On his way back from the dojo, Mitsukuni, with his not so imposing height, of barely 160cm skipped through the streets. At least he was average now. Reiko under one arm and his duffle bag casually slung over his shoulder, he mindlessly hummed some random melody Tamaki used to play in the Host Club. His doe eyes slightly narrowed, blocking out the rays of the sun as a light smile painted his lips.

He was in a good mood. His practice had gone without a hitch, and his grandmother gave him money for cakes on his way back. His favorite pastry store was merely a few streets away, and he was old enough to go alone without his grandmother worrying too much.

There was a shortcut, just around the street that allowed him to get to the bakery quicker if he took the back alley. Mitsukuni was hungry and fearless. He confidently strode into the deserted street.

The thugs who habitually hoarded the street? They looked down the moment they spotted Mitsukuni's figure, the painful memory of their first encounter still vivid in their mind. Mitsukuni, on the contrary, childishly beamed and waved at them, greeting each of them by their name before he exited the alleyway by the other side.

His favorite shop was in a fringe location, and not a lot of people he knew frequented the shop. As a matter of fact, no one but him frequented the shop at Kunugigaoka. With ease, he pushed the door open, the tingling of the bell echoed, announcing his entry.

"Goodmorning, Aunty!" he beamed as he waltzed to the counter of the shop. The place mainly consisted of regular customers and waiters. His exuberant display didn't bother them, as they were used to it, they smiled.

The shop was discreet and rarely greeted new customers. Mitsukuni happily looked around the showcase, taking in every cake and ignoring the price under them. He was equipped and ready to go on a cake spree.

After much hesitation, he settled on a whole strawberry shortcake and hot cocoa. He would order more once done.

With practiced ease, he walked to his regular table, pulled a chair to settle Reiko, and sat his duffle bag on the ground. He took the chair opposing his black cat plushy and beamed at her. His legs gently dangled over the parqueted floor as he hummed to himself, waiting for his order.

His honey-brown eyes carelessly swept the shop. Since last year it had turned into a coffee shop, the pastry shop remained of course, but they didn't only sell cakes now. He came with his grandfather once and their coffee was really good. Maybe he should bring some back if he remembered.

"Hot cocoa and strawberry shortcake?"

Mitsukuni snapped his attention to the waiter, barely sparing them a glance he focused on the sugary delicacies atop his tray. He enthusiastically nodded. "Yes, can you bring another plate and cup, please?" he asked, his gaze shifting from Reiko to the waiter.

The male a stiff smile on his face followed his gaze before nodding and excusing himself.

Mitsukuni shrugged his reaction off, what could he say, Reiko's charm wasn't something anyone could understand. Taking a slice from the cake and putting it on the creamy white plate with used elegance, he served Reiko the plate.

He was a gentleman, a Host. He knew how to treat a Lady.

The waiter soon returned with the water glass and plate. Mitsukuni took them with a smile before handing the cup to Reiko. He served himself a slice of cake and quickly dug in. The way the cream melted on his tongue, the fruity taste of the strawberry blended with the whipped cream— he loved it.

He ate his slice with gusto, unconcerned by the stare on his back. He was used to people observing and fawning over him when he ate— he had been the "Loli-Shota" type once.

He grabbed the paper napkin, wiped his mouth, and took a sip of his still hot but slightly cooler hot cocoa. His brows furrowed for a split second, he added a sugar cube before taking another probing sip. He grinned, satisfied.

"Ne, do you need something?" he inquired, turning on his seat to look behind him. His honey-brown eyes met a pair of frantic palish gold ones. He beamed, the boy seemed familiar.

"Ah, no, I apologize if I inconvenienced you," the boy— most probably a student apologized with a bow before he turned on his heels, scurrying away.

Mitsukuni dubiously hummed, his doe eyes narrowing as he kept a scrutinizing stare on the raven head. "Ah," he turned to sit correctly, giving Reiko an apologetic look. Wasn't he part of the E-class?

His fingers drummed against the table as he pondered the idea, serving himself another cake slice. It didn't seem too far fetched. Either way, he could ask Karma for his class picture and Gakushu for the class roster, he would compare then.

Then again, Karma was suspended, he wouldn't go to school until next week. Mitsukuni paused, he hesitated for a second before switching his phone on and sending the redhead and blond a text. Either way, if he remembered correctly, Karma knew one of the E-class students already.

Happily eating his snack, Mitsukuni's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, showing a newly received message and picture from Karma. He wiped his mouth and hands before unlocking his phone to take a better look at the photo.

His honey-brown eyes focused on the class picture. The face he first recognized was Kataoka Meg, she was the only one he knew after all. He then observed the faces, linking them to the name roster Gakushu sent him seconds before— having his childhood friend president of the student committee had its perks.

