Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club itself, the characters and places belong to Bisco Hatori. The only things I own are the OCs and the plot of this story and I gain nothing from writing it besides the pleasure.
Storm Clouds - Chapter Two - Not a Host Just Yet
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"Arashi-san!" She bleated out.
"Haru-san... What did you do, hmm?" There was a slight hint of amusement in my voice as I strided forward with squared shoulders. It was more like a false bravado—there were four of them around my height, one that was taller and...
I blinked in silent astonishment at the child clutching a stuffed pink bunny in his arms. Surely, they wouldn't think about bullying Haruhi with a child in the direct vicinity. But, you can never be too sure with these types...
"Arashi-san!" She struggled in the twins' hold before her body stiffened and she sent me a glare when my words registered in her brain. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Eh? What's going on today?" A red-headed twin started.
"We keep getting boys in here." The other finished in annoyance and I couldn't stop the incredulous look that appeared on my face. They thought Haruhi was a guy?
I looked over her dangling form clad in baggy, nondescript clothes once more as I shrugged—I suppose if one didn't know her gender beforehand, she could be mistaken for a boy if she wore certain clothes. There was also the fact that Haruhi didn't act like the typical 'girly-girl.' She carried herself with an amount of certainty and confidence that made her seem...almost masculine at times. Now that I think about it, Haruhi was a very androgynous person, much like her father was. Huh. I never noticed before.
"I take it you are acquaintances with Fujioka-kun, yes?" The dark-haired bespectacled teen questioned me as I approached the gathering. He sized me up in what can only be described as disinterest even as his lips pulled up into a calm smile.
"Y-es?" It came out more as a question than anything else.
"Well, it seems that your friend here has broken one of our very expensive one-of-a-kind vases, making him owe us a certain amount of debt." He adjusted his glasses, making light glint off of them. "Would you like to do something about it?"
"Arashi-san, no! You don't have to do anything! This is my problem!" She protested and I couldn't stop the irritated scoff from coming forth.
"Why are you always like that, Haru-san?" I crossed my arms, leveling her with a light glare. "The more you refuse me, the more I feel inclined to help you."
"My, what a glorious relationship the two of you share!" I jumped slightly as the taller blonde-haired boy did a sort of twirl and I blinked as rose petals and sparkles filled the air. "A forbidden love, not only between two men but between commoner and elite!"
I blanched, completely flabbergasted as Haruhi let out a squawk that was just as greatly surprised. "W-What!?"
"There's no need to be ashamed!" The blonde continued his tangent of the nonexistent relationship between Haruhi and I. "Love has no bounds!"
"So," The left twin started.
The right one finished, "You are a homo!"
"We're not together!" The girl shouted. "And I'm not gay!" Haruhi added as an afterthought.
I rubbed away the insistent burning in my cheeks as the twins laughed at the situation, the blonde continued his flowery speech, the bespectacled one smirked and adjusted his glasses, the kid twirled around with his stuffed bunny and the tall one... He just stared at us silently.
"We hardly even know each other!" Haruhi groused and it made them pause.
"Then..." The blonde-haired teen paused before his purple eyes glittered and I suppressed the urge to smack my forehead. "It must be love at first sight!" His spiel began once again.
"Look," I interrupted his speech as I pulled out my wallet, glaring at the group of people, "How much is this vase so we can leave?"
"Arashi-san, I don't think-"
"¥ 8,000,000." All the color drained from my face. "Fujioka-kun owes us ¥ 8,000,000." His pleasant smile returned as he finished and I choked on my spit, quickly putting away my wallet as I grabbed my throat and coughed heavily in both distress and disbelief. We didn't even earn ¥ 8,000,000 at my grandparents' store! How was it even possible for a person Haruhi's age to be so deep in debt so quickly!?
He had to be joking. He was joking.
Right?
My head whipped around to stare at Haruhi whose face bore an expressive mix of exasperation, agitation and annoyance. I wasn't sure if the looks were solely for me, her creditors, the situation or a combination of all three. In that moment, I regretted pressing the circumstances when I subconsciously knew I wouldn't be able to pay it or even really lend a hand. The repentant look must've been obvious on my face because Haruhi let out a weary sigh that made the feeling I felt even worse.
