1 Chapter 1

The arts are one of the best ways to leave your stamp on history. In a world where technology is constantly upgrading, and one day something is popular and then unpopular the next, everyone can agree that showing talent in music or art is something they long for.

If you ask a high school graduate what they plan on going to college for, they will most likely give you a straight answer about business or accounting. Now if you were to ask them what their dream job would be, it, more often than not, would be something completely unrelated to what they are going to school to study.

Personally, I'm going to college to study business and technology-related subjects, but I really want to be an artist. I honestly don't care if it's as a painter, a singer, or a dancer. I just want to live a life with a constant ability to express myself. It wasn't that I hated the idea of being a businesswoman and pursuing my family's expectations; it was just that I didn't have any passion for it.

My hands danced over the empty, dark music room's piano keys. The sleek feel of each key brought a swell to my chest, and a mental image of me playing for a stadium brought a small smile to my lips. I'd sneakily taught myself how to play piano over multiple years, only genuinely considering myself no longer a novice a year or so ago. A soft melody drifted into the air, and it was as if I could see the notes physically floating out of the instrument and into the atmosphere around the room.

The intrusive sound of snickering quickly wiped the euphoria from my mind, and my eyes shot to the window next to the door to see two students, a boy and a girl, with their noses pressed to the glass making faces at me. The swelling in my chest disappeared instantly, and a soft sigh pushed past my lips as I dropped my eyes back to the piano keys, stopping my fingers' movement.

The door handle jiggled, but I had locked it on my way in as I'd become used to being interrupted. The disappointment I felt toward said action happening once more was quickly becoming panic.

The snickering of the duo picked up as the intruders realized I'd expected them to come to harass me. It wasn't anything new for me to be teased by a handful of my classmates, but this couple was the worst and most consistent. They were Karin and Suigetsu: the school's "it" couple, but not because everyone loved them. They'd bullied and bought their way to the top.

Karin was undoubtedly one of the prettiest girls I'd ever seen, with blood-red hair and sultry dark eyes set against flawless pale skin, but the moment she opened her mouth, she transformed into a disgusting witch. Suigetsu, on the other hand, isn't the most handsome guy. He was pretty average, with shoulder-length white hair and blue eyes.

If we're all being truthful, Karin held all the power and spotlight in their relationship, but that didn't mean Suigetsu wasn't intimidating. The young man was more than eager to act on Karin's orders, even if they were to physically injure someone.

Karin's family had designed a chain of high-end glasses and made quite a statement in the fashion industry. The girl in question had nothing to do with any of the designs but told everyone that she'd done most of the work for the line, and people either believed her or pretended to so they wouldn't be her next target.

On my freshman year's last day of school, I remember the two held a girl down in the gymnasium and cut her hair so short that she probably had to shave her head to make it even. Said girl had the prettiest natural pink hair and was quite a stunning person in general, which made me think Karin must've felt threatened and saw her as competition that she needed to be rid of. I don't remember the girl's name, but she didn't return the following year, so I assume she switched schools.

I could feel sweat forming on my neck as they tugged at the handle again. One of my hands instinctively reached up to touch my long black hair. The school year, and my high school career, was ending in just one week. They wouldn't be interested in repeating their actions from back then, would they? Surely not on me. They'd butchered that girl's hair because she was gorgeous and unique, a threat to Karin's throne, and I was anything but that.

"We're not leaving 'til you come out!"

My hands moved to clench into anxious fists in my lap as I panicked. Father would be so angry if my hair was cut. It was the Hyuuga standard to have long and flowing hair. My family runs a substantial computer business similar to Apple or Samsung. Because we're the daughters of the corporation's CEO, my sister and I are expected to hold to our family's traditions and image incredibly dear.

I glanced at the room's walls and lost even more hope. The music rooms were all windowless and lined with soundproof panels. I pointedly ignored the cat-calling and digs now erupting behind the glass window as I closed the lid over the piano keys and pulled my book bag over my shoulder.

The clock on the wall told me my free period would end in a few minutes, so I'd have to leave the room soon, or my father would be notified that I was tardy to my next class. With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked confidently toward the door.

The second I turned the lock, it shot open, forcing me back a few steps so as not to be smacked with it. The two tormentors stood with their arms crossed and smirks on their faces. I'd have guessed they were related if they didn't have such distinctly different features since their personalities and expressions were so similar.

