It's Just Another Day... Right? [Open]

[echo]

Scribble. Scribble. Turn. Scribble. Scribble. Turn.

It was silent in the room except for those sounds, the scratching of a pencil and the crinkle of a turning page. Books of different colors and sizes were stacked in two neat pile next to a small girl who sat writing into a notebook. With her head down a veil of dark hair hid her face and the smile as she continued to scribble things into the notebook. A closer look at the books around her and one would notice the vast majority of them were cook books of different nations. The elegant tastes of France, the magnifico spices of Italy, the fantastic mixtures of America, all of them were so vast in ingredients. But this is what the girl loved most, cooking such art and magic.

A small song stopped the girls scribbling and drew her attention to the window. On the branch of a large tree sat a swallow singing a sweet song. The girl felt connected to the creature for they shared the same name. So the girl named Tsubame watched the bird as it sang before flying away. She envied its freedom and although felt connected to the small creature she knew she could never be free. With a sad smile on her face Tsubame returned to her task, which was copying down recipes to try when Cooking Club began.

At the sudden thought of Cooking Club, Tsubame looked at the watch around her wrist. Her dark eyes widened and at a frantic pace she began putting things away. Tsubame was going to be late for Cooking Club... again. It was a natural occurrence for her to be late or very early, yet lateness seemed to be the flaw that ailed her most. In her hurry she accidently knocked over a stack of books she had finished looking at, and being the polite girl she was Tsubame took the time to pick them up and restack them. After she finished stacking them she turned to leave only to run into some 'friends' who talked with her about shopping and trivial things. Yet she made small talk easily with the same polite smile plastered on her face.

Once on conversation was done another came up, this time it was about the Host Club that reside in Music room 3. "I have not visited because I am so busy with other things," Tsubame said when asked what she thought about it. The conversation went on while Tsubame merely tapped her notebook in frustration, yet the smile did not leave her lips. It was almost as if Fate itself didn't want her to leave the library.

Then again maybe it didn't...

[kazumasa]

Kaz was walking up and down the aisles of the library looking for cookbooks. Normally, he would be in the other sections studying for a test or reading up on businesses and big name companies, but today was a special occasion. It was his little brother's AND his father's birthday and they were all getting together to celebrate both. Even his mother who had been working at an archeological site near Pompeii.

Kaz searched high and low for a book on Egyptian Recipes. His father hadn't been home in Egypt in a long time and Kaz wanted to make something that he knew his father and brother loved to eat, Esh es Seraya, also known as Palace Bread. It had been Kaz' favorite dessert as a child. It's a dessert made of honey, sugar and bread but he wasn't sure about the exact recipe. He could have used the computer at home but he wanted it to be a surprise and his brother was almost always on the computer. Plus he had wanted to get away from a girl in his class that was constantly flirting with him, so he ducked out.

He ran over a few more books before he stumbled upon a recipe book for Egyptian Cuisine. He broke out into a boyish grin as he removed the book from the shelf and flipped through various pages looking for the recipe. He finally found it in the dessert sections. He took down the recipe on a piece of paper and then returned the book to the shelf and placed the recipe in his pocket.

Kaz was walking towards the door when a conversation caught his attention. Kaz glanced in that direction and noticed a group of girls having a conversation about the Host Club. He had heard of that group but from what he'd heard that wasn't a place a straight guy would go. The idea of being a host club member was interesting to him and the connections he could get through it would probably be great but now wasn't the time to think on that. He needed to get to the cooking club room to make the dish and head home.

He had just turned around to leave when he heard someone call "Kazumasa-kun!". And the voice was one he knew pretty well. It was the flirty girl from his class that pictured him as her foreign knight, she had told him that herself too. He practically bolted out of the library without looking back or responding to the cries. He felt bad but he couldn't get distracted right now.

He got to the cooking club's room and caught his breath. He went into his pocket to find the recipe only to turn up empty-handed. Kaz had dropped the recipe in the library while he had been running away. He groaned in frustration and leaned on the wall beside the club door. He slid down to the floor with his head in his hands. He'd have to go back to get the recipe over again and track down the book again too.

[echo]

It was the girl who shouted that saved Tsubame from boring conversation. When the girls heads were turned she mentioned she was late for something rather important and excused herself. And when she was far enough away from she whispered, "If I have to smile through another pointless conversation before I reach the Cooking room I shall most definitely hit something," It was unlike her to be violent, against her grandfather's teachings. Yet with a few students at Ouran it was just unbearable at times. Her thoughts went back to the name the girl shouted, 'Kazumasa-kun' and as she recalled it was Kazumasa Fukui. She had heard of him before, the boy who's family had suddenly come into wealth. What was the business again? Mining? Well she would ask if or when she met him. Right now she jogged towards the cooking room.

