A/N: This is a really simple little drabble. Essentially, at my friend's today, we were watching episode one and she said asked what I thought would have happened had Haruhi caught the vase. I immediately rose to the challenge and promised her a fic. She didn't want one, but never mind. XD I really like this one, for some reason. Hope you enjoy it too!
Second Chance
And as she backed into it, the pedestal swayed, rocked; and the vase tumbled. Haruhi knew what was coming, she could already hear the smashing echoing in her ears, but there was always a hope. She stretched out with clawing, grasping fingers, desperate, and they brushed blue pottery. Just as it seemed the vase would slip away and shatter as she had imagined, her fingers closed around the handle, and it's fall was abruptly halted. She staggered a little, clinging it safely to her, and then placed it back where it belonged.
She dreaded to think how much that would have cost her had she broken it.
She'd been lucky. Very lucky. Unbelievably, unquestionably, unnaturally lucky. Things like that just weren't meant to happen…
"You really ought to be more careful." The calm, glasses-wearing one said.
"That's our René for the in-school auction." The twins explained. "If you want to try breaking it, at least buy it first!"
"Who the hell leaves something that valuable in the middle of the room anyway?!" Haruhi flared at them.
"Valuable?" The strange blond one blinked. "It's really fairly mediocre. It's not nearly as well priced as some of his other works."
"Tama-chan, Tama-chan…" The small blond one put in. "But, if Haru-chan is a commoner… maybe he's never seen anything like it before!"
There was a collective gasp. Haruhi continued her sneaking to the door, but found her way blocked by the two twins- she had heard them referred to in class as the Hitachiins, though she had no idea which was which- who stood before her with tears in their eyes, and holding the vase.
"Here! Take it, take it!"
"What, you're giving it to me now?" Haruhi asked, unimpressed, as she tried to back away and found herself colliding with the one frivolous enough to consider such a thing mediocre.
"Yes! You must take it to grace your humble commoner home!" He declared, clasping her hands. "Beautiful things have a duty to show that beauty to the world! You must take it, Haruhi-kun, and let it's splendour seep into your home!"
She attempted to pull away, but he had a worryingly strong grip, probably, she thought, from a lot of practise. "Why…Why would I have any use for such a thing?! Besides, it's beauty on the inside that counts!"
"Ahhh, you may say that," He answered, letting go of her hands at last to gesticulate wildly. "But sometimes God creates beings with beautiful outsides and insides and-"
"Sometimes he creates beings with neither." Haruhi interjected, and watched in some surprise as he seemed to slip into deep depression. It appeared he was, somehow, miraculously, growing mushrooms.
This place was weird. Thankfully, in the ensuing confusion, she was able to slip away and eventually found herself a quiet place to study, though she had to go outside the building to do it. There was a fountain and a pond in the grounds, overlooked by a window near the strange club room, and around the small and deserted courtyard were several stone benches. She sat on one, gave a deep sigh, and pulled her English book out. She was, after all, a commoner; and she really did have to work hard to keep her place at this school.
Her eyebrow twitched slightly when she'd just thought of herself as a commoner. At this rate, the thing was going to stick. What an obnoxious person, handing out labels so casually. He didn't know her, or anything about her. For one thing, he hadn't even -realised she was a girl, and though it didn't really matter, it was pretty fundamental really.
Evidently, he was just a rich, arrogant, obnoxious player. So his opinion didn't matter, and as long as she steered clear of the Third Music Room she'd probably never see him again, or the rest of them. They all seemed pretty weird, including those twins in her class. No avoiding them, really, but maybe they wouldn't talk to her. This school seemed to be full of strange people. Or maybe it was just because it was another world entirely.
She turned a page in her book, though she hadn't paid a blind bit of attention to what had been on the previous one; and as she did the wind caught a note page she had tucked inside, covered in class notes. She stood up, and the book tipped off her lap, but this time she was clearly too late, and the page sailed towards the clear blue sky reflected in the pool.
It was intercepted at the last moment- she saw someone running, and grabbing it in an outstretched hand, some guy she had never seen before. He turned to smile at her, but with his momentum lost his balance and began to tumble backwards towards the water. She leapt forward and grasped his shirt, hauling him back.
He smiled down at her. "You can let go now. It's alright."
