~Kei-kun’s Sudden Conversion!

"This is where I draw the line, Anji!!"

"Do you think you’ll pass as a boy with that ridiculous hair of yours?!"

"It’s NOT ridiculous!" Keiko defensively tugged her ponytail away from her brother.

"Unless you want some of my fruity classmates to get a bit too friendly with you…" Anji extended the blade of his scissors.

Keiko grew pale. Her shoulder sagged in defeat, and she sighed.

"I knew you’d agree…" Anji took Keiko’s hair.

"NO!!! I CAN’T!!!" Keiko burst through her brother’s bedroom door, bawling. "You can’t make me!!"

"Kei! Get back here!" Anji called, frustrated.

Keiko ran into the living room, "Mommy! Daddy!" she whined, "Tell Anji not to cut my hair!!"

"Anji, dear, stop trying to cut your sister’s hair off." A woman with a ponytail in a sweatshirt and jeans droned.

"You’ll have to get rid of those horrible bawling fits, too." Anji came up behind his sister.

Keiko darted away quickly, and ran behind a chair. She glared over it, using it as a shield.

"Aren’t there any boys at Unicorn Academy with long hair?!" Keiko whined.

Anji rolled his eyes, and stuck his scissors in his pocket. "Let me see what I can do…"

Keiko gave Anji a critical blink.

"Honest! I won’t cut any of your hair." Anji held up his hands.

"Unicorn Academy?" Their mother perked up. "The boys’ school?"

The two youths grew nervous. Anji sent Keiko a glare as she slapped her hands over her mouth.

"That’s right! Asakura Akio went there before joining the team!" Mrs. Amuro dashed over to a cabinet, and got out a leather-bound book. She began flipping through the pages, "Anji-chan, did you know that?!"

Anji gave his mother a flat glare. "And here I thought that was the reason you sent me there."

Amuro Shinji, the father of the two, came up behind his wife, "Madoka, I always knew there was something special about that school…!"

The two children rolled their eyes, and snuck off to Anji’s bedroom as their parents started gushing about their beloved basketball team.

"Sometimes I wonder if I was switched at birth…" Keiko sighed, opening her brother’s closet.

Anji looked up from his desk, holding a huge roll of gauze.

"I mean, look at you." Keiko turned around to look at him, "You’re the school tennis champ, and Mom and Dad are both sports nuts! While I…" Keiko turned back around, and pulled out a white button-up shirt, "…I perform mouth-to-mouth with a hockey puck."

Anji snorted a laugh at the thought. "Are you calling yourself the black sheep of the family?"

"Maybe…" Keiko pulled of her snug baby tee.

Anji blushed, and turned around. "C-could you give me a warning before flashing those things?!"

"Get a life, Anji." Keiko snapped one of her bra-straps, and then slipped into the button-up shirt. She buttoned it up, "Coast’s clear, Don Juan."

Anji frowned, and heaved an angry sigh. He turned around. "Great." He said sarcastically. "You’re too…too…" he searched for a word, "…busty!" He held up the gauze. "I’m gonna have to wrap you." He began to unbutton her shirt.

Keiko screamed at the top of her lungs the moment he moved towards her. With a tight fist, she punched her brother with a POWER UP PUNCH!!!!

Keiko’s eyes were filled with angry tears, and she hiccuped as she held a thick strip of gauze over her breasts. She pressed down on them gently, and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

Anji had a dark glare plastered on his face, and a huge red mark on his right cheek. He was wrapping the gauze around his sister’s bust with little cooperation. Two pieces of tissue were stuck up his nostrils, each halfway saturated with scarlet blood. He angrily jerked his arms, making the gauze tighter.

"OW!" Keiko hollered, and gave her brother a slap in the face. "CAREFUL!"

"Shut up!" Anji snapped, wrapping another layer around her. "If your stupid boobs weren’t so big…"

"My body suits me just FINE, thank you!" Keiko turned a bit to get eye contact with her brother behind her, but was pricked with a safety pin. "OW!!!"

