After a few weeks of school, things began to gain a normal rhythm and I established a normality. I found that I despised the yellow dress which made up the uniform, and so I appealed to the board to wear something different. Had I been someone else I'm sure that the permission wouldn't have been considered, but I was given leave to come up with a new design for the female uniform. This would be a tentative change, and should I feel appropriate I planned to implement it after taking control of the family assets. Keeping in line with the current uniform and colours, I scrapped the butter-yellow dress all together. My new uniform consisted of a lavender knee length skirt, a white blouse, fitted lavender blazer, and dark purple tie; it bore a striking resemblance to the current male uniform.

Seeing as I didn't have an extra study session that night, I made my way to the club room after classes. This had become typical, and at the end of the activities I would go home with Tamaki, but I still kept my distance during club hours so as not to step on his toes. Instead, I found a baby grand piano tucked away in a corner of the room. After a few words with Kyoya he had the piano cleaned up and tuned, and I now practiced my playing after school providing the club with soft music.

Upon my arrival my presence was dismissed by Tamaki who tried to have as little contact with me as possible, and was greeted by the rest of the members. I'd still yet to figure out why Haruhi seemed so much less genuine than the others, but I'd also spent very little time with him. I'd grown quite fond of the twins after they stopped their petty fighting, and so they would take turns pairing up with Haruhi and I on class projects, and I would sit with them during our lunch hour. A wave and smile as I passed along the side of the room towards the curtained wall returned the greetings expressed to me.

The curtain ran the full length of the room and stood about four meters out from the wall. Behind it was the baby grand and a selection of other large instruments that had fallen by the wayside. It wasn't a large space by any means, but it gave me some freedom to play and express myself which I was grateful for.

Setting my bag down in the dim light beside the piano, I sat on the stool and laid my fingers on the ivory and black keys. I was just about to start playing when I heard Hikaru follow the typical "Welcome" chorus with, "Oh. It's just a kid."

Kaoru followed up shortly, "Not only that, it's just a boy."

Tamaki's smooth voice followed, inquiring "What's wrong, little boy? Did you come to my palace in search of something?" His mention of a palace reminded me that the club was dressed in Arabian clothes today, and that Tamaki was dressed as the 'king' of the set.

"A-are you the King of this place?" the naive little boy asked. Tamaki sighed contentedly; I inwardly groaned at the potential boost that Tamaki's ego would receive. "Well are you?" he continued.

"Come closer lost one." Tamaki beckoned. "What was it you just called me, little boy?"

"The King."

I'd long since removed my fingers from the keys, much more interested in hearing how this would play out.

Tamaki seemed to have a small conniption, and his ego very clearly became inflated. "The King! Yes, I am the King of the Ouran Host Club! Long live the King!" he swooned.

The little boy became frustrated, probably by Tamaki's antics. "I'm an elementary fifth year: Shiro Takaoji. I want the Host Club King to take me on as an apprentice!" the boy demanded.

My head fell, "Oh, sweet naïve little boy. What have you done to his ego, and where has your common sense gone?" I muttered to myself. It was at this point that I deemed this as an interesting event and quietly made my way from the curtained area into the light. I smoothed down my lavender skirt and blazer.

Kyoya told the boy to be back at the same time the next day, and signified the club's activities to be done for today. I decided to wait, and not introduce myself to the boy yet. I knew that this would be a bad idea, but I wanted to know what made him come to this extreme. Perhaps I could help him, and save him from the insanity that was my brother…


The next day in the club I sequestered myself to Kyoya's couch and drank tea while he worked. He rarely entertained, so I found it to be a blessing in disguise that I would have someone to sit with when I graced the club with my attendance. Because of my relation to Tamaki and Kyoya's and my engagement he didn't charge me, like he did the other patrons. Our couch was situated by Tamaki's, very near the center of the room making it easy to hear every conversation going on.

"Oh my, Tamaki, you have an apprentice?" a girl asked.

"Yes, he's still in elementary school but I like the fire in his eyes." Tamaki said, trying to sell the boy to the unattractive girl.

"But are you sure it's ok for such a young boy to become a host?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it be? Love has nothing to do with age. Take us, for instance. Whenever I look at you my heart starts pounding. Suddenly I feel no different than a lovesick little boy." He romanced. The girl swooned, and Shiro continued to stare uncomfortably at Tamaki and his customer.

"Oh Tamaki!" she exclaimed.

"Don't you think it's weird he's making the kid observe him up close like that?" Haruhi asked Kyoya, who was no longer sitting by me, but had moved to standing beside me as I sat next to the couch's arm.

"There is a theory that people are considered more beautiful the closer they are viewed." He explained slyly. "Tamaki seems to live by that theory. Well, let's leave them alone." He ushered Haruhi before walking off. Haruhi sighed before replenishing my cup and giving me an odd look.

