This will be it for a while. I'm going on a sort-of holiday. I probably won't leave the hotel room much, though. So, I will keep writing this story in my notebook and type it in when I get back. Which will be in 6-days time. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. Need I mention, I do not profit from this?

Chapter 3

Roses are red

Kageno Sayuri's father held a great position in the world of business where the big people crush the little people or, at times, use other big people as stepping stones to become even bigger. Pampered as a spoiled princess could be, Sayuri had always admired and respected her father with a keen only a child could have. She glanced casually at the ruckus near the entrance while fixed on the motto her father had passed down to her: "I am No. 1 over anybody." But right now, her father was the cruellest most unfair person in the whole world. Is it fair that he took away her bodyguards and personal maid just because her grades went down? Sayuri pouted. She took an interest in the heated discussion.

"We didn't even want to come in," Riko stated as she firmly held her ground against the broad man that blocked the entrance, her exit.

"You eat, you pay," the man retorted simply.

"Erm, since we only had one cup of coffee.." Akira cringed as she felt Riko's glare. "I mean, I drank a cup of coffee, I will just pay for that. How much is it?"

"700 yen."

"OK, I'll just get tha-" She felt a chill and squirm in her stomach as she realised. She had not a single penny on her, let alone a yen. "Excuse me, did you just say yen?"

"700 yen. Hand it over." The man thrust a large palm in front of her so forcefully that Akira could feel the wind whip across her face.

"Kira-chan, yen is Japanese money, isn't it?" Yaya asked. Her friend nodded. Yaya's face lit up like a bulb, "That means we're in Japan! I've always wanted to go to Japan! Sticky rice, raw fish, hot ramen!"

Sayuri giggled behind her hand, "What an interesting little girl." She watched as a dark haired person, whose gender she could not confirm, swatted the girl in the head.

"This is not the time to be jumping around giddy," Riko said.

"But-but, we're in Japan! This is where your dad came from! And the country where my parents met and fell in love!" Yaya gushed as a glittery aura filled her body. She twirled, jumped, and landed in front of Akira. "Kira-chan, your dad owns a huge skyscraper building here, right?"

"Well, yes. But I've never seen it," the girl replied somewhat hesitantly.

"Let's go find it! Let's go, let's go!"

"Are you ignoring me?" the man shouted. Yaya squealed and jumped behind Riko. "Are you screwing with me? You think you can get away with disrespecting your elders?"

"Since when did they disrespect you, old man?"

Riko's eyebrow irked and it took all she had to not snap back at the voice, though it was telling the truth. She opened her mouth to protest but a different voice sounded instead.

"I'll pay for that," Sayuri smiled. She turned to a woman who stood behind her, "Can you handle this for me? I am in a hurry."

The girl glided past the man who had made way reluctantly. He turned to the girls once more. "You're off this time," he grunted and disappeared in the grandeur of the restaurant.

Akira heaved a long sigh of relief.

"Kira-chan, don't!" Yaya cried. "Don't you know? Everytime you sigh, a bit of your fortune gets taken away and is replaced with bad luck!"

"Where did you hear that from, you gullible fool?" Riko leered at her friend.

"Your sister told me."

"You should know her well enough to know that you can't trust her. Hey, Akira, where are you going?"

Akira was running out of the doors. She turned her head slightly and called out, "To thank that girl, of course."

"Ah, wait! I want to thank her too," Yaya cried and followed.

Riko, having been taught the principles in life – gratefulness being one of them – also went in pursuit of the kind stranger. They found her battling with a parasol while dodging the crowd. Akira was the first to approach.

"You really helped us out earlier. Thank you," she smiled gratefully.

"Yeah, you're like, an angel! You don't even know us!" Yaya gushed perhaps over-enthusiastically.

"Eh? Not at all," Sayuri said. It's just that, she thought, I benefit from helping you.

"How can we thank you?" asked Riko.

"Hmm… Figure this thing out. I can't imagine how Ruri managed this parasol," Sayuri sighed as she handed Akira the golden yellow parasol. Akira opened it with a swish effortlessly. "How did you do that?"

"What is she? Some kind of rich girl who has never handled a parasol on her own before?" Riko nodded in agreement to the voice.

