BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The person beneath a white duvet, stirred.
A slim, pink digital alarm clock rested on the white bedside table, its soft LED numbers glowing in white across a black background.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The clock rung again, from her perspective, louder, as if it was furious that its owner had not woken up yet. The time was 7:30 am.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Slowly, a hand stretched out from the covers and started to feel around, looking for the source of the sound, bumping over a few things like a smartphone, a hairbrush and a wallet.
BEEP! BEEP! BE—
As the hand managed to press the power button on the clock, a deep groggy sigh emanated from under the sheets, as the owner, steadily rose up from under them. Her long dark brown hair, that went as low as her waist, a chaotic tangle across her back and her face.
She blinked her eyes open, the haze of sleep giving way to the familiar shapes of her room. The pale pink walls, the bed where she was, which framed the space. Directly in front was a small sofa, facing a small flatscreen TV that was hanging on the far wall.
Beside it was a vanity with a full-length mirror that leaned elegantly against one side, catching the soft morning light and doubling the sense of space.
The floor was covered in a thick white rug, that despite being in the middle of spring, because of a heater, still retained some warmth.
On the left corner, a door led into a compact personal bathroom. At 1.3 meters and stretching across the room’s width, it was fitted with a toilet and completed with a shower and a bathtub.
On the opposite end, was a walk-in closet that ran the entire width of the room. Tall enough for a person to enter, with multiple smaller storage units, it contained what one would usually find inside a girl’s closet, clothes, undergarments, bags and other things for school.
Everything seemed normal—except for the mountain of books crammed into one corner. At five books deep, the whole stack was as high as the ceiling, and looked ready to collapse at the slightest breeze. Indeed, the collection had fallen more than once before, judging from how some of the pieces were all but jammed into place.
It was a motley collection of different shapes and sizes, and in two languages, English and Japanese, spanning different genres, love stories, drama, thriller, sci-fi, the list goes on. There were even a few manga series added into the pile. All reflecting the wide and varied taste of their owner.
With both hands, she rubbed her eyes slowly, then she yawned, simultaneously stretching both her hands backwards, to their fullest extent, the motion accentuating her larger bust and voluptuous figure.
She then got off the bed, grabbed the hairbrush and her phone and sauntered over to her vanity before she gave herself a once over. Sharp almond eyes, framed by long lashes, they seemed to narrow slightly when she smiled, a trait that lent her expressions a quiet mystery.
Her nose, slender yet softly contoured, bridged the subtle difference between her Eastern and Western heritage, while her cheeks added a sculpted definition that caught light at certain angles, gave off a slightly rosy glow.
They matched well with her soft pink lips, which carried a warmth that contrasted with the cool precision of her Japanese ancestry. She reached for a small case on the vanity, opening the lid with a practiced motion, inside was the final detail of her morning ritual.
She slipped on a pair of reversed half-rimmed, rectangular glasses. With them on, even with the state her hair was in, she looked graceful yet slightly nerdy, striking but approachable, as if she straddled two worlds with ease.
With that done, she properly sat down and began to fix her messy hair, an act that took a few minutes of brushing. After her hair was restored to its natural look, long and straight, with gentle waves toward the ends and complemented by soft, long layered bangs parted in the middle, leaving soft face-framing strands, she checked the time on her phone, and promptly decided, it was time for her to eat.
She left her phone on the vanity, and made for the door. Upon opening it, a small shadow darted forward and leapt toward her. She gasped, instinctively stepping back, her heart skipping as the blur rose up to meet her. Then, with a faint thud she managed to catch a familiar warm body.
“Rei-nee! Morning! Food!” said her little sister as she tried to clamber onto her body.
“Whoa—!” she gasped as she managed to catch the small form of her sibling. “Kohana-chan, don’t just suddenly jump on someone like that. It’s dangerous.”
“Rei-nee! Morning! Food!” Kohana Hanazono (花園 小花) repeated without a care in the world, giggling all the while her elder sister carried her.
