--Often the best way to overcome desire is to satisfy it. --W. Somerset Maugham--
Discordant Temptations
(Sometime long ago)
“Where is she?” His deep voice filled with rage upon opening the door to reveal nothing behind it.
Those green eyes of sapphire averted to the mere servant that stood before him—a hint of red making its way to his iris.
“I-I'm not sure, sir,” the servant replied. “S-she was not of presence when I arrived.” He, of course, knew the personality of the creature that stood before him. Every soul, mortal and immortal feared this man. But before he could even utter his apologies, the enraged creature seized him in a clad-iron grip and dug his fangs deep into the neck of the servant.
The bloodless servant was tossed carelessly against the wall as the creature before him gazed down at with him with green eyes laced with a darkened shade of violent red.
“It seems you're good for something after all,” spoke the creature as he reached up to wipe the dripping blood off his chin.
She let out a chuckle--a mere chuckle that deafened his ears. “What business do you seek out here?”
“Funny,” he chuckled, stepping into the moonlight. He cocked his head to the side. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
The light from the pale moon glistened upon his face, caressing it as the winter's cold breeze swept past him--kissing his soft brown hair.
The fact that he didn't even feel a chill was just the beginning of how heinous he was. Little did he know, this night would change—in meaning—for him. It was the night of a harvest moon, and he'd be reminded of it for eternity. Problem was, he didn't know it yet.
She looked up at him, crossed her arms, and smirked. “You're implying that the hellhole suited me, no?”
“You seem surprised.” he grinned. “That's where you belong, is it not?”
She frowned.”Don't tell me you plan on taking me back there.”
“I don't,” he said. “That's much too nicely put. I intend on dragging you back there. Alive or not.”
Again, she smirked. “Is that so?” She had a good grip on the dagger in her hands as she rose from where she sat on the bench. “That's not very nice, you know?”
“What gave you the impression that I might be nice?” he wanted to know—his gaze absentmindedly zeroing in on what she held behind her.
“Hmm,” she feigned ignorance as she turned to face him. “That's quite correct. Come to think of it...You aren't the least bit nice. You've never been.” She lurched forward, shoving the dagger deep into the pit of his stomach—the tip of the blade came out through his backside. Her voice was filled with malice as she whispered to him her last sentence. “Which is exactly why I intend on dragging you to hell with me, bastard.”
He let out a chuckle even as red liquid oozed out from his stomach—despite the knife still plunged in there. “You're an ignorant one, even as a half-half.”
Her eyes widened as she looked up to meet his now blood-red ones. With nothing more than a grip on the handle of the knife, he yanked it out and tossed it aside. Then, with a flagitious grin, he grabbed her by both her shoulders and pulled her to him. Ducking his head, he dug his fangs deep into her neck—her blood holding more appeal than the servant before.
“I'm sorry Nana,” his smirk was against her neck as he drew in her blood. “But you're going to hell alone.”
* * *
(Present Day)
Outside, the temperature dropped to a low of twenty-five degrees, the once green leaves began to dull. Overhead, the sun cowered behind a nimbus cloud—determined to hide there the whole day—but, almost as if sensing the cowering presence of the sun, the cloud slowly broke up.
“Nana~!”
With a sigh, Nani swung her bag over her shoulder and threw open her bedroom door—unprepared for the sight of her sister that stood there with an adamant glare.
“Jesus, why do you take so long to get ready?! We're going to be late, and I still have to go to Tammy's locker.”
Nani returned her sister's glare with a glare of her own. “Cute, Em. Move.”
Em let out a scoff. “You think you're cool, don't you? Just because you swore off make-up you suddenly think you're above all else? Well why don't you get up earlier if you're so cool!”
Her words held no impact on Nani as she eased past her younger sister and entered the bathroom.
“If I wanted to be cool, Em,” Nani held a solid stare at her younger sister, “I'd make you walk to school.”
Em was still in Nani's room when she got out of bathroom. With a groan, Nani pushed Em aside and went downstairs for breakfast. Her parents had already left for work—since they were doctors (known worldwide)—leaving breakfast ready on the table along with a note to remind her to call Kae later on.
Nani stepped up to the fridge and stuck the post-it reminder there. Of course she'd have to call her brother—today was his birthday. And, though he's already twenty-two, it was her mom who insisted she kept in touch with her brother while her three younger sisters got off easy. Em—short for Emerald, Pearl and Ammie—short for Amethyst—were the ones out of touch with Kae. Or, at least that was what Nani thought. In truth, however, even her sisters called Kae every now and then.
Her mom, on the other hand, was a little girly—just a little—enough to be head captain of the cheer squad. It was apparent, her mom's overly-feminine side, because she had, after all, named her daughters after some sort of gem. Excluding Nani. Each and every one of them possessed the last name Kil
Kil Kae. Kil Pearl. Kil Ammie. Kil Nani. And, of course, the name that hit home, 'Kil Em'.
“Wake up~!” Nani swung open the door to her other two younger sister's room —a plate of chicken and rice in hand. “C'mon, precious, wake up~~~!”
They merely stirred.
“Yah!” With a hard yank, Nani threw their covers to the ground and went over to the window, propping it open to invite the cold October air into the room.
“Nana!” They jolted upright, pulling the duvet up to their chests . “C-close the window!”
One of these days, Nani told herself, someone would get her name right. Everyone called her by 'Nana'--whether it be strangers or even her very own parents. One day, she told herself, some righteous person would get her name correct.
“Its freaking cold!”
“And you two are 'freaking' late,” replied Nani as she opened the other window in the room so cold air rushed in from both sides. “Now wake up. I'm not a morning person, either.”
Pearl groaned, “I've gotten tired of fourth grade.”
“Hah. Try fifth,” Ammie got out of bed, dragging Pearl along. “C'mon, Per. If we don't get ready on time, Nana might leave without us like last time.”
Nani grinned, reminding herself that, well, in her defense, she hadn't left without them. Em wanted to get dropped off at school early, so she'd paid Nani a couple bucks to send her to school early.
Nani had, after that, come back for Ammie and Pearl. For some reason, they don't seem to remember THAT part of the story.
Both Ammie and Pearl got out of bed, hand-in-hand, and shot Nani a glare as they closed both windows she'd opened.
Three glares in less than an hour. Nani grinned, not exactly a new record.
“We're gonna go get ready now.”
“Please do,” Nani said.
With a strict nod, they walked into the bathroom.
“Nana,” they said, hands on the door-handle.
“Huh,” She sat herself down on their bed with the plate of chicken.
“Y-you look stunning today,” Ammie said with a smile. Pearl nodded in agreement. “As usual.”
Nani smiled. “Thank you, but you still have only thirty minutes to get ready.”
Ammie gasped, slamming the bathroom door. “I compliment her,” she muttered to Pearl, “and she thinks I'm saying it to get extra time?!”
Pearl let out a huff. “Even though five more minutes would help.”
Nani had to give it to them. Though they're bothersome and a burden in a way...they're definitely adorable in another way. And not just because they know how to put the correct cards into play—complimenting their older sister, for example, because Nani figured that was merely their way of up so she'd drop them off at the front of their school. They love the image of getting out of a sleek black Camaro.
But with Ammie and Pearl—beneath the complaints and fits—they're actually adorable, Nani knew that.
And while her thoughts were on the track of siblings, Nani remembered that she had to call Kae. He picked up on the third ring—perhaps being woken from his sleep.
“Hm?” His voice was a mere deep grumble on the phone.
Nani confirmed her prediction that he'd just been woken up. “Hey, bro, good-morning.”
“Nana?” Kae, unlike everyone else, knew Nani didn't like being called Nana, but he insisted because he knew how much she despised it. He'd started doing that to her since she was a child, and the habit just grew on him. “You called me at seven to wish me good-morning?”
“And a happy twenty-second birthday,” Nani added. “You're getting old, bro. Are you going to find a girlfriend soon?”
“Jesus, Nana,” Kae laughed on the other end, clearly wide awake now. “Even I forget my own birthday sometimes and don't even start the girl stuff with me.”
“I know, I know,” Nana assured Kae, “I'm not Mom, or Em, I won't give you the lifelong lecture with relationships.”
“Good.”
“Great,” Nani went on, “so whenever you get a girlfriend, don't start calling me up and asking me what you should do.”
Kae merely scoffed. “I don't trust you that much, Na.”
“I figured,” Nani grumbled at Kae's other nickname to her. “Well, anyways, happy birthday, bro. Do good in school, study well, don't do drugs—and whatever else Mom and Dad often say. OH! Practice safe now.”
Nani laughed a mocking laugh before hanging up. At least she and Kae were on good terms, she thought, smiling at the phone.
Unlike...
“NANA~!” Em came running up the stairs, panting.
“If you want to go early, then just walk to school, alright?” Nani said through a mouthful of rice and chicken that still remain in her hands.
“Not that,” she said, still panting from the run up the stairs and—possibly—the run to the room.
It made Nani wonder, really, what is so important that Em would do this much exercise...
“Then what do you want?” asked Nani as she swallowed her food down.
“S-some guy is at the door asking for you,” she said all in one breath. “A-and he's fine as hell.”
Nani held a stern stare at her sister. “No, seriously,” Nani said, taking in more chicken meat and rice, and spoke through a mouthful. “What do you want?”
“NANA!” Em exclaimed—which kind of shocked Nani, because her sister seemed to be out of breath just seconds ago, “I'm not kidding, goddamn it!”
With a groan, Nani stood up. “If he's not fine as hell, Em, I'll kill you.”
“I'll spare you,” she whispered over to Em as soon as she saw the tall guy standing at the door.
Well yes, he's fine as hell. Which made Nani wonder why he was staring at her as if he couldn't really get his head around some kind of fact.
“Yes?” Nani asked when she got to the door—plate of food still in hand.
“Ask him to come inside,” Em whispered over her shoulder.
“You're Nana?” he asked.
Well, Nani thought to herself, that was rather rude. No smile, no 'hello', just straight up confrontation. Already, she knew she wasn't going to like this fine piece of...mankind.
He scoffed. “Of course you'd be Nana.”
He wore a single diamond-stud earring on his pierced left ear and a brass ring around his pinky. Around his neck was a silver necklace—almost a chain, but not as intimidating as a chain would've been. The necklace was tucked underneath his shirt, so the bottom half of it was hidden.
Nani couldn't help wondering what lay at the bottom of that necklace. If he had just ed that second button on his shirt as well...
Hell, she automatically volunteered herself up for the job.
“I'm not sure what you mean by that,” she answered, looking up at him. “But, sure.” He was tall, she noticed almost immediately. And he possessed the most beautiful pair of deep green eyes she thought she'd ever seen—or...maybe she had seen them before. They felt distinctly familiar...
Nani quickly broke eye-contact with him and stared at his...jaw.
Ooh, boy, he had a chiseled jaw-line~ The kind of stuff Nani realized she'd only read about in books but never quite seen—until this very moment in time.
Given, the first few rays of the sun weren't really coming to her aid. They were working against her, actually, seeing as how they gave that jaw-line a brush of soft light that made it so...chiseled, and made his skin look incredibly soft and smooth.
