WARNING: SLIGHTLY MATURE CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER! EDIT: Also, apparently saying mature themes doesn't make it obvious that mature themes such as a close encounter with sexual assault, so for those of you who may be triggered by such a thing, that does happen in this story.
I do want to reassure any and all readers that not all chapters will be as dramatic as this one.
Don't let the amount of negativity in Hinata's life in THIS CHAPTER ruin the rest of the story for you.
Everything that happens in this chapter is necessary for later chapters.
I promise, our Hinata will not be experiencing only negative things throughout this story.
Like I always say: Sometimes you have to suffer through the tough times to know when the good times have come!
FOR NEW AND OLD READERS:
This is a rewrite of my unfinished story "Love Behind The Camera".
If you are interested in what this may have looked like before being revamped, feel free to go back and read what is posted of that story because I've left it up for comparison.
Thank you for reading and I truly hope you enjoy!
I LOVE getting feedback from readers whether it's follows, favorites, reviews, or even private messages!
On top of that, I have the main story-line to this story mapped out, but there's always room for edits or additions so feel free to let me know if there's something you think should happen or not happen within the story and I'll seriously consider.
Enjoy!
Getting famous with the arts as an outlet is without a doubt one of the best ways to leave your stamp on history. Just think about how many musicians are still insanely famous despite having long passed away: Beethoven, Bach, Freddie Mercury, and so many more. What's even more exciting is that with today's technology, your work can be witnessed much easier and more frequently, thus making it easier to gain popularity. The same can be said the other way around, however. You can ruin your career even quicker than you can start one with just one bad tweet or interview, especially if you're a fresh face to the entertainment industry. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, for me, I'm already used to the world of fame.
Of course, I'm not famous for anything other than being born with my name, but I fully intend to change that the moment I graduate high school (which would be in less than a week!). I go to a private school, Konoha Elite, where you either get in because of your name and money or you earn your way in with above average intelligence. Because this school is so high profile, most of the students answer very realistically when asked what they are planning to go to college for, be it business, accounting, or even law.
More often than not, students go to college for whatever their family is known for. For example, the Inuzuku's are world renowned scientists and doctors, the Uzumaki's are often business owners, and the Hyuga's are technological inventors. That's my family name, Hyuga. The family name is what has me spending my weekends at press conferences and dinner parties instead of hanging out with friends or playing video-games. It's also this family name that has developed an overbearing anxiety disorder within me. Expectations for me have been and are held so high that I often physically crumble under the pressure.
To get back on topic, if you ask these same students who would be going to school for medicine or law without their parents listening what their dream jobs were, I can guarantee that their answers would be nothing related to what they are planning their lives around. For me personally, Father had signed me up for business and technology classes the day that I started my final year of high-school, only he has them scheduled at the most elite college in the area: KTech. I've been on the incoming roster list for a year and I just recently turned eighteen! What I really want to do with my life was create art, whether it be in the form of music, photography, or even painting. All that I want in life was to have a constant ability to express myself clearly and the arts enable me to do so.
Since I can remember, I've always had that dream. You know the one. The one where you're center stage with a single spot light on you. The crowd is chanting your name as you look out at them and feel proud of your success. That's what I really want, but realistically I know that the chances of me making it that big are slim even with my name, so I've settled for taking some classes for photography and graphic design behind my father's back. If I can't make it on one side of the camera, I want a chance to at least be on the other side. My hands danced over the piano keys in the dark music room, room number 5 at the very end of the hall. I taught myself at an early age to play the piano, the only endeavor that I'm truly proud of.
The sleek feel of each key brings a swell to my chest and a happiness to my heart that only music can provide. A soft melody flows gently through the air as I casually play the melody to Yiruma's River Flows In You. My body sways slightly with the melody as I help the notes crescendo and decrescendo. I keep my eyes closed as I play, knowing my favorite piece so well that I don't need to look at the keys.
