Third Person
Paris, France: Jardin d'Eden
7:06 P.M.
"Thank you for joining us with the IXCrest' Platold version! You can now retire for the night or explore a whole new world in Jardin d'Eden. Please consider the new activities and contests for couples included in the given brochure. Have a goodnight, lovers!"
Hand in hand with their partners, the women were exhausted and looked sleepy because of all the cheering that they've done for the band and the catfights they made just to own the two used masks. Saccharide and Raine waited for everyone to leave before they both got out of their sit. The arena was emptied when they started striving for the entrance.
"Did you enjoy that crappy concert, my dear?" chuckled Saccharide while mildly swinging their clasped hand like little kids.
The girl nodded at him, it was her turn to ask the boy, "And you? Did you enjoy spying on the poor couple?"
"Very," Saccharide wiggled his eyebrow, "But strangely, they disappeared halfway the show..."
"Because they realized, you are the real creep following them" Raine giggled and tightened her grip on his arms, "You are being paranoid with that part, Saccharide Heinz..."
The boy softened his eyes as the girl opened the door for him before saying, "Sometimes, I miss those times when you were too afraid to talk to me and just agree with everything I say,"
He was just joking but when the girl slammed the door back and pinned him against the nearby wall before putting her head against his beating chest before saying, "We can still go back to that, you know"- he knew she took it seriously.
It was gravely taken.
She looked up seductively and took the boy's hand before making him wrap it around her neck, "You hurt me, it'll please you..." muttered the girl, "And it'll pleasure me too."
Saccharide muttered under his breath, "My God, Raine...".
But the fierceness in her eyes disappeared when the boy just stared at her with his mouth agape.
'Is it too much?!' she asked herself before pulling away from the male, the girl fidgeted and waited for Saccharide to answer.
She blinked a few times, "Is it too shameful?! I'm so sorry! I don't fully know how to act like a slu- I mean seductively. I o- only takes a few words from Racquel and-" her words became a whirlpool of stutters and slurs, "But I'm not saying that she- she's a sl- I'm just-"
The grey-haired boy wasn't thinking twice when he pulled the girl into the back of the curtains cascaded from the sides of the walls. Convenience is always on their side, taking consideration of previous events, this is a start. They were completely hidden from sight as they stared at each other's eyes.
The girl readied her lips for the thought the boy will kiss her but that's where she made a mistake. She gasped when Saccharide pulled her into a tight hug, "I'm sorry this date is not what we expected, my dear"
She was in shock still but she smiled and ran his hands through the male's ash grey hair, "That's what makes this fun, right?" Raine asked, that question made the boy's ears perk up, "If anything goes with our liking, it's boring..."
Lending her his full ears and attention, the girl continued, "So I'm trying to be exciting for you so you'll never get bored of me... I'll never let you go even death will take you away- not again."
His father taught him not to cry but his waterworks spills whenever her words escape her lips.
"Because I love you..." she ended with a gentle kiss on his lips. The boy did not respond and just kept her head on his shoulder after the kiss.
'It's too early to say it back and I want to say it in front of all the people. Keep waiting for me Raine...' he formulated the answer inside his mind but was unable to say it back.
Raine looked up when she noticed his heartbeats were rapid than usual, "That's the other secret you wanted to find out, right?"
Confused, Saccharide looked down and asked, "The what?"
Raine giggled and repeated, "I love you-" then she explained again, "that's what I've been saying to you a while ago but you didn't hear it so I thought I'd keep it a secret but I can't-"
His eyes softened as her eyes sparkled with sincerity and pureness. Cherry lips moved gracefully in his vision while his ears luckily picked the melodic lyrics coming out of her mouth.
She paused for a moment and whispered, "It's involuntarily coming out from my mouth as long as my heart and your heart beats."
Guilt washed over him as he whimpering his words into his hair, "I'm sorry..." -before kneeling on the floor but was still holding the girl's soft hands.
She panicked and tried to lighten up the mood when she actually sucked at it, "I- it's not your fault that this day is unlucky. Is it Friday the 13th?" the girl giggled and waited for the boy to move but he was frozen and silent.
His next words were supposed to be a secret but he said it anyway-
...
