Music drowned out the sound of the traffic outside as I rested back against the seat of my family's car, eyes closed and completely oblivious to all until I felt the solidness of the door I leant against give out and I quickly pulled myself back to realise that we had arrived at my new school and my chauffeur/butler was standing at the door waiting for me.

"We have arrived, Mistress Katsumi." He informed me dutifully so I gave him a smile as I slipped my headphones off my head and let them hang around my neck as I swung my legs around and jumped out of the car, giving a stretch as I looked around Ouran, my new school that I had just transferred to.

"Just Katsumi is fine, Yuri, you know better than to be formal when it's just me." I reminded him with a chuckle as I noted how prim and proper all the girls looked with their buttercup yellow old fashioned dresses with their hair tied back with large bows. The boys looked pretty smart too in their blazers, however when I looked down at myself in my slacks, sneakers, headphones and sleeveless hoodie I felt a little inferior. "Maybe I should have thought ahead about the uniform." I mused to Yuri who chuckled in return.

"Perhaps. You do look rather odd and out of place. No matter, the issue will be resolved swiftly, I shall ensure that a uniform is brought to you as swiftly as possible." Yuri assured me and I gave him a smile of gratitude and affection as I then turned towards the school once more. "You don't want to be late, do you?" Yuri pushed slightly and I exhaled. If there was one thing my parents couldn't stand it was tardiness, so it had been drummed into me from a very young age to always be on time for something no matter what the excuse.

"I'll see you after school Yuri, take care of yourself whilst I'm away and please, remind my mother to eat something. You know how she gets when she's working hard." I began to list of the things that needed to be done as the two of us started to walk towards the front gates. "Father is away with business meetings so that means the car will be free to collect Kimiko from her school but she needs to go to her singing lesson straight after if she's to be there on time, so please ask cook to prepare a light snack for her to eat during the journey as it will be a while before she's home." I continued, frowning in thought. "Naoki is home but mother won't have time for him so would you mind checking on him every once in a while for me? I hate it when he gets lonely."

"Of course mistress, it would be my pleasure." Yuri assured me, giving a polite and respectful bow which made me blush slightly in embarrassment, noticing the queer looks we were receiving. "I shall carry out your instructions to the letter, you have no need to worry."

"Thank you Yuri, I'll walk home today so don't worry about sending a car over." I told him and his naturally kind eyes widened slightly in surprise, making me grin up at him. "I just said not to worry, it'll only take me an hour so, forty minutes if I jog so it's not worth driving over and wasting the fuel." I reasoned expertly before beginning to walk onto the school grounds. "See you later Yuri!"

"Please mistress, take care of yourself. Have a pleasant day." He answered with a slight sigh but when I glanced back over my shoulder I could see the small smile on his lips so I relaxed and hurried inside, ducking my head and ignoring all the stares I received as my pale blonde hair caught the sunlight and shone prettily. Stupid hair, my mother had always insisted I take good care of it as it was naturally so radiant but I always found it annoying. It never behaved and was constantly pulling free of whatever shape I threw it up in, unwinding itself from every pin and hairband I could tie it down with. I wanted to cut it all off but my mother wouldn't let me.

With a sigh I lifted my head as I approached the main doors and to my surprise as I walked up the steps they swung open to reveal a slim business type looking man who bowed and instructed that I follow him. Seeing no room to argue and ask questions I followed obediently, keeping my head held high as I passed numerous more students and their eyes all followed me, looking at my clothes continuously and I had to bite on my tongue to keep from snapping at them.

I was brought to an office where inside sat a stern looking man who instantly locked eyes with me and gave a slightly disapproving look as he scrutinised my appearance so I help back the bite in my tone as much as possible. "Please forgive my appearance, I got a call from my mother in the middle of my dance practice informing me that I had been enrolled in this school and my classes were starting in half an hour." I explained to him. "Unfortunately, there was no time to change."

"I see, well on this occasion you are excused, however you realise that there is a uniform that should be worn by our students without fail, ideally." He said to me and I gave a polite bow, offering my apologies and slowly the disapproving look from his eye disappeared and an easy smile settled on his expression. "I am Chairman Suoh, I am glad that you have enrolled with us here at Ouran Academy. Your mother informs us that you will be wanting to take art and business studies along with our other compulsory subjects. Is this true?"

