Getting famous with the arts as an outlet is without a doubt one of the best ways to leave your stamp on history. Just think about how many musicians are still insanely famous despite having long passed away: Beethoven, Bach, Freddie Mercury, Prince, Michael Jackson, and so many more. What's even more exciting is that with today's technology, your work can be witnessed much easier and more frequently, thus making it easier to gain popularity. However, the same can be said the other way around. You can ruin your career even quicker than you can start one with just one bad tweet or interview, especially if you're a fresh face to the entertainment industry.
Luckily, or maybe unluckily, for me, I'm already used to the world of fame. Of course, I'm not famous for anything other than being born with my name, but I fully intend to change that the moment I graduate high school (which'll be in less than a week!). I go to a private school, Konoha Elite, where you either get in because of your name and money or you earn your way in with above average intelligence. Because this school is so high profile, most of the students answer very realistically when asked what they are planning to study in college, be it business, accounting, or even law. More often than not, students go to college for whatever their family is known for. For example, the Inuzuka's are world renowned scientists and doctors, the Uzumaki's are often business owners, and the Hyuga's are technological inventors. That's my family name, Hyuga. The Hyuga name is what has me spending my weekends at press conferences and dinner parties instead of hanging out with friends or playing video-games. It's also this family name that has developed an overbearing anxiety disorder within me. Expectations for me have been and are held so high that I often physically crumble under the pressure.
To get back on topic, if you ask these same students who would be going to school for medicine or law without their parents listening what their dream jobs were, I can guarantee that their answers would be nothing related to what they are planning their lives around. For me personally, Father had signed me up for business and technology classes the day that I started my final year of high-school, only he had them scheduled at the most elite college in the area: KTech. I've been on the incoming roster list for a year and I've only just recently turned eighteen! What I really want to do with my life is create art, whether it be in the form of music, photography, or even painting. All that I want in life is to have a constant ability to express myself clearly and the arts can enable me to do that. Since I can remember, I've always had that dream. You know the one. The one where you're center stage with a single spot light on you. The crowd is chanting your name as you look out at them and feel proud of your success. That's what I really want, but realistically I know that the chances of me making it that big are slim even with my name, so I've settled for taking some classes for photography and graphic design behind my father's back. If I can't make it on one side of the camera, I want a chance to at least be on the other side.
My hands danced over the piano keys in the dark music room, room number 5 at the very end of the hall. I taught myself at an early age to play the piano, the only endeavor that I'm truly proud of. The sleek feel of each key brought a swell to my chest and a happiness to my heart that only music provides. A soft melody flowed gently through the air as I casually played the melody to Yiruma's River Flows In You. My body swayed slightly with the melody as I helped the notes crescendo and decrescendo. I kept my eyes closed as I played, knowing my favorite piece so well that I didn't even need to look at the keys. In my mind, I easily pictured the notes physically coming out of the piano as little gold wisps of light, swirling angelically around the space above the grand piano and my hands. My peaceful imagery shattered as a loud slam came from the direction of the only entrance/exit of the room, the locked door.
My hands froze on the keys and I glanced nervously at the small window in the middle of the door to see Karin and Suigetsu sticking their noses against the glass and making faces at me. The triumphant swell in my chest sank away and is replaced with the steely weight of panic. Those two are always looking for me in the hallways, ready to get a torment session in before their next class or before they go home. Karin and Suigetsu are Konoha Elite's "it" couple. No one really likes them, but everyone wants to be friends with them solely so they won't end up being their next target. They've bullied and bought their way to the top, being the reigning prom king and queen going on three years now. Karin is, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She has blood red hair and deep dark eyes set against flawless pale skin, not to mention a perfect body, but her personality is one of the nastiest I've ever been so lucky to experience in stark contrast to her appearance. Suigetsu, on the other hand, is average looking if not maybe a bit cute in a dumb jock kind of way, but he's a sadist in every sense of the word. Karin verbally bullies people while Suigetsu physically bullies them. He has shoulder length white hair, which he often keeps pulled back in a man-bun, and blue eyes. Karin honestly wears the pants in the relationship, but that doesn't mean that Suigetsu isn't intimidating on his own.
