Chapter 1
Welcome to Shuchi'in Academy (Kaichi's side)
A wary Ren sat on his cousin's bed, covering his nose as he watched him practically bathe himself in cologne. His room was decorated with all kinds of posters ranging from fish, space, football, musicians, and more. It was messy, to say the least. Even Ren's attic looked better. Clothes were thrown around everywhere, trash cans full, among other things.
"How much cologne are you going to use?" Ren spoke, covering his mouth and nose with his palms."I'm gonna be reeking too."
"Dude, look at us." Kai turned on his heels, splaying his arms. Ren looked down at himself. He was wearing the official Shuchi'in uniform but had a white sweater under his long-sleeved shirt and his jacket. Kai was wearing the same uniform but with different colors. Instead of the white shirt, he wore a navy blue shirt with a white jacket, white dressing pants, and black shoes."I look SOO cool with this! I look really fancy and all that stuff." He stood in front of his mirror, doing all sorts of poses."I never realized I look so good in white. But still..."
Ren rose a brow when his cousin turned to face him, tears in his eyes."You look so cool Onii-chan! Why do you get the cool colors? I wanted to wear black and white not white and black!"
"I think that shirt is bluer than anything. But don't worry, you look good." Ren deadpanned at his cousin's demeanor.
"Yeah, you're right. I do look good, don't I?" His tears immediately disappeared replaced by a goofy grin."I'm sure all the girls there are going to be looking at me. "Oh, who is that handsome new boy?" "Didn't you hear? That's the cousin of a hero! He saved a poor girl from being kidnapped!" "O.M.G he's coming this way!" "
"Kai, you're freaking me out." Ren ran a hand through his hair while his cousin continued talking to himself."Besides, our main goal isn't to get girls or whatever you think we are. It's to better ourselves and get good grades. We have to keep this scholarship, no matter what."
"Relax. We just gotta get good grades, right? No biggy."
Ren groaned in exasperation at Kai's nonchalant response. He thought back to when he met the man responsible for giving him the opportunity for higher education.
"Here you go, Ren." Ruka sat beside Ren's bed, holding a steamy cup of coffee in her hands. The poor woman looked like she hadn't slept in days with the bags under her eyes. She had pulled a double shift on the day Ren was stabbed and was the one responsible for interrogating the man who stabbed him. Thankfully, the knife missed any vital organs, but Ren would be hospitalized for a few weeks.
"Not being able to eat solid food sure is a pain." Ren gave a dry chuckle, wincing a bit in pain."Can't even chuckle without being in pain."
"Maybe next time don't try to be a hero and get yourself stabbed." Ruka remarked, sighing."You nearly gave me a heart attack. How do you think I felt when I got a call from Kai crying, saying you got stabbed in an alleyway."
"I know...I'm sorry..." Ren glanced down at the sheets covering his legs, guilt filling his mind."I didn't want to do it...but I just...moved on my own..."
"I understand. You have a strong sense of justice. Guess you got that from your grandfather. By the way, I called your parents. They're expecting a call from you when you feel better."
"Right..." Ren nodded, a sullen expression on his face."Where's Kai?"
"Asleep at home. Poor thing hasn't slept much because he was really concerned." Ruka fought the urge to cry upon remembering her own child crying over a pile of blood with his cousin. She had to give him some medicine to calm him down and make him sleep because he wasn't able to stop sobbing."He's a brave boy. Just like his cousin."
"I can't even imagine what he must have felt. Or that poor girl too." Ren frowned, setting his coffee on the table next to him. He looked out the window, admiring the clear skies the day had to offer. It's not to say he loved being in the sun, but after being a few days stuck in a hospital bed, he was quite in the need of some sunlight.
"Well, you should be fine with the stitches you have. You'll make a full recovery, so don't worry. Also, there is someone who wants to see you. Remember the girl you saved? Well, turns out her dad is a shareholder of Checkers Pizzeria. You can come in!"
On cue, the door pried open, revealing a man wearing a suit, and carrying a briefcase. He silently marched to the foot of Ren's bed, bowing at him.
