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 reviewers and readers: shikixxrima, hellopanda23, ScaryKidsScaringKids, kawaii hime-sama, Sadistic Kunoichi-13, georgisakura, kaYeYe, ..Xx, ChainedHs2rt, kAtiE-lUvs-mcr.
Also thanks to my other readers and very one for the support.
Here's Chapter 7! Hope you like it!
,"Why didn't you tell me he was your big brother?" Senri Shiki's voice was getting annoying as he repeated the same question to me for the thousandth time.
After Taro introduced himself to Senri Shiki, they had a good conversation with each other; 'man-to-man'. Senri Shiki suddenly forgot why he was at the beach until he saw me drawing in my sketchbook. Taro left to the house, leaving me with the whining model as he escorted me to his limo.
,"Rima!" I looked up from my daydream state from the tinted window and looked into the annoyed eyes of Senri Shiki, "Why didn't you tell me Taro was your brother?"
,"Did you see yourself? Just by saying his name or 'that boy' you suddenly had a malicious intent toward him. If I told you Taro was my brother, I was afraid you would poison his food or sent an assassin to kill him." I removed my glasses to clean them with a rag, then placed them back on my nose once they were finger print-free, "I don't even know why you suddenly felt angry at my brother."
Truth be told, I couldn't really comprehend why Senri Shiki, famous international rich male model, would suddenly have felt immense rage at my big brother, Taro, a college student in a foreign college-where I have no idea how to speak the language he managed to pick up quickly.
He stood silent for a while until the limo stopped at a red light. He sighed and looked at me, "Do you want to go to our classmate's party next week?"
,"I have work." I lied. It was my day off but I had no intent in spending my weekend at some high-social class party, where I can't even afford the appetizer plates that the waiters and waitresses held with great care.
,"Can't you get out of it? You know pretend to be sick." He eyed me in an unusual way. I didn't know if he was giving me advice or telling me the obvious trick to get out of work.
,"No. Sorry. Taro is going to be here all week and I already promised him to spend the entire weekend with him before he goes back to school." This is true! I had promised him ever since he left our house. Though I knew I had three things to do next Saturday. Avoid Senri Shiki's invited party, spend the day with Taro before he leaves, and do a quick photo shoot for Umeki before he tries to take away Masaru's teenage years away!
,"Alright." His voice sounded as sullen as the time when I told about my the events that occurred in my family life.
The limo stopped at my house once again, "Thanks for the ride, Shiki…Sorry, I can't make it to the party."
On this partly cloudy Tuesday, I read my book as I waited for my Mister Otani to enter the Physics class as I was yearning to learn something new.
I heard a rhythmical tap on my desk and looked up from my book to see a manicured French tip nail on my desk. I looked up to see the owner of the nail to be Minako, who flipped her long black hair over her shoulder. I instinctively felt cautious and stiff as I glanced at her striking emerald eyes and her posse of beauty queens through my dark framed lens.
,"So, do you want to go to a party on Saturday?" She leaned on the desk in front of me, holding a white envelope in front of my face.
I was completely confused as I quickly doggy eared the page I was on, "I'm sorry. I don't understand."
,"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. That was kind of our initiation to let the new kids develop a sort of…instinctive sense." What a bogus liar she was! I already knew she was lying before she opened her mouth, "The girls and I weren't trying to be mean to you, we just wanted to see how your reaction might be and how strong you were!" She emphasized 'strong' some-what like a sarcastic manner.
Though I disliked her and her Neanderthal fashion-ista robots, I wasn't really the kind of person to tell off someone who was bulling me ever since I started school. Actually no one has ever bullied me until now, "I appreciate the invitation but I'm very busy on that day."
,"Please come to the party!" I was surprised as she held my hand once I was about to decline again, "We would feel at ease if you accept it as our apology for hurting you so cruelly! We will not rest until you come to my party!"
,"What's the party for?"
,"My parents are going out of the country and they said I could have a party once they left!" She spoke so arrogantly that I forgot her name meant 'beautiful child' and that she was nothing but a spoiled brat. She stopped showing her pride and automatically squeezed my hand and looked at me with her emerald eyes, "So will you come?"
