"It's merely a day in the year, showing how many how much of a disappointment we've grown to be. Why celebrate it?"
- me
Ugh
Today is what I think it is isn't it? Xiaomao asked Second Reality.
"Yes. Let's just hope it's less hectic than last year..."
Xiaomao groaned, hesitating to get off bed. What if I just pretend to be sick today. I sure feel sick.
"No. You can't just mope in bed with the air conditioner powered to the top." He replied rolling his eyes but understanding her feelings.
Xiaomao groaned again, suppressing the urge to yell. She put her usual clothes on, a black hoodie and let her hair loose.
She put her makeup on hiding the spider lily mark. It was a habit Li Shen had taught her. It wasn't that she didn't want people to know she was a spider lily. But she didnt want to live with all of that hassle.
She sluggish brushed her teeth when she noticed something through the window.
There was a parcel outside her door.
Not thinking much of it, Xiaomao brought it inside and opened it.
It was from Li Shen.
In the parcel was some homemade food and note that Li Shen and Nazeeh wrote.
She faintly smiled.
Of course they would remember.
She kept the note closed and put it inside her drawer. She stared at the containers of food until she decided to put them all inside the refrigerator.
She walked out the dorm after putting her wooly coat on. It was a black coat with some black fur on top. She wasn't the particular person to be fashionable but she like staying warm. Even though she liked staying cold.
She walked over to the palace garden and finished her daily tasks of weeding the garden.
Before she even knew it, it was time to go to the academy.
So far, none.
"Don't jinx it now." Second Reality said floating beside Xiaomao letting his arms sway with the wind.
She finally reached the doors of the academy and hesitated to open the door. Gulping down her anxiety she finally opened the door.
She walked to her usual seat infront of Matsuri and stared at the clock.
Xiaomao fidgeted with her fingers as her anxiety grew larger. She was expecting the same thing to happen as last year.
One person would say Happy Birthday and then the whole class would know. And since they had some sort of pity for me, they would sing happy birthday in every class. From that she would have to face the awkwardness everytime and reply with a thank you.
But now not even Matsuri was acknowledging that she even was here.
Xiaomao sighed mentally, Thank God she's not doing it now.
Then all of a sudden Matsuri shot up from her chair, "Xiaomao, Xiaomao! That's a cool coat."
"...thanks." Xiaomao said diminishing her slight delusion of hope. I wear this coat everyday. Xiaomao thought to herself.
Thus class began normal as ever, the clock ticked and Xiaomao could feel the effect of skipping breakfast yet again from a stomachache.
She gripped her coat and fidgeted slightly. Her fingers shook like an engine in a car. She quietly slapped her hand to stop it from trembling so hard.
Second Reality?? Where on earth are you. I need your help.
"Can't help you now. Xi■om■o ■b□ki. A. Idiot."
What.
Xiaomao gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into a fist as she heard Second Reality's words.
Idiot my ass. Why are you never here. She hissed to Second Reality.
But there was not a single peep out of the white haired bastard.
After a few hours of enduring the stomachache, Xiaomao forgot about it.
It was now lunchtime so she walked back to her dorm. She took out the food Li Shen made for her and heated some up. She ate some food and then packed some for Naveen.
She put her coat back on and walked out the house with the container of food. She walked slowly to Naveen's clinic.
She knocked slowly knocked three times and waited for a response.
This time she didn't have to go through security, because previously Naveen gave her a little badge to show so she could come in ease.
Naveen opened the door, "Ah little savior welcome. Come in please."
"I can't come in now Naveen sorry, but I have some food for you. Just think of it as a thanks."
"Oh ok, thanks. Happy Birthday also." Naveen said waving her bye.
Xiaomao gave a quick reply not expecting that reply at all, "Oh thank you, you too."
She hurriedly walked away, her face now all pale from embarrassment and shock.
Ok so how the actual flip does he know my birthday.
"No idea actually." Second Reality said squinting towards Naveen's clinic, trying to figure out how he knew her birthday.
She decided to not think of it, but it didn't work. How did a random guy I met a few weeks ago know my birthday but a friend of around 3 years not remember.
She kept walking towards her dorm, but before she could fish her keys, out a swift arm grabbed her and placed a hand around her mouth.
| Flight and Fight Resistance Lvl : 5 Activated |
Xiaomao began to twist the intruder and flick most of the pressure points she could see. However then a hand stopped her.
"Calm down. It's just me."
Xiaomao looked up and stopped choking the intruder.
It was Ren.
You bastard Second Reality why didn't you tell me it was Ren. I was nearly about to choke the life out of him.
