Nanami awoke the next morning to the sound of a doorbell. Odd, normally no one visits my house this early... and not on a Saturday! Nanami tiptoed downstairs in her dressing gown to see if she could catch a glimpse of the visitor. She was astonished when her eyes met with the same smiling blue ones that had spent the better part of an afternoon with her yesterday.

"Suou-san! Please come inside. We're so glad you stopped by," Nanami's mother praised the host lord as he entered their premises. "So, what brings you out here Suou-san?"

"Oh, I'm just bringing back Nanami-chan's sheet music. She lent it to me yesterday you see, but I forgot to return it."

"Oh, Nanami is so careless! I'm sorry you had to spend so much trouble-"

"No trouble at all. Is Nanami-chan here this morning?" Tamaki's eyes gazed around the vast and elaborate interior of Nanami's voluminous home. Smaller than his own mansion, but still quite large. After a few moments, Nanami was discovered on the stairs and she gently padded down the second flight with apprehension. Why is Tamaki-san taking such an interest in me? He didn't have to return my music... yet he did.

Nanami's mother left the two teenagers alone forcing the girl to struggle alone in the uncomfortable silence.

"How did you-" Nanami began, but Tamaki held up his hand.

"My father is the owner and chief of administrations at Ouran High School. I used a favor to sneak in this morning so you wouldn't get in trouble," Tamaki relayed, basking silently in his own good will. Nanami smiled at his self-confidence.

"Thank you... it's just I'm not used to people going out of their way for me-"

"Surely they would if they realized what a pure and glorious creature you were?" Tamaki offered, urging a smile on Nanami's tight lips.

"Well," the girl continued somewhat self conscious as she wrapped her cream colored silk robe tighter around her petite body. "I guess I'll see you at school on Monday," she trailed off, knowing full well that she wouldn't see Suou Tamaki unless she sought him out in the one place she dared not go... the Host Club. Tamaki, picking up on her discomfort, came to a sudden realization.

"Perhaps you'd take a visit to the courtyard during the Sakura festival at school. I'm sure you'd be impressed, and although you've avoided the company of the hosts with all your might, surely you can appreciate, if not for an hour or two, the hard work and dedication we've supplied in the decorations." Once again, the persistence in Tamaki's humanity surprised Nanami. Since when do I get invited to parties? A sudden flutter of apprehensiveness crawled into Nanami's already weak stomach, but the wings soon turned to ice when she realized she'd be at piano practice most of the day.

"I'm so sorry, but I've got piano-"

"Surely afterwards-"

"It's a long practice-"

"Then a private tour perhaps? On Sunday? Your piano teacher has to sleep sometime!" Tamaki declared loudly through the halls of Nanami's home. The strength and determination in Tamaki's voice surprised but also flattered the girl. Is this what being social feels like? Nanami thought bashfully. Being secluded and forced to become a piano savant was hardly her idea of a good time. She'd much rather hang out with other people... people like Tamaki.

"Alright, Sunday then," Tamaki answered for the stunned girl, who appeared speechless to his invitation. Nanami only nodded as Tamaki grasped her hand unexpectedly in his and graced the top of it with a tender kiss in parting. As quickly as he came, Suou Tamaki, the king of hosts, was gone with a flourish.

"Tamaki-kun is certainly a nice enough boy, but please be practical darling."

Nanami sat across from her mother that morning at breakfast, picking at her crepes as her mother tsked at Tamaki's sudden appearance.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nanami grumbled, twisting a piece of her tucking a wisp of long blonde hair up into its normal bun.

"Come now, dearest. Relations with a flirtatious boy like Tamaki would simply ruin your career! Your mind would wander, your practice time would decrease rapidly-"

"I don't have relations with him, mother. He was just being nice, that's all," Nanami spoke up a bit louder, but continued to stare blankly at her food.

"Sweet heart, I just don't want you to get hurt! We know about Tamaki's activities at school... he has a bit of a reputation, and I don't think someone like you could-"

"Mother!"

"Just because you've taken an interest in Suou Tamaki, doesn't mean he's taken an interest in you." Nanami bit her tongue uncharacteristically and bowed her head. Why was her mother treating her like this? She had barely met Tamaki last week, and her mother could practically see the heart break!

