KAYLA

For a moment, it felt like as if I had forgotten how to breathe. As he introduced himself in front of the whole class, he spoke with clarity in flawless American accent, each word resonating in my mind like a drop of mist falling onto a still water surface. His voice wasn’t as deep as I thought it would be, but not too high-pitched either. At first, I kinda expected that he would speak in a cute Asian-ish accent, like some of our Asian-blooded friends in the school. But it’s not like I had any objections – this would be much easier when I’m going to get to know him later!

He’s- wait, what was his name again? Kee-uh, Kashee-something?

“…I understand that my name might be quite difficult to pronounce, so you can just call me ‘Kay’…”

Right. Kay. Well, that’s much easier – it’s cute, like my nickname! Although I couldn’t pronounce his full name, I like it. It’s sounded so...oriental! So exotic!

I was wondering what language it might came from until he mentioned that he previously went to Aoba International School in Japan. Oh, no wonder his name kinda sounded like words that I hear in a sushi bar menu!

Wait- what did he said his last name was?

“Bellrose?”

“Am I mishearing something or did he really said that his last name was ‘Bellrose’?”

“He’s a Bellrose?”

The whole class were soon filled with doubtful whispers, mentioning the ‘Bellrose’ name somewhere in their sentence. Well, anyone would’ve wondered as well; it’s not a common name in Anglova, but there’s this one family that goes by the name Bellrose that everyone knows very well in this country - they’re one of the most respected nobles in the country, and also the rulers of this very land we stood on at this very moment – Valenfields.

I may not be Anglovan, but my family’s business made us quite close with the nobles and socialites of the country - including the Bellrose Family. More than once, my parents had introduced me to people from the family, but I couldn’t remember seeing this guy before! Upper class society parties were often quite a crowd, and I often forgot names and faces - but it would be impossible to miss a hottie like him, especially if he had a unique name that I had no idea how to spell or pronounce! I’ve seen Anglovan nobles naming their children with unusual foreign names, but they’d rarely pick something from the Far East...except if they have Asian descent somewhere in the family-

Wait a minute...his eyes - I’ve seen it before! I think I know-

“Will everyone please be quiet!” Mr. Harrell yelled, “Can’t you give a little respect to your new classmate?”

The whole class silenced immediately. Meanwhile, the new kid turned his eyes towards the floor, shifting uneasily as he stood there right in front of the whole class. Poor him...I’d feel awkward too had I was the one standing in his shoes right now!

Mr. Smith then stepped forward and cleared his throat, “A-hem! Alright, since everyone here seems to be quite eager to know more about your new classmate, let me make this clear; he is the son of the Count and Countess of Valenfields, and therefore...he is the Viscount of Valenfields!”

The whole class gasped, as if their breaths were taken away by the fact that I have guessed correctly a few seconds ago. I was right after all, because I remembered seeing the same color on Lady Valenfields’ eyes. It was an unusual shade of blue, but very beautiful. I heard it somewhere that it was actually a form of genetic mutation, particularly known because it was passed on through a generation of one of the wealthiest family in America, The Marstons. The current head of the family, Daniel Marston, was Lady Valenfields’ father.

The silence didn’t last long. Within the next minute, everyone began to whisper each other again.

“The Count of Valenfields had a son? How come I never heard of it before?”

“Yeah, since when Valenfields have a Viscount from Japan?”

“I’m not sure, but...wasn’t the Countess half-Japanese?”

“Maybe he wasn’t their legitimate son? Lady Valenfields probably had a bastard?”

“Adopted, maybe? She’s very loyal to her husband!”

God, these people! Did they never learned how to whisper? The new kid could hear all your skeptical murmurs clearly! Oh poor, poor him! I’ll have to do something later at recess to make him feel better!

But...it’s not like I can blame my classmates from being skeptical. I mean, the Count and Countess of Valenfields were often seen in public, but the existence of their child had always remained vague. It’s quite uncommon for Anglovan nobles to hide their legitimate children from the public, unless there were issues-

Speaking of which, weren’t the Whittmans quite close with the Bellrose Family? I should ask Elle...

“Elle- oh GOD!”

I was shocked when I saw Elle on her desk. She was burying her face under her folded arms. Everyone else still had their eyes glued on Kei, so nobody paid attention to her. But...how on Earth could she be curling like that when there’s a very handsome guy right in front of the class? She looked just fine this morning…

Without leaving my desk, I leaned my body towards her and asked her in a soft, hushed tone. “Elle, Elle...are you all right? Do you need to go to the infirmary?”

“…No…” she replied in a faint, muffled voice. Okay, she’s awake. But wait- is she...crying?

I tried to get closer to see at least a glimpse of her face, but she won’t budge at all. Oh, god...what’s wrong with her?

“…Why…so sudden…”

Huh?

“…He didn’t…anything…why? …Mean…cruel…”

Elle started to mumble some stuff that I couldn't comprehend – whatever she was trying to say was buried along with her face. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to get her to talk to me, let alone letting me have good look at her face (which was most likely getting drenched with tears). I didn’t want to add another fuss in this homeroom session, so I tried my best not to get anyone else’s attention.

As her best friend, I didn’t want to leave her alone like this; but I know more that it's better not to push her deeper into her shell. Sighing, I surrendered back to my seat and vowed to drag her into the ladies' room later when homeroom is over.