継続は力なり

"It's now... or never." the American girl said to herself, clutching her school bag. The summer move to where she was now... Tokyo, of all places had been a nightmare. Looking up at her school only confirmed that the nightmare wasn't quite over. Students came from each direction to get to the school as she scanned the area. She noticed that most of the students (If not all) were in their prestigious school's uniforms. To her disgust, most carried Armani, Gucci, and other very high-end brand bags. She also could have sworn she saw a Rolex watch on one of the guy's wrists. The girl rolled her eyes.

Her name was Amelie. She cringed at the thought of all the people that were about to butcher her name... Teachers and students alike. Well, maybe she could get away with just "Ame" for a while. She'd be considered a second-year in Japan... a Junior back in California.

Her well-past-the-shoulders blonde hair had been braided into two tight braids that flowed down onto both shoulders. She was not feeling too confident either.. Amelie always went to a public school, therefore she didn't even have one dress or skirt in her closet before the move. Her current attire was a uniform just like all the rest of the girls that walked by; Black, what she wanted to call "penny loafers"... with a short, pleated navy skirt, a jacket to match with a stark white dress shirt peeking out from it, and the stupid burgundy bow at her neck that she kept fighting with the same morning. She walked along the sidewalk, but glared up at the school building instead of watching where she was going. Her outbursts were clearly in English, and the other students looked at the girl in wonder.

'Wonderin' why I'm wearin' their school uniform, probably...' she thought to herself, but kept up with her fuming. "Dammit, did we really have to come here?! This is completely different than what I'm used to!!" she seethed, finally turning her attention to her own attire. "And this skirt!! What the hell?! Of all things.. WHY DO I GOTTA WEAR A SKIRT?!!"

A few more of the students turned their heads to see who was so obviously not supposed to be there.

"Well, at least I didn't have to take the train..." Amelie resolved softly, pulling at the fabric of her skirt.

"Oi! You're blocking the way, girl!!" a voice spoke from no where. She wondered for a split second if it was a female voice or a male one; That predicament was short-lived. She felt a shove knock her off-balance and onto the sidewalk as someone pushed past her and walked off with their hands in their pockets. A person a little taller than herself with rusty-colored, short hair pinned back, but sticking out at the ends. Not in uniform... Wearing black pinstriped dress pants and a black jacket.

"Oi! Don't you have any manners?! GIRL?!", she spat out in Japanese, glaring at the back of the person's head. They stopped and turned around slowly, glaring down at the American female. "I'm NOT a girl!! Idiot!!" the male retorted down at the girl as she got to her feet. Amelie couldn't help but grin.

"COULDA FOOLED ME~~~~!" she sang out in English. The guy's face faulted slightly, but grew red with anger. "Oi, gaijin!! You wanna fight or something?!", he glared at her with an intensity of a thousand suns.

"It's not nice to pick fights with girls, Ma-kun...", another voice called out as it made it's way toward the two. Another one, though at least half a foot taller than the first. He too, was not in uniform, but smartly dressed in head to toe black as well. A jacket, similar to the Rude One's, with dress pants also, thought not even one pinstripe to be seen. The guy sported shades shielding his eyes, and his dark brown hair was slightly wavy, long for a guy, but still in a very male hairstyle. Another guy walked up also, once again, wearing head to toe black. Another jacket (she was starting to get annoyed with this fad..) and straight-legged jeans.

"Yeah, leave the...", the male studied Amelie's face, "...gaijin alone." The man was taller than the first two, Amelie noted. He had a bit of a mullet... all black with a random streak of blond on one side.. Somehow the guy made that kind of hairstyle work.

"She started it...", the shortest male scoffed. Amelie's face turned red with anger. "Did not start anything. You pushed me!", she spoke with an eye roll. "Besides, why would I want to fight with someone that I could probably beat quite easily?" she muttered to herself in English once more.

"...Idiot gaijin...", the Rude One insulted the girl once more, then turned to the two in black. "Oi, where's Yasu?"

"Hmmm? I don't know... He was right behind us." the Shaded One turned around to check behind himself. The taller one shrugged it off. "Probably took off elsewhere, you know how he can be."

"Man, what a pain in the ass..." the Rude One said, shaking his head. Amelie wrinkled her nose at how rude the three were being.

"Ah! Wait, there he is~" the Shaded one almost yelled out, pointing down the sidewalk. Another guy strode down the path, wearing a white sweater and loose-fitting white pants, looking a little lost in thought. His hair was a very light blond, and Amelie had to do a double take before confirming that he too, was Japanese. Tall, probably the tallest of the four, but still Japanese...

