Despite its grim history, Madeline’s High School was buzzing with activity. The buildings were decorated with DIY crafts, and mini-games and food stalls were set up in the school’s Japanese Garden, students were organizing and running class stalls, and art and craft stands were located at the school’s entrance enticing everyone to come in.
Emma and Jake wondered about the school’s attractions and displays when her eyes fell on a DIY butterfly hairpin on one of the stalls. It was decorated with green and purple gems and in the colors green, black, and blue. She stopped Jake and pointed at the hairpin and he bought it without hesitation.
“I’ll be done in a minute Beloved,” he packed her hair into a bun. “Done,”
The student tending to the stall gave Emma a mirror to look at herself in. She jumped up and down in joy.
“It looks beautiful! Thank you!” She squealed.
He smiled. Then a sudden commotion drew their attention. All the students stopped what they were doing and watched as a clocked figure walked into the school.
“Those distant hear the sound! Those near see the spectacle! All Akademi High School students, dead or alive, prepare your eyes for greatness and blessings! Your queen has arrived!”
The cloak disappeared and rose petals were thrown. Under the blinding light, a girl with purple twin drills wearing a purple outfit fit for a Japanese Empress appeared.
“Gah!”
“She’s here!”
“I can’t believe it!"
“And after such a long time!”
While everyone squealed in awe, Emma's eyes widened in terror. “Kizana Sunobu?”
“You know her Beloved?” Jake asked stunned.
She nodded stiffly. “She is supposed to be dead.”
Jake smirked as he looked back at Kizana. She was surrounded by students who commented on her looks and make-up. She was touched by some, while others brought their goods to her. Her purple eyes fell on Emma and Jake. Grinning, she snapped her fingers and a bright light surrounded her. As soon as the excitement subsided, everyone gasped in awe as she appeared in her school uniform. She had purple stockings decorated with red roses and a red armband with a comedy and tragedy mask on it.
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“Look familiar to you?” she asked while striking a pose.
The crowd screamed and everyone gathered around her. Soon she was carried in the air by the crowd and taken to school.
“What a b!tch!” Jake remarked while folding his arms.
“I’ll say it. It’s clear from that transformation she wanted me to see her,” she said.
Jake scoffed. “Do you want to enter inside?”
She nodded and they walked inside, past the shoe lockers, and headed straight to the school’s fountain. It was there that they observed Amai organizing her food stall and selling cakes and pastries to the students.
“Thank you! Make sure you come to my bakery afterward," she said.
“Wow! This tastes tasty," a student said.
“I agree."
“Yum!”
“This is good!”
Amai smiled at the compliments, looked up, saw Emma and Jake, and waved them over.
“Hello! What did you think of the bread?" she asked.
“It was delicious. Thank you,” Emma replied.
She grinned and brought out a huge basket full of bread from under the table. “I baked these for you.”
“Oh no! We couldn’t…” Emma began but Jake interrupted her.
“Of course, we will take it. How much?”
It's nothing," she said as she looked deep into Emma’s eyes. “Take it as a ‘Thank you' for defending my job."
Emma suddenly remembered what she told Regina that night and smiled. “Thank you so much.”
“I am sorry but can you hold on to them until we return?" Jake asked. “We want to look around for a while.”
"Of course," she replied, and she placed the basket under the table. “Do you need anything else?”
The couple shook their heads and walked back to the shoe locker room where they saw Kizana talking to someone.
“Is everything ready for tonight?” she asked.
Quickly hiding behind the corner, the couple watched the conversation.
“Yes it is,” he replied.
“Good. The play will commence before the bonfire dance. I want everyone to attend. Do you understand?” she commanded.
“Yes your majesty,” he replied bowing.
‘What is taking place?’ Emma wondered as Kizana walked towards them but turned right and left through the door where the school’s fountain was.
The couple looked at each other, nodded, and walked towards the door. Jake grabbed Emma’s hand and the two avoided eye contact with Amai as they walked towards a bench and sat down.
“Do you want to see some pictures Beloved?” Jake asked taking out his phone. “I have some ideas for Christmas decorations.”
Emma nodded and looked at the phone while Kizana glared.
“Aww don’t be like that Kizana,” Amai said with a smile.
Kizana put her hands on her hips and glared. “What did I tell you about feeding the students before the play? Thanks to you, I had to change my plans.”
Amai smiled softly. “I am sorry Amai but you know me. I always book this day to sell my goods and you will have to take it no matter what.”
She folded her arms and turned up her nose. “This play has to be perfect.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You know this will be the last time we see this school in one piece,” Kizana looked back at her with narrowed eyes. "We have Oka Ruto's word."
“Oh? As far as I could tell, you didn't believe Oka's words. You hate her remember?”
At this, Kizana scoffed and looked at her nails. “Yes, I do hate her but don’t forget she is the only one still alive among us.”
Amai chuckled. “Of course, I know that but I feel things will be different this time.”
“That’s what you said the last time and things still remain the same,” she turned her back to her. “Keep doing what you do. Now that I think about it, hungry students are worse than an unresponsive audience.”
"Aww! So you care about them!” Amai clapped her hands together. “Wonderful!”
“Well you could say my time spent being a pauper in the Other World taught me some humility,” she quickly turned around and pointed at her. “Don’t you dare tell anyone that story. Understand?”
“Your secrete is safe with me. Enjoy the festival!” Amai waved.
Kizana scoffed again and walked away from the scene. The couple looked up from their phones and walked back to the shoe lockers.
