Mikamiko woke up with a start, staring at the ceiling for several seconds before she could get her thoughts together. She touched her brow and found that it was wet with cold sweat. All of a sudden, images of her dream came back to her, making her turn into a crimson red.
And what a dream it was. She was being held closely by ' Greek God ' , who utters words of eternal love into her ear. But she knew all along that it was only a dream. For in reality, that could never happen, ever. It was not that she had an inferiority complex (ok, maybe she did, but that's another matter altogether), but whenever she looked into the mirror, she would cringe......
Being fifty pounds overweight did nothing to help her appearance at all, with all the features in her round face squeezed into the center (just like a pig, actually, she thought ruefully to herself). Besides, she was as blind as a bat without her glasses on, and what a horrible pair of nerdy glasses they were! And she was always so clumsy, stumbling on anything and everything......
All along, Mikamiko had never believed for one moment that personality was more important than appearance. " I mean, even I look out for handsome guys, what about other people? Especially "prime caliber" like 'Greek God'......Maybe some might disagree with that, but first impression always counts....." she muttered sadly. Besides, he always had this faraway look in his eyes, as if thinking of someone else. And yet other times, he seemed to be staring at her for long periods of time. She knew that he was staring at her, but pretended not to see.
Utterly defeated by her own negative thoughts, she buried herself in the sheets and tried to stifle the sobs that were threatening to engulf her. Funny, she thought, my tear glands seemed to be working overtime these days......
She had been hiding herself in the sheets for a while when she suddenly sensed a black shadow towering over her. She peeked out and saw that it was 'Greek God' .
" Greek God! I mean, Hai Ming......! How long have you been standing here? And why are you here at all?" She gasped.
" ...... " Hai Ming (his new name) just continued to stare at her.
" Err... i..is there anything wrong? " Mikamiko stammered, turning red under his stare.
" Why are you crying again? " Hai Ming asked in a rough voice. " Are you thinking of your ex again? "
Touched by his concerned, but puzzeled by the harshness in his voice, she shook her head.
" I'm alright, just had a nightmare. "
" If you are still scared, I can hold you while you're asleep. "
" Ehh...t..that's not necessary. Go back to sleep, ok? " Mikamiko was taken aback and scared, but sorely tempted at the same time.
" Alright then. " With that, he abruptly turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
" Was it my imagination, or were his eyes on fire just now? " MIkamiko mumbled as she fell back onto her pillow, falling asleep almost immediately, tired out by the shock she just had. She could vaguely feel her heart beating fiercely as she slept......
Hai Ming waited until he heard Mikamiko's snores before re-entering her room. He stared at her sleeping face for a long time. Her face looked so strange, yet so familiar. What a cruel hand Fate has dealt to him!
His beloved Claudine has reincarnated into a mortal on Earth. But the once beautiful-as-any-goddess Claudine has now been replaced by this fat and squat excuse of a girl. He almost felt sorry for her. However, she did have nice eyes though......
Ahh...... those were the same eyes that he had gazed upon many thousands of years ago, when he and Claudine were still living happily ever after in his Sea Palace. They were always capable of capturing his attention...no, his soul, even! But now they belong to this girl, who always hid them behind her nerdy glasses! Can't she wear contacts or something?
Mariteus (or Hai Ming) realised now the full extent of his retribution for having distrusted his wife. She had completely forgotten about him!! And not only must he fall in love with this dumb, sleeping girl (how could she sleep at such a time!) in front of him all over again, he must also convince her of his love for her! The first part wasn't so difficult. No, not difficult at all! Deep down, he knew that she was the same Claudine. It was much, much harder to do the second part, for every time he wanted to get close to her, she would move away! Maybe innocence (or conservatism if you like) is a desirable trait, but did he seem so dangerous to her? This is the thing that hurts and annoys him the most! And she does not seem to know one bit, she could still carry on sleeping soundly!
Sighing with resignation and self-pity, Mariteus tenderly touched her face, his long, elegant fingers tracing her jawline. Her skin was smooth to touch, much like the feeling of silky tofu. Tears from her eyes wetted his fingers. She's crying in her sleep again! He thought, creasing his eyebrows and feeling quite distinctively the old pain whenever she cried. He tried to brush away the tears with his fingers.
Suddenly, her eyelashes fluttered. He quickly hid himself in the shadows for fear of being seen. However, she did not wake, just only turned her sleeping position.
Mariteus sighed again and went out of the room quietly. He swore to himself that he would make Claudine remember him again, no matter at what cost. This time, he would do anything to protect her from anyone, and anything, even himself. And he knew just who to see achieve his aim......
Back to Intro
Chapter 1 - The Beginning
Chapter 2 - The Awakening
Chapter 4 - Journey to the Centre of the Jungle
The Yisheigai Gallery
