The Shrine

Ophelia was carrying a few bags down the street before she walked passed a shrine. She came to sudden hualt and turned back around.

"Maybe the spirits can change my luck" she though putting her backs down somewhere safe.

She looked around she didn't feel that odd wearing ears and a tail today but she still felt a little uneasy.

At the shrine for good luck and guidance in his new school, Yue was in the middle of his prayers.

"Please.. Just let me fit in.." he mumbled.

It wasn't long until he sensed a presence coming from his back. He turned and saw a young girl. One characteristic that caught his attention was the ears and tail she had which he found very.. 'unique'. After that, the dark colored hair and eyes which reminded him of of his own appearance.

"Oh.. sorry. I didn't mean to stare.. I was just surprised to see another person here." Yue said as a moment passed by with him just looking at this girl.

Ophelia looked at the boy. She gave a small smile

"It's alright you wouldn't be the first to stare at me today. So you praying too I see."

She came closer to pray as well. She dropped a coin or two down the slot before ringing the bell then clapping her hands together saying her pray quietly

".. Let me make more acceptable friends.. And have a successful year.."

Giving her some space to pray, Yue observed yet again the girl. She seemed too unhappy with people staring at her for some reason. It was just sad, He thought.

"Well, Constantly being under people's watch is really nerve-racking." He said to himself. "I wonder if she'll like talk about it..."

Yue waited for the girl to finish with her prayers before he could request something from her. It would be so impolite to just make people go out of their own way for his whims. He thought that maybe all this girl needed was a friend.

Ophelia finished her prayer. She didn't look at the boy

"I am assuming you would like to ask something of me?" she said gently smiling a bit
"Who wouldn't question a person dressed in something as curious as what I'm wearing? But I have no fear in who I truly but I accept the fate it brings me."

Just as she had guessed, Yue had a few things in minds on which he wanted to ask the girl. One of which, why does she sport that kind of outfit and what was wrong with her wearing those? He did not find the the ears and tail as weird but he did thought it was a bit cute.

" I was just wondering.. What brought a girl like you here in the shrine?" Yue asked.

"Just hoping for my first year of school to be a good one. I'm hoping the spirits give me the strength to help me blend in and look normal.." she laughed hearing what she had just said.

"I guess I can blend in because then I wouldn't be myself."

She looked at the boy and smiled a bit "And what about you if I may ask"

" Oh I see. I guess we almost have the same prayer then.. I asked the spirits would let me have a peaceful highschool life. Always got caught in some trouble in previous schools." Yue explained so shyly. He never thought he'd share a bit of his past to a random girl he just met at some shrine.

"oh.. How rude of me. My name's Yue. May I ask yours?" He said with a smile.

She nodded smiling more

"My name is Ophelia and it seems you and I have something in common. I used to get picked on a lot for the way I dressed.. So I would get into lots of fights.. Evenly they had to move me out of the school. So here I am the capital of cosplay."

She smiled proudly getting up and dusting off her knees. She was glad to have found someone with a common problem and be able to understand the pain she went through.

A slight sense of pleasure emerged from the depths of Yue's heart. Never had he thought that it was this easy to make friends. What Yue thought as friends before were just bullies bossing him around the place. "One goal down" he muttered to himself as he finally met one person he could see as a real friend.

He tried with much effort to hide his great happiness welling up. "Would you also be enrolling at Ouran? Sorry. Just had to ask because I had just enrolled there and was thinking how'd my first day would be like."

She was surprised hearing his question.

She laughed and nodded "Yes I enrolled there! I am in class 3A/B. Of course I won't be dressed like this."

She couldn't believe she met a future class mate. She wondered if her room mates would like him.

"I guess Ouran must be a really good school for lots of students to be accepted."

" Aww dang.. They told me I was in Class 2A/B. And just when I thought I found a new classmate" he said in disbelief. " I gues I could still see you on breaks."

"Oh you might be in the same class as my roommates. I think I'm not too positive. But I'll be on school grounds a lot if I'm not busy helping my fellow cosplayers." she said with a small smile.

