Jinx of the Sphinx
An Ouran High School Host Club Fanfiction
By: Kougetsu
Chapter 3: Jinxed
I stared sideways out the tall, pristinely polished window, face resting on palm with a bored expression somewhere near the back of the room. I could not beleive it for the life of me. I was sitting here, now, in class, in Ouran Academy. What's more, I was in one of the rooms marked A, the highest ranking, the group that was for the children of families with wealthy businesses who had a bright future and most heirs to the family fortune. The lowest rank was D, which was mostly kids who's parents were Yakuza gang lords or smaller, less reputable business owners. It was way beyond me. I wasn't smart; I wasn't beautiful; I certainly as he'll wasn't rich. I sighed for the... Fiftieth time? I don't know, I lost count long ago.
The teacher introduced himself and went on about how he would be our teacher all year - no, duh - and about schoolwork, expectations, and future projects. In other words, common sense and anything you could figure out with the most minuscule thoughts. I guess that didn't apply to rich people, they all had enough money they didn't actually need common sense to make it in the world. Damn rich people...
I didn't pay much attention to what he said, especially when he told us his name; I wouldn't remember it for at least a week anyways. Next was roll call. I mostly ignored the names and replies. I didn't care much for other people here anyways. I didn't care to know people in general. I was a loner, plain and simple. If anyone talked to me, I'd only answer what was necessary, enough to make them believe I wasn't completely ignoring them and upset them by blatantly ignoring them. Unfortunately, people seemed to like me more for it, but I really wasn't complaining.
I didn't mind a little attention, I just didn't want to interact more than I had to or talk very much. Keep it short, keep it simple, keep interaction to a minimum, and get close to no one. These were my four life rules and I followed them dutifully.
"Haruhi Fujioka?" That caught my attention. I looked over quickly as the brown haired boy responded, sitting somewhere between the front and the center of the room. I'd forgotten about him. Last I saw him was last year in spring. Well... About half a year to be exact.
"Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin?" I heard a unified 'hai' in response, instantly recognizing their voices before I spotted them, each sitting on a separate side beside Haruhi. So they were twins. I wondered which of the two was which. Maybe the one on the left was...
"Kuroikoinu Hayashi?"
"Hai..." I responded dully, earning a few curious stares. I inwardly groaned, sinking into my seat and sending out a few repelling glares. It worked, kind of.
The teacher went on with role before letting students mingle. I heard someone, a girl, whisper to her friend about me, something about how 'cute' me and my lonely look was. I groaned to myself again and smacked my head against my desk once, not bothering to raise it again.
Someone just kill me...
"Hey there." I inwardly groaned for the billionth time before I realized who was talking to me. Next thing I knew, I dully lifted my head to see Haruhi Fujioka smiling at me. Actually, beaming was more like it. God, how could someone be so damn, flat out happy? It was about as foreign to me as sprouting wings and flying like a high-speed supersonic jet. I had to admit though, it was kinda cute.
"Oh, hi Fujioka." I greeted sullenly. I silently chided myself for lack of effort. Normally I didn't care, but there were those few exceptional people I couldn't stand to upset without regretting it. I was too soft...
Haruhi's expression changed and already felt bad.
"You okay? You seem pretty sad." Haruhi asked with genuine concern, a very slight tilt of his head that I doubted he knew he did. God he was cute like that. It's not that I had a crush on Haruhi or anything, it was just adorable.
"Yeah, just tired." I lied, cracking a smile. I hoped it didn't look as forced as it was. He didn't look convinced, but didn't push it.
"You got in on the honor student program, right?" He asked, brightening. I inwardly flinched. And it begins... I wasn't so much as worried about Haruhi making a big deal of it. He seemed too nice. It was all the other rich snobs at this school that I was worried about.
"Um...yeah." I deadpanned.
"That's great!" I struggled to keep a straight face. I figured Haruhi would be accepting of that, but I didn't think Haruhi would actually seem optimistic about it. "I got in on the Honor Student Program too!"
Now it made sense. Haruhi wasn't stuck up or snobby like the other students. He was obviously different, in a good way. It made me feel better not to be the only Honor Student, not that I deserved it.
"Oh, that's great." I said, trying to sound like I cared more than I did. It wasn't that I didn't care entirely, it just wasn't particularly interested.
"So what school are you from?" Haruhi ventured.
"Home school." I answered quickly. He didn't seem to be expecting it, but just took it in stride. I liked that.
"So..." I heard one of the twins voices and cringed inwardly. Talking to Haruhi was easy enough to talk to, but the twins were probably a different story altogether.
"...that means you got into Ouran Academy the same way as Haruhi." The other twin finished. Since they used Haruhi's first name, I assumed they were close, probably friends. Either that or it was some kind of casual rich person thing.
"That's right..." I said carefully. I didn't like the mischeivous air the two had about them...
...okay so I liked it, I just didn't like how it was directed towards me. I wondered if they were up to something.
"You two are twins?" I asked. Normally I avoided talking, especially asking questions, but I had to be sure.
"Yep. One of us is Kaoru..." One began.
"...And the other is Hikaru." The other continued.
