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..........M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N......L.I.G.H.T.S..........

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My eligibility to participate in the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Olympics sent the whole nation into a frenzy.

If my presence hadn't caught the attention of the masses in the past, it certainly did now.

My victory in Nebelhorn was broadcasted on live major television programs. It was also mentioned in the corner of the front page of major newspapers. The sports section was practically hailing my achievements with an entire page dedicated to my victory in Nebelhorn. Articles and social media videos of my performance kept on circulating the net.

I, Elana Ferrer, became the first ever Filipino who would partake in the prestigious figure skating Olympics.

Never mind winning the Olympics, just entering the Olympics became such a huge deal.

Even though I still felt slightly uncomfortable with the constant attention, I gradually got used to it over the years. I actually felt warm and moved as I read all the supportive comments from the netizens in one of the articles.

As a result of the ever-increasing attention, advertisement offers from various sponsors poured in. If I hadn't put a stop to it, my workload would've quadrupled.

Nonetheless, even if it did come with big money, I couldn't accept the majority of the offers since I needed all the time I could get to rest and practice.

I was a figure skater, first.

A celebrity, second.

Thankfully, my personal manager, Eric Lito, came to my rescue and allocated my workload and schedule into order. We went through all the offers and picked the best ones. As much as I would love to focus full time on practicing my skills, I needed those sponsors.

Without sponsors, it would've been very difficult to support my training with all the trips I've been going to. I think I mentioned multiple times that figure skating was an expensive sport.

Such was the life of a figure skater.

Currently, I was in the middle of a Sponsor Work - as I had officially dubbed it - and posing in different angles in front of the camera.

I should probably call it a photo shoot, to be exact.

"Alright, great! Now, give me a fierce one."

The photographer skillfully guided me into various positions as the clicks of the shutter and flashes of the camera resounded throughout the expansive studio.

I came to love modelling.

To me, modeling was like figure skating. It may be pretty to look at, but it was difficult as hell. The more difficult it was, the more challenged I became.

When I first tried modeling, I was stiff as a rock, my movements and poses were awkward at best. I could've died from embarrassment back then, but thankfully enough, the photographer at that time was very understanding and accommodating.

That didn't stop me from turning red like a ripe tomato though.

Since I didn't want a repeat performance, I attended a few modeling seminars.

Don't get me wrong, I was still far from being a top model or walking the runway. But after those seminars, at least I didn't make a fool out of myself again on my succeeding modeling gigs. The grace and flexibility that I acquired from my dance and ballet lessons greatly helped as I was able to exude elegance and poise in my poses.

"Perfect! That's a wrap," the photographer finally announced.

I thanked the photographer before a staff led me towards the dressing room.

The dressing room was filled with cosmetics, costumes, hair accessories, and various other objects that the makeup staff and hairstylists needed. It was bustling with activity as various celebrities were seated around their respective mirror tables, with the staff either doing their hair, makeup or sometimes even both simultaneously.

Not wanting to bother anyone, I promptly headed to an empty seat. Whilst doing so, however, I locked gazes with a certain celebrity. It was a well-known actress that I sometimes saw on television. Well, on the rare cases that I actually watch local channels. I wasn't a big fan of TV series. I was more of a movie person.

I knew that this actress was well-known because I saw her on billboards and magazines. But for the life of me... I sincerely forgot her name.

Or, I never knew her name to begin with.

I suck at names. Especially, names that weren't related to my family, friends, or figure skating.

"Hello po," I respectfully greeted the actress even though we're basically the same age. It didn't hurt to be polite.

The actress just glanced at me, looked at me from head to toe like I was an unknown insect under a microscope, before turning back to her mirror like a diva.

Uh...

Rude much?

My brow twitched at the slight.

I calmed my expression, shrugged off the unpleasantness, and sat down on my chair when my manager barged in the room.

"Here you go." Eric laid down take-out from Burger King on the table before lounging on the seat beside me.

