-Chapter 10: Aaaaand Action! Oh Crap!-

Queue the lights. The screams of fangirls. The sound of a basketball hitting the gymnasium floor. Then, have the camera focus on Hikaru shooting a ball through the hoop. I sat in a tall chair behind the large camera, swinging my legs back and forth. Crew-members were running back and forth, holding stuff, whispering to each other, talking to the man next to the camera. I was wearing a black leather jacket, a dark gray tank top, ripped black jeans, and chunky high black boots. The boots even raised me to eye-level with Tamaki. When the costume department had handed me the outfit, I stared at myself in the mirror for a good five minutes. The fake black chain earring hung glinted in the light. The other chain attached to my jeans clinked lightly when I moved. The pants hugged my legs tightly and the black shirt was snug against my fake chest. I smirked at the mirror. This felt more like me. More casual, more comfortable. Not the stiff formal uniform. Not the dresses or frills. The others were right. I was goth. But it was something more than that. The rips and holes and hard leather jacket felt familiar. I stepped out of the changing room, to prepare for another day with the club.

I wandered over to the table with bagels for the movie crew to eat another bagel after already having two in the past fifteen minutes. I swear, it's like no one feeds me. Which is true sometimes I forget to eat because I'm not used to eating three meals a day. I never got that luxury in my past life. So nowadays when I see something I can steal or eat for free, I'll take it.

I munched on the bagel as I went back to the tall chair and watched the next scene play out. This time, making sure to stay behind the camera so as not to get my clothes wet from the fake rain. I had already done my scene. It was simply Tamaki being overly dramatic and my putting on a mean face to the man. I had to widen my eyes as he took my hand and I pushed him away from me. Renge proceeded to narrate the scene about being lonely or something like that.

I dried my hair with a towel and gave it to Haruhi when Honey-senpai couldn't take being mean anymore. He was so cute!
"Haruhiii! You're on!" yelled Renge.
"Ah, coming!" She walked towards the sound of Renge's voice and I looked at the towel in my hands.
"Haru-chan, you didn't dry off your hair yet! Do you want to catch a cold? I chased after her and tried punching on her and rubbing her hair vigorously with the towel.

Finally letting her go, I stood behind her and peered at new wild idea Renge had.
"These two gentlemen have agreed to make a special appearance in our film!"
"In your film?" asked one.
"What are you talking about?" the other added. I raised an eyebrow at the fangirl, getting slightly worried about where this was going.
"After all, we're gonna need some tough guys for the big climax!" We all were shocked at that. "It's when all the club members come together to fight the 'real' villains of their school." This seemed very wrong. "According to the script, these two are from a wealthy family who got their wealth by being a part of the Yakuza!" Very very wrong. Did she ask for these guys' consent? She started tugging on their sleeves.

"Wait a minute, Renge!" said Haruhi, trying to make sense of the whole situation.
"Just come on!" Renge said gleefully, not caring about anyone else's feelings. The student freed himself from the ecstatic girl's grip.
"You think you can push me around?" I backed away a bit, feeling my back touch the movie equipment leaning against the wall. "You don't even know me!" He gave Renge a hard shove, right in my direction. Haruhi saw this and ran to try and save us from the falling equipment.

Renge's body knocked into my own and I slammed against poles, wooden boards, and a heavy metal ladder. I hissed from the pain that went through my back. Squeezing my eyes shut a bit. Haruhi grabbed Renge aside as a single board bounced off other falling things and hit her back. I was able to minimize its impact by grabbing for it, even though it slipped out of my fingers. She must have a lucky charm on her, not getting any pain from it. Meanwhile, I would be sleeping on my stomach for a few days.

