I do not own any wonderfully humorous member of the Host Club, only the parts of the plot to this story and my own characters.
Warning: This is mainly based off the anime series, however, some references to the manga may be made-ex. American Football Club in chapter one.
The Host Club Shows Their True Colors!
Three weeks later marked the end of Kin's first month with the Host Club, and she was at the breaking point. Between the Host Club's attitude, mainly Kyoya and Tamaki's clashing attitudes, and the Football Club's treatment of her, she was close to losing her temper with both clubs; even Haruhi's gentle nature was starting to lose its control on her temper.
Sliding into the Host Club late once more, Kyoya wrote in his notebook, barely glancing up at Kin, "That's another hundred to your quota, Kin. I believe you're at seven hundred requests now."
Eyes blazing, Kin stalked into Music Room 3. Tamaki tsked at her, "Watch that temper now, Kin. The ladies won't find it attractive at all."
Kin whirled around, giving Tamaki a death glare, which put him in a corner, sulking, and muttering aloud to himself while a stream of tears fell down his face, "What did I do wrong now?"
"Wow, she didn't even say a word," Hikaru commented, while Kaoru snickered. They both became silent as Kin shot them the same glare she had given to Tamaki. Once her back was turned they exchanged a terrified glance, Holy shit!
Seeing the Tamaki sulking and the twins looking terrified, Honey tried to lighten Kin's mood, "Does Kin want to hug Usa-chan?"
"No, Kin doesn't want to hug a stupid, stuffed rabbit," she snapped. Everyone's mouths fell open at this, except Kyoya, who continued to write in his notebook.
Haruhi walked up to Kin, and whispered, worriedly, grabbing the other girl's arm, "Hey, what's wrong with you today?'
"The same bullshit that's wrong every day!" Kin shouted, yanking her arm out of Haruhi's grip.
Mori grabbed Kin from behind, and said in his deep tones, "Kin, calm down." Glaring up at Mori, Kin tried to calm down, taking deep breaths which started to work.
Unfortunately, the Shadow King wasn't in a mood for dealing with tantrums and decided to "help", "Remember, Kin, you owe us for breaking that sculpture."
Elbowing poor Mori in the stomach, Kin stormed over to Kyoya, who closed his notebook and met her glare without flinching.
"You assholes think you own people just because you have money!" Kin stated, her voice low and quiet. "I don't care what you do to me, deport me for all I care!" Turning away, she stalked towards the door, unbuttoning the jacket, she threw it to the ground as she reached the doors. "I'm through with the Host Club, I'll find a different way to pay you back, but not through being your puppet!" Slamming the doors open, she walked out, the doors slamming closed behind her.
"What just happened?" Hikaru asked, glancing at the other stunned Host Club members.
Tamaki stood up, looking perplexed, "I never thought our treatment of Kin was that bad."
"Well, you guys still seem to forget that Kin is a part of another club," Haruhi said.
Her statement was ignored, "Maybe she just doesn't like pretending to be a guy," Tamaki mused.
"Boss," Kaoru set his hand on Tamaki's shoulder. "She does it all the time, long before she joined the Host Club."
"Right," Tamaki laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "So what set her off?" He started to pace, muttering to himself.
Honey looked hurt, "She didn't want to hug Usa-chan…" He looked up at Haruhi with watery eyes, "Does Kin-chan really not like us?"
"I don't think it's that," Haruhi stated.
"Ugh!" Tamaki shouted, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "What did we do?"
Haruhi tried to explain once more, "You kept forgetting that Kin's a part of another club."
"I suppose Haruhi's right," Kyoya muttered. "She didn't help matters though by never telling us when she had practice with the Football Club."
Haruhi gave him a sidelong glance, "Would you have cooperated even if you knew?"
"Probably not," Kyoya answered. Haruhi sighed in disbelief.
Moving down the stairs at a fast clip, Kin angrily threw off the tie which landed on the banister. Going into the boys bathroom, not that she really liked going in there, she gripped the edges of the nearest sink, trying to calm herself down.
"Stupid!" She whispered fiercely, pounding a fist against the shiny porcelain. "Stupid!" She whispered again, pounding the sink once more. Glancing at her reflection, she saw how watery her eyes looked, and she tried to calm herself down, taking deep breaths. After a few seconds, she glanced at her reflection, glad to see only the fierce expression of a boy there, no signs of the girl that had been there only seconds before, "I won't go back to the Host Club. I have to focus on football, not their namby-pamby games!" Pushing herself away from the sink, she left the bathroom, heading to class.
