While Beauty Sleeps (Once Upon a Harem Book 7)

by Ripley Proserpina

  His hair was a mess, but because he styled it that way. I caught my reflection in the mirror and paused. The hard-angled, serious face I’d come to see the last couple of days was gone, replaced with a man who looked ready to laugh.

  “Thirty minutes,” I said, focusing on my friends. “And then we go.”

  They didn’t wait around. In a flash, they were gone and I was left alone. Okay. I took a deep breath. Things were finally working out.

  21

  Kumiko

  I’d never been on an airplane before, and I wasn’t impressed. Sara, the main island, was the only one big enough for a large airport. Any time we wanted to travel between the islands, our only option were small planes—puddle jumpers.

  I’d heard mopeds outside my house that had more power than the engine on this plane. It was constant, which I guessed was a good thing, but high-pitched and whirring. Nothing about it instilled confidence in its ability to keep the metal cage aloft.

  The plane dipped and shook and I gasped, grasping the armrests as tightly as I could. A sharp pain from having curled the fingers in my broken hand made me wince.

  “First time flying?” my seat mate asked. Because of the last minute nature of our tickets, my sisters and I had been separated on the plane. There was no first class (not that Dad would pay for it) and no seat exchanges. You get what you get, and you don’t get upset, the man at the airport terminal had said, sounding more like a preschool teacher than a ticket agent.

  My scarf was in place, but even so, I checked it before shifting toward her. “Yes,” I answered. “You?”

  “Oh no!” The woman next to me was a bit older than me, but not matronly. She wore a leather jacket and oversized hat, almost like mine, but with a larger brim, and sunglasses.

  It was almost as if we’d planned our outfits.

  “No, no,” she continued. “I fly a lot between the islands.” She crossed her legs, skin showing through the ripped knees and holes in the thighs. Maybe she was a rock star. I studied her closely, trying to place her before I realized I was staring.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I was trying to figure out if I recognized you from somewhere.”

  “Probably not,” she said. “Unless you’re into essential oils and go to a lot of naturopathic conferences.”

  “No,” I said and laughed. “I don’t.”

  She smiled at me, lips perfectly painted in a near maroon. “So…first time flying.”

  “Yes,” I answered. “My sister goes to university at Iriogaki.”

  “How nice,” she said. “A pleasure trip.”

  “Yes.” My knees bounced and the woman’s chin tilted as she studied me and then she laughed.

  “I suspect you may be visiting more than just your sister.” One perfectly arched brow lifted.

  I forced my leg to still, pressing on my knee with my hand. “I’m looking forward to a lot,” I admitted, without saying anything specific.

  She nodded. “Iriogaki is a hidden gem,” she said. “Their beaches are more pristine than other islands.” Long, elegant fingers pushed her glasses up on her face. “The government doesn’t have money to invest in new marinas, and in some places, that means leaving the beach as it is. If you get a chance, you should explore Hisaka. Go in the early morning when no one is around and explore the tide pools.”

  My knee bounced again. She described exactly what I wanted to do before my birthday. I made a promise to myself to go. Hopefully, the princes would join me.

  “I will,” I said, and I’m sure she could tell I meant it.

  The woman nodded before resting her head against the seat. “I’m so glad. It will be worth it.” After that, she didn’t speak and as the time passed, I was glad for the silence. My thoughts were too chaotic for me to focus on conversation.

  From my seat, I could only see the sea and sky. The world was so big, and for so long, I’d let fear keep me inside the four walls of my room.

  The plane rattled and hummed and the captain announced we were beginning our descent.

  This was it.

  Sweat broke out along my skin as I walked through the airport. Miori and Fuyumi stood next to me as Aoi led us to the cabs. The media circus I’d been dreading was nowhere to be seen, but I feared they were around every corner. Every man and woman with a cell phone was a suspect, and every voice that called out, a threat.

  It wasn’t until we’d gotten into a cab and pulled away from the tiny airport that I finally released my breath.

