I should really stop with the filler chapters, right?

Nah. I guess they're what you'd call misplaced chapters. Also, I'm down with allergic rhinitis. I made it to my dream uni (but courses are still unrevealed because of incomplete requirements which I fully blame on the school)! You guys are like Tumblr for the Tublr-less. xD

Be warned, this chapter may involve flashbacks. In fact I think this is a whole flashback. xD

Disclaimer: Nes, it's mine.


24: The Teenager in Love

I'm a fool with a curse and a crush.

Karai Rein knew she was different.

It wasn't an interesting kind of different, and not even a wonderful kind of different, no. She knew, with her Rapunzel-length platinum hair, her abhorrently red eyes, and her problematic attitude, that she didn't fit with anyone anywhere. When she entered the foreign exchange study trip during her first year in Raimon, nobody threw her a farewell party, not a single classmate even came up to her to say they would miss her, and no one saw her off at the airport.

She was the only first year who joined, much to her dismay, but the presence of her senpai-tachi helped her cope with it. They liked her eyes and how it looked neon pink in the sunlight; the girls braided and styled her hair during long boring trips, and the boys taught her to use a bow and a gun, because those were the weapons of Legolas and Tom Cruise (oh, how the Japanese just loved Tom Cruise). Her senpai-tachi never allowed her to go out alone, sometimes making her sulk in the process, and they all defended her like the little sister that she was to them. It was the only time she had ever felt warmth from people, and they were much older.

She feared meeting people within her age group.

Younger children could only produce two reactions at the sight of her: wonder at the crystal locks infinitely hanging down her back, or fear from the eyes that matched the lipstick of their grandmothers' dying puckers that threatened to suck them in. The older kids, like her senpai-tachi, saw her as a person of intrigue, and therefore an opportunity to befriend the girl with the moon's hair and Mars' eyes couldn't and shouldn't be passed up.

But the kids her age just thought she was weird and out of their league. They didn't want anything outside of the box.


The last time Rein had friends her age was in fourth grade, before she picked up interest in study trips and foreign lands. She still didn't know, after four years of leaving them behind for constant school transfers (except the last two had been remaining at the same school), where they were now; where they studied, who they'd met along the way, how they'd been without her.

She so idiotically left them for silly blonde giraffes called Australians; she turned her back on them just to face the toned skin of gaily festive Brazilians; she took the plane that led her to sharp-tongued Russians; she abandoned them for what she wanted.

And what did she get from these aliens?

Weird glances, hushed voices, and nervous sweats. They all treated her like she was the alien. There was nobody else but herself to blame. Maybe if she had stuck with the two boys then perhaps she could've had a bigger circle of friends and not a repetitive cycle of shutoff from society.


On her second year in Raimon, they had all gotten the chance to fly to America, the number one country Rein had ever dreamed of going to. There were more people in her year level this time, and they urged her join their table for meals, and their circle of secrets, and their fort of mattresses. The first years all respected her and always came to her when they were scared (they had seen her purple gun holster once, and they had all begged her to teach them); the third years thought she was cute because she was always waiting for social cues, and she couldn't read expressions to save herself – because she was dependent and not arrogant.

America was beautifully chaotic.

"Huh, wouldn't that suit me," Rein snorted to herself. She wouldn't call herself aesthetically pleasing, but her heart was very much in a state of confusion: sometimes she wanted to be a girl, but other times she would rather just burp at someone's face; she'd secretly buy herself cute objects, but then she'd hide them in a box because they were 'too cute' for her image.

As a second year, she was freer to roam around the city compared to when she was the youngest during her first year. Sometimes she would be accompanied by a senpai, but majority of her days were spent with a peaceful solitude.


"Ne, Karai-chan," An overly enthusiastic senpai mused to her one day, "Wanna go check out the guys playing outside our dorm?"

"Why would I want to do that?" She questioned. She never was a fan of sports, even if her two best friends were boys. Her still-grinning senpai stood up from her position at the sofa and walked to her. "They'll be cute." Her senpai's dreamy eyes glinted with ambition. Karai snorted at her. Foreigners were cute, yet Karai was anything but. "Go manhunting by yourself."

Rein had started walking away from her downtrodden upperclassman until she felt the force of two hands claw her shoulders and spin her around. "But you're the only one capable of tranquilizing guys!"

"You want me to be your security guard?"

"Not at first! You didn't want to go socialize with me—" Rein snorted again at her rephrase. "—So in case those Americans are rowdy, at least we can both get home in one piece. Please?"

