Summary: As she gets into Seigaku, Anika finds out that Japan was so much more interesting than her birthplace. She's a heroine, but she's also a writer. How do you think she'll get through middle school, especially with that tensai around every corner? FujixOC

Seigaku Gazette

By: Alea Jumper

Chapter One – Application Forms

'Take a form, fill it up, and drop it in the box before lunch,' she thought as she stared at the large white box sitting on a table in front of the school newspaper's production office. She took a deep breath and started to slide the single piece of paper into the slot. Half way through, she pulled it back.

"I can't do this," she muttered to herself. She started to turn around to walk away, but she bumped into someone. She looked up at the face of her senpai.

"Move out of the way, will ya?" she said in her high, whiny voice. The younger girl stumbled out of the way and bowed her head as the upperclassman slipped a form identical to her own through the slot.

"Ah. I'm sure they'll make me president even before they finish reading my application," she said and she laughed with her the two other girls who followed her. The arrogant senpai's eyes found her kouhai still bowing beside her.

"Oh. You're still here," she sneered and the younger female looked up just a bit. "Y-yes, Yoshida-senpai."

Looking down at the girl, the senpai saw what she was holding and laughed. Her companions, not knowing what was funny, laughed a bit. They stopped when she stopped.

"You're going to turn in an application form?" she laughed again. The two followers, catching on, laughed also. "Do you think they'd even consider reading your worthless application? You make me laugh!" and, yet again, the senpai did, while walking away this time.

Sensing the presence of her conceited senpai leave the vicinity, the girl straightened up, massaging her back a bit. She looked around at the empty halls and down at her form, her neat handwriting looking up at her. 'Maybe Yoshida-senpai was right. The newspaper won't take any freshmen now, would they?'

As she made a move to crumple the piece of paper, the girl was stopped by the sound of multiple footsteps. Before she could even comprehend to actually crumple her form, there were four females in front of her, all of them seniors and all of them having positions on the news team. The young girl quickly moved out of the way of her four senpais and bowed to them.

"Ohayo, senpai-tachi," she said. The quartet looked at her and simultaneously nodded.

"Ohayo, Yukino-san," one of them said. It was the one in the front. She had shoulder-length black hair that was tamed by a wide, bronze headband and large amber eyes. She looked at the kouhai with a bit of concern in her eyes. "How was your first week?"

The young girl straightened up and looked at the senpai then smiled, "It was a little hard, Yamamoto-senpai, but I managed somehow."

"Do you know her, Naomi?" another girl asked. She had waist-length chestnut hair that she kept in a high ponytail and light blue eyes that held confusion that was directed at the younger girl. She was very pretty, beautiful even. She had a perfect look about her, like she was a reincarnation of a pixie of fairy; she was ethereal.

"Yes, Naomi, who is she?" the third girl asked. This one had shoulder-length light brown hair kept in a messy ponytail and steel gray eyes that were behind clear, frameless glasses. She also held a pale green steno notebook in her left hand.

The young girl was about to introduce herself but thought otherwise because she thought it would be impolite as she was not the one spoken to. Naomi saw her hesitance and smiled a little.

"This is Anika Yukino. She's in first year, class A. She started here at Seigaku last week," Naomi said as a general introduction. The other three girls nodded and introduced themselves to be polite.

"I'm Shiori Nakano. Third year, class C. Nice to meet you, Yukino-san," the one with glasses and the pale green notebook said.

Anika bowed again. "Likewise, Nakano-senpai."

The pretty girl smiled. "How polite," she cooed. "I'm Emiko Nakagawa. I'm a third year, in class A and I want you to call me Emiko," she smiled again and patted Anika's head.

"Hai, Na– er…Emiko-senpai," Anika said and bowed again.

"Well, I'm Itsuko Sasaki. I'm also a third year, but I'm in class C. Pleasure to meet you," the last girl, the one with bob-cut dark blue hair that was clipped back at the right side and blue eyes, said.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sasaki-senpai," Anika bowed one last time to her senpais and smiled.

Naomi, who had been watching the exchange, spotted the paper in Anika's hands. As they finished, she picked this time to bring it up.

"Are you applying for a position, Anika-san?" she asked. The other girls turned their attention to the paper in Anika's hands.

"Ah…er, I'm not so sure anymore, Yamamoto-senpai," Anika said as she looked at her application form. She bit her lip when she remembered the other senpai's words. The paper was gone from her hands though, just as she was about to definitely decline her application.

It was Shiori who had taken it and said, "Hmm…this is pretty good. Very good, actually."

"Really, Shiori? May I see?" Emiko said. She took the piece of paper and scanned it. "Yes, your piece is very good."

"Well, if Shiori and Emiko say it's good, you might as well come with us," Naomi said. The form was given to her and she scanned it her self and smiled. She looked at the slightly embarrassed freshman and said, "Come on."

