Naturally Pretty • Damianya Time Skip

Fair Game

As if she had heard him, Anya whipped her head in Damian's direction. Blushing a little, she waved her hand at the boy with olive-green eyes.

"Good morning, Sy-on boy!" she blurted out, winking as she gave him her early morning smile. Damian froze, his cheeks warming. Why does he seem to always end up being caught?

Hmpf. Damian stubbornly responded by looking the other way, resting his chin over his hand. Shortly after, Ewen and Emile elbowed him.

"Bossman, I'm so jealous of you. Forger's always giving you her attention."

"Unwanted attention," he (lied) corrected.

"Huh! Poor girl. She should turn her attention to other men in the room." Damian glared at Emile who missed it for an enthusiastic chat with Ewen.

"Did you see what changed this time? She's..."

"She's got it bigger."

"And her legs, longer. We both win."

What the?! Damian was about to combust. He never paid attention to her that way, yet, his curiosity betrayed him. He found himself shamefully looking briefly at her chest, then his eyes trailed to her slender legs, realizing that the platform which used to be halfway thigh level for her was now at the level of her knees.

Anya Forger. He now understands why his friends ended up checking her out, embarrassed as he is to admit. His eyes rested on the girl's pink hair which suddenly flipped in his direction.

A pair of emerald eyes pierced his guilty gaze. As her eyebrows furrowed and met fiercely in the middle, Damian scrambled on looking away. But the boy could never unsee his realization — he is a guy after all.

Anya Forger has definitely become very attractive. He cannot fault his friends.

"Seriously, the other girls have already stopped growing two years back. But Forger still is."

"Yeah. To be honest, we call her uggo but she's always been cute since first grade. But most girls won't be able to hold a candle to her now."

"Right? She stands out even though she's a mere commoner! I'm telling you — she's a mystery."

Damian felt so uncomfortable with the topic. Why does his blood boil hearing his friends talk about her like this? And why does he suddenly want to grab Anya away and change her clothes to some baggy t-shirts and knee-length skirts? Why does he want to wrap his imperial cloak around her so badly? Why does Eden's uniform have to be a curve-hugging top and short skirt in the first place?!!

His heart pounded loudly. No, not like that!

H-he's just a gentleman, and maybe a friend (okay fine, but he'll never admit that to her), a concerned classmate (emphasizing the latter), that's why. He has no feelings for Anya, okay? None at all!

"Emile, Bossman, I've decided."

Still struggling to sort out his thoughts on how to handle the situation and recover from his shame, Damian's gaze darted back to his friend.

"What nonsense are you going to spout next, Ewen?" Damian irritably spoke, just as the bell signaled the start of class and their teacher for the first period walked in.

"Sorry, but before Emile or anyone could get ahead of me," Ewen said in a hushed voice. He lightly coughed, clenching his fists at his bold decision, while Damian and Emile looked at their friend's proud and determined eyes.

"I am going to court Anya Forger."

Damian's jaw slacked once more, must be very unhinged already at this point.

"Sorry, Bossman. I'm never gonna call her uggo again."

Before Damian could say anything, Emile's hand flew in front of him as he suddenly grabbed Ewen by his collar.

"Oh, she's fair game, Ewen. And this is not a race." Emile turned to Damian, "Me too, Bossman. I won't be insulting her again."

"Mr. Egeberg and Mr. Elman..." the teacher called them out.

"S-sorry, professor. We were just... joking around," Emile responded.

"Very well. Joke around when the classes are over."

His teacher went back to the board, but Damian was still in shock. His friends are seriously swooning over... over... over...

His long-time crush!!! And they're about to court her!!!

Why are they not the slightest bit aware that she's supposed to be hands-off because he, a Desmond, has been eyeing her since first grade, despite all the restrictions imposed on him by his damn surname?!

Dammit!

The class turned to their teacher in front, except for the pair of emerald eyes, with whom Damian shamelessly met this time. Anya Forger, pretty as ever. Apart from Emile and Ewen, many other guys must be attracted to her. He stared back at the pretty greens, his eyes slightly losing sparkles and his heart beating rapidly. For the first time, fear budded in his mind.

Anya Forger might eventually belong to someone. It's okay right? He imagined Anya walking with either of his friends, holding hands along the hallway. He rested his elbows on his desk, buried his face into his palms, and then held his head.

Unacceptable. Despicable. Loathsome.

So does he want the man instead to be him?

I'm a Desmond.

Disgruntled, Damian buried himself on his book, quietly berating himself for being confused and indecisive.

~~~~~