Chapter 24: she looks like her

"Kitoki, Good morning!!!", everyone greeted her with a smile on their faces as she entered the room for the first subject. She smiled back to them and greeted them as she walk to her seat and a group started surrounding her. "So… next week is your birthday right? Where are we gonna have the party Kitoki?" "I'm planning to ask dad to have a beach party" "A beach party! That would be great!" "A beach party when spring is just around the corner, are you serious?" "So what! Why do you care, you are not invited anyways and we have an indoor beach so the weather doesn't matter" "Woah! I knew it Kitoki you are very rich" "Nah! It is nothing, you are making me embarrassed", Kitoki said while pretending to be shy.

Shama Kitoki is a third year high school student who is bit known as one of the richest sassy girl in the campus. Wherever she goes, she can easily catch the attention of the people around her. In such a young age, she already a model in her father's clothing line wearing different clothes that fits every season. Her face is all over the magazines in every bookstores and small stores so it is not new to her to be surrounded by different people admiring the beauty she has. As the only daughter of the family, they spoiled her too much that everything she wishes and asked for is she's gonna get it in her hands in seconds. Rich people, they are really crazy in so many ways just like her that is crazy in many things like attention and praises, she really love to be praise and be envious of other young ladies. Despite of angelic and beautiful face, a greed lies inside her. She hates her lower classman which is a sophomore who is Fuyumi Nagisa, Fuyumi is next to the line below her as one of the campus face and that is why she hate her the fact that anytime, the girl can steal her crown without her knowing it. She really hate the girl even Nagisa didn't did anything bad at her and she don't even know that someone like Kitoki in their school exist, she's not that in trendy and what makes her hate her even more is that the fact that she is too close with this Kazumi guy that seems in her interest.

"Do you want to go to the nearby café before going home, it is my treat", she said to the girls in the room that make their eyes sparkle whenever they heard thoe magic words from here, 'my treat' All of them excitedly carry their bags with full smile as they said in chorus "Yes" The girls following her are increasing that makes her head a little bigger thinking that those girls are not friends but servants. With her money, she can rule anyone and let them follow her like dogs, with her overflowing richness she already doesn't know the word friendship.

When they reached to the place, she excused herself to go to the bathroom while waiting for their order. After a few minutes, she was about to start the talk while going back but she stopped hiding in a wall beside their table when she heard what they are talking about. "i really don't like Kitoki, she think that she is the queen just because she is rich and beautiful like duh Nagisa is much better and prettier thatn her. I rather be friends with Nagisa than her. I just hang around with her because she had a lot of money and I can eat and have whatever I want in free, if she's not rich I bet she don't have any friends right now and she can't catch anyone's attention like she is now" "You're right, remember when I told her that I like Yamato. On the other day I just heard that he confessed to her even I know that all this time Yamato doesn't have an eyes for her" "She might flirt with him to make the guy confessed to her" "Yeah that is what I heard, after I told her about what I feel, she followed him anywhere trying to get his attention" "Oh I feel so sorry to you" "That is why I don't want to tell anyone about my personal life especially to her' "What a whore" "I also heard that she's not virgin anymore, is that even true?" "Oh there is one time she competed with a sophomores queen bee Brianna and because that girl is a whore herself that slept with many guys, Kitoki also did that" "What?! She also slept with a guy?!" "I don't know I'm not sure with the news, you know she can do anything to keep herself at the top" "She's insane" "Urgh… I can't take it anymore" After a minute, their order has arrived. She came back with her full smile as if she didn't heard anything and let those girls eat what she had bought for them.

It is been passed eight in the evening when Kazumi got home from the study she attended with Fuyumi. It is very tiring and he is very exhausted yet happy that he met other people from different school in the study and he gain new friends mainly the girls who asked for his help to explain a certain topic for them that they said they don't understand even it is an easy one. As soon as he arrived in his apartment, he lay his body on the bed that he didn't noticed that he already fall asleep without changing his clothes. He just woke up when he heard a knock from his door in the middle of the night. At first, he feel chills all over his body that who is in their right mind go knocking at your door in the middle of the night. He grab a spatula from the sink and slowly walk toward the door without making a noise bending his knees. The person from the other side keeps on calling his name that makes the atmosphere scarier. In the middle of the way to the door, he stopped for a moment and stand straight trying to sinking in his mind whose voice that belongs to that it sounds familiar until a name entered to his mind, it is Saki. He can't be mistaken, that is the same voice as her and also she is the only person she knows came knocking at his door in a middle of the night. "S….Saki…I….is that you?.... please stop bothering me anymore…. I don't know who killed you okay. It is not my fault…. I just found your body in a sack under my bed one morning and I got panic and afraid that I can be blame in your lost. I'm sorry…I…I promised… I will find who is your murderer and I will give your death a justice… so please… can you leave now?", he said in a shaking broken voice that even his knees are shaking that he might fall for it is getting weak. His words doesn't seem to convince the person from the outside that still keep on knocking and calling his name. He was leave no choice but to open the door but before he did that he look at the small hole in his door to know who it is. It was too dark outside that he can't clearly see the person, but one thing is for sure that the hair of that person is not too long and bit curly. He first think who from the girls he know has that kind of hair. Fuyumi has a little curly hair also but hers is long until in her hips and Kurumi has a short brown hair like Dora. This hair he saw just right now is not that long that reaches the hip and also a black one. He think deeper along his classmates who has this kind of hair until one name again registered in his mind, Saki. Saki has the same hair as the girl in the outside and the fact that they have the same voices that there might be a possibility that what he is thinking right now is true. He slapped his face convincing his self that it might be a dream or he was just imagining things maybe because he missed her and there are times she appeared in his dreams for real. Even he is too much afraid at that moment realizing that he is not in a dream right now he still open the door slowly while his hand is shaking and his heart is beating so fast that it might beat out of his chest that makes him so much afraid of a ghost even he is a guy. When the girl heard the creek sound from the opening door, she slowly turned around to see Kazumi. The light from the corridor is twinkling on and off and he hears a background music in his mind like in those horror movies as the girl turned around and flashed a smile. When he see those big white teeth, he scream so loud and fainted in front of his door.

