Holy crap I'm actually doing this! I must be insane! But I guess I can't help it, I just love Jin Fujioka so much… And apparently my readers do, too!
So here's the deal. There are going to be quite a few differences in this story compared to the Anime version. And since there is significantly more content in the Manga, I will not be adding chapters in between each 'episode'. Most likely, all of my extra side stories will latch onto a chapter and I'll weave the two together. (Also... I may change this story to... 'M' rated in the future. Just a heads up.) And, like with all the other characters, Jin is going to have a few differences in her character here and there. But I hope that you all like this story just as much as the first one.
Special thanks to all of my readers who encouraged me to write this! I never would've gotten this far without you!
Here we go!
Disclaimer: Well… I own Jin Fujioka. But you all probably knew that already.
*Episode 1*
The halls of Ouran Academy were quiet, most of the students holed up in different rooms across campus. Of course, the insides of those libraries, club rooms, and the like were quite loud in contrast. In the high school building, which stood tall and proud in the mid-spring sunlight, there was only one student who wasn't indulging in the quaint little talks taking place between her fellow students.
Darn it! Four libraries, and this place is still too crowded! Haruhi scowled and muttered to herself as she speed walked around the top floor of the South Wing. Not even a full minute ago she had shut the doors on yet another promising study location that fell flat, and was now resorting to her last option, an empty classroom.
Of course, that wasn't going very well, either. She sighed heavily and kept walking.
Passing a pair of doors with violin notes dancing out from between the cracks, the girl continued to complain harshly in her mind. I mean, if you don't want to study, just go home! Is everyone here just coasting?
Suddenly, a voice different from her own slipped into her mind, Oh, come on, Haru! No need to be so sharp! Just because you can't see them studying doesn't mean they aren't doing it at all! And besides, you've got a lot riding on your study habits, they don't.
The voice, even if it was only imaginary at the moment, still managed to ease the muscles in Haruhi's shoulders, pushing the tension down her arms and out her fingertips. Sighing with less force than the last time, she managed a smile. There was sunlight gently floating through the large windows she was passing, and she appreciated the warmth up until she passed the glass.
Whatever I might have to say about the people currently in the school, the people who designed it definitely knew what they were doing… Where am I?
Pulling out the map she had tucked in her pant's pocket, she tried to figure out where she had ended up. It would be pointless for her to find the perfect place to study if she could never find it again.
Let's see… there's the library I just checked. Then I went up that flight of stairs… took a right, and another right… aha! I could see the clock tower out of those windows! Right… looks like these are just all music rooms. Explains the violins I heard earlier.
The brunette looked up from her map and found herself staring up at two fairly large doors. They were painted white, like all the other doors in the school, but she couldn't hear any noise behind them. The first quiet room she had passed all day.
Crossing her fingers on her right hand, she gripped the door handle with her left and pulled it open. Please, don't let anyone be in here… I mean, no one could be that quiet, right?
Wrong.
"Welcome!"
Seeing six men sitting in a beautifully architectured room that she had expected to be empty was a shock enough, but make those six boys extremely handsome? It's a miracle Haruhi's heart didn't stop then and there.
Of course, her knees almost gave out all the same, and she had to turn around and clutch at the door knob to keep standing. Oh geez! Oh geez! Men! Good-looking men! Oh gosh! Wait… when did I close the door?!
Behind her, she heard two voices 'hmph' in unison, "It's only a guy. We told you the girls never come in this early."
"Hey, zip it! Men are valuable patrons, too!"
"They are?"
"Indeed." Haruhi's breath caught in her lungs. The third voice was now directly behind her. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club, Haruhi Fujioka. You're the scholarship student, aren't you? You are a rare creature in this place."
"Huh?" Her confusion for the tall blond's words briefly overrode the utter shock of stumbling into a Host Club, of all things, "Um… I'm a what?"
Another boy who was still standing by the chair the blond recently vacated readjusted his glasses before speaking up, "It is my determination that Common Folk such as yourself don't easily fit into our elegant culture here at Ouran. As a scholarship student, you must have a pretty thick skin and mulish stubbornness just to make it through the entrance exam process, let alone achieve anything while you're a student here. After all," he chuckled, "If no one knows you, it's an uphill climb to get noticed, know what I mean?"
Instantly, all of the attraction Haruhi might have felt at seeing their appearances went down the drain. Wow, it's like the opposite of a geode. Pretty and shiny on the outside, but the inside is hard and unappealing. Lord help anyone they sweet talk before showing their true colors...
"Yes! Exactly! You're a trail-blazer, Haruhi Fujioka!" The blond was grabbing her harshly by her shoulders, his face suddenly far too close for comfort, and she was unable to stifle a squeak. What is with these boys? "Welcome, Pauper, to the Realm of Wealth! Top student in your class, and yet you're poorer than a church mouse. Some may call you a weed, or despise your low-class status, not that there's anything wrong with poverty, of course, and yet here you are! You're a true crusader, with a reckless heart!"
Haruhi's mouth was hanging open just a bit, which was all well and good, because if she allowed her lips to move they'd probably form a sentence she'd regret. So far, the only shred of intelligence she'd seen from these boys was from that glasses-wearing boy when he explained the atmosphere of Ouran in comparison to what she was probably used to... and he'd spent a good portion of that paragraph insulting her. It was underwhelming, to say the least.
