Disclaimer: Welcome to The Ballroom (Ballroom e youkoso) and the characters are Tomo Takeuchi's. OCs are mine.

Warning: Some OC, Gaju X OC, cliche, infrequent crude remarks

Even a wild grass like her could bloom into a beautiful flower in his frame.

Chapter 1

Pre-Heat

Gaju Akagi. The leading man of Akagi siblings who took the eyes by their latin routine. Major ten-dance competition is up in a month and he and his little sister, Mako, have doing their best as the golden couple, Kiyoharu and Shizuku, and the new emerging couple, Tatara and Chinatsu is also entering too. Unfortunately, Mako got injured her back and couldn't back on dancing in a month.

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan! I failed you again!" Mako cried. Gaju just looking at his beloved sister, trying to cheer her up.

"… No, you're not, Mako! You have never failed me since Tenpei Cup! I-It was all my fault to ever underestimate you…"

"Onii-chan…"

"Now rest up so you could heal faster!" He throws those blanket he's been holding all the time and run to the door. Now with Mako injured, he can't take the competition. He was just about to call off the competition, but suddenly,

"Onii-chan, you should take the competition…"

"… We can't, Mako, with you…"

"No. I know someone… As long as we didn't replace the dancers only during the competition, you can replace me with her now." What Mako said is confusing enough for Gaju to apprehend.

"She's like Shizuku nee-san. I believe you'll get along with her."

Mako told him to meet her at the studio they're practicing together in their hometown. He heard some music and footsteps, like someone was dancing rumba. He approached the sound.

A lady, with average tall and a flowing chestnut hair was dancing in her tank top and shorts. It was quite some times for him to watch her in secret. Her moves, her timing. His eyes moves where those hips are.

Mako is right. She, for him, in the same level as Shizuku is. No. Far more better in Rumba than Shizuku even though the latter is also the best in all dance. As the music is done, he unknowingly clapping for the lady in tank tops. She quite surprised to have a sudden company.

"Ah… Sorry." The girl stared at him. Glaring him like he is kind of a pervert.

"Hey! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to peek– I mean to watch you dance! It is just a pure coincidence!" Gaju ran towards her.

"Listen! I'm Gaju. Gaju Akagi. THAT Gaju Akagi from Akagi siblings who won the first place last comp. My sister recently injured her back and she told me to ask you to replace her in the next comp."

"Is it Mako-chan?" She asked.

"Yeah… sort of."

"… She told me that her brother is an asshole." She said it with a straight voice.

"W-WHA?!"

"For calling her washboard. If someone ever calls me that, I ensure his back will be replaced by those washboards." Again she said it subtly.

"But, she loves you more than anything. It's quite suprising that she would lend his beloved onii-chan to pair up with me."

"You… Who are you to Mako?"

"… Soon you will know. I'm Natsumi, by the way. Care to join me on cha cha cha, Gaju-kun?" She lend her hand to him.

"Bring it on!" He grabbed her hand. He started to leading on their dance.

"Dammit, she's good." Her skill is on par with Shizuku's. She read and followed his lead so easily. He could feel a connection in their dance. As they moved those hips, he was really sure that they would get full checks on latin american division.

Their dance ended in an erotic pose. Her face got almost no space to his. He stared deep into her grey eyes. And so was her. Their breath came in sync. At that point, he knew that this girl is yet, a perfect match for him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, leader." She said, leaving Gaju grinning.

"MAKOOOOO!" He slammed Mako's door.

"Why didn't you tell me about her earlier?!"

"Eh, Natsumi nee-chan?"

"She's good. It was like I was paired with Shizuku again… No, even better!"

"Glad, you like it Onii-chan… She is an upperclassman in our school, she said that she often watch us in comp and said that she want to learn latin under my titulage. She started just a year ago and…"

"Ehhh? A year ago? Have she ever been in a comp before?"

"No, if I recall…"

"How… How did she become so good… What kind of tutor did you gave her, Makooo?"

"Tee hee, it's a secret, onii-chan. But I must say Natsumi-nee is amazing. She learns so fast and so easily in latin. I'm sure you got full checks in latin. But she gotta practice her standard more. You have too teach her standards, onii-chan. Especially with Hyoudou nii-san and Shizuku nee-chan entering too. Not too mention Tatara-san and Chinatsu-san too…"

"Of course, Mako, I'm not gonna lose from them."

"I… I'll recover fast so you don't have to worry about them. For now, please took Natsumi-nee as my replacement."

"You don't have to worry about us, Mako. I'll whoop Hyoudou's and that wimpy Tatara's asses with our dance. With my amazing leading skill, standards will be a breeze to her."

Class 2-1

"Is Natsumi Nakajima here?" He, yet again slamming the class' door, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Gaju-kun?" He approached her desk.

"We need to talk." He dragged her to the roof, leaving those staring eyes.

"Did Mako tell you we are doing standards too?"

"What? Standards? I-I can't do standards."

"Why not? It's ten-dance comp so we have to do standards too. Winning in latin wouldn't be enough to take the crown. Especially with Hyoudou joining."

"I can't follow anyone lead… I would go stray off the rhythm… My footwork is a mess in standards."

He put on the music and lift her up.

"Bear with me. I'll lead you, step by step." They began to move in synchronization as the music goes on. She followed him step by step.

"Who said that your footwork is shit?"

"We'll work on standards on weekdays here and latin on weekends at the studio. Bring ya standard shoes and skirt tomorrow. We'll do it after school here." He asked her and grabbed his speaker.

"See ya tomorrow."

Days and days she learned the waltz.

"No, your left foot shouldn't step in there. And your back should be more leaner to me."

"Sorry…"

"Don't sorry me. Do it again… Geez, you started to sound like Mako… It's like I danced with a two completely different person. I want Nakajima that I danced in latin in this standards too."

"…" She let go of his hands.

"Hey, we're not done yet!"

"… I love standards. I really do. With pretty and frilly dresses, it was my first love to dance. Standards is about being a flower in your leader's frame. But, I always stray off. I've become a wild grass outside the frame. That's why my previous partner broke up with me. He… Said that I can't be a beautiful flower in his frame. I am a wild grass who grows underneath his frame."

"Then, why you're telling me this? Screw him. I'll be the frame that makes a wild grass like you bloom into a beautiful dandelion in standards like you did in latin."

"Gaju-kun.. No. I will not catch up in time."

"Of course you will. At least we nail waltz and tango, we will definitely awe the judge with latin." He gets his hand into her back.

"Now, do it again." He started leading back and she follows.

"Who's your previous partner? His leading suck, anyway."

"..."

Continued in Chapter 2