A/N: I'm on a roll! Thanks for so many reviews again! =D But uh, I'm going to a concert and I'm going to be out of town for a whole week so I won't even be able to write for a while. So, to hold you over, I had to finish the next chapter. There may be more mistakes than usual because I rushed it. Let me know what you think! R&R!

C: I'm happy you think it's so good~! *rubs hand together excitedly* Yes, the drama is really going to be coming! Just wait until next chapter! And Akari just has a nervous stutter, albeit a bit worse than others.

Just saying but it's illegal in the United States to own people….. I don't do illegal things. Therefore, I don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club. Damn.

I tug Felix's hair playfully as we walk through the park in Spain, my cheeks red from exertion. He had taken my phone and starting running away, of course I had to chase the stupid thug and prove that he won't get the best of me. Oikanawa followed a distance behind, making sure that no one bothered us. My dutiful protector. Although I doubt anyone would mess with us, Felix is like a beast. He gets into fights way too often to not be. "Is it true that you're moving?" my annoying friend asks finally, seeking to confirm the rumors he had most likely heard from Grace.

I sigh at him and nod, conflicting feelings rising in me. "My mother's condition has been stable for the past year, and her specialist finally gave her the okay to return to Japan. They both want to get back to the headquarters for their companies right away. Naturally, I have to go too as part of the family." A snort escapes Felix's mouth and I feel the disapproval he has for that statement. It was a long living argument that we have, one that we never quiet resolve. We only let the topic drop because we both know that neither of us will budge on it.

"You don't have to go," he refutes. I look over at him, a sad smile on my lips. He doesn't understand that I have certain expectations to fulfill as part of the Oita family. He believes that a person's family has to constantly earn the right to be called family. I believe it's an obligation.

"Yes I do."

We are so different, yet so similar. I guess that's why we had tried dating at some point. It wasn't that bad, I guess. We argued more than either of us liked but when we got along we got along well. And he showered me with compliments and gifts. I relied on him so much. I think that's what didn't work between us. I didn't want to be in a relationship where my shaky self-esteem relied on him to keep me happy. I want to love myself before I even consider going out with someone. He wasn't willing to wait for me though. I can't blame him for that. So now we're always stuck at being friends.

Felix wraps his arm around my shoulder loosely, a sign of the lingering affection he has for me. I don't step away for the same reason. "You better take care of yourself," he warns me. "Don't let anyone push you around too much either, or I'll go to Japan and drag you back myself. Well, I'm sure Grace would help me," he muses to himself and I go pale. That's a scary and definite possibility.

I punch his shoulder weakly and caution him, "You better not. I'll raise hell the whole way back here and I'll escape somehow." He chuckles at me, like the mere idea amused him and I frowned at him. He holds his hands up in surrender but chuckles still escape him. I push him in response and he doesn't even stumble. "Stop laughing at me, I'm serious!"

He pushed me back and I struggle to keep my balance. I huff at him in annoyance. I can't believe I barely did anything and he can easily push me over. "I'd like to see you try." His amused challenge makes me grin viciously and I run forward to jump onto his back, wrapping my legs around his midsection so that I don't fall and his arms loop under my knees automatically.

"Please, I don't need to try to beat you!" The teen is full out laughing at me now, his shoulders shaking in his mirth. Stupid thug.

"Sure, brat." As is to prove me wrong, he careens suddenly into the grass, making a surprised squeal emit from me. That sneaky bastard!

"Cheating!" I yell but he doesn't respond. I look down at him and he looks up at me, his eyes glittering with mischief. Oh no-. I'm on the ground suddenly, a high pitched yelp dragged out of my mouth from when he had dropped me. Giggles start to bubble up quickly and I struggle to smother them as he lies next to me. No, I have to be angry!

My scolding is stopped when he admits suddenly and quietly, "I'll miss you." I wrap him in a hug in response, burying my head in the crook of his neck and his arms go around my waist.

"I'll miss you too."

