Chapter 13: His Laugh
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?
Thankz to Readers and Reviewers: kawaii hime-sama, Komuro, xXDarknessofDeathXx, ..X, sangoyasha, ChainedHs2rt, OneWhoNeverStopsCrying, eelgirl, Yami Asakura, LiYunKana
I've been working hard on this with small writer's block here and there!
I appreciate the wait and hope you enjoy chapter 13!
,"Kiss me." His words paralyzed me. Heat began to rise, as his face was mere inches close to mine. I quickly diverted my eyes away, "Just one wouldn't hurt. Is it not that the same as Hashimoto requested from you?" My confusion was recognizable as his eyes narrowed with immense anger, "Or did you really wanted to be kissed by Hashimoto in front of an ice cream parlor?"
My eyes glanced back at the silver-orbed model that was partially scowling, "So, you were stalking me even then? I really can't go anywhere with you knowing where I am and who I'm with."
,"He kissed you and you didn't push or move away from him." His eyes were practically saying to me that he was half-enraged, half-worried, and even half-ecstatic, "But…" My heart raced as Shiki moved closer, "He never made you blush like I make you."
,"In your dreams."
His hand caressed my jaw as he lifted it closer to his lips, "Then make my dreams come true."
My initial reaction resulted in me hand 'accidentally' flicking his nose. My hands pushed his shoulders in order to have his weight off me. I felt some resistance until I grabbed his arm and flipped him over my head and made the chestnut-scarlet haired model land on his back against the blacktop.
Pushing myself off the blacktop, my hands quickly brushed against the back of my clothes before I turned to look at the wide, gray-azure eyed, disorderly brown-haired Senri Shiki laying on the free throw line, "Don't try messing with me like that again. Regardless if it's your birthday tomorrow, you should stop acting like money and charm can give you anything and everything in the world, especially a girl. If it makes things less complicated, I dislike you and Hashimoto." He blinked, "I hate to point this out to you, but I hate being caught in the middle of a childish quarrel of family businesses or industries even if it's for something stupid as wanting the attention of me or pride of a family name. And you should realize money can't buy anything, even if you manage to get the attention of someone you, realize you there are no return policies." I sighed angrily, "Besides money isn't worth anything if you didn't earn it. I'm going back to sleep."
,"Wait." Fire ignited in his irises but soon diminished as he glanced between me and other objects around the area, "I-I'm sorry." A sprinkle of maroon appeared across his cheeks. I couldn't help myself from smiling and bursting into laughter, "What's so funny?"
,"Nothing. Just nothing." My laughter lightly died down as I gently grinned at the fallen form of the chestnut-haired model. He appeared so innocent as though he was caught with a hand in the cookie jar and cheeks stuffed in as a chipmunk's before dinner started, "But I think you should get up before lunch starts. Rich guys really like playing their basketball games right when the bell rings."
My torso was angled above his head, allowing my hair to fall past my shoulders as I stared at the confused face of Shiki who still laid on the blacktop surface of the basketball court. His silver-blue eyes stated his complete confusion as though I had given him a three-hour lecture on the meaning of the universe and how unicorns, AP Calculus and art played an important role within the existence of outer space and clothing items. To be honest, he looked like a confused lost puppy rather than a sophisticated and wealthy model as portrayed in the covers of tabloids and fashion magazines. I smiled, turning my lips upwards, but it fell slightly and slowly once I opened my eyes to notice how wide Shiki's eyes became suddenly, "What's wrong? You kind of started going pale right now."
His eyes blinked a couple of times as though he broke away from a deep trance. They returned to their mysterious appearance where I could barely recognize what the aristocrat model was thinking let alone saying. His body pushed off the black cemented ground, "Nothing."
For I moment, I thought he was smirking and winking at me as he stood up. But I guess it was just my imagination.
Arms stretched outward to the plastic bag of sweet candy until a pair of fingers similar to cinnamon sticks yanked it away from my reach. Rolling my eyes, I pulled away my attempts to get the candy and slipped into my front pocket of my jeans as I victoriously retrieved a small bag with a few colorful jellybeans. As delicious as the cherry sticks of candy appeared, they were unfortunately out of my reach.
,"WHAT?"
A sigh came past my lips, "Leave it alone, Sachiko." I glared at the red-dyed locks of a certain teenager whistling a tune as he spun himself on a swivel stool, "Next time I know who not to tell about my day. Kazou. Next time I'll make sure you won't be able to chew any food for the next month." His green eyes gleamed with a small hint of mischief and fear as they twirled around.
The events of earlier this day brought my heart palpating rapidly and hysterically despite my stoic expression. Sachiko's house is usually a calm, mellow place but today Sachiko has decided to monopolize the candy I bought at the grocery store and bombarded me with questions to which I ignored and not respond to. Her house was just a few blocks away from my house and is currently occupied by us since her parents are still working and will be home until a few hours.
,"He asked you to kiss him?" Looking back at the puzzlement and excitement in Sachiko's face created a line or two on her forehead, I noticed the bag of candy was now hovering above her head, apparently to keep it a safe distance from me, "As a birthday present?"
,"Yes, now drop it." I popped a red jellybean in my mouth. Sachiko's brown eyes keep burning a hole on my skin as she held her usual dissatisfied look on her face. To be frank, I felt uncomfortable with Shiki's request-or demand- though being under the interrogation of Sachiko made me wish I never even bothered to come to her house.
My finger molded the new red jellybean between my index finger and thumb until I popped it into my mouth and chewed with satisfaction, "You should have agreed to it." Sachiko's voice made my throat catch the jellybean before I swallowed and started to gag. My gasping for breath had managed to slide the candy down my windpipe easily and made me cough a few times before glaring at Sachiko for almost making me kill myself with my favorite flavor of jellybean.
