Prelude
"NO WAY! We need her here," Xanxus yelled at the Ninth who just shook his head sadly. For the last hour I've been listening to Xanxus and the Ninth go head to head in a verbal battle. Here we had the two extremes battling for dominance in a stone room that allowed Xanxus's voice to be heard all over Sicily and give me a headache. The Ninth suggested I go on a student transfer to Japan for two years while Xanxus was of the opinion I have to stay in Italy and continue my service to the Vongola mafia family in the Varia because they need an espionage agent and I'm the only one in the whole organization. My brother, Superbi Squalo was steaming. Rather than insert myself into the argument with a more diplomatic stance I choose to stop and try to think about what I wanted. I was weighing the scales: a two year break from the Varia, the experience of a country without a job attached verses Xanxus's displeasure of not having an irreplaceable tool absent when he needs it.
"VOOOIIII!" Superbi broke in with his vocal signature of frustration that caught everyone's attention and silenced the room, "This concerns Karen more than it does us so get her opinion,"
"Wha?" I came out of my head to find the three most powerful political leaders and strongest fighters in the mafia looking at me expectantly,
"Do you want to go to Japan?" Superbi looked at me,
"Sure," a spontaneous answer, "I want to go". The expression of fury on Xanxus's face would've had any other human being taking back their answer and running in the opposite direction. Xanxus doesn't scare me because I saw him get his butt kicked by an old man eight years ago. When you see someone turned into a chunk of ice it's a little hard to work up fear.
First day of school at Nami-chuu. Everyone, will you please look over here," why do teachers have to make a big deal about transfer students at the start of the school year? It doesn't matter what continent you are on and I've been almost everywhere as a transfer student for my missions. "We have a transfer student from Italy, please be nice to her and help her out," I'll ask for help when I need it, "come in now". Reluctantly I slid the door open. About the only compensation for having to stand up in front of the entire class was seeing the teacher's surprise; I was wearing pants rather than a skirt. "Ah, ahem, this is Karen Squalo," I made no move say the 'nice to meet you, my name is Karen, I hope we get along'.
The teacher just sighed, "There's an empty desk by Yamamoto-kun…" I was already three quarters of the way to the desk by the time the teacher noticed I was already moving.
My Japanese is rudimentary but I knew enough to know everyone has labeled me as a rebel. I'm having second thoughts about staying in Japan for two years in a hole I dug myself.
"Hey, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, nice to meet you," the boy's warm welcome despite my rather cold entrance,
"Um, hi"
"By the way, why are you wearing pants?" he was still smiling a calm, goofy grin.
"I don't like skirts," I answered.