And the blond beside her still wasn't done.
"Of course... we had heard the rumor that you're a man lover...But we hadn't expected you to come forward so soon!"
Haruhi's back went ramrod straight, "A what?"
"So, what's your type? We have a wide selection here for you to enjoy! Do you prefer the 'Wild' type? Boy Lolita? Or..." Haruhi felt a hand cup at her chin, stroking at the soft skin lining her throat before steering her face up to his, like he was about to kiss her, "Am I more your speed?"
"No! It's not like that!" Haruhi's protests were coming out like air escaping a tire, high pitched and narrow sounding, yet desperate. She jumped away from the crazy blond, only to bump into the other one. The really short boy.
He latched himself onto her right arm and started babbling, "Are you really a crusader, Haru-chan? That's so cool! Do you have tales of rescuing princesses? I'd love to-"
"What's with the -chan?"
The boy took a frantic step back, tears in his eyes that started to jerk at her heart. Feeling her anxiety climbing to peak level, Haruhi started stumbling towards the door, attempting to keep her eyes on the tall blond in front of her, lest he try to grab her again, "Look, I was just trying to find a quiet place to study! Clearly that's not here, so if you would please excuse me-"
CRAAASH!
The room took in a collective breath as they stared at the pile of shards on the floor. All of the blood in Haruhi's body dropped to her toes. Did... did I do that?
"Oh dear..." it was one of the twins. In the back of her panic-swamped mind, Haruhi realized she recognized them, "That vase was by rune. It was supposed to be the featured item in the next school auction."
"The bidding was going to start at $80,000, but I have a feeling it won't fetch that now... Welp, there went our starting funds for the club this year."
Haruhi's ears had stopped registering words when the second twin mentioned the price, "$80,000? You... you just had that laying around?" The twins leveled a glare at her, so she quickly added on, "I'll pay for it! I'm so sorry!"
"Oh, you'll pay for it. Right, sure you will."
"You can't even afford a school uniform, but you'll hand over that $80,000 you just flushed down the drain without a problem."
With each word, Haruhi felt like more and more of her existence was deteriorating. How much can my internal organs go for, again? How much is a kidney? Back at the chair they'd been posing around earlier, the tall blond had collapsed onto the cushion, looking almost disappointed. The glasses wearing boy was holding a shard of the vase, examining it like it was somehow more interesting now than when it had had a starting value of $80,000.
The brunette gulped when the two of them stopped whispering to each other and refocused on her, "Well, Fujioka... are you familiar with the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'?" The blond's smile turned creepy when she managed a nod, "Good, well you're going to learn a new one today as well. 'If you don't have the cash, pay with your carcass'. As of today... you're the Host Club's 'Dog'!"
Haruhi could literally feel her soul start to leave her body. Mom... after all that work to get into this school... to be with Nēchan in a place where we could be ourselves and really excel in life... and I wind up being a servant to these Morons! How will I explain this to Dad and Nēchan?
"Well, everyone back in place! Our guests will be here in no time. Fujioka, your first chore as our errand boy will be to sweep up the remains of your... little accident. After that, please wander around the edge of the room until we call for you."
If there were ever a time Haruhi would want her sister's abilities, it would be now. But she didn't, which left doing what the blond said her only option at the moment. Damn it. She repeated that line for the next half an hour as she swept up the broken vase, threw it out, and watched as the Host Club's guests started pouring in. And it didn't take long until Haruhi started seeing how they acted around people they weren't allowed to be honest with.
"Where will you take me for the summer, Tamaki?"
"Wherever you wish to go."
No.
"What's your favorite kind of music?"
"Whatever you like, I like."
Stop.
"I baked a cake today. Would you like to try a piece?"
"If you feed it to me."
By that point, Haruhi was stuck between wanting to throw up or throw something at Tamaki Suoh, which was apparently the tall blond's name. Seriously, how could anyone fall for that? Let alone 7 out of 10 girls at this school?
The Hitachiin twins from her class, which is where she recognized them from, were no better. At first they were just talking with their guests, but then the older one, Hikaru, started a story that Kaoru, his brother apparently didn't like. It got to the point where the younger started crying he was so embarrassed. And what happened next? Hikaru pulled his face closer like they were about to kiss! By then, Haruhi had enough of the club.
"You guys live in a world all your own..."
Kyoya Ohtori, the only second year student in the club besides Tamaki, smirked, "Perhaps... or perhaps not. Our actions might be strange to a newcomer such as yourself, but there is a method to this madness. We simple apply our individual talents to meet the needs of our guests. We give them what they want, and they keep coming back. You, on the other hand, Fujioka-san, have a slightly different job. While you remain as our 'Dog', you'll take care of simple chores. Cleaning up, bringing tea and pastries to the hosts and their guests, and small shopping trips will be the general idea, and you will do so until you've paid off your debt."
Maybe Nēchan can help get me a passport...
"Oh, and I suppose you can try to run away or refuse, but please be aware that my family's reach is far and wide. You have a passport, I trust?"
