Marionette

A/N: HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! \(^_^)/ *throws chocolates and roses* ...At least for another hour or so (._.) I always update so late at night, sorry. So did you miss me? :D Ok, probably not, but I'm sure all of you missed an update. So where to begin? Let's see… My senior year of high school was pretty hectic. It was the first time I failed a class and I honestly just couldn't take it. Shout out to my friend for tutoring me XD I'm kinda glad I failed AP Calculus AB, though. Yes, it closed some doors for me, but in the long run, I think it helped me. I can now see that it isn't the end of the world if you fail a quiz or two, or even a class. This is something that a lot of people don't understand in college, so they don't know how to cope with difficult classes or how to study because they don't have the right mindset.

Anyway, I'm in a better place now, so no worries! I'm actually happier with myself when it comes to… just about everything! (^_^) I also want to say that I do honestly care about you guys, so feel free to come talk to me if you're going through any problems. I promise that things can and will get better :)

So where am I now? I'm now a freshman Biology major in the pre-med program in college. Haha~ I know it sounds like a lot, but it honestly isn't that bad! If you're curious about my college experience, then I'll probably post something about it on my blog. And hint, hint, my college flooded :/ …Well, that was in the fall LOL. We were just recently snowed in and we might get more snow soon XD

Ok, so that was a lot of stuff about me, but I know you guys are probably thinking, "What about Marionette?" Well, let me start off with a huge apology. I honestly had no idea that it would take me THIS long to update. Although I said I was going through some things, I still feel as though it's inexcusable. In any case, here we are!

So some things about this chapter that you should know before reading: I know this was supposed to be Ch. 9 part 2, but honestly, I just keep writing so much because I have such a big mouth even though I don't say a lot irl (-"-) So what I decided to do is make this chapter 10 and the next chapter, which is basically done, chapter 11 because NOBODY wants to read like 30,000 words in one sitting. Most of all, the idea of having "part 1," "part 2," AND "part 3," pissed me off, so yeah… We're doing it like this (-_-) Although all three chapters revolve around St. Xocolotl's Day, chapter 11 is the one that really focuses on it, so yeah… Some change in titles. Chapter 11 was supposed to be out on Valentine's Day, but I'm still writing and revising, so it should be out no later than the end of this week (I'm serious about this).

Now focusing on this chapter… This chapter does not start from Alison's pov; it starts in the 3rd person in past tense because it sounded so weird in present tense. A new character is properly introduced, but depending on how carefully you read the previous chapters (or even remember them), then you may be disappointed, and for that I'm sorry. Next, try to analyze Alison's character in this chapter without bias. She contradicts herself numerous times and reveals how hypocritical, selfish, and snobby she really is. However, we all know this isn't the bulk of her character, but her flaws are what make her human. Please also remember that in the end of the day, this is a SenrixOC fanfic, but this is also Alison's story, hence the reason why it's named after her. This is more than a… love story (?_?) I don't know what kind of story people think this is (-_-) Anyway, it's also a story about growing up and accepting yourself… and something else that will remain secret for now :P It's also important to note that my writing has changed drastically from when I first started, as I'm not the same person as I was two years ago. It's pretty obvious, but there's a lot more figurative language and symbolism. I wasn't going to due to the length of this chapter (and I'm not sure if anyone reads them), but I decided to post my notes at the end of this chapter as always. I am aware of some concerns that you guys may have regarding this story and characters' relationships, so hopefully my notes will help answer some questions, but if not, then feel free to ask me any that you may have :)

Special thanks go to akiza blackmore, princess240, Maiannaise, Incendo, Ketsueko, Neko Rose-22, Dawnisaur311, MAniaC, Liv, Morganthecat, Smileyfrown, User, I'mcalledmanythings, 3, Sarah taylor, FuyukoAme, and Guests :) I also want to thank all of my friends that encouraged me to continue writing, listen to me ramble, and gave me advice. And shout out to anyone who asked questions on my blog, I really appreciate it! Please don't think you're ever bothering me when you ask me a question or inquire about updates. I'm happy to know that you like this story enough to ask. I apologize if I never answered some questions, though! X( I generally read them all, but sometimes I plan to answer later and then I… forget (I know, I'm stupid -"-). I also want to say that I didn't forget about the person who requested a comic! I promise I'm working on several and will soon post art that I've been working on!

Ok, random, but I wish FF would stop messing up my emojis! My (./.) is supposed to be me looking down and blushing, but they always delete the other slashes! \(T^T)/ ...Ok, now as always, please enjoy this chapter of Marionette.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight, but if I did, then it would've had a better ending (Ooh! I went there!)


Alison: *sighs* It takes this stupid author forever to update… (=_=)

Perverted Prince: I know, right? But she has been busy lately.

Alison: Busy doing what?! Napping? Eating? Excuses, excuses!

Perverted Prince: You're too harsh… She was even sick and now she's in college (-"-)

Alison: Look, without her, the story won't progress. I mean, do you have any idea how many complaints we've been receiving? It's been like TWO YEARS since the last update. If this keeps up, then someone is going to get fired.

Perverted Prince: Whoa, this is serious (O_O) Well, luckily for me, I'm too good-looking to be fired ;D

Alison: You're not even in the story yet (¬_¬)

Perverted Prince: I'm- …Oh, shit.

Me: …Is that what everyone really thinks of me? (=_=) Uhh… We apologize for the delay. Please enjoy this chapter of Marionette and leave a review.

Perverted Prince: You don't even deserve reviews! \(T^T)/

Me: *sighs* I'm… just gonna go… OTL


Chapter 10: New Arrival, Familiar Face

The clacking of shoes and chirping of crickets vibrated in the air. The night was still, calm yet buzzing with energy with a new moon hanging in the sky. A teenage boy of about 5'10" with chestnut brown hair and vibrant blue eyes that mirrored the daytime sky walked down the halls of Cross Academy with a pair of headphones on his head and a suitcase in each hand. The crickets continued to sing in harmony like a choir, staying in rhythm with the steps of the boy's feet as if they were a drum keeping the beat. Their melody, however, goes unnoticed by the boy whose ears are blasted by the sound of deafeningly loud, alternative music.

Causing a break in the music, the boy paused and took a moment to contemplate his situation. A grimace grew on his face as he felt the collar around his neck. The crickets continued to sing without his accompaniment, but softer and lighter, diminuendoing to pianissimo. Although the boy would never admit it, for his pride wouldn't allow him, he was nervous about transferring to a new school.

Transferring meant moving, and moving meant a new setting, and a new setting meant new faces. But he loathed change and so it never once occurred to him that new faces could mean a new beginning. He knew, though, that worrying would do nothing, so in one gulp, he swallowed his anxiety and fears, and straightened his back, marching forward, restarting the beat of the insects' melody. They joined him even louder, playing forte. Whether they were cheering him on, taunting him, or even pitying him, one cannot say.

Although the chains were loosened, mocking him and giving him the idea of freedom, the collar was tightened, imprisoning him with each step he took.

He briefly paused again to gaze out the window and admire the night sky. The sight of the stars brightening the sky and glimmering like jewels calmed him down. He let out a tiny breath of relief before continuing on his way.

The grimace slowly turned into a soft smile as the boy remembered someone important to him. Someone he was excited to see again. Perhaps, that's an understatement. A better way to word it would be, "He was dying to see someone again."

Though it hasn't been long since they last parted, the boy felt as if it's been decades. He counted the hours, the minutes, and the seconds that passed since they've last seen each other. He couldn't bear to see the seasons change without them. Spring's flowers seemed less vibrant, blurred and blotted out. Summer's days weren't as warm, a cold sweat and chill running down his spine. Autumn's leaves were black and white, as the trees slowly went dormant. And Winter… Winter was the worst of all. Winter was harsh, freezing, cold, and dark.

They did meet occasionally during what would otherwise be horrid days, but when someone is truly so important to you and they fill your heart up with so much hope and bliss, even a couple of days without much contact can feel like an eternity. And so, imagine months of frustration building up in your chest, the foul taste of melancholy on your tongue, breathing depression through your lungs, and hollowed bones and bruised skin that the wind taunts by giving a faint feeling of "touch." Shivering and longing for warmth in a bleak, cold world with no colors to see and no love to give, the odds would truly be against you, now wouldn't they?

The boy felt as if he left a part of him behind with that person and that ever since they parted, he hasn't been whole, a part of him missing, leaving him empty and trapped in an abyss. Meeting that person again would surely fill that hole in him and carefully put him back together again.

He would no longer feel lonely. He would no longer feel empty. He would be whole.

Spring's flowers would be painted in a myriad of pink, yellow, purple, and red. Summer days would be hot with the sky a vivid blue, and the sun brightly shining. Autumn's leaves would be coated in a variety of warm reds, yellows, and oranges. Winter would be gentle, less cold, with a soft breeze tickling his cheeks pink, the scent of fresh baked cookie filling his nose, and the warmth of hot chocolate warming his body…

Or so the boy thought, but even all of the King's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Similarly, you can't expect someone to kiss your scars and speak soft, loving words to fix you because people's hearts are not made out of cloth and cannot simply be sewn back together again. Hearts are as fragile as glass and can easily shatter like the finest china. All of the glue in the world cannot repair them just like apologies and kind words cannot mend a broken heart because once something is broken it is never quite the same no matter how much you try to fix it. See, people come and go and if you leave them pieces of your heart to take and never give back, and if you lose the will to repair yourself, then you may always be broken.

Such thoughts never occurred to the boy whose mind was too fresh and young to understand such concepts, and so he continued on his way down a tragic, winding path of heartbreak.

To think one person can affect another in such a way is truly amazing… but at the same time, isn't it sad? Does that not make sense? Perhaps, in due time, it will.

The boy turned a corner and found himself in front of the doors to an office, his destination. Ending the song with a grand finale, the crickets reached fortissimo before finally taking a moment to rest and leaving the boy as a soloist to play his own song.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down as he placed one of his suitcases on the ground and nervously put his hand on the handle to the door before slowly opening it and quietly walking through it. Upon walking in the office, the teenager noticed two adults who were in the middle of discussing something that seemed important.

A young woman with lavender hair wrapped tightly in a neat bun and silver eyes wearing a cerulean, ruffled blouse, a navy, tweed jacket and matching ruffled skirt with black stockings and heeled loafers. She looked as though she could possibly be a student, but her attire reflected that of a mature adult. The floral laced fan in her hand gave her an air of elegance and class yet at the same time, it seemed odd to see such a thing, especially on someone who appeared to be so young. The oddest thing about it was that it did not look like an ordinary fan as it did not look light enough to wave around and when she moved her hands, it gave off a weird sheen, reflecting the light in the office.

"…You can't do that! I won't allow you to! Do you have any idea what'll happen if you do? The hell that you'll bring to this academy?!" she yelled passionately before noticing the boy behind her. She stiffened and took a long gaze at the boy before looking away in complete silence.

In front of her, seated behind a desk was a man with straw brown hair in a ponytail and spectacles wearing a violet sweater and long, tan cardigan with a green scarf. The boy couldn't help but notice his odd choice of fashion. He got the impression that the man was rather eccentric; however, he noticed the serious expression that was on his face only seconds before he walked in. As soon as he entered, it seemed as though it vanished, instantly replaced with a warm and cheerful smile. That led the boy to, again, wonder if he interrupted something important, but upon thinking about it, the boy didn't really care. He just wanted to hurry up and transfer and get settled in his dorm, tired of hauling his suitcases and getting lost around the huge campus.

He stole one last glance at the strange man and prayed that he wasn't the headmaster of what was about to become his new school; however, seeing him stationed behind a desk and his hands clasped together with authority confirmed his suspicions.

