Mayor's First Love

CHAPTER 2 – YOUNG HEART

Yui hurriedly grabbed a pancake on the table, wore her shoes carelessly then ran out of the house while the car parking outside the gate kept on honking loud.

With her uniform unruly and hair still dripping wet from the quick bath she took; she threw a sharp glance at her brother. After closing the gate, she threw her bag furiously at her brother who was standing beside the window of the driver’s side. He was the one behind the loud honks.

"What the hell, bro! Can’t you see I still need some few minutes to blow dry my hair?!"  She angrily opened the car door and slammed it close.

"What’s the purpose of your alarm clock, by the way?” He peeked at her side of the window. “You won’t get up on time and you won’t even lift a finger to shut the alarm off.”

"I already told you I slept the blanket covering me! I didn’t hear the alarm!” Damn, she wanted to scratch the annoying grin on her brother’s face as he entered the car and sat beside her.

“So, you’re telling me your blanket cancelled the noise? Your blanket was sound-proof, yeah? Why don’t you sell it to lazy people? We might earn bucks!”

"Good morning." Dash, sitting at the front beside the driver, greeted them.

Since they went to the same private university which was quiet a distance from their neighborhood and unfortunately the bank also confiscated the two cars owned by the Kobayashi, Yui and Chrome accepted the free ride offered by Dash himself. His parents gave him his own driver and car to secure his safety arrival and return.

Only Chrome answered Dash’ greeting. "'morning."

Still pissed how her brother ruined her day, Yui leaned on the leather seat and nearly wrecked the seat belt when she pulled it with force.

"Oh, now it’s my fault?"  Chrome shifted his position to face her. "You should be responsible of your time, Yui. If we’ll wait for your hair to dry, we might as well go to school after lunch, hmm?”

"Then you should have wake me up earlier!” With one munch, she swallowed the whole pancake— her only breakfast.

"I did. But when I returned the second time, you threatened to throw your phone at me."

"Tsk." She mumbled words of annoyance as she looked outside the window. "I didn’t get to apply sunscreen, my hair is wet and I only got a cold pancake for lunch.” Her eyes were sharp as she turned to him. “If I don’t land the Juliet role today, I swear Chrome, I’ll make your life a living hell. I’ll stop eating veggies and you have no choice but to buy the food I like.”

"Stop whining. If you won’t get the role, there's always a play next year where you can —”

Both of them went silent.

Next year?

There will be no next year.

Yui and Chrome mutually decided to transfer to a public school on the next academic year.

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Upon arriving at the university, Chrome and Dash were immediately welcomed by their set of friends. With a sour mood, Yui wore her backpack and left the group without saying thanks to the driver and to the owner, Dash.

She was already in the corridor when she heard someone calling out her name. When she spun around, she saw Dash walking toward her while catching his breath as if he was having one of his asthma attacks. "What?"

He groped at his knees to support his trembling body. After few minutes, he slowly raised a blue lunchbox.

Her forehead knotted. "Uhhh… what's that?"

"Y-You s-said you never eaten anything for breakfast?"

She winced. "I just ate a pancake."

"Well—" He coughed for few times and wiped the sweat on his neck. "You might get hungry during class hours.”

She rolled her eyes as she saw two buttons near his uniform's collar left open. She gently pulled him closer and tug his collar. "I’m very strict when it comes to wearing clothes, Dash.”

Dash looked down as Yui buttoned his school uniform properly near his chest. “S-sorry."

"And don't worry about me." She flattened his collar with her hands. “I still had an allowance to—"

"Oh!“ Dash blushed, embarrassed by what Yui tried to imply. "T-That's not what I mean—"

"You’re worried about me, I know.” She smiled warmly at him. She cleared her throat. "You know, between you and me… you need the food more than I do. Look at you sweating like a pig from few minutes of running. She flipped her black hair behind her. "Thanks anyway."

Dash nodded as he adjusted his glasses on his nose. "O-Okay."

"Next time, trying shouting louder so that you won’t go around following me. You might fall dead for all we know.” She then walked away towards her classroom.

Dash looked down on his collar and shyly pulled his curly bangs to hide his blushing.

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It was ten o’clock in the morning and Dash found himself on the window sill of the school’s clinic, looking down at his classmates enjoying the time out on the field for their P.E. subject.

Their lesson was about Filipino Traditional Games but his mother knew it before it was discussed and she already asked permission to refrain him for joining any games that will be conducted.

It shattered his excitement.

He can’t help but get angry on himself.