"Hold still!!" Anji scolded, closing the pin. "Two more…"

"This hurts, Anji!" Keiko whined.

"You’ll get over it…" Anji closed the third pin. "Done!" he looked up and blankly stared at Keiko. "You idiot."

"Hmm?" Keiko blinked, and looked down. She nervously smiled, and laughed. Both of her hands were still holding the bottom layer of gauze on, and the top layers were wrapped over.

Anji used his index finger to pull up the top layers. "Move `em."

"Right." Keiko stuck out her tongue, and pulled out her hands.

Anji released the gauze, and it snapped back into place.

Keiko’s eyes widened, and she threw her arms around her chest. "OWW!! Anji, you’re DEAD!!!" she crouched over in a heap.

"Be grateful I’m not making you wear boy’s underwear." Anji got a wet washcloth, and began to wipe off Keiko’s face.

"Hey!" Keiko tried to jerk away, "Just—just what are you--?!"

"Getting rid of your makeup." Anji calmly said, restrained her, "But still, will you?!" he successfully began to clean her face. "Most of it’s gone anyway, with all your bawling."

"Careful! You’ll knock out my contacts!" Keiko grabbed his wrist and bolted away, and studied her face in a mirror sorrowfully.

"Oh, yeah. Those have to go, too."

Keiko looked up, "What?! Do you have any idea how long I begged to get these?!"

"Not my fault." Anji replied.

Keiko glared at him. "Yes it is."

"There’s no way you’ll pass as a boy unless you wear your glasses." Anji folded his arms. "Don’t take this the wrong way, but…" he brother frowned, "You’d…looktoopretty…"

Keiko grinned, "Oh, I see!" Keiko pushed her hair behind her shoulder. "I guess us beautiful people have to make sacrifices…"

Anji began making gagging noises, and Keiko angrily frowned.

"You’re gonna be the most gay boy in the entire school." Anji sighed.

"Shut up!!" Keiko whined. "I’m NOT gay!" she popped out her contacts. She took the glasses Anji handed her, and slipped them on. She whined deep in her throat. "I look so UGLY…!!!"

"That’s the goal…" Anji took a brush, and began to pull Keiko’s hair back.

"No! Gimme that!" Keiko tugged away her hair, and snatched the brush. "I still don’t trust you after what happened earlier." She lovingly brushed her hair with pride.

"Good grief, will you get over it?! I won’t cut it!"

"Whatever." Keiko held her hair in a low ponytail, and tied it back.

"Listen, it’ll be a lot easier if you just cooperate." Anji sighed.

"I just wish I could remember how you talked me into this…" Keiko critically examined her reflection once again.

"Wasn’t your class pres. getting on your case about something?" Anji thought.

Keiko snorted. "Right! It’s `cause ‘I’m a nobody’ and I need to do something to bring pride to Phoenix School for Girls."

Anji made a small smile. "Rina-san’s become really gung-ho, hasn’t she?"

" ‘Insane’ is more like it." Keiko put on Anji’s button-up shirt. "She eats, sleeps, and breathes ‘championship’."

Anji looked up to Keiko. "Perfect!" he stood, and examined her from behind, and then walked around her. "Ah! You’re an artist, Anji! Keiko—no!---Kei-KUN--! Kei-kun could pass as a Japanese super-idol! All because of your fantastic fashion sense--!"

"You’re talking to yourself again." Keiko flatly murmured.

Anji didn’t hear his sister. "Kei-kun will be such a lady-killer…!"

"I’LL BE GUY REPELLANT!" Keiko shouted over her brother.

Anji winced and snapped back to attention, "Of course you—WAITAMINUTE!" he bent down, and looked into Keiko’s eyes. "Just what were you planning to do while there, huh?!"

Keiko nervously smiled. "Nothing!" she peeped.