In my mind, I picture the notes physically coming out of the piano as little gold wisps of light. My peaceful imagery shatters as a loud slam comes from the direction of the only entrance/exit of the room, the locked door. My hands freeze on the keys and I glance nervously at the small window in the middle of the door to see Karin and Suigetsu sticking their noses against the glass and making faces at me. The triumphant swell in my chest sinks away and is replaced with the steely weight of depression.
The two are always looking for me in the hallways, ready to get a torment session in before their next class or before they go home. Karin and Suigetsu are Konoha Elite's "it" couple. No one really likes them, but everyone wants to be friends with them solely so they won't end up their next target. They've bullied and bought their way to the top, being the reigning prom king and queen going on three years now. Karin is, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She has blood red hair and deep dark eyes set against flawless pale skin, not to mention a perfect body, but her personality is one of the nastiest to contrast with her appearance.
Suigetsu, on the other hand, is average looking if not maybe a bit cute, but he's a sadist in every sense of the word. Karin verbally bullies people while Suigetsu physically bullies them. He has shoulder length white hair, which he often keeps pulled back in a man-bun, and blue eyes. Karin honestly wears the pants in the relationship, but that doesn't mean that Suigetsu isn't intimidating on his own.
Karin's family are famous designers, creating and maintaining the luxurious Uzumaki brand. They've always been successful clothing and accessory designers, but in the last year they released a new set of trend setting eye-wear that really skyrocketed their popularity. The girl in question has nothing to do with the success of her parents' company, but that doesn't stop her from telling everyone that she's the sole designer for them. The other students either believe her or at least pretend to so they won't put a target on their backs.
There was one girl in particular that I remember called her out on her bullshit in their gym class last year and Karin had Suigetsu hold the girl down while she cut the poor girl's hair choppy and short in front of everyone. The girl was so ashamed of her appearance that she transferred out to a different school. I remember vaguely that the girl had had the prettiest pale pink hair. It's a shame that Karin had to ruin it.
The clear sound of the door handle jiggling as the pair try once again to get into the room has my hands anxiously clenching into fists in my lap. The sadness that I feel was quickly turning into panic as I realize finally that I've trapped myself in here. I normally go for the first music room since it's next door to a few other rooms and I'm more likely to get out of there without being intercepted by the couple, but the other one's had been occupied so I'd settled for the last room in the hall. I shakily smooth my long black hair as I try to come up with a plan and fail miserably.
They aren't interested in cutting my hair, too, right? Father would be so angry if I came home with my hair ruined. There would be no explaining to him what happened. It's Hyuga standard to show off our bloodline with healthy and long hair, even for most of the men. The Hyuga's run a company very similar to that of Apple or Samsung. My father, Hiashi, is the current CEO of the Hyuga company, therefore my sister Hanabi and I are expected to resemble everything that the family has to offer. I glance around the room hopelessly as the two behind the door laugh loudly at my obvious panic. There really is only one exit to the room. It has no windows or even large air vents to escape out of: just the door.
I make it a point to avoid eye contact with them as I softly close the lid over the piano keys. It was like saying goodbye to a friend so I could head off to war. My hands shakily pull my book-bag's strap up over my shoulder and I stand from where I was seated. I glance at my phone to see that my free period would be ending in less than five minutes so I have to get out soon or my father would be notified that I was tardy to my next class. With a deep breath, I clench my hand tightly on the strap of my bag and unlock the door with the other.
The second they were able, the two tormentors shot the door open, making me take a hasty step back to avoid being knocked back by it. If the two didn't have such jarringly different features, one would think they were related just by how in sync their facial expressions were. They take a step towards me with matching smirks, blocking the doorway completely. "You opened the door much quicker than we expected, Hinata!" Karin's perfectly white teeth glisten as she gives me a syrupy grin. "We've noticed you've been avoiding us, Hyuga. You aren't trying to send us a message, are you? Could it be that you don't like us?"