"I have Dissociative Identity Disorder"
He had to tell her. He thought she'll run away but he remembered that whenever the girl is shocked, her knees will be too wobbly to run.
"Doctor Porscha said that my personality split his fucking self..."
His world stopped when he felt the girl's gripped on his hands became limp in his touch. Keeping his head down, he doesn't want to witness the girl's auburn eyes staring down at him with petrification.
Finding no sense in holding onto her limp hands, he let go and just let his stinging eyes bring the abyss around him.
...
But then someone wiped the blurred view caused by his tears followed by a hand caressing his wet cheeks.
Then he heard a new set of three words from her-
...
"I know, Saccharide"
He looked up and saw the same smile and the same expression.
Nothing changed.
There was no fear.
It was solely concern from her fiery auburn eyes.
It was like the re-enactment of the first night they met. Both of them were on the floor, the boy was crying and the girl was effortlessly saying vows to make him stop crying.
"You do know I have a phone too," she pulled out her standard phone from her pocket and laid it on the floor, "And the voice you've been hearing? It's because of something right so I had to call Racquel this morning to find out before your father came"
"So?" the boy finally spoke. He was sure that she will not do the opposite of what was he thinking but he wanted to reassure her.
"So what?" Raine showed him a smile, "I still love you"
Satisfaction is in every word but he still wants more of her loving words. He wanted to drown in them but at the same, it's his reason for living in this hell.
He held her shoulder and looked into the depths of her orbs, "But having both PTSD and DID is lethal!" Explaining the possible jeopardy, he kept a stern look, "Don't you realize I could kill you without even knowing that I did?"
"PTSD, DID, HIV, CANCER..." she enumerated with her finger as props, "I don't care as long your heart beats for me. I'll be here"
The grey-haired boy lost it and just bounced on the helpless girl before attacking her lips. It was a new feeling for the girl when he let her be the dominant one for once. She explored his mouth and he was surprised when the girl showed a tremendous amount of experience.
...
Little do they know a man in his late 30s with black hair was already watching them continue their act, "Are you the lucky VIP's to meet the IXCrest members?" the man asked kindly, obviously compelling himself to keep composure after seeing a couple kissing behind the arena curtain.
It was something normal for a long time staff.
But the scene of two teenagers kissing was somehow a little less serious compared to what he witnessed in his years of working.
Saccharide turned to the man with an obviously disappointed expression, "No, actu-"
Completely ignoring his initial response, the man focused on the dangling laces with laminated cards hanging around the neck of the lovers, "So you are! Come on follow me, they've been dying to spend time with the both of you."
They wasted no time as the rushing man led them straight to a building on the other side of the arena using a golf cart. The structure of the building was surprisingly unique. It was a wonderland for people who want to take a fantasy into the real world.
"Wow..." Raine muttered and admired the structure while Saccharide constantly looked around for any signs of suspicion.
Stairs were removed. The only way they can get up are elevators, moving ramps, and battery-powered chair elevators. As the people go down from their floors, the slide with foam flooring below will take away any maturity inside every adult.
"Here we are! Enjoy!"
Raine followed the actions of the man as he offered his hand to the lady to help her get down for the vehicle.
But instead-
A large hand was placed on top of his as the evidently enraged Saccharide squished the man's hand while he stepped down from the steps of the cart like a fine lady except he was crushing the bones of the mister who helped him get down.
"Thank you, Monsieur..." Saccharide said sarcastically after he cleared his throat.
The man cursed inside his mind but kept his forced smile to show the boy before stepping away six feet away from the grey-haired boy, "You're welcome, S- sir!"
Saccharide then turned to the black-haired lady who was still sitting on the cart; he put up his hand to her as an offering of a prince to help the damsel.
"Cute..." Raine muttered and held out her hand.
...
"But as I said, a woman can jump from high places without the help of a rope..."
Saccharide's eyes widened when the girl that was recently in the carriage was already behind him, whispering those words. His hand was still held out and he just stared at his untouched hand.
He turned his head to the smiling girl behind him and just looked at her. Raine walked away from the two amazed men gracefully, the opposite of what she just performed a while ago.
"Di- did you see that?! She just without a sweat-" The man tried his best to comprehend the stunt Raine did.