"Oh my lord, thank you," I praised my manager whilst digging through the paper bag. My mouth was already watering from the delicious smell.

Extra long chicken sandwich with extra cheese, well-done large fries, and biggie apple juice.

Just the way I liked it.

My stomach was grumbling so I immediately took a big bite out of my sandwich.

"Mmm." I groaned and closed my eyes in ecstasy, before grabbing several fries and devouring it.

I freakin' love fries.

A burger was not a burger without the fries. Well, in this case, a sandwich. That's my favorite self-made motto when it comes to fast food.

At the corner of my eyes, I saw that diva actress looking at me like I was an abomination.

Suck it. I'm gonna eat whatever I want.

I didn't tolerate rude people. Do unto me what you want others to do unto you. In a legal sense, of course.

The makeup staff finally finished prepping up the actress. She promptly got up, without even saying thanks to the staff, before cat-walking straight out the door. Of course, as she passed by my seat, she didn't forget to shoot me a haughty look.

"What's her problem?"I raised my brow at the back of the retreating diva.

"You 'stole' her shoot." Eric air quoted with his fingers before turning back to his little black notebook.

"Huh? What?" My eyes widened at the implication.

"Apparently, she was aiming for that shoot you just did," He monotonously replied as he flipped through his notebook, occasionally writing something here and there. "She was actually slotted to do it, but then the sponsors backed out at the last minute and switched stars. That's where you came in."

...

"Oh... well, now I feel bad." I sipped on my apple juice awkwardly.

"Don't be. This is showbiz," Eric replied, simply. As if those few words explained it all.

*****

"Happy Birthday!" Shoma's voice resounded out of the phone. His tone was heavy with an accent as he spoke in English.

"Thank you." I chuckled in return.

"You... you is happy?" Shoma stumbled through his wordings. "I give gifts."

"You are happy. It's gave, for past tense," I corrected him automatically, "and yes, I'm very happy. Thank you so much for the gift, Shoma-chan. Tell your mom, thank you too, Ok?" I switched to Japanese so that he wouldn't forget it.

I was about to ask him why he stated Gifts - I only received one gift from them - when he spoke once again.

"Ahh, English hard."

"I learned Japanese at the same time you started to learn English."

"You not normal."

"You do know I will pinch your cute chubby cheeks for that, right?"

"Meh, you always do that anyways."

"Touché."

Someone knocked on the door. I turned around from my seat and saw my dad coming in.

"Wait a 'sec, Shoma-chan." I brought the phone against my chest. "Yes, Dad?"

"The party's starting," Dad replied, putting his hand in his pocket. He looked particularly handsome today with his sleek black suit and deep red tie. "Everyone's waiting for you."

As Shoma said before, today's my birthday.

My 18th birthday to be exact.

"Ok." I glanced gratefully at my Dad before turning on the phone. "Shoma-chan, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Alright. Have fun," came his chirped reply. I smiled in adoration at this sweet boy.

The call ended.

I laid down my phone on the table as I continued to sit in place. I was pretty made up, wearing a cream-colored gown, off shoulders with a slip of lace hanging, giving an overall appearance of tainted innocence if one was poetic enough.

My soft ebony locks fell in gentle waves around my shoulders.

"Ready?" Dad gently laid a hand on my head.

I looked up at him and nodded as I gave him a soft smile. Checking my appearance once more in the mirror, I stood up and wrapped my arm around my dad's, with him doing the same. We made our way down the hall towards the garden where the party was currently undergoing.

My parents rented a luxurious garden events place for my Debut.

Weeks before my birthday, my mom practically dragged me around in preparation for the event. She pretty much decided everything while I just stood on the side like a dead fish. I wasn't a party or events type of person.

I basically suck at these things.

Then the media got a hold of my upcoming debut.

How?

My personal information was practically bared for everyone to see once I became a well-known celebrity.

They tried to get in on the party list but my family had forbidden any outsiders aside from relatives, friends, and various other personal acquaintances.

