Chapter 1

I look up to the tall building that will be my new school starting from today. Only God knows how I work myself out to get a place in the school. I remembered the day I turned to see the golden gate, instantly I knew that it is the place I needed to be, a place that I can spread my wings and as a stepping stone to achieve my dream. Last year had seen my effort to enrol in the school starting from filling in the forms and went to see the school principal which I did it all alone. Luckily I was accepted as the second student to receive the scholarship from the school owner, President Suou and the name of the first student who received it earlier made my eyes grew bigger at the mentioning of her name.

A person I wish that I could see before my time, a person who saved me from my death and the person that gave me a new view towards life itself…Fujioka Haruhi, I remembered the name when her father called out to her ten years ago and entering the school now, I prayed silently hoping that the person is really her so that I could kill two birds with one stone. First, I wanted to say thanks to her for saving my life and second, to brush my skills in the school. I gazed at the school and with a ghost smile, I knew that I will succeed as I have come this far, too far to turn back …

"Ouran High…here I come…"

I went to my seat quietly but I knew eyes were watching me like they did the first time I entered the building. Well, what did they expect from a poor student like me? I can't even buy my own school uniforms, which is so girlish, so…I end up wearing black jeans and black T-shirt. Even as a girl, I look like a guy. Little that I know the staring eyes set on me were not due to my clothes. In person, I am bit taller than any average girls and the way I bring myself is a bit tomboyish plus I prefer to wear a tight sport lingerie which hide my figure well.

With a deep voice, serious face and a shoulder length wavy hair, spiky on the edges and perfect bangs that almost covered my eyes; I was often mistaken as a boy with mysterious aura. Sometimes, looking back, I was considered as beautiful elegant girl when I wore proper clothes and a handsome face boy vice versa. I thought it was funny when I received love letters from either boys or girls back in former school which is quite seldom occurrence in poor income school but never I thought it goes the same to elite school. By end of the first period, I outcast myself from the rest, thinking that I am just a poor commoner lost in the upper class environment.

I gathered all my books and tried to find a nice spot to finish up my homework for the day. It was then I stumbled to a music room. My face lit up as I love music and perhaps, just perhaps that the club members will leave me alone doing my work in a corner and at the same time listening to the music they played. But when I opened the door, I was caught of guard.

"Welcome!"

I look up and saw seven dashing and good looking seniors in front of me. I turned to look around and least that I know all the club members sweat dropped knowing that I thought it was a normal music room. The silence of the room made me face all the seniors.

"Gomendasai, I thought this is a music room. I hope that I can do my homework here and listening to the music. My fault," I said with a serious voice and after a bow I headed to the door.

"Wait a minute! Since you are already here, why don't you have a tea with us?" asked one of the seniors, I turned slightly looking at the person but quickly I let out a troubled look.

"Thank you for the offer but I didn't mean to interrupt though," I said and held on to the door knob.

"You can't go out yet till we settle with you on certain matters," a sudden strict voice made me stopped to a halt.

"Kyoya, what are you doing?" asked a person with a blond hair.

"Tamaki, this person knew about Haruhi identity," replied the spectacled senior called Kyoya.

"What? How did you know Kyoya senpai?" asked the twins who I failed to see earlier.

"Would you mind to tell us? I saw your expression earlier and it is no doubt that you knew this 'he' is a 'she'. But I hope that you could keep this between us if you do not wish to be provoked by Ootori and other powerful families throughout your study life here, second-scholarship-receiver, Karel Kizuki," said Kyoya.

"Hey, hey Kyoya…No need to call Haruhi 'this' but wait a second," the Tamaki senior said as he advanced towards me, "Are you telling me that 'this' is the second scholarship receiver Karel Kizuki? The commoner? The poor yet prodigy student ever enrolled in the school? Such a coincidence!" he said, too happily I thought.

"Huh, look who's talking," said Kyoya.

"Yes, I am Karel Kizuki and the thing that made me realize her identity is that her angelic face and she seems so pure to be a boy and thank you for your strict reminder," I said as I faced Kyoya, "and thank you for your offer senpai," I turned to the girl and smile slightly. I moved to open the door but I was dragged back into the room by a small cute senior.

"Kizu chan, Kizu chan, don't you know that Haru chan is also study here with a scholarship?" asked the cute guy.

"Haruhi senpai is a scholarship receiver? Then that means…Haruhi senpai is…Fujioka… Haruhi?" I asked and disengaged my hand, walking slowly to the person.

Haruhi gave a nod and smile. The others watch me with interest as I stopped out of a sudden in front of her. To everyone surprise, I just stared into her face, seems lost at words. Slowly, I couldn't hold myself anymore, tears started to brimmed and with loud sigh of gladness, I let them see my tears flow freely onto my cheeks. When it seems eternity, I took a deep bow in front of her.

"Arigato, Fujioka Haruhi, arigato, Fujioka Haruhi, arigato, Fujioka Haruhi," I said repeatedly and each time, I bowed humbly to her and the last bow, I kept my position.

"Why…I-I don't understand?" Haruhi asked, taken aback with my actions and so the others.

