Author's note: Hey guys, thank you for reading the first chapter of "The Exchange Programme". It's been a long time since I've written a fanfic, so please pardon me for my rusty writing skills. Once again, thank you for reading! Please submit your reviews too!
By the time the Seika High female president had donned the Cross academy uniform that Yuki had insisted to "enhance their exchange experience as one of them", the sky outside her dorm window had already turned a deep shade of navy blue, peppered with shining stars. The raven-haired girl admired the expensive looking uniform in the mirror, amazed by the comfort and warmth that it provided her as compared to her Seika uniform. Damn, the uniforms really cost a fortune! She cautiously held up the intricately designed silver necklace in one hand, carefully examining it before slowly running her fingers over the cool metal. Even this exquisite-looking necklace… She enclosed it in her hand and left out a repressed sigh.
"I wonder how many months I need to work at the Maid Café before I can even earn enough to afford one such necklace…" Misaki muttered to herself as a sad sinking feeling hit her. She opened her enclosed hand and looked at the beautiful necklace resting in her palm. So this is what it's like to be rich huh…you can afford the best quality goods… Her thoughts wondered to Usui. He's rich too isn't he? Well I guess all this means nothing much to him. But this experience really means so much to me…I'll never, ever get a chance to attend such a prestigious academy…
"KYAAAA! QUICK QUICK! WE CAN'T MISS THE NIGHT CLASS STUDENTS!" Screamed one extremely anxious female as her hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor.
"OH NO! WE NEED TO HURRY! AHHHH!" A bunch of Cross Academy girls stampeded out of the dormitory like a pack of elephants.
The sudden flurry of activity outside her room abruptly cut Misaki's thoughts.
"Eh…? What's happening outside? What night class students?" She opened her door warily and snuck a peek outside. Most of the rooms around her were already empty. Her heart skipped a beat.
What's going on? Where is everyone?
"He-Hello…? Is anyone out there…?"
Her shaky voice hung in the deadly silent atmosphere. There was no one. Anxious, she hastily put on the silver necklace and stepped out of her dorm, slowly shutting the door behind her. She glanced to her left and right, in hopes of finding a female student nearby to explain to her the situation that was happening, but the tiny glimmer of hope extinguished as she found no one in sight.
"Anyone…? Hello?" Misaki raised her voice a little higher, half hoping and waiting that someone would magically appear before her and explain the exodus earlier. She waited and waited. But no one came. No one replied her. She was alone. Alone. The Seika High President wasn't afraid of being left alone. However, being alone in such a massive academy without any human existence in a foreign environment reminded her of the spooky video games where the protagonist had to navigate through empty, dark hallways, hoping to find the exit. Usui...come and get me... She pleaded silently in her mind, hoping that her telepathic powers were strong enough to send her message to him. But she knew it was utterly useless and a waste of time.
Fear started to envelop her. She was, after all, a new student and unfamiliar to the practices and schedules of the students. Now, she was left alone in the vacated dormitory. Misaki gulped. Maybe I should try to follow the rest of the students? I'll just follow in the directions of the footsteps I heard earlier.
She began to walk but the eerie echoes of her footsteps against the wooden hallway were too creepy. An icy chill slid down her spine and the hairs of her neck stood up. She quickened her footsteps before progressing into a sprint. Then she practically dashed out of the dormitory building… and into the arms of someone.
Due to the immense lightning speed that she was going, she collided into him and the impact caused both of them to topple over with Misaki lying on top of him.
"Ohmygoodness. I'm really, really, sorry," Misaki immediately retreated and stood up abruptly. She bowed apologetically.
"I was running too fast…" She remained in the bowing position, her heart crashing against her chest and the erratic pounding resonating in her eardrums. Whether it was from the sprinting earlier or the fact that she had crashed and landed on a male student, she couldn't tell. She was breathless and panting wildly. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead and slide down her tomato red cheeks.
"Please forgive me," she repeated sincerely before looking up at who the person was.
The male student who was awkwardly sprawled on the ground stood up grumpily and tidied his soiled and crumpled uniform.
"Ah…what is this?" He growled inaudibly, before running his hand through his hair. He looked at her and tilted his head to one side, a million things running through his mind. He looked puzzled. His brows knitted together, distorting his well-chiseled features.
"I haven't seen you anywhere in Cross Academy before. Are you a student here?"
"No…wait yes, I'm Misaki from Seika High. I'm the exchange student who arrived here today," she replied politely and bowed to greet him formally. Oh my goodness. I'm so screwed. I'm already creating havoc on my first day in Cross Academy. Ugh! Stupid Misaki! She chided herself in her mind.
An expression flitted across his face before the student regained his composure. What was it…a burdened expression? Misaki thought to herself. He approached her and struck out his hand as a smile brightened up his beautiful face. His eyes seemed to twinkle like the stars in the sky.
"Nice to meet you Misaki."
