes. The only one that was actually true was the one with my boyfriend obviously. But in order for this to work, I didn’t have to prove any other rumors. Making the people doubt me and my background was enough.

Doctor: What about the ‘seed’ you mentioned about Alyssa?

Pandora: Impatient, are we?

Setting: At the cultural festival / 11th June 2022

Pandora and Alyssa keep hugging each other in the backstage, crying. The Student Council President watches them with a confused look.

Student Council President: I… gotta get some fresh air!

She starts running away from the scene, dropping the photo behind her and not looking back.

Alyssa: Pandora~!! What just happened???

Pandora: I have no idea!! But now my career is ruined!! (Pandora starts crying harder in Alyssa’s arms.)

Alyssa: It’s gonna be alright… I’m here right with you…!

Pandora: Alyssa…

Pandora stops sobbing and hugging Alyssa for a bit. She pushes her body away slowly and looks deep into Alyssa’s eyes.

Pandora: You… you were the only one I gave those envelopes to.

Alyssa’s jaw drops a little. Her eyes are stricken by fear, regret and confusion all at the same time. She knows very well what Pandora is implying. Yet she refuses to believe it.

Alyssa: P-Pandora, I-

Pandora: I’m sorry. I gotta be alone now… please, don’t follow me…

Pandora stops holding her and decides to take a walk outside. As she leaves the backstage, Alyssa stands still with the photo rumpled in her hand. Outside, Pandora wipes off her tears and stops. She has still a saddened look on her face. She takes a deep breath.

Pandora: My chest… it’s hurting… but I did it.

All of a sudden, the Student Council President rushes at her and slaps her to the face.

Setting: At the psychologist / back to present

Doctor: Oh, I didn’t expect such an action packed flashback this time!

The doctor seems too excited for this.

Pandora: Can you please focus more on the story I am trying to tell? Don’t judge based on the amount of fight scenes, this is no battle shonen manga.

Doctor: I know I should be rooting for the protagonist but you make me like this President character, I can’t help it.

Pandora: Will you still like her the same once the flashback finishes though?

Doctor: Let’s hear why the otherwise calm character slapped you across the face. (She giggles a little.)

Setting: At the cultural festival / 11th June 2022

Pandora is surprised that she was attacked by the President. She holds her cheek as her skin turns red.

Pandora: What was that?

Student Council President: I thought you would dodge it, you are a fighter, aren’t you?

Pandora: I was just a little surprised. Wanna have a go? (Pandora smirks.)

Student Council President: Do you remember why I became the Student Council President?

Pandora: Of course I do.

Student Council President: In my previous school, I was always at the top. There was nobody who could rival me in any field of study, sport or even leadership skills and beauty. But after coming to this school, I was slammed into the ground. You completely swept me in anything and everything. And yet, you declined a position of a student council president. That was the only reason I was offered the post.

Pandora: Yes, I already know, you don’t need to remind me…

Student Council President: So then why... (she starts to be angry and she raises her voice gradually) why would you stop being perfect?!?!

Pandora: What do you mean? The idol stuff…?

Student Council President: Of course I mean that! And you dare to have a boyfriend?! You were supposed to be an angelic being, the innocent Eve who never touched the forbidden fruit!!! Only a perfect person with no flaws can be better than me!!

Pandora: President, you’re overreacting, nobody is perfect.

Student Council President: WRONG!!! (She grabs Pandora by her arms and screams like a crazy woman. Her saliva is flying around, while she is not controlling her way of speaking, some of the saliva ends up on Pandora’s face.) Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!! You are perfect!!! You are the only one who can be perfect!!! There is nobody more perfect in this world!! You can’t stop being an idol! You can’t be tainted by a man!! You can’t be surrounded by those rumors!! You hear me?!!!

Pandora: Just stop already!!

Pandora gets annoyed and so she slips away from her using her perfect boxing footwork and body movement. As President still tries to hold her shirt, Pandora grabs her arm and twists it a little, getting behind her and making her kneel.

Student Council President: Hahah…. Hahahah…. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Yes, this is what I’m talking about!!!!

President starts to laugh hysterically. Since she felt the pain from her arm being twisted a little, small amount of tears have filled her eyes.

Pandora: Oh, I’m so sorry President! Are you alright? I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that!

Student Council President: No… no nono. This is what we are going to do. You are going to break up with that chubby boy from the scandalous photo and we will pretend this never happened. Even if your idol career is destroyed, I couldn’t care less. Your idol life has nothing to do with me, we were never rivals in that field.

Pandora: President, why do you think I would just break up with my boyfriend? That’s overstepping it from your side.

Student Council President: You will do that. By the end of this summer. If not, there is another option. Get him into shape, make him stand on equal footing with the flawless Pandora I know! Make him perfect!! If you can’t... (president suddenly softens and blushes) make me your girlfriend.

Setting: At the psychologist / back to present

Doctor: Oooh, spicy. I’m pretty sure that in the manga, this is a type of a character that has its specific name...

Pandora: The things she asked of me were completely irelevant to me, to be honest. But then I remembered something and this confirmed it.

Setting: At the school yard / 10th May 2021

Pandora and a handsome-looking guy with short brown hair with a shy expression in his face are standing in front of each other alone.

The guy: That’s why I wanted to tell you... that I-I‘ve l-liked you for a long time... will you please go out with me???

The guy bowed deep in front of Pandora.

Pandora: W-what? Is this a confession? But I ... no, I am really sorry but I am not looking for anybody at the moment but we could be friends! You seem like a cool guy! (Pandora notices Alyssa in a distance.) Oh, I’m sorry, let’s talk to each other some other time, okay? I gotta go! (She runs off.)

The student council president enters the scene and approaches the saddened guy who is looking down on the ground. President laughs.

Student Council President: Ahahaha!! That was quite entertaining! (She suddenly switches into a serious face, her eyes look as if she wanted to kill him.) But the playtime’s over.

Pandora comes back this way but she hears President talking to the guy, she decides to stay hidden behind the wall and listen more.

Student Council President: You are a nobody. You could never even walk besides the pure Pandora.

The guy: B-but I love her!! Aren’t my honest feelings enough?

Student Council President: Your feelings? Don’t make me laugh! Your feelings mean nothing! You could never love her the way I do. But she is a faraway goddess. She can never fly down to peasants like you. Compared to her, even I am a peasant! And there will never ever be a peasant that would love Pandora more than me. I don’t want to see your stupid face ever talking to Pandora again, you understand?!?

Setting: At the psychologist / back to present

Pandora: And he truly never talked to me again. I didn’t know what it actually meant at the time and I didn’t tell even Alyssa about what I witnessed. But... it was after the cultural festival that I fully realized.

Doctor: Realized what?

In a fantasy, Pandora looks at the crumbled ‘fandom pillar’. Suddenly, an ‘earthquake’ strikes the platform and Pandora loses balance and falls down.

Pandora: That another pillar had emerged.

Pandora stands up in the fantasy, cleans off her dress with her hands and turns back, the ‘earthquake’ still feels real. The seven remaining pillars stand still. She notices how a ninth pillar is being built by itself. Pandora watches the ninth pillar. The statue of her above it is completely naked, only a piece of cloth is hiding her chest.

Pandora: The Student Council President.

CHAPTER 4: END