The tables were filled with guests coming to see the hosts. The tables were adorned with vases of roses. Violins were playing in the background, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

Kyoya – they all introduced themselves to Haruhi earlier- was sitting at a table with two girls. His legs were crossed, and his hands were together resting on his knee as he conversed with them.

"Um..Tamaki? What's your favourite song?"

The "Host Club King" was currently sitting on a crimson silk couch with a "Lady" on either side. One arm was folded on the top of the couch, while the other rested on one of his knees.

"The one that reminds me of you, of course," he replied without hesitation.

Haruhi, please hurry up.

"I baked you a cake today, would you like to taste it?" another asked, and indeed, she had made him a cake.

It looked like a lemon tart, served with a side of cream and topped with a mint leaf. All done by me, of course. She had brought the cake, given it to Tamaki, who gave it to me to serve and to make them fresh tea.

He grabbed her chin and gazed into her eyes. "Only if you'll feed it to me, Darling."

Her cheeks turned bright pink as she began to fantasize about him, wiggling about on the couch. "Oh wow! You're so dreamy!"

The girl to his left, who I assumed was possessive, spoke next as she placed her tea cup on the table.

"May I have a word with you, Tamaki?"

Tamaki glanced at her in surprise over his shoulder. "I recently heard the host club is keeping not one, but two little kittens without pedigrees."

He sat straight in the couch and laughed a little nervously. "I don't know if I'd call them that. But we are keeping a second, so it's not just Ren."
At that moment, of all of them, Haruhi walked in, a brown paper bag in her arms.
"Speak of the devil!" He waved nonchalantly at her. "Thanks for doing the shopping, little piglet. Did you get everything on our list?"

"What..? Piglet..?" Haruhi asked, lost, and looking to me for help.

I shrugged. "Just roll with it."

She nodded and walked over to him, handing him the coffee he asked for.

"Hey, wait a minute. What is this?" he asked, holding the box of instant coffee.

"It's coffee," I said, strolling over to stand beside Haruhi.

The possessive guest was sipping her tea, completely ignoring us, while the others stared in curiosity.

"I've never seen this brand before. Is this the kind that's already ground?" Haruhi and I shared a look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's instant coffee," I finished, raising an eyebrow.

"It's instant?" the two girls on the opposite chair repeated, leaning to the side.

Tamaki observed the jar with his eyes wide.

"Woah! I've heard of this! It's commoners coffee, you just add hot water!" he cried.

More girls appeared behind those across from us, as well as around Haruhi and I. The twins came as well as Kyoya, and they wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Again.

"I didn't know there was such a thing," the girl on the left said, slouching forward a bit.

"So it's true then- Poor people don't even have enough free time to grind their own coffee beans," the one on the right said, slouching forward as well, before they both sat back.

The crowd of girls behind them nodded and hummed in agreement.

"Commoners are pretty smart," Kyoya said, arms crossed, and peering at the bottle over Tamaki's shoulder.

"A hundred grams for three hundred yen!" Hikaru cried, reading the label.

He and Kaoru were standing right behind Tamaki, with me between them. The five of us – Kyoya and Haruhi included- were surrounded by a bunch of girls.

"That's a lot less than we normally pay," Kaoru said.

Haruhi huffed, getting annoyed. "Don't sulk, Haruhi."

She glared at me. "I'm not."

She turned back to Tamaki. "I'll go back and get something else! Excuse me for not getting guys expensive coffee."

Tamaki waved her off, his eyes never leaving the jar. "No I'll keep it!"

Everyone -exluding Kyoya, the possessive "young lady", Haruhi and I- gasped in surprise at his statement as he stood.

"I'm going to give it a try." Even bigger gasps, even Kyoya gave some sort of a inquisitive hum that time.

"I will drink this coffee!" Tamaki announced boldly, lifting the jar into the air, his other hand on his hip.

Everyone began to clap. The twins did too, so I finally got released. I backed away slowly, stopped by Tamaki's next words.

"Alright Ren, Haruhi, get over here and make some of this commoners coffee!" I groaned in frustration as Haruhi eyed the moving group dejectedly. Our eyes met and I knew we were thinking the same thing.

I hate all these damn rich people.

