I don't know who is he. He is holding my hand so firmly.I can only see his back.Everything around me is dark. Feels like I am walking through a tunnel.He looks towards me. His face is blurry but I can say that he is smiling and saying something. Then a bright light comes towards us and...

" brrrrrr.....brrrrrr"

" Hello? Hello, Iori ? where are you ?"

"Hmm... who's talking?"

" My god Iori! are you sleeping till now? wake up sleeping beauty! we have to go to the art exhibition ceremony!"

"Ohh... Manami. Wait? what time is it?"

MANAMI: 8:43 AM , my Iori.

"Oh no I am late. I will call you back"

" I have get ready ..."

I am Iori Nanase. I am a national level artist . Recently I am awarded the JAPAN GOLDEN ART AWARD. As you can see lately I am having the dream of that guy. And I am pretty stressed about it. Manami is my manager and also college friend.

IORI: Ahh ... my bad. I am very sorry about being late.

MANAMI : It's okay. Now come on and greet everyone. I will manage everything else.

After 2 hours...

IORI : Ahhh!! I am tired. It's so boring...

MANAMI : Stop talking rubbish! If someone hears you , media will start talking about you. Want some drinks?

IORI: Grape juice..

MANAMI : Pfftt.... I was expecting , you will ask for wine!

IORI : You know my alcohol tolerance ! I don't want to cause trouble for you.

MANAMI : Okay my lady! wait for me..

IORI: Hmmm... okay.

I am having many thoughts and looking into the crowd when suddenly I feel like I saw the familiar back of that guy in my dreams. I try to catch up to the guy but then he suddenly vanishes. I come back to my seat. May be I am really very stressed.... what is going on with me?

" Hey! "

"Heeyyyyy!"

IORI : Hmmmm... ah! sorry? what were you saying Manami?

MANAMI : What's up with you? spacing up like that! Here your grape juice. If something is going on with you , you can share with me.

IORI : Nahhh.. nothing is going with me.

MANAMI : Okay , for a sec I believe you. Then what's up with your paintings? Now your every painting ends up of a guy in his back! you know that registration of national BULZER AWARD is coming up..

IORI : Say, if you are getting a dream of a guy whom you don't know nor you can see his face but you can feel like he is very kind to you and also end up seeing him everywhere you go, what will you do?

Manami puts palm of her hand in Iori's forehead.

IORI : What are you doing?

MANAMI : Checking if you fever or something!

IORI: Come on. I am not joking...

MANAMI : Pffftt... Now I get it. You are so stressed being single for 28 years of your life that your body is now have screaming!

IORI : Are you for real? here I am thinking that I am going mad..

                        WILL BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 2...

MANAMI : Listen Iori, why don't you think of having your own family? See me , I am already a mother and you are still not married! Don't you have anyone in your eyes? Aunty always calls me if you are seeing anyone .

IORI : It's not like that. I don't know why but I always feels like someone is waiting for me. So I have to wait for him too.

MANAMI : It's nothing but your imagination. Why waste your life for such imaginary things? You remember that senior in our university ! He is coming back form USA!

IORI : Who? I don't remember anyone!

MANAMI : Don't be like that! It's Kazuki senpai! The one who had a cursh on you and was reserching on something in USA. He is back in this monday ,so every one in university is celebrating a reunion party this friday. Let's go.

IORI : No I ...

" brrrr....brrrrr"

IORI : Hello? Hum! yeah I will be a little late. No , you don't have wait for me. What?! no wait! you did't discuss it with me! wait!....

"beep...beep.."

MANAMI : What happened? who is it?

IORI : Sigh ! this is the only thing left for me to happen! It's mom. I don't know why but she just went ahead and arranged a blind date for me without asking me. She told me if I don't go , she will never talk to me!

MANAMI : Oh aunty! what a good job!

IORI : Oi!! you are with my mom? you traitor!

In Iori's house...

" Dear! do you think what we did is good for her?"

"Honey! don't be like that! we protected her till now from all evil and harms. But now the time has come for her to meet with his highness and fulfill what her duties are!"

