His Fame, Her Self
Genre: Drama/Romance
Summary-Rima Touya is a lower class girl with a scholarship in a rich elite high school called Knight Academy, filled with rich kids, who hate her! She just wants to finish her schoolwork to graduate high school and become an artist! Unfortunately, Senri Shiki, the most popular boy in the elite academy of snobby rich kids and the known world that has his face on a magazine cover, is interested in the outcast Rima Touya and kinda stalking her...for some reason. Could it be her oversized clothing attire, or her messy hair, or her thickly framed goggles? As she tries to be distant with Senri Shiki, her family and friends push her toward him. Could something start? Or just make the Touya female hate the rich society even more?
Thanks to the reviewers: Devilchild93, hellopanda23, kAtie-lUves-mcr, kawaii-hime-sama, georgisakura, SQ, sangoyasha, shikixxrima, xXvampiredumgumXx, kaYeYe, ChainedHs2rt, Winter Ink, and all my readers as well!
I appreciate your patience, and I hope you love chapter 5! Please don't forget to review!
It was a nice and peaceful Friday afternoon. On/Off blared in my ears as I was vacuuming the living room's carpet of its dirt and dust bunnies. I sighed shutting off the cleaning machine; I hated cleaning days. Umeki always says he will come by to help Masaru and I, only to come the next day when we are done and come up with a bad excuse to apologize to us.
,"Rima!" I jerked my head and saw Masaru standing by the stairs in his faded bargain jeans we were able to afford contrast to the ones he was modeling about a week ago. The sound of name made my hands pull off the buds out of my ears and focus on my young brother's emerald eyes, "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be at Kokoro?"
,"I don't have work today, and I have to clean so we won't be up to our heads in garbage." I walked over to my brother and playfully tangled his reddish-brown hair. Dragging my hand back I noticed how nicely dressed he was from the polished shine of the shoes to him attempting to arrange his hair in the previous manner before I tangled it, "Going somewhere?"
,"There's this movie I've been offered a role in and I was going to surprise the director by accepting his offer personally." He was slightly frustrated by how he couldn't maintain his naturally wild hair.
I smiled, "Here, let me help." I went into the oak drawer, which hid an army of bunnies that I victoriously defeated, and pulled out a comb that Umeki hasn't used ever since he bought it from the pretty saleswoman two years ago. Walking to my still frustrated brother, I pulled his arms down and brushed his hair with care and patience, He soon stopped his fidgeting, as I began spreading the comb across his red-caramel scalp with a gentle force.
,"Like Mom…" I pulled the comb away from his reddish-brown roots.
"You are like Mom. The way she used to brush or comb my hair; she always did it very softly so I won't whine and still manage to get my tangles out…" I heard the sadness in his voice. I continued to comb his hair for a few minutes before it was completely tangle-free.
Marveling at my work, I looked at my brother's head for a while longer. I grinned, "Hey! You're getting taller!" I hit his shoulder and jokingly said, "Soon I won't be able to call you my little brother!"
He looked over his shoulder to see me, and gently smiled. I smiled back at him; he was always worried about others when he shouldn't be. He should be concerned of his well being instead of …me…Dad…or…Mom…. But I guess that's what sets my brother apart and who he really is.
,"You can go, but come back before eight, okay?" He nodded.
BEEP!
I walked into the kitchen, pulling out the newly dried silverware from the dishwasher and gently placed them on the cupboard shelves, so they won't be scratched or chipped. I placed a few champagne glasses, which ironically only held orange juice, water, and soda, on the shelves. A few colorful plates and bowls were put in order stacks before being within the dishware filled cupboard. The eating utensils shined like diamonds that everyone had in Knight Academy excluding me; I placed them in each of their individual cups that held the names: Spoon, Fork, and Knife.
Closing the machine shut, I walked back into the living room to finish cleaning. I dusted the family portraits that hung on the walls along with a few personal painting I did on my own.
