“It’s hard to believe she could still show her face here. I don’t think she knows what shame means,”
“Oh poohy! Where’s the air freshener when you need it? With that thing hanging around the place it contaminates the air!”
It’s truly amazing how the once respectful enviroment to each other could change so much with a hierarchy suddenly established in this school. People used to be courteous with each other with hidden motives so that they could make connections for their parents, but now everyhing is turned upside down.
The pecking order that wasn’t too noticeable before have been official and guess who is at the bottom of the pyramid? If you have guessed the imposter Sophie Moreau then you are correct but there’s no prize.
Sophie Harrison, the soon to be eighteen years old girl who’d used the name of the Genovian princess, have somehow became well respected when she’d first debuted in Corsica. How everybody were blind by the prince’s set up was confusing, however he did a fantastic job in covering the media about the fact the real princess was missing.
When I first accepted the job, I’ve spent hours on the net surfing for information on the princess but the only thing I gathered was that when she was young she’d rarely showed up to public and when she does she would always wear massive sunglasses. Since there weren’t many reliable resources, her age was unknown and suspected to be younger than she really is because of her tiny figure.
Right now, I don’t even know what I’m trying to do or why I’m doing here. The words about me being a fake have spread so quickly within a week. These prestigious sons and daughters avoided me like a plague and showed their real bitchiness behind and at my face. I wouldn’t blame them because they must have received some sort of damage to their reputation for being kind to someone who turned out to be a nobody and now they are out for vengeance.
I’m trying to go back to my Hamilton life when I blended into the background and bloom like a wallflower but going back to my old self isn’t quite as easy as it was, especially everyone is so rich and appeared in the media more than once when I’m only a normal girl who’s a daughter a poor company. I’d tried looking down, without meeting anyone’s eyes but their stares never seemed to leave me. It bothered me so much to have so much attention especially when the attentions are negative, not a single light about it.
“What where you’re going you scum” A girl who is in my math methods classed squealed.
“I’m sorry!” I apologized.
“Oh I don’t care! Just get out of my sight now!” she’d wailed.
She was making a fuss, stomping her feet and flailing her arms about. Everyone who was watching me with the corner of their eyes turned and completely focused on us.
I was scared and didn’t know what to do. That girl used to be so nice to me before has completely made a sudden turn. Her words, her actions have stabbed me double, not quadruple the times the words she’d spoke.
“Oi, is that how a true lady acts? She’d even apologized if you haven’t heard properly because of your intimidating shrieks,”
Unexpectedly, a blur of caramel hair stepped between us quickening everyone’s pulse. His wide shoulders, slightly athletic build waist caused the girls scream. My eyes automatically rolled themselves. Almost every day, I’m dragged into Yume’s so called “reverse harem”, all good looking but all nerds deep down.
“You’re alright?” Ivan turned around. “They’re such a pain,”
I looked at him. Is he trying to pity me or what? I don’t need anyone to pity me and this was bound to happen one day and I knew it long ago…Everyone I meet will eventually drift away from me, just like my primary school friends living their lives without me with their boyfriends and having experiencing the same thing again is a nightmare. There must be a way I could tie the ones I have right now back together even if our worlds are different.
“Aren’t you shameful to have a friend like me?” I asked quietly.
“No, why would I?” He shook his head. “I went to a public school in New York and I find people like you quite interesting and thanks to my old man, my life is boring now. So there you go, I envy you,”
“I don’t even know if I should thank you or slap you,” I muttered gravely.
In a split second, a strong familiar warmth enclosed me, an arm stretched out and wrapped over my shoulders. I jumped a bit to the sudden attack but finally settled down to being relieved. A refreshing peppermint breath blew over me, sending tingles on the nape of my neck. Tiny whiff of cedar and citrus blended cologne made me a little tipsy.
“Flirting with other people’s girls again eh? Do I need to brand her in front of you again and to everyone else?” Nicholas’ voice flooded my ears with smooth running honey.