  “We did it,” Miori said in a voice that reflected my own surprise.

  “I know,” I whispered.

  Fuyumi, ever the pessimist, broke in, “It doesn’t mean they won’t show up.”

  Fair enough. But for now, I could enjoy my first foray off of the central island and into Iriogaki. From my reading and research, I’d expected something a lot more rundown. It was true, as we bumped and winced our way along the road, that the infrastructure had seen better days. Street lamps were rusted or broken, and signs hung half off bent steel poles. But the buildings were beautiful in their imperfection.

  Bright paints covered facades that needed repairs, and potted plants and spring flowers bloomed in any available open spaces. Murals covered half-demolished buildings, and streets appeared clean swept even though the sidewalks were cracked or missing.

  The people here took pride in their island, it was evident in every home and store.

  And beyond the town, the ocean was vast and bright blue, dotted with boats discernible only as white spots on the horizon.

  I could see why the princes had taken the challenge of falling in love with me. There was beauty everywhere, and so much potential for more. With a little work, Iriogaki could be a tourist destination for world travelers.

  I sighed.

  “What’s the matter?” Aoi asked.

  “I was thinking about how this place could draw people from all over the world,” I said. “But…it’s sort of nice that it’s empty. It feels safe.”

  “I know,” Aoi said. “When I visited the university, I had a similar thought. It’s even more beautiful than Sara, I think. Even if it is rundown.”

  “Rundown?” Fuyumi scoffed. “This place is a shit-hole.”

  “Fuyumi!” Miori scolded.

  “What? Tell me your ass doesn’t hurt from the potholes.”

  Miori pressed her lips together and shook her head, ignoring our sister. Fuyumi wasn’t wrong, but she’d missed the point. Part of Iriogaki’s appeal was in its raw charm. Because the island hadn’t had the money to develop their towns, there were glimpses of the past at every corner. Hundred year-old buildings that may have been demolished for high-rise apartments still stood. Albeit, a little bit sagged and drooped.

  The car slowed. “Pull over here,” Aoi said. In the cramped back seat, I craned my neck around the driver to see where Aoi pointed.

  But I didn’t see a house, or apartment.

  I saw the princes.

  They stood, shoulders back, uncaring about the paparazzi who snapped photos of them and circled them like sharks.

  “They’re here.” No wonder the airport had been empty. They’d been tailing the princes. I couldn’t find it in me to be nervous, I was too excited. Goro bounced on his toes while Reiji ran his hands through his hair and Wataru and Dai stood like statues. They were really here.

  “Are you sure?” the cab driver asked.

  “Yes,” I answered, and didn’t wait for him to come to a complete stop before I jumped out of the car. I heard my sisters yelling behind me, but I only had eyes for the princes.

  Later on, I’d wonder at my courage and strength and why I hadn’t been able to muster it at the amusement park, but here, now, I had it in spades. I elbowed my way through the people, heard the princes yelling for me, and then they surrounded me.

  I didn’t care about the questions, or the flashing lights and whirring camera shutters. All I cared about was being held tightly in Dai’s arms before being passed from prince to pr
ince.

  “I missed you,” I may have yelled in Dai’s ear.

  “I can’t believe you came,” he yelled back.

  I laughed stupidly, then Reiji had me, his face buried in my neck. “Finally.”

  My thoughts exactly. The rest of the world fell away as we held each other, but eventually it intruded in the form of my sisters’ shrill voices. “Can we please take this inside?” Aoi yelled.

  The circle shrunk, but we managed to trip and bumble our way to the front door and then inside. The sudden quiet was jarring, and when I spoke, “I can’t believe you met me!” I accidentally yelled. Clearing my throat, I tried again, “You surprised me.”

  “We couldn’t wait,” Dai said, holding my uninjured hand. “There’s no avoiding the media, so we decided to deal with it.”

  “I’m glad you did,” I answered, honestly.