I swept and polished the hardwood floor, which were a few shades lighter than the actual bark it was cut from; I mimicked the 'wax on, and wax off ' from a movie I enjoyed watching with Masaru on a boring Saturday evening. My knees were aching when I attempted to stand up, only to be on the glistening floor a few more minutes before having the strength to stand properly.
I looked at the time through my music player: fifteen minutes past five. I sighed, completely exhausted. The faded color of my favorite armchair was suddenly so inviting as I slumped down in it. My eyelids gently folded, so I could see nothing but darkness.
DING-DONG!
I groaned in agony, "Masaru!" I sighed. That's right! He's not here…how stupid am I? I lingered in the chair until a rhythm of feet coming down the stair made my eyes shoot out through the lens of my frames, "Masaru?! I thought you were gone!" my brother stood less than twelve inches in front of the door, wearing his jeans, a pair of slightly dirty sneakers, and a white t-shirt which had his favorite band.
,"The director called me on my cell phone after you went into the kitchen. He was already on a business trip to Italy, and he won't be back until Thursday." He spoke with such tranquility; I thought I lost my thirteen-year-old brother for a thirty-year-old. He pulled the handle of the door, and smiled at the sight of the visitor, "Hey Shiki!"
I jumped out of my skin at the sound of his name, rose from my comfortable seat and walked to the door. I moved my brother, gently setting him aside; Shiki's grin became wider at my appearance, "What are you doing here?"
,"I was just in the neighborhood…" He wore an intricate jacket that you can only get during Fashion Week…in Paris. His hands were in his pockets, and appeared to be personally made by one of those unpronounceable fashion designers.
My eyebrow quirked at his statement, "In the neighborhood? You don't even live within twenty miles radius from Kokoro, let alone, my house." I gently lowered my voice, "Could you please leave? It's Friday, and my day off." I tried to close the door, but his arm shot straight toward it, stopping me from closing it in his face,
,"Please, I-"
,"Rima!" I looked over the model's shoulder, as Shiki turned around.
He was a tall man in a dark blue business sit, carrying a black and brown suitcase in both of his hands. His brown hair was going around in every direction, emerald eyes that were weary but stayed aware, and his five o'clock shadow was visible to the human eye despite being a distance away, "Who is this person, Rima?"
His voice was soft but with a hint of curiosity and concern as well as a bit of anger. How I have longed to hear such a voice? I breathed in, placed my hands in front of me, and gently bowed, "A classmate of mine. Welcome home, Father!" I gently nudged Masaru to do the same as I, and he bowed as quickly as I did; a little while after he understood what I meant.
,"Father?" I looked up to see a confused Shiki staring at my father. He must be surprised that I would be so formal with my father, and how he has never know one fact about my family.
,"A friend of yours?" He took slow steps up the walkway.
I was very anxious, "Y-Yes, Father. I have been transferred to Knight Academy and have given a full scholarship, not to long ago. How was your business trip, Father?"
His tired face appeared youthful as he lightly grinned, "Knight Academy? I am proud of you, Daughter." I bowed once again, "My trip has been very troublesome, Daughter. Not to worry, a day's rest will rejuvenate me. Who is this young gentleman?" He was already on the porch, staring at the model that had 'dropped in'.
,"My name is Senri Shiki, sir." He held his hand out, and my father shook in an impatient manner, "I just came over so Rima could help me with my art."
,"Shiki?" He scratched his chin, trying to recall the name, until it rang a bell in his head, "Ah!…Yes, the Shiki family; a wealthy ancestry of both fortune, fame, and blood. I'm glad to have met the heir of the Shiki family name, who also happens to be my daughter's classmate." He began pondering on another word, "Art? My daughter teaching you art?"
A breeze released the creases of my Father's suit, and organized his messy name of brown tresses that were similar to Masaru's;"I think it would be better, if you continue this conversation inside, Father." I bowed once more.
He agreed, "Yes, it's getting awfully chilly so early in the middle of spring. Come inside, Mister Shiki! There's no need to stand on the porch, trying to catch a cold. Please, have dinner with us." I moved to door to open it further; I caught the arrogant model smirk at me as he passed by, and I bowed to my Father as he passed Masaru and I.