"Can you tell which one of us is which?" They both asked in unison, grinning widely. I stared at them a moment, figuring this was a game they always played since they were twins. Identical twins. Of course, I didn't really think about it. I didn't care enough to think about it.
"Hikaru and...Kaoru?" I guessed, pointing to each in turn. They both beamed widely.
"Uh-oh, you got it wrong!" They both chimed. I wondered if I really guessed wrong or if this was another part of their game. Then I decided I didn't care.
"Oh well." I shrugged indifferently. They seemed genuinely put off, though why was beyond me. I just seemed to bring out the worst in people. It was like a subconcious pet peeve of mine. Still, I wondered why my lack of caring actually got to them.
"It's unusual for commoners to get into Ouran Academy. Haruhi was the first." One of them said snidely.
"And that makes you the second." The other finished. I noticed the two had a slight difference in voice before fully absorbing the 'commoners' comment.
Damn these rich kids...
"Really..." I responded blandly. Why was I not surprised? Not that I needed to ask.
"You must like that commoners coffee, too." One of them said.
"Hate coffee." I deadpanned, not even bothering to say 'I'. "And Tea." I added when it seemed like they were about to say something else. That just seemed to upset them. First class on my first day and I was already making enemies. Lovely.
The conversation continued like that a while, meaning about three minutes, until the twins were fed up with my reactions and stalked off to find something else to do, also known as finding another victim to patronize. I noticed Haruhi watching them quizically to the right of me.
"Wow, I don't think I've seen them like that before." He thought aloud.
"Hm?" I grunted distractedly, more confused than he was.
"They usually don't act like that. I guess they got frustrated." I nodded in understanding. I suppose they didn't get frustrated easily or very often. Of course, maybe that meant I'd be left alone now.
"Sorry if I ruined their fun." I said insincerely. I really needed to work on my acting and social skills.
"If I know them, they won't be bothered by it much longer." Haruhi chuckled with a smile. It wasn't long before we switched classes. I didn't have any other classes with Haruhi or the Hitachiin brothers and didn't see them at lunch. I could do without the twins, but classes weren't as upbeat or carefree without Haruhi around. He was like sunshine itse...
Wait, where were those thoughts coming from?
I sighed again, burying my face in my arms before the bell rang and everyone left for home in a chorus of jumbled chatter. I didn't want to go home. Father was no doubt going to be in a bad mood again tonight. Strangely enough, no one bothered me about the black hooded sweater or chain pants I'd worn all day. I couldn't stand the girls uniform.
I sluggishly picked up my bag and slunk out of the room. Most everyone had exited their classrooms and had gone home or mingled in groups. I would just find a quiet place to study all by myself...
I wandered around the courtyard a few minutes before deciding on a spot in the shade of a tree. I didn't actually had any homework or anything to study, I just didn't want to go home. I pulled a sketchbook from my messenger-style bookbag, flipping through it. It was filled with a large assortment of pictures. Everyone else was ecstatic about them, I thought they sucked. I lost track of time sketching, enjoying the gentle gurgle of the school's decorative stone water fountain and the rhythmic singing of small songbirds. It was a familiar voice that brought me back to reality.
"Jinx?" I looked up to see Haruhi with a bag over one shoulder and the twins hovering just behind him. Haruhi noticed the sketchbook and my current project right away.
"Did you draw that?" Haruhi asked. I looked blankly at the picture I'd drawn.
"Yeah, it's not much." I replied, non-challant. I held it out. "You can look if you want." I offered. He looked at it in awe after taking it.
"I think it's really good." Haruhi commented positively. Hikaru and Kaoru each leaned over his shoulder to get a look, curiousity obviously killing them.
"Wow, that's a good picture." One of them commented.
"Who knew commoners could draw so well?" The other said. I really wanted to punch him right now. I wanted to punch him hard. Damn these rich people and their undermining comments about everyday common people! Somehow I guessed Haruhi had similar thoughts by his current facial expression. Haruhi handed the sketchbook back to me.
"I wish I could draw like that." Haruhi said with a smile, adding to his compliment. I was surprised the twins didn't add to their insult...yet.
"It's not that hard." I shrugged. Okay, so I lied. I didn't think all my pictures sucked, but I wanted them to be better, and I liked hearing people reassure me I was good at drawing. That way I knew it wasn't all in my head and I wasn't just a pompous stuck-up ass.
"Big deal. I could probably do that if I really tried." The same twin who'd made the commoners insult boasted, hands on his head as he lifted his nose indignantly. Haruhi must've caught my developing glare because he turned sharply towards him and said, "Stop it, Hikaru. You're acting like a jerk." Surprisingly, he listened.
"It's alright." I said, shrugging. Just to return the favor, I added, "I suppose he can't help it if he gets jealous." I toyed. Yes, that's right. Sullen, depressed me could toy with people for personal amusement too.
"Jealous?!" Hikaru blurted, jerking sharply towards me. Apparently Kaoru found it funny too, since he was trying to stifle a chuckle behind one hand. I assumed it was so he wouldn't offend Hikaru. If Haruhi thought it was funny, he hid it quite well.
