Mai's POV

I fixed my bag that sat upon my shoulder as I walked into the lovely Ouran Academy. I tugged on the sleeves of my dress as I reached my locker and did my combination quickly before tugging on the lock. Much to my dismay, it remained closed. "Damn." I muttered under my breath before trying again. Once again, it remained locked. I could have slammed my head into my locker, but knowing that wouldn't help, I refrained.

"Having trouble, Miss Kato?" I felt a bitter smile pulling at my lips before I even turned around. Standing a few feet away at his own locker, Kyoya Ootori was watching me with a heavily amused expression on his face. Evidently the sight of me struggling with such a simple task was all it took to bring a smile to the infamous shadow king's face.

"Thank you, Mr. Ootori but I'm quite capable of opening my own locker." I replied turning back to my stubborn lock. I started plugging in the combination slowly and carefully. I pulled on it one last time and it opened. I sighed internally and shot Kyoya a smug looked. He looked unimpressed and returned to gathering his own books for first period. I put away a few books I'd taken home over the weekend and pulled out one binder before my locker was slammed shut. I let out a long sigh before turning to the bane of my existence leaning against the locker next to mine, "Really, Ootori?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I thought you could use the practice." A sly smirk evident on his lips.

I started putting in my combination once more, this time getting it on the first try, "Always the gentleman, helping people." I breathed sarcastically, opening my locker quickly, just barely avoiding hitting him in the nose.

"Of course. I'll see you in class." He informed me pushing off the locker. As he passed me, I felt his fingertips subtly graze my arm. A small smile tugged at my lips as I watched him walk away. He truly was something else. An interesting character indeed.

"Was that Kyoya Ootori?" I pulled out my books and nodded before turning to my friend, Cho Ueda, who was looking excitedly after the raven haired teen.

"Yes, unfortunately it was." I sighed shutting my locker and turning to face the excitable blonde.

Her hazel eyes lit up, "What did he say?" Her arm linked with mine and started down the hall toward classes 2A and 2B.

"Nothing interesting. I don't understand why everyone's so obsessed with him. He's not that great." I decided as we reached 2B where we were to part ways.

She turned to me and smiled, "I think he likes you." She said taking up my hands.

I rolled my eyes, "Cho, honestly." We went through this a lot.

"I do and I think you like him as well." She prompted releasing my hands.

"I think you're insane. I have to get to class, I'll see you later." I replied brushing her claims off. I turned down the hall promptly rushing off down the hall toward my class.

I slipped into my seat beside Tamaki Suoh and he gave me a bright smile, "Good morning, Miss Kato. You're a not as early as you usually are."

I gave him a small smile back, "I got caught up speaking with a friend." Tamaki, although a tad eccentric, was a very nice guy. His father was the chairman of Ouran Academy. Tamaki himself was the president of the notorious Host Club. Almost every girl in the school had a crush on him at one point or another. I was no exception, but I got over it. "How's everything with your club?" I asked sweetly.

His smile, if possible, widened even more. "It's going very well! Are you planning on stopping by?" He asked hopefully. He had been trying to get me to show up since he started the club.

I laughed to myself, "No, I don't think so. No offense, Tamaki but it's just not my thing."

He pouted to himself, straightening his tie, "You don't know that. You've never come to one of our meetings. You might like it."

I shook my head, "I'd rather not, but you have fun." I tapped his hand reassuringly.

His smile returned, although much smaller, "If you ever change your mind, you should stop by." He flashed a smile at me that made me feel a little bad about so bluntly denying his invitation.

"I'll think about it, okay?" His smile brightened once more and he nodded before turning away to get his notebook out.

Kyoya's POV

I watched Tamaki and Mai talking happily in the second row. Her red hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with Ouran's signature pink ribbon and cascaded down to the color of her dress, brushing against it gently. There was something about her I couldn't help but find interesting. She was smart, falling in third in our year. Her parents ran rival hospitals and the empire was quickly growing to be the size of my own family's empire. The rivalry between our families was indeed manifested within the both of us, as well as our fathers' who hated one another. Still there was something almost alluring about the girl. She didn't have many friends at all. The only people I'd ever actually seen her talking to was Tamaki, Cho, and myself. She seemed nice enough, when she wasn't driving me up the wall, I didn't entirely understand why she had so few friends. I'd never ask. I didn't care enough, or at least I didn't have time to care enough. I watched as she took notes carefully and noted she was left handed. It was something I'd noticed a while ago, but it never ceased to interest me. I observed her throughout class, only needing to write a few notes here and there about the new topics. As soon as class ended, I began packing my things away and she rushed out the door and down the hall to second period.

Tamaki came back to my desk in the fourth row, "She said she'd think about it!" He proclaimed happily.

I knew he had to be talking about Mai, but as to what she would be thinking about, I was at a loss. "About what, Tamaki?" I replied standing up and tossing my bad over my shoulder and started out of the room.

Tamaki was at my heels in no time and eventually matching my stride. "Mai said she'd think about coming to the host club." He informed me, sending a wink to a group of giggling girls.

I almost stopped dead in my tracks, but forced myself to brush it off. "Oh? She doesn't seem like the type." In truth, I wasn't sure if I wanted her there or not. I indeed had a certain dislike for the girl, she had a tendency to get under my skin for the sake of irritating me, but there was something exhilarating about having the daughter of my family's rival so close. I didn't hate her by any means, not like I was supposed to, she and I had a special relationship to put it lightly. We went back and forth between being friends and being the thorn in one another's side. If she'd been someone else's daughter, things might have been different between us.