Dropping in the neighborhood, and being invited to dinner; Hell decided to make a personal appearance for me.
,"Here's some green tea, Father." I tipped the cheap imitation of a porcelain teapot into the cheap imitation of a teacup. "Careful; it's hot, Father." With a steady hand, I handed the steaming cup of jaded tea to my Father's large weary fingers, "Anything else Father?
,"Is there anything you would like Mister Shiki?" My father sipped the white cup with as much grace as a sagely monarch. I flinched at the possible sudden request that the brown-haired heir was going to suggest.
,"Oh, I would like a glass of water. Thank you." I forced a smile on my lips, and bowed to both my Father and the mansion resident not within a perimeter near my house.
I turned around and entered the kitchen, and grabbed the pitcher of water from the refrigerator. I slammed it on the wooden table, making some water spill on the table surface as well as shaking it.
,"Well, hello there! Good to see you too, Rima!" Masaru's sarcastic tone made me wish I hadn't taught him that. He sat at the table, which had stop shaking a few minutes ago, with a cup of milk that miraculously didn't spill and a chocolate cookie with a frosting in the middle, he took a bite out of it.
I grabbed a glass cup, and poured the water into it, "You think I enjoy him stalking me everywhere, Masaru? Barging into my house, unannounced?"
,"I know you don't…" My brother dipped and chewed nonchalantly with his cookie into the glass of milk, "But he doesn't seem to mind stalking you." He didn't stop himself from gently laughing and painting a smile on his mouth as I glared at him through my dark frames. Masaru didn't really mind the presence of the Shiki model. I think Masaru thought of him as more than the upper classmate who was stalking his older sister.
With a clean, white rag, I wiped the spilled water in a quick circular motion. I sighed, "Masaru, can you go into the room and tell Father and our guest that dinner will be ready in a few minutes?"
He nodded; biting the last bit of cookie and gulped his milk. He placed his cup in the sink, but stayed there instead of walking to the living room. I looked up at my brother, "Rima, why hasn't Dad been around here, lately?"
I threw the soaked rag across the table and sighed, "Father has been very busy Masaru…We should talk about this later."
I moved to the oven, opening it, and examining the roasting chicken. I placed my oven mitts on as my brother finally went into the living room. With my oven mitts I pulled the glistening chicken and placed it on top of the stove. Pulling my hands out of the blue quilted oven mitts, I pulled hard on the mitt to release my right hand and ended up forcing it to touch the metal ware holding the tender bird.
I flinched at the heated contact, and quickly pulled my hand away, "Ow!" I whispered to myself, holding my hand gingerly as I blew at the back of my stinging hand. I ignored the pain, placing the oven mitts back on my hands, and grabbed the chicken, taking it into the dining room.
Everyone sat the dinning table, the very table that had been empty last year. Placing the golden-brown chicken in the middle of the table, I put the guest's cup of water beside his plate, "Sorry to have kept you waiting. I'll be back with the rest of the dinner." My forced smile didn't seem to past the famous Shiki model as I went to and fro to get a bowl of salad, a pitcher of drinks, and a few loafs of crescents.
,"Sit down Daughter." My Father spoke gently as I was about to hurry back into the kitchen, "There's no need to get the desert, I'm sure it will be as good as you made; it won't change it's flavor went it's just sitting on the counter.
I hesitated until I finally bowed to the man who stood at the head of the table, "Yes, Father."
A spray of orange juice exerted from her pursed lips. Sachiko leaned against the counter I was in charge of. It was a very slow Monday afternoon, and I was working at Kokoro with Sachiko spitting her juice near me, and Kazou eating a Ding-Dong.
,"WHAT?!" Sachiko's face was a few shades lighter than her natural skin color, and her eyes were the size of frying pans. I told her my Father came home, and invited the Shiki model for dinner.
I placed my injured hand, unbeknownst to Sachiko or Kazou, on the counter as it supported my chin. I didn't realized how stunned Sachiko was until her drop of juice cured down her lip. My hand pointed to the side of my lip, "You have something right there, Sachiko."