"Well, we were just about to walk home together." He said, motioning to the Hitachiin brothers. "You wanna walk with us?" He offered.
"What time is it?" I ventured, not possesing a watch or cellphone of my own to check.
"It's about four-thirty." I felt like my stomach did a flip. That late? I was definately not going to make it home on time now. I sighed to myself, flipping my sketchbook closed and slipping it into my bookbag.
"Sure." I said solemnly, shrugging. Haruhi had that look like he knew something was bugging me. Was it that obvious? I suppose not since the twins took absolutely no notice. Haruhi led the way first, followed by the twins. Wait, rich people walked home...?
"So, where do you live, Jinx?" Haruhi asked cheerily.
"Just on the outskirts of town, near the bay." I answered absently, motioning with one hand. Haruhi's smile melted into a concerned frown.
"Is something wrong?"
"Just tired, like I said." I said evasively. Again, he didn't look convinced.
"You know, if somethings bothering you, you can always talk about it." Haruhi added.
"I'm fine." I added a little more forcibly then I'd meant to. Haruhi's frown deepened, but he seemed to take the hint. I noticed Hikaru and Kaoru exchange a quizical look out of the corner of my eye. Kaoru seemed to have a better grasp on what was happening; Hikaru was completely oblivious. How I knew which was which right now, I had no clue. I mostly stood back, listening to the other three converse. I usually just listened to other people anyways. I caught a few backwards glances from them, but didn't care much, so I disregarded it.
I noticed Haruhi head up the stairs to a well-kept second story apartment, waving goodbye as she went.
"Bye, guys!" She called. Both twins waved back enthusiastically.
"Bye, Haruhi!!" They chimed. I flipped my hand up in a pathetic attempt to wave goodbye. As soon as Haruhi vanished inside her apartment, I abruptly turned to leave. I really, really didn't want to be left alone with the Hitachiin brothers. Sadly, I wasn't fast enough.
"Where are you going?" Hikaru probed, loping alongside me.
"Home." I answered abruptly.
"Can we walk with you?" It was Kaoru this time.
"No."
"But how come?" Kaoru seemed genuinely interested, but our feelings weren't mutual.
"It's a long walk." That part was true. Hikaru flipped his cellphone open, smiling coyly.
"It's okay, we can call a car to pick us up afterwards." He said almost devilishly. Obviously he was up to something. "Besides, we want to see where you live." Ah, that was it.
"My dad won't let you come over." I stated. That was true.
"Why's that?" Kaoru asked.
"Doesn't let me bring people over." That was true.
"How come?" Hikaru asked.
"Overprotective." That was a lie. My father wasn't overprotective. He wasn't even protective. He was just controlling.
"We can change that." Hikaru boasted, still insistent. He was about to say something else, but I cut him off.
"I don't want to walk with you guys. I don't like you."
Both twins stopped in their tracks, but I kept walking. I didn't need to stop, didn't need to look, didn't need to hear it, to know I'd hurt their feelings. That one gesture was enough to tell me. I didn't like to hurt people like that, but I knew that if I got close, in the end all three of us would end up hurt. I didn't want to hurt them, and I was tired of being hurt. It was my bad luck.
I couldn't tell how upset they were, but I knew I had to get away. If I saw their faces and saw both watching me, upset by what I had said, I wouldn't be able to bear it. It would be too much for me. It was my curse to be alone. I was jinxed.
Hikaru POV
"I don't wanna walk with you guys. I don't like you."
I stopped abruptly, Kaoru mimicking my actions as I looked at Jinx in shock and disapointment. Of course she never stopped or said anything. She just kept walking till I was only left with my twin. It hurt hearing that. I didn't know why it affected me so badly.
Maybe it was because for most of our lives, we'd made our own world that consisted of just us, away from everyone else. Maybe it was because, for a long time, the two of us were completely alone besides each other. It wasn't like we'd lived a hard life or been orphans or anything. We just pushed everyone away so we wouldn't get hurt. Now our world was larger, because of Tamaki, and then Haruhi. Maybe it was because our world had grown larger thanks to having all our friends beside us, and we'd been able to open up and let other people in. We tried to talk to others and make them our friends. It was true that part of why we were interested in Jinx was because she wasn't another rich person. It meant her world was different then most other people at school, and that interested us.
Of course, I'd tried to befriend her, or at least try. I was convinced that whether she liked me or not, it wouldn't matter, but it did. It hurt. Just when I thought that my new, larger world was safe and I could let people in, she made it hurt again. I noticed Kaoru seemed upset by it too. He probably had the same thoughts, but seemed a little less hurt than I was.
"That didn't go well..." He said quietly before looking at me. "Hey Hikaru, will you be alright?"
I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It was a stupid idea." I growled sullenly, turning for home, Kaoru trailing after me with a worried, caring expression. I was so frustrated right now. Before she'd said that I finally felt safe talking to people and opening up. Now I just felt like I wanted to shut everything out again, but I didn't want to go back to that. It was hard and lonely. I thought now everything would be great and everyone would be kind. I guess I was wrong.