《A Beautiful Catastrophe》 Chapter 1：Announcement #1 Hope you''re all doing well. I just wanted to let you all know that regretfully, I need to go on a one month hiatus this July to attend on a couple of personal matters. I deeply apologize for this great inconvenience and making you all wait. Don''t worry, I will come back in August and continue with two chapters daily update by then. For now, you may try out my first book, "The King''s Beloved" that has 213 chapters or check out the stories in my reading lists. Thank you so much for your understanding. Lots of Love, Macy Bae Chapter 2：The Day My Life Ended [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Also, prepare some tissues T_T ~ "Take care of your brother for me." That was what my mom always used to say to me. From when I was a mere kid, up until I grew to be a teenager, and even when I became an adult. She was kind and loving, though sickly. And my brother was too youngwe had a big age gap of five years. As for my dad, well don''t ask. Whenever she would say that, me who loves my mom so much, would always reply "Of course." "Anytime." "Always." Since my mom was sick, we had no Dad, and my brother was too young to take on work, the responsibility of upholding our family was left in my hands. "Bread-winner" was what they called people like me. It''s very common in Asian countriesor maybe even in the western ones. Sounds nice yes, my relatives would always compliment how filial I was but nobody completely understood how "heavy" that burden really was, especially for the young me back then. I was merely sixteen, and I had to abandon college to work my ass off in order to support our family. Over the years of working, eating, sleeping, and repeating the same process with no goal in life, I would admit that... I began to question myself. ''If I keep on taking care of my brother Who will take care of me?'' Too bad I realized that a little too late. I''m now 30 years of age, with no relationship whatsoever except for my family and a few good friends, no personal achievements in life except maybe the fact that I was able to help my brother graduate as a doctor-he always wanted to be one, no properties to my name, no memories I''m really fond of, no dreams or hopes or passion. And what''s worse, I caught a rare disease because of my weakened immune system from overwork and fatigue. The doctor told me I only have a few months to live. So now, I simply lay on the hospital bed, waiting for the day my life ends Sitting on the hospital bed, staring blankly on the window on a rainy day, I couldn''t help but look back in my life, trying to reminisce about some wonderful memories. I didn''t notice it but in just a few moments, tears started pouring down from my eyes Perhaps it was because I was near death''s door that I could finally come face to face with my true self. The self that I tried so hard to hide all these years because I did my best in being a filial daughter. Because I did my best to understand, persevere, not give up, and to sacrifice everything. To the point that I already lost who I was along the way. To the point that I forgot that I am a living, breathing, human being! That I, too, used to have dreams I wanted to achieve! That I, too, used to have passions I wanted to pursue! That I, too, longed to be loved and understood! That I, too, for once wanted to be a little selfish. "Sniff sniff sniff" I bit my lips as I cried hard. I didn''t want anyone to hear me and disturb me. I just wanted to be alone and be with my long-lost self. That rainy day, I cried my heart out until all my tears dried up. Next day, my mother and brother visited me but I was in no mood to talk. Then a couple of friends came the next, and a few relatives the day after. I was uninterested in whatever they were saying. It was all useless nowtheir pity, the offer of help, their cries, their attention. They should have given those to me back when I was struggling. What use would I have of them now? Nothing. My life was ending. It was funny how people only notice one''s importance when they''re gone or would be gone. "Senara," a familiar voice called out to me one day, on a blazing sunset, like the color of my hair. I turned around to look at herthe only person I had the energy to talk to, and the only person who truly understood memy best friend, Hora. All she did was show up, and there I was with a wretched face, and tears rolling down my face in an uneven manner. "H-Hora," I barely managed to speak her name. She rushed towards me, crying as well, and held me in her warm embrace. Hours passed with us just simply hugging and crying, not even saying a single thing. It took me a while to recover. When I did, I tried my best to smile at her. If I end up dying at that moment, I at least wanted her to see me leave with a smile on my face. "Senara, you''re so young," Hora sobbed again as she caressed my sunken cheeks. "Still so young sniff sniff How can this be? All your life you lived for them. You didn''t even get to enjoy anything! Why you? Why can''t it be just somebody else?" I patted her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Don''t say that, Hora. It''s bad to wish for others'' misfortune." "But what about you? You deserve to be happy! You can''t die yet! Not like this sniff sniff." Deep inside, I agreed with her. "If only I could go back in time I''ll make sure to live my life for my sake and not somebody else''s." Yes, maybe that way I wouldn''t have so many regrets on my deathbed right now. Alas, my flesh failed, leaving only those words as parting to my friend. It came without notice. I thought I still had a couple of days more I didn''t even get to thank her for a lot of things. Last thing I remembered was her face frantically calling out my name. "Senara! Noooo!!! Wake up! Please! Wake up!" Chapter 3：Could It Be? [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Tick Tock Tick Tock I''m not entirely sure what happened but suddenly, I''m hearing the sound of a ticking clocknot just one, but lots of them, all around me. "Ugh," I groaned, trying to open my eyes but I couldn''t. I felt myself lying down. Weird. Why do I still "feel" something? I''m supposed to be dead. Was this what the afterlife feels like? Hearing and feeling but not moving? I felt like a tied up ghost. Then, a warm hand caressed my cheeks. How odd. Even if I couldn''t see who it was, I somehow knew it belonged to a woman. How kind and loving her touch was. "You''ve suffered so much," she said. It seems my guess was correct. "This time, please make sure to be happy." Hm? Make sure to be happy? This time? What did she mean by that? Not being able to talk or move was hard. I wanted to ask so many things. But before my thoughts materialized, my body felt heavy, and my consciousness slowly drifted once again. "...-ra." A faint whisper. "...-nara." It''s getting louder. "Senara! Wake up!" Hmm, I know that voice. "The teacher is calling you!" Huh? Teacher? Am I dreaming? I tried to move my armsto my surprise, they did. Slowly, I opened my eyes next. The light was a bit blinding but once my vision adjusted, I saw Hora in front of me, in her high school uniform. Turns out, I was sleeping on a desk so I got up and smiled at her. Was it just me or Hora seemed to look a lot younger? No. She did look too young. 14? 15? 16? Yes, that''s how she looked when she was around that agevery slim, around 5''5 in height, perfect v-shaped face, tall nose bridge, bright blue eyes like the clear morning sky, and a really pretty, wavy, honey blonde hair that extends to her waist. She''s a real beauty. If only she listened to me and became an actress, she''d definitely be popular. "Why are you wearing your high school uniform, Hora? Are you cosplaying?" I chuckled, asking her about a thought I was really curious about. What a great dream. I never imagined she liked cosplaying. She loved to dress up, but this was a different level in more ways than one. "Had a nice dream, Ms. Senara Lee?" a stern voice coming from behind snapped me out of my thoughts. I immediately jolted upon hearing it, so I turned around to see who it was. I could have sworn he sounded like - "Sir Greg!" I wasn''t able to stop myself and bursted out. ''Why is he in my dream?'' Hora''s definitely okay to be in my dream, but my old teacher in high school? What the heck is going on?'' "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Everyone in the room laughed out loud. It was only then that I noticed I was inside a familiar-looking classroom. A large chalkboard at the front, five rows of tables and desks carefully aligned in front of it, shoe racks and some cabinets at the sides. And those two doors at the opposite corner of the room, large windows covered by thick curtains on a sunny day except my areaI sat near the window at the far end corner. I always opened the curtains despite the heat. I loved the blazing sunwell, except maybe, when it''s too hot and it''s already scorching my skin. But on a clear spring day like this one, I loved how it felt warm on my skin. The room wasn''t the only thing that looked familiar. Even the faces of the students inside the classroom were all too familiar to methey were my classmates when I was youngerthough I already forgot what the names of some of them were. My memory wasn''t my best asset. You could tell me your name a dozen times, but unless I spend my days with you daily for perhaps a year or so, I would easily forget them as soon as we stopped meeting. I would remember your face, but not the name. Or maybe I was just too busy to even hangout with anyone to remember them? I''m not sure. "Are you fully awake now, Ms. Senara Lee?" my teacher asked again. "Y-yes, sir!" I found myself instantly replying, even if I''m still a bit confused about the whole situation. "I''m sorry I fell asleep." Ahh he''s really kind. I knew this entire scene. It happened before, when I was 16 and still in high school. And those words of kindness were one of the things I treasured, probably why I still remember Sir Greg''s name. He was one of those one-in-a-million amazing teachers who really care for their students. My heart stung and throbbed. Tears started to build up in my eyesI tried to hold them, of course. I didn''t want to cry in the middle of class, so I simply bowed my head and lowered down my eyes. ''Why is this scene repeating? Is this some sort of thing in the afterlife?'' Then, I remembered the wish I made before I died. "If only I could go back in time I''ll make sure to live my life for my sake and not somebody else''s." Along with that kind voice I heard a few moments ago. "This time, please make sure to be happy." I never believed in fairytales or magic, or anything alike. The harsh reality of the world crushed all those for me. But Could it be? Did I travel back in time? Chapter 4：Mr. Purple Eyes [Music Recommendation: "The Name of Life" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The class resumed after that and the day went on just as I remembered it. Sir Greg taught us Music, Arts, Physical Education and HealthMAPEH for short, every day at 9 o''clock. It was funny how it''s followed by Trigonometry because those two subjects use opposite sides of the brain. Maybe the curriculum wanted one side of our brains to rest for a bit before going on to the next one. Not sure if it helped me in remembering the lessons but maybe it did since I graduated valedictorian. Too bad I mostly forgot everything I learned from school when I started working. Most of them didn''t really have any relation to the job I took, so they were kinda useless. Looking back at it now, instead of studying so hard when I was at school, maybe I shouldn''t have been too strict with myself and had a little fun. After Trig was lunchtime, my favorite time. I always had the appetite of a man, despite my slim figure. Blame it all on metabolism. Yeah, metabolism I didn''t have anymore when I grew older, hence, making me chubby. It''s great to feel so light again and still be able to eat lots of food. I spent lunch with Hora and a few more friends like we usually did. Then comes the afternoon classesPhysics, English, Technology, and last, Economy and Politics. Sometimes there would be extra lessons about Values Education, usually during Thursday. But today was Monday, as Hora kindly reminded me, so when the bell rang, we immediately got up from our seats and prepared to go home. Hora and I walked home together like how we''ve always done in the past. Our houses were just a block away from each other. As we walked home, I continued to deliberate if all of this was realif I really travelled back in time. And as we did, every place and every corner we passed through were exactly how they used to be. Even the news being played on the tv of the appliance shop near our home was familiar to meabout the boy who was only 16 but already managed to graduate college. I remembered him because he became a hot topic at school the next day the news aired. All the girls were gossipping about how handsome he was. Despite the boy''s privacy claims, it seemed that a reporter still managed to get footage of him. Once his picture was out for the whole world to see, the news changed from "A genius prodigy who graduated college at 16" to "A handsome genius who graduated college at 16"amazing, right? After all, ''Visuals is one of the secrets of a great advertisement''. And when I say ''Visuals'', I mean faces, yeah, face values. "Ma Kaiden," the news anchor said. Must be Chinese. If I''m not mistaken, ''Ma'' should be his last name and ''Kaiden'' should be the first name. They always had it in reverse, right? Chinese, Koreans, and the like? To be honest, I wasn''t entirely sure of it before. I just thought that Kaiden would be better as a first nameit was pretty cool to the ears. "OMG! He''s so enchantingly handsome!" Hora squealed the moment she saw the ''footage'' of him. Actually, he was just jogging in the footage, wearing white shorts and an almost fitted black shirt while listening to music, maybe, on his earphonesnothing special. But Hora quickly ran towards the tv playing the news and almost kissed the shop''s glass window in an attempt to get a closer look. "Look, Sena! Come here!" she waived at me. She''s so funny and energetic. I''ve always felt like having a sister with me all the time. I came closer to her and looked at the boy on the news she was squealing over. Seeing him up close, I would agree that he''s really handsomeeven for a teenager. He had long legs making up for his tall stature of probably around 5''9? Or 5''8? Combined with his broad shoulders and lean, muscular physique, you could mistake him for a model or a celebrity. As for the face, he had that bad-boy, uninterested, cool and aloof type of face. Slim, sharp nose, perfect jaws, healthy-looking skin, sharp-looking eyes in a gorgeous dark amethyst shade like his straight and silky hair. Wait a minute, weren''t purple eyes extremely rare? Woah! Sometimes the world could be so unfair! He was a handsome genius already PLUS he had purple eyes?! I never felt so envious. Give me those eyes! That means he didn''t have any facial or body hairs, right? Just his hair on the head, which was also dark violet? Was that natural? Darn. So lucky of him. Anyway, there''s still a possibility of all this just happening in my head. I mean, come on, purple eyes and hair? A handsome genius? I never really saw how he looked like before, so I''m not sure. I guess I''ll know when tomorrow comes. If I sleep and wake up, still on this timeline, then this probably wasn''t a dream. Hours passed, and night came after that. I had a quiet dinner with my family of fourmy mom, dad, and younger brother. Then I went to my room and slept. Morning came, and despite that, I still found myself on the same timeline. Now, I''m convinced. No matter how far-fetched it was. I really time-travelled for some reason. Probably that woman who spoke to me before coming back here. Or maybe an act of God? Upon finally believing that fact, I didn''t know what to feel. But one thing''s for sure. This time, I will live MY life the way I want it to! I will live for MYself! Chapter 5：Its Planning Time ''Okay. Now that I know I somehow time traveled for real, let''s get facts straight first.'' Thinking that, I rolled on my bed and got up. I had to roll twice and over my so many pillows surrounding me because my ever-loving mother gave me a queen-sized bed all to myself. Plus I''m still very petite at the moment. The digital clock on my bedside table showed five o''clock in the morningjust the perfect time. I could still gather my thoughts before school. In the Pearl of the Orient, my country, school starts at seven wherein we mostly gather at the school grounds to sing the national anthem, do morning exercise, and listen to the principal''s address or other stuff. So basically I have at least an hour to do this before mom calls us for breakfast. My study table was located a few meters away from my bed, near the pastel blue walls where my cork boards, whiteboards, and other stuff I needed for learning were hanging. It was pretty big if I do say so myself, and L-shaped. That way, the big computer was in the middle, and if I needed to write something, I would go to my left side where my notebooks would be. Behind it were three bookshelves lined up against the wallI did fancy reading while I was still at school. Correctionactually, not just when I was at school but even when I grew up. Reading had become my favorite pastime. Sitting down, I grabbed a cute notebook and a pen. But as soon as I was about to write something, I changed my mind and opened up the computer. I couldn''t risk my mom getting over my stuff and seeing what I wrote. She would either think I''m a lunatic or trying to write a fantasy story about myself. Ha-ha! No, I''d rather save a whole lot of time trying to explain things to her by going on my computer, creating a secure folder, and typing my thoughts in a word document. Tick tock tick tock My computer took its sweet time booting up. Well, it was an old modelold for me at least, who already knew how fast computers and laptops would be in the not-so-distant future. The year I time travelled to was 2009. In my country, technology was still in its early phase at that time. Not many households owned computers, and this slow-opening one was considered as the fastest performing model yet. Few minutes passed and at last, it''s done booting up. I felt a bit proud of my young self seeing my desktop so clean and organized, with the beautiful starry night sky as my desktop wallpaper. I had always been a bit of an OC (obsessive-compulsive). "July 7, 2009-Tuesday." I typed on the document. It was followed by... "I time travelled yesterday to the beginning of my 4th year in high school. It was the second monthschool usually starts in June. I''m currently in the body of my 16 years old self." Then, I erased "16" and made it into "15". It was still July and my birthday would be in September so until then, I''m still 15. Continuing, I typed "My mom and dad are still together, and my brother is still in Elementary, 5th grade." I suddenly stopped and re-read what I just typed. Right. My mom and dad were still together! And it was still July! I could still turn things around! In my old timelineI wasn''t sure yet what to call itthey separated because my dad was scammed into investing all our money into a non-growing business. Given the fact that they were already in a not-so-good phase at that time, my mom got even angrier with him and he just left after that. Talk about irresponsible parenthood. Then, my mom tried to go back to work but she became sickly. She managed to let me graduate high school but she couldn''t work anymore after that, and I had to take on the family burden since I''m the eldest. Yes, in my country, it always falls on the shoulders of the eldestthe task of upholding the familyshould the parents be incapable. "When was it again?" I murmured, trying to recall when my dad got scammed. It was October that he admitted it to mom and they got into a big fight. But if he admitted it in October, then he should have invested before that, right? "Come on, Senara, think!" ''Ugh, why am I only good at remembering useless stuff? I''m like Dory in Finding Nemo. How did I become valedictorian again? I''m so good at studies but I suck at life.'' Then, like a light bulb, it came to me. ''Right! Those visitors! He had weird visitors whom I didn''t really like back then. My instincts had somehow always been right. He said they were business partners. It was on my mom''s birthdayAugust! 16th of August! That''s next month! I need to be prepared and talk to dad about it. But how in the world could I convince him? Hmmm'' [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ As the thought of talking to my dad sunk into me, my heart suddenly ached Not only did I travel back in time, but I also travelled with all of my memories with mememories that included my dad leaving us. And because of that, I had to suffer. Because of that, I was forced to be strong at a very young age and sacrifice a lot of things for our family. I bit my lips as I remembered them. Honestly, I didn''t really feel like talking to him even when I saw him again yesterday, after so many years I didn''t. Who wouldn''t be? Even on my deathbed, he didn''t visit me! Like I was someone unimportant! Like the times we spent when I was young were all nothing for him! Especially when I used to love my dad more than my mom. Yes. The very first man I loved and trusted was also the one who betrayed me first. Chapter 6：What A Good Morning [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I lost the urge to record my memories. I didn''t realize that rekindling my past life would be this hard. I ended up crying while trying to plan out how to avoid the worst scenarios from happening again. Tears fell down my face and my nose was clogged from sniffing. I''m such a crybaby and I hated it. Any outburst of emotions made me crybe it happiness, or loneliness, or anger, or anything at all. Wiping my face, I got up and went to the bathroom to bathe myself. I didn''t go to the shower but slumped myself onto the bathtub instead. Somehow I wanted to soak myself in warm water. Maybe that would wash away these feelings I''m having. Luckily, the water helped. Once I was done bathing, I put on my uniform which was a cute sailor uniform with a thin ribbon around my neck, paired with a pleated navy blue skirt extending to my knees. Then, I picked up my blue backpack which was a bit heavy due to the textbooks, and changed my soft slippers to low-heeled black leather shoes. I went downstairs after that, even before the time my mother usually called us for breakfast. When I went down, the maids were busy cleaning the house. I almost forgot how it felt like being served and having nothing to do at home. The reason I woke up so early was that I got used to taking care of everything myselfincluding cleaning the house. Now, it just felt weird having a bunch of maids doing those instead. I should really adjust myself in this timeline. I''m no longer that 30 years old woman, who spent her whole life working herself to death. I''m back to being 15, when my family''s business was still sailing smoothly. It was almost six o''clock but it seems that my mother slept in because there was no sign of her waking up. Same with my dad and brother. So, I decided to eat breakfast and walk to school earlier than usual. I took my cell phone from my backpack to shoot a text message to Hora. It was a flip phone with keypads in it. It''s funny how ancient it was for me. There was even a cute keychain dangling on its side. "Hora, I''m going to school early. You might still be preparing for now, so no need to go to our house to pick me up," I texted. "Take care on your way!" And send "Oh shoot! I forgot to put an emoji. She''s gonna think I''m not okay." I reprimanded myself. It had always been kind of our "signal" to each other if we''re not feeling okay. Well, technically, I''m not but I don''t want her worrying over me. I couldn''t possibly explain to her how I time travelled and knew that my dad was gonna leave us and that I hated him for that. "I should send another messageNo, she''s gonna think I''m being defensive." Damn it. When I got older, I got used to not using emojis anymore. "Hmmm this sucks. Well, there''s no other way around it. I''ll just talk to her later." And so, I went on my way towards school. I walked the same streets I travelled with Hora yesterday. It was such a nice morning. The sun just began to rise up in the sky. There were little clouds here and there but apart from that, the sky was tinted a gradient blue and yellowso pretty. I had always appreciated the beauty of nature. The sky and the sea were my favorites. Just the view of it and it helped me relax. Like a sudden escape from the cruel world. Just a few minutes passed and I already reached the school gate. There were barely any students around, just the janitors and some early bird teachersSir Greg was one of them. Nonetheless, I walked straight towards the classroom. Maybe from there, I could enjoy watching the morning sun and sky from my windows. It was so nice of my classmates to always let me have the window seat. Perks of being intelligent I guess. Smart people were usually respected here. When I opened the door to our classroom, I expected that I''d be alone but instead, I saw ''him''. "Kenneth Davis." Ken for short. A pretty boy with hazelnut brown hair and beautiful amber eyes. He was the owner''s son of the appliance store we passed by yesterday. Their family owned a couple of them around town, and in some other regions. They''re pretty lucky since technology would be a booming business in the future. He was also the campus crush since he was the most handsome of all and lastly, my childhood friend, along with Hora. All three of us grew up together since our mothers were bestfriends themselves. But the most important thing was that he was my first and probably only "love"unrequited love to be exact. "This is awkward," was the very first thought that came to mind. Mentally, I''m 30 years old, but why am I still getting goosebumps just because he was standing there on my seat, leaning on the window like some handsome prince? He didn''t even belong to this class! Ugh. Bad thoughts, please go away. And my heart, please calm down. "Sena," he handsomely called out to me. Wait, that was just his normal greeting. How could there be a ''handsome'' and ''unhandsome'' way of greeting? Come on, Sena. Get yourself together! "Morning," he smiled. Ahhh I think I could die peacefully now. "You''re early." "And so are you." Seriously, I didn''t know what exactly I was saying. It was like words just somehow came out of my mouth without thinking. "Why are you here? You''re classroom''s next door, right?" His eyes widened from my question. OMG! Did I sound like I''m pushing him away? That was not what I meant. Definitely NOT! I was really just curious what brought him to our classroom, and on MY seat. Maybe it was to get a better view of the sunrise? "Actually, I''m waiting for you." And there was silence. My brain took a couple of seconds to process. I think I left my mouth open in surprise. "Huh?" Chapter 7：One Condition ~ [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I thought my whole world just stopped. "Waiting for me?" Unknowingly, I repeated what he just said. He nodded. "Why are you still standing there? Come in." I blinked a couple of times to my surprise. But I followed what he said. I walked closer to himI mean, my seat. Yeah, just my seat. That was my seat he was on, and I just wanted to put my things there. In these kinds of situations, I really needed Hora to tell me if I''m being weird or walking like a robot. At least I could put my confidence on my poker face. Whenever I was in an unknown situation, I always managed to keep my face straight. When I was only a meter away from him, I gestured my hands to the chair, signalling him that I wanted my seat back. Well, he wasn''t really sitting on the chair but he was leaning towards the window which was a few inches away from my seat. So if I sit down, we would be too close to each other. Like "his-knees-touching-my-thighs-while-I-sit" kind of near. He probably noticed my hesitation because he quickly went over the seat in front of my desk and sat there backwards, facing me. I smiled at his kindness. He had always been the gentleman type of guy, though a bit slow sometimes. I made sure not to smile too wide though, or I''d look like a fool. I sat down after, and placed my bag on the side of my desk. "W-why are you waiting for me?" I asked as I faced him, staring into his eyes. I missed those kind and gentle amber eyes. We weren''t childhood friends for nothing. And I didn''t fall in love for nothing. Too bad I was too scared to tell him that''s why he ended up with... another woman. I wonder what could have happened if I became a little braver. But still, I didn''t have time for love before. I couldn''t. I needed to look after our family. It really wouldn''t have worked out no matter what happened. I guess I just wasn''t the one for him. He looked back at me straight in the eye, as if trying to read my mind. "I heard about your mom and dad," he said. I should have known. If Sir Greg knew it, there was no way that he wouldn''t. My mom probably went to his mom and talked all about it. "Oh, yeah. About that" "Are you feeling okay?" No. Of course I''m not. I hate being asked how I''m feeling because I was never a good liar. It may not show on my poker face, but my voice and manner of speaking would often give it away. "If I said I''m okay, would you believe it?" "Hmm If you want me to." I sighed deeply. "If you want to talk about it, I''m here you know. Or if you''re no longer comfortable telling me, then at least share it with Hora. Telling someone how you feel should help a bit in lessening the burden. At least that''s what I read somewhere." He read "somewhere"that meant that he researched it. Yes, that''s how kind he was. He would go to great lengths just to help a friend. He couldn''t fool me. I knew him like the back of my hand. I tried to give him a genuine smile. It was really amazinghis kindness. In fact, I was so touched that tears started to swell up in the corners of my eyes. Tears that I didn''t want to show him because he would be more worried. And I didn''t want him to worry. Same with Hora. I didn''t want to burden any of them. They''re just young teenagers right now. They shouldn''t be dealing with this sort of stuff. They should just be happily living their teenage lives, doing what they want, pursuing their dreams, or forming meaningful relationships. "Ken thank you," I whispered to him. Holding back my tears, I was finally able to give him a nice smile. "I''ll be okay. I promise." He lowered his eyes. He was still worried. "Mom said, if anything bad happens, you''re free to stay with us. Dad doesn''t mind, too." "You''re really a family of angels, you know?" I chuckled while saying that. "I''m serious though. We all are. We already told your mom." "Yes, I believe you," I smiled again. "The only problem is" "What?" "Your fans might kill me," I said mischievously. I''m not 100% wrong. It was a possibility given how popular he was at school, or rather, in the whole city. We weren''t in a relationship, I wasn''t a relative, and I had the most privileged title of "childhood friend"most of them would think that I had the upper hand if I wanted to pursue him. And Ken was just the type to be too kind to say no. "Pft! Seriously? That''s the best excuse you have?" he laughed. ''Please stop smiling. Can''t you see I''m dying here?'' I put my hands together, pleading, "Please, let my excuse pass." "Hmmm," he hummed, trying to think. "Alright. I''ll accept it. On one condition." "Hm? Oookay. What condition?" "Play a game with me." I didn''t expect that. "What game?" "A role-playing game. It''s a new release. I just got it yesterday." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha!" I couldn''t help myself but laugh. "I never played video games. You know that." "I know. I''m just saying, you should loosen up yourself a little and have some fun. You''re always so critical to yourself, Ms. Perfect. Always studying, reading, and doing boring stuff." "Hey! Reading is not boring! Studying, maybe, sometimes. But definitely not reading!" "Yeah, yeah," he shrugged, obviously not believing me. "If you love reading so much, you''re gonna like the game, too. It has a storyline you need to follow. So it''s basically like reading a book, except you''re the main character and you get to control how it goes." "Really?" I asked, a bit doubtful but intrigued. I never looked at it that way. "Really. Period." And probably because I was allured by his smile, I said, "Okay. I''ll give it a try." Chapter 8：Playing Games [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ That answer"I''ll give it a try"I never knew how it was going to be one of the factors that would change my life in this timeline dramatically. We talked a bit more after that, just random things. A few moments later, Hora arrived in a rush. I knew it. My text message worried her. Good thing I was with Ken, and she arrived at the classroom while we were laughing at each other. That should erase some of her worries. Our classmates started to arrive one after another. The girls would let out a squeal once they realized that Ken was sitting in front of me. You could see them summoning all their wits trying to impress him or appeal to him. Some would purposely blink prettily, or flip their hairs. The others showered themselves with perfume, making me sneeze, and my head ache from the smell. I had always been allergic to strong smells, especially the fumes from those fragrances. I couldn''t stop sneezing after that so I went out of the classroom. Hora and Ken followed me, much to everyone''s dismay. It was their fault to begin with. They could have stared longer at Ken if only they didn''t put too much perfume. "Achooo!" I sneezed so loud it felt like my brain went along with it. "I told you not to go to our classroom, Ken!" Hora reprimanded him. "Girls flock at you like hungry hyenas wherever you are!" "I''m sorry. I didn''t notice the time." "Don''t scold him, Hora. It''s my fault. I held him up in a conversation." "What? No you didn''t," Ken disagreed with me. "It was me. I''m the one who-" "Oh for goodness'' sake," Hora shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Stop defending each other like some old married couple." "No, we''re not!" We chorused. Ouch. He denied it so strongly. Welp, there goes the blush from my face. I felt myself pale up from devastation. Poor me. Be strong there, my heart. Well, I denied it, too, so I''m not really in a position to be hurt. I looked at Ken, curious about his expression. Was he feeling guilty or sorry? As I peeked, I was surprised to see his face turn red. Why though? Was he embarrassed? "Whatever, you two. Let''s just go back. Morning assembly is starting." And so, we did as Hora instructed. Morning assembly took a bit longer than usual because of the principal''s speech, making most of the students bored from trying to listen. She talked about informative things though, pity not everyone appreciated it. But what caught my attention more was the conversation of the two girls in front of me. "Did you see the news yesterday?" one of them said. "Why would I watch the news?" the other replied in disgust. "I normally don''t but you won''t believe what I saw." "And what''s that?" "A very handsome man, apparently a genius, who''s only the same age as us, but he already graduated college," the girl looked so smug. "You''re kidding." "Nuh-uh. Look. I took a picture." Then, she showed her phone to her friend. "Oh my gosh! He''s so handsome!" They giggled and squealed after that. They tried not to be so loud, but they failed. They only stopped talking when a teacher approached them. Classes started after that, and the whole day went on with nothing but gossip about the handsome genius. It was funny how everyone was so interested just because he''s handsome. Because of that, the short news about him got a little exaggerated as the gossip was passed on from one mouth to another. Not minding the gossip, I went on with my day until classes finished and we all went home. Ken went home with me and Hora. We passed by his house to get the game he was talking about. It was a game that I had to play with a console so he kindly lent his console to me as well. He carefully placed it inside a bag. "Wait, aren''t you still gonna use this?" I asked him, worried he wouldn''t be able to play anything while I''m still using it. "Nah, it''s fine. I still have other consoles," he answered with a smile. "And I could play that on my desktop. They have a version for desktops." "Oh, okay." It should be fine if that''s the case, right? Hora became curious about the game too, so we all went to my house, and unto my room, to play. Good thing I had a television in my room that we could use. The maids brought in some snacks for us and they informed me that mom and dad wouldn''t be home until late at night. Works fine with me, I could play with Hora and Ken until then. I picked up the game as Ken set up the console. It was inside a blue rectangular disc case. There were cute pictures of probably the characters in the game, wearing fantasy clothes. And on the title, it read "Armageddon". "So, what''s this game about?" I asked Ken as I tried to read the descriptions on the back of the disc case. "There''s two modesone is the single player story mode where you get to play the story until you finish it. You level up along the way, meet comrades, etc; and the other is the multiplayer open world where you get to modify your character, level up with your friends online, and even meet new friends all around the globe! You can join guilds and do quests together as well. Cool, right? There''s a lot you can do actually." He said all that in a single breath, and so enthusiastically. He really liked playing games. "Play with friends, and meet new ones around the globe, huh?" I pondered. I never thought games could be played together. If I could play this with them, wouldn''t it be fun? Chapter 9：Armageddon [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Ken finished setting up the game and gave me a controller to use. It was a controller you hold with your two hands, not too big, just the right size, with a couple of buttons and analog sticks on each side. I had to create some sort of "Game Station" account to save my progress. "You''ll be thankful you just need to create an account and save your progress on the hard drive of the console itself," he kindly informed me as if that''s something I should feel extremely grateful about. "On the earlier versions, we had to use memory cards and save our progress a LOT of time to make sure we don''t end up repeating the whole game from the start." I tried to ponder what he just said. Luckily, I had been gifted by wits so even if what he said was a bunch of jargons to a non-gamer like me, I somehow understood it. This was one of the times I felt glad being a quick learner. "I see kinda like how our current phones worked with memory cards. If we don''t have enough storage in the phone, then we use the memory cards. Unless we sync our files or pictures there, then nothing gets saved and we lose them all. Having hard drives in consoles is indeed convenientjust needs a large memory capacity." "Yes! Exactly!" he agreed to me with a bit of a surprised face. I guess he didn''t expect me to understand what he said. "Uhhh," Hora grunted, mulling over something. "I give up. I have no clue what you two are talking about." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" we laughed at her cuteness. Hora''s really adorable. After a good laugh, I started playing the game. Hora sat near me on my right, carefully watching the game unfold. She seemed to be deliberating if it''s a game she''d like to play or not. Ken was on my other side, giving me tips and instructions on how to do certain things. Having them beside me was fun. Sometimes I wish that they''re my brothers and sisters by blood. The game started with me creating a characteran avatar. There were lots of options to choose from. From hairstyles and color, to eye shape, nose, lips, height, complexion, even the clothes that the character wore. I could even change my gender to male if I wanted to. There were presets too in case anyone''s too lazy to customize but I enjoyed myself by creating my own character. I mostly chose how I looked in personginger orange hair, emerald green eyes, a bit of a rosy white complexion, pretty tall nose, thin lips, etc. I adjusted my eyes by making it like that of a dollround almond shape, that slants up a bit at the edges. I thought it made my avatar look prettier. "Wow! Those are really pretty eyes! Just like yours," Hora complimented me. "Huh? That''s not how my eyes look like," I disagreed because my eyes were just normal ones. "Yes it does," she argued. "I agree," Ken just joined the argument. "But it''s really not." Now, I''m confused. I started doubting if that really was the case. "You''re very beautiful, you know," Hora continued. "You just don''t accept compliments because you''re too critical about yourself. But in truth, our classmates think of you as an unreachable queen." "What?! You''re kidding. There''s no way that''s true. It''s bad to lie, Hora." I felt Ken''s stares prickling me. Turning to him, I said, "Yes, Ken? Anything to say? And don''t you dare lie" I quickly turned the other way. Blood rushed over to my face. I must have looked too red right now. That was really embarrassing. Hora''s right on the part that I''m not good with compliments. Ugh. I felt so embarrassed I wanna hide somewhere. Come on ground, go swallow me up. In my attempt to escape the scenario, I pressed the "start" button and a loud upbeat music played, along with some 3d animated scenes. Fortunately, the sound caught their attention and we all continued the game. I went with story mode first and Ken helped me with the controls. Hours passed as I played. Hora was interested in the beginning but she got bored midway. She always preferred simulation games or anything that involves designing something rather than fighting. In contrast, I think I''m getting hooked into the story of the game. Everything had been entertaining so far, maybe except for the fact that I had to grind by killing monsters over and over on some parts. I just wanted to get on with the story but I couldn''t because my level was still low. Just a few more of these useless fights to get experience and I''d be irritated. As I struggled leveling up, I didn''t notice that the sun had already set. Ken and Hora fell asleep on the couch beside me, using my lap as their pillow. What nice friends I had. No wonder I felt my thighs were beginning to get sore. I put down the controller for a moment and flicked their foreheads, waking them up. Afterwards, we went down to eat dinner. Mom and dad were still not home and my younger brother was holed up in his room. Thanks to that, dinner was rowdier than usual. Once done, I bid them farewell since they needed to go home of course. Good thing we didn''t have any assignments that day. I felt a bit sad with them leaving, so I decided I''d just go to shower and sleep. As I slumped myself to bed, trying to sleep, I was reminded of the fact that I still needed to talk to my dad which I wasn''t ready for yet. Trying to retreat from reality, I went back to the game I left running. "I want to escape from reality a bit more but I''m too tired grinding. I don''t want to kill a bunch of monsters anymore," I complained to myself. Then, I remembered Ken mentioned about the 2nd modean open world version. Thinking that, I decided to try it out, and this time, without guidance. Chapter 10：Town of Beginnings [Music Recommendation: "Happy Journey" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Tan-tan Tan-tan-tan The background music changed as soon as I went to "Open World" mode. I had to admit, this game had lots of great musicespecially the mellow ones. Upon entering, I was asked to either edit my avatar, create a new one, or skip and choose a "job". I still liked the avatar I created so I just went ahead and skipped. "Swordsman." "Mage." "Thief." "Archer." "Acolyte." "Merchant." I stared at the screen mulling over what to choose. But after a few minutes, my inner girly self decided with the job that had the most beautiful costumeMage. The Acolyte''s costume was cute too, but it was too demure for my taste. I preferred the Mage''s sexy but stylish, and magical-looking dress instead. On the next screen, I was given a bunch of freebies including a low-level wand. Then it asked to proceed to a certain portal which I did, and the screen loaded to another page. "Wow!" I gaped upon seeing the open world. There were a bunch of players everywhere!and with weird usernames. "ABC-123" "acertainhumanbeing" "0_0" "Asdfgh" "LaLaMon" Indeed such weird usernames. I was under the impression we''re supposed to use our nameslike real names. Or if someone wished for privacy, then maybe some other generic human name, you know? But looking at them, some even had numbers on their names, and some were just emojis? I raised my eyebrows in shock. And here I am who named my avatar "Senara Lee" like my real name. I felt so stupid. Maybe this was how it''s supposed to be. Aside from the weird usernames, I noticed that some had better costumes than the others, better weapons, and other stuffprobably high level players. Then, there were those standing close to each other in a group. Ken mentioned those to me. Was it guilds? Or a party? I forgot. Anyway, I walked on towards the gate leading to town. "Town of Beginnings," the town signage wrote. How very unique. I think the creator of this game and I would get along when it comes to naming things. One thing I discovered about myself when I played through "story mode" was that I quite liked exploring. Whenever I entered a new village or place, I always ended up exploring the whole map and I wouldn''t stop until I unlocked them. So when I went inside the town, the first thing I did was explore. It was a pretty town, and medieval. The merchants and shops were all lined up near the town''s gate. Houses were scattered in different directions. At the center of the town was of course, a Town Square, with water fountains, bushes and trees, and benches to sit on. At the far corners were different guild houses, and towers. There was also a Cathedral that was elevated from the rest by a long staircase. Behind it was a cemetery which looked spooky despite the scenery being morning. I could have sworn I heard a cry when I passed by it. While I was wondering at every nook and cranny of the town, checking if there was any treasure box or free items I could find, my screen suddenly became pitch black. "Oh no! What happened? Did I break it? Is it a glitch?" My heart beated loudly and I could feel my palms getting cold. I tried to control my avatar by making her run around the whole screen. Maybe I entered somewhere wrong like a glitched place or something. I did breathing exercises to calm down but I couldn''t. I was so worried that I broke Ken''s console and his game because if I did, then all of the records of the games he played before would be gone, too, right? And he was so nice to me, lending this console so I could have some fun. But now I broke it! Waaa What should I do? "A light!" I immediately shouted as I saw a glimpse of light at the corner of the screen. "Oh my goodness!" I sighed of relief and quickly ran over to the side of the light. [Music Recommendation: "Legend of Wind" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] Whoosh The background music changed into a mystical tone with angelic voices humming to the tune like sirens. Ahhh such a beautiful song. I could stay here for an hour and never get bored just listening to this kind of music. It wasn''t only the music that was beautifuleven the whole place was enchanting! I somehow got transported to a heavenly garden with soil covered in white grass and pastel colored flowers. Considering this was still 1080p graphics since 4k, 8k, and HDR wasn''t available yet, this whole place was just WOW! I applaud anyone who thought of creating such beautiful scenery. And at the far end of the "Secret Garden", as I decided to call it, was a shining golden treasure box. "Did I hit the jackpot?" I asked myself. I was frantic a moment ago but it turns out, it was actually a hidden passage towards this secret treasure box. I ran towards the treasure box and opened itlucky I didn''t need to have a key. I guess finding it was a miracle in itself. Once I opened it, I received a lustrous staff made of gold and silver, covered with different colored gems in the handle and a big crystal at the top of the scepter. I equipped it to my character and good thing it didn''t have a level restriction. "Woah! Oh my goodness! This is one over-powered staff!" I couldn''t believe my eyes. Why wouldn''t it be? It just gave me +100 on ALL of my character''s attributes! From strength, magic, vitality, dexterity, etc, even my luck increased by a hundred! "Is this what they call beginner''s luck?" As I marvelled on my findings, someone appeared from the bushes nearby. My attention from the magical staff was taken in an instant Why wouldn''t it? Amidst the colorful garden, stood a man clothed in nothing but pure darkness "Grim Reaper" was his name. Chapter 11：A Not-So-Grim” Reaper [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Chills ran down my spine. I went crazy enough to think that "death" came looking for me since I''m supposed to be dead. Was this a sign of him fetching me? Even if I was just playing a game like what my mind tried to tell me over and over, I couldn''t help but think of it as a warning on my life. While I was still busy getting nervous and overthinking, a message popped out from the chat window. Yes, Ken mentioned that to me, too. He said we could chat with other players via "global chat", "room chat", "private chat", and others. I wasn''t sure how to differentiate them but still, I got a message. "How did you find this place?" the Grim Reaper asked. He was dressed like an assassin from head to foot, with a black hood covering his head and a mask covering his nose and mouth. Only his dark purple eyes were visible from all the darkness. ''Phew! Okay. So he was a player like me right?'' I went over the chatbox to reply to him. It took me long to do so though, it was hard trying to type words using a controller instead of a keyboard. I had to hover around the letters of a virtual keyboard on my screen. "I''m not so sure. I was just exploring and I somehow ended up here," I typed and sent it. He was silent for a moment. Then he asked me again. "Newbie?" ''How did he know?'' "Yes. Does it show that much?" "You''re wearing all the freebies given, even useless ones. Most newbies do that." "Right Sorry for that." And there was silence again. I wanted to quickly leave the place and forget all about him and never meet him again in the future but I didn''t want to be rude and just leave like that. "What is this place, btw?" I typed again. "It''s a secret place with extremely rare treasures. There''s 12 of them scattered throughout the whole world. This specifically, is the ''Garden of Sacred Weapons''. You should know since you got your staff from the box." "Yes, that''s right! And what did you receive?" "The ''Sacred Katar'' since my job is an assassin. The box gives you a weapon depending on your job." "Oh, I see. That makes sense. If a mage gets a sword then it''s useless for her." Yes, I found it sensible. "Whoever made this game put a lot of thought into it, huh?" "Of course," he swiftly replied. "Games don''t just get created in an instant. It takes years and tons of efforts and teamwork. Not to mention, money and other resources." "Yes, that''s true," I agreed. "Did you like it? The game?" I didn''t expect him to ask that so I pondered for a moment. "Hmm yes, I quite like it. Though I do have a couple of suggestions." "Let''s hear it." "I hope it''s a bit new user-friendly, you know? Like maybe an ''easy mode''? Because honestly, I never played games before and my friend just lent it to me so I can have some fun." "Fair point. What else?" ''Was it me or he seemed like an interrogator?'' "Ahmm I love the story mode but it''s a bit predictive. And if it''s easy to predict, I get bored. So maybe, some improvement in the story line?" "That''s subjective. What else?" ''Yup. Confirmed. It wasn''t just me. He really was an interrogator. Ugh. He''s asking too many questions. What''s this? Some sort of test or survey?'' I thought for a whole minute before answering again. Then, a sudden idea hit me. I was reminded of the many beautiful sceneries and perfect background music. "I know it may sound weird but somehow, I wish I could see this whole world in a virtual reality." He went silent for a few minutes. I wasn''t sure what he was thinking. Well, we''re basically chatting online without seeing or knowing who the other person really was so it''s pretty hard to tell. "That''s a perfect idea Senara Lee." ''Oh, he just mentioned my name. Was that some sort of acknowledgement from him?'' "Thank you," I''m not sure why I''m thanking him. "By the way, why are you still here? You already got your weapon, right?" "I''m waiting for the portal to open again." "What? The portal closes?" I typed hurriedly. That means I could have been stuck in there for who knows how long! "Yes. It has an hourly interval and the room appears at random places. But once you get in, you can only get out after an hour has passed. This is to prevent too many players getting access to the secret place. It was meant to be discoverable by only 0.0001% of the population of players." I blinked my eyes a couple of times in my surprise. "That means I''m super duper lucky, right? I just stumbled at this place by accident! I even thought it was a glitch." "Could be." ''Ugh. Why can''t he just answer me in a nice way. He''s way too grumpy. Or maybe it''s just the way I''m interpreting his chats? Maybe he''s just blunt?'' "My time is up. Goodbye." "Huh?" Aww Was that weird? We''re supposed to meet friends globally in the Open World, right? I thought maybe we could play together and join some guild or whatnot. "You don''t want to?" I shyly asked. Not that you can ask shyly in chat but I felt nervous and embarrassed. I was never good at making friends. Hora and Ken were a miracle for me. And there was silence again. Maybe he didn''t want to be friends with a noob. Ping! A sudden pop-up message appeared on my screen. "Friend request received!" My eyes lit up as soon as I saw it. "Do you accept ''Grim Reaper'' as your friend?" I quickly tapped yes. "Thank you!" I typed it in to thank him. But as soon as he read it, he was gone. Well, that''s fine. I could still play with him or her in the future. All in all, I''m just so glad I got another friendmy very first online friend! Chapter 12：Facing My Fears [Music Recommendation: "Happy Journey" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Since I made my first online friend at midnight, and I was so happy about it to the point my mind was wide awake until three in the morning, I woke up that day with dark circles around my eyes. In my past life, I was used to sleeping for four hours or less and I''d have all the energy I needed for the whole day. But it seems that wouldn''t be the case from now on since I''m still in my teenage body. I''m a growing teen and of course, I need lots of sleep. I should have known. "You look awful, Sena," Hora greeted me with disgust written all over her face. She stood over the gate of our house to pick me up. "Don''t tell me you played that game all night?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Sorry, I didn''t notice the time," I responded with my voice sounding hoarse and lazy, and my mouth still yawning. Ugh. I felt so lightheaded. If only I could just go back to sleep. I shouldn''t have stayed up too long. "Tsk! Tsk!" she clicked her tongue. "If you keep that up, I''ll confiscate that game. It''s bad to stay up too late." "Ha-ha-ha." I couldn''t help but chuckle at her cute way of reprimanding melike a small child telling off her parents. "What''s so funny?" she squinted her eyes as she pouted. Really, so cute. Just get adopted in our family and be my sister. I always preferred a younger sister than a brother. "Nothing. It''s just that you''re like a little hamster when you''re angry." "What? I''m not a hamster!" We squabbled a little more after that until we reached school. The morning assembly and class went on as usual. At lunch, I bragged to Ken about how I found the "Garden of Sacred Weapons" and got myself a "Sacred Staff". He didn''t believe me at first. I didn''t blame him though. Grim Reaper did say that only 0.0001% of the player population could find it so it was basically an impossibility. But Ken knew that I suck at lying. I didn''t bat an eye when I told him how I got it so he believed me after that. Also, I was able to describe everything in great detail considering I was a complete noob until yesterday. We talked about Grim Reaper as well. He said the name was familiar so he looked it up on his phone and turns out, he was the top player of Armageddon! Top 1 globally! Ken went nuts over my "enormous luck" as he described it. Not only did I get a Sacred Weapon in-game, but I also met the top player! How cool was that? I guess it was pretty cool, even though I wasn''t appreciating it as much as Ken did. I would have preferred playing with them over meeting some top player whom I didn''t know personally. Meanwhile, I noticed Hora looked uninterested as we talked about the game. Aww my poor sister must have felt out of place. I quickly changed the conversation after that and let Ken drown in jealousy the whole lunch period. Honestly, he could just ask me to lend it to him and I wouldn''t mind if he wanted it so badly. Then maybe, since I''m friends with Mr. Top Player, I could arrange for them to meet? But I didn''t tell him that yet. I wanted him to brood over it some more. Ha-ha! I felt so evil doing that. Somehow, I wanted to prank him. Hours passed and classes endedit was time to go home. This time, I walked back home alone because Hora''s mom fetched her to go somewhere and Ken had to go to their shop. It was quiet, walking alonea bit lonely, but also peaceful. [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] When I was just a few meters away from our house, I saw my dad sitting on the bench in the garden. My steps immediately halted as I saw him. He was early. He usually arrived home around seven or eight in the evening. Perhaps it was because I stopped and simply stared at him that I noticed it Dad he was looking far away. It was the kind of look people who had heavy problems had. Just staring at nothingness. I knew it so much since I found myself doing that many times in my past life. But what could he be thinking? What problem could he be hiding? Was it those scammers? Did they approach him already? But if they did, shouldn''t he be happy? He didn''t know before that they were scammers, he just thought that it was a good investment and was so happy getting into a contract with them. "Why does he look so sad?" that thought circled on my mind over and over. Could it be that I was just so focused on my anger with him from abandoning us and betraying us, but in truth there was another side of the story that I didn''t know? Could it be that all these years I hated him for nothing? I was still unready to face him that moment. But I strengthened myself. Looking past my anger and bitterness, I decided to approach him, and talk to him. It felt like the longest walk of my life when I finally walked towards him. I clenched my fist tight, trying to muster all my courage. Yes, courage because I was afraid to be disappointed. I was having doubts, and hoping that maybe he had a valid reason for leaving us. But what if he didn''t? That it was really just like how I initially thought? I was scared of the truth that he would tell me. At last, I stood in front of him, and said "Hi dad." Chapter 13：A Talk With Dad [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter T_T ~ My dad''s sullen eyes tried to smile for me. But he couldn''t fool me. I knew he was forcing himself to smile. "Senara," he called my name like any loving father would. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to hear him call me that way or I''d rather have him be stern with me. "How''s school today?" "Normal," I replied, shrugging. "How''s business?" Bullseye. His eyes instantly reverted back to being sullen. My guess about it related to our family business was right. Having memories of my past life was really helpful. Dad sighed deeply before answering me, "There''s a few problems right now, to be honest. But don''t worry, it will be over soon. All businesses face it''s own challenges." "Have you found a solution already?" I reverted quickly. I wanted to know if he already met those scammers. "Actually," he said, then paused as if deliberating if he should tell me about it or not. He had always been open about a lot of things but if he thought it was something not fit for my age yet, he wouldn''t tell me no matter how hard I pressed him. ''I need him to confide in me and think I''m mature enough to handle it'' was what I thought at that moment. So I told him "I may only be 15 right now, but you should know that I''m really smart. You never know, maybe I have an idea how to fix your problem." I tried to talk big. It was perfect. My tone was confident, too. I looked at him in the eyes as I spoke. "You always told us never to underestimate the capabilities of the youth of today. Because they are the hope of our country. But how will we become the hope of the country if our parents kept us safe from the harsh reality of the world? Making us live in some self-made fantasy or idealism?" Dad looked surprised. He probably didn''t expect such deep words from a teenager. "I need to know the truth about the world and how it works, dad. I''m not a kid anymore, and everyday, I grow older and wiser. I think it''s time to prepare me for what''s really out there." To be honest, I wasn''t sure if what I was saying would really convince him to open up with me. Half of me, just really wanted to tell him those words. Because in my past life, when I started working at the age of 16, life slapped me hard with it''s reality. How many times I wished that my parents told me about it sooner than having to experience it myself, and scar me for the rest of my life, making me unable to trust anyone completely. Yes, life wasn''t some fairytale filled with sunshines and daisies. If anything, it would be best compared to sailing in the sea. Some days would be peaceful, but some days would be a storm. Some days you would be fooled by the sun, and some days, comforted by the rain. And it would be solely up to you to sail against them. Dad lowered his eyes and sighed deeply. "Right. You''re no longer a child," he murmured, trying to let the truth sink in to him. "In that case, sure, let me tell you the truth." I exhaled, relieved that he decided to believe in me. "You see, Senara, in this world, not all the people you''ll meet are good people." I nodded in agreement. Then, I sat beside him on the bench as I listened to him. "Remember our largest shop located at the heart of Global City?" "Yes, you said it''s our main branch, and most of our sales came from there," I answered. I did remember that place, despite the long years I haven''t seen it. "Three-storey, very wide, and surrounded with a gardenour biggest high-end restaurant." That''s right. If Ken''s family owned several appliances shops, Hora''s family owned furniture shops, our family owned chains of restaurants. Some were high class ones, some for middle class. Global City was the most populated and visited place in our country due to its beauty, and it being the heart of many businesses and companies. We were very lucky to be able to obtain a huge land in that area considering its price per square meter. If it wasn''t for our ancestors investing on what others thought was a dying, barren land way, way backI forgot if it was my great, great, great grandparents who bought them or somethingwe wouldn''t be able to get a piece of land there. "Right, that''s the one," Dad confirmed. "You see since that restaurant is located in a highly-coveted area, it somehow garnered unwanted attention." Badump! Badump! Badump! My heartbeat grew louder in my chest that I could almost hear it. "Unwanted attention from whom?" I bravely asked. "... From big whales." My eyes widened in surprise. Dad liked making his analogy with the oceansomething I inherited a bit. "You mean like really big whales?" For short, corporate giants. He nodded. "Yes. And compared to them, we are merely small fishes in the sea." F*ck. There would only be one thing that corporate giants would want from small fishes like usterritory! "They want the land," I stated, not even asking because it was clear what they wanted. Dad looked surprised again from my statement, but he nodded in agreement. My blood boiled so much, listening from the despicable truth that dad just told me. "In short," I breathed heavily in my anger, "they want to acquire the land for free!" Alas, Dad sighed deeply once more "Yes, they want it for free." Chapter 14：Tears [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ So it was all because of those peopleand those scammers worked for them! They probably thought we were so small we wouldn''t be able to fight back so it was easy for them to bully us and do whatever they wanted! That''s why dad had no choice but to invest in that losing business that eventually caused our whole family''s finances to go down! It was all because of them! Rage took over me. My face furrowed and my hands clenched so hard I almost cut my palms with my nails. My eyes teared up but I did my best to stop them from falling. I was so frustrated but I needed to calm down. There was still something I''m curious about. Given the fact about those despicable corporate giants, and our business going bankrupt still, why? Why did dad decide to leave us back then? If we became poor, that should be fine as long as we''re together, right? We could still help each other and rebuild from scratch. He didn''t need to leave us, right? Then, a sudden thought came to me. "You said it will be over soon," I said, staring at him intently. All my rage was gone, replaced with fear instead. "And you said they ''persuaded'' you What exactly do you mean by that?" My dad''s eyes widened. His lips trembled, and I could see him sweating profusely. There was something else he wasn''t telling me. He didn''t think that I''d be able to understand the situation with such depth. But even if he refused to tell me, I was wise enough to guess. Knowing dad would comply with their requests no matter how absurd it was, there was only one thing that would put them at risk It was dad himselfhe was the greatest risk! If ever dad''s mind changed and wanted to deal with things legally, it would take a hit on their name being the corporate giant they were. It would be a huge scandal. With their massive connection, they would obviously win the trial but public opinion was one thing that would be hard to manipulate even if they controlled the media. There would also be a possibility of them getting investigated by the government. Once it reaches the ears of their foreign investors or their international alliances, they would then lose their credibility for being unable to clean such a simple mess, and eventually losing money and investors in the process. Given all those facts, even if it was only a very small probability for them, as corporate giants, they wouldn''t take the unnecessary risk. And what was the easiest way of eliminating a risk? Cutting it from its roots! And in the case of my dad cutting him from the world. "Sniff sniff sniff" I sobbed hard. What once were tiny tears falling from my eyes became a continuous stream. All those years I hated my dad because I thought the reason he left us was simply irresponsibility. But in truth, he did it to protect us. He kept everything a secret from us and went away quietly so they wouldn''t suspect us and target us. And the reason why he didn''t visit me on my deathbed was because he was no longer there. He was already gone! Those people silenced him! He died all alone! He died being hated by the family he protected! All because of them! For a freaking piece of land! F*ck them!!! WRAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I wanted to scream so loud in my anger and frustration. But I''m sure my dad felt worse. I wanted to comfort him, even for a bit. With trembling hands, and tear-stained face, I inched closer to him, and gave him the warmest hug I could give. Deep inside, I wanted to make up for the times I hated him. I was so stupid! How could my trust in him be so shallow? How did he feel during his last moments? He must have been so lonely or scared devastated Why wouldn''t he be? We were just living so peacefully back then. But those people just came and ruined it! All for their greed! How I wish that they''d suffer instead! That they get what they deserve! That they pay for their crimes and hideous acts! Let them suffer divine retribution by a hundred fold! "Sniff sniff sniff" my dad and I cried our eyes out. It was the first time I saw him cry. How could I have forgotten? My parents were just humans, too. They laugh, and cry, and get scared, just like any normal human. They weren''t God, they weren''t perfect. They just love and try to do what''s best for the family. "Dad," I called him dearly. "Yes?" "I love you." Dad cried harder. But afterwards, he smiled and caressed the back of my head. "I love you so much, too, my dear daughter." I wanted to help himto resolve this great storm that came to our lives. This time, I didn''t want him to handle it alone. But what could I possibly do? I was just a teenager. And even if I had knowledge of my past life, none of my memories could be helpful in solving this ordeal. An hour passed with us just crying and comforting each other. Later on, my mom and younger brother arrived so we wiped our tears and went to our rooms. We couldn''t share the truth with them. Mom''s heart was weak and my brother was too young. It was up to us to solve this issue. Once in my room, I went straight to the bathroom and soaked myself in the bathtub. I cried a little more and prayed to God to deliver us, and show us the way "For us to be able to overcome the big whales we''ll need the help of the ocean." Chapter 15：Looking For An Escape [Music Recommendation: "Above the Sea of Clouds" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I curled myself in bed, still wearing bathrobesnot even drying my hair. I was lost in the thought of how to solve the problem. But no matter how much I thought about it, no feasible solution came to mind. If only there was a way to somehow escape this scenario and jump into the future where we already surpassed this, free to live happily together. An escape how nice would that be. Yes, I wanted to escape somewhere not here, somewhere far from reality. How I wished life was just a fairytale, filled with sunshines and daisies. Because in fairytales, the good guys always win, and the bad guys always meet their just end. And everyone lives happily ever after. But this was no fairytale. We need a solution. But what? How? I had no idea. Perhaps it was my great desire for an escape that I stood up from bed and went to the couch. I turned on the console, and played Armageddon. I told myself so many times that it wasn''t the time to play games but somehow, I felt an urge to do it. Once logged in, I went to "Open World" mode and explored. I didn''t do any world quests, or fought any monsters, I just made my avatar run, and run, and run, until it reached the next town by footnot using teleportation circles. Fortunately, the changing of scenery and background music helped lighten up my mood. So I continued running and running until I found the perfect place to just sit and relax, on top of the highest mountain in the game"Mount Altus". "Ahhh what a beautiful view," I marvelled at what I saw. On top of the highest mountain, everything looked so small. And the music so perfect, relaxing, and soothing, both to the ears, and the heart. As I sat there, staring at the beautiful scenery and listening to the music, a sudden pop up box distracted me. "Grim Reaper is now online!" it said. "So it gives notifications when your friends are online, too, huh?" I asked, talking to myself. Then, I was reminded of what Ken told methat it would help lessen the burden if I talked to someone about my problem. I couldn''t possibly drag Hora and Ken in this serious problem so I thought maybe, just maybe, telling a stranger wouldn''t hurt, right? Thinking that, I grabbed the keyboard from my desktop and connected it to the console. Ken told me during lunch that I could actually just connect my desktop keyboard to the console to avoid the hassle of trying to type via virtual one. And so, I pinged him, privately. "Hello, Grim Reaper!" I typed and sent it to him. It was funny how I sought to gain comfort from someone whom I initially thought was out there to fetch me and guide me to the other sideto death. I chuckled thinking so. It took him a few minutes to reply but I''m thankful he did. I thought he just accepted my friend request out of politeness. But then again, he was so blunt and a bit grumpy for him to be polite. "Yes, Senara Lee?" "Pft! Senara or Sena is fine." "What do you want, Senara?" See? So blunt. I found myself chuckling again. They said honest people liked honesty in return. In that case, since he''s so honest, maybe I could do the same? "Are you busy right now?" I asked him. "No. That''s why I''m playing." "In that case, would you mind listening to me for a bit? I''m kinda down right now and they said it helps if I share it with someone. Unfortunately, it''s not something I can share with my real-life friends so..." Ugh. That was so embarrassing. Why did I even think of opening up to him or her? I just met himor her, yesterday. Wouldn''t he be repulsed or think I''m weird? "What happened?" this time, he replied quickly. Phew! I thought he, or she, or whatever, was taken aback with my sudden "openness". "You see my dad suddenly encountered a huge problem," I started. "Big whales want to acquire the land on which our best-selling restaurant is located. And they want to buy it half the original price. They''re also forcing my dad to be business partners and wants him to invest the payment for the land to their suspicious business. So basically, my dad won''t get anything at all from selling that land. And what''s worse I think my dad''s life is at risk." I typed all of that so fast out of frustration. A few minutes passed by again. "I''m too lazy to type," he said. What the F! Here I was pouring my heart out and he tells me that he''s too lazy to type?! Ugh. I was baffled and my blood boiled again in anger. "Do you have a headset?" Another message from him arrived that flushed all my anger away in an instant. "Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed. He meant thathe wanted to talk instead. Ugh. Why do I always jump to conclusions? Seriously, I need to loosen up. I ran towards my study table and grabbed the headset beside the computer. Then, I went back and plugged it in the controller. I just had to look for the circular hole where I could plug it in. "Yes, I do," I replied. "But I don''t know how to call here." He didn''t respond after that. Instead, another pop-up appeared on my screen. "Grim Reaper is calling you!" There were two options, to answer and to hang up. I answered the call, of course. And on the other side, he greeted me Yes, Grim Reaper was a "he". "Hi, Senara." Wow what a beautiful voice. Deep, and masculinea baritone. There was also a hint of youth in his voice. Maybe we''re the same age? Or near? I wasn''t sure. But one thing I''m sure of, he was a kind person. It was there, in his voicethe sound of worry and comfort. Chapter 16：I Just Wanna Be Happier [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter T_T ~ At first, I was nervous. I didn''t know where to start or what to say to him. I just kept on saying fillers and stuttering. There was so much I wanted to say. Then, my feeling started swelling up in my chest. I tried to hold it back but I wasn''t successful. "Ahm," I gulped and looked up, doing my best to hold back my tears from falling. "Just a warning, I might cry soI mean, if you''re feeling uncomfortable, just let me know. And I''m really sorry for dragging you into this. I just really " "It''s okay," he interrupted. "Cry all you want. Say all you want. I''ll be here to listen." Ahhh my tears broke out. To listen to a stranger''s troubleshe''s really so kind. I tried to tell him a clear story but my mind was jumbled up with my emotions. I ended up crying, and sobbing, and wailing, like an idiot. I curled myself up on the couch, with the headset on my head, and I just cried. I wasn''t even sure how long I cried. "Why are they so greedy?" I continued, "My dad, or we, we''re very much willing to sell that land if they want it so badly. We don''t even care if they pay us fair or not! They could have it! But why? Why do they have to threaten my dad?" Anger sorrow hopelessness all my emotions were mixed up. "I don''t care if we become poor or lose our homeas long as we''re together, we can just persevere and climb back up. Sniff but how could they threaten my dad?! What did he do to them? Is it because we''re just small fishes that it''s so easy for them to bully us? Yes that''s true. There''s really nothing we could do about it! Sniff sniff and because of that" Ahhh I wanted to scream so bad. I could barely speak anymore. I didn''t know if he could even understand what I was saying. "Do I just have to wait for my dad to die? And maybe us, too? I don''t know anymore I''m just a teenager. I hope there''s something I could do to prevent it. But what can a mere child do? How can I be so useless? I can''t even help my dad sniff..." What''s the use of time travelling if I would just watch my dad suffer and die?! Then everything would just repeat itself. "I just sniff I just want us to live happily and overcome this Is that too much to ask? Hu-hu-hu..." Perhaps it was because I''ve been crying for probably an hour or more already, that I felt my heart become lighter. Though my nose became clogged, and my tears dried up in my face, at least, I felt a little better. Mr. Grim Reaper was really kind to listen to me spout all my nonsense. I''d be eternally grateful to him for this time. Probably because my sniffs and sobs lessened, that after listening to me for so long, he finally talked. "Are you feeling better now?" he gently asked me. "Yes! Sniff thank you so much!" I immediately responded. "I''m so sorry for making you stay this long and hear me cry. I just met you yesterday and I''m already bugging you and being a burden. I''m really, really sorry!" "There''s no need to be sorry. It''s normal." I wasn''t sure if he was just being kind, telling me it''s normal. "People who play this gamemost of them either play to enjoy themselves... or to escape reality," he added. Escape. Yes. I did play today as an attempt to escape the harsh reality. "Don''t feel sorry. Problems are part of life. And you''re human so of course you get hurt and cry." Ahh he''s really kind despite his bluntness. He seemed very mature, too. Maybe he''s much older than my current self. "That''s true," I agreed, wiping my tears. "Thank you very much." "Big whales, huh?" I chuckled. "Yes. Sorry. My dad and I are used to making analogies with ocean or ocean lives. So he compared them to big whales and us being small fishes. Well, it''s true though." "I see." I think I heard a brief chuckle from him. "In that case, you need the help of the ocean, right?" My eyes widened. That was the exact thing I thought when I was praying in the bathroom! "Woah!" I blurted out. "Are you an angel?" "Pft! What?" There it is! He chuckled! "Yes! An angel. You see, what you just saidI actually thought the same thing when I was taking a baI mean,praying." I quickly changed ''bath'' to praying. I somehow felt shy telling a boy that I was bathing for some reason. "Angels hear our prayers, right? You''re not a Grim Reaper, you''re an angel." "I''m no angel. I''m just a human." "Alright. If you say so," I shrugged. I''m joking already, that means I''m feeling better. "By the way, is your real name Senara Lee?" "Huh? Ahh yes," I shyly admitted. "It''s probably a total noob-thing to do, right? Ha-ha-ha! I didn''t know we could use weird usernames so" "Ha-ha!" he laughed again. His laughs were so short. I''d love to hear him laugh longer. "It IS a very noob-thing to do." "Yeaaahhh. I should really change my name." "How about Mood Swings?" Did he just pull a joke on me? "W-what?!" I should be angry but I found myself laughing hard. "No! I''m not gonna name my character Mood Swings." Honestly, the name was on pointI was crying hard earlier and now I''m laughing. "Anyway, you should sleep now. Teenagers need sleep to grow or you''ll be small." "Hey! I''m pretty tall myself. I''m 5''6, you know! And I''m still growing. So I''ll be 5''7 or 5''8 in the future." "Yeah, yeah. But you won''t grow if you lack sleep." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Yes, sir! I''m going to sleep now. Thank you so much again." "It''s nothing. Don''t worry, everything will be fine soon. God won''t give you problems you can''t solve. You have all the resources you need. If not, then He''ll solve it for you, right?" Awww my heart. I felt so touched. From now on, you''re my idol, Mr. Grim Reaper. "Yes, that''s right," I smiled. Somehow, my heart felt at ease. We bid our goodbyes after, and I fell asleep peacefully thanks to him. Chapter 17：The Rising Sun [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ When I woke up the next morning, my heart felt so light as if all the troubles magically faded away. Who am I kidding? I knew the problem was still there but for some reason, I wasn''t worrying as much as I did last night. Ken was right. Telling someone about your problems really eases the burden. I''m so glad I toughened myself that day and asked Mr. Grim Reaper to be my friend. If not, I wouldn''t have anyone to talk to last night. A week and a half passed by slowly after that. Slowly because I was preparing myself for the worst to come. Every single day that passed, I made sure to spend it with my dad, and made sure he felt all the love he deserved. It was the least I could do. If he''d allow me, I wouldn''t mind joining him in his last moments. I died before already so I wasn''t as scared anymore. Plus, this time, I didn''t have any regretsno more bitterness because I finally knew the real reason why things happened the way they did in my past life. Though deep inside, I still hoped for the best as much as I anticipated the worst. I also stopped playing Armageddon for the meantime since I used all my spare time for my dad. I left a message for Mr. Grim Reaper though, in case he''s worried. I told him that I''ll be spending time with dad. I hope he''s doing fine, too. As for Hora and Ken, my two childhood friends, I kept everything a secret from them. Same with my mom and younger brother. Mom had been skeptical as to why I''ve been trying to defend dad whenever they started fighting. But thanks to my meddling, mom stopped quarrelling with dad. I almost cried that time but I made sure to stop myself or mom would pester us to tell the truth. Today, it was Monday again, and I prepared myself early so I could go to school earlier than usual. I texted Hora saying I''ll go on ahead againthis time, with an emoji so she wouldn''t worry. Why was I early? Well, somehow I wanted to feel the morning breeze, and see the sun slowly rising from our classroom window. It actually had the perfect spot for viewing the morning sun since the school was elevated and our classroom''s in the 5th floor so it was pretty high. And so, I arrived before dawn at school. The janitors and a few teachers were surprised by my "earliness". Nonetheless, they greeted me with a "good morning" and I greeted them back with a smile. Once I''m in the classroom, I quietly sat down on my chair and stared at the beautiful view outside. Watching the sunrise felt like watching my hope rise up within me. Along with that, somehow my instinct told me that today would be a wonderful day. Time passed by and students started arriving. Hora and Ken arrived, too, and we chatted a bit before morning assembly. The day proceeded as usual until lunch time. I was suddenly called by Sir Greg, saying that my dad was waiting for me at the school gates. He sounded urgent so I immediately ran towards the school gate, with my heart thumping so loud in my chest. I was so worried. What could have possibly brought my dad at school in such a hurry that he couldn''t wait until the end of classes? Were my instincts wrong? Would my perfect morning be ruined by a news I never wanted to hear? I felt tears forming in the corner of my eyes as I ran. "Dad!" I frantically called him from the gates. He was standing outside, facing our carthe sedan one he always used whenever he went to business meetings. There was a man wearing a black suit beside him. He didn''t look familiar. A teardrop escaped my eyes the moment I saw him. Did it go wrong? Was he here because he wanted to say his goodbye to me? The anxiety was killing me. I wanted answers, and quickly! My dad turned around when he heard me. He was smiling from ear to ear. Was that smile a sign of eternal farewell? No! Please no! I beg you! My hands and lips trembled from all the fear I was feeling. I almost shouted at the guard to open the gates fasterhe was doing it too slow. As soon as it opened, I ran over to my dad and hugged him tightly. My tears poured out the moment I embraced him. "Dad!" I cried out. "What happened? Why are you here?" I asked in a single breath. My nose was getting clogged again and I felt my blood rushing unto my face. "Senara, my dear daughter," dad called me dearly, wiping the tears from my face. Then, he stared into my eyes and said, "Don''t cry, it''s okay " "What do you mean okay?! Nothing''s okay!" I rudely interrupted. My eyes quickly peeked over the man that was with him. "W-who is he? I-is he bad? If he''s here to take you, then take me with you!" "What? No!" Dad refused profusely. "But Dad!" "My sweet daughter, listen to me first, okay?" I could see tears from his eyes, too. I shook my head in disagreement. "No no I don''t want to hear it, please," I begged him. My dad probably felt I was so scared that he went back to hugging me. He patted my head and my back to calm me down. "Senara, don''t cry anymore. Everything''s okay now." "Huh?" I was so confused. "Okay? How could it be okay?" Yesterday, I still saw him staring at nothingness again at the garden. Then today, he''d tell me everything''s okay? Was he trying to fool me so I wouldn''t worry? Then, he whispered to me in a tone so relieved and thankful. "The ocean it took care of the big whales." My whole world just stopped the moment I heard that. Chapter 18：Miracle [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ My eyes widened in my surprise and my mouth was probably stuck open for a couple of seconds. I couldn''t believe what my dad just said. That meant the problem was solved already, right? I sighed deeply in relief. Was I dreaming? Was what I''m hearing all real? I wanted to pinch myself to wake up if it was all a dream, but my father''s warmth confirmed it for me. "T-the ocean?" was all I managed to say. "Yes!" he said so happily. "The ocean drove the big whales out of the sea! And now, they''re out of the game!" "Out of the game, how?" I pushed my dad away to look him in the eyes. I wanted to know what exactly happened. Did he do something? Pulled some strings? "I''m not really sure how it happened," he started explaining to me, "I just suddenly got a call from their people that they''re backing out from buying the land." "Just like that?!" I still couldn''t believe it. But deep inside, I''m so thankful. I immediately whispered my thanks to God. "Yes! And that''s not all," dad was so exhilarated. "Word came out this morning about their scandal and they''re now under investigation. Even the government is on themthey''re all over the news, even in the international news! Turns out, they''ve been doing lots of illegal activities like tax evasions, embezzlements, false advertisements, drugs, prostitution, and even human trafficking! The whole corporation is now facing trial and all of their investors backed out to avoid association with them. Even the President is fuming in anger at them. He ordered proper trial and justice be done to the whole corporation. At this rate, they will go bankrupt and their higher ups will be imprisoned!" "It seems that my daughter has the tongue of an angel," Dad chuckled. "You said everything will be fine and we''ll get through this, and we did!" Yes, I kept telling him that for the past week, trying to encourage him so he won''t lose hope. But in truth, I was echoing it to myself as wellto not lose hope. If anything, it was Mr. Grim Reaper who had the tongue of an angel. His words repeated in my head. "Don''t worry, everything will be fine soon. God won''t give you problems you can''t solve. You have all the resources you need. If not, then He''ll solve it for you, right?" I was reminded again of his kindness. They were only words but they meant so much. If it wasn''t for him, I would have probably lost hope, too. I should log in later and thank him again, and tell him everything that happened. I should introduce him to dad and mom, to my brother, and to Hora and Ken, too! While I''m busy with my thoughts, dad asked Sir Greg to excuse me for the rest of the day to which he agreed easily. I gave a brief goodbye to Hora and told her that I''ll tell her everything later. After that, dad and I fetched mom and my younger brother. They were both puzzled and the look on their faces was funny. We were still with the man in a black suit whom I hadn''t had the chance to ask dad who he was. Anyway, dad drove us towards Global City and in my surpriseto our restaurant. The restaurant that we almost lost "Secret Garden". The fine dining restaurant was really special to us, not just because it generates lots of money or because it''s high-end, but because it was a family restaurant passed down from generation to generation. It had been built way before I was born, and had been renovated many times over. Now, it stood tall with it''s three-storey, glass walls all over except for the corners, and the pillars which were made of marble, wood, and metal. Lots of greenery surrounded itan enchanting garden, thus its name. There was also a huge dancing fountain for the customers and passersby to enjoy. Inside, you could find lots of bookshelves that served as either decoration, entertainment, or partitions. The furnitures were all exquisite, and the lighting of the whole place was perfect, especially the crystal chandeliers that hung by the ceiling. Should any customer want privacy, they could go to the 2nd floor where each table was separated by soundproof rooms. And to anyone who enjoyed the sun during daytime, or the night breeze in the evening, they could go to the open third floor. The bar and live musicians were located there as well. There were also musicians for the first floor, though they mostly played piano or violin for classical music as compared to the acoustic one on the 3rd floor. And so, dad brought us all to the 2nd floor, unto the private room at the far end. He ordered food for us and we happily ate. Then, dad confessed to mom and my younger brother about everything that happened. They both cried. They didn''t know all of those things were happening and they couldn''t even help. Dad and mom made up, too. Mom felt so sorry for making things harder for him"if she only knew" she said. But Dad apologized too, for not being honest with all of us. We didn''t blame him though. We understood he was only doing it out of his love for us. Once all the crying stopped, dad introduced the man in black suit to us. I confused him for those big whales'' lackeys earlier and I felt sorry because he was so kind. Turns out, he was actually a lawyer, and very well-known at that! He had a really high reputation and he said he was tasked to help dad deal with the aftermath of what happened. Dad wasn''t sure himself how he ended up being acquainted with such a reputable lawyer but we''re glad it happened. What a miraculous, and joyous day it was... Chapter 19：The Ocean [Music Recommendation: "Good Night, Liyue" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Overwhelmed would be the perfect word to describe how I felt after everything that happened. Even after I laid on my bed now, recalling the miraculous events of today, I still couldn''t believe it got resolved just like that. Truly, I''m very, very thankful. In my past life, none of these things happened. And it was still July! I wondered what changed that contributed for such a miraculous event to occur. I didn''t do anything though. What was the different thing I did compared to my last life? Hmm If there was anything, all I did was play games this time, and confront my dad. Maybe dad did something after we talked that he didn''t notice and that might have contributed to it? Yes, it was probably that. There''s no way my playing games would do anything to resolve the issue. Plus, he met that lawyer, too. Maybe it was the lawyer then? Well, whatever. As long as everything''s okay now. After mulling over things, I remembered I had to tell Mr. Grim Reaper about what happened today. So I jumped out of my bed, turned the console on, and logged in the game. It was 7 o''clock in the evening. If my memory served me right, Mr. Grim Reaper should be online right now. "How do I check my friend list again?" I asked myself as I scratched my head. I should really explore all the features of this game and familiarize myself. I completely forgot all about them in just a week of not playing. Ping! A sudden pop-up appeared on my screen. "Mr. Grim Reaper!" I blurted out in my surprise. "Oh my goodness, is he a psychic? Can he tell that I forgot how to search for friends and message them?" "Hi." he said. So brief. He really was a lazy typer, wasn''t he? "Grim Reaper! Helloooo!" I replied quickly, and with much vigor. I hope that lengthened Hello gave him a hint that I''m doing well. "Call?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I laughed so hard. Did he hate typing so much? "Sure!" I answered. Good thing my headset was still on the coffee table in front of the couch I''m sitting. I just had to grab it and insert it on the controller again, and put it on my ears of course. "Grim Reaper is calling you!" And there it was, his call. How could he tell that I still didn''t know how to make a call? I answered his call with a smile on my face. "Grim Reaper! You won''t believe what happened!" I started the call with too much enthusiasm. "That sounds like good news." "Yes, it is! You see" And I told him everything that happenedfrom last week''s me trying to console my dad, up to this lunch where my dad suddenly came to school to fetch me, how those nasty big whales got their retribution, how our family made up, and my dad even befriended a really awesome lawyer. In my excitement, I probably talked really fast. I hope he understood all the things I said. "That''s really great to hear. And I''m glad you''re all safe." Awww that''s so sweet of him. "Yes thank you very much," I thanked him from the bottom of my heart. If I could express my gratitude more, I would, but I wasn''t sure how to do that on a call. "It''s all because of you." Clank! Splash! I suddenly heard the sound of a cup tumbling over and a spilling drink. Oh no! I must have grossed him out, making him spill his drink! "OMG! Are you alright? I''m so sorry if I" "I''m okay. It''s just pumpkin juice." "Oh, okay. I thought it''s something hot that could have scalded you." "No. I lifted it and my finger slipped so it fell on the table." "Phew! That''s good." "Anyway, congrats on overcoming your family problem." "Thank you and thank you very much for listening to me that day! I really appreciate it. If you ever need a friend in the future too, let me know! I''ll be sure to listen!" My voice couldn''t sound any more overly helpful and energetic. "I didn''t even do much for you to thank me a lot." "Of course you did! When I was so down, you listened to mea complete stranger." "By the way, I''ve always wanted to ask." "What?" "Your name. I can''t possibly keep on calling you Grim Reaper, right? How should I call you?" And there was silence. Perhaps, he wasn''t comfortable sharing his real name? "Ahm, if you don''t want to say it, then it''s fine. I''ll just keep calling you Grim?" "No, it''s fine." "Really?" "Kai my friends call me that." Wow what a beautiful name. Weird, it sounded familiar. Oh yeah! I remember! In my past life, I had to travel to Hawaii once for business purposes. I stayed at a hotel near the beach. In the morning I would take a walk near the shore, and I would often hear the locals saying "kai" or "makai''. It was only when my workmate explained to me that "kai" meant "ocean" in their language and "makai" meant "towards the ocean". I found myself laughing remembering that. "What''s funny?" Grim Reaperor Kai, asked. "Ha-ha! Sorry. I just found it funny because don''t get me wrongyour name''s really pretty and I think it suits you." "Really, huh?" He sounded skeptical. "It''s true!" "Yeah, whatever you say." Oh myhe''s not believing me. "Nooo! I''m not making fun of your name! Hear me outcome on!" "Pft! Ha-ha!" Ahh he laughed. I began to love his laughI mean, like. "Fine. What''s the reason?" "It''s the meaning of your name," I explained. "In Hawaii, it means ocean. And remember we were making ocean-related analogies last time we spoke? So I just found it funny because you said it, toothat since we''re having problems with big whales, we''ll need the help of the ocean." And once again, there was silence Chapter 20：The Oceans Wish [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Grim Reaper''s / Kai''s POV-the day after his call with Senara] "Master, wake up," the voice of our butler woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes and I''m immediately blinded by the sun''s light. Ugh. I hate mornings. Why couldn''t classes be in the afternoon or evening? I shut my eyes close again and rolled to the other side of bed. The butler sighed. "Master, if you keep this up, you''ll be late." "That''s fine. I''d still ace their exam even if I don''t attend class," I lazily replied, waving my hands, signalling him to get out. "But master" Ugh. He just wouldn''t stop. Now I understand why father put him as my personal butler. He''s a persistent one. "Ugh just leave me alone," I commanded him with my eyes closed. I''m still very sleepy. I only managed to sleep near dawn and that was only 2 hours ago. "You should really lessen playing games, master." "I''m not just playing for the sake of playing." "Yes, but still" Blah-blah-blah. ''Assessment is over. He''s irritating for sure. I should ask my father to change my butler. He''s as willful as my irritating sister. Why can''t they just be polite and reserved? like Senarashe seemed pretty docile. Speaking of her, I wonder how she''s doing.'' "By the way master," the irritating butler rambled again, "you left your console open last night so I took the liberty to turn it off. But someone left you a message." "Hm? Who?" I wondered, still with my eyes closed. Morning was truly my enemy. "It was from a player named ''Senara Lee''. I''m not quite sure how to addresshim or her?" I jolted up from bed as soon as I heard her name. It was odd since we haven''t been friends for long but I''m somehow worrying for her. Her family''s problem was no joke after all. I walked towards my playing couch and turned on the game to check the message. "W-what theMaster, this is no time to play games!" Blah-blah-blah. Such a nag. "I''m not turning this on if you remembered what she said," I turned to him. "Well, do you remember?" "That''smy apologies, I didn''t dare open the whole message." "See?" I shrugged, and shifted my focus on the tv screen. Once loaded up, I went over my short friend list and unto the pings I receiveda couple from those lazy guild assistants, lots of spams from the idiot trio, and there just one message from Senara. I scrolled past the others and just read hers. Out of all the nonsense of the others, hers was most likely the only message with sense in it. "Hi Grim Reaper! Thank you again for last night. I won''t be playing Armageddon for a while but don''t worry. I decided to spend more time with dad from now on in case the worst happened. Anyway, enjoy playing! I''ll be back as soon as I can," she said. "Hmm she''s still not ok," I murmured to myself as I leaned back on the couch and looked up the tall ceiling. I paused for a moment, deliberating what to do. "I''m technically still a teenager, too, so there''s not much I can do." "Indeed you are master, you''re only sixteen," the blabbermouth butler interrupted my peaceful thinking. "But being young doesn''t mean you can be" "Ah!" a sudden idea popped in my head. "Is father in his office right now?" I quickly strided out of my monochrome room and unto my father''s office at home, still on my sleeping robes. It was a bit far from my room. I had to go over a couple of stairs and pass by many rooms. They shouldn''t have built our house too bigeven my long legs didn''t help much in lessening the effort of walking. "Father," I called him as I banged the door in his office wide open. Father sat on his office table, still yawning. I inherited my distaste of mornings from him. "Hm?" he looked in my direction, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, my son! Kaiden!" Took him a while to recognize me. "Yes, it''s me." Then I walked towards him while I talked. "I need your help on something." "Anything for my son, what is it?" he asked, smiling. He''s a really doting and kind father. I like him. I probably inherited my grumpiness from my mother. When I reached his desk, I saw a hot coffee on his table so I grabbed it and sipped it. "Haaah coffee is the best." "Ack! That''s my coffee, son! Go get yours!" But I mischievously gulped it down. Ha-ha! I liked pranking my docile father. His face turned into a sorry puppy in an instantalways fascinating to watch. I turned towards his butler who was standing beside a large bookshelf, and signalled him to get us another set of coffee. "Stop crying, I already asked your butler to get us another cup." Still pouting, he nodded. "Ahhhh my coffee." "Nevermind that. I need your help." "Right, what is it about?" he asked, sounding uninterested. "It''s about my new friend. Some puny whales are bullying them." "I see. That''s too bad. And what''s the name of your friend?" "Senara Lee." "Sena" he repeated after me. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide. "Is she a girl?" "Ahh yeah? So what?" "My son finally has a girl" "Not like what you''re thinking," I interrupted. I knew what he''s thinking. "She''s an in-game friend." "But stillit''s a girl!" "Ugh, whatever you want to think. Just help her family sort it out." While I was saying that, father''s focus immediately shifted to his laptop. "Wow! She''s a beauty, my son. You''re really good at picking." "Huh?! What theAre you even listening? I said she''s an in-game friend. How would I know how she looks?" I didn''t notice, he already looked her up. He turned his laptop to face me. And there, I saw her picture Indeed, she was quite a beauty. With orange hair and green eyes like a pumpkin. She should change her username to Lady Pumpkin instead. Father waggled his eyebrows and smiled like a hopeless romantic to my face. "Please, stop. Are you helping or not?" I grumbled. "Of course I am! Anything for my futureI mean, my beloved son''s friend." I swear, I heard him put emphasis on the word "friend". Well, whatever. At least she''ll get the help she needed, right? And after that, father instructed the butler to call a couple of people, including his secretary. As for me, I just stayed in his office enjoying my coffee and breakfast. ''I hope you become happier soon, Senara.'' Chapter 21：All About Pumpkin [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV] ~recap from Chapter 18~ "It''s the meaning of your name," I explained. "In Hawaii, it means ocean. And remember we were making ocean-related analogies last time we spoke? So I just found it funny because you said it, toothat since we''re having problems with big whales, we''ll need the help of the ocean." And once again, there was silence ~end of recap~ "Right." Took him a while to agree. "I''m no ocean, though. I''m just a teenager, too." "Oh really? How old are you? I thought you''re much older than me since you seemed mature." I didn''t expect that, for real! "Sixteen." "Woah! We''re almost the same age. I''m turning sixteen this September." "I thought you''re born in Oct" he said but he halted after for some reason. But I could guess he was about to say October. Why did he stop though? "Ugh stupid pumpkin." I heard him mutteralmost inaudible. "Ohh were you going to say October because of the pumpkin juice that spilled over?" Yeah, either that or in their country, there''s some relation with October and my personality? Maybe mood swings? I laughed at the thought of it. Oh wait! It''s because of my avatar! I made it look like me. "That''s right. Because of the juice. Hmm why don''t you change your username to Lady Pumpkin?" "Ha-ha-ha-ha! That''s so random!" I laughed so hard. "I see you''re not good at naming, too. You just spilled your juice and you''re suggesting a pumpkin-related username to me. How very original." My hands clapped themselves. I heard him chuckle on the other lineor probably smirked, it sounded more like it. "So? Lady Pumpkin, sounds good to you?" "What? No way!" "I think it''s perfect. Two of my friends are named Scarecrow and Casper." "What is this? Are we completing Halloween? Ha-ha-ha! Then, I should be a witch, or a ghost, or a fairynot a pumpkin! I''m not even a person." "Hm, too bad." He sounded disappointed. "Haah," I sighed. "Fine. If you want to name me Lady Pumpkin that much. I do have ginger orange hair and green eyesjust the color of pumpkins. At least that''s better than ginger, I don''t want to be called ginger. I hate gingers." "Then it''s settled. Hi there, Lady Pumpkin." I surrender. "Yes? Mr. Grim Reaper?" "Change your username now on the settings." "Yes, yes, I''m doing it now." Good thing I still remembered where the ''settings'' were. Only took me a few seconds to change my username. "There, happy?" "Ha-ha!" He seemed very amused. "Perfect. Will you be up for a while?" "Hm? I think so, yes." "Then join me in boss hunting." "What? Boss hunting? I''m still at a low level!" "You have a Sacred Weapon. You''d do more damage than Scarecrow and Casper." "Ohhh right. I do have it. I''m really lucky to find it." "Uh-huh." "If you say so." Hmf! So skeptical. "By the way, why aren''t you playing with Scarecrow and Casper?" "They''re under punishment. I had them clean the mess they did at the guild." "Aww that''s sad. What did they do?" "They invited players to one of our new guilds and a bunch of them were girls, or pretending to be girls. I wouldn''t mind it if they actually played and did their best to be stronger and level up. But all they did was flirt all day, chatting and calling. Ugh. Irritating." I blinked my eyes in surprise. "I see. That means Scarecrow and Casper are pretty popular, huh? How did they manage to invite that many." "Hmm they have decent faces, I guess. They invited people from school personally and they all flocked like birds to them." "Ha-ha! You saw it?" "Yes." "And what were you doing?" "Sitting." "You didn''t help them invite?" "Why should I? I don''t want to be drowned in a sea of people. I hate touching. Everyone knows that so they don''t dare approach me." Wow. That''s new. I never met anyone who hated touching that much. Was he mysophobic? I wondered if I could ask that? Would it be rude? Hmm nope, I shouldn''t ask. "Poor Scarecrow and Casper. I hope they finish it soon so we could all play together. It''s more fun playing with many people, right?" "...Yes, that''s correct." "Next time, I''ll invite Ken and Hora, too. They''re my childhood friends. Ken will definitely come since he''s your biggest fan. I still remember him getting jealous when I said we''re friends. Oh yeah, he mentioned to me that you''re a top player in this game. Congratulations on being top! That means you''re really good at it." "Thanks," he sounded shy. "And yeah, you can invite them next time." "I sure will. Maybe I should ask them to change their usernames into something Halloween related." "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" we ended up laughing at ourselves. "We should start thinking what to name them." "Yeah!" I agreed so enthusiastically. "How about Werewolf for Ken since he has those brown hair and his personality is like a dog. Then for Hora, hmmm she''s such a cute little hamster but I can''t name her that. She should have a cute name." "Let her be the witch. Little Witch will do, if she''s so little." "Ha-ha-ha! That doesn''t sound so bad. She does like reading Henry Potter. Wait a minute! I''m really the only one who''s not even a person." "Lady Pumpkin sounds like a person." "No, it doesn''t! You just put Lady that''s why it seemed like a person." And so on, we squabbled. Kai was really nice, and funny too. I never thought I''d enjoy having simple conversations with him. I always failed with talking to Ken but with him, I found it quite comfortable. I''m looking forward to playing with him more, along with the others. Ken was right. Playing games was really funespecially if you''re playing it with friends. I never would have known if he didn''t lend me this game. Speaking of lending, I should return this to him and buy my own. Maybe there''s a way to transfer saved files from one console to another? I''d have to ask Ken tomorrow. But for now, I''ll enjoy playing. That night as I basked myself in the feeling of happiness since our greatest burden had been resolved I never expected the repercussions it would bring. Things that weren''t supposed to happenthey all happened because of me. Just as any law of natureeverything was supposed to exist in balance. But I disrupted that balance. Chapter 22：What Now? [Music Recommendation: "A New Day With Hope" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After a week of almost sleepless nights, worried until when could I spend time with my dad, I was finally able to sleep peacefully that night. Thanks to that, I woke up the next day brimming with energy. I couldn''t begin to describe how happy and thankful I was. Thankful for my second life, and thankful for the second life of my dad. He was supposed to die, but we managed to survive all thanks to a miracle. And since he didn''t die, I guess the same would be for me. I wouldn''t have to suffer anymoregiving up college for work and giving up the rest of my life trying to provide for our family. My life this time wouldn''t be the same. For sure, this time, I would be happy. Looking forward to the bright future, I woke up early and went to school early once more. If I had a favorite time of the day, it would be morningespecially the peaceful dawn before the sunrise. In this generation, where the ideally peaceful night had become bustling, the only truly peaceful time was around dawn. Walking in our quiet village during such times, hearing the chirping birds along the way, and the gurgling sound of water in the brooks, my mind and heart couldn''t help but be calm and feel so alive. It was as if it''s telling me that today was true and not just a fragment of my imagination. It confirmed to me that everything was not a dream like I still doubted a bit sometimes. As I looked past my classroom''s window, towards the sun that had already painted the sky with its gradient yellow, I started thinking from now on, how should I live? Yes, I wanted to be happy as I told myself many times over, but how? In my past life, I learned that people in general had different definitions of happiness. Some said it was through success like earning lots of wealth, buying all the things you wantedhouse, car, gadget, etc; or through famegaining lots of followers, being popular like celebrities, idols, and others; or it could also be in relationshipsbeing with your fated partner in life, or just simply being content with friendly or familial relationships; and last but not the least was following your dreams or passionbeing a dancer, musician, artist, or anything you aspired to be. Given all those facts, I wondered what was happiness for me? Unfortunately, I had no idea. Like most teenagers nowadays, or even adults actually, I wasn''t sure what I truly wanted in my life. Coincidentally, as if I foresaw the future, the topic for the entire day had been about college entrance examswhich school we wanted to go to, and what course we wanted to take. Sir Greg discussed the importance of dreams and jobs to us since he was our class adviser. Everything he said was on point, and it made me think hard on which path to take for my future. Having a hard time to decide, I talked about it with Hora and Ken during lunch. Luckily for the two of them, they already had a dream in mind. Hora wanted to pursue films and be a film editor while Ken wanted to inherit their business so he''d be taking business management, adding a few units about technology. They told me to think it over and I should be able to decide in timewhich wasn''t very helpful for my case. Hoping to get better advice, I turned to mom and dad, after the classes were over. "I''m disgusted whenever I see blood, so being a nurse or doctor, or anything to do with seeing blood is 100% not for me," I replied with disgust written all over my face. "As for being a lawyer hmm," I tried to think it over but, "Nope. There are thousands of laws and I''m not that motivated enough or dedicated enough to spend time memorizing them or even studying them." "How about taking business management?" dad advised. "That way, you can take over our restaurants in the future." I had always loved our restaurants and personally, I didn''t mind spending much of my time there. I could literally spend the entire day just sitting there, reading books, with snacks, desserts, and coffee on my table. However, managing a business was an entirely different matter. I''m not sure if I could see myself being one in the future. With my parents being unable to guide me towards a plausible decision, my last hope for an answer laid upon my first online friend, Kai, the Grim Reaper. I told him everything about it on a call while we were boss hunting. "So, what do you say? Any brilliant advice for me?" I asked him. And there was silence. I noticed that whenever I asked him something, he would pause for a couple of seconds before answering me. I got used to it already. "Hm I think instead of asking other people, ask yourself more." "But that''s the problemI don''t know what I want." "Of course you do, you just haven''t realized it." I was taken aback. "What? I really don''t know though." "For instance, what is it that you enjoy doing to the point that you don''t mind if you spend the rest of your life doing just that?" I tried to think hard, but nothing came to mind except "... Reading? I enjoy reading books, especially fantasy ones," I answered, despite my personal disbelief with anything related to magic, I still loved reading about them. "But there''s no such jobs related to reading books except bookkeeping? Or being a librarian? I still don''t like either, though." "Why do you like reading?" I wasn''t so sure why he''s asking me that, but I answered him. "Because it''s like I''m travelling to a new world or new place whenever I read. Sometimes, I get to become another persona wizard, vampire, pirates, or sometimes, still a human but with special abilities. And most of all, the journey that they experience as the story goes it''s all so amazing. Whenever I read I feel like my boring world turns a little exciting." As I answered him, my tone became mellow and softer. I began to remember the real reason I loved reading even back on my old life. Because like in Armageddon, it allowed me to escape... Chapter 23：Reminiscing My Past Life [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ If I were to describe my past life in colors, still not knowing the things I knew today, everything would be blue and grey from the moment my dad left us. I could still remember the time when everyone was busy preparing for college, and I was busy trying to look for a job since my mom''s body gave up too early. She had always been sickly so there was nothing else we could do. Hora''s and Ken''s family wanted to help us but mom decided not to abuse their kindness since they already helped too much trying to make me graduate high schoolwith all the fees and things that needed to be paid. Even I didn''t want to burden them with such things especially since college was not just a 1 or 2 year thing. Aside from that, we needed money for our daily necessities. We already used up our remaining money and we couldn''t possibly just rely on them on that matter as well. And so, I went and looked for a job instead. When I was finally able to land a job at a coffee shop whom the owner kindly took me in despite my age and inexperiencesince technically, I wasn''t allowed to work yetI began to realize one of the "realities" of life. I made sure to train myself and work as hard as I could. But sometimes, working hard didn''t equate to great results. Sometimes, I would fail making coffee or get the orders wrong, and the customer would get angry at me. Some customers would be nice, but some would be too mean that they would even swear at you or slap you as if they owned your life. All my youth, my mom and dad never hit me, and a stranger would do it to my face. I cried so hard back then. When I turned eighteen, I decided to get myself a more decent job, and also higher paying. My brother would need to go to high school and I needed more money for him. I applied many times, but there wasn''t any company willing to take a non-college graduate like me except "call-centers" which belonged to the BPO industry (business process outsourcing). Same with the coffee shop I used to work in, they placed me into a project that dealt with customersCSR or "Customer Service Representative" was my job. And I had to say, working there was one "hell" of a job. I had to speak for 7.5 hours a day, 5 times a week, and I could only get a couple of vacation leaves which sometimes, if the business needed, would be rejected. I remembered getting sore throats many times over, being yelled and cursed at by customers multitudes of times, even our team leader would get angry at me, too. And they would all blame it to my ageI was too young to understand where the customers were coming from, like how my workmates didn''t get along with me well since I was a "child" to them. My opinion didn''t matter, my ideas weren''t so brilliant, and many other negative things. Perhaps it was because of all those things combined together that I once thought of ending my life. I blamed a lot of things I wished for a lot of things but none of them happened. If only they would stop and listen and understand this "child" that they spoke of, maybe, I wouldn''t have hated my life too much. Plus the fact that I was trying not to regret giving all my hard-earned salary to my family, not even spending the bare minimum for myself, holding back on buying things I wanted, feeling sorry for myself for my unfulfilled potential, and all that stuff. I graduated valedictorian, but it was all for nothing. There was barely anything I needed it for. At the end of the day, what I needed was money for my family. So I just had to gulp it all down, persevere, and be strong, even if I really hated my job. It wasn''t the life I wanted to have. I wanted to dream and fulfill that dream. I wanted to be successful and most of all I wanted to be happy. It was during those very dark times that I began finding joy in reading fantasy books. Perhaps it was the fact that they were "fantasy" that made it easy for me to focus on it and temporarily forget the wretched world I lived in allowing me to escape. Every free time I got, I would dedicate it to reading because every free time I got, I would want to escape and not deal with the ugly reality. As I continued to read, little by little, my blue and gray surrounding began to acquire more colors in it. Some books would entertain me and make me laugh so loud that you''d mistake me for a lunatic if you saw me in such a state. Some books would make me feel at peace, while some would make me cry. Some would make me feel heard and understood, while some would make me feel loved and treasured. Most of all, they would teach me wonderful lessons, inspiring me, and giving me hope to continue on for the next day. Yes, it was because of all those things combined together that made me love reading so much that I could spend my life doing just that. That was why when Kai asked me "that" question, there was only one thing I could think ofreading. What surprised me, though, was what he told me after I answered why I loved readingwhich I only gave him a tiny bit of the whole truth. I never knew how that question would open a whole new world for me, in this new life I was given Chapter 24：Writing, Huh? [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ "In that case, why don''t you try writing a story yourself?" That question repeated a couple of times in my head before I was able to respond to Kai. "... Writing, huh? I guess I never thought of it that way," I told him, still mulling over things in my head. "Why ''writing'' though? They''re not really the same thing." "You said you enjoyed reading because it''s like going on an adventure yourselfgoing into a new world and becoming another person." Oh my, did I say it that way? It sounded so weird now that I''m hearing it. "Yeaaah," I cringed. I hope he didn''t get creeped out from what I said. Was I weird? "You should know that you could do the same in writing. Only difference is ''you'' get to imagine and decide how everything is going to be. What will the world be like, how will the characters be like, what challenges will they face, and all those things." "I see I never thought of it that way." "Why not try it then?" "I''m not sure if I can write like how those talented authors do it." "You don''t have to be great at it on your first try. That''s why you''re just going to try it and see if you''ll enjoy it. If you do, then do your best in learning the craft, if not, then try another thing until you find it." "I see You''re right. But still" "Try it out first," he cut me off. Was I annoying? "Like my father used to say, finding your dream is like finding your fated partner." My eyes widened in surprise. I did not expect such things to come out from him. I almost burst out laughing, if not for his serious tone, so I bit my lips instead, trying to stop myself. "It''s cringey, I know," he continued. He probably heard me trying to stop my laughter. "But it''s true. We don''t really know who our fated partner is, mostly the same with our dreamswe don''t know it until we find it. Once you find it, you''ll know it''s the one. And once you do, you won''t let go of it no matter what happens. Because you enjoy it, it''s your passion, it''s what makes you feel alive. And it will be your definition of happiness." "Ha-ha-ha," I chuckled, unable to stop myself. "Sometimes you speak such deep words that I begin to wonder if you''re really only sixteen." "They''re not my wordsthey''re the words of my father whenever he tries to teach me things. I just remembered them. He even said finding his dream was like finding my mother. You could imagine how much it grossed me out having to listen to it." "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" I laughed out loud. "Wow! Your father sounds nice. You two close?" "Yes, I like him." Aww I didn''t expect he had such a cute side. "He''s like a cute puppy that I want to bully." Okay, I take that back real quick. "But in serious times, he will really give brilliant advice and wisdom that he got from his old age, and lots of experiences." "He sounds like my dad. Maybe most great dads are like that." "Yeah." "How about your mom? Are you two close, too?" "Hm, we are, but I''m closer to my fathernot just me, we all are." "Huh? You''re all close to your father?" I didn''t get that. "Me, my mother, and my sister," he explained. I see he had a sister. "If anyone asks who''s our favorite in the whole family, we would all answer ''father''. That''s a unanimous decision for us since we basically have the same personalityall grumpy and loves bullying father." "For real?! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh my, I feel sorry for your father!" "Don''t be. It''s fun. You should try it once you meet him." "What? No way!" "Well, it''s your loss." "Your whole family sounds nice." "Not really, only father is decent," he quickly disagreed. "Huh? Why though?" "You''ll know if you went to our house with just me, my sister, and my mother at home." I got curious. "Why? What happens if your father is not there?" "It''s a catastrophe, of course," he said, sighing. "Imagine putting three grumpy people, who like bullying and pranking others in one room. And out of the three of us, I''m considered to be the most quiet one, and bullies the least." I burst out laughing again. Oh my goodness, their family sounds like a funny one. Maybe that''s why Mr. Grim Reaper was so kind and nice despite his claims that he''s grumpy and liked bullying. "I sure want to see that someday," I said, still laughing. "You should." Then I got curious again. "By the way, is it okay if I ask where are you from? I mean, what country?" "Land of the Red Dragon." "Oh, wow! You don''t sound like onenot in a bad wayI mean, I have a bit of an accent from my country, Pearl of the Orient." "Uhm. I''m part British, that''s why, just a quarter thoughmy father''s the half one. I lived as a child there and got homeschooled. Then, I moved here during grade school." "Woooow, I''ve never seen one like that. I''m curious how you look. You must be handsome." "Hmmm that''s subjective. Beauty depends on the preference of different people." "Hey, we''re getting off topic. Try writing. Let me know what comes of it." "Oookay," I agreed, still skeptical. "I promise to try it out. What should I write about though?" "Hmm why don''t you try that story mode? You said you found the story predictable. Try writing it your way then." "Like fan fiction?" "Yeah. If not, then just create an entirely new story." "Alright, I''ll give it a try. It may take time though." "It''s okay. Take all the time you need." "Thanks so much again, Kai." "No worries." "Surely, when I meet you someday, I''ll make sure to repay you and give you lots of hugs!" "Ugh, no hugs please." "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding. I know you hate touching." And so, we continued chatting until we finished boss hunting. As usual, I had a fun and meaningful conversation with Kai, the Not-so-Grim Reaper. I''ll secretly call him my Guardian Angel though, he somehow always pointed me to the right way. Writing, huh? I guess I''d have to try it out. Chapter 25：My First Writing Experience [Music Recommendation: "Happy Journey" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ As Kai suggested, I tried writing a story. I wasn''t familiar on how to create my own world, and characters yet, so I began writing a fan fiction of Armageddonthe story mode one. Plus, he was familiar with the game so it would be easier for him to judge it, right? So I spent the rest of July, the whole of August, and beginning of September writing my first fanfic. Would it still be considered fanfic though, even if I didn''t like how the story progressed? Oh well, since I play the game and quite enjoy it, it might still be fair to call it that. By the way, we managed to celebrate mom''s birthday without a hitchno irritating scammers to visit us since they''d been dealt with by the government. The days passed by quickly as I wrote my version of the story. I scheduled writing everyday, after doing my assignments and projects. Sometimes, I would write at school, too, during free time like when the teacher was out or we got free periods. I started bringing an extra notebook just for ita cute one with an iridescent hard cover. Hora and Ken wondered what it was that I''m getting busy with, but I didn''t tell them yet. I said that I''d only say it once I''m finished with it, and I''d show them. They let me off the hook, thankfully, and they even helped me do other menial tasks so I could focus on what I''m doing. Having done it myself, I could say the author of those books I read were all so brilliant! Writing a story wasn''t easy at all! I mean, yes, you could just spout nonsense in writing but that would give you a crap story. If I wanted to write something worth reading, then I had to put lots of efforts in itefforts, creativity, originality, and many others. I still remembered the very first time I tried to write. I was on such a loss that I didn''t know what to writehow to begin the story, how to plot it so it would go to the point of the story I wanted it to be, and lots of stuff. I researched writing techniques and tips just to be able to start my story. Once I managed to start it somehow, words just ran through me like magic. I was even surprised by myself how I did it. But starting a story, and continuing it until the ending, were two entirely different things. For me at least, continuing the story until the ending was the hardest part. Especially since it was fantasy and I had to be really careful in plotting it outwhen to give hints for foreshadowing, dropping facts, being careful of loopholes, and many more. At last, after months of rigorous work, I finally finished my first fanfic! Yay! I felt so excited. It was the 12th of September, Saturday morning. I ended up pulling an all-nighter because I was too engrossed in writing the ending. In my excitement, I quickly logged in Armageddon and checked if Kai was online. I had to reduce my playing time with him this past few months but we still do boss hunting from time to time. And from all the times we played, I still didn''t manage to ask for his other form of contactI was still too shy to ask. Maybe I''ll do it this time since I would need to send him my story right? I could ask for his email, right? As I logged in, I just remembered his detest of morningshe said that to me once while we were playing. I felt sad knowing he won''t be online, and prepared myself to log out as soon as it opened. To my surprise, he was logged in and currently playing! Okay wait for a few seconds and - "Busted," he replied. Always the lazy typer. I chuckled at his response. "Call?" I made sure to beat him this time. He always asked for a call since he''s too lazy to type. Yeah, right. But when it comes to playing, he was never lazy. Imagine having to tap buttons multiple times! I shrugged at the thought of it. Without further ado, he called me. "Hi," he greeted. His voice sounded a bit hoarse, making it sound sexier than usual. ''Was it a morning voice? Wait, did I just think that his voice sounded sexy? What? For real, Sena? Don''t tell me you''re crushing over a voice? Oh my goodness! Nodefinitely not. He''s a friend, okay? He just had a really nice voice, that''s why.'' "Hello," I greeted back, sounding a bit shy because of all the things I just thought. My voice was a bit rough, too, I just noticed it when I spoke. "Why didn''t you sleep?" he asked. "If you keep that up, you won''t grow any taller." "Ha-ha! I''m quite fine with my 5''7 height. And you? You''re the one who needs to grow more since you''re a boy." "I''m tall enough already. I''m not aiming to be a 6-footer. I''m already getting enough invites to join the varsity and lots of other sports clubs. If I grow any taller, they won''t stop pestering me." "Why? What''s your height right now?" "5''9." "Wow! That''s tall! No wonder you''re getting lots of invites. Too bad, you''re too lazy to join any of them, right?" "Hah! Yeah," he chuckled. "And did you just say you''re 5''7? You were only 5''6 a few months ago." "See? I told you I''m growing quite well. I think I''ll be 5''8 or maybe even 5''9 before I turn 18. I hope I don''t grow too tall though." Honestly, I knew I really won''t. I only reached 5''8 in my past life, so it would probably be the same on this one since I had the same body. "Why not?" "It will be hard for me to look for a partner in the future. Not many of my fellow countrymen will be tall enough for me. And I''m not too sure if I want to marry into a foreigner''s family, you know." