A/N: I apologize to everyone for not providing individual replies to your comments for the previous chapter. The end of the week got a little hectic for me.

Insomniac1970 - I hope that I have been able to convey how truly ethical and moral Hiromi is. Yeah, he's a cross-dresser, and a teenage guy, but he always tries to be a true gentleman with Tsutako as well as all of the other ladies. As for Tsutako's parents, just wait until you read chapter 4.

Elfspirit7 and Teufelchen29 - I am very happy you enjoyed last chapter and I hope that you continue to enjoy this story. If I keep to my normal schedule, you can expect updates on Sundays and Wednesdays. Please keep your comments coming. I love getting them!

Seyan - Isn't communication a wonderful thing? Now if only everyone else could be as honest with themselves as well as with others.

The Silent Reader - I have been trying to keep the OOCness to a bare minimum, only allowing the characters to change (or grow) from canon based on what is happening to them in this story versus the original; although I admit that I have had a little twisted fun with Shimako's character.

This chapter: Touko/Hiromi, Yumi/Yuuki, and Nana/Yoshino.

Hiromi and Touko met the next afternoon at Mama Cho's, a hole-in-the-wall dim sum restaurant located outside the school's gates that was popular with the locals but for some reason was still relatively unknown by the students attending Lillian. After placing their orders for jasmine tea and sweet egg tarts, they spoke of inconsequential matters until their tea arrived. Hiromi then opened up the discussion by asking Touko for a brief history of her relationship with Yuuki-san.

"I first met him at the rehearsals for the Yamayurikai's production of The Changeling before the school festival," Touko said, "I was shocked at how much he and onee-sama looked alike. I mean, they really are not twins despite how they look. Yumi-sama is older than Yuki-sama by just over nine months so there is no way that they can be actual twins. We started talking during the rehearsals and just kind of clicked. So I asked him if he wanted to get together for tea one day after the festival was over. We were scheduled to meet one Saturday afternoon, but he got an urgent call from Kashiwagi-sama over something or other and had to cancel, but he promised to reset the date for later.

"One thing led to another and I guess Yumi-sama's and my first falling-out occurred before we could reschedule the date. After that, I'm sure that he felt it would be inappropriate to date me while his sister and I were at such odds with each other so it was further delayed. When I finally accepted onee-sama's rosary in February, first there was graduation, then the closing ceremony to get through, and it was just too busy for either of us to get together again although we did talk a few times on the phone. First he called to congratulate me for finally wising up to how wonderful his sister is then I called him and we just talked about what was going on at each of our schools.

"I guess in terms of etiquette it is still up to him to reschedule the date, but I do not want to wait too long. We really got along well when we first met and I don't want to take the chance that we give up before we really get started," she finished up taking a sip of her now cooling tea. The waitress came by to deliver the sweet egg tarts along with a new pot of tea.

"So, basically you two have been talking off-and-on for the past six months but haven't yet had the chance to actually get together for a date," Hiromi summed up taking a bite of his tart, "and before I forget, Yuuki-san does not know about my secret so please don't let it slip. I know for a fact that he has punched Suguru-san on at least one occasion when he thought the man was overly interfering in his sister's life and I would prefer not to be the recipient of the same treatment.

"That being said," he continued after Touko nodded her understanding, "you would normally be correct in that it would be his responsibility to ask you out on the next date, but that does not mean that you cannot prod him along. Did you ever get Yumi-san a present for her birthday earlier this year?"

"We have never exchanged birthday presents among the members of the Yamayurikai so no, I did not get her anything for her birthday. Why?" Touko asked before taking another sip.

"Well, if you wanted to get together with Yuuki-san without it being an official date, you could always ask him to go shopping with you to get a present for your onee-sama. It doesn't have to be for her birthday, any occasion would suffice just so long as you can justify asking him to join you," Hiromi explained. "That way you get to see him and be with him without breaking the rules of etiquette. You can then also ask him when he intends to invite you out for your official date."

"Mmm, I had not thought of the gift angle," Touko murmured thoughtfully, "that might work," she said in a louder voice, "although I can't think of a reason off the top of my head as to why I would get Yumi-sama a gift."

"Well, you can give it a little thought. With everything Yumi-san has given to you in the past year surely you can think of a reason to offer a gift of thanks."

"Everything Yumi-sama has given to me?" she asked, wondering what he was talking about.