Every girl gasped. I swear I saw someone with a nose bleed and of course the guys were as grossed out as Ivan. Their eyes narrowed and frowned deeply. Neither of them liked Nicholas very much and it was easy to tell that each and one of them were jealous at least one feature about him. If I tell them that Nicholas wasn’t that perfect as they believe, I don’t think anyone will believe me.
Nicholas’ face moved closer to my neck, a blush crept up my face. My right hand gripped tightly around my books while the other one clawed onto this jerk’s sleeve. I squeezed eyes not because of his pushy actions but for all the attention I’m catching.
That instant, I changed my opinion on him. He’s a cold, merciless jerk, plays with girls’ hearts and make their limbs turn jelly.
“Tsk, you and your freakishly tall height,” Ivan snorted.
A few seconds passed, maybe even a minute. There was nothing, no pain, no soft lips scaring my skin. However, Nicholas’ grip around me loosened. My eyes flicked opened to see what’s wrong, but suddenly a quarrel between him and Ivan began.
Ivan was held back by a few boys, snapping and growling while Nicholas stood a few distance at him wearing a smirk of victory with two fingers pushing up his glasses and an arm curled around his abdomen.
Wait, when did Nicholas wear glasses at school? Although, I prefer him like that, I thought wearing glasses too long irritates him or maybe he remembered that I once mentioned that I prefer him wearing them. Whether he wears it or not, he’s still attractive considering all the girls giggling amongst themselves.
“Two of the hottest guys fighting for a girl!” they chattered to one another. “To think they’ll fight for me already makes my toes curl!”
“But for that faker? God knows why they’ll fight for her,”
“No, it must be God’s prank or the Devil’s punishment,”
My teeth gnawed against each other. My feet shuffled uneasily beneath me. What are those big idiots trying to do? They’re not making it easier for me instead trapping me in the corner and increasing the intensity of the spotlight. It’s another mystery how Yume can stand all the glares and gossiping about her association with the four “hottest” guys in school. The hobbies club is just missing Nicholas and the five “princes” will finally banded together.
It’s really stupid; the girls in this school are stupid. Why do they idolize them and think of them as them as prince charming when they’re just normal boys with parents with statuses. Leo’s the one with many flaws, full on himself, sourpuss and likes nothing but tea. Andrew is anti-social and a demon when it comes to music. Ivan listens to everything his dad says, a computer nerd and as for Yuuki, I don’t know him to well to criticize him, in fact he seems to dislike me. But for Nicholas because he’s the closest thing to being perfect, when he’s not teasing me, therefore he’s my Mr. Imperfect.
More squeals and jealous disapprovals hammered my ears. The girls were playing two faces, throwing adorning faces at Nicholas and Ivan and then back at me with nasty glares. The boys were all the same, tired with the constant fawning and idolatry, wishing that the “princes” would give them a chance in the spotlight for once but of course they’ll have no chance against Nicholas, Ivan, Leo, Andrew and Yuuki.
Unable to endure it anymore of their dirty looks, I spun sharply away and squeezed my eyes as I pushed past the crowd. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel them looking at me with hatred and disgust. I wish they could just stop and leave me alone because I have a life too but living it more significantly with purposes then spending money on ludicrous parties when it could be used to donating for the third world.
I could hear Nicholas calling out for me. I looked back; Nicholas was coming after me but was swallowed up in a mad mob of screaming girls. Few seconds later, the screams got louder. I hit my head against my palm. Nicholas must’ve placed his “keep away from me you bitches” face on which basically has no effect on the girls anymore, except excite them even more. They’ve probably got used to his scary face by now.
It seriously sucks to be good looking and popular. Instead of feeling jealous and possessive, I actually pity Nicholas but that’s something he shouldn’t know because who knows how he’s going to react to it and what I know about men is that they like to keep their pride.
“Sorry Nick, I’ll go first,” I whispered to myself and continued ahead.
