Look at me (part 1)
Claudine has always been used to be the first. The centre of attention in everything she did ever since she was a mere kid, the star of every single child commercial and play she was part of.
She was used to hear her name being cheered loudly among the audience and everywhere she went. To hear her presence being acclaimed as well as her talent as a child prodigy beyond anything ever seen by far.
So when the child prodigy entered the well-regarded Seisho Music Academy expecting to be the best among all, she couldn't even fathom the thought of being gotten off her throne in the first place to be relegated instead to a petty second place by no other one than the thoroughbred Tendo Maya, the daughter of a renowned stage actor and a prima donna.
She couldn't help but find her brilliance not only overshadowed by the brunette, but also find herself turning into a mere shadow of the top star, the perfect partner to stand out the brunette's presence and make her brilliance shine harder than it already did.
But what was the worst of all, was to see her talent being so easily trampled by the brunette. To see how the top star and rival didn't even recognize her nor her talent.
It was seeing how Maya didn't even bother to spare a glance at her whenever she walked past her with that smug and infuriating smirk she always wore.
Another girl in her position would have easily felt threatened by this, frightened even, on the verge of giving up. But this only fueled Claudine to give the best of herself in her attempt to surpass the top star.
Sadly, with every revue between both stars, with every defeat of the ash-blonde, Claudine, far from feeling more fueled to surpass Maya and become more brilliant in order to get the title of top star as she had always aimed to, was only humiliated, looked down on as Maya's amethyst eyes looked everywhere else around them but at her.
- A dream is not something one has, it's something that enchants. Only one shall obtain that glittering star.
Maya's calm voice reciting those words echoes loudly across the dilapidated stage in which both stars just had their revue, a storm unleashing over their heads soaking everything as soon as the button of the loser of their fight hits the hard ground.
Claudine can't help but clench her teeth furiously as she stares at the button glittering across the ground, the raindrops colliding against it filling the tense silence between both girls with its pitter-patter, before she lifts her gaze to look at the brunette in front of her with a restrained rage that slowly disappears as the expression on Maya's face lashes at her as hard as the cold air blowing.
The ash-blonde gulps hard, a pained gasp escaping her lips as she observes the undaunted expression painting her rival's perfect features. The distant, almost expressionless look in her dull amethyst eyes as Maya gazes into the horizon not even bothering to spare a second glance at her from her place on top of a rock, before a smug grin spreads across her lips.
- This is Tendo Maya.
She hears Maya proclaiming herself proudly as the winner of their revue, hammering her sword into the infamous position cero to take possession of it.
The hurt bubbling inside Claudine soon, and anew, mixes with rage as the curtain falls hiding her from the sight of the brunette goddess in front of her, signaling how once again and no matter how hard she tried, how aggressive her attacks were, none of them did anything to the other girl but only lead her to another and almost crushing and humiliating defeat.
How, no matter how hard she tried, Maya never once spared a glance at her nor was dazed by the ash-blonde's brilliance.
Claudine can't help but grip the hilt of her sword tightly, before her hands begin to tremble until they fall to both of her sides weakly, the sound of her sword clattering against the wet ground along with an impotent sob from her that breaks the tense silence filling the air of the dilapidated stage.
Tears mix now with the falling raindrops wetting her face as the ash-blonde stares hopelessly at her sword resting on the ground, the sparkle of her black gem on it fading the same way her stolen brilliance does too.
- Why…
Her quiet and heartbroken voice gets lost in the middle of the drumming of the raindrops falling harder to die against the ground beneath her.
Why in spite of her hard efforts to try to defeat Maya, Claudine can never reach her. She can't touch her, and much least win against her.
Why in spite of everything, Maya can't even take a look at her and actually see her…
The ash-blonde shuts her eyes tightly as she hits the ground beneath her with her fists in clear frustration, more tears falling from her eyes and mixing with the rain.
Why Tendo Maya can't even deign to spare a glance at her, yet she seems to see Kagura Hikari, even daring to take a peek at her heart?
Just why!?
Another punch against the ground echoes around as Claudine recalls all the times she caught the brunette looking at the raven haired girl with a glint in her eyes that she couldn't even decipher.
Was it admiration? Curiosity? Or perhaps rivalry?
Claudine doesn't know it. She isn't even sure if she wants to know it, but she knows that the way the brunette looks at Hikari is completely different to the way she looks at her.
The way her mesmerizing amethyst eyes glint is completely different to the lack of emotions she shows in them whenever her eyes meet hers, especially in their revues.
Her reserved smile is too different to the smug and infuriating smirk Maya always sports whenever they dance or cross their swords in fights.
The careful way Maya holds the raven haired girl whenever they dance together in practices is completely different to the possessive way she has to hold her.
Another heartbreaking sob escapes the ash-blonde's lips as the last sparkle of her brilliance fades in between the pouring rain of her defeat, slowly giving up on trying to be seen by the top star. Giving up on trying to defeat her and be the star that she has always been ever since she was a mere kid.
A constricted feeling settles in her chest then, prompting Claudine to take her sword and use it for support to stand up so she can go back to the loneliness and safety of her own dorm, her dragged feet and serious and beaten demeanor not going unnoticed by a certain short pink haired girl on her way back to her own shared dorm with a certain sly and cheeky blue haired girl.