Chapter 12

"Sign here, and here, annnnnnndddddd here." Kisa smiled and took the pen and paper from Kyoya. "Thank you, now I can tell you all."

"Making a contract makes it seem that you don't trust us." The twins said, feigning offended. They sat back down on the couch and each crossed their arms, tilting their heads to the side. Hunny sat next to them, holding his bunny closely, waiting patiently for Kisa to start; Mori stood beside the couch, eyes also holding curiosity. Haruhi was on the twin's other side and Tamaki and Kyoya sat at the table right next to the parallel couches.

Kisa looked away from the Host Club and sat on the couch across from them. "Trusting people I hardly know with information that could be used against my sister and myself, regardless of the fact that you're only trying to help," She said as Tamaki opened his mouth. "Is stupid. I may be shy and would rather not talk, but I'm not as trusting and naïve as I seem. In the world of business people will pretend to be your friend, only to crush you when the time comes. The contract is merely a safety precaution, it's nothing personal." She smiled.

Kyoya nodded thoughtfully while the rest sweatdropped.

"It's a very good idea, I could expect nothing more than the heir to a large law firm." Kyoya said.

She blushed, but her face remained blank. "Your empty compliments amuse me greatly Kyoya-senpai, but if I get word you have entered any of this information into your database, you'll find yourself sued in an instant." She smiled at him and closed her eyes.

He closed his laptop. "You're assuming the information you're going to give is important enough."

She sighed and her hands nervously played with the sleeves of her yellow uniform. "It's all of you that are so eager to help, this is important if you want to understand."

Tamaki got up and sat next to her, taking hold of her chin. "Whatever comes from your beautiful lips is important Kisa-hime."

Her whole face turned red. "Tamaki-senpai…"

He smiled. "Yes?"

She pushed him away. "You're annoying."

He looked crushed and went to sulk in his corner. Hikaru and Kaoru tried to stifle their laughter behind their hands, but it was obvious they found their 'King's' suffering amusing.

Kisa rolled her eyes. "Right, I guess the best place to start is the beginning." Tamaki sat back down at his table and listened with the rest. "Melly and Leonardo have known each other since childhood, both attended Melly's father's dojo and learned to fight together. By what you've seen of Leonardo, you can tell that he's-"

"Arrogant?" Hikaru asked.

"Pompous?" Kaoru suggested.

"A jerk." They both concluded.

Kisa nodded. "Yes, and he also hates to lose. After a few years of training, he challenged Melly to a fight, she was the dojo's owner after all, but he lost. He accused her a cheating and that her father had been training her outside the dojo too, but Melly's father thought it would be unfair to do that and only taught her with the rest of the class, and she told Leonardo that and also that he lost because he was weaker, that made him angry…Well angry and humiliated that an eight year old girl beat his ten year old self. "

"Knowing Melly-senpai, she probably said it while she was gloating and taunting him." Hikaru muttered loudly to Kaoru.

Kisa shot them a look. "Anyway…he was mad, and said he would seek revenge on her and her father, and left the dojo. At the time she didn't take him seriously, she was only eight after all. He moved here to Japan and Melly forgot all about him, but four years later he returned to America and his plan for revenge surfaced. In the four years he was in Japan he was learning martial arts and searching for a master to bring back to America to start their own dojo. Many jumped at the chance to be able to run their own dojo and Leonardo picked the best one he could find and they returned to America.

"Leonardo started at the same school as Melly and intentionally sought her out to challenge her again, the only problem…she forgot him, which mad him angry, but she accepted the challenge and he told her to meet him at his dojo and bring her father. The time came to fight and Melly's father was there to cheer her on, as well as Leonardo's new teacher to cheer on his student."

"I bet Melly-chan beat that meanie!" Hunny said, a serious look on his face, although it just made him extra adorable looking.

Kisa looked down. "Actually, she lost."

Tamaki gasped. "But she tied with Hunny-senpai!" He gestured to said boy, whose eyes held an unusual seriousness that didn't seem to match the image of the cute cake-loving nonstop bunny holding senior they all knew and loved.

Kisa looked at Tamaki. "Well after six years of training it's obvious she would improve. But at the time Leonardo was stronger and had more motivation behind the fight. He won, she lost, and she vowed to herself that she would train as much as possible so she could challenge Leonardo again and win, but that became impossible." Kisa sighed. "After she lost, Leonardo's new sensei, Uruuya Kai, challenged Melly's father to a fight. Although I never met Farisio-san, Melly said that he was a very honorable man and when challenged he agreed, that time saying he was going to 'avenge his daughter's lose'. His skills didn't live up to the challenge though and he lost. Leonardo and Kai then humiliated him, spreading horrible rumors. In the end, Farisio-san lost all his students and the respect of his peers, that's how far the Vernaldi name spread and how Leonardo was using it..

