Two days have gone by quickly since the day when Nice met her grandfather. And today they don't have any class because their teachers and advisers let them use the whole day to prepare for their booths, that's why everyone in their class was busy preparing and decorating the classroom accordingly to their theme.
"Guys!, our costumes have arrived!" their class president shouted as she helped Kasey with the boxes containing their costumes.
"The table cloths, utensils, silver-wares, and other materials and decorations we needed for our booth has arrived too," Kasey informed them as she stepped inside their classroom together with two of the employee of his grandfather.
It's a great help for them that her grandfather allowed her to borrow and use some of the table wares from one of their newly built restaurants.
"Woah!" her classmates exclaimed in amusement and excitement as they saw what's inside the boxes.
"It all looks so expensive." … "I never saw this design for utensils before." … "It suits our booth." they commented as they keep on pulling everything from the boxes.
Kasey just silently stares at her classmates as their eyes and faces get filled with sunshine and glitter.
Their plain-looking classrooms slowly get filled with colors bringing warmth to everyone as the colors filled the whole room.
"Where did you get these Kasey?" Cherry asked her as she pulled out from one of the boxes the set of teacups. "Renting it must cost a lot of money," she added as she examined every detail of the cups.
"Don't worry, I got that for free, from some connection," she answered as she put down on her table the paper bag containing the costume that she will wear.
"Woah!, look at our costumes, it's so cute!" one of the girls exclaimed in excitement as she pulls out one of their costumes, showing it to everyone in their class. "I can't wait for our school fest!" she added as she pulled another costume.
A smile slowly curved into Kasey's lips, the faint smile she had earlier turned into the warmth and a much more relaxed one. Her eyes start smiling too as her classmates' faces are filled with joy and excitement.
"Hey, Kasey why don't you try to wear this maid outfit for us?" Cherry said mischievously, grinning at her.
Kasey's furrowed her eyebrow in confusion, scared of what kind of ideas was running over her friend's brain.
"She's right! Can you show it to us Kasey?" her classmates agreed.
Slowly, Kasey took a step backward, avoiding everyone's gazes.
"Didn't you told us before that you were a model before? The truth is, I'm also curious about how you will look like when you wear it." Denise whispered to her while holding the costume. "Just show to our classmates how is this supposed to be worn and how it would look like."
Almost everyone in their room glared at her as if their eyes are telling her to change and wear that costume. Kasey stares at them for a minute as they stare back at her, all of them were serious.
After staring at them for a minute Kasey closed her eyes and weigh everything. Asking herself if she should and if she could wear it just to show them how a maid costume should be worn.
Seconds later she finally opened her eyes as she heaved a sigh in defeat against their whole class.
"Hey guys, wassup!" Hanz yelled cheerfully as he slammed the door open, "Eh! What's happening?" he exclaimed, his eyes widen as he saw Kasey step inside from the front door of their classroom...
"Is that you Kasey?" they all said in chorus as their jaws almost drop on the ground upon seeing Kasey in a maid uniform.
"She's so cute, right?" one of her classmates commented.
"Yeah." Claude agreed.
Kasey was nervously biting her lower lip as she wished to go back and change to her uniform. Her hands are slowly shaking it also starts to get cold as her male classmates stare at her.
"Hey, hey, don't tell me Claude you're starting to like her now!" Kris teases him, raising his eyebrow with a big smirk on his lips. "Want to have a date with her?" he added, chuckling.
"What are you saying?, I'm not!" Claude strongly disagrees.
"My twin was right because I'm the one who will date her, right Kasey?" Hanz confidently said as he wraps his arms on her shoulder and wink at her.
"Let go of me!" Kasey shouted as she pushed Hanz away. D-don't touch me!" she added as she hugged herself, her voice starts shaking at the same pace as her body.
"Huh? seriously? Are you mad because of what I did?" Hanz asked in confusion and shocked the same with their classmates who were also shocked.
Kasey immediately left their classroom without saying any words after that, she ran towards the ladies' restroom next to their classroom to get change.
...'I thought I'm already doing fine, but, I'm wrong... I'm still not yet healed. She thought as she stares at her reflection from the mirror.'
'I thought I'm already good, because, whenever I'm with them my body doesn't react this way.'...
-
"Itai!~" Kasey mumbled as she bumped into someone while she was on her way towards their classroom to apologize for what she did earlier and to help in preparing their booth.
Kasey blinked her eyes to confirm if she really fell on the floor. It didn't hurt. She thought as she felt a warm breath of airbrush against the right side of her nape.
Her eyes widen as she saw Nice lying on the floor. "Nice?" she mumbled as she realized what their position looks like, she's on top of him. "I'm sorry." she apologized as she sat up and examined if Nice was alright. "A-are you alright? do you hit your head," she asked frantically.
"I'm alright." Nice groaned. "But you're a bit heavy, so can you please stand up so I can stand up too? You're sitting on my stomach."
"Ah!, my bad, I'm sorry!" Kasey apologized as she immediately stood up upon seeing their awkward position. She was sitting on the Nice stomach while she was in a panic, scared that he might get injuries because of her.
Nice heaved a sigh as he pats his pants and shirt. He stares at Kasey for a second.
"You should learn how to use your eyes properly. Our eyes weren't put in front without any reason. And your feet? Can't you walk without bumping into someone and knocking them down?" he sarcastically said as his tone gets colder and colder making Kasey felt guilty for accidentally bumping into him. "By the way did you see Vincent?"
"He's helping in preparations for the booth of our class," she answered, almost whispering to herself.
Nice didn't react nor respond to her answer, instead, he began walking towards the direction of their classroom. While Kasey was left frozen as she watches Nice.