Noticing the boy and his silence, the man spoke first with a welcoming smile. "We've been expecting you! How are you? Did you have a nice trip?"

The teenager took his headphones off and gave the man a straight, serious look. "…What?"

The man blinked back in confusion. "Ehh?"

"I didn't hear you," the boy admitted without any shame.

"What?!" the man dramatically cried.

The boy ignored him as his eyes traveled across the room, observing every corner. "So this is Cross Academy…"

The man instantly perked up. "Yes! I'm the headmaster, Kaien. I'm sure you'll like it here. What do you think of it so far?"

The boy continued to look away, completely disinterested, but gave an answer this time. "It's big…"

Kaien chuckled at the boy's vague and obviously bored answer before beginning to explain some things about the school. "Yes, it is. Now, you'll be in the Day class. As you probably already guessed, you have classes during the day! There is a curfew, though, so normally, you would be in your dorm asleep during this hour. However, if you were in the Night class, you would be in class, but that's not the case for you, so don't worry about it! Anyway, as I was saying before, because you're a Day class student, you will be in the Sun dorm and-"

"Are you really the headmaster?" the teenager interrupted, clearly not listening to what was being said.

"…Ehh?"

"I mean, to think the headmaster of such a prestigious academy would be some crazy, old guy with a ponytail and wearing slippers," the boy deadpanned. "Honestly, if that's how you look, then what does that say about this school?"

The headmaster jolted as if each insult pierced him like an arrow. He rested his head on his desk as a river of tears flowed down his face. "You shouldn't talk to your headmaster that way…," he wept.

A bead of sweat dripped down the side of the boy's face. "Are you serious?" he asked before sighing and scratching the back of his head. "Uhh… Sorry?"

Once again, making a full recovery, the man perked right back up with a bright smile. "That's quite alright!"

"Y-yeah…"

The headmaster noticed the teenager's habit of not paying attention and figured that he must be a little nervous. His eyes softened as he gently smiled at the boy. Using a more serious tone, he said, "I think you'll like it here. I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends." The boy said nothing, instead gazing at the cold, wooden floor. Trying to catch the boy's attention, in a playful tone, he teased, "Besides, you're good-looking, so you'll definitely be popular!"

The boy froze in fear, thinking how he didn't want to hear such a compliment from a man, especially such a strange one at that. Recovering from shock, he bluntly said, "…Gross. I don't want to hear such a thing from a man." A smirk graced his lips as he brushed a hand over his bangs. "Although, it is true that I'm attractive. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a curse," he admitted before sighing in what appeared to be agony. "Being this attractive… it makes it hard to look away from the mirror! I think I might have fallen in love with myself! And yet… I can't help but steal the hearts of countless girls! Oh, what a tragedy!" he said with such a serious expression that you almost couldn't tell that he was joking.

Both adults gave the boy an exasperated look yet the headmaster looked slightly amused, which Sylvie was anything but. She muttered to herself, "Yes, now if only you would fall in a river like the narcissist you are, then we could finish our discussion and I could be on my way."

"Right… I'm sure it's tough…" Kaien pulled out a file and looked through a couple of papers before addressing the boy. Aware that the headmaster is looking at his personal file, the teenager looked away with a scowl. "Anyway, I already took a look at your file."

"So?"

He wasn't aware of it, but the woman standing beside him tightened her grip on her closed fan, dying to intervene and say something, but suppressed her urge, knowing that she would only make matters worse.

"So I know that you're actually a bright student, but it appears that one year, you just-"

With clenched fists and gritted teeth, the boy snarled like a scared dog that was too prideful to flee and so chose to fight instead. "I don't need you to tell me. I know because it's my past."

Although most would think he was merely being rude and disrespectful, which indeed he was, but truthfully, he was embarrassed and didn't want to think about those dark times. He thought it was better to look ahead and hope for a better tomorrow as opposed to looking back, but sometimes the past can creep up on you and alter your future.

The headmaster chuckled under his breath, familiar with and used to the behavior. "Well, I hope you'll stay out of trouble and that you'll do your best in class." Knowing that the boy wouldn't add anything, he continued speaking. "I'm sure you're tired from your trip, so let's get you settled into your room as soon as possible." The man took a moment to ponder. "Hmm… I'm not sure where Zero and Yuuki are. I think they might be out patrolling, so unfortunately, they can't escort you. Oh well…," he said before clasping his hands together. "Sylvie, will escort you to your room!"

"I'LL WHAT?!" the woman yelled, shocked by his sudden words. "B-but… We were just… You know that I don't have time for that!"

"Ehh? Why not?" Kaien asked as he cocked his head to the side with a carefree smile, seemingly unaware of what the woman was talking about.

"B-because…," she stuttered while darting her eyes suspiciously back and forth. "My shows are about to come on! I'll miss them!" she cried.

The boy contemplated why the woman gave him an odd look. It felt as if she was nervous and was trying to hide something. As if she was scrambling for an excuse. He questioned the truth in her words and again wondered if he interrupted something important.

"Hmm? Just record them or watch them online. Don't you have Netflix or Hulu?"

"EHH?! You don't understand! I-I had plans! It's… It's very important, so please," Sylvie tried to explain, but obviously failing. "I was going to watch a marathon of my favorite show and eat popcorn and ice cream with a glass of wine."

The boy's eyes widened, shocked by her sudden confession. "T-those are your plans? Just what kind of plans are those? And who eats popcorn and ice cream with wine? Are you depressed?" he asked, piling one question on top of the other. "…A bad break-up?" he guessed without consideration for the woman's feelings and age.

Sylvie's face darkened as an irk mark rose on her face. "YouSHOW SOME RESPECT!" she roared before glaring daggers at the headmaster. If looks could kill, then people would've been gathered around Kaien's funeral as he was being put to rest in peace. "There's no way in hell that I'm escorting this brat to his dorm!"

"Please~" the headmaster whined with puppy dog eyes.

Knowing that it's useless to continue fighting, Sylvie reluctantly gave in. "Grr… Fine. But you owe me for this, Kaien! I won't forget this!"

"Haha~ thank you, Sylvie!" Kaien said as he handed her the key to the boy's room.

Sylvie guided the new student to the door with a hand on his back. Before following the boy out the door, she looked back at Kaien with steely, hardened eyes that promised that they definitely would finish their previous discussion and that she had no intentions of letting it go. "Kaien-"

"I know. We'll finish discussing that later."

She gave him one last glance before silently leaving. After leaving his office, she noticed the boy staring at her, wondering what was going on. She awkwardly cleared her throat and led the way to his room, trying to regain any composure she lost. "Please follow me."

The walk was silent for the most part until the boy's curiosity caused him to speak up. "Sooo Sylvie, right? Are you really a teacher? You sure don't look like a teacher."

"Madame," she sternly corrected. "And exactly what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well… you look pretty young. You look more like a kid playing dress up in those clothes than an actual teacher," he casually said with a shrug as if he was merely talking about the weather.

Unable to stand the boy's blunt and rude nature any longer, Sylvie hit him on the head with her fan. "HOW DARE YOU!"

"Oww~" the boy whined as he rubbed his head in pain. "What the hell was that for?"

"For being disrespectful. I am a teacher at this school and I will be treated and respected as one."

"…I don't really respect adults, though," the boy admitted before being hit squarely on the forehead.

"I suggest you start, boy."

"Exactly just how many times are you going to hit me?!"

"Until you learn," she said before sticking out her tongue.

"…How childish."

"What was that?" she darkly said with a glare.

"I'm saying that you don't even act like a teacher. Aren't teachers supposed to be mature adults?"

"Do you want me to hit you again?"

"Ehh? Are teachers allowed to make such threats?" he teased. "You should really work on your professionalism."

"Hmm? Of course I am," she answered with a carefree smile on her face, surprising the boy. "And you should watch your mouth."

"Ehh?"

"This story is based on an anime, so this story also goes by anime logic!" she triumphantly explained with a fist raised in the air. "That means, that some scenes aren't realistic," she said before elaborating. "For example, I can push you out that window… but you would live! I can beat you a thousand times… but you would live! I can threaten you… and I would keep my job! That is the amazing power of anime logic!"

"IT SOUNDS HORRIBLE!" the boy screamed in horror as he quickly backed away from the eccentric lady, scared that those weren't "examples," but real threats hidden behind humor. His eyes slightly widened as he was struck with realization. "Hey… I don't think we're supposed to know we're in a fanfic."

Unperturbed, she waved off his comment. "Oh, it's alright, it's alright!"

The teen sweatdropped at the casual and outgoing teacher. "I still can't believe you're a teacher. You seem too immature. Honestly, I thought you were a student at first."

Sylvie flinched at his insults that continued to easily and endlessly flow out of his mouth like a river. "…I feel bad for your teachers. They're going to have a hard time dealing with you. I'm so glad I won't be your teacher."

"You won't?"

"No, I only teach the Night class."

"Aww~ that's no fun!" he pouted before his lips curled up into a playful smirk. "Hey, Sylvie…"

"Madame."

"If you really did have a bad break-up, I'll comfort you," he flirted with a wink.

Sylvie could only gape, shocked by the boy's flirtatious and forward nature. Nonetheless, she was used to it as she was somehow a little popular amongst the Day class students, much to her dismay. She never understood how she managed to have fans, especially since they weren't even her own students and therefore, shouldn't know her at all.

"Did that strange guy with a ponytail just break-up with you or something? It's ok. You can tell me~"

She backed away with a shudder and an expression of disgust etched on her face. "God, no! I would never date someone like him!"

The boy burst out laughing, finding her reaction humorous.

Sylvie sighed out of irritation. Her eyebrows began to twitch with each second she spent with the boy. It was only a matter of time before she really killed him, she thought.

"But seriously, just what kind of teacher are you?"

That was the final straw. Clenching her fists, she yelled at the ceiling, "DAMN YOU, KAIEN! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!"

The boy jumped back, shocked by the grown woman's outburst. After she finished wailing about missing her favorite shows and having to "escort this brat," they continued walking to the boy's dorm in awkward silence. Well, it wasn't exactly silent because the whole time, Sylvie was sniffling. The boy wondered if it was really that serious or if she just didn't have a life. Nonetheless, the boy started to get preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"…Hey, Sylvie-"

"Madame."

"Madame Sylvie," the boy corrected himself, fed up with the childish woman and her demands.

"Yes?" she asked in a sing-song voice.

"…Do you know a girl named Alison Butei?"

The eccentric teacher paused to take a moment to observe the boy, blinking at him in confusion and staring at him to try and discern his motives. "Huh? What about her?"

The boy stopped in his steps and turned around to look at Sylvie only to hide his face by looking out the window. "She's in the Day class, right? I'm pretty sure she is, but I just want to be sure, so…," he trailed off.

Sylvie quizzically raised a brow at the boy, not used to his tone of speaking and skeptical of his questions. "Yes… Why?"

The boy's eyes brightened upon hearing her answer. He looked away again, scratching the back of his head and trying to hide a smile that was impossible to suppress. "Ah, I was just wondering…"

"You know her?"

"Yeah… We used to go to school together."

"I see… Then… are you friends?"

"…Yeah."

"Ah, I see… So that girl made a genuine friend. I didn't know… Perhaps, I don't have to worry as much now," she said aloud, but mostly to herself. "They would be happy…" she muttered under her breath.

"Sylvie… are you alright? Who are you talking to? And who's 'they'?"

"No, it's nothing… Please don't worry about it. Anyway, could you please do me a favor? …Please look after Alison. She doesn't appear to have many friends, so-"

"I know that," he interrupted in a serious yet peeved tone. "And you don't have to ask me to do that. Someone already asked me to and even if they didn't, I still would."

