He Said She Said – A Kyoya Love Story
Chapter 1: Renge's Favor
I've really been planning this one out well, so updates should be faster, however I'm working on better editing so there may be no real difference in update time, but I HOPE it'll be faster. No Japanese suffixes (or vocabulary if I can avoid it) will be used to make this one easier for me to write this one. Enjoy.
'What could be missing?' Renge Hoshakuji asked incontinently while staring at the widely known Host Club.
'They have it all, don't they?' Renge glanced around the room in an analytical manor, stopping no more than a few second on each host.
Tamaki Suoh, the prince, and a man as elegant as the beautiful words he graces on all his admirers. His near opposite, Kyoya Ootori, the cool type, charming in his deliberately nonchalant demeanor, carefully planned to keep a steady profit. Then there was Takashi Morinozuka and Mitsukuni Haninozuka their polar opposites enticing all kinds of fair ladies. Then there were the one and only Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, their acts of twincest a heartthrob for even the most serious minds, and Haruhi Fujioka his natural charm and sincerity stealing the hearts of boys and girls alike, a true sweet heart and perhaps the club's greatest acet. But even with this full deck, Renge couldn't help but feel they were one card short a royal flush.
'But what could it be? Who could it be?' This had to be done carefully, or her metaphorical card castle might fall, it only took one badly placed card to ruin the deck. She considered all matters of men, every male she knew of, both real and fictional, but she was stumped.
What quality did the Host Club need that it did not have? Renge mulled over every character plot line she could remember as music softly played from an old radio Haruhi had brought in and was showing to the curious, privileged students of Ouran.
"I've got it!" She exclaimed with great exuberance as she stormed for her seat and raced out the doors leaving the hosts and their guests staring in wonder and confusion.
"What is she up to now?"
---
All at once commotion struck; the phone rang, the computer chirped 'you've got mail!', the door bell rand excessively, even the microwave went off, and it could only mean one thing. Renge was here, and she had an idea. Although the microwave had nothing to do with her arrival and was merely convenient timing.
In one fluid motion the computer was muted, the microwave opened and the phone pulled off the receiver.
"It's open Renge." A voice said calmly, as if this were a normal everyday occurrence, when the aroma of fresh popcorn filled the room immediately after the bag was opened.
But before the phone was even put back on the receiver, the main door had been slammed open by a particularly impatient Renge as a very nervous maid scrambled to catch the bags and coats all flying in her direction, while still opening doors for the house guest. Footsteps could be heard as the busy-bodied otaku arrived in the desolate kitchen and, tape measure in hand, began writing down arm measurements, in-seam lengths, shoulder width and other obscure heights, angles and circumferences.
"More cosplay Renge?" Her human mannequin asked, munching on a fresh popcorn kernel.
"Sort of, Seiko, I need a favor."
---
The next day Renge had returned, but all the hosts were too scared (or uninterested) to ask what had happened the previous day. Tamaki alternated between looking at Kyoya with a blank stare, and looking at Renge with blatant confusion, she laughed.
"Oh hohohohohohoho!" She cackled. "I found what the host club was missing. A new host so splendid all the girls will eat three bowls of rice!*"
"Meet Seiko, Ouran's newest host." Renge stepped aside to reveal a boy, seventeen or so, standing in the doorway. He moved towards the hosts, his pale brown hair fell perfectly around his face, highlighting his deep blue eyes.
"Miss Renge, I trust you are well, and as you asked, here I am, at your service." He spoke clearly, with great confidence and grace as he bent into a low, respectful bow. As he straightened he easily towered over Honey and Haruhi, being at least as tall as both Hikaru and Kaoru.
"Ah, Seiko, you're always so formal, a perfect gentleman!" Renge said enchanted, as several girls that and been watching from behind them squealed a little and moved nearer the 'new host'. Kyoya made sure to make note of how quickly many of the girls had taken to the boy.
