I'm astounded at the number of visitors this story has gotten from all around the world! I have a small request for you, my dear readers. I would LOVE to know where you all are from! Nothing specific, please (this IS the internet, and I encourage everyone to be careful!) but a country and state/province included in a review? I think it would be wonderful to know a little bit about where my readership is coming from!
Kana glanced up at Mori. He just stood there silently, looking ridiculously handsome without even trying. Whatever are we going to talk about? She asked herself, panicking a little. She wanted to hide somewhere, sink into the floor. Here she was, getting the undivided attention of someone who was arguably the most handsome young man in school, and she looked like she had just rolled out of bed face-first. There was also the unspoken question of how she ended up asleep in the Third Music Room this morning, but she didn't know how she would ever gather the courage to bring that up.
"Want to sit over there?" Mori's low voice interrupted her anxious musings. He inclined his head toward a Victorian-style settee with long, ornate wooden legs and a high back, located in a far corner of the music room. It looked like it might accommodate three small people. Kana nodded, not knowing what else to do.
She followed Mori, who stood by, apparently waiting for her to be seated first. She hoisted herself onto the high cushion, and realized with embarrassment that her feet wouldn't reach the floor! Blushing, she quickly tucked her legs under her to avoid attracting attention to her stature. She glanced at Mori, wondering if he noticed. For a moment, she almost thought she saw the hint of an amused smile on his lips, but it could easily have been her imagination.
"Tea?" he asked politely.
"Y-yes, please..."
He disappeared behind her for a moment, then reappeared with two cups, two saucers, and a small, steaming teapot. He set one cup and saucer in front of her and poured the tea.
"Sugar?"
"Y-yes, please..." Kana felt incredibly uncomfortable being served like this by someone who was not being paid to do the job. "Um! I can get it myself..." she offered, as Mori produced a sugar bowl.
He gave her a quizzical look, obviously intended to ascertain the amount of sugar she preferred. She gave in.
"One spoonful is fine."
He gave her the amount she specified, then looked at her again, raising one eyebrow.
She blushed. "Well...I guess I'd like another. If it isn't too much-"
He gave her another, and looked at her quizzically.
"Yes, that's plenty...thank you..." How had he known she really wanted two? Was it that obvious? She took a hesitant sip of the steaming liquid as Mori finally took a seat beside her. It was sweet, just the way she liked it. She smiled.
The smile did not escape Mori's notice, and he looked down at her with warm eyes. Kana almost dropped her teacup, but escaped that particular embarrassment by quickly returning it to the saucer. Of course, now she didn't know what to do with her hands, since they were no longer holding the teacup. She folded them tightly in her lap.
She was then faced with the terrible dilemma of where to look. She tried looking at Mori, but of course that became very awkward very quickly. She decided then that the floor was incredibly interesting, and fixed her eyes in that direction. Mori sat beside her in silence, apparently unaware of the tense atmosphere that enveloped her.
It was then that Kana's stomach loudly announced that she had eaten only two egg rolls since yesterday.
Kana glanced at Mori, mortified, and hoping (though it was impossible) that he had not noticed. At least that he would pretend not to have noticed. To her shock, he was staring at her with a look of intense concern.
"I-I...sorry..." she stammered.
"Kasuga-chan...are you hungry?"
"Well...um...maybe a little..." She blushed, wondering why this was such an interesting topic of conversation to the normally stoic and silent host.
"Did you eat lunch?"
"Ah...some of it..." Kana hadn't mentioned the incident with Ayanokoji to anyone, and didn't really want to start talking about it now.
"You should eat. It's important to have regular meals." Mori stood. "What would you like?"
"Eh? You don't have to..." her voice died out at the look on his face. He didn't need to say it, but he obviously wasn't taking "no" for an answer. "Um. Cake?"
Mori nodded, then bolted out of the room before Kana could say "Thank you".
Mori was gone for about five minutes. During that time, Kana was able to relax and drink the rest of her tea. The other hosts and customers did not seem to notice she was alone, which didn't bother her. She busied herself with watching them. The Highland Games theme seemed to be the driving force behind the host's activities, and they entertained their customers with everything from Scottish dance and music (Kaoru turned out to be rather handy with the fiddle, while Hikaru danced with some of the customers), to a history lesson from Kyouya. They seemed to be having fun. Kana smiled as she watched them.