"Can I help you?" I asked politely.

"You sure are an awful lot different than Sempai over there." He commented, looking in Tamaki's direction as my brother continued to please the girl with him.

"I suppose that's because of the difference in our upbringing." I said lightly. "Here, sit." I said, gesturing to the space beside me. He set down the tray he was holding and sat beside me, giving me all of his attention. "The reason Tamaki and I act different is because as a child he was never considered the heir to the Suoh estates. That was always me, as soon as I was born. Because of this Tamaki was raised like a Grantaine, which is our mother's side of the family. He was privileged, but never quite so much as me. My grandmother, however, made it her personal duty to raise me like her own child, even though I did live in France. I was raised as a Suoh, and it was always expected of me to take over the family matters once I was of age and had married." I started to explain. "But because of our different upbringings there was always a rift between Tamaki and myself. We used to be close, but we were never as close as some might think we were. I think that he was always jealous of me because of the way our grandmother treated me, while she despised him. When our grandmother came to bring me to Japan the first time, Tamaki volunteered himself in a fit of rage. Him and I had a fight that day, and he didn't want to be around me. He figured that if he could come here and impress our grandmother that he may end up in her good graces. He had expected to be the family successor after coming here." I sighed, the story dull from this point, and tragic in Tamaki's view. "A year ago my grandmother visited and declared that I was still the heir, and that she had found me a suitable husband from a good family. I planned with my mother for a while, closed off affairs in France and readied my life to be transported to Japan. Tamaki of course, doesn't know any of this. No one has told him why I'm here now, that he won't be the successor, or that I'm engaged to be wed. I feel that it would be best if I waited, and told him at the right time. You know how dramatic he can be." I said, brushing off the spec of pain I felt at hiding so much from Tamaki.

"Wow" Haruhi started, "When are you getting married? And to who?" he asked.

"I'm getting married in a little over a year. To be exact, the summer after Tamaki graduates. And I can't tell you who I'm marrying. Him and I have made a mutual decision to keep it a secret until the engagement party. I'm sure you'll all be invited though." I said with a smile. I knew that Haruhi was smart, and I didn't want to leave any clues as to who it might be. He would surely be the one to figure it out.

Behind us a commotion began to break out as Shiro insulted Tamaki's customer, the twins, and Hani. I shook my head as Haruhi picked up the tray again and began walking over to refill the teapot and the coffee pot. Shiro backed up right into Haruhi. Haruhi tried to talk to him when I heard the magic words come out of Shiro's mouth, "Are you a crossdresser?" and suddenly it all fit. Tamaki had a fit, making Shiro take the tea from Haruhi, and the twins were quick to jump in and protect the secret.

Shiro dropped the tea set and Kyoya told Haruhi it would be added to her total owing to the club. I stood from the seat and went over to Kyoya whispering, "Really now, can't you give her a break? It wasn't her fault." I pleaded.

"Somehow I'm getting the feeling that marrying you could be the death of me. Or if not the death, then certainly the bankruptcy." He grumbled before reducing what he had added.

"Thank you Kyoya." I said with a smile.

Some more fuss came from the boys behind us and a giant cage dropped on top of Shiro, trapping him from going anywhere. For a few minutes I tuned out the whole debacle, just standing with Kyoya and going over a few numbers with him. Revising the very few places he'd made mistakes and making the odd suggestion.

I clued into a few parts and discovered the true motive behind Shiro's actions. He wasn't trying to woo all girls, just one, and he had to do it fast. Kyoya was clearly paying attention more than I was as he quickly chimed in after Tamaki. "You see, here at the Ouran Host Club our policy is to use our individual personality traits to meet the needs of our guests. For example there's Tamaki, who is the princely type. There's the strong silent type; the boy Lolita type; the little devil type; and the cool type. It's all about variety. And now our group is complete with the addition of Haruhi: the natural." Haruhi questioned Kyoya's description quietly, "It would seem we have a perfect blend of characteristics, so it's going to be difficult to find a new type for Shiro."

I stood in the background as the guys debated on what he should actually be, all coming up short. That is, until Renge appeared again. She gave a spiel about how they weren't at all up to par with their character analysis. Personally I thought this was all bogus, but Shiro hadn't clued in to the true meaning behind the host club and the boys hadn't yet figured out that he didn't want to please all women.

I stood against the wall as Renge made a horrible show of "transforming" the boy. Tamaki applauded Renge, and Shiro stood up exclaiming that they were all idiots.

He made a loud exclamation about how this was all just a big show and none of it would help him. He ran for the door, and I slipped out of it right after him. I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him aside. "Shiro, talk to me. Why did you come here in the first place?" I asked kindly, and gave him a motherly look.