"I told you, Arashi-san." Her lips tugged into a rueful smile. "Please don't feel bad about this. I wouldn't want you to pay for me, anyways."
"Oh, so you're not paying for Fujioka-kun, then?" The bespectacled one asked and I rubbed my lip as I averted my gaze. "How unfortunate."
"Aww, so you're not gonna help Haru-chan?" The little kid asked sorrowfully, the pout evident in his tone. "That's not very nice..."
"Why are you calling me that already!?" Haruhi grouched at the small boy but no attention was paid to her qualms as the blonde-haired teen grabbed my shoulders roughly, shaking me almost like a doll. Surprisingly, he was a lot stronger than he looked.
"How could you be so cold!?" He yelled in my face, making me flinch in response. "Leaving your beloved to fend for himself! How cruel, I say, how cruel!"
The twins' laughter and that kid's babbling filled my ears again. I was starting to feel sick. From the shaking, from the embarrassment, from... I wasn't even sure at that point anymore. Then, it stopped. The blonde released me as he slammed a fist into his palm, his face lighting up as if he had some brilliant plan. I staggered back, leaning against a pillar to keep from falling over due to dizziness and possibly as a support to deal with the approaching amount of idiocy about to erupt from the purple-eyed teen's mouth.
"Due to this rogue's unscrupulousness,"—I cocked an eyebrow. I was an unscrupulous rogue...how? Because I was too poor to afford ¥ 8,000,000?—"It seems this commoner will have to work off his debt! By becoming the Host Club's dog!"
It was then Haruhi's head fell in defeat and I couldn't stop the remorse that lanced through my heart. How was it that she was the one who'd gotten into this mess but I was the one who felt terrible about it? It must've been one of those 'women things'—the ability to make men feel bad even though they hadn't done anything. I'd seen it many times between Granna and Grandpa and, despite Haruhi's non-feminine appearance and mannerisms, she had it just like the rest of the female population.
I ran a hand through my hair, silently wishing that I'd brought a hair barrette, before I spoke up. "Isn't that a bit too far, hmm?"
"Says the guy who won't even pay off his boyfriend's debt." A twin chimed snidely as they both appeared by my side, making me blink in confusion. Did rich people know how to teleport or something?
My eyebrow twitched slightly and my jaw clenched. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize it was uncouth to be without ¥ 8,000,000 on hand at all times! You know, just in case a valuable vase is accidentally broken! How silly of me for not having such foresight!" I bit out sarcastically, smacking my forehead to further push the notion.
"Ah, but, it is uncouth!" The flamboyant blonde gallantly pulled a credit card from his breast pocket and the rest of the teens followed. Obviously, myself and Haruhi were excluded. "You see, you just never know when such things will transpire! One must always be prepared!"
The boy with the glasses smirked at me then. "But...you wouldn't know that, would you?" His glasses gleamed ominously as he stared at me. "It isn't as if your family even pulls that much money in the first place. Do they, Arashi Hamasaki?"
"What?" The stuffed animal-holding child inquired in a cute mix of confusion and curiosity. "What do you mean, Kyō-chan?"
"What I mean, Honey-senpai,"—The hell!? Senpai?—"Is that this fellow is just as much of a commoner as Fujioka-kun here. Only..." His smirk twitched and fell slightly. "Only Hamasaki-san isn't a scholarship student. That leaves the question of how he was able to afford both the tuition and the uniform cost shrouded in mystery."
It was at that moment that everyone decided to stare at me, even Haruhi. I managed to keep my lips in a firm line as I tensely shrugged my shoulders, my head averting to the side and my eyes lowering to the ground. It wasn't as if I was able answer their questions in the first place—I didn't even know the answer and that fact left an extremely bitter taste in my mouth.
I was just as ignorant as them.