I was glad about that. I wanted to be comfortable and carefree in my own debut.

My dad and I held a comfortable pace, and it took no time at all before we arrived at the back entrance where the party was happening.

Then the view came along, I couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of it.

Mom really outdid herself this time.

*****

My feet were aching like mad as I was continuously led around the party.

Who said anything about debut being carefree?

Oh, right. Me.

I didn't even eat yet.

My stomach was already grumbling loudly as Mom once again led me to another table full of guests. I wanted to sneak out and flop on the ground for a while. Nevertheless, I couldn't escape as she had a vice grip on my arm.

She probably knew what I was thinking. Hence, that.

My mom really knew me so well.

"Come on. Hurry up," Mom admonished as I dragged my tired feet.

"I'm hungry," I whined, lips downturned in a slight pout.

"We'll get some food in you, in like, three more tables." Mom dismissed whilst pushing me along.

I groaned before my eyes caught sight of the table where my friends were gathered. They noticed my gaze and waved back. I waved and smiled in return, though my tiredness was clearly visible on my face.

There were some schoolmates invited that sat at the same table. Even though I really only had five close friends, I was still pretty friendly with my other schoolmates before I graduated. That's why I decided to invite them.

Anyways, we already visited that table half an hour ago.

Yes, half an hour ago.

Hell, we visited a lot of tables.

Debut... an evil word for birthdays.

We finally arrived at the next table.

This time it was full of my dad's acquaintances, business partners more like. We exchanged the usual greetings and they asked the common inquiries. I mostly just let my mom do the talking as I gave these old dudes a polite smile.

Sorry. I was getting cranky at the moment.

Hungry and Tired.

Not exactly a good combination.

Then, I saw a chance.

Mom was currently giggling like a schoolgirl whilst talking to an admittedly good-looking middle-aged guy. It was the kind of guy who had a debonair aura around him. I think Dad wasn't pleased about that, as I already saw him making his way over. My dad was pretty possessive when it came to Mom.

I took one cautious step back, then another sneaky step right after.

Mom was pretty distracted at the moment.

Good.

Dad incoming.

I took another step back with a nonchalant air before I hid behind a passing waiter. We both walked together towards the buffet table. The waiter blushed and gave me weird looks as I continued to match his pace. Well, I did need him to cover me from my parents.

Once we reached the buffet table, I snatched three large warm butter croissants before darting off on the side of the garden, away from the main venue. I risked a glance back and saw my dad with his arm draped possessively around my mom's waist as they talked to that debonair guy.

Escape Success!

I mentally patted myself on the back as I chomped down on my delicious butter croissant.

*****

I walked around the garden whilst enjoying the cool night air. The croissants were already devoured. I was half tempted to go back to the buffet to snatch some more food but my fear of being discovered by my mom won me over.

Sighing, I trudged along a narrow yet well-lit path as my mind wandered.

At the distance, I noticed a small lit infrastructure. Curious, and without anything else better to do, I walked towards it.

Wow.

My mouth slightly hanged open in amazement before the corner of my lips tilted into a smile.

The infrastructure that I saw was actually a lovely gazebo.

There were drapes of white curtains around it, softly swaying along with the breeze. Sparse flowers decorated the poles up to the roof, where steel dome grates beautifully intertwined in an artistic way.

Overall, the gazebo looked like it came out of a romantic fantasy book.

With petals scattered all around the ground, I took careful steps lest I slip. I reached out and brushed my hand delicately on the soft white curtains as I entered the gazebo.

A smile played on my lips as I went to the center. Glancing around my surroundings, I found that there was no one nearby, so I lightly brought my hands to my sides and spun around in gentle turns. My fairy-like gown swayed beautifully together with my movements.

It somehow made me feel like I was Belle from that movie Beauty and the Beast.

Albeit this wasn't a ballroom, and if there was a Beast, I would've run far, far away screaming my head off.

