A/N: This will be my first Ouran fanfic, and it takes place after the festival where the anime ends. Please be gentle, though constructive criticism is fine.

Haruhi Fujioka had more or less gotten used to entertaining other women under the disguise of being a man. It didn't even really have that much to do with her debt anymore. She loved the host club. She loved the other members and the girls that frequently asked for her.

She loved Honey-senpai's childish nature, and Mori-senpai's quiet ways. She loved how Kaoru and Hikaru would try to play tricks on people and how Hikaru would always be just a little meaner. She loved Kyoya-senpai's hidden kindness. She had even come to love Tamaki-senpai's "fatherly doting" (though she'd be damned if she ever admitted such a thing). Even Renge's fangirling was acceptable in her life.

She was content. She had a place where she could feel like she truly belonged and was wanted. She had heard her father talking to her mother's picture quietly and telling her that some nice people where taking care of their daughter and so she didn't need to worry.

So, let's see how this manages to come completely unraveled with an email.

Haruhi was surprised when the phone she'd been given by the twins blinked signaling an email had been sent.

Rich people have internet on their phones too, I guess… she thought before opening it.

It was from a popular Japanese TV station. It said she was wanted to participate in a reality television show.

She would have thought it was sent to the wrong address if not for the fact that it specifically requested Haruhi Fujioka.

After a few more emails and a call on her home phone, she was given an appointment at the TV station and told she'd be picked up for it, despite her attempts to turn them down.

She sighed. I guess I can just turn them down in person, then… she thought. Damn rich people never listened to anyone, did they?

[insert line]

On the day of her appointment, she was taken to the station and brought to a conference room where she was a bit surprised to see several familiar faces.

On one side of the table was Kyoya Ootori, Tamaki Suoh, Ritsu Kasadona, and Umehito Nekozawa. On the other side was Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and Takashi Morinozuka.

At the head of the table was a man she'd never seen before who introduced himself as "Yoshino". Apparently he was in charge here.

"Um…why are my schoolmates here?" Haruhi asked.

"Ah, simple. They are the rest of the cast for the show!" Yoshino explained.

"But isn't it a bit unbalanced with their being only one woman and an uneven number of people?" Kyoya asked him. "Perhaps you should have invited Renge…No. Forget that. Maybe it's best you didn't."

"Agreed," both the twins said.

"Well, you see, the entire point of this show is for their to only be one girl," Yoshino went on. "Because there will be eight men whom are all her friends competing for her love!"

There was a brief silence before all nine of the high school students chorused one collective "What?".

"Ah, yes, a reality show, where friends must fight each other and all for the love of a fellow schoolmate, Haruhi Fujioka!" he said with a dramatic flair.

Yeah, with this guy around, Renge won't be missed, they all thought dully.

"Hold on, I haven't even agreed to do this show yet!" Haruhi protested.

"No one's signed anything just yet," Kyoya told her.

"Right! Don't worry about a thing, though!" Yoshino assured everyone, pulling out a contract. "I've got the contract right here! It will be filmed during your summer break, so there's no need to worry about interfering with school or anything!"

"We'll do it!" the twins said, with mischievous grins. "Because Haruhi is our dear classmate!" They signed the contract one after the other.

Tamaki twitched slightly. "H-hey! I can't let my daughter be at the mercy of those unscrupulous twins!"

After watching a quick "Tamaki's Mind Video" of Haruhi being harassed, he also signed before turning to Kyoya and saying, "Hey, Mom! You have to help protect our daughter, too!"

They're all…quite close… Yoshino thought with a sweatdrop.

Kyoya thought about it for a moment. "Well…if we can work in commercials that advertise the Ootori Group, than I'm fine with it."

"Yes, yes, I thought you might say so," Yoshino nodded, pointing to a section of the contract that stated them being able to all chose what was advertised during the commercial breaks.

The cynical boy studied all of the contract and then shrugged. "I see no reason why I shouldn't take part in this. As you said, it's filmed during our break, so it shouldn't interfere with anything." He signed his name also.

Kasadona knew that this was probably the only chance he'd ever get to win Haruhi's heart, so he quickly signed next.

"Hey, Takashi, it sounds like fun, huh?" Honey asked.

Mori nodded silently and looked at him as though asking 'Do you want to try?', which Honey responded to with a nod and signed the paper before Mori did.

Nekozawa turned to Yoshino. "Will there be enough darkness there?" he asked.

"You can keep your room as dark as you'd like, and you'll be allowed to wear that cloak, if you must," he replied.

After a moment more of deliberation, the occult boy also signed, and the only one left was Haruhi, whom all eyes turned towards.

She sighed. "If I refuse, you'll all just annoy me, right?"

"That's the spirit," Kyoya said mockingly.

