“Why didn’t you arrest the witch?” Wataru asked, his voice trembling with anger. “Force her to remove the curse?”
“She disappeared.” King Akihiro sighed. “No matter how long, how far we searched, we couldn’t find her. I fear Kumiko never stood a chance.”
“And now you expect us to leave?” Dai, normally the quietest, the least outspoken, asked. “We won’t. Not now.”
“You have to!” King Akihiro stood. “You’ll break her heart. I can see it. She tries to protect you from her face. I couldn’t stop her from showing herself to the other princes. She wanted them gone, but you—you she treats with kid gloves. Leave her strong.” He studied each of us, clever gaze darting between us. “Leave her before she falls so deeply in love she’ll never recover.”
“But what if we love her?” I asked. “What if leaving her would break us?”
He stumbled back as if I’d pushed him. “Impossible.” A smile grew on his face, one so full of hope, it hurt like staring into the sun. “Do you? Already?”
Perhaps I had overstated, but I wasn’t lying to him. “I feel something for her. Something that is more than friendship. Had I been stronger, I would have killed the people who hurt her tonight. I wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.”
“Your hands were full, Goro,” Reiji reminded me. “You lifted her like she was a child and ran faster than I’ve ever seen you move.”
“No wonder my arms are noodles,” I replied drily and Reiji snorted.
“Then the rest of you leave.” Her father wasn’t giving up. “You may stay, Goro, if you think you could love her. But her birthday is in twelve days. If you don’t break the curse before then…”
What did he mean, if we didn’t break the curse? Before I could ask him, however, Reiji interrupted. “Wait wait wait. He’s not the only one who cares about Kumiko. I’m not leaving. And I’m pretty sure Wataru and Dai aren’t either.”
“We aren’t.” Dai crossed his massive arms over his chest and stared down at the king. “I am not.”
King Akihiro took a step back, shocked. “What?”
Each of us caught and held the others’ gaze, a silent agreement unfolding between us.
“We mean,” I said. “We all care for her. And we will all try to break the curse.”
15
Kumiko
My throbbing hand woke me.
“I’m tempted to withhold your pain medicine.” My mother’s voice hurt almost as much as my hand. “To remind you of your stupidity.”
“Mama.” I groaned. My head pounded and my hand was both on fire and beating like it had a heart of its own. “Don’t be so mean to your baby.”
My mother snorted a very unqueen-like sound. “I would, because I want my baby to use the brain I know she has.”
“I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry for getting out. I can’t stay locked inside the house for the rest of my life.”
“Why not?” she asked. “All the others were happy to stay inside, courting you from the safety of your home. What makes them different?”
How could I explain? They made me different. These princes didn’t make me want to hide, they made me want to be me, out in the open and unafraid.
“I like them, Mama,” I said. “They make me feel things I’ve never felt before.”
She narrowed her eyes, leaning forward in her chair. We’d ended up in my room, and she’d taken the seat from my vanity and pulled it up to my bed. My hair was in my face and I tried to swipe it away, but hissed in pain. The hand that hurt so much was in a hard plastic brace. “What happened?” I asked, changing the subject.
Mama’s face said she was unimpressed with my blatant deflection, but she was going to let it go. “Your hand is broken. We’re waiting for an x-ray to be delivered to know for sure. You’ll be spending your summer in a cast. Hope you’re happy.”
I stared at my swollen, purple fingers. “Just my hand?” I wanted to wiggle them, but I had a feeling my body would punish me for any movement.
There was a knock on the door and I glanced over quickly. “It’s the doctor,” Mama said. “She’s going to give you some medicine after your x-rays.”
“They brought it up here?” I asked. “To the third floor?”
“Of course,” Mama answered, as if it should be obvious. It was a time like this I was reminded of our station, and that we were afforded benefits other citizens of Sara were not.
The door opened and the doctor, along with a few burly guards, muscled a machine into my room. In a matter of minutes, my hand was x-rayed and I’d received another dose of pain medicine. The doctor informed my mother I’d be wearing a splint for a few weeks, but that the break wasn’t as bad as it initially looked. I would be healed completely in six weeks.
Mama caught my eye when the doctor gave her prognosis. She was thinking the same thing I was. I really only had two weeks left. So much for spending that time playing the piano.
Or swimming.
Actually, forget that. I’d leave this stupid brace on to go swimming. No way was I missing out on the ocean.
The doctor left us, the guards trailing behind her with the x-ray between them.
“Your father is with the princes.” Mama waited until the door was shut to speak. “He’s telling them to leave.”
“What?” The lethargy that had begun to seep into my bones retreated immediately. “No! Why? Unless they want to leave,” I went on. “Do they want to leave? Are you pretending it’s Dad, but really it’s them? I should have known. Of course they want to leave. I’m a freak and today was a circus.”
“If you’re finished with your pity party,” my mother said. “I will answer the questions that merit an answer.” She lifted an eyebrow, doing a spot-on impression of Fuyumi.
Or maybe Fuyumi did an impression of my mother. Not that I dared mention it to either one of them.
“Fine,” I said, glancing toward the door. Would they come in now? I studied my room, searching for something to hide my face.
