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NOT WHAT I WANTED
Dernière mise à jour:
2025-05-02 17:43:41
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PRETEND PRINCESS UNSEEN
Yuki's povThe sharp smack of my resume hitting the floor echoed like a gunshot in the room. My eyes darted to the crumpled paper lying there, a small but loud reminder of how this day had already gone to shit.I stood there, mouth slightly open, staring at the manager like she’d just cursed my ancestors. What the actual hell?“I’m sorry,” she said, though her tone suggested she wasn’t sorry at all. She crossed her arms, her nails clicking against her sleeve like a countdown to my dismissal. “We’re not hiring.”I blinked, thrown off. “Not hiring?” I echoed, incredulous. “I saw the vacancy notice. Like… this vacancy notice.” I held up my phone, scrolling to the job listing I’d literally applied for two days ago.She didn’t even glance at it. “Well, the position’s been filled.”What? No. No, that didn’t make sense. I’d prepped for this interview for days. I’d ironed my pink blazer to perfection, styled my hair like I was meeting the love of my life, and walked into this cold, soulless o
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-13PRETEND PRINCESS SPLINTERED REFLECTIONS
Yuki's povThe aroma of jasmine tea curled through the air like a calming balm, its warm tendrils dancing around my senses. I sat cross-legged on the couch, the teacup cradled in my hands. Suzu was sprawled out at my feet, her little three-legged body stretched like she had no worries in the world. Lucky her.Lily was bustling around the kitchen, humming some off-key tune as she sorted Grandpa’s meds for the day. She wasn’t exactly a great singer, but she had the kind of energy that made her presence comforting. My best friend, my rock, my unofficial therapist.“So,” she called out, her voice slightly muffled over the clinking bottles. “How’s the unemployed life treating you, Mr. Fancy Blazer?”I snorted into my tea. “Just peachy. I’ve got the free time to sip tea like an old English lord. All I need now is a butler to feed me grapes.”Before Lily could respond, the crash came.It started with the shattering of glass, the teacup slipping from my fingers and hitting the floor as Grandp
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-13PRETEND PRINCESS OPERATION FEMME
Yuki's povThe morning sunlight filtered through the kitchen window, casting warm golden streaks across the countertop. Grandpa sat at the dining table, watching me with vague curiosity as I helped him with breakfast.Lily had texted earlier, saying she’d be late. That left me in charge.I flipped the eggs with practiced ease, Making sure they were cooked to the precision grandpa liked.“Here you go, Pops,” I said, setting his plate down. “Sunny-side up, just how you like it.”Grandpa nodded, his eyes slightly vacant, but he still managed a small smile. “Thank you, Laurie.”I stiffened but quickly forced a grin. “No problem, old man.”I placed his morning meds next to his plate. “Don’t forget these.”As he started eating, I turned to the kitchen counter, only for my stomach to drop.Electricity bill: $200 Money owed: $420 Total: $620 “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath.At this rate, I’d have to start selling my organs.Before I could wallow in my financial despair, my phone vibr
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-13PRETEND PRINCESS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MASK
Yuki's povThe wig felt strange as it tugged snugly over my head, a little tighter than I would have liked. Lily stood behind me, arms crossed in exasperation, her lips pursed as she stared at my reflection in the mirror.“You know,” she said, tugging the wig to adjust it just right, “when you called me asking if you would look good as a girl, I thought you were just fishing for compliments. If I knew you planned to lie your way into a job, I would have said no!”I grinned, brushing her off with a dramatic flick of my hand. “Oh, come on, Lily. I’ve been bullied half my life for looking like a girl anyway. I might as well make money from it. Call it poetic justice.”Lily narrowed her eyes. “Uh-huh. And you think you can fool them? For how long? A week? Maybe three?”“Three weeks is more than enough to prove my worth,” I said confidently, shrugging.She didn’t look convinced. But then, as she stepped back and I turned to the mirror, a strange hush fell between us.The reflection staring
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-13PRETEND PRINCESS COFFEE AND DESIGNER