As his eyes shot into hers, Sylvie was surprised as she saw what looked like a different person in front of her and yet she was not disappointed in the slightest bit. She saw the care and protectiveness that shined in his eyes. It made him seem mature and responsible as opposed to the arrogant, perverted delinquent that was in front of her just a couple of seconds ago. Seeing that, she let out a breath of relief as she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

"…I see. Thank you. I can relax a little now."

"You don't have to thank me. Besides, it's weird. And what's up with the sudden change in attitude?"

"It's nothing…"

The boy raised an eyebrow at Sylvie, confused by her behavior. Just a couple seconds ago, she was acting like a child. Now, her face that was once full of life, seemed so serious and solemn. Her eyes, a mix of anger, regret, and pain, and her lips, a straight, firm line; the boy thought she looked like she was angry or in mourning rather than relaxed. The woman was truly odd and mysterious.

Unbeknownst to him, while he was questioning her weird behavior, she was thinking about his strange actions and his sudden questions. Her jaw dropped as she finally put the pieces together. To the boy's dismay, her mood swings had not yet ended.

"Wait a minute… Y-you… You don't…," she stuttered as she pointed a shaky finger at him.

"Hmm? What's wrong now?"

"…NOOO! OH, GOD, WHY?!" she screamed as she held her head in anguish and collapsed to the ground with tears streaming down her face. "I'M SO CONFLICTED NOW! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SHIP! Noo… MY OTP!"

The boy jumped back, surprised by her wailing. "Uhh… You ok there? And what are you talking about?"

"Nothing… Don't worry about it," the woman wept as she held a hand out, signaling she's fine. "You wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I wouldn't… Are you sure you don't want me to, I don't know… call a doctor? Maybe a therapist?" Waiting for a response that wasn't coming, the boy blinked blankly back at the woman in confusion. "…What?"

Sylvie ignored the boy and got up with bags under her eyes and her hair sticking out in several directions. She dragged herself to a door and unlocked it with a key. "Well… here's your room," she said in a defeated tone.

His brows furrowed, as he thought about what could possibly be wrong with the strange woman. He assumed that she must really love watching dramas and that she was upset that she was missing the latest episode.

"Uhh… thanks?" the boy said as he tentatively took the key from her.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go to bed and leave me the hell alone," she said as she started to leave.

The boy sarcastically spitted out, "Yeah? Well, it was nice meeting you too! Now about that therapist- Ah! Could it be that you already have one? There's no shame in that, seriously."

Sylvie stopped in her tracks and instantly turned around and quickly marched up to the boy. Her face darkened and her eyes screamed of death. "What was that, you brat?"

The boy let out a little scream and ran into his room, bolting the door shut. He peeked out the peephole only to see a silver eye staring right back at him. He jumped back at the sight.

"I'm watching you," the woman warned before leaving for her so-called "shows."

Hearing the sound of her steps fade away, the boy collapsed to the floor and let out a breath that he was holding in. "That woman… is terrifying. Exactly what is her problem? Well… I guess it doesn't really matter. It's not like I'll be seeing her around often… I hope."

With that, he fell onto his bed with an arm covering his eyes. Exhausted from his long and tiring trip, he decided he would unpack on another day. As he laid in bed, he drowned in his thoughts and anxiety. There was one thought in particular that he just couldn't get out of his head, though.

"Alison, did you miss me?"


Alone in the dead silent hallway, Sylvie turned back looking in the direction of the boy's room.

"That boy… He too is just like them," she thought to herself. She clenched the fan in her hand as she gritted her teeth. "I wonder… just how many did they… do that to. They're older now, so that must mean that they intend to act soon."

She turned her attention out the window to gaze at the new moon. With her lips in a straight firm line and her eyes a mix of rage and regret, she looked nothing like the woman who generally picked on her students and told nothing but jokes.

"I can't let this bother me," she told herself. "I can't… or else everything would've been for nothing. All we can do now… is plan accordingly."

The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she noticed something amidst. She began searching her surroundings as if she was looking for something that should not be there.

"Something doesn't feel quite right… There's something ominous in the air and I don't like it. Don't tell me… It can't be-"

A cold breeze suddenly flew in, rustling her clothes and blowing her hair out of place. It felt as if someone had jumped through her and crawled in her skin, but Sylvie only narrowed her eyes into crimson glowing slits, irritated but not scared in the least of the sudden disturbance.

The wind whispered in a teasing voice, "Worried? Scared?" A giggle was then heard behind her. "It doesn't matter what you do, you can't change fate. Alice will fall into Wonderland and have her head cut off because that's just how it's written. Likewise, you can't run away. Nobody can run away – not from us. Don't tell me… you forgot your job?"

Sylvie clucked her tongue. The wind started to violently pick up. The windows rattled and the curtains flapped uncontrollably as if it was storming inside. "So I was right." The woman fully opened her fan and thrust it in front of her. The folds of it shined, reflecting the light of the moon. "How rude. Not once have I ever forgotten my job. Now… I have no interest in playing petty games, so leave or I'll cut your head off."

The dark cackled. "My, my~ You're so full of anger, but then again, that's just what makes you so fun! Well, I wish I had more time to play, but I just don't have the time. And – Oh, dear! I'm late! I'm late! I was supposed to leave a minute and fifteen seconds before now! Oh no, I'm late!"

Sylvie felt the annoying presence begin to fade, but not before it whispered, "You're wasting your time. Don't you know that when the clock strikes twelve, the fairytale ends? Alice will fall down the rabbit's hole into Wonderland and with her, we'll surely paint it a lovely red."

"I thought you said you were late. Just hurry up and leave," Sylvie responded, trying not to let the cryptic messages bother her. The laughter started to fade, but the chilling wind never vanished. Beside her were shredded curtains that looked as if someone violently tore them apart, but she paid them no mind.

"I best be on my way. I have much to discuss with that man. After all… I have a job to complete. Things may be different now, but then certain things remain the same." Sylvie pivoted on her heels and continued her way down the hall while muttering and fanning herself.

"This is absolute madness. They're mad, but then… aren't we all?"


A sigh escapes my lips as I finish getting ready for school. "Almost done…"

Standing in front of my vanity, I tie a ribbon on both sides of my head and take care to make sure that my hair is the same length on both sides. I run my hands through my hair and toss it over my shoulder to where it'll be more comfortable and won't bother me as much. Taking a deep breath, I brush the front of my oversized cardigan and inspect myself in the mirror. Deciding I look adequate, I cast my gaze down, trying to avoid looking into the mirror any longer than necessary. I'm not like that vain woman who can spend hours at a time in front of a mirror. Besides, I already know the truth about my appearance. I just hope that I at least look a little cute for St. Xocolatl's Day, but then again, that's probably impossible for someone like me.

I let out a humorless chuckle as I spritz on some perfume. "I guess there's no point in trying, huh?"

I think… people misunderstand what I mean when I say, "Don't call me cute." It's not as if I don't enjoy hearing it, that's far from the truth. It's because I don't feel cute and so I don't think I deserve to be called cute. I never fish for compliments as I generally don't expect them, but… whenever someone calls me cute, rather than actually meaning it, it feels as though they are saying it out of pity or mocking me. I don't want such a compliment. I rather hear nothing at all but empty, freezing air.

I know these thoughts are annoying, I know this self-loathing is stupid, and I so badly wish it would stop, but I can't… I really can't help it… It's this annoying demon of insecurity that won't leave my mind and keeps whispering cruel words in my ear. Whenever I see my reflection or someone mentions my eyes, it crawls from the depths of the shadows to taunt me. I wish it would go away, but it feels like it's here to stay forever.

I so badly wish that I can grow to love myself… but it's so hard to do in a world that tells you that you're simply not good enough.

I take another deep breath to calm my nerves before grabbing my bag and heading out the door. As I hear the door shut behind me, I hold onto my necklace for strength and reassurance.

It'll be ok. Today is just a normal day like any other. There's no need to be scared or worried. Everything… will be fine…

I sigh and begin my walk for class. I think I'll skip breakfast today. I'm already sick with anxiety, so I don't think I can handle eating anything at the moment. Shaking my head, I remind myself to stay optimistic, although, optimism was never my forte. It's always been my brother's. I can't help but be a pessimist, but I guess it gives us a sense of balance since we see things from different perspectives.

I see the dark and he sees the light. I am the moon and he is the sun. He shines brilliantly and warms those around him. I am dull and cold to those around me. Whereas he's honest, I'm a liar. We're truly polar opposites. It's no surprise that everybody is always shocked when they find out we're related.

Not prepared to be hit by the bright, blinding rays of the sun, I squint and try to shield my eyes. Just like my brother, it's so nice and warm out today despite the changing seasons. He's always so cheery and always has a kind smile on his face. Sometimes, I think he shines brighter than the sun, though I would never tell him that. Such a comment would only go to his head. Although it's true that he always looks ahead, I don't think he never looks back. I think that he secretly sneaks a peek of what was supposed to be left behind long ago. Nonetheless, when he does walk forward, he brings others with him with their hands gently yet firmly in his. Regardless, I still think that he's a happy-go-lucky idiot.

Truthfully, I wish I was more like my brother. To be kinder and more open to others… I wish I was like that. Still, I can't help and wonder if we really are blood-related. Everything is so vague and the truth is blurred out with so many lies. I wish I knew the truth, but regardless of what it may be… I think Alex would still be my big brother because that's how it's been from the very beginning. No, that's how he's been from the very beginning. Even when everything was so confusing and new, he was still there for me and called me his little sister despite not knowing anything – not even his own name.

Honestly… that idiot…

I let out a breath as I raise my head and gaze up at the sky. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to have wings and just fly away. It sounds great, but… in the end, you could just get shot down, right? Maybe, there's no such thing as an escape. At the same time, maybe it's possible for some, but not so for others. Regardless, I think we've been shot down a long time ago. Maybe that's not exactly right since we're still alive, but hollow inside. It's more like our wings have been broken or ripped out and we've been trapped in confining cages. I'm scared to rebel, but… I know someone who isn't.

The vibrant, blue sky… It reminds me of those pervert's eyes. They're so bright and brilliant, vivid and full of life with sparks of mischief and energy. I always thought his eyes were beautiful unlike mine.

Even though he can be overbearing at times, I know that deep down he has good intentions. He can be crude, but when it comes to those he cares about, he'll do anything to protect them as his loyalty is unwavering.

Despite the fact that I say I see him as a "wolf in sheep skin," truthfully, I see him as a neglected puppy that's been left to fend for itself or perhaps ran away out of fear of being abused again. Scared of being hurt, he'll snap at you, puff up his chest to seem bigger, and growl with his teeth bared. Get closer and he'll bite you. Get even closer and he'll never leave your side, hopelessly following you around, looking for affection.

I hope he's alright. He said he had a surprise for me. I wonder what it is… *sweatdrop* Hopefully, it's nothing perverted.

Without even realizing it, a melancholic smile reaches my lips at the thought of them. It's calming and comforting. The mere thought of them is like having a warm blanket secured around me to protect me from monsters. Somehow, I don't feel as lonely and yet I feel even lonelier. It feels as if my thoughts unlocked an abyss within me that's filled with nothing but pain. It's as if it's a black hole that keeps growing in size, expanding wider and wider until it envelops me whole. And yet I choose to ignore this void of loneliness for the sake of my pride, but it's hard to ignore when it keeps piercing my fragile heart that's encased in ice.

Does this make sense? Probably not. After all, I am someone who doesn't make sense. I am a contradiction.

Still… I wonder how those idiots are doing.

I cast my gaze down as I sigh and continue on my way to class. Something feels amidst as I approach closer and closer to the fountain. It's as if a section of the academy is shrouded in darkness and veiled in a layer of fog so deep that you couldn't see the danger right in front of you.