Karin's family are famous designers who created and maintain the luxurious Uzumaki brand. They've always been successful clothing and accessory designers, but in the last year they released a new set of trend setting eye-wear that really skyrocketed their popularity. The girl in question has nothing to do with the success of her parents' company, but that doesn't stop her from telling everyone that she's the sole designer for them. The other students either believe her or at least pretend to so they won't put a target on their backs. There was one girl in particular that I remember called her out on her bullshit in their gym class last year and Karin had Suigetsu hold the girl down while she cut the poor girl's hair choppy and short in front of everyone. Even the gym teacher was too scared of Karin's influence to step in and put a stop to the bullying. The girl was so ashamed of her appearance that she transferred out to a different school. I remember vaguely that the girl had the prettiest pale pink hair. It's a real shame that Karin ruined it.
The clear sound of the door handle jiggling as the pair tried once again to get into the room had my hands anxiously clenching into fists in my lap. The panic that I felt was quickly turning desperate as I realized finally that I'd completely trapped myself in here. I normally go for the first music room since it's next door to a few other rooms and I'm more likely to get out of there without being intercepted by the couple, but the other one's had been occupied so I'd settled for the last room in the hall. I shakily smoothed my long black hair out of my face as I tried to come up with an escape plan and failed miserably. There wasn't even a vent to comically try and crawl through, just the door that Karin's nose was pressed nosily into as she snickered with her beau. They wouldn't be interested in cutting my hair, too, right?
Father would be so angry if I came home with my hair ruined. There would be no explaining to him what happened. It's Hyuga standard to show off our bloodline with healthy and long hair, even for most of the men. The Hyuga's run a company very similar to that of Apple or Samsung. My father, Hiashi, is the current CEO of the Hyuga company, therefore my sister Hanabi and I are expected to resemble everything that the family has to offer. I glanced around the room hopelessly as the two behind the door laughed loudly at my obvious panic. I made it a point to avoid eye contact with them as I softly closed the lid over the piano keys. It was like saying goodbye to a friend so I could head off to war. My hands shakily pulled my book-bag's strap up over my shoulder and I stood from where I was seated. I glanced at my phone to see that my free period would be ending in less than five minutes so I had to get out soon or my father would be notified that I was tardy to my next class. With a deep breath, I clenched my hand tightly on the strap of my bag and walked over to unlock the door.
The second they were able, the two tormentors shot the door open, making me take a hasty step back to avoid being knocked back by it. If the two didn't have such jarringly different features, one would think they were related just by how in sync their facial expressions were. They took a step towards me with matching smirks, blocking the doorway completely. "You opened the door much quicker than we expected, Hinata! I would've thought you'd have a little more fight in you." Karin's perfectly white teeth glistened as she gave me a syrupy grin. "We've noticed you've been avoiding us, Hyuga. You aren't trying to send us a message, are you? Could it be that you don't like us?" Suigetsu smiled wolfishly, doing little to hide his wondering gaze from his girlfriend. She didn't seem to notice, but I definitely did. I silently tried to brush past them and out into the hallway, but to no avail. Suigetsu's never been one to shy away from getting physical and he quickly grabbed my forearm and stopped me in my tracks. My mind reeled anxiously as my eyes darted to the ground so he couldn't see the terror in my eyes. I've never stooped to their level and insulted them back and I didn't intend on changing that fact.
I just wanted to be on my way. Karin daringly stepped closer to me, so close that I could smell her expensive perfume and count the fake eyelashes decorating her dark irises. She trusted that I wouldn't move with Suigetsu's hold on my arm and she was absolutely correct, "Hinata, aren't you going to miss us when we all graduate? I know we're gonna miss you." Her hand came up to touch my cheek and I jerked my head to the side to remove it, mustering as hard a glare I could as I stared at the ground behind her left shoulder, doing my best to mask my fear. Suigetsu's grip on my wrist tightened and he moved to stand behind me, pulling my other wrist back with his free hand. My bag fell from my shoulder and sagged at my side, my arm against my body being the only thing keeping it from falling completely to the linoleum floor. I winced at his rough grip, glancing back at him with a pleading look.