Yuki's pov---When I walked into CreedX Technologies that morning, every ounce of confidence I had was tightly packed into my carefully chosen outfit: a black fitted skirt that ended just above my knees, a crisp white button-down shirt, and Lily’s shimmering red pumps—shoes I swore I’d never return. The outfit was subdued compared to my usual vibrant style, but I needed to play it safe. The makeup Lily applied blended so seamlessly it felt like a second skin, softening the edges of my masculine features just enough. My name on the application? Yuyu Roman.As I sat in the lobby, hands folded over the leather portfolio I brought as a prop, I kept my head high. I told myself, “You’ve got this, Yuki—no, Yuyu.” It had been a month of relentless preparation. Lily drilled me on how to speak, how to walk in heels without looking like a baby deer, and how to answer interview questions with enough charm to keep suspicions at bay. This was my chance. I needed this job. For Grandpa. For Suzu. Fo
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-13PRETEND PRINCESS BITTERSWEET
Yuki's povI practically kicked the front door open, nearly tripping over Suzu in my excitement. The little rascal yelped and scrambled back before barking at me like I’d committed the ultimate betrayal.“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Suzu! I freaking did it!” I scooped him up, spinning us both around in a dizzying twirl. “I got the job! Can you believe it? Me! I freaking did it!”Suzu licked my cheek, completely oblivious to the life-changing moment we were celebrating. I grinned and let him down before turning to my grandfather, who was fast asleep on the sofa, mouth slightly open, chest rising and falling in peaceful slumber.My heart clenched a little.I crouched beside him, carefully tucking the blanket around his frail body. “Grandpa,” I whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “Things are starting to look up for us, okay? Just hold on a little longer.”He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. I took that as my cue to leave and bounded up the stairs to my room.The moment
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-19PRETEND PRINCESS DISAPPEARING INTO THE UNKNOWN
Yuki's pov Joe’s workhouse looked like the kind of place people went into and never came out. It was tucked between two abandoned buildings, the flickering neon sign above the entrance barely hanging on to life. Stepping inside, I was hit with the overwhelming stench of gasoline, metal, and something else—something rancid.The walls were covered with oddities: old weapons, half-dissected animals pinned to wooden boards, and rusted tools that looked like they had been used for something far worse than construction. A human skull sat on one of the shelves, staring at me like it knew I didn’t belong here.“Joe?” I called, voice tight.A heavy thud came from behind the counter, and then Joe emerged—towering, broad-shouldered, and built like a tank. His face was partially shadowed, but I could see the deep scars running down the side of his neck. He looked like he belonged in a crime documentary, the kind where they interviewed ex-convicts behind blurred screens.I put on my best smile. “
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-19PRETEND PRINCESS SEARCHING FOR ROMAN
Lily joined me within minutes, her expression tight with concern. “Where the hell could he have gone?”I shook my head. “I have no idea. We need to check everywhere he might’ve gone on foot.”And so we did. We checked the supermarket he sometimes liked to visit, the park where he used to sit and watch people go by, and even the old railway tracks he had no reason to be near. Nothing.“Dammit,” I muttered, pacing.Lily placed a hand on her hip. “Think, Yuki. Anywhere else?”I hesitated. “There’s one place. Mom used to take me there a lot. Maybe he—” I didn’t even finish before I was already moving.It was a small restaurant tucked into a quiet street, an old-fashioned spot with warm lighting and a nostalgic feel. But as I approached, my heart stopped.Stepping out of a sleek black car, adjusting his suit with effortless arrogance, was none other than Creed Malcolm.Panic shot through me. I spun on my heel and bolted in the opposite direction.“Hey—where are you going?” Lily called afte
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-02-20
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PRETEND PRINCESS NOT WHAT I WANTED
