Be My Girlfriend
Chapter One
It was in the middle of spring and the sakura season's beginning to end. I haven't gotten much chance to see and admire it properly—probably because I was too immersed into so many thoughts that I wasn't able to pay much attention to my surroundings.
I'm Ashina Rei, new student of Ouran Academy, class 2-A.
Ouran is a high-status school, an institution for prestigious people, for wealth, and merely for money. Most of the students here (at least not the scholarship and varsity benefits) belonged to a family of, if not nobles, but of large companies and zaibatsu not only well-known in Japan but worldwide as well. Then, of course, what follows after this is that graduates of Ouran are more or less expected to take over and become leaders of the country.
I would consider it lucky for a commoner like me that I was given one of the rarest opportunity to get in—not as an academic scholar, but a varsity.
But as much I wanted to go through high school silently, work hard on the track team and keep my grades up, things somehow came out of hand. Because of my nonstop curiosity, I got into serious trouble—not to mention with one of the most influential person in the entire student body—Kyouya Ootori, definitely a man not to mess up with.
When I walked in on his break-up conversation with a certain girl named Akiko, I didn't really mean to eavesdrop. Because for one: it was invasion of privacy. And two: I was being nosy.
It was wrong, yet I found myself hiding behind a shrub and watching as the scene unfolded.
Who would have known that this particular pretty-boy would act so . . . scary? Of course, because I was too lucky and too stupid enough, I get to see the dark side of his personality. I could have run away, with my track skills; I could have escaped as soon as he called my name out. But no. Instead of fleeing for my life, I stood frozen as his grey eyes stared at me without remorse. Honestly, if we weren't on the properties of the school and judging with the glint of his glasses that time, he could have swallowed me whole.
Somehow, I'm glad I was spared. At least he didn't send me off in a remote island and banished me from Japanese soil like what I've imagined. To be honest, he could set off a phobia, if there was such a thing. I doubt if I could even keep up with a class with him so I asked the chairman if I could have my schedule changed so we wouldn't be on the same group. But the chairman declined and demanded me an acceptable excuse.
For now, I've decided to keep my mouth shut and live in peace. I don't have a choice, do I? I'm trying my best to forget about the incident and pretend it never happened.
"Rei-chan!" I heard someone call out as I squinted across the field. I sat on one of the benches alongside the track field while dabbing the sweat on my neck. Lunch practice finished early and I was slacking off, with a little extra time for practice of course.
Pushing the thoughts away from my head, I gave a smile as Ruka jogged up to me and handed me a can of coke.
I met Ruka in the canteen on my first day when nobody seemed to be trying to interact with me. She gave the first smile and the first friendly introduction I've received since I entered Ouran and since then, I was stuck with her. I've always admired Ruka's blonde curls since each time she goes out in the sun, the strands reflect the light, making it look like her hair was reflecting a rainbow.
"I've been looking all over for you," she panted as she occupied the seat beside me. "Have you heard?"
I popped the can open and took a large swig. Clearly, rumors nowadays are getting out of hand. The last I heard was about the Hitachiin twins dumping a poor girl for the third time this week. And let me not forget Suou's gracious fall on the stairs yesterday after apparently missing a step. Although it couldn't be considered as a rumor since I saw it with my own eyes, but anyway,
"About what?" I asked out of sheer curiosity as I brought the can up to my lips.
"Ootori Kyouya and Yamasaki Akiko broke up."
Soda came spurting out of my mouth and nose as I choked on it. Damn. That hurts.
"Are you all right?" Ruka asked as she brought her handkerchief up to my nose and I have to stop the tears from welling up.
"Yeah," I managed to gasp as I wiped my face with the sleeve of my jersey. "Where did you hear that?"
I swear to the heavens that I never opened my mouth and had that rumor slip out of my tongue.
"It's all over the high school department," she continued as a matter-of-factly. "All the girls on our class are making their own way of confessing to Ootori-san right now."
Oh well, at least Ootori would be too busy to bother me this afternoon.
"I'm not interested with that stuff," I told her right away as I threw the empty can on the nearby trash bin. I wouldn't want to mess up with those fangirls acting like a guard dogs, sniffing Ootori's scent around. And I wouldn't want to trip over my own feet again and land over his wrath. I'm too busy to think about the rental fee of my dorm to care.
(afternoon, after classes)
Ruka was missing. I've been looking all over for her but I can't find her anywhere. She told me she had something important to take care of but I haven't seen her since early this afternoon. After school track practice was finished and I already took a quick shower to look for her but she was nowhere to be found.
"Ruka!" I called out, my voice echoing across the empty hallway. It was nearing sundown and I was getting late for my part time job. Dammit, Ruka, where are you? Where are cell phones when you need them?
Suddenly, I stopped my pace when I heard her voice. "Will you go out with me?"
Eh? Who—?
"I couldn't find any profitable reason why I should," a cold, familiar voice replied and I tried my best not to burst into their conversation and punch that guy square in the face. How could he? "I'm sorry?"
'I'm sorry,' he says? How can he say those words without any tone of sincerity? How can he break Ruka's heart like this?
I heard her sob quietly and I wanted to reach for her and comfort her but something was stopping me. And then, suddenly, I heard a tapping of footsteps and she had run away.