"That didn't take as long as I'd expected, Hinata." Karin's pearly white teeth sparkled as she gave me a syrupy smile.

I moved toward the couple, intending to brush past them and head toward my math class.

Suigetsu, never one to shy away from getting physical even if he was a boy and most of their targets were girls, grabbed my forearm and stopped me from leaving. As I froze, my mind reeled to devise a plan to escape this predicament without causing a commotion.

Karin continued talking, knowing Suigetsu would keep me in place, "Hinata, I'm really going to miss you after graduation. Don't you feel the same?" I'd never been one to fight back verbally with the couple and would likely stutter too much for an insult to do much damage anyway, so I just gave Suigetsu a pleading look.

On a few occasions, the boy convinced Karin to let me go easy, but only, I'm guessing, because he knew Neji would come after him if he caught wind of the two's bullying. Neji's my older cousin who just graduated from college and has been working hard for my father. Per Father's orders, he's to be my "right-hand man" if and when I take over as CEO.

The boy gave me a scary smile before turning toward his girlfriend, "Karin, maybe we should wait. Class is about to end; we'll get caught by Anko." Anko's the vice principal who patrols the top couple floors of the building between classes and is known to be quite strict when punishing wrong-doers.

I didn't turn to look at the redhead's reaction, but I heard her huff stubbornly before stomping her high-heeled foot, "You never let me have any fun anymore!" All three of us knew Suigetsu didn't "let" or "forbid" her from doing anything, and he just kept her from getting caught, but no one spoke on the fact.

When a kick came to the back of my knees, I fell forward and down. My hands smacked against the linoleum just in time to stop my head from bashing down, and I lay still for a moment while trying to breathe. Suigetsu and Karin snickered before nudging me to the side and walking off toward whatever classes they had next. The bell rang, and I struggled to dust off my uniform.

Hundreds of students flooded the hallways, and I spotted Anko down the hall with her hawk-like gaze swimming over the crowds of students for fights or misbehavior. Shutting the music room door behind me, I dipped into the chaos of bodies and headed toward my next class.

At the end of the school day, I headed toward my locker. It was on the top floor, close to the music room I'd been in earlier. I peered at my reflection in the small rectangle of glass on the door, tempted to go back in to play for a few minutes before heading home, before freezing.

Suigetsu was staring back from the other side of the window, though the lights were off in the room. Quickly, I tried to get lost amidst the crowd of bumbling teenagers, but the door swung open, and my arm was grabbed. I was once again pulled against my will by the white-haired male. To my dismay, all the senior students flooding the hall were too busy rushing to their after-school clubs or cars outside to notice my abduction.

My back hit the back of the re-closed music room door, and I heard Suigetsu turn the lock. The heartbeats in my ears were so loud, I'm sure even he could hear them. My books lay on the ground in a mess by my feet. Suigetsu's blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark room as he put a hand on either side of my head and smiled down at me. "Hello, Hinata."

I was sweating nervously. His face was so close to mine that I could smell the mint of the gum he was chewing to mask the smell of the cigarettes he often smoked between classes.

"S-S-S-Suigetsu! W-"

I couldn't even finish before the man brought his face closer to have his nose touching mine and cut me off, "Y'know, I haven't heard from Neji in months. He must be working so hard for your daddy that he doesn't have time to check on his poor little cousin."

Tears welled in my eyes, but I tried to hold them back.

"Tell him not to worry, though. I've kept Karin at bay so you can graduate in one piece. You should be ashamed for never even thanking me, Hinata!"

I reluctantly opened my mouth to give him the thank you he'd requested to get him to release me, but he kept saying, "I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me." I felt a warmth in my chest, and it wasn't a good one.

The boy's hands moved to hold my shoulders, and he pressed his lips roughly against mine without consent. The familiar heat of self-loathing crept onto my cheeks, and I felt tears fall past my lashes. I didn't move my lips with his and tried to push him away, but his grip on my shoulders increased until I gave up fighting for a moment.

My head felt cloudy and light, making me worried that I'd faint, with all of the emotion flooding blood up to my face. He pulled his lips away, and I thought he'd let me go since he'd gotten what he wanted, but he dipped down and kissed my neck. My whole body was positively shaking with nervous energy.

I felt his hot breath against my damp skin as he laughed, "I can tell you're not used to this, Hinata."

