Reflection

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Chapter One

Term Break

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Tokyo, Japan. Joshibi Private Boarding School for Girls.

The school bell rang throughout the halls as students rushed out of the classrooms to start the holiday. Books and papers were gathered into the arms of pupils, while other materials were stacked away in cupboards and desk, waiting to be used for next term. The giddy voices of girls filled the atmosphere, talking of Christmas, vacations, family members coming from outside of the country, food, and many other cheerful things. Looking up from the pages of the book, a student was glancing at the clock. Sitting in her desk, Suzume Yukimura; a second year student, age seventeen; sighed, and closed the cover of the book she was reading.

"Suzu-chan!" cried a voice.

Recognizing the nickname, the young woman turned to see the sound that called her. It was one of her friends, Emi. A smile then crossed the woman's face.

"Hi! Are you going already?" asked Suzume, remembering the hundreds of times Emi told everyone of her trip to New Zealand. The friend was so thrilled when the news crossed her ears!

"Yes, I am! I just came to say bye," replied the enthusiastic traveler, barely containing her eagerness.

"Alright, have a nice trip!" smiled Suzume. "Don't forget to buy some souvenirs for me and the rest of the girls."

"Don't worry, I won't!" chuckled Emi as the woman embraced each other before parting their separate ways.

After they finish their farewells, Suzume walked back to her dorm room to retire for the day. On the way, she contemplated her own plans for the winter break. She would probably go back home with her family to their house, which was located in Kyoto. The city was her mother's hometown, and she grew up in that area for almost her entire life. Her father took that into consideration, after they were newlyweds, so he bought a mansion in that area. It would be nice to see some familiar surroundings again, and she would see her pet bird, Maya, but for the presence of a certain someone was not so reassuring. Her father was the CEO of an aerospace company. He inherited it from Suzume's grandfather. Managing the prideful company took a lot of his time, which made his absence numerous, but he tried to make it up to his family through gifts, trips, and visits. Suzume's birthday was coming up, so he would defiantly not miss it. Since she was the only child in her family, all of the inheritance would go to Suzume. This put a lot of pressure on her, such as her grades, but Suzume was up to the challenge, and was very interested in her father's works. Smirking, she thought that it was very appropriate, due to her ambitious and overbearing nature.

For the return journey home, she would start any last minute packing in her room, and wait for the chauffeur to come the next day. Sighing restfully, Suzume smiled at the plans, and open the door to her dorm room. Looking around, she found that it was empty from the usual chaos that was in there.

They probably left already... mused Suzume, think about how her roommates could have possibly disappeared.

Taking out a face towel, she washed her face in the bathroom, and changed out of her blue uniform into an ordinary top and skirt. Suzume sat across the wide mirror that was in the room, untied the ponytail that held her locks of black hair, and began to brush it. A thin face with high cheek bones started back at her as she glanced through the large looking glass. Small, beady, brown eyes gleamed from the light that was around her. Her body had an angular bone structure, which made her stance a little bit unbalanced, but she wasn't clumsy. She only wobbled from time to time.

A knock on the door then echoed through the room. Turning her head, Suzume placed the hairbrush down on the desk, and got up to see who was at the door. Opening it, she saw a man dressed in a fancy uniform. She recognized the face the split second she opened the door.

"Ha... Hashi... Hashimoto-san, what are you doing here? I thought you were suppose to come tomorrow," said Suzume, thinking of possible reasons why she would need to leave the campus immediately. Her parents probably sent him here themselves.

"Your parents are both here in town, madame," explain the chauffeur. "They are staying at your cousin's place, the Wakahisas, and they both want to talk to you."

The tea steamed as the kettle poured out into the ceramic cup. Everyone in the room was sitting in an office like manner, making it hard to believe that it was a family that was gathering. There were only five people in the room, excluding the servants that served the tea and treats. One of them was Suzume, and the rest of them were her parents and her aunt and uncle. Her parents were sitting on a couch, opposite of where she was sitting, and the other couple was sitting on a couch that was to her left. Sipping the hot drink, Suzume placed the cup on the coffee table, and looked up at the adults.

"Mother, Father, I'm so glad to see you again," smiled the girl as feelings of joy flushed her cheeks pink.

"The feeling's mutual, Suzume," smiled the patriarch of the Yukimura family.

"You are probably wondering why we sent you here early, sweetie," said her mother, smiling with her husband.