"Yes, my mother knows me well." I answered with a nod of my head as I took the seat I was invited to, facing directly opposite him with an unflinching gaze. As some of my fringe fell out of place I refrained from blowing it out of my eyes and instead swept it aside with my hand. "My family is in the business of jewellery and we are quite well established." I began simply as I laced my fingers together and rested them on my knee. "Although of late our sales have fallen I am determined to put my father's company back on track, so with these options I hope to gain the tools necessary to be successful."

"Is that so? You're an ambitious young lady, it seems." Suoh tested subtly so I gave him a polite smile.

"Not at all, I am simply dedicated to my family's business. It has been ours for generations, starting with my great, great, great grandfather and we have always been one of the best jewellery lines throughout the world, if not one of the greatest. However with competing brands and several other issues have led to a deterioration in sales, so that is where I hope to make a difference. I believe firmly that with careful planning and dedication, I will make my family's business one of, if not the greatest lines of jewellery you will ever find." My eyes slid down to the watch that was wrapped around the chairman's wrist and I smiled to myself. "I see you are wearing one of our own items right now. That watch was in the nineteen ninety seven catalogue, gold face with an open clockwork interior."

Suoh arched an eyebrow briefly before he fell into a calm chuckle, his smile broadening slightly and I waited until he was finished, silently sitting quietly as he gave a sigh. "You are a rather remarkable young lady, Miss Araki." I dipped my head politely and Suoh gave another smile, however this one looked distant and rather sad, as if a memory was playing on his mind and it clouded his vision.

"Sir?" I questioned gently and he blinked as if I had roused him from a dream before he shook his head and leaned a little over his desk to study me closely.

"You wouldn't happen to have any French roots, would you?" He questioned and I was surprised by the question before nodding my head.

"My mother is half French and most of her side of the family live in Paris." I answered but did not pry as to his reasoning for asking. For a few moments there was silence and Suoh simply looked at me, lingering on my hair and particularly my eyes, as if I reminded him of someone.

"Yes…well then. We had better get you settled." He decided and stood abruptly so I quickly rose to my feet also. "You'll be given a tour of the school before you are shown to your class. I hope your time here at Ouran Academy will be most memorable, Araki Katsumi." When he held out his hand I dutifully reached out and shook it with a firm grip, nodding my head to him before I allowed myself to be led away.

In my pocket I could feel my phone buzzing but I ignored it for the moment, listening to the secretary as he explained to me the history of the school and showed me the different floors and wings, giving me a map also so that I would be able to find my way to all of my classes which had been highlighted for me.

The tour took a couple of hours as the school was so huge however by the time it had finished it was lunch time and I was glad I could finally sit down, rest my legs and eat some good food because I'm tired and starving. As I head over to the cafeteria I pulled out my phone to find no less than thirty two missed calls from my little sister, Kimiko. Technically we were the same age as we were non identical twins, however I was born first so that meant I had to take care of my younger siblings even though my sister can be hard work sometimes.

She had left all these messages on voicemail as well as text telling me how much she loves Lobelia's all-girls school and that I should transfer over because she misses me. So with a sigh I deleted all the unnecessary messages as I walked, looking down at my screen to make sure I didn't miss any however with my attention focused downward I didn't see the person in front of me until I had walked into their back.

Instinctively I jerked backwards out of shock, my head snapping upward as I stood poised on one foot from my springing leap away from the person I had just ran into. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going…" I started as the figure of a tall boy came into perspective, one with black spiked hair and a broad back however as the figure began to turn around and face me, I trailed off as an enchantment settled over me, cast by the mysterious charcoal grey eyes which focused on me intensely. Instantly I gulped, feeling rather intimidated and my heart began to pound as I stared up at him.

You know those special moments in life that seem to stop the flow of time when you meet someone special? Well this was one of those moments. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, astounded by the chiselled beauty of his features whilst also lacking any further sensible thought whilst my eyes just swam with the image of him. I forgot how to breathe, blink and I even forgot to put my other foot down on the ground to balance myself as he just stared back at me.