He wanted to do those things, boys on his age do— Play basketball, walk on their way homes, have meet-ups on evening and funnily enough, he wanted to experience cutting classes where the only way out the school was to climb a fence.

But he can’t blame his mother.

He's physically weak. He’ll get an asthma attack from few movements and catch cold on mere change of weather. His skin also got itchy if he was out under the sun for few minutes and he had Vitamin C deficiency and Vitamin C was vital to keep the immune system blocking diseases.

If he’ll consume too much Vitamin C, he’ll experience pain on his abdomen.

Yeah, his body was that complex. Good thing he has no communicable or deadly disease.

He sat on the clinic bed and patiently waiting for the P.E. class to end. Oh well, at least he had a time to sleep which some of his classmates would love to have in exchange for that sweaty activity.

Dash realized that people never feel satisfied with what they have.

He laid on the bed and was about to close his eyes when he heard a cry muffled with the help of a pillow.

Somehow, Yui came into his mind. There was a time he heard Yui suppressing a cry that way: burying her face on a pillow to conceal a loud sob. Like when her demands were not met or that mourning period of her parents’ death.

Since there were only curtains separating the two clinic beds, Dash slowly peeked between the gaps to check who was on the other side.

It was Yui.

He can’t saw her face because her back was against his and she was also hugging a pillow but he was sure that she was crying. Her back and shoulder were shaking.

Is it about her parents' death?

Dash closed the curtain gap.

It's best to leave her alone.

But it didn’t stop him from leaving a handkerchief on the table beside her bed. He then laid on the bed, closed his eyes and silently listen to her brokenhearted weep.

After an hour, Dash stood up to return to class. Before leaving the clinic, he gently draped a blanket on Yui who was sleeping soundly on the bed next to his. Tears still evident on her thick lashes.

The female nurse on-duty didn't bother to call their attention since the whole school knew the tragedy of the Kobayashi family. Giving few hours and a place for the girl to rest was her way to show sympathy.

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"What's up with Yui?"

Dash turned to Chrome whose attention was on his phone. They were on the university gate that afternoon, leaning on the car while waiting for Yui to finish her audition for the Romeo and Juliet play. "Why?"

"She texted me that we should go ahead." Chrome showed him her message. "She said she is still waiting for her name to be called for the audition of the role."

He nodded. “I see. Let her be. Acting was h-her first love anyway.”

Chrome shook his head. “No, you go ahead. I’ll stay and wait—"

“No. I-I’ll stay." He presented.

"You sure?"

Dash gave him a re-assuring smile. "Yeah. I’ll call the driver once Yui’s done with her audition. You can leave your house un-manned that long. A-Also…” He jokingly punched Chrome on his stomach. “I wanted to try how it feels like going h-home… late.”

Chrome can’t help but snickered. "You're a bad boy. A bad boy who has a woman to shag tonight, huh?”

He blushed and shyly looked away.

"What if Tita Tessa looks for you?”

"I'll just tell her I am auditioning for the role of Romeo."

Chrome’s laugh vibrated the still air that afternoon. "Seriously? If you ever landed the role of Romeo, I bet Juliet will do all the saving.”

"Dumbass." He also laughed at the thought.

"Okay." Cromwell patted his back. "I trust my sister to you."

"Roger.” He saluted.

As the car drove away, Dash started walking towards the auditorium. After few steps, he stopped and sighed.

He just realized that the auditorium was on the opposite side of university campus. A ten or fifteen-minute walk from the gate.

Dash had no choice but to resume walking. It’s too late to back out now. He checked his bag to see if he had an inhaler with him in case of asthma attack.

Dash immediately hugged a post near the auditorium for support upon reaching the place. Not used to walking this far and long, he sat on a nearby bench to regain energy. His knees were shaking and his lungs wanted air.

Shit! He really hated how physically weak he is!

He seemed like an old man with lots of pain on his joints.

Two females pass by in front of him, giggling and laughing at each other.

 "Tell me, how will I prepare for my role?" Asked the girl with pigtails.

"I have a Romeo and Juliet graphic novel. You want to borrow it so you could internalize Juliet’s role?"

His hand froze from wiping his sweat. Juliet?

If he's not mistaken, the girl who said to land the Juliet's role was one of the campus' sweetheart. Emmelyn.

"E-Excuse me." Holding the bench’ armrest, he stood up.

The girls turned to his direction.

He walked to them slowly. "H-Hi. I'm—"

"Dashiel?" Emmy smiled sweetly at him. "Right?"

He blushed. It's the first time that a popular girl talked to him. "Y-Yeah."

She lends her hand. "Nice to meet you."