No, but I sure want one now.
Haruhi couldn't get a good read on this guy. One minute he was calm and the voice of reason, keeping the club running smoothly without needing an iron fist to make people do what he wanted, but the very next second he was giving her a Devil's smile and spewing very thinly-veiled threats. These boys are literally insane!
"Well, Fujioka-san... looks like you've got $80,000 of chores to do, and not much to offer a girl." Haruhi went to roll her eyes, but a sudden puff of warm air touching the back of her neck cut everything off. She jumped and scurried away.
"Don't do that."
"Huh. Don't like that technique?"
"No!"
"Hey, no need to be so uptight. You may be our 'Dog', but that doesn't mean I can't practice my charms on you every once in a while."
Haruhi glared over her shoulder, "Well, don't! I don't care for your 'charms' or whatever you call them. Man or woman, handsome or not, it shouldn't matter. It's what's inside that matters. A handsome face means nothing if you're an ugly person on the inside." Her brown eyes narrowed a bit, hoping that the blond would get the hint that she really didn't want to be associated with him.
"Huh... I guess that's true... and so cruel!" Haruhi steepled her hands and pressed the tips to her mouth as he continued, "God has given so many people only one or the other, but decided to grant me beauty both inside and out! Not to brag, of course, but it's so cute how you attempt to console yourself like that! Another triumph of the Ouran Commoner!"
He's so... so... oh, what's the word? Bothersome? No... it means that, I'm sure, but I'm looking for something more plain...
The second voice in her head whispered a suggestion and the brunette straightened her back, "That's it!"
"Oh? That's what?"
"You're annoying!"
The next moment, Tamaki was hunched over in a little ball, sulking. He literally walked over to a clear area and sat down, curling his knees to his chest and somehow darkening his entire being.
"Huh... he didn't take that well." Behind her, the twins were ruffling her hair and complimenting how quickly she'd shut the blond down. "Uhm, Tamaki-senpai, I-"
"King." Huh? "Call me 'King'. That's what they call me here. Call me that or I won't listen."
Just as Haruhi was about to inform him that she would never call him 'King' even if the rest of the world called him that, the twins decided to step all over him, calling him 'Majesty' and 'Royalness'. Even Kyoya was mockingly using the term 'Sire' as he told the blond of his ever growing list of requests for the day. Huh... maybe if they show off their sarcastic sides more often, I can learn to handle this place. I may not speak 'rich', but I'm plenty fluent in sarcasm.
Across the way, Haruhi noticed the last two hosts who had yet to notice Tamaki's shattered ego. The third years, Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka, though apparently everyone called them Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai.
"Hey, who came up with their nicknames?" They're kind of familiar...
"Huh? Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai? Not sure. I think they asked to be called that back in middle school, or even earlier. I've never asked. But a lot of the girls here have taken to calling them Hunny and Mori." Tamaki glanced to his side, gauging the scholarship student's reactions to the third-years as he quickly forgot about his previous meltdown, "You seem interested."
The girl jumped, not wanting to mention that they were sparking the faintest hint of a memory in her head, "Uh... it's just weird to think of Hunny-senpai as a 3rd-year student. And Mori-senpai hasn't said a word since I came in. Not even to his guests."
Tamaki shrugged, "Looks can be deceiving. Hunny is actually our oldest member, and Mori's draw at the club is his silence. He also tends to prefer remaining silent anyways."
"Huh." She narrowed her eyes. She knew she had never met them... but their names. Giving up for the time being, she sighed and hung her head, "All I wanted was a quiet place to study. Of all the rotten luck."
"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that. Why didn't you just go home?"
She shrugged, "My Dad works the late and early morning shifts at his work, but today he decided he'd stay up and send me off to school. Hopefully he went straight to sleep, but on the off chance that he decided to do chores first, then I don't want to risk waking him up. It's been rough, y'know? I wouldn't want to strain him any more than I already have. He raised me and my sister by himself for 10 years."
"Hm," Tamaki pressed a finger to his chin, "Sounds like a pathetic sort of situation."
"What?"
Out of nowhere -again- the blond grabbed her shoulders and started shouting, "Did you subsist on rice and horseradish?! So poor that you considered selling yourself to a... a mean Master who would've overworked you and left you crying into your pillow night after night?!"
"Huh?! Where'd that come from?! What are you talking about?!"
"Oh," he quickly dropped his hands, grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket, "I'm sorry. *Sniff* I've gotten hooked on reruns of 'Oshin' lately. You could very well be living it-"
"Well, I'm not, so stop freaking out! That's not even close to the same story!"
The blond stopped crying, tilting his jaw up a little, "Very well, Fujioka. I'll cut you a deal. Your appearance might make the situation completely hopeless, but I'm still willing to try my best to teach you. Let's see... we'll make the goal... 100! If you can garner 100 customer requests, I'll waive your debt to the Host Club! And you'll be the star host for all the girls who love 'Oshin'!"
"I... I DON'T WANT TOOOO!"
*Time Skip*
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting-"
"NO! NO NO NO! WRONG!"
"Ouch!" Haruhi jumped back, holding a hand to her head, "What was that for?"
