Chapter 1 – You Have Been Served
Haruhi relaxed into the soft leather of the couch in the waiting area outside the office of Mr. Yudai Daito, one of the partners of the law firm where she worked. Each partner had a lawyer, a law clerk, and a secretary working for them. Her mother, Kotoko, had been the lawyer working under Mr. Daito before her death twenty years ago. He had other lawyers working for him during that time, but each had moved on after about five years because they had not made partner themselves. Ryoji, Haruhi's father had kept in touch with Mr. Daito through the years. Five years ago, when Ryoji told him Haruhi had completed her law degree, Mr. Daito had insisted she interview for the open position left by his last lawyer. All of the partners were very impressed with her and Mr. Daito was allowed to offer her the position, which she accepted.
As she waited, she contemplated the very high profile case she had just won, the most likely reason that she had been summoned to Mr. Daito's office. The case revolved around the shoddy construction and sub-par materials used to build a shopping center. A minor earthquake caused a partial collapse that exposed the code violations and related problems. Thankfully, no one had been killed but twenty-seven people had been injured, three stores completely destroyed, and eight others severely damaged.
Several high-racking families had been involved and no other firm or lawyer even considered taking on any of the suits against such prestigious families. However, she had convinced Mr. Daito to allow her to take it as a class action suit on a contingency basis. If she failed, it could be passed off as inexperience or youthful hubris. The outcome of the case had been particularly satisfying because she had been able to structure the damage award to cover all the medical bills, lost income, damaged merchandise, and re-building of the shopping, as well as the standard fifty percent contingency fee.
Except for the Yamamoto family, every defendant named in the suit had been satisfied with the outcome. Most of the parties were relieved the settlement stipulated that no criminal charges would be pursued for negligence. Some of the violations had been so blatant they had to be criminal. The Yamamoto family insisted that they knew nothing of the shortcuts and inferior materials. However, ample evidence was presented during the trial to prove that they not only knew but were the driving force behind the shoddy construction. The prosecutor's office was still investigating criminal charges against members of the Yamamoto family for blackmail, extortion, duress, and bribery.
"Mr. Daito will see you now, Ms. Fujioka," Rio Yoshii, the partner's secretary said, interrupting Haruhi's introspection, "You can go right in."
"Thank you, Rio. Remember, you can call me Haruhi," Haruhi replied as she stood, smoothed her blazer, picked up her briefcase, and moved toward the office door.
"Haruhi, thank you for coming," Mr. Daito beamed as he stood and shook her hand warmly, "Please have a seat. I cannot express how impressed the partners were with your work on the shopping center case. With all the high-ranking families involved, no one else wanted to touch it. Your mother would be so proud of you. You handled it with such finesse that some of the witnesses did not even realize they were admitting their guilt."
Smiling, Haruhi sat down, placing her briefcase beside the chair, and replied, "Well, I learned to deal with the high-ranking families when I attended Ouran High School on a scholarship. It definitely provided me with insight into how they think and the best ways to handle them.
"Now that the niceties are out of the way," Haruhi chuckled teasingly, "Might we discuss my 'bonus' for the deft handling of this case? You promised me six months of choosing my cases, including as many pro bono as I want."
"Blunt as ever," Mr. Daito chuckled, "You drive a hard bargain. The way you managed to get all that compensation for the victims, and force the offenders to pay for the total demolition and rebuilding of the shopping center, as well as convincing the public officials to overhaul the permitting and inspection departments was nothing short of miraculous.
"You left everyone with the impression that our firm is masterful at investigation, negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. I've been apprised of at least two dozen calls today requesting interviews to engage our services. We partners have been discussing the potential of offering you a partnership in the firm. You've certainly generated enough business to qualify even though you have only been with us for five years. Even your pro bono work has attracted a lot of positive attention, publicity, and accolades.
"I still can't believe how calm you were able to remain through that media circus the Yamamoto family tried to create to mask their culpability. I was appalled at the dirty tricks that they tried to use to discredit you. When you seemed to pander to their egos, I thought they had gotten to you, but when the trap was sprung, I realized that you were just giving them enough rope to hang themselves. How long did it take for Manpei to realize that he had admitted to bribery, fraud, and racketeering on live television? A week?"
Haruhi chuckled, "I think it was a week later, as the police handcuffed him right in front of the cameras. The Yamamoto media circus was tame compared to some of the host club events I was dragged into during high school."