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" and he laughed at me, real hard, as if my concern was unimportant. "Hey! Why are you laughing at me? It''s reason enough!" Chapter 26：Especially Dear [Music Recommendation: "The Name of Life" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "If you say so," he replied, still laughing at me. "What''s wrong with wanting my future partner to be taller than me? Hmf!" I pouted. Truly! I at least didn''t want him to be smaller than me. We wouldn''t look like a couple but brother and sister if that''s the case. Unless there''s no choice and I happen to fall in love with someone smaller than me. I wasn''t really sure if I had a specific type of guy. I didn''t have a love life in my past life so it was hard to tell. But if I''d get to pick, someone taller than me would be really nice. "Nothingit''s just that most girls hope to be taller and you''re telling me you didn''t want to grow because of that. Ha-ha-ha! I hope you find a tall partner then. Goodluck!" "Hmf! I sure will," I replied to him, still pouting. It was upsetting of course. He''s only saying that because he''s a guy. I bet he wouldn''t care if his future partnerwait a minute! He hated touching, right? Nevermind height! How would he find his future partner if he hates touching so much? I''d have better luck finding mine than he would, many times over. Well, sucks to be him. I wanted to come back at him so badly but I didn''t have enough courage to ask about that yet. It took him a few minutes to get over from laughing too hard. "So? Have you laughed enough at my misery?" I asked him, sounding a bit grumpy. Now, I''m the grumpy one. "Yes. Thanks for the entertainment." "Ha-ha," I laughed sarcastically. "Anyway, that''s not the reason I called you." "Finished your fanfic?" "Woah! Yes! How did you know? Are you a psychic?" I blurted out in my surprise. Seriously, how could he tell? Was I that easy to predict? "You told me last time that you''re almost done with it, and today, you put an all-nighter. It''s really easy to guess." "Oh, okay. That makes sense." Bummer. I was so excited a few moments ago and he had to kill it. Was he annoying me on purpose? "Since you''re the one who told me to write it, you have to judge it. Should I send it to you via email?" Great! I casually asked for his email! Why am I getting so nervous all of a sudden? It''s not like I asked for his personal phone number. "Yes, send it to me. Here''s my email," he agreed and typed his email over chat. He typed it too fastbarely even a second and I received it already. If he types that fast, I wondered what always took him a few seconds before replying to me? Thinking? Or getting his energy to type? Maybe it''s the latter, it made more sense. "kaidenma@mail.com," I read it outloud. Was that his whole name? How come it sounded familiar? Hmm I tried to think it over but I couldn''t remember it. I''d always been bad with names anyway. Good thing I still remembered Kai since I played with him often. "Nice name," I commented as I wrote it down on my notebook. "I''ll send it to you later." Just in case, I also gave him my email which was "senaralee@mail.com" pretty easy to guess, right? It had my name on it. At this age, making emails had to involve your personal name in it as compared to the future where youngsters would use any word combination as emails. "Oh! You''re right! I didn''t think of that." Honestly, that idea only became popular when I was already working at that BPO company in my past life. And that''s 2 or 3 years from now. And I only knew it because I started working. Teenagers nowadays wouldn''t think that far unless they''re trying to learn the tool or something. Was it common knowledge for them? Sometimes, he could be really smart. "How many pages?" "Ahm about that," I felt so shy, "I may have done a little too much.'' "It''s alright. I read fast." "176 pages, and around 70,000 words. I forgot how much exactly," I said in a single breath due to my nervousness. "Wow. That can be an entire book already." "Yeah, I know. Sorry." "Why are you sorry? You should be proud. That''s really hard to do, and it''s your first time. Great job in finishing your first story." Awwww my heart. That was so nice of him to say that. It was really hard, no joke! "Thank you," I smiled and thanked him from the bottom of my heart. "How was it? Did you enjoy yourself?" "Yes! Yes, I did!" I didn''t even have to think twice. I really enjoyed writing. It was extremely difficult, yes, but more than the hardship, it was not just fun "especially dear" or something alike would be best to describe it. Before I knew it, I already spouted all my experiences to him. As I told him my whole writing experience, I reminisced it in my mind like flashes of memories, playing backwards. There was even some point when I got sentimental. "That part in the story was really sad, you see. So I ended up crying while writing about it, too. I was like a lunatic crying while writing," I told him as tears flowed in my eyes because I remembered the scene. There were also hilarious times, and I told him all about it while laughing my ass off. There were exciting parts, scary parts, relaxing parts, and many more. It was a whole adventure and an emotional rollercoaster but all in all, I loved it. I loved writing. And maybe I wouldn''t mind doing this for the rest of my life. Chapter 27：Squabbling Again [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After probably an hour of my non-stop talking, I finally toned down to catch my breath. Poor Kai, having to listen to all my nonsense. He''s really kind. He must have lots of friends in real life, like Scarecrow and Casper. Oh my goodness! I hope I''m not taking too much of his time! "I''m so sorry! I talked too much!" I immediately apologized as soon as I realized it. "It''s Saturday, Guild Wars day, right?" Yeah, he told me about that before. "You must be preparing for that and I''m taking too much of your time. I''m really so sorry!" "No, you''re not. I have assistants in the guild to take care of that. It''s okay." "I see. Ahmm Kai, do you," Come on, Senara, you can do this! Ask him! "Do you not find it boring talking to me?" I asked in one go so I wouldn''t pull back and hesitate. "I mean, I''m a girl, and you''re a boy so you probably like talking to boys your age than me, right?" "Hmm if I''m bored talking to you, then I wouldn''t talk to you anymore and just ignore you." Awwww I felt my heart skip a beat from his answer. "Really?!" "Yeah." "Why? What part of me is not boring you? And I''ve always wanted to ask back then, when I asked you to be my friend, why did you agree?" Badump! Badump! Badump! Ahhh! Calm down my heart! "Hm? Because you seemed smart. I liked talking to smart people. Only they can really understand me." "Huh? Smart? When did I sound smart?" "When you said you wanted to see this game in a virtual reality." "Oh, that one." "Yeah. I''ve always wanted to do that years ago. So I''m researching how to make it a reality. Many said that it''s impossible and even if I managed to pull it off, it''s not something that can be sold to the mass since it will cost too much, hence, will be a bad investment. But I don''t think so. There''s a way to make it affordable but still has the quality I want it to have." "Woooow! Are you a genius, Kai?" I blurted it out in my surprise. I mean, he''s a real genius for sure! VR games were released around 2016 in my past life! That''s 7 years from now! And he thought of that idea years ago? When was that years ago? "I mean, I just thought of it in a whimsical way, and you thought of it so deeply, even researching it." "Hah. Yeah. I get that a lot." "But really! You''re amazing!" If he only knew what I know, he''d celebrate in joy. "I''m sure you''ll be able to make it! Those VR games, they''ll be hit in the future for sure! You''ll sell lots and earn lots! Go for it Kai! I support you!" Oh my, I sounded like a cheerleader. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Thanks for the support," he laughed at me again. Ugh, I''m turning into a comedian these days, aren''t I? "Hey! I''m trying to support you from the bottom of my heart. Don''t laugh at me." "Ha-ha-ha! I''m not making fun of you, though. I''m justPft! Sorry, you sounded so cute like a little child cheering for me." My eyes widened in shock. Did I really sound like a child? Me? "But nice nameVR games. I''ll call it that then." "Hmf! Why, thank you," I pouted. Somehow I felt like I wanted to sulk all of a sudden. "Done laughing at me?" "Yeeesss." I''m still sulking. "And since someone''s birthday is coming up, I''m thinking of sending a gift," he suddenly changed the topic. Butsomeone''s birthday? Was he pertaining to me? "Too bad, it seems that she''s still sulking. Hmm I wonder if I should still send a gift since she''s angry at me." Okay. That''s definitely me! My eyes sparkled in an instant. A gift! A gift from Kai! My Idol Guardian Angel! How did he know my birthday, though? "I''m not angry at you," I changed my sulking tone to an energetic one. "Really?" he asked, obviously teasing me. "Yessss. H-how did you know my birthday, though?" I shyly asked. "You put it in your in-game profile." "Oh yeah! I did that." I''m such a Doryeasily forgetting things. "Uh-huh. Now, since Lady Pumpkin is no longer sulking, what gift would you like?" My heart beated loudly again. Now that he''s asking, I''m suddenly feeling so nervous. "A-ahmm anything is fine, actually." "Really?" There he was, with the teasing tone again. Then, an idea came to my mind. "Phone number! H-how about giving me your number as a gift?" I could feel my cheeks burning as I asked the question. "So I can ahmm, you know text you or call you aside from doing it in the game? Sometimes, it''s a hassle having to turn on the console just to call you even if I wasn''t really planning to play. And you too, I might be disturbing you while playing whenever I call. But if I have your number, then I can just text you and you can reply when you''re free." I sounded so defensive, giving lots of excuses just to get his number. This would have been 1000 times much easier to do if she''s a girl! I heard him chuckle on the other line. "Are you sure that''s the only gift you want?" "Yes, I''m good with that." "You''re not very materialistic, huh? Most girls would have asked for accessories or flowers and other stuff. My sister always asked for those, and my mother liked clothes." "Hm? Not really. I prefer books over clothes and accessories. Flowers are nice, though. Only problem is, I kill plants effortlessly so you know what will happen if I receive one. I feel sorry for the flowers already." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" "Hey! I''m serious! Why are you laughing at me again?" "Maybe I should send pumpkin instead. That way, you can eat it, and it wouldn''t have to die on you." "Waaaa! Stop! Noooo, not pumpkin!" And so, we squabbled a bit more after that. He asked for my address and I gave it to him but he reprimanded me not to casually give my address to anyone in the future. Of course I knew that. I''m only giving it to him because I trusted him. Anyway, I felt sleepy around 9 in the morning and laid myself to bed. I sure hope he won''t send me pumpkins. I''m already pumpkin enough. Chapter 28：Hora and Me [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Ring! Ring! Ring! A sudden phone call woke me up from my slumber. "Ugh What time is it?" I asked myself as I turned to the bedside table, looking for the clock. "Four in the afternoon? I already slept that long?" I got up afterwards and picked up the ringing phone beside my computer table. "Hello, Sena speaking," I answered the call with my eyes still closed. I wanted to get more sleep. Who in the world would call me at this time? "Sena! You finished it!" Hora exclaimed. Right. I did shoot her a text message this morning when I finished writing. I totally forgot about that. "Can I come over? I want to read it! And please have it printed on paper. My eyes get hurt staring at the computer too much." "Yes, as I promised. Come over then. Bring me some ice cream, too, please. My brother finished everything in the fridge. Mom didn''t want to replenish until next week saying we shouldn''t eat too much sweets. Ha-ha! And me who didn''t get to eat anything, is the one suffering." "Sure, I''ll bring some. Cheese? Or Chocolate?" "Hmm both." Ha-ha. Whenever I''m asked to choose between two options, I have always opted for both. Better to have more flavors, right? "You got it! I''ll be on my way now." "Yup. Take care!" The phone call finished and I went back to bed to get some more sleep. This body really needs 8 hours of sleep or else I''d feel lethargic like this. I wonder if I should invite Ken over as well? There would be a Guild War later and Kai said I''m free to join if I want. I''m much stronger than half of his guild was already even if I hadn''t reached the maximum level. Hmm but Hora would feel bored. It''s okay. We could do it next time. A few moments later and Hora arrived. We went to my bedroom to read my story while we ate. I got scolded for forgetting to print the story beforehandand she just told me that during our phone call. How could I forget it so easily? Well, she couldn''t blame me, my mind was half awake. Anyway, after printing it out, she laid on my bed and read the story. I gave her a pen so she could edit and point out any mistakes or comments she had while reading. Seeing her read, I got really nervous and shy. Hora''s like me, we loved reading. The only difference was that she''s good at reviewing books and pointing out misses or loopholes. She could be a book critic herself. And that''s what I''m so nervous about. At least, I''m lucky enough to have a friend like her rather than not having anyone to get feedback on what I wrote. While she busied herself reading my fanfic, I did my assignments and projects that were given to us to do for the weekends. At times like this, I really wished our teachers would slack off a bit and not give us any homework. "Hi Senara, Here''s my phone number as you requested. +86 139 1099 16xx. Regards, Kai" OMG! His number! Yeeeaaaah!!! My mind went nuts. I wasn''t so sure why exactly am I so excited over it. Maybe because of the mystery that I didn''t know how he looked like, plus his kind personality that I liked? Whatever the reason, I''m so happy I finally got his number. I giggled on my seat like crazy and squealed to myself. I made sure not to make too much noise or I''d disturb Hora. Right! A message, I should send him a text message at least, right? "Hello Kai," I typed on my cell phone. "I got your number. Here''s mine, too, in case you need it. Thanks for the gift!" Should I put some emojis? I shouldn''t, right? I''m not even fond of them anymore. Yup. Just that, and send. And there, I sent my first text message to Kai. I wonder how long it would take him to reply? Also, I should inform mom or dad that I have an overseas friend whom I''m texting and probably would call in the future. If not, they''d be surprised why the phone bills suddenly spiked up. A few minutes passed and he still hadn''t responded. I checked on the clock and it said 8:15 in the evening. I see. That''s why. Guild Wars starts at eight, and I texted him 3 minutes ago. Of course, he wouldn''t respond yet. He''s busy with Suddenly, my cell phone lit up,saying it received a message. I quickly opened it up, and it was him! KaiI saved his number as Kai, my Idol Guardian Angel. "You''re finally awake," he replied. I felt myself grin almost from ear to ear. He replied so fast! And even in the midst of Guild Wars! Imagine how hectic that was. I knew because I watched them play before. To be honest, I felt a little special whenever he replied so fast to my messages. And even when he offers for a call or answers my call. Maybe just maybe I''m having a crush on him? Was it even possible to have a crush on someone you haven''t met? Someone whom you just talked to over the phone, or chatted numerous times? Questions started circling my mind. But Ken was supposed to be my first love I mean, I liked him in my past life. But recently, he just seemed more like a friend to me. What surprised me though, was my heart lately, it kept on beating hard whenever I talked to Kai. He''d probably freak out if I told him this so I shouldn''t. I''ll keep this buried in my heart for now. Anyway, it could just be a passing infatuation. I would admit though I really want to know more about him and spend more time with him. As I busied myself in thought, I didn''t notice that Hora was already behind me, reading the message on my phone. "Kai, my Idol Guardian Angel?" Hora asked. "Is that the in-game friend you made in Armageddon?" I jolted in surprise. "Y-yes, he is." Hora''s eyebrow raised mischievously. Oh no, I know where this is going. Chapter 29：Confessions [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Friend, huh?" Hora asked me in a teasing way. "Then why are you grinning and giggling like some hopeless romantic?" ''Oh my goodness. She had been watching me this entire time! What should I reason out?'' "I I was justexcited!" I tried to sound as convincing as I could. "Oookaay," she deliberately lengthened that one. "Is she a girl? Or a boy?" "Why are you asking something so obvious? And besides, does it matter?" She wiggled her eyebrows, still not done with her teasing. "Of course it matters. So? It''s a boy? How old is he? Is he kind? Do you like him? Are you two together already?" "Woah! Wait a minute! That''s a LOT of questions," I raised both my hands, gesturing to her to stop firing her ridiculous questions. "First, yes, he is a boy. Sixteen years old. He is very kind, yes, and we''re not together, okay? We''re just friends." "You skipped a question." Ugh. How could she be so observant? "I like himas a friend," I made sure to clarify that, even if I was pretty much unsure of it myself. She raised her eyebrows. She didn''t believe me. I really couldn''t get past through her. She''d make a really good detective with that observation skill of hers. "Okay. Fine. I like him. And yeah, I think I may have a crush on him. But I''m still not sure of it myself, okay? And he doesn''t know a thing about it. So please, don''t ever, ever try to do or say anything to him or contact him in any way about it. Promise?" I''m doomed. I just knew it. Hora''s grinning from ear to ear like I was a few moments ago. "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! OMG!!!! My best friend''s got her first crush!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She seemed more excited about it than I am! "Hey! Stop! Everyone''s gonna hear you! Even the neighbors!" I jumped at her and covered her mouth. "Mmmmmmm!!!" She still managed to squeal despite the situation her mouth was in. "Please, hold your horses," I tried to calm her down. "And just so you know, he''s in the Land of the Red Dragon, not in this country, okay? So a relationship with him will definitely be impossible. Don''t get your hopes up." Hora freed her mouth from my clasps. "Who says it''s impossible?" "Uhm reality?" "Nuh-uh!" she disagreed, raising her fore finger and waggling it from left to right. "There''s passports and airplanes. Maybe I should invite him over on your birthday celebration?" "You''re not close but he gave his email and phone number to you, right?" "Yes but it could be an alternate email and phone number. Not his main or personal one, right?" "And you gave him your personal one?" "Ugh! Please Hora, just don''t." "Why? It''s better to meet him in person, right?" I sighed heavily. Truly, I wasn''t ready to meet him yet. Besides, it would take a miracle for him to agree to come. "Yes but what if he becomes disappointed in me? Like, I''m not the girl from his imagination? Or what if he''s taken aback if I invited him or asked him to come? I''m afraid he''ll just ignore me and not be friends with me anymore." Hora pouted. "Alright, alright. I won''t ask him to come if you''re not ready yet." Finally, she conceded. "But don''t take too long to get ready or else others might beat you to it. Have you ever thought how he could be surrounded by girls his age, and with the same nationality as him? Girl, you''ve got lots of competition. If you don''t do anything about it, other hyenas will beat you to it and you''ll just cry in the corner without even trying." ''Ouch. Sometimes, Hora speaks the harshest of realities. But as much as I hated it, what she said was true. I guess I''ll just leave it to destiny if we''re really meant together. I''ve got really low chances anyway. He''s really kind and smart so I''m sure lots of girls are already fawning over him. Plus the fact that he''s a top player in Armageddon. He probably has lots of fans all over the globe.'' While I was busy sulking over my own thoughts, someone came knocking at my door. I opened it and it was mom, fetching us for dinner. I didn''t notice her arrival with dad. Hora and I went down afterwards towards the dining area. I carried my phone with me and Hora brought my printed story. She kept on reading even while we were going down the stairs. I made sure to guide her so she wouldn''t trip and fall. She''s so petite that she''ll probably have her bones broken if ever she fell. Dinner was fun. Dad told us about his new branch selling really well. Mom also told us some funny stories that happened in "The Secret Garden" restaurant which she manages. My younger brother was silent as usual. Everything was great until Hora told mom about the story I wrote, to which mom''s expression suddenly turned serious. "You wrote a book?" mom asked me in a skeptical way. "Y-yes, I did. I''ve been writing it in my free time since a few months back." My heart thumped loud in my chest. I didn''t know how mom and dad would react so I was really nervous to the point I hadn''t had a chance to tell them about it. Good thing Hora opened up the topic for me. "I''m only in chapter seven and I can say she really wrote it well," Hora added. "It''s a fan fiction of Armageddon, a really popular game among teenagers nowadays. But even if it''s fan fiction, I''d say it''s better than the original story. I like how it''s written and how the story is going." Awww that''s so sweet of Hora. And that''s a lot coming from her! I''m not sure if she was only saying that in front of my parents but she was never the type to lie about something. So that means she really likes it, right? I felt so happy and blissful deep inside. I smiled at her and whispered my thanks. "Also," I continued. "Mom, and dad I think I finally found what I want to take for college." A bit nervous, I finally confessed it, "I want to be an author. I want to write novels and have them published as a book. Or maybe even turned into a movie or" "No!" Mom immediately cut me off. And that''s how all the happiness from my face a few moments ago, was completely drained out in an instant Chapter 30：Argument [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Sena, if you like writing that much, just make it into a hobby," mom continued. "Writing booksit''s not a profession. And you''ll be wasting your intelligence away! You could be a doctor, or lawyer, or engineer, or some other decent careers." She was so angry at the thought of me becoming an author. I felt my heart shatter into pieces. No, not just pieces. My heart was pulverized. And along with it, the dreams, hopes, and passions I had. Dad caressed mom''s shoulders, trying to calm her down. And I could see Hora''s shocked expression from mom''s reaction. Even my younger brother was shocked. When I saw him like that, I wondered in my past life, did he become a doctor because he wanted to? Or was it mom who pushed him to be one? But seeing mom''s reaction right now, it was probably mom who pushed him to be a doctor. And I didn''t want it to happen again. Not to him, or to me. I promised myself that this time, I would live for myself. And so I WILL! As my heart burned inside me, I talked back to mom for the very first time. If before, and even in my past life, I would always just say "yes" to her and do things the way she wanted it to be, thinking it''s for the best, this time I want to make my own decisions! And I''ll struggle or succeed along with it! "What makes you think that being an author is not a decent career or profession?" I argued back, much to her surprise. "Who do you think wrote all those books that we study at school? Did those doctors or lawyers or engineers write them? No! It was the hard work of authors who invested their time in research and interviewing people that brought along those great books of knowledge! And who wrote the stories of those movies you liked so much? Or those dramas you watch every afternoon? Do you think they just came out of nowhere? No! Those were hard works of great and brilliant authors and writers! And I want to be like them!" Tears started flowing for my eyes as I spoke but I didn''t stop talking. Mom was appalled and just stared at me, listening to everything I was saying. Finally, she shut up and listened. Everytime I tried to talk back before, she would just shush me up and not let me talk. But I won''t be stopped. Not right now when I''ve finally found what I really wanted to do. "I love writing!" I shouted with all my might. "And I enjoyed doing it! While I was busy writing these past few months, did you notice how joyful I''ve become? It''s because I was happy! Everyday I would write and continue the story, not even minding if I felt tired because I was never tired! I was enjoying it so much that I won''t stop until my mind can''t think anymore and I would sleep. Then, when I wake up the next day, my mind''s already thinking of what to write next. When the character I write cries, I cry, too! If they laugh, I laugh, too! And this" I grabbed the printed paper from Hora''s hands, "this is the result of all my hard work. I finished it. And you can''t imagine how happy I was when I did. And how happy I was when Hora said that she loved what I wrote. The very first book I ever wrote sniff and someone liked it. I felt all my efforts were rewarded. Even if it was just one person." Ahh I couldn''t see anymore. My tears clouded my vision. "Y-y-you don''t know what you''re saying!" Mom''s voice trembled in her anger. It was either she was angry at me for talking back, or she just really didn''t want me taking up writing as a career, or maybe both. "Do you think you''ll earn decently being a writer? You''ll have more luck earning if you become a street vendor than to be a writer!" I frowned so hard the moment she said that. "You just started writing a few months back, right? That''s just a passing passion you have. You''ll get bored with it in no time," her voice increased as she spoke, and her pitch got higher in her anger. "Do you think your future is a joke? What will you do if your dad and I are no longer in this world? Be a writer and live off of scraps? What will you even earn? Only those brilliant authors you said ever make it and earn decently. Do you think you can be like them? There''s thousands or even millions of authors and writers in the world yet how many of them are known? Not even a thousand, I doubt. So don''t you think I''ll agree in that foolishness you''re thinking! You youngsters are still walking through life, and I''m already going back!" And there it was, her famous line"You youngsters are still walking through life, and I''m already going back". She would always say that to show her "wisdom that comes from age". "You asked me what I wanted to take for college. And now that I told you about it, you don''t want it. If you want to be a doctor so bad, then do it yourself!" My anger was riling up in me. "Don''t push me to be someone I don''t wanna be! You''re not ME, mom! And I''m not YOU! Don''t make me into an arrow and you''re the bow who decides where I get to be aimed at!" Aaaaahhhh!!! I wanted to scream so badly. Why couldn''t she understand me? "Support that''s all I''m asking you. That''s all I''m expecting. But it seems I''m not getting that. Even my friends are way better than how you think, mom. At least they understood me. At least they supported me on what''s making me happy. But you? Have you ever stopped for a moment and thought if what you really wanted for me will make me happy?" "Do you think happiness keeps you alive, dear? Mom asked in a sarcastic way. "You need money. You need to earn. So you need to be realistic in life. Or else, you''ll be a NEET and regret your life while living off of your parents when you grow old. You''ll be a useless bum. Unless you''d rather sell yourself in marriage? Then, you can live freely leeching off your husband. Maybe then, you can be a writer." Alas I gave up arguing. She would never understand me. Losing all my hope in our conversation, I quickly ran out of our house. Chapter 31：Sleepover at Horas [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Hora followed me as I ran out of our house. I ran aimlessly as I cried past the brooks, and the many trees, past the appliance shop, and even past our school. I only stopped in front of a big lake. Seeing it meant that I was in the northwestern part of our village, where the huge park was. It was night but there were still some people jogging on the sides, or were seated on the bench beside the lake. Exhausted from all the running, I sat down on the nearest empty bench, and Hora sat beside me, still carrying my printed story. After catching my breath, I apologized to Hora. She didn''t deserve to see something like that. But she said it was okay, and rubbed my back. When she did, I ended up crying again. I cried so hard and hugged her. She cried with me, too. She had always been that soft girl who easily cries. Time passed by as we just sat there, crying like lunatics. Probably half an hour, or maybe an hour passed by until we calmed down and wiped our tears. I tried to smile but I couldn''t. Everything that happened was still so vivid in my memory. "Hora sniff Why do you think mom can''t just support me with what I want?" Hora shook her head. "Why can''t she just believe in me? And why does she think that I''ll fail? She hasn''t even read what I wrote but she''s already judging methinking that I''ll be a failure. And seriously, what''s so wrong with writing? Why is she looking down on it so much?" "She''s just not appreciating it the way we do," Hora said, pulling herself together to smile. "Auntie''s never been a wide reader. She always preferred those overly dramatic telenovelas with their impossible dramas. Ha-ha-ha!" I chuckled with her. She was right though. Mom always watched those afternoon "telenovelas" that aired on tv where there''s a bunch of cheating here and there, female leads that just won''t die even after being in numerous of accidents, those crazy plots that were too dramatic that it''s becoming unrealistic, and their romantic lines that makes you cringe. Ugh. I''ve never been a fan of such dramas. I''m good with dramas as long as they''re reasonable and realistic at least. Not just "some-crazy-bitch-just-decided-to-make-my-life-a-hell" kind of drama. Those telenovelas need lots of work when it comes to their villains. Seriously. Their characters were so one-dimensional. Real people aren''t like thatthey''re complex and ugh, I don''t even know where to begin. There''s only very few decent telenovelas out there. That''s why I''d rather read books in my room than watch those. TV Stations at this generation would just air anything that sells to the audience, I guess even if quality sucked. The audience wasn''t that picky anyway since it''s free to watch. "You''re right," I replied. "But someday, I''ll show her. I''ll become famous and sell lots of books. I''ll be really lucky if one of them turns into a movie. But if not, that''s fine, too." "Yes! And I''m sure you''ll sell lots of books! I''ll be your first fan! And I''ll buy lots of them," Hora kindly cheered me up. She''s really sweet and kind and very supportive. "Thank you," I smiled at her. Truly, I''m very lucky to have her as my best friend. If not, I''d probably still be crying here, all alone. "What would I do without you, Hora? I love you, bestie." "Awww I love you, too, bestie." She hugged me, and patted my back once more. "Can I sleep over at your place? I don''t want to go home yet." "Ha-ha-ha! Of course you can. I''ll just ask mom to call your mom." "Yeah. I don''t want to deal with mom right now. Let her cool off." And so, we went to Hora''s home which was a very stylish and modern home. Her father''s an architect and her mother''s a home designer that''s why they ended up selling furniture for business. On the sides, they take on requests for renovating houses and other stuff related to homes. Honestly, they''re so good at it that it''s no wonder they''re earning a lot when they made it into a living. We went upstairs, to Hora''s room which was pastel pink. All her furniture were matching, even the hangings on the wallsamazing as always. I loved looking at the design of her room even though I wasn''t that much of a fan of pink. She lent me one of her spare pajamas which was also pink and too girly. I grinned trying to hide my distaste of it. Anyway, I''m just barging in so I didn''t have any choice. I took a bath before bed and laid down beside her spot. Good thing her bed was wide enough to cater two or even three people. Before I knew it, I already dozed off while Hora was still busy drying her hair. ______________________________ "Sena, it''s still Sunday tomorrow. No classes. Why don''t we go" I asked my friend but when I turned around, she was already fast asleep. Hmm poor Sena. Her mom was really harsh on her today. How could she be so mean? Hmf! Ping! Suddenly, I heard a ringtone. I looked around and saw Sena''s cell phone lit up on the top of my study table. I went over it and flipped her phone open. "Did her mom message her?" I asked myself. "Oh! It''s that Kai, her crush." Hmm Should I open the full message? Or not? But feeling a little devious, I opened it for her. My reason? What if he was asking for something urgent? I should wake her up, right? He-he-he! And so, I opened up the text message. "I''m done reading your story. I also commented on your file so you can check your misses. Wanna hear my overall feedback? Let me know when you''re free and I''ll call you." "Oooohh, wow! He read Sena''s story, too? That''s fast. I was only at chapter seven. That''s halfway through. Oh well," I shrugged. "I should reply to him and let him know Sena''s asleep." And so, I typed in "Hello Kai! This is Hora, Senara''s friend. She''s at our house now, already sleeping so I''m doing the courtesy of replying to you. Today''s not a really good day for her and she ended up crying all night. Sigh She talked to her mom about wanting to be a writer but her mom didn''t agree saying she won''t make it and be popular. Seriously, she''s already so pessimistic when she hasn''t read what Sena wrote! It was really great and well written. She''ll keep on improving in the future, too! Sena''s really smart. Oh, I''m rambling, sorry. Anyway, I''m just letting you know of what happened and that she''s asleep. Don''t worry, I shall take care of her for the night. PS. Pls don''t tell her I replied to you or she''ll get angry at me. Ha-ha-ha! I''m gonna delete this after, okie? Thanks!" Aaand send. Alright. That should do it. Now, I''m gonna sleep. Goodnight world! Chapter 32：Heart to Heart Talk [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I stayed at Hora''s place the whole Sunday and only went back home at night when I knew everyone''s asleep. The maids opened the doors for me and kindly asked me if I wanted to eat. They''re really nice. Even my nanny who took care of me since childhood couldn''t sleep until I went back home. Compared to her, my mother was already snoring in bed. I saw her when dad opened the door from their room the moment he heard I''m back. At least dad was worried for me. We talked a bit in his office after that. "Senara, how have you been?" Dad asked me with a worried face. We sat at the black leather couch in his home office which was mostly used when his business partners came to visit. "I''m feeling better, dad," I answered, trying to avoid his eyes. "I just played with Hora the whole day." Yeah, she continued reading my story and we happily discussed it the whole day. "About what happened" I glanced at dad when he said that. Honestly, I was really curious about how he thinks of me being a writer. Did he hate it like mom? "To tell you the truth I was hoping that you''d take over our business in the future." Ahh I see. I guess I disappointed both mom and dad. "But of all my wishes and hopes for you in the future, my top and most important wish is for you to be happy." I immediately gasped in surprise when I heard dad say that. My widened eyes stared at him and I could feel tears forming in my eyes again. I thought I had enough of crying but hearing him say that it meant a LOT for me. It meant that he loves me so much that he''s willing to accept anything that would make me happy even if it was against his wishes! That was the support I was looking for and hoped that mom would give me the same. I wanted to say my thanks but I couldn''t utter any word after that. So instead, I just went over dad and hugged him while my nose kept on sniffing again. He gently patted my head and my back. "There, there. Don''t cry my dear daughter. I already talked to your mom. She''s a bit stubborn about it for now, but I''m sure she''ll eventually accept it," he tried to encourage me. "And besides, she''s forgetting that our daughter is really smart! I''m sure she''ll succeed in anything she does!" I chuckled at him. I think I got my way of cheering people on from my dad. And lastly, he said, "And even if you fail, know that I am here, we are here, to welcome you back. Anyway, failure is one way to success. You can always just stand back up and continue." "Yes thank you, dad." "Hello Kai! I''m so sorry I just saw your message! My friend, Hora, read your message without my permission and didn''t even bother telling me until now. I''m really sorry. I don''t check my phone often unless someone sends me something. T_T Forgive me. Oh, and also, I want to hear your feedback! I can''t believe you finished it already! I''ll look over your comments later after school. Thanks a bunch! And have a great day!" I typed all those so fast like my life depended on it and sent it. It might have been too long but that''s fine. I waited for a few minutes for his reply but no reply came. Maybe he was busy, or probably in class. Our time zone was the same so he''d probably get back to me tonight, like usual. And so, I waited until class was over and I was back home, but still got no reply. That was when it hit me. "He holds grudges, don''t he?" I talked to myself while I laid in bed, still waiting for his message. "Maybe I should log in Armageddon?" I did as I thought but he wasn''t online. I began wondering if something happened to him. So I texted him again. "Hi again, Kai. Good evening. How are you? You haven''t replied yet so I thought maybe something happened? Are you ok? I''m a bit worried. I hope you''re doing alright." An hour passed and still no response. I was really getting worried. He usually responded fast and now he wasn''t. What if something really happened? I''m not the only person in the world who could have problems. Maybe he got into an argument with his family, too? Or was it something at school? Or with his other friends? He didn''t get into an accident, did he? As my worry grew bigger, I got up from bed and decided to call him. It should be okay to call, right? Or would he think I''m being too much? "Argh! Whatever, I''ll just call him. He can shout at me if he''s angry, that''s fine!" And so, I gathered my courage and called his number. Ring! Ring! Ring! Toot! He picked up! "Hello, Kai?" I greeted as soon as he picked up. "Are you alright? Did something happen?" Then, for some reason, I heard a chuckle at the other line. "Gotcha." It was Kai. Chapter 33：Feedback [Music Recommendation: "The Name of Life" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Oh my goodness! Was he pranking me? Argh! I felt a mixture of relief and anger inside me. How could he prank me? I was so worried for real! "Did you just" I was taken aback that I sighed and scoffed right after the other. "Seriously, Kai? I was so worried about you! I thought something happened!" My voice was so loud that I''m practically shouting at him. But despite my complaints, I heard him laugh so hard in the other line. I shook my head in disbelief. I never expected him to pull a prank on me. Though he did mention to me before that he liked bullying his father. So was this him, bullying me? I see. It seems we''re close enough to bully each other. I''ll make sure to pay him back someday! Hmf! "So when are you planning to stop?" I asked, hinting my annoyance in my voice. "Sorry about that," he said, still snickering. "It''s your punishment for making me worry this last couple of days." I couldn''t refute that. "Fine, I''ll take it this time. I said I''m sorry, though. It seems you do hold grudges. Hmf!" I puffed my cheeks like a blowfish. But my annoyance was quickly washed away by the fact that he worried for me just because I didn''t reply to him. I had to bite my lips so I don''t giggle over the phone. "Good. And let''s promise each other to respond as soon as possible next time we send a message. It''s fine if it''s late by a couple of hours, if we''re somehow so busy. But not an entire day. Deal?" He''d make a really good negotiator. "Deal," I agreed without a second thought. I wondered if this was how he treated his other friends, too, especially female friends. By how kind and caring he was, any girl would fall for him. Hora was right. I think I do have lots of competition. Sometimes I wish he wasn''t so kind to everyone except me but that''s just my selfishness kicking in. And besides, I''m just a friend. What right do I have to have him all for myself? "So regarding your feedback. How was it?" Finally, I asked about my story. I felt so nervous and shy asking about it. "Hmm I''ll give you honest feedback since I''m blunt and don''t like beating around the bush. You ready?" "Just how I like it. Yes, go ahead. I''m taking notes." "Which do you want to hear first? The good or the bad?" I gulped. "Ahm the bad?" "Alright. Bad points," he started. "First, you have a few misses on punctuations and some sentences were wordy. But they''re minimal so they''re easy to miss. A normal reader won''t notice them except for me since I''m not like most readers." ''Oh, I see. This is really great. I never thought he''s a wide reader, too.'' "Got it. Thank you. What else?" I made sure to write down everything he was saying. "There are some scenes that would be better if you rearrange them, to heighten the foreshadowing. And some dialogues that can be omitted since they don''t progress the plot. You''re not writing a slice of life type of book but an adventurous fantasy. It''s okay to put them for some comedy or chill moments after battles, but not too much. And there was one subplot that took too long to resolve itself. You shouldn''t drag out subplots unless it''s an important portion of the main plot. But if it''s a standalone subplot, written to give a background story to one of the characters or events, then don''t drag it on for too long." "I see I''ll be careful on that one." "Next, about characters. You have two characters that have almost the same personality and speech patterns that it''s hard to identify which is which unless you mention their names. Be careful with that. When you create too many characters in one story, you''re prone to make a couple of them have the same personality. Unless you intend it to be that way." "Right! I did have troubles coming up with personalities for each of them. Amazing... you could tell all that just from reading it once. And here I am, never noticing anything in the books I read." Truly, amazing. I clapped my hands on my surprise. Kai was really brilliant in so many ways! Not just in playing games, he seemed to know lots of stuff. "Hah," he chuckled. "I''m just more observant than most people." "And we''re just the same age. I feel so dumb compared to you." "Hm? You''re not." "Aww geez, thanks!" My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Moving on. Your last opportunity is vocabulary. You have a few unnecessary but repetitive words. You need to revise those. It''s understandable though, since English is not your first language. But make sure to continue working on those so you can express yourself more in writing." "Yup, I''ll keep on learning new words!" He chuckled again. "Ready for the good ones?" "Yes!" Ahh finally, some medicine for my wounds. But I''m not too hurt. It''s a learning opportunity! With this, I could further improve myself. Fighting me! "First of all, you''ve done exceptionally well, especially since it''s your first time," he told me slowly, as if saying it from the bottom of his heart. Awww I felt so touched. I might end up crying again. "Even if you had the game as reference for world building, you still did great in expounding the world and its lore. And how you connected it all to the main plot was amazingly done. Great job on that one." Tears started forming in my eyesI knew it. "The way you narrated the story, I can''t believe you already found your ''voice''your own unique way of narrating. Most authors struggle to find that ''voice'' but you did it on your first try. If you didn''t tell me your age, I would think that the story was written by someone older." Aw. I think I cheated on that part. Technically, I am older, if I counted my past life. "Characters, dialogues, scenes and its pacing, foreshadowing, mysteries, every element you put in the story mixed really well that it resulted in an epic plot twist. But do you know what your strongest points are?" I was so overwhelmed by all the compliments. I never thought I did a lot of great things in my writing. So I asked, "Huh? What are they?" Chapter 34：Three [Music Recommendation: "The Name of Life" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Three things," he continued. "Onecharacterization. All the characters you created are so alive. Except for the two I mentioned a while ago. But for the others even the villainthey''re very well-thought of, and complex enough that made them seem like real people. And that''s great characterization right therewhen you''re able to bring a character to life. From speech patterns, the way they walk, to the way they react to certain scenarios." "Awwww really? Thank you," I held back my tears to thank him. "Don''t cry yet. I''m still not done," he told me. It seemed that he heard my sniffing. "Yes, I''m not crying. What''s next?" I tried to lie but my clogged nose gave me away. Kai chuckled before he continued. "Second was the main plot," he said. "I have to admit, I did not expect that plot twist. Actually, most of the scenes are unpredictable. Yet, it wasn''t too frustrating not knowing the whole truth as the story progressed. You did great in pacing the storywhen to give hints and answer certain mysteries. There''s always something new to look forward to and never a boring part. Really, great job." "Ha-ha-ha! Yes. I don''t even remember how I came up with it." I found myself laughing as I wiped my tears off. Truthfully, when I wrote them, words just flowed and I found myself writing one scene to another. And as I wrote them, I kept on discovering moreabout the characters, the world, and the whole story. Until somehow, they just magically fitted into a great plot that I didn''t even imagine before I started writing. "Third, and your strongest point out of the threeemotions. The way you wrote emotional scenes it''s impossible not to feel what the characters are feeling. I have no words to describe how great they all are." Alas, I burst out crying. Waves of emotions flooded my heart. I couldn''t help but reminisce about the hardships I experienced while writing the story. Plus the fact that my mom didn''t believe that I had the potential. Having someone confirm it for me, aside from Hora which was my best friend, felt like a huge chunk of doubt was removed in my chest. Ever since mom said that I wouldn''t make it, I began to have doubts about myself. But hearing the unbiased Kai tell me all those compliments, along with the feedback, it meant a lot for me. It helped me regain my confidence in myself. "Waaaa sniff thank you so much sniff I''ll keep on working hard to improve my writing." "Yeah. Goodluck." I cried a little more after that and he calmed me down. Seriously, I should feel embarrassed by the amount of times I''ve cried while Kai''s on the other line. I was embarrassed but I couldn''t stop myself. I must have sounded so ugly. But he''s really nice. And so mature for his age. How I wished all men were like him. After speaking with Kai, I felt inspired to write another story. This time, it won''t be fanfic but an original. Lots of ideas flowed in my head and I went over my desk to write them immediately in my ideas notebookor else I''ll forget them. I jotted them all down, from scenes I just thought of, to characters, and punch lines I wanted them to say. I didn''t even notice that it was already midnight. I went on for a few more hours until I felt sleepy and went to bed. Few days passed with me enjoying myself in conceptualizing my next story. Mom was still giving me the silent treatment which I happily returned with the same behavior. Dad said she needed time so I''m giving her time to change her mind. As much as I loved mom, this time, I vowed to myself that I wouldn''t yield to her. I''m prepared to get out of the house, get a part time job and earn myself to pay for my own tuition in college if she still didn''t agree with my dream. On the night before my birthday, a few minutes until midnight, I received a weird text message from Kai. "3." Yes, just that number. I wondered what he meant? Maybe he sent it incorrectly? Or was it incomplete? Then after a minute, another text came in. "2," it said. "Oh wait! Is he doing a countdown?" I chuckled as soon as I realized. "Wow! That''s so sweet of him." I held myself back from replying. I didn''t wanna ruin his plan. Another minute passed by. "1." Yes, just one last minute till midnight. And another minute passed. "Kyaaaaaaaaaa!" I screamed to myself and buried my face on the pillow of my bed. "My heart I can die peacefully now." Just kidding, of course. I tossed and rolled around the bed like some crazy fan girl. "Kai why are you so sweet and kind? If you continue doing that, I''d get my hopes up, you know?" When I finally calmed down, I replied to him. "Thank you so much." I also added a blushing and crying emoji this time. "You''re still awake? Go to sleep now, tiny pumpkin, so you can grow. I''m off to sleep, too. Good night." "I said I''m not tiny. Anyway, thanks again. Sleep well!" "Did he stay up until midnight just so he could greet me? There''s no way he''d go that far, right? Yeah, that''s impossible." I asked myself and answered my own question. Yeah, there''s just no way. Then a few seconds later, I also got a text greeting from Hora and Ken. "Happy birthday, Sena!" Hora''s message was filled with lots of emojis while Ken''s was simple. I replied to them both with a big thanks. I couldn''t believe they all stayed up so late just to greet me at midnight. I''m so blessed with such great friends. I love them all so much. Happy with the warm greetings I received, I laid myself to bed and slept peacefully. Chapter 35：Surprise! [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS V)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Wake up, Senara." Someone tugged me, waking me up from my sleep. What time was it? I''m sure I just fell asleep a few hours ago. "Happy birthday, my dear daughter." It was dad. I opened my eyes, even if it was hard from all the puffiness. I gave him a sweet smile despite my half open eyes. "Thanks, dad." I quickly glanced at the clock on my bedside table and it said four o''clock in the morning, Friday. Wow! That was so early. I wondered why dad woke me up earlier than usual. I rubbed my eyes and forced them to open to look at dad. Good thing he turned the lights on, it helped my senses to wake up. "Happy birthday, sis!" A sudden cute voice surprised me! It was my younger brother! He, too, was awake so early in the morning, greeting me. He had always been the quiet type, barely speaking when you talk to him, but now, he''s greeting me. That must have taken a lot of effort considering how shy he was, even for a family member. And it seemed that his voice still hasn''t changed. That was nice. I''d miss his cute boyish voice when he grows up. "Awww, even my cute little brother woke up early to greet me?" I asked him as I rummaged his hair. "Hm? Oh, why are you both dressed up?" I was expecting them to still be in their pajamas. "What''s going on?" "Get up quickly and prepare. We''re going on a trip!" Dad enthusiastically said. "And don''t worry about school. I already informed your class adviser." "Woah! Really? We''re going on a trip?" All my sleepiness went away. I was so excited. A trip! I haven''t been on a trip for so many yearsif I include my past life! "Where? Where are we going?" "It''s a secret," Dad winked. "Unfair! How will I know what to wear and bring if you don''t tell me where we''re going? What if it''s a beach and I don''t have swimming wear? Come on! Tell me, please." "Mom already packed your things. So no need to worry." I paused with my mouth open for a few seconds before responding. "... Oh. I see," my tone suddenly became awkward. Right. I hadn''t fully made up with mom yet. We were still in a silent war. But she prepared my things So I guess it''s a ceasefire? Dad let out a sigh and patted my shoulders. "Don''t think too much of it yet and just enjoy today, okay?" "Yes, I will. Thanks, dad," I smiled at him. "Oh! By the way," Dad added, while he carefully lifted a big rectangular box from behind where he sat on my bed. It was covered in a cute and shiny blue gift wrap, with a golden ribbon delicately tied around it. My eyes widened in surprise and skepticism. It was the first time dad''s giving me a present covered in a gift wrap. Normally he just gave it to me with no extra wrappings for me to tear up and open. He always found it a waste of good paper so he never wrapped his gifts. "You''re wrapping presents now?" I snorted. "Is this real?" "Actually this one is not from me. As you can see, it''s wrapped," Dad chuckled as he explained. "My gift for you is also a surprise. You''ll get it later. "Oh! That''s why Is it from Hora? Or Ken? Or the others?" I asked as I took the box from him and began to open it. I carefully removed the wrappings because I didn''t want to tear up such a gorgeous wrapper. In fact, I could recycle it and use it as one of my notebook''s covers. It''s so pretty with its glossiness and when you tilt it, it changes colorlike a gradient blue, red, and purple. "I''m not sure who it''s from. The maids said it arrived around midnight which was weird. I didn''t know they still delivered at midnight," Dad shrugged. Even I thought the same. "It''s addressed to you." When I finally removed the gift wrap, my already widened eyes widened even more. I probably left my mouth open for a few seconds too before I shouted in astonishment. "Oh my goodness! It''s a Red Dragon Pro laptop!" "Woah!" my younger brother and dad were surprised, too. "Red Dragon" was and had always been the best selling brand when it came to technologybe it computers, laptops, mobile phones, television, and so much more! Even in my past life, they continued to grow and be on top. They were owned by "Red Dragon Holdings", a multinational technology conglomerate holding company. Actually, not just technology. From the most popular games like Armageddonyes, they created Armageddonto top selling applications, softwares and hardwares alike, to restaurants, hotels, even cars! They owned lots of things that maybe even my puny mind wouldn''t be able to memorize everything. An article I read in my past life even described them as "The Sleeping Giant" of the business world. They''re the "ocean" of all the businesses in the eastern continent, while all the others were just the creatures of the ocean. If they decided to influence any form of business, they could easily do so. Only, they don''t bully, according to that journalist, that''s why he called them a Sleeping Giant. But if they''re awakened, then whoever crosses their path would be doomed! "Did you perhaps, order that online?" Dad asked. "No, I didn''t," I answered, barely giving dad attention. My eyes were fixed on the laptop I received for some reason. I opened the box after and it revealed a gorgeous frost white laptop with a very sleek and slim design. It was so beautiful and it''s still 2009! Imagine how much their technology would improve in the future? It was very sturdy, too, as I felt it on my hands. There was the emblem of a dragon curled up into a circle, as if sleeping, embossed at the lidit was the logo of Red Dragon Holdings. After marvelling over the amazing laptop, I opened its lid to reveal more of its body which was also frost white, and even the keyboard was white. Aside from blue, white was my favorite color. I grew more curious as to who sent it. That was when I noticed a small card, lightly taped on the laptop screen. I took it and opened the card. "Thought you''d need it in your writing career. - Kai." Awwwww I had no words. I''m too overwhelmed. And before I knew it, I was crying while hugging the laptop he gave me. I loved the laptop but more than that, I was so touched by his support. Even when looking for a gift for me, he carefully thought of what I loved doing writing. So much support and kindness I really hoped I could repay him someday. Chapter 36：Celebrating My Birthday [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "W-why are you crying? What does the card say? Who is it from?" Dad went frantic. He took the small card from my fingers and read it himself. "Ohh Kai? Is this a guy?" I nodded. "He''s the friend I met while playing online, the one I told you before." I mentioned it to him when I told mom and dad that I have an overseas friend I met online, and that my cell phone bills might go up. "I told him I loved writing I really do. But I didn''t ask for any gift except his phone number so it''s easier to reach him rather than always logging in the game. I didn''t think he''d send methis is actually too much." "It is," Dad agreed, though there was a hint of wariness. I knew what he''s thinking before he even said it. "That''s very nice and thoughtful of him. But he''s not some old guy hitting on a teenage girl, is he?" "Of course, not. He definitely doesn''t sound like one. And ask Ken. Kai''s the top player in Armageddon. He''s only 16 like me. Ken mentioned he was featured in an article somewhere, I forgot. But it''s true. Apparently, he''s some gaming genius." Yes, he told me that way back when he first learned that I was friends with him, at the school cafeteria. "About that Honestly, I didn''t expect it." Yeah, that''s right. It never crossed my mind to think if he was rich or poor. I just knew that he was kind. It didn''t matter for me anyway. You don''t choose friends based on wealth. It was a matter of personality. Well, at least for me. Still doubtful, dad asked the question he was probably most eager to ask. "Is he your boyfriend?" he asked in a higher pitch than normal, careful not to ruin my day, but still asked what he was really curious about. I chuckled at dad. "To tell you the truth, sometimes I wish he was. I won''t mind him as a boyfriend. He''s just the type I likevery kind and supportive and funny. Unfortunately, we''re only friends." Dad''s eyes widened in shock. I couldn''t blame him. His one and only daughter who just turned 16, was now having her first crushthe nightmare of all fathers who loved their daughters too much. I saw him swallow that truth hard. Meanwhile, my younger brother was just laughing at the background, like the cute audience he was. After a few more discussions, they both went down and I prepared myself. I took a bath faster than I normally would since I was excited to go. It usually takes me an hour to bathe, clothe, and fix my hair but this time, thirty minutes was all it took. I hurried downstairs, carrying my phone and earphones in my pocket and a hoodie on my hand. The morning air was chilly and we''ll travel by car so it would be cold until the sun rises. I wanted to bring the laptop with me but I''m afraid I might break it so I''m leaving it on my desk for now. When I went downstairs, mom greeted me with a happy birthday in an awkward manner. I thanked her in the same manner. Then one of the maids handed me a sandwich and a bottled juice saying dad instructed we don''t eat much yet. I took the ham and cheese sandwich with me and went to the car. Dad wasn''t on the driver''s seat but our family driver instead. That meant I''d get interrogated more along the trip. I better brace myself. And as my instinct predicted, I did get interrogated along the trip. Good thing my younger brother helped me out saying Kai was also the top player of "War of Legends" and that he was really popular among the gamer''s community, something I didn''t know as well. He helped me out when I mentioned his IGN or in-game name which was Grim Reaper. It seemed that no other player had that username since he was always the first one to register with that name. It was the same username he used in every game he played. And every game he played, he became the top player. When I heard that, I finally understood why Ken was jealous of me that time. I should introduce him one of these days. I''d been so busy that I forgot to introduce him. Anyway, we continued with the trip and it took us less than an hour to arrive at our destination which was none other than the airport? Oh, wow! We''re going overseas? That''s why dad didn''t drive! It was because we''re going to the airport! I totally didn''t expect that! And we''re going to the Land of Fragrant Harbour where Bisneyland was! My favorite theme park! I had never been there in this timeline, but I did once in my past life. I always wanted to go back since it was such a magical place! I felt so thankful to dad that I jumped in joy the moment I realized it. Before boarding the plane, I texted Hora, Ken, and Kai informing them of what happened. I also expressed my huge thanks to Kai for his gift. After a two and half hours flight, and a few more on the road after that, we finally arrived at the Bisneyland hotel. It was ten o''clock, just the time that the theme park opened. We checked in quickly and just dropped our bags then we set off to the theme park. My younger brother and I were so happy that we were basically running and prancing around. We made sure to ride all there was to ride and visit all places that could be visited. Mom and dad just followed us around. We tried all sorts of foods, especially sweets, and all types of drinks, except alcohol of course. Then, at night, there was a beautiful parade and the whole place was beautifully lit up. It was really such a marvelous and magical place. No wonder so many people loved visiting the place, both young and old. Chapter 37：Another Argument [Music Recommendation: "The Name of Life" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Ahhh what a joyous birthday it was. I felt so happy. Whatever or whoever made me time travel, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. If not for you, I wouldn''t even get to experience all the things that happened so far, especially the good ones. From knowing the real reason why dad left us in my past life, to being saved from those scammers in this timeline, meeting Kai, spending more time with Hora, seeing Ken once again, along with my old classmates and teachers, and everyone I knew from my childhood. I even discovered my dream, my passion. I''m eternally grateful. Finally, I''m living for myself and I could say that I''m living it happily. Tears started to form in my eyes as I reminisced about the past while watching the spectacular parade. There were bubbles and confettis flying in the air as they passed by. The Bisney Princesses were singing and waving their hands. The other known characters were also doing their best to entertain everyone. I was crying, and laughing, and clapping my hands as I watched them. Hours passed with us enjoying and exploring the whole theme park. Once exhausted, we came back to the hotel and had dinner at the buffet area. There were lots of great foods. I made sure to try them all except for those dishes with lots of onions, garlics, and gingers in them. I hated the taste of those. I didn''t forget to eat my veggies and fruits, too. But the most I ate was grilled salmon and fried chickenmy favorites. Dad and mom ate steaks, and my younger brother enjoyed his pasta and pizza. For dessert, there were lots to choose from as wellice creams, cakes, crepes, chocolate fondue, tarts, fruit salads, jellies, and so many others. I also made sure to try them all even if I couldn''t finish them on my own. I had always been the type to eat tiny portions of everything. I''d love to finish them all but my small stomach wouldn''t be able to hold them. After stuffing ourselves, we went back to our room to rest. It was both fun and exhausting. As soon as I finished taking a shower and changing into my pajamas, I slumped myself to bed. I almost fell asleep but dad kept on shaking me to get my gifts. They all presented their gifts to me which were all carefully wrapped, except dad''s. My younger brother gifted me a cute white rubber shoe with money he saved up from his allowance. I felt so touched knowing he saved up for me. I immediately hugged him and thanked him after. Mom''s gift was a beautiful dress with matching heelsthe dress I love, but I hated wearing heels because they''re a pain in the feet. Despite our awkwardness, I gave mom a hug and thanked her, too. Lastly was dad''s unwrapped gift which was a new phonea Red Dragon smartphone! The best smartphone of the year and had the highest specs among all brands. Funny though, both Dad and Kai gifted me gadgets from the same brand. Was that one of the reasons dad was suspicious of Kai? I chuckled at the thought of it. Nonetheless, I hugged dad, too, and thanked him for the gift. As much as I wanted to try them all out, my body failed me and I fell asleep. The next morning came, and I woke up before dawn as usual. My body clock had been accustomed to me waking up around that time. Everyone else was still asleep so I went to the kitchen area of our hotel room to brew some coffee. I bought my old and new phones with me. I thought of setting it up so I could use it for the day. I sat at the dining area and put my cup of coffee on the table as I set it up. This would be my first smart phone and I''d say it''s really top notch considering it was still 2009. The camera was great, the phone worked fast, and there''s already lots of apps I could use. While I was busy setting up my phone, mom suddenly popped out of nowhere and sat on the other side of the table, also holding a cup of coffee on her hand. "Good morning," I carefully greeted her and observed her reaction. "''Morning," she greeted me back. And there was silence. Only the sound of us alternately sipping our coffee could be heard. I thought of creating small talk but I didn''t have any topic in mind so I just let the silence continue. "About college," Mom broke the silence, "did you change your mind?" I see. She''s not conceding. "No," I answered coolly. "I love writing and that''s what I''ll take for college." I loved mornings but its beauty wasn''t enough to stop my nerves from snapping. I''m getting angry again. But I had to keep my cool. Lashing out won''t help me convince her. "What''s best for me?" I asked, knitting my eyebrows in the process. "How could you be so sure that what you THINK is best for me, is actually right?" Mom sighed again, deeper than the first. "You''re still young, so you don''t understand. I''m older than you and have been through life for many years than you, experiencing many things. And those experiences gave me wisdom. Wisdom that you don''t have yet. So I need you to listen to me. I know what''s best for you," she insisted. Her voice and intonation got higher. "Can you somehow see the future that''s why you''re so sure? And how can you use your past experiences to dictate my future? Is your past tied up to my future? We''re not living in the old days, mom. The world is changing. What used to work in the past won''t magically work the same way in the future." My voice got louder. "Don''t try to play logic with me." Alas, mother snapped. "How about you? Can you see the future? That''s why you''re so sure that what I''m telling you is not the best choice?" Yeah, right. If only you knew how I''ve been there and lived a miserable life! ============= Hello My Pumpkins! Finally! This book has successfully been contracted! <3 <3 <3 YAAAAAAAAYYY!!! Thank you all so much for the support! Due to this, I will MASS RELEASE 5 CHAPTERS today!!! I put 10 mins interval so they don''t get mixed up. Do look forward to it and enjoy! Also, I will be locking from chapter 40 since Kaiden and Senara''s meet up is near. I will put the rest of my stockpile in privilege so feel free to buy if you can''t wait for it anymore. I''ll increase my daily updates of 2 chapters a day as well aside from privilege. Again, thank you all so much! Love you lots, Macy Bae Chapter 38：Meeting Halfway [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I wanted to answer her so badly but I wasn''t sure if there would be repercussions if I did. I still didn''t know how I travelled back in time, and what the rules were if there were any. I couldn''t risk it. "No," I answered her firmly. "I don''t know what the future holds. And so do you. None of us do. But what I''m sure of is that I''m happy whenever I write stories. I don''t know if I''ll be successful, yes, but I don''t care. Success is not what I''m aiming for in my life. Instead, I want happiness happiness from doing my passion and achieving my dream, happiness from being with my family and friends, and maybe with a family that I''ll create in the future, too. It''s not about having what you think is a reputable profession and earning lots of money." Yes, if she only knew that in the future, those non-reputable professions that she and lots of people like her thought so lowly of, would not matter anymore. Those "stupid" students who couldn''t ace their exams in high school and ended up taking Information Technology or Computer Science as courses because their IQ wasn''t high enough to take doctorate or law or engineering, they would rise on top! Because technology would be a booming industry in the future, and those I.T.s and Com-Sci graduates would be highly sought after, gaining one of the highest paid professions! They could even go higher than most doctors or lawyers! Those who took nursing, because nursing was somehow so popular from parents saying they would earn much, they ended up as my workmates in the call center I worked at in my past life. Yes, because there were too many nurses and not many hospitals who could hire them. Some ended great and went abroad, but the others were left to look for another job that was so unrelated to the course they took in college. And worse, they didn''t even like the course. So like me, they suffered taking a job they didn''t like in the first place. There were so many scenarios like that. So many unfulfilled potentials. If only the children of before had the courage to stand up to their parent''s old way of thinking then maybe we wouldn''t have suffered the consequences of our parent''s decisions. I''m not saying all their decisions were wrong. It depends on the whole situation. But for me, I''m positive of what I want in my life. As for money, if she wanted more, then I should just continue our family business because in the future, what would give you more money than all those reputable professions would either by becoming a celebrity, an influencer, or a business entrepreneur. Trading, online selling and services, real estates, and all businesses-related things would be the key to more money. You just had to be invested, careful, and good at managing your business finances. Another thing was the stock market. But all in all, success and happiness differs to every person. When I attended reunions in my past life, I noticed how those who lived humbly were happier than those who had more and for a whole lot of reasons. If only mom could understand even just that part "You''re still too naive," she said. I wanted to say I''m not but she wouldn''t believe me. "Can''t you just trust me on this? If I fail then I''ll just start over. You can laugh at me all you want and tell me you''re right. But for now, just trust me." "You may be able to start over but time would be against you," Mom said in a mellow tone, and with eyes that seemed to look into nothingness. "You''re a woman. By the time you realize you failed, you''d be near 30 years old and need to start a family. If you don''t, you''ll have problems giving birth and eventually, you''d risk being able to have a family of your own. Once you manage to have a family, you''d be too busy with your children and you won''t be able to focus on a career. And in the long run, you won''t even have a career and just be a housewife. You''d be lucky if you marry a business owner then maybe you can manage the business with him. But if not ..." She stopped and simply shook her head. Could it be? Was she telling me the "experience" of her life? That as a child she tried pursuing her dreams and failed? And it was too late for her to start a career after that? Yes, if I''m not mistaken, mom came from a humble household. It was dad''s family who had the whole restaurant chain which he inherited. Then she married dad and had us. She became busy taking care of her children and husband Right I''m a woman. And they said a woman''s ultimate role was to give birth and take care of their children. But even so even if I''m a woman, I want to dream and have my own career. I didn''t want to just be a housewife, living off of my husband. I''m not saying being a housewife was bad. As I said, different people, different forms of happiness. But for me, I wanted to fulfill my passion at the very least. I see I understand mom a little better now. And she was right. If I failed time would be against me. And this time around, I wasn''t sure if another miracle would help me time travel to undo my mistakes. This time, I would have to be responsible for every choice I make. Finally understanding my mom, I stood up in my seat and went to her, giving her the biggest and warmest hug I could ever give "I''m sorry, mom." As soon as I said that, Mom broke out in tears. Chapter 39：Middle Ground [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ As I embraced mom, and patted her back gently, I felt her pain. Because she, too, wanted to accomplish something in her life but unfortunately, it was too late for her. What she thought was her dream before, failed her. Her own passion betrayed her. She invested so much time, but all of it was for nothing. At the end, she failed altogether. "Mom tell me, what was your dream before?" I asked her as I sat down on the chair beside her. She was still crying so I continued patting her back, trying to calm her. Mom looked at me and tried to smile. "I wanted to be a fashion designer. Like what you want, it''s related to art. And during my time, anything related to art and music were courses that only the rich could take. But I was stubborn. I knew I wanted it so I did, even without the blessings of my parents, only to fail at the end." I see. I fell silent as I listened to mom''s story. It was the first time I heard it. My heart ached listening to mom. And I believe she felt pain in hers as well, as she reminisced about the awful past. Sadness. Disappointment. Hopelessness. "Then I met dad. We fell in love, married, and had you," she smiled. "Don''t get me wrong. I love you and you brother and I was very happy to be your mother. I enjoyed taking care of you both. But if I''d be honest, sometimes I wish that I could still do my dream." "Why don''t you? Is it really too late?" Mom smiled bitterly. "Yes it is too late. I need to help your dad manage the restaurants. If not, it will take a toll on him. And I have to take care of you both. You''re still so young and need guidance, especially your little brother. I don''t want to just leave you to your nannies just so I could focus on my career. If I do, you''d grow spoiled and not know the important things and lessons in life. I want you two to grow and be the best version of yourselves. I want you both to achieve dreams and be happy with it. That''s why I''m suggesting you to be a doctor or lawyer. Because at least in those professions, even if you failed, you wouldn''t be in too much pain. Since they''re both very hard. Other people won''t blame you or point fingers at you. You can still hold your head high. But if you succeed, even if it wasn''t your dream at first, helping people out, would make it both satisfying and rewarding for you. It''s like a safety net. I at least wanted a safe future for you. Something you won''t regret later." Truly, most parents just wanted the best for their children. And I didn''t understand that part fully. I was so hung up at perceiving mom as an obstacle to my dreams so I failed to see her side of the story. She was right. Even after living for 30 years in my old life, I was still too naive. Age really couldn''t dictate a person''s level of maturity. I still have lots to learn. "But mom if I end up failing in life, you''d still be there for me, right?" "Huh? Of course! I will! Always." I smiled and tears started to fall from my eyes. Of course, she wouldn''t abandon me. Maybe her parents did so for her, but she wouldn''t do that to us. I''m so stupid. "In that case, you better expect your first grandchild with my brother," I chuckled. "What? What do you mean?" "Writing. I still want to pursue writing. And it''s ok, mom. Even if I fail, I won''t be hurt too much since I''ll have you and dad to support me. I won''t be lonely. But I won''t give up. I''ll keep on trying over and over and over until I achieve what I want. It will take years of my life. And I might risk not building my family. But it''s fine. I already have my family in you. And if all else fails, I''ll just continue the restaurant. That should keep me busy, right? So please, let me do this. I''m prepared for whatever comes." Mom snorted and sighed at the same time. "Still stubborn. You may have inherited that from me." "Ha-ha-ha! Yes, I think I did," I laughed with her. Finally, our silent war ended. "Alright. Do as you want. I guess I need to live for a really long time." "Uh-huh! That, you really need to do." And so, we gave each other the warmest hugs we could give. I finally reconciled with my mother. We finally understood each other and came to an agreement. Even in my past life, I never knew I had such great and supportive parents. I just didn''t understand them fully before. But now, I know the whole truth. And I''m so happy to have them in my life. Truly, I am very blessed in both my family, and friends. This time, I''d make sure to appreciate them and reciprocate the love back. This time, not just my happiness but their happiness as well. This time, I wouldn''t be too selfish because selfishness clouds the mind from the truth. There''s a middle ground we could settle and I''d do my best to keep it balanced. Chapter 39 - Unknown Caller ~ [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter Reconciling with mom felt like a huge burden was lifted from my chest. I was never good at arguing with people. It always weighed heavy in my conscience, especially the one with mom. But I''m glad it was over. Sometimes, you really just need to talk it out peacefully. We continued the next day of our trip and decided to go back to the theme park to explore the areas we only got to pass by yesterday because of the long lines at the rides, too crowded, or we somehow missed. It was literally impossible to explore the whole park in a day! Of course, we had to go back. Luckily, mom and dad didn''t have anywhere they particularly wanted to go so my younger brother and I enjoyed our trip a bit more. We bought lots of stuff this time, too. For me, I got a couple of stuffed toys, tumblers, and shirts. My younger brother got some pillow with a matching blanket, some shirts and jackets, too. We also picked up some presents for our nanny and the maids back home. For the next day, which was Sunday, our last day of the trip, we decided to just relax at the pool of the hotel and visit the maze garden which was really huge. I wasn''t even sure how I managed to enter and get out in just a short span of time. I guess I had to thank my height. The hedges were pretty tall and they built it the way mazes were supposed to beconfusing. But thanks to my height, I was able to cheat my way and see where I was going. My younger brother though, got separated from me and got lost inside. Good thing mom was at our room where the maze was just below. She was evilly laughing at my younger brother as she guided him outside via call. "Go to your left," mom said, half laughing. "Then go to your right." I think she might have deliberately derailed him, too for a bit to learn his lesson. Mom strictly told him to follow me but he just ran off on his own. It wasn''t my fault. I was familiarizing myself with the maze so I didn''t want to run around. And maybe just maybe, I was also teasing my stubborn younger brother. Ha-ha-ha! I felt so evil doing that. I could see him though, in case of emergency, I could just run towards him and help. It was such a fun birthday slash vacation trip. I always loved how dad thinks of fun things to do. Maybe I should goal to travel all around the world in this new life of mine? That sounds cool. I should start creating my list of things to do before I die again. Anyway, we went home after that via car, and plane, then car again until we reached home. After giving my presents to the maids, I went upstairs, took a shower, and slept like a dead animal. And so, it was Monday again, September 28th. Just a few more days and it would be October. Since mom and I reconciled, I prepared myself and looked for a college that had a writing course, preferably Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, or something alike. There weren''t that many to choose from since it wasn''t a very popular course if you''d compare to others. Luckily, three of the top schools in our country offered them. I just had to check for reviews on which school had the best professors and curriculum. If I''m going to learn, I''d prefer it to be from the best teachers. Upon checking the reviews though, the top 1 college hit the spot. I decided to apply immediately and schedule my entrance exam. Busy with all the college preparations, and writing my new story using the laptop I received from Kai, I didn''t notice how fast the week flew by. It was the weekend again and I stayed up all night on Friday. Time really flies fast when you enjoy yourself. It was ten in the morning when I felt sleepy. But then, a sudden call from an unknown number surprised me. Since it had the same area code as Kai''s number, I thought it was him and answered it. Maybe he changed his number? "Hello! Am I speaking with Senara Lee?" It was a woman. Her voice sounded like that of a middle-aged one, with a bit of an accent from her country, but very kind and cheerful. She sounded like a nice person. "Yes, this is Senara. And who am I speaking with?" I asked, curious of who she was, why she was calling, and where she got my number. "This is Qian Yu, one of the Executive Producers of Red Dragon Films," she cheerfully introduced herself. "I''m calling you because," she said that in a sing-song tone, "we would like to buy the rights to your story, ArmageddonDawn of the New Generations, so we could turn it into an animated film. Basically, we''d like to offer you a deal! We could meet up and discuss the contract with you and all the things you need to know. So, what do you say?" And there was silence My whole world just stopped. My drowsiness went away in an instant. "A Are you for real?" I was so lost and couldn''t believe it that those words just came out of my mouth. I must have sounded so rude. "I mean I''m not dreaming, am I?" "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ms. Qian Yu laughed hysterically on the other line. It took her a whole minute trying to calm down. "You''re so cute, dear. No, you''re not dreaming. This is the real deal. Didn''t expect your story will get chosen? You should have more confidence in yourself! I already talked to investors and they easily agreed!" "Woah!" I marvelled to the max level. "Oh my goodness... I don''t know what to say but YES! I will! L-let''s do that movie!" Chapter 40 - Who Sent It? ~ [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After the mind-blowing offer, Ms. Qian Yu and I talked about where we could meet and discuss all the things that needed to be discussed. She also knew that I was a teenager and told me to bring a guardian with me. That should mean she''s legit, right? Not some phone scam? Still a bit half doubting if everything was true, I told mom and dad all about it and they, too, reacted the way I did. Good thing they agreed to meet. The only problem was I never submitted my story anywherewell, except for letting Hora and Kai read it. I wasn''t that brave enough to submit it to a film company. Besides, what I did was basically a "derivative work" where I wrote a sequel of the original storyline. Armageddon wasn''t even that long in the market yet, so I don''t have any rights to do it, that''s why it''s basically fanfiction. Unless Red Dragon Holdings owned the full rights to it then it would just be like they''re hiring me as one of their writers, right? And since I already wrote it, they just need to sign me to a contract. But how did they get a hold of my story? Did someone submit it for me? If that''s the case then it could either be Hora or Kai, right? Hmm I need to speak with them. I dialed Hora first since she was the one who knew the situation about me and mom. I was only able to inform her that we made up when I came back to school on Monday. Maybe she submitted my story from the day I argued with mom to help me gain leverage and have mom approve of what I wanted. But how would she even know how to do that? She liked films and wanted to be a film editor so maybe she''s studying it. But still! I''m 30 plus years old if I include my old life and I had no idea how. Ring ring ring ring ring toot. "Helloow, Sena!" Hora greeted me in a playful tone. "Hi, Hora!" "You''re calling late. It seems to me like you''re no longer a morning person. Did you just wake up?" "Actually," I deliberated if I should tell her because I knew if I did, she''d reprimand me. Oh well, better brace myself. "I haven''t slept yet," I said in a murmur. And there was silence. I knew it. "Are you trying to be an owl? Or maybe a tanuki? Remember that animal that looks like it has forever eyebags? Or maybe a panda?" I could sense the rising anger in her voice. Sometimes I feel like she''s my mom. "I''ll sleep in a few but I have something to ask first." "Trying to change the topic, hm?" she snorted. "What? No, I''m serious," I chuckled. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you submitted my story somewhere? Like a filming company?" "Hm?" she sounded perplexed. "Well, I wanted to I looked it up on how to do it but I don''t know how to make a professional query letter. I''m no writer." I see So it wasn''t her. In that case, it''s Kai? But he''s only sixteen, too. How would he know how to create a query letter? I didn''t even know it was needed. "Why? What happened?" Hora asked, worried. "You won''t believe it. Even I am still a bit doubtful." And so, I told her what happened an hour ago. In contrast to my, mom''s, and dad''s happy yet skeptical reaction, Hora was overjoyed. I lost count on how many times she congratulated me and cheered for me. Her positivity was contagious. My doubt ended up getting washed away in the drain. After what seemed like an hour of talking, we finally hung up. She said she''s coming over to celebrate. While waiting for her to come, I dialed Kai real quick. My curiosity was killing me. I wanted my questions answered. If Kai really did do it, I have no idea how to thank him. He''s literally the ultimate friend anyone could have. Ring ring toot. Wow. That was fast. "Hi, Sena." Ahh what a cool voice. I grinned the moment I heard his voice. I felt like a fangirl, stanning her idol. "What''s up?" "Hello, Kai," I shyly greeted him. Seriously, Sena? After talking with him numerous times already, you''re still shy? Come on, be a little cooler. "How are you?" I asked. Ugh. I couldn''t think of anything nicer to say. How in the world could other people be so great at small talks? Please give me a bit of that talent. "I''m good. And you?" "... Fantastic." There it was, my chance to ask my question. "Actually, someone just called me an hour ago." "And that person made your day fantastic?" he chuckled. "Yes." I found myself chuckling, too. "Your lover? Or crush?" My eyes widened in an instant. Did he just ask me something related to love? Oh my goodness! "No!" I almost shouted at him. If he only knew that he''s my crush and I never had a lover. "I don''t have a lover. For your information, I''m single." Wait a minute. That sounded so weird, like I''m hinting unto something. Nooooo please don''t think too badly of it. He snorted and laughed at me. Was he bullying me again? What did I do this time? "Anyway," I tried to get the conversation back on track, "that''s not the reason why. That someone who called is a woman named Qian Yu who''s apparently an executive producer of Red Dragon Films. Because it seems that SOMEONE submitted my story to them and they''re interested in making it into an animated film." "Oh. Congratulations." "Thank you. I''m really, really happy about it that I don''t know if I''m dreaming or not. And if it''s real and not a scam. But one thing I''m curious though and wanted to ask you isare you the one who submitted my story?" And there was silence. Chapter 41 - Little By Little ~ [Music Recommendation: "Little by Little" by CHEEZE (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~ "Yes, I did," Kai confessed. "I submitted it because I think the plot alone was rather revolutionary. It''s a fresh concept and if my guess is right, it can be a trendsetteran inspiration. Not just with role-playing games but famous books, or plays, or movies, even music. The characters, especially the leads, you wrote them so iconically. So it would be such a shame if it''s not made known to the world. Great things ought to be shared, as my father always says. And the story you wrote I think it deserves the spotlight." My emotions flooded in my heart as I listened to him talk. How could he be so kind? And very supportive? All those kind words and efforts and friendship. Could he really be my Guardian Angel? Tear stains wet my cheeks before I realized it. "Why?" I asked, sniffing, "Why are you so kind to me? I don''t think I deserve all of the kindness you''ve given me, and for being such a great friend. I haven''t even repaid you in any way, and I don''t know what or how to. Sniff sniff thank you so much! I never even thought it was that great since it was the first time I wrote and I never even thought of submitting it anywhere. But you did it for me, because you believed in me. My words are not enough to say how grateful I am to you. Really, thank you very, very much!" Ahhh I''m crying again. I somehow always end up crying when I speak to him. He had a talent of making me cryin a good way, of course. Truly, I hope I could repay him someday. "Kind, huh?" he chuckled. "Most people describe me as grumpy first, before they say I''m kind. Either that, or they''d say I''m mysophobic, which I really am." "No way. They''re probably messing with you," I chuckled with him. I''m only noticing it now but it seemed to me that, whenever I cry, he would always pull a joke after to make me laugh. "Hmm maybe. Or they just see my grumpiness first. I don''t blame them. If you see me in person, I do look rather intimidating, or always scowling. I don''t have an amiable face." "So you look snobbish?" "Sounds about right." "Well, too bad for those who believe in first impressions and judge the book by its cover. They won''t know how golden your heart really is." "Ha-ha! I''m fine with them not knowing. I like to keep my circle of friends small." "Woah! Then I''m so glad and lucky to be in it," and I''m smiling again. No more sniffs. "Thank you very much again, Kai. If you ever need my help, let me know. Even if it''s something trivial. I''ll do it for you!" "Why do you feel indebted? I didn''t do much. You''re the one who wrote your story, not me." "But you submitted it for me." "That''s not such a big deal. I only did it to surprise you. I could also just tell you to do it and it will still result in the same thing." "But still And you''re the one who suggested that I try writing." "And you''re the one who decided to try it out. So you wrote." He wasn''t planning on yielding, was he? I pouted as I replied, "But still hmf! Just accept my thanks, okay?" "I will if you stop feeling indebted to me." "But you''ve done a lot for me and I haven''t" "See?" Of course, I feel indebted. "We''re going in circles, too," he added, sounding like Hora whenever she reprimanded me. "Besides, I only did what a normal friend would do. So don''t think too much of it." Too bad, I wasn''t the type to just yield in battle. "No." "What?" "Let''s just say we did it together. Okay?" "Haaah Alright. You win." "Yaaaay!" I ended up jumping in joy. I twirled around and slumped my body to bed. I heard him laugh on the other line. Then, an idea suddenly crossed my mind. "By the way, Kai." "Hm?" "That Executive Producer, Ms. Qian Yu," I gathered up my courage to tell him, "she asked if we could meet up in person and turns out their main office is in your country. Sooooo I''m thinking if it''s okay with you, of course, that we " "You want to meet?" "Yes!" I answered in a flash, even standing back up from my bed. "Is that okay?" "When?" "October 12! It''s a Monday, though," my voice whimpered. He was still a student like me, so he would have classes on Monday, of course. But just in case he somehow didn''t, I continued my piece, "She said she could go here instead, too, if I want so it wouldn''t be a hassle for me. But she also said that on the same week, Friday, October 16th, there would be an event with the company and said I should attend it. Mom and dad agreed, though they won''t be able to join me so I''m going with my nanny instead. And I also thought that it''s a chance to meet you so" I felt my tone turned softer and softer as I tried to reason with him if everything I said was reasonable and understandable enough. I wasn''t sure if I sounded convincing though. "Tsk." Hm? Did he just click his tongue? What did that mean? Was he irritated that I''m asking to meet? "Weekdays are a no for me this whole October. Some of my professors at school got angry that I''m not attending class and said I need to perfect my attendance this coming month or else they''ll fail me. It''s my fault, though. I was too lazy to go since they were minor subjects." "Oh. I didn''t know you''re a lazy student. You should really start attending your classes and lessen your playing time." "They were minors. It wasn''t the reason I enrolled. I''m only interested in the major subjects," he brooded. "Hmm Friday night should be fine. Let me just check -" I heard multiple tapping of the mouse, and scrolling. He must be checking something on his computer, most likely his calendar? "So Is Friday night okay?" I asked, growing impatient if it''s a yes or a no. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I waited Chapter 42 - Meeting Ms. Qian Yu ~ [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter "Ughhh," I heard him grunt on the other line. That didn''t sound like good news. "I have to accompany my sister to an event. I''m sorry. Saturday is" "It''s Guild Wars! Yes. That''s okay. We can meet some other time," I rudely cut him off. Maybe he didn''t want to meet and I was just being pushy. It''s alright. I won''t ask anymore. I''d just wait for him to offer it himself. Yeah, once he''s ready. "... Actually Nevermind." And there was silence. It''s been a while since the atmosphere became awkward between us. "Anyway thank you very much again. And sorry, but I haven''t slept all night so I''m feeling sleepy now." "Uhm Have a good rest." "Thanks. Good mornight," I tried to pull some humour. "That''s new. Good mornight." Phew. At least the call didn''t end too awkward. After that, I fell asleep like a log. Next thing I knew, it was evening and Hora woke me up saying we should celebrate. When I headed downstairs, everyone prepared a mini celebration for me over hotpot and barbecue. That made me smile in an instant. I loved hotpot and barbecue so much, especially when they use thinly sliced beef or pork in and bite sizes. Dad grilled some salmon for me, toohe knew it was my favorite so there was no way he''s gonna miss it. There were cakes and ice creams as well, and fruit shakes. Mom allowed me to drink soda as much as I wanted but just for the night. She always restricted me and my younger brother''s soda and junk food intakes which was hard for me because I loved colas. Poor me. Well, it''s for our health so I endured it. Though I must admit that sometimes I get a little jelly over my classmates who could drink it freely whenever they wanted. Good thing I had no restriction for the night so I went all out. Mom and dad drank their champagne and winesa drink I never tasted nor wanted to taste even in my past lifeand Hora and my younger brother indulge in the fruit shakes. All in all, we enjoyed our little celebration that night. Before I knew it, two weeks had gone in flash. Dad and mom helped me arrange for my tickets and ids and all the stuff I might need for my contract discussion and signing, even my nanny''s documents. So much for that, dad changed his mind at the last minute and canceled all his business meetings for the whole week of October 12. He said he wanted to accompany me instead. He probably thought that both me and nanny were girls and in case something happened, it would be much better if I was with a man. Well, thanks to that, I felt a little more comfortable and brave since I know my dad would be with me. He''s also more knowledgeable when it comes to business management and contracts so it''s a win-win situation for me. I felt sorry for mom though, since she would be left to take care of everything business-related. And so, October 12th came. We bid our farewell to mom and my younger brother before boarding the plane. It took us four hours and 12 minutes to arrive at the capital of the Land of the Red Dragon. From there, we were welcomed by an entourage of men in black suits, and Ms. Qian Yu herself, as she kindly introduced herself to us-a middle-aged woman with burgundy hair, tall and slim stature, and a nice smile. She wore a black fitted dress topped with white blazer, and red stilettos. On her eyes were dark tinted sunglasses, and she wore a black velvet hat. She took off her sunglasses when she greeted us over a hand shake, revealing her pretty brown eyes. Overall, she was really pretty that I could mistake her for a celebrity. Maybe well-known Executive Producers were considered celebrities? She was probably wearing the sunglasses and the hat as a disguise. And that explained the bodyguards? After the quick introductions, Ms Qian Yu guided us towards her car which we used to go to their main office. As we drove towards the place, my remaining doubts were washed away. Ms. Qian Yu explained everything to us along the way. I felt my heartbeat getting louder and louder in excitement. And when we finally reached the main office of Red Dragon Films, I wanted to drop dead on the spot. It was all real! Not some scam, not some daydream. It was legit real! Ms. Qian Yu then guided us inside where we had to register ourselves as guests and we''re given temporary badges to access most of the areas inside. Once done, we set forth to her own office and discussed all the matters in great detail. My dad mostly did the talking and I listened to them, still astounded by what was happening before me. Hours passed, and after much discussion, dad agreed to the contract. He carefully explained to me that I would be getting 5% of the production cost and that I would need to work with an experienced screenwriter to convert my story to fit film use. Since it was an animated film, the whole process of animation, video editing, rendering, voice casting, and all that stuff would take years to do before we see the final product. With the budget they had from investors, Ms. Qian Yu said it would take an approximate of three to five years. And because of that, my contract stated I stay within that duration. Converting the story wouldn''t take that long. In fact, we needed to finish it within a few months so they could start with production. But I needed to stay in case of any changes and also to consult me with the fresh ideas I put in the story. We agreed to it since I was still taking college and creative writing courses took around 3 years. After that, I could just take a masteral or do freelance writing. Once all the business talk was done, we went to a suite in Red Dragon Hotel that Ms. Qian Yu arranged for us to stay until the company''s events night. We were free to go anywhere and visit places we wanted to visit for the meantime, much to dad''s delight. When we reached the hotel room, the first thing we did was call home to inform everyone of what happened. Later on, the day ended and we fell asleep. What a tiring, mind blowing, and blasted day it was. ============= Hello Pumpkins! Just want to let you all know that I have already set up my privilege chapters in case you want to read advanced chapters. XD See below. Tier 1 - 2 chapters advance - 1 coin Tier 2 - 5 chapters advance - 219 coins (Scarecrow fan) Tier 3 - 12 chapters advance - 399 coins (Casper fan) Tier 4 - 15 chapters advance - 599 coins (Grim Reaper''s fan) They should be available by May 1st, 2021. Have fun reading! Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 43 - It’s A Date! [Music Recommendation: "Little by Little" by CHEEZE (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~ The next morning, I woke up in my usual body clock which was before dawn. I wanted to sleep in but my mind was already full awake since ideally, I would be getting ready for school at this time. But for this whole week, I was excused, much to my delight. It meant more writing time for me so I got up to grab some coffee and continued my new story. I thought of doing the script first but I had no idea how. It would be better to be guided by a professional so I opted to write my new story instead. Besides, I was actually excited to write the sudden idea that came to mind. With coffee and snacks on the table, and Kai''s laptop gift in front of me which I cutely named "Frosty", I started writing. I gotta say, the room Ms. Qian Yu picked for us was beautiful and even included everything a writer would needa comfy office table and chair, books on the shelves, printer and bond papers in case I wanted to print my story out for editing, notebooks, sticky notes, pens, and even a glass board I could use for drafting my plot. The room was probably a business suite. The preparations were over the top. She probably requested it or her people prepared it for us. Either way, I was happy with it. I easily felt at home as I continued my writing. If my first story was a derivative work of the original story line of Armageddon, my next story was a complete original. This time, it wasn''t just fantasy and adventure, but I included romance as well. A story of a normal human girl destined to save two planetsher own, and that of the enemy''s. And my female lead for this one, I named her "Rania Caeles". Feeling focused and inspired, I typed in the prophecy I''ve been building in my mind for quite some time now "When the chosen one, Who is not one of us, Unveils the hidden Truth, The barrier shall be broken, And the path to the unknown shall open. But take heed and be weary, For in the unknown lies trials untold, The pits may be fiery, But take heart! For history is about to unfold!" Satisfied with that, I wrote another prophecy that came to mind. "Make way! Make way! The dragon roars for our savior has come! With dress as pure as white, and eyes burning yet calm. Favoured by the Supreme, she stands, A maiden that is not one of us will save us" ''Wow! I think I''m nailing this prophecy thingy. I should write more so I could build the lores and envelop the main plot in mystery.'' While I busied myself getting lost in my own world, a sudden call made me jolt from my seat. It was Kai. I picked it up without further ado. "Good morning, Kai!" I heard a faint yawn in the other line. Was he calling me in his sleep? Sleep-calling? Was there even such a thing? If there was, it figures since he was never a morning person. And it was still-oh wait, it was already seven o''clock. I just wrote two prophecies and that took me hours? For real? Well, I kept on typing and editing it but still. "Good morning," he greeted me back, in his most unenergetic tone. "Did you get enough sleep? You sound yawny." "No amount of sleep is enough for me," he answered, yawning again. I found myself laughing at him. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" "Ahh just checking on you since yesterday was the 12th." Awww how nice of him. "Thank you. I''m good and everything''s great! I met with Ms. Qian Yu and she brought me to their main office to discuss the contract. Sorry, if I missed to inform you. My mind was preoccupied the whole day and when we arrived at the hotel, I felt so tired and sleepy. I''m really sorry." Truthfully, I forgot to tell him last night. Even to Hora and Ken. They must be worrying about me. And here I am thinking of writing first thing in the morning! How could I be so insensitive? Oh my goodness! "That''s fine. Dealing with business matters are tiring." "Yes. In fact, good thing dad was with me yesterday, or else I wouldn''t understand much of what was explained to me. Not that I can''t understand it, but more like my mind was elsewhere. Ha-ha-ha-ha! I still couldn''t believe that I''m getting contracted for my book." "Get used to it." "Oh! And I have news." "Hm?" "When we were talking about the contract yesterday, Ms. Qian Yu said I need to stick around while the movie is in production and that it would take approximately three to five years to do so." I paused, expecting a bit of response but Kai remained silent so I continued. "Meaning I would either need to fly back and forth from my country to here or I could just stay here and study at an international school." Kai wasn''t responding. Did he not want to meet me that badly? I felt a throbbing pain in my chest. "Which international school?" he finally spoke. But he was probably asking that so he could avoid going to my school so we wouldn''t meet. I should get used to it and not get my hopes up. "I don''t know. I haven''t checked. Do you know any decent international schools that offer courses for creative writing?" "Red Dragon International University," he answered instantly, which I didn''t expect. "Red Dragon Holdings has a school?!" I shouted in my surprise. I didn''t know that. What line of business did they not own? Wow! Talk about a conglomerate holding company. They literally "hold" a bit of every line of businesses, huh? "Amazing " "Is that where you''re planning to go?" I timidly asked. Maybe it''s safe to ask? "Not planning. I go to that school. I can give you a tour on Saturday. I was actually going to invite you two weeks ago but I thought you wouldn''t want to." I blinked my eyes in astonishment. Was I hearing things? When I interrupted him before, he actually meant to say that? Me and my big mouth! "Wait. What?" I asked, perplexed. Was that school something that offers learning from elementary all the way to college? "I said I''ll give you a tour this Saturday if you want." Unsure if it was just me, or he somehow sounded a bit shy? "Yes! Definitely! I mean, I want to," I stumbled over my own words. "Let''s meet this Saturday." And so, my stinging heart was gone as soon as it came. It was then replaced by great joy, and anticipation. Chapter 44 - Moms Surprise ~ [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter I couldn''t believe it. Finally! We''re meeting! I almost screamed in my delight. I heard Kai chuckle on the other line and I ended up doing the same. "See you on Saturday, then. Send me the name of the hotel you''re staying at and your room number so I could fetch you. Your dad can come with us, too. And you might meet Scarecrow and Casper at school." Woah! That was brave of him. I wonder how dad would react? He''d probably think he''s my boyfriend even if I already explained to him how I wish it was the case. But to be honest, I kinda prefer to go with him alone. So we could talk comfortably. "Ha-ha-ha! Are we having an early halloween gathering? Maybe I should invite Hora, huh? It''s Saturday so she could fly here if she wants. I wonder if she''d like to go to college with me." That was when it hit me. I was so excited about meeting Kai and with the possibility of us being at the same school but what about Hora? She''s my best friend and soul sister! What would I do without her? And what would she do without me? I need to protect her. She''s still too young and had no idea about the ways of the world. She probably thinks everyone''s an angel like her. But what if she didn''t want to go to an international college outside our country? No way. We''re like salt and pepper. We shouldn''t be separated. My heart sunked the moment I realized that possibility. A deep sigh escaped my mouth. "What''s with the sudden sigh?" "Oh. Sorry. I just realized that I can''t part with Hora. She''s my sister slash best friend for life. And I''m not sure if she''d like to study abroad with me." "Try asking her first before you worry." "Yes right. I''ll do that." "What course is she planning to take?" "Something about film editing? I forgot the name of the course." "That''s a good choice. RDIU has it, too." "Really? That''s great. Hopefully she and her mom agree." "If she wants to succeed internationally, then RDIU would be the better choice. Not that I''m patronizing, but considering all the factscurriculums, professors, reviews, how many passed the board, success rate of alumni, and many other factors, it''s the top choice among everyone in the eastern continent. Also, it would be easier for her to get hired by Red Dragon Films." "Yes, that''s true! I''ll try to convince her with that. Thanks for telling me." "Goodluck. And go back to whatever you''re doing. I''m hanging up now. Still need to take a bath and prepare for school in the morning. Ugh." "Ha-ha-ha! Enjoy your morning and the rest of your day! Bye!" "Goodbye." As soon as we hung up, I called Hora and explained everything to her. "Hora, you don''t have to force yourself to go with me. Just be honest and tell me what you really want. We''re talking about dreams here so don''t hold yourself back for me." "What are you saying, Sena?" she snorted. "Are you kidding me? That''s Red Dragon International University! THE RDIU! It''s the most prestigious and most outstanding college in the entire continent! And maybe in other continents, too! I''d love to go there!" Her voice sounded so excited so I guess I could believe her words, right? "Are you sure?" "Positive! One problem, though." "What is it?" "You have to help me study for the entrance exam. It may be the most prestigious, but it also has one of the toughest entrance exams in the whole world. I''m smart but Math is my enemy sniff. RIP me." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Of course, I''ll help you." Phew. That was a huge load off my chest. I''m going to college with Hora! And Kai! And my first story is turning into a movie! I''m so happy! I felt like the happiest person in the world! All these blessings I''m overwhelmed. I prayed silently to offer my thanks to God. Days passed by with dad and I leisurely going around tourist spots near us. We ate at different restaurants, and even tried their street foods which were all so yummy! We bought souvenirs for everyone back home as well. When inspiration struck me, I would jot it down on my phone and write about it once we''re back at the hotel. Sometimes, Ms. Qian Yu would check on us and bring us to some good places. Just like that, the whole week went by in a flash and it was Friday, the day of the event. It was a night event so I had all morning and afternoon to prepare. Mom made sure to pack me an evening dress I could wear. I haven''t checked what she packed so I opened the luggage where she said she put it. "Oh my goodness," I blurted out in my surprise. "What''s wrong?" Dad hurried towards me. "Sorry dad. I''m fine. I was just surprised at this dress." I saw dad''s eyes check out the dress I carried in my arms. "Wow. That''s really beautiful." "I know, right?! Where did she buy this?" I flipped the dress and looked for anything that might indicate its brand but I found nothing. "Don''t tell me She made this one?" Dad thought for a moment. "Right. She can make dresses." "Wooow" No wonder mom''s design didn''t sell during her time. It wasn''t because it was ugly but rather, her designs were so ahead of her time! "Go on. Put it on!" Dad told me. He seemed more excited than I was. The dress she prepared for me was an olive green sheer overlay dress with amazingly beautiful and intricate embroideries of flowers on the sheer fabric. It was tea-length for the sheer fabric, but the dress inside which was made from another type of fabric in a deeper shade, was shorter by around five inches. The dress inside didn''t have sleeves but the sheer overlay had it and it reached halfway to my elbows. The overall look was perfect. This kind of design would be really popular in the future. I didn''t know mom had such amazing talent! I should let her know once we get back. I wanted to tell her in person. And so, I put on the stunning dress mom made for me and used the not-so-high heels that came with it in the same shade as my dress. She even prepared matching accessoriesa platinum gold ear cuffs with flower design, with its matching necklace and braceletsdesigns which would also be popular in the future! "Wooow" was all I kept on repeating in my mouth. "Mom''s definitely a designer genius!" "I couldn''t agree more." Chapter 45 - A Little Warning ~ [Music Recommendation: "My Eyes" by 10cm-Goblin OST (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter Finally, it was time for the company event. Ms. Qian Yu, dressed in an elegant black gown, was so kind, and fetched us in our room towards the event areanone other than the hotel we were staying at. She even complimented my dress and make up. The dress, I was confident, but the make up? I had to do it myselfme who had no experience in putting make up! I simply put some powder in my face, some lip stick in gradient coral pink, and a bit of eye liner. The gradient style lipstick was the only make-up thing I remembered from my past life. Maybe that was the only part she was complimenting. Either that, or she was just being kind. We headed out to the massive social hall of the hotel that was located at the higher floors. While on the elevator, Ms. Qian Yu confessed that the reason she encouraged me to attend the event was because I''m getting a "Rookie Award" for being such a young yet talented writer, even having my first story turned into a movie. I was shocked in a good way once again. What''s more terrifying was that I needed to say a speech which was the reason why she told me about it so I could prepare. Oh my goodness. I better brace myself again. My whole body tensed up at the thought of it. I was never good at public speaking. After a few more walks, we arrived at the event''s area which was magnificently decorated, as what you''d expect from one of the top companies around the world. We didn''t need to present any invitations or whatnot since Ms. Qian Yu was with us. Once inside, she guided us to our assigned seat which was a few tables near the stage. As I sat down with my dad, I felt numerous stares poking at me. They were probably finding it weird for a teenager to be at the event. I just ignored them and enjoyed the fruit juice that I got from one of the waiters going around. Good thing our table was near the glass wall where I could see the view of the large pool outside, and the even more beautiful night sky. Such a shame I couldn''t see the stars though, since the room was bright. A few minutes passed by and Ms. Qian Yu fetched me again and said I needed to go with her, along with a few others she also fetched, for a short briefing. She led us in one of the inner rooms in the event place. "Hello everyone!" she cheerfully greeted us. "You must be wondering why I gathered you all here. But fear not, I only wish to say a few things." We all paid attention to her, curious of her reason. "Tonight, we have a very, very, very important person, or persons, coming over. They''re none other than the heirs of Red Dragon Holdings itselfthe Ma twins. They''ll join our board of directors, and all the important people on stage to give awards. And since all of you here would be receiving them, I''d like to warn you about one very important thing you need to be careful about," she explained with seriousness in her tone. It was the first time I was hearing her speak so seriously so I thought that I really need to pay heed to what she just said. Everyone else did the same. Well, if such "VVVIPs" were coming, then indeed we must be careful in dealing with them. "Okay," she breathed before continuing. "No matter what happens, please, please, pleaaaase make sure that you NEVER ever touch them, especially the young master. The young lady might forgive you, but the young master won''t. He has a teeny bitnoa LOT of grumpiness inside him and he absolutely hates being touched. You''d probably see him dressed all covered up with a turtleneck and gloves. But let''s keep that a secret amongst ourselves, okay? I''m just warning you all so you won''t make mistakes. Because if you do, they could literally make or break your careers. Are we all on the same page?" "Yes," we chorused. After that, we went back to our seats. Waaah that was nerve wracking. But that''s fine. Basically, I just needed to do two thingsone, don''t mess up, and two, don''t touch the Ma twins. Saying that name in my head, I was reminded of Kai. His last name was "Ma" as well. Maybe it was a common last name here. Dun! Dun! Dun! The background music suddenly got louder and the emcees headed out to the stage. It seemed that the party was finally starting. And my body just had to not coordinate with me! I''m suddenly feeling the urge to pee for goodness'' sake. I quickly told my dad and went towards the washroom. Of all times, it just had to time itself when it was finally starting! Come on, my body, cooperate with me! Haah It was most likely because I drank too much juice and water due to my nervousness. When I came back, which took a while because the area was so huge even for an already long-legged person like me, a group of performers were dancing on stage. "What did I miss, dad?" I asked dad who was busy with his phone. "Huh? Nothing much," he shook his head. "Really?" I raised my eyebrows. He was holding his phone, and I knew my dad too well. He wasn''t gifted with multi-focusing abilities. He could only focus on one thing at a time, and the rest of his surroundings would be a total blackout for him. It was useless to ask him, so I just watched the dancers on stage. It was then that I spotted a familiar looking person two tables in front of me, just below the stage where the reserved seats were a few moments ago. He sat on the left side of the circular table, just enough for me to view his rather dashing facial features. He sat beside a stunningly gorgeous lady with pretty lilac purple hair. I found myself staring at him the moment I saw him, trying to remember where and when I saw him "Deep dark violet hair A Model? or a celebrity?" I murmured to myself. Then, the spotlights circling around the area illuminated his eyes. My eyes widened as soon as I saw it. "Mr. Purple Eyes!" Chapter 46 - Im Doomed! ~ [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ Those gorgeous and rare purple eyes I might not be able to remember his name, but I remembered his face! He was that handsome genius that was reported in the news months ago! But what was he doing here? Then, I noticed the stunning girl beside him with lilac hair. She, too, had purple eyes just like him! Wait a minute Could it be? Were they the Ma twins? They''re so handsome and beautiful! In fact, their faces were out of this world! They were like celestials, or elves, or angels, or like those RPG characters with insane beauty. How could someoneor some twohave such perfect features? And perfect bodies? And with purple eyes I tell you! And that wasn''t allthe guy was a genius! They''re super rich, too. Was there anything they didn''t have? I''m feeling a little jelly again. Drowned in my jealous thoughts, the event continued. Apart from the entertaining performances, I didn''t understand the rest of the things that the emcees said. Feeling a bit bored, I texted a simple hello to Kai, Hora, and Ken. The first one to respond was Kai. "What''s up?" he replied. "Wow. You''re replying instead of calling. That''s new. Finally had the urge to use your fingers?" Wait, that sounded a bit wrong so I hurriedly corrected it and added, "to type?" "It''s noisy where I''m at right now. So I can''t call." "Same here. This event is nice but a bit boring on some parts since I can''t relate much." Then, I wasn''t sure what came to me but I added on my text-"Good thing there''s a handsome guy two tables away from me. I''m staring at him right now. Need some reference for my next story which will be a fantasy romance." "Ha-ha. I guess he''s handsome enough to get inspiration from?" "Yes! He really is! Maybe I should take a pic?" "That''s rude." "Just kidding. But he''s really so handsome! Like celestial level handsome! I wonder if I can take a picture of him later? I''ll try to ask permission." "Goodluck." "I needed that. I''ll ask the girl, too. He''s sitting beside a gorgeous girl as well. I think I''ll use her as inspiration for my female lead''s best friend. I''m thinking of naming her Selena. What do you think?" "Nice name." "Come on. Type more than that. You''re such a lazy typer!" "I have nothing to say." "Urghh oh wait! He''s smiling! The handsome guy! Woah his smile is so mesmerizing. He''s totally male lead material. I need to take his details down. He''s looking over his phone. Maybe someone sent a joke message to him. Or he''s browsing 8gag." "8gag?" "You know, that site with funny memes and gifs." "I see. Scarecrow and Casper liked that." "Yes. Sometimes I go there, too. Oh! He stopped smiling. He''s back to his serious face again. It seems like he''s getting called to the stage. Too bad. He''s handsome but he looks very intimidating. I should take note of that, too." It took him a few seconds before he replied again. "Are you texting me as a way to jot down your notes?" "Ha-ha-ha! It seems I''m busted." I found myself chuckling like an idiot. As I was about to send my next reply, I heard my name called out to stage. Oh shoot! I hadn''t prepared any speech! "... Our Rookie award goes to Ms. Senara Lee!" was the only part I heard from the emcee. I wasn''t listening anymore because I was texting Kai. Waaah I''m so doomed. What if they said something important? Thankfully, someone ushered me to the stage while the spotlight followed me. I was so nervous that I felt my palms sweat up a bit and my heart wouldn''t stop thumping loud in my chest. I tried my best to smile at least, trying to hide the butterflies in my stomach. On the stage, all the VIPs were lined up. Most of them, I wasn''t familiar with, except for Mr. Purple Eyes. I walked up slowly, careful not to stumble since my shoes still had a bit of heels on it. The emcees, who were a pair of a beautiful middle-aged woman, and another good looking guy, gestured to me to go towards the center. I followed them and I felt that the other VIPs did the same. I looked to my right and someone was giving them a crystal plaque. One of the older men took it. Then, we lined up across the stage for picture taking followed by hand shakes. Last on the line were the gorgeous twins. The young lady smiled at me and took my hand. And as for the young master, I wasn''t sure if I should even offer my hand. I hesitated while bowing my head. I didn''t have the courage to look him up close nor shake his hands. I was reminded of the things Ms. Qian Yu warned us about. "NEVER ever touch them especially the young master." Her words echoed in my head. But then I thought, it would be completely rude if I didn''t even offer my hand. I should just let him ignore me, right? That''s better than me being rude to him. Finally deciding to offer my hand for a shake, I walked a bit closer to him, and smiled. "Thank you very much," I murmured as I offered my hand. Suddenly, I felt something weird wrapped around the ankles of my left foot! I jolted and because of that, lost my balance and - THUMP! "Ahhh!" I could hear the crowd gasping in shock. F*ck! Now, I''ve done it! And just when we were warned about it! I Senara Lee would probably be ending my writing career as soon as I start it! Why? Because I slipped and fell at the arms of the grumpiest person in the world! My face was on his chest! And both my hands held unto his arms with my weight pressing on him. Damn it! What should I do? I felt tears formed in the corners of my eyes as my hands trembled in fear. I''m doomed! Chapter 47 - Kaiden Ma ~ [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ Trying to get back on my feet, I pushed myself away from him. I felt a stinging pain in my left ankle and bit my lips to endure it. I lowered my tearstained eyes, fearing to meet his''. "I I-I''m so sorry," my lips trembled. "I-I didn''t m-mean to" Damn it. I couldn''t even say a proper apology. I''m too scared. Scared to lose everything in just a snap. I knew it. I''ve been too lucky lately and this was probably a comeback to balance it out. I couldn''t possibly be the luckiest person in the world. Thinking that, more tears fell from my eyes and I started sniffing. Was he mad? Or boiling in anger? What could his reaction be right now? I had no idea. But one thing''s for sure I''m definitely going to suffer repercussions for this even if I didn''t mean for it to happen. It was all because of thatI looked down towards my ankles to see what it was-and there''s the culprit! A chord of some sort! How in the world did it suddenly reach my feet and trip me? Unless someone pulled it. Suddenly, Mr. Purple Eyes bent low and reached out for the chord. I trembled again in fear. Was he going to use that to punish me? But to my surprise, he removed it from my feet? My eyes widened and I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. Waiting for what he would do next, my eyes stared at him. Then, he pulled the black chord towards him with strength. "A-ah!" the female emcee was pulled forward. It was her microphone! I heard some of the crew murmuring as they arrived to assist. If I heard them correctly, even they were bewildered why in the world she wasn''t using a wireless microphone. "Oh my! I''m so sorry!" the female emcee walked closer to me, apologizing. She probably didn''t mean to do it. Being an emcee, her focus would be on the crowd, right? I exhaled. Finally, able to breathe since it seemed to me that Mr. Purple Eyes didn''t mind it that much? Hopefully. But my heart still thumped hard. I turned to him, brave enough to look at his face and see his reaction. And this time, to properly apologize. As I opened my mouth, about to say my piece, he turned to me, too, and our eyes met. Woah it''s really pretty his eyes. I found myself mesmerized and unable to talk. Then, he smirked as he inched closer to me. "I can''t believe you''re still a crybaby even in person," he said, whispering to my ears. What did he mean? How did he know that OH MY GOODNESS! I immediately gasped and my eyes widened. I couldn''t believe it! Could it be? Was he - "I''m meeting you at last, Senara Lee." In my astonishment, I wasn''t able to utter anything. I just lifted my hands to cover my wide-opened mouth. I''m not hearing things, right? Or hallucinating? It took me a few seconds to say "K-Kai?" Right. His full name was Kaiden Ma. Finally recalling the news months ago, I remembered the news anchor saying that same name. Then, I recalled Ms. Qian Yu''s words againthat he was grumpy and hated touching. And Kai did tell me many times before that he, too, hated being touched and that people would always describe him as grumpy first, before they say he''s kind. And what''s worse I was texting him earlier saying all those stupid things to him not knowing I was describing HIM! OMG OMG OMG! My hands that covered my mouth were now covering my whole face. Please ground, come eat me up. This is soooo embarrassing! I sighed and clicked my tongue. "Pft!" Kai chuckled. "What''s wrong? Cat got your tongue?" he''s teasing me. "K-Kaiden," I shyly whispered his name. My face was probably blushing hard right now. I felt my cheeks burn. "Hm? You''re calling me Kaiden, now?" he tilted his head. Oh my goodness, my heart! He''s too handsome. He just tilted his head but why did that look so good? I couldn''t possibly be chummy with him and call him Kai in front of all these people right? "T-that''s because... " I murmured. He inched closer again. I thought he hated touching? Why was he moving closer and closer to me? Was this part of his teasing? He''s so close right now that we''re barely an inch apart. And my goodness, he''s so tall! Was he six feet now? My head was on the same level as his neck. But still Feeling embarrassed, I took a step back and forgot my ankle hurt. "Ouch!" I whimpered. "Hm?" he hummed as he looked down to my feet, then he looked back at me. "I-I''m fine." "... If you say so." He said that but his face showed he didn''t believe me. "Sena, help me with something." "Huh? Sure!" I instantly said yes before even asking him what it was. Then, he leaned closer to my ear and whispered. "I want to escape this event. It IS boring." Before I knew it, he was lifting me up on his arms, in a princess carry! "What the" I blurted out. "Why are you" "I''m using you as an excuse," he smirked. I covered my face in embarrassment. "You said you hated touching. Why are you lifting me? I''m heavy!" "I''m not touching your skin. This much is fine." And so, he carried me down the stage to who knows where. But before we left, he turned around towards the female emcee and said "By the way, you''re fired." What in the world?! He''s just firing someone like that? I peeked at him through my fingers and his expression was colder than the iciest mountains. I wanted to ask why he''s suddenly firing her but his face looked dangerous. Was it because I got hurt? But she didn''t mean it. Maybe there were technical difficulties that''s why she used a mic with chords. Wasn''t that too harsh? I heard gasps from all around. And I think I saw his twin following us as well. She walked down the stage like a model. Maybe she was one. She was smiling while holding her phone. Wait a minutewas she taking pictures of us? Oh no! I ended up burying my face to Kai''s chest. After that, I felt Kai walk. To where? I had no idea. Chapter 48 - Uh-oh! [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I thought walking towards my dad for the first time in this lifetime felt like the longest walk of my lifeturns out, this was longer. And I wasn''t even walking! I was being carried like a princess! By Kaiden! THE Kaiden Maaka the handsome geniusaka the heir of Red Dragon Holdings! My heart beat so fast and loud in my chest to the point that he''s probably hearing it, or feeling it. Ugh I felt so embarrassed. Plus the fact that his twin sister followed us and kept taking pictures. I could hear the shutter sound from her phone. I asked Kaiden to let me down a dozen times but he didn''t listen. He carried me out of the venue, towards the elevator, went down, and stopped at the 5th floor. I wondered where he was taking me. To my surprise, he brought me towards a clinic? Waitthere''s a clinic in this hotel? With its own personal doctors and nurses? Wow! Red Dragon Hotel really upholds its name! Most hotels didn''t have any on-site clinics in them. I marvelled as I saw what''s inside the clinic. It was a neat and comforting design. There were smaller rooms inside where beds for patients were ready in case of emergency. All the usual hospital equipment was there, tooit could be a small hospital on its own. Truly amazing. A nurse quickly assisted us towards a room where a doctor sat on a table, prepared to assist a patient, which in this case was probably me. "It''s nothing serious, Kaiden," I told him as he carefully sat me down on a comfy chair in the doctor''s office. "Probably just a minor sprain." He paused before answering me, "Right. I''m just using you as an excuse to escape the event, remember?" I opened my mouth, ready to rebut that but then again, he couldn''t possibly fool me with that. He''s just too kind to admit it. And there was no need for an argument trying to prove I''m right. Thinking that, I ended up chuckling instead. He''s the same Kai I had been talking to for months, right? There was no mistaking it. That voice, the way he talked, and his kindness that you could easily mistake for sweetness, plus the subtle teasing earlierit was all him. I still couldn''t believe I''m finally meeting him in the flesh. We were supposed to meet but I didn''t expect it would be this soon. "So," a confident sounding voice spoke behind me, "is she your girlfriend?" It was his twin sister. The moment she said that, my eyes widened in surprise. "N-no I''m just" I stuttered, wanting to correct her. "Get lost," Kaiden grunted and rolled his eyes. Wow. I didn''t expect he''d say something like that. Well, I guess this could be considered a different form of closeness between siblings. "Hah! I knew it! And you''ve been keeping it a secret from all of us!" the gorgeous sister said as she pointed her fingers towards Kaiden as if accusing him. I looked at Kaiden, trying to signal him to correct his sister but he didn''t bother. Instead, he just sat on the chair beside me, and crossed his arms, looking disgusted and uninterested in talking to her. Due to that, she turned to me. Oh no. She''d probably interrogate me. "Hello there, pretty lady," she greeted. Then, she held out her hand for a shake and said, "I''m Crystal Ma. Nice to meet you." I looked back at her and unconsciously stared at her immense beauty. Dang. She''s really so beautiful. Looking at her felt like looking at a celebrity in person. "N-nice to meet you, too. I''m Senara Lee." I reached out my hands to shake hers as I tried to stand. "And I''m his friend not a" "Don''t stand. You sprained your ankle!" she reprimanded, making me unable to finish my sentence. Turning to the doctor, she commanded, "Hey you! Check her ankle already. Are you just going to sit there?" She''s a feisty one. The doctor immediately tended to my slightly swollen ankle. Poor doctor, being scolded by someone younger than him. She shouldn''t be too rude, though. Maybe it''s a rich kid trait? Or maybe this was what Kaiden meant when he said her sister was a bully? "They''re not servants at home, don''t scold him," Kaiden butted in. Yeah! Go tell her! That wasn''t really nice to do. "He wasn''t attending to your woman, my dumb brother. You should be the one reprimanding him but oh no, you didn''t. So I had to do it." "We''re talking so of course he''s being polite and not interrupting us." Uh-oh They''re arguing in front of me. I would have to agree with Kaiden though. "Uhm, it''s okay. It''s nothing serious anyway so please, don''t fight," I tried to mediate them, despite my lack of experience in that area. To my luck, their argument continued. Kaiden sighed a couple of times trying to reason with Crystal but she was stubborn, refusing to yield. If only someone would step in and stop them from arguing. Like God answered my prayersand fastmy dad came rushing in from the front door of the clinic. "Senara! Are you alright?" he ran towards me with a worried-stricken face. Great timing dad! Surprised by his sudden appearance, the twins stopped arguing. I sighed of relief afterwards and beamed in joy. I wasn''t really good with arguments nor having people argue before me. "Yes, dad, I''m fine. It''s just a minor sprain." "Really? Thank goodness." Dad looked at the twins alternately. I knew what he was thinking. "They''re the Ma twins Kaiden, and Crystal," I introduced them to dad. "And you wouldn''t believe it dad, but remember the in-game friend I met in Armageddon?" "Yeaahh" he agreed with his eyes fixed on Kaiden. I swear, this girlfriend-boyfriend misunderstanding was killing me. I hope that''s the case but NOfor the nth time. "It''s him!" I pointed to Kaiden. "He''s Grim Reaper!" Dad continued to stare to Kaiden while Kaiden politely introduced himself and bowed his head. At first, I thought dad was assessing him like how fathers assess their daughter''s lover but then, instead of that, his expression leaned more in "pondering" and "uncertainty". Unable to read his mind, I remained still and quiet. Until dad asked a weird question. "You are you the one who" Chapter 49 - Dinner With The Twins [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Dad paused. I was sure he was gonna ask something weird like ''Are you my daughter''s boyfriend?'' Or something along those lines. To my surprise, he stopped. Maybe he didn''t want to embarrass me in front of these VVVIPs. Yes, triple the V''s. A moment of silence passed by with dad just staring to Kaiden and Kaiden in turn, lowered his eyes, not returning dad''s gaze as if he was guilty of something. Either that, or he''s not used to being stared at. "If it''s you" dad said in a soft whisper. "Thank you." Thank you? Why was he thanking him? Oh! Because he carried me to the clinic! "I didn''t do much. It was only natural," Kaiden replied in a murmur, with a light blush on his cheeks and a slightly knitted brow. Oh my goodness! That looked so cute! I wanted to take a picture of him so badly if only dad wasn''t there. Click! Click! Click! Sudden shuttering sounds disturbed the silence. It came from behind and as I guessed, it was his sister, Crystal. Good job there, sis! Now if you could just give me a copy of that, too. Kaiden''s blush was gone in an instant and replaced by annoyance instead. "Did you just" he blurted out to Crystal. He probably wanted to say more but dad was there so it would be something else to argue in front of him. He went to Crystal quickly and tried to grab her phone but Crystal ran towards me and hid behind my back. Seeing me used as a shield, Kaiden sighed and shook his head. Yielding, he walked towards a couch which was a few meters away from where I sat. Dad talked to the doctor a bit, consulting about my sprain and the doctor told him everything that needs to be done, and what medicine I could use to relieve the pain, and all those doctor stuff. Meanwhile, I was stuck with Crystal on my back, tapping her phone. "Don''t worry. I''m sending these to you," Crystal leaned over my shoulders and whispered to my ears. My eyes widened and twinkled the moment I heard that. My opinion about her just took a 180 degrees turn in an instant. I smiled at her in the most normal manner I could pull off or else my over excitement would show on my face. "T-thank you," I whispered back to her. Then, she gave me her phone and told me to type in my number and email. I did as she said since it was faster than sharing contacts via infrared or bluetooth. I never thought twin sisters could be this cool. You''re one of my idols now, Crystal. Just make sure to adjust your bossy attitude a bit and we could definitely get along. After treating my sprain, dad and I went back to our hotel room, accompanied by the twins. Once we''re back, Crystal got hungry so she ordered food for us via room service. Actually, I didn''t notice my hunger until she pointed it out. The servers arrived a few minutes after, with tons of food and drinks of different varieties carried on a trolley. ''Did she just order the whole menu? For real?'' I wondered to myself. Sneaking a peek at dad, he probably thought the same. Ugh rich kids. Seeing the unnecessary amount of food, Kaiden opened his mouth, probably wanting to reprimand Crystal, but he stopped and sighed instead. It was indeed a LOT of food. Good thing I had great appetite so I managed to taste a little of everythinga trait which I seemed to have shared with Crystal seeing how she was able to eat a lot, too. Well, the foods were really delicious so it was hard to say no. Dad and Kaiden, in contrast, ate normal portions. After filling ourselves, we all chatted in the living room. It was mainly doing a proper introduction since earlier was done in a haste. Then, we talked about reputable colleges within the country since I might need to study here. Dad was really curious about that area and asked a bunch of questions which the twins carefully explained. They were mostly questions about security rather than education. "Hmm if you''re worried about security in the dorms," Crystal said as she deliberated on dad''s questions, "then Senara could just stay with us. Our home is really secure. In fact, it''s one of the most secure places there is." I was sipping on my coffee and the moment she said that, I spilled my drink in an instant. Dad was surprised, too but he turned to me to help me dry the coffee on the table. I peeked at Kaiden to see what his reaction was and voil, he looked as if it was the most normal of things to do. "But I''ll be going with my friend, Hora. We shouldn''t impose too much." "Is Hora a girl?" she asked. "Ah yes, she is." "Then that''s fine. You can both stay in the east wingmy area. Dad divided the mansion into four sections so Kaiden, mother, and me, wouldn''t meet much or else well, I''m sure Kaiden told you." Right. He told me about that. "I''m on the east wing, Kaiden''s at the west, mother''s on the north, and dad''s in the middle. South wing is the common area, mostly for visitors. Amazing, right?" "I see But still, that''s too much. We can''t possibly" "It''s fine. You''re my brother''s girlfriend after all. You''re basically family." "Wait, what?" dad asked, appalled. "No, we''re not! I''ve been trying to correct you since earlier. We''re just friends." Oh my goodness. I couldn''t sound any more defensive. If only Kaiden would help me explain. I turned to him and widened my eyes, hinting him to help me clarify the situation. Seriously, he should have just clarified that from the get go. "About that" finally, Kaiden talked. Chapter 50 - Wait, WHAT?! [Music Recommendation: "The Name of Life" by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Kaiden turned to me and dad, sighing. " I never had a female friend. That''s why they all assume that you''re my girlfriend," Kaiden explained with an "I-give-up" expression. It seemed that his family pestered him too much about it. "No matter how many times I correct them. They don''t believe it so it doesn''t matter anymore. Let them think what they want." "Ahh I see." I understood what he meant. It''s basically the same with dad and Hora. If mom knew, she would add to the equation. How I wish they could all be cool about it like my younger brother. "There''s no use explaining then." "Uhm," he nodded. I peeked at dad and he seemed to be deliberating seriously on something. "If that''s okay with you then," dad said after a few moments of silence, "I will entrust my daughter to your care. We can pay for food and lodging, security, and anything she''ll need." Wait, WHAT?! Did dad just agree to Crystal''s suggestion? And what about Hora''s opinion? And MY opinion? Imagine living at the same house as your crush? I''d die of embarrassment! I felt my heart sunk within me as I thought of all the worst case scenarios that could happen. Oh nooooo "D-dad, that''s too much! We can''t justI mean, we just met them today and you''re already" "It''s totally fine, Senara. Think of it as me, finally having sisters instead of my surly brother," Crystal grinned from ear to ear. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, then you can pay rent as your dad suggested. But I assure you, everything''s gonna be fine. Mother and father will love the idea." She sounded like a saleswoman who could make you agree with just a few simple wordsso confident, and persuasive. ''Am I the only logical person here? This is outrageous! It can even be a scandal! What if the whole school knew about it? Plus, we''re not related at all! I''ll definitely be bullied by his fan club. Yeah, he definitely has one or more. I''m doomed.'' My internal logical self screamed inside my brain. It''s all true though. And what about their privacy? We would basically be intruding! Sometimes I don''t understand how rich people think. "I really can''t," I refused for the "nth" time. "It''s the only place trust-worthy enough," dad added as he tapped my shoulder. He looked me straight in the eyes with a serious expression. "You''ll be studying in a new country, all on your own. I won''t be there, or your mom, or anyone you know except Hora and them," he pointed to Kaiden and Crystal, "so if you think about it, I''d rather have you stay somewhere I know and with people I know, than go to dorms or apartments where anyone could easily crawl in if they want. It''s much safer. And I trust that they can guide you, too, should there be anything you need." "Yes, you can definitely count on us." Crystal confirmed, to which Kaiden agreed as well. "We won''t tarnish the name of our family by failing to take care of our guests." "Of course," dad nodded, "and I would think of it as the greatest favor. I''ll make sure to repay the kindness someday." Okay. I guess I''m not needed in this conversation anymore. My opinion didn''t matter. Oh well dad had a point thoughand a very big point at that. Indeed, there was no safer place for me to stay. At least Crystal said we''ll be in the east wing? And Kaiden''s on the west. That means we won''t see each other much right? After that, we talked a bit more until the twin''s butler arrived to fetch them. The next morning, dad and I went to the airport and flew back home. I told Hora and Ken about everything that happened. Contrary to what I imagined, Hora was cool about itactually, it seemed like really good news for her. Ken on the other hand, looked rather sad. "I guess this is our last year together?" Awwww when Ken said that, it crushed my heart. Truly, it would be our last year together. When we go to college, there''s no guarantee that we could still see each other. We would definitely miss each other. We could still meet from time to time but still thinking about it, how did I even get used to not seeing Hora and Ken everyday in my previous life? And so, days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. We all got busy with entrance exams, finals, projects, and all that high school senior year stuff we had to deal with. All Saints Day passed, and then Christmas, and New Year. We all spent it together and it was funValentines, too. Ken received so many chocolates as usual. Hora got her own fair share, and I, to my surprise, got lots of flowers, chocolates and stuff toys from schoolmates I didn''t know. None of those happened in my past life. Was it because I changed and became more amiable? Oh well. It was a refreshing experience. Before I knew it, it was already the end of Marchgraduation day. They said that high school was oftenly the most memorable time in a person''s school life. And experiencing it for the second time, I could attest to that. Doing our graduation march, going up the stage to receive our diplomas, saying my valedictorian speech, taking lots of pictures, crying here and there, stealing mementos, and the after-partyit was all so nostalgic. Even for me who was experiencing it for the second time, didn''t escape and still became so emotional. High school was really funespecially now that I''m not worrying about finding a job after, rather than going to college. Ahhh I''m really thankful for everything that''s happened so far. May everything continue to be smooth-sailing from now on. And just like that, my high school life ended. Next up, my college life with Hora, Kaiden, and Crystal. I wonder how it would turn out? Will I love it? Or regret it? Chapter 51 - The Twins Mansion [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN! My jaw dropped the moment I saw the Ma Residence, and I thought I heard some drumrolls playing at the back of my headyeah, that intense. In fact, it would be unfair to simply call it as a residence! It''s a freaking palace for goodness'' sake! Or a really large mansion! Hora and I flew back and forth a few times to Red Dragon country when we took the entrance exams, fixed our transfer papers, and all that legal stuff. Aside from that, we spent our vacation with our family and friends. This time, we flew back there two weeks prior to the semester to settle in. The Ma family''s head butler, Mr. Wei, fetched us from the airport and accompanied us towards the twin''s home. It was the first time I saw it, and Hora, too. I knew they were crazy rich but I guess my imagination of the word "rich" wasn''t up to par with the truth. From the main gate, which was automatic and had so many guards, we were welcomed by a series of tall trees lined up neatly towards the main house. It took us a few minutes before we reached the main house and on the way, we passed by a couple of guard houses, large mazes, fountains, a garden with beautiful statues, a huge parking lot with a bunch of luxury cars, and others. Hora and I ended up gawking every now and then as we passed by them. Once finally at the main house which was a mixture of modern and victorian stylesomething that had probably been influenced by their half British naturea group of servants greeted us. They were all lined up from side to sidemaids, butlers, even the chefs, and others I wasn''t so sure what. They greeted us politely, and the servants took care of our luggage. ''Is this how royalties live? I feel like I''m back to the 18th century where monarchs ruled and there''s lots of nobles. I mean, this is how they''re welcomed at their homes, right?'' I spun my head around, and continued to marvel at the sight before me. We were guided inside the house afterwards and oh my goodness! The inside was more spectacular than the outside! Everything was either white, gold, or brownish in color. The ceiling was like three or four stories tall, the pillars were beautiful, there was a huge marble staircase at the center, the furnitures were all so luxuriousmy descriptions weren''t enough to describe the beauty of the place! To our right was the drawing room, and I don''t know what''s on the left but it was a room. There were paintings on the walls. Above were more rooms and beyond, at the backyard, was a really big swimming pool. The doors and windows were all so big, and luminous chandeliers lighted up the whole place, as if the design wasn''t sparkly enough to the eyes. Seeing all of those made me realize even just a bit, the huge difference in our family status. We could even be considered beggars compared to them. "If it pleases you, I can give you a tour of the whole mansion in your free time," Mr. Wei, as he introduced himself to us back at the airport, politely told us. "Yes, please. We''d love that," I replied. "As you wish, my lady." "A-ah I''m not a lady." I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. I could already imagine itliving here even for just a month, would probably inspire me enough to write a royal romance story! I could use this as research material. Yeah, I should take notes of my experience. "It''s alright. You are young master''s and young lady''s guests. It is only proper for us to address you as such." Hora and I blushed. All these formalities and we''d forget we''re in Red Dragon country, mistaking it for something else. We tried to laugh off our embarrassment. "For now, let us head on this way," he stretched his left arm towards the drawing room, "the young master and young lady are waiting for your arrival." We followed him towards the drawing room where Kaiden and Crystal were silently sitting on a soft couch, drinking tea. "Senara! And Hora, I presume?" Crystal jolted up to her seat and greeted us. She was gorgeous as always and smiled prettily. "Come sit and have some snacks with us. You''re probably exhausted from the trip." We did as she said and we walked towards the couch where Kaiden sat handsomelywait, there''s no handsome and unhandsome way of sitting! Ugh. My brain was playing tricks on me again. But who could blame me? Just look at him! He''s so enchanting like a prince! And he just had to wear a fitted white shirt! I could clearly see the shape of his bodythat firm chest and s-sexy abs. He''s supposed to be lazy right? Do lazy people workout? "WelcoAre you alright, Senara?" Kaiden asked, looking surprised, as I sat down in front of him. "Your face is red. Did you catch a cold? Or a fever?" I felt Hora''s elbow tugging me from the sides. "R-right! No, I just it''s hot," I was at a loss of words and reasons. For goodness'' sake Senara. Of all the reasons you could think of, its hot? The temperature was perfect inside the house. Ugh. I sighed to myself. "Oh come on, don''t be shy," Hora backed me up. "She''s just tired, you know, jet lag." Jet lag from 2 hours of flight? We didn''t even change time zones. Well, at least it''s still an excuse? Kaiden''s perfect face frowned in worry. "In that case you should rest immediately." Then, he stood up and turned towards the head butler. "Mr. Wei, guide us to their rooms." "Ahh No, I''m fine," I shyly murmured. I couldn''t admit it was all just because of my impure thoughts. "Y-yes, we should rest. Sorry for the inconvenience." Hora explained further. She''s such a lifesaver. And so, they all guided us towards our room in the east wing, which was beside Crystal''s. Once inside, they laid me to bed and even had a doctor called in to check on me. Good thing he didn''t mention anything bad and just said I needed some rest. Then, as he advised, everyone except Hora left the room so we could rest. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Hora laughed hard at me once everyone was gone. "Can you be anymore obvious?" "Waaaaaa" I cried. "I made Kaiden and Crystal worried on my first day here! I''m such a clutz and a troublemaker!" "You should avoid staring at his abs in the future." "W-was I that obvious?" "I''m sorry bestie, but you know I don''t lie so" "Oh noooooo I''m doomed." That night, I cried myself to sleep, feeling embarrassed of everything. Chapter 52 - Breakfast With The Parents [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The next morning, I got up early and spent a sweet time in the huge bathroom with a huge bathtub, thinking of how I should apologize to the Ma twins. I took my phone, too, and texted my family, telling them we arrived safely. I should have done that yesterday but I ended up crying myself to sleep. "So how should I apologize?" I asked myself as I soaked my body into the warm, scented waters. "I should buy them giftsoh! I should give them the present from mom and dad, too." Remembering mom and dad, it just hit me that we have been so rude and didn''t even greet Mr. and Mrs. MaKaiden and Crystal''s parents! I felt my face pale up. "What have I done? Is it considered extremely rude behaviour in their culture? Oh my goodness" As that thought continued circling in my brain, an hour had passed. Next thing I knew, the maids were fetching us, telling us to go to the dining area for breakfast. Hora was given a room beside mine but she slept in my room last night trying to console me. I''m so blessed to have her as my best friend. I couldn''t imagine surviving anything without her help. In the dining room, Crystal waved her pretty hands towards us and told us to sit in front of her. She was at the left side of the host''s seat. It was a rectangular dining table, good for six peopleMr. and Mrs. Ma should be sitting on the host''s seats, the twins on the right side, and us, the guests, on the left side. Amazing, they were even following such etiquettes. It was only familiar to me since I read lots of books even in my previous life. "Father and Kaiden are not morning people so they''ll probably be late," she kindly explained to us. "I''m not sure if mother is arriving so feel free to start eating." Oh no. We''re meeting their parents that early in the morning. I wasn''t ready yet. My heart thumped wildly in my chest. I glanced at Hora to see if she''s doing fine and to my surprise, she was. I hope she could rub some of that confidence in me. "It''s alright, we can wait." While waiting, we chatted a bit. Crystal mostly asked us questions about our friendship, what major we''re taking, our dreams, likes and dislikes. They were all random questions and we somehow ended up jumping from one topic to another. It was fun talking to her. Hora and Crystal got along pretty well, too. I guess that''s what being a "social butterfly" meant. A few moments later, Mr. Ma and Kaiden arrived, and lastly, was Mrs. Ma. "Oh my, is this Ms. Senara and Ms. Hora?" Mr. Ma asked, smiling towards us. "Yes," I bowed my head, "thank you for accepting us in your home. And I apologize for not being able to properly introduce ourselves yesterday." Okay, you''re doing great Sena, keep it up. "It''s alright," he chuckled. "And no need for such formalities. Be at ease and consider this your home." Wow. Kaiden was right. His father was such a nice person. And really handsome, too! No wonder the twins ended up having such incomparable features. I glanced at Kaiden and he was rubbing his eyes, trying his best to stay awake. I ended up chuckling at the sight of him, which everyone noticed. "Hmm uhmm" Mrs. Ma hummed and nodded to herself for some reason. She was staring at me, looking at me from head to toe, as if sizing me up. My throbbing heart thumped harder. I wondered if she''s like one of those snob mothers who despised friends from a lower background for their sons and daughters? Like the rich mother I watched in "Meteor Shower"the one who offered the female lead a suitcase of money asking her to leave her son alone. ''Am I going to experience the same thing? But I''m just a friend. I''m not guilty of anything. I won''t even try since I don''t stand a chance. I mean, just look at how perfect he is! I''m just a mere grass on the side road compared to him. Please be merciful to me.'' "Great," finally, Mrs. Ma talked. Her voice sounded strict and confident. We all looked towards her direction. She sat in front of Mr. Ma, on the other side of the table like a gorgeous queen, with her perfect chin resting at the back of her hands. Great? What''s great though? "Kaiden, Senara," she called us, "you''re both pretty. I''m sure your future sons and daughters will be really beautiful creatures enough to blind anyone who''ll see." I instinctively looked at Kaiden with my eyes wide open. He did the same, probably from shock. All his sleepiness was gone in an instant. Who wouldn''t be? I, for instance, who had been trying to keep my cool since the beginning, ended up stiff. "H-honey," Mr. Ma called her nervously, "I I don''t think you should" "Should what?" she interrupted. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Crystal burst out laughing. "They will surely look cute and pretty." "B-b-but we''re not" I tried to explain but my embarrassment was to the maximum level. "Ugh. Mother, please," Kaiden snapped. "I told you many times, she is NOT my girlfriend. And it''s rude to say things like that." Ouch. It''s true though. "You''ll eventually end up there, anyway," Mrs. Ma shrugged. "Don''t worry dearie, he''s just being shy. It''s not like he doesn''t want you as his girlfriend, okay?" she turned to me, trying to console me. "U-uhm thanks? He-he-he." I could hear Hora giggling beside me. Come on, Hora, don''t laugh at me. I wish the ground would swallow me up. I need somewhere to hide. "Mother" Kaiden was furious. He shot daggers through his eyes towards his own mother. While her mother, in return, simply smirked, obviously enjoying teasing her son. "Please forgive his attitude, dearie. It seems I need to teach my son some manners. And teach him how to please a woman as well." "Teach him how to court a girl, too, mother," Crystal added. "Yes, I should do that. Come to my office later, my dear son." "No!" "Oh. Pity. I guess I''ll just show Senara your cute childhood pictures." Kaiden''s eyes lit up like that of a devil. He''s definitely pissed now. "Right. And I should stop helping father so he spends the next three months away from home." Kaiden said all that in a menacing tone. "A-ah!" Mrs. Ma looked agitated. She coughed and cleared her throat. "W-well, I won''t do it if you just come and talk to me. How dare you decline your mother''s invitation? Is that how I raised you?" "I''d rather do something worthwhile than being pestered with ridiculous nonsense." "Oh honey, our son is becoming a brat. This is all your fault. You spoiled him too much." "No, father. Your wife is becoming too muchinvading your son''s private life. I may still be a teenager right now but I''m entitled to my own privacy, right?" Unable to decide which side to go with, Mr. Ma simply ordered the servants to serve breakfast. While we ate, Kaiden and his mother continued arguing while Crystal kept on either laughing, or adding fuel to the fire. Oh well, it all ended up good. What started as a nerve-wracking breakfast, became a funny one instead. They''re really close to each other. What a nice family Kaiden and Crystal had. They''re hilarious argument helped me and Hora feel relaxed. I''m really thankful for them. Chapter 53 - First Day Of School (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Days passed by with me and Hora just lazing around like Snorlax at the Ma residence. There wasn''t much to do except to read, write, or try to learn their language. We''re attending an international school so everyone knew how to speak in English but still, it wouldn''t hurt to learn the language. Aside from that, we mostly laze aroundeating, sleeping, listening to music, playing games, wandering around the house, or hanging out with the twins. On some days, Crystal would invite us to go outside to shop for clothes, shoes, or accessories, and on some days, Kaiden would take us to interesting tourist spots. Honestly, I preferred Kaiden''s choice of placesI don''t really enjoy walking nonstop and buying things I didn''t need much. It seems I still had my thrifty self intact within me. I just couldn''t leisurely waste money even if I had plenty of allowance to use. Oh well, it''s better this way. I might need it in the future. At least I''d have a few savings in case of emergency. And so, days turned to weeks. Finally, it''s our first day as college students! I woke up early as usual since I was so excited to attend the most prestigious school in the eastern continentRed Dragon International University! RDIU! I was so excited to learn lots of things about writing, and literature, and everything related to it. My mouth was fixed into a smile the entire time I was preparing. I made sure everything I needed was in my bag, and made sure to dress properly. My fashion sense was mostly influenced by the modern world I was in during my past life but I made sure that I would at least blend in. We didn''t have any uniforms so the students were free to dress the way they wanted to. It was the year 2010, just the time where knee-length dresses or skirts got popular in contrast to previous year''s denim pants that grew fitted as years went by. I chose to wear a white collared black dress with chiffon sleevessomething mom designed for me. Actually, my whole wardrobe was filled with clothes made by her. I paired it with a black belt with silver metal designs at the middle. The cuffs were white, with black and silver buttons, same with the buttons from my neck to my chest area. "Hmm Nothing could go wrong with black, right?" I asked myself as I looked into the mirror. Suddenly, Hora popped up from my back which surprised me. "Wow! That''s a beautiful dress, Sena!" she gawked at my dress. I chuckled and flipped my hair saying, "Well, you can thank mom for that." "Auntie created that?" "Uh-huh." "I want to place an order, pleaseno, I''m begging you. I want one!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha! I''ll ask mom to make more for us. And Crystal, too. Do you think she''d like wearing unbranded clothes?" "I think so? She looks good in everything to the point she can wear ridiculous clothes and others will still mistake it as fashion sense." "Yeah, you''re right. She''s too gorgeous for her own good. I wonder if she has a boyfriend?" Hora raised her eyebrows at me. "Why?" "I can use it as research! You know, like how couples are. The book I''m writing right now is a fantasy romance but obviously, I don''t have experience in that area so I need to study it." "Pft! Why don''t you use your experience with Kaiden?" My eyes widened. "W-what? I don''t" I felt my cheeks blush. Why do I easily blush these days? "Yeah, yeah, if you say so." "Well, actually I already used him as a reference for my male lead named Elliot." "For real? That''s awesome! So does he have a grumpy personality and enjoys teasing your female lead, too?" "What? N-no" I could see her smirk from my attempt to lie. "A-anyway, let''s just go to school." Phew! I managed to dodge more interrogations. And so, we had our breakfast with the twinsMr. And Mrs. Ma would often be busy or in some other country so they seldom joined us for meals. After that, we rode Kaiden''s car which was a dark purple "Lamborghini Gallardo GT 600", as he explained to us when I asked him before what kind of car it was due to my lack of knowledge. All cars looked the same to me for some reason, and only their color made me distinguish which was which. Looking at it, I remembered how it was originally white in color but ever since Kaiden learned of the fact about my alarming car-retention abilities from Hora, he decided to change its color to dark purple like his hair so I wouldn''t have problems locating it in the midst of any car parking spaces. We couldn''t afford myself to get inside someone else''s car, right? It would be both dangerous and embarrassing. I said my dozen apologies to him that time. Still, I could have just taken a picture and compared, but he insisted it was easier and faster that way. He never really cared about colors. At least, that''s what he said. After reminiscing about another shameful memory of mine, we went on our way to the school. Kaiden drove for us and for some reason, I sat beside himyes, beside the driver''s seat. Crystal was supposed to sit there but she pushed me to go instead, much to my surprise. I peeked at Kaiden''s reaction and he seemed fine. Maybe I''m the only one thinking maliciously about it. It''s not like sitting beside him meant anything anyway so I just shrugged it off. It was a 20 minute ride from their mansion to RDIU. With just a few minutes, I could already see the buildings of the university we''re going to attend. I felt nervous as we got nearer the school gate. Kaiden drove straight inside and onto the parking lot. I enjoyed looking at the falling leaves, and the long series of trees on our way to it. At last, we arrived. I kept on smiling the whole time. I was so eager to get out that my bag fell on the car''s floor and my books spilled out. Due to that, I was the last one to get off the car and Kaiden even opened the door for me. He''s really such a gentleman. I smiled at him as I said my thanks when he opened the door for me. When I finally got a look of my surroundings, instead of the beautiful view of the buildings, I was welcomed by a lot of stares from the sudden influx of people around us. Yes suddenly, a huge crowd appeared before us! I felt myself blink multiple times in my surprise. ''Where did all these people come from?'' I asked myself. ''Or were they all waiting for Kaiden and Crystal?'' Chapter 54 - First Day Of School (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ One by one, the crowd started whispering with words I couldn''t understand. They were all inaudible since there was a bit of a distance between us and the crowd. While they murmured, I felt some of them gaze their eyes towards me which was weird because why would they be interested in someone like me? ''Was it because I''m a foreigner?'' But there''s a lot of foreigners all around as well. RDIU was an International University after all. ''Or perhaps it wasn''t me they''re staring atyeah, it''s probably the twins. They''re eye catchers for sure. Or it could also be Kaiden''s purple car.'' Settling on that fact, I shrugged my shoulders and went on my way, following Kaiden and Crystal, with Hora walking beside me. We haven''t even walked that long and we were approached by two good-looking men. One had long chestnut brown straight hair that extended to his shoulders, with its upper half tied in a messy man bun. His face, though handsome, looked rather scary like those bullies at school or frat members. But I had to admit he had overwhelming appeala total hunk with his muscular body and tall stature. He wore a sleeveless black shirt that was fitted to his body and pants. Kaiden introduced him as "Callan Wang" also known as "Scarecrow". The other man, with the same height as Callan, had burgundy red short hair with soft but a bit messy fringes on his forehead. In contrast, he had a kind and friendly face like that of a handsome prince. He wore a neatly pressed striped polo shirt buttoned unto his neck, and black pants. He also had a lean body which was evident through his clothes. Kaiden introduced him as "Verrill Zhong" also known as "Casper". ''Why are these teenagers already so sexy? Usually, men become sexy around 21 years and above, right? Are they all heavily active at sports?'' I stared at the three of them thinking how gorgeous they looked together. They could pass as idols or celebrities! Or if we''re in the Victorian era, Verrill would be the kind prince, Callan would be the evil duke, and Kaiden would be the grumpy emperor. I chuckled at the thought of it. Oh no, I think I researched too much on royalties due the story I''m writing that I''m mixing it with reality. Callan smirked and whistled when Kaiden introduced me and Hora to them. "So this is Senara, huh? You''re very pretty and sexy," he said while eyeing me from head to foot which I found rude. Perhaps Crystal noticed it that she immediately smacked Callan by the head with a pretty strong smack. It was followed by Kaiden''s flick on his forehead that seemed to be so strong it left red marks on his skin. "Learn some manners, Callan. Tsk!" Crystal reprimanded him as she shook her head and clicked her tongue like a baddie queen. Turning to us, she apologized on his behalf while pushing his head down to bow. "Please forgive him. He''s a really nice guy even though he lacks manners." "Aw! That hurts, Crystal," Callan complained, trying to take Crystal''s hand off the back of his head. But Crystal only pushed it harder. "Ouch! My neck''s gonna break!" "Ha-ha-ha! You deserve it," Verrill burst out in laughter. "It seems like someone wants to be punished again," Kaiden glared at him like an evil villain, to which, Callan tensed up. "N-no boss. I''m kidding. I-I won''t do it again," Callan sobbed, begging for mercy. Hora and I ended up laughing. It was funny how the brawny one was trembling in fear of Kaiden who was leaner than him. It seemed that the evil one met a greater evil. Oh well, like what Verrill said, he deserved it. What he did was pretty rude considering it was our first time meeting. After that short introduction, we all walked towards our respective classrooms. Kaiden dropped me and Hora to our departments, and Crystal went alone towards hers. The three men all headed towards the Technology department afterwards. Finally all alone in a classroom filled with students I didn''t know, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. It was my first day in college after allconsidering both my past life and current life. Trying to calm myself down, I breathed heavily as I walked towards a vacant seat in the middle section. The chairs were elevated one level per row like those in theaters, with the professor''s desk at the front middle. Behind him were white screens used for projections. It was only when I reached my seat that I began to appreciate the beauty of the room. RDIU really had the best, state-of-the-art premises, and all the best things it could offer. The beautiful ambiance helped ease my nervousness away. I really liked looking at enchanting sceneries. As I quietly observed my surroundings, a group of women started sitting beside me one after another. To my surprise, they even inched closer to me, and looked firmly in my eyes. "Ahm yes? H-how can I help?" I nervously asked them. Then, they all smiled and fired questions to me simultaneously. "Who are you?" "Where are you from?" "What''s your relationship with Kaiden?" "How do you know the twins?" "How long have you known each other?" "Are you close to them?" "Why did you all arrive together?" "Are you dating Kaiden?" I felt drowned by their questions. Some of the questions didn''t even manage to reach my ear due to the noise of those close to me. "A-ahhh ahmm, well" I didn''t know how to respond. I wanted to clear things up but having them all surround me made me feel dizzy and suffocated. ''How in the world should I answer these people and their ridiculous questions? For sure, these questions could either make or break my college life. Oh no what do I do?'' Chapter 55 - First Day Of School (Part 3) ''Relax, Senara. You can do this! Just introduce yourself properly and tell them you''re friends with the twins. Phew! Okay. Fighting me!'' I breathed deeply before answering them, and gave my best professional smile, trying to act as calmly as possible. I was the complete opposite of Crystal when it comes to conversing with people I didn''t know. "Hi," I waved my hands, "I''m Senara Lee." They all replied with hellos and their names that I forgot as soon as they said it. They seemed friendly since they were all smiling at methat''s good news, right? "Ahm a-about your questions" "Yes, yes. Are you dating Kaiden?" one of them blurted out. It seemed that it was the most pressing question they had. "No! I''m not," I immediately corrected her. "We''re friends. Me and Hora, the other girl we were with, we''re friends with the twins." "Oooohhh," they chorused and began murmuring words of acknowledgement after. I swear I saw some of them sighed in relief. They must be members of the twin''s fans club. Either that, or they had a huge crush on Kaiden. I didn''t blame them though. "Then why did you arrive with them? And you even sat beside the driver''s seat?" another woman, whose jealousy painted all over her face, asked in an interrogating manner. The others who were also curious looked back to me. "Oh. We''re currently staying at their homes. They kindly offered" "WHAT?!" Everyone''s faces turned into shock. Oh no. Did I say something I shouldn''t? "Are you his fiance?" the sour-looking woman almost shouted at me. "No!" "Then why are you living at their home?" she asked, now shouting angrily at me. "C-Crystal offered It''s a long story but it''s an agreement between my dad and" "Then you are his fiance!" another concluded and they began murmuring again. Observing their facial expressions, I could tell some of them were beginning to hate me. "What? No. I''m just" [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ My professional smile and calm demeanour was gone. They wouldn''t let me finish my words and kept on interrupting! How would I be able to explain myself? I didn''t know staying at a friend''s house meant that in this country. Back in my country, that was totally fine. Hora and I sometimes stayed over Ken''s house and no one complained. ''Ugh. I hate this. I hate being misunderstood.'' Their eyes looked at me like those co-workers I had in my past life. Already judging me when I haven''t even explained myself or said my piece. It was really frustrating. It''s as if you''re being accused of something you didn''t do. I breathed deeply to calm myself. My heart started to sting from the frustrating memory. ''It''s alright, Senara. You''ve experienced this many times before. Whatever you say, they won''t listen. They already made their judgement towards you based on their own vile opinions that only concerned their own interests. It''s useless to speak to people like these. Yeah, it''s better to ignore them. You don''t need such kinds of people in your life.'' Comforting myself with those words, I put on a poker face. It had become my defensive mechanism ever since. I knew that when I did so, I looked like the unkindest woman in the world since I had a "resting-bitch face" despite Hora''s claim that I was beautiful. My eyebrows weren''t even archedit''s a normal straight type. With this kind of look, I could pass as Maleficent or any villainous roles. Perhaps they sensed my anger that some of them returned to their seats. But that sour-looking jealous woman whose name I forgot, still stared at me as if I did something wrong to her. ''It''s your own wicked thoughts that''s causing your dissatisfaction.'' I stared at her back, then rolled my eyes and turned to my bag, taking off some books and a notebook. I purposely rolled my eyes to annoy her. I heard her stomping her feet as she went back to her seat. ''I''m not some saint that will put up with your nasty acts. If you don''t like me, then I don''t like you back!'' They already made their judgement anyway. The murmurs continued but I didn''t even care whatever they''re saying. Let them misinterpret as much as they want. It''s not like they''re Kaiden''s girlfriend for me to explain. Later on, the professor arrived and began teaching. Our first subject was "Introduction to Creative Writing" which I loved. The professor was great and I really looked forward to my first class but what happened a few moments ago left my blood boiling the whole period. Even my handwriting showed how angry I waswith my strong strokes and the marks it left on the next page. I could drop an ink on there and it would follow the letter marks as if I embossed it. How I wished Hora was one of my classmates. But we took different courses so that''s impossible. We could share some minor subjects but not the major ones. In my anger, tears formed in my eyes but I did my best to hold them up, looking up every now and then. Any outburst of emotion still made me cry. But I didn''t want tono, I couldn''t and shouldn''t show them my weakness. ''Maybe it''s because these people are aiming to be authors, too, and have highly creative minds. Yeah, that''s why they already drew their opinions with just a few words I said. Way to go, highly creative minds! I don''t mind dramas but I hope not those ridiculous kinds. Ugh.'' Thinking that, I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. I looked back at my notes and just tried focusing on the lesson. Hours passed as I immersed myself in the lecture. I became so focused that I didn''t notice the time until the bell rang, indicating the end of class. I packed up my things hurriedly, not wanting to give anyone a chance to talk to me again. Actually, not talkingthey interrogated me. I''m still continuing class though. It''s not like their interrogation would scare me from going to school. They could hate me all they want now. Good thing I loved writing more than the opinions of other people at me. Still a bit pissed off, I strode towards the door in a flash and was the first one to open it. To my surprise, Kaiden was there, handsomelyI mean, "normally" leaning on the wall, browsing his phone. ''How long has he been standing there? Was he waiting for my class to finish?'' Chapter 56 - First Day Of School (Part 4) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Seeing his face somehow calmed me downfinally. Probably it was relief from seeing someone who I''m familiar with, or it''s just his handsomeness healing my heart. Whatever the reason, it made me smile again. "Kaiden, what are you doing out there?" I asked as I walked towards him. "Did your class finish early?" He put his phone down the moment he heard me and looked straight to my eyes, smiling. My heart leaped when he smiled. Truly, being that good looking should be a crime. If I had a heart disease, I might have died already. "Not really. Class was boring so I escaped." My eyes widened from his answer. "So basically, you ditched class?" I snorted, holding back my laughter. He nodded. At least he admitted to ditching classes. "Why are you even attending college if you''re only planning on ditching your classes?" "I attend those I find interesting." Right. I almost forgot he was a genius. "Wait a minute, you already graduated, right?" "Yeah. I''m taking masteral right now." "Woah. That''s amazing. But if its masteral class, shouldn''t the subject be a lot harder?" "Ideally, yes. But today''s the first day so it''s mostly an introduction to whatever." "Ahh, I see." "How''s your first class?" he asked as he stood up, and straightened his back. I froze momentarily at his question. "Crystal said to meet at the cafeteria during break time." "It''s okay," I lied. "Let''s go there then. I''m starving." I turned my back to him and walked towards the direction of the cafeteria. Despite my great acting, my surroundings didn''t agree with me. My classmates began to go outside the classroom and stopped at the door as soon as they saw Kaidenwith ME. Peeking at them over my shoulders, I could already predict another interrogation session on my next classes and probably in my entire college life. Thinking on their shoes, it really seemed like I lied to them. Yes. Now that I was calmer, I began to think logically of everything. Fact one: I came with Kaiden and Crystal to school and I even sat beside him; Fact two: I told them I lived together with them, even though they didn''t let me finish my words; Fact three: Kaiden just fetched me after classsomething very "boyfriend-like" to do. And now, we''re talking so closely to each other. Anyone could easily mistake this for a really "close" relationship. ''Ughhhh I just want to study and live my life peacefully. And Crystal, why did you ask your brother to fetch me? I can go by myself, you just needed to send me a message. And Kaiden, why are you suddenly being obedient to your sister? I thought you hated her? Waaa I wanna cry.'' Kaiden looked around the people who kept staring at us. Was he perhaps, trying to check on what they''re saying? Oh no! Please don''t! "And she said they''re only friends" "Liar" "I hate her already" ''Fu*k. Those words were so audible even from me who was already farther away from them than Kaiden.'' My heart sank and beat loudly in my nervousness. I walked back towards Kaiden to urge him to go. ''Please, just let them be. I don''t want any more troubles than this.'' But I should have known by now, that Kaiden was not one to back down on misunderstandings with his blunt personality. He slowly walked towards the crowd with his head held high. His smiling face turned intimidating in a snap, scowling down at them like the usual grumpy person he was known for. Personally, I never experienced it since he had always been kind to me but seeing him now, I could understand why the crowd suddenly began to tremble. Even I froze in my position and didn''t dare come closer. Some of them still managed to squeal though, and sneak a picture or two. The others pulled out their most seductive poses. "Explain to me what happened in 10 seconds," he said menacingly, "if I''m not satisfied with your answers, you know what will happen." ''Oh my goodness! What did he just say?'' "Ten Nine" Kaiden began his countdown. My classmates immediately panicked and explained everything the best they could. Perhaps it was because of their fear that they honestly said what happened, in the fastest way possible with their speech. From how we introduced ourselves, to the questions they threw at me, and to that sour-looking girl who stared angrily at me. By the time ten seconds passed, everyone was out of breath. "Is that so?" Kaiden continued his menacing tone. "Yes, yes," they chorused. "I don''t understand what it has to do with any of you, though." Their faces paled up and sweat trickled down their faces, ruining their thick make ups. Deep inside, I agreed with Kaiden. ''Hmf! Yeah! Tell them! So what if we''re friends and we''re living together? Their house is so big it''s like we''re neighbours instead! And what does it have to do with them? Now that I think about it, why did I have to endure their judgements when it was all their own thinking that made it as if it concerns them when in fact it really doesn''t!'' "A-ahh Yes, it doesn''t have anything to do with us," they all agreed, trembling. "Since you all have time to gossip and ridicule my friend, I believe you have the energy to run 30 laps in the field, right?" "Ack! T-thirty?" "W-we can''t even complete one lap" "W-were sorry, please have mercy." "Hmf! Did you have mercy with your stupid comments and words?" Kaiden raised his eyebrows. "No. You enjoyed the liberty of saying things you wanted even if it meant hurting others. If you don''t want to run, then I will pass this along to the dean as a case of bullying." "N-no! Please don''t! We''re going to run!" "Good. Before you start, all of you, kneel down and apologize to Senara." All their eyes widened but they had no choice but to obey. I was even shocked by what Kaiden said. "N-no, there''s no need to'''' I tried to tell him but my classmates began to kneel in front of me, saying they''re sorry. Even the sour-looking girl, whose face was now ten times worse than earlier, had no choice but to do the same. After that, they all ran towards the school field and started their laps. My mouth was left open and my eyes all wide as I watched them all go. I couldn''t believe they followed everything he said just like that. No one even dared to complain! Kaiden walked back to me and tapped my back with his hands covered in black gloves. "Feeling better?" I burst out laughing from his question. "What''s funny?" "Ha-ha-ha! Nothing. It''s just it looked like a scene from a drama. I can''t believe you managed to pull that off." "Hm? I told you, most people are scared of me. You''re the weird one who says I''m kind." "But you are. You took revenge for me, and yes, that felt good. Thank you." Kaiden smiled again. "You''re welcome. Should we go now?" "Yes!" Chapter 57 - First Day Of School (Part 5) [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ And so, Kaiden and I headed towards the nearest cafeteria in my department. Since the school was too big, we had to walk a few blocks before we reached it. Finally seeing it from afar, I had to say that it was one heck of a cafeteria. It looked like a 5 star restaurant! From the outside, you''d mistake it for a greenhouse. Almost everything was made of clear glass except for the solid roof and metal pillars. The ceiling was high and from it, long grayish blue curtains extended to the ground. Beautiful vines with flowers served as decorations on almost every corner. Once inside, different plants could be seen here and there. All matched with sleek wooden tables, sofas and chairs that had the same color as the curtains and tables, and a floor made of white tiles with diamond patterns. Each table was properly set like those in fine dining restaurants, and everything from the cutleries to the plates and goblets were all squeaky clean you could see your reflection in it. Amazed by the beauty of the place, I didn''t notice Hora and Crystal waving their hands towards us until Kaiden tapped me on the shoulders. I smiled the moment I saw them. I couldn''t believe how much I missed Hora in that short timespan of two and a half hours. My feet automatically sprinted towards them. "Hora! Crystal!" I greeted them and sat beside Hora, hugging her arms. "I missed you." "Aww I missed you, too," she sweetly replied, patting my head. "How''s your first class?" I made sure to ask her first. Hora instantly grinned from ear to ear. I wondered what that could mean. "Hnnng Well, you see, I was bombarded with lots of questions aboutyou know," her eyes peeked at Kaiden who sat in front of me, and to me who was beside her. ''I see. So she got interrogated as well about us, huh? It''s really hard having popular friends. It''s the same with Ken, only Kaiden had ten times more fans than he had. Or maybe even a hundred times if I include those not belonging to this school? I hope she didn''t get bullied though.'' Seeing her expression, I felt relieved. It seemed she didn''t suffer the same fate as I did. Curious as to what happened, I asked her about it and she replied to me in a whisper. "So they were all asking about you two, and I told them you''re friends right now but I 100% believe that you will end up together one day and" "Wait, what?!" I blurted out in my surprise. "Care to share?" Crystal turned to us, waggling her eyebrows. She sat on the other side of Hora. We were on a long sofa, good for three people. "I''d love to hear that gossip." Hora waggled her eyebrows back, as if signaling approval to Crystal. Hora then turned to Crystal and whispered it to her. Crystal grinned mischievously and the both of them looked like hooligans plotting something evil in their minds. Seeing them like that, Kaiden just simply shrugged his shoulders and didn''t bother. He probably thought it''s just some useless girl talk. Well, that worked in my advantage though. I didn''t want him to hear the craziness Hora was spouting. I inched my body closer to Hora and Crystal to hear what they were talking about. "And so, we all had different opinions about it. Some said it''s impossible for Kaiden since he can''t even touch anyone let alone get a girlfriend," Hora continued. "You should have told them how he carried her on his arms when she got sprained," Crystal added. "I did! And they couldn''t believe it. I even showed some of the pictures you shared to me." "You did what? Hora? For real?" "It''s fine, bestie," she waved her hand, dismissing my worry. "Then, when they saw it, they were likeWow! Is this real?and so on. We all debated a bit more but it all ended up being a bet in the end." "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Nice one, Hora!" Crystal laughed out loud. "What''s the bet about? I want to join, too." ''Seriously? Now, they''re betting over me? Do I get a say on this? Nope. Obviously not.'' "Of course! I''ll add you to the list," Hora winked. "So, since everyone is convinced that they will end up together" "How are you all convinced? Nothing even" "Shhh," Hora hushed me with her forefinger. "As I was saying, since everyone was convinced they''ll end up together, instead of betting over that, we bet how long it will take instead." "Sounds fair. What are the options?" "Most of them placed their bets for 1 year, some even more than a year, but I placed mine on six months," Hora sounded so smug. "For sure, in six months, they will be together and declare their relationship." "Hmm six months? Isn''t that too short?" Crystal pondered, tilting her head. "My brother is hmm, how do I say it? Basically, he''s slow. And he doesn''t have experience in courtship or anything related to women at all. He''s a pure virgin, I tell you." "Pfft!" I spilled my drink and quickly looked at Kaiden''s direction. Seeing he had his earphones on, playing games on his phone, I sighed in relief. I took the table napkin in front of me and wiped the water off my face. ''I can''t believe Crystal is telling us how her own brother is a virgin.'' Blood rushed to my face as soon as I imagined it. Kaidena hot and handsome virgin. Oh my goodness. Bad thoughts, go away! ''But then again, it''s not like Kaiden and I will will be together.'' "Aww really?" Hora sounded gloomy. "That''s great though. All his firsts could be with Sena. Sena''s also a virgin" "Kyaa! Hora!" I squealed to stop her from going on anymore. "D-don''t just say that. What if anyone hears you?" I felt my heart leap out of my chest. Good thing Kaiden was on his earphones or else Oh no! He took off his earphones! "A-ahh II didn''t mean to listen," his voice trembled as his eyes looked at us in shock. His face was beet red as well. He heard it. Of all the times he would take off his earphones, it just had to be at "that" moment. ''Hora I''m gonna kill you later!'' Chapter 58 - First Day Of School (Part 6) [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I slumped my head on the table trying to hide my embarrassment. How I wanted to disappear right there and then. ''Hora, I swear once you have a lovelife, I''ll make sure to embarrass you in front of that person, too.'' Being a virgin was truthfully great in my opinion. The problem was that Kaiden, a man, had to hear it out loud. If only Hora would zip her mouth or he could forget all he just heardbut that''s just my wishful thinking. "Oops sorry. Don''t mind us, Kaiden," Hora chuckled. "R-right," he nodded and put back his earphones, burying his face back to his phone. His ears were still red though. An awkward silence shrouded our table. "See how he blushed with hearing something simple like that?" Crystal whispered sneakily to Hora. "I''m putting my bet on one year or more." "Alright then," Hora whispered back. Seriously, these two just wouldn''t drop it. "I''m still betting for six months. My guts tell me that''s more than enough." They fist bumped after like they''re some brothers from another mother and snickered mischievously. A few moments later, Callan and Verrill arrived. "Sorry, everyone," Verrill immediately apologized when they arrived. "A bunch of girls just kept on pestering us along the way." "Hmf! Pestering?" Crystal scoffed. "Maybe you mean ''flirting'' instead." Her eyes rolled from east to west. "Fuuuu Is our queen pissed off?" Callan whistled and sat on the arm rest beside Crystal. He patted Crystal''s head much to her annoyance. "Shut up, Callan," Crystal sneered and pushed Callan off of the arm rest. "Ouch. That hurts." "Stop pretending. I doubt that hurts with those sturdy muscles of yours." "Ahhh, so you like my muscles, huh?" "One more word and I''ll kill you." "Ha-ha! My queen is so feisty." Meanwhile, Verrill sat beside Kaiden and in front of Hora, leaving enough space for Callan to transfer to his left side. Once done bickering with Crystal, Callan sat down, and a waiter came to us asking for our order. ''A waiter? Then this is not a school cafeteria but a restaurant! But why are they all calling it a cafeteria? Just because it''s inside the school?'' We told him our orders afterwards. Looking at the menu, they had a variety of cuisines to try. I''d probably have a go at them little by little as I continue my college life. For now, I settled with potato gratin and salmon steakI could never get tired of salmon. The guys ordered steak, Crystal got some filling salad with chicken and Hora ordered shrimp pasta. After we had our fill, we chatted for a bit and went back to our next class. This time, I made sure to tell Kaiden not to ditch his class to which he agreed reluctantly. They all dropped me to my next class since I was the closest, before they went to their own. Kaiden kindly reminded me to tell him if anything happened while shooting glares at my classmates who were mostly the same people I was with earlier. Because of that, my second class was more peaceful than the first. No one dared bother talking to me, or even look at my direction. Finally, some peace. I always preferred to be left alone than being the center of attention. The next professor was entertaining. He taught us "Fiction Writing I" which was perfect for me since the new book I''m writing was fantasy with a bit of romance. I made sure to jot down those I found importantwhich was basically everything. I did have my laptop with me but somehow, writing it down improved my retention of things so I opted to hand write instead. Hours passed and before I knew it, it was already late in the afternoon and classes were over. I waited for everyone at a bench near our department. Our department building was the closest to the parking lot and entrance gate so we all decided to make my area the meet up place. Lucky me, I didn''t need to walk much if I wanted to reconvene with them. "Hmmm I wonder what''s taking them so long?" "Senara," a soft and gentle voice whispered to me. I turned around, smilingit was probably Hora. But then there was no one. Just the wind blowing hard. "Get out of there, now!" There it was again! I stood up from my seat and walked around, searching for the mysterious voice. "W-who? And how" SCCCRREEEEEECCHH!!! Suddenly, an irritating noise of car tires screeching on the ground could be heard from behind me. ''Seriously! These teenagers don''t know how to drive properly! Their licenses should be revoked.'' BAAANGGG!!! DUUUGGGSHHH!!! CRAAASSHHH!!! Hearing those sounds, I quickly turned around to see what happened. My eyes widened in surprise as I gasped in shock. My heart hammered like never before and I could feel my whole body tremble How could I not? A car suddenly lost control and crashed towards a stone bench! And not just any bench! It was the bench I was sitting a few seconds ago! And half of the bench got destroyed severely! "Ahhhh!" the other students nearby screamed in fear. People started gathering around the car to check the driver. Security and staff arrived one after another. They helped the student driver out of the car and checked his injuries. But none of those happening registered to me I was frozen in my position. If I didn''t stand up from that bench I would have I would have died. Or if I somehow got lucky, I''d survive with great injuries or a handicap. Realizing that, my heart thumped louder. " nara" "Sena" "Senara!" I didn''t know anymore who was calling me. I tried to turn around but my body wouldn''t cooperate. [Music Recommendation: "Stay With Me" by Chanyeol - Goblin OST (instrumental only) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Then, a warm embrace enveloped me from my side. "Haaaah" I breathed deeply. "Senara it''s okay. You''re safe." This scent and voice It was Kaiden. As soon as I realized it was him, I broke out in tears and buried my face on his chest. "Hu-hu-hu-hu" I didn''t wail or shout but I cried hard in silence. He kindly patted my back and tightened his embrace. "It''s alright. You''re safe," he whispered gently to me. "It''s all over now." Chapter 59 - My Guardian Angel [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Feeling his gentle embrace as he patted my back, somehow helped me calm down. After a few moments in his arms, I was finally able to breathe properly again. I made sure to inhale and exhale deeply to calm my heart. The trembling on my body was gone, too. ''It''s amazing how his presence calmed me down in an instant. I don''t know why but I feel comfortable with him. I usually don''t get along with men except for Ken who was my childhood friend, but with him I can talk freely, act freely, and just be myself without any restriction. And when I''m in serious trouble or danger somehow he''s always there. From the incident with my dad, and my argument with my mom, during the awarding ceremony, and now this. I wonder if'' "Senara," Kaiden called my name in a whisper, "are you feeling better now?" With his covered hands, he wiped the tears on my face. I couldn''t help but stare at him. I''m really so blessed and thankful to meet him in this life. Now that I thought about it, the course of my life only changed ever since I met him. He really was my guardian angel. But then "that" voice belonged to a woman. Yes. She warned me that''s why I stood up from my seat and started looking for the person who called my name. But I didn''t see anyone. ''Who are you?'' I asked in my mind, as if trying to communicate with "that" voice. But there was no answer. "Senara," Kaiden called me again. "Y-yes, I''m feeling better. Thank you." "Good. You''re not hurt anywhere, right?" I shook my head. "No, I''m good. But your handyou were touching my face. A-and hugging me, too. Are you alright? You said you hated touching so I I''m sorry you had to" "It''s alright. I have my gloves on, and I''m wearing my usual long sleeves, turtleneck. As long as it''s not the skin, I''m good." "Oh, right. You told me that before." I forgot. I guess I still felt a little flustered from what just happened. "Don''t worry. I don''t find touching you that repulsive." "Huh? Really? I thought you were mysophobic." "I am. Just don''t touch my skin." "Okay, I won''t," I chuckled. Since we''re already talking about it, maybe it''s okay to ask. "I''m curious. What happens if I accidentally touch your skin? Or if somebody else did?" He pondered for a moment before answering. "It feels disgusting." Then his face turned serious. Maybe I shouldn''t have asked. "I see. Then in that case, I should protect you from being touched." He raised his eyebrows and smirked, "You? Protect me?" "Yes? I''m trying to be nice here, you know." He chuckled. "Whatever you say. Do your best then." "That, I definitely will." ''Phew. I''m all good now. I''m already joking with him. Amazing.'' "What is going on?" a teasing voice surprised us. It was Hora. Click! Click! Click! And Crystal, taking pictures again. Callan was with her, whistling, and Verrill, clapping his hands. ''Why are they acting like that, though? It''s not like we''re doing somethingOh my goodness!'' My eyes widened. It was only then that I noticed itI was still in an embrace with Kaiden! And his arms were wrapped around my waist! I felt my face blush hard. Panicking, I pushed Kaiden away who seemed to think that it was perfectly fine to be in that state. He was just there, blinking, not even moving an inch. How come he never thought of anything maliciously? Am I the only one who thought it was wrong for usa non-coupleto be hugging each other in broad daylight? ''Damn it! They''re grinning so widely. I already know what they''re thinking. Why didn''t I notice sooner? Is his hug that comfortable? Well, yes it is, but still! Come on, Senara! For real? Is your little crush on him growing? Oh no this is not good. Look at him, he looks like he has no idea about crush and love and whatnot. And you''re friends, remember? Don''t go over that.'' I bit my lips as I tried to reprimand myself in my mind. Right. I''m his friend. I should act like one. Yeah, right. Hora and Crystal went towards me and tugged my sides while waggling their eyebrows. Ugh. These two, really "That''s some damn car crash o''er there," Callan commented as he peeked over the scene of the accident. "It is. Wonder if the driver is okay?" Verrill added. "He seemed finealive, at least. But that''s some serious injuries out there." We all looked towards the direction of the poor student. "Uhm. What''s not fine is how he almost crashed on Senara," Kaiden said in an irritated tone. His expression turned menacing again for a second. "She was sitting on that bench a few seconds before it crashed there. Good thing she walked out or else" His fist tightened to a ball. ''So he saw it. That''s why he came rushing to me and embraced me as soon as he arrived. He knew I was shocked and scared because he saw it.'' Hora and Crystal gasped in shock. They quickly hugged me and patted my back and head. I felt their bodies tremble and their hearts beat loudly. "What the fudge!" Crystal exclaimed in her worry and anger. "Good thing you moved away. I swear I''m going to talk to the dean about this! We need more countermeasure and security! Hmf! And that student should be expelled!" Hora remained silent but her tears spoke a thousand words to my heart. She was always the silent type in the initial phase of troubles but she cries. Just like my last argument with mom where we cried for hours in our village''s park, not saying anything until we calmed down. I patted Hora''s back in return and whispered to her, "It''s okay Hora. I''m safe. It seems my guardian angel protected me." Chapter 60 - Some Girl Bonding We all went home after that. Crystal kindly took the front seat beside Kaiden saying I might still be in shock with what just happened. Hora and I sat in the back. Callan and Verrill had their own cars and they followed us to the Ma Residence since they had something to do with Kaiden. I didn''t bother asking what it was since it''s probably boy''s stuffs. While in the car, everyone remained silenteven Crystal who was usually the one who never ran out of stories to tell. She tried to play some music to kill the heavy atmosphere, but it didn''t help much. "Ahm Hora, Crystal, and Kaiden," I tried to break the silence, "can I ask you all for a favor?" Hora and Crystal turned to me, while Kaiden glanced over the driver''s rearview mirror. "Of course! What is it?" Crystal energetically agreed. "Well, ahm Can you please not tell my mom and dad about what happened?" I clasped my hands together, pleading. Their faces showed clear signs of hesitation. "Pretty please? I don''t want to worry them. And besides, I''m alright. Nothing bad happened to me." "Sena," Hora finally spoke after her long silence, "you''re doing it again." She sounded irritated. "Remember that one time you didn''t tell me what happened to your dad?" "Yes, but" "That is the exact same thing you''re asking us." "I just don''t want to worry them. And you know mom''s heart is not in the best condition. It''s just unnecessary worry. And what if mom becomes too shocked? Or worries more for me, especially now that I''m far from them. She might even change her mind and tell me to go back home. I don''t want that, so please. I beg you." Hora sighed deeply. Actually, they all did. What I was asking was indeed hard. It''s like I''m telling them to lie to my parents and that''s not good. "If auntie''s heart is really not that good, then maybe it''s alright not to tell her," Crystal agreed. I felt so relieved someone agreed at least. "It''s not like our parents need to know every little thing that''s going on in our lives. We''ll be adults in 2 years or so. We should learn how to handle things on our own." "But keeping secrets is not good," Hora disagreed. "She can tell her in the future. Like, when auntie''s in a really good mood or something. Timing is everything. She just needs to time it right. Don''t say it to her when she''s already in a bad mood." Hora sighed again. "Fine. We can go with that." Then, pointing to me, she said, "Just don''t drag it too long, okay?" Smiling, I raised my right hand in a pledge, "Yup! Not too long. SoonI''ll do it soon." By the time we reached an agreement, we''re back at the Ma Residence. The boys went over to Kaiden''s room, and we, girls, gathered to mine. Somehow, my bedroom had become the ladies'' headquarters. We met up again after bathing and changing our clothes. Exhausted, we all slumped our bodies to my bed which was large enough to accommodate five of my size or more. "So" Crystal started in a teasing tone, "what''s with you and my stupid brother?" My closed eyes that were perfectly resting, instantly shot wide open from her question. "Don''t think that I already forgot all about it. I still have your picture." Hora giggled beside me. "Right. What''s with the hugging and laughing, couple-thingy, thing?" "Yeah! That''s why we didn''t think anything bad happened. I could see flowers in your background, with all spotlights on you two. I didn''t even notice the car accident!" Crystal jolted up on bed as she explained. "It''s like a scene in a movie. Just lacking some background music and it could have been perfect." "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Yes! Background music! What will be good though?" And there they werein their own world like fangirls again. Crystal pondered, caressing her perfect chin. When an idea hit her head, she started singing, and oh my goodness, her voice was so beautiful! Like a nightingale! [Music Recommendation: "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars - available in Youtube or Spotify] "Oh, her eyes, her eyes Make the stars look like they''re not shinin'' Her hair, her hair Falls perfectly without her tryin'' She''s so beautiful and I tell her everyday" "I know that song!" Hora exclaimed. "Bruno Mars, Just the Way You Are." Then, they both sang together. Hora had a really nice voice, too. Listening to them just made me smile instead of being angry from their teasing. "Yeah, I know, I know When I compliment her, she won''t believe me And it''s so, it''s so Sad to think that she don''t see what I see But every time she asks me, ''Do I look okay?'' I say" Hora and Crystal got up and started dancing as they sang, like pop stars performing live on stagewhich in this case, was my bed. They circled around me, serenading me. And their vocal harmony, just wow. "When I see your face There''s not a thing that I would change ''Cause you''re amazing Just the way you are And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while ''Cause girl, you''re amazing Just the way you are Yeah" "Come on, Senara. Sing with us," Crystal pulled my arms but I kept still on my lying down position. The bed already began to swallow me. "You don''t know what you''re asking. I''m the perfect definition of tone-deaf." "Don''t listen to her, she''s lying," Hora whispered to Crystal, even though she failed because I heard it loud and clear. "Hey! I''m not lying. I have a terrible voice." "Let''s listen to it, then. If it''s really terrible." I covered my face in embarrassment. "Please, no." "You''ll sing or we will tell auntie." "What? Hey! You just agreed with me that you won''t tell." "Then, sing." Conceding, I started to sing in the softest way possible. OMG. If embarrassment was water, I already filled up a dam. "When I see your face There''s not a thing that I would change ''Cause you''re amazing Just the way you are And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while ''Cause girl, you''re amazing Just the way you are Yeah" And that''s it. I bet their eardrums died listening to that. Chapter 61 - Barbecue Party! [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "See? I told you, she''s lying," Hora smirked, and waggled her eyebrows towards Crystal. "She''s like that, never appreciating herself. Tsk, tsk, tsk." "I agree," Crystal nodded. Since when did these two become two peas in a pod? "But it''s really not" "Let me tell you this, Missy," Crystal raised her forefinger like a lecturer. "There are different kinds of voices in the world, all unique and beautiful to their own. "One, is like minea diva. I''m Soprano and I can sing really high notes, and kick a powerful punch into it. Then, there''s Hora''s kind which is an Alto, and somehow the husky, sexy type of voice." "What? My voice is not sexy." "Hate to break it to you, dearie, but it is." Hora burst out laughing. "And there''s also your type, Senara, which is a Mezzo-Soprano in a way that''s cool and soothing to the ear. It''s like listening to calm water or spring." "Yes, that''s right. It''s like when you sing a lullaby. Anyone who hears it can easily sleep." "Uh-huh. So don''t go comparing your voice to a diva''s or others. You''ll be comparing apples to oranges." "Hmmm" I tried to ponder about what they said. "Don''t ''hmmm'' us." "If you don''t believe it, listen to this." And Crystal played a recording of my voiceyes, for some reason she managed to record it in the nick of time. I always wondered how she''s so great at pulling out her phone. She could be a reporter with her preparedness. With all honesty to myself, trying to remove all my biased opinions about my voice, and listening to the recording alright, I had to agree. I wasn''t so tone-deaf after all. "Okay, fine. But what''s the use of having a good voice? I''m not trying to be a singer. My dream is to be a writer." "Well my brother has a really nice voice, too, and he''s not planning to be a singer as well." "It may come in handy someday." "Handy in what way? And wait a minute, Kaiden can sing?" I couldn''t believe it. "Yes," Crystal shrugged. "He''s a jack of all trades so he''s good at basically anything. You should see how many clubs tried to recruit him. Be it sports, arts, or things that require his genius, he can do it. Even cooking! He got all the good genes and I''m left with nothing but my pretty face and voice. Can you believe that? Ugh. The world can be so cruel!" Hora and I chuckled. We didn''t expect that. Plus, the way Crystal complained about it was so funny. She had a knack for keeping things entertaining. When dinner time came, Crystal had the greatest idea of throwing a barbecue party instead of a normal dinner since we were all youngsters. Callan and Verrill were with us and we could all use the time to get to know each other according to her. So she ordered the maids to prepare it at the grilling area near the swimming poolthe perfect spot for a night time barbecue session. Once ready, we all headed at the backyard of the house where the pool was. Long, cozy couches were set up in front of each other, with a long outdoor barbecue table in between like those you usually see in Korean barbecue restaurants. All the meats, veggies, side dishes, condiments, drinks, and other things we''ll need were arranged neatly, along with the dinnerwares. We all just had to sit and grill all we wanted. And so we all sat down like how we were during lunch at the school''s not-so-cafeteria. It was funny how the six of us already had our seating arrangement fixed. We didn''t even need to talk about it. We laughed and chatted noisily as we ate. At one point, Callan sneakily asked the maids to get some wine or alcohol but Kaiden caught him and gave him a smack on the head. It seemed that Kaiden hated the smell of alcohol. How convenient! I hated the smell of alcohol, too. I grinned thinking how we had similar likesyeah, like a hopeless romantic, imagining a checklist of our similarities in my mind and ticking them when I found something common between us. Oh no. It seemed that my crush on him was just getting deeper. Dangerous, really dangerous. In contrast to Callan, Verrill was a kind and polite person. He seemed to be the caring, loyal, gentleman type now that we''ve spoken to him. His smiles were so kind and out of the three of themhim, Callan, and Kaiden, I''d have to say that he''s the most angelic one. And that''s not all! Verrill was a prodigy in music! He could play any instrumentliterally! Though according to him, the piano was his favourite. No wonder he was so prim and proper like a prince. Most musically inclined people were kind and had a calm personality, as far as my knowledge goes. Crystal urged Verrill to play but there was no piano outside. Instead, he played the guitar and we all sang to his music. I made sure my voice wasn''t so loud though. Callan was a bit out of tune. Good thing Kaiden sang as well and Crystal was right. His voice was so beautiful and sexya baritone. Wait, did I just think of his voice as sexy again? Come on, Senara! Stop! Anyway, it was a really fun and informative dinner. I guess Crystal''s plan worked outwe did get to know each other. Turned out, Callan wasn''t so detestable at all. He was really just the rowdy, mischievous, and naughty type of friend. One interesting knowledge I gained was the reason why they were all so lean and muscular despite being in their teens. And it was all because of Callan. He was a "triathlete" and he was so good that he even competes and wins during yearly Triathlons. Of course, being an athlete, he needed to practice almost daily to which he mostly dragged Kaiden and Verrill with him. Thus, turning them to the hot studs they all were. After hours of chatting that seemed to never stop, a cawing sound from afar distracted us. Caw! Caw! Caw! Then, a big raven flew towards us. The raven''s dark feathers were so shiny and had a tinge of dark violet. Its eyes looked proud and as it flew nearer, the more stunning it became. "What a beautiful raven," I murmured to myself, amazed by its beauty. "Kyaaa! A raven!" Hora screamed out loud as she jolted up from her seat. "It probably smelled the aroma of the meat." It was only then that I remembered ravens could be a pretty dangerous bird. Chapter 62 - Raven The Raven [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Despite our anxiousness, the others remained unfazed - Kaiden, Crystal, Callan, and Verrill. Wondering why, I remained seated and calmly observed the bird. It shouldn''t attack us unless we provoke it, right? So we should be safe if we remain calm, right? Kaiden stood up and smiled, stretching his right arm across, as if inviting the bird to land on his arm. ''Is that even safe? What if the raven''s claws scratch him?'' To my surprise, the raven landed on Kaiden''s arm as if it was the most natural thing to do. Caw! Caw! Caw! It cawed again, as if trying to communicate to Kaiden. It even tilted its head and rubbed it on Kaiden''s hands while he tried to pet it. ''Wait a minute is that raven his pet? For real? A raven of all the birds available as a pet? And of all the animals that can be a pet? Raven''s are migratory birds and very hard to tame. Is this even allowed by the law? Well, they are the Ma family so it shouldn''t be hard to get a permit but still. Just wow!'' Staring at the raven, I could tell that it must have cost a fortune with its unique dark purple feather. Or was it painted? No, it''s too shiny and silky for that. "I-Is that your pet?" I asked Kaiden, still amazed with what I was seeing at that moment. A raven, acting so friendly, and cozy, and sweet towards his owner. "Yeah. His name is Raven and he''s been with me since I was ten," Kaiden answered me with a sweet smile on his face. He seemed to love his raven so much. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha! You named your pet raven, ''Raven''? For real?" I burst out laughing. I suddenly remembered the "Town of Beginnings" in Armageddon. The creator of that game and Kaiden would definitely get along when it comes to naming things. "See? I told you its a stupid name," Crystal complained, shaking her head in disapproval. "Don''t listen to him Senara. That raven is named ''Corax'' okay? It''s the name I gave ita proper name not some name that doesn''t cost an ounce of thought." Clicking her tongue, Crystal stood up and went near Raven slash Corax. Callan and Verrill went near, too, and pet the bird. Feeling curious, I also walked closer, dragging Hora with me. Caw! Caw! Caw! It cawed when Crystal got near, as if greeting her. "This stupid bird. I told you, call me ''Your Majesty'', not caw!" she complained to the poor bird. It''s not the raven''s fault it can''t speak. "Now go on, call me your majesty." "It''s too long. He won''t be able to say that yet," Kaiden argued. "Hm? Raven can talk?" "Yes. He can speak one to two syllables now." He looked so proud saying that which I found amusing. I never thought Kaiden had a soft spot for pets. Intrigued by a talking raven, Hora finally snapped out of her anxiousness and approached the RavenI decided to call him Raven for now since it''s easier to remember. "Hello Corax!" Hora energetically greeted the bird. "Can you say ''Annyeong''. Go on, say it. Annyeong!" Oh my goodness! Hora''s addiction to Kpop just revealed itself. She''s so cute when she speaks in their language. Yes, Hora''s been a fan of Kdramas (Korean dramas), Kpop idols, and anything related. They started to become popular in our country around 2008 and were still gaining popularity now, and even more so in the future. "Annyeong?" Raven said. "WOAAAH!" we all marvelled upon hearing it, and clapped our hands. "Great job, Raven!" "You ungrateful bird!" Crystal shot daggers in her eyes towards the poor bird. "I''ve been teaching you many times and you don''t say what I want you to say. But when a new girl comes in, you copy what she says immediately! Hmf! I''m not giving you food for a month!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" "Ugh. Don''t listen to her, Raven," Kaiden gently patted the cute bird. "Another one!" Hora exclaimed. "This time, say ''Wae'', okie? Wae." "Huh? What does that mean?" Callan raised his eyebrows. "Oh. She has a habit of saying cute words when she''s very happy. Wae means why," I explained to him. Callan''s eyes were stuck wide open and Verrill laughed hard. "That''s so cute!" Verrill blurted out. Then, he patted Hora''s head, much to her surpriseno, not just her, ''much to OUR surprise'' would be the better term. Hora''s eyes widened and she stared at Verrill, looking at him straight in the eye with a shocked expression. ''Oh no. Don''t do that, Hora. You might scare him away. But would you look at that? Do I smell something in the air here? OMG! I can use this as reference! And most of all, I can finally get back on Hora for all the times she teased me with Kaiden! Ha-ha-ha-ha!'' "Ah! I''m sorry!" Verrill apologized when he realized what he just did. "I don''t know why II''m really sorry." His face flushed red. Hora remained frozen and just nodded her head. But I could see the light blush on her cheeks. She couldn''t fool me even if she tried to hide it. Callan''s face drew disgust all over. He shrugged and turned his back after, inching closer to Crystal instead, who at that time was pouting. Was she still upset about Raven not following her order? Hmmm She was usually the first one to take pictures on moments like this though. Maybe the bird did anger her too much. At least Callan was there to calm her down. He pinched her cheeks and stretched it wide, trying to make her smile. "Aww! Stop it, Callan!" Crystal irritatingly said and gave him a whack. Meanwhile, Kaiden was on his own world with Raven. Lucky bird. ''Ahhh How I wish I''m the bird instead. Then maybe, I can have Kaiden''s undivided attention. Wait, what?! Senara! What are you thinking? Friends, remember?'' Sighing deeply, I felt a slight sting in my heart. ''This is bad. I''m becoming greedy. If this continues, I''ll keep on falling.'' But looking at Kaiden, I didn''t see any sign of him being aware of romantic relationships or even crushes. ''At least I don''t have to worry about him falling in love with someone else, right? Ugh. Who am I kidding? Just look at Verrill. He, too, didn''t look like he''s interested in love and whatnot. But what happened? He seems to be unconsciously liking Hora. And they just met this morning! Anything can happen in just a snap.'' "What''s wrong, Senara?" "Huh?" I turned my head and it was Kaiden, asking me that. ''Oh no. What should I say?'' Chapter 63 - Sweet Revenge [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "N-nothing! I was just thinking! Of what words to teach Raven." ''Phew! Please let that excuse pass.'' Raising his eyebrows, Kaiden replied, "If you say so." "Yeah. He-he." Wanting to change the topic, I asked, "This is the first time I''m seeing your pet. Why didn''t I see him before? Was he not staying here?" "He does, but not always. There are times he wanders around and just comes back after a few weeks or so. He''s a free bird so he can do anything he likes." Raven rubbed his head again on Kaiden''s hand. Wanting to touch the bird as well, I held out my hand towards Raven. I made sure not to be aggressive and just touch it on my own accord. If he''s fine with me, then he should rub his head on my palm, too, right? I waited for a few seconds and finally, the bird took notice of me. He then stretched his head towards my hand and rubbed his head on my palm. "Woah! He''s touching me!" I was so happy that I blurted out. "It seems that he likes you." "Woah! Thank you, Raven. And nice to meet you!" "Caw! Caw!" Raven cawed, as if trying to greet me back. "When you meet someone new, you say, ''Hello''. Come on, try it. Hello." "Hello." "Great job! You said it!" "Wae?" "You''re asking why? Because you greeted me successfully." "Hello." "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Raven kept on repeating random words afterwards. I never knew owning a pet raven could be so much fun. And he was so sweet, too! Not dangerous at all! And his feathers, just wow! It''s so smooth to touch that I couldn''t get enough of it! Speaking of touching, it seems Kaiden was okay with touching animals, huh? He didn''t have his gloves on that time but he was able to touch Raven. I guess, germs or the likes were not the cause of his mysophobia? But if it''s not the cause, was that even still mysophobia? Oh well, I guess it''s either that, or Raven''s just a clean bird. After chatting a bit more, Callan and Verrill decided to go home, and we all went back to our respective roomsexcept for Hora. I made sure to drag her into my room when Crystal went straight to hers. Poor Crystal, it seemed that the rowdiness tired her out. But as for me, I''m not tired at all! I had all the energy to take my revengeI mean, to peacefully interrogateno, to peacefully question Hora. Yes, that should be the proper term. As I prepared my evil questions in my brain, I let Hora slump her body on the bed. To my surprise, she rolled around from left to right, hugging the blanket with her, making her look like a human sushi. Then after a few times of tossing herself around, she bounced back up and turned to me with a serious face. "Senaaaaaa!" she wailed like a cute little child with her cute voice. Of course, I was taken aback. "W-what? Why? What happened to you?" "What was that? Why did he suddenly pat my head? We weren''t even close!" she cutely complained. Chuckling, I walked towards her and patted her back. Seriously, Hora''s so cute when she behaved like that. "If you ask me, I''d say there''s ''something'' in the air. If you know what I mean," I intentionally smirked and waggled my eyebrows. Finally, it was time for my revenge. Mwa-ha-ha-ha! "What something? There''s no something. There''s just weirdness and creepiness!" "Pft! Say that when your face is not blushing." "No. This blushing is normal for me. Like when it''s hot, I''ll blush. When I''m laughing, I''ll blush. When I''m angry, I''ll blush. When I''m embarrassed, I''ll blush. There''s nothing special about it." "Heh. Yeah, right. It''s just NORMAL blushing," I continued teasing her. Ahh the sweet taste of revenge, how filling. "Are you taking your revenge on me by teasing me?" Hora raised her eyebrows. ''Oh no. She caught up already with my plans.'' "What do you mean? I''m not teasing. I''m merely asking peacefully if I do say so myself." "Nope. I don''t buy it." "Why not?" I complained. "Hmf! But you gotta admit, Verrill is really cute and handsome. Don''t tell me he''s not your type because I KNOW what your type of guy is." "No! No! No! No!" Hora yelled back at me, covering her ears and shaking her head. But I peered over her and whispered to her ears. "He''s a prodigy in music and PIANO is his favourite." Yes, Hora had always been amazed by men who could play the piano. She liked them too much. She even bought original copies of their music. She was also the type to love classical, instrumental music, especially the piano and violin sounds, more than the latest hit songs. She still liked them but she loved the instrumental ones more. So basically, handsomeness plus great skills in playing the piano equals Verrill. He just met two out of the top 5 characteristics of Hora''s type. The others on the list was a nice personalitykind and respectful; rich and capable of supporting a family; and very lovingly loyal. Oh, wait a minute. Verrill just met all the conditions! Three and five, I had no evidence but I''m quite sure he''s a very kind person and would be a loving husband. "Hora, I''ve decided." "And what have you decided without asking my opinion?" "Verrill will make a great husband for you. I approve of him!" Hora''s eyes widened in shock. She''d definitely want to kill me now. "And who are you to approve of him? You just met him today, too! You''ll give your best friend to a person you just met?" "He seems like a nice and decent guy." "Are you hearing yourself?" Hora replied, unamused. I could see her grabbing a pillow from her sides. I sneakily started to get away from her. I knew what she was about to do. "Why don''t you try it out first? You might really end up liking him, you know? I mean, come on! How often would you come across a person having all your standards in one? And he''s really rich and handsome to boot!" "You sound like a mother selling your daughter off to marry for the sake of money." Her eyes shot glares at me. She slowly stood up and began following my steps. "No, not at all. I just want you to be happy and it just happened that I KNOW what will make you happy." ''I can''t believe I''m deliberately adding fuel to fire. Ha-ha-ha! But teasing Hora is really fun.'' "You know what makes me happy, huh? Then come here and let me smack you!" "Kyaaaaaa!" And so, the pillow wars began! Chapter 64 - Callan, The Ticking Time Bomb [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Hora and I enjoyed ourselves hitting each other with pillows until our bodies tired out. We ended up sharing a bed, since we both fell asleep after our pillow fight. First day of college had become so tiring with all the things that happened. But I''m happy and thankful I survived them all. I whispered my prayers before I completely fell asleep. Later on, morning came, and it was time for the second day of school. We prepared as usual, ate breakfast together, and went to school in Kaiden''s car. I''ve always wondered why he chose to drive himself instead of asking their personal driver to do it for them. I mean, rich kids were supposed to live like that, right? Turned out, he liked great cars and enjoyed driving, as Crystal explained to us while we were on the way to school. Apparently, it was also the reason why they got loads of cars in their huge garage that was basically the same size of a parking lot. Second day was more peaceful than the first. No one bothered me, or even dared talk to me. I got a few stares, and a couple of glares every now and then. But aside from all that, I''m good. Everything was perfectly normal. During lunch, Kaiden fetched me again, though this time, he was with Callan and Verrill. That meant that he didn''t skip classesgood job, Kaiden. After fetching me, we went straight to the cafeteria where Hora and Crystal were already seated, waiting for us. "Ahm Kaiden," I called him when we were all seated, and done ordering our meals. "I''ve been meaning to ask. Are you going to continue fetching me over for lunch?" "Hm? I guess so. Why?" he asked, perplexed by my question. "Do you not want me to?" "No! I mean, I like it, yes. And I''m thankful. I just thought that maybe it''s a bother for you three?" "Nope, it''s not," Callan answered for him. "It''s not that we''re fetching you per say. It''s more like ''you''re along the way'' kind of thing." "Oh! I see! You''re right. My department is along the way to the cafeteria." I gulped hard, realizing that I was just romanticising it in my own way when it was perfectly normal for them to do so. Right. They were a bunch of gentlemen. Ugh. I wanted to hide again so badly. Ground, when would you cooperate and swallow me up when I need you to? "This idiot Callan," Crystal clicked her tongue. "Don''t listen to him, Senara. He''s just an idiot like that and he doesn''t realize my brother cares for you, that''s why he''s picking you up along the way." Her eyes shot daggers at Callan as she said those words to me. ''Crystal is really shipping us hard, isn''t she? Just like Hora. Great. You''re definitely helping me a lot to NOT fall for him more. I better tell her to stop it. I''m not good enough for her brother anyway. He''s a really kind man, but he''s way out of my league. And I shouldn''t get my hopes up.'' As I was busy with my own negative thoughts, Callan suddenly asked the most outrageous question. He turned to Kaiden and bluntly asked, "You like her, boss?" ''Oh my goodness. I hate you Callan. Now, I understand why Crystal acts like your mom. You''re a walking, ticking, time bomb!'' My face paled up. I wasn''t prepared to hear Kaiden''s answer to that kind of nonsense. Crystal and Hora, in contrast, waited eagerly. Of course, they still had that bet going on. Kaiden who was busy with his phone at that time, looked at us with a confused expression. He probably didn''t understand Callan''s question. "Huh?" "I asked if you like Senara." "Yes. She''s a friend so of course, I like her. She won''t be my friend otherwise. Why?" "I meant in a romantic waynot just friendship," Callan grinned mischievously. ''He really just had to press on! Ugh! I really, really, hate you now!'' Kaiden thought for a moment and stared at me. "Y-y-you don''t have to answer him seriously!" I blurted out in my nervousness. "W-we haven''t known each other for that long as well. So it''s all just friendship. And we''re still young. We''re just teenagers. There''s nough" I gave up trying to explain. Turning to Callan, I urged him, "Please stop this, Callan." I glared at Callan with massive anger. May he feel the depths of my irritation and read between the lines. Sometimes, I felt like I wanted to zip that blabber mouth of his so he wouldn''t be able to speak again. My anger only stopped when I noticed that Kaiden was staring at me. What in the world could he be thinking? Badump! Badump! Badump! My heart thumped so loud I could hear it. "I''m not good with romance, or dealing with any girl in particular," he said. "But if I''ll ever be in a romantic relationship someday, I don''t mind if it''s someone like Senara. We get along just fine and I''m comfortable with her. And that will matter for me since I don''t like speaking to girls. They''re a whole new species for me. It''s a miracle I''m friends with one." Unable to hide my extreme joy from hearing him say all those words, my face suddenly felt hot and my lips curved itself into a sweet smile. My heart was already beating loudly but it grew worse, as if jumping in joy with me. ''OMG! I have a chance! Thank the heavens! Go Senara! Seduce him!I mean, make him fall in love with you! He said he doesn''t mind if it''s you. Oh my goodness. I''m so happy I wanna cry! Great job me!'' "KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Hora and Crystal screamed for me since only my thoughts could scream for a moment. They giggled and held each other''s hands like fangirls. And I was left to bow my head, trying to hide my grinning face. Ahhh I felt my heart would explode. I was so happy and relieved at the same time. Admit it, Senara Lee. You like him already. You had fallen for him no matter how much you try to deny it. And there was no way to go back up. Chapter 65 - Like Fire And Ice [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "It seems my brother is not so stupid after all," Crystal flipped her hair smugly, clapping her hands slowly. "Great answer. Now, let me teach you how to properly court a woman later." "No, thanks." Leaning towards Crystal, Hora whispered, "So it seems I''ll be winning the bet, huh?" "Nuh-uh-uh. Don''t be too sure yet. As I told you before, my brother is" I immediately glared my eyes at Crystal, signaling her to stop whatever it was that she was about to saybecause it probably was, or better yetdefinitely, the one I''m thinking about. Good thing she read my eyes and caught on. Few minutes later, food arrived. Finally, we could all eat and stop the mind-blowing, heart-thumping, crazy conversation about romance. Despite my thirty years of living in my previous life, and reliving my life again, love life was still uncharted waters for me. So yeah, I better keep myself safe for now by just enjoying my friendship with Kaiden. I had to admit though, I felt really hopeful with what Kaiden said. I guess it was okay to hope a little bit, right? After eating, we headed back to our respective departments to attend our next subjects. Kaiden and Verrill had something to do, and Hora and Crystal''s department was in an opposite direction of mine so basically, I got stuck with Callan on my way back. Ugh. Of all people, it just had to be him. It wasn''t like I hate him per say but okay, maybe I do hate him. I almost died back there from a heart attack! Though it ended up good but still! If there''s anyone who could make my blood boil easily, it''s himCallan. "Haaah" I sighed deeply as I walked with Callan back to our departments. "That''s the gazillion time you sighed," he complained, sounding extremely irritated. "I get it. You don''t like me, and I don''t like you, either. So the feeling is mutual." My eyes widened and my mouth scoffed the moment he said that. I stopped walking and faced him eye to eye, glaring at him. "What did I do to you that made you hate me so much?" "I can ask the same thing," he shrugged. Annoyed, I instinctively clicked my tonguea trait I probably got from Crystal, damn it! Due to that, he raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Soooo, you''re finally showing your true colors." "Huh? What color?" ''I really don''t understand this guy. First meeting, he sizes me up rudely. During the barbecue party, it was either he ignored me, or laughed at me deliberately. Then earlier, he, without any filter or better wordings, asked Kaiden the most ridiculous question that almost killed me! Ugh. Everything he does is just so urgh!'' "Don''t play innocent with me." "What playing innocent? I won''t understand what you mean unless you tell me plainly. Like what you just did back there! At the cafeteria!" "Hmf! I know the likes of you. Deliberately acting nice in front of Kaiden, then becomes the devil when he''s not around." He looked at me again from head to toe. "What? I''m only like this because you''re so mean! It''s as if you''re doing it purposely." "I am doing it purposely because I don''t like you." "Why? Don''t tell me that the moment you saw me, you just decided that you hate me for no reason. Oh! Wait a minute. I think I get it now. You''re gay! You like Kaiden, don''t you? And since I''m his first female friend, your position is being threatened and" The disgusted look on his face couldn''t be more apparent. He looked like he wanted to throw up. "Eeeew! What did youugh, what the fu*k. For your information, I''m only protecting my best friend. I''m not ugh. Kai is not the one I like." He shook his head and pressed on his temples. Still not fully understanding him, I asked again, "Then is it Verrill?" "Woman, I''m a dude," he replied sharply. "I like girls. How stupid can you be?" "Hey! That''s rude, mister!" ''Wraaaa! Seriously, this guy! We repel each other with perfect repulsion! If you weren''t Kaiden''s friend, I would have punched you in the face! Argh!'' "Fine. I''ll explain it to you in simpler terms so your puny brain can understand," Callan said as he crossed his arms. "First, the one I like is Crystal, not Kai. You got that?" "Hmf! Yes." I crossed my arms, imitating him, hoping it would annoy him. "Second, Kai has been my best friend since childhood and I enjoy the privilege of protecting him from hyenas like you." "Huh?! Me? I''m not" "I''m not yet done," he interrupted me. How dare this guy! He''s a handsome devil! "I''ve seen many girls like you, doing their best to flirt with him. I don''t blame you all. He really is one heck of a guy, and extremely rich at that. That''s why I flirt with the girls that try to approach him instead, to protect him. But you," he looked at me from head to toe again, "you don''t qualify for girls I want to flirt with so I''m being mean instead. If you understand that, get out of their house and look for your own. Bring that friend of yours, too." "Now, don''t you dare bring Hora in this. Whatever this is, it''s a fight between you and me, you got that? If you don''t want your best friend touched, I don''t want mine either." "Huh! Alright. Just get away from Kai." ''Hmf! So he sees me as some flirty and probably, gold-digger kind of girl to his best friend. How could he! I admit that I like Kaiden, but its purely out of his kindness and so many thingsnot his wealth. I can earn money on my own just fine!'' "No! Kaiden is my friend, too." "No. I don''t approve of you." "Then I don''t approve of you for Crystal, too!" "Heh. I''m more important to Crystal than you are. Being Kaiden''s childhood friend means I''m also her childhood friend." "Yes, you are. And as a childhood friend will you remain forever!" His eyes widened in anger. "Tsk! What did you just say, you little missy?" he asked in a threatening tone. But I was never one to back down when it came to fighting with men. With women, I may, but not with men. And definitely not with someone like him! And so, we glared angrily at each other''s eyes like two lions preparing for battle. Until, someone''s voice washed all our hatred away. "What''s going on?" It was Kaiden. Chapter 66 - So Hateful! [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Seeing Kaiden walk towards us, with Verrill on his side, all my anger subsided. They all got replaced with sadness instead. Since it was another outburst of emotions, my eyes teared up. ''This hateful Callan! I''m gonna tell this to Kaiden! You judger of all womankind! Flirting girls who try to approach Kaiden to protect him? Don''t joke with me! If I know better, you''re just a real flirt and you''re using Kaiden to get girls! Hmf! And since I''m not one to fall for your jerkiness, you''re angry with me! Urgh! A real hooligan!'' "Kaiden, this guy" I was gonna tell him off but he suddenly covered my mouth with his hands and pushed me closer to him. ''Wraaaa! Get your filthy hands off me! You you you trash! And how dare you pull me closer to you? A real flirt indeed! Mindlessly touching girls! The audacity!'' "Mrrrhhm! Hmmm-mm-mmmt!" I tried to speak but his hand was so strong. "Nothing at all!" Callan answered Kaiden with a smile. "She just figured out a secret that I''m not supposed to tell you both yet." OMG! He looked so professional with his lying capabilities. But I''m not backing down you hateful person! I''m gonna tell you! Then, he whispered to me, "Don''t you dare tell Kaiden about this, you don''t know what I can do." Badump! Badump! Badump! I didn''t know what got into me but hearing those words broke my heart. I was reminded of when my dad''s life got threatened by those scammers. The fear, anger, anxiousness, and sadness I felt that day, it came rushing back. His words sent shivers down my spine. He was just a teenager like me but he could say such threatening words so effectively. This guy he wasn''t someone to be messed around with. My eyes couldn''t contain my tears anymore, so they fell like a gentle stream on my cheeks. He probably felt it flow on his hands since he jolted afterwards, turning me to face him so that my back was towards Kaiden. Seriously, this guy he even made sure Kaiden wouldn''t see my tears. I made up my mind. I loathe this guy. Truly, not everyone you''ll meet would be nice people. "I hate you," I told him straight in the eye, glaring at him with all my anger and fierceness. I never felt this furious since that incident. The first was with those scammers, and now with him. "You judge people without even knowing them. You become mean, say rude things, and bully someone you don''t even know." ''Yeah, just like my classmates.'' "How do you know that I''m really like those girls you perceive I am? Did I flirt with Kaiden? No, I didn''t. I couldn''t even bear to speak with him sometimes because I get so nervous. You think I liked him because of his money? Or his looks? You''re wrong! I liked him even before I met him!" My tears wouldn''t stop. And my voice was shaking as I said those things. "I understand if you''re trying to protect your friend because if it''s with Hora, or Crystal, I would do the same. But my methods won''t be like yours! You think it''s alright to say bad things about people just because you want to? Well let me tell you, that''s wrong! You don''t know what that person is going through for you to judge them and say anything as you please! Not to me, or to any girls or anyone on that matter!" Callan looked shocked. He must be surprised that I''m fighting back. I might have been a pushover in my last life, always bottling up my opinions within myself, but this time No! I would make my voice heard! I would make myself understood! And I would fight back! I won''t just cower in the corner and hide! "If you don''t like me, that''s fine. I don''t care. But don''t ever do this again to anyone!" With that, I bumped his shoulders with mine, and went on my way. I heard Kaiden''s footsteps getting nearer and I didn''t want him to see me crying. I also didn''t want him to be involved in our fight. It wasn''t his fault anyway. It''s that stupid Callan. Crystal was right. He was a stupid person! Urgh! ''I had enough of people judging me even before knowing me. Yes, it''s easy to say just brush them off and don''t care. But when they blatantly say that to your face, it''s so irritating! I feel so wronged. What in the world did I do to you? I''ve never been rude to anyone but you treat me like that? How could you?! I know I can''t please everybody, but just don''t mess with me and leave me alone. I will gladly do the same for you!'' While pouring all my complaints in my mind, I reached my next classroom. I made sure to wipe my tears, and continue on with the rest of the day. ______________________________ [PS. This part is a mini Callan POV after Senara left] I froze up when I saw her crying. Was I too mean? But wasn''t she just like those annoying girls? "You think I liked him because of his money? Or his looks? You''re wrong! I liked him even before I met him!" Those words lingered in my mind. She liked him even before meeting him? How in the friggin'' world could that happen? Wut? She met Kai online or something? "What happened, Cal?" Verrill ran towards me and asked. "Yeah. Tell me," Kai followed, gazing at me intensely. Oh boy, his voice sounded so menacing. That girl fooled him this much, huh? "What did you do to her?" "I didn''t do anything wrong. She''s just like those gold diggers who tried flirting with you before so I" Kai''s intense gaze turned into a glare in a snap. "How can she be a gold digger when we''ve been friends even before she knew I''m rich? Or even before she knew I''m Kaiden Ma?" "Huh? What?" "She''s Lady Pumpkin, remember?" Verrill added. "Lady Pumpkin? That lucky dude who got a sacred weapon?" "Cal, she''s not a dude. She''s Senara." "Wut? How could that be? He was so good at playing!" "You never listened when Kai told us about her, did you?" "You serious?" My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. Kai crossed his arms and glared at me more than before. "You know what you need to do," and there it was, Kai''s threatening words. Oh boy I fu*ked up real bad. Chapter 67 - Suffer, You Brat! [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The rest of the day continued peacefullyfor the surrounding at least. Inside me, it was full of turmoil. I never liked arguments or stupid misunderstandings especially when I''m involved in it. It''s way too upsetting! Ruined my mood every single time. I tried to breathe in and out to calm myself. Gladly, it helped. Along with the peace of mind that calmness was giving, was a sense of guilt. ''I fought with Kaiden''s friend.'' That thought circled my mind over and over. ''No matter how much of a jerk he was, still, he''s Kaiden''s friend. I shouldn''t have been so rude and let myself be overcome with emotions. I''m usually calm but why am I so sensitive lately? Am I getting my period soon? Ugh I just hope he leaves me alone.'' Hours passed and class ended. Then, we all went back home. For some reason, Callan tried approaching me. Was he feeling guilty, too? Hmf! But I wasn''t ready to forgive him yet. Even if I was feeling guilty earlier, I still didn''t want to talk to him. I still haven''t forgiven him so I ignored him and went straight inside the car. Of course, everyone would notice that we had some beef going on. But I asked Hora and Crystal to not worry about it. We would figure it out eventually right? Anyway, that night, I did end up having my period. So that was why. I should really change my username in Armageddon to Mood Swingsvery befitting of me. Haaah if only my hormones would cooperate with me. Days passed by slowly as I enjoyed my next classes at school. Aside from me ignoring Callan and treating each other as if we didn''t exist, everything was normal. I would get calls from mom and dad, my younger brother, and Ken every other night as usual, go to school with Hora and the twins, attend my lessons peacefully, and come back home safely. Everything was perfectly normal. I quite enjoyed it, actually. Well, it only lasted until Friday, though. As soon as I left the classroom, he was there waiting. I was waiting for his fans to show up since it was the reason why I was able to run from him throughout the rest of the weekbecause his fans would flock at him whenever they got the chance. And the smart me who still didn''t want to deal with him, used that opportunity to escape. But this time, Callan managed to corner me at one of the secluded places at school. ''I shouldn''t have run to this part of the school. What if he hurts me?'' "Senara, wait!" "Haaaah" I sighed deeply before turning to face him. "What? I''m perfectly fine with us ignoring each other so there''s no need for you to try to make up with me or whatever you''re trying to do." I lied. I wasn''t fine actually. It''s very awkward especially during lunch where we had to eat with each other. I could barely swallow my food. But I''m still angry at him so I ended up saying that. So much for my guilt. I''m really no good at dealing with boys. If only every guy was as kind as Kaiden or Verrill or Ken. My blood still boiled when I saw him. "Look, I''m sorry," he said, much to my surprise. "I really am." I raised my eyebrows at him. "You''re only saying that because Kaiden or Crystalor both, probably reprimanded you. I don''t buy it." "Come on! Jeez! Women are so difficult. Tsk!" "Excuse me?" He sighed and shook his head which made me scoff. Seriously, the audacity! "Listen to me." "Fine. What is it?" "I haaah I''m not good at apologizing or acting nice, okay? But I really want to say that I''m sorry. You''re right. I judged you too quickly. I shouldn''t have done that." His voice got softer and his face flushed red. He touched the back of his neck and kept on biting his lips. Seeing him nervous, guilty, and apologetic, made me feel a bit sympathetic to him. I guess he really meant his apology. "It''s just that all this time, the three of us would always end up being approached by stupid girls like that. Flirting, plotting, doing irritating stuff. They would even try to steal kisses or touches! Disgusting! And Kai hehe can''t be touched. He Well, let''s just say we''re protective of him. Like our baby brother, you know? We just don''t want him to" Realizing he meant what he said, my anger subsided. "Kai, he''s really kinda great man. He''s also mature for his age. Ugh, what the hell am I saying? Point is, he likes you a LOT. And you''re a girl for friggin'' sake. I got overprotective, and anxious because what if you just end up hurting him. He won''t care if others hurt him since they''re not close. But if it''s someone close ugh. Basically, I just don''t want him to be hurt." " Did someone close to him hurt him before?" Callan flinched slightly. My guess was right. Someone did hurt Kaiden before and that was the reason why he''s overprotective. Who was it, though? An ex-girlfriend? But Kaiden said he never had one. "A relative?" I asked again but he didn''t respond. "No. It''s best if you hear it from him instead. Once he''s ready though. He will tell it on his own so don''t go snooping around or asking him stupid question, you got that?" "Yes. And I''m not stupid. I graduated valedictorian for your information. Also, try and lessen saying rude things and bad words. Your looks are useless if your tongue only knows how to spout foul words." I rolled my eyes. "You should learn some manners from your friends." ''Since he apologized, I won''t hate him anymore but that doesn''t mean I''ll like him in an instant.'' "Yeah, yeah. I will. So, are we good now?" "No. I don''t hate you anymore but that doesn''t mean I''ll forgive you that easily. You made me cry because of your own misunderstanding." "Ughhhh what will it take for you to forgive me?" "Hmmm" I pondered for a bit. Then, a perfect idea crossed my mind. Looking smug, I told him, "I want cheese flavoured ice cream with tiny cheese chunks in it." Unfortunately for him, there was no such flavour like that available anywhere in this country. So basically, he would need to do it from scratch. Heh. Suffer, you bratt Callan. Chapter 68 - Ice Cream Project [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Callan''s reaction was satisfying. He looked so perplexed and confused with my request. But he caught on after a few minutes. He was probably wondering where in the world did I get such a bizarre idea. Well, I wasn''t asking for the impossible though. Cheese flavoured ice cream was a thing in our country. In fact, many people liked it. "Fine. I''ll make one." "Oh? You can make ice cream?" "I''m not as good as Kai but I can cook." "Have you ever made ice cream before?" " No." "Heh. I''ll wait for it then. Make sure it''s edible and that YOU made it. Otherwise your apology is not accepted. Sincerity is a must in apologies." "Urk! I know, I know! I will do it. I''ll even come tomorrow and do it in the kitchen in front of you." I chuckled. "Good. And you''ll keep making it until I''m satisfied with the flavour." "What?!" I squinted my eyes at him. "Fine! I''ll do it. Ugh." The next day, which was a Saturdayno classes, Callan did as he promised. He visited the Ma Residence, knocked on my room''s door, and bothered me so early in the morning, so I could observe him making the ice cream. "Wut? You said you''d watch me make the ice cream," he said, shrugging. He carried a bag of groceries on both of his hands. I sighed and raised my eyebrows at him. "At 6 am? Seriously?" Yes. It was six in the morning, on a weekend, and I was disturbed from my long awaited time to hibernate. He could have come in the afternoon, or before lunch time, but oh no, he really chose to come when the sun was just rising. Truly, he knew very well how to get on my nerves. I love the morning but it''s a Saturday for goodness'' sake. I wanted to sleep a bit more. There was nothing I could do about it though. And since every nerve in my body had fully awakened because of him, I followed him to the kitchen. I was still in my pajamas though. He was rushing me so much so I was only able to brush my teeth and wash my face. Once in the kitchenwhich was insanely hugethe chefs and assistant chefs kindly lent us a space for us to do our cooking. I sat on a chair in front of the kitchen counter, making my coffee and toasting some bread, while Callan started his "Cheese Ice Cream" project. What a good way to start my morning, punishing the brat before me. How very satisfying. I couldn''t help but chuckle as I watched him struggle on reading through a recipe book, and following what it said. He looked handsome though, with that apron on. Yes, he looked quite okay if he would just shut his mouth all the time. Once he speaks, chaos would definitely happen. "Want some bread?" I asked for the sake of courtesy. He came so early so I wasn''t sure if he even ate. It''s not that I''m feeling merciful or worried for himnope, definitely not. "Huh? You worried about me?" "No. Do you want some or not?" He chuckled smugly. Why was it that all his actions looked so smug? Where did he get all that confidence? "Nah. I''m good. I ate at home." "What time did you wake up?" "Five? I don''t know." Noticing there were so many bowls in front of him, with milky liquid things insideI didn''t know what they were since I''m not blessed with cooking capabilitiesI jolted up from my seat. "Hey! How much ice cream are you making? Are you trying to feed everyone in this household including the maids? That looks like a lot." "Wut? I''m making different kinds and experimenting with proportions of ingredients. You said you had to like the taste. I don''t know how you want it to be. And it takes time to freeze ''em. You think I''d make one batch, freeze it, then if you''re not satisfied, make another batch and wait for it to freeze?" He said all that in a single breath while raising his eyebrows at me. "Oh. I see. I thought you could make it in one go." His face turned sour. He''s probably summoning all his wits to calm himself and not be angry at me since this was his way of apologizing to me. He-he-he. How amusing. And so, he continued making the ice cream while I kept on pestering him every now and then. Once done, he left it in the fridge and I went back to my room, planning to get some writing done. To my surprise, he followed me to my room! "What thewhy are you following me in my room?" "I have nowhere to go. I can''t go to Kai''s room. He''s still asleep and he''ll get angry if I disturb him." "Then go somewhere else! To the living room, or library, or I don''t know. Wherever but not my room. You already entered uninvited earlier." "Why not? And lend me your desktop. I want to play while waiting. There''s no desktop in the library anymore since Kai uses it and when I play I get noisy so he removed it there." "First, I''m a girl and you''re a boy in case you''re forgetting. Second, I''m planning to write. Do you think I can write in a noisy environment?" "What''s wrong with that? I could go to Crystal''s room just fine. But she''s still asleep right now." "Then third, we''re not that close for me to grant you entry in my room." "Tsk! Stingy." "Did you just click your tongue on me?" ''Ahh there it is. He''s losing his patience. If he''s an animal, he''s definitely a hot-blooded one.'' He stayed silent and turned around instead, finally leaving me alone. Phew! Having to deal with a brat was so hard. Anyway, it was time to get some writing done. Thanks to him, I just got inspired into writing a very hateful character! ''Right! I have been wondering for days how I should plan out the personality of the Guardian of Darkness! Now I have the perfect reference! A jerk through and through! I''m gonna name him Caligo which means dark in Latin. How perfectly befitting of him!'' Chapter 69 - The Verdict [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Hours passed with me writing my new book. Actually, not writing, it was more like researching instead. I had to research lots of stuff like namesI wanted every name of my characters to have a meaning in them. I also researched for pictures of fantasy places for referencesit was easier to imagine with pictures. Lastly, I researched about magic and their rules and all that stuff, but in the end I wasn''t satisfied so I just made my own rules regarding magic. My new book was fantasy so of course, it had magic involved. Knock! Knock! Knock! My bubbles of thoughts all burst when I heard loud knocks on my room''s door. I just heard it once but that pattern and strength could only belong to one brat. I guess three to four hours had passed? Looking at the clock on my table, it was almost lunch time. I stood up and opened the door to welcome Callan''s irritating face. Taking a good look at him, I was reminded of how he was still a teenagerat sweet sixteen to be precise. Right. I should have more patience with him. I''m the older one here. I should not stoop down to his level of maturity. Like they said, "Never argue with difficult people." "It''s time!" he said, looking so excited. But seeing my unamused expression, his lips that curved up, turned down in an instant. "Yes, I know. Let''s go." We both went back to the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. I helped him take out all the ice cream varieties he made. There were seven of them in total, in different shades of yellow. How I hope one of them was made with cheddar or else I wouldn''t like the flavour. Maybe I should have told him that. Callan took sorbet glasses from the counter and scooped each flavour to one glass. He gave all seven for me to taste, and waited eagerly for my reaction. He stood on the other side of the counter in front of me while I sat on the other side. His intense gaze made me nervous. I took a spoonful of the most yellow one with tiny cheddar-looking bits. "Here it goes," I whispered to myself before taking the spoon to my mouth. Then, my eyes widened. I looked at Callan with the spoon still on my mouth. He flinched seeing my reaction. Probably doubting his own creation, he grabbed another spoon and took a spoonful from my glass and tasted it. His eyes widened in surprise, too. Yes. Who wouldn''t be? We both grinned afterwards and ended up laughing at each other. "Oh my goodness! It tastes awesome! You nailed it!" I complimented him with much joy. The ice cream was delicious! Even better than what I got used with back in my country! I felt all my anger and hate towards him go down the drain in an instant. "Woah! This is hella good!" he exclaimed in joy. "I didn''t know that cheese and ice cream went well together! I say, you got taste." "Of course, I do," I smiled smugly at him. We both laughed our eyes out. After that, we tried tasting the others and they were all good, too, but the first one was still my favourite. We ate a whole glass of it with three scoops. I could have eaten more but lunch was coming and I would have to eat something proper. As we ate, we chatted about random things and at last, made up. I''d have to admit that when he''s not arrogant, he was a really funny person. He was good at conversations, too, like Crystalgiven that all curse words and rude words were taken out. "Hey, what are you a kid?" he suddenly said that to me. "Huh? What now? I''m not a kid." "You got somethin'' on your" he said, pointing his finger to his cheeks. "Oh, I have something on my cheeks." I tried wiping it off but it seemed that I missed the spot so he reached out his hands towards my cheeks. ''Wow. Is he gonna wipe it off for me? How nice of him. What a total 180 degree turn from his previous personality towards me.'' Thinking that, I froze up on my seat and just observed his hands go towards my cheeks. I wondered if it was that natural to himtouching a girl so casually. Suddenly, another hand slapped his hand away from my face before it reached my cheeks. I turned to my left and was surprised to see it was Kaiden! My lips curved into a smile instantly upon seeing him. But why was it that he looked angry? Kaiden glared towards Callan. "It looks like you two are enjoying yourselves," Kaiden said in a somewhat menacing tone. Or maybe it was just my perception? ''Did he wake up on the wrong side of bed? OMG! Don''t tell me Callan knocked to his room before going to mine, disturbing his sleep? This stupid brat. He shouldn''t have done that.'' Trying to appease his grumpiness, I offered some ice cream to Kaiden. "He made ice cream! Cheese flavour! Try it, Kaiden, it''s delicious." Unconsciously, I offered a spoonful of ice cream and aimed at his mouth, as if trying to feed him. I froze up again realizing what I just did. ''Oh no. Oh no no no no no! He''s mysophobic. I completely forgot!'' Kaiden was surprised. I slowly put down my hand that was holding the spoon, in my embarrassment. "I-I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to" Chomp! To my surprise, Kaiden took it! ''KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!! I can die peacefully now! OMG! Kaiden let himself be fed by me! WAAAAAAAAAA!!!'' My entire whole being, including my soul, my heart, my insides, and everything that was in me, leaped in extreme joy! I was literally, internally screaming! My heart thumped like drum rolls. If my normal heartbeat was 60 per minute, it''s probably over a hundred now. My face was most likely as red as tomato because of this. "Mhm. It''s good," Kaiden nodded approvingly. A smudge escaped on the side of his lips so he wiped it with his thumb and licked it. ''Gulp. Why in the world did that look so sexy? How I wish I''m that ice cream smudge. What theSenara! Wake up! What in the world are you thinking? Nasty thoughts get out of my brain! Haaah Why do Kaiden have to look so dashingly handsome in everything he does?'' Chapter 70 - Simp Spotted [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ ''I felt so happy with something simple like that. If this was a drama or a comic, there would be roses and sparkles in Kaiden''s background right now. OMG. I''m fangirling over him! Have I become a simp?'' "Ugh I''m gonna leave you two alone for yourselves," Callan murmured, and sneakily went away. He was probably escaping from Kaiden. Not that I mind though. ''Yes, go on and give us some space. Great job, Callan. Didn''t know you can read the room.'' Still basked in happiness, I ended up staring at Kaiden while smiling stupidly. Then, another weird idea crossed my mind. "Kaiden," I shyly called his name, still smiling like a simp. "Hm?" he continued eating the ice cream, and sat beside me. "Can I take a picture of you?" Kaiden''s eyes widened in disbelief. For sure, he didn''t expect me to ask that. But I wanted to immortalize the moment so bad! He looked both so cute and so hot eating that ice cream! And he was still on his sleeping robes! ''That collarbone and a bit of glimpse to his chest Skin so smooth and white Ahhh I could stare at him all day. He''s like a perfect mannequin. Is there even anyone more handsome than him? This is my chance! It''s the first time for me to see him in such a state. I definitely need to get a picture!'' "Please? I''ll use it as reference and I''m not gonna distribute it anywhere at all," I begged him in the cutest way I possibly could. Please agree. Please agree, I beg you. "You can just search pictures online," he replied in a confused tone. "They''re not as handsome as you, though," I blurted out in a murmur. Oops! My mouth needs to relearn how to shut up at the right moments. Kaiden sighed. "Alright. Just make sure it won''t spread anywhere." "Yes! I''ll protect it with my life!" "Ahh not with your life." Good thing I brought my phone with me, hoping to get some pictures of the ice cream. But now, I got something better to take a picture of. I aimed my camera at Kaiden while he continued eating the ice cream. I made sure to capture lots, and in all positions! My eyes glimmered in excitement. ''Baby Elliot, you''re one lucky character having this hot stud as your reference.'' My inner author instinct started to kick in. I kept looking at Kaiden''s neck and chest and imagined how nice it would be to see him half awake with his sleeping robes slightly off. I should put that idea in my bookfor some fan service. Once satisfied, with the hundred pictures that I probably took, I grinned to myself. I must have looked so evil seeing Kaiden''s surprised expression. "You''re not planning on selling that, are you?" "What? No! I would never." I immediately corrected him. "But I''ll print it out and hang it on my corkboard." Realizing how "stalker-like" that sounded, I added, "for Elliot''s reference. The male lead in my next book." " Right," he agreed but sounded skeptical. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Kaiden laughed. It seemed to me that I succeeded in washing away his grumpiness. Great job, me! "Is this his apology to you?" "Yes. I made him do it." "Your punishment is too lenient. You could have made him do worse. He deserves it for making you cry." ''Oh. So he saw me crying that day, huh?'' "To be honest, I wanted to do something worse. But he''s still your friend. And we ended up working out our differences so it''s all good. He still needs to work on his arrogance and rudeness, though." "Ha-ha! Yes. He''s always been like that. Too blunt to a fault. But he''s nice deep inside. It doesn''t show on the outside though. That''s why I named him Scarecrow. He liked it despite the reason I called him that. And he''s been using it as his username in all the games we play." "So you''re the one who named him. Ha-ha-ha! It suits him really well with that scary personality of his." "Yeah." "Like how you named me Lady Pumpkin." "Pft! Yes." "And I''m guessing Casper, too?" He nodded. "Verrill is as his name suggests, like a ghost. You will only know he''s there if he makes his presence known. He''s the complete opposite of Callan." "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Poor Verrill! At least he''s kind and has great manners. A real gentleman, too. And how about your own? Why did you call yourself Grim Reaper?" "I didn''t name myself that. Callan and Verrill said since I named them Scarecrow and Casper, I should have something related. I''ve always been a top player and no one wins to me when it comes to PVP battles, so they decided with Grim Reapersince I sent everyone to their deaths." "Woah! You''re so great. Why are you so good at everything? Give me some of your talents, please!" "Ha-ha! If I can, I will. But for now, you have to eat some real food. Why are you having your desserts first?" "Tell me that when you''re not eating it, too." We laughed ourselves off after that. Then, lunch came and we ate all together. I took a bath and continued my story after while the printer happily printed Kaiden''s face. Once my hundred pictures were all printed, I put some inside an album, and chose 3 of the best to put in my corkboard of simpingI mean, ideas. Yes, pure ideas for my next book. Looking at his picture at my wall, I couldn''t help but grin from ear to ear. It hadn''t even been a month after seeing him but we''ve grown so close alreadyor at least, I thought we did. And I already fell for him in just that small amount of time. ''Am I moving too fast in this romance stuff? Haaah I hope someone can guide me on this. I don''t want to lose Kaiden. He''s already grown so important to me. I''m good with us being friends for now but I hope someday he comes to love me, too. But what do I need to do? I don''t know a single thing! And to think I''m trying to write fantasy romance! Woe is me. Somebody help me, please.'' Chapter 71 - Who Am I Kidding? [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ [Please note: Back by popular demand XD - This chapter is written in Kaiden''s POV - that Saturday morning that Callan visited to make ice cream for Senara] ''Those tears Falling from her eyes I hate it! Whenever I see that It stings in my heart.'' "Ugh," I grunted as I woke up from a bad dream. "It''s that dream again." Ever since that day, when I saw Callan and Senara fighting, and that moment she cried when he whispered something to her I kept on having these nightmares of her crying. It wasn''t like that moment where we first metwhen she fell on stage and landed in my arms. Badump! She was scared that time, too, but not in pain. Then, that time with the car accident. Ugh. How my blood boiled knowing something worse could have happened if Senara wasn''t so lucky that time! I still couldn''t forgive that man. How reckless! And that recklessness could have ended someone''s life! And not just someoneSenara''s an important friend. She Badump! ''Weird. Why have I become so emotional lately? Am I getting palpitations? Or did I eat something wrong?'' Nonetheless, it was good that he''s expelled from school. That''s one less danger for her. And as a countermeasure, I made sure she had plenty of bodyguards hidden around, ready to protect her any timeeven inside school. Apparently, there''s no safe place in this world. No longer sleepy, I got up from bed and stretched my body. I peeked over my clock and it was almost lunch time. I wondered if Callan arrived yet. He texted me yesterday saying he''s coming over to make ice cream for Senara. It seemed to be his punishment of some sort. Senara''s too kind. She should have him run around 1000 laps in the field. Even if he was my friend, Senara''s my friend, too. He shouldn''t have made a girl cry. Ugh. I wanted to punch him so bad the moment he touched Senara. Badump! "Haaaah" I sighed deeply. "This is the first time I want to punch him in the face. He''s been a jerk many times but I normally just laugh it off when he bullies others. He was just protective of me, like everyone else is." ''Yes. That''s true. But why is it that this time, I got angry? I don''t understand myself.'' Brushing everything off of my mind, I decided to go out of my room. When I opened the door, Mr. Wei was just about to knock on my door. "Young master, you are awake," Mr. Wei bowed his head. "Mr. Callan asked me to wake you up to taste his creation. He seemed to be quite pleased about it." "Ah, yes. The cheese flavoured ice cream." "Indeed. They are currently in the main kitchen right now. The dessert should be ready by now so you will no longer have to wait." "They? Who else are there?" "For now, only Mr. Callan and Ms. Senara. I will be on my way now to inform" Not even letting Mr. Wei finish his words, I found myself striding fast towards the main kitchen. Why? I wasn''t exactly sure. It''s just that somehow, I didn''t like the idea of Senara being alone with another man? Besides, Callan dared to touch hercovering her mouth and pulling her close to him. Urgh. Badump! "Irritating" It was such a fine Saturday morning and I''m already getting grumpy. And the worse part, I didn''t know why. It didn''t take me long to arrive at the main kitchen. When I did, I saw them laughing at each other. It seemed that they already made up. That''s good. Yeah. Badump! I walked towards them after but they didn''t notice me. Whatever they were talking about, it must be something funny since Senara was laughing and smiling so beautifully. "Hey, what are you a kid?" Callan suddenly shouted at Senara. "Huh? What now? I''m not a kid," she cutely pouted. "You got somethin'' on your" he said, pointing his finger to his cheeks. "Oh, I have something on my cheeks." Senara tried wiping it off, but she missed the spot. I chuckled seeing her trying to wipe the ice cream off her cheeks in vain. Before I knew it, I was already walking faster towards her. Then Callan reached out his hands towards her. Badump! My eyes widened, and I felt my blood boil in an instant. Next thing I knew, I was already beside Senara and I slapped Callan''s hand away from her. ''Don''t you dare touch her!'' was what my head kept screaming out. ''What the why am I like this? Callan is my friend. He was just apologizing to Senara since he was a jerk and hurt her. He was just trying to help her clean her cheeks but I Since when have I become so greedy?'' I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself. I shouldn''t be too grumpy in front of Senara. "It looks like you two are enjoying yourselves," I said. Ugh. My tone. It sounded rude. To my surprise, Senara offered me some of the ice cream. "He made ice cream! Cheese flavour! Try it, Kaiden, it''s delicious." She offered me a spoonful of ice cream, as if trying to feed me. Seeing her smile like that all my anger was gone. Badump! "I-I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to" She slowly put down her hand that was holding the spoon. She must have thought I didn''t want to be fed. But no, it wasn''t like that. I was just mesmerized by her smile. Badump! Badump! Badump! Ugh. My heart kept beating loudly again. If this continues, my face would redden. Trying to hide my emotions, I took itthe ice cream she was trying to feed me. Chomp! Staring at the spoon in my mouth, I suddenly realized something. ''This spoon wasn''t this the one she was using earlier?'' My eyes widened again. ''Did I just acceptbut wait, isn''t this an indirect'' Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Oh shut up, heart! Stop going wild! I should get this checked up later.'' Though, strangely enough, I wasn''t disgusted with what happened. I never allowed anyone to feed me but hmmm. I kept acting weird lately, too. ''What is it? What is it with her that keeps on making me do weird things? Is it because I''m just being careful since she''s my first female friend? And she''s not family, so I can''t treat her rudely like my sister and mother. Hmm yes, that must be it.'' I chuckled thinking all that. ''Who am I kidding? I guess I''m at that stage already, huh?'' Chapter 72 - What A Tea! [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV] As I grinned stupidly to myself, and rolled around my bed, a sudden memory came to mindthe moment that Kaiden slapped Callan''s hand away from my face. I would admit that my heart skipped a beat at that moment and I absolutely love it, even making me think that I was somehow special to him but he slapped Callan''s hand without his gloves or any protection on his hand. "He can touch Callan?" I murmured to myself. "But I thought he couldn''t do that. Hmm Was he okay because Callan has been a long time childhood friend?" Right. Come to think of it, the same happened with Raven. He was absolutely fine with touching his bird. Weird. Was he really mysophobic? Or was it just an excuse so he could get away from his pursuers? Hmm But Callan was very protective of him. So it''s impossible that there was nothing wrong. "Maybe, he is mysophobic, but a different kind? Or was it only applicable to people or things he doesn''t know or close with? Is there even something like that?" I talked to myself like a lunatic. It seemed that I picked up a habit of thinking out loud. Since I couldn''t really answer all those questions by myself, I just shrugged it off and continued my writing. There wasn''t much homework to do so I decided to do them later or tomorrow. An hour passed and there I was still sitting on my thinking chair just sitting. "Arghhh! I can''t think of anything! What is this madness?" I yelled at myself, frustrated. "I was so on fire a moment ago but now I don''t know what to write. Oh noooo." I scratched my head and rotated my chair left and right, but still nothing. "Is this what they call a writer''s block? A slump?" My eyes widened in the sudden realization. "No, this can''t be! I barely even managed to write a few chapters. I still need to write more! Waaaa but this story is so difficult to write even if the plot is really good and I personally love it. I''m getting a dead end on the romance part, too! What do I do?" Feeling lost, I decided to visit Hora in her room and ask help. "Horaaaaaa," I wailed as I barged in her room without even knocking. "Help meeeee." I went straight to Hora who was lying at her bed at that moment, with her eyes fixed intently on a book she was reading. Slumping myself beside her, I tugged her arms, disturbing her from reading. Hora turned to me, blinking her eyes, with a bemused expression. "Why are you wailing like a kid?" "Help meeee. Hu-hu-hu. I''m having troubles writing," I pouted cutely at her so she may shed her mercy with me. Hora liked cute things. Thankfully, I''m cute enough for her. "I can''t concentrate and think of anything so I can''t write." "Huuuuh?" Her bemused expression just leveled up. "Why?" "I don''t know," I replied, shaking my head. "I was on fire a moment ago, then ''Poof!''all my ideas went down the drain. Well, there''s an idea but I can''t figure out how to write it." Hora put down the book she was reading and got up, facing me. "Hmmm I''d love to help but I don''t know what to advise you. I''m not a writer." Right. Why did I go to her anyway? I guess I was just used to turning to Hora every single time. Well, except the accident with dad but yeah, she really wouldn''t be able to give me advice. I should have searched online instead. Thinking that, I sighed heavily. "You''re right. I shouldn''t have bothered you. I''m sorry." "Maybe there''s just a lot of things going on your mind?" "Like what?" Hora grinned mischievously. Oh no. I should have known that this was a bad idea. "Like a certain mysophobic, raven-owning, purple-haired and purple-eyed boy also known as Grim Reaper?" "Ugh," I shook my head in embarrassment, "Hora, please. Let''s not go there. I''m trying to get motivated here to write, you know." "You like her, boss?" she started acting like Callan. "I''m not good with romance, or dealing with any girl in particular," she said, copying Kaiden. OMG. She''s trying to re-enact "that" scene at the cafeteria! "But if I''ll ever be in a romantic relationship someday," Hora continued, "I don''t mind if it''s someone like Senara." "Stop that, Hora!" "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Oh no. She''s screaming like a fangirl again. "That happened days ago. Stop it." "What? I''m giving you motivation. Try writing about that. Your next book is fantasy romance, right? I''m helping you on the romance part," she smiled so smugly and waggled her eyebrows again. I''m beginning to hate that wagglingalways meant trouble. "Helping me in the romance part, huh? Then why don''t I add you and Verrill in it, huh?" I got up and tickled her sides. "No! Aaaah! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Please, stop!" "No. I''m not stopping. I''m asking seriously here and you make fun of me. Taste my revenge!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha! STAAAAPPPPHH! I surrender!" she laughed so hard and hit her hands on the bed in her attempt to escape my tickle attack. Ring! Ring! Ring! A sudden phone call distracted me from avenging myself. "Hm? Someone''s calling you, Hora." Breathing heavily, she wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes. Oh my goodness. It seemed that I tickled her too much. Ha-ha-ha! Her face was so red. "Hah hah Bad Sena. Who is it?" I got up from the bed and went over her study table where her cellphone was. Checking the name of the caller, my eyes lit up and my lips automatically grinned like the devil. Slowly turning to Hora, I showed her the screen of her phone. "So you''re calling buddies with Verrill now, huh?" Chapter 73 - When Karma Strikes [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Hora''s eyes went big in an instant. Ha-ha-ha! What sweet and perfect timing to add fuel to my revenge. "That''s" "Uh-oh. She''s having trouble thinking of an excuse to me," I said in a sing-sang, deliberately teasing her, while handing over the phone to her. "You can tell me about it later. For now, answer your lover boy." Hora''s cute face grimaced. She wanted to rebut so much to me but unfortunately, she had to take the call. Toot! "H-hello," she shyly answered. I immediately sat beside her and leaned over the other side of her phone, trying to listen to their conversation. Of course, Hora shooed me away and glared at me. I laughed at her cute expression. Her face was still so red. I wasn''t sure if it was because I tickled her or because she was talking with Verrill. I vote for the latter. "Uh-huh." "Yes." "That''s great!" "Okay." Those were the only words she said. Stingy girl. She was probably holding out her words or else I''d find something to tease her about. I''d still tease her though, even without it. The fact that Verrill called her was enough to awaken the fangirl inside me. ''She thinks that she''s the only fangirl here, huh? Nuh-uh! First and foremost, I''m the number one fan of the VeRa ship. Yes, Ve-Ra for Verrill and Hora. Sounds cool, right? He-he-he-he.'' Their call took only a few minutes and Hora already said her goodbye. "Tsk! Tsk! This girl really doesn''t know how to flirt. She could have said something nice or try to prolong the conversation," I complained to her the moment she hung up. "Ooooh. So you''re an expert at flirting now?" Hora raised her eyebrow at me. "Say that to me when you have a boyfriend already." ''Urk! Oops.'' "Also," she continued, "just so we''re clear" I smiled and nodded at her, excited to hear what the call was about. "The reason why I have his number and he has mine, and we''re ''calling buddies'' as you called it, is all because of YOU." "Huh?! Me? What did I do?" "You fought with Callan remember? And you two kept ignoring each other for days. So I got worried. And one day, I happened to bump into him so I asked for news since you don''t want to talk about it saying your blood boils every time you remember him," she said all that in a single breath and shrugged afterwards. Now, it was my turn to blink my eyes. "Oh. So it''s because of that. He-he" I laughed awkwardly. "Then what''s the call about?" "He just informed me that you made up with Callan." "Aaahh, I see. Yes, we just made up todaythis morning, actually." "Uh-huh. And that''s that. End of story." "But he could have just texted you. Why call?" Hora squinted her eyes towards me. "Really, Sena? Are you going to put meanings behind anything? Even something as normal as a call?" "I''m just saying," I shrugged. "I still remember that time where he patted your head and said you''re so cute. You can''t tell me not to ship," I teased and winked at her. "I am the president of the VeRa ship, you know." "Aight. I''m outta here." Hora turned her back at me and walked towards the door. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hey! Don''t go! Okay, I''ll stop." I immediately grabbed her arm to stop her. Hora was really fun to tease. "Oh yeah! This is my room. You get out," she pointed her fingers at the door while glaring at me. "I''m going to watch Playful Kiss now. I have a date with Kim Hyun?joong so don''t bother me." She then pushed me outside her room. Bad Hora, kicking me out. "But I haven''t gotten my motivation yet!" I tried complaining but before I knew it, I was already outside her room. Click! Great! She even locked it. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hora is so funny." [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST)] Shaking my head, I went on my way. To where? I didn''t know. I just thought that maybe I needed a little walk or a change of ambiance. The Ma Residence was a really beautiful place. Maybe I''d be able to find some inspiration somewhere. I went downstairs, then upstairs, visited a couple of rooms, and greeted the servants I passed by. While walking aimlessly for half an hour I got lost. "Oh no. Where am I?" I spun my head around, and there was no one. I thought that since there were maids and butler all over the place, I shouldn''t have trouble going back to my room. But it seemed to be a wrong idea. Yes I had no sense of direction. Ever since we arrived at the Ma Residence, we had always been accompanied by a maid or a butler, guiding us to wherever we needed to go. Mr. Wei gave us a tour way, way back but just as I wasn''t good with distinguishing between cars, or forgetting names as soon as I heard them the same rule applied with places for me. "Hello? Anyone there?" I asked but only silence was returned to me. "Where in the world am I? And why is this mansion so big? Someone help me, please. Hu-hu-hu." Good thing it was bright or else, the whole surroundings would feel like that of a horror movie. I tried walking again, along the long hallway, trying to check the rooms I passed by but they were all empty. Alas, I stumbled at a dead endjust a lone room at the end of the corridor. I tried opening the door but it was locked so I turned around again, trying to remember which way I went. "Sniff sniff I''m really lost. And there''s no one around. I didn''t bring my phone with me, either. How will I go back?" I murmured to myself, almost crying. Feeling hopeless, I joined my hands and started praying, "Dear Gracious Lord, please help meeee. I promise to be good and not wander around alone anymore. I''m scared." Then, I heard the door behind me unlock. My eyes shot open in an instant and my heart beat loudly in my fear. ''OMG! W-what is that? The door was locked a few moments ago. Could it be? A g-ghost?'' Chapter 74 - Scent And Warmth... [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Extremely scared, my trembling body slowly turned around. "Senara?" a familiar voice called me. It was Kaiden. "H-haaaahh" I breathed heavily in relief. Tears started falling from my eyes. "What are you doing" "Kaideeeen! Waaaaaaa!" I wailed like a kid. Next thing I knew, I was running towards him. And I didn''t know what got into meprobably because of my fear, but I I shamelessly embraced him, burying my face on his chest. "Wahu-hu-hu-husniff sniff" I cried like a little kid. I guess I really was too scared. "What happened?" Kaiden asked, perplexed. I tried to explain but my words just jumbled up. One of the things I hated in life were ghosts and I thought he was a ghost! My heart almost jumped out of my chest in my nervousness. But good thing he wasn''t a ghost or I wouldn''t know what to do. I''d probably freeze up, unable to move or say anything. Kaiden did his best to calm me down, patting my back. But my tears just wouldn''t stop, and my body kept trembling. Even I didn''t know what to do with myself. I couldn''t think straight. I tried inhaling and exhaling deeply but it was no use. Then, Kaiden ushered me inside his room. Seeing I couldn''t make a single step, he lifted me up in a princess carry and walked towards a huge couch where he sat me down. The way he carried me nonchalantly as if I was as light as a feather was supposed to be heart-pounding, but even that didn''t snap me out of my scary thoughts. It''s weird that I never believed in fantasy but I got so easily scared by ghosts or even just their stories. It was one of my weaknesses. That''s why I never even tried watching a horror movie, or any gore, or anything that had blood in it. There was a moment during my childhood that I accidentally watched a single clip of a horror film. The night after, I had nightmares. What''s worse, my photographic memory made me remember it for weeks, making it play over and over in my mind. There was blood in that movie I saw which was probably why I detested the sight of blood ever since. Kaiden offered me a glass of water. I drank it in one go but my body continued to tremble. ''Ugh. Come on, Senara. Calm down. It was just Kaiden. There was nothing there.'' "If you''re still scared" Kaiden said. Then, he opened his arms as if telling me to hug him some more. [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V)] My eyes cried out more when he did that. And of course, I took the kind offer. I buried my head again on his chest and cried my heart out. Perhaps that would help me calm down since my body wasn''t listening. And so, I cried and cried for I didn''t know how long. Kaiden kindly patted my back and kept on saying "It''s alright. I''m here." I was reminded of that time with the car accident. He also embraced me and told me everything''s alright. As he gently whispered to me, I didn''t notice that I fell asleep. His sweet scent and warm embrace I never knew it had become such a refuge for me. How very calming and comfortable it was. When I woke up, it was already dark. The lights were still closed and the only thing that illuminated the darkness were the fairy lights outside. The couch where we sat was near a large balcony, and the garden outside could be seen from it. ''What a beautiful sight.'' I scooched in and rubbed my cheeks on Kaiden''s chest, still half-awake. I wanted to get some more sleep. When I closed my eyes again, I suddenly realized "Oh my goodness!" I blurted out in my surprise. I immediately got up and separated myself from Kaiden''s arms. A sudden rush of memories from earlier came flooding in my mind. "Waaaaaa," I screamed silently and reprimanded myself, "Senara, what are you thinking?! How dare you take advantage of Kaiden''s kindness? You even you you Waaaaah! You shamelessly hugged him! For HOURS!" I covered my face in embarrassment. "You big, scaredy cat! Oh no what will I do?" I glanced at Kaiden who was peacefully sleeping at that time. "That position must have been uncomfortable for him," I murmured to myself. Yes. His head was bowed down without anything supporting it. He could have used the arms of the couch as a pillow but I was leaning on him and fell asleep! He probably didn''t want to wake me up so he didn''t move. Standing up, I looked around and searched for a pillow. There were lots on his monochrome bed so I went there and took one. On my way back to him, I couldn''t help but spin my head around, gawking at the beauty of his room. I expected Kaiden''s room to be very masculine in a way, but despite the neutral colors, it looked rather comfortable. And it had his gentle scentprobably his perfume? What''s weird though was how I''m not sneezing. Hmm Was it because the scent was gentle on the nose? Like it was barely there? When I reached Kaiden, I leaned over him and placed the pillow beside his head. I was going to touch his head, to guide it to lay on the pillow but I hesitated. ''Is it okay to touch his head? He said he''s fine if there''s clothesnot the skin itself. But in that case where does the hair fall? It''s not skin, and it''s not clothes either.'' "Hmm Should I or should I not?" I asked myself, still leaning over him. To my surprise, Kaiden chuckled. "Should what?" he asked as he opened his eyes. His lips curved into a handsome smile. ''Stop it, Senara. I told you many times. There''s no handsome or unhandsome way of doing things.'' Getting back to my senses, my eyes widened and blinked a few times. "H-have you been awake all this time?" He inched closed and leaned nearer to my face, smirking. "What do you think?" Chapter 75 - Too Close! [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I didn''t need a mirror to tell I''m blushing hard at that moment. His face was too close! OMG! I could die happily now. "Ahm I think," I tried to avert my eyes as I answered him. Inching a bit farther away from his face, I continued, "You just woke up?" But Kaiden moved closer again. "Why are you moving away?" "Ahm t-too close," I replied and smiled awkwardly. Then I took a step back again but he just leaned closer. "I-is there something in my face?" "Nothing much. I just realized your eyes were pretty." Badump! Badump! Badump! Seriously, this guy! How could he flirt so effortlessly? And I doubt he even knew what his words really meant! Was he teasing me again? Like that time I replied late and he punished me by deliberately not replying to my text messages? Was this my punishment for falling asleep in his arms? Dying from his killer stares, alarming closeness and sweet words? ''Fine. You want to be close? I''ll give you close! I''m not the mysophobic one here.'' "Speaking of eyes," I replied, and this time, I leaned closer to him, "your eyes are prettier. What unique color purple. I love it!" I made sure to end it with a big smile. ''Now, our face is barely an inch apart. Let''s see if you can keep up. Heh!'' Kaiden''s eyes widened. Ha-ha! He probably didn''t expect me to take a dare. Then, I wasn''t sure if it was because of the fairy lights outside or his rosy complexion seemed to be rosier than usual? ''Haaah I want to touch him so bad. Maybe pinch those cheeksoh wait, I can''t damage his handsome face. In that case, just caress his cheeksyes, that and trace his face and his lips? I wonder how it feels to kiss. I never kissed anyone before but I would often hear my workmates in my past life about their boyfriends and husbands, and how they liked kissing so much. Yes, kissing and well the other thing, too.'' I felt my heart pound stronger. Unable to keep my gaze, I lowered my eyes and backed down. ''I can''t do this. The more I go near, the more I want. He''s like a walking temptation. A temptation I can''t have. His world and my world is too different anyway. It''s fine now that we''re students and friends. But somewhere in the future, he will need a proper wife who can help him with their business. It''s like those things I watch in dramas with Hora. And I don''t know a thing about business! I''m not gonna be the proper partner for him. He''s really way out of my league. I should just bury these feelings somewhere.'' Keeping my emotions bottled upI had been an expert on that from my past life. It shouldn''t be too hard to fake it now. Thinking all that, I stood up and prepared to leave. "It''s getting late. I should head back to my room. Sorry for disturbing you." "It''s nothing. But How did you end up here? And do you know the way back?" "Urk! A-ahmm" "This is the west wingmy area. You''re supposed to be in the east wing with Crystal." Now that he mentioned it, "You''re actually right. Well, I don''t even know how I got here. I was just wandering around until I got lost. He-he-he. I initially thought there would be servants everywhere to ask directions from but suddenly, they disappeared and I didn''t see anyone." "Ahh, that''s because I like it quiet when I''m working. So I ask them all to leave." "But isn''t every room here soundproof?" "It is, but I''m very sensitive to sounds." "Oh, I see." "But more importantly, you got lost?" Kaiden laughed at me. I squinted my eyes and replied in a sour tone, "Yes, I did. And what''s so funny about that, huh?" "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You''re the best, Senara! You can''t remember names, all cars look the same to you, and now, even places. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You shouldn''t be left alone or who knows where you end up to." "Fine! Laugh all you want." "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Then I should accompany you back or you''ll get lost again." I wanted to refute that badly but he was right. I didn''t know the way back. Maybe I should start borrowing a map of this huge house, just to be safe in case I got lost again. And so, Kaiden guided me back. On our way, we saw Mr. Wei looking anxious, checking the rooms he passed by. We were on the other end of the hallway, and he was on the opposite side. "Is he looking for something?" I asked Kaiden. He chuckled and replied to me, "I think looking for ''someone'' is the proper term." "Oh no! He''s looking for me, isn''t he?" Realizing that, I called unto Mr. Wei loudly. "Mr. Wei! I''m here!" Kaiden was righthe was looking for me judging by how he sighed in relief after seeing me. He strode quickly to our direction. "Thank goodness you are safe, Ms. Senara." "I''m so sorry! And yes, I am safe. I just got lost. I''m really, really sorry about this." "No need for apologies. Ms. Hora is looking for you. It''s best that you come to her immediately. Everyone''s in the dining room, waiting for you two." "Hm? Why are they looking for us?" "It''s past dinner time already. The maids went to your room to fetch you but you weren''t there." "Oh my goodness! It''s that late already?" Turning to Kaiden, "I''m so sorry! I didn''t know it was that long already. I fell asleep so I" "It''s alright. Let''s go there now. I''m starving." ''Oh no! I made Kaiden starve! Woe is me!'' "Yes! Let''s go." We walked faster knowing everyone was waiting for us. Once we arrived, they all sighed in reliefHora, Crystal, Callan, and even Mrs. Ma! Oh my goodness! It''s been so long since she last joined us for a meal and I made her wait! I deserve retribution! How could I have wasted her precious time?! "I''m so sorry!" I bowed my head the moment I realized everything. "I made you all wait." When I lifted up my head, I was expecting them all to be angry at me, or reprimand me but why was it that they''re all smiling? No, not smiling smirking! Chapter 76 - What A Huge Tea! [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I pondered for a moment. ''Now why would they all be smirking? Well, except for Callan who looks as smug as he always had been. Hmm Oh, right! I''m with Kaiden! Is that why? Because we arrived together?'' Not wanting to be interrogatedI mean, peacefully questioned, I went over to my seat quick. The maids served the warm food after and we all began eating. "So," Mrs. Ma began the conversation as we ate, "it seems you two spent a considerable amount of time together? Alone?" Oh my goodness her tone sounded so skeptical and suggestive! As if we did something n-naughty. I tried to laugh it off but their curious gazes were piercing. I peeked over to Kaiden and he was eating peacefully. How lucky of him, having the ability to properly eat in such circumstances. "Iah, got lost and ended up in the west wing," I replied in a murmur. "I was originally planning on taking a walk because I couldn''t write anything. I''m really not good with places and since there were maids all around, I thought I could just ask them the way back. But the west wing didn''t have any servants. Good thing I bumped into Kaiden." "Uhmmm I see," Mrs. Ma nodded approvingly. "And what did you do after bumping to him that took you so long?" I thought I saw her smile mischievously but maybe I''m mistaken. I gulped the piece of meat I just put in my mouth in one go. Didn''t even get to chew properly. The question she asked was rather hard to answer. What was I supposed to say? That I cried and hugged Kaiden until I fell asleep? I wanted to bury myself somewhere real quick. "Yes, tell us. I''m curious, too!" Crystal just added fuel to fire. She''d make a fair gasoline or charcoal or any flammable thingalways liting up flames. I love you so much, Crystal. I gave her the "eye" but it seemed she was more eager to know than Mrs. Ma. And even Hora, too, seeing how she was waggling her eyebrows at me. Callan was the only normal person there. For the first time, I preferred his way of thinking than the others. ''Kaiden help me! I can''t lie, I''m not good at it!'' I breathed heavily before answering her. Since Kaiden wasn''t helping me explain, then I just told them the truthof how I ended up on Kaiden''s room''s door, that he opened it and I thought he was a ghost, he helped me inside to calm me down until I fell asleep. Yes, I left out the part they were all probably so eager to hear. How I hugged him until I fell asleep and how we ended up having a staring competition. Their faces looked disappointed not hearing anything "juicy" enough for them. Well, that was good. At least, I was able to eat peacefully after. Before dinner time ended, Kaiden finally spoke up. "Mother," he called Mrs. Ma, "Since you''re here, I have something I need from you." "Is that how you ask your mother?" "Ahm please." "There, good. What is it? Feel free to ask my dear son." "I''ll just go to your office and we can discuss from there." Mrs. Ma''s eyes lit up. "Oh-hoh! Of course!" Somehow her tone became so jolly. I wondered what it was that Kaiden needed? Unable to guess anything, dinner ended and we all went back to our respective rooms. Luckily, I got enough inspiration for the day so I was able to write the next chapter. ______________________________ [PS. This part is a mini Kaiden POV after dinner when he went to his mother''s office] I was about to open the door without knocking as I usually did, but then I remembered I needed something from my mother. I should be polite and kind for the mean time or else, she''d give me a hard time. So, I knocked. Knock! Knock! Knock! "Come in!" she said. It didn''t even take a second for her to respond. It seemed that she already knew what it was I needed from her. Hmm that''s good then. I wouldn''t need to explain much. I opened the door and went straight to the couch where she was already seated on the other sidewith hot coffee prepared on the coffee table between us. "You''re prepared," I said. "I''m guessing you already know what I need?" Mother chuckled as she slowly put her cup down. "Of course, I know. What kind of mother am I if I don''t know what my son needs even before he asks it?" she shrugged and smiled confidently. "ButI still want to hear you say it." "Ugh. Seriously?" "Of course. Go on, tell me. I promise not to record any words you say." I squinted my eyes at her, doubtful. She always had something up her sleeve. It''s harder to deal with her than my father. If only father wasn''t stuck on a business trip, I wouldn''t have gone to her. But I''m impatient. I couldn''t possibly wait for a whole month to get a resolution to my problem. I''m never the one to settle on waiting if there was a way to achieve it faster. Thus, the reason why I''m making a deal with this devil of a mother. Well, not in an actual evil manner but I knew her kind we''re the sameloves teasing people we liked. I sighed and confessed the matter that I came for. "I I like Senara," I shyly admitted, scratching the back of my neck. Ugh. I hated showing any of my weakness to my mother or she''d definitely use it against me. But I had no choice. "Oh my! This is a huge tea!" Mother squealed in joy. See? She''s already loving it. "I knew it! You like her! But of course! My son won''t just speak to any girl if she''s not someone he likes. Congratulations on finally reaching your adolescence! So, when did you realize it?" "Ugh. I''m not here for the interview. I need help." "Help on?" "Come on! You already know what." "But I want to hear it!" "Ughhhh I need help on how to court her!" Damn it. I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Mother laughed hard, obviously making fun of me. Maybe I should have gone to Crystal. But what would she know about courting? She never had a boyfriend. A few minutes passed with my mother just laughing. "So, are you done laughing? Care to help me now?" "Don''t worry my son," she sounded so smug and confident. "Just make sure your input is valuable or else I''m out of here." "It definitely is." "Then how?" She smiled devilishly. Yes, that''s the face she would always make when she came up with an ingenious ideaat least for her. "Ever heard of the ''fake girlfriend'' plan?" Hearing that, thousand possibilities flooded my head. "Ahh I see," I smirked. "What a good idea, indeed. Tell me more about it." And so, our deviousbut legalplan began. Chapter 77 - The Devious Plan [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still on Kaiden''s POV since he''s not yet done plottingI mean, planningwith his mother XD] Liking someone It''s not like I''m oblivious to it. In truth, that was normal for anyoneeven for someone like me who had zero interest. In my 16 years of life, so far I had met countless beautiful women, who even tried to seduce or flirt with me, but I was never impressed. Despite their beautiful appearances, I didn''t feel any ounce of interest. Because of that, I thought I wasn''t normal since usually, people develop crushes or any form of interest with the opposite sex at my age. There were very few people that I liked and took notice ofand they were none other than my friends and family. If I didn''t include my childhood friends, most people I took interest with, were smart and skillful people. They were more interesting than the others. They never spout nonsensewhich I hateexcept when they''re joking. So I befriended them. Considering all those things, I asked myself How did I end up liking her then? The very first time we met, which was on an online gamenot even the real world, my first impression of her was that she was just a lucky noob. Yeah. She managed to find the hardest place to find in Armageddon, and even got a Sacred Weapon despite her low level. If that wasn''t luck, I wouldn''t know what to call it. Then, when we talked over chat, I noticed she kept on saying interesting thingsespecially the one about virtual reality. I loved that idea. Since she believed in it, too, I accepted her in my "interesting people" list, and agreed to be friends with her. I still doubted if she was a girl at that time, and being real, but the ideas were nice so I considered it. The next moment we talked, still in-game, I was surprised. She was crying. It was the issue with her dad and really unfortunate. I didn''t know what got into me, but hearing her for the first time during a call, crying, made me worried for her. Good thing everything went well afterwards. After that, we played together like normal friends. She was such a noob but she learned fast which was great or I would have given up teaching her. I didn''t have that much patience anyway. But she was funny. Yeah, it was fun playing with her. Then the first day we met in person, she was crying again! Crying over tripping on me as if I''d kill her for that. If it''s others maybe but for some reason, I didn''t mind if it''s her. And that moment when I first saw her face in person I thought she was beautiful. Not just beautiful in a sense that she had a pretty face but there was something fuzzy and warm that started to build up inside me. Maybe it started from that time? Then lots of things happened after and my simple "like" evolved to something else. I kept wanting more I even developed a feeling of possessivenessnot wanting her to be touched by otherswhich was selfish of me since I couldn''t even touch her on my own. And then, earlier, she was crying again, thinking I was a ghost. I didn''t mean to scare her. I did my best to calm her down. I hated seeing her cry. But aside from that, I liked how she fell asleep in my arms. My heart thumped loudly at that time. I felt nervous since she might accidentally touch my skin which I wasn''t sure yet if I could handle. But I also liked her warmth. If I''d be honest, I didn''t even want to let go. Wanting to hold someone so badly I never felt that way before. Wanting more of her time and attention I noticed I had become greedy. And the loud throbbing in my heart it could only mean one thing. "I I like Senara." Yeah "like" in a special way, not just friends. But the problem was, I didn''t know how to handle these feelings. And how to make her "like" me in return. "So mother, how should I do this ''fake-girlfriend'' plan of yours?" "Ho-ho-ho-ho! It''s easy my dear son. I''m sure you''ll be able to pull it off." "How so?" "First, all you need to do is talk to her. Make a deal with her, like those business deals you do with your father." "I see. A deal, huh?" I tried to ponder what kind of deal would be good. "That''s it! She liked writing. So I can offer a film adaptation to one of her books." "Uh-huh. Not so bad, my dear son," she nodded approvingly. "Knowing what your girl likes is a very great trait." "But what reason will I give? What if she asks why I''m making a deal with her? I can''t just admit that I like her. What If she runs away or gets scared of me? It hasn''t even been a year since we''ve known each other." "It''s going to be fine. Just tell her that you''re annoyed with me, your father, and sister, and since I kept on bugging you, you can''t take it anymore and came up with this solution." "Hmm alright. That could work. And then what? If she agrees, what should I do next?" Mother''s eyes glimmered in excitement. "That''s the best part! You can treat her as your girlfriend and you can do lovey-dovey things couples do until she''s used to it! I''m sure she''ll fall in love with you along the way." "Will that really work?" "Of course! After all, the best way to a woman''s heart is by spending more time with her." "I''m already spending time with her. Both at school and at home." "Not that. You need to go on dates, my dear son. Go to romantic places and do things together. And you may want to start curing that condition of yours." "Ugh yes." "Don''t worry too much, son. You were able to like a girl. Soon, you''d be wanting to touch her and maybe that can help. Your therapist said exposure is one way to cure it. Maybe you can try touching Senara. You''re good with touching us, your family, and even made it possible with Callan and Verrill. Maybe once you become closer, you''ll be able to do the same with her." I sighed deeply. Yes, she was right. I really need to work on that. "I''ll try." "You''re doing great, son," she smiled warmlysomething she seldomly do. She got up after and embraced me, patting my head gently. Aside from her bullying tendencies like me, I love my mother just like my father. When serious, she could be a really great, supportive, and understanding mother. "But on a side note, I need to teach you what couples do. Knowing you, you''ll probably take her to boring places during dates. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! There''s so many things I need to teach you." "Ha-ha-ha! I look forward to your guidance then." "Yes, leave it to this gorgeous mother of yours." "Thank you." "Awwww. You''re welcome, my dear son." Chapter 78 - Another Visit [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV] The next day, which was Sunday, I woke up early not because of my body clock, but because of Crystal barging into my roomwithout knocking. "Senara! Wake up! I need your help, you beautiful you," Crystal tugged my body back and forth as I laid peacefully sleeping on the bed. Awakened by her desperate plea for help, I got up despite my desire to sleep some more. Yesterday, it was Callan, and today, it was Crystal. I wondered who would come barging in my room tomorrow. "What happened, Crystal?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, and yawning. "It''s Verrill''s birthday today!" she said enthusiastically. "I prepared a gift for him and there''s no problem with that but I haven''t made his card yet. He likes it self-made, not one you buy from stores and I suck at art or anything related! Hu-hu-hu! Help me, please. I want to make it beautiful this time." "Oh, a birthday card." "Yes. And sorry for waking you up so early. His celebration will start in the afternoon at their house, but I suck at making cards so I know it will take long to do it. I wanted to ask you yesterday but with all that tea with my stupid brother, I completely forgot about it. You can come, too, by the way." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha! We should hurry then. Do you have the materials?" "Yes! I brought them," Crystal nodded cutely and showed her two large plastic bags lying down on the carpeted floor. "I just picked random things since I''m not good with coordinating and decorating papers which was weird because I''m good with fashion." Thinking about it, "Yes. That IS weird. You should have a knack for it." "You''ll see later what I mean." "Alright," I chuckled. "Mind if I wash my face and brush my teeth first?" "Oh! No, go ahead." Still yawning, I got up from bed and headed to the bathroom. "By the way, my skills in decorating are average. But Hora is really good with it. You may want to call her, too. She''d be happy to help." "H-Hora? Ooohh, I see. That''s great! I should go fetch her, too." ''Hm? Is it just me or Crystal tensed up a bit? Hmmm maybe because she forgot to ask Hora? That''s totally fine though. Hora wouldn''t mind. Besides, she didn''t know she is good with arts and crafts.'' While I washed my face and brushed my teeth, Crystal fetched Hora in her room. Anyway, Verrill was a really silent guy, wasn''t he? A whole week passed and he never even mentioned anything about his birthday! We could have bought a gift for him. I should go out with Hora later if we finish early. Then, we could buy gifts before his celebration. A few minutes later, Crystal arrived with Hora. We sat over the couch in my room and laid out the materials on the coffee table. Crystal bought a LOT of things. From different colored papers and markers, to ribbons, stickers, and many other stuff used for decorating. "Cough cough," Hora covered her mouth. "Oh no! Are you alright, Hora?" Crystal got worried. "I''m so sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning." "Ha-ha-ha! No, I''m fine. My throat was just dry. I''m not sick, don''t worry." "Are you sure?" I asked, doubting if that was true. Come to think of it, the weather here was a bit different than our country. "Nah, I''m really fine. I guess it''s not allowed to cough in this place, huh? Or else I''d be mistaken for a sick person." " Okay. If you say so." And so, we started creating the card. As expected, Hora was really great at it. Crystal marvelled many times on how Hora managed to make those beautiful designs. They were even better than those you could find in stores! Well, that''s Hora for you. Hora taught us how to properly cut the papers and layout the designs accordingly. We mainly just copied how she did it. When I checked out Crystal''s creation, I immediately understood what she meant by her sucking at making cards. Few minutes turned into an hour. Finally, we were able to finish the birthday greeting cards. Crystal''s card improved significantly, mine, just a bit, but Hora''s was the most beautiful one. The card she made was simple, but very elegant looking with its red paper, colorful wax seal, and golden ribbon. Hora was really nice. She even thought of choosing a paper with the same color as Verrill''s hairsomething we didn''t think about. Compared to that, I chose sapphire blue, and as for Crystal, she chose a lilac purple one. Well, at least he would have a variety of birthday cards. It was around 8 o''clock in the morning when we finished. We bathed and prepared afterwards and Crystal accompanied us to get gifts for Verrill. I asked her what gifts would be proper and she didn''t have anything else to do so she offered to help us. By the time we finished picking gifts, it was lunch time. We all decided to go to Verrill''s house before the party to give him the gifts personally. Kaiden went with us. This time, their family driver took us to Verrill''s house since we were all glamoured up for the party. My dress this time was another one of mom''s designsa tea length midnight blue dress with sheer overlay that extended to my ankles. The overlay had flowers and vines embroideries. I paired it with black heels, but not too high or I''d end up tripping again. Crystal wore an off-shoulder violet dress with flower decorations around the shoulders. The skirt was asymmetricalshort at the front and long at the back. It was very fluffy looking and had a small ribbon at the waist. She paired it with silver heels and accessories. Truthfully, anything she wears just clicks into a perfect outfit. And lastly was Hora. She was supposed to wear a purple shade dress since it was the only dress she had available, but Crystal already wore that color so I lent her one of mine. I suppose we should go shopping one of these days. I gave her the other sheer overlay dress I hadn''t worn. It was nude pink in color and extended below the knees. The overlay was decorated with metallic vines, also in nude pink color but lighter. She paired it with white heels and silver accessories. All in all, it looked amazing on herperfect with her light brown hair and sky blue eyes. If Crystal looked like a celebrity or a gorgeous model, Hora looked like those delicate, cute and captivating porcelain dolls. And with that, we went on our way towards Verrill''s house. Chapter 79 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After an hour-long drive, we finally arrived at Verrill''s house. It was myand Hora''sfirst time there, and I''d say they were extremely wealthy as well. Their house was a mixture of modern and traditional Chinese homes. The design looked very luxurious and dignified. From the main gate to the house was a small bridge where a large and beautiful pond could be found below, with its colorful lotus flowers and koi fishes. Their servants ushered us inside and towards the main hall with glass wall panels. They told us it''s the place where the party would be held later. But since we were early, they let us into the living room where Verrill and Callan were waiting for usit seemed that he got there earlier than us. Verrill wore a white suit with red tie, and Callan wore an all black one. Kaiden, on the other hand, wore a deep blue suit, which was very similar to the color of my dress. We didn''t agree on a color though. And it wasn''t like he saw what color I was wearing, or I saw his''. It was purely coincidental! And I quite liked it. He-he. Thank you, fate and chances! "Verrill!" Crystal called him so happily and ran towards him to give him a hug. "Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy your day. But for now, enjoy my gift to you." Crystal handed him his gift which was wrapped in a pretty purple box, along with the birthday card she made. So that''s why she chose lilac purple paperto compliment the color of her gift. Nice one, Crystal! "Thank you," Verrill gently smiled at her and patted her head. "Go on! Open it," Crystal urged him. Her eyes were twinkling so excitedly. "Here?" "Yes. I want to see you open it." "Alright." Verrill opened his gift, pulling the ribbons out of the way, and lifting the lid of the box. Inside was a luxurious golden watch. It was really beautiful and expensive looking. I wondered how much it cost though I could only imagine since Crystal already bought it before we got ours. Verrill was surprised with her gift. He smiled at it and thanked her but I''m not sure if it was just me, or he didn''t like his present very much? He looked like he was only being polite in thanking Crystal. Hmm I hope that wasn''t the case. On the other hand, Crystal looked so happy. Well, she always looked happy but this time it was like a special kind of happiness. Her cheeks were blushing, and she was smiling so sweetly while he patted her head. Yes, so sweet as if she was the happiest girl in the world. And Callan, who was behind them, turned gloomy all of a sudden. ''Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Is this what I think it is?'' My eyes widened upon the sudden realization. ''If that''s the case then that time during the barbecue party Was the reason why Crystal looked upset was because Verrill called Hora cute? And here I am, already shipping Hora with Verrill! I didn''t know Crystal liked him! Oh my goodness! What should I do? And what about Hora? I''m not really sure if she likes Verrill, too but Oh no! This is too complex! But who does Verrill like?'' Wanting to know the answer to my question, I urged Hora to give him her gift next. "Go, Hora. You can go first. I''ll give mine after," I told her. Hora who had no idea what was going on, simply agreed. Crystal''s warm smile burst like bubbles when Hora went near them. She kindly smiled to Hora and Hora smiled back as she always did. "Uuuuhh I didn''t know much of what you like but here, your gift," Hora shyly said and gave Verrill the small box she was carrying. Then, she smiled politely and told him, "You can open it too, if you want." I made sure to observe Verrill''s expression. "Really?" Verrill looked surprised and excited? "Alright. I''ll open it." "Oh! And here''s your birthday card. I almost forgot." Verrill took the card, too, and he looked surprised again. But he smiled warmly after seeing the card. I wouldn''t blame him. Hora''s card was really outstanding. And it was red so maybe he liked that. When Verrill opened the box, he was surprised for the third time. But this time, his eyes sparkled as if in awe of whatever Hora''s gift was. Even I didn''t know what it was since she separated with us for a moment when I was buying my gift with Crystal. She said she saw something interesting. Maybe that was it. "A kalimba! I''ve been wanting to get one of these! Thank you!" Verrill smiled so happily. It wasn''t hard to tell he liked it very much. "Really? That''s great. I knew you liked music so I thought of gifting" In Verrill''s joy, he embraced Hora tightly, much to her surprise. Hora froze up and her face turned red in an instant. "Thank you so much!" ''Oh no poor Crystal. She averted her gaze and bit her lips. And like last time, Callan went to her, goofing off, trying to make her smile. Verrill probably didn''t know how she felt about him. And knows nothing of what''s going on. Waaa this is so hard.'' "Oh! I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean toit''s, I got used to" Verrill tried to explain but his words just jumbled up. His face flushed in embarrassment. Just a few more and it would have the same color as his hair. "It''s okay. No worries. Happy birthday!" she greeted awkwardly and ran to me, pushing me to go next. Oh well, I gave him my gift after and told him he could open it later. He politely agreed. Kaiden gave his'' after which he also told Verrill to open later since he was hungry. And so, we all went to grab a late lunch together. Good Lord. I hope nothing bad happens during this happy celebration. Chapter 80 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ We headed out to the dining area since Kaiden complained of his hunger. The maids served the food and we all happily ate. Okay, maybe not all. Crystal barely touched her food. She only took spoonfuls when Callan pestered her to eat. Kaiden, Verrill, and Hora didn''t notice anything amiss. How nice it would be to be oblivious. Basically, no one was at fault here. But even if that was the case, the fact that Crystal was hurting remained. Ugh. I wanted to hug her so bad. Poor girl it must have been so hard to see your crush getting along withor rather, falling for, since it looked like thatanother person. And to a friend at that! Hora and Crystal hadn''t been friends for long, just like me with Crystal since I just met her during the event at the Red Dragon Hotel. But in that short span of time we all had been together, I already felt the three of us were like sisters from another mothers. Hora said that thing about Crystal and in fact, they got along more than I did with Crystal. I couldn''t help but sigh and be sad for Crystal. I started to lose my appetite, too, as I continued to see the situation. What could I do in this situation? I didn''t know. What was right? What was wrong? They were all important to me and I didn''t want anyone to be hurt. Trying to think of a solution, I laid out the facts before me. First: Crystal liked Verrill. As to what extentif it''s just a crush, infatuation, or love, I had no idea. But nevertheless, she liked him. Second: Verrill seemed to be interested in Hora, though he probably didn''t notice that yet. And third: Hora no matter how much she denied it, she was interested in Verrill, too. In fact, she liked him. She''s just really good at hiding her emotions in front of others. But she couldn''t fool me. Hmmm I just realized. What if Hora noticed it, too? That Crystal liked Verrill even before I did? Maybe that was the reason she had been denying her feelings even to me. Yeah. She never did that before! If she had a crush on someonethough most were Kpop idols, she still told me! She never kept secrets from me. But this time, she''s desperately hiding it. Was it because of that? Or it was just too early to tell? Well, we just met Callan and Verrill last week during the first day of school. Of course it was too fast to say and be sure of feelings. But then again, love at first sight was also true. "Haaahh" I sighed deeply before I took a sip of the water I was holding. "Did something happen?" Hora leaned over to me and whispered. "You''ve been sighing since earlier." ''Oh my goodness! Senara you better keep your acts together!'' "I-It''s nothing. Sorry. I just suddenly came up with an idea for my story but I''m having troubles how to plot it. So I was thinking hard about it." OMG. I hope my acting was convincing. "Ahh, I see. For your new book''The King''s Beloved'', right?" "Yes, that one." "Okie. But it''s a birthday party right now. Think of that later when we get home." "You''re right. I will." After eating, we chatted a bit until the party started. Guests came one after another, all dressed glamorously, and with shiny accessories. You could tell from one glance that they were highly influential people or celebrities. I had no idea what Verrill''s family business was, but according to Kaiden during one of my chats with him, their fathers were business partners. Same thing for Callan as well. That was how they all became childhood friendssince their parents were friends too. Ma, Zhong, Wangthey were known as the "Golden Trio" or the "Sleeping Giants" of the business world. The Ma family was on top, followed by the Zhong and Wang family. Looking at the guests, I felt a bit out of place. These were all important people, and I was just a normal one. Hmm but then again, Mr. and Mrs. Ma had been so kind to us. Maybe rich people weren''t really like those in dramasall snobbish and bullies of the weak and poor. There were some, yes, but not all. It was unfair of me to judge them just by their looks when I myself hated that. And so, the party started. Verrill greeted all the guests that came. His parents, whom we introduced ourselves to earlier and kindly greeted us back, helped Verrill in welcoming the guests. Verrill had two younger brothers. The five of them, greeting guests, looked so nice together. They were the picture of a happy family. Must be where Verrill got all of his good manners. Good parenting was a really, really important factor to a child''s growth and development. After that, the ceremony started. Well-known performers entertained us by singing and dancing, and playing the instruments on stage. Everyone was free to dance or chat amongst themselves, and socialize. Something Hora and I weren''t that good at. Thankfully, we were peacefully left alone since the young heirs were dragged to greet other guests, so we just headed outside to get some fresh air. "Sena, look! We can feed the fish!" Hora excitedly said when she saw a small table near the huge pond with canisters filled with fish food. "I wanna feed them!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Okay. Let''s do that." We sat on the couch beside the small table and started feeding the koi fish. "We''re such introverts aren''t we, Hora?" "Yes. We don''t belong in parties," Hora nodded. "I''d rather read inside a library or watch movies." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Me, too! But we can''t. This is Verrill''s birthday after all. And he''s a friend. But honestly, this looks more like a business gathering or event, rather than a birthday celebration." "I know, right? When we celebrate, we throw parties, too. But not as formal as this one. We can goof off and do anything we want!" "By anything you want, you mean taking refuge to my bedroom and reading my books or watching kdrama or listening to music, right?" Hora chuckled. "Yes. That one. I''d prefer that anytime over talking to people." "No way. You talk to people better than I do." "Uuuhh I think this won''t end until someone concedes." "Ha-ha-ha! You''re right. Okay. Then we''re just both introverts." We laughed and chatted nonsense while feeding the fishes. Hora took great pictures of the surrounding as well. That was another one of her many talents. As we were enjoying ourselves. Mrs. Ma suddenly came to us. As to why she came, we had no idea. Chapter 81 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 3) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Senara, my dear. Would you mind if I borrow you for a moment?" "Oh, Mrs. Ma. Sure, how can I help?" "I need you to meet a few people. Come with me." I glanced over Hora and she urged me to go. "It''s okay. I''ll stay here. I have my phone so I''ll just read some novels or comics." "Thank you so much, dearie. I''m so sorry for leaving you alone. Don''t worry, we won''t take too long. I''ll send one of the boys over to accompany you." "It''s alright, Mrs. Ma. I''ll be fine." "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Alright. We''ll be right back." And with that, Mrs. Ma dragged me along. I signalled Hora to call me if anything happened to which she nodded. She always had that carefree smile as if nothing would go wrongalways happy and bright. But sometimes, I couldn''t help but worry for her because most often than not, those who were always smiling were actually the ones who were more hurt, right? They''re just really good at hiding their emotions. ______________________________ [PS. This part is a mini Hora POV after Senara left with Mrs. Ma] With nothing much to do, and tired of feeding the fish or else they might die from overfeeding, I decided to catch up on the latest chapters of the manga I was reading. I swiped my phone here and there, opening my browser that had tons of web pages openedone page per comic that I was reading. First on my list was "From Me to You" or also known as "Kimi ni Todoke" by Karuho Shiina. There was an update this morning and I had been wanting to read it so bad but it just so happened that today was Verrill''s birthday. It''s fine though. At least I got time to read it now. "Hmm-hmm-hmm," I hummed while I read the manga. It was starting to get romantic between the female lead and male lead so of course, I couldn''t help but smile. If I wasn''t in a public place, I''d be squealing so hard right now! But for now, I''d settle with internal screaming. ''KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! That scene was so cute! He''s falling for her! Definitely! Omigosh. Go on ship, continue to sail peacefully.'' Reading that manga felt too fast. I wanted more. So I browsed the other manga I was waiting for updates, checking if there were new ones. Luckily, I found really good ones to read. There were hundreds of chapters though. Oh no. This would take really long since I read slow. Welp, that''s fine. I got time. Because of that, I didn''t notice, half an hour had already passed. "Hora?" someone disturbed me from my reading. And I was at a very crucial part! I raised my hand and replied, "One momentI just really need to know what will happen next." I didn''t even check who it was. ''I''m so sorry whoever you are. It''s critical that I know what happens next!'' "Oh my goodness! Whhhhyyy?" I wailed in the softest way possible. In my broken-heartedness and dismay from what just happened in the manga I was reading, my shoulders dropped on their own and I put my phone down. I wanted to throw it away in my anger but I couldn''t or else I wouldn''t be able to contact Sena later. ''Huwaaaaayyyy? (Why?) Ugh. I want to cry.'' Just as I thought, my eyes began to wet itself. And most likely, my face, too, since I easily blush. I hit my face with my palm, trying to control my emotions. "Ahh Hora? Are you alright?" ''Omigosh! Right! Someone was calling me.'' I quickly turned my head towards the direction of the voice and it was none other than the birthday celebrant himselfVerrill. I blinked my eyes a couple of times when I saw him. Like what was he doing here? "Oh, Verrill. Hi. What is it?" "Mrs. Ma told me to keep you company since you''re all alone here because she had to take Senara with her." "Uuuhh, right. I''m fine, though. It''s okay. Go enjoy yourself." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! I guess you are," he chuckled cutely. Well, I would admit he was very handsome. He could even pass as a celebrity. And it should be a foul if he smilesthat was basically cheating. Sena was right. He really was my type of guy but Crystal liked him. That''s right. I knew it. I noticed it back when we had a barbecue party. The way she looked at him and laughed at his jokes even if they weren''t that funny. Callan, on the other hand, liked Crystal. What a love triangle, amirite? (am I right?) And the simple me, who hated complexities, didn''t want to be entangled in that. I already had Sena to take care of and lots of ships to build. If I joined them, we would be a love square which sounded awful so better keep it as a love triangle. "Haaaah," I sighed deeply. "What a tea" I said in a murmur. How I hope Verrill wasn''t so dense with Crystal''s feelings. I mean, I''m totally fine with them falling in love with each other. Sting ''Shut up heart. Your opinion is NOT needed here.'' "You want some tea?" Verrill asked me politely. "No. I was referring to the manga I was reading." "Ah, I see. Do you mind if I sit beside you?" "No, not at all," I answered him as cool and calm as I could be. That''s right. He already hugged me earlier without my consent. What''s wrong with sitting together? There''s nothing malicious about that at all. Verrill did as he asked and sat beside me. He then stared at the fishes and breathed deeply as if copying what I just did. "Hm? What''s wrong? Tired for the night?" "Hmmm In truth, yes. Yes, I am. Haah I''ve been standing and walking around since earlier. I''m not that fond of parties, you see." My eyes lit up. What a perfect opportunity. "Oh really? Me, too! Do you have a library I can stay at for the meantime?" Verrill nodded. "Yes, there should be one near my room." I grinned from ear to ear. Finally, a place to relax and squeal all I want while reading! I wouldn''t mind if the party goes on forever. "That''s great! Where is it? Tell me how to get there." "I can accompany you," he said, standing up and offering his hand. I was about to say no but he just said that he was tired. So the merciful me decided to agree. Maybe he could use the library to unwind from all the noises. "Alright. Let''s go." And so, I took his hand, and he led me where the library was. Chapter 82 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 4) [Please note: We''re still on Hora''s POV after she took Verrill''s hand and headed towards the library] I let go of Verrill''s hand the moment I stood up. I didn''t want to raise any unnecessary attention. "Let''s go!" I said, smiling at him. But Verrill looked horrified for some reason. Was he mysophobic, too? Did touching my hand disgusted him? I furrowed my brows and stared at him. "What''s wrong? Why do you look like you saw a ghost?" "Hora!" he called my name with all seriousness and worry in his eyes. "Are you alright?" "Huh? What do you mean? I am alright." I shrugged. What''s wrong with him all of a sudden? "You''re burning up!" he exclaimed, almost angry. Then, he walked near me and touched my forehead with the back of his hand. My body instinctively jolted in surprise. "I-I''m burning up?" "Yes! You have a fever. You need to rest immediately!" he said all that in one go, not even letting me rebut. "The guest rooms are full right now, but you can use my room for the meantime. I''ll call for the family doctor to check on you. Come, let''s go there, quick." "B-but I''m fine. I don''t feel anything wrong." Funny thing though the moment I said that, I suddenly felt weak. My sight started to become blurry and my legs were giving out. Seriously, I was just alright a few moments ago! Was I not feeling the exhaustion because I was sitting? Then, standing up made me feel light-headed? Seeing my weak state, Verrill caught my shoulders and helped me stand up. "You''re not fine at all. Don''t tell me you''ve been enduring it all this time?" he reprimanded me. His face looked scary as if I committed a mortal sin. "Hmf! I really didn''t notice it. I was fine a few moments ago." "Urghhh, this won''t do." "Hey, are you listening to me?" "You can''t walk, can you?" "What? I can! I" But before I answered, he already lifted me up in his arms. "Hey! Put me down, youI can still walk. I''m not injured." "You''re staggering like a newly born lamb and you say you''re fine." "Okay. Maybe I''m not but I can still walk. Please put me down." "No!" he disagreed firmly. ''Ohhh-Emmmm-Giiiii!!! This guy is getting on my nerves! What if Crystal sees us? Nooooo I''d rather fall than hurt her feelings! Uggh! Verrill you dense idiot!'' Feeling hopeless and weak, I surrendered and just pretended to be asleep while Verrill carried me to wherever. I could see from the gap between my fringes that he passed by a few people and a couple of corridors, then went up the stairs and onto a long hallway. My goodness, this house was huge! Just like the Ma residence. After a few minutes of walking, we finally arrived at his room. My internal mind was screaming out loud to get out of that place the moment I saw it. ''If Crystal sees this, I''m doomed! I shouldn''t be here. Any girl shouldn''t be here! It''s just so wrong! Awww my head really hurts now. I can''t think anymore. I guess I really am a bit sick.'' The moment Verrill laid me on his bed, I passed out. It seemed that it was the last bit of my remaining strength. At least I did my best. Good job me. For now, good night world. [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Dun-dun-dunun-dun The sound of the piano woke me up. I was still exhausted so I kept my eyes closed. But that sound what a beautiful melody what a treat to the ears. So mesmerizing, captivating, and soothing. I wondered who was playing the piano. Curious to see who it was, I opened up my eyes and turned my head towards the direction of the music. I didn''t notice there was a wet towel on my forehead so it fell when I turned. But that wasn''t my concern. I was concerned as to who was playing. When I turned my head, there he wasVerrill. He sat in front of the grand piano located near the balcony with large glass doors. The night sky and the moon could be seen from behind him, as if he was playing amongst the clouds of the night. Badump! ''This sucks I never felt this way before. I had many crushes though mostly celebrities. But this tugging in my heart. According to those novels and comics, or movies and kdramas I watched, this feeling only meant one thing.'' Badump! ''But I can''t. I don''t want to hurt Crystal. Besides, I just met him last week. I don''t know much about him!'' Badump! ''Then again music doesn''t lie. This warm and gentle, fuzzy and romantic music it''s just like him.'' Badump! Before I knew it, tears were already falling from my eyes. It seemed like Sena rubbed off on me, making me a crybaby. ''Sena what should I do? Fine. You win. I''m I''m beginning to like him. No, actually I already like him. But what about Crystal? I like her a lot and I don''t want to hurt her. If I try to push these feelings of mine, she will definitely be hurt. And what if this is just a passing feeling? Because it''s too fast. You don''t fall in love that fast, right? It''s impossible. But then I I already tried to suppress myself. And I''m not winning. I can''t stop it. Hu-hu-hu-hu sniff sniff'' Unable to stop myself from crying, I just closed my eyes again. I wanted to sleep. And I hope when I woke up, all these feelings would be gone. I''m just sick right now so I''m feeling weak. Once I recover, I could be strong again and fight this. I have to support Crystal. Besides, she liked him way longer than I do. I could still turn back. It still wouldn''t hurt that much right? As I tried to sleep again, the music died down. It was replaced by a gentle hand caressing my face, and wiping my tears away. Chapter 83 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 5) [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV] "Senara, I want you to meet," Mrs. Ma dragged me in front of two elderly people, "My mother and father, Mr. And Mrs. Chen. They''re Kaiden and Crystal''s grandma and grandpa." My eyes widened the moment she said that. Why in the world was Mrs. Ma introducing me to her parents? "O-oh! It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. And Mrs. Chen," I enthusiastically greeted them despite my nervousness and bowed in the most respectful manner I knew. Mr. And Mrs. Chen smiled warmly at me. For some reason, I didn''t feel intimidated, or scorned upon, or anything at all, as opposed to my imagination. They were just like my own granny and gramps. They had this wise and caring atmosphere around them. And it was probably because of that, that they still looked young despite their age. Only the few fine lines beneath their eyes showed their age. "Ho-ho-ho-ho! What a very polite girl," Mrs. Chen held my hand and caressed it gently. "Please rise, my dear. Be at ease." "Yes, little one," Mr. Chen added. "My daughter here, just wanted us to meet you." "That''s right. Don''t be nervous, Senara. They just wanted to meet the very first female friend of Kaiden. You see, I told them about you and they were rather curious! Well, I can''t blame them. We were all surprised he had one." ''Is it really that surprising for Kaiden to get a female friend? That''s weird. Hmm I wonder why.'' "As you mentioned, she really is a beautiful lady," Mrs. Chen turned to Mrs. Ma. "I look forward to my grandchildren. I''m sure they will all look like little angels." ''OMG! G-g-grandchildren?! What in the world are they saying? I''m still 16! Very young to bear children! And besides, I''m not even Kaiden''s girlfriend yet. What is this? A set-up? They already planned our future for us? Not that I mind but we need to follow proper procedures, right? Like dating first before getting married and all that stuff?'' I was aghast from hearing what they just said. I wondered if Kaiden knew about this. How I wish I could refute them and tell everything that was on my mind but I didn''t want to be rude. Haaaah I better leave it up to Kaiden. He could handle it. Anyway, after chatting a bit more with them, Mrs. Ma let me go. I immediately went back to the pond where I was last with Hora to check on her. But when I arrived, she was no longer there. I searched around the area as I tried to call Hora''s phone but she wasn''t answering. "Oh come on, Hora. Don''t tell me you silenced your phone again." It just kept on ringing and ringing. I walked around a bit more, making sure to stay within the pond area or else I might end up getting lost again. I also waited a bit at the bench in case she just went to the loo but half an hour passed and she still wasn''t back. In my worry, I called Kaiden. "Hello, Kaiden. Sorry for calling in the midst of this party." "It''s fine. What is it?" "Ahm I can''t seem to find Hora. Did you happen to see her anywhere?" "Hmm I didn''t, but I saw Verrill a few moments ago going upstairs, carrying a woman. I''m not sure if it''s Hora though. They were far away and I didn''t get to see them properly." "Oh, I see. That''s okay." Then, I deliberated whether the girl was Hora or maybe it was another until a sudden memory hit me. "Cough cough," Hora covered her mouth. "Oh no! Are you alright, Hora?" Crystal got worried. "I''m so sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning." "Ha-ha-ha! No, I''m fine. My throat was just dry. I''m not sick, don''t worry." "Are you sure?" I asked, doubting if that was true. Come to think of it, the weather here was a bit different than our country. "Nah, I''m really fine. I guess it''s not allowed to cough in this place, huh? Or else I''d be mistaken for a sick person." "Okay. If you say so." Upon remembering that, I gasped and immediately asked Kaiden where Verrill was possibly heading. "If it''s upstairs, then he''s most likely going to his room. Guest rooms should be full during these days since there''s an event." "Right. I need to go there. I think the girl is Hora. She was coughing early this morning but she said she was fine. Tsk. I should have known better." I started to worry real bad. Why didn''t I notice it sooner? Hora had always been the type to endure everything by herself. In a way, she was like me, but stronger. My heart thumped louder. "Where are you right now? I''ll go to you." "I I''m at" "Senara?" someone called me from behind. When I turned around, it was Crystal. "Crystal! I-ah." ''Should I tell her? But Hora is sick. I need to go to her fast. What if it''s serious?'' "Why? What''s wrong?" she asked, worried because of my expression. "I''m so sorry, Crystal. Would you know where Verrill''s room is?" "Hm? Yes. It''s upstairs on the end of the east corridor." "Thanks." I quickly thanked her and walked away. I didn''t want to bring her along with me or she might "Wait, Senara. Why are you going there? What happened?" ''Should I tell her? But if I don''t waaaa, this is so hard. Maybe I should just be honest and tell her?'' "I-ah I''m not sure but I think Hora is sick and Verrill might have found out about it so he''s l-lending his room for Hora to rest. Though I''m still not 100% sure. That''s why I wanted to check." Crystal''s eyes widened. Then, she blinked a couple of times and averted her gaze. ''I knew it. She''s hurt. I''m really so sorry, Crystal.'' "I see," she replied, barely managing to. "Then, let me take you there. I''ll call for a doctor, too. She''ll need one." I sighed in relief that she was taking it calmly but I knew deep inside, she''s probably hurting. I''m really, really sorry. How I hope none of this situation was real but it''s happening. As agreed, Crystal brought me to Verrill''s room. It took us a few minutes since the house was too big, but finally, we were able to reach his room. It was silent very silent. I carefully opened the door of the room and we walked inside. It was designed like a bed chamber and there was a wall that separated the bed room to the receiving area, and another for the bathroom and walk-in closet. Walking towards the bedroom, Crystal who was in front of me suddenly stopped. She was frozen from her position and tears started to fall from her eyes. I quickly went over to her and checked what it was that made her cry. And there it was Verrill, gently caressing Hora''s face as she slept peacefully. The look on his face one would be very stupid if they couldn''t tell How dearly and lovingly he was looking at Hora. Chapter 84 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 6) [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Uhm, S-Senara, I''ll just go to the bathroom for a moment," Crystal''s lips trembled as she spoke. Her eyes and nose turned red. Then, she turned to my side and walked away in a rush. "Wait" I tried to stop her but she didn''t hear me. She must have been so hurt. I looked towards Hora''s direction and to Crystal''s direction alternately, hesitating where to go. I thought since Hora looked fine and Verrill was taking care of her, maybe I should follow Crystal instead. She was crying for goodness'' sake. With my heart still worried about Hora, I followed Crystal since she needed me more. She walked so fast with that long leg of hers, and I had to jog a bit to catch up. I followed her along the corridor, passed many people, and unto a place that seemed to be the backyard of the house. There was a garden filled with flowers and trees. "Crystal, wait!" I called out her name and pulled her arm. Finally, I managed to catch up to her. When she turned around, her beautiful face had been stained with tearseven her neck was wet. Her eyes were slowly becoming puffier, too. My heart wretched for her. Poor girl and she was still so young. Honestly, I didn''t know what to tell her. I wasn''t even sure if I should support her feelings. Not because Hora was my best frienddefinitely not! Crystal had been nothing but an angel and she, too, had become very dear to my heart. It''s just that Verrill seemed to be falling for Hora. And Hora liked him, too. Shouldn''t two people who liked each other be together? Though of course, the price would be somebody else''s pain. Unable to come up with any wise words to say, I simply embraced Crystal. She wailed so loud the moment I did like a broken child. There was a stinging pain in my heart. I hated seeing my friends in pain. How I hope I could just take their pain away. "Waaaahu-hu-hu-hu sniff hu-hu-hu-hu." Crystal cried and cried and cried. That''s good, right? Crying could help reduce the pain inside, at least for my experience. Yes please, may those tears carry away her pain. After what seemed to be half an hour of crying, Crystal''s wailing turned into soft sobbing instead. The tears in her face began to dry up as well. We sat on the bench nearby and I patted her back. "Your face is a mess now," I jested, trying to make her smile. "Pretty girls shouldn''t be crying like this. I wonder who made her cry? I want to punch him in the face." Crystal chuckled, despite the tears that still fell from her eyes. "Yes. His name is Verrill, and please punch him for not appreciating this stunning goddess." "Exactly! Maybe, you''re too beautiful for him." "Yeah or I''m just not his type." "Crystal" "It''s alright. I''m not an idiot. I''ve known him since childhood and liked him ever since. But he sees me as a younger sisteralways treating me like a child. That look he gave Hora though I''ve never seen him like that. And you know what''s funny?" "What?" Crystal looked me in the eye and said, "I can''t blame him for falling for her. Even I like Hora, too. If it wasn''t her and instead, some other girl, I would have lashed out. Like how dare he fall for another woman?! But in this case, the one he fell for was a really decent girl. So funny and cute angelic even. Makes you want to protect her. She''s the complete opposite of me. Now, I understand why he never liked me. It''s because" "Crystal! Don''t compare yourself to others. You are you and Hora is Hora. And you are both equally beautiful, kind, funny in your own way, and lovable! You should know how amazing you are. The moment I first saw you, I thought you were a celebrity. You''re gorgeous and confident like a queen! And I love that about you. So don''t just don''t think you''re any less just because some guy preferred another girl instead of you." "Sniff sniff Y-yes I know. I shouldn''t think lowly of myself. But it''s just that it hurts so much! Hu-hu-hu-hu. I can''t help but compare myself. What did I lack? Why can''t it be me? I wanted it so bad to be me." I patted her head and embraced her. She starting crying hard again. What should I do? What should I say? Please, somebody help me heal her heart. "Crystal?" a worried Callan suddenly appeared before me. He was huffing, as if he ran everywhere searching for Crystal. I nodded at him with a sullen expression and he immediately came over. "What happened?" "We ahm," I struggled to reply. I wasn''t sure if it''s alright to tell him. Then, Crystal wiped her tears and turned to Callan. "He likes somebody else," she confessed, smiling bitterly towards him. Callan''s expression grew dim. He clenched his fist and tightened his jaw. For some reason, he looked as hurt as Crystal. Patting Crystal''s head, Callan said, "Then it''s his loss. He''s stupid for not seeing this amazing girl right here." He then gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. Sniffing, Crystal got up and embraced Callan. She cried again. Callan simply embraced her in return, and rubbed her back, trying to calm her. "It''s alright, Crystal. It''s not the end of the world. You''re still young and there''s still plenty of men out there. Even better ones! I mean, Verrill is my friend but let''s just say he''s got a few screws loose, you know. He''s definitely stupid for saying no to you." Crystal chuckled despite her tears. "I didn''t actually confess to him." "Oh? I thought you did. Then, why are you crying? Did he say he likes someone else?" "No. I, well, we saw him" "Wut? You saw him? Was he kissing a girl? That Verrill?" Callan''s face turned comical. "Pft! No! Ha-ha-ha! He''s too shy to do that." And so, we told Callan everything that happened. His expressions were so funny as he listened to us. I wasn''t sure if he was doing that on purpose or that''s just his personality. But if he was doing it on purpose then that''s really nice of him. Kaiden was right. Callan was a really kind person despite his rough looks and somewhat rude attitude. Before we knew it, Callan was making jokes and Crystal was already laughing. Chapter 85 - Verrills Birthday Party (Part 7) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ While chatting with each other, laughing and crying, we didn''t notice that several hours already passed. If it wasn''t for Kaiden who arrived at the garden with an unamused expression, we wouldn''t know that the party was already coming to a close! "Great. While you''re all here having fun, I was dragged to greet almost every single guest as if I was the birthday celebrant," Kaiden complained. "And you all are here having fun. How nice." "We''re not actually having fun you idiot brother. Hmf!" Crystal answered, rolling her eyes. "And besides, you need to socialize, Mr. Heir." "Same goes for you, Ms. Heiress. I''m not taking over everything. I have my own company to build. So you do the rest." "What? No! I want to be a model and actress. I won''t" Kaiden raised his right arm, signalling Crystal to shut up. Crossing his arms, he asked in a serious tone, "So, care to tell me what''s really going on? You''ve all been gone for hours. What happened?" His gaze fell onto me after like a strict teacher wanting proper answers. He''s most likely doubting Callan and Crystal would give proper answers so he''s turning to me. "You were supposed to go to Verrill''s room, right?" he asked, pushing me to spill it. I glanced over Crystal and Callan. Crystal sighed and Callan shrugged his shoulders. Oh well, it seemed that it was up to me to decide. If it''s Kaiden, I guess it was fine to tell him. And so, I told him what happened. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You like Verrill?" Kaiden laughed out loud, much to our surprise. "That Verrill? What did you see in him?" "What theyou hateful, stupid brother! What''s wrong with that? Verrill is very kind, gentle, and caring he''s a total prince! A perfect prince! Unlike you! You evil, grumpy, loathsome brother! Hmf!" Crystal fumed in anger. She even stood up in her seat. "If that''s your reason, you''re blinded," Kaiden chuckled, trying to stop himself from laughing. "Huh?!" Crystal was dumbfounded. "What do you mean?" "Out of the three of us, Callan would be the closest to your imaginary kind and caring prince, and Verrill would be the farthest. He''s the most evil and savage among us! It just doesn''t show since he''s mostly silent." Our eyes widened in disbelief. "You''re kidding." "No way!" Crystal and I chorused. Verrill? Evil? Did I just leave my best friend in the hands of someone untrustworthy? I gasped and worried over Hora in an instant. Kaiden shook his head and smirked, looking as if he remembered some nasty memory. "He''d make a perfect assassin or spy. No one would suspect him since he looked so kind with that angelic smile of his. But it''s true. He really is the most savage one." "Hmm now that you mention it," Callan pondered. It seemed that he, too, remembered something awful about him. "Yeah. One sample was whenever he gets confessions from girls. When he''s feeling merciful, he would just say ''Sorry, you''re not my type'' or ''I don''t like you. Go like someone else'' or ''I''m not interested'', ''You''re ugly'', ''You''re fat'', ''You failed at this and that exams''. And what''s worse is that he would say all those things while using his angelic smile. It''s like his words and facial expression don''t match." "You''re lying." Crystal argued. "He''s not like that." "But it''s true. Ask Callan." Crystal turned to Callan. "Aahhh Well There is one instance where I saw him like that." "And what exactly did he say?" "Ahmm actually it''s worse." Sweat formed on Callan''s forehead from all the stared Crystal was giving her. "Worse in what way?" "H-he told the girl to hop ten times, then twirl around, and say ''Woof''. And when the girl did it, he said ''Awww. That''s so stupid of you to follow me. I don''t like stupid people, sorry.'' A-and then, the girl cried and ran away." This time, I''m the one who jolted from my seat. "I-is this true? H-hora! I left her with him! I should" "Don''t worry, she''s gonna be fine," Kaiden assured me. "Verrill only says and does those nasty things to people he doesn''t know or like. He is kind to friends like us. And more specially kind to a girl he likes. I noticed he likes Hora so there''s nothing for you to worry about." Ouch. He shouldn''t have said that. Crystal would get hurt. I just told him what happened and he knew that she liked him. Kaiden, you bully brother. "Also, Crystal, my dear stupid sister, you don''t really like Verrill." "What did you just say? I have liked him since childhood!" "If you really do, you wouldn''t have gifted him a watch." "Huh? B-but he liked the watch. He smiled at me and thanked me." Kaiden shook his head. "He''s not fond of accessories, especially anything around his wrists. He loves music so anything that hinders or makes his wrists and hand uncomfortable is a big no. It affects the way he plays." Crystal was shocked. Thinking about it, Kaiden was right, though. I did notice earlier that Verrill didn''t like her gift. But he was so happy with Hora''s gift. "You claim you like him but you don''t even know that. It seems to me that you''re just in love with the idea of him being the princely person you want, not the actual him as a person. Mother said that''s important. You may want to talk to her sometimes." "But but" Crystal couldn''t refute him. Her eyes began to tear up again. "Accept it and move on," Kaiden strictly said. "Stop deluding over him and look for a guy who will love you as you are. And you should do the same. Love the person, not the appearance, or what you think he is. Not everyone is perfect. They will have flaws. And the one you love despite the flaws will be your true love. At least that''s what mother says." Crystal sobbed. "Since when were you talking with mother about love stuff? Sniff Sniff I get it. I''ll move on. Besides, he doesn''t like me so it''s useless." "Crystal" Callan and I tried to comfort her. But Kaiden came over instead and hugged her, much to my surprise. I didn''t know he could be a sweet brother. "There, there," he said, patting her head. "Next time, don''t just fall for the smiles and looks. They could be deceiving." Haaah. And with that, Verrill''s birthday party concluded. We all went to the guest rooms to take some rest. I shared the room with Crystal and made sure she got some sleep. She deserved it after all the crying and heartbreaks. I was unable to visit Hora though. I hope she''s fine. Verrill wouldn''t do anything nasty to her, right? I''ll trust what Kaiden said. Chapter 86 - What A Morning - [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ - [Please note: This chapter is written in Hora''s POV - the next morning after the party] Slowly opening my eyes, I was greeted by the morning dawn that could be seen from the room''s large windows. The image of Verrill playing on the piano beside it, still lingered in my mind. Well, it was no wonder since it was such a beautiful sight. Chuckling to myself, I looked down and noticed Verrill was holding my hand, while he sat on a chair, and his head laid on the bed. Ohhh-Emm-Gii!!! That must have been so uncomfortable! But that''s so sweet of him falling asleep while holding my hand. I couldn''t help but smile and blush to myself. Feeling the chilly morning air, I noticed how he didn''t even have a blanket on him. I slowly pulled my hands off of his and got up from bed. Taking the upper sheet, I covered his body with the blanket. I wanted to carry him to bed if I could, but I''m too weak to do that. After that, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. Actually, no. I wanted to take a bath. My whole body felt so sticky. I must have sweated a lot from last night. The problem was I''m in Verrill''s bedroom. I still haven''t forgotten about that fact. And I didn''t have any spare clothes. I left it in the guest room assigned to me and Sena. ''Hmmm what to do?'' I pondered to myself as I brushed my teeth. I used the spare brush from the cabinet. I noticed these rich people always had a cabinet filled with so many sparesfrom shampoos, conditioners, soaps, bath bombs, toothpaste and toothbrushes, to bathroom slippers, and towels, etc. Once done, I went out of the bathroom. When I opened the door I was shocked that Verrill was already awake, looking worried. "So you were there," he said in a sigh of relief. "I thought you went out or something happened." ''OMG. Can I scream? He''s worried for me. Awww, how sweet. Stop it, Hora. Be cool and calm. You''re not supposed to show you like him.'' Trying to suppress my smile, I answered, "Uuh, yes. I just went to wash my face and brush my teeth. I wanted to bathe but I don''t have my spare clothes with me." ''Wait a minute. Why did I mention taking a bath? Hora? Why?!!! He''s a guy! What if he thinks maliciously of it? Hmm but this is Verrill we''re talking about. There''s no way he would think that way. He''s too kind and a gentleman for that.'' "Right! You must feel hot since you were sick last night. Sure, go ahead and bathe. I''ll tell the maids to get your clothes." "Is that okay? I can just go to the guest room" "No, it''s fine. No need to go there. It''s a bit far from here and you just recovered. You need to rest some more," he smiled so kindly. "Okay. Thank you." I instinctively averted my gaze. "Oh! Were you going to use the bathroom?" "Huh? Ahm for a moment, yes. I''ll just wash my face, too. And brush my teeth." "Go ahead. Sorry." I went out of the way and he went inside. For some reason it felt like we were newly wed couples. Oh my goodness. Hora stop thinking that way! Think about Crystal! Don''t fall for this man. ''My heart, stop. You''re not allowed to like him, okay? You''re not sick anymore so be strong! But is it really alright to take a bath in a man''s bedroom? Hmm I do that in Sena''s room sometimes when I come to visit at their house before. And we also do it when we hang out at Ken''s house. I guess it''s fine? Maybe their culture isn''t so strict with those things, too? As long as they''re friends. Right. And besides, Verrill is just being kind I''m sure. There''s nothing to worry about.'' When Verrill finished, he went out of the bathroom with a towel on hand, wiping his wet face. He looked so handsome and hot with that dripping waterHora, staaapph! (stop) He looked normal, yes, just normal. And so, I went back in and soaked myself on the tub. Yes, it was already prepared when I went in. The warm water was ready, and the bath bombs and oils I could use were on the sides. He must have prepared that while washing his face. How nice of him. How I hope all men were like him. "Woow this aroma is so relaxing," I murmured to myself while enjoying the bath. An hour passedprobably, since I always took long hours bathingI left the bathroom all covered up in a fluffy bathrobe. Verrill was standing, leaning on his piano while flipping the pages of his music sheet. It was still so early and he''s already thinking about music. I chuckled to myself and went over him. "Oh, you''re done. I already told the maids. They should come in any moment now," he said when he noticed me. Then, he walked towards me. "Sit down first. Do you want coffee? Or tea? I''ll ask them to bring some snacks, too." "Yes, please. Tea for me." "Are you feeling better now? No more dizziness or anything?" he asked, inching closer to me, still holding his music sheet. "Yes! I''m all good. Thank you so much." Then, he leaned over to my face, making our foreheads touch. BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! ''R-relax Hora. It''s nothing for him. He''s just doing it this way b-because he''s holding something in his hands. C-calm down.'' I could already feel my cheeks burn because of this too much closeness. And I''m probably getting dizzy, too. ''What''s taking him so long to check my temperature?'' Curious, I looked up and our eyes met. BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! ''Oh no. My heart rate increased so bad. The look in his eyes Why is he staring at me like that? As if he''s mesmerized by me. T-that''s impossible!'' In my nervousness, I took a few steps back. But then THUD! "Ahh!" "Hora!" I bumped into something I wasn''t sure what. Verrill tried to catch me but failed and we both ended up falling on the bed. Yeah. It seemed that the thing I bumped into was the corner of the bed. And so, Verrill laid on top of me, with one of his arms on my back. What''s worse was that I was still on my bathrobes! With nothing underneath! KYAAAAAAAAAAA! ________________________________________ Hello Pumpkins! Happy 4th Anniversary to us!!! It''s been 4 years since Webnovel was launched and as part of the 515 event this year, I''m going to mass release 5 chapters daily for May 15, 16, and 17, 2021! YAAAAAAAHHH!!! So today, tomorrow, and the next day, there will be 5 chapters each for you to enjoy. <3 I set up 10 minutes interval each so the chapters don''t get mixed up in publishing. Look forward to it and happy weekends, Pumpkins! Ps. If you''re feeling generous since this poor author worked hard for this, do send me a gift XD Thank you so much! Wahahahahaha <3 Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 87 - Heartbeats [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ [Please note: We''re still on Hora''s POV when she fell with Verrill on the bed XD] BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! I could feel his firm chest pressed on mine. He wasn''t so heavy until I noticed he was supporting his body with his free arm. He probably did that so he wouldn''t crush me. That''s really nice. My cheeks burned again and I started to feel hot even though I just finished bathing. I wanted to scream so bad but it''s still so early in the morning and I didn''t want to wake anyone up. ''This is bad. He can probably feel my heartbeat. It''s beating so loud right now and I can''t stop it! Kyaaaaaaaaa! Oh-Em-Gi!'' "Aaahh," Verrill grunted and his breath sent shivers on my neck and throughout my whole spine and my whole being. ''Okay. I think I''m gonna die today from a heart attack. And that groaning sounded so sexy. As if he''s m-moaning. KYAAAAAAAA! Bad thoughts! Sena, you''re rubbing on me. It seems we''ve been together for far too long. I''m picking up habits from you.'' "Are you alright?" he whispered to my ears. Thanks to that, another wave of shivers ran through my body. "I''m sorry. I tried to catch you but" He removed his other arm on my back and used it to balance himself. But he didn''t get up. He just stared into my eyes. Our position didn''t he realize he was pinning me down? On the bed? If anyone saw us like this, they''d definitely faint. It was only then that I noticed my bathrobe was a bit dishevelled, especially in my chest area. A little bit of my cleavage was showing so I immediately fixed it and covered my chest with my tiny arms. Verrill''s face saddened. "Did I hurt you?" He glanced over my arm covering my chest. Oh no, I made him worry. "N-no! I''m fine. It just hurt a bit here since you fell on top of me," I tried to reply but my voice turned softer. How could I not? ''His face! He''s getting closer and closer to me! Kyaaaaaaaaaaa! What in the world are you doing Verrill? And I have nowhere to run! I''m pinned down for goodness'' sake! If he gets any closer H-he''s not trying to kiss me, is he? No way. He won''t'' Chuu! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! And he did it. H-he really kissed me. H-his warm lips on mine. It was short, just a peck but "Hora," he smiled and whispered my name as if it was the dearest thing to him. Then he kissed me again. This time, longer ''What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I not pushing him away? And why is he kissing me? But his lips damn it! It feels so good!'' Feeling his lips pressing on mine, I couldn''t help but kiss him back. I closed my eyes as I basked in his sweet and soft, warm lips. Seconds turned to minutes until I wasn''t so sure anymore how long we''ve been kissing. His gentle pecks and kissed turned more passionate, too. Even I was surprised with how well I was receiving his lips. When I opened my eyes, I saw how red his cheeks and ears had become. I''m probably the same since I easily blush. He gently caressed my cheeks with his hands. And when we felt out of breath, he would stop for a moment, stare at me with his eyes that seemed to look at my soul, and then kiss me back again. BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! With all this kissing, my heartbeat continued to run wild. Wanting to hold him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Like my heartbeat, our kisses went wilder and Verrill''s lips started to travel to my neck. "Aaahh w-wait," a moan left my mouth. Alarmed, Verrill stopped. "I-I''m so sorry! I got carried away a-and," he got up, and sat on the bed, releasing me from his clutches. He covered his lips and averted his gaze from me, looking all shy. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! You''re feeling shy after kissing me so passionately?" Verrill chuckled. Ahh his smile was really the best. Then, his face suddenly looked determined. "Hora, the truth is I," he said, as his face turned redder, "I really really" BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! ''Is this what I think it is? This fast? Am I not dreaming?'' He struggled to say it with his trembling lips but he said it. "I like you a lot." ''KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! OMG OMG OMG OMG! My heart took a massive blow. He looked so cute confessing like that! What do I do? Senaaaaaa, help me! I momentarily forgot but Crystal! What about Crystal?'' Remembering Crystal, my heart stung. But I really like Verrill, too. It was useless to deny it. I couldn''t even stop him from kissing me. "I" "You don''t need to answer right away!" He blurted out, interrupting me. He probably noticed my worried expression. His face was saddened. Maybe he thought I was going to reject him. "I can wait. This might all be too fast to you as well. But I want to let you know at least that you''re the very first girl I liked. So it''s okay. I can wait." Who in their right mind would reject a man like this? If I didn''t have Crystal to worry about, I would have already told him how I liked him, too. I gave him the sweetest and warmest smile I could give. "Thank you, Verrill." He returned my smile with the same warmth and sweetness along with another kiss as he pulled me close and embraced me. ''Wait a minute. I shouldn''t allow him to kiss me since he''s still waiting for my answer, right? Oh well, we''ve been kissing non-stop earlier so what''s the point of stopping him now? But oh my goodness. His lips are addicting. I could get used to this.'' And so, we kissed for several more minutes until the maids came knocking at the door. They brought over my clothes and some snacks. I changed into my clothes afterwards and had some snacks. Verrill went over to the bathroom and took a shower. ''Haaah what an awesome morning. I''m definitely not telling Sena about this or she''ll tease me until she drops.'' Chapter 88 - Oh No! [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - Also, did you enjoy the last chapter? XD Because I did hahahahaha] The next morning, I woke up early and carefully left the bed so Crystal could still sleep some more. I went towards the bathroom to take a shower and prepare for class. It was Monday and we didn''t file for any leave so we''re all going to school despite our tired beings. As I was changing my clothes, I noticed Hora''s clothes for today were missing. Did she go over here to get her clothes and return to Verrill''s room? That was weird. She wouldn''t do that. She would have taken a bath here instead. ''OMG! Wait a minute Did a servant take it and brought it to Verrill''s room? If so then that means Hora is taking a bath in a man''s bedroom?! WAAAAAAAAAAA!!! NOOOOOO!!! My poor innocent baby Hora is in danger!'' My face paled up and I quickly finished dressing up. I didn''t even finish blow drying my hair and just let it be so it wasn''t dripping wet. Not minding the unfamiliar layout of Verrill''s house, I went outside of the guest room and searched for his bedroom. As soon as I got out, I was already confused about which way to go. I looked around a bit, making sure to keep my eyes on the room where I came from. Then, I noticed the stairsthe one Crystal and I took last night when we were heading to Verrill''s room. I walked towards it and searched for the next path. "If I''m not mistaken, this is where we went," I murmured while deliberating if I should turn left or turn right. Seriously, this memory of mine was such a mess. "At times like these, the safest option is always left. So I''ll go left." Walking along the long hallway with a series of rooms one after another, I reached the last room at the end corner and bingo! It was Verrill''s room. I got lucky this time. I remembered the door of his room. It was different from the doors of the guest rooms. Reddish wood and had a more unique design to it. Thank you, my photographic memory that never applied to places, cars, and names. Sure that I was in the right room, I knocked on the door three times. A sweet voice told me to come in. I knew that voice! It''s definitely Hora! So I quickly got in and was welcomed by the same layout I saw last night. Phew! I really was in Verrill''s room. I walked inside and there I saw Hora and Verrill sitting on the couch smiling at each other. Verrill was handing her some medicines and reading something on a piece of paper. For some reason, they had this lovey-dovey atmosphere between them. Was it just me or it really was like that? Anyway, I went over to them and observed Hora from head to foot. Alright, she seemed to look fine. That''s good. "Sena!" Hora exclaimed when she realized it was me who arrived. She probably thought I was a maid seeing there were already some of them lurking around, cleaning the room. Hora stood up and went over to me to hug me. I embraced her back and shot glares towards Verrill. He didn''t do anything nasty to her, did he? Verrill looked surprised the moment I squinted my eyes over him, looking like an innocent sheep. Yeah, but in truth, he was a wolf in sheep''s clothing! A beast! Or a sly fox! Hmf! I''m protecting Hora from you. Not understanding what my eyes meant, Verrill just tilted his head, trying to understand my looks. Hmf! Let him guess forever. He fooled all of us. And to think I thought he was better than Callan! "Good morning!" "Good morning to you, too. Are you alright? I heard you got sick last night?" "Uuuhh, just a bit. But I got plenty of rest so I''m fine." I flicked her forehead lightly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. And you said yesterday morning that your coughs were nothing serious." "I''m sorry. I didn''t notice." "It''s my fault, too. I didn''t notice it, either. And sorry as well. I was about to go here when I heard you were sick but something came up." "It''s okay. Verrill took care of me." I raised my eyebrows in suspicion. "Oh, I see. Yes, you do look like he took VERRI (very) good care of you." Yup. I purposely said it in that way. Then I walked towards Verrill and crossed my arms. "Verrill," I called him strictly, "you didn''t do anything nasty to Hora last night, did you?" "Last night? I didn''t. I let her sleep on the bed and I slept on the chair. She was so hot so I also put some cold wet towel on her forehead. The doctor came to check on her and gave me some medicine for her to take once she''s eaten, too." Okay. That didn''t sound suspicious at all. "Good. Thank you." Hora''s was bewildered by my sudden change of treatment to Verrill. Don''t worry my dear bestie. I''ll let you know all about it later once we''re alone. "He was really nice to me. Why do you sound" Sniff sniff sniff I smelled something weird coming off from Hora. I went nearer and sniffed herfrom her head, to her clothes. And what''s weird was that, it was even in her neck area! I tried to check it and there was something reddish on her neck! My face paled up when I saw it. "Kyaaaa!!! Hora! What''s that in your neck?! And why do you smell like a man? All over you?!" I screamed in my great horror. "Huh? My neck? I don''t have anything" she tried to touch the side of her neck but of course she wouldn''t notice it since it was small. She flinched a little though, so maybe it hurt a bit. Her face flushed red. Oh no no no no no! Why was she blushing? Did she remember something? "U-uuuhh the reason I smell like a man is probably because I''ve been in this room since last night. A-and this, I don''t know. Maybe I got it from yesterday, while waiting for you in the pond?" I couldn''t believe it. Hora was lying to ME! Of all people. I glared at her, hinting I knew she was lying to my face. She averted her eyes from me. She probably didn''t want to discuss it in front of Verrill. But then, Verrill stood up from his seat and faced me. "Don''t be angry with her. If you''re going to be angry, be angry with me." "HUH?! What did you do?" I asked menacingly. I swear, my blood was boiling right at that moment. How dare youuuuu! What did you do to my friend? I shouldn''t have trusted Kaiden''s words. "I" Verrill started to speak but Hora stopped him. "Please, let me explain it to her." "Are you sure?" "Yes." There it was again. The lovey-dovey atmosphere. ''Verrill you are so doomed to me! WRAAAAAAAA!'' Chapter 89 - Observing The Sly Fox [Music Recommendation: "Happy Journey" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After that, I, who was once the president of the VeRa ship or Verrill and Hora ship, decided to be the one to break this ship. Right. I shouldn''t hand over my dear innocent baby Hora over to some sly foxyeah, I''m gonna call him that from now on since he was sly and he had red hair like a fox. What a perfect name for him. That lovey-doveyness I couldn''t believe he already had Hora under his clutches with just one night. What in the world happened between those two?! My innocent bestie! OMG! She''s still pure right? Please, somebody tell me she wasn''t sullied by that damn fox! ''I''m gonna make sure Hora spills everything later. I won''t take no for an answer! Wraaa!'' Later on, we ate breakfast together, along with Verrill''s family and Mrs. Ma. Unfortunately, Mr. Ma wasn''t there since he was still on a business trip. It was a peaceful morning and we chatted a bit with each other. Crystal''s eyes were a bit puffy and red but other than that, she looked fine. Maybe a whole night of crying helped her thankfully. After breakfast, the Zhong''s family driver took us all to school. It was the first time all six of us were going to school together. Inside the car, which was a limousine, everyone was silent except for Callan who tried to pull off some jokes every now and then. When his jokes failed, Kaiden flicked his forehead and told him to stop. Once we arrived at school, we headed out to our respective departments. Verrill had the privilege to accompany Hora to hers since my department happened to be the closest one. Callan accompanied Crystal despite his department being in a different direction. And Kaiden travelled alone. ''Hmf! Lucky little devil fox! I''m not yet done with you. Once I get my chance, I''m definitely roasting you.'' Classes went on as usual. But today, I resolved myself to be on a mission. I wanted to see for myself if what Kaiden said was true. Yes, it''s very unlike him to lie, but still, I should be calm and give Verrill the benefit of the doubt. Kaiden could also be just badmouthing Verrill so Crystal would stop pursuing him. Whether it''s true or not, I had to see it for myself. Yesconsidering Hora seemed to be too smitten by him already. I should give her proof of his true nature. Right! I should make her come with me to observe! Then maybe Crystal too, so it could help her move on hopefully. As if the heavens listened to my prayers in an instant, I found a girl who wanted to confess to Verrill! It was after my first class that I came across her, who was talking to her friend on a bench near Hora''s department. I was walking towards Hora''s department that time since my second class was cancelled due to our professor''s emergency situation. From what I understood from their conversation, the girl was planning to confess today and she was just waiting for Verrill to pass there. What perfect timing! Now, I just needed to get Hora and Crystal! I immediately called the two of them and asked to meet asap to which they agreed. I didn''t explain much since Hora didn''t know what happened to Crystal last night, and vice versa. I simply told them that I wanted to show them something interesting and of course, they were both bewildered. And so, we waited in a corner like ninjas, unseen by anyone passing by. A few more moments and Verrill came walking like a sly foxwait, no prejudice yet Senara! Okay walking n-normally with that smug face of his. Wait, no! He was just smiling normally! His normal angelic smile that could fool anyone including an enemy from another planet! ''Ugh. Just seeing him makes my blood boil after what Kaiden and Callan revealed to us. I should keep calm and have an unbiased opinion. This is the purpose of my observation anyway. Go me!'' And there it was, the moment of truth. The girl stopped Verrill from his leisure walk while carrying a gift in her hands. Observing the girl from our angle, she was really cute and petite, kinda like Hora but of course, my pure innocent bestie was the best. "V-Verrill!" the girl shouted his name, probably trying to toughen herself. "H-Happy birthday!" She shouted again and handed out the gift to him. Verrill smiled but he only looked at the gift. He didn''t take it. "Ah, thank you. There''s no need for a gift though." The girl looked saddened. But she didn''t give up. Instead, she persisted. "I like you! I really, really like you. Ever since high school I''ve admired you. You''re so great at the instruments, so kind and gentle. Honestly, there''s a lot I like about you," she confessed as her face flushed pink. Verrill''s eyes widened. Then, he sighed afterwards and rolled his eyes, much to our surprise. I observed Hora''s and Crystal''s reactions, too, and we were all horrified. We DID NOT expect him to roll his eyes. In an instant, his angelic smile was gone like the wind. "Uggh listen. I don''t know you so it''s impossible for me to like you back." "T-then we can know each other now." His face turned sour. "I''m not interested though." The poor girl was shocked. "B-b-but I I like you." "So? You liking me doesn''t mean I have to like you back, right? I suggest you move on and forget about me." After that, he smiled for the last time and continued walking past the poor girl. I swear, I could see little horns on top of that red hair of his'' as he walked away. But more importantly, Kaiden and Callan were telling the truth! Oh my goodness! He really was a little devil! "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Crystal burst out laughing. "I guess I really was disillusioned, huh? I did not see that coming." "Right?!" I agreed with her, my face, still dumbfounded with what I just witnessed. Hora, on the other hand, seemed to be pondering on something. Did she see something we didn''t? Chapter 90 - Memories Of The Fox (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Verrill''s POV - after he turned down a confession] ''Uggghhh another confession today. I''m getting more and more lately. During high school, I used to get two or three in a week but now it''s almost everyday. This is exhausting. I wish they would just stop. Do they think if they confess, I''m gonna like them? Ughhh What are they? Delusional?'' Sighing and shaking my head, I walked straight to the piano room. It was a free period for me so I''m free to do what I want until the next class, which would be after lunch. I decided to spend the rest of my time there since it was the only thing worthwhile to do. It had the perfect spot, too, since it was near Hora''s department. I''m really glad our departments were right next to each other. Upon arriving, there were already some students playing with the grand piano in the main room. Luckily, there were lots of rooms here so I could just pick an empty spot and stay there until it''s time to fetch Hora. I walked past a long series of rooms until I reached a vacant one near the end of the hallway. I entered and slumped the bag I was carrying on the couch inside. Walking straight towards the piano, I checked if it was properly tuned. I tested it a bit and once done, I sat in front of it so I could play. Closing my eyes, the very first thing that popped to mind was Hora''s cute face. Yeah, the one she made after I kissed her for the first time. He-he. Her lips were so smooth, moist, and warm I loved kissing her. It was the first time I kissed a girl and I didn''t think it would be that awesome. So awesome I didn''t want to stop. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''I can''t believe this. Just thinking about her is making my heart pound this much. I''ve been smitten real hard, haven''t I?'' While my heart throbbed hard, I started playing "Night Breaths" or "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlinithe same song I played last night for Hora. As I played, I couldn''t help but reminisce the very first time I met her. It was really odd since I never gave sh*t about romance before. I always thought girls were irritating because of thatalways talking about boys whenever they got the chance. Who managed to get the most boyfriends, up to what bases did they reach together, kissing and all that stuffugh they were all gross to me. Hearing them ramble on was beyond mesince I couldn''t avoid it if my seatmates at school were girls. That was why I''ve always been irritated whenever someone would confess to me. Flirting was the least of my interest. I preferred learning different instruments or playing games with Kai and Cal. Well, that was until I met her. It was the first day of school and Kai texted us the night before that he would introduce Lady Pumpkin to us. Curious as to who the girl that managed to befriend the picky Kai was, I agreed and went to school early. What I didn''t know was how she brought along her best friend, too. Yeah her best friend who was so cute and petite that she looked like an innocent doll. Those eyes of hers it was like looking at the sky, so beautiful and peaceful. Just seeing her made my heart throb hard for the very first time. Badump! Badump! Badump! After that, I couldn''t take my eyes off of her whenever I got the chance to see herwhich was mostly during lunch. What sucks though was how I never had the chance to be alone with her or talk to her. She was always with her best friend and that started to irritate me. Good thing, Cal had an argument with Senara. Not that arguing with someone was good but being able to talk to Hora was. I even managed to get her number. She came to me one afternoon asking what the deal was with Cal since Sena didn''t tell her anything. Heh. She was so cute that time, too, when she complained to me about Cal. "Do you know what happened between Sena and Callan?" she asked, pouting so cutely. Her eyebrows were knitted and her cheeks were blushing in angersomething I found so cute. She was like a little hamster or a kitten. "Sena would never start a fight so I''m guessing it had something to do with what Callan said or did. Did he tell you what happened that day?" "I''m sorry, but he didn''t," I answered her. It wasn''t a lie. Cal really didn''t tell us what exactly happened except for mistaking Lady Pumpkin as a man and saying he fu*cked up. But she didn''t ask that, right? Heh. She pouted even more after hearing my answer. But I quickly gave her my sweetest and most reassuring smile. "Don''t worry. They''ll make up soon. If you want, I can call you once I have news." "Really? You will? Is that okay?" "Of course." And voilshe gave me her number. Heh. My plan was a success. After that, we started to call each othercalling because I told her that whenever I got the chance, I would rest my fingers so that meant I preferred to call rather than texting. He-he. Another plan of mine which was a success. Listening to her sweet voice was much better than reading her texts. And so, days passed by and I''m happily enjoying getting to know her. To my surprise, we had many similarities with our likes and dislikes. She was fun to talk to as well. Not irritating at all unlike other girls my age. Maybe it was because I liked her in the first place? I wasn''t sure. But whatever the reason, I hoped that Cal and Sena''s argument would take longer. That way, I could talk more with Hora. Unluckily for me, they made up on Saturday, which was too quick. Tsk. They could have made it to last for at least a year, or even a month. What''s good though was how the next day was my birthday. Even though I didn''t give them invitations, I was sure Kai or Crystal would bring them along. Those twins were never the type to leave friends alone anyway. And as I predicted, they brought them along. What I didn''t predict was how mesmerizing Hora would be like an angel who descended from the sky. Badump! Badump! Badump! Chapter 91 - Memories Of The Fox (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Verrill''s POV - reminiscing his memories with Hora] "Haaah" I breathed heavily and averted my eyes after seeing her for a few seconds. If I didn''t, I may not be able to control myself and just run to her and embrace her. But I had to keep my cool, even if I wasn''t the most patient person. When they arrived, Crystal ran to me and hugged me, much to my irritation. But I couldn''t show her that. Father told us to be polite and gentle at all timessomething I found very taxing to do. That, plus, she''s my best friend''s twin sister. If she was any other girl, I would have ignored her since it was clear she liked me a lot. She''s just too cowardly to confess. But if she managed to gather the courage to do so, I would bluntly turn her down. It was the best way to reject someonenot giving them any false hopes. If I had been kind to all those who confessed to me, I would have had lots of girlfriends by now. After greeting me a happy birthday, she gave me her gift and urged me to open it. Uggh I would be forced to smile politely again. I knew she would give me another accessory. She never learned, huh? Even Kai knew I didn''t like them. As I guessed, her gift was a watchanother accessoryone of the accessory types I hated the most since it carried extra weight on my wrists. Aside from that, her card was purpleso girly. If she really liked me, she would have an ounce of courtesy to make her card and gift something I would like, right? Still, it was a gift who was I to say no? That was another reason I detest those girls who confessed to me. Always saying they liked me when they didn''t really know who I was or what I really liked. What a bunch of craps. At least I made an effort on getting to know the person I liked, not just falling for looks. Contrast to Crystal''s gift, Hora who came next, had the brains to make her birthday card and wrap her gift in a color I would likered. I never told her that but it was heartwarming seeing the girl you like making an effort for you. I couldn''t help but grin when she greeted me and handed out her gift. ''Ahhh isn''t she the cutest in the world?'' What surprised me more was how she gifted me a Kalimba! I''ve been meaning to get that ever since I saw it on the internet but I completely forgot about it after getting Hora''s number. I enjoyed talking to her too much. That was another heartwarming thing she did. Finally, I could say that I would enjoy this birthday of mine. In my joy, I was unable to hold myself back so I embraced her. Her body froze up though, and it was funny. It was the same reaction she had when I patted her head during the barbecue party. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Seriously why is it that I like anything she does? Even simple gestures like this? Being able to hug her for the first time, I didn''t want to let go. I want more'' After that, we ate lunch together since Kai was complaining of his hunger. And soon after, the party started. I had to do the boring task of greeting every guest with my family so I was stuck on doing that for hours. Hours passed and I was getting bored. I couldn''t even talk to Hora since Senara took her outside. I glanced at them and it seemed they went to the pond. Bummer. How I hope I could go there, too, instead of entertaining these guests. It was then that I saw a ray of hopeMr. and Mrs. Chen!Mrs. Ma''s parents! A brilliant idea came to mind and I made sure to carry out the plan immediately. "Auntie, there you are," I greeted Mrs. Ma. "Oh, Verrill, my dear boy. Happy birthday!" she greeted me back and embraced me. "Good evening to Mr. and Mrs. Chen as well," I bowed my head. "And thank you for coming." "Why, of course! Happy birthday to you, Verrill." I smiled at them then turned to Mrs. Ma. "Auntie, did they meet her already? Senara?" As I predicted, Mrs. Ma''s eyes lit up. "Oh my goodness! You''re right! Mom, Dad, there''s someone I would love you to meet." After that, Mrs. Ma looked for Senara to which I happily assisted, telling her I saw her by the pond. She went there asap and fetched Senara, leaving Hora behind. Finally, I could have her all for myself. When I approached her, she was reading something on her phone with full concentration. She looked hurt though, seeing how she was almost crying. It was funny how I still found that cute. We talked a bit as I sat beside her. In the back of my head though, I was looking for an opportunity to bring her somewhere elsesomewhere we could be alone. Badump! Badump! Badump! Spending time with her had always been heart-pounding. And there was no denying how much I liked her. For a change, I''m the one who wanted to confess. I wanted her to know how I feel and for some reason I was getting impatient. Yeah impatient not knowing how she thought of me. I wanted her to like me and feel the same way as I do towards her. In case she didn''t like me yet, I decided to do everything in my capabilities to seduce her so she would fall for me. When I got the chance, I invited her to the library since she asked if we had one. It was the perfect spot to confess, too, since it was dead silent there. She agreed to my invitation and everything was going all according to plan. But that plan vanished as soon as I touched her hand. Why? She was burning with fever! ________________________________________ Hello Pumpkins! Happy 4th Anniversary to us!!! It''s been 4 years since Webnovel was launched and as part of the 515 event this year, I''m going to mass release 5 chapters daily for May 15, 16, and 17, 2021! YAAAAAAAHHH!!! Look forward to it and happy weekends, Pumpkins! Ps. If you''re feeling generous since this poor author worked hard for this, do send me a gift XD Thank you so much! Wahahahahaha <3 Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 92 - Memories Of The Fox (Part 3) [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Verrill''s POV - still reminiscing his memories with Hora] The moment I realized she was sick it was as if my whole world stopped. My heart started to sting and I started blaming myself for how stupid I was that I didn''t even notice it earlier! My body trembled in fear. I didn''t want anything to happen to her. Screw all my plans! What mattered most was to have her checked by a doctor and rest. "What''s wrong? Why do you look like you saw a ghost?" she asked, unaware of how sick she was. She was burning hot for goodness'' sake! "Hora! Are you alright?" "Huh? What do you mean? I am alright." "You''re burning up!" I exclaimed in my worry. Then, I walked nearer and touched her forehead. Damn it! She''s having a fever and it''s really high! "I-I''m burning up?" "Yes! You have a fever. You need to rest immediately! The guest rooms are full right now, but you can use my room for the meantime. I''ll call for the family doctor to check on you. Come, let''s go there, quick." "B-but I''m fine. I don''t feel anything wrong." Tsk. She''s saying that but her legs were trembling. Seeing her like that just hurt me more. I caught her by the shoulders to help her stand up. "You''re not fine at all. Don''t tell me you''ve been enduring it all this time?" My voice turned scary. I was angry at how she''s not taking care of herself. "Hmf! I really didn''t notice it. I was fine a few moments ago." "Urghhh, this won''t do." "Hey, are you listening to me?" "You can''t walk, can you?" "What? I can! I" Not caring about her buts, I lifted her up in my arms. "Hey! Put me down, youI can still walk. I''m not injured." "You''re staggering like a newly born lamb and you say you''re fine." "Okay. Maybe I''m not but I can still walk. Please put me down." "No!" At that moment, I didn''t care if she hated me or thought lowly of me. What mattered was that she got treated asap. And so, I carried her inside all the way to my room, and laid her on my bed. She must have been really exhausted seeing how she fell asleep as soon as I laid her down. After that, I quickly called for the family doctor. While waiting, I felt restless so I tried to remember first aid measures that I read or saw somewhere. And so, I got some towels and filled a basin with cold water. I dipped the towel into the bowl and wrung it before placing it on her forehead. With another wet towel, I carefully wiped her face and neck, since she was sweating so much. I also wiped her arms and her feetafter I removed her shoes. If I could, I would have wiped her body too but she''d hate that. Later on, the doctor arrived and checked her. She told me it was fever due to over fatigue and gave me some medicines she could take, along with instructions. Other than that, she just needed plenty of rest. Hearing that, I felt a bit relieved. But my heart still stung seeing her suffering. Wanting to calm my heart, I went over to my piano and started playing a song. Once calm again, I pulled a chair beside the bed and held her hand until I fell asleep, watching over her. When I woke up, the hand I was holding was gone. My heart pounded in worry once more and I frantically looked around, searching for her. ''Where could she be? She''s still sick. She shouldn''t be walking around unattended.'' Then, I noticed the bathroom light was lit up so I went there to check. I was about to knock when she opened the door. I felt so relieved seeing she looked better. She said she felt hot though so I told her to bathe and I''ll just tell the maids to get her clothes. Good thing she agreed since I didn''t want her to stress herself more than that. The doctor said she needed to rest. ''Right. I need to prepare the bath for her so she won''t move too much.'' And so, I borrowed the bathroom for a moment with the excuse of washing my face and brushing my teeth. I made sure to do that so I didn''t lie. That, plus, preparing the tub for her and everything she might need. Once done, she took a bath and I went to the phone to get the maids. I started calling them when a sudden idea came to mind. ''Right it''s too early in the morning and I could use this chance to spend time with her. I can also check how she feels about me and confess. Will I not stress her out though? Maybe I should just do it another time.'' But then when she went out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a pure white bathrobe, the little devil in me emerged. ''Damn. She looks too cute and sexy. Seriously, she doesn''t know what her effect is on me. She shouldn''t be like this in front of other guys.'' BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! My heart raced again, though I tried to hide it. Uggh and to think I was planning to seduce her. In the end, she''s the one being too seductive. Fine. If that''s what you want, I should try to seduce you back and make you fall for me. "Oh, you''re done. I already told the maids. They should come at any moment now. Sit down first. Do you want coffee? Or tea? I''ll ask them to bring some snacks, too." "Yes, please. Tea for me." "Are you feeling better now? No more dizziness or anything?" I asked, inching closer to her, while holding my music sheet. I purposely held on to it though since I was planning to do a little something. "Yes! I''m all good. Thank you so much." Then, I leaned over to her face, making our foreheads touch. Her temperature was back to normal and that''s good. But that wasn''t what I was planning. Feeling naughty, I stared at her lips and stayed in that position. Soon enough, she would be curious what''s taking me so long. As I predicted, she became curious and lifted up her face. Our eyes met and locked on each other. ''Ahhhh she''s really so beautiful. Having her this close I can''t stop myself. I want her'' I walked closer to her but she took a few steps back. Seeing the bed behind her, I continued to come closer. THUD! "Ahh!" "Hora!" Ha-ha! And there it was my perfect plan to seduce herhaving her pinned down on my bed. Chapter 93 - Memories Of The Fox (Part 4) [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Verrill''s POV - still reminiscing his memories with Hora - last part] When we fell down on my bed, I made sure not to crush her so I landed on my one arm, and the other held her back. I didn''t intend it but her soft chest pressed on mine. I felt my wits leaving me so I slumped my face on the space around her neck, trying to hide my face. BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! My heartbeat went wild again. She could probably hear it loud and clear. I turned my head to peek at her reaction but instead, her white and slim neck welcomed me. Damn it. I wanted to kiss it. "Aaahh," I grunted, trying to stop myself from devouring her. If I do, she''d be angry at me. ''Come back to your senses, Verrill. You''re only trying to seduce her a bit so she''ll take notice of you. Don''t be seduced.'' "Are you alright?" I whispered to her ears. I felt her tremble from my warm breath that touched her neck. "I''m sorry. I tried to catch you but" I removed my arm from her back and balanced myself, still pinning her down. As I did, my eyes passed through her body and I flinched when I noticed her bathrobe was dishevelled. ''H-her cleavage ugh! This is driving me crazy.'' She probably noticed me, that''s why she fixed it immediately and covered her chest, which was good. If not, I wasn''t so sure if I could control myself. "Did I hurt you?" I asked, staring into her eyes. "N-no! I''m fine. It just hurt a bit here since you fell on top of me," she answered with her sweet voice. Just hearing her speak was already intoxicating. And staring into those beautiful eyes BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! ''Ahhh it''s too late. I''m crazy for her.'' After that, I didn''t know what came into me but Chuu! I kissed her. My lips on hers it was short, just a peck but "Hora," I smiled and whispered her name dearly. My heart felt like they would burst. Then I kissed her again. This time, longer Her lips were so soft and smooth, I couldn''t get enough of it so I kissed her over and over. I wasn''t sure if she liked it but she didn''t push me away. That meant she was okay with it, right? ''Ahhhh it feels so good. More more more'' After a few minutes of kissing her, I finally felt her respond Hora kissed me back. I was so happy that my heart leaped in joy. Because of that, I got more confident and kissed her more passionately. My gentle kisses became more needy and soon enough, I was almost devouring her whole mouth. Not wanting my naughty hands to go anywhere prohibited, I held her soft cheeks and caressed it gently. When we felt out of breath, we would pause for a moment, stare at each other''s eyes, and then go back to kissing. BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! With all the hot kissing we were doing, my heartbeat continued to run wild. Judging by how the surroundings started to lit up, we''ve probably been kissing for almost an hour. Yeah. And because of that, I felt so aroused. Of course. I was still a man. Kissing too much like this it''s very dangerous. As if just kissing me wasn''t enough, Hora wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her. ''Ahhhh Hora if you only know the things that are running in my mind right now, you wouldn''t do that.'' But still, me who had become addicted to her lips continued to kiss her. Wanting more, I didn''t notice that my lips traveled unto her neck and I was already nibbling gently on it. "Aaahh w-wait," a moan left Hora''s mouth. Coming back to my senses, I immediately stopped. ''Damn it. I almost'' "I-I''m so sorry! I got carried away a-and," I got up, and sat on the bed, releasing her from my clutches. I covered my lips and averted my gaze from her, feeling guilty of going beyond kissing her lips. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! You''re feeling shy after kissing me so passionately?" I chuckled seeing her smile. "Hora, the truth is I" ''This is it. Go and confess now!'' "I really really" BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! "I like you a lot." Finally, I said it. Her face looked happy but only for a moment. My heart ached the moment I saw her saddened expression. "I" "You don''t need to answer right away!" I interrupted her, not wanting to hear a rejection from her. No! She''s too special for me to just let her go. "I can wait. This might all be too fast to you as well. But I want to let you know at least that you''re the very first girl I liked. So it''s okay. I can wait." Then, she gave me the sweetest and warmest smile I''ve ever seen. "Thank you, Verrill." I smiled back at her with the same warmth and sweetness. That, and I pulled her close, embracing her again, and kissing her soft lips once more. I kissed her for several more minutes until the sun rose up and the maids came knocking at the door. Awww, too bad. I wanted more. ''Hora I like you so much. And I''m not letting you go. You''re mine. All mine.'' Dun-dun-dun Dun-dun-dun "Ha-ha-ha" I chuckled to myself. Reminiscing all that happened took a whole song. Still, I''m happy. Just meeting her was already a miracle. If Senara didn''t manage to befriend Kai, then I wouldn''t be having these feelings right now. Yeah the feelings of wanting someone so bad. Was this how those girls who confessed to me felt? Maybe. But one thing for sure my feelings weren''t as half-hearted as theirs. ''I like Hora No, this isn''t just a simple like anymore. It may seem too fast but I don''t care. I love her And I''ll do everything to make her mine.'' Chapter 94 - What Happened That Night... [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - when they were being ninjas and observing Verrill''s reaction to the confession] [Also PS: Did you enjoy Verrill''s POV? Because I did hahahahahaha XD] We just finished observing how evil Verrill really was but Hora seemed to be pondering on something. What could she be thinking? Crystal and I agreed that we were both deceived by him, falling from his honey trap smile. But why was it that Hora seemed to have a different opinion? "What is it, Hora?" I asked, curious of what it was she was thinking. "Hmm I just thought that it wasn''t so bad at all." My eyes widened in disbelief of what I''m hearing from her. Crystal was shocked, too! Was she brainwashed by that little devil? "W-what do you mean? He just rudely rejected a girl who liked him! He could have said it better, gentler. Not like that. He even rolled his eyes! Clearly, he doesn''t even have any humanity in him to appreciate the girl''s confession and say no in a gentle manner." "I agree," Crystal added. "He could have at least thanked the girl for her feelings. She said she liked him for years and it''s just nothing for him. T-that hurts, you know." ''Oh no. Crystal is feeling for the girl. She must have seen herself in her if she was to confess to Verrill.'' Hora''s face saddened after hearing that. Wait a minute. Did she know? About Crystal liking Verrill? And then, she toughened herself and looked at Crystal straight in the eyes. "But if he had become gentle in rejecting, that could give false hopes to the girl. In the end, she will cling to that hope and just be more hurt right?" A moment of silence passed by. Woah! I did NOT think of that. And I was supposed to be the eldest here. This quality of Hora was one of the things that made me admire her all the more. Yeah, I simp my bestie, too. Whenever she would open an argument, she always made sense. Don''t even try arguing or you''d lose inevitably. She sees and observes things beyond the eyes could see. Truly what a queen. She was right though. If Verrill rejected in a kind manner, like saying ''Sorry, I''m not interested in romance right now'', or something like ''Sorry, I don''t see you like that as of the moment'', or anything along those lines, the girl would just be persistent. She could say, ''It''s okay. I''ll wait for you'' and all that kind of stuff. Especially since they liked him for years. They wouldn''t just give up as easily as that unless they were rejected brutally. So Verrill wasn''t really being evil but he just had to do it that way, right? Awww it seemed I judged him too quickly. Then, the reason why Kaiden badmouthed Verrill in such a manner it was probably his act of kindness for Crystal. Basically, he''s saying if Crystal confessed, she would be treated like thatbrutally rejected. But instead of saying it directly, he wanted Crystal to move on instead. Besides, Kaiden was right. Crystal didn''t like Verrill as a person but was just physically attracted to him and her idea of him. So they really wouldn''t end up together by any means. Unless Verrill liked Crystal which was impossible given the way he''s treating her. And besides, he already liked Hora. My instincts were right. I knew from that moment during the barbecue party. There was already something fishy going on. I''d say they were attracted to each other naturallythough still physical, maybe? Hmmm but still! That didn''t change the fact that he was a sly fox and I still didn''t know what happened to them last night. My opinion of him would only improve if I''m assured nothing happened. If not WRAAAAA!!! I would rage war! How dare he try to touch my precious bestie! If not for what happened to Crystal, I wouldn''t leave her alone with him in his bedroom! Crystal and I were taken aback by what Hora said since she had a point. Crystal then looked like she had a lot of pondering to do. That, plus we needed to go to our next class. I just borrowed them for a bit anyway. And so, we all returned to class and continued the rest of the day. Crystal and Callan weren''t able to join us for lunch since they were needed somewhere, according to Kaiden. But I guessed Crystal just needed some space and Callan was comforting her. Poor Crystal she might have been disillusioned but still, moving on wouldn''t be that easy given she liked him since childhood. I wanted to comfort her, too, but I could only do so much. Callan should be able to help cheer her up. During lunch, Verrill kept on staring at Hora so I covered her face with the menu book. Good thing, it was huge enough to cover both our faces. "So, when are you planning to tell me?" I whispered to Hora as I covered our faces with the menu book open in front of our faces. Hora blushed. "Uuuuhhh after classes? At home?" I squinted my eyes towards her. "Alright. Make sure you don''t leave out any details, are we clear on that?" She nodded reluctantly at me, to which, I raised my eyebrows and she averted her eyes from me. Tsk. Tsk. This girl You''re too young to hide anything from this time travelling friend of yours. Anyway, hours passed after lunch and before we knew it, classes ended. We all went back to our respective homes and as soon as we came back, I made sure to pester Hora in her room. "So," I said strictly, with my eyes squinting on her, "care to tell me now?" "Alright, I will. But please, sit down first." I did as she said, and sat beside her, in her room''s receiving area. Tea and coffee, with some snacks, were ready in front of us. I dropped two cubes of sugar in my coffee and started sipping, waiting for her to spill the beans. Hora breathed deeply. "Okay. I''m telling you everything but you have to promise me that you won''t freak out." Just hearing her say that was already making me freak out but "Alright," I gulped, "I''ll do my best not to." Breathing deeply again, she started telling her story. From the moment I left her by the pond, up to where Verrill let her rest in his bedroom since she was sick. Then, when she woke up, she felt sticky and wanted to take a bath. Verrill offered to do so in his bedroomthe audacitysaying he didn''t want her to exhaust herself and all that. So that was why her clothes were suddenly missing from the guest room prepared for us. What I didn''t expect though was what she said next. "Then w-we kissed." I swear. The moment I heard that I saw red! "HOW DARE THAT EVIL SLY FOX!!! WRAAAAAAAA!!!" Chapter 95 - Confessions [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Y-y-you you kissed that wolf in sheep''s clothing? Wha" "Shhhh calm down! Please! And don''t shout," Hora covered my mouth and tried to calm me down. ''But oh boy, I am NOT calming down!'' I shot glares at her and she continued explaining to me what happened. "Don''t just blame him, okay? It''s my fault, too. I let it happen. And besides, he he c-confessed to me, too. He said he likes me," Hora added with her face redder than a tomato. "Oh? Did he now? Or did he just say that because you allowed him to kiss you and now he thinks you''re easy and he uses confession as his guise? He''s just being a horny bratt!" Hora''s eyes widened. ''Ooops! I think I showed too much of my elderly past self. I need to back myself up.'' "I I mean, what if that''s the case? I read it in a book somewhere. I forgot the title. But it''s true! There''s lots of jerks around and what if he''s like that?" "He''s Kaiden''s friend. If you trust Kaiden won''t just befriend anyone, you wouldn''t be like that." "E-even Kaiden thinks he''s evil and savage." "I''m sure he didn''t mean it in such a vile way. Just like how you tell off your friends on their flaws." "B-but still he took advantage of you." "I allowed him to do that." "You''re just too smitten by him." "Yes, maybe I am. I like him." "What?!" I gasped in shock. "Y-you already like him? I thought you didn''t? You were so against it before?" "And you were shipping us before. Now you''re against it." "But that''s because he''s an evil sly fox." "I thought we agreed the reason why he''s nasty in rejecting girl''s confessions was because he didn''t want them to cling on false hopes?" "But what if he''s not even thinking that way? He just wanted to be" Hora pouted. She''s definitely not happy by my sudden change of opinion. I''m so sorry bestie, but I just wanted to make sure you''re not falling for the wrong guy. "He took care of me last night when I was sick. He could have taken advantage of me that time if he''s really just a horny bratt as you said, but he didn''t. And he also put a wet towel on my forehead to lower my temperature. He even played the piano for me so I could sleep peacefully and he held my hand until he fell asleep on a chair! He could have slept beside me but he chose to sleep on a chair! That''s because he''s being kind and considerate of me. He never treated me badly or did anything against my will. So I don''t think he''s as bad as you think," she pouted and said all of that in one go. She''s definitely upset with me. Hearing her words, I was reminded of another thing Kaiden said when he revealed to us how evil Verrill was. "Don''t worry, she''s gonna be fine," Kaiden assured me. "Verrill only says and does those nasty things to people he doesn''t know or like. He is kind to friends like us. And more specially kind to a girl he likes. I noticed he likes Hora so there''s nothing for you to worry about." But he dared kiss Hora! It was her first kiss, too! The most important one! Then again Hora said she was fine with it. And the look on her face when she said that she liked it. Plus the fact that she''s falling for him. Actually, noshe already likes him so she already fell for him. "Haaaah" I sighed deeply. Then, in a serious tone, I asked her again, "Do you really like him? For real?" Tears could be seen in the corner of Hora''s eyes as she nodded to my question. "Yes, I do. I like him a lot." "Are you aware of Crystal''s situation?" "Yes I noticed that, too. That''s why last night, I cried myself to sleep. Because I feel so wrong and guilty for developing these feelings. But I can''t stop it. I wish I could but" "Awww don''t cry," I sighed and hugged my bestie. She was already crying. I patted her back to calm her down. Of course. Hora would have noticed. She was more observant than I am. She must have felt so conflicted especially since we''re friends with Crystal. Unable to stop her emotions, she just let it flow. I guess that''s how all these romance stuff worked, huh? "If you really like him, then who am I to stop you?" I told her as I continued to pat her back. "I''m not an expert with romance but it should be the same with life, right? Go with that makes you happy? And about Crystal, don''t worry, she''ll be fine. She decided to move on. Plus, she has Callan. That stupid rude boy wasn''t so bad after all. He has a soft spot for her so he won''t let her suffer." "I didn''t answer his confession yet. I want to talk to Crystal first. As much as I like Verrill, I like Crystal, too. I don''t want her hurt but it seems she''s already hurt." "Yes, me too. I don''t want her hurting. Should we talk to her now?" "Uhm. I think we should." With that, we agreed to talk to Crystal. Hora wiped her tears and washed her face for a moment. She didn''t want to talk to Crystal looking like she cried rivers. As for me, I tried to think of ways on how to properly say it to her and what would be the best comfort words. Truly, dealing with relationships was not an easy feat. Once done, we went over to Crystal''s room which was just in front of mine. We knocked on her door three times, and she told us to come in. When we did, we were shocked to see that she was packing up her clothes! Chapter 96 - Crystal And Hora [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Several maids helped Crystal pack her things. They went in and out of the walk-in closet in her room, presenting clothes to Crystal as they went. Then Crystal would either approve of the outfit or not, and the next maid would come with the next clothes. The others brought shoes and accessories, also presenting them to her in that manner. Those that passed were placed inside a luggage. "Nope." "Not that one." "Next." "Good." And so her words were. She didn''t even notice we came in until Hora spoke up. "Crystal? You''re leaving?" Hora asked and her eyes almost broke into tears again. Surprised by our sudden appearance, Crystal jolted from her seat. "Hora, Senara, you''re there!" she greeted us with a smile. "What''s all these clothes? Why are you packing up?" I asked her, worried. "Oh, don''t worry about that. I''ll be leaving for a week or two because I have a shooting!" I grumbled. Was that the truth? Or did she decide to leave to get some space? "Hey, you two! Come on! I just told you a really good news and you look like someone died," she tapped our shoulders, disturbing us from our negative thoughts. "What shooting?" Hora asked. "Remember the one I told you before? The June Bride modelling event that I signed up months ago?" We nodded. Yes, she told us about that. Crystal wanted to be a professional actress and model that''s why she took a course related to performing arts. Even though they were insanely rich to the point they could fund her own event and make her dbut, she still wanted to do it like how others do itby auditioning. The June Bride Event she mentioned was one of those things she signed up for. She told us that way back when we were still getting to know each other. "You got accepted?" "Yes!" she exclaimed so happily. "Turns out, they needed representatives in my age group and I was the perfect fit for it. My agent dropped by this lunch, that''s why we were called out to the faculty." "Oh, I see. So that''s what Kaiden meant earlier," I murmured. "But what does that have to do with Callan? He was with you, too, right?" "Oh, that stupid Callan," she rolled her eyes the moment she heard his name. "Can you believe it? He also signed up for it without even telling me! Now, the both of us are coming there. That means I''ll be with him for two whole weeks! Ugh! It seems that I''ll be babysitting again." "What?! Callan does modelling, too?" "Uh-huh! He''s a copycat. He does everything I do like a little chick too attached to his mommy. If I act, he acts, too. If I do modelling, he does it, too. If I didn''t tell him off, he''ll be taking the same course as me in college! Talk about wasting his youth. He should be taking a course he likes, not following me around," Crystal complained, shaking her head and sighing as she spoke. "Pft! Callan is really simple," I chuckled. "Hm? What do you mean?" "Nothing. It''s just maybe he still doesn''t know what course he wants to take?" "Yeah, that''s possible." "At least, he''s with Kaiden''s department nowGame Design and Development. Though Kaiden is in a masteral class, and he''s still in the bachelor''s." "Yeah. He''s a triathlete, too. He could have gone with that but he chose to be with Kaiden instead. So it''s either Kaiden or me for him. Sigh He should really get a life." "It''s fine. He''s still young. He will know what he wants in the future." "I hope so. But anyway, do you need something from me? Or you just missed me?" she asked, snickering at us. "Yes," Hora butted in. "We wanted to talk with you about" Her face was filled with worry. Seeing her like that, Crystal sighed. But then, she smiled warmly afterwards and held Hora''s hands. "Hora the last thing I want you to do is to stop your feelings just because of me." "B-but" Crystal hushed Hora, and patted her head. "No buts. Besides, even if I hate to admit it, my brother is right. I didn''t really like him. I was just in love with the idea of him being the kind and caring prince in my mind. Ever since childhood, I thought of him that way. I never saw him for who he really was. It was just a fleeting childhood crush, nothing more. So I''m okay. Don''t worry about me." Hora sobbed. "I''m really sorry." "Shhh There''s nothing for you to be sorry about. It''s that damned fake prince who should be sorry for deceiving me all these years! Ughh But kidding aside, it''s all just me. I''m the one who started to delude myself anyway. Lesson learned, and it''s time to move on." "B-but if I''m not here then" "Nuh-uh-uh! Even if you''re not here, Verrill still won''t like me." "You don''t know that." "Oh, I know. Kaiden told me about it. He was just being polite and waiting for me to confess so he can reject me." "No way." "It''s true! You can ask either of them. And besides, like what my mother said It''s impossible to have an ''If I''m not here'' or ''If she''s not here, then I would have a better chance'' scenario." "Why?" "Because love finds a way. Two people that are meant for each other will meet, no matter what." After that, we talked a bit more and Crystal assured Hora numerous times that she was okay with it, and that she wanted her to be happy with him more than anything. Crystal was so kind and understanding. I knew she was kind but I didn''t know she had such a big and golden heart inside of her. What a queen. It seemed that two of my best friends were both queens. All in all, I''m glad it ended in a peaceful note. I wouldn''t want my friends arguing over a guy. Thank goodness they were both emotionally mature for their age. And so, that night, we all slept together in Crystal''s room. We wanted to be with her at least until she flew off somewhere for that event thingy she mentioned. Before we closed our eyes, I made sure to whisper my prayers and hoped that Crystal''s next love life would be something that would sweep her off her feet. After all, a queen deserves a king. Chapter 97 - Farewell... For Now [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The next day, Crystal woke up early to fly to the Land of Love. She brought along a few chaperones with her. Callan took the same flight with her seeing he came over to fetch Crystal before going to the airport. And so, we bid our farewell to Crystal. Saying our goodbyes to her felt heartbreaking even if she said they would only stay there for one to two weeks. Still, not having her around felt weird. We got used to being with her even if we were only together for more or less a month. Anyway, hopefully, she would remain safe and enjoy her trip. Crystal''s flight was around four in the morning. Though it was early and we still had time to sleep, Hora and I just busied ourselves with our own stuff. We couldn''t get ourselves to sleep anymore. For me, I checked out a few chapters and wrote and re-read them, editing the manuscript along the way. For Hora, she caught up with the book she wanted to finish last week. Later on, the sun came up and we prepared for school, ate breakfast, and took Kaiden''s car to school as usual. The only thing that was unusual was Crystal''s missing presence. She just left today and I''m already missing her so badly. Talk about separation anxiety. It wasn''t just me though, Hora felt the same way. While sighing to myself on the way to school, I thought of texting Crystal. Hopefully she could read it once their flight was over. "Hi Crystal! How are you?" I typed in my phone. "We miss you already. Is that weird? I hope you''re doing fine. Keep safe, okay? We love you." Aaaand send. Not even a few minutes passed and I started typing again. "Crystal, you know, I just thought of something," I typed in again. "The three of us are like 3in1 coffee. Are you familiar with that? It''s an instant coffee we had back in our country and it''s pretty popular. You see, it tastes really great with all three main ingredients combined. Remove one and it doesn''t taste the same. Ha-ha-ha! Ignore me. I''m just having separation issues right now. T_T" I thought for a moment if I should send it or not, but then, Kaiden''s sudden break made my finger tap on the send button. Oh well, at least it helped me decide. "Sorry about that," Kaiden apologized. "This car in front of me sucks at driving." "It''s alright. Just keep your distance from it if the driver is that bad. That''s what dad always does if he''s driving for us." "Yeah. I should do that," he agreed. "By the way, Senara. I have something to discuss with you later, after class." "Hm? Sure. What is it?" Kaiden glanced at me. "Ahh I''ll tell you later." Though curious as to what it was, I simply nodded and shrugged my shoulders. I would find it out later anyway. But then again, I didn''t have that much patience when it comes to my curiosity. Because of that "thing" that Kaiden said he wanted to discuss with me, my mind flew elsewhere the whole morning! Ugh! And I was supposed to be studying! I groaned to myself come lunch time since I didn''t even get to focus on a single lesson. I took lots of notes though. Good job me. At least I could review them later once my mind had been freed from the clutches of curiosity. Haaaah amazing tactic to distract me, Kaiden! During lunch, it was only me, Hora, Kaiden, and the sly fox Verrill that gathered on our usual spot at the cafeteria. Because of that, we looked like two couples double dating at school. I could feel the prickling stares of the other girls towards me and Hora from miles away. If looks could kill, they probably stabbed us both to our deaths. Kaiden might have protected me from bullying, but not from the glares of these envious little girls. Oh well, they could glare all they want. I won''t let myself be affected by it. Lunch ended early for us so we had half an hour free time to do what we wanted. Verrill seemed to look forward to having an alone time with Hora so he asked permission if he could bring her along elsewhere. He used that angelic smile on me but it didn''t work anymore. ''The audacity! After you tricked us with your slyness, you think I''m gonna fall for that again?'' But then, Hora pleaded to me saying there was something they needed to discuss. And at the same time, I had something to discuss with Kaiden. "Haaah Fine. Just be careful, okay?" I gave in and hugged Hora. While hugging her, I shot glares towards Verrill, obviously trying to communicate with him through my eyes since Hora would tell me I''m being rude if I say it to his face. ''I''m warning you, Verrill. If you do anything more nasty, I''m gonna kill you.'' I put my right hand across my neck, signalling that I''ll cut off his neckthough I''m not really gonna kill him, that''s illegal. He just smiled at me cheekily as he always did. Hmf! Sooner or later, his patience would run out on me. Then I could fight him with all my might. And so, Hora and Verrill went somewhere I didn''t know, while Kaiden and I headed out in the opposite direction. I''m bad with places so I wasn''t so sure where he took mejust an empty room with fancy furniture somewhere inside the school. It looked like a lounge of some sort and we''re the only people there. "Sit down," he said, pointing his hand towards the empty couch. I did as he said, and he sat across me, holding a folder in his hands. He took it from a drawer at the table located at the center of the room. Seeing that table suddenly made the place look like an office of some sort. Like the one dad had back at home, and we were seating at the receiving area. Then, I didn''t know if it was just me but his aura and tone suddenly changed into a professional onelike a businessman, a big boss, or a CEO in my imagination. And with that tone and demeanor, he told me: "Senara Lee. I''d like to offer you a deal." Chapter 98 - THE DEAL [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I thought my whole world just stopped when I heard him say that. ''Did I hear it right? A deal? With me?'' Confounded as to what he meant, I asked, "Hm? A deal? What deal?" He looked me straight in the eyes and I felt a shiver run down my spine. For some reason, he looked so serious that it made me nervous. He took a deep breath before answering me. "I need a fake girlfriend and you''re the only one who''s trustworthy enough to assume the position. Be my girlfriend for a year and I''ll make one of your books into a movie." Okay. My whole world stopped again. Tick tock.. Tick.. Tock ''Am I not dreaming? Am I hearing him correctly? Me? A fake girlfriend? What with this all of a sudden? But then again, isn''t this my chance? Being a fake girlfriend means I can get closer to him and act lovey-dovey until he falls for me for real, right? Like those things I watch in drama or read in books?'' My eyes lit up as soon as I thought of that. ''And that''s not all. He will even make one of my books into a movie! Isn''t that the sweetest deal?'' He-he-he. And so, the little devil inside me started scheming. Wait, nonot scheming, planning. Yeah, planning the next steps I could take once I agree. ''Kaiden if you only know the things running in my mind right now. Kekekeke. Waitthis evil scheming and slyness is a very Verrill-like thing to do. Is he rubbing off on me when I hate him? Oh noooooo But then again, I do like Kaiden. It''s useless trying to deny my emotions like how Hora tried and she failed. Same thing will probably happen to me. So better yet, embrace it, and take action, right?'' And so, I replied to Kaiden''s super amazing and beneficial proposal. "For real?! You bet I''m in! Anything for my babies!" Kaiden smirked, "Pft! Babies?" His sudden serious businessman tone was gone. "I mean, my books. They''re like babies to me since I wrote them and I''m kind of like the mother of all the characters. Okay, that''s weird. Never mind that. I just mean, my books." "Ha-ha-ha! If you say so." Then, he handed out to me the folder he was holding a moment ago. Wow! He came prepared. He probably already foresaw that I would agree. Well, I''ve got nothing to lose so why would I not? In fact, I got lots to acquire! ''Hmmm Now that I think about it, what is he going to gain from this deal?'' I took the folder and read through its contents. As I did, I asked a few questions about Kaiden. "Why are you suddenly offering me a deal, though?" Kaiden raised his eyebrows. "Hm? You''re aware of my situation with my family, right?" I nodded, remembering how we often got teased together. During Verrill''s birthday, even his grandparents commented about our to-be childrenif we ever marry and end up together. "Yeah. Does it have anything to do with the conversation we had at Verrill''s birthday party?" "Something like that. Since my grandparents are involved now, and they met you at the party, mother had been more annoying," he complained, sighing and shaking his head. "Oh no! I''m so sorry. I shouldn''t have introduced myself." "It''s not your fault. I heard my mother practically dragged you to them. You had no choice." "Uhm yes, that''s true." "Because of that, my grandparents are so hopeful now, along with my aunts and uncles, and all relatives." "What?! It''s that big of a deal now?" "Unfortunately, yes. They were all too surprised with me having a female friend." "Is it really that surprising? All your family seem to have the same reaction whenever they learn about me." "It IS surprising, yes. Because" Kaiden tried to explain to me but it seemed that he''s having a hard time opening up. "It''s alright. You don''t need to tell me all the details," I cut him off. It''s better not to push him until he''s ready. At least, that''s what Callan told me. "Instead, why don''t you explain to me the details of this contract you gave me?" Yup. The folder he gave me contained a contract. "What exactly do I need to do as your fake girlfriend? How often should I pretend? Or where should I do it? And up to w-what degree?" I felt shy asking the last question. Because being a girlfriend meant doing all those lovey-dovey stuff, too, right? Like kissing and hugging and the rest? ''But then again he''s mysophobic! I almost forgot about that. So that means, I''m safe, right? He''s not gonna ask for anything physical, right?'' "Hmm. I''m not very experienced in dating. In fact, I never dated anyone so I don''t know how lovers need to act. I''ll try to research about it, don''t worry," Kaiden answered me after pondering for a moment. "For the meantime, all we need to do is declare our relationship, and go on a date. That should convince them enough." ''OMG! A date with Kaiden?! KYAAAAAAAAA!!! Isn''t this the luckiest day of my life?!'' I tried to hide my smile from what he just said. "O-okay. Let''s do that. I''ll research about it, too. I never had a boyfriend, too, so I don''t know how this dating thing should go." Kaiden chuckled. "Then we''re in the same boat." "I guess we are." I chuckled, too. "Question though. Does this have one of those clich clauses wherein we''re not allowed to fall in love with each other or else it''s a breach of contract?" Kaiden was taken aback. I don''t blame him. I just realized that I asked a really suggestive question! OMG!!! It was like telling him that it''s okay for us to fall in love with each other, or hinting that we would eventually go that wayoh my goodness! Senara! You and your big mouth! "Well I didn''t put that in. So" he answered me, blushing. ''What in the world? Why is he blushing? What does that mean? Ugh! I want to get inside his head right this instant!'' "I I I was just kidding! He-he! Don''t mind what I just asked. I don''t even know why I asked it." Now, I''m the one blushing. A moment of silence passed by as we both cleared our throats and turned redder than tomatoes. It was just the surrounding that was silent though, because I was internally screaming in my mind. KYAAAAAAAAAA!!! "So, deal?" he asked after recovering from the blushing. His smile was so handsome as usual, of course. Because of that, I ended up grinning to myself. "Yes. Deal." Chapter 99 - The Contract [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After that, I signed the contract, and he gave me a copy of it for my safe keepingin case I needed to remind myself of its contents. It was full of "Party A and Party B will do this and that" so I didn''t bother reading everything. Then, the bell rang and we both went back to our departments to continue the next class. The next class was a minor for mesomething I wasn''t very interested in. I paid a little attention to the professor because of that, and I''m sorry, it''s definitely not the fault of the professor, it''s just that I''m really not fond of the subject. So instead, I decided to review the contractsomething I should have done before signing it. Oh well, at least Kaiden was the one who made it, and I trust he wouldn''t put something unreasonable there. ''Alright, let''s read through this. Hmm Party A blah blah blah Party B yada yada Party A and Party B willwait, what?!'' My eyes widened in surprise. Was I seeing things again? But no, it was clearly written in the contract! "Party A will do his/her best to help Party B''s condition through skinship once a month. Any form of touch with Party B''s skin will be allowed as long as it is within Party B''s will and vice versa." And then, it was followed by another clause that stated: "In return, Party A will be allowed to ask Party B anything he/she desires, as long as it is within the options from clause C1 to C12." Clause C1 to C12 contained a list of categories of material things I could ask in returnclothes, accessories, gadgets, furniture, etc, even a house and lot, and a car! Seriously, these rich kids. ''I see So I will have to try touching Kaiden? And ask anything in return after? Isn''t that too convenient for me? Why is this contract so much on my side? What about his side? Just a chance to cure his condition? Isn''t this too much? It''s not a fair trade at all. I mean, this is something I could do for a friend. No need for a contract or anything like that.'' Still the idea of touching Kaiden''s skin somehow, it made me nervous. It''s not that I didn''t want to touch himin fact, I really wanted to! It''s just that I''m worried for him. Why was it that he''s pushing himself to change? I don''t mind him being just the way he was. I would love to touch him, like hold his hands maybe, but that''s only if he could survive it. His condition seemed too extreme for it to be just a simple mysophobia. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''I hope it''s nothing too serious though.'' Anyway, if that would help him, then it''s alright. I agree with that part of the contract, too. I wonder when we would be starting? We could practice with our hands for the first month. Then, progress further until the 12th month. The contract was for a year so I have 12 months in total. ''Right! I will definitely help Kaiden overcome his condition!'' Motivated, I swore to myself to do my best. It was the least I could do for him after all the kindness I received from him. After that, I got called by the professor so I wasn''t able to read the rest of the contract. Then, hours passed and later on, classes ended and we all returned home. Once back home, I asked Kaiden via text message if it was alright to tell Hora about our deal. He said it was fine as long as it''s not anyone from his family membermeaning, including Crystal. Oh no, that would be hard when she returned. I also asked when would we be starting our charade and he said we''ll do it next week since he had something to take care of. As to what it was, I had no idea. Oh well, at least I still had a week to prepare. But, before anything else, there''s some interrogation I need to do. "Hora!" I called her out as I banged the door open in her room. Hora flinched from her seat, and sighed when she saw it was me. "Sena, please stop doing that." "I don''t always bang your door." I pouted. "Unless you''re doing something naughty and you didn''t want to be caught?" I waggled my eyebrows at her and Hora squinted her eyes towards me. "Like what?" "Like texting or calling a certain sly fox?" Hora chuckled. "No, I''m not." "Yes, you are." "Check my phone call history if you want." "Fine. Then what is it that you two talked about during lunch?" I asked, crossing my arms. "As long as you tell me what happened between you and Kaiden, too," she replied, also crossing her arms. We both squinted our eyes towards each other, then nodded in agreement. "You first," I made sure to beat her to it. Hora gasped, feeling unfair. But then, she conceded. "Okay, okay. It''s nothing special. I just told him that I confessed everything that happened to you. And I told him to endure it in case you lash out on him." "Of course I will lash out on him! How dare he touch my innocent bestie!" "I told you, I''m also to blame for that since I let it happen. So stop it." "Oh, you''re defending him now?" "What? No. It''s justhmf! Sena!" And so, we squabbled after that. I also told her about the contract with Kaiden, much to her delight. Now, she got the perfect come back at me. Because of that, I lost the teasing game and had to retreat back to my room to avoid more of her teasing. Then, I called Crystal to check on her. She didn''t pick up. She''s probably too busy. She left a message that she''s fine though. I felt relieved seeing that. Hopefully, I could speak with her tomorrow. For now, it''s time to sleep. Chapter 100 - THE FIRST TOUCH [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [PS. HAPPY 100TH CHAPTER!!! OMG! I can''t believe we already reached this stage in just a month and two weeks. Because of that, enjoy this special chapter for today! And thank you for all the support! Love you lots Pumpkins!] The week passed by quickly with me writing my book and researching about dating. As I researched, I stumbled on a LOT of mature stuff I wasn''t brave enough to handle, so I scrapped them off and went to another page. There was a time that Hora caught me searching about things couples do and she teased me non-stop. I had to drag her out of my room so I could continue on my research. So far, I managed to gather lots of dos and don''ts in a relationship. Not that we''re having a real relationshipit''s gonna be a fake onebut we had to be convincing, right? Once done with my research, I hurriedly went to Kaiden''s room to discuss things with him. It was Saturday again and for some reason, I felt so excited doing the grand charade. It''s wrong to lie to everyone, but it felt more like pranking to me than lying. Weird. Was it because of the fact that I truly had feelings with Kaiden? Hmm Yes. It''s probably that. Basically, I wasn''t lying with my emotions. It''s the relationship that wasn''t real. But since Kaiden didn''t include it in the contract that we''re not supposed to fall in love with each other, that meant I could seduce him all I want, right? He-he-he-he. When I reached Kaiden''s roomwith the help of a maid of course, or else, I''d get lostI didn''t bother knocking and just opened it. It was rude but due to my excitement, I forgot to knock. And so, I pranced inside, holding a piece of paper on my hands that contained the dating tips. What I didn''t know was that Kaiden just finished bathing, and he was changing his clothes! "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!" I screamed the moment I saw his half naked body. ''T-t-those a-abs! OMG OMG OMG! I think I''m dying! B-bare chest so smooth and white and KYAAAAAAA!!!'' Yup. I accidentally saw his naked upper body. He was putting on a shirt at that moment. Good thing he had his pants on or I would have died that instant. RIP me. ''Senara, this is the reason why you should NOT forget to knock on people''s doors.'' Oh my goodness! Why couldn''t there be a system here that warns me if something along my path would be too hot to handle?! Badump! Badump! Badump! In my shock, I dropped the paper I was holding which Kaiden took notice so he picked it up for me. "Are you okay? Why did you scream?" he asked nonchalantly as if it was totally fine for me to see his naked upper body. I repeat. His NAKED upper body! ''My goodness! I think I won''t be able to sleep tonight. Ugh. Nasty thoughts, begone!'' "Y-yeah. I''m fine," I tried to keep my cool. "Iah, I screamed because I didn''t know you were changing clothes. I''m sorry, I should have knocked." Kaiden smirked. "It''s fine. Did you enjoy the view?" I gulped at his question and pursed my lips, trying to hide my smile. "Y-Yes. N-nice body!" I agreed, trying to act cool about it but my face was probably giving me away. I bet I looked like a tomato again. "N-nice abs. You still workout with Callan?" "From time to time, yes," he shrugged. Then, going on to the topic, he asked "Why did you come? Is it because of this?" He gave me the piece of paper I dropped a moment ago. "Ahh, yes. I did a little research and I wanted to show it to you." "Alright. We can discuss it over snacks. What do you want?" ''Ahm Honestly, after what I saw, I think I''m not hungry anymore.'' Oh my goodness. My photographic memory was working so well to the point I could imagine his body vividly in front of me even if he was already clothed. ''Come on, Senara! Stop it! KYAAAAAAA! But great job there photographic memory! Go keep that image buried in your mind deep so you''re free to imagine anytime. He-he-he. Oh my goodness. My impure thoughts are kicking again.'' "Senara?" Kaiden called me again. It seemed I dazed out for a moment there. "Oh! I''m so sorry. Ahm I''ll have something cold. Ice cream? Chocolate flavour this time." Then, Kaiden ordered the maids to get us ice cream and water. While we waited, we discussed the thing I came for. He probably did better research than I did but he still listened to me. By the time the ice cream arrived, we were already done discussing so we just ate peacefully. While eating, a sudden idea came to mind. "Kaiden," I called him. He was sitting in front of me at that time, so I stood up and changed my seat to his side. ''Go on, Senara! Be brave!'' "What is it?" he asked, turning his head and body towards me. "Do you want to try it? Touching?" I bravely asked. "I just thought it would be more convincing if we can touch a bit, right? As long as you''re okay with it, of course. Nothing too complex. Just here, on the hand?" Kaiden tensed up. He flinched and a few sweat formed on his forehead. But he toughened himself and faced me. Looking determined, he nodded. "A-alright. Let''s try it," he said, though his lips trembled. I gave him a sweet and reassuring smile. "Relax. It''s just me. And besides, it''s going to be simple." I raised my left hand and demonstrated it to him. "First, this is my palm, and all you have to do is try to touch it with your forefinger. Like this." Then, I used the forefinger of my right hand and touched my left palm with it. "See? Just that. If you''re feeling a bit brave, then try writing the first letter of your nameK. Try stroking 3 times to form a K." "I see," he gulped. "Okay. I''ll give it a try." And so, I held out my left palm, not moving it even an inch, to make sure he approached me on his own. Kaiden raised his right hand''s forefinger and pointed at my palm. Breathing heavily, he moved it closer and closer to my palm. Until His forefinger landed on the center of my palm Badump! Badump! Badump! It was just something simple like that but it felt warm and somehow, my heart wouldn''t stop beating loudly in my chest. Chapter 101 - Unforgettable Memory [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ As if my world stopped, and only my resounding heartbeats could be heard in the surrounding, I carved the sensation of our first touch deep in my heart, and my mind. It was just so amazing how something very simple like this made me so happy. Our first touch surely, this memory would be something I would never forget. Along with the fuzzy feeling rising up within me. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Is this love? Or just a fleeting emotion produced by the moment? I still don''t know But whether it''s one or the other, one thing is for sure. I do like him very much. If this feeling develops into love, then who am I to stop it?'' I couldn''t help but be in a daze as his finger touched my palm. My cheeks felt like they were burning. I wondered how Kaiden feltif he was okay at all with this kind of touching, so I glanced at him. Our eyes met once more. And I could see ithe, too, was blushing hard. I chuckled seeing him like that, which caused him to snicker, until we found ourselves laughing at each other. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked once we recovered from laughing. He smiled warmly at me. I felt relieved seeing that he wasn''t repulsed by it or anything. "Yes, I''m okay," he replied, sounding like he couldn''t believe it as well. "Want to try writing your name?" He noddedthis time, with no trembling or sweating happening on his body. He seemed relaxed which was good. The last thing I wanted was for his condition to get worse though I''m not exactly sure what it was. One thing I''m convinced though was that it was no ordinary mysophobia. Kaiden then moved his forefinger on my palm. He stroked it downward, then sideways, forming the first letter of his name. The moment he did so, I felt a sudden tingling sensation on my palm! Badump! Badump! Badump! My heartbeat grew louder and for some reason, him writing his name on my palm felt so ticklish and somewhat erotic! ''Senara! Seriously! What in the world is happening to you? Why are you so horny?! Nooooo I''m not. It''s just the sensation! I didn''t expect it to be so ticklish like this! I swear I didn''t plan it like this! I''m innocent! My heart, stop beating too loud please!'' By the time Kaiden finished writing all the letters of his name, not only my cheeks felt so hot but also my palm. The areas that his finger traveled left a warm sensation as if his fingers were still there, touching me. Wait a minute, that sounded so wrong. I meant, touching the palm of my hand. ''Should I not wash my left handNo! Senara, get back to your senses!'' "I did it!" Kaiden exclaimed in joy. "I managed to do it! And I''m okay! I don''t feel disgusted at all." "Yes, you did it! Great job, Kaiden!" I gave him my biggest smile and cheered for him. "How does your forefinger feel right now?" "It felt nice, actually. And ticklish for some reason. I''m not sure if that''s normal," he said as he stared at his finger. "Oh, it''s totally normal. My palm felt ticklish the whole time, especially on the areas your finger travelled." "Ah, I see." His smile didn''t leave his face. He was really happy about it. Was it the first time for him to touch someone else aside from his family and best friends? "I should tell mother and father about this. And Crystal, and Callan, and Verrill, too! They''d be surprised." ''Oh my goodness. The look on his face as he smiled so happily he''s like a kid who discovered something really great for the first time. I''m so glad I was able to help put a smile on his face.'' "They sure will. We can even demonstrate it if they don''t believe right away." "Ha-ha-ha! We can. Callan and Crystal will be doubtful because I always prank them. But Verrill will believe me. We mostly think alike so we can easily guess if we''re pranking one another or not. I just can''t get past him." "Yeaaah! He''s the Master of Deceit, that''s why! He got us all fooled. Can you imagine? Even Crystal who had been a long time friend since childhood! Callan probably saw his slyness multiple times but was too naive to notice. Tsk. Tsk. That guy just looks tough but he is definitely the most innocent one among you three." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! I can''t believe you''re great buddies now." Then, he leaned his face towards me, getting closer to my face and said in almost a whisper, "Maybe I should make you an ice cream, too? Then we can get closer." ''H-he''s too close! Oh my goodness! My heart!'' "W-w-what? Y-you''re closer to me than Callan even without the ice cream," I flushed pink again. Great. Just when I was finally recovering from all the heart thumping. ''Kaiden youuuuu Why are you so good at flirting? If Verrill is the Master of Deceit, then you''re the Master of Flirting! And what''s worse, you don''t even know it! You''re a living, breathing, walking piece of temptation!'' "I am?" he asked so cheekily, smirking with that handsome face of his. "That''s great then. Since we''ll be in a fake relationship from now on, you definitely need to be closer to me." "Y-yes! T-that''s right!" I agreed, with shaking lips. The closeness was definitely killing me. "In that case," he retreated backwards and took the piece of paper I researched once again. "Let''s do these things in your list." "T-the list?" I dazed out for a moment. "Right! The list! Sure! Let''s do them one by one. Or as the opportunity permits." "Agreed. And first on your list is going to school togetherwe''re already doing that. Eating togethersame, already doing that," he said as he skimmed through the paper. "Ah! This one" "Hm? Which one?" I asked, curious as to what he picked. There were a bunch of things there and I didn''t have them memorized in my puny brain compared to his. But Kaiden didn''t answer me. He simply smirked and winked his eyes at me. "It''s a secret." ''KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! That''s soWAAAAAAAAAA!!! Why youuuu! You''re definitely the Master of Flirting! My heart! That wink! Oh my goodness! I think I could die peacefully now.'' Chapter 102 - Sudden Call [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Because of that, the rest of my day had been filled with nothing but curiosity. I pleaded with him to tell me but he was one tough opponent to crack. He didn''t tell me anything until the end except for saying I should prepare on Monday. ''How amazing! My curiosity will be killing me over the whole weekend! How am I going to write in this condition? Kaiden, you bully! You shouldn''t have opened the topic if you''re not planning on telling me the whole thing!'' But then again, I was the one who brought my research to him so it was my fault in the first place. Oh well, good luck surviving the weekends, Senara! And so, I was once again distracted from my writing. If that wasn''t enough, I suddenly received a call from Ms. Qian Yu. "Hello there, Senara!" she greeted me in a cheerful tone, like how she usually spoke. Ms. Qian Yu had always been the bubbly, optimistic person ever since I met her. "Ms. Qian Yu! Hi! It''s nice to speak with you again!" I greeted her enthusiastically since I missed her. "How have you been?" It had been a long time since I last spoke with her. She sent me a few emails after I signed the contract with them, teaching me the ropes on how the film adaptation of "ArmageddonDawn of the New Generations" would go into process. "Oh, I''m good. Thank you for asking. And you? How''s living and studying in Red Dragon country going on for you? Are you having any difficulties? And the area you''re living inis it good? I''m surprised you opted out from the lodging recommendations and got your own place. You don''t need to be shy about it, you know. It''s provided by the company anyway. It''s already a big favor that you moved here. It''s the least we could do." "No, I''m okaygreat even! I''m not having any difficulties, too since we''re staying at a friend''s house. They are helping us out on lots of things so I''m good." "I see. That''s good then. But don''t hesitate to tell me if anything happens okay?" "I will. Thank you very much." Ms. Qian Yu was really kind and sweet. "It''s nothing. Anyway, the reason I called is that dan-da-da-dan! We finally got a screenwriter for you! Tadah!" "WOW! That''s great! Who is she? Or he?" I wasn''t sure if the screenwriter was a boy or a girl but I somehow assumed she''s a girlhopefully, too. I''m not so sure if I''d be comfortable working with a guy. "She''s a girl, yes. Actually, I scheduled for you two to meet next week, Saturday, if you''re available." "Of course! I don''t have school on Saturdays and Sundays so I''m free." "Great! In that case, I''ll tell her you agreed and I''ll email you the details on where to meet and the time and all that. Sounds good?" "Good. I''m so excited to meet her and work with her!" "Oh, you should be. She''s been awarded multiple times. You''ll learn a lot from her." "That''s really great! Will next Saturday just be a meet and greet or are we starting already?" "Ha-ha-ha! You''re so excited, that''s good!" Ms. Qian Yu chuckled. "For now, it will be a Meet and Greet session but we will discuss a couple of things, too. And then, agree on a final schedule for you two." "Got it. I look forward to it!" "My pleasure. Well, I won''t take any more of your time. Enjoy your weekends!" "You too! Thank you!" And so, we bid our farewells and the call ended. ''Oh my goodness! I can''t believe it! I''m finally meeting the screenwriter I''ll work with! I''m definitely taking lots of notes! Or better yet, record everything she would say since I''m 100% sure they will all be valuable lessons.'' Thinking that, I made sure to prepare everything that I would need once I meet her even if it wouldn''t be until next weekend. Thanks to that, I was so pumped up that it defeated my unanswered curiosity. I texted Kaiden to inform him about it since his room was so far away from mineI''m too lazy to walk there again. I also messaged CrystalI didn''t bother calling since she might be asleep due to the difference in time zones. Then, I went over to Hora''s room to tell her the good news and of course, we ended up giggling and screaming and jumping in joy. After that, I was finally able to continue writing my book. I ended up writing till late in the night. I only came out during dinner to eat with Hora and Kaiden. By the next day, I busied myself with writing again, chatting with Crystal over the phonewith the three of us, and in the afternoon, finished my homework. I thought I should take advantage of the opportunity when we''re not too busy doing projects yet, and all those complex stuff during college. Soon enough, Monday camethe day that Kaiden would be surprising me with the thing on the list that I''m not sure what, that he''s gonna do. I felt nervous and excited when I remembered. My curiosity came kicking in again. As per usual, Kaiden drove us to school, we hung out a bit before our first class. Then hours passed by until my last class before lunch came. While I was putting my books in my bag the moment after the bell rang, I noticed my classmates huddled up on the doorway. Then, they started squealing and taking pictures. ''Hm? Why are they gathering down there, giggling as if there''s a celebrity by the door?'' Then, it suddenly hit me Kaiden! The moment I realized it was him, I rushed on packing my things and almost sprinted towards the door. ''Could it be that thing he was supposed to do? But which one is it?'' Chapter 103 - That "Thing" [Music Recommendation: "Little by Little" by CHEEZE (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~ I excused myself in the midst of so many girls just to be able to pass through. My eardrums hurt from all the screaming. Seriously, these girls. I could still remember the first day of school where they got punished by Kaiden for bullying me. And now, they''re back to fangirling over him. Such a quick transition! It seemed that their fangirling was stronger than fear of punishment from him. It probably took me a couple of minutes just to be able to pass through all of them. They shouldn''t be blocking the door at least. Oh well, it was Kaiden''s fault for standing in front of the doorway in the first place. Though I appreciate the gesture of him fetching me from classme, along with my classmates, since they seemed to be enjoying the view. At last, there I was, standing in front of the crowd. Raising my head, I saw Kaiden handsomely standing in front of me, playing with a rose on his hands? I narrowed my eyes, thinking what it was. A plastic rose? Where did he get that? Yup, a single piece of rose but not an actual rose. It had a golden stem and it''s petals and leaves were like thin sheets of iridescent crystals. I didn''t know where he bought it but just WOW! It''s so beautiful! The petals and leaves glimmered in the reflection of light, bouncing light colors of blue, pink, lilac, and yellow. "Woah," I couldn''t help but gasp upon seeing it. Kaiden smirked, seeing my reaction. Then, he walked towards me and handed the iridescent rose to me. "For you," he said, smiling towards me. The moment I heard that, I was dumbfounded. My mouth was probably left open for a whole minute and my eyes widened. Along with it, my heart hammered in my chest. "Kyaaaaaaaa!" my classmates screamed from behind me. I totally don''t blame them. I might be stuck in my position but internally, I was screaming louder than them. ''KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! Kaiden gave me a flower! And a very unique one! AAAAAAHHHHH!!! He said it''s for me! OMG! He sounded so cool my heart can''t handle it. Yeah. I think I''m having a heart attack.'' "T-thank you," were the only words I was able to say. I took the flower from his hand and gazed at it in awe. Seeing it closer, it was really so magnificent! This texture OMG! Wait a minute! "Kaiden, is this real gold?" I asked, tilting my head in my curiosity. Thenonly noticing it up closeat the very center of the petal was a large crystal! "I-is this a diamond? A real one?" Yes. I observed it carefully and the diamond at the very middle sparkled gray and white on the inside, while the outside reflected a rainbow of colors. The golden stem, I had no way to check, but judging by Kaiden''s nonchalant expression on my question, I probably guessed it right. Damn these rich kids! It was big, too! As big as the nail of my thumb! "Huh? Yeah. It is real. I didn''t know a fake one existed," he answered me so smugly. "And even if it does, why would I give you a fake one when I can give the real one?" "Awwww Thank you," I smiled at him and gave my utmost appreciation. I gotta admit, that was sweet. Not just because the flower was insanely expensive for sure but the gesture itself. My heart skipped again and I couldn''t help but grin. So this was the one he picked from the listgiving surprise gifts even without occasions. Either that, or the ''giving a flower'' part. And I gotta say, he put in a lot of effort in this, huh? I''d never seen one like it anywhere. Curious again, I asked him, "Where did you buy this?" Kaiden chuckled. "You won''t see that anywhere. It''s custom made." My eyes widened again. "What?! Since when? And why would you" "Since last week. And stop asking. Just accept it." Last week? I calculated the days in my mind. It was Monday and we were just talking about my list on Saturday. And the Sunday before that was the sly fox Verrill''s birthday. So he thought it up since then? Or before that? But why? ''Hmm Oh right! Mrs. Ma came back home the night before that sly fox''s birthday! In that case, was it her idea?'' But I kept my questions in my head since Kaiden told me to stop asking. I''m very curious but he''s right. I should just be grateful for the gift and stop thinking too much into it. Settling on that fact, I grinned to myself once again. Then, we walked together towards the cafeteria for lunch. I felt envious stares poke at me as we walked. Thankfully, Kaiden noticed them, too, so he glared at them with that devilish look of his'' and they all scrammed. His grumpy attitude really helps on times such as that. Ha-ha-ha! After a few minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the cafeteria. Hora and that sly fox still wasn''t there so we sat on our usual spot and waited for them. Lucky! I could still bombard him with questions. "So Kaiden, what should I call this flower? An iridescent rose? Crystal Rose? Galaxy rose? But wait, it''s not a dark shade like the galaxy. Hmm" Kaiden leaned over and rested his chin on his right palm. He looked straight into my eyes and gave me the cute box he had been carrying earlierprobably a box for the crystal rose. It was white with an aurora glow, and tied with a white ribbon. I took the box and opened it. Inside was a glass dome with a wooden base. There was a small intricate hole in the middle, big enough for the stem of the rose to stand. And at the side of the wooden base were the words "Verus Amor". "Oooooh. So it''s called Verus Amor. Wow! What a beautiful name." Then, looking back at him, I asked, "What does it mean?" With his eyes still fixed on mine, and his lips in a gentle smile, he answered me. "It means... True Love." Chapter 104 - Nice To Meet You My face immediately flushed red when he said that. ''Kaiden, you really are the Master of Flirting! Not just a master but a professional! If this is a game, then you''d be at level 9999! Or Celestial level! You say romantic words without batting an eye. You make my heart beat fast all the time to the point I could be mistakenly diagnosed with high blood pressure! KYAAAA!!! Not that I''m complaining though. I truly like it. Go on and continue.'' "P-Please stop teasing me," I shyly pleaded with him. "I know we''re now in a contract b-but shouldn''t we just do the charade when we''re in front of your family?" "Eh?" he raised his eyebrows, and his tone, complaining? "We should get used to it while we have a chance. Mother has really great observation skills. And we never know, she might even hire investigators just to check if I''m not fooling her." "What? She would go to that extent?" "Yeah. Better safe than sorry. And my grandparents will be heartbroken if they learn that." "Oh no! We should give it our best then!" "Yeah," he smirked. "So we''re officially starting our charade now?" Nodding, he replied, "Yes." "In that case," I said as I smiled and held out my hand, "Nice to meet you, boyfriend." He did the same, and shook my handsthough with his gloves onand replied to me in the same manner. "Nice to meet you, too, girlfriend." Awwww. His smile was really the best. I hope he could keep on smiling forever and ever. We laughed to ourselves afterwards and later on, Hora and the sly fox came. We ordered our food and ate lunch together while chatting with random topics. As we talked, I noticed how Hora seemed to be really happy. I guess she liked that sly fox so much, huh? If that''s the case, then I don''t regret giving my blessing to them. As long as Hora would be happy. Haaah At the same time, I wanted Crystal to be happy, too. I wondered what she''s doing in the Land of Love. Hopefully, she''s enjoying herself, too. I really miss her. ______________________________ [PS. This part is a mini Crystal POV - that moment when Senara thought of her at the cafeteria] [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Haaaah Deep breaths. Again, my mind woke up before its appointed time. I grabbed my phone on the bedside table and the clock showed 7 o''clock in the morning. A groan escaped my mouth the moment I saw it. The straight line of light that came from the gap of the curtains on the large window beside me confirmed the time for me. It was dead silent and all I could hear was the ticking of the clock on the wall in front of my bed. Sting. ''Ugghhh This again. This is why I''m beginning to hate waking up early. Shooting starts in the afternoon and I couldn''t get to sleep last night until four. I still need lots of beauty sleep, yet here I am waking up before the appointed time. Haaaah'' That''s right. I had been having trouble sleeping latelyever since I came here with Callan last week, to be exact. And I had been zoning out every now and then. I should be happy that I was selected but why Why am I like this? ''I feel so empty.'' Getting busy with shooting was nice. It helped get my mind off of things. But whenever I''m back here by myself, alone with nothing to do, my heart would sting and I would feel so sad and lonely again. ''I hate this.'' Not wanting to think about anything, I tapped through my phone and went over my long playlist of songs. Settling with an upbeat one, I chose "Moves Like Jagger ft. Christina Aguilera" by Maroon 5. I made sure to pump the volume loud enough to echo in the room. "Just shoot for the stars If it feels right and aim for my heart If you feel like And take me away and make it okay I swear I''ll behave." I got up from bed and sang along with the music. Later on, I found myself dancing to the beat while I showered to freshen myself up. My playlist continued and by the time I''m done bathing, the song transitioned to Katy Perry''s "Last Friday Night". Upbeat songs always lightened up my mood. I continued dancing around as I tried to make my coffee. Once done, I slumped myself on the couch and stared at the gap on my windows, observing the city below. I was given a room in the penthouse of a hotel so the view was pretty. Half of what I could see were clouds and the clear sky. Then, the music suddenly died down. Shoot! I forgot to charge my phone. I got up and went to the nearest plug to charge it. And there it was again the deafening silence. My mood died down the moment the song was out. ''This sucks. Now what do I do? Ah, maybe there''s something good on television.'' Thinking that, I turned it on though I only ended up skimming through channels as nothing interested me. Feeling lifeless and listless, I then went over to bed and laid down, still on my bathrobes. I thought I''d get dressed up later when it''s time. For now, maybe I should try to sleep some more. But then, a sudden knock on my door made me jolt up from bed. "Damn it! I hate it when that happens!" I complained to myself as I rubbed my chest from my nervousness. Standing up, I walked towards the door and checked who it was through the security camera. From there, a grinning bratt waved his hands, so I opened up the door, shaking my head. "Good morning, Crystal!" Callan greeted me with a huge smile on his face. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked as he showed two bags filled with food from his hands. I rolled my eyes, then smiled at him, "You do know we can just order food or go to the restaurants on the ground floor, right?" "But you love my cooking!" he pouted like a kid. "Fine. Come in." Chapter 105 - Sexy Chef [Music Recommendation: "My Eyes" by 10cm - Goblin OST (instrumental only) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Crystal''s POV - the morning when Callan visited her] And so, he came in, walking like a king as usual. He went straight to the kitchen, dropping the groceries he bought on the counter top. I followed him and stood beside him, leaning on the counter top. As he put the goods out of the bag, he looked at me from head to foot, and clicked his tongue. The nerve of this bratt! I scoffed and rolled my eyes the moment he did that to me. How dare he! "You know," Callan started, "you shouldn''t open doors and welcome anyone when you''re still on your bathrobes. Especially if the visitor is a man." "Oh," I was taken aback. So that''s why he was clicking his tongue. "Well, I only did it because I know it''s you anyway." "Still! And what do you take me for? Am I not a man?" "Pft! You''re a boy." "What did you just say?" he asked, dropping the bottle of condiments heavily on the counter top. ''Oh no. I think I ticked him off. It''s fun though.'' "Why, it''s true," I shrugged. "I''m a boy, huh?" he replied, raising his eyebrows. Callan stopped what he was doing and inched closer to me. He placed both of his hands on either of my sides, locking me into place. His muscular arms served as barricades, trapping me between him and the counter top. ''Is this him trying to act cool and mature to prove me wrong? He''s a hundred years too early to'' I chuckled and turned my head sidewards, where his sexy biceps made me gulp. He wore a sleeveless shirt that time so of course they would show. But I''m definitely not tempted by his ahm yeah t-that. ''Stop it, Crystal. Having a sexy body doesn''t equate to manliness and maturity.'' Then, he bent low and leaned closer to my face. Damn it! How I hated the fact that he was taller than me. We used to have the same height as a child. Since when did he get so tall and surpass me? "Yes, Callan?" I tried to act coolnot that what he was doing was hot and heart-pounding. Badump! ''Come on! I just said it''s NOT heart-pounding!'' "Crystal, you should have noticed it by now," he said while inching his face closer to mine until our nose touched, and we were barely a breath away. "N-Notice what?" "That I''m no longer that child you used to play with, pulling pranks on people we know. Nor am I that child whom you treat as your son." ''My goodness! Why did he suddenly sound soNo! I''m not saying it! But oh my gosh! His face is not helping at all! Why did you have to grow up so dashingly handsome? Ugh! This is killing me. And why is it suddenly getting hot?'' Since he was getting too near, I turned my face sideways, avoiding his piercing gaze. I tried to push him away from me, gently hitting his firm chest, but he didn''t budge. "F-Fine! You really changed a lot! You''re no longer a boy, but still not yet a man. Not until you fix your rude attitude and learn to control your emotions." "Heh. Controlling my emotions? I''ve mastered that a long time ago," he replied, sounding so cheeky. In my shock, I scoffed and turned my face to him again. There was no way he could control his emotions. Just like that time he fought with Senara. "Huh? Since when did you" I argued as I looked back at him. Then it was just very brief but I saw it. Callan smiled bitterly. That was the first time I saw him make that face. He quickly transitioned to his usual stupid smile but that expression left a stinging in my heart. ''Is there something he''s not telling me? Something that''s bothering him?'' Ever since I was a child, I knew Callan. He was this special and very precious friend to me. Like another piece of mesometimes, even more than my own twin. He had always been fun to be with, comfortable, and he always understood me even if I sometimes tried to hide my pain away. Yes. Callan had always been the one to take my mask off. Whenever I try to fake my emotions so others won''t be hurt, and so that everything would be just fineno conflicts. I hated conflicts. I''d rather give way always. But for some reason, I could never lie to him. That''s why he''s really precious to me even if he''s a huge brat. What I never thought though was that maybe, all this time, he, too, was wearing a mask. What a failure of a friend I am. "Callan, are you" "Hm? Yes?" he grinned. ''No I missed my chance to ask. He put his mask back on.'' "... Nothing," I sighed. "What are you cooking?" "Fancy some clam chowder? I bought freshly baked bread to go with it, too. Just gotta transform it to garlic bread. I don''t like what they have available so I''m prepping it instead." "All up to you, chef. I''ll just sit there and watch you," I said, pointing towards the chairs on the dining table nearby. "Yeah. You shouldn''t be too near or you''ll smell like food. Shoo." And he pushed me away, until I sat on the chair. He then placed a bowl of mixed nuts on the table in front of me. "Munch on this while you wait. And don''t go for a second round of coffee before you eat." "How did you know I already had my coffee?" He glanced over the used cup on the other side of the table and smiled at me. Shaking his head and chuckling, he returned to the kitchen and started cooking. ''Shoot. There''s evidence. Why do I feel like I''m the kid this time? What''s so wrong with drinking 2 cups of coffee in the morning? This is abooz! (abuse)'' Well, whatever. At least he looked nice with that apron on. Feeling mischievous, I retrieved my phone from the plug and took lots of pictures of him while teasing him. "Whooo! Sexy chef, why don''t you remove your shirt, too? Just the apron will do!" "HUH? Shut up." "Come on! Take it off! Take it off!" "If this tastes awful, you got yourself to blame." "Take it off! Take it off!" Ha-ha-ha! Just a little more and I''m sure he''d lash out and be angry again. Oh, Callan. I knew you like the back of my hand. I made sure my camera was recording so I could get a video of him lashing out. Just thinking about it was so funny. His face would definitely become beet red. But to my surprise, instead of lashing out, Callan really took his shirt off! And now I''m the one who''s beet red. Chapter 106 - So Precious [Music Recommendation: "Winter Bear" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Crystal''s POV - the moment when Callan took his shirt off ( ? ?? ?)] That bad boy look, with his chin up, and his eyes looking down on me With a bit of sweat trickling down his neck and down to his chest And down to his scrumptious abs What a perfect physique Wait, what?! ''D-Did I just drool over Callan''s body? What theNo! I admit he''s sexy, and tall, and dashingly handsome that''s why it''s so easy for him to be a model but no! He''s your best buddy and friend, Crystal! It''s Verrill you liked. You don''t go after friends.'' Then again, it''s fine to fangirl over friends, right? Yeah. Let''s just say I''m appreciating the amazing physique of my dear and precious brat friend. Callan smirked and looked down on me so smugly. "What? Cat got your tongue?" Tsk. So confident. I rolled my eyes and tried to play it cool. "Not at all. Even my brother got the same sexy body. It''s nothing special," I replied smugly, too, while crossing my arms and legs. Callan''s smug look suddenly turned horrid and red. What happened to him? Did he eat something wrong? "Hey, are you ok? What''s with that" "Y-Y-You!" he barely managed to speak, looking all shy and shocked at the same time. "Put your legs down! And change into some proper clothes! And make sure to wear some lingerie!" And in murmur, "D-Don''t just be in a bathrobe without anythingUgh!" He turned around after saying his piece and covered his face. But what in the world did he mean? It''s not like I''m naked or anything. Confounded as to why he''s suddenly acting so shy, I looked down and checked my whole body. ''Ahhh so this is why.'' "PFT! HA-HA-HA-HA! You''re blushing over this?" Yup. It''s my thigh. It peeked through the gap of my bathrobes when I crossed my legs, exposing my bare thigh to him. Not that I mind though. We used to bathe together as children. He already saw everything in me and vice versa. What''s so wrong with him seeing my Then, a sudden image of us bathing together flashed my mindone when we were kids, which was nostalgic; and two, for some reason I imagined us doing the same in our current age. Alas, it hit me. We''re no longer children! I quickly covered my exposed thigh, stood up, and sprinted towards the bedroom to finally put on some clothes. That was so embarrassing. It seemed that I got so used to being with Callan too much that I''ve become shameless in front of him. I need to constantly remind myself that we''re two grown up people now, and that I''m a woman, and he''s a man. Of course he would blush! He realized it sooner than I did! Badump! Badump! Badump! My heart thumped loud to the point it was ringing in my ears. I probably looked so red seeing my own hands turned pink. What more of my face and neck?! Shaking my head, I quickly took some clothes to put on and most importantly, underwear! Since it was still early, I just got some comfortable halter neck floral sundress. By the time I''m done, Callan was back to cooking. I noticed his long hair was getting on his face so I looked for a dark colored scrunchie from my box and went back to him. "Want me to tie your hair?" "Ah, yes, please." He was busy stirring the pot so he just bent his knees so I could tie his hair. Touching it again after a long time felt nostalgic. It''s still so smooth and silky, despite him being a man. "Seriously, Callan. When are you planning on cutting this? Doesn''t it irritate you? You haven''t cut it since three years ago? If I remembered it right. Good thing your hair grows really slow or else it would have been so long by now." Callan chuckled. "I have my reasons. It''s sentimental so don''t even think of pranking me by cutting it without my permission." "Sentimental, huh? Now I wonder what happened three years ago for you to decide not to cut your hair." "Not tellin'' you." "Unfair! After I did your hair for you." "Consider it payment for the food I''m cooking." "Stingy! Hmf!" We never kept secrets from each other but that was the one thing he would never tell me. I felt betrayed. Hmf! Whatever. Later on, he finished cooking and we ate. Uhhhmm it''s delicious as always. Callan was really good with his hands. He''s good at cooking, giving massages, crafts, even at painting! Him! Of all people. Just a few more and he''d be like my favoured-by-the-Almighty brothera jack of all trades. Haaah As a friend, I certainly believe that he''d make a great wife in the futureI mean, husband. Ha-ha-ha! Once done eating, Callan went to the living room and tinkered on the television. "Hey, what are you doing?" He didn''t answer me and just sat on the couch afterwards, hanging both of his arms on the backrest. "Sit down," he said, gesturing to the space beside him. "Aren''t you going back to your room?" "Oh, come on. Don''t be stingy. Let''s watch a movie. We still have plenty of time till shooting." "So that''s what you were doing," I chuckled and sat down beside him. "What movie though?" "I got plenty from my drive. Go pick anything you like." He handed me over the remote so I took it and browsed over the list. "You don''t have any R-18 videos in here, do you?" "Yes. There are some gore movies, and horror. So don''t go there since you hate them." ''Oh my goodness! That''s not even what I meant about R-18! Could it be? Callan is a a huge and innocent virgin baby? Not that I have experienced myself but seriously? This brawny friend of mine is so pure?! Purer than my mind?'' Wow! Just WOW! Curious, I checked everything in his external drive and there really was none! It''s his personal drive, too, since it had our pictures from childhood to college. Oh my goodness. I just discovered something I never would have expected from Callan. "Callan, my dear, dear buddy, you''re such aI''m so proud of you." I acted emotional, patting his shoulders and giving him a hug, much to his bewilderment. "HUH?! What''s with you all of a sudden?" I ended up laughing at him. Then we settled on some hero movie and ate nuts while watching. Thirty minutes after the start of the movie, I felt my butt hurting from all the seating, so I laid down and used Callan''s thigh as my pillow. He caressed my hair afterwards and that made me doze off. Truly, being with Callan was such comfort. This relationship I would never exchange it for anything. Chapter 107 - Shooting At The Beach [Music Recommendation: "Winter Bear" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Crystal''s POV - when she fell asleep on Callan''s lap] Knock! Knock! Knock! The sound of the door woke me up from my nice and comfy slumber. I was still at the same positionlying on Callan''s lap. And it seemed he fell asleep, too, while watching the movie. Glancing at the wall clock, I realized it was probably the assistants I brought with me since it''s almost time for the shooting. "Callan, wake up," I whispered to his ears while gently tapping his cheeks. "Uhmm," he groaned and turned his head away from me. ''Ugh. This guy He''s not waking up. He-he. But I know your weakness.'' I leaned over and blew to his ears gently. "Foooo" "Urk!" he grunted and scratched his ears. Doing that always tickled him. "Stop it." But he''s still not opening his eyes. "Callan, wake up or we''ll be late!" I shouted this time but he''s still not waking up. Rolling my eyes and giving up, I just stood up and opened the doormy assistants were probably waiting for over a minute already. Once inside, they prepared my clothes for the day and set up all the things I''d need. I ordered one of them to tell Callan''s assistants that he''s in my room and won''t wake up. While they prepared, I went back to Callan. Standing in front of him with my hands on my sides. I called his name over and over. Irritated, I leaned my knees on the couch, grabbed both of his shoulders, and started shaking his body back and forth. This part of him was really annoying. It''s either he wakes up on his own, or someone would struggle waking him up. He''s such a heavy sleeper! "Callan, I swear I''m gonna leave you if you don''t wake up." But still nothing. As a last resort, I tried blowing to his ears once againthis time stronger. "FFFFOOOOO!" "Ugh! I said stop it!" ''Ah! He''s finally awake'' "Ahhh! Hey! Stop! What are you doing?" I thought he was awake but turned out, he just jolted and grabbed me. Now, I''m wrapped in his arms like a pillow. "I''m getting angry now, you brat! If you don''t wake up, I''m gonna kick your" ''Wait, no. We need his great genes to spread handsomeness in the world. Ugh. What to do? I''m stuck.'' Then, I tried pinching his cheeks with both of my hands. Still not responding, I pinched harder until he finally opened his eyes and grabbed my hands. "Stop!" he shouted at me, much to OUR surprise. Yup. He was surprised, too. At last, he seemed to be awake. "C-Crystal?" "Yes, sleepy head! I''ve been trying to wake you up since f-o-r-e-v-e-r!" "Ugghh Sorry." Noticing he was hugging me, he let me go and yawned. "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Why are you such a heavy sleeper?" "Yawn I''ve always been one. Next time, try waking me up with a kiss." I punched his head when I heard that. "What are you, a princess?" "Yeah! I got long hair," he jested and flipped his hair. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You''d make such a pretty princess. Now get up and let''s get ready." "Aye, aye," he nodded and saluted me like some captain. After the struggle of waking him up, we started preparing. Callan took a shower in my room since his assistants already came over bringing his things. Good thing I was done changing my clothes when he finished. As they put makeup on me, he shamelessly got dressed in the bedroom where I was! And he was only wearing his boxers! They had to redo my lipstick since I jolted when I saw him take off his bathrobes from the reflection in the mirror in front of me. Seriously, this brat. I''d probably age faster being with him. He always made my heart jump in nervousness! Oh my goodness. I could only shake my head. He had a nice butt thoughWait, no! Stop it, Crystal! Once ready, we headed towards the beach where the shooting for the day would commence. We were scheduled to take shots for the most famous magazine in the country. Though it was a "June Bride" theme, the world famous photographer, "Verdandi", wanted to take photos on the beachsomething about brides and grooms going on a honeymoon at the beach kind of thing. And here I thought we were only shooting ourselves in wedding dresses and tuxedos. There were three pairs of models that we would be working with for the dayall very famous ones. They took priority in the shooting sequence, of course. It was understandable since Callan and I only had a few modelling experience compared to them. But when it comes to looks, I''d say we stood our ground quite well. Callan was definitely the most handsome one amongst all the male models in there. They were just a bit ahead since they looked mature with their beards. But for the muscles, they''re too brawny for my taste. Callan''s lean body was still the best. Uh-huh! Wait a sec. Why was I even comparing their bodies? It seemed that I was fangirling too much over my dear friend. I should NOT tell him that or he would be all smug again. Anyway, when it was finally our turnwhich was near sunset, Verdandi instructed us to wear a sexy sundress for me, and an open shirt plus beach shorts for Callan. The stylists prepared nice outfits and accessories for us which was good, not too revealing for me as well as my manager instructed. Once ready, Verdandi told us to act like a couple and just do normal couple poses. I was informed that she always worked that waycapturing the natural beauty of things in her photos. So basically, we just had to act lovey-dovey, right? Well, good thing I researched a bit on what couples do. Snap! Snap! Snap! She took pictures of us one after another but she wanted more. "More love, more sweetness and intimacy!" Callan and I did the sweet holding hands pose, walking beside each other pose, laughing at each other, even hugging and running around the shore, but she wanted more. ''Ugh. This sucks. I should have researched more. And it doesn''t help that I never had a boyfriend. What else should I do to make this photographer satisfied?'' I could see the snicker of the older female models watching us. Damn it! What do I do? I''m running out of ideas and the sun was setting already. And it was a perfect dusk, too. The waters were calm, the breeze was gently blowing our hairs, the sky a perfect gradient of orange, pink, and bluethe only thing imperfect was me. Frustrated, I probably unintentionally sulked since Callan called my name to get my attention. I looked him in the eyes when he did, trying to ask him what to do. But then, Callan just smiled at me and whispered, "What''s with the ugly face? We''re supposed to be a happily married couple." I chuckled when he said that. Then, he suddenly lifted one of my legs. "Crystal, let''s try something new." Chapter 108 - Sunset Lovers [Music Recommendation: "Winter Bear" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Crystal''s POV - when they were shooting at the beach] "Huh? Wait, what?" I asked, bewildered by what he meant. "Hop on me." My eyes widened in surprise. ''Hop on him? I-In front of him? Like a baby? WaitNo. T-that''s straddling on his hips! What the fudge! Is he for real? That''s so embarrassing and well, VERY, very, intimate. If I slide down, I-I''ll KYAAA! No!'' I felt my cheeks burn realizing what he just said. But he looked so innocent as if what he asked was the most normal thing to do in the world. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Oh no, my heart is thumping so loud again. I''m so nervous. But Verdandi will get irritated if we take so long. Uggghhh Fine! I''ll do it! It''s just Callan, anyway. But I''m not doing this with any other guy! It''s too much!'' And so, after gathering the courage of the seven seas, I hopped unto Callan. My legs wrapped around his waist and his arms served as my seat, supporting my buttocks. Waaa This was why I didn''t want to do it. He''s basically touching me there! A-and my chest was in front of his face. In my embarrassment, I bent down low but in return, our face was too close. Badump! Badump! Badump! "There it is! Good! Give me more! More sweetness!" Verdandi shouted energetically as she took pictures. It seemed that she liked our current pose. "Crystal," Callan called me again. "Yes? What is it this time?" "Let''s do that nose to nose thing. And look into my eyes." "What? Why are you so good at this? Did you get a girlfriend without my knowledge?" "Ha-ha-ha! No, of course not. Let''s just say it''s the things I want to do with my girlfriend when I get one." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" I burst out laughing. He''s just so cute. OMG! Thinking of things he wanted to do with his future girlfriend. "HA-HA-HA-HA!" "Ha-ha-ha! What''s wrong with that?" "Nothing, you''re just so, ha-ha-ha!" We ended up laughing together for a whole minute. When I recovered, I did what he said and inched closer to his face. But my smile didn''t leave my face. I chuckled as I got closer. Then, I looked into his eyes just as he instructed. ''Wooow what beautiful amber eyes. It looks like it''s burning like the sunset.'' Staring into his eyes, I couldn''t help but smile warmly at him. I''m really so lucky to have a friend like himalways there when I''m in a pinch, always bringing laughter to me when I''m sad. Next thing I knew, I was caressing his cheeks gently. And he smiled so dearly to me. This guy he''d make a pretty good actor with how great he''s acting right now. He''s looking at me as if he''s in love with me. Nice one, Callan. Didn''t know you had such great talent in acting. Snap! Snap! Snap! I heard continuous shutters from Verdandi. She wasn''t saying anything anymore. It probably meant she was satisfied with whatever we were doing. And then, the wind blew hard, making my hair fly to my face. Callan quickly freed one of his arms and gently brushed the hair on my cheeks. I chuckled again. Always the knight in shining armour. "Wow. How strong," I jested, "you can carry me in one arm." "That''s why I keep on telling you to eat some more. You''re too light and thin. The only thing that''s big to you is your chest and your butt." "Shut up! You shouldn''t be saying that to a girl, you know." "Ha-ha-ha! I''m only saying it coz it''s you." "Oh wow. So it''s alright for you to offend me?" "Ha-ha-ha! Are you offended?" "Ha-ha-ha! No." Soon after that, our shooting ended. Verdandi kept on giggling in joy as if she got the most precious and perfect picture she wanted to capture. Curious, I asked if I could see the shots. She kindly showed me her favourite and I was surprised it was a picture of us!The one where I was straddling on Callan, nose to nose, chuckling, caressing his face, and Callan was brushing the hair on my cheeks! ''Wow! I didn''t know it looked THAT beautiful. Seeing the picture up close, we really do look like the happiest and most in love couple in the world! And it was all thanks to Callan''s idea. How amazing!'' We wrapped up after that and went back to the hotel where we were staying. Feeling tired and hungry, we decided to stop by the restaurant for dinner since I didn''t want to exhaust Callan by asking him to cookthough I love his cooking. Once we finished eating, we went up to our rooms. My room was just beside Callan''s and our assistants, in front of ours. As I opened the door to my suite, I didn''t know what got into me but I paused and turned to Callan. "Uhm, Callan" "Hm? Yes?" "Can you accompany me some more?" I shyly asked. What am I even being shy for? It''s only Callan. He looked surprised but he agreed and opened the door for me, walking straight inside. I followed him and he went toward the living room. "Should we continue watching movies? Or do you want to play a game?" "Hmm I don''t have anything in mind. I just want to" "To what? Why do you keep on pausing, acting all shy?" "Huh? I-I''m not." "Come on, spill it. What do you really want?" ''Damn it. He got me. I did have something in mind but I''m too embarrassed to ask. Should I say it or should I not? Hmrgh'' I took a deep breath before spilling it out. I''ve been wanting to ask this since last week actually but I just couldn''t get the courage and the chance to ask. Now that I had both, I might as well say it. "Callan p-please, can you sleep with me tonight?" Waaaaa My face was probably so red. It''s just that, I couldn''t sleep properly and I know I would be able to if he''s there with melike this morning. "Pft! HA-HA-HA-HA! That''s what you''re shy about?" "Shut up!" "Ha-ha-ha! It''s alright. I''ll sleep with you." "Really?" I suddenly felt so happy. "Just don''t take the blanket away from me." "Ha-ha! I won''t. We can share. The bed is big enough anyway." "Okaaay. So, do you want to sleep now?" "Can we?" "Wut? Take a shower first and change to your pajamas." "Yes, sir!" I quickly showered after that and changed into my cute purple sleeping dress. He showered after me and changed to his pajamas, too. Then, we laid down in bed together. "Can you do that again? Stroking my hair until I sleep?" Callan chuckled. "Anything for the princess." And so, he moved closer to me and stroked my hair until I fell asleep. It''s amazing how quickly I dozed off with him beside me. Truly Thank you so much, Callan. Chapter 109 - Callans Heart (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Winter Bear" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Callan''s POV - when he slept over Crystal''s room] ''She''s finally asleep. That''s good. She''s probably having trouble sleeping, that''s why she asked me to sleep over.'' I stared at Crystal as I continued to brush her hair. She laid beside me, and my arm was her pillow. This scene would had been a nice and sweet scenario if only she wasn''t hurting. "Haaahh" I sighed to myself. "Crystal How I wish I can just take your pain away. I don''t like seeing you sad. It''s heartbreaking." She should let it all outeverything that she''s feeling. Tomorrow, I''ll make her spill it all out. Hours passed by until it was morning. I woke up early and prepared breakfast. I decided to go with something simplesalad, soup, fried rice, bacon and eggs. By the time I finished cooking, Crystal was up. "Just in time for breakfast. Did you wake up because of the smell?" I teased her. "What a glutton." Crystal chuckled, still rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Shut up. You just told me yesterday that I need to eat more. Now, you''re calling me a glutton." "Ha-ha! Sit down. What coffee do you want?" "Cappuccino, please." "Coming right up." We sat down and ate while chatting about random things. She managed to finish the full plate I gave her so I praised her, much to her irritation, saying I''m treating her like a child. It was fun though. Once done, I dragged her over the couch and had her face me. I stared at her intensely as I thought of how to begin what I wanted to ask. Looking surprised, Crystal asked, "What''s going on? Why are you looking at me like that?" Sighing deeply, I spilled it out. I''m really no good with beating around the bush. "Crystal, tell me what''s going on with you. You''re not okay. You''ve been having sleeping issues, eating issues, and you''re wearing your mask again. Are you still not over Verrill?" I asked it all in a single breath. Of course, Crystal was shocked. Then, her smiling face sighed, and turned sullen. "Honestly" she started, with her eyes dropped low and almost crying. "I feel sad and my heart still hurts." ''Haaah I knew it. She''s still not okay about that.'' I patted her shoulders and held her hand, trying to console her. "Go on. Tell me all about it." "Uhm Callan About Verrill''s bad side, I can actually accept that. It''s not that I hate him for it. It''s only normal to do so anyway. Even if someone confesses to me that I don''t know or I don''t like, I, too, will reject themharshly if needed. But what I couldn''t accept yet was the fact that it''s not me he fell in love with." The tears she''s been holding up, fell down her cheeks. "Sniff I''ve always been there for him since childhood. I''ve always supported him and cheered for him. But he never noticed me. Am I that ugly? Am I that unlovable? Do I really look like a child that he can only treat me as a younger sister?" Her body began to tremble. How much pain had she been trying to keep to herself all this time? "But as for Hora, II really don''t hate her. I''m good and relieved that it''s her rather than just anyone out there. ButI don''t know why butthere''s still a part of me that wished it was me instead. I can''t help thinking that I''m just not good enough. I know I have to get over this but it''s hard so hard. I''m doing my best, I really am! But I''m failing. Hu-hu-hu-hu What should I do? I don''t know if I can go back and face them like this." Sting. ''Seeing her cry really breaks my heart.'' "Go on," I whispered gently to her. "Cry as much as you want. Maybe you just haven''t cried enough." "Hu-hu-hu-hu" Her sobs grew louder. That''s good. She needed to let it all out. At least, that''s what I thought. "Sniff Why is it that no matter how much I try my best, I''m still always the loser? Even with mother and father, or with my grandparents, or any relatives, they all prefer Kaiden over me. Now, with Verrill, too. And of course with Senara and Hora, too. They''re closer to each other than I am. I''m just a new friend anyway. Why am I no one''s favourite? Hu-hu-hu And I feel so bad even thinking about it! I don''t know. I just don''t know. " "Crystal, why do you work so hard to please everyone? Why do you want to be everyone''s favourite? Screw them if they don''t prefer you better. That''s fine. Why does it even matter?" "I I don''t know. Maybe I''m just being childish. Or I just don''t feel special at all because I really am not." "No," I sternly corrected her. Then, I lifted her head and wiped her tears away. "This silly girl," I smiled at her with the warmest smile I could give. "It''s not true that no one favours you Because you''re my favourite person. And you are very special to me." "You''re only saying that to comfort me." "Am I? Have I not always been here for you?" "... That''s just because you feel sorry for me." "No. It''s not because of that." "Then, what?" "You asked why I kept my hair long all this time?... It''s because of you." "Huh? Why me?" Her face, confounded. "Three years ago was the moment I realized that I''m in love with you." Hearing that, Crystal''s eyes widened. It was expected. I didn''t plan on confessing now but whatever. "I told myself that I''ll start growing it as a sign of how long I''ve liked you. And that I will only cut it if I somehow stop loving you. To my surprise, I still feel the same way, after years passed. So I told myself then, that I''ll just cut it once you love me back, or once you reject me." Chapter 110 - Callans Heart (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Winter Bear" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Callan''s POV - when he finally confessed to Crystal] Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Damn it. I''m getting nervous. Whatever. I''m ready to be rejected anyway. And this is not about me. This is for Crystal. This stupid girl needs to stop degrading herself.'' Despite my nervousness, I continued. I already started anyway. There''s no turning back. If she rejected me, that''s fine. "It''s true," I continued after a sigh, trying to calm myself. "Actually, it started when we were children but I just thought of it as a simple crush until three years ago. Besides, we were still young so" Suddenly, Crystal looked like someone just died. What the heck! I''m confessing here with all my might and she just "Ack! What''s that look?" "Waaaaaaaaahu-hu-hu-hu" she wailed like a baby. "Hey! I didn''t say it to make you cry." "You you love me? All this time?" I averted my eyes and scratched the back of my neck. The heck, I''m suddenly feeling all shy. Damn it. What''s with me today? "Well Y-Yeah," I admitted shyly. Ugh. My face was probably so red by now. "W-Why me?" she asked with trembling lips. What a dumb question. "HUH?! Why not you?" "Callan, I" "It''s alright," I hushed her. "Now don''t go feeling guilty or responsible, okay? I don''t want you to force yourself to love me back or anything. I''m just I''m just confessing right now because you''re being stupid, saying no one favours you. I''ve always favoured you. You''re just too blind. Tsk! Tsk! Stupid Crystal." "Sniff What? I''m the stupid one, now?" "Yes, you are. Now stop crying, okay. I hate seeing you cry, geesh!" Getting the handkerchief in my pocket, I wiped her face that was filled with tears. Haaah such a crybaby. As I did, I noticed how her face turned red. Was it because I confessed? "Pft! Ha-ha-ha!" I burst out laughing. "Why are you all red? Are you finally noticing my charm?" Wanting to tease her more, I drew my face closer to herso close that we were just a breath away. "S-Stop it!" Crystal shouted and leaned back, moving away from me. ''Oho! This is new. She normally runs towards me but now she''s running away.'' "What? You suddenly feel I''m dangerous? Or that I''m a man?" "Huh? N-No!" "Really?" I crawled towards her. "Then, why are you running away?" "S-Shut up!" "Eeehh? Why should I?" Ha-ha-ha! Her face and neck were turning pink. Her flawless skin would always easily show if she''s embarrassed or angry. Teasing her had always been fun. "Crystal." "W-What now?" "I love you." "A-a-ah I get it. Y-you don''t have to repeat it." She turned redder and lowered her eyes. "I love you," I said it again. "Y-Yes, I know." "I love you." "I get it so stop it!" she yelled in her embarrassment. "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Crystal was so cute. Verrill was stupid. I never understood how he didn''t fall for her when she''s this lovely. He must be blindthat, or he just had a different preference. Well, whatever it was, it''s his loss. In Crystal''s embarrassment, she kept on hitting my chest and I just kept on laughing at her. Once she ran out of energy, I embraced her and patted her back. "Crystal, don''t feel sad anymore, okay? And don''t worry, I''ll keep on loving you everyday so you don''t feel that you''re not special. You''re really stupid for thinking that. You''re a queen! And a really kind and caring friend, daughter, sister, everything! You''re blind for not seeing how great you are." "Sniff Thank you so much, Callan." "Ahhh And here I just said not to be sad anymore." "Sniff I''m sorry." "Sorry for what? There''s nothing for you to be sorry for." "Really, thank you very much." "It''s nothing," I said, as I released her from my embrace and wiped her tears again. Such a crybaby. "Anyway, you have to be ready from now on." "Hm? Ready for what?" "Because I''ll be flirting with you daily now. I already confessed so I might as well do my best, right?" "W-w-what?! You don''t have to flirt with me!" "But I want you to fall for me," I pouted. "Not in a forced way of course. I''ll just keep on flirting with you until you tell me to stop and reject me, or you actually fall in love with me and be my girlfriend. Sounds good?" "N-No! D-don''t even think of starting it." "Eeehhh? So does that mean you''re rejecting me? I''ll stop if you reject me." "What? N-No! That''s not" "So you''re not rejecting me?" "Callan! Don''t play with my words!" "Ha-ha-ha! I''ll give you time to decide. You can take as long as you need. Meanwhile, I''ll just keep on trying to woo you." "I didn''t agree with this." "But you didn''t reject me, either. What do you want me to do?" "J-just keep being Callan." "Being Callan means loving you." "Waaaaaa" Oh boy. Her face was a mess. Ha-ha-ha! But I''m serious though. I wouldn''t hold back anymore. I''d love her with all my might. After that, we squabbled a bit more until Crystal couldn''t take it anymore and locked herself in the bedroom. I kept knocking on her door but she sulked for hours. Once done sulking, she welcomed me back with a cute pouting facestill redand I offered my peace offering which was food. It was her favouritespinach and ricotta ravioli, and crme br?le for dessert. When she saw it, her eyes sparkled and all her hate was gone in an instant. Ha-ha! Of course I knew her weakness. She wanted to be a model but she''s a foodie. Good thing she had great metabolism. Crystal ate my cooking happily. At last, her smile was back to her face just as how I always wanted her to be. ''Just keep being happy, Crystal. Your happiness is my happiness.'' Chapter 111 - Something Fishy [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV] A few days passed since I became Kaiden''s contracted girlfriend. Unfortunately, we weren''t able to do much lovey-dovey stuff since our professors were a bunch of "kill-joy" people, giving us lots of homework for the entire week! I loved learning but please be gentle on us poor students! Why did they have to give us lots of homework in one go? Because of that, my first week as Kaiden''s girlfriend was a waste! Waaaaaa Even Kaiden wasn''t able to escape the homework''s clutches. We spent the whole week just going to school together, eating lunch together, going back home together, and that was it. No after-school dates, or even a chance to leisurely spend time with each other. When at home, we were busy doing homework! My long awaited school romance sniff sniff all gone. I got excited for nothing! Unfair! Today was Friday and the only good thing that happened was talking to Crystal over the phone last night. Hora and I had been trying to call her since last week but we couldn''t get through. We''ve been sending texts with no replies so we got worried and asked Kaiden and Verrill for Callan''s number which they happily gave. Turned out, Crystal''s phone had been on airplane mode since her flight. Ping! Ping! Ping! Her phone kept on ringing from all the notifications she gotI could hear it from the other line when we called. From me alone, I probably sent her a hundred messages already. "Oh my gosh!" Crystal exclaimed when she realized what happened. "I didn''t notice it at all. I thought I alreadyI''m so sorry Senara! I''m so sorry Hora! You''ve been sending me messages and calling me and I I''m so stupid. I''m really sorry!" "Hey! It''s okay. No need to be sorry," I tried to calm her down. She sounded like she was about to cry. "And also, tell Callan to stop laughing! I can hear him from the background." "Shut up, Callan!" Crystal reprimanded Callan. It was faintshe seemed to had cover the phone so our eardrums wouldn''t bleedbut we heard it. "Eeeh? But it was so fun," Callan complained. "Stop it. You''re noisy. I''m trying to talk to them." "Okay, I''ll stop if you give me a kiss." "W-w-what Shut up!" Hora and I were dumbfounded. The phone was on speaker so we could both talk to her. And by the looks that Hora gave me, I was 100% sure she heard it, too. "Did you hear that?" I whispered to Hora. "I sure did." We grinned towards each other afterwards and waggled our eyebrows. It seemed that something fishy was going on with Crystal and Callan. Well, I did notice Callan liked her since the barbecue party but oh my! It seemed that Callan was finally stepping up his game. "I''m sorry for that. Callan was being annoying again," Crystal huffed when she came back to us. She probably thought we didn''t hear them. "Ohh, that''s fine," I answered her in a teasing tone. "We totally understand. You can actually take more time if need be. We will just be here listening and enjoying ourselves." "Huh? What do you mean?" Then Hora supported me, copying what Callan said. "Okay, I''ll stop if you give me a kiss," Hora re-enacted, imitating Callan''s tone. "Ah! T-t-that''s don''t mind Callan! He''s just being stupid!" Crystal sounded defensive. I knew it. Something WAS fishy. "It''s alright, Crystal. You can tell us all about it when you get back. Especially the juicy details, okay?" I jested. "T-there''s nothing like that!" "By the way you''re stammering, I highly doubt," I continued teasing her. It was definitely not because I''m trying to take revenge after all the time she teased me before. Yup. My conscience was clear as the sky on a rainy dayI mean, on a sunny day. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Hora burst out laughing from what I said. "Don''t worry, Crystal. No need to be shy. We promise not to tease too much." "You''re already teasing me now, though." "What? We''re we teasing her?" I asked Hora. "Teasing? What teasing? I don''t see any teasing going on." "You twoooo... You''re ganging up on me! This is abooz! (abuse)" "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" we ended up laughing at each other. "Crystal, it seems like Hora rubbed off on you. You''re saying cute words now." "Ehem Well that seems to be the case." "It suits you though. I can imagine the look on your face from here." "She''s probably blushing," Hora added. "As red as tomato. In her face, and neck, and her shoulders." "Woah! How did you know?" "We''re the same. I easily blush, too when I laugh too much or get embarrassed. And since we caught you two in the act, you''re definitely embarrassed." "Fine! You''re right." "OMG! We''re right? So Callan is really flirting with you and courting you?" I blurted out. My mouth just couldn''t stop from asking the most pressing question. "HUH?! Y-You never said any of that. I just said you''re right about the blushing. N-not Callan''s a-ahm." "Hnnnngg," Hora hummed while grinning. "Alright. If you don''t want to say it now, we can always pester you when you come back on Sunday." "H-Hora! Please, noooo." "If you don''t want to, then we can ask Callan." "N-not that, too!" "Then, we''ll ask the assistants," I added. "What? Even them?" "Nooooo you''re bullying me." "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Hora and I chorused. "Alright. We''ll stop. We just missed you A LOT." "Awwww Thank you so much. I missed you both, too. I''m really sorry." "It''s alright. Good thing you''re fine or we would have died from heart attack." "Ha-ha-ha!" Crystal chuckled. "That would be bad. You''re still gonna write lots of great books. And Hora will still be a great film editor." "And you''ll still be a world-known model and actress. Why don''t you act in one of my movies in the future, huh?" "Woah! Sure! Why not?" "That''s a deal." "It will be my pleasure." After that, we laughed and chatted for hours. We really missed Crystal. Then we told Callan to take really good care of her which he enthusiastically agreed to. My suspicions just increased by how sweet he was being. Callan had never been openly sweet before. Maybe he finally decided to attack? Whatever it was, we would be sure to interrogateI mean, peacefully question Crystal once she comes back. For now, I just needed to survive this very tiring Friday. Chapter 112 - What A Friday! ''Just one more day just one more day'' I chanted that over and over in my head from morning till lunch time the whole Friday. I was too excited and couldn''t wait until Saturday when I could finally meet with the screenwriter I''d be working with, and be lovey-dovey with Kaiden. So I just really need to get the day to finish earlier than usual. ''Please time, run faster even just for today.'' To my enormous luck, of course, time didn''t cooperate with me. Instead, the day went by slowlyas slow as a sloth, well, at least for me. What''s worse, we had PE todaymy most hated class. I had to take one to complete my unit requirements. It''s not that the subject itself was horrible, it''s just that I had the worst body coordination that ever existed in humanity. ''Yup. I can''t dance. I can''t even run fast. I can barely swim or ride a bike. I absolutely cannot do any form of gymnastics, or sports, or martial artsbasically anything at all! And most of all, I have almost zero endurance.'' The only thing that was tolerable with this class was that I shared it with Hora. It was one of those common classes we took. At least Hora was pretty okay with sports. "Hora, remind me again why I took this class," I asked Hora who was sitting beside me at that moment. The instructor wanted us to do laps in a batch of 4 so we sat at the sides as we waited for our turn. "Uuuhh because I''m here?" "Haaah Yes, that is indeed my sole reason. When will this day end?" "You''re so impatient today. Are you going on a date with Kaiden later?" "Haaahh," I sighed again. "How I wish. He probably has lots to do. I still have lots of homework to do for the weekends, too. Why are our professors becoming more cruel each day? Can''t they give us some slack?" "Ha-ha-ha! Oh wow! Our valedictorian is asking for some slack in studying! This is new." "Hey, I''m not some studying maniac." "Say that when you stop using everyday events as references for scenes in your story." ''Ack! I can''t refute that.'' "Well Consider it field research." "Hora," the instructor called her name. "That''s my cue. It''s my turn now. I''ll be back in a sec." I waved my hands goodbye and Hora sprinted towards the track. When the instructor gave his signal, they all ran around the field. Hora took the lead. She might be petite and smaller in build than the others, but she ran fast. As I predicted in my head, she won and took first place, earning her high points from the instructor. Next up was me, the clumsy runner. I already knew that I''m gonna be slow but hopefully I wouldn''t tripyup, that''s all I''m asking. Luckily, I didn''t trip. I finished last though, as I expected with my turtle speed. I wouldn''t be surprised if I was the slowest runner in class. After PE, our bodies were all sweaty and sticky so Hora and I went over to the locker room for shower. I quickly headed to the shower area and took a warm bath. Hora did the same and we finished at the same time. Walking back to our lockers, wearing bathrobes, I asked her how she''s doing with the sly fox Verrill and she said they were still in the courting stage. "Yeah right. Courting and you already kissed each other. I won''t be surprised if you''re still smooching when you get the chance." "Sena!" Hora reprimanded me in a whisper. She hinted to me with her eyes that others might hear it so I just shut my mouth. I should remind myself to talk about these kinds of stuff at home or in a safer place. We wouldn''t want jelly people hating Hora. I''d kill them all if they bully her or even touch a single piece of her hair. Wraaa! [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Once back to our lockers, I opened up mine and found that my spare clothes were gone. Talk about bullying. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. How childish," I sighed and rolled my eyes. I already got used to envious stares but I didn''t think that anyone would bully in real life. I thought those only happened in dramas. But I guess some of the students here were really just toxic and dramatic peopleraising dramas on their own accord. "What happened?" Hora peeked over my locker to see what made me comment such words. "Oh my goodness! Where are your clothes? What the fudge!" "It''s okay. It''s probably here somewhere," I tried to act cool but truly, it wasn''t nice. And that spare clothes I brought was the one mom made for me. I tried to breathe deeply to calm myself but a slow anger rose up within me. The smile on my face was gone and my resting-bi*ch face was back. I walked around the whole locker room trying to search for it while asking myself how in the world did they manage to open my locker. That''s a major flaw in their security! What if I had something important in there? Hora helped me search for my clothes. Turned out, it was on the floor of one of the shower rooms, all wet and dirty. Not only that, harsh words were written on the clothes. I was glad that I at least found it but it was ruined. I didn''t even care what they wrote. My mind''s priority was if those writings could be removed in any way so I could still wear mom''s clothes. She worked really hard designing and making it for me. I didn''t speak a word. I immediately picked up the clothes and went over to the lavatory to see if I could wash it off with soap and water. But it wasn''t coming off. I tried to brush it and rub it as hard as I could, but it remained there. "Sl*t." "Wh*re." "Playing innocent." "Great Pretender." "White Lotus." "You have no talent." "Your writing sucks." Those were the words written on the clothes. Before I knew it, tears were already falling from my eyes. I thought I could play it cool and endure it but it seemed that my heart was still too weak for it. Chapter 113 - I Dont Understand [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Trying to hold my tears from falling anymore than they should, I lifted my head up. Hora kept on patting my back but I stopped her and just smiled. Whoever was targeting me, they would most likely be still in there somewhere, wanting to see me hurt or cry. ''But I won''t let them. I won''t let them see me cry because that will just satisfy them. And I will NEVER do anything to satisfy them. Instead, I will smile and raise my head. Then they can all gnash their teeth thinking their ridiculous plan failed. Yes. I will irritate them more. F*ck them!'' I never understood why some people liked hurting others. Delighting in other people''s misery, what would they gain from it? Satisfaction? And why? What wrong did I do to them? Was it because of envy? Because I became close with Kaiden and Crystal, Callan and Verrill? Did it feel like I took something away from them? Was it a sin to be their friend? Was it my fault if they couldn''t befriend them? Was it my fault that they didn''t want to talk to them or be close with them? No! Or was it just pure vile evilness? Were they hurting too, that''s why they wanted others to be hurt the same? Or they just really enjoyed seeing others suffer? Whatever it was I would never understand. Whoever they were, how I wished I could speak with them. I wanted to know why. And maybe just maybe I could speak some sense to their brains that didn''t seem to be working right. Aside from speaking with them deep inside me, my raging heart wanted revenge. Somehow, I really, really wanted them to be hurt as much as they hurt me! Ooh, I see. Was this the reason? They got hurt when I became close to them so they wanted to hurt me? Ha-ha-ha! How funny and stupid! As my mind wondered about various thoughts, my tears faded. It was replaced with anger instead and hatred in my heart. I hurriedly changed my clothes with a spare dress that Hora lent me. Good thing she always had an extra on her locker. I wanted to get out of that place asap. Once done changing, I hurriedly walked outside. Hora followed me from behind, not saying anything. She knew I needed time to clear my thoughts. As I walked, I kept breathing deeply. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. I repeated it over and over, wanting my heart to calm down. When we finally reached outside, we stumbled on another case of bullying. How ironic. ''Hah. What''s with today that''s making this Friday one hell of a mess?'' The girl getting bullied was a tall and pretty woman with platinum blonde hair. She had the most innocent and kind look that I had ever seen in my entire lifethe perfect look for someone to be the target of bullying. She looked so weak and meek that she couldn''t even hurt a fly. While the girls bullying her looked fierce and strong. There were three of them, surrounding her. They stood at the side of the building, hidden between it''s shades. Even from a distance of a few meters away, we could hear them loud and clear. They were extorting money from her! ''How ridiculous! Seriously, what is wrong with these people? And to think they''re teenagers! How could they all be this evil while they''re still so young?'' Wanting to help the girl, I walked towards them but Hora stopped me. "You know," the pretty girl spoke up, with a voice so sweet and kind, "you don''t have to do this." "HUH? What do you mean?" one of the bullies with dark red hair raised her eyebrows and glared menacingly at her. "Don''t mind her. Ha-ha-ha!" the other said, as she counted the money in her hands. "I mean, if you need money, you just need to ask. You don''t need to resort to this. My family is blessed with money and I don''t mind sharing. But if you continue to do this, you might get caught and expelled. That will be a waste since you all managed to get into RDIU. It''s a very respectable school and once you graduate, you can get good jobs and pursue whatever profession you like." ''What the heck is wrong with this girl? Why is she'' Hearing the words she was telling them, I just couldn''t help but think how stupid she was. Those girls were bullying her! She knew and she was saying that as if she was concerned for them? She should just shut up or run away or tell them to the Dean since she knew who they were. If I ever knew who were those people who did that to my clothes, I swear I would "So you''re worrying about us?" the other bully scoffed. "How stupid can you be? If I were you, I would worry about myself first." "Yes. I am worrying about all three of you. What you''re doing is dangerous." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" the bullies chorused in laughter. Even I couldn''t comprehend what she was thinking. ''Is she for real? What is she, a saint? Or does she know them personally?'' But then even if they laughed at her and scorned her the girl''s eyes clearly stated her sentiment. Whatever ridiculousness she was saying she was serious. Yes. I wasn''t sure if it was just me but that pretty girl, for some reason, she exuded thisI wasn''t so sure how to describe it butthere was this unique aura that I was getting from her. She was just standing there, looking at them straight in the eyes, with no fear against her persecutors, but simply kindness and compassion? ''I don''t understand. Why would you be kind to someone who hurt you? And extort you? Isn''t that just plain idiocy? Weakness?'' Hora and I were surprised with how she handled the situation. And then, as I continued to look at her, there was something in my heart that seemed to swell up, calming the raging fire of anger inside me. Yes. Looking at her felt like looking at a benevolent and compassionate queen. My shoulders dropped low and my eyes gazed at her with nothing but admiration. Indeed, the things she said were stupid for me but just the fact that she was able to give kindness in return for evil, that was just so awesome. Then I began questioning myself. Should I really repay evil with evil? Would that resolve my situation? Should I hurt them back because they hurt me? Wouldn''t that just be an endless cycle of hate? ___________________________ Hi Pumpkins! Congratulations to us! We reached the weekly milestone of 1000 Power Stones! YAAAY!!! "1000 Power Stones 5 chapters Mass Release" As I promised, I will mass release 5 chapters in return for your votes. Since I just finished mass releasing 15 chapters for the 515 event, kindly give me some time to write the chapters. XD But don''t worry, I will definitely give them to you this June. I thank you all so much for all the love and support. Keep on voting and reach the next milestone! 2000 Power Stones 10 chapters Mass Release 3000 Power Stones 15 chapters Mass Release Lots of love, Macy_Bae Chapter 114 - When Anger Strikes... [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ While I debated with myself in my mind, the pretty girl spoke again and gave them such a kind and gentle smile. "I know you''re not doing this because you want to. Maybe you''re having problems in your family and that you just really needed money. But I will say it again. You don''t have to do this. Just tell me the problem and I will do my best to help. If you get rejected by others, don''t worry, I won''t refuse to help you. My father always said that there is no problem we can''t solve when we help each other. So it''s alright. You can tell me what''s bothering you." Plop plop One of the bullies started crying. The others reprimanded her but they, too, started to cry. They tried to act tough but they failed. "Sniff I''m sorry," the crying girl apologized. "I I just really need money for my mother''s medicine. I can''t work yet since I''m underage and no one would allow me. This is the only thing I can think of because no one wants to help. Sniff I''m really sorry." She burst out crying like a little child. "And we we''re helping her out," the other gave in and confessed. "I see. I''m really sorry to hear that. My uncle is a doctor!" the kind girl spoke cheerfully to encourage them. "What sickness is your mother suffering from? I believe he can help. Let''s have her checked up, okay?" The crying girl nodded, "Y-Yes sniff please." They all embraced each other afterwards. And the kind girl patted their heads to calm them down. She lent them her handkerchief and wiped the tears from their faces. Later on, they were laughing at each other. Hora and I just stood there amazed by what we just witnessed. And I for sure was deeply inspired by her whoever she was. ''I think I just found my queen'' How nice would it be if I could do what she did. I at least knew that I wasn''t that kind. And the people bullying me, I doubt they had such heroic reasons like those three. But maybe just maybe we could still sort this out in a peaceful way and find a common ground? Because it won''t stop until we resolve the issue, right? Seeing that girl''s unconditional kindness was a breath of fresh air. Truly admiring. Even after we reached Kaiden''s car at the parking lot, thoughts of her still lingered in my mind. I wanted to know who she was. And it would be great if we could be friends, too. Wanting to remember everything that just happened, I grabbed my notebook of ideas and wrote them all down. I used the car''s roof as my table, while we stood outside the car, waiting for Kaiden. "Are you okay, Sena? And what are you writing? That kind girl we saw, or about those motherfudgers who bullied you? Argggh! They''re so hateful! Now that I remembered them, I''m angry again. How can they do that? What''s their problem?!" "I ask the same thing," I sighed. "But I''m writing about the girl. One moment, Hora." I could see Hora pout from my peripheral vision. I''m so sorry but I really just had to jot this down or I might forget. Few minutes passed as I busied myself with writing. ''When inspiration strikes, you just really have to act on it.'' "Still studying after class?" someone asked from behind me. "How dedicated." I turned around, knowing it was Kaiden. I could recognize his voice anywhere. "Nope. A sudden idea just popped in my head so I wrote it down." "What idea?" "It''s a secret," I smirked. "You''ll know once the book is finished." "What''s not good is how Sena got bullied," Hora tattled. Amazing. She just had to let the cat out of the bag that soon. I immediately frowned at her, signalling she shouldn''t have said that. But she just shrugged her shoulders. Kaiden''s face turned sour in a snap. "Who dared bully you?" he asked in a menacing tone. "A-ah I don''t know." "Yeah, we don''t. We were just showering after PE and when we returned to our lockers, Sena''s clothes were gone so we looked for it and we found it in one of the shower rooms all wet and dirty. And then there''s those mean words written to it, too!" Hora said all that in a single breath because of her anger. Here I was, forgetting all about it already but it seemed to be the opposite for Hora. She looked angrier than I was. Her feet kept stomping and her fists were both curled into a ball. Her face was all red like a kettle about to explode. "Can I see the clothes?" Kaiden asked. His tone remained menacingly cold. Hora grabbed my bag and took the clothes from there. "Here! See? Look at those mean things written! I can''t believe someone would do this! What did Sena do to them? They''re probably jealous because she''s close with you. If this is what happens to her just because she''s close to you, maybe we should move out. Sena cried for goodness sake! I don''t want her hurt." Oh my goodness! Hora was really, really angry! She''s even reprimanding Kaiden. "Hora, it''s fine" "It''s NOT fine!" Woah. Hora was usually calm and I barely saw her get angry. But this level of her anger was wowit''s the first time I saw it. Kaiden''s scary look turned sullen from Hora''s words. His face wretched as he turned to me. "Senara I''m so sorry." "What?! No! You don''t have anything to be sorry about!" I tried to convince him. "Hora, it''s not his fault. No one wanted this. If there''s anyone to blame, it''s whoever did that, not Kaiden." But Hora was really pissed off. Oh my goodness. What should I do? Chapter 115 - Talk Over Talk [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Hmf! I know. I''m not blaming him. I know he can''t control what his fans do but I just want this to NOT happen again. You were never bullied back in our country. Even if Ken had lots of fans, they didn''t do anything bad to you. This is the first time this is happening and I want it to be the last! Until that''s guaranteed, I think you should stay home and I''ll look for a safe place to transfer to." "Hey, Hora. Please" "What if they do something worse? What if this is just a warning?" "Let''s calm down first and talk about this, okay? Please." "You don''t have to move out. I''ll make sure this never happens again. I''ll do something about it. Please," Kaiden pleaded with Hora. "Let''s all take a breather first, okay?" Hora sighed deeply. She closed her eyes and worked with her breathing, to calm herself. Kaiden sighed as well, and pressed on his temples. I caressed their backs since it was the best I could do to calm the both of them. I didn''t have water in handy which could have helped as well. A few minutes passed by and at last, Hora''s anger seemed to be subsiding a bit. Her face started to go back to its normal color. I felt relieved seeing that. "I''m sorry for lashing out on you," Hora apologized to Kaiden. "It''s justhaaah I know you understand what I mean. It''s not your fault but please control your fans. I don''t know how but maybe the school can do something about it. I just want Sena safe and unhurt, please. Again, I''m sorry." "No, it''s fine. I understand. And you''re right. We just want the same thing," Kaiden sighed. Then he opened the car and drove us home. The atmosphere remained heavy even when we reached home. Kaiden ordered the maids to fix my clothes as soon as we reached the doorstep of the house. That was nice of him. How I hope it could still be fixed. After dinner, I invited Hora and Kaiden to my room to talk. I couldn''t bear all the gloominess. And it was Friday! Tomorrow was Saturday! It was supposed to be a happy day since I''ll be meeting with the screenwriter I''d be working with. And so, the three of us talked in my room, with the two of them sitting in front of me. "Hora, Kaiden," I called the both of them sternly, "this is nobody''s fault, is that clear? So please, stop it with this gloominess." "That''s not true," Kaiden''s face wretched. "I''ve been too complacent. I should have thought of all the possibilities that might happen. You didn''t need to suffer something like this. I''m sorry." "Kaiden, there is nothing for you to apologize for. What other people do is not your responsibility." "Y-yeah," Hora shyly admitted. "I''m really sorry about earlier. I took my anger out to the wrong person." "No, it was only natural for you to" "No, it''s not right" "It''s fine. I don''t blame you" And so on, their never-ending apology started. Few minutes passed with just them saying sorry to each other and to me. Of course, I had to stop that or we would be in this loop until the next day. I stood up and went to their side. Then, I embraced the both of them, much to their surprise. "Please stop blaming yourselves. It''s only hurting me more than making me feel better." "No! I''m sorry!" "We''re not blaming each other anymore, right?" "Y-yeah. Right." They both nodded enthusiastically and I smiled at them. "I''m really blessed with such good friends. Thank you both so much." And so, they finally smiled and the heavy atmosphere was gone. Since it was Friday, we decided to play some games together before going to sleep. We played Monopoly and could you believe that Kaiden won three consecutive times? And we only played three times, so basically, he won all the rounds. "Why do you have to be so good at everything? Can you pass some of your blessings to me?" I jested Kaiden. "Oh, ahh I can teach you." "Ha-ha-ha-ha! I''m only joking. But that will be nice." "One more time!" the competitive Hora was awakened. She kept on asking for more rounds. Kaiden agreed and we played a bit more but got the same result. In the end, we both gave up on trying to defeat him. "You should have let us win at least once," Hora pouted. "Ha-ha-ha! Next time, I will." "Actually no. Never mind. I will defeat you someday!" After that, they both went back to their rooms with smiling faces. ''Haaah At last, I can breathe now that they really made up.'' I bathed afterwards and prepared myself to sleep. I still had an appointment tomorrow. ______________________________ [PS. This part is a mini Kaiden POV - after they left Senara''s room] "Pst! Kaiden," Hora whispered as soon as we left Senara''s room. "Hm? Yes?" I asked. What could it be that she wanted? "We need to talk about one last thing," she said, while covering her mouth and speaking sneakily. She probably didn''t want Senara to know whatever it was. "Okay. What is it?" "Let''s go somewhere quiet." I agreed and we went to the garden outside, sitting over the couch. I waited for her to start the topic. "Soooo," she said while crossing her arms, "how should we go about punishing those motherfudgers who bullied Sena?" I was taken aback by what she said. "Actually I''ve been thinking the same thing," I confessed. "Oh, I see you''re a fellow connoisseur," she smirked. She was finally showing her true colors. I should do the same then. I had been trying to hide my evil side since earlier. I didn''t want to upset Senara more. But now that we''re talking about it "Great! Ke-ke-ke-ke," she laughed evilly. I ended up smirking the samewith my normal grumpy and evil looks. "I have already laid out lots of plans in my mind since earlier." "Me, too." Hora agreed, brushing her chin as she pondered. "There''s no security camera inside the shower room since it''s a private area. But we can check the ones outsideat the entrance." "Right. Once we obtain evidence, we can raise it to the Dean and have them expelled." "That''s too easy. Ke-ke-ke-ke I want them to suffer for hurting Sena." "You need not say anymore," I scoffed menacingly. "How about letting their deeds be exposed to everyone? I can show it as a display and a warning that NO ONE should ever think about bullying her anymore. Or I will" Oops. I should suppress a bit of my evil side. I shouldn''t scare Hora or she might think I''d be bad for Senara. "Cough cough I mean, we can" "Oh, don''t worry. I TOTALLY understand you." For some reason, I thought of us being hooligans planning the demise of those people who dared hurt Senara. I didn''t mind though. It was fun. "How do we prevent this from happening again, though?" "Plan A is the public display of their deeds. And I''m thinking of having Plan B as hiring someone to be Senara''s classmate. Then, they can be together all the time, or she can just sneak around while trying to protect her. I''d like to do it myself but there are areas I can''t enter since I''m a man." "And I''m not Senara''s classmate, so I won''t be with her all the time. Even if I was, look at what happened earlier. Hmf!" she pouted. "But yes. That sounds good. Just make it a secret so she wouldn''t know. I feel bad about not telling her about this but she will probably not agree if she knows." "That''s true. If we''re caught, we can apologize." "Yup. Sena''s really kind. She will forgive us. He-he-he." "Right. In that case, we can carry it out like that." "What can I help you with though?" "For now, distract her and help me make alibis if she notices." "Alright. That sounds good. Also, I''ll try to think some more and see if I come up with a better plan over the weekends." "Sure. Meanwhile, I''ll start the investigation." "Agreed." After that, we went back to our rooms and I started calling my connections. I could try hacking the school system but it would only backfire on me when I got caught. Better to be safe than sorry. Those girls Haaah My blood started to boil again. How dare they do that to Senara? I''d definitely make them pay. Ugh. ______________________________ Hello Pumpkins! Hope you are all well! I would just like to apologize to all of you for today because I can only publish 1 chapter due to my sickness. It''s a common flu and I just needed some rest. Don''t worry, I''ll resume 2 chapters a day once I recover. In return, I lengthened the chapters a bit and I hope you all enjoy it! Have a great day ahead! Lots of love, Macy_Bae Chapter 116 - A Sudden Realization [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV] "Haaaaaaaaaaahhh" That was a big yawn. It seemed that yesterday really tired me out. But I still woke up early as usual even if my appointment today wouldn''t be until the afternoon. Oh well, I could just try to do a bit more writing or maybe do some uninteresting homework? Since I''m a Libra, I accepted the fact that I was an indecisive person. Whenever it came down to choices, I sucked at them. So at times like this, I laid it all down to chances. Taking a coin from my purse, I spun it on the table. If it laid down on the heads, I''d do my writing, if it laid down on the tails, I''d go with homework. It wasn''t much of an important decision anyway. I was just being picky and trying to drag on doing my homework. As if destiny was telling me not to be lazy with studies, the coin laid down on tails. Ugh. How great. I guess I really shouldn''t be lazy. How I hope the homework was about writing something, or reading something but nothey were all from minor subjects. Only one professor from my major gave us a book to read and study through and was kind enough to give us enough time to read for a month. Such a kind professor. Oh well, like what Hora used to tell me "You do know those assignments won''t just finish by themselves, right?" ''Yes, Hora. They definitely won''t. I better get on to it then.'' Feeling extremely unmotivated, I forced myself to finish them with my free morning time. I kept on drifting in and out of thoughts and asked myself why I wanted to study again after spending the last fourteen years of my old life just working nonstop. I forgot being a student meant to study subjects you may or may not like. Even if the other subjects wouldn''t really be of much help once you get to work. ''Okay. Stop sulking, Senara! Whether you like it or not, you will have to do this one way or another. So better yet, do it now. NOW!'' I told the maids I''d be busy with my homework and just asked them for coffee and some bread to be sent to my room. Not even a few minutes passed and they were back with the things I ordered. The Ma Residence''s servants were all so professional and worked really fast. I better make sure to commend them and maybe they''d get a raise. Scribble Scribble Scribble Ugh. I just wanted this to end soon. Having that as my motivation, I continued my homework no matter how much I detested it. I started with my least favourite one and ended with my most liked subject. I had always been like that, wanting to get over the bad ones first before the good ones. I wasn''t even sure why. Maybe because I wanted a happy ending instead of a tragedy? Ha-ha-ha! Whatever the reason was, I managed to finish all of them. It took me until lunch time though. I quickly bathed and prepared myself before heading out to the dining area for lunch. Hora and Kaiden might be worrying about me since I skipped breakfast. Once I reached the place, I made sure to give them my biggest and happiest smile. Hm? Wait a minute. Did I just see that correctly? I blinked my eyes a couple of times. For a moment there, I thought I imagined Hora and Kaiden having this dark aura around them. They were smiling though smiling suspiciously? Yeah. Like hooligans plotting something. Hmm No way. I must be imagining things after doing that dreadful homework. Right. There''s no way my angelic friend Hora, and the sweet and kind Kaiden would be like that. Settling on that fact, I waved my hands and greeted them again. "Good morning, Hora, Kaiden!" "Sena! Good morning! Oh, wait. It''s lunch time. So shouldn''t it be afternoon?" "Oh, right. Ha-ha-ha! Good afternoon!" "Good afternoon," Kaiden politely bowed and smiled. ''Ahhh just his smile alone was enough to wash away all that suffering earlier. Such a healing smile Sena, wake up! It''s too early to be simping today! But it''s already lunch time! Besides, is there even a time to simp and not to simp? He-he-he.'' Hora tugged my sides and chuckled at me. I probably looked so ridiculous again, showing my simping mode on my face. Oh my goodness. I hope I didn''t look that stupid. "You seem to be in a good mood," Kaiden chuckled. Oh no. He saw itthe stupid face I always made when I simp over him. Did I drool? I sure hope I didn''t. "Ahh, yes! I''ll be meeting with the screenwriter today for the movie adaptation. I''m so excited to meet her and learn lots of things!" "Ah, I see. So that''s today. If you want, I can accompany you." My eyes widened at his suggestion. ''Kaiden with me? THE Kaiden Ma? Okay, let''s take a few steps back. Is that even alright? He''s basically the heir of Red Dragon Holdingsincluding Red Dragon Films!'' It was then that I realized Kaiden was the one who submitted my story And he was the heir of Red Dragon Holdings Did I even get in because of my talent for writing? Sting. Suddenly, my heart began to throb. It was true though. There was a huge possibility of that being the case. What if what if the only reason they accepted that first manuscript I submitted was because Kaiden was the one who submitted it? "Hm? Senara, what''s wrong?" Kaiden asked, with a worried expression. "I, ahI just remembered something," I tried to smile it off. But deep inside, I started doubting myself. Why not? It was my first time writingwith no backgrounds, or experiences, or any lessons about writing at all. Even if I lived 30 years of my life before, I never considered trying to write stories. How could I possibly be some genius who could just do it all? That''s just impossible! And to think I even got an award for it! Did I even deserve that award? Now, I wasn''t so sure anymore. Chapter 117 - How Embarrassing! [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Hey, Sena. What''s happening?" Hora whispered to my ears, being careful so she wouldn''t be heard by Kaiden. "If you don''t want me to accompany you, that''s fine," Kaiden said with a worried expression. "N-No! That''s not what I It''s just that" Should I tell him or not? But wouldn''t that upset him? And he might feel guilty, too. Or I''m not even sure anymore. My heart kept on stinging. Emotions were just flooding inside me againnegative emotions. But how could I not doubt myself if that was the case? Did I even get this movie adaptation by cheating? By connection? Come to think of it, Kaiden easily agreed on adapting one of my future books into a movie as well. Maybe that was the reason I''m working with a screenwriter. Because I''m not that good and a screenwriter needed to fix the story for me. If that was the case then wouldn''t that mean that I''m just a big fraud? Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes but I couldn''t show them to Kaiden. I had to get out of there. "I I''ll just go to the bathroom for a sec" I excused myself and quickly stood up. Kaiden''s face was horrified. He must be thinking what he did wrong. Actually, he didn''t do anything wrong. It was just me deluding myself I had real talent. Mother was right before I really didn''t have them. I was just lucky because I met Kaiden. "Sena, what''s wrong?" "Senara, wait!" Kaiden pulled my arms gently to stop me. "I''m sorry," I apologized under my breath. For some reason, I felt the need to apologize. I''m causing such a ruckus again, disturbing their peaceful lunch time. ''Why am I such a troublesome person? Why do I keep on making people around me worry? I should handle things like this on my own. I should learn to control my emotions and not cry over little things! But this is no little thing, right? Ugh. I don''t know anymore.'' "Please tell us what''s wrong," Kaiden pleaded. Right. I should tell them. It''s weird to just burst out crying for no reason. "B-because I just realized that you''re the one who submitted my story and you''re the heir of Red Dragon Holdings. There''s no way they would refuse the story you submitted, right? So Iit''s not because of my talent that I earned that movie adaptation," I confessed, smiling bitterly. "Huh?" Kaiden looked perplexed. "What are you saying? I did submit your story but I submitted it anonymously so they wouldn''t know I''m the one who did it." "Huh? You submitted it anonymously? Y-you''re only saying that so I won''t be upset." "It''s true though. I can show you the email I used to submit your story." "But I had no experience, not even an education about writing. I''m only getting my education now. It''s impossible that I''m" Kaiden started tapping on his phone. After a few seconds, he showed me the email he was pertaining to. "Anonymous@mail.com" was the email used. It contained a query letter, an introduction, and the copy of my manuscript. So he was telling the truth. ''Arrghhhh!!! Damn it. Sena, you''re so stupid! You easily jump to conclusions! Now, go and apologize for ruining such a peaceful lunch time!'' After seeing that, I couldn''t paint what face I made trying to apologize to Kaiden and Hora. But they just ended up laughing at me. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You''re so cute, Senara. And still a crybaby," Kaiden teased me. "Don''t worry. Once I accompany you today, even Ms. Qian Yu will be surprised I''m there. That will show you they had NO idea it was me who sent it. And that should be enough proof of your talent, right?" "Y-yes! I''m really, really sorry!" "Tsk! Tsk! Seriously, Sena. Why do you doubt yourself so easily? As if everyone else can be so great and you can only be the loser," Hora shook her head and sighed. Her facial expression was screaming "this-stupid-friend-of-mine". "I''m so sorry, Hora. Yeah, I''m being pessimistic again. Sniff I''m really sorry." "It''s fine. Now stop apologizing and let''s eat. I''m starving." "Yes. Let''s eat." "Good thing the chef cooked salmon for you today." "Really?" My eyes glimmered in joy. "Please tell the chef thank you." "Oh, you''re welcome," Kaiden smiled at me. "Huh? I said the chef though What thedid you cook this?" I almost shouted in my surprise. And my lips stretched into a grin. ''OMG! Kaiden cooked for me!'' "I had nothing to do earlier so I decided to cook. I thought you''ll need the energy for today. Hope you like it." "Waaaaa thank you so much!" Feeling excited to eat Kaiden''s cookingwhich was the first time for meI quickly picked up my fork and knife, and sliced through the baked salmon. As soon as I cut through it, aromatic juices came spilling out. My mouth drooled the moment I saw it. Before I knew it, I was already savouring the salmon in my mouth. "Ahhhh it''s so yummy! And savoury! And delicious! And perfect! Thank you so much Kaiden! I didn''t know you''re this good at cooking. Callan did tell me you''re better than him at cooking but this is just WOW! You can even be a professional chef." "Ah, I see. Callan told you that, huh?" Kaiden''s expression suddenly turned menacing for a moment. "At least he admitted I''m better than him. Heh." "Uhm, is there something wrong with Callan?" "No. Nothing at all," he smiled at me, changing expressions in an instant. Was it just my imagination? "Pft!" Hora chuckled beside me. ''What is it with these two? Is there something going on that I don''t know of? Hmmm I should pester Hora about this later and make sure she spills the beans. Very suspicious.'' Anyway, after cheering myself up with Kaiden''s amazing cooking, I waved my goodbye to Hora. Kaiden already bathed in the morning so he just changed his clothes and took his car. He probably planned on accompanying me since yesterday seeing he was prepared. He usually bathed around lunch time or the afternoon if it''s the weekend. ''Wait a minute. Why do I even know his bathing schedule? Why am I remembering such weird details? Waaaaaa!!! Sena, you''re simping is getting off hand! You sinful being!'' Haaahh I should probably go to a retreat and purify my soul. And I should bring that sly fox Verrill with me. I still had not forgotten how he dared eatI mean, kiss my dear friend without my permission. Heh. I should go back to planning on how to roast him soon. ______________________________ Hi Pumpkins! I just wanted to let you all know that I made changes for June privilege tiers. Please take note of the discount especially for Tier 5, it has 99% discount which means all privilege chapters that you''ll unlock moving forward will just be 1 coin each so it''s a major discount. I''m putting it on here to be clear since new app update is not showing the discount percentages per tiers. Hope it helps. Thank you so much for all your support again. ABC Tiers (June) Tier 1: 2 Chapters, 1 Coin (Auto) Tier 2: 5 Chapters, 399 Coins (Scarecrow) 10% discount Tier 3: 12 Chapters, 859 Coins (Casper) 30% discount Tier 4: 15 Chapters, 1099 Coins (Grim Reaper) 50% discount Tier 5: 20 Chapters, 1499 Coins (Secret Witch) 99% discount Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 118 - The Screenwriter (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ As Kaiden drove me towards the Red Dragon Films office which was the agreed venue for the meeting with the screenwriter, a sudden thought came to mind. ''Hmm Now that I think about it, if we finish early, I can go on a date with Kaiden, right?'' For some reason, that thought alone filled me with brimming energy. I probably had lots now since I''d been so excited with this meeting, plus the chance to date Kaiden later. He-he-he. Ms. Qian Yu said that the meeting was only a meet and greet session, and a little bit of briefing, so it shouldn''t take that long, right? Convinced with that idea, I started thinking of what fun things we could do after. We already visited famous tourist spots and went shopping before school started. Hmmm Should we dine out somewhere? But I bet Kaiden''s cooking would still be much better. Should we go to the amusement park? Wait a minute. What am I, a kid? This was harder than I thought. What did those dating tips say again? The ones I researched before? Hmmm I tried remembering but I couldn''t recall any of them. How amazing. Just when I needed them! Oh well. No use crying over spilled milk. There was one thing I always wanted to try with Kaiden, though. I wondered if he''d allow it? I should try asking him later. Oh wait, I should just surprise him. But what if he didn''t like it? It''s not that bad. I''m sure it would be fine. He-he-he. A few minutes more and we finally arrived at the Red Dragon Films office. Ms. Qian Yu didn''t need to fetch me anymore since she gave me a badge I could use, especially since I would need to frequent the office in the future while working on that script. Actually, even if I didn''t have the badge, I would still be able to go in. I had someone with me who was greater than any badge access I would ever need. Yup. THE Kaiden Ma himself. As soon as the guards saw him, they immediately greeted him politely and bowed their heads. The concierge came running towards the entrance door, and not even a minute passed, the managers were already running towards him. Everyone was so alerted. When we came walking in, all the employees we passed through bowed their heads and greeted him. Even the elevator was freed up for him. ''He sure is known even here, huh? I kinda expected that not all employees would know what he looks like.'' Despite their polite gestures and overly warm greetings, Kaiden maintained a poker expression. He did greet them back and nod his head. But aside from that, nothing extrahe didn''t even smile. I wondered if that was required from people like him, being the rich heir he was. He probably couldn''t be too friendly with them since he could easily be taken advantage of, right? Since they would think that he''s young and easy to manipulate? Or just to keep professionalism between everyone? Oh well, whatever it was, I sure was happy I''m not in that kind of far-off relationship with him. Kaiden accompanied me up to the meeting room on the 20th floor. In the middle of the hallway near the elevator, was the boardroom where I was supposed to meet Ms. Qian Yu and the screenwriter. When I reached for the door handle, Kaiden beat me to it. I was surprised. Was he planning on accompanying me inside, too? But when he saw my reaction, he just smirked at me. Oh well. He did mention he was gonna prove to me that Ms. Qian Yu didn''t know he was the one who submitted my novel. And so, Kaiden opened the door for me and let me walk in first. Inside, Ms. Qian Yu was happily chatting to huh? Not one, but two screenwriters? I thought she said there was only one screenwriter? Or maybe the other one was not a screenwriter but another? And someone I needed to meet as well? One of them looked shy and reserved, but she was young and cute, too. Maybe late 20''s? I wasn''t sure of her age. People in this country looked too young for their real age. She had a medium length, wavy bob haircut in cinnamon brown. Her eyes were a darker shade of the same color, covered by big round glasses. It was amazing how well it suited her. She wore a cute dress topped with a blazer, and a matching bag and shoes for it. The other one looked younger by a few years. In contrast, she had this confident air around her. Or at least, my impression of her was. She had long caramel brown hair curled so perfectly and in place. She, too, had brown eyes, and a beautiful face enhanced by light make up. How I wished I also knew how to use makeup. Maybe I''d be as beautiful as her. Not only that, she was sexy, and dressed more maturelya red fitted dress with a very short skirt, high boots, and fur coat. Although she was really pretty, I thought she was a littleno, she WAS overdressed. Or maybe even that was normal here? Hmmm "Senara! You''re there!" Ms. Qian Yu greeted me cheerfully when she saw me. She stood up from her seat and welcomed meas kind as ever. "How have you been? Long time no see. And who''s the oneKYAAAAA!!!" Oh wow. That squeal woke up every nerve inside my body. Ms. Qian Yu was very much surprised. Of course, I understood why. Imagine having one of your co-workerif that even was the proper termsuddenly bring the son of the company''s owner? "Y-y-young master? K-Kaiden Ma?" "Ah, yes," Kaiden nodded and smiled, even more to Ms. Qian Yu''s shock. He never actually smiled at anyone before. "Nice meeting you, Ms. Qian Yu." "Oh my goodness, you know me?" Ms. Qian Yu was so happy she let out a sniff. "He''s even smiling at me!" she wanted to scream but she just whispered it to me. She looked like a fangirl who finally got to meet her idol. OMG. Ms. Qian Yu''s reaction was hilarious. I couldn''t help but laugh at her. Today would definitely be so much fun. Chapter 119 - The Screenwriter (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" I couldn''t help but laugh at Ms. Qian Yu''s cuteness. If I weren''t mistaken, she would be somewhere in her 30''s but she still acted very youthful and cheerful. I loved that about her. She gave off a comfortable feeling despite her being my superior since she was the Executive Producer. "Y-you came with Senara? Are you two" Ms. Qian Yu asked, looking confused but excited and expectant for some reason. "Did you two fell in love at first sight during the event?" The laughter in my face vanished from her question, replaced by embarrassment instead. And deep inside, I was reluctant to answer, too. What was I supposed to say? "Well, it''s a long story but" "Yes, something like that," Kaiden answered for me. ''Wait a minute. Do I not have any say on this?'' "Oh right! You two should be around the same age and Senara is a very beautiful young lady. No wonder," she concluded. Then, whispering to me again, she said, "You better tell me all about it later, okay?" Ms. Qian Yu was giggling all throughout. Was she gonna turn into another Hora and Crystala workmate version? Oh no. It seemed like I wouldn''t escape the teasing even here at the workplace. Better brace myself again. While we were discussing, the confident woman in red dress stood up, and greeted us. The shy girl followed in the same manner. "Good afternoon, Kaiden and Senara. You can call me Ashley," the confident woman said as she bowed her head. She walked towards us and held out her hand for a shake. "Nice to meet the both of you." I politely took her hand for the shake. Then, she offered her hand to Kaiden, much to our surprise. She probably didn''t know that Kaiden hated touching. He wore his gloves today as usual but I wasn''t sure if he would be polite enough to take that hand or he''d be grumpy. During the last event, he at least shook hands with a few bosses, right? Kaiden just stared at her hand and ignored it. So he wasn''t planning on shaking it even for the sake of politeness it seemed. Seeing that, I decided to explain the situation a bit for the poor girl. She must had been shocked to be ignored like that. "Ahm Sorry, Ashley. He doesn''t like touching. It''s normal for him. Don''t be too shocked." "Oooh, I see," she quickly picked up. "But you''re his girlfriend, right? So you two" Wow. She just had to ask that. "I don''t like touching other people, and my girlfriend is NOT other peopleif that''s what you mean," Kaiden answered in a strict tone. Hearing that, I glanced over at him and saw his face was turning grumpy. Oh no. Ashley stepped on a landmine. Not wanting to have my day ruined, I pulled Kaiden''s arm to get his attention. "Kaiden, I think we should start the meeting now so we won''t fall behind schedule," I whispered to him in a smile. Come on, smile, please work and calm Kaiden''s anger. To my luck, Kaiden''s menacing aura was gone. Phew. I felt so relieved. "You''re right. I won''t be taking much of your time then," Kaiden agreed. Turning to Ms. Qian Yu, he continued, "Please take care of her. I''ll just be outside for a moment." "Oh, you can stay here," Ms. Qian Yu tried to stop him. "Feel free to sit anywhere you like. I can''t possibly have you wait outside!" "No, it''s fine. I have something to deal with as well." "Are you sure?" I asked, worried. He''d be too bored outside. "Yeah, I''ll be fine," he smiled to assure me, and patted my head. After that, he left the room and we started the meeting. Ashley already introduced herself, while the shy girl who didn''t get the chance to do the same earlier, greeted me again and said I could call her Rae, short for Rachel. Ms. Qian Yu said that Rae had won many awards for being a screenwriter and she would be the one working closely with me for the script. On the other hand, Ashley was more like an apprentice. She worked on a couple of projects and her team allowed her to be with us to learn more from Raesomething she didn''t expect seeing how she looked horrified after Ms. Qian Yu spilled the shocking news. It was funny how the confident Ashley was suddenly placed under the care of the shy person, Rae. But for some reason, since I first took a look at the both of them, I had a great gut feeling that Rae was the better person. She might look shy and all that but she had these passion-filled eyes. I knew those eyes because it was the same as mine when I decided to take on writing as my future career. A whole hour passed with just the four of us getting to know each other. Then another hour for Ms. Qian Yu''s briefing on how things would go from that point onward. She also sent a draft of our schedule, and all other things we would need. It was amazing how hands-on and detailed she was. I really admired her work ethic. After that, we were given a few minutes break before we proceeded to the next session which was an open Q&A for me. Rae was so diligent that she already read the book I wrote for Armageddon, but she had a few questions since she wanted to understand things in a more in-depth mannersomething I agreed to. Of course, I wouldn''t want anything misinterpreted just because I sucked at explaining them in the book. Despite all the praises I got from it, Kaiden did mention to me a couple of mistakes and flaws which I was thankful to learn about. For the break, I just went to the cafeteria to get some iced coffee. Kaiden said he went to the President''s office to check on a few things but he should be done in less than an hour. On my way back, I didn''t notice that I had already finished the coffee even before I reached the 20th floor boardroom. So, I decided to stop by the restroom to freshen myself. As I sat on the toilet bowl in one of the cubicles, I heard the person beside mine get out and went to the lavatory to wash her hands. Then, a girl with a familiar voice waltzed in from the doorit was Ashley. Her confident tone was so apparent, I couldn''t miss it. "Ms. Rae! You''re there," she suddenly sounded so polite with her. I could still remember how she took all the spotlight by introducing herself to Kaiden and me, interrupting her. "H-Hi, Ashley," Rae timidly greeted back. Chapter 120 - The Screenwriter (Part 3) [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Ashley created small talk which wasn''t very important. I wanted to get out but I somehow felt the timing wasn''t right. They were conversing normally and I''d hate to just interrupt that. Well, that was until I heard my name. "So, Ms. Rae, what do you think of Senara?" Ashley asked in an almost suggestive manner. "Do you think she really wrote that book? ArmageddonDawn of the New Generation? I mean, she''s just 16. There''s no way someone as young as that can plot out a story that effectively, right? Maybe she just bought the story from a ghostwriter? What do you think? It''s easy for her since she''s the girlfriend of that hot young man, Kaiden, right?" ''What theWhat''s wrong with this woman? Me? Buying a story from a ghost writer? What the heck! I just wrote it for fun since Kaiden suggested it, and it was a trial to see what things I''m passionate about so I could apply for that course in college. I didn''t even plan on submitting it to the film company! Why would IUgh. But of course, she wouldn''t know that. Talk about making dramas out of nowhere. My goodness!'' To my surprise, Rae spoke up for me. "A-Ashley, that''s not very nice," Rae disagreed, though speaking in a nervous tone. "I''m just telling you the possibilities. I could be right, you know." Then, Rae grunted and answered her back, but this time, in a more serious tone. "Just as age doesn''t matter in love, it also doesn''t matter in passion. Just because someone is young, doesn''t mean she can''t do great things. And at the same time, just because someone is old, doesn''t mean it''s already too late for her to dream." Hearing those amazing words, the forming anger in my heart was washed away in an instant I was in awe of her wisdomspoken like a real writer. Despite her shy and reserved appearance, she was rather firm on her beliefs and that in itself, was praiseworthy. "W-well, I''m just saying the possibilities.," Ashley''s voice trembled. She probably realized she was screwed. "A-anyway, we''ll know later during the Q&A. If she really wrote it, she shouldn''t have a problem answering our questions, right?" Rae sighed so deeply I could hear it. "Suit yourself. I''m going." Then, I heard her footsteps slowly fade away. Ashley on the other hand walked inside one of the cubicles. It was my chance to get out so I did. I washed my hands quickly and headed back to the boardroom. It was one straight path so I didn''t get lost despite being alone. On my way back, I deliberated if I should tell Kaiden about it or not. But then I might sound so petty. Nah, it''s fine. I could handle it on my own. Besides, the best way to combat such prejudice would be to prove her wrong. Once everyone was back, we continued with our session. Ms. Qian Yu had to take an important call so she stepped out for a moment. Rae and Ashley threw me the questions they had about the story, the characters, how I wanted the scene to appear, the lines to be delivered. Rae in particular wanted me to expound on the emotions. Ashley, on the other hand, questioned me in a way that she seemed to be probing my knowledge of my own story. Of course she would do that. "In chapter twelve, who is the person behind the cloak?" Ashley asked yet another ridiculous question as if I didn''t know it. Summoning the last bit of my patience, I asked her in return, "Did you read chapter eleven?" "Yes, I did," she nodded, and smiled as confidently as ever. "If that''s the case Why are you asking?" I snapped. "If you read chapter eleven, you would know who it is." Ashley and Rae were taken aback. They probably didn''t expect such an attitude to come from a sweet-looking, obedient girl that I was. "Iuhm," Ashley struggled to find the right words to defend herself. She only knew how to talk big behind people''s back but it seemed she didn''t have the guts that needed to go with that. "You what? You thought I hired a ghostwriter or bought the story from someone?" Ugh. My patience ran out. I wasn''t able to stop myself from saying what I badly wanted to say earlier. Ashley''s face pale up. She definitely didn''t expect me to say something like that. Huh! Why? Because I was just sixteen? Too young to create my own story? "Rae has been asking me wonderful questions and all you''re asking me are useless ones. Are we even gonna use those for the script?" "Y-Yes, we will." "Where? Which part?" "I''ll have to check later." Rae sighed. "We''re not going to use those. Ask proper questions. You''re wasting time." "Exactly!" I agreed with Rae. "If all you''ll do is ask trash questions, you''ll only end up writing trash afterwards." "T-that''s that''s so mean coming from you!" Ashley cried crocodile tears. It was obvious she couldn''t think of any excuse for her actions so she resorted to crying instead. How great. And Ms. Qian Yu would be back any moment now. She would think I''m bullying someone older than me. Ugh. How my eyes rolled seeing her like that. Such a drama queen. She should be an actress instead of a screenwriter. Just as I predicted, the door to the boardroom opened and Ms. Qian Yu was back along with Kaiden! My eyes lit up when I saw him. Finally, I could "Wahu-hu-hu-hu!" Ms. Drama Queen Ashley quickly ran towards Ms. Qian Yu and Kaiden. "Oh my! What''s wrong, Ashley?" Ms. Qian Yu asked in surprise. "I''m so sorry, Ms. Qian Yu. It''s my fault. I''m not talented enough in asking questions so I irritated Senara." Rae and I ended up looking at each other, and shook our heads. Damn. I wanted to laugh so hard but I stopped myself. Then, I stood up and went near them to sort it out. Kaiden wouldn''t fall for those crocodile tears but as for Ms. Qian Yu, I didn''t want her to think badly of me. As I walked towards them, Ms. Drama Queen continued crying. I noticed that as she did, little by little, she was inching closer to Kaiden. "Kaiden, I''m really sorry for sniff sniff," Ashley acted once more, pulling out her most innocent and fragile look much to my disgust. After that, she suddenly reached out her hand to Kaiden as if she was going to hug him! My eyes widened and my feet sprinted fast towards her. Before I knew it, I already yanked her shoulders and pulled her away to Kaiden, making her fall to the floor. It was then that I realized just as Kaiden didn''t want anyone touching him I also didn''t want others to touch him. Chapter 121 - The Screenwriter (Part 4) [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Everyone was shocked with what just happened even I was. ''Oh no. What did I do? My string of patience broke and I ended up pushing someone to the ground. Well, I''ve been angry since earlier because of all the stupidity of this drama queen but then she went and tried to touch Kaiden! Of all people! What did she expect? Should I smile and happily let her embrace myI mean, we''re just pretending, but as his girlfriend, I shouldn''t let her, right? Ugh This sucks.'' Sighing to myself, I shook my head and pressed on my temples. "Are you alright, Senara?" Kaiden asked, not minding the drama queen on the floor. That made me happy for some reason. Was I finally becoming evil like that sly fox Verrill? "Ahm actually, no." I confessed under my breath. I felt my face wretched on their own. Now that Kaiden was there, all my tough acts were gone, and I just felt so frustrated. Yeah, it felt so unfair! My emotions came rushing within me. From the anger I felt when I was at the comfort room, listening to Ashley''s trash talks about me hiring a ghostwriter for Armageddon, from the irritation of having to answer her demeaning questions, and up to just a moment agoa feeling of disgust from seeing her trying to touch Kaiden! ARGH! I''m really very, very, angry! I''m furious! I wanted to say it all out loud but words just stayed in my headmy lips didn''t cooperate. I ended up just waving my hands, furrowing my face, and finally rolling my eyes, giving up trying to explain. In the end, tears formed in the corner of my eyes AGAIN. I always hated this weakness of mine. I easily cried whenever I felt an outburst of emotions, it''s frustrating. How was I supposed to act tough like this? Perhaps Kaiden noticed I couldn''t explain myself so he pulled me close and embraced me. Feeling his warmth and smelling his familiar scent, my heart started to calm down. I buried my face in his chest and stopped thinking about anything. "What happened here?" Kaiden asked the three of them. His gentle voice was gone, and all I was hearing was his cold tone. Haaahh I''m such a failure. I just said earlier that I wanted to resolve this myself and was planning to prove Ashley wrong about her speculations, but I ended up snapping. I really needed to work on my patience, jumping to conclusions, being a crybaby, and so many flaws that I had. "Rae, can you tell us what happened?" Ms. Qian Yu turned to Rae, the only one left who hadn''t said her piece. "Honestly, it was Ashley''s fault," Rae said bluntly. Ashley''s crocodile tears suddenly dried up and she quickly got up from her miserable position. "You don''t need to be afraid, Rae! Just because she''s you don''t need to defend her. Tell them the truth!" "I''m not trying to defend her. I''m simply stating facts." "What did Ashley do?" "She kept on asking irrelevant questions, trying to probe Senara''s knowledge of the story because she didn''t believe a sixteen year old could write such an amazing story. She thought that Senara must have bought the story somewhere or hired a ghostwriter." As Rae told them what happened, Ms. Qian Yu gasped in shock and Ashley''s breathing became intense. "Then, Senara asked why she kept on asking useless questions. Ashley couldn''t refute so she started crying until you two came and she ran for help." "T-that''s not she''s just siding with her because I" Ashley''s voice trembled. ''Oh my goodness. I already respected you since earlier, Rae, but now, I admire you more for your courage and blatant remarks, and honesty. Thank you so much!'' "Ah, I see. So you upset my girlfriend, and tried to touch me for the second time despite being warned not to," Kaiden concluded. "I-I''m I''m s-s-sorry." "For a mere apprentice, you have guts to do that," Kaiden scoffed. "I hope you have the same guts to receive your due punishment as well." Although I couldn''t see Kaiden''s face, I imagined it would be the same as that time when I first met him in an eventso evil and menacing. He had the tendency to look like a tyrant if he wanted to. "Haaah I''m really sorry about this, Kaiden, Senara," Ms. Qian Yu stepped in. "I''ll take care of this. You may both go home now. I''ll schedule another meeting with Rae and Senara in the future." "There''s nothing for you to apologize for. But I don''t want to see her face ever again in the future. She''s fired. And she''s banned from all Red Dragon Holding companies and affiliates." "No! P-Please, don''t!" Ashley begged. ''I knew it. He was gonna fire her. Should I stop him and plead for her? Have mercy? It was a moment of stupidity but it didn''t need to cost her whole career, right? What if her family needed her or something? Haaahhh I''m angry at her and I don''t like her but'' Since my anger subsided, thanks to Kaiden''s hug, I lifted up my head and looked at him. "Kaiden, it''s okay. You don''t need to fire her," I pleaded, sighing. "Let''s just say it was a mistake, and she learned from it. Besides, I''m okay now. There''s no need to go that far." "But she hurt you," Kaiden replied, back to his usual gentle tone towards me. "It''s alright. I''m no longer upset since you gave me a hug," I chuckled and grinned at him. Please, Kaiden, let this slide. "I prefer not working with her in the future so she can just go back to her usual task but there''s no need to fire her, okay?" Kaiden sighed. "Fine," he conceded. Turning to Ms. Qian Yu, he said, "I''ll leave it up to you. We''ll go now." "Yes. Thank you." "Oh, and thank you very much, Ms. Rae," I smiled towards the real screenwriter. "Ah, it''s nothing. Take care." And with that, Kaiden and I bid our farewell to them. What a wonderful afternoon filled with drama. Chapter 122 - Ranting [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Haaaaaaaaahhhhh" That was probably the longest sigh I had for this month or year? We''re back to Kaiden''s car and as soon as I got in, I slumped my butt on the seat and crossed my armsnot even putting my seatbelt on. ''Am I too old or I just really keep on meeting people with lots of issues and attitudes? From the first day of school, I got weird stares from people I don''t know, then my classmates turned out to be a bunch of prejudiced kids, not to mention, those bullies which was probably one of them, tooor it could be somebody else entirely that I wasn''t sure of. And then this Haaah What is wrong with my surroundings?'' "That''s a long sigh," Kaiden commented, as he put his seatbelt on and started the car. "Are you really okay?" "Well I calmed down a bit thanks to you butCan I rant for a moment?" I said, still irritated. Poor Kaiden. It seemed I got used to ranting my frustrations on him whenever bad things happen. Realizing that, I quickly took back what I said. "ActuallyNo, I''m good. Let''s just go." "Pft! Feel free to rant. There''s no need to hold back. I''ll listen, and maybe rant with you, too." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! You? Rant? That''s new." "Of course, I do. I rant and complain all the timeevery morning, in fact." "That''s because you hate mornings!" "Yeah. It''s the same." "Ha-ha-ha! Okay, I''ll rant." "Go on." I took a deep breath before starting. Inhale. Exhale. Okay. "First, something I badly wanted to say since earlier was Why in the world is she such a DRAMA queen? That A-aaa What''s her name again?" "Ashley." "Yeah! That... DramAshley! URGH!" I grunted loud in my anger. "Honestly! What is wrong with her? What did I even do to her?" "She''s just jealous of you. Because you''re younger and more talented." "HUH?!" Come to think of it, Kaiden was right. Even my enemies at school, they''re just angry with me because I''m close with him, right? Truly, envy was such a deadly sin. But if I were them, I''d use other people''s success as motivation for me to strive forward and be better at my craft, rather than be bitter about it and badmouth other peopleor bully them. "The best thing to do with such envious people is to not mind them. Because they are foolish. And the foolish will never understand how the wise think." "Woah!" I gasped in my shock. What Kaiden just said that was so on point! And deep for his age! I knew he was a genius but experiencing it first hand was just WOW! I clapped my hands, amazed by what he said. "That was amazing, Kaiden. It can be a famous quote in itself!" I exclaimed. Then I quickly took my phone from my bag and typed in what he said. "I don''t know where I''ll use it, but I''m taking notes. Don''t worry, I''ll give you credit." "Ha-ha-ha! Are you putting me in your book?" "He-he Actually, I already used you as reference." "Oh, I see. Is he a villain?" "What?" I asked, laughing. "Do you see yourself as a villain instead of a hero type?" "Hmmm Yes? I''m not that kind to be a hero." I raised my eyebrow, obviously doubting what he said. "If you''re unkind, then there''s no one who''s kind in this world." "You''re only saying that because I haven''t been bad to you. What if I treat you badly?" "Badly, how?" "Hmmm" Kaiden pondered for a moment, and smirked. After that, he didn''t say anything and started driving. "Hey! What does that mean? I''m getting curious! Tell me!" "Put your seatbelt on." I followed him and continued pestering. "Please tell me! Now, I''m curious and I won''t sleep until I get answers." "Do you really want me to tell you?" he teased. "Yes! Please, tell me." "Aww Too bad. I prefer doing it than saying it." "Prefer doing it?" I unconsciously repeated what he said, trying to crack it as if it was a mystery code or something. "What kind of bad thing is that? Is it really, really bad? Or you''re just teasing me?" "You''ll know when it happens. It might even make you cry." "What?! You''re going to make me cry? So it''s that bad?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Yeah." "That''s a lie. You''re not really going to make me cry, right?" "I wonder" "You''re just teasing me." "Whatever you believe in." "But you''ve always been kind to me," I pouted. I just couldn''t imagine him being nasty to me. "You won''t really do that, right?" "Don''t worry, you''ll survive it. You might even like it." "Huh? Now, I''m more confused." "You''re too innocent to imagine what I''m thinking so don''t bother," Kaiden chuckled. "Anyway, where do you want to go next? It''s still early. We can go on a date." "But that''sWait, what?! Really?" My eyes lit up when I realized what he just said. I felt my mouth stretched wide in a grin. "Yes! Let''s go on a date!" "You''re awfully happy." "He-he-he There''s somewhere I badly want to go with you, to be honest." "Where?" I tapped on my phone and opened up the map navigation app. I typed in the place where I wanted to go, and voila. "Just follow the directions my phone will say." Kaiden smirked. "I see. So it''s a surprise." "Uh-huh. And there''s no turning back." "Uuhh Should I worry where we''re going?" "Don''t worry, it''s a safe place." "If you say so." And so, Kaiden followed the navigation until we reached the place that I badly wanted to go. We passed by many tourist spots, restaurants, parks, and many other places along the way. "You have reached your destination," my phone said. "This is where you wanted to go?" Kaiden lowered down the car window to see the place better. His face, unamused. It seemed like he already caught on to what I wanted to do. "He-he-he There''s no turning back." "Riiight." Chapter 123 - The Fashion District (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The place where I took Kaiden was the Fashion District. It was a place filled with all the luxurious clothing brands, accessories, shoes, and everything about fashion. Yup. I knew that I sucked at fashion but I had a different purpose for the visit. And it was all related to my new book, and other future books I was thinking of writing. What I loved about this Fashion District was that they had all sorts of clothes one may needeven costumes you normally wouldn''t find anywhere! Seeing the place, Kaiden reluctantly parked the car somewhere safe and easy to spot. "What''s wrong? Why do you look like that?" I teased him. One thing I noticed with Kaiden during the times we went shopping with Crystal before school started was that he hated it. Not that he disliked fashion, he just hated changing clothes over and over just to try if they looked good on him. To be fair, he was the male version of Crystalsomeone who could make even garbage clothes look fashionable once he wore it. Literally, everything suited him! So I guessed that was why he found it useless to do that over and over. Plus, he had his own stylist that so far, hadn''t made him wear ugly outfits. All in all, he was just lazy. But today, I wanted to make sure he would try on everything that I would give him. He-he. I''d also make sure to take LOTS of picturesfor reference of course. Definitely not because I just wanted to see him wearing different clothes than usual. And I''m definitely not sneaking in some sexy outfits on the pile. Nuh-uh-uh. And so, Kaiden and I walked around the district until I found a store I wanted to go into. Kaiden''s expression had been a mixture of laziness, disinterest, and trying to humour me. I could read the words "Why did I agree to this?" on his face. "Woah! This is perfect!" I grinned and immediately dashed inside the store, picking clothes for Kaiden like a storm. The saleslady didn''t even need to guide me and help me out. The sighing, and uninterested Kaiden comforted himself by sitting inside the VIP lounge while I busied myself. It had its own dressing room and he was sitting in front of it. He must have felt like a sheep waiting for the time he would be slaughtered. Ha-ha-ha! Poor Kaiden. It took me about half an hour picking clothes. Once a pile was already on my arms, one of the sales ladies helped me out. Then, we went to the VIP lounge where Kaiden was waiting. The moment he saw the pile of clothes I brought with me, his face went pale. Oh my goodness! His reaction was epic. I quickly stole a picture when I saw it. "Go on, try them out," I told him enthusiastically. Picking a set, I gave it to him and pushed him inside the dressing room. "Are you really going to make me try ALL of those? Can''t we just pick one and go?" "Nope, I want to see you in ALL of them." Kaiden scratched his head as he locked the door to the dressing room. Few minutes passed and he was done changing. "WOAH!!! That looks amazing on you!" I squealed when he came out. Happily grinning to myself, I took lots of pictures of him. "OMG! You look like a prince!" The other saleslady in the shop squealed silently and giggled like me. I didn''t blame them. Kaiden''s looks were so squeal-worthy. Imagine the most handsome idol that existed on earth, dressing up as a prince yup! That kind of squeal-worthiness. Click! Click! Click! The first outfit I gave him was a princely outfit made of white cloth, with silver and blue designs. There were intricate embroideries on the collar, hems, and cuffs of the suit. Overall, it was perfect for him. Overwhelmed by his handsomeness, I grabbed a plain white mask from the pile and shoved it on his face. "Aww. Why are you suddenly making me wear a mask?" Kaiden asked with a muffled voice because of the mask. It was a full face mask that covered all of his features. "N-Nothing. I just thought it w-will look good with the mask on." Oh no. I hoped my face wasn''t blushing hard right now. Anyway, pictures Click! Click! Click! After taking pictures of his princely outfit, I grabbed another set of clothes and asked him to change into it. Shrugging, he went back inside and changed. A few moments later, he was done changing and stepped out of the room. The next outfit was a black Traditional Chinese Hanfu. It was pure black except for the golden dragon embroidery on the belt. Around his neck was a fur coat, which was a perfect match for the overall outfit. He looked like a Master Swordsman so I took an ornamental sword and had him hold onto it and make a few poses as I took his pictures. "Kaiden, you''re nailing all these fantasy clothes! You''d make a really great model, too!" Truly, he was overly handsome. OMG! I''m so lucky to be alive and witness this greatness before my very eyes! After that, I made him try on a few more clothes until I''m satisfied. One of them was that of a pirate, a mafia boss suit, a king''s clothes, idol boy band, an elf clothing, a gunman, an assassin, an adventurer, and last was a sexy suit with an undershirt that was fitted for him. My nose almost bled from all the handsomeness I witnessed. "Ahhhh I got a lot of pictures. I''m so happy. Thank you so much, Kaiden." "Yeah, you should be. You treated me like a human, male, barbie doll," he grunted. Oh no. It seemed that I upset him. "I''m so sorry. You''re not angry at me, are you?" I tilted my head cutely. Hopefully, I was cute enough to pacify his annoyance. Kaiden squinted his eyes. "I won''t be angry if you come with me next." "Sure. Where to?" And there it was again his evil smirk, and nerve-wracking silence. Oh no. Did I agree too soon? Chapter 124 - The Fashion District (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Wrap these up," Kaiden ordered the saleslady who assisted us to which she happily complied. We followed her for payment and Kaiden insisted on paying for themeven if I''m the one who made him wear all those clothes against his will. As we waited for them to finish packing the clothes, I felt nervous not knowing where we''re going next. It was then that I saw another outfit I wanted Kaiden to try. It was hidden amongst all the black suits in one corner. They were all black so it was hard to tell. "Kaiden," I called him, pulling his sleeves to get his attention. "Can you try one last outfit, please?" Kaiden was dumbfounded. "Another one? That''s the twelfth one already," he asked, half doubting if I was serious. I nodded enthusiastically and put my hands together, pleading. Kaiden gave up and sighed. As soon as he agreed, I rushed to get the outfit and gave it to him. He went back to the dressing room, dragging his feet, and changed. I felt sorry looking at him but it''s the last one, so hang in there, Kaiden. Few minutes passed and he still wasn''t done. Because of that, I got worried so I knocked on the door of the dressing room to check on him. "Kaiden, are you alright?" " No. I''m stuck." "Pft! You should have told me. Let me help you." Kaiden opened the door and I went inside not realizing the craziness of what I just did. As soon as I got in, I saw Kaiden, still in his casual clothes. He only removed his coat, but his shirt was still buttoned. The outfit I gave him, neatly folded on a chair. "What''s wrong? I thought you were stuck." "I am. My laziness is to the brim. I can''t move my arms anymore." Blinking a few times, I burst out in laughter afterwards. Oh my goodness. It seemed that I already reached the peak of Kaiden''s capacity for the day. "Why are you laughing? It''s your fault." "Yes, it is. I''m really sorry." "If you still want to see me in that outfit, you have to help me change." "Yes, yes. I''ll help." Kaiden smirked. "Start with unbuttoning this shirt. Then take it off of me." I followed what he said but when I reached out to the button of his shirt, it finally hit me I shouldn''t be doing that. My hands suddenly trembled, and my face felt hot. ''T-this I-I''m basically taking Kaiden''s clothes off, right? S-so I''ll see his his naked body AGAIN. OMG OMG OMG. Will I survive this? Will I die? I''ll be lucky if I only end up with a nosebleed.'' "What''s wrong?" Kaiden asked in a teasing manner. "Youuu" I narrowed my eyes and stared at him. "You''re taking revenge on me, aren''t you?" "Am I?" he tilted his head and asked, as if he''s the most innocent person in the world. ''Tsk. This guy But I won''t be fooled by that smile. If there''s one thing I learned about Kaiden, it''s that he takes his revenge no matter what. And what he''s making me do is his form of revenge on me. He knows I can barely stand looking at his naked body because of that incident in his bedroom! How very observant. A tough opponent indeed.'' "You definitely are," I glared at him. "You think I''ll back down? Hmf!" And so, I gulped hard and mustered all my couragefrom this lifetime and my last, and in case I still had some more. Then, I slowly unbuttoned his shirt. From his neck, to his chest, and abs of course. I felt the back of my fingers brush across his body with only the thin cloth of the shirt as the wall between my skin and his''. That thought alone made me nervous. But I must press on. I''m not backing down on this challenge. WRAAA!!! Once I''m done unbuttoning everything, I breathed deeply before I took it off of his body. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Oh my goodness that immaculate body Sena, get a hold of yourself. Remind me again how come this teenager has this sexiness in him when he''s still so young? Wooooohhh Inhale. Exhale. You can do this. Don''t think he''s hot even if he is. And clear your mind of nasty thoughts. Lust, begone! All impure thoughts, begone!'' "There, I''m done. I took it off," I smugly said when I succeeded on my task. "Easy, peasy." "Good job. You survived," he complimented me but his smirk was so apparent on his lips. "You''d need to do the same once I''m done with the outfit you chose." "What? Again?" "It was easy, right?" ''Ack! My words right back at me.'' "R-Right." And so, Kaiden wore the last outfit I gave him which was none other than a Grim Reaper''s costume! Complete with a scythe and a dark cloak! He looked so devilishly handsome, much to my joy, so I took lots of pictures again until I''m satisfied. As I browsed through the pictures after, he kindly reminded me that I needed to take it off of him, and help him dress. We had the last outfit wrapped up as well, and Kaiden paid again. He never let me pay even when we went out before with Crystal and Hora. Was it a custom here that men should always pay? I somehow felt guilty. It''s not like I didn''t have money. Anyway, after that we finally left the shop. We dropped by the car to put in all of the clothes we bought, then went on our way again. Kaiden led the way this time and I just followed beside him. He kept on browsing through shop windows but it seemed nothing much caught his fancy. He only stopped when he saw this classy French Boutique selling lots of luxurious and gorgeous dresses. They were all so beautiful you could even wear them on a red carpet. ''So this was his plan an exact revenge of the same kind. I should have known.'' Now, I''m the one looking unamused. ______________________________ Hi Pumpkins! I just wanted to let you all know that I made changes for June privilege tiers. Please take note of the discount especially for Tier 5, it has 99% discount which means all privilege chapters that you''ll unlock moving forward will just be 1 coin each so it''s a major discount. I''m putting it on here to be clear since new app update is not showing the discount percentages per tiers. Hope it helps. Thank you so much for all your support again. ABC Tiers (June) Tier 1: 2 Chapters, 1 Coin (Auto) Tier 2: 5 Chapters, 399 Coins (Scarecrow) 10% discount Tier 3: 12 Chapters, 859 Coins (Casper) 30% discount Tier 4: 15 Chapters, 1099 Coins (Grim Reaper) 50% discount Tier 5: 20 Chapters, 1499 Coins (Secret Witch) 99% discount Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 125 - The Fashion District (Part 3) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Before we entered the boutique, I made sure to plead with Kaiden first. "Please don''t make me try on twelve clothes, too," I said in the most poor and unfortunate face I could do. "Please have mercy." Kaiden chuckled. "Don''t worry, I won''t let you wear that much. Five will do." "Really?" My face lit up. "Thank you so much for your mercy, O'' kind and benevolent one!" Once inside, we were ushered to another VIP area with it''s own dressing room. This time, it was my turn to sit and wait until my slaughterI mean, my mini fashion show. As I waited for Kaiden, I prayed he didn''t pick too sexy dresses or anything that would be dangerous to wear or I might be uncomfortable with. Especially not dresses where my chest would be a little too exposed. It''s not that I didn''t have any chestin fact, I do, and I''m a C cup but still Haaaah Relax, Senara. Kaiden wouldn''t be that bad to make me wear such kind of clothes, right? A few minutes more and Kaiden was back. A saleslady brought the clothes he picked and hung them inside the dressing room. I glanced at them and they all looked decent and long. But still I could never be too sure. This was Kaiden''s revenge on me so there''s no way it would be that simple. And so, I went inside the dressing room with much reluctance. There were ladies who assisted me in wearing the dresses since some of them were a bit too complex to wear for me. The first dress was a beautiful and long serpentina gown in fiery red color. Aside from it being fitted and showing all the curves in the body, it was pretty decentno, actually it''s gorgeous. I didn''t know Kaiden had talent for picking women''s clothes. Click! Click! Click! Yup, like me, he took my pictures as soon as I came out of the dressing room. He was smiling so cheekily as well, much to my annoyance. Tsk! Vengeful Kaiden. The next dress was another beautiful dress. It was tea-length this time and the design was so soft and fluffy and cute. Something that would only look good with girls as angelic-looking as Hora. I loved the dress but personally, I wasn''t sure if it looked good on me. Click! Click! Click! Third dress was shorter than the previousit extended up to my knees which was fine. It was deep blue in color and had this elegance and royalty feeling into it. I bet this would look great with sapphire accessories. Also, the chest area was a bit lower than previous ones but tolerable. Click! Click! Click! ''Just two more dresses. So far he had picked really good ones. Maybe he''s just punishing me by changing clothes over and over like what I did to him. Maybe there''s no problem with the clothes he picked.'' And I spoke too soon. The next dress was shorter than the previous again, now extending two inches above my knee, the neckline was a deep V shape, and most of all, it was backless! OMG OMG OMG I''d probably die of embarrassment by the time I''m finished. Click! Click! Click! "Kaiden you meanie!" I shouted at him and pouted the moment I got out of the fourth dress. "B-b-backless? Why youuuu" "Why? It looks good on you," he replied, still with that smug smirk of his. Ugh. Just one more and I''m done with this. You just wait and see I''m gonna finish this. And last but not the least was the fifth dress and it was the worst of them all. "T-t-this is too revealing" I trembled at the sight of it. But before I could speak, the ladies helped me change into it. It was a smooth and silky one piece satin dress in nude pink color that only covered half of my thighs. Actually, nonot even half of my thigh but only a third! It was too short! And the chest area, though it had a lacey edge, it was heart-shaped and the strap was too thin! Good thing it was paired with a thin flowery robe at least. "K-Kaiden I-I don''t think I can get out in this," my lips trembled as I tried to talk to Kaiden through the door. I heard his footsteps getting closer. "Hm? What''s wrong?" "Y-you tell me what''s wrong! You''re the one who chose this last dress!" I shouted at him in my embarrassment. Seriously, it''s too much. I probably used up all my confidence from this lifetime and my next hundred reincarnationsif I happen to have them. "Hm? But I only chose four" he muttered and then came inside. Click! Click! Click! "Seriously, Kaiden? As soon as you come in, you''re taking pictures again?" I pouted. My face felt hot again. I''m probably blushing so hard right now. Then, Kaiden accidentally dropped his phone, much to my surprise. It survived though, without a scratch. I picked it up for him and when I stood up to give it to him, he just froze up from his position. "Hey, what''s wrong with you? Why are you like that?" He literally froze up, with his eyes and mouth wide open as he looked at me. Then, his face became red. He sighed deeply and covered his face, groaning as he pressed on his temples. "What thewas it that bad? Too ugly that you''re having a headache?" "A-ah No, it''s just Haaaahh," he sighed again. "Dangerous" I felt sad. I knew I wasn''t as beautiful and sexy as Crystal, and that not all dresses would look good on me, but seeing Kaiden''s disgusted reaction, it hurts. "Dangerous? It''s that ugly? Ugh! Meanie! Bad Kaiden! You''re the one who picked this then you''re like that. Get out! I''m changing clothes." In my anger, I pushed him outside of the dressing room. "Tsk! Bad, bad Kaiden. Hmf!" But then, I heard the ladies assisting me giggling for some reason. "Ahm, young miss," one of them spoke up. "Don''t be angry. It''s not that he thinks it''s ugly on you." "Huh? If it''s not that then what?" They giggled again. "You see his term was ''dangerous'', not ugly." "... I don''t get it." "Is he your first boyfriend?" "A-aahh Y-yes." "You see, for men, what you''re wearing right now is very dangerous." Seeing my still confused face, she continued, "What you''re wearing is what we call a nightgown. It''s usually used by wives to seduce their husbands into" "Hey! Don''t say that. She''s still too young, right?" the other one reprimanded her. "N-nightgown? This is not a dress?" I looked in the mirror again. And it was only then that I realized that I was really wearing a nightgown or a lingerie for short an undergarment something I should NOT in a million years, had shown to Kaiden. Oh my goodness. I''m doomed. Chapter 126 - The Fashion District (Part 4) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Staring blankly in the reflection of myself in the mirror, my mind was lost in the stupidity I had done. I was so hung up on the idea that Kaiden chose "dresses'''' and it never even crossed my mind that he would pick a nightgown. Yup. To the point that I mistook the camisole dress as an actual dress and not a part of the nightgown. I should have noticed it when I wore the floral robe but no, I didn''t. And I even ended up showing it to him! Ughhhhhh Why am I so stupid? ''But then again why would Kaiden even want me to wear a nightgown? Was he at that stage already? Come to think of it, he''s still sixteen and it is totally normal for young men to be a little aggressive and lustful at this stage, right? Wait a minute, that sounded like Kaiden wanted to with me? No way! H-he doesn''t like me that much to want to do that, right? And we''re just pretending to be lovers. If he liked me already, he would just straight away ask me to be his girlfriend, not a pretend one. Yeah. There''s just no way. And his reaction, he was disgusted by it not seduced or anything. Maybe he just picked the wrong clothes? Or he didn''t know as well. He''s too innocent to think that way. He''s a virgin, too, so he really won''t think that way. Yeah, that''s probably it.'' As I was lost in my own thoughts, the ladies helped me change back to my casual clothes. Once I was done, one of them suddenly gasped in shock, much to our surprise. "What''s wrong?" I asked the lady that seemed to pale up. "Young miss, I''m so sorry!" she exclaimed, almost into tears. "I just remembered, t-that night gown is ahm, the young sir didn''t pick that." "Huh? He didn''t? Then why is it" "I-It was a part of the new collection that I was gonna make the mannequin wear. I was about to put it on the rack when the young sir and young miss showed up. Then he started picking clothes and I followed right away. I forgot to put it back on the rack and mixed it with the clothes he was choosing. I''m really, really sorry!" "Oh, I see. So Kaiden didn''t really" I muttered to myself. I knew it. He wasn''t that naughty to actually make me wear something like that. "It''s alright. No need to stress yourself about it," I forgave her. At least now it was clear to me Kaiden didn''t plan it. After that, I went out of the dressing room and saw Kaiden staring at his phone with his ears and neck all pink and blushing. OMG! Don''t tell me he was looking at my pictures?! I quickly ran to him and snatched his phone. "What are you looking at that you''re all red over there?" I sneered at him. It seemed that this young man was learning how to be naughty. Kaiden was surprised by my rudenessit was really rude to just snatch the phone from him but it''s more rude to stare at my picture wearing a nightgown. I scowled at him and squinted my eyes, then checked on his phone. "Hm? Y-you''re not" I was taken aback. He wasn''t staring at my pictures. He was looking at restaurants nearby! Oh my goodness. Senara you''re jumping into conclusions AGAIN! "I''m so sorry!" I apologized asap and returned his phone to him. "I I thought you were Anyway, delete those pictures of me wearing t-that n-nightgown!" Haaah My embarrassment was as high as the tallest skyscraper. " I-ah, I deleted it." "Really?" I asked, surprised that he deleted it even before I told him to. Right. Kaiden was a gentleman. There''s just no way he would keep a girl''s picture wearing a nightgown in his phone, right? Kaiden averted his eyes from mehe had been avoiding looking at me ever since I got out of the dressing room. Was he still shy about seeing me like that? Was it that ugly that he couldn''t bear to look at me anymore? "Y-yeah Ahm, should we go somewhere to eat after? It''s almost dinner." Feeling dejected, I agreed, "Yeah. Let''s do that." Kaiden paid for the dresses again and the ladies continued giggling for some reason. Carrying the paper bags in his hands, we went back to the car. He dropped them all inside the backseat, and we went inside the car. Then, he drove us towards the restaurant he was searching for a moment ago. On our way, I just stared at the window, still dejected. If Kaiden thought I looked ugly in a nightgown, how in the world would I make him fall in love with me? I shouldn''t have been shy and instead used that opportunity to seduce him. Stupid me. But then again, he was disgusted by it. Maybe I just didn''t have any womanly appeal at all. Ugh. This sucks. What should I do? "What''s wrong, Senara? Are you still angry because of the nightgown? I really didn''t pick it. It was probably" "Yes, you didn''t," I interrupted him. "One of the ladies who assisted me confessed that she mixed it up with the dresses you picked. It''s fine." ''Haaah I should fix my tone. It''s so obvious that I''m sad about something. I should act more cheerful but I don''t feel like it. It''s hard pretending to be okay when you''re not. How do other people do it? They''re amazing.'' "Then why are you sulking? Did I do something wrong?" " No," it took me a few seconds to answer. It really wasn''t his fault if I''m just too ugly. "I just realized nothing." "Realized what? You can tell me. I won''t judge." "No. You''re too kind. You''ll just say a bunch of good things to cheer me up." "Did I do that when I first read your book?" " No. You gave me honest feedback," I mumbled. "Yeah. I''m blunt like that. So tell me what it is." "Well It''s just a girly thing. I just realized that I''m not that beautiful and not all dresses look good on me like Crystal, and that I have no sex appeal AT ALL," I confessed in one go. "And don''t try to say I''m not because it''s true." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Chapter 127 - Wrong Song Choice? [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ What the Seriously, he''s laughing at me? How nice. "See? You''re laughing," I snapped. "Even you think I really am not Haaaah." And there I was back to sulking. I slumped my back on the backrest of my seat and leaned over the window again. "You don''t understand what you''re saying," Kaiden replied, still laughing. "Why not?" I asked, irritated. "And stop laughing, it''s not funny." "It IS funny though. A beautiful girl saying she''s ugly. Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Badump! OMG. Did I hear him right? K-Kaiden just said that I''m I''m beautiful? "W-what?" I blurted in surprise. I felt my cheeks go hot. "You''re lying." "I''m not though. You know, I have the perfect song for you," he said through his laugh. Then, he picked a song from his playlist, and turned the music on in the car. ''Hm? This intro and beat I know this song. This is'' Kaiden started singing along with the music. OMG, I wanted to squeal. He was singing for me! And I love his voice. He could try auditioning for singing contests and he would definitely win! "Oh, her eyes, her eyes Make the stars look like they''re not shinin'' Her hair, her hair Falls perfectly without her tryin'' She''s so beautiful and I tell her everyday Yeah, I know, I know When I compliment her, she won''t believe me And it''s so, it''s so Sad to think that she don''t see what I see But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?" I say" Kaiden glanced at me as he sang, and smiled at me. ''Why is he so good at cheering me up? Come on! Just look at that smile!'' "When I see your face There''s not a thing that I would change ''Cause you''re amazing Just the way you are And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while ''Cause girl, you''re amazing Just the way you are Yeah" And there I was, smiling again. All my sulkiness was gone like the wind. "See? The lyrics are perfect for you," he quickly commented before the next verse came up. "Her lips, her lips I could kiss them all day if she''d let me" Kaiden stopped singing. He probably thought the same thing I just thought. I knew he didn''t mean it but still I wanted to tease him about it. "Sooo" I said in a sing-song tone, "You want to kiss me?" I laughed. "All day?" "T-that''s" Kaiden acted all shy and bit his lips. His ears turned red again. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! What? You just said the lyrics are perfect for me," I continued to tease him. "The whole world stops when I smile? What are you? In love with me? Ha-ha-ha! I think you chose the wrong song. Not all lyrics applies" But then Kaiden''s face turned so red. Oh no, did I tease too much? "I''m just kidding. I know you didn''t mean it that way. Why are you blushing?" "N-nothing And yeah, I was careless, I chose the wrong song. But you get what I mean." "Yup. I totally understand," I chuckled. "Thank you." Kaiden sighed. He was probably brooding over his mistake. It was fine though. It''s not like he accidentally revealed his real intentions towards me and I happened to hear it. He would never think of wanting to kiss me and that''s 100% obvious so there was nothing to brood over for. After a few more minutes, we arrived at the restaurant which was a five star, fine dining restaurant. I wondered if they had a dress code because I wasn''t wearing a formal dress. I asked Kaiden about it and he said it was fine so we just waltz inside like that. A waiter guided us to our reserved seat which was on the balcony of the second floor. I marvelled upon seeing the balcony. It had the most amazing view of the sunset and the ocean from afar. Below was the flower garden of the restaurant with a beautiful dancing fountain at its center. The fairy lights were lit up, illuminating the whole garden, making it look like a magical place. And the gentle breeze was so calming. "Wooow, it''s beautiful here, Kaiden!" I exclaimed as I continued to marvel at my surroundings. Noticing the empty tables besides ours, I asked, "We''re the only ones here?" "Yes. I wanted some privacy so I reserved the other tables, too," he answered as he sat down nonchalantly on the soft chair as if what he said was totally normal. Yeah. I almost forgot how crazy rich his family was. This was probably all normal for him. I should get used to it since I''d still be living at their home for the next three or four years or so. I wondered if we had enough money to pay for the rent. I sat down on the chair in front of him and noticed he looked so handsome reading the menu. Grabbing my phone, I took a picture of him once again. Click! Kaiden caught me and raised one of his eyebrows at me. "For reference again?" "Yes. He-he. Sorry." "Why don''t we do it this way," he said while taking out his phone from inside his coat pocket, "everytime you take a picture of me, I''m gonna take yours, too." Click! "Huh? B-but I''m not as good looking as you. Besides, I''m only taking pictures for reference." Kaiden smirked. "Then I''ll use it as reference, too." "Reference for what? You''re not writing a book, are you?" "Nope. Not a book but I am developing games. And games need characters." "What? Don''t tell me you''re going to make me into a game character?" "Why not? You''d make a perfect one, though." "Like what?" "Hmm a pumpkin?" "WHAT?! Not a pumpkin! At least make me a person, a human, with a body!" I pouted. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Then I''ll make you hmmm" "Now what? Don''t tell me it''s a bunny who''s an emergency food source for a monster or something like that." "Ah! I just thought of the perfect character for you." "What is it?" "It''s a secret. You''ll know once I''m done making. I''ll send it to you in Armageddon." "Noooooo unfair! Tell me what it is. You''re making me curious again." "It''s a surprise. You''ll love it." "I seriously doubt that." We bickered a bit more until food arrived. We ate our fill and it was delicious then, headed back home. I continued pestering Kaiden but he didn''t give in. Tsk! Stingy brat. And so, Saturday ended with us having tired bodies. As soon as I got into my room, I went to the bathroom to shower, then changed my clothes, and fell on the bed. The moment I felt the softness of the bed, my thoughts drifted away. ______________________________ Hi Pumpkins! I just wanted to let you all know that I made changes for June privilege tiers. Please take note of the discount especially for Tier 5, it has 99% discount which means all privilege chapters that you''ll unlock moving forward will just be 1 coin each so it''s a major discount. I''m putting it on here to be clear since new app update is not showing the discount percentages per tiers. Hope it helps. Thank you so much for all your support again. ABC Tiers (June) Tier 1: 2 Chapters, 1 Coin (Auto) Tier 2: 5 Chapters, 399 Coins (Scarecrow) 10% discount Tier 3: 12 Chapters, 859 Coins (Casper) 30% discount Tier 4: 15 Chapters, 1099 Coins (Grim Reaper) 50% discount Tier 5: 20 Chapters, 1499 Coins (Secret Witch) 99% discount Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 128 - Crystal Is Back! [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Sena, wake up!" Someone tugged my body awake. Grunting, I peeked to see who it was and Hora''s face appeared before my eyestoo close in fact. "Hora?" I asked as I got up and rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?" "It''s time for you to rise and shine because we''re going to surprise Crystal at the airport." My body immediately sprung up from bed. "Right! Crystal will be back today!" I exclaimed in joy. Then, I hurriedly bounced towards the bathroom to bathe and prepare myself. "Her return flight is in the morning, right?" "Yes, and that''s in two hours so hurry up!" Hora yelled back at me from outside the bathroom. "Seriously, where did you run off to yesterday that you both returned late? Did the Meet & Greet take that long? Ooooor you went on a date with Kaiden after?" Ack! Bullseye. Hora would make a great physic or mind reader, or whatever they''re called. I fell silent and just brushed my teeth so she wouldn''t pester me for answers. It''s not like I''m purposely hiding it from her, it''s just that I preferred telling the story once. Since Crystal would be back later, I''d just tell them in one go. Half an hour later, I finished bathing and went into the walk-in closet, checking what to wear. More than half of the clothes there were either things Crystal brought for me, or my mom sent me. I loved them all but style-wise, I still preferred mom''s. Meanwhile, at the far-end corner were the extra extravagant clothes Kaiden boughtincluding the nightgown. I felt my cheeks blush the moment I remembered yesterday''s embarrassing events. "Where should we go with Crystal after fetching her?" I asked Hora as I browsed through my clothes. "She just returned after that June Bride event thingy. Won''t she need to rest first, before going anywhere?" "Of course, I thought of that," Hora smugly replied. "That''s why I booked all the nearest relaxing places we could go. Today will be Crystal''s Pampering day!" "Woah! You''d make a great manager, Hora!" Hora flipped her hair. "Of course. So you better wear something comfortable." "Yes, ma''am!" Following Hora''s advice, I picked a comfy dress and shoes in a shade of blue and white. After that, we went to the dining room to eat breakfast. Once there, Kaiden was all dressed up, too, which made me wonder What about Callan? If we''re taking Crystal for pampering, would we be taking Callan, too? Or since Kaiden seemed to be going with us, would they be having their own get-together or something? With my questions unanswered since they remained in my mind, we finished breakfast and went on our way towards the airport. This time, the Ma''s family driver drove for us. It took us almost an hour to reach the airport but we arrived on time. Getting out of the car, Kaiden wore black glasses, and stretched his turtleneck shirt up to his chin. I sighed, noticing how he still hated crowded places. The Ma family''s bodyguards secretly surrounded us from all corners, and two of them stayed near Kaiden. That was another normal scenario whenever Kaiden would go out in public places. I noticed it before class started. If it was Kaiden alone, there was no need for too much security but since we''re welcoming Crystal backwho''s basically a celebrity, we needed all the protection we could give Kaiden. Especially since he hated being touched. And so, we waited for Crystal to get off the plane. We sat on the free bench in front of the station she would get out of. Few minutes passed, and finally, Crystal walked out, together with Callan. They were happily chatting with each other, not knowing we were there. "Crystal!" I shouted as soon as I saw her. Crystal looked around and when she saw it was us, her eyes widened and her lips grinned from ear to ear. "Senara! Hora! And my stupid brother?" she exclaimed. "You''re all here!" In my joy, I ran towards Crystal and hugged her. "I missed you! How have you been? Was it good there?" "It is! It''s an amazing place. We should all go there sometime." Hora jumped in and hugged both me and Crystal from behind. "Crystal, I missed you! Welcome back!" "Hora! I missed you, too! Wait, did you grow taller?" "No, she didn''t. Don''t give her false hope. That''s her final height," I teased. "Hey! I can still grow taller!" "Do girls stop growing at sixteen?" Crystal asked, curious. "Yes" "No" Hora and I chorused, obviously not agreeing with our answers. Hora''s eyes squinted at me, telling me of her plan for revenge once we''re back home or when she finds the opportunity to do so. "Anyway," Hora shrugged me off and grabbed one of Crystal''s arms, "we have a great plan for you today." "Right! I bet you''re gonna love it." "Oh, what is it? You''re both making me so curious." "It''s a secret. You''ll know when we get there." "Better make sure it''s not something exhausting," Callan butted in from behind. "She needs to rest. The flight was taxing since we just went from West to East in one day." "Of course, Mr. Loverboy. We already thought of that, so rest assured," Hora calmed him down. "L-l-loverboy?" Crystal blushed hard. "W-why are you calling him that? He''s just Callan." Hora and I grinned at each other. "If you say so," I said in a sing-song tone. "Don''t worry, you can tell us ALL about it later. For now, let''s go." "R-right. Ahm, how about them? Callan and my stupid brother? Are they going with us?" ''Finally, someone asked!'' "Would you like to go with us, too, Kaiden? Callan?" I asked the two boys. Kaiden shook his head, "Sorry but no. I only came here to get Callan. I need him for something urgent." "Wut?!" Callan grimaced. "I just returned, boss! I need to rest, too." "No. You''re coming with me." "Nooooooo." Poor Callan. It seemed that there''s no rest for him. Oh well, at least we three could spend our time together for some girl bonding. And with that, we went our separate ways. Chapter 129 - Crystals Pampering Day [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ First up on Manager Hora''s list of "Things to Do for Crystal''s Pampering Day" was the Spa. Of course, nothing could go wrong with a relaxing day at the Spa. Hora set us all up for a full treatfull body massage, body scrubbing, aroma therapy, manicure and pedicure, nail art, relaxing in an indoor hot tub, with delicious food, and everything else one would need to relax. "Aaahhhh" we all moaned as we soaked our bodies into the warm water filled with flower petals and relaxing scents. We all soaked with our towels on since we were too shy to be seen naked even if we''re all girls and friends. Crystal wasn''t shy but since Hora and I were doing it, she did the same. "This is so relaxing," Crystal whispered in a voice full of pleasure from all the relaxation she was feeling. "Thank you so much Hora and Senara. I needed this." "The massage was great, too," I added. "And the nail art was so cute I took lots of pictures." "Right? What design did you make them do?" "I went for an ocean-themed one. It''s so lovely, I couldn''t help it," Hora giggled. She stretched out her hand and showed her nails to us. "That''s so cute. How about you, Crystal? What design did you pick?" "I had a purple one made for me, with flowers, of course. I just love purple. And you?" I stretched out my hands and showed it to both of them. "Oh, wow! That''s a really pretty one!" "Yeah, like a pastel colored rainbow rose," Hora tried to name it but wasn''t quite sure what to call it. "I think I saw that somewhere before" "Yes, in my bedroom. It was Kaiden''s gift." Crystal''s eyes lit up. "My stupid brother gave you a gift?" "Ahhh yes. You see" And so, I told Crystal about my agreement with Kaiden, then all the things that happened while she was gone. It was such a long story and good thing we were inside a private area or their screams would have disturbed everyone around us. Out of all the things I said, Crystal was overjoyed about the story of my and Kaiden''s first touch. She even started sniffing, and crying. "Hey, don''t cry," I tried to calm her down. "Sorry, it''s just that sniff I''m so happy for my brother. Even if he''s like that, I love him so much," Crystal explained through her tears. "Maybe he hasn''t told you but I''m sure it''s gonna be near and he''ll tell you all about it. But it''s justit''s so important that he can touch someone else aside from family, and Callan, and Verrill. It means he''s recovering and he''s becoming stronger, and overcoming. Waaahu-hu-hu" Hora and I panicked, trying to calm her down. "Heeeeyy, we''re supposed to be having fun here, don''t cry." "I''m sorry. I''m just so happy. It''s tears of joy," Crystal wiped her tears away. "But really, thank you so very, very much, Senara. You don''t know how thankful I am. And I''m sure when mother hears this, she''ll be overjoyed, too. And especially my father. He loves Kaiden so much." "You all do. And it''s nothing, really. I barely did anything. And my intentions weren''t 100% pure," I confessed in a mumble. "Pft! What? Your intentions weren''t so pure?" "It''s partly because I wanted us to be closer and," I hesitated. Should I even be telling this to his twin sister? "I''m not sure if I told you already but to be honest, I" "You like my brother?" Crystal blurted out in laughter. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! I''m all for it. If I can have you as my sister-in-law, I''d love it!" "So that''s why you agreed to that contract with Kaiden," Hora concluded. "You wanted to seduce him slowly, didn''t you?" "Woah! How did you know?" "Ugh. Of course. I know you like the back of my hand. Even if you don''t speak, I know how lustful you are towards" "Hey, I''m not like that!" "Yes, you are! You blush on every single thing he does for you and" I tried to cover Hora''s mouth while Crystal laughed at us. "And did you know, last night, they arrived late because they went on a date" "Really? You went on a date with my brother?" "Why me again?" I complained. "I just told my side of the story. It''s your turn next, Crystal!" I hurriedly passed the baton to her. "What''s with you and Callan?" Crystal, who was laughing hysterically at me, suddenly stopped. "I I think we stayed too long in the tub. We should get out." Then, she sneakily got up to abandon us. But oh no, she wouldn''t be able to get away that easily. Hora and I grabbed her and pulled her back to the waters. "Kyaaaaaaa! Senara, no! Hora, stop!" "You''re surrounded." "Now, confess. Tell us EVERYTHING that happened between you two." "Besides, I already know that Callan is in love with you so there''s no need to hide," I waggled my eyebrows on Crystal, much to her shock. "Y-you know? Did Callan tell you anything?" "So it is true!" Hora blurted out. "Wait a sec, are you two just guessing and bluffing?" "No, I really know about it. Callan didn''t tell me but I noticed during the barbecue party." "What?" Crystal was dumbfounded. "Since that day?" "Uh-huh," Hora and I chorused. After that, Crystal gave in and told us what happened. Her face was beet red the whole time, and her voice kept on trembling. My goodness, that Callan I never knew he could be such a sweet guy. He''s like a jackfruittough on the outside, but soft on the inside. Right. I''m gonna start calling him that. We laughed and screamed, and squealed, and giggled to ourselves all afternoon until we finished the whole pampering package. By the time we''re done, it was already afternoon so we just went back home. Hora decided the next things she reserved could still be used next time. It was better that Crystal got some sleep so we all went back home not long after. Once at home, Hora and I just changed our clothes then we came to Crystal''s room and slept beside her while hugging each other. "So this is what having sisters feels like," Crystal mumbled in her sleep. "Thank you, Senara and Hora." "Thank you, too, Crystal." "Goodnight." "Nightieee." "Sleep well." Chapter 130 - A Certain Black-haired Girl [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ It''s Monday againthe first Monday of July. Today was the 5th and looking back, I couldn''t believe how fast June passed by. Lots of things happened, both good and badbut most of them were fun things. While I wasn''t sure why I''m going down the memory lane on a Monday morning, I prayed to God for July to be good and merciful to all of us. After my short morning prayer, I got up and prepared for school. It was the usual weekday routineme getting up, taking a bath, changing my clothes, preparing my things, going to the dinning area to eat with everyone, then Kaiden drove us to school. Only took me a month but I''m already used to all of those. Few moments later, we''re at the school and I was bidding my goodbyes to Kaiden, Crystal, Hora, Callan and the sly fox Verrill whom I still hadn''t interrogatedI mean, peacefully questioned. We met them at the parking lot. Callan ran towards Crystal like a dog the moment he saw her. As I walked towards my usual seat inside the classroom, a certain black-haired girl with dark eyes and white complexion caught my attention. She was pretty but had a bored expression on her face. Her long and silky hair was neatly placed at the back of her shoulders and she sat straight and proper on her seat. What''s alarming though was not her looks but rather the fact that she was sitting beside me. Ever since the mess on day one, I had the privilege to own five seats in total because no one would dare sit beside memeaning, two seats on both my sides were always empty. But this time, this black-haired girl was sitting there. She was probably new since it was the first time I''m seeing her. It was just July so new students could still come in and catch up with the lessons. And so, I sat down beside her, on my usual spot. Seeing that the professor hadn''t arrived, I turned to her to see if maybe we could talk and be friends. Hopefully, at least. "Uhm, hello," I shyly greeted her in a whisper. "I''m SenaraSenara Lee. It''s my first time seeing you here." The pretty girl turned her head towards me, still so proper. If someone told me she''s a robot rather than a human, I might believe them. "Hi Senara. Nice to meet you," she answered me back with a slight smile and her voice was pretty, too, and clear. Yeah, like those you hear from telemarketers over the phone. "I''m Marie Suvanto. You can call me Marie. And yes, I''m new here." "I see. Hope you enjoy school." Oh no. What did I just say? That''s the lousiest thing to say to someone you just met. Senara, you really suck at making friends. Ugh. At times like these, I hope I had Crystal''s conversation skills, or Hora''s. Any of them would be much better than me. Because of that stupidity of mine, an awkward silence surrounded us. I guessed she wasn''t much of a talker either. Thankfully, the professor arrived and the lesson started. I busied myself with taking down notes and actively participating. Even if my classmates weren''t very fond of me, I still wanted to get good grades. After the first class, we were given a few minutes break before the next professor came. In that time period, my other classmates were also intrigued by the new girl so they approached her and tried to talk with her. I, who was sitting beside her, had to adjust my seat to give space to them. I''d rather do that than be caught up in another drama that they might be pulling. Like me on my first day, the girls bombarded her with lots of questions. I''m beginning to think that it was some sort of initiation here. But unlike me, Marie was so cool and brave that she managed to shut them up with just a single sentence from her. Turning her head towards them, she sighed and said, "I''m not interested in talking." Everyone gasped in shock the moment they heard that. Then, their dramatic acting followed. They all ranted and complained how rude she was when they were all being nice, trying to befriend her. If I knew better, I''d say they only wanted to recruit her to their "I hate Senara Club" or something like that. Well, it''s good that Marie didn''t entertain them at all. That should give her a more peaceful college life I think. But wow. How I wish I could be cool like her and speak bluntly like that. I still needed more courage in order to do that. A couple of hours passed by afterwards and finally, it was lunch time. As we packed our things, I felt bad leaving Marie alone so I thought of inviting her for lunch. I wondered if I would be brushed off like the others. "Uhm, Marie. If you don''t mind, we can grab lunch together." She thought for a moment before answering me. " If it''s free, I will." ''Huh? What did she just say?'' I blinked a couple of times from what she said. Not only that, she said it with a serious face. It was like a robot asking to be treated for food. Somehow, I found it funny. She really was blunt and honest. I liked honest people. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Sure. It''s my treat. You can order anything you want." Surprised by my sudden laughter, she tilted her head, confused by my actions. But either way, she agreed and we both walked together towards the cafeteria. ______________________________ Hello Pumpkins! Hope you''re all doing well. Some of you might be surprised if I''m using your Webnovel usernames as names of the side characters or supporting characters in this novel. Since all of you have been supportive of me, reading my book, voting, and commenting, I thought of using them as a way to thank you for your support. So far, I started with those in the Top Fans section like Rae (the screenwriter) and Verdandi or Ynna (the photographer) and now, Marie (the new classmate). The roles are random and I have no idea of your real-life personalities so do forgive me. But if you have any request, let me know in the comments and I''ll see if I can put them in the story. I''ll continue with those in the Top Fans list and also, pick those who votes Powerstones and comments all the time. If you have other fun ideas you want, let me know in the comments, too. Hope you enjoy it. XD Have a great day everyone! Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 131 - A Rowdy Introduction [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "This is the cafeteria?" Marie asked, with her mouth slightly open. "This is a fancy restaurant." "Yeah. I always wondered why they call it cafeteria when it''s obviously a restaurant." "It''s expensive here. We can go somewhere else." "It''s alright. They have great food. I''m sure you''ll love it." "You must be rich." "Ahm just average." "If you''re average then I''m a pleb." "What? No. It''s just My other friends eat here, too. So we kinda meet here everyday during lunch. We didn''t think of going to other cafeterias since it''s the closest one for everyone." "Your friends must be a bunch of rich people, too. I can''t eat here everyday," she sighed. "But thanks for the treat. I will forever remember it." ''Oh no. Am I upsetting her? I can''t tell from her expression. But I didn''t mean toit''s not what I wanted to say at all. That''s not how I wanted it to come out. Ugh. I didn''t think this thoroughly enough. I need to get some friendship building lessons with Crystal. I desperately need one.'' "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to It wasn''t my intention to brag or anything. I just really wanted to invite you over. I didn''t think you''dI''m really sorry," I sighed and apologized as we walked inside, towards our usual spot. "It''s alright. You''re not bragging. You''re just telling me the truth. There''s nothing for you to be sorry about. I''m the shameless one for asking for free lunch. And I''m asking because I forgot my wallet and I was told to suddenly enroll here." "Huh? Why? What happened?" "Sorry. I''m not allowed to tell." "Oh, it''s okay. I thought you were studying here because you wanted the course. It seems that you were forced to take it instead. I''m sorry to hear that." "It''s alright. It''s part of the" "Sena! Here!" Hora called us from afar. Everyone was already at our usual spot. It seemed that all that talking made us walk slower. We walked faster towards them and I introduced everyone to Marie. "Marie? What are you doing here?" Crystal blurted out, with a confused look on her face as she pointed towards Marie. "You know each other?" I asked, also confused. How in the world would they know each other? "Yeah, she''s" "Hello, Marie! Nice to see you," Callan interrupted. Then, he sat beside Crystal and hugged her from the side, making her blush and unable to say anything anymore. "Nice to see you, too, Mr. Callan, Miss Crystal," she bowed to them. ''Sir? Miss? Why is she calling them that? This is so weird.'' "Nice to see you, too, Mr. Verrill, Mr. Kaiden." ''She knows them, too? How? Why?'' "Ah, Mr. Kaiden, I left my wallet due to rushing here. I need my adva" "Nice to see you," Kaiden interrupted. Then, he turned to Callan and asked in a smile, "Callan, the thing I ordered wasn''t properly set up. I need you to work on it ASAP." Callan''s face paled up. The thing Kaiden ordered? Was that why he took Callan away yesterday? And why was Marie telling Kaiden she left her wallet? She needed her advawhat? "Y-yes boss. It was urgent so I wasn''t able to" "I don''t care about the reasons. Deal with it ASAP." Somehow, behind Kaiden''s smile towards Callan, I felt a chilly and scary atmosphere. Uh-oh. Poor Callan. He would need to deal with that order or else he''d be toast. "Anyway, Marie, you can sit beside us," I told her and pointed to the seat beside mine. "Callan, go to the other side. Stop clinging to Crystal. You can do that later." "Hello Marie, I''m Horajust Hora, no need to add Miss," Hora introduced herself and extended her hand. "Please take care of Sena for me. I would if she was my classmate but unfortunately, I''m not." "That''s the plan. Nice meeting you, Hora." And so, after the rowdy and confusing introductions, we ordered food and ate lunch. To my surprise, Marie was a foodie. It didn''t show on her thin appearance at all. But it was cute seeing her eat so happily. Her eyes sparkled everytime she ate a new dish. Somehow I wanted to invite her for lunch everyday and keep on feeding her. Would that be rude? She could consider it a bribe or a thanks for her talking to me and being how she was. While we ate, I noticed Hora whispering something to Crystal. It was so soft I didn''t manage to understand anything she said. Stingy Hora. Because of that, I decided to ask her instead. "Hey, Hora. What is it? Tell me, too." "Ke-ke-ke Sorry, Sena but it''s a secret," she mischievously said, snickering at me. Now, where in the world did she learn to be mischievous like that? I didn''t teach her to be like that. "You''re keeping secrets to me now? I thought we''re not allowed to keep secrets?" I complained. "Don''t worry, Senara. You''ll know sooner or later," Crystal said, trying to pacify me. Pouting, I continued eating my food. I tried to think what it could be but I had no idea. These kids, trying to keep secrets from the old me. Hmf! Yeah, I''d figure it out sooner or later. Click! As I was lost in my own thoughts, someone took a picture of me. Looking up, I saw it was Kaiden. "So you''re the new Crystal now? Taking pictures as you please?" I squinted my eyes towards Kaiden. "Ha-ha! Sorry, you just looked cute. I''m gonna use it as a reference." Wanting revenge, I took my phone and took a picture of him laughing. "Revenge," I said, smiling cheekily at him. Did his vengeful soul rub off on me? We were about to start bickering when Hora and Crystal giggled beside me that I lost the urge. It was then that Marie began to speak again. "You seem close to Mr. Kaiden. Are you his girlfriend?" And I froze up. Callan and Verrill were both surprised with the question. Of course, they wouldn''t know. Only Hora and Crystal were grinning since I already told them. And Kaiden was smirking. Of course, he''d enjoy seeing me struggle to answer her with all these people present. "Iah" my cheeks felt hot. What was I supposed to say? And how should I say it? I hope she wouldn''t suddenly lash out on me like my other classmates. Was she a fan of Kaiden, too? Maybe I should have asked that first. Ugh Chapter 132 - Only I Didnt Know [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I struggled to find the right words and had to search the seven seas in my mind just to gather the courage that I needed to answer that simple question. Mom, Dad, what should I say? Should I be honest and say it''s a contract? Of course not, she''s not Hora and Crystal. ''OH MY GOODNESS! I just realized I confessed the contract to Crystal. And Kaiden said I shouldn''t tell her. Oh nooooooo I''m doomed. I just broke an agreement from the contract. I''m sure Crystal would keep a secret, right? But still Ugh. I''m such a clutz. I need to explain this later to Kaiden.'' Anyway, since the future of my book is on the line, I need to keep with the charade. I could just explain to Callan and Verrill later. Was I allowed to tell them though? Oh well. I should ask more questions to Kaiden to clarify the boundaries of each section in the contract. This was the exact reason why I should review contracts first before signing and ask proper questions. "Iah" I scratched my cheek lightly, trying to hide my embarrassment. Lowering my eyes, and answering in a soft whisper, I told her, "Y-Yes, I am." "Oh, so it''s you," Marie smiled, and she was so cute. "You make a lovely couple." "WUT?!" Callan shouted in his shock. "Y-you two are together now? For real?" Verrill, on the other hand, was calm about it. Did he know? Well, at least, Marie was okay with it. Maybe she wasn''t a member of Kaiden''s fans club. Phew. That made me sigh in relief. I was looking forward to having a friendeven just oneamongst my classmates. It''s kinda lonely being avoided by others. "Yes," Kaiden answered Callan. "It happened when you were away. And stop asking questions." Callan''s eyes went towards me and Kaiden alternately. He looked like he had lots of questions but since he was reprimanded, he was holding off from asking. Soon after that, lunch finished and we all went back for our next classes. Kaiden accompanied me again, and even gave me a hug before parting ways with me, much to my surprise. He''s being careless. What if I accidentally touch his skin? Yes, we already touched but that''s just his finger on my palm. ''Ohh Now that I think about it, it''s July nowa new month. That means, we need to try touching again, right? Hmm I wonder how we should do it this time.'' Hours passed and before I knew it, classes ended. It was time to go home again. I managed to get Marie''s number before saying goodbye to her. Then, I passed by the comfort room before going to the parking lot. Once I''m near the parking lot, I noticed Kaiden and Marie were talking to each other outside the car. Hmm they seemed rather close? And I must admit, Marie was very pretty. They looked good together. Sting. A sudden throbbing pained my heart. ''Haaah What the heck, Sena? Are you jealous of Marie?'' Sighing to myself, I remembered how everyone knew who she was and she even mentioned to Kaiden that she left her wallet. Was she gonna borrow money? If yes, then they must be so close, right? I could have lent her if she asked me. But she asked Kaiden instead It meant they were in a closer relationship than we were, right? I mean, why would you ask for money from a guy? Also, Kaiden was talking to her just finea girl! I thought he never had female friends! ''Haaah What''s going on? I don''t understand. And somehow I''m a little jelly that Kaiden is close to another woman. Waaaaaaaaaa What''s wrong with me? Marie was really nice, too. Although I did admit I''m Kaiden''s girlfriend. But it''s all fake! What if she''s the one he really liked and he just didn''t notice it yet since he had never been in a relationship? Am I being a nuisance here and preventing their love from growing? Maybe I can ask Crystal about her later. This sucks who do I turn to for love advice? This love thing is soooo hard!'' Anyway I still need to confess my wrongdoings to Kaiden later. If he''s merciful, we could continue our charade. But if not, I might be kicked out of the program and maybe Marie would replace me. She''d probably do a better job especially since she''s so cool and brave and blunt. She''d go perfectly with Kaiden. "Sena? What are you doing there?" Hora caught me hiding behind a plant. "Oh, ahm. I''m waiting since I didn''t want to bother them," I answered, glancing over at Kaiden''s direction. It only took Hora a few seconds to guess I''m pity-partying by myself. "Pft! Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I was taken aback. I''m here sulking and she''s laughing at me. Horaaaaa, when did you learn to be mean? "Hey! Why are you laughing at me?" "Sena, ha-ha-ha! You''re overthinking," she said as she laughed at my misery. "If you only know ha-ha-ha! You won''t look like that." "Yeah," I crossed my arms, "why don''t you tell me then." "You''ll know when it''s time." Wow. How VERY helpful. We both knew how I hated the waiting game. ______________________________ Hi Pumpkins! I just wanted to let you all know that I made changes for June privilege tiers. Please take note of the discount especially for Tier 5, it has 99% discount which means all privilege chapters that you''ll unlock moving forward will just be 1 coin each so it''s a major discount. I''m putting it on here to be clear since the new app update is not showing the discount percentages per tiers. Hope it helps. Thank you so much for all your support again. ABC Tiers (June) Tier 1: 2 Chapters, 1 Coin (Auto) Tier 2: 5 Chapters, 399 Coins (Scarecrow) 10% discount Tier 3: 12 Chapters, 859 Coins (Casper) 30% discount Tier 4: 15 Chapters, 1099 Coins (Grim Reaper) 50% discount Tier 5: 20 Chapters, 1499 Coins (Secret Witch) 99% discount Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 133 - The Secret Mission [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Kaiden''s POV - that moment Senara saw him talking to Marie at the school''s parking lot] "You called for me, Mr. Kaiden?" Marie asked as soon as she arrived. "Yeah," I sighed. "It seems you weren''t properly briefed." "I apologize about that. But yes, I wasn''t given much instruction." "What do you know so far?" "I was informed by my father that Mr. Callan needed me for a mission and that you were the client. It involves closely protecting a girlwhich is your girlfriend. Father said Mr. Callan will send out her details but I have yet to receive it. Then, I was given papers for transfer and was immediately sent out here. I was planning on asking the rest of the details to Mr. Callan later but since you already called for me, do let me know the conditions, boundaries and the specifications of the mission I am tasked with." "Ugh," I groaned. Seriously, that stupid Callan. "That is very vague. I''ll send the details to you now." Quickly tapping on my phone, I emailed her the soft copy of the contract, details about Senara, and other important things. "There. That''s a highly confidential document so be careful with it. It should have all the things you asked for. Make sure to review it properly later and if you have questions, let me know." "Understood." "Basically, yes, you need to protect Senara Leeyou already met her. She''s currently being targeted by bullies all around school and we can''t pinpoint yet who''s the mastermind. So I want you to keep close attention to her and her surroundings and send me a daily report of what''s going on. Your first priority is to protect her. I added a report of the recent bullying incident that happened in my email. Review that part as well. Then, investigate it after." "Understood." "Any questions so far?" "No. All clear. I will review the documents later." "Good. That''s all, you may" "Ah. There is one thing." "Hm?" "I left my wallet. Please allow me to get an advanced payment or lend me some money and deduct it from my salary later." "Oh. So that''s what you were trying to say earlier." Taking out my wallet, I took out some cash since it''s probably what she''ll need going home. "Is this enough?" "That''s too much. I won''t need 5,000 yuan (around $780) to pay for a fare to go home." "Hmmm is that so? I don''t have a smaller bill than 1000 yuan (around $156)." Marie sighed and murmured, "Tsk. Rich people." She really had an attitude. That''s nice, she should be able to protect Senara better with her guts. "I''ll take 1000 yuan then," she decided and laid out her palm to me. I gave her the money and she quickly turned her back. "One more thing. Don''t let Senara know about this. Just be a normal friend for her." Looking back at me, she nodded once and took off. Sigh I covered up all the important details, right? Did I miss out on anything? Hmm After that, I checked on my watch. It had been almost half an hour since class ended and they still hadn''t come. Getting my phone again, I called Senara. Ring. Ring. Ring. "H-hello? Kaiden?" she answered quickly. Hearing her voice made me smile in an instant. It''s been a long time since we last talked over the phone. "Yes. I was just wondering if something happened. You haven''t arrived yet." "Oh, I''m sorry. I met with Hora and Crystal along the way so we ended up talking and walking slower. Sorry for making you wait." "I see. That''s fine. I was just worried if something bad came up. I''m fine with waiting. Take your time. I''ll just be inside the car." "We''re near! Actually, I can see you now." Turning around, there she was, with Hora and Crystal. They were standing near the pillar. Senara smiled and waved her hand. Ahhh so cute. I smiled back at her but I noticed Crystal smirking so I lost the urge to smile. I just waved my hand back. Soon after that, I drove everyone home. Once home, I went straight to my room and soaked my body in the tub. I wanted to relax and think. So far, I had already started investigating that shower room incident at the school. I should be able to get the footage by this week and have it reviewed by professionals. I also placed Marie near Senara to protect her. Hmm What else was I lacking? Once I gather enough evidence, I could report it directly to the Dean for immediate actions. ''I don''t want Senara hurt again in any way at all. Once I know whoever did that to her, I swear to pay them a hundredfold for the pain they caused her. Like what mother told usalways pay our debts with interest, especially those who aggravated us.'' Ugh. I''m getting pissed off just remembering it. After bathing, I got up from the tub, put on a bathrobe, and went straight to the walk-in closet to change. By the time I finished changing, I heard a knock on my door. If they were servants, they would have come in already and done their usual task which was cleaning the room or sending food. It wouldn''t be Crystal, too, since she would just normally barge in without knocking. ''Did Callan come over? Or Verrill?'' Wondering who it was, I walked towards the door and opened it. Much to my surprise, it was none of the people I thought about. "Senara?" I asked, surprised by her sudden appearance. She was alone and not even accompanied by maids. Good thing she didn''t get lost. Or "Are you lost again?" "Huh? What? N-No, I''m not. I met a few maids along the way so I''m not lost, thank you. Hmf!" Oops. I upset her. "Sorry, I was justI didn''t think you''d come," I replied, trying to hide my chuckle. "What can I help you with?" "Well, ahm Kaiden, we need to talk," she said with all seriousness on her cute face. "Sure. Come in." And so, I let her in my bedroom to talk. Chapter 134 - The Punishment [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still on Kaiden''s POV - when Senara visited him in his bedroom] We walked across the room and towards the couch to sit down. "Would you like some snacks? Or drinks?" I asked as she sat down in front of me. "No. I''m good. Thanks," she replied. She seemed nervous. I wonder why? "Hm Is there a problem?" Senara glanced at me for a moment and sighed. Then she started fidgeting her fingers as if she did something wrong and was having trouble telling me. "Ahm Actually, I came here to confess something," she said with an embarrassed look and a slightly blushing face. My heart thumped loud when she said that. For some reason, I got nervous and somewhat expectant. Confess? Confess what? Did she finally fall for me, too? No. That''s impossible. Not this fast. It hadn''t been long since we started the deal. I doubt she''d fall for me that fast. I shouldn''t get my hopes up. Besides, I''m still enjoying our charade. "What is it?" She tensed up more, fidgeting her fingers faster, and avoiding my gaze. Now, I''m really curious. "T-the truth is Iah," she struggled to find the right words. She could just be honest with me. I doubt she''d do anything I''d hate anyway. "I''m really sorry!" she blurted out and bowed her head. "About the contract you said I''m not allowed to tell it to Crystal and any family member or relatives but I ended up telling it to her. I''m really, really sorry! My my big mouth slipped. We were happily chatting with each other when she came back and before I realized it, I already told her." A moment of silence passed by. That''s it? That''s what she was so nervous about? Pft! I wanted to laugh so bad but she''d be upset. Ha-ha! What should I do? Hmm "I''m really sorry," she apologized again, almost with teary eyes. "I already talked to Crystal and she said she''ll keep it a secret. So there''s no need for you to worry." "Hmm" "Are you angry? Are you going to cancel the contract and look for somebody else?" ''What is she saying? Why would I do that?'' Senara''s face looked so sullen and sad as if just a few more of my silence would make her cry. Seeing her like that I felt sorry for her. But aside from being sorry, I also enjoyed the sight. She looked so cute pleading like that. Somehow, I wanted to tease her a bit more. "Should I cancel the contract and go with somebody else?" I asked her in a serious manner. "Or should I just punish you accordingly? What do you think? Which would you prefer?" "A-ahm don''t cancel it please! And don''t look for somebody else." Badump! My face felt hot. I had to admit, hearing her say that was more than satisfactory. "So punishment it is." "Y-yes," she averted her eyes again. Then, looking back at me as if she remembered something important, she said, "B-but please be gentle." "A-ah" My eyes widened and I was taken aback. ''What the this girl I almost lost it. Saying something like that, doesn''t she know how dangerous that sounded? Good thing I have my condition or else I would have attacked her by now. What kind of punishment is she thinking?'' Feeling more mischievous than I was earlier, I decided to press on and tease her some more. "Come here," I told her, still keeping up with my serious face. Senara flinched. But she followed what I said and walked towards me. "Yes?" Once in front of me, I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards me in an embrace. Then, I laid our bodies down on the sofa. I made sure to wrap her tightly in my arms with her face buried unto my chest. I didn''t know what got into me but somehow I just felt a really strong urge to hug her. "W-w-why are you hugging me?" Senara asked with a flustered face. She lifted up her head and faced me, staring into my eyes with both anger and embarrassment. My lips curved into a smirk. "I slipped." "Huh? No, you didn''t! You purposely pulled me andwait a minute, is this my punishment? O-or is this revenge because I said my big mouth slipped?" "Hmm I wonder. Or maybe, I just wanted to hug you?" Her face turned redder. I noticed she could easily get embarrassed. "T-that''s not true! You''re taking revenge on me because you''re a vengeful Kaiden!" "Maybe, maybe not." "Please let me go," she mumbled. "I''ll die at this rate." "Eeh? But I wanted to stay like this for a while." "H-huh? B-b-but but" [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] "Come to think of it, it''s July. Should we try touching again?" "July just started. We still have lots of time and I still haven''t thought of anything yet. Unless you wanted to do the same thingthe finger to palm thingy." "No, I have another idea," I smirked. "What idea?" "Something closer Your hands, I want to hold them." "Are you sure? But that''s" "Yes, I''m sure." Then, I offered one of my hands to her. In truth, I was really nervous. Thinking that I''d need to touch someone again, my heart started to beat louder. But it''s with Senara. Right. I trust her. So this much should be fine. Right. I could do this. Senara lifted her other hand and placed it near mine. "I think it will be better if you initiated it like last time." "Yeah." Gathering all my courage, I slowly moved my hand closer to Senara''smy palm, towards hers. I started to breathe heavily again. Come to think of it, Senara was right. I didn''t need to rush it. Why was I so impatient? But then I I really wanted to be able to touch her sooner. I wanted to do more than just a hug. I wanted to be closer. And I wanted her to fall for me, too. Who would even fall for a guy who couldn''t even touch? Badump! Badump! Badump! Touch "Ah I did it," I blurted out in my joy. "I did it! I" "Yes!" Senara''s face lit up and her smile was so beautiful. "You did it, Kaiden! Well done!" Finally, I was able to hold her hands. I couldn''t explain how overjoyed I was. In my happiness, I pulled her closer and embraced her, while I held on tightly to her hand. ''So warm I like it.'' Chapter 135 - The Second Touch [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - after she finally held hands with Kaiden <3 Kyaaaa! XD] Badump! Badump! Badump! Wrapped tight in Kaiden''s embrace, my heart went wild inside me. He could probably feel my heartbeat by noweither that, or he could hear it since it was so loud, especially in this bedroom which was dead quiet. Feeling his warmth like this being this close I like it. My mind, body, heart and soul all agree. There was no denying it. I really like Kaiden. Not just for the sweet things he had been doingwell, it might be part of it but there''s more. I''m not sure how to explain it or how it came to be, but he had become someone so special to me. Seeing him try his best to touch me, I felt happy and nervous at the same time. Happy because it was all I could wish for aside from being closer to him and getting to know him more. Nervous because what if I make a mistake? What if I trigger something bad or what we were doing was forcing him too much? What if instead of it helping, I''m making it worse? I just want to help him with his condition. And I just want him to be happy. As happy as he could ever be. "Are you really okay?" I asked him, worried if he was just trying to be tough. "You don''t feel weird or anything? You''re not disgusted?" "Uhm," Kaiden shook his head and smiled, his eyes locked onto mine. "I''m perfectly fine. In fact, I like it. Holding your hands it''s warm and comforting." "Really?" I couldn''t believe what he said. Holding my hands was comforting for him? Like for real real? "You''re not saying that just to be kind, are you?" "I''m serious." Then he smiled again. Such a warm smile I guess he was telling the truth, right? If that''s the case, then I''m happy. Kaiden stared at our hands. I didn''t notice how long it had been since I never cared about the time when I was with him. Later on, he moved his fingers and surveyed my hand with his. He traced every corner, which tickled me again, and wrapped his fingers unto mine, holding my hand tightly. Badump! Badump! Badump! As he did that, my heart continued to beat loudly in my chest, sending a ringing in my ears. Anticipating his every move, and carving every bit of it into my memory, everything just felt so blissful. ''Haaahh I think I''m going crazy. If holding his hands is already making me this crazy, what more of the other things? Will I even survive being his girlfriend? Especially when we become a real couple? Well, if we will ever be a real couple. I sure hope we do. And I sure hope I survive it.'' "Kaiden," I whispered his name with a warm smile on my face, "me, too. I feel comfortable and happy holding your hand like this." He looked surprised with what I said. And I''m not sure if it was just me or his face seemed to be blushing? Did I say something embarrassing? Kaiden didn''t reply to me but instead, he hugged me again, still holding my hand. Bummer. I couldn''t see his face anymore, my face was buried on his chest once again. But it was fine, I liked hugging him, too. Just a few more of this and I might get addicted to hugging him. Tick tock tick tock Another silence covered the surroundings. Only the ticking of the clock was audible. Because of that, I didn''t notice that I dozed off again. Truly, Kaiden''s embrace was dangerous. It''s the first step for me to doze off, for real! By the time I regained my consciousness, the beautiful dusk a moment ago, became the velvet dark night. Only the luminous lights from the garden served as light in the rather dark bedroom. I turned to my side and Kaiden was there, sleeping beside me. He was still hugging me and holding my hand. Wow! We fell asleep like that? Another thing I noticed that shocked my entire being was ''W-We''re sleeping on his bed! Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!! W-w-when did we transfer from the sofa to his bed? And w-w-what happened?'' My body trembled in nervousness and I quickly checked my body if I was still dressed and if something felt wrong or anything. But then again, I realized, we barely managed to hold hands, there''s no way Kaiden would do "that" to me. I mean, he wouldn''t be able to. Thinking that, I sighed in relief and laid back down beside him. I stared at his sleeping face some more since it was cute. He looked so angelic when sleeping but so mischievous and naughty when awake. ''Oh, I should preserve this! Now, where''s my phone?'' I searched my pocket and there it was, lucky! After making sure the shutter sound was off, I took a picture of his sleeping face. He-he-he-he I should make this my wallpaper at night. Then, his smiling face at day. He wouldn''t be able to check my phone anyway so it''s fine. Happy with my new collection of Kaiden''s sleeping face, I scooched into his arms again, wanting to feel his hug a bit more but then I fell asleep. Yup. I just woke up but I fell asleep again. Haaah I''m hopeless. ______________________________ [PS. This part is a mini Kaiden POV - after Senara fell asleep again] "Ugh" I groaned as I suddenly woke up. "What time is it?" Surveying my surroundings, I tried to look for my phone to check the time. It was too dark for me to see the time on the wall clock. ''Where''s my phone?'' I surveyed the bed with my hand. Since Senara was still peacefully sleeping beside me, I made sure to be careful with my movements so as not to wake her. Then, my hand stumbled on some metalthere it was, my phone. I pressed the button on the side and the screen lit up. "8:15 p.m." was what the time said. But what caught my attention more was not the time. Instead, it was my picture? I was sleeping and that clothes it''s the one I was wearing right now. I realized right away that it wasn''t my phone. "Pft!" I tried to stop my laughter. Did she wake up earlier and take a picture of me while sleeping and made it into her wallpaper? Ha-ha-ha! That''s so adorable. My smile didn''t leave my face until I found my real phone which was on the other side of the bed. Feeling mischievous again, a sudden idea came to mind. ''Ah, I should do the same, right?'' And so, I took her picture as well secretly, and made it into my phone''s wallpaper. Seeing her cute sleeping face on my phone, I couldn''t help but smile and be happy. ''It''s already a habit of mine to check my phone often but it seems that I''ll end up checking it more often from now on.'' Chapter 136 - Midnight Bonding (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - when she fell asleep again on Kaiden''s arms <3 ] "Haaaaaaah" I yawned as soon as I got up from bed. The lights were turned on but it was still night time. And I was still in Kaiden''s bedroom though he was nowhere to be found. Maybe he went out? Turning my head towards the wall, I saw that the time was midnight. Oh my goodness! I slept that long? And in Kaiden''s room! Wow, Sena. You''re the epitome of shamelessness! How dare you sleep in a man''s bedroom? And to Kaiden''s room of all people? Not because he allowed you to sleep here before when you got scared thinking he was a ghost, meant that you could sleep here anytime! Ugh. Realizing the stupidity I did again, I groaned and hit my face with my palm in dismay. Yes, dismay of myself. Since when did I become so shameless? It seemed that I was being too complacent and too familiar with Kaiden. What if he''s already offended by my too much closeness and he''s just too kind to tell me? I should have been more considerate! Then, I heard the sound of the door opening. It was the door towards the bathroom and Kaiden got out from it, wiping his face with a white towel. Noticing I was awake, he smiled and walked towards me. "You''re finally awake, sleeping beauty," he jested. "Ack! I''m so sorry. I fell asleep in your room again," I shyly apologized. "Also W-why did you transfer me to bed? I could have slept on the sofa just fine. There was no need to ahm," I asked in a murmur. "It''s more comfortable sleeping on the bed. And besides, you were sleeping so soundly I didn''t want to wake you up," he replied. "Don''t worry, it''s fine. You can sleep here anytime you want." "W-what?! I can''t possiblyI mean, we''re still young. Waaa! What am I saying? I mean, i-it''s bad to do that, right? We shouldn''t be sleeping together ugh," I struggled finding the right words. Right. We shouldn''t be sleeping together at all! What in the world went within my mind that I actually felt okay and even enjoyed sleeping here?! Waaaaaaa I''m so hopeless! "Oh? Is that so? Hm It can''t be helped though. You already slept here twice. It won''t make a difference if you do it one more time or many more times. Besides, it''s not like we''re doing anything naughty. No one will believe it even if we lie about it," he said all that with a serious face. He was right though. So I guess it''s really fine? Wait a minute. Why did it sound like he liked me sleeping in his bedroom? Hmmm Nope. I''m just being delusional and misinterpreting his kindness again. There''s no way. He probably meant it like when Callan and the sly fox Verrill sleeps over. Nothing special. Yup. "On the bright side, mother and father will believe our relationship more since it will sound more convincing," he added. "Oh, you''re right!" I agreed with him. So that''s what he meantfor our "deal" to be more realistic. ''Is it normal for girlfriends to sleep over in their boyfriend''s room? Isn''t that t-too much? And we''re still sixteen! Shouldn''t we wait until we get married to do that? Though we''re not doing anything naughty. But would we even get married? Wait, that''s beside the point. Uggghhh this love and relationship thingy is too complex for me. I don''t know what should and should not be done. Oh well. He makes a fair point though. So I guess it''s fine? Also, me and Hora living here is already weird enough. Can girlfriends really live at the home of their boyfriends? Hmmm'' "Anyway, are you hungry? We skipped dinner since we fell asleep." Grumble Grumble "Ahh he-he-he. Now that you mention it, I am hungry," I shyly admitted. "Everyone''s probably asleep now but it''s fine. I''ll just cook for us. What do you want?" My eyes lit up. "Really? You''re going to cook? Can I watch?" "Yeah, sure." "YAAAAY!!!" I jumped from bed in my joy. "Oh! One moment. Can I borrow your bathroom first? I''ll just wash my face and brush my teeth." "Go ahead. There should be spares in the cabinet." "Thank you!" And so, I did as I said all in a flash. I wanted to watch Kaiden cook so bad. Making sure I had my phone with me, you know, for picture purposes, I followed him towards the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Kaiden grabbed some ingredients from the fridge and began cooking. He took an apron from one of the cabinets and put it on. Then, he washed the ingredients and chopped them all nicely. All his movements were so fluid and flawless. Like a veteran chef of some sort! Kaiden was really amazing. Of course, the me who had been watching since the beginning, didn''t forget to take lots of pictures along the way. He only chuckled seeing me do so. He was probably used to me by now. That was good. I didn''t need to keep explaining myself, much to my delight. He-he-he. Kaiden was really kind. Under normal circumstances, he hated getting his picture taken but he''s been so kind to me. I''m not selling them anyway. They were all for my eyes only. Yup. All mine. After just half an hour of cooking, Kaiden was done. He also plated everything beautifully and even managed to make dessert! Wow! That was fast. It was a complete meal, too. With soup, salad, main course which was grilled salmon for me, and grilled steak for him. For dessert, he made coffee jelly with vanilla ice cream. "Wooooooow," I marvelled at the perfection he made. The food looked so delicious, making my mouth water. I took lots of pictures of the food, too, along with him who cooked it. I didn''t make the food wait for too long and I immediately ate it. We didn''t bother going to the dining area and just ate at the kitchen counter table. "This is really yummy. How can you be so perfect, Kaiden?" I giggled as I happily tasted his cooking. "Ahhh please marry me." Ooops. My big mouth slipped. Chapter 137 - Midnight Bonding (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I hardly managed to gulp down the food I just ate. Of all the times I could slip my tongue it just had to be when we''re alone together. Cold sweat started to trickle down my forehead. Oh my goodness. Please, Kaiden. Pay it no mind. I didn''t mean to say it like that. Well, I''d love it if we marry someday but I didn''t want you to find out about it so soon. My heart wasn''t ready yet. Please don''t take it seriously. I blinked a couple of times waiting for his reply. Kaiden''s face was in total shock from what I just said. Maybe I should try explaining instead? "Ahm, Iah I mean" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! So you''d marry anyone who''s good at cooking?" Kaiden laughed hard. "You better not or you might end up marrying all the chefs that you''ll meet." "R-right. I''m just joking though. He-he-he," I laughed awkwardly and resumed eating. Haaah stupid me. A moment of silence passed by as we ate. "Since we already slept, what do you want to do next?" Kaiden asked, breaking the awkward silence between us. "Hm? Oh yeah. We won''t be able to sleep anytime soon," I nodded. "I don''t have anything in mind. How about you?" "No homework? Or projects you need to do?" "Nope. For the first time, my professors are merciful. And you?" "Just one but I''m done. I did it at school earlier when we had free time." "Wow. I should do that next time, too." We tried thinking what to do for a moment. "Hmm how about playing a game?" Kaiden suggested. "Ooohh, Armageddon? I haven''t played that in a while." "No, not that. Another game." "What game? Not ''Monopoly'' again? I''ll never win in that." "Hmm I have jenga, or cards, or other board gameschess, snakes and ladders, scrabbles, there''s lots in my room. If you really like video games, I have a couple you might like. Pick whichever you want." It was then that a brilliant idea came to mind. Since Kaiden was so favoured by the Almighty, any games that required skills would be in his advantage. There was no way I could win in thosevideo games, chess, uno or any card games, monopoly or any board games. Jenga I''m too clumsy to win in that. Hmm I needed something that would rely heavily on luck. Rock, paper, scissors? But that would be too boring. We''re no longer children. Now what could that game be? ''Oh! That one! He mentioned he has it. Then, I can execute my brilliant plan. He-he-he'' And so, after a moment of silence, I turned to Kaiden. "How about we play ''Snakes and Ladders'' but with a twist?" I asked him, grinning. His eyes widened in surprise. "What twist?" "Since it''s easy to play, we can finish one round in just a few minutes," I explained, "so I''m thinking what if we add ''Truth or Dare'' with it? The loser will have to pick between truth or dare. If the loser picks the truth, then he or she needs to answer a question truthfully; and if he or she chooses to dare, he or she will need to do the dare." Waggling my eyebrows, I smiled at him. "What do you think?" "Oh, that''s interesting," he smiled with a smile that seemed to contain lots of mischievousness. "It is! I didn''t want to just do a simple ''Truth or Dare'' and just a simple board game, so why not combine them, right? He-he-he Be ready to answer lots of questions or do super daring dares," I deliberately taunted him. Kaiden smirked. "Really? Why don''t you tell that to yourself first. I''m sure I''ll win more rounds than you." "Don''t be too sure. I''m pretty lucky with dice you know." "You''re on." We taunted each other a few more times before we went back to Kaiden''s room to play. He took the board game from a shelf in his gaming room and laid it down on the coffee table. We sat on the sofa as we picked our pieces that we''d use as our avatars for the game. I picked the blue piece and he picked the black one. I noticed he was pretty fond of black. That''s probably his favourite colour. And so, the game started. For the first round, I started to lead the game but when I was about to win, I just had to land on a snake! Waaaaaa! Because of that, I fell four rows below and Kaiden won. What the heck! Why couldn''t I even win the first game? "Well, looks like I won," Kaiden smugly taunted me. "I''ll win in the next round FOR SURE! Hmf!" I pouted. "Ha-ha-ha! Goodluck on that. But first, truth or dare?" ''Kyaaaaaaaa! Why do I get to be the first one punished? Almighty! Please favour me in the next round! You love me, too, right? Don''t make Kaiden win all rounds, please!'' Nervous of his question, I decided to do a "dare" first. I wasn''t so sure what kind of questions he''d ask and I couldn''t afford him asking if I liked him or anything along those lines. "Hmm" Kaiden pondered what to order me. Then, his eyes lit up, as if he thought of the most wonderful idea. I got goosebumps seeing him like that. How I hoped it was something doable on my end. "Ah, I know," he said with a smirk on his face. He would always do that when he planned on something mischievous. Then, he ordered me... "Show me your phone." My whole world just stopped. My heartbeat hammered in my chest and cold sweat started to form on my forehead. ''Oh my goodness Of all the things he would ask it just had to be showing him my phone Yup. My darn phone that had his picture as my wallpaper. KYAAAAAAAAAA!!! I''m so doomed! What will I do? Oh nooooooooooo I''m internally crying right now and screaming and being crazy.'' Chapter 138 - Midnight Bonding (Part 3) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Of all the times that I would change my phone''s wallpaper and of all the times that Kaiden would ask me to show my phone to him it just had to be right now. What an amazing coincidence. What terrible luck for me. How in the world should I surpass this ordeal? What excuse should I give? Was there even any reasonable excuse at all? Waaaaaaaaa "What''s wrong?" Kaiden asked, with that mischievous smile of his. "It shouldn''t be that hard, right? I''m only asking you to show me your phone. I''m a very merciful person so I decided to ask for something light and easy to do." ''NO! It is NOT easy to do. Wahu-hu-hu-hu what should I do? I''m internally dying here you know. You didn''t have to be lenient on me. You could have asked me to dance or sing or do something crazy. I''d prefer that than this. Woe is meeee'' "I-ah" I bit my lips thinking what to explain to him. Breathing deeply, I gathered my courage again and began explaining, "First, I want you to know that whatever you''ll see, I ahm it''s for research! Character study! It''s not weird at all!" "Yeeaaah," he said, obviously not believing me. "You make a bad liar, you know. Just show me your phone. I won''t judge. Whatever is in there that you don''t want me to see." Then he smiled againthe smile of a naughty devil. He just really had to say it that way. "Waaa Fine! Here!" With much reluctance, I handed him my phone. I struggled on letting it go but he took it so easily from my grasp. Haaah I''m so dead. I bit my lips and avoided his gaze. What would he think of me now? He''d probably think I''m like a stalker or a pervert! And so, Kaiden looked at my phone. Badump! Badump! Badump! "Wow. Nice wallpaper. Ha-ha-ha!," he chuckled. No, it wasn''t a chuckle, it was the laugh of a devil! Of a mean, mean devil! ''He really enjoys seeing me suffer, huh? Bad, meanie Kaiden! I''ll get my revenge on you later! Hmf!'' My eyes were on the verge of tears with all the embarrassment I was experiencing. "And I''m sleeping, too," he added. "So, you took this earlier, didn''t you?" "You don''t get to ask! You haven''t won again yet and I haven''t picked the truth. So I have no obligation to answer your question," I pouted. Yeah! That''s right! Kaiden laughed at me. "Alright. I just have to win the next round again." "I will never pick the truth, just so you know." "Aww, too bad. If you don''t pick truth the next time you lose, my dare would be something you won''t be able to do to the point you''ll beg me if you can change to truth instead," he said, smiling like the devil again. ''S-something I can''t do? He''s not gonna ask me to take my clothes off is he? W-w-what the Argh! This guy he''s too good at playing with my mind! I can''t lose! I definitely can''t!'' "Y-you won''t be able to do that if I just keep on winning, right?" "If you can." "Another round!" After a lot of teasing and taunting, the second round began. Rolling the dice on my hand had become a nerve-wracking task. And it didn''t help that Kaiden took the lead. Please let me win this round! I need to get my revenge! A few minutes passed and finally the game ended. And I lost again. ''WHHHYYYYYY?!!! Why am I so unlucky?! Why can''t I beat him? Just once is all I''m asking! Nooooooooooo'' My face wretched, almost crying, when I saw his black piece land on the finish line. "This is so unfair! Let me win the next round, please! Why do you have to be so good at everything? Sniff sniff" I complained with all my might. Kaiden shrugged. "Sorry, but I can''t control my luck." ''Tsk! So cocky! I''ll win the next round for sure!'' "So what will it be? Truth or Dare?" And there it was, his evil question. "Let me just remind you again what I said earlier. If you don''t pick the truth, I''ll make you do a really hard dare," he said, smiling so confidently. It took me a few minutes to deliberate on my decision. But there was no way I''m telling him why I used his picture as my wallpaper. Nuh-uh! "I pick dare!" I bravely told him. Whatever it was, he wouldn''t make me do something dangerous, right? Besides, this was all a game. He wouldn''t take it that seriously. "Are you sure?" "Yes!" "Hmm Should I be merciful or not?" "Hmf! Do whatever you want," I pouted. It was the first time I''ve been annoyed by Kaiden. "Awww Someone''s pouting because she couldn''t win." "I''ll win the next round for sure. Don''t be too confident. Hmf! Anyway, what''s your dare?" Kaiden smirked again. "Take off your clothes." My eyes widened the moment he said that and I jolted up from my seat. "W-w-what are you" I couldn''t find the right words to say. My hands covered my body and my face felt so hot. "T-that''s too much! H-how could you" Click! Click! Click! "Did you just take my picture?