"When you put the glass down, cushion the bottom with your pinkie! It eliminates harsh sounds and shows more grace! See~" Tamaki held the glass of water up to the side of his face, his pinkie curled along the bottom, "Don't I look classy? And I can even see my reflection in the side of the glass!"
That's one big ego you've got there...
"Oh! And if you find yourself grasping for words, looking at your guest from below is highly effective." He did just that, keeping his eyes half lidded, "I hope my hands on lessons aren't too distracting for you."
"Not at all."
Well, apparently Haruhi had a secret talent for hitting her Senpai where it hurt, because he went right back to his sulking corner and started growing mushrooms. Spotting the guests watching them and whispering among themselves, she quickly tried to perform some sort of damage control, telling him about how her heart had skipped just a little.
"Haru-chan~" A solid weight slammed into Haruhi back, almost sending her to the ground, "Haru-chan, if you and Tama-chan are done for today, do you wanna come have some cake with me?"
"Uh... sorry, Hunny-senpai, but I think Tamaki-senpai is just taking a... a break. Maybe some other time?"
"Okay! Then, here! You can hold Bun-Bun!" The small boy pushed the stuffed pink bunny into her face, smiling widely as Haruhi stared at the stuffed animal. As much as she wanted to keep her distance from these crazy people... the little guy was definitely cute. And she was talking about the bunny, incidentally, not Hunny-senpai... though he did remind her of some of the children in her apartment complex.
"Haruhi? As beneficial as it is for you to get along with our club members, we need you to make a trip to the supermarket. It would appear we've run out of coffee to serve our guests." Kyoya hummed to himself and started scribbling in the black journal he always seemed to have on him, "Perhaps we should start ordering an extra case with our shipments. If it's going to be more popular this year... Oh, and you'll need this."
He passed off a golden credit card to the girl before walking away, still muttering to himself. Haruhi watched him go for a moment before handing the bunny back to it's owner and walking out of the club room. Any opportunity to get away from these boys, however briefly, was like a gift from above. Maybe her mother had finally gotten a word in?
As she walked to the supermarket and bee-lined for the coffee section, she tried to organize the host club boys in her head. Okay, so Tamaki-senpai's an idiot with a huge ego. Calls himself King. The others follow his orders, but I don't think they actually respect him. Not even the twins. That's probably because he's a 'self-elected' President of the club.
And then there's Kyoya-senpai. Cold, aloof, but clearly smart. He's the Vice President, but seems the run the club more than Tamaki-senpai does. A Shadow 'King'. Even so, it's easy to tell what he's going to do next, so he's somewhat consistent at least.
The twins are a little harder to read. They keep to themselves in class, but they've so far congratulated me for getting under Tamaki-senpai's skin and mocked me for offering to pay for the vase. Kinda volatile.
Hunny-senpai's cute, definitely, and childish. But I have a feeling that he's hiding something. And I swear I recognized the name Haninozuka! Morinozuka sounds sort of familiar, too, but I have no idea what's going on with Mori-senpai.
In short, they're just crazy.
The second voice in her head managed to mention that the best people in the world are often 'crazy' before Haruhi shushed it and went to checkout. In the end, the shopping trip took less than twenty minutes. And the moment she walked through the doors, she wished she'd made a break for it.
"Ah! Our little kitten is back from shopping! Did you get everything?"
Lower eyelid twitching from the 'kitten' comment, Haruhi struggled to hand the paper bag over to Tamaki rather than throw it at him, "You guys wanted coffee. Here." The blond merely gave her a smile and attempted to pat her head, which she ducked around. Scowling about stupid rich people, Haruhi started to walk away when Tamaki let out a sound of surprise.
"Eh? What's this?"
"Coffee." Or can't you read?
"But... ground coffee? And it's not even a brand I'm familiar with."
"Ground? No, it's instant coffee."
Her senpai stared at her for a moment, lips forming slowly around the word 'instant' before he shouted, holding the jar in his hands like he just realized it was a huge diamond, "WOAH! Is this the kind where you just pour in hot water? How proletarian!" The other boys began crowding around, staring at the jar in wonder. Their guests were whispering excitedly among themselves.
"I've heard of it, but I've never actually seen it before..."
"So it's true! Poor people don't even have the time to grind their beans!"
"Let's brew some up and try it!"
"It's amazing how common folk cope!"
Hardly able to take it, Haruhi clenched her fists and stomped a foot, "Okay! Enough! I get it! You want your expensive coffee? Fine! Give me back the instant stuff and I can go exchange it! Sorry for wanting to save you guys a little extra money!"
The hosts looked over, smiling and brushing her off. Apparently, after his initial surprise, Tamaki actually wanted to try it. Kyoya was making a few notes in his journal, probably about the price, while the others commending Tamaki for his 'bravery'. Haruhi was ready to rip out the rest of her hair and scream.
She started inching away, hoping to escape to some far corner of the room, perhaps a closet, when an amused chuckle reached her ears, "You don't have to worry, they're only messing around. It's not like that junk will suit their tastes."
"Haruhi! Come over here and make us some instant coffee!"
The brunette looked between the blond and the redheaded girl. A few seconds ago there would've been no contest... but something about the girl put Haruhi on edge. It was almost... uncomfortable about the way she'd called the instant coffee 'junk', like she meant it as an insult for Haruhi rather than the product itself.
"Haruhi?"
"Ah! Coming!" She hurried over and began preparing the drink. It didn't take long, which was another big surprise for the other students. As the hosts began handing the cups out, Haruhi snuffled to Tamaki's side, "I'm not going to take responsibility if they don't like it, I'll tell you that much." She watched as the guests started to question whether it would be wise to drink the coffee. Are you for real? It's coffee!
Beside her, Tamaki let out a puff of air, "Oh, ye of little faith." Haruhi turned to look at him just as he swaggered over to the nearest girl, cupping her face and leaning in close, "Would you rather drink it from my mouth?"
The girl squeaked, as did the other guests, before they all held a toast and took their first tastes. Most of them seemed surprised, though by what Haruhi had no idea, and soon enough most of them were asking for seconds. For the last hour of the club, Haruhi was making and serving 'commoner's coffee' to the customers.
It had been a long time since she'd last been so happy to go home after school.
*\/*
"Listen up, men! Today, we investigate the ramen of the common folk!"
Haruhi stared blankly, her mouth agape as Tamaki began assigning different flavors to the hosts. Wait... investigate ramen? What does this have to do with hosting? What's his game?
"And now, I shall turn you over to our instructor! Haruhi!"
Before the poor girl knew what had happened, she was standing in the middle of the host club's kitchenette, directing the boys in making ramen... of all things. They complained about everything and questioned the instructions both on the packaging and from Haruhi herself. Seriously! How do they expect to make it in the real world if they can't even cook ramen?
"The seasoning's on the lid..."
The new voice almost had Haruhi jumping out of her shoes. It was Mori-senpai. She had to blink and recollect herself before her speech returned. Quickly, trying not to stare, she started to explain how to get around the little problems. Her senpai was a good listener, nodding along to her demonstration.
On the other hand...
"Now, that's skill! How marvelous! May I physically express how moved I am? A thank-you kiss, perhaps?"
"Please don't."
Her dismissal gave the blond pause, probably because he'd never experienced it before, which left a good opening for the twins to express their opinion.
"Hmmm... something's not right here, is it, Kaoru?"
"Yeah. A poorly balanced equation, indeed."
"Now, women are definitely attracted to good-looking gay guys for sure, and a tension between friendship and love can work..."
"...but it takes a pair of twins like us to crank that sort of thing up to the maximum danger level."
"To be loved by two men who have such a close relationship... ah, what stimulation..."
"The ultimate romance, wouldn't you say?"
The redheads slipped over to the girl, caressing her face like Tamaki had been only a few seconds ago. Haruhi felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. This was way out of her comfort zone.
"But then again," they sighed and pulled away, "It's impossible for you. For it to work, all participating parties have to be drop-dead gorgeous." Why must I even participate in the first place?!
"Huh... your glasses visually enlarge your eyes, don't they? They're really block like, too. Old-fashioned... like your outfit. Perhaps if we removed..."
"Hey!" She made a grab for them, but the world had already regressed into a bunch of blobs. "Look, I accidentally rubbed one of my contacts out during the admissions ceremony and haven't had time to replace them yet! Give those back! Those frames were my grandfather's!"
No one responded, but she saw Tamaki raising a hand. The sharp sound of snapping fingers preceded a sharp command, "Hikaru! Kaoru!"
"Yes, sir!"
The twins grabbed her shoulders and practically threw her into a chair. There was the sound of scicors near her face and if she weren't concerned about getting her ears snipped off, Haruhi would've squirmed a lot more.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Don't worry."
"We're pros at this."
Around the rest of the room, Tamaki was ordering the other boys around. The moment the twins stopped cutting her hair, Kyoya handed her a box with a school uniform in it and Mori pressed a box of contacts into her hand. Without much preamble, Honey shoved her out of the kitchen and into another room off of the music room. There were yellow curtains lining the left side, and a number of mirrors along the right. A changing room? I thought this was a music room?
"Hurry up and change, Haru-chan! We wanna see!"
Sighing, she walked quickly into the changing room closest to the door. Thankfully, there was another mirror inside, which made putting in the contacts that much easier. Wondering in the back of her mind how they had gotten her prescription so quickly, she opened the box. Blue. It was the Ouran boy's uniform. Suddenly, it was like the past two days were being thrust under a microscope.
They think I'm... a boy? Haruhi almost busted up laughing. Oh my god! That's priceless! I should've cut my hair a lot sooner! Man, I should call Nēchan after today and tell her!
Outside of the curtain, she heard the other boys gathering around, discussing the different ramen flavors they'd managed to properly cook. Looking at herself in the mirror, Haruhi did a double take. She looked... completely unrecognizable. Her hair was styled perfectly to brush over her eyes, but not block her vision, and the uniform was perfectly tailored to her size.
"Uh... Tamaki-senpai?" She pulled the curtain open, "Is this uniform... for me?"
The boys gasped, Tamaki shooting forward to grab her in a tight hug, "CUTE! You look wonderful, Haruhi! A true masterpiece!"
"Ack!"
