AN: Yes, that chapter was confusing, but I'll be here if you need any answers answered about Chapter 9 and 10.
1. Does Keiko love Ryo? Yes (Chapter 9, part between Chihiro, Keiko, and Ryo)
2. Does Ryo love Keiko? Yes (Chapter 9, last 2 paragraphs)
I'll make this extra long because I'm not going to be here for 3 weeks…and then after 2 weeks I'll be gone again…and after 3 weeks I'll be back, but school will start after a week…--;;;;; Sorry! This chapter is a bit messed-up but I had this finished in a rush since I wanted to get it out before I left.
.: .The Lost Princess.: .
CHAPTER TEN--'A SURPRISE PRESENTOR'
by: Cecile Li
Recap.
Ryo got off the huge ugly public bus and started walking in the direction of his house.
He stared forward listlessly, eyes with no emotion whatsoever. "You see, Ryo?" He whispered perilously, a strange smile twisting at the edge of his mouth. "I can do anything with you. I'll hurt Keiko even more if you resist." He stepped onto his walkway, then stopped, smiling maliciously. "No matter what you do, you'll never defeat the greatest of the Shadow Demons."
And inside, the real Ryo started giving up hope.
....
Sitting in her seat sullenly, Chihiro felt a little put out. Besides Keiko not being here today and Ryo deciding to walk her to school again, Naoko and her group of bubble-brained airheads tried to taunt her today. She just hoped the class would start soon.
....
Ryo talked to his classmate animatedly, putting up a façade in front of Chihiro. Today he walked her to school today, sensing her reserved mood. Perhaps, she wasn't thrilled with her engagement. No, this wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all. It was time for more action.
....
"Hello, class!" Ms. Kiyotaka announced perkily, leading a young woman into the room. "Today we will have a surprise presenter on the art of candle-making!" Smiling brightly at her already bored students, she pushed the other woman in front of her. "This is Ms. Kizuka."
Clear blue eyes flashed at the class, particularly at Chihiro. "Good morning."
....
Ryo's brilliant green eyes revolted at the sight of the presenter. Sora Kizuka?! If she was a human, I'd eat his urn! It must be one of those meddlesome do-gooders of Yubaba.
....
Sora?! No, no, no. They couldn't have came. What happened to the rule that no magical beings were allowed in the Human World? Then again, how was Haku in his river? Oh, this was just too confusing! Why was Sora here? To take her back? Too bad. She'd marry Ryo before she went back!
....
Sora saw the shock in Chihiro's face, unwilling to accept it. Hearing a student open the door, she saw a girl walk through. Vivid blue eyes looked up at her, perplexed. Sora felt the color drain out of her face.
No, it couldn't be. Could it?
....
Keiko walked through the door quietly, hoping to draw as little attention as possible. Slipping into her seat behind Chihiro, she asked softly her what happened. Chihiro was too intent on staring at the strange woman in front to answer her. Peering curiously at the woman, Keiko found that the woman was staring at her too!
Astonished, she fell back in her seat, covering her blushing face with a book. Finally turning back to answer her, Chihiro whispered frantically, "Sor- I mean, Ms. Kizuka. She's a surprise presenter. Candle-making." Keiko nodded, glancing around. Stopping her eyes on Ryo, she noticed he too was staring rather persistently at Ms. Kizuka too. Huffing quietly, she wondered what was wrong with them. It wasn't like Ms. Kizuka was an alien who randomly popped up from another world in search of someone.
....
"Ms. Kizuka?" Chihiro implored politely, "May I speak with you privately? I er… need consulting on my candle."
Sora smiled, equally polite. "Of course. And what was your name again?"
"Chihiro." Stop faking already. I know you're Sora.
"Oh right! Well, Chihiro, come with me to the backroom." Sora smiled even more graciously, indicating her to follow her to the backroom.
Chihiro dutifully followed, bottled up rage almost spilling out.
Sora got to the point immediately, as soon as the door closed in the musty room. "We found out who the Kanna's fiancé is. It's Haku."
