The next thing Myraa knew, she was being ushered into the backseat of a black car that screamed expensive. The interior smelled faintly of leather and lavender, and the windows were tinted so dark she couldn't even see the airport behind them as they pulled away.
She stared out the window, clutching her bag like a lifeline. Her brain was doing its best to process everything, but it was mostly stuck on: Did she call me "Princess"? Is this real life?
Kyra, sitting across from her with her legs crossed and looking like she'd just walked off the cover of a magazine, seemed completely unbothered by the chaos that had just unfolded.
"So…" Myraa ventured awkwardly. "Do you… work for my grandmother? Is that why you're… uh…" She gestured vaguely at the whole immaculate CEO look Kyra had going on.
Kyra raised an eyebrow. "Work for her? No. But I suppose you could say we share… responsibilities."
"That's not ominous at all," Myraa muttered. "Seriously, what's going on? I thought I was coming here for a vacation, and now I'm in the middle of some kind of melodrama where people are calling me 'Princess.'"
Kyra's lips twitched into a faint smile. "You'll understand soon enough."
"Can't you just tell me now?"
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Because your expression when you find out will be more entertaining this way."
Myraa gawked at her. "Are you… are you enjoying this?!"
Kyra's smirk widened. "Immensely."
The sleek black car drove them through a set of wrought-iron gates, and Myraa realized they were entering… somewhere. Somewhere big. The path ahead was lined with sakura trees, their soft pink petals floating lazily in the evening breeze. It was the kind of scene that belonged on a luxury perfume commercial, or a motivational poster that said something like, Find Your Zen.
Myraa, however, wasn't feeling particularly zen. She stopped mid-step, staring at the trees in disbelief.
"This place is ridiculous," she muttered. "I mean, look at these sakura trees. You could totally build a treehouse up there and just live in it. Like, who even needs a house when you've got a tree that majestic?"
Kyra glanced back at her, raising one elegant eyebrow. "A treehouse," she repeated, her tone neutral but her expression faintly amused.
Myraa gestured wildly as they walked. "Seriously, imagine it. A sakura treehouse. You'd wake up surrounded by cherry blossoms every morning. It's the Pinterest dream!"
Behind them, a gardener carrying a pair of pruning shears and a leather-bound notebook froze in his tracks. He slowly pulled out the notebook, flipped it open, and began scribbling furiously.
Myraa caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye and froze. "Wait… what are you doing?"
The gardener didn't look up. "Taking notes, Miss Reizei. For the treehouse plans."
Myraa's stomach dropped. "What?! No! I was joking!"
The gardener's pen didn't stop. "The Reizei family only accepts the finest ideas, Miss Reizei. Your vision is inspiring. I'll begin preparations immediately."
"No, no, no!" Myraa lunged forward, waving her arms frantically. "I don't actually want a treehouse! It was sarcasm! You know, sarcasm? Joking? Please don't chop down the tree!"
The gardener paused, his pen hovering mid-sentence. "So… no treehouse?"
"NO TREEHOUSE," Myraa said firmly, practically hugging the nearest sakura trunk for emphasis.
The gardener gave a small bow. "Understood. If you change your mind, I'll have the designs ready by morning."
"Oh my God," Myraa groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What is this place? Is everyone here allergic to jokes?"
Behind her, Kyra was standing with her arms crossed, watching the scene unfold with barely-concealed amusement. "You might want to be careful about what you say," she said lightly. "Around here, sarcasm tends to become reality."
Myraa spun around to glare at her. "You could've warned me!"
Kyra shrugged, a smirk playing at her lips. "But then I would've missed the look on your face."
Myraa groaned loudly, her frustration echoing through the tranquil surroundings. She was about to snap back with a retort when something glittered in the distance, catching her eye.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing. Without waiting for an answer, she started walking toward the sparkling object. Anything to distract her from the bizarre treehouse debacle.
Kyra didn't follow, though her voice carried after her. "Try not to fall in."