Nervously, I slowly look up only to see an elegant, black swan sitting in the fountain. There was something peculiar about it. Something so unnatural and eerie about it that I couldn't help but stiffen as its crimson eyes peered deeply into mine. The way it looked at me… it felt like it knew everything about me and more. It's no ordinary swan, that's for sure. The color is different, but the aura is the same.

There is no doubt about it. It has to be…

Trembling in fear, I am unable to look away as if its bloody eyes enchanted mine. Leering at me with such eyes, I thought that maybe it would pounce on me and bite my neck off with its red beak.

I gasp and falter backwards as it suddenly ruffles its wings to reveal white feathers underneath. It reminded me of myself, but those eyes said otherwise.

Majestic yet maleficent, elegant yet eerie, beautiful yet baleful, it seems to me like the embodiment of evil.

As if the spell was broken, I quickly walk away with a sense of urgency surging throughout my body. My heart thumps wildly in my chest, dancing all over the place as my breath comes out short and ragged as if there's no air to breathe around me. Everything feels so surreal that I feel disconnected from the world.

What just… happened? Is this real or is this a dream?

I continue to tread down this horrid, twisted path with my arms tightly across my chest. A chill runs down my spine as I hear something rustle in the grass nearby. As stiffly as a robot, I turn my head to find the source of the sound and notice something black slithering in the grass. However, within a blink of an eye, it vanishes without a trace back into the depths of shadows.

What was that? What… is going on?

I continue to stare at the patch of grass, disturbed by what just happened.

Something isn't right. Something definitely isn't right.

I shake my head as if doing so would shake away my fears and surmise that I must be seeing things because I'm still a little tired. Nonetheless, I walk away even faster. I try to squash down my anxiety and not let the events that happened earlier bother me, but it's useless.

Seeing such ominous things so early in the morning can only be a bad omen.

The sun, now covered by clouds, unable to shine, casts the world in a shadow. The sky, a blue-gray seems dull and lifeless. The grass, a wilting green and the trees turning bare appear dead. Winter is coming and with winter comes death. Ironically, my birthday is in the winter, but I long for spring, the season of revival and rebirth.

My steps begin to grow slower, almost as if I'm dragging my feet. I want to get out of here, but I want to stay. I'm scared to go, but I'm scared to leave. I'm trapped on a one-way path straight to hell. Each step leads me closer and closer to the fiery pit. The fire will envelop me and consume me whole, leaving nothing to remain. I won't even be a memory. My name and existence will be long forgotten as if they never existed.

It's truly pitiful, isn't it?

There's no use fighting fate; I can't run away, so I straighten my back and walk forward with as much courage as I can muster.

Everything will be fine. It'll be ok… It'll definitely be ok… right?


Outside a soiree, on the edge of a fountain sat a teenage girl with straight hair as black as ink, eyes the color of emeralds, and ivory skin like that of a porcelain doll. Dressed in an elegant, white dress that stopped at her knees and a teardrop-shaped ruby necklace that twinkled in the moonlight, she looked like the proper image of a regal, young lady.

Seated in the fountain and the reflection of the moon was a swan as white as the two roses she held in her hands and with eyes the color of blood.

Veiled in white, they both seemed innocent and pure yet there was something ghastly and deadly that lied underneath that was hidden deeply from the naked eye.

Twirling the flowers in her hands and playing with their soft petals, the girl let out a little giggle as she gazed into the eyes of the bird. "That girl… she's so silly. It's quite humorous, honestly. To think she foolishly believed she could just run away like that… Just how stupid is she really? Hehe~" A soft smile graced her lips as she said, "It's almost time. Soon… Very soon…"

With no regard for one of the flowers, she began to pluck its petals one by one as she recited a poem. Their true color bloomed as each petal silently fell into the depths of the water.

The purity of white faded to the vindictiveness of yellow.

"A sordid face full of grace,

With a sardonic grin of sin,

And pretty eyes that conceal lies."

The vindictiveness of yellow faded to a savage red.

"Lovely yet vile,

Veiled pointed tail and horns."

And the savage red disintegrated into a sinful black.

"A rose with a sweet scent that masks bile,

And tender petals that hide a twisted stem and sharp thorns that scorn."

Slowly yet steadily, the fountain was deprived of all innocence and tainted a vile black.

"Locked in our cell,

Welcome, prisoner of Hell."

Holding nothing but a thorny stem, the girl held it up in the moonlight and gazed at it from all angles. "Evil and wretched, distorted and twisted, no one would think such a thing was pretty and yet this is the truth… It's truly so pitiful, though. That girl… She's seen just like this stem."

Her smile contorted to a sneer as she tightened her grip on the stem. With such a look on her face, she looked as if she was strangling someone and yet, she looked so content. "So ugly and pitiful, who would ever believe that such a thing was innocent?" Drops of blood slowly slid down her hand as the stem lost its former shape. "Honestly… How disgusting…"

A tall, young man who looked no older than 25 and dressed in a suit approached the girl with a look of concern on his face. Showing their difference in status, he deeply bowed before speaking. "Excuse me, milady, but may I ask what you're doing? Aren't you cold just sitting out here? Everyone is expecting you inside. You are the guest of honor after all and it is your farewell party. Won't you come back inside?"

The girl ignored the words of her butler. She didn't even spare him a single glance. She just kept her head down as she gazed at her hand. Following her eyes, the man noticed her hand that was now covered in blood.

Shocked, he kneeled in front of her and grabbed her wrist to look at the damage she caused. "You're bleeding," he gasps.

"Yes… I'm aware of that."

"Are you hurt?"

"Hurt?" the girl scoffed as if the very idea that she would be hurt was ridiculous. Standing, she broke her wrist out of his grip and tossed the now bloody stem aside as if it was nothing. "As if. The only thing that hurts… is knowing that that girl is threatening to take what's rightfully mine." In a low, incoherent voice, she muttered, "She already took so much, anyway. What more does she want? She's so… greedy. I hate her. I really, REALLY hate her!"

"Milady… you wouldn't happen to be talking about-"

"That girl… She's scared. She knows and understands her fate as she should. Besides, it is her fault to begin with. She should know better than to challenge me." Looking at the moon, she dipped her head back and smelled the sweet scent of the unsullied rose. "Someone like her could never hope to compete with someone like me. And so… I decided… I'll end it all. I'll show them. I'll show everyone who the real Rose is."

A smirk grew on the man's face as he gazed at the girl from behind. "Of course. It's not even a question of who is more worthy."

The girl chuckled as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You flatter me, but your praise just isn't enough. Well… I guess I should be going now. After all, my presence is missed."

"Wait," the man called as he grabbed her hand and pressed a handkerchief against it. "It would be bad if you walked back in with a bloody hand."

The girl nodded in understanding. "Ah, that's true…" She patiently waited for him to finish attending to her injury before preparing to head back inside.

"There, done," the man said.

She waved and twisted her hand in front of her, noticing that her injury has fully healed and that there was no signs of any blood or injury. Satisfied, she took one last whiff of the rose before ripping it apart from its stem, crushing the petals in her hand, and tossing it in the fountain.

The white rose slowly disintegrated as it fell in the water and like the rose before, its petals faded to yellow then red and then black. However, one white petal of innocence managed to survive like a beacon of hope. It stood out like a crescent moon among the defiled, black water of the fountain.

The girl took one last glance at the moon before heading inside. Whether it was because of the moonlight or not, one cannot quite say, but her green eyes eerily glowed, revealing the acid brewing within.

"That was rather pointless, wasn't it? Besides… soon, they'll both be covered in blood…"


Nervously, I sit in class with a grimace on my face while holding my hands in my lap and stare at my wooden desk. My palms sweat as my breath is caught in my throat.

If my sister is the transfer student, then that means that we'll… we'll… have to… But… I thought 'mother' said that we can wait for "that" because "they" haven't "awakened" yet, so… I should be fine, right?

I let out a sigh of resignation and shake my head.

Who am I kidding? My sis- Ugh… She can't wait to put an end to all of this.

Startled, I look up at the sound of a cheerful voice calling my name.

"Alison!" Sakura calls, waving her hand with a big smile on her face as she runs over to me with the others trailing behind her. "We didn't see you at breakfast. Did you eat?"

My train of thoughts broken, I stare at her as I try to come up with an excuse. "Ah, umm… I don't have a big appetite in the morning, so I'm not really a fan of breakfast," I lie with a weak smile smeared on my face.

Sakura claps her hands together as if she had an "Aha!" moment. "Oh, I see! Emiko is the same way." She pouts as she puts her hands on her hips. "But still, you should've showed up, so we could talk! We don't really get to talk during class because we don't sit near each other."

Ugh… She's right. I'm really slacking on my duties here. I sheepishly smile, feigning innocence."You're right. Sorry about that."

She cocks her head to side with a playful wink as she takes a seat beside me. "Haha~ it's alright! Hopefully we'll get new seats soon." I can't help but look at her as if she's crazy as she nudges me in the arm with a smirk. "Anyway, are you excited for today?"

"Huh?" Excited? Excited for what?

Emiko takes a seat next to Sakura with a neatly wrapped box in her hand. "For St. Xocolatl's Day, of course!" she says in a know-it-all tone.

Fortunately, Kimiko sat on the other side of me. I'm grateful that it was her and not Emiko since the latter tends to pick and criticize others, but acts as though they're doing everyone else a favor by calling out their flaws.

"Don't forget the new student is transferring today," Kimiko reminds us.

"I couldn't forget even if I wanted to," I say as I lean into my palm. And I really do want to forget. I wish this was just a bad dream, but this is a reality that's turning into one hell of a nightmare.

Kimiko nods her head in understanding. "I know what you mean. It's all that anybody's really talking about. Well, other than St. Xocolatl's Day."

Although that's not at all what I meant, I agree with her before noticing how different everybody looks today. If you didn't know what day it was, then seeing everyone alone would certainly remind you.

The garden was spruced up for St. Xocolatl's Day. Each flower desperately tried to paint their petals in a more vibrant tone and tried to keep their stem straight and strong, but if you looked closely, then you could see how fragile they really were.

Kimiko's hair seemed silkier and shinier than usual, as if she spent hours conditioning her hair. Instead of in a ponytail, Sakura wore her hair down and combed her curls, so that they would carefully frame her face. Emiko's face looked heavier than usual because it was caked on with makeup. Her foundation heavy to hide any imperfections, her eyelashes long and stark black with mascara, her cheeks a rosy pink, and her lips a glossy, baby pink. Her beauty was transparent as she looked beautiful from a distance, but up close you could see every flaw that she tried so hard to conceal. She truly looked as fake and artificial as her personality.

Concealer is known to hide blemishes and imperfections, hence the name, but it can't hide your ugly personality. Then again, in this world, people only care about outer appearances and thus, there's no such thing as "inner beauty."

The three of them together made me want to gag because they smelled as if they each doused themselves in a gallon of perfume. The overly obnoxious smell of jasmine, rose, and vanilla was enough to make my stomach churn and my eyes water.

I knew, though, that the wind would only have to blow once and their petals would fly away, leaving them naked and rendering them ugly. And with their beauty gone, their stems would snap, and so they would fall to the earth with a cry of despair only to have new flowers bud over them.

I'm a Rose, though, so am I really that different? If my petals vanish, then the only thing left will be my hideous thorns that I tried so hard to conceal today. But do I even have the right to judge? In the end, aren't we all the same? …No. Even if my petals are gone, even if the wind blows hard, I won't falter and my stem won't collapse. That's the difference.

"You all look… beautiful today."

Sakura gasps as her eyes twinkle and her smile grows even wider. "You think so? Thanks! I spent a lot of time on my hair today because I want to look nice when I give Idol his gift."

