Hey peoples!
Hope your enjoying the story so far!
Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Host Club or the hosts . . .
Claimer: I own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Mackenzie, and any other characters who aren't mentioned in the manga or anime!
~ Chapter 10 ~
Windows of Opportunities
The irritating buzzing of my alarm clock woke me from my dream. Groggily rolling over in bed, I groped around for the "off" switch on the clock. Once the alarm was silenced, I sat up in bed, wearily rubbing my eyes. Through the entire night, I dreamt about baking. I guess being cooped up in a kitchen for two and a half hours with the aroma of those deserts can get to you. Well, at least I had a game plan for the day: Get as much homework completed for half of lunch break, so that I wouldn't be up all night stuck on an Algebra problem.
Sliding out of bed, I dragged my legs into the bathroom to get dressed and fix up my hair. Once I was ready for the day, I walked out of the room with my messenger bag strap over my shoulder. Even though I got about ten hours of sleep last night, I felt like going back to bed. Yesterday nearly drained every last bit of energy I had in me; and even though it was just baking and cake decorating, it stretched out my school schedule big time. Well, I'd get used to this after a few days.
I was so exhausted that I couldn't even tell that I was wearily striding down the hall. It was as if I were sleepwalking. My head would sag as my eyes began to close, but I quickly jerked my head back up to stay awake and focus while walking to class so that I wouldn't bump into anything. Apparently, I unconsciously began to doze off again, but suddenly awoke when I bumped into someone else.
"Ah, gomen nasai," I spoke, standing up straight so that I wouldn't look like a slob slouching over.
The person turned at looked at me. She was a female student with flawless fair skin, and about a head taller than I was. She had shoulder length, black hair and malicious-looking hazel eyes. The top layer of her hair was pulled back in French braid. As we stared at each other, two other female students stepped out from behind her, and then stood on either side of her, as if they were her bodyguards.
The one on her left was about my height with light tan skin. She had short, light brown hair, and the top layer was used to create two identical buns on the side of her head. Her copper brown eyes were full of mischief as if deep within her mind she was plotting world domination. The sassy smirk on her glossed pink lips matched, what I sensed was, her arrogant and haughty personality.
The other female student on her right measured to be about a height in between the other two girls. She had fair skin and wavy auburn hair pulled back into a low pony tail. Her ocean blue eyes were calm, but she was probably the type that was like Kyoya, calm and quiet, but manipulative.
The girl I had bumped into tilted her head slightly, and then sighed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "First Year?" she questioned.
"Um . . . y-yes," I replied.
"Figured," black haired girl spoke. "I assume a student not from Ouran, correct?"
"Yeah . . ." I replied, a little confused about why she would be bringing that up.
"Well, that answers everything," she said flatly. "Only a newbie to the school would clumsily fumble through these halls."
The other two girls snickered while their leader glanced from the two of them with a devious smile on her face. As soon as she looked back at me with that exact same grin, something finally clicked on inside me. This girl was obviously the ring leader of her clique, and the three of them combined equaled mean girls. It didn't take a math genius to figure it out. The first thing that popped in my mind was think of something to say to end the conversation quickly and head on to class. Ever since I received that scholarship, I made a promise to myself not to become involved with mean girls.
"I'm getting well acquainted with the area," I spoke, trying to keep calm. "Even the Host Club helps me out every once in a while."
The three girls stared at me surprised, and I smirked on the inside knowing that I tossed their little teasing into the corner. The Host Club was well known among the female students in the high school, so they had to be surprised that I knew the hosts well. I mean, we were good friends, and they treated me like family.
The black-haired girl grinned mischievously. "Ah, so you're friends with the hosts then?"
I nodded in reply. "They're really nice guys. I've never known a single person in the world who hates them. They're just so lovable!"
"Who's your favorite?" the brown-haired girl questioned.
"I bet it's the twins or Tamaki-kun," the auburn-haired student replied.
"Actually, I don't have a favorite," I admitted. "To me, they're all great. Since I transferred from . . . another school, I miss my old friends, but I'm making new ones here, especially with the Host Club."
"Aww, how sweet," the ring-leader spoke nonchalantly, wiping a "tear" from her eye. "You sure have a way with words, um . . . Pardon me, I didn't catch your name."
"Katherine," I replied, with a smile. "Katherine Johnson."
"Kimiko Harikoshi," the black-haired student spoke.