I'm coming home

I'm coming home

Tell the World I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the World I'm coming…home

-I'm Coming Home by J. Cole

"Class 1-A will be your assigned class, Oita-san," the receptionist informs me politely as she gives me the slip of paper with directions. Thank God, I never would have found the place on my own.

"Thank you," I respond, my voice somewhat quiet in my nervousness. It's been a while since I've been here. A year and a half, actually. The creamish-pink high school was slightly intimidating but I wouldn't say that I minded the color that much. What else do you expect from the Suoh family besides something that stands out? At least it wasn't neon pink. That would have been ugly.

"It's good to have you back." The receptionist pulls me from my thoughts, and I send a small smile in her direction before leaving the office. I should get going if I want to find my classroom; I'm not exactly stellar in the directions category. I fuss with my yellow uniform as I walk along, staring down at the paper to find my way. This will take a while. At least there are students still walking through the halls and chattering I have plenty of time then.

"Do my eyes deceive me?! Or is that my best friend?!" The excited squeal of a familiar voice makes me turn and I'm immediately enveloped in a large hug. Can't breathe! Can't breathe! "Ri!" Yui-chan exclaims happily. "I'm so happy that you came back! School has been so boring with just Aya and Kiyumi!" Everyone else has stopped using suffixes, deciding that we're all close enough. They're still trying to break me of the habit. Not that I want it to be broken. "Why did it take you so long to return to me?! It's already a few weeks into the year!"

"We can tell that you enjoyed our company," Kiyumi-chan remarks behind my best friend dryly. I laugh in elation, grinning over Yui-chan's shoulder at my two other friends.

"It's so good to finally be going to school with you three again!" I inform them happily, escaping Yui-chan's hug and regaining my breath before giving Aya-chan and Kiyumi-chan their hugs.

"Talk about it!" Aya-chan speaks up. "We haven't seen hide or hair of you for over half a year; you've changed a lot, because of it." I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. I had been busy. I see what they mean by changes though, I looked at a picture that was taken of me a year ago and I look a lot different. My curves are filling out, I'm not exactly well endowed but you can easily tell that I have curves. I also got my brown hair cut so that I had bangs across my forehead along with slightly longer pieces of hair framing both sides of my face. Of course, my hair was still frustratingly wavy (not in a good way, trust me) so I had it held up in a loose ponytail with a green hair tie.

"Same for you three," I grin back at her, examining how they had changed. Aya-chan had a cutesy style to her, with a bob and large doe eyes. Kiyumi-chan had the long straight hair and dignified make-up. Yui-chan stuck to her classic chic layered cut with her crooked grin and loud personality.

"We had better get to class soon, the bell will be ringing," Kiyumi-chan advises. "What class do you have?"

I peer at the slip of paper in my hand again. "1-A. What about you three?"

"Kiyumi and Aya take the advanced classes. They're far too good for us average students. I'm in class 1-B. That sucks!" Yui-chan bursts. I shrug at her and sigh sadly. Now I won't have anyone to really talk to. I never kept in touch with any of my acquaintances once I went to Spain. What was the point? I wonder what I'll do then. My face scrunches up in apprehension and disgust as I realize that I'll have to go through the whole new girl thing. Again. "I'll take you to your class so you don't get lost. We don't have much time anyways." I nod at my best friend happily, a small smile on my face. I'll manage somehow. If anything, I just won't say anything.

"We'll meet up in the cafeteria for lunch. See you later, Ri, Yui!" Aya-chan calls happily over her shoulder, walking the other way with Kiyumi-chan.

"We better hurry, the bell will ring soon." My world suddenly jerks and I yelp as my excitable friend pulls me along quickly.

I try, to no avail, to pull myself from her grip. "You know, Yui-chan, I could run on my own!" I have no doubt that we look hilarious to everyone else.

She laughs loudly and tosses over her shoulder, "Stop being so formal! It's a drag. And you should have said that from the beginning.

"You didn't give me any time to!" I protest. "You can let me go now."

"Ummmmm, no, I don't think that I can." I narrow my eyes at her back, still struggling to place my feet on the floor.

"Don't even start with me!"

