Oddity Chapter 3
With the knowledge that they wouldn't have to brave their new school alone, their minds had less on them, and before the two girls knew it, summer was over and the new school year was ready to start. Actually, on the first day of school, one of the smaller children living at the apartment complex stuck his gum in Haruhi's pretty brown hair, so Haruhi decided to chop all of it off. "Because shorter hair is easier to manage anyway." And since one of her contacts had been crushed, she was forced to wear her large, geeky glasses as well.
Ayatsuri snorted with laughter as Haruhi came out of her apartment.
"You look like some sort of Harry Potter wannabe Ru-chan." and with her jagged, self-given haircut, her thick-framed glasses, shapeless old sweater, and loose-fitting slacks, she kind of did.
Haruhi ignored the comment on her appearance, but gave a small frown as she looked over her friend. "Why aren't you wearing the uniform?" she asked bluntly. Seeing the outfit her companion was wearing, an unbuttoned black jacket that went down to her knees, some baggy black jeans, a black dress shirt with a couple buttons undone, a loose maroon tie, a black cap that covered all her hair, and black chucks. It was a far cry from the puffy, mustard colored dress that the school expected the female students to wear.
Ayatsuri snorted again, this time with derision. "You actually expected me to wear that monstrosity?" she asked disdainfully as she fixed some reddish-black sunglasses over her contact covered eyes. "Besides, now you won't be the only one not wearing the uniform."
Haruhi shrugged, not really caring, and they walked down the stairs to the parking lot, where Ayatsuri's car was. Ah, the joys of carpooling. Climbing into the black and burgundy 1966 Tempest, Ayatsuri lovingly ran her hands over the steering wheel of the old car, before roaring out of the parking lot.
About ten minutes later, they were parked in the Ouran High School Parking lot, and getting out of the car. Haruhi's legs were a bit jelly like for a moment or two, before she shook it off, being used to her friend's driving by then. Ayatsuri on the other hand was grinning cheerily as she grabbed her shoulder bag from in between the front seats.
When they looked at the school buildings, however, Haruhi's jaw dropped a little and Ayatsuri let out a long, low whistle.
"Dang, this place looks like some sort of Barbie mansion with all that pink crap." Ayatsuri said frankly. Haruhi beside her nodded dumbly.
"How are we ever supposed to find our classes?" she asked dubiously.
"Well, I know how to get to mine. This school looks so much smaller on a screen… Maybe they have a map?" Ayatsuri said skeptically.
They stared at the enormous school for a few more moments, before Ayatsuri decided to switch moods.
"Well, let's get going Ru-chan. We need to find the main desk and see if they have a map, or a least directions, because I forgot to look up the routes to your classes over the summer; even if I know the way to my class, I won't leave you to fend for your little heckling-target freshman self on your first day." She said all too cheerfully.
"That's very encouraging." Haruhi said sarcastically as she was dragged towards the school. Soon, they were wandering the opulent halls with no idea where they were going; the small amount of people they passed rushing off to spread rumors about the people not dressed in the uniform.
Finally, one of them seemed considerate enough to tell them where to go, or it seemed so until the girl opened her mouth.
"What are commoners doing here? You don't belong here, so go away." She said in a holier-than-thou tone that went straight through her nose. Haruhi stared at her blankly, while Ayatsuri raised a half-irritated half-amused eyebrow behind her sunglasses.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Ayatsuri asked in her silky smooth voice, it made you think that she would verbally attack you the moment you let your guard down. The girl stiffened a moment before tossing her hair snootily.
"It means without a pedigree or money, you're worthless here." She sniffed haughtily not noticing the small group of people that had gathered to eavesdrop on their confrontation.
