Kasanoda Ritsu didn't know if he should be nervous or not.

He was standing in front of the grand double doors of the Third Music Room. His hand clenched around a small envelope containing an invitation that summoned him to the Host Club at exactly three o'clock pm. It didn't say what he was being invited to.

Kasanoda knew that his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

With a deep breath, he pushed the doors open.

"Welcome," a chorus greeted him.

Kasanoda blinked to adjust his eyes to the brightly lit music room. The host club was scattered around the place and busy with their own activities. His eyes immediately went to Haruhi who was studying in a little table in front of the wide windows. She looked deep in thought as she worked.

A blush crept up to his cheeks as he walked towards Ohtori Kyouya. She still looked so cute!

He cleared his throat at the busy dark-haired young man. The shadow king looked at him, smiling. He stepped backward. Nobody can trust an Ohtori who was smiling.

"Please take a seat," Kyouya said pleasantly.

Kasanoda sat down on the chair opposite him. He didn't really know what he was in for. It seemed really important. If Kyouya was going to talk to him then he can bet that it was.

He looked up when the Hitachiin twins sat on each arm of his chair. They were good friends now. Though the two often got his name wrong on purpose, it actually grew on him.

Kyouya ignored the twins. "Kasanoda-kun, we know that you're a good friend of the Host Club. Since that day you asked for help from our Mori-senpai, we knew that we could count on you."

The red-haired man nodded vigorously. "I'm always willing to help."

The dark-haired senior adjusted his glasses. He glanced at Haruhi who was reading her case studies intently. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't see the advantage of having Kasanoda-kun in the club. "Can you join the Host Club as a permanent member?"

A minute passed while the Yakuza heir absorbed this information.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself.

"You," the Hitachiin brothers chorused.

"Why me?" Kasanoda looked genuinely confused. He scratched his head and stared at the shadow king with an incredulous expression. "You're offering me a position as a Host?"

"Yes, we are," Mori said quietly. He was walking Honey towards his couch for an afternoon nap. The college freshman liked this redheaded boy with an awful visage. Because he knew that deep inside was a young man with a pure heart and steel conviction.

"Ritsu-chan will be a good host," Honey piped up.

Kasanoda blushed lightly. He felt overwhelmed by their acceptance. "S-Sure," he said, bowing his head.

Kyouya smiled at the support that he received from his fellow club members. "You see, Kasanoda-kun, you're a valuable asset to us. You fit the Bad Boy Type with your background and personality. It will be a hit to the girls who love a sweet softie with a tough face."

"A-Ah…" the Bad Boy type said as though he cannot believe his ears. "I'm a Host now?"

"Congratulations, Kasanoda-kun," Haruhi said, smiling. She had torn herself away from her studies to join in the conversation. Her liquid amber eyes sparkled with delight. "We look forward to working with you."

It was followed by a chorus of congratulations, catcalls and teasing from the rest of the group. Kasanoda blushed and nodded while basking in their attention. Haruhi stepped away from the crowd to return to her work. Her assignments had piled up on her.

She was deeply engrossed in a case study when her attention was caught by a cough. Looking up she found Kasanoda standing next to her table. "What is it, Kasanoda-kun?"

"Can I sit here?" he asked politely.

Nodding, the dark-haired girl cleared away some of her books to see him sit on the other chair. He stared hard at her. In his point of view, he couldn't help but notice her serene expression. His gaze traveled downwards to take in the small bump around the area of her stomach that destroyed the clean lines of her uniform…

He blushed before shaking his head. No, that was not possible! He was imagining things! There was no way that Haruhi's stomach was swollen like a pregnant woman's. That was impossible. Smiling uneasily, he asked his friend, "You look busy, Fujioka."

"I am busy," she laughed quietly. "I'm working hard on my assignments. It's a good thing that club was cancelled…"

Her friend listened to her with a rapt expression. He really liked Haruhi Fujioka. It was that affection that made him keep her secret after all those years. She was his first crush and she dumped him but that was all right.

Kasanoda knew that they were better off as friends.

"You know Fujioka," he started slowly "You're always welcome to talk. I'm your friend and I'm ready to listen…"

The smile that she gave him was the sincerest he'd ever seen.

"Thank you," Haruhi murmured as she broke their gaze and returned her attention to her book.

Kasanoda was content to watch her work. He was an official member of the Host Club, he was going to be with Haruhi everyday and he was happy. Nothing could possibly destroy their peace.

oOoOoOo

The pictures were all over the school newspaper a week later.

It was an immediate scandal. The whole school was abuzz with rumors, gossip and disbelief. Nobody could believe it. They didn't want to.

