An Update!

Making You A Better You

Chapter 8

~Kahoko's POV~

After realizing the shocking truth, I waited for Retsu for his replies and afterwards said good night to him. As soon as I shut my laptop off, the Ice Prince shuts his as well…

Retsu: You do know that I live in a rich family. My parents had decided on who I'm going to marry. Now I don't know what to do... I didn't even know and especially I don't think I'll ever like the girl. She might be only after my family's money like the other girls who forced themselves just to be near me.

Mr. Ice Prince does live in a rich family. It's really obvious seeing this mansion. And his mother decided on his fiancée, me. Retsu is Ice Prince after all... I feel like crying… That means Retsu was actually the one who said those horrible things about my playing. "The way you play your violin is like one of a kid. It sounds horrible." To think he can say those with a straight face… Retsu also thinks that I'm only after his parent's money… NOO! My image of Retsu's kind, caring and warmhearted personality has been destroyed! His real self is actually the opposite! NOOO! God, why is reality cruel?

I buried my face on my pillow. "Why?" I shouted, muffled by the pillow.

"If you're going to make noises please do it somewhere you won't disturb anyone," Retsu said, glaring at me. To think he was kind back when we were chatting together.

The next day, I woke up early and hurriedly made coffee after waking up, making sure to make the coffee black. I ate my breakfast, prepared myself for school and left before I bumped onto Retsu. Of course, as long as we live together, it was inevitable for us to meet. On my way to the front door, I bumped onto him and received a glare from him. I said sorry and ran my way to the door.

By the time I got to the gates, I saw Shinobu on his way to the mansion. He got surprised seeing me early and prepared.

"Who are you and what did you do to the always late Kaho?" Shinobu asked as he approached me.

"I ate her up," I answered with a smile. "Good morning!" I cheerfully greeted Shinobu with a hug.

"Morning. How was last night? Still not friends?" Shinobu asked and took my bag. I insisted that I'll carry my bag but Shinobu just lets me carry my violin. We walked towards Seiso Academy.

"I'll never be friends with the Ice Prince," I said while walking.

"Why not?"

"He's annoying, arrogant and so cold towards me. He wouldn't even greet me with a 'good morning' instead he greets me with a glare! What did I do to him to make him do that to me?" Shinobu kept quiet and so I continued. "He treats me as if I'm a thing or an animal. He makes me sleep on the floor and he's so strict. He asks me to do something but then scolds me for doing it. Do you know that he's so sensitive to sounds to the point with a little thud he gets irritated? I don't like him at all and I think I'll never like him".

"Don't say that. You might like him someday," Shinobu said.

"Yeah, right. Like that'll happen. And it's confirmed,"

"Confirmed?"

"He's gay!"

"What if it's Keiichi who's-"

"He's gay!"

"Okay," Shinobu said, smiling nervously at me.

We reached Seiso and saw the blonde boy who was with Retsu.

"Keiichi, good morning," Shinobu greeted the blonde boy.

Keiichi, who was carrying a cello behind his back and had a dazed expression, stopped and looked at us. "Ah!" he said slowly with a sleepy tone. "You're Shinobi… good morning," he greeted Shinobu.

"It's Shinobu," Shinobu corrected. "How's your day so far?"

"The fish in the market looked tasty," Keiichi replied, nodding.

"That's not even relevant to your question," I whispered at Shinobu.

"Is that so?" Shinobu asked Keiichi.

Keiichi nodded and started entering the academy. By the way he looks, he looked cute and adorable but I wonder if he's okay to reply something irrelevant to Shinobu. He looked too innocent to be gay, surely it was Retsu.

Ever since I learnt the shocking truth that Ice Prince is Retsu, I started avoiding Retsu. He was never bothered by my actions, which was good, but knowing that I'm not doing my task well is making me feel bad and indebted to the Tsukimori's. I have to act like his fiancée and attend to his needs but I can't do these simple things because of his annoying personality. Shinobu had suggested that I befriend the Ice Prince but whenever I've gathered the courage to be friends with him, like how snow storms struck countries, I freeze up just seeing his glare.

After three days, it's become a week since I last accepted the job. As expected, I had no progress with the Ice Prince and the more I ignore him the more we become like strangers to each other who sleeps in the same room.

It was Sunday and there were no classes. I left the Ice Prince lock himself in a soundproof room in the mansion and busied myself with math homework. I bet the Ice Prince has finished his homework since he's one of the students in class that gets high marks in any subject. I tried solving problem number one and ended up stuck there for a complete one hour. I was already frustrated just reading the problem. I saw Ice Prince cross the living room, where I was doing my homework, and saw him took a glance at me then continued going to the kitchen.