"Did you want to join them?" a deep voice asked from behind her. Kana jumped slightly as Mori appeared with a tray of food.
"I...uh...maybe in a little bit..." Kana said hesitantly. "I-it does look fun."
Mori set the tray in front of her. It contained a bowl of miso soup, onigiri of various kinds, shrimp tempura, and a large slice of German chocolate cake.
"Eat."
Kana's eyes widened at the sight of all the food. "Wow...um...thank you!" She looked at him uncertainly. "Are we sharing?"
Mori shook his head. "It's for you." He looked at her expectantly. "Eat."
Obediently, Kana picked up her chopsticks. "...Itadakimasu..."
Mori sat beside her and watched as she ate, giving Kana the strange impression that he was trying to make sure she ate everything on her plate. Like a mother hen. The image made her giggle despite herself.
Mori quirked an eyebrow at her.
She swallowed quickly before her giggling caused her to choke. "I'm sorry...you just looked so serious...!"
His face softened.
"Please, I really can't eat all this. Have some of the shrimp, it's really good..." She pushed one toward him.
He looked at her skeptically.
"I mean it! Trust me; I love food, I just don't want it to go to waste," she said, trying to be convincing.
Slowly, Mori reached over and took the shrimp from her plate, popping it casually into his mouth. "It's good," he agreed.
Kana nodded, smiling shyly. Together they finished the tray of food.
Later, the host club adjourned to Ouran's football field for the main Highland Games event: The caber toss. Mori and Hunny were competing for this event, which involved throwing a 20-foot long caber. The guests piled themselves onto the first row of bleachers, where they could get a good view of the action. They chattered excitedly about who they thought would win the competition.
"I read about this in a magazine article I found inexplicably on my desk," Tamaki explained to Kana excitedly. "It's an age-old Scottish tradition to test strength and ardor!"
Kyouya cleared his throat. "The caber is supposed to be tossed vertically so that it turns one hundred and eighty degrees, which requires a great deal of strength and control. Mori-sempai and Hunny-sempai are ideal candidates."
Kana nodded. After she and Mori had finished eating, they decided to join the rest of the club's festivities, and it had proven to be educational so far. She smiled inwardly, hardly daring to admit that she was having fun at the host club today. She looked toward the field where Mori was getting ready to pick up his caber for the competition. He had taken off the formal jacket, and wore only a thin t-shirt underneath, which Kana tried (unsuccessfully) to ignore. He noticed her watching and nodded at her with a small smile. Kana blushed and waved discreetly, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. Unfortunately, Mori's gesture was not so easily ignored by the other guests, and they all looked over at Kana, gasping and squealing on her behalf.
Kana tried to disappear into the bleacher on which she sat. Fortunately, her fellow female guests were quickly distracted by the start of the competition. Kana also turned her attention back to Mori, who was now holding a log that towered fifteen feet over his head. He didn't appear to struggle with the weight. When Kaoru gave the signal, Mori heaved the log into the air and it went flying, end over end, completing two full rotations.
The guests cheered wildly. Kana sat very still, trying to tear her eyes away from Mori's biceps. She blinked and swallowed a few times, and then realized he was walking toward her, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked at her quizzically.
Her mouth suddenly went very dry. "I...that was..." She gulped. "Y-you were...r-really good..." She murmured. His arms were really very distracting.
Mori smiled, and came to stand beside her, turning to watch as Hunny took his turn. Kana furrowed her brow, looking at Hunny as he walked toward his log.
"M-Mori-sempai..."
Mori glanced down at her. "Mm?"
"Are you sure...this competition is fair? I-I mean, Hunny-sempai..." Kana still felt odd calling him that. It was difficult enough to believe that Hunny was eighteen, much less that he could lift a log five times his height.
Mori nodded. "I may not win this competition."
Kana stared at him in open disbelief. "What? B-but...M-Mori-sempai, you're-you're the strongest person I've ever seen..." she blurted out, then blushed and closed her mouth before it ran away with her.
Mori smiled, half to himself. "Just watch."