I could handle horror.

In movies. Not in real life.

A crunch on the gravel made me stop my movements. I looked up and nearly gasped in surprise as I saw him, slowly approaching from the path I just took a while ago.

His meticulous raven hair was neatly swept to the side. A sleek black tuxedo hugged his lean yet muscular form as he confidently strode forward. Yet, I could discern a hint of hesitancy in his eyes.

I awkwardly just stood there, in the center of the gazebo, stuck in place as he stopped a few steps away from me.

Silence descended as we searched for something to say. His mouth moved before it closed again.

"Hi-"

"What's up?-"

We both spoke at the same time.

Our faces hinted our perplexed before our lips tilted in mirth at the blunder. He shyly rubbed the back of his head and his eyes flickered to the side before gazing down at me again.

"I was looking for you at the party," was his only explanation.

"Oh." I fidgeted as heat crept up my cheeks. "I was getting pretty tired... so, yeah, needed to get away a bit." a sheepish expression found its way as I twirled a lock of my hair.

We weren't actually that far from the main venue. The music from the party could easily be heard from where we were, albeit in a lower volume. One could say that we were not too near, yet not too far either from the venue.

We were near enough to clearly hear the lyrics, yet far enough to not encounter other people.

I fell silent again and averted my gaze as everything within me turned awkward. I get like this whenever I'm with someone I'm not too comfortable with.

I mean...

What exactly do you say to the guy you rejected a few months back?

"Elana." Mike sighed before he seemed to strengthen his resolve. He was moving nearer yet again before bringing his hand towards me. I stiffened in response and was preparing to move away.

"No," A loud voice interrupted us.

Mike and I both jolted in shock.

We both turned towards the source.

"Yuzuru?" My eyes widened in surprise.

Yuzuru had a slight frown on his face as he stalked forward. In no time, he stood near Mike and I.

"Elana, you know this guy?" Mike questioned uncertainly, furrowing his brows a little. He started to move towards me again when Yuzuru stood beside me and firmly held my hand.

"No," Yuzuru said once again, a tight expression on his face. He had a heavy accent yet any person would admire the strength in his voice.

Mike hesitated in place as he looked between Yuzuru and I, and then our clasped hands.

As for me, I kept getting more bewildered every passing second.

Yuzuru's grip was firm and it brought a kind of unknown fluttering in my chest. A dust of pinkish glow swept across my cheeks. Unconsciously, I drifted closer to Yuzuru.

Mike noticed this unconscious action of mine. His eyes narrowed at first before it seemed to widen a little as the realization hit home.

While I, the person itself, didn't even know about it.

From Yuzuru's strong stance that was slightly in front of me, towards my oblivious self who slowly drifted at his side.

It was pretty clear.

To anyone else, that was.

"Oh," this was the only response from Mike. "Oh... I see." He stepped backward, nodding.

See what?

I stared, wide-eyed, as Mike nodded once again then took another step back before striding off away from the gazebo.

Yuzuru and I watched Mike's retreating form for a moment before we turned to each other. We were still standing side by side, holding hands.

"What are you-... you know what, I'm not even going to ask." I sighed exasperatedly. "You just kept showing up out of nowhere. Do you know how to teleport or something?"

Yuzuru's strained expression slowly lightened as he heard this.

"Aren't you curious?" He quirked his lips.

"I honestly am." I had a confounded look on my face.

"Guess."

"Coach Omura."

"Hm, not quite, but close."

I frowned for a moment as my mind whirled around. Realization slowly dawned on me.

"No way!" I swatted him on the arm lightly in disbelief. "Shoma?"

So, that's why he said 'Gifts' earlier. I only received one gift from the Uno family. So, I was puzzled when he mentioned 'Gifts'.

When did Yuzuru and Shoma get so close?

Yuzuru chuckled as he let go of my hand before clutching it again once he stood in front of me.

He seriously has a touch fetish or something.

