Kaichou wa Hostess-sama
By:TheBlackBook
Summary: After her father ran off, leaving them with a huge debt to the yakuza, Ayuzawa Misaki has grown a special hatred for men. When their mother is forced to sell herself to feed them and pay down on the loan, Misaki is desperate to start working to help. However, the best paying job she can get, is at a hostess club.
Lying about her age, she enters the nightlife as Misa-chan, an elegant, sweet and charming girl who entertains men all through the night with drinking, talking and engaging.
Though she never sleeps with her customers, she knows many that do, and gets offers every night. Sometimes she considers doing it for the money, sometimes she detest the idea.
One night, while taking a short break outside, she encounters Usui Takumi, another student from the high school she attends. Usui, luckily, doesn't reveal her secret, but slowly becomes a regular customer.
Chapter 1
A/N:This fanfiction is purely fictional. Any association with the host/hostess profession is simply imaginings and pure guess work.
Smiling, she tried to ignore the hand slowly rubbing circles on her tight. The skirt she was wearing today was excessively low cut in her mind, but the manager had insisted. It was high-school-girl night, so she had to appear the bit, even if she knew her own school uniform was only a few inches over the knees, and the blouse never so tight fitting.
"Say, Misa-chan. Why don't you come to a hotel with me tonight? I promise you, we'll have fun…" the older man whispered in her ear. His breath was stinking with alcohol and tobacco, while his tie and shirt was loose and wrinkled after the long night.
Giving a small flirtatious laugh, she moved his hand away. Staring into his eyes she smiled sweetly.
"Now, Sensei. That would be really unprofessional of me, wouldn't it?"
The older man, only bolstered by her seducing tone, leaned in once more.
"I'll pay you good, whatever they give you here, I'll double…"
Misaki laughed a bit louder, drawing eyes from men all around her. Some curious about her, others cheeking her out.
"You're too kind, Sensei," Misaki hummed, downing her drink, before setting it down on the round table before her. Liking her lips slowly, she smiled at him once more. The man followed her every move as if obsessed. "But I really must decline."
The man, however, just smiled. A hand closing around his own drink.
"Ahh… What does a guy like me have to do, to get a girl like you anyway, Misa-chan? You're too sweet to be working at a place like this…" the man said.
Misaki lifted the bottle sitting before them, refilling their glasses.
"Well, it's because I'm so sweet that I fit here perfectly, Sensei," she smiled, never breaking character.
The night seemed to drag on endlessly. As one customer left, a new was ready to take his place within minutes, giving her only a few precious moments to fix her makeup and bundle up her hair. Dark eyeshadow, coupled with seductive red lipstick, and more rouge than she was comfortable with. Her brown hair was curled and tied up in cute ponytails, with more hairspray than what was probably healthy, but it made it shine in the low ceiling light.
A mockery of what a teenager should look like.
Slutty. Dirty. Unnatural.
Nothing of her thoughts showed of course. On her face was a permanent tilt of her lips, making her appear the ever pleased, elegant and seductive woman. Her eyes were half-lidded, both from the alcohol, and from the lazy content she portrayed. Every movement was well-though, graceful and slow, except when the situation called for them not to be. Clumsiness and coyness appeased some men, while other preferred the social butterfly. Some just wanted a listening ear, their full attention or just the few bashful glances. Even if it was to play out a fantasy, or simply to enjoy a night with a beautiful girl, she would give it her all.
Whatever they wanted, she would do her best to fulfil it.
That was the way of a hostess, after all. And none could ever say Ayuzawa Misaki did anything half-heartedly.
~x~
"How many times do I have to say it?! Your hair should be black! Earrings are forbidden! Only the first button on your shirt may be unbuttoned! You must wear a belt! And don't step on the back of your heals!" Misaki yelled angrily, her arms crossed. "Come back when you've fixed it!"
The tree idiots in front of her had gone white in fear. Each with clothes ruffled and hair out of line. She showed no mercy. The school bells started ringing, signalling the start of the lessons and with a wave of her hand, the school gates closed before them.
