Chapter 1 – Haruhi Has a Boyfriend

The summer after Haruhi's second year at Ouran found her again in Karuizawa working at Pension Misuzu. She liked her job and spending time in the bucolic little vacation town was a refreshing change from the concrete and glass jungle of Tokyo. And for once the Host Club wasn't in her hair.

Honey and Mori were on a graduation tour of all the top French and Italian pastry shops across Europe. Hikaru and Kaoru were in New York helping their mom prepare designs for fall Fashion Week. Kyoya was in Brazil with his father and brothers as they visited their shareholders and expanded their empire in the region. And Tamaki was ordered by his grandmother to stay in Tokyo to immerse himself in the study of Japanese business etiquette.

Early each morning, Haruhi greeted Arai by the inn's kitchen entrance when he delivered fresh fruits and vegetables from his uncle's store. At first, she was a little embarrassed to be around him, given her delayed reaction (and inadvertent rejection) of his confession from last summer. But he was always friendly and pleased to see her. Their daily conversations eventually became free flowing and easy. Haruhi discovered she liked talking with someone her own age that wasn't a rich bastard and behaved appropriately for a change. Gradually, she realized she looked forward to Arai's visits. Then he started showing up in the evenings to share a cup of tea with her at the end of the day. They hung out together on their days off, sampling new ice cream flavors offered in the Old Road shopping district, or taking in the local sights along with the other tourists in town.

They found they had a lot in common. Arai, focused on earning a scholarship to study computer engineering, also participated in after-school activities playing baseball for Higashi High. Haruhi shared her dreams of following in her mother's footsteps to become a lawyer, and laughingly explained her role as the cross-dressing "natural" in the Host Club. At first, Arai was shocked, but being a pretty laid-back and easy going guy, he understood and accepted her plight.

As the end of summer loomed, they decided to do a leisurely hike to Shiraito Falls. The beautiful little path wound through the woods, lined with maple trees, flowers and ferns. Once they reached the falls and after admiring the stunning view, Arai turned toward Haruhi, boldly taking her hand in his. She looked up at him, surprised. He'd never held her hand before.

Staring at his feet, he said, "Haruhi, I've really enjoyed all the time we've spent together here and I don't want it to end. I know we go to different high schools, but I hope we can still see each other when we're back home."

She bobbed her head forward a little, trying to look into his face. "What are you trying to say, Arai?"

He drew a deep breath. Taking her other hand in his, he raised his head and looked down into her eyes. "I-I really like you. I've always liked you. C-could you see me the same way?"

"Well of course! I like you too -"

"That's not what I mean," he interrupted brusquely before he lost his nerve. "I want you to really understand me this time. I like you not only as a friend, but more than that."

He took another deep breath. "Haruhi, what I'm saying… no, what I'm asking… Will you be my girlfriend?"

For the first time, Haruhi properly comprehended that someone was baring his soul to her. She cast her eyes down toward her sneakers, not sure what to say. She subconsciously checked all her vital signs. She wasn't blushing and her heart thumped at its normal rate. Her palms were dry and she felt perfectly calm. Was this how you're supposed to feel when you really like someone? She wasn't sure.

But the girl considered what the boy asked of her. Haruhi liked him a lot. Arai didn't thrash around or make inappropriate remarks. He didn't lick her face and he had a respectful relationship toward cake. Of all the guys in her life (including the adults!), he was normal. It was a nice change. And he was brave to confess to her. She looked up at him. This time, it was she who took a deep breath.

"Yes, Arai. I'd like that."

At first, he wasn't sure he heard properly. Arai fully expected rejection again. When it finally dawned on him that Haruhi said yes, joy surged through him and he hugged her in his excitement. He then partially released her, his hands still circling her waist. Bowing his head down shyly, Arai closed his eyes and then pressed his lips to hers.

Haruhi kept her eyes open, allowing the kiss to happen. So this is what it's supposed to be like, she mused. She did not feel the world spinning or fireworks bursting, but she figured those were all shojo manga clichés anyway. Besides, now that she had a boyfriend, she might figure out why other girls made such a fuss about relationships and stuff. Eventually, Haruhi turned off her brain. She let her eyelids close. Then she gently leaned into her first, uncoerced, real boyfriend-girlfriend kiss.