Hinata's POV

My day at school started rather … um … not that great as others think it would be for me. Well, if they were me, I'm quite sure they'd like it. But the problem is, I'm not them and they're not me.

I hate being in the middle of attention ever since I was little. And ever since I started my job as being the maid of the famous host club, some people would look and stare at me. I don't know if that's positive of negative for normal people, but I hate it as the shy girl I am. So when I entered the school building this morning, people looked at me as I went to my classroom. I don't know how they looked at me. Is it with annoyance and jealousy that I'm working with their beloved hosts, with a smile for I've become a part of their host fandom, or just a 'who-the-heck-is-she-that-she's-in-a-guy-club' kind of stare? Anyway, whatever kind of stare they gave me; I can't help but feel uneasy that time. Maybe accepting the offer as a maid wasn't such a good idea? But I can't turn back now and change my mind. I never turn back on my word even if I want to.

"Hyuuga Hinata!" the vice president of our class officers called my name. Right now, everyone is called to the front one-by-one to take a folded paper from the box. In those papers, parts and roles would be written in each one of them. Whatever paper you'd get, it'll determine what you'd do for the class play. The play is based on William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. Hopefully, I'd get a props part, as I told Haruhi-kun, Kaoru-kun, and Hikaru-kun in our little conversation while waiting for our turn since we'll be called last.

I walked towards the front. Like this morning, people looked at me. Uwaaah! Please, please don't look at me! I looked down to the way I'm taking to the front so that I'd avoid my classmates' gaze. I took a paper from the box and held it tightly with both of my hands as I made my way back to my seat. This paper holds my 'destiny' for the next week! Please let it be a props manager or a props maker part!

I sat down on my chair and stared at the paper, wishing that I'd get the part that I wanted. I hope I had good luck on taking this. There's a so-called 'lady luck', right? I could be called a lady (in our household, to be exact) and lady luck could mean good luck for ladies. Wait, am I right or not? Anyway, I sure hope that that kind of luck was activated when I took this paper!

Kaoru-kun then Hikaru-kun was called to the front. After Hikaru-kun got his paper and was back to his seat, everyone was allowed to open their folded papers.

I closed my eyes as I opened the paper. Please, let it be not a major role! Slowly, I opened my eyes to read what's written in the paper. In big, bold, capitalized, handwritten letters, it read:

DUKE ORSINO

My eyes nearly popped out of its places. WHAT? W-WHY? PLEASE, ANYONE, TELL ME I'M DREAMING!

I feel like I could faint this very moment. I've never played such a large part in a play, especially a role meant for guys! The only character I got to play was Tree # 4 in our pre-school presentation of Snow White! M-Maybe there's no such thing as lady luck after all…

"PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS!" the class president almost shouted when most of my classmates got noisy after discovering their parts.

I still can't believe I got 'Duke Orsino'! It's supposed to be played by a male! I must really be dreaming! I pinched my cheek to check.

O-Ouch!

This is really reality! Whyyyy? Can't this be some nightmare?

"Okay, who got Duke Orsino?" the class vice president asked all of us.

Trembling, I raised my hand.

"WHAT?" I heard one of my classmates say.

"Hinata-chan?" said another.

"How unlucky!"

"What the?"

"Silence!" said the vice president as the president wrote my name on the board as the role of Duke Orsino. T-They can't possibly let a female play the male main role, can they?

Haruhi-kun gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder with a nervous smile across her face. I wonder why? Maybe she's worried about me? Nah… I-I don't think so. "That's okay, Hinata… We'll get through this," she comforted me.

"T-Thank you, H-Haruhi-kun," I thanked her with my own version of her nervous and anxious smile.

"Who got Countess Olivia?" shouted the vice president.

"Ummm… Me," Hikaru-kun said as he raised his hand sheepishly. He got a female's part? Even him? A-At least, maybe, I have someone to practice with in the host club.

"Hiiikaaaruuu-kuuun?" a female classmate of mine cried.

"Huuuwhaaattt?"

"Bwahahaha!" some guys at the front laughed.

"Oookay," the class president said then wrote it on the blackboard.

"Pffft!" I heard Haruhi-kun holding in her laugh, covering her mouth with her head bent down.

"W-What's the matter, Haruhi-kun?" I asked, tilting my head and looking at her with pure curiosity.

