"Haruhi, darling, we need to talk."
Haruhi's father, Ryoji (or as he likes to call himself, "Ranka") Fujioka, stood by the entrance of the Host Club. He wore a light blue tee, black jeans, and jogging shoes. His long, maroon hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. The gentle smile on his face lied for the earnest twinkle in his eyes weren't present.
"Sure thing," Haruhi said. She wasn't sure why her dad was here – he should be at work right now – but she decided if the reason was important enough for him to come. . . then she shouldn't be complaining.
She excused herself from the ladies she was entertaining and stood. She approached her dad, who she had noticed was carrying a beige duffle bag. What could be in there?
"What do you need, Dad?" Haruhi inquired. From up close, she could see that her father had been crying. His eyes were tinged red and his face was flushed. "And. . . um, did you cry?"
"That isn't important, sweetheart." her father softly assured. "What is important right now is that we need to get you out of here. Quick."
"Huh? Why? I don't understand why—"
"Haruhi," her father says a little firmly, "Just do what Daddy tells you to do, okay? It's for your own good."
Haruhi stared at him with concerned and confused eyes. She still didn't understand what was going on and she hated that. Not knowing something was the worst thing ever. She always craved for the answer in everything, which she labeled as "strong curiosity." But something at the back of her mind told her it was more than that. She doesn't know why, but there was always a little voice murmuring, "There's something more to it. . ."
"Okay, but can you at least tell me where we're going?"
Her father gave her a sad smile. It broke Haruhi to see her father like this – frail and trapped in a state of melancholy. "To camp. Now, come on, let's go. We shouldn't waste anymore time talking here. It's dangerous."
"Okay. Let me tell senpai first. We are, after all, in the middle of our club activities."
Her dad nodded and smiled nervously. "Quickly, please."
"Alright. Be back in a sec, okay?"
Haruhi walked over to Tamaki, the president of the Host Club. He was one of the most narcissistic people that you could ever meet on this planet, but he was also kind and caring. He looked after Haruhi as if he was her own father, minus the whining and stupid fantasies. Right now, he was surrounded by female students who swooned at his very stare.
"Senpai, excuse me for interrupting, but I need to go. My dad came and he says I need to leave. For what reason, I don't know. He doesn't seem like he wants to talk about it. . ."
"Hm? Strange. . . Well, that's okay. Whatever is happening, I hope it gets better." Tamaki smiles one of his charming smiles, which Haruhi was totally immune to. Though, it didn't seem the female students held the same magical shield that she had for they let out shrilled squeaks.
"Thanks, senpai."
Kaoru butted in, "Hey, hey—"
Hikaru finished for his twin brother, "—what's going on here?"
"Nothing, boys, Haruhi is just leaving for today. Something important came up."
"Really, King?" Kaoru pouted, placing his arms on his hips. "Whatever could happen to our precious Haruhi that she would want to leave us?"
"Yeah, what's up? Nothing bad exactly happened, right?" There was a hint of worry in Hikaru's voice. "Because we're always here, Haruhi. We can help."
"To be honest, I really don't know what's going on. My dad just came in"— Haruhi glanced at her dad, who was nervously playing with a lock of his hair—"and told me we need to go. He says something about going to camp."
"Maybe he wants to sign you up early for camp?" Honey, who had been eavesdropping, suggested. "It is a few weeks before summer, after all."
"Wait a minute! Camp? What is this "camp", exactly? It can't possibly be one of those ratty summer camps that involve lots of mosquitoes and snakes! No way am I letting my little Haruhi go there." Tamaki stood up from where he sat. "Kyoya!"
The vice-president walked over, his laptop in hand. He must have been in the middle of typing something about their club's budget because he looked slightly disheveled. Honey must have eaten way too much cake. . . again. "Yes, Tamaki?"
"We're going to have to close up early today. We need to see this 'camp' Haruhi is going to. We cannot let our daughter fall into the victims of snakes!"
Kyoya adjusted his glasses, which were sliding off the bridge of his nose. "As you wish. But we must make up for the lost time next time, okay?"
"Right! Now, let's go!"
. . .
When Haruhi came back with six guys trailing behind her, Ryoji couldn't have been anymore baffled.
"Haruhi! What is the meaning of this? I thought you said that you were going to excuse yourself, not bring your club along!"
Her dad's anger scared her. It wasn't often that her father chided her; she had always been responsible enough to avoid that. The scolding was like a hard slap on the cheek. The pain didn't go away, but rather stay as a throbbing sensation.
"I'm sorry," Haruhi bowed her head as she spoke. "I didn't intend for them to tag along."
"Yes, please don't scold Haruhi. It was my ide—"
Ryoji's poisonous glare shut Tamaki up immediately. "Look, we don't have enough time. Haruhi and I need to go now. It's dangerous to stay here anymore. They'll come for her. So, if you truly love her, you'll leave her in my hands."
"But—"
"No buts!"
As the pair broke into an argument, Haruhi felt someone gently tap on her shoulder. She glanced to her right to see one of the female students smiling shyly at her. The student had light brown hair tied into pig tails.
"Excuse me," she spoke, her voice soft, "but can we please talk outside? I. . . I have something to say."
