Hello everyone! Thank you to all the reviewers that...well, reviewed! I wouldn't have gotten off my lazy butt if you didn't send such positive comments about my story. Enjoy the chapter!

Enjoy! I don't own Clamp School Detectives!


THE UNDERSTUDIES-CHAPTER ONE: CINNAMON BUNS (MONDAY)

Okay, so he had chickened out a little.

Nokoru had meant to go to Aki's little home to return her jacket, but there was no sign of light from inside the house.

That obviously meant that she was asleep and couldn't be disturbed, right? Right? Nokoru knew better.

Kami help the man who disturbed a woman during her sleep.

The Elementary School Board Room was quite silent, with the exception of the occasional rustle of paper and scratch of a pen. The birds singing outside with all their might could not be heard through the large glass windows.

"Suooooooooooooooh..."

"Yes, Kaichou," Suoh replied with an air of weariness.

"It's tea-time!" Nokoru replied cheerfully.

"We won't have tea-time until you're done with at least half of your paperwork."

"But Suooooooooooooooh..."

"What?"

"I'm finished with it all."

Suoh dropped the various files he was holding, and nearby, Akira missed the chair he was about to sit in and landed on the floor.

"WHAT?" they cried in unison.

"I finished it all." The blonde smiled triumphantly. "So we can have tea-time now."

Suoh and Akira gaped at the Chairman, and noticed that his numerous large stacks of documents, papers, and all other things remotely concerning the Elementary Division were cleared away and piled into his 'OUT' box. Even the other behemoth mountains of paperwork behind the red velvet curtain were waiting to be sent away.

"W-Well!" Suoh stuttered. "So you did. I guess we can, then..."

Akira beamed at his senpai. "I'm so proud of you Kaichou! I knew you could do it!" And with that he excused himself to get the snacks.

"Are you sick or something?" Suoh asked bluntly.

"Heavens no!" Nokoru smiled behind his fan, which proclaimed 'Sick? Me?'. "I am perfectly sane, and not at all sick or diseased in any way whatsoever. I just finished it all so I wouldn't be troubling you any longer."

Suoh snorted. As if. There was some other reason to him doing all of his paperwork, and the secretary was determined to find out.

"Here we go." Akira passed around plates of small, light brown swirls that let out a wonderful bakery smell. "Cinnamon buns. I hope they turned out all right, because Mitsui-senpai's friends told me she adores these Western treats." (A/N: I don't really know the origin of cinnamon buns, but I know they don't come from Japan) "What about you two? Do you like them?"

Suoh nodded his approval and took a sip of his milk tea, while Nokoru happily bit down into the sugary warm delicacy. "Excellent, Akira! It's just like the Western chefs! Even better, if I may dare say."

"Thank you Chairman," the Treasurer beamed. "Is Mitsui-senpai going to join us soon?"

"She should be here very soon," answered Nokoru with a dreamy look on his face. "May I have another cinnamon bun please, Akira? It seems I've already finished my first one."

Akira was placing another cinnamon bun on Nokoru's plate when there was a light knock on the Board Room door. Suoh stood up and strode over, opening it to allow their guest in.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" she said happily. "I'm not late, am I?"

"Not at all," Suoh responded. "Akira here was just serving tea. We're having cinnamon buns."

"Cinnamon buns!" Aki's sapphire blue eyes gleamed. "I love cinnamon buns!"

"He hoped you would."

Akira shyly offered a plate to her with an exceptionally large cinnamon bun on it, and a steaming cup of milk tea. "I really hope you like them, Mitsui-senpai." Aki accepted them with a smile and 'thank you', and flopped gracefully down next to Nokoru on the couch. He said good morning by kissing her on the cheek.

"...Mm! These are beyond delicious Ijyuin-kun!" she squealed. "The best I've ever tasted!" Akira blushed a heavy red color.

After some more snacking and talking, Suoh stood and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I must get started if I'm to finish delivering all of those documents the Chairman finished off today."

Akira stood up too. "I'll help you Takamura-senpai! I was requested to pick up something from the Main Board Room." Suoh nodded in thanks. Nokoru and Aki helped them pile paperwork into their arms, and once that was done, they bid goodbye to the other two and headed out, leaving the Board Room in a comfortable silence.

