1. 18th Birthday

18 Years Later...

Fire, darkness, and unconscious bodies everywhere...

Miyazaki Nana surprisingly finds herself in an unfamiliar place where she is one hundred percent sure that she hasn't visited before.

Nana tried to look at both her sides and saw the blurry images of four different people with two persons on each side.

What am I doing here? Who are these people?

As panic rise within her, Miyazaki Nana cast a gaze at her surroundings further. Not far from where they stand, Nana was able to see another group of people that are currently marching in their direction.

In front of this marching group is a blurry image of a girl whose hair is visibly reaching her waist.

Nana tried to squeeze her eyes harder to have a more vivid look at all the faces of the people around her but failed to do so no matter what she does.

As this girl approached her, Nana notices her mouth move from time to time. It's as if she is speaking but she can't hear a word at the same time.

What's really going on around here?

"DIE!"

It was like the feeling when their speakers suddenly turned louder out of the blue.

Nana almost jumped from where she currently stands upon hearing the girl yelling out of nowhere. But all she can hear is that one word she just used.

Die? What was that all about?

***

Ring! Ring! Ring!

As if on cue, Miyazaki Nana's round, chestnut brown eyes fluttered open as soon as her slumber was suddenly interrupted by her phone alarm.

The light coming from the sun penetrating into her blinds had filled her eyes instantly, making her senses awakened from it.

W-what was that strange dream all about just now?

Soon, the now fully alert Miyazaki Nana was now sitting straight in her bed as she casually yawns from time to time while her hand was already turning off her noisy alarm.

Once the alarm was turned off, Nana closed it down and it immediately revealed the lovely face of her mother who already passed away after giving birth to her.

"Good morning, mom," Nana greeted with a halfhearted smile plastered on her beautiful, adolescent face.

It was already part of her daily routine to greet her mother like this, as if she'll be able to hear her in heaven.

"Yosh! It's now time for me to prepare for school!"

Suddenly with a determined face, Nana started fixing her bed and dashed her way towards her bathroom to proceed with her daily shower.

Once done, Nana quickly changed to her school uniform consisting of a black vest over a white polo top with a red bowtie, a black pleated above-the-knee skirt, black stockings, and her leather shoes.

Before leaving the room, Nana also didn't forget to tie her shiny ebony black hair into a ponytail that definitely highlighted her perfect cheekbone and well-defined jaw for a woman her age.

With one final satisfied look, Nana sets off and immediately crossed paths with his dad when she was on her way to grab some breakfast.

"Dad! Going to work already?" Nana probed.

"I've been waiting for you to go downstairs! Hurry up so that we can start having our breakfast."

Nana smiled a wide smile and joined her father for breakfast. If there is anything that she likes about her father, it's that he is more attentive to his only daughter than any dad could have despite being busy running their company.

Ever since her mother died while giving birth to her, Mr. Miyazaki has always been attentive to her only daughter. After all, that was his promise to his late wife on her dying breath.

He swore to protect and cherish their daughter with all his might, and up until now he still tries to fulfill that promise!

"Anyway..."

Nana was halfway to feeding herself with one spoonful of rice towards her mouth when she heard her father said something.

Following his dad's actions, she eventually noticed him taking out a small box from one of his coat pockets and gave it to her.

No way... He remembers it!

"Happy 18th birthday, my sweet beautiful angel," Mr. Miyazako greeted with the corner of his eyes already swelled with tears.

"I can't believe you're even turning 18 today! It was just like yesterday when you were born!" he added.

That made Nana chuckled softly. She made a soft gasp after seeing that it was that gold locket that she truly loved that was inside the small box.

Nana then turned to look at his dad once more with that gratifying eyes of hers.

"Thank you, dad! This is the best gift ever!"

Her dad laughed. "Oh, I"ve been actually hearing this every year. Thank you!"

Yeah. Because for Nana, all the gifts that his father gives to her are the best! She even made a box to store all of them!

After that hearty conversation with her dad at breakfast, Nana excused herself and said that she needs to hurry to school or she'll be late for her first class.

As Mr. Miyazaki watched the retreating figure of his daughter go, he can't help but shed a tear.

"Aiyako... Look at our daughter, she's all grown up now."

Sighing, he continued, "I wish, it could have been a little sooner though..."

***

Hirosaki High, a prestigious school for young socialites who all came from different wealthy and well-known families all gathered here in this well-known institution.

As Nana's BMW was parked by her driver, Mr. Sawada, she didn't forget to thank him for his service before climbing out of the car after it has been opened by her driver.

Almost instantly, her mere appearance gained a lot of attention from a lot of male students who served as a standby to where their campus idol is always parking.

Miyazaki Nana is, after all, known to be the Queen Bee of Hirosaki High because of her delicately beautiful and angelic looks and a family background that surpasses any rich family that each student present here has.

---

"Oh! There she is!"

"Aww, man! Isn't she beautiful as always?"

"Yep. She sure is."

"Oh, Miyazaki Nana. Marry me already!"

---

As more and more male students gathered around her to seek her attention, the more Miyazaki Nana is getting conscious as well.

However, as if on cue, one male student would always steal the spotlight from Nana's die-hard fans as he runs towards the girl with that goofy smile of his and his curly black hair that makes him more adorable with his matching amber eyes.

"Nana, you're already here! Hurry up or we'll be late for class!"

"E-Endo-san, slow down a bit!"

All boys present in the area were instantly frozen into their places as they all witness how that jerk holds their idol's precious hand just like that.

It's Endo Hiroshi after all... Miyazaki Nana's infamous childhood friend.

***

During lunch break, Miyazaki Nana's table in the cafeteria was always filled with her closest friends in school.

Of course, there's Endo Hiroshi sitting right next to her. Then across from Hiroshi is Ito Yui, also one of the known goddesses in Hirosaki High.

Right beside Yui is her boyfriend and the campus hottie Miyamura Kai, and on the left side from Nana's seat is another known goddess of Hirosaki High, Watanabe Rin.

They were all talking about one particular thing, Miyazaki Nana's 18th birthday.

"I can't wait to see you in your debut gown Nana-chan! I'm sure you would look lovely!" Ito Yui complimented her dreamily, as if she could already picture out the outcome in advance.

"Yes, Ito-san's right! You would be absolutely gorgeous!" Rin agreed.

Nana can't help but giggle at her friends' generous compliments and beamed at them.

"I also can't wait to see you guys at my party tonight! Bluemoon Hotel, 7 pm. Don't be late."

"Alright!"

Miyazaki Nana was just about to have another bite of her strawberry cake when she hears something out of the blue that made her hand frozen.

"She really thinks she's that gorgeous? Well, I am way prettier and hot than her. It's just that her family is super-rich, that's all!"

"Shame on this woman. She's so gullible! It's like she believes anything we say to her!"

"Damn, I really want to sleep with Nana! Now that she's already eighteen!"

With a frightened look, Miyazaki Nana's gaze went into Yui, Rin, and Kai's direction, making the three of them look at her with confusion.

"Is... something wrong, Nana-chan?" Yui asked as she sweetly smiled at her.

Nana hesitated and only shook her head.

"No, I'm fine."

I thought I've just literally heard them speak something ill about me.

Nana tried her best to shrug these negative thoughts away and continued to eat as normally as she could.

But no matter what she does now,  she can't make herself stop hearing those thoughts inside her head over and over again!

Just... Just what is going on around here? I wish these ill thoughts would stop coming to me right now!

In the end, Nana can't take it anymore and immediately excused herself to get some fresh air outside, making her friends looked blankly at one another as they watch her walk away.