"You've got to be kidding me…"
Ayame groaned in distaste, looking at her reflection in her bedroom mirror. Even though she had specifically instructed her mom to order her the male uniform, her mother had still ordered the female one. In the entire course of her life, Ayame had never willingly worn a skirt. She only did so when her father demanded it on rare occasions. Now, she stood before her mirror, horrified at the short, ruffled black skirt and black blazer that she had to wear. At least the school allowed her to wear something else underneath the blazer, so she chose to slip on one of her azure blue tank tops. She pulled on a pair of thigh high, black stockings and a new pair of azure sneakers to match.
At least she could add some off her usual tomboyish flare to her new wardrobe. Otherwise, she might have gone crazy. She finished by slipping on her headphones over her ears and sliding her mp3 player safely into her pocket. Luckily, they only lived a few blocks from the school, so she had some extra time to sleep in. Grabbing a slightly burnt piece of toast from the toaster and slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder, she called out a short goodbye to her mother and rushed out the door. She took the elevator down to the lobby and headed out onto the street.
It was seemed typical that her father had already gone to work before Ayame left for school. He wasn't the type to delay his business. Shiki, is what most people called him; it was his first name. He was one of Awakusu-kai's executives and also one of the youngest, a representative of the "Intelliyakuza", who relied less on violent methods and more on information and financial manipulation to earn their income. He also dealt with some infamous information brokers, who he so far had chosen to keep his family distanced from. But Ayame felt that his secretive lifestyle was quickly coming to an end. If he'd gone through all the trouble of bringing his family back from the safety of New York, he must have been up to something. This something, Ayame believed, was that he was planning to take on an heir, and by the looks of it, Ayame was going to be a big part of the process.
She sighed as she neared the school building; it appeared she wasn't the only one making a final rush before the bell. This caused a small smile to light up on her face. She prayed she wouldn't be late for her first day, but with all the other students lagging behind, she wasn't really worried any longer. As long as no one recognized her family name…maybe her first day wouldn't be as terrible as she'd imagined.
A sudden turn around a corner and two students later, Ayame's dreams began to falter. Letting out a grunt, she lied on the cold linoleum flooring of the school hallway, her bag slipped off of her shoulder and onto the ground. Just a few inches away from her laid another girl. The girl had been sprinting through the hallway when Ayame turned the corner, clearly in rush from the disheveled appearance of her hair and uniform, and had crashed into Ayame as she was turning the intersecting corner. It took another few seconds for Ayame to take hold of what had just happened. She pulled herself to her feet and helped the girl pick up her scattered books, hoping the crowd of gathered students would begin to clear.
"I-I'm so sorry! …I had no idea you were coming around the corner and I was going to be late for class and- !"
Ayame sighed and handed the girl her books, stopping her midsentence. "Don't worry about it… It's my first day so I expected something to go wrong…"
"OOOH! Are you the new transfer student!" The once stuttering girl gasped with excited surprise, light reddish-brown bangs shaking from vibrant green eyes as she jumped energetically up and down. "I've always wanted to meet someone from America! And New York City, no less!" She grasped Ayame's hands in her own. "Oh please! Can I show you around? You're in my class you know! We've had the news for weeks but you're finally here! Pleeeeeeeease!~"
Ayame chuckled quietly and gave in to the cheerful teen's request. "Alright. Since we are in the same class…"
"Yay! Let's go!" She grinned and began to drag Ayame toward their classroom. "My name's Maisa by the way! Yagiri Maisa! What's yours?" Maisa looked back towards her.
"Awakusu Ayame. It's nice to meet you Maisa-san." She smiled softly.
Maisa smiled in return as they reached the classroom. "What a beautiful name~ I think you're really going to like it here! Do you mind if I call you Aya-chan?" He eyes glittered childishly.
Ayame sighed and nodded. "Thank you. That's fine…I don't mind."
Maisa squealed and jumped a few times in excitement. "Eeeee! This is so much fun~~" She slid open the class door and stepped into the room, quickly turning around and blocking Ayame's entrance. "Ah, ah~ I have to announce your arrival to the class first!" She giggled and winked, heading to the front and center of the room.
Ayame watched in silent amusement, praying that Maisa wouldn't embarrass her even more with her introduction.
Maisa cleared her throat, calling the class to attention. "ATTENTION! EVERYONE! I have a special surprise for you! May I present… OUR AMERICAN TRANSFER STUDENT!" She motioned both arms toward the door, signaling for Ayame to enter the room.
With a final deep breath, Ayame summed up her courage and took ten steps to the center of the room.
Little did she know how life changing those ten steps would be…