Alright, next chapter. Definitely longer than the first one, but that was more of a prologue if you think about it, right? Anyways, this is where I start changing a lot of things. First off? I'm done splitting days up into two or three chapters. From now on, one chapter per day. Although... it's easy to say that when the day has already been written... Oh well, here's to trying!
Disclaimer: Only own Jacklyn. Promise.
Somebody save me, please.
I stared up and the absolutely huge pink building in front of me, sunlight shining off the green grass and birds singing sweetly in the air. Boys and girls milled around on the pathways, chatting or admiring the flowers in the flouncy, aloof way rich kids do. The hairs along the back of my neck pricked as I walked through the iron gates and onto the pathway. Immediately, people began staring at me, hissing to each other about my combination of skinny jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and cameo converse.
My outfit was so out of place I felt like I was going to be sick. Licks of conversations tickled my eardrums as students began wondering who the heck I was.
"Eiko… who is that? And what is she wearing?"
"Hey, I think that's the American commoner!"
"Really? Wow!"
"Wow, she has some guts to wear pants, don't you think?"
"Do you think she's a crossdresser?"
"Weird… I thought all Americans were fat."
"Do you think she can even speak Japanese?"
I wet my lower lip and did my best to avoid everyone's eyes, skin crawling with all the attention and feeling as though I'd swallowed my tongue. However, I did sneak a few glances of their uniforms, and I had one thing to say: Gross. I've never been a dressy kind of person, but even though I do like wearing pretty clothes on occasion, I don't think a dress that resembled a banana creme puff would look good on anybody. Thank goodness I couldn't afford it or I'd have to come up with some creative reasoning for my not wearing the dress.
Besides, yellow and white washes out my skin.
I entered the central building and was assaulted by a nearly deafening increase of noise. Everyone was trying to talk over each other, finding their friends after their summer vacation. My own volume dropped through the floorboards.
"Excuse me. Excuse me, please, I need to get to the office."
Some people let me through, a few sneered at me and my choice of attire before ignoring me, but a majority simply couldn't hear me. Not that I could blame them. I could barely hear me. A few minutes of this nonsense I finally was able to move further into the building and spot the office sign. The only problem now was to-
"Kyoya! Mon'Ami!" A blur of blond and blue sped past me, brushing barely a few millimeters from my nose. However, that was still way too close and I was sent spinning to the ground.
"Oof!"
A few students nearby turned to see what the fuss was about and we all watched as the blond boy who had knocked me down tackle-hug a complaining ravenet wearing glasses. I could only assume the two were best friends, even though the black haired boy was trying his best to shove the other off. Despite my sore butt, I smirked. I can name a few friends of mine who had similar counterparts.
A light tap on my shoulder made me turn and look up at the tallest guy I've ever met. He had a straight face and short black hair, but he was also holding out a hand to me. After a moments' hesitation, I took it and he gently helped me to my feet. Despite the expressionless way he looked at me, I felt a bit of a blush appear on my cheeks. He was quite handsome, and clearly nicer than a vast population of this school.
"Takashi, you helped her! Good job!" The tall student made a low humming noise in the back of his throat as a really short blond boy skipped over to the two of us, beaming at me. "Hi, there! I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and this is my cousin, Takashi Morinozuka. But you can call us Honey and Mori! What's your name?"
"Um, Jacklyn Prout. Thanks for helping me up." The tall guy, Takashi, nodded while his cousin smiled widely and cuddled his stuffed bunny close. Neither of them seem put off by my shyness.
"No problem! We saw Tama-chan knock you over on accident and wanted to help. You're the new exchange student, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am. I-I kinda need to get to the office, but it's proven more difficult than it looks." I give them a weak chuckle that is cut off short when Mori rests his hand on my shoulder and spins me around. The next thing I know is I'm being escorted through the crowd with ease before coming to a stop right in front of the door. I'm so surprised and touched by their Samaritan-worthy behavior I forget to be nervous for a second.
"Wow...Thanks! Again!"
"It's no problem, Jac-chan! You seem nice, and we like you! Takashi and I need to head over to Tama-chan and Kyo-chan, but good luck with whatever you need here! Bye!"
I waved at the two cousins before opening the office door. The wonderful silence that greeted me nearly brought a tear to my eye. Oh, such glorious silence…
"Excuse me, Miss, but can I help you?"