The fact that it made his chocolate brown hair look silky and soft was also not a plus on her side of the war.
The war of her jumping his bones, that is.
She shuddered at the thought, reminding herself it was her morning mood running away with her thoughts.
“And you are?” She finally asked him.
The fact that he knew her name and she hadn't told it to him beforehand didn't occur to her until after she asked him for his name.
“Ace,” he answered. His eyes held her silver ones, as if reading them for some kind of expression. “Moon Ace.”
“Kay,” she knew she was at a loss for words, so she spoke everything with thorough thoughts. “Nice to meet you, Ace,”
Nani immediately noticed the familiarity of his name on her lips, but why that was—she had no idea.
“This is Em,” she pointed to Em with her fork. Em shut up with her whispering-to-invite-him-in, which meant introducing her really worked perfectly well on Nani's behalf. “Out of curiosity, Ace, how did you know my name? I've never even told you—much less met you—before.”
Because, Nani assured herself, if she'd met someone as fine as he, she wouldn't have forgotten. Especially if he had THAT kind of attitude on THAT kind of body.
He gave a nod to Em which, not surprisingly, made her squeal from behind her older sister. Nani wasn't holding up all too well, either. She, herself, felt a squirm working its way to .
“It was written on the window of your Camaro,” Ace answered.
“Written. On my Camaro?” Nani's Camaro was the only thing, in her possession, that she cherished. Not because it was one hell of a ride, but because her grandparents had put a down payment on it beforehand—for Nani on her seventeenth birthday.
Unfortunately, they weren't there to celebrate it with her. The plan that they've had for over ten years...and they couldn't even see the expression on their eldest granddaughter's face when she received it. They'd waited a good long couple of years for that moment and it came only after they were no longer around.
Nani hadn't cried as much on any of her past birthday's, but that birthday—her seventeenth birthday—was the one day she cried mercilessly.
Nani was born on the full moon of the beginning of winter, December 21s.. And seventeen years later, she was given a Camaro from her grandparents. Her grandparents had passed away in a car crash just a couple of months before the day of Nani's seventeenth birthday.
And though Nani forced a strong front in front of others, underneath it all she was vulnerable as hell.
“Unless that midnight-black Camaro isn't yours...” Ace's voice trailed off. And, thought Nani had just met him, she didn't miss his teasing grin.
It was so beautiful, it was hell-worthy.
“Hold this please,” she shoved her plate of rice and chicken at him before pushing past him and dashing out the door towards the Camaro. The Camaro that had “Nani”, with a heart trailing afterward, written on the back window—in the snow.
It had snowed.
And Pearl or Ammie had written it with their fingers, Nani knew immediately.
Oh good God, Nani breathed, cursing Ace for not being more specific. And while her brain was wracking up sane thoughts about Ace, she managed to ask herself how Ace had gotten inside their yard. The electric-powered gate was locked.
With another curse, Nani treaded back to the porch where she realized both Em and Ace were staring at her in mock-amusement.
“Sorry,” she forced the words of apology out of my mouth. Its not as if he deserved them because God knows the last thing this man deserved was an apology.
Ace shoved Nani's plate of food back to her just as she finished up with her apology, “Shouldn't have shoved you out of the way like that, or shoved my food at you.” But, no, because he had shoved her food back in her hands, all she wanted to do now was throw it at him WHOLE and take back the cheap apology.
“Its fine,” he said with a glare at her that showed he really meant the opposite. “No harm done.”
No harm done to him YET, Nani assured herself.
And what was he doing here?, she went on to ask herself, clearly not just introductions, because not only is that impossible, it's slightly weird—at least, to Nani it was. Just slightly, because, really, who would mind a hot guy showing up on their front door just introducing himself.
Ace'd attitude, however, made Nani think twice about that.
“I don't mean to sound rude,” Nani began, eating the last piece of chicken on her plate. And, she did, as a matter of fact, mean to sound rude, “but, Ace, what're you doing here?” As in on her front doorstep. “And how'd you get into the yard?”
He looked at her as if she'd gone stupid—not a look she'd like to receive. “Your sister, Em, was kind enough to let me in.”
That's about the only kind thing she's ever done. And the fact that it was for him was not surprising at all, Nani admitted.
“Uh-huh...” Nani nodded, ignoring his look that mocked her stupidity. “And you're here because?”
His perfectly contoured lips formed a grinned, and Nani forgot about her temper—if only for that moment. “I'm new to Seoul and I need directions to the school.”
“The hot guy drives a Mercedes benz? THE HOT GUY DRIVES A MERCEDES BENZ!!” Ammie squealed in delight from the backseat. “Yah, Nana, unni, do you think Pearl and I could get a ride to school with him next time?”
Of course he'd drive a Mercedes, Nani scoffed.
“Ammie, sweetie?” Nani fought to keep her eyes on the road and not in the rear view mirror—where Ace's silver Benz gleamed brightly from behind her car. “Could you maybe be gracious about the fact that I'm being kind enough to drive you to school and not LET YOU WALK?” Upon approaching the red light, Nani slowed the car and looked back at Ammie with a glare. “Because, dear, doesn't that just sound swell?”
“I'm sorry,” she shrunk back in fear for a second before beaming up brightly. “Look! Green light! Go, go, go, Nana!”
Ace parked his Benz in the empty lot beside Nani's Camaro, and if his car didn't catch enough attention—HE did.
“Alright,” Nani said, forcing her legs to take her over to where he stood looking at the school. “Here we are.” She slung her bag over her shoulder, thinking of a great way to escape without being too obnoxiously rude. “I'm gonna get going now, but if you need a tour or something, feel free to seek me out.”
Em stood beside Nani, gazing up at him. It was like petrification. Nani stood beside her sister, realizing the stupidity of what staring could do.
And to think she, herself, was about to start staring at Ace as well.
“Let's go,” Nani grabbed Em's arm and dragged her after her towards the school entrance. “People are staring.”
Staring at him, Nani added, to be exact.
“Oh, Jesus,” Nani muttered upon realizing that she had taken the wrong book from her locker.
Still cursing, she spun the dial on the locker again and opened it, throwing the English book inside for the physics. She had just about slammed it shut before being pushed up against the locker by a few familiar faces.
“What the hell is your problem, Nana!?” Lyn.
“What kind of person are you?!” Liz.
“Are you even sane!?” Lori.
The L's.
“Ow,” was Nani's reply as she pushed Lori back. “That actually hurts, you know?”
They laughed. So much for their joke.
“Aw,” Liz threw her arms around Nani. “Sorry Nana. Didn't mean to get you mad.”
Every time, Nani thought to herself. Every time someone calls her Nana she'd feel like correcting them and she'd refrain—knowing well that it'd be pointless.
Lyn picked up Nani's physics book that she'd dropped. “Yeah Nana, but, c'mon. You should've texted us at least.”
“About what?” She managed to ask through their arms that choked me in a hug.
But that question made them drop their arms from around her in a heartbeat.
Liz frowned. “About what?”
“Nana, you show up at school with a guy like THAT and—”
“Oh god,” A groan escaped Nani's mouth, disliking the drastic turn of this conversation. “Not this.”
“Yes, THIS,” Lyn replied immediately. “Nana, do you KNOW who he is?”
Do I know who he is? Nani asked herself, Of course I know who he is.
“Moon Ace,” She answered. He's hot and rude.”So?”
“So?”
“Look, guys, its not a big deal,” She waved the topic off. “He's new to Seoul and just needed directions to the school.”
To Nani it seemed to be no big deal, but the L's begged to differ.
“Ahem,” Lori spoke up. “Gorgeous, sterling gray-eyed and long brown haired Nana.” She gave an exasperated sigh. “I guess, since you were new here in sophomore year about two years ago, you're probably not aware of the fact that Moon Ace attended our school freshman year and freshman year only.”
Nani's heart paused. Freshman year?
And then slowly, ever-so-slowly, it dawned on her that he knew the location of the school all the while.
“That bastard,” She managed to say after recovering from her dropped jaw.
Liz shook her head. “That bastard who happens to have a girlfriend. The boy's never single.”
“Speak of the devil...” Lyn's eyes looked behind them at the entrance. Turning around, Nani caught sight of Ace entering the halls with a group of girls surrounding him.
“C'mon,” Nani grabbed Lori's arm as she headed over to him. “I've got something to settle with this...this womanizer-wannabe.”
Though, really, Nani couldn't help asking herself how Ace could be a womanizer with such a personality. It was disgusting. That face, that body, with THAT kind of personality?!
God has a sick sense of humor, Nani concluded.
When he saw that Nani and Lori were walking to him, he stopped. And even though he stopped, his eyes looked Nani up and down—freely. “Nani.”
“Why did you lie that you were new to Seoul?” Nani demanded before she had even gotten close enough. “Why did you lie about needing directions here?” She paused, belatedly realizing— “You just called me Nani.”
“Why did you lie about your name?” he wanted to know—not half as serious as she was. He did, however, smirk.
It made her want to swipe that smirk right off his lips. And yet, the moment his lips drew in her attention she knew she'd be drooling shortly.
“I don't recall lying to you about my name,” Nani crossed her arms—almost as if in defiance. “And I most definitely do not speak lies.”
Not all the time, at least. She just didn't add that part in.
From underneath his strands of chocolate brown hair, Nani caught the slight raise of his eyebrows. “Is that so? Are you saying I can ask you anything right now and you'd speak nothing but the truth.”
“Sure,” She spat out—too furious at the moment to think about his request. “Ask your pathetic questions.”
“What is your last name?”he separated himself from the horde of girls by stepping forward towards Nani—who only stood up to his neck.
“Kil,” She answered—undaunted by his height, or posture, or eyes, looks, arms, biceps, smirk. God, she cursed herself, good God, he was good-looking. “Kil Nani.”
It was when she had said her own name that she realized the fool had called her Nani instead of Nana. That, is a first, and she told herself it was rather disturbing—for him to be the first, and the only. Well, so far.
“Kil?” He seemed to have fallen in a second's worth of thought. “That suits you well.”
What the hell is that suppose to even mean?!
“So, Kil Nani,” he leaned and lowered himself down towards her. He smirked. The diamond-stud he wore glistened, even behind those small strands of hair partially covering it. “Can you honestly say you haven't been checking me out today?”
Nani stood, petrified, as she continued to stare at him.
Those eyes, those lips, that jaw-line, his hair, that face altogether...and now that she thought about it...his body...is just as beautiful. Arms, abs...
“Don't impose me,” She uttered—turning her back to him, she stalked off with Lyn, Lori and Liz.
Nani had just finished throwing her books into her locker—at the beginning of lunch—when it slammed shut on her.
“Nick,” she said—after he had trapped her in-between his arms and the lockers. “What're you doing?”
And why, she asked herself, am I being picked on at my locker today?
“What're you talking about?” He leaned in closer to Nani—his brown eyes glistened. “We do this everyday.”And he went far enough as to tilt her chin up to him with his finger.
She didn't need to glance around to know that this was grabbing attention.
Nani's hand locked onto his wrist, twisting it. “And it always ends this way, doesn't it?”
“Ow,” he said, backing up. “Ow, ow.”