Hunny narrowed his eyes determinedly as he approached the log, and rubbed his hands together. This elicited a squeal of delight from his many fans in the bleachers. Quickly (and to Kana's shock and disbelief) he hoisted the giant log into his arms. Instead of throwing the log, as Mori had done, Hunny jumped with it high into the air (He must really be part rabbit, thought Kana) yelling "Hiiii-YAA!" for good measure. He flipped the log in mid-air, using the force of his jump. The log flipped twice, as Mori's had done, and Hunny landed with an impressive mid-air somersault.
Kana gaped. What she was seeing with her eyes was incompatible with what her brain knew to be physically possible. And yet, the visual information remained the same. Mori smiled down at her.
"Mitsukuni is also a martial artist. He is arguably stronger than I am."
Hunny's crowd of fans went wild.
"Hunny-sempai, you're so strong!"
"Hunny-sempai, you're so cool!"
"Hunny-sempai! We love you!"
Kyouya adjusted his glasses, walking onto the field, where Hunny was taking a drink of water, and wiping the perspiration from his (and Bun-Bun's) brow. "Very impressive, Hunny-sempai. Your log travelled even farther than Mori-sempai's, which would normally make you the winner of this competition."
Hunny turned to Bun-Bun. "You hear that, Bun-Bun? We won! It's all that carrot cake we've been eating! I knew it would build strength!"
Kyouya cleared his throat politely. "Yes, normally that would make you the winner of this competition. However, while your log technically travelled farther, you also used primarily the force of your lower body to propel the toss, while Mori-sempai relied solely on upper body strength. Not quite a fair comparison, considering the lower body has more powerful muscles and more torque."
Hunny blinked. "Huh?"
"The match is a draw, due to your...unconventional...techniques, Hunny-sempai." Kyouya smiled sweetly at him. "Better luck next time."
Mori, who had been listening to this exchange, shrugged and walked onto the field to kneel beside the perplexed Hunny.
"He means you should eat more cake so we can try again sometime," Mori explained.
Hunny turned and smiled winningly at his cousin. "Oh! Is that what Kyo-chan means? All right, Takashi! Let's do our best next time!" Laughing, he skipped over to indulge the praise of his adoring fans.
Mori casually returned to the bleachers where Kana stood, still agape. She closed her mouth when she realized Mori was looking at her, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.
"You...handled that well..." she complimented him, glancing at the ground to avoid his gaze.
He nodded once, looking toward Hunny, who was being fawned over by his fans.
Kana followed his gaze and smiled. "He really is something, isn't he?"
Mori nodded. "Ah."
"I can see why you respect him so much..." Kana ventured quietly, still watching Hunny.
Mori looked down at her, and a slow, broad smile spread across his face. He placed a large hand on the top of her head, and gently ruffled her hair. Kana, taken by surprise, looked up at him with wide eyes, her face flushing.
"Uh...uhm...I think...why don't we go join them?" she stammered nervously. Ducking out from under his hand, she scurried over to where Hunny was still talking and laughing with a few customers.
Mori paused a moment before following her, looking at his hand, which had been sifting through Kana's hair only a moment ago.
Soft...
He shook his head, returning from what had seemed a momentary lapse of his senses, and followed Kana over to where Mitsukuni was waving at them, sitting at a table laid out with cakes for the three of them to share.
"Takashi, which cake would you like? Kana-chan is having lemon, and I'm having carrot spice cake!"
Mori glanced over the assortment of cakes Hunny had selected. "Dark chocolate," he said, after a moment.
Hunny nodded knowingly, pushing the little cake Mori's direction, as Mori sat across from him. "Dark chocolate is Takashi's favorite," Hunny commented to Kana conversationally.
"...oh...is that so?" Kana smiled shyly, sneaking a glance at Mori as he took a bite of cake. He got a tiny smudge of chocolate on the corner of his mouth as he ate, and Kana stifled a giggle. He's so cute...he doesn't even notice.
A tiny cough to her right made her realize she was staring at Mori. Again. She quickly whirled her head around to face Hunny, who was smiling at her in an unnerving way.
"You look happy, Kana-chan. Did you have fun with Takashi today?" he asked innocently.