"Hm?" A respectable looking woman sat behind a desk, staring at me over the thin rim of her glasses. "Oh, yes. I'm Jacklyn Prout, the new exchange student from America? I was told to come in here before the school day started to verify my class schedule?" I wrung my fingers together so tightly the tips went pale as the lady started shuffling through the collection of papers on her desk.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up. Here, I have your new class schedule and a map of the school grounds with each of your classroom highlighted for your convenience. Now, as your test scores demonstrate exceptionally high maths and English scores, we've decided to bump you to the 2-A classes regarding those subjects. Your instructors have been made aware of this change and all are excited to meet you."
I took the pieces of paper and smiled at the lady, "Thank you."
She managed a quick smile back, "You should also be made aware that you are required to acquire a school uniform by the end of this week. After the week, you will receive a written warning on the matter and the following process with be explained to you."
"Okay. Thank you for all your help." I quickly bowed and left. One week? That's all the time I'm given? You've got to be kidding-
Ring! Ring! Ring!
The clamor in the hallways increased to a roar as students began making their trek to their classrooms. I pressed my back against the wall, waiting for the crowd to thin out. As I did so, I looked down at my class schedule. First hour was Pre-Calculus with class 2-A. I switched myself to the map and traced a route between my current position and the yellow highlighted classroom.
Hm. Not too far, at least. Once the crowd thinned, I joined the throng of students marching the same way I needed to. In front of me, I noticed a really tall blond. Taller than Mori, even! And suddenly, he turned his head.
Honey? I blinked a bit and hurried closer. When I realized my mistake, I giggled. Honey was just sitting on Mori's shoulders, smiling and giggling above the crowd with his cousin holding securely onto his legs. He's such a cute little kid… but is he really a high school student? Someone docks my right shoulder and I stumble, nearly dropping my schedule and map.
"Watch where you're going, commoner."
I stop and stare incredulously at the two snickering girls. Right. I completely forgot about bullies. Sighing, I continue to walk, following the memorized route in my head. In front of me, Honey's body still hovers over the crowd. And unless I'm imagining it, girls are swooning as the two boys pass them left and right.
They must be hella popular to make the girls act like that. I mean, sure, Honey's super cute and Mori's definitely attractive, but even if they are the school's heartthrobs, you'd think the girls would be more delicate about the whole business…
My train of thought is cut off as Honey hops down from Mori's shoulders and the two disappear into a classroom. I stop when I realize they just entered the classroom I was headed towards.
So, the cousins are in 2-A? Honey's older than I am? Wow… I wonder which one is eldest?
I suck in a deep breath and walked through the doorway. The classroom is a little bigger than I had expected, but only about ten students were currently milling around. The cousins themselves were settling into two side-by-side desks, Honey chatting a million words a minute while Mori sat, blank faced, and listened.
"Miss Prout?"
"Hm?"
A man who looks to be in his late fifties beckoned me to the front of the room, "So, I hear you aced the mathematics portion of your acceptance test with flying colors."
I smiled at him, "It would appear so, Sir. I look forward to being in this class."
The man nods and sends back a smile as well, which makes mine grow. I've always had a way with people. Despite being a bit shy and introverted, I tend to become friends with people only after a little bit of conversation.
"I'm glad to hear that. You will be sitting near the back of the class, I'm afraid, but it's the only open seat left. Once class starts, I would like you to stand up and greet your fellow classmates before I start the lesson. Also, as you've missed quite a bit of content, I have chosen a few select homework assignments and quizzes for you to take. I will give you a month to finish this folder," he hands over a red folder that thankfully doesn't look too full, "before I being docking late points. Just so you're aware, this class has daily homework and weekly quizzes. You must remain on top of your work if you wish to maintain high grades."
I nod, "Understood, Mr…."
"Oh, forgive my rudeness. You may call me Zenigata-sensei."
"Very well. Could you point me to my seat, please?"
My teacher nodded, "Of course. Second to last row, right in the middle. Please take a textbook from the far left shelf at the back of the room, sign your name in the book's empty spot, and take good care of it until the semester ends."
I bowed, "Thank you very much, Zenigata-sensai."
Turning around, I started to walk to the back of the classroom when, "Jac-chan!" Honey bounced out of his seat and hugged me tightly around the middle, nearly knocking my bag and papers out of my hand.
"Hi, Honey."
"I didn't know you were in class 2-A!"