"Oh. I didn't know that riding on the coattails of your parents with no accomplishments of your own was worth so much in any society! Now, my friend Haruhi here is neither rich, nor born to some family of the upper crust of society, but got here on intelligence, which is more than you can say sadly. I myself am from a rather wealthy family actually, but because I am not dressed in the overly expensive uniform, you automatically assumed that I was a 'commoner' as you so thoughtlessly put it. You might want to work on your lacking observation skills, princess." She added the last part 'kindly' and not sarcastically at all, oh no.
Ayatsuri looked around at the astonished students around them and gave a small smirk. "Now I'm sorry, but we never introduced ourselves. This is Fujioka Haruhi, and I am Usakichi Ayatsuri." She morphed her smirk into a fake, but polite smile at the horrified expression on the girl's face. The general public did not know it, but the people in higher circles knew that the Usakichi family, while being candy producers, was also very influential in the political arena, though most were too nice to do anything vindictive. "I am sorry to cut this pleasant meeting short, but my friend and I must be getting to class, as being late would not be prudent."
Haruhi, who had been quietly amused and a little exasperated at the conversation thus far, bowed with her friend, and they went on their way, leaving stunned students in their wake.
Soon, they wandered across Haruhi's classroom, where they parted and Ayatsuri followed her previously planned out route to her own class from a map that she had found after a bit of hacking on the Internet. Opening the door and walking into her class, she looked around and saw that there were only about five people there so far. There were two gossiping, giggling girls, a black-cloaked guy in the corner farthest from the windows with a cat puppet on his left hand that had something to do with the Black Magic Club, and a dramatic looking blonde who was nattering to a black haired guy wearing glasses, who she remembered were also in some sort of club.
Not stopping to examine them more, she sat in the corner opposite the cloaked guy and looked out the window, ignoring everyone until class started. The teacher stood up and took roll call, before call her name last.
"… And we have a new student, Usakichi Ayatsuri." The teacher looked up and Ayatsuri raised her hand half-heartedly before lowering it again. "Now since it's the first day back from summer vacation, I'm giving you all a free period as long as you read the first section of your text by tomorrow." There were a few cheers as the teacher left the room, and soon everyone was in a conversation with someone else, besides the cloaked guy, whose name was apparently Nekozawa and Ayatsuri herself.
She gave a small smirk to herself. She had a vague idea why no one was approaching her. There were probably so many rumors circulating about her earlier confrontation with that snob that they most likely wouldn't talk to her for a couple of days. Not that she was complaining; she didn't really have the inclination to associate much with the rich and spoiled. So, while they curiously stared at her from a distance, she brought her black notebook out of her bag and started to doodle.
The rest of the school day passed in much the same manner; No one talking to her, and her talking to no one, except for the lunch break where she found Haruhi's classroom once again and they ate their bentos together. All in all, she was glad that it was almost time to go home.
As soon as the bell rang, she snatched up her bag and dashed out the door, swerving around the people just getting up. As she ran out the door, she heard the teacher remind them to finish their assignment. Smirking happily, Ayatsuri gracefully weaved her way through the stampede of students getting out of their classes, on her way towards Haruhi's classroom.
Soon, she had arrived, and found her friend waiting outside the door for her, reading one of the many thick textbooks they had gotten for their lessons.
"Hello Kouhai-chan! (1)" she greeted in a teasing tone, "You ready to go home now?
The shorter brunette shook her head, making her shaggy mop of hair sway, and put away her textbook inside her book bag. "No Tsu-chan. I'd really like to find somewhere quiet to study when I can."
Ayatsuri smirked at her friend, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Oh Ru-chan that's so cute! Your so responsible with your studies, aren't you?" she cooed mockingly, but still walked with her towards the nearest library in the veritable castle of a school. "Still, I can understand how it might be hard to study at your home with your father's over-exuberant affections." She finished somewhat thoughtfully, snickering at the long-suffering look on Haruhi's face.
But after traipsing around the school for about half-an-hour, checking all the different spots they could find, they had yet to locate a suitable place to study. All of the libraries were full of rich kids in their pastel uniforms, chattering inanely and most of all, loudly.
