"So, how did you manage to put yourself in the clutches of those crazy boys?" Hakura asked.
Harhi looked over at her in confusion, "What?"
The two girls were sitting in Hakura's basement on comfortable, green furniture. Hakura sat in the arm chair (or "love seat" as her family called it) and Haruhi was sitting on the couch. Hakura had invited Haruhi over so that they could meet up with Kyouya and Tamaki at the movies. They still had a long while to go, so Hakura decided to start some small talk, although it was obvious she wasn't really good at it.
"It's a long story…" Haruhi started, sweat dropping.
Hakura looked at the clock, "We've got almost three hours, Haruhi. You can tell me as much as you're comfortable telling me."
Haruhi sighed, "Well, I was looking for a quiet place to study but all the libraries were full of talking people. I thought the music room was abandoned, but when I opened the door, I realized it wasn't empty at all. Every one of the hosts made a comment about my commoner status after Kyouya brought it up. Hunny-sempai attacked me with hugs several times. Hikaru and Karou attacked me too, but more with taunts then with hugs. Case in point, someone pushed me into a stand that held a 8,000,000 yen vase on it and I broke it. And that's how I became a member of the host club."
Hakura laughed, shaking her head, "That's all? I was expecting it to be longer. But wait, how long did it take for everyone to figure out you were really a girl?"
Haruhi tilted her head, "Kyouya knew it from the beginning. I think it was Hunny who figured it out next, when I told him his Usa-chan was cute. Hikaru and Karou were the next to figure it out when I kicked them out of the changing room. Mori found out when he saved me from Tamaki. Tamaki was the last to figure it out. He walked in on me while I was in the middle of changing."
Hakura laughed, shaking her head, "That's Tamaki for you. Sweet and obnoxious, but sometimes, utterly brainless. I'm not surprised Kyouya knew the whole time, nor am I surprised he didn't say anything about it. He's always been like that. He enjoys telling people things after the fact."
"So, how long have you known Kyouya-sempai, Hakura-sempai?" Haruhi asked, tilting her head to the side.
Hakura blushed slightly, waving her hands in front of her, "There's no need for formalities, dear. Just Hakura is fine. And as for your question… there's a lot to that story."
Haruhi chuckled, "Well, we still have three hours, Hakura. You don't have to tell me everything if you don't want to."
"Well, I first met Kyouya in Kindergarten. We were in the same class, but we never really noticed each other. One day, some bullies started picking on me and pulling my hair. Kyouya saw this and chased them away, telling them to stay away from me and not to hurt me or he would tell the teacher and have the teacher tell their parents. I thanked him and we started talking and decided that we'd be friends. Our parents noticed this and Kyouya's father had the brilliant idea of arranging a marriage between us. I was slightly confused what Kyouya meant when he told me he would marry me someday. I made him promise that he wouldn't forget, for as young as I was, I really thought it would be fun," Hakura started, chuckling a little towards the middle of the story.
The other girl listened, nodding and pursing her lips until Hakura was done. When Hakura finished, Haruhi opened her mouth to speak.
"So you originally lived in Japan?" Haruhi asked, slightly confused.
Hakura nodded, "I did. However, we moved to America the summer of my sixth birthday. Once I learned my address, I gave it to Kyouya and asked him to write me a note or something like that every once in a while. He agreed and he said our goodbyes. It was kind of hard to leave Japan, especially because I had to learn a whole new language just to get around. When I was young, I only received short notes because both Kyouya and I were still learning the proper way to write. As we got older, the notes turned into letters. They weren't love letters, though. They were like letters between friends, talking about school, people in general, and life at home. Occasionally, I would add an English phrase or two to help him sharpen his English skills and reading comprehension; not that he needed it, of course. When I found out we were moving back to Japan, I was very excited. I thought I was just going to go to an average public high school, just like I had gone to a regular middle school in America. I didn't find out I was coming to Ouran Academy until I looked at the test I was given and almost fainted…"
Haruhi looked confused, "Was it hard for you?"
"Hardly. It was super easy. I just was surprised that my parents wanted to send me to private school. They've always wanted me to know what a regular person's life is like. We are rich, and we do have a lot of expensive things, but I've grown up to appreciate the little things in life… Anyway, I got into the school and on my first day, did something that seemed really dumb at the time but in retrospect, it was hilarious." Hakura said, laughing.
"And what was that?" asked Haruhi.
