@sakura_drop_: I read your stories! Your english is really good, too!
@Seika: AHH! I read your stories too! I hope you would update your heart breaking GekiBlack fic soon... And your first language is tagalog? So you're a filipino?! Because I am, too. xD
@yukofan: I'm deeply sorry for the long wait... And thank you for reading the prologue!
@kahem: Yes! well, I was wondering why there wasn't that much RinoRie fic here, so I thought of making one, even if I'm not that good yet
Thank you for reading!
Kind of short... I'm sorry
Chapter 1What I hated the most about myself is the fact that I am more like the type who would give up in the end.
An example of that is how I easily would give in to someone’s request after a few seconds of saying “No”. It has always been my weak point, but at the same time, it was the only quality that my best friend, as she said, was positive in me. Even though she herself was as negative as I am.
That’s right; I’m a negative type of girl.
What that means? Well, that can wait later.
“WE’RE HEEEERE!”
My said best friend, Sashihara Rino, exclaimed happily as soon as both of us arrived at the arena where the concert will be held. Apparently, the concert will start around midnight; in other words, I will be forced to go home in the morning.
“You’re so noisy, you damned wota.” I cursed under my breath and immediately received a pout from her. “What?”
“I knew it.”
“Huh?”
“You actually hate the fact that I’m a wota, don’t you? Like, you’re only coming here with me just because you feel bad if you would abandon me. And that all of those pretty words you said to me back when you first found out about my wota self were a lie…”
There it is… That doubtful side of hers… I’ve always hated it, yet, at the same time, I found it amusing how she could think of such things in one go, well, it’s not like it’s the truth anyway.
“You’re thinking too much, Sasshi. Why don’t we just go in? All seats might get occupied if we’re just going to stand here.” I smiled at her, hoping that it would at least cheer her up, even if it’s just a little. Thankfully, it was a success as she beamed her billion-watt smile back at me and grabbed my wrist. Before I knew it, I was being dragged in by her.
As expected, as soon as we entered the arena, she started yelling out like crazy and started waving the disposable light sticks she just bought up in the air. Much to my surprise, she was well known to the other wotas too, as some even greeted her good evening when we were on our way in. Well, a female wota who would go as far as taping Idol pictures on her shirt was unusual anyway, so I suppose that’s to be expected.
The arena was wide, and it seemed as though everyone in there, aside from me, bought light sticks with them. Even though the lights were already out, thanks to the light sticks, it was still bright.
Sasshi cheerfully called out her favorite Idol’s name as soon as they walked out from the back stage, and once again, began yelling out like there was no tomorrow. Her smile whenever she would cheer for them was much different than what she usually puts on in school. As though today, I’m with a different Sashihara. A side of her that I rarely see.
Since I didn’t know much about the Idols in front of me and I obviously had no clue about wotagei, I remained silent. Sitting down on my chair calmly while watching everyone else cheer ever so happily.
Eveytime Sashihara drags me in a concert, it always ends up like this. She would always forget about my existence and instead, just continue on with her wotagei-ing.
That’s fine though. It’s better than being dragged into dancing randomly with her.
Feeling my drowsiness ruling over me despite the noisy crowd, I slowly closed my eyes.
-
“WHAT DO YOU THINK WERE YOU DOING?! SNEAKING OUT LATE JUST FOR A CONCERT AND COMING HOME PAST SIX IN THE MORNING?! YOU’RE A GIRL FOR GOD’S SAKE, KITAHARA RIE!” I jumped up a little as my mother continued on with her nagging. I couldn’t do anything else but to bow down my head.
If I were to answer her half-nagging question, she would get mad at me more.
But then again, if I just keep quiet here, she would get even angrier.
Really, Parents.
“If you do that again, I’ll make sure to leave your things outside the house before you get home. You hear me?!”
“Yes Mom…”
“Now go get ready, you have school today and I’m not letting you skip it just because you went to a concert.”
“Yes Mom.” I repeated before dully walking up to my room. Even though I’m still forced into going to school despite feeling dead tired, at least her nagging has stopped.
-
Even after a sleepless night, Sashihara was still beaming with energy in school. It even makes me wonder if her parents ever did worry about her staying out late. Or even her health. The black circles under her eyes were visible enough for a person standing five meters away to see, and yet, she still acted as though she has woken up after an eternity of charging herself.
While I, on the other hand, am close to dying from exhaustion.
Wherever this girl gets her energy, I need some of it.
