Chapter 1

I had gone back into the school to my history book that I had left behind in my locker. As I made my way back to the middle school buildings to help out with the middle school Kendo club, my friend and classmate, Oki Yuasa, grabbed me by my arm and started pulling me away from the door. "Hi Toshie! You're coming with me!" She shouted over her shoulder. I was tempted to just stop moving and make it harder for her to pull me, but that would probably just end up getting me hurt.

"Oki! Where are you taking me?" I asked her as I tried not to stumble over my own feet. Sometimes I wondered why we were such good friends, it was probably because she was the first one to talk to me in class when I came to Ouran four years ago. And besides the members of the Kendo club and the middle school members, she's still one of the few people I do actually talk to.

Oki didn't say anything more as she continued leading me through the large winding halls and that really annoyed me. It was probably the most annoying thing about my friend. "If you don't tell me where you're taking me, I can easily get out of the hold you have on me," I said none too nicely. She stopped and I ran into her back from the suddenness of it.

"I thought that Kendo stuff was supposed to make you 'always aware'?" She teased.

I stuck my tongue out at her. "I was never much good at Kakari-geiko during practice." Oki stared at me like I was speaking gibberish and I guess to her I was. She was a dancer, not a Kendoka. Her technical terms were as foreign to me as mine were to her. Though hers are mostly in French, which is a foreign language, but that's beside the point. We have different interests, but I think our similar personalities are what bring us together at times.

She pointed to the door that I hadn't noticed was behind her. I looked up at the sign above and narrowed my eyes at her. "Come on Toshie! You'll have fun, I promise," she said as she once again took my arm. Oki opened the door and started to pull me through, but being the resourceful person I am, grabbed onto the only thing I saw that I could. That thing happened to be the door frame. "Why are you being so difficult?" She asked.

"Why can't you just accept that I have somewhere to be?" I retorted. Oki stopped pulling and looked at me with her sad eyes. "Don't even think about giving me that look, you know it doesn't work on me."

"What seems to be the problem here?" A voice asked. I turned my head to see the famous Tamaki Suoh standing before us with a red rose in hand.

Oki looked at him with a smile and a blush that I rolled my eyes at. "There's no problem at all, Tamaki-senpai."

I scoffed. "Yes there is! I need to be at the middle school…" I looked up and around for a clock. I really need to invest in a watch. I found the clock and nearly fainted at how late I was. "Almost fifteen minutes ago!" I pulled against her and only succeeded in pulling Oki to me. "Please let go?"

"But Toshie," she whined. She stopped there and let go of me as Suoh-senpai gently took ahold of her chin. I had to remember to thank him the next time I saw him, but there was no time now! I slipped out of the door and started down the hall.

"Bye Oki! I'll see you Monday!" I called behind me as I ran with my bag clutched onto my shoulder.

I made it to the school dojo in less than ten minutes (which is actually a considerably fast time taking in account how far apart the two points wee). "You're late, Kamio," Sensei said as soon as I walked through the door.

I bowed to him. "Please forgive my tardiness, Sensei. I was… held up." He gave me a skeptical look. Though he had no reason to be skeptical, I had never been late before, he was just a paranoid old man. In all actuality, he wasn't that paranoid; he was just strict and didn't like his students late by even a mere second let alone nearly a half hour.

"As in you had to fight off ten men all twice your size and triple your rank?"

I shrugged, "I wish it had been that easy. It was worse, I was being held up by a teenage girl. They're made of pure evil, I tell you." Sensei didn't like my sarcasm, but he didn't understand that in that instant I was being almost completely serious.

"Just get changed. Morinozuka has been waiting for you so he could begin the part of practice that you offered to help with." I bowed to him again and jogged into the changing room quickly changing out of my yellow uniform. I carried my tenugui* and men** with me as I left the room and joined up with the others.

Satoshi Morinozuka (Kendo club captain) waved me over to him with a smile. "Kamio-senpai, I was beginning to think you were ditching us!" He called when I was halfway to him. I laughed as I made it to him and shook my head.