Isogai Yuma, class representative.

Mitsukuni sipped on his cocoa, his gaze flicked to look at the teen waiter with some curiosity. Although he wasn't as ignorant of the "commoner" mindset as before, he still had trouble understanding every one of its facets.

For a second, he thought about calling the male out for a chat. Pastries were best enjoyed with others. But thinking about the school regulation and the face the raven made when he saw him, he refrained himself.

Now that he thought about it, the reason he was so stiff probably had nothing to do with Reiko. It was linked to the fact that he was in 3-A and Gakushu's childhood friend. The E-class student was afraid that he would tell on him.

Ordering a box of macarons, Mitsukuni set a few bills on the table— at least double the price of what he actually ordered, before he grabbed Reiko by her paw. Slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder, he received the box of pastries with a smile before exiting the coffee shop and walking back to his house.

"A problem, Isogai?" the voice and hand that came to rest on his shoulder brought Yuma out of his daze, he turned to look at his colleague and fellow part-timer, and an embarrassed smile crept up his face. He rubbed the nape of his neck.

"No, nothing Matsuoka-senpai," he denied with a wry smile. "I just thought I saw someone from school and panicked."

The girl gave him a probing glance, searching for any lie before she sighed and shrugged. "Is that so. Then be careful not to get caught," she reminded, comfortingly squeezing his shoulder before she tied the apron around her waist. "You can rest, I'll cover for you."

Yuma mutely agreed, he smiled before going to the resting room for a breather.

::

"Are you waiting for the deadweight, Mitsukuni?"

Said strawberry blond teen blinked his eyes. He hummed in approval, swirling on his feet to look up at his blond childhood friend and another classmate. Reiko carefully secured in a hug, with his school bag slung over his shoulder, he childishly beamed.

"Mhm, Ma-chan said that his suspension was revoked today," he nodded, his doe eyes flickering to look at the path that led to the mountain before he gazed back at his two classmates.

"Ma-chan?" Sakakibara echoed with a raised eyebrow. "This person would be?"

"Nobody," Gakushu cleanly answered. "We don't need to bother ourselves with him," he said before looking at the shorter blond. "Don't stay out too late, we'll be going ahead, see you," he bade as he began to make his way to the upper part of the residential district, Sakakibara in tow.

The Loli-Shota type waved at them, keeping Reiko in a tight grip with his left arm before he sat on one of the rock at the bottom of the hill. He observed the students walking back home with minute boredom, his eyes flicked to the sky and he carefully gazed at the crescent.

He found the exploded Moon particularly interesting. It was something new, that he had never seen before, and he couldn't help but wonder how it came to be. He doubted the explanation given by the scientists, after all, in his former world it hadn't occurred.

He was no astrophysicist, but Mitsukuni knew enough, the Moon, much like Earth, wasn't all that different from the one in his former life, and if not for the fact that Ouran Academy didn't exist, Mitsukuni would have wondered if it was the same world.

He swayed his legs up and down in boredom, leaning against the rock until he was lying atop of it, and dazedly stared at the blue sky. He could hear the chatters of people around him, feel the stares on his figure, and slight mockery regarding his plushy or attitude. He brushed them all off.

These people were the first to criticize others when they thought nobody was looking, but when it came to owning their words in front of him they were as silent as tombs.

Boring.

At least Karma, when they first met, told him to his face that Reiko was ridiculous to have if he was a boy. He hadn't feared the reprimands of adults, nor had he cared about how the children would see him, he told the truth.

Then again, it may have partly been caused by his childish stupidity or desire to rebel.

Mitsukuni felt a bit hungry, the clouds looked like cotton candy, so he reached for some of the snacks the girls from his class had given him. He pulled a strawberry milk can, plucked the plastic straw, and slurped.

His lying position wasn't the best to drink, but Mitsukuni didn't care, he was too lazy to sit up correctly. What's more, he felt Reiko would be more comfortable lying on his torso rather than sitting on his lap.

Eyes gently narrowed as he sipped on the sugary beverage, Mitsukuni conscientiously listened to the rustling of the leaves, thumping of the footsteps and chatter of the students.

His ear twitched, he cracked his eyes open, squeezed Reiko, slurped the last bit of his strawberry milk, and sat up.

"Mitsukuni?"

The blond beamed, he snapped his head to look at the redhead, easily slinging his bag over his shoulder before he trotted to the taller teen, Reiko in his arms.

"You're waiting for Asano?" Karma questioned, his mercury eyes seizing the entirety of the vicinity as he searched for the blond head. "Did he kick you out of the council room?" he skeptically asked. Out of the two of them, Gakushu was the one who indulged most of Mitsukuni's whims, it was surprising for him to tell the boy off.