The racket began to turn down as I deliberately walked briskly around the labyrinth. People still stared at me, but not as bad as before since the amount of people were reduced and everyone was gone helping out with the school displays.
Looks passed between them, all sharing the same thought making me feel smaller and smaller. I lowered my eyes and straggled to the sides blending to the cream damask walls.
A door to the art room flung open.
“Hey!”
There was no time to react and by the time I looked where I was going, Yuuki’s astound face flickered at me. Boxes of materials and equipment were strewn on to the floor. Immediately, Yuuki dropped his box down, letting out an unrestrained scoff as he went on his knees gathering everything back in the right boxes.
“Sorry,” I apologized and quickly went down as well to help picking up the things I’d knocked out of his hands.
There were napkins, foil wrapped balloon weights and other miscellaneous things needed for the set up. That reminded me that there is only three days till the school exhibition open to public and clubs were preparing for this since the beginning of school. Only the non-proper clubs such as the homework club, student council, the hobbies club were given less than two weeks notice and the type of display were pulled out of a box.
The hobbies club ended up with doing a café. Everyone protested especially the plan to collaborate everyone’s talent into the café and now with me exposed, things will be getting a lot complicated.
I finished collecting rolls of party streamers and placed them into a box nearby that clearly labeled as “decoration”. Beside me there was a ball of string few centimetres away, I turned and reach for it but that instant my eyes widened, my lips felt something soft and warm. Yuuki’s striking mixed face was as stunned as I was.
He pulled back slowly; trying to adjust was everything at the same time. Soon, his face was transparent and quickly looked away, a hand cupped over his mouth realizing what had just happened.
My reaction was different. In fact I didn’t react at all, after all it was a mere accident, it could be only a kiss on the side of his lips. Also, I didn’t feel anything, there was no angels singing nor fireworks shimmering before me. It didn’t mean anything to me but maybe to Yuuki despite of how red his face.
“Wait, that your first kiss?” then that suddenly hit me.
“Let’s talk later when we get this stuff back in their order,” Yuukki said, trying not to stutter.
Judging by his speech and the way he avoided eye contact with me explains everything which was kind of cute. I wonder if this exactly what Nicholas felt when he saw me react after when he stole my first kiss under an awkward circumstance but I definitely have no feelings to any other guy but him.
“I’m sorry that your first kiss isn’t with the person you like,” I apologized as I sat down beside him on the of the stair case of the second floor.
Yuuki didn’t look at me he just clasped his hands together on his knees and leaned forward staring ahead with an aloof face.
“iie, chigaimasu! I’m just worried what Nicholas-san will do when he finds out and disturbingly enough, my first kiss was actually my nee-chan,” he confessed.
“Seriously that’s incest!”
“iie it’s not and you don’t need to say it out loud,” Yuuki gave me glare then continued. “My nee-chan was drunk that time when she’d kiss me. Anyways you wouldn’t understand. Our lives are pretty complicated and if you ever see Yume depressed it’s probably about otou-san and okaa-san,”
“Well if you don’t tell me of course I wouldn’t understand,” I said suddenly taking interest in the twins’ history.
“Well if you’re that interested, don’t blame me if you’re bored to death,” he sighed a little and pressed his side to the wall, his gaze seemed far away.
“I’m all ears,” I gave him the signal to begin.
“My otou-san is Japanese and my okaa-san is an American. My otou-san was on an exchange during his third year in university and lodged in the same off-campus apartment. Both of them were interested in each other but when their time were up, otou-san left saying that he will come back for her after university and few months later she found out she was pregnant with us,”
“So did he come back?” I interjected.
“He never did, we never knew him or seen him till we were twelve,” Yuuki said slowly. “Okaa-san always believed that he would and often wrote to him. She’d sent us to Japanese classes, hoping that we could communicate in my otou-san’s tongue and made us learn everything about Japan. Everything she did was done in vain and in the end she’d died of leukemia,”
“I’m so sorry,” I said softly and patted him gently on the shoulder.
