Chapter One
Reiko Yukihara (a girl with reddish brown hair and hazel brown eyes) had just transferred to Cherry Blossom Academy that day. Reiko was sleeping soundly inside the limousine. When they were inside the Academy, a servant girl woke her up. Her eyes opened slowly. "Sorry if I slept, I didn't notice. Are we here?" she asked the servant.
"We are about to stop at the principal's office, young mistress" the servant girl informed. When the limo stopped, it was the signal that they were about to go out of the car. "Young mistress, please have a nice stay here," the servant girl said. Then another servant, a boy this time opened the door of the car for her. She stepped out.
She was walking to the Principal's Office with her governess, Yamada Ai (a woman with blonde hair and dark brown eyes, by her skin and eye color it appears that she is not from Japan but a foreigner). Reiko was aware of all the noble students she was going to be associated with, and it makes her shiver just imagining it. (Note: In the actual manga, there is an illustration of this).
"Cherry Blossom Academy (Note: Known famously as Sakura Gakuen). A prestigious school, exclusive only to the noble and richest families. An Academy that is as big as two cities put together. The only Academy in Japan that has recreational spots. Which I heard that it is unusual for some reason. However, the most interesting part is the famous principal, who was always the center of the press. In addition why is it so?" she asked after describing the school she was transferring to.
They were now inside the Principal's building; the style of the interior design has the characteristics of the rococo style that developed during the reign of Louis XV. The color, as you would expect from the style would be pale pastel colors, the patterns at the end would always have delicate ornate curving forms. Although, some of the furniture was not rococo style, they were antique with very lavish designs.
They had just arrived at the Principal's office, which is located at the top floor, using the elevator. Reiko did not show her amazement but seriously, deep inside she is really amazed.
Reiko was thinking all sorts of things about the Principal's looks and if the Principal is scary or if he looks like a monster. She even prayed silently (Note: which was of course really stupid, well that is what I was thinking she should do). They entered the beautifully ornate door then Reiko saw a small little boy (with black hair and eyes) sitting in the Principal's chair. "How cute! This must be the Principal's son. Nobody mentioned this to me." She thought admiring from the distance then she suddenly became edgy thinking constantly that something bad will happen. "Or maybe this cute little fellow's father turned out to be like the ones in anime. The father who resembles a gorilla with a heavy petrifying temper only to find out that he has this really nice and cute son," Reiko thought. (Note: why is this girl exaggerating things?).
"Good Morning Miss Yukihara, so nice to finally meet you." The little boy said and shook hands with her; Reiko thought how weird that was. "Welcome to the Cherry Blossom Academy, I hope you'll have a nice stay here, and by the way, I'm the principal of this Academy. I hope you're not surprised at all. Please do forgive for talking so informally I was just excited to see you" the boy started talking. Reiko was dumbfounded for a minute; she did not know what to say anymore.
"WHAT IS THIS KID BABBLING ABOUT?" she asked herself then quickly turned her gaze at Yamada who wasn't a bit surprised about it.
Three seconds later…Still no change in Yamada's appearance she let herself calm down then followed a smart sentence.
"I'm not surprised at all. I'm really happy to meet you and I will surely enjoy studying here," Reiko said. "I hope they're not kidding. Please, please, please. Maybe this person is a loli-shota (Note: loli-shota is a complex to look very young at age of 6-17). That's right maybe he is. But he's too old to be one" deep inside Reiko was thinking.
"I'm happy to know that you said that Miss Yukihara. Please show Miss Yukihara to the examination room now," the principal told the woman beside him, who was his secretary.
"Right away" the woman said and approached Reiko. "Miss Yukihara I'm deeply honored, please follow me"
"Yes" Reiko said and followed the woman with Yamada to a room. "Hey. There's something weird about all of this, my body guards aren't here to monitor me" she thought when she noticed.
"Young Mistress, I shall leave now" Yamada said and went out of the room.
"Holy cow! What's happening to everyone usually she doesn't want to leave me alone and now in this Academy she doesn't even freak out? Freak out, well like for example every time she's about to leave she would tell my body guards not to leave me or else they'll be hanged then she'd apologize if ever she'll leave me when she comes back" she kept thinking until her head hurts from thinking too much.
The woman she followed gave her the test and informed her of the instructions. After she had finished answering the exams the woman gave her….