Suigetsu smiles wolfishly, doing little to hide his wondering gaze from his girlfriend. She doesn't seem to notice, but I definitely do. I silently try to brush past them and out into the hallway, but to no avail. Suigetsu's never one to shy away from getting physical and he quickly grabs my forearm and stops me in my tracks. My mind reels anxiously as my eyes dart to the ground. I won't stoop to their level and insult them. I just want to be on my way. Karin daringly steps closer to me, so close that I can smell her expensive perfume and count the fake eyelashes that she wears. She trusts that I won't move with Suigetsu's hold on my arm and she's correct, "Hinata, aren't you going to miss us when we all graduate? I know we're gonna miss you."
Her hand comes up to touch my cheek and I jerk my head to the side to remove it, mustering as hard a glare I can as I stare at the ground behind her left shoulder. Suigetsu's grip on my wrist tightens and he moves to stand behind me, pulling my other wrist back with his free hand. My bag falls from my shoulder and sags at my side. I wince at his rough grip, glancing back at him with a pleading look. The boy had, on a few occasions, convinced Karin to not lay hands on me solely because my older cousin Neji would come after him if he found out. Neji isn't so low as to hit a woman, but he will happily beat Suigetsu to a pulp.
My cousin is twenty-three and in college studying business management and accounting. Father's training him to be my right-hand-man if and when I take over the company some day. The boy gives me a scary smile, his canines pointier than other people's, which does little to soothe my nervousness as he leans down to speak mockingly in my ear, "Don't give me that look, little Hyuga. We have to get our fun in before we graduate." I feel one of his hands linger down to caress my bottom and a wild heat pours onto my face as I struggle to get away from him. Karin glares at me, not noticing Suigetsu's little groping incident, "What's the matter, Hinata? Do you like my boyfriend? Pathetic. As if he'd like someone as useless as you, right Baby?"
She leans forward to plant a deep kiss onto his lips. I hear the disgusting sound of their lips moving so close to my ear and try to duck away, only for my wrists to be squeezed angrily once more. Karin pulls back and holds my head still with a hand on either side of my face, "Can I ask you a favor, Hinata?" She doesn't wait for me to reply because she isn't really asking a favor. She's going to demand I do something or else there'd be consequences. "I want you to come to this room after school tomorrow and meet us."
I don't give her a reply and simply keep my gaze on the ground. She roughly removes her hands from my face, motioning for Suigetsu to follow her as the bell rang to end the class period. The young man listens like a dog obeying his master and pulls me back onto my butt before letting out a laugh and following his girlfriend out of sight. Tears well up in my eyes, but I don't let them fall. Just one more week of this and I'll be done with them forever. Students start passing by in the halls and I quickly get to my feet and dust off my clothing so I can head to the last class of the day, Calculus.
Once my class is over, I head towards my locker that's on the top floor, just in front of Music Room number 1. I shove my books and bag into the small space, opting my large bag out for a small cross-body that's just big enough to carry my phone and wallet. As I reach into my larger bag for my phone, I realize it must've fallen out earlier in the music room. I haven't checked for it since then so that would be the best place to start looking. I silently place my wallet into my smaller bag and toss it's strap up onto my shoulder before shutting my locker and heading further down the hall to search the music room for my phone.
The room's dark when I approach it and I quickly turn the handle to the room and open the door, reaching for the lights so I can see more easily, only to be grabbed by both of my shoulders and pulled into the room before I can reach the switch. My scream is muffled by a hand clamping over my mouth and I hear the click of the lock on the door. My eyes are wide as they search the black of the room for any sign of who could be subduing me. The person's hands are calloused and large so I figure out quickly that this person is male and immediately know who it is. As soon as I come to the conclusion, Suigetsu's lips are on the back of my neck and leaving a trail of rough kisses.
As a young woman who's yet to even have her first kiss, the feeling is foreign to me and has me developing a cold sweat all over my body. Sure, Suigetsu has bullied me for a large part of my high school career, but he's never taken it this far. Where is Karin? Bile rises in my throat as I try to fight him, but ultimately am no match for his strength. He's on the football and basketball team so it's no surprise that he has strong muscles. I kick my legs back at him, trying to aim for his most sensitive areas, and he finally stops kissing me. He roughly throws me to the ground, my hands just barely coming down in time to catch myself before my head can slam against the hard floor.
