"Good morning, Young Master."
The minute I open my eyes, I see this guy. I didn't bother remember his name, but he's Smiley, the person in charge of babysitting my daily needs. (I told that stupid old man I did not need a freaking butler, but he said that it's common etiquette of being a son of a family like this so deal with it!) Are you serious? How did this guy get in my room anyway?
"I'm not your Young Master, shut up." I groaned, sitting up from my bed. Smiley was put in charge of me, being the youngest butler in this mansion. He was, to be specific, one year older than me, but is schooled by the older butlers in the mansion because he is an orphan taken in by the household. Like me. Apparently this household adopts children quite often, so the butlers and maids are used to it.
"But that would be rude." he argued calmly, a smile on his face. (did that make sense?) "Anyway, Young Master, although it is a Saturday, I believe you make the daily routine of waking at seven?" It was kind of a question, but he had on a tone of 'just in case you wanted to know'.
I looked at the clock on my bedside table. 7:00. I sighed. Glad I woke up at seven, then. "Thanks." I mumbled, "I've been so exhausted these few days that I completely forgot."
"Exhausted? Is it because of the club you've recently joined?" Smiley asked as I stood up and walked to the bathroom to wash my face, "The Host Club, was it?"
"Yeah," I respond, splashing water in my face, "Forced to join, I should say." I wiped my face dry and put on my contacts, then headed to the closet to change. "It's honestly a drag, y'know." I pulled my shirt over my head, Smiley handing me a set of clothes.
"But you seem to enjoy it," Smiley said, sounding a little more pleased than usual, with a kind smile on his face.
"Not at all." I grumble.
"If you insist." he chuckled.
"Why do you make it a point to wear commoner's clothes on Saturday?" my mother, who I usually dub 'Mom asked.
"I'm regressing to my former species." I say.
There was no more talk as Mother was at a loss of words. Contrary to my expectations, she didn't blow up all respect me you imbecile like stereotypical stepmothers, but proceeded to laugh out loud in adorable giggles.
My stepmother looked very young for a woman in her forties. Her hair was short and curly and red, hanging right above her shoulders. She was, to be frank, tiny. She was, well, when I first met here, I instantly decided to call her a Midget. She was much shorter than I am now, and by comparison I'd say she was just a little above the Blonde Kid from the Host Club.
"By the way, where's Father?" I spoke up.
"He went out super early for a meeting." Mother said, now trying to stop laughing, "He said he'll be here at lunch."
"I'll come back after lunch, then," I stuffed a piece of broccoli in my mouth, "You two can go on a date or something."
I heard the maid by the kitchen door burst out a tiny laugh.
Meanwhile, Mother blushed as red as her hair. "W-W-W-What do you meaaan?!" she spluttered in her bashful panic, "D-Date..?!" she seemed confused as she dropped her cutlery on the table (definitely not the noble etiquette she drilled into me) and started shaking her hands like nonononono, "How old do you even think I am-I mean-how long has it even been since we last had a date anyway-"
Oh, so this is what a Tsundere is. "Miss Braid," I called to Mother's personal maid, who always had her long purple hair done in a messy braid.
She appeared by the door with a smirk on her face, raising a thumbs up. "Leave it to me, Young Master!"
I gave her a thumbs-up too. "I'll leave it to you."
"You twooo!"
"Hurry up, Smiley!" I yelled, carrying two bags of groceries. We were headed towards our usual destination on Saturday, an orphanage down the street. My old home. I visit the place often for the new kids.
"Y-Yes, sir!" he responded, carrying one bag of other stuff. He sped up, but ended up tripping over a jagged rock and spilling all the contents. Maybe I should start calling him Clumsy instead. He quickly got up in a panic, picking up everything before it spilled too far and standing back up, a bashful smile on his face, "Sorry."
"There's a scratch on your forehead." I said.
"Really?" he decided to touch it and upon accessing the wound he chuckled, "Oh, it's just a light graze-"
"Are you an idiot!?" I snapped at him, "I ain't letting you meet the kids with blood all over your face!"
"Yessir! I apologize!"
