Chapter 2: Tutoring Sessions


Following that fateful first day, her school days (and nights) were filled with studying, prepping for exams, and more studying. The workload was much more intense than Kagome had experienced in balancing middle school and time-traveling.

It was a typical day at Ouran Academy when it happened. Several months later, it would be known as a day that would change her life. The morning was normal. Things were coming up positive for Kagome. It was a month into the school year and as tired as she was, she was happy. Save for the mountains of school work that never ended.

Particularly, the offending English assignment that Mr. Yamada assigned was torturing her. English was a subject that never came easily to her. The miko wanted to blame the time travel excursions for her poor English skills, but she knew better. In another life, she would never have to encounter the language in her lifetime. The reality of the assignment remained intact as Kagome glared down at the infuriating assignment.

"If you continue to stare at your paper like that, it might burst into flames." A teasing voice tutted from behind her.

Tossing a glance over her shoulder, Kagome gave Kyoya a bored look before turning back around in a huff. Her bespectacled classmate tended to tease her with any opening he could find which irritated her to no end. The blush-inducing effect his looks had on her ended the second he commented on her first poor grade.

"Kagome if you're struggling, let moi help you!" Tamaki's voice cut in. Kagome's brow furrowed with irritation at his offering. Tamaki was kind and sweet to her, but he could become very obnoxious quickly.

"I'm fine, Tamaki, I promise," Kagome assured. "English isn't one of my better subjects."

In an attempt to ignore Tamaki's push to help her with her homework, the girl turned away. Tamaki seemed to get the hint and wallowed in his chair, leaning into Kyoya's personal space. She could hear the Ootori make a smart comment about Tamaki interjecting French into conversations to which the blonde argued back. Rolling her eyes, Kagome couldn't help the smile that came over her.

Since their initial meeting on the first day of school, the two boys in her class had decided they were friends. Correction: Tamaki made the executive decision that they were friends. The blatant desire for friendship and the kindness Tamaki showed her endeared the blonde to Kagome immediately. His humor was contagious and she always found she could smile around him, even with his obnoxious tendencies. Kagome could have been fine being casually acquainted with Kyoya Ootori but that was not an option if she was friends with Tamaki.

Beyond their quirks, Kagome cared deeply for both boys as her friends. She had her interesting characteristics of her own, after all. In their unique ways, they were outsiders and that of all things brought them close.

"Hey Tamaki, does Ouran offer tutoring services?" Kagome queried the blonde in a whisper. A thoughtful look crossed his face before he shrugged.

"Not sure, never had to use it." Tamaki's words stabbed through her chest. The unintentional insult hurt. Kagome crumpled into her chair in despair. She worked so hard to get into this school and now she would flunk right out of it! Life was unfair.

"My offer to help you still stands, Kagomeee~!" Tamaki crooned, tapping her paper enthusiastically.

"Thank you, but I couldn't impose–"

"Nonsense!"

"Tamaki, I don't think–"

"Why don't we go to your place after school to study? I'm dying to see your family's shrine!" Tamaki's voice turned a higher pitch in his excitement. Casting a pleading look to Kyoya, Kagome asked him wordlessly to help her out. The bespectacled boy merely smirked at her.

"I am also curious about this shrine of yours, Higurashi," Kyoya replied simply. Tamaki's face took on a new light as he smiled brightly. Kagome leveled the Ootori with a half-hearted glare. His smile seemed to widen at her disgruntled response.

Bastard.

"Fine, but you have to behave. I live there, but it's a holy place and you need to–!"

"We will be exemplary guests, my flower!" Tamaki squealed, circling his arms around her shoulders. Kagome flushed bright pink from the hug but didn't attempt to wriggle herself from his hold. Instead, thoughts of them coming over began to populate her mind and exasperation seeped into her demeanor.

"Also, don't call me your flower!" Kagome demanded. Gods help her.

0-0-0

As they approached the train station, Tamaki was the picture of joy. Hopping around excitedly, he pointed out the attributes of the train station with great interest. Occasionally he would ask questions but mostly marveled at the goings-on. Kagome stifled a giggle as she watched him hop around like an overjoyed child. Folks sent them passing through sent them odd looks as the blonde squealed with delight at the "mundanity of it all."

Curious to see what her other classmate thought, she slanted him a side look and watched as he quietly absorbed his surroundings. Suddenly Kyoya's gaze was upon her with a tiny, but smug smirk. Kagome swiveled her eyes away with a flush. Glancing at the time, she had to move on before she looked more like an idiot.

"Um, Tamaki, we need to get on the train. We're almost late," the miko softly pleaded. Tamaki's eyes sparkled with understanding and tugged her forward into the train.

0-0-0

If Kagome thought Tamaki was excited about the train station, it paled to his reaction to the Sunset Shrine. One would have thought Christmas came early for the blonde as he flounced up the stairs without complaint. When they reached the top of the steps, Kagome instructed them on the cleansing process before they crossed the large torii gate. Each of the boys took time to cleanse with water and say a prayer before following her into the courtyard.