"I'm Momoka Latoya," that auburn-haired girl spoke.
"And I'm Ochira Tekinawa," the light-brown haired student ended. "The three of us are second-years."
"Pleased to meet you three," I spoke with a small smile. Maybe I could get on these girls' good sides.
Of course, I didn't want to get involved in their little clique, or else I might end up influenced by them, under peer pressure and become a mean girl myself. I just had to be nice to them, and if they ever teased me in the future, I'd let it slide. If there was one thing I knew about mean girls, it was that they loved to see their victim react to a rumor or a taunting remark; but if I acted as if it didn't affect me, they'd move on to someone else.
"So," Kimiko began as the four of us walked towards our classrooms together. "Is the Host Club the only club you visit in the afternoon?"
"Yes," I replied, trying not to give away too much information. "I don't know much about the other clubs though."
"You should check out the Stellar Club," Ochira suggested.
"What's the Stellar Club?" I inquired.
"It's one of the newest clubs this year," she replied. "It's basically a club that establishes fine arts such as singing, dancing, and acting."
"It was inspired by the Zuka Club at St. Lobelia Academy," Momoka added.
"Sounds interesting," I said, "but, I don't have any musical or theatrical talents."
"That's all right," Momoka reassured, rather cheerfully. "The Stellar Club isn't just a club; it's also like a class. We all practice singing, and once a month we hold talent shows."
I thought about it for a moment. I never in my life had I attended any sort of signing or musical classes, so I wasn't sure if I was good at acting or anything theatrical. Of course, I couldn't join the club since I was busy trying to pay off my debt for the Host Club. Maybe, I could prepare the cakes and deserts for the next day at the end of club hours, so that the hosts themselves can organize them on the cart. That way, I'd have the deserts completed and ready to go, while I spend time at the Stellar Club.
"I'll think about it," I spoke.
"Well, it was nice meeting you and getting to talk to you, Johnson-san," Ochira spoke.
"Yeah, and maybe you can stop by the club for a while just to see what it's all about," Momoka added.
"It'll depend on how much homework I have to complete," I replied. "But, I'll try to squeeze in a time this week to pop in."
"Great," said Kimiko. "It's held in the 2nd Dance Studio on the north wing of the building. Hope to see you then."
With that, the girls took their leave and I stood in front of my classroom door watching them strut down the hallway. Definitely snobby, rich girls, but they seemed nice; however, I couldn't let their little act come on to me, because once if I showed that I was better than them, they'd become jealous. After all that, my life would be a living hell of rumors spread and teasing. That's all they'll do. They'll make fun of others just to make themselves feel good.
The Stellar Club continued to play in my mind. As much as I wanted to try it out, I knew that I had my obligations to the Host Club and paying off my debt. Of course, there were ways that I could still pay off my debt to the hosts and still visit the Stellar Club. I didn't have much interest in singing or dancing and such, but it sounded like fun. Maybe, I would stop by and see how everything was before deciding if I wanted to join or not.
Releasing a deep breath, I knew that I'd figure out how I would tie everything together by accomplishing my duties at the Host Club while secretly popping in to see the Stellar Club in action. I then turned and opened the door to my classroom and took a seat at the back like always.
~ . . * . . ~
Classes were the same like how they always were, and I tried to fight back the weariness from falling asleep in the middle of the lecture. I fought just enough to keep my eyes open, and by the time lunch break came around, I made my way down the hall to the cafeteria, where I met up with Tao, Reina, and Akira again. We sat together at a table and confabulated more about the host club, and such until the ending of lunch.
Afternoon classes were a synch, since I had enough energy to keep myself from nodding off in class, and eventually, I made it to the end of school. Packing up my things, I rushed down the hall to the Third Music Room, and stopped to catch my breath. Afterwards, I opened the door to find that the entire room had been transformed into a tropical paradise with palm trees, and real tropical birds.
Must be today's cosplay, I thought to myself as I gazed around the room.
Suddenly, Hunny jumped up and hugged me, like how he normally would, and squealed, "K.C.-chan!"
"Hey, Hunny-senpai," I spoke.
The Loli-shota host released me and stood in front of me. I saw that he was topless, wearing a long, grass skirt with matching anklets and wristlets. He wore a flowery necklace with pink, tropical flowers. I glanced down at the pink rabbit he held in his hand by its stuffed arm to find that it had a matching outfit.
"What do you think of my Hawaiian outfit, K.C.-chan?" asked the boy Lolita, while twirling around.
"You look super cute, Hunny," I answered, smiling down at him.
The Lolita host grinned widely, and then he took my hand and led me to the rest of the group. The other six hosts were wearing the exact same outfits, except for Haruhi and Kyoya. The leis around their necks were different colors too; for instance, Tamaki's was white, Hikaru's was a light blue, Kaoru's was a pale orange color, Haruhi's was crimson red, Mori's was a gray color, and Kyoya wore a lavender lei.
Haruhi and Kyoya weren't dressed in the grass skirt attire like the others; instead, they wore khaki Capri's, and tourist shirts. Either way, I still felt like I was in a Hawaiian Paradise. The Host Club sure had a way with making things look so realistic; in fact, I actually felt like I was in a tropical paradise.
"So, K.C., what do you think of our island cosplay?" Tamaki inquired, posing dashingly.
"I think that it's a great idea," I complemented, "Even though it's only June, the guests will feel like they're already on summer vacation."
Suddenly, I, once again, found myself being swung around in the host club president's arms. "I just knew that you'd love it, Katherine-chan!" he cried with delight.
"Thanks, senpai," I replied. "Now, could you please stop spinning? I'm starting to get a headache."
Tamaki did as bidden, and I steadied myself on the ground from the dizziness. Afterwards, I turned to the group, "Well, I guess I'd better head to the kitchen and start preparing the brownies and cakes and everything."
"On the contrary, Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke. I stopped, and turned to him puzzled. His 'evil mastermind' grin spread across his face. "Since we are cosplaying today, you will prepare the desserts accordingly."
"So, let me get this straight," I spoke. "When you guys cosplay, I have to bake sweets and such that is the same as the theme?"
"Precisely," Kyoya replied. "Don't worry, though. We've already gathered the ingredients you'll need."
I sighed. "All right. I'll get started on it."
With that, I strode over to a beach shack constructed out of bamboo and topped with a straw roof. I found my apron hanging by the string on the hook, along with a violet tourist shirt with green sea shells printed on it. On it was taped a note which read:
Didn't want you to feel left out. ;)
~ H & K.
I smiled, inwardly thanking the twins for being considerate, and I would be sure to personally thank them after club hours. Taking the outfit off the hook, I slipped on the green shirt over the top part of my dress, and then I tied the apron around my waist. Stepping into the shack, I found a Hawaiian recipe book with some pages already bookmarked. I guess Kyoya wanted specific desserts served this time. I flipped to the marked pages finding recipes for Macadamia Coconut Cake, Guava Chiffon Cake, and other Hawaiian desserts that were difficult for me to pronounce.
Without hesitation, I set the book on the counter and began to prepare the tropical sweets and drinks. The cakes were fun to decorate with pineapple slices on top and some with a caramel coating. The drinks that would be served were Banana Mango Smoothies, Pineapple Iced Tea, Mai Tai, and others. Each beverage had a little umbrella on the side along with the straw.
After an hour, I had already set out the cakes and treats on the back counter along with the drinks. Kyoya stated that the hosts would come up to order the drinks for their guests, so that none of the ladies would notice that a female was working for the Host Club. If a single hint about that slipped through the school, it would most likely arouse the girls to beg the hosts to hire them. It was a good thing Kyoya had my secret covered; literally, because the shack was hidden behind palm trees, ferns, and tropical flowers.
I could hear the guests confabulating with their requested hosts, and squealing every once in a while, which obviously came from Tamaki's station. I sighed, wishing that I was with the twins, since it was their month; but all of that changed when I broke Kyoya-senpai's glasses and had to pay off a debt of 300,000 yen. Well, it couldn't get any worse than it was now. Besides, each host dropped in every once in a while to say "hi", as well as order what their guests wanted. There would be brief chats before they turned and went back to their station, but it was nice seeing them all rather than requesting one per month.
As soon as club hours were halfway over, I found myself decorating the cakes and setting the little umbrellas in the drinks. While I set everything up at the back counter, making sure that I had a good amount of everything needed, a calm, monotone voice startled me. "Katherine," it said.
At first I thought it was Kyoya, but it was too deep for Kyoya's voice. When I turned around, I found Mori standing there at the bar. It took a while to digest everything, since I rarely heard him speak; but after a few moments, I put on a smile and walked up to him. "What could I get for you, Mori-senpai?"