This was Seika High School. On some days, the pride of her life, on others her deepest despair. Before she had arrived here, boys had overrun the school. Destroying everything in their path because of shear boredom, harassing the girls and doing all manner of crazy games in the middle of the day.
When she started attending her first year, every day had been a horrible experience. Sloppy dressed boys, often running around half-naked. Lockers filled with disgusting and filthy equipment. Porn magazines, smelling of sweat, scattered everywhere. It had been a pure nightmare.
Having recently been turned from an all-boys, to a co-ed school, the majority of the student body were still males. Meaning the few girls that attended, were forced to suffer in silence, while the boys boldly did whatever the hell they desired.
Why did she have to put up with it? Misaki asked herself.
She would not, was the answer.
Working her ass off, she decided to change her situation. With the determination of someone ready to die for their goals, Misaki started doing material arts, weight lifting, being the best student she could possibly be, and of course, building network and inspiring thrust in the teachers.
By the time she reached second year, she was the first girl to be selected as student council President in Seika's history. And with the teachers permission she started changing Seika for the better.
"Geez, this place is filled with sloppy idiots! We should address the situation soon. Hey, Yukimura? How is that script coming along?" Misaki asked from her desk in the student council's club room.
The vice-President scuffled forward from his seat, a small book in his hands.
"Um- well, Pre-President, is it really necessary? Things like student guidelines…."
"GOD DAMMIT! Of course it's necessary!" she thundered, making the rest of student council flinch in fright.
"If I don't do this, all the other students will get sloppy!"
"Of-of-of-of-of course…"
"Now that I've become President, I'll rule those boys with an iron fist! Overhauling this school is my first step!" Misaki declared, her voice revealing her hatred.
As she was patrolling the corridors later that same day, she could not help a small smirk from appearing on her otherwise spotless countenance. Misaki knew she only had the half-hearted help from the student council. With all of them being boys, it came as no surprise.
"Doesn't matter, they can't really help anyway. I'll do it on my own," she told herself.
Nothing would stand in her way.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
"YEAH!"
"HAHA!"
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ALL NAKED?!" Misaki bellowed at the top of her lungs.
Gathered in front of her were a group of boys. Most were standing in either just their pants, or even less clothing. A group of passing girls breathed relived at her interference.
"J-just a strip rock-paper-scissor contest between the boys…" one of them muttered.
"IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL HALLWAYS?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MINDS?!" she roared, and in seconds the boys were running off, clothes being pulled on in haste.
"Idiots," she muttered angrily, accepting the thankful greetings of the girls with a polite smile.
As she were left alone in the hallway, she could hear the sound of quiet sobbing close by.
"What now?" she growled, moving decidedly towards it.
Outside one of the classrooms stood a girl crying, covering her face. While a boy, with spiky blonde hair and a tall built stood beside her, hands in his pocket and face bored.
"Hey! what's going on here?" Misaki called as she came close.
"Nothing, just rejecting a confession," the boy stated unconcerned, making the girl cry even more.
"Tch, you again Usui Takumi, making girls cry unnecessarily!"
The girl ran off in tears, and Misaki pointed a finger at him angrily.
"At least think about how you word it! Do not let me catch you making a girl cry again!" she yelled, before running to catch up with her.
"I don't know how many times I've heard that…" he mutter unimpressed as he stared after her.
"It can't be helped Usui," one of his classmates grinned, as he stepped out from a nearby classroom. "We should totally go beat her up, with your strength not even the devil-President would win!"
The blond haired boy ignored him, shuffled away.
"I'm not interested. Do it yourself if you must."
"Huuh? But Usui…" The boy whined, but he was only rewarded with a sluggish yawn.
~x~
"Take a break, Misa-chan. You deserve it. I'll send in Honoka-chan in your stead," a woman told her as she came into the changing rooms. She was older, short, with straight bob-cut hair, a tightfitting skirt and a blouse with long sleeves.
"Yes, Manager," Misaki smiled, thankfully.
Using some seconds to grab her coat, she took the employee entrance to the back, and closed the door behind her with a tired sigh. Leaning against the wall, she let herself relax for the first time in hours.
