Disclaimer: I don't own anything~

This fanfic saw the light after a friend from tumblr helped me finalize this AU. I hope you all enjoy this ride in Butler Sonoda Umi's life.

Chapter 1: At your service, milady.

Chapter 1: At your service, milady.

A day ago, Sonoda Umi was just a regular high school student.

A day later, she found herself moving into a new house and a new school, landing a job as a butler of a certain household.

It all started on that fateful day while she was at school, enjoying her time with her friends. Her parents suddenly called her, told her that their family had gone bankrupt, and that their dojo's doors would close its doors because it could no longer support the family the way it used to.

It was the modern era, samurais of the old long forgotten and people stopped trying to harness their skills with the sword. For that reason, the Sonoda family suffered a decrease of eager learners and their dojo eventually emptied out of students.

Their dojo was their only source of income. When it failed to do its duty, the Sonoda family was left with nothing. Umi's parents had no choice but to sell their house and find decent jobs. When Umi inquired her parents where they would live, they answered with a simple: "You're going to work for a rich family. They're looking for a butler for their only daughter. For the time being, you're going to live there as well. So you don't have to worry about where you will stay. As for your mother and I, we will be helping out your uncle manage his business in Hokkaido."

Umi wanted to say she wanted to go with them, but such an act was selfish especially at a time like this. Her parents had already called this family and applied Umi for the job.

"…don't worry. We are not abandoning you. After we saved enough money, we'll come back for you, we promise you that."

That was how Umi found herself standing in front of a tall gate, waiting for someone to let her inside this (ridiculously) huge house. "A butler, huh…" And so a new chapter in her life started.

Umi knocked on the door softly. "Ojou-sama, it's time to go." A week had already passed since she started working for the Minami house.

The Minami family owned a lot of educational institutions. A large sum of money also went to public schools which were unable to provide its students decent learning materials. Students unable to continue their education because of financial matters were also given scholarships. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were the ones keeping Japan's educational system on its feet.

"Ojou-sama?" She repeated.

Umi was transferred into Otonokizaka Academy as part of her work. This was the first time she was wearing a blazer for a school uniform, her old school's uniform was a sailor one and a co-ed. Apparently, Otonoki (its nickname) was an all-girls school.

The door finally opened, revealing the daughter of the Minami family also wearing Otonoki's uniform, Minami Kotori, a second year in Otonoki. "I'm sorry, did you wait long?"

"Ojou-sama, if I may be frank, you don't have to apologize to me for that." Kotori belonged in a different world than Umi after all. She was also Umi's employer as well.

"But it's rude to make someone wait for you." Kotori stepped out of her room, closing the door behind her. Umi was actually expecting to serve a spoiled rich girl wanting everything to go her way, a stereotyped image. She was prepared for that, but she was proven wrong when Minami Kotori welcomed her with a kind smile a week ago. She emitted an aura of a perfect Japanese lady, a modern Yamato Nadeshiko. Loved by the students in the school, she was individual whom the students looked up to. "Let's go?"

"Ah, yes."

Umi was expecting for a rich girl to be chauffeured by a fancy car, she was proven otherwise once again as Kotori only walked to and from school.
Their way to school was an event Umi had gotten used to in the past week. At first, Umi was walking a few steps behind her employer. Kotori scolded her for that and told her to walk beside her instead. The girl also requested to not be referred to as ojou-sama when they're outside of the house. (It was actually within the house too but Umi refused saying that it's not proper)

"How are you doing right now, Umi-chan?"

"Ah, I have gotten used it."

Kotori stopped and pouted at her.

"I-I mean I'm okay now." Right, she's not allowed to speak in a formal tone.
Kotori's expression lit up and she continued her trek towards their school. She was always worrying about Umi. But Umi was coping up with her situation rather perfectly. Kotori was easy to talk to and the students of Otonoki were also friendly, she couldn't ask for anything else. Umi wondered about her parents since she lost contact with them on that day. She hoped they were doing well.

Unknown to her, Kotori was looking at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Umi-chan."

"Y-yes?" Was there something Kotori wants her to do?

The girl grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, surprising the latter. "O-ojou-sama?!"

"Oh, your hand is really warm. This is the first time we held hands like this."
If people saw them like this, it would cause an uproar. Transfer student Sonoda Umi holding hands with the school's princess, Minami Kotori, how scandalous. Kotori smiled at her as fondly as she can. "I like your hand, Umi-chan. Do you practice martial arts or something?"

Umi's calloused hands were results from her dedication to archery and kendo in the past. "Um, just archery and kendo." She wanted Kotori to let go now, they were almost at their school. If that person saw them like this she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Why don't you join the archery club, then? They would like to have you in their team."