The boy had, on a few occasions, convinced Karin to not lay hands on me solely because my older cousin Neji would come after him if he found out. Neji wasn't so low as to hit a woman, but he would happily beat Suigetsu to a pulp. My cousin is twenty-three and in college studying business management and accounting. Father's training him to be my right-hand-man if and when I take over the company some day. Suigetsu gave me a scary smile, his canines pointier than other people's, which did little to soothe my nervousness as he leaned down to speak mockingly in my ear, "Don't give me that look, little Hyuga. We have to get our fun in before we graduate." I felt one of his hands linger down to caress my bottom and a wild heat poured onto my face as I struggled to get away from him and suppress a squeak of surprise. Karin glared at me, either not noticing Suigetsu's little groping incident or at least pretending not to, "What's the matter, Hinata? Why are you making eyes at my boyfriend? Have you fallen for him? Pathetic. As if he'd like someone as useless as you, right Baby?" She leaned forward to plant a deep kiss onto his lips. I could hear the disgusting sound of their lips moving so close to my ear and tried to duck away, only for my wrists to be squeezed angrily once more.
Karin pulled back and held my head still with a hand on either side of my face, "Can I ask you a favor, Hinata?" She didn't wait for me to reply because she wasn't really asking a favor. She was going to demand I do something or else there'd be consequences. "I want you to come to this room after school tomorrow and meet Suigetsu. Then you two are going to meet me in the gym, sound good?" I didn't give her a reply and simply kept my gaze on the ground. She roughly removed her hands from my face, motioning for Suigetsu to follow her as the bell rang to end the class period. The young man listened like a dog obeying his master and pulled me backwards and onto my butt before letting out a laugh and following his girlfriend out of sight. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. Just one more week of this and I'd be done with them forever. Students start passing by in the halls and I quickly got to my feet and dusted off my clothing so I can head to the last class of the day, Calculus. Once my class was over, I headed towards my locker that's on the top floor, just in front of Music Room number 1.
I shoved my books and bag into the small space, opting my large bag out for a small cross-body that's just big enough to carry my phone and wallet. As I reached into my larger bag for my phone, I realized it must've fallen out earlier in the music room when Suigetsu was messing with me. I hadn't checked for it since then so that would be the best place to at least start looking. I silently placed my wallet into my smaller bag and tossed it's strap up onto my shoulder before shutting my locker and heading further down the hall to search the music room for my phone. The room was dark when I approached it and I quickly turned the handle to the room and opened the door, reaching for the lights so I can see more easily, only to be grabbed by both of my shoulders and pulled into the room before I could reach the switch. My scream was swiftly muffled by a hand clamping over my mouth and I heard the click of the lock on the door. The sound made my stomach sink. My eyes were wide as they searched the black of the room for any sign of who could be subduing me. The person's hands were calloused and large so I figured out quickly that the person was most likely male and immediately knew who it is.
Suigetsu.
As soon as I came to the conclusion, Suigetsu's lips appeared sloppily on the back of my neck and left a trail of rough kisses. As a young woman who's yet to even have her first kiss, the feeling was foreign to me and had me developing a cold sweat all over my body. Sure, Suigetsu had bullied me for a large part of my high school career, but he'd never dared take it this far. Where was Karin? Bile rose in my throat as I tried to fight him off, but ultimately I'm no match for his strength. He's on the football and basketball team so it's no surprise that he has strong muscles. I kicked my legs back at him, trying to aim for his most sensitive areas, and he finally stopped kissing me. He roughly threw me to the ground by my hair and my hands just barely came down in time to catch myself before my head could slam against the hard floor. I turned to look at him, only to have my blood run cold. He was suddenly very close to me, kneeling over my legs with a pocket knife held against my leg and a devilish smile on his thin lips. Tears started welling up in my eyes and I tried to reason with him, "S-S-Suigetsu, please s-stop!"
