Mariana Lorena - Ouran High School Friday, April 15th

"So Ootori," I began glancing down at the forms. "The ball your hosting is already planned and the setup is fine as well?"

"Yes sensei," he responded. I ignored the Club President who seemed to be daydreaming.

"Neh Lorena-sensei," a sweet voice began. I glanced up to see Honey leaning towards me from across the table. "You won't be coming tonight?"

"No," I shook my head. "I only need to chaperone you all when you have club activities outside of school grounds."

"That's surprising," a new voice mused. I had to agree with him as any school activity outside of school hours in the U.S. required adult supervision. Well, anything involving a classroom typically required supervision.

"Aww," Honey pouted. I felt flattered that he wanted me there despite me being a teacher.

"I see you have a new club member," I stated.

"Ah yes," Hitachiin Kaoru nodded. "This is our classmate Fujioka Haruhi."

"He's the Natural Type," Hitachiin Hikaru finished.

"Natural type," I repeated in confusion. The whole club type thing was strange to me but the basic idea was that each boy had a persona that they embodied for the girls to choose from. It was quite silly really but for a high school, it seemed harmless enough.

"It's nice to meet you Lorena-sensei," Fujioka bowed.

"So Suoh, the plans for next week?" I asked with a smirk. The dreaming blonde boy was struck by lightning in shock and stared at me with wide eyes.

"Ah y-yes," he gulped. "The plans… of course." I raised a brow and calmly waited for him to continue. He bowed his head in shame and looked to Ootori. Ootori was not pleased.

"I took the liberty of making a plan just in case Suoh-san forgot," Ootori told me with a cold tone of voice.

"So responsible of you Ootori," I told him with a smile. An arrow struck Suoh's heart.

"Alright so… the only special event for next week is a cosplay day of video game characters," I read aloud. "That sounds interesting."

"Here are the costume designs," Ootori smiled, handing me drawings.

"Very impressive Ootori, I recognize this character from Soul Calibur," I gushed. "I'm sure your guests will enjoy the change. And since this week you had the sakura viewing and the ball, the easy-going pace should be just fine."

"That's Kyoya for you," one of the twins said.

"Taking his role as president seriously," the other finished with a grin.

"Oi I'm the President you devil twins," Suoh cried out in frustration. The twins laughed in sync and playfully ran around the room as their club president chased after them.

"Boys!" I shouted in a warning tone. They immediately stopped and apologized. Tamaki was especially flustered to my amusement.

"Here's some cake Lorena-sensei," Honey offered with a bright smile. It was chocolate cake, my favorite.

"Thank you," I replied with a smile of my own. The short senior was really sweet towards me which relieved me greatly. Connecting and building relationships with my students was really important to me. I took the first bite and tried not to moan at how rich and chocolatey it was.

"Is it good?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," I affirmed. I patted his head as if he were a cute cat and froze realizing I was touching him unnecessarily. He blinked up at me and skipped away humming. I quickly glanced around and saw that only Fujioka was looking at us both. He seemed to be calm about what had just transpired.

"Lorena-sensei," Ootori called.

"Yes?" I returned shaking off the encounter with the small senior.

"Is there anything else you need from us?" he asked me. He put a finger to his glasses pushing them up.

"I think that's everything," I replied with a sincere smile. "You're very responsible which is just what I like to see. But I don't want all the work and responsibility and planning to fall on your shoulders." Everyone in the club jumped at that remark. I pulled out a blank sheet of paper. "I'd like to work on a brainstorming exercise with you all."

"Ugh," one of the twins groaned.

"Lorena-sensei," the other twin began. "Kyoya always decides club activities and they always turn out well."

"Yes I imagine so," I agreed. "But you're all in the club together. When Kyoya leaves you should all be capable of deciding club activities."

"I don't see the harm in it," Fujioka commented, taking a seat next to me. "What do you want us to do sensei?"

"I want you to list three ideas each by next Friday. I'll keep the paper hanging by the piano with a Sharpie. When you all meet with me next week we'll use one to two ideas from the paper," I explained to them. I looked for a piece of tape before seeing a big hand thrusting the tape towards me. I smiled at Morinozuka who nodded silently.

"That's a wonderful idea Lorena-sensei!" Suoh exclaimed. He swung around dramatically and pulled the twins into his arms. He whispered into their ears and they laughed, their eyes began to glitter with excitement. I raised a brow at this but decided that this was one of those moments where it would be best for me to pretend I hadn't seen anything. The next thing I knew they were surrounding Fujioka who was backing away from them slowly. I shook my head and quietly hung the paper.

"I'll be leaving now boys!" I shouted to them walking out of the classroom with my belongings.

"Bye Lorena-sensei!" the boys yelled. I waved and closed the door with a tired sigh escaping my lips. Next door I saw Mishi-san exiting the music room next door.

"Hello Mishi-san," I greeted with a bow.

"Good afternoon," she replied eagerly. "How did it go with the Host Club?"

"Ootori seems to be the one doing all the work so I came up with an idea for them to all put some effort into the club planning," I told her.

"Ah, I'm glad you're taking charge as their supervisor. The Dark Magic club is pretty well-rounded surprisingly enough. They're working on a whole new theme for their products that they sell online," she smiled in amusement. "I particularly like Beelzenef the cursed doll."

"Sounds creepy enough," I shivered. "I would be worried about summoning a demon if I was in charge of that club."

"It's really harmless," she laughed at my face. I nodded and rubbed the back of my head.

Sanchez Suzume Friday, April 15th - Ouran High School

"Here is my phone number," Kimura Takara told me handing a paper in my hands.

