Okay, a little note before the story begins. Aoi, in this story, has two wigs. His blonde one, which is for him being Aoi-chan. And then he has another, which is the same color as his natural hair, but is long and straight with bangs. He uses the dark one for school, and uses it much more than his blonde one in this fan fiction. Now, for the story!

... ... ...

It was just after school, and though many kids had gone home, a large handful had remained for various reasons; sports, clubs, the student council meeting... However, Aoi was simply hanging around until Misaki's shift at the cafe began. Glancing at the clock, he noted he still had hour until the student council meeting ended. Aoi certainly wasn't going home yet; his father would take the opportunity to harp at him more. Even though he had moved in with his aunt, Mr. Hyoudou came over quite frequently, annoyed that his son had managed to be accepted into Seika...as a girl.

"Nee, Hyoudou-san?"

Aoi snapped out of his thoughts, but didn't look at the girl asking for his attention. Instead, he sighed, ignoring her, and continued to look through his magazine. With everyone believing he was a girl, carrying around such magazines seemed normal. Still, he really loathed being interrupted. He lost himself in the pages quickly, and focused on a intricate dress. It was very cute.

'Maybe I'll get it,' He considered. But he was interrupted once more, as the girl uneasily called his name for a second time. Sighing again, only louder, he closed his magazine, and turned reluctantly to the girl.

'This better be important,' He thought bitterly. Aoi studied her. Another plain girl. He didn't bother to hide his distaste for her. She picked up on it, and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"What is it?"

"You know, you have the same name as that famous net idol, Aoi-chan." She shrugged, trying to seem like she was totally comfortable. She was failing, miserably. Aoi was known for his cold personality, and not many could hold a real conversation with him; since he never had anything to say to them, talking to him was very one-sided. A few people knew of his fetish for cute things, but trying to speak to him about it was near impossible; his icy aura kept them back.

Aoi gave a half-shrug in return. Little did the girl know, he was the very net idol she spoke of. He stood and pivoted, his back facing her. "Whatever."

"She is impressive, having the second most viewed site on the net."

Aoi spun around, the dark hair of his wig sweeping around. Second?! The girl's eyes opened wide in shock at the sudden attention. But before she could speak, he raced to the nearest computer room, leaving her behind, calling his name. With a slam, the door slid open, startling the people at the computers. Aoi leapt to a seat, typed in the address, and waited impatiently, tapping on the desk. He noticed people staring, and stopped in mid-tap.

"What?!" He yelled, clearly agitated. They all dropped their gazes, embarrassed, but peeked up again as he turned back to the monitor, curious as to why the usually calm Hyoudou-san was so worked up. But he paid them no mind, his eyes glued to the loading screen. The page popped up, and his hand flew to the mouse, and he scrolled down to the views. Several thousand, nearing a million. He hit the backspace once with a sharp click, and changed the search to 'net idol'. It loaded faster this time. As Aoi's eyes fell on the site holding the first slot, his heart stopped.

It wasn't his; his site was in second place. The boring girl from the hall was right. Dead right.

... ... ...

"Aoi seems kinda down." Misaki noted, bent over the counter. It was break time, and with the cafe practically empty, everyone just hung around the staff room, with someone going out occasionally to serve and wait tables. Usui shrugged, leaning against the wall. Misaki glared.

"Why are you here?" Another shrug. Misaki wanted to smack him.

"It's his website."

Misaki glanced to her right in surprise. "Manager!"

The manager smiled, but continued to study Aoi, sulking in the corner, with worried eyes. She heaved a sigh.

"His website is now ranked second. I guess someone is more popular." She shook her head, as if she saw the whole thing as ridiculous.

"Who's in first?" Usui spoke up, standing next to Misaki. The manager just pointed at a laptop on the counter opposite from them. Subaru, Honoka, and Erika were huddled around it, positive comments floating to Misaki's ears. She came up behind them, Usui following.

"What are you guys looking at?"

Honoka was excited to answer. "Lotus Prince!"