"Well, let's see," Hiromi said with a slight grin. He had been wanting to do this for so long now. "There is, of course, her rosary and taking you as her petite soeur, but that's probably the least of it. How about her patience as you swung back and forth between love and hate for so long like some anime tsundere character. How about her kindness when Yuuki-san found you wandering around their neighborhood late one night; and no, I do not know any of the details. Yumi has never said a word nor will she. Oh, how about her understanding when she never once pressed you for the reasons for any of you actions. How about her forgiveness when you mistakenly thought she knew something that she didn't; and again she has never said a word to anyone about what that was all about nor a has she ever said a single word against you. How about her protection of you from the wrath of others that were perfectly willing to take you to the mat with the number of times you made her cry. How about her acceptance of you despite all of that and everything you put her through. Which brings me to the final little, minor item she has given you: her total love. Is that enough, or do I have to name some more 'things' that Yumi-san has given to you."

Throughout his oration, Touko had gone from a confident, self-assured woman to a sniveling child. The tears in her eyes and the slump of her quaking shoulders affirmed to Hiromi that she had indeed listened and accepted every single word of his criticism. Now it was time to build her back up; hopefully into a petite soeur that even Youko-sama would be proud of.

"However," he said softly and with kindness, placing a hand over hers as it lay on the table, "Yumi-san would never have even tried so hard to make you her petite soeur if she did not see within you the love and caring for others that we all know you have. She would never have chased you in the first place if she had not seen the depth of your character and the strength that you hold within you. She never would have tried to break down your walls if she didn't think that the girl behind those walls was more than worth the effort. And she never would have torn away the mask you always wore like an actress on a stage if she had not already seen and loved the girl beneath that mask.

"You are a bright, intelligent, wonderful and loving girl Touko-chan, and you have so much to offer not only to Yumi-san but to everyone else as well. In my own humble opinion, Yuuki-san is a fool if he does not work just as hard to win you as his sister did," he finished as she was wiping the tears from her eyes and a small smile graced her lips.

"Thank you Hiromi-san," Touko said with a sniff, "I know I needed and deserved that; all of it! I was absolutely horrible to onee-sama last year and to all of you as well. And you are right that for everything onee-sama has given to me not once have I ever really said thank you. I now believe that I have a very excellent reason to buy onee-sama a present. I just don't know if there is a great enough gift in the world to thank her for everything she has done for me."

"Actually, Touko-chan, you have already given Yumi-san the only gift that she ever truly wanted from you: your love and acceptance. But something a little more tangible would not be remiss and it should be an excellent excuse to invite Yuuki-san to do a little shopping wouldn't you agree?"

Touko couldn't help but laugh at the way that Hiromi-san had brought the discussion back around to the original reason for their meeting. Now she really did know why Yumi-sama and everyone else in the Yamayurikai so loved and respected this cross-dresser. He really did have a heart of gold.

"Alright, I get it," Touko giggled, "I'll give him a call this evening and see if he is willing to go out this weekend. I may even have an idea of what to get her now."

"Good. I'm glad," Hiromi said with a grin. "I don't know how much help I've been able to be to you. I still don't know much about the whole dating scene, so I can't give you any ideas of where to go or what to do. Tsutako-san and I usually just go shopping or for a walk in the park. We are happy just to be able to spend time with each other, no matter where it is."

"Actually, Hiromi-sama, that sounds pretty nice," she said with a small smile. "The fact that the two of you can enjoy each other's company without having to think up some form of special entertainment gives me hope that maybe I can have the same type of relationship with Yuuki or, if not him, maybe someone else in the future."

"Well, I wish you all the luck in the world that you can find someone that is as dear to you as Tsutako is to me," he told her with a slight blush, "I don't know what would have become of me if she hadn't been there for me."

"And you for her, Hiromi-san. She is a very lucky girl." We all are, she thought to herself.

-oo-

"So that's about how it went," Yumi explained to her brother over a cup of tea at the kitchen table that evening. "Shimako-san has taken the lead on the issue since I felt I needed to abstain due to our relationship, and they have agreed to come back with their own thoughts by next Monday." It was the first time she had been able to spend enough time with her brother Yuuki since the meeting regarding the ball. "Although, from what I heard of their discussion I believe that they will return a positive result, at least as it concerns putting the proposal in front of the administration. Hiromi-san thinks that the Academy Director will leave the decision in our hands as well."

