DISCLAIMER! I do not own KHR
Chapter Two: The Encounter
I push the heavy glass door and the sight soothes me. Rows and columns of shelves, filled with written knowledge, welcome me. The library is unusually empty. Well, that is expected, because the highlight of the exams is the tournament.
The tournament.
The librarian flashes a toothless smile at me, happy to see at least someone more interested in her books than the fights. I wave at her in return and immediately lose myself to the world of books surrounding me.
I settle myself at a corner of the library, the corner that is usually overlooked. It is just exactly what I want. I try to blend into the normals here, but unfortunately, this school is nothing close to being normal. My blond hair is just too striking against the dark coloured hair here. That's why I have to resort in isolating myself in the empty library.
That explains why I am here.
Not that I mind, anyway.
I read The Hunger Games until the dinner bell rings. I sigh and reluctantly leave the library, after checking the book out. Although I am famishing, I walk slowly, avoiding the dinner crowd.
"Lynn! Lynn!"
I turn around to my best friend's voice. Nat let out a grin.
"Avoiding the crowd again?" she asks, her grin stays on her face.
I nod and tighten my clutch on the book. I gaze straight ahead as she blabbers about the battles between Varia and some other clique.
"You know, it was so cool! You should TOTALLY see the way Xanxus and Squalo fight." She says, clearly thrilled by the battles earlier on. Her hands swing around, as if mimicking their moves.
I absent-mindedly nod to everything she says. My hand is still gripping tightly to the book.
Out of the blue, her hand moves with a force that knocks my book out of my iron grip. Upwards, the book flies, until it hits a person with a large head gear on the head.
"Ouch," the boy 'cried', though his monotonous voice makes it hard to believe that the book really hurt him.
I mumble an apology, my head bow low. Heat rises from my neck to the top of my forehead. I lift my gaze to see the identity of the person, but immediately look away. The way our eyes meet makes me uncomfortable.
It really disturbs me – making eye contacts are not my strong area.
Whenever eye contacts are being made, it feels as if the other person is able to read my thoughts, my inner feelings, and my soul. After all, eyes are the windows to our souls, right? Surely, someone will be able see right through me. That's why one of my eyes is covered my bangs. It reduces the risk by half.
Or at least it makes me feel that way.
"Ushishishi, you call that an apology?" the person beside Fran snickers.
I look up and open my mouth to retort, but something makes me stop. This person…
This person does not have any windows to his soul.
He has sealed them up.
Why?
His big fat grin on his face stays plastered on his face, unwavering. "What's wrong? The cat got your tongue?"
I try to speak, but no voice comes out. Therefore, I quickly pick up my book on the floor and pull my 'lovey-filled-eyes' friend away. I did not look back.
And I never want to look back.
"W-What are you doing back there!? The guys from Varia are talking to you! H-How could you just leave like that?" Nat is on the verge of yelling at me. "Don't you know what this means?"
I keep quiet, not trusting myself to say anything.
She takes my silence as a no. "It means death! It's like painting a big fat red X on your face! And besides, how can you just ignore those hot guys like that?" She rambles on and on about something, but I am not listening.
What am I suppose to tell her? Do I tell her that that guy has no windows to his soul? Besides, every nerves and instinct that I have tells me to grab everything and run. And that's basically what I did.
However, something in my head keeps on nagging about that guy. What is his name again? Right, Belphegor. I don't know why my mind keeps comparing the Belphegor in my past and this Belphegor. Well, both have blond hair and smiles like that. However, the Prince Belphegor has disappeared without a trace eight years ago.
Gone.
Probably DEAD.
Also, what are the chances of us meeting in a place like this? Well, my answer is close to zero. However, something continues to tell me that I am missing something, something important like–
"Hey! Are you listening to me!? Lynn!"
My head jerk to her direction. "Hmm?"
"Gahhh!" she let out a frustrated cry. "Nevermind! Just forget everything I said!"
"Okay." I say blandly.
She stares at me in surprise. "That's it? After all the things I said to you and you just replied 'okay'? How could you be so mean to me…?" Without warning, she starts to sob.
What on earth did she say just now?
"Ahh… okay, okay. I am sorry, I will apologize to them if I ever see them, okay?"
As if it is magic, she stops sobbing. "Really? And when you guys are friends, you will introduce me to them, won't you? And then, I will ask Xanxus…" She trails off, entering her world of fantasies.
As for me, I stopped fantasizing. Because when you fantasize, your hopes go up, and when things don't go the way you wish it to be, you will be disappointed. This is why I hardly fantasize.
But books are of a different case, though.
Before I know anything, I am already in the dining hall, with a tray of food. We sit at our usual spot in the corner – just another way for me to camouflage in the background. I am half-way through my salad when I notice a crowd at the other end of the dining hall. I immediately turn my gaze back to my plate.