,"W-what?" I said in-between gasps and chokes, "Are you trying to purposely kill me?" My body returned to normal as I lightly coughed and reached for my carbonated soda drink to ease my frantic system.
The brunette's hand cradled her blemish-free face as it held a tart-like expression as though she was a child who was denied a puppy or pony by their parents, "He obviously likes you, Rima. Why don't you just admit that you like him, too?" As soon as I placed my drink on the table, I reached for my book I had momentarily rested while I consumed pre-packed, industry made goodies.
My sigh was an accurate way of responding my weariness of the topic, "I told you; I don't like him. I accept his presence, which is completely different from liking and caring for him." Fingers slid across the spine of the novel and I quickly flipped to my dog-eared page.
Senri Shiki isn't that bad of a person but I still feel he is still trying to get what he wants by the money to his name and the popularity of his charm and appeal. Though I admit I know a bit more about him than most tabloids or obsessed fan girls, not that I would want to win a competition of who knew more about Senri Shiki.
He likes the color blue, and eating hamburgers and fries with his hands instead of silver dinnerware with extravagant, foreign entrees. He likes going to the beach and riding his motorcycle. He models because it's his personal passion and a combination of his parents' occupation. He loves his mother and cousin but has an estranged relationship with his father. He doesn't like Osamu Hashimoto and apparently Minako Tamazaki. He despises the paparazzi and having interviews with people who are too nosy. He has difficulty in Physics and Art. He can be persistent, stubborn, arrogant, considerate, jealous, angered, flirtatious, overly affection, nervous, worried, blunt, childish, demanding aristocrat. He doesn't really care what people think of or expect from him and he genuinely cares about other people despite how high he is on the social ladder and arrogantly he acts. I've seen the many sides of the brown-reddish haired model that no interviewer or any other person has uncovered.
Why do I even bother to even think about him when he just hangs around with me because I don't want to be even slightly acquainted or good friends? Though my family and friends see him differently from me as I see him as a slight annoyance to which they view him as a form of entertainment and enjoyment. Taro, Masaru, Dad already see him as part of the family as they ask about him almost everyday when I come back from school or my working shift at Kokoro. Sachiko and Kazou already think of him as a brother with no blood relation who commonly seeks the entertainment of pushing my buttons and pushing me closer to the silver eyed male.
Breaking out of my train of thought, I realized I read ten pages straight despite my turbulent subconsciousness. Closing my novel of Jane Austen's most famous work, I stretched my arms back to the candy Sachiko had forgotten to protect from me. Slyly, I slipped the licorice into my mouth and began to chew in delight
,"Rima!" Before the brown sugar hands snatched the bag of candy from me, I managed to grab a small handful of licorice. Her eyebrows furrowed, "Answer my questions." Her lips pouted childishly and her voice whined, " Quit avoiding the subject, Rima. How come you didn't kiss Senri Shiki? Don't you like him? I mean- he's nice, funny, cool and looks like he really like you." My teeth trapped the red twisted candy and lightly chewed it between deep stares of sparkling cinnamon eyes and questioning glances from light forest orbs.
,"I hate repeating myself, Sachiko." I placed another licorice in my mouth; "I'm going home, if you plan to continue interrogating me on my stalker."
A playful grin was painted on her face, "So, you suddenly don't mind that Senri Shiki is your stalker?"
I nearly chocked on another piece of candy, but luckily I swallowed it before she said it, "What was that?" My glare had lightly falter Sachiko's sweet appearing smile as she gently laughed nervously and Kazou's emerald orbs diverted away from my eyes and I noticed how his fingers fidgeted as he suddenly flipped open his cell phone. If looks could kill, I would have already eliminated the town as though a zombie invasion has swept through the area.
My shoulders slumped as I sighed outwardly and tucked my feet under my legs. I stretched my body against the cushion surface of Sachiko's brown living room couch. Fingers massaged my scalp as I placed my hands behind me head. Inhaling, I shifted my body into a comfortable position until I heard the ring tone of my cell phone.
Kazou reached for my backpack and zipped open a pocket on the side. He glanced at the bright screen, "It just says two text messages." Placing the cell phone back in the pocket, he threw my backpack towards me after zipping the pocket. My bag thudded against the carpet surface and I reached over and flipped open my blue mobile to see my text message.
Umeki. That doesn't surprise me. I scrolled down the text message. I imagined him half-excited, half-proud, and half-fan girl as he wrote this:
'Don't be late for today's photo shoot with Senri Shiki! The theme of your shoot will be said at the shoot! It will start in two hours, so get back home soon so the artists can do your makeup and hair once we get there
- Umeki.'
I blew my orange bangs out of my face in annoyance of Umeki's desire to be punctual and prompt before offering to be Senri Shiki's manager and dumping Masaru and me for the wealthy model. I glanced at the next text message in my inbox and realized it was a number I did not recognize; my hand slipped as I pressed the 'agree' button in order to save the number into my contact list. I'll just erase it once I'm done reading the text. I sighed:
'Hey there, Juliet! I can't wait for our photo shoot! Between you and me, I really can't wait to see you in your photo shoot costume already! See ya soon!
-Shiki ;)'
I angrily groaned through my teeth and glanced at my childhood friends, as they were nearly finished with eating the bad of ruby sticks, "Who gave Shiki my cell phone number?" They both froze and slowly glanced at me with innocent looks on their face like children hiding permanent markers behind their backs as the wall was mysteriously decorated with odd scenes and squiggly lines of red, blue, red, orange, yellow, and green," Kazou, Sachiko…" My voice held a hint of motherly kindness and anger, "Where are you going?"
