I skipped down the sidewalk with Kaito in my new school uniform- a navy blue sailor shirt and a short navy skirt. I wore my brand new white socks and sherbet-colored sneakers. I was also swinging my schoolbag that was in my hand. I was on my way to my new school, Ekoda High. It was a bright sunny day- completely matching my mood! Kaito and I stopped in front of Aoko's house to walk with her to school. Kaito told me about his classmates right after he announced his new plan yesterday. So far, I know Aoko, Keiko, Yamada, and Kaito's Sensei. I have to admit, I'm pretty nervous. I'm nervous about what Aoko and the other kids in my class would think of me, and how well I would do in school.
When the large door to Aoko's place opened, a pretty girl about the age of Kaito with fluffy brown hair stepped out. She waved at Kaito, then noticed me behind him.
"Kaito-kun? Who's the cute shoujo-san behind you?" she asked.
"Oh, she's the daughter of a distant relative who's going to be staying at my place!" Kaito replied. I was surprised at why he said I was his relative, but I guess our matching indigo eyes pulled it off, so I went along with it. Aoko smiled and asked,
"So what's your name, shoujo-san?"
"Curoha... I mean... Kuroba Katsumi!" I answered. "Hajimemashite, Nakamori-san!" I greeted her as I bowed.
"Hajimemashite, Katsumi-chan! And please, call me anything else other than Nakamori-san." Aoko said as she bowed.
I turned to Kaito and asked innocently, "Kaito-nii chan, is Aoko-nee chan your girlfriend?"
Both of the teens flushed deeply, then Kaito started the argument.
"Don't be silly, Katsumi-chan! Why would I ever go out with a girl like Bimboko?"
"Well at least I'm not a hentai like you, Jerkaito!" Aoko shot back.
"Oi oi..." I sighed as I walked to school with Kaito and Aoko's constant bickering behind me...
When we parted to go to our separate classes, I was on my own. I went to my assigned shoe locker, and put in the combination. I took my school shoes out of my schoolbag and put them on, leaving my street shoes in the locker. I also took out the toban the central office gave me. My homeroom is Class 1-A with Lokoroshi Sensei. I shut my locker, smoothed out my skirt and my hair, and set off to my homeroom.
When I got to the hallway my class was in, it was mostly empty, with few students leaning against the walls, chatting. In front of room 1-A was a young looking teacher with long black hair and bifocals.
"Sumimasen, is this Class 1-A with Lokoroshi Sensei?" I asked the woman.
"Yes, it is! I am Lokoroshi Matsumi Sensei. And you must be Kuroba Katsumi, the new transfer student!" she replied.
"Yes, that's right." I said with a smile.
"Ok, I will introduce you to the class, please wait a moment until I open the door for you." Sensei assured. She walked in and I could hear her muffled voice talking to the class.
"Ohaiyo gozaimasu, class!" she greeted.
"Ohaiyo gozaimasu, Sensei!" the class greeted back.
"Today class, we have a new transfer student!" she walked over to the door and opened it, to reveal me. I walked to the center of the class and stared at the new faces.
"Please introduce youself." Sensei instructed.
"Konnichiwa! Watashiwa Kuroba Katsumi. I transfered here from Asuka High School. Hajimemashite, everyone!" I tried my best to sound as friendly as possible.
"Any questions?" Sensei asked.
A thin boy with straight blond hair asked, "Do you happen to be Class 2-B's Kuroba Kaito's sister?"
"No, I'm actually his cousin." I replied. People started to whisper.
A petite girl with sparkling gray eyes and wavy black locks asked as she flipped her hair, "Are you really from that snobby rich kid school, Asuka High?" More whispers started to go around the room.
"Yes, but some of the kids aren't snobby! They happen to be very friendly." I reassured everyone. It was true that Asuka High was a very high-class school, full of students whose parent were huge franchise owners or held a government position. The school offered a free scholarship to the children of rich parents and guardians.
Finally, a burly teen with very visible muscles asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?" The girls giggled, and some guys were goo-goo eyeing me. I turned to Sensei with a hopeful look for help.
"So, Kuroba-san, let's have you sit next to Kareena-san, next to the window." Sensei suggested. I turned to where she was pointing. There was a girl almost the same height as me with long black hair and light blue eyes. She was scanning a manga book she had in her hands intently when Lokoroshi Sensei tapped her on the shoulder.
"Kareena-san! Please put away your manga. Kuroba-san is going to be sitting with you." she snapped. She walked back to her desk. The mysterious girl's cerulean eyes flashed as she looked up at me. I gave her my friendliest smile.
"Hi, I'm Kuroba Katsumi, but you can call me Katsumi-chan." I bowed.
"Konnichiwa, Katsumi. Lokoroshi calls me Kareena-san, but most people just call me Yuna or Yuna-chan." she answered. "Look, how about let's find more about you at lunch, and I'll show you around."
This girls attitude was not the most enthusiastic, but I went along with it and nodded as I sat down.
"Okay class, it's time for the weekly math test!" Sensei announced. I guess she already took attendance herself... "Kuroba-san, you are excused from this test."
The petite girl who asked me about Asuka earlier and her group of friends gave me a glance. I guess those are the popular girls...
I raised my hand. "Actually, Sensei, I think I'm ready to take it." I said. Yuna raised her eyebrow, while most of the kids were staring at me.
"Ah, all right, Kuroba-san, if you insist." she handed me a test. "Just remember, if you get a grade you don't like, it will not count towards your record. I nodded as I examined the test.
