We Will Become Silhouettes
Act One :: Suddenly Everything Has Changed
Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, rights belong Bisco Hatori.
•—•—•
Mori is seven. He's never been to a wake before now. He supposes he should feel sad. He didn't know the woman though, so why bother? She was a lawyer for the family. The woman was poor; that's what his father said. They offer to pay for the funeral. A sniveling man accepts. The wake and the funeral are held in a church. The man is still sobbing loudly, even now. Why does he care so much? Mori can't fathom why. The kids at school say he's cold. His younger brother calls him mean. He doesn't care; he has Mitsukuni.
There's a girl sitting in the back row, away from everyone. She doesn't look emotive. Mori, intrigued, wanders towards her. He sits. She doesn't look towards him.
People inspect the body. Most don't recognize it. Some pretend to care anyways. The gossip is mean. Old women huddle together. Some say she died of cancer. Others claim she was poisoned because she cheated. Those people call her a slut. The girl fidgets at their words. He shifts closer.
"Hi." Hi. Hello. Are you okay? He wills her to understand. Most people don't.
She glances at him, shakes her head, "No, I'm not okay."
He's silently happy. She understands him. The man up front sobs again. She looks down further, as if that were possible.
"Did you know her?" He's leaving his boundaries now. He wants to know the girl. She nods her head once.
"My mother..." He doesn't make her continue. He understands.
The funeral begins shortly after. His father speaks in her honor. Hushed murmurs are spread around the room. The gossip is infectious; now the adults in the room are whispering rumors.
(The woman got around.)
(She wasn't a good lawyer, anyway.)
(Her husband isn't any better.)
He wants to cover the girl's ears. She doesn't need to hear this. His father returns to his seat. The crying man moves to talk about her. Mori holds her hand, wishing it could shield her. Something changes in him. The girl doesn't deserve this. She makes him want to be nicer. He resolves to try, if only for the girl.
"I'm Mori," he whispers it into her ear. She looks at him for the first time. He wants to memorize her features. He tries his best.
After the funeral, the crying man sticks his hand out for the girl.
"Haruhi, let's go." He gasps for air after her name. He doesn't even register Mori next to her.
•—•—•
Five years pass. Mori is on a bus for a school trip. It has all the amenities. The bus stops at a light. The other kids make snide comments; they are in the commoner part of the city. He peers out the window, bored. A girl is lugging grocery bags as she crosses the street. She should be in school, it's a fleeting thought. She looks vaguely familiar. One of the bags tear, food rolls out. She scrambles to pick it all up before the light changes. One of the kids laughs and points it out to his bench mate. They laugh at her suffering. Mori pities her.
The light changes. They zoom past her as she rushes back to safety. The feeling of coldness returns.
•—•—•
Haruhi is home- safe at last. Her father sent her out to get caviar for a party. She had to go to the supermarket in the nice part of town. It's farther away, and more expensive. He's already drunk, though. Just like every other day, only even worse. A nasty habit he picked up after his wife died. It's always the worst on her anniversary. Haruhi calls some of his friends to watch him.
She bathes and redresses, heading out again. Her mother is buried in a good cemetery, courtesy of her employers. It's a long walk, the train makes it easy. She's been saving her meager allowance for the train ticket. It isn't enough to a ride back, but that's okay. Half an hour by train means at least that much on foot, much longer for her short legs. Probably an hour and a half at most. The graves are well kept. Some have fresh flowers. Haruhi curses herself. She didn't think to buy flowers.
It's late now; the sky is dark and clouded over. Haruhi stands to leave. Shortly into her walk home, it begins to rain. She wishes the apartment was closer. The stores turn into houses and the houses turn into mansions. The area is familiar; mom used to work around here. The dual mansions are engrained in her memory. Haruhi remembers playing with a boy in the courtyard. He sometimes spoke of his older brother. Thunder cracks, removing her from the memory. Her fear is out of control. She stops where she stands and curls into a ball. Slowly, Haruhi crawls towards one of the pillars lining the fence. She leans on it, shaking and dripping wet.
•—•—•
The limousine rolls down the street.
"Dinner was nice, no?" The matriarch speaks to no one in particular. Mori lets out a sigh. The meal was cut short by the rain. The gates into the estate roll back, rattling loudly.
"Mom, who's that?" Satoshi points out the window.
"I'll have a maid check when we get inside." She waves him off with her hand. Mori cranes his neck to see the offender as they enter the walled grounds.
Finally, as he exits the vehicle, he catches a glimpse of her through the fence grate. She has mousy brown and hair and a soft looking pink coat on. He wanders over. The coat is familiar. It clicks mentally as he stares through the bars. The girl from that morning is crying outside his home.
"Hello." Are you going to be okay? She only snivels in response.
"Takashi, darling, please come inside. You'll catch a cold!" His mother calls out from the safety of the porch. One of the maids comes scurrying out the front door. She crouches down next to Haruhi.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Where are your parents?" Haruhi doesn't even look, only cries harder.
