Disclaimer: I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.
CHAPTER EIGHT:
"Alone – Ouran's Beach Adventures"
"When were you going to tell me?" Kaoru asked, sitting down beside his brother on the couch as he touched his shoulder.
"About what?" Hikaru asked, curious to what his brother meant.
"You and Rin."
"I thought it was obvious," he muttered, which made Kaoru chuckle.
"I guess it was. It wasn't like you hid it from us or anything. But, I am your brother, and I would like you to tell me these things."
"I-I'm sorry Kaoru. I should have told you earlier. I'm such a terrible brother."
"Don't say such things, Hikaru."
"I wasn't sure how to say it…I'm so sorry."
"We've always been together. But, if you are happy, then I am happy."
"Oh Kaoru!"
"Hikaru!"
The two embraced, making Rin roll her eyes as she leaned over the couch. "I think you two need to save it for the bedroom."
…
"So, is it true?" one of the guests asked.
"You two are dating?" another asked as they all crowded around.
"Sad, but true ladies," Hikaru said, wrapping his arm Rin's waist.
"Oh, but don't worry…" Kaoru started.
"The Brotherly Love Package is still available," they finished in unison.
"What about the male clients?" Haruhi asked. "Won't they get upset?"
"Not really," she answered. "I'm more of a fantasy than a reality to them."
"Get your hands off of my precious daughter!" Tamaki yelled from the other side of the room.
Hikaru rolled his eyes as he pulled Rin close to him. "It's official, isn't it? I can hold my girlfriend as much as I want now." He smirked.
"You should not speak about your sister in that way!"
"Hm, we'll see about that." He titled his head and pressed a quick kiss on her lips, giving a smirk as Tamaki started to explode.
"Ah! How cute," one of the guests squealed.
"How dare you so such a horrid thing! You're going to pay!"
"Not this again," Haruhi groaned, placing her forehead into her open palm.
…
"The beach?" Haruhi asked.
"Yes, the beach!" the twins exclaimed.
"The beach…"
"You said so before, didn't you?" Hikaru asked.
"You wouldn't mind going to a real beach," Kaoru said.
"Did I say that?"
"Yes, you did. And so…we've prepared some swimsuits for you."
"Isn't this cute?" Hikaru asked as he gestured to the mannequin wearing a pink, ruffled bikini.
"I think…that this would look good on Haru-chan," Honey-senpai suggested as he held up a mannequin wearing a blue, one-piece swimsuit with a blue skirt attached at the bottom.
The twins audibly tisked, waving their fingers. "You don't get it, huh, Honey-senpai?"
The twins expertly moved around the hundreds of mannequins and picked Haruhi up off of her chair, lifting her up by her arms.
"Just wearing this uniform helps to gloss over the fact that she's as flat as a cutting board," Hikaru said.
Little Miss A-Cup
"A one-piece type of suit like that would only invite tears, by making it obvious how utterly poor her figure is," Kaoru continued. The twins let go of her arms as she fell down to the ground, giving them a glare as she stood back up and sat down on her chair.
"On that point, we carefully selected this separate-type suit. The frills do a fine job of covering the absence of any bust!"
"What about Rin-chan?" Honey-senpai asked as he looked around at all the mannequins. "Does she have to do that?"
The twins shook their heads.
"She's a little different…"
"…As she would fit into most of these swimsuits."
"But we have a preference, of course," they finished in unison.
"What do you have in mind?" Rin asked as she titled her head, wanting to see what they could have possibly picked for her.
"Something like this."
They both gestured to a two piece swimsuit hanging on the mannequin. It was a deep blue bikini with a white lining and a light blue, floral sarong as a skirt.
"Oh, that's quite nice," she said as she touched the material, quite liking the design. "I really like this one."
"Our mother designed it specifically for you, after all," they said in unison and she gave a smile.
"How dear you guys heap sexual harassment on my little girls!" Tamaki yelled. He imagined himself to be a baseball player, smashing the baseballs – who were the twins – out of the park. "That's enough of that!"
The twins, not wanting to be smashed for real by the baseball Tamaki was holding, hid behind the table Haruhi was sitting at. "Then, we aren't going to the beach?"
"Whoever said we weren't going?" Tamaki asked, placing the bat over his shoulder.
"Oh, then you do want to go!"
"Awesome," Rin cheered as she kept looking at the swimsuit.
"Can Usa-chan come, too?" Honey-senpai asked with a giant smile.
"I have no objections," Kyoya said, writing down things on his clipboard.
Mori-senpai, staring at the bikini top that was made of sea shells.
"Huh? We're really going?" Haruhi asked.
"Come on, let's go to the beach!" Tamaki announced.
"The Sun, the Sea and the Host Club!"
"So, why Okinawa?" the twins asked.
"Kyoya's folks have a private beach here," Tamaki stated.
"It's a beautiful place, huh?" Honey-senpai asked.
"Yeah."
"But as long as we're going somewhere, why not Fiji or Hawaii or the Caribbean?" Rin asked.
"Do you think Haruhi has a passport?" Kyoya asked with a smirk.
- "Ahh…"
- "Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness," Haruhi said, rolling her eyes.
…
"The view is breathtaking, isn't it?" Rin asked as she stared at the ocean, the waves gently crashing onto the rocks.
"Yeah, it is," the young male said beside her, staring at her instead of the waves.
She turned her head to him, catching him in the act. "You were just saying that, weren't you?"
The boy's face turned red, trying to stutter out an excuse. Instead, Rin just laughed as she shook her head.
"You're too cute for me to be mad," she said with a smile.
…
"It's so pretty. Tamaki-kun, being alone with you, looking out at the sea, is like a dream."
"It's no dream. But if I could have my way, I'd wish that I could appear in your dreams tonight."
"Tamaki-kun…"
…
"Take it easy, Hikaru!" Kaoru called as he started to chase after the volleyball that bounced on the sand.
"Sorry! I'll get it!" he announced as he ran around the net. "Wait for me, Kaoru!"
"It's not me! The ball is running away!"