"Miss Yukihara, this flash drive will be the keys to your dormitory building and also to your dormitory room. Please take it. This flash drive will also make you access schoolrooms, which is only applicable for students to use. In addition, this will allow you to enter campus club. This will not open forbidden places like the teachers lounge or principal's office if there's no permission granted. That is all. " The woman said and gave her the flash drive. "I will take you to your building so please come with me"
They rode a car to the dormitory building. They were now entering the dorm building's gate. While stepping out of the car the woman told her that she is placed in the top floor. She went inside the building waiting in the lounge for the one in charge, because the woman told her so. "The dormitory building is like a condominium building, as expected of the famous Academy very prominent. There's a dormitory lounge too, this is cool"
"Good Day, you must be the new transfer student I assume," a girl said. "I'm the student overseer in the female part of this sector. I'm the one checking if all the female students follow the rules. I've gotten a copy of the dorm rules for you. Moreover, my task is to give you the school handbook, the school map and your classroom building. Tomorrow I shall accompany you to school," the girl said. "I'm Kaito, Mamori nice to meet you. I'm in the ninth grade so it is expected that I shall still be staying in this dormitory building sector"
"Nice to meet you too" she said after standing up. Kaito handed the things Reiko needed.
"The laundry shop is in this floor just in that corner. You'll have to use your flash drive if you want to use it. If you run out of food supply, there's landline connection here. You can have deliveries. You're baggage is already transported inside your room. There's a maid that's cleaning when you're out"
"All right"
"Let us now go to your room, shall we?"
"Yes, of course" she said following her to the elevator.
"Let's see you are in the top floor, number 2," she muttered looking inside her clear book. Then they arrived. "There's your dorm room. Don't worry about boys, they're not allowed in the girl's part unless they are permitted and vice versa. The boy's part is right next to yours except there's a glass door which only opens when permitted"
When she opened her dorm, she got so amazed because it was bigger than her apartment it was also modern in style. In the corner, there's a hanging circular chair, which looks like an eyeball in the back. There were many rooms. The dining room that has three chairs and one rectangular table. The kitchen that had the complete set of cooking utensils, eating utensils it also had a refrigerator, oven, stove. The living room had very nice style of chairs, there were many magazines as well, and it had a television, DVD player, music player. The bathroom that has a Jacuzzi that surprised her. Her bedroom had an indoor closet, which contained new clothes, her uniform, shoes, sandals, and other footwear.
Her suitcase was placed in the living room. She wasn't tired so she started unpacking her things and arranged them. That day was Saturday and next week she'll be starting school again. She finished arranging her things at noontime so she decided to eat lunch. The refrigerator is filled with food. "Based on the Handbook, I'll be given an allowance every week which is in the flash drive to buy my needs but when you're just new in the Academy you'll still be given food for two weeks," she said. She only ate a little because she was so excited touring the Academy. Reiko went outside with an umbrella. She was heading outside but she crashed into someone. She noticed that it was a boy (with a light brown hair color and nice green eyes) and noticed how handsome he was. "I'm so sorry" she apologized.
"It's quite alright Miss. Please don't bother about it. I should be the one to apologize to you because I was reading while walking, it was perfectly my fault why I crashed in to you" the boy said and looked at her closely.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing it's just that you look so familiar even though you're new here," he said.
"How'd you know I'm a new student?"
"Because there are only a few students staying in this dorm building so it's easy to know who the new ones are"
"I thought there are many students studying here how come there are only few in this dorm building?" she asked inattentively and followed another question. She got bothered when she realized that she did. "I asked again I hope this guy wouldn't get annoyed"
"There are many students studying here and some are staying in the other dorm buildings," he explained.
"I'm sorry for pestering you with so many questions. I'll be going now it was nice meeting you" she said and walked inside the elevator.
"Umm…." he said and just looked at her while the elevator was going down. It was almost six when she saw a hill with a very big tree on top of it. She wanted a close look at it so she went up but she saw the boy before and he was reading. He sensed that there was someone looking at him so he looked up to see who it was.
"So we meet again," he said with a smile.
"I guess," she just said. "Don't you know reading at this time will only ruin your eyes?"
"Its fun reading at dawn. You should try it," he said.
"You're weird for a rich guy" she told him and looked at the tree. "What is that big tree? The one that's having yellow and sweet-smelling flowers"
"That tree is an eastern North American tree of the laurel family, it's called the sassafras. Its dried root bark used especially as medicine or as a flavor agent. This is the only sassafras in the Academy"
"You're weird, how come I never knew about it"
"That's because it's not a common tree and only people who reads about it knows it" he said.
"Is this guy insulting me by saying that a person who reads is the only ones who knows a sassafras tree?" she asked herself annoyed and walked away from him to keep her from getting more annoyed and say something rude.
"Hey why are you going? Is there something wrong with what I said?" he asked.
"Well you see you annoy me so much that I want to leave you" Reiko told him openly and continued walking towards the dorm building.