"Four libraries, and not one of them quiet!" Haruhi complained as a few drops of sweat beaded on her temples from all the walking. "Rich bastards!"
Ayatsuri, who had taken her skates out of her bag and was rolling placidly next to her younger friend, was still fresh as a daisy. "Oh Ru-chan, I didn't think you cursed!" she said mockingly as she revolved around her friend on her skates. As Haruhi's eyebrow twitched dangerously, Ayatsuri smiled serenely at her, gnawing on a stick of hard candy she had pulled out of her bag.
"Why don't we try that room?" Ayatsuri asked, pointing to a door labeled 'Third Music Room.' The redhead had a nagging thought in the back of her head telling her not to go in, but she ignored it with the reasoning that if they didn't find a quiet place to study soon, her brunette underclassman would blow up at her. 'Besides, even if there is something bad in there, Haruhi's going in first.' She thought with a small smirk as said girl stepped up to the door and walked in cautiously, Ayatsuri peeking over her head.
As soon as the door opened, a haze of cherry blossom petals blinded them, and they heard several different voices saying, "Welcome."
"Dude, what the he-!" a flower petal flew into Ayatsuri's mouth mid-curse, causing her to spit and cough harshly for a moment or two, before she noticed petals plastered to the saliva coated parts of her candy. With her lips tightly pressed together, she meticulously plucked the flower bits off of her treat, sticking it back in her mouth, and examining the situation that they had stumbled upon.
In front of the two boyish looking girls were six guys posing, all with smiles of varying sizes on their faces; Six very beautiful guys, not that they really cared. Ayatsuri noticed that two of them were the dramatic blond and the glasses guy from her class. 'This must be that club then.' She concluded. 'What was it called again? The… Host Club?' she pondered, looking over the other guys. As she was lost in her musings, Haruhi was backed against the wall in surprise and sweating up a storm.
They heard two voices say at the same time, "Oh. It's a couple of guys." Ayatsuri looked over to see a couple of twins shrugging in boredom.
"Even if they are guys, they're important customers!" the blond from Ayatsuri's class scolded them lightly, before standing up fro the chair he had been sitting in. "Welcome rare scholarship student Fujioka Haruhi-kun!" the loud blond, 'Suoh Tamaki.' her brain reminded her, declared as he reached to help Haruhi up from the wall with a smile. He didn't seem to have noticed Ayatsuri hovering behind her smaller brunette friend.
Haruhi seemed a bit disturbed that they already her name. "How do you know my name?" she asked in confused irritation.
The dark-haired guy with glasses, 'Ohtori Kyouya.' her mind identified him, spoke up. "It seems that the tone of our school doesn't really fit commoners, so you have to have a lot of nerve to get a scholarship here. So I wouldn't be much of a student if I didn't know who you were." He stated with a pleasant smile.
Haruhi twitched at being called a 'commoner with a lot of nerve' "…Yeah. Thanks for explaining so… kindly." 'Even if you did remind me of Ayatsuri from earlier.'
"Yes! You are, so to speak, a hero Fujioka-kun! (2)" Tamaki said excitedly, suddenly up close to Haruhi's face, grabbing her shoulders. He grabbed her into a hug in the middle of the room and started a dramatic speech. "Even if you are the top student, you are the poorest! You might be called scum, the lowest of the low! Despised as a poor person!"
Haruhi twitched minutely again. "You don't have to say that much." She muttered, though he didn't seem to hear her.
"I cannot believe the famed commoner student is gay." Tamaki said musingly.
"Gay??" Haruhi asked in shocked disbelief as Ayatsuri, still going unnoticed by the dramatic blond watched the proceedings in amusement from the doorway, which she had shut behind her quietly.
"So, what type would you like?" Tamaki asked, not hearing her again, "The Lolita Type?" here he pointed to the small honey-blond senior, who was hugging a stuffed bunny. He had a childlike countenance. 'Haninozuka Mistukuni.' Her brain added in.
