• “You little brat! How dare you push me off the bed so early in the morning!”
    “Well next time, you should stay on your side instead of touching elsewhere you playboy pervert!” I shouted as I got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Akira followed me, I sighed. Every time we’re together, all we do is fight…it sucks to be engaged…
    “Wha…what the hell are you doing?!” My eyes widened when I saw Akira about to take off his underwear.
    “I’m going to use the bathroom, got a problem?!”
    “You should warn someone before you do that with them inside!” I run out and got dressed in my own walk-in closet that was set up.
    “You’re so loud in the morning.” Akira passed my closet.
    “Well if you hadn’t kissed me that time, maybe you wouldn’t have to deal with this whole mess!” I walked out after I got dressed. He glared at me while he buttoned the rest of his shirt.
    “Where are you going?” He asked, since I was dressed differently. It was Saturday and so no school.
    “I’m going to work, duh!” I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. He grabbed my arm before I could get out.
    “What?” I asked, not looking at him.
    “No, never mind…it’s nothing.” He dropped my arm and left before me. My eye began to twitch, did he just stop me so that he could leave first?! Oh my gosh I’m so pissed now!!! I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.
    “Good morning, did you sleep well?” Iruka asked as we entered the elevator together. I gave him a flat look.
    “It looks like I’m okay…but seriously I can’t take this torture anymore! Why is my father being so cruel to me Iruka?” I gave him a depressed face. Iruka narrowed his eyes.
    “You shouldn’t talk that way about your father, you’re lucky to even still have your father here with you.” I straightened up at once, that’s right…I keep forgetting that Iruka’s parents had already passed away long ago.
    “I’m sorry Iruka, I didn’t mean it really…”
    “It’s fine, I get that you don’t want to be married off, and Akira feels like the worst partner…but for your dad’s sake, just try being nicer towards Akira. Give him a chance.” Iruka gave me a half-hearted smile. I sighed and hugged him.
    “Fine, I’ll try…but I won’t like it.” I said. He hugged me back with a chuckle.

    “Reina, it’s very nice to see you here today.”
    “It’s my pleasure to be here, I’m glad you called since I haven’t done a movie in a while.” I smiled and shook hands with a director.
    “Yes, well for this role we needed to be sure we wanted you. No offense, but this movie involves singing and we haven’t seen you sing in any roles before so…”
    “That’s because she’s so bad at it, right honey?” When I heard this, I felt my eye twitch again. No he didn’t follow me…
    “Akira Fujikage! Wow, so you guys are both together today!” The crowd began to smile even more.
    “Yeah, well I wanted to surprise my fiancé.” He put his arms around my shoulder. I put on my fake smile.
    “Wha…what are you doing here?” I asked unevenly.
    “I didn’t have any work today so I thought I’d come and cheer you on.” He kissed my cheek sincerely in front of everyone. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from shouting something so out of my character. And that’s right, Akira’s contract was already broken…but he hadn’t told the public that he’d be leaving this life, so of course no one knew anything yet.
    “Aw, how cute!” The director, even though he was a guy, he still felt weepy about it. Grossness…but I told Iruka I’d try to get along with Akira. I sighed.
    “So do you need me to sing?” I asked the director.
    “Oh ha-ha that’s right! Sing this number for me and I’ll have to see if you pass! You will be performing only by this guitar that I‘ll be playing.” He handed me a sheet of paper with a smile. I didn’t know this song, how was I supposed to sing this if I didn’t know how it was supposed to go?! I need to calm down, I need to do this!
    “Reina are you okay? Just sing it how you think it’s supposed to be sung, as long as you can sing it you should be fine.” The director smiled as he picked up the guitar.
    “You don’t know how to sing, is that why you’re not your usual excited self?” Akira whispered down to me. I narrowed my eyes but didn’t look a t him. He was doubting my abilities?!
    “If you don’t want to do this and save yourself from embarrassment, then you should say so now.” Akira chuckled while he whispered again. How dare he!
    “Okay, I’m ready so please start!” Akira stepped away, and when the guitar began playing I started.
    ♫Today was the day...
    I found out this, why?
    I need you so much it makes me cry!

    Now it's so hard to say
    How can this be?
    Do you feel the same, the same as me?