She raised her hand and shook his, maintaining eye contact all this while.
"Nice to meet you…what's your name?"
Meanwhile…
A well-dressed Cross Academy student was wandering around the Academy grounds alone. His casual gait indicated his familiarity with the surroundings and his calm composure suggested that he was one of the students there. However, something was a little off about him. He was wandering everywhere and examining everything around him. One moment he was at this end touching the flowers planted around the school and another moment, he was completely immersed and staring at one of the pillars that held the school, studying with a scholar's interest. He stroked his imaginary moustache, leaning in closer to the marbled pillar before stepping back and framing a part of the pillar with his fingers.
"Hmm…whatever…"
The blonde shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and sauntered onwards in the direction of the horse stables.
"It's been a long while since I've seen a horse. I hope the school doesn't mind me dropping by the horse stables."
The lights in the horse stables were still on, indicating that someone was inside. The warm yellow hues radiated from the stables and illuminated the surrounding dark areas of the school compound. Curious to see who it was at such an hour, Usui headed towards the entrance. He sneakily stuck his head in to see horses in their pens…and a figure lying amongst the hay.
Usui arched his brow in surprise. Why would a student be here at such a late hour? Was he sleeping there?
He entered leisurely, stopping at each horse to examine their type and breed, even reaching out to touch and caress them. Step by step, he closed the distance between him and the mystery student. Who is he?
He took another step forward but somehow stepped on a twig and it snapped.
The sound demolished the fragile silence and startled the horse that was positioned the nearest to the student. The white beast let out a bewildered neigh and kicked its feet in the air in distress.
"Who's there?"
The student emerged from the hay cautiously, his hand quickly sliding into the inner side of his jacket and grabbing something. In one swift movement he took out Bloody Rose and pointed it at the intruder's head, his finger ready to pull the trigger.
He narrowed his grey eyes at the blonde.
"Why are you here? Who are you?" The silver-haired student bellowed, an evil aura surrounding him and slowly spreading around the entire stable. The remaining horses began to struggle in their enclosed areas in fear.
At point blank range, Usui froze. The earlier carefree boy turned cautious as he came face to face with the silver-haired student. His heart throbbed wildly as he tried to conceal his shock and terror. What the heck? Is weapon possession allowed in this school? Isn't it forbidden? Are all the students carrying weapons as self-defense? Against whom exactly? Something's fishy about this academy…
Usui inhaled slowly to steady his breathing and extracted both of his hands from his pockets. He raised them in the air.
"I'm Usui from Seika High. The exchange student. Forgive me for my rude intrusion."
The tension in the air was so palpable that Usui could hear his own labored breathing. He exhaled and scanned Zero from head to toe. Silver hair, silver eyes…hm not a common sight from where I'm from. This guy seems to have security and trust issues…why is he so guarded?
Zero continued to glare at the intruder. Exchange student? Not some vampire disguised as exchange students? His finger remained at the gun's trigger as a lingering sense of suspicion and distrust remained. The boy's name rang a bell though. Usui? Zero tried to fish out the name from his earlier memories but it drew a blank. Should have paid attention when Chairman Cross was briefing me on this exchange programme… The boy doesn't seem to be lying though. He looked into the emerald irises of the exchange student. Usui returned Zero an unwavering and confident gaze that strangely struck to him as familiar. Yuki.
"Alright…"
After a long moment of hesitation and deliberation, the silver-haired student let his hand fall to his side and kept his gun. He straightened his black uniform and let his gaze fall to the ground for a brief moment. The exchange student, sensing the awkwardness between them, began to loosen up and spoke.
"You're the student councilor right? Same as Yuki right? I spotted the band on your uniform."
Suddenly, Zero's throat started to throb painfully again as he glanced at the student's exposed neck. It felt as if knives were stabbing through his throat, slowly sawing through his veins and creating more excruciating pain. He felt the empty bottle of blood tablets in his right pocket and enclosed it in his palm. Darn it, he cursed silently. If he didn't do anything, this student would be dead soon…
"Yeah," Zero grunted unamiacably and pointed towards the entrance of the horse stable.
"Now get the hell out. NOW!"
Shocked, the blonde took another look at him before stuffing his hands in his pockets and shuffling outside.
"Well, thanks for the hospitality, Zero. Such a warm welcome."
Zero's eyes followed the back of Usui and then his shadow as the blonde ambled back to the academy building to ensure that the exchange student really did as he was told. He relaxed and collapsed back into the heap of hay next to White Lily who snorted at him to show her disapproval of his earlier actions. Zero heaved a huge sigh of relief and shut his eyes wearily in a futile attempt to lessen his agony. He grabbed his neck and writhed in pain. It was worsening and he was fighting a losing battle with the blood hungry vampire within him.
"…Yuki…," escaped his lips as a soft and painful murmur.
"….Yu-"
To be continued…