"Here, your umbrella." Akira handed Sayuri the umbrella but the girl did not accept it.

"Keep me in the shade until I get to school," Sayuri ordered somewhat haughtily. "And here, hold my bag."

Yaya caught the bag in surprise. "Erm.. OK."

Riko raised an eyebrow as she found herself the attention of the rich girl.

"You would be really cute if you got a haircut!" she smiled.

Unsure of how to answer, Riko did what she did best. She stayed silent. They walked in that manner for a few minutes until Riko, sensing a presence behind them, halted. "Someone is following us."

She glared behind her. There were two large men in black suits and sunglasses who were so obviously, and unsuccessfully, trying to hide behind a lamp pole. Being so formally dressed, they stood out like sore thumbs.

Sayuri turned to see. Her hair flicked with the force. "Ah, don't worry about them. I knew father would send someone to look after me." She continued walking but the others did not. "I'm being attacked by UV-rays here! Parasol girl!"

"P-parasol girl? She must be talking to me…" mumbled Akira. She hurried over to Sayuri's side. "My name is Akira. What is yours?"

"Kageno Sayuri. And don't forget it! One day, I will be the greatest, richest, most elegant lady in all the world!" she gushed.

Yaya smiled at Sayuri. But her smile was different. A smile is a way of expressing happiness. Yaya's smile expressed a dark, eerie aura that did not match her cute face. "You can try, but no one will ever be as great as Riko-chan and Kira-chan!" She hugged her friends so tightly Riko had to throw Yaya onto the floor just to breathe.

"How many times have I told you not to do that," Riko said. It was a statement not an enquiry.

Sayuri took a step backwards. What is this strange friendship, she thought as she watched Yaya jump back up as if the girl had never fallen in the first place.

"Riko-chan!" Yaya's eerie aura disappeared as soon as it had appeared that Sayuri wondered whether she had seen right in the first place.

Whatever, she thought. They arrived at the gates of Ouran High School. Sayuri smirked as she heard the gasps behind her.

"Is this really a school?" Akira asked. "It must cost a fortune to get enrolled here. That means, Kageno-san, you're rich!"

"Of course," Sayuri laughed. "Ah, Mori-sama!"

"Kageno-san, your umbrella!"

"And your bag!"

"What is with her? Suddenly running off like that."

Riko shrugged. It scared her to think that she and the voice were almost like twins since they were both so alike and she couldn't help but agree to all the mysterious voice's comments. Yaya squealed as Sayuri's bag was ripped out of her hands forcefully. Riko threw it.

"That girl is so far away now, there is no way it would reach her," Yaya muttered. But she was proved wrong when a voice she was sure belonged to Kageno Sayuri rang out.

"Ow! Who threw my bag at me?!"

"I forgot that Riko-chan isn't human.."

Riko smirked, "She shoots, she scores." Her smug grin was wiped off when the gate clanged shut all of a sudden.

"Whoa! No warning?" Akira muttered. "This gate is ridiculously large. Riko, look how thick this metal is! Hey! Is this real gold plating?"

Riko scowled. "What do I care. Where the heck are we anyway?"

The voice giggled and Riko felt a shiver run down her spine. "What is it? Do you know something?"

"Do I know what?" Akira asked, confused.

"You're in Japan, but I won't say anymore. Hehe…"

"Damn, what's up with you?" In her frustration, Riko punched a lamp pole, rendering it bent and crooked.

"I could ask you the same question.." mumbled Akira.

Riko stomped circles in front of the school gates. Akira watched until her friend finally stopped.

"Yaya. Where is that idiot?"

After four intervals of eye-popping, jaw-dropping silence, Riko and Akira burst into the school through the small pedestrian gate. Only to be harshly kicked back out because they were neither students nor authorised personnel. Akira stood up and rubbed her sore backside. Riko let out a string of curses which burned the otaku's ears.

"I will not give up! We have to get in there. I'll show those guards how incredible Hanami Riko is!" Riko declared while flexing her arms.

"Riko, please do not change targets. We have to find Yaya, remember."

"Right. And I will show those guards along the way. Killing two birds with one stone."