"I don't know whether you remember what happened ten years ago, but I did, even until now the memory still fresh in my mind. How can I forget, the person who saved me from death?" I said with non stop tears flowing.

"What happened?" asked Tamaki with a concerned look. Haruhi came forward and held my hand, bringing me to a nearby sofa. The others followed us seems interested to know my full story.

"I was only five years old when my parents died in an accident," I started then after a pause I continued, "There were people who came to take me away but I ran from them because at that time, I want nothing else than to follow my parents. Even I was five, I understood everything and rather than trying to kill myself in horrid ways, I just let myself starving, hoping that I could die peacefully. I stopped eating and drinking for three days and on the fourth day, when I opened my eyes, I was on a playground. I look around when suddenly I thought I saw an angel of death, came to take me away to my parents. But it was weird as she seems only a year older than me and without warning, she came up to me and drove a juice to my mouth, forcing me to drink its content.

I was too tired to move or to push her away and after the drink, I saw her took out a bento box and slowly, she fed me," I stopped only to get a control on myself. I was crying and gripping my fists tightly.

"It took me sometime to realize that she was actually helping me and after a while, I felt myself getting stronger and I asked her, why she took all the trouble to save someone who's on the brink of death. The girl looked at me with her determined eyes and she said 'your parents surely feel very sad if'…" I was cut off by another voice.

"If they saw you like this. Don't you love your parents? If you do then don't make them cry," Haruhi completed my sentence and I was stunned as I look at her teary eyes.

"Haruhi senpai…you still…remember me?" I asked.

"Yes, I remembered the most beautiful girl on the playground who seemed very pale and sad. I can't forget the smile that you showed me when I said that and to tell you the truth, I kept on asking myself what happened to you afterwards. I regretted that I didn't bring you back that day," she replied in tears.

"But, how did you know it was Haruhi?" asked a tall senior, the tallest among them all.

"I heard her father called up to her with a full name. I quickly took a mental note to remember her name by heart. Thank you again Haruhi sempai. You saved my life and I began to see this world in a different view now. This is the first time after ten years that I cried. Thank you…" I said, completing my story. Haruhi smile and she hugged me tightly.

"Wait a minute Haruhi. Did you say you saw a girl?" asked Tamaki.

"Yes, she is a girl," Haruhi said as she released me.

"WHAT??!!!" all of them shouted in unison except for Kyoya as he smiled knowingly.

"I am a girl but it's alright. I always mistaken as a boy and I don't mind what other people think about me though," I said.

"Helloo….eeekkk!!!!" suddenly a flock of girls entered the so called music room with a surprise shriek when they all saw the members inside the music room had their jaws dropped on the floor except Kyoya, Haruhi and me.

But as soon as the girls saw me, they quickly straightened their posture and blushed furiously. That time, my eyes glistened from the dried tears and somehow, it made my eyes glowed enchantingly. I was under the impression of they dislike my being there and slowly I got up and bowed to the seniors.

"It seems my being is here is settled. I am sorry for any trouble I caused. Thank you Haruhi sempai for everything. I owe my life to you and please feel free to ask me anything and I will do everything for you," I said with a slight bow.

I held my head high when I walked out the room slowly and steadily. With a hand in my pocket and the other holding books, I moved silently to the door and made my way out of the room. Right after I closed the door, little that I know the staring I received earlier was due to my attitude and appearance as what they called lonely aura which caused several girls in the music room collapsed of happiness to see me there. I had been the talk of the school the moment I stepped into the place which goes unnoticed by me.

Back in the music room, Kyoya, Haruhi, the twins and the older seniors were attacked by all type of questions from the girls about me. All of them were speechless as they only know my name and other information was only about my past. Suddenly Tamaki snapped his hand.

"Mori senpai, Honey sempai, Kyoya, Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru, we need to have a meeting," he said seriously. Once they settled in the changing room as their meeting room, Tamaki began to spoke out loud.

"We need to get more information with this Karel Kizuki. Everyone was asking about her and it is our job to find out what type of person she is. If you guys don't realize, she is quite elegant as a guy," he said with his usual pose.

"Ne, ne, Tamaki, are you going to make her as our Host Club members?" asked Haninozuka a.k.a Honey.

"I think it's a good idea to make her join our club," said Haruhi beaming with the idea.

"He he he, then that means we can have another toy to play with instead with Haruhi!" said the twins evilly.

As everyone was excited to find news regarding the new commoner student, Kyoya was having a second thought. He actually find it hard to admit that he knew a little about the new student but from what he read about the profile is that the said person is a prodigy. He understood that I knew five other languages and can converse well in French, Mandarin, Spanish, Korean, and English. He also found out that I was active in sports, music and literature which is amazing for just a person from normal school. But the main fact is, he couldn't figure out why I chose Ouran High. It seems that I couldn't possibly know Haruhi was here but the main reason still lingers on is mind during their meeting.

'Who are you actually, Karel Kizuki?'

I was choked while drinking from the water cooler and quickly I looked around.

'Did anyone think about me just now?'