Hello people! I'm back with another chapter! I would like to inform you all that Flame was unable to edit this chapter. This was due to the workload she has. She will be replying to your reviews next time. Since it is the end of the year, both of us are preparing for our exams. Due to this, I will most likely not be able to update a chapter for this month or the next. I apologize for that. Also, I would like to thank my awesome Chia Seed for editing this chapter. Thank you so much for your help.

As always, Thank you to everyone who Followed and Favorited this story. It always makes me really happy to see that people are reading what a write. :) Special thanks to Ashe Corinthos, Clockwork Marionette, Aurorawolf668, Vocaloids X Otaku Nekomimi, Dragonmorph, whatithinklikeit, Okamigamergirl, and Missy Missy Bounce for reviewing. You guys are amazing!

Ashe Corinthos: Thanks! I have so much planned for those two. It'll be really fun to write it all down!

Clockwork Marionette: Trust me. He was. xD I first thought of the idea when I started the story. I thought it would be hilarious. It was pretty fun writing it down. ...Maybe xD

Aurorawolf668: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Vocaloids X Otaku Nekomimi: Ahh no! Rin doesn't have any romantic feeling for Len at this point. I tried to portray that she doesn't think he's terrible anymore. Instead, she's seeing him in a somewhat different light. That's mostly thanks to how he acted during their interview, Meiko, and Kaito. I suppose it seemed like she was falling for him. She was just meant to get flustered, since she wasn't used to this treatment. Sorry! Hope that cleared that up!

Dragonmorph: I'm so happy that you have enjoyed what i've written so far! I've read so many fanfics with Rin and Miku having a rivalry so I decided against it. I thought they would have an amazing relationship as friends. There will be plenty of drama in the story. It was originally planned just for Rin and Len, but I have been planning a lot for Miku and Kaito as well. I hope you enjoy what is yet to come. :)

whatithinklikeit: Thank you so much! I can assure you that this fanfic will last a while. If not, then it will most likely resume as a sequel. :) I've got so many things planned at this moment that I don't know if I will be able to finish early, even if I wanted to. xD

Okamigamergirl: Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback!

Missy Missy Bounce: Yep, Poor Rinny indeed. I feel so mean, because I have so much planned for her and the rest of them in the future :). As for the list, Len was just being a bad reader xD.

Oliver beamed at us from in front of the giant movable blackboard. "You did well yesterday." He commented, with a nod of his head. He turned to the tealette, "Especially you Miku."

Miku flushed from the attention and shook her head in denial, "I didn't do any better than Rin. I just got lucky." She said, shrugging.

I knew she was just being modest. "Oh, be quiet Miku. We all know you made a good impression on the prince." I teased.

She flushed, once again, and shook her head. I rolled my eyes, with a smile. I was happy for her and I hoped that this would last. From what I had seen last night, Kaito wasn't a bad person. He was actually quite kind. Miku and him would make a cute goofy couple.

Oliver nodded and turned on the TV. We were watching a recording of yesterday's grand ball. According to Oliver, it would help us correct our flaws or find ways to further improve the things that we were good at. He forwarded the CD to the part where Miku and I were introduced. As I stated before, Miku held a dazzling smile. I was surprised to see that mine wasn't that bad. I could work on it, but it more or less looked realistic. I smiled, pleased that I didn't mess that up like I thought I did.

I scribbled down Better Smile on the small notepad that Oliver had handed us, when we first entered the room, and turned my attention back to the screen. The perky reporter continued to move around to different contestants with surprising speed. Oliver had told us to also write notes about them too. This way we would know our competitors good points and bad points. I wrote a few lines down on the opponents that seemed like serious competition. Tei seemed like a polite and well-mannered individual. She mostly talked to high officials and a few nobles who eagerly approached her. Coming from royal blood had it's perks. Gumi seemed to be somewhat reserved. She was on her phone reading something at the beginning of the party. She opened up around the middle of it and interacted well with the other contestants. Neru tried to act like she didn't think much of the party, but it was still apparent that she was very excited to be there. I wrote some notes on a few of the others too, but those three seemed to have the most admirers.

I diverted my attention to what the contestants did and more to what the nobles were doing. You couldn't hear what most of them were saying, but you could easily see what they did or didn't like from their facial expressions and gestures. I observed their movements, as Miku and I walked towards the two lines. Some of them smiled, but most of them looked at us in distaste or shook their head in disbelief, as though they didn't understand why people like us were there. I frowned, hoping that the rest of the country didn't share their opinion of us.