Hosts working on location
"Your two-shot time is up. Next, please," Kyoya said as he addressed a long line of girls, all waiting to sit with Tamaki on the rock and stare at the ocean.
Haruhi sighed as she sat underneath a large beach umbrella. "Why are we conducting Host Club activities here at the beach?" she asked herself.
She turned her head to see Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai in the distance, doing a mixture of a weird dance and yoga with a few females.
"Haruhi-kun…"
Haruhi turned her head to see three girls standing behind her, all with hopeful looks on their faces.
"Haruhi-kun, aren't you going swimming?" one of them asked.
"Oh, I like looking at the sea more."
"Well, would it be okay if we joined you?" the second girl asked.
"How come? Go ahead and swim. You're wearing such cute swimsuits, and all."
…
"We were completely fooled, huh?" Hikaru asked with a sigh as he bent down and picked up the ball.
"Who'd have thought he'd bring the guests with us?" Kaoru asked.
"We really didn't figure on that."
"I invited you club members along for free, so be sure to perform your services," Kyoya said as he sat at one of the tables, still writing on his clipboard.
"But with guests here…"
"…Haruhi won't be able to wear her swimsuit."
"That shouldn't be the only reason you wanted to come here," Rin said as she folded her arms.
"You're all I want to look at," Hikaru said with a smirk as he moved closer to her, standing behind her as he wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her close to his body.
"Nice save," she said, playfully rolling her eyes as she felt him gently kiss her neck in forgiveness. "All right, that's enough," she giggled.
"Everything has been taken into account," Tamaki said, trying to hide his anger for what Hikaru was doing. "Did you think that I would let my dear little girl in her swimsuit be exposed to your eyes?"
"But she's allowed to?" they asked as they pointed at Rin, who was wearing the swimsuit that their mother had designed for her.
"As much as I do not want you perverts looking at her, she keeps the guests entertained."
"I'm so glad that I can only wear clothing for men to stare at me…"
The Theatre of Tamaki's Mind:
"And then, come sundown, Haruhi and I will take a stroll, just the two of us, along the shore."
Haruhi wore a pink, frilly dress as the two walked across the beach together barefoot, stopping as they stared at the sunset.
"It really is a pretty sunset," she said, her voice sounded much sweeter than normal. "I wish we could stay like this and watch it together forever."
"Or something along those lines! That would be just too much, huh?" Tamaki squealed, his face pure red as he squirmed in his seat.
"What could have come over Tamaki-kun?" one of his guests asked.
"Don't worry about it," Hikaru said, sitting down on one of the beach chairs.
"It's his usual condition," Kaoru said, doing the same.
"He'll be back in a few minutes," Rin said as she patted the concerned girls on the back.
…
"Have either of you been in the water yet?" Rin asked as she stretched, staring at the calm ocean.
"Not yet, why are you asking?" the twins asked.
"I'm just a little hesitant to try it out."
"Why?" they asked, both of them smirking as an idea popped into the heads.
"It might be freezing- Hey! Put me down!" she shouted, Hikaru lifting her off the ground and over his shoulder, taking a few steps towards the water.
"You ready?" he asked with a smirk, making her gasp as she clutched onto him, trying to hold on.
"No, please!" She screamed as she was thrown into the water, her body being hit with the freezing cold water. She quickly swam back up to the surface, gasping as she shivered. "It's so cold."
"Didn't you say you wanted to try it?" He chuckled as she noticed Kaoru – back on the shore – laughing his head off.
She dove back under the water, bearing the freezing waters as she swam over to Hikaru. She tugged on his leg and pulled, sending him under the water with her. She laughed as she swam back up to the surface, him following as he shivered.
"It really is freezing," he stuttered.
"Well, that's what you get for chucking me in."
"You're devious, you know that right?" He swam towards her, pulling her close to him.
"Are you always this affectionate?" she asked.
"Only around you." He bent his head down and kissed her lips, moving his hands to her waist. She moved her hands to his neck, slowly running them through his hair.
The girls on the shore sighed, swooning at the sight.
"She's so lucky!" one of them cooed.
"Lucky bastard," one of the male guests grumbled, earning him glares from the girls surrounding him.
"How dare you call him that!" they yelled in unison as they chased after him.
…
"Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai called. "Let's go hellfish shunting!"
He sat on the beach, a pink bucket with a red spade in his hands as he glanced into the water.
"I think you mean 'shellfish hunting'," Haruhi commented. "And I've never heard of anyone going shellfish hunting…anywhere like this…" She trailed off, noticing that the bucket was filled with shellfish.
She noticed a single crab crawling on the sand. "What is this!?" she screamed as she suddenly noticed that the entire beach was filled with crabs and shellfish.
Mori-senpai – curious as to how there were so many shellfish and crabs – and climbed on top of a giant rock. He looked over the top to see Kyoya on the other side.
"Mori-senpai," he said. "My folks' private police force wanted to make up for their offense toward Honey-senpai earlier, so I'm letting them do this."
There were officers standing in a huge line, handing each other hundreds and hundreds of buckets filled to the brim with shellfish.
"Hey, what is going on over here?" Rin asked as she and Tamaki walked over.
"We're hellfish shunting," Honey-senpai called, a giant smile on his face.
"He means shellfish hunting," Haruhi corrected as she kneeled down on the ground next to him.
"Where were you able to find all of these?" Rin asked, staring at the rows and rows of buckets.
She felt a tap on her shoulder, Mori-senpai standing behind her and pointing at the rock that he had just climbed over. The two walked over, and he helped her stand on top of the large rock, her being too small to reach. She looked over the top to see Kyoya talking to his police officers, all of them starting to pack up their trucks.
"Oh, Hayashi-san, don't mind us," Kyoya said. "Just business as usual."
Neither of them said a word as Mori-senpai helped Rin back down to the sand.
"Amazing! What a haul!" Honey-senpai shouted, staring at the the many pink buckets filled with shellfish.
"We're going to have a fancy side dish tonight, huh?" Haruhi said as she stared in awe. "It's going to be delicious."
Brimming with happiness
"Well, you two look like you're enjoying yourselves, so I guess it's all right," Tamaki said with his hands on his hips.