"I hate this job," she muttered bitterly.
If the people in her school ever saw her like this, they would surely have a shock. Student President by daytime, hostess by night. The red tightfitting dress, with a very low neckline and a matching set of high heels, were a sharp contrast to the plain school uniform she wore by daytime. Her hair too was neat and styled, where she usually rarely bothered to brush it.
It was a hell of a life. Luckily, it was well payed, and she knew that no matter what, they needed the money. Just tonight would help put food on the table for at least a week, meaning her mother could stay home for a while longer and rest. Her health was not the best these days. Not to mention that Suzana might be able to afford that class trip next month, if Misaki continued working hard.
"Whoa," she heard a voice say from her right, and she swung around to discover one of the people, she least wanted to see.
"This is surprising," Usui Takumi said, in that god-annoying voice of his. With a careless glance he looked her up and down, before shuffling past her. "Council President," he nodded, before moving on.
Trembling, she walked back inside. Screwed. She was so, so screwed.
"Why did it have to be him?" she whispered in pure despair.
Usui Takumi was well known for being one of the most popular people in school. Speaking with almost everyone and respected by the boys.
"It's over. Everything is over," she swallowed.
By this time tomorrow the rumours would have started. Spreading until it reached every student, teacher and parent, everyone would know. Everything she had worked for would be for nothing, everything she stood for in treads. Her carefully constructed reputation, her title and station at school.
She would lose it all.
The night passed painfully slow after that. Even when she was sent home early, if felt like she had been working for more hours than she could count. Washing her makeup off had only revealed a pale and strained looking face underneath, while her tight dress was clammy and damp.
Putting on her jumpsuit and cap, she moved through the motions quietly, and was out the door before she realized it herself.
"You're back to normal," a decidedly masculine voice said, and she looked up shocked. Usui was sitting at the end of the passage, his hands in his pockets and face bored.
"W-what? What do you want?" she called angrily, her voice tight.
"Huh? Nothing, just making sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Was that hostess-sama in the short dress really the student Pres?"
Misaki snorted irately, before moving past him. Stopping a few feet away, she inclined her head for him to follow, before moving away from the busy, night streets.
They walked over to a small park in silence. She did not bother to stop and check if he was following, the shuffling steps revealing his presence easily enough. When she finally found a secluded enough place, she leaned against the fence, a deep frown marring her face.
A minute passed before he voiced his question. It was neither mocking nor pitying, just curious, in which she was grateful. Misaki did not feel like being patient at a time like this.
"Why do you have a job like that?"
"Because it's necessary, to support my mother and younger sister," she began after a moment of silence, voice quiet, but absolute.
"Ah, because of your family…" he muttered, not in the least bit pitying. "Isn't it hard. Working at a place like that, aren't you a bit young?"
"This is the best paying job I can do right now. They aren't really strict about showing the necessary identification. They don't ask, if you don't give them a reason to. My mom is sickly. I'm afraid she will collapse, and I don't want my little sister to be forced to work too. There is no other way," she said, her voice growing more and more toneless with every word.
It took some time, but he replied, his voice just as unwavering.
"I see. Even though you hate guys, you are forced to take on such work, in a neighbourhood so far away."
"I can't be seen by any students or teachers. I would get suspended or perhaps even kicked out of school if it got out."
"I see. That's a dilemma…"
They were quiet for a long time. Misaki tried her hardest not to run off or demanding to know that he would do. Instead, she held her tongue, hoping beyond hope, that he would understand. Would not say a word.
"Oh, so you entered a school like Seika, because of the low fees, right? It's not the most reputable High School, after all."
"… yeah, that's right," she answered, glancing at him with narrowed eyes.
He was leaning against the fence, his hands resting in his pockets, and his head tilted back. Looking to all the world like he had not a single worry.
What was he thinking? She could not tell at all. She was prepared to be poked and prodded, made fun of or pitied. But this… she did not know what to think.
"Hm… It's been hard on you."
The tiniest hint of sympathy, of compassion and care. She could not help but tightening her fists.