Sighing, I looked out the open window, momentarily taking a break from watching the video. The weather outside was pleasant. Cool summer breezes occasionally made their way into the spacious room. The long silky cream curtains swayed as the wind played around with them. Cheerful chirps of birds were heard from the window. I longed to take a long walk around the castle. My eyes flickered towards Oliver, when I remembered what Prince Kaito had stated. I needed an escort. He would most likely let me walk around the castle as long as I behaved today. I smiled at the thought and continued to enthusiastically scribble notes.

I walked up to Oliver once we were done with todays lesson. I had asked Miku to join me for a walk, but she politely declined. I was a bit disappointed, but I didn't want to ruin my mood.

"Something wrong Rin?" Oliver asked, when I approached him.

I shook my head. "I was wondering if I was allowed to go outside and walk around the castle." I asked.

A small wave of surprise came across the blonde's features as he slowly nodded, "Of course Rin." He gave a short pause, as he seemed to think it over in his head. Finally he nodded. "My schedules free for this afternoon. I'll take you out of the castle."

I big smile formed across my face and I gave Oliver a hug, "Ollie I love you!" I squealed, with happiness. I released him after a moment and found him with a slightly flushed face. I blinked for a second, before grinning. Had I just made Oliver blush? I contemplated whether or not to tease him a little more. I decided I might as well. I tilted my head, ever so slightly and leaned closer to his face, "Hey Ollie, why's your face pink?" I asked innocently. My acting skills worked their charms. Oliver quickly pulled back away from me, getting more flustered by the minute. I had to admit, I found it cute.

"M-my face isn't pink!" he stuttered, embarrassed. He cleared his throat, attempting to compose himself. "I-I just...just…" He looked around the room, trying to think of a good excuse.

"Just?" I asked, with the same innocent tone. My expression held a realistic obliviousness to it.

"N-never mind." Oliver muttered, stuttering once again. His face was now a pretty shade of scarlet. I held back a giggle and nodded.

"I'm going to go change into more comfortable clothes." I informed, before finally sparing him from my antics. I made my way towards my room and wondered if the three girls had left me any casual clothes to wear. Something other than a dress would have been divine. I opened the lock and went into my room. It had only been a couple of days since I arrived here, but I was getting more used to the room. I would have liked it better if it had been a faint orange color, but I wasn't complaining about my accomodations. They were more than I could have ever asked for.

My thoughts drifted around the idea of me winning and staying here, but I would have to be very lucky for that to happen. I sighed and walked into the closet. As I expected, most of the casual wear were just less fancy dresses. I sighed and pulled out a yellow knee-length summer dress and put it on. After a couple of days of wearing dresses non stop, I would have given almost anything to wear a comfy pair of jeans. Maybe I could ask Meiko about it later.

I opened the door to see Oliver waiting nearby. I noticed that he had changed into more comfortable clothes as well. His usual crisp white suit was replaced by a pair of black shorts and white t-shirt. He noticed me and straightened up from his casual position of leaning against the wall. "Hey' he said offering me a smile.

I took it and smiled back. "Does the castle have a garden or anything" I asked as I walked over to him. I loved any type of vegetation. Being around it helped calm me. An image of a farm briefly flashed across my mind before I quickly pushed the thought away.

Oliver brightened up at my question and nodded, "We do." he said. "It's absolutely beautiful," he added. He started walking to what I guessed was the direction of the garden.

I grinned, eager to see it. "How big is it?" I asked.

A smirk appeared on the blond boys face, "You'll know once you see it," he said.

I could feel myself growing more interested. My curiosity always seemed to get the best of me, "Just tell me now," I pleaded.

Oliver shook his head and grinned, "Nope" he said, popping the P.

I puffed my cheeks out in frustration, "Fine, but walk faster. I want to see it soon." I muttered.

He chucked and nodded, picking up his pace. I watched as it got faster and faster, until it turned into a run. I gaped at him. Was he allowed to do this in the castle? I remembered that Meiko had ran with me before too. Were people who worked at the castle given special privileges? The boy turned around after he was a good 20 feet away from me. "Are you coming Rin? I'd hate to leave you behind" He said, a smirk was plastered onto his face.

I kicked my shoes off and held them in my hand. My competitive spirit kicked in. "You're an idiot Oliver," I yelled.

He rose a brow, still holding the smirk, "I thought you loved me Rin." He stated.

I blinked, surprised to see that used against me. I rolled my eyes and positioned myself to run. The boy wasn't going to get away that easily. The blonde seemed to sense my next move, because he turned around and continued running. I groaned as the distance between us got further and sprinted towards him.

Oliver turned around to check on me, only to find a me hot on his trail. My breath started to grow heavy once I got close to him and my speed slowly diminished. I was known to be fast, but I didn't have enough stamina.