"NO flirting! If anyone finds out you’re a girl, the Unicorn Academy is toast!" Anji lectured.

Keiko gave a forlorn sigh.

"I mean it."

"OKAY!" Keiko shouted.

"Good. Let’s get you packed, we’re catching a bus at 7 am tomorrow."

Keiko had to hold her nose as she boarded the bus the next morning. The entire thing reeked of cologne and after-shave. Her eyes watered, and she was glad she didn’t have her contacts in.

Anji climbed on behind her. "Go to the back."

"There’s no room." Keiko replied.

"Then take whatever you can find."

Keiko’s lip curled a bit in disgust, and found them a seat about four rows from the front. She sat next to the window, while her brother took the aisle seat.

The bus shook to a grueling start, and the hum of the guys talking went back to a wild vocal free-for-all.

Keiko felt her eyelids drooping, and she let out a loud yawn. "I feel so dirty without makeup." She quietly murmured so only her brother could hear.

"It’s a long trip. You can try to get some sleep if you like." Anji dug out his Gameboy and snapped it on.

"The keyword being ‘try’…" Keiko sighed, and closed her eyes. She leaned towards her brother, and rested her head on his shoulder.

After a moment, Anji snapped out of his video game, and realized the added weight on his shoulder. He noticed a number of young men giving him uncomfortable stares. He suddenly blushed, and gave Keiko a slap upside the head. "Cut it out!"

"Ow!" Keiko whined, and rubbed her head. "Not so rough!"

"Stop acting like a fag, will ya?" Anji resumed his game.

Keiko angrily sighed, and rested her head on the bus window. The bus wheel hit a bump, and her forehead made a sharp rapping sound on the glass.

"Ow!" Keiko gasped, and jerked her head up, hitting the back of her head on the seat. She rubbed the back of her head and grabbed her ponytail to toss over her shoulder, when she felt something sticky on her hand. "Hmm?" she brought her fingers to her nose, and sniffed it. Her eyes widened. "Gum!!!" she cried, and grabbed her ponytail again.

"Chill, Kei!" Anji hissed.

"But Anjiii..!" Keiko whined. "Look!"

"Quiet! I see it, already!" Anji paused his game. "You can’t do anything about it, so don’t blow your cover by whining."

"But-!"

"I mean it!"

Keiko blinked back her tears, and swallowed her arguments (and her dignity, for that matter).

"Ice should help."

Keiko looked up to see a sweet-looking young man with glasses lean over the seat in front of her. He had a hand extended out over her lap, with an ice cube quickly melting in his palm, "It should freeze the gum."

Keiko took the cube and put it on the gum wad. "Thanks." She tried to deepen her voice a bit, but it sounded really lame.

The young man drew back his arm, and rested it atop the seat back. "Be glad you’re on the smart bus…"

"You mean the geek bus." Anji tossed out a comment, all the while absorbed in beating the fifth-level boss on his video game.

"Quiet, Amuro." The boy with glasses shot back, and went back to Keiko, his sweet smile returning. "Amuro there wishes he was on the athletes’ bus," his voice lowered, "…which, I assure you, reeks of bodily odors much worse than the cheapest colognes and after shaves." He rose an eyebrow and gave a sideways grin.

Keiko found this expression remarkably cute, and took an immediate liking to this boy. She giggled (to which Anji shot her a warning glare) and smiled. She leaned closer to the boy, "This is my first year here."

"Really? I’ll show you around campus, if you like!" the boy extended his hand again to have it shook. "I’m Hiiragi Gohei. President of the Writing Club and Editor of the School Paper."

Impressive! Keiko took his hand and earnestly shook it. "Fujishige Kei."

"Nice to meet you." Gohei released their grip. "So what cruel twist of fate brought you to sit next to Mr. All-Star there?"

"Shove it, Hiiragi." Anji didn’t look up, but began to punch more aggressively at his buttons.