They parted soon afterwards, and she was left to walk home neither more worried nor comforted. It was just plain confusing, the whole guy was.
Usui Takumi, who was he really?
~x~
She had been prepared to be the laughing stock at school. For whispers to follow her as she passed down a hallway, or catcalls and snickering to be heard every time she passed a boy. However, three days had passed, and she had yet to hear a single word about her working as a hostess.
"If it was exposed, it would never have been this peaceful…" she muttered, staring out the window from her desk at the student council. If he wasn't saying anything, Misaki had fully expected to be blackmailed. But not having seen or heard from the guy for so long, she started thinking of one other reason.
He pitied her.
It was truly bothersome. Misaki was a proud girl; few things could shake her or force her hand. So to be looked down on, as if she was weak…
But at the same time, she was relived.
"A sandbag?" Misaki asked annoyed, as she stared down at the huge thing blocking the only stairway up to the Flower-arrangement club.
"It probably belongs to the boxing club downstairs," a glass-eyed girl with short straight hair and a serious demeanour sighed.
"We've tried moving it, but it won't budge. It's really heavy!" Her friend, a cute pigtailed girl cried as she wrung her hands.
Neither of the three saw the commotion inside as a member of the boxing club noticed his mistake.
"Oh crap, that's the President, and I totally forgot about the sandbag!" he whimpered as Usui was passing by.
Misaki studied the bag before stepping forward.
"I'll tell them off later… but for now, leave this-" she grabbed a hold of the bag's metal chains, hauling it over her shoulder, before sending it flying with a powerful back kick. "to me!"
The sandbag, flew over her head and landed on the ground in front of her with a boom so loud, it shook the nearby windows.
"I'm going to be killed!" the boy from the boxing club cried as he ran off. Leaving a stone-faced Usui who seemed uncertain if he should be impressed of frightened. Either way, he remained stuck even afterwards, his expression never changing, but his gaze locked.
"Thank you so much, Misaki-chan! You are so dependable!" the cute pigtailed girl called as she ran forward to hug the student President.
"You have our gratitude," the glass-eyed girl nodded as she handed her one of her flowers.
Misaki felt her cheeks warm as she accepted it. "Thank you," she smiled.
"Hey? Isn't that there, Usui-kun?" the cute girl asked, her face puzzled.
Misaki felt her smile vanish and face flush, this time in another form of embarrassment.
"W-what? What are you looking at?!" she yelled, and the boy only seemed to snort, as if mocking her. A hand waving lazily as he walked away.
"Ah- he is so cool, that Usui-kun," the girl sighed after him, and Misaki turned to look at her confused.
"Huh, that guy?"
"Don't you know? Usui is really popular with the girls. Rumour has it that before coming here he was taught Kung-fu by the shaolin! He has good grades and is so handsome! For us, he is a ray of hope among a school full of dinosaurs!"
"Unfortunately, since he is so used to people throwing themselves at him, he has no interest in girls," the glass-eyed girl quipped.
"But even so, many still confess to him. Even people from other schools…"
Misaki listened to the conversation without a word. She had never known that Usui Takumi was that popular. And she mused that the mind of teenagers, really went over her head. However, if Usui really was that uninterested… perhaps he simply did not care about what had happened at all?
~x~
Misaki stared at the boy in front of her. What she had heard rumoured and what she was experiencing, truly were two very different things. If Usui really held no interest in girls, why then, was he coming at her head on?
The nightlife in Tokyo was in full swing, but it was still early, so Misaki was helping out in the shop, greeting guests and serving. Several gazes were following her as she moved, many of older men in full business attire. In addition, one set of eyes belonged to her fellow high-school student.
Misaki felt herself wanting to growl. Held he no sense of shame? Coming in here alone like this?
Several of her colleagues seemed to have noticed his arrival as well, for there was a small upsurge as they flocked together gasping and giggling. Yet through it all, the guy only held eyes for her. The only plausible reason Misaki could come up with was that he was there to embarrass her. And if he was here to test her, he would too be tested.
Walking in her stiletto heels, hips swaying and face and body dressed to look sensual and erotic she went right up to greet him.