,"Rima, c'mon! Your shoot is starting!"
KNOCK! KNOCK!
I pulled my ear bud out of my lobe, "I'm not going out."
,"Rima, a lot of people are waiting for you to come out and do the shoot. Umeki will be upset and so will the crew; you want them to be disappointed in all the work they did in order to do this photo shoot." Great, Masaru, guilt trip me again why don't you. His voice was loud, "Do you want me to tell Dad and Taro that my big, stubborn sister is quitting something because of her manager's idol complex?"
My finger pressed the pause button in the middle of my favorite YUI song as I rolled my music player into my backpack and rose up from the director's chair. I unlocked the door and opened it to see a wide-eyed Masaru, "Fine." He gently grinned and lead me down the photo shoot, "I'm just wondering why we have to model in a bowling alley? I feel as though someone's mocking me over this shoot."
Masaru raised a chestnut brow to disappear behind his bangs, "But aren't you good at bowling, Rima? Usually at family gatherings, don't you beat our cousins into a pulp with a whole game of strikes?"
,"I don't go easy on them since they brag so much of their looks and material possessions .I hate how snobby they are, almost as snobby and arrogant as the Knight Academy students I have to put up with until graduation." We entered the photo shoot area with the expensive lighting, and cameras and even the profitable computer region that displays photos of the photo shoot. It turns out the photographer wanted to have models be in a bowling alley since he never really was able to photograph it.
My fingers clenched into a fist as I noticed Umeki literally throwing himself at Shiki with various compliments and gifts and have the words brown nose etched onto his forehead. Shiki felt a bit uncomfortable and in dire need to escape the atmosphere of Umeki's complex by the appearance of the conversation. His silver-blue eyes caught sight of me, forcing Umeki to look in my direction and coaxed me to go towards him.
My younger brother's hand pushed my spine, stating my instruction to walk to the manager and aristocrat model, "Good luck! Don't act suspicious!"
With steady steps on the brand new slippery material of flat shoes, I managed to get to the two males without slamming my face against the floor. Umeki grinned widely as he nearly tipped me over when placed his large hand on my shoulder, "Senri Shiki, I would like to introduce my model I'm managing, Rima Touya." He mouthed me instructions to bow.
I hesitated to do so, but did it as I played the oblivious-who-this-person-is- or-we'll-both-be-killed card, "It's nice to meet you, Senri Shiki."
,"Likewise, Miss Rima Touya." He stretched his arm and grasped my hand and delicately placed his lips on the back of my hand. My arm resisted the urge to slap my hand away from his grip and flick his nose hard again, "It's a pleasure to work with a rising star in the modeling industry."
,"Rising star?" He pulled away and released my hand while taking out a large fashion magazine from out of thin air and pointed at a page, "Well, in this tabloid you were interviewed on your personal viewpoint of becoming the next big name of modeling." Glancing at the pictures, I recognized there were some photos I had taken in the past and some current and even a small question and answer section to which I have no memories of.
My eyes glanced at the answers of my favorite hobbies, which are a complete 180 from my usual answer, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't recall giving such comments- let alone having any interview with anyone." Examining closer I saw a small print stating the answers provided were by a representative of mine by the name of Aki Umeki. Umeki will not be getting a Christmas bonus anytime soon.
,"Well, on another topic…" Umeki opened his mouth and I noticed a completely idiotic grin on his face as he stared between us, "Your photo shoot is going to start, and unfortunately I won't be able to observe due to some business reasons. But I wish both of luck and have fun!" With swift footing he left the famous model and me alone.
A crooked smirk had made its way on Shiki's rich smug making me cross my arms, "I thought you would never leave the dressing room. I didn't want to drag you out of there by force."
,"Let's get this bowling photo spread over with." With my arms across my chest, I turned my heel (miraculously without losing balance) and started walking away from the smirking male, "I want to get home to finish the rest of my work." My footsteps halted as I felt a weigh against my shoulder making me glance over at the hand.
,"Can I tell you something personal?" I blinked as he whispered, "I don't know how-." He stopped and thought for a second or two, "I don't like bowling."
My eyebrow rose from my dark frames, "Is that all? I'm not sure if you can consider it personal when it's just a photo shoot. Its not like if you do the bowling shoot doesn't mean you will have an ultimate OCD on the sport. But if it makes you feel any better, I find bowling a little bit boring." I folded my glasses and placed them in my pocket, "Besides I'm surprise to find you as the individual to dislike something since you are the great Senri Shiki, the all around perfect idol of a teenage boy."
,"Is that sarcasm?" He raised an eyebrow, diverted my eyes away from the vanity mirror in front of me, "Are you trying to play with me now Miss Touya?" He stepped closer, looking me straight in the eyes, "I believe you dislike people playing with the strings of your heart, unless they know how to play a melody and have the intention of not causing any damage?"
,"I never stated that." My back turned to face Senri Shiki, as I was about to walk away from him.
He placed his hand on my shoulder blade and managed to twist my body to face him as he supporting his body with the wall, "You didn't have to."
My heart dropped as I attempted to slip away from this topic, "What do you have against bowling? Afraid of getting a few gutter balls, I bet."
, "W-what makes you assume that ridiculous conclusion?" The male model lost his balance a little bit as he tried to casually lean against the wall coolly but his anxiety was shown as he ruffled his mane of reddish-brown locks, "Did you hear it from someone?"
