Back in the Saintesses' original world, years ago . . .

"Halfling! Go back to your country!" A young boy shouted at a young girl with hair like honey and caramel.

The young girl had no expression on her face. She simply picked up her ripped up notebooks and put them inside her bag. She sat down and paid no attention to the boy who had just destroyed her notes.

"Aren't you being too mean?" A classmate asked the bully.

"Huh? She's so creepy and gloomy! A foreigner shouldn't be allowed here!" The young boy said.

"Yeah, now the teachers are making us learn more English words! It's all her fault!" Another classmate chimed in.

"Yeah! She should just get out of our school! We don't need a foreigner!"

"Hey, she said she's not a foreigner. Only her dad is the foreigner. She's a halfling. A halfling!"

"I heard that her dad left. Maybe her dad got grossed out by her gloominess too. She looks like that scary English doll in my grandmother's house."

Miyu gripped her skirt and bit her lower lip. She wasn't going to cry. She wouldn't cry for them. What did she do to deserve this treatment? She didn't want to look like a foreigner! Did they think she chose her appearance?

She felt so angry at them. They were so stu*id! Why did she have to be chosen as the class victim? The victim that they would bully just because they wanted to. Why did someone have to be the victim? Why couldn't they just go on with their lives and ignore her if they don't like her?!

The teacher entered and began teaching.

"Hikari Miyu! Why aren't you taking notes? Do you think my class is easy because it's English? Your scores are already dropping!" The teacher shouted while the students around her snickered.

Miyu took out her ripped out notebook from her bag and put it on top of her desk. The teacher frowned.

"You should take better care of your things," the teacher said and went back to teaching.

Miyu sighed and looked out the window. The sky was blue just like her eyes. She didn't long for the father she had never met. She simply wondered if someone was up in the sky who could notice her.

*

*

*

Miyu went home but there was no one to welcome her home. She went to her mother's room. As usual, her mother was inside the covers asleep. Her skin was pale and her breathing sounded ragged.

"Mother, I'm home," Miyu said.

Her mother woke up and smiled. "Welcome home. Did you have a good day?"

Miyu nodded.

"That's nice. There's food in the refrigerator if you're hungry," her mother said.

"Come eat with me, Mother," Miyu said.

"I ate already," her mother said.

Miyu frowned. Her mother had less and less appetite as the days went by. She was ill but they had no money to have her checked up in the hospital.

"Mother, why did Father leave us?" Miyu asked.

Her mother smiled sadly. "He found another woman. A very cute one."

"But Mother is so beautiful!" Miyu insisted.

Her mother was an elegant Japanese beauty and only her illness had weathered away her beauty bit by bit. Miyu saw a picture when her mother was younger and it was like looking at a classic painting of a Nadeshiko - the ideal Japanese woman. Long straight black hair, pale skin, and a slender body like a crane.

"Men wish for cute girls these days. They don't want a beautiful woman," her mother said.

"I don't understand," Miyu said.

"They want a cute girl who's cheerful and clumsy. A girl who smiles and laughs easily. A girl they can protect and they can be the Prince Charming. The cute girl does not have pride. She forgives easily and loves easily. Your mother is not like that and that's why your Father left," her mother said.

"That's so dumb," Miyu said, crying.

Her mother hugged her. "Yes, it is so dumb."

A month later, Miyu's mother died.

*

*

*

Miyu's father arrived to take care of the funeral but he did not comfort her. He simply watched as she cried and cried in front of her mother's picture.

Miyu had her father's blonde hair and blue eyes but he was a stranger to her. They were merely strangers to each other who just so happened to share their genetic traits.

"You resemble her," her father said days after the funeral while driving.

She did not understand at first then she remembered her mother's words. She wasn't cute. She was strong and her father did not like that.

She had to survive. That was all she could think of. Her mother was no longer with her. School was no comfort. She had no other relatives. Her father looked like he wanted to disappear any moment soon.

She stilled her nerves. She must empty her mind. Swallow her pride. A smile. Her mother said they liked girls who smile easily.

A smile.

She needed to smile.