"Thank you so much for saving my daughter's life!" The man cried out, his voice slightly breaking at the end."Because of you, my baby is safe and sound and gets to see another day! I am eternally indebted to you, Ren Chikage."
"W-wait a second, you're a CEO? B-but I..." Ren became flustered, turning to his aunt for help but she only giggled in response."You don't have to bow."
"But I do, young man. Pardon my late introduction. My name is Ryuji Kisaki, daughter of the girl you saved, Chisato."
"He's the one who offered to pay for your medical bills." Ruka commented to her nephew."He was kind enough to do that and make sure you get the best treatment there is."
Ren gasped in realization. Now that he looked back on it, he had gotten great treatment and good food here. He assumed it was because hospitals in Japan were better than in America, but now he knew for sure.
"Thank you so much, Kisaki-san! I appreciate your kindness. But your daughter...Is she okay?" Ren asked, hoping to hear good news.
"She is. She's a tough girl. She'll bounce back in no time, just like you." Kisaki shifted his gaze to Ruka."I trust that ruffian will be behind bars for a long time, Chikage-san?"
"Indeed he will." Ruka nodded with a satisfied smile."He'll regret touching our babies. Also, we couldn't get any info from him. It turns out whoever is behind the kidnapping is still unknown. Regardless, this is a great start."
"Happy to hear that. Now, Chikage-kun, your aunt here was telling me how you just got to Japan the day before the accident. She also informed me of what caused your departure from America. You got charged with assault and were sent to juvenile detention for eight months. I was filled in that you suffer from clinical depression. I won't go into details, but that tells me that your incident wasn't caused by you. So for that, I'll do my best to have that criminal record of yours removed. All I ask is for your patience."
"I..." Ren blinked once. Then another ten times. He was at a loss for words. He tried formulating words, but all he managed were stutters.
"He means to thank you, but he's too shy to reply." Ruka chuckled at his expense, earning a hearty laugh from the CEO.
"But that's not all I have in store for you. A regular public school isn't good enough for a young man such as yourself. Not only are you brave, but you are smart. Certainly not the top scores in your old school, but you have a great GPA. So I want to help you enter a good school. Shuchi'in Academy, the best school there is. And with the scholarship I'm willing to give you, you will have no trouble getting in, despite your financial situation."
"Sir...that's too much. I don't deserve all of this from you." Ren stammered, bewildered at what he was being offered."I...surely there must be other people more suitable to attend such a prestigious school."
"Nonsense, my boy, you saved my daughter. This is the least I can do. Offer you a better education." Kisaki shook his head, leaving no room for discussion.
"If that's the case...can you also give my cousin the same opportunity? Ren glanced up, meeting Kisaki's eyes with his own."He's a good boy. He's going through a phase right now, but he used to be a really good student. My aunt and I will convince him to do great in school. I want the best for him. He was also the one who called the cops. I'm alive because of him. So please..."
"Ren, please." Ruka stood up from her chair, taking a seat on Ren's bed and rubbing his back."We can't be demanding more. He's been kind enough to us already."
"I'd be happy to extend this to your son." Kisaki gave them a warm smile."Like I said, no price is too big for my daughter's life."
"I actually have another favor to ask..."
"Anything for you."
"Can the media not bring up my name? I'd rather stay anonymous."
'And that's how it went.' Ren was staring off into space. He took a deep breath, addressing his cousin."I'm serious Kai. This could be our only opportunity. We have to get good grades to keep the scholarships we were given."
Kai stopped checking himself out in the mirror, hands on his hips."Dude, you worry too much. I know what's at stake here. Trust me." He pointed a thumb at his face."This is me we're talking about. And besides, grades are not going to be everything."
"How do you figure?" Ren crossed his arms, curious as to where this was going.
"We're entering a prestigious school that only accepts rich people or the best of the best. Imagine all those people crowded together in one place. It's a mind gold for connections. Connections that can benefit us immensely. Ma says connections are an important aspect of life. So our image matters above all else."
"That's...not exactly wrong. While connections are important you also need grades to even be considered for other opportunities. No one knows about the incident since I asked it to be kept quiet, so don't go around boasting about it."
"Yeah, that's what I don't get." He scratched his head furiously."Why not tell the world you're a hero? You're great! You'll get so much fame!"