"Leave Arashi-san out of this." Bless Haruhi's soul. She was trying to steer the conversation away from me. "This isn't about him. It's about me paying off a debt, right?"
The purple-eyed teen opened his mouth but the bespectacled boy smoothly interrupted. "Yes, I suppose you are right, Fujioka-kun..." He smiled in smug amusement. "It's about time for the Host Club to open and there are many things that need to be done thanks to your...interruption." His head cocked to the side as he looked in my direction. "You may leave now, Hamasaki-san. There really isn't a reason for you to be here, is there?"
My lips tugged into a deep frown. "If Haru-san is here, I'm staying, hmm." I replied flatly but firmly with an eyebrow cocked, daring him to refuse me.
He stayed silent, though, and I noted the way his lips quirked up at my words, as if I'd fallen for some sort of invisible trap he'd set up. For all I knew, he probably had duped me in some sort of way. It made my dislike for him root a bit deeper in my loins and my eyes narrowed as he adjusted his glasses with that same superior smirk on his face as the blonde-haired, purple-eyed teen, yet again, pointed a finger in my face, causing me to fix him with a light glare.
He ignored it.
Instead, the haze of sparkles and rose petals started up again and I let out a low, irritated breath at his antics. "You are very lucky, my good hooligan!"—Wasn't that an oxymoron?—"You will be the Host Club's very first male guest! You should feel humbled that such a grand honor has been bestowed upon you!"
My glare intensified. The special effects stopped. He grimaced and gulped. "U-um," He clapped his hands sharply, summoning the two twins to his side. "Twins!"
"Yes, Boss?"
"Restrain— I mean, please seat our guest!"
My eyebrow lifted in incredulity as the two redheads teleported to both my sides, took both my arms in their hold and proceeded to drag me off with a strength uncanny to their lanky forms. I couldn't suppress the surprised yelp that came from my mouth nor could I stop the grunt that left my lips as they flung me into one of the couches strewn about the large music room.
"Now, then. Let us open the doors for our beloved princesses!"
...
What exactly had I gotten myself into?
"...Oh, so that's where you are. I was a little worried that something had happened to you, dearie."
"I know, Granna, and I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier but I was just really caught up with this...thing." I sighed softly as I scratched my head. "It kinda side-swiped me, to be honest."
"...I see. Is it a club?"
"You...could say that, hmm."
"Well, then... I wouldn't want to jeopardize any chances you have at this new school." Her voice carried a hint of...reluctance and anger? "I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you later, Shishi-kun."
"Yeah. Bye, Granna."
I hung up my cell with a heavy sigh as I dropped my head on the cool surface of the table. I hated letting people down, my loved ones especially, but I tried to be the type of person who didn't go back on his words. I had promised Ranka-san I'd escort Haruhi to and from school and that was what I was going to do, even if it meant missing hours at the store. I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal. Missing a few hours couldn't be that detrimental to the store and I could always just pitch in by making the specialty bento boxes myself to give Granna a break.
I am such a good person. My eyes rolled as I lifted my head slowly and leaned my chin on the palm of my hand. The things I do with no arguments whatsoever.
I may have seemed a bit ticked off at first but, really, it wasn't that much of a problem to stay in the Host Club after hours to look out for Haruhi. The hosts left me to my own devices as their customers flooded in and I was able to observe their actions without many interruptions.
It wasn't as bad as it seemed. They made Haruhi do menial tasks such as serving tea, washing dishes, fetch things from the store and serve finger foods. Essentially, she was just a maid for the club. The blonde-haired host, who I learned was named Tamaki, liked to refer to her as 'dog', which initially pissed me off. I wanted to protest but, as soon as the words left Tamaki's mouth, she narrowed her eyes at me as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
I let it go.
As for what the hosts themselves did, it was rather obvious from the name of the club—they were all hosts. The girls would request a certain teen and said teen would chat her up, flirt with her a little bit and generally just entertain the girls for the afternoon. At first, I wondered what it was that made each girl prefer one host over another but I soon witnessed that each host had a certain gimmick that each girl liked.