Kneeling next to the two, I checked them for any signs of major injury. I glared at the student who shoved Renge, annoyed that he gave me these bruises.
"That guy was right, Renge." Haruhi said. "You can't do that. If you judge people by their appearance then you're stereotyping them and you'll never see them for who they truly are inside." She was right. Renge needed to learn how to not judge others. If you think I judge people, dear reader, I just don't care enough about everyone to get to know them. There were only a few I would let into my heart. And that wasn't anyone here.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," the confused fangirl asked. I started picking up the fallen movie equipment as Tamaki rounded the corner concerned.
"What happened Haruhi?" He saw Haruhi's tears and jumped to the wrong conclusions. Again. I winced as I clung to his arm, begging him to stop and listen to the whole story. But alas, it was for naught. He didn't hear my pleas and shoved the guy who pushed Renge up against the wall. "So which one of you jerks started this." His voice was low and filled with anger.
"Tamaki, just listen to us for a minute!" I begged.
"Please, Suoh, it's not what you think!" Tamaki finally turned his head to listen to the other student. I sighed, glad that Tamaki would listen to others. "That girl started this! She was giving us a hard time!" "He's telling the truth, Senpai." Haruhi got up from where she was and coaxed Tamaki away from almost harassing a student. I let go of Tamaki's arm and winced a bit, as my back let me know of it's agony. A few tears came down my face as Tamaki saw both me and Haruhi cry.
"It wasn't their fault." Haruhi stated. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Tamaki held both sides of her face softly, making sure that she was okay. I smiled at the two of them, wiping the tears of pain away from my face. They may not know it right now, but they'll be a great couple someday. He really cared for her. He asked if she was in any pain. And she showed him that her contact had fallen out. He looked a little surprised at that and I giggled, but stopped when there was pain in my chest.
He turned to the both of us, "You're able to cry without using eye-drops! That means you're full fledged hosts!" I smiled a bit at that, wiping the tears on my sleeve.

Turning to head back the way we came, I saw Renge acting really moved as she said, "Please tell me you got that cameraman!" He gave her a thumbs up and I sighed. She didn't understand the lesson yet. Well, maybe in a bit. I hobbled away, careful not to strain my back.

I heard a crash, turning to see the megane slam a rock into the camera lens. It shattered into a million little pieces. That would cause a bunch of cuts. Only a few if he was lucky. I knew from past experience that glass hurt and it didn't leave you with just a few scratches.
"I'm terribly sorry but I cannot allow for there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence. I think you've caused enough trouble around here Renge. Please stop being such a pear." Ouch. Calling someone a pest. Especially when he's usually polite to the guests. Such tone! I did not want to be here at the moment. She began crying, saying how he was supposed to always be supportive and comforting her. I hobbled back a bit as you could see today's lesson finally sinking into the strawberry-blonde's mind.

I quietly up to the megane and grabbed his left hand. He raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything and I gently pulled him towards the school's side entrance. Up the stairs, around a corner and into the club room. All the while, saying nothing and gritting my teeth when the pain hit me.
I pointed at a chair and said "Sit," then went to the back room to get the first aid kit. I dragged a chair over to where he was sitting and placed the kit on the table beside us. I inched as close as I dared, leaving a good three inches between us. Turning over his right hand, I saw the blood start running down the outside of his hand. He got extremely lucky nothing cut his palm. The back of one's hands hurt less than the palms being cut. I grabbed the bottle of alcohol and looked up into his gray eyes, asking for permission. He nodded once before closing his eyes. I laid his hand out flat in my thigh and poured some alcohol on a piece of cloth. I began dabbing the cuts as I heard him hiss a bit. It echoed a bit in the silent room. I kept dabbing at his injuries until I was sure it was all clean. Then I pulled out a roll of gauze. I didn't look up to see his face, focusing on his hand instead. It was long and lean, and slightly pale. Like the rest of him.

I tucked the wrap into itself and smiled at my handiwork. I decided to take a peek at his expression and was a little surprised when. I saw a soft and sweet smile looking back down on me.
"Did the glass get you anywhere else, Se-?"
"Kyoya." He said.
"Huh?" I asked.
"My name. You've never said it. And every time you ask me something else happens. Don't think I didn't notice. So I finally have the chance to tell you. It's Kyoya."
"Kyoya." I said, trying it on my tongue. "Kyoya. It suits you."

I smiled and got up, whispering "Shit," as the pain streaked up my back. I bowed my head, trying to not show the few tears that threatened to fall from my face. He titled my face back up, concern on his face. "Guess I have a few injuries of my own." I gave him a weak smile and he frowned at that.
"Let's go into the changing room." He started. I flushed a bright red, backing up and shaking my head.
"I'm not going to do anything lewd, if that's what you were thinking, Sasaki." He chuckled and got up from his chair, carrying the chair towards one of the changing rooms. I grabbed the medical kit and hobbled after him.

He opened the curtain and placed the chair to face the bench, moving around it and took the medical kit from me. He placed it on the bench built into the back wall of the changing room. I entered the room and he stepped out, closing the curtain as I changed out of my uniform top. I took off my fake chest and shoved it under my clothes, making sure it was hidden and inconspicuous. I sat with my chest touching the back of the chair and my arms around it, making sure that the raven-haired boy couldn't see my chest. This was a dangerous situation. My gender could be revealed with one false move.

