***DISCLAIMER*** I OBVIOUSLY DON'T OWN OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB. BUT WE ALL KNOW WE WISHED WE OWNED THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL SERIES.
By the way, Characters *may* be OOC but I will try my best to not let that happen
Chapter(?) 1:
(I am not entirely sure I would call these chapters but close enough)
I don't know what pressured me into taking such drastic measures. Drastic measures including forging a passport, stealing a credit card and buying a plane ticket to Japan when a simple call to the police would have sufficed.
I don't know why he scared me so much. My foster father was a complete asshole, no denying that, but he would have been completely terrified if the cops had showed up and his demonic demeanor would have shriveled up in an instant. I recalled the metallic smell as I walked in the front door of the foster home I had stayed in for 8 months, it was putrid. I knew what it was the second I walked in the door, of course I had already devised in my head what had happened but I had not expected to be right. The sight of my 6 year old little foster brother writhing around on the ground, screaming in agony and covered in blood.
It wasn't his blood, of course, it was my foster mother's. The only reason I even bothered to try to behave the past few months was her, Margie was a darling woman and the kind of mother foster kids dream about. Bruce, her husband who was holding a butchers' knife and his head in his hands, was the kind of father that we all had anyway; he drank, smoked, sweared and beat us. He wanted no part of us; but Margie wasn't capable of having her own children and this was the only way that she could fulfill that dream. I turned out of the room, quickly before Bruce noticed I was home.
I grabbed Margie's purse and walked quietly up to my room. I had a runaway pack already ready and was out of my window before I had put much thought into what I was doing. Now I am sitting here in the rain under a store canopy at 5pm, watching people pass by. I never thought Tokyo would be so cold. Shivering in a useless jacket and ripped jeans, I drag my knees under the pull over. "Why the hell did I choose Japan?" I say aloud, accidentally. Jumping slightly at my sudden noise. I sigh softly as my stomach rumbles a bit, I slide my hand out of the jacket and into my backpack. I nibble on the last of my beef jerky. I hadn't anticipated that I would be unable to use my… rather, Margie's credit card here so the jerky is what is left from my runaway pack. I have some American cash but I am too scared to walk into a bank. I don't think that anyone would go as far as to look in Japan for a foster girl but I have just been too scared.
After three straight days in Tokyo though, I have picked up some of the language. I know I get called a foreigner a lot, I don't think anyone says it in a bad way. I usually keep to myself and I haven't had any misadventures. No one talks to me unless I speak to them first. Luckily, either my minimal Japanese or their minimal English has been enough for me to get some basic questions answered. My stomach growls again and I stick my hand back into my pack for a second check to make sure I have no more food. My hand brushes across a piece of paper which I remember an older lady had handed me. On it was the address to a rich family who needed a nanny or maid or something. At the time, I didn't think I was cut out for that kind of work but now being as hungry as I am I think it may be worth a try. "Hitachiin…" I read aloud, sighing softly. "Maybe their kids are cute."
I stand up and I suddenly smell myself. "I need a bath…" I scrunch up my nose. A man explained to me a few days ago that if I go to an internet cafe I can get a room and a shower for about 1,500 yen. I think that is less than $15. I have about $45 in American money. I think I may risk going into a bank. I hope they are open this late, I think as I speed walk to the bank I passed a few blocks back.
Getting the yen was easy, the teller understood what I wanted perfectly and even knew where the nearest internet cafe was. It was even easy getting a room here, the attendant didn't ask any questions and handed me a map to the cube. When I got up to my cube I squealed a little when I saw that it was better than most homes I had stayed at in America. It had it's own little computer which would come in handy for looking up the address I intended to visit tomorrow. I again squealed again when I realized that the baths were communal, which I have wanted to try ever since I watched a few too many anime. I dropped my bag into the small cubby in my cube and stride the way to sign that read "Women's' Bath" in English under the Kanji. When I got in the room, however, there was a list immediately on the wall. All of it was in Kanji. I had no idea what the hell it said. It could have been a list of prices for all I knew. Ugh… Curse my impulsiveness.
"Excuse me." A soft voice comes from beside me. I turn too quickly, being unaware that I wasn't alone. "Sorry, you looked a little confused. Do you need some help?"
"Uh…" I stare at the girl. Her big brown eyes blink up at me. "Uhm…" I still have yet to answer and continue to stare at her, her hair falls just over her ears and looks really quite cute on her. I look back at her eyes and notice she is a little annoyed that I haven't answered. "Yes, sorry. I just… wasn't expecting… Yes, please if you would." I bow respectfully and blush deeply.
"It is okay." She giggles softly, telling me that the annoyance was temporary. "I figured you had no idea what that says. You looked so bewildered." The girl snickers quite a bit and I can feel my ears getting red.
"In my defense, the sign outside is in English and I wasn't entirely expecting rules." I glower a little more than I mean to.