“You were right Beloved. She is dead.” Jake said.
“More like being dead but reincarnated," Emma said, placing a hand on her chin. “At least we know what she is doing here and Oka Ruto is still alive but where is she?”
Jake closed his eyes and opened them revealing golden eyes. “I sense dark magic here and it is not good."
“Really? Where is it?” she asked.
“Near the school’s pool. I have to check it out.”
“Can I come?”
“No, you can’t. It’s too dangerous.”
Emma huffed and stubbornly put her hands on her hips. “I can take care of myself. I am not a baby.”
“I know,” he pecked her on her cheek and looked at her smiling. “But don’t you think it’s better to leave the supernatural to me? Especially with your… condition.”
That snapped Emma back to her senses and she smiled sheepishly. “Yes, you are right. I have to look for the book I saw in my vision anyway.”
Emma’s POV
His hands reached out and caressed my face as he stared at me with those golden eyes of his. While his arms snaked around my waist, I wrapped my arms around his neck. Gazing into my eyes for a few seconds, he kissed me. I thought it was going to be a quick kiss, but he deepened it for a while before letting me go with a sigh.
“I love you,” he whispered hugging me close.
“Please come back alive,” I reply planting a quick kiss on his cheek. His eyes glowed again and he quickly let go of me and disappeared.
'Wow!' I exclaimed but quickly snapped out of it. ‘No don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.’
After scolding myself for the umpteenth time, I head to the library and once there, I look for the book with a red cover. Unfortunately, I couldn’t concentrate because of the kiss. Luckily for me, there were a few red books.
‘What is happening to me? I’ve never felt like this before.' I put a book back and take a deep breath. ‘Come to think of it, I always asked for kisses in my relationship and his lips were soft…’
“Hey!”
My eyes narrowed in anger because I knew who owned the voice. “What do you want, Agatha?"
“Look at me when I talk to you,” she demanded.
Rolling my eyes to Heaven, I turn to look at her. There she was decked out in the purple shirt and shorts I painstakingly made for her while we were dating. From the bits of mold on the white stripes, it was clear she just dumped it in the first place she could think of; her bathroom.
‘At least Jake appreciates the things I make for him...why am I thinking about him? Stop it!’
“Come on let’s go.” She said while snapping her fingers at me.
“I am not your dog,” I reply turning my back on her only to be pinned to the bookshelf behind me while forced to look at her. “What?”
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Be specific Agatha. I am not your search engine.”
“Why did you kiss him?”
I rolled my eyes again. “What’s wrong with kissing him? He is my boyfriend.”
“You are supposed to kiss me not him?” she pushed me again. “If you are trying to get me jealous, you got it. So stop alright?”
“Only a narcissist would think I am trying to make you jealous.” I shoved her away from me. “Back off. I am looking for something.”
She looked at me shell-shocked before I turned around to look for the book. It wasn’t on the shelf behind me so I walked to the shelf to the right.
“I am really shocked you guys got together after embarrassing him in P.E that day.”
I ignored her and flipped through another book.
“And if I recall correctly, you cooked for me.” She continued. “You used to take care of my homework, made sure I wasn’t late for school, save me from trouble. Heck, you also defended me from street thugs who harassed me for money.”
My blood boiled when I remembered the day she told me how she had stolen money from them. Since we didn’t have the means to pay them back she threw me into a state of panic telling me all the terrible things they planned to do to her. So I joined the martial arts club, had private lessons on how to use a knife, and set traps from the instructor who was an ex-militant. I also studied any martial arts manga I could lay my hands on.
I did all that to save her a$$ and got nothing in return. Sighing deeply, I go to the next bookshelf and grab the next red book.
“You used to do anything for me and now that you are with him...”
The room fell silent as I grabbed another red book.
“Do you know how embarrassing it is to come to this cursed school? Do you know how insulting it is to watch you hang around with someone else than me when I am still in love with you?”
I grab another book and upon opening the first page, I see the words CAKES AND COOKIES written in bold print. Flipping through it I find the recipe for Cat Ears and grin. ‘Yep, it’s the one.’
“You know, boys like him only want one thing and it's f*cking disgusting.”
I heard enough. “Why are you trying to make this situation like a romance manga where a heartbroken love interest begs the stereotypical female lead to return to him after she finds happiness?”
She groaned. “Is everything a manga in your eyes?”
“The situation looks familiar," I say putting the book in my bag.
Groaning again, she stomped her feet in frustration. “You see! This is it! This is the kind of behavior that makes me angry!"
“Angry enough to drop a bucket of ‘milk’ on me?” I snap back.
"Oh, my ancestors! For the last time! That had nothing to do with me!” she screamed clutching her hair.
I point at her. "Don't bring your ancestors into this. You've shamed them enough.”
She let go of her hair and stared at me with sad eyes but I wasn’t buying it. Then I looked behind her and noticed Mrs. Yamada staring at me with a blank expression on her face.
“Good afternoon Mrs. Yamada,” I greet.
Agatha raised an eyebrow and turned around to see her. "Who heck are you?”
“Wow. Rude as always,” I muttered with a grim expression on my face.
“Can you excuse us for a moment?” she asked. “I want to speak with her privately."
Agatha scoffed and arrogantly flipped her hair. “Look missy, if you want to talk to her you have to pass through me.”
“Agatha please leave,” I said but she didn’t budge. “Leave!”
She turned around and glared at me. “Why?”
“Just leave!” I yell pointing at the door. “Get out of here!”
ns 15.158.61.51da2