"Sweetie, why don't you come inside? We can talk there." Quickly, the crying girl takes her chance to get away from the thunder.
•—•—•
"Are you ready to talk now, sugar?" The maid has a blanket wrapped around Haruhi and has given her a cup of warm milk. She gives a weak nod.
"Where are your parents? Can your daddy come pick you up?"
"He's working," the lie comes easily, even under duress. She can't tell people her father is drunk more than he works, and even when he does, it's in the red district.
"And your mother?"
"She's gone."
"O-oh. How about I give you a ride home when my shift ends, okay sugar?" Mori chooses this moment to wander into the kitchen. He's still intrigued by the young intruder. Haruhi gives a weak nod, and the maid addresses him politely.
"Ah, Morinozuka-sama, what do you need?" He stares blankly at the girl sitting on the counter, and the maid is quick to understand his silent ways. She exits the room swiftly. He walks his way over to her place on the counter; he takes his sweet time. Thunder cracks. Haruhi quivers. Mori puts his hand on her knee comfortingly. He wants to do something, but what?
"I'm Mori."
"Ha-Haruhi…" Thunder cracks.
"Takashi, it's time for extra practice," his mother calls from the doorway. He nods a goodbye and leaves, walking past his parent. She wanders over.
"Dear, it's getting late. Why don't you stay the night?" Haruhi accepts graciously. She's shown to her room.
And that is how it happens. The next morning, Haruhi insists on cleaning up her mess herself, and the maids take a liking to her. The Morinozuka matriarch likes her drive. She offers Haruhi a place in their estate, takes her under her wing. Takashi is taught expert kendo tactics. Haruhi learns how to sew. Takashi gets drilled in new and foreign languages. Haruhi is shown basic self-defense. They grow up together, but never really alongside one another.
It has quickly become Haruhi's home away from home, and she is forever grateful. For at home, she must return to a drunken father.
•—•—•
Mori is fifteen. A first year in high school. He is sitting in the back of a limousine with his cousin, Mitsukuni. The driver has been ordered to collect Haruhi, for she hadn't shown up that day. His mother is nervous. Her little Haru wasn't on time like usual. Mori supposes he shouldn't like the attention Haruhi gets.
"Takashi, I'm glad we're joining the host club. It sounds like fun!"
"Hn." They make idle chatter to pass the time. The limo pulls to a stop in front of an apartment complex. Their driver exits and walks up the steps to the doorway.
"Hey Takashi? Why haven't I met Haruhi before?"
"It was never important enough."
"I bet she's really nice!"
"I suppose." The door opens, rays of sunlight pouring in. Awkwardly, Haruhi takes a seat across from them. She stares at her hands.
"Mother wants to know why you didn't show."
"My dad is...ill." Lie.
"Hm. Don't lie."
"He can't even get out of bed." Truth. Hunny stares into her eyes, mouth slightly agape in awe.
"I'm Hunny!" He leaps across the small space and into her lap. "This is Usa-chan!" A small pink bunny plush flurries across her limited vision.
"Where was your father last night?"
"I told you, he's sick in bed."
"Answer the question." His voice is slow and serious. It is daunting, but not malicious.
"It doesn't matter. Can we just drop it?" Lie.
"Ah..." Lie.
"Haru-chan," Hunny's voice bursts through, cutting the tension. "Want to hold Usa-chan?"
"Haru-chan?!"
"Y-you don't...like him?" His eyes well up with tears.
"Mitsukuni. She likes him." Mori sends her a look.
"I do? I, uh, I mean... Of course I do." Hunny sidles up to her, seemingly recovered from his tantrum. For the rest of the ride, he is an endless chatterbox.
The limo rolls into the drive way, gravel crunching under tire. Honey steps out first. More of a leaping bound, really. Haruhi follows. As she stands, her too small shirt rises up slightly, exposing her midriff. Mori catches a glimpse. Her milky white flesh is black and blue. He exits, pulling her aside.
"Haruhi."
"Yeah?" She smiles politely.
"What happened?"
"I told you; my dad is just sick."
"No, who hurt you?"
"Nobody hurt me." She looks away, breaks eye contact. Abruptly, he lifts her shirt up partially.
"Who hurt you? I will tell mother."
"Hey!" She pulls her shirt back down quickly. "Look, it's just some kid at school. He likes to pick on me and threw a little too hard at me in gym class." Mori gives Hunny a look. They enter the house silently. Haruhi is greeted by one of the matriarch's personal servants and guided away. The boys are greeted politely and left to their own devices.
"Taka?" I heard what Haru-chan said. Are we going to help her?"
"It's not our business."
"But Takashiii," he sobbed. "I want to help her!"
"She has to ask herself." They change into workout clothes and enter the dojo. They both start on separate exercises, staying close to each other.
"It can be a favor! I'm sure your mom would like it if we help."
"Hn..." Mori hits the punching bag repeatedly. "Okay." Gleefully, Hunny leaps toward him.