,"I didn't have to. You just told me." He became more nervous as I crossed my arms, "You shouldn't be ashamed in not being good in bowling. It's natural for human beings to have talents and faults. And if I recall, you admire my ability to embrace my faults? Why not try admiring yourself for your faults as well? There is more beauty in life if you admit individual downfalls and abilities; its what makes us who we are and makes us unique."
,"So…" My vision caught a shine of sapphire-like mischief as he continued to stare at me, "Does that mean you like me? Or guys that can't play bowling?" He wriggled his eyebrows teasingly.
Rolling my eyes, I pinched his cheek, making him whimper, "I have no interest in idle thoughts such as love, crushes, or romance. But if it helps, you can just laugh it off." As I released my grip on his face, he blinked in confusion as he tended to his bruised visage, "So what if you aren't good at bowling? As long as you have fun doing the photo shoot then it shouldn't matter how you look or what other people think."
My flats skidded across the surface of the floor as I headed to the shoot with rhythmic steps of a certain model following me.
A sudden flash of light partially blinded me as I posed in a conservative position where my fingers lightly grazed the shinning surface of the bowling ball. By diverting my gaze from the camera, my eyes were mildly protected by the next flash once I posed hesitantly as though I was waiting for the ball to hit the end of the bowling lane.
,"Miss Touya, we're going to have Mister Shiki in the shoot." The photographer made a hand movement, which signaled Shiki to enter the photo.
My hand searched for the small opening on the ruby colored ball as Senri Shiki nervously stood beside me and stuffed his hands in his jeans' pockets. His usually calm silver-blue eyes were shifting in anxiety as I whispered, "Just relax." After discovering the three holes, I held it in front of Shiki's nose, making his eyes widen as the camera flashed and my response, "Remember our deal. If you can't make me smile, I won't give you your birthday present."
He smirked at me as I raised a wary brow. Dexterous appendages slipped into the three openings of the shinning maroon bowling ball as he made courageous strides to the bowling lane and casually threw the ball into the polished lane. As confident as he posed for the camera's clicks and flashes once he noticed he through a lazy gutter ball, his face grew irritated and ashamed.
I'm not sure what compelled me but I grabbed a candy looking bowling ball and carelessly threw it in the neighboring lane and intentionally made a gutter ball. I hysterically laughed which caused some stares, until Senri Shiki started to chuckle then erupted into a full laughter. Some camera flashes had blurred my vision
My hand automatically grabbed a new bowling ball as I tossed it in the same lane with new pins and obtained a strike. Naturally, I smiled at the crowd but was caught off guard by Senri Shiki's collared shirt as he embraced me cheerfully, "You made a strike!" I was taken aback at the sudden action, though I returned the hug; giving the photographer a few photo stills.
Suddenly my ears perked at the music filling into the room. My toes began tapping to the beat as I realize the band playing, "UVERworld?" A flash caused me to blink my eyes and once I regained my vision had noticed Shiki holding the photographer's camera and smirking as he looked at the screen.
,"You look really pretty." He chuckled, "Looks like you won. Since the camera has about ten shoots and angles of you smiling and laughing." His aristocratic hands returned the expensive camera back to the photographer and stepped forward in my direction. His thumb and index finger cupped my chin as he was dangerously close to my face; his warm whisper caressing my exposed visage, "I guess can't be able to get my gift."
I felt my face become warm by the close proximity but quickly reacted. My hands quickly swiped away his fingers from me and divert my eyes away from the brunette male model, "Don't be so hopeful." Bracing myself for the arrogant smirk and wink, I was actually caught by surprise when he slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. The camera's flashes caught a few shots of my wide-eyed reaction in the arms of the growing smirk of the wealthy model.
He began laughing softly while pressing his forehead against me. Even though I attempted to pull away from him, he was able to lead me in his direction, "Don't be so shy."
Finally able to push him away, I made my way to have the photo shoot at the lanes. Grabbing the closest ball, I turned my heel and aimed it straight in Shiki's abdominal in order to keep a safe distance between us, "Get one step closer to me then the next thing on a tabloid will be 'Senri Shiki knocked out by pink bowling ball'." The camera crew continued taking photos as though I was playing around and not actually threatening Senri Shiki's life and reputation into the intensive care unit.
Slowly he tried to evade me, before he could grab my wrist I threw the ball into the lane and lightly followed the ball and maneuvered it as though it was a soccer ball. Until I was about a meter away from the lane, I allowed the ebony ball roll down and knock the ivory pins over in a graceful motion.
I smiled not only in successfully making a strike and managed to avoid the physical contact of a certain arrogant model. My hands were cupped to make a small megaphone, "What's wrong? Afraid of falling, too?" A frown appeared on his lips, as he was hesitant in stepping on the smooth surface of the lane and moved very cautiously and nervously. Flashes and clicks were continuously filling the bowling lanes with sound.
He was a few feet away from me as I made a couple careful steps back but inevitably he slipped and lost his balance. His nose came crashing down a few inches beside my flat shoes. I sighed as I bent down and stared at the back of Senri Shiki's head, "He was so young." I cradled my cheek as my elbow was propped against my knee.
A hand shot out and pulled me into the smooth surface of the lane, I turned around to see Senri Shiki stand above me haughtily and pulled a long string releasing a hatch of colorful balloons.
The white flashes of the camera partially blinded my vision but didn't make me falter my series of laughter with the male model stalking me. I never quite heard Senri Shiki laugh, maybe chuckle but not genuinely laugh at the moment.
Before I realized that he was laughing and smiling rather than his casual smirk or Cheshire cat grin, the wild clicks of the camera mildly deafened me as the photographer enthusiastically took pictures from every angle.