Starting with the most normal host: Kyōya Ootori.
He was the dark-haired teen with the glasses that always had that condescending smirk on his face but...that was only around me, it seemed. To the guests, he was calm and collected, pulling girls in with his composed demeanor. Kyōya didn't seem to have as many customers as the rest of the hosts and he always looked to be busy pressing keys on his laptop or jotting things on his notepad. He was the most normal out of the bunch but I still disliked him a lot.
Next on the list was Tamaki Suoh.
Out of all the boys, Tamaki was the one pulling in the bulk of girls and he was the one with the most seated by his sides. He was your typical "prince charming," winning girls over with honeyed words, dashing smiles and feathery touches. He did seem to have this regal air about him that was rather fascinating but, when I remembered how he called me a delinquent and pointed ever so rudely at my face, I quickly found myself immune to his sparkles and rose petals and pretty purple eyes.
Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka—also known as Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, respectively—were next on the list.
The two seniors worked better together as a unit than separately. Honey-senpai was very cute and sugary and gave a person a cavity just from looking at him while Mori-senpai served more as a prop for Honey-senpai than anything. What really set the girls off would be the massive cuteness of seeing strong and stoic Mori-senpai stooping down to help the tiny little senior, which resulted in a bout of coos and squeals. If I were being honest, it was kinda cute.
...
...I liked cute things. So sue me.
Lastly, we had the Hitachiin twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, and they were, in fact, the weirdest of all the hosts.
Their gimmick...was showing their love for each other in an excessive amount, to the point of seeming like incest.
That's it.
Yes, it was kinda creepy but the girls loved it and that only solidified my suspicions that girls had questionable morals and the strangest of tastes.
I sighed softly. Haru-san just had to stumble on a group of weirdos, didn't she?
"I just had to stumble on a group of weirdos, didn't I?" She questioned rhetorically as she plopped down on the couch next to me.
I snorted in both surprise and humor as I looked down at her haggard form. "You know me well, hmm. That's exactly what I was thinking, Haru-san."
She laughed lightly under her breath as she pulled off her glasses to rub at her face. "It's funny. I just wanted to find a nice, quiet place to study during lunch and then that happened." She placed her glasses back on her nose as she tilted her head back to stare up at me. "I really am sorry, Arash-san. I tried to get to you after class but those two devils grabbed me up before I could even leave the room."
"Wait." I tapped my chin in thought. "You broke the vase during lunch?" She nodded. "Then why didn't someone pick up the pieces, hmm? That's dangerous."
"I told you they were all idiots, Arashi-san." She stated flatly. "Really, you should leave while you still have the chance."
I patted her head lightly and I laughed as her nose scrunched up and her eyebrows furrowed. "Thanks for looking out for me, Haru-san." She batted my hand away. "But, I'm here because I want to be here." I gave her cheeky grin. "Besides, if I take you home, I'll get to see my sweet Ranka-san."
Her brown eyes rolled and she shook her head. She went to respond to my silly quip but a soft clearing of the throat grabbed both of our attentions. It was a girl that stood before us and her eyes darted back and forth between me and Haruhi anxiously. My eyes squinted as I looked over the girl's face before my eyes widened in remembrance.
"You're that girl from before." I said and I watched in interest as her face flushed for reason. Was she angry that I had called her cute earlier and wanted some kind of revenge for it? "If you're angry with me, I'm really sorry. I really shouldn't have said what I said so abruptly."
"Muh? You offended someone, Arashi-san?" Haruhi questioned as she stared at me with that dead-panned look marring her face. I scratched the back of my head and offered her a nervous smile.
"W-well, I meant it as a compliment." I gestured towards the red girl. "She...is a very pretty girl and I told her that." I grimaced slightly. "Maybe I came off too strong. I thought girls liked compliments."
Haruhi muttered something under her breath but she didn't get the chance to voice her words.
"DOG! We need more tea at our table~" One of the twins called and Haruhi released a heavy groan as she rose to her feet. "HURRY UP!"