She dropped his wrist, heading towards the cafeteria. He followed beside her, grinning widely. “Nana.”
“What.”
“Promise me something,” he said. She glanced over at him and saw that he spoke with all seriousness—which was rare because Nick, though he's handsome and all, isn't exactly a serious person. Nani knew that, too.
“Is it something impossible?”
“Of course not,” he replied, much too quickly.
“Is it stupid?” Nani asked.
“Why would you ask something like that?” he wanted to know.
She gave him a look that spoke: Really, you're going to ask me that?
He frowned. “Are you gonna make this promise to me or not?”
“Sure,” Nani agreed. “What proposal would you like to make?”
“One day,” he began, the same look of seriousness still on his face. “One day, when I become a star actor, you have to agree to be my girlfriend.”
He cracked up at the end. “So? So? How's my acting? Its improved, hasn't it?”
True to Nani's thoughts, Nick—handsome, good-looking and all—is not a serious person.
Nani laughed, and upon reaching the cafeteria, she opened the door. “Yeah, Nick. You're acting has gotten so realistic, because the chances of you wanting me as your girlfriend is just about nonexistent.” She gave his shoulder a pat. “You almost fooled me. Now, what do you want?”
“What do you mean 'what do I want'?” he asked, almost as if he was insulted. “Nana, I walk you to lunch everyday.”
“That,” Nani nodded. “Yes, you do that everyday, but today...you look as if you're dying to ask something.”
He patted her shoulder. “You're good. I can see that my acting doesn't fool you.”
“Right,” She brushed his hand off her shoulder. “So what is it?”
“Drama tryouts,” he smiled. “Today. After school. Half the school wants you to audition as well~”
Nani cringed, then she frowned. “Sorry, I got a shift directly after school. And don't even think about using those puppy eyes on me.”
Nick laughed. “Alright, fine. But, you're going to regret not ditching your shift for the tryouts, because I am going to be top dog. I'm aiming for leading role this year.”
“Really? Just flash em' your puppy eyes and you'll win—no fight needed.”
“That's plan B,” he stated.
Typical.
“Well,” She said, laughing, as they parted ways into the cafeteria. “let me know how auditions go.”
He nodded and waved before disappearing into a horde of people.
“Nana!” Lyn grabbed onto Nani's wrist, pulling her over to their usual table. “Where've you been?”
“With Nick, huh?” Lori winked.
“That's our Nana,” Liz laughed. “The flirt.”
And all the while they'd been speaking to her, but Nani couldn't listen well enough to hear what they were saying. Not that she couldn't zero in on their conversation, but rather. . .it was more of a feeling of distraction. Nani felt distracted. It was almost as if someone were staring at her. . .Nani had no idea who or where they were...
Without a second of thought, she lifted her head up and met the deep green eyes of Ace. Ace who sat on the other side of the cafeteria. The fact that they were so far away and she could see him so clearly kind of bothered her. Of course, not as much as what he did next.
He smirked.
“Wait! Nana!” She stopped and began walking again as soon as he caught up.
“I haven't seen you all day, you know?”
“Liam,” Nani stated. “This is when we usually meet.”
“Aha,” Liam nudged her with his elbow. “Are you calling this our daily date?”
Where did that idea even sprout from?
“You didn't let me finish,” Nani said. “This is when we usually meet, to walk to sixth period.”
“Speaking of sixth period,” Liam began, “did you manage to finish Mrs. Ko's assignment?”
She glared at him.
Oddly enough, Nani had dated Liam just two years ago. They didn't, however, last long. A couple of weeks, maybe. Their relationship didn't get farther than holding hands. But then again, what were they suppose to expect? They were sophomores.
His reason for breaking up with Nani, however, had been because of Nick. Nick who she'd met and befriended before she even met Liam.
And because Nick always walked with her to lunch. Liam eventually heard about it and confronted her, asking if I was cheating on him with Nick. Nani answered him with a no, telling him she and Nick were only friends and they only walked together to lunch because they shared the last class.
Liam, however, said something completely out of line—and that was when they broke it off. He had said, “I don't think Nick sees you only as a friend.”
To which Nani had asked why it even mattered what Nick saw her as. Liam replied with a, “It matters, because then I'd have competition.” It was stupid, Nani told herself, really. She thought that then and she most definitely thought that now.
But what affected her more than that thought, was the fact that his words had hurt. It hurt because, what his words had meant was that he wasn't willing to put up with a competition. He wouldn't even try. He practically told her he'd given up—he'd taken her for granted.
“Let's break up,” was what Nani had said to him after that.
But despite the belief that getting over your first is the hardest thing, Nani couldn't disagree more. And its not that she didn't find him good-looking, because no matter how much she looked at him now, he still remains good-looking. It's more of the fact that people fall in and out of love all the time.
Nani decided they fell out before they could even really fall in. And, despite the fact that they''d broken up, the two still walked to class together after lunch. They did, after all, have last period together.
“ I cnt believe u dint let me copy” Liam texted Nani in the middle of class.
“Y is tht not believable?” She texted back. “I nevr let u copy.”
“But I do n-yways” He texted back. “At least, I do n class. I mean c'mon, I sit next 2 u.”
Nani looked over at him then and saw that he was, indeed, grinning from where he sat in the seat beside her's.
She scoffed, loud enough for him to hear, before shoving her phone into her pocket—not even bothering to
text back.
“Aw c'mon,” Liam texted again. “I dint mean 2 get u mad.”
Again, she ignored it after reading it.
“U kno u want 2 reply,” he texted again. “If u din't care, u wudnt b cheking.”
Hah. Nani scoffed again, Fine, I won't even check then.
She was about to slide the phone into her bag when another text vibrated. Sighing, she flipped her phone open and got ready to text him back with a furious text...
Until Nani saw that the number wasn't his. It was a phone number she'd never seen before.
“7th period.” the text read.
“Yah,” came a whisper from behind her. Nani turned around to Chloe. “Phone. Hide it. Ko's been watching you.”
“Sh!t,” Nani muttered to herself, then to Chloe she said, “Thanks, Chlo.”
She laughed. “Anytime, girl.”
By the time the end of the period approached Nani was already in a daze—wondering who the hell it could've been that sent her the text.
And it wasn't until she got to p.e.--and met up with the L's: Lyn, Liz, and Lori—that she realized who it was.
“Ace has p.e. with us,” Lyn stated. “Looks like we'll get ourselves a show at p.e. now.”
Nani followed her eyes and her very own two eyes almost popped out of their sockets when they landed upon Ace. Ace who wore a loose plain white tee and black knee-length basketball shorts.
That may have been the dress code, but not once in the history of...gym clothes, has someone been known to wear them so well. Until now.
And now that he's removed his sweater his arms were free to be drooled over—which everyone was doing to their ability.
“My god, he's got some fiiine arms,” Liz breathed.
“His biceps and tri's are beautiful as well,” Lyn added.
“Do you think he'd remove his shirt if we asked him to?” Lori tugged at my arm.
Nani cursed herself and ducked her head, averting her gaze from that body. “Please. Of course he would. He's practically asking for attention, since he looks that good in the p.e. uniforms.”
A sudden shudder ran through her after hearing her own words.
Nani drew in an inhale, reminding herself to breathe, before she stalked over to him—ready to give him a piece of her mind about the text—but because he had been in the middle of playing basketball, he turned around to shoot and nearly collided with her.
Nani, to her dismay, fell breathless when she saw how close he stood to her. So close that, when she looked up at him, the only thing she saw were the viridity of his emerald eyes—luring in her silver eyes. So close that his biceps began to look...tangible.
A sudden urge twitched at Nani's fingers.
“Please, Nani,” he broke through her thoughts by simply speaking her name, “by all means, continue staring.”
Recovering from. . .hypnosis, Nani pushed him away—fulfilling her urge to touch him (he did, she felt mortified to realize, have rock-hard abs)--and pulled out her phone from my short pockets. “I'm guessing you sent this?” Nani held the phone in front of him with the text on the screen.
“Saved my text message to you? Did you save the number as well?” Only, he had added that last part sarcastically.
And the answer was yes, but Nani avoided the question. “How did you get my number in the first place?” She asked instead.
He crossed his arms—a mistake on Nani's behalf, because it immediately stole her attention, focusing her eyes wholly on his biceps and tris—and, once again, he looked at me as if she had eyebooger. “Surprisingly enough, gray eyes, you're pretty popular and just about everyone has your number. Guys and girls.”
Nani blinked a couple of times before she was able to look away from his arms and up at him—another mistake that glued her eyes to his beautiful green ones. “Huh?”
“Nani,” he whispered—that y smirk playing along his lips, “you were staring again.”
There was something about the way he said her name—she wasn't sure if it was because of his voice, or because he actually called me 'Nani' instead of 'Nana'--but, either way, it made her stomach flutter to the point where she began to feel that such things would only occur in a story.
And this was no story.
Ace was terrific at torturing her, Nani knew that almost immediately.
“Tell me,” his fingers slid under her chin, with a sense of delicacy—surprisingly—and he lifted her face up towards his that he lowered down closer, “Nani, have your eyes always been gray?”
With his face so close to Nani's like that—that she could practically count the many strands of eyelashes that he had—it was hard to restrain herself from another sudden urge. An urge that has never—not once—ever crossed her mind before. Ever.
It was because of this nearness that Nani noticed his deep green eyes had rims of blue. And that, honestly, did not help stop the urge. His eyes were beyond beautiful—he probably knew.
“Yes,” Nani slapped his hand away and placed a good distance between them, “the same way my hair has always been brown.”
She walked away from him after that—back to where Lyn, Liz, and Lori stood with their jaws dropped.
“Sick way of charming,” Nani muttered.
“Hey,” Nani texted Em after school—as she approached her Camaro, “At the car already. Hurry up or I'll leave w/out u.”
After tossing her phone into her bag and rummaging through it for her car keys, Nani finally got around to unlocking the door.
A sudden breeze brushed past Nani—sending chills all throughout her body—and she shuddered as she opened the car door—
—only to have a hand, from behind her, close it. “You smell good,” he whispered.
His lips brushed her neck, just lightly, but it was enough to knock Nani off-guard. She swung her arm back at the person—as a reflex—elbowing him in the guts. He let out a grunt just before she shoved her back hard against his chest and he fell backwards—onto Ace's car.
“Ace?!”
That bastard. Nani grinned before she could admit that she didn't regret what she'd just done.
“You,” he pushed himself off his car and straightened.
“Your fault for sneaking up on me,” She said before he could say anything else.
For someone who just pushed himself off his car, Ace leaned back against the side of his car. “I didn't think you'd do that.”
“That's what they all say,” Nani scoffed, opening her car door.
“They?” he wanted to know. Why he was suddenly so curious, Nani didn't know.
“THEY,” it was her turn to look at him as if he was stupid, “other guys with the same mind as you.”
He still looked at her, confused.
“erts,” Nani went on to list—her cheeks flushing when she realized how it sounded like she thought too much of herself, “ual harass—”
Ace scoffed, seemingly amused. “Ah, I should've known.”
Nani had had no idea what he'd meant by that, but went off on its own accord.
