ROAD TO INK AND BLEACH : Stir It Perfectly~

ROAD TO INK AND BLEACH : Stir It Perfectly~ (1)The Socializing Outcast

But since insomnia is a living nightmare, I have a massive respect for my aberrant eating behaviours lol.

I'm a morning zombie who derides indulging in frivolous pleasures that are all for naught because lengthy conversations are depressing. No cronies, no worries.

I've got no deal with that last quip. Just take into account that I'm a wuss when it comes to conversation.

Having friends is great, I think. Although it may appear rude and insulting to others, being alone will make me even happier. I can't seem to figure out what's the point of having so many backups. I have no qualms about being a teen outlier in the first place.

I'm currently sitting on the window sill, my favourite hangout spot, with my chin and arms resting on my knees. ​I always sit here, crestfallen, inhaling the fresh air. Boring is a word that I am constantly associated with. The sense of unfamiliarity makes me wonder if I live here.

This red vase with white flower designs next to me never ceases to pique my interest, raising my brows as if it were one of my adversaries. It has a yellow plastic flower in it, and the clay is so dry that cultivating it sans water would be difficult. This has been going on for a year, and it will be another year in a few months.

"Could you please come down here for a moment, Yueric?"

Everything that has happened to me, whether satisfying or undesirable, has left an imprint on me. It's as if those events are me; I'm not a bad person, but nothing truly extraordinary has ever happened to me. Having good parents is, of course, a wonderful gift. If I could have gotten those events to DVD, I would have done so so that I could watch them over and over again as if they were one of the best shows ever done, despite not winning an award. But I'm still on the lookout for something new, though I'm not sure what it is.

I proceeded ​down the stairwell, taking each step in a humdrum manner. My parents were changing the curtains in the living room. I sat down on the sofa as soon as I spotted a cup of tea on the table; I recognised it as my father's, so I asked his permission, which he granted, but before I could touch the cup, my mother informed me that visitors would arrive any minute now. I simply nodded and sipped MY almost-cold tea, not bothering to inquire about the visitors' identities because it didn't matter to me. I slumped down, clutching my favourite pillow, which I hadn't brought with me to my room the night before. I would've preferred to sleep here every night because it is so comfortable but wasn't permitted to.

"Son, get up and eat your dinner," she said, gently patting my arm.

I opened my eyes only to find myself back in my room. When I looked at her, she gave me a gentle smile and rose to her feet, pointing to the food on the table to my left, near my bed. I jumped out of bed after she left and checked the time (7:45 p.m.); ​I'd slept for nearly five hours. I don't think I purposefully went up here in my room. I glanced at the food on the tray, but I didn't feel like eating right now, so I threw myself back on the bed and wrapped myself in a comforter, leaning to the right.

I was about to enter my dreamland when a knock on the door interrupted me. When my mother came in, I sat down and moved slightly to make room for ​her to sit properly next to me. "Would you like to move to another school, son?"

Her question came as no surprise to me, as I expected her to ask me about it one day. ​Perhaps not because of my stellar academic performance? Tss, and I haven't been implicated in any of the school's disciplinary issues.

"My current school? I consider giving it a 13 out of 100, but I think it's fine; what prompted you to ask that question so abruptly, Mom?" Attempting to act clueless notwithstanding knowing the answer. I just sought to be certain and avoid being overly obvious.

"We appreciate your efforts as a student, but now that you're a teen, we want you to set aside some time for yourself to enjoy your adolescent years with your peers on occasion, not just-"

"Staying at home all the time," I cut her off by finishing her sentence.

We're at it again. This is not something I want to debate. I despise long conversations, as previously stated. They should be grateful that I'm not the type of adolescent who whoopees till the sun is up or a carouse who knocks on the door at 4:00 a.m.

"I'll give it a shot," I said, trying to be genuine and look her in the eyes. To be honest, all I want to do right now is get out of my room. But I couldn't stand the thought of doing such a thing, so I ended up staying inside. Concerning this subject, I'm not sure I'm up for the risk. Perhaps next month or next year?

She smiled when she realised what I had just said. ​"You were invited to the party by our previous visitors."

I frowned, "What kind of party?"

"Teñarfina, their daughter, will be having a birthday bash."

"A relative?"

"She is one of your classmates, according to her parents."

"I don't think we have anyone in our class named Teñarfina."

She stared at me as if she couldn't believe I hadn't recognised every single one of my classmates in the three months I'd been attending school every day. ​That, in my opinion, is not a concern. If I tried, I'd feel compelled to.