His grin was wide as he glanced at the bright screen of the expensive camera, "Good job everyone! That's a wrap!"
,"I'll be needing more blue." My voice echoed more so as I was lightly walking around the area of my art studio, as I glanced at my studio table filled with paint bottles; the majority being half- emptied and completely emptied bottles of paint. A clean, nicely trimmed paintbrush twirled between my fingers in a random pattern from my index finger, middle, ring finger, and even my thumb. With my cell phone glued to my ear, I heard Masaru's grunts of frustration and confusion as I heard shuffling and even a loud noise indicating he dropped a pair of assumed paint bottles on the floor.
He huffed, "Why can't you go to the art supply store yourself? You didn't have to make me an errand boy who is completely confused by…sky blue…cloudless…cobalt blue…and…midnight blue. They look the same to me!" The paused in his sentence as he was reading the labels told me that he was in the correct area of the art supply store, "Tell me again, why you couldn't walk a few blocks on your own?"
," I'm pretty busy. Get two bottles of cloudless and midnight blue and one bottle of true blue," In reality, I was completely unsure of what to give Senri Shiki despite his request of a painting. Handing in a picture of myself will just show the wealthy model how much full of myself I am (despite that being entirely false), though giving him an artwork of him will just make his head even bigger than it is right now and will result in future teasing and annoyance in my part. The paintbrush fiddling halted as I placed it against the wooden surface of my worktable splattered with dried colors of various hues of paint I was too lazy to clean up at the moment, "Besides, you didn't have anything to do either. As much I wanted to go to the art store, Umeki would have bombarded me with questions of Senri Shiki if I even dared thought of leaving my studio. It's safe to say, that you'll be able to get my paints without having the idol-complex manager attack you."
The teenaged annoyed sighed came in through my earpiece as a muffled gust of wind, "Didn't you have like ten bottles of blue paint? How are you suddenly out of blue, silver, red, green and brown?" A mental image of the emerald-eyed thirteen-year-old grinning appeared as he spoke, "Is there no more blue because you've already been thinking of Big Brother Shiki's every time you use it and end up wasting it?"
,"Shut up." Masaru's end of the line reverberated a giggle; "I don't waste such important art materials on Senri Shiki who aggravates me at every waking moment when he can." Clumsy legs headed toward a stance with a blank, white canvas as my fingers traced the brim of the ten-by-sixteenth material, "It's like his entire life goal is to make ways to annoy me until I end up growing old miserably or ended up convicted of homicide-suicide."
,"Why do you always negatively see such morbid outcomes when Senri Shiki is involved?" My brother's voice sounded nearly innocent as lamb being protected by a little shepherd boy.
,"Since he entered my life, it's been nothing but chaos and misery on my behalf. Dad, Sachiko, Kazou, and you are just in the front row, VIP seats being entertained by all the actions and overall entity of rich model interfering in my life." I let out an aggravated sigh as I turned around to view my painting filled against the surface of an entire wall, "All I wanted was just one last peaceful year of no issues and in the shadows of the public eye."
,"Well…" My ears perked as I heard his hands shuffle through some (what I assume to be) skimming through shelves for my request of forest green or shimmering silver, "Do you like Yumiko?"
,"Yeah. She's really nice and funny and made me like archery…" Big Sister Yumiko? Voices in my head questioned whether Masaru was in need of a hearing aid, "What does she have to do with our previous conversation?"
He ignored me, "What about that Art Auction? Didn't you manage to sell one of your artworks for a good cause?" Subconsciously I answered with a light 'Uh-huh', as I started to wonder what my younger brother was going with this, "Plus didn't it feel exciting hanging out with him at the diner, on his motorcycle and your photo shoot together?" Cautiously glancing at the corner of my eyes once adding a small amount of distance between my blue cell phone and my earlobe slowly as I made a wary scan around the art studio made to personally accommodate to my inner and mental architecture to keep everyone out and myself inside. Once I heard the receiver say my name a couple of times, I placed the earpiece back on my ear without removing my peripheral vision to attentively examine the room, "How do you know that? And should I be afraid to use the restroom?"
,"Big Brother Senri likes to talk about you." His tone of voice sounded a bit annoyed at the topic brought up by the male model but held of hint of taunting as a younger sibling while ignoring my second question. The light slamming of plastic bottles against the plastic carrying basket was heard in the receiver, "He likes talking about you to the point of repeating it again. His friends are actually kind of annoyed of hearing you yet not being able to meet you."
,"And you know this how?"
I imagined him rolling his emerald orbs and blow his reddish-brown bangs away from his forehead, "I hang out with Big Brother Senri whenever he isn't stalking you. At times, we go to different places but we don't do anything exaggerating as race car driving or yacht shopping as they show in the movies or TV." My fingers etched to pinch his cheek and remark that despite being around the silver-azure eyed model, he would not be able to afford the hubcap or the sail. Masaru's voice screeched mildly in my eardrum, "Does it matter if I get the crimson or the bright red?"
,"Just get two bottles of bright red. One bottle each for woodland green and forest green. Two bottles of caramel candy and nutmeg brown each. And get one bottle of sheer silver metallic since it's less glittery than shimmering silver." My fingers counted a total of fourteen paint bottles; "I gave you a list of the paint I wanted along with a 50% off coupon and about a hundred forty-five dollars of my saved up paycheck."
,"I was so amazed by how much you spend on art, I mentally reminded myself not to major in it with a fifteen-minute monologue while walking to the art supplies store." I pictured him nonchalantly as ever stuffing his free hand into his jeans pockets in a Senri Shiki manner while the other hand casually supported his red cell phone. Shuffling from the end of the line indicated he was looking through the shopping basket, "I have your…blue, red, green, and…" Masaru stretched the 'and' as I heard more movement, "…Your brown and silver, which is all of them." Relief came after my thirteen-year-old brother completed his paint bottles role call.