I turn to look at him, only to have my blood run cold. He is suddenly very close to me, kneeling over my legs with a pocket knife held against my leg and a devilish smile on his thin lips. Tears start welling up in my eyes and I try to reason with him, "S-S-Suigetsu, please s-stop!" His dark blue eyes seem to glow in the dark room. The predatory look on his face is making it hard for me to focus on finding a way out of this dangerous situation. The young man crawls his way up until his face is just inches away from mine. I can smell the spearmint gum on his breath and never thought that such a nice smell would make me sick to my stomach, but it does now.
My body is shaking in fear as he pushes my head to the side and slightly up so he can begin laying kisses into the crook of my neck. Tears begin falling freely down my cheeks and I let myself fall back onto my back to try and create some distance between his mouth and my body. His free hand that had been holding my hands down in front of my body moves to clasp tightly around my neck and he points the knife at my face with his other. I struggle to breathe as he finally speaks, "I've been missing you, Hinata."
I can't find a single word to say so I just do my best to not make any sudden movements and he continues speaking, lightening his grip ever so slightly so I can breathe, "You know, I see the way you look at me, the way you've always looked at me. I know you want me, too." My body is shaking like a leaf in the wind at this point. Will he really hurt me? His pupils are very small compared to usual and the whites of his eyes are bloodshot. Perhaps he took something and it was making him act like this. I open my mouth to try and talk him out of whatever he plans on doing, but he re-hardens his grip on my throat and I'm left gripping his wrist in desperation.
Through the years, he and his girlfriend have beaten me to a pulp on a few occasions, but they've never gone so far as to pull a weapon on me. I know you must be wondering why I haven't gotten my family involved and that's an easy one. The great Hiashi Hyuga will not take too kindly to his daughter begging him to help her take care of two students the same age as her. I already look so weak and stupid in his eyes, adding this to all of that would just make things so much worse for me. So I try my best to tough it out, but it's never gone this far. "Where's your cousin at now, Hinata? I haven't seen him around in weeks to stop me from doing whatever I want to you."
He brings his face not an inch away from mine as he finishes his threat. Suigetsu is correct. Neji has been away on a business trip for Father for almost a month now. He's due to be back any day now, but it hasn't been set in stone because the weather has been dangerous where he's at and his flights keep getting delayed. I gasp for breath as he releases my throat and my hands shoot up to cover it as I cough a few times. His knee pushing my legs apart had a more severe panic running through my veins. I frantically tried to fight him off, but he quickly had my hands pinned above my head with one hand and was putting all of his weight down on them. "P-P-Please, no!"
The steely feeling of the knife's cool blade pressing lightly against the soft skin at my neck had me clamping my mouth shut in an instant. "I can tell you're a virgin, Hinata. Why is that? Did Daddy never let you have a cock?" Bile once again rises in my throat at the vulgarity of which he spoke to me. He sets the knife down on the floor to his right and uses his free hand to start unbuttoning my shirt. I'm sobbing at this point, unsure of what else I can do to break free of his hold. Just as his fingers are unclasping the last button, the familiar sound of the door handle being jiggled reaches both of our ears.
To me it sounds like heaven and to him it no doubt sounds like his fun is ruined. He releases my hands quickly and motions for me to make myself presentable as he snatches up his knife and folds it up so he can slide it back into his pant pocket. I desperately snap my shirt's buttons back into place and gather my bag, locating my phone on the piano's bench. Just as I finish soothing my hair out and wiping my face of any tears that may still be straying, Suigetsu opens the door to reveal Anko, the music teacher. He offers her a bright smile, "Hello Anko, how're you this afternoon?"
She rolls her eyes at him and leans around his figure to see me standing uncomfortably behind him. I can tell by the look on her eyes that she knows what she just interrupted and she straightened her posture back out, "It's time for you to go home, Suigetsu. Go straight home or I'll be telling your coach about this." A panic flashed over his face because he was one of the few students who'd made it into this school by his grades and a sports scholarship is the only way he'd be able to afford college.