"Soon Farisio-san had to file for bankruptcy and had to ask the bank for loans. Leonardo seemed to find it amusing when the Farisio family lost most of their money, and made it even harder for Farisio-san to find a new job and earn enough money to make payments to the bank on time. The Farisio family had to sell most of their possessions and had to turn to others for help." Kisa's eyes darkened. "But in our society the poor are below the rich, and money has a higher value than years of friendship. Leonardo bribed all of the Farisio family's so called friends until the Vernaldi family was their only option left. After a year of struggle, Farisio-san left pride behind and asked the Vernaldi's for money.

"Leonardo's father was sick most of the time and Leonardo, just turning fifteen, took over some of his father's work, which included working on the dept Farisio-san was going to owe. Leonardo was a prodigy child, perfect in every way, a genius. Every girl wanted him, but he only had eyes for one," Kisa held up a finger. "The one that beat him all those years ago." Kisa sighed and shook her head. "He had lent them the money and when Farisio-san asked what he wanted in return, unsure if there was anything of value left to give, Leonardo told him he'd give him a year to get back on his feet before anything was asked for in return. Farisio-san was so thankful he didn't realize what a mistake he made.

"A year passed, Melly just turned fourteen, Leonardo sixteen, and Farisio-san was finally back on his feet, ready to pay back his dept, however, Farisio-san didn't read the contract he signed thoroughly enough. Although Leonardo gave money, it didn't mean that he wanted money in return.

"The fascination of Melly that started at age ten when she beat him, turned into some sort of obsession he called love. He went to Melly's home and told her father that if he wanted to keep the lifestyle and money he had struggled to make for his wife and daughter he would have to agree to a marriage between Leonardo and Melly."

"Considering that Leonardo and Melly-senpai are in fact engaged, I take it he agreed?" Kyoya questioned.

"Now who's assuming things Kyoya-senpai?" Kisa asked with a raised eyebrow. "But no, Farisio-san refused, and told Leonardo that as long as he was head of the Farisio family he would not sell his daughter. It was one month later that Farisio-san died of heart failure. It turned out he had been sick for a while and didn't tell anyone. While Melly and her mother were devastated, Leonardo was thrilled, because the contract Farisio-san signed also stated that if Farisio-san was to die then the money lent to him, and all that he made, was to be returned to Leonardo.

"Leonardo took full advantage of that little detail and once again tried to make a deal with the remaining Farisios, or mainly, Melly, who had to accept in order to take care of her grieving mother, who would never be able to make enough money for herself and Melly. So Melly became Leonardo's fiancé for her mother and because she blamed herself for the hardships herself and her parents had to go through."

"Why?" Hunny asked. "It wasn't Melly-chan's fault that Leonardo tricked them all." Mori nodded in agreement.

Kisa nodded. "Yes, but she thought that because she wasn't strong enough to defeat Leonardo the second time, that everything that happened afterwards was her fault."

"She was only twelve." The twins said. "Even we can see that it wasn't her fault."

Kisa smiled a little before frowning. "It's clearer for you because you've had an easy life, it was hard for Melly, going from a rich life to a poor one willed with debt all because she lost against Leonardo. Could any of you imagine how it must have been to have almost no money or things you're used to having: yummy cakes, expensive clothes and stuff, numerous amount of mansions, and servants to do your laundry, cooking, and cleaning?"

All the men seemed to shiver at the thought of being deprived of their comforting lives. Haruhi looked at them all with a deadpanned expression on her face.

Rich bastards.

Tamaki broke the silence. "Yes, the only one of us who can truly understand what Melly-senpai went through is Haruhi, who has to live like that everyday." He went to Haruhi's side and hugged her.

The twins gave Haruhi sympathetic looks and both moved closer to her, eyes holding fake compassion.

"Wah! Haru-chan's in debt?" Hunny asked sorrowfully, hugging her also. Mori stood beside them and patted Haruhi's head.

Haruhi looked like she wanted to leave and never come back.

Kisa watched as Haruhi was comforted for something that Tamaki was most likely just assuming because Haruhi was a commoner, and sighed, shaking her head. I actually feel sorry for a girl who is constantly surrounded by these handsome men.

"Kisa-san."

Kisa looked at the only host not comforting the annoyed girl. "Yes Kyoya-senpai?"

Kyoya moved from his previous seat to the couch Kisa was seated on. Kisa blushed, she liked it better when the boys weren't seated next to her, and scooted to the other side of the couch.

Kyoya pushed his glassed further up the bridge of his nose, hiding the amusement in his eyes. "I was wondering about the relationship between your father and step-mother. How did that happen?"

"I don't see how that's important." Kisa said coolly.

Kyoya smirked and grabbed the contract out of her grasp and flipped to the second page. "Well, according to your contract, in exchange for our silence, you promised to tell all information they may come as important when we try to help Melly-senpai. I for one think that it's important to know why Melly-senpai is still going through with this marriage now that her mother is taken care of and she has the money to pay Leonardo." He glanced at her. "Or is your father not willing to help?"

