REVERSE 4 YOU

8 A Crescent Moon

I'm not okay.

I'm not fine with being labeled the princess.

When I express my concerns to Khun, he just starts whistling these obnoxiously cheerful tunes, saying it's perfect that the prince and the princess are close to each other. Let me say it again: I'm not fine with it. I don't want to sacrifice my dishwashing gig just to practice for whatever events every evening.

As soon as Vi learns about this, she smiles knowingly and tells me that she's already seen it in her vision. She just kept it as a surprise for me.

"This isn't a surprise. I'm not happy with this princess thing."

"Why? What's wrong with being the princess?"

"I have to work."

"But you can still work on your free days."

"If I don't go to work on any days, it means we won't make any money on those days. We are relying on ourselves, and no one's offering us a helping hand. Don't forget that."

Despite the gloomy mood I created, she's surprisingly chill. "Think about it. If you win at the university round, the reward should make up for all the lost time and then some."

"But I'm not like the others, all dolled up and pretty. My only power is controlling time, and I can't even show it off. How am I supposed to compete with those girls? I felt lost right from the start. I'm just like pasta without sauce, you know?"

"What's pasta without sauce?"

"So bland and flavorless."

"Ah... You sure know how to crack a joke. Let me give you a pity laugh. Haha."

Vi forces a deadly smile. That darn Corgi bot Khun has rubbed off on me now.

"But lots of people like your smile."

"Ha! You told me that I smile like I've got something stuck between my teeth."

"That's when you're faking it." Vi quickly clarifies. "Anyway, now that you've become the princess of your major, all you need to do is win, alright?"

"Nah." I'm still not feeling alright. And honestly, Vi's beaming smile is getting on my nerves so much that I need to escape to the balcony. I grab my phone and see a text message from Khun. I'm so done with his constant reassurances that having me as the princess is great so he won't be bored. Yeah, well, I'm the one who's bored now.

"Peek-a-boo! Hiding from me, are you?"

Gosh... Vi follows me and gives me a back-hug. Her eyes are gleaming, while I scrunch my eyebrows in response.

"What's up?"

"I just had a vision."

"What did you see?"

"P'Four standing on the rooftop of our apartment."

"..."

"10.10 pm. That's the time I spotted on her wristwatch."

"Why'd she go up there?"

"No clue. She's sitting on the edge, her eyes filled with sadness, fixated on the crescent moon in the night sky. It looked beautiful. Too bad there were too few stars." The latter part is just her opinion.

I lower my phone, raising my head to gaze at the Moon. Tonight, it appears as a crescent shape amidst the darkness, with no stars in sight. The shadow of clouds looms not too far away, making the night even hazier and darker. I cast my gaze downward and speak in a monotone voice.