Zara's POVZed was over at my place again.He made himself way too comfortable, sprawling on the couch in my room like he owned the place.Tonight, he brought over some weird Mexican something.I didn't even catch the name. He said it twice. Maybe three times. But it just sounded like sounds to me.He kept trying to feed it to me, holding a forkful in front of my mouth like I was some stubborn kid with medicine to swallow.I shook my head so hard."I don't want anything to do with that," I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest.Zed glared at me, still chewing.I could tell he didn't get it.Not the food.None of it."I don't know why you're upset," he said, setting the container down on the coffee table."You got what you wanted. The imposter was exposed. You should be dancing. Celebrating."Celebrating?Celebrating?I let out a panted laugh, a laugh that did not sound anything like a laugh."This wasn't what I wanted," I whispered.Zed blinked, confused."You wanted the truth—""
PRETEND PRINCESS MY HEART HURTS
Creed's PovIt was past midnight.The bottle that I held was almost empty, but I did not mind. I was not drinking to be joyful. I was not even drinking to forget. I was drinking because it was the only way I could make the silence that greeted me endurable.I reclined slumped on the couch in my living room, the sole item of furniture that was more like a cell than home. There were shadows everywhere. The clock chimed out so loudly it sounded like a hammer in my head.And still.Still, I couldn't stop thinking about Yuyu.Fucking Yuki.With that goddamn smirk and those fuckin' sparklin' bright eyes and the way he looked at me like I was something, anything when he had no idea who the fuck I even was.I hated him.I missed him.I hadn't the fuck idea what I was feelin' anymore.Was I gay now? Did I swing this way? Did I just FUCKIN' happen to be feelin' desperately for someone, anyone, to look at me like I weren't a damned monster?Jesus Christ, no.I tipped the bottle to my lips again,
PRETEND PRINCESS NEW BEGINNINGS
Yuki's pov The flying part wasn't scary.I wasn't terrified of airplanes.I wasn't terrified of turbulent flight or height or any of that.I was terrified of beginning again.Terrified of seeing myself.For three weeks — almost four — I had done nothing but rot. Fault myself. Cry. Break things. Apologize to specters.That was enough.I couldn't keep going on like that.Mom wouldn't have wanted me to go on like that.Grandpa wouldn't either, even if he didn't always recall me.I stared out the plane window, clouds streaking across the horizon like wet paint, my chest aching.Memories ripped at me — Creed's voice, his smile, then the shock in his eyes.Grandpa's laugh, the way he used to call me his "boy."Lily's hugs.Small shattered pieces of my life slipping further and further away from me as the plane flew east.I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood.No more tears.No more pity parties.I can do this.This is my new start.Mom would be proud.I hugged myself hard, wrapped the th
PRETEND PRINCESS GOOD BYE
Lily's POVThe ride to the airport was too short.I continued to sneak glances at Yuki beside me, soaking him in—his dark, messy hair, the nervous drum of his fingers against his jeans, the nervous bounce of his knee.As if if I stared long enough, I could burn the picture of him into my head and never forget.He caught me staring and smiled weakly. "What?""Nothing," I said quickly, attempting to smile. "Just. don't chicken out."He grinned, but it wasn't natural. "Too late to run now, huh?""Way too late," I taunted softly.The problem was, I wished he would run.I wanted to bang the car doors closed, drive us somewhere a thousand miles from here, and wish he wouldn't be going.But I couldn't.He had to go.He needed this new start.Even if it killed me.We pulled up to Departures. Yuki opened his backpack, fiddling with the straps like they were the most fascinating thing on earth.I pulled up and turned off the engine.We sat there, neither of us moving, for a moment.Then Yuki le
PRETEND PRINCESS TAKE CARE OF HIM FOR ME
Yuki's POV"You're leaving today."Lily's voice was gentle, but it hit me like a punch.I crouched at the foot of the bed, staring at the carpet. My fingers tapped on the frayed cuff of my jacket, pulling at loose threads as if I could somehow roll back time and stay here in this cramped safe room, stuck forever.I didn't look at her. I didn't move."Yuki," she said once more, coming to kneel beside me. Her hand lay lightly on my knee. "Then I think it's time you saw your grandfather."I shook my head."No, it's not," I grunted. "I'm not ready."She let out a tired, aching sigh, the kind you do when you don't want to cry. "You've been here for a month. You're better now. You're stronger, plus do you really plan on going halfway across the world and not seeing him before you go.""Stronger?" I laughed roughly. "I'm still a mess.""You're recovering," she amended. "And you have to — you'd just have to visit him before you go."Her words sliced through me more deeply than I cared to ackn