,"Thanks, Masaru. I owe you." He smiled as I heard a personal praise to himself, which I believe was unaware of hearing his prideful head grow just as big as a certain aristocratic male model. Though I was very confused on how Masaru managed to say Shiki's full name openly and was not trampled over by crazed fan girls.
,"Hey, do you really hate Senri Shiki?" My brows furrowed, "I know he annoys, messes, and teases you most of the time, but he really likes you. You know that, right?"
,"Why do you sound so similar to Sachiko?" But from the lack of laughter on the other line, I realized my younger brother was serious. Exhaling a breath of air, I shifted my footing, "Well…I don't really dislike him greatly, but I can't say that I admire him. I think…I'm entirely preoccupied with my personal goal of being some sort of artist that I never took it much into thought." But I already know he irks me with his personal objective of making me suffer under the brightness of his aristocratic being consisting of his messy, chestnut-amber tresses, and jaded eyes.
The sound of light exhale and inhales came from the other line -making me to mentally conclude various meaning of sighs in heritable- and the next thing he said caught me off guard to the point where I nearly tripped over my stool standing in front of my blank canvas, "I understand, you don't have to explain. I know you complain a lot about him but can you really see your future without Big Brother Senri?" My mouth lightly parted only to have no sound come out; I was completely speechless, "I'll see you at home. See ya."
A click indicated that the thirteen-year-old snapped his red cell phone shut and hung up. My eyes stared at my open cell phone screen, focused on the time I had talked to Masaru as well as re-reading the words 'Call Ended' in a repetitive pattern. As the screen light faded and turned black, my appendages clamped the blue device shut as I lightly placed the electronic phone on the wooden surface. My hands were propped against the table, supported my leaning body as I stared between the brown swirls of the table, my grown fingernails, my mobile phone and my casted shadow against the table.
Pale appendages curled into fists, "A future without Senri Shiki?"
My flats skidded into the elaborate hallway of Senri Shiki, which had been decorated with banners, streamers and balloons dedicated to the arrogant male model. Taking baby steps, I slightly glanced at the large rectangular box ornate in silver and ruby wrapped paper and a glimmering bow holding a small white cheesy, humorous birthday card.
Apparently Senri Shiki knew how to host a party as the entire student body nearly attended and gave the popular male model his presents. The gold and silver shined in the perfect lighting of the great Shiki mansion. Though I already won our bet, I can't help but feel guilty of not giving anything to Shiki on his birthday. My eyes peeked around the corner as the large living room had been occupied with every snobby student attending Knight Academy draped in clusters of unpronounceable brand named clothing.
The intricate dresses of various shades and the wonderful tailoring accuracy of well-known foreign fashion designers of magazines nearly blinded me and made me feel much more like a complete lowly life form as I am at the prestigious education institution. I came walking to Shiki's house despite my Dad insisting to drop me off, but the last thing I wanted was for him to be late to his job because of me. Rather than accepting my Dad's proposal, I made my legs endure the pain of walking on construction working streets and roads, going up a hill or two, and managed not to get run over by a (speedy) passing vehicle.
,"Hey!" My body jumped as I turned over to see a glimmering birthday boy with one of those birthday nose makers barely reaching the tip of my nose. As he inhaled the noised maker made a high-pitched noise while being unwrapped in its curled position and after blown it returned to its curled form, "I thought you weren't coming?" His voice was slightly muffled with the mouthpiece of the noisemaker held by his bleached teeth; I felt as though I was a translator and mentally prepared word cards to subtitle his words for a moment. With diligent fingers, he removed the colorful party favor and spoke casually, "I wasn't expecting you to come, otherwise, I would have asked Yasu to pick you up and drop you off home."
My shoulders were tense as I was nearly on the edge of entering the room filled with well off teenagers and conversing with the most admirable male model known, "I think that would have just created more attention and problems." I sighed as I glanced between the noise of the party and the smiling chestnut-ruby tresses, "I j-just-"
Appendages wrapped around my wrist in surprise, "Come with me." Before I could retort, he childishly placed a finger on the surface of his lips, "Shh. We have to be quiet, right now."
Within minutes he lead me out the door I had entered and instructed me to crouch down in the bushes as we passed by the large, wide, and clean windows of his living room, which revealed the snooty Knight Academy monarchies and autocracies discussing rich people issues and situations. Their obnoxious laughter almost made me want to throw a nicely rigged rock between a bushel of lilies and sunflowers, but continued to follow the famous Shiki heir while mentally reminding myself the location of the rock just in case of emergencies.
Suddenly I began to take in my surroundings. Standing in the middle of a beautiful green clearing with wall of bushes and greenery forming labyrinths in the football field of a backyard the Shiki family owned. A bandstand had wrapped vines with exotic flowers around their pillars and a few- to what I assumed to be- blinking, white Christmas lights. Along with an intricately made water fountain had a little figure spurting water and made it trickle down a step into a large pool that reflected the bronze and silver dots on the floor of the liquid pool.
There was a sort of serene silence with the dripping water in the fountain, and the barely sight of twinkling stars. With slow steps Shiki casually stepped forward to me as he nonchalantly slipped his hand in his pockets, "So…what do you have there?"
,"Uh…here." Pushing the shimmering box in front of the wealthy model in a awkward manner though it didn't really destroy the tension in the air but distracted Shiki for a moment. He examined the box with confusion, "I know, I technically won the bet, but I thought it would be rude to just hear about your birthday and not give you anything."