The light coming from the window in his room reflects the heat of the sun woke him up the next day. His eyes got big when he saw a girl and Hitoshi at the side of his bed watching him. "What…what are you doing here?!", he said in confused the moment when he woke up exchanging look to Hitoshi and the girl. "You were such a baby Kazumi, you freak out in front of your door in the middle of the night and fainted when you saw this beautiful girl over here who knocks on your door" "What?!" "Don't what me man, she asked for help to carry you inside when you fainted" "But…but I thought she is... ugh…never mind", he said in a tired tone of voice. "So who are you?!", he asked while looking at the girl straightly. The girl was supposed to introduced herself when, "You don't know her man, when did you born, yesterday? Or are you an alien from outer space. Everyone in the school know her, even the whole country know her" "So, who is she", she said without reaction. "It is Kitoki bro, Shama Kitoki" "Kitoki who?" "C'mon bro I know you are not that sociable kind of person but I don't know that you are that worst. Man I thought you are a genius" "Uhm… it is okay, I am not that popular or famous as you think and I understand that not all people are not into magazines and modeling", Kitoki said being embarrassed in front of these two boys. "She is the girl that every man cold wish for, I could die if she knocked on my door in the middle of the night like what she did", Hitoshi whispered to Kazumi's ear. "Okay, okay I get it. She is famous and beautiful that anyone likes, right?", he said even he is not sure on what he just said while pushing Hitoshi away who is too near to him when he whispered. "So… May I ask what do you need that you came knocking into my door in the middle of the night?" "You see, I see you around the school often and I never got a chance to talk to you so I thought that if I came into your place there might be even a little chance that you will talk to me" "I…I'm sorry I…don't understand, I believe you are just confused and went on a different place" "No, I'm not. I really came to see you Kazumi", she said then hold his hands but Kazumi let her hand go. "I'm sorry but I didn't know you. You can go now", he said again emotionless. "You are not a gentleman Kazumi, don't you have a mercy? She took care of you the whole night when you fainted and didn't even get a time to sleep, it is already morning and the sun is up. Why don't you continue your conversation while eating breakfast"

