Mayor's First Love

CHAPTER 3 – THE TURNING POINT

It was around three o’clock in the afternoon when the practice for the play was scheduled at the auditorium. During the first five days, Yui impressed her three theatre mentors because of her acting skills. It brought her happiness and she was looking forward for the clock to strike at three.

Even she was physically tired, her will remained the same. She was more than ready for this opportunity.

Acting, to her, is passion; not a job. She always has the energy to give her all.

Because she was excused for her afternoon class for the whole week, every day she ends her day walking towards the parked service car near the gate. She smiled seeing her brother waiting for her with Dash' black service car. "Hi, Chrome!”

"How's practice?" He opens the door for her.

"Great. It was so fulfilling—” Her smile disappeared when she saw no one inside the car but the driver. “Where’s Dash?"

"Got a date?”

"Date?” She looked at him. “But he's not allowed to stay late, right?"

"Yes.” He shrugged it off. “But if he already asked permission from Tita Tessa.”

"But he’ll get those insect bites again if he’ll stay light."

"Dash is always ready. He brought with him an insect repellant.”

"Pfft~" She gave off a shallow laugh. "Ewww... weird. He’ll smell repellant on his first date?”

"Yet Emmy likes him. That's all that matters. Come on, let’s go home. I still need to cook.”

She frowned again upon entering the car.

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The following days, their usual group of three seems to have increased by one presence: Emmy’s. Dash and Emmy seems to be doing well to her amazement. Emmy doesn’t mind his thick braces, messy hair and his frequent sniffing. There were also times that she saw the couple in the canteen sharing a meal happily. She also saw them walking in the hallways with their hands tangled to each other.

Yui hated herself for feeling annoyed to the point that she’ll avoid them when she sees them. She’s also acting that she didn’t hear Dash or Emmy every time they called her.

Why was she pissed anyway? As if Dash’ attention was on her. Besides, she disn’t have a crush on him or something for her to get… jealous.

Jealous?!

Her annoyance intensified to another level when she and her older brother were invited over dinner at the Yrastorza’s residence. Viola! Emmy was also there! Acting so close to Tita Tessa and Tito Fernando!

The food tasted bitter against her tongue while her eyes were darted on the couple cuddling non-stop in front of her.

Emmy fed Dash a slice of baked pumpkin.

A vegetable! A pumpkin! He said he was allergic to vegetables!

Tch! So he was just waiting for someone to feed him, huh? Asshole!

Unaware, Yui didn’t notice that Cromwell was silently observing her reactions.

.

.

Even in Saturdays, Yui was in the school auditorium for the rehearsal. With her messy hair bun, she was already sweating. Because they will be having a musical play version of the popular Shakespearean story, they were doing a lot of dancing and singing acts.

"Okay!" Shouted their mentor. "15 minutes break!"

A wave of sigh of relief came out from the casts. "Finally~" They said in unison.

Miss Marina, one of their mentors, approached Yui. "Again, I am amaze by your acting skills, Yui."

She blushed while wiping her sweat with a towel. "Thank you, mentor."

“Look…” Miss Marina draped an arm ‘round her shoulder. "I’m here to tell you something." She brought her to a corner.

"Yes?”

"I invited a good friend of mine. She's a teacher in International Academy of Film and Television in the U.S. and she is an adviser to one of the biggest entertainment agencies in the world— the Prima Nova."

"Oh my God!" She gasped. "P-Prima Nova?! T-That's a big — "

"I know." Her mentor smiled. "I see a lot of potential in you, Yui. You got the looks and the talent to match the international standards. You're still twelve years old but hey, you know how entertainment works, the younger..."

"...the better." She added.

Mentor Marina patted her shoulder. "Good luck. Better impress her."

Motivated, she answered. “I will!”

Her happiness doubled when she saw a small red paper bag beside her school bag after rehearsal. She read the note inside. 'I've never seen you these past few days. Hope you're doing well. – Dash.'

She peeked inside the paper bag. It's her favorite KitKat chocolate bar.

It unconsciously made her smile. Ha! So he did miss me.

She thought she's the only one misses seeing him— that sickly boy.

