The next day when Rei went to school, she felt like someone had been following her but she dispelled it by thinking it was only her imagination.
This time her shoes were gone and her locker was sticky, someone must have had glued it and her indoor shoes were nowhere to be found.
Agitated by not able to find her shoes, she walked around in circle, running out of clues where to her shoes. Suddenly the girls around her became so noisy because the twins arrived.
"Today must be our lucky day to be able to meet them early in the morning!".
The twins walked towards Rei and greeted her. Sora noticed she didn't wear her indoor shoes and asked her, "Rei-chan, where are your shoes?"
"Ummm..,well.." Rei lowered her head and tried to think of an answer.
"You washed them?" Ao asked suddenly and Rei just went along with what Ao said.
"Yeah! And I forgot to bring them" Rei said as she scratched her head.
Ao walked to his shoes locker and wore his shoes then went to the faculties office. Rei didn't know what he meant by asking her to wait. Another moment when Ao returned, he brought a pair of sandals and gave them to Rei then he walked to the class.
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It was PE class and this time, Rei's gym clothes were gone, she couldn't find it. No one cared whether she lost them or not because they treated her as if she never existed in the first place. She lied to the teacher that she felt unwell and requested to rest in the class, but then she went on the opposite of the class to find her lost items.
-----
The bell for the last lesson rang signaling the end of class for the day. Rei's attempt to find her lost belongings was null, she couldn't find anything. Not only her indoor shoes disappeared but her outdoor shoes also vanished this time. How would she go home now? Walk barefoot?
Rei sighed. She had searched everywhere but couldn't find her shoes either. Suddenly a group of girls came and surrounded Rei, judging by the color of their ribbons they were upperclassmen.
"Miura Rei?" One of the upperclassmen asked. Rei nodded and was asked to follow them. They went to the back of the school building.
The five girls had a scary looks on their faces seeming ready to pounce on her. "Miura Rei, don't be to full of yourself just because the princes are nice to you!!" One of the girl said with annoyed tone and pushed Rei by the shoulder to corner her against the wall then surrounded her.
"That's right! They are just pitying you!"
"Why should they be nice to you though? You're not even worth enough to be pitied!!" The other girls laughed when one of them said this. For them, Rei was just a nuisance.
One of the girls warned with an arrogant look on her face, "This is a warning for you. You better stay away from the princes. Don't come close to them, you're just an eyesore! "
Rei gathered her courage and answered them without hesitating,"I don't want to! I want to stay with them because they are my precious friends!"
"You! How dare someone like you claim to be their friend!"
The girl in front of Rei raised her hand to slap Rei. Rei instictively shutted her eyes waiting for the pain that would struck her cheek. Even though Rei could hear the sound of the slap, the pain never landed on her cheek. When she opened her eyes, someone was standing in front of her. The person she knew very well, Ao.
"A-a-Ao! I-I'm sorry! Are you okay??" The girl reached out her hand and tried to touch Ao's cheek but, another person from behind grabbed her hand, the person all of them knew very well , Sora.
"Well, you better don't touch nii-chan since he hates to be touched by girls which seek for attention by revealing their skins or should I say, bitches, " Sora said with smile but his eyes weren't.
Cornered, the girls glared at Rei with eyes which are full of envy and hatred.
"But she isn't even worth to stand by your side. You are the princes at our school yet, she is just an eyesore!! Someone like her isn't even worth to be trash and she shouldn't stay by your sides!!!" The girl shouted and Rei could felt their hatred towards her from the way they spoke
"Don't say I didn't warn you. Feel free to run your mouth mindlessly more and you migt not make it out unscathed." That voice belongs to one of the 3 princes, Subaru. He popped out from the bushes and walked and stood beside Ao and continued, "she's the only one who can decide whom she wants to stay with! So, Rei, what's your answer?".
All of them looked at Rei and waiting for her answer. Rei hesitated for a moment because of the tension but when she saw Subaru, Ao and Sora eyes, she didn't hesitate anymore because she was no longer alone. She had found a place where she belonged , a precious place that wouldn't be replaced.
"I want to stay by their sides because they're dear to me!" Rei said with all her might and looked at the girls. The girks couldn't say anything. They couldn't win from that strong gaze. The strong gaze that held what important to her.
They decided to back down since they wouldn't be able to do anything anymore then walked away. Before they disappeared from the view, Ao warned them not to lay a finger on Rei. Ao's warn made them scared especially his piercing eyes that didn't show any mercy.
Sora sighed, crossed his hands in front of his chest and shook his head , "Geez, girls nowadays are frightening."
Subaru chuckled, "That's how they're" then, Subaru turned to Rei and patted her head lightly ," Are you okay, Rei?"
Rei nodded and smiled. "Thank you for saving me". Just then, Rei's smile disappeared because she could see Ao's cheek was red and became worried," Ao-kun, I'm sorry...about your cheek.."
Ao just remembered that he got slapped just now. He shook his head and replied," it's okay. It doesn't hurt"
"But it's really red" Rei said in apologetic way.
"It's fine" Ao said with a monotone voice expressionless then, he handed Rei her personal shoes. The next moment, Subaru and Sora handed her, her indoor shoes and PE clothes.
Rei's eyes and mouth were wide open. She couldn't believe how they could find her missing things. Just when she's about to ask, the three of them just smiles and patted her head at the same time. Seeing the 3 of them smiling was a great view. Their smiles were really charming and had their own charisma. Subaru's smile was warm and his eyes were filled with kindness, Sora's was really bright and that made him looked like a kid. Ao's looked so gentle despite the faint and brief smile.