Akira Komatsuzawa, editor-in-chief of the newspaper club, laughed maniacally in the newspaper office. He was drunk with the taste of victory. It was too good to be true. The Host Club was hated now.

He couldn't wait to see how they could ever get out of this one. It was worth the price that he paid to Ayanokoji-san. He couldn't believe his genius. Even he couldn't believe that he possessed the power to take down the almighty Host Club that the detestable Tamaki Suoh built.

It was hitting two birds with one stone. The Host Club might dissolve and everyone will hate them. He was deliriously happy just thinking of how agonized they were on how they could ever get out of this. They might have wormed themselves out of trouble in the past but they couldn't possibly escape anything as incriminating as this.

A scandal was what the school needed. He gave it.

The newspaper club was accused of false charges and speculation. With this, he would single-handedly revive the Newspaper Club's honor by destroying another's.

Nobody can deny the evidence. The pictures proved it all.

oOoOoOo

"Kyou-chan! We've got a problem!" Honey's voice rang on the walls as he ran inside the Third Music Room. The door slammed behind Mori, the twin brothers and Kasanoda. It was immediately locked. All of them looked angry.

Kyouya looked up with a calm expression. He held out his hand to receive a copy of the monthly school newspaper. Honey gave it to him with the same calm face. "Thank you."

"Kyou-chan, they just released that. It's really terrible!" Honey said as he climbed up to Mori's shoulder. His usually sweet and innocent brown eyes were burning with hatred. "I didn't want to believe it until I saw it for myself! Komatsuzawa-kun did it!"

He scanned the page after reading the outrageous headline. The picture took up almost half of the page. It showed Haruhi coming out of a woman's bathroom while wearing the school uniform. Underneath, a caption invited the readers to others inside the edition.

The Low Blood Pressure Evil Demon Lord smirked.

His constituents stepped backwards after sensing the dark aura surrounding him, shaking. When an Ohtori was quiet and pensive like that, who knew what he was thinking. The air around him reeked of evil.

"Ah, they've done it," Kyouya murmured as he opened the newsletter. He merely raised an eyebrow at the assortment of pictures that they've gathered to reveal to the unsuspecting public. It was just some pictures of Haruhi being cute and girly that they'd distributed inside the special picture collection of the annual Host Club fan-book.

But he felt cold fury wash through him when he saw Haruhi and him having a good time on the same restaurant where he took her after the first ultrasound. It was followed by a picture of the oblivious girl, her father and the twin brothers inside a department store. How dare they? Kyouya thought angrily. They invaded her privacy.

"They've really done it," he murmured "They did a good job…"

"What should we do, Kyouya-senpai?" Hikaru asked urgently. He looked ready to kill. His twin placed a firm hand on his arm; he knew Hikaru's heated tones. "That Komatsuzawa didn't learn anything from last time. Can we punish him?"

"Kyouya-senpai?" Kaoru murmured very gently.

The dark-haired boy leaned back, adjusted his glasses and laid the newspaper on the table. The rest of the group waited with held breath. They trusted Kyouya. Kyouya was going to help solve this problem.

"Where's Haruhi?" the shadow king asked very calmly. He removed his cell-phone from his pocket and dialed. After a few rings, he was politely informed that the number was out of coverage area or was off. "Has anyone seen her?"

"No, she's not answering our calls either," Kaoru said quietly.

"I haven't seen her since this morning," Kasanoda muttered as he walked over to a couch and threw the cute pillows on the floor to vent his frustration. He didn't want to believe that bullying truly existed in this school. How could anyone do that to sweet and innocent Haruhi?

"It's all over the school," Hikaru said, clenching his fists. "None of our clients would talk to us. They think that it's a betrayal of trust or something."

"They probably think that we've fooled them on purpose," Kaoru added. "This is bad."

"Yes, it's horrible for our business," Kyouya agreed. He didn't stop dialing Haruhi's number on his cell-phone. He had to reach her! "I've thought of something. But we all need to help."

"Should we tell Tama-chan?" Honey asked sadly. "He should be here…"

"Whether or not he's here doesn't help," snapped the dark-haired Ohtori "we should deal with this ourselves. Tamaki can come later."

Mori watched Kyouya struggle with his emotions. It was surprising how much he cared about Haruhi. Nobody could make him lose control like that, except for her. Kyouya never lost his cool.

Hikaru punched the wall, frustrated. "What should we do? This is bad for her baby!"

Kasanoda's head swiveled to his direction. The room stilled. Hikaru's face looked drained of color.

"What did you say?" Kasanoda asked quietly.

"A-Ah," the hotheaded twin looked at a loss for words "I didn't say anything."