I thought, amused.

To think about it, I was the one who introduced him to this.

When I first hugged him back when he's just a gangly pre-pubescent teen, he used to stiffen so much. He just gradually became comfortable with me. Yuzuru somehow became very clingy, with all the light touches and the comfortable embraces.

If he's already like this with a friend, then I kind of feel sorry for his future girlfriend.

I made a mental note to apologize to his future girlfriend.

"You look beautiful tonight," he uttered in a low tone, before kissing the back of my hand. His voice was already in the process of becoming deep as he continued to undergo puberty.

His once gangly form was gradually becoming more leaner, lither and muscular with all the training he'd undergone. His face even became sharper and more refined, losing that remaining baby fat of his.

To be honest, I was a little glum about that.

I always had a soft spot for cute kids, hence, my eventual friendship with Shoma. Quite the superficial girl, I know. But, with this fact in hand, I managed to also forge a friendship with Yuzuru.

Oh well, there's still Shoma. I just hope he doesn't lose those cute, chubby cheeks of his for a few more years.

"You don't look so bad yourself." I gave him a playful smile as I lightly tapped his nose.

I didn't think of anything about the kiss. In my mind, I guess he just liked to play the part of being one of those 18th-century gentlemen.

We were in the appropriate setting after all.

An enchanting moonlit garden with those pretty little lights on it. A wondrous gazebo that was puked straight out from a fantasy novel. A dashing young lad in a black suit that perfectly fit his lithe body. And a damsel dressed in a flowing fairy-like gown that enticingly hugged her form.

Even the music that we heard coming from the main venue was a popular and sophisticated classical track.

Yeah... I really should stop reading romance novels.

"Are your parents ok with you being here?" I asked him, seriously considering sending him back home if he answered in the negative. I would even pay for his airfare.

"Mom's with me."

"Yumi-san?" My head perked up.

"Yeah, she's with your mom now back at the party."

"Oh, how's that going?" I let out a laugh, very much bemused. Mom didn't know Japanese, and Yumi only knew a little English.

"They're surprisingly getting along quite well." Even Yuzuru had a smile on his lips.

We both smiled at the thought of our moms miming at each other.

"I know I'm being redundant, but... what brings you here?" I squinted up at him.

"Hm..." Yuzuru flushed a little, averting his eyes. He got himself together and stared down at me. "Well, I... I wanted to make it up to you. I know that I'm one of the reasons that you didn't make it to your prom..." he trailed off, a degree of hesitancy could be heard in his voice.

My mouth opened slightly as I stared at this shy young guy in front of me. He seemed fearful of being rejected due to his countenance. However, the grip that he had in my hand continued to stay firm and confident.

In my eyes, such contradictions made him a very interesting guy.

"Well, now." I slowly slipped my hand away from him and caught his disappointed gaze. Before he could speak, I laid my hands on his shoulders and stepped closer towards him. "We got music, two people, and a convenient dance floor slash open space with no people spying around." My eyes held a glimmer of amusement.

Yuzuru's phoenix eyes widened slightly before it crinkled into a warm, grateful smile.

Just then, the classical track switched to a modern-day pop song.

Well, there goes that idea.

I started to pull away from him when he pulled me into his arms.

"Wanna dance?"

"Really?" I said, mockingly. "Pop music?"

"We gotta use what we get." He placed his arms around my waist as he hugged me closer. I giggled at his suave answer before finally complying as I placed my hands on his shoulders again.

We swayed to the music, regardless to the beat of the song. The music didn't really fit the way we're dancing, but we ignored it anyway as we enjoyed each other's presence. The past feud that we had was slowly forgotten and was once again replaced by a comfortable atmosphere that enveloped our being.

"I don't like this song."

"Why? It's very catchy." And to prove my point, I sang a little bit of the song, "...pulled apart at the seams... and it's Blue~... and it's Blue~..."

Yes, I know this song. That's why I was able to sing it in the correct tone.