The silver-haired second year nodded her unwilling affirmation.


"Hi there," She heard her overly flirtatious senior do a small wave at the sweating boys. Immediately they stopped their game, and she and Rein got a good view on majority of their faces. Her senpai was right about them being cute; now she wished she'd taken up on that offer. "I'm Kitano Hana, one of the exchange students for this year's program!" Then again, she wasn't as peppy and cool as Kitano-senpai. Darn it all.

"The shy kouhai behind me is Karai Rein," The subject's of the sentence ears perked at the sound of her name in an English sentence. What was senpai doing?

"She has a hard time befriending people her age because she used to be isolated back in our school." Rein wasn't really a girl of a short fuse, but she turned her back and started stomping back to the dorms. That woman just humiliated her! She knew it was too good to be true. A melancholic sigh escaped her pouting lips.

"So if you do the same thing to her I suggest you stay before she shoots you. Literally."

The silver-haired second year spun around again. Okay, so what exactly was her senpai doing? Kitano winked at her and signaled a thumbs-up in response. One of them had started heading her way. The red-eyed junior turned on her heel and sprinted back to the dorms. She actually forgot to load her tranquilizer gun so…

"Hey wait!" Ah, crud. Rein turned around again, only to be met by a typical blue-eyed sandy blond. His face was pink from all the running he had done, but on locking eyes with the Japanese, she noticed the pink turn a tad bit darker. That was probably her imagination. He was still catching his breath as he spoke, and the sun emphasized the sweat glistening on his American skin. "I'm the captain of our team, Mark Kruger, how's 'Merica so far?"

Rein shook the hand that he held out: the American counterpart to bowing. "And being the sweaty head of a small-town soccer team impresses me how?" She challenged. This time, she really did see the pink turn maroon. "I'm Karai Rein, but my senpai might've already mentioned that."

She let go of his clammy palm and turned around for the sixth time that day. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Kruger-san—"

"Please," The foreigner grunted. "Call me Mark." But the silver-haired girl was already on her way. If Kru – Mark saw her red face, she'd probably look like an albino Rudolph.


Fr: number unknown

Subj: It's Mark

I got your number from your senior. That's American for "senpai". :) Did I spell that right? Anyway, see you in school!

Rein groaned until her back hit the mattress. "What's up, Swan Lake?" Kitano settled herself on the spot beside her spread silver hair. "Don't call me that,"

"What's up, Vampire Knight?"

"Don't call me that."

Kitano laughed as apology. "Tell me why your cheeks are as red as your eyes then," The younger student glared at her for a moment, but the older one was unfazed. "I'm not blushing." Kitano continued to bore into her eyes as a response. The younger girl squirmed under the scrutiny. "You gave some guy my number!"

"In my defense, he asked for it."

"Why would he want to do that?"

Kitano huffed her disappointment into her kouhai's face. "You really didn't think he wasn't interested in you?" Rein could only question her with her eyes. "Rein-chan, you're pretty! Something's wrong with you if you think you're not."

"Something's even more wrong with people who think I am. Why would anyone like red eyes? I look like a lab rat." But she was turning redder in embarrassment. She wasn't used to compliments.

"Give him a shot, will you?" Kitano smiled her toothpaste-commercial smile. "He'll be the first since your two fourth-grade friends."


Karai Rein felt the cold temperature of a mug pressed on her forehead as she jolted awake. Stupid dream. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Mark grinned cheekily as the girl took her mug. "Ready to go to school?"

"Oh, father, don't," She grumbled, put down her mug of iced coffee on her bedside table, and curled under her warm blankets. She felt the weight of the American beside her. "But my child; however shall I be proud of you?" If anyone heard them right now, they'd be one step closer to the mental institute.

"Go away, Mark. I have jet lag." She tried.

"Funny, I thought I was the one who just arrived." He grabbed the small form of Rein off the bed and hauled her to the bathroom, emitting a squeak out of her. "Put me down!"

"Hey, isn't it an Asian thing to wash each other's backs?" The sandy blond grinned again. Dylan's suggestiveness had rubbed off on him too quickly. "Perv!" The platinum-haired girl replied. "I'll take a bath and go to school this time, now get out!"

"How do I know you won't be sleeping on the stool?" But Mark let go of her and took the blanket as precaution. She shivered in her silver duster. "Take a chance on me."

And as long as Mark didn't get the double meaning, Rein figured her feelings would remain hidden.


This is 400 words longer than the previous chapter to make up for it. I like this OC! Dayum! Reviews and flames, my darlings. :3

-Strawbeariiis