Reika Hanazono (花園 麗花) wanted to get angry at her mischievous sibling, but couldn’t. Who could be angry at such a cute child, she thought, so she simply carried her small charge downstairs. How did she even get up, she wondered as they both got down.
Standing at 166cm tall, she was not particularly athletic, nor does she do any kind of training, but due to some factors, genetics she guessed, she stayed in top physical form. Or at least strong enough for someone who had not bothered to pick up anything heavier than a heavy almanac in the past decade.
In fact, she was one of the few students at their school not involved in any formal club. So, the reason for her ability to easily pick up her three-year-old sister was simply chalked up to youth and good genetics.
Because she was not part of any group, along with her beauty, which added a layer of mystery to her character, most of her peers, would often fantasize as to what she does when she goes home, when others would stay later at school.
Some say, she goes home to study, she is the top student in terms of grades, after all. She was, as many saw, blessed with wealth, beauty and a good mind, she was definitely bound for the top universities of their country.
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Other rumors persist that she goes home early to help her family’s business, or she has a part-time job as a model for a magazine somewhere. All rumors of course, she never had any interest in modelling. A waste of her time, her honest opinion she gave, on the multiple separate occasions someone tried to recruit her.
As for her family’s business, there was no need for her to help. From her room alone one could hazard a guess on how their current wealth compares. There were two other rooms like hers, one was used as a guest room, as well as a fourth, a master bedroom inside the house—or mansion.
Their veritable modern palace came with a spacious living room, separated dining room and kitchen on the first floor. It also came complete with a patio and a balcony with a covered parking space. Their kind of house is rare by their country’s standards, needless to say, that her family was wealthy.
This is because, her parents, or to the few who knew the truth, her adoptive parents are successful individuals. Her mother Himiko Hanazono (花園 火巫女), standing at 164cm, is her real father’s sister, thus making her, her aunt, is a best-selling author of multiple books.
While her father, Seiji Hanazono (花園 清司), 171 cm tall, is an accomplished architect with several high-profile clients, ranging from actors to wealthy businessmen, and even high-ranking politicians.
And because of their wealth, she was pampered, or according to one of her friends whom she both liked and disliked at the same time, spoiled.
So, instead of worrying about family matters or worthless things, she was more interested in going home, lounging on her sofa, falling asleep from reading books, and adding more to her already extensive collection.
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Narrator 1, note 1: Somewhere in the previous paragraph, in between any of the words, the phrase ‘while drooling’, should be added. I suppose the author forgot to put it there, but he’s just human. So, I’m to, you know, give everyone, just a small, heads up.
Oh, thank you narrator, you’re so handsome and clever!
He’s so awesome!
And attractive!
Smartest person in the cosmos!
Narrator 1, note 2: No need to thank me, random citizens, just doing my civic duty.
Narrator 1, note 3: Urghrk! Harghk! Harlp! Harghlp!
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Once they reached the dining room, they saw their mother setting down plates of fried eggs, bacon, boiled broccoli and some miso soup. There were already plates for three people ready. Her father must have already left, but judging from how her mother was smiling, he must have eaten what she had made for him.
It always brought a smile to her face to see her mother like this, healthy and vibrant. But according to her grandmother, there was a point in her mother’s life where she was neither smiling or even happy.
When she turned 18, she received devastating news. What began as a simple medical check turned into a full laboratory testing. She was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder where she could never have children. This news made her think she was less of a woman, and it shattered her plunging her into the depths of depression.
Day by day, her health dwindled. Her family tried everything to help her, at some point they managed to help her channel her grief into writing. Each work became less a pursuit of craft and more an outlet for her emotions, a way to keep herself from wasting away. Fate however had other plans.
The deaths of her elder brother and his wife did little to ease the suffering. Having lost one significant pillar of support, her mother, Nana Kagamiya(火神屋 凪夏) who was the current head of their family, proposed a plan.
