CHAPTER 17
~Life is like taking our photograph.
We often pose what we want to see and be seen.
But sometimes by taking stolen shots,
we capture who we really are.~
I tried walking but I felt
stupid—I’m like a limping freak.
I picked the heel and grasped it tightly in my hands.
Why… Just why… of all days…? -___-Thinking about it, it isn’t too
womanly to run like a madman especially when I’m wearing such clothing and footwear,
right? Right? Right?Dammit, I guess that makes me graceless… a woman with
no finesse?
BAAAAH. How really thoughtless of me…!
No…! That Luke…! Once again… he… he… influenced me… to… do… this….
Hmpf!I’ll let him run along; he’ll just have to wait! I’ll give him a good beating once we reach the hotel—how could he spank my b-butt like that?! What a
perverted ogre! 
I walked slowly despite walking like a nutcase. To make things look less pitiful, I raised my head arrogantly….
“GOTCHA!” I heard Luke exclaim behind me.
O___O How did he get there? I didn’t notice him!
In an instant, he swept me into his arms, and carried me like a
newly wedded bride.“LUKE! P-put me down this instant!” I commanded, thumping my fists unto his broad chest.
“Hey! Sam, stop it, or you’ll fall… And pleaaaase, my suit will get wrinkled…!”“Like hell, I don’t care…!”He jokingly acted as though he was going to release me.
“LUKE!!!!!”I stopped punching him and held on to him tight, clutching on to his clothes.
“Ouch.” He cringed.
“H-hey… Are you alright?”“Of course!” Chuckling lightly, he tightened his grip around me,
“Put your arms around my neck, woman, I saw what happened to your footwear there… so I’ll carry you over up to the place.”I felt myself blush,
“T-this is e-embarassing, you fool…”
“Do you see any people?”“N-no.”“Exactly. So just lean back and enjoy the lift.” He remarked with a wink.
“Seriously, Luke, it is e-embarrassing… I can walk, you know!”“As if I’d let you—you look like a limping hag.”I blushed.
“It’s your fault.”“It’s not mine. You had the option to run after me or not to run after me, right?" 
He smiled self-importantly.
Well, he was right. -___-“Y-you’re finding this a little bit amusing, eh?”“Well, maybe I do find this amusing.” He sniggered,
“But I’m also doing this for your sake, if you don’t want this, there’s another option.”“What? Oh, putting me down? Then thank you veeeery much!”“Nope, I said I won’t put you down, okay? The other option is… Dun, dun, dun…! Piggyback!”Luke flaunted an evil smile.
My eyes shot up, and I imagined myself having to be carried on his back with such an outfit I have at the moment.
Buu-buu…Finesse. Poise. Flair. Elegance… and doing a
Piggyback? Buu-buu.Nope. Nope. Nope.
“Forget it.”“Excellent. So, if you would just please put your arms around my neck, my lady…? So you wouldn’t fall…?”“The h-heel…”“Put it in my pocket here…” Luke said, eyeing the small pocket in his suit.
I did as he told me so,
“And…now, your arms please? Hold on tight, sweetie.”I rolled my eyes at him
…. and reluctantly wrapped my arms around his neck.
With a satisfied nod, he started walking…
JESUUUUS. This is embarrassing, and this bastard, this lunatic! He might be really enjoying this!
However…… if you ask me, I really don’t mind.
O___O
My heart was racing again, and somehow, at that moment, I really felt contented and secured.
Luke looked at me intently,
“HUWAAAT?!”“You’ve been staring at me for a while now… you know Sammie, you could kiss me if you want.”I slapped him hard on the face.
“In your dreams!!”“Ow…!” “Not even a one kiss! I’ll never give you that!”“Hah! I’ll bet you’ll take that back!”
“Oh shut up!”“We’ll see about that…!”I was surprised when Luke’s face started to look serious… and I became even more cautious when he slowed down…
And… His head was sort of tilting in a way that is about… to… get close to my face…
What’s he going to do…? O___O Is he…?My heart was pounding real hard….
No… Not yet… No way…!Out of impulse, I smacked my hand right unto his face.
“H-hey…!” He seemed to have snapped back to reality.
Luke chuckled.
“Oh, sorry, Sam… I was just examining a… m-mole… on your face.”I raised an eyebrow,
“I don’t have any moles on my face.” 
“Oooh. S-so… it must have been d-dirt.” And then he started sniggering—as though he was amazed by his own lame excuse.
This idiot…. -___-“S-silly face!”“Haha!”
“N-now, now! Walk faster, partner. We’ve got a seminar to attend.”“Yes ma’am!”He started walking again…
“Hey.”“Eh?”“You’re heavier than you look.” -____-
“Just you wait! I’ll beat you up into a pulp once we get there, you big twerp!!!!”Luke laughed and laughed… and laughed and
–sigh- laughed, like a lunatic. -___-