Kazumi thought that how could he never know that someone like her exist in his school that looks like Saki, everything about her reminds him of Saki and that is also the reason that he don't want to be engage to her and get close like before because anything might repeat to itself. He keeps on stealing stares at her while they are sitting in the table eating breakfast. Everything is so quiet and awkward that no one dares to talk. Hitoshi feel the cold atmosphere so he decided to break the ice. "Shama, can I call you Kitoki instead?" Kitoki nod while smiling to him with her mouth is full. She swallowed all the food stock in her mouth to talk. "Hmm… you can call me in my first name uhm… Hitoshi?" "Yes, Hitoshi is my name, nice meeting you" "So… you are telling me that you went to Kazumi's apartment in the middle of the night because you want to talk to him and be his friends?" "Y..yeah! Why?!" "Uh its nothing, it was just it is my first time seeing people knocking at other's door in that time because they want to be friends with the other person" "Yesterday, I went to a café with my friends and whenever I invited them to go out with me. They never reject my invitation especially when I said that it is my treat. Well, as you know, my family is rich so I can buy anything I wish for and I can have whatever I want and also that I am an only child. Then yesterday, when I went to the bathroom a bit while waiting for our order then when I came back I overheard them saying that they really don't like me or even be my friends, they just go with me because I always treat them out. At first, I don't really don't care if I have a friend or none. I have everything that anyone could ask for so a friend is nothing to me. I looked at them like my servants and not a friend like I control them with money but upon hearing those words that they really hate me and they don't want me and they are just pretending. I don't know that it will hurt me, I thought I can handle anything but I am not ready for this one" "Then don't be with them anymore" "What is the connection of that knocking at my door at midnight" "I… I want someone to lean on. I want someone to listen to my problems then you came into my mind and that is why I am here. I now that you are a good listener and an adviser so I came to listen to you" "Well, if you are going to ask me, you deserve those things" Hitoshi and Kitoki bulged their eyes after hearing those. "Kazumi, what are you—" "You know that what comes around goes around. Karma already got you. You also don't treat people right like you act like you are the queen because people praise you for being pretty or rich that everything you see is below you and they are like servant that you can buy with your money. I am telling you right now that you can't buy anything with money. You can't buy friendship and happiness with money. So what if you are rich, so what if you can buy the world if you don't have people that really loves you, if you don't have someone to lean and cry on when you need to. You can't just call a passerby to listen to your stories to enlighten your burden then pay that person afterwards. Good people get good friends and bad people get bad friends. Do you even remember when is the last time you smiled for real because you are happy? Happy hanging out with others and not happy because you bought a new model of a phone. You only become young once so being with friends and hanging out with them is the real happiness that you can carry in your life until you grow old, your youth will be incomplete if you don't experience those things. I pity you, I pity you that you never experienced those kinds of happiness being blinded by your money. So you can't blame those people if they don't like you because you don't even like them to begin with. Don't come to people asking for an advice like you are the real victim in here, you just deserve what happened" 'I… I know… I already know that it is my fault. I know that i am the one who is wrong. I came here because I thought you will understand. No one knows what I really feel. I am always alone in that big mansion so I don't know how to interact with the other people. Yeah, you are right, I don't know the real meaning of friendship and happiness, you can't also blame me, I grew up alone playing with myself or with the maids. What would I do? This is the first time I lowered myself to go to you, I thought you will understand" "Maybe I don't really understand you, I didn't grew up alone and I am not rich. I used to play with my sister and the kids in my neighborhood so I don't know the feeling of being the only child" "I am sorry if I wasted your time like this. Don't worry, it will never happen again. I will go now", she said as she stand to take her leave. "Kazumi, what are you doing? Stop her", Hitoshi whispered. "Why would I" "Because …. She is a girl?" "Hitoshi, I don't care on other's own business, so what if her friends doesn't like her, so what if she had everything she want, or so what if she looks like Saki—" "What?! What did you just said?" "N…nothing" "Did I hear Saki?" "No!' "You are denying" "I said no, why are you here eating breakfast with me anyway, don't you have a food at your home?" "Tsk… okay fine I will leave", he said as he stand to take his leave.

Hitoshi in his on his out to the door when Fuyumi suddenly appeared in front. "Guys, what is happening? I saw Kitoki at the stairs and she seem so down, did she went here orrrr I am just imagining things. Hitoshi immediately bring Fuyumi to the corner outside the room and told her everything. "What?! She did that?!" "Sssshhh…", signing silence. "I also don't understand and Kazumi is very bitter to her" "Kazumi is always like that" "But I can't get out of my mind what he just said" ?What?! what he said" "I heard the name Saki, do you know her?' "Sooo… all this time it is still her" "Do you know her?" "She is an old classmate, she used to be a delinquent and she is always absent at school getting fight with the other students in other schools. She was like that even before Kazumi transferred here so I don't know how they became so close that they even went to school together and a rumor spread that time that the two are dating" "So where is this Saki girl now?" "Unfortunately, her body was found dead in a sack floating in the river. That really affect him and it makes me guilty about it" "Why?! Are you the one who killed her?" "Of course not! I won't do such crime. I am guilty that I use the opportunity to be friend with him trying to fill her spot. I thought I already did but I guess I am wrong. He will really never forget that Saki" 'Oh, so that is what happened" "So what is the connection of Saki to Kitoki?" "He said that she looks like her, Kitoki looks like Saki. His eyes are really sad when talking about it or even conversing with her, maybe she remember Saki that he never look at her face when he woke up until she leave" "I will go and try to talk to him" "Okay, I will leave everything to you"

"Kazumi, I heard what happened" "I just don't like getting myself in at other's business' "I know, I know I just want to ask if you are okay" "I'm okay, what makes you think that I am not?" "Hmmm… you are so pale. It was not like you" "I just don't feel great right now" "Why don't you take a rest first besides it is Saturday. I brought apples if you want. I will leave now but if anything happened or if you want someone to talk to, just give me call okay" Kazumi didn't talk after that or even see her leave. He just heard the slam of the door then close his eyes.

When Fuyumi got out of the room, Hitoshi was there leaning on the wall waiting for her. "What happened" "He didn't said anything about it, he just said that he was not feeling great so I let him rest" "Are you worried about him?" "Of course I am, he is not like his usual self" ""He will be better soon" "I hope so, if he will just forget about Saki, everything would be fine" "I am now curious what happened to them that he never forget that girl who died" "No one in the school knows what is their relationship" "Kazumi is really close to girls, are you not bothered?" 'Of what?" "You have many rivals?" "Oh stop teasing me Hitoshi, I am not in the mood right now. Before you say anything else, I will go now" "Okay, see you at school"