Though I'm elated that Anko's saved me from potentially being molested or worse, a large part of me hates her for not taking him straight to the office and telling the Dean about all that he's done. She would never do that, though, and neither would any of the other faculty members. Suigetsu is Karin's long-time boyfriend, and Karin's family makes very generous donations to the school each year. If the staff manages to conduct punishment on either of the teenagers, Karin would be sure her parents would pay a hefty price to deface the school. Once the young man was out of her sight, Anko approached me with a worried look on her face, "Are you alright, Hinata? Did he hurt you?"
I gingerly stepped around her and started walking towards the exit, "I-I'll be fine." I know I shouldn't be angry with her because she'd undoubtedly have her entire career ruined if she was the one who'd initially turned Suigetsu in for his wrong-doings, but I can't help myself. If I were in her position, I'd turn him in in a heartbeat regardless of the consequences. Just as I was stepping through the doorway, the familiar form of Naruto Uzumaki strode past me, surrounded by a few of his friends and his cousin, Karin. Heat rushes to my face and I hurry down the hall in the opposite direction that they were going. Naruto is one of the most popular guys in school and for once, it made sense.
He was kind, passionate, and befriended everyone. He's the captain of the basketball team and is the heir to his parents' ramen restaurant chain, Uzu. My heart has belonged to Naruto Uzumaki from the very first day we met, back in the second grade. It was my first day at school, since I'd been home-schooled up to that point and I wasn't very good at making friends, something that hasn't changed much even today. A few girls were throwing sand at me in the sandbox and making fun of my eyes and Naruto swooped in like my own personal hero and chased them away with a grasshopper he'd found in the grass. We were casual friends up until middle school, when he finally hit puberty and others started to take notice of him.
Don't get me wrong, Naruto never became one of the bullies that tormented me or anyone else. He just got popular and I stopped trying to talk to him out of fear he'd see me as weak, just like my family and his friends did. I'd rather he forget I exist than have a bad opinion about me. This doesn't stop me from admiring him from a distance and day dreaming about what it could've been. In fact, I've never really paid attention to any other males because my sights have always been on Naruto.
I peer down at my phone as I exit the building, letting the fresh outdoor air calm my nerves if only a little bit. There were three missed calls from my father staring back up at me. A sigh slips past my lips as I start the trek home by foot since I've missed the bus. Our house isn't too terribly far since the school's located on the edge of the business section of Konoha, only a few blocks away from the higher-end residential areas. Only a handful of other persons are out walking as I strolled casually down the sidewalk.
Almost everyone in this area works long days and if they have wives that don't work, they'll choose to tan and exercise in their own homes instead of outside. Of course there are a few here and there who are walking their dogs, or maybe it's their maids and butlers walking them. My point is, not many pedestrians are around outdoors in the community my family's home is located. After walking for nearly fifteen minutes, I arrive at the gates of the Hyuga Main Family's home. The building is stone and modern in appearance, my father refusing to appear as anything but the best to those who aren't familiar with our name.
We move around once in a while when Father decides our home isn't the best place for us to live anymore and we'll find another mansion to reside in that's still in the school's district. After unlocking the gate with my magnetic key and taking my time approaching the large stairs that lead up to the front doors, I finally enter the overbearing building and immediately feel a tense thickness in the air. Two maids are setting the large dining table in the dining room for dinner and turn to bow respectfully to me as I pass. I give each of them as confident of a smile as I can given the tongue-lashing I'm surely about to receive.
As I reach the family room, I notice a familiar pair of broad shoulders sitting next to Hanabi and across from my father. Relief floods over me at the sight of Neji's safe return to Konoha. He's the closest thing I have to a loving family member and I've been sick with worry about him since the news of the terrible weather where he was came to my attention. After bowing respectfully to my father and cousin, I take a seat silently on the other side of Hanabi on the plush white couch.
Hanabi silently pours me a cup of tea, as is her duty as the youngest in the room, and I accept it with a small smile to my little sister. She doesn't return my smile and I know that Father must really be upset. I sip my tea in silence for a moment, offering Neji a small smile as well when his eyes meet mine, only to have Father finally break the silence in the room. "Hinata, why do I pay your phone bill if you aren't going to answer it when I call you?"