Emiko haughtily flips her hair over her shoulder. "Of course I do. I do every day, but I wanted to look especially nice for today since it's St. Xocolatl's Day. After all, Senri's going to see me."

Talk about being confident… This girl is really hard to get along with. No, that's not it… It's hard for someone like me to get along with her, but surely… Surely, someone like my sister could easily get along with her. They are similar, but not at all identical. Emiko has a sense of "normal" and "ordinary" that my sister and even I, for that matter, lack.

"Right… Speaking of St. Xocolatl's Day, are you guys all prepared?"

They all nod their head.

"Obviously."

"Of course."

"Are you, Alison?" Kimiko asks.

I nod. "Yes, I have everything with me."

Sakura cheekily smiles as she pokes me. "Excited to give your present?"

"Erm… I guess? I don't know if I would say I'm excited, though."

Emiko peers at me with her violet eyes that are swirled with contempt. "Nervous?"

"A little…," I admit, though it's not for the reasons they think.

"It's understandable as for why you would be nervous, but I'm not," she confidently boasts. "I'm going to make Senri Shiki mine."

How foolish… The same dream as all of his other fans. Besides, there's nothing so great about that stupid model, so stop acting like there is! And I don't care that I think this a lot! …Because it's true!

I calmly smile at her as if nothing was wrong, but if you looked closely, you could see that I was straining myself to keep the corners of my lips up. Hidden behind my mask was a glower of anger and irritation.

I knew fully well the game Emiko was trying to play, but compared to people like me, she's a complete amateur that would only be trampled over. Even though we're from similar worlds, hers is still much lighter than mine. She only knows a little bit about deception, but it's clear that she knows everything about envy. As such, she isn't worthy to be my rival. No, that place is reserved for someone else – someone who is much more envious, violent, and cruel.

Emiko is more like a little kid who thinks they know so much, but truly know very little about the way the world works. She's so ignorant that she can't even clearly see the strings that are being pulled at this very moment.

However, despite everything I just said, Emiko has something that I'll never have and that's freedom. At least not with the way things are going…

"…Is that so? Well, then I admire you for your confidence and determination."

Did I mention that I hate losing?

My irritation at its limit, I decide to play along with her little game that she knows very little about. Bitterness seeps back through my veins as I mock her stupidity and reveal my true feelings, but what can I say? That's just how the game is played and a cruel game it is indeed. After all, that's why only few may find pleasure in playing it.

Unsure of how to take my comment, Emiko's eyes squint in confusion, as if she's trying to read my face for any signs of what I actually meant, but unfortunately for her, the mask has been tightly tied on and I don't plan on loosening it even a little bit.

"…Thank you."

Before anyone has a chance to say anything else, Takara joins our little, exclusive group only to complain and whine.

"Ugh~ those Night class guys sure are lucky… It's not like us Day class guys are going to get anything…" he sighs before dramatically throwing his head down on the desk.

"Why are you acting like this is brand news?" Emiko asks.

"Yeah, were you like expecting something?" Sakura asks.

Takara groans. "Leave me to my despair."

Unfortunately for him, Sakura and Emiko tag team him.

"Ehh? But you came to us."

"And you're being so noisy. Do you plan on being in despair in silence and, preferably, somewhere else anytime soon?"

"Y-you guys are so mean!" Takara cries. He looks to me with puppy eyes and a pout. "Alison, tell them to stop picking on me!"

What the hell are you looking at me for? I couldn't care less about your feelings.

"Erm… So Kimiko, who are you giving chocolates to again?" I awkwardly ask, trying not to get involved with Takara's drama.

Catching on, Kimiko nervously giggles with a bead of sweat dripping down her face. "Umm… Takuma."

His eyes grow as big as saucers as his jaw unhinges in shock. "A-Alison!? You too!?"

Everyone laughs, Sakura being the loudest. She found the situation to be particularly hilarious, much to Takara's dismay. Fortunately, before he had a chance to bother us any longer, his tamer came and whisked him away.

Kenichi walks straight towards Takara and grabs him by his shoulder. "Takara, come on. Class is going to start soon."

"But-"

"You're just bothering the girls and making yourself look like an even bigger idiot than you really are. You already knew that you weren't going to get any chocolates, so why bother complaining?"

"Because… It's just not fair!" Takara loudly wails as he's being dragged away. His mood quickly shifts to anger and aggression as he begins cursing. "Damn, those Night class guys! This is all their fault!"

Sakura cups her hands around her mouth to extend her already loud voice across the room. "You wouldn't have gotten any chocolates anyway! Nobody likes you!"

"Shut up!"

"Alright, alright! That's enough," our teacher says as he walks into the classroom. He tries to quickly diffuse the tension that is set between with Sakura and Takara before things get really loud. "Let's begin class before the 'idiot couple' starts having one of their legendary lover quarrels."

"WHAT?!" the idiots scream in embarrassment.

Sakura slumps down into her assigned seat with her face bright red as the whole class erupts into laughter. The other two girls also return to their seats, leaving me with an annoyed and grumpy Zero. He was obviously bothered my 'friends,' though it seems like their presence alone irritated him.

Well, class should be interesting today…

The class rises to a clamor as everyone once again bombards our teacher with questions

"Is the new student here?!"

"What are they like?!"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Aren't you kinda early today?"

"You're not starting class early, are you?"

"Hey! Tell us!"

Our teacher stumbles backwards in discomfort as he's unable to control the class.

"W-wait a minute! Everybody, please calm down," he says as he waves his hands back and forth.

"Just tell us if the new student is here or not!" Takara yells.

Irritated with hearing the same question over and over again, our teacher gives in. "Yes, he's here!"

My eyes widen in shock. "He"? Then that means… it's not her. I let out a breath of relief and relax my shoulders, grateful that it isn't my sister who is transferring.

Our teacher looks at the door to his left that he just entered from and yells, "Hey, you can come in now!"

I gasp as I see a familiar face coolly walk in with an air of confidence and playfulness.

"Everybody, please welcome our new student, Shin Takehiko."

"S-Shin?!" I accidentally stutter, unable to contain my surprise. What is that idiot doing here? He didn't tell me he was transferring or anything… and we just spoke to each other too!

"Shin, please introduce yourself to the class," our teacher instructs.

Shin peers around the classroom as if he's looking for something, captivating everyone with his alluring eyes. Whether he did it intentionally or not, I can't say. I stiffen as sky blue meets midnight blue and venomous violet, but I calm down after seeing Shin grin.

He greets everyone with a wave and introduces himself. "Hi! I'm Shin Takehiko! I just flew over from Europe. It's nice to meet you! Please take care of me!"

The class erupts in squeals of excitement as all of the girls fawn over him.

"Oh my god! He's so cute!"

"I can't believe he's in the Day class! Doesn't he look like a Night class student?"

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"I hope he sits next to me!"

His grin grows into his typical, devilish smirk and a glimmer of mischief twinkles in his eyes as everyone continues to inflate his ego.

Being the flirt he is, Shin willingly took this opportunity to try and make all of the girls in our class fall in love with him. "Wow… I didn't know there would be so many pretty girls! I'm so lucky to be in this class!"

Just from the sounds of giggling and flirting, it seems like he didn't have to do much to win anyone's favor. It's no surprise, though, as most people fall for his good-looks. That being said, I don't know many people that have fallen for his "charming" personality.

A bead of sweat drips down the side of my head as I note that he hasn't changed a bit. He's still the same, perverted player that can somehow easily make girls swoon.

That being said, although Shin was able to win over the majority of the class except for the guys who are jealous of him, he was not able to stir anything but irritation in our teacher. He clears his throat to try to bring order back to our class.

"Erm… Yes, thank you so much for introducing yourself to the class, Shin."

Unperturbed by the fact that he's already on our teacher's bad side, Shin playfully winks and says, "No problem!"

The teacher's lips pull into a straight line as he mutters, "Oh, great. Another one…" He holds his forehead as he shakes his head and sighs before noticing that Shin has already left his side. "Please take a seat by- Hey!"

Before he can finish his sentence, Shin walks up the stairs, ignoring him and everyone else, for that matter. Everybody gasps as their eyes follow his every movement, but he's completely unfazed. Oh, God… He's not going to- I don't even have a chance to finish my thought because my suspicions are confirmed by Shin approaching me. Surprisingly, he doesn't readily take a seat, but instead, looks at me with a warm yet playful smile. I couldn't help but notice the unspoken message written on his face:

"Hi. Did you miss me?"

What an idiot…

"Is this seat taken?" he asks as if he doesn't even know me.

I peer into his eyes, questioning if he's serious or crazy before sighing in resignation. "No…"

He chuckles, catching on that I'm irritated that he didn't say anything about transferring and takes the seat next to me as he whispers, "Surprise~". He then props his feet up on his desk and leans back with his arms behinds his head as if it were nothing.

"Thanks for the offer, Teach, but I'll be sitting right here."

This upsets a lot of the girls, who apparently, are already his fans.

"Ehh?! Why is he sitting next to her?"

"Aww~ this isn't fair!"

"I wanted to sit next to him!"

Great… Now they have even more reasons to kill me. Honestly, he's always causing problems for me.

Trying to settle everyone down, our teacher allows Shin to sit wherever he wants, so that he can hurry up and start class. "Ok, ok. Just hurry up and take a seat. And get your feet off the desk! Now, let's begin class."

Despite our teacher giving a lecture, I can feel everybody's eyes on me and Shin. It feels as though we're some sort of sideshow that everyone is watching. I want to talk to him and ask him so many questions, but I'm scared of people overhearing and of getting in trouble. Shin, however, has no qualms about such things.

Trying to catch my attention, he repeatedly taps my shoulder until I look over to him and give him the attention he desires.

"…What?" I sigh out of exasperation.

"'What?' What do you mean 'what'? How about, 'Oh my god! Shin! Hi! It's been so long! I miss you~' Geez, you're so not cute," he says with a pout.

"Would you be quiet? We can't talk right now," I scold.

"And why not?"

"Because we're in class."

He shrugs and shakes his head, trying to play innocent, but if you ask me, he just seems more suspicious. "I don't understand what that has to do with anything."

I look away from him with a scoff as I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear and focus my attention to the front of the class. "You haven't changed at all."

Hearing an irritated sigh, I turn to my left only to see Zero grumpily looking away from us.

He must be really irritated, especially since it's St. Xocolatl's Day. I kinda feel bad for him… Ah! That's right!

Just as Shin is about to open his big mouth, he stops and quirks an eyebrow at me as I pull a lavender box with a silver ribbon out of my bag.

"What's that?" he asks, but I ignore him and push the box towards Zero.

The silver-haired teen looks at me and blinks in shock before narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "…What's this for?"

"What do you think it's for? I'm giving you chocolate, the least you could do is say, 'Thank you,'" I retort using the same harsh tone as him.

Zero raises an eyebrow and asks, "…Why are you giving this to me?"

The loud mouth behind me rests a hand on my shoulder and leans forward. "Yeah, why are you giving that to him? Just who the hell is he?"

I blankly blink for a minute as I remember that Shin and Zero don't know each, so I should probably handle the introductions since both of them have terrible social skills. "Ah." I look at Shin and back at Zero to introduce them to each other. "Shin, Zero. Zero, Shin… Shin?"

I look at him and try to meet his gaze, but he looks past me and gives a glare to Zero.

"Umm… Zero is a prefect, so he patrols the school at night and makes sure that nobody is out past curfew. Because of that, he's really grouchy and grumpy. Seriously, he's like always in a bad mood," I say, trying to diffuse any tension present.

Shin nods his head in understanding. "Ah, I can see that."