"Senpai!" Haruhi called. "We caught a big haul for tonight's supper!
"You did, you did, my little girl?" he cooed, holding his hands to his red cheeks.
"That's a little creepy, Tamaki," Rin said as she folded her arms.
"A big haul! A big haul!"
"Huh? What was that?" the twins asked as they turned their heads, still sitting on their beach chairs.
"Tonight's supper is going to be a real treat!"
"What do you think, Haruhi? Do you find this large crab to be…crab-tivating?" Tamaki asked, holding up a crab with a smirk on his face.
"Yes," she said as she laughed.
"How cute!"
"Uh, Tamaki…" Rin said as she pointed at the crab. Tamaki's whole body froze once he noticed the slimly creature sliding across the crab, moving close to his fingers.
"Cen…"
"…Ti…"
"…Pede!"
All of the girls screamed as they started running away, terrified at the sight of the creepy crawly. Even the twins and Honey-senpai followed, but Honey-senpai just wanted to join in with running away.
"Don't worry Rin, we'll protect you," one of the male guests shouted as they ran over to her, standing in front of her to protect her from the centipede.
Haruhi didn't hesitate as she stepped close to Tamaki, grabbing the centipede with her bare hands and chucked it over the top of the giant rock.
"Hey, Haruhi…" the twins started as they rested their elbows on her shoulders, making Tamaki give them the death stare.
"As much as it would pain me to think that you're a bug-loving, kind-hearted girl…" Hikaru started.
"…Couldn't you have at least set that thing free more gently?" Kaoru asked.
"It's okay. It will take more than that to kill it," Haruhi said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Haruhi-kun is so manly."
"And yet so nice, huh?"
"Fantastic!"
The girls all swooned as they rushed over behind Haruhi, visible hearts flying from their bodies. The twins quickly slid away, leaving Haruhi behind to handle herself with all the girls.
Rin slid over, linking her arm with Haruhi's with a smile as she slowly dragged her away from the large group of girls and over to one of the tables and chairs. The girls didn't seem too bothered as many of them knew of her and Hikaru's relationship, so they had no problem with Rin and Haruhi hanging out.
"Come on, let's go get a drink," she said as they stood beside one of the tables that had two pre-prepared drinks waiting for them.
"How is that…?" Haruhi trailed off, shaking her head.
"I'm still not sure why you question the Host Club's antics so much."
"I'll never get used to it," was Haruhi's simple reply as she sat down in one of the deck chairs, shaded by a large pink umbrella. Rin sat beside her on the other chair, pulling out a romance novel and starting to read, both of them enjoying the little relaxation that they could get.
…
"Well, okay, fine," Hikaru said as the twins moved over to a still shocked Tamaki.
"Usually, though, girls react quite differently," Kaoru said.
"Isn't there anything they're afraid of?" Tamaki asked, still holding the crab in his hands, almost like a statue.
The twins grew smirks on their faces as they looked at each other, both of them forming the same idea.
"Sir! Sir! We just thought up a fun game. Want to play? We call it…the 'Who can find Haruhi and Rin's weakness?' game!"
"What an awful-sounding game," Tamaki muttered.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Hikaru said. "She'd only show their weakness to someone they were close to, and all."
"Does that mean you get half?" Kaoru asked and Hikaru nodded, making Tamaki snap out of his delusion.
"What are the rules!?" he shouted, stopping them from walking away.
"That's more like it," they spoke in unison.
"The deadline is tomorrow at sunset," Hikaru announced.
"Whoever finds out what their weakness is first, wins," Kaoru finished.
"I will give whoever wins a prize," Kyoya said, a smirk on his face as he held up six pictures – three of them of Haruhi in middle school, and the other three of Rin during middle school.
The three gasped in unison as Tamaki rushed forward towards Kyoya as he tried to get a look at the pictures.
"We're in on this, too!" Honey-senpai announced as he and Mori-senpai rushed over.
"So then, everyone is playing." No matter where Kyoya moved the pictures, Tamaki followed them, screaming as he flapped his arms as he demanded where Kyoya had gotten the pictures from.
"But Kyo-chan, how is it that you have those photos?"
Kyoya placed the photos back inside the pocket on his shirt, making Tamaki pout at the loss of seeing the pictures.
"I have my sources. Why don't we just leave it at that?"
And so…
Let the games begin!
"This place here…is said to be a paranormal spot, which not even the locals will come to very often," Hikaru said, his voice echoing off the cave walls.
The twins had dragged Haruhi out to walk with them into the cave on the island, and two of the female guests had wanted to join as well.
"It's a cave that only shows itself at low tide," Kaoru said. "Up to now, they say that a lot of people have drowned down here. They say that their lingering resentment drags passers-by into the dark."
"What's that there!?" Hikaru shouted as he shined his light up in the right corner, making the girls start shivering. It was a dark creature with glowing, purple eyes screaming at them.
The girls screamed and cried as they clung onto each other.
Haruhi stood by, a hand creeping out of the shadows and grabbing her shoulder. Yet, she didn't even flinch.
"What is this? A test of courage or something?" Haruhi asked as she turned to see who was operating the hand. It had been Hikaru, who shined the torch under his face as he held the puppet with purple eyes.
"Aren't you afraid of ghosts?" Kaoru asked, holding up the same puppet but with red eyes instead.
"I've never seen one."
Paranormal fear strategy…failed
Let's try again…
"This place here…is said to be a paranormal spot, which not even the locals will come to very often," Hikaru said, his voice echoing off the cave walls.
The twins had dragged Rin out to walk with them into the cave on the island this time, and two of the female guests had wanted to join as well.
"It's a cave that only shows itself at low tide," Kaoru said. "Up to now, they say that a lot of people have drowned down here. They say that their lingering resentment drags passers-by into the dark."
"What's that there!?" Hikaru shouted as he shined his light up in the right corner, making the girls start shivering. It was a dark creature with glowing, purple eyes screaming at them.
The girls screamed and cried as they clung onto each other.
Rin watched with suspicion, noting something strange about the creature in the corner. She felt a hand being placed on her shoulder, and rolled her eyes.