"I'll text you when I'm free on Saturday then," I replied with a nod.

"Sounds good," she nodded. She walked away before I could say anything else. I walked out of the school building and pulled out a cigarette. I lit it and began smoking. Other students stared at me but I ignored it. Kimura was my partner for the International Math and Science Competition inventors section. We had to make a video presentation for the teachers by Monday to see if we would represent Ouran for that section of the competition. I didn't want to look forward to it or even hope of getting the slot but I couldn't quite help myself.

"Scar!" Hiro shouted, getting my attention. I waved at him and climbed into his car. "How was school?"

"Alright, nothing special," I answered, letting a puff of smoke fly.

"You got any plans for this weekend since we have it off?"

"I got a shitty school thing tonight and then tomorrow I'm meeting up with a classmate to work on a project," I replied.

A calculating look crossed his features as he raised a brow. "So you're actually trying in school now?" He laughed mockingly which made me slink down into my seat in shame. "Next thing you know you're going to be telling me that you like wearing the uniform and that you want to go to college or something."

"Don't be stupid," I hissed in annoyance, sitting upright. "I just have to keep my mom off my back otherwise she won't let me out of the house."

"Hmm," Hiro hummed, not quite believing me despite my tone. "I certainly hope so Scar."

"Just take me home," I growled, giving him a punch on the arm.

"I'm driving baka!" he screeched. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms as he drove into the Yakazawa District. "Spend the night at my house on Sunday. Amanda dumped me so I'll be bored."

"I'm not around just to be a comfort when your hoes abandon you," I huffed slamming the door.

"I'll pick you up at 6!" he yelled, rolling down his window. I gave him the bird as I walked up the steps to my apartment. I opened the door and tried to bite back the disappointment I felt when I saw the empty apartment again. She never was off and I had to just accept it.

I trudged towards the fridge and closed it again before grabbing an instant noodle package from the top of the fridge. I put water to boil and sat at the table quietly. When the water began to bubble I poured it over the dried noodles. I turned the tv on and watched an anime that was on the network and numbly took a bite of food.

"Sylvia," dad said, spinning me around. "What do you want for dinner mija?"

"Sopa! (soup)" I cheered in delight.

"I'm making the caldo right now," my mother grinned, giving my father a kiss on the cheek. He grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms lovingly.

"Mis princesas," he gushed, giving us both a smile. "I'm going away this weekend. Can I count on you both to be fine without me here?"

"Why are you leaving again Alejandro?" my mother frowned.

I shook my head from the memory recalling that my parents had begun to scream at each other. They had never really been happy from what I could remember. Perhaps it was for the best that my father was in jail but I couldn't help the lump in my throat as I thought back to how he must be disappointed in me.

We moved across the world due to my mistakes. I was a screw-up and I couldn't do anything right. I knew that better than anyone but there was something missing. The bowl was empty and I dove back into the refrigerator. I pulled out some cheese and made myself grilled cheese.

My phone rang and I picked up hesitantly seeing the caller ID: Hitachiin Kaoru. "Hello?"

"Sanchez-senpai," Hitachiin greeted.

"What do you want?" I sighed with annoyance.

"I'll have a limo pick you up in an hour so that way you can select a dress for the Host Club Ball."

"Alright," I grumbled, hanging up immediately. I took a bite of the grilled cheese and turned off the t.v. feeling troubled. I wasn't exactly the type to go to a ball of all things. Not to mention I had no clue how to dance formally. This was a dumb idea, how in the world was I going to go to this rich people event?

Before I knew it the limo was outside. To my surprise, it wasn't the Hitachiin twins who picked me up but Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai. I waved at the two seniors and sat inside beside Honey who practically threw me next to him. He was unexpectedly strong. "How are you Suzu-can?" Honey-senpai asked me cheerfully.

I glanced down at my skirt and answered, "I'm alright."

"That's good right Takashi?" Honey grinned towards his cousin. Mori-senpai nodded.

"Where are the twins?" I asked to change the subject.

"They are helping Kyoya and Tamaki organize some last-minute things for the ball so we'll be helping you with your dress Suzu-chan," Honey explained.

"Oh I see," I nodded in understanding. It was a relief to know I wouldn't deal with the twins poking and prodding. They were a handful from what I saw earlier this week. But there was something that still made me nervous around the two third years. Especially with Mori-senpai. I gave him a small glance and was unnerved when our eyes met. I felt a heat rush to my cheeks as I averted my gaze elsewhere.

"Kaoru informed me that you want a long sleeve dress right Suzu-chan?" Honey asked with a seemingly innocent smile on his face.

"Mmhmm," I hummed with a nod.

"Do you not feel comfortable with your arms?"

"Something like that."

"Hmm," he hummed back with a grin. I raised a brow at my small senior with apprehension. He seemed harmless enough but it was always the innocent ones that you had to watch out for. I was relieved when the limo finally stopped. We walked inside the high school and made our way up to Music Room 3.

Once inside Honey held my hand and guided me towards the back of the room. There were racks and racks of dresses. Thankfully all of them were long-sleeved just as I had asked. "I'll take this side, you guys look the opposite way?" I suggested hoping to speed up the process.

"Sounds good Suzu-chan," Honey chirped. "Let's each pick two dresses." He grabbed Mori-senpai and walked away from me excitedly. I let my shoulders drop in relief and started moving my way through the racks. I was favoring darker-colored dresses to match my skin tone. I didn't have the light skin that was so coveted in Japan but that didn't mean I couldn't rock a nice dress. I finally settled on a dark purple dress and a dark blue dress. I made my way back to the center of the room and quietly waited for Honey and Mori to come to meet me.