"Don't worry; her parents left an invitation card for the entrance, and they claimed their daughter didn't invite you herself because she was embarrassed and afraid of you; what's the point of fearing you, son?" She stifled her laughter.

My mother appeared to be a close friend of mine at the time, based on how she addressed me. I wanted to laugh with her, but I was too socially awkward, and she hadn't seen me chortle yet.

I adjusted my seat before speaking, "Perhaps because of the way I deal with them."

"Try to socialise with your classmates on occasion, son," she said, smiling as she let go of the advice that I didn't want to try. I simply nodded to prevent this story from escalating any further.

"When is the party?"

"It'll be tonight, son."

Okay, then. I had no plans to attend.

"Can I pass? I'm exhausted and drowsy as well."

"I've already bought your outfit, and can you guess what the theme is, son? Secret! " She squealed with delight. "You already have the outfit in your cabinet and... fixed your hair," she exclaimed as she closed the door.

I couldn't do anything based on the tone of her voice. My unwillingness to convene this godawful party might deprive her of joy, so I stood up and shook my head as I pushed open the cabinet door. I ​went in search of the outfit she mentioned, scratching my lower lip as I picked up the box.

What a grave sin did I commit in my previous life to land me in this predicament? ​

"Did you give it to him?" Yueric's father keenly asked his wife.

"Yes," she replied, smiling.

"Rather than keeping him at home full time, it's a great option to socialise him with his peers so he can have fun."

"He had previously made a plea with me to just let him sleep, but I was able to coerce him."

"Well, after a few years,..." his wife grabbed his arm before he could finish his thought.

"Lower your voice."

◍ ◍✧*。◍◍✧*。◍ ◍✧*。 ◍◍✧*。◍ ◍✧*。

Almost all of the guests arrived, and they were all eloquently dressed in accordance with the party's theme, as intended.

"Teñarfina, happy birthday!"

"Thank you, Byzza," she replied, forcing a smile as she accepted ​the present.

Byzza caught her sneaking a peek at the front door and asked, "Are you looking for something?"

"I'm expecting someone, but I doubt he'll show up."

"Are you referring to President Yueric?"

"How did you find out?"

Byzza smirked foolishly, "You can't afford to waste a single day at the campus gate, cooling your heels for him."

I'm already standing in front of the venue with the invitation card in my hand. My tux is making me extremely uncomfortable. I haven't worn one in a long time because I despise being engaged in any sort of event. My parents also do not compel me to do anything either. That is something with which I agree.

"Genius Yueric? Hello there, classmate! "

He turned to face the person who had called his name and, fortunately, recognised him as their class's secretary.

"Why are you still standing here? Let's go inside; perhaps the birthday celebrant is looking for you," suggested his classmate, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, which surprised him with what it did to make him feel uneasy. But he just shrugged it off as they presented their invitations.

"President!" His classmates greeted him as soon as they walked in. He noticed they were quaffing cocktails, which was inappropriate for their age. If Kaeos hadn't spoken, he wouldn't have felt his arm still on him. When he noticed that everyone was wearing masks, he quickly donned his own. The birthday celebrant directed them to the seats that had been reserved for them. He drew his gaze to Teñarfina, who sat in front of him, smiling, and handed him another glass of the cocktail she was holding.

In response to Yueric's refusal to take the glass, she decided to ask, "You're not a fan of cocktails?"

"I'm still a minor."

"Ohh, would you like juice or soft drink?"

"Tea."

Teñarfina was surprised by his request, but she kept her emotional responses to herself by smiling warmly at the young man before leaving.

They were gleaned in the dining hall after a few moments, where they had all stood beforehand to sing Happy Birthday and witness the candles being blown out and the first cut of the 6-layer, intricate, opulent burgundy cake.

She's only turning 16 years old, but the party was already spectacular; imagine what would happen when she reaches the legal age.

He pondered while clutching the spoon and fork.

His mask covers only his left eye up to his nose and is embellished with a layout of red and black feathers tethered with small chains all along the side of his face and gemstone jewels that glisten on it, giving it a sexy-elegant mark.

Despite his lack of appetite, he was dead set on chewing and swallowing the food whereas others were busy chattering and enjoying their food.

They all turned to look for the source of the noise. They noticed the presents were scattered on the floor, and the waiter began picking them up one by one, so he dashed over to assist. Later, Teñarfina arrived to help them.

