A Girl Who's Hard to Find

"Kyoya," Tamaki dragged out the last syllable as long as he could.

Kyoya sighed, putting down his cup of commoner's coffee. "Be patient."

"His highness has never had to be patient before," one of the twins said, leaning over Kyoya's right shoulder.

"Especially when it comes to something you can provide," the other added, appearing over the opposite shoulder.

He glared into his coffee. "It's only been three days. She's just…hard to find."

It was true—he'd gone through almost all of his contacts looking for information, but no one seemed to know anything about her other than the Hashimoto family had moved her here after her parents' death. She'd been truthful when she'd said that she'd never been to the main house, and none of the staff even knew where she lived.

"You know what they say about a girl who's hard to find," the twin—who Kyoya suspected was Hikaru—said.

"There is no saying about that," Kyoya said. He had a feeling the twins were about to play some sort of prank on him.

The other brother opened his mouth to say something, but was—thankfully—interrupted.

"Who is hard to find?" Haruhi appeared at the table, instant coffee in hand. Her guests twittered a few tables over, already anticipating her arrival.

"The artist!" Tamaki whined. "You'd think she'd stand out more."

"Why would you think that?"

Haruhi seemed more interested than usual, but Kyoya had a suspicion it was more so the fact that Tamaki had an itch to find this other girl rather than her interest in being painted. Haruhi's moods towards Tamaki had shifted slightly since he'd almost run off to Paris to get married, though Kyoya doubted she understood why.

"She's an American with bright red hair," Kyoya replied.

"You know, I think I've seen her," Haruhi said. She turned and began walking towards her guests.

"What? Where?" Kyoya demanded.

"She sits in a park near the grocery store I go to," Haruhi called back. "She carries her paintings around with her."

Kyoya sat back in his seat, lifting an eyebrow.

"I could ask her if I see her on my way home today," Haruhi offered.

"No, that's fine." Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "I'd prefer to handle this myself."

The twins retreated back towards their guests. Kaoru looked pointedly at Kyoya. Hikaru just shrugged.

…

Kyoya had his driver wait at the entrance of the park, which caused a slight stir amongst the people on the street. He never minded the attention, mostly because he simply ignored it.

Some girls giggled as he walked past them. He checked his phone—2 o'clock, just like Haruhi had said. Coin should be around somewhere. Luckily the park was small, and Kyoya approached Coin on the path.

He recognized her even though a sunhat covered her hair. She was wearing a pretty pale gray sundress that stopped right below the knee, a purple sweater, and white sandals that were thrown under her lawn chair. Some paintings were spread out on the ground beside her, and her sketch book was resting on her lap. He ignored how truly relieved he was to see her there.

"Well, if it isn't Ootori-sama," she said as he reached her. She wagged a finger at him. "You must be the one lost this time."

"I'm right where I want to be, Coin-san." He returned her smile easily.

"Mel-chan!"

Kyoya turned to see some young children waving at them from the playground.

"Come play with us!"

"In a minute!" she called. "If you're going to continue popping up like this, you should just call me Mel," she added to Kyoya, waving back at the kids.

A little surprised, Kyoya pocketed his hands before removing them again. "Still trying to sell these ones, I see."

"They're a tough sell, but there's an older lady who stops by every morning on her way to the store. I think I can eventually convince her to take the koi." She squinted up at him, pulling the brim of her hat more over her eyes. "Why are you here, Ootori-sama?"

"You want me to be familiar with you, but you still call me so formally?" he said.

She smiled. "You never told me to call you anything different."

"Kyoya-senpai, at your service." He bent at the waist, took her hand off of her hat, and kissed the back of it firmly.

Her eyes went wide before she threw her head back and laughed. Kyoya was surprised as she squeezed his hand gently before pulling it away. "Who are you—Suoh-sama?"

Kyoya chuckled, straightening. "You remembered."

"He's hard to forget," she said. "He has quite a large personality."