His dark blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark room. The predatory look on his face was making it hard for me to focus on finding a way out of this dangerous situation. The young man crawled his way up until his face was just inches away from mine. I could smell the spearmint gum on his breath and never thought that such a nice smell could make me sick to my stomach, but it did now. My body was shaking in fear as he pushed my head to the side and slightly up so he could easily begin laying kisses into the crook of my neck. Tears began falling freely down my cheeks and I let myself fall back onto my back to try and create some distance between his mouth and my body. His free hand that had been holding my hands down in front of my body moved to clasp tightly around my neck and he pointed the knife at my face with his other. I struggled to breathe as he finally speaks, "I've been missing you, Hinata."
I couldn't find a single word to say so I just did my best to not make any sudden movements and he continued speaking, lightening his grip ever so slightly so I can breathe, "You know, I see the way you look at me, the way you've always looked at me. I know you want me, too." My body was shaking like a leaf in the wind at this point. Would he really hurt me? His pupils were very small compared to usual and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. Perhaps he took something and it was making him act like this. I opened my mouth to try and talk him out of whatever he planned on doing, but he re-hardened his grip on my throat and I was left gripping at his wrist in desperation. Through the years, he and his girlfriend had beaten me to a pulp on a few occasions, but they've never gone so far as to pull a weapon on me. I know you must be wondering why I haven't gotten my family involved and that's an easy one. The great Hiashi Hyuga would not take too kindly to his daughter begging him to help her take care of two students the same age as her. I already looked so weak and stupid in his eyes, adding this to all of that would just make things so much worse for me. So I've always just tried my best to tough it out and have managed to make it this far, but it's never gone this far.
"Where's your cousin at, Hinata? I haven't seen him around in weeks to stop me from doing whatever I want to you." He brought his face not an inch away from mine as he finished his threat. Suigetsu was correct. Neji has been away on a business trip for Father for almost a month now. He's due to be back any day now, but it hasn't been set in stone because the weather has been dangerous where he's at and his flights keep getting delayed. I gasped for breath as he releases my throat and my hands shot up to cover it as I coughed a few times. His knee pushing my legs apart had a more severe panic running through my veins. I frantically tried to fight him off, but he quickly had my hands pinned above my head with one hand and was putting all of his weight down on them. "P-P-Please, no!" The steely feeling of the knife's cool blade pressing lightly against the soft skin at my neck had me clamping my mouth shut in an instant. "I can tell you're a virgin, Hinata. Why is that? Did Daddy never let you have a cock?"
Bile once again rose in my throat at the vulgarity of which he spoke to me. He set the knife down on the floor to his right and used his free hand to start unbuttoning my shirt. I was sobbing at this point, unsure of what else I could do to break free of his hold. Just as his fingers were unclasping the last button, the familiar sound of the door handle being jiggled reached both of our ears. To me it sounded like heaven and to him it no doubt sounded like his fun was ruined. He released my hands quickly and motioned for me to make myself presentable as he snatched up his knife and folded it up so he could slide it back into his pant pocket. I desperately snapped my shirt's buttons back into place and gathered my bag, locating my phone on the piano's bench and snatching it up as well. Just as I finished soothing my hair out and wiping my face of any tears that may still be straying, Suigetsu opened the door to reveal Anko, the music teacher. He offered her a bright smile, "Hello Anko, how're you this afternoon?"
She rolled her eyes at him and leaned around his figure to see me standing uncomfortably behind him. I could tell by the look on her eyes that she knew what she had just interrupted and she straightened her posture back out, "It's time for you to go home, Suigetsu. Go straight home or I'll be telling your coach about this." A panic flashed over his face because he was one of the few students who'd made it into this school by his grades and a sports scholarship is the only way he'd be able to afford college. Though I'm elated that Anko'd saved me from potentially being molested or worse, a large part of me hated her for not taking him straight to the office and telling the Dean about all that he'd done. She would never do that, though, and neither would any of the other faculty members. Suigetsu is Karin's long-time boyfriend, and Karin's family makes very generous donations to the school each year. If the staff managed to conduct punishment on either of the teenagers, Karin would be sure her parents would pay a hefty price to deface the school.