Nat, sensing my abnormal behavior, watches the crowd and a smile spread across her face. She turns to me expectantly. I quietly push the peas around the white porcelain plate, avoiding her look at me. Slowly and surely, I feel her smile turn into a frown, her finger tapping more rapidly on the table.
"Aren't you-"
"Fine! I will do it! Just… Just stop looking at me like that…" I interrupt loudly. Then, with a softer voice, I add, "L-Let's just wait for them to come closer and when the crowd disappears, okay?"
Her facial expression softens, knowing that I dislike the squeezing and pushing in crowds. "Kay, but you'd better do it 'cause I'm watching!"
I think Belphegor has some kind of super sharp ears, because he looks at the empty table next to us and beckons the rest of his clique to follow him. That smile of his is unchanging.
Do I REALLY have to do it..?
My stomach grows heavy, as if the meal I have eaten is made of lead. I can hear their footsteps, their voices, and it is making me feel like throwing up.
But what have I done that makes me feel this way?
Nothing.
I have nothing to be afraid of, right? Well, maybe I might have offended some unstable people. But other than that, I am completely innocent, right?
Right.
I have nothing to fear. My conscience is clear.
This lightens my mood, but not for long. Nat's gaze on me is still as prickling as ever, not to mention I feel pressured by their existence at the table beside me.
Do I REALLY have to do it?
"VOOI! WHAT IS THIS, BELPHEGOR!? THERE ARE ONLY 4 SEATS HERE! CAN'T YOU SEE THERE ARE 6 OF US HERE!?"
Does that person really want the WHOLE world to know that? Why must he YELL so loudly?
Subconsciously, I rub my left ear gingerly. I thought I will go deaf any minute. Nat's piercing gaze is still on me.
"Ushishishi. That is not my problem. You can sit somewhere else, Squalo."
"YOU PUNK!"
As if to add to my discomfort, they start to draw out their weapons. Nat is still boring holes into my skull.
I stand up abruptly and everyone looks at me, astonish by my sudden movement.
"Y-you can take our seats!" I burst out. Then, my face turns red, realizing that I had created an awkward atmosphere around me. "T-That is i-if you want to. We are d-done, anyways." I quickly add, still ignoring Nat's stares.
"Oh~ What a sweet girl! Thank you, cutie pie~" the guy with a Mohawk coos. A chill send down my spine. A person with his looks… shouldn't be saying such things with this tone, right?
"Lynn! I am not–" Nat snaps, exasperatedly.
"You… you are welcome." I butt in. Nat starts to fume, but I quickly snatch my tray and walk briskly away.
"Ushishishi…"
… … … … …
"What is wrong with you!?" Nat shrieks into my ear. "That was SUCH a nice opportunity for you to apologize for being rude to Belphegor and Fran, but you chose to throw it away. Did I mention that it was such a waste? If I were you I would…"
She continues to grumble and nag at the same time. And as usual, I am not listening.
"Everything will be fine… They can't do anything to me, right? They will have to deal with my father if they lay a finger on me." I say, reassuring her.
Or maybe I am comforting myself.
To tell you the truth, I can't really back myself up with that statement. Did I tell you that I barely know my foster father? Right. The last conversation we had was more than one year ago. And it wasn't anything personal; it was to introduce a new girl to me.
That girl is Nat.
Honestly, I don't know how we became best friends. We are exactly opposite to one another in terms of personality. But I guess things happen and circumstances change. That's how we end up like…
Like the way we are now.
"Anyways, don't you worry about me. I can handle it myself." I say, sounding more confident than I actually am. However, Nat did not acknowledge my declaration, her eyes focus on something behind me. Slowly and dramatically, I trace her gaze.
I gasp.
"Ushishishi. May I know exactly how you are going to handle it?" his unchanging smile transfixes me. To me, that is more of a statement than a question.
I stare at his nose. It seems a little wrong, but my tutor in the Kingdom taught me that if I do that, it will seem as if I am making eye contact with that person.
Mustering all of my courage, I tell him defiantly, "If I let you into my plan, then you won't be surprise when the time comes, will you?"
His grin grows wider. He sniggers, "Ushishishi. It had better to be something worth waiting for. If not…" He licks his lips. I feel the hair on my neck standing. Only one word crosses my mind.
Insanity.
Despite the threat, I give him one of my charming smiles, "Of course." Slowly, I take a step back. Then another. Our smiles are plastered on our faces, each unwilling to back down. I know I will not be able to win him. Hence, I give him a small and slight bow, "I have to go now. Good night."
I exit the scene as swift as I can without looking like a frightened prey to that psychopath.
Even after I entered the room, my heart is still pounding hard and fast from the previous interaction. How is it that a sick person, such as Belphegor, can terrify a pure maiden like me? Okay. I might not be a PURE maiden, but at least something close to it, right?
Right.
I have nothing to be afraid of, because there is nothing to be scared of in the first place.
Or at least I hope that this is the case.
… … … … …
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