“Which is exactly why I hadn't made a mistake taking martial arts classes.”
As soon as she'd said it, Nani immediately wished she had kept shut. Now he was going to go on questioning—as per usual.
And the reason for martial arts classes went much deeper than mere self-defense.
From behind his silky strands of brown hair, his eyebrows rose—sarcastically interested. “You took martial arts classes?”
Nani hesitated before answering. “Boxing and kick-boxing included.” Then she realized belatedly that she shouldn't have added that, either.
In an attempt to make her escape, Nani reminded herself Em was late and there was no way she was going to hang around longer. “I don't know about you, but I have to go now.”
“Really?” Ace's expression made it clear he didn't believe her. “Where to? Your throne, perhaps?”
Oh, if only...
“I've got a shift,” Nani answered spitefully, “after I pick up my little sisters.”
“And now you're trying to tell me that you work?”
“Of course,” She answered, it was only the obvious. “That's my only source of income.”
He shook his head. “You never cease to surprise me.”
“Right,” Nani had brushed off the comment—having no idea if it was sarcasm or not—and got inside her car. “Bye.”
“Nana~!” Nani was mid-way in closing her car door when she saw Soh running towards them. “Nana~! Emergency!”
He stopped in front of her, panting. And even though he was panting, he managed to greet Ace with a handshake.
Nani frowned. How did he know the devil?
“Emergency?” She asked.
“Y-yeah,” he answered, catching his breath. “I-I need you to cover my shift tonight.”
“Time?”
“Seven to midnight,” he answered. “You available?”
“My first shift ends at seven...” Nani spoke—mostly to myself. “I'll see if Nikki lets me out early.”
“So, we good?” Soh asked.
“Yeah,” She answered. “You're safe.”
“Alright,” he smiled. “Thanks, Nana!” He waved bye to them as he walked off—still half-tired from the run.
“Popular with the guys, I see,” Ace returned to leaning against his car.
Nani's glare at him turned murderous. “Popular with the guys?”
He smirked. “I've seen you with so many different guys today, you can't even get me to believe otherwise.”
She scoffed, caring little—if none at all—about what he thought. “Unlike you, I actually know those guys.”
“Past relationship?” he asked, eyebrows raised—as if he was seriously curious.
It took a lot for Nani to hold her jaw from dropping again and to restrain herself from attacking him right there in that parking lot.
“No,” She muttered. “I had said 'unlike you', if you hadn't heard me right.”
“Unlike me?” he asked. “How so?”
Nani's jaw fell again when she realized he was trying to say they were alike. Her and Ace? Alike?
“You who has a girlfriend all the time,” She answered. “What else is there otherwise?”
“I have a girlfriend all the time?” he asked, monotoned. “Why is this my first time hearing of it?”
Well, Nani cursed herself, that's just great. Now he knows she's been listening to information about him—not that she wanted to.
“Just because I've currently got a girlfriend, doesn't mean that,” he added.
Of course he'd currently have a girlfriend, Nani told herself.
“Why do you sound jealous?” Ace took a step closer to Nani and grabbed onto her car door to have her refrain from closing it.
She didn't close it, seeing how it was impossible under his grip. Instead, she laughed—quite unbelievably.
“Oh, right. Because I would be so jealous over Moon Ace.”
“Nana!” Nani recognized Em's voice, and she turned around in time to confirm that it was her. She ran over to the front passenger side of the car. “Oh, hey~” She cooed at Ace. “I didn't think you'd be here with Nana.”
Yeah, well, Nani had half-a-mind to add, I didn't so either.
“What?” Nani spoke up.
Ace let go of her car door then—aiming a grin at her that only one word could describe. The only word that described him, as a matter of fact, “I was just leaving, actually.”
What. a. bastard.
“This top?!” Nani picked it up from the rack. “THIS top is on sale?!”
Nikki, who had been so engrossed in typing down the expenses on her laptop, looked over at Nani. “Oh yeah. Take it if you want.”
“Yeah?” Nani picked her bag up from the counter and began rummaging through it for her wallet.
“What are you doing?” Nikki peeked over the top of her laptop at Nani—again—with a confused look.
“I'm getting the money,” She stated simply, pulling out her wallet.
“Money?” She asked. Then she scoffed, adjusting her glasses. “Nana, I meant TAKE it—as in TAKE it. Free.”
Nani just stared at her. “What?”
“You heard me,” she laughed. “What kind of manager do think I am? If you want it, take it. Free of charge.”
Nani continued to stare at her.
Nikki, Nani confirmed right then, 's a pretty weird woman. She's twenty-four, tall, perfect body, beautiful... It makes you wonder why she's still single.
“Thanks...” Nani said meekly, “but I'd rather pay.”
“Alright,” Nikki gave up, going back to her typing, “but if you're wondering why you got an extra thirty-five dollars on your next paycheck...”
A gasp broke through Nani's lips. “You wouldn't dare.”
She smirked. “Oh I wouldn't? How do you know?”
“Nikki~” Nani heard herself whine—like the child she truly was.
“Nana~” she did the same in return. “C'mon, just take it.”
Nani stared at her for a long while before sighing. “Fine.” Then she muttered loud enough so Nikki would hear, “You even threatened my paycheck.”
Nikki smiled in return. “Giving you extra cash is not threatening.”
“Thank you, Nikki.” Even though Nani had already plotted out a way to sneak the money into the cash register later.
“Not a problem.”
The bells chimed at the door the moment they opened.
“Hello,” Nani turned towards the door that was opened, “and welcome to Latest Fashion.”
“So you work here,” his voice sounded uninterested. But that voice, that voice she'd know anywhere—even after twelve hours of meeting him.
Ace.
“You,” Nani straightened from her bow and glared at him.
He frowned--sarcastically. “I liked the friendly greeting better.”
Clearly, he wasn't going to see that side of her.
“I'm sorry,” Nikki called from where she sat, still on her laptop, “but we only have women's clothes.”
“I'm here for women's clothes,” Ace said, browsing the racks.
Nani stared at him, raised eyebrows and all, and scoffed. “I should've known.”
He ignored her completely. “Can I get the newest top? Wrapped.”
Oh. Nani's frown was sarcastic. Wrapped, is it? So he won't be wearing it? That's a shame.
Then it dawned on her that there is the possibility that it's for his girlfriend.
Well, Nani decided she could care less, they could both wear it for all she cared.
Nani looked back at Nikki who pointed to the back rooms. “Still in the boxes. I planned on unpacking them tomorrow, but you two can go have a look.”
Though the room was pitch black, Nani entered—feeling around for the light switch. The door closed behind Ace—leaving them both in the darkness.
“Where's the damn light switch?” her words were muttered while her fingers worked quickly at scanning the cold wall. “Do you plan on helping? Or would you rather work in this darkness?”
Something brushed lightly against Nani's arm and before she even gave it enough thought, she grabbed it and twisted what felt like another arm—and swung it against the wall.
Unfortunately, the arm seized her arm as well, so when she flung it against the wall...she followed suit. Nani ended in a collision with something rock-hard in front of her.
The lights switched on after a thud.
The thud being Ace's back against the wall and Nani against Ace's chest. Of course, she noticed the other thud going on within her chest—involving her heart—but that wasn't important. Not at all.
“Found the lights,” he muttered, letting go of Nani's arm. “Along with you.”
“You,” She pushed herself away from him—he who still had his back pressed up against the wall—and straightened. “You and ual harassment.”
The thuds within her chest didn't slow or fade and she assured herself it was only because she had flipped out.
“ual harassment?” Ace's eyebrows rose. “Correct me if I'm wrong, Nani, but I could've sworn you grabbed onto me first.”
Nani shot him a glare. “And who's fault is that?! I felt something on my arm, and my reflexes took over!”
“Hey,” he raised both arms in defeat. “You told me to help you find the lights, and that's what I was doing. Helping you.”
“Uh-huh,” Nani nodded. “Right. Sure. Helping yourself, more like it.”
He scoffed—as always—and crossed his arms.
If he was aware of that that simple movement did to Nani, it would be best if he stopped doing that.
“Nani, if I wanted to help myself, I wouldn't have done it that way. And weren't you the one pressed up against me, just seconds ago?” he said. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
A most deadly combination, Nani noted. His crossed arms and that smirk.
And all the while, hung open—even as the heat rose to her face upon remembering that moment. “Oh, well, excuse me, I didn't think you'd PULL me against you like that.”
“Right. Then I'm truly sorry, Nani. Next time I'll let you fall on your face. How's that sound?”
Like what everything else he says sounds like, everything inside Nani's head was a blur, Bullsh!t.
And how had he known that she stumbled?
“Whatever,” she said, heading towards the boxes.
“Here,” Nani lifted the box labeled 'latest' off from the top shelf and set it down. “The latest tops.”
After a couple seconds—just seconds. It takes him seconds to choose a top—he handed it to Nani.
“How do you want it wrapped?” She asked as they left the room. “Would you like a box or a bag?”
“A box would do fine,” Ace answered.
“Did he find one he liked?” Nikki asked as soon as they entered the room.
“Within seconds,” Nani replied shortly as she held the top up for her to see before she put it in the gift box.
“Ooh,” Nikki cooed. “One of the best-selling from my winter line of clothes.”
“He's got taste,” Nani shot him a glare, “surprisingly.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” his green eyes drew in her gray ones.
Nani blinked, looking back at the gift box in front of her. “Alright,” She said, placing a Latest Fashion gift sticker on it. “And who's it to?” Nani clicked the pen in my hand—ready to write the name given.
“Aura.” He said simply.
“Aura,” Nani repeated to herself as she slowed her Camaro to a stop at a red light. Since she had to drive over to Super Save—her next shift to cover at a grocery store—she decided to take the busy street so she wouldn't be late. It was the busy street, but it was a shortcut.
Nani sighed. And today was her day off from Super Save, too.
She stepped on the gas when the light turned green and then, looking forward at the left turn opposite her lane, she noticed the green car that was speeding...
...the car that made a left turn on its red light—intersecting her lane.
Nani slammed on the brakes, stopping her car dead in its tracks. And at the same time, a couple of things seemed to have happened in slow-motion before those keen silver eyes.
The green car honked loudly at her—as it made its left turn right in front –and then another car that Nani hadn't even noticed, on the left at the four-way stop light, that had been speeding, also ran a red light and crashed into the green one the exact second it had honked in front of her.
And all of this happened before the silver eyes of Kil Nani; she watched in silence—unable to speak or scream.
Her heart jumped into the moment the car crashed into the green one—at full speed. And what's even more weird, is that the car simply backed up—after hitting the green car—and his eyes met those familiar silver eyes of Kil Nani's for a second. She knew that much, even through the darkly tinted windows. He immediately looked away from her and sped off, leaving the green car overturned in front of Nani.
A hit and run happened. Right before the eyes of Nani.
She shut off her engine—though it was still in the intersection of the street—pulled out her phone, and called for an ambulance.
For some reason, Nani didn't find herself freaked out by the whole accident. She wasn't terrified, wasn't shaking or crying.
The whole time Nani waited there for the ambulance to come, she couldn't help but think only one thing...