"Roommates?" He exclaimed as he smiled with the very thought of more friends he could possibly meet. But he also thought he shouldn't get very eager to meet them now. Especially now that they had just met.

"So you already are settled, huh? I think I was not informed of the dorms at my enrollment. Maybe I should check them out later and see for myself." he said while putting his hands on his waist trying to remember what the principal told him at his enrollment.

"Oh well.. I live in an apartment not far from campus not a dorm? I'm I guess a "commoner"? Since I'm on scholarship and looking for work" she said laughing a bit embarrassed.

She never thought she would be telling anyone about her financial situation since from what she saw so far was rich students.

"Oh I see.. I guess I got my hopes too high yet again.." He sighed.

" I also grew up before in an environment where we had to eat only one cup noodles for a week. I think I understand your predicament." He told Ophelia while giving her a smile. " I was only able to come here because my parents had put me in an orphanage and that's where I was found by my step father. Lucky, If you may call me."

She nodded "That would be lucky. I worked hard in a small shop back in the US until I had enough to get here since I knew it would be ok to walk around like this and not be so judged.."

She laughed a bit "But I've also dreamt of coming here since I was a kid."

"Wow.. Such perseverance and dedication.."

Yue could not help but be fascinated with this girl. Such strong will is hard to come across these days. Enjoying her company, he thought why don't he ask Ophelia to go sit near a nearby bench since it was pretty tiring to be standing up the entire time.

"I know our conversation's very good but would you want if we continue this ona a bench somewhere? You seem rather burdened with your stuff. Here, Let me carry some of that while we look." Yue said as he offered Ophelia te help carry some of her stuff since he had nothing on him anyways.

"Oh.. Yeah sure thank you" she bowed a bit smiling taking some bags. "I was on my way a friends house to help with a suit."

She looked for bench before finding one under a cherry tree.

"Is there ok for you?" she asked

"That's the place that you want? Okay. Anywhere's fine with me anyways. I just didn't want you to carry all of these the whole conversation.." Yue said as he struggled to keep up with Ophelia while he walks with her stuff.

"How could she possibly carry all these by herself?" yue asked himself with the difficulty he had been going with the bags. Although it was not heavy, It proved to be of a real hassle to him. Or maybe he was just not used to having so many bags. All he had was a small bag tied to his belt which was hardly even noticeable.

She put the bags down before looking over at Yue

"Do you need help? I'm sorry they might seem heavy but it's just material and some sewing items I needed. Here let me take those." she said taking a bag from him and putting it with the others.

"Oh.Okay. take this.." Yue said as he handed a bag to Ophelia. He wasn't really going to give it to Ophelia if he was asked to due to the one of his morals that tells him to be more of a gentleman to carry it for her but she insisted and there was nothing he could do about it. "I'd have to be more reliable.." he muttered as he gave himself a face palm.

He went and put all the remaining bags to where Ophelia had placed them and had taken a seat under the cherry tree. He then looked at Ophelia. Observing yet again what she was up to until he asked again.

"May I hear the reason why you dreamed of coming here as kid now?" He said with a heart warming smile and motioned Ophelia to take a seat with him.

She smiled sitting next to him letting a sigh in content

"Well when I lived in the US I was very into manga and anime. I started to draw and write little manga's here and there. Of course my draws were horrible back then.but as time passed they got better and I wanted to become a manga-ka. Then I was introducted to different fandoms that I knew were not always accepting in the US. So here I am trying to make my dreams come true."

She laughed a bit as she heard the word come out of her mouth. It been a long time since anyone had asked her about why she wanted anything.

"So you're into manga as well! I confess that I am very addicted to it too. I read them whenever I have spare time or usually on my breaks but it never crossed my mind to actually try and make them." Yue said. He was astonished that Ophelia was dreaming to be a manga-ka. A cute girl like her being a manga-ka? He would have never guessed it. He thought that it was rare for him to find another soul interested in manga just like him.