"Are you really trying to scare me?" Rin asked as she turned and saw Hikaru behind her, his head dropped as he sighed.
"Aren't you afraid of ghosts?" Kaoru asked.
"If they were real, maybe. But these ghosts are obviously fake, right?"
Paranormal fear strategy…failed…again
"Haru-chan! Over here, over here!" Honey-senpai called, waving his arm with a giant smile on his face.
"Um…" Haruhi muttered as she glanced at where he was. He was standing inside a giant truck with the Otori police symbol on the side, and about thirty guards standing around them. "Is this thing even allowed to be on the beach?"
But, she still went inside the truck.
"Okay, private police people, if you please!"
The guards saluted as the door slammed shut, creating a loud bang that echoed inside the vehicle. It was very dark and very quiet. And only five seconds passed before…
"It's dark, and confined, and scary! It's dark, and confined, and scary!" Honey-senpai chanted over and over.
- "Honey-senpai…" Haruhi sighed.
- "And confined, and scary! It's dark, and confined, and scary!"
Claustrophobia attack strategy…failed
Let's try again…
"Uh, Honey-senpai?" Rin asked as she noticed the large truck and the many guards surrounding it. "What are you doing?"
"Come inside with me Rin-chan!" He called.
She sighed, but did so as she pulled herself up inside the truck, wondering why they would be getting inside Kyoya's family's police force truck.
"Okay, private police people, if you please!"
The guards saluted as the door slammed shut, creating a loud bang that echoed inside the vehicle. It was very dark and very quiet. And only five seconds passed before…
"It's dark, and confined, and scary! It's dark, and confined, and scary!" Honey-senpai chanted over and over.
The door was suddenly swung open and Rin squinted at the bright light. "Are you okay, Honey-senpai?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Why did I do that again?" he shuddered.
Claustrophobia attack strategy…failed…again
She stood face to face with the sharp point of the harpoon, only a few centimetres from stabbing her.
"This is a mori, right, Mori-senpai?" Haruhi asked.
Mori = harpoon
A play on words?
"Yeah."
Fear of sharp objects strategy…failed
Let's try again…
"Mori-senpai? I think you're choice of weaponry here is a bit extreme, don't you think?" Rin asked as she stared at the tip of the harpoon, though she didn't flinch.
He sighed, and she quickly got the idea.
"I know you wouldn't actually stab me with the harpoon!" she shouted as he walked away.
Fear of sharp objects strategy…failed…again
"This game is useless, huh?" Hikaru asked, sitting on the bottom step of the small lodge, watching as the sun started to set.
"Ah…I'm getting bored," Kaoru groaned.
"She's not cut out to be a heroine, with all those things she's not afraid of." They groaned as they watched Haruhi walking along the beach with a shovel and spade, looking for seashells.
Kaoru looked over at his brother, raising an eyebrow.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Hikaru asked.
"I thought you would have known Rin's by now," he responded.
"Should I?"
"You are her boyfriend, aren't you?
Hikaru shrugged his shoulders. "It never really came up in conversation."
Kaoru sighed as he lowered his head. "You're hopeless."
"Oh…"
The twins quickly turned around, Tamaki crouched down behind the wall, rummaging through the plants.
"Sir?" Hikaru asked.
"What are you doing?"
"Rat snakes!" Tamaki shouted as he stood up, holding a bucket filled to the top with the long, slithering creatures. "Having this many together has to be icky, right?"
"Anyone would find those unpleasant. That's not a weakness," Hikaru said with a sigh.
"Then again, does Okinawa even have rat snakes?" Kaoru asked
…
"And another side dish," Haruhi muttered to herself as she picked up a mussel, smiling with delight as she chucked into the bucket with the rest.
Rin sat on one of the rocks, watching with boredom as Haruhi gushed about the food they would have for dinner. The wind was slowly starting to pick up, the weather changing as the sun set into a more cold night.
"Haruhi-kun! Rin!" a girl called.
The two of them looked up to see three girls – Haruhi's regular customers – standing on the tallest rock, waving down at the two of them.
"Hey there!"
"This breeze feels great!"
"It's dangerous up there," Haruhi pointed out.
Rin stood up as she touched the rock above her, grabbing hold as she pushed herself up.
"Rin, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm climbing the rock," she responded as she continued to climb up the many, sharp rocks. Haruhi gave a sigh as she rolled her eyes, going back to looking for more side dishes for the seafood dinner.
Once Rin had reached the top, the three girls smiled at her as they looked at the horizon, the sky a mixture of pink and orange. The wind blew through each of their hair, the refreshing cool breeze being a change from the heat from the sun.
"This feels great, huh?" one of them asked, and Rin nodded.
"Yeah, it is," she said as she tried holding her ponytail down as the wind blew through it, some of it going in front of her face.
"Mm-hmmm."
"Oho, there are girls up here!" a male shouted from behind them, making the three turn quickly to see two, tall men walking towards them.
"Lucky! Hey girls, let's play together," the other said, a bottle of alcohol in his hands as he staggered closer to them, his also drunken friend standing beside him with a smirk. He chucked the bottle down onto the beach below as a smirk grew on his face.
"What are you people doing here?"
"Who cares? It must be dull having no one but girls around, huh?" he asked as he grabbed hold of one of the girl's wrists.
"Please stop. This is a private beach."
"What's that? Does that mean 'sweethearts'?" the second asked as he wrapped his arms around the other two girls, making them scream.
"Girls, I need you leave, right now," Rin whispered to them, making their eyes widen as she nodded at them. "Go get the others."
The first girl quickly broke herself away from the man, running down the rocks as she called for her friends to quickly join her.
"Oh no fair," the man groaned as he watched her run away.
"Why don't you ask girls who are actually willing?" Rin asked, making the second man scoff as he let go of the two girls. They quickly took off into a sprint, thanking Rin and promising her they would get the others.
She just hoped her plan would work till then.
"Oh, and who is?" the second man asked.
"Yeah, sweetheart, turn around and show us your face."