If she had been a second slower in stepping on the brakes...
...it would've cost her her life.
“Where is she?” His deep voice filled with rage upon opening the door to reveal nothing behind it.
Those green eyes of sapphire averted to the mere servant that stood before him—a hint of red making its way to his iris.
“I-I'm not sure, sir,” the servant replied. “S-she was not of presence when I arrived.” He, of course, knew the personality of the creature that stood before him. Every soul, mortal and immortal feared this man. But before he could even utter his apologies, the enraged creature seized him in a clad-iron grip and dug his fangs deep into the neck of the servant.
The bloodless servant was tossed carelessly against the wall as the creature before him gazed down at with him with green eyes laced with a darkened shade of violent red.
“It seems you're good for something after all,” spoke the creature as he reached up to wipe the dripping blood off his chin.
She let out a chuckle--a mere chuckle that deafened his ears. “What business do you seek out here?”
“Funny,” he chuckled, stepping into the moonlight. He cocked his head to the side. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
The light from the pale moon glistened upon his face, caressing it as the winter's cold breeze swept past him--kissing his soft brown hair.
The fact that he didn't even feel a chill was just the beginning of how heinous he was. Little did he know, this night would change—in meaning—for him. It was the night of a harvest moon, and he'd be reminded of it for eternity. Problem was, he didn't know it yet.
She looked up at him, crossed her arms, and smirked. “You're implying that the hellhole suited me, no?”
“You seem surprised.” he grinned. “That's where you belong, is it not?”
She frowned.”Don't tell me you plan on taking me back there.”
“I don't,” he said. “That's much too nicely put. I intend on dragging you back there. Alive or not.”
Again, she smirked. “Is that so?” She had a good grip on the dagger in her hands as she rose from where she sat on the bench. “That's not very nice, you know?”
“What gave you the impression that I might be nice?” he wanted to know—his gaze absentmindedly zeroing in on what she held behind her.
“Hmm,” she feigned ignorance as she turned to face him. “That's quite correct. Come to think of it...You aren't the least bit nice. You've never been.” She lurched forward, shoving the dagger deep into the pit of his stomach—the tip of the blade came out through his backside. Her voice was filled with malice as she whispered to him her last sentence. “Which is exactly why I intend on dragging you to hell with me, bastard.”
He let out a chuckle even as red liquid oozed out from his stomach—despite the knife still plunged in there. “You're an ignorant one, even as a half-half.”
Her eyes widened as she looked up to meet his now blood-red ones. With nothing more than a grip on the handle of the knife, he yanked it out and tossed it aside. Then, with a flagitious grin, he grabbed her by both her shoulders and pulled her to him. Ducking his head, he dug his fangs deep into her neck—her blood holding more appeal than the servant before.
“I'm sorry Nana,” his smirk was against her neck as he drew in her blood. “But you're going to hell alone.”
* * *
(Present Day)
Outside, the temperature dropped to a low of twenty-five degrees, the once green leaves began to dull. Overhead, the sun cowered behind a nimbus cloud—determined to hide there the whole day—but, almost as if sensing the cowering presence of the sun, the cloud slowly broke up.
“Nana~!”
With a sigh, Nani swung her bag over her shoulder and threw open her bedroom door—unprepared for the sight of her sister that stood there with an adamant glare.
“Jesus, why do you take so long to get ready?! We're going to be late, and I still have to go to Tammy's locker.”
Nani returned her sister's glare with a glare of her own. “Cute, Em. Move.”
Em let out a scoff. “You think you're cool, don't you? Just because you swore off make-up you suddenly think you're above all else? Well why don't you get up earlier if you're so cool!”
Her words held no impact on Nani as she eased past her younger sister and entered the bathroom.
“If I wanted to be cool, Em,” Nani held a solid stare at her younger sister, “I'd make you walk to school.”
Em was still in Nani's room when she got out of bathroom. With a groan, Nani pushed Em aside and went downstairs for breakfast. Her parents had already left for work—since they were doctors (known worldwide)—leaving breakfast ready on the table along with a note to remind her to call Kae later on.
Nani stepped up to the fridge and stuck the post-it reminder there. Of course she'd have to call her brother—today was his birthday. And, though he's already twenty-two, it was her mom who insisted she kept in touch with her brother while her three younger sisters got off easy. Em—short for Emerald, Pearl and Ammie—short for Amethyst—were the ones out of touch with Kae. Or, at least that was what Nani thought. In truth, however, even her sisters called Kae every now and then.
Her mom, on the other hand, was a little girly—just a little—enough to be head captain of the cheer squad. It was apparent, her mom's overly-feminine side, because she had, after all, named her daughters after some sort of gem. Excluding Nani. Each and every one of them possessed the last name Kil
Kil Kae. Kil Pearl. Kil Ammie. Kil Nani. And, of course, the name that hit home, 'Kil Em'.
“Wake up~!” Nani swung open the door to her other two younger sister's room —a plate of chicken and rice in hand. “C'mon, precious, wake up~~~!”
They merely stirred.
“Yah!” With a hard yank, Nani threw their covers to the ground and went over to the window, propping it open to invite the cold October air into the room.
“Nana!” They jolted upright, pulling the duvet up to their chests . “C-close the window!”
One of these days, Nani told herself, someone would get her name right. Everyone called her by 'Nana'--whether it be strangers or even her very own parents. One day, she told herself, some righteous person would get her name correct.
“Its freaking cold!”
“And you two are 'freaking' late,” replied Nani as she opened the other window in the room so cold air rushed in from both sides. “Now wake up. I'm not a morning person, either.”
Pearl groaned, “I've gotten tired of fourth grade.”
“Hah. Try fifth,” Ammie got out of bed, dragging Pearl along. “C'mon, Per. If we don't get ready on time, Nana might leave without us like last time.”
Nani grinned, reminding herself that, well, in her defense, she hadn't left without them. Em wanted to get dropped off at school early, so she'd paid Nani a couple bucks to send her to school early.
Nani had, after that, come back for Ammie and Pearl. For some reason, they don't seem to remember THAT part of the story.
Both Ammie and Pearl got out of bed, hand-in-hand, and shot Nani a glare as they closed both windows she'd opened.
Three glares in less than an hour. Nani grinned, not exactly a new record.
“We're gonna go get ready now.”
“Please do,” Nani said.
With a strict nod, they walked into the bathroom.
“Nana,” they said, hands on the door-handle.
“Huh,” She sat herself down on their bed with the plate of chicken.
“Y-you look stunning today,” Ammie said with a smile. Pearl nodded in agreement. “As usual.”
Nani smiled. “Thank you, but you still have only thirty minutes to get ready.”
Ammie gasped, slamming the bathroom door. “I compliment her,” she muttered to Pearl, “and she thinks I'm saying it to get extra time?!”
Pearl let out a huff. “Even though five more minutes would help.”
Nani had to give it to them. Though they're bothersome and a burden in a way...they're definitely adorable in another way. And not just because they know how to put the correct cards into play—complimenting their older sister, for example, because Nani figured that was merely their way of up so she'd drop them off at the front of their school. They love the image of getting out of a sleek black Camaro.
But with Ammie and Pearl—beneath the complaints and fits—they're actually adorable, Nani knew that.
And while her thoughts were on the track of siblings, Nani remembered that she had to call Kae. He picked up on the third ring—perhaps being woken from his sleep.
“Hm?” His voice was a mere deep grumble on the phone.
Nani confirmed her prediction that he'd just been woken up. “Hey, bro, good-morning.”
“Nana?” Kae, unlike everyone else, knew Nani didn't like being called Nana, but he insisted because he knew how much she despised it. He'd started doing that to her since she was a child, and the habit just grew on him. “You called me at seven to wish me good-morning?”
“And a happy twenty-second birthday,” Nani added. “You're getting old, bro. Are you going to find a girlfriend soon?”
“Jesus, Nana,” Kae laughed on the other end, clearly wide awake now. “Even I forget my own birthday sometimes and don't even start the girl stuff with me.”
“I know, I know,” Nana assured Kae, “I'm not Mom, or Em, I won't give you the lifelong lecture with relationships.”
“Good.”
“Great,” Nani went on, “so whenever you get a girlfriend, don't start calling me up and asking me what you should do.”
Kae merely scoffed. “I don't trust you that much, Na.”
“I figured,” Nani grumbled at Kae's other nickname to her. “Well, anyways, happy birthday, bro. Do good in school, study well, don't do drugs—and whatever else Mom and Dad often say. OH! Practice safe now.”
Nani laughed a mocking laugh before hanging up. At least she and Kae were on good terms, she thought, smiling at the phone.
Unlike...
“NANA~!” Em came running up the stairs, panting.
“If you want to go early, then just walk to school, alright?” Nani said through a mouthful of rice and chicken that still remain in her hands.
“Not that,” she said, still panting from the run up the stairs and—possibly—the run to the room.
It made Nani wonder, really, what is so important that Em would do this much exercise...
“Then what do you want?” asked Nani as she swallowed her food down.
“S-some guy is at the door asking for you,” she said all in one breath. “A-and he's fine as hell.”
Nani held a stern stare at her sister. “No, seriously,” Nani said, taking in more chicken meat and rice, and spoke through a mouthful. “What do you want?”
“NANA!” Em exclaimed—which kind of shocked Nani, because her sister seemed to be out of breath just seconds ago, “I'm not kidding, goddamn it!”
With a groan, Nani stood up. “If he's not fine as hell, Em, I'll kill you.”
“I'll spare you,” she whispered over to Em as soon as she saw the tall guy standing at the door.
Well yes, he's fine as hell. Which made Nani wonder why he was staring at her as if he couldn't really get his head around some kind of fact.
“Yes?” Nani asked when she got to the door—plate of food still in hand.
“Ask him to come inside,” Em whispered over her shoulder.
“You're Nana?” he asked.
Well, Nani thought to herself, that was rather rude. No smile, no 'hello', just straight up confrontation. Already, she knew she wasn't going to like this fine piece of...mankind.
He scoffed. “Of course you'd be Nana.”
He wore a single diamond-stud earring on his pierced left ear and a brass ring around his pinky. Around his neck was a silver necklace—almost a chain, but not as intimidating as a chain would've been. The necklace was tucked underneath his shirt, so the bottom half of it was hidden.
Nani couldn't help wondering what lay at the bottom of that necklace. If he had just ed that second button on his shirt as well...
Hell, she automatically volunteered herself up for the job.
“I'm not sure what you mean by that,” she answered, looking up at him. “But, sure.” He was tall, she noticed almost immediately. And he possessed the most beautiful pair of deep green eyes she thought she'd ever seen—or...maybe she had seen them before. They felt distinctly familiar...
Nani quickly broke eye-contact with him and stared at his...jaw.
Ooh, boy, he had a chiseled jaw-line~ The kind of stuff Nani realized she'd only read about in books but never quite seen—until this very moment in time.
Given, the first few rays of the sun weren't really coming to her aid. They were working against her, actually, seeing as how they gave that jaw-line a brush of soft light that made it so...chiseled, and made his skin look incredibly soft and smooth.
The fact that it made his chocolate brown hair look silky and soft was also not a plus on her side of the war.
