Hi everyone!
Hope you've all been doing well! Review responses are up first!
tmwillson3: Oh, it had to be awkward. I wouldn't be doing it justice if it wasn't. I love your suggestion-I'll try to think of an 18th century lovely item worth abusing!
DiamondSparkle42: Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like this chapter just as much!
MagicQuill42: I couldn't have said it better myself! Now for the fallout!
lillyannp: Thank you! And I think it'll be quite some time before we have everything revealed. After all, I still have at least three more mini-arcs to complete!
As usual, the reader question stays the same for this update. So, the topic is...Kasanoda's apprenticeship! Any and all ideas are appreciated so send them in!
Now, the Reader Wishlist topic is up for a change! This week it is...Columbina and the innamorati! I'd eventually like to work in a scene that the twins and Haruhi have to work closely together on a performance (perhaps to Tamaki's exclusion) but I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with ideas. So, what would you guys like to see?
The next update will be on Monday as usual!
Before we get into the chapter, I'd like to make a brief special announcement. My original webcomic, The Adventures of Badgergirl and Beaverboy, is officially up and running! I know that a good number of Ouran fans are also involved in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom. For those of you that are in this category, I think you will really enjoy this college spin on superheroes! Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble posting links here (likely a spam filter doing it), so I can't direct link. But, search The Adventures of Badgergirl and Beaverboy or BGandBBAdventures on Deviantart and it should pop up!
Now, onto the next chapter-in which the troupe must deal with the discovery of a secret!
Kasanoda tried to make his mouth work to offer an apology. But for some reason, his lips refused to form words and only a croak of surprise came from his throat.
For a moment, it seemed that the…girl in front of him couldn't speak either. But finally, she exclaimed: "He—hey! Get out!"
"So—sorry!" Kasanoda stammered. He stumbled backwards out of the wagon.
Yet as soon as he turned around, two sets of eyes gleaming with fury confronted him.
"You saw," the twins hissed in unison.
"Wha—what? No—no! I didn't see a thing!"
"Then why are you so red?" the twins chorused. "Surely there's nothing to be embarrassed about if Haruki was already done changing."
"We—well, uh—um—she—uh—"
"So you know she's a girl now," Kaoru declared.
"Um—sort of—" Kasanoda began to edge away from the twins.
Hikaru pinned the helpless bandit-turned-gardener to the side of the wagon. "What did you see?" he growled.
"I swear—I didn't see anything!" Kasanoda cried.
"We don't believe you," Kaoru snarled.
Kasanoda looked between the enraged twins with wide eyes. "It—it was an accident! I was just trying to return this mask!"
He held up the eye mask with a shaking hand. Someone took it from him.
"Sure, that's a likely excuse." This statement cut through the air with a calm coldness. Kasanoda glanced down at the source and trembled even more. Honey glared up at him with a terrifyingly serene rage.
"He's the scariest one here!" Kasanoda thought.
Hikaru shoved him against the wagon again. "So that brings us back to the question: what did you see?"
"It—um—well—she was—changing. I—um—saw—saw her—underpinnings," Kasanoda confessed.
The murderous glint in the twins' eyes sharpened.
"Hikaru, Honey, hold him." Kaoru hefted a spare board kept for the set up in one hand. "I think we need to alter his memory."
But just as Kasanoda cringed, preparing for the blow, someone called out: "Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey—that's quite enough."
Kasanoda cracked open one eye to see Kyoya standing behind the twins and Honey.
"It's not enough!" Hikaru cried. "He knows!"
"And I believe Ritsu will be reasonable. Let him down so we can discuss matters," Kyoya directed.
The twins begrudgingly released Kasanoda as Kyoya stepped forward. "Now, Ritsu, I understand you've stumbled upon Haruki's secret. You see, her father is a rather powerful nobleman in the region who has forbidden her from participating in any kind of…common frivolity. However, she wished to perform with us and as such, has been compelled to disguise herself as a boy. I'm sure you can see the potential dilemma that will emerge should her secret come to light."
"Of…of course," Kasanoda managed.
"Excellent. After all, I would hate to see someone in your position coming against a foreign nobleman like Haruki's father," Kyoya said.
"That would be bad," Kasanoda agreed with a fervent nod.
The illusionist lowered his voice and leaned forward so that only Kasanoda could hear him. "Besides, as this is the second of our secrets you have found out, I trust that you will keep it. Because you wouldn't want to draw the ire of a king as well as a nobleman, would you? So perhaps file this secrecy under 'loyalty debts owed?'"
Kasanoda's head bobbed up and down. "Absolutely!"
Kyoya smiled brightly. "Very good. I'm glad we're on the same page."
"You're just going to let him get away with this?" Kaoru exclaimed.
"What on earth is all of this fuss about?"
The others turned to see Mei and Tamaki rounding the corner of the remains of their backstage area.
"Milord, Bossanova found out Haruki's secret!" Hikaru shouted.
Mei and Tamaki's faces froze into identical expressions of horror. "He what?"
"Cassanova discovered that Haruki is a girl," Kyoya cut in. "I explained her situation—about her father being a powerful nobleman in the area."
"Oh." At that, Mei and Tamaki let out sighs of relief.
Tamaki chuckled a bit. "That's hardly much of a disaster. May I ask how he made this discovery?"
"He walked in on Haruki changing and saw her underpinnings!" Honey announced.
The blood drained from Tamaki and Mei's faces as they froze again. "What?"
"You heard him! He saw her in a state of undress," Hikaru sneered.
