DISCLAIMER: THIS STORY IS HEREBY DECLARED A "FANFICTION." AS SUCH, WE TWO AUTHORS HAVE NO RIGHTS TO OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB OR THE SEVERAL MEDIA REFERENCES MADE FORTHWITH, AND INSTEAD STATE THEY ARE COPYRIGHT BISCO HATORI, FUNIMATION, AND ALL OTHER SUBSIDIES RESPECTFULLY.

Authors Notes:

Hisako: "FINALLY! CHAPTER FOUR! WHOOO! I'm so pumped!" *grins like a child hopped up on sugar*

Kaya: "I know!" *grins brightly at the fans*"

Both: "Hope you enjoy this new installment! Sorry that it's so late!"

Until next time!

(BREAK)

Chapter Four

And So The Twins Meet Kyoya, Who Meets His Match!

Kyoya was sipping his carefully prepared miso soup from the daily special—Heian Set C—when he first felt the prickling of a stern gaze targeted toward his and his companions' table, more specifically, the nape of his neck. Glancing out the corner of his eye, his eyebrows went up in surprise when he saw a frantically gesturing Haruhi attempting to ward off an irate looking young woman while another student, a male, traded worried looks with Haruhi as the irate female student raised a hand in finality and proceeded to approach him.

"Ootori-sempai," she stated informally, going against what Haruhi would have called his "rich bastard sensibilities", "I want a word with you about your thrice-damned tournament, if you please."

Ah, he thought with minor disdain, this must be the female aspect of the newly arrived twins that Hikaru and Kaoru were so dead set on defeating.

How quaint, he thought to himself.

What a stuck up prick, Keiko thought at first glance. He was too well groomed and proper; honestly, what was wrong with these richie rich boys? Did they have no sense of individuality? Were they all so stark and sterile?

"My short sighted brother signed himself and I up for some show or contest, whatever it is your club is hosting for whatever reason. You're a smart, strapping, and nice looking young fellow," she complimented, swallowing any gag reflex that threatened to surface.

In her eyes, he was just another hotshot pretty boy in this rich filled school of nonsense aside from academia.

"And I'm sure you can tell he had rushed signed without thinking or consulting so I would hope you would be so kind as to strike our names from the roster. It would be so very helpful of you." Keiko smiled softly at him, some girls in the background tittering excitedly while watching the two converse.

As Keiko's translucent Persian blue eyes studied Kyoya's own onyx gaze sitting behind frameless glasses, she mused how something about him rang familiar in her head and she had no idea what it was. She was certain she had not bumped into him in the halls or anything. Why was he so familiar to her though? The idea hit her like a chucked brick to the back of her head—he was the guy her brother and her were making faces at this morning!

I only hope he doesn't recognize me, she thought as dread filled her with the idea of him possibly shooting her down because of this. Like a game of duck hunt, she was the duck and he the shooter. The moment she would be sighted and recognized, her goose would be cooked.

In Kyoya's mind, miniature versions of Hikaru and Kaoru were dressed as Lewis Carroll's Cheshire cat, and were connecting two cables together as he recognized her. "Ah, yes, the Kaien twins," he said pleasantly, causing a nearby heiress to swoon and emit spontaneous Flames of Moe. For a second, Keiko could swear violet colored roses were surrounding his handsome face like a perverse halo.

"I regret to inform you that all applicants for this contest are legally bound by contract once they sign up for the event to participate in all its activities. I apologize for this inconvenience, but I'm afraid you're caught."

"I'm…sorry…but let me get this straight. You're telling me that there is fine print in a high school competition? A competitor should be allowed to drop freely of his or her own will. I've never heard of such stupidity before in my life! You can't just force someone to compete if they don't wish to! That's inhuman!" She scoffed a bit, a fiery side bubbling in her as she tried to keep it as contained as possible.

This smarmy little dolled up snot rag really thinks he can just make us compete! What kind of person does that! He's the logical one of the group? What are the others like then? This is utterly ridiculous on almost every logical level possible! She ranted in her mind a bit as she tried to calm herself.

"Maybe we can negotiate?"

"Ah, but this is Ouran Academy, Kaien-san. As the successors to prominent businesses, many of which are international syndicates, it is necessary that we practice our skills. For example, there are several students who hail from prominent lawyer legacies; as such, fine print is second nature in all our competitions at Ouran Academy. If you need further clarification to the specifications of this agreement, please see Hani-sempai and Mori-sempai for copies of our contracts."