The war of her jumping his bones, that is.
She shuddered at the thought, reminding herself it was her morning mood running away with her thoughts.
“And you are?” She finally asked him.
The fact that he knew her name and she hadn't told it to him beforehand didn't occur to her until after she asked him for his name.
“Ace,” he answered. His eyes held her silver ones, as if reading them for some kind of expression. “Moon Ace.”
“Kay,” she knew she was at a loss for words, so she spoke everything with thorough thoughts. “Nice to meet you, Ace,”
Nani immediately noticed the familiarity of his name on her lips, but why that was—she had no idea.
“This is Em,” she pointed to Em with her fork. Em shut up with her whispering-to-invite-him-in, which meant introducing her really worked perfectly well on Nani's behalf. “Out of curiosity, Ace, how did you know my name? I've never even told you—much less met you—before.”
Because, Nani assured herself, if she'd met someone as fine as he, she wouldn't have forgotten. Especially if he had THAT kind of attitude on THAT kind of body.
He gave a nod to Em which, not surprisingly, made her squeal from behind her older sister. Nani wasn't holding up all too well, either. She, herself, felt a squirm working its way to .
“It was written on the window of your Camaro,” Ace answered.
“Written. On my Camaro?” Nani's Camaro was the only thing, in her possession, that she cherished. Not because it was one hell of a ride, but because her grandparents had put a down payment on it beforehand—for Nani on her seventeenth birthday.
Unfortunately, they weren't there to celebrate it with her. The plan that they've had for over ten years...and they couldn't even see the expression on their eldest granddaughter's face when she received it. They'd waited a good long couple of years for that moment and it came only after they were no longer around.
Nani hadn't cried as much on any of her past birthday's, but that birthday—her seventeenth birthday—was the one day she cried mercilessly.
Nani was born on the full moon of the beginning of winter, December 21s.. And seventeen years later, she was given a Camaro from her grandparents. Her grandparents had passed away in a car crash just a couple of months before the day of Nani's seventeenth birthday.
And though Nani forced a strong front in front of others, underneath it all she was vulnerable as hell.
“Unless that midnight-black Camaro isn't yours...” Ace's voice trailed off. And, thought Nani had just met him, she didn't miss his teasing grin.
It was so beautiful, it was hell-worthy.
“Hold this please,” she shoved her plate of rice and chicken at him before pushing past him and dashing out the door towards the Camaro. The Camaro that had “Nani”, with a heart trailing afterward, written on the back window—in the snow.
It had snowed.
And Pearl or Ammie had written it with their fingers, Nani knew immediately.
Oh good God, Nani breathed, cursing Ace for not being more specific. And while her brain was wracking up sane thoughts about Ace, she managed to ask herself how Ace had gotten inside their yard. The electric-powered gate was locked.
With another curse, Nani treaded back to the porch where she realized both Em and Ace were staring at her in mock-amusement.
“Sorry,” she forced the words of apology out of my mouth. Its not as if he deserved them because God knows the last thing this man deserved was an apology.
Ace shoved Nani's plate of food back to her just as she finished up with her apology, “Shouldn't have shoved you out of the way like that, or shoved my food at you.” But, no, because he had shoved her food back in her hands, all she wanted to do now was throw it at him WHOLE and take back the cheap apology.
“Its fine,” he said with a glare at her that showed he really meant the opposite. “No harm done.”
No harm done to him YET, Nani assured herself.
And what was he doing here?, she went on to ask herself, clearly not just introductions, because not only is that impossible, it's slightly weird—at least, to Nani it was. Just slightly, because, really, who would mind a hot guy showing up on their front door just introducing himself.
Ace'd attitude, however, made Nani think twice about that.
“I don't mean to sound rude,” Nani began, eating the last piece of chicken on her plate. And, she did, as a matter of fact, mean to sound rude, “but, Ace, what're you doing here?” As in on her front doorstep. “And how'd you get into the yard?”
He looked at her as if she'd gone stupid—not a look she'd like to receive. “Your sister, Em, was kind enough to let me in.”
That's about the only kind thing she's ever done. And the fact that it was for him was not surprising at all, Nani admitted.
“Uh-huh...” Nani nodded, ignoring his look that mocked her stupidity. “And you're here because?”
His perfectly contoured lips formed a grinned, and Nani forgot about her temper—if only for that moment. “I'm new to Seoul and I need directions to the school.”
“The hot guy drives a Mercedes benz? THE HOT GUY DRIVES A MERCEDES BENZ!!” Ammie squealed in delight from the backseat. “Yah, Nana, unni, do you think Pearl and I could get a ride to school with him next time?”
Of course he'd drive a Mercedes, Nani scoffed.
“Ammie, sweetie?” Nani fought to keep her eyes on the road and not in the rear view mirror—where Ace's silver Benz gleamed brightly from behind her car. “Could you maybe be gracious about the fact that I'm being kind enough to drive you to school and not LET YOU WALK?” Upon approaching the red light, Nani slowed the car and looked back at Ammie with a glare. “Because, dear, doesn't that just sound swell?”
“I'm sorry,” she shrunk back in fear for a second before beaming up brightly. “Look! Green light! Go, go, go, Nana!”
Ace parked his Benz in the empty lot beside Nani's Camaro, and if his car didn't catch enough attention—HE did.
“Alright,” Nani said, forcing her legs to take her over to where he stood looking at the school. “Here we are.” She slung her bag over her shoulder, thinking of a great way to escape without being too obnoxiously rude. “I'm gonna get going now, but if you need a tour or something, feel free to seek me out.”
Em stood beside Nani, gazing up at him. It was like petrification. Nani stood beside her sister, realizing the stupidity of what staring could do.
And to think she, herself, was about to start staring at Ace as well.
“Let's go,” Nani grabbed Em's arm and dragged her after her towards the school entrance. “People are staring.”
Staring at him, Nani added, to be exact.
“Oh, Jesus,” Nani muttered upon realizing that she had taken the wrong book from her locker.
Still cursing, she spun the dial on the locker again and opened it, throwing the English book inside for the physics. She had just about slammed it shut before being pushed up against the locker by a few familiar faces.
“What the hell is your problem, Nana!?” Lyn.
“What kind of person are you?!” Liz.
“Are you even sane!?” Lori.
The L's.
“Ow,” was Nani's reply as she pushed Lori back. “That actually hurts, you know?”
They laughed. So much for their joke.
“Aw,” Liz threw her arms around Nani. “Sorry Nana. Didn't mean to get you mad.”
Every time, Nani thought to herself. Every time someone calls her Nana she'd feel like correcting them and she'd refrain—knowing well that it'd be pointless.
Lyn picked up Nani's physics book that she'd dropped. “Yeah Nana, but, c'mon. You should've texted us at least.”
“About what?” She managed to ask through their arms that choked me in a hug.
But that question made them drop their arms from around her in a heartbeat.
Liz frowned. “About what?”
“Nana, you show up at school with a guy like THAT and—”
“Oh god,” A groan escaped Nani's mouth, disliking the drastic turn of this conversation. “Not this.”
“Yes, THIS,” Lyn replied immediately. “Nana, do you KNOW who he is?”
Do I know who he is? Nani asked herself, Of course I know who he is.
“Moon Ace,” She answered. He's hot and rude.”So?”
“So?”
“Look, guys, its not a big deal,” She waved the topic off. “He's new to Seoul and just needed directions to the school.”
To Nani it seemed to be no big deal, but the L's begged to differ.
“Ahem,” Lori spoke up. “Gorgeous, sterling gray-eyed and long brown haired Nana.” She gave an exasperated sigh. “I guess, since you were new here in sophomore year about two years ago, you're probably not aware of the fact that Moon Ace attended our school freshman year and freshman year only.”
Nani's heart paused. Freshman year?
And then slowly, ever-so-slowly, it dawned on her that he knew the location of the school all the while.
“That bastard,” She managed to say after recovering from her dropped jaw.
Liz shook her head. “That bastard who happens to have a girlfriend. The boy's never single.”
“Speak of the devil...” Lyn's eyes looked behind them at the entrance. Turning around, Nani caught sight of Ace entering the halls with a group of girls surrounding him.
“C'mon,” Nani grabbed Lori's arm as she headed over to him. “I've got something to settle with this...this womanizer-wannabe.”
Though, really, Nani couldn't help asking herself how Ace could be a womanizer with such a personality. It was disgusting. That face, that body, with THAT kind of personality?!
God has a sick sense of humor, Nani concluded.
When he saw that Nani and Lori were walking to him, he stopped. And even though he stopped, his eyes looked Nani up and down—freely. “Nani.”
“Why did you lie that you were new to Seoul?” Nani demanded before she had even gotten close enough. “Why did you lie about needing directions here?” She paused, belatedly realizing— “You just called me Nani.”
“Why did you lie about your name?” he wanted to know—not half as serious as she was. He did, however, smirk.
It made her want to swipe that smirk right off his lips. And yet, the moment his lips drew in her attention she knew she'd be drooling shortly.
“I don't recall lying to you about my name,” Nani crossed her arms—almost as if in defiance. “And I most definitely do not speak lies.”
Not all the time, at least. She just didn't add that part in.
From underneath his strands of chocolate brown hair, Nani caught the slight raise of his eyebrows. “Is that so? Are you saying I can ask you anything right now and you'd speak nothing but the truth.”
“Sure,” She spat out—too furious at the moment to think about his request. “Ask your pathetic questions.”
“What is your last name?”he separated himself from the horde of girls by stepping forward towards Nani—who only stood up to his neck.
“Kil,” She answered—undaunted by his height, or posture, or eyes, looks, arms, biceps, smirk. God, she cursed herself, good God, he was good-looking. “Kil Nani.”
It was when she had said her own name that she realized the fool had called her Nani instead of Nana. That, is a first, and she told herself it was rather disturbing—for him to be the first, and the only. Well, so far.
“Kil?” He seemed to have fallen in a second's worth of thought. “That suits you well.”
What the hell is that suppose to even mean?!
“So, Kil Nani,” he leaned and lowered himself down towards her. He smirked. The diamond-stud he wore glistened, even behind those small strands of hair partially covering it. “Can you honestly say you haven't been checking me out today?”
Nani stood, petrified, as she continued to stare at him.
Those eyes, those lips, that jaw-line, his hair, that face altogether...and now that she thought about it...his body...is just as beautiful. Arms, abs...
“Don't impose me,” She uttered—turning her back to him, she stalked off with Lyn, Lori and Liz.
Nani had just finished throwing her books into her locker—at the beginning of lunch—when it slammed shut on her.
“Nick,” she said—after he had trapped her in-between his arms and the lockers. “What're you doing?”
And why, she asked herself, am I being picked on at my locker today?
“What're you talking about?” He leaned in closer to Nani—his brown eyes glistened. “We do this everyday.”And he went far enough as to tilt her chin up to him with his finger.
She didn't need to glance around to know that this was grabbing attention.
Nani's hand locked onto his wrist, twisting it. “And it always ends this way, doesn't it?”
“Ow,” he said, backing up. “Ow, ow.”
She dropped his wrist, heading towards the cafeteria. He followed beside her, grinning widely. “Nana.”
