Chapter 3
Hikaru's POV:
My brother and I walked out into the hall to find a very excited Tamaki waiting for us. He was waving his arms in the air and practically hopping up and down in his place by the banister.
"Come on, you two! The rest are already downstairs!"
The blonde-haired idiot then proceeded to run down the steps leading to an area where the other hosts were waiting for us. They were all looking up at Kaoru and I, some energetic and smiling, some expressionless, and some with their faces hidden behind a black notebook.
"Hika-chan! Kau-chan! Come on! We're gonna go exploring!" an overly eager Hunny-sempai called up to us, skipping around his quiet cousin like a yippy little pup running around the base of a tree. "Don't you wanna go see the cafe and the garden and all the pretty flowers?!" As he gazed up at us he embraced Usa-chan even tighter in his arms.
"We're coming, we're coming," I called back down to him, taking my first step onto the staircase, my twin's hand still in my own. He squeezed his hand around mine and I looked up at him out of the corner of my eyes. There was that look again.
"Come on, Hikaru," he whispered to me as he matched my steps down the rest of the stairs. "It may not be Bali, but this vacation will certainly be one to remember."
I sighed and looked off into the distance at the wall across from us. It was painted a light beige and was the home of over a dozen beautiful paintings of flowers and ocean scenes. With the little intricate designs carved around the doorways and the giant windows, the pension, although a place for commoners to relax, seemed to summon the aura of a palace.
"Why's that? What could possibly make this better than any other vacation?"
I could feel my twin's eyes burning into my skull, but I just couldn't look back at him. I already knew his answer. Her face had been trapped in my mind for days.
"Because," he answered subtly with a gentle smile. "I just know." And he left it at that.
When we reached the base of the stairs, Hunny-sempai ran up to us and pulled our hands apart, grabbing onto each with his own little hands, Usa-chan now being carried by Mori-sempai. He began to drag us toward the cafe on the east side of the pension.
"Let's go to the cafe first!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe there will be some cakes there!"
As he pulled us along, Tamaki jogged ahead as he was equally eager to look around. Mori-sempai and Kyouya were following behind, Mori with his hands in his pockets and a cool expression on his face and Kyouya scribbling something in his notebook.
In less than a minute we were pushing through the wood-framed glass doors into a good-sized room, brightened with natural light as most of the walls' areas served as windows. Lacy pink curtains were pushed aside, framing each large pane of glass, and the windows were opened just enough to allow a constant fresh breeze to flow through the room. The hardwood floor was glossy and various little tables were scattered throughout the area, each covered in a white tablecloth with an embellished fringe. There was a counter far in the back where a couple of customers were standing and conversing with one another, but other than that no one else was around. It was a little too late for lunch, so they must have all been in their rooms or out taking a walk in the village.
"WOOOOW! Isn't it so CUTE, Tama-chan?!" Hunny-sempai squealed, twirling about with stars in his eyes.
"I agree completely! This is adorable! The perfect place for commoners-OH LOOK!" he said, pointing at a little chalkboard perched near the door. "Their specialties are creme-filled pastries and coffee! Do you think it's the same kind that Haruhi brings to the Host Club?!"
I rolled my eyes.
"Well, I highly doubt that they could even afford the type of high-quality coffee we drink at such a low-class place as this."
"Misuzu-chi did say that he was low on staff right now," came Kyouya's voice as he walked up beside Tamaki. "He probably can't afford anything fancy." He scanned the room before pushing his glasses a little further back onto his nose. "But it looks as though he's doing a fine job with what he has."
"WHY THANK YOU, KYOUYA!" gushed Misuzu-chi as he pranced out from around the corner as though on cue. "Yes, it's true, our budget here is a little tight at the moment, but in another month or so it'll be okay! That's usually when we get our biggest rush of customers!" He was waving his hands around giddily as he envisioned the success his business was sure to find soon.
"That's great, Misuzu-chi!" Tamaki expressed his mutual joy. "That's so exciting! And I just KNOW you'll do fantastic! This place is AMAZING! A real commoner's paradise!"
"Ohoh, thank you! You seem so enthused! So I'm sure you'll be enjoying your stay here for the week?!" the older man implied, clasping his hands together.
"Absolutely!" Tamaki replied immediately, throwing his arms up in the air in a gesture of acceptance and gratitude. "This resort is simply gorgeous!"
"Yeah!" Hunny-sempai came bouncing up beside Tamaki. "We're looking around now! It's all SO CUTE! And is it true?! Do you really specialize in pastries here?! DO YOU HAVE CAKE?!"
The boy looked like he was going to burst, and Misuzu-chi just laughed.
"Of course we do! You are certainly welcome to help yourselves!"
"YAAAAaaaaayyy!" Hunny-sempai's voice trailed off as he ran in the direction of the counter where a few different pastries were being displayed. Mori-sempai followed him, Usa-chan still in his arms.
"Thank you so much for letting us stay here, Misuzu-chi! It's a real honor!" Tamaki turned his head as a door in the back opened and another couple of customers walked in. He then turned back to Misuzu-chi. "Does that door lead to the garden?"
"Oh, yes! It's one of the most magnificent and refreshing gardens you will ever see!"
Tamaki looked eager. "Do you mind if we go tour it?!"