Her eyes widened a bit as Kyoya whispered in her ear like that. Her heart skipped a beat, never having been so close to a handsome person, let alone one as handsome as these boys have been coming. Peering around Kyoya's shoulder, Keiko blanched when she saw the fierce, solemn looking "Mori-sempai." if the situation had not been so dire, she would have blushed how her own Flames of Moe were rising to the surface. Really, it was criminal for someone to be so good-looking!

Her mind flashed a scene of her out on a small cute date out at the beach at night with fireworks firing as they watched and played around. However, the man switched between Kyoya and Mori a few times.

Keiko mentally shook her head furiously, and as she tilted her head to the side, fury consumed her as she saw a glorified smirk appear on Kyoya's face. Suddenly, the overwhelming urge to crush him consumed her very being.

"Are you insinuating I'm the type of person to buy someone's time so callously and objectify a human in such a way? You've got another thing coming." She said coolly, her inner fan girl crying as the prince side came shinning forth.

Kyoya's smirk faltered a bit as he looked at her, his cold and calculating glare set as he fixed his glasses when they slipped down his perfect nose from his need to lean down to her ear level a bit.

"Objectify? Surely you don't mind the company of a friendly escort? After all, it's what the Host Club does: we provide companionship and friendship to our clients, some of which includes indulging in fantasy. I'm sure it's difficult to imagine due to your...circumstances...but surely you cannot begrudge a few lonely girls some diversion from their monotonous lives?"

Keiko gaped at him. "While that may seem logical to you, do you truly claim to be their friends? A real friend is calm and supportive, yes, but how well do you know them beyond those stupid profiles I see you compile and edit day in and day out? You claim to be delivering companionship and friendship, but all I see is fantasy. You're crippling them for the real world, Ootori-san; how will they survive without the aid of fantasy perpetuated by high school students?"

One of his perfect brows raised into the air at her words. It was an absurd notion in his opinion. These girls here would be pampered for life in the laps of luxury and raised to be the civilized upper class of society like it was intended since their births. It then registered in his mind like a quick blip of lightening. She, Keiko Kian, was a commoner and not just any commoner it seemed. She was a valiant commoner that led a life of morals and ethics of a time long passed.

"You don't get this world you've entered at all." He said bluntly enough. "The female student population sans you and Fujioka Haruhi are all destined for a life that is only of your wildest dreams. They will have servants to fawn over them and a husband of exemplary status to provide for them along with the inheritance they gain from their own families. They are not like your kind."

"Of your kind"—oh you did not—what the hell do you mean by "my kind!" I'm not some rare animal that everyone sees once in a blue moon! Commoner means that I'm common and you're the anomaly! She raved in her head as she kept her composure the best she could but some irritation could be seen in her expression.

"Ootori-senpai, regardless of status-people is people. They all have feelings and if a girl so happens to think that one of you are the man destined to bring her this reality, it will be a sad day when the truth comes crashing down on her like a hammer," Her tone was curt as she spoke to him, her body stiff with tension as she tried to keep her cool but his view was something that irritated her.

"And you don't think these girls know what they're getting into? They may be protected by the upper echelons of society's standards, but don't think them naive, Kaien-san. They can read the dictionary or surf the Internet. They know, and they welcome the reprieve from those self same social standards. In fact, they crave it; such is humanity, that they crave what they deny themselves."

From across the room, Haruhi and Tamaki traded worried looks as the icy aura that surrounded Kyoya and Keiko gained a more sinister air. "Sempai, I think we should intervene. This is not like Kyoya's traditional attitude. She has him positively riled up, I'd wager."

"So, what, you're saying is that they deserve what they get from you? That if they choose to believe your purposely perpetuated lies, they're worthless because of their longing for physical and emotional connections?"

"Well, yes," Kyoya agreed with Keiko, a little surprised it had taken her this long to reach that conclusion, as if it ought to have been common knowledge.

Tamaki frowned at the two teens across the room. "You may be right, Haruhi-chan, but I think it should be fine. Look at his posture—he's practicing his breathing exercises like his sensei taught him to in order to calm down. Surely that will restrain him—" his dialogue was interrupted by the sound of a loud slap. All eyes in the cafeteria widened as Kaien Keiko's palm fell, a red imprint on Ootori Kyoya's pale face.