Disclaimer: Don't own anything about OHSHC. OCs are what I own in this storyline.
A/N: I know this chapter took me longer than a week to update if any of you had noticed. I had to remake it for the third time already and I still find this chapter a bit dull and dry. Also I don't think I'll be able to get another chapter up within this week considering my b-day is coming up and I'll be even more busy. All I ask to please be patient and I'll try to get the next one out soon as I can. Thanks again for the reviews and here are some answers to your questions and/or statements!
Lindsay-chan: If you go to Chapter 2, the bet wil be explained in greater detail from there. Also, a thought had cross my mind if I wanted to pair my OC with one of the OHSHC characters. But I wasn't sure on that.
Does anyone want a pairing for this storyline? R&R
RECAP:
"Handle the club's financial profits," he said with a strong stoic voice that had authority. He said it in a commanding voice rather than a request.
Haruhi stared at him for a brief moment, "I don't think I'll be suited to do that," she told him.
"As far as I am concerned," said Kyouya, who was prepared for Haruh's stubbornness to come into effect. "The president of this club happens to be unsuited for the position, he has other things to worry and deal with," he said turning to look in Tamaki's direction.
Haruhi turned to look as well to see Tamaki and Hunny making themselves comfortable at a table having a piece of Black Forest Cake. Mori was beside Hunny as always.
"There are still others who would be willing to do that," protested Haruhi.
"I certainly know what I am doing Haruhi," Kyouya said firmly as he removed his glasses for once. Only for a brief moment to quickly wipe the lenses with a silk cloth and put them back where they belonged.
"What is it that you're trying to get out of this? What benefit will it give you?" Haruhi asked.
"To with the bet of course," Kyouya answered in his mind but said otherwise, "For the sake of the club… of course."
Haruhi stared at Kyouya after his reply to her question. There was something at the very back of her mind that kept telling her not to take his offer. There was something wrong about this and she couldn't place her finger on it for some reason. It was something about this conversation that made her feels suspicious.
"And of course that forty percent of your debt will be deducted if you take this offer," Kyouya added, he had to make sure that she'll take his offer.
Haruhi's mind began to instantly turn all of the clockwork in her mind, the moment she heard about her debts deduction. From the beginning, if Haruhi had not broken that eighty million yen vase she would've never have returned to the Host Club day after day. With that done she couldn't change it but to pay it off. Not only that she would've showed up late every single day for the clubs activity if the twins weren't in the same class as hers, dragging her straight to the club after school.
Kyouya studied Haruhi, he had thought all of the possibilities before hand, there was no way that Haruhi could turn his offer down. He made sure of it.
"Kyouya, would you like to have some cake!?" invited Hunny from the other side of the room where he and Tamaki took another slice of Black Forest Cheese cake to consume.
"Yes, Haruhi, your father would want you to join too!" Tamaki said invitingly with his arm outstretch to her.
Kyouya raised his glasses further up his nose and said, "No thanks." He checked his wristwatch, "Since we're closed for the day I'll be going home," he said looking back to Haruhi and added in a whisper, "Let me know by tomorrow if you want to take my offer. Come tomorrow at seven in the morning and don't let anyone else know that your coming in early," he said turning around to get his stuff.
Tamaki had scurried over to Haruhi and placed a hand on her shoulder, he asked, "What was that all about?"
Haruhi stared at Kyouya's retreating form, she thought as much as she could with the little time she had. She had finally came to her decision.
"Nothing Tamaki-senpai," she replied turning to him.
"Ok, we'll start from the beginning for the tenth time," said Kaoru standing next to the white board with a meter stick in his hand. "In order for you to write this down accurately it depends on your posture."
"Your back must be straight, your wrist must be flexible and relaxed. Other wise your writing technique will messy and sloppy," said Hikaru standing beside Kairi, fixing her sitting posture whenever she would begin to slouch.
All three of them had been moved to the study room to have a more fitting atmosphere to study. Kairi was given help to walk out of the room with another cane in her possession.
Hikaru and Kaoru had already changed out of their nurse's outfit.
"No, no, no that's not what is on the board," said Hikaru with disapproval look after Kairi had attempted to write out what was on the white board.
'I only need to learn how to read the stupid Kanji! That's it and here you two are making it look like I don't even know how to write at all!' Kairi thought with great frustration as she crumbled the piece of paper in front of her trying again.
Tap!
Kairi was taken by surprise when Hikaru tapped the meter stick he had on the desk she was occupying.
"Wrong again. Kaoru, could you write it down again on the board but show the steps," Hikaru commanded.
Kaoru turned to the board once more and wrote it to then turn around once he finished.
"Did you see that?" he asked.
"Yeah, I did," Kairi answered and looked down to her desk. Within seconds Hikaru seemed satisfied and nodded.
"We'll move on to the next thing -" Kaoru began but was soon interrupted.
"What did you two just make me write?" asked Kairi curiously.
Hikaru and Kaoru looked in each other's direction. A playful smirk spread across on each face as they both look at her.
"I'm a fool and I can't read Kanji!" the both of them spoke in unison.