"Well, technically I'm in class 1-A, but since my grades were so high in my testing, they moved me to class 2-A for maths and English." Honey's eyes… grew flowers? What the what?
"That's so cool, Jac-chan! You must be super smart to be able to do that! Isn't she so smart, Takashi?"
"Yeah." Well, someone's puberty was kind to them.
"Honey, I need to go get my book. Or, wait, do I need to call you Honey-senpai, now?"
He looked at me curiously, "I guess so. And you can call Takashi, Mori-senpai. But can I still call you, Jac-chan?"
"If you want."
"Yay!" He squeezed my middle one last time before letting go and prancing back over to Mori-senpai. I smiled before heading back to the bookshelves. Well, this will certainly be an interesting year.
*Time Skip*
"Miss Prout, please stand up and introduce yourself to class 1-A."
I pushed my chair back and stood up. Everyone turned in their seats to stare at me walking up the aisle to the front of the classroom. There was the vague feeling of something closing around my throat once again. One last time, I reminded myself, one last time and I don't have to introduce myself to these people ever again. I took a stance at the front of the classroom and gave it a sweeping look, trying to find a pair of friendly eyes. Thankfully, I did. It was the blond boy from earlier, the one who accidentally knocked me down. He was smiling at me encouragingly, leaning forwards like he was ready to hang onto my every word. His obvious interest did wonders for my nerves and I managed not to squeak out my introduction.
"Good morning. My name is Jacklyn Prout and I am an exchange student from the United States of America. Please be kind to me as I grow accustomed to Japan's culture. I am excited to learn with you all."
Aburami-sensei gave me an approving nod and I quickly seated myself. The classroom returned its attention to the front of the room, save for one pair of cool grey eyes. It was the other boy I'd seen earlier. The blond's friend. His eyes seemed to be digging into my very soul, in fact I wasn't even sure if he was blinking. For a few more seconds we stared at each other before his glasses flashed and he faced the teacher once again.
A sigh escaped my lips as he looked away, but I soon found my own attention drawn to the handsome boy as Aburami-sensei began her lesson; Japanese history. Thankfully they weren't going to cover World War II for quite some time. Yeah, that would've been a great day for me to show up in class. I listened only half-heartedly, my hand scratching notes into my notebook as I stared at the mystery boy. If I remember correctly… the spastic blond boy sitting in front of him had called him Kyoya, right?
"Mr. Ootori? If you could read paragraph 5 out loud to the class?"
Kyoya gracefully stood from his chair, taking his textbook with him, and started reading aloud in a clear, cool voice. Well, he obviously has a lot more confidence than me. The girls around me sighed in unison, staring at the boy like he was the light of the world. One even fell out of her chair! And why was everyone acting like that was normal?
So now there's another heartthrob? This school carts out handsome boys like a factory it seems. I wonder if there are laboratories in a secret basement where they create them? But his name… why does Ootori sound familiar?
"-Buddhism would later become a permanent part of Japanese culture." I half expected the classroom to start applauding. Instead, the girls let out quiet hums of disappointment as Kyoya sat back down and adjusting his glasses. Aburami-sensei nodded in appreciation at her student before continuing on with her lesson, stemming off from his last sentence.
I tried to remember where I had heard the name 'Ootori' before...
*Time Skip*
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Everyone started talking at once, standing up from their desks and hurrying out of the room. Baisotei-sensei simply watched us with an amused eye before going back to stacking her papers. The relief was nearly visible in the air.
I made it through my first day. Hallelujah. Packing my stuff away, the girls around me began their favorite topic of discussion...
"Hey, are you going to the Host Club tomorrow?"
"Of course! Those twins are so cute! It's a shame they're not in High School yet."
"Oh… why did they have to cancel for a meeting today? I wanted to talk to Mori-senpai…"
"Did you hear the perfect way Kyoya read that passage? He's so dreamy…"
"But not like Tamaki. I wish I had the courage to talk to him in class…"
I did my best not to eavesdrop, but it was hard for me not to. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm a very quiet person. This tends to lead to people talking about everything and anything around me without even realizing their conversations have an extra pair of ears. On a more personal note, they were talking about the only people I knew by name at this school.
Wow, they're even more popular than I thought. But what on Earth is a Host Club?
As I headed out the door, I passed by the blond, Tamaki, who was pestering Kyoya about something. The ravenet didn't seem very concerned as he packed away his papers calmly and orderly, but I did spot a nerve ticking above his left eye. Nearby, a group of three girls were watching the two interact with hearts in their eyes. Tamaki noticed them and blew a kiss their way, which resulted in more than one nosebleed.