Kyoya nodded. "He does. But there is a reason for the honorific. We run a club at school, and that is how the members refer to each other. That's actually why I'm here."

She nodded. "Please, go on."

"We would like to hire you to paint each member's portrait," he said.

She sat back in her chair, giving out a low whistle. "That school is no joke. A club wealthy enough to have the member's portraits painted?"

"Yes, well." Kyoya pocketed his hands again.

She stayed quiet, squinting at the kids across the path. "What sort of club do you run?"

"A host club. It's—"

Melanie laughed, cutting him off. "I know what it is. I didn't actually think those existed."

Kyoya smiled. "We are full of surprises, as I'm sure you'll see."

"How many paintings?" she asked.

"Six small ones and one large group."

She nodded before looking down at her paintings. Kyoya noticed one red curl had escaped the hat and was laying on the back of her neck. Her skin was tan from the sun. He had an overwhelming urge to brush his fingers against it to see if it was as warm as it looked.

"Would you mind coming over to my house?" she asked. She turned back, her eyes arresting him. "I would like to show you my portfolio and discuss prices before we make any final decisions."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "Is it wise to invite a strange man to your house?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't trust you?" she asked.

Kyoya didn't answer, though something inside him whispered that maybe she shouldn't—he couldn't even trust himself around her. That in itself was unnerving: was he losing his edge?

"Fine then," she said smoothly. "Where else would you like to meet?"

He cursed himself for his hesitation. She must have misunderstood his pause. "Would you like to come to the school? That way you can meet all the members."

"Mel-chan!"

Kyoya turned and saw the children waving at them from the swing set. Coin stood beside him, and when he turned back, she was smiling up at him. He almost felt lightheaded looking down at her. Her hand was on the back of her hat, and the other reached out and took his hand. She held it for a moment before shaking it gently.

"You have yourself a deal," she said. "When should I come?"

Kyoya felt his hand tighten reflexively around hers. Her hand was warm and small. There was a slight roughness across the pad of her palm. He hoped she couldn't feel how hard his pulse was pounding.

"Tomorrow," he said, a beat too late. "I'll meet you on the lawn."

"I'll be there, Kyoya-senpai."

Without another word, she slipped her hand from his and was off. He watched her stumble barefoot over the grass, laughing and holding her hat as the children raced over to meet her.

"Melanie!" The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

She turned back, her face alight with curiosity. The sun was mostly in his eyes, but as he took her in, hand in hand with a little girl, he was positive she was the most beautiful creature he would ever see.

"Just Kyoya," he called.

She smiled and waved before turning away and ushering the kids back to the swings.

He allowed himself to watch a moment more before making his way back to the car.

…

Melanie hugged her portfolio to her chest as she made her way across the lawn.

"Don't back out," she muttered. "Calm down. You're good at this. You deserve to be here."

Her positive self-talk wasn't helping, but she still tried to force herself to remain calm. Her stomach was in tight knots, and spotting Kyoya just a few hundred yards ahead did nothing to help her.

It had been so easy to say yes. He was sincere, and his smile had even reached his gray eyes as he'd asked her to call him senpai. He knew how handsome he was: she could tell the moment she met him. But this last time—well, he'd come looking for her.

He gave her a small smile as she neared. She returned it in full.

"Kyoya," she said. She loved the way his name felt as it rolled off her tongue, even as it stumbled over her accent.

"Melanie." He bowed slightly.

He seemed happy to see her, but it was getting harder to tell. Were her own emotions in the way? The back of her neck warmed. She held his gaze as he straightened.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"Let's."

She followed him as he turned away, straightening her spine. This would all be fine. Kyoya slowed just slightly so Melanie was almost next to him. Besides, Souh-sama would be there. She let out a soft laugh, remembering the way he'd swept her into his arms, convinced her to dance away from her sadness.

Kyoya looked down at her, surprise in his deep, gray eyes. She put a hand over her mouth, embarrassed, before smiling at him.