I placed the groceries on the floor and picked out a band-aid and a handkerchief from my pocket. I damped the handkerchief with water and pressed it at his forehead. Removing the handkerchief, I stuck the band-aid on him.
"Let's go, the kids are waiting."
"Thank you, young master." he smiled.
"Everyone, it's Akira-kun!" the orphanage teacher announced to the children, who immediately beamed brighter than before and jumped in adorable glee. The boys forgot their toys and games and leaped at me, aiming to make me fall.
"AKII!"
"Aki-chan!"
"And the weird clumsy Onii-chan too!"
"Weird clumsy Onii-chan?" Smiley freaked out at the new nickname. "They're so mean! I'm gonna cry!" He said, teary-eyed. The younger children tugged at his clothes, calling out to 'Onii-chwan' or 'Pway with mee'.
"Ahh, I have been taken down-" I said in a monotone as I lay on the ground pretending to be dead, "-Monster Aki has been killed." The boys leaped off me in joy, cheering something about defeating the monster once again.
I sat back up, yelling, "I HAVE REVIVED!" And they ran off screaming.
I sighed. Do I look that much like a monster to them? A walking stick hit me on the head. "I was wondering what was the ruckus. Welcome back, Akira." said the Headmistress of the orphanage, an old lady.
"I'm back, Headmistress." I say, "Sorry bout the noise."
Meanwhile, Smiley is carrying about three infants and two toddlers on his arms, shoulders, and head. The one on his head was drooling. Then there was a kid clinging onto his back and another clinging onto his front.
"Go go, Onii-chan taxii!" the ones on his shoulders yelled.
The Headmistress gave a hearty chuckle at the sight. "Well the kids love you two so I don't really mind." she said, "So, how's life as a noble?"
"Taxing." I say. "Very."
"Tsukimiya-senpai?"
I had been playing with the children in the yard when I heard a strangely familiar voice and suffix. I looked up and-There he was. A person with dark brown hair, a cute face, and wearing clothes that were a little tomboyish, but definitely girl's clothes...
No. I correct my earlier statement. There she was.
"Fu-Fujioka...-san?" I blurted out.
"Oh, it really is Tsukimiya-senpai." she walked closer. "What are you doing in a commoner's town?"
Eh? She's acting normal? Is this normal? She was definitely wearing guy's clothes in school ?! "Uhm, Fujioka-san," I decide to say, "Are you a girl?"
Silence. She froze, then looked at herself and went 'Oh.' She turned to me again with a sigh. "I forgot." She smiled at me, "Actually, I'm a girl." she said, "But it's a secret in school."
Why? I wanted to ask, but I settled with a "Oh, okay." because I didn't want to pry. "Do the other members of the Host Club know?"
She nodded. So she's a cross-dresser, that's a commoner, that working in the host club of a school full of rich nobles.
"Looks like you have it hard." I mumble.
"Huh?" she said, not hearing me the first time.
"Nothing. I'm helping out at the orphanage." I dodged the question, "What about you?"
"That's a little unexpected..." she mumbled, "And I'm doing groceries."
"It's the pwetty Onee-chan!" someone yelled behind me, jumped onto my shoulder and pointed at Fujioka.
"What, you know her?" I said, "And don't point."
"Yeah, she passes by a lot." he responded, "Onee-chan, wanna pway?"
"Nope, don't bother her." I turned away, "You go back to playing with the other guy."
"But that guy died." he said, pointing at Smiley who was on the floor, face-down, a white flag on his head.
"Hit him in the head with a bat." I said. "I bet you he'll wake right up."
"YOUNG MASTER, YOU'RE MEANN!" the male raised his head, crying.
"Oh, he's already awake." I say, "Hit him anyway."
"Okay!"
When I turned back to Fujioka, her face was pale and taken aback. She sweatdropped and laughed dryly. "I didn't know you had this side to you, Tsukimiya-senpai." she said, "It's so unexpected."
I sighed. "Secret for a secret, then." I say, "You don't tell anyone about this place, and I don't tell anyone that you're a girl."
She chuckled, nodding. "Sure."