Akira knew her friend well enough to know that Riko's pride was not to be tarnished. She shrugged. "So, what's your plan?" They huddled and Riko whispered into Akira's ears while making sure that she was nodding and contributing ideas from time to time. Five minutes passed.

Plan A.

Each girl had taken one side of the incredibly large gate, pressed against the wall as casually as possible. A black Rolls Royce drove sleekly towards the school entrance. It stopped while the guards checked for authorisation. When the gates clanged open and the Rolls Royce drove into the school, the girls were no longer by the entrance.

"Riko, isn't this dangerous?" Akira whispered. She clung as hard as she could onto the underside of the Rolls Royce. "What if something happens?"

"It'll be fine."

"Riko, they have dogs!" Akira cried alarmingly.

"The guards will never know we're here," Riko said.

"But the dogs know!"

Plan A: FAILED

"We shouldn't let that bother us. Let's try again!" Riko yelled into the air and blew repeated punches at an invisible opponent.

"OK," Akira answered weakly.

Plan B.

By destiny compell'd, and in despair,

The Greeks grew weary of the tedious war,

And by Minerva's aid a fabric rear'd,

Which like a steed of monstrous height appear'd:

The sides were plank'd with pine; they feign'd it made

For their return, and this the vow they paid.

Thus they pretend, but in the hollow side

Selected numbers of their soldiers hide:

With inward arms the dire machine they load,

And iron bowels stuff the dark abode.

- Virgil Aeneid, Book 2 (translation by John Dryden)-

A large cardboard box addressed to no one, sat in front of the gates as if waiting to be claimed. The guards paced circles around it in their confusion.

"Riko, this Trojan Horse idea is not working well with me," Akira complained.

"Why not? It's the perfect plan to throw them off guard," Riko frowned.

"It's just that," Akira gasped between shallow breaths. "It's hard to breathe in here. And it's so cramped."

"Quit whining. You're starting to sound like Yaya."

"I wondered if you remember her. You know, our friend, our missing friend," Akira nudged Riko's side tactfully with her elbow.

"What was that for?" asked Riko.

"It's because you're getting so worked up about beating the guards that you've forgotten our true purpose," Akira cried.

"I told you, it was killing two birds with one stone!" shouted Riko.

Plan B: FAILED

"What is with you, Akira? Why do you keep blowing things up?" asked Riko.

"Hey, the dogs were not my fault," Akira defended herself.

"You ruined every one of my plans," Riko retorted.

"I don't think I'm the one to blame."

"Are you challenging my ability?" Riko's voice wavered as she asked.

Akira turned away and stayed silent. That only added fuel to the fire. Oh, and if it wasn't obvious earlier, when Riko is truly fired up, she changes into a feisty person.

"Don't ignore me!"

Akira bit her lip. A sudden impact hit her head and when she looked up, Riko was flying over the gates. She landed into the bushes. "Riko! You used me as a springboard! That hurt!"

Akira leapt high enough to catch hold of a nearby branch. After swinging two arcs for momentum, she threw herself over the gates and landed right in front of Riko. She turned to smile smugly, and was about to throw a remark, but someone else sounded from the bushes.

"I saw that!"

"Who said that?" asked Akira. She turned left and right and up and down but could not find its source.

A brown head emerged from the bushes. The face was lit up by a bright smile. "I saw that jump, it was amazing."

Akira felt her arms being dragged. "Let's go before this idiot drools over us, Akira. We need to find Yaya, right?"

"You remember her! You weren't just all fired up to beat the guards. You can be such a sore loser sometimes."

"Don't push it." Akira felt the hold on her arm tighten.

"Ow. Ow. OK, I'm sorry," she smiled.

The person earlier was the president of the gymnastics club. She was chasing them along with other people in leotards. They cried, what were their names, what year were they in, and would they join the club?

Impossible, of course, since Riko and Akira did not even attend the school.

"Damn, will they ever stop?" Riko muttered. She spotted an open window, an escape. "Akira, hold tight."

She crouched, then thrust herself into the window.

"Wha-? Couldn't you have warned me?" Akira cried while upside-down in mid-air.

"I said, hold tight," Riko retorted.

A scream and 'THUD' later, Riko and Akira found themselves in the presence of six Ouran students that seemed to glow and sparkle. Rose petals flew.