Chapter One: Chandelier Monkeys and Sugary Cakes
Note to Self:
Hello, Me. It's Akino again.
You'll be proud to know that I'll be attending real school.
Ouran Academy to be exact.
Papa thinks I should go to high school too.
He says that I should have a real teenage
experience after being home schooled for so long.
I'm not really that worried.
I just hope everything goes alright…
Hmm, I wonder if they have any chandeliers…
Closing the black, wrinkly, and quite possibly historic composition book before her, Akino Tsume sighed loudly and slouched against the leather seat of the limo in which she was inside. Glancing downward, black hair swept from behind her shoulders and the red tips tickled her collarbone.
A stoic woman with similar black hair was dressed in an out-of-season yukata. Her thin hands were folded and placed into her prim and undeniably proper lap. Her equally thin, crimson lipstick lips were in a tight scowl and pointed towards Akino, the raven-haired teen slouching still with her book against her chest.
"Akino…" The child jumped at the woman's sharp tone and she smiled awkwardly at the voice's owner. Sighing, a stressed breath was let loose. "Stop slouching. It's not respectable for a young and prosperous lady such as yourself. Neither is that outfit. You are required to dress in the academy's uniform." Akino frowned back at the nagging woman and picked at her outfit's collar.
"But Auntie, this is the school's uniform-"
"Akino, that is a boy's uniform. Are you a boy?" The girl poked at her unnoticeable chest and shook her head after a couple of moments. "Then why not wear the girl's uniform? The dress did look lovely on you." Huffing, Akino leaned against the cold leather and averted her eyes from her overbearing aunt.
"That dress was ugly." Her mutter was obviously heard as her aunt had snapped her head toward the student.
"Young lady! Hold your tongue! That style was made by a very good client of your father's." Now not caring at all about any affairs concerning her or her family's clients, Akino's bright blue eyes left that of her aunt and stared out to the window.
"Why couldn't Papa come?" Akino asked aloud, her tone sad and depressing to the current matter. Her aunt sighed once more and shifted her hands a few times, Akino seeing the discomfort in the woman's narrow brown eyes from the reflection in the dark windows.
"You know your father, he had another business call. Off to Tokyo to oversee some important events with the company. He's been stressed out greatly especially since…" Her voice trailed off as the limo finally stopped. Opening his own door, the driver strode around to Akino's own and opened it with a bow.
"Ms. Tsume, we have arrived at the academy." Akino glanced up at her driver and master butler, a young Japanese with kind eyes and a matching demeanor. "Shall I escort you inside to your classroom?" The fledging of a high school student shook her head, shoulder-length hair upsetting greatly.
"No, I-I'll be alright." The girl exited the car, book bag slung over her shoulder and notebook in her crossed arms. Spring winds teased at her hair and Akino sighed before giving a singular wave to her aunt, the woman giving her niece a faint and rare smile.
"Have fun." Akino didn't respond to her aunt's passing words and merely nodded before walking up to the school, head held low and mind cluttered to the brim with escalading adventures of magical and awe-inspiring chandeliers.
Later on in Class 1-A…
The classroom bustling uncontrollably with the news of an unfamiliar and obviously eccentric student sighted about the halls. Akino furrowed her brows and pressed her pierced ear against the elegant wood of her supposed homeroom. She could easily hear the rumors of her arrival inside the room, the teacher yelling at the students who had yet to quiet. Laughing to herself, Akino continued to eavesdrop on that class on which she was to be attending at that exact moment. The idea to enter came moments later.
In the form of her clumsiness, hands on the door knobs, and her own bad luck.
The teacher scoffed at Akino's entrance and as the students laughed without obvious stop.
"Ow…" Akino's mumbles were muttered into the hardwood floor, her face planted squarely into with butt unceremoniously up in the air.
"So unrefined, all of you." A voice arose among and over all other.
"How could you be so rude in the face of such a lovely woman?" A similar voice accompanied it and within seconds, Akino found herself rising to her feet with a steadiness under them. Glancing from her left to her right, she found help in the form of two handsome, red-haired twins. Parts went in opposite directions, as did their smirks toward the confused girl.
"Huh?" Akino laughed awkwardly in the face of beauty. "Hi? I believe that is the approximate greeting." The twins continued to smile, all three oblivious and unknowing to the events around them: that being the orders from the teacher and the girls fawning over the 'show' before them, wishing themselves to be there instead.
"That was quite a fall, princess. Are you alright?" This twin had a slightly deeper voice and a more mischievous smirk. The other, with a more sensitive face, turned his head away from the two and let go of Akino's left arm. Tears seemed to fall from the corners of his eyes, adding to his sad look.