"But I don't want fame. I'm not like you. Or well, the current you." Ren jumped out of the bed, grabbing a nearby picture from Kai's drawers. It was a picture of both of them and their families two years ago when they went over to America for Christmas. While Ren looked relatively the same, Kai had curly, long hair and a shy expression on his face. He wasn't wearing any flashy clothes, at least compared to the ones he owned now. And he wore glasses.
Kaichi's eye color isn't gold but green, inherited from his father. He uses contacts to help himself see while also trying to look cool.
"Put that picture down!" Kai leaped at Ren like a wild animal, nearly causing him to knock down the whole drawers. He snatched the picture away, hiding it under his bed."That's not me. Not anymore. I'm NOT that person anymore!"
"Okay, okay. Calm down." Ren rose his arms in defeat."Sorry."
"It's okay..." Kaichi's shoulder slumped, sprawling on his bed and wrinkling his clothes."So...ready to go?"
"We have to take the train. So we might as well go now. I'll get going now since I want to get familiar with how the trains work. So...see you after school?"
Ren offered a hand to his cousin, which he gladly took to get back on his feet. Both of them engulfed each other in a hug, enjoying each other's presence.
"You bet!"
Kaichi had asked his mom to take him to school since Ren wanted to take the train to familiarize himself with them. Though Kaichi wasn't expecting his mom to take him to her police car and sound the alarms to make sure the other cars stayed clear off her path so her son wouldn't be late.
"Ma, can you not do that?" Kaichi grumbled, his arms crossed as he stared out the window.
"Do that, dear?" His mom asked though he wasn't sure whether she was feigning her innocent tone or not.
"The siren. Turn it off. It's attracting attention." Cringing, Kai noticed a few out people wondering what was going on as the car rode by."They probably think there's a robbery going on or something. Isn't this against a police regulation or some shit?"
"Kai, no cursing." Ruka chided him, pinching his cheek."Besides, this is an emergency. I have to make sure my child is not late on his first day of school. Well, not really the first, since it's the middle of the year. You're transferring over."
"And that's exactly why you shouldn't be doing this!" He cried out as he rose his hands, nearly hitting the roof of the car"You're gonna embarrass me before I make my great entrance, Ma!"
"Don't worry. I'll turn it off before we get there." She noticed her son's head closer to her and rubbed his hair."I'm so proud of you and Ren. You'll be having a great experience in this new school. Nothing compared to what that other school had to offer."
"And connections, Ma, connections."
"Right. Connections." She nodded before her face grew stern."But also keep your grades up. Understand?"
"Yes. Jeez, you and Onii-chan keep bugging me about it. I'm not a little kid that needs to be reminded to do well in school." He pouted, his head leaning against the window and escaping his mother's grasp."I'll do good. Don't worry. But I also want to have fun. Imagining the possibilities is killing me!"
"Did you take your medicine this morning?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"O-of course!" Kai chuckled nervously."I always make sure to take it."
"You better do. I informed them of your ADHD so you'll be given more time during tests among other things. Just as long as you take your medicine."
Growing bored of the conversation, Kai pulled out his phone and began playing games.
"Put that phone away. We're almost there." Ruka could see the huge school in the distance as well as children making their way towards it. The station should be a couple of blocks away. You have to make sure you memorize it by tomorrow, okay?"
"WOAH! LOOK AT THAT!" Kai dropped his phone on the floor of the car, marbling at the school."This is it, Ma. My new adventure begins!"
Once they were in front of the school gates, Kai kissed his mom on her cheek and jumped out of the car, practically skipping around. Of course, a few students gave them the stink eye, but he didn't notice or cared.
"MAKE WAY PEOPLE! THE COUSIN OF A HERO IS COMING THROUGH!" He rose his fist in the air, shouting to the heavens.
"Who is that guy and why is he so loud?"
"Didn't you hear? We're supposed to be getting a transfer student. Could be him."
"Yuck, he probably came from one of those crappy schools that don't teach their students any manners."
Kai glanced around, noticing how the students who were talking avoided his gaze."Huh. Guess they must have heard of me. That's great. Now, I have to go find my classroom."
