We Are the Sons and Daughters - Kyoya x OC

Chapter 1

     After class, Kyoya usually waited for Tamaki to finish packing up his things so they could go to the clubroom together. That day, however, as soon as the bell rang the raven-haired boy did not spare his friend a glance as he walked out of the classroom and purposefully made his way toward the second years' main hallway. It was the day the results from the school's mock midterm exams were posted, and Kyoya had to check his ranking.

     Before, he wouldn't have been so concerned. Kyoya had always been at the top of his class and knew that no one else's scores came close to his. That had changed at the beginning of the year, however, with the arrival of a transfer student named Reiko Sakamoto.

     In most cases, if a student were to transfer to Ouran Academy, an announcement would be made to the corresponding class. Class 2A, however, had received no such notice. One day, a month into the school year, she simply appeared. She'd occupied the seat by the window to his right and stared out the window uninterestedly as though the view of the academy's grounds was one she'd seen a thousand times before.

     Sakamoto was not a name Kyoya recognized- a rare occurrence for he who prided himself on knowing the families of every student at Ouran. Of course, he'd tried to investigate her as soon as she'd given her name; he needed to determine whether she was a scholarship student or another member of the elite society he'd have to acquaint himself with. For once, however, he'd come up empty. With the exception of her registration at Ouran Academy, there was no record of a girl named Reiko Sakamoto.

     Never one to give up, Kyoya attempted to gain more information through conversation, but Reiko managed to evade each of his questions with an ease and grace even he couldn't help but admire.

     At first, the young lady only held his attention because she was a mystery- a puzzle to be solved. Then they took their first exam together.

     She hadn't beaten him, but they had tied. And they only tied because she had forgotten to write her full name on her exam, and their teacher had deducted points for it. If not for that small, insignificant mistake, she would've scored higher than he: a perfect score.

     Most were unaware, but Kyoya Ootori was a very sore loser. It was only that he was so rarely beaten and his emotions so carefully hidden that few noticed it. Those who did never mentioned it. Reiko, however, not only noticed, but she'd mocked him for it. After receiving their exam results, he'd gone up to the female to congratulate her score in a show of "good sportsmanship" but slipped in a subtle warning for her not to get comfortable in her position as it would not happen again. Hearing such a warning, most would cower in fear of making a rival out of the Shadow King. Reiko Sakamoto had heard his words and laughed. The eighteen-year-old female had burst into giggles no sooner than the words had left his lips, and she'd smiled and dismissed them flippantly as though she were dismissing the whines of a spoiled child.

     Not one to enjoy being laughed at, the next exam, he got his revenge. His actions resulted in a never-ending competition between them, and the spot as the top student in their year was passed between them bitterly with each exam.

     That was why this year, the midyear mock exams were so vital. It was one of the few times during the school year that everyone's scores were posted, and Kyoya would see just how big of a gap there was between him and Reiko, no matter who was on top.

     He saw her standing in front of the bulletin board, and as he approached, their classmates could feel the atmosphere change with his arrival. The air was suddenly charged with electricity, and the crowd instinctually parted to allow the male to walk past until he was standing right next to his rival.

     The sight of them together was as awing as it was terrifying. The pair stood straight, their postures perfect as their arms folded in front of their chests. Reiko's silvery white hair was braided into a bun- he'd noticed- and revealed her sharp and elegant features as well as her lips which were twisted into an almost unnoticeable smirk.

     Neither one of them greeted the other at first. Kyoya's eyes drifted towards the bulletin board, and Reiko's gaze settled upon him with a sort of condescending curiosity.

     As soon as Kyoya read his name, he cursed. The number two next to it infuriated him. There was an indisputable seven-point gap between his and Reiko's scores. She had beaten him once more.

     "Congratulations on placing first, Reiko," he said. They had long since abandoned formalities, and the false smile he wore to please his peers was nowhere to be found as he looked down at the petite woman.

     Reiko smiled up at him, her grey eyes shining with victory. "Thank you, Kyoya, you must be happy about your placement as well."

     Kyoya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He both cursed and admired her for her ability to mock him in a manner that seemed nothing but kind and amicable. She knew better than anyone he was unhappy with his placement. She knew he'd wanted to be first, but he obviously could not say as much aloud.

     "I am pleased with the results," he started, "though I'm confident midterms will have a different outcome."

     Reiko's smirk twisted into a condescending grin. "Being the diligent student you are, I'm sure you'll be able to improve your score a bit before the midterms. I'll be wishing you the very best of luck."

     "Only time will tell, I suppose."

     She merely hummed in response and turned around to leave. Kyoya watched as she disappeared into the crowd, her heels clicking against the hall's marble floors and her head held high with the confidence of her latest win.