(Author's Note – Regrettably, at this point I have not finished the manga, though I've watched the anime series twice now. I apologize if there are any mistakes ie, things non-Canon – please tell me so I can correct them! Also, this story takes place during the anime, before Éclair Tonnerre and there are no original characters, aside from minor customers.)
Haruhi took a deep breath before opening the door to the third music room. Tamaki-sempai had promised a surprise today, and she knew that he always fulfilled his promises, and the thought made her smile to herself. She started counting on her hands, how many more customers would she have to serve before she would be done? In any case, the Host Club was a fun distraction, and she had promised herself that she would enjoy it as much as possible. Tamaki's ideas were usually more off the wall than anyone else and so today would be fun. An escape from the worries of grades and marks was welcome. Today was Friday, and tonight was a special night for the Host Club. There was to be a dinner and dance, as well as the "surprise" that Tamaki had promised.
"Haru-chan!" Hunny-sempai's voice was quaking, as he bounded from the music room. "Don't go in there Haru-chan! It's too scary!"
"What's wrong, Hunny-sempai?" Haruhi asked, puzzled and concerned. Haruhi didn't think Hunny was afraid of anthing, his child-like behaviour notwithstanding.
"It's scary in there Haru-chan!" Hunny buried his face into Haruhi's shoulder, holding her tightly. Haruhi paused for a moment, Hunny-sempai was such a dear; sometimes she still forgot that he was her upperclassman and not a child to be protected.
"Well, I'm here with you now, and here's Mori-sempai as well." The kendo club must have gone late, for Hunny and Mori to have been separated, she thought, as Mori approached them from the stairwell.
Hunny bound from Haruhi's arms into Mori's, who picked him up and dried his tears with the corner of his handkerchief. Mori looked at her questioningly as the doors opened slowly with an audible creak.
There was strange music coming from within the darkened room, and it seemed like a woman was screaming in the background. Before the three hosts could rush in, a dark figure appeared in the doorway.
"Come in, come in." It said, beckoning. "We've been waiting for you."
The Hunny, Mori and Haruhi hesitated, when the figure pulled back the hood covering his face and grinned at them, "All of you are late!"
Hunny's eyes widened as he cried, "Tama-kun! You scared me!"
Haruhi followed the troop into the room, examining the decorations. Yes, Hallowe'en had only been last week, and with Kaoru and Hikaru she had skipped out on the Host Club activities because of their classroom duties. Tamaki had probably felt left out, and wanted to do something with the whole group.
There were drapes over the usually shining windows, and the spooky music and screaming seemed to be coming from a CD player in the corner. Kyoya-sempai was seated nearby, typing faithfully on his laptop. He seemed to fit into the surroundings, though he was rather formally dressed today, in a tuxedo, top hat and what appeared to be vampire fangs. The twins Haruhi couldn't find at first, but noticed two furry monsters try to sneak up on her from behind.
"Arrrggh!"
"Rawwrr!"
"Hikaru, Kaoru. Werewolves I see?" Haruhi smiled inwardly as she saw their faces fall.
"You're not a normal girl Haruhi. I'm sure we'll scare the customers today." Hikaru said, his grin returning as he caught his brother's eye.
"As long as you don't scare them away," Kyoya said, closing his computer softly. "Haruhi. Your costume is in the preparation room, when you're ready."
She saw that Hunny was already getting into his costume, which looked to be a large jack-o-lantern. Mori seemed to have become a very tall scarecrow. She hoped this wasn't another attempt to put her into girl clothing. She liked the Host Club, but it was much better to be a Host than to be their slave. She didn't want to be revealed as a girl yet, and truthfully, she enjoyed talking to the girls and being an equal to the other Host Club members.
♥♥♥♥♥♥
"Good evening ladies," Tamaki said, his voice both cool and mysterious as he stood before the customers. He was dressed all in black, with a black cloak, and a long ebony staff topped with a clear ball that reflected the colours of the candles that were scattered throughout the room. "We welcome you here with great pleasure tonight. I have promised you a special treat, but there is a catch."
Tamaki glided to a group of girls, pulled one close, and spoke barely above a whisper while all of the customers leaned in to hear. "Tonight, there will be a mystery. The person who solves it will be rewarded with a kiss."
The girls erupted in glee, but the one Tamaki had chosen stood entranced. He took a step back and cried out, "Until then, cheries! Enjoy the evening!"
"Oh, Haruhi-kun, are you the one giving the kiss?" Kayami-san said softly. Haruhi only shook her head.
"I believe the lord Tamaki-sempai has the prerogative for that, Kayami-san. I had the last turn," Haruhi smiled wryly, remembering the incident at the ball, not so long ago. Her customer only turned pink as she recalled the event herself.
A sudden scream and crash interrupted them, and Haruhi turned to see a figure fall from the window. A light blazed and a collective gasp ran through the crowd. Mori was staring down through the broken window, and a scrap of yellow cloth dangled from the shattered glass pane.