,"Well…" I could right off the bat that it was nothing but false remorse and if anything they were planning on a murder for me since I 'stole' 'their' Senri Shiki, but I didn't want them following me everywhere. Unlike Senri Shiki, if they were stalking me they would be able to go to the girls' room, "I'll think about it."
,"You actually accepted her invitation!" Sachiko was so surprised she dropped the boxes of new merchandise she was carrying to the front desk.
I picked up the fallen cardboard boxes and placed them in a meat pile on the desk, "I didn't actually accepted it. I just told her I would think about it. Why? Was that a bad thing to say?"
,"For girls like her, who torture others for their pleasure, it means a definite yes." Sachiko was frantic. I've never seen her sad, but I've seen her nervous system go haywire if she just had to do something as little as changing the sign of the store. She looked around the store to be no one was listening to our conversation, "Does she have an R.S.V.P so you can cancel on her? Or at least an email address so you can reject her invitation?"
,"What's wrong with you?" I went to the window and changed the clothes of the skinny, white mannequins at the windows, "Aren't you the one encouraging me to be more open to others beside you and Kazou? I thought you would have wanted me to go to that five star party."
,"I would if I didn't know Minako Tamazaki." For the first time since I met Sachiko, I've never heard her say someone's names with distaste as though it was expired food, "The last time she came to Kokoro she asked for you and when I told her if was your day off she said she would expect a low-class citizen like yourself would work twenty-four/seven considering your income status." She slammed the new fashion magazines against the glass counter that I feared the wrath of Sachiko would have cracked the surface.
,"Just ignore it, Sachiko. It works…" I placed a scarf on the mannequin's long neck, and replaced her blue tank top with a white tunic and yellow belt.
Sachiko ignored me as she organized the magazines on the rack, "She was just lucky Kazou was here or I would have pounced on her over this counter! She was saying more trash about you, but I better not say it or I'd end up destroying Kokoro and getting fired."
I rolled my eyes I would dare to imagine sweet, bubbly Sachiko would go on a monster rampage but then again she did have a secret temper within her kind demeanor, "Don't let Minako get to you Sachiko. That will just give her the satisfaction."
She sighed heavily and finally moved to where I was, helping me put on the new clothes on the white tall mannequins we could never compare to in materialistic beauty, "She might have been right in all the smack about you: you and your father are trying to support the family, you work as hard as anyone our age could get a nervous breakdown for even attempting to do the things you do, and the emotional scars that are so deep they will probably never heal, even with time…"
I was about half-annoyed, half-upset, and half-frustrated at Minako's words coming out of Sachiko's mouth and voice but I forced myself not to leave Kokoro for fear of future foreclosure on our house.
,"But she was wrong about two things…." I heard her voice lower down gently and change the hat of her mannequin, putting a floral headband on it's brown wig, "You aren't weak, and you are pretty despite how others think you present yourself." She stopped fixing the inanimate mannequin and looked at me from my profile even though I kept my azure orbs on the white toes of the shoeless mannequin I was fixing.
,"Stop talking about Minako and let's get back to work." I quickly placed a pair of silver flats on the mannequin before turning around toward the boxes on the glass counter.
,"I'm not lying Rima." I turned around my shoulder to see Sachiko walking toward me, "Minako may have money, fame, and beauty but you have the most amazing qualities she can't buy with Daddy's money. No matter how big the check or how many zeros there are, you have something more than the gold and diamond mines can dare to compare."
Her cinnamon colored eyes started to water and she jogged toward me and hugged me. She sobbed on my shoulder, as I patted her long chestnut hair and her back to hush her tears. A while after she soaked my entire right sleeve when I asked her, "Why…are you crying?…Sachiko?……What are you crying for?"
,"Because you are blind to all the talents you hold. And you don't understand how lucky you are and how important you are to us." She sobbed more into my shirt as I patted her back rhythmically; attempting to stop her from crying. Like a mother trying to soothe her infants consistent sobs.
This was the first time, Sachiko cried in front of me, ever since we met.
,"Could you smile a little Rima?" The photographer held the camera firmly on his hand and asked politely, breaking me from my cloud nine of daydreams.
It was Saturday, and I was already at a photo shoot at eight am, I was still worried about Sachiko and whether or not to go to Minako's party.