Tamaki smacked his right fist against the palm of his left hand, "I got it! We'll have members follow Kin around so we can see why she got so angry with us!"
"Can't you just ask her?" Haruhi asked.
Tamaki shook his head, "No, not with how upset she seemed with us." He frowned, and Haruhi felt a flash of jealously that Tamaki was worrying about Kin.
Her eyes widened in shock. Why am I jealous? I don't really like Tamaki-senpai! I mean, yeah, I helped to keep him from dating that French girl and got him to keep the club going, but I don't really like him!
"We'll take shifts and following Kin around and seeing what her schedule is like," Tamaki continued, looking smug once more. "Perhaps we'll find out exactly why she was so upset with us!"
Kyoya commented, "Just how will following her around help us out?"
"Well…" Tamaki frowned. "It'll help us to understand her better."
Kyoya glanced up from his notebook, "So it's not just about learning her schedule?"
"Of course not!" Tamaki looked affronted. "Kin is a member of the Host Club that just quit, even with her debt! We need to figure out how our lost sister became so offended!"
How come she's called a sister and I'm called the daughter? Haruhi thought, a bit annoyed. She sighed, not wanting to give herself a headache trying to figure it out.
Kaoru stated, "Hikaru and I can start since we have our first class with her."
"Excellent!" Tamaki said, beaming.
"Hey, Kin!" Hikaru and Kaoru said as they entered, sitting beside her in art class. Kin shot them another glare that left them silent the rest of the class period.
Rejoicing in the silence she'd managed to shock the twins into, Kin focused on her sketching. Although it seemed like she was diligently taking notes, she was really sketching, not paying attention to what the teacher was saying. Today's sketch was of Kyoya being eaten by a large shark. There were actually several pages illustrating Kyoya's demise…
Before English class had started, Hikaru and Kaoru took advantage of Kin running a bit late as they whispered to Haruhi, "Be careful of Kin! She isn't in a talking mood."
Kin walked in just then, and Hikaru and Kaoru sat down near Haruhi. Haruhi greeted Kin and Kin returned the greeting in the usual manner, leaving Hikaru and Kaoru speechless for yet another class period.
After school that day, Mori and Honey now following Kin while the rest of the club met, Tamaki asked the twins, "Well, how did it go?"
"She only spoke to Haruhi," they both grumbled.
Tamaki instantly turned to Haruhi, beaming, "I knew you'd make friends with her! So what'd she say?"
"I didn't talk to her about the Host Club," Haruhi stated. "I let her decide what we talked about."
Tamaki looked crestfallen, "Well, maybe Mori and Honey-senpai will have better luck…"
Mori and Honey pretended to practice judo, while watching the Football Club practice. Mori commented, "They don't function as a team anymore, not like that game we watched."
"Yeah, I noticed that as well," Honey muttered.
"Maybe that's part of the problem…"
When Kin glanced their way, they looked away quickly, focusing on their ruse until Kin looked away once more.
Slightly annoyed that Mori and Honey-senpai were watching her, Kin focused on the drill, dribbling the ball in between the cones before kicking the ball at the goal, just managing to get it past the team goalie, who swore as the ball tipped off his fingers.
Shrugging while the goalie glared at her back, she sprinted back to the end of the line, ready to start the drill over again.
Hiroaki blew the whistle, and he called out, "Gather round! I have the line-up for those starting in the next game…Teruo, Nobu…"
Listening intently, wondering why Hiroaki hadn't called her name already, when he finished calling off names, her heart plummeted into her chest, she wasn't starting.
Nobu spoke up, though he sounded timid talking to the captain, "Why isn't Kin starting? He's our best player!"
"Kin isn't giving one hundred percent to the team," Hiroaki stated. He slapped the list with his hand, "All the players I called off have been giving one hundred percent and more, they've EARNED the right to start." Hiroaki gave Kin a hard stare. "Plus, with the Host Club yanking your chain all the time, I can't count on him to even be at the game."
Kin didn't say a word, merely looking away from Hiroaki. Teruo grinned triumphantly at her, before turning back to Hiroaki as the captain continued, "Now, those called need to stick around, the rest of you can either practice on your own or go home."
