บททั้งหมดของ PRETEND PRINCESS: บทที่ 121 - บทที่ 130

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

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—""

Yuki's PovThe scent was the first thing that hit me when I entered the building. Cool, lemon air freshener with a hint of cinnamon. The lighting was soft, not harsh, the floors clean but not sterile. If warmth had a form, it was here. My white fur coat billowed behind me as I moved, heels clicking on the tiles. I looked down at myself—black trousers, white boots, no wig, no disguise. It was strange, unreal. Almost as though I'd just stepped off a long, exhausting play. A six-month performance of someone who was never quite myself.The receptionist's chair was empty briefly before a round lady with puffy cheeks and bright blush waddled towards me like an overactive panda. Her eyes twinkled behind her spectacles, and her smile nearly reached her ears."Oh my God! My name is Sue!" she said, grasping both of my hands in hers. "You're Yuki, right? We're so happy you're here! Come, come, come, your desk is here."She didn't let go of my hand when she led me down the hallway, past some glas

Lily's POVIt had been almost a week since Yuki had departed for Japan. I was still not used to it. We had not been communicating on a regular basis, not since the craziness with the job, the farewell, and all that lay in between. But saying goodbye to him that day had marked my heart. It felt like something irreversible. Like something had ended. I could not say the words, but part of me felt abandoned.Dan had been trying his best. I liked him—I really did—and today we were going to catch up at last the way we were meant to. A genuine date, a sit-down dinner at our favorite Italian place on Twelfth and Granville. We hadn't had anything romantic in weeks. Work, life, Yuki leaving, Grandpa Roman. everything had just made things complicated.Grandpa Roman.The notion tugged at me again. I had finished my hospital shift at three. My plan had been simple: go on over to the nursing home, see Grandpa Roman, and then catch up with Dan at five. But as I stepped into the old folks' home, rain

Yuki's POVI was pissed. Incandescent with anger. Japan wasn't like America, and I was suddenly bitching out,at my state of distress. Already a minute to midnight and running out of battery.The streets of Tokyo, which had once been so vibrant and alive, had grown quiet and deserted, and I was left with only my thoughts and the faint light of streetlamps. I had roamed the city streets, trying to clear my head, but now I couldn't find any familiar landmarks. The city's maze-like streets and the absence of street names made things no easier."Fine," I complained, lowering my voice to an impersonation of Creed's. "Miss Roman, how did you get lost?"I continued with the act, playing the two parts."Well, Mr. Creed, I took a walk to calm my head and ended up. here.""Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."I signed, feeling the weight of it all crashing down on me. "Something must be really, really wrong with me," I whispered.I wandered along the streets, the maze-like layout of the city not he