"So my apprentice," Nokoru said grandly. "I suppose I should start teaching you some things or else Suoh will get suspicious." Aki giggled behind her tea cup.

"I suppose he'll start to wonder why you asked a sixth grader to be your understudy, and not someone younger," she mused. "He's very perceptive."

"Oh well. He won't mind after the bit of news you have to tell him."

"Will he? I want him so much to like me, but I'm afraid he might look at me as inferior."

"Nonsense! Suoh is understanding; Kami knows how many times he's put up with my carefree nature."

Aki snorted with laughter, and Nokoru's blue eyes twinkled as he took her into his arms. "Let's get you started, shall we?" he said in a sweet voice.

"Alright." She let out another snicker of mirth. The blonde lead her to his desk and showed her various tasks she would do daily, weekly, and monthly. No sooner had he finished did Suoh and Akira return.

"I still can't believe you completed all of your paperwork," Suoh said in exasperation, piling more documents into his arms. "Where did you find the motivation?"

"Oh, nothing motivated me Suoh," sang his senpai. Said sixth grader winked at the female sixth grader once Suoh's back was turned. "I just wanted all of it out of the way. Say, Suoh, have you considered who you want as an understudy?"

Suoh shook his head. "None whatsoever. I'm still searching for someone competent enough."

"Don't worry Takamura-san, I'm sure you'll find someone," Aki said. She glanced at the clock. "Lunch time."

"Will you be staying, Mitsui-senpai?" Akira asked, rolling in the lunch cart.

"Iie, Ijyuin-kun. I have to meet someone during the lunch hour. I will in classes after lunch, and after classes I am heading over to the Department for some work. So I think this will be the last I'll be seeing of you three today." She curtsied.

"Ja ne, Aki-chan!"

"Ja ne!"

Her shoes went clack clack clack all the way down the hall until they could hear it no longer. Nokoru stretched out on the couch and sighed sadly and dramatically. Suoh rolled his eyes.

"Kaichou, I've been meaning to ask..."

"About how Aki-chan and I met?"

"Hai..." Akira looked up from the lunch cart in interest.

"That must be quite a story, huh?" he laughed.

"Well, I'll gladly tell the two of you."

"Unfortunately, not now," sighed the Secretary. "I need to go out for lunch. Gomen."

"Not a problem, Suoh!" Nokoru said airily. Akira shot the both of them a confused look, and when Suoh had left he asked, "Kaichou, it seems like you know the reason why Takamura-san was going out for lunch."

"I do, Akira."

"Can you tell me...?"

"Of course! Suoh is actually going back home to talk with his okaasan."

Akira had an even more confused look on his face, and Nokoru chuckled. "It's like this Akira. You know how Suoh is the successor to the Takamura ninja clan legacy." (A/N: I think Akira knows about Suoh being a ninja...tell me if I'm wrong, please) Akira nodded his understanding. "Well, on Saturday, there will be a Takamura Sports Tournament held at their family's main house. He needs to go home to talk with his okaasan about what events he will participate in, who is partner shall be, etcetera etcetera etcetera."

"...Ohh...I see. It sounds so exciting! A sports tournament!"

"Yes, very exciting. Erm, Akira? Could you pass me my lunch? I'm starving."

MEANWHILE

"Okaasan?" Suoh stepped into the parlor room, searching for his mother. "Okaasan, I'm home," he called.

A shower of shuriken rained down from the ceiling, and Suoh leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding them. A small click announced another trap about to be released, and he tensed. About fifty arrows launched from the side wall, and he ducked, flat on top of the floor.

"Suoh-san! I didn't expect you home so early!" came the polite voice of his mother. Suoh stood up and bowed. "Well, why don't we have lunch while I go over some things with you? Like, for instance, your partner for the Tournament. You two will work together in the different sports to gain points, and hopefully will demonstrate your skills and teamwork to the rest of the family."

"Hai, okaasan."

"Oh! Here's lunch. Eat up, Suoh-san. You'll be working on special training exercises the next few days."


Hello again! Closing notes:

1. I'm sorry for sticking those author's notes inside the text. But I don't know if asterisks will work when I put my story through QuickEdit.

2. My second author's note...if someone will kindly tell me if Akira knows about Suoh being a ninja, I would greatly appreciate it.

3. Click the pretty purple button! Thanks for reading and reviewing!