"Oh Tamaki!" Princess Possessive began in a fake laugh, setting her cup down. "Now you're taking the joke too far. Your pallet won't be able to stomach that crap. You don't have to drink it just because he bought it." Haruhi hah'ed in confusion, as I glared at the girl with long red hair.

She turned around and beamed at Haruhi and I. "I'm sorry. I was talking to myself."

"Umm..." Haruhi stared surprisingly at the girl, lost for words.

I'd started making my way over to Tamaki at that stage, fed up with that woman.

"Haruhi!" he called from a long brown table on the other side of the room.

Haruhi's face fell. "I'm comin', I'm comin'."

She put a spoonful of coffee into each cup and I followed behind her, pouring hot water in.

"There," I said, as I offered the tray of tea cups, filled with coffee, to people.

"Let the tasting begin!" Tamaki said charmingly, roses blooming behind his head.

The girls stared at those with cups, all slightly afraid.

"I'm a little scared to drink this stuff," one with dark hair said, holding the cup slightly away from her face.

"I'm afraid that if I drink this, my father will yell at me," a brunette said, staring into the cup.

Tamaki, as usual, popped up in front of her, a finger under her chin, tilting her head up. He had an arm around her waist to support her body, which he was holding.

"What if I let you drink it from my mouth?" he whispered huskily, their faces centimetres apart.

"W-well then I would drink it..." she stuttered, eyes wide and face red.
All the girls began to scream, eyes filled with hearts.

"This is ridiculous," I mumbled, sauntering away with my hands in my pockets.

I passed the twins, and heard Hikaru telling a story about one of Kaoru's nightmares. He was laughing a bit as he said it, with his right leg bent on his chair. I leaned against the wall behind his chair as he continued to embarrass Kaoru.

"So he had this nightmare that made him bolt up right out of bed," he chuckled, eyes closed.

Kaoru slammed his hands on the table, his cheeks pink.

"Hikaru! Don't tell them that story!" he whined, slouching in his seat and looking away. "I asked you not to tell anyone that! Why are you so mean to me?" Tears began to fall from his eyes as he finished.

Hikaru stared at his brother wide-eyed. "I'm sorry, Kaoru."

The girls held each other as Hikaru grabbed Kaoru by the chin and forced him to look at him. Their noses were a hair's breath apart.

"But you were so adorable that I had to tell them. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I forgive you," Kaoru whispered, staring into his brother's eyes.

The girls screamed in excitement.

"Ahh! I've never seen brotherly love quiet like that!"

Haruhi stopped beside with, the tray with the empty tea cups in her hands. "What are they so excited about? I just don't get it."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I don't think we'll ever understand."

I helped her bring the cups to the kitchen to wash, just as Mori and Honey walked in. I returned to see Honey sitting on the couch, yawning and rubbing his eyes. The girls were screaming at him.

"So cute!" I rolled my eyes and leaned on the top of the chair behind Mori's head.

He was probably the only one I liked at the moment. I could see Haruhi staring at Honey from a bit away, and met her eyes. Kyoya appeared beside Haruhi, a black notebook in hand. I strolled over to them, my hands in my pocket. Honey came up behind my, and leapt on my back.

"Hey Ren-chan! Do you want to have some cake with me?" he asked, a bright smile on his face.

"Cake? Sure, I love cake," I said, giving him a small smile. His smiled widened.

"Me too!" he cried, leaping off me and diving at Haruhi, spinning her around.

"Haru-chan!" he sang as he spun her around, "Hey, Haru-chan! Do you want to go have some cake with me and Ren-chan?"

Haruhi's head spun around as she recovered from her dizzy spell. "I'm not that into cake."

"Ok! Then how would you like to hold my bunny, Usa-chan?"

"I'm not into bunnies," Haruhi said, making tears well up in Honey's eyes.

He raised the pink bunny to her face. "Are you saying you don't like Usa-chan?"

Haruhi stopped and stared at the bunny for a minute. She leaned forwards and smiled.

"I guess he is kinda cute, hah?" Honey lowered the bunny as his eyes widened.

I came up behind him as a light bulb lit. He gave the bunny to Haruhi and grabbed my hand, leading me back to the table.
"Take good care of him, ok?" he shouted as we walked away.

