PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM

Haruhi gave a small little noise. What in the world did she get herself into?

"And inhale," Amelie said patiently.

Haruhi exhaled.

"I said inhale, sweetheart."

Haruhi inhaled, and Amelie laced another portion of her corset. Haruhi preferred the first month of rehearsals, when she had been singing without having to use a corset.

"And exhale."

Haruhi held her breath. She felt a little guilty for giving Amelie a hard time, but there was no way she was going to wear a corset. However, the ever-patient Amelie had just smirked, flipped her hair, and tugged Haruhi's corset even tighter. Screw dress-rehearsals.

"Hate me all you want, Haruhi, but I can just wait for you to breathe. You'll have to do what I tell you at one point. But really, corsets aren't so bad once you get used to them!"

Easy for her to say. Amelie already had a naturally curvy figure, so she didn't need to wear a corset.

Amelie was a very pretty girl with soft features. She was petite and about as tall as Haruhi, with honey-gold ringlets down to her shoulders. She had wide, emerald green eyes and fair skin. Barely noticeable freckles dotted her button nose, rosy pink lips underneath. She had a tendency to call everyone by pet names, whether she was close to them or not. Haruhi's was "sweetheart." She had come all the way from France to play the part of Meg Giry. Her affectionate and tender personality was what had appealed to Mori when they had first met.

They had met in France, when the Hosts had gone to France with Tamaki to visit his mother. Amelie's mother, a tycoon who had found her own wealth through cake shop franchises, was a good friend of Anne-Sophie's and was over when they had come to visit. Honey had insisted on meeting Amelie (for purposes "unknown") when Anne-Sophie had told them about her. Amelie had been outside in the garden, busy tending to her flowers. She certainly had a green thumb. However, once she met Mori and Honey, she had dropped everything and baked them a cake. Honey had loved it, so he had urged her to come with them and visit the Host Club. She did, and had caused quite a stirring.

For example, she had told Renge off right in front of everybody.

"Honestly, you don't have to scream like that, darling. We all saw the fight between Honey and Chika, we don't need you to narrate," she had said in her French lilt. She had dropped the honorifics as well, already so familiar with Honey and his brother.

Mori's interest in her from before had piqued, so he asked her out on a date. She had been a little skeptical at first, but in the end she agreed. The rest was history.

"There we go," Amelie beamed proudly as she tied off the ends of Haruhi's corset. "All done! You look, ah... tres magnifique, Haruhi!"

Haruhi smiled. Her friend still wasn't all that fluent in English.

There was a knock at the door.

"Entrez!" Amelie said, helping Haruhi off of the stool she had been standing on. "Enter!"

Mori opened the door.

"Haruhi, Amelie. We'll be starting soon."

"Very well, amoureux, we'll be right out."

Mori smiled fondly at his girlfriend's term of endearment. He was one of the only ones in the Host Club who could understand what she was saying, after he had started taking French lessons from Tamaki.

Pretty soon, Amelie was done with Haruhi's hair. The two of them walked out. Tamaki started to gush about how cute Haruhi looked, when Amelie told him that it would be his fault if he prolonged the rehearsals and Haruhi suffocated from the corset. That shut him up and got him to get on with the practice. Haruhi shot Amelie a grateful glance.

"Alright!" Tamaki said. "Let's get started. Maestro?" Tamaki gestured to the man in the orchestra pit.

"Yes, Suoh-sama."

Haruhi rolled her eyes as the orchestra began playing the overture. Tamaki had flown in the best musicians from around the world. What an idiot.

Honey started singing his part as Carlotta. Although he wasn't really singing in a soprano opera voice, he still managed to stay in pitch. Who could hate Carlotta, though, when she was as tiny as that?

It was Haruhi's part before she knew it. She couldn't exactly reach Christine's part, although they told her she could sing an octave lower. That was still pretty high for Haruhi, although it still sounded good and like a soprano nonetheless.

Tamaki sang his part as Raoul and Haruhi finished up with "Think of Me." She really didn't see the appeal in that song. If you had to tell someone to think of you, then there was no point in telling them. They probably wouldn't change their minds about thinking of you. But then again, they would think of you, reminding them to think of you...

Haruhi pondered this over the rest of the song. Before she knew it, it was time for Angel of Music.

"Brava, brava, bravissima..." Hikaru as the Phantom praised in his best baritone voice.

"Christine, Christine..." Meg's silver-bell voice chimed as she lithely flounced first frame, toes pointed, over to Christine.

"Cut! Cut!" Tamaki shrieked, the spell broken. Both girls onstage turned to look at him.

"Amelie, Meg doesn't walk in first frame."

