KIMI = HANA [You = Flower]
CHAPTER ONE: Beginning of the First Day
"Good morning, big brother! Good morning, Ada!"
Oz Vessalius entered the dining room with a huge smile on his face. His older brother, Jack, and their younger sister, Ada, looked up when they saw him enter.
"Good morning, Oz/big brother Oz," Jack and Ada said, respectively.
"Excited for your first day?" asked Jack as he buttered a piece of toast. He adored his younger brother very much; he, Jack, had been the one who took care of his siblings ever since they were little children, soon after Ada was born. Their mother died after giving birth to her, and their father was always away for work.
"Yep, very! I finally get to attend the school that Ada had been studying in, and where big brother has been teaching. I bet it'll be so fun," Oz admitted. Life was always simple and easy for him. He got what he wanted, and he liked it.
"I'm sure it will be, big brother Oz," said Ada, smiling sweetly. "With someone like you, it'll be really nice."
The three siblings lived alone in their mansion. Yes, they had maids, but their services were so little required (except for cleaning the house and doing the laundry) that most of the time, they remained in their own quarters. Thus, life was, in a way, simple. Sometimes they thought of themselves as orphans, who had no one but each other.
The three of them not only looked alike, but they had perfectly similar personalities. And yet, they never got bored of each other, or thought of each other as that similar. Jack, Oz, and Ada cared deeply about each other, and would do anything for each other. That was all they had: each other.
"Ne, it would be so fun to see Gil as a teacher," said Oz suddenly, taking a bite out of the buttered toast that Jack handed him. He was referring to Gilbert Nightray, a friend of Jack's, who also worked as a teacher at Pandora Academy. Growing up, Gil had helped take care of Oz, and they were practically best friends, caring for each other deeply.
"Now, now, Oz. You should start referring to him as Gilbert-sensei." Jack chuckled, pouring the three of them some Earl Grey tea. "Remember, Oz, you must show him some respect."
"I will, I will." Oz rolled his eyes. "But should I really?"
"Yes you should."
"What does he teach again?" asked Oz, nibbling on the toast.
Ada took a sip of tea. "Have you forgotten, big brother Oz? Gil teaches Home Economics."
Oz had to stuff his fist into his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
"He's a great teacher, though!" Ada defended with a pout. "Because of him, I learned how to bake your favorite cookies, big brother!"
"I know, I know. I just find it so very funny."
"I agree with you, my little brother," said Jack, finishing his fried eggs.
Ada's eyes widened. "Big brother Jack!" she exclaimed.
Jack laughed, patting his youngest sibling on the head. "Forgive me, Ada," he said. "Now, let us all finish our breakfast. I believe that it is time to fully prepare to head to school."
"I'll go ahead to the car!" exclaimed Oz, running out with a piece of toast in his mouth. "Hurry up, big brother, Ada!"
Jack blinked, then chuckled. "So full of life, isn't he?" he said, piling their plates into a stack and placing them on the kitchen cart. "I bet that he'll have a wonderful life at the academy. A guy like him will have so much fun."
"I agree with you, big brother Jack," Ada said with a smile, standing up. "A person like big brother Oz…will be easily accepted."
"Oh? A new student?"
"Yes. He comes from one of the Four Duke Houses."
"Which one?"
"I heard he's from the Vessalius family."
A soft gasp, a light blush. "V-V-Vessalius?"
A teasing chuckle. "Ah, Alice-kun is getting excited."
"SHUT UP!" yelled Alice, the school's top delinquent, blushing madly. A fifteen-year-old with dark-brown hair and light-violet eyes, she was quite tough and strong, even with her short stature.
"The new student's a Vessalius," confirmed Xerxes Break, an amused smirk on his face. "Jack-sensei's younger brother."
Alice blinked. "J-Jack-sensei…has a younger brother?"
"Honestly, B-Rabbit. You're in love with him, and yet you don't know," drawled a figure hidden in the shadows.
"EH?! SH-SH-SHUT UP!" "B-Rabbit" was the name by which Alice was known as a "Chain" – a creature that guarded their school, Pandora Academy.
"Now now, everyone, please calm down," said Break, laughing at them. "It doesn't make a difference on whether or not Alice-kun knew that our new schoolmate is a Vessalius. But Alice-kun, please do not shout." The look on his face suddenly became serious. "What matters is that."
"Yes," came a man's voice from behind the curtain. "Truly indeed…all the heirs and heiresses of the Four Duke Houses are now complete…assembled here in this school."
"Does this mean," said Alice, "that that will happen soon?"