"I guess I couldn't expect an immediate answer, but from what you have said I can at least provide a decent report back to my council," Yuuki said with a grin. "Thank you Yumi, I really do appreciate your help with this. It's kind of nice to be able to go straight to the Yamayurikai without having to go through both school's administrations just to ask a one question and then wait to get an answer back."

"Isn't it!" Yumi sighed, "I remember our first year when it took almost three weeks just to set up a half hour meeting with the Hanadera student council. It is so much easier to get things done these days."

"I just wish you didn't feel the need to abstain from the deliberations."

"Well, it's just until a decision has been made one way or the other," Yumi said while taking a sip of her tea. "If the Yamayurikai agree to the ball, then it will have been their own decision without any pressure on my part. But once the decision has been made I can jump back in and help out with the planning and preparations."

Despite the early hour and the added caffeine in the tea, Yumi found herself having to stifle a yawn. She started to pound gently on her shoulders in an attempt to wake herself up.

"What is it, Yumi? Are you alright?" Yuuki asked with a little concern.

"Oh, I just seem to stiffen up a bit if I sit in one place too long," she replied off-handedly. Yuuki stood up and walked around behind his sister and started to massage her neck and shoulders. Yumi sighed in relief at the gentle pressure of his fingers and palms. She could almost feel her muscles and joints relaxing.

"Mmm, that feels good. Thank you Yuuki."

"Don't expect it all the time," he chuckled, "but I know how hard you have been working, even over the break. I'm not surprised you're tired," Yuuki chided her as he continued to knead the various muscles in her neck and shoulders.

"If I promise to get more sleep can I get you to do this every night?" she sighed.

"Ha, you wish," he said with a gentle slap to her shoulder indicating he was done, "I hope it feels a little better."

"It does, much better, thank you Yuuki." Yumi said as she rolled her shoulders a bit to enjoy the relief of stress. Her shoulder joints still ached a bit, but that was fine. She could take a couple of ibuprofen before bedtime.

"Heh, just remember to give me a call the minute you have a decision on the ball and we can call it even. I'll want to let the guys know as soon as possible," he reminded his older sister.

Yumi nodded as he headed up the stairs to get ready for bed. Her parents had already gone to bed and it had just been the two of them to finish cleaning up the kitchen. She smiled as she took another sip of tea and thought about how nice it had been to spend some real time with Yuuki. She had been so caught up with the doings of the Yamayurikai . . . and Sachiko, of course . . . that she had missed the time she got to spend with her brother. Tonight, even though they had spent more time talking about the ball and the other doings of the two student councils, they had also been able to talk about what was going on in each other's lives as well. It had been fun!

She had even been able to get him to open up about his relationship with Touko-chan a bit. In fact, they had been briefly interrupted by a phone call from Touko-chan and, instead of her wanting to talk to Yumi she had asked to speak to Yuuki. It was nice that the two of them were talking again. He really did seem to be seriously interested in her petite soeur. He had said that she was very cute (a given), sweet (he'd learn!), and that she seemed to care a lot about Yumi. The fact that he was still watching out for her at their age made her feel all warm and fuzzy.

Getting up from her chair with a little stretch she walked to the sink to wash and rinse both of their tea cups before she set them in the drying rack. She stared out the kitchen window a moment just to enjoy the few stars that could be seen before she turned and cut off the lights and headed up to shower before bed. A smile graced her lips as she walked up the stairs. Yes, she thought, it had been a very nice evening indeed.

-oo-

Yoshino just sat back in awe.

She was sitting on one of the tatami mats with her back against the bare wooden wall of the kendo dojo watching Nana performing Hikitate-geiko with one of the third year students – one of the better third-year students that was supposed to be helping to train the young first-year. Nana was mopping the floor with the girl. Within just the first few seconds of the sparring it had become apparent to both students that Nana was the better swordsman. The third-year had bowed to Nana and spoken to her briefly, probably apologizing and offering to find a stronger opponent, but Nana had waved it away and had taken on the role of instructor to the older student.

Slowly the dojo had quieted as first one pair and then another stopped their sparring to watch and listen to Nana's instruction. Within a few minutes the only sounds that could be heard were the crack of the pair's shinai, the stomping of their feet as the executed their fumikomi-ashi, and the guttural shouts of their kiai as they attacked. After each strike, Nana would call a halt and explain something to the senior, who nodded or listened closely before the two squared off again. After just fifteen minutes of sparring, Yoshino could see a gradual improvement in both the senior's attack and defense. When Nana called a halt to the practice she was immediately inundated with requests from other students for her help until the captain of the club shouted for order and took Nana off into a corner.