,"Sorry, Mister Liang Hiratasuka." I bowed toward the photographer. Liang Hiratsuka was a famous photographer of Chinese descent, for the most well known models and actors. I'm actually surprised that he was taking my photos and how Umeki was able to book such a well-acknowledged photographer for modern celebrities and artists.
I moved my body into a different position and gently smiled at the camera, making Mister Hiratasuka smile widely, "That's exactly what I'm looking for, Rima! Where have you hidden such a marvelous face? Not to mention, your remarkable talent in modeling!" After a few flashes of the camera, I decided to sit on the seat on the shoot and held a stuffed bunny rabbit on my lap. His smile was already ear-to-ear, as he clicked a few photos and moved at different angles.
,"Would you mind getting up again, Rima? Show off the dress once more." I did what I was told and placed the plush filled animal on the chair; revealing the clothing I was modeling.
A gothic Lolita attire with mainly black and while ruffles, a black bow on my left hip, a heart –shaped torso with short ruffled sleeves with ankle high boots and a small white hat titled on my orange locks. I looked like I popped out from a vampire manga full of Lolita fashion.
,"Just a couple more photos and you'll be done." I did a few more poses before finishing off with sitting on the chair with my feet positioned almost pigeon-toed, and titling my head to the side, "That was wonderful, Miss Rima Touya! It was great working with you and I hope I can work with you again in the future!"
I bowed, "Thank you!" I shook his hand before he left to review the outcome of my photos. I sighed, taking a seat in the director's seat but being careful about the dress. I grunted at the dress that was on me; it wasn't hideous but having such a lovely dress on such a horrendous sixteen-year-old will make everyone want to rip the page of the advertisement out of every magazine.
,"It doesn't look bad." I turned over my shoulder to see Umeki looking through his PDA; not even looking at me once, "The shoot actually went quicker than I had expected." He finally looked at me, and his azure eyes popped, "And the dress doesn't look bad on you either. You should ask if you could keep it."
,"I don't think so. I can't even afford a piece of the fabric from the ruffles." I rose from my seat and steadily walked away, "I'm going to change back into my clothes."
Walking through a few hallways I noticed a few security guards in front of a door with a big star on it. The door opened to reveal a mane of reddish-brown hair and silver eyes pop out from the door; I quickly moved to the corner and hid. IT WAS SENRI SHIKI!
I was dead-meat. Not only will Senri Shiki know that I work as a model but also Umeki will try to pressure me to do something in order to have a photo shoot with him, if he found out if Shiki was here. I nibbled on my thumb, contemplating on to go to the girls' changing room or to sneak through the unlock window of the girls' changing room.
I heard a group of people down the hall behind me wanting to take photos of Senri Shiki and the majority requesting a private interview with Senri Shiki. I saw a few flashes of some bright light, and a loud noise that almost resembled like an earthquake coming in my direction.
I wasn't able to decide what to do when I felt a force grab by arm and drag me down the hall I had deviated from. A door flew open and closed in a split second, and I was suddenly forced onto a couch.
,"What are you doing here?" I opened my eyes to see the Shiki model hovering over me as sweat curved down his brow. My eye contact moved to the carpet, not wanting to see the position we were in, "Rima, why are you here? What are you doing here? Those journalists could have harassed you, if I wasn't here! What are you wearing?"
,"A Gothic Lolita original, photographed by Liang Hiratasuka." I meekly responded. I attempted to get away from him, only to have him grab my wrist, so I would be able to look at him into his burning silver eyes that told of both anger and concern, "I'm a model, too, okay? Are you happy?"
,"Why didn't you tell me?" His eyes suddenly soften as his face was close to me. I gently pushed away from him as we both stood silent from the passing journalists who were determined to see Senri Shiki. They quickly passed from the door of Senri Shiki's dressing room, so that I would be able to make a small noise without alerting the paparazzi where we were.
,"C-could you…get off of-f me?…Shiki?…Shiki?" He didn't seem to understand until he slowly pulled away from me and got up from the couch. I sat upright once he was off of me, and I smoothed the possible creases of the designer dress I knew I would be unable to repay even if I was a twenty-four hour slave.