"Hikaru, I wish you would worry about me like that." The twin known as Hikaru gasped quietly and fled near instantly from Akino's side to be with his twin. Cupping the other teen's faintly reddened cheeks; Hikaru gazed lovingly into his brother's face.
"I'm so sorry, Kaoru. Please," He brought his own face closer to Kaoru's, their faces now inches from each others. "Please forgive me." Akino tilted her head to the side at the signs of 'brotherly love' that the female students were boasting and fainting over.
"I must be missing something." She muttered to herself, turning to gather her things. Her eyes widened at the sight of another girl who was also dressed in a male uniform. "Thanks." The girl, who had short brunette hair and chestnut eyes smiled brightly and handed Akino her bag and notebook. Flipping her hair, her smile continued for a second longer.
"Don't mention it." Her face lowered to a slight blankness and she scowled over Akino's shoulder at the twins, whose act was still going on. "Oh and sorry about them. They try to host whenever possible. It really gets out of hand."
"Hikaru. Kaoru." The teacher called to the twins, who were still bound to each other. "Please quit this and return to your seat. Haruhi, you as well. And the rest of you, shut up." The teacher, a blonde-haired woman with thin glasses and light makeup, turned to Akino, a shiver of fear rose up the girl's spine as the woman gave her a condescending smile and motioned for her to approach her side.
"Um…I'm…sorry?" Akino choked out the words with a hesitant laugh. The teacher nodded with an overconfidence and placed her hands on the scared girl's shoulders.
"Now, everyone." The woman began as if this was elementary school but in reality from Akino's eyes, it may have been all too similar. "This is Akino Tsume. She's been home schooled since well…forever. This is her first year at school and I hope you will all welcome her with open arms." She pushed the girl forward a bit too harshly and Akino stumbled forward, high giggles coming from a small group of girls in the back. Smiling with an obvious awkwardness, Akino bowed to her new, fellow students.
"It will be a pleasure to be in your class and attending your school."
Later on during lunch…
Walking into the confectionary of Ouran Academy, Akino pressed her composition book to her chest with one hand and held onto her linen-wrapped box lunch with another. The entire room bustled loudly with the sounds of happy students entering through the oak wood doors, expensive plates moving along to silver trays filled with gourmet food, and yet silence reigned in mere seconds.
Akino stood dumbstruck as she strode across the room to the empty end of a table. The eyes of the silent students were not on her but of those who had entered. Unwrapping her box lunch, the raven-haired girl glanced back to see six male students, the two twins from her homeroom present along with the girl, who had entered. They all basked in the attention they got before completing the simple task of walking in.
Akino raised an eyebrow at the entire group before scoffing to herself.
"Hmm…those boys are high and mighty, aren't they?" Turning back to her lunch, Akino merely picked up a pair of finely painted chopsticks and began to eat her simplistic meal. But as she continued to, her eyes always found a way back to the group.
Am I enticed by their looks as these other girls are?
Akino shook her head in disagreement to her thoughts and brought a small piece of expertly-made tuna roll to her lips.
No, that's not it.
Still, her azure eyes wavered to the group and she yelled aloud in frustration. Surrounding students turned to her and whispers of rumors abounded instantly. Glancing to their shadowed faces with a tight scowl, Akino brought up her things into her arms and fled the scene to find solace elsewhere. Her feet rapidly hit the floor, arm outstretched to push the door open.
She succeeded and managed to escape the confines of the confectionary. The doors closed behind herself and she stopped moving as fast, her gait coming to a slow and careful walk. Using her free hand to hold her head, Akino laughed in stupidity and realization.
"I'm such an idiot. Nearly a day at school and I've already gone mad." She sighed with conscientious and slumped over before she groaned with dissatisfaction. "I still haven't seen a good enough of a chandelier…"
"Maybe the one in our club will suffice." Glancing over her shoulder, Akino saw a crimson red rose before her eyes. Trailing her gaze along the pale fingertips that led to a blue-clothed arm, blue crossed with violet. "Hello, my dear. Would you please tell me why you were so mad earlier? I never like seeing a beautiful lady such as yourself angry." Akino didn't speak yet she wasn't speechless.
Blonde hair blew in a world without wind and a deep, royal violet filled two circular canvases. Akino shook her head and coherent thoughts were clear as a blinding diamond.
"It was nothing really. Just stressed over the first day." The blonde's mouth formed into a small 'o' shape. "…but, you were talking about a chandelier? Where is it? Does it have any crystals? Candles or electrical lights? Beaded or Murano? Shells, maybe? Or is it an antique?" The rose-holding teen laughed quietly.
