DISCLAIMER - see chapter one


Finally class is over! Mai thought as she put her books away, standing up and finding her way blocked by the twins, who both wore mischievous looks that she didn't like, not one bit.

"What?" Mai said suspiciously as she threw her bag on, finding herself sandwiched between the twins as she went to walk out of the classroom,

"You're not busy are you?" Kaoru asked as he took one of her arms with a smile,

"Well, actually I do have a lot…" she began as she tried to slip away, finding herself cut off by Hikaru as he grabbed her other arm,

"Good, then you can come with us!" He said as he and Kaoru marched her through the door and up the stairs, what are they doing? I have bags to unpack! She thought impatiently as they entered the third floor music room,

"Look, I don't have my flute, so I can't play right now." Mai objected as they released her, both looking confused until it dawned on them,

"Oh, this isn't a music club" Kaoru began,

"We just use the room." Hikaru finished

"This is the Host Club!" they replied as they ushered Mai to a sofa, where Haruhi was counting cups out for the princesses, who would be arriving within the hour as other clubs finished. She smiled apologetically at Mai as she was forced onto the sofa,

"Sorry Mai, I mentioned that it might be nice to invite you along, I should have known they'd bring you here anyway." She apologised as she lifted the five teapots and walked to a small table that had become a small sort of kitchen, where there were jars of coffee, tea, sugar, a kettle, even a small fridge for milk, and the twins were already carrying in large canisters of water to put in the kettle.

"Guys, I really have to go, I have to have my measurements taken, get a check up, go shopping, unpack my stuff, I really don't have time today!" Mai objected as she got to her feet, quickly finding herself blocked off by the twins,

"We can take your measurements!" Kaoru said eagerly,

"We'll take you to the nurse tomorrow!" Hikaru added,

"Don't worry about shopping today!" Kaoru continued,

"You can unpack later too!" Hikaru finished, both of them looking satisfied that the problems had all been solved,

"Look, the headmaster asked me to see the nurse today, and I need to go shopping so I have food for dinner tonight and breakfast and lunch tomorrow, and I want to get my stuff unpacked!" Mai objected in frustration as the twins began to circle her, now what? She wondered as Hikaru leaned in close to her breasts and scrutinised her body, one eye closed as he held his chin, and as she glanced over her shoulder she saw Kaoru in a similar position examining her backside.

"I'd say 34-27-36, ne Kaoru?" Hikaru said questioningly as he leaned over Mai's shoulder, his body close enough for Mai to smell his delicate musky scent, blushing slightly as he leaned closer, almost touching her. She felt Kaoru behind her, also looking over her shoulder,

"I agree, but we should still measure." He replied,

"Right, come and take your clothes off Mai." Hikaru ordered as he took Mai's wrist and dragged her to the changing room,

"What? Wait a minute!" Mai cried as Kaoru pushed her from behind, "I said stop! I am not taking my clothes off!" she continued as she twisted away from Kaoru and pulled her hand from Hikaru's grasp,

"But our measurements might not be accurate if you keep your clothes on." Kaoru said as he grabbed her again, Hikaru taking the other side,

"Don't worry, we're professionals!" Hikaru added as they dragged her into the changing room and pulled the curtain across. Mai backed away to the wall, trapping herself as they advanced, Kaoru stroking her cheek, his fingers going down to her chest, fiddling teasingly with the first button while Hikaru stroked around her hip to the button of her skirt, "Now, just stay still." Hikaru said, deftly undoing the skirt, pulling the zipper down once he had unbuttoned in while Kaoru unbuttoned her shirt skilfully, slipping the garment from her shoulders. Mai blushed and covered her chest with her arms feeling extremely self-conscious as she stood in only her black under garments.