Dismayed, and a bit hurt by Hiroaki's coldness towards her, Kin headed towards the locker room, seeing no point in sticking around.
Nobu ran after her, grabbing her shoulder, "Kin! Stick around, Hiroaki will see sense if you just stick around to practice!" The rookie looked desperate to keep her there.
"No. I could give two hundred percent and Mizushima-senpai would turn a blind eye," she stated. "It's better if I leave and let him believe what he wants." Shrugging off Nobu's hand, she continued towards the locker room.
"Kin…!" She heard him call out, but she didn't glance back. Today just wasn't her day.
"They did what?" Tamaki shouted, as Mori and Honey gave their report, explaining what they'd seen on the field to the members of the Host Club that were present, Haruhi "following" Kin now.
Hikaru mused, "They must be crazy to not start Kin for their next game!"
"That or Hiroaki really doesn't like us having one of their own," Kyoya stated, his glasses flashing in the light.
"Hmm…" Tamaki looked thoughtful before he muttered, "We need more information on Kin before we can do anything..."
Kin hadn't been all that surprised to find Haruhi waiting for her. It had become habit for them to walk home together, both of them living in the same area.
"What happened today?" Haruhi asked, referring to how Kin acted in the Host Club, knowing she should at least try to act so the others couldn't say she didn't try. She held out Kin's tie and jacket.
Kin shook her head, reluctantly taking her tie and jacket, "I don't know…I lost my temper…"
"That's obvious," Haruhi said good-naturedly. "What brought it out? Besides the usual?"
"That's just it! It was the usual! The addition to my quota, Mizushima-senpai being furious at me and putting me on the bench, everything!" Kin shouted, looking defeated.
Haruhi frowned, "Wait, you're on the bench for the next game?" Kin nodded. "But why? It's not because…?" Her question died as she spotted Kin's look.
"Yeah, because I'm in the Host Club, still considered their dog by all of the team apart from the rookie," Kin laughed bitterly. Not to mention all my other troubles…
Haruhi's gaze became furious, "That's wrong of them to judge you based on their presumptions of the Host Club! They're more than just a bunch of rich guys!"
"What do they do besides flirt with girls?" Kin demanded suddenly, her own gaze matching the fury in Haruhi's. "I haven't seen them do ANYTHING besides flirt with girls!"
Haruhi shouted, "Their kind hearted and help anyone in need!"
"Well that's a shocker for me!" Kin snapped. "Because I've yet to see them help anyone but themselves!"
"They're trying to figure out how to help you right now," Haruhi said quietly.
Kin blinked in surprise, "What?"
"They want to know what's upset you," Haruhi stated. "They're really worried about why you quit like that."
A smile crossed Kin's features before she frowned suddenly, "I can't really rely on what you say since you're a part of the Host Club, for all I know this is just a part of a scheme to get me back to just pay back my debt the way they want."
Haruhi frowned, "I suppose you can't."
"The Host Club will just have to show me their true colors on their own," Kin stated. "I'll see you tomorrow in class Haruhi!"
Two days later, Tamaki was pacing, the other members watching his progress, even Kyoya, who kept glancing up from his notebook.
"Today's the day gentlemen, and Haruhi!" Tamaki stated, pausing in front of all of them. "We go out and show Kin just what we're made of!"
Hikaru sighed, "We're going to get creamed."
Tamaki whacked him over the head, "Now none of that! Kyoya's even going to help out with this plan!"
"I don't remember saying that," Kyoya muttered, his glasses flashing to reveal his glare.
Embarrassed, Tamaki laughed nervously, "But we won't have enough people if you don't help out."
"Very well," Kyoya sighed, closing his notebook. "So long as this plan doesn't backfire on us."
Tamaki beamed at them all, "Well then, after school we'll start!"
In art that day, after giving Hikaru and Kaoru the silent treatment for the past couple days, she said as they sat down beside her again, "Hi guys."
Hikaru and Kaoru blinked in surprise before grinning, "Hey, Kin!"
"So does this mean you've forgiven the Host Club?" Kaoru asked hopefully.
"No."
Hikaru sighed, "Hard-hearted, aren't you?"
"Just a bit," Kin agreed. Hikaru and Kaoru sighed in perfect unison.