"No twist. We’re neighbors." Keiko answered, and noticed she was speaking in her normal voice. She cleared her throat, and spoke deeper. "Excuse me."

"Well, this year shall prove to be interesting…" Gohei smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, the music hall."

" ‘Music hall’?" Keiko repeated.

"Right. It’s haunted. Ever since last year." Gohei smiled, "It’s given us some great publicity. Jiro-kun loves it."

"Who’s Jiro-kun?" Keiko asked.

"The President of the Student Council. An interesting fellow. I’m sure you’ll run into him sometime within the first month here."

Keiko kept the name in the back of her mind. A guy who uses the hauntings for publicity. I don’t like him already…

"He’s really friendly. He quickly adopts the newbies." Gohei continued, "Just don’t let his loudness scare you off."

"I don’t think it’ll be a problem. I get along easily." Keiko smiled.

"Then you’ll do great." Gohei smiled, "I hope we’re in the same dorm building! The campus isn’t huge, but it’d make things easier."

Keiko felt pleasantly compelled to smile back. "That’d be great!" What a cutie!!!

Anji inconspicuously glared over the top of his Gameboy at Keiko, who, if she weren’t in boy’s clothes, could easily be accused of flirting. Anji rolled his eyes, and let it slide.

The majority of the bus ride was smooth. It was only two hours long, and Keiko was enthralled in a discussion with Gohei. She didn’t even notice her brother get off the bus once they arrived in front of the gates of the Unicorn Academy. In fact, they were two of the last people off the bus.

"…so, after a year and a half of sucking up and diligent writing, the jerk finally graduated, and Jiro-kun promoted me to Head Editor!" Gohei stood, and reached above him to grab his bags. "I’ll tell you what, that won my vote!"

Keiko laughed, and reached for her bags, "I bet all the girls were disappointed that you turned them down all the time."

"Ah, it was worth it!" Gohei stood by Keiko as her three bags toppled on top of her, the thud muffling her screech.

Gohei picked up one of the duffel bags. "You okay, Fujishige?"

Keiko threw off one of the other bags, and groaned.

"All this is yours?!" Gohei asked, astonished. "You pack like my sister."

Keiko laughed nervously. "I’ve never been so far from home before!"

"Oh. Lemme take one…" Gohei picked one up, "If you don’t mind, of course."

Keiko rose an eyebrow, "Why would I?"

"Y’know how jocks are…insults their masculinity…" Gohei slung a bag over his shoulder. (Keiko was going ballistic in her head, amazed that such an…intellect could have such strong arms!!!) "If you ask me, if they’re sensitive to that, they’ve got bigger issues they need to deal with."

Keiko grinned, and lifted her other two bags, "I like your thinking!" I’m going to get along real well with this guy!

As they boarded off the bus together, Anji noticed them, and walked to his sister’s side, "What is he doing with your bag?!" he hissed.

With a haughty glare, Keiko replied, "I’ve no desire to prove my masculinity. He offered."

Anji glared back. "Don’t blow it."

"Chill out, Amuro." Keiko replied with a cocky smile. "You’re not my brother anymore."

"Maybe not to the general public, but to Mom and Dad, your safety is in my hands!" Anji’s tone rose an octave as he grew more frustrated.

"Fujishige-kun!" Gohei interrupted their argument ignorantly, "Are you planning to join any of the clubs?"

Both Anji and Keiko gave Gohei a blank stare for a second, and Keiko smiled (while Anji scowled, realizing the argument would have to continue later).

"I don’t have any talents, really…" Keiko smiled nervously, "I’m thinking of getting a job after school. Maybe in the music hall, or something…"

"The music hall?!" Gohei repeated with a laugh. "Did you forget already?! It’s haun…" he faded off as he saw Keiko give him a small, sly smile. His eyebrows rose, "…oooooh…oh, I like you…"

"Not too bad yourself." Keiko lifted her chin a bit, giving him a sideways glance.