"I'll be helping you out with that." A young man wearing the standard middle school uniform approached Kai. He had spiky purple hair, brown eyes, and a look that practically screamed "I'm all business and no jokes.". He was taller than Kai since his head only reached his chin." Judging by your enthusiasm and your lack of self-awareness, I'd say you're the new kid, right? My name is Katsu Momomiya. I'm the Student Council President. A senior and therefore, your senpai."
"Smashing! My name's Kaichi Chikage, but you can call me Kai!" Kai extended his arm out, a grin on his face.
"Chikage-kun." Katsu blew him off but accepted his handshake."I'll be escorting you to your grade immediately since there isn't any time to show you around the school. Classes are beginning in ten minutes, after all. What's your room?"
"I'm supposed to go to 2-B." Kai pulled out the piece of paper he wrote for himself containing his schedule and grade.
"Ah, excellent. You are in the same grade as Shirogane and Fujiwara. They can be your guide when classes are over. Now come along. We mustn't waste much time." Katsu turned on his heels, walking off into the school gate.
"Uh, yeah. Got it, Momomiya-senpai!" Kai jogged over to his side. He tried to look confident and mature, but the aura emanating from Momomiya made him feel smaller and less impressive. By no means did he look as attractive as he did, he thought, but he carried an aura of authority around him.
'I guess that's to be expected from the council president.' Kai put his hands in his pockets, admiring the interior of the school as he was guided inside."Woah...this is nothing to the bland school I was attending."
"According to your file, you were attending Shucho Academy, right?" Katsu glanced over his shoulder."A low-class school, if I'm being honest. Only heard bad things about it."
"It's really shitty. You don't do much there but it was comfy enough I guess." Kai took a glance at his outfit."They weren't very strict about the uniform, so you could pretty much wear other things along with it. Not that I'm complaining. I love this uniform. Suits me just fine."
"My, aren't you a humble one?" Katsu chuckled, covering his mouth with his palm."Well, I also know that your grades weren't the best, even for that school's standards. I trust you were told what to do?"
For the third time that day, Kai was told to keep his grades up. He was damn near close to snapping, but he opted for playing it cool and simply shrugged."Keep up my grades. I know."
"Good. Students here don't take kindly to people like you. People who aren't special by any means and don't have any influence in the world. Everyone here comes from a wealthy background. It's extremely rare for someone to be accepted via scholarship since the requirements are near impossible. I won't ask you for information, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about your situation."
"Ah, I'm happy I seem interested to you, Momomiya-senpai." Kaichi smoothly answered."I'll be happy to meet your expectations."
"I'm not necessarily interested in an Impure like yourself but how you managed to get a scholarship with your mediocre grades. Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. But I will have you meet my expectations. I hope that's not a problem for you, Chikage-kun."
"Glad to be of service." Kai forced a smile, but he was losing confidence by the second. It was a good thing they reached his classroom, forcing their conversation to end. Katsu slid the door open, talking to the teacher for a minute before coming out.
"It's up to you now. Make sure you behave yourself." Katsu patted him on the shoulder and went on his way to his own classroom.
Kaichi grabbed his chest, noticing his heart beating extremely fast. He was nervous. So nervous he felt like he was going to pass out any minute. Taking a deep breath and slapping his cheeks, he made himself feel confident and with a smirk, walked inside the classroom.
"There you are. I was wondering if you'd eventually come in. I'm Jo Kashigawi, your homeroom teacher." His homeroom teacher, an older man, was standing in front of the board."Everybody, this here is the new transfer who got here with a scholarship. Why don't you introduce yourself?"
"Yes, sir." Kai took out his hands from his pocket, splaying his arms and facing the rest of the students."How's everyone doing? Name's Chikage. Kaichi Chikage. It's great to meet you all! Man, I'm so excited but also nervous. I'll be in your care now."
An awkward pause followed, his words trailing off in the air. A girl with pink hair began clapping slowly, encouraging the students to clap along though barely anyone did.
"That's the new kid? He's handsome, I guess."
"But he looks like a delinquent. Look at his earrings."
"He comes from one of those public schools, I think. So he must be just a regular high school student."