"Uhm!" Kana blushed from the neck up, trying not to look at Mori. However, she heard the sounds of chewing stop, and knew that he was waiting to hear her answer. "Y-yes..." she laughed self-consciously, rubbing the back of her neck. "I really did. Have fun. That is."
Hunny nodded happily. "What about you, Takashi, did you have fun with Kana-chan?"
Startled, Kana turned to look at Mori. She felt her stomach tingling in nervous anticipation of his answer.
Mori also looked vaguely surprised by the question. He glanced toward her and their eyes met. "Ah," he said, his gaze softening and his lips curving into a small smile.
Kana gulped, unsure of what to say, or how to respond. Mori wasn't breaking eye contact. Finally, the intensity grew to be too much for Kana, and she looked shyly away.
Hunny smiled knowingly, though neither Kana nor Mori saw it. "I'm glad you both had a good time!" he said cheerfully. "Are you feeling better, Kana-chan?"
Kana glanced at the little blond senior. "Better? I'm not sure what you mean..."
Hunny's eyes softened with innocent concern. "Than this morning! You know, you were really sleepy! Takashi carried you all the way from the kendo dojo to the Music Room, and you didn't wake up, even when he tucked you in on the couch!"
Embarrassment jolted through Kana like a lightning bolt. Ack! So that really DID happen! She remembered her "Sleeping Beauty" dream most unfortunately at that moment, and found herself quite unable to look in Mori's direction. Studying the teacups with interest, and trying to obscure her face by inconspicuously tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she managed to say, "ah...y-yes. I'm feeling...better." She shut her eyes, knowing that the polite thing to do would be to thank Mori; and she did feel grateful...but...she wasn't sure she trusted her voice that far.
"I'm so glad!" Hunny gushed, apparently oblivious to how Kana was feeling. "Takashi's glad you're okay, too, aren't you, Takashi?"
Mori grunted his assent.
"He was really worried, weren't you?"
At this, Mori paused for a moment, then softly replied, "Ah."
Kana's heart flip-flopped in her chest at Mori's gentle tone. Was he really...worried...about me? She took a deep breath. "Th-thank you...Mori-sempai. For...for helping me..."
Hunny stood up suddenly, grabbing Bun-Bun. "Oh! I just remembered I need to help Chika with his homework! Please excuse me! Takashi, take care of Kana-chan!" and with that hasty explanation, he disappeared.
Mori raised an eyebrow and turned to watch Hunny leave, then turned back to Kana.
There was a long, awkward silence.
"You're welcome," Mori said quietly.
Kana fidgeted with her dress, trying not to look at him.
"Kana..." Mori said, leaning toward her.
She glanced up, and started in surprise at his narrowed eyes.
"You should get more sleep," he said sternly. "Sleep is very important."
She ducked her head, sheepishly. "I-I know. It's just...I've been...preoccupied...recently."
Mori quirked an eyebrow at her.
Kana sighed. "I'm just worried about my parents. They're abroad and...well...I don't know when they'll be back..." she trailed off, realizing that she didn't really want to talk about her encounters with the yakuza kids at school.
"That, and your studies have been causing you some stress, I believe," Kyouya announced, approaching their table.
Kana flushed and whirled around to face Kyouya, an angry look on her face. You would have to mention that, wouldn't you...
Kyouya smiled brightly at her, as if reading her thoughts and finding them delightful. "It would appear that you've already become acquainted with the tutor I selected for you."
There were a few seconds of silence in which both Mori and Kana stared at Kyouya blankly.
"What?" Kana asked dumbly.
Kyouya looked at each of them, a smirk growing on his face. "Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you...Mori agreed to be your tutor. And since you have now met the conditions of our agreement, I expect you'll want to start with him as soon as possible."
Kana continued to blink at him stupidly.
Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "You know, to bring your history grades up. I wouldn't waste time if I were you. Mori is at the top of his class in history, so you're in very capable hands."
At the mention of "hands" Kana blushed and glanced at Mori, feeling just a little panicky. Mori's expression remained unreadable, and he looked back at her without saying anything. "You...you're going to t-tutor me?" Kana asked, her voice pitching in a slight squeak.
Mori nodded. "If you like."
"I-I...I don't want to trouble you...!" Her eyes widened. This couldn't be happening. There was no way that Mori was the one Kyouya had been...