"I couldn't control this. This didn't happen in the last round." He replied watching the scene from his floating position.
Ren brought Xiaomao closer into a embrace. He rested his head on top of her head. His hand on the nape of her hair. He brought her closer and muttered something to her ear.
"Happy birthday."
Under Ren's hold Xiaomao trembled as she moved away from him at a respectable distance. Her eyes fidgeted and wandered as her anxiety levels grew beyond the scale.
"Calm down. You can't mess this up." Second Reality said bringing Xiaomao back on her feet.
"Thank you..." She said unable to keep her gaze at Ren.
Ren walked to Xiaomao and patted her head.
"I'm sure no one except Naveen said happy birthday."
Xiaomao didn't know what to say, so she went for the more truthful route. "It doesn't really matter. I mean like it's fine really."
Hearing that Ren gave her a sharp look, "What do you mean it's fine? How did none of your old friends remember your birthday when you remember theirs."
"She probably had a long day and forgot." She said referring to Matsuri, recalling that it was usual for Matsuri to be in a bad mood but she still remembered to act nice around everyone.
"So you're basically saying that a bad mood is a good enough reason for someone to forget their friends birthday?" Ren said munching on a pocky stick he stole from Xiaomao's pocket.
Seeing the pocky, Xiaomao felt her pockets but felt none of her snacks she kept. She gave Ren a annoyed look but kept her mouth shut.
"I don't really celebrate my birthday." Xiaomao said honestly, she stared at the ground waiting for his reply.
"That doesn't mean you don't deserve happiness. You can still be happy about your birthday."
Xiaomao fell quiet, unable to respond to his words. Since when can the emo bastard talk such mind-blowing words?
"Anyways, I have to go. But still don't forget what I said ok?" Ren said giving her a smile and walking away with a hand up to wave.
She watched as the figure disappeared into the void of darkness. She didn't even realize how late it was.
Just how long has she been talking with Ren?
She took her keys out and went inside her dorm. Taking her sandals off, the first thing she did was go straight to her bed.
Her body shook and trembled. Why did Ren have to be like this.
In every round he was the same. Smiling, nice and teasing. Then he would become cold but caring.
Ugh make up your mind. I can't help but not hate him.
Her mind moved in circles as she became vision became blurry. Her head felt like it was circling. Her breath became more shallow and she collapsed on the bed. Unable to move.
Her line of vision was blurred with yellow streaks and every time she moved a muscle her migraine shot up like a needle on a nerve.
What was worse was the underlying stomachache she still was facing from the early morning.
She felt the sense of nausea. She ran to the restroom. She threw up everything she ate and didn't eat.
Her eyes now all watery from the lack of oxygen. She wiped her mouth and went right to collapse on the bed.
She called out Second Reality, he floated next to her and turned into his physical form.
His white long hair and never cut bangs covered his eyes but you could tell that he knew what was going on.
"Again?" He asked with a soft look. He didn't wait for a reply. He teleported to the kitchen and opened the cabinet. He opened the jar of vitamins and handed Xiaomao a few.
"You can't just expect to feel fine after eating nothing. You're the older one you should know better." Second Reality said sighing.
Xiaomao knew better than to argue. Ever since she was little, she had forgotten to eat multiple times. Either she was busy, or she just wasn't hungry.
But one thing Second Reality made sure was that she took her vitamin supplements. She barely took in nutrients so she often became weak to the bone like that.
Her vitamin levels were quite unusual for Li Shen and Nazeeh as well. They had to make sure she ate and took her vitamins everyday.
Now it wasn't that Xiaomao forgot. She merely didn't care as much. Her reasoning was that other people grew much harder than her without any problems so why couldn't she?
What Second Reality had often tried to tell Xiaomao was that no one is the same. Not a single person lived the same life as another. They all felt different levels of emotions and did a level of different things.
But Xiaomao was stubborn. She wouldn't take anything else as an answer.
So Second Reality didn't bother trying as much. He understood her thought process. She was his sister, of course he did.
He put a blanket over her as he watched over her. He let out a audible sigh. Xiaomao was always doing something that could mess up her grand plan.
That's why he was here.
He was the great planner. He was the one that told her when she had to do this and when she shouldn't do this.
In a way, he was a wall and a path.
He revised Xiaomao's plans again, editing some things that had to be changed from Ren's actions today. Telling Xiaomao that it was almost time.
Time for their big plan.
Second Reality let Xiaomao sleep for a few more hours until he sensed something.
He woke her up and turned back into his spiritual form.
"Xiaomao. Wake up. Someone's coming."
Funny how Second Reality's senses were so accurate, because oddly enough a minute later someone was knocking on the door.