Entering the Higurashi home was a far less formal affair. The house was quiet as they entered, with no sign of anyone else being home. Kagome instructed the boys where to deposit their shoes and led them to the kitchen table to set up for their studies. Upon the table was a little note that Kagome scanned.

"My family is across the city for Souta's soccer tournament. They won't be home until tomorrow if his team plays well."

Her guests were far too engrossed in inspecting her home to pay attention at the moment. Tamaki ogled at the pictures hanging on the wall in the living room. A spread of childhood pictures and family photos spread across the wall in a proud display of the Higurashi family through the years. As Tamaki cooed over one particular picture of Kagome holding a kitten Buyo, Kyoya paid the closest attention to the family photos.

While her academics were decent, there was no way she was attending on a scholarship. There had to be a wealthy benefactor supporting her studies. Inspecting the wall, Kyoya looked for a sign of this person. Every photo included Kagome, her little brother, her mother, and her grandfather. Kyoya's brow creased slightly at the absence of a father in all except one photo. One family portrait of a man with bright blue eyes, a younger version of her mother who was heavily pregnant, and a toddler Kagome.

"Mama keeps his pictures by his shrine close to the Goshinboku. She doesn't always show it but seeing him only in pictures makes her sad," Kagome said. Kyoya nodded in understanding and moved away from the picture. Answers would come in due time, there was no amount of information that he couldn't scrounge up.

0-0-0

Throughout the tutoring session, Kagome quickly discovered how different Tamaki and Kyoya were. The differences were apparent not in their tutoring styles and personality.

"Excellent work, I can see your improvement already!" Tamaki's voice was light and effervescently charming as he appraised her English homework. His tone contrasted heavily with the angry red pen marks scratched along her work. Kagome huffed indignantly, grabbing the paper back and inputting her corrections.

Tamaki was gentle and patient but often sugar-coated things when she got an answer wrong or would completely blow past it. He praised even the smallest of achievements. As kind as he was, it was difficult to tell where she was wrong on the practice questions.

"Adequate work, let's move on to math shall we?" Kyoya stated, smirking at Kagome's sudden deflation. The girl shot him a dark look, he was taking too much pleasure in her hatred of the subject.

They continued with the math assignment. Kyoya was curt, strict, and blunt with his advice, often erring from insulting her. However, his directions were clear and concise enough for her to learn from her mistakes quickly. It was as irritating to her as it was helpful.

It occurred to Kagome as she worked independently that the polar opposite duo had a special synergy about them. Together they made the perfect blend of sweet and bitter that assisted her studies. Bright azure eyes watched her friends as they did their own work, warmth flitting underneath her ribcage. For the first time in a long time, the miko felt like she had real friends.

"If you stare at us any longer, Higurashi, I'm afraid I'll blush," said Kyoya. The illusion of happy friendship disappeared with a sharp glare in the Ootori's direction. Tamaki opened his mouth to interject, but Kagome snorted and turned her attention back to your homework.

"Don't listen to that mean old man, my sweet," Tamaki pulled Kagome's face into his shoulder, shielding it from Kyoya. "Watch your tone, you creep!"

"And here I was happy that you two were here," Kagome grumbled bitterly, voice slightly muffled by the fabric of Tamaki's shirt. With a swift push of her hand, she separated herself from the dramatic blonde. "What time is it anyways?"

Checking the clock, Kagome was stunned to see the hour. The hands indicated that they were only fifteen minutes away from midnight.

"Crap! It's late and we have a test first thing tomorrow!" cried Kagome. Her seated companions did not seem particularly bothered by the time, but cleaned up their schoolwork.

0-0-0

"Thanks for everything, guys, I owe you." Kagome said graciously. The three waited at the bottom of the shrine steps waiting for their individual rides to pick them up.

"Anything to help an enchanting rose bud blossom into a rose!" Tamaki declared.

"That… doesn't mean anything, Tamaki. But thanks?" the miko replied. She slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle as the blonde cried crocodile tears into Kyoya's shoulder.

A few moments later, a sleek black car pulled up.

"This is me! See you tomorrow! Don't forget your beauty sleep, Kagome." Tamaki called out as he hopped in. Even though the miko rolled her eyes, she couldn't help but smile at her silly friend.

Left to only Kyoya and Kagome, the pair was silent waiting for the former's ride to come. Glancing at the corner of her eye, she watched the bespectacled boy shoot a text on his phone. A few more moments stretched between them when Kagome finally broke.

"You know, you're not a bad teacher, Ootori. Thanks to you I think I'll pass above a C for the next math test. I seriously owe you and Tamaki big time." Kagome said. Her words were genuine, if not slightly teasing. Kyoya's charcoal gaze cut to her sharply.

"It was my pleasure, Higurashi," Kyoya replied sweetly. Kagome's heart paced a touch faster the kindness in his voice. "I will make sure to cash in that favor when it suits me best."

The illusion of kindness burst into flames right before her eyes. Kagome glared at him half-heartedly with a small huff. Of course he would treat helping a friend out like this. Silence returned until another car pulled up.

Kagome waved him off, watching as the car slowly disappeared into Tokyo traffic.


A/N: Chapter two comin' for you~! Please drop a review or follow this humble story's journey. Thank you for reading!