"Iced tea and chiffon cake please," he answered with a small smile.
"All right, coming right up," I said, turning and searching around for a tray. Once I had everything set, I turned back to the tall, silent host with a grin still on my face. "Here you go," I ended, setting the tray on the bar.
Mori gladly took the tray, but he didn't turn around to walk back to his table. Instead, he asked, "Do you enjoy working for the club?"
I stared at him somewhat surprised. Never had I heard Mori-senpai strike up a conversation like this; of course, because of his silent nature, it could be a quick brief discussion. When I first met the Host Club, Mori and Hunny were my first hosts, and the stoic host rarely spoke one word through the entire day. I simply found it rather uncanny that he would start up a conversation, especially with me.
"Sort of," I replied. "I mean, paying off the debt is the only downside to it. When I first joined, I wanted to get to know each host a little better, since you all had your different types and personalities. Another thing is that the club is my home away from home. I live hundreds of miles away from here, and even though I've been away from home before, I was suffering major homesickness the first few weeks. But, once I started hanging out with you guys, I've felt like I'm home." I sighed happily, thinking about my brother, and then I glanced back up at Mori-senpai with a grin, "Even though I planned on requesting a host monthly, it's great hanging out with all seven of you guys at once."
Mori returned my grin, and then he placed his hand on top of my head, tousling my hair. After that, he turned and walked back over to his station. As soon as his figure vanished behind the palm trees, I sighed. When he tousled my hair, it reminded me of how Joseph would do that; but, like I said, I had my six substitute brothers here with me. Haruhi was more of a sister.
The rest of the host club ran smoothly and normally like how it did everyday; and by the time the Host Club was closed, there were only a few slices of cake left for Hunny. I sighed, exhausted from the long day, and then I untied the apron and hung it up along with the green tourist shirt. Working at the host club was definitely going to take some time to get used to; and with the offer for dropping by the Stellar Club, I'd have to prepare the deserts the day before so that the hosts could load them onto the trays themselves.
Slinging my satchel over my shoulder, I strode out from behind the counter and through the tropical jungle. Before I turned the corner where the hosts were confabulating, the ground shook violently. I endeavored to keep my balance as I carefully walked towards the hosts to ask what in the world was going on. Suddenly, a circular platform rose from the floor, and I quickly concealed myself behind some bushes, peering through an opening to see what was going on.
The tremors ceased, and I spotted a female student on top of the platform gazing down at the hosts and blabbing about something or other. She was pale skinned with light brown hair, with the top layer tied with a large, pink bow. I couldn't distinguish anything else about her since I was far away from where she stood. Quietly creeping through the bushes, I came closer to overhear what she was saying.
"–is every girl's dream, especially fan-girls like moi," she squealed with delight as stars sparkled in her eyes. "Even as small children, women dream of being swept off their feet by their prince charming, or knight in shining armor, and whisked away to a magical, fairytale palace where they live happily ever after. A princess ball is the perfect idea!"
Man, this girl was more mellow-dramatic than Tamaki. Apparently, she was just rambling on about something to do with the Hosts and such, but I ignored her and tiptoed through the jungle foliage and towards the door without being spotted by the Host Club or that kooky, drama queen girl. She continued to blab about the "princess ball" or whatever the topic was about, but I paid no mind. I had to get out of the room and back to the dorm to get started on my homework, and I unconsciously found myself gaining speed. Sadly, I was too focused on getting out of the room that I wasn't watching where I was going. I tripped over a thick root, and, slightly shrieking, tumbled into a palm tree, creating an avalanche of coconuts to fall on top of me.
Silence fell in the room after that, and I could tell that the hosts overheard the commotion (Who couldn't?). Groaning from the harsh impact, I shoved a mound of coconuts off of me, but once my hand was free, I felt my wrist being seized by a strong grip. In mere moments, I was quickly pulled out of the pile and was then gazing face to face with the Host Club president. He had one arm around my back, and then he took his free hand, which was originally holding my wrist, and caressed the side of my face.
"Are you all right, Katherine? You're not hurt, are you?" he inquired, rather calmly.
I blushed as I gazed into his sapphire eyes. It was hard to tell if he was truly concerned about me, or he was using his "host charms".
"I'm fine, senpai," I replied, keeping my cool. "Thanks for saving me from that pile of coconuts."