They approached a table where there were lines of students waiting to receive their dorm keys and schedules.

Keiko searched the lines for her brother, and spotted him getting his key two rows down. The lines were moving quickly, and she wasn’t able to get a good glance of any other guys before she was in the front of the line.

"Name?" a middle-aged man with a clipboard looked up to Keiko over the rim of his tiny spectacles.

"Uh, Fujishige Kei." Keiko once again tried to sound more masculine.

After a moment, the man pulled out an envelope, and pulled out the key. "You’re in the dorm attached to the music hall."

"Thank you." Keiko took her key and schedule, "Room 126…okay…" she stepped aside with her bags, and waited for Gohei. Perfect. I can do plenty of investigating that way…

"I’m in the dorm behind the cafeteria…" Anji walked up to Keiko once again.

"I’m in the music hall dorm." Keiko looked at her key.

"What luck!" Anji smiled. "You’ll be able to check on it whenever you like!"

"Fujishige-kun!" Gohei called, and ran to Keiko, holding up his key. "You won’t believe this! We’re roommates!"

"EHHH~~~?!" Anji and Keiko both exclaimed (in opposite tones, of course). "No way!" (Once again, in opposite tones, like before.)

Anji grabbed Gohei by the collar, "Give me your room, squirt!"

"I’d calm down, Amuro." Gohei adjusted his glasses. "The press doesn’t take threats well."

"Bring it on! Just give me the key, or I’ll pound your head in!" Anji growled.

"You asked for it, Amuro…" Gohei gave him the key, and Anji released him.

Anji handed Gohei his key. "I don’t need the press to say I’m tennis champ to know I am one."

"Anji…" Keiko blinked in shock.

"Suit yourself." Gohei shrugged, and looked to Keiko. "Sorry, but it looks like you’ll have to room with Mr. Testosterone here. See you around, okay?"

"Sure!" Keiko waved, "Sorry about that…"

"S’nothing. It’s the price I pay for prominence…" Gohei set down the bag of Keiko’s he was carrying, "I’m sure ‘macho-man’ here can carry your bag."

"Don’t hold your breath." Anji shot at Keiko.

"See ya." Gohei headed towards the cafeteria.

Once he was out of earshot, Keiko rose her voice. "What was that?!!"

"Pick up your bags." Anji lifted his (singular) bag and lead Keiko to their dorm room.

"You just blew my chance at making a friend!" Keiko piled up her bags on her back.

"I also blew his chance of scoring with you." Anji muttered under his breath.

"What? What’d you say?!" Keiko fumed, "You think I’m that easy?!"

"I saw how you were drooling over Hiiragi! If I just gave it a few months…"

"I can’t believe you! I’m your SISTER!!!" she hissed.

"You’re female. You’re my LITTLE sister. I’ve seen some of the guys here sneak girls into their dorm rooms. It’s disgusting." Anji grew quiet. "I don’t see why you’d be so pissed over me protecting you."

Keiko paused, and looked to her brother, "You…you just risked your social career for…"

Anji smiled, and gave her an encouraging slug on the shoulder, "So what?"

"…" Keiko felt herself begin to tilt beneath the bag’s shifting weight.

"Ah!" Anji gasped, and watched Keiko fall to her side, suspended by the bags. He nervously smiled, "Want some help?"

"I asked for it earlier." Keiko flatly droned.

Anji sighed, and shook his head, smiling. "Let’s get unpacked." He lifted up a bag, and slung it over his shoulder.

Keiko got up, and hauled the other two bags.

"I can’t always treat you well like this, Kei…" Anji sighed as he walked into their dorm. "You’re going to have to get around on your own."

"You’re beginning to sound like my parents…" Keiko followed him down the hallway.

"Well, I am your—oh, there’s the music hall…" Anji jerked his head a bit towards two large, solid wood doors to point out the music hall.

"Oh…" Keiko stared at it for a moment.

