"How would you like to go on a date with me?"
Nagihiko pov
She stared at me across the table of the bakery obviously not amused.
"Why did you have to drag me out here?" She asked.
"Because I wanted to." I simply said.
"Idiot." She whispered.
I sat there across from her, eating my chocolate cake and she eating her vanilla.
"So, you like vanilla." I said trying to start up a conversation.
"Yeah, of course I do. It's the best flavor." She said.
"Chocolate is better." I stated.
"Vanilla." She said giving me a stern look.
"Chocolate makes you happy." I said.
"Vanilla is still better."
We looked at each other, I could see the negative electricity forming. Then we both started cracking up for some reason. Our laughter echoed throughout the bakery, causing people to stare at us. Rima wiped a tear from her eye and I did the same.
"It's been a while since I laughed like this." She admitted while laughing.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah." She said smiling.
I felt my heart skip a beat. It's the first time I saw her smile at me. It was either a glare or nothing at all.
"What do you want to do now?" I asked finishing my cake.
"Park." She answered.
"What?" I asked.
"The park. I want to go to the park."
I nodded and we left the bakery. We walked to the park in silence and when we arrived there nobody was there. It's winter, who would go to the park anyway, but still, I have always loved the park. I used to sneak out to come here and shoot some hoops. That was when I acted as a boy, I was forbidden to do anything that wasn't lady like. I sat on the bench as I saw Rima's eyes sparkle. I chuckled as I saw her climb the monkey bars.
"Hey! Are you laughing at me?" She shouted.
I shook my head and walked over there. She sat on the monkey bars and I joined sitting next to her.
"Do you always climb the monkey bars when you come to the park?" I asked while chuckling.
"I haven't been to the park after my parents separated." Rima said, covering her face with bangs.
I froze. Divorce? The strong cold wind blew, making Rima's hair fly, and her crying visible to me.
"Rima-chan..." I slowly said.
"My parents divorced because of me. Because I was kidnapped that day when I was little." She said, I could hear her voice crack up.
This was not her acting.
"Even when the kidnapper handed me over, even when I was crying, my parents didn't comfort me at all. Yelling at each other 'this is all your fault!', 'You didn't take care of her properly!' Those were the moments of my life that scarred my life forever." I heard sniffles. "And even when I tried to make them smile or laugh like I used to, making silly faces, they would ignore me and raise their voices even louder. I had no one to turn to for comfort, I always cried alone." She broke into sobs and tears.
I put my arms around her into a hug and smiled.
"It's okay now. You can cry on me like you wanted your parents to. If you cry I'll come and comfort you. You won't be alone anymore." I said in her ear, patting her back.
Her cries turned into wails as I continued to hold her. After an hour of pouring out her heart we walked silently back to the school.
"If you tell anybody, I'll kill you." Rima said staring straight across.
"I won't." I said.
It was already 8:00PM when we arrived back to the academy and nobody was around.
"Bye Rima-chan." I said waving goodbye.
"Bye... Nadeshiko." Rima said quietly then scurried away.
My heart started beating fast. She called me by my first name. I ran back to the dorm and screamed "Yes!"
I went to my bed, took my pillow, and rolled in bed with it. Creepy, now I'm seriously acting like a girl. I changed into my grey t-shirt, black sweatpants, and let down my hair. I went over to the bathroom, took a shower, and immediately went to the closet. I stared at my black suit and silver mask. My suit was just an ordinary suit but my mask was something different. It was silver, covering the area around my eyes and half of my nose. It had carving decorations on it but none of those fancy feathers. I never liked them because they would always make me sneeze. I looked at it one last time and then went to bed. Tomorrow was the day of the party.
Next day
Rima pov
I went to Amu's room already dressed as I opened the door.
"Ready?" I asked.
"Yup. I hope Ikuto would like it." Amu said while blushing.
"Of course he'll love you in that dress, you look stunning!" I exclaimed giving her a boost of confidence.
She was wearing a strapless purple flowing dress that reached to the ground and swayed beautifully every time she took a step. There was a gold beading on the top that flowed around the top of her dress down to the bottom, resembling the thorns of a rose.