“Kitarie~!” She called out to me after cleaning the board and clapping her hands clean. She didn’t even ask the owner of the seat in front of me if she could sit down on it. Seriously, this girl… “So, how was last night’s concert? Was it fun? Oh, by the way, you parents didn’t get mad at you… Did they?”
“They did, so much about you planning to explain everything to them if ever they got mad.”
She frowned a little with her lower lip sticking out, one of those childish faces she keeps on using on me just so I would forgive her. But I won’t fall for it. Not this time. Even though I keep on saying this each time she does this. “I’m sorry!” I jumped up a little as she suddenly clasped her hands together and bowed her head down, grabbing the attention of our classmates. I hurriedly placed her hands down and forced her to look up again. Still, she had that frown on, “I needed to go home badly…”
I couldn’t help myself from letting out a sigh, “Alright, alright… I’m not mad. Don’t worry; it was just a little scolding, that’s all…” I spoil her too much…
“Ah! I know! As an apology, I’ll treat you to this maid café I know very well after school! Their omelets are great!” Once again, her billion-watt smile was back on her face. Her mood swings too fast… Way too fast. Wait, she wasn’t faking her frown now, was she?
I bet this is just her way for dragging me to that café along…
“I’ll… Pass.”
“I INSIST!” She suddenly grabbed my hand while yelling out loudly, grabbing our classmates’ attentions again. I frowned at this, “Please, Kitarie, let me treat you, just this once! I’ll be a good girl, I promise! And we’ll go home early so that your Mom won’t get mad at you, I promise!” she even went as far as holding her pinky out. A pinky promise? Seriously…
Given with not much option anyway, I held my pinky out as well, “Alright… A promise, then…”
-
“Um… Are you planning to eat that pasta?”
It was a lame excuse to start a conversation, but it was the only thing I could think of at the moment. I just wanted to talk to her, I just wanted to pull her out from that silent atmosphere she was caging herself in. She was still a new transfer student at that time, a student who suddenly transferred at the middle of the semester
I found it weird that nobody even talked to her after she was introduced by the teacher. It must have been because she wasn’t even smiling at us at that time. It made her look like someone who didn’t want to socialize with the others. But I knew… I knew that behind those eyes, she wanted to have friends too. I was like her at first, after all.
I wanted to help her,
So I started a conversation.
“A-Ah, no… Do you… Want it?” Finally taking her eyes away from her tray, she looked up at her with her brows pushed down nervously. She looked like a scared puppy. And then I realized…
Ah… she must have been afraid… That’s why she didn’t smile in front of everyone.
“I can? Really?”
I tried to muster the friendliest smile I could give. And without even asking for permission, I took the empty seat before her and placed my lunch box on her table as well. I was afraid that she might reject me if I would ask her politely whether I could eat with her or not, so I decided to do it by force. Noticing her surprised eyes locked onto me, I smiled at her again in expects that it would at least spare me from being questioned.
And it worked,
She didn’t say anything nor did she even show hints of wanting to question me as to why I was there eating with her.
She just sat there in silence, eating her food while looking everywhere but me.
-
Feeling myself shaking involuntarily, I let out a muffled groan, burying my face in my arms more while ignoring the feint voice ringing on my head. It sounded as though it was calling for my attention. The voice was familiar. But I wasn’t sure as to whose it was. It was too feint for me to know… Too distant.
“Kitarie!” Finally, the voice was loud and clear. I slightly lifted my head as a result, my eyes popping open involuntarily as I wearily scanned the empty room in front of me. It was empty. No students were sitting on the chairs, the blackboard was clean… And the sunlight beaming through the window was in the shade of orange.
Orange?
“Finally you’re awake! You’re one heavy sleeper, I say!” Turning my head to the side, Sashihara’s face immediately greeted me, she had that pouty look on her face again, looking both tired and irritated. “Do you know for how long I was trying to wake you up? You were even muttering the word eat… It makes me wonder if you have anything else in mind but food… This is why you’re chubby…”
“I’m not chubby.”
I frowned a little.
So it was a dream…
Well that’s one nostalgic dream.
“Yeah, go say that to your Mom and let’s see what she says.”
“Don’t bring my Mom into this! You know how she always teases me about that.” I sighed loudly while rolling my eyes. “What time is it…?”
Looking at her empty wrist, Sashihara acted as though she was reading the time on her ‘invisible’ watch, turning to me afterward with a blank look on her face before bluntly saying, “Time for us to go to the maid café.”
This idiot...