Hakura laughed, "I asked for a tuna salad sandwich in the lunch line. Everyone, even the chefs, looked at me like I was nuts. They did comply with my request, which made me happy, but I wasn't used to the fine tuna they use in this school. I only ended up eating a quarter of it. Because of that stunt, everyone in my lunch avoided me. Well, except one person. I kept telling him to bug off, but he never really did. I smacked him really hard one time and he started to cry. I felt bad so I apologized. After a little while, he started to sit with me and drug his poor friend with him. I couldn't imagine how they were friends. The one who had been flirting with me was so loud and obnoxious and his friend was quiet and calm."
Haruhi blinked. The two boys sounded a lot like…
"Tamaki and Kyouya?" Haruhi asked out loud.
Hakura looked at her oddly, "Hm? Oh, yea. I met Tamaki first when I came here. I think he had a crush on me, which is odd, because normally, he only likes really pretty girls."
Haruhi frowned slightly, "Hakura, you are very pretty!"
The long haired brunette shook her head, "I'm really not, but thank you."
"You're a little too modest. There's no need for you to put yourself down." Haruhi said.
Hakura chuckled, "Everyone has flaws, my dear."
Haruhi rolled her eyes, "Anyway, you were saying?"
"Oh, right. I only met Kyouya again when Tamaki decided to drag him over to eat lunch with us. He sat by himself too, doing his schoolwork. We didn't recognize each other until they formed the host club. I explored it a little, not picking a specific host. Since Kyouya keeps all the records, he saw my name and caught him by surprise when I was talking to Mori-sempai. He pulled me aside, asking me a few questions. I was confused, because I didn't realize it was Kyouya because Tamaki never told me his name. When he finally told me his name, I was surprised. He had changed so much since I had last seen him. He had certainly gotten taller, slightly skinner and definitely more good-looking. I also noticed he had started wearing glasses, but that was okay, because I need them too." she said
Haruhi cut Hakura off for a moment, "You need glasses?"
Hakura laughed, "I do. I just wear contacts more than my glasses."
"Oh, okay. You can continue." the short haired brunette said.
The other girl laughed, "Anyway, after I realized it was Kyouya, I asked him why he hadn't said anything to me earlier. He didn't give me the answer I wanted, but an answer was an answer."
Haruhi nodded, "So, if you don't mind me asking, did Kyouya actually propose to you? Or did you just pick out a ring and start wearing it because both of your parents arranged it?"
Hakura blinked, "It was a little bit of both, actually. To tell you the truth, Kyouya picked this out."
She showed Haruhi the ring on her left ring finger. It was a decent sized diamond, probably about 3 or 4 carats, set on a white gold band that was lined with tiny little odd colored stones. Haruhi blinked, staring at the little stones.
"What are the little stones?" she asked, looking at Hakura.
"Hm? Oh, that's my birthstone, the Alexanderite." Hakura said, turning her hand around to examine the band.
"Huh… June, then?" Haruhi asked, blinking.
Hakura nodded, "Yep. June 14. That's flag day back in the US, but that's unimportant here."
"So, how did he propose to you?" Haruhi asked, not letting the ring distract her from her thoughts.
"Hm? Ah, yea. Well, it was early summer, actually. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and we were having a picnic in the park. It was my idea for the picnic. Kyouya would have rather gone to a fancy restaurant, but I insisted, since it was such a nice day. You could have considered it a date, which, in retrospect, it kind of was. We had just finished the main course. I had some sushi and soba while he had some sort of fancy fish. Before I could pull anything out of the basket, he held my wrist gently. I looked up at him as if to say 'What are you doing?'. He blinked, reaching into his pocket and almost fumbling to find the ring box. I wondered what the hell he was doing and was about to ask when he finally found it. He asked the question in the only way Kyouya knows how to ask things. 'This may sound odd to you, but will you marry me?' was what he said. I, like any normal girl, blushed like crazy. My childhood friend was asking me to marry him! How could I say no?" Hakura said, a blush tinting her cheeks.
Haruhi shrugged, "You could have easily said no… However, that sounds nice."
"So, I hear a certain someone has a crush on the Host Club King." Hakura teased, winking.
Haruhi blushed, sputtering, "I do not!"
Hakura blinked, "It's you? Kyouya had me under the impression that it was Jenette."
Haruhi felt something bubbling deep inside her, "Oh? They know each other?"
Hakura's eyebrows furrowed, "Well, their parents know each other. Tamaki and Jenette's mothers are both from France. I think Jenette's mom wants to arrange a marriage between Tamaki and Jenette."
Haruhi fought to surpress the sudden grip of jealousy, "Oh? But, they barely know each other…"
Before Haruhi could answer, there was a ringing and Hakura looked down at her phone. Hakura walked over to the door, put the white wedge heels she had sitting there on and took Haruhi's wrist, bringing the short-haired brunette up to her room.