    Cause I don't want to lose you right now!
    I just want you stay by me please stay around!

    I'm...having a hard time risking it all!
    One time, that’s all it took to really make me fall! So I'll try!
    To keep this between me and my heart!
    So nothing, could ever really tear us apart, this I know...
    I don't, want to lose you or let you go... ♫
    “Stop right there!” The director stopped playing and had a weird look on his face. I looked around the room and saw everyone just staring. Did I sing bad? Was I that awful?! Oh boy…
    “That Reina, was exactly what I’ve been looking for! I was really amazed that Reina can sing brilliantly too!” He clapped his hands happily. The room applauded, even though I think the lyrics are a little amateur like, I still need this job.
    “Wow, I didn’t know you could…” Before Akira could finish his sentence, someone began to applaud. I looked around and saw none other the young rock star himself…! Raiden!!!
    “Hello Reina.” Raiden grabbed my hand and kissed the top. I blushed, of course Akira never did something like that to me. He was always so forceful and rude. But I heard Raiden is a lot more cool but romantic! And I’ve never heard him in some time of scandal…
    “What is a rock star like you doing here?” Akira asked with a soft glare.
    “I’m the male lead of this movie, I‘ll be playing Kuro.” He smiled to Akira.
    “How have you been Rain? You look beautiful.” Raiden twirled me around to see how I looked.
    “Rain? She’s not some water droplet falling from the sky.” Akira said.
    “That’s the nickname I gave her when we first met while doing a movie together.” Raiden smiled and noticeably winked at me.
    “Those were great times we had on and…off set.” Raiden kept looking at me. I blushed, and suddenly Akira grabbed me close by the waist.
    “Well those days are in the past now aren’t they? She’s about to be married.” He said with his own little smile.
    “Married? To who? This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing!” Raiden got angry. He pushed Akira aside and held my hand again.
    “Rain, don’t tell me you’ve already found a guy you’ve fallen in love with?! Who is this damn fool who has bewitched you and your heart?!” I looked at Akira now, because he was somehow raging mad. He pushed Raiden aside now, and pulled towards him.
    “I’m Reina’s fiancé, don’t you know who I am? Where do you live, in the stone age? Did you too much guitars to your head?” Akira gave a full glare this time, to Raiden.
    “Fiancé, you?! Reina don’t tell me you’re marrying this nobody I haven’t even heard of before?!” Raiden pushed Akira and got between us again.
    “Yes it’s true, we’re engaged.” I said gently. I can’t believe it either, I wanted to yell out so much right now! Raiden suddenly looked all serious now.
    “Well I guess there’s not much I can do…I’ll just have to steal you away from this guy.” Raiden straightened up, and walked off.
    “I’ll be enjoying these times we are together Reina.” That was it for now, I sighed.
    “Well, as soon as you can we would love for you to notify when you will be able to shoot the movie. You got the part.” The director smiled and left us.

    The next morning I went straight to the set, without Akira this time.
    “Reina, so good to see you. I’m glad you can be here, would you like to start?” The director asked as soon as I was done with make-up and dressed for the part. I nodded and the camera’s began to role.
    “Hey check out those girls!”
    “They’re so cute!”
    “I think I’m going to throw up…” I whispered to Youko as we walked up the school steps, passing the desperate boys who were staring at us with devious smiles.
    “Oh lighten up Kaya, they think you’re cute. So what?” She smiled back. I rolled my eyes.
    “Well no where does a college application say I got through high school because I’m cute.” I said. She sighed.
    “Come on Kaya, it’s a new school, you can start over and everything! Plus, we’re seniors now, and this is our year!” She sounded like a whole inspirational speech that I didn’t even feel motivated by.
    “Hey ladies.” Some random guy said to us as he passed us in the halls.
    “Gross…” I said loud enough for only Youko to hear. She stopped in front of me.
    “Would you quite being so stubborn?!” I gave her the unexplainable look, and brushed passed her, holding down an emotion that I didn’t even know what it was yet.
    “Hey Kaya, wait up!” Youko caught up with me.
    “You don’t know what it feels like to be in my position. You don’t even know how it felt when I saw him do what he did, and act like everything is still okay between us!” I felt more in the need to be angry than cry my eyes out right now. Of course when I moved during the summer, I had moments that I cried non-stop…
    “Look, I know what he did to you was wrong. And I don’t know how you feel, but I know it hurt you real bad. But you need to get over it and move on! When you’re like this, he’s winning! Last summer, you focused on your dreams, and I focused on mine. This summer, I made my dream of being captain of the tennis team, come true…While you moped around unpacking and not saying much to anyone! Where is my best friend?! What happened to your dreams?!” I stared at her, along with all the other people in the hall that watched us. Without another word, I walked away silently as people began to murmur.
    “Um…we were just practicing to try out for the drama club!” Youko covered up our show before going to her class. I sighed in gratefulness that she wasn’t in my class.

