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Chapter 9: Rin's Sick Days
"Well, we're off!" Melissa calls over her shoulder as she ushers the other seven Stars out of the club room.
"Where are you going?" Tamaki asks. The Host Club had just barely closed its door; it was uncharacteristic of them to leave so quickly. They usually hung around and chatted with the other Hosts.
"Leaving so soon?" Kyoya asks, looking up from his laptop. Melissa nods.
"It's not because you're embarrassed now that we know your stories, is it?" Honey asks innocently. Kazuki shakes his head.
"Not at all. We're going to visit Rin. She is sick, after all" he says with a smile.
"I want to visit Ri-chan!" Honey exclaims.
"Why don't we all pay Ms. Yukimura a visit, then?" Kyoya suggests. Chiyo's face grows concerned.
"I don't know if that's a very good idea" she says. "You've never seen her sick."
"That's right" Ryuu adds. "She can be a real monster."
"But she can also be as gentle and needy as a baby" Kazumi responds softly.
"Well, if you come, come at your own risk" Melissa says with a shrug. With that, she turns and hustles the other seven Stars out of the room.
"Well Boss?" Hikaru begins.
"Are we going?" Kaoru finishes.
"I say we go" Tamaki says.
"I didn't know, Senpai" Haruhi warns. "It doesn't sound like she'll be very happy to see us if we go."
"Nonsense!" Tamaki exclaims. "She'll be overjoyed that we came."
"What the h**l are all of you doing here?!" Rin slurs angrily as the Yukimura Stars burst into her large bedroom.
"You're much worse than I thought" Melissa says worriedly. "You hear that slur in her voice, don't you?" She asks, turning to Ryuu. He nods.
"Save your breath; I'm on it." He reaches into a bag which he had been carrying and pulls out a medical thermometer.
"Here." He hands the bag to Melissa and motions for her to join him by Rin's bedside. Before the idol can protest, the seemingly worthless "errand boy" sticks the thermometer into her mouth.
"Hold still and be still" Melissa orders. Rin glares up at her mentor, but otherwise obeys.
"Her temperature's crazy high" Ryuu says, taking the thermometer out of her mouth and examining it. He divys out assignments to each of the Stars (except Masato, who hadn't come to visit). As they leave the room, Ryuu takes a seat next to her.
"You should've called earlier" he scolds. "You're really sick. Now we'll have to cancel Sunday's concert."
"We can't cancel" Rin growls. "Those hospital kids are expecting a show. I'm determined to give it to them."
"Sunday is in two days. There's no way you'll be better by then. It's already Friday!" Ryuu argues. "Kazuki can reschedule it. We can't have a sick, little brat like you going into a hospital. You'll kill off all the patients!"
"Shut up!" Rin shouts weakly. "You're just an egotistical errand boy… What can… you do…?" Her voice slowly fades out as her eyes shut. Ryuu rolls his eyes; she was such an idiot! She knew shouting would only wear her out faster.
"Rin! We are here for you!" Ryuu winces at the sound of Tamaki's overly-happy voice coming up the stairs.
"Who let you in?" Ryuu hears Melissa's angry, muffled voice from the other side of the door.
He hears a loud smack, and then, "Lissa-chan, you shouldn't hit poor Tama-chan."
"I know" Melissa's voice sounds gentler now. "But Ri-chan is sleeping." Ryuu shakes his head with a smile; somehow, the short ninja who was less than a month younger than him had a strong intuition when it came Rin. Daichi had been very smart to enlist her; she was like a mother figure to all of them.
"I presume that this is Ms. Yukimura's room?" Kyoya says, opening the door. Ryuu looks up and gives the Host a lopsided grin.
"Yeah. She's real sick though, so I wouldn't wake her if I were you."
"Then, you're a doctor?"
Ryuu shakes his head. "Nah. Medical crap is just somethin' I mess around with. I know the basics, so whenever anyone who's part of The Project get sicks, I'm the one they call. It saves'em money, and gives me practice."
"I see." Kyoya looks thoughtful.
"Hey now! Don't go gettin' any ideas about hirin' me off Yukimura-san!" Ryuu says quickly. "I like bein' with these guys. They kinda saved me…"
"I wouldn't dream of it" Kyoya responds flatly with a smirk. Ryuu eyes him suspiciously, not sure whether he should believe him or not.
"Ryuu…?" The two men look down at Rin, who cracks an eye open.
"Yeah? What's up, Rin?" Ryuu places a hand on her forehead. "Where is that d**ned Kazuki" he mutters under his breath. "He should've brought the cold clothes by now."
"It's hot in here" Rin mumbles, weakly pushing at his hand. "Don't touch me."
Kyoya raises an eyebrow. "She's very demanding when she's sick."
"She's always demanding" Ryuu shoots back. Just then, the door bursts open and Tamaki waltzes into the room with Melissa's arms wrapped around his torso.
"Get back here!" She huffs through clenched teeth as she pulls back on the Host. "You can't go in there right now."