"Welcome back, sir. Would you like a table?" she asked in her best sultry voice, an unbashful smile on her lips.
Usui was silent for a long time, simply staring at her, before a small snort escaped him, and Misaki found her own smile turning lethal as he didn't as much as blink.
"If you'd please follow me, sir."
He did trail after, the idle footsteps following in the wake of her clicking heels. Finding him a suitable table, she gave him a smile before bowing and moving away. It did not even take three seconds before several of her colleagues flocked to him, happy to take over. Misaki did her best to ignore the intense scrutinising she could feel coming from him and put it out of mind, focusing as best as she could on her work.
He stayed for a whole hour, though from what she could sense from her colleagues, neither of them had gotten much from him, though not for lack of trying.
If he weren't there to enjoy the club, and he wasn't there to speak to her, why then did he come at all? Did he enjoy torturing her? It was embarrassing enough as it was.
Usui Takumi just continued to confuse her.
~x~
Back at school, Misaki coughed lightly, noticing a slight headache coming up. It was probably the smoke. Some of their guest smoked like crazy the whole night, making her voice slightly hoarse and head ache. She had grown used to it. But she had learned to appreciate the smoke free environment at school.
Speaking of which, Misaki noticed the three idiots, as she had dubbed them, coming around the corner, tossing what looked like a cigarette butt into the bushes.
"Hey! Wait a minute you guys! Why are you going around throwing garbage at school property?! Why are you being so stubborn? Didn't I tell you to fix your appearance? Earrings are prohibited!"
Sitting in a classroom with a window view of the encounter, Usui leaned back in his seat to study the student President. She was working herself up in a fit, her stance aggressive and voice getting louder. The boys too were following her lead, getting more crass and annoyed.
"Hey? Takeshawa?" Usui asked the boy sitting next to him. "You went to the same junior high as the President, right?"
"Ayuzawa? Yeah, why?"
"Was she always this intense?"
"Hm? Well, no. It probably started around second year. At first she used to be like a normal girl, I think. I don't really remember her that well. But in second year, there were rumours that her family was having money problems. That's when she started talking so rough."
"Hm…" Usui mumbled, before turning to look out the window.
The boy with the earrings was starting to become nasty, shoving the smaller girl out of the way. But the council President would not have it.
"I said fix it now!"
"I said I'll do it later! Now get out of my way!"
A hand came flying towards her face, either intentionally or not, but the damage would have happened either way. If an even stronger fist had not closed around it.
"I said… FIX IT NOW! IMMEDIATELY!" Misaki roared, twisting the boy down on his knees, before stepping forward and ripping the offending rings right from his ears.
"AHH!"
"H-his ears!"
"You'll injure him!"
"These are now confiscated!" the President growled before stomping away, her mood colouring her surroundings black.
Usui could not help the widening of his eyes, a small snort escaping him.
"This isn't like you, Usui. Being interested in a girl. And the student President at that," the boy pointed out surprised.
The blond haired boy was quiet for several moments, before shaking his head.
"A girl like that… It's a first for me too."
~x~
Misaki tried her best to continue her conversation with the man in front of her, but his attention seemed to be waning, or at least, he seemed to have an entire other interest than her.
"Would you like another drink, Mr Osato. You glass seem to be unpleasantly empty," she teased, and the older man turned back to smile at her.
"Forgive me for asking, Misa-chan, but it seems you have gained yourself an admirer. Other than myself of course."
"Oh, you are flattering me, Mr Osato. You sure know how to make a girl feel special."
"It is no simple praise. There has been a young man watching you since he arrived. In fact, I have not seen him look at a single other woman tonight, though there are so many who should have drawn his attention." The man chuckled, his gaze falling on one of the other hostesses walking by.
Her colleagues were whispering amongst themselves, blushing and giggling. It wasn't unusual for a man to show up here alone, though most came in groups of three or more. But what was unusual, was for that man to be so young, and as one of the girls had gushed earlier, handsome.
"I'd make him my boyfriend if I could," Honoko-chan had sighed, as she put on her makeup for the night. "But he hardly says a word, and seems content sipping on his drink for his whole stay."