"You can come back in now." I called out to him. He came in and I clutched the back of the chair a bit tighter. He sat behind me on the bench as he examined my back, sucking in a breath.
"Is it bad?" I asked.
"Define bad." He countered. I chuckled a bit at that, but stopped when the pain came back. I jumped a bit when I felt his warm fingers caress my lower back and go down where my spine was. I shivered a bit as he did this, not used to someone touching me there. He applied some kind of salve on my back. I felt his hands rub across my back, enough not to make me feel too much pain. I hummed a low sigh. I closed my eyes, relaxing into his hands and releasing my the chair slightly. His hands were cool, but warm at the same time. I had no idea how. My back felt colder when his hands no longer made contact with my skin.

He stood up, closing the medical kit and I turned my head as he gave me another smile and adjusted .
"Luckily, you don't bruise easily. But don't stress your back out for a few days. I think you might have sprained a rib but I can't be sure. Be sure to be gentle while sleeping and you'll get better soon." I nodded at him, and smiled as he headed out of the changing room. I got up, and began putting on my chest piece.

"Oh, and Sasaki-" he opened the curtain again and I did a quiet gasp and tried to cover up my fake chest, so that he wouldn't see it wasn't my real body parts. He immediately let the curtain fall. I was pretty sure he was blushing as he talked to me outside the curtain. "I'm sorry. Please forgive the intrusion. I just wanted to say that we have our first tutoring session tomorrow after the club. Don't forget." I hummed a bit as a response as I slipped on my uniform blazer and made sure my hair covered the scar on my neck.

I came out of the changing room and saw him across the room, writing in his black notebook. I laughed in my mind and walked him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I noticed he tensed up at the motion.
"Sen-Kyoya. I didn't really care if you saw my body. It was instinctual what I did. I usually don't really know what privacy is, like a normal person." I patted him on the shoulder and walked away before giving him a chance to respond. I grabbed my bag and waved to him at the doorway, giving him a bright smile. "I won't forget the date!" and shut the door behind me.

I walked over to where Haruhi was waiting for me by the school entrance. I smiled at her and we started on our way back to our houses. Lost in thought, I didn't hear Haruhi talk to me until she had to pull me back. I wasn't looking where I was going and had almost gotten run over by a car. I blinked my eyes a bit as she gave me a look of concern.
"You idiot! Do you want to die so early?" I chuckled a bit at that. She didn't find it funny though. She sighed and said, "Look, I get that you're in your own world when your eyes glaze over, but please try to be more aware of your surroundings." I gave her a somber nod and she relaxed a bit.

We began walking again and it was a few minutes before she spoke.
"So. What happened with you and Kyoya-senpai in the club room? You two were gone for quite a while." She gave me a sly look and I flushed red a bit, thinking back on the day's events. How his hands felt on my back and the heat I could feel radiating from his hand. I shook those impure thoughts from my head and gave her an innocent smile.
"Nothing happened. The glass cut him a bit. I merely bandaged his hand up. He saw that I had some injuries from today and gave me treatment for it as well. That's it." I sighed a bit as she turned her mom-mode on me.
"That means you shouldn't go fencing for a few days until your back gets better."
"Yes mom." I said sarcastically and she smirked at me. I hated lying to Haruhi and not listening to Kyoya's advice, but I planned on going fencing the very same day. They needn't know about it.

I waved to her from my gate as I saw her head up to her apartment complex. I stripped off my uniform and tried to stare at my back in the full-body mirror behind my door. It wasn't that bad. I've certainly had worse. I tried moving around a bit and stretching. It hurt, but not as much as before. I pulled on a pair of baggy shorts that let my legs breathe. I shoved my fake-chest piece under my bed and slipped on a comfy t-shirt. I slipped on a pair of sandals and grabbed my large sports bag by the door. I slung it over my head and shut the door behind me, making sure to lock it. Looking around, I set off towards the gym while the sun began to set behind me.

HARUHI'S POV

I was coming back from grocery shopping. We always seemed to have everything and then nothing in the fridge by the next day. I decided to take a different route home, explore my neighborhood at dusk. The shadows cast from the light made some things dark in shadow. It was quite nice.