    After I got to my class and took a seat, my teacher began to take roll of everyone. Usually I would snag a seat next to the windows, so I could see the world through my own perspective. I would imagine and daydream and paint the world in my own colors, just because it made me happy…and class would seem to go by faster. But this year, it was a new school…and a new me. So I took a middle seat next to the wall. More informed, but not too close like a nerd. I chuckled at my own joke…how sad I know. I knew if Youko was in my class, she’d probably drag me to the back window seats, since her thoughts like to linger out like mine. I smiled. Youko and I met during grade school, we also happened to be next door neighbors so it worked out perfectly when we became close friends. We also went to the same junior high, and it was all great! We had other friends, and she had her dreams and I had mine. It was just all so perfect. But…then my father’s job made him transfer across town and so Youko and I had to go to different high schools. Even though we were slightly apart, we kept in touch. We even met sometimes and hung out together laughing and having fun. High school is where I met Souta, and since he was the only person who made me feel comfortable, we also became close. Soon enough, his friends became mine, and we were all inseparable. But at the ending of last school year, something happened that made want to come back to this old school. And during the summer, my parents let me live with my older brother and he also welcomed me into his apartment. Coming to this school still felt weird, but it was no problem for Youko, because she’s always been here. She even made captain of the tennis club…
    “Hey, are you there?” I random boy in front of my desk asked me. He was passing back the first assignment. I wanted to say, I am everywhere just not here because my thoughts linger. But instead, I nodded once and grabbed the papers to pass them back.
    After a couple of hours, it seemed lunch had appeared on my plate…literally. Once the bell had rung, Youko was there in seconds to drag me to the cafeteria.
    “I had to make sure you at least ate, because I have a feeling that you’re not going to eat anything at home.” She explained.
    “So you’re my mother now?” I asked sarcastically as I picked at the weird food she grabbed for me. Her expression became flat, I hid my secret smile I didn’t want to display. During lunch, Youko made sure to take my mind off things. She kept on talking about things I didn’t really care about, but kept interest so she would buy the whole act.
    “Well that’s the bell, got to go.” I know Youko means well, but enough is enough already.
    “Well I’ll see you after school!” She shouted after me.

    After school, I felt relieved that I could finally go home and be alone. There’s nothing a good book couldn’t fix! Suddenly my phone went off.
    “Hello?” I answered after the second ring.
    “Please tell me you’re done with school?!” It was my brother Kouhei.
    “Yeah, I just finished. Why?” I replied as I waited by the school gates for Youko.
    “I forgot some files on the kitchen table, I sort of need you to bring them to me here if that’s alright…” He sounded like he was asking a question, but it came out as confused.
    “You want me to go all the way to your university?” I asked sheepishly. I really didn’t feel like traveling to where he was, I already felt depression soaking through me.
    “Yes, and I’ll make it up to you I promise!” He begged.
    “Okay alright, just stop with the desperation Mr. Desperado, I’ll be right there.” I hung up before he could ask me anything else.
    “Hey Kaya…” Youko finally walked over.
    “Hey, ready to go?” I asked.
    “I just found out that I have a tennis meeting today, I need to stay I’m so sorry…” Youko looked like she always did when she felt bad about something.
    “It’s fine, I needed to take something to my brother anyway.” I said.
    “Well okay, but I’ll definitely call you later on.” She went back to being cheerful again.
    “Okay, bye-bye.” I waved to her and went on my way to make a delivery.