"Yes, he won't even tell us his name! It's infuriating!" Another had pouted.
"I hope he is here tonight too, he did say 'until next time,' when he left last…"
Misaki had not participated in that conversation, but she feared the other girls would soon discovered his motive for arriving…. Well, if she indeed was the motive. The boy was kind of hard to read.
"Is he your boyfriend, Misa-chan? He seems really worried about you?" her customer asked, and she had to stop herself from turning around and look at the boy making all the racket. She excused herself soon, from the older man, and walked over to the bar.
Misaki was finding her attention waning as well. Ordering an extra shot, she downed it without making a grimace. Work was become even more suffocating than normal.
~x~
Worried? That couldn't possibly be right. The customer the other night must have made a mistake. Misaki coughed as she walked over to the teacher's office. Knocking on the door, she let herself in, a polite smile on her face.
"Ah, sorry for calling you here, Ayuzawa," her homeroom teacher greeted.
"It's no problem, sir."
"This is actually about the practice test a few days ago. Is everything going alright? Your grades have dropped a bit compared to before. You're usually in first place."
Misaki frowned. That couldn't be right. She had been juggling school, work and her student council duties, that was true, but she had also taken time off work to focus on her homework.
"May I ask … Who's in first place?"
The teacher started looking through his papers.
"Let's see, I think that is... yes, Usui Takumi, from class two…"
This was a joke, right?
First, he had the gall to show up at her work every day, as if he had all the time in the world. Then, when he saw a point of weakness, he struck. Did he really think he was any better than her? Just because she had no spare time, didn't mean he could get away with pulling one over on her.
Misaki felt her feet stomp extra harsh against the hallway floors as she walked back to her class. Even if he really was concerned, it was completely unnecessary. In fact, it only served to piss her off.
A commotion gave her pause, and Misaki followed the argument breaking out into one of the classrooms.
A few boys were arguing with a couple of girls, but it stopped abruptly when she entered.
"Ugh, it's the President," one of the boys groaned.
"Ah, Misaki," the girls breathed out relived.
"What's this, then?" Misaki asked as she entered.
"We were reading magazines, but they started bothering us…" one of the girls said.
"Well, we are forbidden from to bring any magazines, so how come the girls are allowed?" the leader of the boys demanded to know.
"Because you guys keep leaving inappropriate books lying around!" Misaki snapped, already sense another headache coming.
"What do you mean by inappropriate?! Just because they have a little colour, even mangas are forbidden! You are so strict, but you never think about what's equal for boys and girls!"
His friends joined in, supporting him.
"Well said!"
"It's unfair!"
"Yeah!"
"If the boys have to follow the rules, than the girls have to as well!"
"That's right!"
Slowly forming around them were other boys joining in, creating a full on circle, with her and the two girls standing in the middle. Misaki had been right, there was a headache coming, an agonising one.
"… I understand. I will look up the contents of the magazines you want to bring, and then I'll revise the rules," Misaki settled, but her voice went strict once more at the jubilant faces of the boys. "However! Inappropriate reading material is still forbidden in school! Having magazines and books stacked up in the classroom is still not allowed. Now give me a list of names of the magazine you want to bring, boys and girls both, and I'll personally see through them, and then have a meeting with the student council to declare which ones aren't allowed. "
"But Misaki, high school students have a lot of magazines they like. It will take ages to go through them all…" one of the girls worried.
"I don't mind. As the student council President, this is nothing," Misaki brushed off as she began coughing, before moving through the crowd.
Usui was standing just outside the classroom, his hands in his pockets and expression relaxed.
"Ahh… she sure is strict."
Walking on her way back from class later that day, Misaki stopped as a voice called after her.
"P-P-President…" the student council accountant was stuttering as he bowed before her, his face pale and clammy.
"Hm?" she turned.
"U-uh… about th-the uh… last month`s a-account book… I-I can't find it…"
"Huuuuuh?!" she swung around grabbing the boy by his shirt.
"I'm s-s-so s-sorry," the boy stuttered ashamed.