It was a fairly easy one, with review from, I guess... the last three or four years? I finished each problem quickly and handed it to the Sensei. When everyone was done, Sensei announced,
"I will grade these tests, and hopefully have these done by lunch. You may socialize for the last two minutes."
I settled down as Yuna turned to me and looked at me unusually.
"You're not some robot, are you, Katsumi?" she asked.
"Ummm, no?" I answered uneasily. "Why?"
"You see that girl right there? With that annoying shiny hair she's always flipping around?" Yuna pointed at the gray-eyed girl. "That's Kawashima Hiromi, the Captain of the Ekoda Junior Varsity Cheer Team, the Manager of the Ekoda Varsity Cheer Team, the smartest girl in this class, and the central love interest of most of the boys, until, apparently, you came along."
I could see how she would fit the description- she was well-toned, looked smart, and blowing kisses at the boys just before the bell signaled for the ending of the class.
The day went by pretty quickly, class by class, bell by bell, until it was finally time for lunch. Yuna had grabbed my wrist and dragged me to her desk after I got my bento box out.
"Come on, let's find out more about you!" Yuna pressed. She opened her lunchbox and took out a typical American lunch- a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some juice and an apple.
"Open up your lunch, Katsumi, and let me see if you have anything worth to trade."
I unlatched the bento box opening and a neat square of fried rice, some soba noodles, some vegatables, and two eggs were nestled inside. I swear I saw Yuna start drooling.
"Did you cook that?" Yuna asked, mouth agape.
"I only cooked the noodles and the vegatables." I explained while I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "My caretaker, Jii, cooked the rice and the eggs. I'm learning how to cook from him."
"Dude, can I have one of your eggs?" I'll give you my apple." Yuna offered.
I nodded as I held up her apple which I swiftly took from her lunchbox. She tilted her head as she squinted her eyes.
"How did you get that so fast?" she asked.
"My dad did magic as a side activity." I answered sheepishly as I scratched the back of my head. "I learned a couple of tricks from him."
"Then how about this?" Yuna smirked. "Blink."
I did, and in less than a second, my heard boiled egg was gone. Yuna opened her lunchbox once again, and there it was- nestled in a napkin.
"So, you do magic too?" I asked. Yuna nodded, and we preceded to eat our lunches.
"So, Kat, why do you have a caretaker?" Yuna began."What happened to your parents?"
"My parents are both in a better place... My dad disappeared one night, and my mom died from a disease."
"Wow, my parents are gone, too. I'm not sure of they're dead or alive. I was abandoned at nine months old in New York City. Tough place, that was... My foster parents took me in, they're names are Kareena Shiori and Kareena Shimo. Shimo-ojo died when they first took me in. At least you've seen your parents-I've never met them in my entire life. So, what did your parents do for a living?" Yuna contemplated.
"My father, Rokobi-ojo, was a movie director. He produced mostly mystery films. My mother, Sakura-oka, was simply just a stay-at-home mom." I answered.
"Wait! Did you just say Rokobi?" Yuna asked.
"Um, yes?" I answered, confused.
"Was your dad the famous director of Midnight Moon Wolf?" Yuna pressed. "The Kuroba Rokobi Mystery Legend?"
"Uhhh, yes, he was director of that movie, but I never remember anyone calling him the Kuroba Rokobi Mystery Legend..." I answered.
Mou, why does everything sound so similar here to my life? Curoha sounds like Kuroba, Kaito's dad's name is the same name as my uncle, and everyone keeps calling my father KUROBA Rokobi... What's going on?
"Oi! Oi! Kat!" Yuna yelled. "What the heck are you staring at?"
"Oh... It's nothing..." I reassured her.
Yuna gave me a weird look as we preceded to eat our lunch. I was eating steadily until someone tapped my shoulder lightly. I turned to see Hiromi, looking perfect in her Ekoda High uniform with her silky black hair and a big smile plastered on her face.
"Konnichiwa! You're the new girl, Kuroba Katsumi, right?" she asked. I nodded, feeling like a fool with some soba noodle sauce on the side of my mouth. I wiped it away quickly.
"Hai! And you must be Kawashima Hiromi- everyone talks about you." I replied in a happy tone.
"I just wanted to say yokoso to Ekoda High!" she welcomed. "I see that Kareena-san is showing you around..." Hiromi noticed Yuna.
"Yeah, Kawashima, you need anything?" Yuna shot at her, with a fake smile.
"No! Not at all." Hiromi answered. "I'm just being nice!" she turned back to me.
"Just let me know if you need anything, Katsumi-chan!" Hiromi said a bit too cheerfully as she bounced away, flipping her hair.
"See how much of a drag she is?" Yuna burst out as soon as Hiromi was out of earshot.
"Is she really that mean? She doesn't seem like it..." I contemplated.
"You haven't been here long enough to assume that." Yuna answered. "She's a devil in designer once you actually get to know her."
I looked at her in confusion, but continued to eat my lunch. Right after lunch was dismissal. I went to my shoe locker and felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Katsumi-chan?" the female voice inquired.
I turned to see Aoko in her uniform, but with street sneakers on. She must have already changed.
"Konnichiwa, Aoko-nee chan! Is Kaito waiting outside?" I asked.
"I think so, but he might be peeking in here or the girls locker room." Aoko responded.
I felt my face flush, and there was a blank and astonished expression on my face.
"Um... okay?" I reacted. "Was that why you called him a hentai on the way to school?"
"Of course!" Aoko had a saucy grin on her face. "And try not to let him look up your skirt."
I said nothing, and followed Aoko outside to meet Kaito being chased by a bunch of angry girls with a massive grin on his face. So that's what Aoko meant...