She faked a smile as she turned towards them. "Is this better?" she asked sweetly.
"And you said I had bad taste in women," the second man purred as he scanned her up and down.
"She's pretty good looking, isn't she?" the first man asked with a smirk as she moved closer to her. "You must be so bored of just being around females."
"Oh, how could you tell?" she asked as she reached for her, taking it out of her ponytail. "Am I that obvious?" She batted her eyelashes, making the first man elbow the second as he chuckled.
"See, women are so easy," he whispered as he moved closer.
"How about you join us for a couple of drinks, huh?"
"Ooh, are there more you handsome boys?" she asked. He smirked as he slipped his arms her waist, pulling her close until their bodies were touching. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"So, what do you say?" He leaned his head down towards her, his breath hitting her face.
She gave him a smile, right before she lifted her knee up. He screamed out in pain as she clutched his groin, falling to the ground as she smirked. She took several steps back, the second man finally realising that they had been tricked.
"You little brat!" he screamed as he quickly moved towards her, ready to take her by force. Just before he was about to grab her, he stopped dead in his tracks as he screamed.
"Ee-yow!" he shouted as he started to squirm, turning around to see what had happened. Rin could see several sea shells and creatures now flung on his back, and a smile formed on her face.
"Would you go away now? She doesn't want you," Haruhi said, holding the empty bucket in her hands. "She says you're bothering her. And those other girls."
"Leave us alone," Rin said as she moved towards Haruhi, standing beside her with her hands on her hips. "You're not wanted here."
"Why, you little kid…"
…
"Habu snakes! Those are habu snakes, sir!" the twins screamed as they ran away, terrified.
Habu = a poisonous snake indigenous to Okinawa
"What do I do!?" Tamaki shouted as he ran towards them, still holding the bucket as tears of fear flowed down his cheeks.
"Tamaki-sama!" the girls shouted as they ran across the beach towards them. "It's Rin and Haruhi-kun!"
…
The first guy grabbed hold of Haruhi's shirt, walking forwards towards the cliff as Haruhi tried to get herself out of his grip.
"What's with these spindly arms?" he taunted.
"Don't do anything to him!" Rin shouted as she tried to move towards the two, but the second man quickly grabbed hold of her, lifting her up into the air as she thrashed around and screamed.
"Don't go trying to act tough when you're such a sissy boy!" he shouted.
"Kid, you should just go swimming in the ocean…"
"Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted as he ran onto the rock, but it was too late.
"…Like a good boy!" he finished. The man let go of Haruhi's shirt, sending her over the edge of the cliff.
"Haruhi!" Rin shouted as she tried to escape, but found it impossible as the second man chuckled.
Tamaki sprinted towards the edge, not hesitating as he jumped off, diving into the ocean seconds after Haruhi started to sink.
Rin felt like crying. Two of her friends were possibly dead from either the fall, or the drowning. She sunk to her knees as sobs started to take over her. The man still had his grip on her, and she started to scream.
"Get off of me!" She used her foot and kicked it straight at the man's ankle, making him groan as he fell forward, his grip still on her as he flipped her over. She landed hard on her back, her head throbbing as she felt her body becoming weaker and weaker.
…
When she opened her arms, she felt almost as light as air. She wasn't on the rock anymore, and it was like she was floating. She was moving, but she wasn't moving herself. Someone else was.
Her head was resting on someone's back, and she immediately could tell who it was. He had a strong, yet gentle grip under her legs as he carried her on his back, her weight not seeming to bother him.
"What happened?" she asked as she lifted her head up, instead resting it in the crook of his neck.
"Not much," Hikaru said as he turned his head, giving her a much needed smile. She could tell though that he was furious, but not at her. He knew she had acted in self-defence, to protect herself from those guys.
He had almost killed those men when he saw them.
"Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai called, pointing over to the ocean, making everyone turn their heads.
Tamaki was holding a weak Haruhi in his arms, his face filled with concern as he walked towards the shore. The sky was just an orange now, as it got closer and closer to becoming night.
"Sir!"
Tamaki glanced at Rin, sending her a worried look. She gave a nod, telling him she was alright, then moved her attention to Haruhi.
"Where are they?" Tamaki asked, his voice filled with so much seriousness that most of the Host members had never heard before.
Kyoya placed one of Tamaki's white shirts on Haruhi, making sure she wouldn't get a cold from the freezing cold water.
"We've kept their ID cards, and respectfully asked them to leave. The girls went back to the hotel. I've called a doctor, who should be here shortly."
"I see."
"I'm all right," Haruhi said, Tamaki placing her down gently onto the sand. "I don't need a doctor."
"Are you one of those?" Tamaki asked. "Actually a martial arts master, like Honey-senpai?"
Haruhi stared at him confused as she wrapped the shirt around her.
"How could you think that you, a girl, by yourself, could do anything against those boys!?" Tamaki asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"It had nothing to do with being a boy or a girl. I was just there, and didn't have time to think about anything like-"
"Well think about it, you idiot! You are a girl!"
"I will apologise for making you come after me, but I can't understand any other reason why you'd be mad at me. I haven't done anything wrong."
Tamaki stared for a second, before he slowly lowered his arms. "You haven't huh? Then you go right ahead. I'm not speaking to you again until you admit you were wrong!"
He walked past her, heading towards the villa as the others all watched in concern, Haruhi both angered and worried.
The Otori family villa
Dressed in a black-and-white stripped t-shirt, black shorts and a blue varsity jacket, Rin sat on her bed as she waited for the doctor to arrive. He was to check on her head for any signs of damage from the fall she took earlier.
Once she heard the knock on the door, she called him inside. She recognised him as one of the best doctors in the Otori medical business, as he had treated her Influenza. He adjusted his glasses as he closed the door behind him, looking at the clipboard. He looked up at her with a smile.
"It's nice to see you again, Miss Hayashi," he said.
She nodded. "Yeah, but its unusual circumstances though."
"Yes, of course." He sat down on the bed beside her. "From what I've heard, you had been attacked and became unconscious after a fall?"