"Think he got here the same way Shirogane did?"
"Ehem. Why don't you take a seat in front of Shirogane? Shirogane, please raise your hand."
"Yes, sensei." A girl with white hair rose her hand. Kai stared at her deep blue eyes, feeling his heart skip a beat. Her doll-like face was alluring to him, and her eyes were like an endless ocean that hid many mysteries. He slowly walked to where she was sitting, dropping his bag on the floor and sitting in the chair in front.
"Alright. I'll be giving you the handouts you missed for the weak, Chikage." His sensei said, grabbing a handful of printouts and starting to pass them down to the students in the top row."Also, since we're beginning new material, you'll be able to catch on and be ready for the test next Friday. Do not worry. It only involves the material we're going to cover today."
"A test already, huh..." Kai's mood grew sour. He decided to think about that later, and instead opted for bending his back and neck to come face to face with the girl behind him, resting the top of his head on her desk."Heya, how you doing?"
"Eyes up front." She immediately shot him down, clasping her arms together and waiting patiently for the printouts.
"Aw, come on, doll face, don't be like that. Your name is Shirogane, right? What's your first name?"
"Nothing that concerns you."
Kai rolled his eyes playfully, stumbling upon her notebook, which coincidentally, had her name on the cover. She gasped, hiding it out of his sight but Kai had memorized it already."So Kei Shirogane, eh? What a coincidence! We have almost the same name!"
The boy in front coughed aloud, grabbing Kai's attention. With an apology, Kai grabbed the handouts and passed them back to Kei.
"What do you mean we have almost the same name?" The blue-eyed girl inquired, her expression still serious and eyeing him with a weary eye.
"Kai and Kei. Replace the E with an A!" He chanted, giving her a cheeky grin."What a coincidence that my future wife has a similar name to mine."
"Excuse me." Kei's eyes widened at his words."What are you talking about, Chikage-kun?"
"You can call me Kai, Kei."
"Shirogane to you." Kei crossed her arms, raising her chin."I'm not going to let a guy like you refer to me so casually."
"But Kei-chan-"
Kei grabbed his ear, twisting it extremely hard."Shirogane to you. Understood?"
"Yes, yes! Shirogane-chan!" Kai begged, tapping on her thin arm which surprisingly held a lot of strength."Man, you're quite beautiful, and yet you're so strong. You're the whole package. I fell in love the moment I laid eyes on you."
"I'm not going to marry you." Kei moved his head off her desk, prompting him to simply shift on his chair to face her."Nor be friends with you."
"You say that but we haven't even got acquainted with each other, Shirogane-chan." Kaichi wagged his finger."The prez said you'd show me around school and I'll be ecstatic if you did."
"Momomiya-san did...?" Kei looked crestfallen."You're lying. You must be lying."
"You can ask him later, doll face." Kai went back to facing the front, hands behind his head."But don't worry. I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do."
"I have no problems helping the new student only if the president said so. I'll ask him during lunch." Kei, flustered, focused her attention on her paper. Kai shrugged, simply choosing to stare out the window while the teacher began the class.
"Feeding time at the zoo." Kaichi whistled to himself, marveling at how huge the cafeteria was and how it accommodated so many students. He carried his lunch tray, which contained fried rice with some beef on the side, and looked for a place to sit.
"Hello there!" He would greet the people at a table.'Mind if I sit here? Name's Kaichi and-"
"This one's taken."
"I'm waiting for my friend."
"We don't like Impures around here."
"Do you have no shame?"
After going through countless tables and having no luck, Kaichi was feeling pretty dejected."I guess it's to be expected. I'm the new kid, after all. Everyone probably has friends already..."
"Over here!"
He rose his head, turning to the sound of the feminine voice he heard. In a seat near the corner sat the pink-haired girl he saw earlier in class."My luck must be coming back to me!"
Happily jogging over, Kaichi made sure his hair was still presentable and wiped some sweat off his forehead with his sleeve."Hello, mama. I remember you, cutie. You're the girl in my class. Sorry, I don't think I got your name."
"Haha, aren't you a flatterer? I noticed you looking lost and sad so I decided to let you sit with me! I'm Moeha Fujiwara, vice president of the student council!"
