Prologue: Where they went
It had been seven years since the hosts had graduated. They all still kept in touch; they even held Host Club reunions every few months, all except Haruhi. It worried the hosts to no end; Haruhi seemed to have disappeared after graduation. No calls, no letters, no nothing. Most of the time, the hosts assumed the best; that the girl had grown to become a phenomenal lawyer and made millions. Though, once in a while, a dark thought would pass over them all. "What if she's hurt? Or worse?" they would say, sitting in heavy silence and contemplating the worst.
In order to understand the events that are to follow, we must see how each of the hosts lived their lives after graduation from Ouran High School.
Tamaki Suoh, forever a kingly and loveable bastard, loved to play the piano. The fond memories of his mother urged him to continue his art; and soon the blonde charmer became a famous pianist. He composed beautiful, lilting songs that brought on melancholy thoughts of a lost friend; or possibly a lost love. Soon, with the money he made, he visited his mother. She was even more beautiful than he remembered; her voice was like a light flute carrying on the wind, her long, blonde hair flowing endlessly like an eternal golden brook. This visit further spurred Tamaki's compositions; though what was once sad now had a brighter melody of hope, instead of hearing rain one heard birds chirping from Tamaki's piano. The king of the hosts made a fair income; but hardly enough to be considered high-end. And he enjoyed his average income.
Kyoya Otori, the cold-hearted monster with a smile that was brighter than the sun (when it showed), never thought he would take over his father's company. As time passed after graduation, Kyoya was proven right. Although, perhaps that wasn't a terrible thing; in that rejection Kyoya found something better. Kyoya found a pencil. Ironically, Kyoya found extreme joy in the publishing rejections he received for his stories because, subconsciously, he knew that when his story was accepted, the acceptance would be that much greater. And he was right. Kyoya's stories quickly gained a fair-sized fan base; he had found his calling. The hosts' financial advisor made a fair income; but hardly enough to be considered high-end. And he enjoyed his average income.
Mitskuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka stayed close to each other after graduation. The two shared an apartment in the city with Usu-chan taking up residence on their couch. Both Honey and Mori had their appreciation for sweets; the latter having more of a fondness and the former having a full-fledged addiction. Honey gave up martial arts about two years after graduation; not being able to deal with the competition and violence very well anymore. Mori stopped going to his martial arts classes; but he still practiced at home for fun. For quite a while, they didn't know what to do with themselves; they hopped from part-time job to part-time job, earning just enough each month to pay rent. And somehow, the two always had enough leftover money to buy or make some sort of treat every Friday night. That's how they found out that they both loved to bake. It was a normal Friday night, and the two had decided to create a new sweet treat. It wasn't long before their friends (hosts included) actually started paying for their unique baked goods. And that's how Honey and Mori opened their own bakery out of their apartment. They catered weddings, parties, you name it. Not to mention they always got to taste the very first batch of their creations. The boy-Lolita type and the strong, silent type both made a fair income; but hardly enough to be considered high-end. And they enjoyed their average income.
Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, the mischievous yet protective twins, didn't know what to do with themselves after graduating from Ouran High. They tried their hand at designing clothes like their mother, but a mishap with a sewing machine encouraged them that fashion was not the right career path for either of them. So they earnestly searched fir their future, trying everything from interning to fry cooking. It was a cold winter night when Kaoru found his voice. All of the anguish of a jobless, talentless existence transferred to Kaoru's voice; and he sang through the disappointment. It was only a matter of time before Hikaru found a guitar. As a combination, the two twins were unstoppable; they formed a group called The Host Club (snort) and started by posting videos online and performing at bars. Soon enough, they became partial celebrities. Their fan base grew considerably and they actually performed at quite a few impressive events, just enough so that they lived in financial comfort. The shady twins both made a fair income; but hardly enough to be considered high-end. And they both enjoyed their average income.
The boys were much too proud to ask for money from their family. In fact, they made their parents promise not to send any of them money. This was a big mistake on all of their parts, considering what would happen to their Haruhi seven years after graduation.
This brings us to our last host, Haruhi Fujioka. Immediately after graduation, Haruhi went to a relatively inexpensive law school paid for by Ranka, her father. About halfway through her second year, Haruhi was already waist-deep in student loans. She figured "It's alright. Dad will help." She worked every hour she wasn't busy with school or homework, but it still wasn't enough. On a fateful day in fall, Ranka filed for bankruptcy. He moved out of their old home, sold all his possessions, and still didn't have enough for his daughter. He sent all his money to his daughter with a letter saying, "This is all I have left. I'm sorry." Ranka went missing soon afterwards, living on the streets and being hunted by loan sharks, rumor has it. Haruhi could no longer pay for her education. Stricken with anguish for her father's and her own well-being, she dropped out of law school and continued working any job she could, never once considering contacting her host friends. She didn't want to be a bother to them all. She moved out of her apartment and sold everything she owned of value; nothing more left to her name than a family portrait taken when she was little. Haruhi took to the streets. Soon enough, the filth of her only, unwashed clothes and face caked with dirt and tears prevented her from getting any kind of job. By sitting on the street and begging, Haruhi had about eight dollars at the end of good days. She used all of her daily "income" on food, except for one dollar each day which she would save in the back of the picture frame she carried everywhere with her. She hoped, eventually, she would save up enough to contact her hosts and get help. Her one and only hooded sweatshirt was covered in dirt and garbage, her torn and baggy pants exposing her scarred legs and knees. She reluctantly dug through dumpsters each day, hoping to find something she could pawn for some food money. The girl host had become homeless. She still owed money to quite a few people; banks which loaned her money, and even loan sharks who would no doubt be after her soon enough. Haruhi would have been more than happy with an average income.