Although I wasn't attracted to the boy that was pretty much molesting me, I could see how someone you were actually interested in doing this to you would drive you crazy. I pictured Naruto's face and shut my eyes, only to quickly shoot them open. I tried harder to push away when a familiar feeling in my abdomen appeared.

Naruto was one of the most popular guys in school who'd been a good friend to me in elementary school. Once he hit puberty, he shot up, became muscular and attractive, and became quite the ladies' man. He hadn't been rude to me at any point; he just kind of seemed to forget who I was or that I existed in general. That didn't mean I didn't remember how sweet he was back in grade school. He'd even saved me once from a group of bullies teasing me about my eye color.

Suigetsu pulled me from my thoughts by sliding his leg between mine and nibbling slightly on my neck. One hand slid from my shoulder toward my breasts, but I put all my might into one strong push that finally put a foot or so of distance between us.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, but I quickly unlocked the door and sprinted down the hall toward the stairs. There was barely anyone left in the halls, and those I passed didn't spare me a glance. The boy still smiled when I'd shoved him and made no move to follow me. That didn't stop me from hurrying down the stairwell and out the school's front doors without looking back or even getting my stuff from my locker. The few stragglers outside the school offered confused looks as I roughly wiped my tears and hurried toward my home.

My family's personal home was a measly few blocks from the prestigious school in a good neighborhood with a park, library, restaurants, and cafes all in the area. I surveyed each yard on the way home, and sure enough, each one was perfectly mowed and decorated with perfect gardens. No yard clippings or litter dusted the sidewalks.

Many people walked the sidewalks in the area, whether it be the business people headed for a restaurant for a dinner meeting, families headed for the park, or students headed for the library.

The city bus drove past, and my father's stoic face was planted on a poster on the side of it with the Hyuga name and our latest gaming laptop next to it for advertisement. I just wanted to escape everything that reminded me of my family and school.

The only thing genuinely stopping me was myself. I turned eighteen a few months back and could work to pay for an apartment.

I looked at my father's picture just before the bus turned and left my view. He was the main reason I hadn't up and left. Despite wanting to live an artistic life, the fear of not being successful enough to live on my earnings scared me into staying so that one day I could accept the CEO position of the family business. At least then, I'd have an excellent and stable source of income for the family I hoped to have one day.

I turned the next corner, bowing politely at an elderly couple that passed by before heading up the steps of the only house in the area. My father purposely bought the land in the middle of the business district so we wouldn't have neighbors trying to become acquainted with us just for monetary or social benefits. The house itself was a mix between modern and Victorian. It was three stories tall and had a perfect garden in the yard to match the rest of the neighborhood.

Stepping through the doors, I immediately heard my little sister's taunting voice from the dining room, "Ooh, you're in trouble!" I felt an unappealing pout tug at the corners of my mouth and hurried into the dining room to see Hanabi, Neji, and my father sitting calmly.

I also went to sit down, but Father stopped me with a raised hand, "Hinata, I plan on making this quick and simple."

I glanced at Neji, who kept his gaze on the dark coffee in his mug. "I will not offer you the CEO position upon my retirement."

Shock rocked my body, and I forgot my manners momentarily, "W-what! Who's getting it then?"

Father stood quickly and hardened his gaze, "That's not the proper way to address your elder. This is another reason I've decided to have Neji become heir to the company once I retire until Hanabi comes of age. I've been informed by a few of your teachers that you're not outstanding in any way. How could I leave my company in the hands of someone who blends into the background? However, I expect you to support this decision and choose which position you would like to train for within the company. Hanabi mentioned you may be suited for Human Resources. Would you agree?"

Hanabi didn't try to stifle her snickering but was silenced when Father glared at her. My mind reeled as the three stared and waited for my reply. My mind was blank. I've been under the impression that the eldest daughter would take over the business all my life.

The familiar feeling of tears coming made my eyes sting, and I quickly turned and hurried out the front door before my family could see the disgraceful reaction. None of them bothered yelling at or following me and just allowed me to leave.

Things worsened when I tripped on the last step and fell onto my hands and knees on the concrete sidewalk. My shoulders slumped, and I watched as my tears fell onto the concrete like rain falling from the sky. My knees and palms hurt, but I couldn't bring myself to move.