"Wait, vice prez? So you're second in command next to Momomiya-senpai?"
"Oh, you met him already? I hope he didn't give you much trouble." She winked at him, clasping her palms together."He comes off a little scary but he's nice once you get to know him."
"I doubt that. But I respect that. Anyway, you probably heard my name but I'm Kaichi Chikage. You can call me Kai."
"Chikage-kun it is."
"Uh, sure." Kai sweatdropped after being rejected of being called by his first name."So, Moeha-chan, what-"
"Fujiwara." Moeha continued giving him a sweet smile, but something about it made him tremble to his core.
"F-Fujiwara-san!" Kai straightened up, not wanting to provoke her anger. He cleared his voice, his charismatic and confident look coming back to him."So tell me, Fujiwara-san, how do I tell this girl that I love her? And not, it's not you. So don't worry. I consider you quite a catch but my heart is set ablaze for another woman!"
"Oh! You're in love!" Moeha seemed to take great interest in that."My sister is a love expert but I know a little bit about it. I can help you! Tell me who is the one who has your attention."
"Oh, well..." Kai rubbed his nape, blushing slightly."She's in our class. She sits behind me."
"You're in love with Shirogane!" Moeha practically squealed, grabbing his hands."Don't you worry. She's actually very close friends with me. As a matter of fact, I know where she is right now!"
"Seriously? Well, I'd very much appreciate your help, Fujiwara-senpai." Kai grabbed her hands as well as they both created an invisible forcefield that was shocking the other students.
"She's in the student council room. I believe she's having lunch there with the others. I decided to eat here today because I'm waiting for a friend. But if you want my advice...shower her with compliments. She likes that. And also likes to be appreciated, so make sure you tell her how important she is."
"Thank you so much!" Kai quickly devoured his lunch, nearly choking if Moeha didn't give him her cartoon of milk, which he gladly drank."I better be on my way! Please enjoy your lunch!"
"Wait, do you even know where it is-and he's gone." Moeha rested her chin on her palm while slowly beginning to eat."He seems nice enough. I don't know if Shirogane will give him the time of day though."
"Sorry for that wait, Fujiwara." Holding her bento, a girl of average size approached the pinkette on her desk. She had short brown hair, reaching up to her shoulders, and hazel eyes alongside a spaceship hair clip on the left side of her head."Who was that just now? He seemed in a hurry."
"Kisaki-chan! You took so long!" Moeha beamed when her friend took a seat in front of her."That was the new transfer student. Chikage Kaichi."
"Wait, Chikage?! Slicked back hair?"
"Yeah. You know him?"
"You could say that." She trailed off, her mind going back to the day when she was almost kidnapped.'I never got to thank him...'
Kai ran around the school at blurring speeds, using his track skills to travel easily. It was a good thing not many people were in the hallways because he didn't want to crash into anyone. But eventually, he stumbled into the room on the fourth floor. He opened the door, nearly slamming it open, and fell on his knees to catch his breath.
"I...did it..." Kai panted. He had great endurance, but running around four floors wasn't his idea of fun.
"What is the meaning of this?" Katsu, who was typing away on his laptop, peered over the screen."You again...Chikage, was it?"
"What are YOU doing here!" Kei pointed at him from across the room, nearly dropping the papers she was holding.
"I came looking...to...well, I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch together with me, Shirogane-chan. I...I thought you'd be hungry since you are probably working extremely hard to fulfill your duties so...I wanted to ask you to come to eat with me after school. I know a good place around here."
"No. I told you I want nothing to do with you." Kei placed her hands on her hips."Stop harassing me already. See, president? This is why I told you I don't want to show him around."
"It would appear he's very blunt." Katsu nodded."Who told you Shirogane was here?"
"Probably Fujiwara." A young woman with emerald-colored hair tied up in a ponytail said. She had green eyes as green as her hair and countless bracelets on each arm.
"Yeah, Fujiwara-san told me Shirogane-chan was here. So I came running."
"That explains why you're out of breath." Katsu hummed to himself."However, you are very lucky you didn't encounter anyone from the public morals committee. Though I don't see why I shouldn't report you for running in the hallways."