"Caught up." I said, before having a fit of coughs. When I collected my breath, I made my way over to his side. "I hope I didn't do all that running for nothing." I grumbled.

He opened a door, "I think you'll quite like what you see." he said, holding a grin.

I watched as the old wooden door creaked open to reveal what was on the otherside. I was instantly enchanted with what I saw. The tiny wooden door led outside to a rose garden. The vines had wrapped themselves around high arches. The roses began a dark crimson color. They seemed to brighten along the path, turning into varying hues of pink. I turned back to Oliver who stood under the door, which had as assortment of vines wrapped around it. "Liking what you see?" he asked.

I grinned, "Maybe."

He rolled his eyes, "Mhmm" He looked at the rose garden. "There's more further along the path," he added.

I nodded and started walking further along the path, "I hope I don't leave you behind Oliver." I sang, craning my head back to see his expression

Oliver shook his head and jogged over to me. I continued to look at the roses and watched as they started turning into shades of coral, peach, and orange. It looked splendid.

"Did you know each color means something?" Oliver said, trying to make conversation.

I raised a brow, pointing to a peach one. "What does that one mean?" I asked.

"Peach roses stand for appreciation, closing deals, getting together, and sincerity." He answered.

I started to grow more interested, "What about that one?" I said pointing to an orange rose.

"Orange roses represent excitement, desire, and enthusiasm." he stated.

More colors came into sight and I was eager to find out about them. Yellow, white, and lavender roses seemed to bring the arching path to a close. "What does the yellow one represent?" I asked.

"Which yellow one?" Oliver asked.

I stared at him in confusion.

"There are two types" he explained. He pointed to a flower. "If you look closely, you can see that the flower has red tips." He pointed to another yellow rose, "That one on the other hand doesn't"

I slowly nodded. "I see" I pointed to the one with red tips. "Alright then, what does that mean?"

"That one stands for friendship and falling in love." he said.

"What about the other yellow one?" I asked.

"The one without red tips stands for joy, delight, friendships, welcome backs, and new beginnings." he said. He looked at the last two roses anticipating my coming questions. "The white rose stands for purity, innocence, silence, secrecy, and heavenly things. The lavender flower stands for love at first sight and enchantment."

I nodded. I remembered that my 12th grade english teacher had given a lavender rose to everyone in our grade. I wondered if he knew exactly what the flower's color meant. If he did… I shook my head, pushing away the disturbing thought.

"Most people don't know what the colors stand for." Oliver said, as if reading my thoughts. "Nobles are usually educated on them so they present the right flower arrangement for the right occasion."

"So there'll be different flowers depending on the occasion?" I asked.

Oliver nodded, "Yea there are different flowers and colors. Of course there are other factors that determine what kind of flower arrangement will be placed as well."

"Do I need to remember this?" I asked, jokingly.

Oliver took it seriously. "It would be a good idea actually. I suppose I should inform Miku of this as well."

I sighed and watched at the rose arches lead to another part of the garden. The area was decorated like a traditional japanese zen garden. Rocks of all sizes were positioned all over the vast expanse of land. The sand around them was wonderfully raked. Ripples were beautifully crafted around the stones. I couldn't help, but stare at it. I felt oddly at ease here.

"Nice, isn't it?" Oliver asked.

"How big is this place?" I asked looking to my left and right. I couldn't see where the garden ended.

Oliver grinned, "Let's just say you've hit the tip of the iceberg"

I felt a giddy feeling bubble inside of me. "What are we waiting for? Let's go then!" I declared marching forward.

Oliver followed. "Do you even know where you're going?" He asked, amused.

I shook my head. "Nope, but that's what makes it fun," I stated.

"I seriously wonder how I got stuck with the both of you, he said, shaking his head.

I smiled and continued walking down the path. "Do a lot of people come here often?"

Oliver nodded, "Sometimes."

I paused, "Are we allowed to be here?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Yes and no." Oliver answered, not looking at all fazed.

"No?" I asked.

"Most people aren't allowed to enter the garden. Only a select few are. I'm one of those select few." Oliver explained.

I let out a sigh of relief, "So I'm allowed to be here?"

Oliver shrugged, "I never said that."

"What?!" I asked in horror.

Oliver burst out laughing and I sent him a glare. "The look on your face Rin." he breathed.

I had half a mind to strangle the boy, but I decided that it would cause too much trouble. I'd let him be for now.

"Shut up." I muttered.

"Sorry" he apologized, once he regained his breath.

"It's fine." I replied, grumpily.