Chihiro stopped short, her face paling. "It's Haku?" Her eyes grew wide and alarmed. How could it be? Haku loved her, not some princess! Now she started regretting leaving the Spirit World.
Sora nodded, moving on to the next question. "Chihiro, do you know anything about that girl who sits behind you?"
Chihiro blinked, taken aback. "Uh, yes. She's Keiko. What about her?"
Sora watched her carefully. "She looks like Princess Kanna."
Chihiro went dead white, swaying on her feet. Did…did that mean what she thought Sora meant? Could Keiko be Princess Kanna?
....
Keiko had been acting weird at school, acting a bit frosty to her. At the end of the day, Chihiro had almost been in tears, still stressed about the whole Princess Kanna problem. Ever since her best friend Kaoru moved away, she and Keiko became surprisingly close, sharing many magical afternoons together, laughing over anything Keiko came up with. Maybe Keiko was sick. She should go over to her house and see if Keiko was okay.
....
Keiko lay on her bed, curled into a ball. Her long black hair was draped over the startling shiny white of the comforter, creating the effect of dragging dark shadows. Uncontrollable tears fell from her cobalt eyes, plopping onto the cover. Abnormal wet drops covered the bed sheet nearest to her.
He loves Chihiro. All this time he's loved Chihiro, not me. Oh how could I have fallen for it?
This was what she got for waiting. Waiting for the impossible. Waiting for Ryo.
Keiko planned her life adjacent to Ryo's, carefully studying enough to be able to be accepted into the same college as Ryo, molding her look into something Ryo would want, and placing the proper hints at the right time. Yes, it was pitifully pathetic, but what else could she do? She had fallen for with him years ago when she had first met him in a family/friends dinner. Their parents were close friends and often met with each other in parties, theirs or others. They met at such places at least every month, joking and laughing with each other. Still, she was never sure of their relationship with each other. He never said so, but she knew so. She was never to speak about being together at school, much less about his kissing her.
She had gotten what she wanted a week ago. Or so she thought she did.
Flashback
They were sitting together in front of the lake-house, looking at the lake. Keiko was nervous, undoubtedly, sweating. Sneaking a glance at Ryo, Keiko noticed he looked cool and calm, like always.
"Keiko." He said suddenly, his hand squeezing hers. She turned to look at him.
A plain white baseball cap, his eyes undistinguishable by the shadow of his hat, covered his wet hair. His face was void of emotion, at least none that she could tell. His jaw was locked, as if he was trying to stop himself from talking. Darkness was spread all over his blue polo; eerie shadows splattered all over his khakis.
"Keiko." He said again, almost desperately.
Keiko immediately felt panic wash over her. "Ryo! Ryo, what's wrong?" She got up hurriedly, and kneeled in front of him. "Ryo?"
He laughed unexpectedly, a shuddering laugh. "I'm alright."
She stared up at him, staring into the dark abysses that were his eyes. "Ryo…" He had always been like this, secretive and mysterious. She always felt as if she only knew half of him and the other half would always be concealed. Keiko held his hand carefully, folding her hands over it. Oh, God she loved him so much.
"Ever since Koji died," He started casually, as if they were just talking about the weather, "I've had a sense of my own mortality. Remember Koji?"
Of course she remembered him. Who would forget the senseless poet?
Koji was handsome, oh yes he was. He had boyish good looks, paralyzing the new girls with his dazzling and oh-so-beautiful smile. But he was unbelievably reckless.
He spent hours writing beautiful and dark poems outside every time there was a thunderstorm, hoping to be stuck by lightning. He crossed the street when it was red light. He drove dangerously, earning himself several speeding tickets. Within 2 months after he had gotten his driver's license, it was suspended because of all the tickets. He experimented with drugs, mixing them together. It was as if he was looking for death, but could never find It.
One day, he was walking home and crossed the street during a green light and got hit by a car. Keiko never liked him much, even him being Ryo's closest friend, but she went to the hospital anyway. He died the next day, but before he left he told Ryo something. Something that Ryo refused to tell her.
