The More-Than-3-Seconds Girl
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[ Seara's POV ]
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"What is it?"
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I heard Akashi questioning back without bothering the who-questions-first rule.
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That person who suddenly came out of nowhere and went directly to Akashi, judging by the voice, I could tell that she was definitely a girl.
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"Sorry to interrupt you, Seijuuro-kun, but could we talk? I've got something to tell," she said seriously in one breath.
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God. This is awkward.
I'd better go from here.
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I thought it would be the best chance for me to get out of this awkward atmosphere since I couldn't follow their conversation but I almost forgot that someone beside me wouldn't let me do my escape plan. His fingers had already encircled my wrist right before I could even think to stand up.
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Can't he read the atmosphere?!
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"Well, sure, we can talk later," she suddenly broke the silence, reading the atmosphere instead of him. "By the way, I haven't seen you here before?"
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Great. My presence is finally counted.
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"Oh my, I think I know you. Are you perhaps the new student in class A?" she asked me curiously and then she continued, "had never thought to see you here. Nice to meet you, I'm Fumi Azura," she said with a gracious smile.
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I decided to turn my face around to see her, it'd be rude if I didn't look at her while introducing myself. And when I did, she welcomed me with her crystal clear honey eyes. I blinked my eyes once and then the word "beautiful " naturally crossed my mind.
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"Ah, um, yes, nice to meet you too. I'm—"
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"Let's talk at my workspace in 15 minutes," Akashi suddenly cut me off and I was sure that I wasn't the person he was talking to.
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"Alright," she replied promptly. "I will meet you there."
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Before I wanted to tell her my name, she already turned back to me and said, "Yuuki Seara. Yuuki-san, isn't it?"
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I couldn't lie that I was surprised. She knew me. The queen of the queens knew my full name. And upon knowing that I was surprised, she said, "You're being the talk of the school. It'd be odd to not know you."
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My mouth could only mumble a low "ooh " to respond to her and she just chuckled.
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"Well then, I have to go back to support my club, so see you later, Yuuki-san!" she waved me goodbye while flashing her warm smile. She then turned again to Akashi, "Your workspace. In 15 minutes. Okay."
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Akashi nodded and that was like a cue for her to leave.
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The way Fumi Azura walked across the park full of fallen cherry blossoms, she really looked like a queen that I unknowingly let the thoughts slip out of my mouth.
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"Yes, she does."
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Akashi's sudden reply made me turn to him. And that was the time when Hanae's words echoed through my mind. Right in front of my eyes, Akashi really smiled and it made me realize that Fumi Azura was indeed the-more-than-3-seconds-girl.
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How could I say it . . . ?
Feels like something is actually breaking inside.
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✃ - - - - - -
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[ Akashi's POV ]
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"She looks like a queen..."
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Her almost inaudible murmur reached to my ears. I turned to her and followed her gaze at the person whom she called a queen.
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It got me a while to finally get into the conversation she didn't mean to make but in the end, I agreed with her.
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"Yes, she does."
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Her face turned to me and I knew the only reason for it was because she heard my words.
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Fumi Azura was always known for being a queen. She talked less but did more. Her mind was as bright as her appearance. Plus, she was also very well-mannered that made people cherish her a lot. Everything about her had gotten herself the title of queen. Even her smile could melt everyone before she curved her lips. But of course, I certainly was not on the list.
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I knew her best because of our family connections in business. She was the only heir to her family who owned one of the 5-star Japanese hotels around the world. Right when I first met her, I knew right away where we would end up.
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And that would be no other but an arranged marriage.
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I was so sure of it. I could easily read his motive. Otoo-sama once said that he wanted me to marry a woman who would bring me benefits in doing business so that I could successfully continue the Akashi empire.
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That old man should just get older real fast or else I'd burn all his precious ascendants to ashes so he wouldn't dare to make me sign any unnecessary contracts and just give the damn lead to me.
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I couldn't even picture the moment I would be tied down to a random woman who I'd love only in the name of benefit. No, okaa-sama had raised me way better than that. I would walk in my own path, not that sick old man's. He couldn't rule over me forever and I would absolutely make him pay for all the freedom that he had taken away from me.
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I didn't believe in love either. As for me, there would be no point in marriage at all.
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I remembered okaa-sama once promised to be there for me whenever I needed her. I also remembered how she turned out to be the one who broke her own, one and only promise. And just before I wanted to give her the fresh rose I had planted on my own, she already gave me an actual rose whose stalk was full of thorns—her sudden death.
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At that time, I was completely at a loss for words. I couldn't react. I didn't even know how to cry because I never did.
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I did everything that Otoo-sama told me to. I didn't even protest on how he became stricter upon me. The only one that was lingering in my head was to get rid of the unknown emotion which was rebelling like crazy inside of me.
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Talking about love, does that thing even last long?
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Okaa-sama, the one I ever sincerely loved, had left me all alone without saying goodbye. Otoo-sama, the one I tried to love, could only give me a thousand reasons of not to.
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I had become aware that love was already taken away from my life long before I even got the chance to know it. I had no interest in love anymore, even the slightest. It was clearly not my thing.
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Besides, I already knew what Azura would talk to me.
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And there was one more thing I knew. This girl, Yuuki Seara, had been stealing glances at me the whole time since Azura left.
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Heh, now I wonder why?
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✩•̩̩͙*ೃ˚° ~ ଘo(∗ ❛ั ᵕ ❛ั )੭່˙ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵛᵒᵗᵉ ˚.*ೃ
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