Chapter 2
If Only
The 'annoying pranks' did not cease. However, the students who were behind them did become better at hiding the assaults from the twins. Though they did notice when some days Haruhi suddenly started 'forgetting her lunch'. And even though she was certainly never graceful, the girl fell a lot, but she seemed to be 'falling into puddles on the way to school' more now.
There was no way she could tell them that in fact her lunch was being stolen, or sometimes someone would just fill her bento box with mud. Or that when she went to her locker occasionally a stink bomb had been placed. Though sometimes they were a little more creative and when she entered the girls' bathroom a pail of dirty kitchen sink water fell on her.
All sorts of bugs and snakes had also been placed in her belongings, but considering these did not frighten her in the least they stopped appearing. She suspected that it was too much of a hassle for people to catch them and plant them when they were getting absolutely no reaction from her.
While she generally had little reactions to any of these offenses, she had developed a habit of cautiousness like checking her textbooks since she had found razors there multiple times now. And once even found thumbtacks lined up on her seat.
But none of this affected her studies, or even her popularity in the Host Club. As long as she wasn't falling behind in her classes, and she was still slowly, yet steadily, paying back her debt, she really didn't see the need to address the issue of the bullies.
It would be nice if she didn't have to be so cautious all the time, but she had learned that she needed to roll with things in life. You rarely got dealt the 'life is easy' card. So she had to keep going.
It sort of amazed her, but somehow she had managed to keep the incident with the razor in her book from Tamaki. And even better, from Mori and Honey. Tamaki was obnoxious with his theatrics, but Mori and Honey… they could be terrifying. She had seen both of the third years in action, and it was not something she ever wanted to be responsible for setting off.
It was on one of her rare good days that they ran late at the Host Club. During the day she had only had to handle catching a harmless garden snake in her bag and releasing him without anyone seeing. It was no problem. They had normal club activities and then Kyoya called for a 'quick' meeting afterward to discuss next month's plans.
Tamaki as usual came up with most of the themes. The Twins excitedly described the specific costumes for each idea he presented. Honey told them what foods would go with each theme. Unsurprisingly each one had cake in it. Mori occasionally agreed if asked a question. And Haruhi sat squished between the Hitachiins contributing nothing as usual, but agreeing that she would of course be there in time to help prepare beforehand.
By the time they finished it was dark outside. Each of the boys had their poor drivers still waiting for them in the student pickup area. After assuring the Twins and Tamaki that she didn't need a ride home she said goodbye and hurried off in the direction of her home.
The one time they had showed up had caused such a commotion in her neighborhood she would do anything to avoid it again. While the landlady had been convinced that they were not yakuza, some of the other neighbors were not so easily persuaded. Fearing that she and her father were in some sort of trouble they had been avoided for weeks. Which in honesty, she was just fine with. But her father said it was unacceptable to be a pariah in their own neighborhood, so they had made cookies and went from door to door to make up for their disturbance of the Ouran students.
"Out late Fujioka?"
Turning around Haruhi saw a couple of boys from the Kendo Club. She had seen these guys fawning over some of the girls in the Host Club, and looking thoroughly rejected as the girls ignored them in favor of the extravagant hosts.
Using her go-to she decided to just ignore them and keep going.
They have their shinai with them? That could only mean trouble… unless they were just held up late at the Kendo Club just like I was with the Host Club…
"Hey! We're talking to you commoner!"
One of them reached and shoved her against the nearest building. She felt a pang in her shoulder but ignored it considering she expected a lot worse was coming.
"You have a lot of nerve stealing all the girls for yourself. You're just a filthy plebe. You have no right to even be near our school, much less hosting in it."
"And you are the ones who are going to set me straight?" She glared at the small group.
There were only three of them. But she was no fighter. The possibility of outrunning them was there, but they were athletes, and she was practically the slowest runner in existence. So that was out.
She very likely could outsmart them… but what could she use?
"Are you deaf?!"
One of the shinai came slamming across her face, dropping her to the pavement. The sudden pain with the cold air caused her eyes to water. There was a kick to the ribs that forced a cry out of her.
"What? Are you crying already?"
"I guess being host means you can't handle any actual work?"
"No pain tolerance?"
The beatings with the bamboo swords slowly turned into one throbbing pain. She could still feel every slam against her body. At one point she was pretty sure she coughed up something. Whether it was blood or her lunch she wasn't sure.
It was so dark.
How could they see?
Had the street lamps gotten dimmer?
Was she just losing consciousness?
Or… was she going to die here? On this side street? Like the trash they thought she was?
If only she hadn't been so stubborn. It was easy to say that it wasn't a big deal. To pretend it wasn't really that bad. To not tell anyone.
If only she hadn't been so stubborn and took up the offers to get a ride home.
Or when Hikaru and Kaoru asked if she really was ok.
If only…
The stink of garbage is what she woke up to. The feeling of some unknown substance seeping through her clothes and drying on her skin. And pain.
So much pain.
Everything hurt so much.
When she tried to move she discovered that she couldn't. She was too weak. And quite possibly her arm was broken. Probably other bones were too. Looking around she realized she had been left in a dumpster.
How cliché was that?
At least she wasn't dead. This was too painful to be death.
The buildings were so tall that she was in a permanent shadow, but looking further down toward the street she saw that the sun was setting. Had she been here all day? Gross.
Using her stronger arm she tried to search for the cellphone that the twins had given her. But it seemed to be missing from her pocket. And her bag was nowhere to be found.
Great… now I'm going to have to buy new textbooks and a bag…
Her voice was too raspy as she tried to call for help. Even to her she sounded like a croaking frog.
She had survived their attacks, but was she just going to end up dying here anyway?
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