He sat me down in between two girls, and grabbed two plates with a slice of cake on each of them. He sat on my lap and handed me one.

"Thank you, Honey-senpai." He beamed at me.

"You're welcome!" he said, before we both stated on our cake, earning adoring sighs from the girls.

I could see Kyoya talking to Haruhi about something as Honey began to speak to the girls. Tamaki appeared behind her and blew on her ear, making her gasp and run away. She began panting, doubled over before he spoke to him. I could hear her begin to go on about the "all that matters is what's on the inside" speech and cringed. Every time I tried to dress her better, she always used that same speech. I began to snicker as Tamaki called himself blessed.

Honey turned around and looked at me, curious. "What's so funny, Ren-chan?"

I smiled at him, shrugging at Tamaki an Haruhi. "Your King and Haruhi are really funny."

The whole group glanced over, and we watched as Haruhi was deep in thought, and Tamaki raving on about something. The twins began to walk by, but saw me with Honey. They picked Honey off my lap and then tugged me up. With an arm around my shoulder, they led me over to Haruhi and Tamaki.

"Huh! I got it! Obnoxious!" she exclaimed, smacking a fist into her palm.

Tamaki paled and hid in a corner. A cold wind blew rose petals around him. Haruhi stood behind him, Usa-chan still in her arms.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Tamaki-senpai..." Haruhi mumbled.

The twins laughed as they brought me over. They rested an arm on my shoulders.

"You're a hero, Haruhi!" Hikaru laughed.

Haruhi rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Senpai. But you're lesson did strike a small cord with me."

Tamaki stood up slowly, his head hanging low. He spun around, beaming again.

"It did?! Let me teach you more, my friend." This is her son..? Seriously?

"Well he got over that quick," I said to myself more than the twin

"Boss?" Kaoru said, tilting his head to the side.

"Call me King!" Tamaki siad, his fingers twitching.

"You can teach both of them all the basics of hosting," Kaoru continued.

"But their not going to get very far with the ladies if they don't look the part you know," Hikaru finished, turning to face Haruhi, and slowly pulling her glasses off. "Their not exactly host club material, but maybe if we took off their glasses, it'll help."

Hikaru looked sceptically at Haruhi when he opened his eyes. His eyes widened in realisation as Haruhi began to whine.

"Hey! I need those! I used to have contacts but I lost them on the first day of school!"

The twins stared at her, as the others came over to see. Tamaki thundered up and pushed the twins aside. He stared at her before they all turned to me. I pulled my glasses off.

"I don't need the glasses, but I got fake ones to make Haruhi feel better when those contacts were lost." They all stared at me, eyes even wider. The twins ran up to me and shook me by the shoulders.

"Never wear them again!" they shouted, taking the glasses from me and throwing them in the bin.

Tamaki lowered his head and snapped his fingers. "Hikaru! Kaoru!"

The boys slid up behind him, saluting. "Got it!"

Hikaru grabbed my by the hand and dragged me away, while Kaoru did the same to Haruhi. The brought us through a set of white double doors.

I could hear Tamaki shouting at the others from the other room. I heard him tell Honey to eat cake.

I groaned. "I want cake..."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "You've had enough for today, Ren. You don't need any more."

Hikaru and Kaoru had put us behind four curtains in a changing room of sorts, and left.

"Here! Change into these uniforms!" they demanded, holding a uniform out to each of us as they came back in.

"But why?!" Haruhi asked, backing up to the wall.

The twins lunged. "Don't ask questions!"

I leapt in front of Haruhi and glared at the twins. "Stop right there!"

They stopped right in front of me.

"If you want us to change, get out!" I kicked them out. They hopped on one leg and looked at each other, as two more light bulbs lit.

I grabbed the uniforms from the floor and dusted them off, handing one to Haruhi. We changed as quickly as possible, before a hair dresser came in.

She handed Haruhi contacts that she said Mori gave her for her. She did Haruhi first, and Haruhi obliged. But when it was my turn, I ran out of the changing room, without my blazer, and holding onto my beanie tightly.

"No way!" I shouted, at the woman with a scissors, who was yelling at me to come back.