Mitsukuni hummed, shaking his head negatively. "Shu-chan already went back with Ren-chan," he answered as he leaned on his right feet to take a look at the students behind his childhood friend. "I skipped club activities so we could walk home together," he admitted as he looked back at the redhead.

Karma raised an eyebrow, Mitsukuni skipping club practice wasn't a rare occurrence, but with the results he brought in, it was hard for the club to expel him, taking into account that he was the top student of their grade— he was untouchable.

"'S that so," he drawled, his eyes flicked to look at the other E-class student for a second before he looked back at the short blond. He grinned, ignoring the discomfort the others showed as they recognized the A-class student. After all, A-class harassing E-class sadly wasn't shocking.

"Are they your friends, Ma-chan?" Mitsukuni asked, his honey-brown eyes crinkling as he swept a blatantly inquisitive gaze over them. He ignored their squirming, noted how one of them seemed fakely bothered by him, and beamed one of his usual childish beams. "So cool, making friends on your first day!" he praised, jumping around the redhead in excitement as he peeled his eyes off the other E-class students.

Karma smirked. "Who do you take me for?" he asked as he began to walk, Mitsukuni in tow. He gave the other E-class students a look to tell them they could come before pointing at them. "From left to right, Sugino, Kayano, and Nagisa," he introduced, seeing Mitsukuni nod and listen to him he smiled. His arm reached for the shorter blue head and he pulled him closer. "Nagisa's the one who sent me that class pic you asked for," he said.

Mitsukuni's eyes lit up with genuine interest at the mention. After all, Karma's friends even if they weren't his, held a special place in Mitsukuni's mind. While he didn't doubt the redhead's ability to mingle with 3-E, he was more interested in Nagisa who was one of Karma's previous friends.

"Whoah, thank you for the picture Nagi-chan!" he beamed, not minding the slight stupefaction on the bluehead's face before the said boy flushed. Mitsukuni's eyes seized the teen and his grin stretched. "We're the same height too!" he chirped.

"A-ah, yeah" the androgynous male stuttered, somewhat uncomfortable. He wasn't used to speaking to the main building students in such a friendly way. And then again, he wasn't sure if Mitsukuni's words were genuine or faked for Karma's sake.

The ex-Host kept a smile, dismissed the blue's stutter, and skipped a few feet forward. He twirled on himself, Reiko secured in his embrace before giving an exaggerated curtsy to the quatuor. Karma snickered.

"Kannazuki Mitsukuni, take care of Ma-chan for me!" he said with a beam.

The trio nodded while Karma merely ruffled the blond's hair.

Sugino pensively looked at the blond before widening his eyes. "Aren't you part of 3-A?" he mumbled, unsure as he looked at the shorter boy.

Mitsukuni tilted his head before grinning. "Mhm, Kannazuki Mitsukuni, class 3-A, head of the Judo club," he re-introduced before waving one of Reiko's paws. "And this is Reiko, isn't she the prettiest?"

Sugino stiffly nodded, a forced smile on his face as he uttered words of agreement, "Uhm, Sugino Tomohito."

Kayano, on the other hand, seemed much more comfortable after Reiko's introduction. Perhaps was it because she liked cute things, but she walked up to Mitsukuni to take a better look at the black cat doll.

"Whoah, she's so cute!" she praised. Her hand reached out to pet the head of the doll before she paused mid-air, inquisitively looking at the blond for approval. Mitsukuni hummed, tilting Reiko toward her. The girl beamed, petting the plush's head she leaned closer. "And she smells so sweet," she whispered.

Mitsukuni's eyes narrowed at her words, his lips twitched, threatening to tug down as he took a step back, Reiko to his chest. "I'm the only one who can call Sweets sweet," he uttered, the flowery aura around him now stone cold.

"O-oh," Kayano voiced surprised by his sudden change in demeanor as she hastily took a step back. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know," she apologized, her eyes on the ground.

As fast as his mood plummeted, Mitsukuni beamed, he hummed. "It's okay, you didn't know, I forgive you," he accepted with a grin.

Karma hummed, he grinned at his blond childhood friend. "It's because Rei-chan's perfume smells so good," he said, coaxing the blond as he gave the doll a scratch under the chin.

"Of course it does!" Mitsukuni beamed. "Right, Ma-chan, how was your first day?"

The three students behind seemed to still at the inquiry.

Karma gave a lopsided grin. "I've never been more excited to go to class before," he cryptically answered.

Ohoho, end of the Introductory Arc, be prepared to see more of the E-class cast in the upcoming chapters!

Thanks for reading, until next time^^