Mori shrugged. "No trouble."
Kyouya. He wouldn't have done that on purpose...would he? She looked suspiciously at the "cool" host, who smiled innocently at her.
"Well then! I suppose I will leave you two to arrange," he said, turning to go. "Oh, and Kana," he said over his shoulder, "I hope you enjoyed yourself today. Feel free to come and visit the host club anytime it suits your fancy." He left, scribbling a few notes on his clipboard.
Kana looked up at her stoic tutor, the panicky feeling escalating. Oh gosh! What do I do?
Mori looked down at her, apparently waiting for her to say something.
"Er...um...s-so...when...or where...or...both...should we...uh...?"
Mori shrugged.
Kana swallowed, for the moment hating how unresponsive Mori could be. "I'm...free tonight...?" she ventured hesitantly. "Unless...! If tonight is too soon, too short notice, that's okay, I mean, we don't have to-" she babbled, misreading his continued lack of response. She was cut off by one of Mori's long fingers being pressed against her lips. Blushing, the words died in her throat.
"Tonight is fine." He removed his finger, but she still found it difficult to speak.
"...oh...okay. um. where?" she asked in a subdued voice.
Mori shrugged. Kana rubbed the back of her neck, trying to look anywhere but at him. And his kilt. And his biceps. And the way his dark eyes glittered in the sunlight. She shook herself mentally. Stop that! Focus!
"Um...well, we could go to my house. It isn't far from school, and my parents are gone, so we wouldn't be...disturbed..." she trailed off, reddening at how that last part sounded. And my father won't be there to tease me mercilessly, adding to my humiliation...
Mori nodded, seemingly oblivious to Kana's inner turmoil.
"Uh...well then...I-I'll just...go get my things...and...we'll, uh...get...going..." Kana stammered, getting up from her seat.
Mori stood as well.
"Er...I'll meet you at the front entrance in...ten minutes...?" she asked.
Mori nodded.
Kana turned and scurried away, muttering incomprehensively to herself.
Mori made his way to the kendo dojo, where he kept a change of clothes and his school books. As he walked, he frowned slightly to himself, wondering why Kyoya had chosen him to be Kana-chan's tutor. After all, it was obvious that she was nervous around him. Afraid of him, even. He sighed, hanging his head slightly. Was he really that scary? Like Kasanoda and the others claimed? And what could he do about it?
I'll find a way to make her more comfortable, he decided. Then frowned. And find out where she gets those cuts and bruises. Nodding to himself, he hurried to change clothes, so he could meet Kana in front of the school in ten minutes.
END CHAPTER.
Hooray! At last! Sorry this chapter has taken me so long, everyone, I've been pretty busy with school. But I promise to press on! Your continued support and reviews inspire me to keep writing!
So, speaking of reviews, here is some fan mail!
The most recent topic was what super powers the hosts should have. Here were the results:
KYOUYA gets: the "golden touch", Batman, mind-reading/telepathy, or technopathy. I liked this comment from SuperSumer: "cold and calculating you may be kyoya but inside there is a nice guy just waiting to come out"! What do you say to that, Kyouya?
Kyouya: All interesting choices. Any of them would be an invaluable asset...*glasses gleam creepily*
Hunny: Kyo-chan! Are you really Batman? *jumps up and down excitedly*
Kyouya: *smiles slowly* No, of course not, Hunny-sempai. There is no resemblance between myself and Batman.
Harhuhi: *sarcastically* Oh no, of course not. A nice guy with a sense of justice pretending to be a rich bastard, ridiculously excessive funds and his disposal, along with nearly unheard-of technology...nope. Not like Kyouya at all. *rolls eyes*
I tend to agree with you, Haruhi...moving on, though...
MORI gets: the ability to talk to plants, super strength, ability to control animals, or undetectable telekinesis! *pictures Mori as a druid with physical attack abilities and telekinesis* I LIKE it! 3
Mori: ...*slight blush* I would like that...
HUNNY gets: mind control, or the ability to manipulate others using his cuteness...O_O That would be scary, guys...
Hunny: *huge puppy dog eyes* What would be scary, Lale-chan? Do you not think I'm cute? *tears*
Uhhhh...O_O On second thought, maybe he already has that ability. *sweatdrop* Moving on!
