Kyou Fukui. His name kept echoing in her head. Kagami couldn't believe that her father expected her to win the affections of someone she didn't even know. She couldn't even get her parents to like her so how was she supposed to manage it with a complete stranger? Besides, she didn't want a fiance! After her father's announcement at dinner, Kagami had spent most of the night pacing up and down in her room trying to find a bright side to the situation. It was more than possible that Kyou Fukui would simply dislike her as soon as he saw her. That's what happened with most other people. But it was also likely that his father wanted the match for political reasons so that even if he disliked her he would still agree to the engagement.
All through class that morning she had been desperately trying to think of a way to make sure that no matter what, Kyou Fukui would refuse to get engaged to her. However, her plan would have to be subtle enough that her mother wouldn't realize what she was doing. It was lunchtime now and Kagami had come up with absolutely nothing. With frustration welling up inside of her she picked up her bag and walked out of the room. She was supposed to meet Hotaru in the courtyard but Kagami needed to calm herself down first. If she saw Hotaru in the state she was currently in, Kagami knew she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions off of her face. And she didn't trust Hotaru enough yet to confide in her.
So Kagami decided to walk around the school for a couple of minutes in order to compose herself. Pulling up a map of the school in her mind, Kagami decided that the best route for her purpose would be to go past the library and then towards the third year classrooms. Then she could go to the courtyard straight from there and she wouldn't be so late that Hotaru would start worrying about her.
With that decided, Kagami started walking towards the library. As she walked she tried pushing the whole fiance situation to the back of her mind. It took a little bit of trying, but she was finally able to concentrate on something other than Kyou Fukui. By the time she had accomplished this, Kagami was already walking by the third year classrooms. And since she was no longer distracted, she was able to pick out the sound of soft, hissing voices that were somehow familiar to her.
Kagami slowed her steps and listened harder to the voices. They were coming from up ahead, in the same area where Kagami had found Hotaru being bullied on that first day of school. Of course! Now she knew where she had heard those voices before! They belonged to those three awful girls who had been bullying Hotaru. Kagami couldn't help but wonder who their victim was this time. But then she heard Hotaru's voice too and it took all of her self control not to run down the hall and tackle those girls to the ground.
Instead, Kagami forced herself to walk silently down the hallway. Once she could clearly hear what was being said she stopped and pressed herself against the wall. Before she jumped in and rescued Hotaru, she wanted to know what those stupid girls were teasing her about just in case there was anything she could do to help.
"I can't believe you're actually planning on going to the Host Club's dance this weekend!" That voice belonged to the snobby blond who seemed to be the leader of the group.
"Why shouldn't I go?" Hotaru asked. Her voice was firm and strong. Unlike last time, she wasn't backing down an inch. "Everyone in the school has been invited to attend."
"Yes, well, even though everyone has been invited that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone should actually go." The blond let out an annoying giggle. "You'll just embarrass yourself if you go Hotaru. After all, no one would want to be seen with you. You'll spend the entire time in a corner by yourself looking pathetic. Or Honey might take pity on you and ask you to dance, but I would feel so sorry for him for having to be seen with someone as worthless as you."
Kagami felt her hands tighten into fists. She wanted to walk out and give those girls a piece of her mind. Hotaru was not worthless! How dare they lie about her like that!
"I don't care what you say about me Ayumi, I'm still going to the dance. And I won't be alone!"
"Oh?" Ayumi sneered. "Don't tell me you're bringing that Kagami girl with you! That would be hilarious! She's even more pathetic than you are!"
Kagami decided that it was time for her to interfere. Stepping from around the corner she made sure she was glaring straight into Ayumi's eyes.
"So you think I'm pathetic senpai?" She smiled, making sure her eyes were as cold as her fathers. "I wonder if you have the courage to say that to my face."
"What are you doing here?" Ayumi tried to put up a brave front but it was ruined by the slight quake in her voice.
A brilliant idea had started forming in Kagami's mind. She shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure that Hotaru was still planning on going to the dance this weekend."
Ayumi laughed. "So you two really are going together! That's just too funny! Hotaru might have gotten a few pity dances if she was by herself, but if you're with her all evening absolutely everyone will avoid her. You'll just make things worse for her!"
Hotaru stepped forward. She looked furious. Kagami was a little surprised. She had never seen Hotaru anything even close to angry before.
"Don't you dare say that about Kagami! There's no way she could make anything worse for me!"
Kagami blinked back the shock she felt. Hotaru had just defended her. No one had ever done that before. Kagami had always been on her own. So having someone else stand up for her was a new and very odd experience. But Kagami couldn't dwell on that now, she needed to stop Hotaru from saying anything else before her plan was ruined.
"Besides senpai," Kagami interjected, "Hotaru isn't going to the dance with me. She's going with a boy."