"May I be excused?" Nanami snapped unintentionally, rising from the table without a response. She arrived at her piano lesson slightly bitter, only to be notified that her usually callous and untactful teacher had caught pneumonia and would be out for quite some time, or course, her parents, not accepting defeat, had hired a surrogate for the time being. When the teacher who was filling in arrived, Nanami was startled as she sat behind her piano wearing a plain pink satin and lace skirt with a white cashmere sweater, her hair up in its ritualistic bun.

"You must be Nanami. I'm Kazuya." Nanami found her blue eyes glued to the new teacher. The complete opposite of her old teacher, Kazuya had honey brown eyes that promised to melt her soul; wavy black hair that fell in short ripples down to his shoulders. His taste in simple clothes was quaint and impeccable all at the same time, and for some reason, Nanami was enraptured by his appearance.

"Yes, I'm Nanami," the blonde girl stuttered out, placing her fingers gently on the ivory keys and placing the piece by Bach in front of her on the stand. Startlingly, she messed up every single note the first and second time through it. Her rhythms were atrocious and her finger position was shady at best.

"This piece isn't driving you, I can tell," Kazuya began, picking up Nanami's delicate hands and laying the fingers out in a five finger G minor to start the piece off. Nanami felt a warm tingle race up her spine. It must be all that time I was with Tamaki. It's made me scandalous! Nanami thought reproachfully, calming herself before the end of the lesson.

"It was a pleasure having you as my student today Nanami-san. I will see you later this week, and make sure you watch the key change on page three." With that, the entrancing Kazuya was gone, leaving Nanami with a flurry of blushing emotions.

The next morning, Nanami received another house call from the one and only Tamaki. He was waiting at the door when the blonde girl descended the stairs and offered her a rose from behind his back. More flattery... inner Nanami noticed, accepting the flower and tucking it into her bun as they entered Tamaki's limo. When the two teenagers arrived at the school, Nanami's breathe was taken away by the sight. Sakura trees were spotted the courtyard, but this time, they were filled with blossoms that scattered in the breeze and left the wind tinged pink with the smell of the petals.

"Oh my Tamaki! It's beautiful!" Nanami breathed, spinning in the courtyard and allowing the ethereal scene to envelope her. However, it wasn't long before Nanami acknowledged the true reason behind the event.

"Was this scene very successful with your customers?" the girl asked, curiosity and bitterness intertwining with her sweet, shy tone.

"It always is," Tamaki smiled, taking up Nanami's hand and helping her to continue her rotation. She felt like a ballerina amidst a gorgeous set in a play. With Tamaki opposite her, she could do no wrong. But it always came back at inconvenient moments; that fleeting thought that this was all a show... for the Host Club customers. Nanami's mood of unparalleled ecstasy turned to one of melancholy.

"Just because you've taken an interest in Suou Tamaki, doesn't mean he's taken an interest in you..."

Than why is he being so nice to me? Nanami paused before speaking out loud. Although she didn't really want to know the answer to the question, she asked it anyway.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What is it that you're referring to?" Tamaki asked, blinking his adorably blue eyes in the girl's direction. He seemed oblivious.

"All of this! First, you help me through the maze, then you bring my music back to me with no explanation, and now a private showing of the Host Club's most prestigious event! Why? Why me?" Nanami whispered intently, locking her own crystalline grey eyes with Tamaki's deep ocean colored ones. Tamaki let out a defeated sigh which ended, surprisingly in a smile. He motioned for the blonde girl to sit next to him on the stone bench that resided in the middle of the swirling sakura petals.

"For a while now, I've listened to your music from next door. I've wanted to meet its maker for so long... and here you are. You are my muse. I've created all this based on the emotions you gave me from your playing. Although I'd never seen you before, when I laid eyes on you in the maze, I knew it was you.

"From what you told me, from what I'd heard through the wall, I knew we were a lot alike. I realized that if you were anything like me, than you feel an unsuppressed loneliness, even when surrounded by people, by friends, by family..."