I rolled my eyes and left the classroom. How can they be so calm? It's obvious that all the girls at this school are enamored by them, so how can they focus when they know every person in the room is staring at them? It's almost like the girls following them everywhere are hardly worth a second glance to them. They may flash a smile, or a wink, but the very next moment the girls are invisible to them again.
I strode through the hallways, keeping to myself as I had all day, and looked for a music room. Since I've always been musically talented, a gift from my father's side of the family, listening or creating music always cleared my head in wonderful ways. However, after ten minutes of searching (with the help of my map) I'd only found the classical music club, a choir club, and ballroom-dance club.
But what struck me as odd, was that I'd only discovered rooms 1, 2, and 4… but couldn't find the third room.
"Hm…"
I pulled the school map out of my pocket and scoured the pages. Why wouldn't they build a third music room? It doesn't make any sense… Scowling, I flatten the worn out paper as best as I can on the windowsill to my left. The hallway I was standing in had finally emptied itself of students, giving me the quiet I'd been so deprived of all day. Do rich kids ever shut up?
Wait! I narrowed my eyes and peered closely and the top left corner of the map. There it is! Music Room number 3! That's where you've been hiding, you little Houdini! Suddenly, another thought occurred to me.
But… this map. It says that the music room is… I look down the hallway I was standing in. About twenty feet from where I stood was a pair of intricately designed white double doors. Above said doors was a sign.
'Music Room 3'.
I sweatdrop. Wow, I'm blind.
Tucking the map safely back in my pocket, I lightly jog down the hall and clasp the door handle. Pulling it down, I opened the door and poked my head in. It was empty. Completely abandoned save for…
Tea sets?
Checking behind me to make sure no one else was in the hall, I slipped quietly into the room and shut the doors behind me. It was unlike any music room I had ever seen before. First off, there didn't appear to be anything music related in it at all. The thought of all the musical creativity that must have been pulled out of this room sent a dull ache through my chest.
Call me what you will, but I'm passionate about my music. Bit of a 'Band Geek'.
Instead of the usual music stands and instrument cases, all around me were tables and cushy chairs and love sofas. I couldn't deny that whoever had done the floor planning was a very good interior designer. The different groups of chairs were spaced out just enough to keep any conversation from overlapping too much over another, so long as no one spoke above an inside voice.
Tea sets and flower vases were placed delicately on each table. For a moment, I admired the pretty flowers. Roses, each and every one of them, but there were more colors than the typical red. On four of the tables, the largest ones surrounded by couches, were vases filled with either white, purple, orange & light blue, or pink & dark blue. The smaller tables had red roses only.
It was all very pretty and artfully designed, but I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the instruments. And didn't every music room come equipped with a grand piano or at least a piano? Where had that thing gone, then?
I walked further into the room, a little nervous. This room is obviously being used for something, but for what? And by whom? That train of thought was cut short by a curtain. Not just any curtain though… this one wasn't anywhere near the towering windows. It was the same yellow color as the girl's uniforms, and looked very out of place. However, since it was at the very back of the room and tucked away in the shadows, you'd never notice it unless you were looking.
And there was a very familiar shadow coming from behind it.
My walk became more like a jog as I hurried over, hardly daring to hope. But hey… it is a music room after all. I pull the curtain to one side and smile. It's a piano. Actually, it's a grand piano. A beautiful grand piano, at that! Stepping to the other side of the curtain and pulling it shut behind me, I couldn't help but admire the instrument for a moment. Its black paint was obviously well taken care of, not a speck of dust to be seen. Either someone really cared for this piano or it was just the janitors.
Speaking of janitors, someone's going to come into this room sooner or later, and if I'm not supposed to be here then I should probably get out before they come. Licking my lips, I consider the different possibilities. It could be that no one's going to care one way or the other if they find me here or not. But, if I'm not supposed to be here, and they find me, I could be putting my scholarship on the line.
However, I counter in my head, I can always say I thought this room was open for student use. There wasn't a sign on the door that said keep out or anything. I sat on the bench and lifted the key cover.
And it would be such a shame to not play at least one song on this beautiful piano.
My fingers delicately touched the keys for a second, before I let the music in my head take over.
*3rd person P.O.V.*
"Hey, thanks for waiting up for us, Boss."