"Hey… I can hear you, you know?" Zero says, annoyed with my super accurate but blunt introduction of him. It's not like I'm lying or anything, so there's no need to be too annoyed.

I ignore him and continue properly introducing him. "And he has a really scary death glare. I've never seen one quite as scary as his. It's so scary that it's like he killed you with just one look. I swear, he takes 'looks that can kill' to a whole different level."

"I'm sitting right here."

"Oh!" I exclaim with a finger raised. "And I secretly call him 'Old man' because of his gray hair."

"It's silver."

"Yeah, yeah. Big difference."

Shin blinks in confusion. "Really? I thought he was either a weird, old man that kept failing school and couldn't graduate or some weird dude who thought he was all punk and shit dying his hair gray," he jokingly admits.

"HEY..." Zero seethes, irritated with our teasing. "Don't give me too much trouble."

"We won't~" we sing in unison.

"Anyway…" Shin sighs as he closes his eyes before flashing them open. "That still doesn't explain why you're giving him chocolate!"

"Yeah, I really don't understand why you're giving this to me," Zero agrees, completely puzzled by the current situation.

I sigh and direct my attention back to the front of the class. "It's just obligatory chocolate. You're scary and always glare at people, so I figured you wouldn't receive anything, so I'm giving that to you out of pity. Besides, you must be a very unhappy person if you can't eat chocolate. So… eat some! Eat lots!"

"Hey…"

"Well, that and…," I say before looking back at Shin with narrowed eyes. "To apologize for any trouble that is sure to come." I give Zero a glance while twirling a curl around my fingers before returning my gaze to the board. "I know, I'm so kind and generous. Happy St. Xocolatl's Day. Oh! And feel free to thank me anytime… Like now."

Unsure of how to take my answer, Zero begrudgingly accepts the gift and says, "Thank you" before resting for what I'm sure will be a long and painful day.

As I begin taking notes, I feel Shin's gaze burn into the side of my head. Unable to ignore it, I ask, "…What?"

"Why did you look at me when you apologized?" He asks with a scowl etched on his face.

"Ehh? You seriously don't know? That's because you always cause trouble. Now, leave me alone. I'm trying to take notes."

"Hey! Don't just brush me off like that!" he growls before turning his attention to the grouchy, old man beside me who gave him the side-eye because of his obnoxious, loud voice.

He glares at Zero until Zero looks up again and asks, "…What?"

Shin narrows his eyes. "I don't like you," he immaturely says in a low voice.

I sigh and lightly hit Shin's forehead with my notebook without even looking at him.

"Oww!" he whines, pretending like it hurt so much. He rubs his forehead and asks, "What the hell was that for?!"

I hit him again and ignore his fake cries of pain. "Just ignore him," I tell Zero. "He's just some flirtatious delinquent who thinks he's cool. He's completely harmless."

"Who are you calling, 'harmless'?! And I am NOT 'just some flirtatious delinquent!'"

"And if he gives you any trouble, which he will, just let me know. I'll handle it."

Zero gives Shin another tired glance before nodding in response.

"What makes you so damn sure that I'll cause trouble?!" he yells before I hit him again. "Oww! Grr… Quit doing that!"

"I say that because you're already causing trouble."

He jumps, realizing the truth in my words and looks away with a blush. "W-whatever…"

"That's why I apologized in advance," I admit to Zero.

Behind me, Shin glares at Zero again and thrusts a finger in his direction before swiping it across his own neck. Catching the whole scene from my peripheral view, I hit Shin again.

"Quit it."

"Oww! Grr… I didn't do anything!"

I ignore Shin and turn my attention to the board to write down everything before our teacher erases it.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

Unfortunately for me, Shin is stubborn. He says what he wants and does what he wants when he wants. In some cases, persistence may be seen as a positive trait, but not with this idiot.

Annoyingly, he continues to poke me, dissatisfied with me not entertaining him. "Alice? Alison? Come on~ Pay attention to me," he whines like a child. "Didn't you miss me?"

I can't explain it well in words, but that question pierced me like a knife. Perhaps it's because he called me by my nickname, perhaps it's because I know just how lonely he really is, but regardless of the reason, I wouldn't willingly admit missing him or anyone else for that matter. Admitting that I missed him, saying it aloud is something I could never do. Saying something aloud and thinking something to yourself are two completely different things. To say something aloud means to admit it to the world and to yourself. I just can't do that. At least not here. Not when my mask is so tightly tied on to the point that it won't even budge and I'm struggling to breathe.

Regardless, I know that he knows me too well and so he obviously knows my answer without me saying anything. I guess that's the good thing about Shin and yet the bad thing. He knows and understands me too well. He's one of the few people that I'm unable to fool. He's able to see through the lies and deceptions. I think that in some ways, he may even know me better than I do.

He suddenly stops and sits in his seat in silence. His eyes shift up and down from looking at me to looking at his desk. A pang of guilt resonates in my chest as I notice that he feels disappointed and sad. Even though I just thought about it a while ago, it seems that in a matter of seconds, I forgot the reason why Shin acts out. Though he understands me, he's the type of person that constantly needs reassurance.

"…Alison? …I missed you."

And yet again, his words have managed to affect me in such a way. Truthfully, it's scary knowing that he has this kind of power over me. I still can't believe that I allowed myself to get close to someone like this, but given what we've gone through together… it was inevitable.

Forgive me, but I still can't help but refuse to be honest. It's not in my nature to speak the truth.

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "Honestly… you're too much."

"Hmm?"

"…No."

"'No,' what?"

"No, I didn't miss you."

"What?! Why so cruel?!" he dramatically cries, but with the way his smile slightly quirked down, I know my words hurt him.

"Shh! Don't be so loud! We'll get in trouble."

"Ehh? Who cares about that?" he asks with a goofy grin.

Noticing us talking in the back due to Shin's big mouth, our teacher scolds us both. Glaring daggers at us, he yells, "Hey, you two in the back! Stop talking and pay attention!"

Crap… He finally caught us. Although, with this loud mouth beside me… I figured he would've yelled at us sooner. I guess it kinda pays off to sit in the back, huh.

Upon seeing the change of expression on Shin's face, I know things are about to get ugly. The way his eyebrows furrow and how his eyes darken from a peaceful day to a stormy one convey his irritation and how he's about to snap.

"Ha? What did you say? Do you need something, Four-eyes?"

"S-Shin!" I hiss in disapproval. "What do you think you're doing?!" He ignores me and looks away with a huff.

Watching us, our teacher remains unimpressed. While straightening his glasses, he says, "I understand you are new here, Takehiko, but understand that this is a place of higher learning. I won't tolerate such behavior in my classroom." I gulp as he turns his sharp, disapproving gaze to me. "Butei, you are no longer a new student, so don't expect any more special treatment. I expect better, but more importantly, you should know better."

I begrudgingly bow my head to show respect and beg for forgiveness. "Yes, I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"The hell you say? Alison didn't do- Oww!" Shin says with a scowl before I dig my nails into his hand. He looks over to me with tears streaming down his face, but I ignore him and continue to look apologetic to our teacher.

"Hmm… Well, since it seems like you two know each other, make sure you inform Takehiko about how things work here, Butei."

"Yes, sir." Damn that idiot! This is all his fault!

As much as I want to complain, it has always been my job to keep Shin in line. He doesn't listen to most people, but for some reason he listens to me. I still can't comprehend it, but somehow I became the owner and tamer of this ridiculous, wild dog that causes me trouble yet brings me comfort.

Still "crying," Shin pulls on my sleeve and whines, "A-Alison, that really hurts~"

I slowly tilt my head and give him a dark glare. "Shut the hell up, you bastard."

He instantly lets go of my sleeve and backs away, trembling out of fear. "Damn… S-so scary…"

Already exhausted with him and his antics, I release him and sigh. "It's all your fault that I got in trouble…"

"What?! No, it's- MMPH!"

Not willing to get in trouble again, I tightly clasp a hand over his mouth and motion for him to be quiet. Finally getting the message, he slowly nods his head. I'll have to start bringing duct tape to class.

Thinking that I'm done dealing with him, I resume taking notes. The peace between us doesn't last long, though, because Shin pulls my notebook away from me and starts writing in it.

*twitch* What the hell is that idiot doing now?

Before I have the chance to tell him to give me back my notebook, he returns it. I peer inside it and find a note. "Pay attention to me"? I sigh at his childish note and write back, "What do you want now?" with an annoyed emoticon.

Instead of taking notes like I originally planned, I end up passing messages back and forth with Shin.

"Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess… What about you?"

"Meh, I've been alright."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "…Really? You haven't caused any trouble?"

"Why do you always assume I cause nothing but trouble?!" he writes back with an angry emoticon. I stifle a giggle at his poor attempt at drawing. He quirks a brow at me, confused about why I'm laughing.

"You really can't draw…"

"Shut up!"

I turn away from him with my body trembling from trying to keep in my laughter. "Pfft! Haha…"

"Don't laugh at me!" he hisses as he grabs my shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry," I whisper back, still trying to contain my laughter.

Shin gives me an odd look, one I can't comprehend, with his eyebrows furrowed before sighing and resting his head on his desk.

As soon as I'm about to ask whether or not something's wrong, he gently holds my hand and turns his head to look at me. With a soft, sheepish smile, that seems so out of character for him, he whispers, "It's nice to be in class together again…"

Stunned by his words, I gape at him before softly smiling back and lightly squeezing his hand. "Yeah… It is…"

~And so the Fool joined the Marionette down the red path to Wonderland. Welcome! Welcome! Into the cell you go! Lock it! Toss the key! Don't dream of ever coming out! Welcome! Welcome, our new prisoner of Hell~


A/N: So this marks the end of another long chapter. I hope you guys weren't bored by any details or overwhelmed by the length. I'm trying to write in a way that it feels like you're watching something, so I hope that I succeeded. I am currently experimenting with this new writing style and I'm pretty satisfied with it, but let me know what you think in a review. I'm curious about what you guys like and dislike or are even worried about. Now that being said, I am aware of some obvious concerns, which will be addressed belowAfter reviews :3

Moving on, our new character, Shin aka The Perverted Prince has officially been introduced. Yes, I know he's a source of a lot of "conflict." Just please keep in mind that like Alison, I spent a lot of time creating Shin's character, so please have confidence in me as a writer. Please note that he is actually an important character to Alison's character development as well as the plot of Marionette overall, which will make sense later on. So… since I gave a warning about Alison when she was first introduced, I guess I'll do the same with Shin. I personally think that Shin seems like a simple character, but is actually far more complex than what you may think. I don't think anyone sees him as perfect since he's a childish asshole, so I guess I don't need to put a warning for anything like that. Umm… So I guess what I really want to say is don't worry about him too much, ok? I know it seems like he'll interfere with a lot of stuff, but that's not exactly the case. Also, I promise I will explain how Shin and Alison know each other and the true nature of their relationship… eventually (I don't like to rush things like this because then it just turns into flashback after flashback). So I hope you all will give his character a chance to properly develop and will respect him as a character. If you're still curious, then there's more about Shin in the notes below.

On that note, I feel like I should also take this opportunity to thank you guys for praising Alison's character. Reading your messages made me extremely happy since I put a lot of thought and effort in creating my characters. I hope you grow to like them all and find something that you can relate within each of them (^_^) …Or at least most of them :/

Btw, speaking of Alison, there will be no Alison Corner in this chapter. I'm saving it for next chapter, so yeah… Feel free to ask Alison a question.