"We can't measure you like that!" Kaoru sighed as he pulled her away from the wall to the middle of the room,

"Arms up." Hikaru said as he pulled Mai's arms out to the side as Kaoru wrapped the long tape measure around her chest, smirking as he looked at the measurements,

"Dead on." He said, moving to her waist and then her hips, nodding in satisfaction as he got to his feet,

"Okay, you can dress now!" they said as they wandered off muttering to each other quietly as they left. Mai took a deep breath and pulled her clothes on, looking in the mirror to see her face was still red, I can't go out there like this! Why did they have to do that? She thought in embarrassment, feeling suddenly as if she had met them before, but not knowing where, maybe they remind me of someone…she thought,

"Are you alright? Sorry about them, they're a little eccentric sometimes." Haruhi apologised as she entered the dressing room,

"I guess it's okay…" Mai replied, stepping to the pink curtain and looking through to the twins, who were now in full Host mode, flirting with each other mercilessly, watching the princesses swooning in amusement. Mai looked to the door as it opened and saw a tall young man with dark hair and glasses, his nose buried in a note book, a serious expression set on his features, "Who is that?" she wondered aloud,

"Oh! It's Kyouya, the co-founder of the Host Club, he's the one who makes the money." Haruhi replied, excusing herself to go and talk to him, he's a little bit like…Naru…she thought, feeling a pull in her chest as she thought of him. In the corner the twins were preparing for a game,

"Time for the guessing game! Where's Kaoru?" they said, Hikaru brushing his fringe over before he and Kaoru span together quickly and looked at the princesses expectantly. Mai watched as the girls um-ed and ah-ed over which was which, one of them guessing the twin on the right, "Wrong!" the twins chimed. On the other side of the room a crowd had gathered around Kyouya, who smiled over his pad, telling the girls all the plans he had, a new calendar, a spring tea party, an outing to a temple as well as some of the usual popular fancy dress events. Mai stepped out of the dressing room, regretting it almost immediately as the girls looked at her in shock or disapproval, especially as the twins ran over to her,

"Come on Mai, join in!" Kaoru laughed,

"You're just in time for the second round!" Hikaru added, putting her at the front of the group as they ran in circles,

"Okay, which of us is Kaoru?" they asked with triumphant grins, but Mai just pointed to the left, "That's where you're wrong!" they replied,

"No, that's definitely Kaoru." Mai replied, being joined by Haruhi, who nodded. The twins looked at each other in surprise before spinning again,

"Now which one?" they asked, their eyes widening mildly as Mai guessed right again. They turned away and whispered conspiratorially for a few moments before turning back, "Turn around!" they ordered, pointing at Mai. Mai turned away with Haruhi, receiving glares from the princesses of the club as the twins span again, "Okay, which one?" they asked. Mai turned around and pointed,

"How do you do that? Until now I'm the only person I know of to do that." Haruhi said respectfully. Mai looked puzzled, she has a point, how am I doing this? She wondered as she looked at the twins, who did look exactly the same and, at the moment, acted exactly the same, not a difference between them, not even the tone of voice, it's like in our cases, I mean SPR's cases, I always got strong feelings about things and people…like Kasai-san, I always knew she was innocent because of my intuition…it's the same now, that little voice is telling me who is who. She thought with a smile as she remembered briefly being back with her friends working on cases.

"Just a feeling." She replied simply,

"I used to get the same thing…but now that I know them it's really no trouble at all." Haruhi said as she looked at the twins, who just stared dumbfounded,

"You had the same feeling?" Mai asked, receiving a nod in return, maybe Haruhi's a latent psychic too…Mai thought curiously as Kyouya walked over,

"You must be the new transfer." He said as he looked down charmingly at Mai, uh-oh, I know that look; what does he want? Haruhi wondered as he extended his hand and shook Mai's, "I heard your idea about adding a female touch to the Host Club. I think it's a charming idea." He complimented seductively, right, it's a good idea and…Haruhi wondered curiously. "It seems only right that you lead this…female element." He continued,

"Great idea! Mai will host!" the twins chimed excitedly,

"I don't think so." Mai replied as she pulled her hand back, "I can't host." She added firmly, finding the twins on either side,

"Why not?" Kaoru asked sulkily,

"We like you." Hikaru said as if it that in itself settled it.