"Che! Fine…" she read the contract thoroughly before hesitantly signing her name.

"Wonderful!" Yoshino said. "Now, you'll all be transported to the mansion directly from your last day of school, so make sure you pack everything to go and bring it with you!"

After a bit more discussion, they all filed out besides for Haruhi, who wanted to talk to the manager a bit more.

"Yoshino-san," she began, "I signed because they would never let me refuse, but I'm not sure this is the time in my life where I want to concern myself with commitment."

Yoshino smiled at her. "That doesn't have to be a concern. Most of the couples born from shows like these don't last long if at all. Think of it as…a chance to get to know your friends better and see if…maybe one of them is your type."

"When you put it that way, it makes sense, but isn't there going to be an elimination process?"

Seeing where she was headed, Yoshino interjected, "I understand that you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, Fujioka-san, but the way I saw you and the others interact, I don't think that would be a problem. You're all so close that I don't think it could ruin what you have."

Haruhi thought for a moment, before bowing respectfully and taking her leave, saying her goodbyes to him.

[insert another line]

"Hey, Kyoya," Tamaki said to his friend, "isn't there a reason you agreed so easily to the conditions without asking anything else in your favor to be added?"

"I could say the same for you, Tamaki," Kyoya replied. "Usually you would stop Haruhi from agreeing in the first place, right?"

The blond narrowed his eyes slightly. "I just knew everyone else would make her go and I didn't want to leave her alone. Just know that you'll need my approval to date my daughter!"

The raven haired boy clicked his tongue. "You're still telling yourself that's the way you feel?" he asked incredulously. "I have my own reasons, and my father has expressed a liking of her. If I can have someone whom I both desire and is accepted by my family, I see no reason not to do this."

"PAPA WON'T ALLOW IT!" Tamaki screamed shrilly. His own father had expressed similar views to Kyoya's, but Tamaki had laughed it off saying that she was his 'daughter', though he was starting to wonder if that was really the case.

[more glorious line stuff]

"Hey, Kaoru," Hikaru said as they rode back to their manor in a car that cost more than a normal house, "this is just for fun…right?"

Kaoru smiled at his brother. "You can decide that, Hikaru. I'm only going to support you. I don't have that kind of interest in Haruhi."

"But we won't get eliminated at the same time, and I couldn't bare being without you, Kaoru!" the elder said, cupping his twin's face in his hands.

"Don't worry," the younger said, wrapping his arms around the other, "you know I'll always belong to only you, Hikaru. My heart and my body…"

There was a loud coughing from the front as the chauffer who had been listening to them choked on his coffee.

They both grinned and said, "Everything okay?" in unison.

"F-fine…" came the man's voice.

You'd think he'd be used to it by now…

[this line can jump through space and take us places]

"Takashi, now we're rivals, okay?" Honey said his smile turning into a cute determined face. "Don't go easy on me, because I won't go easy on you!"

Mori nodded. "Got it."

Honey smiled wide. "Awesome! Now, let's go have cake! CAKE!"

[warping line again]

"Onii-chama!" Kirimi Nekozawa said, pulling at Umehito's cloak. "Where'd you go? Kirimi looked everywhere for you."

Her big brother picked her up and whispered, "Onii-chama will soom be going on a journey. A long and treacherous one where he must obtain a pure maiden's heart."

The little girl's eyes shown. "Ooooh! Kirimi wants to go!"

"No. Kirimi must stay here and study the moon phase chart," he told her. "If you do, Onii-chama will make you a special treat, okay?"

The child nodded happily. "OK!"

[and space jump line!]

"What's with the chief?" asked one of the men of Kasanoda-gumi.

"He is…going to fight for the girl he loves!" Tetsuya Sendo announced importantly.

And this turned into one of their frequent "Let's Give The Chief Chick Pointers" nights.

These happen way too often… Ritsu thought grimacing.

[and now the line can also jump through time AND space]

Later that night, Haruhi mentioned the whole thing to her father in a casual tone, expecting him to freak out.

She was very surprised when he simply patted her on the head and said, "Go for it, Haruhi-chan."

"Um…thank you, Otou-san."

He smiled at her. "Don't get me wrong; I don't like this idea one bit, but you're like your mother in that way…You won't let me tell you that you can't. But I trust your judgment. I just worry about you."

"Otou-san…I'll be fine. They're all my friends after all."

"Yes. That they are. When do you leave?"

"Saturday right after school. Why?"

"GYAAAH! YOU HAVE TO PACK YOUR CUTEST CLOTHES RIGHT AWAY AND MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU NEED AND…"

Haruhi sighed but smiled. He wouldn't be her father if he didn't do this, she supposed.

She wondered what this show would turn out…

A/N: That's the first chapter. I'll try to update at least once a week, maybe more for the time being. Leave a review?