Kin smiled, "We can still talk though, guys. This is class, not Music Room 3."
"So…does that mean you'd talk to Kyoya-senpai if he were here?" Kaoru asked.
A snapping sound revealed that Kin had broken her pencil clean in two, and her gaze was livid. She gave them the silent treatment the rest of class, drawing in her sketchbook, though this time, Kyoya wasn't the subject. A certain carrot-top was, though nothing to do with his demise, just his features and many expressions.
At the end of the school day, the Host Club met in Music Room 3, the ladies sulking outside the door as they read the sign that had been there for two and a half days now. "Closed?" One of the girls shouted.
Another cried, "But it's the second day in a row! Is someone sick?"
A chorus of sobbing girls could be heard just behind the doors, which Tamaki found hard to ignore. Shaking his head, he started to strut in front of the others, looking like a drill Sargent, dressed in an sky blue and white athletic shirt and shorts just like all the others members, "All right, today's the day. Let's go out there and try our hardest. Win or lose, this is for Kin! Now let's get out there!" They walked out the backdoors, not wanting to get the girls' hopes up.
Out on the football field, the team was stretching, getting ready for practice. Hiroaki called out, "All right, our game with Huyame is next week, I want you all to give your best through the next few practices, so let's start with some… What the hell are they doing here?" He glared down the field and everyone looked over their shoulders to see what had caused their captain to look so pissed.
Kin wanted to find a hole to crawl into as the Host Club walked onto the field, dressed to play some football.
"What are they doing here?" Nobu asked Kin. "I thought you said you quit."
"I did," Kin stated.
Nobu glanced nervously at Hiroaki, "Mizushima-senpai's going to through a fit if they don't leave ASAP."
Hiroaki stomped towards the Host Club, "What are you doing on our field?"
"We're here to solve a simple problem," Tamaki stated, giving his charming smile which only seemed to tick off Hiroaki more. "Kin has to be in two clubs at once, but obviously one club needs to get his time more than another, so…the simple solution is to play a game of football to see who gets full claim to him, being able to override the other club."
Furious, Kin snapped, "I've already quit the Host Club so that's not a problem anymore!"
"You're not in it anymore?" Hiroaki questioned, some of his anger dwindling as he glanced back at Kin.
Kyoya stated, "Kin can't exactly quit the Host Club since he owes us quite a bit of money." Kin's eyes shot lightning at Kyoya, who seemed oblivious as he pushed up his glasses.
Hiroaki seemed to inflate with anger once more, "So you want to play the football club in a game of football to see who gets Kin for more time?"
"Exactly," Tamaki said, still smiling that charming smile.
Snorting like a bull, Hiroaki nodded, "You're on." He bellowed, "Kin! Get on the sidelines! Teruo, Nobu, Masa, Ryo, Yoshi, and Juro, get on the field! The rest of you on the bench and watch how this game plays out." He turned to Tamaki, eyes glinting, "First to three?"
"First to three," Tamaki eager, turning to the Host Club, "Mori, take the goal! Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi play defense. Honey, take center, Kyoya and I will take offense."
Hiroaki grinned, "I see you haven't forgotten how to play, Suo."
"You'd be surprised at what I remember, Mizushima," Tamaki stated.
Hiroaki turned to his team, shouting out positions, "Teruo! Nobu! Offense! Ryo! Yoshi! Masa! Defense! Juro! Goal!" He took his usual position as center. "You do realize that this is a pretty simple game? We don't even have sweepers or midfielders!"
The team on the bench chuckled, while Tamaki said, "I'm aware, now quit stalling."
Kin muttered as she sat on the sidelines, "I suddenly feel like a trophy!" I'm not sure how this shows that the Host Club isn't a bunch of spoiled rich kids…
Hiroaki smiled, as he charged the ball, "I'll let you take the ball first!" With a kick, the ball flew towards Mori, but Hikaru intercepted it, passing it quickly to Kaoru, neatly avoiding Teruo.
The twins grinned mischievously, as Kaoru kicked it back to Hikaru, and then Hikaru kicked it to Kaoru, causing Nobu to get confused and accidentally collided with Teruo, thinking Hikaru was Kaoru.