Once the young man was out of her sight, Anko approached me with a worried look on her face, "Are you alright, Hinata? Did he hurt you?" I gingerly stepped around her and started walking towards the exit, "I-I'll be fine." I knew I shouldn't be angry with her because she'd undoubtedly have her entire career ruined if she was the one who'd initially turned Suigetsu in for his wrong-doings, but I couldn't help myself. If I were in her position, I'd turn him in in a heartbeat regardless of the consequences. Just as I was stepping through the doorway, the familiar form of Naruto Uzumaki strode past me, surrounded by a few of his friends and his cousin, Karin. Heat rushed to my face and I hurried down the hall in the opposite direction that they were going, hoping he hadn't seen me looking as terrible as I no doubt did.
Naruto was one of the most popular guys in school and for once, it made sense. He was kind, passionate, and befriended everyone. He was the captain of the basketball team and was the heir to his parents' ramen restaurant chain, Uzu. My heart has belonged to Naruto Uzumaki from the very first day we met, back in the second grade. It was my first day at school, since I'd been home-schooled up to that point and I wasn't very good at making friends, something that hasn't changed even today. A few girls were throwing sand at me in the sandbox and making fun of my eyes and Naruto swooped in like my own personal hero and chased them away with a grasshopper he'd found in the grass. We were casual friends up until middle school, when he finally hit puberty and others started to take notice of him. Don't get me wrong, Naruto never became one of the bullies that tormented me. He just got popular and I stopped trying to talk to him out of fear he'd see me as weak, just like my family and his friends did. I'd rather he forget I exist than have a bad opinion about me. This doesn't stop me from admiring him from a distance and day dreaming about what it could've been. In fact, I'd never really paid attention to any other males because my sights had always been on Naruto.
I peered down at my phone as I exited the building, letting the fresh outdoor air calm my nerves if only a little bit. There were three missed calls from my father staring back up at me. A sigh slipped past my lips as I started the trek home by foot since I'd obviously missed the bus. Our house wasn't too terribly far away since the school's located on the edge of the business section of Konoha, only a few blocks away from the higher-end residential areas. Only a handful of other persons were out walking as I strolled casually down the sidewalk. Almost everyone in this area worked long days and if they had wives that don't work, they'd choose to tan and exercise in their own homes instead of outside. Of course there were a few here and there who are walking their dogs, or maybe it was their maids and butlers walking them. My point is, not many pedestrians were around outdoors in the community my family's home is located.
After walking for nearly fifteen minutes, I arrived at the gates of the Hyuga Main Family's home. The building is stone and modern in appearance, my father refusing to appear as anything but the best to those who aren't familiar with our name. We moved around once in a while when Father decided our home isn't the best place for us to live anymore and we'd find another mansion to reside in that's still in the school's district. After unlocking the gate with my magnetic key and taking my time approaching the large stairs that led up to the front doors, I finally entered the overbearing building and immediately felt a tense thickness in the air. Two maids were setting the large dining table in the dining room for dinner and turned to bow respectfully to me as I pass. I gave each of them as confident of a smile as I could, given the tongue-lashing I was surely about to receive.
As I reached the family room, I noticed a familiar pair of broad shoulders sitting next to Hanabi and across from my father. Relief flooded over me at the sight of Neji's safe return to Konoha. He was the closest thing I have to a loving family member and I'd been sick with worry about him since the news of the terrible weather where he was came to my attention. After bowing respectfully to my father and cousin, I took a seat silently on the other side of Hanabi on the plush white couch. Hanabi silently poured me a cup of tea, as was her duty as the youngest in the room, and I accepted it with a small smile to my little sister. She didn't return my smile, instead offering me a pitying frown, and I understood quickly that Father must really be upset. I sipped my tea in silence for a moment, offering Neji a small smile as well when his eyes meet mine, only to have Father finally break the silence in the room. "Hinata, why do I pay your phone bill if you aren't going to answer it when I call you?" Gingerly, I sat my cup down on the coffee table and did my best to appear confident in front of my overbearing father, "I-I apologize, F-F-Father. Mr. Cornelius w-w-was giving me some t-t-t-tips on my entrance p-paper for K-KTech." I lied through the skin of my teeth and he seemed to believe me, but that didn't mean he was happy with everything.