"You have mentioned the host club on a number of occasions since you started working here. Would you be willing to tell me more about it?" Mr. Daito asked.
Glancing at her watch, Haruhi shrugged, "Well, it's too late to start on that story right now."
"How about I treat you to dinner at the sushi restaurant across the street?" Mr. Daito queried. "And please call me Yudai."
"Okay, a story in exchange for a meal. A simple business transaction," Haruhi teased, "And I will only address you as Yudai outside of work and ONLY because you were my mother's friend. I do not want anyone accusing you of favoritism or me of sleeping my way to the top."
"That will be fine. Just let me check my calendar for tomorrow, shut down my computer, and grab my coat." Yudai said, "Then we can go. Please tell Ms. Yoshii she can leave."
Haruhi stood up and grabbed her briefcase. Opening the door, she addressed the secretary, "Rio, Mr. Daito wanted me to tell you he is ready to leave for the evening, so you can pack up and go home yourself."
"Thank you, Haruhi," Rio replied.
Haruhi walked toward the elevator to wait for Mr. Daito.
With that, Rio shut down her computer, pulled her handbag from the bottom drawer of her desk, and retrieved her coat from the coatrack.
Haruhi and Rio waited patiently by the elevator as Yudai locked the office door. Just as he walked up, a 'ding' signaled the arrival of the elevator. "After you, ladies," Yudai gestured politely to the open doors.
"Thank you," Rio and Haruhi replied in unison.
The ride down was quiet as each was lost in their own thoughts. Haruhi was considering how much detail to give Yudai about the host club. Rio was thinking about her date this weekend. Yudai was remembering Haruhi's mother, Kotoko.
At the front door, Rio turned left and headed for the bus stop, calling over her shoulder, "Good night."
"See you tomorrow," Yudai and Haruhi replied as they turned to the right to reach the corner and the crosswalk.
Yudai and Haruhi waited patiently at the corner for the walk signal. Traffic was very heavy so the noise level discouraged conversation. Once the signal changed, they hurried across the street and turned toward the restaurant. Because Haruhi reached the door first, she held it open for Yudai, much to his chagrin.
The maître d' approached them. "Good evening, gentlemen. Do you wish to sit in the business section?"
"Yes, please," Haruhi replied, as Yudai looked slightly nonplussed by the maître d's assumption of Haruhi's gender.
Granted she wore a suit with a decidedly masculine cut, her hairstyle worked equally well for a man or a woman, and the briefcase was very masculine with no purse in sight. Of course, she had held the door, walked with a self-assured gait rather than a feminine sway, and kept her voice pitched low and even. "I guess I can understand how someone who does not know her could mistake her for a man," Yudai thought.
Haruhi just chuckled to herself as they were led to their table. She could almost see the thoughts about the gender misidentification running through Yudai's mind. "Well, that should make the story about the host club more believable for him," Haruhi thought.
Yudai always preferred the business section of this restaurant even when he was not conducting business. The background instrumental music was quieter, the spacing between tables was greater to allow more privacy, and there were specially designed securable cabinets under each of the tables. At this time of night, the section was sparsely occupied, lending even more privacy to the setting.
The maître d' gestured to a table in an out-of-the-way corner and said, "Masaya will be your waiter this evening. He will be with you shortly." Smirking, Haruhi seated herself before Yudai had a chance to pull out her chair. Yudai gave her a disgruntled look before he seated himself. Both of them finished securing their briefcases in the cabinets beneath the table just as the waiter approached their table.
"My name is Masaya and I will be your server this evening," he said, handing each of them a menu. "What would you like to drink this evening?"
Haruhi replied, "I am ready to order. I want a pot of tea, gyoza appetizer, and otoro." There was a nostalgic smile on her face as she folded the menu and returned it to the waiter.
Yudai noticed the smile, "I will have to remember to ask her about that later."
"And for you, sir?" the waiter asked, turning to Yudai with a smile.
"I will have the same," Yudai replied as he handed the menu back to the waiter.
"Your tea will be right out," Masaya said as he bowed slightly and walked away.
"What was with that smile when you ordered? Does it bring back some fond memory?" Yudai asked.
Haruhi blushed lightly, "Otoro was a kind of running joke the host club had about me. Whenever I was reluctant to participate in one of their outlandish schemes or events, they would either promise me otoro or decrease my debt as enticement."
"Debt?" Yudai wondered aloud.