"I second that." Kei narrowed her eyes at him."He's a no-good troublemaker."
"Now, now. Everyone settle down."
A young man with scarlet hair and a red eye stood up from his chair behind his desk. His hair was neatly combed back except for the right side going forward, allowing a few strands of hair over his right eye, which was covering an eyepatch where his right eye was supposed to be. He stood tall, around 5'9 feet, and had a muscular build. He had a confident look about him that put Kaichi to shame and he had to admit it look more natural.
Kaichi was perplexed at the young man approaching the middle of the room to defuse the situation."He's just here because he has a crush on Kei-chan here. Ain't nothing bad about that. Katsu, you once told me you spent all your money to donate to a twitch streamer and you didn't even get acknowledged."
"You promised not to say that!"
"Futaba, you kept stalking your current boyfriend online for a year before you finally confessed."
"I-I wasn't stalking him!" She stood from her chair, slamming her desk."I was just making sure he liked me! Don't go slandering me like that!"
"Point is, we've all done stupid things in the name of love. So why judge other people for that, eh? So, kid, what did you say your name was?"
"It's Kaichi. Kaichi Chikage." Kai slowly answered, still puzzled.
"Hey, he nearly has the same name as you, Kei-chan!"
"Please, Leo-senpai, don't encourage him." Kei shot him a pleading look.
"Right, right. Sorry. So, Chika-chan, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Leonardo Constello, the historian of the student council. Feel free to call me Leo. Pleased to meet ya."
"Wait...Constello..." Kai rubbed his chin in thought, a light bulb lighting up in his head."Are you related to Vino Constello? Also, why Chika-chan?"
"Oh, you know my big bro?" Leonardo huffed, his expression turning sour."I take it you know him?"
"You could say that. I frequent his restaurant. He's a really good cook." Kai found himself relaxing, glad to meet someone shared an acquaintance with."He never mentioned you before. What gives?"
"He lives with our old man and I live with our uncle." Leo explained his circumstance."We don't get along. But enough about me. Today is your first day, right? How's everything looking up so far?"
"It's okay." Kaichi squeezed his left arm."I like it here. Really great school."
"I hope you didn't have any trouble during lunch. Students here can be very...shall we say, territorial." He gazed over in Kei's direction."Poor Kei-chan had trouble adjusting in. You see, the majority of the students don't take people of lower backgrounds kindly. She got here the same way you did. With a scholarship."
Kai perked up at that, glancing in her direction. Kei blushed momentarily and clicked her tongue, darting her eyes away from them."You don't need to tell him that..."
"What are you doing, Leonardo?" Katsu said, eyeing the red-haired suspiciously.
"Can't I look after my kohais? I worry about them and I want them to succeed." He moved over to where Futaba was, sitting down on her desk much to her annoyance."Besides, I'm part of the Kaei team."
"Kaei?" Everyone asked in unison.
"Yeah. Kai + Kei makes Kaei. Perfect ship name, am I right?" Hearing several groans in response, Leo stood back up, pacing around the room.
"I don't condone this kind of relationship and you know it." Katsu glared daggers at the carefree Leo."Besides, Shirogane is clearly not interested. The fact that Chikage looked for her everywhere in school is nothing short of harassment."
"Calling it harassment is a bit overboard, don't you think, prez?" Leo pointed at him, moving his arm in circles."Besides, you say that now, but back when we were freshmen and weren't president you had no problems dating that one girl. And yeah, maybe she isn't interested, but who knows, that can change."
"I assure you it will not!" Kei chimed in, flapping her arms around."No way I'll fall for someone like him! And get out of here already!"
"I have an idea." Leo ignored her completed, wagging his eyebrows at Katsu."Why don't we invite him to be part of the student council? I'm sure he'll be a great fit."
"What!" Both Katsu and Kei cried out.
"Seems Leo is at it again," Futaba muttered, sinking deeper into her chair and enjoying the show.
"Do you even realize what you're saying, Leonardo?" The class president was beginning to lose it."He's not like Shirogane who's proven herself to be quite capable. I'm aware of his previous grades and they're below average."
"Sure, but that was in his old school, right? New school, new man. Ain't that right, Chika-chan?"