Mei and Tamaki swiveled to look at each other, then to Kasanoda. Neither one could say anything.
"See—he's shocked milord and Mei into silence!" Kaoru argued. "We have to do something!"
"Guys, cut it out." Haruhi emerged from the wagon, adjusting her cap as she did. "It was just an accident."
She stepped down beside Kasanoda and offered a slight smile. "I'm sorry that happened. They're really making more of a fuss over it than they should. It's not that big of a deal."
"Um, Haruki, what about your father?" Mei asked, finally shaking herself from her daze.
Haruhi shrugged. "He can be a bit overprotective. But I'm sure even he would understand that accidents happen."
Mei let out a wheezing snort of a laugh. "You're joking, right?"
"You worry too much. There's no harm done. We can just all forget the whole thing happened," Haruhi said. "Right?"
Kasanoda laughed nervously. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forget what had just happened. But the others didn't need to know that. "Ri—right!"
"Good, then it's settled," Haruhi replied.
Yet the rest of the group still stared at Kasanoda with narrowed eyes. The chimes of the city clock tower rang out and the bandit-turned-gardener said, "Uh, well, I guess I should be getting back to the gardens now! Can't stay away from them for too long! Mei, um, do you want to come back to the castle with me?"
"I have some errands to run first," Mei said. "But please, don't let me stop you. I can always come back with the troupe."
Kasanoda rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, that's fine. See all of you back at the castle—well, I guess except you, Haruki."
"I'm sure we'll see each other around again soon," Haruhi said.
And with that, Kasanoda hurried away to the castle.
Mei offered Kyoya an imploring glance, her head tilting slightly towards Haruhi. She made a small shooing motion with her fingers. The illusionist replied with the slightest nod of understanding.
"So, since an absolute disaster has been averted, I believe we have other matters to take care of. Haruhi, would you go with Honey and Mori to the haberdashery? Renge told me that she has an order that should be in by now."
"Um, sure, I guess. But don't you guys need help here? Besides, I don't really know where the haberdashery is," Haruhi said.
"We can handle everything here," Kaoru said.
"And Mori and I know where the haberdashery is. We've been with Renge lots of times," Honey assured her.
"Okay then," Haruhi agreed hesitantly. She allowed Mori and Honey to lead her away, but kept casting suspicious glances at the remaining group by the wagon.
"All of you have to swear not to tell what just happened to anyone," Mei burst out as soon as Haruhi was out of sight. "If His Majesty hears about what happened, he'll have Cassanova's head for it!"
"Hmmm, sounds like a solution to our problem," Hikaru muttered.
"You can't! Cassanova hasn't done anything to deserve it!" Mei retorted.
"Why are you so protective of him, anyway?" Kaoru asked. "He just became a gardener at the castle a few months ago. Do you really know anything about him?"
"I—I don't care!" Mei exclaimed, stamping a foot. But an embarrassed flush was already rising to her cheeks.
"He could be anyone for all you know," Hikaru said. "Why defend someone like that?"
At last, Tamaki broke from his trance. Seeing Mei's distress, he stepped in. "Hikaru, Kaoru, please—be civil. Can't you see you're upsetting the lady?"
Hikaru and Kaoru shrugged. "Yes milord."
"Mei, I promise that we'll keep this incident to ourselves," Tamaki said. "You're right—there's no reason for poor Bossanova to be thrown into a mess like that over an accident."
"If it was an accident," Hikaru muttered. The king of the troupe shot him a silencing glare.
"Thank you so much, Tamaki," Mei said with a relieved sigh.
"Well, I suppose we need to get the rest of the set put away," Tamaki said.
Mei clapped her hands together. "Hikaru, Kaoru, please show me how I can help."
As the twins and Mei busied themselves with the set, Kyoya took Tamaki aside.
"I'm sure Kasanoda won't be a problem," the illusionist said. "After all, he is still in your debt. However, if he discovers Haruki's true identity, it will become a much more difficult situation."
"How so?"
"Perhaps he begins asking too many questions. Or he lets something slip while at the castle. It could put all of our identities in danger," Kyoya explained.
Tamaki nodded. "Then we'll have to be careful."
"And you have no qualms about what just happened?"
"No—why would I?"
"Considering your…situation with Haruhi and the original reason we came to Ichio, such an occurrence might be…troubling to you."
"It was an accident, nothing more," Tamaki replied.
Kyoya nodded with the slightest of bows before disappearing into the wagon. Tamaki shook his head, forcing the thought of the incident away. He locked it away in some back drawer in his mind, vowing that it couldn't bother him if he didn't think about it. A monarch could be plagued by a number of troubles, but they had to appear unruffled for their court.
In truth, Tamaki found himself greatly disturbed by the entire thing. And he wasn't sure he wanted to delve into the reasons why such an event unsettled him. At least, not yet.
Unbidden, a memory of Haruhi scrutinizing his palms to see how he had produced roses from thin air came to him. How close they had been. This was immediately followed by a reminder of their embrace in the darkness of that stormy night. His cheeks burned and he immediately set about the rest of his work to quiet his mind.
And the next chapter excerpt is...
"Tetsuya, I wouldn't bother him," one of the men warned.
"Why?" Tetsuya asked.
"He's been acting very…strange."
"What do you mean?" Tetsuya frowned, rerunning the past few days. Nothing had happened that should have upset Kasanoda.
"He's been mumbling constantly about someone named Haruki."
Seems that Kasanoda might be a touch smitten. What hijinks await? Check back Monday to find out!