Anger flashed over Hikaru instantaneously. He was fixated on this stranger, this 'Seiko', in their Host Club, in their family. He was a foreigner smuggled into their home, and a criminal trespassing into their world, but Hikaru planned to put him behind bars.
Kaoru saw his brother's face boil over in rage. He, too, was angered by this 'new host' business of Renge's. However Kaoru had been anticipating something, sooner or later, would break their world open. Unfortunately it was sooner, but the person he worried most for was Hikaru. He was still fragile, and this intruder just might break him and all the hard progress the host club, especially Haruhi, had helped them make.
"Seiko, this is the rest of the Host Club." Renge started ignoring varying expressions on the faces of the hosts. She began introducing each of the hosts taking only a moment for Seiko to acknowledge who they were, leaving only one not introduced. When Hikaru's turn came he glared at Seiko with full animosity, this startled Seiko greatly, and he cringed at the undying rage directed at him. Thankfully a distraction arose for both of them.
"Ah, Renge, what about me, certainly you were saving the best for last!" A tall blonde said while suavely moving into the center of their clump.
"I was hoping you'd go away if I left you out. Phony." Renge said viciously, shooting down the tall blonde and returning her full attention to Haruhi, who looked as if she greatly wanted to be anywhere but in Renge's arms. Crushed by the heartless comment the blonde sunk to the floor in melodramatic agony. Seiko gave Renge a disapproving glance.
"Now Miss Renge, isn't that mean? How would you like it if someone treated you like that? You ought to give him an apology." Seiko said as he bent over, hand outstretched to the crushed king, offering him a hand up. Tamaki stared a moment before grasping the slender, delicate hand.
"Tamaki Suoh." He said.
"Seiko Hatoyama." Seiko replied, pulling out a brave smile and assisting Tamaki to his feet, a feat easier said than done.
"Seiko will be the sensitive type. With his musical talent he can pull heartstrings of more customers. All girls like a musician." Renge said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"The Lord already plays piano, isn't that enough?" Hikaru spat bitterly still glaring insensibly at Seiko.
"Ah, but Seiko is a horse of another color!" Renge cried enthusiastically, she had anticipated this point. "Show them!" She said just a little too excitedly. Only then did Kyoya notice the guitar strapped on Seiko's back, which he now took out of its case. He placed his fingers gingerly on the frets and began to strum a soft tune. Instantaneously the host saw why Renge had said Seiko and Tamaki were different. Their music essentially had the same mesmerizing effect but Seiko's portrayed a story, and enticed your emotions to fit that of the piece.
"What's a boy to do?"
"When tell your tale,"
"And it never fails,"
"They just end up feeling bad for you,"
Kyoya watched the customers, gauging their interest in Seiko, and he liked what he saw. Seiko was talented and he drew in the girls with an aura that hung somewhere between misery and regret, Kyoya saw how well it worked, and as much as he hated to admit it, he too was strangely drawn in by Seiko's song.
"You make it easy,"
"Easy to be with you,"
"Easy to obey,"
"Easy to forgive you at the end of the day,"
"Easy now to judge you,"
"Easy to betray,"
"Easy to adore you though you want to run away,"
"It's easy."
An idle moment passes as Seiko stood motionless, his final chord still echoing in the abnormally quiet music room. Seiko looked for the intended recipient of his song and found that Renge had already disappeared to do who-knows-what, leaving him without instruction or guidance."
'Or protection.' Seiko thought glancing back to Hikaru and Kaoru who were still scowling at him as if he had kicked a puppy. Seiko shifted uncomfortably and turned to place his guitar back in its case, if he were to be attacked by them he would rather his guitar not get pumped as well. He might heal but the guitar wouldn't.
Seiko snapped the clasps shut on the case, his precious guitar fitting snuggly in the soft fuzzy lining. He rested it against a nearby chair, his back soar for carrying it for so long, and walked over the host, who were still congregated in a clump.
"I know Miss Renge can get carried away, so I understand if you wish for me to leave." He said with a firm look to Tamaki and Kyoya whist watching Hikaru and Kaoru in the corner of his eye hoping that one hoping that either Kyoya or Tamaki would catch his drift.