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But when Monday came— of what she thought that her happiness will last long, ended abruptly.

She went early to school for the costume fitting. After the tailor got her measurements, she went to locker to pull-out some books for her first subject when she heard girls giggling nearby. From her open locker, she bends back to check the group.

It was Emmelyn blushing hard, holding a bouquet of flowers and chocolates.

Wow... that’s a nice bound of flowers—

"So lucky! Dash is spoiling you hard!" One girl giggled.

Yui’s smile turned upside down. Dash? It’s from Dash?

"Shut it!” Emmy blushed hard because of embarrassment. She brought her flowers to her nose.

"Well, if you have an Yrastorza for a boyfriend, expensive gifts are just a piece of cake."

"Ayiiiie~" Her friends teased her.

Yui heaved a deep breath. She was so annoyed at that time but she tried herself to conceal the jealousness she felt. Why would she feel that way anyway? It’s normal for couples to give gifts.

She decided to turn around to stop herself from raging.

She is supposed to be happy for Dash for finally getting a girl that accepts him for who he is.

But why can't she be happy?!

After the rehearsal that afternoon, she then saw another paper bag beside her school bag. Yui didn’t bother checking the contents. She just grabbed it with force and threw it on the nearby garbage bin.

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Days passed, Yui tried to avoid Dash and Emmy as much as possible. She doesn’t want to see them to avoid herself for feeling jealous. If avoiding the will save her for committing the sin of envy, she will. To distract herself, she doubled her effort on the rehearsal.

The more the day of the presentation get nearer, the more Yui was busy.

Or acting busy. Yeah, she's good in acting anyway.

She doesn’t want to think about Dash. It ruined her mood.

During one of their dinners, her brother Chrome asked something out of nowhere. "Are you avoiding Dash?"

She accidentally bit her tongue, resulting her to cough hard. “Ugh! W-What?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

Chrome pointed his fork at her. "You are. You obviously are."

"I'm not!" She acted innocent. "W-Why would I?"

"You always went to school early. What for? Auditorium opens at 8AM."

"Memorizing m-my lines?" She drank water from her glass.

"And after practice? You don’t come with us anymore."

"B-Because I am... memorizing m-my lines, again?" She shrugged.

"Stop lying, Yui. I can see through you. Don’t use your acting skills on me.” He drank his juice.

She chose not to answer it. Was she that obvious?

That morning, Yui decided to go to school with them to intently shut down any observations her brother had. She doesn’t want any awkwardness arose in their group either.

But it made their situation worse. Since she was quiet inside the car, Dash and Emmy tried to initiate a conversation with her yet Yui just answered them some lazy yeses, short nos and some fake maybes.

Chrome just silently observed his little sister.

When they arrived, Yui immediately got off and walked away but she stopped when Dash stood in front of her.

What made her speechless was that she looked up to him — literally looked up to him. Since when did he become taller? Were they not talking and seeing each other that long for her not to notice the sudden physical changes he had? Like growing a lot of inches higher?

"Hey." He smiled at her.

"H-Hey." She greeted but avoided meeting his gaze. What the hell?!

"Did you receive my gifts?"

She looked up to him again. He really grew taller! Think she’ll be having a stiff neck.

She felt guilty though. He asked genuinely but her she was throwing his presents in split seconds into the garden without knowing what’s inside. "U-Uh... y-yeah. Yeah." Yui lied.

"Great. You like the bracelet I gave you?"

What? She blinked. "B-Bracelet?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I saw someone selling customized bracelets outside the university gate. I was amazed when the vendor told me the meaning of each stones. Yours had the stone for luck and health. Sorry, it’s what I thought of that time that you needed luck for the play and health to keep you resilient."

She can’t help but smile. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

When he grinned, Yui's heart skips a beat. "I… uh… I got the bracelet on my bag. I mean, I got the paper bag on m-my bag. I didn’t get the chance yet to open it.”

"Hope you'll wear it. I don't know if it's real or not but who knows."

"Yeah." She nodded. s**t! Was the garbage last week already collected?! But when did he exactly gave it? Last week’s Monday? Wednesday? What does the paper bag look like? She threw a lot of gifts!