Hikaru kicked the ball to Haruhi, who passed to Honey who made his way towards the goal, managing to keep Hiroaki at bay, though the captain wasn't thrown off by Honey's smaller stature. Back passing to Kyoya, who dribbled it down the field, before passing it to Tamaki.
Giving his charming smile once more, Tamaki shouted, "Starlight Kick!" The ball sailed past Juro, and the Host Club cheered.
Grinning, some sweat dripping down his face, Tamaki said, "That's one!"
"Let's show them!" Hiroaki shouted, red in the face with fury.
Kin couldn't help feeling a bit impressed with the Host Club's skill, she still didn't like the idea of being a trophy to the two clubs though.
From the sidelines, Kin watched Hiroaki score a point, tying the game up, before Honey made a decisive goal, putting a hole in the net and putting the Host Club back in the lead. Teruo missed a goal, which Kin figured he'd missed on purpose, but Nobu recovered it, tying the game up once more.
Both teams were drenched with sweat, breathing heavily, but as soon as Hiroaki kicked the ball, Kin noticed a shift in how the Host Club was playing.
It wasn't that the Host Club had broken down suddenly, like she'd seen many teams do before where they'd played to the point of being beyond exhausted and had nothing left to give, but it was a subtle shift in their play, it suddenly wasn't as seamless as before, their movements were still timed and their expressions were still set in determination, but now the Football Club obviously had the advantage. When Honey went to kick the ball, his kick was slightly off, and Juro easily blocked it, looking stunned when he did so.
Kicking the ball downfield, Honey also allowed Hiroaki to get the better position, perfect for taking a shot at the goal, and Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi weren't trying their hardest to block his kick.
Mori dived too soon for the ball, and it entered the goal, the Football Club being the first to score three points.
Tamaki panted, while Hiroaki stood tall and haughty, "Looks like you get more of Kin's time and can override any occasions that we may require him to come too if it interferes with your schedule."
"That'll show you not to mess with us," Hiroaki panted, sounding smug.
Tamaki gave a smirk, "Indeed it will." Turning to the others, he said, "Let's freshen up and head home!" The Host Club walked off the field, looking far too happy, not that Hiroaki noticed.
Hiroaki bellowed, "Head to the showers, you guys played well today!" Once the rest of the team had left the field, Hiroaki said to Kin, though he didn't look at her, "Next time you quit a club, let me know." He smiled then, "Now that I know you'll be at every practice and not trying to run off so quickly, you're on the first string."
"Thanks," Kin stated, smiling at him. "You guys sure played hard…well…most of you."
Hiroaki chuckled, "We all want you playing, Kin. Even if you do have to hang out with them." He gestured to the small figures of the Host Club.
"Right…" Kin said. "Even if I have to hang out with them…"
Tamaki sighed, "Well, none of you can say that wasn't worth it!"
"Kin hasn't said that she's coming back yet," Kyoya stated.
"How long are we going to wait here?" Hikaru complained.
Tamaki snapped, "As long as it takes!"
"Waiting for me?" Kin questioned as she came out of the school, having taken the long way off the field. "That was some performance today, using me as a trophy and all."
Tamaki started to sweat nervously along with Hiraku, Kaoru, Honey, Mori, and Haruhi. Kyoya was as cool as ever.
"You set it up so the Football Club thought that they beat you easily and made it so I wouldn't have to keep trying so hard to please both clubs," Kin said quietly. She bowed then, "Thank you, Tamaki-senpai. Mori-senpai, Honey-senpai, Kyoya-senpai, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi." She straightened up and added, "If you'll have me again, I'd like to come back."
"Kin-chan!" Honey said happily, hugging Kin.
Kin laughed while Tamaki said, "Of course we'll take you back, you're a Host."
"Not to mention you now have a quota of nine hundred requests to make up for the two days we didn't have business because of you," Kyoya stated.
Kin paled, but she suddenly smiled, "Can we just make it a thousand since we know I'll get I'll end up having you up it to that quota anyway?"
Kyoya opened up his notebook, writing that down, "One thousand it is."
"I wasn't serious!" Kin protested.
Hikaru put an arm around her, "Too late, it's already written down."
"Yep," Kaoru said, grinning. "Now you're really stuck with us."
Kin continued to smile, reflecting on how different the Host Club really was from the Football Club, I don't think I'd want it any other way now that I know that this club is so much more than just pleasing girls…