    After getting to the apartment and taking the subway, I finally made it to the University that my brother went to as a freshman this year. I wonder where he was, he wasn’t answering his phone and I wanted to get this over with so I could get home already. For a second, I even thought about leaving it on the ground and hoping that he’d find it once he arrived. I sighed after I felt bad about thinking about ditching it. Maybe I’ll just head inside to find him already, I thought as I walked forward. Then I stopped quickly and also thought this was wasting my time!
    “Hey, are you okay?” I looked up to see a guy looking at me weird.
    “Not really, but thank you for asking…” I said.
    “Do you need help? You look confused…” He smiled kindly.
    “I’m fine.” I didn’t smile back as he came closer to me.
    “What grade are you?” He asked once he got closer.
    “I’m a senior.” I answered. There went the weird look again.
    “What?” I asked.
    “You look so young to be a senior…” He confessed.
    “Hey you made it!” My brother Kouhei spotted us and came over.
    “Is this your girlfriend Kouhei?” The other guy asked.
    “Kaya??? Dude, she’s my little sister!” Kouhei almost shouted.
    “But she said…”
    “I never said I was a senior in college.” I said sarcastically, shoved the file in Kouhei’s hands and walked away. Maybe I can salvage those wasted minutes while reading a book on the way home, I thought as I grabbed a book out of my satchel.
    “Kaya wait!” I stopped and turned around to Kouhei.
    “What now?” I asked in a flat tone. The other guys was laughing, I really didn’t know why and I certainly didn’t care to know.
    “Let’s go home together, I just need to turn these in and we can go.” Before I could refuse, Kouhei ran off back into the huge building. I sighed in defeat and walked back and waited on a nearby bench to continue reading again.
    “Sorry to have misjudged you back there…” Kouhei’s mysterious friend plopped down next to me.
    “All is forgiven stranger.” I said without looking at him.
    “Oh that’s right, my name’s Kuro.”
    “I wasn’t aware that I had asked for your name, but thank you for notifying me.” I said without looking at him.
    “You’re really friendly.” He said sarcastically.
    “Yeah, you should stop to see my other friendly moods.” I said in a flat tone.
    “What’s wrong with you? Did I offend you in any way?” He asked.
    “Trust me, you make me happy just by keeping me company, there‘s nothing wrong with what you‘re doing.” I sighed.
    “Do you mean that, or are you being sarcastic again?” He asked.
    “She’s being sarcastic, she’s been like that lately. Don’t mind it, once you get to know each other it’ll get better. Not that I’m saying you should get comfortable, shall we go now?” My brother said after he rushed over. I didn’t notice that this Kuro guy was coming along until he got into the car with me and my brother.
    “Are we dropping him off somewhere?” I asked.
    “Not today, his apartment is being remodeled so he’ll be staying with us for a while.” My brother said casually while starting the car. This cannot be happening, I can handle my brother because he’s my brother but…another guy living with us? That’s just insane, I’m really locking my bedroom door tonight! I just don’t trust men at all…
    “Cut! That was great Reina, we already finished some scenes in three days. I hope you’re juggling school and work in a balanced form?” The director asked.
    “Yes, I have time for my studies as always and to rehearse with Akira.” I smiled.
    “That’s wonderful to hear Reina, well I’ll see you again tomorrow!” He left to talk to the other actors and actresses.
    “You did really good these days Reina, I’m glad to have you playing as my best friend in the movie.” The girl who plays Youko came over to talk to me. Her real name is Haruna. She seems really sweet.
    “Thank you Haruna, you’re very great too.” I smiled.
    “Thank you, that means a lot coming from Reina herself! By the way, you’re really close to Raiden it seems.” She said gently.
    “Yeah, it’s because we worked together previously. He’s really nice and pretty cool to hang out with.” I nodded.
    “Oh…hey, can we become close friends?” She asked. My eyes widened a little, her question shocked me. But it felt nice to have someone like Reina to also have a celebrity friend or two. I smiled.
    “I would like that.” I agreed whole heartedly.
    “Great! Well then I’ll be going, I’ll see you later.” She skipped off. I wonder if this is really okay? I sighed anyhow and walked back to my dressing room.