“Daijoubu,” He brushed me off not wanting anyone to sympathy him. “Yume and I begged our unknown otou-san to see our okaa-san for the last time but he never did till her first anniversary when he was asked to take us in because it was an order from the head of his family though when we entered the Ichijo house nobody welcomed us especially our step-mother she didn’t like us at all,”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” That was all I could say.
How could I possibly say that I understand? The Ichijo brother and sister had gone through a tough ordeal. They were born fatherless and never met him till their mother’s death. I feel sorry for their mother the most and envied her undying love for the twins’ father but there was no happy ending for her which made me turn to dislike their father.
That also explains to me why Yume sometimes didn’t sound like the Yume I knew. From the beginning I figured out her over melodramatic personality was fake, which masked over her grief and tried hard to block her painful memories of her mother. Her dislike in Nicholas was also understandable, she was afraid that I would drift away her like her mother did.
“Sophie-san, did you know why my okaa-san gave us the name Yume and Yuuki?” Yuuki suddenly cut in my chains of thoughts. “When you put them together you get yume ni yuuki ga it literately means be brave to dream. Basically yume is referred to okaa-san and otou-san’stime together andI was named Yuuki so that I could grow up being brave,”
We walked to the club room while Yuuki told me more about his childhood and how much impact it did to Yume when their mother died. Yuuki sounded the same in his child, he was the type with few words but when he did it was blunt and wise.
After having a proper conversation with him for the first time in how many months since I came here? Since eight months and knowing that he doesn’t truly hate me but just doesn’t like talking gave me that relieving feeling when you know someone who you thought to hate you doesn’t hate you at all.
Yuuki suddenly stopped outside the club room. My nose bashed into his shoulder, the boxes in my hands wobbled but nothing fell. That’s when I noticed that he’s tall when standing beside him. I should probably tell him to go for modeling one day and I’m sure that with his mixed features will get him in without needing to go through the auditioning.
“Why did you stop?” I asked.
“Shh!” He silenced me and peeked through the gap.
Intrigued with what’s going on. I shoved Yuuki to the side. I crutched down, my toes crushed beneath me as I put my full weight with the additional weight of the boxes I was carrying. Yuuki hovered above me and both of us snooped on what’s happening on the other side of door.
There was nothing at the other side, only the usually tables, chairs and the piano that Andrew claims it to himself but then there was a voice that caught my attention. My eyes darted to the left. I couldn’t see much but still visible behind the turquoise chaise my eyes were deceiving me causing me to hallucinate.
I couldn’t believe my own eyes and plus Yuuki’s eyes it makes four, so there is no mistaking it. I sneaked a glance up at Yuuki, he didn’t look disgusted but rather seemed calmed with the situation as if he expected this along. How could he possibly keep watching?
They were all over each other. The golden haired boy nuzzled the girl’s neck and although I could only see the back of her head, I already had the answer on the top of my head. Her signature long dark hair was twisted to the side, her neck ribbon was untied, shirt was opened reveling her plunging cleavage.
Oh gawd, Oh gawd , I felt like I was going to throw up in any second. They were kissing passionately clinging on to each other, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. The boy’s hands slipped under her shirt and before I could take it anymore I quickly squeezed my eyes thinking of a flock of innocent little sheep jumping over fences.
“What are you two doing?”
I jumped, hitting Yuuki’s chin in advance, then accidently touched the door causing it to creak. I hastily pushed him out of the way and looked through the crack once more. Thankfully the two was too engrossed with each other to notice what’s happening outside.
Yuuki and I sighed with relief and turned to the culprit which turned out to be Andrew turning up for cub activities. We exchanged glances with each other, then steered him away from the club room and turned back to see if we were caught snooping around and to our luck there was no one there behind us as we feared.
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Another chapter uploaded! I hope it's not going to fast and please continue to support me!