Hi, guys! Seriously, I had a really, really long break from writing anything. I'm so sorry to my readers out there. My laziness is definitely inexcusable. Well, here is another Ouran High School Host Club story for you and I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. I only have the rights to this plot and my OCs
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4….' A 5 year old girl mentally counted as she repeatedly raised her left leg with impeccable grace and ease.
She was dressed in a fitted black leotards and white ballet tights as she stood up on her toes on the polished cherry wood floor of her personal dance studio wearing her white satin pointe shoes.
The little girl ignored the pain on her feet caused by several unhealed blisters from her previous practices where she was required to wear her pointe shoes in order to break them in.
Today, she had been practicing the routine for her part in the upcoming ballet performance nonstop. The only break she would have was when she drank water to replenish herself from the extensive practice.
It was her mother's order.
She has to practice her movements until it was flawless and perfect.
Well, the little girl could practically say that she memorized the entire routine by now. The cassette was playing a part of the musical piece of the ballet. It was her part.
The girl was quite lucky because it was rare for a girl in her age to actually be handed down a solo part on a ballet performance. It was considered really early. That's why many of her ballet classmates were obviously jealous of her. Because of that, many rumors began to surface such as, her family bribed her ballet instructor or she was only given the part because she's one of Madame Courtnere, her ballet instructor's favorite.
But the worst rumor was when they said that she took the backdoor to gain the role. You see, her mother was a famous prima ballerina who worked with the Royal Ballet Academy during her ballet years. She was renowned throughout the entire globe and being a daughter of one of the wealthiest businessman in France certainly added up to her fame.
So, many began to assume that it was because of her mother's influence that she was handed the solo role.
But in the midst of that, the girl knew that they were wrong.
She practiced harder and longer than a girl in her age normally would until her tiny feet bled. She would not stop until she perfected her pirouettes which resulted in her getting really dizzy because of the spinning .
She strove for perfection just like her mother said.
'Perfection'
There was something in that word that made her cringe and at the same time smile.
She would cringe because she knew that she was far from being perfect, at least according to her mother. But that word also makes her smile because that was the thing that motivates her to be the best, to do better than others.
While she was seriously practicing her dance, the door to the dance room slowly opened and a man in his early 30's walked inside, holding a square red box topped with a gold ribbon. He went towards the cassette and pressed the pause button to stop the music.
The little girl then turned to look at who stopped the music and her eyes widened in surprise as a small smile crept up her face.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed in an excited voice as she ran towards him. She reached out both of her tiny arms to him and in turn, her father lifted her up and spun her around in circles.
"How is my little girl?" he asked in a gentle and loving voice.
The girl then giggled and hugged her daddy's neck when they finally settled down into a nearby red velvet plush chair and she was brought to sit on her father's lap.
"I'm good, daddy. I just landed a solo role for my upcoming ballet performance this week!" she said with happiness in her voice and a smile plastered on her face. Her father then smiled back at his daughter and brought out the red box.
"Well, it seems like it's the perfect opportunity to give this to you." He said and handed her the red box.
The girl's eyes sparkled in delight at her father's gift. He was recently in Europe for an important business meeting regarding a partnership for their new hotel in Italy.
She knew that her father was a very busy man, after all, leading one of the most powerful company in Japan and soon, the world, was a difficult task to handle.
But despite of that, every time he went home, he has never forgotten to bring back a present for his daughter.
The girl quickly untied the ribbon and opened the box. She was immediately greeted by the rich and heavenly smell of chocolate truffles.
Each truffle was of different flavors raging from dark chocolate, down to white chocolates and creamy pralines. Her mouth watered at seeing all the delicious chocolates in front of her, waiting to be picked and eaten by her.
She was about to pick one of the chocolate truffles, the one with the caramel butterscotch filling when her mother's words rang in her ear.
'Remember, you have to lose more than 2 pounds for your performance….'
She sighed in regret as she closed her eyes and put back the lid on the box. Her father then eyed her worriedly when he saw his daughter closing the box of chocolates.
"What is it, darling? Don't you like my present? They are specifically made by a famous French chocolatier." her father said.
The girl then rapidly shook her head. "No, it's not that. I really love your gift, daddy but…." The girl trailed of as she looked back and forth between the box of scrumptious chocolates to the white weighing scale on the corner of the dance room.
"But?"
The girl then sigh as she went down from her father's lap and gave the chocolates back.
"Mother said that I have to lose more than 2 pounds for my upcoming ballet performance." The girl replied with sadness laced in her voice.
It was because of that order from her mother that she only got to eat granola cereals for breakfast, lettuce and tomatoes for lunch and an apple for dinner. Her meals were strictly planned by her mother to ensure her weight loss before the ballet performance.
And as much as she would love to devour all of those chocolates, she has to decline for the sole purpose of having more elegance, flexibility and balance into her movements for the performance.
"Come on, dear! I heard from your nanny that you've been practically starved to death by your mother! You're going to risk your health if you keep on following this diet." Her father replied with a worried tone in his voice.
He was seriously starting to get annoyed by the way his wife treated their daughter. It has always been like this for a few years now. Ever since his daughter started to walk, his wife basically started to force her into the path of becoming a ballerina. Sure, he tolerated it from the beginning but now, it was getting quite irritating.
"Setsuko, change your outfit. I'm going to take you out of this dance studio." He said to his daughter whose eyes widened at her father's words.
"Dad! Mom said that I should practice till she gets back from aunt's tea party!" the girl, whose name was Setsuko replied to her father.