“They’re not coming in your room while you’re in this state, so relax,” Mama said. “It doesn’t matter whether or not they want to leave. It is best for you if they do. You’ll spend time with us, and we’ll hope for the best.”
“Hope for the best…” I repeated the words. My mother’s face was set in hard lines, her mouth tucked into a frown. Everything about her screamed stubbornness, but she couldn’t hold back the curse that was coming for me like the tide. “Mama. I have less than two weeks. That’s it.”
She blew out a breath. “Your birthday is Wednesday. But it doesn’t matter because this is all ridiculous. Prick your finger on a…” I waited her to finish but she didn’t. “Never mind. The whole thing is nonsense.”
Now it was my turn to sigh. “Mama, look at my face.”
Her gaze went to mine before she glanced immediately away. “I looked.”
“Mama. I’m cursed. If the first part of the witch’s curse worked, why wouldn’t the last? If the princes want to stay, let them. I’m happy when they’re around.”
My mother’s hands sat clasped on her lap, but she played with her rings, an outward sign of her inner turmoil. She didn’t want to give in, not just to keeping the princes, but to my reasoning.
While my life was not normal, being introduced to prince after prince hoping one would fall in love with me, was to Mama, familiar. The princes represented the unknown, and she was wary. Rightfully so. The last stranger who’d surprised us had cursed me and awakened my sisters’ latent magic.
“I’ll think about,” she finally said, and I rested against my pillows. I’d been poised to continue fighting, but now, the tension left me and I could relax. The pain medicine had taken effect and it made my eyelids heavy.
“Go to sleep, Kumiko,” Mama said. “I promise not to kick them out until you’re awake.”
My eyes were closed, but I smiled. “Thanks, Mama.”
“I love you, silly girl,” she whispered.
With my mothe
r stroking the hair away from my face, just like she had when I was a little girl, I fell asleep.
16
Dai
After we’d left the king, we’d tripped over each other, exhausted, to Wataru’s room. My friend’s face was set into harsh lines. In the days since we’d arrived here, all of us had experienced an emotional upheaval, but it seemed to be taking an especially hard toll on Wataru.
“What do we do?” he asked and my mouth dropped open. Wataru was the one who told us what to do. His hair was still damp from his shower and now he flung it over his shoulder and tied it back. “Do we search for the witch? Continue to court Kumiko, who I can’t protect…” He dragged the tie from his hair before raking his fingers through it. “What do we do?”
My hands clenched. Wataru’s words skirted dangerously close to surrender, and I wasn’t ready for that. We hadn’t fought with her father to throw in the towel now.
“How do you feel?” I asked Wataru.
He stopped to stare at me. “Overwhelmed,” he answered and I felt my lips twitch.
“I mean, about Kumiko. How do you feel about her?”
“I like her,” Wataru said. “She is so brave.”
“Do you think you could love her?” I continued.
“Do you?” he countered and I paused, considering it. We’d had one date with Kumiko, and we were asking ourselves questions we’d never ask in any other situation. I’d been on dates and had girlfriends. And never had I asked myself the question I was constantly asking myself now.
Who talked about love after mere days?
“Are you asking me because you want me to step aside?” Wataru asked.
“No!” I answered quickly, and then wished I could pull the word back. Was I asking him to step aside? I felt Reiji and Goro staring at us and I lifted my gaze to them. “I’m not asking any of you to give her up for me.”
“This is insane!” Reiji blurted out. “We can’t be falling in love with her. That’s crazy enough, but what do you mean, you’re not asking any of us to give her up? What do you think is going to happen if all of us fall for her?” He frowned. “I don’t want to compete with you.”
“Me either,” Goro said.
“I’m not asking you to step aside,” I said. “Nothing about this situation is normal. My best friends and I are falling for a girl whose face is cursed. And it’s all happened in days. So what if rather than do things the way they’re supposed to be done, we do them according to how we feel?”
Goro smiled, dimples deep in his cheeks as he nodded. Reiji’s eyes were bright and he laughed. “Makes sense to me.”
Even Wataru, who’d been overwhelmed, gave a small smile. “Good point.”
“I think Kumiko has helped our quiet friend find his voice,” Goro teased.
Normally, I would have frowned, crossed my arms and glared, but today, I nodded. Something about this situation built my confidence and made me want my opinion known.
The phone in my pocket vibrated and I pulled it out, aware my friends were removing theirs as well.
“Hello?”
“Dai, you’re needed at home. I expect you to catch your flight within an hour.” It was my mother.
“What’s the problem?” I asked. My friends were speaking as well, Reiji’s voice got louder, and I struggled to make out what she was saying. I stepped out of the room to hear her.
“What’s the problem?” she asked and laughed. “How about a video of you running through Suita Park with the cursed princess? How about you punching a journalist and covered in blood? How are those for a start?”
I punched a journalist? I didn’t remember doing that.
“Everything is fine. We spoke to the king.”
“Everything is not fine, Dai.” Her voice was harsh and clipped. “You know how important image is to our island. Now your face is plastered over the internet as a money-hungry, out-of-control, crazy person. You are supposed to have Iriogaki’s best interest at heart, and you’ve forgotten that. Come home and remind your people that you are a leader and an honorable man.”