Kairi stared at the both of them with a death wish upon each of them. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, if she were to snap on them it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Exhaling slowly Kairi reopened her eyes to look back at the smirking twins.
'I simply just wish that you two would drop dead at this moment,' she thought bitterly. 'I'm suffering, really suffering from having these two tutoring me now. I'd be better off being eaten or dead in the hospital without them surround me!'
"Very funny. Too bad for you two once this is done…," she cackled in mid-sentence; something that wasn't like her, "Well you know what I mean."
Hikaru and Kaoru stared in disbelief, first Kairi's face was that of a witch and the next thing the both knew, it returned back into an innocent teenage boy. Both of them shuddered, something was in the air, or more like a vibe they felt coming across the room, like being slapped across the face with a brick. Kairi had returned back to her study as it took awhile for the boys to comprehend what had just happened.
'While they're here I might as well play games with their minds,' Kairi thought placidly.
There was a knock at the door and a maid entered.
"Supper is ready and Kyouya-sama is waiting at the dinner table, are the Hitachiin boys joining for dinner?" asked the maid.
Kairi looked up and was about to answer but the twins did that for her.
"We'll be glad to."
Early next day, it was five after seven in the morning. Kyouya was sitting patiently at a table with his laptop out in the open. He was well aware of the time yet he did not raise a single word of complaint when Haruhi silently walked in. He stopped what he was doing on his laptop and looked at her expectantly for the answer he had been waiting for.
"Kyouya-senpai," Haruhi said slowly as she made her way across the room. "What is it that I'll have to do exactly?"
Kyouya wasn't sure if he should take that answer of hers a yes or a no, not yet. He still had to make sure that her answer was clear and he answered, "Only to handle the profits that the club would earn by the end of the day. To know when is enough to spend and when to earn more of the amount than spent."
Haruhi stared at him hard and nodded, "Ok, I'll do it," she told him.
"One more thing," Kyouya wanted to add as he began to type on his laptop once more, updating something, "If you do not earn five hundred thousand worth of yen at the end of the day -for the next month and a half but of course starting today- two thousand yen will be added onto your debt for each day you come up short. And for each mistake your make through this work five hundred yen will also be added."
Haruhi at this point wanted to cuss loudly at Kyouya but refrained herself from doing so. She knew that he'd say something like that and that she would already have to accept since she had agreed long ago. Her only goal in the Host Club is to pay for the eighty million yen vase that she broke by accident. There was only one thing that she had not taken into great consideration, or perhaps she didn't want to think about it just yet. She wouldn't know what she'd do after she has managed to pay off the debt. The people around her almost all the time were the only great friends she ever had, besides her middle school friends.
"So where do I start?" she asked him plainly.
Kyouya lifted a large stack of papers that was beside his laptop and handed it over to Haruhi.
"I'll need you to refer back to this whenever is possible and keep things up to date," he told her.
"Kyouya-senpai, the date on this very first page was two weeks ago," Haruhi said looking up from the stack of papers. "You mean I have to see what was earned and keep track from there?"
"That and you must earn the amount of profit that was lost from that date to this day."
Haruhi stared at Kyouya in disbelief, if these papers had been dated back to two weeks ago, could this mean something? Was Kyouya slacking off and not doing his work? Haruhi didn't ask but pulled up a chair to the empty table beside him and began to work, luckily for her she had finished all of her homework the night before. Even so, she couldn't help but think there was something going on with Kyouya. She knew, it was unlike him… in fact he was acting strange for the past couple of weeks.
Through out the day Kairi had stayed in bed and grew bored with the lack of activities. The time seemed to have slowed down to an incredibly painful crawling from one minute to another on the hand clock. This was bothering Kairi to some extent when she had nothing better to do, also she was expecting the twins to show up after when the Host Club activities finished. She knew they'd be right over to pester her once more. Kyouya had already been given details for the reason of the twins showing up nearly every day of the remaining week.
After two in the afternoon a maid had knocked at the door checking up on her and wondered if there was something she wanted. Her answer of course was that she wanted a canned fruit of any sort. And so a plate rested beside Kairi with a clean bowl, a spoon and a fork. She pulled out her pocket knife and the can was in her other hand, she stared long at the two objects that was in front of her. A memory came to her, regarding about the time when she received her first pocket knife and was able to use it to open a canned fruit.
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"Leon! Leon, guess what!" asked Kairi, being twelve years old at the time.
She was running along a quiet hall, her arms holding two canned fruits and something else in both of her hands.
"What is it?" asked Leon, who was also twelve. He poked his head out of his study room, curious.
"Dad and Mom thought it was time that we get these," said Kairi enthusiastically as she walked into the study room placing all the objects in her hands and arms onto the desk.
Leon grabbed a pocket knife that had his name clearly labeled on it, he asked, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah, want to give them a try? I wasn't sure what you'd want to eat so I randomly picked two," Kairi told him.
Leon's sapphire eyes locked with Kairi's for a brief moment, their expression at this point was identical. Then he looked to the cans on the desk and made his decision.
"I want the pears."
"Then I'll have the mangos."
