Yay! Another update! I'm sorry Mori hasn't shown up very often; I promise, more Mori is coming in the future! Yes, lots of him. More than Bisco Hatori (lovely, talented woman though she is) lets us have. Please enjoy!


The last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Kana inconspicuously checked her bag. Flick was moving around a bit, which meant she needed to take him home and feed him before he caused any further disruption. She skirted around Kyouya and Tamaki as quickly as she could, giving them both what she hoped was a grateful smile. They had both made her day a lot better than it could have been.

Tamaki called after her. "Come visit our club sometime, Kana-hime!"

Kana cringed. The other girls in the room didn't seem to like how he had adopted the use of her first name, nor the blatancy with which he continued to hound her about the club.

"Not today, Tamaki!" She called over her shoulder. She proceeded to hurry toward the exit (remembering to slow down just a bit; ladies don't run, after all). Or…what she thought was the exit.

Wasn't it here?

Kana paused, frowning. It was a large school; it may have been too much to ask not to get lost during her first few days. She opened a pair of large, ornate double doors, and was met with another hallway. There were several students collecting in this hall as they filed out of class, chatting amiably and in no particular hurry. She didn't recognize any of them, which was probably a good thing in her case.

Maybe this section of the school is for first-years.

Some of them seemed a bit younger, but it was difficult to tell. She carefully made her way down the wide hallway, trying to look natural. She didn't want to be noticed if she wasn't supposed to be here. Finally, she located a door that stepped out onto a small balcony, and she thought she could see a narrow stairway leading down to the front lawn from there.

Finally! I'll just slip out this way, and-

As soon as she made her way out to the balcony and shut the door behind her, she heard a "tsk" sound and turned to see three of her classmates seated around an ornate ivory table. One of them was Ayanokoji. Kana hastily bowed and backed toward the door.

"Forgive the intrusion!" she sputtered. "I didn't think-"

"Come back here." One of the other girls ordered sharply.

Kana paused. It would probably be wiser to do as they said. They would probably just ridicule her hair, her upbringing, her heritage, and status as a human being, then let her go. Kana thought she could handle that. She cautiously walked over to the table.

"This is the tea club," Ayanokoji announced imperiously. "We consider it our duty to practice and model proper etiquette for the betterment of ourselves and our peers." She smirked. "No matter how hopeless the case may seem."

Kana took a deep breath, trying not to react. "I appreciate your concern, Ayanokoji-san, but I really don't have time for etiquette lessons today. Perhaps another time…" She edged her way toward the stairway.

Ayanokoji sighed and rolled her eyes. She would probably be very beautiful, if she didn't have the constant air of irritation about her. "You are incredibly naïve, Kasuga."

Kana paused. Kyouya had said the same thing to her earlier.

Ayanokoji continued. "Your father may be a diplomat, but families like mine have enough money to buy any political favors we need. You have no power, here."

Kana frowned. "I'm not interested in power."

At this, all three girls laughed mockingly.

"Oh, Kasuga, really…" Ayanokoji dabbed at her eyes with a dainty handkerchief. "Of course you aren't. You want to be a veterinarian!"

Kana clenched her fists in irritation. She could feel Flick poking around in her bag again. "And what do you care about that? Why waste your energy mocking me?"

They didn't answer. Ayanokoji narrowed her eyes, and the other two glanced at each other, still smirking. The answer dawned on Kana, and it was so pathetic and obvious she almost burst out laughing herself. "Is it because Tamaki talked to me? That's what this is about?"

Suddenly, Ayanokoji stood up, eyes blazing. "Leave us, please," she growled to the other girls. They hastily obliged. Kana suddenly found Ayanokoji stalking toward her angrily, cornering her against the balcony railing. Two stories below, a little fountain bubbled with ironic cheerfulness. It occurred to Kana that she was very short, and Ayanokoji was very tall. It may not have been the best choice to cross her under the circumstances. But this was all in retrospect.

"Wait a minute, there's no need to-"

But Ayanokoji had reached Kana in just a few short steps, and forcefully put her hand over Kana's, which was holding her bag. She was pinned to the railing. "I think," the taller girl said with chilling composure, "that there is every need. You need to learn your place." With unexpected strength, she ripped the schoolbag out of Kana's hand, and moved to throw it over the edge of the balcony, into the fountain below. "I hope there's something breakable in here."

Flick.

"No!" Kana shouted, grabbing the other girl's arm. Ayanokoji seemed surprised at the resistance, and dropped the bag back onto the balcony. She didn't seem to hear the frightened "chee!" that the bag produced when it landed, but Kana did, and it made her even angrier. The anger was what got Ayanokoji's attention.