"My, my. You really do like chandeliers, don't you?" Akino blushed in embarrassment from the question and didn't respond. "If your answer is yes, then come to the 3rd Music Room at the end of school. Well, I must be leaving for class. I hope to see you soon, my princess." He gave a simple smile to Akino before handing her the rose and walking away. Her sapphire eyes left that of the leaving blonde and turned to the flower in her uncluttered hand.
"I wonder where this Music Room is." Her eyes went to the high ceiling. "Maybe its chorus group or a band." She merely shrugged and turned on her heels to walk back to class, the rest of the day turning into a turbulent storm without end.
At the storm's eye…
Akino stood before the elegantly-carved, maple door that led to the 3rd Music room. Her gaze traced the kanji above her head a twentieth time, moving back to the doors' golden handles. Sighing loudly, the reluctant girl placed her hands on the handles and pulled the doors open. The scent of sweets mixed into that of fresh flowers, more specifically, roses. The ruby flower's same petals flew toward the awestruck girl in a spiral pattern, coasting along an air-conditioned wind.
Fixating her gaze on the room before her, Akino's eyes widened in amazement. Not of the prim and properly posed boys and girl before her but of the magical entity above them. Excitement filled the girl's eyes and moved quickly to the nearest table. What seemed like everyone in the room began to watch Akino as she stacked chair upon chair in an intricate manner on top of the sturdy table.
Happiness filled every fiber of her being as she climbed up from one chair to another before her fingers were wrapped around the closest platinum rod that linked the beautiful lights and crystals together. Light glinted off of them in all directions, shining upon the ground and lighting the whole room. Getting a tighter grip, Akino managed to pull herself up on wrapped her legs around the main beam that held the chandelier to the ceiling.
The raven-haired girl's fingers left the cold rods and she fell backward, the entire fixture shaking for a quick second before everything became still. Akino glanced at the room around her, now taking the time to gaze at the students who had been at the entrance. The blue-eyed girl frowned and crossed her arms as she saw the same group from lunch was there to welcome her, the blonde at the head of the group.
"Well," An older teenager wearing glasses spoke first, his onyx hair in fell swoops. "It seems you've made yourself at home, Ms. Tsume."
"How do you know me?" Akino asked in response. "We've never met yet you know my name already." The spectacled boy smirked the slightest, just the corner of his lips curling upward.
"I have my ways." He replied with secretiveness. "But so you have an inkling of who I am…I am Kyouya Ootori." There was a pause in between his words as he took a quick moment to glance upwards at the rod at which Akino had her legs wrapped around.
"Akino-chan, you must be some sort of acrobat~!" The girl tilted her head at a small, blonde boy with lovely blue eyes. In his hands was a simple, stuffed bunny. Akino shrugged from her position and continued to cross her arms.
"Not really. I just climbed up here." Yet despite her words, the boy had run over to her with a much taller and older teen in tow. His hair was much like Kyouya's only his own was shorter and messed up the slightest. He gave Akino a mere nod before squatting down, the child clambering onto his shoulders. Standing back up, the two were still far from Akino but close enough. The boy grinned brightly and cheerfully, holding up the bunny to Akino. Growing confused at a fast pace on the club and its purpose, the girl scratched at her head.
"This is Usa-chan. I'm Honey and this is Mori." Each name but his own was said in an affectionate tone. Stretching out her hand, Akino poked the bunny on its nose and giggled childishly. Glancing over both bunny and boy, her gaze rested on the two she knew personally.
"Hikaru, Kaoru. Nice to see you again." The twins gave a peace sign to Akino while hanging off of each other.
"Looks like you're more graceful than we thought." Their words were in perfect unison and Akino sighed with a frown.
"That was just bad luck…" She muttered under her breath. The twins shrugged as the final two made their appearance: the blonde and the only girl.
"So, my princess, you've finally ventured to our humble Host Club. I, your modest prince, shall always be here for you. I am Tamaki Suoh, and the King of the Host Club." Akino smirked at the obnoxious blonde.
"I thought you said you were a prince." She leaned forward. "If that's so, am I your queen?" The blonde blushed, Akino surprised at the words she had just spoken and the manner in which they were.
…when'd I learn to do that? Was that sarcasm…or…just what was it?
There was a slight creak but inaudible enough that it wasn't detected by Akino. As Tamaki continued on with his blushing, the girl pinched her nose and sighed.
"So, what are you doing up there?" She asked Akino. The girl tilted her head to the right in thought before smiling.
"I'm a monkey." And that's when things got complicated.
First Ouran story. Please don't be too harsh. Let me know if anything's OOC. Please, oh please review and see you all soon.
~Darkness hides only in the light~
the-pyro-princess13