Disclaimer: I have no rights over any Ouran characters

Haruhi stood at a crossroads in her life, and she knew it.

In her hands were two different letters.

One was an acceptance letter to a very prestigious school right here in Tokyo. It came complete with a scholarship that would cover her tuition and book costs as long as she remained top of her class.

She'd expected to get that letter. She'd studied hard for the exam and she'd looked up the other students applying, none of them were quite as dedicated as she was when it came to studying.

It was the other letter that was the surprise. She'd only applied for it because her father had pressed her.

How in the world had she gotten accepted at a prestigious boarding school in Australia?

This letter informed her that with her scores and interview she'd managed to land their premier scholarship. If she maintained a spot in the top three of her class all of her room, board, tuition, uniform and books would be covered. And, she was even eligible for a free round-trip flight to Japan once a year if she was first in her class. Even if she wasn't the top three, her tuition and room were covered and her books, uniform and board would be covered if she took a part-time job on campus and stayed in the top ten percent of her class.

She cast a sidelong glance at her father snoring loudly on his futon, what would he do without her? How would he eat? But, if she didn't go, and he found out she got in, she'd never hear the end of it…

Haruhi tried to make up her mind.

If she accepted Ouran then she'd be able to stay right here at home and keep an eye on her father, who definitely needed watching.

But, if she went to Brekleys she'd be able to save him money on her food. She'd also be better prepared for a university outside of Japan, if that's what she wanted.

She sat there for a while weighing the pros and cons of the two schools before a loud snore from her father alerted her to the time.

Sighing, Haruhi stuck the letters back in her bag and laid down on her own futon.

Maybe sleeping on it would make it easier.

XXX

Haruhi gripped her suitcase handle tightly and shifted her backpack so it wasn't cutting into her shoulders so badly before moving determinedly through the crowd.

She'd passed customs easily enough. Her visa was in order and due to her status as an unaccompanied minor she'd been escorted through one of the shorter, special lines.

Leaving her dad at Narita International Airport hadn't been easy. He'd of course made a big scene about how he was so proud of his little baby going off to a fancy school. And, while she knew he was proud, she also knew he was scared. He knew she was smart, but he was scared she wasn't smart enough to hold the top slot in her class. They didn't have the money to pay for a return flight to Japan and he didn't want to go years without seeing her again.

She was afraid, too.

Not that being afraid helped at all.

But, what if her English wasn't good enough?

What if she couldn't get the top spot because she was studying in a second language?

And there was no way she'd take a handicap, even if they offered her one.

Haruhi reached the exit for the international arrivals and stopped for a moment. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mother," she thought, "please, let it all turn out all right."

And with that thought she stepped through the doorway.

It was time to find her contact from Brekleys.

XXX

"We're so excited to have such a promising international student here at Brekleys!" Ms. Stork, her contact, exclaimed.

"I am happy to go to Brekleys," Haruhi stated calmly as she watched the countryside fly by outside the car's window. This woman was so excitable, it wouldn't help to encourage her. Too much like her own father.

"Oh! Of course you are! We're the best in all of Australia, and, possibly, the world! All of our students go on to top universities in whatever country they so choose. Oh! We're almost there! See? There's the school bell tower?"

Haruhi leaned down so she could see the tall brick and wrought iron clock tower that Ms. Stork was pointing at.

It was a beautiful piece of work, and as they rounded a bend in the road Haruhi caught sight of the gate that led to the campus. It had to be five meters tall and was made of wrought iron with small details in brilliantly polished copper. Haruhi knew that copper wasn't expensive, but keeping it polished so nicely probably took lots and lots of work. She hoped that wasn't her part-time job. She'd much rather cook food than polish a silly bit of extravagance.

"Well, what do you think of it?" Ms. Stork asked expectantly.

"It is very beautiful. So many wrought iron, it is very strong looking."

"So much wrought iron, not so many," Ms. Stork corrected absently. All of her attention was on watching the school with this mix of love and awe.

Haruhi wondered what about Brekleys made it worth so much devotion. She'd never felt anything like that for her old school.

Maybe she'd find out.

But, then again, maybe she wouldn't.

Author's Note: So, I got a little plot bunny. Here comes another long KyoyaXHaruhi fic. Like 'A Facade of a Relationship' it starts in high school, but like 'Love and Happiness' it is much more grounded in reality while still staying true to the awesome Ouran characters I love so much.

Enjoy!