He looked at her hand. He had this second thoughts whether to —

To his amazement, Emmy reached out for his hand and held tightly for a handshake. “Hello.”

"Y-You're Emmelyn, right?"

"Ohhh, I'm flattered that a Yrastorza knew my name." Her round eyes smile.

He nodded and smiled before letting her hand go. "U-uhh... I apologize but I overheard that y-you landed the role of Juliet?"

"Yes." She said it with pride.

"S-Since when?"

They gave him a funny look. "What since when?"

"Oh!" He flushed with embarrassment. His question did sound weird. "I-I mean, w-when was t-the audition? I-I was interested t-to audition too, for a-a soldier role." He made up an excuse.

"Just this morning." Emmy’s friend answered. "Around 10 AM."

Tracing the timeline of events, if he was not mistaken it was around that time that he heard Yui crying on the clinic, on the bed beside his. "Oh, shit..."

She wasn't crying because of her parents' death. It was because she didn't win the Juliet role!

But why did she lie to her brother about leaving behind to wait for her turn for the audition?

"Why?" Curiously, Emmy asked.

Dash mustered a deep breath. "Emmy, c-can we talk?"

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"SON OF A—" She immediately bit her lip to stop herself from cursing out loud when she saw Dash on the hallway as she exited the clinic. With his loose uniform blown by the afternoon wind, not to mention the orange tint by the setting sun, he sure looked hell like a ghost. "Dash?"

"H-Hello." He approached her.

Yui looked around the silent hallway. "W-Why are you still here?" She decided to stay behind a little longer to ease the puffiness of her eyes from crying almost the whole day. Like her face was stung by dozens of bees and her brother easily get worried.

"O-Oh... Chrome told m-me to wait for you."

"Chrome did?" Her forehead knotted. Now that's new. Cromwell worried about Dash the same way he was worried about her. Dash was a victim of bullying and since then Chrome wouldn’t let Dash get out of his sight for no apparent reason at all. Not to mention his numerous ailments as well.

Dash took out the inhaler in his pocket and inhaled air from it.

"Okay?" She also saw him sweating too much. “What were you up to?”

"O-oh, nothing. I j-just… r-ran my way up here.” His chest rises and falls every word he said.

She scoffed and smiled. Now that's a lie. "Stop joking. You can’t possible do that. You, running? I’d rather believe chicken can fly." Yui walked pass him. Her footsteps eerily echoing the quiet hallway.

"Well, I-I was just trying to make you smile. Glad I did."

She stopped and turned to him. She didn’t expect that.

Dash took off his glasses to wipe the sweat on his nose with his sleeves.

Did he know about my audition? She shook her head. Impossible. Dash and Chromw wasn’t there.

"Congrats, by the way." He wore his clean glasses again.

"Congratulations? Ah... t-the audition." Her eyes avoided his stare. "About that... I— ” Her words were cut short when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket ang read the message.

Dash throws a short glance at Yui's phone.

Yui's face literally shone with happiness. Her eyes widen with surprise as she looks at him. "D-Dashiel..."

"What?" He smiled.

"Emmelyn backed out as Juliet!" She ecstatically screamed. "Teacher Marina gave me the role! Oh my God! Oh-My-God!" Her voice filled the silent school.

"Wow! That's—" Dash was taken aback when Yui jumped and hugged him.

"YES! YES! YES!" She can’t help but jump with joy.

Dash answered her excitement with a tight hug.

Dash and Yui were standing under the streetlight while waiting for the car service.

Through his peripheral vision, he glanced at Yui. Pure happiness was evident in her face because of the good news she received. Her body jumps up and down happily, impatient to tell her brother the good news.

"I-I can carry your bag if you want to."

"Huh?" She turned to him. "M-My backpack?"

Embarrassed, he pulled his hair in front of his forehead to hide his reddening cheeks. "S-Sorry. I was just wondering t-that it might feel heavy."

"Ha!" She scoffed. “And it really came from you, huh?”

He smiled apologetically and was about to turn to other direction when Yui lends her bag to her. "Hmm?"

"I’ll take that offer." She pouted. "I’m telling you now that I am not responsible if you’ll break a bone, okay?”

Dash transferred his backpack in front of his chest then sling her back behind him.

With sincere, she asked. “Is your back alright?”

He sniffed. "I am not that w-weak, Yui." It was true that Yui's backpack was heavy but somehow, he managed to carry it... with ease.

"I think I’m lucky today.”