  “Come on.” Aoi prodded us and we followed her upstairs and into her apartment. Whatever initial interest I’d felt in my sister’s home had disappeared the moment my gaze landed on the princes.

  Fuyumi closed the door loudly and sighed. “I paid the cab driver to come back tonight with our bags. It wasn’t worth shoving people aside to heft our shit in. I might drop something on someone’s camera, or accidentally elbow someone’s nose and Dad specifically asked me to keep my violence to a minimum.”

  Goro laughed. Like Fuyumi was joking.

  “We want you to stay with us,” Wataru said, ignoring Fuyumi.

  “At the Governor’s Estate?” I asked.

  Wataru shook his head. “We talked about it, and while we’re willing to let our parents have some say in our lives, we want to do things our way.”

  “We never should have left,” Dai said.

  “It’s hard to put ourselves first after so long.” Reiji smiled, but it only lasted a second. “Everything we’ve done is for Iriogaki. Our jobs, our schooling.” He cleared his throat. “Even going to meet you.”

  “But it’s different now.” Goro pulled off his glasses and cleaned the lenses on his shirt, as if he couldn’t bring himself to look at me while he spoke. “Being with you isn’t for Iriogaki anymore. It’s for us.”

  “Kiss her,” Fuyumi said. “One of you kiss her right now.”

  “Fu-yu-mi!” Miori gasped.

  The same thought had passed through my mind, and for a second, Goro leaned forward, hands reaching for me.

  Then he stopped, and my stomach dropped. He doesn’t love me.

  His long fingers touched mine, even as he settled back on his heels. “I’m not willing to risk it yet,” he said. “When I kiss you, it will break the curse.”

  “It’s not an experiment for us, or a barometer of our feelings,” Dai said, his voice hard as he turned to face Fuyumi. “We care about Kumiko. Very much.” He faced me, and his face softened. “But if we are to kiss, and the curse wasn’t broken, could we come back from that? Would you ever trust us again?”

  It was hard to swallow the lump in my throat but I did. Their reasoning was sound, but I’d fallen. The moment I saw them here, I’d forgotten all my logic and excuses.

  I loved them. It was done.

  Now I had to wait for them to love me back.

  22

  Dai

  I held Kumiko’s hand tightly in mine while Goro argued on the phone with someone at the Governor’s Estate.

  He was bound and determined to have his evil cat at the apartment before we arrived.

  Kumiko squeezed my hand when Goro finally hung up the phone. “He’s being temperamental. They just have to catch him, but it probably won’t be until tomorrow.”

  “Well,” Kumiko said. “It will give me something to look forward to.”

  The streetlight threw his face in shadow, but his smile was easy to make out.

  In my hand, Kumiko’s fingers were strong, but her palm was sweaty, like she was nervous. For some reason, it set me at ease to know she was nervous as I was.

  This was my first chance to hold her hand since she arrived. Her sisters hadn’t been keen on letting her leave, but Kumiko had whispered something I couldn’t hear, and they’d agreed.

  With the caveat that we all met up every day.

  The paparazzi trailed behind us, some of the frenetic energy from earlier having dissipated. Now it felt as if they were observing, waiting to see what happened rather than looking to uncover something.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” I said to her. “You’re very brave.”

  “What do I have to lose?” she asked. It was a weird sentiment to voice. In my mind, we had a lot to lose. Kumiko could decide the four of them were too much to take.

  She could decide she didn’t love me.

  Now my palm began to sweat.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  I shrugged, but I wasn’t sure if in the growing darkness she could see through her sunglasses. She scooted as close to me as her seatbelt would allow, and with her braced hand on her hat, leaned against my arm. “Don’t stress, Dai,” she whispered. “It’ll be okay.”

  I had to get myself out of this funk, but I couldn’t shake this feeling like a storm was gathering.

  Wataru pulled into the parking lot next to our apartment building. Immediately, the exit was cut off by the paparazzi. They left their cars and bikes, leaving doors open and engines running in order to catch us as we left.