Myraa ignored her, her sneakers crunching on the gravel path as she made her way toward the shimmering glow. As she got closer, she realized it wasn't just one thing sparkling—it was an entire pond.
She stopped at the edge of the water, staring down in disbelief. The koi pond stretched out in front of her, its surface gleaming like liquid gold in the evening light. The koi themselves were enormous, their scales catching the light in flashes of orange, white, and black. But that wasn't the strangest part.
"Okay, seriously," Myraa said aloud, squinting at the water. "Did someone… sprinkle glitter in here?"
The surface of the pond shimmered unnaturally, as if tiny flecks of gold were floating just beneath the water. The koi swam lazily through the glittering currents, their movements almost hypnotic.
Myraa crouched down, peering closer. She dipped her fingers into the water and then immediately yanked them back, startled. "It's warm?! Why is it warm?!"
The sound of footsteps behind her made her glance over her shoulder. Kyra was strolling toward her, her expression unreadable as always.
"Do you have questions about the koi pond, Princess?" Kyra asked, her tone almost too innocent.
"Yes, I have questions!" Myraa shot back, standing up and pointing at the water. "Why does it look like someone dumped a craft store in here? Is the glitter for the fish? Is it fish glitter?"
Kyra's lips twitched, as if she were trying not to laugh. "It's not glitter. The water is infused with crushed gold leaf."
Myraa blinked at her. "Gold… leaf?"
"Yes. It promotes health and longevity for the koi."
"Of course it does," Myraa said, throwing up her hands. "Because why wouldn't you give your fish a spa treatment made of actual money?"
Kyra tilted her head slightly, her smirk deepening. "The koi belong to the Reizei family. They're part of our legacy."
"Right. Legacy koi. Got it," Myraa muttered, turning back to the pond. She watched as one particularly large koi surfaced, its scales catching the light like a disco ball. "What do you even feed them? Caviar?"
"Only on special occasions," Kyra said smoothly.
Myraa gawked at her, waiting for the punchline, but Kyra's face remained impassive. "You're kidding," Myraa said flatly.
Kyra didn't answer.
"This is insane," Myraa muttered, pacing along the edge of the pond. "Glitter water, gold-fed fish… What's next? Do you have a peacock that moonlights as a personal trainer? Or maybe a swan that serves cocktails?"
As if on cue, a small boy in a neatly pressed uniform appeared from a nearby path, carrying a silver tray with two glasses of lemonade. Myraa stared at him, slack-jawed, as he approached with a perfectly rehearsed bow.
"For you, Miss Reizei," he said politely, extending the tray toward her.
Myraa didn't take the glass. She turned to Kyra instead, pointing an accusatory finger. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You've got… child butlers lurking in the bushes, waiting to serve drinks to unsuspecting people!"
Kyra took one of the glasses, completely unfazed. "They're interns."
"Interns?! Who interns at a koi pond?!"
"People who want to be the best," Kyra said simply, taking a sip of her lemonade.
Myraa groaned, collapsing onto a nearby bench. She rubbed her temples, trying to wrap her head around the absurdity of it all. "This is a lot," she muttered. "A lot."
"You're handling it better than I expected," Kyra said, sitting beside her.
"Oh, don't flatter me. I'm two seconds away from demanding the koi write me an apology letter."
Kyra laughed softly, and for the first time, it sounded genuine. Myraa glanced at her, surprised.
"I'm glad you find this amusing," Myraa said dryly.
"I do," Kyra admitted, her dark eyes sparkling in the fading light. "But don't worry, Princess. You'll get used to it."
"Not likely," Myraa muttered, staring back at the glittering pond.
The sun dipped lower on the horizon, painting the sakura trees in shades of orange and pink. Myraa sighed, trying to quiet the buzzing in her head. She still had no idea what she'd gotten herself into, but one thing was certain—this place was ridiculous.
And it seemed like the ridiculousness was just getting started.