"That girl is very outspoken and interesting"
It was already Monday and her third day in the Academy and she was starting her first day. She tried her uniform and got frustrated when she saw how short the skirt was. "This is so bad the skirt shouldn't be this short. I hate short skirts" she complained and went to the train station with Mamori. "I never calculated that there will be a train station in this Academy," she thought.
Mamori looked at her strangely with shock when she saw her, but didn't tell her why she was shocked. At the train every now and then, Mamori would look at her with an uneasy feeling.
They arrived at the junior high school building and Mamori dropped her at the teacher's lounge; Shoka-sensei was there with other teachers. "Good Morning everyone" she greeted. Everyone from there looked at her oddly, like what Mamori did.
"Good Morning Miss Yukihara" Shoka-sensei said while approaching her. "It's almost time for first period shall we go to your classroom"
"Yes, sensei"
They went inside and saw the students were already in their respected seats. She counted them while the teacher wrote her name on the board. There were fifteen plus herself would make all of them in the class sixteen. All of them were looking at her (Note: obviously, they would).
"As you can see we have a new student," Shoka-sensei said. "Reiko please introduce yourself," the teacher whispered. The girl's were giggling, conversing with one another catching glimpses of Reiko then, conversing again. The boys were oddly looking at her but not squirming a bit or start a conversation.
"Good Morning, my name is Yukihara, Reiko-des. I'm twelve years old," she said wearily. Reiko saw the boy from before and he was smiling at her she didn't smile back because she couldn't remember him any longer because of the frustration she was feeling.
"Is that all you're going to say, Miss Yukihara?" the teacher asked. She blushed unknowingly. "If you don't want to say anything anymore I'll just ask you some questions," she said. "What sports do you like?"
"Umm…what sports I like? Well I am very interested in tennis," she said still blushing.
"Did you hear that? Reiko likes tennis, isn't that awesome. What subjects do you like?"
"I like all the subjects, Shoka-sensei"
"Now who wants to volunteer as Miss Yukihara's guide and partner?" the teacher asked all of the boys raised their hands. "Let's settle this in drawing lots. Please pick one stick," she told Reiko.
"Here sensei" she said giving the stick she picked.
"Takahashi, Keiji-des please stand up" Shoka-sensei said. The girls became noisy. "Please take good care of Miss Yukihara. I'll count on you"
"Right" he said and Shoka-sensei made them seatmates.
After Shinichi-sensei's class it was time for break Keiji faced Reiko "Hi there still remember me?" he asked.
"No I am sorry; I do not remember you in my memory at all. But you are my partner, right?" she asked for confirmation.
"That's right. But are you really sure you don't remember me from yesterday?" he asked. "The guy…under the shade of the sassafras tree…the hill" Reiko thought for a while and then she remembered.
"I remember now," she said and Keiji smiled. "You're that annoying guy right?" she asked his smile faded.
"I guess you could say that"
"I can't believe we're seatmates and in the same class too," she said sounding so upset.
"I can't do anything about that now could I?"
"Well since you're my guide and partner or whatever I'll just ask you where the place I want to go to. Please do not bother coming with me to places, please just do not bother me at all. In addition, do not call me by my name. Will that be alright?"
"That's fine with me"
When lunchtime came, Reiko did not know where the cafeteria is so she went to ask Keiji for help but she tripped and fell on her knees. Keiji saw her and helped her get up. "Are you okay pink panty girl with rabbit prints?" Keiji asked everybody laughed. She turned beet red.
"Perverted annoying guy!" she shouted angrily. Reiko stood up by herself and slapped him. All of her classmates inside were shocked. A girl was looking angrily at Reiko.
"Why did you hit me for? You did tell me that I can't call you by your name," he said while gently stroking the slapped part.
"Shut up!" she said angrily. "What I meant to say my given name!" she added. A girl looking infuriated.
"I had it with you transfer student! You have nerves slapping Keiji-kun! I'm warning you if you do that again you'll be sorry so apologize to him right now," the girl said to her.
"I don't want to apologize to him and who are you to boss me around" Reiko said.
"Why you—"
"Satsuki please don't cause a fight. It's okay" Keiji said and went out. When he was out of sight, Satsuki grabbed Reiko's long ponytail.
"Do you think we'll let you off that easily after what you did to Keiji?" the girl said
"Yeah a twelve-year old brat like you shouldn't even be in Second Year junior high! I can't believe that you're in the A class too" another girl said but was not from the section.
"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I was the one surprised that you're in A class. You don't act like you're in a higher class" Reiko said confidently they became angry at what she said.