He turned his back to me for a minute and looked back at me over his shoulder, "Y-you l-look…uh…r-r-really…pretty. You know…um…in that dress…you're wearing…"His hand scratched the back of his auburn locks, as his silver-blue eyes darted to and fro from me and the carpet beneath his shoes.
I was hesitant in answering and looked down at the dress that clung tightly to my small body, "Thank you…I have to go change now. Thanks for the save."
I headed to the door but Shiki's hand caught my wrist again and with all the force he held within his body, pulled me into his chest. My lungs stopped inhaling oxygen as I tried hiding the rushing blood from coming to my cheeks, "Once you change, do you want to come with me?"
When I didn't answer, his hand rose to my scalp and tucked a piece of orange hair that smudged my vision, under my ear. He released his grip from me and took a couple steps away from me, "I'll wait for you outside."
,"Make yourself at home." The hand of Senri Shiki gently pushed me into the large mansion estate of the Shiki family.
,"I don't mean to be rude, Shiki." He held my arm and led me down an extravagant hallway that had a few chandeliers that were almost as common as wall clocks in my house, "But why did you take me to your house?"
,"Because I've seen your family, and I want you to see mine." I blinked a few times before we stopped at what was his living room.
An intricate carpet was on top of the granite floor, the chandelier was big and brilliant on the ceiling, and the furniture looked as though they were personally made for the Shiki bloodline. The family portraits around the room was almost on every flat surface and wall space, as well a large plasma screen that Father, Masaru, and Taro would wish they had the money to personally get for themselves.
I felt immensely ashamed at my attire that was downright casual compared to the ornate room. My large dark zipper jacket covered my long-sleeved shirt, and my faded jeans seemed ancient compared to the fresh colors of the carpet and my shoes look almost ready to fall apart.
,"Sit here." He escorted me to one of the intricately stitched couches he owned, "I'll go find my Mom."
Once he left a maid came into the room with a tray in her hand and placed a beautifully pottery craftsmanship of a ginori tea set on the table in front of me. She poured the liquid in the teacup in front of me and gently pushed it toward me when I was unsure of taking it.
,"It's white tea, Miss. Please enjoy your drink and your visit at the Shiki manor." She bowed to me and left with the empty tray.
Senri Shiki really is spoiled but doesn't really flaunt his arrogance as Minako or Osamu. Last time Osamu attempted to bring his motorcycle to school to ride around campus, and succeed in not only getting it on school campus with permission but also was able to brag to his friends about the phone numbers he was given from 'almost every girl on campus'; a serious exaggeration!
I sipped my tea, and admired the pottery work of the cup once I took barely an one/hundredth drink from it. I outlined the golden design on the cup with my eyes and gently curved my index finger over the floral design.
,"You seem to admire the craftsmanship of tableware." A soft voice spoke in the large room, it was almost like a low echo.
,"Not really but the tea set is very beautiful that I couldn't bare for it to be unadmired by a visitor. " I placed the tea cup on the small saucer, and looked at the source of the voice. I quickly shot up from where I sat once I closely examined who it was. A tall, pale woman looking no more than twenty, stood at the entrance of the large living room. Her brown hair was long and gently placed on her shoulder, and her cobalt eyes were as calming and mesmerizing as the ocean's shore. Her attire was like that of foreign royalty, where you weren't allowed to look at them in the eyes. I bowed deeply, "I am sorry Ma'am! I would go to another room, if you wish."
A soft chuckle was heard. I looked up from the rug to look at the wonderfully clothed woman laughing gently, with her hand on her chest. She stopped laughing and walked toward me with a sweet smile on her Cupid's bow lips that didn't need the arrow of any lipstick cosmetic to strike the hearts of any human, "Dear, please sit." She laughed a bit before sighing, "You are quite charming, dear. I haven't laugh so much since Senri accidentally interrupted an international dinner by bringing his puppy to the event."
She sat the armchair, across from the couch where I re-sat. Her posture was just as poise as her appearance She poured herself some tea and gently sipped her drink as elegantly as any woman would, "I'm sorry, but what is your name, dear?"
,"I'm Rima Touya, Miss." I bowed my head, and sipped my tea slowly, and placing it back.