She breathed in and relaxed. She could do this.

She turned to her father and tried to look as wide-eyed and innocent as she could.

"I think I resemble Papa more," Miyu said and smiled as brightly as she could.

Her father looked stunned. It was as if the skies had opened up. On that day, her father did not drop her off to a distant relative as he initially planned. He brought her home to his house and introduced Miyu to his new wife. On that day, Miyu learned how to be a cute girl to survive.

*

*

*

Years later, her father died from a car accident with his new wife. Some said it was because they were arguing while driving. Some said the car was sabotaged. Miyu did not care for their rumours. Miyu shed no tears. She simply held close her mother's picture to her chest and whispered, "You can rest now."

Miyu wasn't sure what to do next. She hadn't given much thought about her future.

"Please try on our wedding dresses! We're a new wedding shop! Please try our dresses!"

A woman handling flyers saw her looking and approached her.

"You're so cute! You would look so good in a wedding dress! Would you like to try some?"

Miyu was dragged inside a shop selling wedding dresses. The woman made her try on a wedding dress with lots of layers and lace.

"Wow! You're so adorable! You look like a princess! Would you like to be our shop's model?"

Miyu became the wedding shop's model and the shop became so famous because of her pictures. That became her first modeling job. After that, she had more and more offers.

Money was coming in steadily. She was adored. She was the cute Japanese girl who looked like an English doll. People would flock together to get her attention.

"She's so cute! Miyu-chan! Your autograph please!"

"Miyu-chan! A smile please!"

"Miyu-chan, I'm a fan! Sign please!"

Miyu would smile brightly like the sun. Dazzling and warm.

"Miyu is so happy desu! Thank you for being Miyu's fan."

Miyu was living the life under the camera lights and under her fans' generous attention. She should be happy. She should be happy but when she's alone, there would be no trace of smile on her face. She was like a beautiful empty shell.

"Miyu-chan, would you like to try acting?" Miyu's manager, Hanako, asked.

She met Hanako when she was still starting out at modeling. Hanako was an average-looking woman but she was hardworking and she never pushed Miyu to do things she didn't like.

"Acting, huh? Why? Are you getting tired of my pictures, Hanako?" Miyu teased.

Hanako was the only one who knew of Miyu's true nature. Miyu was not really as nice as she portrayed herself in front of the public. She used curse words and she had a blunt personality. She wasn't bad. She was just . . . a normal person who wanted to be liked by people and pretending to be happy on the outside but was feeling nothing inside.

"No, it's just that you might be the one who's getting bored already. Wouldn't you like to work with more people?" Hanako asked.

"I'll consider it just because you said so," Miyu said.

"Thank you, Miyu-chan. Actually, I got an offer from Tomohiro Ren's manager. He wants to act with you in his movie," Hanako said.

"Tomohiro Ren, isn't that the actor you have a huge crush on?" Miyu asked.

Hanako blushed. "I just admire his acting skills. It's nothing like that."

"Okay, I'll do it. I might even get his number just for you," Miyu said.

"Thank you, Miyu-chan!" Hanako said, hugging Miyu.

Miyu proceeded to do the shooting with Ren.

Ren was tall, nice, and good-looking. He had an easy-going attitude and he always greeted everyone with a smile. He had blonde hair and a handsome face. He was like a modern Prince Charming.

"Miyu-chan, here's a melon bread," Ren said after one of their shootings.

"Sorry! Miyu already ate before the shooting," Miyu said in a cute apologetic manner.

She felt that she should avoid getting close to him for Hanako's sake.

"That's okay. I'm glad you already ate. Miyu-chan, can you tell me your favorite snacks?" Ren asked.

Miyu's eyes widened. "Why?"

"I want to know Miyu-chan more," Ren said.

"But Miyu is not a very interesting person. Ah! I still need to change clothes for the next scene. Bye, Ren!" Miyu wasn't sure if her heart was pounding because she was running away from him or because of something else.

Ren continued to be persistent even though Miyu tried to avoid him as much as she could. Just like ice, the longer it's under heat, the more it melts.

Miyu's icy heart began to melt away.