"The heir to the Hyuga company should not need tips for her entrance paper, or any assignment for that matter. Requesting and accepting said tips makes our family come off as unintelligent and reliant on others. Do you understand?" A lump in my throat formed as I nodded, unable to trust my voice not to waver with a vocal reply. Father didn't seem to care about my reply and continued talking, this time slightly louder as though he was addressing all of us and not just me, "I have an announcement to make that affects us all. Hinata, you will not be offered the position of CEO upon my retirement." I temporarily forgot my manners and couldn't stop myself from blurting out a confused, "W-What?" Who is getting it then? Father's gaze hardened and he's quick to reprimand me for my outburst, "Silence, Daughter. That is no way to address your elder. This is just one more reason you've been taken out of consideration for my legacy." My mouth clamped shut and the familiar feeling of tears forming in the corners of my eyes washed over me. He continued with a hard glare on his silver eyes, "Neji will be taking my place as CEO until Hanabi comes of age, at which time she will be taking his place and he will be demoted to Vice-President. Do you all understand?" Each of us nodded in silence, aware that speaking is pretty much prohibited at this point and we were expected to go along with whatever our family's leader decided to do.
"Hinata, while you are very much not suited for a leadership position within the company, it would be shameful for me to not offer you a career opportunity at all. After you've completed your schooling at KTech, you will be offered a secretarial job in Hanabi's office. I expect you will be able to handle something as simple as that." Betrayal rushed through my veins and I shot to my feet in disbelief, "A s-s-secretary?! H-Hanabi and N-N-Neji get these amazing p-positions and you w-w-w-want me to be a secretary?" Father's glare hardened further, if possible, "If the sheer number of little outbursts you've had since returning home from school is anything to tell, even a secretary job may be too professional for you, Daughter. I suggest you take some time to think about your actions before dinner is served or else you will be unwelcome to join us." I held his gaze in disbelief for a few moments before looking at Neji and Hanabi for support. The two of them had their eyes lowered onto their cups of tea and avoided my gaze. The tears overflowed from my eyes and I turned on my heel to hurry out of the suffocating house before I could have a full blown panic attack in front of my stoic family.
Once I was outside the gate to the mansion, I started walking down the sidewalk with the familiar heat of misery burning my throat and cheeks. I've never had a single best friend growing up because of this family and even have to hide having just-at-school friends from my family in fear of being punished for not focusing one hundred percent on my schooling. My whole life has been dedicated to being molded to be Hiashi Hyuga's heir. Perhaps he's correct that I'm not suited to be the CEO, but I definitely have better potential than just being a secretary! Don't I? Well, maybe he's right...
I ended up at a small coffee shop a few blocks away from my home and wiped my tears from my face before entering. The last thing I needed was for someone to see me inside with tears in my eyes and to report back to my father that I'd been showing my weakness in public. After sitting down in a booth by myself in the back of the nearly empty place, I was offered a plain cup of coffee from the waitress and accepted it with a polite smile. The place was cozy and small inside with a warm atmosphere and the mouth-watering smell of pastries in the air. There was a group of elderly women sitting across the room from me in a booth and when I accidentally made eye contact with one of them, they erupted into gossipy whispers to each other.
I leaned my head onto my hand in a way that hid my face from the women and stared into my cup of coffee with a grimace, wiping a stray tear away before it could fall to the aged table. I wasn't even thirsty, I just wanted some time alone to think about what I was going to do. I could always accept the secretary job and do my best to impress my family in hopes that I'd be promoted to a less-degrading job, but who knows how long that would take or if it would happen at all. On top of that, running the corporation had never really been something that I was passionate about. Should I run away and try to make it on my own as a photographer or something? Another sigh slipped past my lips and I wipe another tear from my cheek before anyone could see it. I'd probably be a failure at anything I try, so what would be the point? I'll just accept whatever Father asks me to do, just like I always have. "Excuse me, Miss, is this seat taken?"