Due to Mori's height, I could see that they were in the middle of the left side. Mori had two dresses slung over his shoulder while Honey seemed to be looking still. I glanced down at my phone and absentmindedly started checking my Facebook. I scrolled past pictures and videos not really reading anything. "We're done Suzu-chan," Honey finally said after a few minutes.

"I'll change into them then," I responded, grabbing the dresses from the boys. I went into the changing stall and put on Honey's dresses first since they seemed so outrageously not my style. The first dress was light pink with lots of flower adornments. I stepped out awkwardly and gave a little twirl for Honey who was looking at me with wide eyes.

"That dress is really pretty Suzu-chan!" Honey cheered.

"The dress is pretty but…," I laughed awkwardly. "It's not really to my taste."

"If that's the case why did you try it on Suzu-chan?"

"I… I didn't want to offend you Honey-senpai. You picked this one and the other one so it's only right that I try it on," I replied nervously.

"Don't be silly Suzu-chan," Honey laughed. "I want you to have the best dress for you so try on the dresses that you like."

"Okay, then I'll try on the ones I picked out then I'll try on the ones Mori picked for me," I nodded to them both resolutely. I didn't even notice that I had dropped the honorific in Mori-senpai's name. When alone in the changing room I hastily put on the purple dress. I combed through my hair and stared at myself in the mirror for a little while before stepping out for the boys to look at me.

"Hmm, it's a bit too tight neh Takashi?" Honey said after examining me closely.

I looked at him and then to Mori who let out a barely audible "Ah."

"I'll try on the other one then," I said with a shrug. I liked how this dress hugged my body but perhaps Honey had a point and it wasn't quite classy enough for a ball. Well, Honey didn't say that it wasn't classy but that was probably what he was getting at.

The blue dress to my chagrin was hard to put on. I fumbled for at least a good two minutes with the zipper to no avail. I hissed in frustration and tried one last time to reach the zipper. It kept slipping through my fingertips. "Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai!" I shouted out. "Can one of you help me zip up this dress? I can't-" Before I could finish my sentence Mori-senpai stepped in. I yelped in surprise and instinctively covered my chest even though the fabric covered me just fine. Mori-senpai raised a brow and I looked at the ground flushing in embarrassment. He gently grabbed my shoulder and I cursed myself realizing I had to turn around for him.

Once my back was fully towards him I felt him grab the zipper. He pulled it up slowly. I silently prayed that he didn't have a view of one of my scars in particular. No one except my mother had ever seen that scar. The sound of the zipper was the only thing you could hear for miles. I tried to slow the beating of my heart that was ringing in my ears. I stepped away from him when he finished and thanked him with a formal bow. He just walked away and closed the door behind him. I stupidly opened it and stepped out for Honey to see me. "That one is cute but I wanna see at least one dress that Takashi picked for you before saying that this dress is the one," Honey decided.

"Alright," I assented walking back into the stall. I kept my eyes away from Mori-senpai completely but I was still hyper-aware of his presence. He was really intimidating for some reason. I rolled my eyes at myself for that thought. The reason I was so unnerved by my senior was his silence. While I wasn't one to talk all day long or felt the need to fill in the silence with unnecessary chatter Mori-senpai's silence was unnatural. His facial expressions while semi-expressive weren't really enough to make me feel sure of what he was thinking. People who weren't open and were guarded were dangerous. You could never quite be sure what they were capable of. I nearly laughed at that thought. I wasn't so different from that expression.

Before I could go back into my memories I hastily put on a black dress that Mori-senpai had picked out for me. It was really simple but it was quite elegant and beautiful in its own right. I couldn't help but gasp when I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress brought out my figure in a tasteful way and highlighted my skin perfectly. I opened the door to the stall eagerly and waited for Honey-senpai's critique. "Wow Suzu-chan-" Honey began.

"It's nice," Mori-senpai interrupted, shocking Honey and me.

Honey quickly recovered and added, "It suits you. I think it's the one without even having to see the other dress."

"I like it a lot too," I admitted to them both. "I think I'll go with this one."

"Good, then we'll just get your hair and makeup done before we head down the ballroom," Honey-senpai declared, hauling me out of the stall before I could grab my clothes. He led me to the makeup station that was in the club room. I supposed it was for when they did cosplay days. I heard all about them from various classmates during my break and lunch periods. It was annoying to hear all the comments about how cute or hot so-and-so host looked with various outfits.

"I can do my own makeup," I quickly told Honey before he could come near my face.

"Good because I don't know anything about it," Honey laughed energetically. I sweatdropped but was unsurprised from the way he had tried gripping the makeup brush with bear-clawed hands. I gently took the brush from his hands and began to apply eye shadow followed by some mascara. There wasn't really any makeup for my skin tone so I worked with what I had.

"That's good enough," I decided after a few minutes had gone by.

"You did a good job Suzu-chan," Honey gushed. "I'd like to see you with some red lipstick though."

"Ah," Mori-senpai agreed. I took the red tube in my hands and quickly applied it to my lips. With a small piece of kleenex, I wiped off the excess and uneven bits.

"Okay, now I think we can head to the ballroom," I announced stepping away from the chair.

"Mm," Honey-senpai nodded with a smile. He took my hand and led the way outside of the club room. I silently followed in front of Mori as he chattered away about the food we'd have at the ball along with the music. He seemed to always make conversation in a way that made it unnecessary to respond. He probably had to do this considering he was cousins with someone like Mori-senpai.