I also want to remind you guys that nothing in this story is what it seems. Due to the nature and genre of this story, I do like to mess with you guys and lead you to believe things that are generally incorrect. I also decided that… I want to push the boundaries a little. That being said, if you know me, then you should know what I'm comfortable writing about (=_=) I guess… what I said earlier isn't exactly the right way to phrase it? In any case, I think you guys will see what I mean later on, and perhaps, you even saw a glimpse of it in this chapter. Anyway, as I said before, I will always go back and address things to confirm what is right and wrong. If you notice in the future that I missed something or might've forgot about something, then please feel free to tell me.

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and will stick with me till the end of this story. I love you, guys! Thank you so much for reading and look forward to the next chapter because things are starting to pick up! And again, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! *gives more chocolate* …I'm lonely and single… again (=_=) I should be prepared to die alone OTL The author is just going to eat some chocolate by herself, so don't mind her sad, awkward existence ( TT_TT) *slowly fades away*

– Mimi-chan


Review Corner: I still can't believe that I actually have reviews to respond to. When I first started writing, I honestly didn't know if people would even like this story, so I was timid and hesitant of how serious to take this… I also wasn't sure if people would like… me (^_^)'

In any case, I just want to say that I seriously appreciate every single review. I probably said something similar last chapter, but seriously, they all encourage me, especially on days when I feel down about my writing. Thank you so much for reviewing and giving me the courage to continue writing! However, that being said, I don't know what to say to everyone, particularly those who comment on updates, so if I don't reply to your review, please know that I still appreciate it!

As thanks, please have some… What have I not given as a gift yet? (O_O) Umm… Umm… Have an éclair? (^_^)' Have I done that yet? I don't know, it's been so long, sorry (./.)

akiza blackmore: Thank you! In that case, then you'll really enjoy the next chapter. There are plenty of moments where Aidiot is teased XD

princess240: OMG this review had me cracking up XD If only you remembered where you put your notebook. I'm glad… last chapter evoked so many emotions in you LOL Anyway, I hope you like this chapter just as much! Thank you for being such a supportive friend :)

Incendo: Thank you for noticing my improvement (^_^) I hope this chapter did not disappoint. Hopefully, you learned more about Alison from this chapter. If not, then that's ok, since next chapter you'll see more about her lack of understanding when it comes to romance as well as everyone else's. Haha and I wish this could be an anime XD Thank you for reading and supporting me!

Ketsueko: AHHHHH! IT'S BEEN SOOO LONG! I hope you've been alright :) OMG your first comment XD Well, there's no better way to show Alison's mask than her relationship with her friends ;) Yeah, I'm really trying to avoid the whole mary-sue and OOC thing '(^_^) Thank you! Well, that's not- Ehh… Let's just leave her relationship with Misaki vague for now, shall we? Thank you for reading!

Neko Rose-22: Aww~ thank you so much! I'm trying my best to improve… even though I write too much sometimes (./.) As for when the romance will gain speed… Well, I don't really know to be honest '(^_^) I can't give an exact answer to that because Alison and Senri just became friends. That being said, Alison is starting to notice how attractive Senri is and develop a small crush, but I wouldn't say that she feels anything like love yet since she doesn't even understand what that is. Ok, that doesn't really answer your question (._.) Basically, I don't want to rush their relationship. I want them to develop a bond first and understand each other. I mean, Alison doesn't even know that Senri's a vampire (O_o) Hopefully that answers your question. Thank you for reading!

Dawnisaur311: OMG I love hearing that! XD LOL I know, Alison and Aidou's relationship is quite humorous. You'll get to see more of it next chapter! Wait… I know Senri and Alison have chemistry, but… why is it weird? X( LOL sorry, I just get confused when people tell me that. I'm guessing it's because of their different personalities. That being said, they both have similarities. After all, a hypocrite is a person that contradicts themselves, and a puppet and marionette are both dolls ;)

MAniaC: Thank you! I'm always worried about length, so hearing that is really reassuring! Aww~ thank you! I'll do my best to update regularly from now on (^_^) It shouldn't be a problem any more since I now have more time to relax.

Guest (Question about donor child): Umm… Unfortunately, I do not understand your theory since I have never heard of a donor child (^_^)' Sorry. Also, Misaki is not ill… or at least not in that sense. I'm curious of why you think your theory makes sense, though. Is it because of Alison's fear of Misaki's arrival? It's true that the two girls are not fond of each other, but that's not the reason. It also does not explain why Misaki is envious of Alison. That all goes back to their past, which will be explained later in the story. Thank you for submitting a theory, though, and trying to solve any mysteries :)

Liv: Thank you so much for complimenting my writing! I'm always worried about whether my writing is decent or terrible, so hearing that puts me at ease. I hope you also enjoyed this chapter!

Morganthecat: (O_O) …I-I'll try to update more often! That's really not necessary X( LOL I'm just kidding XD Thank you so much! I'll continue to do my best.

User: I want to start out by saying thank you so much for your review. I remember when I first read it, I was so down about my writing and thought that my story wasn't that great. Your review completely lifted my spirits, so thank you for that (^_^) Ok, but again… Why is the chemistry between Alison and Senri so surprising?! Ah, I still don't understand, but thank you XD Aww~ thank you for praising my OC! I hope you grow to like Shin too! Of course I'm continuing this story! Pfft! I'm going to finish it XD LOL thank you for reading and reviewing!

3: OMG this is your favorite? (O/O) Wait… So far ( T 3T) Well then~ LOL I'm just kidding! I hope you still enjoy this story!

Guest (Discontinuation): *gasps* (O_O) I… I… I'm not discontinuing this story! (TT_TT) Ok, but honestly this review kinda got to me (^_^)' I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. I hope you still find this to be an awesome story, nonetheless!

Sarah taylor: Pfft! Are you kidding me? Senri and Alison WILL be cute together! XD (…See what I did there?) LOL It'll take a while, but they will get together eventually! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

FuyukoAme: I DID IT! I UPDATED! \(^_^)/ LOL thank you for reviewing… last month or rather a couple of weeks ago XD Anyway, I'm so glad that you love this story. I hope this chapter did not disappoint and I hope you look forward to the next one! :)


Analysis/Notes: I tried to anticipate some of the questions you guys would have and organized them into bullet points (^_^) I'm not sure how many people will actually read this, but I thought it was still nice to write… I explain my reasoning for writing scenes a certain way, the meaning behind them, symbolism, characterization, etc.; however, I feel like an English teacher when I point out all of this stuff since this reminds me of my AP Lit class (-"-) Obviously, I don't expect anyone to read all of them, though. Anyway, if you still have questions, then please feel free to ask me in a review, pm, or even on my blog!:

-Shin Takehiko, the Perverted Prince: I know a lot of you guys were expecting Misaki to transfer first, but if you pay attention to the beginning of Ch.8 part 1, then you'll see that it was clearly shown that he was the one transferring, hence the scene at the airport. I didn't want it to seem as though he popped out of thin air, so I had Alison mention him several times as well as have them call each other (She mentioned him as early as the second or third chapter).

I'm not going to write a huge analysis of his character since I'd prefer to show instead tell and I'd rather let you guys determine that on your own. Originally, I wrote about… the inspiration and concept for him (I don't know if I worded that right lol), but I decided I'll post that stuff on my blog under my "Fanfiction" tab because this chapter is already long enough. I will say that although Shin is attractive, his personality is… Well, he's not popular for his personality, ok? '(^_^) Anyway, if it wasn't obvious, he is far from perfect, but he has his own redeeming traits :) Anyway, time for some more in-depth analysis…

The beginning of this chapter is obviously about him transferring. I tried to incorporate a lot of symbolism as well as characterize how Shin is when he is alone. A new moon symbolizes new beginnings, which would be Shin transferring to a new school. Crickets symbolize good luck, particularly to those who hear it. However, a soft cricket chirp symbolizes impending illness or doom. Regardless, Shin is unable to hear the crickets due to his headphones. Symbolically, I also made him unable to hear the crickets because Shin can be rather narrow-minded.

I made a connection to the chain and collar to the leash of a dog. You could also think of when people tie their dogs to a tree. No matter how hard they try to break free, they can't… sometimes ;) Alison even makes the point to compare Shin to a puppy, which I think explains his character fairly well. The question is, "Who put the collar around his neck?"

Speaking of Alison, yes, she is the person that was referred to countless times in the beginning of the chapter. Now, I know that it might appear as though Shin is "obsessed" with her, but he isn't. He's not a yandere. It is true that he is close to Alison, though, so instead, you should be asking, "Why?" Obviously, I'm not going to answer that now, but I can assure you that there is a reason for it that will be explained in later chapters. I don't want it to seem as though they're simply close for the hell of it, so please know that I already planned out everything. Moving on, they actually haven't been apart for long (no longer than a year), but to Shin, it feels like they have. I was merely emphasizing how lonely he was in the beginning of the chapter. I'm sure that you guys are curious of their relationship, so I wrote about it as a separate note below.

I hope you guys give his character a chance to properly develop like you did with Alison! I think that if you don't like Shin, then you'll eventually grow to like him (^_^)

-Sylvie, the eccentric teacher: I'm aware that many of you guys like Sylvie and for that, I'm grateful. I'm also aware that some of you guys are unsure of her character/personality and don't think she's relatable. That's ok. When I think about it, I never really intended for Sylvie to be a character that you could easily relate to. She's a silly character that brings some humor to the story… or so she appears that way. She would be a terrible character if that was the purpose of her character. I intended for Sylvie to be a big sister figure in Alison's life, not a mother-like figure as that role is meant for a different character.

She is mysterious like her eyes symbolize. Sylvie appears to know things, but acts like she doesn't. She isn't just a childish adult who acts like a fangirl. I only added her fangirl tendencies to make people laugh because I thought it was something people could relate to (ironic, considering what I said earlier). I did, however, try to add more aspects of her character in this chapter. Her development will probably be slower than other characters because she is secretive and a side character, but I hope everyone will be patient for her character to fully develop.

So let's start with her conversation with Kaien. She was passionately yelling about something, but as for what is a mystery for now. Nonetheless, it's noted that she appeared to be more mature and refers to Kaien as an equal.

By the way, when Sylvie collapsed to the ground with tears streaming down her face and yelled, "…NOOO! OH, GOD, WHY?!" that was supposed to be a silly scene because she noticed some things about Shin. Just pointing it out in case you guys thought it was weird or thought she was crazy :/

As for her scene in the dark, after she drops off Shin… Let me start of by saying that she didn't literally talk to the dark and stuff (=_=) There was another character that was taunting her by referring to Alison's supposed demise or death or… whatever you want to call it (=_= ) Anyway, she was talking to someone! The person clearly makes some references to Alice in Wonderland, which will help you determine who it was. It's obvious that the two know each other, but appear to not get along. Also, the person talks to Sylvie as if she is below them. Sylvie is angered by their comments, which leads to her using her ability, wind! That's why she's not bothered by the shredded curtains. It's also important to note that any other time in the story, wind has been associated with mocking Alison and being ruthless. This connection will come up later in the story, so look out for that.

Anyway, I hope you all pay close attention to her relationship with Alison as well as her scenes when she's alone because that's when you really get to see and understand her character.

I won't explain everything that Sylvie said so far, I'll leave that for you guys to figure out and make theories about, which I'm really excited to see! When the time comes, I'll explain everything, but by then I'm sure you'll all have an "Aha!" moment :)

Fun fact: Sylvie was a character that I was unsure of and contemplated not writing, but I don't regret adding her to the story.

-Alison's thoughts: I thought I'd make a note in case anyone was irritated by Alison's insecurities and/or fears. If you don't have low self-esteem, then this probably doesn't make sense and seems pretty annoying. Quite frankly, it is annoying, but imagine how it feels to the person who constantly has to hear those thoughts. It's hard to look in the mirror when you don't like what you see, so that's what I tried to convey through Alison's thoughts.