A sickening pause halted the merriment of the flower petals around the two, and Nanami swallowed hard, taking in what he was saying. Suou Tamaki had had a crush on her before they even met. A blush burned the girl's face as she choked out:

"You have a host club full of girls. Why not one of them?" Tamaki seemed shocked at her implication.

"Surely people like us have to stick together! No one can understand the woe that begets our daily lives and separates us from others... No. It could only be you; the one I'd sought after since I first heard your music."

"Just the music?" Nanami asked, gulping softly as if she were afraid of a response. The seriousness in Tamaki's face only increased as he furrowed his brows.

"At first, yes. But now that I have a name and a face, I can see no one else."

Nanami's eyes widened at Tamaki's openness and she searched for the right words to say, but found none. The blonde Host king only accepted her silence. She didn't want to leave the conversation at that. She was desperate not to. He needed her to say something, so Nanami decided to speak honestly and truthfully from her heart.

"You said I wasn't like the other girls in the Host club... but that's not entirely true. I knew you were charming, and valiant, but also flirtatious, which made me wary of you. But I now feel guilty. I've fallen for you the same way all those others have, even though you so sweetly speak of me being your savior."

"I don't blame you, I am the founder of the Ouran High School Host Club," Tamaki smiled suavely, noting Nanami's relieved expression.

"You are a master of flattery," the blonde girl added thoughtfully, feeling a great sense of freedom, as though some weight was just lifted off her shoulders. When Tamaki didn't respond to her accusation, she turned to look at Tamaki, who had slid significantly closer to the girl. Once more, they locked gazes, and Nanami only waited in silence.

Tamaki used one hand to gently pull Nanami's hair free of its bun, letting it flow in golden cascades past her shoulders. The rose fell simply into Nanami's lap. With the other hand, Tamaki extended his long pale fingers over Nanami's cheek, cupping it gently and pulling her mouth in his direction. Being a great deal shorter than the Host king, Nanami angled her head up and accepted the gentle kiss with finesse. The soft intimacy caused Nanami to close her eye lids and breathe in deeply before Tamaki gently pulled away. Moving the hand that had released Nanami's hair to her neck, Tamaki leaned in again, pressing his lips against the smaller girls, this time a bit more firmly. Nanami didn't refuse. Instead, she reached up and placed her hands on Tamaki's shoulders, resting them heavily for the duration of the kiss. Upon feeling the pressure of Nanami's small hands upon him, Tamaki acknowledged his wanton of the girl's lips. In the Host club, it was rare to find yourself kissing one of your customers, and Tamaki relished in the contact that was consented to by both parties. After parting briefly for another breath, Tamaki claimed Nanami's warm mouth with his own until the girl's face was flushed and her breathing unsteady. The blush of embarrassment that spread across her face was irresistibly adorable.

"I'm sorry if you felt-"

"No!" Nanami cried out, pulling her hands down to her lap and stroking the rose absent-mindedly. "I...I've just never k-kissed anyone before." Tamaki blinked disbelievingly.

"How was it?" he pried, removing the hand from her face, but allowing the other to stroke her hair.

"Oh... really nice," Nanami kicked herself at her choice of words and hoped Tamaki didn't take offense. He didn't. Instead, he did something unexpected.

"All the guests of the Host Club are invited to the Ootori private beach next weekend." Tamaki waited for a reaction, and Nanami urged him to continue.

"Would you come?" He didn't say: "Would you LIKE to come?" he said, "Would you come!" How romantic! But what does that mean? I thought I wasn't a customer! I feel...

"I'd like that." You're such a sucker for flattery.

"It's settled then!" Tamaki declared, letting the tension that had built up from a moment before sidle away as he got to his feet and waited for Nanami at the exit of the courtyard.

"You're accepting my invitation has given me great vigor, however, it is time I took you home." Nanami only nodded and followed.

When the limousine pulled up to Nanami's house, she found herself in the same blushing state she did as when her and Tamaki were on that bench. Before he opened to door for her, he captured her lips in another gesture of affection. Nanami smiled as she watched him leave. Little did she know, another pair of eyes watched the scene from within the house.