Is something the matter, what a question, Ritsu thought as he blinked unable to stop the electric feelings that ran throughout his entire body. He wanted to ask Tetsuya his opinion on the whole matter but was unsure as to where he should start. "How do you show someone you are interested in them?"

Tetsuya smiles softly, "Has the young Master found someone he holds affections for?"

Ritsu blushes. "I think I may have..."

Tetsuya stifles a laugh. "But there seems to be a problem...?"

Ritsu nods. "I trust you Tetsuya-kun, so I need your honest advice on this, I can't fail at love again..." He sits up with look so serious that its almost a scowl. "Tell me how to woo someone who has to pretend to be someone else..."

Tetsuya remains silent for a moment. "I am afraid I don't understand..."

Ritsu sighs loudly, "I met the transfer student today and for whatever reason she is pretending to be a he..." Ritsu looks away ashamed. "I think I may have started off on the wrong foot with her as well...there was...a misunderstanding...but I really want to know more about her...all I do know is that Haruhi and her are childhood friends..."

Tetsuya again sit silent for a few moments. "This girl is disguised as a male student?"

Ritsu nods

"And you just met her today?" Tetsuya asks.

"After school in the Host clubs meeting room..."

Tetsuya smiles wide, "So tell me everything."

#!#

The morning breeze was cool and the sun peaked out just enough for the courtyard to be filled with its soft warm glow as the students poured in through the front gate from luxury cars with personal drivers. Ren strolled passed the bodyguards who regarded him with looks of disbelief, his bag tossed over as his shoulder and his shoes worn from walking. No car in sight, no hovering guard, just a tall boy looking back at them with disgust as he passed. He adjusted his glasses before pushing through a group of chatting girls, upsetting their protectors who dash forward after the boy with ill intent.

Ren laughs as the first one swipes for him, stepping to the side. "On school grounds? I thought people like you were paid to have tact..."

The three men scowl at the seemingly feminine boy, the one who'd grabbed for him growling in irritation.

"Takana-kun!" A male voice calls out.

Ren spins around spotting the blond king of the host club, unable to recall his name. "Eh?"

The growling bodyguard swings again connecting with Ren's side.

Ren stumbles but stays standing, looking back to the men with an irritated glare. "That hurt..."

Tamaki hurries over. "Hey, you men are making these ladies look bad. " He dramatically waves his arms around as if trying to shoo away a bug.

Ren laughs and drops his bag. "I get it now...Thank you Sempai..."He scoops his bag up and nods to Tamaki before walking away.

Tamaki stands sparkling, proud that he'd helped. The girls beamed up at him admiring his glowing beauty as his face dropped, suddenly remembering he'd had a purpose in finding Ren in the first place.

Ren hurries out of sight before doubling over in pain, knowing she shouldn't have laughed so hard after being hit like that. It was hard enough to breath without having been punched because of the bindings she wore under her uniform but then that host moron had stepped in and done something so foolish she'd forgotten why the faces of men like that pissed her off for a moment and then they'd hit her. It was his fault she'd been distracted yet she was glad he'd done so. Her frustrations with having to hide her gender often times manifested themselves in violent manners and such things weren't smiled upon at such a prestigious school.

She'd grown accustom to public schooling, her father had after all made them fugitives when he made the first one of the many mistakes in a long string of mistakes that lead to his death two years ago. The same string of mistakes that had caused her mother to kill herself when Ren was a child, that cost her her childhood friend ten years ago, the long string of mistakes that still held Ren's future hostage. Her temper flared when she was reminded of such things and men like those bodyguards always brought back bad feelings.

Ren sighed, she hadn't meant to stir those girls up.

#!#

Ren hurried to close the double doors behind roof had seemed a logical place to escape to but there were just more girls with questions, about 'him', about Haruhi and about Kasanoda-kun. Ren walked down the steps until she reached the bottom floor, sounds came from behind every door and around every corner, even during lunch it seemed this place had no solitude. She adjusted her powder blue jacket, her side still aching slightly, before hurrying outside irritated.

Ritsu Kasnoda had been having a strange day, girls stared even when he looked back. Some had even approached him and 'wished him luck with finding new love', he of course knew they meant so they could watch with those burning eyes. Girls were scary sometimes. He worried what the host club had planned for him, remembering the time he'd asked them for help. Had Haruhi even known what she was doing asking those idiots for help, he shook his head. No, perhaps thats why she asked him to do the most important part, even if they messed this up he couldn't. He was fine with being used like this, he'd already failed at love once and didn't really want to to fail again though. How would he even get close to Ren?

Ritsu rounds the corner and turns towards the sound of the doors opening forcefully.

The two stand blinking in silence for a moment, staring at one another as if trying to judge what the other would do.

Ritsu feels his voice catch in his throat as Ren walks away without a word. Ritsu turns and calls out, "Wait..."

Something snaps inside of Ren and she pauses. "What is it you want? Hmm?" not turning around to face him. "You know too much...so what's your price for silence?"

Ritsu falls silent unsure of how to respond. He hadn't planned on her thinking such a thing.

"I'm sorry I interfered in your time with Haru-kun..." She mumbles softly. "if that is any consolation."

Ritsu laughs. "Sort of...Haru-kun has already rejected me anyways though so it's not a big deal..."

Hurried girlish squeals can be heard from behind the doors and Ren grabs Ritsu's hand ducking into the bushes as a swarm of them pour out of the doors.

"Where did Ren-sama go?"

Feet shuffle down the path hurriedly.

Ren blushes inches from Ritsu's face as the two crouch behind the hedges. Ritsu stumbles backwards falling down, his face flushed bright red.

"Sorry..."Ren sighs, "being with me is trouble. You'd be better off avoiding me...but what is it you wanted?"

"I-I lik-like you..."Ritsu mumbles red faced.

Ren blinks without saying a word sitting down softly in the shade of the hedge.

Ritsu fidgets nervously as he watches Ren deep in thought.

More voices walk passed on the other side of the hedge and the door opens and closes.

Ritsu suddenly feels foolish, thinking maybe he shouldn't have acted without telling the hosts. They would have had a plan for this, him, he was just trying seize what he wanted. This time for sure.

"You don't know me..."Ren laughs softly, interrupting the silence. "But if your willing to play along I don't mind..."

"Play along?" Ritsu asks still twitching.

Ren nods with a strange smirk, adjusting her glasses. "I have to be a guy for now...so I can't answer your confession in a normal fashion..."

"I know that..." Ritsu interrupts.

Ren stands and walks around the hedge to go back inside. "You should think about it...Being with me isn't going to be an easy task...But I like you too..." With that Ren hurries back into the building.

Ritsu sits holding his head trying to think over what just happened. Had she really not turned him down but instead told him to think it over more.? Something about that made her seem a bit softer than she let on. He smiles to himself.