"According to my sources you are extremely adept at hosting. You worked as a secretary for a small business called 'Shibuya Psychic Research' as your last job. As a secretary on of your duties was to entertain clients while waiting for your boss, that my dear is called hosting." He said in a superiorly intelligent tone, he really is like Naru in some ways. She thought in annoyance,

"It's not something I want to do in my free time." She said firmly, seeing a flicker of annoyance in his eyes, something Naru rarely showed.

"None of the ladies of this school have experience in hosting, your experience in invaluable, something I would be willing to pay you a modest sum for…" Kyouya tempted, his cold logic overcoming his annoyance,

"What makes you think money would tempt me?" Mai asked,

"You mean that's not the reason you took your last job?" Kyouya asked in return, stepping back as the twins closed in wearing mischievous grins, circling her,

"Not for the money? That's not commoner behaviour." Kaoru said teasingly from the front,

"I wonder what the reason was." Hikaru said thoughtfully from behind, a gleeful look in his eye.

"That is none of your business!" Mai snapped with a blush, glaring at Kyouya,

"Mai, won't you host? We're really short of members right now, we haven't been able to recruit any yet…besides it'll be nice having another girl around." Haruhi added in a quiet voice, wary of the princesses, who were slowly drifting out of the club room. Mai looked from one face to the other, the twins looking eager, Haruhi smiling brightly and Kyouya looking neutral, I don't really want to, it'll take time away from my studies, not that my old job didn't, but that's not the point! Then again, it is a good way to make new friends and fit in…well…it is only a couple of hours a day, plus a few events during the holiday…but what if I don't fit in? she wondered worriedly,

"Come on Mai, it will be fun!" Kaoru tempted,

"You get perks!" Hikaru added,

"We do?" Haruhi asked,

"Of course! you get to see us every day and free tea!" Kaoru replied indignantly,

"Oh, of course, and here was I thinking it was all about being dragged off to do things you don't want to do." Haruhi replied, laughing as the twins imitated Tamaki and sat at the edge of the room sulkily, both breaking into smiles as she laughed, "It's not the same without Senpai here…" she said with a far off look,

"Did I hear my name mentioned?" a silky voice asked, and as Mai looked at the door she saw a very handsome young man with blonde hair,

"Tamaki! I mean…Senpai, what are you doing here?" Haruhi asked with a blush as the founder of the Host Club entered, finding himself tackled by the twins,

"Lord!" they cried,

"Ah, my sons, are you pleased to see me?" he asked from his place on the floor beneath the twins, sons? What's he talking about? Mai wondered, realising quickly that where Mai had felt her friends were family, Tamaki had named his friends his family. "And who is this?" Tamaki asked as he got to his feet, un-creasing his white suit,

"This is Mai Taniyama, we were just trying to persuade her to become a hostess." Kyouya said cunningly, knowing that if anyone could persuade her it would be Tamaki, who had already swept to her side to coo over her, though when he saw Haruhi he immediately changed target, "Unfortunately we're not doing too well." Kyouya added, seeing Tamaki take up the challenge.

"I see, you don't want to be a host?" he asked, putting on puppy dog eyes that had swayed Haruhi on numerous occasions,

"Well I…I don't…" Mai began, backing off as the twins joined Tamaki in his efforts,

"You don't like us?" Kaoru asked, putting on a sad expression,

"You don't want to spend time with us?" Hikaru asked, mimicking his brother,

"It's not that, I don't, I just, I don't fit in here…" Mai stuttered, seeing Tamaki's expression soften and Haruhi smile assuringly,

"Don't worry, I thought exactly the same when I first started." Haruhi assured, placing a hand on Mai's shoulder,

"We think you'll fit fine!" the twins said,

"So what do you say?" Tamaki asked as he held his hand out to her. Mai hesitated, this feeling…so familiar…she thought as she gave Tamaki her hand, seeing him smile brightly, while Kyouya began scribbling in his notebook in satisfaction.

"It's settled, there is now officially a hostess in the host club." Kyouya said as he snapped his notebook shut.