The Beginning

by lightpathetic

"SO. HAS everything been finalized?"

"Yes, Kaname. All the class members have been vetted and selected. I have already sent out the letters with your enthusiastic acceptances and you humblest regrets."

Kaname allowed a smile at this, knowing Takuma was just being mischievous. He had signed nothing "enthusiastic" of "humble", he was sure.

"Thank you. I will let the Chairman know that his first Night-Class is off to an auspicious start."

"Yes…" Takuma sighed and he fell back in the couch beside Kaname. It had been a very busy couple of weeks. They had both worked hard on the invitations, questionnaires, screenings, interviews, room assignments… Kaname wouldn't show it but he was sure that he was as exhausted as he was. "I look forward to being just a school kid. Reading manga in my spare time and skipping classes to do my chores…"

"You realize you have to set an example." Kaname gave Takuma a sidelong look of warning.

"Of course, Kaname! For the first week or so I will be exemplary," teased Takuma.

Kaname barely resisted rolling his eyes. He knew Takuma was just kidding. He picked up a nearby letter he had just opened and started to read it while his friend relaxed beside him, deservedly so. Takuma had done most of the running around and public relations. Kaname was very proud of his efforts. Kaname knew he had made a good choice in allowing Takuma to be Vice President in this venture, though he suspected that his grandfather had given his permission for other reasons. Kaname blinked to ward off his fatigue as he tried to do his myriad of other duties. Takuma was an open book. He didn't think he had anything to fear…

"What is that?" Takuma popped open one eye and sat up groggily. He turned in the chair to see Kaname already at the window. There was a crowd cheering outside, he was sure… "Fans?" Takuma asked as he came to stand beside Kaname.

"Someone is being photographed. He appears to be famous," Kaname surmised dryly from the cheering hoard gathered around them. "I don't recognize him as a student."

"If he was he would know there are no photographs to be taken on the premises. Where is he? I don't see… Kaname!!" Takuma whirled around just in time to see Kaname "open" the door and leave. He ran to follow. Kaname should really let him take care of this! He didn't have to trouble himself with such menial matters!

"SHIKI!! Shiki Senri!! Kyaahhh!!"

Zero put one finger in his ear just to alleviate the effect of the noise, but with little success. This person must be famous to have all these people congregate here like this. He and Yuuki were trying their best. But they were largely ignored as the crowd surged forward to catch a glimpse.

"Dammit, Yuuki. They would have to pick a time when the Chairman is off the premises. Obviously Kuran is still taking his beauty sleep. Useless son of a…"

Zero was cut off as Kaname brushed past him, only barely sparing him a chilly look as he marched over to the source of the disturbance. Many heads turned towards him as he walked, bowing to him, the regal figure demanding respect. Of course the dark aura of anger may have had something to do with the sudden chill in the air and the dampening of many of the fan-girls' spirits.

Kaname reached the instigators and spared no time for pleasantries. If he was in a bad mood before, Zero's comment had made it worse. He didn't like the implication that he was not in control and somehow the knowledge that the eleven-year-old had said it in front of Yuuki did nothing to lighten his mood. There was something about Kiriyuu that rubbed him the wrong way. Always.

"Leave. Now. There are no pictures on these premises without my permission. I will be taking that film…"

One brave soul stepped forward and bowed very low. Takuma finally caught up to Kaname. Touching his arm he whispered, "Do you want me to handle this?"

Kaname ignored him, which was his answer. He sighed, settling back behind Kaname to watch, hoping Kaname didn't overtax himself. Were these people yelling "Shiki…"?

"I'm sorry, Kuran-sama. Please forgive our intrusion. We had come here with the intention of speaking to you privately about this matter, but when we stopped to take a few photographs someone recognized him…"

"Indeed? The film please."

The man proffered a hand behind him for the camera and it was handed over to Kaname who deftly opened it and removed the film handing back the camera. He held out his hand to the cameraman who smiling sheepishly, stepped forward with the other roll from his bag.

"Now go. You can set up an appointment later."

"Please, Kuran-sama, if you check we do have one right now. Under the name..."

"You are 'Sun God'? I really thought that was a joke."

"No. We didn't want the information to leak out. Could we speak upstairs?"

"Are you the one appealing for last minute consideration? If you are I should tell you…"

"No, my lord. My client is. Senri Shiki."