"Too late!"

"Yui-chan, I swear-!" My sentence is abruptly cut off as My body jerks backward from her abrupt stop.

"Annnnd here we are." I try to slow my heaving chest while using the wall as my support, waiting for the nausea to pass.

"One second, I'm trying not to hurl."

I wince at the sudden slap on my back and Yui-chan snorts, "Stop being such a baby, it wasn't that bad." Not that bad?! That was awful! I've never ran so fast in my life!

I straighten up, fussing with my yellow dress and hair. It probably looks awful. Well, I'll just have to fix it later. "Says the one who wasn't being dragged," I mutter under my breath. "Anyways," I continue louder. "Thanks for showing me the way, though you didn't have to drag me, and I'll see you later."

I wave to her as she walks away, taking a deep breath to steel my nerves. I doubt I'll ever enjoy talking to strangers. I wonder if anyone I know will be in this class. I push open the door, shuffling in quietly. The room is filled with chatter from the students, while others are trying to finish their homework last minute or even catching up on sleep. The sensei sits at his desk, filing some papers together. I try to ignore the eyes that are beginning to turn my way. What else would have happened? There's someone new. It's perfectly fine, Akari. Just stay calm. "Ummm," I start quietly, trying to gain the attention of the sensei. "Hello, I-I'm a new student-student" The sensei looks up at me, smiling warmly and taking the slip of paper that I hold out to him.

He nods, pushing up the thin wire glasses he has perched on his sharp nose. "Yes, yes, I was told that you were entering my class today. Welcome to Ouran High, Oita-san." The bell rings loudly and I curse Yui-chan internally for going so fast even though I would have been late if we hadn't

"It's good to be comin-coming here, sensei," I answer politely, my parents lessons on manners instinctual by now.

"I'm Garaa-sensei, by the way," he introduces himself and I bow to him in greeting, murmuring my name in return. He stands up and the chatter begins to die down as he calls, "Okay class, calm down. There's someone I would like to introduce to you." I feel everyone's stares on me and I keep my eyes above everyone's head, not focusing on any of their faces. I'm sure that I would stutter like I used to. That's embarrassing. "This is Akari Oita. Some of you should recognize her from middle school, she went to Spain but now she's back!"

I bow toward everyone, saying loudly, "It's a pleasure to be in class with you all."

"I would say the same."

"But it really isn't." My throat goes dry and I feel the blood drain from my face. Shit. Whispers startup and Gaara-sensei raises his voice to get everyone to settle down. I stay in my bowed position, swallowing thickly to prepare myself. I had nearly forgotten them. I made it a point to. I straighten up, looking in the direction which the some-what familiar voices come from. I see the Hitachiins sitting in the back corner, another, more girly, boy in between them. I bite my tongue to curb that long lasting anger towards them. It isn't worth it to make a bad impression on Garaa-sensei.

I grit my teeth as I stare at their cat like eyes, smugness radiating from them. I hate to admit it but they look good. Better than good actually. Their bodies had lost that adolescent roundness and their features were a lot more striking now. They got their hair cut from that weird mushroom cut, their hair a lot more stylish. "Both of you, I would ask that you watch how you speak to your fellow students at the very least during my class," Garaa-sensei cautions. "Next time, there will be a punishment."

"Yes sensei," they chorus, a convincing sincere tone in their voice but their eyes never leave mine and I know that they are acting. I meet them head on, not willing to back down like I used to. They will not walk all over me. They are the first ones to look away as the boy between them drags them close to him by their ears and I let a quiet chuckle leave me. He looks pissed.

"Moving on," sensei sighs. "Please tell us some things about yourself Oita-san."

"I'm three quart-quarters Japanese and one quarter Spaniard. My f-father owns a world-known security company while my mothe-mother owns the lar-largest law firm in Japan. My favorite su-subject is hi-h-hstory and I'm awful at math," I reveal, keeping my tone cordial. I don't see the point of this.