The ballroom was absolutely stunning. My eyes widened in shock. The curtains were a deep velvet red, the ceiling was littered with fancy chandeliers, and the tables were filled with ornate candle holders. Everything was twinkling and shining. "Welcome my little lambs," Tamaki greeted, talking into a microphone. I hadn't even noticed when Honey-senpai had let go of my hand or when he and Mori-senpai made their way to the stairs with the other hosts. Tamaki explained that the best dancer of the evening would win a kiss from him. "Good luck baby," he winked. Practically all of the girls swooned while I blanched in disgust.

The hosts descended and most of them began to dance with some of the girls. I noticed that Fujioka Haruhi immediately went to where the food was. I walked in that direction and gave Haruhi-san a wave. "Yo," I greeted him informally.

"Suzume-senpai," he smiled. "Your dress looks nice."

"Ah," I blushed in spite of myself. "Thank you. Mori-senpai was the one who picked it."

"It really suits you," he complimented easily. "Do you want to try some fancy tuna?" I took it trying not to laugh at the excitement in his face. It was really quite cute I had to admit, almost feminine in a way but I tried not to think too deeply about it. There wasn't anything wrong with a guy being excited about something. Honey was like that nearly all the time.

"It's pretty good," I commented while chewing the fish.

"It's the best I've ever had," Fujioka gushed in delight.

"I'm surprised you haven't been asked to dance yet," I said at last.

"Mmm, I'm sure I will soon. But for now, I'd really rather enjoy the food," Fujioka sighed, seeming glum at being reminded he had to dance.

"I understand," I smiled lightly. "I would rather be at home right now if it were up to me."

"Suzume-senpai," Fujioka began taking another bite of fancy tuna. I raised a brow and waited for him to continue. "Would you care to be my first dance this evening?"

"Why the hell not," I smiled, taking his hand in mine. Haruhi led me out to the dance floor and I carefully tried to follow along, doing quite terribly. "Sorry," I said sheepishly as I stepped on his foot.

"Don't worry," he winced with a forced smile. "I barely learned how to dance this week. I would be better at leading if I had more dancing experience."

"You're being too hard on yourself," I shook my head. "I'm going to just step side to side and try to avoid your feet for dear life."

"That's fine," he nodded, also eying the floor. "I have a question if you don't mind me asking."

"Ask away."

"I happened to overhear Kyoya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai talking about you the other day. Kyoya-senpai in particular was talking about you being in a gang. I've seen you after school with a boy who does look like a gang member but that's not what really caught my attention. He mentioned that you were in a gang back in America. Kyoya-senpai said he couldn't find more information, something about the files being sealed and that only his father has access."

"So what is it that you want to know Haruhi-san?" I asked, gripping him tightly in anticipation.

"Why did you move to Japan?" he asked, twirling me once. I managed to make the turn somewhat gracefully and looked deep into his eyes debating with myself. No one knew the true reason why I was in Japan. It had to stay that way, no matter what.

"We moved because my mother found a job here. Nothing more, nothing less. Whatever Kyoya seems to think or suspect is just speculation. There is nothing more to it than that. What I do outside of school is nobody's concern," I answered.

"I understand Suzume-senpai," Haruhi smiled at me. "I apologize for bringing up such things. I just hope you know that the Host Club is here if you need anything." The music stopped giving me an excuse to let go of my fellow classmate. It was a relief. I walked away from him and wandered out to the garden. The sakura trees were still in bloom. I held my hands out and caught one in my hands.

"Please let me go," the girl begged. Her clothes were bloodied and her face was stained from crying. The body of her boyfriend was beside her. She clung to his shirt desperately.

"I'm afraid I can't do that honey," Ricardo told her with a sick smile. "See your boyfriend has been overdue for months. Buying drugs with credit that he doesn't have. Well… he did promise us one thing in return."

"What?" the girl choked out in shock.

"You," Ricardo said, stroking her cheek. "Sylvia."

"On it," I answered. I grabbed a knife and cut the girl's arm.

"Ow," she cried out, beginning to bleed. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Sylvia," Ricardo began standing up. "Make sure she dies slowly and painfully. I would really hate for this young man's credit card to have been such a waste."

"Yes, sir," I saluted looking down at the girl. Her eyes widened in horror.

"No," she cried. "Please… NO! NOOOO!"

Before I could remember anything more a lone tear fell down my cheek. I glanced down at the small sakura blossom in my hand and closed my eyes. There were many things that I had done that I needed to forget. Things that would drive me to the brink of insanity if I let myself recollect them at night.

"Suzu-chan," a voice called out. I flinched, causing the sakura blossom to fall out of my hands. I turned around to see Honey running towards me. I quickly wiped my eyes and put on a smile.

"What is it Honey-senpai?" I questioned. "You should be inside, dancing with your guests."

"I saw you dancing with Haru-chan," he admitted. "You seemed upset by whatever she said."

"She?" I gasped in shock. "Haruhi-san is a girl?"

"N-no," Honey laughed nervously. "Of course not. Haru-chan is very manly."

"Totally," I grinned sarcastically. "This'll be our little secret Honey-senpai." He pouted but nodded.

"The others all know, by the way, we keep it a secret so that Haruhi can keep being a host since she owes us money for breaking a vase."

"Fascinating, but anyways as you can see, I am perfectly fine. Haruhi-san didn't say anything to disturb me in the slightest. He-She's one of the few people in the Host Club I can stand beside you and Mori-senpai."

