“H-Hey there,” the person responds to outburst.
I don’t reply and just keep staring ahead, refusing to believe my eyes.
“Isn’t that… Isn’t that the vampire princess!?” Rebecca asks in surprise from behind me.
Yes, it is Zakira who is standing at the doorway wearing a casual outfit of denim jeans and a white top. Her bright red eyes are looking straight back at mine but there is an unusual uneasiness which I remember seeing yesterday… when she was about to drink my blood.
Fuck! Is she here to attack me again!? And in front of Rebecca and Aria at that?
“S-She says that she knows you…” Aria says while stuttering a little.
It seems like she is really shaken from this situation as well.
Obviously, Aria saw Zakira yesterday in school and like everyone else, she also knows how much of an important person Zakira is. I can tell that she is lost for what to do right now seeing a princess at her doorstep.
Fuck it…
“Yeah, I know her. We…ehh… sort of bumped into each other after school and… talked a bit,” I lie while trying to keep a straight face.
“… what? Y-You just “bumped” into the vampire princess on your way back home and casually talked like with some random person?” Aria asks while raising her eyebrows sharply in disbelief.
Fuck! I am really bad at this…
[A bit too bad, if you ask me.]
You are back? Where did you disappear to!?
[I will tell you later. Focus on what is in front of you right now.]
…yeah.
Aria is still looking at me suspiciously, obviously waiting for further explanation on this “bumping” incident.
Damn… Now, what do I tell her?
“Actually…”
Zakira suddenly speaks.
“… it was not an accident. I saw Jacob earlier and thought he look cute… so, I decided to talk and befriend him.”
Instantly, the whole room turns so quiet that I could even hear the light chirping of the birds outside. Zakira turns a little red for some reason as well.
Fuck! Did she just really say that?
[I want to believe she didn’t but…]
What the fuck!? Has as she ever looked in the mirror!?
She is a 11/10 and I am—
[-11 /10?]
No, idiot! I am at least a 7!
[That’s pushing it a bit too far, to be honest…]
That’s not the point!
The point is, why would a beauty like her who is, by the way, also a princess think that I am cute? Well, that is, except if she is a vampire and wants to suck my tasty blood…
What the heck is she thinking!?
[Hmm? While I personally agree with that, I don’t think Rebecca and Aria do…]
What?
I look at Aria first and turn my head a little to look at Rebecca as well. Neither of them is showing any signs that they are doubting Zakira at all. In fact, there is a strange look on their faces, almost as if they are just waiting for Zakira to speak further.
And well, she doesn’t let them wait for much longer…
“A-Anyway, I am here for a reason. I wanted to speak to Jacob as soon as possible…” Zakira says, her voice turning urgent all of a sudden.
“What? Are you really seriously so desperate to propose to him that you willing to do it in someone else’s house!?” Aria asks angrily.
Woah, I don’t think Zakira is here for that at all but anyway, she is a princess and it’s odd for Aria, who was looking shocked and shaky earlier to suddenly turn angry like this…
[…]
What?
[Nothing…]
“No, I am not here for that. In fact, because we are friends now, I wanted to let him know about something before it’s too late,” Zakira says.
Wait, she is sounding too serious. Does she really want to tell me something important?
And why? Why does she even want me to tell anything at all?
“Okay, fine. Tell him then and leave. He is right here,” Aria says while folding her arms.
“Can I not come inside? I don’t want to say this where there is a chance of someone seeing or hearing me,” Zakira says while glancing back at the street.
Aria does not answer her but looks at Rebecca with a conflicted face, wordlessly asking her to decide.
I too look at Rebecca again. Her face is looking a little strange as if she is thinking hard about something.
“We will continue this talk in my room,” she says after being silent a few moments.
“Thanks. Let’s go quickly, shall we? I should be somewhere else right now…” Zakira says while stepping inside the house.
Aria looks a bit conflicted but she doesn’t oppose and just simply closes the door behind.
Suddenly, I feel a light tug on my sleeve. I turn back again and see Rebecca urging me to climb back upstairs along with her.
We won’t wait for Zakira and Aria?
Well, fine…
Together, me and Rebecca reach the room first. The whole way she kept holding on to my shirt and didn’t say anything but the instant we get inside the room, she turns back and hugs me tightly.
Woah…
Though a bit surprised from the sudden show of affection, I start caressing her back as well.
“You were lying before, weren’t you, Jacob?” she asks in a low voice.
…
“W-What? No…” I say nervously.
“You were. I know… I can tell. And, Jacob, you don’t need to tell me why the vampire princess is here or how did you both meet…”
Rebecca moves her face to level it with mine… just before kissing me on the lips.
“… but promise me that you will be careful around her and keep yourself safe,” she finishes.
Rebecca…
I open my mouth but before I can say anything, Aria and Zakira enter the room, making Rebecca separate from me hastily.
Aria is still eyeing Zakira suspiciously and it seems that neither of them exchanged any words while coming up here.
But man… It feels a little weird being in a female’s room along with three women.
Though I am not saying I mind it…
[Yeah, there is nothing to mind here at all. By the way, will you try to turn the topic of the conversation into FFFM foursomes?]
Obviously, I would— I mean, no. This is serious.
Rebecca takes out a mat from a cupboard and spread it on the floor before wordlessly gesturing us to sit down.
“Wait, I wanted to talk to Jacob alon— never mind,” Zakira says before giving a small sigh and sitting down along with us.
It seems like Zakira though that me and her will get to talk privately or something…
“So, what do you want to tell me so urgently?” I ask.
Zakira focuses her eyes on me before taking a deep breath and starting to speak…
“I want to let you all know that what I am about to tell you is highly classified and only a few selected people around the world know about this. So, I want all three of you to promise me first that this talk won’t leave this room…” she says importantly.
Wait a second, if this is so important, why are you even trying to tell us?
You met me just yesterday! And heck! You met Rebecca and Aria just minutes ago!
Are you really even thinking about telling us something so important that only a few people in the world know about it?
Well, fuck it. As suspicious as it sounds to me, I am not going to purposely tell her to stop. I want to hear this highly classified information as well.
It looks like Rebecca and Aria are thinking the same as me as all three of us nod in agreement… though with strange faces.
But well, Zakira looks extremely relieved by this anyway…
“Good. Now, as you all know I am here because of the student exchange program. Especially to participate in the mixed race magical tournament,” she says before taking another deep breath.
“And I want to tell you… that there is a hidden motive behind conducting this tournament.”