I blinked as Haruhi dragged away to do her job before my eyes flitted back to the skittish girl hovering near my table. I felt somewhat bad. Was I the reason she was acting like that? I hoped I wasn't pushing my luck but... I patted the empty seat next to me with a disarming smile on my face. "Would you like to sit with me? I'm kinda lonely now that my friend has left, hmm."
The girl squeaked as her hands clutched together at her chest. "U-um! C-can I?"
I nodded reassuringly as the girl fumbled her hands before she hesitantly yet daintly seated herself next to me. Her small frame was rigid and tense next to me and I resisted the urge to that I had to pat her on the head like I'd begun to do Haruhi. This girl was indeed not the blunt brown-haired girl I was getting to know and...
Actually, that should make it easier for me to converse with the girl.
Slowly, I allowed my posture to relax, let an arm drape across the back of the expensive couch and plastered a gentle smile on my face as turned my head towards to girl. "So... We haven't officially met, have we?" I held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Arashi Hamasaki, class 1-B. What's your name?"
Her cheeks flushed as she timidly grabbed my hand in both of hers. "I-I'm Sayuri Himemiya and I'm in class 1-A, H-Hamasaki-san."
"Oh, right. I met you right outside there." I blinked widely. "Ah, I'm sorry for not remembering, Himemiya-chan. I was a little out of it this afternoon." I shrugged lightly, a playful smile on my face. "You know how the first day of school can be." I chuckled softly and I was delighted when the girl cracked a small smile and her hands' fumbling slowly settled.
That was how easy it was.
Just be as relaxed and open as possible. Don't force conversations. Just let the topics flow like water. Keep the compliments to a moderate level and don't force them on the first moment you meet. Oh. Also offer any leftover pieces of cake from your lunch if you have any; girls apparently like it when they get to eat something you made with your own hands.
...Well, Sayuri did, at least.
"Mmm~ This cake is so good, Arashi-san." Her cheeks pinkened as she said my name and I tried to fight off the grin on my face from both the compliment and the girl's bashfulness. "I wish that I could keep eating it over and over again."
I laughed softly. "Well, I don't know about the over and over thing but, if you want, I could whip up something tonight for you for lunch tomorrow, hmm." I rubbed my lip with slight anxiousness. "If you want, that is."
Her whole face reddened at my words and her head nodded so rapidly that I thought it might fall off. I chuckled under my breath as I gave into the urge to pat her head, causing the girl to flush even darker. The girls at Ouran were easily flustered, it seemed, but it was rather charming when compared to girls like Haruhi who never got so worked up over things such as that.
"A-ah, Arashi-s-san!" She gasped out with small hands cupping her cheeks. "Thank y-you for being so nice to me!" Her voice softened and her eyes glittered in happiness. "W-will I be able to see you here again?"
I winced. "Well... I was supposed to stay here only for today..."
And, then, her bright eyes darkened with disappointment. "Oh..."
I really hated seeing such a pitiful expression on anyone's face. I had only promised to escort Haruhi for the day but what kind of person would I be if I just left her alone to work off her debt? But what kind of grandson would I be if I just left all the work to my grandparents? I ran a hand through my hair and scratched my chin as I regarded the auburn-haired girl.
"Please, don't look like that, Himemiya-chan. I'll come back if you want me to."
What could it hurt if I spent one more afternoon at the Host Club? It wouldn't be that bad, right?
...
If only I had turned around, I would've noticed the calculating smirk on someone's face and the foreboding gleam off his glasses.
.
A/N: There. I finally finished it and I managed to keep Arashi from joining the Host Club in this chapter. It's kind of a cliché but it's not a bad one—I'm just still trying to be different with my character.
As for pairings, I still want you guys to give me your suggestions but I'm gonna try and give Arashi some kind of bond with all the hosts before the final pairing shows up in the story. It might take a while to get there. That's also the reason as to why I haven't posted a poll about the pairings; I want it to be a suprise for everyone, myself included, 'cause I haven't even planned who Arashi's gonna be with lol I'm just goin' with the flow