People stopped and waved to Tsubame as she jogged past, and she responded politely as usually. It was a game everyone played, even if they did not think it so, it was a game of masks. Tsubame played the game with everyone, for the winner of the game was the one with the nicest mask. Yet it was the lack of true trust that Tsubame despised, there were few people in her life she would trust completely and they were mostly kitchen staff. Tsubame knew that people were wearing masks because masks do not cover the eyes.

As she drew near to the Cooking Club she looked at the piece of paper she'd found on the ground near the doors of the library. And a smile spread on her face as she saw it was a recipe she hadn't tried before. "Palace Bread hm?" Tsubame would have to research its origins and see if it had family. It was a simple dish and wouldn't take her much time. Then again did they have bread in the cooking room, for all she knew the club members might have eaten all of the bread Tsubame made the day before.

When she opened the door to the cooking room she was gathering the recipe for bread and still looking over the Palace Bread recipe. And because the door opened inward she believed the room was empty. "I'm so late that no one is here anymore," Tsubame mumbled to herself, unaware of the boy behind the door. Yet when she walked in and turned to close the door she finally noticed the dark skinned boy with green eyes. And in immediate response to seeing another student, her polite smiling mask was put in place.

"Hello there, May I help you with something?"

[kazumasa]

Kaz inwardly cringed when the door opened. He hoped it wasn't that girl again. He could just see it. The girl had found the recipe and figured he'd be heading here so she was going to bring him the recipe and probably offer to make him some even though he would kindly try to tell her it was something he needed to do. He just couldn't bring himself to snap at anyone, particularly a girl.

Kaz felt the gently tap of the door on his leg and heard a feminine voice. He knew then it wasn't the girl from his class and he glanced up at the visitor. A girl with beautiful long black hair and dark eyes that seemed distant but friendly.

This is Tsubame Oshiro. He knew her from her family history. Her family ran an insurance company. She was friends with practically the whole student body.

He recognized the paper in her hand. His eyes showed his shock at someone finding it and bringing it here. He became a little flustered as he tried to answer her.

"Uh... I was coming here to make Esh es Seraya for a birthday surprise for my father who grew up in Egypt and loved it but I lost the recipe on the way here running from someone..."

Kaz mentally kicked himself for just coming out and telling the entire story to someone who probably didn't want to know all that anyway. He sucked at conversations with girls but at least this time he hadn't stammered like he usually did.

He looked down and rubbed the top of his head with one hand. "Sorry, you probably didn't need to know all that."

He sat quietly for a second then recalled something. "Oh, my name is Kazumasa Fukui. You can call me Kazu-kun, most people do." He glanced back at her and hoped he didn't seem like a complete idiot.

[echo]

A small giggle escaped her lips as the boy became a little flustered. So this was Kazumasa Fukui, the rumors about him were a little exaggerated yet not completely wrong. He did look like a foreign knight, yet Tsubame supposed with his social status it would be more of a foreign prince. As for looks he was quite handsome, she particularly fond of his eyes for they did not seem to hold fake emotions among it's emerald shine. Yet she would not give in to pretty looks, for all she knew he could be an excellent actor.

"Ah, so you are the one who that girl was calling for. My, you must be quite popular Fukui-san," Tsubame had found it easier to use formal names with people. For one it showed how polite she was and for two it was easier not to get too close to anyone, for fear of hurting herself. After she spoke it was Tsubame's turn for introductions, so in her polite was she bowed deeply. "It is a pleasure to meet you Fukui-san, I am Tsubame Oshiro," and with that she returned to her normal standing position.

Then she held out the piece of paper with the recipe on it, "And this would be yours I suppose. An interesting dish and simple to make but I'm afraid we are out of bread at the moment." Her head tilted and she smiled with her eyes closed, "But I was going to make more if you don't mind waiting." Tsubame didn't mind if someone watched her cook, there was nothing wrong with a girl cooking.

Tsubame walked to the counter and placed the piece of paper on the edge with her note book next to it. Once she reached the aprons (or should I say apron) she put it on and tied her hair in a bun before preheating the oven. Simple routine yet every time it filled her heart with anticipation and she couldn't help but truly smile, a rare occurrence in front of other students.