A person or two walked around me quietly, only to start whispering frantically once they thought I was out of earshot, but a large hand on my shoulder shook me from my depressed stupor. My head shot up, and I sucked in a sharp breath at the beauty of the man above me. He had a naturally grey tint to his white hair, dark eyes, and full lips.

My scratched hands shot up to rub the tears off my cheeks, and I nervously accepted the man's outreached hand to get to my feet. "You took quite a spill there! Are you alright?"

I nodded my head with heat rushing to my cheeks. I fell in front of this modelesque man; how could my day get any worse? He gave a warm chuckle before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief.

Then, I noticed that he was in a costly-looking suit. I gave him as close to a smile as possible, accepting the cloth and lightly dabbing at the remaining tears. When I went to return it, he put his hands up in defense with a kind smile, "Don't worry about it, Miss. If you don't mind, though, may I ask you to accompany me for a cup of coffee?"

My heartbeat raced, and I felt uneasy but flattered. The man appeared to be around thirty or so but didn't seem to mind asking a clearly much younger woman to have coffee.

I glanced back up at the house I'd hurried from. None of them had come to check on me. The slightest bit of anger rose within me, and I accepted the man's invitation solely out of spite. Father would never approve of me going on what looked to be a date with someone so much older than me. We walked silently until we came to the small café at the end of the block. The man held the door open for me, and I gave him a smile as thanks.

Once we were seated and had our coffees, the man finally started talking, "So, what's your name?"

A small laugh escaped my lips. It was odd how quickly I'd been cheered up by such a small act of kindness from a stranger, "M-My name is Hinata. What about you?" I don't often release my last name unless I know the person's intentions.

The man sipped his black coffee, dark eyes never leaving mine. A thin scar went from the middle of his right cheek up to his eyebrow, but it did little to distract from his handsome looks. In fact, it kind of added to them.

He smiled a blinding smile that reminded me slightly of Naruto before replying, "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm the owner and CEO of Evolution Entertainment."

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach, and I could tell he noticed because he started laughing light-heartedly. Of course, I knew of that talent agency. They're famous for being one of the first agencies to form co-ed groups and very successful ones, at that.

I immediately felt like a toad. The girls he chose to recruit for his agency were often more than worthy of being actresses or models, and I was undoubtedly very plain looking compared to them.

Once his laughing ceased, he continued, "It wasn't my intention to scare you, Hinata. You simply caught my eye. Do you sing at all?"

I was scared my voice would waver too much to be understood, so I simply nodded. It took all that was in me not to faint or let my mouth hang open in awe.

The man's smile widened, and he rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, still studying my ever-reddening face, "That's good to hear. When you looked up at me with tears in your eyes, you reminded me of the lead actresses in those romantic Korean dramas. I'm working on a four-person group that needs just one more member, and I was looking for someone with that same softer, more feminine look you have for the spot. Would you be interested in auditioning?"

I couldn't stop my hand from shooting up to cover my gaping mouth in shock. Kakashi was so honest when speaking that it took me off guard. If you're as powerful as he is, you don't have to edit what you say to others quite as much. Without thinking, I nodded again.

The man's grin reached the widest since I'd met him, and it felt like my stomach was turning in knots, but in a good way. I would never be interested in dating a man with such an age gap as his, but I couldn't deny that he was insanely attractive.

Mr. Hatake reached into his suit coat and pulled out a pen and a small card. The logo for Evolution Entertainment was on the front, and on the back was the number to the secretary of their office, named Shizune if I read correctly from across the table. He signed the card and wrote "12 PM" with the date before handing it to me.

I read over the card and spoke defeatedly, "At n-n-noon? I will have class then..."

The man didn't let my opposition faze his glee and took another sip of his coffee as he rose to his feet, "If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to make it on time."

He gave me one more smile before leaving money for our drinks on the table, "I hope to see you tomorrow, Hinata. It was nice to meet you."

I rose to my feet and shook his hand. He turned to walk out before pausing and turning back to me for a moment with a slight smile on his lips, "Don't let your family get to you. Hyuuga's are known for being far too serious."

My cheeks paled, and he let out another warm chuckle before giving me a slight nod and finally leaving the café. I can't believe I've been scouted. As I stared down at the fancy signature on the card he'd given me, I decided that, without a doubt, I was going to that audition, even if it meant skipping school and incurring the wrath of Hiashi Hyuuga.