"Is this really necessary?" Haruhi inquired as she twirled around, examining her reflection in the set of mirrors stationed before her. She watched as the twins smirked and nodded approvingly at the yellow strapless dress she was wrapped in.
Mrs. Hitachiin chuckled at the girl's question, "Of course, dear."
"Couldn't we have stopped after the purple dress you three agreed on? Or the green? Maybe even the blue? I have a test I need to begin studying for, and we've already been at this for over two hours..."
Hikaru shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned by her complaints, "What happens if we stop before we find a dress that we really, really like?"
"But you already said you really, really," she stressed the word, "liked the silver dress."
"That was after we saw the periwinkle one," Hikaru retorted.
"Besides, only twenty-three more to go!" Kaoru exclaimed as he gestured towards the rack of beautiful dresses behind him.
"Well, from mom's collection at least," Hikaru added as he nodded his head in the direction of another rack full of gowns, "you still need to try on the ones Kaoru and I designed. That's another seven there."
"Yeah, and you can't refuse to try them on because we spent so much time making them!" Kaoru said.
"Probably got a bad grade on our science exam because of that too," Hikaru lamented, "we worked all night long to get the stitching just right."
Mrs. Hitachiin smiled in an amused manner. She knew perfectly well that her boys were good students and had never failed a single test, homework assignment, or project in their life.
Haruhi sighed, clearly falling for their bait, "I still need to cook dinner, though."
'Perfect chance!' Mrs. Hitachiin thought before immediately offering, "Why don't you eat with us?"
"I'd hate to intrude," Haruhi said, a bit reluctant to accept. They'd probably make her stay even longer to model the remaining dresses. She was surprised they hadn't declared a sleepover yet.
"Nonsense, Haru-chan," Mrs. Hitachiin cooed in the sweetest tone as she glanced at her sons out of the corner of her eye; they were eagerly awaiting the scholarship student's answer, "we'd simply love to have you!"
"Um, well," the girl pondered, "I suppose I could..."
"Great then!" the well-known designer interrupted before the girl could change her mind, "You can tell me all about how your school day was over dinner, but first, be a dear and try on this white evening gown."
.x.o.x.o.x.
The week had gone by more-or-less smoother than Haruhi Fujioka would have expected. Although she hadn't had the chance to have a decent conversation with Ritsu Kasanoda, at least she knew he was alright. The yakuza-group heir had returned to school on Monday, but between schoolwork, the twins, and her reluctant afternoon visits to the Host Club, she hadn't had much time to catch up with her redheaded friend's whereabouts.
It was the day before the Host Club's 'Dance Party' and Hikaru and Kaoru had practically kidnapped her after class was dismissed. The club was closed for the afternoon in preparation of the next day's event, but the twins had declared that they'd be finding the perfect dress for their 'toy.'
"Plaything," Kaoru had corrected his brother, earning a painfully intimidating (yet, somehow, still adorable) glare from the scholarship student.
'Finding Haruhi the Perfect Dress' had somehow turned into 'Transform Haruhi Into a Dress-Up Doll,' an event that Mrs. Hitachiin had gleefully invited herself to participate in.
And finally, after 'Transform Haruhi Into a Dress-Up Doll' had concluded, the scholarship student then found herself sitting across from the Hitachiin matriarch at the extravagant table in the dining hall of their mansion.
"So what's this about a 'Dance Party' my boys have been going on about? I swear, they won't tell me a thing," the woman stated.
"To be honest," Haruhi replied as she picked up her glass of water, "I really don't know either. I suppose it's just a dance that the Host Club arranges."
"That's pretty much it," the twins stated in agreement.
"Tamaki-senpai makes it seem much bigger than it really is," Haruhi admitted. The Host Club's president had talked non-stop about the event ever since it was announced.
"Eh, it's not too bad," Hikaru said before taking another bite of his steak.
"We just dance with the girls the whole night," Kaoru stated, "speaking of which – do you know how to waltz, Haruhi?"
"No," Haruhi replied, looking at the younger twin with a curious expression. What teenager waltzed at a dance?
Hikaru almost choked on the piece of meat in his mouth, and quickly chugged down the rest of his water.
"Are you alright, sweetie?" Mrs. Hitachiin inquired in a distressed tone. She seemed ready to summon the family doctor.
"I'm fine, but I don't know about Haruhi," Hikaru replied.
"How are we going to dance with her if she can't dance?" Kaoru inquired of his twin.
"Who said anything about me dancing?" Haruhi deadpanned.
"What, you expect us to dance with the other girls the whole night?" Hikaru questioned.
"Obviously."
"Now, now, dears," Mrs. Hitachiin said as she settled back down into her seat, "the waltz is not a very difficult dance to learn. Then again, you two spent nearly a month attempting to master it..."
"You couldn't find us a good dance instructor," the brothers argued.
"All they wanted to do," Mrs. Hitachiin said as she turned her attention to Haruhi, "was dance with each other. 'If we can't dance with each other, we don't want to dance at all,' they'd say."
Hikaru groaned, "Just tune her out, Haruhi."
"So I finally decided, 'fine, they can dance with each other,' and I dressed them -"
"Mom!" Kaoru complained, "could you please refrain yourself from telling embarrassing stories? We've got a reputation to uphold, here."
Mrs. Hitachiin sent her youngest son a devilish smile, one that Haruhi was already oh-so familiarized with.
"I dressed Kaoru as a girl so Hikaru could learn the boy's part, and then I dressed Hikaru as a girl so Kaoru could could learn the boy's part," Mrs. Hitachiin finished, watching her sons slump in defeat.
Haruhi smiled, "At the dances I attended in junior high, there was never any set dance pattern that we had to follow."
Kaoru and Hikaru could have kissed her for not adding any embarrassing comments to their already destroyed egos.
Mrs. Hitachiin smiled to herself. Such an interesting girl her sons had found!
"I guess learning the waltz isn't that big of a deal, anyways," Hikaru said, "Kyoya-senpai was talking about having Haruhi do something for him anyways."
"Oh yeah," Kaoru said, suddenly remembering the Shadow King's request.
"Eh?" Haruhi questioned.
"Remember that guy, Sushishimmy Toyah, or something?" Hikaru asked.
"Suzushima Tohru," Haruhi corrected.
"Well," Kaoru added, "my lord wants to help him and Kasugasaki-san make amends before he leaves to study abroad."
"And what's this have to do with me?" Haruhi inquired.
"Well, uh," Hikaru said, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"We're not too sure," Kaoru lied; he knew perfectly well as to what the Shadow King's plan was, but he was sure Haruhi wouldn't want to participate if she knew what she'd have to do, "but we're pretty sure we'll all find out tomorrow!"
"Would you mind coming back here tomorrow before the dance, Haru-chan?" Mrs. Hitachiin asked, interrupting the conversation, "my boys can take you to the school, but I'd love to take some pictures of you three all dressed up!"
"Sure," Haruhi said with a bright smile, unable to decline due to the woman's gracious hospitality, "I wouldn't mind."
"Great!" the Hitachiin matriarch declared, "well, let's have dessert – by the way, Haruhi, I'll send a limousine to come pick you up at six tomorrow, alright?"
Hikaru grinned slyly at the girl seated between him and his brother, "We can do your hair."
"And makeup," Kaoru added.
"We'll even help you get dressed, if you want," the twins joked.
"No," Haruhi deadpanned.
Mrs. Hitachiin chuckled as dessert arrived.
Mrs. Hitachiin, what a match-maker! Anyways, next chapter: Dance Party!