"His name is Yasu...?" Amelie spoke suddenly. "how cool...", she sighed. The Shaded One cupped his hands over his mouth and called out:

"OI! YA~SU~! O~VER HERE~!!"

The Blond One blinked and looked up, smiling slightly. "Oh... " he replied. "So you are.... I apologize for the wait...", he said with a slight bow.

"You're so slow!", the Rude one cried. "Hurry up!!", he yelled.

"Always in such a hurry...", the One with the Mullet muttered to himself, but followed the Rude One anyways. The Shaded One sighed and followed as well.

The tall blond male turned to follow the others, but noticed Amelie's staring out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, are you okay?", he asked.

"Yes...", she continued to stare up at the man. "I'm fine..."

"I see... You are gaijin, aren't you?", he said with a perfect smile and held out his hand. "Welcome."

The girl looked at his hand. Did they shake hands in Tokyo..? "Y-Yes... um... .. my name is... Ameri...", she cringed at her pronunciation of her own name, but took his hand.

"I... see...", he said, shaking the girl's hand and letting go. The girl blushed and looked at her hand half-wishing that the hand shake hadn't ended so soon.

"So... You keep company with those other three? It sounded like they were your friends...", she spoke slowly, giving thought to her words. She added quickly in her fluent language, "I really hope that isn't the case..." The man smiled.

"To each his own...", he retorted quickly. "The bell is going to ring soon, hurry, ne? Later~" the guy spoke, finally walking off. Amelie was completely red, stunned that the tall one she had spoken to her in her own language with minimal efforts. "Later...", she muttered, also walking off.

---

"Would be nice to eat right about now..." Amelie muttered. The instructor kept rambling on and on at the front of the classroom... There seemed to be no end for the lecture that the students were receiving.

Amelie could hardly pay attention, she wanted more than anything to just be out of there and on her merry way to the cafeteria... One of the buildings that she took great care to locate in advance so that she wouldn't be regretful (and hungry..!) not to know later on. The blonde girl turned her thoughts to the kind, young man from before. His angelic demeanor, his warm hand shake and twice as warm smile...

"Murrei-san... Would you come up to the front and do this problem, please?", An older man's voice echoed, but she didn't pay any attention to it. She wanted to know more about this "Yasu"...

"Murrei-san..? Murreeei-san..."

Amelie looked up to see the instructor, a man in his late twenties, waving his hand in front of her face. "Would the Daytime Dreamer like to come up to the board and solve this equation?" His face was stern, but soft chuckles and giggles were heard throughout the classroom.

"Sorry-- I mean.. Sorry, sensei...", she muttered to the amusement of three certain girls in the room with her. A short girl with chocolate brown ringlet curls falling down her shoulders, with a full face of make up, a little taller girl with stick-straight burnt sienna colored hair and doe eyes, and another girl that had side-swept fringe, but slight waves to her chestnut-colored hair. The three's giggling was most prominent of anyone else in the room.

"Goodness!", the shortest exclaimed, and whispered loud enough that Amelie could hear. "Was she that confused~?", she smirked. The tallest had her own insult for Amelie. "I think so... Pathetic, isn't it?", she replied, giving the American girl a look of pity. The last one only giggled at the others' comments from behind her expertly-manicured hand. Amelie clenched her fists, and muttered to herself, lowering her head to the desk. "Stupid prissy girls..."

"Now then, class... Let's try to focus on the task at hand-", the instructor started to say, but was cut off by the bell.

"FOOD!! I'm totally starved..!!", Amelie cried, being the first one to get out of her seat and proceed out the door in a hurried fashion. The teacher sighed in defeat.

"Class dismissed..."

---

"Thank goodness... That class was getting boring.", the Rude One stated. He sat down and threw a card that had 'reserved' printed on it off the table. The One with the Mullet sat down at the table with the Rude One. "I'm just glad for the change in scenery.", he said, thoughtfully. The Shaded One plopped down beside the One with the Mullet. "Me too...", he murmured.

"Everyone, good afternoon.", Yasu spoke with a half-smile. He pulled out the chair next to the Rude One, and sat down. The One with the Mullet looked up, "You're actually joining us today? How shocking!", he grinned.

"Really? Well, I guess I do go off on my own lately...ne?", Yasu spoke, cluelessly.

"Yeah... Especially when Rei-chan isn't here~", the previously Shaded One teased. He had taken off his designer shades to reveal intense, black orbs that you would have to shine a flashlight directly into to see even a hint of color to his iris'. Yasu turned a deep red at his cheeks. It was true, Rei-chan, or Reina... Was his first love, his only love..

