Snow White: A kick-ass fairytale

chapter 5

“Her name is Snow, loverboy.” Said Derek.

Snow,the name sounded familiar.

Then it hit him. Yuki is snow in Japanese. He remembered thinking the same thing when he met a strange girl in Japan, ten years ago.

“No way.” He whispered.

Derek and Elton looked at him, confused.

“It’s her…”

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It was the summer of 2002, in Kyushu, Japan. Oliver dipped his hands into the river and smiled at the instant cool he felt.

“Be careful Oliver.” Called out a voice.

Oliver turned around and saw Robert watching him worriedly.

“Sheesh, you worry too much old man.”

“I’m thirty-seven, that’s pretty young.”

“Uh-huh.” said Oliver rolling his eyes.

“You’re awfully annoying for a twelve year old.” Said Robert sighing.

Oliver smirked.

He had tagged along with Robert to Japan for his meetings, Oliver had never seen Japan and had been anticipating the trip.

“So, do you like Japan so far?” Robert asked placing his hand on Oliver’s shoulder.

Oliver stared at the wide river before him, the sun setting in, making the River look orange. The air here was fresh, unlike Washington’s polluted air. There were trees and flowers everywhere; it was like a small piece of heaven left here in Earth for the fortunate to discover. His lips tugged into a smile.

“Yeah, I do.”

Robert grinned. Oliver rarely smiled, he was pretty serious for a child his age. However, now that he did Robert felt satisfaction in him, like he had finally accomplished something great.

After a few more minutes, Robert decided to leave. Both of them got in the car followed by a car full of bodyguards behind. On their way, Oliver looked out of the window, admiring the scenery around. Then, something caught his eye, it was an old structure, it looked like a traditional Japanese palace with cherry blossom trees surrounding it.

“What’s that?” asked Oliver pointing at the Palace.

Robert looked at where he was pointing and immediately went rigid. Oliver was confused at his reaction.

“That’s ‘The House’.” said Robert looking away.

“The House?” Oliver asked still staring at the palace far away.

Robert nodded once. “It’s a place where children, at a very young age, are trained to be assassins. It’s a …horrible place.”

Oliver asked no more question seeing how Robert was uncomfortable was.

The next day, Oliver woke up early, earlier than all of the servants in the house. He got out of the bed and looked out of the window. The sun was not out yet and the sky was still a dark blue. He quickly put his sneakers and jacket on, and then he slowly went outside and jumped out of the fence making sure not to wake up the huge guard dogs.

He walked on looking at everything, he had come to really like Kyushu during his week’s stay. He also noticed the girls in the village giving him curious glance, too curious. He would often catch the household maids staring at him and when he frowned in confusion they would giggle and go away. This whole puberty thing confused him, Robert even joked saying there was something abnormal about his hormones. Oliver ignored him, it isn’t my fault I don’t have perverted fantasies about the opposite sex like my classmates back in BTA, thought Oliver to himself.