"You may help if you wish Fukui-san," she said glancing at the boy, "The flour is in that far cupboard." Tsubame pointed to the line of cupboards on the far wall near the window, normally if she'd asked any of the club members they would fuss about the bag being to heavy or breaking a nail, but she did not see that kind of outcome in this case.

[kazumasa]

Kaz was caught off guard by her politeness. He wasn't quite sure how to make of it. He kinda felt like an annoyance by her using his last name but for some reason it made him feel a little more comfortable though. He had gotten so used to having people call him by his shortened name that having someone calling him his last name was a lot more comfortable.

He stood up and rubbed the back of his head at her statement. "I'm a bit too popular for my own good. It wasn't this bad until I started attending here." Her bow also caught him off-guard. He felt his face warm up and he held up his hands in front of him. "You don't have to bow, Oshiro-sempai." Her politeness kinda put him on edge. He wasn't sure whether he should be equally polite or act normal so he played it safe and called her with a senior student title.

Her smile after handing him the recipe made him even more flustered. He wasn' really used to girls he didn't know. He was usually able to play it cool but on one-on-one conversation with a girl, he tended to become a bit of an airhead. He hoped she didn't see him as weird and hoped he wouldn't get too embarrassed.

"Thank you, Oshiro-sempai. I'd like to help anyway I can." Part of him wanted to offer to make the bread himself. He knew how to make it and it being a main ingredient of the dish, it should probably be made by him but something in the way she smiled when she spoke of cooking made her seem more surreal. Kaz could tell that Oshiro-sempai really loved cooking.

Kaz walked over to the cupboard she pointed to and openned it. He looked through the materials there and wasn't very surprised to find all the ingredients being the most expensive and highest taste quality ingredients. He never really got used to the fact that he could now afford to spend more on materials. Which reminded him that he would need to do a bit of grocery shopping on the way home.

He found the flour on the shelf and lifted it easily off the shelf. He also looked around for a measuring cup and salt. When he found those materials he brought them to Oshiro-sempai. "Here's the flour, measuring cup, and salt. Anything else you need me to grab?"
He kinda liked the change in pace. He remembered before his family had gotten their wealth that he had cooked for him and his brother. It seemed so long ago. Now that they had a few hired hands in their home, they usually told him they could handle it. Kaz couldn't bring himself to encroach on them either.

He remembered then about his bag. He had brought an old apron from home in it. He went to his bag, which he still had on the ground where he had sat a few moments ago. He pulled out the faded green apron and special honey he had gotten sent over for the bread. He brought the honey to Oshiro-sempai's side. And waited patiently foor her next isntructions.

[echo]

While Fukui-san was getting the flour, Tsubame was rummaging around in the cupboards on the floor. She could have sworn the bread pan was near the front, yet when she looked it wasn't there. Tsubame moved to the cupboard next to it and found a few extras stacked together. When she brought that and the yeast and sugar to the counter Fukui-san had been kind enough to even get the salt and a measuring cup. Tsubame was intrigued by what she saw, this boy knew how to make bread it seemed. Well he did mention how he wanted to make a dessert for his father, she had assumed that meant making the maid do it. Her face showed none of her curiosity as she just smiled.

"Thank you Fukui-san and we only need the vegetable oil which is in the cupboard to the right of the refrigerator." Tsubame had managed to map out were almost every ingredient was in the room, yet the Cooking Club seemed to mess with her organization, hence the missing bread pan.

The girl thought for a moment about how Fukui-san acted, he was rather panicked and embarrassed when he spoke. He couldn't be like that when he spoke to everyone or Tsubame would have heard it in the rumors. It must be when he was speaking with girls that he had a hard time and it didn't seem fake. Then he said that he wanted to help and he knew the ingredients in bread. It just wasn't adding up! Could it be his commoner background that caused him to be so nice? Tsubame remembered his flustering and smiled, it certainly was a different display than she had seen before. Perhaps Fukui-san didn't know about the game of masks that Tsubame had been playing since she enrolled here. If that were true... would it be okay to remove her mask for the time being?

Nonsense Tsubame, that would be very reckless, she mentally scolded herself at the thought. Then she looked a Fukui-san again, he was wearing a green apron and looked ready to cook. "I would suggest wearing something over your hair, it would prevent any hair to fall into the bread. And Cooking Club isn't to fond of hair in their bread," she giggled as she went to fetch a couple of mixing bowls. Normally she didn't have fun cooking with people other than the people in her home kitchen, but the atmosphere here was almost alike.