PRETEND PRINCESS CURSED
Creed's POVI slammed the office door shut so hard that the walls vibrated. The secretary outside yelped as if she thought the damn ceiling was going to come crashing down."Get me the quarterly reports," I barked. "Now."She rushed out of her seat, almost falling over her own feet. Pitiful.I paced in front of my office like a wild animal in a cage, blood pumping hotter each passing second. All of this was pissing me off every day now. The terrible coffee. The creeping elevators. The godforsaken interns' breathing out in the corridor.Five weeks. Five weeks since I let go of that imposter, yet my heart clenched at the thought of her…of him !Anger boiled in my veins over and over but today a particular anger took over me, one o couldn't explain but already had ties to That imposter I didn't need him and I wasn't gay!There was no going back for me. And I felt the whole office knew that from the very moment I resumed, a week ago Besides they couldn't blame me for their incompeten
PRETEND PRINCESS NOT WHO I REMEMBER
Lily's POVToday became tomorrow.Tomorrow became next week.Next week became three endless weeks.And somehow, despite all the promises I made to myself, I still hadn't met Yuki.I don't even know how it all tightened up like that — how every small detail became so hard. Between caring for Grandpa Roman, going back and forth to the hospital for meds, doctor appointments, dealing with his therapies — life had gotten tangled around my neck with no mercy. I didn't have space to catch my breath, didn't have time to think. And amidst all of this, something gnawed at me:Yuki trusted me.I had been entrusted with Grandpa Roman — with one of the only people he loved — and deep, way down deep inside me, I knew I didn't want to let him down.But today. today was different. Today was the day. I was really going to fix all of it.I was going to go see him, apologize for whatever stupidness drove us apart, tell him about what he'd seen that day with Dan, tell him everything.Dan.He officially m
PRETEND PRINCESS AGAIN
Zara's POVThere's regret.There's pain.And then there's anger — thick, bitter, wild anger.I didn't deserve this.I was the last person in this damn world that deserved this.He wasn't supposed to push me away.He wasn't supposed to treat me like… like I was nothing.I was supposed to be by his side.I was supposed to be the one to fix him. To save him.I paced back and forth in my chamber, my hands in my palms, trying to contain the storm raging inside me.The walls were closing in, the air heavy, and my mind was filled with his face. His eyes. His lips. His voice when he'd instructed me to leave.I hated him.I loved him.God — I loved him.I couldn't take it anymore."Call Zed," I barked at one of my servants.She stopped. "Now, ma'am?""Now!" I screamed.My hands were trembling. My heart thudding. I was unraveling, going crazy and I didn't give a damn anymore.Within minutes, Zed arrived.Tall, dark, as calm as ever.He always had been.The man who took orders quietly, who had a
PRETEND PRINCESS ALL ALONE
Yuki's POVTwo weeks.That's 20,160 minutes. Twenty thousand, one hundred and sixty minutes of pure torture.I'd texted Creed so much. Too much, really. Sorrys I couldn't phrase correctly first, things I didn't have the courage to tell him out loud before, little things I knew he didn't want to hear. I texted anyway, hoping for a crumb of a reply.But there was nothing. No dot. No word. No fucking breath.So I made up my mind. I'd made it up the day everything went wrong—the day everything went in the opposite direction of my plans, like some sick cosmic joke. I was leaving New York. Done. Finito. Finished.Lily hadn't called me for two weeks either. It was as if my world had burst wide open, and I stood in the middle of a great emptiness. Grandpa Roman… two weeks of nothing from him too. Two weeks of not hearing his shaking, bewildered voice, of not chasing after him when he got me mixed up with my mother. Two weeks alone, tearing myself apart, living on my own regrets.I was complet
