"Can you tell,"

Those words…

"Which one of us is Hikaru,"

Those cold cruel words…

"And which one of us is Kaoru?"

Those were the words that made my heart stop beating. Those eyes, so dull but so beautiful, staring blankly ahead as if there was no light behind them.

I was only nine years old when I fist heard those horribly lifeless voices calling – screaming – out to me. Screaming that they were hurt. Hurt beyond all help, beyond all salvation. I couldn't help it, I cried. That day – that cold white day – I cried, showedweaknesss for the first time in years. Perhaps I should elaborate.

My name Ai Minamoto. Ever since I was young I have always put my family above anything else. I came from a very poor family and we did not have much, so we were grateful for what we did have. While other girls my age would be begging their parents to buy them jewellery and pretty dresses, I would be doing the chores around the house or begging for jobs at small shops. I never had any pretty dresses or high heel shoes, in fact most of my clothes were just old hand-me-downs from my brother.

My mother raised both me and my older brother by herself while working two jobs, it truly was a miracle how she was able to do so with so little sleep. She would always start nodding off whenever she was cooking dinner or doing laundry so Daiki – my brother – and I would always try to help out in any way we could. I had become quite the little chef and Daiki was a lot more domestic than other boys his age.

My mother always said, "You must never show weakness because there are people in this world who will see that weakness and use it against you." It was a cruel reality for us. Mum had shown weakness once and it was worth one cheating husband and half the money in her bank.

My brother was now eighteen years old and would be in his third year at high school but he dropped out in hopes of getting a full time job. I, however, was offered a scholarship to one of the most prestigious (and expensive) schools in Japan, Ouran Private Academy. I was going to refuse but Daiki had said that it would look good on my resume and I would be able to get a better job. And a better job means more money for the family.

And that is how I got here, staring into those same amber eyes from so long ago. Only this time, there was a light.