"I could never do that!" I said in mock horror of the thought. I turned to face the others as he started explaining why exactly he had needed me to be there.

He clapped his hands together and everyone faced him instantly. "We're going to do some Hikitate-geiko is why Toshie Kamio-senpai from the high school is here today." I smiled to them all and bowed slightly, as did they.

This was exactly the thing I always looked forward to after a long day of classes. Teaching others has always been a specialty of mine no matter the subject. Unless it was something that involved creativity in any sense of the word really; I was more of a concrete thinker than an abstract one.

Practice went on for another hour before everyone was told to hit the showers and head home. As I changed, I looked around and realized that I was the only girl in the girls changing room. In the high school club at least there were two other girls. I was a little disappointed that more girls didn't participate in Kendo, but it wasn't as if I could force them to start. I showered quickly and put on the extra change of clothes that I always carry with me for after practice.

As I walked out, I saw Satoshi talking with Sensei and then they both looked over at me and froze in my tracks at the sight of Sensei smiling. It was a sight I had never seen before. "Kamio, I need to speak with you." Yeah, that sentence really made me feel better. With a deep breath, I started toward them with a smile and tried to act like I was freaking out about something I may have done wrong.

"Yes, Sensei?" I asked with an even voice. He looked at me curiously and it only made me all the more nervous.

"Where did you learn your techniques? I always thought they were a bit different, but I never really realized how different until you were teaching them to the others," he said simply. He didn't sound angry, merely curious.

I smiled. "From my first Sensei, Junichi Saga. He used to say that his methods were a bit unorthodox, but that they were effective."

Both Sensei and Satoshi nodded in agreement. "That it is. You could have easily won the championship a few years ago… If only you were more disciplined."

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. I shook my head and gave him a look of disbelief. "There's no way I could have beaten Morinozuka-senpai!"

Sensei nodded. "You're right. You couldn't have and you still can't. You don't have his discipline, as I have already said. That's why starting next week, you'll be training under him for the next few months."

I stared at him blankly. My mouth wasn't able to form words that weren't complete and utter nonsense. Morinozuka-senpai was going to train me? That just sounded ridiculous to my mind. He was the best around here, in the entire country maybe even on the entire planet! I was only second to him, there was no reason he should even consider taking me on as a student.

"I told him that you would meet up with him today when you finished up here," Sensei added, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nodded and with a bow I headed out of the dojo.

It was nearly dark out now and I was tired and still had a crap load of homework to do. I didn't really want to have to go all the way back to that stupid host club just to tell him that I got the message about him training me. It seemed counter-productive to me, but it would be worse to question Sensei. "Kamio-senpai!" I nearly jumped at the sound of my name.

I turned around to see Satoshi running after me. "Hey Satoshi-kun. Do you need something?" He caught up to me and shook his head.

"Nope, I just figured I'd go with you if you were heading to talk to my brother since I was going there anyway. That way neither of us has to go alone, you know?" It amazed me how he could say so much without needing to take a breath. I laughed at him slightly and turned once again as he fell into step next to me. "Thanks for helping out today, too. I was a little surprised that you were the only one that volunteered. Usually there are at least a few others."

I nodded. "I know. I thought it was weird too, but I'm glad that I was able to help. I'd gladly do it again if you ever want me back."

We talked all the way back to the third music room and this time I went in willingly and without having to hold on for dear life. "So when he brings you, there's no struggle? Not even a small one?" Oki said sounding heart-broken as she hugged me tightly.

I rolled my eyes at her and crossed my arms even though it was a little difficult with her still holding on to me. "I wouldn't have struggled had it been any day other than today, Oki."

She let me go and pouted before taking my hand and practically presented me to the seven hosts that were spread around the room still even though it was well after club hours. Oki cleared her throat causing everyone to look. The blond was the first over to me and he took my hand as he offered me a rose that resembled the one from earlier. "Dear princess, how sweet it is that you have joined us at our host club."

"Even though it is after hours." I looked up at the boy with glasses that everyone in the school would know even if they had never actually seen him before. It was the same with all of the boys in this club. No matter whom you were, what year you were, or what class you were in; it was impossible not to know who these seven were.