She released him, wondering if he was another of those ridiculous hosts. True, he wasn't as striking as them, rather plain, but he had smiling brown eyes and a soft expression; and if girls went for the tall, silent, ninja-esque guy they'd surely go for this one. But it appeared not. In fact, as he handed back her paper and she thanked him, heading back to the bench to put it back in place, they talked and he seemed almost normal.
"Hey, you're that new scholarship student, right? Fujioka Haruhi?"
"That's right." She said through gritted teeth, the 'commoner' thing still kind of a sore subject. But he wasn't like that.
"Wow! Well done!" His smile broadened as she turned to face him, and he seemed almost to read her mind. "Oh, there's no shame in it. In fact, it probably means you have more of a right to be here than anyone else- you worked for it, it's all your own merit!"
"…Thank you, um…?"
"Ahha, sorry!" He bowed politely. "I'm Yukiru Takaya- pleased to meet you."
"Likewise." She bowed back, and sat down, surprised but not unpleasantly so when he joined her.
"Looks like you're still working hard. Good for you."
"Heh. It's not as easy as it looks." She snorted. "Even finding some place quiet…"
"Sounds like a story."
"Well…I went into the Third Music Room." She looked up, seeing if this would promote a reaction. It did. He stared for a second and then threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"So, you've met Suoh-kun, have you?" Seeing she did not know who he meant, he added "You know. The fop."
"That's the one." She answered, dryly, before relating the strange events and conversations that took place in that room. He laughed harder and harder as she went on.
He sobered up. "Sounds like he rubbed you the wrong way. But he's a decent sort. I guess he could seem a little overbearing to some girls."
"Actually, he thought I was a guy. So did all the rest."
Yukiru blinked. "Well, I can't see that… I know your hair is short, but really…"
"I should probably grow it out again." She muttered, a little self-conscious.
"Nah." He shrugged. "I like spikes on a girl. It's cute!" He laughed a little at her expression, and continued. "Seriously, though. They're all decent sorts. Just fairly…"
"Obnoxious?"
"Oblivious." He amended. "A lot of people here are like that." He looked at her sideways, considering, and then gave a small nod. "Yeah, I think I'll trust you with my secret, Fujioka-chan!" His grin broadened again. "Thing is, I know how you feel. See, my family is what you might call 'new money'. Until I was almost done in middle school I was just a 'normal' person from a family that ran two little shops. But we expanded and expanded, and here I am, in this place where people have cars that cost as much as houses and just don't seem to understand the value of money."
"That's true." Haruhi agreed, thinking back to the 'mediocre' comment.
"But…" He continued, giving her that strange sideways look again. "The longer I was here, the more I realised that normal people sometimes don't recognise the value of normal things. They're too governed by money; there's not much opportunity for friends and fun and whatnot, because they're trying to get to the place where they can afford to not know the value of money. Seems a shame to me."
"…What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing." He shrugged, standing up. "But, you know, I've seen you around a lot, and you've always been alone… If you're looking for a friendly face, the Host Club is a good place to start." He smiled at her again, just slightly, just gently. "Besides, you should apologise to Suoh-kun for that 'neither' comment. He's kinda sensitive."
"Too sensitive." Haruhi corrected, sighing.
"Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I'll leave you to study." He paused a little, to ensure the significance reached her, and then he turned to leave. "See you later, Spiky!"
Haruhi didn't reply, absorbed for the moment in her own thoughts. Eventually, she returned to her books, and didn't move for a long time. She was surprised when she heard people leaving the building, and looked up to see the Hosts themselves leaving the building, making a lot of noise. She watched the twins laughing at the one Yukiru had called Suoh, and the calm short (or long?) sighted one watched detachedly as Suoh gave chase to his tormentors. The short blond one was yelling at someone to run, though Haruhi wasn't sure who's side he was on, and the tall one watched blankly.
And yet, they were a group. Somehow, someone had found something to bring these individuals together. Yukiru was right, it did seem nice. She stood up, fighting herself over going to join them or not. That choice was taken from her as something fast moving and orange knocked into her, and she found herself flying into the pond. She felt hands brush against her, but a little too late as she was knocked into the water. The breath went from her, she lost her glasses and hit her head on the bottom. She surfaced, soaked, rubbing her head, to find the twins- one, it seemed, had ended up in the pool with her, and the other was on the bank- staring at her.