Misaki cocked her head. "Lotus...Prince?"

Subaru elaborated. "Some boy, posting pictures online. Similar to Aoi. Really popular with both girls and boys."

Misaki shuddered, wondering what kind of images he posted. "Both? Ah..."

Honoka gestured impatiently to the screen. "Well, look!"

Misaki obeyed. Wow, she thought, studying the boy on the screen. He certainly was attractive.

"He looks kinda like a girl." Usui commented. They all looked up at him, then simultaneously fixed their gazes on Aoi, now pacing rhythmically. Aoi looked up.

"What?!" He snapped. The other maids lowered their eyes, but Honoka shot daggers at him, not in the mood to deal with a brat.

"Listen here, you stupid stuck-up pretty boy! I won't take attitude from you, so watch your mouth!" She took a step in his direction, and Aoi skittered back, a mixture of confusion, anger and fear. Misaki didn't blame him; a ticked off Honoka was terrifying. But Aoi's mouth took over common sense.

"You watch your own mouth, you hag." He snarled. The blonde woman let out a roar. Aoi really knew how to push people's buttons. Honoka probably would've slaughtered him if it wasn't for Subaru and Erika, who held her arms, and Misaki blocked her from the front. Usui just stood by, clearly humored by the whole scene. Nobody expected the manager to do anything, but she did. She walked up to Aoi, snatching a bag from a chair and tossing it to him. He looked confused and slightly interested, despite himself. He opened it, and was surprised to find one of the maid uniforms and his familiar blonde wig in it.

"Go on. I just heard a customer come in." She winked at him and smiled. Aoi's face lit up. He put the wig on expertly, becoming Aoi-chan once again.

"I'll do my best." He promised, and headed to the dining area, ready to work.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Honoka screeched, struggling against her fellow employees.

"It's Black Honoka!"

"Run, Aoi-chan!"

"Honoka-chan, your shift is over!"

"Ahhhh!"

... ... ...

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Misaki asked, her eyes flicking back and forth from the too-calm manager to her employer's nephew.

"Aoi-chan is much happier! Yay!" The manager enthused, ignoring Misaki's question altogether. But she was right; Aoi served all the customers happily. Plus, Aoi being such a favorite among so many, even more people than usual rushed in, excited to meet the famous net idol. In fact, Aoi was signing autographs with practically each table he served. But eventually the cafe settled down, and Aoi's bright mood dampened ever so slightly.

He went over to the manager for a moment. "Is there anything else I can do?" He asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling.

The manager laughed. "Don't worry, Aoi-chan! Someone else will come soon." She promised.

And she was right; barely a few minutes later, a cluster of high school kids wandered in a few minutes later, a group of boys. They were all relatively handsome, but there was one that clearly stuck out. He had seductive eyes, and dark, medium length spiky hair. He held a startling resemblance to Misaki, only he had a cheerful lightness in his eyes, and a warm smile.

"I'm going." Aoi said, not hesitating to head over to the boys.

Before he could lead them to the table, the dark haired boy's eyes lit up in recognition, and he rose, approaching him with open arms.

"Aoi-chan!" He exclaimed, and he caught the surprised Aoi into a happy embrace, rather enthusiastically, at that. A hush fell over the cafe. Everyone stared, and Misaki felt as if she was turning to ash.

Aoi was just as befuddled. "Excuse me?!"

The boys laughed, and one spoke out. "Slow down there, Ren!"

Ren grinned, holding Aoi out, as if to get a better look at him. "It's good to see you. You're much cuter in person, Onnanoko."

Misaki's face paled. This kid...he didn't know that Aoi was a boy! She came up to him, and gently pushed him away. His friends watched intently, as if this were a television drama. Her hand dropped to the boy's shoulder.

"Sorry, but Aoi-chan...isn't like that." She couldn't just give up Aoi's secret. Instead of being surprised or mad, he just smiled.

"I know." His head tilted faintly to the side. "Misa-chan, right?"

She gave a brief nod. His smile widened.