The class greets me in unison and Garaa-sensei assigns my seat while he begins to write on the board. Ugh, I'm on the same side of the room as the Hitachiins. Hopefully they just leave me alone. I want nothing to do with them. I sit down, writing notes as sensei writes them on the board. I forgot how boring Japanese classrooms are. Everyone stays silent and there isn't any need to participate.

Nothing interesting happens and I rush out of the classroom once lunch arrives. I sigh in relief once I'm a good distance away; at least Hikaru-san and Kaoru-san don't want anything to do with me either. I guess we both ruined that before I moved. Anger rises in me once I recall what they did. God damnit, they know. How dare they just look around my things like they had the right-. Wait. They know. What if… what if they told someone else? No, no, if they had, I would have heard of it by now, even if I had been half-way across the world. What if they blackmail me? Either way…. I'll have to talk to them about it. I can't have them opening their mouths like idiots. And I can't just pretend like they don't know. I don't want to talk to them though. I don't want to even be near them. I can bet a lot that they feel the same way. We both ruined things didn't we, Kaoru-san and Hikaru-san?

"It was one thing to make a mistake; it was another thing to keep making it. I knew what happened when you let yourself get close to someone, when you started to believe they loved you: you'd be disappointed. Depend on someone, and you might as well admit you're going to be crushed, because when you really needed them, they wouldn't be there."

― Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care

"Are you doing anything after school, Ri?" Aya-chan asks as we eat our food at our table. Other various girls and boys come and go, some I vaguely remember and others I had never heard of before. Iruka-san is still their friend and he greeted me warmly once he got to the table.

"No, I was planning on going home, why?" I question, biting into the cuisine I had ordered from the school. Great, just like in middle school.

"Well," Yui-chan drawls, exchanging glances between my other two girl friends and I hear Iruka-san mutter something under his breath. "We want to take you to the Host Club!" I raise my eyebrows at the familiar club I had been hearing so much about. Ever since I walked onto school grounds, girls and even some boys had been talking about the Host Club. Most of the comments were more than complimentary. Kyoya-sempai mentioned he was in a club and so was his friend Tamaki-sempai. I've met him a few times when I had visited Kyoya-sempai. He was a serious flirt but all around a nice guy. Maybe I shoulder look for both of them some time.

"Great. Now I have to spend the rest of lunch listening to you three drool over them!" Iruka-san complains, slamming his head on the table.

"We aren't that bad, Iruka!" Kiyumi-chan protests.

Of course Aya-chan had to add, "Whatever, he's just jealous that they're perfect." Iruka-san points at her and looks at me pleadingly, not even having to say anything to have his point proven.

"I don't know you guys….," I murmur, bringing the topic back to what they were originally trying to do.

"Come on!" Yui-chan urges, looking at me seriously. "How would you not want to go to a club full of charming, flirtatious, and hot men?" I stare at her blankly. I have lost all hope for my friend. "Even Kiyumi goes there regularly!"

"If anything," Kiyumi-chan tries her hand to persuade me. "Most of them are nice to just chat with. You don't have to engage in all of the fake romance they put up. I don't." Aya-chan snorts like she finds something funny and her close friend shoot her a glare.

"How about this?" Yui-chan starts to propose. "You come with us this afternoon. You can come to my appointment. After this one time, you can decide whether or not you want to come again with us." She nods to herself. "Good. I'll pick you up at your classroom." She continues eating while I stare blankly at her.

"I never agreed to this!"

"But you will. I was just cutting out the annoying extra decision time."

"Will not!"

"Suuuure."

"Shut up, Aya-chan."

"We all knew it was going to happen, Ri."

"Not you too Kiyumi-chan!"

I lean against the wall next to the classroom, waiting for Yui-chan to pick me up. I fiddle with my phone lazily, trying to ignore all of the noise around me. My body tenses once I sight two auburn haired teens out of the corner of my eye, calling back to someone in the classroom. "I'm telling you Haruhi, Kyoya-sempai won't be happy-," Hikaru-san's nonchalant tone informs someone. My brow furrows in confusion. How do they know Kyoya-sempai?

"If you're late again," Kaoru-san finishes with a mocking tone.