Gingerly, I sit my cup down on the coffee table and do my best to appear confident in front of my overbearing father, "I-I apologize, F-F-Father. Mr. Cornelius w-w-was giving me some t-t-t-tips on my entrance p-paper for K-KTech." I lie through the skin of my teeth and he seems to believe me, but that doesn't mean he's happy with this. "The heir to the Hyuga company should not need tips for her entrance paper, or any assignment for that matter. Requesting and accepting said tips makes our family come off as unintelligent and reliant on others. Do you understand?"
A lump in my throat forms as I nod, unable to trust my voice not to waver with a vocal reply. Father does not seem to care about my reply and continues talking, this time slightly louder as though he's speaking to all of us and not just me, "I have an announcement to make that affects us all. Hinata, you will not be offered the position of CEO upon my retirement." I temporarily forget my manners and can't stop myself from blurting out a confused, "W-What?" Who is getting it then? Father's gaze hardened and he's quick to reprimand me for my outburst, "Silence, Daughter. That is no way to address your elder. This is just one more reason you've been taken out of consideration for my legacy."
My mouth clamps shut and the familiar feeling of tears forming in the corners of my eyes washes over me. He continues with a hard glare on his silver eyes, "Neji will be taking my place as CEO until Hanabi comes of age, at which time she will be taking his place and he will be demoted to Vice-President. Do you all understand?" Each of us nods in silence, aware that speaking is pretty much prohibited at this point and we are expected to go along with whatever our family's leader decides to do. "Hinata, while you are very much not suited for a leadership position within the company, it would be shameful for me to not offer you a career opportunity at all. After you've completed your schooling at KTech, you will be offered a secretarial job in Hanabi's office. I expect you will be able to handle something as simple as that."
Betrayal rushes through my veins and I shoot to my feet in disbelief, "A s-s-secretary?! H-Hanabi and N-N-Neji get these amazing p-positions and you w-w-w-want me to be a secretary?" Father's glare hardens further, if possible, "If the number of outbursts you've had since you've gotten home from school is anything to tell, even a secretary job may be too professional for you, Daughter. I suggest you take some time to think about your actions before dinner is served or else you will be unwelcome to join us." I hold his gaze in disbelief for a few moments before looking at Neji and Hanabi for support. The two of them have their eyes lowered onto their cups of tea and avoid my gaze.
The tears overflow from my eyes and I turn on my heel to hurry out of the suffocating house before I can have a panic attack. Once I'm outside the gate to the mansion, I start walking down the sidewalk with the familiar heat of misery burning my throat and cheeks. I've never had a single best friend growing up because of this family and even had to hide having just-at-school friends from my family in fear of being punished for not focusing one hundred percent on my schooling. My whole life has been dedicated to being molded to be Hiashi Hyuga's heir. Perhaps he's correct that I'm not suited to be the CEO, but I definitely have better potential than just being a secretary! Don't I? Well, maybe he's right...
I end up at a small coffee shop a few blocks away from my home and wipe my tears from my face before entering. The last thing I need is for someone to see me inside with tears in my eyes and report back to my father that I've been showing my weakness in public. After sitting down in a booth by myself in the back of the nearly empty place, I was offered a plain cup of coffee from the waitress and accepted it with a polite smile. The place is cozy and small inside with a warm atmosphere and the mouth-watering smell of pastries in the air. There's a group of elderly women sitting across the room from me in a booth and when I accidentally make eye contact with one of them, they erupt into gossipy whispers to each other.
I lean my head onto my hand in a way that hides my face from the women and stare into my cup of coffee. I'm not even thirsty, I just want some time alone to think about what I'm going to do. I could always accept the secretary job and do my best to impress my family in hopes that I'll be promoted to a less-degrading job, but who knows how long that will take or if it'll happen at all. On top of that, running a corporation has never been something that I'm passionate about. Should I run away and try to make it on my own as a photographer or something?