"Well," Haruhi began, "I have to go all the way back to middle school to set the stage. I wanted to be a lawyer like my mother and I knew it would take a lot of hard work. I also realized that I would have a better shot at college and law school if I attended a prestigious private high school rather than a public one. After doing my research, I decided that Ouran High School would be the best option, if I could pass the entrance exam and qualify for the scholarship.
"I did pass the exam and was awarded the scholarship, though I would have to remain the top student in my class to maintain my eligibility. Because of that, I was determined not to get involved with anyone or with any of the activities. My plan was to focus entirely on schoolwork. I was just looking for a quiet place to study on the first day. Even through there were three libraries, there was more socializing than studying going on. The place was HUGE so I figured I should be able to find an unused room somewhere that I could use to study. I happened upon the third music room and it appeared to be empty. However, that was not the case. There were six extremely handsome young men in the room and they started circling me like a pack of wolves."
Haruhi's narrative was interrupted briefly by the waiter, "Here is your tea. Your gyoza will be out shortly. Is there anything else that you need?"
"No, thank you," Haruhi responded, nodding her thanks.
"Now, where was I? Oh yes. I should mention what I looked like. That will explain why they were so intrigued—or maybe stunned would be a better word-by me. I could not afford the price of an official school uniform and I had received permission to dress in regular clothes. Most of the clothes my father bought me were much too frilly and distracting for school so I was wearing a pair of my father's pants with the cuffs rolled up, a button-down shirt, and a sweater vest. I was also wearing an old pair of my grandfather's glasses because I had lost a contact the previous week and had not had a chance to get new ones. Though, I think the ultimate attention point was my hair. The day before school started, a neighborhood boy purposely stuck a big wad of gum in my hair. The best option I found was to just cut my hair short, but I had to do it myself and it was not a very good job.
"The six members of the host club were Hikaru and Kaoru who were in Class 1-A with me. Tamaki and Kyoya were in Class 2-A. Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai were in Class 3-A. Kyoya seemed to know who I was - and given his information network, he probably did - and asked Hikaru and Kaoru about me since I was in the same class. They replied that I was boring and they really had not been interested in getting to know me. Tamaki was extremely flamboyant and insisted that even though I was gay, I was still welcome to come to the host club as a client."
Haruhi paused to sip her tea and collect her thoughts.
"As I tried to get away from them, I bumped into a pedestal with a vase on it. Needless to say, I knocked the vase over and it broke. They informed me that the vase was supposed to be part of an auction to support club activities and the expected starting bid was 8,000,000 yen. They decided that I would work for the club doing errands and cleaning up to pay off the debt. My parents had taught me to honor my debts and I did not know any other way out of the situation, so I was stuck.
"Thinking I was upset and needed comfort, Hani-senpai offered to let me hold his stuffed rabbit, Usa-chan. He was the shortest of the host club and when I bent over to take a closer look at Usa-chan, my shirt gapped and I'm pretty sure that Hani-senpai saw my camisole and realized that I was a girl."
Refilling her cup, Haruhi drank some more tea as Yudai asked, "How did the others discover your gender?"
"I'm getting to that. Tamaki ordered me to go get more coffee, so I went to the store and picked up the coffee I usually get for my dad, instant. When I got back, Tamaki looked at the coffee and became really excited because he had never seen anything like it before. Thus began Tamaki's obsession with all things 'common.'
"Then Tamaki decided that I could pay off my debt faster if I worked as a host rather than just an errand boy. Hikaru and Kaoru pointed out that my looks would never attract enough girls to pay off my debt. That prompted Tamaki to insist that I needed a make-over. He ordered Kyoya to contact the school tailor for a uniform. Then he sent Mori-senpai to the nurse for new contacts. Finally, he had Hikaru and Kaoru fix the chopped-off mess that I made of my hair."
"Was it really that bad?" Yudai queried.
"It REALLY was. I had no idea what I was doing, the scissors were kind of dull, and I didn't even try to cut it all to one length. I'm sure a two-year-old using safety scissors could give a Barbie doll a better haircut. But I digress.
"Hikaru and Kaoru realized that I was a girl when I kicked them out of the changing room after the new uniform arrived. Aside from Kyoya, everyone was shocked about how much better I looked with a decent haircut, contacts, and a uniform.