"You're lying," he grinned innocently. "You put on a tough face for everyone but you really are troubled by something. I hope that in time you know that we're your friends and that you can trust us. Well, you can for sure trust me and Takashi."

"There's nothing to tell," I huffed, walking away from him. "You put on a good show for everyone. Acting all cute and innocent. But deep down inside, you really are more than you seem."

Yakazawa District Saturday, April 16th

I nervously knocked on the door and waited for the door to open. After a minute of waiting the door finally swung open revealing Kimura Takara. She smiled and said, "Come on in Sanchez-san."

"Thanks," I replied, taking off my shoes. I placed them next to the pair on the ground and followed her inside. Her living room had a green couch followed by a t.v. We walked into the kitchen which had a dark wooden table. Kimura took a seat and gestured for me to do the same.

"So we have to come up with an idea for the competition," she began pulling out a worksheet. I glanced at it and saw that it was a flyer about the competition. I looked over it and saw that it pretty much had the same information as what the teachers had explained to us in the meeting.

"Right so any ideas?" I asked.

"I do actually," she answered. "I have a cousin who's deaf and many people don't take the time or interest to learn sign language. I was thinking of inventing a robot that translates sign language into spoken words for her."

"Wow that's a really good idea," I gushed. "We could program the robot to translate different signs into different kana words but what about for more complex symbols?"

"Kana," she laughed. "Do you mean katakana?"
"I misspoke," I huffed joining in on her laugher.

"For the more complex words, I have some ideas on how to code for small differentiations. In Japanese Sign Language there's some movement for that sort of thing. The robot can be programmed to detect those subtle movements," she quickly moved on.

"Sounds doable," I nodded. "For some of the parts, we can go to the junkyard. There's plenty of great machinery and scrap metal. It'll save us some money."

"Another wonderful idea," she smiled. "I'm going to start working on the script. We can start with what the robot will do followed by the steps we'll take to construct the robot."

"And I will set up the camera and mic," I volunteered. My eyes landed on a magazine on the counter and I double-taked. "Is that me?"

Marianna Lorena - Yakazawa District Saturday, April 16th

I looked over the papers one final time before marking my final grade decision on the essay. Grading wasn't exactly the most glamorous way to spend a Saturday in spring, but I fell behind after all the work meetings and lesson planning. I sighed and turned up my music on my headphones. I quietly mouthed the words to the song and flipped to the next essay. It was Haninozuka Mitsukuni's essay.

I glanced at the gift card for the bakery and smiled a little. Honey was a very sweet student. The essay topic I had chosen was for the students to describe their favorite fictional characters and define the traits they admire most. It was no surprise that many of the traits that my students listed were kindness, compassion, loyalty, determination, etc. Honey's essay focused on vulnerability which wasn't something I had expected.

Vulnerability was something very difficult to show and to trust with others. Vulnerability made you weak for those with bad intentions. It wasn't something bad to admire though despite my aversion to it. My phone rang, caller unknown, I answered in spite of my suspicions. "Marianna," a male voice said.

"Sorry you have the wrong number," I said in Japanese, my voice going higher pitched in fear as I gripped my pen.

"Don't play dumb with me." I hung up and slammed my hand down on the table. I stood up and put on my shoes, walking out into the sunlight. One of my neighbors was watering his plants. I awkwardly shot him a tight-lipped smile. He didn't acknowledge me which deflated my dampened mood even further.

I looked up at the blue sky and closed my eyes briefly. Before too long I was back at the park I had grown fond of. I sat on an empty bench and put my face in my hands. I searched through my phone contacts and called my sister.

"Hello dear sister," a cheery voice answered.

"Why in the hell did you give my father my phone number," I hissed into the receiver.

"I didn't give him your number. I don't even have his phone number nor do I talk to him which you know," she said affronted.

"Someone gave it to him," I groaned. "He called me just now. I'm freaking out."

"He's not able to do anything Marianna so relax and calm down. Maybe it was your cousin," she suggested.

"I'm getting a new phone number and only you are getting the number this time. I'm not dealing with this. I moved to get away from all this nonsense."

"Have you gotten a therapist like we talked about?" she questioned changing the subject.

"It's not all that easy here to get a therapist, I replied. "I should probably just do online therapy or something to have an English-speaking therapist."

"That sounds like a good idea," she agreed. "How's work going?"

"Work is fine," I sighed.

"That's it? Fine? Don't you think I deserve a bit more than that?" she huffed.

"There's not much to say. I go in, teach my classes, go to meetings, and grade stuff. It's not all that exciting," I defended.

"Have you met anyone?" she pressed. "No cute coworkers to go on dates with? No one to go to a bar with?"

"I have three friends which I already told you about. Aside from them, I don't really talk to anyone at work and I don't do anything except work stuff," I told her. "Nothing exciting."

"I thought you liked Asians," she laughed.

"Shut up!" I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn't see me. "There's a surprising lack of guys despite this being the birthplace of wonderful animes."

"Somehow I think the problem lies with you refusing to go out and find the guys out there," she teased.

"Whatever," I dismissed. "I'll let you go. I have a lot of stuff to grade this weekend. I'll call you some other time."

"Fine bye," she hung up. I put my phone back in my bag and sighed in relief. My heart was racing still but I took some deep breaths and felt a little better. My father was fishing for something and I had no patience to deal with whatever he wanted this time. The last time I had seen him was at the funeral.

A wave of sadness crept over me as I recollected everything that had transpired in the past three years since I had become an adult. There was also a deep longing wedged in my throat. I didn't have an easy upbringing and being an adult hadn't made things easier necessarily despite the respite being independent. I pulled my legs up to my chest and buried my face into my knees. Tears threatened to slip from my eyes but I managed to keep them at bay.