"The Wild Type?" he pointed to the tall, dark-haired guy. He was carefully watching the childlike senior next to him. 'Morinozuka Takashi.' She identified him as Mitsukuni's cousin.
"The Little-Devil Type?" he pointed to the twins. They had orange-pink hair and were identical in looks, except that their hairstyles were parted in opposite directions. 'Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru.'
"The Cool Type?" here he pointed at Kyouya, who was scribbling something down in a black notebook that he had pulled out of nowhere.
"Or," here Tamaki stopped to chuckle pompously, "Would you like to try me; the Prince Type?" He asked flirtatiously as he grabbed Haruhi's chin. She shivered in disgust.
"No! You misunderstood!" she said horror-struck. Before she could finish her explanation, Mitsukuni appeared by her.
"Wow Haru-chan, are you really a hero? I want to hear the story where you saved the queen!" he exclaimed in childish enthusiasm.
Haruhi though, with all the irritation bottled up, finally snapped. "Who gave you permission to call me Haru-chan?!" she growled out at the childlike senior.
As Mitsukuni's eyes started to water up, Ayatsuri decided to step in since when Haruhi snapped, it was never to good for the situation.
Rolling up on her skates behind her friend, she slithered her left arm around Haruhi's shoulders. "Now now, Ru-chan. It was just a little nickname. No need to blow up at the little guy." She stated lazily. "Besides," she continued, hoisting up the tiny senior by his armpits and holding him like a puppy, "You can't say no to this face can you?" she asked pathetically as they both gave Haruhi big watery eyes, not that the brunette could see behind Ayatsuri's sunglasses.
Haruhi's eye twitched in irritation again, but she had to hide a tiny smile at her friend's antics. Ayatsuri smirked at her friend, before putting down the small boy she was holding and kneeling down in front of him so she wouldn't roll on her skates.
"Hello. I'm Usakichi Ayatsuri." She said with a small grin. "Don't mind my friend. Ru-chan's just frustrated that we couldn't find a quiet place to study. K?"
Mitsukuni nodded fervently, before his whole face lit up with a smile. "I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but you can call me Hani!" he then scampered over to Takashi tugged on his hand playfully. "This is Morinozuka Takashi, but you can call him Mori! He's my cousin." The tall senior inclined his head with a tiny smile as he handed Hani his stuffed rabbit.
Then, the twins butted in, "Why would you come to a music room if you were looking for somewhere quiet?" the asked snidely at the same time, identical sarcastic smirks on their faces.
Ayatsuri's eye twitched violently behind her sunglasses, before she slowly turned her head over her shoulder to look at them with a chillingly polite smile. They could practically see the dark shadowy tentacles waving behind her. "Excuse me. The room was quiet from outside the door. How were we to know that we would meet people such as you in a school where they are supposed to have richly bred manners?" The twins backed away from her sinister-yet-polite appearance, wide-eyed. 'Another Shadow King?' they thought anxiously, looking from her to Kyouya who was jotting down a few notes in his little black notebook.
Completely changing moods, Ayatsuri turned to smile at Haruhi, who was getting more uncomfortable by the minute with Tamaki in the near vicinity, watching him warily. "Would you like to go now Ru-chan?" she asked serenely with a smile on her face. Haruhi jumped at being addressed, before registering the question and nodding vigorously. She back pedaled, keeping Tamaki in her eyesight, but didn't notice what was directly behind her.
Ayatsuri's eyes widened and she moved into action just as her friend walked backwards into a expensive looking vase. She got there in time to catch the brunette, but the vase met the unfortunate end of shattering on the floor.
"Are you okay Ru-chan?" she asked calmly. Haruhi didn't say anything, just stood there, staring at the broken shards of pottery with a panicked expression on her face and her mouth wide open.
"Oh no. That rune vase was supposed to be a feature for the school auction." One of the twins said uncaringly. "What will we do…? We were going to start the bidding at eight million yen." The other twin finished.