That afternoon, Yui skipped a rehearsal. She asked for a disposable glove at rubber boots from the utility and asked where the garbage was stored before being collected. Good thing last week’s garbage weren’t collected yet. So, she busied herself searching among the black garbage bags, opening and searching to the smelly and disgusting contents. 

Her stomach endured the numerous times she wanted to throw up.

She needed to find that bracelet, no matter what!

Unfortunately, when the clock struck 7PM, the school guard had no choice but to stop her from what she was doing. It was already late for her to be there.

In the end, she never found the bracelet.

She just found herself crying while riding a tricycle on her way home. She hated herself for lying. She hated for letting Dash down with the expectation that she had the bracelet.

Yui can hear her young heart shattering.

Ashamed of her lying, she resumed avoiding Dash the next days. Yui doesn’t have the courage to face him. Though she misses the guy, she must not impose because she was just a friend and he got a girlfriend.

Her heart went to slumber every time she remembered the bracelet.

She was so distracted to the point that their mentor called her attention for being absent-minded during the practice.

One afternoon, after their rehearsal, everybody decided to help set-up the auditorium by arranging monoblock chairs in front of the stage. As well as helping the designer to prepare the place for this weekend's play. 

Lifting a box full stage décors, Yui flinched when she saw Dash climbing up the stairs towards the backstage looking around. "D-Dashiel?"

He turned to her. Relief was on his face. "Yui!”

She put down the box on a nearby table. She suddenly became conscious of how she looked right now. Yui was sweating and her hair was left unkempt. “What are you doing here?”

He inhaled deeply as if preparing himself to what he'll say next. "Well, I'm here to t-tell y-you-"

She remembered the bracelet. "Wait! Let me say something first.”

"O-Oh, okay."

It's her turn to breath deep. "I am very sorry. I lied."

"About?"

"I... I intentionally threw every gift you gave me." It pained her seeing Dash reaction but she needed to be honest.

Dash remained silent.

"A-And..." She scratched her forehead. "... t-that includes the bracelet."

"Oh..." The only word escaped his mouth.

"I am so sorry, Dash." She reached for his hands. "I really d-do. I don't know... these past few days, I've been v-very... agitated. I don’t know why I am annoyed! I am so s-sorry that I took it out on your gifts.”

"Well..." Dash pulled something from his pocket. "I am here to say sorry as well."

"W-Why?"

"I..." He looked at her. "I saw you throw one of my gifts one day."

Her heart weighed down deeper. "D-Dash. I am so sorry."

He then raised a bracelet made of clothes with two beads

Shocked, her eyes glued on it. "Huh? W-Was that the—"

"This was the bracelet, Yui."

"B-But..." She looked at what he’s holding then to Dash then back at the bracelet again. "I searched the garbage— Oh no." She shook her head disappointingly. "Don't tell me..."

"I... I am so sorry for trapping you. I will feel bad if I—"

She covered her mouth. "W-What the hell..." Tears started to pool on the corner of her eyes.

"When I saw y-you throw this bracelet, I picked it up." He looked down. "T-The next day—"

Judgement was on her eyes. "So the next day, you asked me, acting like I have the bracelet. Testing me... r-right?"

He had no choice but nod.

"You're so mean!" She screamed with anger. " You don’t know how many hours I spent in that filthy place just to search on hundreds of garbage bags!" She wiped her endless tears with fury. "All along, you had the bracelet in you! And how man days passed by?! You were so selfish that you made me suffer few sleepless nights, thinking where the hell the bracelet was!”

"I am sorry!" With sadness on his eyes, he asked for forgiveness. "I... I just felt like... taking a revenge on y-you for throwing my gifts like that. I am so sorry." His shoulder fell. "I—"

"Whole week! I felt rotten a whole week! And here you were thinking this some child’s play?!”

"Yui, I never meant to play you— "

"Don't talk to me ever again!"

Good thing they were behind the red curtain of the stage therefore no one can see or hear the commotion they were making.

She was about to turn back to leave when Dash stopped her. “Yui —"

"Don't touch me!" She flicked his hand away. "WILL YOU PLEASE STOP SENDING MIXED SIGNALS?!"