She nodded again. He put the clipboard down as he got out his stethoscope. The process took only about half an hour as he checked her temperature, her heart rate, blood pressure, eye sight and asked her basic questions to make sure there was no sign of amnesia or any permanent brain damage.
They said their goodbyes as he left the villa, going over to check on Haruhi. She quickly got off her bed and walked out of the room, heading down to the kitchen where the other hosts were.
…
"Ta-da!" Honey-senpai cheered. "The crabs are all boiled!"
"This looks amazing!" Rin exclaimed as she clapped.
"I'm sorry, senpai, that there aren't any maids here now," Kyoya said with his arms folded.
"We're the ones who barged in on your villa, Kyo-chan. Takashi, go call Haru-chan in."
Mori-senpai nodded as he left the room – Haruhi being the only member of the Host Club that wasn't currently in the dining room.
The rest of the members all looked outside the window, watching as the sky darkened, clouds forming all around the villa.
"It's awfully gloomy out there, huh? It looks like it might rain," Honey-senpai sighed.
"Speaking of gloomy…" Hikaru said.
"…There's someone even more gloomy in here than the darkness outside," Kaoru finished.
"If you're going to mope like that…"
"…Maybe you shouldn't have picked a fight with her."
"Tamaki, you need to cheer up," Rin said as she walked over to Tamaki, who was sitting in the corner of the room with his knees to his chest.
The door suddenly opened, revealing Haruhi wearing a very long, pink, frilly dress with white slippers. Even though it was one of the most conservative dresses out there, it was the most skin she had shown.
"Haruhi, did you buy that dress yourself?" the twins asked.
"My dad must have repacked my bags for me. He always wants me to wear stuff like this."
"Good job, Haruhi's dad!" They both gave thumbs up.
"Haru-chan, you look cute," Honey-senpai gushed.
"One of the rare few moments you were feminine clothing," Rin said with a smirk.
Tamaki stood behind the pillar, a blush on his face as he stared at Haruhi.
…
The sound of the clock ticking was the only thing heard in the awkward silence of the Host Club members. On the left side of the dining table sat Kyoya at the end, Kaoru, Hikaru and then Rin on the other end. On the right side had Mori-senpai seated at the end, Honey-senpai…
And Haruhi and Tamaki were sitting right beside each other.
"The air is stuffy, huh?" Hikaru asked.
"It's kind of tense in here," Kaoru whispered.
"Who thought this was a good idea?" Rin asked in a whisper, and the twins subtly gestured to Kyoya, who didn't seem to mind the awkwardness.
"Let's eat, Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said with a nervous laugh. "I'm sure the crabs we caught today are delicious."
Haruhi grabbed one of the crab legs, ripping it open. The loud crack scared both Rin and Tamaki, causing them to jump. Haruhi ate the meat from the crab leg in one bite, grabbing another one in a second.
"A play on words?" Haruhi asked as she took another two crab legs. "These crabs…taste in-crab-ible. Get it?"
She had eaten so many crab legs that she had left a giant pile – that was still growing – beside her as she cracked another leg.
The rest of the members all glanced at each other, each quickly reaching for a single crab leg before Haruhi snatched them all.
"Aren't you eating too much, to say the least?" Tamaki asked nervously, staring at the pile in both shock and a little bit of fear.
"Huh? I thought you weren't speaking to me." She cracked another one.
Snap!
"Y-you're not being cute."
While Haruhi ate the crab meat, she sent him a glare from the corner of her eye, making Tamaki finally snap. He broke the silence as he slammed his hand down onto the table.
"Okay, I get it. You're not going to reconsider what you've done. Fine, then. I'm going to bed. Kyoya, show me to my room."
He stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked around the table and towards the door, Kyoya wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"All right. Well, if you'll excuse me, too…"
Just as the door closed, Haruhi tried to break the crab leg in her hands, but struggled as she loosened her grip. "Maybe I really should learn some karate or something."
"How could you think that you, a girl, by yourself, could do anything against those boys!?"
"Oh, then it is bothering you?" the twins asked.
"That's the direction your thoughts are going, is it?" Hikaru asked.
"It's not like we'd stop you, or anything," Kaoru said.
"But that's not what this is about, is it?" they spoke in unison.
"To be honest, I wish you'd reconsider how rashly you acted today, too."
"Why? I didn't make trouble for you guys, did I?"
"Haruhi, you got thrown off a cliff for me…" Rin said with a raised eyebrow.
"So?"
The twins turned to each other, shrugging their shoulders as they sighed.
"That's not true, Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said. "You should tell everyone you're sorry, okay? Understand? And tell Tama-chan that you're sorry for worrying him so much, too."
"You were all worried about me?" Haruhi asked in disbelief.
"Haruhi…" Rin shook her head.
"Do you believe this girl?" the twins commented.
"Oh…" Haruhi lowered her gaze down to the floor. "I'm sorry."
The three didn't waste a second as they jumped out of their seats and embraced Haruhi in a hug. Mori-senpai – on the other hand – stood beside them and ate pieces from a giant crab with a giant smile on his face. Rin shook her head from the side, feeling sorry for Haruhi as she was almost smothered.
"Aww, what for, you little mutt?" Hikaru asked.
"You're so cute, we'll forgive you!" Kaoru exclaimed.
Squeeze
Suddenly, Haruhi's face started to turn pale as she groaned, sweat starting to form on her forehead.
"What's the matter?" the twins asked.
"I don't feel so good."
"You ate too much crab," Hikaru sighed.
"Haru-chan, be strong!"
"Come on, over to the washroom!" Kaoru shouted.
"Let's go Haruhi," Rin said as she grabbed hold of Haruhi's hand.
…
"You alright in there?" Rin asked as she stood outside the toilet door. She could hear the sound of the shower in the distance, and she wondered whose room they had stumbled across in search of a washroom.
"Do I sound alright?" Haruhi asked sarcastically, right before she threw up for the third time.
Rin gagged as the smell filled her nostrils, making her cover both her mouth and her nose. "I'll be right outside the room, alright…I uh, oh god, I'm going to be sick. I'm sorry!" she shouted as she headed out of the room, breathing in the fresh air of the hallway.