Kasanoda was a sweet-natured fellow in spite of his awful appearance. They all knew that. What they didn't know was that he could look like the formidable son and heir of the Yakuza when he wanted. He crossed the room in a few strides, grabbed Hikaru's collar and shoved him up to the wall.

"What did you say?" he repeated.

"Haruhi's baby," Hikaru answered coolly. He didn't like watching the redhead struggle with conflicting emotions. "She's pregnant."

"Hika-chan!" Honey exclaimed.

Kasanoda released him. He stepped back and turned to Kyouya with burning eyes. "I suspected as much. Is Suoh-senpai the father?"

"Was that obvious?" was the cold retort.

The redheaded heir nodded. "Haruhi would only smile when she talks about him. Why isn't he here?"

"Long story," Kyouya replied absently as he dialed Haruhi's number again. "We ought to find her. Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, please go to the west wing. Hikaru and Kaoru can proceed to the east and north wings. Kasanoda, can you check the gardens? All of you must search all the rooms, libraries and dining halls. We must find her."

"Aye!" was what the Host Club shouted before they dispersed.

Kyouya sank on to the couch. He removed his glasses and wiped them on his handkerchief. This was turning out to be an awful day. First was Tamaki's stressful phone call just to check on them then this.

He looked out of the window and sighed. Where was Haruhi? She didn't need this. Not this. She was having a hard time as it was.

Of course he had prepared a back-up plan but it might not work. He couldn't very well predict the course of the future. A few educated guesses were acceptable but it was not enough. The delicate balance could tip anytime.

He hadn't forgotten the orders that he was given.

His father expected him to marry Haruhi Fujioka. But Haruhi Fujioka was having Tamaki's child. His best friend had appointed him to keep an eye on her and take care of her. She trusted and loved him as her friend.

Kyouya didn't need to ask where he stood. He was in the middle of it all. Whatever he chose could affect their futures. He didn't know if he should be grateful to have so much power over them all.

He flipped his cell-phone open before dialing a different number. A few rings and he was sent straight to voicemail. With a sigh, he said calmly "Tamaki, we need to talk…"

oOoOoOo

Haruhi was in the Third Girl's Bathroom. She had locked herself up on one of the cubicles and turned off her cell-phone. A copy of the school newspaper was crumpled and lying on the gleaming tile floors.

The angle of the sunshine told her that it was nearly late afternoon. She was going to be late for the Host Club. She had been staying in the bathroom since lunchtime, right after she found out about the pictures. Her body refused to move from where she sat.

She leaned her head on the cubicle wall and sighed. It was too troublesome. The cat was out of the bag now. There was no way for them to even deny the contents. It was too incriminating, too true.

The dark-haired student wished that her boyfriend was there.

If Tamaki was here, he would be storming in the Newspaper Club office and demanding a retraction. Or he would be running to his dear father to ask him to abolish the said club with relish. But maybe, just maybe, Tamaki would talk to Komatsuzawa with true disappointment…

Haruhi didn't want to cry. She was strong. Her life was not yet over. She could survive this, if her reputation could not.

"Haruhi-kun?"

The soft voice interrupted her flow of thoughts.

She didn't move. The scholarship student stared as a hand picked up the crumpled newspaper and knocked on the door of her cubicle. She wished she hadn't left such an obvious clue to her whereabouts.

"Haruhi-kun," the voice called softly. "It's me."

Haruhi didn't unlock the door. Her heartbeats were on her ears. Or maybe it was her baby's? The most unexpected person in the world was just beyond the flimsy cubicle door.

She heard Renge Hoshakuji's shoes pace in front of her cubicle before she sighed. The brown-haired girl sat down on the floor just by the door. Her eyes softened when she realized that Renge had proved herself as a true friend.

"I know," the girl with the red bow said quietly. "I know about your secret."

And an honest one at that…

She didn't say anything. But she listened intently.

"But I don't mind. Haruhi-kun, I know you have a good reason for this. I don't hate you, you know." Renge continued in the same quiet tone. She sounded sad for some reason. "Nobody in our class hates you."

Haruhi felt tears welling up.

"There was a person who told me before that it was so much better to look at people properly instead of putting them on categories. It was best to know them as they are, in spite of their imperfections. That person taught me the true meaning of friendship," Renge said gently.

She stared at the large mirrors, the half-opened cubicle doors and the gleaming tiled floors. It was too clean and too perfect. Her head was barely visible in the mirror because of the long line of sinks. This was what was expected in her world.