"Really?" She asked.
"Amu you look amazing. I'm sure Ikuto would like to rip that dress off you." I said grinning widely.
I grabbed her arm and lead her out the academy hearing her yelling at my remark.
"Hey you know it's true." I said back to her.
We went into the car that Amu's mom helped get us and the chauffeur drove us to Utau's birthday party. She paid for a ballroom to hold her party which was as big as mansion. Well it wasn't unexpected she is a singer, she must earn a lot of money. The driver stopped in front of the place where it was being held, bid us goodbye as we entered the through the doors. We walked in revealing a spacious golden room that looked so beautiful. There was a big chandelier in the center of the ball and elegant lights surrounding the ceiling.
Nagahiko pov
I gawked at the sight of Rima when she entered the ball. She looked... gorgeous. She was wearing a navy blue Victorian dress, a corset emphasizing her curves, her sleeves had etched 'X' patterns that reached from her elbow to her risk, as her hair tumbled down making her breath taking. She was wearing a black feathered mask that only covered the area around her eyes.
I saw Amu spot Ikuto and walk over to him. Rima went over to get a drink and I simultaneously followed her. I went next to her also grabbing a glass of wine, she seemed to notice me and acknowledged my presence.
"Hello." I greeted.
"Hi." She said back not showing any emotion.
That was the typical Rima. She didn't show anybody her true self until she put her trust into them. The slow dance music started as I offered my hand to her.
"May I have this dance?" I asked while bowing.
She hesitated but then accepted it. I lead her to the dance floor and started to dance. It was the waltz, I could recognize any music to a dance only because my mother had me study it and then learn it. Rima stumbled a couple times, stepping on my feet until she finally gave up and decided it was helpless.
"I'm sorry." I heard her mutter.
"It's okay, you're a good dancer." I said look down at her.
Our hands were locked, making us inseparable, I liked it.
"You don't have to lie." She said looking up at me with her brown eyes.
She looked so cute at that moment that I couldn't stop myself. I grabbed her waist closer to mine making us closer than ever. She blushed at this as I just admired her right there and then.
The music stopped and the dance ended. Words cannot describe how I felt when the song ended. I bowed, putting my right hand to my chest and Rima curtsied picking up her dress, thanking each other for the dance. Then we heard someone on the microphone.
"Hello everybody. Thank you for coming to my seventeenth birthday." Utau announced.
Everybody clapped and of course that idiot had to ruin the seriousness of her speech.
"Happy birthday babe!" We heard Kukai's voice echo throughout the ball.
We could see Utau getting ticked and yelled back into the microphone.
"You jackass! I was just making a really mature speech, trying to show everyone that I'm growing up and you had to ruin it!" She yelled and then realized that she still had the microphone in her hand. She scratch the back of her head "Heh heh sorry everyone, enjoy the party."
Utau ran off chasing Kukai yelling out "you are dead meat you kid!"
And every time you heard her scream that he would scream back "I'm not a kid!"
Idiot.
Moving on, I lead Rima off the dance floor and thanked her for the dance.
"What's your name?" She abruptly asked.
"Nagihiko." I answered not hesitating at all. "What's yours?"
I had to ask her for her name or else that'll be rude since we acted to be strangers
"Rima"
"That's a pretty name." I said while smiling at her. "It reminds me of flowers." I took her hair gently and kissed her curls.
That made her blush and I just chuckled. It was true, her name is very pretty. She reached for my mask in curiosity of my identity but I backed away.
"I'm sorry Rima-chan but I have to go." I said sadly.
She looked at me showing a dejected expression.
I then started laughing.
"What?" She asked obviously not amused by anything.
"It's just that it's like Cinderella but I'm not Prince Charming." I said. "Oh wait, I have to give you something before I leave."
Rima gave me a shocked expression as I rummaged through my pockets. I finally found something, took her hand and put it in her palm. I then held her fingers making sure she securely holds it and leaned into her ear.
"See you again Rima." I whispered then left, leaving her dumbfounded.