"Idiot! Have I not stated repeatedly that you have to look after the account book carefully!" she hissed at him, before letting him go just as abruptly and marching off.
"Forget it. I'll redo it myself," she sighed annoyed, but it soon turned into another cough, her breathing slightly laboured.
Misaki tried to calm her beating headache, as she massaged her temples. She was sitting at her student council desk at the end of the school day. The rest had already headed home, mostly because she had sent them off for being useless.
"Ah, dammit…. How come there is always so much to do?"
"Pres is actually a masochist, right?"
Almost jumping out of her skin, Misaki half stood in her chair as Usui's voice broke the silence she had been in for the last hour.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Pushing yourself to the dead end is a perfect symptom of masochism, you know," he continued, ignoring her.
"WHAT?!" she thundered, jumping up as she was about to yell at him to talk sensible or get out. But before she reached to do more than open her mouth, a wave of dizziness overcame her, and things sort of went blurry.
"I think even you should put down the load on your shoulders every once in a while…" the voice of Usui was the only thing registering, as she slowly started dipping over. "Just watching you, makes me feel unsafe."
An arm caught her around the waist.
It took a second for her to realize, but when she understood what he had just done, she smacked his hand away and pushed away from him, her breathing harsh and gaze glinting in fury.
"Don't come near me! I don't need your help!"
"Oh… Is that right?" he said sarcastically.
~x~
This was so not good. She wasn't feeling well and there was no time to rest. Misaki had to go to work right after school, and the evening dress her manager had pushed at her showed way too much skin. It was black, just covering her bum, and zigzagged over her breasts, revealing her stomach, back and upper chest. The shoes too, had very high heels and she had almost face palmed a couple times trying to walk in them while being so dizzy.
She had tried her best to fix her make-up, but since she sweated so much, it came off as somewhat runny, making her seem sluttier than she meant too.
Misaki decided to walk outside during her break, hoping the fresh air would clear her head a little. She had stayed off alcohol for the most part that night, but had unfortunately spilled some whisky on herself while pouring a drink.
Feeling even more awful, she leaned against the wall, thinking of all the things she should have been doing instead. She still hadn't finished redoing the account work, and she had to hurry up and decide on those magazines. Not to mention to find time to study more.
"Dammit, I'm in such a bad mood," she groaned. No way she would be able to go back in again and play nice with half a dozen men who drank too much and put their hands were they weren't wanted.
"Really? … I don't know."
"It kind of looks like her-"
"I'm telling you, that's the class President!"
Feeling herself pale, Misaki looked up, hoping beyond hope that she had simply heard wrong, that it wasn't whom she though it was.
Standing at the start of the impasse, were three high school students she knew very well. The three idiots.
"It is her!"
"For real?!"
"Hey, sexy!" one of them catcalled.
"Let's take a picture!" they were pulling up their phones.
"No way?! She's one of those hostesses working here!"
"Let's call everyone!"
"Hey, don't run!"
Misaki had pushed away from the wall, to hurry back inside, but one of the boys grabbed her. She soon realized it was the boy with the earrings, and he was grinning at her cruelly.
"Hey Pres! Is this really okay? You are always going around abusing males, but here you are working as a hostess? How about you entertain the three of us next?" his grip on her arm tightened, and she tried pulling away, but all strength seemed to have left her, as the effort only served to make her tremble.
"Look at those clothes!"
"Hey, give us your card! You can sit on my lap next!"
"What about a little dance?"
The boy holding her pulled her closer, and Misaki was forced to move, her heels were making it difficult to keep herself standing otherwise.
"The President is still a girl, underneath it all," he spoke almost softly into her ear, putting a hand on her waist. Misaki began struggling in earnest when she felt it move down over her bum, feeling her up. "Dressed like this, why don't we-"
Someone pulled the boy away harshly, and Misaki would have fallen over if a strong pair of arms hadn't closed around her.
"Don't touch her, just because she is cute," Usui spoke in his usual unemotional voice.
"U-Usui?!" the boys cried in surprise.