"What do you mean?" Dash can’t hide his shock when Yui pulled out a familiar handkerchief from her skirt’s pocket. It was the one he left earlier on the clinic. "That's—"

"My lucky charm." She winked. "Whoever left this is an angel."

Dash felt his cheeks warm with red. "W-Why?"

"This hanky dried my tears away and took away my sadness from the rejection, yet I landed the Juliet role! Amazing, right?" She kissed the handkerchief. "My lucky charm!"

Dash looked at her pink lips. In a soft voice, he commented. "I wish I was that handkerchief."

"You said something?"

He shook his head nervously.

That night, Yui still felt she was on cloud nine as she laid on her bed. She lift the hanky on the air. “I promise to give justice on the Juliet role. Who knows, someone might discover me among the audience and offer me a scholarship in a prestigious acting school or entertainment agency."

She brought it near her chest. "Thank you, lucky charm. At least, something beautiful happened to me this month."

Until she fell asleep, her fingers were tightly holding the handkerchief.

That night, she never had a nightmare.

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"Good morning!" She energetically welcomed her brother who was cooking them breakfast in the kitchen.

Chrome, biting a slice of bread, was amazed seeing her sister up early in the morning. "Got a goodnight’s sleep?” He already took a bath but didn’t wear his uniform yet, but Yui’s hair was done drying, she was already wearing her uniform and… socks! That’s something! "You keep this up, okay?"

She sat on one of the chairs and fluttered her eyes. “I’m in a good mood. Today's my first day of rehearsal."

"That's nice." Chrome resumed cooking the sunny side-up. "Do you want hot choco or milk?"

"Milk please. Choco in the morning can increase the chances of having acne breakout."

He shook his head smiling. "Yes, Madame."

After eating their sumptuous meal, they heard the honk of a car outside. They immediately grabbed their stuffs and ran out.

By the time they loaded themselves at the backseat, Yui gasped seeing red marks on Dash’ face and arms. “What the— hell?!” She even peeked forward to take a look at him closely.

"You okay, Dash?" Chrome asked his friend. Worried were on his voice.

"Y-Yeah." Dashiel scratched his head shyly. “I didn’t know where I got these but I usually have these everytime I stayed out after 5 PM. Mosquito bites, I presumed.”

"No s**t?" Her eyes widen. “These are mosquito bites?! We were just waiting for... 5... 10 minutes there."

Dash smiled apologetically.

When the car started, Yui leaned back. “Chances of you getting a girlfriend is getting slim every passing second, Dashiel.”

Chrome pinches her right cheek. “Stop being so mean!”

"Ouch!" She slapped away his hands. "I am just being honest, okay? Look at his face! It looked like an expired tomato!”

"Dash will get a girlfriend. Right, bud?” Chrome reassuringly patted his friend’s shoulder. “He is handsome and brainy and friendly—”

"Well..." Dash pulled his curly bangs. "...speaking about girlfriend."

The car stopped.

Yui looked around. "Huh? this is not our school yet—" Suddenly, she saw her brother moved closer to her as if giving space at the backseat for another passenger. "Is someone riding with us—” Then a girl with same uniform as their opened the door.

It's not just a girl! It's Emmelyn! Emmelyn, the first choice to play Juliet!

"E-Emmy?"

"Oh! Hi, Yui." She acknowledged Yui by smiling widely at her and her brother. Hi, Chrome."

Dash, from the front seat, turned to look at them. "G-Guys, t-this is Emmy... uh... m-my..."

"Girlfriend." Emmy finished the sentence.

Yui and Chrome’s jaw literally dropped of the news they just… knew.

The first to recover was Chrome. "Woooooooooh~" With proud, he gently punched Dashiel at his shoulder. "Look at that! My boy is now a man! Damn!"

Yui looked at the three passengers in the car. All of them were smiling from ear to ear. The driver was with them too. W-What the hell is going on here?

"Yui," Emmy cut her thoughts. "Can I sit in the middle? So that I’ll be closer to Dash?”

She was still tongue-tied as she moved closer to the window for Emmy to position herself in the middle of Yui and her brother.

Until they reached the university, it was the three’s laughter that filled the whole vehicle.

Yui remained quiet.

When they exit the car, her eyes were following the new couple walking together towards the building.

"W-Want me to carry your bag?" Dash offered to Emmy.

"Sure." She then lent hers to him. He carried her backpack just like what he did last night with Yui.

Yui can’t help but frown with no apparent reason at all.

“Hey, you’ll be late for the first period.” Chrome woke her up from her deep thoughts.

She didn’t react nor respond. Yui just turned around and walked away. With heavy footsteps, she threw another glance at Emmy and Dash.