A deep, warm, and obviously masculine voice cut me from my self-deprecating thoughts. I sat up straight and looked up at whoever was trying to talk to me. My voice got caught in my throat as my eyes lay on one of the most attractive adult men I'd ever seen and I gestured for him to take a seat while on auto-pilot. The man was in a very expensive looking business suit so it seemed plausible that he may know my father and I didn't want to further upset him by leaving a bad impression. The man sat across from me with a charming smile on his full lips. He couldn't just be a business man with a face like that. "It doesn't seem right for a beautiful girl like you to be sitting alone, does it? What's your name, Miss?"
My cheeks started to warm up at his compliment and I struggled to answer him, "I-I-I'm H-Hinata." His smile widened slightly, "You're Hinata, then? What a wonderful name. It suits you very much. I have to be honest. I saw you crying outside and you looked like an award winning actress. It's not often you come across someone who looks attractive while crying, is it?" I just stared back at him in confusion. He was so confident that he felt no embarrassment being so honest with me and he didn't even know me. I was green with jealousy as he continued speaking, noticing that I was struggling to form words, "Please don't feel threatened when I say I followed you in here for a chance to meet and speak with you. You see, I've been looking for someone like you." Fear took over my body at his words. Even someone as handsome as he could commit crimes like abduction or murder. I glanced over to see the group of older women were paying their bill and heading for the door. I gripped my small purse in my hands and prepared to make a run for the door. "No! Don't be frightened, Hinata! Let me explain myself. My name is Kakashi Hatake of-" My eyes widened in absolute shock. I knew who he ws just by his name and couldn't help but interrupt him, "Of E-Evolution Entertainment! I-I know of you, y-y-your agency is a-amazing!"
My face soon became red with embarrassment. The CEO of the most prestigious talent agency in the country saw me crying like a baby about some family spat. What a terrible first impression to make on someone so important. His smile widened at my knowledge of him, "Oh! Thank you for your kind words, Hinata. As I was saying, the agency has been searching for someone with your appearance for weeks now. Do you sing at all? Dance?" I nodded quickly without really thinking. I've never really tried dancing other than ballroom-style for dinner parties and such, but I do sing in the shower and to myself while I played piano pretty often. He let out a small laugh of relief, "That's wonderful! Would you be interested in auditioning for me and a panel of other members of the agency?" I nodded just as quickly as before, wondering only for a moment if my eagerness was coming off as annoying. He pulled out his wallet and lay more than enough money for both of our bills on the table before pulling out a business card for his agency and pen. As he's writing some info on the back of the card, he spoke to me with that brilliant smile still on his lips, "Wonderful. It's settled then. I'll see you tomorrow at noon. Don't be late!"
He handed the card to me before I can reply and gets to his feet. His words finally registered and I shot to my feet, "W-Wait! Noon? I have s-s-school tomorrow though." He paused and looked back at me with a daring smirk, "If you want it that badly, you'll be there." With his final words, he bowed politely to me and the waitress that had been ogling him since he'd entered and was gone. I sat back down and stared at the fancy business card he'd left for me. He'd written my first and last name on the card, despite me only giving him my first name. So he knew who I was, then? Was he only interested in recruiting me because of my family name? Also, I'd have to skip school tomorrow in order to make it to this audition. The agency's location was clear on the other side of town and took nearly two hours to get to when you take traffic into consideration for that time of day. It wouldn't be an issue physically getting there and skipping school because my whole family was gone by the time I leave for school, it's just the possible repercussions of my actions that had me worried.
What if I didn't make it despite Kakashi's interest and I'd have skipped school for nothing? The waitress came over and pretended to wipe a non-existent sticky spot on the table in order to get a peek at the small card in my hands. I gave her a brief knowing look before rising to my feet and bowing respectfully to her before leaving. I haden't taken a single sip of my coffee, but I knew for a fact that I'd be going to that audition tomorrow whether my family approved or not.
Screw being just a secretary. I wanted to do something that makes me happy.