The daughter nodded, listening carefully to the decree that they might send. Could it be the reason why her holiday began so prematurely?

"Had you thought of ever getting married, darling?" asked Mr. Yukimura.

"No, not really..." was all the girl said. A faint expression was on her face. Marriage? Was that the reason why they summoned her here early?

"We were thinking of making an arranged marriage between you and an acquaintance of ours, though your aunt and uncle are great friends with that family," said the mother. "We've talked to the family, and they seem very interested, thrilled actually. There is going to be a ballet show at the school that Hinata, your cousin, is going to be in. The son of your uncle's friend also attends the same school your cousin attends to, so the family plans to meet us at the school that night. The school is called Ouran Academy."

"We were thinking of this, because it is for the future of the company," explained the father. "It might also secure the finance of our family, Suzume. Of course, we would want your well off with a suitable husband, that is..."

A moment of quiet was in the room. Finally, Suzume broke the silence, looking quiet hesitant.

"Is he the same age as me?" she asked, thinking about characters in books who married grooms who were sometimes thrice the heroine's age!

"Is he? Of course!" exclaimed her father. "In fact, he's still in school, but he's going to graduate to university next year. Still, it's only a years age difference. You're not scared of that, are you, darling?"

There was a long pause from Suzume. Marriage. What a big step to take! Though, it was only for the sake of the future of the family business. Suzume loved her family very much. She would do anything to help them, since she was the only child to inherit the company. Her parents did the same, and wanted her to be happy, since they thought she sacrificed a lot in order to follow her father's footsteps. But to be tossed into a marriage without even knowing who your partner is could be difficult! For all she knew, her future partner could be an inconsiderate character. That kind of marriage could even be passionless! She had to risk it, for her family. That was the only way the family company was going to survive. Looking up into the face of her parents, she swallowed and tried to speak.

"I guess I'll give it a try..." she began. "And if I approve of him, and he likes me back, I guess that settles it."

"Excellent!" bounded the father. "We just want to make you feel happy, Suzume."

The father and daughter smiled at each other, and the patriarch stood up from his seat.

"Oh, dear, I forgot his family name..." said Mr. Yukimura, he glanced at his brother. "What was the name again, Yoshiro?"

"They are the Morinozukas," replied her uncle. "They have a son, but I haven't seen him around, since I'm extremely busy..."

"Well, we'll meet him at the ballet show, then!" said Mr. Yukimura. "Instructions are still taking place at Ouran, am I correct?"

"Yes," said Suzume's aunt, Tomoko. "They still have one more week left until they have their holiday."

"Well, aren't you lucky to be left off a week earlier than them!" exclaimed the uncle.

Blushing, Suzume looked down at the floor as all eyes were on her. At least Suzume had her father for the whole holiday. Family was gathering around her, and their presence made Suzume feel extremely joyful. All she had to go through was an arranged marriage, and that was the only catch. Oh, what fun it will bring!

"Hinata will be home soon, so let's have the cooks prepare supper," said Tomoko.

Everyone agreed, and set off for the dinning hall. As Suzume exited the room, she had a feeling that something out of the ordinary was about to happen.

The dancers moved gracefully to the music played by the musicians in the orchestra pit. Big smiles were on the performers faces to maximize the performance, and colorful costumes paraded on the stage. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the show with great content. Hinata seemed to enjoy herself on the stage! At the half of act one, Suzume started to feel tension building up around her legs. She then realized that she had to go to the bathroom. With the consent of her parents, she left the theater to relieve herself. The building's direction was confusing to Suzume. This was not good, considering the state of her bladder. She opened many doors, but most of them were not the bathroom. Wandering around the school felt like years to Suzume! Was she ever going to find the bathroom?

As she walked into a new hallway, she could smell the scent of baked goods and tea. Suzume found it heavenly, but she could not focus on that. She had to go to the bathroom! She saw a set of dual, grand doors, and saw golden handles on them. Hoping that it was the door to the bathroom, she grasp the handle, and pushed the door open.

"Eh? Is intermission starting already?"

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Only those with excellent social standing and those from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here at the elite private school, Ouran Academy. The Ouran Host Club is where the school's handsomest boys, with too much time on their hands, entertain young ladies, who also have way too much time on their hands. Just think of it as Ouran Academy's elegant playground for for the super rich and beautiful.

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