Crying wasn't an option. I had to be strong. I was in a whole new country, had a whole new job, and a bunch of new responsibilities to handle. I sighed and wondered if coming here had been such a good idea after all. I was beginning to feel a bit lonely and everything was pretty different. The distance was comforting but it wasn't exactly easy either.

"Lorena-sensei?" a voice said causing me to jump in surprise. I turned to see Ootori with his hands in his pockets lazily with an eyebrow raised.

"Ah Ootori," I recovered quickly, straightening up.

"Is everything alright sensei?" he questioned.

"Yes," I fake smiled. "I was just taking a small walk and took a break here."

"I'm waiting for some of the Host Club members," he informed me.

"Ah," I nodded unsure of what to say. This was beyond awkward, he had almost caught me crying.

"Kyoya-kun!" a voice yelled out. I flinched and to my horror, I saw Suoh Tamaki running towards us. "Mommy, you're here early. Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are coming in two minutes."

"That's fine," Kyoya responded in a bored tone.

Tamaki turned to me and grabbed my hand, taking me by surprise. "And you, my beautiful princess? How are you acquainted with Kyoya?"

"I'm your sensei," I growled, taking my hand back. He screamed out in shock and bowed in apology.

"Lorena-sensei and I ran into each other just now," Kyoya supplied for his friend who was stuttering. "She does look a little different with her hair down and make-up but honestly you are quite dense Tamaki-kun."

"I'm sorry Lorena-sensei," Tamaki apologized again. "You look like a high school student in casual clothes."

"I guess I can't be mad with you saying I look young," I laughed.

"Hello Kyo-chan, Tama-chan," a familiar cheery voice greeted, interrupting Tamaki's reply. I turned around to see Honey and Mori. I've officially run into those two around my neighborhood quite a few times now. It was such a strange coincidence. "Hi Lorena-sensei," the small senior smiled, giving me a bone-crushing hug around my waist.

"Shall we head to the karaoke bar?" Kyoya proposed to his friends.

"Yeah let's go," Tamaki agreed.

"You guys go ahead, I'll meet you there," Honey said, waving his classmates ahead. They didn't ask him why to my surprise and walked off. Mori kept a lingering gaze on him before heading off with the group of boys.

"Why didn't you go with your friends Honey?" I asked with a warm smile.

"I wanted to make sure you got home safely," he answered, giving me a smile in return.

"You didn't have to," I said in surprise. "I'm not going home just yet anyways."

"Where are you going?" he questioned.

"I'm probably going to keep walking around and maybe eat something before going back home," I replied honestly. "You should catch up with your friends before they get too far away."

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Let's walk then." I bit my lip a little weary by the proposal. Wasn't it a little unusual for my student to be accompanying me? He took off before I could contemplate it further. His steps were small and it made for a fairly leisurely pace. I was grateful for it as there was a lot on my mind right now.

"How was the ball yesterday?" I asked to start some sort of conversation between us once we had walked a couple of blocks away from the park.

"It was fun," he answered, thoughtfully taking me off guard. He usually sounded very cutesy and happy-go-lucky. "We had a couple of incidents but everything else went off without a hitch."

"That's good," I nodded. "I never had anything quite like a ball in high school. I did have prom of course but that's not exactly the same as a ball."

"Prom?"

"Oh yes sorry, prom is a dance for those in their third and fourth year of high school in America. There are four years of high school and they throw a dance in your final years to celebrate. It's a big deal with people dressing up and taking pictures," I explained.

"I'd like to see those pictures," Honey remarked cheerfully.

"I can pull up a couple of good ones, hold on," I replied, going through my phone. I gently passed him the phone screen and he eagerly looked at the photos.

"You look beautiful," he complimented. I tried to fight the blush forming on my cheeks as he gave the phone back to me.

"Thank you," I returned, glancing at him carefully. "It was a lot of fun even though I had to settle for a dress I didn't like very much. I didn't have money to buy a dress so I got one for free."

"Your parents didn't buy you one?"

"I had moved out on my own as soon as I turned 18," I answered with a grim tight-lipped smile. "It was really hard but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"I'm glad you're here Lorena-sensei," Honey smiled.

"My father was abusive," I confessed suddenly after a couple of moments of silence. "He called me before I went to the park. Kyoya passed by after I had called my sister about it."

"That must've been hard on you neh?" Honey commented.

"Yeah," I hummed. "I have been avoiding him for the past three years."

"Do you think you'll ever want to talk to him?" he questioned.

"I don't know," I sighed. "I would want my future kids to have a grandfather and to know the good side of him but I don't want to risk them being hurt. I also can't imagine him ever being too pleased with my future husband."

"Sounds like you love him very much, but it must be a burden to accept his full nature," he observed after a pause.

I blinked in surprise that he mentioned me loving my father. It wasn't something most people commented on at all. "It is," I swallowed.

"Going through things like that makes one stronger. You should do what makes you happy without fear or regrets," he mused.

"I would say I am as far as things go," I replied quietly.

"Have you gone to the bakery yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm planning on going with the student I'm mentoring this upcoming week," I answered.

"The cake is amazing," he drooled lost in thought. "You said you wanted to get something to eat right? We should go to this sweet shop on Block 11."

"I was actually craving something a bit more savory," I chuckled. "Is there a ramen shop or something nearby?"