“What.”
“Promise me something,” he said. She glanced over at him and saw that he spoke with all seriousness—which was rare because Nick, though he's handsome and all, isn't exactly a serious person. Nani knew that, too.
“Is it something impossible?”
“Of course not,” he replied, much too quickly.
“Is it stupid?” Nani asked.
“Why would you ask something like that?” he wanted to know.
She gave him a look that spoke: Really, you're going to ask me that?
He frowned. “Are you gonna make this promise to me or not?”
“Sure,” Nani agreed. “What proposal would you like to make?”
“One day,” he began, the same look of seriousness still on his face. “One day, when I become a star actor, you have to agree to be my girlfriend.”
He cracked up at the end. “So? So? How's my acting? Its improved, hasn't it?”
True to Nani's thoughts, Nick—handsome, good-looking and all—is not a serious person.
Nani laughed, and upon reaching the cafeteria, she opened the door. “Yeah, Nick. You're acting has gotten so realistic, because the chances of you wanting me as your girlfriend is just about nonexistent.” She gave his shoulder a pat. “You almost fooled me. Now, what do you want?”
“What do you mean 'what do I want'?” he asked, almost as if he was insulted. “Nana, I walk you to lunch everyday.”
“That,” Nani nodded. “Yes, you do that everyday, but today...you look as if you're dying to ask something.”
He patted her shoulder. “You're good. I can see that my acting doesn't fool you.”
“Right,” She brushed his hand off her shoulder. “So what is it?”
“Drama tryouts,” he smiled. “Today. After school. Half the school wants you to audition as well~”
Nani cringed, then she frowned. “Sorry, I got a shift directly after school. And don't even think about using those puppy eyes on me.”
Nick laughed. “Alright, fine. But, you're going to regret not ditching your shift for the tryouts, because I am going to be top dog. I'm aiming for leading role this year.”
“Really? Just flash em' your puppy eyes and you'll win—no fight needed.”
“That's plan B,” he stated.
Typical.
“Well,” She said, laughing, as they parted ways into the cafeteria. “let me know how auditions go.”
He nodded and waved before disappearing into a horde of people.
“Nana!” Lyn grabbed onto Nani's wrist, pulling her over to their usual table. “Where've you been?”
“With Nick, huh?” Lori winked.
“That's our Nana,” Liz laughed. “The flirt.”
And all the while they'd been speaking to her, but Nani couldn't listen well enough to hear what they were saying. Not that she couldn't zero in on their conversation, but rather. . .it was more of a feeling of distraction. Nani felt distracted. It was almost as if someone were staring at her. . .Nani had no idea who or where they were...
Without a second of thought, she lifted her head up and met the deep green eyes of Ace. Ace who sat on the other side of the cafeteria. The fact that they were so far away and she could see him so clearly kind of bothered her. Of course, not as much as what he did next.
He smirked.
“Wait! Nana!” She stopped and began walking again as soon as he caught up.
“I haven't seen you all day, you know?”
“Liam,” Nani stated. “This is when we usually meet.”
“Aha,” Liam nudged her with his elbow. “Are you calling this our daily date?”
Where did that idea even sprout from?
“You didn't let me finish,” Nani said. “This is when we usually meet, to walk to sixth period.”
“Speaking of sixth period,” Liam began, “did you manage to finish Mrs. Ko's assignment?”
She glared at him.
Oddly enough, Nani had dated Liam just two years ago. They didn't, however, last long. A couple of weeks, maybe. Their relationship didn't get farther than holding hands. But then again, what were they suppose to expect? They were sophomores.
His reason for breaking up with Nani, however, had been because of Nick. Nick who she'd met and befriended before she even met Liam.
And because Nick always walked with her to lunch. Liam eventually heard about it and confronted her, asking if I was cheating on him with Nick. Nani answered him with a no, telling him she and Nick were only friends and they only walked together to lunch because they shared the last class.
Liam, however, said something completely out of line—and that was when they broke it off. He had said, “I don't think Nick sees you only as a friend.”
To which Nani had asked why it even mattered what Nick saw her as. Liam replied with a, “It matters, because then I'd have competition.” It was stupid, Nani told herself, really. She thought that then and she most definitely thought that now.
But what affected her more than that thought, was the fact that his words had hurt. It hurt because, what his words had meant was that he wasn't willing to put up with a competition. He wouldn't even try. He practically told her he'd given up—he'd taken her for granted.
“Let's break up,” was what Nani had said to him after that.
But despite the belief that getting over your first is the hardest thing, Nani couldn't disagree more. And its not that she didn't find him good-looking, because no matter how much she looked at him now, he still remains good-looking. It's more of the fact that people fall in and out of love all the time.
Nani decided they fell out before they could even really fall in. And, despite the fact that they''d broken up, the two still walked to class together after lunch. They did, after all, have last period together.
“ I cnt believe u dint let me copy” Liam texted Nani in the middle of class.
“Y is tht not believable?” She texted back. “I nevr let u copy.”
“But I do n-yways” He texted back. “At least, I do n class. I mean c'mon, I sit next 2 u.”
Nani looked over at him then and saw that he was, indeed, grinning from where he sat in the seat beside her's.
She scoffed, loud enough for him to hear, before shoving her phone into her pocket—not even bothering to
text back.
“Aw c'mon,” Liam texted again. “I dint mean 2 get u mad.”
Again, she ignored it after reading it.
“U kno u want 2 reply,” he texted again. “If u din't care, u wudnt b cheking.”
Hah. Nani scoffed again, Fine, I won't even check then.
She was about to slide the phone into her bag when another text vibrated. Sighing, she flipped her phone open and got ready to text him back with a furious text...
Until Nani saw that the number wasn't his. It was a phone number she'd never seen before.
“7th period.” the text read.
“Yah,” came a whisper from behind her. Nani turned around to Chloe. “Phone. Hide it. Ko's been watching you.”
“Sh!t,” Nani muttered to herself, then to Chloe she said, “Thanks, Chlo.”
She laughed. “Anytime, girl.”
By the time the end of the period approached Nani was already in a daze—wondering who the hell it could've been that sent her the text.
And it wasn't until she got to p.e.--and met up with the L's: Lyn, Liz, and Lori—that she realized who it was.
“Ace has p.e. with us,” Lyn stated. “Looks like we'll get ourselves a show at p.e. now.”
Nani followed her eyes and her very own two eyes almost popped out of their sockets when they landed upon Ace. Ace who wore a loose plain white tee and black knee-length basketball shorts.
That may have been the dress code, but not once in the history of...gym clothes, has someone been known to wear them so well. Until now.
And now that he's removed his sweater his arms were free to be drooled over—which everyone was doing to their ability.
“My god, he's got some fiiine arms,” Liz breathed.
“His biceps and tri's are beautiful as well,” Lyn added.
“Do you think he'd remove his shirt if we asked him to?” Lori tugged at my arm.
Nani cursed herself and ducked her head, averting her gaze from that body. “Please. Of course he would. He's practically asking for attention, since he looks that good in the p.e. uniforms.”
A sudden shudder ran through her after hearing her own words.
Nani drew in an inhale, reminding herself to breathe, before she stalked over to him—ready to give him a piece of her mind about the text—but because he had been in the middle of playing basketball, he turned around to shoot and nearly collided with her.
Nani, to her dismay, fell breathless when she saw how close he stood to her. So close that, when she looked up at him, the only thing she saw were the viridity of his emerald eyes—luring in her silver eyes. So close that his biceps began to look...tangible.
A sudden urge twitched at Nani's fingers.
“Please, Nani,” he broke through her thoughts by simply speaking her name, “by all means, continue staring.”
Recovering from. . .hypnosis, Nani pushed him away—fulfilling her urge to touch him (he did, she felt mortified to realize, have rock-hard abs)--and pulled out her phone from my short pockets. “I'm guessing you sent this?” Nani held the phone in front of him with the text on the screen.
“Saved my text message to you? Did you save the number as well?” Only, he had added that last part sarcastically.
And the answer was yes, but Nani avoided the question. “How did you get my number in the first place?” She asked instead.
He crossed his arms—a mistake on Nani's behalf, because it immediately stole her attention, focusing her eyes wholly on his biceps and tris—and, once again, he looked at me as if she had eyebooger. “Surprisingly enough, gray eyes, you're pretty popular and just about everyone has your number. Guys and girls.”
Nani blinked a couple of times before she was able to look away from his arms and up at him—another mistake that glued her eyes to his beautiful green ones. “Huh?”
“Nani,” he whispered—that y smirk playing along his lips, “you were staring again.”
There was something about the way he said her name—she wasn't sure if it was because of his voice, or because he actually called me 'Nani' instead of 'Nana'--but, either way, it made her stomach flutter to the point where she began to feel that such things would only occur in a story.
And this was no story.
Ace was terrific at torturing her, Nani knew that almost immediately.
“Tell me,” his fingers slid under her chin, with a sense of delicacy—surprisingly—and he lifted her face up towards his that he lowered down closer, “Nani, have your eyes always been gray?”
With his face so close to Nani's like that—that she could practically count the many strands of eyelashes that he had—it was hard to restrain herself from another sudden urge. An urge that has never—not once—ever crossed her mind before. Ever.
It was because of this nearness that Nani noticed his deep green eyes had rims of blue. And that, honestly, did not help stop the urge. His eyes were beyond beautiful—he probably knew.
“Yes,” Nani slapped his hand away and placed a good distance between them, “the same way my hair has always been brown.”
She walked away from him after that—back to where Lyn, Liz, and Lori stood with their jaws dropped.
“Sick way of charming,” Nani muttered.
“Hey,” Nani texted Em after school—as she approached her Camaro, “At the car already. Hurry up or I'll leave w/out u.”
After tossing her phone into her bag and rummaging through it for her car keys, Nani finally got around to unlocking the door.
A sudden breeze brushed past Nani—sending chills all throughout her body—and she shuddered as she opened the car door—
—only to have a hand, from behind her, close it. “You smell good,” he whispered.
His lips brushed her neck, just lightly, but it was enough to knock Nani off-guard. She swung her arm back at the person—as a reflex—elbowing him in the guts. He let out a grunt just before she shoved her back hard against his chest and he fell backwards—onto Ace's car.
“Ace?!”
That bastard. Nani grinned before she could admit that she didn't regret what she'd just done.
“You,” he pushed himself off his car and straightened.
“Your fault for sneaking up on me,” She said before he could say anything else.
For someone who just pushed himself off his car, Ace leaned back against the side of his car. “I didn't think you'd do that.”
“That's what they all say,” Nani scoffed, opening her car door.
“They?” he wanted to know. Why he was suddenly so curious, Nani didn't know.
“THEY,” it was her turn to look at him as if he was stupid, “other guys with the same mind as you.”
He still looked at her, confused.
“erts,” Nani went on to list—her cheeks flushing when she realized how it sounded like she thought too much of herself, “ual harass—”
Ace scoffed, seemingly amused. “Ah, I should've known.”
Nani had had no idea what he'd meant by that, but went off on its own accord.
“Which is exactly why I hadn't made a mistake taking martial arts classes.”
