"Exvertia… is a person who can appear fiery, bursting with energy before a camera or a crowd. At the same time, they are also someone who can keep full control over themselves."
I took a deep breath and whispered
"Exvertia is the figure I have yearned to become for such a long time. I don't want to remain trapped inside a cage. I, too, wish to have my own light, just like my parents—for they are Exvertias as well."
My mind began to drift once again.
"When will I be able to change into an Exvertia? Father once promised me that on my coming-of-age birthday, when I turned fifteen, he would make me one."
Right now, I am fourteen years old, and only a few more months remain before I turn fifteen.
For so long I have been waiting, waiting for the moment when I could finally have a stage of my own.
I have always been cast aside, bullied, even tormented with cruel pranks—until Father came to my school and forced it to shut down, boycotting it completely with the vast fortune he and Mother had amassed through their shrewdness in business.
I have also come to believe that perhaps I was simply too naive and too kind. Because of that, my classmates—who had already become Exvertias even at such a young age—always treated me as their enemy. They despised me because I was not yet an Exvertia like them.
We, the non-Exvertias, are treated as nothing more than dirt, trash, and countless other insults.
Only a small number of Exvertias ever treat us as real, choosing to coexist and sometimes even to help. But I can never be sure of that, since my papa has always been the one supporting me from behind.
…
One morning, during one of my usual routines—going to school. Normally, I am already very lazy, but today I felt even lazier… perhaps super-duper lazy.
The only things I truly enjoy about school are my friend, who is also still a non-Exvertia, and one of my teachers, who always watches over me with care.
Yet, I cannot be certain if that isn't just because of my 'Papa's influence'.
My friend's name is Narina. She is as shy as I am—my one and only non-Exvertia friend I have. She's also a girl, and like me, still single, but unlike others, she cannot become an Exvertia because her parents simply don't have enough money, even though they live comfortably, perhaps even more well-off than most middle-class families
…
Today, I awoke as usual, I spent a few minutes on the edge of the bed gathering my thoughts before standing up, I made my way out of my bedroom.
I went to meet my private maid. She is a woman named Kararyna, though she is usually called Kana instead of Kara or Ryna.
The reason I rely on her is because she takes care of everything for me. My mother is always busy and very active, no different from Papa—or perhaps even more so, since she never touches me the way Papa does, caring even less for me. For any matter, it is always my father who will take charge.
As for Mama, she only ever meets me twice a year.
…
In order to reach the same heights of success as my parents, balance between the two is necessary in this world. That is why the concept of joining them together with science emerged, and from it the Exvertias were created.
But there has also emerged new research—or theories—claiming that Exvertias give rise to opportunistic tendencies, they tend to achieve their goals by any means necessary, no matter how ruthless.
And in its extreme form… well, there are already plenty of examples on TV, the news such as about corruption and the like, things I myself do not truly understand. At the very least, that is what the television shows.
…
I searched everywhere for Kana, as I usually did. Kana is a cheerful, lively person—her life is full of color. She is a non-Exvertia of the extroverted type, in contrast, I am an introverted one.
I called out to her softly across the hallways, almost in a whisper. At times, glanced timidly from one hallway to the next. I walked alone through the halls.
"Kana, where are you…?"
Sometimes there were servants around, but they pretended I wasn't there. The reason is that whenever they came near, I would just run away, overcome by shyness.
Sometimes, I would notice the other servants secretly watching me from behind the walls, afraid that I might run away.
At times, they sometimes pointed me to Kana's whereabouts without saying a word. And sometimes, it was Kana herself who came to me, because someone must have informed her that I was trying to find her.
Still, at this moment, she was missing, and not a single servant could be seen after walking around in this building, the second building, the one made specially for me.
Unable to find anyone, especially Kana, I rushed back to my room. Yet there she was, standing still in front of my door, with Mama by her side.
From behind a corridor wall, quietly studying them, because Mama was there in the background.
I have to admit, Mama scared me. I never knew how to face her, and I would always run away whenever she came to the second building or anywhere. Sometimes, the only place I felt safe was behind Papa. Unlike others, Papa's Exvertia aura never makes me feel threatened.
Every time she was around, the halls grew empty, as if everyone vanished out of fear of meeting her.
I once eavesdropped on whispers saying Mama's aura was so terrifying it could crush someone's spirit. From then on, I too began to fear her, not only for that but also for the coldness in her gaze.
I had no idea how she knew where I was hiding, but I caught a glimpse of her glancing in my direction before she actually saw me. Before she noticed, I quickly hid behind the wall.
"Oh no! How could Mama possibly know where I was hiding? I'll never understand how she did that. I'm completely clueless."
Behind the wall, I listened to bits of their conversation.
"Did you see my child peeking from behind that wall just now, Kana?"
I only heard Kana's words. She just said, 'I apologize. I didn't see anyone, ma'am.'.
Kana is that kind of person. Even though she can be explosive—being an extrovert—She knows how to manage her temper and remain disciplined.
She told me before that she doesn't want to get fired again, or even become an Exvertia and register as a mentor for introverts who want to become Exvertia.
Quietly, I heard one person walking away, their footsteps fading as they returned to the main building. Then, another set of footsteps drew nearer.
My heart was racing from fear of being caught, yet I braved myself, knowing it was Kana.
I told myself it was just Kana and jumped out from behind the wall, even though my extreme shyness made me feel awkward.
Stepping out, I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I just felt awkward and guilty toward Kana, who I regarded as my second mother.
"Miss, don't act that way toward your mother. What if I got fired? But she's really nice. Don't worry, I know you're super shy. One day, you should be like her—becoming a successful Exvertia, haha."
With a hiss of mild irritation, I responded to Kana.
"I don't want to end up like Mama. She's so mean."
Kana just sighed and shook her head.
"Honestly, you need to understand her position. I get it—you're still immature. But now, go take a bath. I've prepared hot water. I'll wait in your room."
I went into the bathroom beside my bedroom, which I accessed through my room, a little annoyed as I did, to her previous words.