Claire Romero always has a very detailed and productive day.
You usually spend your mornings with a morning run at 6 am, drinking a cup of coffee or cocoa after while making your breakfast. You then, prepare a bento for lunch right after finishing, reviewing everything you've studied the night before, before going to class. You usually take extra classes in the summer so you could ease your units and balance the schedule for your daily routine the following semester.
After class, you always review everything that was told on the lecture and immediately do an outline of any incoming papers or problem sets. You were someone who do requirements right after they were announced and would get the highest grade in the class. You were also someone who can always have a morning and afternoon run every day, a schedule all followed strictly for the last three years you were in college. And as to when you get to play sports?
You always squeeze athlete-watching in most of your free time and play any sport you felt like playing with the random local athletes in the gyms nearby, in your free days. Your habits include a reward system where you reward yourself with 'playing' or 'working out' right after doing a requirement or studying. You usually equate your side job with a reward, treating at as you would any sport— competitively and seriously.
To be short (like your height), you were someone who spends their time wisely, listing every activity down in a very detailed planner and can follow it down to the very last detail.
Yes, Claire Romero is a top student whose on her way to have latin honors, and who've always had 8 hours of sleep, had three meals a day, have exercise, is never broke and can still do her side job— an existence that could be considered mythical and a miracle in college.
And as to why you could and why you do so?
You remember your brother's friends' words that you've overheard on their conversation— "Ha. She'll drop out of that course sooner or later. Romeros should just stick to doing things they could only do."
You remember the rage that accumulated in your tiny body upon hearing it and you prevented yourself from stomping in and kicking their ass.
Yes, you were someone who do things and did all of this... out of spite.
And you've planned this miraculous living conditions because of this. And practically because you've had a bet with your brother who knew you overheard their conversation.
You had asked for a house in any country you want and he eagerly agreed. Yes, it was how filthy rich people have bets.
That was Claire Romero's everyday routine. And today was just another normal day.
You had just received Ushijima's latest measurements and inputs just like any other day and you mentally noted to look at it later. You groaned, realizing the time difference was a pain but it wasn't a big deal.
Ever since Ushijima Wakatoshi returned to Japan, he had made your chatbox his training diary and you couldn't really complain about it. You had told him to give you the coach's contact information to adjust the training menu you would be doing for his personal use to the team's training. But you've teased him to update you about his progress and measurements.
Of course, Goliath took that literally even if you were just joking. But as to why he was always chatting like he was a parent talking to an old professor, you don't know why nor could you ask him to stop.
You played with the school's volleyball team occasionally although you would do so shamelessly. But they weren't refusing anyway so it wasn't such a big deal. But in overall, your days were more normal and boring as ever.
Well, except for today.
You glanced around, noticing something unsettling.
A number of people all had hair color you were painfully too familiar with and a shiver creeps down your spine.
"So what's with the platinum blonde trend?" You chewed on your gum as you asked Norrie. Your friend was slumping on a bench nearby and she looked bored as hell.
"Oh that." She says but she doesn't say anything. You wondered why until you heard a familiar voice. "Hi guys!" Ayaka suddenly appears and you stare at her dumbfounded. You didn't think she had it in her.
The japanese girl had also dyed her hair platinum blonde
"Why?" Was all you could ask her and Ayaka puts her arms on her waist as a smug appears on her face.
"I heard from the sports department that most of the guys there have a common type!" she declares like a proud informant. "A type?" You asked.
"Yes, Yes. I've also asked Andrei and he says it's also his type." she says and you raised an eyebrow. Who would've thought Andrei Williams had a type? But you were also rather curious. "So what's his type?" Ypu asked, unconvinced.
"It's the model, Lara Wan!"
Norrie almost spewed her drink out and you could too, but you weren't drinking anything so you only looked at her with a dumbfounded, stupid expresison. And you realized. You've never told Ayaka about you, being Lara Wan.
Norrie looks at you with a 'you-haven't-told-her?' expression. And you gave her an 'I-forgot-to' look.
"So of course I have to be like her!" Ayaka flips her hair, not noticing the facial conversation you were having with Norrie. You sighed, composing yourself.
"Good luck with that." You patted her shoulder like you would a soldier that would immediately be first blood in a battlefield.
Ayaka pouts at what you were insinutating. "I'll be fine, it suits me anyway." She says proudly although you and Norrie looked like you both disagreed and wanted to get out of this conversation. if only you also had a little of that confidence, but of course you weren't someone who would care about looks unless you were paid to do so.
"Some of the girls are even putting on wigs at the sports department building to see how they would look like with platinum blonde hair!" she informs you excitedly. "Ahhh." You say with a deadpan expression. They sure do have a lot of free time.
What were they doing all of this for anyway? "And haven't you heard? There was a contest of the best group who could recreate Lara Wan's potari sweat ad. Of course, anyone as long as they were a group could enter. And I heard the photography club would award the winner with the latest Nikon camera!"
"Let's do it." Norrie's broke ass suddenly declares with vigor.
You gaped at her in disbelief. But the facts were there
You: is Lara Wan
is not interested
is heading out of here
"You ain't going anywhere, hunny." Norrie grabs you by the collar and drags you to the sports department building unwillingly. When you got there, a lot of people were already heading out.
You see Andrei Williams greet the three of you with a grin and Norrie pushes you inside the dressing room, knowing the full-blown conversation that would immediately ensue between you two if she didn't make you leave.
You glanced around, looking for an emergency escape and there was none. But you felt stupid wearing a wig on top of wig, so you only removed your usual black wig.
"There's no way she'd look decent with a platinum blonde hair." You hear Andrei Williams say smugly at the other side of the door.
"Oh come on, It's fun." Ayaka says to him sweetly and you wanted to choke.
You suddenly slammed the door open and went out, catching their attention. And when you looked at the two of them, Ayaka and Andrei Williams were staring at you with wide eyes.
...
"Wow! You somehow look like her!" Ayaka beamed in delight.
"AHAHAHA." You heard Norrie laugh out loud and you wanted to cry.
Andrei Williams looks at you quite stupidly. His mouth was slightly parted and the comical version of the word, 'astonished' was basically all over his face. In short, he looked like someone told him the earth was actually flat (even though it's not).
"She looks like her a lot right?" Ayaka nudges at him and he nods stupidly. "She's... quite decent." He says looking away.
Omfg.
"Goliath! You gotta hear this..." You say as you called Ushijima and narrated the whole incident to him. You first told him about platinum blonde trend and the contest about recreating Lara Wan's picture to which he replied...
"Isn't that you?"
Your mouth formed a thin line. "Yes, Yes. I know, Goliath." You say with a deadpan expression. If only you could hit him over the phone.
But you were nowhere finished with your story. You told him about the whole thing with Ayaka's reaction and how she and Andrei Williams were convinced that you only look a little like Lara Wan.
Norrie watches you from afar as you did so. She wanted to tell you you look like an angry child complaining to their parent.
You hear his silence after narrating the whole thing. But you heard him loud and clear right after.
"That's quite dumb." was the first thing he says.
You laughed. Even he, Ushijima Wakatoshi, the man who only has volleyball in his head, immediately knew that you were Lara Wan and to think there were people who were more idiotic than him to not tell.
"So are you going to recreate the photoshoot?" he asks.
"Ah yes. But we'll have Ayaka be the model." You inform him. "Why?" He sounds skeptical.
"Since she says she's looks the closest to Lara Wan."
"..."
"You don't have to be so surprised about it." You say, hearing his silence.
"I'm glad to be back in Japan."
"GOLIATH."