"Tamaki spent some time trying to teach me how to be a host but he was so over-the-top it was almost embarrassing to watch, much less be the focus of his 'teaching.' He watched me like a hawk during hosting, much to the displeasure of one of his designators. Because I simply talked to the girls about everyday things, I appeared to be a natural at hosting. Tamaki was so effusive that he picked me up and started to spin me around. When his embrace became painful and I could not get away on my own, I called for Mori-senpai's help. He appeared to be big enough and strong enough to rescue me from Tamaki.
"As he plucked me from Tamaki's grasp he realized that I was a girl. The subtle expression that crossed his face was not seen by the others but I knew it meant that he understood the truth of my gender."
While Haruhi had been telling her story, the waiter returned with their gyoza. Haruhi paused to drink some of her tea and nibble on the gyoza.
"So, when did Tamaki figure it out?" Yudai prompted impatiently.
Haruhi smirked and continued, "Not long after Mori-senpai rescued me, there was an incident with Tamaki's jealous designator. My uniform got soaking wet and I needed to change. Kyoya handed me a bag and told me that it was all that was available in my size. It turned out to be an Ouran girl's uniform. Apparently, Kyoya had expected that I would not be able to afford the uniform so, for whatever reason, he had ordered one in my size. He had no way of knowing that I would show up looking more like a boy than a girl. He also had no way of knowing that I didn't care about gender because I was more focused on personality and internal qualities.
"Anyway, while I was changing into the dress, Tamaki walked into the changing room when I was in just my undergarments. The sight seemed to unhinge him slightly as he tried to process the fact that I was a girl. Hikaru and Kaoru teased him about being the last to realize it and that it took him so long to catch on."
"That's quite a story about how you ended up in the host club," Yudai remarked, "but how did that really help with the Yamamoto media circus?"
"You wouldn't believe some of the things they did for host club events. Cosplay for tropical Bali during a chilly spring, traditional yukatas for a cherry blossom viewing, formal suits for English high tea, samurais, police dramas, and I forget how many others. Then there were the fancy dress balls. And who could forget the vintage carriage flown in from France just for the Ouran Fair.
"I have to admit, I fought it at first. But after a while I realized that we had become very good friends and I enjoyed it, even the over-the-top cosplay. Tamaki liked to refer to us as family and that's what we became."
Haruhi chuckled, "But maybe if I tell you the full names of the host club members, it will make more sense: Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, Tamaki Suoh, Kyoya Otori, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and Takashi Morinozuka."
Yudai's eyes widened. "That's quite a group of friends to have. And that does explain your lack of awe toward the families involved in the shopping center suit."
Just as Yudai finished speaking, Masaya arrived with their entrees. Placing each plate gently in front of them, he asked, "Is there anything else you need?"
Haruhi replied, "I'd like another pot of tea, please."
"Of course," Masaya responded and turned to Yudai, "Would you like another pot of tea as well?"
"Yes, I would. Thank you."
They ate in silence for a few minutes as each enjoyed their dinner. Haruhi hummed appreciatively as she savored each morsel of fish. Yudai smiled as he watched Haruhi enjoy her dinner. At times she was such an enigma to him. "In some ways she is very like her mother, Kotoko. At other times, she is so much more…more…more formidable than her mother could ever be." Yudai thought, "Maybe the host club was the catalyst for that strength and vibrancy."
After some time sipping tea and discussing current events in the news, Yudai called Masaya to bring the bill. Turning to Haruhi, Yudai said, "That story was well worth the price of dinner."
While they were waiting from Masaya to return, a man approached the table and asked, "Are you Haruhi Fujioka?"
"Yes, I am," Haruhi replied.
"This is for you." He held out an envelope. As she took it, the man said, "You have been served," as he turned and walked briskly away.
Masaya returned with the bill and handed it to Yudai. Yudai withdrew several bills from his wallet and handed them to him. "I will return shortly with your change and receipt," Masaya said.
Haruhi frowned as she opened the envelope. This was not the first time she had been served with a lawsuit. It came with the territory in her line of work. Shrugging, she pulled out the document and began to read. At first she giggled and then she started to laugh, trying to catch her breath.
Yudai looked at her, puzzled at her outburst. "What is it, Haruhi? What's so funny?"
Unable to contain her laughter, she simply handed the document to Yudai so he could read it for himself. At first he couldn't figure out why she was laughing, a lawsuit was never a laughing matter. And then he saw it. He opened his mouth several times to comment but nothing came out. With a disbelieving look on his face he finally blurted out, "You are being sued for paternity?!"