"There is actually," he nodded. "I'll lead the way." I followed him in silence as he led me down the street. Honey looked like a small child to be perfectly frank with how happy-go-lucky way he walked. It was enough to make anyone squeal to themselves about how cute he was. Yet there was a side to him that was very thoughtful and reflective which was shown from his essay and his words to me just now.

Upon arriving at the ramen shop I ordered what I wanted with some help from Honey who translated a couple of kanji symbols for me. He also got a bowl of ramen to my surprise and when I was about to pull out my wallet he pulled my hand back and said, "I'll pay Lorena-sensei." Before I could refuse he handed the waiter a credit card.

"You really didn't have to," I told him with a small sigh.

"Don't worry," he smiled. "The food here is really good. I've come here with Takashi lots of times. You'll like it a lot."

"I'm sure I will."

He put a hand on his chin and looked at me without a word for a couple of seconds making me feel self-conscious. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he shook his head. "I was just thinking that you don't wear makeup at school. The other teachers do."

"Ah," I hummed in amusement. "I'm just too lazy and my mother used to say wearing makeup every day ruins your skin. I'm not really an expert on all of that but I again am simply too lazy to bother with it."

"Well you look pretty either way," he complimented me easily. I fought the blush that threatened to form and coughed.

"Where is your stuffed bunny Usa-chan?"

"I left him at home so that way he doesn't get lost or dirty. Takashi was the one to suggest it which I'm glad for now." I was a bit confused about that last part but decided not to say anything about it.

"That's smart."

"What kind of movies do you like?" he quizzed.

"Romance, comedy, and action," I listed as our food arrived. "I hate scary movies."

"I hate scary movies too," he giggled, taking a sip of his soup. I slurped on noodles and joined in his giggles. "I like crime shows and cooking shows."

"Crime shows I can understand but that's not movies," I pointed out.

"True," he admitted. "I guess I watch a lot of kid movies." He spoke really softly on that last part so I almost didn't catch it.

"I like kids' movies too," I smiled again to reassure him. "They are really heartwarming." My cheeks were beginning to ache from how much I was smiling. I let my lips fall into a neutral line to give them a break. A natural silence enveloped us as we slurped on the noodles.

I glanced around the restaurant and took in the atmosphere. It was really calming and soothing. My Japanese was a lot better as I could pick out things from nearby tables. Most people were talking about the food or some funny stories. I silently was seeking inspiration to spark another conversation. Part of me felt so nervous because he was my student. I didn't want to talk about anything dorky or something that would bite me in the ass later.

"What's been your favorite part about Japan so far?" he asked, pulling me out from my reverie.

"I don't think I've experienced enough of it to say just yet," I answered after some thought. "I really only am at my apartment and at work aside from the very few shopping trips I've made."

"You were at that diner and the library though," Honey brought to my attention.

"True. But that doesn't count as seeing much of Japan."

"We should fix that." We? Was he suggesting we go out again? I nervously looked to the window. I wasn't having a bad time but I probably shouldn't be spending time with him like this. Something as simple as this would 100% get me fired back home but the way Honey's friends casually let him offer to walk me home made me wonder.

"Maybe," was all I could muster as a reply. His lips formed a small frown as he nodded his head. A pang hit my heart at seeing this but it was probably for the best. The last thing I needed was trouble. Honey was a sweet kid. He'd understand when he was older and had his own career and future the think about. "Have you traveled anywhere?" I changed the subject quickly.

"I've been to 10 different countries," he said nonchalantly. "My favorite was Italy."

"Holy shit," I cursed without realizing. "That's a lot of different places."

"Most families at Ouran travel during the breaks," he informed me. "This year Takashi and I are traveling to Switzerland. Our parents won't be joining us this time since they have a business matter to settle."

"Sounds like it'll be fun," I supplied half-heartedly.

"Mori and I will be planning it in detail soon."

"Is there anything you know you want to do?" I inquired.

"Yes." I raised a brow at the fact he didn't elaborate. I did ask a yes or no question but he seemed to understand because he added, "It's a secret for now." I nodded even though his keeping it a secret from me made no sense. It wasn't like I was going to tell Mori.

"I'm full already," I chuckled, glancing down at my half-eaten bowl. Honey was still going strong at his plate.

"I'll take mine to go and finish it tomorrow," he immediately said, waving down a waiter. I didn't have a chance to insist that he finish because the waiter came. "Can I get two to-go bowls?"

"Of course," the waiter bowed, moving to get what Honey asked for. I released a breath and looked at the small adult. He was really decisive when he wanted something.

When the waiter returned we poured our ramen into the containers. The waiter left us a bag which I immediately put the containers into. When I got home I could hand the bag off to Honey. "Still want dessert?" I asked Honey teasingly.

It seemed to go over his head because he skipped beside me and said, "Yes of course sensei. It might be closed though so we have to hurry." He speed skipped and I ran after him.

The bakery was soon in sight and Honey opened the door for me. I was quite winded but he looked like we had been walking at a leisurely pace. "Thank you," I wheezed out when I made my way inside.

"You're welcome," he grinned. He formed himself in line, looking behind at me. I trudged my way to him and glanced over at the pastries. The red velvet cupcakes looked really good I had to admit despite feeling quite full. I was just craving the sweets now out of gluttony, not out of hunger. "I'll get them for you." My eyes widened and just like at the restaurant, I couldn't get a word in before Honey sauntered to the cashier asking for the cupcakes I had been drooling over. He ordered a strawberry cake for himself and paid with the card again.

"Excuse me," an elderly woman addressed me.

"Oh yes?" I asked, wondering what she could want.

"Your son is adorable," she complimented.