"Ow…" She complained. Then, noticing their looks. "What?"
"Why do you wear glasses?" The one on the bank asked.
"With eyes like that?" The other completed. "Have you no sense of style?"
"I just lost my contacts, that's all…" Haruhi grumbled, wondering if there was a compliment somewhere in there and if she was going to get an apology at all. One came, not from the twin, but from another, who stuck his hand out to help her up, having waded into the pond himself.
"I'm sorry." Suoh said, hauling her up. "I hope you weren't hurt, Haruhi-kun… Hikaru! Apologise!"
"Sorry."
"That's alright, I guess." Haruhi replied. She had put the guy before her down as a player, and almost a fraud, but at this moment, his concern seemed genuine. Maybe she really had got him all wrong. Maybe she had judged just as presumptuously as he had.
And maybe, those things he said, calling her a hero, and 'hailing poverty', had been genuine too. Maybe they had just been his way of saying that it was alright to be a 'commoner', and that he admired her hard work. Maybe they hadn't been insults at all. Making her rebuke uncalled for. Maybe it was as Yukiru had said, and she should apologise.
"Listen, about earlier…"
"Ahh, you're not mad, are you?" He interrupted, anxiously. "The others seem to think you were, but I'm sure-"
And maybe this was his way of apologising.
"It's fine." She said, cutting him off. "And I apologise if I insulted you."
He blinked a little, and then smiled, and, as he was still gripping her hand, decided to shake it. "Well then, Fujioka Haruhi-kun, I'm pleased to meet you! I'm so glad everything's been resolved!"
"Well," another of the club members butted in, pushing his glasses up his nose. They glinted almost maliciously in the setting sun. "There is the small matter of the gift of one René vase…"
"I don't want it." Haruhi tried again.
"We insist!" Suoh told her, grinning.
"But-"
"This does of course mean that the club loses money." Glasses continued calmly. "Though, I trust you will make good the loss, Fujioka-kun."
"Eh?! You're making me buy a gift?!"
Apparently, this man alone in this place understood the value of money all too much. "Of course not." He dismissed. "You could never afford it. We will have to find… other means."
"Other means?" Suoh echoed, before looking at her thoughtfully. He suddenly smiled, slyly. "Kyouya! Call a hairdresser!"
"Eh?" Haruhi repeated.
"Hikaru, Kaoru! If you don't mind…"
"Thought you'd never ask!" They declared, and suddenly grabbed hold of Haruhi's arms, beginning to propel her at high speeds towards the school.
"Mori-senpai! Go get some contact lenses from the nurse!"
"Eh?" Haruhi tried, one last time. Suoh shot her his dazzling smile as she was carried off.
"Fujioka Haruhi, you are a host starting today!"
"What?!"
Silently watching the happenings from a secluded spot not far away, Yukiru smiled to himself, nodded once, and spoke almost to himself. "Good for you, Spiky." Then he turned, and, hands thrust into his pockets and whistling tunelessly, he turned and left the school. He'd done his part and got Haruhi back on track, in the Host Club. The rest was up to them to work out.
After all, they did say the truest value was that of the heart. But everyone had to find that for themselves. Sometimes, even if it was first time lucky, people needed a second chance.
A/N: I think I figured out why I like this one so much. For some reason, calling Haruhi 'Spiky' is so cute to me. XD Yes. Anyway, Kyouya charges for gifts, so watch out if he sent you a Christmas present! Ha ha… (Ahem) It was really hard to write, with Haruhi not knowing any of their names. I hope it was clear enough who was who, and Ihope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!
In totally random news, this was the last fic I wrote on my old computer. :'( The end of an era… but really. Three out of four USB ports had gone, the floppy and the CD drives were going, the water was up to the third lower deck and I'm fairly sure it was leaking in from the port side. In other words, it was a sinking ship. Poor Computer-chan… I'm glad we were able to write one last story together! Farewell! (An emotional goodbye)
So, I've had to add all the Japanese-y words and names into this dictionary. Bizarrely, Kaoru and Fujioka already were. O.o;; Anyway. I sssh now.