"Of course not! I insist!" Just then Misuzu-chi's face dulled down as he gazed around the room. It was as though he had found something wrong with the scene before him. His eyes wandered from Mori and Hunny-sempai in the corner, to Kyouya and Tamaki at his right side, to the customers walking in, and then over toward me and my brother. His eyebrows furrowed and he raised a hand to his chin.
"Where's Haruhi?"
"She said she had to go do some things and walked off somewhere," Kaoru and I recited in unison, shrugging our shoulders.
Misuzu-chi turned toward us with the faint glimmer of annoyance in his eyes.
"Is that so..."
He then walked off in the direction of a door near the counter and, without another word, passed through it. In just a couple of seconds we could hear the clashing of metal pans and an upset Misuzu-chi as he sang his thoughts out, loud enough to cause the customers to turn their head in the direction of the door.
"HARUHI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO SPEND THE DAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS?! NO! PUT DOWN THOSE DISHES RIGHT NOW!"
Another few pans could be heard banging together, but in the next second, Misuzu-chi flew through the door, pulling Haruhi with him.
"B-but Misuzu-chi! I have too many things to get done!"
"NO EXCUSES! I told you to go and have fun for the day! I'll do your chores for the day! Now go! You're off duty for the rest of the night! Go change out of those clothes! They're too formal! Then go and give your friends a tour of the garden!"
As she sighed and walked out of the room, the older man turned back toward us and began to giggle.
"Sorry about that!" he said, waving a hand in our direction. "She'll be back in just a moment to show you around! Have fun!" He then pranced back around the corner from which he had first emerged.
"That was scary," I whispered to my brother who nodded in agreement. Tamaki looked a little shocked to have seen such a different side of Misuzu-chi as well, but tried to shake it off by laughing.
"Hah, come on guys! Let's, uh, go find Haruhi!" He ushered us all out of the room, including the messy-faced Hunny-sempai who had been getting a little too acquainted with each of the pastries at the counter. He looked content, though.
"We can go back there later, right Takashi?" he asked, looking up at his cousin.
"Mm."
In satisfaction the boy grabbed Usa-chan out of his cousin's arms and began to twirl around again.
"So which room do you think is Haru-chan's?!"
"Hmm," Kyouya began as he looked at all of the doors lining the walls. "She did say she was on the opposite wall from us, somewhere where she could see the sunsets in the evenings..."
"That's just like my darling daughter!" Tamaki burst with twinkling eyes. "Enjoying the beautiful colors and serenity of the evening sky is just her style! Just like mine! Oh, we're just so much alike!"
"Right..." Kaoru and I said as the idiot began to drift off into his pervy mind's theater.
I sighed and closed my eyes.
Was this vacation really going to be that great. She hardly ever notices me. I mean, really notices me. There's never even been the slightest hint that she's ever had any feelings for me before. Why would that suddenly change now?
I heard a gasp and looked up at my brother's face which was in unmistakable shock. He was staring up toward the stairs as someone began to walk down them. When I turned my head to see who it was, my own jaw dropped as well.
Haruhi.
She wasn't wearing her apron, and her hair wasn't hidden under a bandana anymore. Instead, she was wearing a cute white tank top with lace for straps, an adorable purple skirt that reached just above her knees, and a pair of light brown sandals that had flowers carved into the sides of the small heels. Her hair was neat and she was wearing a cute headband that matched her shoes. But more beautiful than anything was the faint trace of a smile pulling at the corners of her perfect little mouth. She was trying to hide it, but it was just too obvious, and I couldn't look away from it.
She reached the bottom step and the world that had frozen as she made her way toward us had finally become animate once again. Tamaki was the first to recover.
"HARUHIIIIII!"
He leaped over to her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off of the ground and spinning her in circles. She looked unamused.
"Put me down, sempai!"
"But you're just SOOOOO ADORABLE, HARUHIIIII!"
"PUT ME DOWN!"
In an instant her feet were back on the ground and Tamaki was crouching in the corner of the room, a shadow hiding him. He had been scolded. I couldn't help but smirk at her power.
"HAHAHA! Good job, Haruhi! You managed to put him in a slump!" my brother and I chuckled as we approached her on either side. Through the laughter I couldn't help but continue to stare at her. She was cute. It was unbearable.
Kaoru looked at me and began to smirk himself once he had caught me staring at the girl. I noticed that look he was wearing again and instantly looked away. I could feel my face beginning to burn.
"Come on, Haruhi!" Kaoru said suddenly. "We want to see the garden! Let's go before milord returns to normal!"
"Might as well," Haruhi muttered as she began to walk toward the door with Kaoru latched onto her arm.
"HEY! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING MY HARUHI?!"
Tamaki immediately reverted back to his old self and chased after his 'darling daughter', opening the door for her and giving Kaoru an angry glare.
They began to go back and forth at one another while Mori, Kyouya, and Hunny-sempai followed after them toward the door. I continued to stand in my spot, still mesmerized by Haruhi's beauty.
Just then she turned back toward me.
"Come on, Hikaru."
She cast be a big smile and I just about melted.
"C-coming!" I shouted and ran after her, latching onto her other arm.
Maybe this would be a good vacation after all.
Author's Note:
Woo! This was fun to write! Hikaru is definitely my favorite host! He needs to be with Haruhi, NOW! lol I hope you're all liking this! Sorry I can't really post everyday or anything. I'm actually working on another story at the same time as this one, so I'm trying to write a chapter for each. Neverthesless, there is more to come!
-Blueberry Blossoms