Emiko and Itsuko picked up the large white drop box while Shiori opened the door and the three of them entered the production office. Naomi followed as she beckoned Anika to come in with them. Anika followed after looking around the halls.

Once the younger girl was inside, Naomi closed the door behind her.

"You look as if coming in here were a crime," Itsuko joked as she smiled at Anika. She and Emiko placed the box on a long table and opened it. They had emptied it by the time Shiori opened the lights and walked back to the table.

Naomi rolled her eyes. She led Anika to the table and motioned for her to sit down. "You couldn't have neatly piled them out, but instead dumped all of them on the table?"

Itsuko shrugged. "It's easier this way," she said. "As you can see, a lot of people submitted application forms."

"Yes. And apparently, more than fifty percent of them are third years. And more than half of that are females," Shiori stated as she shuffled through the papers.

"So, a lot of girls in our year want to join, huh?" Emiko said. She had picked up some of the papers and put them into piles. The three other girls followed suit.

Anika looked at her senpais and stood up from the stool. She picked up papers herself and arranged them into a neat pile. The other girls saw this and smiled and continued their work in silence.

"Naomi-senpai! Naomi-senpai!" yelled someone from the halls. The shouts were accompanied by multiple heavy footsteps and voices of protest such as: "Kimiko, calm down! You're making a ruckus!", "Shut it already, loudmouth!", "Kimi-chan, please be quiet!", and many more.

The five girls stopped piling papers and turned to the door. Naomi strode toward the said door and pulled it open, just in time as four other girls stampeded in. The one in front, the shortest, came to a halt right before Naomi and handed her a folder just as the three other girls bumped into her and the four of them were in a pile on the ground. Naomi and the rest of the girls at the table just stared.

"Urgh…I told you to calm down, Kimiko-chan," one of the girls on the floor groaned. She had shoulder-length pastel pink hair with bangs swept to the right and silver-colored eyes. There was a strap around her neck, presumably for a camera. "Look what we've gotten into this time."

"Y-yes, Kimi-chan. Be more cautious next time, please," the next one said. She had shoulder-length purple hair and dark blue eyes behind askew red-rimmed glasses. She also had a thin booklet in her hand, miraculously not thrown across the room.

The last girl had gotten up and fixed herself. Her black hair was up to her mid-back and her matching eyes glared at the short girl still on the ground. That same short girl stuck her tongue out at the glaring female and got up herself. Her deep red hair was also until her mid-back and her pastel pink eyes were mischievous. She dusted herself off and addressed her senpais.

"Gomenasai, senpai-tachi. I just wanted to hand in my report to Naomi-senpai before we started the application browsing."

Naomi rolled her eyes for the second time that day and looked down at the aforementioned report. She raised her eyebrows.

"I'm impressed, Kimiko-chan. This report isn't due until Friday," she said. Kimiko grinned and did a mock salute. Naomi closed the door as the rest of the girls sat at the table. As she surveyed everyone, she noticed the newcomers staring at Anika.

"Oh. This is Anika Yukino. She's part of the news team starting today."

There were multiple reactions. Kimiko exclaimed with an "Ehh?!"; Anika herself stared at Naomi; Emiko, Shiori and Itsuko nodded; and the last three stared in confusion.

"You've recruited her already? Even without a writing exam, Naomi-san?" the one with pink hair asked. Naomi nodded.

"Yes, Machiko-san. I know of her writing background. Her skills are rather impressive."

"So, she doesn't even have an application form? You recruited her just like that?" the girl with purple hair inquired, stressing her point with a snap of her fingers at the word 'that'. She was still looking at Anika, scrutinizing her.

"No. She has an application form, Fumiko-chan," Emiko replied as she handed said form to the girl named Fumiko. She read it over and her eyebrows raised the further down the paper she went.

"This is rather impressive!" she said at last. She looked up at he quiet freshman and smiled. "Your application is very, very good, Yukino-san. I can see why Naomi-senpai would recruit you without question," She handed the form to the quiet dark-haired, dark-eyed girl. The female scanned it and nodded.

"Yes. Impressive," was her short comment, then she passed it to the next girl, the one with pink hair and a camera around her neck.

"Wow. It must be good, considering Hisoka-chan herself would praise it," the coral-haired girl said. She began to read it herself.

"As you can guess," Itsuko began, addressing Anika, "Hisoka-chan doesn't think too highly of many people," The freshman nodded to her senpai. She then turned to the person currently studying her form; it was that girl Kimiko.

"Whoa! You never said you won so many contests, Ani-chan!" Kimiko exclaimed. The senpais around her blinked twice and asked the two if they already knew each other. Kimiko was about to answer, but Anika beat her to it.

"Yes, Nishimura-san and I are classmates."