At this a thin boy stepped forward with a hat low over his eyes and dark copper hair sticking out from under it. As he approached the man whipped off the hat and pushed it into the kid's stomach as a massive hint to take it off. The boy looked in a daze. His eyes came up briefly to Kaname's cold glare and then to Takuma's astonished ones before they fell irrevocably to his shoes. He looked very uncomfortable and out of place, not like the confident model Takuma saw in the magazines. Takuma suddenly felt like rescuing him.

"Let's go inside Kaname and discuss this," Takuma whispered very quietly, his lips hardly moving, but knowing Kaname could hear him easily. Kaname gave nothing away at first, but as he continued to watch the boy's misery, especially as the man - he guessed was the child's agent - prodded him to do something else but look as his shoes, Kaname's mood softened. Of course he recognized the boy. The face was always staring back at him from those silly magazines Takuma always had his nose in. And if he hadn't, he was sure Takuma would have gladly informed him, considering his heart rate right now. Kaname knew he was making a mistake the moment he turned and headed back towards the dorms, allowing them to follow. But Takuma would never forgive him if he didn't at least hear the boy out.

"BUT we are full. We have selected all of our students for this year," Kaname insisted, more for Takuma's benefit than the agent's. He had just been fed the yarn about how the boy was on assignment in Turkey for the last six months and his family had been unable to send him the invitation. But Kaname could see Takuma's obvious excitement as he twitched in the background very distractingly. He obviously thought they could fit him in. But why? The child hasn't said two words since he came in. He would have failed the interview…

"Kaname-sama, may I speak to you for a moment? Alone?" Takuma asked finally unable to hold his tongue.

Kaname looked up at Takuma who was rather comically making eyes towards the hallway. Was he suggesting he leave? Rather than the model? Kaname sat back in his chair in a "You've-got-to-be-joking-I'm-not-going-anywhere" stance. The agent was no fool.

"Do you want us to wait outside while you talk?"

"Yes."

"No!"

Kaname and Takuma spoke up at once. Kaname looked at Takuma as if he had lost his mind, but Takuma was undaunted.

"Kaname, I have something I want to show you in the next room. Please."

Kaname held Takuma's eyes a second more and stood.

"Excuse me, please. I believe my friend wants a word with me," Kaname said, a too bright smile on his face. He crossed to the door and exited leaving Takuma to follow.

"THIS had better be good, Takuma..."

"Here. Read this."

Takuma had pulled the quietly seething Kaname to his room. They were good friends from childhood, so Takuma wasn't very worried about Kaname's temper. Besides, he really wanted Kaname to make allowance for this applicant. Not only because it was Shiki Senri the famous model, but because there was something about the kid that he wanted to rescue. Shiki didn't seem daunted or scared. He seemed hopeless. Like he had long given up on this endeavour. And on life in general. Takuma wondered what had happened to make him feel this way. Worthless. Like efforts on his behalf were wasted. It could be because of his mother…

"His mother is Miki Murakami? So? Are you suggesting we accept him because his mother is the famous actress who went crazy?"

"No. Well, not exactly…"

"Takuma. We can't rescue everybody," Kaname stated firmly. "We already have six scholarship students at your insistence…"

Really, his friend was too much sometimes. He was sure between the Chairman and Takuma, they would have him crying at old episodes of "Strawberry on the Shortcake"…

"Look," Takuma insisted pointing at the article. "He's her only family. He has spent his life looking after her. He was discovered while he was running errands…"

"Takuma..." Kaname drawled irritably, dropping the magazine in the trash where it belonged. "I am very busy today…"

"Kaname."

Kaname had his hand on the knob. It was there. All he had to do was turn it. Dammit…

"What?"

"Please? I really have a feeling about this kid. He needs this. Look at him. He barely relates to anyone. Any other school would eat him alive…"

"We aren't running a nursery…"

"But you know the atmosphere will be different here. Besides he can certainly pay. Unlike my other six, scholarship, students…"

"Alright! But where will we put him? Didn't you say we were full?"

"That's okay," Takuma rejoined casually, moving away to rescue his magazine from the trash, trying not to seem too obvious. "He can stay with me."

to be continued

lightpathetic wrote this but these are not my characters. I am indebted to "Vampire Knight".