"I'll be fine, I just have to drop by the library to turn in a book, go ahead of me," the boy, Haruhi, calls back. "Gives me some peace and quiet," he mutters loudly. The twins shrug and continue out of the classroom, their paces pausing momentarily. I glance up slightly only to tighten up even more to find their golden eyes staring at me. Well, now or never.

"I nee-need to talk to you both," I start, straightening up from my leaning position on the wall but not relaxing at all. Mocking smiles tilt up their lips at the same time.

"What if we don't want to talk to you?" they question together, tilting their heads at me. I grit my teeth at them.

"I said that I need to talk, you two o-on the other ha-h-hand don't have to say a wo-word," I sneer at them.

"Oh look," Kaoru-san taunts. "The idiot finally has claws." I clench my fists tightly. It's like we've started all over again.

"I guess that I ow-owe you two for not tellin-telling anyone about my mother," I manage to say through my gritted teeth. The words taste like acid. Thankfully, they don't grin mockingly at me. If anything, their expressions close down. "But," I add, my glare scalding suddenly. "If you d-do tell anyone, I'll mak-make your lives hell." I open my mouth to say something else but the appearance of that boy that they had been talking to makes me shut my mouth.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I thought that I said you could go ahead," he comments but his tone turns curious as he notices me. "You're the new student, right? I'm Haruhi Fujioka," he introduces himself with a small bow. Hikaru-san and Kaoru-san sling their arms around Fujioka-san's shoulder, their eyes cold as they survey me.

"Now, now, Haruhi," Hikaru-san scolds loudly, his eyes not leaving mine.

Kaoru-san, of course, knows exactly what else to say. "It isn't good to talk to people who aren't worth your time." My eyes narrow at them challengingly but I feel my resolve start to crumble. No, I can't back down. I won't be so weak in front of them again.

"I won-wonder why he talks to you two then," I growl. Fujioka-san's expression looks mildly shocked but I glance over his shoulder to see my friend standing there with a solemn expression, not doing anything to intervene. "Sorry, my first impression is-isn't the best," I say to Fujioka-san, bowing slightly to the small teen. "I'm A-Akari Oita. It's nic-nice to meet you. Now, I hav-have to go." I walk away without a word, not even glancing at the twins. They aren't worth my time. I wrap my arm around Yui-chan once I reach her, smiling at her slightly.

"The rumors were true then?" she questions slightly and I sigh loudly as she starts to lead me to the Host Club.

I make sure to keep my tone light as I answer, "If they were that the Hitachiins and I don't get along, then yes, they were true." Yui-chan thankfully, lets the subject drop, moving on to the various things that the Host Club do.

"Who's even in the Host Club?" I question once she pauses to take a breath. She just grins at me and walks me to the large group of girls waiting in front of the room with the sign 'Music Room 3'.

"You'll see," she comments, waving over to Kiyumi-chan and Aya-chan, who are slightly in front of us. "But I'm sure that you'll like most of them. After this, I bet that you'll be a regular customer like the three of us." I roll my eyes at her but don't say anything to humor her. I doubt it. The crowd around us chatters excitedly, eagerly waiting for the doors to open. Man, they really have all of the girls wrapped around their fingers. I guess it can't be that bad if this many girls like it so much. The doors start to open slowly and you hear cries of excitement start up from some. Since were towards the back, I don't see any of the members but I blink curiously as I see over their shoulders. Is that…. A tropical jungle? With actual animals?

If anything, they are different. I've never heard of a host club like this. The crowd bustles forward and finally we get into the room, a blast of warm air coating me and making me relax with a happy sigh. Maybe this place isn't that bad. Yui-chan drags me forward and I blink as I see who we're approaching. Their back is turned to us and I barely hold in the chuckles at his outfit. What is he wearing?

"Yo-you know, Kyo-Kyoya-sempai, when you sa-said you were in a clu-club, I ne-n-never would have thought it was a host club!" I laugh loudly at my older friend. A resigned sigh leaves him.

"It's good to see you too, Akari-san."