Chapter 1
"Hinako, what did I tell you about using the video conference equipment for flirting", a brown-haired girl with bright green-eyes asked in a warning voice, tapping her right foot on the ground. She wore her hair in a loose braided and was wearing comfortable slacks and pastel pink buttoned blouse and a white cardigan tied around her shoulders.
A sheepish bluish-black haired girl with lively blue-eyes, wearing purple strapless top and flared jeans, turned her back from the monitor, which showed an equally sheepish English teenager. "That if I ever flirted with them again, I'd be banned from setting foot in the Linguist Club", Hinako Toshimoto said, showering her best friend with her most charming smile, "but Anika, I was just checking to see how he was."
Anika Ineyoshi tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear, closed her eyes and said, "Yes, and Armageddon is upon us. Hinako, I told you never to touch my stuff."
"But I didn't touch it", Hinako protested, using her most innocent expression.
"Um-hmm", grunted Anika, "and I bet the monitor just happened to light up and Peter was just checking to see if you were there."
"Well now that you mentioned it", said Hinako, "that's exactly what happened. I was just checking to see if you were here and the monit –"
"Hinako, you know that was sarcasm", muttered Anika, grabbing her bag from a table situated by the door.
"It was", asked Hinako her face the picture of innocence. Anika let out an unlady-like snort and addressed the boy who was looking at both the girls in amusement.
"Sorry about this Peter", apologized Anika in fluent English, "I didn't expect Hinako to be let out of the theater early."
"Don't worry about it", grinned Peter in accented Japanese, "It was - interesting."
"I'm sure", murmured Anika, her hand resting on the control panel.
"Well, I'll see you again next week, right", he asked, slate-blue eyes looking hopefully at Hinako. In turn, Hinako looked pleadingly at Anika. Anika sighed and said, "All right, you can have 10 minutes with her after we practice your Japanese."
Hinako gave her an ecstatic smile while Peter gave a wicked grin. Waving his hand, Peter said, "See you next week." The screen died.
Hinako gave Anika a big smile and squealed, "I have found my soul mate."
"Funny", quipped Anika, checking to see that nothing was left behind, "I recall that you said that with the last one."
"Peter is different", Hinako said defensively, her arms crossed over her chest.
"You said that with Ted and then there was Hans and then Joaquin", Anika trailed off, her fingers counting as she spoke.
"Okay, okay", said Hinako, not wanting to hear her past flames, "I get it. I seem to change boys every month."
"You got that right", Anika nodded satisfied. She joined Hinako and went outside the booth. The linguist club was a very large classroom made up of several booths lined up in two rows where video conferencing equipment were set-up along with a large area between them usually used for meetings, conferences etc. Several squishy armchairs are situated randomly in the area for members who are studying different languages.
Stopping by every booth, with Anika checking for stray members, they finally locked the room and proceeded to go down a flight of stairs.
Stepping out into the sunshine, they spied their other best friend, Ren Iyasu. His intense gray eyes were fixed on them. A tall boy, he sports a mop of muted-violet hair which flops onto his eyes. He was wearing his school uniform and leaning against a tree.
"Took you long enough", he muttered, his gray eyes teasing.
"Sorry Ren", Hinako grinned, "We got caught up in something."
Anika sighed, "What she means is she saw Peter again."
Ren raised an eyebrow, "She caught another one?"
Anika gave another sighed, "'fraid so."
Hinako humphed, "Just because, I get interested in another guy doesn't mean, I caught another one."
Anika sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Sure."
Hinako opened her mouth to tell them off but she bumped into someone. Hinako was immediately thrown back and landed on her bum. "Ow", she whimpered.
"Sorry. Sorry", someone apologized, holding out his hand. Hinako looked up saw the bluest eyes she seen in her whole life. Gaping, she barely noticed her hand taking his and being pulled to her feet.
"Hinako, are you alright", she heard Anika asked in the background. She nodded, her eyes still concentrated on the blond and blue-eyed teenager in front of her. Concerned blue-eyes looked at her and repeated, "Are you alright?"
She nodded mutely. Dimly, she heard Anika thank him. The blond gave Anika and charming smile and Hinako wished that it was her she was smiling at. The exchanges of words were brief but to Hinako, it felt like an eternity.
The blond quickly excused himself, saying he was in a hurry before Hinako collected her wits. By the time, she formed a coherent sentence, he was gone.
"Who is he", asked Hinako, looking at the direction the boys went as if he would come back any moment.
"That was Nokoru Imonoyama", said Anika, "The President of the Student Council."
"President", sputtered Hinako, "But he's too – too - " Too gorgeous, she thought silently. She always thought that presidents were people who wore glasses and pocket-protectors and such.
"Handsome. Brilliant. Charming", offered Anika, "Believe me. He's all of the above. He's the most sought after guy in school."
"After me of course", said Ren, holding Hinako's elbow.
Hinako snorted, "You wish."
Ren grinned cheekily and said, "And it was granted."
Hinako grunted in response. They walked in silence until they reached the dormitories where Ren waved them off before going in.
Hinako and Anika continued walking in silence with Hinako deep in thought and Anika looking worriedly at her, until they reached a large building.
Toshimoto Hall was a grand structure, donated by Hinako's parents to the school. It was given solely so that Hinako would have a place to stay other than the dorms. Inside, a suite with a kitchen, a small dining room, two bedrooms each with its own bathroom and a sitting room, was provided for by an old housekeeper named Dita. The original occupants of the suite were for Hinako and Dita but to curb her loneliness Hinako invited Anika to stay with her.
Dita greeted them at the door. "Good afternoon", she took their coats, "You're tea is in the sitting room." Patiently, they waited for Dita to serve them tea before dismissing her.
Once Dita was out of earshot, Hinako paced the room while Anika watched and sipped her tea. Hinako soon stopped pacing and abruptly said, "I think I'm in love with Nokoru."