Seiko turned to face the twins and he looked them both directly in the eyes his expression clear, and freely expressing his emotions, a similar aura of regret washed over him as it had during his song. His expression wasn't one of anger of fuistration like either twin had expected, but one of understanding, and without judgment, as if to say 'I understand.'
'So he does care…' Kaoru thought noticing the underlain message of Seiko's offer.
No one moved, although Hikaru was still mentally strangling the boy. But now Kaoru seemed to soften, taking in that Seiko meant no harm and was, too, a victim of Renge's nonsensical 'managing'.
"Well, I'll take this as a sign it's best I leave after all. I wish you all a good day." Seiko said before gracefully strding out of the doors and into the maze of hallways the students called their high school. A few girls that had been interestingly watching moved forward to Kyoya.
"When is Seiko coming back? Can we still request him?" A quiet second year asked. When Hikaru heard this he stormed off, Kaoru quickly following his hot tempered brother.
They both realized, like it or not, Seiko had gotten into their world while their guard was down. But neither realized just how far he had gotten in the course of a few short minuets.
---
A sense of loose swept over Seiko as he examined a finely decorated painting near a doorway. Renge had always managed to get him in the strangest of situations, and that the Host Club certainly was. But it didn't seem like a horrible place for her. The host would help her grow, they already had. Seiko noticed his little Renge was changing, for the better.
Seiko absentmindedly reached to adjust his guitar strap, as he frequently did; it had grown to be a habit. Only then did he finally notice…
"Oh gracious, I suppose I'll just have to wait until all the girls have left. I don't want to cause even more trouble." He said to himself as he dawdled over to another painting.
In its elegant frame were two women, dressed in traditional and highly decorated kimonos, although one was much more decadent that the other bother still managed to look highly eloquent. One would have guessed them both to be beautiful geishas, had it not been for their cut hair, styled much like a man's would have been in that period and the Noh masks they adorned, hiding their identity form overly curious on lookers.
---
Fifty-two paintings on the first floor, five atrium staircases, 112 crystal chandlers between all three floors, ten ultra elegant, high end, chic, elegant, and not to mention expensive couches in the entrance way. Three libraries, zero actually being used for reading. Twelve times he narrowly missed being spotted by a girl leaving the host club and four times he only just missed being spotted by diving behind and chair/table/vase.
Finally, when he was sure he would not be spotted, Seiko began to climb the decadent staircase to the Third Music Room. Thankfully, he managed to avoid running into both hosts and girls. Eventually he saw the familiar doors, reaching out to the handles Seiko pushed them open.
Seiko saw a familiar face with a not so familiar feature. Haruhi Fujioka, the short brunette boy Renge had a crush on, shirtless, with a bra on. She turned with a start when she heard the door, and blushed.
"Mr. --er—Miss Fujioka, I'm terribly sorry for the intrusion. I'll just be on my way now." Seiko said calmly walking over to his guitar and grasping the handle of his guitar case firmly. Immediately Tamaki pranced in, followed by Kyoya.
"My darling daughter! Are you --" He stopped, taking in the scene before him. His face grew hot, his anger rising, he opened his mouth to yell at Seiko but was stopped.
"Good day Mr. Suoh, Mr. Ootori." Seiko said curiously before leaving, as if this were a normal occurrence. He was gone before either Tamaki or Kyoya could react. All they could do was star at one another before Haruhi yelled at them to get out while she got a shirt on.
---
Seiko walked back the way he had come, contemplating what had happened, when a painting once again caught his eye, the two masked geishas. He stopped and stared once more at the oddly relevant portrait.
"We're two of a kind, aren't we…" Seiko said before finally wandering off through the rose maze outside Ouran.
---
*"…all the girls will eat three bowls of rice!*" – this phrase basically means that they won't be able to get enough, that they'll want more. (Because even after you eat a lot of rice, you still hungry a little later)
Song- Easy by: The Barenaked Ladies