Something in my mind suddenly awoke once more without warning, breaking the spell I was under so I cleared my throat and stood properly, shaking my head a little before I gave a smile to the poor victim of my lack of attention. "Again I'm sorry, I'll be more careful in future. My apologies." I said again before stepping away and peeled my eyes away from his stoic yet incredibly attractive features, walking past him with my phone clutched tightly in my hand just as a small blond haired boy bounced up to the slightly bewildered looking guy I left behind. My heart still thundered in my chest.

Slightly astonished to see such a small child in a school like this my eyes followed the bouncing leaps he took past me until I was turned partially to look back at the tall student I had run into. Over the bustle and noise of the other students I couldn't hear what they were saying but I blushed slightly to see that the taller of the two was still staring at me and now I had the other one looking at me too. Just perfect, they already think I'm a freak. Oh well, let's just go eat some food and I'll feel better. Be still my beating heart and get a grip, this isn't the first time you've seen an attractive guy or had one look at you.

Turning around I followed the main flow of students into the cafeteria and queued up, looking at the menu and hummed in thought over what I should eat, absently tucking my hair behind my ear. Instantly I heard a gasp from behind me and I turned around to look at the girl who was staring at my ear. I frowned slightly and reached back, feeling my lobe to find the two earrings I wore in the one ear. They were dark metallic hoops, nothing too large but still noticeable and clearly not something everyone else would wear and I sighed in irritation before pulling my hair over my ear to cover them again.

I ordered my lunch from the nice looking dinner lady and paid out of my own expenses before turning around in search of a place to sit and eat. People seemed to group together and there weren't any tables completely vacant so I walked towards one where there were only a handful of students and they were gathered on the other side of the table so I sat down blatantly on my own and began to eat, forking food into my mouth and turned up the music on my headphones as I pulled them up over my ears.

The gentle swell of my classical music drowned out the unnecessary noise around me and I closed my eyes for a moment, smiling dreamily at the beautiful sounds before I continued to eat my food. It was good stuff, they obviously took great care of the students here seeing as their all from rich families with too much time and money on their hands.

Getting up I pulled down my headphones once more and paused the music, giving a yawn as I gathered my finished dishes together and carried them over to a large trolley where I put everything away to be cleaned however I noticed how everyone seemed to stare at me even more for doing so and I paused before I turned a suspicious look on them all. The moment my eyes made contact they all quickly looked away again, whispering behind their hands. Oh great, now they're gossiping about me. I'm really making a great start to my time here, aren't I? Well there's nothing I can do about it now. Pretty soon I'll be in one of those hideously old fashioned dresses and they'll all forget about me.

"Excuse me, my lady?" I blinked and turned around with a swirl of my thick hair, looking to a slimly built boy around my own age with blond hair however his was slightly more golden than mine and much better kempt. His purplish blue eyes widened slightly as I revealed myself and his jaw went completely slack as I tilted my head to the side in confusion.

"My lady? What century are you living in?" On a table not too far away from us there was a splutter and I looked towards a brunette boy as he almost choked on his food a comical grin on his face as he banged his own chest to clear his throat. My attention turned back to the boy in front of me and I was startled to find that his eyes were slightly watery and his lower lip was trembling though in spite of this he was still smiling warmly at me.

"Hello." He greeted and I gaped slightly as he picked up my hand and bowed over it, brushing a charming kiss against my knuckles. "Princess, welcome to Ouran Academy. It is indeed my greatest pleasure as President of the Host Club to welcome such an exotic flower to our midst. Please, if there is anything I can assist you with then you need only ask." He declared flamboyantly and I stared at him for a moment as he lifted his eyes up to meet mine from where he knelt, one hand thrown outward and I could feel several stares falling upon us as I leaned backwards slightly out of instinct.

This poor guy needs help, what on earth is he talking about? I don't even know what a Host Club is. However as I looked down at this rather extraordinary young boy I realised that he was only trying to be kind and welcoming, I could see it in his eyes. I still worried about his sanity, though. I reached out with one hand and brushed his fringe aside before I pressed the back of my palm to his forehead, pulling my own hand free from his to compare our temperatures with my own hand pressed against my brow.

