{Chapter 2: Meeting Camus}

Yes, okay.. I admit...The feeling after accepting the offer back to the academy was a bit unexpected. Has it really been two years since I left? I hope everyone still remembers me... A side of me tells me not to get my hopes up, the other tells me of so many opportunities.

3 Years Ago~

"Is this Saotome academy?" I asked the official-looking people who stood in white uniforms. My map didn't help much. Honestly, the internet maps always make it complicated by making all the street names super small so you can't even read it!

It snowed pretty heavily, so it was pretty hard to communicate through the thick air. This kinda showed when the guards looked confused. So instead, I showed them a map on my phone and pointed at the school.

Ah right, I should explain myself.

"Sho-Shu-i, Chi-Ka-Ko." I sounded my name as loud as I can without getting embarrassed while the guard looked through the list for possibly my name.

Yup I was totally at the right place.

AH RIGHT, EXPLAINING.

I'm Shoshui Chikako, with my surname in front and my first name secondly. I know how Americans like the other way around so it can get confusing. But, my name is so long, so I like to be called Chi or Chika, whatever you prefer.

Um, right now, as you can see, I'm doing my entrance exam at Saotome's Performing Arts Academy. I'm currently 14.. That's strange isn't it? A 14 year old attending an academy..

Yeah I realize that, but my case isn't normal. My mother attended this school, and she somewhat had special ties with the head of the academy. Ah, it's not like that. My mother was such a troublemaker that the head even knew her name from glance.

Despite these ties, my mother ended up being a really famous idol and after graduating, she married my father, who worked as her manager for the rest of her career.

Chika is her stage name, and when I was born into the world, I guess my mother put some of her fame into me.

Besides my backstory, I was given an opportunity by a scout to let me skip high school and go to the same school as my mother. In other news, I'm suppose to be a pop star replacement for my late mother.

I know my mom would push me toward the offer if she was alive, so that's how I ended up here.

But, the scout couldn't just convince the school to let me in - the only other reason I accepted the offer. To go to the same school as my mother? I'm more than overly excited.

"Open the gates, it's freezing!" Just before the guard could continue my sign in, a strange boy - possibly older pushes me aside and barks at the guards.

But despite his rude entrance, he is very handsome. I could swear he's wearing silk and hopefully a man made fur coat. His hair is long and golden, and his eyes are a light blue-grey color from what I can see. He's pretty tall as well, overtaking me in size easily.

Being pushed in a surprise, I easily fall into the cold pile of snow. "Ah!"The guards only take a look at me before looking back at the boy.

"...Name sir?" At the volume of his voice, the guards had no problem hearing the boy.

"... You don't recognize me, peasant." His voice is deep and his tone was especially cold. Possibly colder than the weather!

"Oi, should we call security?" His partner asked the one who asked for his name.

"Psh... I can't expect anyone like you to recognize me anyways, Camus." This Camus quickly gave his name after hearing the word security, but he couldn't do it without any comment to protect what you think is pride.

"Right, Go ahead.." The guard took what barely was even a look at the clipboard before opening the gates.

"W-Wait! what about me?" I brush off the fact I got no help, and stand up just before this Camus could get through the gates.

"I can't find your name miss.. Er.. Chikako." The guard tells me. "Maybe you're at the wrong academy?"

"That can't be! This is Saotome Academy, I'm almost sure of it!" I argue with the guard who absolutely refuses to let me in.

"...What's that?" The deep voice of the boy interrupts me and the guard, and I saw that he hasn't entered the academy yet, he was looking at the clipboard the guard had. The guard kind of tensed up when he noticed the boy saw the clipboard from behind.

"Her name is right there idiot.." Camus puts a finger onto the clipboard from the side.

I saw a pinch of hope from when Camus said he had seen my name, but the guard quickly lowered his voice.

"Y-Yes, but she's on the cannot enter list." The guard said to Camus, thinking I had not heard, but I most definitely did.

"And why is that?" I found myself increasing the volume of my voice like Camus did which sort of caught his eye.