"Correct." Break sighed and looked out the window. "That will happen soon…the Final Coronation."
The limousine stopped in front of the tall, prestigious school. The driver, Christopher, stepped out and opened the car door for the three Vessalius siblings to get out.
Oz's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "Big brother Jack, Ada! You didn't tell me how big this school was!"
Indeed, Pandora Academy was very huge, almost as large as the extremely big Vessalius mansion. The gate was made out of real, pure gold. The path leading up to the entrance building was made out of smooth brick; there was not a single bump. Lining the path were many trees, for the entire school was surrounded by a vast forest.
That in itself, the school was composed of more than a dozen buildings, one for each year level, and one for each subject department. Each were built and furnished to perfection, to suit each of the students' needs. It was, after all, worked on together by the heads of the Four Duke Houses.
"I thought you were capable of imagining how big it would be, Oz," said Jack with a soft chuckle, balancing his Physics and History books. "Now, the two of us must go to the entrance building to confirm your arrival. You are a Vessalius heir, after all."
"Yeah, yeah." Oz turned to Ada. "Prefect duties?"
"Yep!" Ada kissed Jack on the cheek, then Oz. Looking at her middle sibling, she smiled. "Good luck, big brother Oz." Then she ran off.
"Come on, Oz," Jack called, walking ahead towards the entrance building.
Oz had to run to keep up with him. "Ne, big brother Jack…should I start calling you Vessalius-sensei or Jack-sensei from now on?"
The look on Jack's face held amusement as he smirked. "Whichever you prefer."
"What do the other students call you?"
Jack's smirk went wider. "Jack-sensei."
"That's what I'll call you, then."
The two of them finally arrived at the entrance building. It was also known as the registration building, the lobby, blah blah blah. It was empty of people, except for a woman who sat behind the reception desk. She had mouse-brown hair, and shining turquoise eyes hidden behind glasses.
She looked up. "Ah. Vessalius-sama," she said, upon seeing Jack.
"Hello, Katrina." Jack gave her one of his winning smiles. "Anything new for me today?"
"Not at all. There is, though, a few papers that the Director would want you to sign later on."
"I'll handle them later." He pulled out a thick folder from the briefcase that he held. "The registration papers for my brother," he said, gesturing towards Oz.
The woman named Katrina looked at Oz, who smiled and waved. "What year is he?"
"First-year high school. I asked him to be placed in 1-A."
"Okay, then. I guess that all he needs to do is show these to each of the teachers per period, then surrender it at the end of the day. That way, it'll be proven that he is a student, and a Vessalius heir, at that."
"Thanks, Katrina," said Jack, taking the folder, then handing it over to Oz. "You heard that, Oz, hand it to each and every teacher you have per period. Even me. You have History at the end of the day." He smiled. "Make sure they sign it, okay?"
Oz smiled back, their faces almost exactly identical. "Yes, big brother!"
"Good." Jack held him by the arm, glancing back at Katrina. "Well, we're off."
Katrina waved good-bye.
"Well, that's your building," said Jack, pointing out the High School Freshman building to Oz once they were outside. "Class 1-A occupies the fourth floor. That's where you're gonna be going, okay? Well…." He made a shoo-ing gesture. "Go forth."
Oz blinked. "Eh? What do you mean? You're not going with me, big brother Jack?"
Jack smiled, and flicked his younger brother on the forehead. "That's Jack-sensei to you…Oz-kun." He winked and headed off to the History department building.
Oz frowned at the thought of his brother not being with him. He was so used to Jack's presence, that he expected him to be there everytime he turned around. It was stupid, but it was what he felt.
He felt his cheeks heat up.
Eh? What am I thinking? Jack's just my big brother, someone whom I would naturally care about. He's very special to me. He was practically the one who raised me.
But then…why do I feel this way? His touch, his smile, his voice…it's suddenly making my heart beat really fast….
He shook his head, brushing away that thought. And yet, the blush on his cheeks deepened. With a pout, he ran off, heading to the freshman building.
Apparently, he was running too fast, and wasn't looking at where he was heading. He literally bumped into someone, someone who had a tall, hard, muscular body, for he fell on his butt upon the impact. He winced.
"Oi!" he heard the person whom he bumped into exclaim. "Don't go off bumping into people, idiot!"
Oz blinked. That voice…it's…very familiar….
Nostalgic….
And somehow…comforting….
He looked up. Indeed, he was right. He could never be wrong about it. He could recognize that tall stature, that messy ebony-black hair, and those expressive golden eyes anywhere.
Slowly, his eyes widening, he breathed,
"Gil?"