Side Character's Curse

14|| Ballroom Scandal

Two weeks later...

JIA

I'd accepted my life was at rock bottom when the Glitches struck.

But then, I discovered the universe hated me enough to toss over a shovel and tell me to keep digging.

The only person I could trust in this godforsaken story was a man who couldn't even be bothered to discuss his oh-so-great plans with me in person. Rowan thought it would be a brilliant idea to send cryptic notes through the freckles lady— whose name I learned was Amelia— and she always repeated the same sentiment about how handsome he was and idiotic questions about whether we were together-together.

Really, it was getting on my nerves.

Not only that, the notes were very vague. All they said were: trust me and meet me on the third floor balcony at the castle. Rather shocking coming from someone who was worried about my reputation not too long ago.

Hao-yu wasn't much better. During our first meeting, he kept pressing me for my real name— claiming it would be odd to call a stranger by his sister's name— to the extent that I was forced to say I couldn't remember. This led to him referring to me by either you or a throat clearing cough and pointing in my general direction. It would have been funny if it wasn't so damn awkward.

Even now, hours before the ball, he couldn't stop fidgeting in his chair. He would tuck his hair behind his ear, pull it out again, then decide it was better before and cleaned his glasses so much I was sure I could see my own reflection in them.

"Would you stop that?" I grumbled, careful to maintain my cheerful demeanour with a pointed glance around the less-crowded Hibiscus Teahouse. "We're supposed to look like reunited siblings, not diplomats from warring nations."

"This is weird for me, alright?" he hissed, fiddling with the handle of his delicate cup filled with now cold tea. "This time in the previous week, I had planned to meet up with Jia."

"You're a terrible brother," I said, "I know she was sending you letters and you couldn't be bothered to respond to even one."

He recoiled, forehead creased and shoulders trembling. "I— I have my reasons. I was still grieving the death of my parents—"

"Spoken like a classic coward." My fingers wrapped around the edge of the table and dug deep trenches into the soft wood. "Did you not think Jia was grieving too? She needed the support of the only family member she had left, not thrust into a foreign society with no one to help her."

Hao-yu slumped, the strands of his unkempt dark hair fell over his eyes, but I thought I could see the glistening of tears. "Why are we doing this?"

I leaned back and crossed my right leg over my left one. "So when you escort me to the ball, it will be obvious we are related and therefore not damage Jia's reputation if Rowan's plans work."

He looked up, confused. "Who's Rowan?"

"A friend who's going to help switch my soul with Jia's at the ball." I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I waved him off. "I just didn't get much sleep tonight." Or any other night.

For the past two weeks, I'd been having strange dreams. I'd be talking to someone with blurred features, joy spread through my veins like a drug, but then I'd be pulled back further away from the happiness. I'd wake up with a scream and tears streaming down my cheeks, hands outstretched for something I could never reach.

A migraine spread across my head and I massaged the area, feeling like I was forgetting something of utmost importance.

"I hope your friend succeeds," Hao-yu said quietly, fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves.