First chapter's kind of dull, but it gets better, I swear!
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"Just look. Look at him." Aimee said as she latched her hands to my shoulders, shaking me back and forth so that my body bounced around like a bobblehead. When she was done, I began slowly pulling out the newly formed tangles in my frizzy rust-brown hair, an exasperated sigh coming out of my mouth.
"Will you stop? It's getting... annoying." I told her with a slight scowl. Aimee was my best friend and we'd been there for each other through thick and thin since a young age, but was currently going through this phase where she was absolutely obsessing over these random (or not so random, because I'll have to admit, they are hot, hot, hot shit) guys.
The one she currently had a fix on right now was Tamaki. Tamaki Suou of the host club that dominated the women of our school.
Almost every girl has been there at least once I'm sure, even I'm guilty of it – curiosity and the charm that all the guys possessed had drawn me in, and I had found myself captivated by their magic for hours on the other side of the door that led to the borrowed music room.
But I've always preferred something a little more personable than what the Host Club had to offer. Something like, say, a boyfriend?
Still, I've had no luck in that department in the past couple of years. No guy has even looked at me since my last break up and just thinking of it cast a gloomy cloud over my head. Aimee noticed this and gave me a great big slap on the back. It had probably meant to be gentle and reassuring.
"Come on, cheer up Miho! Why don't you come to the club with me, oh pleasepleaseplease, PREEEETTY PLEASE?" Aimee begged, clasping her hands together and tightly squeezing her eyes shut.
"Oh, fine." I muttered, rolling my eyes and trying to sound annoyed. In truth, I actually wouldn't mind paying a visit to the Host Club a second time. It was true that the happiness found there was superficial and only temporary, but hey – I'd been in a shitty mood lately and this would, no matter the impermanence, definitely cheer me up.
A bright grin flashed across Aimee's face as she hooked her arm onto mine. "I love you Miho! Soooo much." She squealed, pulling me towards the Host Club.
"You owe me." I told her, sticking my tongue out so that she would know I was only playing.
Aimee seemed to think this over for a moment, a finger prodding at her chin before she came to a conclusion. "I'll treat you to some steamed meat buns after, okay? Hehe." A giggle. The notion would have been more appreciated if I hadn't already known that she was just offering because she would be hungry by the time we were finished at the Host Club.
Upon reaching the door, Kyouya greeted us with his arms spread out. "Welcome, beautiful ladies from all over our lush and rich campus, to our school's finest Host Club! We hope you enjoy your stay..." With a very low, formal bow and a gentle smile (one that held no real emotion, however) he gestured for us to enter.
"Oh, I'm so, so, soooo excited!" Screeched Aimee, raising her voice to volumes I didn't even know it could reach. Probably to get the attention of the hosts. I sent her a dirty glare, not liking the attention. She simply ignored me and went on to sign up for a host.
I separated from her knowing that she would want the time she had with Tamaki all for herself and would already be having enough trouble fighting off the girls that wanted his babies.
It was useless to tell her that she would never bee anything special to him – it was his job, after all, to charm women and make them feel loved. And, I had to hand it to him, he was good at it. But he added too much icing to the cake for me to like, his compliments were just a little too over-the-edge.
Honey was too cute and child-like, despite being one of the oldest members of the Host Club, and choosing him would have made me feel like a pedophile.
Mori walked hand-in-hand with Honey so he was also out of the equation, although I think he is the most my type. He looks strong and cold, but I'm sure on the inside he's got a soft heart and a gentle touch that he would only use with someone he truly cared about. Like Honey.
To be honest, I'm pretty sure Mori is gay for Honey. And vice versa.
Err. Anyways. There was also the twins. Well, I've never been one for incest, and since I'm about to pay money to be flirted with, I would much rather be the center of attention instead of watching two clones hit on each other.
Haruhi, I don't even know what the appeal to him is. He seems like any other guy at our school save for his extremely feminine features which I, personally, don't find attractive at all. But he was quite popular.
Last on the list, Kyouya. Probably the furthest from my type. Cold, calculating, there's something about the way he watches over the club that I find creates an uneasy atmosphere – but maybe it's just me. Maybe I need to loosen up a bit.
But, who should I choose? Not Tamaki – I would rather not get in the way of Aimee's flirting. I glanced her way to see how she was faring and noticed that she was practically giving the blond a lapdance. I'm sure that he didn't mind. The other girls did however, shooting her glares that made a shiver run up my spine.
It was a mystery to me how she could just ignore it.
"Excuse me, miss... Miho Hirano, am I correct?" Each syllable was perfectly enunciated. You could tell that the question had been exercised many times before. The speaker, Kyouya, waited with a patient expression for my response.
I nodded my head, but didn't feel the need to open my mouth and answer.
An awkward silence. I wondered what he was thinking about – probably compiling the next batch of words to say. He didn't seem like the kind that would start a conversation without a purpose, and I imagined he was going to egg me into choosing a host instead of standing by the doorway like a dumbass.
"Is there anything the matter? Do you perhaps need assistance in selecting one of our excellent hosts?" Another one of those monotone, practiced smiles. I felt a little proud that I'd successfully guessed part of his dialog.
I shook my head. "No, no. I'm... uh... thinking." I pointed at my head as if to show my point.
He nodded in a slow and understanding fashion. "Take your time. I know it is a hard decision to make." Before looking away again, he scribbled some things down on his clipboard. I wonder what he writes about. The hosts, or the guests perhaps, and their behaviors and their preferences?
Oh, well. It was none of my business. By now, I had given up on trying to choose a host. None of them were suited to me, and as such I didn't want to force myself on any of them (not to mention, I didn't want to spend my money).
I noticed a stool a few feet away from the door and settled into it comfortably, my gaze switching from the hosts, to the guests they were entertaining, to Aimee, watching her try her hardest to ride on Tamaki's nuts.
I could hear her girlish giggles from where I was sitting.
Sometimes, I wish she wasn't so loud. When I'm with her, attention always gets drawn to me, yet even though people recognize me as her best friend, no one actually knows who I am.
Oh well.
I don't mind not being the center of attention. I prefer it that way, actually. I'd rather be working backstage instead of as one of the actors on the stage.
A tired sigh floated out of my mouth and I began to boredly analyze my surroundings.
The stool I was seated on was rather comfortable. The cushion had a nice spring to it and I bounced up and down to test it out. I ran my hand against the fabric, tracing patterns in it and then flattening them out again before glancing at a clock on the wall. One hour left. Great.
Fingers tapping against my shoulder caused me to lift my head up and turn around. "Can I interest you in one of our monthly Host Club magazines?" Kyouya asked, holding one out for me to take. It was offered at the perfect angle – not so close to my face that it was invading my personal space, but close enough so that I caught a glimpse of the cover (The Host Club members on a beach, each one half-naked and striking sexy and obviously-planned-but-made-to-look-natural poses).
"Um. No thanks." I shook my head.
"If you say so, Miss Miho Hirano." He responded with a curt nod and turned away again, although I saw him glance back at me once or twice. Probably wondering why I was wasting my time here if I wasn't going to do anything.
I began to once more distract my mind from the slow ticking of time, counting the amount of guests there were to each host and ordering them from the one most likely to be fucked to the one most likely to be fucked when drunk. Another glance at the clock told me only ten minutes had passed and I had fifty more to kill. I groaned, then stood up and took a few steps towards Kyouya. "Uhh," I started awkwardly, grabbing his attention.
He turned to me and adjusted his glasses. "Yes?"
"Oh. I was just wondering if I could... you know... look at those..." I muttered, pointing at the stack of magazines that towered on a little wooden table behind him.
Without even turning to see what I was referring to, he nodded. "That will be– "
"Err. Oh. Nevermind." I waved my hands left-to-right in front of his face to show that I didn't want to look at them anymore. Not if it cost money. I didn't want to buy them.
"Why are you here, Miss Miho Hirano – if I may ask?" Kyouya asked. It was clear to me that he was irked by my presence there and was only asking so that he could, a few sentences in, subtly hint for me to leave.
I gestured towards Aimee. "Waiting for a friend."
"Ah. How nice of you." Kyouya commented with a nod of his head. Silence followed and I teetered back and forth, debating whether or not I should go back to the comfy stool, the one with a bouncy red cushion. "Are you hungry?"
"Huh?" The word was a reflex, a response that I had thrown out without thinking. His question had caught me off guard.
Kyouya set the clipboard down onto the table next to the magazines and placed the pen in his sweater pocket before responding. "Well, I've just about finished my work," A glance at the clipboard to show me what his 'work' was, "And if you're tired of just sitting there..."
"Oh." I was speechless. He was just trying to boost his sales in the long run though, I'm sure. I wouldn't fall for it. But... I was hungry. And judging from the way Aimee had Tamaki wrapped in her arms, I doubted that she would be leaving at closing time. Not willingly, anyways. "Um, sure. If you pay." I added the second sentence hastily, and he chuckled.
Not one of those Oh-how-cute chuckles but one of those You-bitch-but-I-have-to-be-polite-so-I'll-chuckle kinds. "Anything for you, miss Miho Hirano."
I laughed. Not one of those Oh-how-cute laughs but one of those Yeah-that's-what-I-thought laughs.
He pulled the door open for me, gesturing into the hallway and I briskly stepped out, turning around and gesturing to Aimee that I would be back. She gave me a wink when she saw that Kyouya followed and I knit my brows inward and shook my head to tell her she was wrong.
"Shall we?" Kyouya asked, holding his arm out for me to take.
"Yeeeeah, let's go." I agreed, ignoring his arm and keeping my distance from him as we left the campus. I wondered where we were going to go. I wanted steamed meat buns.