"Yes, she does. And that's how Amelie naturally walks. Do you have a problem with it?" Mori glared daggers at Tamaki, daring him to defy and say another word against his girlfriend.

Tamaki didn't dare.

"May I start again, Suoh-sama?" The maestro inquired as he tried to stifle a laugh.

"Um, yes." Tamaki squeaked. "Let Christine start off first, though."

Haruhi nodded. Tamaki must have gotten serious after Mori's subtle threat. He was starting to call her "Christine" instead of "my little girl," now, after all.

"Christine, Christine..." Amelie purred.

"Christine..." Tamaki sang.

"Where in the world have you been hiding? Really you were perfect... I only wish I knew your secret. Who is this great tutor?"Amelie looked genuinely curious at this part. The girl can be an actress, Haruhi thought.

"Meg, when father died..." Haruhi recited in an excited whisper. Her own acting had gotten better, as well. She continued with the rest of the monologue, then started singing again. "Father once spoke of an angel... I used to dream he'd appear. Now as I sing I can sense him, and I know he's here. Here in this room, he calls me softly. Somewhere inside, hiding. Somehow I know he's always with me. He, the unseen genius..."

"Christine you must have been dreaming... Stories like this can't come true. Christine, you're talking in riddles... and it's not like you." Amelie crooned.

Rehearsals continued normally, then they took a break at the time intermission would be.

"That was great, Haru-chan!" Honey pounced on Haruhi.

"Yes, Haruhi!" Tamaki waltz over. "I loved the way your eyes seemed lost in thought during Think of Me."

Haruhi didn't bother mentioning that that was because she was thinking about how stupid the song was.

"Thanks, senpai."

"No problem. So... You sang 'All I Ask of You' pretty well." A twinge of regret passed through Tamaki's eyes. Ever-oblivious Haruhi couldn't place it, though. Before she could ask him if he was alright, she was interrupted.

"Suoh-sama!" The maestro beckoned Tamaki over to discuss a few parts of the music. Tamaki excused himself and ran over.

"That was great, Haruhi." Hikaru put his arm on the small of Haruhi's back and guided her to a couple of seats in the audience.

"Thanks, Hikaru." She smiled at him.

"Mmm... You could tell the other Hosts were jealous. I mean, they did have a... a thing for you once..." Hikaru trailed off, mentally smacking himself upside the head. Haruhi, however, just looked up at him curiously.

"What?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Smooth move, idiot.

"Hikaru! What was it?"

"Nothing, Haruhi! Really. I'll tell you about it one day, but it doesn't matter today."

Haruhi scowled, and, quite childishly, folded her arms and turned her back to her boyfriend.

"Fine. You haven't heard the end of this conversation, though."

Honestly, she couldn't see why he would keep this from her. It wasn't like it mattered. If the Hosts had had a thing for her... why didn't they just give it to her?

Ahem. Sorry for the short chapter and long update, everyone. I took a road trip to the Rockies, then the Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Immediately afterwards I went to a space camp in Hutchinson, Kansas. We went scuba diving. Fun!

See, this time I actually have a good reason.

Next chapter will be longer.

Also, I have posted a little spinoff story to this one. It's set around four years into the future with all the pairings. I swear, I love Amelie too much. The story is called The Tale of Haruhi, the Host Club, and the Tree. Go check it out!

I recall posting this on the last chapter, but you may use any of my OCs. Please just PM me. Be sure to include which character you're using, what role they will play, and a link to your story. I'd love to see what you do with them. :) Also, you can mix up the pairings. Example: Amelie is with Mori, but if you want her to be with Tamaki, sure, fine, whatever. Have fun.

And now, the most important part of my author's note. I get the feeling you'll want to read this.

I'm going to be asking a question here shortly. The question will be about my story. I will grant a oneshot request to the first three reviewers who answer correctly. Here are the guidelines:

1. I will only write oneshots that will be rated K-T. I will not write M stories, because I don't like cussing and I hate writing lemons or limes.

2. I will write any genre, any pairing you like, so long as it is not guy/guy or girl/girl. Sorry, but I'm just awkward with that stuff.

3. You must submit your answer before I post the next chapter. I will be announcing the winners in Epilogue: Part Three.

5. You are allowed to go back and look up the answer.

4. If you are chosen, you must send me a PM with your idea within two weeks of the winners announcement. Otherwise, I will choose the fourth runner-up.

If it takes me a while to write the oneshot, sorry. Just remember, I have two others to write along with yours. Be patient. I will write first place, then second place, then third place. Here is the question:

What did the painting in the library symbolize, and what was it a painting of?

Good luck, everyone! *hums Jeopardy theme song*

REVIEW AND ANSWER!

~Kit~