Following dinner, Teñarfina led them to another spot. Coloured lights that flash on and off in time with the blasting music, smoke automated systems, and booze are in attendance, which boosts their spirits even more.

>

He had no idea he'd end up at such a vital point. ​He expected it to be a formal dinner with little interaction, not what he is currently witnessing.

He took his phone out of his pocket only to find messages from his mother an hour ago.

✉️ Spend the night in the guest room, son. You should be able to rest immediately following the party.

✉️ You have no classes tomorrow.

[CLASSES WERE CANCELLED SOLELY FOR A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.]

"That is utterly illogical, "he scowled after reading the second message.

"President!" Their secretary called out again, but he only gave him a sidelong glance as he approached his seat.

"Kaeos! "

He breathed a sigh of relief when his classmates called their secretary before he could approach him. He simply doesn't really like someone who is clingy.

"In that case, we'll start the match as soon as our new guests arrive; mind waiting a few minutes?"

Everyone's attention had been drawn to Teñarfina, who was now standing on stage with a wireless microphone. They all concurred enthusiastically, with the exception of one student who was looking forward to the party's conclusion.

The presence of sixty students at the party indicated that this was no ordinary gathering.

The invitees became impatient after what should have been a few minutes turned into nearly an hour and began demanding a dance from the birthday celebrant, which she approved of. On the other hand, Yueric noticed a partially open door behind the venue after using the restroom. He chose to squander his limited time by taking a few steps towards that door, only to discover a glasshouse not far from where he was standing.

The ambience was calm when he stepped in, and there was enuf light in all areas of the interior for him to clearly see the bright hues of the flowers glistening in his vision, given the fact that they were not among his top choices.

The perfect spot for him to loosen up for a few moments without disturbance. He perched on the edge of the fountain until he fell asleep.

"How can you be certain he'll carry out your orders?"

"How much longer will you keep on asking me this question?"

"You didn't notice where he went, did you? He was making his way to the venue's back door. "

"Let's wait, shall we?" he says, rolling his eyes at his companion.

He was astounded by the sheer number of poinsettias he saw everywhere, regardless of the fact that it was the only type of flower around him. He'd been running by himself for quite some time when he came across a guy he didn't recognise. The smile on his lips had gradually faded as he managed to regain his normal breathing and stared intently at the bloke wearing a royal blue mask.

"Can I kiss you?" the bloke asked, closing the gap between them.

His brows gradually met, forming deep lines between them. Before he could move back, the guy's lips brushed against his, softly and delicately, like butterfly wings, just long enough for him to inhale his breath and feel the warmth of his skin, and the taste of his lips lingered long after he'd gone, giving him goosebumps.

He'd never had such an outlandish dream before. Slowly opening his eyes, he was surprised to see a man in front of him. They were staring at each other intently before he punched the man in the left side of his face when he realised what had happened. The man stood up and walked away before he could say anything, leaving him perplexed.

"Wait, what happened to you? What's with you holding your cheek? "One of his friends asked, raising both brows.

"Did it go well?" His other friend, who issued the dare, asked him after noticing his presence.

"So, what kind of moronic dare is it?"

Rather than responding to each of them individually, he handed them his phone, which they quickly snatched from his grasp and carefully examined on the screen.

"s**t! He certainly did! " One of them made a hilarious remark.

"Can I?" Teñarfina eagerly asked, holding out her palm.

Her reaction sparked the interest of her school friends, who came over to her and peered at the screen to find out what was going on. She quickly returned the phone when she heard giggling noises.

When Yueric returned to the venue, he noticed that his classmates had already begun playing. Every step he took was heavy, particularly since he seemed to know something about the game. He sat in front of Teñarfina, who noticed him, attempting to conceal her flushed face as a result of the photo earlier. She was also completely oblivious to the newcomers, who were now busy running their own businesses.

His classmates were sneering at him, still stunned by the photo, but he didn't notice because his entire attention was focused on the spinning bottle at the centre of the table.

"Are you still going to play the game?" Tearfina yelled at her new guests, who were chatting and laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, don't be so stroppy," one of the four responded.

Everyone was enjoying each other's company, except for Teñarfina, who occasionally glanced at Yueric instead of paying attention to the game.

"Yueric, are you alright?" She asked, squeezing the young man's left shoulder.

"I apologise, but may I go outside for a moment to rest?"