"What are we doing?" Haruhi asked.
Hakura sat Haruhi down in front of the vanity, "We're giving you a makeover~"
"Ah, there you two are. We've been waiting." Kyouya said as Hakura and Haruhi approached.
Haruhi chewed on her lower lip. Normally, she wasn't super shy or insecure, but she was afraid of what Tamaki and Kyouya would think of her makeup. She had to admit, Hakura was very good at applying it and finding the right things, but Haruhi was just afraid of not being recognized. Hakura noticed this and turned to her.
"Haruhi, you look fine. Don't worry, you're still yourself. You just look a little different, that's all," Hakura said reassuringly, patting Haruhi's shoulder.
"She looks different? Kyouya, what does she mean by that?" Tamaki asked, looking at his friend.
Kyouya smirked, "See for yourself."
Hakura stepped aside, leaving Haruhi in plain sight. The latter female looked radically different. She wore a light green dress that brushed her kneecaps and had a beading pattern of a butterfly on the chest. She wore white sandals with a slight heel on her feet. She wore only a slight bit of makeup on her face. She had mascara on her eyelashes, making them look darker. The little bit of eye shadow on her eyelids matched her dress. She only had a little bit of blush on because Hakura knew that as soon as Haruhi was seen by others, a natural blush would complete the look.
To Hakura's surprise, both Tamaki and Kyouya didn't say anything for quite some time. Kyouya was actually the first to speak.
"You look very nice Haruhi." he said, nodding.
Haruhi coughed awkwardly, "Thank you, Kyouya-sempai."
Tamaki fought back a blush. Haruhi was a beautiful girl, no one could deny that. But a if a simple wardrobe change and a little bit of makeup did this to her, would she still be the same? Tamaki was really the only one to question that, because he always used to be so focused on outer appearances that he never really saw the good in people. At last, when Haruhi turned to face him he spoke.
"Y-You look…" Tamaki stammered.
Haruhi blushed, "I know… Different. But I'm still just me. You know, the female commoner who likes to pretend she's a boy?"
Tamaki shook his head, "No, you look great."
Haruhi looked him in the eyes as the two teens lapsed into silence. Hakura looked at Kyouya, who made the 'awkward' sign. Hakura chuckled softly before breaking through the silence.
"The movie's gonna start soon, so if you two loverbirds are done staring passionately into each other's eyes, then we should get moving~" Hakura said, giggling.
Tamaki and Haruhi looked away from each other, turning the same shade of red. Hakura looked at Kyouya. There was no doubt in either of their minds. Those two were smitten for each other. Now, if only they could come up with a way to get them together…
"We should do a combined event…" Jenette said, looking at Hakura's well put together spreadsheet.
"Good idea!" Hakura exclaimed.
The brunette looked over at the other hostesses, seeking approval. They all nodded enthusiastically and Hakura smiled, looking at Jenette. The idea was a go! All they had to do was to get the hosts to agree and then decide what the combined even would be.
The next day, Tamaki tagged along with Jenette to the Hostess Club Meeting. He tried glomping Hakura, who flicked his forehead and he decided to leave her alone quickly. Once the blonde male greeted everyone, he walked back over to Hakura.
"So, we decided that a ball would be most appropriate." Tamaki said.
Hakura nodded, but before she could say anything was interrupted by Jenette.
"Well, we are refined after all!" the blonde female sputtered, crossing her arms.
Everyone raised an eyebrow. Jenette's tone came out in a slight hiss, which was uncharacteristic for her. Hakura shot the hostess club queen a look that said 'we need to talk later'. Jenette nodded, walking over to Hakura. Tamaki watched the blonde, gnawing his lower lip. He was worried that she was going to tell Hakura something that was supposed to be under wraps. Unknown to the rest of the hosts and hostesses, Jenette and Tamaki's mothers had grown up together and had managed to persuade their husbands to arrange a marriage between them (the children).
Jenette pulled Hakura aside for a moment in a separate room to speak with her alone. She couldn't risk anyone else finding out. To be honest, she didn't want to marry Tamaki; she wanted Gabriel. Little known to her, Tamaki wanted Haruhi, not Jenette. However, Jenette did not know of the other blonde's wishes. She shook Hakura's arm to get the brunette to focus.
"Um… I have something to announce at the ball…" Jenette murmured softly, looking at Hakura through her thin black eyelashes.
"What?" Hakura asked, tilting her head to the side.
Jenette swallowed thickly, "Tamaki and I… are getting married…"