  “Kumiko!” It was impossible to know who was speaking; they all yelled over each other. “Show us your face!”

  “Are you engaged?”

  “Which prince is the lucky guy?”

  “Are you all sleeping together?”

  I narrowed my eyes at the last question, but Kumiko kept her hand on mine. She stopped, surprising me. I wished I could see her face to know what she was going to do, but nothing could have prepared me for what she had planned.

  “Some of you have seen my face, so I won’t show you again. The princes are brave enough to take me, and my curse, on. I would love to give you all a happy ending to this story, but unless you give us the time, and space, to get to know each other, then that won’t happen. Thank you for understanding.”

  Once Kumiko began to speak, the questions had stopped, and the only sounds were the frantic clicks of the cameras. She kept her hand in mine. As she spoke, her voice gained strength, but by the time she finished a fine tremor ran all the way through her body.

  “Let’s go,” I whispered and with my arm around her shoulders, steered her to the front door.

  The action shook the media out of their stunned silence, and they began shouting questions again, but surprisingly, they didn’t follow us. I guess they were happy with what they’d gotten today.

  Inside, Wataru went around making sure the windows were locked, the blinds closed, and the curtains drawn. Then he locked the door, pulling on the knob as if the hordes outside would kick it down.

  “You’re inspiring me to be braver. Tougher,” Goro said and propped himself on the arm of the sofa. As Wataru walked by, he pushed Goro’s shoulder, and the man sprawled onto the sofa before quickly righting himself. “What made you talk to them?”

  Kumiko stepped in front of me, and I expected her to leave, but she didn’t. Instead, she reached for my arms and drew them around her before she leaned back into me. My heart pounded and I shifted as her body grazed mine. But I didn’t let her go.

  “I think it’s the mystery of it all that makes them so desperate. No one tells them anything. I’ve been hidden away for years. If I make myself less interesting by showing them I’m just a normal person, they’ll get their story and go away. Hopefully, they’ll leave us alone.” Her hat shifted on her head and she quickly reached up to pull it back into place. I wanted to take it off, throw it onto a chair and then rip off her sunglasses and scarf, but I held myself back.

  Her face would bring my most negative emotions to the forefront, and I’d be damned if I let myself look on her with anything less than respect, and desire. Her small body fit perfectly agains
t mine. If I leaned down, my chin would rest comfortably on top of her head, like she was made to be right where she was.

  I braced my legs, widening my stance a little to give myself distance between the small of her back and my dick. But my body remembered the pressure of her butt against my thighs and the way her back curved against my hips. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to rub myself against her.

  Over her head, I met Goro’s stare. My face heated as he raised his eyebrows, but I held his gaze. Once he had her in his arms, he’d struggle with the same thing, no doubt.

  “Your home is nice,” she said, studying the wide living area that opened into our kitchen. We had our own rooms, each situated off the main living area. “How long have you lived together?”

  “Since we were born,” Wataru answered.

  “You have?” She stepped out of my embrace and I moved to hold her back before dropping my arms. I’d had my turn.

  Wataru took advantage of her freedom and grabbed her hand, leading her to the sofa to sit between him and Goro. I wanted so much to see her face and read her emotions as she spoke—to see her surprise as much as hear it.

  “Our birthdays are within years, and for Dai and Reiji, months of each other. Our families occupy their own wings of the Governor’s Estate, like their parents had. We played in the same parks, went to the same schools. It made sense, when we decided to go to university and leave the estate, to live together,” he said.

  When I thought back, I don’t think I’d even considered living on my own. Nor did I consider going to a school away from Iriogaki, or finishing a degree that wasn’t somehow related to my friends’.

  Perhaps this was why the idea of sharing Kumiko’s affection didn’t throw me. My friends naturally figured into my life, and Kumiko folded into it just as easily.

  She pulled her legs beneath her as she settled onto the sofa. Goro moved closer and she inched closer to him, too. Did she prefer him over me?