I was in a hurry when I typed this one, so expect some errors. Mankin characters are not mine, and would never be mine... Read on...

I just invented Kyle... Got it? :)

Entrapment

Chapter 1: Rendezvous: Him Again

Pirika sleepily stood to greet the professor, a bald man, in his late fifties. After twitching his mouth to reveal a rather toothless jaw that was supposed to be called a smile (Halloween is still months away, right?), he instructed all of them to sit down. All her classmates started to grin. Professor Tomo then started his weird speech. After listening to a word or two, she gave up giving him her full attention. It was all about the dos and don'ts, and frankly, she could have summarized all that was needed to be said in just one sentence: when doing something stupid, make it triple sure that you'll not get caught, for the punishments are severe and unbearable. She instead turned to Jeanne, her bestfriend, and saw her hanging to every word the professor said. How could she do that, she wondered. All her classmates, she included, have been trying not to close their eyes, fighting to stay awake, and here was Jeanne, alert, and listening attentively... Never mind. Pirika was bored and sleepy, and the dull voice of the professor, making his endless speech, didn't improve her condition; and this was the first day of the term. She couldn't imagine what would the other sessions be like. Pirika just looked around, and for the first time, noticed that the seat next to her was vacant. So that means, Kyle was gone, the guy who gave her the worst headache the past few years.

She could still remember how she met him. It was the first day of classes, merely four years ago. Pirika was walking hurriedly, for she was late in her classes, when he stumbled on Kyle. The moment he saw her, he fell down on his knees, took a rose on his coat, and claimed that she was the most beautiful creature he ever laid eyes on and he was in love with her, a love at first sight, he claimed. Pirika was shocked; she just stood before him, too stunned to say something. Within a week, the whole campus knew that Kyle was courting Pirika. Within a month, she received hundreds of long- stemmed, velvety roses. Each morning she got one on her doorstep, one on her seat, and another one on her locker. On the way home, Kyle would give her another, and one rose would still be waiting for her once she got home. She received five roses a day, which meant, "I love you so much," as Kyle later explained. He sat beside her in every class, escorted her during breaks, and walked her home every afternoon. He would play some mushy tune in his guitar, and people around them would burst into giggles. Pirika could only manage an embarrassed smile. He would call her every evening just to bid her good night. Once in a while, Kyle would ask her out, and oftentimes, she would decline. He would crack a joke just to see her smile when she's not having a good day. He would write poems that would melt every girl's heart. Kyle had always been there for her. Yet, she made it clear that she just wanted to be friends with him. He understood, of course, but still, she was the recipient of the most expensive chocolate, the biggest teddy bear, and the most beautiful long-stemmed rose during Valentine's Day. Everyone knew one fact: Kyle was crazy about Pirika. Still, sometimes, it annoyed her.

Kyle kept on tailing her that she lost her privacy, especially when she wanted to talk to Jeanne, alone. He was persistent, and eager, that she found herself shouting at him one day. She apologized right after. There were people who kept asking her if they were an item or why didn't she give Kyle a chance... A question that still puzzles her...

Kyle was every girl's dream guy. Good looking, smart, a gentleman, considerate... Mention it... He's simply perfect, but he was too perfect for her. She would be unfair, all because... Pirika mentally slapped herself for remembering that incident that happened five years ago. She forced herself to think of something else. She turned to the window beside her, and then sighed. She sort of missed Kyle, and he didn't even bother to tell her that he was going...

The sound of the sliding door opening snapped her out of her reverie. Everyone turned to see who was it. The principal entered, beckoning to Professor Tomo to come outside. Seeing it was just the principal, the class went back to their usual business.

After some minutes, Professor Tomo emerged, grinning. "Class, I wanted to introduce your new classmate. A boy from abroad..."

Pirika smiled. "He couldn't be worse than Kyle, I presume." She caught Jeanne's eye, who returned her smile. Some of her classmates heard her and laughed.

Yet the moment the boy walked in, Pirika knew she was mistaken. She felt herself draw breath, her heart beating faster than usual, and her body tense and rigid. Everything about him was strikingly familiar. The hair, the eyes, the expression, the aura... She knew she recognized him instantly. No, she muttered, she couldn't bear to face the fact that she was seeing the face of the person she avoided, and had been trying to forget for the past five years. She turned abruptly to the girl in front of her, and asked her to pinch her. Maybe this was just a nightmare, and she had to wake up from it as soon as possible. After giving Pirika a confused look, the girl inched her. It hurts, so that means... No, please, no. She would rather take a dozen Kyle than this one. She then started thinking about her past sins that made her deserve this punishment...

"Class," came Professor Tomo's voice, "I want you to meet Tao Ren. He's from China." The girls in front burst into giggles.

Pirika heard herself gasp. She was seeing his face again, and in here, of all time and places. She noticed that five years had changed absolutely nothing about him. Ren Tao still wore an unusual haircut, his hair with the color of sapphire, strands of which fell to his hazel eyes, producing a rare effect. His expression was void of any emotion, save perhaps boredom, and the aura surrounding him confirmed his mysterious and quiet personality. He wore only a plain shirt, and a light-colored denim pants, yet it couldn't be denied the fact that he has a well-built frame, with his broad shoulders and well-formed muscles... Of course, his training, how could she forget? Despite the odd expression on his face, it couldn't be denied the fact that he was incredibly handsome. All the girls noticed that. That thought brought about memories of the past better left buried, and she instinctively knew, after all these years, she still had not forgotten him.

Pirika stared at his hazel eyes, with specks of gold between them. He still had not changed. Why was he here? That probably was the time when Ren noticed her. He stared back at her aqua eyes, his eyes looked surprised. Time seemed to stand still.

I don't know if Ren's eyes were really hazel, and Pirika's, aqua. Correct me, okay? Please give me their birthdays! Thanks... Next chapter? I really don't know.