"I don't think you're safe outside at this hour; could you please take Yueric to the guest room, Chaurl?" She asked her friend, who was trying to console her with the game they were playing. "Would you mind if my friend escorted you to the guest room? I'm afraid I can't leave the guests. "

"It's fine, "he tried to smile, causing the young lady's cheeks to flush.

Chaurl was the first to stand, and Yueric simply followed him. When he noticed the young man yawning repeatedly, he sped up his pace to get them to the guest room as soon as possible.

"Feel free to put yourself at ease; I am leaving now," said the young man named Chaurl as he opened the door to the guest room.

"Thank you."

He went straight to bed after entering the guest room, but there was a knock on the door as he was lying down. His shoulders sagged as he struggled to stand up.

"Could you please allow me to use the restroom for a moment?"

He nodded with his eyes closed and yawned one last time before returning to bed to lie down. He was so knackered that he didn't bother to speak any longer.

The young man entered the restroom, studied himself in the large mirror before taking off his mask to wash his face. His brows met when he noticed a bruise on his left cheek, so he drew his face closer to the mirror. He double-checked to make sure he wasn't hallucinating because his friends forced him to drink alcohol, but he frowned when he felt a sting after touching the bruise.

("Yeah?")

"Have you mysteriously vanished?"

(Shut up, Raiazette, or I'll knock you out. I'm in the restroom now; I'll be right back. ")

"What happened to him?"

"He's on his way here. He's in the restroom. "

"We still need to bring him home alive for them, or else we'll be the ones who can't go home alive."

Their other friend, Jaha, shook his head while listening to their conversation.

Chaurl returns a couple of minutes later.

"Here you are! Our game is about to come to an end, and we'll be able to rest. Yey! "

"We forgot about your dare earlier, so now it's your turn," Salven said, sipping a cocktail.

The young man stood up and held the bottle, but before turning it, he looked at his friends and said that they would go home after completing his dare.

"Huh?" Exclaimed his friends.

"It's fine if you don't, but you Raiazette."

"Shut up, Raiazette," he said as he took a seat.

"How come it's just me? We'll accompany you then. "

"Wait, Chaurl, why are we leaving?" Asked his friend Jaha.

Just in time, the bottle came to a complete stop and pointed to Byzza.

"Drink five glasses of tequila in ten seconds," the young man instructed.

His companions exchanged glances.

"Five glasses of tequila is a lot for a woman, Chaurl," his friend Salven retorts.

"Why? Did I whine about the dare Jaha had just thrown at me? So am I mistaken? "

Salven just stood there staring at his friend, unable to respond to his question.

They turned their attention to the girl who was pouring tequila into the last glass.

"3, 2, 1 shot!" Teñarfina exclaimed excitedly as she pressed the timer on her phone.

Everyone in the room was ecstatic when Byzza finished his glass of tequila just as the timer struck ten.

"Wait, Chaurl, you haven't told me why you want to go home," Jaha said as he followed the friend out of the way.

Salven and Raiazette trailed after them.

His friends were baffled when he showed his left cheek to them.

"I think it'll swell tomorrow, Chaurl."

"Of course, the swelling will persist, especially if nothing cold is applied to the affected area," Raiazette said, rolling his eyes at Salven as he examined his friend's bruise.

Jaha smirked, "That's what people get for kissing someone they don't even know the first letter of their name."

"Presumably you forgot you ordered me to do that?" He glared at his friend.

Raiazette smirked gleefully as he gave Jaha a high five.

"Chaurl?"

"What?"

"Can we wrap up the party before we leave?"

"Yeah, Chaurl, it'd be a shame if we left right in the middle of the party," Salven agrees with Raiazette, while Jaha nods in agreement.

"I'll go now."

"Can't you really wait a few minutes?"

Other people were playing loudly enough that they weren't noticed.

"i'll wait in the car, and if no one follows me there within one minute, I'll leave you here. "

"So, who's going to drive?"

"Isn't it self-evident?"

"Hey, Chaurl, it's dangerous now; it's dark outside and no one's around."

"Nobody, so how can it be dangerous? And this mansion has no neighbours either, "he explained as he walked away.

They all shook their heads because of their friend's way of thinking.

"Chaurl, wait for us!"

Salven went back to the girl, "Teñarfina, we have to go home."

"Huh? Why? "She asked, straining to open her eyes.

"We really need to get home; I'll call you later. Thank you for inviting us. We had a good time. And please rest, because you seemed drowsy as well.

"OK, be careful," she said sweetly to Salven, and the young man nodded.