"So pretty, Haru-chan!"
"You should've warned us about your face!"
"Shall we test him on some customers, then?" Haruhi's eyes narrowed slightly. Kyoya almost sounded teasing when he said 'him'. Does he... know?
"That's the next phase of my plan! Alright, Haruhi! Time to show off those sizzlin' hot looks! Let's see what sort of patrons you appeal to!" Haruhi opened her mouth to protest, but the blond dragged her out of the changing rooms before she could. Instantly, their guests were staring at her. Tamaki steered her through the crowds until they were in the middle of the room.
"Ladies, I would like to introduce our newest host! Haruhi Fujioka!"
The whispering grew to a low roar, and before Haruhi knew what had happened, she was seated at a collection of couches with three other girls looking at her expectantly. They started asking her questions, going from hobbies to mode of transportation to skin care. Haruhi felt like she had been injected in anesthesia, the words bouncing off her face without leaving an actual impression. She managed to mumble out a few words, mostly brushing off the questions without much of an answer.
"So... why did you decide to join this club? I thought you were just here to keep things tidy..."
"Oh, I broke a vase and-" her breath caught in her throat. $80,000 in debt... completely waved if I draw 100 customers. I'd almost forgotten... What should I talk about? What?
If you find yourself grasping for words...
Swallowing, Haruhi slowly reached for a tea cup sitting in front of the girl on her right, "Would... would you like your drinks refreshed?" She looked up, still crouched forward. From this angle, she was looking up out of the top right corner of her eyes. The girl gasped and pulled her hands to her mouth.
"Yes... please!"
"Me too, please! Me too!"
The brunette let out a sigh and refilled the glasses, "So... did you ladies have any other questions?"
The one sitting across from her timidly raised a hand, "Haruhi? Why did you want to come to Ouran Academy? Was there any special reason?"
"Actually, there was! See, other than the fact that this school provides some of the best high school level Pre-Law classes in the area... my onēchan is actually going to attend here in a few weeks, and I wanted to go to the same school as her."
The three girls leaned in, "You have an older sister?"
"Yeah!" Haruhi smiled widely, glad to be on a subject she actually liked talking about, "Her name is Jin, and she's a year older than I am. Well, actually, she's one day less than a year older, but that doesn't usually matter. She's in America right now finishing up her Study Abroad program, but she should be coming back soon. I can't wait to see her!"
Her guests were practically bouncing in their seats as she finished, asking more and more questions about her family. Until...
"Oh... I'm so sorry. So, does your older sister do all the housework and cooking?"
"Sort of. She's a really good cook and sometimes slips into 'cleaning frenzies', but most of the time we split the workload. My mother... she was a great cook. That's probably where Nēchan got it, and she left us a lot or recipes. It's been fun learning how to make them all, and Nēchan's even started committing them to memory so that she can let me keep them once we grow up. But mostly, I just enjoy spending time with her and the smile our dad gets when we get a new one right."
She looked up at her guests to find them completely enraptured. They started stammering out requests to see her the next day! Haruhi almost fist pumped. If she kept the pace up, she'd wrack up her quota in no time!
Waving goodbye to her guests in a much better mood than the one she'd started with, Haruhi stood up and stretched out her back.
"Ah, Haruhi! If you have a moment, I'd like to introduce you to someone!" Curious, she walked over to Tamaki's couch. Instantly, she was on guard. It was the redheaded girl from yesterday, the one who called the instant coffee junk. She was the only one sitting with Tamaki, and she didn't look very pleased to see the brunette. But it would appear that Tamaki didn't notice.
"Haruhi, this is Miss Ayanokoji, one of my regulars."
Regulars? Haruhi's mind supplied nervously. Does that mean I'll be seeing her almost every day?
Swallowing her emotions, the brunette managed a smile, "Pleased to meet you."
Before she could receive any sort of response from the cold girl, Tamaki pounced at her from the couch, squealing about how cute he (she) looked with the embarrassed smirk. Haruhi pushed at his hands, but the blond must have some octopus running through his family, because he was practically suctioned onto her. The twins were laughing in the background, so no help from there, and she managed to turn around a little. Mori was walking by.
Perfect!
"Mori-senpai! Help!"
WHUFF
"...Mori-senpai? That was a bit much..."
"He asked for help, so I helped."
"I see."
Haruhi sighed, letting herself be hefted like a bag of flour for the time being. Tamaki hugged way too tightly... and he was making her miss the hugs she used to get from her sister.
Tamaki slipped around his senpai and grinned up at the girl hoisted over the giant's shoulder, "Alright, return to Daddy's embrace for your hug~"
"You're no father of mine!"
*\/*
"Heigh-ho, ladies! Let's play the 'Which-one-of-us-is-Hikaru' game!" Haruhi cocked an eyebrow before shaking her head. These rich kids will be entertained by anything. She went to walk away, but one of the twin's guests spotted her before she could escape.
"Oh, Haruhi! Which would you pick?"
Stifling a sigh of boredom, the brunette eyed the redheads. They were grinning at the group of girls, looking almost exactly alike... except for...
"Kaoru's on my right. Hikaru is on the left."
"Bzzzt! Wrong!"