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Kaiden laughed so hard. "You should have seen your face." "Youuuu you deliberately did that to give me a heart attack!" "Ha-ha-ha! Sorry, you''re justHa-ha-ha!" "Stop laughing. What''s my dare for real? Y-You''re not really asking me to take off my clothes, are you?" "Well, I am but I''m not yet done with my instructions." I sighed in relief. Oh my goodness. I really thought for a moment there that Kaiden had gone crazy or had become a pervert. "What''s the rest of it then?" "Take off your clothes and wear the nightgown we bought the other day." Just when my opinion of him was starting to go back to normal he just had to ask me to wear "that" embarrassing nightgown! And that wasn''t all. He was smiling so mischievously, obviously enjoying torturing me! Kaiden from now on, you''re no longer an angel! You''re a Perverted Devil Prince from the Underworld! Chapter 139 - Midnight Bonding (Part 4) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Kai''s POV - after he asked Senara to take off her clothes and change into a nightgown] ''That look on her face fuming in anger and almost crying, with red and pouting cheeks. How could I stop teasing her if she''s this cute? This is fun.'' "What''s wrong?" I asked her, purposely in a teasing manner. "Can''t do it? Are you going to beg me to change to ''truth'' instead?" Ah. She snapped. If looks could kill, she would have killed me with that stare. "NO!" Senara replied firmly. "And I''m not wearing that nightgown again!" "Eeehhh But you lost. You should do the dare." ''Her angry stare turned into a pout. Now, she looks like a cute bunny on the verge of tears. Hmm I wonder if I''m teasing too much? Should I stop? But she''s too cute. Maybe I''ll tease her a bit more then stop.'' "I-I''m not changing to the truth. But if you really want me to change clothes, please not the nightgown! I''d rather change into your clothes than wear that again!" she pleaded. "Please? Pretty please?" Ahhh How could I say no to that adorableness? Smiling, I agreed with her request. "Alright. I''ll be merciful and let you change into that instead. My clothes are over there. Just pick whichever fits you." "Really?" her face lit up in an instant. "There''s no take backs, okay?" "Yes. I promise." And so, Senara dashed into my walk-in closet and started changing. As I waited for her to change, I prepared my phone so I could take a picture of her again. I wondered too, which one she''d pick. Would any of my clothes fit her though? I''m much taller than her since her head was up to chest only. And my shoulders were broader than hers, not to mention my arms would be longer. "Hmmm She''ll probably look like a child wearing her dad''s clothes," I murmured to myself, trying to imagine how she would look. A few minutes passed and I heard Senara calling my name from inside the dressing room. "Kaiden! Kaiden! Come here and look!" She sounded excited. Was it fun wearing a guy''s clothes? I went over to the dressing room and knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" "Yes! Come in and look!" I opened the doorshe didn''t even lock it. What if I suddenly barged in while she was changing. Haaah. Seriously, she''s so defenseless. Anyway, I went in and saw her facing the mirror. Then, she turned around and Badump! Badump! Badump! Dangerous. That was the first word that came to mind. I never knew girlfriends wearing their boyfriend''s clothes would look so dangerous. Senara picked one of my long sleeve polo shirtsa white one, and it just had to be a bit thin, too. I could somewhat see her body''s silhouette from it! Didn''t she notice that? I unconsciously averted my eyes from her. It''s too tempting. If I didn''t have my condition, I probably would have run to her by now and Haaah. "I tried on your pants but it''s too long for me. Your legs are too long, Kaiden!" Senara complained. "But I found this shirt and look! It''s almost like a dress for me!" She smiled so beautifully and chuckled as she explained. She''s definitely enjoying it. "If only one of your belts fitted me, I could add one and it will look like a real dress. Well, except for the sleeves. It''s too long!" She stretched out her arms, showing me how the sleeves surpassed her own arms. "Can you help me fold it?" I breathed in deeply before I went to her and helped fold the sleeves to her elbows. As I did that, I noticed how the neckline was big for her, too, and her collarbone was showing. Not only her collarbone it reached all the way down to her darn it. Tsk! Tsk! So defenseless! I made sure to button everything until there were no more buttons left. "Thank you for helping," she smiled at me. Now I''m not sure if she''s deliberately doing this to get back at me or she''s just too clueless. I''m still a man for goodness'' sake. Haah I should tell her to change back. Yeah. "Ehem. Since you already did your part of the dare, why don''t you change back to your clothes now?" "Huh? But it''s so cute! And comfortable! I want to wear it a bit more. Pleeeease," and there she begged so cutely again. Haaaah she''d be the end of my sanity. "I promise not to make it dirty!" I sighed again. Looking down, I could see her bare legs. ''It''s too short for her. If she''s thinking of it as a dress, shouldn''t it extend to her knees at least? But it''s shorter than that! It''s only covering half of her thighs! Four or five inches above the knee? It''s too short. And once she sits down later, it will be shorter. Is she even wearing something underneath aside from her underwear? Haaaah. I shouldn''t have agreed to her wearing my clothes. I didn''t know it would be like this.'' "What''s wrong?" Senara asked, looking all sad. "Does it look bad on me?" "What?! No! It''s not that it looks bad. It''shaaah. Well, it''s" ''How in the world should I explain to her that it''s making me crazy without it sounding like I had fallen madly and deeply for her?'' Yeah. Mother said not to let her know my feelings too early or she might get scared and run away. We should get closer first. "It looks good on you," I shyly admitted. "Too good, actually." Senara''s face flushed pink. "A-ah, I see. T-thank you." Then, she immediately ran away, out of the dressing room and sat back on the sofa. With trembling hands, she took a glass from the side and poured water onto it, and drank it. ''Did my comment scare her? Haaaah This romance stuff is so hard. I''d do better answering hard mathematical questions or coding an entirely new game than this.'' After that, I went out of the dressing room and closed the door. I went back to the sofa and sat in front of Senara. Like her, I ended up getting a glass of water for myself. "Ahm, Kaiden," she suddenly called my name. "Yes?'' "Are you alright?" she asked, worried. "Yes, why?" "Ahm Are you feeling okay?" ''No. I''m not. I''m on the verge of losing my sanity, if that''s what you mean. And I have to endure seeing you wearing my shirt so sexily until you get tired of it and change back to your normal clothes.'' "I''m good." "But your face It''s so red. Are you sure you''re not sick or anything?" "Yes, I''m good. It just felt hot. Anyway, let''s continue." Senara looked like she was doubting what I just said. Nonetheless, I prepared the board and began rolling the dice. If I win this round again, I''d make her change back to her clothes. I could only tolerate this for a few more minutes. As we played the game, I was so distracted. I tried rushing in to win the game but looking at Senara made my focus falter. And it was impossible not to look at her. She would sometimes exclaim when she takes the lead. Then, she would smile so cutely. ''Since when did playing board games become such a torture?'' After a few minutes more of playing, I eventually lost the match. Of all the times I would lose "YAAAAAYYY!! I WON!!! Finally!" Senara jumped in joy. She kicked and punched the air in her delight as well. She was really so happy she won. I liked seeing her smile. Maybe I should let her win more often? "It''s my time to shine. Wa-ha-ha-ha," she laughed evilly. Then, in a sing-song tone, she asked me the question she''d been wanting to ask, "So, Kaiden. Truth or Dare?" Her eyes sparkled with mischievousness. Hmm Now what should I pick? If I pick ''truth'', she wouldn''t ask me something so clich as to who I like, right? And if I pick ''dare'', she might make me do something stupid for revenge. Hmm "Truth." Yes. I''d rather risk the clich question in case she''s curious about it. Then maybe I can hint my feelings for her and gauge her reaction. Senara looked surprised at my choice. "So, what is your question?" ______________________________ Hello Pumpkins! I would like to apologize for the delay of today''s chapter and for publishing 1 chapter only (though I made it longer). This stupid author ended up binge-watching Jujutsu Kaisen and falling asleep after T_T. I swear I said I''m just gonna watch 1 episode but obviously that didn''t happen. Forgive me. T_T PS. I definitely didn''t watch it because I was attracted to the overly handsome Gojo Satoru. Yup. I did not get swayed by an anime character. On the side note, it''s a really good anime in case you''re interested. Hope you all had a wonderful day. Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 140 - Midnight Bonding (Part 5) [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh (It''s Okay Not To Be Okay OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - when Kaiden picked "truth" and asked her what her question would be] I looked forward to winning so much that I forgot to prepare what my question would be in case he picked "truth". I had lots of "dares" but not a single question! Well, not that there was nothing I wanted to ask himin fact, there was too much I didn''t know what to choose. Hmmm This was probably one of the hardest choices I''d make in my second life. "You don''t have a question in mind?" Kaiden pressed on. "I have a couple of suggestions if you want." "No, wait. I''m thinking. Hmm It''s just that, there''s a lot I want to ask and I can''t pick one." "Alright. Pick whichever you''re most curious about then." As I deliberated amongst the hundreds of questions in my mindfrom what his favourite colour was, to what type of girl he liked, a sudden memory came flashing back to me. And it was that time at the parking lot where I saw him talking casually with Marie. A sudden throbbing pain ached my heart again. ''Yes. Maybe I should do that, huh?'' My lips trembled a bit, and my heart continued to thump loud in my chest. I wasn''t sure what expression I was making but I toughened myself and asked him. "Do you have a girl that you like?" Badump! Badump! Badump! When I finally said it, my body started to be covered in cold sweat. I couldn''t remember when was the last time I felt so nervous and scared at the same time. What answer would he give me? Would I be able to accept whatever truth came from him? It would be nice if he said "No", that way I still had a chance to make him fall in love with me. But if he said "Yes" what should I do? And if he said "Yes", was it Marie? Kaiden took a moment to ponder about my question. He seemed to be thinking hard about it. The ticking clock sounded so loud from the silence between us. "W-was it too personal?" I asked him, losing all my courage from earlier. "Should I change the question to something lighter?" "No, it''s okay. You didn''t ask who I like but if I liked someone. That was fine." "Oh. Great." Ugh. That was the most awkward acknowledgement of all. I didn''t sound great at all. "Iah, I promise not to tell anyone, don''t worry." "It''s fine. It''s no secret anyway. It''s pretty obvious in fact. Only the person herself doesn''t know," he murmured. "S-So that means" "Yeah. I do have someone I like. And I like her a lot." A sweet smile covered Kaiden''s face He must have liked her so much, huh? Meanwhile my heart was crushed. I wanted to cry so bad. But I had to hold it in. I couldn''t just suddenly cry in front of him. He''d be shocked and pester me as to why I was crying. And I had no guts to tell him that it was because I liked him but he liked someone else. ''I knew it. I knew it from that moment I saw him talking casually with Marie. So that''s why he said he never had a female friendexcept me. It was because he never treated Marie as a friend. She was the girl he liked! Of course you wouldn''t say that you''re friends with the person you like. Ha-ha! I''m so stupid! I should have known. And that''s why everyone knows her, too. If that''s the case, then he should have asked her to be his fake girlfriend! But then again maybe he couldn''t because he wanted her to be his real girlfriend.'' "T-t-that''s great! I never thought you had someone you like," I tried my best to smile at him. I hope it was convincing enough. "She''s probably someone so beautiful, brave, and cool and" "Yeah. She is really beautiful, brave, and cool, and so much more." There it was again, his sweet smile. A smile that looked so warm and endearing. Then, I didn''t know what got into me "If that''s the case, then why didn''t you ask her to be your fake girlfriend? You could have spent more time with her and maybe developed your feelings with each other." I had to admit, my tone sounded a bit angry. I glanced at Kaiden''s direction and he looked shocked. Of course he would. I was suddenly lashing out at him, out of the blue! We were just playing games and then I''m too weak to control my emotions, and now, I''m angry. Yes. I felt angry for some reason. Angry because if he had someone he liked, why did he choose me to be his fake girlfriend instead? Because of that, I had the audacity to think that I had a chance with him! Angry because all this time, I had been chasing at nothing! And angry at myself because I lacked the capability to attract him. Because from the very beginning he already had someone else in his heart. ''Why can''t it be me?'' Now, I understood how wretched Crystal must have felt when she said those words after she found out that Verrill liked someone else. ''Truly Why can''t it be me instead?'' "Senara? Are you okay?" Kaiden asked with a worried expression. "I''m I''m trying to suppress my yawn," I lied. I lowered my eyes and my head so that my fringes covered my eyes at least. "I think I''m feeling sleepy. I''m sorry. Is it okay if I go back and sleep? We can ahm continue this another time." "Oh, I see. Sure. Let me accompany you to your room," he kindly offered. Then, he stood up, getting ready to go. "No. It''s fine. I can go by myself." "Pft. No. Knowing you, you''ll end up getting lost." "Then a maid or anyone" "It''s okay. Don''t worry, it''s not a bother. Let''s go." Running out of excuses, I just agreed and let him accompany me back to my room. I should still be able to hold out my tears for a few more minutes. As we walked back to my room, my heart continued to ache at every step. Chapter 141 - MADLY AND DEEPLY <3 [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ It had been a while since the last time I felt that I''m taking the longest walk of my life. My tears started dropping one after another so I kept my head bowed low and prevented myself from sniffing. Kaiden was right. I really was a crybaby. I should practice how to suppress my tears moving forward. If I ended up seeing her with another girl, I might end up crying again and I couldn''t possibly show him that. I should be stronger than this. After what seemed to be an hour or two of walking, we finally arrived at my room. Still with my head and eyes lowered, I bid my goodbye and good night quickly to him and rushed to bed. I slumped my body to the bed and my face to the pillow. And that was when I finally let myself cry. "Sniff sniff Stupid Kaiden." As I let myself cry, I didn''t notice the footsteps that got nearer to me. Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. "I knew it." It was Kaiden. He didn''t go back yet! And he looked angry for some reason. "You were crying. Why are you crying? And why are you not telling me?" he asked, frustrated. "Did I do something to upset you? Was it my answer? Was it because" F*ck. What should I say to him? I didn''t think he would argh! "I-it''s not that. I just I just suddenly remembered something sad" "Don''t lie to me. You suck at it." ''Oh no. He''s really angry.'' "I''m sorry. Sniff I didn''t mean to." Kaiden sighed deeply. His face looked so wretched as if I hurt him a thousand times. But then again, it was probably him worrying over a friend. At least, I''m still considered a friend so of course he would worry if he figured out his friend was suddenly crying and not telling him why. Then, he pulled me up from bed and hugged me. He was probably trying to comfort me, or make me stop crying. He''s really kind. "I''m really sorry," I whispered to him. "There''s nothing for you to be sorry about. I''m the one who should be. I''m not sure but it seems that I hurt you. I I didn''t mean to. If you could tell me why then maybe maybe I could explain and" "No! It''s not your fault!" ''Yes. It''s not his fault if I fell for him even though he already likes someone else. It''s unfair of me toI mean, he has no obligation to like me back. It''s just me.'' "I won''t believe that until you tell me why you''re crying," Kaiden smiled bitterly. He really wouldn''t let it slide until I told him, huh? In that case "Kaiden" I freed myself from his embrace and faced him, looking straight to his eyes. "Me being your fake girlfriend Am I not hindering your chances with the girl you like? Am I not being a bother? She might think that we''re really together and, you know, ahm your chances with her I mean" ''Ugh. Why is it so hard to explain?'' "What I mean is you should have let her be your fake girlfriend instead. Not me. I don''t want to ruin your chances with her. I don''t want to be in the way." Kaiden fell silent. And his expression turned miserable. But why? Why did he look as if I broke his heart? "You want me to be with somebody else?" he asked, almost inaudibly. "I-It''s notI didn''t mean it like that. Y-You said you had someone you like so I just thought it would be better if you''re with her rather than me." "You never thought that the girl I like is" ''Huh? Wait a minute What does that mean? Isn''t it Marie? But then those words it''s as if'' "Senara," Kaiden called my name. He looked at me as if he was looking straight to my soul. Because of that, I felt that my heart was about to explode. Badump! Badump! Badump! "Y-Yes?" Why was I suddenly nervous? "You said I should be with the girl I like." "Y-Yes. That''s right." "But I am already with her." My whole world just stopped. "W-what do you mean?" Kaiden averted his eyes, and his cheeks turned red. "If you don''t understand what that means then you''re stupid!" That look on his face was he sulking? My eyes widened in surprise. I I never thought Well, I really was stupid, huh? "S-so what you mean is" "Do I really have to say it clearly?" Kaiden asked, frustrated and his whole face was turning rednot only his cheeks. Was this how he behaves when shy? He looked so cute. Seeing him like that, the pain in my heart was gone. It was replaced with warmth instead. I was so stupid for jumping into conclusions. I should remind myself never to do it again since my conclusion seemed to be always wrong. Feeling relieved and mischievous, I pressed him on. I wanted to hear it. And to be 100% sure and clear about everything. I didn''t want to just assume. "Yes. Tell me clearly or I might misinterpret." Kaiden sighed deeply. "Alright. I''m just gonna say this once, you got that?" It was funny how he''s suddenly being grumpy at me. Chuckling, I agreed. "Okay. Just once." But then of course, I prepared my phone to record his voice, much to his surprise. But he gave in and just let me be. Kaiden''s whole face turned red, including his ears and neck. He went silent for a few seconds, probably gathering his courage before saying what he was about to say. After breathing deeply a couple of times, he looked straight to my eyes, and unto my soul once again. "Senara," he called me and smiled dearly, "I like you. Actually, nonot just like. I I''ve fallen madly and deeply in love with you." Chapter 142 - Can I Try Something? <3 [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ ''I''m speechless. Kaiden loves me. Yes. He said he loves me. Madly and deeply. And now, I''m the one who''s gone mad.'' Badump! Badump! Badump! After I heard such sweet words from Kaiden, I wanted to scream so bad. If it weren''t the dead of night, I probably would have done it. But since it''s night and everyone else was peacefully sleeping, let me just scream internally. ''KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! OMG OMG OMG!!! Kaiden loves me!!! He loves me, too! Waaaaaaaaaa I can die peacefully now! Oh wait, noI need to live long and be all lovey-dovey with him first. Yes. Let''s enjoy this mutual love for a very long time. My very first KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I''m so happy!'' I wasn''t so sure what kind of face I made that timeprobably grinning like an idiotbut I felt so happy. Not just happy, but overjoyed! Actually, even that wasn''t enough to describe what I''m feeling at all. I felt that any word would just not be enough to describe the joy I''m feeling right at that moment! The warmth the stirring the trembling and the feeling of something exploding and wanting to come out all of it went wild in my heart. My entire being felt hotbut I wasn''t sick. Or maybe I was? Love sick? Or maybe I''m drunk? Madly drunk in love? Ha-ha-ha! Yes. That was probably one of the best ways to describe it. "Kaiden," I whispered his name as if it was the dearest thing to me. Though shy, he looked back at me, smiling expectantly. I gently touched his hand, and held it tight. He didn''t flinch or avoid it. So I went closer and embraced him. Then, whispering to his ears, I told him my reply. "I I love you, too." Hearing me say that, Kaiden''s body flinched. Did he not expect me to love him back? Ha-ha-ha! It was so obvious for everyone else that I liked him a lot but he didn''t notice it? That was funny. Kaiden embraced me back, wrapping me tightly in his arms. I couldn''t see the expression he was making but I felt his breath from his sigh and laughter run through my neck. And his heart beating loudly, I felt it on my chest. Or maybe it was mine? Or both of us? Yes. It''s probably the both of us. Badump! Badump! Badump! Time passed by with us just hugging each other and listening to our heartbeats. But I didn''t mind the time. I was just so happy and elated so I let myself bask in that happiness. Kaiden was probably doing the same since he wasn''t letting go. After a few more moments, he let go of me and looked at me. Again, his eyes locked unto mine and we were both smiling ever warmly at each other. Then he lifted his right hand and caressed my cheek, much to my surprise. "Kaiden! Is it alright for you to do that? Are you not" Kaiden shook his head. "Yes, it''s alright. I don''t feel anything bad at all. To be honest, instead of repulsed, I wanted to touch you more. I''ve been wanting to do it for a while now." Shocked by what he said, I blinked my eyes a couple of times. "Really?" "Yes." "To be honest, me, too," I shyly confessed. "I want to touch you, too. Do lots of things together and so much more." I felt my face flush. That was really embarrassing. I hoped he wouldn''t find it weird or anything. "Senara, can I try something?" "Hm? What is it?" While caressing my cheek, he inched closer and moved his face towards mine until we were just a breath apart. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''I-Is this what I think it is? My f-f-first kiss? Will he be able to do it though? I mean, with his condition and all? I hope he can. Not that I want to kiss him but well, yeah, I really want to kiss him. Waaaaa I''m becoming naughty.'' As Kaiden''s face drew closer to mine, my heart started to beat louder. As if it wasn''t beating loudly enough! In my nervousness, I closed my eyes and waited if he''d be able to kiss me at all. Then, something warm and soft pressed gently on my lips. Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! I opened my eyes to see if it was what I thought it was. Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Indeed, it was Kaiden''s lips. Our first kiss I didn''t think it would happen so soon. I thought it would take years but we did it. He was able to kiss me! It only lasted for a few seconds but he did it! "Kaiden, you''re still okay, aren''t you?" I asked him, worried if he was pushing himself too much. Kaiden chuckled. "Yes. I''m perfectly fineit''s surprising though. I guess I wanted to kiss you that badly. Ha-ha!" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Then you can count me in." Kaiden placed his other hand in his heart. "I think I''m going to have a heart attack," he jested. "Same here. It''s been beating so loud since earlier you can probably hear it." We laughed at each other afterwards. Then, Kaiden pulled me close to him and kissed me again. "Ahhh K-Kaiden, you don''t have to push yourself too mu" He shut me up with a more passionate kiss than before. It was no longer a three seconds peck. H-He moved his lips so s-sexily Wait a minute, was there even such a term? I mean, h-he ahm What the heck! Why was he suddenly so good at this? I had zero experience at this! I didn''t know how to respond properly! ''WAAAAAAAAAAA! H-How do I kiss properly? I have no idea! I should have asked Hora for advice since she did it with Verrill before. I need to make sure to research kissing next time! KYAAAAAA!!! What do I do?'' Chapter 143 - Double Trouble [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter <3 ~ Because of my stupidity and lack of knowledge in kissingwhich Kaiden shouldn''t have knowledge of as well but surprisingly he''s so good at it!I froze up. I didn''t know how to respond! He really was the Master of Flirting! How could he be so good at kissing for the first time?! Kaiden''s kiss grew hotter and more passionate as the time went by. We were just sitting on my bed a few moments ago but now, he had me pinned down. His hands cupped my face with his left and held the back of my head with his right. Tilting his head from one side to the other, he pressed his lips harder into mine as if devouring my entire being. While Kaiden''s kiss went deeper, I felt my body slowly melting into his embrace. I couldn''t think properly anymore. I wasn''t sure if I''m responding well with his kisses but I did my best. I tried copying what he was doing. He did told me before that I learn fast so hopefully, I''m doing the same with this kissing thing. A few moments more and we probably kissed for like half an hour already. I started to feel weird, I couldn''t explain it. Something like a burning, feverish sensation inside me. Our kiss became sloppier, too. BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! BADUMP! I could hear our heartbeats hammering loudly in our chest with how close we were. A few more minutes passed and finally, Kaiden let go of my lips. "Haah haah haah" we both breathed heavily after what was probably an hour long of kissing. I glanced at Kaiden''s direction and his face was so red. I immediately chuckled at the sight of it. He did the same, while he unbuttoned his shirt around the neck. He probably felt hot and stuffy, too. After that, he laid beside me, facing me. "Did you like it?" he asked, obviously teasing me. But it was no use. Since I confirmed his feelings for me, I could easily tease him back. Feeling a bit confident and mischievous, I inched closer to him again. "Yes, I love it," I replied, wetting my lips and biting it in the process. It was on the dating research I did before. I read somewhere that guys like it since it looked sexy for some reason. The problem was, I didn''t have that mature sexy feeling like older women right now since I''m still a teenager. But hopefully, it would deliver my expected response to him which was for him to kiss me back. Honestly, I wanted some more. ''Senara you''re hopeless. You''ve become a complete and utter lustful, and perverted girlfriend. Oh! Now that I think about it, there''s no need for the contract anymore, right? There was no need for us to pretend anymore since we have feelings for each other.'' While I was lost in thought, Kaiden kissed me again. ''Yes! More kisses for me! Ahhhh I could get used to this. It feels so good!'' Chuu~ Chuuu~ Chuuuu~ And so, I enjoyed Kaiden''s warm, soft and smooth lips for another hour, maybe, until we both fell asleep. His arms were my pillow and we both wrapped each other in warm hugs. Ahhhh What an amazing night. I would forever carve this in my memories. Click! Click! Click! Later on, I was awakened by shutter sounds. Someone''s taking my picture again. Was it Kaiden? Or was it Realizing the other possibility, I jolted up from bed and my eyes opened wide in an instant. "C-Crystal" Uh-huh. I knew it. She was the only one who never knew how to silent her phone''s shutter sounds. I immediately looked around if Hora was there, too, but good thing she wasn''t or else, I didn''t know what would happen. Kaiden was still asleep beside me. And that wasn''t all I was still wearing his shirt! This situation could easily be misunderstood! "A-ahm W-we ahm," I found it hard to explain. Trying to change the topic, I greeted her with a smile, "G-Good morning, Crystal!" Crystal smirked mischievously at me. "Oh, don''t worry, Senara. I''m on your side. Actually, I will celebrate with you if you ever get to do it with Kaiden." ''KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Did she just say and mean ''THAT'' kind of thing? C-Crystal is very open minded.'' "W-We didn''t do it," I murmured. "But somehow, we ended up sleeping here. Well, a lot of things happened last night so" She held out her hand, signalling me to stop explaining. She was smiling so happily so I guess it''s fine? Then, she patted my shoulders gently. "It''s totally fine, Senara. I''ll welcome you as my sister-in-law anytime. And you can be lovey-dovey with my stupid brother ANYTIME. I just took some pictures to share with my mother. She''s gonna love it." Crystal waved her hand goodbye as she waggled her eyebrows. "Go on. Take your time. I can send an excuse letter to the school," she whispered as she walked away. ''No No No No I can''t have her share that with Mrs. Ma. I''d die of shame!'' In my panic, I grabbed Crystal''s shoulder and pulled her back. "We really didn''t do it! B-But we kissed a lot until we fell asleep," I shyly confessed. ''Oh my goodness. Ground, please eat me up and hide me even just for a moment.'' Crystal''s eyes widened in shock. Then, her lips curved into a big grin. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Crystal couldn''t contain her emotions and she screamed so loud. I''m doomed. That probably woke up everyone in the household. "OMG!" Crystal screamed again like a fangirl. She used her hands to fan herself as she wiped the tears of joy that formed in the corner of her eyes. "I can''t believe this! Finally! There is hope for my brother to bear children!" "Wait, what?" I asked, confused by her words. Crystal turned to Kaiden''s direction and immediately ran to my bed and jumped into it, waking up Kaiden who was peacefully sleeping. "Stupid brother, wake up!" Crystal tugged his body back and forth wildly. "Ahh, Crystal let him sleep some more. He probably still lacks sleep since we just slept a few hours ago." "Ugh," Kaiden grunted and peeked at who it was disturbing his sleep. His distaste of mornings was still the same. "What are you doing here?" "Congratulations, stupid brother! For your first kiss. Great job!" "Ugh Shut up, Crystal. Go away," Kaiden shooed her away like a fly. And so, they bickered some more. I was left to just laugh at them being the twins they were. Crystal was really happy. Well, I was, too. Very much, in fact. I smiled to myself reminiscing the events of last night. Until "What is the meaning of this?" Hora suddenly arrived. Her arms were crossed and her eyebrows raised in my direction. She eyed me from head to foot, then looked at Kaiden and Crystal who were bickering at my bed. Uh-oh. I''m doomed times two. Chapter 144 - Fangirls [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "So" Hora''s tone changed into a strict and menacing one. "Care to explain why Kaiden is sleeping on your bed and YOU seem to be wearing HIS shirt?" I could imagine my mother having the exact same reaction as Hora right now. My body unconsciously trembled and my mind exploded from trying to think of ways on how to explain it to her. "A-Ahmwe were playing a game last night," I started explaining and my voice cracked. "A game huh? What kind of GAME?" I could have sworn her eyes were piercing the depths of my soul. "Is it a deflowering game?" she continued. "Is my friend no longer a vi" "What?! No!" I exclaimed in my shock. Oh my goodness. I knew it. Even Crystal thought the same thing first. We were just sixteen for goodness'' sake! There''s no way we would do that! Maybe after marriage but notUGH! It''s all my fault. I should NOT have changed into this. Maybe the nightgown was better. "Relax, Hora. Nothing like that happened, okay? I''m still a pure virgin," I patted her shoulders and assured her. Then, in a murmur, I continued, "Well, except for some hugs and" "They kissed!" Crystal beat me into saying it. She got up from bed and stopped pestering Kaiden but then went over to us, with her eyes fixed unto Hora. "Their first kiss! It happened last night!" 3 2 1 "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" And there they were, screaming like the fangirls they were. They giggled and laughed and ran around in joy. Why did it seem like they''re happier with this than I was? "OOOHHEEEEEMMMGIIIII!!" Hora screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice squeaked into a high pitch due to her joy. "I''m so happy I''m crying!" "Me, too! You can''t believe how hard I tried to suppress myself earlier when I took their picturethey were hugging while sleeping together!" "Give me a copy of that picture!" "Of course! I''ll send it to you later." "So that''s why you screamed! I heard it from my room and I thought a burglar came in so I hurried here." "Nah. It''s impossible for burglars to come in here. Unless they can somehow outmatch thousands of guards all over the placeplus the security cameras." "That''s great. Anyway, this means that they''re official now, amiright? (Am I right?)" Crystal''s eyes widened. "You''re right! They don''t need to pretend anymore! I''m gonna tell my mother." "And I''m going to tell our whole family. They can expect the engagement soon." I looked at them from left to right as they discussed MY love life in front of me. Yup. And they were deciding to let our whole family know without even asking my opinion, even my own engagement! Again, probably for the nth time, I didn''t get to have any say on the matter. Seriously, they should learn to ask my opinion next time IF they ever learn it. For now, I shall voice out my concerns. "Sooooo Do I not have any say on this? AGAIN?" I eyed the both of them who seemed to have forgotten I was still there. Hora and Crystal stopped giggling. In unison, they shook their heads. "Not unless you tell us the full details of the events last night." I hit my face with my palm. Right. I had no escape on this matter. Somehow, I felt jelly of Kaiden, who was back to peacefully sleeping on my bed. Why couldn''t I just do the same? I made a mistake of noticing Crystal earlier. Maybe I should have pretended to sleep instead. And so, we all sat down on the couch in my room. Since I had no choice, I told them everything that happened. I made sure to do it in a whisper thoughI didn''t want to wake Kaiden up, in case he was still sleeping, which I hoped he was or else I''d be angry at him for letting me fight this battle alone. Hora and Crystal''s eyes glittered as I retold the tale of last night''s events. By the time I finished saying everything, they both looked like those avid readers who just finished reading an amazing book. Yup. They were both in a daze and full of bliss. "I knew it. From the first time I saw them together, I knew it would eventually come to this," Crystal said, smiling so happily. "I know, right?" Hora agreed. "As for me, I noticed it first when they were still texting and calling each other. And they haven''t even met back then." "So this is the feeling when your ship finally sails, huh?" "Yeah. It''s so amazing. I think nothing can upset me today." "Same. We should make this the KaiSen Ship Sails Day or something." "Right? We definitely can!" "Oh wait! Does this mean, today is their officialI forgot the term." "Yeah. The day they become officialJuly 6th." "And their monthsary will be on August 6th and every 6th of the month." "And their anniversary will be on July 6th." They both nodded approvingly with each other. "Amazing," I commented. "You both have it all figured out." "Of course," Crystal chuckled and flipped her hair. "That''s why we''re called fangirls." "Riiiggght." "Oh!" Hora exclaimed as she seemed to be reminded of something. "I should ask everyone to pay me up. I won the bet!" "I''ll transfer mine into your account. I lost the bet but I am very much happy." "Thank you very much! Ke-ke-ke I''ll be a few hundred dollars richer later once I collect everyone''s payment." Hora laughed evilly. "I wonder how I should spend it?" Right. They still had that bet going on. Where in the world did my angelic best friend go? Who was this cunning cute little devil in front of me? "Get some boba. It''s the best drink in the world," Crystal suggested. "Ooooh. That''s great. I''ll remind myself to indulge in that later." "Buy some fried chicken chops, too, or tofu. They''re perfect together." "But you know what''s best?" I interrupted them before they started their never ending food talk. "We need to get ready for school. It''s still Tuesday so we still have school." They looked at me as if I just killed their joy. Welp. There was nothing I could do about it. It''s true though. And so, we all prepared for school. Chapter 145 - We Shouldnt Be Doing This [Music Recommendation: "My Eyes" by 10cm - Goblin OST (instrumental only) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After an hour of preparing, we finally arrived at the school. We met Callan and Verrill at the parking lot. For some reason, we always ended up meeting there most of the mornings as if the three guys planned out the exact time they should be there. As per usual, everyone accompanied me to my classroomsince our department was the nearest, before they all went their way to their own departments. We bid our short farewells when they dropped me off and I went on my way inside the classroom. Except, Kaiden who seemed to have still lingered around while everyone else was already on their way, called for me before I stepped in the classroom. "Senara." I turned around and walked back towards him. "Hm? Yes?" He stared at me for a few minutes, smiling warmly at me. Because of that, despite the earliness of the morning, my face flushed red. Having him stare at me was both heart pounding and nerve-wracking for some reason. "A-ahm, you might be late, you know," I shyly murmured, while scratching my cheeks lightly, "if you keep staring at me." "Ha-ha-ha! You''re right. I should stop." "Y-yeah." "Alright, I''m going now." "Okay. Goodbye. Take care." But he wasn''t moving. And because of that, I hesitated to move from my position, too. ''Come on, Kaiden! As much as I want to be with you and join you in this staring contest, we still need to attend class. P-Please move on now. We can get back to being lovey-dovey later.'' Then, to my surprise, Kaiden suddenly held my face and kissed me! On the lips! AGAIN! In front of so many people! And worse, my classmates! ''OMG OMG OMG!!! K-Kaiden What are you doing? D-Do you want me to be bullied again today? Oh nooooo. But I love your kiss of course. But still! My peaceful college life is definitely no more.'' Chuuuuuuuuuuu~ That was a really nice kiss. P-passionate even. Kinda like last night''s, just shorter. I heard my classmate''s gasps from behind me. Some even took pictures, judging by some faint shutter sounds I heard. ''Senara, this is no time for you to daze and bask in his amazing lips. You might want to go inside the classroom now before he becomes late for his own class. Anyway, I better prepare myself in case I get harassed or anything. Goodluck me!'' "I''m really going now," Kaiden smirked. "See you later." Finally, he walked away, towards his department. "Haaaaah" I sighed deeply once he was out of sight. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''This is not good for my heart. I wonder how long will I survive before dying from a heart attack?'' "That was hot," somebody commented from behind me. I flinched and quickly turned around to see who it was. "Marie! Phew! You scared me." "Ha-ha! Why? You thought I''m a ghost? Or the teacher?" " Both?" "Ha-ha-ha!" Marie chuckled. I didn''t know she could laugh like that. She''s so pretty when she laughs. "Anyway, this is new. I never thought Mr. Kaiden could kiss anyone. He''s mysophobic, right?" "Yes, he is. Even I was amazed how he''s okay with touching me and k-k-kissing." "He must love you so much." ''KYAAAAAAA!!! OMG. My heart almost exploded there. Even now, I still can''t believe Kaiden loves me back. Am I the luckiest girl or what?'' I wasn''t able to respond to Marie anymore and just covered my face out of embarrassment. I really needed to get used to this. Anyway, we walked together inside the classroom where as expected, all my classmates were murmuring to each other. Welp. They could murmur and whisper and gossip all they wanted. I''m never giving a damn about it. Go Sena! Few minutes later, our professor arrived, starting the first lesson of the day. Hours passed with me enjoying the lesson. It was a topic I needed to learnpoint of views in writing. Curious about the new knowledge, I decided to try them out later in my free time. I decided to write my new book in third POV omniscient so maybe I''d try writing the first chapter in first person, too, and third person limited, to see which one was better. I''d do the same with other types and let the others judge which they think was best. Kaiden and Hora gave me nice feedback before so maybe I should ask them again. For more opinions, I''d have to ask Crystal, too, and maybe Rae if she''s not so busy. I forgot if Callan liked reading or notprobably not though. And as much as I dislike it, I might need to ask Verrill''s opinion, too. Hora mentioned he liked reading as well. Hmm Was he fine with fantasy romance though? Later on, lunch arrived and Kaiden was the very first to fetch me in my classroom. That was fast of him. Even Marie was surprised to see him again. "You''re fast," I greeted Kaiden as soon as he arrived. I peeked beside him and noticed that Verrill and Callan were still nowhere to be found. "Did you cut your class short? Or did you go back to skipping boring classes?" I asked, skeptical of his punctuality. Instead of answering my question, he kissed me again! My eyes widened and my body froze up. Was he planning on kissing me every time we met? T-that''s we shouldn''t be doing that! That''s too much PDA and I just knew that everyone else would hate me for it. Marie whistled from beside me. Then, she slowly walked away, putting a distance between her and us. "K-Kaiden, wait, stop," I pushed him back gently, letting go of his lips. "W-we shouldn''t be doing this too often I think." I could feel my face burn up from all this lovey-doveyness. If I was ice, I probably would have melted by now. "Eeeh? We can''t?" Kaiden cutely pouted. ''This is driving me crazy. How am I supposed to say no to that adorableness?!'' Chapter 146 - A Rowdy Lunch [Music Recommendation: "My Eyes" by 10cm - Goblin OST (instrumental only) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ With all honesty to the entirety of my being, I had no idea if it was alright to kiss in public, especially here in the Land of the Red Dragon. Okay, maybe it was fine as long as it wasn''t too much, right? Ugh. I''m not sure. In my past life, I often saw couples kissing in public but it was just a short, normal peck, oftenly at the forehead or cheeks, and very seldom on the lips. The only times I saw lips kissing was at a wedding! If we were in the Western countries, I wouldn''t stop him since I at least knew that people were more "accepting" about PDA there. But not the same could be said in most countries in the East! Even back in my country, couples were more reservedwell, it only lasted until 2019 or so. As time went by, generations had become more liberated in showing their affections, and many other social things. But that''s years from now! Almost a decade from now. We still needed to be more reserved, right? Come to think of it, Kaiden and Crystal were quarter British. And during one of my chats with Crystal, she mentioned there were times they lived in the UK with their grandparents and just transferred here during high school was it? I forgot but somewhere around that time frame. Given that fact, they would have been strongly influenced by their culture, right? Maybe that was why Kaiden thought it was okay to kiss often even in public? Hmmm But observing them for the last few months, they were a mixture of both. It''s hard to judge. But still we really shouldn''t be doing this in public! Anyway, what should I do with him? Pleading like a cute puppy like that, how should I explain my thoughts to him? And how could I possibly say no? "Ahm, Kaiden, I think we need to talk," I told him in a serious tone. "Alright. Let''s talk on the way," he replied, still pouting. My heart kept on squeezing because of that. "Oh! How about Marie?" Marie, who was behind us, raised her hand. "No, thanks. I''d rather save up money with cheaper meals. Meet you later in the next class." " Okay. See you later." Marie waved her hands goodbye and went on her way. Then, Kaiden and I walked towards the cafeteria. I explained to him my thoughts on how we shouldn''t be kissing so much in public like he seemed to have intended to do from now on. He sulked for a bit but when I told him that it would just give me a hard time later, he quickly agreed. "Alright, alright. I won''t kiss you in public anymoreunless needed," he murmured the last part, and added in a smirking face, "But if we''re alone, expect me to kiss you lots." I felt my face flush red again. T-this guy he was too good with flirting, truly! A few minutes more and we arrived at the cafeteria. Hora and Crystal were already there, chatting with each other. And to my surprise, a pile of cash was scattered in front of Hora, on the table. "You won a lot of money on that bet," I jested to Hora as soon as we arrived. Hora and Crystal looked at our direction and chuckled to themselves. Now, what could that mean? "Yes, I won a lot. I feel rich with all this money," Hora waggled her eyebrows and smiled so smugly. "I knew it wouldn''t take long for you two to be together. Good job, Kaiden. Just make sure to take it nice and slowly. No need to rush things with the lovey-doveyness, okay?" "Yes, ma''am," Kaiden agreed, as he sat on his usual spot, and I, on mine. "Good," she nodded approvingly. "Since I''m rich today, I''ll treat you all to lunch. I don''t know where to use this money anyway." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Why did you bet with everyone when you don''t even need the money?" "It''s fun. I didn''t know I had great luck in betting." "Maybe we should go to the casino and try your luck." "Hey! We''re still minors. We can''t do that," I reprimanded them. "Right. After two years then. When we''re all considered adults by the law." "I don''t know any kind of gambling though," Hora said, blinking her eyes. "Same. Except for some card games. But I never betted on anything." "What? Are you two living under a rock?" Crystal exclaimed. "I should teach you one of these days." "Don''t let her. She''s a bad influence," Kaiden commented, as he sipped on a fruit shake he ordered while we were busy chatting. To my surprise, he ordered for me, too, seeing how the same waiter gave me a mango flavoured one. That was nice of him. I happily sipped on my shake as well. "Hey, where''s mine, stupid brother?" Crystal complained. "And Hora''s?" "I don''t know what flavour you want. Just go order for yourself." "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. What a nice brother I have," Crystal shook her head in dismay. "Let''s get boba," Hora whispered to Crystal. "Do they have that here?" "I don''t think they do. Haven''t seen it on their menu." "Awww that''s sad." While the two sulked, Callan and Verrill finally arrived, holding something in their hands. "Hello ladies, and gents," Callan greeted us. They placed the plastic bags they carried on the table and took out six drinks from it. And would you look at thatthey were all different kinds of boba. "Woooaahh!" Hora and Crystal''s eyes lit up. They were so happy to see them bring the drink they were just talking about a moment ago. "Where did you buy this? And why?" Crystal asked. "It was Verrill''s idea. Then I remembered you liked boba, too, so I came along. There''s a shop near here that sells good stuff." Hora smiled sweetly towards the sly fox Verrill. Of course, she would be so happy. This sly fox really had great ways to woo my best friend. Hora probably mentioned it to him earlier or something. "Thank you," Hora and Crystal sweetly thanked the two. I could definitely feel all the love in the air. It was funny how the six of us seemed to be having a triple date, eating together during lunch like this. "Well, since Kaiden and Senara have their fruit shakes, let''s take their drinks." "Yeah! No boba for you two." "Huh? Me, too?" I complained. "Okay, just Kaiden. No boba for Kaiden." Kaiden smirked. "You can have it. I''m not very fond of tea. But thanks anyway." "Tsk. Still so smug. Fine. You''re the enemy of all boba lovers now." And so, we had our lunch in a not so peaceful manner with all the chatting and bickering of the twins plus Hora. Chapter 147 - A Familiar Girl [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Having lunch with everyone had always been fun. For sure, I would treasure these little moments we were all having during our college life. It would be one of my most precious memories. At moments like this, sometimes, I would be reminded of how bad my last life had been. Comparing it to now, I still couldn''t help but think that I might be living inside a dream of some sort. Though, unlike a dream, everything felt so real. Truly, I''m very thankful that I came back in time. And very thankful that the course of my life changed. I couldn''t imagine how I''d survive reliving my past life the exact same way it happened. I never wanted to live like that anymore. So whoever or whatever made me come back, I''m eternally grateful. Once lunch was over, we all went back to our respective classes. Callan wanted to drop Crystal on her department but he got reprimanded since his department was in a separate direction. Verrill was lucky enough since his and Hora''s department was in the same direction so they went together. In the end, I was left with Kaiden and Callan. On our way, I saw a familiar girl with auburn hair, and average stature. She was looking around while holding a map in her hands. Judging by how she behaved, she''s probably a new student here in RDIU. Recognizing who she was, I walked towards her and tapped her shoulders. "Silky? Is that you?" I asked the cute girl. She turned around and her face beamed when she saw me. I was right. It really was SilkyHora''s cousin, and the daughter of her favourite Aunt Vora, who was the sister of her mother. Hora''s mother loved Aunt Vora so much that she ended up naming Hora similar to hers. Luckily, Hora loved her the same. It was no wonder actually. I met with Aunt Vora multiple times and she was the sweetest and kindest aunt there ever was. Silky on the other hand was a bit of a mischievous and adventurous soulcontrast to Aunt Vora''s calm, kind, and gentle demeanor. I only met her a few times but her personality was a complete contrast to ours that I ended up remembering her name despite the many cousins of Hora that I already forgot. "Senara!" Silky greeted me enthusiastically. "Hi! It''s nice to see you again." "You, too! What are you doing here? I didn''t know you transferred school?" "Ahh, yes. I had to. I''m on a secret mission," she jested and winked her eyes. Then, she offered her hand to me for a hand shake. I took Silky''s hands with a smile. It was really nice to see her hyperactivity again. "Ha-ha-ha!" I chuckled. "Now, I wonder who gave you a secret mission." "It wouldn''t be a secret if I tell you." Bzzzt! "Ah!" we were both startled by the sudden static that traveled to our hands the moment we touched. "Are you alright?" Kaiden asked me, after noticing what happened. "Yeah, I''m good. Are you okay, Silky?" Silky''s expression turned horrid for a second. But when I called her, she smiled again, brushing off the slight sting on her hand. "A-ah, yes! I''m okay," she quickly replied to me. "That''s a weird static." "Yeah. Or maybe you have super powers now." "How I wish!" she brooded. "Oh. By the way, this is Kaiden, and Callan." Silky surveyed them from head to foot. "Woah. Nice, Senara! They''re so handsome and tall," Silky nodded approvingly with her thumbs up. "Which one is your boyfriend?" "That''s me," Kaiden confidently answered and smiled happily. He seemed to be enjoying introducing himself as my boyfriend. Oh my goodness. "Oooohh. Great choice, Senara. And great job, Mr. Boyfriend! Make sure to love her and protect her all the time, okay?" "Hey, stop that. Anyway, what course did you take? Are you lost on your way there? I saw you looking at the map." "Yes, I''m a bit lost. This school is so big. I''m headed to the dormitories. My classes will start tomorrow. I''m given a day off today since I just arrived today." "You could have told me and Hora. We could have fetched you at least, or helped you out." "Nah. It''s fine. I''m a big girl. I can do it," she sounded so confident. "And besides, I won''t rely on you for directions." "Ack! You little brat. Where did you learn to speak like that?" Silky whistled. "Not telling." And so, we squabbled a bit more and then, I helped Silky find her way towards the dormitorywith Kaiden and Callan''s help of coursesince I''m directionally challenged as well. Silky''s decision not to rely on me for directions was on point, though I hate to admit it. After that, afternoon classes continued. I texted Hora that Silky just arrived at RDIU. Hora replied, surprised about it since she was never told about it. That was weird. Aunt Vora wasn''t the type to not tell us if her daughter was to transfer schools. Did Silky even get any permission to transfer? That was suspicious. I should check this out later with Hora. ______________________________ Hi Pumpkins! Hope you''re all doing well. You may have noticed the change of time I update chapters in the past few days. I''d like to apologize for that because I''m still adjusting to my new work schedule. (I still have a day job apart from writing T_T and my shift recently changed). Once I find the perfect time to update, I''ll go back to being consistent on that so you all don''t have to check multiple times to see if there''s any updates. And don''t worry, I''ll keep updating daily so we can reach that Win-Win Plus Rebates! Fighting! <3 Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 148 - C L O C K Z O N E [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Hours passed by with me enjoying the afternoon classes. I was expecting a few bullying here and there today but luckily, I didn''t experience any. The textbooks under my desk were all there, neat and tidy. Marie was also there, much earlier than I was. She was probably one of those people who could eat fast. Then, I went to the comfort room after the second afternoon class and expected to hear some gossip or like those scenes in dramas where someone suddenly splashes water on me or something along those lines, but none of them happened. I was even prepared with spare clothes in my bag. Instead, I saw Marie wiping some spilled water on the bathroom floor with a mop. She probably spilled some when she washed her hands. And so, the rest of the afternoon passed by peacefully until it was time to go home. We all gathered at the parking lot as usual and Kaiden drove us home. On our way home, I told Hora about Silky. "Hmmm" Hora brooded over it after hearing my retelling of what happened earlier. "Knowing Silky''s personality, it is not impossible for her to just fly off to another country or do things on a whim. But she''ll need money. And besides, transferring school is not that easy. She transferred late, too. And this is the RDIU we''re talking about. She needs some parental consent on some of the papers. Maybe Aunt Vora just forgot to tell me? Or she told me but through an email? I never check my email." Hora held both of her cheeks in horror. She immediately went over her emails on her phone to check if there really was any email from Aunt Vora. After a few minutes of checking, she wiped the sweat on her foreheadthat must mean there was no email from her. And that would also mean that either Aunt Vora forgot to tell her, or she didn''t know as well. Maybe Silky''s father gave the permission instead? "Why don''t we just ask your Aunt Vora? It''s useless trying to think it over in my opinion." Crystal suggested. "But what if Silky really did sneak out? She''ll be reprimanded for sure," I answered her. "I, personally, don''t want to be the cause of that. I''d rather talk to Silky and convince her to tell her parents instead of me snitching on her." "Yes. And it''s useless to ask Silky. She''ll just lie to us if we confront her." "Hmmm" and now, the three of us were brooding over the matter. "I can investigate it if you''re okay with that," Kaiden offered. Hora''s eyes lit up and her lips stretched into a big smile. "Really?" "Yeah. It shouldn''t be too hard. We just need to check if she received parental consent during her transfer and check with your aunt''s family if they know about it, right?" "The consent can be forged. Silky''s great with that. She even managed to copy my signature before," Hora blinked her eyes as she suddenly remembered that horrible fact, much to her worry. Her voice crackled at the thought of it. "M-Maybe it''s best to check with my aunt and uncle." "Okay. Send me their names and some details later." "Thank you so much. That''s three brownie points for you." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha!" I laughed hearing Hora giving scores to Kaiden. "You''re counting scores of Kaiden now?" "Ha-ha-ha! Yes. It seems fun," Hora waggled her eyebrows. She''s back to her happy self. "Good job. For once, my stupid brother has some use," Crystal scoffed. "Why do you keep calling him stupid when he''s a genius?" I asked, curious as to why. "It''s an inside joke. He can''t be too perfect, you know." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" A few moments later, we finally arrived home. We all went back to our respective rooms. Once back, I let myself relax on the tub for a few minutes then went to my desk to do my homework and get some writing done. But first, I checked my emails for anything new and to my delight, I did get one important emailfrom Ms. Qian Yu and Rae! It was the schedule of our next meetings so we could work on that script. I felt so excited reading it and made sure to block my calendar for the time and place. After that, I proceeded with my homework and once done, I tried to continue my new book. It was weird how I wasn''t getting any ideas in my head. Well, actually, no. The idea was there floating in my head but it was more on how I wanted the scene to appear to the reader that was a bit jumbled up. Hmmm While I pondered on how to do it, I didn''t notice that I dozed off from my seat. Yup. That was one of my weaknesses. Whenever I closed my eyes, sooner or later I would doze off. And it was such a huge disadvantage for me since whenever I write and try to imagine things, I would need to close my eyes! But then when I do, I always end up falling asleep. Ugh. What a tragedy. How I wished I could imagine with my eyes wide open. [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Tick Tock Tick Tock It had been a long time since I went to this place again The place where I was surrounded by numerous ticking clocks But this time, I wasn''t lying down. I was standing up or was I floating? I looked down to see nothingness beneath me, and the whole galaxy around me. But I knew I wasn''t really outside the galaxy or I would have died since I couldn''t possibly breathe there, or even stood there unharmed without any protection on my skin. Of course, this had to be a dream. Nonetheless, it was a nice dream. I could still remember it vividly in my memories. After all, it was that time that I went back in time. Back to my high school days, giving me another opportunity to live my life for a second time. As I stood amazed by the sight around me, I wondered why I was dreaming this specific dream. Then, I realized that earlier that day, I was feeling thankful and grateful to whoever or whatever caused me to come back. Maybe that was why. I wondered too if I could meet "her" again. Yes. That kind and loving woman who spoke to me before I time travelled. The one whose warm hands caressed my face gently. I could still clearly remember the words she told me that time. "You''ve suffered so much," she said. "This time, please make sure to be happy." I smiled warmly remembering those words. My heart felt fuzzy and warm and truly, very grateful from the bottom of my heart. I held my chest in my joy and the warmth I was feeling right at that moment. Suddenly, my whole surroundings changed. From the endless clocks that looked like the stars of the universe, the scenery changed into that of a city and I was floating above it! It was night time and all the buildings stood tall and their beautiful lights illuminated the whole place. What a beautiful sight. I felt like a bird flying high in the sky and was given the wonderful opportunity to see such magnificence. What I didn''t expect was what happened after. The lights of the city suddenly turned off one after another. A giant tornado formed from far away, and got bigger as it approached the city. On the other side, a volcano was suddenly erupting and the course of its magma was also the city! And if that wasn''t enough, the ocean from the southern direction also went wild and a huge tsunami roared fast towards the city Watching all of that danger coming fast, with no signs of stopping, my heart sank and my body froze in my position. What in the world was I supposed to do? And why was that suddenly happening? I tried to tell myself that it was all just a dream a nightmare of some sort. But then again, they all looked so real. Too real in fact, that I got goosebumps despite being asleep. Or was I really asleep? Did I somehow time travel again? In the future perhaps? Hopefully not! My whole body trembled just by the thought of it. What''s more The city looked exactly like the capital of the Land of the Red Dragon. "Please NO!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. One second just one more second and the entire city would have been utterly destroyed. And all I could do was shout and plead. How powerless of me How useless Suddenly, an enormous clock appeared before me, with its hands both pointed at twelve. Then a sudden rumbling. The hands of the giant clock turned backwards. And the whole surroundings moved backwards. My eyes widened in shock. The next thing I knew, I was gasping for breath, wide awake from my dreams. Chapter 149 - Who Are You? [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Haah Haah Haah" Deep, heavy breaths from my dry mouth echoed in my room. The dead silence only made it sound louder. Along with it, was the ringing in my ears, and the wild thumping of my heart. Finally, I was back in my room. Or was I really? Did I time travel again? It wasn''t an impossibility. After all, the reason I had a second chance at life was because of that fact. Worried and scared, I immediately got up from my seat and looked around me. I surveyed the whole place carefully making sure nothing changed. My eyes wandered at every nook and cranny, even at the view from my window. It was the same burning sunset. And everything in my room was the same. As a last check, I went into a mirror to see if in any case, something about me changed. With trembling feet and cold sweat covering my body, I walked towards the dressing room and carefully, towards the large mirror in the middle of the room. "Haaaaah" I sighed deeply. I looked the same. With the same clothes I was wearing before I fell asleep. It seemed that I didn''t time travel somewhere. For a truly final and one last check, I took my mobile phone in my pocket. Trying to wet my dry mouth, I gulped and checked for the time and date. "7:17 pm, July 6, 2010," was what my phone showed. At last, I could breathe peacefully. My heartbeat started to slow down as well, along with the trembling and cold sweat. "It''s just a dream. It''s just a dream," I repeated those words to myself over and over in a whisper. But then again, it wasn''t a dreamit was a nightmare. I didn''t know what got into me but I decided to write everything that happened in that nightmare in my diary. Yes, I still continued writing down the diary I started way back when I first time traveled. I didn''t write daily though, only when something important happened to me. Thus, my secret folder in my laptop only contained over a hundred entries given the fact that I started back on July 7, 2009. Come to think of it, it''s been a year since I time traveled! That''s right. The date I time traveled was the day before my first diary entryJuly 6th of 2009! And today was also July 6th! In my past life, I died at sunset, and now, I had a nightmare at sunset! "Could there be a connection?" I mumbled to myself. If my theory was right, then next year, on July 6th, something would happen again. Maybe another nightmare? But then again was it really just a nightmare? What if instead of a nightmare, it was a warning? A premonition? Or what if I really time traveled into the future and just came back again in this timeline? There was that giant clock, too. ''I don''t understand. In the first place, why did I travel back in time? And how? Do I have some sort of powers I don''t know about? No. That''s impossible. Instead of me, it''s got to be that woman! And maybe just maybe, during that car incident Was she also the one who called me?'' "Senara," a soft and gentle voice whispered to me. "Get out of there, now!" Yes. It sounded like her! Could it be? Was she the reason I went back in time? But why? Why did she help me? Not only that, she she was protecting me. If it wasn''t for her, I probably would have died during that car accident. Lost in my thoughts, I lifted my head up and stared at the windows. The sun was slowly setting and what a beautiful sunset appeared before me. Drowning in the beauty of the dusk, I asked a heartfelt question. "Who are you?" Along with that question was a hopeful prayer. "I want to meet you." Despite not knowing who she was, one thing was for certain she meant no harm to me. Instead, she was probably someone really kind and loving. And another thing was also certain she was here with me in this timeline. Because if not, how did I hear her voice? So audible and real as if she was just there beside me. Thinking all that, I decided to myself that I would look for her whoever she was. I wanted to talk to her, ask her lots of questions but most of all, I wanted to thank her personally for this new life I was given. And maybe, she would have answers about that nightmare, too. Hopefully. Knock knock knock "Sena? Are you awake?" Hora called for me on the other side of the door to my room. "It''s dinner time! Let''s eat!" "Yes, coming!" I replied back in a shout. Then, I walked towards the door of my room and greeted her with a smile. "Why is your room so dark? You haven''t turned on the lights yet?" Hora raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Right. Sorry about that." Clicking her tongue, she briefly went inside to turn on the lights. "Come on, let''s go." "Thank you." I was a bit disoriented. When I saw Hora, I wondered if I should tell her about it? But then I would have to tell her about time traveling, too, which I still wasn''t sure if I was allowed to tell anyone about. My instincts leaned more about it being a taboo and I couldn''t risk Hora or anyone at all to get hurt just by knowing that fact alone. ''I should keep it to myself. After all, it was between me and that woman.'' Yes. That''s right. That should be for the best. "Crystal! Let''s go! Come out of there!" Hora knocked on Crystal''s bedroom and called her. "Yes! I''ll be there in a sec!" Once out, the three of us went together to the dining hall for dinner. Chapter 150 - Justice Served Cold [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Trying to brush the mystery off of my mind, I ate dinner happily with everyone. We chatted as we ate as usual, and went back to our rooms after. All of us were busy that night with the individual things we were doingme, writing and homework; Kaiden, developing his game; Hora, practising her video editing skills; and Crystal, watching movies and learning acting skills. Or at least that''s what they told me over dinner. Time passed by quickly and later on, I went to sleep. I was hesitant at first, thinking I might dream that nightmare again, but I toughened myself and tried to sleep. I needed energy for tomorrow. It took me a while to finally get to sleep though. Because of that, I felt sluggish the next morning. Breakfast went on as usual and a few more moments later, we''re back at school, walking towards our departments for our first class. Everything was perfectly normal and peaceful, which I was very grateful for. Deep in my heart, I wished so bad that all days of my life would be like this one. Well, that was until I came inside the classroom. "A-Ack! H-Hi there Senara," one of my classmatesa female one, greeted me with an awkward smile. ''HUH? That''s weird. Why is she greeting me? No one dared to talk to me ever since the first day of class, after they all got punished by Kaiden for bullying me.'' "Uuuh Hello," I greeted her back in the softest and weirdest I could have. Bewildered by the situation, I shook my head and started walking towards my usual seat. It was then that I noticed that everyone was looking at me. Okay, that was weird times two. Why in the world were they all looking at me? What''s more, they were all trying to smile at me? It was the most awkward thing ever. After all the silent treatment since day one, they would just suddenly try to be nice to me? I sat on my usual spot beside Marieshe was already there, still confused with what''s going on. I deliberated if I should ask Marie, maybe she knew something, but then she was just a new student. She just arrived on Monday which was two days ago. What would she know that I didn''t? "Good morning, Senara," Marie greeted me with a smile. At least her smile wasn''t awkward. I smiled back at her as I greeted, "Good morning to you, too." "Hey, look at this," she said, and handed me over her laptop. The screen was on a certain familiar website. And she pointed her finger towards an article over there. I checked it out, thinking she might be sharing some interesting writing technique, but to my surprise, it was a completely different one than what I expected. The article read like this: HOT TOPIC: When Karma Strikes! Last Friday, July 2, 2010, a poor student was bullied by three of her own classmates at Building A-3, inside the female''s shower room. This student was just taking a peaceful shower when suddenly, the three bullies took her clothes from the locker, wrote harsh and insulting words on her clothes, and dumped it in one of the shower rooms. When the poor student finished, the three bullies were already gone and all she found was her ruined clothes filled with hateful words. And the words written were: sl*t, wh*re, playing innocent, great pretender, white lotus, you have no talent, and your writing sucks. These words broke the heart of the poor student who did nothing but spend her days in peace at the school until this event. Why was she targeted by the bullies? What did she do? Who are the bullies? And who is this poor student? Keep on reading to find out! First thing you want to know about this poor student is the fact that she is the "girlfriend" of the one and only, youngest and most eligible bachelor of the East, and the most handsome and wanted boyfriend in RDIU, none other than our very own "Kaiden Ma". That''s right folks! The handsome genius heir of THE Red Dragon Holdingsonly the richest company in the East, in case some of you lives like a hermit and doesn''t know. This "girlfriend" of Kaiden Ma is a sweet and kind girl who only enrolled here in RDIU to pursue her dreams. But as you may all have guessed, having the title of Kaiden''s "girlfriend" alone will really bring any woman trouble, no matter how kind and angelic they are. That alone is enough motivation for these "bullies" to attack her. As a matter of fact, after getting a chance to interview the bullies themselves, they admitted to the fact that they harassed her because of that simple truth. Of course, our king won''t just let her queen be bullied like that. Because of that, Kaiden hired a group of professionals to gather evidence and submit the issue to the Dean which later resulted in the expulsion of the three bullies. Not only that, they are all "banned" from entering any colleges affiliated with RDIU for the rest of their lives! And we all know that all reputable colleges in this country are affiliated with RDIU. Sucks to be them. Who would even dare bully Kaiden''s girlfriend? What they did is complete foolishness! They must have thought that they wouldn''t be caught. Too bad, karmaor rather Kaidenhas his own ways. Anyway, getting back to our topic folks, who are these bullies? They are none other than "Anna, Karen, and Nina" of the Creative Writing Department, Year One. And who is this beloved girlfriend of Kaiden Ma? Her name is "Senara Lee" and is from the same department as the three bullies. In the light of this recent event, Kaiden Ma has given his statement to everyone: "I don''t like it when people that are important to me get hurt in any way possible. And everyone knows that the Ma family is good at paying back their debtsespecially me. After all, I am the Vengeful Kaiden. I always get back what people owe me. Let this be a warning to everyone not to be stupid and dare hurt anyone I care about, especially Senara. Because if they do, I''m prepared to bring hell on earth." Along with these, the Dean and the faculty of RDIU will strictly enforce punishment to anyone who will do any form of bullying at school. Yes folks, bullying is strictly prohibited. So if you experience or see any form of bullying, don''t hesitate to report immediately. Reading that article gave me a mixture of emotions inside me. But out of everything, the words that reverberated to my heart and soul were "Let this be a warning to everyone not to be stupid and dare hurt anyone I care about, especially Senara. Because if they do, I''m prepared to bring hell on earth." Chapter 151 - Protective Boyfriend (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ So that was the reason for my classmates'' sudden change of attitude towards me. They were scared of Kaiden. It was amazing how he could bring such terror at such a young age to everyone yet be so kind and gentle to me, and his friends. And deep inside, that was very touching. The feeling of being protected the security and warmth from it how very heartwarming. I''m not even sure how to respond to all this aside from being grateful. I couldn''t help but smile from what Kaiden did. He really was the vengeful Kaiden. I didn''t expect that he''d come back with those that bullied me. It was unfortunatewhat happened to them, but I didn''t feel any remorse. After all, they deserved it. That should teach them a lesson not to bully anyone and not to think that their secret deeds wouldn''t be exposed to the public. I hope they learned their lesson and not do it again. If they had that much energy, they should exhaust it chasing their dreams instead of drowning themselves in jealousy. Writing baseless harsh words to me, that really wasn''t nice. They just wanted to have someone to blame for their own envy. And that was plain stupid. If they bullied someone, did they think that would make them better and ahead of that person? What nonsense. Ugh. I better stop thinking about them. Anyway, I should thank Kaiden later. How did he find out everything about it in just a few days? I mean, even arranging this with the News Club or whatever they''re called, would take time, right? And he had been with me most of the time! When did he find the time to do all that? Wow. Just wow. I gotta learn his time management skills and efficiency. "What a protective boyfriend," Marie teased, "and very ''vengeful'' indeed. The whole article is basically a gossip article written to warn everyone in school. It''s a mystery how his last sentence was allowed in the papers! ''Prepared to bring hell on earth'' is such a dangerous remark. But then again, they basically own this school and the Dean or any faculty would barely have any say on this." ''For someone who said she hated talking, Marie talks to me a lotI just noticed. That''s great though. I''m not complaining. I just noticed.'' "Yes," I agreed with her. "It IS pretty dangerous to be quoted upon such words. And you''re right. They do own the school. But don''t they still need to abide by the rules?" "That, he did. And very witty I must say." "Witty in what way?" "He''s basically taking advantage of his age. Since he''s still considered minor by the law, he won''t be held accountable. Plus, with his family connections and a lot of resources at his disposal, he can do anything and get away with it. And the rules of the schoolit''s kinda hard to explain with all the technicalities butthe dangerous words he said were delivered in a way that it''s not pointing at anyone and will definitely be considered a warning, which is really okay. So it''s kinda like, ahm, not bending the rules because that''s basically changing it in some way, but going around the rules? You get what I mean? Sorry, I suck at explaining." "Oh no. I think I get what you mean." "Great. So yeah, that''s pretty witty of him." I chuckled at the realization of it. "He''s a genius after all. It should be easy for him to plot things out and get away with it." "Ha-ha! That''s true." While we were busy chatting, some of our classmates went to me to apologizefor ignoring me, being rude to me, not standing up when others harassed me, talking behind my back, thinking bad about me when I did nothing, and everything else along those lines. It was amazing what fear could do to people. They were all suddenly confessing their mistakes to me after all this time. With all honesty in my heartas I mentioned before, I''m really no saintI wasn''t sure what to feel about their apology. I wasn''t sure if it was just me or it just felt empty. Forced apology just didn''t sit right with me. Actually, they didn''t even need to apologize to me. I understand it if that''s how they perceived me. People were innately judgemental, so I didn''t blame them. I''m cool with that. As long as they wouldn''t become like those girls whose names I already forgot. "It''s fine." "I don''t blame you." "I understand." I repeated those words numerous times with the amount of people that came to me. It turned into one of those meet and greet events with celebritiesonly, I wasn''t a celebrity and what we were all doing was an apology event. Saved by the professor, we started the next class. My goodness, if that continued for another minute, I thought I''d lash out or be irritated. Hours passed as class continued and not much later, lunch arrived. I had been looking forward to it since earlier. I wanted to personally thank Kaiden for everything and doing so much for me. Again, I''m indebted to him. I probably owed him a lot of things already. When I went out of the classroom, Kaiden was already outside, ready to fetch me. Callan was also there, waving his hands towards me. I parted ways with Marie swiftly and ran to them. "Hey, princess," Callan greeted me when I was about to speak my thanks to Kaiden. Talk about timing. "Princess?" I asked with bewilderment so apparent in my face. "Oh wait, they said ''queen'' in the article," Callan pondered, caressing his chin. "But sorry, I only call Crystal queen, so that''s ''princess'' for you." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Yes, loverboy. But I prefer being called by my name, thank you." "But Kaiden is a bosslike a BIG BOSS. And you''re his" "Shut it, Callan," Kaiden shushed him. Turning to me, he asked, "You were gonna say something?" He noticed. Of course. He had always been very observant. I made sure to smile warmly towards Kaiden before saying those words with all my sincerity and heart. "Thank you very much." Kaiden looked surprised with what I said. He shouldn''t be thoughI mean, it was all over the school newspaper. He should be aware of the article. But then It seemed that he was surprised for another reason. Because after I said that, his face drew near my face, as if he was in a daze. And his lips fell on mine. Chapter 152 - Protective Boyfriend (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Kaiden''s POV - back on the morning of July 7th, after he dropped Senara to her classroom] As I walked towards our department together with Callan, my phone suddenly rang. Ring Ring Ring Taking my phone from the inside pocket of my blazer, I checked who it was. "News Guy," was what it flashed. "Ah, about damn time," I mumbled. "Hm? Who''s that?" the ever curious Callan asked me but I didn''t answer him. Instead, I talked to the person over the phone. "H-Hello, Mr. Kaiden," the guy from the other line greeted me with a trembling voice. "Yes. What is it?" "W-we have finished what you asked for. I already published the article on the school''s website, all the forums, even the paper copies handed out, they''re everywhere now. I made sure everyone received notifications on their phones as well and emails. S-So it shouldn''t be long until the news spreads." "Good. Only took you five days. So slow as always." "W-we''re very sorry! W-we needed to write and edit, and get approvals from" "Excuses." "Y-Yes. We will work faster next time." "There won''t be a next time." "Ack! Y-you''re not suspending us, right?" "No. I meant, there would be no more reason to give warnings, unless there''s someone crazy enough to fight me." "A-Ah! Of course. That''s right," he sounded relieved. "Anyway, good job. I''ll send the payment later and increase the budget for your club." "T-Thank you so much, Mr. Kaiden!" his voice suddenly turned bright and happy. It was only fair to pay them for their services. I didn''t understand what he''s so thankful about. Was he expecting me not to pay? Ugh. Whatever. "O-Oh. And also, we will need the Student Council President''s approval for the i-increased budget," he mumbled. ''I can''t believe he''s worrying about petty approvals. I''m someone higher than any Student Council President or whoever. It''s so easy to get those approvals. I just tell them to approve this and that and they do it.'' "That''s already done. Unlike you, I work fast." "R-right! Of course! I''m sorry for even saying it. T-thank you very much again." "Uhm. If that''s all, bye." "Yes! T-thank y" Ah. I hung up too early. That should be fine. He was just gonna say thank you again and maybe follow it by an endless amount of thanks like others. "It really IS out!" Callan exclaimed, while he browsed on his phone. "Man, that glasses guy works fast!" Raising my eyebrows, I disagreed, "It took him FIVE days. That''s not fast." "Huh? But two of those days are Sat and Sun. Approvals don''t move on weekends." "Still slow." "Heck, boss! You''re a monster! Not everyone works as efficiently and fast as you, you know." "Ugh. Whatever. Let''s go." And so, we walked towards our classroom for the first period. Along the way, I made sure to check the articles real quick to see if everything written was accurate. Satisfied by it, I put my phone back in my coat. Our department was mostly made of male students. Just looking at the people inside the classroom, 90% of them were male. I suddenly remembered Senara asking me before if she could visit our department during free periods. Looking at this horrid scenesome of them were not even dressed properly and playing aroundthere was NO way I would allow her to. Brushing that thought aside, I walked towards my usual seat at the center, with Callan behind me. The sea of people parted ways as we walked past them. They knew I hated being touched. After the incident in my first year of college, where they looked down on me because I was too young compared to them and dared try to bully me but I ended up subduing them all in a fist fight, their attitude towards me changed. Since I''m taking a masteral course now, most of them were familiar with that incident. Unless someone wished for another fist fight with me, they wouldn''t dare mess with me again. There were rare occasions when someone stupid like that pops up every now and then, but it was easy to shut them up with a couple of punches. That''s right. I''m not only smart, but I also excelled in most physical sports or activities, though I''m too lazy to do them most of the time. But I had to master a couple of martial arts for self defensein any case we''re kidnapped or anything. Despite the kidnap insurance, and all the bodyguards, we could never be 100% complacent. Anyway, classes started afterwards, and after a couple of hours, it was already lunch time. I ran to the door as soon as the bell rang and headed over to Senara''s department. It didn''t take me long to arrive there, thanks to my long legsone of my features I really liked. Not long after, Senara went out of her classroom and waved her hands goodbye to Marie. Then, she ran towards us smiling. Ahhh she''s really so cute. "Hey, princess," Callan greeted her when she got near, interrupting her words. She looked like she was about to say something but this stupid guy didn''t notice it. Tsk. "Princess?" Senara asked, bewildered by the greeting. Who wouldn''t? That was so lame. And who gave him permission to call her princess? Ugh. He''s getting on my nerves. "Oh wait, they said ''queen'' in the article," Callan pondered, caressing his chin. "But sorry, I only call Crystal queen, so that''s ''princess'' for you." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Yes, loverboy. But I prefer being called by my name, thank you." "But Kaiden is a bosslike a BIG BOSS. And you''re his" "Shut it, Callan," I snapped, shutting him up. Turning to Senara, I asked, "You were gonna say something?" Senara nodded her head. Then, she smiled her smiles were always perfect and beautiful but this time, it was really captivating. It was one of those special smiles she did from time to time. Because of that smile I felt my heart melt and squeeze at the same time. Before I knew it, my face was already drawing near hers. Unable to stop myself, I caught her lips in a deep kiss. Ahhh I messed up. She told me many times not to kiss her in public. But How could I possibly do that when she''s being so lovely? Chapter 153 - F I R S T O M E N [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - after that sudden kiss from Kaiden <3] Blood rushed to my face as soon as his lips landed on mine. ''H-He''s doing it again! K-Kissing me in public! Waaaaaa I like his kiss but this is too embarrassing.'' "Haah Haah" I panted heavily after his kiss. Truly, this guy would be the end of me. Now, my lips felt wet, and warm, and h-hot. Kyaaaaaaaaa!!! "Kaiden" I called his name in a reprimanding tone. "Ah, I''m sorry. I lost control for a moment," he apologized then smirked afterwards. Because of that, I felt skeptical if his apology was sincere at all. "Woah! Did I see that correctly?" Callan exclaimed in his shock, leaving his mouth wide open. "A-Am I not hallucinating?" He pinched himself and probably feeling the pain from it, he figured he wasn''t. "It''s true! Boss! You can kiss someone! Woah!" Callan was so happy for Kaiden. Aside from him being a man, his reaction was the spitting image of Crystal''s reactionin a fanboying way, if there ever was a term like that. They were both overjoyed and almost tearful. How funny. The brawny and hot-tempered Callan, almost crying over his friend. "You can even touch," Callan mumbled as he observed Kaiden touching my face with his bare hands. "Uncle and Auntie shouldn''t have troubles with heirs now." SMACK! A loud smack landed on Callan''s head as soon as he said that. "Shut up, Callan. I can''t believe you said the same thing as Crystal. You two would make a better twin. Ugh." "What? No! I can''t be twins with Crystal," Callan protested, followed by a soft murmur, "I''d rather be your brother in law." "Ha-ha-ha-ha," I chuckled seeing their funny exchange. Of course, Callan wouldn''t want that. He''d rather marry Crystal than be her brother. "Stop it, you two. Let''s go now." And so, we went on our way towards the cafeteria where everyone was waiting for usHora, Crystal, and the Sly Fox Verrill. They were all chatting when we arrived. Once all seated, we placed our orders as usual. Just a few weeks more and I probably would have tried everything on the menu in this not-so-cafeteria. While eating, Kaiden told us news about the investigation on Silky''s situation. "By the way," Kaiden started, "Hora, the investigation about your cousin is done. The report was sent to me this morning. I''ll send you the full details in your email later." "What?! For real? Wow, you''re fast! We were just discussing it yesterday!" Hora shouted in her surprise. I could understand her, it really was incredibly fast! ''Now that I think about it I wonder if Kaiden investigated me, too? Way back before we met? Hmm I don''t mind if he did but I''m curious. I better ask him later.'' "It''s nothing special. Father has a group of professionals who are all greatly skilled with what they do. I just asked them for help so it was easy." "That''s another brownie point for you," Hora smiled cutely and winked her eyes. "Great job! Now, here''s your prizeI''ll allow you to kiss Senara one time." "Hey! You''re selling me?" "It''s not called selling if you''re his girlfriend. I''m just giving permission." "Why are you the one giving permission?" "Thersh no ushe fighting you know," Callan stopped us while chewing on his food. Gulping his food down, he continued, "Kaiden already got his prize earlier." Hora''s eyes blinked rapidly, a couple of times. And my heart was back to pounding loud in my chest. "Oh," she said, unamused. "In that case, there''s no need for a prize anymore." "Awww, you should have taken a picture!" Crystal complained to Callan. "Ack! S-Sorry. My bad. I didn''t expect them to, you know, be lovey-dovey and all that kissing," Callan did his best to explain. "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha! It''s fine. I can imagine what your reaction was," Crystal chuckled at him. "It''s probably the same as when I learned about it." "Huh? So they kissed even before that?" Callan''s face pale up. "And here I am still untouched from head to toe! No first kiss yet" Crystal cleared her throat. "Ehem. Well yes. And I saw them slee" I hurriedly covered Crystal''s mouth with my hands. ''I can''t believe she''s saying "that" to Callan! And the sly fox is with us, too. And who knows who else is listening unto us or is hearing what we''re all talking about?! Seriously! Some privacy please!'' "I-I think we shouldn''t be discussing ''that'' here," I smiled awkwardly towards Crystal, and widened my eyes after, obviously giving her warning not to say anything weird anymore. "R-right," Crystal agreed. "I almost spilled it." "Spilled what? Tell me! Tell me!" Callan insisted. "Maybe later, when we''re alone." "Awwww. Okay," Callan pouted. I sighed heavily after that. Meanwhile, Verrill was nonchalantly eating as if nothing shocking enough was going on. His calm demeanor and unfazed expression always irked me. Somehow, I''m beginning to imagine him like a mastermind or an evil person calmly waiting as the chaos he planned unfolds before him. "Anyway, enough of the chatter," I sighed again. Then, in a serious note, I asked, "Kaiden, did you read the report already? What did it say about Aunt Vora? And Silky?" Kaiden was slicing through his beef Wellington when he halted to answer my question. [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST)] "I only managed to read a few but from what I understood, it seems that her mother is not aware of her transfer. Also there is something a bit disturbing." Hora''s smiling face turned worried. Same went for me. For what could this disturbing thing be? "W-what do you mean?" Hora''s asked with her voice trembling a bit. "Does Silky happen to have any twin sister?" "Huh? A twin?" I pondered deep in my memory but I never knew that Silky had a twin. She was Aunt Vora''s sole daughter if I weren''t mistaken. I could forget names, but I never usually forget people I met. Well, unless I didn''t meet Silky''s twinif she ever had one. Turning to my side, I checked Hora''s expression. I wasn''t sure if it was just me or Hora''s expression changed from worried to horrified in an instant. Yeah. Her face pale up and her lips trembled. ''Oh my goodness! Don''t tell me Silky never had a twin! If that''s the case, who''s the one with Aunt Vora?! And who''s the Silky I met yesterday? What in the world is going on?'' "I Uuuuhh" Hora was lost of words. She lowered her head and bit her lower lips. Turning to me, she whispered, "I think I need to speak to Aunt Vora personally." "What?" I whispered back. "What''s going on? Do you mean you''ll fly back to our country?" "Yes but just for a moment. Maybe over the weekend? I just need to confirm something really important." "Oh Okay. I''ll come with you then." "No. It''s okay. I''ll go alone. I''ll be fine." "What''s the matter?" Verrill who had been silent all this while finally talked. His face was filled with worry for Hora. At least he''s worried. If he wasn''t, I''m prepared to give him a punch in the face. And so, Hora explained to everyone that she needed to come back to our country briefly. "Can''t you talk to Silky first?" Crystal suggested. "It''s a bit risky to do that. I really need to talk to my aunt first." Hora was holding back on her words. Whatever it was, it was something she couldn''t share with us. Maybe I should talk to her later. Hopefully, she would open up to me at least. If she was having problems, I wanted to be there for her and help her. "I''ll go with you," Verrill said firmly. "And that''s not an option." "No! I''ll go alone. You can''t. Besides, you have an important event this weekend, you can''t just" "It doesn''t matter." Verrill''s expression was fierce and firm. It was obvious how he''s hinting that it was not a discussion matter. If Hora wouldn''t allow me to go with her, then at least with Verrill, I''m good with that. It''s way better than going alone. Especially when she looked like that. There''s a lot of things and lots of possibilities about Silky. Badump! Badump! Badump! A heavy atmosphere surrounded us. And for some reason, I suddenly remembered that nightmare again. What if, instead of time traveling to the future, it was a prophetic dream? Like those dreams with hidden meanings in them. But I knew nothing about interpreting dreams. Ugh. I''m so useless at times like these. ''I just hope everything''s alright with Aunt Vora''s family. Maybe Silky does have a twin which she doesn''t know aboutor maybe it was Aunt Vora who didn''t know. No, that''s ridiculous. She''s the one who gave birth to her daughter. How would she not know if she had a twin or something. Haaah'' Please. Let everything be okay. Chapter 154 - Worrywart [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The rest of the day continued as usual until we all went back home. As soon as we did, I visited Hora in her room. I was worried that something I didn''t know was going on and she was having a hard time because of it. Her horrified expression during lunch got stuck in my head and I knew it wouldn''t go away unless I''m sure she''s really okay. Hora had always been like a family to me sometimes even more. In my previous life, she was the only one who stuck with me until the end. She was the only one who truly understood me. Even during the times that I deliberately tried to shut her out of my life, she persisted and didn''t leave me. Even if I write a whole book about her goodness and kindness to me, it wouldn''t sufficenot even a whole series of books. Maybe a book with endless chapters would. Truly, she was my dearest friend, and closest to my heart. I might be back in the past but that wouldn''t change hershe was still the same Hora. I owed her a lot. She was one of the best things that happened to me both in my previous life, and my life right now. If she''s in trouble, or having a hard time in any way, it''s my turn to help her. Standing in front of her room''s door, I tried to remember the things in my previous life that might help. But then again, a lot of things have changed already. First of all, we weren''t supposed to be here but we were. During this time in my previous life, I was busy trying to look for a job. And Hora was studying in a college back in our country. Was there even a situation about Silky before? And the answer was none. I only remembered encountering Silky once in my previous life. And as for Aunt Vora, just a few times during my childhood but none after that. Weird. If there was a situation about Silky having a twin sister, it should at least reach my ears. Hora would definitely tell it to me, if it happened before. And if it did, there was no way that Hora wouldn''t learn of it since her mother was fond of Aunt Vora. ''Hmm whatever. It''s useless to think about it. I should ask her directly.'' Knock! Knock! Knock! "Hora? Can I come in?" I asked, which was unusual for me because we just usually barge in our rooms like it''s ours. But for some reason, I thought that barging in wasn''t a good idea. "Yes, come in." Hora replied, her voice sounding a bit muffled. When I opened the door, I found Hora staring at her computer. I walked near her and flinched when I realized what website she was on. "Buying your tickets already?" "Oh. Yes. I didn''t want to run out of tickets." "And you''re buying Friday night tickets? You''re not even gonna rest after school on Friday?" "Ahmm Yes. School is not that tiring. And I can sleep during the flight." "Is it urgent? Can''t you just buy the morning flight instead?" Hora shook her head. She looked a bit disoriented and worried. I grabbed a free chair and sat beside her, staring at her. "Hora," I called her again after breathing in deeply, "if there''s anything bothering you, you can always share it with me. I can understand if it''s something you can''t share with others but this is just me. We''re the only ones here so it''s okay to say anything." "Don''t worry, Sena. It''s not that serious," she replied, scratching her cheeks. She''s lying to me. Somehow, my heart ached. She was the one who said not to have any secrets with each other. But then again, I kept my time traveling as a secret from her so I had no right to be hurt by this. Well, maybe I could get hurt since what happened to me was unexplainablemagic, of all things! Who in their right mind would believe me? Even Hora would find it hard to believe me. "Hora, please. Don''t lie to me," I said in a somewhat angry tone. "You said no secrets." Hora flinched, and her face turned sullen. "Ahm Sena, you see haaah," she sighed. "There are some things I can''thow do I say this What I mean is that" ''This is the first time Hora''s been like this. Usually, she has no trouble speaking her mind. But now, she''s having trouble finding the right words. Is she filtering her words to me? She shouldn''t even be doing that. I can take it whatever it is! There''s no need for her to Haaah. I wish she''d just tell me.'' "It''s not like I don''t want to tell you, really," she continued, "but it''s more like I shouldn''t be the one saying. It''s about Aunt Vora''s family, you see. Not me. If it''s me, I''ll tell you right away. But since it''s not I''m so sorry." ''Is that really the case? Or is it just an excuse? But then, Hora is right. Aunt Vora is kind but we''re not that close to be deeply involved in their family matters.'' "I see. In that case, I won''t ask anymore." Right. I shouldn''t meddle too much in other people''s lives. "But if it''s giving you a hard time," I continued, "please, let me help. If there''s anything I can help at all. I''m just worried about you. Can you promise me that it''s nothing dangerous? Or not something that will greatly upset you? Or hurt you?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha!" Hora chuckled. "Don''t worry. It''s nothing dangerous, nothing that will upset me greatly, and nothing that will hurt me. I promise." She raised her right hand as she said it, promising to me. "Okay. I''ll take your word for it then." "Thank you so much, Sena." "It''s nothing Oh! One last thing." "What is it?" "Do you really have to go? Can''t you just call Aunt Vora? Or do a video chat?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Aunt Vora repels technology!" Hora laughed so hard. "You''ve been to their house. It looks more like a flower garden than a house! And very minimal appliances except those that are easy to use for Aunt Vora. Only Silky is good with technology." Remembering the beautiful house we went to during our elementary days, filled with flower bushes everywhere, with walls covered in flowering vines, and a beautiful water fountain in the backyard, I was convinced. Yeah. Aunt Vora''s house was like that. It''s very beautiful though. It''s like a fairy sanctuary of some sort. Or a vacation house. Not only that, it was amazing how that Sakura tree (cherry blossom tree) was alive there. I thought they only grew in cold placesor was I mistaken? Because her house was filled with those trees, even if you go far away outside the village, you could definitely tell her house apart from the rest. Just go to the pink housenot that the house itself was pink, it''s actually white and brown because of the woods, but pink because of all the cherry blossoms. Honestly, despite me not being a fan of pink, I wouldn''t mind living in her home. The cherry blossoms were simply stunning! "Ha-ha-ha! Right. Okay, be careful on your flight though, and on your way, and on going back." "Yes, yes. Stop being a worrywart." "Hey. I''m not" "Yes, you are." "Fine. Just be okay." "Yes, ma''am." "And say hi to Aunt Vora and her family for me." "I will." Not long after that, our little conversation ended. Then, the rest of the week passed by quickly. I said my goodbye to Hora and Verrill before they left. It''s unfair how she let Verrill go with her but not me. I sulked and begged her from Wednesday to Friday but she insisted on not taking me. I was prepared to sneak out but then she caught me trying to buy tickets, too. Ugh. Why did I have to get caught? Anyway, it was nice that at least she had a companioneven if it wasn''t me, and the sly fox instead. And he just had to show off by offering Hora to go using their luxurious private jet. He should have told her that from the beginning so she didn''t need to buy the tickets. Good thing she was refunded. Flights near the date of departure tend to cost so much more than usual ones booked weeks or months before. And so, Hora and Verrill flew off towards the Pear of the Orient. "Haaaah" "That''s a long sigh," Kaiden commented. He and Crystal went with me to see Hora and Verrill off. "Sorry about that. I just hope everything''s okay." "I hope so, too. But it''s useless to overthink. So don''t worry too much." "Yes. I''ll try." Actually, I had been trying not to worry this whole week. But somehow my instincts told me there''s something wrong. Chapter 155 - Kaiden Effect (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ The idea of not having Hora with me for the next two days was beyond dreadful. If I experienced separation anxiety when Crystal was gone, what more would it be without Hora? She''s been with me since forever! Even in my previous life. We''re like salt and peppernever the same without the other! Haaaah how would I ever survive this weekend? But more than my measly worry, what''s more important was Hora and her aunt''s family. I hope they''re all okay ''Ugh Silky. You''re just a teenager but look at the mess you caused. Now, everyone is worried about you and your family. What in the world is going on?'' How I wished I could just confront her about it but Hora insisted not to. I had been wondering why though. It''s not like a teenager could do something worseokay, maybe she could since she already managed to put all this trouble for us. At times like these, I couldn''t help but overthink and try to solve the mysteryno thanks to my ever curious mind. Just this week alone, I probably thought of about a hundred scenarios that could have happened. But I had no proof of them so theories they all remained. Anyway, today was Saturday, my first day of not having Hora around. I somehow managed to survive last night with barely any sleep. Now, I''m not sure how I would survive the rest of the day. Maybe I''d start by not thinking about her too much. It would be fine. Let''s be positive. Right. Positivity that I barely had. "Maybe I should try writing for today," I murmured to myself as I laid in bed, with my head hanging on the sides. I felt lethargic due to my lack of sleep. And since I lacked sleep, would I even be able to write anything? "Coffee I need coffee." Yup. Just the thing I needed to wake every cell in my being. Pushing myself to get up, I rang the maids and asked them to bring coffee in my room. Then, I took my laptop and sat at the couch, pushing the coffee table nearer to me so I could work on my writing. I didn''t fancy writing on my bed since normally, just being on my bed was enough to make me sleepy. And my study desk was a mess because of all the books I left open there last night while trying to finish all my homework since I couldn''t sleep. So the only safe place to write right now was on the couch. Or actually, I could transfer to the balconythere''s also a table and chairs over there. Perfect with the view of the garden from below. Ugh. But I''m too lazy right now. I should just do that later. Few minutes passed and the maids were back with the coffee set, and some cookies and biscuits for snack. It was still too earlyfive in the morning. Yeah, my dawn body clock was still alive and kicking. I would probably keep waking up before dawn even when I''m older. As they said, old habits die hard. And so, I tried to continue my new book, or rather, second book, since it''s not really that new anymore. I already wrote a few chapters of it. Writing it, I figured it would be best as a series and not just one book. I''m already done writing half of it and I''m still barely at the surface of how the whole story would play out. Right. Four Volumes should suffice. Or maybe this book would be best as a series, not a movie? There''s just so much going on that I couldn''t imagine it being summed up in just one movie. Or it could be a series of movies, too? Hmmm well, whatever. I''d let the Producers work on thatif ever this book would be good enough to impress them. Unlike my first book, this second one, "The King''s Beloved"just a title I thought up for nowwas something I had to create from scratch, especially the world and how magic worked in it. From its flora and fauna, to its complex politics, and down to its inhabitants which I called "Magi", everything was fully conceptualized by me. In Armageddon, somebody else created the world and I just had to add things from there to form the lore, and then the characters. World building was a really complex thing to do. One thing I learned as I wrote this fantasy story and from the lessons at school, was that the world building itself could make or break a book. I mean, if I''m a reader, I wouldn''t want to read about a story done in a world that didn''t make sense. Or a world that was lacking or incomplete in many ways. Or maybe it was just me being too much of a perfectionist? Either way, world building was really important. That''s why it would often take years for great books to be made such as Henry Potter, Harnia, Seragon, and so much more. Apart from world building, what''s really special about this book was the concept of the "12 Trials" for the male lead. I still couldn''t figure out how I''m supposed to squeeze in those twelve trials into one bookit''s impossible. Maybe I should cut it in half? Actually, even that might not be enough. Each trial could be a movie of their ownthat would be 12 movies! That''s too much. Haaah Right. I should think thoroughly on how I wanted it to be showcased in the future. As I busied myself with writing down random ideas that popped into my head, I didn''t notice that someone came in and sat on the couch in front of me. "It''s so early in the morning but you''re already busy." It was Kaidenwait, what?! Kaiden, awake at dawn? This early? For real? My eyes widened in shock and I immediately stopped my writing. "Kaiden! You''re there. What brings you here? And yes, so early in the morning. Are you fully awake now?" I replied, in an almost shouting manner. "If I said I''m not, will you let me sleep here some more?" Kaiden asked, smiling mischievously enough to make me blush. ''Isn''t it a bit too early for us to flirt?'' "W-Well, if you want. My bed is free since I''m busy here." "Oh," he replied, sounding dismayed. Then, in a murmur, he continued, "I thought you''d join me." OMG! I almost spilled my coffee! And my face was starting to feel hot. Yes, Sena. That''s what you call the "Kaiden Effect". Kaiden stood up, transferred to my couch, and sat beside me. Seeing him up close, he seemed to be still sleepy and looked like he forced himself to wake up. But why? He didn''t have to. "Are you okay? If you''re still sleepy, you can" Suddenly, Kaiden, who was staring at me intently a few moments ago, slid down the couch and laid down, with his head using my thigh as a pillow. Badump! Badump! Badump! My heart went wild in my chest. ''OMG OMG OMG! What is the meaning of this? W-why is he suddenly Kyaaaaaaa!!! I can''t take this. He''s too cute! Don''t tell me he went here just to cuddle? Is he having a hard time sleeping, too? KYAAAAAAA! That''s so adorable. My heart.'' "Can I sleep here?" Kaiden asked, his tone softened and a bit husky. He seemed to be really tired. Maybe I was right. He''s having trouble sleeping, that''s why he came here. "S-Sure! Go ahead. Wherever you''re comfortable." Kaiden chuckled. "Yes. This is a very comfortable place." "I''m glad you like it." "Senara." "Yes?" "Are you feeling okay?" Ah. I knew it. He''s worried about me. Somehow, that fact alone warmed my heart. He''s really so sweet, and caring, and everything. How could others see him as a grumpy person when he''s so kind like this? "Actually not so much. I''m worried about Hora, and her aunt''s family. But I''m trying to be positive. Maybe we''re just overthinking things, you know. And hopefully, we all are. That, and Hora''s absence is making me a bit sad. I''m not used to it." "What a clingy friend," he jested. "Ha-ha-ha! Yes, I am." "Ahhh this boyfriend is jealous." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha! What? Say that again!" Seeing I enjoyed hearing it, Kaiden replied with a strict tone, "No. I''m not repeating it." "Oh, come on. Please." "I said no." "Ha-ha-ha-ha! So you''re jealous of Hora? Do you want me to be clingy to you, too?" "That doesn''t sound so bad." Then, pointing at him laying his head on my thigh, I asked him, "So is this you being clingy to me?" Kaiden chuckled. "Yes. Can''t I?" "You definitely can." We ended up smiling sweetly at each other. Then, he got up and kissed my lips. Wow. I should really get used to this kissing. It''s driving me crazy again. These warm, soft, and smooth lips "Ahhh Kaiden," I moaned through his kiss. "Yes?" " I love you." "I love you, too. So please, stop worrying and hurting yourself unnecessarily." "Yes. I''m sorry." And just like that, the heavy weight on my heart was gone in an instant. Chapter 156 - Kaiden Effect (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Chuuuu Chuuuu Chuuuu Kaiden continued kissing me as he brushed my cheeks gently. His arms wrapped around my waist like it was the most normal thing to do. And my heart thumping hard was not helping at all. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''This is addicting Now, I know why lovers liked kissing a lot. The feeling of having your significant other pressing their lips onto yours I don''t know if there''s any better way to show intimacy than this. Oh wait, there''s still "that''''. But we''re still too young to do that.'' Every kiss was a ticket to my entire being melting away in his embrace. When I felt my body getting weak, and my breath running short, I leaned my body on the backrest of the couch to support myself. "Haaah Haaah Haaah Kaiden," I called his name through my breath. "How longuhmm." And he kissed me again, shutting me up with my question. I guess he''s planning on doing it some moremaybe until our lips were sore? But if I would be honest to myself, I didn''t really mind. It''s Saturday anyway, and we''re alone in my room. As long as it''s not in public, I didn''t mind kissing him. Well, as long as my heart could endure it. While I enjoyed myself with his kiss, I didn''t notice that he was already licking my lips. And the next thing I knew, his tongue was already inside my mouth, touching my own. "Uhmmm aaahhh," I moaned louder when he did that. And my breathing became faster. ''W-whatW-where in the world did he learn to kiss like this?! KYAAAAAAAAA!!! I''m dying! I''m dying! I''m dying! But it feels so good! How much is he planning on making me crazy over him? Yes. This kiss is driving me crazy.'' Kaiden''s tongue swirled inside mine, wrapping my own tongue into his. I felt like a trapped butterfly on his webs, unable to move and could only succumb to his every bidding. His arms around my waist tightened and his hands gently caressed through my clothes. With every move he made, my body just felt hotter and hotter. ''W-we shouldn''t be doing it this intensely, right? I mean, we''re still young and w-weak to temptations and aahhh Damn it! It feels really good. I''m too weak at this!'' The sounds that our lips and tongue produced, the grunting and moaning, heavy breathings, and so much warmth was enough to make me feel so weak. Later on, the sun was already up in the sky and we were still kissing. My body felt so hot and the strength on my legs were gone. I felt like a wilted flower. Was he secretly an incubus who gains strength from women? If not, then why did it feel like all my energy went to him? Just look at him. That''s right. Kaiden''s face flushed pink and his eyes stared seductively at meor maybe he was just staring normally and I''m the only one thinking that way since it looked too seductive for me. His sleepiness from a moment ago was gone and his face and whole body exuded great vigor and energy, as opposed to my wretched statetoo weak to even lift a finger. And that wasn''t all. T-there''s something "wet" that I''m feeling between my thighs. Who wouldn''t be in this situation? I mean come on! When your handsome boyfriend kisses you like that, only an abnormal person wouldn''t go crazy and feel all hot! ''I need to go to the bathroom.'' Yes. That was the first thought that came to mind when Kaiden finally let go of my lips since he seemed extremely satisfied already. Feeling a bit naughty and curious, I wondered if Kaiden was feeling "it" down there, too. I shouldn''t be the only one feeling this way, right? But then again, my mind wasn''t so innocent. I wonder if I lowered my head and my eyes, sneaking a glance over his groin. Badump! Badump! Badump! And there it was, a large bulge he carefully hid through his thighs. He probably noticed me since he quickly let go and turned his back on me. His ears and neck were beet red though. I chuckled seeing him cutely hide it from me. ''Come on, Sena! Act a little bit demure. And don''t provoke him or you might regret it! But I have to admit, that was pretty bigNo! Sena stop! You lewd, perverted girl! Where did you learn to be so lustful?! Bad thoughts, begone!'' "A-Ahhmm I-I''ll just go to the bathroom for a second," I shyly said, and quickly ran over towards the bathroom afterwards. Once inside, I inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm myself, while fanning my face with my hands, trying to cool myself down. "Relax, Sena. Calm down. It''s all done now. In the future, try to avoid such scenarios or you might end up losing your virginity to him before marriage. That''s not so good, right? Y-You should only be doing more intimate things once you''re older. Not during teenage years, you got that?" I spoke softly in a way only I could hear myself, reprimanding my own self for behaving so lewdly. "I should tell Kaiden to lessen the kissing or it will be dangerous for the both of us." Anyway, I quickly washed myself down there, and also washed my face again, still trying to cool down my temperature. Facing the mirror in front of me, I ended up staring at my lips, and touching it with my fingers. The warmth and moisture from Kaiden''s lips still lingered. I began wondering how long the sensation would remain. After that, Kaiden used the bathroom, tooprobably to cool himself down as well. Once done, he went back to the couch, sat beside me, laid himself down, and used my thighs as his pillow again. Not long after that, he dozed off to sleep. I chuckled seeing him peacefully sleeping after our passionate kiss. As Kaiden slept, I brushed my fingers through his hair, gently stroking it so he sleeps better. Before I knew it, I ended up sleeping, too. Hours passed and I was only awakened when someone knocked on the door. Knock! Knock! Knock! "Senara, can I come in?" It was Crystal. "Yes, come in," I replied back in a careful shout, so Kaiden wouldn''t wake up. Good thing he seemed to be deep asleep. Crystal came in and her eyes instantly widened when she saw her twin brother sleeping on my thigh, still on his pajamas. She observed us for a moment and Click! Click! Click! Of course, she''d take picturesthe Classic Crystal. She''d really make a great paparazzi. I wondered how many pictures of us had she taken? A-and sent to Mrs. Ma. I''m still dreading that fact. Crystal giggled and stomped her feet, all while trying to suppress her sounds, so as not to wake her brother up. After fangirling for a few minutes, she went near and sat beside me, on the opposite side of Kaiden. "Good morning, Crystal," I greeted her, smiling. "Good morning to you, too, Senara!" Crystal greeted back enthusiastically. She''s still suppressing her giggles. "Why did you come? Did something happen?" I asked, curious as to why she was visiting on an early morning. Last time she did that to me was during Verrill''s birthday. "Oh! Right. I almost forgot," Crystal looked shocked. It seemed that her fangirling got ahead of her. "I just wanted to check how you''re doing. Aaanddd I just got a message from Hora. She said she''ll call later this afternoon. Her aunt had them rest when they arrived last night and said they''ll discuss things later. And her mother is coming over there, too, after learning of her sudden visit. Hora thinks it''s only because her mom" "Is jealous," I chorused with Crystal. Yes, I''m very familiar with Hora''s mom. She''d definitely be jealous that Hora visited her Aunt Vora before her. Or it could also be the fact that she''s getting more time with Aunt Vora than hers. "Ha-ha-ha! That''s very like Hora''s mom." "Ha-ha-ha! Yeah! I was surprised when I read through her text." I took my phone from the coffee table and checked Hora''s text message. It was mostly the same with what she texted Crystal. It was then that I noticed There was no emoji in her text message. Not a single one. My throat suddenly felt dry. And my heart was filled with worry in an instant. ______________________________ Hi Pumpkins! Hope you''re all doing well. I''d like to apologize that I''ve only been publishing one chapter daily (though they''re longer than usual chapters) these last few days. I''m still adjusting to my hectic day job schedule plus the other stuff I needed to do. Don''t worry I''ll resume back to 2 chapters daily once I''m fully adjusted. Hoping for your kind understanding. Lots of love, Macy Bae Chapter 157 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Dream Aria" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Hora''s POV - that Friday night they flew on Verrill''s private jet towards her home country, Pearl of the Orient] The view of the night sky and the twinkling lights of the cities below had always been a sight to behold for me. And now, sitting beside the window in a private jet flying so high up in the sky, it was even more fascinatingmagical even. With Verrill sitting beside me, one could mistake it as romantic as well. But my heart and mind was far off from romance at that moment. I''m worried very much worried to the point that I couldn''t say it, even to Sena, my dearest bestfriend and a sister of my soul. Yes. That''s right even to Sena. Because this was something normal people shouldn''t be concerning themselves about. And I''m not allowed to tell her. Verrill accidentally finding out about this was already dangerous in itself. Plus, I''m still new to all of these. I''m usually a jolly and bubbly person if I do say so myself, but times like these always creeped me out. "Hora, dinner''s here," Verrill called me, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked back at him and immediately responded with a smile on my face, "Ah, yes. Thank you." The stewardess prepared the meal in front of us, and poured water and juice to our glasses. Then, went back to the sides, awaiting any command from us. The dinner served was luxurious as always, these rich people just never knew how to be thrifty. Oh well, at least it''s always appetizing except for now since I didn''t have much appetite all thanks to worrying too much. And I wouldn''t stop worrying until I get to the bottom of this which sucks. Waaaaaaa I just need answers to my questions and hopefully, they''re all good answers. Verrill helped me cut my steak before giving the plate to me. He probably noticed my mind was elsewhere since I unconsciously kept on missing the spot I''m supposed to cut. Sometimes, my knife would cut on the plate instead of the food itself. "I''m so sorry," I apologized as soon as I realized it. ''Ughhhh. Hora, stop this! You''re only making it worse! And making Verrill more worried about you than he should be.'' "It''s alright. But please, eat properly," he replied in a smile a worried kind of smile. "Yes!" I tried to be jolly again and nodded my head enthusiastically. Then, I tried to eat in the same manner. Good thing the food was really delicious. It at least helped lighten up my mood a bit. Thank you, chef, whoever you were. Once done eating, I slouched on the seat and leaned my head on Verrill''s shoulder. I thought that maybe, I should try to get some sleep instead of worrying myself to death. Verrill probably understood my intentions because he patted my head afterwards and caressed my cheeks until I fell asleep. A couple of hours passed until we reached the airport and landed. After that was a few hours on the road in a car that Verrill also prepared, much to my surprise. I always wondered how he, Kaiden, and even Callan, could easily arrange things like these as if they''re adultsinvestigating families, preparing a private jet and car, and all that grown-up stuff. Amazing. The only bad thing was how traffic it was on one of the roads we had to take on our way to Aunt Vora''s house. Other than that, it was a pretty chill ride and I got to doze off a bit, too. Finally, after the long wait, we arrived at Aunt Vora''s residence filled with flowers and cherry blossom trees. Just entering through their main gate would make you think you''re entering a fantasy world. "It''s really so enchanting no matter how many times I come here," I murmured to myself as I stared into the beautiful trees with their leaves slowly falling off everytime the wind blew. "It is. Maybe I should make a garden at home filled with cherry blossoms as well. Then, put a library in the midst of it and a piano so we can hang out there from time to time." "A-Ack! T-that''s too much! You don''t need to do that." My face flushed. Seriously, this guy. Tsk. Tsk. I just said that the place was enchanting and he''s thinking of making a copy of it! I appreciate the gesture but it''s too grand. I swear if I ever saw him do it for real, I''m gonna scold him for wasting money. "But it''s so beautiful," Verrill pouted, looking like a cute puppy. "D-Don''t use that face on me." Then, he began sulking. ''Uuuggghh Waaah! I can''t take it! My heart!'' "Fine. Do what you want," I gave in. Verrill smirked as soon as he heard that. This side of him was both irritating and cute. Screech! The car stopped at the front door of Aunt Vora''s house. Their front door looked like an ancient one, complete with a door knocker made of gold and designed like a flower. We got out of the car and I knocked on the door four times, in a patternone knock, two consecutive in a half beat, and one last knockall with even intervals in each set of knocks. I wasn''t so sure why but we''ve been doing that since we were children. My mom taught me about it saying it was somehow a secret code to know if a family member was visiting or not. Now that I''m older, I''m just used to it. After that, was the sound of gears moving, and the door opening by itself. Aunt Vora''s house was really amazing in so many ways. I should ask her how all these mechanisms worked. Well, after I''m done with my initial business with her. Once the door was opened, Verrill and I proceeded inside. The inside of their house had an antique motif, though still filled with flowers in almost every corner. It was still pleasing to the eyes nonetheless. "Is it okay for us to just come in?" Verrill asked as we walked around the long hallway. "It''s a big house and I just thought there''s no servants?" Right. He''s used to having butlers and lots of servants that welcomed visitors to their homeeven giving tours and all that fancy stuff. Just like how we were served when Sena and I first went to the Ma Residence. "Oh, they do have them," I replied. "But not like those butlers and maids back in the Ma Residence or at your home. There''s minimal helpers here, mainly the cook and the cleaners. Other than that, Aunt Vora does everything. And yes, it''s okay to just come in. Family and their friends are always welcome." "I see," Verrill acknowledged, not sounding so happy. ''Of course, I said "friends" that''s why. But that''s because I''m not ready to have a boyfriend yet and still preparing myself. T-That kiss before, and the other kisses, too ahm, well I do like him but it''s just I think it''s better if he gets to know me more first. Especially with my family background.'' Right. Aside from Silky''s situation, there was another thing that worried me since last weekend that Verrill accidentally saw "that". Once he learns the whole truth about our family, would he still like me? Or would his feelings change? Sting ''Ugh. I''m scared. This is another reason I can''t tell it to Sena. What if she freaks out once she finds out about it? I can''t lose her. She''s my best friend and the sister I didn''t have. She''s really important to me. Just like Verrill. After all these and Verrill still accepts me, maybe then, I''ll tell Sena. But right now, I still can''t.'' Few minutes passed as we walked around the house and at last, we reached Aunt Vora''s library. We passed by the living room, bedrooms, dining area, and other places but she wasn''t there. If that''s the case, then only the library was the most reasonable place for her to be in. As we walked, we noticed no sign of Silky''s twin, if ever there really was. Honestly, I didn''t doubt the report of Kaiden''s people. It''s a perfect report actually. That was if we''re only judging by normal human standards. Problem was our family was never a normal human family. That''s right. Me, my family, and everyone from the generations before, even my cousins, we all belonged to a deep rooted ancestry known to all of our kind in the Pearl of the Orient. If I were to compare it to those vampire stories, then we would be considered pure bloods. That''s right. We were pure bloods. But not vampires We were a family of pure blooded witches. Chapter 158 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - when they finally arrived at Aunt Vora''s house, and stood in front of the library door, searching for Aunt Vora] Knock! Knock-knock! Knock! I knocked once again on the door towards the library, in the same pattern as I did to the front door. No one answered except for a clicking sound from the door knob. When I heard that, I opened the door and we proceeded inside. Verrill still walked close behind me. Aunt Vora''s library was probably the biggest room inside their house. She was a book lover, toomaybe where I got my love for books myself. Her library had tons of books, even ancient ones recorded on scrolls, and other types of books one wouldn''t usually see inside a household. You''d mistake it as a museum of books or a national library at first glance. And it was such a beautiful place, too. All shelves were made of the strongest wood, decorated with flowers still, and the books were arranged neatly on each shelf. The smell of wood could had been apparent, but thanks to the fragrance of the flowers, the room remained pleasant to the nose. Though I didn''t mind the smell of wood and books myself. Walking past a few shelves, we heard the sound of girls giggling and talking to each other. I recognized the voices at once and ran towards their direction. And there it was, finally, my Aunt Vora. I smiled as soon as I saw her. Truthfully, I missed this aunt who''s a favourite of mine. Aunt Vora had light brown hair, lighter than mine, and a pair of beautiful green eyes. Despite being my aunt and having Silky, she still looked so young and petite like a full grown woman in her prime. You wouldn''t believe it if she confessed her real age to you which was flat forty. Her meek appearance and gentle smiles were one of her greatest features. "Auntie!" I greeted her enthusiastically and quickly ran to her, giving her a big hug. Aunt Vora was surprisedof course she would, I didn''t even say I''m visiting this early. She probably thought I would arrive tomorrow or on Sunday. But no, I couldn''t wait any longer than that. Silky, or her twin, was sitting in front of her, and a book was laid down between them. She, too, was shocked by my sudden arrival. "Hora, my dear! I missed you!" Aunt Vora gleamed at me and hugged me tight. "How have you been? How''s your school? Is everything okay?" "Yes, all is good. Don''t worry. And school''s pretty fun." "That''s great to hear. It''s best to enjoy your school days while young. And meet lots of friends." "Uhm! Uhm!" I nodded in agreement. "Oh by the way, this is Verrill," I introduced him and gestured my hands towards him. "Good evening, madam. It''s a pleasure to meet you," Verrill politely said, and bowed his head. "I''m Verrill Zhong, one of Hora''s" "Oh my goodness! You got yourself a boyfriend already, my dear?!" Aunt Vora gasped in amusement. Yes, she was amused for some reason that my face immediately grimaced. Was it such an impossibility for me to have a boyfriend? But wait, he''s not yet my boyfriend. And that''s not even the case here. "I can''t believe you finally found a man! Oh no, your dad''s gonna be so jealous. Ha-ha-ha-ha," Aunt Vora snickered through her words, while tapping Verrill''s shoulders. "He''s definitely a fine man thoughvery handsome and looks physically endowed." She nodded approvingly. "Aunt! T-that''s not Waaaa. Don''t say it like that," I complained and my face flushed red in embarrassment. Turning to Verrill, I frantically apologized, "I''m so sorry Verrill, don''t mind her nonsense. I-It''s just" "Ha-ha-ha!" Verrill laughed at me. "It''s okay, Hora. Besides, your aunt is complimenting me, not saying rude things." ''Ha? But saying he''s physically endowed is a bit rude, right? Is it not? Well, if he''s okay with it, then maybe it''s fine.'' "Oh come on, my dear. And feel free to call me Aunt, Auntie, or Aunt Vora as well. You''re part of the family now." "What thethat fast? Besides, Auntie, we''re not a married couple yet. What are you saying he''s part of the family now?" ''Ugh. This is really embarrassing. Maybe I shouldn''t have brought Verrill with me. But then again, I can''t say no to that intense look he gave me before.'' "Hmm I see. You''re not yet married," she hummed as if it was the discovery of the century for her. "In that case, just get married." I slammed my hand to my face. "We''re still studying, Auntie. And we''re too young for that." "Oh, right. You can''t get married before 18. In that case, get married when you''re 18. That should solve it. But still dearie, consider yourself part of the family." My facial expression turned sour and unamused. I guess I''m not getting my point across anymore. And it was too late to say we''re friends w-with kissing benefits. Ugh. That sounded so wrong. "Anywaaaaaay," I cut off my giggling aunt or she''d start fangirling a few moments from now. Verrill didn''t even help me clarify the situation. He seemed to be enjoying being mistaken as my boyfriend. W-Well, I guess that''s fine, too. "That''s not the reason we came here, Auntie." "Hmmm? It''s not? I thought you came to introduce your boyfriend to us." "No. That''s not it. We came because" The atmosphere turned gloomy in a matter of seconds. It was probably because of my expression changing into a worried and sullen one. I glanced to my right and there was Silkyor maybe not the real Silky. Because if she was, she would have joined in our conversation already. She was one of the cousins I was pretty close with as well. Aunt Vora smiled warmly at me and patted my head. "Whatever it is, I''m sure it can wait tomorrow, my dear," she said in her gentle tone. "But but" I tried to argue but the look on her face clearly showed her intent. "Have you both had your dinner? If not, let''s go to the dining area right away and I''ll ask the chef to cook something for you two." "It''s alright Auntie," Verrill answered for me since I fell silent. "We already had our dinner on the plane. We''re still full but thank you for offering." "Oh my, what a very polite kid. Alright. In that case, you two should rest for now. The travel must have exhausted you both. Let me accompany you to the guest rooms." I sighed deeply to myself. It seemed that we''re not gonna get any talking done tonightwhich was weird because Aunt Vora would usually listen to my concerns right away. Perhaps she knew about Silky? Or had an idea? Orhaaaaah And so, Aunt Vora accompanied us towards the guest room. Silky, or her twin, or whoever she was, was left in the library, just smiling and not even standing to greet us. That was really weird. She just waved her hand goodbye to us when we left the library. "Oh my," Aunt Vora suddenly exclaimed when we were in front of one of the guest rooms. Her hand covered her mouth as she gasped, looking like she remembered something important. "Hm? What is it, Auntie?" Turning to me, she answered, "I forgot we barely had any guests so most of the guest rooms are not prepared and tidied up. They''re filled with dust right now and there''s only one room who''s usablethe one your mom usually uses when she visits every now and then." Verrill and I froze up from our positions. ''Oh no indeed. I-In that case, does that mean that I-I will have to share rooms with Verrill? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Noooooooo! I''m not ready for this. A-Although, I already slept once in his bedroom when I got sick during his birthday party. B-but still!'' Gulping and trying to wet what had become my dry mouth, I replied to Aunt Vora, "A-Auntie C-can I just sleep with you? Or Silky?" "Hmmm," Aunt Vora thought deeply. "My husband, your uncle, is at home right now so we''ll be sharing rooms and you know, be lovey-dovey." ''Ack! T-that was unnecessary information! Unnecessary! Auntie! Why would you go saying that? This is really so embarrassing.'' "And Silky hmmm She might not like the idea of sharing rooms. I''m sorry about that. But you would need to share on this one. We don''t have extra futons or mattresses, either." I slammed my palm to my face once again. This has turned out to be so chaotic. Was she not even concerned that her beloved niece would be sleeping with a man? "Don''t worry, Hora. You can take the bed and I''ll sleep on the couch," Verrill kindly offered. ''Ahhhh Verrill is really so kind.'' "Oh my, what a sweet boy," Aunt Vora giggled. "Now, I''ll go and leave you two alone so you can rest. See you both tomorrow. Good night!" And just like that, my aunt left me alone with a man. Last time I was alone with Verrill, we ended up kissing lots. Would I even be able to sleep tonight? Chapter 159 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 3) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ DUN-DUN! ''Okay. Sooooo we''re now all alone, inside a bedroom, with just the two of us. Omigosh. I hope I survive tonight. Verrill is really kind and such a gentleman. There shouldn''t be any problem, right? I''m just overthinking things. Yeah. And besides, we''re both tired. We need all our energy for tomorrow, too. We should sleep early.'' As I was busy with my thoughts circling on and on in my head, Verrill on the other hand, busied himself with unpacking our clothes from the suitcase and hanging them inside the closet. He''s even doing mine. How kind of him. It was then that it hit me. ''Omigosh! No no no no no! He''s gonna see my underwear! KYAAAAAAA!!!'' "Aaaah! S-Stop! Let me do that instead!" I jolted up from my seatI was sitting on the couch that time trying to relax my body when I saw himand immediately ran towards him, taking my suitcase with me. Badump! Badump! Badump! My heart throbbed hard in my nervousness and embarrassment. I hope he didn''t see any undergarments of mine. That would kill me. "Oh, I''m sorry," Verrill apologized. Awww he didn''t even need to. He was just being nice, doing it for me. "I just thought you''re tired so I" "No! Don''t be sorry! I''m really grateful. It''s just let''s just say, there''s something I don''t want you to see," I murmured on the last part. "Hm?" Ugh. Verrill seemed to not understand what I meant. Oh well. He''s too pure for that, I guess. But then again, he kissed me many times already so h-he''s not that pure. "Uuuuuhh, anyway, why don''t you take a shower first? I''ll go in later, and then" ''WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! That sounded so wrong again! What am I saying?! My mouth and brain, please cooperate with me. Don''t suggest things!'' "I-I meantwhat I mean is, to prepare for sleep! We usually shower before sleeping. Same thing when we wake up, before going to school," I tried to explain it to him, in case he''s misunderstanding it. Ugh. My face was probably so red right now. "Yes, I do the same. I''ll just finish my clothes first. Why don''t you take a shower first? You''ve been worrying since earlier, or rather, this entire week. You should get some early rest. I''ll stay awake for a while since I need to check a couple of things." "Oh, is that so? Alright. I''ll go in first. Thank you." And so, I hurriedly unpacked my clothes and went to the bathroom to freshen up before sleeping. Good thing my pajamas had always been normal pajamasand the pants went all the way to my ankles, very comfortable, too. I could never imagine myself wearing nightgowns like Crystal. It''s too sexy and mature for me. And probably wouldn''t look good with my almost non-existent chest. I''m just a B cup. How I wished it was as big as Sena''s at least. Crystal''s sexiness was perfect, so at least Sena''s would have been great. But I was still growing so maybe it would grow bigger in time. Hopefully. And hopefully, Sena''s jinx on me about my height not growing anymore was wrong. I still couldn''t get over that fact. I wanted to grow taller! So unfair. Anyway, I showered so fast since I didn''t want to make Verrill wait too long. He needed the rest, too. It''s been a very hectic week for us. Plus the fact that he arranged everything in just a short amount of timefrom the private jet, to the private car, all the paperworks, and probably the same for going back, too. Verrill was really amazing. Kaiden, too, I would admit. Callan hmmm, I''m not sure but he probably was, too? Since they were all rich heirs trained from childhood, right? To be able to do lots of things most adults do, they''re all so amazing. While me, I''m just busy studying, reading mangas or books, watching animes or kdramas, eating lots of food, and being a Snorlaxjust your typical introvert teenager. I should thank him later. A-and maybe, I''d allow him to sneak in a kiss or two. Just that. Nothing more. ''If I''d be honest to myself I''m already addicted to Verrill''s kisses. Sena would definitely kill me once she knew about this. He''s been greeting me that way ever since it happened! Everytime he accompanied me to class, and fetched me after. Or whenever we met at school to the point that I got used to it! As if he was training me to get used to it! And today, we haven''t kissed yet. So maybe that''s why after all this time, I''m the one waiting for it. Omigosh omigosh omigosh! This can''t be happening! Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!'' Wait a minute. This sounded familiar. If I''m not mistaken, Sena told me that Kaiden was doing the same thing, right? I even caught them sneaking a kiss last Thursday after we parted ways at lunch time. Kaiden was the one who stole a brief kiss from her. I made sure to interrogate her after that. ''Could it be? Was Kaiden the one teaching Verrill all these things? I mean, that explains why they have the same behaviour, right? I should speak with Kaiden again once we get back. He shouldn''t be teaching impure things to Verrill or else his mind will be too polluted. Uhm! Uhm! That''s right. I need to protect Verrill''s pureness, too!'' After resolving myself to do that, I finally finished bathing and got out of the bathroom to change clothes. I went straight to the changing room and changed into my pajamasI didn''t want Verrill to see me in my bathrobe again lest things that happened during his birthday happened again. Once done changing, I went back to Verrill. "I''m done. You can use the bathroom now," I smiled at him, as I carried the hair blower in my hand. I took it out from the bathroom sink since I usually took time blowing my hair dry. And that would make him wait longer. Verrill, who was busy with his phone, looked at me as soon as I spoke, and smiled handsomely as usual. "Ah, thank you." Noticing my wet hair, he asked, "Why didn''t you finish drying your hair?" "I could do it here, it''s fine. Go ahead. You need to rest early, too." "Are you sure?" "Yes. Now go! Go go go." I pushed him to the bathroom since he seemed hesitant. If I''d known better, he would offer to dry my hair before "Want me to dry your hair?" And there it was. I knew it. I ended up chuckling since I was just thinking about it and he just said it. "I can dry my own hair, but thank you for the offer. You''re really too kind. And you''re not my servant, so stop doing lots of things for me. Seriously! You even tried to unpack my clothes. I can do that myself, you know." "Hmm But I just thought" he pouted. Awww so cute. ''Does he really want to dry my hair that badly? Or was this his way of showing affection? Wait, I read about those before. Yes, that article about the "Five Love Languages"affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. So I guess he''s on the "acts of service" type, huh? That means he wants the same type of love to be given back to him. Maybe I should dry his hair after, too?'' Smiling cutely back at him since I thought of a nice way to thank him back, I said, "Instead of you doing it for me, why don''t I do it for you once you''re done?" "Huh? But" "No buts!" I told him off. Then, I pushed him towards the bathroom before he could argue more. Few minutes passed and finally, Verrill was done bathing. He went out of the bathroom with just his bathrobe on, and hair still wet and dripping a bit to his neck and chest that showed slightly since his bathrobe was tied a bit loosely. Badump! Badump! Badump! ''Oh my goodness. What is this sexiness I''m seeing? H-he''s sooooo KYAAAAAA!!! Being that handsome and sexy should be illegal! I tell you, ILLEGAL! I''m dying here! It can literally kill people!'' Trying to hide the turmoil going inside my heart and mind, I averted my gaze from Verrill. He just really had to get out of the bathroom like that. Hmf! But then again, I just pushed him inside, he probably didn''t get to pick up his clothes. Welp, that''s fine. I''m enjoying the view at least. Though it''s still embarrassing. After that, I didn''t manage to say anything anymore and just guided him to a seat, and dried his hair for him. My face felt hot the entire time. At least he kept on smiling while I did his hair. He seemed to be enjoying it. Once done, we argued a bit on who''s taking the bed but I inevitably lost. He tucked me on the bed and whispered to me goodnight. He then went over to the couch and slept there with just a blanket and a pillow. It must have been too uncomfortable. But most of all where''s my kiss? I haven''t gotten any today. I need my daily dose of kiss! Nooooooooooooo This only meant one thing Out of the five love languages, mine was "physical touch". Amazing. I never expected this. Chapter 160 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 4) - [Music Recommendation: "Soffia La Notte" by Fabrizio Paterlini - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Verrill''s POV - that Friday night when they were about to sleep] Finally settling in for the day, I laid my body on the couch and covered myself with a thick blanket. The room temperature was comfortable enough to sleep in, and the couch was big enough for me. It''s pretty soft, too, so I shouldn''t have problems sleeping in it. Though, this is my first time sleeping on a couch. It''s not so bad. Before I closed my eyes, I looked towards Hora''s direction to check if she''s sleeping already. ''Hm? Her eyes are still open? Is she having problems sleeping? Maybe she''s still worried about her unresolved matter and all those questions she had lingering in her head. She''s been thinking hard this whole week. I hope tomorrow she gets the answers she needs.'' "Uhmm Verrill? Are you sleeping already?" Hora asked, in a shy tone. I knew it. She couldn''t sleep yet. Of course. It''s normal if a person was worrying about something. "Not yet," I answered her. "And you? Why are you not sleeping yet?" "A-Ahmm well you see." She''s having trouble saying whatever it was. Hmm She must be hurting. I should check on her. Getting up from the couch, I walked towards Hora to see her expression clearer. I sat on the side of the bed and observed her. To my surprise, she''s blushing? Was she sick? Or was there something she wanted to say but felt embarrassed? "Are you okay?" I asked, while caressing her swollen cheeks from pouting. Did I do something bad? She seemed upset. Hora''s eyes looked straight at me but after a few seconds, she quickly drew them away. It was as if she wanted to say something, but was hesitant to say it. Hmm If she wanted to ask me for something, she could just say it and I''ll do it for her. There''s no need to be shy. I should trainI mean, teach her, to be more open and not to be shy around me. We should be comfortable with each other. I wanted to be closer to her than anyone else. Even closer with Senara though this and that were different things. Heh. At least, I knew something about Hora that Senara didn''t know. That''s an additional point for me. But then again why was she pouting? What was it that she''s having a hard time telling me? I tried to ponder hard in my brain if there was anything I did for the day that might had upset her. From the early morning class, up to our flight, and the moment we arrived here, talked to her aunt, and got this room to sleep in, there was nothing amiss or foul that I did. I worked hard on not being mischievous today, too, since I''m being considerate of her feelings, worrying for her. It was useless trying to guess it though, so I thought it was better to ask instead. "Is there something you wanted to say to me?" I asked bluntly. Hora''s face became redder. That was weird. Why was sheOh! Don''t tell me it''s "that"? No. There''s no way Hora would be upset over not getting a kiss from me today. Yeah. That was the only thing missing if I''m not mistaken. But I''m only suppressing myself since I didn''t want her to think I''m a kissing maniac or something. And there''s no way she''s going to ask for that first. I had always been the one to initiate our kisses so far. I had been too greedy lately as well. Maybe that''s what she was upset about. "Okie! I''m gonna say it but p-promise me you won''t get creeped out! O-or think badly of me," she shyly said, making me blink my eyes in confusion. Yeah. I probably did something wrong I didn''t know about and she''s gonna reprimand me about it. "Oh. Sure. What is it?" "A-Ahm Rather than say Iahm," she fidgeted. Hora nodded her head and held her fists tights, as if resolving herself to say whatever it was that she wanted to say. She looked straight into my eyes again and then inched closer to me and kissed me. I felt my whole world stop when she did that kissing me on her own accord. It was brief, just a few seconds peck but still the fact that she initiated it I''m very happy. My face felt hot in an instant and my heart went wild on my chest. Badump! Badump! Badump! "R-Reward for a lot of things today," she whispered almost inaudibly. But those words alone made me chuckle. And a very warm feeling enveloped my heart. So very comfortable yet, almost squeezing and tugging my heart. It''s amazing how she always managed to drive me off my wits. "So cute," I blurted out in a mumble. Truly, how in the world could someone be this cute? Just looking at her made my heart weak. Just look at those rosy pink cheeks, and lips moistened by our kiss, the way her eyes looked at me as if pleading with me for more. Damn it. It''s too tempting. ''I want more.'' Losing half my sense of self control, I held the back of Hora''s head gently and pulled her face closer to mine, catching her soft lips with mine. Starting with gentle pressing on her lips, then slowly becoming more passionate more needy until I completely devoured her entire mouthI even ended up slipping my tongue inside. That was a mistake. I ended up copying that French kiss I saw at a movie I watched the other day. I hope she wasn''t too grossed out. ''Ahhh but her lips, I can''t get enough of it. This is why I didn''t want to kiss her today. I thought it would be rude considering she''s not feeling okay.'' Chuuu~ Chuuuuuuu~ Chuuuuuuuuuuu~ After what seemed to be half an hour of kissing, I finally let go of her lips. "Haaah Haaah Haaah" we both panted. We did kiss for a long time. Hora''s face was beet redprobably mine, tooand her eyes were teary, looking up to me. What an angel. So beautiful, and cute, and lovely, and irresistible. ''Am I too lustful or she''s just too much for me to handle? I feel so weak against her charms. I find everything about her perfect. Even the craziness she does sometimes were all so cute to me. Ahhhh I''m crazy. But then again, maybe this is just how love is supposed to be.'' "Verrill" Hora whispered my name in a husky voice which I found so sexy that I felt shivers on my spine. Because of that, I unconsciously bit my lips. " Yes? Hora?" I replied back in the same manner. "More please." Snap! And that''s it. The line of my reasoning and self control snapping hard. Hearing her say that was lethal. Grabbing her waist and pulling it close to my body, I embraced her tightly, and continued our kiss. This time, with more passion and hunger to the point I ended up pinning her down on bed again. My hands caressed her face and her waist. I even ended up slipping her shirt up and holding the bare skin of her waist. Damn it, such sinful hands. When I noticed I did that, I immediately stopped myself and instead, put my other hand on the back of her neck. ''Verrill, you should stop. If you kiss her more, you''ll only be tempted more and you might end up completely devouring her. She''ll be scared so stop it.'' Chuuu~ Chuuu~ Chuuu~ ''I said stop! Why are you not stopping?! Uggh her lips felt too good I just can''t'' And like last time, during my birthday, my lips ended up moving down, trailing her chin and kissing up to the side of her neck. Sh*t! I did it again. "Aaaahh" Hora moaned the moment my lips touched her neck. ''Ah, I see. So she''s sensitive here. Ha-ha! But damn, her moans are too seductive. I should really stop before I Haaah If only we''re already adults, I won''t hesitate seducing you until you give yourself completely to me. Then, I can have you all for myself. Haaah I''m becoming too greedy.'' "I''m sorry." At last, I managed to stop myself and pull back. Nonetheless, that was a very satisfying kiss. I could probably sleep peacefully tonight. "I-It''s okay," she said. She shouldn''t have said that or next time, I might end up going lower. I should warn her about that. "No, it''s not. I almost devoured you." Hora blinked her eyes looking like she didn''t understand what I just said. Could it be? Was she? "Ahm, Hora. Do you know what happens after a kiss?" There it was again, a blank expression. "Uuuuhhh a hug?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I should have known. This beloved girl of mine was a completely innocent angel. Chapter 161 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 5) [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: This chapter is written in Hora''s POV - after their steamy kiss (0///0)] "Ahm, Hora. Do you know what happens after a kiss?" Verrill asked me. Hmm What a weird question. Was something supposed to happen after a kiss? Confused by where he''s going with his question, I answered, "Uuuuhhh a hug?" "Pft! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" he burst out laughing. Now what did I do? Did I say something wrong? Was it supposed to be a joke? I didn''t get it though. I tried to laugh with him but ended up laughing awkwardly. I blinked my eyes a couple of times, thinking why in the world was he laughing at me but nothing came to mind. At times like these, it''s better to ask. "Why are you laughing? Did I get it wrong?" Verrill took a few minutes before his laughter died down and responded to me. "You''re really too cute," he said, "and innocent." "Hmf! I don''t understand so explain it plainly to me," I demanded. But Verrill just smiled at me so handsomely and patted my head. "I''ll tell you when you''re older." "HUH?! What do you take me for? A kid? Hmf! Hmf!" I complained, with my face fuming in anger. "Are you sure you want me to tell you? You''re not gonna like it I think," he smirked. Tsk. So cheeky. Bad Verrill. Bad, bad! If I had pepper spray, I''m gonna spray you right now just to annoy you. Hmf! At times like these, I noticed he always turned into a naughty prince, being all cheeky on me, compared to his usual kind and perfect prince demeanor. It was like he suddenly grew horns on that little head of his. Verrill probably noticed me pouting and sulking, he gave in and explained it to mein his own way, I guess. "Hmmm How do I say this? I don''t think I''m the one who should explain it to you but" "Oh, come on! Just say it! You''re making me curious." "It''s really best explained by female friends, or maybe your mother or aunt." "Do I look like I can wait for the next day to get answers? I''m already impatient enough with Silky''s matter." "Uhm, alright. If you insist." ''Yes! Finally! I''m not a kid so I''m prepared for whatever it is.'' My mouth stretched into a grin when Verrill conceded. I won AGAIN. He-he. It seemed that he was weak against my complaints and charms I think. I got up and faced him, staring into his eyes, and eagerly waiting for the answer. Verrill breathed in deeply before saying it to me. "Ahm, you see" he started, with his face slightly blushing. "You''re familiar with the ahreproductive system of a person, right? It''s taught during grade school, it should be the same for your country, right?" "Uuuuuhhh yeah," I answered, hesitantly. ''Ohhh-Emmmm-Giiiii!!! Is this what I think it is? Is THAT what he meant? T-t-the thing husbands do to their wives? T-to have children?'' My eyes widened in shock and my whole body froze up. ''I shouldn''t have asked that! I shouldn''t have asked that!'' Acknowledging my shocked expression, Verrill slowly nodded his head, probably telling me that whatever I''m thinking was right. Like his blushing face, mine went beyond that. How embarrassing! That''s why he said it would be best said by a female friend or my mother or aunt! My goodness! I should have listened to him! Hora, why you gotta be soAAAAAHHHH!!! My whole face probably did a bunch of mixed expressions already seeing Verrill chuckled, looking at my face. He must have found it so amusing to watch my reaction. Hmf! Bad Verrill! Spray! But then again in school, we were only told about how the sperm and egg cells meet, and then it grows into an embryo and all that scientific stuff, until it becomes a baby. It was never specified how so the question still remained. ''What is it that goes after a kiss? Like what''s the next step? I wouldn''t get pregnant over a kiss, right? We''ve been kissing lots, too soooooo Wait, no. I think there was something else in those textbooks. But I forgot.'' "So, do you understand now?" Verrill asked, bursting my bubble of thoughts. " Uuuuhhh. I think I get it now but. I still don''t know what exactly comes after a kiss." Verrill''s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open, trying to find the next right words to say to me. I''m so sorry. I really didn''t know. Maybe I should just ask Sena or Crystal about it. I''m too shy to ask mom or Aunt Vora about that stuff. "Ehem," Verrill cleared his throat. He touched the back of his neck and leaned a bit further from me. Was he feeling shy? "I think we should end that topic here. I''m not really the best person to explain that to you." "Oh, okay. I''ll stop then." "Or maybe it''s better for you to not know until it happens," he added, smilingwait, for a moment there I thought I saw his expression become mischievous for some reason. Hmmm Oh well. Whatever. This time, I''m listening to his advice and save the question for another dayfor Sena and Crystal to answer. Anywaaaaay, I was completely satisfied with our kiss. It''s time to sleep. But me, who wanted to cuddle for a bit more with Verrill, asked him yet another favor. "Uhmmm Verrill," I called his name while he tucked my back to bed, and patted my head. "Can you, ahm" "Hm? What is it?" "Come here," I said as I waved my hands. Verrill came closer and I mischievously pulled him beside me. He-he-he. "AhH-Hora, we shouldn''t sleep together like this." "Hm? Don''t worry, it''s fine. Or just stay there until I fall asleep. Pleeease?" I pleaded cutely. He wouldn''t be able to say no to that, right? The shocked Verrill sighed and smiled at me, in a conceding way. "Alright. Until you fall asleep." "Yaaaay!" I exclaimed in happiness. Then, I jumped over him and hugged him tight, scooching into his arms. ''Aaaaah so comfortable. I never thought I''d be this comfortable hugging a man.'' And just like that, I immediately fell asleep in Verrill''s arms. It didn''t even take me a few minutes. Good night world! This poor me shall retire for the night. Chapter 162 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 6) [Music Recommendation: "Dream Aria" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - after the long Friday night filled with confusion and, well, VeRa ship kissing XD] Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! The lovely and pleasant sounds of birds chirping and flapping their wings woke me up the next day. It was Saturday. Today, I resolved myself to get to the bottom of the issue we came here for and nothing''s stopping me. I''m prepared to annoy Aunt Vora if needed, should she try to delay me from getting my answers again. Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I got up from bed and went straight to the bathroom to wash up and wake myself. Somehow, the water splashing onto my face always helped wake my senses. On my way, I noticed Verrill was back to the couch, sleeping peacefully. He didn''t have to come back there. Honestly, one of the reasons I asked him to cuddle me to sleep was so he could sleep comfortably in bed as well. I didn''t mind. Sena, Ken, and I used to sleep together in one bed when we were children. It shouldn''t be a big deal, right? Once inside the bathroom, I brushed my teeth first while thinking of a hundred ways to refute Aunt Vora in case she came up with excuses. Multiple scenes played out in my mind as how I imagined my aunt would respond to me. I took pride in that ability of mine. Few minutes passed and later on, I''m done bathing. I was also done with rehearsing for our conversation later. I should not leave any stones unturned. Then, I could go back to Sena with all the answers we needed. By the time I finished bathing, Verrill woke up as well. Ahhh his sleepy morning face, yawning, and blinking cutely was so fun to watch. He-he. I stole some nice pictures on my phone. Click! Click! Click! ''Oh my goodness. Just look at that picture It''s screaming "woke up like this" but looked so good that it could be printed out in magazines. The three of themVerrill, Kaiden, and Callan, were truly a feast to the eyes. But of course, Verrill is my bias. They could even pass as an idol group! I''m 100% sure they will be extremely popular. Problem is, Callan can''t sing. I heard he''s good at dancing though. He can do the rap instead and be the lead dancer if that''s the case. Then, Verrill will be the princely musician, and main vocalist. Kaiden will be the second vocalist, he sings pretty well, too. Their voices harmonized so well when we tried jamming during our last barbecue party. Wait a minutewhat in the world am I thinking? There''s no way that''s happening. Erase that thought.'' And so, after we''re done preparing, we went to the dining area in Aunt Vora''s house to get some breakfast. There were no maids who would fetch us or call us for breakfast so we had to go there ourselves. When we reached the dining area, Aunt Vora, and Silky were already there, laying out the plates on the table using magic. Yup. Some of the plates were floating in the air. Amazing. That was not weird at all. I mean, who in their right mind would believe what we''re seeing right at that moment. Actually, this was the same as "that" incident where Verrill caught me. I didn''t mean toin fact, I didn''t know I could until it just happened. It was that day where I stopped by the library to check on some books I needed for studying. Welp, the bookshelf was too high so I took a ladder to get what I needed. But then, I took too many books than I could handle and suddenly, some of them slipped through my arms. To my surprise, I reached out to the books that almost fell to the ground and for some reason, they stopped mid air. And Verrill just had to witness that. I didn''t know how to explain it at first. And my goodness, good thing he was the only one there at that moment or else, I''m doomed! My mom informed me back when I was young the truth about our familythat we were a whole clan of pure blooded witches. But not like those nasty witches one would often imagine or see in books, portrayed as bad people of some sorts. We''re more like those in Henry Potter''s books, but still different. In fact, we''re not really called witches, we''re more like sorcerers of some sort. Though being here in our country, most people associated us with witches due to the lack of knowledge about us. Even if we''re a whole clan, of course, we needed to keep everything a secret or else the "organization" would punish us according to the degree of the mess we did. For people like us, being part of the pure blood line meant that we would "manifest" our powers in some point of our lives. It''s random thoughto some, it would happen during childhood, and to some in their adult years. I''m not so sure why and what made it different or what the catalyst for the manifestation to begin was, but as for me, it happened during that library scene. That''s why I didn''t expect for it to happen that way. Another thing was that, after manifestation, another event would happen, though it very rarely happenedlike, 0.0000001% out of all the witches'' families in the whole wide worldwas an "awakening", as my mom explained to me. The reason she told me about it even though it was very rare for it to happen to everyone else was because of the fact that we were pure blooded which meant we had a higher chance of having that rare "awakening" happen to one of us. So what would happen in that awakening? She told me that anyone blessed to have an awakening would be gifted with special powerslike a specialty of some sort, though only one. This special power would be far above others kinda like for example, making things float. Normal witches could do that BUT if someone was given specialty on it, then he or she would be able to lift anything easily no matter the weight or size. Normal witches had a certain capacity of things they could lift through magic but that''s not the case with the rare one. And with that, my mother was given a specialty of "growth" which she mainly used in making the plants in our garden to grow quicker, or the trees they used for making houses or renovations. Then, my dad who was also a pure blood from another family, inherited a special ability. It was top secret but I caught him one time "rewinding" events. Though he could only go back up to 10 seconds maximum which wasn''t very helpful. Ha-ha-ha! I caught him and he told me never to tell anyone about it. But as for me, I just manifested and I didn''t get any of that awakening thingy. So I needed all the information I could get about this stuff that''s happening. Chapter 163 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 7) [Music Recommendation: "Dream Aria" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - during breakfast, when they accidentally saw Aunt Vora using magic to set up the table] Aunt Vora and Silkyor her twinprobably didn''t notice us when we arrived. But when Aunt Vora turned around and saw us, she was surprised and ended up breaking the plates, making them fall on the floor. "Oh my goodness! I''m so sorry, my dear," Aunt Vora apologized. "I didn''t notice you were there already. And good morning to the both of you. I hope your handsome boyfriend here is okay." "It''s alright. I actually saw Hora do it once so I''m not surprised anymore," Verrill politely answered back. "And good morning, too." "Is that so? You''re not creeped out or scared?" "Hm? No. I''m good with it," Verrill answered confidently. That was a huge thorn removed from my chest. If he''s really fine with that fact then we''re good. Phew! "Oh my, what a good little kid you are," Aunt Vora smiled warmly at him. Whisking her hands, Aunt Vora mended the plates back to their forms and asked Silky to get new ones while handing her the mended ones to wash themselves on the sink. Once done changing them, we all sat for breakfast and ate. The food was great and some of them were even native dishes I hadn''t tried in a while. I should bring back some to Sena and for Crystal to try it. I wonder if it would suit her taste. He-he. Anyway, a few minutes passed and finally, we settled into the living room where the three of us sat across from each other, ready to discuss my concernthe moment I had been waiting for since we came here. Hwaaaiiiting me! (Fighting!) Starting off the conversation, I explained to Aunt Vora about the other "Silky" that Sena saw at RDIU. That same Silky also told her that she''s on a secret mission and she''s not allowed to tell. Plus, that sudden static that they felt when their hands touched. I also explained about Kaiden''s report and of course, introduced who Kaiden was. Aunt Vora was familiar with Sena since she saw her a few times during our childhood but not the same for Kaiden. After hearing my retelling of the story, Aunt Vora fell silent. Meanwhile, Silky had been rotating around the corners of the living room since before I started my storyjust walking around, touching the walls. Curious as to what she was doing, I asked, "Auntie, why is Silky roaming around the room? It''s spooky." "Ah, that''s because she''s concealing the room," she said. "I''m not sure if your mom told you but Silky also got an awakening and her specialty is concealment. I knew you were going to ask about this so I asked her to conceal the roomfrom other people of our kind." "Huh?!" I was bewildered. "But why would you need to do that? And by other of our kind do you mean?" "Yes, my dear," Aunt Vora answered in a sigh. Looking at Verrill she asked in return, "I trust that you trust him enough about all these?" I glanced towards Verrill and he smiled back at me, holding my hands. "Yes. I trust him." "Alright. That''s good. In case anything falls amiss, I can always just wipe his memories about all this," Aunt Vora said with a smiling face but that was pretty much a warning. Oh my goodness. Verrill and I chuckled. "Don''t worry, auntie, I''m not telling anyone if that''s your concern. No one will believe me anyway and I have nothing to gain." Aunt Vora chuckled in return. "That''s good then." After that, we all fell silent for a few minutes. Aunt Vora breathed in deeply before she confessed everything to me. "Now, my dear Hora what I''m about to tell you both is something something really sensitive and could be dangerous. But you need to know, especially you, so I''m gonna tell you. And I trust that you will be mature about it, understanding, and continue to abide by our laws. Can you promise me that?" Badump! Badump! Badump! It was an easy question but for some reason, my heart beat wildly in my chest from all the nervousness I''m feeling at that moment. Something in me told me that whatever it was, it''s not good news. "Yes, auntie. I promise." "Thank you. Now, I will need to show you somethingsomething the ''organization'' may or may have not noticed yet. I''m hoping they haven''t though." Then, Aunt Vora waved her hands in the air and suddenly, a golden weighing scale made of golden dust floated atop the coffee table. Maybe she''s making a representation for us to easily understand her point. "I know this may all be too confusing for you since you just manifested but there''s something you need to know," Aunt Vora continued. "In this world, there exists the highest organization that governs all the other organizations of witches all around the globe. They call themselves ''Fatum Praeses'' and their main task is to ensure that the balance of the world is not disrupted in any way possible." "Fatum Praeses I think I read that somewhere. It''s the latin word for ''fate'' and ''guardians'' or ''protectors'' of some sort, right?" "Yes. They are indeed the Guardians of Fate." "Okay. But what''s that got to do with Silky?" Aunt Vora sighed again. Whatever it was, she''s having a hard time telling me. Because of that, my fear just grew worse inside me. For what could it be that would be so hard to tell me? I had always been an understanding and open minded person, as far as I knew. "Ahm Hora, this would be hard but I need you to be strong and brave, okay?" "A-Alright. I''ll do my best." "You see, last year something ''big'' disrupted that balance. It''s not too big yet as of now. If we''re talking about a hundred percent disruption, it only did not even one percent but still, that degree itself was a really big impact if we would consider it as a worldwide event." "Last year? What happened last year? And if it happened last year, why did Silky only come now? She just arrived this Tuesday." "That''s because aside from last year''s event, another disruption happened just this weekJuly 6th. And it was even bigger than the last disruption. If it continues, then Fatum Praeses will be alarmed and" "I still don''t understand. What''s that got to do with Silky?" "Hora, I I sent Silky to RDIU. I''m the one who gave her a secret mission. And this Silky I have with me right now, is a clone. We''re using it as a disguise so we won''t be noticed by them for now since they barely do any cross-country check of witches." "And? What is Silky''s secret mission?" Aunt Vora stared into my eyes, hesitant to answer my question. But even if she didn''t say it there was only one thing that she knew would affect me so much that she had to tell me to be strong and brave. Realizing "who" it was tears formed in the corners of my eyes. Chapter 164 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 8) [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - when they were finally discussing the matter Hora came for] "No," I shook my head profusely, "that''s impossible. How in the world could Sena be involved in all this? What do you mean disruption? I-It''s impossible. Sena was just living normally and not" "We''re still not a hundred percent sure. That''s why I sent Silky there to observe for now. So in case something happens again, we can take appropriate actions." "But you didn''t sign her papers. And what do you mean by appropriate actions? Is that something that will harm Sena?" "No! Not harm her. We will never! That''s why we''re not reporting it to Fatum Praeses or they WILL take action immediately. That''s also why I didn''t sign her papers. Right now, she''s under a concealment magicher identity at least. She will appear as Silky to those who know her, which means you and Sena, but she will appear as another person in front of other people. We just tweaked the papers a bit, with the least amount of breaking the rules." "H-haahh" I breathed deeply, trembling. "T-that''s good if nothing is happening to Sena. But I still don''t understand. Why do you think that it''s her who caused the disruption? It could have been another person or I don''t know. Just someone else, not her." Aunt Vora held both of my trembling hands, trying to calm me down. "Do you remember the time when you were both children, you visited here, saw my tarot cards, and begged me to read your fortunes?" Furrowing my eyebrows, I thought hard and yes, we did do that in our childhood. But she said good things for our future. There was nothing bad, right? "Yes, I remember." "Back then, since you were still both young, there was something about Senara''s future that I didn''t tell you both. And when I heard the news that it didn''t happen, that''s when I thought that it might be her that''s causing the disruption." "And what is that future you didn''t tell us?" Badump! Badump! Badump! Fear and worry crept into my heart once more. Who was I kidding? If she didn''t tell us about it because we were children, then it must be something bad, right? Tsk. "It''shaah It''s about her father," Aunt Vora confessed. "He wasn''t supposed to survive up to this year. H-He was supposed to p-pass on last year." "WHAT?!" ''Please, somebody tell me this is all a nightmare. Mr. Lee was supposed to die last year? Why in the world would he'' Then, it suddenly hit me. "That" event where Sena didn''t tell me while it was happening because she was so scared. "That" event that made her depressed for months. The event about those scammers that threatened her dad just to get their land! A moment of deep silence passed by. Verrill and Aunt Hora kept on patting my back and rubbing my hands, trying to calm me down. But my mind was elsewhere. If what Aunt Vora said was true then, last year Sena would have lost her dad. She would be devastated She loved her dad so much. And not only that. Without Mr. Lee, her mom would have a really hard time managing the business. Nothere wouldn''t be any business to manage since Sena said they wanted to take all. Not just the land, they also forced Mr. Lee to invest in a losing business. If so, then Sena''s family would suffer severely. I''m not even sure if they would be able to support themselves financially. We could offer help but Sena''s not the type to just accept free help. All in all Sena and her family would be living a miserable life. And being in our country where the eldest child always ended up being the bread-winner of the family, Sena would have to stop school and look for a job to support her family. If she still somehow managed to study and work at the same time, that would take a toll on her body. And she''s not the healthiest person around. "S-So basically Sena was supposed to suffer," I mumbled through my thoughts, "severely. Losing her dad and dealing with the aftermath." Aunt Vora sighed. " Yes. But it didn''t happen! And that''s really great! But" "But she''s disrupting the balance right now?" I scoffed, pissed off by the whole situation. Tears formed in the corner of my eyes once again. "Hora" "So you mean, this haaah this ''fate'' and ''destiny'' or whatever it''s called, it''s supposed to give her a shitty life! In order not to disrupt this frigging world balance, she''s supposed to suffer?! Hah! How amazing! What did Sena do to ''fate'' for her to have such bad luck?" Deep rage burned into my heart. I couldn''t control it. I''m sooooo angry! And frustrated! Just because something deviated from the path of that motherfudger fate, ARGGGH!!! "Hora, please calm down, my dear." "NO! How can I calm down? It''s as if the world is telling her to live a miserable life! Is Sena not allowed to be happy? W-Why is her fate supposed to be like that? She''s so kind, understanding, lovable, and every nice thing!" Alas, all the tears I''d been holding back fell like a continuous stream from my eyes. "No no no no! She doesn''t deserve that!" Aunt Vora stood up and embraced me tight. "Ssshh it''s okay, Hora. None of that is happening, okay? Please, calm down," she whispered kindly to my ears. But my heart and mind was a mess. With a trembling body, I wailed all my heartache to my beloved aunt. I just couldn''t accept it. Not Sena you darn fate and destiny! Don''t you dare! "My dear," Aunt Vora whispered to my ears again. "Do not mistake that we are against your friend, okay? The reason I''m telling you all this is because I know that you care a lot about her. And we do, too. So we''re gonna do our best okay? But I''ll need you to be strong and brave. And I need your help on this. Can I count on you?" Nodding my head multiple times, I expressed my agreement. "Tell me what I need to do. I''ll do my best to carry it out." "That''s good." "For Sena." "For Senara." Chapter 165 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 9) [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - continuing their discussion about Senara and the world''s balance] A moment of silence passed by. Aunt Vora gave me time to calm my heart and ease my mind, even though it seemed impossible at that moment. But I did my bestfor Senara. We still needed to discuss what I had to do to help her. Once calm, I asked Aunt Vora, "I''m ready. What do I need to do?" "First, we need to identify what exactly caused the disruption," Aunt Vora started. "Which of Senara''s actions caused the deviation from the original path it was supposed to take. Let''s say, from the time that her dad was saved. Do you know anything that happened last year which may have caused that?" "How am I supposed to know which one? A lot happened back then." "Tell me all the events that you remember." And so, I told Aunt Vora everything I knew about those scammers that threatened Sena''s dad, up to that day where Sena was suddenly called by Sir Greg from class saying her dad was waiting for her, and the news about a large company suddenly caught from doing illegal businesswhich was were those scammers worked for. That''s how Sena''s dad was saved. "Somebody" worked to catch those bad guys. But who? Sena wouldn''t be able to do it. "Wait a minute what if, it''s not Sena who disrupted the balance but instead, that person who caught those bad scammers and brought their evil deeds to light? Those bully big whales?! If that''s the case then nothing should happen to Sena, right?" "If that''s true, then that''s really good news," Aunt Vora smiled. "But knowing Fatum Praeses, they will dig deep into the issue and look at the root cause of the disruptionthe catalyst. We have to make sure that Senara did not contribute to the disruption in any way possible. Anything at all that may have triggered the change. Is there anything else you remember? Even really small details. Sometimes, those small details we tend to overlook are the source of it all." I tried hard to think further about what else I could be missing. It was then that Verrill finally spoke and gave his thoughts on the matter. "There is one thing I have in mind," Verrill said, his face furrowed. "If there was anyone who could easily step on those big whales that you mentioned, it would be Kaiden. Just one word from him and he can dispatch a group of experts or anyone needed to catch those people. If it''s too complex for him, he can ask his dad, Mr. Ma. So maybe, they''re the ones responsible for catching those bad guys." My face began to pale up. ''What he''s saying I think I know where this is going.'' "This Kaiden that you mentioned, who is he?" Aunt Vora asked. "He''s one of my best friends and childhood friends. We''re the same age and currently study at RDIU as well. The only son of Mr. Ma, owner of Red Dragon Holdings." "I see. Red Dragon Holdings Mathe richest family in the east. I heard about them in the news. But if he''s the same age as you kids, why would he suddenly fight with those people? Maybe it''s his dad. They might have angered Mr. Ma. And if that is so, then Mr. Ma is the catalyst." "No. It''s not him," Verrill disagreed firmly. "Kaiden has a motive. Last year was when he befriended Senara. They met online, inside a game called Armageddon." ''Ahhh and there he said it. My suspicion. I will admit it really is highly possible. After all, when all of those bad things were happening to Sena, Kaiden was the only one she shared it with. And Kaiden is kind so there is a high possibility that he took pity on Sena and helped. No in that case, then Sena really is the catalyst. No no no!'' Aunt Vora''s face turned grim. "Were they friends when the things were happening? And did Senara tell him of the situation for him to learn about it and take action?" Verrill shook his head, "Yes, they''ve been friends before that moment. But I''m not sure if Sena told him about it or" "Yes," I interrupted, " Sena told him about it. Back then, she was so depressed and she couldn''t bring herself to tell me or Ken of what''s happening for fear we might be targeted as well. So when she badly needed to talk to someone, he told Kaidensomeone from far away and those scammers probably wouldn''t be able to trace." Aunt Vora gasped in shock. Verrill looked at me with sad eyes. And my heart sunk deeper and deeper into despair. If all of our theories were proven correct, then Sena really was the catalyst. But it''s so unfair! How would she know that she wasn''t supposed to tell Kaiden or which action of hers would lead to certain events to happen? It''s not like she''s a witch and she knew what would happen in the future so she avoided it! "Auntie, y-you said that there''s still something we can do, right? You said we can still stop the Fatum from taking action, right? As long as the balance is not disrupted again? W-what should we do?" "Hmmmm Kaiden Ma. I''m sure I didn''t see him in Senara''s fortune back then, when you were kids. When pure blooded witches read someone''s fortune, we can see glimpses of what their future holds. But I didn''t see him or anyone in his family. I also didn''t see her going to the Land of the Red Dragon, or studying at RDIU." "You mean, she wasn''t supposed to meet Kaiden? B-but they''re they''re together now and they''re so perfect for each other. They love each other as if they''re destined to be together!" "No, my dear. He''s not the one. Senara''s destined person was supposed to be anothernot him." Chapter 166 - Visiting Aunt Vora (Part 10) [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - continuing their discussion about Senara and the world''s balance] "If it''s not Kaiden do you mean that in order not to cause anymore disruption t-that they should separate? And not be together?" ''This can''t be. Sena will definitely be hurt. She''s so in love with him right now. And Kaiden feels the same. How are we supposed to separate them?! We can''t! And we shouldn''t! But then if we don''t do it, Sena will be in danger from the Fatum.'' "Yes, my dear. Especially that Kaiden''s family is a highly influential family. Maybe that''s why the effect of their meeting was so apparent to the point that it affected the world''s balance." "I don''t understand So what if Kaiden''s family is highly influential?" "I''m afraid it matters so much, my dear," Aunt Vora answered. "Because every decision that they make, whether in the business world or their personal lives, everything will affect other people''s lives as well." "What do you mean?" "Let''s take the life of Kaiden''s destined person as a sample. Instead of her, Senara took her place. Together, Kaiden and his fated person could have accomplished lots of things in the future but Senarawho''s not supposed to be in that positiontook that position. Therefore, all of those things they were supposed to dolet''s say it''s about businessfrom the employment of people under them, their career growth, up to the country''s growth, will be affected. And since they''re the biggest company in the East, we''re not only talking about a handful of people but millions, or even billions." My mouth fell silent from Aunt Vora''s words. I couldn''t believe what I was hearing. "Not only that," Aunt Vora continued. "Since Senara took that position, she too, will start creating a future that wasn''t supposed to exist. And if she somehow does something that will also affect the lives of millions of people, the world balance will shift more. And when that happens, not only the Fatum Praeses will take action. Even the world itself will take action. And that is the last thing we want." "Why?" Aunt Vora held her chest and clenched her hands. "Because just like how a human''s body protects itself from sickness, the world will also protect itself." Another moment of silence. "So if not the Fatum, the world will try to eliminate Sena? Like a virus that''s not supposed to be there?" I asked again, like a lifeless doll, despite my wretched expression. "That''s why we will do our best to prevent that," Aunt Vora tried to encourage me. "First, we need to separate her from Kaiden since he''s not her fated person. And next, prevent her from doing things that may affect many people''s lives. What course is Sena taking in college? If it''s something along the line of doctors or lawyers, or a course in technology, or business, toothere''s a high possibility that she''ll affect many people''s lives." "She''s taking Creative Writing." "I see If she''s going to be a popular author, there is a high chance, too. Especially if her books will be turned into movies, or series. The people working on creating those, and those that will watch" "Yes, her first book is being turned into a movie." "In that case, the second will be to stop her from doing that as well." "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" I laughed hysterically. "So basically, we need to separate her from her happiness! How amazing! It''s either the world restores its balance in exchange for Sena''s happiness, or Sena will continue to be happy but then the balance will be disrupted and she''ll be eliminated!" Tears fell from my eyes as I laughed out the wretchedness and unfairness that I''m feeling. How very cruel In the end, she''s still not allowed to be happy! ''I can''t take this. I can''t do this. I can''t take away Sena''s happiness. Without love and dreams, how else is she supposed to live her life? Like a soulless doll just existing and not living? NO!'' "Auntie, why don''t we just let the world suffer? Why does it matter if other people''s lives are affected? I don''t care about them. I only care about Sena." "Hora, my dear. Please don''t say that. Everyone''s lives matter. And even if we decide not to care about others, the Fatum or the World will still try to correct the mistakes. So we should" "NO! Auntie, do you understand what you''re asking me to do?" "Hora please." "You''re asking me to kill Sena! To kill her happiness! How can she be happy without love and dreams? Without pursuing her passion? Without the one she really loves?" "... It''s for the best." "Who''s best? The world? I don''t care about the world! Fu*k them!" "Hora" Deep rage burned inside my heart again. Next thing I knew, I was storming outside of Aunt Vora''s house, running away and crying my heart out. This was one thing I had in common with Sena. When frustrated, we run and run and run until we couldn''t do it anymore and until all the tears were dried by the wind. When I reached the lake in the village, I let myself shout with all my might since there was no one around. "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! How could you? You darn Fate! H-how could you be so cruel to Sena! Let her be happy! I hate you! I hate you so much! Sniff sniff hu-hu-hu-hu" I cried and cried and cried until a few minutes probably turned into an hour. Then, I heard light footsteps coming closer to me. "Hora," a gentle and kind voice called for me from behind. Along with it, the wind blew hard and petals of flowers and leaves from the trees scattered through the surroundings. I turned around to see who it was. And there stood, an unfamiliar woman dressed in black. I couldn''t see her face for it was covered halfway with a large but beautiful hat, with her hair tucked inside. I could only see from half her nose to her mouth and chin, then her body. Despite her suspicious appearance I didn''t know what got into me but for some reason, my heart told me that she''s not a bad person. "Who are you?" I asked her. "I am the only one who can truly help you." Chapter 167 - T H E S E C R E T W I T C H [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - when she met a mysterious woman by the lake] Even if my heart told me that she''s not a bad person, I should remain rational. I couldn''t risk itit''s Sena''s life after all. Maybe she''s just a weird passerby, a normal human. And even if she turned out to be a witch, too, how in the world would she know of my situation? It''s very suspicious. I should be wary. "You can... help me?" I asked the mysterious woman standing in front of me. "Do you even know what''s going on with me? What my problem is, my heartache, and everything?" "Yes. I know," she answered. "And I know so much more than that." "That''s easy to say. But where''s your proof?" I asked, irritated. "You''re just saying general things, like those fake fortune tellers!" Instead of answering me, the mysterious woman lifted her hat for me to see her face. And when I did I couldn''t believe what I saw. I felt that my whole world stopped, and all the suspicions and questions in my mind were washed away. Of course if it''s "her", she definitely would know. But how? How in the world could she "Hora" the mysterious woman called me again, "Do you trust me now?" Gulping my worries away, I sighed and dropped my shoulders. My irritated expression was gone and instead, replaced with melancholy. " Yes. But please, tell me what happened." The mysterious woman let out a deep sigh. Then, she walked towards the bench and sat there. She gestured to me to follow and sit beside her so I did. Looking up at the sky, she tried her best to explain everything to me. From Sena''s miserable old life, to how she helped send her back in time so that this time around, she could be happy she explained it all in great detail. That plus the fact that she traveled along with her in time to protect her. Because she knew the weight of her actions. Yet, despite everything, she still did it. All I could do was gasp and be shocked by all of the things she just said. But thanks to that, finally, everything made sense. And I immediately understood what must be donesomething that didn''t involve separating Sena from Kaiden, or having her give up on her dreams. Something only she and I could do "Thank you for telling me everything," I thanked the mysterious woman from the bottom of my heart. Just telling me all those things revealed the secret of the world and it''s equivalent to being branded a traitor or a criminal by the Fatum. And with everything she did, she probably broke hundreds of the forbidden rules of our kind. Yet, I understood why she did all those things. And if I were in her shoes that time, I would probably do the same thing. "There is nothing for you to thank me about. I only told you that because I need your help and cooperation for my plan to succeed." "I understand. I will do everything in my power. Just tell me. But first, what should I call you? I can''t possibly call you" "Hmm Call me ''master'' instead. From now on, I will be training you to improve your skills and magic," she said, smiling as she looked at me. "Hora, you''re young right now so you probably don''t understand the full potential you have. Especially the special skill you have been bestowed. That in itself is a weapon that can combat this motherfudger fate." "Pft! Ha-ha-ha! Yes, you''re right. It does hold potential." "That''s why you need to learn early and cultivate your magic early. So you''ll grow strongereven stronger than me." "Yes! I will do my best, master!" "Good," she nodded. "It''s funny though. This fate that''s doing her best to make Sena suffer it''s funny how the same ''fate'' handed us the weapon to fight her. Is it mocking us? Or giving us a chance? I don''t know. But either way, I''m grateful for the power to protect the people I care about." "Uhm that''s right. Whether its mocking us, or giving us a chance, let''s use it to our advantage. And maybe, beat this darn fate along the way." The mysterious woman, who''s now my master and teacher of magic, rummaged on the side pocket of her skirt. From it, she took a golden pocket watch that was so beautiful that it looked otherworldly. She handed it over to me, much to my surprise. "Take that," she said, "and be careful not to lose it. Well, not that you''ll lose it since it will just go back to you in case you didsince I gave it to you, you''re basically its master nowbut still, be careful with it." "Why are you giving me a pocket watch?" "It''s imbued with magic. You can use it to easily communicate with me, just press here or here," she explained and pointed her fingers on two buttons located at the left side of the pocket watch. "I can''t get detected by the Fatum or it will be a whole lot of mess so please use that for our protection." "Oh, right. Of course, I will." "Good. And that''s not all," she added. "In case of emergencies, you can use that watch to activate a ''rewind'' or to stop time briefly. Only for 10 seconds though. Once we begin our lessons, I''ll teach you step by step so you won''t be needing this in the future. But for now, hold unto that." "Wait, what?! To rewind or stop time for 10 seconds?" I exclaimed. Time control was a very complex magic! Only those given a specialty in it could use it! And to think she just put that magic into a pocket watch?! My dad would be horrified. He''s an adult and that was the maximum amount of time he could control time10 seconds. It''s as if dad''s value had been lessened into a watch. Poor dad. Not only him, the Fatum Praeses itself would be alarmed! They promoted dad in the Fatum just because of his sole ability to control time even if it''s just for a moment. What more of this master of mine who could do so much more! Woah! "Ha-ha-ha! Don''t be surprised. You''ll be able to do that in the future, too." "R-really? Like how you do it?" "Yes. Even more than that actually." "That would be so cool. I can''t wait to start learning. Why don''t you teach me now?" "I''d love to but you''ll need to go soon. They''re looking for you. We should be able to meet again soon." "Oh, wait! About what I need to do for Sena what exactly is it?" I asked. "If we''re not doing Auntie''s suggestions, what are we gonna do?" Smiling confidently, Master answered, "We will protect heragainst the Fatum, against the world. They can try their best but together, we''re stronger than them." My eyes twinkled and marvelled in her confidence. She''s just so WOW. "Even the world?" "Yes, even the world. After all, I already made a mess out of this fate and destiny, and she still didn''t know what I did. Even if she does, we have the greatest power to oppose her. So I''m not afraid. And I''m confident we can win." At last, hope rose within me. Yes there was hope. Hope that was created from a way we paved ourselves, not a road dictated by fate. How happy I was to hear those reassuring words. There was nothing I could wish for. Just the power to protect Sena''s happiness was enough for me. And with that, my conversation with my master ended. She disappeared with the wind after bidding her goodbye to me. As soon as she disappeared, people started coming towards the park. Along with them, was Verrill, catching his breath. He looked like he ran after me. But how? I had been in the park for probably two hours already. ''Wait a minute perhaps, master stopped the time so we could talk? Woah! She''s truly incredible! I can''t wait until I can do the things she can. And be as mature and awesome as her.'' "Hora" Verrill ran towards me and hugged me tight. "Why did you suddenly run away? Don''t do that again, please." Verrill''s heart beat so loud I could feel it as he hugged me. He must have been worried about me. "I''m sorry," I apologized and hugged him back. "Are you feeling better now?" "Uhm! I''m good. I just needed some time alone to think and calm myself." Verrill sighed. "That''s good then." "Verrill, let''s go back to Sena and everyone. I know what I need to do now." " Alright. Let''s go back." He didn''t even ask me what I decided on and just agreed with me. Verrill was really nice. This was one of the things I liked about him. "Thank you." Chapter 168 - Lets Go Back Home [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re still in Hora''s POV - after she''s done talking to the mysterious woman, aka the Secret Witch, who''s now her master in magic] After a few minutes of hugging each other, Verrill and I went back to Aunt Vora''s house. On my way, I suddenly remembered that I hadn''t contacted Sena and Crystal so I decided to shoot them a quick text message to let them know we''re fine and that we''ll discuss things later with Auntie in the afternoonsomehow, I didn''t want to explain anything about my previous talk with Aunt Vora, plus my meeting with Master. I couldn''t possibly tell Sena about that. I should think of an alibi when I get back. When I took my phone in my side pocket, it was filled with mom''s message saying she''s coming over. Haaahh she was probably jealous that I''m visiting Aunt Vora before she did. If I didn''t know, she probably visited her a hundred times while I was away in another country. Anyway, I should send that message to Sena and Crystal. Moments later, we arrived back at Aunt Vora''s residence. Verrill and I headed towards the guest room instead of meeting with Auntie again. Maybe I''d just meet her again when mom comes in. There''s two things I needed to dofirst, think of an alibi for Silky''s situation; second, not raise any suspicion with Auntie. She''s fixed into that solution of hers she was thinking, probably for the greater good of many, but I didn''t care about the others. ''So I will just make her think that I''m going along with her plan. I can come up with lots of excuses later. The only problem would be Silky. Auntie will most likely tell her everything and she will definitely carry them out. So I need to stop her, too. I wonder if there''s any mind altering magic? Like changing how she remembers things? That way, I''ll make her believe that protecting Sena is the best way instead of keeping her from her happiness. Hmm I should ask Master later. I should have gotten her phone number. But then again, she wouldn''t give the pocket watch if it''s safe to use the phone.'' Ugh so many things to think about. "Verrill," I called him when we''re finally seated on the couch inside the guest room. "I don''t want Sena and Crystal, or anyone at all, to find out the whole truthabout that conversation we had earlier with Aunt Vora." "I agree. It''s not something anyone can know. They might believe you if you tell them but it''s not safe." "Yes, that''s right. But I can''t think of any alibi. What should we tell them once we come back?" "Hmm" Verrill pondered for a moment. "We can tell them that Silky really had a twin and that she wanted to pursue her dreams but her mother was against it. Aunt Vora didn''t want to bother you so she didn''t tell you. And now, the other Silkyher twin, is with her, living a normal life. Nothing too serious so we ended up just having a great time visiting your aunt, and meeting your mother who''s arriving later." "I see. Yes, that could work," I agreed. "If they ask more questions, I can just say that the others are private matters or something along those lines." Verrill nodded. "We could go with that." "Verrill I''m really sorry about all this. Making you lie to othersI''m really, really sorry." Verrill patted my head and smiled at me. "There''s no need to be sorry. This is not something you can just say to anyone so it''s fine. Besides, I lie all the time when I prank someone. This is basically the same." "But we''re not pranking anyone," I replied in a chuckle. "What I mean is, it''s a white lie. And in any case they somehow find out about it, they''ll understand where you''re coming from. They''re friendsbest friends so they''ll definitely understand us. So don''t think too much about it, okay?" Smiling, I nodded. "Okay." After that, hours passed by again and it was finally afternoon. We took our lunch inside the guest room. The cook had it brought to us as Aunt Vora commanded. She probably knew I was still upset so she''s giving me time. She''s really nice. I still liked her a lot as my aunt but I didn''t like her idea so I''m not going on with that. I couldn''t possibly tell her about Master as well or she could be in danger. Uncle was still a member of the Fatum, her husband, so she''d definitely tell him about everything. In case she didn''t, that''s great, but I couldn''t risk Master. We still had a lot of things to do, and she''s still gonna teach me about magic to improve my skills. And so, when afternoon came, my mom finally arrived at Aunt Vora''s residence. She was greeted warmly by auntie and the clone Silky. Then, she went over to us to talk. I introduced Verrill to him, much to her delight. She had been waiting for me to get a boyfriend since forever. According to her, I was so devoted to Sena that she''s beginning to doubt if I''moh my goodness. She should have considered my age firstI''m still in my teenage years and she''s already expecting a boyfriend! "Oh my! What a handsome young man!" my mom exclaimed as soon as she saw Verrill. "Great job on finding this very fine man, Hora!" Verrill politely introduced himself, and after that was pretty much the same reaction as Aunt Vorawith all the squealing and mistaking him as my boyfriend when he''s still my suitor but then again, I didn''t care to correct them anymore since we''d probably end up there anyway. While happily chatting with my mom, I told them that we''re going back to the Land of the Red Dragon tonight, saying we still had projects we needed to complete and books that needed to be studied before Monday. Despite my mom''s complaints, they agreed in the end. Besides, there were no more clean rooms to stay in. Cleaning guest rooms would take time even with magic involved. And I really wanted to just get out of there. I couldn''t take pretending to agree with Aunt Vora''s solution that much. And yup, my mom was also made aware of the situation. Hopefully, that wouldn''t make the situation worse. And so, we took Verrill''s private jet again to go back home. Good thing it wasn''t that long of a flight. Just around two hours and we''re back to the Land of the Red Dragon. Another hour on the road and we''re finally at the Ma Residence. Everyone was surprised when we arrived. I did forget to call them or send a message that we''re going back tonight. Because of that, I made Sena and Crystal so worried. They ran to me and gave me a big hug as soon as they saw me sitting in the living room, trying to relax after the flight. Mr. Wei, the head butler, probably told them of our arrival. Ahhhh feeling the warmth of Sena and Crystal''s embrace made me forget all the bad things. Verrill''s presence with me was amazing and kept me strong, but still, nothing beats great friendship. It''s a little bit of heaven on earth. My heart felt peaceful and happy despite the shocking truths and revelations I just went through. "Hora, is everything okay?" Sena asked, with her expression filled with worry. "You can tell us everything," Crystal added. "I''m good. The situation was much simpler than what I first thought it was. I just overreacted but I''m fine now. Thank you so much. And I''m so sorry for making you all worry." I stared into Sena''s eyesshe didn''t believe me. So, I told her the alibi Verrill and I thought about. She was still skeptical about it but later on, she finally accepted. Since it was night time already, they let us off the hook. We ate dinner afterwards, and went back to our rooms to rest. Verrill was given a guest room he could stay for the nightin the western area of the mansion, basically in Kaiden''s turf. "Haaaah." I sighed deeply as I laid my body down the bed, with hair still a bit wet from taking a shower. Noticing it, I raised my arm and made the hair blower float in the air towards me. It plugged itself on the nearest outlet and went to me to dry my hair. I turned around so it reached every part of my head. While it dried my hair, I sighed again. Doubts came rushing into my heart. ''Will I really be able to protect Sena? Is my power enough to do that? What if it''s not? What should I do then?'' Chapter 169 - Meeting Ms. Rae [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ [Please note: We''re back to Senara''s POV - the next morning after Hora finally got back from their short trip to Aunt Vora''s house] ''Hora is not fine. There is something she''s not telling me. And it''s not something trivial it''s something very important.'' Yes. That''s right. Hora had never been like that before. She told me that we shouldn''t keep secrets from each other but she''s the one breaking that right now. It only meant one thingwhatever it was with Silky and her family, or maybe something else too, was big enough for her to hide it from me. I just hoped that she would tell me and trust me on the matter but then again, I did the same when my dad got in trouble. If it''s something that would risk my friend''s safety, of course, I would keep my mouth shut. But it''s with their family. I doubt anything could harm me in any way at all. ''Haaaah If she can just tell me about it I want to help, too. I feel like a useless best friend.'' With those thoughts circling in my head, I got up from bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. It was Sunday morningdawn. I woke up earlier than usual again. I couldn''t sleep peacefully knowing Hora was still carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders and she wasn''t telling me about it. At times like these, I wished magic was real and I could just read her mind or something like that. As I soaked my body in the warm water of the tub, I deliberated hard in my head on how to lighten up Hora''s worry. If she wouldn''t tell me the problem, then I should at least try to distract her from the issue and make her happy. I just want my smiling, worry-free friend to be back. Yes. Smiling suited her better than worrying. Ding! My phone, which I left in the pocket of my bathrobe, suddenly lit up. I could see its faint glow despite the thick cloth of the bathrobe. I reached out my hand towards it and checked what it was. "July 11, 2010. Meeting with Rae at 1:00 pm," the notification said. Right. I did have something scheduled today with Rae. If I wasn''t worrying about Hora, I would be so excited after seeing this calendar notification, but since I was, all I could think of was maybe I could ask her opinion on what I should do. Maybe she would give a better insight on this matter than I did. And so, the rest of my morning was spent with me reviewing my first book and thinking of things I wanted to ask for our meeting. When breakfast came, we all gathered in the dining area as usual. Hora was overly energeticwhich I knew was because she''s forcing herself so we wouldn''t worry, but she couldn''t fool me. I let her be though and pretended that I believed her happy facade. Same thing happened during lunch. After that, I went on my way towards Red Dragon Films where I''m supposed to meet with Rae. Kaiden knew of my schedule with her since he pestered me about it. He accompanied me and drove me towards the site. On our way there, he told me to stop worrying about Hora. ''Am I that obvious? I guess I should try doing that happy facade once more. I''m really not good at acting. I should take some notes from Crystal.'' The reason why I''m meeting Rae on a Sunday instead of a weekday was because I''m still studying. They were so nice to consider that fact in putting up the schedule of our meetings. I hoped that I wasn''t ruining Rae''s personal schedule though. Once we''re on the site, we went straight towards the meeting room reserved for us. Kaiden dropped me off there and he went away like last time, towards the higher up''s office. He probably had something to discuss with them again or check on the status of the business. He told me before that from time to time, he would help Mr. Ma in managing the business. It''s amazing how he could pull it off at a very young age. Maybe he was taught how to since childhood? Or was it because he was born a genius? Anyway, I went inside the room and Rae was already sitting on the couch, busy writing things on her notebook despite having a laptop beside her. That was just like me. Maybe we''re the same in that area. "Good afternoon, Ms. Rae," I politely greeted her and sat on the couch beside hers. "Oh, Senara, you''re there," Rae flinched. She seemed to be too engrossed in her thinking that she didn''t notice me arriving. "Good afternoon, too. And sorry, my mind was flying elsewhere." "Not at all, it''s fine. Sorry for disturbing your concentration." "No, you''re good. And please, just call me Rae. I feel old being called Ms. Rae. Ha-ha!" She smiled kindly. Rae dropped her notebook and pen on the table and faced me, so we could talk. Her expression showed that she had a lot of questions in mind. Then, she unlocked her laptop and showed me the script she began writing. Wow! That was fast of her. I believe it wasn''t that long when we last met and she already wrote so much. Amazing. That''s what a professional screenwriter was like, huh? "Can you read through it and see if there''s anything amiss about each character''s personality and all that? The script should show their unique traits and speech patterns so I hope I did it right. Let me know if there are any lines that the characters shouldn''t be saying at all." "Oh okay," I nodded my head, surprised by what she''s asking. So basically, my purpose was not to write the script but for thisgetting my opinion on the story and characters? I see. That made sense though, since I didn''t have any experience in scriptwriting. I read over the script while Rae continued with her thought bubble. She managed to write a couple of chapters already. ''Amazing so this is how a script looks like. I always thought that a script would only contain dialogues like'' "Character A: Hello there! Character B: Hi! How are you doing?" ''But instead, there were lots of elements on it'' "EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY All the citizens gathered at the square. Michael, holding a parchment, stands on an elevated platform, ready to give the announcement. Everyone murmurs as they wait. DRUM ROLLS. Everyone stops from murmuring and focuses on Michael. MICHAEL (serious) The king has chosen the names of the candidates that will proceed to the next round of selection. When I call your name, please step forward. Michael runs through the list of namesinaudible. Those that are called happily step forward and look proud. Sound resumes when he calls the name of the protagonist. MICHAEL (smiling proudly) And last on the listAlexander Reeves. Alexander beams and joins the rest of the chosen candidates. FADE OUT." ''Wow! This is incredible! So it has like scene heading, the action or how the scene looks like, character names, the dialogue itself, and it includes a parentheticalthose adjectives or verbs used to describe how someone says a line. And then, the transitionfade out. Amazing. I have so much to learn.'' Another amazing thing was how as I read through the script, I could vividly imagine how she wanted the scene to appear on screenonce it becomes a movie. AND it fell in line with how I wanted the scenes to play out. Woah truly brilliant! Rae was not an award-winning screenwriter for nothing. She''s really top notch. "Ahmm Rae," I shyly called her name, because of all the respect I''m feeling towards her, "this script I don''t know what to say. It''s" Rae looked at me with expectant eyes. She probably thought I would want to correct anything but there was nothing to correct. "No, it''sthere''s nothing wrong with it. I''m just in awe of how perfect it is. It''s as if you''ve become the author yourself! The scenes were perfect and the things I wanted to highlight were the main focus, the character''s lines were all really good." Rae sighed in relief and smiled. She didn''t have to sigh at all. She''s won lots of awards already. Don''t tell me she''s still unsure of her abilities after all that? Or she''s just too humble. "That''s good," she replied. "I thought I added unnecessary things." "No, you didn''t. And that''s why I think it''s perfect. You''re so amazing!" "Ha-ha-ha. Don''t praise me too much. I only managed to do it right like that because the way you wrote it was very remarkable as well. I wouldn''t understand how you wanted scenes to appear if you didn''t write it clearly yourself. So give yourself a pat, too. You did greatand for your first book, too. I''d say that''s one hell of talent right there." Awwww that was so nice of her to say that. "Thank you" Chapter 170 - Frustrated [Music Recommendation: "Sunny Mornings" by Peter B. Helland (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Hours passed by as I discussed the script with Rae. When feeling tired and out of wits, we took quick breakseither walk around or eat snacks and drink coffee, then go back and continue. We didn''t even notice how time flew by. I, especially, enjoyed myself and learned a lot. By the time we finished, it was already seven! I couldn''t believe I took too much of her time. "Haaaaaah" Rae yawned and stretched her body after the long day. Packing up her things, she turned to me and asked, "Wanna grab dinner together?" "Oh, right. It''s already time for dinner. Sure. Where would you like to eat?" "There''s a great place nearby," Rae grinned. "I really love their food there. There''s also a hotpot place if you''re into super spicy foods." "Ha-ha-ha! Not too spicy. I''ll end up full from drinking lots of water." "Ha-ha-ha! Then, the savoury place it is!" Rae was usually shy and timid, but at that moment, she looked like a child when talking about food. I guess she really loved food. I could totally understand her. Once we finished packing out things, we went on our way. As we stepped inside the elevator, I remembered to inform Kaiden in case he was still busy with his meetings. So, I typed in my phone. "Kaiden, I''m having dinner with Ms. Rae. Are you done with your meetings? If you are, join us. I''ll tell you the place in a bit. I still don''t know the name of the restaurant. Take care." By the time I was done sending my message, the elevator door opened and we''re on the ground floor. We went over Rae''s car so she could drop her things, then walked towards the restaurant she mentioned. Yes, "walked" since it was so near the Red Dragon Films office. The name of the restaurant was in Chinese characters so I couldn''t read it. I''m still not 100% familiar with all their characters. If this was in the future, I could have just taken a picture and send it to Kaiden, or send my location through GPS. But since I''m still at 2010, I could only look at the shop beside itluckily, it has English characters and was both familiar to usand told Kaiden that we''re on a restaurant just in front of the office, beside "Starrbucks". Rae and I walked inside the fancy looking restaurant and a waiter ushered us inside. By the way that they were all greeting her, she seemed to be a regular customer for them. We got a seat on the second floor, beside the windows, perfect for viewing the beautiful fountain, cutely arranged lights, and greenery outside. The waiter gave us the menu and stood at the side of our table, awaiting our orders. Good thing the menu had an English version as well, or else, I wouldn''t be able to read it. I never had that problem before. Well, that was because Kaiden was mostly with me and would offer me the best in the menu so there was no need for me to even look at the menu. He had a great palate. I was never disappointed with his choices. ''Ugh. I can''t believe this. Am I missing him? We just parted for like six hours. Just a quarter of a day. Sena, you''re nuts.'' Then, I remembered Hora again. My mind could really just fly off from one thing to another in an instant, especially when I''m not busy or focused on something. I let out a deep sigh. For a moment, I forgot I was with Rae. Oh my goodness. I shouldn''t have sighed in front of her. Yes, I was thinking of asking her opinion earlier about what''s happening with my friend, but after thinking about it, I should be ashamed and not bother her about something she was unrelated with. "That''s a long sigh," she commented. "Are you ok?" "Y-yes! I''m so sorry. Please don''t mind me. I''m just ahm, thinking about school again tomorrow. You know, it''s Monday again and" "Pft! That''s got to be the biggest lie I heard today," Rae chuckled. My eyes widened in surprise. Oh my goodness. I shouldn''t have lied. Of course, she would notice. Rae had been a very perceptive and observant person ever since our first meeting. And most writers had high EQ, right? And sensitive. It was useless to lie towards her. I''m doomed. How would I explain this? "If it''s too private, it''s alright. I won''t poke anymore. But if it''s something you think you can share, feel free. My friends always said it''s better to share burdens together." Awww That was so kind of her. Maybe just maybe, it''s okay to open up? Though I''m still a bit shy about it. "Well, uhm it''s about my best friend actually," I confessed. "I''m just worried for her. This week was not so good for her and she had to come back to our country to check on things. When she came back here yesterday, she said everything was fine and all that, but I didn''t buy it. I have known her since childhood. I can tell if she''s lying or not. But then, she wouldn''t open up to me so I''m worried if she''s really fine or not. And deep inside, I wanted to help but I can''t help if she won''t tell me anything about it." I said all that in one breath. It was only then that I noticed how frustrated I was with the whole situation. Frustrated and hurt because Hora didn''t want to share her burdens with me. Then I realized, this must have been exactly how she felt when I had that dangerous situation with my dad before. ''Haaah this sucks. I have no right to feel this way when I''m the one who did the same before. This is probably karma. But still please talk to me, Hora.'' I pleaded in my mind. Begging her to tell me in my mind when I should have said it in person. Problem was, even if I did, she wouldn''t. Hora had always been stubbornonce she decided on something, she would see to it and stick to it until the end. "Hmmm" Rae pondered a little bit from what I said. Leaning her chin on her palms, she kindly smiled at me and said, "Give her time. And trust her. I don''t know what the exact situation is, but time will help. Time and Trust. Maybe it really is something she can''t share with you yet. Let it be. Being best friends doesn''t mean you need to know every little thing about the other person." Hearing those words, the frustration in my heart began to crumble, and my broken reasoning began to fade. "Being best friends sometimes means just being there for her, even if you don''t know anything. Sometimes, presence alone is enough. You may not have the wittiest words, or advice, or have no means to help, but just continue to be there. What matters is who stays with us even in dark times, right? I''m sure she''ll appreciate that." Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes. I did my best to hold it back of course. I couldn''t possibly cry in front of Rae, it''s embarrassing. But those words helped remove a huge thorn in my heart. "And lastly, trust her that she''ll tell you at the right time. Or maybe, she''ll have it resolved by then. I''m sure your best friend is not that weak of a person, right?" "Yes! She''s not. She''s a very strong and brave woman." "Good. Then I''m sure she''ll resolve it like a queen and tell you her great adventures after. Taking care of friends is sometimes like parenthood. Sometimes, you gotta let go. So don''t worry too much. If it''s something she can''t bear anymore, she''ll ask for help. For now, let her be and trust her." "You''re right. Thank you very much," I said, smiling and thanking her from the bottom of my heart. "It''s nothing. As friends, we''re prone to worrying too much. It''s a sign that we care and caring is good but too much of it and it will become a shackle instead which is not good. Just a little advice from someone older. It''s simple but can easily be forgotten over time. He-he." ''And here I am, 30 years old in my past life, still not mature enough to figure that out. I''m ashamed of myself.'' "You''re absolutely right. Really, thank you very much." Later on, our food arrived, and so did Kaiden. He joined us for dinner and we all chatted a bitwell, mostly me and Rae. Kaiden seemed to be the silent type to other people he''s not very familiar with. I''m really lucky I managed to befriend him. If not, I''d probably be ignored like others. Anyway, the food was so delicious. Along with great conversation and eye opening advice, it was a day well spent. I''m truly grateful for meeting such wonderful people in this lifetime. I hoped that someday, I could repay their kindness. Chapter 171 - Feeling Petty (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" by O''Neill Brothers (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Soon enough, dinner was over and we said goodbye to Rae. Kaiden drove us back home and we chatted a bit on our way. "You''re looking better than earlier," Kaiden commented. He probably saw me smiling while looking at the scenery outside the car''s window. Looking back at him, my eyes gleamed and my lips stretched into a smile while nodding in agreement. "Yes! I got really great advice from Rae. And I think she''s right. I shouldn''t worry too much and just be there for Hora. When it''s time, she''ll tell me. But for now, I should let her be and just keep on supporting." "Uhm. Sounds about right. Good thing you met with her today." "Yeah. And thank you for accompanying me today." "My pleasure. Though I prefer a kiss than a thank you," he smirked and peeked at me. He probably wanted to see my reaction. Of course I blushed when he said that. Still so cheeky. Hmf! But then that didn''t sound so bad. It''s fine if he wanted t-to ahm k-kiss. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! I''m kidding," he said, taking it back after he was satisfied seeing my red face. "O-Oh, I see. So it''s a joke," I stiffened and sighed afterwards. ''Aaaalright. I''m definitely fine with that. Ha-ha. No kisses today. I''m definitely not disappointed. Yup. I''m good.'' Kaiden smirked again. Then, he suddenly pulled the car over a safe space and stopped driving. "Huh? Why did you suddenly stop?" I asked, confused by his actions. "We''re not there yet." Kaiden turned to face me. He leaned one arm on the steering wheel and tilted his head, looking so mischievous with his smirk. ''Now what? Those eyes What in the world is he planning?'' "Yes?" "It seems someone is sulking," he started, still looking so cheeky. "Huh? Who? Me? No way! I''m not sulking. I just said I''m fine. Plus, I got great advice so I''m good." "You know that''s not what I''m talking about," he smirked again. "Someone seemed to be disappointed about not getting a kiss. I wonder who." "A-ack I w-wonder who indeed." "There''s just the two of us so" "Then maybe it''s you." "Me? Hmm I can survive a day without it just fine." "Oh, really? I see Then, all is good, right?" "Yeah. Though, if someone asks for it, I don''t mind giving it." ''This guy really! He just wants me to ask him to kiss me! So that''s why he pulled over. Since when did he become so naughty like this? Is it because of Verrill? That sly fox just slept over for a night and he already turned Kaiden into t-this naughty wolf! You want to play with words, okay. I''ll play along. Heh.'' "Wow, Kaiden. I didn''t know that you can easily kiss someoneif someone asks for it, you don''t mind giving it? I thought you''re mysophobic," I teased him. Kaiden''s eyebrows raised. He probably didn''t expect that, huh? Chuckling, he replied, "It seems that someone is pretending not to understand what I meant. Well, if that''s the case, then we can just go home. No kiss for today, and tomorrow, until next week. Or maybe until next month. Hmm" My eyes widened in shock. ''N-no kiss until next month? Just because I won''t admit or ask for it? T-that''s so unfair! No kiss until next month no kiss until next month Can I survive that? And can HE survive that? He''s the one who''s alwaysbut then, it''s Kaiden we''re talking about here. If he says he can do it, he really can do it. And what about me? Well I survived my past lifetime plus this lifetime not having anyone kiss me. I should be good, right?'' Trying to look confident, I said, "Yeah. That''s totally fine. I''m sure that someone wouldn''t mind. Even if it''s a year or two, or a decade." ''Hmf! Take that!'' Kaiden smirked again. Why was he still so smug? He didn''t believe me? Tsk. Just wait and see. I could definitely survive without it. Who''s the one who started kissing in the first place? It''s not me. Hmf! And so, Kaiden started the car again and headed back home. Once home, we separated ways and I visited Hora and Crystal in their rooms, bringing food. Yup. I bought some takeout for them. I wanted them to try the delicious dim sums and desserts I got for them. They ate happily and we chatted for hours. When we''re all exhausted, we went back to our rooms, washed up, and slept. Then, came the morningit was finally Monday again. The morning began as usual. Kaiden still accompanied me to my classroom, except there was no kissing, or even a peck on the cheeks. Okay. That''s totally fine. The rest of the day continued as usual as well, until we all went back home, had dinner, and slept. The next day, Tuesday was the same. Then, Wednesday Thursday Friday Before I knew it, it was already Saturday morningstill no kissing. "He''s a really stubborn guy, isn''t he?" I asked myself as soon as I got up from bed, looking all drained out even if I just woke up. "Is he planning on taking that ''one year no kiss'' seriously? Not unless I asked for it? He wants me to ask him that badly? Or maybe he''s back to being completely mysophobic, even to me? Waaa No! That''s impossible. He''s definitely playing with me, enjoying his time torturing me." Out of my desperation, I quickly got my phone and looked up Verrill''s phone number in my contacts. "This sly fox He definitely taught him something bad. I''m gonna make sure to have you hear a piece of my mind! Wraaaaaa!" But then, I stopped. Finally, my rationale was getting back to me. ''No, Sena. Stop that. Don''t take it out on another person. Even if Verrill taught him how to be evil, it was still Kaiden''s choice if he would do it or not. And ta-dah! He really did it. That just means it''s fine for him to torture me like this.'' Then, it finally hit me. ''Wait a minute. Torture? Why do I feel tortured? There''s nothing wrong with a couple not kissing for an entire week and probably for the next few months until those months turn into a year. Yeah. Especially since we''re still teenagers. We shouldn''t be all touchy. Besides, I''m the one who told him it''s perfectly fine. So it''s not torture at all.'' "Damn it," I murmured and clicked my tongue. "Who am I kidding? I''m definitely NOT OKAY with this. I''m going to Kaiden. Right. I''ll admit it and ask him to kiss me. It''s fine for a girlfriend to ask that much, right?" Yeah! But that''s not all. "He-he-he-he," I laughed evilly and told myself, "Since he tortured me for an entire week, I should torture him as well, right? Ke-ke-ke It''s time for revenge." Despite the early morning, I got up from my bed and went over the computer to do some research for my revenge. I felt so petty but nevermind that, I want revenge for the torture I experienced this week. Ke-ke-ke. After a few minutes of research, I managed to form a devious plan. One, I would dress up on that night gown I hated to wearsince I noticed before that he blushed when I wore it. Even if I hated wearing it, I would make a worthy sacrifice in the name of my revenge. Two, I would go to his room and seduce him by kissing him passionately then stop when he''s enjoying it. That''s what the internet said. And so, I did everything according to my plan. I washed up and dressed myself, then covered my body tightly with the matching floral robe of the night gown. I also sprayed some light perfumeit was the only degree of smell I could manage without sneezing. I planned on putting on makeup, too, but I didn''t know how and I didn''t have any so I skipped it. ''Alright. Now that''s settled, it''s time to go to Kaiden''s room.'' Using my phone which now had a picture of a detailed map towards Kaiden''s room, I walked my way there. I met a few maids along the way, cleaning and doing their own stuff. When I finally reached Kaiden''s room, I didn''t bother to knock and instead, sneakily went inside in a tiptoe. "Hm? That''s weird. Where is he?" I checked the bed, the study, walked past many bookshelves, the game roomhe had a dedicated room for gamingand the balcony, but he wasn''t there. So that only left the bathroom and dressing room. Well, I couldn''t possibly go to those so I just let myself lie down on his bed. I played with my phone while waiting for him. Then, I heard the sound of door unlocking and footsteps. ''Finally, he''s coming. Ke-ke-ke. I hope you''re prepared for my revenge.'' Chapter 172 - Feeling Petty (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "Hm? Senara?" Kaiden asked, tilting his head towards me. His hair was a bit damp from taking a bath and his clothes were nothing but a bathrobe. What in the world did he do in the dressing room? Slightly dry his hair? He didn''t even change. Hmm maybe he noticed someone came in and came to check. Anyway, what matters was that he was awake in the morning! And it was the weekend to boot. I laid down on his bed on my stomachhe probably didn''t notice what I was wearing so I rolled to my side and slowly sat up, revealing my night gown to him. Heh. Take that, Kaiden. Kaiden''s eyes widened as soon as he noticed what I was wearing. As expected, his cheeks and ears turned red, and he averted his gaze from me. Feeling devious, I continued with my plan of revenge. "Kaiden," I called his name seductivelyif I did it right. I tried to sound as soft and sexy as possible even if I had no idea how. Oh well, at least he flinched when I called him. "A-ahm, yes?" he asked, looking alarmed. ''Ke-ke-ke-ke It seems that my plan is working. Sacrificing my embarrassment was worth it. Go Sena! Continue to torture him! Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha.'' I waved my hand towards Kaiden, telling him to come over. He did as told and carefully approached his bed. When he reached the side, he stopped and just stood there looking at me. He didn''t even sit down on the bed at least so we''re on the same eye level. Perhaps, he was being cautious, afraid that I would devour him. ''I''m supposed to be the girl here, yet it feels like I''m the one getting avoided. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.'' "Sit down. I wanted to tell you something," I told him with a straight face. Kaiden sat down reluctantly, careful not to be too close to me. Hmf! As if I didn''t notice that. He avoided me like a plaque. Did he already see my intention? But instead of giving up, I pressed on. I inched closer to him until we''re just a few centimetres away. He tried to lean back and avoid me. Irritated, I jumped to him and gave him a big hug. "Bad Kaiden! Bad! Bad! Why are you avoiding me?" I puffed and complained. "N-no. It''s not like that" "You just did!" "That''s because" Faking a tear in my eyes, looking so pitiful, I asked him, "Because you don''t like me anymore?" "What?! No! It''s not that!" Kaiden looked flustered. "It''s just that haaah," he sighed deeply. "What you''re wearing I thought you hated it?" "Ahmm I do hate it," I confessed. "But then I thought you''d like it so I" "Huh?" Kaiden was shocked. "W-well, I do like it but" "You do?" I purposely blinked my eyes . "Y-Yes. But that''s not the point, I" Interrupting him, I finally said it what he''s been waiting for me to say. "Kaiden, please" I said, still looking pitiful. Inching closer, I put my hands on his chest and whispered to his ears. "Kiss me." Kaiden''s eyes widened more and his body stiffened. His neck started to turn red as well. Meanwhile, I felt extremely embarrassed. My heart pounded so hard in my chest and I couldn''t believe everything that I just did and said to Kaiden. Badump! Badump! Badump! A few seconds passed. Then, Kaiden turned to me, looking straight into my eyes, smirking. "I wonder who it is that said she could survive a year or even a decade without it?" he teased. "F-fine! I''m wrong. So please just" Chuuu~ Ahhhh at last, Kaiden wrapped me tightly in his arms and kissed me. Locking his lips unto mine, I immediately felt all my irritation getting washed away. And most of all, my cuddle energy was slowly getting filled up. But even this wonderful kiss wouldn''t stray me away from my revenge. My little horns were back and I continued my plan. "Uhhhmmm" I seductively moaned as Kaiden continued to kiss me. The moment he heard me, he flinched and stopped, parting our lips together. "Haah haah haaah" we both breathed heavily. "Senara what are you doing?" Kaiden asked, with his face beet red. Slowly, he lifted his hand and brushed it from my right arm, and onto my shoulder. I didn''t notice that the strap of the night gown fell on my right shoulder. OMG OMG OMG! That was so embarrassing! My eyes widened the moment I saw that. Good thing Kaiden noticed and he fixed it for me. ''I-I definitely didn''t plan that part. I swear.'' Squeezing my arms, Kaiden pulled me close and kissed me again. When his kisses got deeper and more passionate I pushed him away, much to his surprise. His mouth was left slightly open, already missing my lips. ''He-he-he this is it! The ultimate tease! Pulling back when he''s already enjoying it! Taste my revenge, you bad and naughty boyfriend!'' "What''s wrong?" he asked, worried. "Ahm I just thought that maybe we should kiss sparingly." Of course, personally, I didn''t believe that. I''m just messing with him. "O-oh, I see," he replied, sounding disappointed. "Y-You''re right. We should do that or else" Sighing, Kaiden slumped his body on the bed and laid down on his back. He bit his lips and covered his face with both of his hands. He must have felt so frustrated and kiss deprived. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Just what I had been waiting for. Few minutes passed with me enjoying his tortured look. I even took my phone and took a picture of himhis blushing face, frustrated face, embarrassed face, and helpless face. How satisfying. ''Okay. That should be enough revenge for today, right? Should I reward him now? Since he endured and all. Didn''t even force me to kiss him.'' Thinking that, I scooched into Kaiden''s arms and for the very first time, I initiated our kiss. My heart felt like it would come out of my chest at any moment, but nonetheless I survived. Kaiden''s eyes sparkled like a really happy child when he saw what I just did. Because of that, he pulled me closer and my whole body fell on top of his! "A-ahmm K-Kaiden, wait." "Uhhhmm" How great. Now, he''s the one moaning and seducing me. Not wanting to put all my weight to Kaiden, I sat up straight on the bedwait, I-I''m not sitting on the bed! ''T-this feels like'' And just as I thought, when I looked down to check, I was sitting on his h-his lap! ''OMG OMG OMG! This position is too much! I''m gonna die. I''m gonna die. I''m gonna die. KYAAAAAAA!!!'' "Kaiden, we s-shouldn''t" Chuuu~ Chuuuuuu~ Chuuuuuuuuuuu~ Kaiden shut me up with another passionate kiss. Obviously, I wasn''t the only one deprived from it. He kissed me like there was no tomorrow, devouring my lips and mouth completely. Since when did he get this good at kissing? I had no complaints though. As if trying to make up for a whole week of no kissing, we locked each other''s lips for I didn''t know how long exactly. Maybe an hour? Ha-ha! Whatever. As long as we''re enjoying ourselves. Once fully charged and satisfied, we parted our lips and just stared at each other. Then, we laughed at each other. "How''s the taste of my revenge?" I teased him. "Hah! I knew it," Kaiden scoffed. "You were deliberately teasing me earlier." Waggling my eyebrows, I grinned at himbasically acknowledging his theory. Kaiden chuckled as he caressed my cheeks. "But you know, you shouldn''t play too much with fire unless you can quench it." Saying that, his eyes glimmered in mischievousness. Now, what could this guy be thinking? "Hm? What do you mean?" I asked. "It''s a secret." "Hmf! Anyway, don''t do that again, okay?" I pouted. "Don''t do what?" "Don''t act innocent! You let a week pass by without us being lovey-dovey! That''s what." "Ooohh, it seems like I have such a needy girlfriend," Kaiden teased again. " Is that bad?" "No. Not at all." And so, we both laid down on his bed, side by side, and started kissing again. As if an hour of kissing wasn''t enough. He caressed my face, held on to my waist, and hugged me while kissing. ''Ahhhh What a perfect Saturday morning. If we weren''t teenagers, I might have asked for more but oh well. I can''t yet. Anyway, his lips feel so good and the way he kisses me is just ahhhh'' "Kaiden I love you," I whispered sweetly to him. My heart was filled up to the brim and it felt like it wanted to explode. "I love you, too." He kissed me more after that until his lips traveled down to my neck, much to my surprise. I quite liked it though. My whole body shivered just from having his lips there. Next thing I knew, he was nibbling on my neck! "A-ah! Kaiden, why are you" Kaiden chuckled and smirked. "It''s your punishment. For teasing me too much earlier." "Ha? Punishment?" I touched the area of my neck that he kissed and it stung a bit. Jolting up from bed and running towards a mirror, alas, I understood what he meant. ''This bad, bad boyfriend! WRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!'' Chapter 173 - Silky And Sarah (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ After the morning filled with sweet revenge, I went back to my room to change my clothesat least before we all met for breakfast. I could already imagine Hora''s and Crystal''s faces if they happened to see me with Kaiden wearing "that" night gown. What more if they saw me coming out of his room in the morning? I would either be teased to death, or reprimanded to death. And so, the rest of the day continued as usual. I spent most of my time doing homework and writing my new book. This time, I didn''t type words in my computer but instead, fixed my corkboard of ideas. The recent events in my life made me consider a couple of things in my story so I decided to add it into the plot. I wrote down short notes in a sticky note, pinned them on different areas of the corkboard, used strings to relate events, color coded them so it was easy for me to understand, and even added some reference pictures. If someone barged into my room and saw my corkboard, they might think I''m up to something bad. By the time I finished, it looked like those boards used by criminals or stalkers in planning out their crimes. Only, mine was a lot colorful and cute. The cute stickers and flowers added to its pastel beauty. Satisfied with my creation, I sat down on my desk and stared at it, hanging on the wall in front of me. I made sure it hung there for ease of reach and visibility as I wrote my storiesthat, and to serve as a reminder for me on where I am with the plot, plus a little motivation for me to continue writing. Hours passed afterwards as I busied myself with writing. Feeling inspired, I continued writing until I spent the whole weekend doing just that. Hora and Crystal visited me for a few minutes but they went back to their rooms right after. It seemed that they were busy with their own stuff, too. Hora still hadn''t opened up to me but it''s fine. I decided to give her more time. Kaiden visited too, but I drove him out when he seemed to plan on staying long. I had to remove all distractions when I write. I literally couldn''t write if my surroundings were even the tiniest bit noisy, or there was someone with me. I lose focus and get irritated whenever that happens. As much as I wanted to spend the rest of my weekend with Kaiden, my full focus completely went into writing. I was on fire and no one could stop me. Wraaaaa! Time passed by again and the next thing I knew, it was Monday againtime for school. There were times I hated Mondays but that was mostly from my past life since I didn''t enjoy my job and had to drag myself to work, but in this lifetime, I came to love Mondays. This time, I''m in college and attending classes for a course I love. Of course I would be motivated to always go to school. Kaiden, Crystal, Hora and I, all went to school as usual, and met Callan and Verrill on our way to class. Everything was perfectly normal just like how life usually was. It''s not like everyday, something exciting or dramatic would happen. Most often than not, it''s the usual stuff. The day started without a hitchwell, at least until lunch time. "Hi everyone," Silky suddenly arrived and greeted us. She stood up smiling happily beside our table while we all sat down, thinking what to order for lunch. Silky didn''t arrive alone. She was with "that" kind and beautiful lady with platinum blonde hairthe one I saw outside the female shower room back when I was bullied by those, well, bullies. Yeah the girl I used as an inspiration for the character development of my female lead in the new book I was writing. "Woah," I couldn''t help but be awestruck by her charms. She really looked like lead material. She could be a celebrity if she wanted. I wouldn''t even mind if she played the role of Rania in case my new book somehow got lucky too and be turned into a movie. "Meet Sarah," Silky introduced her. "She''s my room-mate and also a new friend." Ohh so her name was Sarah. How befitting of her. Sarah meant "princess" and she really looked like one. "Hello Sarah," I greeted her with a smile. "And good day to you, Silky." But then I wondered why she was suddenly introducing herself to us. It was too random for Silky to just appear. We weren''t that close. And she wasn''t that close to Hora either. Hmm maybe she''s just feeling a bit lonely since she''s studying all by herself in a different country? I didn''t mind it though. She was Hora''s cousin and it''s not like she''s planning on something nasty. Having a new friend didn''t sound so bad, especially with Sarah. I could even pick up notes on her personality and add it into my book. That would make my characters more alive. Everyone else greeted Silky and Sarah with a polite smileeveryone except Hora. Instead, she looked rather anxious. Did she happen to have a fight with Silky? If that''s the case, then maybe that''s why Silky was suddenly approaching us. She probably wanted to apologize and make up with her. Whatever it was, it definitely had something to do with Hora''s trip to Aunt Vora''s house. "What are you doing here?" Hora asked Silky in a soft but wary tone. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she stared at her eye to eye. Silky returned Hora''s gaze, then smiled. "I''m just feeling a bit lonely and maybe, if it''s okay with you all," she replied in a shy manner, "C-can we join you for lunch?" Worried about Hora, I made sure to observe all her actions. When Silky said that she wanted to join us for lunch, Hora''s eyes widened a bit and her body flinched. She was probably trying to hide her anxiousness but sitting beside me, it was impossible for me not to notice. Chapter 174 - Silky And Sarah (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ "I-it''s a bit crowded," Hora replied in a murmur. Whether it was hesitation or just the anxiousness from her voice, I wasn''t sure, but one thing I''m certain was that she didn''t want her to join us. As to what her reason was, I had no idea. If I were to be honest, it wasn''t true that it was crowded. The couch we sat on was good for eight to ten people. Two slim females would barely add up to space. Our bags were all hanging on the hooks under the table so they didn''t sit on the couch. There was literally enough space for four more people. Two could sit on either sidesbeside Callan or Kaiden, or beside Crystal and me, since we were the ones located on the outer sides of the couches. "You''re Hora''s cousin, right?" Callan asked, bursting the short silence. "Yes, that''s right!" Silky replied, with her face beaming in happiness. "Yeah. I remember you. We met you I think it was two weeks back?" Silky nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! You were one of those handsome guys Senara was with. You and" turning to Kaiden, she pointed her fingers at him and said, "him! Sorry, I forgot your names." "Callan," he answered. "And that''s Kaiden. This guy in the middle is Verrill, and the beautiful queen in front of me is Crystal. You already know Hora and Senara." "I see. Thanks. Can we?" "Oh yeah, sure. Feel free to sit anywhere," Callan answered for all of us. Why in the world was he being friendly now? Was it because they were beautiful ladies? So unfair. I never got that same treatment when we first met. Urgh this guy seriously couldn''t read the atmosphere. Would it hurt if he paid a little attention to Hora? But then again his eyes were all fixed to Crystal. Oh no what to do? Would Hora be okay with this? I glanced over Hora and as expected, her face turned horrid. She tried to smile and put on a nice face but I knew her too well to be swayed with her acting skills. "Aw! Did you just step on me, Verrill?" Callan groaned and bent down, trying to touch his feet. "Oh, sorry, I didn''t mean to. I didn''t notice your foot was on the way," Verrill smiled at him with that kind princely smile but his tone was definitely not as kind. At least he noticed Hora I think. "Thank you!" Silky smiled again and helped themselves to sit down. "Senara, can I sit beside you?" "Huh? S-sure," I answered right away and moved a bit. Sarah on the other hand, looked like she didn''t know where to sit. Noticing this, Silky turned to her and said, "Sarah, why don''t you sit in front of me so we''re not so far apart?" Sarah''s innocent face turned perplexed. "In front of you?" Then, she turned her head and noticed that the seat in front of her was the one beside Kaiden. And they were all boys on that side. She looked hesitant to sit with them. After all, she was just new in the circle and didn''t know any of us. Of course, she would be hesitant. But more than that for some weird reason, I suddenly felt a stinging pain in my heart. The thought of another woman sitting beside Kaiden somehow, it didn''t sit well with me. "Go on, don''t be shy. They''re all kind people," Silky urged her. And so, Sarah turned to Kaiden. They both looked at each other''s eyes, as if trying to speak through their eyes. Kaiden didn''t move at first but Callan moved, and Verrill as well, sighing, so he also "Sena!" Hora suddenly called my name, disturbing me from staring at Kaiden and Sarah. "Why don''t you sit beside Kaiden instead so Silky and Sarah can sit together?" A desperate smile could be seen from her face. "A-ahm r-right," I replied. Kaiden''s face that turned sour and grumpy a moment ago, immediately lit up. "Yeah, that''s right," he agreed. "Sena, come here." He stretched out his hand and gestured for me to come over. Silky tensed up a bit while Sarah seemed to like the idea very much. She quickly went beside Silky who by then, stood up to give way to me. And so, the seating arrangement dilemma was quickly resolved. I sat beside Kaiden, and Silky and Sarah sat beside Hora. ''Phew! I''m so glad that was over. The stinging pain in my heart was gone in an instant as well. Of course, who wouldn''t be jealous when you see a girl prettier than you sitting beside your boyfriend? Haah It seems like I''m the jealous type, huh? I should have thought of that from the beginning. Why was I so easily swept away by Silky''s whims? Weird. Anyway, good catch there Hora.'' After that, we all ordered our food and ate while chatting. From our chat, I learned that Silky and Sarah took business management courses and they met two weeks ago when Silky was assigned to the same room as her in the school dormitory. They became close easily, especially because Sarah was so kind. Being a girl like her, would there even be anyone crazy enough not to like her? Jealous maybe, but not hate. It was simply impossible to hate someone as angelic as her. She was quite funny, too, and so very sweet. Watching her talk and smile and laugh made me want to be just like her in the futureif I could ever pull off the same elegance and vibe as her. Truly, she''s an amazing person. As I observed Sarah, the more I got convinced that she would definitely make a perfect reference for my heroine Rania in my new book. Personality wise, looks, intellect, and beliefseverything was perfect just like how Kaiden''s personality was perfect for my male lead Elliot. I really loved their pair and I personally thought that their romance would be the most perfect one in the story as well. It was then that it started to hit me Sarah and Kaiden weren''t they perfect for each other as well? Yeah, just like Rania and Elliot... And so my heart started to ache once again. Chapter 175 - What If... (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Interweave" by Chewie Melodies (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Later on, lunch time finished and we all went back for our next classes. No thanks to my stupid thoughts, I spent the rest of the afternoon debating with myself. ''Sena, you''re thinking too much of it. There''s no way that''s the case. I mean yes, you used them as reference for your story''s main leads but this is lifeit''s different.'' ''But they look so good togetherand such a perfect fit. If I''m an outsider, I would even mistake them for lovers if I saw them near each other or just standing beside each other. And anyone you''d ask will say the same thing for sure.'' ''So what? What if they look good together? Not everyone who looks good together ends up with each other, you know.'' ''Yeah, that''s true but still am I even worthy of someone like Kaiden? I''m just a normal girl compared to him. He and his family are way out of my league. Oh my goodness, why did I only notice this now? I''m really shameless aren''t I? Maybe this is what those girls who bullied me felt? That I''m not worthy of him? It does make sense I really am not'' ''No, no, no! Stop it! Don''t think negatively like that. What matters is that Kaiden loves you, right? You and not anybody else.'' ''But that''s just because he hasn''t met other girls like Sarah. I just got lucky meeting him first and being close. Once he cures his mysophobia, he will be more open to other people, too. Honestly, I don''t know why he fell in love with me. And is it really love? What if it''s just because I''m his first female friend and he''s mistaking friendship with love? Or it''s just infatuation?'' ''Sena, stop it!'' ''But but What if in the future, we end up breaking up? Because I''m not good enough? Or worse, end up hating each other?'' ''No. You''re thinking too far ahead. Just do your best in loving him and I''m sure he won''t leave you.'' ''No. I can''t be too sure about that. Anything can happen. And besides in my past life, I really didn''t have any love life. And I didn''t meet Kaiden. W-what if I''m really not the one for him? What if instead of me, it''s actually Sarah? And now that I messed with how things are supposed to be, Sarah will lose her destined person? Or worse, I might be affecting something I shouldn''t be affecting with my actions? Oh nooooo.'' Yes, that''s true. What if I really was messing with destiny? Little by little, my heart sank into the abyss of fear, guilt and sadness. Why didn''t I think of it before? Were my actions really acceptable? What if all this time I''m being too selfish? After all, this new life I wasn''t supposed to be here. I wasn''t supposed to attend college, my dad was supposed to leave us, I was supposed to be working, and all that. I had only seen the good side of things ever since I reincarnated and I''m really thankful for that but what if I''m destroying something I shouldn''t be? As the class went by and our professor continued class, I suddenly felt chills run down my body. Fear crept within my heart. I unconsciously looked around, checking my whole surroundings for I didn''t know what reason. Perhaps, it was my own body''s way of asking if I should even be there? Just when I thought that today would be a normal day without anything special going on, "that'''' just had to happen. Well, it wasn''t entirely bad. Actually, it''s good to meet new friends. It''s just me. I got a bit insecure of myself and started comparing myself with Sarah until my thoughts went deeper and now, I wasn''t so sure anymore what to think. What''s worse, I had no one to ask or inquire of these questions I have. Was there ever anyone like me who went back to the past and changed events? Was I allowed to change them? Ughhh it''s all too frustrating. "Senara," Marie called me, disturbing me from my circle of thoughts. "Hey, earth to Senara?" "Oh, I''m so sorry. W-what is it?" Marie stared at me for a few seconds trying to guess what''s wrong with me. She then shrugged her shoulders probably thinking of letting me go, much to my luck. I noticed that she wasn''t the type to pry much which was good. I sucked at lying and I''m not sure if I should be opening up my recent thoughts to her or to anyone at all. She''d think I''m a lunatic. "Hmm It''s nothing," she replied. "The professor said that the yearly Writing Contest will start next week, July 26th, Mondayin case you''re interested. It''s open to all but of course, most participants will be from the Writing department." "Right. The one in the posters. There''s a couple of them I have seen since the start of classes in June." "Yeah. It''s a yearly thing so they have the schedule fixed. Here''s the mechanics," she said while handing out a flyer. "The professor kinda gave it earlier to pass for everyone. You were busy in your dream world so you probably didn''t noticebut here''s your copy." "I''m sorry about that. And thank you. I''ll think about it if I will join or not." Ugh. My replies were so out of place, like my mind. "Are you joining?" "Hmm Maybe not. I''m not sure. In case I join, I might end up writing smuts since one of the mechanics for winning is popularity." "Huh?! Write what?" I blurted out, shocked by what she just said. "Ha-ha-ha! I''m kidding. It sells though. Some authors decided to write smut books for money instead of nourishing their writing talents." Wow. That''s new. I didn''t expect Marie to say such things. It''s true though. In my past life, there were so many books and web novels filled with smuts to the point there''s barely any plot anymore. They were basically written porn. Even so, it''s true that many still read them and they would really sellsometimes even better than other books who were actually written better, with more passion, and with an awesome plot. Sad but true. The people of the future would only become more and more liberated and there''s nothing we could do about that. After all, it all boils down to personal preferences. I mean anyone could read anything they like. Now that she mentioned it I wonder how authors who wrote amazing stories felt when their book got beaten in sales or popularity by smut books that had a crap plot? There were books with both smut and a good plot and those were great, but most often than not, they''re just a bunch of books with the sole purpose of entertaining readers in "that" area. Wait a minute Did she deliberately say that to distract me from my own thoughts? Was this her being nice to me? Oh, wow. Thank you Marie. Chapter 176 - What If... (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Scenery" by Kim Taehyung (BTS - V) available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ Appreciating Marie''s own act of kindness, I smiled at her and did my best to not overthink. For a moment, I rid myself of the negative thoughts I had. I''ll just contemplate it when I''m alone or maybe later once I get back home. Being lost in thought while at school wasn''t really nice. I should be listening to the lesson. Now, I got one great lesson I didn''t get to understand and learn. Haaah Why am I such an over-thinker? Anyway, thanks to that, I somehow managed to actually listen to the next classes. Not long after, class ended and we all met at the parking lot to say goodbye to each otheror not. As we walked towards the car, Kaiden and Callan kept on discussing things about the game they were building, probably their project. I was with them so I overheard. "I''m hiding from my mother right now, boss," Callan complained. "Can we do it in your place instead? I can do the tedious tasks." "When is the deadline for this again?" Kaiden asked, checking on his phone''s calendar. "A-ack! Well next week," Callan answered awkwardly. "Yes. It''s already next week and you''re still not done on your part." "Please have mercy." Kaiden smirked, "Too busy trying to woo my sister?" "W-what? That''s not true. Crystal is NEVER a distraction for me. She''s my inspiration. Hey, you''re one to talk! You live with Senara!" "Ha-ha-ha! I got lucky, that''s why. But I still finish my tasks on time," Kaiden teased. "Fine. I''ll make sure to finish everything tonight! So please, let''s just do it in your place." "But I won''t be able to spend time with Senara." "You can leave me in your office. I promise not to try and hack your secret files," Callan teased back. "You know, those" "I don''t have secret files. And you''re not using my desktop. Use the free one in the library." "Ahm, Kaiden," I joined in the conversation, "actually, it''s okay. I have something to do tonight so you can spend time with Callan." Yes. I did have some writing to do, plus the contemplating part. And in case I''m joining the contest, then maybe that, too. Kaiden was surprised with what I said, or rather, disappointed. I''m really sorry. My mind was just jumbled up today and I''m not so sure if I''m in the mood for flirting or being lovey-dovey. "Oh in that case, I''ll leave you alone then," Kaiden pouted. We finally reached the car and Callan got inside his car and started it. Hora, Crystal and Verrill were not yet there so Kaiden and I went inside the car to sit down while we waited. We opened up the window so they''ll know we''re there. Kaiden''s car windows were tinted so it would be hard to know if anyone was inside unless we rolled the windows down. Inside the car, I noticed Kaiden kept on staring at me who was somehow staring at the scenery outside the car. I could feel his gaze at me even if I didn''t look at him. "What? Why are you staring at me?" I chuckled and asked him. "Senara, are you okay?" he asked, much to my surprise. Was I too obvious? Where''s my poker face when I need it? "Huh? Yeah, I''m good. I''m just thinking." Trying to think of an excuse, I remembered the writing contest Marie mentioned. "I-I''m thinking of a story to use for the Writing Contest. It starts next week and I just thought of joining right now when I should have prepared weeks ago." Then, I took out the flyer from my bag and showed it to him. Hopefully, that was convincing enough. Even if it''s Kaiden, I couldn''t get myself to confide with him on this matter. Besides, "I" am the problemand the way I think. I''m so confused and at a loss about everything. Kaiden took the flyer and read it. After reading, he looked back at me, still with an observing eye. Was he not convinced with that? He stared at me again for a couple more seconds and sighed. Then, he leaned over and hugged me. "Senara," he whispered to my ears as he patted my back. "I love you." "!!!" I was shocked. In a good way, of course. Before I knew it, tears clouded my eyes. With trembling hands, I hugged him back and clenched on his shirt. "Kaiden" I whispered his name despite my weakened tone. ''I don''t get it. I never understood how is it that he can always read mehow he can always say things I need to hear when I need them? Or how he can do things I want him to do, or help me in ways I want to be helped? How can he be so perfect? And because of that I just feel more and more unworthy of him.'' "Can I keep on loving you?" Alas, the words I wanted to ask him the most. "A-Am I even worthy of" Not letting me finish my words, Kaiden shut me up with a deep kiss. At the same time, he closed down the car window and held me closer. His soft lips wet mine and devoured me hungrily. My heart thumped hard in my chest as he kissed me passionately. And when our lips finally parted, my whole body felt hot and my face, feverish. My body felt weak and drained with energy along with my stupid thoughts. "Did you say something?" Kaiden smirked, obviously teasing me because of what I said. "For a moment I thought you were saying something not nice." "I''m so sorry." "You better be because if you''re saying you''re not worthy of me then we have some problem on your definition of worth." "Well ahm" "Senara," he called my name firmly. "You''re the only one worthy of me because you''re the only ''you'' in the world." Awwww that was so sweet of him. I felt so touched and my insecurities slowly melted away. Kaiden was not the type to lie and if he meant what he said then that means he loved me because I''m "me", right? Even if someone better than me comes along, if it wasn''t me then he won''t fall for her, right? Even if it''s someone ordained by destiny right? Chapter 177 - A Knock At Midnight (Part 1) [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ A few moments later, Hora, Crystal, and Verrill arrived. Then, we all went home together. Since Callan would be sleeping over, Verrill decided to do the same. Now, all three boys were busy doing their project in Kaiden''s room. Meanwhile, us girls were holed up in our own rooms. Crystal wanted to bond but she had tons of meetings lined up for the nightone with her modelling agency, another with her classmates to discuss a group project, and I forgot the other thing she mentioned. Hora had a lot of homework lined up too so that left me alone in my room. On the good side, I had more "me" time. I needed it to arrange my thoughts. "Haaaaahh" I sighed deeply as I slumped my body to the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Soooo What are you gonna do, Sena? What''s the plan?" Firstregarding time traveling. Yeah, I wanted to arrange my thoughts on that one first of all. I never really gave it much thought before. All I ever cared about was how to live my life differently because I wanted to be happy. This time, I wanted to live for myself, following my dreams, and experiencing things I never experienced before like love. Now that I''m living how I wanted to live, I couldn''t be more thankful for everything and for whatever reason I time traveled. But then all the good I was seeing was for "me". What about the others that had been affected by my decisions and changes I made in my life? Best sample was Kaiden''s destined lover, if there ever was one. In my past life, I didn''t have a lover so I suppose that was how my love life was destined. But now that I got Kaiden for myself, what about his destined lover or supposed-to-be lover? Whether it''s Sarah or somebody else, what would happen to their love life? Would they be living a miserable life because of what I did? Same goes for my writing. What if that award I got, and the movie adaptation, what if somebody else was supposed to have it instead of me? Somehow, it felt like I''m stealing someone else''s spot in this lifetime. Was I allowed to do that? Or more than allowing, should I even be doing that? What would happen if I do so? What''s the cost of all these? As I pondered about my existence and it''s repercussions, a throbbing pain ached my heart. There was this stinging uneasiness, fear, and guilt once again. I felt scared. Scared of knowing that I''m messing with how things were supposed to be, scared knowing what exactly it was that I already affected, and scared of the possibility that I might need to leave all these changes behind. Hours passed with me just thinking. I didn''t notice it was time for dinner and Hora had to fetch me in my room. We all ate dinner together then went back to our rooms to continue doing whatever we were doing. When I came back, I took a bath and decided to go to bed for some sleep since I knew I wouldn''t be able to get answers from my questions. Unluckily for me, I couldn''t sleep a wink. I tossed my body around the bed, tried different positions, closed my eyes and all, but still, sleep didn''t visit me. "Ugh Please, my mind and body, cooperate with me. I need to sleep." Knock! Knock! Knock! A sudden knock disturbed me from my thoughts. I immediately got up hearing Hora''s voice calling my name from outside the door. She opened the door herself and closed it after coming inside. "Sena, are you planning on sleeping already?" Hora asked as she walked towards me. "Did I disturb you?" "No, not really. Actually I''m not sleepy yet, just trying to. And you? Are you having trouble sleeping too?" "No. I just finished all my homework and I wanted to talk with you. I''ve been wanting to since earlier but you seem to need a bit of time." "Huh? Why? And what is it about?" Did I look miserable during dinner? Or in the car while we were on the way home? Hora sat beside me on the bed and looked me in the eye. There she was again, trying to read me. And as usual, she could really read me. I think I really need to improve my lying and acting skills. "Yes?" I asked Hora, nervous as to why she was suddenly quiet. Sighing, she started, "Sena, if there''s anything bothering you, you can talk to me, okay? I believe we promised not to keep secrets from each other?" Badump! Badump! Badump! I knew it. Of course she noticed me. I noticed her, too, during lunch. Maybe I could also ask her about it. "Yes, I know. But this thing I''m worried about ishmm Answer me first though. During lunch, what happened? Why did you seem cautious of Silky? Did you two fight? Or is it something related to Aunt Vora?" Hora flinched and her eyes widened for a split second. "That''suuuhhh" she struggled to find the right words, "Well let''s just say there''s a bit of contradicting opinions on something." "Can you give me more details?" I asked carefully, not sure if it was okay to pry in their family matter. Even if we''re best friends, I still respected her privacy should she want to keep some things about her family a secret. Hora bit her lips and hesitated. It must have been something she couldn''t share with me. Noticing that, I quickly retracted my question. "Nevermind that. It''s okay. I hope you both resolve it soon. You look too angelic to be arguing with someone, even if it''s family," I jested and chuckled. "Riiiight," Hora agreed and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about that. But Sena, answer me now. What happened today? You don''t look okay. Was it because of Silky?" "No, not Silky" "Then it''s Sarah." This time, I''m the one who flinched. Chapter 178 - A Knock At Midnight (Part 2) [Music Recommendation: "Blue & Grey" by BTS (instrumental only)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~ I definitely couldn''t tell her about the time traveling part but about Sarah maybe I could open up a bit? "So it is about Sarah," Hora said, stressing the word "is". "Not entirely, but that''s one," I confessed. "I know, I''m just being silly and all that but" "Yes, you are," she agreed without even hearing my story. "I haven''t said anything yet," I complained. It was pretty easy to guess though. Hora chuckled and raised her eyebrows. "I bet you''re comparing yourself to her saying she''s more beautiful and this and that. And that she looks great with Kaiden, and they''re perfect for each other, right?" "Woah! You nailed it! H-how? Can you read minds?" "Tsk tsk tsk. I know you like the back of my hand, Sena," she smirked. "Ha-ha-ha! Of course. And sorry for not telling you sooner. You''re right. I needed some time to think." Hora nodded. "And where has your thinking got you?" "About that honestly, nowhere. I''m just going round and round in circles." "Tsk tsk tsk. Aigooooo this girl," she clicked her tongue again. "You really will be stuck in a circle if you keep degrading yourself. This is just like what happened with me and Crystal. It''s really simple what you need to do." "Huh? What do you mean?" "Let''s just say, you are me, Crystal is Sarah, and Verrill is Kaiden," Hora explained. "You and Kaiden have mutual feelings, and Sarah is the other partywe''re not even sure if she likes Kaiden. She doesn''t seem to be the type to like other girl''s boyfriends but for the sake of comparison, let''s just say she does." I got confused about what she meant butokay? "You see, even if Sarah ends up liking Kaiden too, what matters is that Kaiden loves you and you love himjust like me and Verrill. Did Verrill''s heart change despite knowing Crystal''s feelings? Did my feelings change? No, they didn''t. And is Crystal lacking on anything? Not at all! In fact, she''s way more gorgeous than I am, smarter than I am, so much more perfect and better than I am. But did that matter in Verrill''s feelings? Not at all, right?" My eyes widened, finally understanding what she meant. "Oh my goodness! Iyeah, I get what you mean." "Really?" "Yes. What matters is that he loves you." "That and the fact that, even if I seem to be lacking lots of things, I really am not. I''m just exactly what Verrill prefers. I am what I need to be. Crystal and I are different. You and Sarah are different, too. But that doesn''t mean any of you is lacking anything. It just happened that Kaiden prefers you, and loves you because you''re ''you''. You get that?" Right. It was the same with what Kaiden said. He loves me because I''m me. I believed that but other than that, there was a greater concern that I badly wanted to ask her as well butI don''t know, maybe it''s taboo. Like something bad would happen if I spilled the beans with anyone. "Yes, you''re right. That''s why I said I''m being silly. He-he." "Exactly. And stop looking down on yourself, please." "Yes, ma''am." We ended up laughing at each other after that. Until, I suddenly thought of an idea. "Hora there''s something else I want to ask you as well." "Hm? Sure! What is it?" "It''s regarding a story I just thought of." "You just thought of? Like, right now while we were talking?" "Ha-ha-ha! Yes! It''s just an idea though. I want to get your opinion if that''s okay. Mind you, it''s gonna be a spoiler." "Oh no. That''s okay. Spoilers are good. Tell me." I breathed deeply and stared intently at Hora while trying to gather courage within me. I had decided. I''m gonna confess everything but in the form of a story. That way, she wouldn''t think I''m a lunatic or risk anything taboo, right? Yeah. Let''s just say everything was just a story. "Well, regarding what just happened," I started to explain. "Let''s say, I''ll put the same scenario into the story I''m planning to write. But then there''s a twist." "Hm? What twist?" Badump! Badump! Badump! "Ahmm I somehow want it to be a fantasy romance so I''m thinking" I kept on pausing, feeling so nervous about everything. Phew! Relax, Sena. Hora waited eagerly for me to finish my words. Then, blurting it all in a shout, I continued "What if the female lead is actually a time traveller and she''s destroying two destined lovers by entering the picture and taking her spot?" I said all that in one go, even closing my eyes. By the moment I opened them again, I saw Hora''s face turn horrid. Her face went pale and her lips dried up. But why? I said it was all a story. She wouldn''t happen to think that it was real, right? Even if it really was real. I mean, who in their right mind would think time travelling was possible and not a made-up story? "Hora?" I called her, trying to get her attention. "Is there a problem?" Hora''s eyes trembled a bit. Then, she sighed and looked me straight in the eyes. " Sena, Iit''s nothing." "Hm? It''s not nothing. What is it? Your face is pale." "Iuuh, remembered something I needed to do. That''s all. But it''s okay, I can do it later." She was lying. What in the world would she do in the middle of the night when she already finished her homework? Haaah I''ll let it slide for now. "Okaaaay," I agreed, sounding skeptical. "Anyway, regarding your story idea, it sounds interesting. Tell me more about it." And so, I told Hora everything that my mind kept on worrying aboutme stealing other people''s destinies and all thatbut in the form of a story. She carefully listened to everything I said. I didn''t give a background story for the female lead since she could easily guess I''m referring to myself but I explained the doubts she had about herself. Hopefully, that was enough to explain the whole situation. After I finished talking, Hora asked me a single question as she smiled warmly, looking at me. "Sena" "Yes?" "Is it wrong to want to be happy?" Hearing those words, I wanted to cry so bad.