PERFECT FAÇADE
It’s a beautiful night.
The moon is full and the dark sky is painted with bright stars.
Inside the banquet hall of a high-rise and luxurious six-star hotel, Nōburu Oriental, a beautiful young woman is gracefully walking down the grand staircase.
She’s wearing a dazzling red dress encrusted with expensive diamonds and pearls whilst a flower wreath adorned her head.
The crowd stared at her in great admiration, appreciating her beauty and elegance. However, just as she had reached halfway down the stairs, her heel accidentally slipped and she lost her balance.
The crowd gasped sharply in utter horror, but only one young man tried to save the falling woman. Unfortunately, he was too late. Tachibana Mayumi had already fallen down the stairs and hit her head hard on the floor.
Blood trickled down the floor. Minamoto Giichi ran towards Tachibana Mayumi and lifted her limp body in his arms.
“What are you all staring at?! We need to get her to the hospital immediately!” His loud, commanding voice awakened the gaping crowd and they finally reacted.
Unbeknownst to them, though unconscious, Mayumi had seen inconceivable things that will change their lives forever.
Mayumi slowly opened her eyes whilst groaning as pain permeated throughout her petite body. Suddenly, for the nth time, thousands of disturbing yet familiar scenes shuffled through her aching mind like a raging storm.
She let out a piercing scream whilst shaking her head violently as boundless tears drenched her pale cheeks. “Nooooooo! Stop! Nooooooo!”
The double-door abruptly opened and a beautiful woman in her mid-forties went inside with a panic-stricken face. Upon seeing the pitiful state of her youngest child, tears began to roll down the woman’s cheeks uncontrollably.
Emiko shook her head whilst mentally encouraging herself. ‘I have to be strong for my daughter.’ She immediately wiped her tears away with her shaking hands, ran towards her daughter and pulled her in a tight embrace.
“Shh… calm down. Mama’s here. It’s just a bad dream.” Emiko said whilst caressing her daughter’s back gently. She closed her eyes and started humming a soothing tune which eventually calmed her daughter down… more so to herself.
After making sure that her daughter was asleep, Emiko turned the lamp off and she silently made her way towards the wooden, double-door. She looked at her daughter for the last time before closing the door behind her gently.
It’s been nearly a month since the accident. However, nightmares never stopped haunting her daughter every single night. Emiko desperately wanted to stop it… but she can’t. All she could do was to comfort Mayumi every night.
Mayumi was standing near the edge of a tall building– an evil grin plastered on her beautiful face as she pointed her loaded gun at the woman in front of her. The latter pleaded for mercy whilst unconstrained tears drenched her cheeks, however, Mayumi didn’t listen.
Bang–
Unexpectedly, before she could pull the trigger, a loud noise echoed throughout the place. When she looked down, she saw blood gushing forth from her chest. She smiled weakly as her knees dropped on the ground with a soft thud.
Mayumi awakened at the crack of dawn whilst breathing heavily– it was another nightmare.
Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat and her heart was rapidly beating against her chest like a jackhammer. When her frantic heart finally calmed down, she slowly sat up on her bed and wiped the sweat with the back of her shaking hand.
She’d been dreaming about the same scene for nearly a month now since the accident. Her right hand unknowingly touched the upper part of her chest where the bullet will hit her. Everything felt so real. Her body suddenly shivered in fear just by thinking about it. ‘I cannot let that happen to me. Not now, not ever…’
Mayumi shook her head whilst trying to forget about the nightmare, but it was futile. The same scene keeps on flashing on her mind.
What happened on her birthday a month ago was certainly the most horrifying thing she had ever experienced in her entire life, but because of that, she was able to reflect on her life.
She had been mean and haughty to those around her. In other words, everyone hated her (including her onii-sama) except her okaasama and best friend, Taira Ayeka, who had always been there for her through thick and thin. They were her anchors.
Mayumi closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to relax. ‘No one must know about it or they might send me to a mental institution.’ She inwardly thought as she opened her eyes and turned towards the electric clock at the side-table.
It’s still at four o’clock in the morning.
Turning on the lamp which was placed at the side-table beside her, she stood up and made her way towards her bathroom. It was spacious and extravagant, from the large tub on the center to the luxurious chandelier on the ceiling.
She carefully walked in the direction of the full-length mirror near the entrance of her walk-in closet. Upon seeing her reflection, she gasped in utter disbelief because she looked paler and thinner than usual, with dark circles under her eyes.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She inhaled and exhaled shakily to calm her nerves down.
Shutting herself inside her room didn’t help at all– not only did she suffer mentally but her body was slowly deteriorating as well.
Mayumi slowly raised her right hand and touched the mirror. ‘Ugh! I look like a total mess!’ She thought with a grimace. She looked very beautiful though despite her current condition. Her dark brown hair flowed past her shoulders and accentuates her pale white skin. One thing that made her unimaginably beautiful was by far her pair of light brown eyes.
A few moments later, after looking at her reflection, she abruptly turned around, walked towards the tub, and turned on the water.
After pouring a scented oil in the bathwater, Mayumi took off her nightwear. She stepped into the tub and immersed herself fully on the warm and fragrant-filled water. Shortly after, her head emerged from the bathwater. She closed her eyes whilst letting out a sigh of relief before leaning her head on the tub.
Suddenly, scenes flashed through her mind again: her death and the wedding of her fiancé and half-sister.
Mayumi opened her eyes and gingerly got off the tub. Her knees were trembling as if they’re going to give way at any moment, and her face looked deathly pale. She shakily wrapped a bathrobe around her body and made her way towards her walk-in closet.
Upon seeing her reflection on the full-length mirror for the second time, she sank to her knees as tears began to roll down her cheeks without restraint. Her sobs echoed throughout the large room.
This is the real her.
Behind her perfect façade is a woman who was hopelessly broken inside. No matter how hard she tries, she will always be nothing compared to her half-sister.
GLOSSARY:
1. Onii-sama is a Japanese honorifics that means “older brother”.
2. Okaasama means “mother”.
3. -sama is a more respectful version for people of a higher rank than oneself or divine, toward one's guest or customers, and sometimes toward people one greatly admires.