"Misa-chan...You're cute." He complimented, and leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek. Misaki turned bright red, embarrassed and surprised at his bold affection."EHHH?!"

... ... ...

"So who is he exactly?" Aoi hissed to Misaki. But she was still petrified from the boy's actions earlier. He let out an aggravated sigh.

"It's not as if a celebrity kissed you. And it was-" He cut off, and froze. A violent shiver went down his spine. Why did he feel so cold? He glanced behind him. Usui hung over the kitchen counter, his face dark.

"-just on the cheek..." Aoi trailed off. He actually feared for the boy's life. Usui looked positively homicidal. He watched, terrified, as Misaki's boyfriend drifted like a wraith out to the dining area. He stared sharply at Ren and his friends, who looked up. Ren's face brightened and he waved, not seeming to sense the obvious danger he was in. Usui stood for a second, and suddenly letting out a short laugh that confused Aoi, snapped out of his funk and came back to Misaki. He kissed her on the cheek, in the exact same spot, and shrugged.

"He is the Lotus Prince. Practically a celebrity." He smirked, and Misaki blanched, as Aoi fainted, rather ungracefully. Usui just grinned, and laughed eerily.

"Oh dear." The couple looked up from their fallen friend. It was the Lotus Prince, his friends in tow. A small, regretful smile crossed his face. "Did I do that?"

... ... ...

Aoi moaned, his head pounding, as he awoke. The sudden light blinded him. After blinking several times, his eyes adjusted, and he was able to fully open them. With a quick glance around, he deduced two things; it was getting late, and he had no clue where he was. Neither helped much. With a sigh, he swung his legs off the bed and stood. Maybe if he went through their things...

The door opened with a creak, interrupting his plan to dig around. He whipped around. It was the Lotus Prince. Aoi's confused expression quickly turned into a annoyed one. Just his luck, to be stuck in the same room as the enemy

"What are you doing here? And where is here?"

"This is my house. Where I live."

He didn't like the boy's tone. It was too matter-of-fact. It felt like an insult to Aoi's intelligence.

"How did I get here, anyway?"

"Your aunt asked me to hold onto you until eight or so, and then get you home safely. Neither should be a problem."

Aoi snorted in disbelief. "What's your name again?"

"Ren."

A unisex name. Like his.

"Ren no Aoi. Blue Lotus. I like it." Ren tried aloud, a thoughtful expression on his face. Aoi didn't like it at all.

"Don't-"

Before Aoi could finish, Ren grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room. After going down some stairs, going through the house until they stopped in the kitchen.

"This is where we'll eat dinner. My treat." Ren winked at him.

Aoi frowned, and tried to pull his hand from his kidnapper's, but was shocked(and angered further)as he realized couldn't. The blue-haired boy didn't think himself weak.

"Are you not comfortable holding hands? Sorry." Ren smiled kindly at Aoi, releasing his hand. "You're so cute, so this must happen a lot, right?"

"Never." He spat, but the black haired boy just kept smiling. The clock rung out hollowly, and Ren's hand was gripping his again, tugging Aoi back up the stairs.

"Now where are we going?"

"Back to my room. We need to get ready for dinner."

After getting inside, he closed the door firmly. He jabbed a thumb to the closet. "You'll find a dress in the very back."

Aoi nodded, his earlier frustration fading, and without thinking twice, opened the closet and pulled out the said article of clothing. They were both boys, so it was fine, right?

Wait. Ren thought Aoi was a girl! Why would Ren be so comfortable changing with someone of the opposite gender? He turned quickly. "Wait, I can't-"

His words cut off abruptly, staring. There Ren stood. Topless. Wearing...a...bra?

"What? Is something wrong?"

Aoi turned bright red. This couldn't be happening. Was she gonna hit him, or scream like in the anime shows he watched?

"I-I-I...I'm a...guy...Are you...a girl?" He stuttered rather stupidly, backing towards the wall slowly.