Since this was the kendo dojo and not the Rose Mansion Yoshino had no right to step between the captain of the club and Nana, but she looked on worriedly nonetheless as Nana nodded every so often to whatever it was the club captain was saying. When they separated, Nana came walking over to where Yoshino sat and sat down beside her. Yoshino thought very carefully before she spoke to her petite soeur.

"Is this going to cause you any difficulties Nana-chan?" she asked. "If I assume that you have been asked to assist the less skilled swordsmen, won't that limit your own growth? If, that is, it is your desire to continue with the club at all now that you have seen somewhat of the caliber of its swordsmen."

Nana smiled at Yoshino's attempt to play the role of her "onee-sama" but she also found herself greatly appreciating the effort. She glanced up to see that Yoshino's eyes held true concern for her and it further melted her heart towards the senior that had been chasing after her for almost half a year to be her petite soeur. Ever since she had literally run into Yoshino outside a bathroom at last year's kendo tournament, the older girl had been going out of her way to learn everything she could about her. Yoshino had even gone so far as to go all the way to the Lillian middle school education building to ask her out on a date.

The fact that they had ended up running all over a hotel looking for Rei-sama and her omiai partner, that they had later learned was all of ten years old, only proved the passion with which her grande soeur protected those that meant the most to her. To be added to the very short list of people that Yoshino cared deeply about was a great honor in her mind and she blushed whenever she thought about it – such as now.

"It will be no problem onee-sama," she replied with a pink tinge to her cheeks that she hoped Yoshino took as a symptom of her recent exertions. Luckily her onee-sama could sometimes be a little dense. "The caliber of swordsmen is about what I expected. Since it was my intention to join the club when I became a first-year, I carefully watched the tournament last year and was able to gauge the level of competency of the students that would remain after graduation. Although technically I am only 3-dan since grading only begins when you turn 14, in my family's dojo I have sparred with and beaten those that were 4-dan and even 5-dan. Even still, there are a number of excellent club members here that I can spar with and learn from.

"So in answer to your first question, I do not believe that assisting the less skilled swordsmen will hurt me because all sparring is a learning experience; which, I believe, should also answer your second question.

"More importantly, onee-sama, thank you for your concern. It is . . . nice," she finished with a shy smile as the blush also tinged her ears.

Yoshino felt herself blushing at Nana's final comments. "Just so long as you know that I will fight for whatever you need Nana-chan," Yoshino said emphatically, acting more like her usual self but still like an onee-sama in Nana's mind, "I may not be the captain of the kendo club, but I am still Rosa Foetida and you are Rosa Foetida en Bouton, my petite soeur. I will not allow anyone to treat you improperly!" she finished with a harrumph as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Nana had to hold back her giggles at the antics of her grande soeur. Yoshino was very entertaining. She also meant every word that she said, and that meant the world to Nana. She found herself very glad that Yoshino had bumped into her at the kendo tournament. For the first time in a long while she was extremely happy.

-oo-

The meeting in the Rose Mansion for Hiromi-san to explain to Nana-chan and Mami-san about his reason for being at Lillian went much better than he could have ever hoped. Nana-chan of course listened with a completely open mind and quickly grasped the reasons for his family's decision. Mami was much more confrontational, at least at the beginning, but after the various Roses and their Bouton's began talking her attitude started to change. He still couldn't agree with all of the nice things that the Yamayurikai members said about him, and after only a couple of his attempts to tell them that he had really done nothing, they kicked him out of the meeting entirely.

The meeting went on for another hour or so while he first paced back and forth in the hallway outside the biscuit door until he finally gave up and went down to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. When he finally heard them all tramping down the old, creaky staircase he got up and met them in the foyer. Mami thanked him for everything he had told her and then thanked the Roses for their time and efforts before she bowed and left.

"It's not a sure thing," Yumi told him with a smile, "but knowing Mami-san the way I do, I would be greatly surprised if a book regarding your time here ever comes out. Not now, and probably not even in twenty years. If she does end up writing a story, I very much believe that it will be published as a fiction novel."

"Then . . . " he started.

"Just don't ogle her if you end up in any PE classes together. Alright, Hiromi-san," she giggled.

"Yes, onee-sama," he grinned.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to comment.

Take care everyone.