"Yeah, we thought you would've started the meeting already."
"Without two of our members? Never!"
Kyoya rolled his eyes at his best friend's reaction. Overreacting. As always. He scribbled another entry into his black journal as they walked down the hallway. He was working, as per usual, on the club's expenses. This club was turning out much more expensive than Kyoya had originally planned for. Maybe because he hadn't accounted for a Senpai who loved eating at least three whole cakes per day and a pair of troublemakers who liked 'accidentally' breaking things.
God, I didn't think anyone could be more annoying than Tamaki, but it seems as though Mori-senpai and I are the only sane people in this school. Everyone else is either boring, explosive, or… mentally challenged.
Ever the gentleman, even in his thoughts.
Suddenly, a hand was clenching his forearm, "Hey, Kyoya. Can you hear that?"
"Hm?" He looked up and saw Tamaki staring straight ahead down the hallway, a puzzled expression on his face. Kyoya followed the blond's gaze to the club room's doors. The other four hosts slowed to a stop behind the two.
"Boss? What's the hold up?"
"Shh! Listen!"
The group quieted down and listened intently. Soft notes floated through the air. Piano notes. And it was coming from their music room.
"Is that-"
"-Beauty and the Beast?"
"Actually, the song title is 'Tale As Old As Time', but yes, it is from the Disney movie 'Beauty and the Beast'." Oh boy, he hoped none of them asked how he knew that.
Tamaki tightened his grip on Kyoya's left arm, "It's coming from the music room. Let's go see who it is." And while Kyoya would've been just as content to let the piano player be and listen to the song from the hallway, curiosity got the better of him and he followed the others.
As quietly as he could, Tamaki pulled the door open just as the song ended. The six froze, worried for a moment that they had frightened their player into stopping. However, two seconds later a second song started up. And although no words were exchanged, Kyoya recognized it immediately as Billie Joel's 'Piano Man'. Fuyumi had always liked English based songs.
The hosts slipped inside quickly and Mori-senpai shut the door behind them soundlessly. Cautiously, they made their way into the back of the room, where they kept the grand piano covered up. The piano's shadow was where it always was, but this time someone was sitting at it's bench.
The girl, they could now tell it was a girl, a very curvy girl, was gently moving with the song. She swayed ever so slightly, pulsing with the time signature. Her hair swished back and forth, just below the tops of her shoulders. But something looked weird about her clothes...
Now that the hosts were closer, they could faintly hear words being sung, just barely above the notes. English words. Sounded fluent too. Their mystery girl was singing. It was a pretty voice, one Kyoya had heard before. But where? For the life of him, he could not remember.
The six boys listened to the very end of the song. All the way until the four final cords. The girl let out a sigh and leaned back, stretching. Alright. That was lovely, but now it's time to put a face to the music.
"Who's there?"
*Jacklyn's P.O.V.*
"Who's there?" A very embarrassing squeak comes out of my mouth. I slap a hand over my lips and scramble off the bench. Oh no. Oh no!
"I-I was only practicing, I swear! I didn't mean to, well, the door didn't say 'Stay out' or anything! I've done nothing wrong!"
"Well, of course you haven't. The only way you could've done anything wrong was to not play that piano and bring forth your amazing talent." I stop moving. Um… what? That was a tad unexpected.
"You...uh, thank you."
A third voice joined the mix, one that I recognized, "Hey, you sound a bit like Jac-chan!"
Licking my lips, I inched towards the curtain and pulled the fabric to one side, "Honey-senpai? Is that you?" The second I looked out at my audience, I wish I hadn't. Six boys. Two of my senpai's, two from my grade, and a pair of twins I'd never seen before. But from what I could tell… I was currently standing in front of Ouran High School Academy's top six heartthrobs.
Oh boy.
"Jac-chan! It is you!" Honey-senpai jumps off of Mori-senpai's shoulders and wraps his arms around my waist. I smile and hug him back, glad to see people I already knew.
"Hey, who are you?"
"And how do you know Honey-senpai?"
I look up and come face to face with the red-headed twins. Their uniforms were different from all the others I've seen, though. I wonder from what school they came from. But they're looking at me with so much mistrust, I find myself mute. Again.
"Jac-chan is in two of my classes, even though she's technically a 1st year student!"
"Really?"
I nodded.
"Why aren't you talking?"
"We heard you singing a bit before, so we know you can talk."
