Atlisia Ciaran...

Anyone who hears my name assumes that I was a girl. Some acted disappointed when they met me in person.

I am a man.

A 20 year old, 2nd year college student majoring in performing arts.

I don't blame them. My name sounds like a girl.

Because it is.

My parents expected me to be a girl, turns out the doctor got it all wrong, and later told them that I was originally a boy.

But unfortunately, my parents only thought about a name for a girl. They decided to go with it.

Thinking back, it was a bit messed up.

And my small face, slim figure, and soft voice didn't help. My height also decided to be inconsiderate.

I grew my black hair 'till it reached my shoulders, I even dyed it with green highlights to match my emerald eyes.

I was born as the youngest child of Cole and Layla Ciaran. They supported me and gave me lots of love.

I have an older brother, his name is Kali Ciaran. There's a five year gap between us. He was my enemy, my supporter, my fan, and my one and only brother. But that didn't stop him from teasing my looks.

Everyone says that I should've been born a girl.

'Cause I looked like one.

And boy, that was one of my insecurities.

But it was fine...

I began to use my assets in performing.

I love singing, dancing, modeling, and acting.

I love the spotlight.

The art of perfecting a role. It was exciting to play as someone different from your original self.

A mafia, a CEO, a normal university student, a lovesick director, a detective, even a criminal...

I also tried traditional drama.

Movies, music videos, film, theater, talk shows, and various types of entertainment.

I have tried many portrayals.

With my talent and passion, I became famous.

Today, I'm a well-known personality in the entertainment industry.

I gained a lot of fans.

I dominated the headlines.

Everyone praised, not just my looks but also my skills.

Everyone regarded me as, 'The Actor Who Can Do Both'.

And I don't hate it.

...

I lived my life freely.

I was that type of child who got everything he wanted.

It was great.

But there was one thing...

One thing...

Something that I couldn't get my hands on...

It was him...

A guy who was 5 years older than me...

Yes...

I like men.

I began to notice it back in high school.

I also opened this topic to my parents. They accepted me and allowed me to do what I wanted.

This guy...

Who exudes alluring pheromones...

Possesses a white hair that blended well with his captivating blue eyes...

His body was beyond hot...

His voice was kind and cold at the same time...

He would always wear his glasses that add another level of attractiveness...

He's tall...

Definitely handsome...

But his eyes yearned for one person...

And that person...

Was not me.

“And who might you be?” I asked the girl in front of me.

She smiled warmly. Her blond hair and yellow eyes were bright.

“Good morning...I uhmm...Mara Blake, I'm here for Kali...I'm his fiancé...”, she said.

I blinked...

Not once...

Not twice...

But thrice.

“Fiancé? My brother?” I said with a confused tone.

“How rude! How can you act surprised about knowing that I finally got a fiancé?” My brother said while coming down from upstairs with messy hair.

He frowned at me. But that changed when he saw her staring.

He instantly became...a puppy...?

Why?

How?

I squinted at the girl, named Mara Blake...

“Did he threaten you? Wait...are you being blackmailed?” I asked with seriousness.

She burst into laughter.

My brother grabbed me by my collar and was stopping himself from smacking me.

“I mean, you can't blame me! You never had a girlfriend...you even hated the idea of bringing a girl here...”, I said while throwing my hands up in the air.

Mara blushed at what I said, she must've felt flattered to be the first girl my stoic and strict brother brought here.

Well, she should.

Despite having superior genes. My serious brother never laid his eyes on any girl.

I almost thought that he would marry the company.

My brother released me and I coughed.

He regained his composure, he faced her.

She began chatting about something.

My brother simply stood and listened.

I didn't know that he listened to random talks.

I guess falling in love is enough to make him change.

I cleared my throat to get their attention.

Mara stopped talking and looked at me, my brother also glanced at me, but with a glare.

“I'm sorry for the late introduction, I am Atlisia Ciaran, please take care of this stubborn brother of mine. He might be like that but I'm sure he'll do his best.” I said while smiling politely and placed my hand in front.

She smiled at me before grabbing my hand to shake it.

The moment was cut when a guy appeared behind me.

It was a guy with white hair and blue eyes, his glasses made him look extra sharp.

“The Master and the Mistress are already at the dining area, waiting...”, his voice was calm, kind, and was a bit cold.

Oh, how I miss this voice!

I turned around and greeted him with a smile.

He did the same but it was noticeably formal.

My brother and Mara walked past him.

It must have been one of my imaginations, but I think I saw their eyes locking with each other for a second.

But it looked more complicated than that.

Mara continued walking and talking with my brother.

He stayed there. As quiet as he could.

He looked...somewhat lonely.

“Devin...?” I said.

He flinched.

He faced me and bowed.

“You seemed rather familiar with her?” I asked.

He paused for a second...

And shook his head and answered, “No”.

“Take a sit, Devin...don't be too formal. You're like family to us.” My mother said.

My father nodded. Devin who had no choice decided to sit with us.

“So...what brings you here?” My brother asked.

I raised one brow at him and crossed my arms, “well, for starters, mom called me. As you may have already known, I decided to live in another country. I even transferred there. But after a year, I got a phone call from mom. She was panicking. She told me to go home.”

I said narrating the moment when my mother called me.

“Do you know what she said in a panic? She said, 'what should I do, Lisia? You're brother is going to jail! He's been arrested due to some accusations of tax evasion!'” I said while mimicking my mom's frantic phone call.

My mom didn't deny it. She stayed silent.

My brother, on the other hand, was a bit upset that our mother got so worried, that she ended up calling me from the other side of the globe.

My brother sighed and said, “yeah...it was something like that. But that was just accusations. I'm already cleared. And that's when I met Mara.” He put his hands on top of hers and smiled.

“Care to explain?” I asked.

“Oh...yeah. As I told you earlier, I'm Mara Blake, I'm a lawyer. I kinda thought your brother was guilty, but when he told me to investigate myself, it turns out he's being framed. I hate false accusations, so I decided to defend him. And we won. Well, after that, we got really curious about each other and ended up dating.” She shyly explained.

“Oh, is that so...”, I said.

My brother glared at me, again. He must be sending messages about my rude behavior. Despite knowing that I've been like this since birth.

So, she was his lawyer. A love formed in a courtroom.

How unusual...

My mother and father seemed to like her. So the real reason my mother called me was for this. She must've figured that I wouldn't come back unless it concerns jail or coffin.

She's my mother, alright.

Mara continued to talk about random stuff. Her childhood. Her reasons on becoming a lawyer. Every small talk.

They were focused on her.

But I couldn't care less.

One person would always be in my line of sight.

The reason why I chose to attend a school abroad.

My brother's secretary and best friend, Devin Orion.

But wait...

He's looking at something...

Someone...?

I followed his eyes and saw Mara.

She smiled like a bright sun. But why? Why was he looking at her?

His eyes reflected sadness, pain, regret, and loneliness.

It was heartbreaking to see that gaze.

Maybe...

But how...?

My family is focused on one girl...

His eyes yearned for her...

But despite all of it...

My eyes rested on him...

I continued to stare...

So that's how it is...

I'm not the only one who stares.