Fifteen minutes later, to the both of them they were not successful of opening the cans on their own. Kairi had stopped as she looked over to her sibling to see him give a few more tries until he managed to pierce through the metal tin can.
"I did it!" Leon said excitedly.
"That's great Leon, I'll keep going until I can open this can," Kairi said with a bright smile.
"What are you two doing?" asked a bubbly voice from the door.
"Oh, hi Yui. We're opening our cans," said Leon turning around.
"Wouldn't it be better if you got someone to open them for you?" she asked.
"No, there's no fun in that. Leon just opened his and I will soon too," Kairi told her. She looked back to the now, very dented can before her.
"I'll watch," Yui said as she walked in and stood next to Leon.
Kairi nodded and attempted again, once more there was no success. She tried four more times, the only thing she did was cause more dents to the can.
"I'm bored," stated Yui. "Want to play with me Leon, Kairi?"
"Play what?" asked Leon.
"Hide and go seek?"
"Ok, Kairi you want to play too?" asked Leon.
"I'm going to open this can and I will open this can before I do anything else," Kairi said stubbornly with her back facing them.
"Then me and Leon will begin first and you can join us later," said Yui taking a hold of Leon's hand and pulled him away before he could say anything.
Kairi gave another try and finally she was able to pierce the can, she felt victorious at her accomplishment.
"I finally did it Leon!" she said turning around to see no one there. The bright smile on her face quickly faded.
Leon wasn't there to congratulate her on her accomplishment or say if they wanted to share their fruits with one another like he normally would say. She looked back to the desk where the two cans stood, with the lids open. She stared hard at the cans and next headed out the door leaving the two dented cans on the table. It was the first time that Kairi had not consumed any fruit on that very day.
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'Now that I think about it, I haven't opened a canned fruit in ages,' she thought as she plunged her pocket knife into the top, gouging out the lid with her brute strength. Once she finished she placed her pocket knife onto the plate and took the fork and with it she began to enjoy her freshly canned fruits.
There was a knock at the door and she looked at her wristwatch then to the door.
"Come in," she said. "Mori-senpai?" she was taken by surprise that it was not one of the twins who had walked into the room.
Mori nodded as he walked up to her bed as Hunny accompanied him.
"Hi you two," she greeted them.
"Hi Kai-kun, are you doing better?" asked Hunny smiling at her.
"Yes, but is there any reason why you two are here?" she asked them with curiosity.
"We're not the only one who came to see if you were ok. Tama-chan, Haru-chan and everyone else came too!"
"Oh," she said, not sure what else she could say out loud.
'Why do I have a feeling this evening will be a lot more difficult than it was yesterday?' Kairi thought to her dismay.
She placed the canned fruit down onto the plate beside her to next hear a voice at the very end of the hall down the stairs.
"Hello, we're here!" said Tamaki.
"They're here! I'll go get them!" said Hunny excitedly as he rushed out of the room.
"You left this behind the other day," said Mori after his cousin had left the room. Kairi watched Mori pull out the wooden cane that she was using after the hot springs trip.
"Thanks…, I was wondering who had it," Kairi told him.
"Kai, how is your ankle healing?" asked Tamaki making his grand entrance into her bedroom.
"As long as no one hurts it in any form of physical contact I'll be fine," she answered.
"Ok, we were told by the twins that you didn't know how to read Kanji and we all thought that'd we'd help teach you," said Tamaki.
"We'll be at the study room and you better not dawdle Kai," said the twins in unison as the others turned to leave, Mori was the only one left in the room with her.
'This is weird, when did I ask for any special help from any of them?' she was puzzled at the thought, 'Is there some kind of sign above my head that is blinking brightly for
everyone to read: I don't know how to read Kanji, want to help me learn how to?'
"Did everyone have to show up?" Kairi asked Mori.
"They must've felt bad for hurting you more than then they didn't mean to the other day," was his simplest answer to her.
"Right…," Kairi said.
"You shouldn't push yourself," stated Mori when Kairi had gotten out of her bed with the wooden cane in her hand.
Kairi looked to him with an empty smile and said, "I've been managing on my own so I don't need any help." She limped out the door and into the hall with Mori following from behind. "So how was school for you today?" she asked, making small chitchat on the way to the study room.
"Good," was his one word reply.
"That's… good," Kairi said mind absently.
Suddenly Mori had placed a hand on her left shoulder that took her off guard as she suddenly came to a stop and turned around.
"What?" she asked to next lose her balance and fall back.
Next Mori quickly reached out his other hand to catch her from hitting the ground. His arms were wrapped around her back suspending her in mid air. Slowly Mori helped her up to her feet and Kairi had realized that the cane that she once had a grasp on must've fallen without her knowing so.
"You were about to walk past the study room," said Mori, having to notice Hunny standing next to the door they were standing in front.
Kairi slowly looked to her left to see everyone who was inside the room was now staring at her and Mori in shock.
'Ahh, crap that must've looked bad,' Kairi thought feeling embarrassed, 'Why me of all days that I end up losing my balance at the moment, why!?' she screamed in her mind.