"Lyrics are no good." He firmly shook his head. He furrowed his brows and his mouth was tilted down.

"Oh. And you can do better?" I teased him, raising my brow at him.

He had this serious look upon him like he was really thinking about the lyrics.

...

~... and now he's devoid of colors. He don't know what it means...~

"... and now he's filled with colors. He don't know what it means..." he sang together with the song.

...

A shiver flowed through my body.

His singing was average at best.

His accent was heavy as he spoke English.

However, the tone of his voice and the emotion behind his eyes...

"What's your favorite color?"

"Red," I answered unconsciously, still perplexed.

~... And he's Blue~... And he's Blue~...~

"... And he's Red~... And he's Red!~..." his pitch went high resulting to a humorous crack in his singing.

I burst out laughing at his eternal dorkiness.

"Ang corny mo!" ("You're so corny!") I loudly proclaimed as I playfully pushed him away.

"... Everything is bright.
Uh huh uhaaah~ Ah Aaah~..."

Yuzuru literally forgot the lines of his song. I clutched my stomach in pain as I squealed in laughter.

"... And now he's so filled of color
He don't know what it means
And he's Red!~
And he's Red!~..."

Yuzuru accompanied his tone-deaf song with a silly seductive jig of his body.

"Oh my god! Get away from me!" I was already gasping for breath as I howled out hard. Tears of mirth even came out from my eyes.

"What?" Laughter clear in his expression as he reached out to me.

"You are so dorky!" I stepped away from his reach, still giggling uncontrollably. "Don't contaminate me. Kapish?" I continued to dodge him before my back hit one of the columns of the gazebo. Still smiling widely, I leaned against the column as I gasped for air. My body became weak from the lack of oxygen.

He grinned as he slowly approached. He stood in front of me before grabbing something above my head. I curiously wanted to look at what caught his attention but he already moved his hand in front of him again.

He was holding a pale pink rose in his hand.

My eyes widened as he held out the rose to me. I looked up at him and saw a soft smile on his face. My hand hesitated for a moment before I delicately touched the thornless stem.

Our fingers brushed for a moment.

I grabbed the rose from him but he entwined his hand in mine, with the rose between our palms. Still gently holding my hand, he went nearer, lightly leaning his lower back against the edge of the gazebo. Our shoulders brushed from the nearness of our proximity.

The song had already ended and was replaced by a slow romantic track. The low murmur of conversations from the guests in the main venue could be heard as the party went on ahead without the presence of the debutante.

We were silent for a while, leaning against each other and enjoying the cool night breeze that swept through the moonlit garden. The cottony white curtains surrounding the gazebo softly fluttered creating a sense of privacy from the outside world.

"I missed you." I leaned my head against his shoulder whilst he leaned his against mine. My eyes closed in contentment as the gentle warmth of his body slowly lulled my being in a state of relaxation.

"I missed you more."

*****

"Oh my god." I leaned my palm against my face as heat crept up my cheeks. "I'm so sorry about this, Yumi-san."

Yumi just laughed and waved me off.

"It's fine. I understand." Yumi had a twinkle of mirth in her eyes. "I know how it's like. I also have an older brother. My husband went through the same thing."

"Really?" I was quite surprised as I questioned her.

"Back then, I was as embarrassed as you are. Maybe, even more so," Yumi commented, smiling fondly as she observed a pale-faced Yuzuru being interrogated by the men in my family. "Either way, he'll go through this at some point. Why not start now?" She then turned her mischievous gaze at me.

At some point?

I was about to question her when my mom engaged Yumi again in a conversation.

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..........M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N......L.I.G.H.T.S..........

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(If anyone wants to comment on how I made Yuzuru a living dork or how he will never do those stuff. Well, Yuzuru is a dork in real life. He's the epitome of the word Adorkable.)

(This is an example of an Adorkable Yuzuru.)

(Yuzu is bae.)

_(:3 」∠)_