"If that person could show me that coming out of my shell is a good thing then she could probably do it as well." The brown-haired girl got up and knocked on the fourth cubicle door. She was smiling when she knocked again with more insistence. "Come out, Haruhi-chan…"

The door opened with a crack.

Renge opened her arms and embraced her friend tightly. She smiled as she closed her eyes; her hands rubbed circles on her old friend's back. The warm and clean smell that always came from her favorite host filled the air. She was very, very glad that she finally got to know the real Haruhi.

Haruhi cried without restraint on Renge's shoulder. She was very glad to have a good friend.

oOoOoOo

They went back to the classroom together to retrieve Haruhi's bag.

She hadn't contacted the Host Club yet. It was not yet the time, she told herself. But she knew that she was scared of what could happen.

Renge had acted as Haruhi's shield as they exited the bathroom and went upstairs. Her fierce brown eyes threw daggers at those who stared. She had wrapped a firm and protective arm around her friend. If Renge was proud of anything, it was her fierce devotion.

They took a deep breath as they pushed open the door. It was supposed to be Free Study Period. They knew that it was likely that all of their classmates would be there. With linked hands, they entered.

"Haruhi-chan!" Kurakano, the class vice president and ardent fan, grabbed her hand. "We don't care about that! It's perfectly all right."

Haruhi stared.

Her other girl classmates approached her to hold or hand or to pat her back. She was suddenly surrounded by a whole group of friends. They were either crying or smiling kindly. She felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of people around her.

But they were all saying the same thing: "We forgive you."

"Why?" she asked, helplessly confused.

Renge ripped the newspaper to pieces before throwing it on a trash bin. Her expression was triumphant. "Because we know who you really are. All these lies are nothing."

Kurakano smiled and cupped her chin. "Even if you're a girl, I still think you're really cool. We might want to know the real story though…"

"We're here for you," another classmate said very gently "because we're your friends. The chairman chided us when we felt mad. He kept saying 'Fujioka is your classmate and friend. What she did must have had a good reason…' And we believe in him. We're not going to let anything bad happen to you."

Haruhi smiled as gratitude filled her soul. She didn't know that she had made so many friends. It was true that when things go from bad to worse, you can tell who your real friends are. Though she tried so hard to remain uninvolved, she didn't know that had reached out and formed many rich friendships along the way.

She had good friends who care- the Host Club, Kasanoda-kun, Nekozawa-senpai- about who she was and what she was doing. They worry. They chide. They would never leave her side.

Renge hugged her very tightly. The understanding in the girl's eyes was palpable. She knew without a doubt. Renge had promised to keep her secret.

"We're still your biggest fans, Haruhi-kun," Kurakano said in a reassuring tone. "So don't worry about club, okay?"

Then again, it was still impossible for them to see her as a girl.

"HARUHI!"

The class of 2-A turned to the doorway. A pair of panting boys leaned on the doorway with identical tired expressions.

"Hikaru, Kaoru," Haruhi said as she moved towards them. Her worried expression caught their attention. "What's wrong?"

Hikaru didn't care if the world was watching. He hugged her then and there. "We're so worried! We thought you disappeared!"

"But I didn't," she said in a quieter tone. Her eyes landed on Kaoru who was smiling at Renge. The other girl gave thumbs up. "I see. So Kaoru asked Renge-chan to look for me in the girls' bathrooms…"

"Clever of him," Hikaru glowered when he let her go. "Kyouya-senpai wants to see you."

She didn't look shocked. The rest of the class stared with a smile as she gathered her things and left the classroom with the twins. They thought that even if the world collapsed, she would still be cool like ice.

It was really her most admirable trait.

That and her ability to hold them in the palm of her hand…

oOoOoOo

A/N: So our downhill journey begins… School won't let go of me. I'm very sorry for the late update. I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I can. So don't forget to tell me what you think!

MESSAGE TIME!

Amethyst Reflux: Tamaki's real name is really Rene Tamaki Richard Grantaine Suoh. Check the manga… And I wonder if Kasanoda-kun really has a mommy! XD

Eriisu-April: Arai was the fruit guy. Thanks for following the story this far!

Kmixan: You know, I really like reading your long reviews. It makes me really warm and fuzzy coz you're really keeping track. It also scares me just how close you are to guessing what I'm going to do! I hope we can be friends!

HitokiriHERO: You're really a great person for leaving me messages after every chapter. Thanks! I also like how you sum up your thoughts for them… It's really helpful. :D

Mei-chan: Yes, sure, we can be friends! Just give me a shout-out on how to reach you.

Sapphire76: Thanks for the uber-long review that kept me high for weeks on end. I really love you for that! I also dedicate the chapter to you… Your words really kicked me out of my writer's block.