So help me, I'll strangle this little bastard!
I emerged from my hiding spot and marched my way up to that rascal and kick him on the groin for my own luxury.
"You—!" I shouted at the top of my voice and pointed an accusing finger up to his face but as soon as I started my threat, I froze. And then, nausea rushed in.
"You're just the right girl I'm looking for," the cool voice of Ootori spoke with a large smirk. "We have a lot to talk about.
And now, I find myself sitting on the cold back seat of his car after his body guards dragged me by the arm and forced me inside. I scooted farther away from him as possible.
I cleared my throat and spoke, "Excuse me, but I'm already late for work so please don't waste my time. I still have a lot to do than sit here and pretend we like each other."
My voice sounded so weak. I bit my lower lip cautiously as my heart did another double time. When Ootori's around, I always get these palpitations that always made me feel like something wrong is going to happen.
I heard a clearing of throat somewhere and Ootori proceeded, "We don't like each other."
"I already know that," I told him with a frustrated groan. "What do you want?"
"I'll get this over with quick, because I also don't want to waste time," he said, business like, as he propped his computer on his lap. "You've struck me twice, Ashina-san and I wouldn't let that pass."
"If you're talking about the rumors, I didn't—"
"But I heard."
But I didn't!
"Yamasaki Akiko is a very important asset for our business and because we broke up, she's a great loss."
But I wasn't the one who cause your break up!
"You're going to help me get her back," he ended firmly with a hint of authority on his voice.
"But I'm not really involved here," I complained aloud.
I heard another clearing of throat and Ootori leaned in to intimidate me more. He ran his fingers up to the bridge of his nose, as if calming himself and it gave me a good idea of strangling him. "The moment you eavesdropped on our conversation, you already got yourself involved."
I prepared to make another complain but he beat me to it.
"Be my girlfriend."
It took me a while before my brain comprehended his words and I coughed twice.
"Pardon, Ootori?"
"You may go now."
What does that mean?
"How does that solve anything?" This time, I raised my voice.
"I have my own personal reasons," he said as his fingers danced over the keyboard.
"And what are those exactly?" I inched closer in an attempt to intimidate him as much as he did to me. However, it wasn't working.
"You're free to go now," he finally said as he looked at me with a wide smirk on his face.
"You didn't answer my question," I managed through clenched teeth. One more strike and I'm done with this. I'll be more than eager to wrap my fingers around his throat and choke him until his lungs are out of air.
"You need not to know."
My door opened and a middle-aged man with neat, blonde hair bowed and smiled at me. I sat back down stubbornly. "I refuse to leave."
"I wouldn't want to drag my girlfriend—" I flinched at the word "—out of the car, right?"
"I'm not your girlfriend."
I grabbed my backpack and clamped the straps securely on my shoulders as I stepped out of the car. When the blonde bodyguard closed the door, I gave it a hard kick before running for my life.
"How was your school, honey?" my mother asked as I put the telephone on loud speaker. I just came back from work and a warm bath was too good to resist. Stripping my clothes off, I soaked my sore body on the tub.
"School's fine," I told her, skipping through the details in case she'd ask. On one hand, it was a disaster but on the other hand, at least I had new friends on the track club. "Did dad come back home?"
"Who would want that guy to be back here?" she complained and I could imagine how she would wrinkle her nose in disgust.
When I started junior high, my parents were already off terms. They argued a lot (mostly because of money and my mom's suspicion of an affair on dad's part) and because my father was sick of my mom being a blabbermouth, he left the house. Later on, we learned he moved in a village in Osaka with another woman and he never got in touched since then. Although I have a small grudge towards my father, there are a few times when I'd find myself missing him.
"Hey, shortie!" I heard my brother's booming voice call out. "Any guys you've hooked up with?"
I frowned and aimed the phone a look of abolition.
"Yuu, stop that!" I heard my mom yell and smack him beside the ear. She turned back to me. "Are you sure you don't want me to send you allowance?"
Our family is poor and I know how much my mom would strive twice as hard just to get us through the day. At least the part time job could help me allowance-wise.
"Don't worry about me," I assured her. "I've got everything in control. And I'm doing pretty well with my part time job."
"If you need anything, just call me."
"I will. I promise."
"Okay, good bye for now."
"Bye-bye!"
"Go to sleep early, okay?"
I heard my brother's voice call out from somewhere in a distance. I could imagine him crane his neck back from the food he was smuggling in the fridge. "Say my regards to her."
"Your brother says hi."
"I heard him."
Click.
I sighed quietly as I raised my leg up. My lower limbs were aching a little because of the extra sprinting I've done after practice. But I'm glad I've done quite good job with my hundred-meter dash. My coach even said I reached a new record of fourteen seconds. At least it was better than my previous record though. I smiled lightly to myself. I'll keep it up and do my best.
I remember Ootori and what he told me earlier, whatever he was blabbering about. It was giving me a headache, to be honest, so I guess I shouldn't pay any more attention to him. Besides, there're a lot more to think about—like my landlady landing me hysterics in the morning for delaying the payment of my rent. I need to find another part time job soon, I decided as I submerged my head under the water.
This is going to be another long semester.