[kazumasa]

Kaz nodded at Oshiro-sempai and went to the refridgerator and the cupboard where she had said the vegetable oil; could be found. He opened the cupboard and took out the bottle of vegetable oil. It was about half-way full which made kaz wonder who did the shopping for the Cooking Club. He hadn't really thought about that before.

For a moment he thought maybe it was Oshiro-sempai but he dismissed the thought to focus on the task at hand. Tsubame remembered his flustering and smiled, it certainly was a different display than she had seen before. Perhaps Fukui-san didn't know about the game of masks that Tsubame had been playing since she enrolled here. If that were true... would it be okay to remove her mask for the time being?

He turned back to his upperclassmate and caught the smile on her face. It caught him off guard. That smile seemed more real then the one he'd seen when she'd first introduced himself. He was at a loss of words. He felt his face heat up and he was surprised at how cute Oshiro-sempai was when there seemed to be no mask over her smile but cleared his throat and brought the vegetable oil to her side without making any statement about the smile. He saw the smile fade into the one he assumed was the one she wore around everyone. Kaz wondered faguely what she had been smiling about to have caused such a happy and carefree seeming smile.

Kaz gave a boyish smile and ran his hand through his bangs. "Yeah I should probably where something to hold it back. I doubt my brother and father want hair in their desert either." He went to his bag and rummaged a little bit, hoping he had packed something but came up empty. Kaz remembered grabbing it this morning but he also remembered that his brother had bolted downstairs and asked him what he could possible need for a hair net when the help wouldn't let him help in the kitchen. Kaz had put the net back in its place saying he had spaced and was remembering their old routine. His little brother shrugged and accepted the answer and headed his own way. Sadly, Kaz had forgotten to grab the net afterwards.

He sighed before returning to Oshiro-sempai with her mixing bowls. "I didn't bring one with me. Is there any supplied in here that I could use?"

[echo]

Fukui-san had a nice smile, is sorta made her feel nervous. Tsubame wished she could be that carefree all the time. But wouldn't that mean she'd lost the game she'd been trying so hard to play? Yes, of course it would...

As Fukui-san looked for something in his bag, Tsubame measured the ingredients carefully and her mind drifted to other things. Like if her grandfather was still away on business, if so she could go shopping. The Club room was low on a few items, and the kitchen at her house did not have the ingredients she wanted so she could experiment. Her gaze landed on the notebook she placed on the counter not too far away. It was full of recipes she'd copied from books, and a few of her own that would be experiments. She wondered if the kitchen staff would mind, but they usually didn't in fact they helped her when she needed it.

When Fukui-san returned asking if the room was supplied with hair nets, Tsubame thought for a moment. If she remembered correctly on of the girls found a package full of them, yet once the Club saw what it was it was quickly thrown aside. Tsubame remembered saving it and putting it somewhere. She began rummaging around in the drawers, "I know we had some somewhere." Her hands moved to the next drawer and found the package stuffed in the far back, "Ah-ha! Found them!" She exclaimed and pulled them out of hiding. "Their not necessarily brand new but they've never been opened," Tsubame handed them to Fukui-san.

Suddenly she could hear the swallows song and immediately her eyes were drawn to the windows. Was it the swallow from before? The one who had sung outside the library rooms window, but as suddenly as it had came the melody ended and the bird was gone. Tsubame turned her attention back to Fukui-san and the bread.

Since Tsubame was trained to be polite she decided to start small talk. "So you are making something for both your brother and father?" She asked because Fukui-san had mentioned his family before as she spoke Tsubame kept her hands busy with cooking. The water had been heated and she had just added the yeast and sugar, now it just needed to proof. Five minutes of small talk wouldn't be too bad.

[kazumasa]

Kaz smiled appreciatively at his upperclassmen. "Thanks, these will work great." He took out one and put it on and vaguely wondered what the other students would say if they saw him in an apron and hair cap. He couldn't help but give a light laugh at what he must look like.

He heard the bird singing and he recognized the sound but he wasn't much good with what birds made what sounds. Whatever type of bird was singing, he could tell that Oshiro-sempai enjoyed it very much.

But the birds call ended too soon so he didn't get to really see what her reaction was to the little bird. He continued to look out the window until he heard Oshiro ask him a question. Part of him knew she was just trying to be polite. He couldn't really tell if she actually enjoyed his company or if she just wanted him gone but was to polite to come out and say it.

Kaz smiled at the mention of his father and brother. Kaz stood to the side so as to not be in her way but also be readily available if she needed assistance. "Yeah, on a stroke of luck they were both born on the same day. Unfortunately that usually means if I make something I need to find something to fit my dad's traditional style and my brothers sweet-tooth. Luckily, I was able to find both this year."