"W-What?" Dash was taken aback to what she said.

"Why are you giving me gifts anyway?!" She blocked him. "You got a girlfriend, right? So why were you giving me gifts? You want girls, left and right?”

"Yui, no—"

"Guess what, Dash...” She looked straight at him bravely.

They didn’t notice that the red curtain in the stage we’re pulled apart in the center, making them visible from the teachers and students arranging chairs on the venue’s place.

Dash felt nervous seeing the crowd. "Uhh... Yui, let's talk somewhere private—"

"I DON'T LIKE YOU!" Yui shouted. "SO, STOP COURTING ME!" Her voice vibrated the whole place. "NO ONE WILL LIKE YOU! YOU ARE UGLY! YOU LOOKED LIKE A SCARECROW! YOUR HAIR WAS MESSY JUST LIKE YOUR TEETH! YOU ARE WEAK AND NO PRINCESS WILL SAVE A WEAK PRINCE, OKAY?! NO GIRL WILL FALL INLOVE TO A WEAK, SICKLY KID LIKE YOU!”

The place went silent.

Dash just stood there... staring blankly at her.

She stopped catching her breath. Yui somehow felt calm after shouting her frustrations out.

Then she started to be aware of her surroundings.  She looked around and saw the crowd looking up the stage— at them precisely. On their faces were astonishment of the scene they witnessed.

She went pale as she slowly turned to Dash. “Dash. I—"

He took a step back and turned out quietly, leaving her with no single word.

She balled her fist tightly to stop herself from following him. No! Why should I feel guilty? It's his fault, Yui! He started all of it.'

Later that night, Chrome knocked on her door. "Yui? I ordered you favorite Jollibee combo of chicken and palabok, a delicious Filipino noodle dish topped with shrimp gravy, shrimp, smoked fish flakes, pork cracklings, and sliced hard boiled eggs. Will you accompany me tonight at the table?”

She opted not to answer. Instead, she buried her face on the pillow and there she shouted heart to pour out her heart’s pain.

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When the day of the play arrived and until the day ended, and the next days that followed, Yui never saw any hint of Dash in the school anymore. Her Kuya Chrome told her that Dash was having a treatment on his spinal cord and was currently taking a break.

Dash was advised to stay home and not to move around since the operation done was a delicate one.

Emmelyn and her friends keep throwing angry, bitchy looks at her.

She tried to ignore the gossips and murmurs. Yui may look like she's not affected but deep inside, she was really sad.

She's good at acting anyway.

A few weeks after the play, the owner of the prestigious entertainment agency, Prima Nova, Mr. Elijah Miller came to personally offered her a trainee on the agency. The offer includes scholarship of any school of choice, free apartment and generous allowances. It happened that Mr. Miller came to watch the play and saw Yui’s skills first hand. Like what her mentor told her, Elijah also saw a lot of potential on her.

At first, her brother was hesitant to accept it. But the charming, blonde and blue-eyed, middle-aged man successfully made her brother agree by giving another condition—Her brother can go to America whenever he pleases to if he decided to visit or check on her.

In the end, Cromwell agreed. He promised to their late parents to give the best things to his younger sister and if letting her pursue her dream will make her happy, he won't be against it.

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Yui emotionally hugged her brother when he dropped her on the airport.

"You eat a lot there, okay?” Cromwell kissed her forehead.

She smiled. "Don’t bring different girls to our house now that I am not there, okay?”

"You're crazy."

"I love you, brother." Tears stung her eyes.

He hugged her tightly again. "I love you too, little one. I’ll miss your stubbornness for sure. I had no one to wake in the morning or remind her bad habits at afternoon.”

She laughed but later on sniffed back her tears. "Visit me there, please?”

"I will. After the school year, I'll visit you there."

When her mentor and her legal guardian, Miss Marina, approached them to inform that the tickets and visas are now cleared for boarding, the siblings shared another round of hugs and teases.

Yui then pulled her luggage towards the entrance.

While their bags were scanned at the x-ray machine, she took a glimpse back at the entrance of the airport.

Hoping for the last time, she’ll caught a glimpse of her brother’s sickly and frail best friend.

Dashiel Gaius Yrastorza.