,"Such a lovely name. Rima." She let my name become accustomed to her long, sophisticated throat, "My apologizes for frightening you, darling. I didn't expect you to be afraid of me. I mean I'm not that old, am I?"
,"Not at all Ma'am. I was just surprised by your lovely presence. I'm use to being on my own and at times become unaware with my surroundings." I looked at her ocean eyes to have them gently squint, and her hand hide her mouth; trying to make her laughter discreet to me.
,"I'm sorry, darling." She saw the confused look written on my face, "But I have never met someone as modest as you, dear. I've never met someone who has bluntly stated my appearance." She hid a small series of chuckles, "By I mean someone, dear, I meant a young lady as yourself." After her laughing fit was over, she placed her graceful hands on her lap, "Goodness, you are such a lovely child, you are?"
I pushed my and to my spectacles as they were nearly falling, "I hate to argue with my elders, but Ma'am I am no where near lovely as you are."
,"Are you mad child?" Her expression told me of shock while the tone of her voice almost sounded angry, "I'll show you." She rose from her armchair, walked to me, and sat beside me in the neighboring cushion of the couch.
She held my spectacles and pulled them out of my eyes as I shut them for a few minutes before opening them up to see the vibrant visage of the strikingly lovely woman. She moved her long fingers to the back of my head and loosen the scruchie that held up my messy, orange hair and letting it fall on my shoulders.
She placed her palm on my cheek; it was warm, "You are lovely, darling. You just need to make slight adjustments to look twice as beautiful than those who spend millions on worthless beauty secrets." She grabbed a silver brush that was on a small table and gently took out the tangles from my red-yellow mane; I felt a sense of familiarity as Masaru did when I brushed his brown tresses.
,"You don't have to do this." I twiddled my fingers on my lap but the gorgeous woman continued to move the brush across my scalp.
,"I know I don't have to but I want to." She soon took out all the tangles, and ran her nails through my hair with no knots stopping her gentle movements, "You are the rare, natural beauty with much modesty when you glint brightly as the stars the heavens hold and the gold and silver you can never possess but shine twice as luminously." My eyes still lingered on the floor.
,"There you are Mom, I was looking…all…over….for…you." His voice trailed off, making me look up from my previous attention to see Senri Shiki look straight at me with his silver eyes as wide as flying saucers and his mouth slightly agape as though there was no force that would be able to close his lips shut.
I shyly looked away from him, and tucked my soft hair behind my ear.
,"There you are Senri. I was just finished talking with Rima and I will now be on my way." She rose from the couch, politely gave me a farewell and walked toward the stunned Shiki, and I faintly heard her whisper in his ear 'Don't lose her' and patted his shoulder. Even after the elegant mother of Senri Shiki left the room, he still didn't move from where he was.
I breathed, placing my dark spectacles on my nose, "Well…I'll be going." I finally rose from the couch and quickly placed my hair in a messy ponytail, unfortunately ruining my once soft hair. As I was walking to exit out of the extravagant living room, Senri Shiki caught a hold of my arm.
,"Are you going to the party?" I almost jumped out of my skin from him catching his voice after his long pause.
,"Uh…I-I'm not really sure." I tried to slip from him, but he gripped my arm tightly to ensure that my attempts at escaping will be futile. I tried to look at him, but his face was away from my view, "Shiki…I have to go with Taro…" His grip still was firm on my arm and was no looking at me, "If it'll make you feel better, I'll try making it to the party."
His grip finally was released. I looked up at him to see a sort of happy smirk, while stuffing his hands nonchalantly in his jeans, "Okay. See ya later, Rima!" He saluted me with two fingers.
I turned around and briskly walked out of the large mansion of Senri Shiki and his beautiful mother.
Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! I worked real hard on this chapter but it's about 12 pages (one page shorter than the previous chapter) so probably next time when I update it'll be a bit longer!
I should let you know, Rima's dress that she was modeling was actually a description of a dress I randomly found on google, and the famous photographer is clearly fictional.
What'd you think? Cool? Lame? Unexpected? Completely Obvious? The party invitation? Kokoro scene? Photo shoot? House visit? Characters?
It's my birthday! (In LA It's still June 4th!)