"Oh. Um, okay." Haruhi smiled and led the student outside, completely unseen by her bickering parent and senpai. "Sorry for the commotion, Dad and Tamaki-senpai don't exactly get along fine."
"That's alright," the girl said. She smiled, though it was cold. The mere image of it sent shivers down Haruhi's spine – something about it seemed so. . . evil. "You know, Haruhi, I've been watching you. . . all this time. . . from afar. . . And from what I've observed. . ." She inched closely to Haruhi, trailing a finger on her neck. "You're. . . special."
"Um, I'm not really that. . . special. . ." Haruhi took a step back, uncomfortable with the sudden closeness and behavior of the female student. "You. . . You know, I really have to get going, Dad must be worried—"
"Don't try to escape, half-blood!" The girl screeched, her hair suddenly bursting into flames. Her fingernails grew into long claws and her two legs changed form: a bronze right leg and a left goat leg. "I've been waiting so long to strike, it was so agonizing! But now, since your pathetic excuse of a father is taking you to camp, I might as well get on with it!"
Haruhi's scream was caught into her throat. She wanted to release it so badly; she wanted to let the others know how scared and panicked she was. And most of all, she wanted help. Because this thing looked extremely hungry and was ready to tear her into a thousand Haruhi pieces.
"Back off!"
Bursting out the doors, her father jumped between the both of them. He held a bronze spear in his hand and waved it madly at the flaming-haired girl.
The girl laughed, as if it was amusing to see the man wave the spear. "Fool! You cannot scare me; your inexperience in battle will bring you to your doom!"
"I may be inexperienced, but I have brought down enough monsters over the years to sharpen my skills!"
"Dad. . . What. . . You shouldn't be. . . What the heck is going on?"
"Haruhi, sweetie, just stay behind Daddy. I'll take care of her."
"Well, I could always use some hors devours!" The flaming-haired girl said before lunging at Haruhi's father.
The latter deflected this by slashing the spear across her chest. She let out a screech, which was loud enough to attract the Host Club out of their gay lair—ah, club room.
Tamaki gasped once he caught sight of the flaming-haired girl. "MOMMY! WHAT IS THAT THING?"
"I believe it's an empousa," Kyoya replied calmly. His gaze was steady as he observed the young girl from top to bottom, noting the abnormalities that adorned her once beautiful body. "I vaguely remember her attending our club activities before. Never knew she was an empousa."
"And empo-what?" Kaoru frowned, unable to pronounce the complicated word. "Well, whatever it is, it sure is ugly."
"Haruhi!" Hikaru grabbed Haruhi's wrist and pulled her close, wrapping a protective arm around her. "It's dangerous; don't just stand there!"
But Haruhi wasn't listening. She was too busy staring at the – what was it called again? – empousa.
"Hey! No fair, I was going to do that!"
"Shut up, King; I did it first!"
The empousa's hiss grabbed their attention. "Shut up, all of you! I'll eat you all up! You human"— she then glanced at the Host Club—"and demigods!"
"Demigod? What is that?" Honey inquired innocently. He didn't look scared; his expression was calm and poised, much like Kyoya.
"A child of a god and a human," Kyoya explained, adjusting his glasses. "Mister Fujioka, I advice that you step back. I have this under control."
Haruhi's dad narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What are you talking about, Kyoya?"
Kyoya smiled – a sly one, to be exact. He then took off his glasses, pressed what seemed like a small button on the side, and a sword appeared. It was the same bronze color as the spear Haruhi's dad held. "Let's just say that everything is not what it means."
Before anybody could say anything, the empousa charged at Kyoya with a loud battle cry – something between hissing and yelling.
Kyoya calmly stood there. At the last second, just when the empousa was halfway in clawing at him, the black-haired man sliced her into two. Her hideous form exploded into black dust.
"Kyoya, you're a half-blood?" The doubt in Ryoji's voice was clear. "I can't believe this! How come you never told me?"
"You never asked," replied Kyoya. "Anyways, I'm guessing Haruhi is a half-blood? And judging from what that empousa said, the whole Host Club is half-bloods. That would explain why I had at fended off more monsters through the years."
"Dad, could you please explain to me what's going on? Because an explanation is worthy right now!" Haruhi was hysterical. She was clearly not happy, but not too upset about this either: just plain confuse. "I mean, that thing—Kyoya—demigods? Nothing is making sense!"
"There's no more time to explain," her father gently said. "Kyoya, take her to camp. For the rest of the remaining school year and summer, she'll be staying there. It's gotten far too dangerous here. Kronos is rising yet again."
"Understood." Kyoya clicked his sword back to his glasses, which he slid back on. "Haruhi, come with me. And as for the rest of you. . . you're coming with me. Now that you know you're a demigod, you'll need all the training you need. They come in more once you find out."
"But can you explain what's going on right now?" Tamaki requested. "Because I am so lost right now!"
"I'll explain in camp. It's safe there." With that said, Kyoya went off.
"Seriously, this is so—" Koaru paused, caught in thought. "You know what, screw this, I need answers."
He then followed after Kyoya, a little dejectedly, with the rest trailing after him.
Haruhi glanced back at her father, who smiled sympathetically at her. 'Keep going,' he mouthed.
As much as she wanted to object, something whispered to her that she should just do what she was told. So, with all her strength, she turned – a painfully excruciating slow turn.