Kisa's face turned red in anger at the accusation and she snatched the contract out of Kyoya's hands. "My father would never turn Melly down if she needed his help!"

The Host Club fell silent and stared at Kisa. She sighed and looked down. "He doesn't know, and neither does my step-mother. Rachel-san thought all talk of an engagement between Leonardo and Melly had ended after her first husband died, and Melly never told her differently. Rachel-san didn't think much of Leonardo and eventually forgot about him, to busy grieving her late husband and trying to find a way for herself and her daughter to survive. Melly was almost fifteen, and I was eleven and still in Japan, when Rachel-san and my father met and fell in love."

"So there was an affair?" Kyoya questioned.

"Yes, I found a lot of letters addressed to father from Rachel-san, they pretty much explained everything. It was quite a shock, but once I met Rachel-san I found her to be very nice." Kisa said simply.

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Your father cheated on your mother with an American woman…"

"And you're not mad?" Kaoru finished.

Kisa looked down. "Well, I was mad that he was gone for long periods of time just to see her and leaving me alone, but not because he cheated on my mother, I hardly liked the woman."

"You didn't love your mother?" Tamaki asked looked shocked. "Why?"

"I'm sure if I looked deep inside my heart I would find love for the woman who conceived me, but I never truly liked her or thought of her as a motherly figure. She expected perfection. I endured endless hours of music lessons, tutoring sessions; I had to be the smartest in the class or I was a failure, and etiquette classes. I would try so hard, thinking if I did everything she asked I would get a smile, but soon I learned nothing would satisfy her and became more withdrawn. When I didn't turn out how she wanted she made me move to the other side of the house and set up a schedule so she wouldn't have to see me. Overall, I see Rachel-san more of a mother, even though she never tried to force me to see her as one. It was a little hard when father immediately married Rachel-san after mother died and after we moved to America, but Melly made it easier and we became close. So…I'm actually glad my father cheated on my mother. They were never really in love anyway, both were paired in an arranged marriage by their families."

Kaoru broke the shocked silence. "How did your mother die?"

"A blood clot to her heart." She answered calmly.

Another silence ensued and was broken by Haruhi this time. "If Melly-senpai didn't want anyone to find out about her engagement, how did you find out?"

Kisa shuddered. "Leonardo approached me after school my first year in America, saying he was so happy to meet his future sister-in-law. I was very confused, but he explained some and then I wouldn't leave Melly alone until she told me the rest. She wouldn't let me tell anyone else, and if she finds out I told you all…." Kisa paused fearfully. "She may kill me…noooo, I'm safe, she loves me, but when she finds out all of you know…" She trailed off.

"What would she do?" Tamaki asked fearfully.

"Hmm…I'm not sure, but I'll tell you this." She looked Tamaki in the eyes. "Your bodies will never be found."

Tamaki gasped fearfully and Kisa's lip twitched. "I'm only joking senpai, but if Melly gets wind that you know and feel sorry for her," She looked at all the hosts. "You'll never be able to help, so keep your mouths shut."

They nodded. "Understood."

Kisa smiled and put the contract in her bag. "So what are we going to do?"

"So you've known about this engagement for a while, but haven't tried to think of a way to cancel it?" The twins asked. "What have you been doing with your time?"

Kisa blushed. "Well I never got a chance to do anything, all I know is that Leonardo has to be the one to cancel the engagement because Melly will never be able to, ever since she lost to him, she's been less confident in her abilities whenever he's around, so we need to find a way to make him call it off."

The twins smirked. "Blackmail?"

Kisa nodded. "All we have to do is find it."

Tamaki stood. "Kyoya, order eight black outfits in everyone's size, we will sneak into Leonardo's home and search for a something to use against him-"

Kisa interrupted. "You do realize that black outfits, whether worn day or night, will just make us look very suspicious, right?" Kisa asked. "It would be better if I went to his house, looking for Melly, on a day he's not home, and just let you all in the backdoor-"

"Then we will all disguise ourselves in servant uniforms to blend in!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"No." Kisa said slowly. "I'll just let you in and we'll have a look around. The security isn't as tight in this house, he just bought it, and he didn't hire many servants, so we don't need disguises."

"Rejected!" The twins taunted and Tamaki sulked.

"I wanted to see my daughter in a maids uniform." Tamaki muttered and suddenly him and the twins got thoughtful looks on their faces.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "So when are we doing this?" She asked Kisa.

"Friday after school, Leonardo is picking Melly up and taking her out somewhere, we'll only have a couple of hours, so be ready."

Tamaki, the twins, Hunny, and Mori gave thumbs up. "Roger!" Kyoya and Haruhi just nodded.

Kisa smiled and stood. "I'll see you all tomorrow then." She picked up her bag and violin case and left. Once the doors to the Third Music Room closed behind her she frowned.

I'm not sure if it was a good or bad idea to further involve them in this…Well at least I wrote a contract.