I can't tell if my head rush is from a massive blush or all the blood leaving my face, but I manage to whisper, "You heard?"
"Uh huh! I didn't know you could sing, Jac-chan!"
"Well, we did just meet today." Feeling a little more confident, I swallow and tilt my head towards the red-heads, "What are your names?"
They look at each other and seem to debate something telepathically before looking back at me, "First, tell us yours."
"Um, okay. My name's Jacklyn Prout. I'm an American exchange student, 1st year."
"I'm Hikaru."
"And I'm Kaoru."
"We're the Hitachiin twins. 3rd year middle school students."
I try for a smile, but stop when I see the mischievous looks on their faces. That's an 'uh-oh' look. Like…a 'we're-about-to-drop-something-down-the-back-of-your-shirt-but-we-can't-decide-between-the-ice-cube-or-the-scorpion' kind of look. I don't especially like that look.
Someone clears their voice and the twins step away from each other so the three other boys can see me. It was Kyoya who had made the noise, and he pushed his glasses further up his nose before smiling widely at me. I blink a few times. Since when has he ever smiled like that? All I've seen him do all day is frown, smirk, and default to 'resting bitch face'.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Jacklyn Prout. We haven't formally introduced ourselves." He steps forward and offers me a hand, "Kyoya Ootori, 1st year."
I give his hand a firm handshake, "A pleasure." It's clear the boy is debating something, but I don't get to hear it because I'm quickly spun out of Honey's arms and end up facing a very different blond boy.
"My Princess, it's an honor to meet you, finally. I apologize for taking so long to officially introduce myself; I'm Tamaki Suoh, 1st year student." For a moment, all I can do is stare. His arms are wrapped around my waist, our faces uncomfortably close so all I can really see are his blond bangs and his violet eyes. And while those are cool and all…
"Tamaki? Could you please let me go?" There's a brief pause of sudden silence in the room before the 1st year allows me to pull away. If the stares I'm getting are a tell, I'd have to guess that I just did something surprising/intriguing/worrying. "What?"
"You're the first girl to ever not fall head over heels for the boss's lines."
I raise an eyebrow, "Really? I'm the first? You say that like he says stuff like that to every girl at this school."
"Well, we don't serve every girl, just our clients. However, Tamaki does tend to use his hosting techniques on every girl who walks close enough."
"...Hosting techniques?"
The twins lean against each other looking bored but no less malicious, "Well, duh. We are a host club, after all."
If question marks could appear above my head, I'm positive I would've had at least four floating around, "What's a host club?" I hear something that reminds me of shattering glass, and I jump, quickly turning around to see Tamaki, looking as though he'd been completely drained of all color. A split second later, he's curled up in a ball in the far corner of the room.
"Uh… I'm sorry?"
The twins laugh and come up behind me, "Nice one, Jacklyn-senpai."
"You really got him! That was actually funny!"
"What was funny? What is a host club?"
Now all the boys are looking at me like I'm crazy, "They don't have host clubs in America, Jac-chan?"
"Uh, no."
"Hm. I suppose that explains a few things. Well, Miss Prout, a host club's purpose is to entertain young ladies. We invite the ladies of Ouran Academy to our club after school hours and converse with them."
"All of them? All at once?"
Kyoya readjusted his glasses, causing a glare that hid his brown-grey eyes from the rest of us, "No, not all at once. Our guests set up appointments to speak to a specific host for 15 minutes at a time. They have their pick of either Tamaki, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, the twins, or myself, all depending on their type." I nodded. It made sense that the twins would host together, as well as Honey and Mori. But I was still kind of confused.
"But all you do is talk to the girls? I mean, you're all handsome and what not, but even so…"
"Conversing does cover a very broad spectrum of entertainment. Mostly, we divert to varying degrees of flirtation, but a few of our members also bring in guests with their looks or attachment to one another."
I sigh, "Flirting. I suppose that explains why the girls are all over you guys. But, what did you mean by 'type'? Is that, like, what kind of guys they're into?"
"Correct. There's the 'Princely' type, the 'Strong and Silent' type, the 'Boy-Lolita' type, the 'Mischievous' type, and the 'Cool' type."
A smirk curls the right side of my mouth, "Well, I guess it's easy to tell who is which type."
Kyoya's smile shrinks to a smirk of his own, "So, would you like to schedule an appointment? Any of us would love to-"
"No, thank you." Again, it sounded like a baseball had just come sailing through the large windows.