"Anyway, it’s my responsibility to take care of you while you’re here…"

Keiko’s eyes searched the hallway, which was full of people. She brushed shoulders with quite a few boys, but her elbow hit hard on another boy’s arm. She winced, and looked at the boy she bumped into. His skin was pale and his hair was jet black. He had a sharp, empty glare plastered on his face, and he walked stiffly, like a militarian officer. Keiko’s stare lingered over her shoulder, and was cut short by bumping into her brother’s back.

"Careful." He said while opening the door.

"M..mmh…" she looked to her brother, and glanced over her shoulder once more to find the pale boy gone. She walked in, a little dazed. Odd boy…

"We’ve got a pretty nice dorm!" Anji threw his bag onto his bed.

Keiko walked in, and set her bags at the doorway.

Anji threw the third bag of Keiko’s on the bed opposite his. "Last year my dorm room’s air-conditioning died."

"Yuck!" Keiko stuck out her tongue, "How miserable."

"Yeah…" Anji unzipped his suitcase, and began to unpack his clothes into a chest-of-drawers that he and Keiko would share.

Keiko followed his example, and quickly filled her first drawer with various button-up shirts of her brother’s, jeans, and underwear. She moved onto the second drawer (and second suitcase), filling it with socks and shoes. All was going well, until her space was filled with her brother’s socks. She drew her hands back with a bit of surprise, and her lips slipped to a frown. She sent an aggravated glare to her brother, who was continuing with his unpacking, oblivious to any possibility of wronging his sister. Arching her eyebrows confidently, her mouth curled into a rather lewd smile.

Almost systematically, Keiko began to pluck out her brother’s things as he put them in, replacing them with her things.

Anji pulled out the last of his clothes, and sighed with relief as he set them into the drawer. He wiped a bit of sweat off of his brow, and looked to his sister. His eyes bulged when he saw the enormous heap of sweatshirts, pants, and boy’s underwear beginning to tower over the bottom drawer.

Keiko was happily humming to herself as she neatly stacked her clothes in the drawers. She saw her brother pull out some of her underwear. She gawked, and grabbed an end. "Put those back!"

Anji tugged in resistance. "Keep these in the suitcase! If anyone sees these…!"

"Forget it! A necessity is a necessity!" Keiko tugged with all her might, and the delicate cotton made a deafening rip.

Anji and Keiko both fell back, each with a piece of cotton in their hand.

Keiko sat up, and lifted her hand. "AH--!" she gasped, and began to whine, "Anjiiiiii!!! You ripped it!!!" tears filled her eyes, and she began to panic. "Where am I supposed to get a new one to replace it?! I’ll have to go without!! I can’t do that! The entire plan’ll be ruined in a week!"

"Kei! Get a grip!" Anji sat up and got on his hands and knees.

Keiko, by this time, was bawling, and it was considerably loud this time around.

"Hey, chill Kei!" Anji took his little sister’s shoulders. "Believe me, I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly." He lifted her glasses, and rested them on top of her head. "Just leave the small stuff to me." With the back of his hand, he rubbed away some of her tears.

Keiko sniffed, "I’m scared Anji. You’re all the way across campus, with all the seniors."

"I’ll find ways to keep an eye on you. I’ve got a free period for the 5th hour. Lemme see your schedule." Anji held out his hand.

Keiko reached into her shirt pocket, and took out a folded sheet of paper. She unfolded it and glanced over it before handing it to her brother.

Anji read over the schedule. "Hmm…ah-ha! Lucky!" he smiled, "You have Saitoh-sensei! He’s awesome!"

Keiko felt relieved at her brother’s encouraging comment.

Anji read further down on her list, and his smile suddenly faded.

Keiko noticed Anji’s sudden change of face. "W…what’s wrong, Anji?"

"Oh, no…" Anji mumbled, "Keiko, your cover has just been blown!"

End Chapter One

Go on to Chapter Two