"Hey, sorry. It was just kind of cute." She laughs again and I roll my eyes. "Seriously, sorry." She bites her lip and I wave her off, telling her it's fine. "My name is Fujioka Haruhi." She bows awkwardly.
"I'm Astrid." I bow back slightly. "Nice to meet you."
She blushes. "I-is that your surname?"
I shake my head. "No, that is my first."
"Normally, you would introduce your surname first. Calling someone by their first name means you are really close to them." She blushes again.
"We are about to take a bath together, that would be as close as I can imagine." I point out, but seeing her hesitation I relent. "I would prefer Astrid, but my surname is Santana." She immediately giggles again, this time without much restraint. "What?" I fold my arms into a grumpy position and she immediately stops laughing.
"No, no. Sorry it-" she has to stifle a giggle again. "Sorry, it's just. If I were to actually call you by your last name I would say 'Santan-san'. It just rhymes and made me giggle, sorry. It wasn't bad or anything." She sees that I am still slightly annoyed and blushes slightly. "I can call you Astrid-san if you want but you will have to let me get used to it."
I sigh softly and smile. "Call me whatever you want. It isn't a big deal. Although," I pause. "I am still slightly confused as to how to address you."
"Oh," she smiles. "If I am saying Astrid-san then go ahead and say Haruhi-san."
"Haruhi…" I nod and quickly add "-san. Nice to meet you." I bow slightly.
"Yoroshiku onegai shimasu." Haruhi-san bows back to me and looks up only to see me in slight confusion. "That means 'It's nice to meet you, too.'" She giggles slightly again.
"Right," I hum softly and try to push my blush away. "Shall we bathe then?"
"Let's!" She walks into the large room with lockers. "Take off your shoes before you get on the tile."
I do as asked and follow her to a locker. "How is your English so good, Haruhi-san?" I open a locker adjacent to hers.
"Oh, the school I go to is pretty prestigious and it happens to be a class I excell in…" She starts undressing without missing a beat and I blush and turn away to focus on undressing myself. I was always excited about using the communal bath that I didn't even think about how awkward I would feel.
"I see." I start to lift my shirt, ignoring my red ears. "Wait, prestigious usually implies rich. No offense but what are you doing in an internet cafe?"
"Oh, my dad wanted me to go to a hot spring and relax before the next semester starts but we don't really have the money for me to do that. So I am staying here for the weekend since it is cheaper. Plus it is quiet enough that I can get some studying done." I keep my head buried in my locker, so I have no idea if she is done undressing or not.
"I see, I'm sorry. That question was uncalled for." I slide out of my clothes until I am completely naked.
"No, it's okay. I actually get asked stuff like that all the time." I pull my head out of my locker and stuff my clothes in there. Haruhi-san is already naked and grabbing washcloths and soap for us from the wall. "I especially like this place because their soap is free."
"Cool." I don't have a lot of money so I am grateful for that. I am hoping to get some food before I head over to the Hitachiin's address.
"Over here." She beacons. "We have to rinse off first, it keeps the bath water clean." She sits on a small stool in front of a shower head and turns it on, shivering at first to the chilling water until it heats up a bit.
I follow her and sit on a stool next to her, turning on the water and reacting exactly the same way. "Thank you for helping me out. I would have been totally lost and gotten kicked out."
"It's not a problem. I did most of my homework already so I have time to help you." Haruhi-san says nonchalantly. I know that isn't how she means it but it does sting a little."So why are you in Japan anyway? Is you family visiting?"
I can't help but think about Margie. My last view of her penetrates my mind, making me cringe. "Y-yeah." I agree, sadly. "Just visiting." My tone comes across as slightly sadder than I mean it to.
"Sorry. Did I say something?" Haruhi-san looks at me but before I can answer we both hear a cellphone go off in the lockers. "Ugh, what now, Sempai?" She stands up and shakes off her hair softly. "Sorry, one second. I need to take that."
I nod and let the water cover me as I take the soap and wash my body off of the last three days worth of grime and dirt. I need to let go of the past. I am in a new country and I need to make this my home. I am sure my foster brother got placed in a new home and Bruce was arrested for murder. But I still feel like I shouldn't have left like that. I should have called the cops, comforted my foster brother. But I was scared of Bruce. Why was I afraid of that coward?
"No, Sempai! You don't have to come get me! I am fine. I already paid for the night and-" Haruhi-san's voice elevated much more than she meant to. She softly bangs her head into the lockers. "I wanted to finish my homework. I am almost done." She grumbles and looks up at me. "I am sorry Astrid-san, I have to go. My sempai has decided to come 'rescue' me from this 'retched commoner's jail'. He gets these thoughts in his head. Damn rich people." She sighs. "I really am sorry. You are okay to get in the herbal water now. Just make sure you dry off before you leave and make sure that you don't wear your shoes on the tile. Otherwise you will be fine. See you around." I hadn't even noticed but she had been clothing herself while she spoke to me and was already out of the room.
I was left alone in a brand new place, still really unsure what I was going to do. For now I guess I will finish my bath and then go get some sleep.