" You are right dear. There is not much time left until her 29th birthday! Her powers will begin to florish and if she and his highness are not together until her 30th birthday, the curse will fall on the whole fairy land. We may be not her real parents but we have raise her as our's own."

" I don't know how will she react when she will know the truth that I am not her real mother!"

" Dear , I know that we did't raise our daughter like that. She will surely understand the whole situation and forgive us"

"Hmm ... honey. I hope so. I hope that Iori and his highness,the prince will be the most glorious empress and emperor in the history and their love can defeat the curse that will befall in the kingdom"

IORI : Ahhrg! I am so mad at them!

MANAMI : Don't be.. what they are doing for your own good. Maybe it's your fate. By the way , please send me a photo of your prince charming. But only if he is hot!

IORI : I think I should give Ren a call. I should let him know that his wife is ready to betray him for a hot guy.

MANAMI : Do you have to be like that? Whatever! Let's go to a bar . I think you should have a drink to calm yourself.

IORI : Hmm.. good idea. I think so too. Say Manami... how can they do that to me? They should think about my choice too. Without my permission, mom even fixed a blind date for me!

MANAMI : Okay now! stop whining!

" Bang!!"

" Mom..dad.. I am home!"

"Welcome home baby!... wait Iori , did you drink?"

IORI : Yeah! you have a problem with that too?

" Iori.. why are you talking like that?"

IORI : Dad...mom ,what is wrong with you? how can you just fix a date without my opinion? You all don't even ask me! It is me who has to marry not you !

" Iori, we know that you were not seeing someone. You are already 28 years old ! We are not saying that you have to marry him! we are saying to meet with him. I am sure that you will like him. After dating him if you find him annoying or not your like , you can just tell us!"

IORI : I don't know him mom! I don't even know his name?

" No one in this world know each other at first. You just have to spend a little time with him and you will start to know him better"

IORI : Whatever! I am going to sleep. What a day!

" Take a shower before going to bed!"

Step..step..slam!

" She is really angry right? May be we should have asked her?"

" No! You give her too much love honey that is why she is like that now. You have to be strict with her. It is all to prepare her for future. And even if we asked her , she would have behaved like that!"

" I hope everything go on perfectly tomorrow as we have planed"

" Everything will go on perfectly. Their soul have been waiting for each other for a long time. Even if their bodies are not used to each other but their souls are used to. The moment they will see each other ,they will feel the strong connection between them."

Iori's room is quite simple like any other japanese room . In the center of the room, is her fluffy bed. Her room is decorated with some of her casual paintings which if she want , can sell in millions. Beside the bed there is a showcase where her medals, certificates and awards are. In the right corner , there is a almirah where where her branded formal dresses for parties, award ceremonies are hanging. Everyone knows Iori as a celebrity in art world but she never cared for it. She always indulged herself in art.

Iori comes out from bath. She is still in her undergarments. The beautiful pale skin, the long eyelashes, her brownish black hair and soft pink lips really makes a wonderous beauty. From her middle school, she always had many wooers who just waved their tails around her. But Iori never paid any attention to them as they all came to like her because of her beauty. They never tried to actually know her.

Iori ties her hair in a bun. She stands in front of the mirror.

" Huh! "

" This is weird! Am I too drunk?"

She stares to the birthmark she has in the upper part of her left ******. It's a butterfly shaped mark. But it feels like the wings of the butterfly have elongated. Like it's spreading it's wings!

" Nah! may be I am really too drunk! but what should I do for tomorrow? What will he be like?"

She covers her white skinned body with a feather like light nightgown. She opens the door of the balcony and stands behind the railings. The night sky feels especially beautiful today, like the stars are gathering to celebrate for some auspicious event. Iori starts humming. This is also a amazing talent she has that no one know except her parents. She has a sweet and mysterious voice that can make anyone drunk in dreams. She does't know for how much time she is humming, but now drowsiness surrounds her. She goes into her room and lays her body on the soft bed. She goes into deep slumber.