He smirked playfully as he leaned close to me, "So, you are falling for me now? Or do you really love me so much already?"
"Shut up." Smacking my entire hand over the model's smirk, I pushed him a safe arm's distance away from me, "Do you not really want your birthday present? I'll end up taking it back home."
,"Let me guess; a large godly portrait of me on a great, noble steed." I turned my heel to walk away before I managed to 'accidentally' push him into his own family estate's fountain and 'forget' to help him up. A weight on my shoulder forced me to look up at an apologetic Senri Shiki, "I was just kidding!"
He began to unwrap the shiny paper slowly while peering between the rectangular item and my eyes. Within a second his silver-azure orbs widen as he silently stared at the surface of the canvas. I breathed in, "I guess…I should get going."
A force held me in place, "No." With tender eyes, I noticed the model scan the canvas in every inch and centimeter of the painting as his fingers lightly traced the swirls and twirls of the dried painted surface. From where I stood, Shiki's emerald eyes were completely bewitched by the eyes of the painting along with a peaceful smile on the painted figure's scarlet lips. There were many shades and tones of auburn hair on the painted human figure, with skin so bright the moon seem to envy coming second to the painted complexion to not an exact equivalent to the beauty of Senri Shiki's mother, "I like it…Thanks." Shiki's grin widens, "I didn't expect you to paint my mom…but she looks exactly the way she did when she started acting."
In a split second, a felt an indescribable emotion overwhelm me as he grinned widely. As I gazed up at the model, our eyes meeting until he broke away from his stare and glanced at me and his gift, "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like an arrogant rich guy who can buy his way around situations or people." A frown of guilt was his face as he stared down at me, "And I really appreciate my birthday gift. This is a wonderful gift…so far."
,"So far?" My eyebrows furrowed.
,"Unless you want to start where we left off on the basketball court…" I instinctively push his shoulder playfully and held a dangerously sarcastic smirk on my lips.
,"Unless you don't want to die the same day you were born, I would not bring up a kiss as a birthday present."
With the onyx earbuds placed in my lobes, Aqua Timez had instinctively made my toes tap along with the catchy beat. My fingers slid the page as I was hunched over it in complete fascination and attentiveness. Sentence by sentence was scanned through my eyes as I processed the tragic unrequited love novel. Lunch started on this partly cloudy Monday afternoon with the entire school buzzing with the gossip of Senri Shiki's birthday party and how the birthday boy went missing for an hour and a half along with a certain scholarship student not seen at the party.
Despite much talk about Shiki, I didn't pay much attention to it as I was waiting for Big Sister Yumiko. I enveloped myself in a 620-something page as I already was 45 pages away from finishing while multitasking on my personal thoughts. My mind set back to when Senri actually smile and laughed during our photo shoot; Never had I ever felt such an emotion of authenticity and genuinely come off from the arrogant aristocrat since I usually assume he is only playing with the hearts and minds of other- particularly me.
My fingers flipped to the next page as I started to dig deeper into the book and myself. Though, even though he tried to make me kiss him, I honestly couldn't see him as a bad person only delusional into thinking he could get me to kiss him in the first place. A sigh escaped my parted lips, making me acknowledge two shadows streaming across my sneakers and bookbag beside them as I sat on the bench.
,"Are you Rima Touya?"
I trailed my hand to clutch the ear buds out as I curled them protectively into my palm, hoping it wasn't a school official "Uh…yeah. Is there something I can help you with?" Standing before me was a pair of teenage boys- in my Physics class I think. The bench I had been sitting on had lightly supported the tome I placed beside me.
One held a trim mane of black hair with similar color of eyes as his hair and was exceedingly tall for a seventeen or eighteen year old. His hand held a strap over his shoulder while the other one held the white visor of his plastic helmet indicating he was on the school's soccer and football team. The second boy was about the same height of Shiki with a disheveled brown tresses falling slightly past the school regulation of trimmed hair at the collar of a male student's shirt. Hazel eyes peered at me as his fingers curled against the handle of a black case in large, white Stencil spray paint that read: Knight Academy Band.
,"You're not in trouble." The individual who held the black case spoke as he saw how I cowered under their stare, "We just want to see who is it that got the school talking." His lips curled into a relaxing smile that felt contagious as I put away my music player in my back pocket of my jeans, "I'm Hikaru Ishikawa and this is Ryuu Tatsuya. Sorry, for interrupting you but would you mind answering a few questions for us."
My heart dropped, "I'm not really interested in an interview with the yearbook or the school newspaper; I thought I stated that a couple weeks ago."
,"What?" The boy nearly lost his balance but clutched the band case for dear life as he managed to straighten his posture, "No. No, you have the wrong idea. We're not from the yearbook committee or the newspaper club. We just want to talk to you that's all."
I blinked as I examined the boys from my perspective. They were fairly attractive, wore completely affluent clothing I could never be able to afford and held an air of suspicion around them. My hand quickly grabbed the spine of the book as I turned back to the page I left off, "I'm sorry, but I'm not much of a social butterfly. I think it would be best if you talked to someone else rather than to Knight Academy's charity scholar."
The football player, Tatsuya, shrugged his shoulders as the other boy named Ishikawa exchanged strange looks to each other as I stated reading on a new paragraph in my book. Looking up from my book, I sighed, "I'm not trying to be mean, but I think it would be best if no one associates with me. Besides I highly doubt you would like talking to me."
,"Let's see!" The hazel-eyed teenager took a step closer to me and sat on the table surface of the lunch bench while his hunched shoulders were towards me, "What do you like to do?"