"Wow! Just like in a fairytale!" the light-brown-haired girl squealed as her eyes sparkled with stars. Then, she began twirling around the room, acting very over dramatic as she continued, "A fair maiden trapped under an avalanche with no hope of escape or survival is quickly rescued by her knight in shining armor and is entranced in true love!"
Once she said that last part, I blushed as I pulled myself away from Tamaki and looked away. Honestly, I was somewhat entranced, especially by his looks, but was it true love? Well, I had only known the host club for two months; Haruhi more since we hung out during lunch every other day. But, were Tamaki and I . . . meant to be? I did have a fondness for him, all of the hosts actually, except for Haruhi since she was a girl.
"By the way," the overdramatic girl spoke, walking up to me. She scanned me from head to toe. "I've never seen you around before," she continued, leveling her gaze to mine. "Are you the new second-year transfer student?"
"Actually," I replied. "I'm a first year here at Ouran. My name is Katherine Johnson."
"Nice to meet you Johnson-san," she replied, with a small smile. "I'm Houshakuji Renge." She bowed at the waist while I did the same. Once we straightened up, Renge spoke again, "So what're you doing here? It's passed hosting hours."
I stammered to answer. "I was just . . . um," I trailed off trying to think up an excuse.
Then, Kyoya stepped in. "She accidentally left her bag here and came to retrieve it."
"I see," Renge spoke understandingly.
"So. . . Why're you here?" I inquired.
"I'm the Host Club's manager, of course," she spoke proudly. "I call the shots around here. Being a fan-girl, like many of the customers here, I understand what they want, and what they see in their hosts."
"Oh," There was silence between the two of us for a while, but then I spoke back up, "Well, it was nice meeting you Houshakuji-san."
"You too, Johnson-san!" she squealed. "I hope to see you again at the Host Club!"
I chuckled weakly, and then I turned around while waving to the group as I walked towards the door. Once I exited the room, I closed the door and sighed with relief. Man, Renge sure was obsessed with personality stuff. She was . . . what do they call them? An otaku! That's it! Someone as obsessed as her must be president of the otaku club; on the other hand, she seemed like a nice girl. A little clueless too, so it was easy to slip out of the room without any questions as to why I stayed after closing hours. As long as I could keep my identity a secret, I'd pay off that debt in no time at all.
Walking down the empty halls, I began to think about schoolwork mixed in with working for the Host Club. I sure would be busy the entire school year. In fact, I would have gotten my schoolwork done before six o'clock if I hadn't have broken Kyoya's glasses. Heck, I probably wouldn't have broken them if I hadn't met the Host Club. But, I'm glad I did.
When I first stepped into this Academy, I was afraid that I would stick out and be treated like I commoner if the students knew my secret; however, when I met Haruhi and the other hosts, they treated me like family and accepted me for who I truly was. Well, as far as I understood, only Haruhi and Kyoya knew my secret; but, as long as it stayed that way, I could feel like a rich person and be at home with the hosts.
Now that I owed Kyoya a new pair of glasses, I'd be working for the club; nevertheless, at least I'd get to see them and hang out every once in a while. It sure beat requesting one group per month. I still couldn't figure out which host I preferred. They were all handsome young men, and I felt nervous around each of them. Maybe, I was crushing on all six of them. Well, by the end of the year, I knew that I'd make up my mind about which one I preferred more. Of course, I would feel more nervous and shy around Kyoya, most likely because I didn't know him very well as I did the other hosts; plus, he was a little intimidating.
One thing for sure was that I had to check out that Stellar Club. Kimiko said that it was a club where actors, singers, and dancers gather and hang out, and at times they would put on shows. It sure did sound like a lot of fun. Of course, I wouldn't know for sure unless I tried it out; but in order to drop by the dance studio where the club was held, I'd have to prepare the cakes for that day so that the hosts could set them on the carts themselves.
The one day I knew would be a perfect time to drop by the Stellar Club would be Friday since I had two tests that day. One thing I loved about test days was that it meant no homework for that subject; so, since I wouldn't have any homework that day, I wouldn't feel pressured about making sure all the cakes were together for the Host Club and how long I would be at the Stellar Club. The day would run by just so smoothly. All I had to do was stick to my schedule until then, and then prepare for that day.
Okay, that's done.
Yeah, the Renge and Katherine part was a little short, but I couldn't figure out what else to put in there . .
Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it!