"Oh um," I began awkwardly. Honey heard the woman and his cheeks went red. I frowned and was about to say something when Honey yanked my arm towards the 'Pick Up' section at the store. "Honey, it was rude to just walk away," I reprimanded.

"Sorry," he said in a hard-edged tone. It took me off guard to hear him sound so serious. "I don't like being considered a child." This made me tilt my head in confusion. His whole persona in his club was precisely that. He came across as a cute and innocent child. Even his teachers from elementary and middle school universally praised this in him.

The order being called out over the microphone pulled me from these thoughts as Honey grabbed the sweets. He placed the box with the cupcakes into my hands and said, "I'll walk you home." It wasn't an offer. It was a statement. I followed him and noticed that the sun was beginning to set.

I would have admired its beauty if it hadn't been for the incident with the woman in the shop. Honey had a very serious expression now and had a frown fixed on his usually smiling face. I wasn't quite sure what to say to bring him back to his previous mood. "The cake you picked looks delicious," I tried.

"Mm," he hummed disinterestedly. Now it was my turn to frown. He always seemed excited by sweets from my few times interacting with him. I even heard one of his club members mention his love of cake once. That one woman really affected him.

My apartment saved me from another failed attempt at conversation. Honey thanked me rather formally for spending the day with him and he walked away without letting me say anything. I sighed and took the food in with me. It was that small senior who had thrust himself upon me today and he now was quite cold in his farewell. I tried to reason with myself that it was all for the best in the end if Honey was no longer interested in being around me but I couldn't help that raw ache in my heart at its notion.

Sanchez Suzume Yakazawa District Sunday, April 17th

I clutched onto the magazine that Kimura Takara had let me keep. On the front cover was me in the dress from the ball clutching onto the sakura blossom. Seeing that this was the magazine the twin's mother owned I could only assume that they had photographed me without my consent. And now I was on the front page.

Honking pulled me from the magazine. I looked out the window and saw Hiro's car outside the apartment. I sighed and threw the magazine on the table. My mother hadn't been back home all weekend and she probably wouldn't even notice or care that I wouldn't be here tonight. She hadn't even tried to send a lame apology text.

I ran down the stairs with my backpack and climbed into the passenger seat. Hiro's music greeted me as I sat down. "Hey Scar," he greeted me with a flick of his cigarette.

"Pass me one," I ordered, not bothering with a greeting.

"Here catch," he said, throwing me one. I pulled out a lighter and began to smoke as Hiro drove off into the street.

I mutely watched the passing houses for a moment before saying, "Have you gone to the auto shop at all?"

"Naw," he shook his head. "I've been dealing with some bullshit with my mom."

"Oh," I murmured. "What are you planning to do?"

"I gave her some money I had saved up and told her to leave me alone," he responded tightly.

"Ah," I hummed. The conversation promptly died out after that. Hiro mentioned his mom at the initiation but I figured he had dealt with it already. I couldn't imagine having my mom abandon me for the sake of another man. She and I fought a lot but in the end, I knew she did things she thought were best for us.

Upon reaching the apartment I grabbed my backpack and small gym bag and followed Hiro into his apartment. A couple of the neighbors stared but I was used to that by now. They weren't used to seeing someone of my complexion around.

The apartment was pretty messy so I put my bags on the chair in the kitchen. Without a word, I started tidying up. Hiro was still smoking so he was lounging on the sofa. He moved out of my way when I was sweeping but otherwise made no acknowledgment of my being there.

Cleaning was something soothing at the moment. My mind wandered back to the magazine cover. It was troubling to think I was featured on something like that. If the other members on Kalyuga caught wind of it… Well, I was mostly worried about Yinyin who seemed hellbent on having me be his personal plaything.

"Hey," Hiro called out. I raised my head.

"What?"

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

"No," I replied. I started to mop the floors and he put his legs on the couch to let me through.

"I'll order take-out then," he informed me. "Is Chinese fine?"

"Fine with me."

"Kay," he nodded, pulling out his phone. I kept the mop moving back and forth as I reached the last part of the living room. Moving on to the kitchen was the next logical step seeing as we would be eating soon. My hands quickly got to work at clearing the table and washing the dirty dishes. His stove was luckily always fairly clean as he rarely cooked. Mostly out of laziness versus a lack of skill.

The one place I always refused to clean at Hiro's was his bathroom. Mainly because the used condoms that fell carelessly from the outside of the trash can was too much for me to handle. I never outrightly talked about it but I was still a virgin. Not because I really thought of making it into a big deal but I just never really met anyone I liked in that way. Even if I wasn't a virgin the sight of a used condom from someone I hadn't slept with would probably be gross either way.

I skipped over it as I walked into his room. I pretty much only picked up the dirty clothes on the floor and put some books back on the shelves. Otherwise, I didn't touch anything. Being mindful of his personal space despite him never ever complaining about me cleaning his room.

The doorbell ringing was a sign that the food was here. I eagerly made my way back to the kitchen as Hiro set the bags of food on the table. I grabbed us some plates and utensils. "Let's eat," we both said after serving

Hiro had left the t.v. on which kept us from having to make conversation. I appreciated the silence between us. With Kyoya and Tamaki pestering me along with the International Math and Science Competition, I hadn't really been focused on things the way I was before. I hadn't really thought about Hiro's problems with his mom even though he did tell me about them. It made me a bad friend in that regard.

"I'll wash the dishes," Hiro told me when I was done eating.

"Okay," I handed him my dish. I moved towards the couch and kept my eyes glued to the screen. My eyes slowly closed as I felt a sense of comfort in not being alone even though we were pretty silent.