Haruhi blinked, retreating her hand for a split second before finally managing a teasing smile, "Aww... you know I'm right. Yeah, you look alike, but are you the same? No way." Her classmates looked like she had just pulled their chairs out from beneath them right before they sat down, but the rest of the girls were suddenly swooning. They began to crowd the brunette, explaining how no one was able to tell them apart when their hair wasn't parted.
"Oh, your finger, Haruhi! What happened?"
Jumping a bit, Haruhi just barely stopped herself from hiding the bandaged finger in her jacket pocket. That would look suspicious. "Just a little kitchen accident last night. No big deal."
The others started asking if she was okay, and Haruhi did her best to ward them off, but her smile was becoming harder and harder to maintain. I wonder how they'd react if I told them I actually cut my finger on a blade hidden in a textbook... or about the sewing needle in my jacket? Would they think it was harassment, too? I dunno, I've got no proof.
"Haruhi? Could you please go close that window? It's becoming drafty in here."
The brunette nodded, "Sure thing, Kyoya-senpai." Walking over to the mentioned window, she bit back mentioning in passing that she was no longer their servant. Who knows how they might punish sass? Grabbing the window, she glanced outside and almost pitched forward. In the fountain... that was her bag!
Quickly shutting the window, she ran out the doors and down the hallway. How did I not notice someone throwing my stuff out the window? All of my homework and notes are in there! And my wallet!
Haruhi rounded a corner and bumped shoulders with someone passing by the other way, "Oh! Excuse me-"
"Ah, the Commoner." Haruhi froze, realizing exactly who she had just bumped into, "You've certainly shaped up well since Tamaki took you on as his project. At a passing glance, you almost look like another Pedigree. Hmm... it's only too bad that your real background is that of a Mutt."
Ayanokoji drifted past the brunette and was gone, her chuckle still punching through Haruhi's gut. Slowly, she began walking again. Standing in the pond, Haruhi pulled out her items one by one, laying her notebooks out to dry in the sunlight.
Okay... I suppose I've found my prime suspect. I just have no way to prove it. What would her motive be anyways? God, I want to cry. Is this how Nēchan felt all the time? How did she handle it for all those years?
"Hey, Newbie!"
"Ack!" Haruhi straightened up, finding Tamaki watching her from the edge of the pond. He didn't look very happy...
"Skipping out on the Host Club, eh? And why are you wading in the pond? Hardly the cleanest place."
"No! It's just... I dropped my bag into the pond, along with my wallet! I just need to find it!"
"You keep your wallet with your books? That's dumb!" Shaking his head, Tamaki kicked off his shoes and peeled his socks off, "What am I going to do with you?" Before Haruhi could protest, the blond rolled up his pants and climbed into the pond as well, shucking off his shirt. "Besides, you gotta get in deep if you want to find anything heavy!"
"Wha- Hey! You don't have to do that! You'll get all wet with this scummy pond water!"
Tamaki smirked, "Oh, please. A little water isn't going to hurt my looks. There's a thirty percent finder's fee, right?" As the blond continued to splash around, Haruhi spared a few moments to really look at him. This isn't what I'd expect from some cushy rick kid. Not many people would scrape around a dirty pond for someone else's belongings. And that finders fee thing... that was a joke. I know it was. It sounded like something Nēchan would say. Actually... this is something she would do, too. If Tamaki-senpai's anything like-
"Hey! If you just stand there I'm definitely going to find it first!"
Jumping, Haruhi stared for a few more seconds before managing a smile, "No way!" The two started searching with earnest, occasionally shouting quips back and forth at each other. Tamaki even laughed when Haruhi stepped on something slimy. It was probably just some weed that had grown underwater, but she still found herself laughing along. The blond had a nice laugh... when it was genuine.
"I FOUND IT!" Haruhi raised the brown material in the air with a cheer, Tamaki joining in with a few tears. They kept talking all the way out of the water, Tamaki insisting that he would've found it first if she hadn't distracted him with the slimy things he could possibly step on. In fact... it was almost awkward when they finally got dressed again and started heading back to the club room, the silliness of wallet-hunting fading away.
"Ah, Tamaki, Haruhi, there you two are. Your guests are waiting. Haruhi? You have a new customer. Good job."
The brunette blinked, a small smile reappearing on her face. Wow, another one! Man, this quota won't be as hard to reach as I...
"Hello, Haruhi." Ayanokoji smiled coldly at her host for the afternoon, "I was wondering if you were ever going to show up."
Swallowing, the brunette sat down, "Hello, Princess Ayanokoji."
The redhead smiled coldly, "I was just curious as to why you and Tamaki disappeared so suddenly. Something worthy of his time, I presume? Not many of the girls here would be happy if they thought their favorite host was blowing off time with them for some...thing, unimportant."
"...It was my school bag. It fell into the pond. He offered to help me find my things."
"Hmm..." the girl took a long drink of tea, "That's just bad luck. School bags jumping into ponds... what next? I just hope you realize that should something like this happen again, you really shouldn't bother Tamaki about it. Really, I'm only trying to help you."
Help?! Is that what this is?!