Ren just stood there, her face blank, which made him even more nervous. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, and her voice, unbelievably calm, rang out musically, sounding a touch more feminine than before. "Well. This is awkward."

... ... ...

Aoi was crimson red, and he just stared at her mutely, as she began buttoning up her shirt. She caught his eye, and looked at him curiously.

"Is there a problem?"

His jaw clamped shut-he hadn't even noticed it was open until now- and he looked away. "No..."

She had to see through such an obvious lie. But even if she had, she paid it no mind, and slipped into her pants, her attention dropping to clothing herself once again. After a moment of watching her, entranced, something clicked in Aoi's mind; if she was a girl dressing like a guy, and he was a guy dressing like a girl...then...

"You're just like me." He announced loudly, though he had intended to keep the rather obnoxious thought to himself. But Ren just smiled, and Aoi reddened; she had a cute smile, that always made his heart jump. Her eyes, which had been seductive as a guy, now seemed very feminine and alluring. She was actually really beautiful, even clad in men's attire; she had clothed herself completely, and wore a neat black tux. For a fleeting moment, he wondered how she had slipped into it so quick without his notice, but waved away the thought.

"Are you gonna put it on?" Something in her face changed, and her voice dropped a decibel."Or do you want to wear a suit, too?"

Aoi blinked, taken aback, but shook his head. "I was just wondering...well, why?"

He was concerned she didn't understand what he was trying to say. He became frustrated as she just stared at him, and wished he hadn't said anything. Her gaze remained unwavering, though Aoi dropped his eyes to the floor.

"It's a much different reason than yours, I'm sure." Ren said ominously.

He snorted, and forced himself to look up. But her attention had already drifted, and her stare bore into the wall.

"How would you know?"

"Trust me. I do." She didn't look up as she spoke. He wanted to argue, to make her tell him, or prove she really was no different from him. But her distracted cover seemed to conceal something truly unpleasant, and Aoi didn't feel ready to pry. He was actually scared to even skim the surface, let alone dig into the strange girl's past.

Her eyes focused, and glanced up suddenly at him. "Dinner is almost ready."

Aoi dressed hurriedly, and rushed after her. He was strangely eager to learn about Ren's family; unlike her emotions and past, a topic such as home life seemed half-way approachable, and not at all damaging to the girl, who appeared so delicate. But, as they entered the kitchen, he noticed nobody else was around. Just them?

Ren gave a faint nod, answering his unasked question. Her abilities on guessing his thoughts was getting on his nerves. He squinted at her distastefully, but her back was already turned, bringing out the food, which, as Aoi noted grudgingly, smelled pretty good.

"Go ahead and take a seat; I'm practically done."

The blue haired boy obeyed, and traced the table cloth's pattern absentmindedly. The food-he believed it to be stir fry of a sort-sizzled, and soothed the high schooler. He closed his eyes, inhaling appreciatively. A scrape and clink in front of him prompted him to open his eyes with a jolt.

"Jumpy much?" Ren smirked, and Aoi shot a her a scowl. But she laughed, unaffected. She gestured to the plate she had laid in front of him. "Hope you like chanpuru."

He was right; it was stir fry, or as Ren had stated, chanpuru. He took a bite, and was taken aback. It was amazing.

"Judging by your expression, ten out of ten?" Ren estimated. Aoi actually thought it was closer to twenty out of ten, but he stubbornly refused to give her any satisfaction.

"Mediocre. Four out of ten."

Her mouth twisted into a humored grin, that showed she could see though him with ease. "Ouch. How cold of you, Aoi-kun."

He prickled indignantly. "Chan. Aoi-chan."

Ren's face became apologetic, with a touch of understanding. "I am sorry, Aoi-chan." She amended quickly. Aoi dismissed it, turning back to his food. Ren sat as well, and they ate in silence. She didn't seem to mind, eating her food with a finesse Aoi envied. However, the quiet atmosphere just made him uncomfortable. But he kept his mouth shut, and ate his meal quickly. Luckily, Ren finished, and looked to Aoi, beginning to talk, and freed the freshman of his unseen torture.