Haruhi started sweating profusely. "I… I'll pay it ba-…" The twins interrupted her.
"Can you? You can't even buy the uniform. What's with the lame clothing you're wearing?" the twins asked boredly.
Haruhi fumbled for a moment, "This was my dad's and I couldn't find anything else that looked remotely like a uniform." She muttered pitifully.
"What would you do, Tamaki?" Kyouya asked to the blond, once again perched on his throne-like chair.
"Aah. Do you know this proverb Fujioka-kun?" his attitude changed completely, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you don't have money, pay with your body!! From now on, you are the Host Club's dog!"
Everyone watched in curiosity as Haruhi stood there, looking like the spirit had just left her body. After a few moments, Ayatsuri coughed discreetly. As soon as the attention was on her, she gave a polite smile.
"I'm sure that there is no reason to resort to slavery. There must be some other way that she could work of her debt." Ayatsuri said in a serene voice, the 'or else' unspoken.
Tamaki looked surprised for a moment, before he struck a thinking pose. "Hmmm… it may be impossible with his looks…" he mumbled as he looked Haruhi over. "But if I train him thoroughly… All right! I'll make you a Host! If you can get 100 customers, we'll let you go!"
Haruhi looked even more horror struck than before. "No! I'd rather do chores!" she cried.
Ayatsuri looked contemplative for a moment, before a gigantic smirk slithered its way onto her face. "Oh no Ru-chan. You aren't going to do chores. You'll be doing this option. I'll even help it go faster. But if you do the chores I won't help; that would be boring. Being a Host might have its benefits." And with that decision made for her friend, Ayatsuri shooed her away for Tamaki to shove meaningless knowledge into her brain.
As Tamaki annoyed Haruhi, Hani ambled over to Ayatsuri. "Aya-chan, aren't you going to learn from Tamaki too?" he asked innocently.
Ayatsuri smiled sweetly at the short teen, before replying, "No Hani-kun. I have been taught many forms of polite mannerisms." She said, shooting a look over at the twins, who shuddered. "I won't need to learn anything from Suoh-san."
Hani smiled brightly at her, "Do you want to eat cake with me Aya-chan?" he asked cutely.
Ayatsuri froze for a moment, before a bright smile made its way to her face as well. "Really? You have cake here?" she asked happily. Hani nodded fervently.
"Me and Usa-chan love cake, come on!" and with surprising strength for his stature, he grabbed her arm and dragged her to a little table piled high with cakes, where Mori was sitting on a couch next to it.
Sitting down, Ayatsuri stared at the many varieties of cakes in front of her, before Hani sat next to her and snuggled up to her side. Surprised that he was that comfortable with her already, she blinked a few times as he gathered some strawberry cake and started to eat some, his plush rabbit situated between his arms. Looking at Mori, she saw him have a semi-surprised look as well, before he gave a miniscule smile. She gave a small smile as well, before grabbing some chocolate cake with buttermilk frosting.
A few minutes later, Hani and Ayatsuri had finished their cakes, and the short teen hopped out of his position between Mori and Ayatsuri. He then turned to them and said, "I'm going to go see if Haru-chan wants to have some cake too!" he gave another cute smile before scampering off.
Mori and Ayatsuri watched his conversation with Haruhi, Ayatsuri noticing her blush after Hani gave her the puppy-dog eyes and play with Usa-chan (3) at his request, despite her not particularly liking rabbits. Ayatsuri gave a secret smile. This club would be good for Haruhi. She could feel it.
Author's Note:
Okey-Dokey. It took a little while longer to update this time, but the chapter is extra long, and Ayatsuri and Haruhi finally met the Host Club.
(1): Kouhai- means underclassman
(2): -Kun is a suffix used for male boy or teenagers. It can also be used by someone in a senior position to someone in a junior position.
(3): Usa is the beginning of the Japanese word 'Usagi', which means 'rabbit'.