"You little witch; I bet you're one of those students who took the scholarship program, weren't you? You do act like them, after all. Tying your hair so high and tight, it's like you're going to P.E class or something"
"So that's what it was all about, they were looking at me because of my hair. That's pretty irrational of the rich devils" she thought. "So what if I did tie my hair the way it is. What do you care?"
A cute boy (with dark yellow hair and light blue eyes) and a pretty girl (with black hair and red eyes) approached them. "Satsuki, that's quite enough, you know better than to fight a younger girl," the boy said. The two girls angrily stormed out of the classroom. "I'm really sorry; they're always like that when it comes to Keiji-kun. By the way, my name is Yu Tachibana and this is Hanako Fujiwara. Nice meeting you" Yu said.
"You're the president and the vice president right?" she asked. They nodded. "Thanks for your help"
"No problem. Miss Yukihara maybe you shouldn't tie your hair like that" Hanako suggested.
"Okay, see you later" Yu said and left.
"This stinks! I forgot to ask them where the eating facility is" Reiko said and didn't bother to eat. That afternoon she decided to try out for the tennis club for girls. She played with some of the regulars. After the ranking system was announced, she was now a regular herself. The captain was nice to her and they became friends instantly.
"Let me explain the tennis club to you Reiko. Since the tennis club for girls in the junior high school department has over a hundred members they decided to divide the club into five groups. Each group has now ten members, you're in-group B. Since you got into regulars, you'll be a candidate for the real regular line-up. That means you'll be competing this week and the next," she explained. A member from the boy's tennis club approached after her practice match.
"Hi my name is Hajime Saotome. I'm from your class by the way. I really want to be your friend if it's okay with you that is," he said.
"Sorry but I don't have time for friends right now. I'll be only busy and lack time for studying" she told Hajime.
"I'm really sorry for bothering then" Hajime said disappointedly. The next day her name was called to a photogenic contest. She was surprised and stood up everybody thought that she was ready to go. "Sensei, please double check that list because I never entered that contest" she told teacher Shoka. Shoka sensei scanned the list again.
"Sorry Yukihara-san your name is listed".
"But Sensei there must be some mistake on that list I never entered that contest"
"No more buts your name is listed, there's no mistake at all.
All of the contestants went out. "Do you know how smug you are? Still denying that you didn't join, how immature." Satsuki said. "Well as far as I know I'm just going to win it again this year"
"Are you saying that you won last year?" Reiko asked.
"Of course, you can ask everyone about it if you want" she said confidently.
"Well I'm not surprised at all, anyhow. All the cute and elegant girls doesn't like participating in such contests" Reiko said coldly.
"I've got an idea! Let's have a match, if I win this contest you'll be my slave if not I'll be your slave"
"I don't want to have a sassy girl for a slave"
"You're just scared because I'll win this contest"
"Me, scared? You're on" Reiko said. "I'll definitely crush you for challenging me"
After the contest, Reiko was still furious. While walking to the room, she stopped because she heard Hanako and Yu talking so she eavesdropped (Note; that was very unlady like). "When Reiko finds out that you signed her name to the contest I don't know what will happen to you."
"If you stop babbling and shut your mouth inchou, she wouldn't find out" Hanako said.
"Well, well, well if it isn't the president and the vice-president. Miss Fujiwara were you the one who signed me up?" she asked nicely.
"Umm…Yeah" Hanako said and then gulped.
"Why the heck did you sign me up to that horrible, girly, stupid contest?"
"It's because we thought you liked to join that contest" Hanako said nervously.
"What made you think that I'd like to be in that contest?" she said angrily.
"Okay see you later bye!" Hanako said and started running away.
"Hey come back here. I'm not finished with you yet" she shouted and started running after her. Keiji suddenly stopped Reiko.
"Let me through"
"I can't do that. It's against the rules to pick a fight in this Academy, if you do, then you'll probably get kicked out. So be grateful" he said, Reiko stepped on his foot. "You dope, I'm just doing this so you could stay. Why did you have to step on my foot?"
"Serves you right for stopping me," she said. "Now look at what you've done! Fujiwara got away" she complained and was going to walk but Keiji grabbed her skirt. "You really are a pervert!" she shouted at him but still would not let go.
"Come with me, I'll treat you lunch today" he said and pulled her to the cafeteria. "Gees that Hanako, she caused me so much trouble today" he grumbled.
"No, thank you" she said grabbing her hands back.
"Where are you going?" he asked
"None of your business" she said and continued walking. She went to the buildings' rooftop. "This is that entire person's fault. Now I can't eat my lunch properly and I'm really that hungry and all the miserable things I'm unsure of expecting is happening to me," she said grumpily looking at her watch. She stayed there until it was time for the next class.
*FIN*