"So, I hear you are a first year in high school."

Aoi answered with a brief nod; his mouth was full, much to his chagrin. The corners of Ren's mouth turned up, and she went on.

"So, you attend Seika High, then?"

He swallowed quickly. "Yes. So do you. I saw your uniform." He cocked his head. "Why have I never seen you before? You certainly don't blend in."

"Easy. The middle school I went to turned in applications late. Every school receiving a Kaisei junior high student knows of the situation, and accepts the qualified with no hesitation."

Kaisei junior high? Reviews for that school were up there with Miyabigaoka High. Aoi couldn't help wondering why she chose to go a place like Seika.

"It was a group decision."

Aoi looked up. "Huh?"

"The reason me and my friends are attending Seika? It was a group decision. We all tried to go to Miyabigaoka, but one of our friends, Yukito, wasn't able to pay for tuition, but was accepted into Seika academy. So, we all agreed to enroll there." She shrugged. "Simple as that."

'Yeah, simple, sure.' He thought sarcastically, and finished his food as well. Ren took his and her plate, and placed them carefully in the sink. But instead of washing, she brought out more, and filled them with chanpuru.

"What are you-" Aoi was interrupted by two sharp raps on the door.

"Come in, guys!" She called, swiftly adjusting her tie, and gently tossing the cups in the sink as well. Aoi heard the door open, and after a pause, shut again. There was loud conversation and laughter, and the group of boys from Maid Latte walked in, shoving each other playfully. One of them, a tall, fiery red head, noticed Aoi, and raised his eyebrows, letting out a sharp whistle. "Well, well, what do we have here?" His fingers tilted Aoi's chin up, leaning close. Aoi couldn't escape; he was pinned against the wall.

"Aren't you a cutie?" His breath was hot on his face, and Aoi squeezed his eyes shut.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and yanked Aoi from his predicament. An arm curled around his torso, and pulled him close, the other hand cradling Aoi's.

"Sorry, Gintarou," Ren said, her lips grazing Aoi's cheek. "This one is mine."

The young blue haired boy turned a dangerous red, absolutely speechless. Gintarou laughed, shaking his head.

"Okay, okay. Man, I really need to stop hanging out with you. You get all the girls!" The whole gang roared at that, Ren joining in softly, dropping her hands. The rowdy boys sat down, and Ren guided him to a small table seating one, and he sat cautiously.

"Do not worry about them. They are just being themselves. No harm will come to you." She assured him.

"Hey! Ren, where's the food? We're starving!" Gintarou yelled. Aoi glared, but Ren just laughed, and began to head over to them.

"I'll be back in a bit." She moved gracefully to the larger table, and brought the still steaming plates over from the counter, placing them in front of each of her friends, until each had food to eat. After idle chatter, and jokes being tossed around, they downed the rest of their dinner, and began to leave one by one, throwing thanks and farewells over their shoulders. However, Gintarou and one other, a white haired bespectacled boy, lingered.

"The grub was great, Ren. Thanks again." The flame-haired teen glanced over at Aoi, now standing behind Ren, a scowl on his face. Clearly, he didn't like the obnoxious kid much. The other gave a short laugh, adjusting his glasses.

"We must be going, Gintarou."

The red head grumbled, but clasped hands with Ren, grinning. For a moment, the two remained in that stance. Then, Gintarou's face changed, losing its confidence.

"You still won't back down, will you?"

Ren smirked, and let go. "Never."

With once last grin, Gintarou exited, the other boy half out the door.

"I'll be seeing you, Ren. And you too, Aoi. Farewell." The door closed behind him.

Aoi turned to her. "Who was that?"

"Shinji Zakuro was the one with glasses, and Gintarou Futami was the other. I'll formally introduce you tomorrow."

"What did he mean, he'll be seeing me? And how will I see you tomorrow?"

Ren gave him an amused look. "Did you forget, Aoi-chan? We have school." Her eyes sparkled. "I can't wait."