"I remembered something," she said.

"Oh?"

She nodded. "It was about Souh-sama."

A strange emotion flickered over Kyoya's face. Then his expression went blank. Melanie felt her own smile drop. What had she said wrong? She kept her eyes on Kyoya even as he averted his own and adjusted his glasses.

"It's just this way," Kyoya said smoothly.

Melanie nodded, the nerves returning. She really didn't belong here in this ridiculously ornate high school with this ridiculously handsome and cold boy. Her first instinct had been to drive him away—his eyes had been so calculating when they'd first spoken. But after he'd seen her cry…

She wondered what he had done with that painting after she'd let him have it. After all, it hadn't been for sale.

Kyoya stopped at a door, turned, and bowed deeply, gesturing broadly for her to open it.

She stood still for a few heavy moments. His demeanor had changed again. He glanced up at her, and his eyes had that same distance. Where was the boy from the park? Had she driven him away at the mention of Souh-sama? She felt her chin lift as she moved past him to the door. She put a strong hand on it and pushed it open without hesitating.

Rose petals swirled past her as the door swung open, almost with a life of its own. There, on an elegant throne, Souh-sama sat casually, a broad smile on his face. Around him were several handsome men, all posed in various faintly-seductive poses.

"Welcome to the Ouran High School Host Club," they said in unison.

There was another moment of heavy silence. Melanie sensed Kyoya come up behind her. There was almost an air of expectation around them.

Suddenly, she began to laugh, and not quietly. "Thank you for having me," she managed between breaths.

Souh-sama grinned and leapt from his seat. Melanie moved forward to meet him, but he grabbed her hand and twirled her in a circle.

"Mel-san!" he cried. "You are even more beautiful than I remember."

"And you are just as amusing." She smiled as he kissed her hand.

"I would never lie about a woman's looks," he said.

She carefully extracted her hand. "Thank you, Souh-sama."

"Ah, ah—senpai!" he corrected.

"So this is the American painter."

Melanie looked just past Souh-sama to see a devilishly handsome set of twins. They had spoken in perfect cadence, which caused a slight pain in her heart.

She curtsied to shake the memory that threatened to surface. "At your service." She looked up and winked at them, causing their eyes to widen slightly before identical grins slid across their faces.

"You're so pretty!"

She turned to a blonde boy who was clutching a stuffed animal to his chest. He seemed far too young to be a high schooler, but there was something about the strength in his stance, the set of his shoulders that made her think he was older.

"Thank you!" she said.

"I'm Honey, and that's Hikaru and Kaoru," said the blonde boy. He pointed at the twins, who were now leaning on Souh-sama's shoulders. "This is Mori!"

Melanie looked up at the man Honey-senpai gestured to. He was towering and strong, but as she saw his eyes flick from the boy to herself, she noticed a softness in his gaze. Maybe they were brothers?

"You have such kind eyes."

Mori-senpai's eyebrows shot up, and his face turned crimson red.

Melanie laughed nervously—the words had popped out before she could stop them. "I'm so sorry. Sometimes I speak without thinking first. I hope you don't find me rude."

"Mori wouldn't judge you over something like that!" Honey-senpai said. "He just doesn't hear that a lot. And that is Haruhi."

Melanie followed Honey-senpai's gesture to a slight figure standing behind everyone else.

"Hello."

Melanie met the large, light brown eyes, and instantly felt like a fresh breeze had enveloped her. Another girl here? This must be Souh-sama's Haruhi, then. Melanie smiled at her. "Hello."

"Now you've met everyone."

Melanie turned to see Kyoya with a clipboard in his hand. He was looking down at it indifferently. She felt her hand tighten instinctively on her book. Had this been a mistake? He seemed so different. This was the coldest she'd ever seen him, all facades dropped.

"Let us discuss the details!"