Misaki felt herself blush in mortification, but reached to voice none of this as a hand landed on her forehead.
"… You're burning up! Are you okay?!" her rescuer called out startled.
Misaki had enough just breathing; her body feeling like it was boiling from the inside, and her gaze blinking in and out.
"I'm sorry… Usui," she reached to whisper, before starting to tip over. The strong hands simply tightened their hold on her and a voice, calm and dependable followed her.
"It's okay. Go ahead and rest."
When she woke up, Misaki was in her room. The manager had contacted her mom and she had come and picked her up. They gave her some days off to recuperate and she stayed home from school.
"You're always working so hard, Misaki. You deserve some rest," her mother had told her as she tucked her in. "Stay home and get well. I'll take care of everything."
"… yeah," Misaki muttered tiredly back.
"Oh… and that scarf," she said, pointing to one of the clothes keeping her warm. "It seems like your friend was worried about you freezing, so he leant it to you."
~x~
Her fever cleared after a day.
What greeted her at the student council was an assortment of magazines and a complete list of the ones to ban.
"We're done with the account book from last month too!" one of the council members smiled.
"If we put our heads together it was really easy! And we got to read a lot of magazines too, it was pure bliss!"
"When we work together on things like this, it gets done really fast!"
"Class President is always taking everything on herself, we had no idea what to do when you collapsed, and we felt awful!"
When she simply remained silent, they started shuffling awkwardly.
"Uh… we didn't give you more trouble, did we?" one of the boys asked nervously.
"I felt really bad about losing the account book and for relying on you to redo it. So I wanted to at least help with this…." The boy in charge of accounting confessed.
Misaki, felt a grin spread over her lips, before beaming at them happily.
"You guys… You really helped out this time. Thank you!"
"…she smiled…"
"The class President smiled…"
"Wow…"
Misaki was standing at the rooftop, a bag in hand and her gaze skipping to him shyly.
"Those guys didn't tell anyone…" Misaki voiced. The whole day had gone by and she had not heard a single rumour, or felt anyone's gaze following her.
"Really?" Usui asked, though it was clear from the way he leaned against the wall that he had held no concern about it either.
"What did you say to them?"
"Nothing much… Just that knowing your secret was my own personal pleasure. So I told them not to leak it. That's all."
Misaki snorted. Yeah, and that part about the two of them being the two strongest people in school had nothing to do with it.
"So it really was for your own amusement," she said, but not in anger as she herself had expected. She no longer felt mad at him at all actually.
"Well if I said it's because I'm worried, you'd just get mad."
Yup, the anger was back.
"Well, I don't really care if the school finds out or not. You are allowed to work part-time here, though your student council duties might suffer if they found out," he mused. "Once you put on your dress, class Pres is really tough and clever. How you work totally changes. You are fearless and live with your head raised high. I think staying that way is fine."
"And here I spent all yesterday thinking about what an annoying person Usui really is," Misaki deadpanned, making the boy turn towards her with an affronted look.
"You run ahead of me, surpassing me, only to turn around and run backwards, asking me if I'm alright. This time, you even stopped to help me. But, I'm really competitive, so one day, I'll definitely catch up with you. Just you wait," she stopped to grin at him. "Then, it'll be my turn to worry about you!"
She threw the bag at him.
"Sorry for stealing your scarf. I washed it. I hate owing people, but I can't think of a proper thank-you-gift. Is there anything you'd like?"
Usui stared at her for several moments, before a sly grin spread over his face.
"Then, how about… being my personal hostess for a day?"
"HUH?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING YOU IDIOT!"
"No? You're so stingy…"
"You pervert! I though you weren't interested in girls!"
Usui kept up his visiting schedule, though he now stopped holding back his amusement. The three idiots too, became new regulars. And who was she to complain? It kept the manager happy and herself with a bigger profit.
Still, Misaki though to herself, she really should hurry up and find a diffrent job.
A/N: This chapter was made closely with the first chapter of Kaichou wa maid-sama. I wish to stick with the script and main happenings, though I want to develop my characters differently and hopefully, create a more adult-themed story. Tell me how it was!