HARUHI gets: invisibility, sorcery (again!), immunity to other hosts' powers, and super speed to finish all your chores, homework, and host duties on time! SuperSumer also mentioned shield generation, because "You build barriers to keep from people hurting you..." I think that's true, don't you guys?
Hikaru: Definitely.
Kaoru: No doubt about it.
Tamaki: Yes, yes, my daughter does that...*nods seriously, rubbing his chin*
Kyouya: She does.
Mori: *nods silently*
Hunny: Haru-chan! You should ask for help when you need it! *worriedly*
Haruhi: Er...*sweatdrop* I don't know about barriers...but some of the other powers would be useful...I could do laundry faster, and get my shopping done...*taps her chin thoughtfully*
Oh, and rubyparker93 suggests that Haruhi has "the ability to unknowingly make people fall in love with her. It explains why practically half of the male cast does." Care to respond, boys?
Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru study the floor and walls with deep interest.
Haruhi: Er...o_O *sweatdrop* I don't think...
Yeah...moving onward...*evil grin*
TAMAKI gets: seduction, the ability to go without breathing, the ability to manipulate shadows or grow mushrooms (though I think he can already do this, rubyparker93! XD), and "invisibility because even though you are incredibly happy and cheerful, you hide doubts insecurities and fears too." (SuperSumer)
Tamaki: I...*gentle, slightly sad smile* Yes, I suppose I have my own fears, too. *frowns a bit* Do a really have the ability to manipulate shadows, Lale-chan?
Er...yes.
Tamaki: *confused look*
Don't worry about it, Tamaki...heh. Hey, Hikaru, it's your turn!
Hikaru: *looks down his nose at her skeptically* All right, wha'd your readers come up with?
HIKARU gets: "burning powers due to your great passion and temper, both of which like fire are completely uncontrollable" (SuperSumer)
Hikaru: O_O wha-uh...*looks a little embarrassed at the seriousness of her answer* Th-thanks...I think...*slight blush and frown*
KAORU gets: "freezing powers, because you have a better control of your temper, and being incased by ice is less painful (and less reminding of hell) than fire..." (SuperSumer)
Kaoru: *cheesy grin* Hey, thanks! *nudges Kaoru in the arm* "less reminding of hell" she says! Maybe we should work on your temper some more, Hikaru! *wink*
Hikaru: *yells angrily* I-I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT! Uh...*looks askance at readers* I guess I'll do more training...*shrugs, sighing*
Oh, and the two of you get to share some powers as well: heat vision, shadow manipulation, or "the ability to magically dress up their 'toys' in whatever outfits they wanted to..." (Aurora-16)
Hikaru and Kaoru: *evil grins* REEEAAALLLYY...*look over at Haruhi*
Haruhi: EHH? What ideas are you giving them, Aurora? O_O
Now, now, save your playtime until we're done with this post, please. We're done with the super powers section, but I do have one letter for Mori...
From: Zurla Adams
Can I ask Mori something? If so, what do you like on your tacos?
Hikaru: Ehh? What kinda question is THAT?
Haruhi: It is a little...o_O
Hunny: Shh! Takashi is thinking!
Mori: *A very serious, contemplative look on his face. He occasionally nods, as if pondering a very important problem. Finally, he opens his eyes with a spark, and turns to face Zurla-chan*
Meat.
*all sweatdrop*
Er...there you have it, Zurla-chan! Mori likes...meat. On his tacos. Do they have Mexican restaurants in Japan? I'm afraid I've never been there, so I wouldn't know...
AUTHOR THANKS:
Hippielicious: For teaching me more about tectonic plates, and commiserating with me about the lack of Mori plushies in this world. 3
Aspendragon, Random chick, blackhawk68, sillyxalicex, cwizumi, Maelie, AND EVERYONE ELSE who left such wonderful constructive reviews! These are my favorite; I learn a lot from what you like and what you don't. ^_^
Thank you RubyGirl12345, BEELZENEFF PWNS YOU ALL x3, Aurora-16, and SuperSumer for your super power suggestions!
Once again, I encourage you to please review! I am highly motivated by reviews. I read them all, and every time I get a new one, I do a little review dance. XD