Melanie felt Souh-sama grab her hand, and she laughed as he dragged her to a table in the center of the room. The others followed, and soon they were all settled in their respective seats. Kyoya sat directly opposite of her and cleared his throat.

Melanie rushed ahead. "Before we discuss price, I would like to give you my sales pitch, okay?"

Kyoya raised his eyes to meet hers, and she could see he was slightly confused.

"But you're already hired!" Honey-senpai said.

She nodded, breaking her gaze with Kyoya. "I know, but I would like for you all to see my portfolio and hear about my process before we continue."

"Very well." Kyoya sat back in his chair.

Melanie stood, and placed her black book in the center of the table. It only took a second to flip open the cover, and it only took one more second for Kyoya to reach across the table and take it.

Melanie resisted the urge to tell him it was for everyone to see. "I've taken photos of all my commissions, as well as self-portraits."

"Let us see," the twins said, pushing Souh-sama out of the way.

"I usually spend a twenty-minute or so session with each client—wait." Kyoya looked up at her, and she cursed inwardly at her awkwardness. "Um, I mean—didn't you say it was for six small portraits?"

"I did," he replied.

"But there are seven of you."

"Oh, the twins will be in a portrait together," Souh-sama answered, trying unsuccessfully to get the portfolio from Kyoya.

"Well, that's not really fair, is it?"

The boys stopped vying for the book and stared at her. She cursed herself again when she felt her face heat up.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude. But if everyone else gets their own portrait, why don't they?"

Souh-sama laughed. "You're right! You'll each get your own."

"Whatever," Hikaru-senpai said, but it wasn't any too friendly. Kaoru-senpai sent him a worried glance that Melanie tried not to feel guilty for.

Melanie kept her eyes on Kyoya's. They were unreadable again, but they weren't distant or disdainful. "We can discuss that later. Anyway, in that session I usually sketch the person, talk a little, and get to know them. There's more to a likeness than looks—I really have to see who they are, you know, as a person. Then I'll go home and paint."

"That's it?" Hikaru-senpai asked.

"That's it," Melanie said.

"Excellent!" Souh-sama clapped his hands and laughed.

"Now, as for price." Melanie straightened her spine and folded her hands. "I would like 82,764 yen for the lot."

The table went silent. Melanie felt sweat develop on the back of her neck. She wished she'd worn her hair up. Kyoya's eyebrows lifted again.

"I know that seems like a lot," she continued. "But you have to factor in the cost of supplies for me, as well as the labor. This is a dying art, you know, and I'm actually giving you a very fair price—"

"We were thinking something much different," Kyoya interrupted.

Melanie felt her heart drop. She wasn't sure she could accept much lower. She had put a lot of thought into this pitch, the offer. "But—"

Kyoya slid the clipboard across the table. Melanie held his amused gaze for a moment, growing suspicious. She pulled the clipboard toward her.

She had to look over the sheet three times to make sure she could see the number clearly. It was a little over five times her asking price. Her heart thudded unevenly in her chest at the prospect. God, what she could do with this money.

Something churned deep within her, something dark moving under the shock. This whole situation was rather strange, wasn't it? What was this, anyway? Some joke? Suddenly she felt cold. She had told Kyoya that her relationship with her relatives was strained. Was this some sort of test? Had he found something out? How did he even know where to find her in the first place? What did he know?

"So, what do you say, Mel-san?"

Melanie looked up instinctually at the sound of Souh-sama's voice, only to meet Kyoya's cool gaze. Once again he seemed surprised, but she had no idea why.

"I refuse," she said, her voice flat.

She felt the surprise ripple around her in a wave. The group was silent once again as she stood, took her portfolio off the table, and bowed.

"Thank you for your time," she said. "Please excuse me."

With that, she spun on her heel and stomped from the room.

To be continued…

Authors note: I would really like to thank wealhtheow1, lilmissmaie, TheRavenSlayer13, Sammisis, and AmbianceAndRedVelvetCake for the favorites. Your support and feedback is much appreciated and adored!