She quickly wiped it away with her sleeve, and stared at me with a sparkle in her cinnamon eyes, "Senri Shiki was at your house! I can't believe it! And you had a date with him! Why didn't you tell me?!" Her face gently scrunched together like she just bit into a sour candy she was hoping to be chewy.
I saw in no point in shutting her up, when there was no customers in the store. Sighing I looked at her through my lens, "Because of the reaction you are currently having and because of the way you sometimes blurt thing out. Last thing I want is to wake up in the middle of the night with a deranged fan girl hovering over me wearing a ski mask and holding a butcher knife over my head." I had to admit, I found the Shiki model's intentions to stalking me, and, in Sachiko;s word's 'become so intrigued' with me. I don't know if his is trying to mess around me to go into the nearest crazzy shack or if I'm his charity work so he could get some good publicity. Whatever his intentions were, they were just as cryptic, puzzling, and eyebrow-raising as trying to get out of an intricately complex labriyth with no exit.
,"Then don't tell her stuff like this!" I angrily glanced at owner of the voice, as he stuffed his mouth with the Ding-Dong.
,"You don't really have a say in this, Kazou. You set me up on that date." Sachiko's mouth was by now on the floor of Kokoro, and seemed to be completely absorbed with whatever idea was floating around in her pretty head of lengthy brown tresses.
,"It's almost like one of my afternoon soaps I watch. Except this is a way better story line; Kazou being the matchmaker, me as the wise friend, Shiki as the prince, and Rima as Cinderella!" She drifted to her soap opera fantasy: something beyond where reality cannot get her back.
I stood up straight, "Sachiko, I'm only going to say this once and please burn it deep in your mind; I don't want Senri Shiki! The Abominable Snowman can have him!"
She was extremely persistent that her fantast bubble was not about to pop even if Kokoro was on fire, "Or, maybe it's a romance that will gradually bloom between the different socially classed lovers?" She was deeply dreaming, and far away to bring back to Earth; she swirled around in a circle on her toes.
,"It's useless to try and pin me to a Hollywood movie script that was probably plagiarized from a children's fairytale book. He is probably surprised that he has met someone in the entire school who can't buy their way to get good grades."
Twirling around a few more times, I cursed at those ballet lessons she took when she was five. She talking while twirling, "I'm starting to like this story, and trying to deny the strings of fate within this story plot won't stop me from looking forward to the future relationships." Her grin twirled along with her body, glided into an elegant stop as her curled strands landed on her shoulders. Kazou lifted a lined notebook paper that had a perfect ten that was written with a ballpoint pen and I clapped at the ballet that can break any dance professor's heart in Julliard.
,"Now Miss Sachiko, will you please trash away the fantasy of this 'future relationship' between the highly rich Shiki model and the low-class me?" She seemed to ignore my request, because she didn't return a witty reply, and instead decided to spin once again. She spun around the empty store, with her work uniform and white sneakers; carefully avoiding the clothing racks and having the ability to create her own choreography and memorizing it within the limited time of ten minutes.
The private performance of my ballet-learned best friend distracted me from the pouring rain hitting the clear windows of Kokoro.
Sorry it took so long to write and how short the chapter is!
I kinda went through a depressing stage for two to three weeks! I accidentally left my sketchbook at school, and during my Spring Break I found out that whoever found my sketchbook, stole more than ten pages worth of my drawings! One of them being a present for my sister's birthday, which I was unable to give to her!
Sorry if I seemed to be out of touch from updating, but I was really depressing during the entire month of April, and I couldn't even move my hand to draw, write, or even type, without trying not to cry hysterically!
I actually collapsed on the floor once I realized almost my entire book had been ripped!
Anyways, I hope you like the new chapter! What do you think? Like it? Love it? Dropping into the neighborhood? What about Rima's dad? The dinner? And the Kokoro conversation?
Have a good weekend! I live in Los Angeles, so the time zone is kinda different.
