Ouran High School Screw-Up

Chapter 10: Relations

"Hey Yune," Hikaru says, "you know how your father showed up like three days ago?"

"Yeah, I think I remember that."

"Well, that made me think…"

"Oh shit, thinking?"

"That maybe…"

"Spit it out, boy!"

"We should go out sometime."

Yune blinks. "Okay, cool. Let's throw dead cats through the window during history."

"What the hell? Where are we going to get a dead cat?"

"Remember that those middle schoolers are dissecting cats? Let's get a few, throw 'em in through the history room windows, and viola! Perfection!"

Hikaru laughs. "I like it! We can get Kaoru to open the windows for us."

"Haha! Awesome!"

"What the hell?" Megan screams. "Where did this dead cat come from!"

Everyone busts out laughing when the dead cats come sailing through the open windows. One lands squarely on their teacher's head, making her scream bloody murder.

The intercom buzzes to life. "Megan Shaft, will you please report to the main office?"

"What? I didn't do it!"

But she goes down there anyway.

"Why was I called to the office? It was clearly Hikaru and Yosuke!"

Someone yells, "Megan!"

"Justin?"

"Megan!"

"Oh my gosh, Justin! What are you doing here?" She pulls him into a huge hug. "When did you fly in?"

"Just now! Everyone in California's great. Mom and Dad send their love."

"It's so great to see you!" She laughs. "I mean, I still hate your guts, but I missed annoying the crap out of you!"

"I missed arguing with you over who got to use the computer!"

"I missed knocking over your Bionicle figures!"

"Oh, that was low, Megan."

"I know. Couldn't resist."

"I haven't played with them in years!"

"Months."

"Years!"

"Months."

"Okay, maybe months."

"Ha! You admit!"

The bell rings and the rest of the Host Club bursts in, stopping short when they see her in the arms of some older teenager. Kaoru looks like he might hurl.

"Oh, uh, guys. This is Justin Shaft, my older brother."

"It's nice to meet you!" Justin takes Katy's hand and kisses her knuckles, saying, "Even nicer to meet you, beautiful."

Katy blushes. "Aww, thanks! How sweet!"

Mori's face hardens (as much as Mori's face can, anyway). Honey frowns and reaches for Mori's hand.

"It's okay, Takashi."

"Hmm." Mori watches Justin talk with Katy and Megan, flirting freely.

This is bound to turn into a mess.

"This is Katy Burns and that's Lily Whiteford, my roomies. This is Suou Tamaki—they say last names before first in Japan, for some reason—the King of the Host Club. This is Yune, a girl pretending to be a girl, but not like they do in Cali, I actually think she's straight. Her identical twin is off with the Shadow King Kyoya at some academic convention for the next three days, so you won't meet them. This is Morinozuka Takashi, we call him Mori, and Haninozuka... I don't know the rest of his name, we just call him Honey. And this is Hikaru, the annoying one, and his identical twin, Kaoru, my…"

"Friend," Kaoru finishes awkwardly. They both blush, making Justin raise an eyebrow.

"Okay. Well, I'll be here for the next two days! Just visiting, you know."

"Of course. Where are you gonna stay?"

"Oh, I have a hotel room. Let me treat you all to dinner! Megan's friends are my friends!"

Mori can't help but notice how he looks right at Katy as he says it.

"Are there any good beaches around here?" Justin asks Katy. They're all in a moderately nice restaurant, but Mori finds himself moping, despite Honey's repeated attempts to cheer him up.

"They're all closed today," Kaoru says for Katy, because she doesn't know. "It's a little too cold this week so they've got the beaches shut until Friday."

"Damn, I'll be gone by then," Justin says. "Maybe you all could fly in to Cali over winter break and see the beaches there, they're to die for."

"I bet they are! I love beaches. I bought this uber-cute suit—remember, Mori? We went shopping together a few days ago. Poor Mori, I drag him around everywhere with me. But he's a good sport." Katy grins.

"I'd love to see it. Does Ouran have a pool? I think my hotel might have one if it doesn't."

"Justin's, like, obsessed with swimming. He works a lifeguard for movie stars. I think it's dreadfully boring, saving rich people all day." Megan sticks out her tongue and Kaoru laughs.

"But don't you have to put up with us all day?"

"Well, y'all are different. You're… umm… nice?" she says and Justin shakes his head at both of them.

"You two are pathetic."

"What?" Megan and Kaoru say, but everyone else at the table has to agree. They really are just completely in denial.

"Never mind. Katy, your hair is gorgeous, is it natural?"

"Completely! I hate hair dye." She smiles again. "Are you paying for the whole meal?"

"As much as I can manage with what's in my wallet! Which may not be much, actually…"

"Katy," Mori says. Justin had left them at Ouran and Mori had offered to walk her to her room.