"See, it was only a cheap school bag, after all. Not really worth his time. He offered, so I suppose there was little you could do about it. He is rather stubborn that way. But it would be best for you to not misunderstand his interest. The only reason you have his attention is because of your unusual background. Once he gets used to it, you'll be tossed aside for the next new thing. But for now, there will be those who might not see his interest as the harmless thing that it is, and will get upset-"
"Are you jealous of me?"
The question had sprung so unbridled to Haruhi's lips, she wasn't even aware that she had asked it until it was hanging in the air. Ayanokoji looked like she'd just been smacked across the face, but it looked like less of a shocked expression and more of an 'I'm-about-to-rip-you-apart' look instead.
"AAAAAH!" Haruhi jumped at the bloodcurdling scream suddenly coming from the girl in front of her. The table they were sitting at was shoved harshly in her direction, knocking tea all over the floor, "You brute! Haruhi made a disgusting suggestion! Barbarian!" Haruhi shook her head as the other girls started looking around frantically, no one knowing what to do.
"Someone needs to throw this Commoner out-!"
Splish
The redhead cut short, staring into the empty space in front of her as her brain attempted to register the wet feeling spreading around her body.
"Oh... sorry."
"Our hands slipped."
The girl turned around in shock, the sound of pictures fluttering off to her left as another voice sounded, "Did you take us for blind fools who wouldn't notice you skulking about? We have quite a number of pictures of the things you've done to our newest recruit..."
Anayokoji spun around once more, suddenly finding the small 3rd year student staring up at her with tears in his eyes, "She's scary... like an ogre lady."
"Pitiful, really..."
Tamaki was the last to step up, shaking his head in disappointment, "It's too bad... you're mighty nice-looking Princess... but looks alone just don't cut it here. I'm afraid you'd need more than that to cover up your horrible personality. Disappear, okay? There's a good girl."
"Wh... what? You're siding with him? Over me? Tamaki, have you completely lost your-"
"You tried to smear a member of the Host Club. You are barred from our club henceforth."
Ayanokoji turned and ran from the room, tears in her eyes and screaming about how she hated the whole host club... a weird thing to announce, Haruhi figured, after all the work she had gone through to try to keep Tamaki to herself. And yet... she could hardly believe that the entire host club, who she still barely knew, had stood up for her. They had even been keeping an eye on her tormentor so they could provide the proof that Haruhi lacked. It had been... sweet of them to do it.
"As for you," Haruhi's eyes widened when Tamaki's finger was suddenly in her face, "For this fiasco, I'm imposing a penalty and raising your quota to 1000 customers!"
"WHAT? WHY? I DIDN'T EVEN-"
"Of course you did. Because of you, we've lost a regular customer and my exquisite body was reduced to menial labor to recover your wallet."
Haruhi felt like steam was about to come pouring out her ears, "YOU OFFERED TO DO THAT YOURSELF! IT'LL TAKE ME UNTIL GRADUATION TO FILL THAT QUOTA! YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS-"
"Now, now... no need to get snippy. I'm sure you'll be able to manage it." The blond had the gall to wink at her, "I have faith in you."
The girls had all flooded out of the club room, having been shooed out after Ayanokoji. Probably because the others had figured Tamaki was going to do something that would upset Haruhi. She ran her hands through her hair, tugging at the ends. I open one door in this stupid school and I'm suddenly cursed! What if... oh no... what's going to happen when Nēchan comes back home?
"Oh, Haruhi? Is this student ID yours? I think I noticed it drop out of your bag when you..." Tamaki paused, staring at the photo. Haruhi smirked, knowing what was coming next.
"Haruhi?"
"Yes?"
"You're a... girl?"
"Biologically? Yes. I never claimed otherwise... if you remember."
The blond turned around and stared at her... then jumped five feet in the air, screaming incoherently. Oh my... that was a much more volatile reaction than I was expecting. Casting a glance to the other boys in the room, she noted how none of them seemed as surprised. That didn't surprise her. Tamaki was definitely the dumbest one here.
"Look, I don't personally care for gender identification. It doesn't matter to me what parts I was born with, and I've never really cared about what I was identified as. So, when you all referred to me as 'he' and bought me a male uniform, I just didn't bother to correct you. Besides, my sister and I prefer pants over dresses anyways. I think our dad influenced that kind of thinking a lot." She glanced over her shoulder, where Tamaki was growing redder by the second, "Just so you know, you're reacting much better than I thought you would. Thanks for being cool about it."
Tamaki made a noise like his drink had just gone down the wrong tube.
"And besides, it's kinda cute having those girls hassle over me."
"What?"
"Guess I'm a little bent that way. Huh, something else Nēchan and I share, then. I'll have to tell her that I'm going by male pronouns while I'm here, then... before she shows up." She smiled, "It's certainly going to be interesting coming to school for the next few years!"
Yes, Usa-chan translated to English is 'Bun-Bun'. The first time I heard that I almost passed out from the cuteness.
So, I ran into some complications when writing this, because it was hard to keep the book open with one hand and type with the other... until my wonderful roommate loaned me her book stand. Happiness!
Well, if you're just as excited for this as I am, please favorite and follow! And leave a review, please! I want to know how my changes are going over with you all!
See you next chapter!