With the deaths of Reika’s real parents, the family was left with an orphaned child. However, with a daughter who had fallen into depression over never being able to have a child of her own, the matriarch saw a simple solution.
Ever since then, Reika, was treated as her firstborn, even fighting to allow her to take her surname when her mother got married. Such things were a sensitive case, especially if the adoption was meant to continue the brother’s family line, but, her mother, was adamant.
“Good morning, Mama,” Reika greeted as she approached the table, her little sister now perched playfully on the back of her neck. “Hana-chan got upstairs on her own again.”
“Good morning, Rei-chan. Really? That girl, I take my eye off her for one second—. Put your sister down and have some breakfast,” her mother said as she wiped her hands with the apron she was wearing.
She obediently followed her command, placing her sister on her high chair. An act that caused her sibling to start moaning about wanting to play more. Her mother went around the large rectangular table and looked at her youngest directly with a stern look, then poked her little snubby nose.
Something warm and fuzzy blossomed in her chest as she watched this scene, as her little sister pouted back petulantly, and making her tiny cheeks inflate. Her mother then began lecturing the toddler about going upstairs alone.
Fate was fickle—or so she once read in a book. Against all odds, her parents managed to conceive her younger sister. It was a miracle of miracles, especially considering her mother’s illness was genetic, something no therapy or hormonal treatment could ever cure.
“Best get ready early, you know how Mother gets,” her mother said as she battled playfully with her diminutive charge. “You don’t want her to scold you if you are late for your trip.”
“Yes Mama. And don’t worry, I have already packed,” Reika confidently replied as she sat down and helped herself to the eggs and bacon.
It was April 13, 2019, and she was set to go on a mysterious paid trip, one meant to foster camaraderie and cultural exchange with counterparts from overseas. Or so the letter had said.
Nearly all of her classmates were invited, and all of them were going. In truth, she herself wasn’t interested with anything that had to do with that trip or the organization. As stated before, she preferred the company of books, and two of her closest friends.
Even if they quarreled and bickered like rambunctious children, which they do on occasion, the other two’s company was worth more to her than any amount of money or luxury. Yesterday, however, her best friend Shizuku Mochizuki, had called, and for all intents and purposes, asked her to attend.
She said something about missing out and since it was their last year as high school students, they should make some memories. If it were other people who asked her, she would have made up an excuse on the spot, but if her dear friend had asked, then there was only one answer.
Although, when she said that she was going, her grandmother went nearly ballistic. At first when she was leaning towards not attending, her grandmother was calm. But, yesterday when she was told, via the telephone, the anger from her was undeniable.
Her tone was cold, sharp like a razor, but Reika was certain, if she was near enough to see, her fury would be sizzling.
“Himiko, call the hotel, tell them, I, would be attending.” Was her command. It allowed no leeway for negotiation or misinterpretation.
Reika knew of her grandmother’s fury, and prayed for anyone unlucky enough to cross her path. What she was curious about was what caused this change. Her grandmother, like her namesake was calm outwardly, some would even say aloof. But that is simply a fa?ade, her true demeanor was much more, intense.
All of her classmates had wondered, and she was sure some had even investigated not only the legitimacy of the event, but also the group organizing it. The family of her best friend surely had done something similar as they had not only the means, but were protective of their children.
Maybe even overprotective, was her own private thought on the matter, especially with what they did with that announcement they made.
However, she had not heard of this Red Curtain organization before, yet, she had at least heard of the name of the organizer. But where? It took an afternoon for her to remember, but eventually she managed to.
It was Ae. More than a few years ago, he said something about him being a monarch, or was related to or descended from one?
She wasn’t sure, it was all that she could recollect, right until her mind wandered to her beloved Ae.
She wondered what he was doing now, since it had been some time since his last visit. Probably something smart or stupid, possibly both. He loved doing something like that for reasons that even eluded her. It was night back then and she drifted off while smiling.
Her last thoughts before sleep took her was, he had better not be thinking about other women, otherwise she might accidentally stab him.
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