As soon as she'd said it, Nani immediately wished she had kept shut. Now he was going to go on questioning—as per usual.
And the reason for martial arts classes went much deeper than mere self-defense.
From behind his silky strands of brown hair, his eyebrows rose—sarcastically interested. “You took martial arts classes?”
Nani hesitated before answering. “Boxing and kick-boxing included.” Then she realized belatedly that she shouldn't have added that, either.
In an attempt to make her escape, Nani reminded herself Em was late and there was no way she was going to hang around longer. “I don't know about you, but I have to go now.”
“Really?” Ace's expression made it clear he didn't believe her. “Where to? Your throne, perhaps?”
Oh, if only...
“I've got a shift,” Nani answered spitefully, “after I pick up my little sisters.”
“And now you're trying to tell me that you work?”
“Of course,” She answered, it was only the obvious. “That's my only source of income.”
He shook his head. “You never cease to surprise me.”
“Right,” Nani had brushed off the comment—having no idea if it was sarcasm or not—and got inside her car. “Bye.”
“Nana~!” Nani was mid-way in closing her car door when she saw Soh running towards them. “Nana~! Emergency!”
He stopped in front of her, panting. And even though he was panting, he managed to greet Ace with a handshake.
Nani frowned. How did he know the devil?
“Emergency?” She asked.
“Y-yeah,” he answered, catching his breath. “I-I need you to cover my shift tonight.”
“Time?”
“Seven to midnight,” he answered. “You available?”
“My first shift ends at seven...” Nani spoke—mostly to myself. “I'll see if Nikki lets me out early.”
“So, we good?” Soh asked.
“Yeah,” She answered. “You're safe.”
“Alright,” he smiled. “Thanks, Nana!” He waved bye to them as he walked off—still half-tired from the run.
“Popular with the guys, I see,” Ace returned to leaning against his car.
Nani's glare at him turned murderous. “Popular with the guys?”
He smirked. “I've seen you with so many different guys today, you can't even get me to believe otherwise.”
She scoffed, caring little—if none at all—about what he thought. “Unlike you, I actually know those guys.”
“Past relationship?” he asked, eyebrows raised—as if he was seriously curious.
It took a lot for Nani to hold her jaw from dropping again and to restrain herself from attacking him right there in that parking lot.
“No,” She muttered. “I had said 'unlike you', if you hadn't heard me right.”
“Unlike me?” he asked. “How so?”
Nani's jaw fell again when she realized he was trying to say they were alike. Her and Ace? Alike?
“You who has a girlfriend all the time,” She answered. “What else is there otherwise?”
“I have a girlfriend all the time?” he asked, monotoned. “Why is this my first time hearing of it?”
Well, Nani cursed herself, that's just great. Now he knows she's been listening to information about him—not that she wanted to.
“Just because I've currently got a girlfriend, doesn't mean that,” he added.
Of course he'd currently have a girlfriend, Nani told herself.
“Why do you sound jealous?” Ace took a step closer to Nani and grabbed onto her car door to have her refrain from closing it.
She didn't close it, seeing how it was impossible under his grip. Instead, she laughed—quite unbelievably.
“Oh, right. Because I would be so jealous over Moon Ace.”
“Nana!” Nani recognized Em's voice, and she turned around in time to confirm that it was her. She ran over to the front passenger side of the car. “Oh, hey~” She cooed at Ace. “I didn't think you'd be here with Nana.”
Yeah, well, Nani had half-a-mind to add, I didn't so either.
“What?” Nani spoke up.
Ace let go of her car door then—aiming a grin at her that only one word could describe. The only word that described him, as a matter of fact, “I was just leaving, actually.”
What. a. bastard.
“This top?!” Nani picked it up from the rack. “THIS top is on sale?!”
Nikki, who had been so engrossed in typing down the expenses on her laptop, looked over at Nani. “Oh yeah. Take it if you want.”
“Yeah?” Nani picked her bag up from the counter and began rummaging through it for her wallet.
“What are you doing?” Nikki peeked over the top of her laptop at Nani—again—with a confused look.
“I'm getting the money,” She stated simply, pulling out her wallet.
“Money?” She asked. Then she scoffed, adjusting her glasses. “Nana, I meant TAKE it—as in TAKE it. Free.”
Nani just stared at her. “What?”
“You heard me,” she laughed. “What kind of manager do think I am? If you want it, take it. Free of charge.”
Nani continued to stare at her.
Nikki, Nani confirmed right then, 's a pretty weird woman. She's twenty-four, tall, perfect body, beautiful... It makes you wonder why she's still single.
“Thanks...” Nani said meekly, “but I'd rather pay.”
“Alright,” Nikki gave up, going back to her typing, “but if you're wondering why you got an extra thirty-five dollars on your next paycheck...”
A gasp broke through Nani's lips. “You wouldn't dare.”
She smirked. “Oh I wouldn't? How do you know?”
“Nikki~” Nani heard herself whine—like the child she truly was.
“Nana~” she did the same in return. “C'mon, just take it.”
Nani stared at her for a long while before sighing. “Fine.” Then she muttered loud enough so Nikki would hear, “You even threatened my paycheck.”
Nikki smiled in return. “Giving you extra cash is not threatening.”
“Thank you, Nikki.” Even though Nani had already plotted out a way to sneak the money into the cash register later.
“Not a problem.”
The bells chimed at the door the moment they opened.
“Hello,” Nani turned towards the door that was opened, “and welcome to Latest Fashion.”
“So you work here,” his voice sounded uninterested. But that voice, that voice she'd know anywhere—even after twelve hours of meeting him.
Ace.
“You,” Nani straightened from her bow and glared at him.
He frowned--sarcastically. “I liked the friendly greeting better.”
Clearly, he wasn't going to see that side of her.
“I'm sorry,” Nikki called from where she sat, still on her laptop, “but we only have women's clothes.”
“I'm here for women's clothes,” Ace said, browsing the racks.
Nani stared at him, raised eyebrows and all, and scoffed. “I should've known.”
He ignored her completely. “Can I get the newest top? Wrapped.”
Oh. Nani's frown was sarcastic. Wrapped, is it? So he won't be wearing it? That's a shame.
Then it dawned on her that there is the possibility that it's for his girlfriend.
Well, Nani decided she could care less, they could both wear it for all she cared.
Nani looked back at Nikki who pointed to the back rooms. “Still in the boxes. I planned on unpacking them tomorrow, but you two can go have a look.”
Though the room was pitch black, Nani entered—feeling around for the light switch. The door closed behind Ace—leaving them both in the darkness.
“Where's the damn light switch?” her words were muttered while her fingers worked quickly at scanning the cold wall. “Do you plan on helping? Or would you rather work in this darkness?”
Something brushed lightly against Nani's arm and before she even gave it enough thought, she grabbed it and twisted what felt like another arm—and swung it against the wall.
Unfortunately, the arm seized her arm as well, so when she flung it against the wall...she followed suit. Nani ended in a collision with something rock-hard in front of her.
The lights switched on after a thud.
The thud being Ace's back against the wall and Nani against Ace's chest. Of course, she noticed the other thud going on within her chest—involving her heart—but that wasn't important. Not at all.
“Found the lights,” he muttered, letting go of Nani's arm. “Along with you.”
“You,” She pushed herself away from him—he who still had his back pressed up against the wall—and straightened. “You and ual harassment.”
The thuds within her chest didn't slow or fade and she assured herself it was only because she had flipped out.
“ual harassment?” Ace's eyebrows rose. “Correct me if I'm wrong, Nani, but I could've sworn you grabbed onto me first.”
Nani shot him a glare. “And who's fault is that?! I felt something on my arm, and my reflexes took over!”
“Hey,” he raised both arms in defeat. “You told me to help you find the lights, and that's what I was doing. Helping you.”
“Uh-huh,” Nani nodded. “Right. Sure. Helping yourself, more like it.”
He scoffed—as always—and crossed his arms.
If he was aware of that that simple movement did to Nani, it would be best if he stopped doing that.
“Nani, if I wanted to help myself, I wouldn't have done it that way. And weren't you the one pressed up against me, just seconds ago?” he said. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
A most deadly combination, Nani noted. His crossed arms and that smirk.
And all the while, hung open—even as the heat rose to her face upon remembering that moment. “Oh, well, excuse me, I didn't think you'd PULL me against you like that.”
“Right. Then I'm truly sorry, Nani. Next time I'll let you fall on your face. How's that sound?”
Like what everything else he says sounds like, everything inside Nani's head was a blur, Bullsh!t.
And how had he known that she stumbled?
“Whatever,” she said, heading towards the boxes.
“Here,” Nani lifted the box labeled 'latest' off from the top shelf and set it down. “The latest tops.”
After a couple seconds—just seconds. It takes him seconds to choose a top—he handed it to Nani.
“How do you want it wrapped?” She asked as they left the room. “Would you like a box or a bag?”
“A box would do fine,” Ace answered.
“Did he find one he liked?” Nikki asked as soon as they entered the room.
“Within seconds,” Nani replied shortly as she held the top up for her to see before she put it in the gift box.
“Ooh,” Nikki cooed. “One of the best-selling from my winter line of clothes.”
“He's got taste,” Nani shot him a glare, “surprisingly.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” his green eyes drew in her gray ones.
Nani blinked, looking back at the gift box in front of her. “Alright,” She said, placing a Latest Fashion gift sticker on it. “And who's it to?” Nani clicked the pen in my hand—ready to write the name given.
“Aura.” He said simply.
“Aura,” Nani repeated to herself as she slowed her Camaro to a stop at a red light. Since she had to drive over to Super Save—her next shift to cover at a grocery store—she decided to take the busy street so she wouldn't be late. It was the busy street, but it was a shortcut.
Nani sighed. And today was her day off from Super Save, too.
She stepped on the gas when the light turned green and then, looking forward at the left turn opposite her lane, she noticed the green car that was speeding...
...the car that made a left turn on its red light—intersecting her lane.
Nani slammed on the brakes, stopping her car dead in its tracks. And at the same time, a couple of things seemed to have happened in slow-motion before those keen silver eyes.
The green car honked loudly at her—as it made its left turn right in front –and then another car that Nani hadn't even noticed, on the left at the four-way stop light, that had been speeding, also ran a red light and crashed into the green one the exact second it had honked in front of her.
And all of this happened before the silver eyes of Kil Nani; she watched in silence—unable to speak or scream.
Her heart jumped into the moment the car crashed into the green one—at full speed. And what's even more weird, is that the car simply backed up—after hitting the green car—and his eyes met those familiar silver eyes of Kil Nani's for a second. She knew that much, even through the darkly tinted windows. He immediately looked away from her and sped off, leaving the green car overturned in front of Nani.
A hit and run happened. Right before the eyes of Nani.
She shut off her engine—though it was still in the intersection of the street—pulled out her phone, and called for an ambulance.
For some reason, Nani didn't find herself freaked out by the whole accident. She wasn't terrified, wasn't shaking or crying.
The whole time Nani waited there for the ambulance to come, she couldn't help but think only one thing...
If she had been a second slower in stepping on the brakes...
...it would've cost her her life.
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