Anyway, another thing that I'm sure is kinda annoying is Alison's fear of her sister's transfer. It probably seems annoying to read, but think about how you feel when you're worried about something. You can't get it out of your mind, right? It literally occupies all of your time, so that's all you can focus on. Well, the same applies for Alison. She's trying to convince herself that everything will be fine, but she knows that she's just lying to herself. Plus, I did this to add suspense :)

She also thinks about her brother a lot because she's starting to feel lonely. Although Alison has "friends," they're no one that she could confide in or lean on for support. She misses her brother, but the different time zones make it a little difficult to stay in contact, and she's not even aware that's why she keeping thinking about him… Mainly, because she's in denial about feeling lonely.

Anyway, I hope this clears some things up, in case you guys are like, "God, I get it already! Just shut up about this!"

-Holy shit! Black swans exist?!: Ok, if you're stupid like me, then you probably looked it up to verify that black swans do in fact exist. Ok, but seriously, they're so beautiful yet creepy.

Alright, moving on, moving on… Like always, the reason for a black swan is symbolism, but it's also an allusion to Swan Lake (no surprise there). Black swans symbolize deep mysteries within us that are longing to be set free. As you may have guessed, that aspect relates to the mysteries surrounding Alison; however, Misaki hides many mysteries as well. The bird itself, though, is more ominous yet graceful and eerie yet elegant. Did you figure it out? The bird represents Misaki! …Ok, that was obvious '(^_^)

In terms of Swan Lake, I would say that Misaki is the black swan as she's alluring and manipulative; however, in the past, Alison has mentioned that her own "wings" are tainted black, but that does not mean that they always were (Question is if they really are tainted black or do they just appear black). She also said that nobody can see her innocence, meaning no one acknowledges her as the white swan. In contrast, Misaki's "wings" are white, but their true color is black. Although it's very blatant to Alison, it is not for others, mainly because Misaki is manipulative and a great liar/actress.

One thing I want to make clear is that the color of the girls' "wings" or which swan they are does not mean nor determine whether they are evil or innocent. Personally, I think it's debatable whether or not Alison is good; however, the story is from her pov, so it's easier to believe that she is.

-Speaking of Misaki, where the hell is she!?: Well… that's the mystery LOL XD *shot* I didn't think it was right for Misaki to arrive just yet because I want certain things to happen before she appears. Additionally, I don't want her to have a "normal" appearance like Shin. I want it to be full of suspense and drama, so I have to set up the scene to allow that to happen. I will apologize, though for making it appear as though she would appear in this chapter and I'm sorry if any of you guys were seriously disappointed :(

Anyway, there was lots of foreshadowing going on, so yes, she is coming soon… or maybe not (evil author). Lol I'm just teasing XD It's just that it's kinda fun to see you guys be like, "Is she coming yet?!" and then it's like, "Yeah, totally! NOT! XP" *shot and loses all readers* And to my friends that were in AP Lit, it kinda reminds me of Heart of Darkness, where like the majority of the novella everybody is talking about Kurtz and wondering where the hell he is (Lol I didn't plan that, but I feel like that's similar!).

Anyway, I'm not going to continue taunting with the idea of her transferring because I'm sure that it's becoming rather annoying. Now for some text review ;)

In parallel to Alison's scene, it's night, there's a white swan in her fountain, and Misaki is dressed in white. It's pretty clear why there was a white swan and why Misaki was dressed in white, so I won't go into detail about that. Instead, I want to discuss the white roses she destroyed. White roses generally mean peace and purity and of course, white symbolizes innocence. With her own hands, Misaki destroys these flowers of peace and innocence and the petals fall into the fountain. In terms of literature, water generally cleanses and heals, and it symbolizes justice and knowledge.

Basically, the fountain is like a fountain of truth and knowledge because it reveals Misaki's true nature that is unseen by others. The white petals fade to yellow, which in roses, traditionally represents jealousy. Yellow fades to red, which just represents blood, and red fades to blacks, which symbolizes doom and death. Misaki is left with a thorny stem that represents the hidden, ugly side to people like her, but she says that it's Alison who is seen like this despite it not being exactly true. She then destroys the second rose by crushing the petals in her hand and then throwing the whole thing into the fountain. Like the other rose, the petals fade and disintegrate. However, one petal is left white, which could symbolize that there is some good in Misaki and that she is not solely evil or you could choose to believe that each rose represents each girl respectively. I'm actually going to leave this open-ended, so you guys can decide… because it's more fun that way XD

Moving on… Alison, like you guys, had the idea that Misaki was the transfer student, but we now all know that that is not true. As you would expect, Alison is confused yet pleased that her sister didn't transfer. The reasons for this aren't that clear because you guys only know that Misaki hasn't been the nicest sister as revealed in Alison's flashbacks; although, Misaki's scenes confirm her disdain for Alison. Nonetheless, Alison is still anxious because Misaki's arrival is like an impending doom. You don't know when it's coming, but it's coming.

In case it wasn't obvious, Misaki was spying on Alison by the use of a swan, which happened to be black and that's no coincidence. I'm not going to explain anything Misaki said so far and will leave you guys to figure out the meaning behind her words

The real question is, "Who's the real antagonist?" because in case you guys forgot… There's the mystery of Alison's past ;)

-Emiko vs. Alison: Ok, so I was gonna call this one "High school drama," but the setting is high school and there's a lot of drama, so that's not really specific LOL XD …Moving on! It was soooo hard for me to write a scene where Alison didn't blatantly curse Emiko out and tell her to sit down and stfu. Idk why, but it was. Maybe it's because I secretly want Emiko to do that (to sit down and stfu). Yeah, that's probably what it is (-_-)

Anyway, like I said last chapter, drama exists in all relationships. Furthermore, Alison already stated that people like Emiko are hard to please and that reading a person doesn't guarantee success. Now, the reason for the tension between them is because Emiko is jealous and skeptical of Alison and Senri's relationship. It's stupid, I know, but don't act like stuff like this never happens.

I don't know if it seems "odd" that Alison is failing in her "duties" and is unable to be friends with Emiko, but please refer back to Alison's middle school flashback where a whole group of girls hated and bullied her. Also, Alison doesn't particularly like anyone and even though she's "trained" to tolerate people of interest, human nature and emotions can take over.

Anyway, Emiko isn't really a big character, but I guess out of all of Alison's 'friends,' she is. So just pay attention to their relationship because the shift in it will be interesting :)

More importantly, we see a lot of Alison's hypocrisy. Alison continues to judge the other girls for dressing up for St. Xocolotl's Day. She scrutinizes Emiko the most out of everyone, not really aware of what she is doing. They're both actually insecure, but still try to find something to be prideful in. Alison does catch herself sometimes, but still tries to convince herself that she is somehow different. This goes back to her ego that stems from her wealthy background and her insecurities about her appearance. However, you'll later see, especially in the next chapter, that Alison sets herself apart from other girls because she acknowledges that she's not human and feels "other than" in comparison. So please don't gloss over Alison's blatant hypocrisy, but try to understand why she sets herself apart from others… If that makes sense '(^_^)

-Alison and Shin's Relationship: I spent a lot of time contemplating what I should say and how much I should say about this. I don't really want to spoil anything, but I can understand people being worried about an OCxOC pairing, so I figured I would say something; although, I did intend for you guys to be curious of the nature of their relationship… Before I really say anything, though, let me make it clear that I have no idea what is obvious and what isn't obvious to you guys.

To make things simple, refer back to the summary and my author's note in the first chapter. I clearly said that this is a ShikixOC fanfic. If you're worried about anything, there's really no reason to because I'm telling you what end game is or who will get the girl or the… final pairing(?), LOL I don't know, how ever you want to look at it (-_-) Anyway, I'm not going to mislead people and have them get invested in a story and pairing just to be like, "LOL now that you're reading this, I'm going to add my OC and make this a completely original story and OCxOC pairing," like no, that's not what is happening nor is going to happen.

One of the reasons for Alison and Shin's relationship is to add drama and show differences in relationships. Honestly, I tried to make the ambiguity of their relationship similar to Senri and Rima's to establish the relationships as parallels. Another reason was that I really wanted to see a jealous Senri XD *shot* LOL but I also wanted to show how relationships affect people and how Alison grows and develops as a person as a result. Again, this is her story.

I'm sure that a big concern is just how much is Shin going to get in the way of Alison's relationship with Senri and honestly, I don't have a definite answer for that because I tend to let the story write itself (Not saying that I don't plan things). However, I want to make it perfectly clear that this story won't be reduced to a petty love triangle and/or a fight for a girl. It would be insulting to Alison if I did that and if you feel like I accidentally did that, then please tell me immediately, so I can try to fix the problem ASAP. Despite everything I just said, remember that Shin is an ally of Alison and that he does care for her well-being and happiness, so every scene of them together isn't going to be like, "OMG it's an OCxOC pairing scene," ok?

Anyway, Shin and Alison support and empathize with each other because they come from similar backgrounds. Personally, I like their relationship because it shows a different side to them that they don't openly show to others (^_^) I hope you guys pay attention to the differences in Alison's relationships and how she acts around different people.

Now, if you're wondering if they're dating… Then idk (O_o) Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. Aliri might be end game, but who said Alison can't have a first love? ( - 3-) I mean, Shin does hold Alison's hand a lot and she doesn't seem to mind (¬_¬) *shot* However, she doesn't like it when he abruptly tries to kiss her XD Confused? Good! LOL and no, I'm not confirming that Shin and Alison are dating or that she likes him or anything like that! I just like to mess with you guys XD …Please don't hurt me (;_;)

Fun fact: If this was an original story, then the canon pairing would be Alison and Shin… Mainly because I wouldn't want to come up with another guy and stuff LOL.

-What the hell? I hate you and you're going to make us wait several months for another update: Psst! I'm secretly the real antagonist here LOL XP *shot and dies* But seriously, I will try to update in a week, but don't kill me if it takes two because I am a college student now… Still, I should be able to get it done in a week, right? (O_o) Ok, now I'm just talking to myself (./.)

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions that haven't been answered or addressed yet!


Shin: …Why is the author crying in a corner?

Alison: I don't know why…

Sylvie: She's been like this for a while now.

Me: *sniffles* Too… Too much… Too much pressure! (TT^TT) Wahhh~! Our ratings are going to fall! What will we do?!

Shin: What is she talking about?

Alison: I have no idea. I never understand what she says.

Me: We're going to lose readers because people will hate Shin and think that this story is going to turn into a typical shoujo manga love triangle! X(

Shin: Huh?! H-hate me?! (O_O)

Sylvie: Shoujo manga? (O_o)

Alison: Love triangle? (O_o)

Me: *wails* And everybody was expecting Misaki! Wahhhh~! We disappointed so many people!

Sylvie: Umm… There, there '(^_^) Everything will be alright-

Me: Don't lie to me! Everything will not be alright! Unless… *calls Misaki* Pick up, pick up… Come on…

Voicemail: The person you have called is unavailable at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep. *BEEP!*

Me: MISAKI~ WE NEED YOU! THE READERS ARE DEMANDING YOU! *cries* M-Misaki… WAHHH~

Alison: Don't call her! Nobody wants her here! *sighs* Please leave our… weird author reviews, so that she'll stop crying.

Me: They know my blog! I'll be swarmed with hate mail! And some of our readers go to school with me! They're going to beat me up over this *gasps* What if they kill me?! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! X(

Alison: *sighs* …If you don't shut up, then I will personally see to it that you DO die (T_T)

Me: *gasps and shudders* O-ok… Please don't hurt me… (;_;)

Shin: Alison… don't you think that was a bit much? (-"-)

Alison: Maybe… but she finally shut up ( - 3-)

Shin: A-Alison… (-"-)