Umi joining a club was not acceptable. She was working as a butler and had to be always at her lady's side. "I grew tired of it."

"Hmm…"

"SONODA!" A person suddenly approached them and wrenched her hand away from Kotori.

Umi steeled herself. "Ayase-sama." There was one individual who didn't appreciate her appearance into Kotori's life.

Ayase Eli, Otonoki's student council president and an overprotective childhood friend of Kotori.

Eli just looked at Kotori. "Are you okay?"

Right, being ignored.

"Eli-chan… I'm okay but…"

"Good." She returned her attention to the butler. "…you–"

"That's enough, Eli." Another person appeared. Nishikino Maki, another childhood friend of Kotori's and Eli's, and the youngest among the three.

Umi regarded her as politely as she could, bowing her head at the girl as a greeting. "Good morning, Maki-sama."

"How do you, Umi-senpai, Kotori."

With Eli and Maki standing beside Kotori like this, the latter one was the shortest even though Maki is a year younger. Umi understands where Eli's coming from for being wary of her. Kotori was really kind, it was her strength and her downfall. With Umi's position as her butler, she was always with Kotori and could take advantage of that kindness better than anyone else.

"You don't understand, Maki! She was holding Kotori's hand!" Eli tried to explain.

That was not Umi's fault, her employer was the one who initiated that.
"…okay okay. I get it. You need to go right now and work on your student council duties."

"Maki…!"

Kotori puffed out her cheeks and karate chopped the two on their head, earning reactions from them. "Don't argue." She successfully put out the fire. "And Eli-chan, it was me who was holding Umi-chan's hand. It's not her fault."

"…i-is that so?"

"Like what Kotori said."

Eli frowned at the red haired girl. "I don't understand you. Why are you taking her side?"

"I'm just…"

It seemed like they were going to argue again. Kotori gave them another hit.

"Right… sorry, we're stopping." Eli let out a sigh.

"Good."

Umi watched this whole spectacle in awe. These three were really good friends. They kinda reminded her of her own friends from her old school. She also lost contact with them after starting her job. Maybe on her next day off she could visit them. It has been a while after all.

"Umi-chan? Let's go." Maki and Eli were already walking ahead of them.

"Ah, yes."

Umi was arranged to join Kotori's class to make things easier for her. The first day she transferred here, she earned a lot of attention from the students and was dubbed as the 'Mysterious dashing transfer student'. It wasn't something new. In her old school, she was a frequent recipient of love letters from both genders.

"Kotori." She placed down a lunch box in front of the girl seated on one of the chairs inside the crowded cafeteria. "Here is your lunch for today."

Can't say that this didn't earn quite a reaction from their classmates at first. Umi giving Kotori a lunch box formed a misunderstanding. They thought, and were still thinking, that she and Kotori were in that kind of relationship.
"Thank you as always, Umi-chan."

Umi sat across the girl with her own lunch box on her hands. Kotori should really stop thanking her every time. "You're always welcome."

"Umi-chan…"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to do something this Sunday?"

On her day off? She planned on visiting her friends. "Nothing in particular."

"Are you sure?"

The way Kotori was looking at her at the moment prompted Umi to be honest. "I was actually planning on visiting my friends. But if you have something you'd like to ask of me then I will postpone my visit."

"No, no. Don't do that. There's still next time."

"But…"

"It's fine, Umi-chan. Enjoy your day off with your friends." Kotori smiled at her.

"Then I will make sure to make my next day off available for you."

"I-is it okay?"

"Ojou-sama, I'm your butler. You can ask me anything." Kotori's treating her as something different from that and it bothered Umi a bit.

"Okay. Then, next Sunday we'll go out, okay? You have to accompany me." Kotori's eyes stared at her own.

She gave a nod in understanding. "Of course."

Rather than a butler, Kotori's treatment of Umi was more like a friend. Kotori hesitated to be selfish with Umi and would ask if she was asking too much from her. This girl was really kind…

When they were not in school, Umi wore her butler uniform especially inside the house. Her hair was tied in a low tail. Her clothing consisted of a white wing collar dress shirt, black tie, grey vest, black morning coat with cufflinks, and a pair of white gloves. For the lower part, she had black trousers, and leather shoes.

She worked to help out the maids and cooks. Her job was actually just to serve the lady of the house but she refused, wanting to make herself useful even to the other workers of the house as the head butler.

"Umi-chan?"

"Yes, ojou-sama?"

"Good night."

"Have a good night, Kotori." And she left the room quietly.

Tomorrow will be another day in butler Sonoda Umi's life.