"Uh...yeah, yeah! What he said!" Kaichi nodded his head enthusiastically."I'll keep my grades high and do everything I'm supposed to do!"
"President, please!" Kei practically rammed into the president's desk."You can't let him in! He's a good-for-nothing ruffian! He'll make us look bad."
"Nah, I doubt that." Leo ruffled Kei's hair playfully despite her protests."A man is capable of anything when he's in love. And if he does feel like that about you, I'm sure everything will work just fine."
"But there are no openings available right now!" Kei tried to look for an excuse.
"Maybe we could have him be our butler or something," Futaba suggested, her face completely blank despite her ridiculous idea.
"Bad idea, Futa-chan. Kei-chan, you said you were having troubles with the finances really, yeah? How about I appoint him to be your assistant? You'll be the one making the shots, of course, until he's gained enough experience to either continue assisting you or more to another position." Leo explained his head, turning to the president for confirmation."How about it, Katsu? You know Kei-chan's position is arguable the second hardest one and with the many events coming up, her job will become even harder. We don't want her grades to lower because she's busy with student council stuff, right?"
"I...I suppose you make a good point." Katsu hated to admit it, but Leonardo was capable of convincing him of the most ridiculous ideas."But he will have to promise to work hard to keep his position. Shirogane, I know you might be against the idea, but a bit of help never hurts. However, if he does become a bother and if he isn't doing his work, let me know immediately. Is this acceptable?"
"Fine..." Kei deflated, closing her eyes."If you think this is for the best, then I have no choice but to trust you."
"At it, girl!" Leo patted her head, only for his hand to be grabbed and twisted."Uncle, uncle!"
"This is your fault, Leo-senpai!" Kei accused him."Why did you even do this?!"
"Because he reminds me of me a little. Ambitious, willing to do anything for what he wants. Grades are important, but if you don't make connections, they don't matter much. Now that he's part of the student council, his transcripts will be accepted by any university he wants to apply to. Of course, if he does a well enough job."
"I promise I'll do my best." Kaichi bowed down, somehow holding his excitement down. Not only did he become part of the student council, but he also found the perfect way to get close to Kei. All he had to do was apply himself, but that shouldn't be a problem, he thought."When do I start and what do I do?"
"Here's the pamphlet we give to new members." Futaba waved him over, handing him a packet containing information about the student council."Become familiar with what a treasurer is supposed to do. Well, I'm sure Shirogane will also show you the ropes. You good with math?"
"You could say that."
"Then you're good to go." Leo wrapped his arm around his shoulder."Any objections, prez?"
"If you agree to take responsibility for him, then I suppose it's fine." Katsu nodded, standing up from his chair and giving Kaichi a quick bow."I officially welcome you to the student council, Kaichi Chikage. You will begin your duties tomorrow. Come by after school and be on time."
"You got it, boss." Kaichi nodded with enthusiasm, shifting his gaze to Kei."Don't worry, Shirogane-chan. I'll do my very best for you!"
"God, why..." Kei avoided his gaze, sulking in the corner of the room.
"And I'll make you my girlfriend! I'll keep on loving you no matter what!"
"That's it!" Kei grabbed a nearby ruler and was about to pounce on Kai if she hadn't been stopped by Leo."Let me go! He pisses me off! I hate him even more than my brother!"
"Calm down, lass." Leonardo grimaced as he kept receiving elbows to the face.
"Hey, everyone! What did I miss!" Moeha Fujiwara burst into the room."Hey, you made it, Chikage-kun!"
"FUJIWARA!" Kei screeched at her friend, her sclera turning red in rage.
"This is going to be a mess..." Katsu groaned in exasperation at the scene unfolding in front of him.
And that wraps it for the first chapter. Or one of the firsts. I decided I'm going to separate the first chapters into two, one for Kai and another for Ren. Since we don't know much about the middle school in Shuchi'in or other students besides Moeha and Kei, most of them will be OCs. Of course, I'll include some OCs for high school but we'll see how that goes when I sort that out. If you're enjoying the story, please feel free to review and leave a favorite. I would appreciate it. Also, any suggestions or critiques are welcome!