Saccharide pulled out a few bills from his coat and slapped it against the man's chest before saying, "Take this tip and get the fuck out of here."
"Bu-" the 30-year-old man tried to speak but the teen boy turned to him with a debonair smile on his face.
"Thank you for watching our French kiss!" He said sarcastically once again before slamming another handful of euros on his chest, "Now take that and goodnight!"
Bowing a little, he thanked the boy for the 2 most worth punches he received in his life, "Thank you Sir! Please-" the man lightly coughed a few times before finishing his fair well, "Enjoy!"
Saccharide walked a little faster to get parallel with his girlfriend, "Every time they say 'Enjoy!' there's a weird ring to it... Don't you agree?"
"I suppose so," Raine responded.
As they walked, the boy tried to find the chance to ask her about the routine that she did back in the cart, "Hey, that stunt was from the-"
"Yeah, I forgot to tell you that I'm practicing the stunt from the play. It was difficult but tumbling and bouncing on my bed is great for practice" said she with her face blushing like a tomato.
The stunt will happen before the finale, it's the scene where the female lead will jump over the male antagonist to get to the other side to escape, and her exact lines before doing that stunt are- "But as I said, a woman can jump from high places without the help of a rope..."
Saccharide looked ahead and snaked his hand around her waist, "That was breath-taking, my dear..." he complimented her before giving her fragrant hair a smooch.
"Oh! I think this is it!" the girl uttered as they near a door with two men in black looking like stupid statues while guarding it.
Raine's eyes sparkled as she held tight on the brochure which she will make every member of the IXcents sign for her best friend. They showed their ID to the men and unexpectedly they smiled and greeted them inside, "Welcome Raine and Saccharide..."
Before they could enter, one man warned them about something, "Monsieur and Mademoiselle-"
He winked before turning the knob.
"They are rehearsing..." he whispered, "Enjoy the show..."
It was too late when Saccharide realized what they meant by that statement, his girl and he was pushed by the other guard inside the colored smoke-filled room. At first, the mixed colored smoke clouded both of their eyes but when it cleared-
"Shit! Fucking shit!" the grey-haired boy screamed before turning around once he saw two topless men.
The one with the ginger hair was a second away from licking the neck of the man with the raven black hair. They were against the wall and the man with the black hair who was known as "Silver" was pinned on the wall by the ginger-haired lad named, "Bronze".
Raine covered her eyes and turned around, siding with Saccharide in front of the exit, "I'm sorry for interrupting!" she panicked and blurted out words, "We can- we can leave, if you want!"
Raine was flipped back by someone with a gentle touch, "We were rehearsing," Bronze laughed and gave her a seat on the couch, "No need to freak out!"
Her eyes were widened when he saw the other member without his gold mask. Gold was still wearing his clothes for the performance but his hair was not tied in a tight bun. His gentle features resembled a tamed lion. Raine with shaking hands pointed to Gold's direction before stuttering, "Ro- romien?!"
"I thought we agreed not to show them our faces?" Bronze complained to Gold, who was Romien Travis all along, before putting his arm over Romien's broad shoulder.
Romien removed Bronze's arms and said his side, "Well she already knew me plus my mask was taken so..."
Saccharide kept being persistent and held his position in front of the door while facing his back on them, "Blah blah! Still. Can't. Look!"
"Y- you..." Still trembling, Raine tried to understand what's real or fake.
Romien smiled nervously and bashfully rubbed his nape with his left hand before waving to the confused girl, "Hi Raine..."
Then surprises never come alone so when the door opened and it revealed a man in his 20s with his mediocre glasses on with drinks and snacks on his arms. Bronze approached the man known as "Platinum" before taking the stuff he was carrying was put it on the center table.
Raine nearly fainted when she stuttered Platinum's real name, "Sir Edward..."
It was too unbelievable.
It was Edward Broshe and Romien Travis who were performing the lewd scenes in the arena.
The same teacher and student who were so pure, God would forgive you if you have ever mistaken them as the purest thing on earth.
Raine backed away from all of them before saying, "Please. No more surprises...-my head will explode..."
The members looked at each other before looking at the girl with their worried eyes.
On the corner of the door, there stood the proudly homophobic male, "Alright-"
This night is just warming up...
"Still. Can't. Look..."