"Of course! Don't worry, she'll be back from Paris soon~", the One with the Mullet added with a smirk.

"Yeah... She said she'd be starting a little later than everyone else, didn't she?", Yasu said, with a genuine smile.

"What's so special about that amazon anyway?? I don't understand! As far as I'm concerned she can stay in Flan!", the Rude One yelled.

"France... Idiot...", the previously Shaded One muttered. "How can you mess up your native language, Ma-kun?", added the One with the Mullet. The Rude One turned red with embarrassment.

"Shut up!! I'm not an idiot...", he fumed to the amusement of the two others clad in black.

"Well at least your Japanese isn't as bad as your 'Flanch', right, Musa~?", the One with the Mullet teased, and cracked up completely.

"Speaking of odd people...", Musa spoke quietly. "What do you guys think of the new transfer student from this morning?", he asked the other three.

"Well, for a foreigner, she's kind of short...", the one with the strange mullet stated, tapping his chin.

"Oh... yes... She's even shorter than Ma-kun, isn't she?"

"SHUT UP!!", the Rude One bellowed. "Change the subject, I don't want to talk about that weird gaijin anyway....", he finished, crossing his arms. Musa and the One with the Mullet looked at each other.

"Let's change the subject for Madao Ouji-sama, then.", one said with an eye roll. Ouji-sama was common for Madao to be referred to as by both Musa and Marshy. That and "prince", the English equivalent to the word.

"...Oh! Yasu! Your parents are going to be gone on a trip soon, right? Right about the time Rei-chan comes home?", Musa asked of the tall blond. The One one with the Mullet added, "Oh, that's right, ne~?"

"Well, yes.. Why?", Yasu asked, rather perplexed with the sudden question. The two instigators looked at each other again.

"Why don't we throw a "Welcome Home" party for her, ne~?", Musa stated. The blond guy looked deep in thought. "Marshy-kun..?", he asked, looking at the One with the Mullet. Marshy replied, "Of course~ You'd probably score quite a few points with that~", grinning from ear to ear.

"...Okay...", Yasu replied, finally after a moment of careful consideration.

"YES!", Musa exclaimed. It had been a while since the last party. "You won't regret it, ne, Musa-kun~?", Marshy grinned, nudging the previously Shaded One. "Not at all... It'll be an amazing party, to say the least~"

"I'm glad...", the blond said, smiling to himself.

"Whatever...", Madao muttered, rolling his eyes. The table went silent for a moment.

"...So, what's the plan for after school today, ne?", Marshy offered, finally breaking the, in his own opinion, awkward silence.

"I don't know...", Musa stated, thoughtfully. "Anything in particular you want to do, Ouji-sama?", he asked, looking at Madao. The rusty-haired male just looked bored. "No...", he muttered.

"Well we could--", Marshy started to speak. Just then, Madao's expression changed to that of confusion. "What the..??", he muttered, looking down at his expensive boots, then his brow furrowed as he glanced at a piece of eggplant tempura that somehow landed onto it. Everyone knew that was his most hated food.

"What the hell...", he cursed under his breath, looking up at the perpetrator. His face grew red with anger once more as he looked up at the blonde-haired girl that had gotten into his way much, much earlier that day. Holding a tray... With a small dish of eggplant tempura, no less.

"Sorry, I mean--Gomen na--", she half-way apologized, then looked at the male in the face. "Oh, never mind~", she sang, turning to walk off.

"Oi!! You!!", Madao yelled, getting up from his seat. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Here he goes...", Musa muttered under his breath. The girl turned around. "You knocked me down this morning. Consider us even.", she stated, blankly.

"Oi, don't pick fights with girls...", Marshy warned. The Rude One turned around and glared at Marshy. "Shut up!!", he then looked at Amelie. "You..." he growled, holding out his hand to the girl. "20,000 yen, NOW!!"

"...If I had that much, I wouldn't give it to you even so. GOMEN NE~", she stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Girl... You have no idea who you're messing with...", Madao said with his signature thousand-sun glare. The girl tilted her head in slight amusement. "I know that you obviously enjoy picking on an innocent li'l foreigner... Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare.", he stated, grabbing a couple of napkins off the table and wiping the most hated food off of his expensive boots. The girl couldn't help but laugh. "Is that so?? I would think a nightmare would be much scarier." Madao didn't even offer a reply. Amelie shrugged and walked off victoriously.

"I don't think she knows who any of us are, Ma-kun.", Marshy stated. Yasu nodded in agreement. "Yeah..."

"She'll know...", Madao grinned,evilly. "She'll know...."

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