I pulled my hand away from Suoh-senpai. "It's nice to meet you all, but I'm only here to ta-" Satoshi cut in before I could finish and if he were anyone else, I probably would have yelled at them about it, but I actually like him.

"She's here for you, bro," he said as he pulled me toward his brother. I lost my footing and stumbled into Takashi Morinozuka. I righted myself as fast as I could and took a step back before looking at Satoshi.

"You didn't have to pull me," I told him. Then I looked up at Morinozuka-senpai. "Uh, Sensei said I had to meet with you about training and whatnot."

I felt arms go around me; one over my shoulders and the other around my waist. "Are you sure," the first voice said.

"That's the only reason you're here?" I crossed my arms and looked at the twins who had their arms on me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath instead of hitting them upside their heads. "Please take your hands off of me."

"Why should we?" They asked simultaneously.

I opened my eyes and decided to ignore them as I went back to talking to Morinozuka-senpai. "Anyway, as I was trying to say, thank you Morinozuka-senpai. It will be an honor to train under you." And by honor, I meant that it probably won't work out too well especially considering the fact that we are very different people. I doubted we'd even get along well enough to get a little training done.

"To-chan, you're really going to train with Takashi?" Haninozuka-senpai asked from atop the taller boys shoulders. I looked at him and gave a small nod.

"I should really be getting home now. I'll see you Monday after school, Morinozuka-senpai." I started to turn around and head for the door when those three little words made me freeze in place. He was seriously joking, right?

"Tomorrow, seven a.m."

I turned around and looked at him with disbelief. "Please tell me you're joking. How the hell and I supposed to get here that early?"

He simply looked at me as he said, "You're not," without any emotion behind it. Satoshi nudged me with his elbow and I looked at him.

"You were supposed to just say okay. It was a discipline test," he said happily, as if I hadn't just failed.

"What do you mean 'discipline test'?" I turned around to look at all of the voices that had asked the question. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to compose myself. It should have been obvious that he wasn't serious.

I reopened my eyes and nearly everyone in the room was looking at me still. "You see, I may not have the best temperament. Sensei thinks that Senpai will be able to teach me how to be more disciplined for the championship tournament in a few months."

The small brunette, Haruhi Fujioka, cocked her head to the side. "Championship tournament?" I always wondered why she was the only girl in the school that got to wear the boys' uniform… and why all of the girls seemed to think she was a boy. She looked nothing like a boy to me.

I nodded in response, but Satoshi answered. "Yeah! Kamio-senpai is the second best Kendoka in all of Japan! Right behind my brother. So Sensei and I made a bet that she could beat my brother if she learned to be more patient!" I turned my head slowly as I looked at him. I hadn't been informed that it was a bet.

"YOU TWO BET ON ME?" I shouted at him.

Satoshi shrugged. "It was Sensei's idea. He said you could be Takashi easily. I said you couldn't and it just went on from there. We told Takashi about it earlier and he wasn't mad."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "What did you guys bet?" I asked more calmly than I felt. Satoshi smiled and let out a laugh. I held up my hand to stop him before he started to tell me. "No, I don't want to know." I looked up at Senpai. "Monday?" He nodded and I let out a sigh of relief as I turned to leave once again.

Oki followed me out and hooked her arm around mine as she rambled on about how lucky I was to be able to spend so much time with Senpai. I didn't see the luck in it. These next few months were going to be interesting to say the least, but not nearly as exciting as Oki thought it was going to be.

*Tenugui - a towel that is tied around the head to catch persperation and to also help with the fitting on the men

**Men - protects the head, shoulders, and neck. Also has a metal guard to protect the face.

Kakari-geiko - Short, intense, attack practice which teaches continuous alertness and readiness to attack, as well as building spirit and stamina.

Hikitate-geiko - Practice where a senior kendoka guides a junior through practice.

Well hello there~ It's nice to see all of you wonderful people. Thanks for reading and leave a review if you like. I know it's a little tedious right now, but it should pick up probably during the next chapter.

Megan :)