Another sigh slips past my lips and I wipe a stray tear from my cheek before anyone can see it. I'll probably be a failure at anything I try, so what's the point? I'll accept what Father wants me to do, just like I always do. "Excuse me, Miss, is this seat taken?" A deep, warm, and obviously masculine voice cuts me from my self-deprecating thoughts. I sit up straight and look up at whoever was trying to talk to me. My voice gets caught in my throat as my eyes lay on one of the most attractive older men I've ever seen and I gesture for him to take a seat while on auto-pilot.
The man's in a very expensive looking business suit so it seems plausible that he may know my father and I don't want to further upset him by leaving a bad impression. The man sits across from me with a charming smile on his full lips. He can't just be a business man with a face like that. "It doesn't seem right for a beautiful girl like you to be sitting alone, does it? What's your name, Miss?" My cheeks started to warm up at his compliment and I struggled to answer him, "I-I-I'm H-Hinata."
His smile widens slightly, "You're Hinata, then? What a wonderful name. It suits you very much. I have to be honest. I saw you crying outside and you looked like an award winning actress. It's not often you come across someone who looks attractive while crying, is it?" I just stare back at him in confusion. He's so confident that he feels no embarrassment being so honest with me and he doesn't even know me. I'm green with jealousy as he continues speaking, "Please don't feel threatened when I say I followed you in here for a chance to meet and speak with you. You see, I've been looking for someone like you."
Fear takes over my body at his words. Even someone as handsome as he could commit crimes like abduction or murder. I glance over to see the group of older women were paying their bill and heading for the door. I grip my small purse in my hands and prepare to make a run for the door. "No! Don't be frightened, Hinata! Let me explain myself. My name is Kakashi Hatake of-" My eyes widened in absolute shock. I know who he is just by his name and can't help but interrupt him, "Of E-Evolution Entertainment! I-I know of you, y-y-your agency is a-amazing!"
My face soon became red with embarrassment. The CEO of the most prestigious talent agency in the country saw me crying like a baby about some family spat. What a terrible first impression to make on someone so important. His smile widened at my knowledge of him, "Oh! Thank you for your kind words, Hinata. As I was saying, the agency has been searching for someone with your appearance for weeks now. Do you sing at all? Dance?" I nod quickly without really thinking. I've never really tried dancing other than ballroom-style for dinner parties and such, but I do sing in the shower and to myself while I play piano pretty often. He let out a small laugh of relief, "That's wonderful! Would you be interested in auditioning for me and a panel of other members of the agency?"
I nod just as quickly as before, wondering only for a moment if my eagerness is coming off as annoying. He pulls out his wallet and lays more than enough money for both of our bills on the table before pulling out a business card for his agency and pen. As he's writing some info on the back of the card, he speaks to me with that brilliant smile still on his lips, "Wonderful. It's settled then. I'll see you tomorrow at noon. Don't be late!" He hands the card to me before I can reply and gets to his feet. His words finally register and I shoot to my feet, "W-Wait! Noon? I have s-s-school tomorrow though."
He paused and looked back at me with a daring smirk, "If you want it that badly, you'll be there." With his final words, he bowed politely to me and the waitress that had been ogling him since he'd entered and was gone. I sit back down and stare at the fancy business card he'd left for me. He'd written my first and last name on the card, despite me only giving him my first name. So he knows who I am, then? Is he only interested in recruiting me because of my family name? Also, I have to skip school tomorrow in order to make it to this audition. The agency's location is clear on the other side of town and takes nearly two hours to get to when you take traffic into consideration for that time of day. It won't be an issue physically getting there and skipping school because my whole family is gone by the time I leave for school, it's just that the repercussions of my actions that have me worried.
What if I don't make it despite Kakashi's interest and I'd have skipped school for nothing? The waitress came over and pretended to wipe a non-existent sticky spot on the table in order to get a peek at the small card in my hands. I gave her a look before rising to my feet and bowing respectfully to her before leaving. I didn't take a single sip of my coffee, but I know for a fact that I'll be going to that audition tomorrow whether my family approves or not. Screw being just a secretary. I want to do something that makes me happy.