"But we're here to make Rin better!" Tamaki whines. Ryuu rolls his eyes.
"Get outta here" he orders. "If you don't, you'll get sick too."
"He's right, Senpai" comes Haruhi's voice from behind Melissa. "We should probably go and let her rest."
"I'm right here, you know." Everyone turns to look at the body on the bed. Rin glares feebly up at the crowd. "Get out of my room" she growls, then coughs.
"Where is Kazuki?" Ryuu irritatedly asks Melissa.
She shrugs. "Busy, I guess."
"Are you freakin' joking me?!" He bellows, causing the choreographer to release Tamaki and rush over to him. She clamps a hand over his mouth and frowns at him.
"Are you trying to cause trouble?" She hisses under her breath. "You will not disturb Rin."
"You've already disturbed me" Rin wheezes. "What's with the gathering, huh?"
"We've come to help you get better!" Tamaki exclaims.
"How do you expect a girl to get decent rest with you bumbling clowns around?!" Rin asks angrily, momentarily regaining her energy.
"Clowns!" Tamaki looks appalled. "How can you say that?" He stares at her with astonishment.
"Can I get through, please?" Ryuu's eyes immediately light up.
"Get out of the way!" He growls, pushing the Ouran Hosts away from the door. Kazuki's holding a large, silver bowl filled with water and white dishcloths. Ryuu takes the bowl from his manager and sets it down on Rin's side table, then pulls out a cloth and places it on her forehead.
"That's freakin' cold" Rin mutters.
"Yeah, I know" Ryuu responds. "But it'll make you feel good."
"Where is -" Hikaru begins.
"- Everyone else?" Kaoru finishes. Ryuu stares dumbly at them.
"They're helping out in the kitchen. Where else would they be?"
"I'm right here" comes Suzume's voice from behind the crowd.
"Do you need help with that?" Hikaru asks, looking down at the serving tray that she's carrying.
Suzume shakes her head. "Nope, I'm good."
"You sure? It looks kinda heavy."
"She's a lot stronger than you think" Satoru says, joining the throng in the hallway.
"Mhm!" Suzume agrees happily. "Melissa's my senpai. I attend some of her classes."
"I don't care" Rin grumbles. "Just get out of my room. All of you!"
"Let's go" Melissa immediately responds. "Everyone out." She ushers people out of the room, sending Rin a vague smile over her shoulder. Just as Kyoya was about to step outside, Rin stops him.
"Wait" she says. "You stay." Kyoya raises an eyebrow, but obeys and takes Ryuu's spot next to her bed. Once the last person had left the room, and the door was closed, Rin looks up at Kyoya with large, blue eyes.
"Why'd you come?" She slurs, squinting her eyes at him with flushed cheeks. Kyoya blinks in surprise.
"We were worried."
"We?" Rin's face pulls into a grimace. "What about you?"
"Me?" Kyoya chuckles a bit. "What I choose to do with my own time is my business, and my business alone."
"But it's my business too!" Rin whines, trying to sit up. "You're here at my house!"
"Lay down" Kyoya orders with a smirk, pushing her back down onto the mattress.
"That's probably the most emotion you've ever shown me" she mumbles with a smirk. Kyoya tries to hide the flush on his cheek.
"I wouldn't know what you're talking about" he says haughtily, leaning back in his seat. A soft knock at the door causes the two to turn. The door opens, and Suzume timidly walks in with the serving tray still in her hands.
"I wasn't really able to bring this in earlier" she chuckles, "so here it is." She places the tray down on Rin's side-table before hurrying out and softly closing the door behind her. Kyoy glances at it to see a steaming bowl of soup on it.
"Would you like that?" He asks, gesturing to it.
Rin nods. "Yeah, of course I would. But I can't really hold it or anything." She props herself up with a grimace.
"Then I'll feed it to you." Before she can protest, Kyoya picks up the bowl and dips the spoon in.
"How're they doing?" Suzume asks, standing behind Melissa.
"Sounds like he's feeding her" Melissa says with her ear pressed up against the door.
"You're supposed to be our senpai" Hikaru says.
"Don't you think you're acting kind of childish?" Kaoru asks. Melissa turns to glare at them.
"Like you don't wanna know what's going on" she shoots back. They hold up their hands in surrender.
"Seems like the little brat can be humble" Ryuu says pointedly.
"Maybe she'll learn to love" Kazuki adds, smiling knowingly. Melissa looks up at him.
"You think so?" Kazuki nods.
"Most definitely." Melissa beams, and Mori feels a strange sensation in his chest. What was that feeling? Honey looks up at his friend knowingly. Mori would understand his own feelings soon; Honey was sure of it.
Sorry it's taken me forever to update. College is crap. So are finals -_-
Anyway! I hope I didn't disappoint. Things should be picking up real soon (I know, I've said in like, the past two chapters. I'm sorry.)
Review, favorite, and follow! Love y'all!
~Melissa-Disney99