He melted like putty in my hands. "Because I can't make her happy, and I need to do it before she leaves!"

"Calm down, who is she, and where is she going?"

"She's this really nice, pretty girl in my class. Her dad got a new job, and they have to move far away for it." He explained sadly.

"Well, what does she like?"

"Well, uh she can play the piano really good. We used to be in the classical music club together."

A smirk climbed onto my face, and I knew what I could do to help.

"Shiro, I can help you. I promise you." His face looked skeptical, "It won't be anything like what they've been doing. Trust me." I gave him a reassuring smile.

"How will I learn from you then?"

"For starters, don't come back here. They don't understand. I'll find you." I said. "Now go, you should get home before it's too late." I urged and walked back into the club room.


The next day after school I already had my things packed up and all but ran to the elementary school just across campus. I had to find Shiro before my idiot brother got his hands on him again. Once I got to the elementary school I raced to the music room. I had a feeling he would be there, since I expressly told him not to go to the Host Club. He was sitting on the window sill looking depressed. I opened the door and went over to the teacher.

"Excuse me sir, but if it's alright with you I'd like to talk to Shiro. It's rather important and I do apologize for his absence lately."

He nodded and I went over, sitting beside Shiro on the window sill. "What do you play?" I asked, hoping and praying he knew at least some piano.

"I'm learning to play the piano." He said shortly.

"Good, I can teach you more. I can teach you to impress her, I promise. What are you learning right now?" I asked, trying to get as much information as I could.

Before he could answer a cute little girl came over and asked him about the new piece, and if he'd like to work on it with her. He seemed shy and I assumed that this was the girl he wanted to make happy. He refused and allowed her to use the only grand piano, she seemed grateful, but I wanted him to impress her with this piece. She started playing and I smiled to myself. "Is that the new piece?" I asked him.

"Yeah, she plays it beautifully." He said.

"I can teach you to master this piece. It won't hardly take any time at all." I said, confident in my skills. This was, after all, one of the first pieces I taught Tamaki. Thinking of that, I noticed that him and the others stood outside of the music room, watching through the windows. I noticed Tamaki's face glaze over as though in memory, and knew that he was thinking of the same thing I was. We were both thinking of the day I taught him to play piano.

Shiro too noticed the guys and burst out of the room, yelling at them. It was futile, Tamaki picked him up and started toward the High School. I followed after them, "Tamaki, you put him down! Tamaki! Listen to me, brother!" I shouted as I followed them, but he ignored me. I didn't want him to hurt this boy anymore, nor did I want Shiro's time to be wasted.

The room was dark and Shiro was thrown on a couch. I was at his side fast, helping him up and trying to protect him from Tamaki. They argued, and Tamaki called Shiro an idiot. I stood, "Tamaki, you cannot blame this little boy for your mistakes. I understand that right now you're hurting and you were wrong. I'm hurting too, but you can't take it out on him. He's young, he didn't know any better, and you being emotional because of a stupid song doesn't help anything!" I exclaimed.

Tamaki stormed over and ripped the curtain away from the piano. He sat down at what I had claimed as my piano and started to play the accompanying part to the piece. Tamaki started to explain that for the next week, until Hina moved Shiro would be taught to play like a master by Tamaki.

"As touching a moment as this is, Tamaki, I don't think you can really teach him." I stated, dryly.

Everyone looked at me in a scandalous manner, and Tamaki looked at me with pain.

"Why not, the Boss is great at the Piano!" Kaoru exclaimed, most agreeing with him.

"But you can help me to teach him. And it will take less time. Give him more time with her. He doesn't have much as it is, and I don't want you monopolizing all of it." I said.

"How can you say that you should teach Shiro? Sempai is really good!" Haruhi argued. I looked at her with a smirk, and Kyoya made his entrance.

"Because Karuma taught Tamaki how to play." He said.

"Tamaki, please move. I'd like to play something." I said politely. He nodded and moved out of the way. Sitting down on my stool I flexed my fingers quickly before placing them over the keys and playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, the third movement. He stood by Shiro, the club members behind him. Shiro was flabbergasted at what he was hearing.

"You know," Tamaki started, "She learned this on a whim, to play at her seventh birthday recital. She started teaching me when she was five." He said to Shiro, but everyone was listening.


Less than a week later Hina arrived at the club room and everything was set up for Shiro to show her what he had learned. I stayed virtually absent through the event, but I did listen to their playing. It made me happy that Tamaki and I had finally agreed on something after the dispute we'd been having, and it touched me to see Shiro and Hina play together. Together they played the piece wonderfully, and I don't think I could have been more proud.

After that Shiro started to become more and more like Tamaki after Hina left, and I faded out of the picture more, and more.