The other silent male leaned against the wooden posts that support the sheltered area of the Archery Region of the school on hot days. As a way of saying they weren't leaving until I cooperated, both boys placed their items on the floor close to their peripheral vision.
My hand instinctively lifted itself to the visitors' line of vision, "Reading books." The pair of male eyes stared at me to continue, "Well, I also like to paint." Both nodded to each other as though they were saying a secret or speaking telepathically. My eyes darted between the two teenagers. Why are they doing this? Who are these crazy, rich guys? Attempting to be polite, I began, "What do you guys like to do?"
Hazel orbs morphed into a rainbow-colored glint of happiness at the question directed towards him, "I thought you wouldn't ask, but I like playing the trumpet." I glanced at the black case, "That's why I joined the band. I also like to eat a lot!" Looks like I found a friend for Kazou.
A deep stare into my skin forced me to look at the silent male who distanced himself from me and the enthusiastic trumpeter, "I play on the football and soccer team." I nodded as his eyes darted to the empty archery area with the targets still out.
The trumpeter snatched my book away from my fingers and began to flip through various and random pages, "Don't worry about him so much, Rima. Ryuu has a tendency to distance himself from emotions but is always very antisocial whenever he is face to face with a cute girl." Small pearls gleamed between his lips as he returned his focus to my heavy literary book, "So how many books have you read in the past week?"
The question took me a while to process since no one ever really questioned much about my hobbies unless they were a wealthy stalking model, "It changes from time to time, but this is already the third time I've read that book."
,"Wait!" My heart stopped at the band member's announcement, "You're reading this for the third time?" I nodded, "Wow; I could barely endure reading a book once!"
,"You read?" The silent male spoke with a sort of Senri Shiki smirk on his face, "I thought you try to get the book in your head by using it as a pillow?"
A mixture of anger and annoyance appeared on the trumpeter's face, "I do that one time in seventh grade and you suddenly have to bring it up every single time in English!" Unknown to the bickering males, I discreetly held in a giggle behind my curtain of hair as I pretended to tie my shoes.
A voice perked my ears, "Hey Hikaru! Ryo!" Once I sat up straight, I was looking into the bewildered visage of a certain chestnut-haired model, "Rima? What's going on here?"
,"We were wondering why you haven't been hanging around with us lately." The trumpeter beamed up happily at the rich model and stared at me at the corner of his eye, "And now we know why." Shiki's emerald eyes were wide in shock, "Relax, Senri. We just came to get to know her! You look like we were planning on eat her!" He laughed lightly and comically wiped a tear from his eye.
The athletic laughed in unison, "C'mon Shiki, no need to have such a worried look on your photogenic self! Last thing we need is the female population to die of despair because their celebrity crush developed an early wrinkle or two."
Shiki's face flushed a few shades of ruby before lowering himself speaking softly to me, "Sorry, you have to deal with these two."
,"Hey, what're you whispering about Senri?" The cheery musician placed his face between Shiki and me until we moved away from each other, "Are you already planning another secret rendezvous with the lovely scholarship student? Is that the reason why you bailed on us when we were going to the movies?"
Swiping his hand in the back of the trumpeter's head, he smacked him but the Knight Academy band member was aloof as though he felt nothing, "Shut up, Hikaru! It's none of your business on what I say to Rima."
,"Fine." An immature sigh and voice of defeat was heard as the musician obtained his black case in a swift motion as the athletic teenager followed as though it was a regular routine in his life. His motion stopped, "Senri, you shouldn't try separating your love interest and your best friends, I think that's against the guy code! Later!" He bolted in a sprint in half-fear and half-amusement, which made me wonder if he was on the track and field team before joining the band though the Tatsuya male walked nonchalantly while saluting casually, "Later, Senri."
,"Sorry you had to endure with Hikaru and Ryuu. They are kind of annoying once in a while." His hand raked through his hair as it resiliently returned to its normal messy state in the matter of seconds, "Ryuu is the calm, and laid-back quarterback but Hikaru is the energetic, class clown in the band."
Noticing my book was on the bench; I grabbed it and looked at the title on the cover, "No. I like them. An odd couple like Kazou and Sachiko but you shouldn't be ashamed of who your friends. Aren't they the only people who can see who you are than what others perceive you to be?"
He blinked and laughed.
I was caught up in his laughing fit that suddenly my heart began to flutter and my cheeks began to feel warm. Suddenly his laughter was like Beethoven's famous piano scores and I couldn't help but stare at his smile. Why? Why does my heart flutter? Why do I like his laughter or his smile? What is this thing that makes my face burning, my fingers trembling and my stomach at the edge of exploding from the numerous butterflies creating my feelings of anxiety? What is it? Why do it I feel it? What does it mean?
Sorry, for the super long delay! I promised to update in the middle of July but summer school is killer work! Anyway I hope you liked this chapter and remember to review! It's a 23 page effort of work for you!
Even though I have to start school as a new SENIOR! YAY! I'll happily continue this story as I started it in tenth grade! Wish me good luck! Senior year is considered the most strenuous and difficult year of high school with tests, AP classes, extracurricular activities, college applications, and scholarships! So if I don't update as soon as possible or as I promised; it's not because I dislike you (I sincerely DON'T; I LOVE YOU ALL!), but I'm trying to balance everything!
By the way, I don't think bowling is boring! I've actually went bowling once, and would like to try it again! Also, the 'heart strings' thing that Shiki said was something I actually wrote in my long lost poems from middle school; feel free to use this quote to your liking!
The song Rima is listening to is Velonica by Aqua Timez.
As a random note: I love Witch Hunter (Tasha and Halloween are so hilarious and cool)!