Before he took an escape:

"Your Highness, what time are you leaving?" Asked one of his bodyguards.

The young man's eyes widened as he looked around before turning to face the guard, "Shhh! Don't make a sound; I won't be able to exit if anyone sees us. "

"I sincerely apologise; I won't do it again, Your Highness. "

"I've already stated that I'm not a deity to whom you must bow down. And don't address me as "Your Highness."

"But that's exactly what the king- "

"I don't give a rat's ass; I do have a name, and it's Chaurl."

"Alright... Chaurl."

The young man gave a nod before turning his head from left to right again to make sure there was no one else around, "I only have ten minutes before I have to leave-s**t! The monarch! " He dashed to one of the large pillars, but then returned and drew the guard, who was just standing there staring at him, to where he was hiding.

They tried to remain motionless, watching the queen as she ascended the stairs, but were nearly caught up by the king when his bodyguard sneezed. Chaurl glared at him, but his face turned horrified when the king came to a halt, prompting the prince to cover his mouth with both hands while his bodyguard avoided making any move that would catch them both up.

"Are they for real? Since when? " unsettling doubt from the prince, who was standing behind his personal guard.

Distraught, his personal guard turned to him, "Since last year." He honestly believed the prince would be indignant with him for not trying to insinuate everything about what he had noticed, but he also knew he had no right to act in the royal family's dalliances.

The young man nodded while avoiding eye contact, "I need to leave because they might be waiting for me."

"Do you seem to be certain that I'm not the one who will take you there?" His personal guard inquired, concerned by his condescending tone.

"There's no need; my buddy owns a car as well. Get some kip. "

"All right, Chaurl, be extra cautious." He bowed in respect as the prince walked away.

The young man exited the palace and took his phone from his pocket, but he ground to a standstill when he saw the guards of their palace approaching, so he effortlessly stashed in the fountain. He knew it'd be tricky since he could easily be seen in his hiding spot, but as the guards approached, he later turned in the opposite direction of the fountain, so they wouldn't have seen him.

He ended up swearing when his phone anticlimactically rang, so he covered the speaker prior to actually answering the call. And when he saw the caller's name, he became even more irritated.

"What the blue blazes?! Do you want the guards to capture me?! " He reacted harshly to the call, but in reverent whispers.

("I'm sorry, Chaurl; we've been chomping at the bit here for quite some time." We initially thought you wouldn't join us at the party. ") An embarrassed response from the other end of the line.

"Don't be paranoid! I'll be there in a minute. " He shut his eyes tightly to prevent unwanted yelling.

("Would you mind telling me where you are right now?")

"I'm still here at the fountain, hiding," he replied, glancing around at the guards garrisoned nearby.

("You're still quite a distance away from a stone's throw!")

"Don't shout!" He hissed, clutching his phone away from his ear. He paused for a moment before exasperatingly sighing, "Why don't you consider staying in the palace for quite some time?" He rolled his eyes.

("All right, all right, don't be mad. We're here not far from your security gate. ")

He hung up the phone without saying a word and slid it into his pocket. He brought his attention back to the guards before smoothly exiting his escape route.

"How could you conceivably have annoyed him?" Salven shot back.

"I was reluctant he wouldn't show up, you two, you were also sceptical he wouldn't risk coming here!"

"Huh?" Jaha and Salven both responded at the same time.

"Stop acting like you're blameless!" He shifted his gaze to Jaha, "After all, it was your plan!"

"You-" For a split second, they were all quiet as mice after someone entered the vehicle.

"Let's go." He kind of wondered why it was quiet inside, but he completely disregarded it and put the earphones in his ear.

Before Jaha began driving, Raiazette and Salven exchanged glances. Jaha, their friend, is the one who plans and implements so much in these types of getaways, particularly when they're with the royal's son.

◍ ◍✧*。◍◍✧*。◍ ◍✧*。 ◍◍✧*。◍ ◍✧*。

They arrived at the venue and donned their masks before getting out of the car. When they finally showed up, the staff immediately directed the four of them to the event’s entrance hall. The four were warmly welcomed with loud music as well as smoke from the prepared smoking machine, which made them happy and satisfied, apart from Salven.

Teñarfina managed to spot them in the midst of her dancing classmates and waved to them. She invited them to sit on the couch she’d set up for them and served them drinks and snacks. They also talked for nearly an hour before finally starting the game that the invitees had been yearning for, but they were too busy dancing to notice the time.