I sprinted past the twins, who began to make chase, and Honey and Mori. Mori was the fastest, and managed to grab me. He carried me horizontally, lying on his hip, as another light bulb went off.
"Let me go! Mori! Please! What did I ever do to you?!" I shouted, as I squirmed in his grasp.

He wordlessly carried me back to the changing room, where the host club had gathered outside.

"Hey Senpai?" I heard Haruhi call to Tamaki, as the evil hair dresser began tugging on my hat.

"Are you finished changing yet?" he said, as she pulled back the curtain.

The stood shocked.

"Is it really okay for us to keep these uniforms?" Haruhi asked, looking innocent.

Tamaki began to cry at how good she looked. "You're as pretty as a girl! Adorable!"
"Haru-chan you look so cute!" Honey cried.

If we had of known that's how you really look, we would have helped you out sooner," the twins confessed.

"Who knows. Maybe he'll even draw in some customers," Kyoya said.

Typical. Always thinking about the income.

"You know! That's just what I was thinking!" Tamaki said, popping up in front of Haruhi.

"Let me take of the damn hat!" the hairdresser screeched, trying to pull it off, and attracting everyone's attention.

The twins stood in front of me, leaning down until their faces were level with mine, and their hands on their hips.
"Why won't you take your hat off?" they asked, giving me the same look she'd given me that day.

I looked away, heat rising to my cheeks.

Next thing I know, my head is feeling strangely bare, and everyone's staring. My eyes widened, and I stood, racing out the door. I bolted past everyone who gawked, out through the doors to Music Room 3, and straight to the one room they wouldn't look for me. I opened the door, and slipped in, closing it quietly behind me.

"Speak of the devil! Hello, Ren!"

I looked up only to meet a pair of hazel eyes, and a a pair of black eyes. I bowed politely, and pulled my hair from it's ponytail to fix it after hours under a hat.

"Uncle Yazuru, Uncle Yoshio. It's been a while, I'm sorry," I apologized, giving them a small smile.

Yazuru Suoh gave a heart laugh as he brushed a strand of hair from his eyes.

"It's no problem, Ren! We were just talking about you actually," he said, giving Yoshio Ootori a glance.

I looked at the head of the Ootori Group. His jaw was set tightly, and his eyes were cold and hard behind his glasses.

"I trust Kyoya told you, Uncle Yazuru. About Paris," I said, my eyes now on the father of the king of the host club.

He nodded, now looking somewhat solemn and guilty.

"He did. I'm very grateful to you, Ren. It can't be easy giving up such an opportunity."

I took a deep breath and smiled reassuringly at him.

"I'm perfectly happy here at the academy, and it's nice to see my sister make a few friends. Maybe she would've without me, but I'm glad to see her getting to know some people."

Both men nodded in understanding, Uncle Yazuru smiling sadly.

"You've always been a good girl, Ren," he murmured, even though both Uncle Yoshio and I heard, we didn't comment.

"Do you have any updates, Ren?" Uncle Yoshio asked, changing the subject.

She nodded at him. "I believe, even though Tamaki acts so bubbly, something's nagging him inside, Hikaru and Kaoru keep people at arm's length because they believe everyone in the world are idiots, and Kyoya seems to only be interested in the income of the Host Club, but he does have either ulterior motives, or owe Tamaki something."

Uncle Yazuru and Yoshio both went quiet, eyes slightly widened. Uncle Yoshio fixed his glasses, clearing his throat while he did so.

"You observed that in how much time, Ren?" he inquired, an inquisitive brow raised.

I glanced at the Roman Numeral clock on the wall, and did the math.

"About three hours, Uncle." He nodded to himself.

"Thank you, Ren. I will speak to you more about this later, when your classes for the day are finished," Uncle Yazuru said, and I nodded to him in understanding.

I made my way to the door, and opened it.

"Oh, and Ren?" I turned to face the two men I considered Uncle's.

"Yes, Unlce Yazuru?" He gave me one of his heart lifting smirks. He reached into one of the drawers of his desk and got up. He pulled out a big white envelope.

"Here. She sent it for you." I took I from him and slid open the top, peering in. My heart stopped. My head snapped up as I stared at Uncle Yazuru in disbelief.