She felt guilty of leaving Haruhi by herself, but she hoped she understood. She had a sensitive nose, and the thought of vomit made her gag.
"Rin?" Tamaki asked as he stood in front of her, confusion written on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"I uh…never mind. Listen Tamaki, we need to talk about happened earlier. You're obviously upset about the way Haruhi had acted earlier today, most of us are. It was reckless and clearly not thought out."
She looked to make sure Tamaki was still listening, and she was glad to find that that he was. "But, I think you should have worded it better."
"What do you mean?"
"You suggested that a girl can't do something simply because she is in fact a girl – that's what started this all argument between the two of you. I know how worried you were, probably more than any of us were, but maybe if you had told her that she wouldn't have been angry, and you two wouldn't be giving each other the silent treatment."
She sighed as Tamaki stood there, looking down at the ground. "Just tell her how you truly feel. You've got nothing to lose."
"How I feel? What are you talking about?"
"Are you kidding?" Rin asked, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. "You're hopeless." She reached his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Just think about it, would ya?"
"Yeah, thanks." He gave her a smile as he linked their arms and walked down the hallway. "Have you checked out the rest of the villa?" he asked excitedly.
"At least you're back to normal."
…
Haruhi wiped her mouth, turning the tap off as the pouring water changed to a small drip. What a wasteful thing I've done, she thought. I was in such a rush, I just plunged into the nearest room with Rin. Where am I?
She opened the bathroom door, looking around to try and figure out where she might have been.
"All done?" a voice asked. She quickly turned her attention to the shirtless figure sitting in the chair, drying his hair with a towel.
"I'm sorry for intruding into the room of a stranger…" Haruhi quickly said as she bowed her head in apology.
"How rude. It's me."
Without the glasses on, she almost couldn't recognise him, but she quickly figured it out from the slightly annoyed tone in his voice.
"Kyoya-senpai?" she asked. "Oh, I'm sorry. I seem to have gotten everyone worried about me."
"I wasn't particularly worried." He stood up from the chair, taking a sip from the bottle of water on the table. "It was hard to stop Hikaru and Kaoru from trying to beat those punks half-to-death, though, but Rin's also to blame for that. Also, there was the trouble I went to sending bouquets to the girls by way of apology, after looking forward to coming along on this trip."
He started walking towards her, wrapping the towel around his neck.
"I'll pay for those flowers myself," Haruhi suggested.
"The bouquets cost 50,000 per person, so it comes to 650,000." Kyoya rested his hand on the light switch, slowly pulling it down until the lights had dimed to almost pure darkness.
"Why did you turn the lights off?"
He bent down until he came face to face with her, a smirk on his face. "If you want to, you could pay for those flowers with your body." He roughly grabbed hold of her wrist and chucked her onto the bed, him crawling on top of her. "You should rethink your own gullibility, that things have nothing to do with a person being a boy or a girl. You've made a mistake in leaving yourself so open."
Haruhi's eyes widened. So that's it.
"Kyoya-senpai, you won't do it. I mean, there isn't anything to be gained by getting into it with me, right?"
Kyoya smirked. "True enough," he said as he pushed himself to sit back up. "You are indeed fascinating."
"But I did find out one thing." She pushed herself to sit up as well. "Kyoya-senpai, you're even nicer than I thought."
Kyoya looked confused as he reached over to the table and put on his glasses.
"After all, you were just backing up what Tamaki-senpai said, right?
"Well think about it, you idiot! You are a girl!"
"You intentionally played the bad guy to show me that, didn't you?"
A knock on the door caused Kyoya to stand up, wondering who it would be at this time of night.
"Kyoya?" Tamaki asked as he opened the door. "Do you have any lotion? This sunburn is worse than I thought-"
He cut himself off once he noticed the scene before him, a shirtless Kyoya standing and Haruhi sitting on the bed. His shock quickly turned to anger.
"Kyoya, you rotten…"
"Here." Kyoya slammed the lotion into his face as he held his shirt over his shoulder. "Use as much as you want, you goof." He shut the door behind him, pulling on his shirt as he started walking down the hall. "Nothing to be gained, eh? An interesting thought, in its own way."
…
A bouquet of flowers were lying on her bed, a piece of paper beside them. Rin hesitated before she approached them, hoping this wasn't the drunken guys from earlier. She checked around her room before she picked up the folded piece of paper. It read:
Miss Hayashi,
This is our apology for the unfortunate events that had occurred today. This isn't much, but this is the best we can do in regards to the current circumstance. This bouquet happened to have costed us 50,000 yen, so make sure you appreciate it as best as you can.
- Otori
The bouquet were filled with white roses, one of her favourite flowers beside her host flower, which were the forget-me-nots. Though she wasn't very flattered by the "apology", especially because of the last line, she liked the flowers. She decided to place them in a nearby vase which had been filled with cold water.
Strange.
"Knock, knock," Hikaru called as he opened the door, closing it behind him as a smirk formed on his face.
"Shouldn't you be with Kaoru?" she asked as she sat down on the bed.
"I have something more important to do."
"Let me guess, the contest, right?"
"How did you know about that?" he asked, sitting down beside her.
"I'm pretty sure you guys made it pretty obvious, especially when you guys played the same tricks on both of us." She giggled. "I assume the prize must have been good for you all to compete."
"It was, um, photos of you and Haruhi in middle school."
"You could have just asked to see some of my photos. You know, the ones in my room in your house."
"Oh, I know, but I like playing the game."
"I've noticed." She reached over and kissed him briefly. "Do you really want to win?"
"I think you know how competitive I am. But…if you don't want to tell me, that's alright. I guess."
"That's sweet of you."
"Plus, I could always just lie and make up some fear and I would get the prize."
"You've thought of everything, haven't you?"
"Of course, princess, I told you I like to win."
The rumbling of the thunder started growing louder, a loud and sudden crash of thunder making her flinch as she glanced at the window in panic.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." The thunder cracked again as she whimpered, shaking her head. "N-no, I'm not. Of course I'm not."
"Afraid of thunder?" he asked, but she shook her head.