"No-ahahahaa-thing! I-I-I just re-ehehehembered s-something! Gahahahaha!" Haruhi-kun replied while laughing. Hmmm… maybe it's related to Hikaru-kun? And … Hikaru-kun would also be crossdressing as Countess Olivia. Maybe Haruhi-kun remembered something about crossdressing? I'm guessing… she remembered something about crossdressing that's also related to Hikaru-kun. Don't tell me… HIKARU-KUN HAD CROSSDRESSED ALREADY? T-That's impossible, isn't it?

I noticed Hikaru-kun look at Haruhi desperately then sighed. He rolled his eyes then rested his chin on his table.

"Sebastian? Who got Sebastian?"

Haruhi-kun then stopped laughing. Her laughing, smiley face turned into a serious and somewhat mopey one. She raised her hand with a forced smile. Haruhi-kun got a role too? Somehow, my worry and nervousness seemed to lessen when I heard about her role.

"We'll get through this," Haruhi-kun whispered to me with a hopeful expression.

I tried to smile and nod. I-I sure wish I could also do the role right…

"Uhuh, at least someone got a role of their own gender," I heard the vice president remark as the president wrote it in the board. I don't think they're right. Haruhi-kun is a crossdresser and . . . she's a female and also got a male's role. But to their eyes, she's got the role fitting for her gender.

"Viola?" the vice president asked.

Isn't it that Viola is Orsino's partner? And I heard that they'd put a kissing scene for the main couple. Wait, WHAT? T-Then, the one who gets Viola would be my first kiss! I-I'm not ready for this yet! I was hoping that Naruto-kun would be my – WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, HINATA! G-Gooosh… My nervousness started to be applied to my chest again as it started beating fast!

W-Wait, I heard someone say "me" but I didn't realize who because of my thoughts. And a lot of my classmates reacted too. Slowly, I looked up to the blackboard to see which name president-sama is writing on the board. Right now, he got to write "K". K? Whose names start with "K"? I think there's a "Kanako," "Kurusu," and – here it goes! I noticed president-sama write four more letters. I started to read what's on the board. It read "Kaoru".

If I was chatting on the computer right now, the correct emoticon that could describe my face is "(O_O)".

KAORU-KUN WOULD BE MY FIRST KISS!

Lubdub. Lubdub. Lubdub. …

Yes. That's my heartbeat. My heart started beating that way as I feel my body especially my face get warmer and warmer by the second. My face must be as red as a strawberry by now. Then my surroundings went blurry and my eyes slowly closed. I felt like falling. Before I knew it, I fainted.

The next thing I knew, I woke up and saw the color lavender. I blinked a lot more times and that's when I realized that I was in my room. Huh? Why am I in my room?

I looked to my right and saw my little sister.

"Welcome back, Hinata-nee-san," Hanabi said.

"Hanabi…" I said softly.

"Are you okay? Was your head hurt?" she asked with concern which quite made me happy.

I shook my head since I don't feel anything painful. I sat up. "What happened?" I asked.

"You fainted in class. A classmate of yours brought you here," Hanabi replied.

"Who?"

"I don't know. He has auburn hair and topaz eyes," she answered. 'He'? Was he a Hitachiin?

"Which side was his hair parted? To the left or to the right?"

Hanabi shrugged. "I didn't remember much. I just caught a glimpse of him when I was going to my room," she explained.

"Oh… Thank you for watching over me, Hanabi," I thanked her with a smile.

"No problem. Wait, was that guy your… never mind. That's impossible."

"My? You could ask me anything, Hanabi." I asked about her unfinished question.

"Was he your boyfriend?"

And now, for the emoticon, the one that could fit my face expression is "(O/O)".

"NO!" I said. "H-He's n-not!" How did Hanabi even think about something like that?

"If you say so," she said. "I'm going downstairs. Obaa-sama came over and baked some cookies. I'm going to get some. Go downstairs before I finish them all up." Then she left my room as I heard footsteps growing fainter.

Hmmm… I missed the host club time. I should probably apologize tomorrow and … thank the Hitachiin-kun who took me home. Whether it's Hikaru-kun or… K-Kaoru-kun…


And that was Chapter 9. :3
Sorry if it's also short, school started early in here and the first week was so busy! So I guess for the next ten months, I could probably manage to make 1000+ word chapters if I could actually add a chapter. (Sorry! I'm not sure if I could add chapters during the school year. I heard that the junior year is busy. Really busy.)
Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review if you could! (*^*) ***puppy dog eyes***

Sincerely yours,
Eru-chii