"Are you alright? You're acting like you have a fever and it's making you delusional." I questioned him in complete honesty. "Do you normally kiss the hand of every new girl you meet? You are a little warm, perhaps you should go see a nurse or something."

"No, no, I'm perfectly alright." He bounced back onto his feet, giving another charming smile as he rested a hand elegantly against his chest, the other tucked neatly behind his back. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Suoh Tamaki, President of Ouran Academy's Host Club. It is an honour to make your acquaintance." Becoming uncomfortably of all the staring and whispering around us I gave an uneasy smile.

"Araki Katsumi. The honour is all mine." I answered before frowning. "Should I bow and kiss your hand too? I'm confused. What exactly is a host club?" Another bought of laughter came from the brown haired boy on the table and I looked to him, catching his eye so he gave me a grin.

"Tamaki-senpai, you're crowding her. Step away before I come over there and drag you." He warned and Tamaki, the boy in front of me, instantly turned around and whined comically.

"But Haruhi! She has beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes! There has to be some French roots in there, I can simply tell! She looks like a divine angel fallen from heaven itself…where did she go?" I breathed a sigh of relief as I hid behind a thick pillar. With Tamaki distracted I had chosen to escape as quickly as I could before things could get even more embarrassing. Thankfully I was now out of the cafeteria and on my own, which meant I had plenty of time to explore the gardens before my next class.

The gardens reflected the rest of the school. Well groomed, organised and rather lavish. It shouldn't have surprised me but they even had a maze which instantly peaked my interest however I held off from venturing inside, knowing that if I got lost then I would be late for class and then I'd be in trouble. So instead I walked along the rose bushes and flowerbeds, enjoying the fragrant scent in the air before I checked my watch to see that I needed to head back inside.

I had a pretty good sense of direction and I could remember my class when it had been pointed out to me so it took only a couple of minutes to arrive so I stepped inside and looked around me. I was one of the first ones there however the teacher noticed me immediately and pulled me to the front. "Welcome, you must be Araki Katsumi, yes?" I nodded my head and instantly my name was being written up on the board for everyone to read and I was made to stand next to it.

I was slightly irritated, this wasn't middle school or even nursery but I held my tongue and placed a hand on my hip, chewing on my lip slightly before I exhaled and made myself relax. There's nothing to worry about, it's just a class of teenagers the same as me, they won't bother you so long as you don't bother them.

Gradually the students began to filter into the classroom and I leaned back against the blackboard with my hands on the ledge where the chalk went to keep my back from getting dirty, watching casually as everyone took their seats and I was formally introduced to the class before I was invited to say a few words. The teacher gave me an encouraging smile and gently nudged me forwards however I didn't move, giving a soft sigh before I stepped forwards and lifted my hand.

"Hello, I am Araki Katsumi. I have moved back here to Japan from France where I lived from the age of eight until now. It is a pleasure to be here." I spoke before giving a polite bow, holding my hands in front of me before I lifted my head once more.

"I knew it! You are French!" I started back a step in surprise at Tamaki who had leaped up onto his seat to point at me with a broad spread smile, beaming at me widely as the boy next to him shook his head in his hand despairingly.

"Suoh Tamaki, please be seated!" Our teacher commanded strictly and I glanced to Tamaki once more before giving him a smile.

"Bounjour Monsieur Suoh, Tamaki était-ce? Je vois nous sommes dans la même classe." I greeted with the words rolling off my tongue and Tamaki positively beamed upon hearing the language that obviously meant so much to him. I suppose I should have guessed it before. He has French roots in him too, it was simply obvious.

"Ah, I see you are fluent in French, how accomplished." My teacher mused before ushering me to a seat however Tamaki quickly insisted that I should have the seat to his other side and so it was settled. I learned quickly that it was better to simply agree with Tamaki than to argue as he didn't give in easily and was more than able to cook up a fuss should he decide to be stubborn about something.

As the lesson began I focused on what was going on in front of me, however I could tell by Tamaki's fidgeting that he was desperate to talk to me. Leaning back in my chair I gave a long and quiet sigh. If only I'd known what kind of trouble I would be making myself back then. I'm half convinced I would have run away from it as quickly as I could without delay.


Translation: Hello Mr Suoh, Tamaki was it? I see we are in the same class.