Each word out of her mouth made my stomach drop. “I can’t leave,” I said. “Kumiko is recovering. She expects us to be here. I just argued with the king to stay here!”
“I don’t care!” My mother raised her voice and I realized I would have no choice but to give in. “Your loyalty lies with Iriogaki. Get on that plane, Dai, and when you get here, we’ll discuss the possibility of returning to the main island. Do you understand?”
I had come here for Iriogaki, but I wanted to stay here, with Kumiko, for me. My loyalty, as my mother called it, was with Kumiko.
She must have sensed my hesitation because her voice softened. “You’ve always put Iriogaki before yourself, son. Explain yourself to your people and then we’ll discuss your return. But you owe it to Iriogaki.” She sighed. “You have to come home.”
The door to Wataru’s room opened and Reiji stood framed in the doorway. He was wrecked. Bright spots of color stained his cheekbones, skin drawn tight as he frowned deeper than I’d ever seen before.
He eyed me for a moment before striding down the hall to his room. As I watched, he struggled with the knob, kicked the door open and then slammed it shut hard enough to shake the pictures on the wall.
“We need to leave now,” Goro said from behind me.
“All right,” I said, both to him and my mother. “I’ll pack.”
17
Kumiko
I woke up alone and disoriented. The medicine had packed a punch, and I had no idea if my clock was showing me the morning or evening time. Having no windows was a pain in the ass.
My hand hurt so badly I knew my entire day would be spent trying not to think about how it hurt. My clothes stuck to my skin and I could smell myself. Gross.
I stumbled into the bathroom and fumbled my way through a shower. Turning the water as hot as it would go, I stood beneath the spray, head bowed. Images from my disastrous trip to the amusement park played over in my mind, but like I told my mother, I couldn’t be sorry I did it.
My hand may be broken, and I would probably find my face was plastered on every online gossip site, but I’d lived. Even if I hadn’t made it onto the Ferris wheel.
My face. I would have to exact a promise from the princes not to search for me online. I supposed it was too much to hope that every photo turned out blurry.
Using my elbow, I managed to squeeze shampoo into my palm and rub it in my hair one handed. Today was going to be a struggle. From the pain in my hand, to the battle I was sure I’d face with my family, I was in for it.
My mother had let me off easy the night before and I’m positive my sisters would have something to say. My father was probably displacing whatever anger he had toward me and directing it to the princes. There was no way I would let him kick them out of our house and send them away. Up until now, I’d been easy-going, but in this case, I’d dig in my heels.
Hopefully they were still here and hadn’t taken off. There were more things I wanted to do with them, and though I’d failed in my first adventure, I had every intention of asking them to go with me to the ocean.
The hot shower went a long way to calm my nerves and make me feel a little more like myself. By the time I finished, I was ready to face whatever was coming.
My hair dripped onto my shoulders and I’d stabbed myself with my mascara wand, but I dressed myself and made it out of my room. A full twelve hours (or twenty-four, depending on what time of day it was) had passed since I’d been to the amusement park, so I hoped everyone else was up, too.
They were. My sisters waited for me as I came out of my room, big smiles on their faces.
“You like them,” Miori sang.
“I did a good job, didn’t I?” Aoi said. “Admit it. You were so, ‘Aoi, I don’t want to meet anyone!’ Well, look at you now. Four guys!”
“Who do you like more?” Fuyumi asked. “I’m sort of partial to Goro.” She smacked Miori in the stomac
h with the back of her hand and Miori bent in half as it knocked the air out of her. “Show her the video where he scoops her up and runs through the park.”
“I can’t watch that again,” Miori said. “The video bounces too much, it’ll make me barf.”
“I don’t like one more than another,” I said slowly, some of my confidence draining away.
“Well, you better decide,” Fuyumi said. “Because they all seem to like you. Who do you feel the biggest connection to?”
I felt a connection to each of them. Who would I choose? I shook my head, waving away the question. “You’re getting way ahead of me. It doesn’t matter how I feel; it matters how they feel.”
“What sort of bullshittery is that?” Fuyumi asked. “Of course it matters what you think. True love has as much to do with you as it does with them. If Goro falls in love with you, but you don’t love him, and he kisses you, do you know what happens?”
“Nothing,” I answered.
“Nothing!” she yelled. “No-thing.” She lowered her voice and crossed her eyes. “‘It doesn’t matter how I feel,’” she mocked. “You’re an idiot.”
“Fuyumi, relax.” Aoi covered our sister’s mouth with her hand before jerking it back. “Gross! You licked me!”
“I won’t be stifled! I have opinions!” she cried.
“Girls!” The door opened and my mother stuck her head inside the room. “What in the world are you doing? Who is licking people?” She slammed the door shut behind her and strode into the room. I earned a narrow-eyed glare, probably because I looked so pathetic with my mess of makeup and damp hair, but when she saw my sisters she seemed to bulk up with anger. “You!” she cried. “None of you go anywhere until I say so. You think I wouldn’t find out?”
Now I was confused. “What happened?”
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