"Nonsense! She's enjoying herself drinking tea and eating crumpets while she left her daughter here dancing nonstop with an empty stomach! Hurry, change your clothes and I'll take you to the amusement park." The man stated with determination in his voice.
Setsuko just sigh as she stared at the window, deciding whether to proceed with her father's wish or to ignore him and do what her mother told her to do and that is to keep on practicing.
...
"Sorry, dad. Maybe next time."
(12 years later)
"And the champion of this year's Kawaguchi Classical Dance Award under the Classical Ballet Solo, Advanced Division is none other than... Fujiwara Setsuko-san!" the Master of Ceremonies exclaimed and the crowd roared with applause as the champion of the contest gracefully made her way to the stage. The spotlight softly fell upon her, making her enchanting black swan costume glimmer with beauty.
"Fujiwara Setsuko-san had received a total of 5 Kawaguchi Classical Dance Award. Three for the Classical Ballet Solo, one for contemporary solo and one for classical pas de deux couple with her partner being Yamamoto Kazuya-san. This year marks her 6th award." a female voice over stated from the speakers as the presenter of the award handed Setsuko her trophy.
Yes, it has always been like this. Every year was just the same as the last.
In the midst of the crowd, sitting in the VIP section of the ballet theater was a woman of ageless beauty. She had short, wavy gold spun hair and cat like periwinkle eyes that can make anyone be hypnotized at the sight of them. Her rouge painted lips formed a smirk as her black velvet gloved hand gracefully clapped.
"I always knew that she would be an excellent protégée" the woman said with her thick French accented Japanese.
"Yes, darling. However, do not forget that she is still our daughter. You stress her out too much." the woman's husband replied as he took the woman's gloved hand lovingly.
"Even a diamond has to be polished to perfection before it can even be considered as valuable, if not, it is just considered as a measly rock." the woman stated and directly gazed at her husband.
" Setsuko has that innate talent for dancing. She knows how to coordinate her movements with the emotions of the music and that is something that is hard to find. "
"But what about Setsuna? She also loved dancing ever since she was a child. She always tried her best to impress you but all you ever cared about was Setsuko."
After her husband made that statement, the woman removed her attention from her husband and turned it back to her daughter who was giving an emotionless smile to the camera as it took her picture.
'It doesn't mean that because you love something, you are bound to do it right.'
Setsuko gently brushed her straight, raven black hair as she soaked her feet in a basin of ice cold water to relax her muscles as well as to numb the pain on her right ankle due to a mistake in a foot work earlier. There was a part in the dance where she had to do a certain foot work but she took a wrong turn and ended up twisting her ankle in the wrong place. Thankfully, she quickly covered up the mistake with an impromptu step.
She was interrupted from her musings when she heard a knock from the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Kyouya"
Setsuko lightly frowned and proceeded to put down her hair brush. "Come in."
The door slowly opened, revealing the black locks and glass framed obsidian eyes of her 10 year long fiance, Ootori Kyouya.
He came in, dressed elegantly as always with a bouquet of pink peony flowers on his hand.
"I came to congratulate you on winning the competition." he said and gave the bouquet to Setsuko but she just stared at them as if they were the most poisonous thing on earth.
"I have had too much of that congratulatory phrase earlier." Setsuko replied and ignored the bouquet presented in front of her as she picked up the hair brush and went back on combing her hair.
Kyouya then gave her a smirk and just settled on placing the bouquet on top of her vanity table. He then made himself comfortable by sitting on white leather couch across from where Setsuko sat.
He then noticed her feet soaked in the cold basin as well as the purpling bruise on her ankle. He glanced at her for a bit then back to her feet which were a horrendous sight to look at due to her years of training as a ballet dancer. It's a pity that she would never be able to wear sandals beautifully.
"You sprained yourself earlier." he said, stating the obvious.
Setsuko momentarily glanced at him but turned her attention back to the mirror as she pat on her SK II Facial Treatment Essence on her bare face to replenish her skin from the heavy stage makeup earlier.
"What's it to you?" she replied in a crisp tone.
Kyouya's smirk grew wider as he stood up and went near her. He then slowly leaned close to her and rested his chin on her shoulder, taking in her signature scent of lavenders and chamomile.
"I worry for you because you are my beloved fiancee" his mellow yet husky voice whispered to her ear.
At this statement, Setsuko lightly glared at the mirror which reflected the two of them in a cold and unfeeling embrace.
'Beloved?'
It made her want to laugh.
There was no way that Ootori Kyouya would ever treat this engagement thing other than a business partnership.
Yes.
Business Partnership.
Just a Business Partnership...
"I certainly don't need that flowery line especially coming from a person such as yourself." Setsuko stated and pried off herself from Kyouya. She then grabbed the fluffy white towel settled on top of the vanity table and wiped her wet, cold feet. She stood up, smoothed down her dress, put on her black flat shoes and grabbed her Burberry wool coat from the nearby coat stand.
"Get out and take your flowers with you. I get sick just by looking at them." Setsuko stated and walked her way with difficulty towards the door, all the while silently wincing from the pressure she put on her injured ankle.
"Why? I thought that pink peonies were your favorite."
Setsuko stopped all her movements and looked down the polished oak flooring with a glare. She slightly bit on her lip as her hands unconsciously formed into fists.
"Yes, they were. Until that certain someone who always gave them to me disappeared one day and was replaced by a ruthless son of a bitch such as you"
Well, that's it for the first chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know by leaving this story a review or PM. Thank you and have a great day!