I turned down a road and saw light pooling out from a gymnasium. It was pretty large and I wondered why I had never noticed it before. I peered in through the doorway, smelling the sweat that was in the room. By this time, it was pretty dark outside. There were a bunch of people inside, mostly from teenage years and ranged all the way to old folks. Some were in simple workout clothing while others had full sets of white outfits on. Some were wearing half and half, milling about or talking with others.
I jumped back a little as one person in all white shouted "HA!" and lunged toward a person opposite them. That person backed away and seemed to block them with their... Sword? What was it they were holding? It looked like a sword, but a really thin one.

Through all this action, loud buzzers and beeps went off all over the place and people were talking loudly with one another. It was lively, and seemed like fun. I peeked inside and stood by the doorway, watching what was going on. Luckily, no one paid me any mind. I watched as two people seemed to be going back and forth, never moving left to or right much. Always back and forth. They both had masks on and their bodies were entirely covered. It was a little humid out, so I could only imagine the heat the two people were feeling.

After a few more clashes, the person on the left lashed out their sword and swiftly caught their opponent by their neck. I heard a loud beeping noise as the two fighters stopped, took off their headgear, and came forward to shake hands. They walked to opposite ends and fiddled with something I couldn't see from this distance. Then I realized, the person who had lashed out was Sasaki! She walked over to another girl and grabbed a bottle of water as the two began chatting. The person she was chatting with appeared to be giving her advice and an older guy came over as well, clapping her on the shoulder. You could easily see her stiffen at this motion. I know it was because of the injury at school today. She had an injury. She shouldn't be doing this! It would strain her back too much! Who knows how much pain she was in when she was fighters ng that other person! I huffed angrily and made my way over to Sasaki. She turned around and saw me coming towards her and her eyes widened.

BACK TO SASAKI'S POV

Shit shit shit! How did she find this place? She never takes this path! Crap! She's gonna know I lied to her. I quickly turned to D, telling her, "I'm a girl now. Haruhi doesn't know I'm a guy." She nodded and played along. That's what was nice about D. She just went with the flow, not stopping to really think too hard.

Haruhi gave me a looked as she put her hands on her hips. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" I bowed my head and apologized. "Sorry. I know what you said, but I-" "No buts. You should know better than to do any kind of activity that would strain your back!" D opened her mouth to speak. "Uhm, Haruhi, Sasaki-k- chan was actually healing her back a bit." Haruhi paused in scolding. "She was doing a lot of stretches before and it seems to have helped. When she got here she didn't even want to fence!" I nodded, being witness to all my actions. She sighed a bit, accepting this reasoning. I cursed in the back of my mind that Haruhi might be able to tell I didn't have my fake boobs on. Everyone here knew that I was a guy. Luckily, the padding and gear from my white jacket to my gray lamé, under-jacket protection, and plastic guard should be enough for her not to notice my flat chest. I checked the clock on the wall, seeing it was 9-ish, I patted D on the back. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?" I smiled at her and she sent me a grin and winked.

I sighed as she skipped away to talk to some other fencers. I turned back to Haruhi. "Let's go home. Just let me change out of my stuff." I walked over to my stuff and began stripping out of it, glad to feel the cool air hit my slightly sweaty body. She turned a light pink as she saw me starting to change in front of everyone else. I giggled a bit at her reaction. "Oh Haru-chan. You're so silly. If you want, I have one last thing to take care of. Mind waiting for me by the entrance?" She nodded and headed back out the door, stopping to pick up her groceries that other fencers had started eyeing. We get hungry easily. Especially myself. Everyone there knew that I liked free food.

I let out a sigh as I sigh of relief as I flicked my shirt, letting a breeze kiss my sweaty skin. Gathering my things, I walked over to my coach who was on the other side of the room. "Well Doc, I'll be heading out now." He gave me a light pat on the shoulder and we exchanged smiles. Doc was a bit of a short guy, he had graying hair and thick glasses. And he was an amazing fencer. I was proud to call him my coach. "See you tomorrow. Don't stay up too late! And get a decent meal!" I waved him off as I grabbed my gear and headed towards the exit.

It was dark by now, and so I was sure that Haruhi couldn't really see my flat-as-a-pancake chest. But I was still worried. She was really good at observing people. As we started walking, she looked towards me and I fixed the strap across my chest. "Are you okay, Sasaki?" I stopped, thinking about that question for a moment. She stopped walking too. I adjusted the strap again and gave her a smile. A bit of a fake one. "I'm fine."

Repeat after me: I like free food. Good! Now, go get some food. Food is good for you. And remember to stay hydrated!