"…what's in your bag, Kana?" she asked, picking it back up before Kana could reach it. She held it over her head, smirking as Kana reached in vain to grab at the taller girl's wrists. "This is too easy."

"Give it back!" Kana demanded, knowing full well how idiotic she looked, jumping and grabbing at air while Ayanokoji stood there calmly.

"Tsk, tsk. That's no way to ask. You didn't say please…" she moved toward the railing again, with more purpose this time.

"No, please don't throw it!" Kana was near tears, frustrated at her inability to fight back, and scared for her pet.

"Ayanokoji!"

The two girls turned, surprised at the interruption. A boy stood in the doorway that Kana did not recognize. He was short, and sort of effeminate, but his eyes were dangerously narrowed. He meant business. To Kana's surprise, Ayanokoji paled when she saw him.

"Haruhi…"

"Tamaki forbid you from returning to the club because of acts like this. Do you want his father to expel you, as well?"

"Tell her to give me my bag back!" Kana said desperately. It was still in Ayanokoji's hands, dangling over the edge of the balcony, and the sight was making Kana feel sick.

Slowly, too slowly for Kana's taste, Ayanokoji turned and handed the bag back to her. Kana clutched it, and even unzipped a tiny crack, peeking inside. Flick's fur was puffed up, and his eyes were huge and frightened, but he seemed all right otherwise. Kana quickly shut the bag again, lest he make an attempt to escape. Hold on, Flick. It'll be all right when we get home.

"This is why Tamaki doesn't like you. It's because you're cruel and you're a coward; always picking on people who can't or won't fight back." The boy, Haruhi, was still lecturing Ayanokoji, who had turned furiously red. Still, she didn't seem to be able to look him in the eye.

"You'll pay for this," she growled, and then pushed past him, back into the school.

Kana sighed in relief, and turned to her savior. He was a short boy, probably one of the first years, and he had a very effeminate build. In fact, he could have passed for a girl, if he weren't wearing the boys' uniform. Stop thinking like that, Kana chided herself. He just rescued you and Flick. You shouldn't judge his appearance so much. She bowed. "Thank you so much. I'm sorry to have brought you trouble."

Haruhi smiled warmly at her. "No trouble at all. She threw my bag in that fountain when I first got here, too."

"But why?"

Haruhi shrugged. "I'm a 'commoner'. I came here to Ouran on a scholarship, and I think Ayanokoji resents anyone who is successful without money and power. She doesn't understand them."

Kana nodded. She had some money and power, but didn't really think about it a lot. That was also something Ayanokoji probably found difficult to understand.

"Are you all right, now? She didn't hurt you, did she? She can get a little intense sometimes. She throws tables."

Kana smirked at the image of prim and proper Ayanokoji throwing a table. "No, I'm all right. Thank you." She held out her hand to Haruhi. "I'm Kasuga Kana. I just transferred here from a boarding school in America."

"My name is Fujioka Haruhi. It's a pleasure to have met you."

Kana could feel Flick poking around nervously in her bag. He probably wouldn't settle down again until they were safe at home; he had been jostled quite a bit during the struggle with Ayanokoji. "I'm sorry to run off so soon, but I really need to be getting home, now…" she explained, hoping she didn't sound too ungrateful.

Haruhi checked his watch. "Actually, I have to get to my club meeting anyway. I'm running late as it is."

"Oh? What club?"

Haruhi averted his eyes, and actually looked a bit embarrassed. "The…Host Club."

Kana's jaw dropped. "Tamaki's host club?" It made some sense. A lot of girls would be attracted to Haruhi's big eyes and effeminate facial features. And he was a very attractive person; Kana couldn't deny that. But he seemed attractive in a different sort of way than the other members of the club that she had met.

"Yes, that host club. You know Tamaki?"

"He's in my class…"

Haruhi blinked in recognition. "I knew I'd heard your name somewhere. Actually, he mentioned you yesterday. He said he invited you to come visit us."

Kana flushed and looked away. "I would, but…I'm just not very good with people."

"You seem fine to me."

Kana looked back at Haruhi, who was smiling at her in the warmest, most sincere way. She could understand how he would make a good host. "Thank you, Haruhi, I appreciate that."

"You should come visit us sometime. They actually aren't all that bad…Tamaki and the others. Once you get to know them."

"I don't doubt it," said Kana, thinking about Tamaki and Kyouya, and how they had treated her kindly, each in their own way.