"Seatmates, even!" Kimiko said, and then turned to Anika, "Didn't we establish that you'll call me 'Kimi-chan' and I'll call you' Ani-chan'?"

"Gomen, Ni–…er, Kimi-chan," Anika apologized.

Kimiko waved it off and handed the piece of paper to Itsuko who placed it a box labeled 'ACCEPTED'.

"Okay. Since we've finished placing the application forms into piles," Naomi began. "Let's pick piles!"

Each girl moved to a pile and sat down in front of it. Every pile had approximately twenty forms each which made it about one hundred and eighty applicants in total.

"Since we have a new member," Naomi said again, motioning to Anika, "Shiori will explain what we'll look for in a potential news teammate. Shiori?"

"Well, the application form contains a picture, the applicant's bio-data, and a sample test depending on what the person is applying for; writer, photographer, field researcher, layout artist, or cartoonist," Shiori explained as most of the girls were starting to scan applications.

"We're looking for someone with a good personality; easy to talk to, a good listener, not necessarily talkative or always happy. They should also have a clean reputation; we wouldn't want someone who's a bully or someone who's created an offense on the news team, right? And, as for the sample test, if you think it's great, accept it. We'll still discuss the choices later, anyway."

As Shiori finished her explanation, Anika began to read some applications.

NAME: Chisaki Yamada

YEAR & CLASS: III-C

APPLYING POSITION: Photographer

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: Because I heard Shusuke Fuji was applying for this position!!

'Ugh. Fangirl,' Kimiko thought. She shook her head and placed the paper in the 'REJECTED' box. 'Next.'

NAME: Yoko Matsuda

YEAR & CLASS: II-D

APPLYING POSITION: Editor-in-chief

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: Because I feel Naomi Yamamoto is far too incompitent for the job.

As soon as she read the applying position, the best decision was definitely the 'REJECTED' box.

'If she thinks that Naomi-senpai is incompetent, what does that make her?' Hisoka thought. 'She didn't even spell it correctly.'

NAME: Fukiko Aoki

YEAR & CLASS: I-D

APPLYING POSITION: Writer

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: I want to be able to contribute to our school paper and maybe learn a little as a journalist.

'Hmm...her application is alright, I suppose,' Machiko pondered. 'Her writing needs a little brush up though.'

She thought about it for a few more moments and decided to place it in the 'ACCEPTED' box.

'She's willing to learn, after all.'

NAME: Mariko Hayashi

YEAR & CLASS: III-E

APPLYING POSITION: Layout Artist

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: I…I don't know! I didn't want to apply but Chie Yoshida-san put me up to it! I DON'T WANT TO APPLY AT ALL!!

'Oh my…!' Fumiko thought as she scanned the application. She immediately placed it in the 'REJECTED' box.

NAME: Chie Yoshida

YEAR & CLASS: III-F

APPLYING POSITION: President!

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: So that I can embaras all those nobodees and make meself more popyular!

'Whoa,' Anika thought. 'What an application.'

The sarcasm was apparent in her thoughts and the disgust was evident I her actions. To the 'REJECTED' box the paper went.

'I can't believe I showed respect to her.'

NAME: Renji Nasato

YEAR & CLASS: II-E

APPLYING POSITION: Field Researcher

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: To be able to socialize with hot girls with a valid reason so they won't walk away from me. ;)

'Perv,' was Naomi's only thought as she carelessly dropped the paper in to the 'REJECTED' box.

NAME: Shusuke Fuji

YEAR & CLASS: III-A

APPLYING POSITION: Photographer

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION?: So the readers will have a more visual experience aside from reading only the words about the school news.

'Wow. This guy has a great application,' Anika thought. Looking at his submitted photos, she recognized them as areas of the school, most of them she's never been to. There were also pictures of students in groups. There was one interesting picture of a light brown haired guy who looked like he was literally on fire and he was holding a yellow tennis racquet in his right hand and his left hand was pinning down the left hand of another guy with red hair; they appear to be arm wrestling.

There were more pictures and most of them were of Seigaku's various sports clubs. But there was another picture that caught her eye; it was the Seigaku boys' tennis club. Apparently, this Shusuke Fuji was part of the team, and so were the two males who were arm wrestling. But that wasn't the reason it got her hooked, it was someone else, someone with glasses similar to Shiori's, and he was standing in the middle with his white racquet.

"Mitsu-nii-san?" Anika muttered to herself. The other girls snapped up at the sudden noise.

"Something wrong, Anika-chan?" Emiko asked. Anika snapped up this time and stared at all the people in front of her. Realizing what her senpai was talking about, Anika shook her head.

"Nothing, senpai. I just said I was done," Anika replied. And indeed, she was as she slipped Shusuke Fuji's application form into the 'ACCEPTED' box.

"Oh, okay. Talk to Hisoka-san for a bit while we finish up," Naomi said as she and the girls finished their work. Anika turned to Hisoka, who was seated on her right, and raised her hand to shake.