"She's not really, but I convinced her." He gave me a wink and I rolled my eyes. This was going to be a long day.

Mai's POV

"Mai!" I looked up from my lunch to see Cho running toward me waving like a maniac.

"Hi, Cho." I gave her a small smile and she plopped down in the seat beside me by the fountain.

"Mai, I'm in love." She informed me clasping her hands over her heart in a dramatic fashion.

I fought back laughter, "With whom?" I requested. Cho was in love with a new boy every week. Last week she swore she was going to marry some boy she'd met at the mall.

"Karou Hitachiin!" She announced with a loving sigh.

I nodded, "So you've figured out how to tell the twins apart?" I questioned taking another bite of my lunch. The Hitachiin twins were first years in the Host Club with Tamaki. Their mother was a fashion designer and their father ran a computer software company. I'd never spent a lot of time around the twins, but I made it my business to know about the other families of Ouran. I didn't care to go into as much detail in my searches as Kyoya Ootori did, but I knew enough.

Cho grew sheepish at my question, "Well, not exactly. I'm working on it though. I'm going to tell him." She decided smiling.

I gave her a sideways glance before getting up to throw away my trash. Cho followed me. "Perhaps you should save your confession until you can tell them apart. You might want to know who you're talking to." I suggested.

"Oh, no! I'll just get them together and ask for Karou. It'll be alright." Cho assured.

I spotted the Host Club standing together across the courtyard and nodded to them, "Well there they are." Kyoya caught my eye and gave me a curious look. I looked away. I didn't notice Cho had gone until she was standing in front of the twins. Her face was bright red, she wasn't even looking at them. I shook my head and watched her walk away with one of them. This wasn't going to end well.

"Mai!" I looked back over to see Tamaki waving me over. I glanced over to Kyoya, but he was writing on his clipboard with his back to me.

I walked over and smiled, "Yes?"

His arm was instantly around my shoulders gesturing to the group of young men with his free arms. "I want to introduce you to the members of the Host Club! I thought you'd be more interested in going if you knew them better!" Tamaki smiled brightly and I took a step away from my friend.

"Thank you, but I'm alright." I nodded and turned in the direction Cho had gone off with one of the twins in. The twin was returning now, but no Cho. I sighed, "I think Cho may need me." I confessed starting to walk away.

"Are you sure, Miss Kato? After all, we'd love to have you at the Host Club." I turned my attention to Kyoya who was smirking down at his clipboard.

I rolled my eyes beginning to walk away. I grazed my fingers across his back as I past him and felt him tense under my touch, "I'm sure you would, Ootori." I muttered so only he heard it. I headed off in the direction what I assumed was Karou was coming from, but turned back to the club, "I'll think about it, okay Tamaki?" He nodded smiling happily.

Kyoya's POV

I pushed my glasses up and glanced to Tamaki who was watching me carefully. "What?" I asked irritated at his staring.

"What's going on with you two?" He asked suddenly.

I ignored him, annoyed he would put me on the spot in front of everyone. What did he care if there was something going on between us? It wasn't any of his concern, especially since there was nothing going on. I glanced up at her retreating form. She'd evidently found Cho because she stopped and looked to be speaking to something on the ground. She knelt down and disappeared from my sight. "I have to get to class." I announced taking my leave of my fellow hosts. I walked past Cho and Mai and spared them a glance. Cho was sobbing softly and Mai was murmuring something to her as they sat together on a bench. I didn't bother stopping to see if I could be of assistance. After all, this was an almost daily occurrence with the Host Club. Someone would confess their undying love and there would always be someone else or some reason they were unable to date them. I caught Mai's eye for a moment, but we both quickly looked away. I spared her another glance when she wasn't looking and smirked. She was a pest one minute and a comfort the next. She was truly interesting.

Mai's POV

"I told you to figure out who was who first." I chided softly. Cho continued to cry, saying Karou was mean to her and things I couldn't quite make out. I rubbed her back softly. Personally I didn't think Karou denying her was such a surprise or a big deal. I mean, she can't tell him apart from his brother. That could lead to some very awkward situations. After a few minutes she sobbing had quieted. I lifted her head slightly so she was facing me. "Come on, Cho. You're makeup is running." I helped her up and ushered her to the girls' bathroom and wet the end of one of the towels they left out for the students. I wiped away the black streaks that were falling down her face from her tears. "No more crying. You're acting ridiculous. He's only a boy." I reminded her as I got the last bit of black off of her face.

She frowned as I began drying her face. She started searching through her bag for her makeup. "You'd be a wreck too if Kyoya Ootori rejected you." She accused.

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever you say, Cho." I was in no mood to argue with her.

"Are you ever going to tell him?" She asked fixing her face.

I fixed my bag watching her as she reapplied her mascara. "Tell him what? There's nothing to tell." I replied bored of the constant insisting that Kyoya and I were something special.

"Oh come on, Mai. You flirt with each other constantly. So what if your families hate each other? You're like Romeo and Juliet! It's romantic." I rolled my eyes at her excitement.

"There is nothing romantic about that play. They fall in love after just meeting and they're dead within a week. Have you ever read it? Romeo is crying over some girl minutes before he meets Juliet because she doesn't return his love. He kills himself over a rebound." I pointed out examining my own face in the mirror.

"You're so sour, Mai. I think it's romantic." She maintained.

I shook my head fixing the strap of my backpack. "Whatever you say. Come on, Cho. We're going to be late."