"Yes. I remember him." Keiko replied slowly, looking down at her hands.
"He told me that I would be better off dead like him instead of enduring what would come up in my life."
She felt a chill going down her spine, shaking her coldly. "No. No!" She heard herself say, "You won't listen to him, will you Ryo?"
He laughed again, a bitter and mocking laugh. "I'd be a fool to listen to him, Keiko, because I have something to tell you."
She could barely breathe. "Ryo?" Could…could it be? Could the impossible truly come true? Could he actually-
"I love you Keiko."
She stopped breathing, her whole delicate frame trembling. Lifting a shaking hand up, she reached up and removed his baseball cap.
His beautiful eyes were overflowing with tears, streaks of tears marring his handsome face. All the emotion in his eyes made up for whatever his face lacked. A battle of emotions was raging in his eyes, that much was apparent. Uncertainty, anguish, affection, passion, they were all there.
Her bottom lip quivering, she kissed him softly, whispering to him so only he could hear, "I love you too."
As all doubt left his face and he picked her up, swirling her around. Laughing joyously, he kissed her gently. "I love you, Keiko!"
Keiko squealed in delight. "I love you, Ryo!" Both collapsed onto the damp grass, wet but happy.
From the lake house, the pair of parents watched amusedly.
"…it's about time, I was beginning to think Ryo was gay…"
"….it's not Ryo-pumpkin's fault…"
"…how adorably sweet…"
"…when's the wedding?…"
End Flashback
How could this happen to her? How could they punish her so cruelly?
Keiko sat up, tears dripping down her face. Her eyes were no longer lost and forlorn, but shined with an uncanny light.
This was it. She couldn't take it anymore. She put up with Ryo and Naoko, put up with his fleeting glances at Chihiro, put up with his dozen else romances before, she had put up with everything. Was this all she would get? Bridesmaid at Chihiro and Ryo's wedding, godmother to their lovely children? If this was it…she couldn't imagine living.
She'd show them. She'd show them all just how much Ryo broke her heart. She'd show them alright.
Eyeing the razor in the pencil jar on her bookshelf, she grabbed it and aligned it with her wrist. Fighting the nervous fluttering inside her, she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed it down on her skin.
....
Chihiro waited impatiently in the foyer of Keiko's enormous house. A butler went to call a maid and the maid went to call the head butler and finally, Keiko's mother appeared. As usual, Chihiro could smell her before she could see. A heavy cloud of expensive perfume trailed behind and in front of her, announcing her arrival. Clad in a classy and clearly high-priced suit, her hands waved irritably at a random maid, her long blood-red fingernails resembling Naoko's. If you glanced closer, you'd notice her comely, and seemingly ageless face was not authentic, but actually the work of a plastic surgeon. Styled hair surrounded her face, giving her the desired effect of a 25-year-old.
"Well, hello, homey! What are you doing here?" Keiko's mother greeted warmly, trying, and failing to speak like a teen.
Chihiro smiled even wider, attempting not to laugh. Someone had spent too much time on teenlingo.net. "I just came to see Keiko. Do you know where she is?"
"Keiko?" For a second, Keiko's mother looked confused, then her face cleared up, "Oh right! I think she's in her room."
Heading up the regal oak stairs, Chihiro called back her thanks. Pausing outside Keiko's mahogany door, she decided to surprise Keiko. Pushing open the heavy door, she leaped in, yelling SURPRISE!
But the one who ended up surprised was her.
....
AN: So this is the so called longer chapter…sorry, it was going to be longer, but I still have to finish packing and it's already 8:45…basically, I'm screwed. I hope you had fun reading this!
Hopefully, the next chapter will focus on the return to the Spirit World and Haku.
Sorry I couldn't do the reviews this chapter, I'll do it next chapter I promise!!
And the best review goes to….
Lady Zymergy!
Thanks for all the coffee support!