"Uhm…so, I'm Anika Yukino. You know that already," the freshman began and was relieved when Hisoka took her hand in one firm shake. Retracting her hand to her side she said, "I'm a freshman, class A. I just transferred here last week."

"Hisoka Sakamoto. Second year, class B," the stoic girl said. Anika smiled a bit. Hisoka Sakamoto, though cold on the outside, was starting to grow on her.

"And I'm Machiko Nakamura," someone said from Anika's left. It was the pink haired senpai. "Third year, class B. So nice to meet you, Anika-san."

"As it is nice to meet you, Nakamura-senpai," Anika replied as she bowed her head a little.

"Please, Anika-san, just call me 'Machiko-senpai'. It's less formal," Machiko said, smiling a bit.

"Yes, Anika-san. You can just call us by first names," another girl said, the one with purple hair who was beside Machiko. "I'm Fumiko Takahashi. Call me Fumiko. I'm in second year, class B."

"Hai, Fumiko-senpai," was all Anika said before Shiori started to speak.

"Well, we've had our introductions so I'll get right to the point," she began. She pulled the 'REJECTED' box off the table and fished out the application forms from the 'ACCEPTED' box. "Hmm…only ten. I guess it'll have to do."

She put the box away and put the application forms on the table. She then began reading the first one.

"Fukiko Aoki. First year, class D."

"She also sent in application form at the beginning of the year but was rejected. Who accepted her this time?" Naomi asked. Machiko raised her hand. Naomi motioned for her to explain.

"As you can see on her form, she is willing to learn and she's only a first year. She has time," Machiko stated. Naomi and Shiori nodded simultaneously and Shiori separated the paper as Naomi said, "Okay. We'll try her. She'll be part of the news team for a couple of weeks and then we'll see if she works hard enough."

"Next is Shusuke Fuji. Third year, class A," Shiori read.

"Hmm…who accepted Fuji?" Naomi asked. Anika raised her hand. Naomi cocked an eyebrow. "Do you know him, Anika-chan?"

"Uhm…no, senpai," Anika meekly replied. "But his submitted photos were exquisite. He would be a great photographer for the paper."

"Anika, this boy is part of the Seigaku tennis club," Naomi said.

"Yes, senpai. I saw in the photo."

"And he is also part of the photography club."

"Really?"

"Yes, and he's a third year. We won't accept him."

"Why not, Naomi-senpai?" Anika asked, confused. Naomi sighed. She looked at Shiori. "You didn't explain the policy?"

"Forgot. Gomen," Shiori apologized. Naomi looked at Anika again.

"I guess I can't blame you. You are, after all, new," she said.

"You see, Ani-chan," Emiko started, "We have a policy here."

"A policy that says we won't accept those students who are involved in many clubs and activities," Itsuko explained. "No matter how good they are."

"Oh," Anika said.

"Yes. And Shusuke Fuji is, aside from being a senior, part of the tennis club which will be competing in Regionals soon, and hopefully Nationals, too. He is also part of the photography club, like Naomi said," Shiori rattled off. "Plus, he's the student council secretary."

"I see," Anika said. "So the policy prevents you from overloading students with schoolwork?"

"Yes. Exactly," Machiko said. Anika nodded and Shiori slipped Fuji's form into the 'REJECTED' box on the floor.

"Okay, moving on," Emiko said.

The girls read through the rest of the forms until the end of lunch. As the first bell rang, they all gathered their things and parted ways.

"Well, that went well," Kimiko said. Anika smiled and they continued walking to their classroom with Kimiko chatting casually and Anika would reply every once in a while.

Reaching their classroom, Kimiko dragged Anika to their seats in the back and sat down behind the boy who was wearing a white Fila cap just as the teacher came in. He announced their lesson for the afternoon and began.

Author's Note: Oh-kaaay….this thing was supposed to be only three pages long, at most.

Damn. When ya have an idea, it really takes over, huh? This chapter reached thirteen pages….but, I cut it down to ten. It's still so damn long, though…*sigh*

May 11, 2010: I just finished RErereading this chapter and I found that bit about calling the upperclassmen by their first names lame, which is why I changed it a bit. For all those who just finished this chapter, I'm sorry if you wanted to read the original version.

Anyway, please REVIEW!! :D

Japanese Terms:

senpai - Used to address upperclassmen.

kouhai - Used to address students of lower years.

ohayo - A greeting either translating to 'morning' or 'hello'.

-tachi - Functions as a plural/group marker for nouns and some pronouns referring to people.

-san - Commonly used when addressing older people or people you don't know very well.

-chan - Used as a term of endearment, commonly for girls and little children.

gomen/gomenasai - Translates to 'sorry' or 'I'm sorry'.

nii-san/nii - Translates to 'older brother' or someone who is treated as such.