Chapter 151 - Face-Slapping

"Behave Princess…"

Suzuki Ara pouted at her fiancé. "What are you talking about? I always behave," she grumbled, making Ryuu laugh as he stepped back.

"I'll see you in a few minutes," he said as he left.

"He's really leaving us here?"Rin asked worriedly as they watched Ryuu's retreating back. She was tensed, that the others laughed at her.

"What happened to Ms. Energetic huh?" they teased her. "Weren't you looking forward to paying her back?"

"Of course I am."Rin looked indignant. "I was just thinking it would be better if the archer prince is here. The face slap would be louder."

Well… she did have a point. Then again…

"It's better that he's not here. We'll get to see what she wants. I don't think she'll be careful with her words when the guy she likes is not here." Midori then turned to Sonoda. "Unless she's still also after Hiroaki."

Rin shook her head. "Impossible. With Kou here, who'd run after Hiro?"

The athlete looked offended. "Did I just get insulted again?" he demanded, making all of them laugh.

Then, a familiar irritating voice called out to them – to Ara specifically from the direction where Kou went. They hadn't noticed the newcomer as they were absorbed with their bantering.

They all turned to see Koharu jogging towards them without the man she was with earlier. He was probably left on the other side of the street, watching them.

"Ara, you're here," Koharu greeted her with a smile.

All of them didn't return the greeting, however.

"Can't she be here?"Rin asked with a frown.

She was not even pretending to be nice to Okada. This made the girl finally look at the others as she smiled apologetically, totally looking like someone so innocent.

"Rin, don't be angry at me anymore okay? I was just stressed with all the studying and my family. I went crazy for a while," Koharu said, her voice sounding so pitiful.

Yet, none of the people she was trying to show this piteous side of hers bought her drama. They were already expecting she'd do this. Besides, the thing Koharu did was totally unforgivable. If it were only about the things she did at the Cedar Palace, they could chalk it up to her mental breakdown of some sort and somewhat forgive her, but they all knew the truth about Ara's accident. It was a sin beyond anyone could understand or forgive.

No one would believe her anymore.

"Stressed? If there was no surveillance that day recording the truth, what do you think would have happened to me? Did you ever think about that?" Rin countered scathingly. "From now on, we're not friends."

"How can you say that? I didn't mean to do it and I feel so sorry. I didn't know what happened that day. I –"

"Cut the drama Koharu. Nobody here will ever believe you," Rin interrupted her words.

Okada Koharu looked shocked. She was not expecting to be rejected it seemed, as she turned from one person to another, trying to see if there was someone who'd take her side, and saw that there was none.

Of course, there was none.

She realized everyone was looking at her with judging eyes.

The face she had been trying to look pitiful slowly shifted into something nasty. Okada's brown eyes shot like daggers, her lips curled up into a snarl, as she stood on her full height, like an angry chicken ready to peck. Her stance was fully intended to intimidate Rin who was much shorter than her.

"So is this what you truly are? You're so nasty Rin. You're so inconsiderate. Can't you see my situation? I just did one mistake and you're so unforgiving. What a fake person you are," Koharu scoffed, insulting Rin. "Without me, you wouldn't even have any friends you, stupid geek."

"Okada shut up," Sonoda Hiroaki growled as Miharu and Midori shielded Rin.

"What? Are you giving orders now? Who do you think you are? You're just a stupid athlete."

"Yeah, a stupid athlete who you sent nauseating love letters to for two years," Sonoda countered, rendering the girl speechless for a while. Unable to talk back to him, the athlete gave Koharu a disgusted look. "Do you honestly believe we don't know who really wrote those letters? Who's stupid now?"

Silence hung between them for a while. The stormy look on Okada's face then vanished as she tried looking hurt. She, however, didn't bother defending herself from Sonoda's words as if she admitted to them.

"I just saw you with Homura Ryuu earlier. If it's about the problem at the Cedar Palace then it's good that I am here to explain," Koharu stated with a smile, totally believing herself as someone who could save everyone. "I can clear Rin's name properly. I'm sure if I talk to him, he will listen and be lenient."

Ara and the others exchanged looks then, their thoughts similar about this girl. Okada Koharu's a real nutcase. She didn't make sense anymore and was totally out of reality.

"Koharu, there's no need to clear Rin's name. Because, from the start, everyone at the Cedar Palace knew it was you who stole Midori's wallet." Miharu's voice was clear and firm.

On the other hand, since Kaharu's functioning with a different reality inside her head, she didn't understand a word that was said. She only understood what she wanted to happen, and there was nothing the others could do to correct it. She was beyond redemption it seemed.

"What are you talking about?" Koharu smiled. "Of course Ryuu doesn't know. I need to tell him to explain."

Everyone wanted to vomit hearing Okada call the prince by his name. They wondered in which world in Koharu's own universe she and the prince were on a first-name basis. Then again, they didn't want to know.

Suzuki Ara, knowing that they already fulfilled their task of provoking Koharu decided to end this useless conversation.

"There's no need for that. He doesn't care," she told the nutjob matter-of-factly.

Koharu turned her irritation towards Ara. "Ara, I –"

"He doesn't care," Ara repeated her voice firm and intimidating, making Koharu back down.

The crazy girl turned from one person to another in confusion. "Then what are you guys doing here with him if it's not about that incident at the Cedar Palace?"

"We're preparing for the prince's wedding," Rin then answered cheerfully, an evil glint in her eyes.

Okhada Koharu was taken aback, her form shrinking at the news. "What do you mean the prince's wedding?" she demanded, her voice sounding almost wild, just in time for the person himself to return to the group.

"My wedding to Ara of course," Homura Ryuu told Okada Koharu casually as he walked towards them. He stopped next to Ara and took her hand before turning his forbidding gaze back to the nutcase. "Not that it has anything to do with you."