"Yeah, Mori?"

"Do you like Justin?"

"Yeah, he's cool! For an older brother, I mean. I wish I had an older brother…"

Mori frowns. She doesn't get it. "But… he… Never mind. Good night, Katy."

He turns to leave and she grabs his hand. Hers is so much smaller in comparison. "Wait."

"Yes?"

"Good night, Mori!" She smiles and kisses his cheek. "Sweet dreams!"

And then she goes inside, but for some reason, he doesn't feel any better.

Justin is in the music room with Megan the next morning.

"So Justin."

"So Megan."

"What's up."

"Nothing much."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine."

"Like Japan?"

"I guess. Do you?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

"Yeah."

"Good morning!" Katy yells, hugging Megan and then Justin. Mori walks in with Honey just in time to see them hug, but he just breezes by, pretending not to care. Katy frowns at his back. Something's up with him…

"So Katy," Justin begins, "how old are you?"

"Fifteen, just like Megan."

"I'm eighteen! That's not as much of a difference as I thought."

"Yeah! My parents are seven years apart, so age doesn't really matter to me." Mori's eighteen too, she thinks.

"So do you want to catch a bite with me tonight? Just a friendly meal, hmm?"

Mori freezes.

"Sure! But I can't stay for more than an hour, I have a butt load of homework."

"That's fine!"

Megan rolls her eyes. This is sooo gross. My brother and my roommate. Yuck.

Mori can't help but feel the same way.

Mori watches Justin walk her to her room, sees her hug him before turning and going back to her room. He steps out of the shadows, leaning against the door to the elevator, the only exit.

"Justin."

Justin twirls around, alarmed by Mori's deep voice.

"Oh, it's just you. Takashi, right? Or would you prefer I call you Mori?"

Mori stands up, almost a foot taller than the other boy.

"Stay away from Katy."

"What?"

"Stay away from Katy. She's my girlfriend and I don't want you having any more 'friendly meals' together. I want you to leave her alone."

Here's where Justin should back down and walk away.

But unfortunately, he just doesn't quite know who Mori is.

"And what if she doesn't want me to leave her alone? What if she wants me over you? If you're her boyfriend, why would she go out with me tonight and not you?" Justin laughs. "I think this is a sign. Saying that you should leave her alone. You might be tall, but I'm not scared of you. You back away. You dig?"

Is this kid… trying… to… threaten me? Mori puzzles together, shocked.

But then shock turns to anger.

"I'm sorry that it came to this."

"So am I—I'm a green belt in karate!" Justin strikes a dramatic fighting stance and Mori just stares at him.

And punches him right in the nose.

"Mori!" Katy screams. "Oh, Mori!"

She rushes over and he sees that she's got tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Mori, are you hurt?"

Mori blinks.

"But… I hit him, Katy."

"Look at your knuckles! Oh, you poor thing, let's put a band-aid on that!"

"But… he's… bleeding," Mori says, pointing at Justin who's lying on the floor holding his nose. He can't see anything on his knuckles and the other boy is moaning.

"I saw the whole thing. He had it coming." Katy shrugs and pulls out a pink band-aid. "Here!"

Mori looks at the pink band-aid on his knuckles. "Thank you," he says quietly and she hugs him.

"Silly boy! I wouldn't pick him over you! I even fainted to meet you, doesn't that mean something?"

Mori laughs. "You're a funny girl, you know?"

She smiles and kisses his lips gently, whispering, "Thank you, Mori."

"All I have to do is punch a guy and I get a kiss?"

"Hmm… yep! You were so cool when you did that! Like he was all 'Whaaaaayah' and you were just like BAM! Haha!"

"Well, I'll beat up guys for you more often, how's that?"

"Sweeeeet!"

"But let's get him to the nurse. I'd hate myself if I let a broken nose go unattended."

"You knocked by brother senseless." Megan stares at Mori somberly before cracking up and holding her hand up for a high five. "Sweet!"

"I'll cover the medical bill," Mori says, but Megan won't hear of it.

"Yeah right! He deserves it. And there's nothing bad, just a lot of blood. It's not even broken. Lame punch, in my opinion, but that'll teach him not to flirt with my friends! Bahahahaha!"

"Well, here's a happy ending!" Honey cries. "Takashi beats up guy, Takashi gets girl, Honey gets cake! Whoopee!"

Katy wipes icing from Honey's nose. "Do I get some cake, Honey?"

"If you don't mind sitting next to Usa-chan!"

"No, I don't mind. Would Usa-chan like some tea?"

Mori watches her have a tea party with Honey, thinking, Well, maybe this is a happy ending. He smiles and hands Usa-chan the tea.