His glance just makes me feel embarrassed. I looked to the ground, I shouldn't have shouted. I bowed in apologizes. "S-Sorry!"

When the guards refused to answer, Camus opened his mouth. "Nevertheless, she's on the list, so you have no say." Camus doesn't seem understand that they actually kind of do have the say. "Come, or the gates will close on you." Even with my head down, I heard his voice talking directly to me. I look up to see the guards stunned, but it doesn't seem they'll me stopping me thankfully.

Great, at least I know the school doesn't like me.

I run through the gates after Camus, suddenly worried that the gates will actually close on me.

"Umm.. Thanks.." Walking on the snowed in path, it seems like we're heading to the same exam building. So I took the time to talk to the boy that really helped me.

But he didn't respond like I thought it was complimentary to do. Camus seem to feel my stare as he turns toward my direction with a glare.

"What do you want?"

"What?"

"You keep looking at me.."

And then, the problem revealed itself, Camus took out the earplugs in his ears. "Ah.. I said thank you for your help." I repeated myself, it wasn't his fault he didn't hear me.

"I would be furious if they didn't let me in because of that stupid list." Camus responds as if it was a natural occurrence.

"..." The silence kinda filled our conversation after that. But, I managed to catch glimpses of the school as I walked.

"Want to listen with me?" His offer caught me off surprise, and when I turned around to look at him, his palm was outstretched toward me, offering a earphone, like I already accepted.

"Sure.." I was a bit nervous when I grabbed the earphone from his fingers, but after placing it into my ear, the nerves were gone.

'Pounding Hearts! Savorous Lights! Can you Taste How Sweet This Moment Could Be... Between Our Love!-'

It's one of the new songs that had released a couple days ago. I recognized it because it made it into the top 10 pop songs within hours of release - of course within Japan's region. Hearing it now, I could recognize the voices. They're called the Love Clovers - a group that made their debut through Saotome Academy's stage. Girls practically swoon over Japanese group internationally.

"This song is really good isn't it?" I asked for his opinion which was a bad decision.

It seemed he didn't really want to talk while he was listening to his music. Camus looked really serious as he listened to the boy band. Maybe he's taking notes?

It makes me curious of his reason at this school...

~Present~

Chikako found herself walking down the same path with nostalgia, and once she reached the doors, she found herself wanting to walk the path once more.

So, she ended up walking back toward the entrance gates and then back at toward the main building's doors.

She couldn't grow tired of it.

It wasn't snowed in like how it was on the very day, however, the scenery was more sunny and floral.

The water fountain was actually a nice touch, but it wasn't running on the day of the entrance exam.

"What are you doing?"

Her muscles all came to a stop when she heard that deep voice once more that belonged to one person.

"Camus?" Chikako slowly turns her head back at the doors to see the still handsome young man with flowing silk blonde hair. He was in a white overcoat and what seemed underneath was a black slightly unbuttoned collar shirt.

Upon seeing Chikako face-front, he was breathless. The girl obviously held some importance in his favor from the looks of it.

"..." He quickly shook the thoughts aside and walked down the steps with grace, his feet click as he step on the cement steps one by one.

"I..I.." Her words were more than lost. What should she say? What should she do? A Hug? A handshake?

Oh the situation was definitely too strange.

Thankfully, Camus made the first move.

Unfortunately, it was a move.

Camus took the hand of the frightened girl and presses his lips to the top of her hands. His eyes look into the girl's expression with a smirk. "Want to listen with me?"

"H-Huh?" Once again, caught in surprise, after three long years, Chikako is tangled with the same question.

And once again, Chikako responds with the same answer. "Sure." But this time, she smiles comfortably. Camus pulls out earplugs of lined light blue, different pairs from three years ago. Well, she expect everything to stay the same, well can she?

'Pounding Hearts! Savorous Lights! Can you Taste How Sweet This Moment Could Be... Between Our Love!-'

After fiddling around with his ipod, she can't help but recognize the same song as the both of them walked side by side back and forth on the same path 3 years ago.