He watched her work and found himself really enjoying the overall experience. He could tell that Oshiro was a diligent person but he wondered if she had really close friends. Most girls her age would be with their friends after school shopping or something. Kaz then realized that he didn't know much of what the higher class teenagers would have the freedom to do.

"So, where are the rest of the cooking club members anyway? Surely, you aren't the only one who enjoys cooking." He asked out of curiosity but he was pretty sure what her answer would be.

[echo]

Tsubame smiled, Fukui-san was rather kind to be making something for his father and brother. It was even nicer that he was making it with his own two hands. The first time she made something was when she was in the kitchen at her home. Though what she made wasn't very edible Tsubame had found it to be such a wonderful experience. So she kept at it and now anything she made was fantastic, or so said the workers in her home kitchen. "Well, it's a wonderful idea I think and the dish you chose is very interesting," she paused for a moment and pondered a thought. Yet he spoke before she had a chance to ask.

"Well, no, I'm not the only one who enjoys cooking, a few girls come in to make things for the boys of the Host Club," she said thinking back to the first batch of burnt cookies. With her guidance they had managed to make something edible.

"And the other girls of the cooking club would much rather eat my cooking," and fawning over their designer aprons Tsubame thought to herself. No the other girls did not cook but instead eat what Tsubame made. But she found that they were like guinea pigs for her new recipes. Their responses were simple, if they liked it they kept eating, if they don't they stop eating. Tsubame remembered when she first joined the cooking club, back then it was a group of girls who would critic high class restaurants and dishes. There had been the occasional burnt goods but other than that the ovens were gathering dust.

The timer in her head dinged and Tsubame turned back to the yeast to see it fully risen. She picked up one bowl and placed it in front of Fukui-san and kept on bowl for herself. He had said that he wanted to make it himself so she would let him, but that didn't mean she couldn't watch. "If it's alright with you, I would like to observe how the dish is made," she said. She really hoped Fukui-san didn't mind but she wanted to see how he cooked.

[kazumasa]

Kaz laughed with a hand near his mouth. He could picture the girls with hearts in their eyes, to into their own daydreams to actually bake or cook anything. He could also see Oshiro helping them bake and cook their treats. He was sure she had helped. He was also sure hoping that the host club had not gotten a bad stomach ache.

He also could seem them fawning over Oshiro's cooking. From the way she was making the bread, it was second nature to her. It was easy to tell. Kaz smiled warmly at her. "So this is more of a Oshiro-san Cooking Admiration Club? I'd like to be a member. You seem like you really love cooking."

He hoped he wasn't coming off as flirty but he really wanted to try her cooking. He wondered vaguely what she liked to make most? He wasn't sure if she would open up that much to an underclassmen much less him.

He again wondered where her friends were now? Shouldn't they be here with her instead of him, an almost complete stranger? He then thought about his own state. He didn't have many friends yet.

Kaz was a bit stunned to see his share of the yeast. He smiled at her. "It's fine. I will probably need your help more than halfway through." He took the recipe of Palace Bread in his hand and looked at the instructions written in his quick but neat hand. "Uh... can you hand me the honey?" He pointed to her other side.

[echo]

To his comments about this being a club admiring herself, Tsubame blushed. No, no she would simply guide them with gentle nudges in the right direction. When Fukui-san mention he wanted to become a member her blush deepened and she quickly turned towards the window. She knew she should regain her composure but it was hard to do so. Then she though of her cooking and how her grandfather thought of it, "Cooking is just a hobby and is nothing more." Tsubame said trying to hide how sad she was to say it, but it was the truth because her grandfather had planned out her entire life.

Suddenly she turned back with her polite mask reattached, Tsubame scolded herself for letting it crack so easily. Her grandfather would be ashamed at such weakness. It seemed her game of masks was becoming more challenging than it originally was. She returned to her spot on the counter and prepared the bread she was making. And when Fukui-san asked for the honey she handed it to him and watched to see what he would do, as she herself began to work.

It was quiet as they worked on their own little projects, Tsubame watched Fukui-san carefully and somehow managed to kneed her bread and place it in the pans she prepared.

But then a girls voice emanated from the hallway, "Kazumasa-kun!!" The sudden shout caused Tsubame to jump slightly. She turned to the slightly open door and then to Fukui-san, "A friend of yours?" Tsubame asked as she put the flour down and the girls footsteps drew nearer.