"Phonophobic."
"Please, speak English, princess."
"Loud noises!" she shrieked as another clap of thunder boomed. "I'm scared of loud noises…Merde!" she cried as a loud knock on the door made her scream and start to shake.
Merde = Shit
As the door started to open, she launched herself into Hikaru's arms, starting to cry as the thunder became louder. He didn't hesitate as he wrapped his arms around her, not minding if his shirt was becoming drenched in her tears.
"Hayashi, would you calm down, it's just me," Kyoya said as he stepped into the room.
"What are you doing here?" Hikaru asked.
"I could ask you the same question."
"I'm her boyfriend. You just scared her."
"I know. I had already won this contest even before it had started."
"Casse toi!" she screamed as tears flowed down her cheeks, glaring daggers at him as he stuck his hands in his pockets.
Casse toi = Piss off
"I'll see you two later then," he said calmly as he exited the room, slamming the door behind him and making her shriek again. He felt like his heart would break as he watched the tears pouring down her face and how she shook in his arms.
He saw a pair of white headphones lying down on the bed, and quickly realised what he had to do. He grabbed hold of them as he gently put them into her ears, music filling her ears as they had been connected to her phone. The classical music slowly calmed her down as he held her tight.
"Thank you," she whispered to him. She couldn't even hear her own voice, but that drowned out the raging thunder and left the calming music. Though she couldn't hear what he was saying, she was pretty sure she knew before he bent down and kissed her, keeping each other close as the thunder continued to rumble and crash outside the window.
"No problem, my princess."
…
"What were you doing with Kyoya?" Tamaki asked as he walked towards her, her attention mostly on the thunder storm happening outside.
"Nothing, really," Haruhi said as she turned to him.
"You expect me to believe it was nothing!? Then how come the room's lights were out and you two were all alone!? You are positively…Never mind. A lot has happened today, and you must be tired, so hurry on off to bed."
"Senpai," Haruhi said as he started to walk away, but the clash of thunder and lightning stopped her as she grabbed onto the back of his shirt. He turned around, his eyes widened with a small blush on his cheeks. "Er, I mean…"
It clashed again and she screamed as she started shaking, hiding her face in her hands.
"Haruhi?" he asked.
"I'm sorry." She rushed over to the wardrobe and opened the doors. "I just remembered something I have to take care of, so if you'll excuse me…" She quickly pulled herself inside, slamming the doors behind her.
"Nobody has any business in there!"
The thunder and lightning went again, and Haruhi's whimper caused Tamaki's eyes to widen. "Haruhi, can you not stand thunder? Come on, Haruhi, get out here. Staying in there makes it that much more scary, doesn't it?" He reached over, trying to open the doors as they rattled.
"I'm all right. I always get through it by doing this."
Tamaki stopped trying to open them. "Always…Always, by yourself…"
A young Haruhi cowered and cried as she covered herself with her blanket, hiding underneath the kitchen table as the thunder and lightning continued. There was no one else in the house.
"In your home…without calling on us, even though we're nearby…" A small smile formed on his house. "I see." He opened the wardrobe doors, revealing Haruhi crouched down on the ground with her knees to her chest, her head down in-between her legs to try and drown out the noise. "I think I get it. Okay, I lose. You grew up without relying on anyone else. So, come on…"
Haruhi slowly lifted her head, confusion written all over her face.
"Come on over here." He held his hand out with a gentle smile. Just as the thunder boomed again and the lightning flashed, she didn't hesitate as she jumped up and threw herself into his arms.
"From now on, I'll be there. I'll do all I can not to take my eyes off of you, to make sure that you're never alone again." He gently stroked her hair as her grip tightened on the back of his shirt, the two standing in silence as the storm continued to rage.
…
"Are you sure this is okay?" Hikaru asked.
"Leaving the two of them together?" Kaoru asked.
"She's with our Tamaki," Kyoya said. "What could possibly go wrong?"
The remaining hosts were seated in the dining room, all waiting for the storm to finish so they could all go to sleep. Rin kept her headphones inside her ears, but had lowered the volume as she started to calm down.
Hikaru made sure he stuck by her side though, in case she started to panic again. "I could think of many things," Rin said.
Thinking the same things, the Hosts quickly headed down the hallway until they had found Kyoya's room, where the two had been last since at least ten to twenty minutes ago.
Hikaru and Kaoru knocked on the door as a warning. "Sir? We're coming in."
When they opened the door, they found Tamaki kneeling in front of Haruhi, who was also sitting on the floor, but with a blindfold on.
"You see? With the blindfold, you can't see anything, and sound-wise, if you wear earplugs…"
"Ah, you're right!"
"Despicable," Hikaru muttered, causing Tamaki to gasp. He had been caught. He turned to see all of the other Hosts standing in the doorway.
"What kind of '-play' is this?" Kaoru asked.
"I-it's not like that!" Tamaki stuttered. "It's not like that!"
"Be careful, Haruhi," Hikaru warned the next morning as they were packing the limo, ready to leave and go back to the Host Club.
"His highness apparently has a thing for S&M, too," Kaoru said.
Kyoya, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai walked past, all traumatised in a way from what they had seen.
"I told you, it wasn't like that!"
"And why do you think we don't believe you?" Rin asked as she sat beside Haruhi in the limo. The rest quickly got inside, leaving only Tamaki standing outside.
"I see. So that's what S&M is. I let you get away with something funny without even knowing it." She rolled up the window, not even wanting to look at him.
"It wasn't like that! I did it for your sake!"
"You're digging yourself into a bigger grave, Tamaki," Rin commented.
"Start driving," Kyoya ordered his driver.
"Hey!" Tamaki shouted just as the limo began to move, the engine roaring as it started driving down the road. "Don't leave me behind! Wait!"
Tamaki: Why have I never noticed it before? Haruhi and Rin are totally cut out for an all-girls' school, aren't they? Which is why there's no way I can let them transfer to a girl's school!
Rin: Worry more about Haruhi than me, Tamaki.
Haruhi: Next time, "A Challenge from Lobelia Girls' Academy".
Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.