'My body didn't react the same way I did earlier with Hanz… why?' She questioned herself as she clenched her fist.
"Kasey, is this right?" James asked as he showed her their handmade banner with the name of their booth, and Kasey just nods as a sign of yes.
She was about to pick some of the decorations at the box and when she was about to grab that decoration someone was about to take it also, to her surprise it was Vincent.
"Sorry, go ahead." Vincent apologized when they took the same decoration from the box.
"Oh." Kasey just responds unable to look at him as she felt her heart beating fast.
"Vincent come here!" Kris called him. "Help us put this signboard."
Kasey seems unable to calm her heart from beating, it was like she was being chased by someone but, when she accidentally caught a glimpse of Nice her heart began beating at an abnormal pace.
What's wrong with me? She questioned herself as she placed her palms in her chest, observing her heartbeat.
Little did she know, there are two pairs of eyes watching and observing her with a proud smile on their faces.
"Hey, Kasey do you have a crush on Vincent?" Cherry said.
"I don't think so, I think she has a crush on Nice." Denise calmly disagrees.
"Huh?… What are you talking about?" Kasey nervously asked. "I don't have a crush on neither of them. " she protested, stuttering.
"If you don't have a crush on neither one of them, then, why are you stuttering? You're blushing too." Denise said grinning at her as if she was ready to fish some news from her.
Kasey was taken aback by her friend's behavior. She gulped down the lump on her throat as she avoided their strong gazes that were eating her.
"As I've said, I don't have a crush on neither one of them." she strongly denies. "Quit bothering me, okay? let's focus on our booth first," she added as she leaves the two stomping her feet and pouting her lips like a kid.
The two, on the other hand, laugh at the sight of Kasey's unusual reaction.
Kasey was busy folding the table napkins for the table setting when one of their classmates approach her and worriedly asked her.
"Kasey, can we finish all of this within two days?" with that Kasey roam her eyes around the room to see their progress. "We still have a lot of things to do on our hands, and tomorrow we need to bake the cookies and cakes we will be serving for the day of the event, our fliers were not yet done too. And, on the day itself, we will need to arrange the flowers and prepare for the other menu we will serve."
"You're right." Kasey worriedly agrees.
"What should I do? They choose me to lead our team for this event. I must take responsibility for the outcome of this. Kasey think! Think!."
"Okay, let's do this." she began as an idea came into her. "Leave the flower arrangement and the table setting to me. While you group our class into eight groups, one for baking the cookies, one for cakes, one for the beverages, one for the other menu on the day itself, one for the dishwashing, one for advertising to get customers, one for the role of butlers and maids and another one group for the cashier who will manage our income for the day," she instructed. "Of course we will go on a rotation, we will switch roles each day."
"It's a good strategy, but can you handle the table setting by yourself for the whole three days?"
"Of course I can. I'll leave the groupings to you then," she said as she pats her classmate's shoulder before returning to setting one of the tables.
"I can handle it. Besides I'm already used to doing this kind of stuff, also, it helps me to forget everything because whenever I've got nothing to do I ended up reminiscing my past, which hurts every time I remembered it."
"Okay!, I'll tell everyone about your plan." she agreed as she proceeds to their classmates to divide them into eight groups.
Later that day Cherry and Denise insisted that they must continue making the other decorations with the boys at their house since they are not allowed to stay longer at their school. And because she can't resist nor say no to the two she agreed o their idea, she can't win against them in any way she can think of since it was only her versus the whole group, aside from Nice who was just silently helping them.
"Woah!" Hanz exclaimed like a kid in amusement as they set foot in front of Kasey's manor. "Your house was way bigger than ours, and, do you need to have your security guard in your house?" he added while they were on their way towards the front door.
"You're exaggerating Hanz, watch your manners," Kris warned him while the girls and the rest of the boys felt like smacking him in embarrassment for his action. "You're acting like a man who just came down from the cave.
"I'm home," Kasey announced as they entered the house.
"Welcome home Miss Kasey." one of their maids greeted as it welcomes her friends with a smile.
"Ate Len, we're doing some school stuff here, hmm… can you prepare snacks for us?" she asked politely.
"Noted. But, before that, let us help you with your bags and paper bags," she said as she held her hands out
"Thank you Ate Len, but, there's no need for that, we can manage on our own." she declined. "By the way, does Ojichan come back?"
"Not yet."
"Okay," she responded.
She then guides them towards their living room so that they can start making the decorations and props they needed.
While making the decorations they kept on asking Kasey about her family's business, which she hesitantly answered. And while they are working, Nice suddenly stood up and goes outside.
Kasey silently watched him walked toward the direction of the pool area wondering what he'll be doing out there. She was way too busy thinking about Nice that she didn't notice her fingers got stuck together by the superglue she was using for the resin art that they plan to give as a giveaway for the first fifty customers they would have at their cafe.
"Eh?! No!" she shouted out of frustration and pain as she tried to separate her fingers. "It can't be."
"What's wrong?" they said in chorus as they all turn to face her.
Kasey bit her lips as she hesitantly shows them her fingers that have been stuck together, but then, when they saw it they just laugh at her misfortune.
"Can we use the kitchen?" Vincent asked.
Kasey nods in confusion.
"Let's go, let's fix your finger." he said as he drags her towards the kitchen, and as she walked past by Cherry and Denise she saw them clearly, grinning at her, as if they were saying, 'Good luck Kasey, that's your chance to tell him what you feel. But she ignored them.
'As if I could do that, and besides I don't even have the slightest crush on Vincent.'...