Oliver didn't look convinced, but he didn't say anything. We continued forward. I carefully moved in the tiny stone path, not wanting to destroy the elegantly created design. We started moving to the next area. This part of the garden was decorated like a hedge maze. Excited to see something new one again, I picked up my pace to explore the new area.

"This place is amazing" I murmured, turning around to face Oliver. I froze when I saw that he wasn't behind me. Instead there were a multiple passageways that possibly lead back to where I came from.

I groaned and tried heading back. "Oliver?" I called out, hoping that he was somewhere nearby. I couldn't have gone that far into the labyrinth. I bit my lip out of nervousness, when I heard no reply. "Oliver?" I called louder than before. My throat was starting to feel dry and fear slowly creeped across my thoughts. "Hey Oliver?" I called, my anxiety was starting to show in my voice.

Someone lightly tapped my shoulder and I jumped up in fright, letting out a shriek. I heard footsteps retreat from my sudden yelp. "Are you alright young lady?" a deep voice asked, nervously.

I turned around, hoping that I wouldn't get in trouble for being out in the garden alone. "Yea. I'm lost though." I answered back.

A man with purple hair looked at me kindly, "I could assist you back to the castle, if you like." He offered.

"I was actually with someone" I said, looking behind me. I hoped that Oliver would magically pop out of one of the hedges.

The purple haired man rose a brow. "I see…" he said, looking in the same direction. I started to sweat. Could a walk around the garden cost me to be disqualified? If it did, was there no hope of me staying?

The nobleman seemed to sense my worry, because he tried to help me out, "What's the name of the person who you were with?" He asked.

"Oliver." I answered.

He seemed to be surprised to hear this, "Does this man have bandages covering an eye?" he asked.

I nodded, starting to feel less worried. "Yes."

The purple-haired man nodded and got out his cellphone. He quickly dialed a number and waited for the call to be picked up. After a few minutes of talking he put the phone away and smiled. "He'll be here shortly" he reassured me. I nodded. I felt my shoulders relax.

Footsteps approached from behind me and I turned around expecting to see a blond. Instead, a pink haired beauty approached us. When she caught sight of me her eyes rose in surprise and she shot a questionable look to the man with purple hair.

"After looking for you for an hour, I find you with another girl?" She said. Irritation was leaking into her voice. I shivered as I felt her glare.

The purple haired man, who seemed to be so calm, was suddenly nervous. "I-It isn't what it looks like Luka." he said, backing away.

Luka rose a brow, "Then what does it look like Gakupo?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Gakupo was about to reply when Oliver ran over. He caught sight of the two nobles and bowed. He turned towards the woman, "Princess Luka." Then towards the man, "Prince Gakupo." Finally, his attention turned towards me, "I hope I haven't caused you too much trouble." he apologized. Oliver seemed displeased and I was pretty sure that I was the reason behind it. I cringed.

Both royals scrunched their noses at the sound of their names. The woman, Princess Luka, calmed down in his presence, "What are you talking about Oliver?"

Prince Gakupo took a step forward. He gestured towards me, "This young lady was taking a stroll with Oliver, before they got separated. She was lost and I, being the gentlemen I am, was helping her find him."

Luka glanced at me momentarily. "I see," she said.

Gakupo regained his confidence and smirked. "Why, were you jealous?" he asked smugly.

Luka flushed pink. "Be quiet. I'm still angry at you. You missed an important meeting Gakupo." she muttered.

Gakupo blinked. "That was today?" he asked, innocently.

The princess let out a frustrated groan. She turned to me, "I'm sorry for my rude behavior" She said, giving me a sheepish look. She turned back to the prince, "We must be going now. I'll catch you up on what happened." she said, dragging him behind her.

The purple haired man turned towards me, "It was nice meeting you." he said, before disappearing behind a hedge.

I watched as they left and nervously turned back to Oliver who watched me with his hand crossed. I gulped. "Sorry." I let out weakly.

Oliver sighed, "You're lucky you got caught by Gakupo. If you got caught by anyone else, you would have probably been disqualified."

I nodded, feeling guilty. Oliver analyzed me before sighing, "I'm not mad, besides I'm at fault too." He said. "I expect good things from both you and Miku. It would be nice to see you two win and as your teacher I would be very proud. Please give me a reason to feel proud."

I nodded, feeling even worse. If I had done something bad, It would most likely go back to Oliver. I didn't want to cause him any trouble. Oliver seemed pleased with my reaction and nodded. "Let's go back."

I felt disappointed, but it's not like I expected much. "Alright." I paused, "Can we come back here again?" I asked, hopefully.

Oliver gave me a small smile, "Of course."