"Gah! Why do we need math?" I asked myself and started reading problem number one. "No matter how many times I read it I can't solve it!"

The Ice Prince came back in the room carrying a mug. "Number one is already the easiest problem to solve," he said as he passed by.

"It's because you're a genius," I mumbled angrily.

After another hour of being stuck on problem number one, an idea came to me. Why didn't I think of it before? I can always use Ice Prince's answer as a reference in answering! I know it's wrong but it won't be bad if I used is as a base for checking if my answer is correct. I went to the soundproof room where he was and only stopped at the door. I don't want him glaring at me and saying something bad about me. He must be practicing. Surely he'll say something rude if I intrude.

I left him alone and decided to just secretly check the answers. I went inside his room and started looking for his paper on his study desk. After searching and not seeing it there, I looked at his school bag. I know it's bad and he'll be angry if I touch his bag but… as long as I do it fast, he won't know. I reached for his school bag, sat on the floor and started searching for his homework.

"Where would he put his homework? Just a small peek won't hurt". I took his notebooks and flipped them open to check if it was there and gently put it back in his bag. I even opened some folders to look for that stupid math homework but it was not there. "Where is it?" I asked myself.

"Try looking inside the blue folder beside the bag"

I took the blue folder and found the golden homework. "Ah! It's here!" It made me happy for a few seconds but after realizing the voice of the person who suggested me to look there, I flinched.

I slowly turned around to look at the person. The Ice Prince stood there motionless, arms crossed with an angry expression. I can see a blizzard behind him.

"Umm…"

"Ask permission if you're going to touch other people's belongings!" he shouted angrily.

"I-I'm sorry! I just… I know what I did is wrong! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" I said, getting scared. "I just wanted something as reference for my assignment," I said, I suddenly felt myself crying.

I saw him lift his hand and then he started aiming for me. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact of his hand slapping my face. Instead of feeling pain, I felt the golden assignment leave my hands. I opened my eyes and saw Ice Prince sighing.

"Stand up," he said. I obeyed and stood up quickly. "Sit over there," he said, pointing at a chair near his study table. I obeyed. "Read the problem," he said and I obeyed. I read the problem out loud. After reading he asked, "What did you understand?"

I answered, "None".

~Len's POV~

"What did you understand?" I asked this strawberry girl.

"None", she answered making me feel like a heavy rock just fell on my back.

"How can you not understand the problem?" I asked. It was the easiest problem among the rest in our homework and yet she didn't understand a thing? "In solving math problems you have to understand the problem and look for what is being asked. Read it again!" I ordered her.

It made me want to help her with her homework after seeing her desperate expression to answer her homework even going to the point of looking for my homework. Of course it made me angry that she touched my things without permission but I ended up letting it go after seeing her cry. I taught her math and it took us four hours just to finish a ten item math problems. She kept on making the same mistakes and kept on miscomputing the same parts. I even made her sample problems to practice on.

"Thanks," she finally said after solving a sample problem I made for her. Surprisingly she got it correctly for her first trial.

I just nodded at her then I saw something. "You cannot use magic in math! When did four times two became twelve? Even if the final answer is correct if the process is wrong it's still wrong! Resolve it!" I ordered.

"Eh? Okay," she said and started solving again.

I watched her solve from her back. Her handwriting is not that good but it's a bit understandable. I saw her scribble numbers just to add large numbers and then erase it. Those were the few things I noticed while she solved the problem. The thing that kept me behind her back was her scent. She smells like a strawberry with a mix of a marshmallow scent. I don't get it but I've been craving for strawberries ever since I smelled her.

"You two seem to be getting along well," I heard a familiar voice. I looked at mother who was standing just before the door frame.

"Mrs. Tsukimori!" I heard strawberry girl say while standing up. She bowed down and greeted, "Good evening!"

"Good evening, Kahoko. Sorry, I must have disturbed you two," mother said.

"Not at all," I said at the same time as strawberry girl.

Mother smiled at us and said something that made me remember not to waste time. "Kahoko, are you going to audition tomorrow?" mother asked the strawberry girl. I excused myself before hearing the strawberry girl's response. She can play an instrument as well?

Hahaha... I think I made them OOC, forgive me XD

Hope you guys liked it! :D

Thanks for reading~