Hotaru looked at her in confusion. Fortunately, Ayumi was too focused on Kagami to notice.
"Oh please! There's no way Hotaru could get a boy to go with her."
"You'll just have to see this weekend." Kagami pushed Hotaru softly as she spoke, guiding her towards the courtyard. "Now if you'll excuse us senpais, we have more important things to do than stand here talking to you."
She paused and turned back towards the three girls. "Oh, and if I ever catch you bullying Hotaru again, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your lives."
Kagami had the satisfaction of seeing Ayumi and her groupies turn as pale as a sheet at this statement before she turned away again. She and Hotaru walked to the courtyard in silence, but Kagami could tell that the older girl was dying to ask about what she had said earlier. As soon as they sat down, the questions came rushing out.
"What did you mean when you told Ayumi you weren't going to the dance with me? It won't be any fun without you there! And I don't remember telling you that I was going with a boy! What possessed you to say that?" Hotaru said all of this in one breath. Kagami was actually pretty impressed.
"Well, I can't go to the dance. I'm attending one of my father's work functions and there's no way I can get out of it." Kagami felt a little bad about lying to Hotaru, but she knew it would be worth it in the end. "And since I won't be going with you, I made my cousin agree to take my place. He happens to be male, so you will in fact be going to the dance with a boy."
Hotaru frowned. "Do I even know your cousin?"
"No."
"What's his name?"
"Mitsuki." Kagami really hoped that she hadn't just given away her plan.
Hotaru wrinkled her eyebrows. "That name sounds kind of familiar."
"Really?" Kagami felt relief wash over her. Hotaru didn't know who Mitsuki was. That meant her plan would go perfectly!
"Yeah. I have no idea why though."
"Me neither. The only person I know with that name is my cousin. Who by the way you are going to the dance with whether you like it or not. He's going to pick you up at six-thirty, so make sure you're ready."
"You're really pushy Kagami." Hotaru's words were harsh but she had a small smile on her face so Kagami knew she didn't mean it. "I guess if Mitsuki is your cousin than it might not be so bad to go with him. But are you sure you can't come even for a little while?"
Hotaru had that pleading look on her face. Kagami had told the twins that there was absolutely no way she would go to the dance and she knew they would never let her live it down if she showed up, but she could feel her resolve wavering. It made her really happy that Hotaru wanted her to go so much. And if she was honest with herself, she thought the ball might actually be kind of fun if she went with Hotaru.
"Well . . . I don't know." Kagami knew she was going to regret what she was about to say. "I'll try to come for a little while at the end if I can."
"Really!" Hotaru's eyes lit up. "It will be so much fun if you can come! I want to see you in a dress! I bet you'll look absolutely gorgeous! I'm so excited now! I can't wait for the ball!"
Hotaru jumped up and started waltzing around the courtyard. Her curly brown hair was bouncing up and down and her waltzing was becoming more and more erratic by the second. As Kagami watched she realized that for this brief moment, she was happy. It didn't matter that her father disproved of her, that her mother despised her, or that she might have a fiance in a week. Hotaru made her forget about the bad things for a little while. As Hotaru continued dancing around the courtyard, Kagami wondered if it was alright for her to be happy. It wouldn't last long and she knew that once it was gone she would miss it. But she decided that for the moment, she would enjoy it while she could.
After one final twirl, Hotaru curtsied to an imaginary partner and turned around. The grin on her face froze in place and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. But then her smile grew even bigger than before and she clapped her hands together in delight.
"You were smiling!" She squealed. "That's the first time I've ever seen you smile!"
She had been smiling? Kagami hadn't realized. But as soon as Hotaru pointed it out she knew it was true. It had been so long since the last time she smiled that the remnants of it still felt odd on her face.
Hotaru plopped down on the bench and smiled elatedly up at her. "I can't believe I actually got to see you smile!"
Kagami shrugged, hiding the embarrassment she felt. "I don't understand why you're making such a big fuss over one smile."
"Because, it means that we're getting closer!" Hotaru was still smiling but Kagami could tell that she was completely serious. "You're the first real friend I've ever had Kagami so you're really important to me. Knowing that you trust me, even a little bit, makes me really happy."
Kagami wanted to say that Hotaru was important to her too, that she was also her only friend, but she couldn't. She was too scared. Scared of being hurt, of being abandoned. And if she admitted that she cared, it would hurt even more. And Kagami hated herself for letting her cowardice control her.
But for once in her life, maybe she could be a little bit brave. Kagami knew that she wouldn't be able to tell Hotaru how much the older girl meant to her, but something else might be able to get her feelings across. So Kagami did the only thing she was capable of. She turned towards Hotaru and smiled, hoping it was enough. And by the happy look on Hotaru's face, apparently it was.