Haruhi bowed and hurried back inside the school to the Host Club. Kana began to descend the stairs, considering. Maybe visiting the…host club…wouldn't be such a bad idea. If there are people like Haruhi and Kyouya and Tamaki. She remembered the twins, and cringed. Then again…it could be bad for my health. She sighed. She didn't want to think about her father's reaction if he heard that Kana had visited such a club. He might actually be happy about it, she mused, smirking. He's like that.

She arrived at the bottom of the stairwell and made her way across the school's courtyards, to where her driver should be waiting for her. On the way, she glanced up at one of the windows. She didn't expect to see him there again, but-

She caught her breath. There he is.

The young man she had seen yesterday was perched in the same spot on the windowsill. From this angle, she had an even better view of him than before. He was incredibly tall and muscular, more so even than Tamaki. His dark, disheveled hair and dark eyes gave him an air of mystery and casual nonchalance. He was, she realized, devastatingly handsome. This time, he didn't have a chicken on his head. It was a tanuki.

She was staring. She knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. What kind of person had a chicken on his head one day and a tanuki on his head the next? What kind of person looked that good in a school uniform? What kind of person…turned his head…and looked her straight in the eye…

For several long, agonizing moments, he stared at her, and she stared back, frozen. And then, she did the only thing she knew how to do in these socially awkward situations: she ran away.


"Haruhi, you're late."

"Yes, I know. Sorry, but Ayanokoji was causing trouble again." Haruhi sighed, shutting the door to Music Room 3 behind her with some force. She was still vexed about the encounter.

Tamaki ran to her side. "What did she do to you this time? I swear, I'll make sure she-"

"It wasn't me this time, sempai," Haruhi explained, silencing him. "It was another girl. That new transfer student. Ayanokoji was trying to throw her bag in the fountain."

Hikaru scoffed. "That's what she did to you! I swear, the girl has no imagination."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "She tried to throw Kasuga-san's bag in the fountain? Did she succeed?"

"No. I stopped her. But Kasgua-san seemed pretty upset."

Kyouya nodded, seeming to understand something. "I can imagine why."

"Mitsukuni." Mori's voice unexpectedly interrupted the flow of conversation. Once again, he was seated at the windowsill, but instead of being apparently lost in his own thoughts, he was staring intently at something. Hunny came bounding over.

"What is it, Takashi? Do you see someone? Oh! She's the girl we saw at lunch, huh? Haruhi, is that the girl Ayanokoji was bothering?"

Haruhi came over to the window to look. The subject in question was running toward the courtyard. On the other side was the lot where limousines and town cars parked and waited for their passengers to get out of class. It could have been any student running that way, and Haruhi could only see the girl from the back. "I can't really tell. It sort of looks like her."

Mori frowned, but didn't say anything. Not that anyone expected him to. He took the tanuki off his head and held it in front of him, looking it in the eyes. The tanuki looked back.

"Mori, must you continue to keep these things in the club room?" Kyouya asked irritably, waving Piyo, Mori's chicken, away from the tea cakes. "They're pests!"

"Aw, but Kyouya, they're a big hit with the customers!" Hunny protested.

Kyouya huffed, but couldn't argue. "Where do they keep coming from, anyway?" He asked, kneeling to inspect the cardboard box which housed the newest addition to Mori's menagerie. A small, white rabbit sat huddled in the corner, its front paw bandaged awkwardly.

Mori walked over to kneel beside Kyouya, setting the tanuki on the floor. "I found it by the kendo building," he said. "It's leg is broken."

"Oi, Mori, why can't you just send it to a veterinarian, or something?" Kaoru asked. "Wouldn't that be easier? Or is this another one of your penance things?"

Hikaru smirked. "What, did you forget to tell the rabbit to floss after it ate a carrot once?"

Mori looked away, obviously embarrassed. "I…"

"Guys, leave him alone," Haruhi scolded.

"Mori," Kyouya said, making a note on his clipboard. "I actually know someone who has some skill with animals. I'll see if I can get her to come in tomorrow and look at that rabbit's leg."

Mori looked over at Kyouya, eyes widened a bit in surprise.

Kyouya smirked. "That is, if we can find a way to get her in the door…."

END OF CHAPTER.


Mwahahaaa! Mori speaks! What will happen next? Will Kana actually visit the host club? Will she ever realize Haruhi is a girl? Will Kyouya admit he has a heart, and it isn't made of stone? Will Mori and Hunny ever graduate? (I personally hope not on that last one. Not in the manga, anyway!) Stay tuned to find out the answers to these and more questions!

Please, review! Reviews are helpful for me to figure out what kinds of scenes my readers find funny, entertaining, sweet, or otherwise affective in some way. Leave some love!