"Jac-chan… you don't want to talk to us?"
"It's not that, it's just being a client of a host club doesn't sound all that appealing to me. Sure, I get to talk to you guys, but then I become one of the hundreds of girls you see every day. Nothing special. If I'm going to make time in my schedule to talk to someone every day, I'd like to do that with friends, not as someone's obligation." I looked down at Honey and pat his head, "I would love to talk to you in class, however! You guys seem like good people."
"Well. Then in that case…"
"Huh?" I turn just in time to be lifted off my feet and tilted back in a dip. I guess Tamaki's left his corner.
"You have no interest in becoming one of our clients because you'd rather make meaningful friendships with others, and I understand that," he spins me around so my back is pressed to his chest with his face above my right shoulder, "But I don't think you understand. In class we hardly have any real time to converse with interesting women like yourself," now I'm pressed nose to nose with the blond, "So… I've come up with a brilliant idea!"
"Tamaki," I squeak out, trying to push myself out of his grip. He releases me and I fall on my butt. My eyes shut as a short spark of pain emits from my tailbone. When I open them again, Tamaki's finger is in my face.
"So you can make friends with other girls at Ouran Academy and still have a chance to speak with whichever host you wish to, you will be henceforth known as the Host Club's Personal Musician!"
Silence meets his words. Beads of sweat have appeared on my face. Musician? Seeing them every day? For hours upon hours after school? PERFORMING IN FRONT OF OTHERS EVERY DAY?!
"Hey, boss-"
"-why do we suddenly need a musician?"
"We're doing just fine without one."
"Did you not just hear those beautiful songs!? Those wonderful chords!? THAT MAGNIFICENT SINGING VOICE!? She'd provide the best live background musical entertainment around! The girls can request songs from her songbook. She can be introduced to the female population as the talented young girl she is! She'll be famous around all of Ouran Academy!"
I shrink back and crawl away inch by inch, "Guys…"
"Yay! Jac-chan is joining the club! Isn't that great, Takashi!?"
"Mm."
"Um, can I get a word in?"
"You know-"
"-hanging around with a girl who doesn't just want to impress us-"
"-might be fun."
"C-can I just-"
"She may draw in some customers too. Music is naturally calming and knowing there's another female in the room they can speak to should the girls be too nervous about meeting with a host directly might give the shy girls of Ouran a confidence boost."
"W-wait! Don't I get a say in this?" The boys look at me position on the floor, "L-look. I'm flattered by your offer, really, but I need to focus on my studies and-"
"-and purchase a uniform."
I gasp and turn my head to see Kyoya towering over me, "How did you know I needed a uniform?"
"Well, it is required that every student of Ouran Academy wears the official school uniform to attend. You were given until the end of the week to acquire it, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Well, then, I suppose we can come up with a trade. We shall order and provide you with a school uniform, and to pay us back you need to play the piano for our guests. Every day the host club is in session, you will perform three songs at the least, including any requests from the ladies. You shall travel with the host club on any outings we may have and be provided with cosplay on our theme days, but you shall not be considered an official host."
I stare up at the boys surrounding me and think it over. I won't be a host, but I'll get the benefits, and I don't have to play for them forever. All I need is to pay back the uniform they'll get me.
A deep sigh escapes my lungs, "How long do you expect it would it take me to pay off my debt should I take up your offer?" Kyoya references something in his journal before answering.
"Until the end of the school year."
"Just until the end of my 1st year? Not even a full year?"
"Correct. The moment you become a 2nd year student, your obligation to this club as our musical performer will be fulfilled... unless we are given logical reasons to add upon your debt, such as broken property and such." I couldn't help but think he was using longer words simply in an attempt to intimidate me. Was that why he had stared at me in class today, too?
I nod my head slowly, "That sounds… fair. But I do have one last question."
The boys lean in a bit.
"Do I get my own rose color, too?"
The twins, Honey, and Tamaki let out happy sounds as Kyoya asks, "Which color would you like?"
"Green, please. A small vase of them placed beside the piano, if you would."
Again, not many changes save for grouping the day into one big blob. And for those of you reading this for the first time, I'm glad you're reading this updated version and not my first attempt at this. Let me know if you like it, please?
Read, favorite, follow, or review if you'd like. I enjoy hearing from you all and you do make a difference in how I write and how quickly I update.
See you next chapter!
